#so i had to buy one and set it up myself but the studs were misaligned by like five inches

[oceanlovingcommunist]

i did so much work on setting up my bedroom yesterday and it’s FINALLY feeling Mine. it feels so good

[lovelytsunoda]

indecent exposure // liam lawson

summary: some men should not be allowed to buy gag shirts when they go to vegas. liam lawson is not one of them. or, the liam face-sitting fic i've been ruminating on for months and never wrote.

pairing: liam lawson x female! reader

warnings: 18+!!! SMUT!!! porn with very minimal plot if i do say so myself. lots of double entendres for common police charges (disorderly conduct, indecent exposure etc.), liam refers to himself as 'agent lawson' and makes us all cringe with laughter. the actual face-sitting portion of the fic is really only a few paragraphs at the end lmao the foreplay was too fun with all the cop jokes-

author's note: somebody should take both my library card and every british detective show in existence away from me because this is what happens when i watch too many episodes of anything with a hot detective in it. never mind the fact that i binged lauren layne's new yorks finest series last year when i was snowed in and my classes were cancelled for almost a week

there was nothing that y/n loved more than coming home from a long day at work and taking her dress pants off. and her high heels, and her bra. typically this would be followed by a pint of ben and jerrys and a few episodes of 'grace and frankie'. sometimes it would be followed by a feel good eighties movie, or by her boyfriend ordering takeout and ravishing her while they waited for it to arrive.

all of these were good options, as far as y/n was concerned.

"hey babe!" liam shouted, darting across the hall from the small gym space they'd set up, to the master bedroom. "look what i found in the closet...jesus. you look gorgeous." he stopped in his tracks, eyes fixed on his goddess of a girlfriend as she stood in front of the gilded mirror next to the walk-in closet.

"you saw be before i left for work." she laughed, taking out the small diamond studs in her ears. they were a gift from liam for their anniversary. "all i've done is take off my slacks and bra, and undo my shirt a little bit."

but it wasn't the lack of pants that was getting liam all flustered, nor was it the way the collar of her silk work shirt dipped down just a little too far, the hem not quite long enough to cover the area where thigh met ass.

no, it was the black prada glasses that delicately framed her eyes. the eyes that had so captivated liam from the moment they met.

"if you ever decide to get contacts, i'm leaving you. seriously."

he wasn't serious in the slightest.

"the way you look in those glasses should be a crime. you're gorgeous, babe."

facing him, she laughed, hands on her hips. "i thought you threw that shirt out!"

she groaned internally, looking at the tight-fitting black cotton shirt that liam was wearing, and the cracking white vinyl lettering over his heart. fbi. a gag gift he had bought in vegas. it was too tight despite it's age, hugging each and every one of liam's muscles far too tight, and looking deceptively erotic when paired with his dark blue jeans.

"so did i! isn't it great?" he grinned like an idiot, spinning in a little circle to show off the writing on the back.

female body inspector.

who the fuck came up with these things? on any random guy in the street, she would have gagged at the vulgar implications of the words. on her boyfriend? she only rolled her eyes.

"there's a reason it went missing in the move, babe."

liam shook his head, ignoring her words. "ma'am, i'm special agent lawson from the federal bureau of investigations. i've received a complaint about disorderly conduct on the premises. and now that i'm here i might have to upgrade that charge to indecent exposure, little lady."

"you're such a fucking idiot." she giggled, looping her arms around her boyfriend's neck before kissing him softly. "i love you."

"love you more." he rasped in between kisses, his hands travelling underneath the hem of her shirt. "what do you say the two of us make a case for disturbing the peace?"

"if you make one more cop-related come on, i'm walking out that front door and never coming back."

liam flashed a shit-eating grin, raking his bleached blonde hair out of his face. "so does that mean you won't consent to a frisk search?"

"i will humor you this one time." she laughed, taking a step back. "take it away, agent. but you do realize that the fbi don't get to make disorderly conduct calls? that's a beat cop's job."

"i seem to recall that you have a right to remain silent?"

she winked, undoing another button on her shirt, the fabric falling away just enough to give liam a glimpse of the soft flesh of her breasts. "and i don't recall being read my rights."

"hands against the wall, feet shoulder width apart, you beautiful smartass." liam laughed, waiting for her to turn slightly before playfully swatting at her backside. "then i can read them to you."

the wall was cold against her palms as she got into position, listening half-heartedly as liam attempted to remember the american miranda rights. he got about as far as 'you have the right to remain silent' and 'you have the right to an attorney' before he gave up.

"you know what, this isn't that serious. fuck the right to remain silent, you have the right to remain sexy as fuck. how about that." she could hear the playful annoyance in his voice, and couldn't help the smile that broke out across her face.

there was the liam she knew and loved. not one to mince words, even in the bedroom.

his smooth hands were a welcome presence on her body, travelling up her legs, over her hips and up the sides of her torso. torturously slow, his warm hands dipped underneath her shirt, taking her breasts in his hands, her peaked nipples between his fingers.

heat rose to her skin, adding a rosy sheen in the halflight. she sighed under his touch, her head dropping back to rest on liam's shoulder. liam smiled fondly, one of his hands reaching for hers, the other dropping to cradle her waist.

"you're beautiful." he hummed, kissing her neck gently. "i hope you know that."

this was a side of liam that only she ever got to see. on the outside, he gave off frat boy energy: the hair, the way he carried himself. the way he spoke. but just under the surface, was a man who was wrapped around his girlfriend's finger. one who loved shamelessly, and with his whole heart.

pulling away from the wall, the turned in his hold to face him, tangling her hands in his hair and kissing him deeply.

"if you can get that shirt off without tearing a stitch, you can keep it."

liam beamed, breaking from the embrace to scramble for the hem of the worn t-shirt. he had almost gotten it over his head when he heard the first few stitches begin to pop, fabric getting stuck by his shoulders.

"fuck!"

"need some help with that?"

"i think i'm good!"

somehow they ended up on the bed, both half dressed and pent up. she was soaked through her thong, despite her earlier attitude towards the t-shirt and further proving the point that her lover looked good in just about anything (or nothing, for that matter). she was needy, every nerve in her body reacting to the way liam's tongue probed her mouth, the way his hands touched her body. the way he moaned when she pressed up against the bulge in his jeans.

"babe," he mumbled in between kisses. "do you trust me?"

she cocked an eyebrow, brushing his bangs out of his face before looking down at him "should i be worried?"

"do you trust me, yes or no?"

"of course, li. of course i trust you."

liam nodded. "good. so sit on my face."

she paused, almost as if her brain was sending up error messages. she knew this day would come. liam lawson would eat pussy any which way. truthfully, she was shocked this day hadn’t come sooner.

it wasn’t that she didn’t want to. of course she wanted to.

“babe, how will you be able to breathe? I’ll suffocate you.” she protested, reaching for his hand. “I don’t want that on my conscience.”

“sweetheart, it’s okay. you won’t hurt me. and if-god forbid-I do suffocate, trust me on this, I wouldn’t want to go out any other way than with your thighs on either side of my head.”

and with that, liam took her hands in his, and guided her towards where he needed her most. she looked down at him with a soft smile, running her fingers through his hair.

"i love you." she whispered, moving her hands to the headboard and beginning to lower herself down to meet her lovers tongue.

she inhaled sharply as she made contact, liam's plump lips mouthing at her pussy, her grip tightening on the wooden headboard.

"i've got you, princess." liam's voice was muffled, but his words were reassuring as he ran a hand up and down her thigh. "just ride my face, darlin'. use my tongue to get yourself off."

feeling bolder than she was when she first sat down, she began to grind on liam's face, his nose bumping against her swollen clit with each movement. every bit of friction, every swipe of liam's tongue drove her wild, was like setting fire to her nerve endings.

"oh sweet jesus, god." she whined, fighting the urge to close her thighs together around liam's head, focussing on the way his hands gripped her thighs in a bruising way. she looked down at his face and moaned again, seeing the pleasure mapped out on her boyfriend's features.

"oh, i'm in heaven." he moaned, pulling her down further to plunge his tongue inside of her, rapidly flicking it inside and out.

her eyes rolled back as her hips bucked, grinding against the tip of his nose as one hand came down to clutch at his hair. tears of pleasure pricked the corners of her eyes as she cried out his name.

"liam- right there, oh my god, keep doing that." she whined, trying to move her hips faster. liam's face was soaked, the entire bottom half coated in her juices. there was so much of it, running down the sides of his cheeks and soaking into the pillowcase behind him.

she felt so good she could barely see, screwing her eyes shut. her pants and whines became closer together and more high pitched, the movement of her hips more frantic as she chased that feeling, that high.

"are you going to cum for me, baby?" liam asked, pulling his face away from her. she continued to drip onto his face, and he opened his mouth wide, catching some of her slick on his tongue. "come on my face. please, i want to be drowning in it."

and how could she say no to that?

she could barely keep her shoulders straight as she resumed her motions, fingers gripping liam's hair to keep herself steady. his hands grasped desperately at the flesh of her ass cheeks, squeezing and massaging as one of her own hands came up to grasp at one of her tits, teasing the peaked nipple between her fingers.

"oh god, liam, i think i'm coming!"

"i've got you, i've got you. just breathe-"

his last word was cut off with a moan as she began to gush, coating his face in her release. his moans were muffled by the weight of her body, but they were no less loud as he set about licking her clean.

her legs felt like jello and her body like mush as liam tried to sit up, easing her body back so that she was sitting in his lap, wet core right over top of the massive bulge in his jeans. liam was certain that if she moved at all while she was on top of him, he'd come in his jeans. totally spent, she slumped against him, resting her head on his chest.

he leaned down to kiss her sweaty forehead and she scrunched up her face. she looked adorable in her fogged-up glasses with her messy hair. and liam couldn't stop his heart from melting as she reached for the box of tissues in the nightstand and began to clean up his face.

"that was incredible." her voice was soft as she cleaned him up. "i had no idea you could do that."

"don't give me all the credit." liam laughed, playfully nipping at her fingers as she moved to wipe his mouth down. "you played a very large part in why i'm still hard right now."

she laughed, a big smile on her face as she looped her arms around his neck and leaned in to kiss him softly. with his large hands holding her in place, they kissed again. sweet, chaste and soft, with no intention of it leading anywhere else.

at least, not this early in the evening.

TAGS:

@magnummagnussen @httpiastri @libraryofloveletters @cartierre @lorarri @userlando @diorleclerc

[futfemfantasies]

Yellow - Mackenzie Arnold x reader

You woke up to a smidge of light peering through your window and a tight arm wrapped around your waist. You look at the time on your watch and it’s a little past 7:30 so you know that Mackenzie isn’t going to wake up for at least another hour. You turn over slightly and give her a soft kiss on the cheek, which causes the slightly older than you to scrunch her nose and turn over. This loosens her arm around you a little so it’s easy for you to escape. Once out of the tight hold, you decide you are going to go on a walk and to grab some coffee and bagels on the way home. After slipping on your last shoe and leaving a note on your pillow, you started your mini adventure.

You’d just moved to England from the US after scoring a deal with Arsenal so you are still getting used to the new country. Thankfully, since you and Mackenzie’s clubs aren’t that far from each other, you still see each other regularly. As you walk down the street, you see the familiar but old style shopping village you��ve grown to love. Turns out the country markets are on today and that makes you happy to explore peoples little handmade trinkets and fresh produce.

You first stop at a small flower stall and greet the old couple sitting in their slightly beaten up camping chairs, sharing a warm cup of coffee. All the different colours and aromas makes your heart burst with happiness, especially when you see this one shade of purple. It reminds you of the first time you saw Mackenzie in your national teams goalkeeper jersey. Having your favourite girl kitted out in your favourite colour did something to you. You didn’t realise how long you were staring at the flowers until you saw the old lady stand in front of you.

“You can just buy one if you want. I know a whole bunch is a bit much sometimes” the old lady offers.

You decide to buy three stems of the flower and she wraps it up nice and cute for you. You thank her and decide to give here a little bit extra for the trouble.

You walk down the next couple of stalls and see one of the new couples at Arsenal, Caitlin Foord and Katie McCabe. You talk to them for a while until you hear your phone ringing and see it’s Mackenzie. You bid them goodbye and that you’ll see them tomorrow for games night at Viv and Beth’s house. You quickly answer your phone and see Mackenzie FaceTiming you.

“Hey bubs, did you just wake up?” You ask as you look at a handmade jewellery stall.

“I did and you weren’t here. Where are you?” Mackenzie asks, mumbling into the comfy and fluffy blanket.

“I went down the street to get us some coffee and it turns out the markets are on. So I’m just having a look around, trying to familiarise myself with the area”

“Can you hurry? I’m missing out on my cuddles”

“I’ll be as quick as I can bubs. I love you”

“I love you more love. See you soon”

You look around the jewellery and see a pair of sunflower stud earrings. You pick them up and smile at the memory behind sunflowers.

On your four month anniversary date, Mackenzie took you to a sunflower farm in you hometown of Brisbane and you were in heaven. They had a clear patch where you could have a picnic and you both packed each others favourite foods and drinks. The patch was on top of a hill, over looking the beautiful mountains and the city below. You both had finished eating and you moved to sit in between her legs, watching as the sun slowing hide behind the high rise buildings, leaving behind a glow of oranges and pinks. It honestly made Mackenzie look like a goddess in your opinion. After a moment of comfortable silence, she told you those three words you have also had on the tip of your tongue also. You both sealed it with a kiss (or make out session) under the setting sun and it was truly a day you’ll never forget.

You give the earrings, along with the matching necklace, to the young girl to pay and again, told her to keep the change. She thanks you a lot before you head off down to the other stalls. You buy some more ironically coloured flowers, some matched Mackenzie’s eyes and one colour (in your brain), matching the way she smiles ever so lovingly at you.

You reach your final stall and see the most gorgeous yellow daffodils you’ve seen. Immediately buying them, you check the time and Mackenzie is texting you asking if you’ve ran away with the circus and that her ‘cuddle-o-meter’ is nearly running out so she’s going to die. You roll your eyes at the dramatics but decide to get the things you had come out for, coffee and bagels. You make a u-turn to your favourite coffee shop and order the usual for you both with cream cheese bagels.

You race home as fast as you can with two coffees and a bag full of flowers. Mackenzie hears the front door unlock and immediately goes to help you. Her eyes wide at the amount of flowers in your bag.

“What’s all the flowers for baby?” Mackenzie questions.

“I’ll explain later but please take the coffee”

You both sit on the couch and eat your bagels while you tell Mackenzie about all the stalls at the markets. Mackenzie’s heart swells up at how excited you get over the little things and it makes her smile even more (if that was possible).

“Okay presents time!” You say practically jumping out of your seat.

You explain all meanings behind the purple flowers to the sunflower earrings and necklace set and how Mackenzie hates earrings so you’ll wear them and she can have the necklace. Not once did Mackenzie get distracted or even think about not listening to you rave on about everything you bought her and the meanings behind them.

You finally got to the yellow daffodils. You turn and take Mackenzie’s hands in yours and she immediately tenses a little. You rub your thumb on her hand and she relaxes slightly.

“Mum used to tell me that yellow is the happiest colour. She used to say ‘yellow is something, or someone, that makes you so head over heels happy that you don’t want it to end’. Ever since we’ve started dating, I knew you were it for me. You’re my soulmate, my yellow. You’re the safe place I call home”

It happens all at once. The bottom lip wobbles. The single tear falls down Mackenzie’s cheek. The bone crunching hug that sends you flying back, hitting the soft cushions of the couch. You feel your shirt getting wet and you pull Mackenzie’s head up to see her with tears streaming down her face.

“Oh baby, I didn’t mean to make you cry” you mumble, wiping tears from her cheek.

“Marry me?”

You thought you heard wrong or didn’t hear her at all. When you don’t say anything, Mackenzie gets up from your lap embarrassed then you realise what she said. She turns to walk away when you grab her wrist, making Mackenzie turn her head to you.

“Yes”

“Yes?”

“Yes I’ll marry you baby!”

Mackenzie falls straight back on top of you and kisses you passionately. You pull her close when she pulls back quickly.

“The ring! You need your ring!” She sprints into the bedroom and before you could get up, she sprints right back out.

Mackenzie kneels on the floor in front of you before lifting your left hand and sliding the ring on. You tell her to stay there and you take a quick photo. She cuddles back into your arms and you cannot stop looking at the new sparkling piece of jewellery on your left hand.

“It’s gorgeous”

“Just like it’s owner”

“You cheese ball”

London being London, it starts to rain quite heavily so you both decide to cuddle on the couch and watch movies all day.

Who knew going for an early morning stroll on a day off would end up with you being engaged to the love of your life.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

A few weeks later…

liked by mackenziearnold, leahwilliamson, bethmead, matildas, stephcatley and 187,394 others

itsyn25: ‘yellow is something, or someone, that makes you so head over heels happy that you don’t want it to end’ 💍

view all 22,845 comments…

mackenziearnold: home ❤️🥺

// itsyn25: forever and always bubs ♾️

leahwilliamson: yay!! So happy for you both 😭🥹

// itsyn25: i love youuuu 🥹

caitlinfoord: I suppose you can join the club now…

// omg thank you! I totally haven’t been waiting 5 years or anything… 🥲😁

stephcatley: maid of honour dibs! 🙋‍♀️🤩

// itsyn25: I suppose 🙄

[ryndicate]

One gift, Two Gift, My Gift, Whose Gift? ⨳ Draken, Ran & Rindou

No matter how many men he lets into your life, you know you're Draken's forever. Hopefully.

notes: for @knchins ! Hi hi, I'm your secret santa! I really hope you like it and I hope all my vague ass asks were worth it hehe, I did my best to make it something you'd enjoy. Of course extra special thanks to @dark-mnjiro I know we were supposed to be completely anonymous, but when she told me you and her were close I couldn't help myself. It's my first time writing a gn reader so if I Madd any mistakes I'm so sorry! I reread it as many times as I could to make sure<3

Event: @mekiza 's secret santa exchange <3

warnings: fem-bodied, reader is referred to as "baby" and "princess", gn pronouns, stockholm syndrome, implied kidnapping, implied behavioral training, multiple creampies, non/consensual cucking, pregnancy, very brief knife play, multiple partners/partner sharing, cockwarming, aftercare and comfort

By expanding, you are consenting to viewing adult and dark content and all warnings listed above. 18+ Minors DNI

Rules & Main Links

“Do you need any help?”

Your soft question raises tentatively above the volume of the tv as you watch your partner unroll more of the string lights before tapping another nail into one of the many wall studs that he marked out earlier this morning. He’s putting them up at your request, just like he did last year and you think the year before that. It’s the little things like this that he always says yes to.

Making a night about cocoa and cuddles, buying that blanket you saw on tv, putting up fairy lights all across your room, just one more kiss. That’s where you’ve found your happiness. Draken can’t deny you the little things.

“No, princess. I got this. Just sit back and look pretty for me, okay?” He smiles down at you, the pale yellow light illuminating the winding serpent across the side of his head.

“Okay, Ken.”

You shift the blanket over your body, smoothing it out, content to watch him move the stool periodically as the lights begin to look more and more complete. Draken has always been so handsome, but there’s something about him lately that makes him seem more than that. Maybe it’s his natural hair color, or maybe it’s the fact that he smiles more now. It’s been a long time since he’s had to raise his voice at you, or worse, lower it. A warm smile crosses your lips, heat flowing into your cheeks as you think about the way he spoke to you last night as he lay between your legs. The way he talks to you when he makes love is your favorite, as if you could do no wrong. As if you’ve never done any wrong, even though you both know that’s not the case.

But you know better now, all thanks to him.

The doorbell rings, a quiet melody breaking across the serene of the apartment. Your head pops up in surprise, you didn’t think he was going out today. Or maybe someone is just visiting. Your lover pauses from where he’s raised the hammer to put the next nail up, an almost inaudible huff pushing through his lips at the interruption and starts to step down.

“Can I get the door, Ken?” It would be nice to help him, you can do this now without making him mad, but it’s always better to ask.

Draken pauses his descent from his perch, and looks at you, considering. “Sure, princess. Go see who it is first.”

Perking up happily, you carefully rise from the couch and flit out of your bedroom and through the quiet living room to the front door to peek through the door viewer. Stepping softly, you retreat from the door to poke your head back into the bedroom where Draken is waiting.

“It’s the Haitani’s, am I allowed to open the door?”

This time he sighs and sets his tools aside, but he still nods at you, so whatever is bothering him isn’t your fault. Permission acquired, you turn to the door, not hiding the sound of your steps now. The doorbell rings three times in quick, annoyed succession before you can reach it, and you undo the bolt, the latch and the door handle switch and pull the door open. You wonder if they’re your company for the day, or if they’re coming to see Draken. It’s not safe for you to be home alone.

"Took you long eno— oh hey, baby. Didn't see you there." Rindou's irritated expression slips into a smirk as you give him a shy smile, opening the door wider and inviting the two brothers in.

"Stop flirting, I'm freezing my ass off," Ran grumbles from behind him, shoving past Rindou and stepping across the doorway into the inviting warmth of your home.

"Just being friendly." Rindou winks at you and closes the door behind him.

"Yeah, yeah, be friendly where it's warm," Ran shrugs his coat off, revealing an expensive suit, and stoops to place a kiss on your cheek, one that you accept gracefully before taking his jacket to hang up.

