#so i had to schedule a follow up and promise to drink lots of water

[truecorvid]

doctors love to run tests and experimence on me

[moonsgemini]

cherry wine - firefighter!rafe pt. 2

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summary: Rafe’s job gets in the way of your first date, but you’re not mad about it.

warnings: teacher!reader x firefighter!rafe, fluff, mutual pining, flirting, sexy rafe, SMUT, fingering, fem rec oral, fem!reader, inaccurate descriptions of firefighter duties, alcohol, cursing

an: I have no idea how a fire fighters schedule works so I made it up bc it’s fiction. oh & do we like the long fics?? oh & it’s my birthday yay to 24

part one

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The night at the bar Rafe made sure you were sober to drive. He had you drink lots of water and even ordered you a plate of fries. His mind wandering off when you would lick the salt off your fingers. He was gone for you from the start and he didn’t mind one bit.

After walking you to your car he asked for your number and promised to see you the next day. Leaving you with a kiss on the cheek and permanent butterflies. The whole drive home you belted out the lyrics to your favorite pop music, feeling like a high school girl with a crush.

Rafe drove him in silence with a grin on his face. When he got home and texted you that he had a great time and couldn’t wait to see you again that grin never vanished. It only widened when you replied reciprocating the same feelings.

The next day came and a couple hours before picking you up Rafe got called into the station. Instead of texting he called you wanting to make sure you knew he wasn’t flaking. You believed him of course. Yet you couldn’t help the natural feeling of disappointment that flowed through your bones.

That feeling was soothed when he texted you late that night that he had finally gotten back to the station. Along with that he sent a picture of the station dog Max on his lap. You couldn’t help the way your mouth watered at the sight of his veiny big hand that was resting in the golden retrievers fur. In return you sent back a picture of your steaming mug of tea and a horror movie playing on the tv in the back.

It sparked a conversation about movies which led to you and Rafe talking non stop the following week. Besides the times you were teaching and he was out training or helping people.

Rafe promised you a proper date that upcoming Friday. Making sure to let you know that he would do anything to make it work out this time. You reassured him it was okay if something came up again. That made his heart burst, it wasn’t often that someone was willing to work with his hectic schedule.

-

The outfit you had planned for the previous weekend still sat on your vanity chair waiting to be worn. And hopefully waiting to be taken off. You had finished your hair and makeup all done to perfection. As it neared closer to the time he was picking you up your anxiety spiked. He hadn’t called to reschedule so it was really happening.

Rafe had gotten worked up all week with the pictures you’d occasionally send of what you were doing. The one that really got him was when you had gotten out of the shower and sent him a picture of you in a fuzzy robe with wet hair and your skin glistening. Most likely due to a skincare routine you had mentioned to him.

Rafe thought you looked like a goddess, he wished he could have gotten down on his knees and untied that robe with his teeth before worshiping you. His kind had been in the gutter all week.

He was making sure this date was going to go perfect. He bought a bouquet of flowers from a street vendor and worn his best date outfit. As he rang the doorbell to your small cottage he started to get a bit nervous. He hadn’t put this much effort into a date since high school. Even then how much effort could a teenage boy put in. He didn’t actually remember the last time he went on a date.

Rafe’s runaway thoughts were interrupted as you opened the door. Standing in front of him in a short black skirt and black top. A jacket hanging over your arm and your glossy lips turning up into a smile. The boots you were accentuated your legs making them look even longer. Rafe wanted to lick every inch of you. Especially after the smell of your perfume hit him, he wanted to kiss your neck.

“Hi,” You said with a teasing tone.

He didn’t realize he hadn’t said anything, “You look beautiful.” He made it a point to look her up and down.

She laughed as heat creeped up her neck, “Thank you Rafe.”

He loved how you said his name, “These are for you.” He handed you the flowers.

“Come in while I put them in water,” You nodded towards the inside of the house, “They’re beautiful Rafe. You really do know how to treat me good.”

He closed the door behind him as you began filling a vase with water, “Oh this is nothing.”

“If there’s more than this I might start to like you a little too much,” You joked hoping the weight of those words don’t send him running. You didn’t mean to say something so forward so soon. Literally on the first date, but you decided to stick by your words. You didn’t want to hide that you liked him.

“Perfect, because I already like you a little too much.”

You froze with the kitchen towel in your hands as you dries them. As you looked at him his smile was sincere, no hint of teasing or lying. You finished drying your hands as you laughed softly. The crush you had on Rafe was growing by the minute.

“Ready?” You asked.

He nodded opening the front door for you. He even opened the passenger door of his truck for you. Of course you knew these were bare minimum things but you couldn’t help how giddy it made you feel. Especially when it was him doing it for you.

-

Everything couldn’t have been going more perfect. Rafe was almost grateful he had to postpone the date because in the week the two of you talked he learned a lot. With the knowledge of you he had he planned the perfect date.

He took you to a record shop that you hadn’t been to before. You had told him about your extensive collection you had started building in high school. He even remembered a few of the bands you liked when he came across them. Of course he insisted on buying you a couple which you repeatedly told him not to. Obviously he didn’t listen and bought you them.

Next door was the Italian restaurant Rafe had been raving about all week. Promising you it’d be the best pasta of your life.

But as you looked over the menu, a ghost of a grin hasn’t left your mouth all evening, his phone started ringing. Rafe took his phone out of his pocket beginning to apologize for not silencing it. He was going to ignore the call but the name across the screen had his brows furrowing in worry.

“Everything okay?”

He looked up briefly, “Uh yeah it’s my captain. I’m so sorry I need to answer this.” You nodded understanding as he gave you a regretful smile as he slid out the booth to take the call. You continued to look over the cocktail menu.

Rafe sighed as he sat down across from you again, “Everything okay?” You asked

He shook his head, “I hate to do this but I got called in. I wasn’t supposed to work today but there’s a hug pile up downtown where there’s a big concert and they need all the help they can get.”

You tried not to show the disappointment you felt because it was his job after all. Rafe could still see how your eyes lost a bit of their shine and your smile wasn’t as bright anymore. He really hated this. In his career so far he had never been called in so much. But now when he meets the hottest woman he’s ever seen work is taking over his life. He was not about to have you slip through his fingers.

“Oh yeah I understand. You can just drop m-“ You began saying before he interrupted.

“Come with me.”

“Huh?”

He shook his head with a laugh, “Not to the wreck to the station. Wait for me there.”

He didn’t even wait for you to reply because for one he needed to leave now or Captain Matthews would chew his head off. And two if you decided you didn’t want to and wanted nothing to do with him anymore he’s take you home, but the sound of your laugh as he pulled you through the restaurant was enough of an answer. Your hands stayed locked together until you got back into his truck.

The station wasn’t too far from where you already were so the drive was short. Rafe rushed out to open your door and grab your hand once again. As you trailed behind him you saw a few of the guys from career day and some new faces as they all stood by an engine in the garage. A couple were checking equipment and a few others were already getting on the truck.

“Sorry to interrupt your date but we need your help here Cameron,” An older guy said as the two of you approached. You assumed this was his captain.

You smiled, “Duty calls right?”

He laughed, “It sure does.”

“I’ll be right out,” Rafe said leading you into the station. He walked you into a room that was like a big living room with couches and a tv. Max was laying on the couch and when he saw Rafe he immediately got up and walked over to the pair.

“This is Max. Say hi Maxie bug,” He pet the dogs head who then sniffed your leg. You bent down petting his fluffy head.

“Hi Maxie.”

“Make yourself at home and feel free to anything in the kitchen. I’ll be back hopefully in a couple hours. If you get bored and uber home I won’t be offended I promise,” Rafe said placing a hand on your shoulder.

You nodded, “Got it. Be safe and good luck.”

He leaned in with a grin and kissed your cheek gingerly. Even that small touch had your head spinning. You and Max watched as he jogged back outside and only a couple minutes later you heard the truck leave.

-

It had been almost two hours now and Rafe was still out. You had watched a fe episodes of your favorite sitcom and played with Max a bit. You even explored the station finding the kitchen and a few of the rooms used for sleeping where you stole a blanket from to lay over yourself on the couch. The only issue you were having was that you were starving.

Since you two had to leave dinner you hadn’t eaten since lunch and that meesley turkey sandwich was not cutting it.

That’s when you wandered into the kitchen and that habit of wanting to take care of people kicked in. You looked through to see what the guys had almost expecting to find the bare minimum. You were so wrong. The fridge and pantry were filled with groceries. You thought these guys must really eat a lot.

You started brain storming and decided on making lasagna and garlic bread. You figured they’d all be hungry when they got back and you were also starving. As the garlic bread finished in the oven and the lasagna cooled down you heard the rumbling of the fire truck. Perfect timing. You hoped you didn’t overstep but he did say make yourself at home. You even baked some chocolate chip cookie dough they had in the fridge. Even also tossing a salad to have on the side.

As Rafe opened the door that led to the station the smell of garlic bread and fresh baked cookies hit him. He thought he must be hallucinating until he walked into the kitchen and saw you getting plates out from the cupboard. A few of the guys walked in behind Rafe.

“Hey we’re back,” Rafe said stepping towards you, “Did you make dinner?”

You nodded a bit of embarrassment creeping up your spine, “Yeah hope you guys don’t mind. I was hungry and I figured you were too so I made food for you all.”

Josh stepped forward looking at the pan of lasagna, “Rafe keep her please, this looks amazing.”

“Seriously thank you this looks so good,” Captiain Matthews said as he stepped in.

“No problem please help yourselves,” You motioned towards the counter of food.

Rafe couldn’t look away from you. The way you stood so comfortably in the station kitchen talking to his coworkers. He walked closer towards you as the guys served themselves.

“You are just too sweet huh?” He teased.

“Well we missed our italian dinner so I made it myself,” You shrugged with a grin.

“That just means next time I’m cooking for you,” He said. The thought of there being a next time brough butterflies to your stomach.

“I’ll hold you to it,” You nodded.

Rafe grabbed a plate and began to serve you food. Handing over the plate before serving himself. All the guys thanked you as Rafe led you to the living room area. He also grabbed a bottle from one of the tall cabinets along with two glasses.

“Now I know this isn’t what I promised you but next time will be better,” He promised as he opened the bottle of wine.

“There’s no complaints from me about this date,” You shrugged, “Since when are you allowed to have alcohol in here?”

He smirked, “Well miss I’m technically off the clock again and this is from the christmas party we had a few months ago. Cherry wine?”

Your eyes lit up, “It’s like you know me already, I love cherry wine.”

-

After your stomachs were full of good food and a bit of wine that made your head feel a bit floaty you both settled on the couch. This was the best date you’d ever been on. Rafe was sweet and flirty never hiding his desire for you. Not even in a sexual way but in a way where he constantly asked questions about everything wanting to know more about you. He talked about his life as well which only made you like him more. Hearing about his troubled privileged childhood that led him to where he is now. It was admirable to hear him talk about it with no shame since it made him who he is.

As it got later Rafe drove you home. You were disappointed the night was ending but it was nearing one in the morning and you still had lesson plans to create.

He walked you up to your door with an arm wrapped around your shoulders.

“I had a really great time with you tonight. I’m sorry again for the interruption.”

You shook your head, “Don’t worry about it Rafe. I still had a great time.”

“The guys are going to want you around all the time now,” He laughed.

“Oops,” You shrugged with a smirk.

He stepped closer, “Be careful now I might get jealous.”

“Maybe I’ll keep going then,” You tucked a piece of hair behind your ear, “I know it’s late but uh do you want to come in?”

Rafe didn’t hesitate, “Yeah sure.”

You unlocked your door leading him in, “I can make you a cup of tea if you’d like or something else.” You asked as you set your things down on the entryway table.

“hmmm something else?” He asks as he steps closer to you.

You look through your cupboards, “I have tea, coffee, some random-“ your words caught in your throat as you turned around to look at him only to find Rafe behind you.

“That all sounds good but I think I want something sweet,” He said as he inched closer. Your hands rested behind you against the counter. Eyes wide with anticipation and curiosity as to what his next move would be.

“Like sweat tea?” You asked knowing exactly what he means but not wanting to jump to conclusions.

His smirk turned into a lopsided grin. He rubbed his hand over his mustache and shook his head stepping closer, “No that cherry wine was pretty sweet right?”

You nodded in agreement not taking your eyes off him.

“I think I want a bit more of that,” He was now practically caging you in against the counter. You felt like you were suffocating in him in the best way possible.

“Oh I don-“ He interrupted you by leaning forward and brushing his nose against yours. It shut you up immediately and then he broke the rest of the distance and pressed his lips to yours. You reciprocated moved your hands from the counter to pull at the blonde hair at the back of his head. His hands went to your hips pulling you closer to him then sliding up to your waist.

His thumbs going under your shirt the skin on skin contact made you shiver in the best way. Your mouths moved in sync as the kiss deepened.

Rafe could taste the sweetness but he wasn’t sure if it was the cherry wine or just you. He knew he was addicted to you now. He loved the way your hands felt in his hair and on his biceps and shoulders. He slotted his leg in between yours making you feel even closer to him. The small noises you were making made him sigh into the kiss.

He pulled away before kissing you a few more times and murmuring, “So sweet.”

You whined and tugged at his shirt to pull him back in. He smirked and gave you what you wanted. He’d give you anything you wanted.

This time you pulled away feeling a bit bold and the feeling of his thigh pressing against the place where you needed him the most helped you say, “You wanna see my room?”

He laughed softly kissing your nose, “You inviting me to your room?”

You scoffed a laugh, “Nooo I’m asking if you want to see my room. There’s a difference.”

“I’d love to see your room.” He said with a smirk.

You rolled your eyes playfully and shoved him. Grabbing his hand and leading him down the hallway to your room. You turned on the lamp on your nightstand which illuminated the room with a soft glow. Rafe had decidedly that he loved seeing you in that light. You looked like a real like angel.

“So this is it,” You said motioning to your surroundings.

He threw his head back with a hearty laugh, “Oh I really like you sweetheart. Come here,” He motioned with his fingers for you to come closer. A motion that had your mind in the gutter.

“Why do you say that?” You question as you walk forward to where he stood at the end of your bed.

“Because you’re all cute and sweet like you didn’t almost make me come just by making out.”

“Rafe!” You said with a surprised laugh.

He shrugged, “What? It’s the truth.”

You wrapped your arms around his neck still feeling bold. There was something about how unabashedly he admitted his feelings towards you that had you feeling confident. It felt good to be wanted. It felt good to be wanted by Rafe.

“You’re ridiculous,” You said as he wrapped his arms around your waist. His eyes moving down to your still swollen lips.

“Mhmm,” He hummed and nodded. He leaned in just like he did earlier in the kitchen. Kissing the air out of your lungs. His hands moved all over you gripping and holding anything he could.

His hand slipped down your back and over your butt, giving a squeeze as he past it, down to the end of your skirt, His fingers trailed up the back of your thigh and up your skirt. Hands gripping your ass under your skirt. You couldn’t help the moan that escaped your lips which allowed him more access into your mouth.