The fabric is slightly damp, and you wonder if it snowed. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"Maybe later, angel. Where's Draken?" Ran asks, head turning to peer around the dimly lit living area.

"My room."

Ran nods, pushing his hair back and disappearing down the hall. You're moving to follow when Rindou catches your hand, twining his fingers with yours to pull you back to him. He grins down at you, wrapping his arms around your waist.

"Nah, baby let 'em talk their business. You don't need to worry about that stuff."

"Oh, you're not just here to visit today?" You ask, surprised. Of all Draken's friends and colleagues, the two brothers are the ones to stop by for personal affairs most often.

"Mikey sent us today, but we don’t have to go back right away. Why, did you miss us?" Rindou grins, his fingers inching dangerously close to the top edge of your sleep shorts.

"It's always nice to see you, Rin," you answer softly, shifting your feet self-consciously when his smirk widens.

Content for the moment to tease, he lets you squirm out of his grasp. "I'll take that drink, baby."

Nodding, you turn to the kitchen and pull down enough glasses for the three of them, and the crystal decanter from the cabinet, transporting them to the living room.

Despite requesting the drink, once you set the tray on the coffee table, Rindou pulls you into his lap, ignoring it altogether. His clothes and body are cold from outside, and you can’t help the mewl of discomfort at the frigid touch to your bare legs. His arms slip around your waist, pulling your back snug to his chest, and your arms flash down to keep him from pulling too tightly.

“You gonna keep me warm?” You shiver, his breath hot on your neck before he presses his lips to your thrumming pulse.

“W-wait, s’posed to—”

“I’ll take the heat, baby, just c’mere already. Fuckin’ missed you,” Rindou groans, his pink flushed fingers like ice under your chin as he turns your head back to him, capturing your lips before you can protest further.

Last year, something so spontaneous would have terrified you, but you find yourself, albeit reluctantly, melting into Rindou’s touch, letting yourself moan softly as he takes your lower lip between his teeth.

“There you go,” he coos, palming your breast over your sweater, his head tipping back with a low groan as you wiggle your hips over his growing erection. “Fuck, baby. You miss me that much? You know you can call me when you need me, right?”

You peer back at him over your shoulder with a pout until he grumbles under his breath and tugs you into another kiss, more impatient this time, slick tongue coaxing your mouth to open and let him in.

He knows very well you could never do that. It’s a balance, keeping Rindou happy without being partial. Draken gets jealous, petty even, if you show anyone else too much favor. It was a confusing point for you when you first got together, that if it upset him so much he shouldn’t share you like he does, but now you know that you just hadn’t understood what it meant for him. And now you do, so you play along even if you only want to be his. Now you know how to keep everyone happy, mostly.

Rindou breaks the kiss by pulling your hair at the base of your neck, forcing your head back. You whine your displeasure at the interruption, but he hushes you, lips attacking your throat, nipping and sucking until your whine changes pitch and your throat is hot and stinging, no doubt wreathed in blooming red and purple.

“You know you’re suppos’ta ask, don’t you?” You stiffen as Draken’s voice rumbles across the living room.

Rindou releases your neck with a wet suck. “Yeah, yeah. They know. Tried real hard to stop me, didn’t you baby?” He pinches your clothed tits, forcing your back into an arch as you whine your assent, turning teary eyes on Draken. He looks annoyed, but his dark eyes are pinned on male beneath you.

Ran edges into your peripheral, taking your hand and pulling you safely from his little brother’s lap, dropping his suit jacket over the back of one of the couches. Then and only then does Draken pace forward and swat the back of the younger Haitani’s head. Rindou winces, but looks no less pleased with himself, rubbing a hand over the front of his pants. “C’mon can you blame me? Look at them, how was I supposed to resist?”

You had your head buried in Ran's chest, drinking in the scent from his pressed shirt as he held you, but you peek over your shoulder to see Draken rolling his eyes at Rindou's comment.

"Aren't you cold?" Ran questions, his hands dropping from your ass to toy with the exposed skin at the back of your thighs.

You shake your head. "I had a blanket, it's in my room."

"Don’t see it now… Draken won't mind if we keep you warm then?" Ran turns violet eyes on his friend, and you remain silent.

Draken looks a little annoyed at the question, which is unlike him but you understand. Things are a little different now, and you’re both still feeling it out.

“Oh, c'mon. I know you’ve been touchy lately but it's the giving season isn't it? And we want our favorite toy, our perfect little angel." Ran’s purr is wicked, his fingers squeezing your ass and sending a shiver of warmth up your spine as he snaps at the waistband of your shorts. His words are hushed, right by your ear even as Ran maintains an unwavering stare with your lover. “You know they’ve been missing us too, just too sweet to say it to you.”

You shake your head quickly, before freezing with a moan, as Ran chuckles, his hand slipping into your waistband to cup your pussy, no undergarments to slow his advances. He slides a finger through your folds, finding you already wet from his brother’s toying. “Yeah, there you are.”

Draken sighs and sits down on the opposite couch, one cushion away from Rindou, his eyes stormy, but drawn to the way you tremble under his friend’s touch, clocking the way your breath quickens. “Fine, but make it quick. We’ve got stuff to do.”

Ran doesn’t argue, pulling you into his lap as he sits on the opposite couch. His hand slips under your sweater, fingers trailing up your spine as he coaxes you into a kiss that quickly becomes heated. He doesn’t have time to draw it out today.

Rindou makes a noise of disappointment, but surprisingly doesn’t protest, heaving himself off his couch to slide up behind you. You can feel his arousal against your back, and if your pulse hadn’t already been roaring, it would be now, with one of them behind you and your eyes on Ran. The elder brother lets you go and is pulling back to unbutton his dress shirt when Rindou reclaims your attention, your breath hitching as you feel the sharp point of something under your chin, forcing it up. He looks to Draken, grinning. “There enough time for me to play today?”

Draken pauses for a nail-biting length of time. You want to watch him while he thinks, but Ran has other ideas, taking your hands and encouraging you to run your nails down his chest.

Then you hear him. “Superficial, and leave their stomach alone.”

You feel Rindou crystalize behind you; that’s far from the answer he’s used to receiving. “Why?” he asks, petulance shadowing along with the more overt curiosity.

Ran had stilled beneath you as well, but his mind moves faster and he pulls up your sweater. It’s not obvious right now unless someone knows what they’re looking for, but Ran’s keen eyes take in the slight swell of your stomach. A strangely possessive look enters his eyes and he doesn’t ask, but you don’t have the right to deny him as he places both palms over your stomach, cradling your tiny bump.

Draken shifts behind you, and you, ever conscious of him, glance his way. It’s been so long since you’ve seen that expression on his face, that even if it’s not directed at you, you can’t help the instinctual flutter of fear at the sight of it. Now you’re more certain than ever that you have to be good tonight. He’s been far more possessive of you since the pregnancy was discovered, closer to what you expected him to be like when you first got together. But he still won’t deny them this. Anything that might upset these two will definitely set him off, and you don’t want him angry with you. You much prefer when he’s sweet with you, you get sad when he ignores you. And your emotions are more easily thrown lately.

Rindou takes a single moment to lock eyes with Draken before nodding his assent. The thin edge of the blade trails down your throat, forcing a swallow out of you before you hear something clatter to the coffee table behind you. Surprise tingles across your flesh when you realize he’s dropped the knife, his hands working to tug your sweater over your head. Once the soft fabric is free of your body, his fingers curl around your neck, turning your head up to capture your lips in an aggressive kiss, barely giving you a second to get used to it before he’s prying open your lips and delving his tongue into your mouth.

You whine into Rindou’s mouth as his brother makes quick work of your bra, slender fingers squeezing at the exposed flesh.

“They’re bigger,” Ran comments casually before sitting up to drag his tongue between the valley of your breasts, teasing at your nipples with light tugs. “More sensitive now, I bet?”

Your nails are all but digging into Ran’s chest from all the stimulation, because of course they are. They’re sore all the time, and his touch is so gentle right now, setting all your nerves alight.

"Are they—"

"Not yet, dumbass. 'S way too early for that," Ran cuts off his brother, shifting to undo his belt, catching wind of the impatient look on Draken's face. He pulls his cock free, and the pair of them help you reposition to slide your shorts off, settling your back to Ran's chest.

A low cry gets caught in your throat as he pushes in, the pink head splitting your walls as he eases in. The stretch is immediate, quickly followed by a slight burn.

"Sorry angel, not how I would've done it. But you can take it, just relax for me." Ran coos soothingly, one hand coaxing you to relax deeper into his chest, the other gesturing to Rindou.

Taking the hint, Rindou halts in fisting his own cock, quick to start rubbing on your clit, guiding your hand to take up his abandoned task. He moans at your touch, your fingers curling around his shaft as he leans down to kiss you.

Through the fog of pleasure you remember to stroke him quickly, squeezing at the top the way you know riles him up and it's barely minutes before he's growling into your mouth, his touch getting sharper and faster on your throbbing clit until you're keening back, thighs shaking as you try to sit still for Ran, who's lazily thrusting into your soaking heat, his eyes locked on the way you're pleasing his brother.

"Fuck," Rindou hisses as your spare hand cups his balls, rolling them between your fingers as the begin to pull taut. He bats the silvery strand caught between your lips and pushes his fingers into your mouth, his head dropping back as you suckle obediently, flicking your tongue between his fingers teasingly. "Ran—"

Ran pulls out immediately, leaving you to whimper at the empty feeling, only for Rindou to put one knee between his brother's legs and shift your hips at a higher angle to slide into your dripping cunt with a ragged curse.

His hips jerk unevenly as Rindou thrusts into you, biting back moans as the velvety tightness clamping around his cock, and you give a wordless cry and Ran starts teasing your aching tits with his fingertips again. You can feel his sticky length twitch against the small of your back, his voice low in your ear as his brother fucks you for his own pleasure, his moans getting louder, faster, as he reaches his peak.

"I know it's not enough, but it still feels good, doesn't it? He's a little selfish, but I know you think it looks good on him. You like it when he's lost in you," Ran purrs devilishly, and you gasp, his words twisting something hot in your core, threatening to unravel you right there. Your hips jerk, and Rindou whines as your pussy ripples around him. Ran's voice gets soft, hiding the sharp edge that you know is still there no matter how sweetly he talks. "Nuh uh, don't you dare angel. You're saving that for me right?"

"Yes," you mewl, squirming helplessly as you try not to come. Your thighs are shaking dangerously from the position, legs still spread wide over Ran's thighs. "Won't, I won't. Please, ngh Rin, 'm gonna—"

Rindou groans loudly as his name leaves your mouth in a hiccupped sob, the broken plea enough to send him rocketing into his orgasm, shoving himself deep one more time, flooding your cunt with several thick ropes of cum.

He pulls out, the last of his seed sticking into a mess on your tummy as it twitches against your skin. Rindou sags against you for a moment before Draken grumbles about the pressure on your stomach, and he immediately heaves himself off, sprawling on the couch to your left, brown eyes hazy.

"Up for me angel, turn around."

With Ran's help, he gets you turned around in his lap and sunk down on his cock with a relieved moan, your hips rolling without permission to reignite the fading sparks in your core before they die out. It's wet and sloppy, the sounds of his length thrusting in and out loud with yours and Rin's combined slick and cum.

"So messy, feels s'good," Ran grunts, hands on your hips to help guide your fervent bouncing. His eyes keep flickering from your tits, lingering heavily on your little bump. "Perfect pussy, you gonna make me come? Fuck me, angel, make yourself come on my cock. Let me feel it."

"'M trying, 'm trying. Wanna come," you moan, hips circling, desperately trying to snap the coil that's wound itself so tight you feel like the snap might break you. "Please, help me come. R-ran…" Your pleading trails off with a low keen when he does nothing but watch you with heavy-lidded lust and you know you've gotta do it without him. You're right there. You just need a little more. You just need—

A hand pries one of yours from its death grip on Ran's shoulder, and you look up with teary eyes to see Draken standing behind the second couch, crouching to your eye level as he twines his fingers with yours.

"Princess." It's the soft encouragement in his tone, that has you spiraling over the edge, your jaw going slack, vision going white. Pleasure sings in your veins as you clutch tighter at Draken's hand, only vaguely aware of Ran's string of curses as he grinds into your spasming walls, finding his end in the rippling vice of your pussy.

"There you go," Draken murmurs, fingers soothing your scalp with light scratches as you come down. He walks around the edge of the couch and helps you to your feet, your legs leaden and shaky from all the exertion. You cling to him for support, shaking your head when he tries to lower you to the clean couch.

"No?"

"'M dirty, that isn't."

Draken scoffs in amusement. "So?" You pout and he sighs in defeat. "Shower? Do you want me to carry you?"

You shake your head, glancing at the brothers shyly. "Just don't be long."

"'Kay, baby." He places a kiss on your forehead, and you smile at him before going to your bedroom to find a towel for the obscene mess between your thighs.

Rindou plies Draken with questions the moment you leave the room.

“How long has it been?”

“Doc thinks it’s about 18 weeks.”

“Do you know what it is yet?”

“We’ve got a home visit coming up soon. Doc’s schedule isn’t open til after the holidays, we’ll find out then.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Rindou demands, the tone of his voice hard to read. When Draken doesn’t answer, he asks the one thing that he most wants to know. “So whose is it? The baby.”

“Mine,” Draken grunts, sipping from his glass, eyes flicking to the hall as the shower starts, the sound of water hitting tile clear in the beat of silence that follows his response.

Then Rindou finally looks around for his shirt, swiping it from off the floor where it landed, and recovers. “Yeah, yeah, you fuck ‘em the most. But are you sure? Did you run a test? It’s not like we’re the only ones who fuck them. Could be Sanzu’s, Koko’s, even Mik—” Draken kisses his teeth in irritation, and Rindou shrugs, backing off. Ran looks to Draken at the question, his silence indicating that he’s also waiting on the answer.

“Whoever’s fault it is, it’s mine.” Draken says calmly and clearly, making it clear that he’s not expanding on the subject anymore.

“Congrats,” Ran mumbles, sharing an unseen loaded look with his brother when Draken glances down the hall again. “We’ll see ourselves out, go help them.”

The brothers make themselves presentable as Draken disappears down the hall with a nod of thanks.

“His temper lately makes sense now,” Ran comments once he's farther away, tucking himself away and tugging the zipper of his pants.

Rindou mutters under his breath. “Think we can tell the others?”

“Nah,” Ran hums, a grin curling his lips. “Think we’d be able to come over as much if everyone knew? They’re all gonna want to see ‘em more once they find out. Let them wait a bit more.”

An understanding gleam enters Rindou’s eyes, and he nods silently, shrugging into his coat.

“Besides, I’m more interested in seeing how this affects the deal Draken made,” Ran adds, pulling open the front door, a gust of snow billowing through the warm living room before he closes it behind them. “A baby changes everything. You know he won’t let it slide, whose the kid is.”

"You think Mikey'd take them back? If it's not Draken's?"

Ran pauses for a moment, considering. His violet eyes turn skyward, watching the snow begin to clump thicker in the air. Eventually he shrugs. "I dunno. But it's not something I'd bet big against. They're both possessive assholes, not that I blame them all things considered."

Rindou chuckles. "I wonder how hard they'd even fight it. It's clear they love Draken, but that submission… it's worked out well for everyone. Maybe we'll get them back. Koko would be thrilled, that's for sure."

That earns a noncommittal hum from his brother, but garners no response.

"Fuck it's cold," Rindou grumbles finally, shoving his hands in his pockets as the snow collects in his hair. He sends one last longing glance at the door behind him. "Call a fucking cab next time.”

Draken silently steps away from the front door, padding down the hall and slipping into the bathroom.

“Princess, you okay?”

“I’m fine.” The shower curtain rattles as you pull back the colored fabric to peek out at him, steam billowing out of the gap. “Are you coming in?”

“Do you want me to?”

You take the barest of seconds to glance at him, taking in the fond curve of his lips, shadowed by the slight hunch of his eyebrows, and are quick to answer. If you do it right, you can always wipe away any budding insecurity the brother’s might have planted when you left the room. Those two do that often enough that you’re used to it, used to the way they get under Draken’s skin. He told you that a long time ago they didn’t used to be friends, but that was before Mikey brought them all together. Sometimes you think you see tiny hints of their old animosity, but it’s always gone so quickly that you’re never sure until you’re mulling it over later in the night.

“Of course, Ken. I need your help.”

You grin as Draken immediately pulls his shirt over his head, revealing the detailed twin dragons on his chest, your eyes lingering on the one that rests between his pectorals, set in the gap of serpents’ opposing maws. The one each of his friends seem to have somewhere. He’d gotten it not long after you’d moved in, and you remembered the tense moments where you’d catch him glaring at it in his own reflection. But his eyes would always soften if he caught you looking. Despite how he does everything he can to baby you, you know better. You know what he does to be able to take care of you, what’s expected of him. It would take a lot more than endless soft words and pampering to go unaware of the plain package parcels that go through your home, to cover the smell of blood.

His pants are crumpled to the bathroom floor moments later, and then he’s joining you in the steamy water. “What d'you need, baby?”

“Help me get it out?” Draken’s eyes spark with fire as you slide wet fingers down his arm and pull his hand between your thighs.

A low groan spills from his throat as his fingers slide through your folds, slipping through the leftover cum that still stained the walls of your pussy. He leans closer and presses a hot kiss to your cheek. You can feel the temperature of his lips more distinctively than the water beating down on your back. “You really want it out?”

“Want yours, Ken. Not theirs. Get it out,” you whine at the end, pressing your forehead to his chest as he plunges his fingers into your cunt, still so sensitive from the brothers’ assault. “Ah!”

“Shh, I got you.” Draken’s voice is a little deeper now, desire laden, as he murmurs soft encouragements, his fingers twisting and grazing against that spot in you that has you gripping his forearm helplessly, leaning against the tile to keep from falling. He knows you better now to know you’re not trying to stop him, simply a kneejerk reaction to the pleasure. He pulls his fingers out, grasping your waist to steady you instead, his eyes staring intently at your little bump. “Careful, baby. Turn around.”

Breathlessly, you comply, putting your palms flat to the tile and moaning when he presses on the small of your back, having you push your hips out just a little. “Good?” He rumbles. You hear him unhook the showerhead and tell him yes, blood hot with anticipation.

Your squeal bounces off the walls of the bathroom when he presses the jet of water to your slit, the heat and the pressure enough to make your knees weak.

Draken hums, keeping your steady with a hand on your hip, pressing more firmly and shifting the stream lower, away from your clit. Your mewls are softer now, just like the pleasure, tilting your hips down against the water; it still feels good, heightened by your lover’s touch, knowing his gaze is locked on you.

After a couple minutes, he notices you begin to shiver, your skin rising with goosebumps, wet and no longer under the full warmth of the showerhead. He reclips it and turns you back to face him. There’s no complaint from you when he captures your lips in a kiss, his fingers slipping into the warmth of your pussy, immediately angling at the soft lining of your outer wall, working you towards a quick release with a touch that betrays just how well he knows your body.

His breath is labored against your neck where he buries his head, lips pressing to your collarbone intermittently, occasional grazes of his teeth. Your hips jerk into his efforts as his thumb presses on your throbbing clit, almost keening at how sensitive it is, so close to flying over the edge.

“Let go for me, I need you baby. Go on,” Draken rumbles, voice tight, but you’re coming before he’s even finished speaking, the knowledge, no, the admittance—that this man needs you, causes bliss to light up every circuit you possess. His fingers continue to crook at your walls, guiding you through a pleasure you’d never have dreamed of before him.

“One more? You got one more for me, right?” His groan is ragged as he hooks one of your thighs under his arm, leaving you on one leg but keeping you steady as he sinks into you, his cock pulsing as your slick walls stretch to accommodate his girth. You don’t even care that your body is thrumming and oversensitive, the desire to be as close to him as possible, to feel him consume you, is everything. Draken knows what’s best for you, always has.

His pace is slow, measured, but you can tell he’s as desperate as you are, his lips on yours, on your cheeks, your throat, kissing your eyelids every time they close, the water cascading around you, all but forgotten as your bodies move as one. It’s not about pleasure, it’s about being together, the joy of it.

“You’re so beautiful,” Draken moans, water dripping down his neck and shoulders. “So perfect. Every day, so good for me.”

“I need it, Ken,” you gasp, clawing at his back, desperation making your voice hoarse. “Please, please.”

Draken hisses as your nails drag red lines into his skin, but his eyes lose none of their intensity as he presses his forehead to yours. “Come with me—” your name tears from his lips in a low whine as pleasure unravels in his gut like a snapped coil, his hips stuttering as he releases inside you with a ragged groan, but he doesn’t stop, fucking it deeper. “Come for me, come, f-fuck—”

His chant doesn’t stop, and you watch his face contort as he continues to come, bliss easing his features and making him look softer, and Draken’s never looked more beautiful. You follow after him with a low cry, clutching him tight as the pleasure waterfalls through your body, leaving you breathless and unsteady, never happier.

“Love you, Ken.”

Draken smiles, peppering your throat with kisses and wrinkling his nose at the now even more prominent hickies Rindou left behind. "Let's go lay down, you've gotta be tired after all that."

Smiling and nodding, you turn off the shower, loosing happy sighs as Draken insists on toweling you dry, soothing aching muscles, and spending a euphoric amount of time eye level with your belly, his eyes closed and cheek resting against it, as if he could hear your baby if he tried hard enough.