There was a small part of your brain that hadn’t quite turned off yet. Rafe’s lips began to trail down to your neck leaving open mouthed kisses that had you arching into him. The feeling of his mustache against your smooth skin had you shivering.That’s when that part of your brain decided to speak up.

“Oh Rafe,” You said breathily eyes fluttering shut, “are you sure, it’s late and don’t you have work?” Rafe groaned as he kissed the spot behind your ear. He couldn’t help but get more turned on at the sound of her caring about him, but work and sleep were far from his mind. Right now he just wanted to bury his head between your thighs and have you moaning and withering underneath him.

“Baby I could care less about that right now,” He walked you back until you were sat on the bed. The bed wasn’t very tall so when he stood in between your legs you had to look up at him. The way he towered over you had your flimsy underwear feeling soaked. You had never been so turned on by a man.

Rafe reached forward to cup your jaw. Thumb stroking your cheek gently. Now that part of your brain was completely silent. All you could think about was him.

“You’re so beautiful,” He mumbled almost to himself.

A soft smile appeared on your face and he practically groaned again. Your doe eyes looking up at him with an innocent smile had his cock hardening even more if that’s possible. He bit his lip and watched as your eyes moved to his mouth. He knew you wanted him as bad as he wanted you and that made this all the more exciting.

He slowly trailed his thumb to his mouth, pulling at her bottom lip teasingly. Almost like a habit your mouth opened slightly. He took this as a sign to gently push it into your mouth. You wrapped your lips around it sucking and licking.

“Fuck,” He muttered as he felt your warm tongue. Where had you been all his life. He was never going to let you go. He pulled it out and leaned down kissing you again.

“You’re so hot,” He mumbled as he got on his knees in front of you. He removed your boots that you were still wearing and kissed up both legs. The intimacy of it all had your chest rising rapidly. The anticipation of just how good you know this man is going to treat you was enough to make your toes curl.

“I’ve been thinking about these thighs since I first picked you up,” He said as he kissed your inner thighs. He had placed your legs over his shoulders, hands gripping the outside of them. You sighed as your body ignited in pleasure.

You let out a small yelp as he pulled your center closer to his face causing you to fall back, “And fuuuck I’ve been thinking about pushing this little skirt up all night.” He hummed in appreciation as he pushed the black material up. Your feet now resting on the end of the bed. Your barely clothed pussy on display. Leaning back on your elbows you watched with hazy eyes as Rafe admired you.

He looked up at you through hooded eyes and a smirk, “Can I please taste you?” He knew you wouldn’t say no but he wanted to be a gentleman anyways.

“Please,” You whispered slightly bucking your hips up.

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to your lace covered clit. The black lacy panties you had on barely doing anything to cover your slick cunt. He took a mental picture for the next time he was in the shower.

You moaned softly as he continued to kiss over panties, eventually pulling them to the side. He murmured curse words as he lifted his thumb to run through your folds. Gently slipping the tip of it inside you to gather your wetness. He trailed it up to your clot beginning to rub soft circles. The motion had your head falling back with a sigh.

Rafe turned his head and peppered kisses on your inner thigh. He pressed down a little harder as he watched you get wetter. After a few strokes he tentatively dipped his head down and licked your clit.

That was enough for him to know this is what he wanted to taste forever. He roughly pulled off the lacey matterial throwing it somewhere in the room.

He groaned as he fully dived in. Licking, sucking, and kissing just where you needed him to. He listened to your moans and soft whines to see what you liked the most. He was so painfully hard but he didn’t even care. Rafe just wanted you to come.

“Oh god Rafe,” You moaned as his tongue dipped into you. Your hands gripped his hair tugging when something felt extra good.

He moaned and the sound sent even more pleasure through you, “You taste so fucking good.”

“Rafe I’m close,” You panted, “you’re so good don’t stop please.”

He shook his head with his mouth still on you, “Never baby, you’re gonna have to pry me away from this pussy.”

The dirty words sending you even closer to the edge. You had never been talked to like this and you loved it. You liked how he ravaged you and actually paid attention to what you liked.

You felt his finger nudge your entrance before he slipped it in. Your walls tightening around his thick finger. You arched you back as he reached one hand up to press flat against your stomach to lay you down more. Then he added a second finger and you couldn’t help the cry that escaped your lips. It felt so good the way he moved them in and out. Fingers curled up hitting that spot you so desperately needed.

The lewd sounds of his fingers fucking you and his mouth on your clit filled the room. Along with your loud moans and his occasional groans. The roughness of his mustache felt so good on the sensitive bud.

“Rafey I’m-I’m gonna,”

“Mhmmm let go for me pretty girl,” He encouraged as his fingers moved faster and mouthed hungrily at your clit.

You became a shaking moaning mess as he continues his ministrations. Your orgasm taking over your body. His hand gripped your thigh roughly as he kept going until your high was over. Once your back was flar on the mattress he slowly pulled out and pressed one last kiss on your puffy clit.

He made his way up your body kissing your stomach over your shirt and then you exposed cleavage. He kissed you fully and you could feel his mustache damp with your arousal. You could also taste yourself on his tongue which had you moaning again. Rafe lifted you to be farther up the bed so he can comfortably lay on top.

“You taste so fucking good I already wanna do it again,” He said smirking as he pulled away.

You smiled in a daze, “You’re gonna be the death of me.” As you reached your hand down to the front of his pants. Your hand cupped him through the material and he groaned, eyes rolling back in pleasure.

“Fuck I really really want to do more but I actually do have work in a couple hours,” He groaned. He wishes he could just call off and spend the whole night rolling around in bed with you.

You looked at him with slight disappointment but understanding, “You sure?”

He leaned down and bit your neck playfully, “Don’t look at me like that. I’ll be easily convinced.”

You giggled, “I understand Rafe.”

“I’m seeing you again though. I never lied about that. Especially after you let me have a taste of you,” He groaned dramatically, “So fucking delicious I’m addicted.”

[nerdallwritey]

Perfect Every Time

Summary: You got up and joined him in the ankle deep water. “Do you want to try right now?” Astarion thought for a moment and clicked his tongue. “I have a better idea, actually.” He gave you a sideways look, his lips quirking up slightly.  “What?” you matched his smile. Rather than answering, Astarion reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head.  You furrowed your brow. “Looks an awful lot like you’re preparing to swim.” He started fiddling with the clasps on his pants and groaned in your direction. “Swimming is not the only thing one can do while submerged in water, dearest.” He gave you a sensual smile that sent heat to your cheeks.  OR Before your party travels into the Underdark, you and Astarion catch one last sunrise together.

Pairing: Astarion x f!reader Rating: 18+ Word count: 7.2k CW: smut, reader is new to sex, hand job, piv sex, water sex, dirty talk, mentions of Astarion's past trauma, blood drinking, extra mild angst, soft Astarion, porn with feelings, reader is an idiot (and a bard), so is Astarion (not a bard, just an idiot), Illmater's blood-stained rack Spoilers: Minor spoilers for Act 1 (in-game dialogue, plot points, etc.), as well as Astarion's plotline Also posted to: AO3 FAIR WARNING: This is PART 4 in my series, "Beauty and the Bard." Find the masterlist here.

a/n: Surprise!! I'm back with a new chapter of Beauty and the Bard! This part is shorter than the other ones (who cheered) because it morphed from a little smut scene into one that deserved its very own part. One million thanks to everyone who's read and enjoyed the series so far, it's so much fun chatting with you guys and hearing your thoughts and it truly means the world that you guys care so much about these goofs. I already have an idea for Part 5, so that will be coming soon, but I have a request to fill first! Thank you all for your patience. In the meantime, please enjoy our regularly scheduled silliness with Astarion and bard!tav :) (Thank you once again to @kermitwazowski for beta reading!) As a reminder, the last part was the Tiefling party!

Taglist: @a66-1, @khaleesiofthewolves, @khywren, @lollipopsandlandmines, @mizuki-nautilus - Let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist for this series!

Several days had passed since the hijinxs of the Tiefling party had taken place. By now, the former refugees of the Emerald Grove were well on their way to Baldur’s Gate, the looming threat of goblins and power hungry druids far from their minds, their thoughts instead replaced with hope for new beginnings in the city. 

Just like he’d promised, Halsin had returned the next day to discuss the parasites, officially joining your party of misfits on your journey towards the Shadow Cursed Lands and Moonrise Towers. His calming presence and sage advice was a welcome addition to the group, especially given that this leadership role had been thrust upon you by the others with next to no discussion. Having Halsin around finally felt like there was a responsible adult among you. Not that you all weren’t adults, but you definitely had your… quirks. Sure, Halsin turned into a bear if he let his emotions go unchecked, but Gale was a bomb. 

As for you and Astarion, not much had really changed, you were both still yourselves, but now you openly tortured your companions with more pet names and cheek kisses and obnoxiously loud banter. Lae’zel had threatened to cleave you both in half on multiple occasions, but had yet to follow through on that threat. The others would groan loudly or avert their eyes politely.

Your days with Astarion were spent fighting side-by-side and teasing one another, and your nights were spent chatting and reading together. Aside from the physical intimacy and emotional vulnerability that came with being in a new relationship, it was really as if nothing had changed. And those were small prices to pay for where you currently found yourself: wrapped together with a trancing Astarion.

Ever since the Tiefling party, Astarion would worm his way into your tent at night. Whether he asked permission, or stayed a little too late into the night reading or talking or drinking from you; you would never ask him to leave. You’d slept together every night, sometimes beside each other, and other nights wrapped in each others’ arms. You were allowing Astarion to set the pace, as you were in no rush to get anywhere in particular. You simply enjoyed his company and his magnetic presence. 

The pair of you hadn’t been too intimate since the party, barring stolen and sometimes steamy kisses. That was plenty for you, and Astarion continued checking in to see if you were okay with his touches and advances. Whenever you assured him that you were, he’d smile and return to your lips. You never asked him for more than he was willing to give, and even though you knew he wouldn’t say anything about it, you could tell he appreciated the courtesy despite the smug mask he so often wore.

Now, you found yourself stroking your hands through his hair as he tranced on your bare chest, breathing quietly; a habit he told you he’d picked up to look more alive when prowling the Gate. 

It was funny, honestly, how sweet and unassuming he looked when he wasn’t fully conscious. And yet, you knew the kind of violence and debauchery and bad jokes he enacted and adored when he was awake. A small sound escaped his lips and you paused in caressing his hair to make sure you weren’t waking him. When his breathing returned to normal, you resumed raking your fingers soothingly over his scalp. 

The hour was a little before dawn. Truthfully, you hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, knowing that today was the day your party would pack up camp and make your way into the Underdark for the foreseeable future. You’d re-emerge eventually to find the crèche Lae’zel knew to be nearby, but the Underdark was worth investigating for the sake of further answers about the tadpoles and a possible alternate route into the Shadow Cursed Lands. Plus, Shadowheart was adamant about seeing the rumored temple to Shar hidden down there.

All that to say, you and your companions wouldn’t be seeing the sun for quite a while. The thought saddened you immensely, knowing how much the man trancing on you would miss it terribly. How cruel, you thought, that your adventure was leading Astarion back into the shadows after he’d just gotten a taste of the sun for the first time in centuries. 

“Why are you awake, my darling?” came Astarion’s raspy voice from the dark. He shifted his head to look up at you, his grip around your midsection tightening a bit, his eyes heavy with grogginess.

“Couldn’t sleep,” you admitted. “You should get a little more if you can.”

Astarion chuckled. “Too busy thinking about me to sleep? I wouldn’t blame you.”

You sighed. “And if I was?”

Astarion’s face fell a little. “Why the hells would you allow yourself to lose sleep on my behalf, pet?” His voice was soft and one of his hands unwrapped itself from your body, taking your hand, and bringing it up to his mouth to kiss the back of your fingers. He cleared his throat. “I mean, obviously I can understand why,” he tried deflecting the sweetness that had seeped into his words by injecting his tone with fake bravado.

You let out an amused breath and allowed your hand in his hair to continue petting him gently. “I want to watch the sunrise with you again this morning.”

Astarion hummed. “And that kept you awake?”

“I didn’t want to oversleep.”

Now it was Astarion’s turn to let out an amused breath. “You could have asked. I would have woken you up.”

“No you wouldn’t, you keep letting me sleep in. It’s like you enjoy watching me sleep or something, you creep.” You poked his nose playfully.

“It’s just amazing how much drool someone of your stature can produce.”

You smacked the side of his head and he laughed softly. The two of you sat in comfortable silence for a little while before you decided to speak again.

“This will be the last sunrise we see for a while.”

Astarion let out a long sigh and remained silent. After a moment, he said, “I know.” 

He sounded sad. 

“It’s not forever, though,” you assured, moving your hand to stroke his cheek and regaining his attention.

He chuckled. “I know that, too.”

You yawned, a little more loudly than you meant to. “Good. I promise you’ll see the sun again.”

Astarion tsked. “Honestly, darling, did you get no sleep at all?”

“I got a little,” you lied.

He held your gaze, lifting a skeptical eyebrow. “I don’t believe you.”

“What does it matter?” you asked, caught. “I can handle a little lack of sleep.”

Astarion rolled his eyes and sat up to look at you more directly. “It matters because we need you alert. None of us knows what awaits us in the Underdark and I- we can’t have you getting hurt because you didn’t get enough rest!”

“I’ll be fine,” you assured, bending upwards to kiss the corner of his mouth. “Besides, I’ll have you to protect me when I get sloppy.”

Astarion groaned. “You shouldn’t get sloppy,” he complained. “I swear, if you somehow hold us back down there, I’ll slaughter you myself.”

“Promise?”

He groaned again. “Would you, just once, allow me to threaten you seriously?”

“No,” you patted his cheek lovingly. 

He sighed and pushed some of his mussed hair out of his face. He took your hands in his. “Just… stay vigilant, alright?”

“Can do,” you said, withholding another obvious yawn.

“I saw that.”

“Saw what?”

He shook his head at you and sat up fully, stretching his arms above his head and giving you a clear view of the scar on his back. You sat up and kissed his bare shoulder.

“I’ll be fine,” you repeated.

“Mhm.” Astarion passed you one of his shirts. “Come on, darling, let’s get a move on.” He tossed on a spare shirt and watched you as you pulled his shirt over your head. 

“There’s still a little time before sunrise,” you said.

Astarion snorted and fixed some of your hair that was sticking up from putting on his shirt. “You could stay here if you want. Drown in your own drool. Up to you.”

You huffed at him, making him laugh again.

“Only joking, my love.”

“Sure,” you said, opening the flaps of your tent and crawling out into the blue that preceded dawn.

You went to stand, but felt Astarion’s cool fingers wrap around your wrist and pull you back. He turned you slightly and caught your lips in a kiss, one that wiped away whatever fake ire you had towards him and replaced it with a dopey grin. 

“What was that for?” you asked when he pulled away.

“Delicious,” he breathed, raising a seductive eyebrow. 

You laughed and grabbed his hand. “Come on.”

You’d only been able to catch two more sunrises with Astarion following the one you watched the morning after you’d slept together for the first time. You’d woken up once on your own after Astarion gently shifted himself away from you, and another time when he woke you up purposely, not wanting to be alone with his thoughts. You’d whine and moan whenever he let you sleep in, despite the fact that it was probably for the best to keep you in tip top shape for fighting and recharging your magic. He’d always find his way back to you, and you knew he needed his own space sometimes, but you still loved to watch him bask in the golden light of the morning and you couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed whenever you felt his gentle hand on your back before opening your eyes and seeing that the sun was already up.

Astarion led you through the forest again, his hand holding yours firmly. You knew your way to the ravine lookout by now, but you liked not having to take the lead for once. He helped you across the little stream that led into the clearing where you first laid together and you felt your cheeks flush at the memory.

“I can hear your heart picking up speed, darling.” He turned to smirk at you. “You’re adorable.”

“Pardon me for still being shy,” you half-joked.

“Mmm,” Astarion hummed. “I’ll pound that out of you eventually.” He furrowed his brow sensually at you and you scoffed.

“Shut up.”

“I, of course, don’t have to-”

You made a whiny sound and he laughed.

“I know, my love,” he said, removing his hand from yours and instead wrapping his arm around you to pull you close. “You’ve been so patient for me,” he nipped at your earlobe. “So good.” 

“I’m in no rush,” you reassured on a shaky exhale. 

Astarion made his own whiny sound and pulled you closer, leading you to the cliff’s edge where he’d opened up to you willingly for the first time, just a few days ago.

He sat, pulling you down with him, far enough away from the edge, where he knew you wouldn’t be nervous of falling. In the distance, the sky was just starting to indicate the sun’s arrival. 

You sighed happily and rested your head on his shoulder. You felt him tense a little. “Is this alright?” 

Instead of answering, he leaned his head on top of yours. 

“What’s something you want to do in the Underdark?” you probed.

Astarion groaned. “You don’t need to make small talk with me, darling, sometimes silence is golden.”

You scrunched your nose, knowing he hated pure silence. “I wasn’t being polite, I genuinely wanted to know.”

He groaned again. “Even worse.”

You laughed lightly and felt him laugh too, his arm gently shaking against your own. 

He thought for a moment before he responded. “That Zhentarim fellow we met mentioned a cache of supplies hidden somewhere down there. That might be fun to pillage.”

You laughed. “I’m surprised you ever stopped thinking about that!”

“Oh I didn’t, but I wanted you to think your little thought experiment had actually evoked some sort of… thought… in me.” He made a face.

“Want to try and rephrase that?”

“Not particularly.”

You hummed fondly, taking one of his hands in your own and examining how your fingers slotted together just so. 

“I suppose you want me to ask you the same question?” Astarion asked, clearly not wanting to ask.

You laughed. “Your interest in my interests always astounds me, Astarion.”

He rubbed his cheek against the top of your head. “Get better interests and I might actually want to pay attention.”

“Rude,” you muttered, a smile on your face. “But since you so desperately want to know, I’ll answer anyway.”

“Oh, goodie.”

You thought about it. There wasn’t actually all that much you knew about the Underdark, aside from the few mentions of it in the books you’d read growing up. One thing did stick out in your mind.

“Singing mushrooms.”

“........What?”

“I read somewhere that apparently there are colonies of sentient mushroom people who communicate through song.”

Astarion pulled his head off of yours to hang it in front of himself instead, groaning loudly. “That sounds like a nightmare.”

“It’s not! It’s fascinating!”

“Sentient mushrooms?”

“Yes.”

“That sing?”

“Yes.”

Astarion shook his head. “Am I still asleep? Do you hear yourself?”

“I’m not making it up!” you exclaimed incredulously. When he didn’t say anything else, you crossed your arms in front of yourself. “We’re going to see the mushrooms.”

“Whatever you say, darling.” He kissed the top of your head almost pityingly. 

“You’re an ass,” you said, pulling away from him and sitting back on your forearms. The sky was turning a faint pinkish orange in the distance. You snickered to yourself. “More like Ass-starion.”

The ass in question scowled. “That will not be one of your pet names for me.”

You shrugged. “I’m surprised no one’s called you that before.”

“I’ve been called far worse.” Astarion tilted his head up pompously, as if nothing you could say would hurt him.

“Okay great, so ‘Ass’ is nothing new.”

He sighed heavily. “It’s like you want me to throw you off the cliff.”

“Go ahead,” you challenged, catching his eye mischievously, knowing his threat was empty. 

Astarion looked at you and then towards the horizon. He inhaled deeply and rose to his feet. 

“What are you doing?” you laughed nervously as he approached the cliff’s edge that gave way into the ravine below. 

He peered over the edge, his brow furrowed in deep thought. 

You shifted uncomfortably and sat up completely straight. “Astarion, please be careful, you’re making me nervous.”

He ignored you and walked along the edge, looking past a batch of trees and into the distance to your right. He nodded and turned back towards where you sat.

“Up you go,” Astarion approached you and gestured his thumb upwards, indicating that he wanted you to stand. When he reached you, he helped you to your feet.

“You’re not actually going to throw me off the cliff, are you?” You kept your tone playful, but the anxiety you were masking was obvious.

Astarion smirked. “Stop annoying me and I won’t have to.”

You rolled your eyes and began to follow him as he started walking to the right, down a slanted slope and into a patch of trees. 

“What’s happening?” you asked when you caught up with him.

Astarion tilted his head. “I just thought an occasion such as this needed a change of scenery.”

“‘Occasion?’” you echoed.

He nodded. “It’s my last day in the sun-” he saw you about to protest and quickly added, “-for a little while. Might as well start the day off right.”

You hummed. “Why do I get the sense that you’re up to something?”

Astarion stopped in his tracks, a hand held to his unbeating heart in mock offense. “Me? Up to something? You’re far too paranoid, darling.”

“Uh huh.” You kept walking, but quickly realized you didn’t actually know where you were going. You looked back at Astarion for help and found him watching you. 

He rolled his eyes affectionately. “This way, dear, it’s not much farther.” He walked past you, deeper into the trees, and kept talking. “Did you know that that ravine we’ve been sitting above gives way into what I can only assume is either the Chianthar or the Sea of Swords?”

“I didn’t,” you said. “Though those are two very different bodies of water.”

“Give me a break, my geography lessons occurred well over 200 years ago. And we’re in the gods damn middle of nowhere, might I remind you.”

“Mhm,” you affirmed with a smile. “Go on.”

“Well, it just so happens that that ravine’s mouth isn’t far from our little sunrise spot.”

“‘Our?’” you teased.

“Focus, darling,” he said. He turned to the left, leading you back towards the cliff’s edge that had continued along the treeline.

“Astarion, please be careful,” you called after him, hesitantly following him towards the sound of rushing water. 

He turned back and held out a steadying hand for you as you approached the edge. Not too far below you were narrow rapids that gradually became calmer. The cliff that had been on the other side of the one you currently found yourself on had disappeared, forming a mouth where the ravine did in fact empty into a much larger, much calmer, body of water.

You wrapped your arms around Astarion’s middle to anchor yourself and leaned forward a little to see where the cliff you were on ended. A little farther down, you squinted to adjust your eyes to the dim lighting, and saw a tiny beach that quickly shot upwards into a new cliff. Rocks surrounded the shore, keeping it slightly out of view, and gentle waves lapped at the sand, far enough away from the rapids of the ravine to remain serene.

You caught Astarion’s eye and pointed towards the small patch of sand in the distance. “Is that where we’re going?”

Astarion pursed his lips. “Yes, that would be much easier than jumping in, wouldn’t it?”

You scoffed. “You expected me to jump in from this high up? There could be rocks we can’t see! And we don’t know how deep it is!”

Astarion sighed. “You’re no fun. Though I suppose you’re right, I hadn’t thought that far ahead.” With your arms still around his middle, he started walking back into the trees and down towards the tiny beach. 

You laughed as he dragged you along. “You can’t possibly be serious. You’d get your hair all wet!”

“Nobody said I was going to jump in with you,” he teased.

“I’m not going in alone,” you narrowed your eyes at him. 

“Pity,” he tutted. “I like it when you’re wet.” He smirked and you shoved yourself away from him. 

You picked up your pace to put distance between the two of you. When you didn’t hear his footsteps gaining on you, you decided to quickly slip behind a tree, hoping you’d lost him and that you’d be able to jump out to scare him as he sauntered past.

Unfortunately, nothing but silence greeted you. After a heartbeat or two, you peered around the trunk of your hiding spot but saw no sign of his sleek frame or shock of white hair. You started to second guess yourself; was it possible he’d passed you already? Or that he stopped, out of sight for some reason? 

“You’ll have to do better than that, darling,” came his voice softly next to your ear.

You yelped and clutched at your heart, which raced with surprise. 

Astarion sighed happily. “I do love the sound of your blood pumping.”

“How do you do that?” you asked, breathing deeply to calm yourself. 

“Years of practice.” He paused. “Centuries, even.”

You conceded with a nod. “I shouldn’t have even tried.”

“No, you shouldn’t have. The effort was hardly there, either.”

“Alright,” you rolled your eyes and continued on through the trees down to the beach.

“I mean honestly, have these weeks on the road with me taught you nothing about stealth?”

“I play music for a living. My job is making noise.”

“And I don’t know why I even try at this point.” He raised his eyebrows playfully.

“You like my noise,” you said, sing-songingly. 

“You’re loud, I’ll give you that.”

It was then that you emerged from the trees and onto a grassy dune that sloped downward onto the flat sand below. You slid down the dune with as much grace as you could muster, only falling on your ass once, before taking off your shoes and sinking your toes into the cool sand that made up the shoreline. Astarion followed after you, his long strides keeping him upright and as elegant as ever. He came to stand next to you, taking his own shoes off and placing them neatly beside yours.

You exhaled wistfully and grabbed Astarion’s bicep, leaning your head onto his shoulder. From here, you had a clear view of the sun on the horizon. The sky was a deep shade of pink, giving way to golds and oranges the closer you watched. You looked at Astarion, whose eyes were focused on the sunrise in the distance. 

“What are you thinking about?” you asked quietly.

Astarion looked over at you and blinked. Then he smiled. “Just that it’s truly a wonder you’ve made it this far in life.”

“What?!” you exclaimed, shocked and amused.

You could tell he was holding in a laugh. “You are inept at hiding and fall down sand dunes. What were we thinking when we started following you around Faerûn?”

“I’ll push you into the water, pretty boy.”

“I’d pull you in with me, my love.”

“Touché,” you smiled and released his arm, sitting on the sand. You pulled your legs to your chest and rested your cheek on your knee. Around you, reeds and tall grass swayed in the morning breeze. Astarion remained standing, watching the horizon. 

As much as you enjoyed watching the sunrise, you enjoyed watching Astarion watch it more. The way his attention became transfixed on the sky, the way the vibrant light painted itself onto him like a blank canvas, the way his entire body relaxed when the warmth of the sun finally reached his skin. 

You heard him sigh and watched as he walked forward a little, allowing the tiny waves rolling off the water to rush gently over his toes. He flinched a little in shock and you let out an affectionate breath through your nose.

“Cold?” you asked.

“You know, it’s funny,” Astarion said, his voice a million miles away. “It’s been so long since I’ve been able to move through water like this.”

“What do you mean?” You furrowed your brow. “I’ve seen you in the lake at camp before.”

“I don’t know, I guess I haven’t given it too much thought until now. Normally, I can’t move through running water like this. Don’t ask me why, it’s one of those idiotic vampire laws dictated by some ancient devil with an infuriating sense of humor. I can bathe, sure, but I haven’t been proper swimming since… before.”

You stayed quiet as he moved further into the water, letting the waves wash over his ankles.

“I have to imagine I knew how to swim at one point,” he said quietly.

“I could teach you,” you offered. “I was going to teach Shadowheart at some point too. You’re welcome to join us if you want.”

Astarion snorted. “And look like a fool in front of the cleric? I’ll pass.”

“You don’t need swim lessons to look like a fool,” you clarified. 

“Ha ha,” he said humorlessly. 

You got up and joined him in the ankle deep water. “Do you want to try right now?”

Astarion thought for a moment and clicked his tongue. “I have a better idea, actually.” He gave you a sideways look, his lips quirking up slightly. 

“What?” you matched his smile.

Rather than answering, Astarion reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. 

You furrowed your brow. “Looks an awful lot like you’re preparing to swim.”

He started fiddling with the clasps on his pants and groaned in your direction. “Swimming is not the only thing one can do while submerged in water, dearest.” He gave you a sensual smile that sent heat to your cheeks. 

“Oh,” you said, stiffly watching him undress. “Should I-?” you awkwardly pulled at the collar of his shirt that was currently resting on your shoulders. 

He straightened, naked but for his underwear. He frowned a little. 

“You don’t have to do anything, my love. I just thought we might have some fun while watching the sunrise.”

You bit your bottom lip, thinking it over. “I do like fun.”

“I know that about you.” Astarion walked towards you and reached for the hem of your shirt. “May I?”

You nodded and lifted your arms to help. He took the shirt and tossed it over to where he’d discarded his own clothes. He stepped closer to you, pulling you to him so that you were chest to chest, and nuzzled his nose into the area where your neck met your shoulder. He placed a slow, gentle kiss there that had you inhaling sharply and exhaling unevenly. He groaned with need before pulling back and readjusting to kiss your lips. He came at it with more force than you were expecting, causing you to stumble back a little, but his hands firmly gripped your biceps, keeping you steady. You suppressed a giggle and instead smiled against his mouth before opening up for him and allowing his tongue to meet yours. Astarion hummed with pleasure, moving his mouth against yours and bringing his hands up to tangle in your hair. When he finally pulled away, he left one more chaste kiss against your lips before fully pulling back. 

His eyes were alight with something that morphed into joy when he saw the gooey grin on your face. He rolled his eyes affectionately before looking you up and down and exhaling a laugh.

“You are perfect,” he said, almost in awe.

You smiled. “When?”

Astarion pulled you closer, his eyes narrowing seductively. “Every time.”

You snickered and pulled away from him, a teasing grin plastered on his face. You bent to remove your own pants and watched to see what Astarion would do next. When you saw him reach for his underwear, you averted your eyes and heard him laugh.

“Nothing new over here, darling,” he said, and the soft splashing sounds that followed indicated he’d walked into the water.

“I know,” you replied, embarrassed. You turned back towards him and shrugged. “Habit, I guess.”

“Well, cut it out,” he called, now knee deep in the water. His body was rigid from the temperature, his shoulders rising up to his ears. He turned back to look back at you, still standing on the shore. “Illmater’s blood-stained RACK, this is cold!” 

“I don’t know what you expected,” you called back, hugging your arms to your chest and trying to convince yourself to brave the frigid waters and join him.

“I rather expected you would be in here with me to keep me warm,” he said, turning back towards the sunrise ahead of him.

You quickly pulled off your underwear and started walking into the water, tensing at the cold, but willing yourself to keep going. 

“If you wanted my blood, you could have just asked,” you said when you finally reached him.

“There you are, darling,” Astarion said and grabbed your hand. 

“Hi,” you said softly.