But eventually he bundles you into the bedroom, helping you into some warm pajamas and turning the lights off and tv on. The fairy lights left the room with a soft glow, aided by the silver light of the tv, featuring some holiday special that tickles a memory from a different time.

After a few minutes you hear him mumble something about "closer" right before he lowers your pj's and you feel his cock pressing on your entrance. You hum, too comfortable to protest. With his arms around you, palming your stomach, tucked deep under the duvet, you feel warm and safe and moments from sleep with his cock pressed deep inside you.

Draken’s voice is a little hoarse, enough to bring you out of your drowsing with a pang of concern, but it strengthens with each syllable. “What do you think about moving somewhere else? What if we just disappeared, you and me?”

“Where would we go? What about your friends?” It's hard to imagine, you can hardly remember what it's like to leave the house, let alone leave the city you grew up in.

“We could go lots of places, travel the world even.” You notice he doesn’t answer your second question, but you figure that it’s not important enough to answer.

“I’ll go anywhere with you, Ken.” You whisper, and you know it’s true. Despite everything it took to bring you both together, you know you’d do anything for him. Anything for his child, your child. “As long as we stay together.”

“Then we’ll go,” Draken murmurs, holding you closer as you begin to drift to sleep, exhausted and content. “Just our family.”

© All rights reserved to @ryndicate. Do not modify, translate or repost

[jaxteller87]

Where I Need to Be 2

I was focusing more on the club than my personal life. Every time a run came up, I threw my hat into the ring and signed up for some open-road therapy. A few weeks had passed before I set foot in the house I call home, even though it felt more like a fancy hotel room at times. Generally, when I was stuck in my head, but that made everything different. I tossed my helmet on the kitchen counter, and from the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a brand new flannel shirt folded on the counter.

“Hey, stud,” I heard Amber call out as she wheeled herself around the corner and into the kitchen.

I chuckled and leaned in for a kiss. She had come down from New York to visit, which always made things feel more homely. “Hey, darlin’! I’m uh— It’s good to see you.”

“You seemed surprised to see me,” Amber looked behind me like she expected me to see a woman following me in, “I’m not interrupting a hot date or anything, am I?”

“What?” I probably looked guilty, but her accusation couldn’t have been further from the truth. “No, it’s just I’ve been on the road. I haven’t been home in weeks, and the first time I stop by, here you are. It’s a very pleasant surprise; the timing is shocking, is all.”

“Oh,” she said, almost looking disappointed. “So, I told you I’d buy a new shirt for you since I ruined the other one.” It was true, and the last time I was home, actually. Opie and Donna were over for a cookout, and after a few beers, Amber thought she was a professional wrestler. Having had a few beers myself, I accepted her challenge. One thing led to another, and my flannel got torn. No big deal to me, I have a dozen of’em between the clubhouse and here— but it meant something to her.

Amber also stopped by the burger joint down the road and picked us up our usual. We sat there at the kitchen table and ate together like we used to do when we were teenagers in love. Through the idle chit-chat and small talk, I noticed that look in her eye, the one that says she has something on my mind that her lips don’t want to say.

“What’s up, darlin’?” I asked, “Something troubling you?”

“If I’m being honest, I don’t know what this is or what it will become,” Amber confessed.

“Amber, honey—”

“Teller, please just let me ramble for a minute; I need to clear out some space in my head.”

“Well, in that case, drop your baggage, girl,” I said, sitting back, trying to replicate Donna or another girl pal.

“Cute,” she smirked, “But that’s why I broke things off a few months ago. I want there to be an ‘us’ so badly, and I think about it all the time, but then when I see you, it just reminds me that I’m not in any shape to be your girlfriend.”

“But darlin’,”

“Jax, let’s call it ‘us’ like we did when we were teenagers— no labels.”

“Are you finished?” I asked.

“I suppose,” Amber looked nervous but mildly relieved to say what she wanted to say.

“Well, the truth is I haven’t been with anyone since right after you broke it off. I admit, I got a little rowdy and hooked up with one girl.”

“Just tell me it wasn’t Ima,” I could see the worry in her eyes.

“It most definitely was not Ima. Some old croweater a few miles from Chino. I was too drunk to remember much else than that. I haven’t felt right since and just took to the road while you did you. But like ya said, whatever this is, I’m here for it— whatever you need, darlin’.”

“Damn it,” she mumbled as tears rolled down her cheeks. “This is what’s so frustrating—I’m fine, and then, boom, I’m a puddle of tears the next.”

I couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t allowing herself to grieve her parents’ passing properly, and now those feelings were resurfacing. Amber would bury herself in her work to keep her mind from straying into the painful stuff—  but who could blame her? If I lost Gemma, I’d probably do the same thing. 

The next night, I found myself at the club with my ma, taking a break from VP stuff and updating her on Amber. 

“Baby, I wish I knew what to tell you,” she sighed sympathetically as I finished up my story with a sentence about me holding Amber in my arms as she cried herself to sleep.

“She’s in pain, ma. I just wish she’d come home. I mean, I get it—Amber can’t uproot her life; plans have to be made, but, still—I can’t help but think if she were here, surrounded by people who give a shit— she’d be better.”

Gemma smiled, placed her hands on mine, and nodded. It wouldn’t be long before I discovered how severe Amber’s depression had become. I felt like Ma was holding back on her true feelings, which was new for her. She’s always been a shoot-from-the-hip kind of person. The few times I knew of her to withhold her thoughts was when she believed they’d hurt me. Knowing this didn’t make me feel any better. 

Once I got done using my mom as a sounding board, I returned home to find Amber asleep on the sofa with only one light on. Carefully, I laid down beside her, holding her close as we embraced in what she called the “full-body snuggle.”

“Jax?” she whimpered; she had been crying.

“It’s okay, darlin’. Big Papa’s here,” I whispered, kissing the top of her head as she drifted back to sleep.

Sometime later, I woke up alone. Expecting to hear Amber in the bathroom, but nothing. I lay there for a few minutes before I went on the search. As I approached the kitchen, I could smell the earthy aroma of a freshly lit joint, which led me to the side door— lo and behold, there she was. “You gonna share that?” I pulled over a chair from the table and plopped down beside her.

She exhaled and coughed in the other direction, handing me the joint. “Sure,” she coughed again softly.

“Sweet,” I took a big, long drag, held it for a minute, and then blew it out my nostrils like an angry bull.

“I just want you to know; I swear I’m not leading you on. But if you wanna bail until I get my head on straight, I totally get it.” Amber reached for the joint.

“I’m good, darlin’. You need to do whatever this is, and I promise I’ll be here waiting for you whenever you’re ready to call it what it actually is.”

“And what is it, actually, Teller?”

“If you gotta ask, then you really don’t know.” I smiled at her, and she smiled back. 

After that, we went to the bedroom and snuggled up. It was as if my embrace was the only place Amber felt safe, where her demons didn’t scream at her. “You’re safe, Big Papa’s got you, my love,” I whispered, holding her tightly.

The next day, I woke up feeling like everything was good, but instead, I found Amber on the back patio, bawling her eyes out like a kid who just lost their pet hamster.

“Let me ramble for a minute,” she stuttered through her tears.

I nodded, taking her hand in mine.

“Jackson, I don’t know what’s wrong. That’s part of the problem. I haven’t said anything about this part yet— I turned 30, and then I said to my counselor, there’s something else wrong, but I don’t know what it is. I just keep twisting myself up in knots trying to fix it, and the only time I’m not in pain is when I’m with you,” she confessed.

“Shh, my love, it’s okay. I’m right here,” I comforted her.

“It’s not... your... job... to... fix... me,” she sobbed.

“You’re right; it’s not,” I said, wiping my face before she could see my tears. “But I can help you. Let me, please.”

“The only time I feel okay is when I’m in your arms, or well— when we’re— you know,” she chuckled.

“Yeah, sex with me is pretty great,” I smirked, but I instantly realized that she could have taken that the wrong way. Fortunately, she didn’t.

“Oh, Teller— don’t let it go to your head, but it’s true. Only I can fix me. But how can I fix something when I don’t know what the fuck it is?”

“We can figure it out together; that’s what I’m telling you. I’m here for ya, darlin’. I don’t know how you’re going to figure out what you need to figure out, but I’m here to support and help in any way I can. All I know is you’re right where you need to be, and that’s how I feel. Sorry if it’s selfish, but my life is better when you’re around, and I wish there were something I could do to make you see that.”

Later that night, I found myself on the back porch, alone with my drink—more Jack than Coke, as usual. About a month before the accident, Kim, Amber’s mom, had pulled me aside, saying I was going to have my hands full with her daughter when she turned 30. It was funny how right Kim was, but it was also a stark reminder of just how cruel life could be.

[seven-pillows]

hi woow i have a lego ask if u feel like answering one: which lego sets do u have and what are ur faves if any? and what other sets do u want to get besides the pegasus? the unicorn is soo cuute btw!!

hi yay thank you for giving me an opportunity to yap 😈 putting all this below the cut because i couldn't help myself. here are all the sets i own in the order i got them + my thoughts on them

1) 10281 Bonsai Tree

this was given to me for my birthday last year! i think this set has become an instant classic, it's such a nice looking display piece. i put it on the windowsill in my staircase which was very silly because when it gets knocked over, those loose studs go EVERYWHERE 😭

2) 31140 3-in-1 Magical Unicorn

this is my favourite set ever i love it so much! i impulse bought it in a bookshop one day because it has a seahorse and is rainbow, two of my favourite things. i've definitely gotten my money's worth with how many times i've built and rebuilt the different models. plus, on Rebrickable, there are so many custom models people have made out of these pieces! i've turned it into a rhino, a boat and a helicopter from other people's instructions. love that website.

fun fact, an hour or two after i bought this (this was before i even really started getting into lego) they released the first teaser for the Animal Crossing lego sets. the way i manifested that?

3) 21340 Tales of the Space Age

this was a christmas gift! i think it's really pretty and i love how you can change the constellation in the third one. that being said, it just feels a bit silly to have a set be so 2D like this? this could have been an art print.

4) 77050 Nook's Cranny & Rosie's House

i got this one in March! when the AC sets were announced i vowed to get all of them no matter what. i have not done this because they are very expensive for what they are and i don't love them as much as i wanted to... the minifigs are perfect but i think the way that everything is on its own little squircle base looks a bit messy. that being said, as someone who grew up loving Animal Crossing but never had any merch because it was still pretty niche, my inner child was very happy building this set :) i really enjoy how you can change the layout of the furniture in the house and all the individual outdoor pieces.

4a/4b) 30662 Maple's Pumpkin Garden and 30635 Beach Cleanup

these two little sets came for free with the previous one! the Animal Crossing one is cute, kinda whatever though. it's pretty much just an add-on to the main sets. love Maple ❤️

the Friends one though? i held off on building it so i could have it to cheer me up some day i was feeling low. when i finally did build it i fell in love with it! it's just really colourful and cutesy. my first job was actually litter picking by the seaside so it's so bizarre and coincidental that i ended up with this. i've attached this set beside Rosie's house to try and incorporate it into my little Animal Crossing town. i guess Aliya is the player? Pascal looks different though 🧐

i will say though that this set does feel very greenwashy. i follow some sea glass collectors on instagram and they're always finding lego bricks washed up on the shore... i can't really talk because i'm out here buying their products but i do feel a bit guilty sometimes. but also life is short and i'm just trying to be happy. idk. surprise ethical discourse 🤩

Sets I want

i've ordered a few more Animal Crossing sets, namely Dodo Airlines and the Town Hall, because i want to have a little Animal Crossing town (and also just so i could get that damn pegasus 😑). i am also really looking into Lego Friends because i think they have some beautiful and interesting buildings in that theme, and the commitment to inclusion and representation just feels really nice. but yeah. stay tuned for more unwise financial decisions

[dumbassdep]

WIP whenever!

@deputyash @strangefable @cassietrn & @inafieldofdaisies all tagged me to do WIP Wednesday over the past few weeks 😬 but it's 10 minutes into Friday for me so it's a whenever with apologies for the somewhat giant delays! 💙💙💙

This WIP isn't art or writing it's cosplay cause that's what I'm working on! I do have a little written thing coming together but it's all in my head, almost fully formed but I haven't done any typing. Oop.

Anyway! I'm working on a Gale BG3 cosplay & wizard robes for my Dark Urge wizard Mercy. At the same time cause they're the same robes, Mercy was a test of the pattern & it turned out fantastically so it's time to start on Gale. I like to cosplay my video game boyfriends. Don't judge me.

My girl - my boy (who gets a reference photo instead of a glamour shot)

Bunch of WIP photos with commentary below the cut!

Patterning this belt made me want to cry so many times but Gale's is now done except the press studs to close it & Mercy's is ready to be riveted together tomorrow.

Front & back view of Mercy's robes! They were supposed to be a practice really but I went a bit nuts, overlayed a floral black lace over a colour shift purple for the sleeves, same purple for the little sash-y thing on the front. Metallic copper for the back panel/belt & gauntlets (which are nowhere in any photos cause I haven't patterned them yet)

Mercy is a necromancy wizard so I wanted dark & a bit creepy, so the purple/green shift was perfect. It's curtains I picked up from Savers a while ago. The lace was also thrifted yeeeears ago from a theatre sale, black was destined for some forgotten project, Jedi robes maybe? I only bought the copper leatherette for these robes, very good job if I may congratulate myself a little. ☺️

Closer view mostly cause I love how this shows the colour shift in the purple. The gold buttons are temporary placeholders til the actual fastenings arrive, ordered them from an Etsy store called IllustrisModels! 2 sets one for her, one for him.

Finally, & I know this one is boring, fabric choices for Gale! It's a purple linen, a red velvet & 2 brown suedes, the darker one the belt & gauntlets are made of & a lighter brown for the shoulder/back piece. I did have to buy the linen for this & linen is expensive but it was on sale. I realise I'm talking a lot about purchases for seemingly no reason, I had a goal this year to destash as much fabric as I could instead of buying fabric but I did give myself allowance to buy some cause specific projects need specific things sometimes!

That's it! That's my current project! With a lot of rambling. I'm excited to get them done & have nowhere to wear them. But I might wear the black robes out to lunch or something if we go somewhere fancy. Technically *not* cosplay. Just *inspired* and therefore acceptable. Says me.

[can-of-pringles]

When I'm Alone with You - Chapter 9

Rating: Gen

Warnings: None

Word Count: 2k

Summary: Copia helps Silas celebrate his birthday.

Also Read on AO3

May

Since that day, Copia had been planning on what he would get Silas for his birthday. It really hadn’t been too difficult since Silas gave him a fairly clear idea of what he wanted. Copia decided to combine the two ideas he was given and planned on gifting him dark green gemstone gold stud earrings.

Had Copia actually seen an example in real life of the earrings he’d thought of in his head? No, but he figured there had to be something similar out there. His thoughts had been confirmed when he looked online for some, politely borrowing a Sister of Sin’s laptop to browse.

Copia gasped and smiled when he found a perfect pair of earrings online. Dark green gemstone, probably an emerald or a gem that looked like one, with gold as the base stud part. It was absolutely perfect.

Then reality set in. The Cardinal had been worried that by buying them online and having it shipped, it might not get there in time. He frowned, trying to figure it out. He looked again, making sure he didn’t miss any info, before realizing he could get them in store. Copia sighed in relief. He could go in person. Problem solved.

Although his anxieties set in. He didn’t leave the Ministry as much as he probably should, blaming it on some mild agoraphobia. He grimaced, realizing he’d have to get over that soon once he started touring.

Copia sighed, realizing he was overthinking it. He just had to quickly go out and buy the earrings and come back home. Easy. But maybe it would be better if he didn’t go alone?

---

Copia walked down the halls, carefully holding the laptop in his arms. He made it to the Ghouls’ common area and stuck his head into the room.

“Ghouls, I need some help and I was wondering if anyone wanted to volunteer?” He asked.

Most of them had been hanging out and preoccupied with their own stuff, hobbies, watching TV, playing video games, the list went on. When Copia made himself known, however, they all looked up from what they were doing.

“Depends on what it is,” Dewdrop responded, slightly joking. If Copia truly needed help, he would help. He was just teasing for now.

Copia walked into the room more, showing them all what was on the laptop. “I need to go and buy these, but I honestly don’t really want to go by myself… would anyone want to come along?”

“Ooh, those are pretty! Who are they for?” Cumulus asked, getting a closer look at the earrings.

“Isn’t it obvious? He’s buying them for Silas,” Swiss remarked, only briefly looking up from his video game.

Copia started to stammer, and his face turned a red blush. Instinctively he was going to argue, but then realized that the Ghoul was right. He sighed and adjusted his grip on the laptop. “How did you know?”

Swiss and the rest of the Ghouls looked at each other in silence before looking at him again.

“Lucky guess?” Swiss muttered.

“What’s the occasion?” Rain changed the subject.

“You can’t tell anyone. I want to keep all of this a surprise, but his birthday is coming up, so I’m getting him these.” He explained.

“Aw, that’s so sweet of you!” Sunshine grinned, causing Copia to smile a little.

“Anyway, does anyone want to go with me to buy them?”

She immediately raised her hand. “Me! I’ll go with you! I can buy myself some jewelry while we’re out.”

After some of the other Ghouls frowned, Sunshine sighed in exasperation. “I’ll probably get a few pieces of jewelry we can share, and I’ll make sure to bring back some snacks for everyone.”

Everyone cheered at that.

“Thank you, Sunshine. Is now a good time to go?” Copia asked.

“Yeah, just give me a second,” she spoke before turning her human glamor on. “Okay, let’s go.”

---

“It said a specific aisle online…” Copia muttered, looking around.

“Probably the jewelry section?” Sunshine suggested, continuing to push the cart that she insisted on using.

“Ah… right, yeah.” He smiled sheepishly. “I just need to grab the earrings, and then you can get some stuff, and then finally we can head over to the snack section.”

She grinned. “Come on! I think I see it!” She pushed the cart faster, causing Copia to pick up the pace somewhat.

After getting to the jewelry section, Sunshine looked around on her own, keeping an eye out for any shiny earrings or other jewelry she and the other Ghouls would like. Copia browsed the shelves, looking closely. He knew they had to be around there.

He made a small noise in victory when he found them. They were in a small dark blue box and looked just like the picture online. After a slight inspection, he placed the box carefully in the cart.

“Sunny, I found them! Do you want to get snacks now?” He turned his head, trying to get her attention.

Sunshine held a few packets of earrings and one necklace in her hands. She smiled and put them in the cart. “Yeah!”

Copia looked down into the basket, frowning slightly. “And they’re not too much, right?” He asked out of concern. He would’ve totally paid for her if she couldn’t, or more accurately, have the Ministry pay for it.

“No, don’t worry! I’ve been waiting for a good shopping day,” she said.

“Ah, okay, good, good. Snacks now?” He smiled.

“Yes!”

---

“We’re back!” Sunshine announced as she walked into the Ghouls’ room.

Without warning, she lightly chucked bags of chips and other snacks at the Ghouls. Luckily, they caught them and everyone cheered.

Copia let out a sigh of relief, originally worried that the snacks would get damaged. “Thanks for coming with me, Sunshine.”

“Yeah, of course! It worked out for everyone.” She placed the jewelry she bought on the table, allowing everyone who was interested to look and admire; and plan on who got to wear what first.

“They had the earrings, right?” Cumulus asked.

Copia nodded and held up the blue box, showing the earrings inside. Practically all the Ghouls gave him a thumbs up.

“Are you going to wrap it?” Rain asked.

“Yes, I believe there’s some tissue paper around here… that should be enough,” he said. “I know for a fact there’s leftover in storage!” He corrected.

“Good luck with the gift-giving,” Dew added.

The other Ghouls nodded and gave him words of encouragement.

“Thank you, my Ghouls.” Copia smiled and said his goodbyes, leaving to find the paper.

---

May 14

The day was finally here. Copia had wrapped and secured the gift in time. As a bonus, he went to the kitchen and grabbed a packet of brownies from a box that a Sibling had bought and put in the pantry, for anyone to eat. Sure, it wasn’t a birthday cake, but it had to count, right? He hoped it would be enough.

While on break, Copia went to find Silas. He focused on keeping a leisurely pace, not trying to look as if he was speed-walking, due to his excitement at surprising his friend. He kept the main gift in his pocket while he carefully held the packet-wrapped brownie in his hand.

His eyes lit up when he finally saw Silas. He was wearing a wonderfully dark green sweater that went well with his brown slacks. Copia thought he always dressed nice, but noticed it especially today.

“The sweater will go well with his gift.” He thought.

Silas smiled when he saw Copia walking towards him.

“Silas, happy birthday!” He grinned. “I didn’t have a cake… but I brought you one of the brownies from the pantry. I hope it’s enough.”

“Oh, it’s more than enough, thank you.” He accepted it and carefully put it in a loose pocket just for then so he’d have his hands free. “I’m assuming you have plans for me?” He raised a brow and quirked one side of his mouth up in an attempt at a lopsided smile.

“Oh, yes, I thought it would be nice to celebrate outside if you want?” Copia tilted his head.

“Sounds lovely,”

They started walking together side by side, going down the main path that led to the Ministry grounds. Copia led him to the familiar stone bench, politely ushering him to sit down. Silas gave Copia a look until he realized he wanted him to sit down as well. They sat next to each other, admiring the outside views.

Silas took out the brownie and broke it in half on the small indented line. He held out one half to Copia. “Here, we can share it.”

“Oh, no, no, it’s okay, it’s your brownie.” He politely declined.

“Come on, you’re just being nice.” Silas chuckled shortly. “Take it.”

“Well… if you insist.” Copia shrugged and accepted the brownie half.

They both ate their treats and occasionally talked about their day, what Silas was going to do for the rest of it, how he’d been getting birthday cards and gifts in the mail from family and such.

When they finished, Copia cleared his throat and stood up, standing in front of him. “Now, for the best part!”

“There’s more?” Silas looked up at him, amused.

“Your gift.” He smiled.

“The brownie was all I needed.” Silas joked.

Copia stammered slightly. “But… but what about your gift?”

“I’m sorry, it was a joke! I’m kidding. You know I’ve been looking forward to whatever you planned for me.” He quickly corrected.

“Ah… okay. You prankster!” Copia playfully swatted his arm.

“That’s me. The biggest prankster in the world,” he spoke sarcastically.

“Okay, okay, here you go.” Copia took the wrapped box out of his pocket and handed it to him, watching excitedly as Silas inspected it.

“Oh, you even wrapped it!” He smiled.

“Yes, is that okay?” Copia fidgeted with his sleeves.

“Yeah, of course, it’s very sweet.” Silas looked at him before looking down again and starting to unwrap the gift. “I have a feeling I know what this is…” He smiled, holding up the small box.

“Ta-da!” Copia grinned once he opened the box.

Silas gasped, looking closely at the green gem gold earrings. “Oh, wow… Copia, these are beautiful… they’re very shiny too.”

“Not as shiny as the stained glass windows from you cleaning them.” He winked, getting a small scoff and a playful eye roll from Silas in return.

“They even match the sweater you’re wearing! I know you mentioned wanting some gold earrings, but also that your favorite color is green, so I got you a combination of the two.” He explained.

“Thank you, Copia. This is so thoughtful.” Silas grinned. He had the urge to get up and hug him but held back. It was too soon. He took out his usual earrings and put the new ones in to try them out.

“I’m so glad you like them! I really wanted to get something perfect.”

“You succeeded in that.” He stood up as well, sadly preparing to return to work. “This was such a nice birthday surprise. Thank you.” A hug would’ve been too forward. However, Silas lightly touched his shoulder for a brief second.

Copia felt odd inside, maybe a slight butterfly in your stomach feeling? He swallowed and ignored the blush he felt on his face. “You’re welcome.”

“Looks like our free time is up… come on, let’s walk back.” Silas sighed lightly, not too upset, but still wishing he could spend more time with him.

Copia nodded quickly, still focusing on the touch and the unfamiliar feelings.

---

As Silas had predicted before, Hanna had gotten him a cake and planned on watching movies with him; his pick, of course. After eating some slices of the delicious cake, they sat comfortably on the couch, browsing through the streaming services of what to watch. Blizzard snuggled into Silas’ side, curled up and slowly falling asleep.

“Wait… how did I miss those?” Hanna furrowed her brows.

“Miss what?” Silas gave her a confused look.

“Where did you get those earrings?” She pointed to the ones Copia had gifted him.

“Oh, I got them today as a birthday gift,” he said.

“Who is giving out birthday earrings?”

“Copia.” He admitted after a bit.

“Wait- the Cardinal guy?” Her eyes widened.

“Yeah, is that a problem…?” Silas looked away, feeling his face heat up.

“No, I was just surprised slightly… though maybe I shouldn’t be considering how much you talk about him. Is it common for coworkers to gift jewelry?” She thought aloud.

“He insisted on giving me something for my birthday, so I told him just some simple gold studs, but I guess he wanted to do more.” He didn’t know why he felt defensive. Silas tried calming his internal feelings before continuing. “It was really thoughtful of him.”

“Yeah, it was… it’s sweet.” Hanna smiled slightly. “He sounds like a good guy. I mean, you talk about him constantly,”

“I do not talk about him constantly…” He rolled his eyes.

She chuckled. “Okay, are we going to watch something or keep talking about your special coworker?”

“Hanna…” He mildly glared, mostly teasing.

Hanna laughed and handed him the remote.

[blahandwhatever]

I did it

I did da dentist.

I was very brave (but nervous too, about what my mouth might hold).

A lot was different, unfamiliar, futuristic compared to my last visit more than a decade ago.

The people were good - maybe not as warm as I would’ve expected from the practice’s glowing reviews, but it’s the competence and the dentist himself I care about most. No one asked me about my life or tried to make me talk while they did stuff in my mouth, which was decidedly a win.

As for the teeth - things are about what I expected. I’ll probably need a couple of root canals, and then there’s several other cavities, and I may need some crowns. It’s kind of a mess, but it could be worse.

First, though, I needed a deep cleaning. We did half of my mouth today and will do the rest in a couple of weeks. I’ll look into the root canals next month, finances willing.

It’s my last major neglected frontier of self-care - even though I have tried to take good care of my teeth in recent years, dentist aside - and it’ll be good to finally get this part of myself caught up.

Couple of weeks ago, before The Fears set in, I took my car for an oil change and windshield wiper replacement and inspection at Hyundai, and they also informed me there was a recall for underbody corrosion prevention, and they had me reschedule my afternoon appointment to the morning because supposedly that service was going to take 4-6 hours. And so I went to Schaumburg for the first time in forever - I’d missed it, but frankly, in the daylight, in its barren winter state, it was a little underwhelming, and my sleepiness didn’t help - expecting to have a big expedition, expecting to spend some time at a nearby Starbucks with my laptop, expecting to finally try the pistachio latte I’d been wanting to try for a while but was rarely out of the house at a reasonable time for coffee, only to be told that, in fact, everything would take an hour and a half at most. So I sat, instead, in the car dealership waiting room, annoyed at the completely unnecessary morning, scrolling on my phone, insipid television program blaring, perplexed by all the people buying cars at this time of day. I was quite surprised to find that the inspection was completely clear - nothing even to keep an eye on, though I don’t know that it was comprehensive enough to catch absolutely everything. I still have suspicions about needing a rotor replacement that I’ve had for a couple of years now, and my tires have been losing air easily again. But I’ll look into that stuff with my local mechanic at some point. (I did attempt to try the pistachio latte afterward anyway, only to learn it was a seasonal item that was no longer available. The Starbucks website in no way made this clear.)

The other thing I want to take care of soon is getting my ears re-pierced - at least one of them closed up forever ago - and maybe adding a couple more piercings while I’m at it. I’ve taken the initial step of ordering some earrings for this purpose, which are slowly shipping from Canada because for some reason I had a remarkably hard time finding basic little silver studs.

So, some long-procrastinated-on things are finally getting done.

Oh and yeah. Taxes have to get done too.

Work has picked up a little bit, but still not enough. I still haven’t applied for anything new.

And now we face a very warm week that will surely mean suffering from uncontrollable heat and humidity indoors. I would buy a dehumidifier or portable air conditioner if I were in a less financially precarious position right now.

[cherrycheridarling]

tic-tac-toe | mcu

marvel cast x actress!reader

warnings: one swear, fluff, no plot

summary: you play aphrodite in the MCU and it's time for the press conference for infinity war. based off of this press conference

wc: 2.7k

"Tom Hiddleston!" Jeff Goldblum introduced the man who was sitting on your right.

Everyone applauded before Jeff moved onto you, "Y/N Y/L/N!" more applause rang through the room.

"Sebastian Stan!" you looked to your left where Sebastian waved to the crowd as you clapped with everyone else.

"Anthony Mackie!"

After Jeff finished with the introductions, he explained how the panel would work. He would pull a ping pong ball out of a container and it would either have a name or category. The audience would be able to ask a question to that person or a person in that category after Jeff called on them.

As he pulled RDJ's name out of the container, Tom leaned over towards you.

"Does your water taste funny, too?" he whispered making you stifle a laugh.

You nodded, "Kind of like lemon, right?"

He shook his head, "Mine tastes like mint. Can I taste yours?" he held his hand out as you passed him your water bottle. He took a sip and spent a moment analyzing the taste, "Yours does taste like lemon! Why does mine taste different? Here." he passed you his water.

You took a sip and were hit with a strong mint flavour, "Woah. I think they're trying to drug you." you joked making him laugh.

"As I am answering this question, Tom Hiddleston and Y/N Y/L/N are discussing the flavours of the water behind me." Robert exposed you and Tom to the audience making the room burst out into laughter.

"They have fancy water. Mint and lemon." Tom spoke into a mic drawing more laughs. "Sorry. Carry on!"

As Jeff pulled the next name, you adjusted your dress. A white, long sleeve, blazer dress with gold buttons down the middle, the dress ended mid-thigh. The v-neck cut showcased your subtle gold necklace. Black stiletto heels covered your feet.

You unconsciously began bouncing your leg up and down in a fast motion. Sebastian placed a hand on your thigh, stopping your movements, "You're gonna drill a hole through the floor, Y/L/N." he chuckled.

"Sorry." you laughed quietly.

Sebastian pulled out a notepad and pen, "You need a distraction. Tic-tac-toe?" he offered.

You smiled with a nod before making your move.

"You absolutely suck at this." you chuckled as you won the third game in a row.

Sebastian scoffed, "You can't suck at tic-tac-toe."

"And yet, you do." you smirked.

He rolled his eyes playfully before you continued playing.

After two more rounds, your attention was back on Jeff as he pulled a new ping pong ball. "Ooh! You can ask a God or Goddess." Jeff announced, "So, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Hemsworth or Y/N Y/L/N." he reminded the crowd, "Okay, yes, you!" he picked a woman in the front row.

"Hi, I'm Alexis with Forbes. My question is for Y/N." the room applauded as Jeff tossed the ping pong ball at you and you caught it with one hand.

"See, Robert! It's not that hard!" Jeff exclaimed making everyone laugh.

"Screw off, Goldblum! You chucked that shit at my head." Robert joked back. "Sorry, Alexis, go ahead."

"Um, I wanted to ask about Aphrodite's powers. We all know that she is the Goddess of Love and can seduce anyone with her beauty. We see in the trailer a small clip of her seducing men. How many people did you seduce in the film and were there any funny moments filming those scenes that you can share?"

Her question drew a mix of reactions from the cast. Some laughed, some furrowed their eyebrows and others were just confused. You took in the question before opening your mouth to reply, until you remembered that you weren't wearing a body mic. The cast laughed again before Sebastian passed you a mic.

"Sorry. Um, how many people did I seduce in the film? None." you stated drawing more laughs, "How many people did Aphrodite seduce? All of them." you chuckled, "I'm kidding. Although, I'm not sure what I can share because I don't know what's in the trailer." you confessed, "Kevin, Joe, Anthony, what's in the trailer?" you asked them making everyone laugh again.

Kevin picked up a mic, "I believe it's you seducing Spider-Man, Starlord, Drax and Iron Man."

You nodded, "I do have a funny moment that I'm sure Mister Holland will kill me for sharing, but it's too good to not tell." you smiled thinking of the memory.

Tom immediately grabbed a mic, "You wouldn't!" he exclaimed making the audience and cast laugh.

"I would," you retorted, "We were shooting that scene and, as you know, they have to act like they are falling in love with me. Like I'm putting them in a trance. Well, Tom took that a bit too seriously." you paused at the laughter that your sentence caused, "They're all on their knees in front of me, looking at me as if I'm their queen, because I am." you joked, "And then Anthony calls 'cut' and Dave, Chris and RDJ all get up and start chatting, but as I'm turning away, Tom doesn't move. Still on his knees, looking at me as if I hold the world in my hands." the room filled with amused laughs and chuckles as Tom covered his face with his hands.

"No, it was so bad because I just looked like a creep that couldn't stop staring at her!" Tom laughed at himself.

Robert grabbed a mic, "Very true. I was watching and it honestly had me convinced that Y/N had real powers."

"I have to say, I understand the kid's reaction. Y/N's costume for Aphrodite and the way they transform her only enhances how gorgeous she already is." Anthony Mackie spoke up causing the crowd to gush and clap, "I'm pretty sure we all had the same reaction when we first saw her while filming Civil War." he looked around as the cast nodded.

Scarlett picked up a mic, "Yeah. I remember her walking on set in this stunning white dress which made me extremely jealous," she confessed, "Because, one, it's so gorgeous and she looks absolutely amazing in it," the crowd and cast applauded again, "And two, it's made of the softest silk while my suit is leather and spandex!" everyone laughed at her comment.

Benedict picked up his mic, "Although, it wasn't Tom's first time seeing Y/N as Aphrodite. He was in Civil War and still could not contain himself." he teased making the audience and cast laugh again.

Robert spoke again, "Yeah, he did that during the filming of Civil War, too." the room hollered with laughs.

Tom's face was bright red, "I'm just a very committed actor. I really give all of myself to my work." his comment drew more laughs.

"That's why Sebastian despises Tom. It all started when Tom couldn't take his eyes off of Y/N." Chris Hemsworth added making everyone double over in laughter.

"I feel so loved," you held a hand to your heart as the room chuckled, "These are genuinely the best people in the world and I guess you could say I seduced one person during filming." you joked as the crowd continued to laugh, "Sorry, Tom. I'll buy you some juice, don't be mad." Anthony and Benedict laughed loudly. "Thank you for your question!" you thanked the lady as the cast clapped before Jeff picked out the next ping pong ball.

Next was Scarlett. You sat back and silently judged the man who asked about fashion. Scoffing with Sebastian at his question and laughing at Scarlett's sarcastic and witty responses.

Sebastian leaned over again, "I have to piss."

You stifled a laugh at his abrupt confession, "Go to the washroom, then." you nodded your head towards the exit.

"We're not allowed to leave." he frowned.

You chuckled and reached over, patting his thigh with your hand, "Don't piss yourself."

He rolled his eyes playfully before Jeff called out the next name.

"Anthony Mackie!"

"Hi, I'm Tiffany with Times Magazine. With such a star studded cast, do you find it difficult or any obstacles in developing your character with all theses amazing stories being told and struggling for screen time? Like, are there any obstacles or special difficulties or is it all just amazing?"

Before Anthony could answer, Joe Russo picked up his mic, "Are you asking Anthony Mackie if he has a hard time getting attention?" his comment caused the whole room to erupt in laughs.

Anthony nodded slowly as the laughter died down, "Touché, touché. Uh, well, Tiffany, a wise man once said that some men need an hour to make their presence felt and some need thirty seconds." there was an uproar of laughter and hollering at his comment as he dramatically dropped the mic on the table.

"Who are we asking next?" Jeff squinted at the ping pong ball, "Ooh! Back to the Goddess of Love herself, Y/N Y/L/N!" the room applauded for you as Jeff threw the ball to you.

Sebastian intercepted the toss and caught the ball himself with a smug smirk. You rolled your eyes, but smiled as Jeff picked a lady out of the dozens who had raised their hand.

"Hi, I'm Amy with Esquire and I wanted to ask about the relationship between Bucky and Aphrodite. We see in the previous films their awkward tension from their past history. They have a very special romance and their love story is a fan favourite in the Marvel fandom. What was it like building that bond and relationship on screen? And what do you think of the choice to match the two characters together, how did you react when you found out? Did the pairing of the two help build your bond off screen?"

Jeff spoke again, "I said 'one question', that was at least twenty." he teased the lady drawing laughs from the room.

You chuckled and nodded slowly as the laughter died down, "Excellent questions. Umm, I honestly really like the pairing of the two. I think it gives a great dynamic to both characters and reveals sides of them that we never would've seen without their relationship. It's a very 'good girl falling for the bad guy' trope. And if I'm being honest, I've always wanted that." you confessed causing the room to chuckle, "Their relationship is, without a doubt, one of the most complicated ones in the MCU, but I think that's what makes it so loved by the fans since there's not a dull moment between the two. It's nice to see Bucky have a sentimental side, in his own awkward way of course. And you get to see Aphrodite fall for someone who's not a God or a Titan." you turned to Sebastian, "What do you think?"

You offered him the mic, but he didn't take it, letting you hold it up for him, "Yeah, I agree. I never thought Bucky would have a love interest, if I'm being honest. But I'm glad he does because Aphrodite brings out the soft side in him and he brings out the fighter in her. They really balance each other out and Y/N portrays the character in such a unique way, it really brings a whole new fresh persona to Aphrodite and it's amazing having her as a partner on screen." the audience applauded at his words, "When I first found out about Bucky having her as his love interest—"

"—He called me screaming about how hyped he was." Anthony Mackie cut him off making the room laugh. "Anthony! Anthony! Bucky is gonna be with Aphrodite! That's gonna be sick!" Anthony mocked his voice as you were hunched over with laughter.

Sebastian nodded with a smile, "I did. Won't lie, I did. It's a really refreshing relationship and I'm glad that the fans love it as much as I love playing it. Back to you, you haven't talked about the development and our bond." he gave you a lopsided grin.

You chuckled, "I feel like I'm rambling, but yeah. Their development is definitely," you paused, trying to find the right words, "A development?" you settled on drawing more laughter. "Well, as I said, it's very complicated, but awkwardly adorable at times. Since Seb complimented me, I feel obligated to say something nice about him," you joked making them laugh again, "Kidding. He really does play Bucky with such passion and commitment, it's truly inspiring. And working with someone who loves what they do as much as Seb, it definitely motivates you tremendously and yeah. Um, I won't lie, I honestly was dreading working with Seb," you confessed drawing laughs and a gasp from Sebastian.

"Why?!" he exclaimed making you laugh.

You sighed, "Not because I think you're a bad person or anything, but you come off as very intimidating to people who don't know you very well. And I knew nothing about you before filming other than the films you'd already done, so you scared me." your confession caused everyone to laugh loudly.

Sebastian smirked jokingly, "I am extremely frightening. I understand." he shrugged.

You scoffed with a laugh, "I caught you sleeping with a stuffed turtle and whale noises playing." the room roared with laughter again, "That's when I knew you were a big softy."

Sebastian rolled his eyes playfully, "She's joking. I am the toughest man alive." he deepened his voice.

You shook your head with a chuckle, "Sure. Thank you for your questions." the room clapped for you as you set the mic down and relaxed back into your seat.

"Nailed it." Sebastian held a hand out for a high five and you chuckled before hitting your hand against his.

For the rest of the press conference, you sat back and listened to your friends answer questions. Laughed at jokes made and clapped when appropriate. Small tic-tac-toe games went on between you and Sebastian. Your attention was fully on your nails when Tom Hiddleston got called on.

"Hi, I'm Samantha with Daily Mail and I was wondering, since Loki is a very closed off and mysterious character, we never explore the aspect of him having a love interest. So, if you could choose anyone from the MCU for Loki to end up with, who would it be and why?"

You turned to look at Tom as he pondered on the question, crossing his arms and rubbing his chin, "Very good question. Umm, who would I choose for Loki? Let's see," he paused again and looked around the room until his eyes landed on you, "Ah, I'd steal Aphrodite from Bucky." he answered making the room laugh and Sebastian chuckled with a nod.

"Why Aphrodite?" Jeff asked.

Tom chuckled again, "Well, it's Aphrodite." he simply answered drawing more laughs, "They are so different yet similar in so many ways. Loki is never fully evil nor fully good, but I think Aphrodite has the best chance of turning him good. And who wouldn't want to end up with the Goddess of Love?"

The cast nodded understandingly before Chris Pratt grabbed a mic, "If you were to ask any person on this stage that same question, I guarantee the answer would be Aphrodite." the whole cast nodded.

"They're all trying to steal Sebastian's woman." Jeff teased.

Sebastian scoffed jokingly, "They're all jealous." he wrapped an arm around your shoulder.

You chuckled with a shake of your head before Robert spoke up, "Adding onto the conversation. Miss Y/L/N, who would you want Aphrodite to end up with?" his question drew excited reactions from the crowd.

You let out a bark of laughter before looking from Tom to Sebastian, "Hmm, excellent question, Mister Downey." you rubbed your chin, "Stop doing that, Holland." you chuckled as you saw Tom point at himself in the corner of your eye.

He raised his hands in surrender before Anthony Mackie spoke up, "Spidey is five years old, kid." everyone laughed at that.

"I'd have to stick with Bucky. He is her true love." you shrugged as the crowd cheered.

Sebastian smirked from beside you as the men of the cast faked disappointment.

As the panel came to a close, you looked around at the family you were surrounded by. Friends you love more than anything. Hundreds of memories with the most amazing people you'd ever met. Your home.

[fingertipsmp3]

Just remembered I bought nearly £40 worth of earrings earlier. I really shouldn’t be allowed on the internet until I’ve been awake for at least 4 hours

[boyfriendsmalec]

It’s only two months into dating when Adachi discovered Kurosawa bought him an engagement ring. 

Not that Kurosawa knew that of course. 

Instead Adachi discovered it himself during one of their many movie nights together. 

They were over at Kurosawa’s, spread out together on the couch, Adachi’s eyes half-closed, head dipped onto Kurosawa’s shoulder. Every so often Kurosawa would run his fingers through Adachi’s hair or drop a soft kiss to his forehead. Adachi felt himself melt under Kurosawa’s careful touch, enjoying the sensation of every light brush of Kurosawa’s fingers against his skin.