“Brace yourself,” he tipped his head forward a little.

“What?”

Without warning, Astarion lowered himself into the water so that it was just below his shoulders, and pulled you down with him. You hadn’t expected to be yanked so forcefully and unsurprisingly lost your footing. You plunged downward, reaching your free hand out to break your fall and ended up dunking your face below the surface. You were submerged for less than a second, but you came up sputtering and made eye contact with a gleeful vampire. He sucked in his lips to keep from laughing.

“And what was that?” you asked blandly, flicking wet tendrils of hair out of your face.

“Apologies, darling, I didn’t mean for you to get your pretty hair all wet,” he pouted at you and sounded less than sympathetic. 

“Uh huh,” you narrowed your eyes at him. You crawled closer to him, made weightless by the water, and sat beside him, the water level reaching slightly higher on your chest than his. You scooted back a little and dragged your arm out behind you. You pushed it forward quickly, creating a splash that soaked the back of Astarion’s head. He instantly hunched forward and yelped. 

“How dare you?!” he exclaimed, his curls flattening and falling partially into his face. 

“Whoops,” you shrugged. Your eyes widened when you saw him wind his own arm back in retaliation and quickly dunked your head below the surface to avoid his onslaught of water.

When you reemerged, you heard Astarion snicker.

“Look at that,” he said, his tone mocking, “you’re all wet for me.”

You wasted no time in splashing him directly in the face.

“Let’s not do this,” he said flatly, his eyes closed. He brought his hands up to wipe the water off his face, even though his hands were equally wet.

“But now you’re all wet for me,” you teased. 

“I’ll show you what I am,” Astarion growled and took your hand underwater. He pulled you closer and led your hand to his cock, which was already rigid with desire, despite the temperature of the water. 

You made eye contact with him as you started pumping your hand up and down his shaft and he hissed out a breath. 

“Easy, darling,” he said shakily. 

“What’s the matter?” you asked, close to his ear. “Don’t you want to cum while watching the sunrise?”

Astarion groaned and you moved your hand up to swipe your thumb across his tip and then back down to continue pumping. You lifted your weightless body up and swung your leg around so that you were sitting between his legs, facing him head on with the sunrise at your back. 

“I know what would make you even harder,” you cooed, wiping wet hair out of his face with your free hand. Instead of finishing the thought, you tilted your head to the side, offering up your neck to him. 

Astarion’s eyes, half lidded with lust, went wide and looked at you. You nodded to him, and he pulled you closer to his chest, kissing your throat feverishly upon contact. Your hand was still wedged between your legs, twisting around Astarion’s length. He moaned as he nosed along your throat for where your pulse thrummed the strongest.

“Thank you,” he said before sinking his fangs into you. 

You let out a moan of your own, your mouth falling open as goosebumps broke out along your arms. The cold water mixed with the ice in your veins created a delicious mixture of pleasure and pain. The hand pumping Astarion’s length started to slow as you felt yourself focusing instead on the satisfyingly dull thrum that came with him drinking from you. 

“Don’t stop,” he murmured against your skin, kissing your throat and licking a few wayward drops of blood that had escaped before returning to his meal.

You made a noise of affirmation and squeezed his dick before continuing to twist your hand up and down, from base to tip and back down again. 

Astarion whined lamely and dug his nails into your scalp and shoulder, which in turn made you moan wantonly. You rolled your hips, trying to find some relief of your own and ended up brushing your clit against the base of his cock. You both groaned in pleasure and you brought your free hand up to tangle into his hair as you continued rolling your hips. 

“Hah,” Astarion huffed sweetly as he pulled himself away from your throat, his cool breath made warm by your blood. He licked at the wounds he left behind and kissed them gratefully before angling his head to kiss your mouth deeply.

The metallic tang of your blood on his tongue sent a chill through your body and you opened your eyes when you felt Astarion’s hands make their way to your hips. You broke the kiss to give him a curious look. 

He returned your look with a blissed out smirk. “I want you to ride me,” he drawled. 

Your eyes widened and the hand that was still working his cock slowed to a stop. 

He surged forward to kiss you again and moved his hands to your ass, where he lifted your weightless form to position you over his length. 

“Are you sure?” you asked. “I thought I was close to getting you off.”

“You were, sweet girl, but I’d much rather finish inside, if it’s all the same to you.”

Your lips quirked up. “I think we can make that work.”

Taking his cock into your hand again, you guided the head to your entrance before sinking down on him slowly. Astarion’s eyes closed in satisfaction and he tipped his head up to the sky, golden light painting his beautiful face into something ethereal. You sucked in a breath and rested your forehead on his shoulder, taking a second to adjust to this new sensation. You hadn’t ridden him yet, nor had you ever fooled around in water, by yourself or otherwise. 

Astarion kissed your ear before encouraging you: “Use me, my love. You’re deliciously warm.”

You nodded and tested lifting yourself up a little and bringing yourself back down. Your mouth dropped open and you adjusted your legs so you were resting on your knees, making it easier to bob on his dick. Your arms wrapped around his neck as you lifted yourself higher and brought yourself down with more force.

“That’s it,” Astarion cooed, “take your pleasure from me.”

“Touch me,” you whined, rolling your hips and picking up the pace of your bouncing.

“With pleasure,” he bent forward to kiss your neck, bringing his hand down to circle your clit. His other hand came up to squeeze your breast. 

“You make me feel so good,” you sighed, raking your nails over the ridges on his back.

“The feeling is mutual, d-arling,” his voice caught when you brought yourself down on his cock. “And I’m the only one who can make you feel this good,” he grazed his fangs across your collarbone. 

“I don’t know,” you said, your body shuddering with euphoria, “Halsin seems like he could give you a run for your money.”

Astarion raised a disbelieving eyebrow at you.

“Teasing, my love,” you kissed him softly before letting out a loud “Ah!” when he started raising his hips to meet yours.

“Oh really?” he asked, his voice coming out like a growl. “You think Halsin could fuck you as well as I can?”

“Hah,” you half laughed, half moaned. “I think technically, in this position, I’m fucking you?” A lopsided grin graced your lips. “But I don’t know, I’m new to all this.”

“Funny,” Astarion remarked sarcastically and pulled his hand away from your clit, making you whimper in protest. 

“Hey!”

“Take it back.”

“Take what back? I already said I was teasing!”

“Say I’m the only one who can fuck you like this.”

You smiled, panting and still riding him beneath the surface of the water. “Are you jealous or something?”

“Hardly,” he rolled his eyes. “But you’re mine and it wouldn’t kill you to remind yourself of that.”

“Sounds an awful lot like jealousy to me.”

Astarion groaned in what sounded like frustration and pleasure. “Do you want to cum or not?” 

You leaned forward and kissed him deeply, moving your mouth slowly in time with the rhythm of your hips. When you pulled away, a string of saliva connected you to his lower lip. 

“Astarion,” you said softly, “I don’t ever want anyone else to fuck me. Only you. For as long as you’ll have me.”

The smirk on Astarion’s face was smug. “Because?”

You rolled your eyes. “Because I’m yours, you stupid bat.” You kissed him, then whispered conspiratorially, “And I like you the most out of everyone at camp.”

“You flatter me,” Astarion said, immediately returning to his ministrations on your clit. You gasped at the contact, which quickly morphed into a moan of delight as you rested your forehead on his shoulder again. His hips rose to meet yours once more and the moan he let out as a result sounded as if he’d been holding it in for a while. Perhaps it was to sound eloquent during your back and forth, but the noise was music to your ears.

“Am I making you feel good?” you asked a little shyly.

Astarion opened one of his eyes to look at you. “My sweet, you’ve only ever made me feel good.”

“I know that’s not true.”

“It’s not, but it is true about the sex.”

“Thank the gods,” you laughed, though you shut your eyes tightly when Astarion hit a particularly pleasant spot inside you with a roll of his hips. “Whatever you just hit felt heavenly,” you relayed to him.

“Good to know,” he said mischievously, and repositioned you on his lap so he could rise to meet that spot every time you sank down on him. 

“Oh, Astarion,” you sighed, a grin overtaking your features.

“You like that, love?” he nipped at your shoulder. 

“Yes,” you sighed again.

Your bounces on his cock were starting to become sloppy as the knot of your climax began to build low in your stomach. You moved your hand to his and reversed the direction he was currently circling your clit.

“I’m close,” you confessed.

“Thank the gods, so am I,” Astarion’s voice was strained.

You opened your eyes to watch him as he approached his own peak and exhaled dreamily at the sight of him, bathed in the orange glow of the sun which was now halfway risen. 

“You’re so beautiful,” you whispered, “and I like you so much.”

“Don’t make me throw up when I’m trying to cum,” he opened up an eye and smirked at you. “You’re not half bad yourself, gorgeous thing.” He groaned when you sat back down on him forcefully. “Now, would you cum for me already? I’m dying here.”

“Almost there,” you laughed. “And you’re dead already.”

“You’re making this very difficult, darling.”

“Let me help you then,” you said, reaching a hand forward and lightly caressing his balls.

Astarion’s mouth hung open in silent pleasure, his fangs glistening in the emerging sunshine. He watched you wordlessly as you leaned forward.

“You’re so powerful,” you purred next to his ear. “You make me feel so good, and you’re the only one who can fuck me this well. The others will never know how good I feel because I’m yours and I’ll only ever be yours. You’re the only one who will ever be inside of me.”

“That’s right,” he groaned. “Your cunt is mine and I love the way it feels around me. The way it grips me so tight. You filthy thing, letting a vampire take your innocence. I could have killed you and instead I brought you the most pleasure you’ve ever felt. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes,” you moaned. “Astarion, please. Need to feel your cum in me.”

“You want this cock forever, darling? Prove it. Prove you want it by cumming for me and screaming my name.”

His command brought you to your peak and you wailed out in pure ecstasy. His name fell from your lips like a prayer, over and over, and your cunt gripped him like a vice, as if claiming it for itself. In return, Astarion groaned loudly and spilled inside of you, moaning your name repeatedly and throwing his head back in rapture and delight.

As you came down from your high, you leaned forward to place sloppy kisses on his exposed throat. He brought both his arms around you and pulled you closer as he returned from his climax. 

“You are-” he didn’t finish his sentence before crushing his lips into yours, moaning pathetically and you giggled in response. He bit your bottom lip with his blunt front teeth before releasing it and peppering kisses along your cheeks and jaw. 

“Go on,” you teased, encouraging him to finish his thought.

He looked as if he wanted to argue, but instead gave in and said, “You’re wonderful.”

The words caught you off guard and you bent forward to kiss him in a way that you hoped conveyed your gratitude. 

“I think you’re wonderful, too.”

“Obviously,” Astarion smirked.

You pushed him backwards, causing him to slip and submerge his head fully underwater briefly.

“My hair was just starting to dry, you wretched beast!” he sputtered, looking appalled. 

“Aw, but you’re so pretty like this!” You brushed some wet hair out of his eyes.

“Um, hello? I’m always pretty, darling.”

“Ah, you’re right, how could I forget.” You gingerly lifted yourself off of Astarion and floated yourself to sit beside him, facing the sunrise. 

“Perhaps you’ve had the lovely head of yours hit in battle one too many times.”

“That must be it,” you agreed jokingly, resting your head on his shoulder. 

He leaned his head on top of yours in return. You sighed happily, enjoying the vibrant hues of the sky above, still filled with the euphoria of your high and the presence of the man beside you.

“I really do like you, so much,” you said softly, accompanied by the quiet lapping of the waves on the shore nearby.

“Ugh,” Astarion groaned. “Let’s not get sentimental, darling. After we just had such an excellent time together.”

You laughed. “Pardon me for wanting to express my feelings.”

“You are pardoned.” He gave you a sideways smile. 

“Thank you, Mr. Magistrate.”

“Of course, beloved citizen.”

You both laughed quietly and returned to a pleasant silence. The sun rose steadily up into the sky and you knew you’d have to head back to camp soon to help pack up, but for now, you were content to sit and watch the horizon with your favorite traveling companion. 

“How are you doing that?” Astarion asked, breaking the silence.

“Doing what?”

“Tickling my thighs. Did you cast mage hand or something of the sort?”

You sat up a bit more to look and snorted. 

“Astarion, my love, I think it’s a fish that’s tickling you.”

“Ah,” he said calmly. Then he shot up, flinging you backwards and underwater. When you came up for air, he was rushing towards the shore, barreling through the water.

“At least it had the decency to wait until we were finished!” you called after him.

Astarion ignored you. “Slimy, disgusting, vile creatures!” He shook out his entire body as if he couldn’t rid himself of the sensation.

You watched him with adoration as he muttered to himself about how irredeemable that particular fish was as he pulled on his pants. It was then that you felt your heart swell with something big and alarming.

Oh no.

You were in love with him. 

Fuck!

[howcouldmuffin]

First Choice III

[ Chapter 3 : The Burden of Promises ]

You resolved to start fresh, determined to leave the past behind. Meanwhile, his actions only deepened your confusion, leaving you puzzled about his intentions and why he couldn’t let you move on.

PAIRING : Jacaerys Velaryon x Fem!Reader

WARNING : Kiss, Targaryen Incest, Non-canon

AN : It’s giving me so many emotions right now. The scene I’ve envisioned in my head is making me internally scream with excitement. I hope you enjoy this piece of writing.

CONTENTS : Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4

please be kind to me English is not my first language.

“Why am I here?” you questioned yourself while at the celebration for Corlys Velaryon’s naming day. You barely knew anyone present. You were invited to the event with Jacaerys, who was now dancing with your cousin. Lucerys was talking with Corlys, and you felt out of place among the shipbuilders who eyed you with a somewhat menacing look.

Once you felt you weren’t being watched, you discreetly slipped away from the celebration. You had heard a lot about this place, High Tide, a castle built by Corlys. You decided to explore a bit, enjoying a sip from the drink you had brought from the party.

The castle had a distinctive scent, characteristic of its coastal location. It was quite damp and musty, but the people had been welcoming. After wandering for a while, you thought it might be time to return to the great hall.

Opting for the quieter balcony walkway, you enjoyed the romantic view of the sea at night. The moonlight reflecting off the water created a diamond-like sparkle. As you noticed a couple ahead, you decided to let them pass before continuing.

However, you encountered your betrothed and Baela, who were very close to each other. It was impolite to spy, but they were clearly visible despite the darkness. The prince leaned in close to her, and you were shocked. The drink in your hand fell, causing them to separate and turn towards you. Ignoring the spilled drink, you hurried back to your room.

Unfamiliar with the layout but still finding your way with accuracy, you rushed to your room, the prince following and pleading for you to stop. You ignored him, entered your room, and locked the door. You collapsed on the floor and cried, despite his pleas to open the door and explain. Eventually, the knocking stopped. You lay on your bed, exhausted from crying and unsure of what to do next.

You spent the entire night crying and avoided leaving your room due to swollen eyes. You told the maid that you were unwell and requested breakfast in your room. According to the schedule, you were to leave today, which you planned to do after bidding farewell to Lord Corlys. You applied a cold compress to your eyes, which improved slightly by morning. Dressed and ready, you went to the great hall to say your goodbyes. Jacaerys watched you, and for the first time, you saw him separate from Baela. You chose to ignore it and planned to address everything properly upon returning to Red Keep.