It wasn’t too long into the movie that he took Adachi’s hand in his own and began lightly tracing over his knuckles with his thumb. Kurosawa’s thoughts previously had been very minimal, which meant he was being present in the moment, not thinking all that much. But all of a sudden the idle background noise of Kurosawa’s mind faded away. 

And then he heard Kurosawa’s voice clear as day, honeyed and sweet.

The ring I bought is going to look perfect on him.

Adachi stiffened. A ring? He looked down to see Kurosawa sweeping his thumb across Adachi’s ring finger.

I can’t wait to ask him to marry me. But I need to wait. Take things slow. 

Maybe it was hasty to buy a ring, but I couldn’t help myself.

I can ask him after we’ve been dating a year. That’s a proper amount of time to wait before proposing, right? Or should I wait two just to be safe? 

No one year is fine, we can just have a long engagement.

I can’t wait until Adachi’s my husband.

Adachi sharply pulled away from Kurosawa before he could further intrude on any of his thoughts. He felt himself begin to get light-headed, woozy like he’d just had one too many beers. 

Kurosawa wanted to marry him? He’d bought him a ring? He intended to propose to him in ten months time?

“Adachi?” 

Adachi blanched, turning to Kurosawa.

“You okay? You look a little pale,” Kurosawa asked, brows raised in quiet concern.

“I-I’m fine,” Adachi fumbled out, putting on a hasty smile. “Uh. Just gotta use the bathroom.” He quickly stood up. As much as he wanted to bolt out the front door he knew he couldn’t come up with a reasonable enough explanation to leave without further worrying Kurosawa. And the last thing he wanted was for Kurosawa to think something was wrong.

“Oh,” Kurosawa gave him a tight smile in return. Adachi knew he didn’t quite believe him. “Hurry back.”

Adachi nodded and made his way to the bathroom so he could compose himself. Once inside he splashed his face with cold water, scrubbing violently at his face for several seconds until his face was flushed red. He needed to calm his racing heart. He needed to pretend everything was normal for Kurosawa.

But for some reason Adachi wasn’t as freaked out as he thought he’d be by this new development. It was a surprise for sure, but not entirely unwelcome information.

Adachi had never really thought of marriage much except for in the abstract sense. He’d never felt like it was something he could have.

But now it was a genuine possibility.

Part of Adachi couldn’t help but feel curious. He wanted to know what the ring looked like, how it would feel on his hand. With that thought in mind Adachi decided to venture into Kurosawa’s bedroom to see if he could conduct a quick search for this supposed ring. He felt it was too invasive to look in Kurosawa’s drawers, but surely looking at surfaces was okay? But then Kurosawa wouldn’t leave anything obvious and out in the open, would he?

Then something caught Adachi’s eye. A small cream and gold bag set upon Kurosawa’s nightstand. Hesitantly Adachi went over to the nightstand. He peered inside the bag to see a small black box. 

With a deep breath Adachi picked up the box and popped it open. He froze.

The ring really was beautiful.

A slim silver band with a small diamond studded in the center. He ran a finger over the face of it. It was cool to the touch. He wondered how it would feel on his finger.

But before he could investigate that possibility he heard footsteps outside the door.

Adachi slammed the box closed and shoved it back in the bag. Fumbling for something to do, Adachi leapt onto the bed in despair, face sinking into the mattress as he heard the door squeak open.

“Adachi? Why are you laying on my bed?” Kurosawa sounded vaguely amused.

Adachi hesitantly rose his head to look at Kurosawa. 

“Um. I felt tired?” Adachi said hesitantly. “Sorry, I’ll, um, get up…”

“Do you want to spend the night?” Kurosawa asked then, eyes lighting up. “No pressure, of course.”

“Oh, well,” Adachi started. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t normally want to spend a night with Kurosawa, but part of him wanted to process this new information alone for a while. But Kurosawa looked so expectant and hopeful. How could he say no?

“Sure,” Adachi offered him a small smile, and Kurosawa’s eyes brightened.

“Great! Why don’t I get a bath running for you then? We can finish the movie in the morning if you’re tired,” Kurosawa suggested. Adachi just nodded along because he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to say anything intelligible. All his thoughts kept circling back to Kurosawa’s voice in his head sounding so sure, so positive that he wanted to marry him.

Kurosawa wanted to be with him the rest of his life. The rest of their lives.

For some reason the thought brought a smile to Adachi’s face.

“What’re you smiling so much about?” Kurosawa asked with a light laugh.

“Just… happy to be here with you,” Adachi said, looking down bashfully. Kurosawa just stared at him a few beats before lowering himself onto the bed by Adachi. Kurosawa urged him to sit upright and once he did he took Adachi’s cheeks in his hand and brushed a warm kiss against Adachi’s lips. Adachi brought up his hands to grasp at the back of Kurosawa’s head, drawing him in closer, turning the initial light brush of the lips into something deeper. Something more intense.

“The bath--” Kurosawa mumbled, pulling away.

“Can wait,” Adachi whispered, not quite ready to let go of Kurosawa. Kurosawa gave him a disbelieving look. But before Kurosawa could move or say anything further Adachi leaned in to pull Kurosawa into another dizzying kiss.

The bath was forgotten about that evening. And so was the ring. But when Adachi woke up in the morning he discovered the bag and ring had disappeared.

~

Adachi hadn’t forgotten about the ring, of course he hadn’t, but he tried to not let it weigh too much on his mind. It was better to be present with Kurosawa. He could worry about the rest later on. At least that’s what he tried to tell himself.

It wasn’t until a few weeks later that Adachi discovered Kurosawa’s hiding spot for the ring. 

“Hey, where are my fuzzy socks?” Adachi frowned, poking at Kurosawa’s heel with his big toe. They were in bed together, clad in their pajamas, Kurosawa’s arm secure around Adachi’s waist, but Adachi’s feet were freezing. Kurosawa liked to tease for wearing socks in bed, but Adachi would simply press his freezing toes upon Kurosawa’s feet and that seemed to lessen the teasing. Momentarily.

Instead Kurosawa had gotten used to keeping around pairs of warm, fuzzy socks for Adachi for whenever he slept over. Which was becoming a fairly regular occurrence.

“Sock drawer,” Kurosawa hummed sleepily, lips brushing against Adachi’s collarbone. “I’ll get it…” Kurosawa began to shift in bed.

“No, you’re tired,” Adachi said, resting a hand on Kurosawa’s arm. “What drawer is it?”

“Second one to the left,” Kurosawa yawned, loosening his grip on Adachi so he could get up. Adachi half-stumbled out of bed, squinting in the dim light as he headed over to Kurosawa’s dresser drawers. He pulled open a drawer, rustling through the contents until his hand collided with something soft and velvety. Adachi stilled as he felt the object with his hands. There was no doubt in his mind it was the box from a couple weeks back. The one that held his engagement ring.

This definitely was not Kurosawa’s sock drawer. Everything else in the drawer felt smooth and silky. It was his tie drawer. Adachi quickly snapped the drawer shut, doing it so fast that he accidentally jammed his finger. Adachi let out a low cry.

“Everything okay?” Kurosawa asked, sitting up and turning on the bedside lamp. 

“Just, uh, wrong drawer,” Adachi winced, pulling out another drawer, and this time succeeding in grabbing a pair of fuzzy socks. Kurosawa kept them well stocked. It seemed every time he spent the night that he discovered yet another new pair. This one was sloth patterned with tiny little hearts all over it.

Adachi slipped back into bed, putting on his socks but before he could turn over and hide in his humiliation Kurosawa grabbed at his hand, examining his reddened finger.

“My poor baby,” Kurosawa mumbled, pressing a light kiss to the finger, Adachi’s cheeks darkening. “You sure it’s okay?”

“It’s just a finger,” Adachi gave a half-laugh, pulling away his hand. 

“Nothing is just with you, Adachi,” Kurosawa said, a gentle smile playing on his lips. “Not a single part of you.”

Adachi didn’t quite know what to say to that, so instead he said nothing at all, instead expressing his thoughts with actions. So he kissed Kurosawa, deeply and thoroughly, hoping he could express just how thankful he was to have him in his life.

~

Adachi had gotten into a bad habit. Every time he came over to Kurosawa’s he would slip into Kurosawa’s room at one point, sneak the ring box out of the tie drawer, and slip the ring on his finger.

The first time he’d felt embarrassed and slightly ashamed, like he was doing something wrong. And maybe he was. Kurosawa didn’t know he knew about this. He’d told Kurosawa everything, even about his mind reading abilities, but Kurosawa still didn’t know this secret. 

It was quickly becoming an addiction to the point that Adachi found it difficult to leave the ring in the box. He wanted to wear it outside of Kurosawa’s room. He wanted others to see it and to know that he and Kurosawa were the only ones for each other. He wanted Kurosawa to see it. He wanted to see the smile it would bring to his face.

Adachi may have never thought of marriage before Kurosawa. He may have never considered it a possibility. But now it felt startlingly real.

And suddenly Adachi realized he couldn’t see a future without Kurosawa. A future where they weren’t together seemed impossible. Implausible. He couldn’t imagine a life without Kurosawa by his side. The idea of marrying Kurosawa filled Adachi with a giddiness he’d never quite felt before. His heart swelled with unbridled joy and happiness at the idea of them as husbands. 

Husbands.

And then something else hit Adachi.

If Kurosawa asked him, he would say yes. 

No hesitations. No running away. None of that. He didn’t want to run away from this feeling. He wanted to embrace it, he wanted to bask in this feeling forever.

A small laugh bubbled out of Adachi’s chest as he admired the ring on his finger. It sat perfectly on his hand, not too heavy, yet with enough weight to it that it reminded him of its presence. It was a comforting weight, grounding him, steadying him.

Adachi wanted to marry Kurosawa too. And he couldn’t wait until the day he did.

“Kiyoshi?”

Quickly Adachi spun around to see Kurosawa staring at him with a vaguely confused expression. His jaw dropped when he spotted the ring on Adachi’s hand. He looked a cross between horrified and incredibly enamored. An odd combination indeed. 

Adachi must’ve been in such a daze he hadn’t even heard Kurosawa approach.

“That,” Kurosawa pointed shakily. “Um, that’s, it’s nothing, it’s just…”

“My engagement ring?” Adachi said, voice slightly pitched. 

Kurosawa stilled before nodding. He searched Adachi’s face, and Adachi realized he was waiting to see if he was freaked out. But something in Adachi’s expression must have reassured him, because his eyes slowly began to soften. 

“You already knew?” Kurosawa wagered a guess. After Adachi nodded he continued. “How long?” 

“For almost three months,” Adachi said softly, Kurosawa’s face falling. “I’m sorry! It was before I told you about my ability. And I didn’t want to bring it up after...”

“Well you never mentioned it so I didn’t think you’d heard that,” Kurosawa said, looking flustered and embarrassed. It was an odd look on Kurosawa who normally seemed so self-assured and put-together. “Look, Kiyoshi, I… you know I’ve loved you for seven years. I just wanted the ring as a reminder. Something that I knew I would ask you about one day but I wasn’t going to anytime soon.”

He was trying to backtrack. He didn’t want Adachi to freak out. To run away.

Adachi took a few steps forward.

“I would say yes,” Adachi told him, and Kurosawa’s eyes lit up in hope. “If you asked me, I would say yes.”

“We’ve only been dating five months,” Kurosawa whispered, pupils blown wide.

“Five months next week,” Adachi corrected with a shy smile. “Maybe it is crazy, but then we never were really conventional in the first place.”

Kurosawa blinked a couple times, face contorting a bit. “Okay, I’m sorry but what exactly is happening right now?”

“I’m just saying,” Adachi said, pulling the ring off before placing it in Kurosawa’s palm, squeezing his hand tight. “If you asked me today I would say yes. Or if you asked me in a year I’d say yes.”

“So we’re... engaged-to-be-engaged?” Kurosawa raised a brow, a slow smile spreading across his face. 

“I don’t know what to call it,” Adachi said, lightly running a finger across Kurosawa’s knuckles. It’d only been a week since they were intimate for the first time. It still felt a bit odd that he no longer could hear Kurosawa’s thoughts anymore, but he no longer felt like he needed the reassurance of Kurosawa’s thoughts. He knew Kurosawa loved him, there was no doubt in his mind. Not anymore. 

“I just... I don’t want you to worry,” Adachi continued. “About what I’d say. Because the answer is always a yes for you, Kurosawa Yuichi.”

Kurosawa just gazed at him with a look Adachi could only describe as pure bliss. His eyes were watery, and honestly Adachi’s were getting there as well. Before Kurosawa he hadn’t known that happy things could make you cry like this.

“I can’t wait to marry you, Kiyoshi,” Kurosawa whispered, pulling Adachi in close, cupping his face in his hands. The metal of the ring was cool against his cheek. 

“You won’t have to wait long,” Adachi promised, sealing it with a kiss.

~

Indeed Kurosawa didn’t have to wait long. 

At their sixth month anniversary Kurosawa officially proposed. A full six months earlier than he’d initially planned.

Adachi got to wear his ring every day to work. He even got Kurosawa a ring too. He loved feeling the brush of Kurosawa’s ring against his hand, he loved that everyone knew they were together. That they were getting married. Rokkaku of course insisted he be Adachi’s best man. Eventually he accepted that Tsuge would be Adachi’s best man. But not one for giving up Rokkaku then went around everyday at the office trying to convince Kurosawa to be his best man.

Eventually Kurosawa caved.

And on October 30th 2021, a full year after they first got together, Adachi and Kurosawa stood together on a beach in Taiwan and exchanged their vows. 

They were married. They were husbands.

A year ago Adachi never thought he would find love. That he wouldn’t know this kind of happiness. But now as Adachi kissed Kurosawa in front of all their family and friends he didn’t know how he ever lived without this love before, and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’d never have to live without it again.

[ariana-winchester95]

Seduce and Destroy

Pairing: Kim Taehyung x Reader

Warnings: 18+, a Mary Poppins reference, public groping, public teasing. lingerie modelling, oral (f receiving), boob play, unprotective sex (stay safe out there), multiple orgasms, slight cum play, breeding kink, cock-warming, soft dam Tae and after care

We glanced at each other as the train doors opened, smiling softly before stepping onto the train with the few people and with a new persona. I held on to the pole in the middle of the two automatic doors, subtly watching as Taehyung moved to sit mere feet away from me. Pulling out his book, he glanced over the object before letting his eyes read the words on the page. He picked a spot near a couple of people, which is perfect for our little game. Well, perfect for me, I have a plan of my own.

After a few stops, page turns, and a few flirty glances, I slowly made my way over to him. Pulling his attention away from his book as I sat down next to him.

"Hi," I smiled, crossing a leg over the other, angling my body towards him.

Merely only giving me a side glance, he continued reading his book. I smirked to myself as I pulled my phone out and scrolled through Facebook, not caring about actually looking at anything. Then, after a few moments, I purposely dropped my phone, subtly moving it behind Tae's feet.

"I dropped my phone, excuse me," I said, stopping him from reaching for it himself.

I rose from my seat and moved to stand in front of him, his eyes watching my every move. Then, slowly, I sank to my knees, my eyes never leaving his until I reached forward. Bringing my face real close to his crotch as I grabbed my phone. I relished in the gasp he let out, his body freezing.

"Got it," rising to stand above him, I took a moment to take in his expression.

The shock of my stunt had completely taken over him, eyes wide and mouth agape, the book almost falling from his hands. I giggled as I put more distance between us. People around us held a similar expression on their faces too, and others seemed to look me up and down. I gave those people a slightly uncomfortable look as I fleeted my gaze over people's reactions and back at Tae, who was still staring at me in shock. I held onto the pole again and dragged my attention from Taehyung back to my phone, pretending to be playing on my phone when I took a photo of him to remember this day forever. Taehyung cleared his throat and returned to his book, now placing a leg over the other as he adjusted himself.

Our stop had finally arrived. I left the train first and made my way to the exit, but a pair of arms stopped me in my tracks, pulling me into their body. His front completely pressed against my back, pressing his lips to my neck before bringing them up to my ear.

"That was some stunt you pulled back there, jagi," Tae whispered into my ear, his lips brushing the shell of my ear as he pushed his crotch into my ass, letting me feel the semi hard-on he was now sporting. "Can you help me take care of this?"

"Take care of it yourself." I sassed, looking at him over my shoulder with a smirk on my face. His eyes were darker and hooded, still not recovered from my little stunt.

"Well, it's your fault it's there in the first place." He retorted, his hand tightening on my waist, placing another soft kiss on my neck. I pushed my ass into him, causing Tae's grip to loosen only slightly.

"Not my problem that you can't control yourself around me." Before he could do or say anything, I broke out of his embrace and ran to the exit. "Come on. We have shopping to do." I called out, looking back at him smiling. Even with the distance, I could tell that he was clenching his jaw, his eyes never leaving me, and if he could, he would be shooting daggers at me.

I had lost Tae in the shopping center, after a few scary moments I found that he hadn't wandered that far. He had found his way into a lingerie shop, a range of things in his hand.

"I found some for you," Tae's voice from inside the shop, "Model them for me," I took the coat hangers from him and walking off to the changing rooms, Taehyung following in suit.

Tae sat down on the little bench, making himself a little too comfortable, slouching down a little and spreading his legs, giving me full view before he ducked behind the curtain. I took a deep breath to regain myself as I placed the garments on the little knobs on the wall. I observed to sets he had picked out for me, taking them in.

Four different items hung in front of me, four different styles and four different colours. A black bodysuit, a beautiful patterned lace for the top half and solid black satin for the bottom and back of the garment equipped with a slight push up balconette bra. A deep purple, slightly see-through baby-doll, with a lace patterning soft cup bra top, with a bit of crisscross ribbon for extra finesse and a matching lace g-string pantie. A satin red night slip and a teal slip, with sheer lace back. They were all beautiful. It was hard to pick which one first.

Stripping down to just my undergarments, I reached for the red slip first. I slipped the fabric over my head and smoothed it over my body as I took a look in the mirror. I enjoyed how the satin fabric felt on my skin, and it fitted perfectly. I took a deep breath before pulling the curtain back and stepping out into the narrow hall, standing in front of Taehyung.

"You look beautiful," Tae complimented, his eyes roaming over my body, "I knew the red would suit you."

That's how it went for the following two items, Tae would voice a little compliment and a little innuendo while I modelled the black bodysuit. Now putting on the purple babydoll, I felt sexy and liked what I saw in the mirror. So I decided to put on a show for Tae with this one. I stepped out from the changing room and leaned against the adjacent wall, one leg bent up and my hand in my hair, brushing it back and biting my lip as I looked at Taehyung with sultry eyes.

"Jagi," Tae's voice became deeper, running his tongue over his bottom lip before pulling it between his teeth. His eyes shamelessly wandered over my body, still leaning on the wall. "Come closer."

I slowly walked the short distance between us, adding a little more swing in my hips. I only stopped when I was within arms reach. Tae silently lifted a finger, making a circle in the air. Slowly, I turned around on the spot, letting him see all of the garment sitting nicely on my body.

"Sexy." That was all Taehyung said before rising from the seat and walking out of the changing rooms. This time leaving me shocked, as I did to him on the train.

I exited the changing rooms, once putting my clothes back on, the four garments in hand. Taehyung met me at the counter, wrapping his arm around my waist, pulling me into his side. He smirked at me when he noticed that I would put all four items on the counter to buy.

"I knew you'd pick all four," he whispered in my ear, holding his card over the Eftpos machine before placing it back in his wallet.

"You've got yourself a good boyfriend there," The cashier comment as she packed up my items into a store carry bag.

I looked up at Tae at that moment, already smiling down lovingly at me. I could feel the warmth starting to fill my chest and the butterflies in my stomach the more I looked into his eyes, smiling softly.

"He's okay," I shrugged, turning back to the cashier, a smirk evident on my face, "I guess I'll keep him a bit longer." I continued, patting Tae's back as his hand tightened on my waist, scoffing slightly, making me chuckle.

"You two have a wonderful day now." She smiled, handing me the bag with my items folded neatly inside, but Tae beat me to it, taking the bag from the cashier.

We left the store hand in hand, heading off to yet another store.

"Are you going to wear one of your new outfits for me tonight, jagi?" Tae questions softly, so only I can hear him in the busy shopping complex.

"You'll just have to wait and find out tiger." I teased, gently pushing my hip into his, making him stumble slightly.

"You tease," he chuckled, shoving me back. We laughed at our antics upon entering the next store.

We were wandering around Big W, not looking for anything, just mindlessly walking through the aisles and picking fun at us with various toys and making jokes, reminiscing on our childhood toys, or similar to toys we had. Leaving the toy section, we then entered the shoe section, which for me, is completely dangerous. I didn't see Tae sit down on the bench, placing my bag next to his foot, silently watching as I looked at the range of shoes.

I found a pair of brown heeled boots with silver studs conveniently perched on the shelf directly in front of Tae. I looked through the few shoes available and let out a surprised gasp when I found the last pair in size. I stepped backwards, knowing by heart there was a bench behind me, but it wasn't the bench I sat on. Instead, it was Tae.

"Find something you like, jagi?" He purred in my ear, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder.

Once I got over the shock at the realisation that I ended up sitting on Taehyung's lap, I smiled, holding up the pair of boots.

"I did, and they're the last ones in my size, too." I beamed, loving finding the last pair of shoes in my size.

"Go ahead and try them on." He encouraged, budding my shoulder with his chin before resting against me, leaning his head against mine as he watched my every move.

Taking one of my shoes off and putting one of the boots on, my ass kept rubbing against his crotch each time I moved to bend down to reach my feet. Tae's hands were gripping at my shirt as he tried to hold in moans.

"How does that look?" I asked, stretching my foot out in front of us. I smirked inward, hearing Tae clear his throat.

"Beautiful," he whispered, knowing his voice would come out raspy.

Putting my shoe back on, I stood up from his lap and picking up the boots. Tae let out a sigh of relief, calming himself before he rose from the bench. Hand in hand again, we walked past the kids and baby section. My eyes scanned over the range of racks, and something caught my eye. I pulled Tae along with me so that I could get a closer look at the item.

"Look at this little jumper, Tae. Isn't it adorable?" I beamed, running my hand over the very fluffy jumper, with teddy bear ears on the hoodie. I looked up at Tae, who seemed to be on another planet, as he stared at the babies jumper.

"Yes, jagi. It is." He spoke, coming back to Earth.

The train on our way back home was much busier than the one this morning. There was one seat left, Tae had offered it to me, but I was more than happy to stand. Standing in front of Tae has its perks, the train had jolted, but he reached out and grabbed me before I was sent flying. He pulled me into his lap, securely wrapping his arms around my waist.

We sat like that for a while. I relaxed into Tae's body, enjoying the feeling of his hand absentmindedly rubbing my stomach, observing the people on the train. A child's laughter caught my attention, a little girl on her dad's lap as he made faces and silly noises at her. She couldn't have been more than 2. The scene before me brought a fond smile to my face as I started to daydream about having kids of my own. I let out a slight hum, leaning further into Tae, leaning my head against his.

"What has you happy, jagi?" Tae asked softly, his lips brushing over my temple as he spoke before slivering a soft kiss.

"Nothing, " I spoke, rubbing my hand over his, shaking my head slightly, "just thinking."

"What about?" he prodded, poking my side as his eyes following my line of sight, finding the giggling girl, "the little girl got you thinking, huh?"

"Yeah, she does," I muttered, drawing my attention away from the girl to our hands, dancing my fingers over his hand.

Taehyung's arms wrapped around my waist tighter as the train jolted, causing my ass to rub against him. I barely heard the gasp he let out before clearing his throat. I smirked to myself, feeling how hard he still is from all the teasing I've done to him. I pretended to make myself comfortable, intentionally rubbing my ass against his cock again. He pinched my stomach, causing me to let out a tiny squeak.

"What?" I asked innocently, batting my eyelashes at him.

"What are you doing?" I questioned, an eyebrow raised.

"Getting comfortable," I explained, moving against him again., causing Tae to inhale sharply.

"You weren't comfy before?" He strained, his hands gripping me tighter, leaning his head on my shoulder.

"Yes, I'm just making myself comfier, Tae." Punctuating my words by shifting my ass again, the movement causing Tae to bite my shoulder in hopes to stop the moan from escaping.

"Well, now we have a problem," his lips brushed against my shoulder as he spoke, pulling me firmer against him, making my ass rub against his cock again.

"No, you have a problem," I sassed, wiggling my ass against him. Taehyung let out a whine, not wanting to be in this position, but now he's there.

"Care to help out since you assisted in this problem, jagi?" he challenged, biting my neck, then placing a kiss over his bite.

Instead of answering, I slowly brought my hand behind me, flattening my palm against his stomach, feeling the muscles contract with his every breath. I slightly shuffled my hips forward, giving me enough room to do my plan as I inched my hand closer to his cock.

"Jagi," even whispered, I could still hear the warning, but I ignored him, making his following words catch in his throat.

I pressed my palm over his cock, smirking as I felt it twitch under my hand, his hands tightening their hold on my hips. His hips jerked up slightly as he buried his face in the crook of my neck, his breath coming out in puffs against my skin. I wrapped my fingers around as much as I could over his pants, firmly rubbing my thumb along the side of his cock, eliciting a slight squeak from the man behind me, now becoming putty under my touch.

"Quiet, baby," I whispered in his ear, as his hips slightly rolled again, "you don't want to get caught, do you?"

He didn't trust his voice, afraid he might get us caught, so he just shook his head against my neck. I placed my other hand over his, intertwining our fingers, moving them next to my leg. I gave his cock a slightly firm squeeze, and his hand gripped mine harder as his whole body jerked at the sensation. Then, I was gone from him. I stood up from his lap and slid my hand from his grasp.

He looked so pretty at this moment, almost looking fucked out from just a little heavy petting. His mouth was slightly agape, his eyes glazed over with lust. I smirked as I leaned down, bringing my face in front of his, my hands behind my back. My gaze dropped to his lips, painted a pretty red from biting them. I licked my lips as I slowly inched closer, his eyes intensely watching my movements.

"Close your mouth, Tae. We are not a codfish," I laughed, using a hand to close his mouth, his eyes wide as he looked at me.

"What should we have for dinner?" I pondered, standing up straight again, his puppy eyes now staring up at me. His hands tightly grasped the fabric of his pants. "Maybe we could get Chinese or Korean on our way home, or pizza delivered. What do you think, Tae?"

"Pizza." The word was strained and spoken softly, still coming down from my actions.

If looks could kill, I'd be dead, but not before he had his way with me, and that's what I was looking forward to.

"Now that I have you to myself," He started, walking towards me. The look in his eye was enough for me to forget how to breathe, "I can finally do this."

Taehyung walked right up to me, stopping only mere millimetres away, taking a moment to appreciate what's right in front of him. His hands moved to rest on my hips as mine moved to the back of his neck, burying my fingers in his hair. My heart swelled as I took in the look of pure love on his handsome face. He brought a hand up to my face, caressing my cheek with his thumb.

He then tilted my face up a bit and leaned down, softly pressing his lips against mine. It only lasted a few seconds before he pulled back, leaning his forehead against mine, both our eyes closed. I took a small peak in time to see him run his tongue over his lips before pressing his lips against mine again but firmer than the previous kiss. His hands moved from my hips to the small of my back, pulling me against him.

He moaned into my mouth when I rolled my hips into him. He ran his tongue over my lips. I opened my mouth and let him in. our tongues slow danced at first, massaging the other before battling for dominance. I was winning the battle until he rolled his hips into mine, causing me to freeze for a second. Taehyung pulled away, brushing his nose against mine, bringing a hand to my neck.

"Wait for me in the bedroom, jagi," he directed softly, placing a tender kiss on my forehead. "Take only your clothes off and sit on the bed."

I started to move around him, heading for the bedroom, but not before he smacked my ass, with a deep chuckle as he watched me stumble.

I almost ran to the bedroom, stripping down to just my lingerie, discharging my clothes in the laundry hamper, checking over my look in the mirror before heading out of the ensuite to sit on the bed. It wasn't long before the door opened, revealing Taehyung.

"You know, I saw some of the looks guys were giving you after your stunts on the train today. I have to say it made me a little bit jealous." He explained, closing the door behind him as he slowly walked towards me. "And then, seeing you model those little outfits I picked for you, you don't know what you do to me."

"Oh, I think I do," I smirked, standing up and placing my hand over his cock when he stopped in front of me, feeling how hard he is under my palm.

Taehyung's faltered for a moment but quickly regained composure, grabbing ahold of my wrist in his large hand and pulling me off of the bed. My breath caught in the back of my throat, seeing the dark look in his eyes. He took hold of my other wrist, tugging them behind my back and pulling me into him, giving me nowhere to go.

"I do just have one question for you, jagi," he spoke, his breath fanning over my ear before he stood up straight, "Will you let me fuck a baby into you and show everyone who you belong to?"

Punctuating his words, Taehyung ground his hips into my palm again, showing me how he would do it. The mere thought of it sent a spark down south. I could feel myself becoming wet in my panties. I was in a trance, watching his hips move against my palm, a small moan leaving his mouth. Then, his movements stopped, my eyes flicked up to his. He was already looking at me with an eyebrow raised, waiting for an answer. I opened my mouth to speak, but my words caught in the back of my throat, willing myself to nod my head, but it wasn't enough for him.

"I need to hear you say it," He spoke, holding my wrists in one hand. He brought his now free hand to my neck, his thumb pushing my head up by my chin.

"Yes," I whispered, looking up at him through my lashes, swallowing thickly before continuing, "show everyone I belong to you and fuck your baby in me. I want your baby, Tae."

Those four words triggered something to snap within him. Before I could blink, Taehyung pushed me onto the bed before reaching a hand behind his head and pulling his shirt off in one swift tug, making me shiver in excitement. I settled myself among the pillows, watching as he stood at the end of the bed, his eyes almost black, glazed over with desire. My breath hitched when he started to crawl up my body, stopping at my thighs, rubbing his hands over my soft skin. The sheets balled tightly in my hands as he placed open-mouthed kisses on each of my thighs, inching closer to where I needed him most, groaning when he'd bypass my core.

Tae caught my gaze for a brief moment, a smirk playing on his lips as he knelt on his heels and hooked a finger in each side of my panties before ripping them off my body. His hands then travelled up my body. I arched my back enough for his hands to wander underneath to the clasp of my bra, undoing it quickly and throwing it somewhere in the room. He then lightly trailed his fingers back down to my thighs, pushing them open, exposing more of me to him.

"Who got you this wet, jagi?" He asked, running his hands over my thighs, bringing them close to my core but then pulling them away and repeating the action over again.

"Me," I sassed, a smug smile plastered on my lips.

Taehyung delivered a swift slap to my thigh, effectively wiping the smirk off of my face as I let a gasp, the action going straight to my core, which didn't go unnoticed to Taehyung.

"I said, who made you this wet?" He repeated, this time slowly running a finger through my wet folds, a barely-there touch. I arched my hips chasing his touch, pouting as he removed his hand away. "I need an answer, jagi."

"You did," I answered, my body squirming slightly, the tingle of his touch still there, but it's not enough, "you did, Tae."

"Good girl." He praised, bringing his hands back up to my core, his fingers spreading my glistening folds, humming as he watched me clench around nothing.

"Fuck," I cursed, my back arching off the mattress as he licked a stripe from my entrance and up and over my clit, collecting my juices on his tongue and swallowing.

"So sweet," he murmured, running his tongue over his lips, before sucking my clit into his mouth.

My hands flew to his hair, pulling him closer, moaning as he sucked harder. Getting lost in the pleasure, I threw my head to the side, squeezing my eyes shut. His tongue flicked at my clit, causing time to let out a surprised squeak, pulling at his hair again. His hum of approval vibrated through my core and up my spine as my body trembled.

Taehyung's hands moved back to my thighs, squeezing the flesh, bringing his mouth down to my entrance. I moaned loudly as his tongue prodded and circled my hole.

"Please," I breathed, my voice barely above a whisper, my back arching.

I pried my eyes open, catching his gaze instantly, dark and intense. He thrusted his tongue inside me, causing me to scream, but it was short-lived. As quick as the action was, he then pulled his mouth away from me. I was about to protest the loss of contact when I felt two fingers circle my entrance as he left open-mouthed kisses over my stomach, trailing up to my breasts. Bracing himself on one elbow for support, he sucked a nipple into his mouth at the same time he pushed his two fingers inside me, curling them upwards, hitting my g-spot and firmly sucking on my nipple.

"Tae," I moaned, running my hands over his shoulders, arching my back into him.

"So tight," Tae voiced as he added a third finger to the party.

The stretch was only slight, disappearing after a few thrusts of his fingers. Swirling his tongue around my nipple, he then added a fourth finger, the movement making a squelching sound as he thrusted his fingers inside me.

"Shit," I cursed, feeling the stretch return with the added finger.

The dull pain quickly turned into pleasure as he kept thrusting them against my g-spot, my juices coating his fingers. I could feel the pressure building in the pit of my stomach rapidly. Taehyung could feel it, too, as I clenched hard on his fingers. Moving to my other breast, sucking just as hard as the previous, he thrusted his fingers faster. My hips moved on their own accord, rolling to meet his thrusts, my hand burying itself in his hair and tugging harshly, causing Tae to growl.

The coil was just about to break when he pulled his fingers out of me. I groaned in frustration, rolling my hips to chase the pleasure before it disappeared. Taehyung chuckled lowly as I huffed, throwing my head to the side again.

"Don't get too mad, jagi." Tae snickered, sitting back onto his heels.

A wet pop caught my attention. I pried my eyes open to find Tae sucking his fingers clean of my arousal. His gaze bore into mine as he deliberately cleaned each finger agonisingly slow. The sight sent another wave of excitement throughout my body, ending at my centre, trapping my lip between my teeth.

"Ready to go again, jagi?" He snickered, seeing me squirm before him, just from sucking hips fingers.

I watched as he rose from the bed, giving me a wink before taking his briefs off.

My mouth watered at the sight of his cock hitting his stomach, I rolled to my side, reaching my hand out to touch him, but he slapped my hand away.

"There will be time for that later," he promised, stroking himself a few times, "but right now, I need to be inside you."

Returning to his spot between my legs, Taehyung grabbed one of his pillows and gently placed it underneath my hips. I smirked knowingly at him as his cock twitched, his eyes watching how I swivelled my hips, settling into the pillow. His hands travelled up my body as he moved to brace himself above me. He planted both hands beside my shoulders. He dipped down place his soft lips on mine. I moaned into the kiss, bringing my hands up his sides and into his fluffy hair.

Taehyung's tongue prodded at my lips, silently skiing for entry. I responded by opening my mouth to him, deepening the kiss, as he hummed against my lips. We explored each other's mouths before Tae broke the kiss and started trailing wet kisses down my cheek to my neck, turning my head to the side, giving him better access. My body was squirming again underneath him as he sucked tiny blemishes on my skin. He chuckled against my neck once he found my sweet spot, just above my collarbone and another over my pulse.

Continuing his assault on my neck, Taehyung lightly trailed one hand down my body, causing goosebumps to rise in his wake and taking hold of his cock. I moaned, pulling on his hair as he started to rub the tip over my wet folds and groaning against my skin feeling how wet I still was for him. I gasped as the tip of his cock caught my clit, chuckling lowly, he repeated the action, drawing another sweet moan to grace his ears.

"Are you ready, jagi?" Taehyung asked, lips brushing against my ear, the tip of his cock now waiting at my entrance.

"I was born ready." I retorted hoarsely, a dazed smile placed on my lips.

Taehyung pulled back from my neck, gazing sweetly into my eyes, dusted over with love and desire. He continued looking into my eyes, observing my reaction as he slowly pushed his cock inside me inch by inch, raw for the first time. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as I easily felt every ridge and vein his long and girthy cock had to offer. My hands found purchase on his shoulder and in his fluffy hair yet again as Tae let his head fall to my shoulder as he bottomed out, both of us letting out noises of satisfaction.

"You feel amazing, jagi," he commented, relishing how warm I felt around him with no rubber barrier.

Taehyung stayed still for a few moments, letting me adjust to him and the new feeling, his breath hitching as I involuntarily clenched around him. Rolling my hips against his, I gave him the go-ahead, causing him to suck in a breath sharply, not expecting the movement. He pulled out enough so that the tip of his cock was still inside me and then swiftly thrusting back in, causing me to jolt. He kept a steady pace, thrusting rhythmically.

My hands danced over his back as Taehyung rested his body atop of mine, burying his face in the crook of my neck, his breath coming out in hot puffs with each thrust. His lips danced across the soft only neck and shoulder, placing sloppy kisses here and there. The tip of his cock hit my g-spot, causing me to moan his name shamelessly. Spurred on by hearing me moan his name, he pushed himself off my body, hovering above me once again.

Taehyung rested his forehead against mine as he brought a hand down my body and to my clit, rubbing fast, tight circles. Effectively getting me to scream his name this time. My hands gripped the sheets tightly, the pressure building up in my lower stomach again.

"Are you gonna cum, jagi?" Tae spoke between thrusts, now picking up speed, feeling me clench around him continuously and firmly.

"Yes," I whispered, arching my back, the pressure quickly becoming too much.

"Cum for me," Tae ordered, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth, biting down hard and delivering a few sharp thrusts.

Not needing to be told twice, I came hard. My mouth dropped open, letting out a silent scream. Feeling me come around him with no barrier sent Tae into a frenzy. Growling, he brought one of my legs to rest on his shoulder in one swift movement, using it as leverage to thrust faster, chasing his high.

"Tae," I breathed, my voice barely a whisper as I reached out for him.

"I'm right here, jagi." He reassured, taking my hand in his, letting me grip it tightly.

I let out short, high-pitched squeaks at the overstimulation, my pussy clenching around him each time he pulled out. The coil in my stomach returned tenfold. Screaming as I came for a second time tonight.

"I'm gonna cum, jagi," he warned, his face screwed up in pleasure, "gonna fill you up, gonna get you nice ain't round with my baby."

"Please, Tae," I begged, tugging his hand as I lazily rolled my hips, "fill me up and get me pregnant."

The extra tightness of my second orgasm and my words caused Tae's thrusts to sputter, finally reaching his high, stilling inside as he came with a growl, painting my insides white. Letting my leg fall back next to him, Tae, as gently as he could, collapsed atop of me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

I mustered enough strength to place my hands on his ribs, feeling them expand rapidly as he came down from his high. We stayed like that for a while, our breaths returning to normal. Picking his head from my shoulder, he placed a sweet, tender kiss upon my glistening cheek.

"Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?" Tae asked, concern written in his features, holding my cheek in his large hand.

"I'm fine," I managed, in my blissed-out state, a content smile on my lips. "I'm going to be sore tomorrow thought

"Luckily, we both have another day off tomorrow, isn't it?" he laughed, raising himself up and slowly pulling out of me, causing me to whine at the empty feeling.

A bit of our mixed cum escaped. Tae caught it on his fingers and pushed it back inside me, causing me to squirm at the stimulation.

"Stay like that. I don't want you to waste a drop." Tae's directed, leaving the bed and heading into the ensuite.

Taehyung returned to my side with a fresh wet towel, using it to clean me up gently. Discarding the small towel in the sink, he then maneuvered us under the sheets. Wrapping his arms around me, Tae pulled me to his chest as my arms secured themselves around his waist, and my leg rested over his, resting my head above his heart, listening to it beat rhythmically.

"I have an idea," I voiced into the bedroom as Tae's hand ran through my hair. Hearing Tae's hum of acknowledgment, I continued, "Why don't you stay inside me and make me your little cock-sleeve for the night?"

I picked my head up from his chest to gauge his reaction. Wonder filled his eyes as he thought over my question.

"You want to be my little cock-sleeve, jagi?" He asked, his voice full of curiosity, his eyebrow raised in question, "what if I get needy during the night and want to breed you again?"

I could feel the weight of his words, feeling his cock twitch under my thigh. I rolled myself on top of Tae, rubbing my pussy against his cock, causing Tae to grab my hips, letting out a moan. Then, rising my hips, I wrapped my hand around his cock and positioned myself over him. Tae let out a groan as I sank down on him slowly. I braced my hands on his chest, leaning down to his ear.

"Then I give you permission to wake me up, baby," I whispered, brushing my lips against his ear, chuckling as I felt his cock twitch inside me as I settled myself on top of him, falling into a restful sleep.

Needless to say, we didn't get our pizza.

Taglist: @alternateafterthought | @haven-raven012591 | @mitzwinchester

[lieuwrites]

A Story Told In Gems | Hwang Hyunjin | Oneshot

Title: A Story Told in Gems

Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x Reader

Synopsis: Star tears (tears of unrequited love) have different qualities and minerals which can change the colour of the tears depending on the emotion being experienced in the moment. The minerals in the tears can be collected and pressed into beautiful gemstones. Hyunjin had taken an interest in the different kinds of gems and had tasked himself to learn all he could about them from the store owner of Stardust Jewelers.

Genre/Warnings: Angst, fluff, seemingly (?) unrequited love, hurt/comfort, swearing (i use shit like once), skz side character/s (Minho, Chan), non-idol!AU

Words: 4.8k

Requested: No

A/N: i hope y’all like this one !! i liked the concept of ‘star tears’ and wanted to do something a bit different with it and badabing badaboom here is my attempt at stepping out of my comfort zone :-D do i understand how gems are made ?? not at all, but i wrote it in anyways so who cares lmao

It was quite beautiful the first time you saw your mom cry. She argued with your dad in the kitchen for what felt like ages until she fell to her knees and broke down in tears. Oh how her tears sparkled. The sobs wracked through her body; but her tears, they jingled hypnotically. From the young age of 4 you’d hoped that you too would one day be able to cry such beautiful tears like her when you were older. You never really understood how much it hurt to produce such beauty.

“I promise you, the gems we sell at this store are made of 100% genuine solaris minerals,” you spoke to the customers, as you carefully removed the necklace from the display case. “As you can see, the necklace is a gold singapore chain paired with a blue solaris gem. It also comes with a pair of teardrop earrings if you decided to take the whole set.” The couple inspected the necklace, feeling the quality of the chain and holding it up to their necks. It took the two women a while to pick a necklace, but after scouring the whole shop, they decided on the one they were currently debating.

“Did you say it comes with a certificate of authenticity?” The first woman asked, holding up the necklace delicately in her palm.