“How was Driftmark, Your Highness?” Vidah asked as you rushed into her embrace. She held you tightly, sensing your distress.

“It was awful, Vidah.” you sobbed. “So very awful.”

“I understand, Your Highness.” she said soothingly, guiding you to sit on the bed. “Please, tell me what happened.”

“He… he almost kissed Baela,” you said, your voice shaking with emotion. “I don’t know what to do. I know he doesn’t love me, but I can’t seem to get over it.” You buried your face in her lap, the tears flowing freely.

“We can’t control our feelings.” she said gently, stroking your hair. “Sometimes, the best thing is to let things unfold as they will.”

“I’m thinking of ending the engagement or at least letting him be with someone he truly cares about while we’re married.” you said, lifting your tear-streaked face to look at her. “I need to find someone I truly love, someone who makes me feel the way he never could.”

“Have you truly made up your mind, Your Highness?” Vidah asked, carefully wiping away your tears. “Then be resolute and act on it.”

“I just can’t bear to see him right now, or for some time.”

“Promise me, Your Highness, that you’ll only take a brief respite and not avoid the problem forever.”

“Yes.” you agreed, your voice firm despite the lingering sadness. “I promise.”

Every practice, you were absent. Every sword duel, you stayed away. Whenever Jacaerys was around, you were nowhere to be seen. You went out of your way to avoid him, sometimes even retreating to Helaena’s quarters to dodge his attempts to catch you.

Two weeks had passed since your return from Driftmark, and you remained resolute in your avoidance. You found refuge in Aemond’s library, more than ever before. Your brother, perceptive as ever, noticed something was amiss but chose not to pry.

“Sister.” Aemond remarked as he entered the room, his gaze shifting to you with a touch of amusement. “You seem to be avoiding the sun these days.” He selected a book from the shelf and settled beside you. You closed your own book and looked up at him.

“I simply prefer the quiet of the castle.” you said.

“Very well.” Aemond replied, flipping through the pages of his book. “He’s been pestering me about your whereabouts so much that it’s disrupted my training.”

“He doesn’t know I’m here, does he?”

“I told him you were in the castle.” Aemond admitted, “but I made it clear he wasn’t welcome in this room.” He glanced at you briefly before returning to his reading.

“Don’t you want to know why I’m avoiding him?”

“I have no desire to delve into your personal affairs.” he said nonchalantly. “By the way, Father wants us to join him for dinner tonight.”

“Again?”

“It’s just once a week.” he said with a smirk. “And don’t forget to sit next to your fiancé.”

“I’m not feeling well, I can’t go.”

“Stop being irresponsible.”

“Fine.” you said, standing up and returning the book to its place. “At least it will give me the chance to confront him directly.”

“You mean about how much you adore him and wish to marry him?” Aemond teased with a chuckle.

“No, I intend to end the engagement.” You thanked him for the book and left, determined to face the confrontation head-on.

“Stop staring at me, Prince.” you said, struggling to keep your voice steady as you sliced through the meat on your plate. The dinner conversation felt like a monotonous drone, and you were eager to escape.

“Uh.. I’m sorry.” he said, a flash of surprise crossing his face. “Would you care to dance?”

You placed your utensils down deliberately. “Yes, Prince.”

Despite the turmoil within you, you knew you had to confront him. It was time to face the issue directly.

“I believe we should annul our engagement.”

“What?” His eyes widened in shock.

“We need to end it.”

“No, no. Why would you want that?”

“You have feelings for Baela, and I’m clearly not the one you desire.”

“And how do you plan to achieve that? No one defies the king’s command.” he retorted, a tinge of anger in his tone.

“What about the prize from the hunting competition?” you suggested. “We haven’t claimed anything yet.”

“No way.” he declared, abruptly halting their dance. “If you believe you can wield that as leverage to dissolve our engagement, you are sorely mistaken.” With that, he turned on his heel and strode away, leaving you alone and bewildered in the midst of the dance floor.

You returned to the dinner table, where everyone’s eyes were on you.

“It’s nothing.” you said, trying to sound nonchalant. “He just remembered something he forgot.” As everyone resumed their conversations, you were left to ponder your next move. If he wouldn’t end the engagement through negotiation, how would you achieve it? You were willing to let him follow his heart, but the pain of watching him with someone else was a bitter pill to swallow. Love was proving to be a labyrinth of difficult choices and tangled emotions.

You awoke in an unfamiliar yet oddly familiar setting—an ancient, stone castle. This was Dragonstone, the venerable seat of your family. Before any questions could form or confusion set in, the door creaked open, and Jacaerys appeared.

“Where are the others?” you inquired, sitting up in bed.

“It is only us and the servants for now.” he answered, setting a tray of food on a nearby table. “We shall remain here together for a spell.”

“Did you abduct me here?” You sprang from the bed, attempting to make your way to the door. “Mother will certainly scold me.” But his swift hand seized your arm, causing you to stumble and fall into his embrace.

“No one will reprimand us.” he declared firmly, his voice resolute. “It is the king’s decree. Upon our return to the Red Keep, we shall wed.”

“And you did not refuse this arrangement?” you questioned, struggling against his grasp. His strength held you firmly in place.

“I desire to marry yo.,” he stated plainly. “That is why I did not refuse.”

“But I no longer wish for it. Release me.” you demanded, writhing in his arms. “Though I once loved you, if your affections lie elsewhere, you should set me free.”

“I love you.” his confession stilled you. “I cannot bear the thought of losing you.”

“How am I to believe your words?” you asked, your voice trembling. “I witnessed you nearly kiss Baela.”

“If you had truly observed, you would have seen a mere insect upon her, which I was brushing away.” he explained, loosening his hold. You stepped back, maintaining a safe distance where his presence could no longer impose upon you.

“How can I trust you?” you inquired. “I have never felt the depth of your love.” He stepped closer, and you instinctively retreated.

“I have realized that I cannot endure the thought of you betrothed to another. I cannot bear the notion of you not being my wife.”

“Enough.” you interjected. “We shall discuss this later. I am hungry and wish to partake of my breakfast.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” he said with a slight bow, drawing out a chair for you at the table. He seated himself opposite you, his gaze unwavering as you ate.

After the meal, you resolved to bathe and change attire. You remembered being brought here upon Vermax, recalling only drifting into slumber and awakening in this new setting. He claimed to love you, but how could you trust his words?

He had been unkind, maintaining a delicate boundary between you—never more than friends or siblings. Now, his declarations of love seemed contradictory. Perhaps you had misjudged his intentions.

Donning a casual yet elegant dress, reminiscent of those worn in King’s Landing, you awaited his presence. The door opened to reveal Jacaerys. He nodded to the departing maid and approached you. You remained by the window, contemplating your next move.

“Is escape truly impossible?” you asked, turning to him. “I rode Vermax with you.”

“Indeed, you cannot escape.” he replied, closing the distance between you. “Nor can you evade me.” His fingers gently lifted your chin, leaning in close.

“Is this truly what you desire?” you questioned, meeting his gaze as he drew near.

“I desire you.” he murmured, inching closer until you turned your face away and stepped out of the room, not daring to look back. Your cheeks flushed and your heart raced uncontrollably.

“I… I am heading to the library.” you declared, exiting swiftly. Though his charm was undeniable, you resolved not to be easily swayed. He might be feigning affection to secure your marriage, but you intended to make your decision on your own terms.

Upon entering the library, you took a moment to admire its quiet charm before selecting a few volumes to peruse. Soon, Jacaerys entered, but he did not intrude; instead, he settled himself with some paperwork, a reminder of his princely duties. As you both worked in silence, the library’s serene atmosphere seemed to hold a delicate tension.

The peaceful scene was disrupted by the subtle, but persistent, awareness of Jacaerys’s gaze. Each time you glanced up from your book, you would catch him watching you with a mixture of curiosity and something more tender. The dissonance between your practiced composure and the fluttering hope in your heart left you at a loss. Could it truly be that the man you had admired from afar for so long might harbor affection for you in return?

“What are your thoughts on where we might travel after our wedding?” Jacaerys’s voice broke the silence, his words punctuating the stillness. “Pentos, for instance, has a certain appeal.”

“I cannot say.” you replied, closing your book with a thoughtful sigh. “I have yet to see much of the world beyond these walls. My experience is limited to the confines of King’s Landing and the occasional hunt.”

“Would you like to explore all the realms?” he inquired, his tone hopeful.

“Are you suggesting we visit all seven kingdoms?” You approached his desk, curiosity piqued.

“If that is your desire, I shall ensure it is so.” he promised.

“You must keep your word.” you said firmly, standing before him. “Do not break it as you have before.” You turned back to your seat, attempting to re-engage with your reading. The memory of past promises lingered, and Jacaerys, ever perceptive, noticed your pretense.

The prince rose and approached, seating himself beside you on the sofa. His presence was both comforting and unsettling. You shifted slightly, accommodating his proximity. Resting his head gently on your shoulder, he took your hand in his, clasping it with a reassuring warmth.

“I owe you an apology.” he said, his voice low and earnest. “I was at fault. I failed to prioritize you as you deserved.”

“I was never your first choice.” you replied softly. “Could you place me at the forefront of your considerations?”

“From this moment forward, you shall always be my foremost thought.” he assured you, pressing a tender kiss to your neck. “It may seem strange, but my affection for you has been steadfast for some time. You have held a special place in my heart.”

“But when you appeared to disdain me, you would not even converse with me.” you said, a hint of sadness in your voice.

“I was uncertain of how to approach you.” he confessed. “You have grown into such grace and beauty, and I was at a loss as to how to act with the woman I love.” His lips traveled a gentle path from your collarbone to your neck and then to your cheek.

“Someone might witness us.” you protested gently. “This could cause complications.”

“Let them see.” he said with quiet determination.

“I am not ready.” you said, rising and retreating to your chamber. You locked the door behind you, leaving Jacaerys standing alone. In the solitude of your room, the lines between affection, duty, and his true intentions remained blurred. Your heart was a tumult of conflicting emotions, and trust in his promises was still elusive.

tag list : @r3va-dwme @ladyofvelaryon @mckennah123 @ericasabe @yohanseyebrowmole @mah1644 @miksde @staarflowerr @tempo-rary-fix

[softxsuki]

Hi, congrats on reaching 1.5k! I would love to participate with your event! (Drabble one) Trope 16 with one piece x fem reader.

Id love to participate in your trope Drabble event.

Trope 15 with the haikyuu fandom and a fem!reader.

Thank you ❤️

1.5k Follower Event Trope #16 One Piece

Trope 16: He falls first and he falls harder

This event is now closed. You can view the masterlist here.

| Pairing: Sanji x Fem!Reader | Genre: Fluff | Post-Type: Drabble | Word Count: 590 |

Warnings: none

Note: Had fun with this one <3 trying to have more of a posting schedule on here, so for now, I'll have a new post up every Monday! Trying to get some writing done in advance :D

“For you my lady,” Sanji hums, placing a tray of snacks in front of you, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to the top of your head. 

They were all hand made for you with love, paying extra special attention to the food he prepared for you, since you were the love of his life after all. Once you were taken care of, then he’d move on to serve the girls, and then the boys on the crew.

“Thank you darling,” you smile, your mouth already watering at the sight before you. Eating like a princess and getting waited upon was truly more than you could ever ask for, but Sanji provided each day for you, just content with making you happy.

“Of course Mademoiselle,” he bows jokingly, taking a seat beside you, as you pass him one of the snacks, feeding it to him, which he gladly accepts. How could he ever say no to you?

Things had been like this since your first day on the Sunny, way before Sanji had asked you out. The man was smitten at first glance, but those feelings just continued to grow the more he learned about you and spoke to you one on one. You obviously felt like he was just treating you as he treated every other woman he ran into, all heart eyes and fake promises. But Sanji was intent on showing you he was serious about you.

His chivalry was always present, but no longer would he gush over other women, not even Nami or Robin who were around him everyday (which shocked everyone). After months of dedicated affection directed only to you, you realized how serious he truly was, making your heart race in your chest. It was hard not to fall for the curly-browed chef who treated you like royalty and made you feel like the most special woman in the world. So, you gave him a shot.

Dating you was the best thing that had ever happened to Sanji. Being granted the privilege to hug you tightly, hold you by his side at night, and eventually steal passionate kisses from you; he was over the moon happy, and he made you just as happy.

“Whatcha thinking about, princess?” He taps your nose, a fond smile gracing his lips as he pulls you from your thoughts.

You smile to yourself, taking a sip of the drink he had made you, humming in thought.

“Just about us. I couldn’t be happier,” you admit bashfully. You never once thought you’d see the day when the cook would be completely devoted to one woman and one woman only, but love could do a lot to a person and his special person was now you and only you.

“Neither could I,” he laughs, pulling you into his side, enjoying the warmth of your skin as a breeze blows through you on the deck. 

“Sanji I’m hungry!” Luffy calls out, frowning while rubbing his stomach as he sits on the deck railing, fishing with Usopp.

Sanji sighs, but gives your arm a gentle squeeze before standing up. “Duty calls,” he shakes his head with a smile, before Luffy whines for him again.

“I’m coming you idiot,” he grumbles, winking to you before heading off to the kitchen to fetch his captain and the rest of the crew a bite to eat. Leaving you behind to munch on your own food, a full feeling entering your chest at how perfect everything was. You wouldn’t change a thing.

Posted: 9/2/2024

[lovingseventeen]

casual i love yous: vocal unit edition 💕

a/n: i promise i see the requests,, this idea just popped into mind and it came out a lot faster for some reason. i hope y’all enjoy this as i try to finish up requests!

edit: WoW seungkwan’s unexpectedly got really long but i feel like i should write for him in more detail

jeonghan:

✿ of course it has the slightest air of teasing

✿ you were scoffing at him for getting you flustered so badly

✿ damn yoon jeonghan and his damn smirk and pretty face !

✿ you’re avoiding eye contact when his face follows yours to tell you ever so relaxed, “i love you, you know”

✿ how could you ever be annoyed with this man for long (he’s annoying for that)

joshua:

✿ he doesn’t hesitate to tell you how he feels

✿ sometimes he just gets these urges that oh y/n is looking extra pretty today or oh! my heart is swelling for no reason

✿ you could be doing nothing special but for joshua, you don’t have to

✿ he’s sitting on the couch and you’re getting up to get a glass of water when he gently reaches for your wrist, stopping you in your tracks

✿ “josh?”

✿ “i love you”

woozi:

✿ i don’t think he’s the type to say these three words often because he treasures them

✿ but occasionally he finds himself wanting to say it to you for the smallest reasons

✿ you sent him a text at work, knowing he was staying at the studio late

✿ this is your reminder to drink a little water and eat at least a snack if you haven’t had dinner yet >:(

✿ i will i will, he assures you, do you wanna hear what i’m working on?