You nodded in affirmation and went to grab the papers from underneath the counter. “Not only does it come with a certificate, but almost all of our products come with a story of their origin,” you placed the necklace’s folder onto the counter and slid it over to them, “these gems came from a man named Minho. He had fallen in love with a work colleague who he would spend every single working hour with. What the poor guy didn’t know was that she was already with someone. The tears used for this set specifically were cried on the night of the girl’s wedding.”

The customers sighed in sympathy from the story. It was sad to know what pain this man went through. He came in quite a few times, his first tears producing light blue gems. Each time he came in, the gems would become a deeper shade of blue as his emotions became heavier. The very last time he came in, his tears produced royal blue solaris gems.

Minho yielded 5 different sets of jewelry.

“We’ll take the whole set.”

The next day was slow. You were able to make two small sales but other than that, there didn’t seem to be any sign of more customers. As you tried to busy yourself by wiping down the already clean display cases, the entrance bell rang, signalling a customer. You looked through the glass from your crouched position behind the counter to see a young man walk in. He stepped around the store hesitantly and his eyes scanned the jewels as he moved. You stood up from your place and greeted him, “good afternoon, welcome to Stardust Jewelers; the place where we turn tears into treasures. How can I help you today?” He jumped slightly at your voice and his expression warped into one of surprise. 

“Oh uh, sorry. I’m just here to look around,” he spoke quickly and turned around towards the shelves closer to the entrance. His shifty attitude didn’t sit right with you so you walked nearer to where he stood. The cases were secured with a key that was only handled by staff but you knew some people were able to get really creative with their shoplifting. 

You followed his gaze to the various bracelets but you were sure he wasn’t interested in those. He seemed to lick his lips nervously as his eyes flicked to you and back to the jewelry. You took in his appearance; his blonde hair was quite long, passing his chin, and his side profile was quite defined. You studied his features quite quickly until you noticed the earrings he wore. 

Simple studs.

The gems looked to be diamond but after working at the store for almost your whole life you could tell from the way they sparkled in the light, to the way the metal was designed, those were solaris gems. As you moved closer, the guy stepped away from you.

“Listen man,” you started, “I can tell those studs you’re wearing are solaris gems and judging from the craftsmanship, they were made in this store. I don’t know if you stole those and you’re coming back for seconds-”

“Woah woah woah, I didn’t steal anything from here. I was gifted these,” he held his hands up in surrender before quickly adding, “from a friend.

A quick pause happened before he hesitantly spoke up again,

“I’m Hyunjin… Hwang Hyunjin,” You raised a brow at him and he held his hand out for you to shake. You reciprocated his handshake and also introduced yourself.

“(Y/n). I’m a co-owner of this store.”

He smiled kindly at you and went back to looking at the bracelets. A silence fell over the both of you and you turned to look at the clock hung behind the counter.

’12 minutes until close. There’s no way I’m going to make this sale.’

“Um, sorry I know the store is closing soon but I just want to ask, can I hear the story of that bracelet over there?” Hyunjin pointed to a bracelet with small green solaris gems held together with a gold chain.

“Hmm,” you paused to think, “those were made from the tears of a young woman; tears of envy they were. Her best friend had ended up dating the guy she’d been crushing on. She cried to me, telling me how sad she was about losing the guy of her dreams, but I’m 100% sure she was more envious of their relationship,” You looked up to see Hyunjin listening attentively. 

“Green for envy, huh? I guess that one seems pretty obvious.”

You nodded and looked back at the time. 

“It seems I’m going to have to pack up shop. Thank you for stopping by and feel free to come by tomorrow.” You held the door open for him and he walked out with a quick goodbye and a quiet ‘nice meeting you.’

Your newest client wasn’t here to buy jewelry; instead, the man who went by ‘Christopher’ sat in the back room. He entered the store donning sunglasses and you knew immediately why he was here. The client walked up to the counter with his head down and you moved to serve him.

“Good morning, welcome to Stardust Jewelers; the place where we turn tears into treasures. How can I help you today?” The guy cleared his throat once and opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. You slowly reached your hand out to reassuringly pat his shoulder before grabbing a small jar from beneath the counter. You asked his name and scribbled it on the jar in sharpie.

“Follow me.”

You walked to the back room and motioned for him to sit on the couch. You then passed him the jar and went to leave the room. “The room is soundproof so don’t be afraid to let it out.” 

You then left to go back to your post behind the counter, readying the paperwork for his tears. As you sorted through a new folder, the entrance bell rang. 

“Good morning, welcome to Stardust Jewelers; the place where we turn tears into– Oh, you’re back?” The same guy from yesterday walked in with a sheepish smile on his face. 

“Yeah… You did say to come by tomorrow. I’m just really curious about the store.” 

He came up to the counter and looked at the blank forms you were sorting through. You could tell he was curious as to what was on them so you turned the papers to face him. 

“We prepare them each time we have a new client–” you motioned towards the back room with your head– “so we can gather the information and signatures we need for the certificate of authenticity and the jewelry’s backstory.” Hyunjin nodded along to the explanation. He was quite a curious person, asking questions wherever possible and listening attentively to your responses.

“So do crying these gems hurt?” Hyunjin asked.

“Not that I know of. I’m pretty sure the minerals that produce the gems are too small to cause too much damage. I have heard cases where people go colour blind from crying too many star tears though. Some people can even lose memories. My mother told me it’s to protect the heart from further heartbreak.”

At that moment, Christopher walked out; sunglasses on and jar in hand. The contents sparkled a beautiful golden topaz and your heart skipped a beat. You could barely hold back the smile on your face as you took the paperwork back from Hyunjin. 

“Sorry Hyunjin, I’m going to need a bit of privacy between the client and myself. Feel free to look around the store.” Hyunjin smiled and instead waved a goodbye, mouthing ‘see you tomorrow’ before walking out the door.

“Do you enjoy working here?” Hyunjin asked whilst chewing on the straw of his empty iced coffee. 

“Of course I do. Does it not seem like it?” You pulled out different necklaces from the display to switch around the store’s look.

“Well judging from the way you smiled at the miserable customer yesterday, I’d say you enjoy this job too much.” He raised a brow at you and you laughed at his statement.

“Trust me, I feel like every sad client that comes in to sell their tears weighs on my soul heavily; but every once in a while, you get a client who can cry tears that produce these rare gems,” you turned to pick up a pair of earrings from the shelf behind you and carefully handed them to Hyunjin. He placed his cup onto the counter and held them, inspecting the golden-yellow gems.

“What kind of tears can produce this sort of gem?”

A small smile made its way onto your face as you thought about the woman who produced the earrings.

“Tears of happiness. You see, solaris gems can only be produced from the minerals in star tears, tears that are cried during unrequited love. If the person you love doesn’t love you back, but you’re still able to be happy for them, I just think that’s a sort of purity that needs to be preserved.”

Another new day rolled by and Hyunjin had once again made his way back to your store.

“So what’s the story behind the ring?” Hyunjin motioned to the one held gently in your palm, freshly unpackaged from the warehouse. The clean gem was pure like diamond and had no pigment to it. “These ones are quite the mystery. They look almost like normal tears from how they are cried without pigment but instead they sparkle beautifully, just as all other star tears do. These clear gems are made from tears of the unaware. Sometimes people will cry and produce star tears without knowing that they were ever in love in the first place so they usually don’t come with a story.” The idea of those gems made you sad and you quickly put it away on the shelf.

“Does the same go for my earrings?” He asked, motioning to the studs he always wore. 

“I guess so. Did you not get the information folder when you bought those?”

He shook his head and knocked on yours lightly with his hand, bringing himself to your level, “I got these as a gift, remember?”

“Ahh right. Well maybe your friend should’ve given you the info folder. How are you supposed to know if they’re real or not,” you huffed.

“Easy. I’ve got you to verify them for me.”

It had been a few weeks since Hyunjin started popping into the store and making conversation.

Hyunjin stood behind you toying with the necklace around your neck while you sat at the counter filling out paperwork for the batch of tears that needed to be sent out that afternoon. He watched over your shoulder as you sorted through all the information and vials diligently ensuring everything was correct. He couldn’t help but admire how particular and concise you were with your work.

What he couldn’t tell was how flustered you were in the moment. The close proximity between the two of you made your heart race and every time his fingers would absentmindedly brush against the nape of your neck you would try your hardest to hide the shivers that ran up through your spine. 

You put down your pen and replaced his hand on the clasp of your necklace, removing it and turning to dangle it before him. “Here, play with this while I do my work,” you told him, waiting for the guy to take hold of it. 

Hyunjin held his palm out and you placed the jewelry into his grasp. He knew it was important to you with the way you would fidget with the pendant out of habit, move the clasp back to its place behind your neck when displaced and even just because of the fact he never saw you without it until now. Although he knew the jewel held significance to you, it was a mystery as to why. He’d always wanted to know the story behind it but never knew how to bring it up.

The large, emerald cut gem was a deep shade of red, mounted to a golden pendant and looped onto a thin, simple, gold box chain. “Red for anger is it?” Hyunjin started, his eyes shifting from the necklace to the owner.

You looked back at him, catching his eyes quickly before turning back to your work.

“Uh, yeah. Red for anger,” your voice was tentative, knowing what he really wanted to know. After a moment of hesitation, you continued to speak, “It’s from my mom, you know, the ‘big boss’. That is her first ever gem she made… out of her own tears.” You put your pen down and spun around on the stool you were sitting on to face Hyunjin.

He faced you, eyes unsure where to look. After a second of inner conflict he decided looking into yours was the best place to direct his gaze. He could read a variation of emotions; confusion, anxiousness, rage and guilt but the most prevalent one he could see was pain.

“They were the tears she cried when my dad told her he was leaving us. It happened so long ago but sometimes it still gets to me,” you let out a shaky breath and forced a smile, “I guess I should be thankful. That moment was basically the catalyst for this whole business my mom started. She said she wanted to make something beautiful and worthwhile out of painful and vulnerable moments, just to remind people that there’s always a shining light at the end of a dark tunnel.”

Suddenly, you were gently pulled into Hyunjin’s embrace, an arm around your shoulders and the other pulling your head to his shoulder. It wasn’t until then you realised you were crying. Quiet sobs escaped your body and you wrapped your arms around his waist looking for comfort.

Hyunjin stayed silent and stroked your hair in reassurance.

No words needed to be spoken. All that mattered was that Hyunjin was there in the moment, allowing you to let it all out.

And you did, crying tears that sparkled orange.

It became a routine that Hyunjin would come and visit a few times a week. He came in so often he’d somehow weaseled his way into having his own spot behind the counter. A customer walked in and you greeted them with Hyunjin chorusing along. 

“Good morning, welcome to Stardust Jewelers; the place where we turn tears into treasures. How can I help you today?”

The girl came up to the counter and flashed a beautiful smile. “Hi, I’m here looking for something specific. Have you got any jewelry from someone named Minho?” You assumed she was friends with the couple from a few weeks prior so you nodded and brought her over to where the last of Minho’s jewelry was kept. The first ever set he was able to produce was all that was left and it was a mere ring. The gem on the thin band was a small light blue jewel. 

“Would you like to hear the story behind it?” you offered.

“Don’t worry, she knows it already,” a familiar voice cut in. Without you noticing, Minho had entered the shop. 

“No. Way. Minho, I haven’t seen you in ages! What’s it been? 3? 4 years?” You walked out from behind the counter and hugged him. He chuckled and hugged you back, “4 years and 7 months if we’re being precise.”

Minho walked over to the woman and gently pulled her over, holding her hand. “I want you to meet my girlfriend. We’ve been dating for a couple of years now.”

Minho pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and turned back to you. “We’re here to see what’s left of my gems.” His girlfriend pulled him over to where the ring was while you made your way to the back room. For each client that came to sell their tears, you decided to keep gems for them, just in case they ever came back --a situation you thought would never happen-- and for the first time, someone did.

You found Minho’s section, pulled out a small box and brought it out to the couple. Somehow, Hyunjin had gotten the key and opened the display to show them the ring in the display case.

“Since when did you hire new staff? I thought this was a family business?” Minho asked.

“I didn’t. This guy just has nothing better to do.”

Hyunjin stuck his tongue out and tossed the keys back to you.

You placed the box down in front of them and pulled out 5 small jewelry boxes, each dated with when the tears were collected. You opened them to reveal the gems within, creating a beautiful gradient of blues as the dates became more recent. 

“These are all gems created from Minho’s star tears. I save gems for each client that comes in, just in case they come back one day. I’ve left them completely untampered with so that you can choose what sort of jewelry you want to make them into.”

The two teared up looking at the jewels and you could feel the warmth radiating from the two of them. 

“How much for them?” Minho asked and you shook your head. 

“They’re free. There’s no way I’d make someone pay for their own tears,” you scoffed jokingly and closed the boxes to be packaged. You looked for the info folders until you realised you must’ve left them in the back room in your excitement. As you turned to go collect them, They suddenly appeared in front of you.

“Oh, thank you Hyunjin. I swear you know your way around here too well, I’m going to have to start restricting store access to you,” you joked.

“Hyunjin?” Minho’s voice travelled over the counter and you looked over at Minho’s confused face.

“Do you guys know each other?” You questioned.

Hyunjin shook his head, seeming just as confused.

Minho continued, “Is this the Hyunjin that you cried star tears over?”

From there, Hyunjin’s eyes widened in shock. He looked at you but you didn’t know what Minho was talking about.

“What do you mean? I’ve never known any other Hyunjin, and I met him a couple months ago.”

“No, the third time I came in, you told me you started crying star tears but you didn’t know why and by the fourth time I came around, you told me you realised it was for your friend Hyunjin.” Minho was sure of it, it was the most vulnerable he’d ever seen you. You would comfort him everytime he came by, but once, and only once, he ended up being the one to comfort you.

You could only shake your head at Minho. “I’ve never cried star tears in my life. I really don’t know what you’re talking about.” You looked back at Hyunjin and then at the gems. “Now back to the topic at hand–” you pulled forms from below the counter– “how would you like these gems styled?”

You hadn’t spoken a word to Hyunjin since Minho left. There was this uncomfortable tension in the air that just wouldn't dissipate no matter how hard you tried to ignore it. Hyunjin knew it was there, and he knew it had to be him to make the first move, but the glass counter had this spot that just wouldn't disappear no matter how hard he scrubbed.

He watched as you counted the day’s earnings intently, eyes not daring to look away from the notes and coins in front of you. There was a voice inside of him that screamed at him to go up to you and explain everything but there was also a feeling of shame that held him back. He was so ashamed of deceiving you and that alone was eating away at him.

When Hyunjin halted his attempts at scrubbing away the nonexistent spot on the glass and turned to face you, you had already made your way to the back room to put away the money. 

He argued with himself, ’maybe I should run for it while they aren’t here. Or maybe I should follow them and fess up’, but the internal monologue had only caused him even more distress.

You on the other hand had decided to completely forget that encounter with Minho, maybe you could forget that the day had ever happened, or even better, maybe you could forget that Hyunjin had ever decided to come into your store. It wasn’t hard to piece everything together, you were smart.

The door creaked behind you, signalling Hyunjin’s entry into the back room with you. He placed the window cleaner and rag back into their rightful place on the shelf while he waited for you to lock up the safe, hidden on the floor in the back of the room, just like routine. When you got up and looked at him, he stood there with a look on his face that told you he was trying to find the words to say.

His mind blanked as you strode towards him, there was no sign of what you were feeling in the moment. As you arrived at the spot right in front of the man, you reached your hand up to gently grasp his chin and move his head to the side.

There, in the shitty back room lighting, shined the clear and clean cut solaris gems. The memory of a forgotten feeling had welled up in your chest, as if you were feeling just a tinge of the heartbreak you once experienced. 

“Do you want them back?” Hyunjin’s voice broke the silence.

You shook your head and let go of his chin, walking past him to finally lock up and leave. 

“Keep them, they look good on you.” 

And those were the last words you spoke to him before he followed you out and you locked up.

It had been a few months after that incident. You were able to forget the whole scenario ever happened --assuming that ignoring the situation was synonymous with forgetting-- and kept conducting business as usual. Hyunjin had barely crossed your mind since you last saw him that night and you were thankful. The whole thing had completely left your system… until now.

The store bell rang and you looked up to greet the customer, words getting caught in your throat. 

His hair was no longer blonde but a deep brown, almost black. It had also grown to touch just past his shoulders. As you locked eyes, a soft smile made its way onto his face as he approached you.

After all this time, Hyunjin was the same.

“No ’welcome to Stardust Jewelers’ for your best customer?” He attempted to joke.

“Well you never actually bought anything.” Your voice was flat, an attempt at hiding what you really felt. The same pain you had tried to forget was bubbling back up in your chest and Hyunjin could see it through your facade. Whilst giving you time to collect yourself, Hyunjin inspected you further. You were the same as he remembered. The same as back when you went to school together, the same as when he met you again at your store after years away at college, just... the same. You were the same in the way your presence comforted him and raised his mood, but he knew you held different feelings towards him.

And then something caught his attention.

Ruby red emerald cut earrings. 

They matched the pendant around your neck and Hyunjin was filled with the same regret.

“Hyunjin, I’ll be honest, I’m not really comfortable with you coming back here. I don’t think we can just ‘hang’ like we used to.”

A sadness washed over him as he shook his head and chuckled bitterly. 

“I know. I’m actually just here as a client. That is, if you’ll have me?”

There was a second of hesitance before you reached under the counter to grab a jar, scribbling his name onto it, and handing it over to him. You motioned towards the back room and allowed him to make his own way there, closing the door behind him. 

Filling out his papers occupied you while you continued to try and pull yourself together. You understood why you had forgotten Hyunjin the first time, the way your mind tried to protect your heart with the star tears you cried. The pain you felt around Hyunjin stung. It made your chest hurt and your mind muddled. Most significantly, it made your eyes burn. The tears you attempted to hold back eventually fell freely, falling onto the paper and staining it with small, orange splatters.

A hand reached out to wipe them away and it was only then you realised that Hyunjin had made his way back.

You stepped back away from him and scrambled to wipe your tears with your sleeve. Hyunjin looked down at the paper, the deep orange tinge seeping into the print. It brought him back to the day he comforted you as you cried into his sweater. He went home that day with the same shiny orange stain on his shirt.

“What do orange tears signify?”

As you wiped away your ever falling tears, your voice came out low and strangled.

“Abandonment.”

Hyunjin couldn’t bear the idea of being the cause of your pain. Not only once or twice, but three times. He wanted to jump the counter and hug you, comfort you just as he had before and apologise until his voice grew weak, but instead he reached into his pocket and produced the small jar with his name on it.

The clink of the jar on the glass counter caught your attention and you inspected the contents from where you stood. A brilliant shade of indigo sparkled within the jar.

“Tears of regret,” you mumbled, “what are you feeling regretful about Hyunjin?”

He breathed out a hopeless laugh and walked around the counter and towards you. As you looked up at his face you could see the same purple tears, sparkling as they ran down his cheeks.

“Everything.”

It was then that you embraced him. His head had fallen to your shoulder and he wept, repeating a string of apologies to you.

Sorry for leaving you.

Sorry for deceiving you.

Sorry for never telling you how he truly felt.

Sorry.

You shushed him gently and rubbed his back reassuringly. That was enough. His apology was enough for you and you didn’t need to hear anymore. 

Neither of you knew how long you stood there crying, basking in the embrace and comfort of each other, but as the sobs died down and your arms grew weaker, your hearts only grew fuller. The feelings you two had for each other were different from before. Not quite love but it could be one day. And today was a step towards repairing those past emotions.

You pulled away and held Hyunjins shoulders at arms length as you studied his face. His eyes were swollen and pink, his lips quivered, daring to let out another sob. You could only imagine how you looked.

“I’m glad you came back,” your voice hoarse from crying. 

“I’m glad to see you again.”

After looking into his eyes a few moments more, you turned towards the papers on the counter. 

“I guess we should commemorate this moment with some purple solari gems, no?”

Hyunjin could only let out a hearty laugh, picking up a pen to help with the papers.

Despite the drama happening just a moment ago, having Hyunjin back at the store felt normal. Everything felt just the same and thankfully, it could only go up from here.

[cheri-cheri]

[L&N] Jesse’s Main Storyline - Reunion

🍒 Warning: Contains detailed spoilers from Chapter 8 of the main storyline of Light and Night 🍒

Previous section: here

He’s Jesse? But the youth who was with me that day-

Staring blankly at the clean and clear face, my heart thumps heavily. That’s right. Those eyes are stubborn and bright.

Jesse: There’s something unique about MC’s designs. She likes drawing four-sided stars. You could compare it with her earlier drafts. It’d be clear at a glance who copied whom.

But this is a little secret between me and my grandmother. No one else would-

I’m in a daze. I’m basically a dummy.

One other person knows about it. Someone who was almost forgotten with time.

I stare at him in disbelief, and have the illusion that this is a game of hide-and-seek which has been going on for seven years.

This instance is akin to a movie scene. The years accelerate in reverse, each frame filled with memories engraved on my heart.

-

Him at 13 years old: What kind of adults do you think we’d become next time? I really want to travel to the future and have a look.

-

Him at 11 years old: Since you gave me Chinese tuition, I’ll reluctantly go to the same junior high school as you and teach you math.

-

Him at 8 years old: Next time, I’m going to be an outstanding person. Outstanding people will have lots of money, and I can afford to buy everything you want to eat!