✿ and of course you do, but what you don’t expect is the little whisper of “i love you” in the little recording before he starts singing

dokyeom:

✿ one of the best parts of being with dokyeom was that he made you laugh, so so much

✿ life quite literally brighter with him and his contagious smile

✿ it was one of those moments that the two of you were howling with laughter, tears about to spill from the corners of both of your eyes

✿ you’re trying to cover your mouth with a hand, but you can barely do so as you wheeze

✿ you somewhat calm down to small hiccups and exhales going “hooo” as you try to control yourself, he’s calmed down too, wiping tears from his eyes

✿ when you finally look back at him, you catch dokyeom looking at you with the warmest smile with crinkles at the corners of his eyes

✿ “i love you” he smiles, and it’s so sudden in the moment that you fall for him a little more too

seungkwan:

✿ he was busy as usual with his schedule, but he did have some breaks in between learning choreo or recording some songs

✿ you posted a story on instagram with your friends. for some reason you guys were at a basketball court, knowing that none of you played

✿ as he clicked to see the next story, he was surprised to see you talking to the camera (assuming your best friend was recording) from the three point line

✿ “boo seungkwan this is for you!” you holler, pointing at the camera and this alone already makes him smile

✿ what makes him laugh out loud is when you absolutely miss the rim, horrendously air balling

✿ the video ends with an awkward thumbs up at the end (he definitely screen records this)

✿ he gets the urge to video call you, hoping you pick up within the next few minutes before he has to get back to work

✿ “hello” you greet, pleasantly surprised. you’re still at the park, but just sitting to the side as your friends shuffle around in the background

✿ “i saw your story” he tells you, “and your shot for me” he’s unable to fight a smile by now too

✿ “oh yeah? i was pretty close right?” you grinned, knowing you were anything but

✿ “i love you” he smiles, “even if you’re bad at basketball

✿ “hey!” you playfully exclaimed, but you registered his following words too. “did you call just to say that?”

✿ “maybe i did”

✿ you pout but nonetheless tell him you love him too

[snowbaamgyu]

Friends don't understand me anymore

This one is a request from @flashymoa , check that blog too ;)

Also sorry this took too long, it's finally here, enjoy!

Their schedule was packed, like, really packed, that was for sure, and they all were tired, no one had the right to complain, they were following that lifestyle since their debut days, if it wasn't dance practice for a comeback it was for a special stage, or even just to make sure they all mantain the same stamina; then, vocal practice or maybe some individual schedules, submitting lyrics, photoshoots, interviews, etc.

Taehyun didn't notice at first, he brushed away some symptoms like being exhausted when he was just finishing his warm up for his gym routine, or how he felt a bit grossed out by the sight of food, even his favorite dishes! It all were signs of his body telling him something was going to happen.

It was a lot and it was taking a toll on everyone but specially in Taehyun, he didn't have the time for his body to do what it wanted, but today he really wanted to stop everything and go home.

Doubled over with his hands on his knees, Taehyun panted trying to catch his breath, everyone was tired but he felt like he had done all four hours of dance practice when they were just one hour into it. Their dance instructor noticed his behavior and got a bit concerned, still asked "Taehyun-ssi, is everything okay?" just in case, Taehyun nodded before standing straight "Just tired, sorry".

The dance practice continued but Taehyun kept making mistakes, tripping over his own feet or bumping into Beomgyu who was kind enough to hide how frustrated he was getting, the rest did the same aside of Yeonjun who huffed in annoyance when Taehyun held onto him to prevent falling down face first onto the floor, the dance teacher calling for a break and Soobin leaving the room.

"Taehyun, I get that you're tired but we're all are too as well, please cooperate for us to go home quickly" the oldest one of the group said, not knowing what to say, Taehyun lowered his head and apologized, finally realizing he wasn't in conditions for that damn dance practice. "I don't think I feel well enough to continue" he said with a grimace, now feeling all the discomfort, the dancing and moving around distracted him but now all his body felt heavy and hot, probably a fever.

"Taehyun, if we all said we don't feel good then no one would be here right now, I also want to rest but work comes first, focus please" Beomgyu now was the one speaking, and Kai beside him just nodded, he thought the same thing as his hyungs.

"You're right, sorry, I'll do better" was all he said, not wanting to keep the discussion with his hyungs, then went to drink some water hoping it would calm his scratchy throat and mildly upset stomach, his hands trembling when he closed the water bottle, he felt a shiver running down all his body, his eyes were glossy and his head started hurting. Soobin entered the room and the practice resumed, when Taehyun bumped into Soobin this time he immediately bowed and apologized, scared that he also was mad at him for not giving his all and slacking off. "I'm so sorry hyung, I promise it won't happen again, sorry." Soobin noticed how Taehyun's voice cracked a bit at the end and gently grabbed his shoulder, feeling all the warmth radiating through him, the younger sweating buckets and breathing shallowly, something was happening. "It's alright Taehyun, are you feeling okay? You don't seem well" at Soobin's words Yeonjun huffed once again, "He's just being lazy, we're all tired Taehyun you're not special today" Yeonjun's words hurt, they were cold and full of annoyance, Soobin frowned but let it go, not wanting to start an argument mid practice.

They all got into their positions again but Taehyun knew he couldn't make it to the end of the song without making mistakes, not with the way his eyes were full of black dots and everything was changing colors until it started fading, still he went on, didn't stop even when he felt so lightheaded that his nose started bleeding, didn't stop when all his limbs felt so heavy he thought he wasn't in control of his own body, with that he collapsed and the music stopped, so did the boys.

Soobin was the first one to react and go check on him, the dance instructor going out to call the medical staff and one of their managers.

"Taehyun, what happened? Wake up, please!" Soobin pleaded as he put the youngers head on his lap, wiping the blood with a towel Kai handed, Beomgyu and Yeonjun stood there not knowing what to do but bolting into action when the younger started waking up but the first thing he did was choke up his lunch or well, what he managed to eat, Soobin titling his head for him to finish throwing up, Beomgyu held the trashcan for him to puke in there, coughing and retching, Taehyun didn't know what was happening.

When he was done Yeonjun took the trashcan and they all tried to give him air with those hand fans, also giving him so space so he could breath normally again, now in that position Soobin could really acknowledge that Taehyun was really sick and not just lazy how they others were thinking, he was burning up and had really dark circles under his eyes, his normally honey-colored skin was now pale, almost grayish.

"Guys, he is sick, why didn't any of you think twice before saying he was just being lazy? How could you even let this get this far?! Really? You couldn't even just try and check for a fever?" Soobin was mad, like really mad, spoke to them not only in his leader voice but also as a friend who had to point out their mistakes. No one could really reply, they knew they were wrong but now they had to focus on Taehyun, when the medical staff arrived they set him up in the couch of the practice room, Soobin never leaving his side, the other three just looked from afar.

"Looks like a mix of exhaustion and possibly a stomach flu or just the common flu, whatever it is, he needs to rest, the hospital is not necessary so just take him to the dorms, he will be fine by the end of the week if he is well rested".

The ride to the dorms was silent, no one dared to speak not only because Taehyun was asleep but also the air was so tense, Soobin was the one who carried Taehyun to his room and tucked him into bed, his face flushed, he was breathing through his mouth and his stomach was rumbling, Soobin winced in sympathy a bit at that, being sick sucks specially if it involved a sick stomach, at the end he left the room to let him sleep.

The other three knew that now they had a long lecture from Soobin, so they gathered in the living room and waited for him.

"Okay, care to explain why didn't any of you believe in Taehyun's words? He clearly told you he felt sick, am I wrong?" Soobin started, looking disappointed at them; "He did tell us that he wasn't feeling well but honestly, I think we didn't take him seriously because we also are exhausted and it wouldn't be fair if only him got to rest" Yeonjun said as he lowered his head a bit, "He's right but also, for me it was because I wanted to finish practice before letting my body be weak and agree that I couldn't make it to the end of the week, in a way I'm kinda thankful to Taehyun because now we have to be in quarantine" Beomgyu continued, they kept talking, everyone giving a reason and arguments until a door slammed shut and Kai shushed them. "Guys, Taehyun, he's throwing up again" now that they were quiet they could hear him and immediately went after him, they found Taehyun in the bathroom with his head into the toilet heaving painfully but only bringing saliva and stomach acid, the coughing just irritating more his throat, this time Beomgyu was the one who crouched by his side and patted his back, Kai prepared him a bath and Yeonjun went to change his bedsheets, Soobin went to the laundry room with Yeonjun.

"Taehyunnie, we're sorry for not believing in you, we'll take care of you so everyone can enjoy this week off okay?" said boy just nodded, not really processing what was happening, Beomgyu flushed the toilet and helped Kai to take off his clothes and let him relax into the water, massaging his scalp and helping the fever to go down, Kai went to grab a change of clothes for Taehyun and drying his hair, now Taehyun was a bit more awake and aware of his surroundings, Soobin appeared into his room with a bowl of soup and some pills with a glass of water, everyone managed to fit themselves to keep him company, even when Taehyun murmured a low "I feel nauseous..." and had to pass him the trashcan of his room, the soup ending up in there, they had to try again later but for now they could try and make him feel better, even if they had the risk of getting sick they didn't care, they had to be there for him.

Three days later Taehyun was feeling much better and had already forgiven them, also had to become the caretaker when one morning Yeonjun had to make a run to the toilet to throw up his breakfast and dinner, they knew it was their karma when the next day Kai also got sick and the day after it was Beomgyu, but eventually everything calmed down and they got another week off, hanging out at home, playing games and watching movies, whatever argument they ever had now forgotten.

[queen-dahlia]

𝐆𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐯𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧

𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟬 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘂𝗺

Note: Translation is not 100% accurate. Expect grammatical errors.

// : alternate translation | ⫘⫘ : flashback

Gilbert: "I want to go on a date with you."

Emma: "Okay."

Emma: "No, a date?"

Gilbert: "Yes, a date."

Emma: ". . . . . ."

Gilbert: "It's a yes, right…?"

══════════════════

That day when I was half-forced to make a promise to go on a date.

After finishing my schedule, Prince Gilbert took me out of town.

Emma: "… Are you going to kill me now?"

Gilbert: "Why?"

Emma: "Because this place…"

(No one is here.)

Prince Gilbert, who entered a narrow and deserted alleyway, proceeded to walk further in.

The somewhat tantalizing sound of a date faded as the darkness thickened.

Gilbert: "Hmm... no matter what I do to you now, no one will come to help you."

Gilbert: "This is what happens when you follow the words of a bad guy, right?"

Prince Gilbert's cold fingers intertwine with my hand as if to catch me in my reluctance.

Emma: "What are you going to do to me?"

Gilbert: "Wouldn't it spoil the fun if I told you first?"

(I wonder if it's going to be fun with this atmosphere...!)

He is a prince of an enemy country, so I brace myself for the possibility that he will do something kind and yet terrible, terrible and yet kind, without a second thought.

Without any regard for me, Prince Gilbert moved ahead in a good mood and eventually stopped in front of a certain door.

He inserts the jet-black key he took from his pocket and opens the door.

Gilbert: "Go ahead?"

(I can't escape anyway, so I'll just go with my gut.)

I stepped inside the door that Prince Gilbert opened for me—

Emma: "Huh?"

Inside, the room was more ordinary than I expected.

We are greeted by the smell of old furniture and dust sparkling in the incoming sunlight.

Gilbert: "My hideout at Rhodolite... cough."

Gilbert: "I cleaned it yesterday, but I guess I was not lenient... cough, cough."

Emma: "Are you okay!?"

(I'll open the windows for now!)

I pulled open the curtains, opened all the windows, and rubbed Prince Gilbert's back as he began to cough violently.

(... It looks like he's in a lot of pain.)

Gilbert: "How... are you able to remain calm?"

Emma: "I'm used to dust. Is there a kitchen here?"

Gilbert: "In the back of the room…"

With the momentum of jumping in, I headed to the back, filled the glass in the kitchen with water, and came back.

Prince Gilbert, who had been coughing abnormally, finally calmed down after drinking some water.

Gilbert: "… Thank you. The dust nearly killed me."

Emma: "That's not funny."

Gilbert: "You're worried about a guy who might have been up to something bad?"

Emma: "It is natural."

Gilbert: "… Hmm?"

I look around the room, continuing to rub Prince Gilbert's back just to be sure.

Overall, the room was chicly decorated, and the huge shelves on the walls held many books.

Emma: "So you have a hideout at Rhodolite."

Gilbert: "I used to stay here when I was a kid."

Gilbert: "You see, there was a time when Obsidian and Rhodolite had a good relationship."

(It wasn't the first time he'd been to Rhodolite.)

(But... why was the prince staying in such an ordinary room and not in the court?)

Prince Gilbert, who has returned to his original condition, stands in front of the bookshelf on the wall.

Gilbert: "You can all do whatever you want with what is here."

Gilbert: "From this day forward, it's all yours."

Emma: "Huh?"

(I misheard you... right?)

I blinked my eyes as I thought I heard the dreaded words, and Prince Gilbert chuckled.

Gilbert: "I'll give you this room."

Emma: "I don't want it!"

Gilbert: "I'll give it to you."

Gilbert: "You can make it your own private hideout. I went to all the trouble to shake off the spy on me, you know?"

(Ah, that's why the road to get here was complicated.)

Gilbert: "You and I are the only ones who know about this place... Now we have our own secret, don't we?"

(… Wait. Calm down, myself.)

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Clavis: "That's why, Emma, when dealing with geniuses, you always question everything."

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Emma: "… What is your purpose?"

It's clear that it's not just good intentions.

The refreshing smile deepens as I ask the question cautiously.

Gilbert: "I don't think bad things. I just want to impose it on you because it's troublesome to dispose of it."

Gilbert: "And I'll never use this room again."

Emma: "… You never know when you might come back to Rhodolite again."

Gilbert: "Ahaha, absolutely not. Not even if I conquered Rhodolite."

Emma: "How can you be so sure?"

Gilbert: "Hmm—"

Gilbert: "Secret."

(... I'm being tricked.)

Gilbert: "You can sell whatever is in the room."

Gilbert: "Most of what I have here are technical books, so it's probably not something you'd like."

(It's true…)

When I approach the bookshelf and look at the spines, I notice that much of the content is about politics, economics, history, and medicine.

Some of the history books seemed to be written in an archaic language, which showed Prince Gilbert's great ability.

Emma: "This is the room that Prince Gilbert used when you were a child, isn't it?"

Gilbert: "Yes."

Emma: "… Are these books for children?"

Gilbert: "My friend of the same age read it too."

(I can't believe it... The only person who could possibly do that is Prince Chevalier.)

Gilbert: "How do you like it?"

Emma: "I'm sure it's a lovely room, but that's not what this is about."

When I stubbornly refuse, Prince Gilbert tilts his head as if he is troubled.

Gilbert: "Then, which do you prefer, to accept or to be forcefully accepted?"

(There you go again…)

(I wonder if it's really just because it's a hassle to get rid of it.)

(If I were in the same position as Prince Gilbert, I could just order someone to clean up the room for me.)

Emma: "Are you sure? Is there anything in this room that you don't want me to see?"

Gilbert: "… I wonder."