-

MC at 7 years old: Hey, why are you squatting on the floor with mud on your face?

Him at 5 years old: [crying] T-they threw mud at me. They said I’m a fatty, and that fatties are most useless...

MC at 7 years old: Don’t be afraid! I’ll wipe it off for you. Next time, just follow me. I’ll protect you! Don’t cry. Real men don’t cry.

Him at 5 years old: Sob sob sob... okay...

MC at 7 years old: What’s your name?

Him at 5 years old: My name is Xia Ming Xing. Xia for 夏天 (“xiao tian” - summer), Ming for 一鸣惊人 (“yi ming jing ren” - amazing the world), and Xing for 星星 (“xing xing” - star)-

MC at 7 years old: What a difficult name. Can I just call you Xing Xing?

Him at 5 years old: That sounds like the relative of monkeys.

[Note] In Chinese, 猩猩 (“xing xing”) is “gorilla”

MC at 7 years old: How about Ming Ming?

Him at 5 years old: The uncle next door is called Ming Ming.

MC at 7 years old: Hm, I’ll call you “Dumpling” then. You look like a dumpling.

Him at 5 years old: Sure, dumplings are so delicious.

MC at 7 years old: Let’s make a pinky promise to always be friends.

-

Time moves in reverse, and once again returns to the present. I feel as though a gust of wind that was stalled in the past is now coursing between us, blowing away the many years apart.

MC: Dump-

I smile, unable to help myself as I call his name. The moment I say one syllable, he clasps a hand over my mouth.

The composed youth from earlier is now flushed, giving me a pitiful look.

At this moment, Wu You’s face is ghastly pale.

MC: I’m uninterested and have no time to play such games with you. This is a competition, and it has its rules. I can afford to lose and can afford to win. I accept a just contest, but I reject dishonest tricks. There are many more designers, including your sister, who are striving to make even better products. That’s the meaning of designing. I’ve already explained what I had to. I trust that everyone can make their own judgements.

Grabbing Dumpling’s hand, I turn around to leave. Now, there’s something even more important waiting for me.

Feeling the warmth in his palm, the youth’s expression turns from astounded to beaming with happiness.

Jesse: Let’s go.

Pulling him to a place where we won’t be disturbed, I suddenly feel a little speechless.

What should I say? Exchange conventional greetings? Would that be too formal?

But we haven’t seen each other in so many years. It might be awkward to talk about other things.

He seems to realise this as well. He looks at me, dumbfounded and at a loss for what to do.

MC: Erm, Xia Ming Xing, it’s been a long time.

Jesse is taken aback for a moment. Then, he bursts out laughing.

Jesse: Who are you? Why are you calling me by my full name? Give that fierce girl back to me!

He reaches out to pinch my cheeks, his appearance as playful as back then.

MC: Stinky Dumpling. You’re the one who’s fierce. I haven’t asked why-

Before I can finish speaking, I’m pulled into a hug. It’s cosy and tastes of sunlight. The second half of my question melts into his arms.

Jesse: Did you know that it’s been a very, very long time since I heard the name “Dumpling”...

He tightens his grip, burying his head in the crook of my neck.

MC: Dumpling...

Jesse: Mm.

MC: Dumpling Dumpling Dumpling!

Jesse: I’m here.

Jesse: Did she bully you earlier? It’s my fault for arriving too late. She made things difficult for you for such a long time.

His voice brings with it a nasally tone. It’s gentle, like a cup of hot milk gradually flowing into my heart.

MC: Why are you only asking me about that?

Jesse: What else should I ask about? What’s more important than you getting bullied?

MC: I’m fine, thank you.

Unexpectedly, he’s given a fright and blinks incessantly.

Jesse: MC, have you gone silly? You actually thanked me?

MC: ?

Jesse: Aren’t you going to throw me a left hook, then ask where the hell I’ve been these years-

I place my hands on my hips, pretending to be angry.

MC: Why would I ask where the hell you’ve been? Didn’t we know each other just two days ago?

Jesse: What do you mean “two days ago”?! We’ve known each other for 15 years and 9 months!

MC: But why do I recall how a certain person refused to talk to me unless he wore a strawberry headgear?

Jesse: I... I was afraid you’d ignore me once you recognised me. I wanted to meet you again in a more formal setting.

MC: In that case, why did you rush into the room furiously?

Jesse: They were bullying you right under my nose. How could I hold myself back! 

Jesse: Don’t be angry, okay?

He shifts closer to me. No matter where my eyes look, he meets them immediately. 

Faced with such a pair of pure eyes, my temper dissipates. It’s as though everything in the past has been written off in them.

MC: Shouldn’t you give me an apology before I forgive you?

Jesse: Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry-

He continues on and on, as though he'd continue saying this till the sky turns dark if I don’t get him to stop.

MC: That’s enough, I forgive you.

And with that, a bear hug lunges at me.

I’ve genuinely forgotten if his hugs were this warm during childhood.

Now, these pair of arms are filled with a comforting ease.

There are so many things I want to ask him. I want to ask if he’s been living well, and why he didn't give me a single call.

More than that, I want to ask why he left without saying goodbye.

But when I open my mouth, I swallow the words back down.

He mentioned that he couldn’t see me due to certain reasons. In that case, I’ll ask next time. Anyway, we’ve already reunited, and there’s still a very long time ahead.

MC: All right all right, you can let go now.

Jesse: Hang on. We haven’t seen each other for 7 years. Shouldn’t we make up for what was lost? One hug per year will do. That means seven, each lasting 5 seconds. In total, 35 seconds!

He actually calculated it seriously.

??: Cough.

I hear a cough from behind me, and feel Xia Ming Xing’s body stiffen. He lets go of me reluctantly.

MC: Jiang Lai?

Jiang Lai looks at me awkwardly, then drags Gao Cheng from his hiding place behind her back.

Gao Cheng: We didn’t want to disturb you two.

Jiang Lai: We just wanted to tell you that the producer decided to use your designs.

MC: Really? That’s great!

Jiang Lai’s a tsundere so MC has to take the initiative to ask the three of them to form a team

Jiang Lai and Gao Cheng leave

Jesse: They’ve already left, so why are you still looking? The person you should be looking at is here.

Jesse: Can I send you home? Just like in junior high. 

MC: I was clearly the one who brought you home, okay? I sent you safely into your mom’s hands. Little Brat.

Out of habit, I reach out to tousle his hair, but realise I can only reach it by standing on tiptoes since he has grown much taller.

Jesse: Don’t call me Little Brat!

MC: Well, I’m two years older than you.

Jesse: But I’m already taller than you!

The youth lowers his eyes to look at me, his smile dazzling.

Jesse: Let’s go home~

-

MC: Let me test you. Which bus did we use to take? I moved houses due to work, but I still take the same bus.

Jesse: 102.

MC: How are you still able to remember?

Jesse: Of course I remember everything. I remember things related to you even better than yourself. The bus is here, the bus is here!

He places a hand on my back and we hurry onto the bus.

Although it’s a weekend, the bus is filled with students in uniform. We have no choice but to grip the handles while standing.

Jesse: Do you think they’re attending make-up classes? Isn’t today a Sunday?

MC: Many students have classes over the weekends these days. It’s unlike our time, where we had two days to rest.

Jesse: Wow, that’s great. Sigh. If only we were born a few years later.

MC: Let me off! Why didn’t I know that you were so enthusiastic about learning in the past?

Jesse: I’m enthusiastic about learning now. Is that wrong?

Jesse: Hey, look at that pair-

He points to the last row of the bus. A boy and girl are sitting next to each other, one earpiece in each ear. They aren’t interacting at all, and are staring out of the windows.

The boy would occasionally turn his head and glance at the girl, but will avert his gaze before the girl realises.

Jesse: Don’t they resemble us from back then?

MC: In what way? We were so boisterous.

Jesse: Correction. You hit me one-sidedly.

I shoot him a glare.

Jesse: But they’re still far from us. He wasn’t as handsome as I was back then.

MC: ...

Jesse: Look at them. One hand holding their school bag, the other placed on the seat. At a glance, it’s clear that they want to hold hands but don’t dare to.

MC: They look like junior high students. Where’s your mind wandering off to?

Jesse: These eyes of mine have seen through too many things. Sigh, what dummies! Just shift over slowly and grab it.

MC: You sound as if you’d actually do it.

Jesse: Of course I would. It’s just that I didn’t dare. Otherwise, I’d have-

MC: You’d have what?

He glances at me, then shakes his head, lips tightly sealed.

MC: Boasting again.

The bus suddenly jolts. The boy’s phone tumbles onto the ground, rolling in front of us. Xia Ming Xing picks it up and returns it to them.

Glancing at the tune that’s currently being played, I realise that it’s the male singer I liked most back then.

MC: How nostalgic. I was the same back then, only daring to listen to music on the MP3 after school.

Jesse: I was different. I listened to it in broad daylight in the classroom.

MC: Which is why The Exterminator confiscated it five times.

Jesse: But afterwards, I exchanged it with five exam scripts with full marks.

MC: Show off. Back then, I thought about how the days passed by so slowly. I wondered when I could grow up, because I’d finally be able to do the things I wanted to. I didn’t expect for time to speed by. After becoming an adult, each day passes by so quickly, and I don’t even have time to listen to music. In the blink of an eye, the people around me changed.

Jesse: But some things didn’t change, did they? We became the type of adults we are based on what remained.

MC: What remained for you then?

He no longer speaks, looking at me quietly with a silly smile.

MC: I realised that the frequency of your silly smiles are a little high.

Jesse: I’m looking at what remained for me. If we had gone to the same senior high school, what kind of people would we have become?

MC: You probably wouldn’t have gotten slimmer. After all, you came over to my house every day to freeload on meals.

Jesse: Do you think I can’t tell that you’re being sarcastic?

MC: Hahahaha-

How would we have turned out? I have no idea either.

When I travelled across the ocean after my grandmother’s death in my sophomore year, we would have parted anyway.

MC: Fortunately, we’ve met again now.

An earbud is suddenly stuffed into my ear. An acoustic guitar prelude instantly pulls me back to those youthful years.

I originally thought that I had forgotten the lyrics since a long time ago. But I can still hum “small yellow flower” and “playing on a swing”.

It turns out that the things we thought were forgotten are engraved in our minds, waiting to be awakened.

MC: There’s a similar MP3 in my house, but it’s broken and I need to get it fixed by a servicing shop. Oh yes, why are you listening to this song? Weren’t you distasteful of it in the past?

Jesse: It isn’t bad after listening to it again and again, although it’s still a little lacking as compared to me. In the past, you used to say that I was the God of Singing in your eyes.

MC: Hahahahaha, fine fine, God of Singing. I didn’t expect you to really enter this industry and become a musical actor. It’s miraculous.

Jesse: Miraculous?

MC: When we were younger, there was an essay where we had to write about what we wanted to be when we grew up. You wrote about being a singer who sang for the entire world. Afterwards, your mom saw it and forced you to erase it all off, changing it to a scientist.

Hearing me talk about his embarrassing past, he scratches the back of his head abashedly.

MC: Being able to make your dream come true, especially if it’s a dream which isn’t understood or affirmed, is truly incredible.

Jesse: That’s because I have a secret strength supporting me.

Hearing the music, I suddenly think of the outfit I had designed for him. Perhaps I could add a few more elements related to youth.

Taking out my notebook from my bag quickly, my head suddenly feels dizzy, and my nose bumps against his shoulder.

MC: That hurts!

Jesse: [sighs] ...

He turns his body in resignation, bending his back.

Jesse: Draw while leaning on my back, Miss.

MC: Mm!

-

The sky gets dark very early in autumn. The evening breeze raises a hue from afar, and leaves rustle from the trees.

The hubbub of voices on the bus and affectionate teasing seem to have been dispersed by the breeze, leaving without a trace. What’s left are the both of us walking home in silence from the bus-stop.

Moonlight leaks from the trees along the roadside, outlining the side of Xia Ming Xing’s face. It’s no longer roundish, and has become a little foreign.

MC: Dumpling, why did you suddenly move away back then?

I have no idea why I suddenly asked this. There was simply a strange feeling that he’d disappear again if I didn’t ask about it.

A twinge of guilt flashes past Xia Ming Xing’s face.

Jesse: Do you still remember the call I gave you on the day I left?

MC: Call? What call?

Jesse: You don’t remember? You picked it up, but hung up after I said a few words.

MC: ...when did I hang up?

Why do I have no impression of this at all?!

MC: What’s going on?

Jesse: Back then, my family was moving. I managed to fight for one week with my parents, wanting to stay behind to finish the competition with you. I didn’t have the guts to tell you because I was afraid you’d be upset if you knew. Afterwards, I summoned my courage and gave you a call. But you weren’t willing to listen to me.

MC: That never happened. Why didn’t I know about this at all...

Jesse: So you never hung up?

He grabs my shoulders, his fingers cold as ice. I can almost feel his body trembling.

Jesse: It wasn’t that you didn’t want to hear from me?!

He asks once more, his tone seeking confirmation.

For a period of time after he left, I refused to hear the name which was equivalent to “betrayal” in my heart. But no one knew that I was secretly looking forward to him returning one day.

At the very least, it could prove that I wasn’t the party who was abandoned.

But why was this the answer? A mistake? A perhaps irretrievable mistake from such a long time in the past?

With this thought, my chest feels suffocated.

MC: So that’s why you didn’t look for me in all these years?

The youth remains silent, orange strands of hair blowing up with the wind.

Jesse: I had my reasons for not contacting you. It had nothing to do with the call. I... just wasn't brave enough.

I suddenly have no idea how to respond to his calm gaze, and I also understand that neither of us were at fault for the parting back then.

MC: Xia Ming Xing.

Jesse: Hm?

MC: Were you the one who put the MP3 into the tin?

Jesse: Mm.

MC: So you put the card in there too.

Jesse: Mm. But I didn’t participate in the competition with you, and couldn’t stay by your side. I don’t seem to have kept any promises.

I shake my head forcefully, eyes already damp.

Jesse: But now, I won’t shirk from it. As long as it’s something I promise you, I’ll definitely do it.

He takes a step towards me. The years have caused the once delicate youth to change entirely, turning into the man in front of me, whose eyes are especially resolute. With such a gaze, I’ll always choose to believe him, no matter what.

After sending me home, he stands in the corridor as he watches me enter, just like in the past.

Five minutes later, a rustling sound comes at the window.

Jesse: MC, open the window!

Opening the window in confusion, the image before me almost causes tears to leave my eyes.

Pink confetti flutters and blooms in the city sky, dancing gently in the clear summer night, akin to that snow which had yet to appear many years ago.

Amidst the pink coloured snow, the youth reveals a bright and hearty smile as he waves at me.

Jesse: You asked if I regretted it. The answer is - I regret it. I regret it very much, and at every single moment. Summer is already over, but why do I feel as though this summer has just begun? 

Jesse: Next week, come and watch my performance. This time, it’d be my turn to wait for you.

MC: Mm, I’ll definitely be there!

-

Only after the snowflakes finish their descent does Xia Ming Xing reluctantly walk home. If he was slightly braver and slightly stronger back then, would the ending to their story be different?

He doesn’t know. It seems that particular rainy day is still before his eyes. It’s late at night, and a figure flashes past at the end of the dim alley.

Jesse: Who’s there!

The surroundings are completely silent. Xia Ming Xing turns his head and looks at the girl’s illuminated window, then quickly chases after that figure.

A crow flaps its wings and flies past at a low altitude. The moss-covered corner is encased by deathly pale moonlight. Xia Ming Xing stops in his footsteps, black blood soaking his shoes.

However, he doesn’t pay any mind to it. His gaze is locked tightly on that figure whose knees are on the ground, bowing devoutly towards the moon.

Jesse: Who are you?

That person turns around slowly. It’s a girl around ten years of age, and she’s small and petite.

Black hair covers her cheeks. She lifts the white candle in her hand, stuffing it into her mouth and chewing on it. The two golden bracelets on her wrist jingle.

Jesse: Her soul has been taken-

The moonlight grows increasingly bright. An indiscernible black spot suddenly appears on the girl’s chest, and the stench of something burning begins to fill the air.

Seeing that the girl is about to bite the tip of her tongue off, a rope flies from his hand, binding and tying the girl up.

The white candle falls to the ground. Xia Ming Xing lifts up two fingers, twisting a charm towards the girl. With a tearing sound, the charm turns into ashes in the air.

-

Three days later, it’s the day of the final competition of “Upper Hand”

MC is caught in a traffic jam along the way and decides to alight from the taxi halfway through

Sadly, she arrives just as the curtain falls

I hesitate, not knowing if I should approach him.

However, Xiao Ming Xing is already walking towards me. He has changed out of his performance outfit, and is wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans, looking clean and fresh.

Jesse: How was it? I didn’t embarrass you, did I?

I don’t really have the guts to look at him.

MC: I’ll tell you something, but don’t get mad.

Jesse: Every time you said that in the past, nothing good happened.

MC: Really?

Jesse: The first time you said it, you broke my game console.

MC: ...

Jesse: The second time you said it, you cooked me expired cup noodles for supper.

MC: ...

Jesse: The third time-

MC: Enough!

Why do I have such a black record!

Jesse: Go on, I’ve mentally prepared myself.

MC: Actually, I only heard the last five seconds of that song.

Jesse: ...

I can clearly sense that he’s akin to a deflated balloon. His eyebrows, which were arched earlier, droop downwards.

MC: Sorry. I’ll treat you to orange soda and vanilla ice-cream until you’re stuffed, okay!

I lift my hand up, gesturing a vow. Pulling a long face earlier, Xia Ming Xing suddenly bursts into laughter.

Jesse: MC, why can’t I get angry with you?

MC: You’ve forgiven me?

Jesse: I didn’t say that.

MC: But you just said that you can’t get angry with me.

Jesse: If you want me to forgive you, sing a song with me!

MC: ...what?

Before I can react, he grabs my hand and rushes towards the stage.

The youth has a smile which says that he has gotten his way. It’s as if this moment is something he’s been plotting for a very long time.

The moment we step onto the stage, a familiar melody sounds. In an instant, I feel as though I’ve travelled to a lifetime ago.

Jesse: Still remember this song? We named it together - “Portrait of Youth”.

How could I not remember? This was the song we wrote together for the competition back then.

It’s the song that we wanted to clinch the championship with.

It was a song we didn’t get to sing in the end.

In an empty basement, we’d hold our cola cans like microphones, practising till late at night.

We had immaturely mimicked the lyrics we didn’t understand at that age. But many years later, I realise that each line has turned into our story.

It’s as though something in the depths of my body is being awakened. It’s the fervour and anticipation that a youth has for the future, throbbing and pure.

My eyes can’t help but feel warm, and I find myself singing along with him involuntarily. 

-

Portrait of Youth (audio here)

That vanilla ice-cream

Melted in our rainy season

That old piano

“Ding dong ding dong” - is the tapping of the hour hand

Back then, I always loved to tease you

But didn’t allow anyone else to make you cry

You always said that I was a koi

But I was always asking you for tuition before exams

Dragonflies fly past our heads

Our inseparable shadows when we were young walk slowly in our memories

On the bicycle, I’m the only one with sweat like rain

I’m the only one left on the bicycle dripping with sweat

You were long gone from behind me

If the storm didn't block our vision that day

If I knew how to say goodbye that day

The flower petals in the diary

The unwashed roll of film from the camera

They wouldn’t be lonely longings

If the string of the kite didn’t break that day

If I could have been slightly braver that day

The empty pages in the diary

Wouldn’t have been filled with moss

The seven years in which we wandered off can’t be lost.

-

The lights gather in his eyes, and I'm reflected in them. It has been the case since many years ago.

All the stories seem to have ended with summer, but they begin with summer as well.

Fortunately, summer will always arrive. This unfinished story shall begin on this summer day.

[tuyetanliu]

i have many flaws but what no one can say about me is that i’m a bad gift-giver. i remain undefeatable even if i’m busy, my wallet is sobbing in a corner, and i’m nearly in tears myself everyday.

my favourite gifts this year:

a friend reacquainted himself with his fountain pen/ink collection so i hunted for this gorgeous, singular handmade pen made of bog oak with gold-plated accents. i had it engraved with his name and his favourite quote from sun yat-sen. i also custom-ordered/designed inks in his signature color (an olive-sage green, one with gold shimmer and one without).

my sister’s room decor package of a gold vintage mirror that i restored for her along with a few framed posters, dried flower in resin jewelry dishes, and a classical chinese painting (from me).

letter-writing sets (fancy, matching japanese sets) with a custom wax seal, wax, and several hand-dried flowers for a friend getting back into their hobbies now that they’ve graduated.

a whole skincare and haircare set for a friend who wants to live her That Girl life. i had to do a lot of sleuthing for this one since i had to go through her entire product history and stalk her instagram.

a friend collects restored books and vintage-esque journals so i hunted for six really old books from around the city and restored them myself (two were from the early 1900s and near damn impossible to rebind/restore). i had a friend visiting from europe pick up journals and book plates i custom ordered from a business in budapest, hungary.

then, the people i like to buy gifts for the most, my parents!! i got them each laptops (i got them on black friday i’m not insane), matching pjs, art supplies (for dad), sewing supplies (for mom), fabric, a new giant pot, studded winter tires, and matching phone cases (for the entire family).