(Maybe there really is something here!).

When I carefully look around again, I notice that something is tucked between the books.

When I gently pulled out the thing that was sticking out, it looked like a faded envelope.

The sender's name is marked "Albert."

Emma: "Um…"

Gilbert: "It's Albert."

Gilbert: "Aww… Little Bunny, now you know my secret, don't you?"

Emma: "Eh."

His hands are placed on both my shoulders from behind, and my heart races with the weight of them.

Gilbert: "In Obsidian, there is an unspoken agreement that if anyone finds out your secret, you are to kill them without question…"

Emma: "!?"

Gilbert: "That's sad."

Emma: "It's not fair! If you have such a big secret, then you shouldn't let me in this room!"

Gilbert: "Ahaha, maybe this is what I intended?"

Emma: "... To kill me?"

Gilbert: "Listen to me and do me a favor in exchange for not killing you."

The letter is taken from me, and I am forced to hold a jet-black key.

It seems that I was forced to dance as he wished in the palm of Prince Gilbert's hand.

(… Then at least…)

Emma: "Why is Albert's letter a "secret"?"

Gilbert: "Oh, you're going further than that. You're pretty brave, aren't you?"

Gilbert: "Hmmm, okay? I'll give you a special lesson, Little Rabbit."

Gilbert: "Do you know Prince Albert?"

Emma: "…! Is he your brother?"

Gilbert: "He's my brother. But not just Albert. I had four older brothers."

Prince Gilbert reinserts the letter between the books.

The way he handled it was careful, like he was handling something precious—

Gilbert: "They all died, though."

Emma: "… Oh."

—Prince Gilbert, who returned the envelope to its original place, smiled as refreshingly as the clear sky..

(They're dead…)

(There were four older brothers… all of them?)

Emma: "Was it... an accident?"

Gilbert: "If you call an accident that is intentionally caused an 'accident', it might be so."

Emma: ". . . . . ."

Gilbert: "That's what Obsidian is all about."

Prince Gilbert's smile is devoid of emotion.

There is no remembrance of the deceased, no sentimentality, just the facts spun in a straightforward manner.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Chevalier: "Do you know what another name for Obsidian is?"

Emma: "... A country of military and ores?"

Chevalier: "No… A country of deceit and corruption."

Chevalier: "Every country has its share of power-hungry fools, and Obsidian is no exception."

Chevalier: "Corruption and lies are a daily occurrence, and when you're the royal family of such a country, it's easy to imagine."

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

(… Prince Gilbert says life-threatening things every time.)

(It's not something that happens in my everyday life, but maybe in Obsidian…)

Emma: "… It's lonely."

I didn't have any deep thoughts, but that was the first emotion that came to my mind.

Gilbert: "I told you, I don't know what "lonely" means."

Gilbert: "Don't you think I killed them?"

Emma: "… Do you keep the letters of the person you killed like this?"

Gilbert: "I don't think about it."

Emma: ". . . . . ."

Gilbert: "In a locked room like this, alone with a big villain who might have killed his family... Hehe, can you cry now?"

(I can't say that Prince Gilbert is the kind of person who would do such a thing.)

(But…)

I stood there, lost for words, and Prince Gilbert held me close and put his face to my ear.

I braced myself, and he bit me as hard as he could.

Emma: "Ah…!"

Gilbert: "Oh, right... The story that all my brothers are dead is actually not made public outside the country."

Gilbert: "The death of the royal family is directly linked to the decline of national power. You got to know the secrets of the country."

Emma: "You said earlier that it wasn't a big secret!"

Gilbert: "For me, it is."

Gilbert: "It's a big problem for the country... Ah, I can't keep the little bunny alive any longer."

After my ear, his cold lips touch my neck, and he bites me again.

Though there is nothing but fear in the teeth that graze the pulsating points,

When his tongue was lapping at the sore spot, I felt another emotion that followed.

Gilbert: "Come on, you have to get out of here. Sooner or later, you might bleed out."

The opposite side of my neck is bitten in the same way and lapped with his tongue.

(Well, rather than scary, this is...)

Not only is my body trembling, but my face is also hot.

Gilbert: "Huh…"

Gilbert: "Maybe you like being bitten?"

Emma: "How is that even possible!?"

Gilbert: "But…"

He grabbed my chin and forcibly turned my face upward.

My heart jumped sharply as his blood-colored eye loomed before me.

Gilbert: "You look like you feel good."

Emma: "You're embarrassingly wrong!"

(The way he touches me is rather… naughty.)

(But I would never say that!)

I shake off his hand and somehow manage to distance myself from Prince Gilbert.

The throbbing in my neck eats away at my composure like poison.

The only relief is that Prince Gilbert, who is smiling, doesn't really intend to do anything to me.

(… I was just scared before. I don't know what's wrong with me.)

As I noticed the change in myself, I shook my head.

Then I gazed into his unwavering red eye.

Gilbert: "What's that look on your face?"

(It sounds like you're trying to scare me and mislead me…)

Emma: "I don't think you killed them."

Gilbert: "… A hunch?"

Emma: "Just a hunch…"

Emma: "If you've forgotten about loneliness... it means that you used to be lonely a lot."

Gilbert: ". . . . . ."

(Even now, he has not thrown away the letter, even though it is "secret").

Maybe it's not that he won't throw it away, but that he can't throw it away.

There are many envelopes tucked into the bookshelf, in addition to the letter I found earlier.

(Ah, I see now...)

(So you want me to have it.)

For some reason, Prince Gilbert is about to give up this room.

But he does not want to order his subordinates to get rid of it.

What you're asking of me is surely—

Emma: "… I don't have a choice. I can't take it, but as long as there's a "caretaker," I'll take it."

Emma: "Don't worry, I'll clean it regularly so it doesn't get dusty like it did earlier!"

When I said it out loud with pride, Prince Gilbert smiled bitterly for some reason.

Gilbert: "I'm reading too much into it... Well, as long as you accept it, I don't care."

Gilbert: "Now that you've accepted the job, you'll manage it for the rest of your life, right? Even if I'm gone, you'll always be in charge."

Emma: "Of course. It's a request not from an enemy prince but from a friend."

Gilbert: "Friend" is such a convenient word."

The light coming in through the window obscures Prince Gilbert's expression.

(... That's weird. There shouldn't be anything in particular, but I have a strange feeling in my chest.)

Old books, dust, and that peculiar smell that lingers faintly in the nostrils—

I can't remember what "that smell" is, even though I think I smelled it just recently.

(It's just my imagination... isn't it?)

[ownworldresident]

Side by Side Chapter 9: Renewal

Me: 'promises to post weekly' ... 'vanishes for three weeks' ... 'still loves you all I promise' now back to schedule...

Book: The Royal Romance.

Premise: With new additions to their family, King Liam and Rayne must re-evaluate their relationship dynamic.

Themes: Found family, hurt/comfort, angst, fluff, family.

Word Count: 3.2k per chapter, 18 chapters. About 60k.

Note: This story started just after TRR3 ended, and isn't related to TRH. See also Side by Side Masterlist & Master Masterlist Link

Rayne

A private balcony waited for Rayne and Liam when they arrived at the restaurant. They ordered the waiter's recommendation and their drinks were swiftly followed by a dish of local fish; Rayne made a mental note to send compliments to the chef.

Everyone was friendly, and reminded Rayne with a small pang of resignation that the only people who weren't were at the palace.

"What are you thinking?' asked Liam as she sighed.

"How refreshing it is to be here," she answered, smiling. Liam's own smile crinkled his eyes, and he seemed happy with her answer.

Their conversation was light -deliberately, Rayne thought- and as they ate she looked over the bay, pristine dark waters and lights along the marina… the simple beauty reminded her of a less complicated time, before she made that decision. Before she plunged them into this mess.

When next she looked at Liam he was watching her, a nervous half-smile on his face. They had reached a lull in their conversation, new drinks had arrived, and her meal sat comfortably in her stomach. She felt tired after the meal, and made another note to restock her vitamins. The routine was a comfort but also another boundary, a reminder. She was nearing 30 now; Liam had crossed that threshold while she was pregnant, but it didn't seem to have affected him as much as it did her. In his heart he had always known his path, with some minor deviations. Her feelings were a little more complicated.

"So, what did you need to tell me that required dinner at a restaurant and a new dress?" she smiled as she said it, but the expression faded when Liam didn’t reflect it. She reached across the table and laid a hand on his. "Liam, why are you so nervous?"

"I suppose…" Liam blinked back to the present and met her eyes. "It's significant news. I want you to know that nothing about us has to change, okay?"

Rayne swallowed. "You're scaring me. What could you have to say that would change things between us?"

Liam took a deep breath, and a smile settled on his face.

"I divorced Madeline."

For a moment, the only thing in the world were those words. Rayne stared somewhere over Liam's shoulder, transported back to the reverse of them. 'You married Madeline' had been the barrier for them for so long….

She blinked, but the next memory that surfaced was finding Liam unconscious in his office.

"Of course you did…" she said quietly, her mouth suddenly dry.

"There wasn't any other choice this time," Liam continued. "I think we both knew that."

He squeezed her hand, and brought her focus back to him.

"This will change a lot of things, but I don't want you to feel like our relationship has to be one of them. I'm not going to ask to commit to something you don't want."

He curled his hand around hers and laced their fingers together. He was warm, and steady, but there was a strain in his voice. Rayne's eyes fell on their intertwined hands, her other hand trembling in her lap.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, feeling as if a veil was tearing from the world she had constructed. Liam should have freed himself from that woman a long time ago, but he had stayed because of Rayne… she squeezed her eyes shut. "I should never have convinced you to stay married to her. If I hadn't… if I'd just…" she looked up to him again, eyes hot. "You deserved so much better."

To her surprise, he chuckled.

"It's true you are stubborn," he said, "but I'm sorry to say you aren't so much a force that I can't make my own decisions. I chose to remain in that arrangement, and to marry Madeline. Do you remember when we were on the engagement tour, and I asked if you would stay with me, even if I married her?"

Not trusting herself with a verbal response, Rayne nodded.

"Well that was selfish of me. I shouldn't have put you in that position. The fact that you said yes, emphatically at that…"

"Of course I stayed," Rayne breathed, surprised. "You were frightened when you asked me that, but that isn't the reason I stayed. I made my decision long before you were married. You know that, don't you?"

After a moment, Liam sighed, and nodded.

“That won’t stop me from feeling some guilt at the position I put you in. And so many things since then... but I wanted to come out tonight because I think you deserve a break, and Clair’s arrival helped you free up some time.” He reached across to take Rayne’s other hand, meeting her eyes a moment before continuing. “Nothing in life gives me greater pleasure than the time I spend with you and our children. My situation doesn’t change how I feel about you, and we don’t have to look tidy from the outside to be happy.” He smiled, and Rayne cursed her decision to wear make-up; in the face of Liam’s generosity, she felt tears welling again and pulled one hand back to wipe at her eyes.

The difference in Liam occurred to her then. He was usually calm and always affectionate, but this version of him was lighter, freer, without the weight of his relationship with Madeline. This version cast a dark shadow over the man she thought had been happy for the last year. Had he been happy? Or had he been struggling more under that burden than he had admitted? Had she underestimated the toll that such a division cost him?

“Rayne, are you okay?”

She had been the one to stay, to encourage him to maintain the arrangement, to pretend he was okay when he very, very clearly hadn’t been.

“I’m happy for you. I hope that… I hope…" Rayne stopped as a lump rose in her throat. She stood. Liam frowned, uncertain, watching her closely..

“I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“No, it’s just that…” she looked away from him at their surroundings. The table was beautifully set, the meal had been amazing, the view was spectacular, the night was calm, and it was just for the two of them.

“I don’t deserve this,” Rayne gestured to their surroundings, “after everything I’ve done to you, I don’t deserve any of this.” She wiped a few more tears from her eyes, trying to contain her emotion. She didn’t hear or see him stand, but when his arms came around her she fell into them. All pretence evaporated, and she was the Rayne who had cried when she had been taken from the Coronation ball; the Rayne who had cried every night at the Beaumont estate, and the first week of the engagement tour.

She fell back to a time before her skin was thick. Everything came forth, and she grasped handfuls of his shirt to hold herself up.

Liam’s arms tightened around her, and Rayne knew then that she was not okay, that she had not been okay for a long time. Too much had been ignored, and not only had she not allowed herself to really feel, but she had inflicted that on Liam.

“It’s alright,” Liam said gently. “It’s alright, I’m here.” His voice strained, and Rayne’s sobs grew louder as she shook her head and tried to answer.

“I’m - so - sorry - Liam,” she cried into his chest, and then she felt his arms shaking, his whole body shaking, and wrapped her arms around him in kind.

“It’s… it’s okay. You’re… we…” she felt him take a shaky breath. “I love you so much.”

Rayne tried to answer, but her body was overcome as she cried, and he cried, and she didn’t know how long they stood there before they ran out of tears. And then they held each other as if they hadn’t in months, and maybe they hadn’t, not like this. Eventually, she pulled back, and looked up at him. His eyes were red, and his cheeks glistened with tears. Rayne knew she must look the same sans his smile. Her makeup was smeared on his damp shirt, and the corner of her mouth curved up just a little at that.

“Sorry,” she said, biting her lip. Liam followed her gaze to his shirt, then huffed a small laugh, and pulled her close again.

“I meant what I said. I am never as happy elsewhere as I am with you and the twins, and nothing about what we have has to change.”

She nodded against him, listening to the steady pace of his heart.

“I dream about it sometimes,” she started, swallowing the lump in her throat and looking up again, “about that day at Ramsford, when I said I didn’t want to be queen.” And his expression when he had realised what she was saying.

Liam smiled now. “I know.”

“You know? How?” Even as she said it the answer occurred to her. “Do I talk in my sleep?”

“Yes.” Liam pressed his lips to her forehead and she closed her eyes at the touch. “Can I ask you something?’ He searched her eyes, and she did the same, a flutter of nerves in her chest as she tried to discern the question.

“Yes.”

“Do you regret that decision?”

There was no room in her for another emotional response.

“Yes.” Rayne wasn’t sure what his reaction would be, but to his credit he simply nodded, as if it had been inconsequential and not the biggest turning point in their relationship, and waited for her to continue. “I regret it for the pain it has caused you, and for encouraging you to stay with Madeline. I was angry, and upset, and scared, and I’m sorry. It was wrong of me.” She looked away from him, unable to meet his eyes. He had paid dearly for her decision. Liam lifted her chin to face him again.

“I didn’t mean to imply that your decision was a mistake. I only wished to know where your pain was, so I could help you.” He moved his other hand to caress her cheek, and she leant into his touch. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted, my love. To be there for you, as you have been there for me, so many times.”

The understanding of where they stood settled as they looked at each other. The night was quiet, and the only sounds were distant chatter of the diners downstairs, the gentle waves against the marina, and their own even breathing.

“I love you.” Rayne smiled and looped her arms around his neck.

“And I you.” Liam moved one hand lower on her waist, the other up to her neck, and she closed her eyes and met his lips halfway, and the world faded around them. It wasn’t deep, it was gentle and slow, and when they parted she was breathless. Liam cupped her face and ran a thumb across her cheek, then kissed her again, briefly, and leant his forehead against hers. They stayed like that, enthralled in the intensity of the moment, until Rayne’s body got the best of her, and she shivered.

Concern flitted across Liam’s face. "You're cold."

"A little."

"Let's go home."

They kept their fingers intertwined on the seat between them in the car ride home. They didn’t talk much, not much needed to be said, and Rayne spent the time reflecting on what had passed between them on that balcony.

Entering directly to the royal wing, they walked together through silent, familiar halls.

“I am very sure your friend has taken over our bed,” Liam said calmly when they reached that hallway . Rayne chuckled.

“I have no doubt she has.” She leaned against him as they walked. “Wherever shall we sleep?”

“There is always our old bed,” he replied as they reached the door to the royal suite, his own rarely used rooms. Rayne squeezed his arm.

“I’m sure Clair won’t mind caring for Leo and Evie for the night.” She winced at her own words, glancing back toward her door.

"Did you want to go and check on the twins?" Liam asked, noticing her apprehension.

"No," she answered after a moment's consideration. "I trust her." She would have to apologise for not warning Clair of this possibility. It was likely, if Rayne knew her at all, that she had assumed they would stay in Liam’s suite.

“I’m glad you feel comfortable allowing someone else to care for them,” Liam said as he reached for his door key. Rayne, however, was already holding her own.

“I didn’t realise you still carried it with you.”

“I always do.” Rayne returned his smile. It might not be regularly used, but the suite was something of a comfort for her and the twins, in a wing that wasn't entirely comfortable for her. And it smelled like Liam. "So am I," she added, to answer his earlier remark.

Once inside she locked the door and tucked the key in her dress, turning to see a grin on Liam's face that she hadn't seen in some time. He pulled her into a warm embrace, and she leant up to kiss him.

"We needed this," he murmured against her lips, then pulled back to add, "but I don't think either of us would have admitted it."

"No," Rayne said softly, leaning her head against his shoulder as he held her again. "We wouldn't have. "

Earlier in their relationship, Rayne supposed their clothes would be half on the floor by the time they reached the bedchamber. As it was, she was tired, and so was Liam. She had a feeling he was as lost in thought as she. They parted wordlessly inside the door and entered their individual walk-in wardrobes to change.

When she removed her make-up, which was a mortifying mess, and removed her dress, she smiled at the lacy underwear Clair had forced her to wear.

"Not tonight," she said to the mirror, running a hand over the scar on her abdomen, not quite as tender as it had been but still sensitive. Blinking back to focus, she switched the underwear for more comfortable pyjamas before returning to find Liam had done the same.

"What would our friends think of us?" Rayne smirked.

"Does it matter?" Liam raised an eyebrow, then closed the distance between them and swept her off the ground in a sudden burst of energy. Rayne laughed as he spun her and set her down, ending the spin with a deeper kiss and pulling her tight against him.

“I guess not,” Rayne said, smiling. “You aren’t as tired as I thought.”

“Oh I definitely am as tired as you think.” Liam brushed his nose against hers and kissed her again. “But I haven’t done that in a while and needed to make sure I still could.”

Rayne beamed at him, then held him close, closing her eyes as the small burst faded and her tiredness set in again. “Bed, please.”

“As you wish.” Liam picked her up again, more gently this time. He set her down on what had always been her side of the bed, then came around to climb under the covers as she did. Rayne curled up against him, instantly warm.

“I love you,” he whispered as he rubbed her back. Rayne smiled, and slept better than she had in a long time.

Liam

Late the next morning, Liam left Rayne sleeping to check on Evie and Leo. Clair had had them for almost twelve hours now and he rarely went that long without seeing them.

Entering Rayne’s suite, he took a moment to adjust to the dark, and froze when he saw something move on the lounge. Frowning, he flipped the light switch, and recognised the messy head of blond hair.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he demanded, not loud enough to wake the twins if by chance they were sleeping. His brother turned over with sleepy eyes, squinting at the light. He smiled as he sat and pulled off the blanket.

“Waiting for you of--” he yawned, rubbing his eyes “--of course.”

Liam sighed, shaking his head. “A likely story. Rayne’s friend? Seriously Leo? This is the reason you weren’t told when she would be here.”

“The fault is on Rayne, I’m afraid,” he rolled his shoulders back and shrugged. “Her friend is cute.”

“You better not have slept in Rayne’s bed,” he said in a warning tone. Leo chuckled.

“I would never do that, little brother. Like I said, I just wanted to see how things went with Rayne.” He frowned. “Why do you call it her bed anyway? You sleep there as well.”

Before Liam could think of an answer, Clair appeared in the doorway.

“Are you still here?” she asked Leo. Evie was in her arms, looking around the room curiously. Clair smiled at Liam before raising an amused brow toward his brother.

“Why do I have to explain myself so much? I’m a devoted older brother and I wanted to see how things went last night. Judging by that stupid grin on his face, I’d say pretty well.”

“Hmm, I don’t know.” Clair chuckled. “Jury’s out.” She carefully handed Evie to Liam when he came to take her.

“Thank you for taking care of these two,” he said, pressing a light kiss to Evie’s head and gently rubbing her back. He turned back to Leo. “I guess when Rayne wakes up you can get a second ruling.” he smiled. “And where’s your stupid grin, Leo?”

“He foolishly thought he might find it here.” Clair smirked and winked at Leo, who sighed and shook his head.

“On behalf of Rayne, myself and our bed,” said Liam, “I am very glad he didn’t.”

Leo shrugged. “As I said, only concerned about my brother.” He clapped a hand on Liam’s shoulder as he walked past, speaking quietly. “Later, okay?”

“Later.” Liam nodded.

--- ---

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[dixie12]

seabs sees the quote as soon the tweet goes up. he was following the post-game anyway, he likes to keep an eye on things, and the game was the kind of beatdown that had been rare for a long time after pat and jonny joined the team, ushering hockey back into the public perception in a big way.

brent remembered the feeling from his first few seasons, though, and sadly, from his last few, as well. it never got any easier, and he knew jonny still took it hard, even after all these years. that's why he had the google set up, so he didn't miss any depressing, self-flagellating post-game quotes like this one.

"we're mentally having a difficult time recovering," jonny had said, but brent was fluent in press conference jonny, and what he meant was "I'M having a difficult time recovering, because i'm the captain, and i should be better than this. i deserve all the boos and the criticism and more, and i promise, no matter how much the media and the fans tear me apart, i'm doing much worse to myself." and it was true. brent had seen him slumped in his stall after a game too many times, weight of the loss bearing down on his shoulders, making him look older than his years. he'd had to drag jonny out of cold showers, off of exercise bikes, away from empty hotel rooms, just to get him to unwind and start forgiving himself.

brent wondered, reading the quote again, who was doing that for jonny now. pat was the obvious choice, but he had a kid now, and that changed everything. brent knew that from experience, how much harder it got to make time for the team once there were little ones at home. he grimaced, thinking of all the times he'd walked away from jonny in his last year, his hips aching, mentally counting down games until he knew he'd have to limp away for good. and those nights, he pretended he hadn't seen jonny slip out of the locker room and back into the gym. he wished he could go back, now. there was no way he could have known what was coming: covid, the bubble, and then jonny's lost year, but everything started to fall apart so quickly, and he wishes he had those days back.

he's not ignoring it now. he dialed jonny's number, but it went to voicemail once, twice, and then jonny declined his third call, the little fucker. brent could picture it, the way jonny would be sitting at his kitchen island, still damp from his shower. he'd be sore and worn down the way you only get from playing two periods of completely futile hockey. those minutes always seemed to hit harder, leaving it all on the ice, knowing that it was all going to be for naught but doing it anyway. jonny didn't keep guilty pleasure snack food in his house, so he'd be drinking water, or a protein shake. nothing with enough sugar or salt to replete what he'd lost in the game. and then he'd stumble to bed, wake up aching and stiff and go to the rink alone to do it all over again.

fuck, seabs couldn't let him do that. jonny needed to know he had people, lots of them, who'd be there for him on a moment's notice if he'd just get over his stubbornness and fear of imposing on people and just ask. he wouldn't, though, seabs knows, so he takes matters into his own hands. a quick peek at the schedule confirms the hawks are on a homestand, and he opens expedia to look for flights. one-way, he thinks. who knows how long jonny will need him for.

[holdmeclosertinytaron]

A little catch up!!

Ahhhh it feels like forever since I've properly posted on here. I promise I'm still alive, life has just been kicking my ass this year and it's been a lot to juggle. So here's a little rundown for you all...

In January I had to have an ultrasound on my abdomen due to intermittent, excruciating pain. Turns out I have gallstones (yay!). The doctor was referring my to general surgery to discuss options which was fine.

In February I had the gallbladder pain bad and wound up bed ridden for five days after unable to eat or drink. I slept continuously for almost 24 hours and my mum was getting worried about me because I started to turn yellow. I'm talking fully minion yellow. So I ended up in A&E where I spent five of the shortest hours of my life waiting to find out what was going on. I was put on a fluids drip because I'd only had 500 ml of water in four days.

I spoke to a lovely surgeon at like 1am who was quite surprised that I knew what she was talking about (thanks Grey's Anatomy for that. You're a real one). She told me that she would like it for me to stay overnight but she knew I wanted to go home so she let me home but made me promise I would go back to the hospital the following day for an MRCP and more blood tests because some of my levels were really high.

I got a call the next day telling me that my scan had been scheduled for the following morning so to take the day to rest and that I didn't need to go in. I still wasn't eating or drinking. I wasn't hungry and I was so exhausted it was awful.

I had the scan and then I went to the surgical same day emergency care department where I had blood drawn and had to wait for an hour for results. I was finally starting to get thirsty but I couldn't have a drink of anything in case I needed emergency surgery. A doctor came to speak to me and he said I had more gallstones than they first thought but they were no longer blocking a duct like they were before so I could go home. I just had to go back again the day after for another blood test to make sure my bilirubin and haemoglobin levels had sorted themselves out. Fun.

The following day I went back and had even more blood drawn. Before this whole ordeal I was petrified of needles. Now I just give them my arm and tell them to go to town. I was allowed to drink that time so a nurse made me the worst cup of tea of my life, bless her. Not her fault, the teabags they use at the hospital aren't the ones I'm used to. That's besides the point.

Another doctor came to speak to me and asked me how I was doing. I told him I felt fine again and as though nothing had happened. He was glad I was feeling better and said as long as my levels had dropped he was happy to sign me off and let me wait for general surgery to get in touch with me.

My levels had dropped enough to go home!!

A couple of weeks later I got a letter from general surgery with an appointment for the 4th of April. Perfect. My fear of hospitals was no more because I'd been so much bad in February so off I went with my mum to this appointment with a consultant.

What a laugh that was. Throughout this whole thing, my weight hadn't been mentioned once. I had only dealt with one male doctor at this point too and that was a phone call to tell me I had gallstones. Every other doctor, nurse and surgeon I'd spoken to were women and not one of them mentioned my weight.

Now I know I'm overweight. It isn't a secret. I am fat. But to have a surgeon look at you and talk to you for fifteen minutes about your weight, while looking at your mum instead of you, that shit is awful. He didn't know why I was there. He thought I'd been rushed through from the GP for surgery asap (I thought I was getting surgery asap too).

For a whole twenty minutes he said I would need to be referred back to my GP and put on a weight loss programme otherwise I couldn't have the surgery and that waiting for surgery is dangerous because of how easily a stone can block a duct and such. He then proceeded to make it sound as if he thought I would find it difficult to cut out 'nice things'. I made him acutely aware that since I had been in the hospital, I had eaten fresh, lean meat everyday with potatoes and vegetables. I have cut out pretty much all fat from my diet and happily sat back while everyone else in the house has had chocolate.

I don't find cutting things out of my diet hard. I find it hard to be sitting in front of a man telling me that I have to go on a weight reduction programme and that it will take hard work and dedication, as though I don't know what they mean.

Said consultant sent me for even more bloods to make sure my liver function is okay which I totally get. And then he referred me back to the GP so they can refer me to this programme which could take months.

All the while I still have gallstones that could cause pain at any given time. I have no clue when I'm getting surgery so I have to live with this for however long, not knowing when it's going to strike and eating the most boring foods with no fun snacks.

It is debilitating living life not knowing when you're going to be in the worst pain of your life. I wouldn't wish gallstone/gallbladder pain on my worst enemy it is hell. It comes on suddenly with absolutely no warning and it can last anywhere from an hour to five hours. I have to sit with two hot water bottles, one on my front and one on my back, and not move. It makes me throw up, it makes me sob uncontrollably, and it makes me feel like such a failure.

So that's why I've been quiet recently. I've been dealing with lots of health things and have been spending more time trying to focus on me than anything else. HOWEVER, these past two days have been spent working tirelessly with my angel @brayndilyn to write some of the big fic coming this year. I can't wait to share it with you!! We love it and we hope you do too.

[joeburrcw]

𝐰𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 ⇢ 𝒋𝒐𝒆, 𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂, 𝒌𝒆𝒉𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒊, 𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒌, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒚𝒆.

Who: Joe Burrow, Vanessa Morgan, Kehlani, Nick Jonas, & Troye Sivan ( @vcnessamorgcn @kkehlanii @nickjcnas @troooye )

When: November 28, 2022

Where: Montego Bay, Jamaica

Plot: Joe runs into Vanessa and Kehlani in the hallway at the hotel in Montego Bay, and drama ensues.

Triggers: brief mention of anxiety

VANESSA: To say that the last couple of weeks had been confusing and a whirlwind for Vanessa would be the understatement of the year, which is saying something considering how the last several months prior had gone for her. Things had calmed down for a while until the text from Kehlani a few weeks ago set off a snowball effect that culminated in her spending the American holiday with Nick and his entire family to start and now rooming with him in Jamaica to cap it all off. If only that had been the end though. Instead, she had gone to the bar, spotting Kehlani, and made the dumb decision to walk up to them instead of leaving. Now here she was, back against the door of her own hotel room and her arms around Kehlani's neck, the two of them kissing for the first time since their breakup a couple of months ago. "You're coming in," she mumbled against their lips, not even giving them the option to say no. Only hoping that Nick was out somewhere, and it wouldn't be an awkward run in on their way to Vanessa's room in their suite. Vanessa reached down to attempt to get the key out of her pocket, fumbling the entire way since her sole focus was on Kehlani and kissing them, the key eventually falling to the ground next to them. "I missed you," she said grinning against their lips and not even hearing the footsteps beginning to approach them from down the hall. Vanessa couldn't be bothered to care about anything else except for her ex and the way it felt to have their lips on hers once again.

KEHLANI: A couple days off from tour usually had Kehlani laying low, but this break had them doing just that all the way in Montego Bay, simply because they couldn’t find it in themselves to turn down the opportunity. Normally it would be the water pulling her in, ready to bask in the sunlight, but this time it was the idea of potentially seeing their ex-girlfriend. It wasn’t promised but given that the two of them were on talking terms again, it was something they had silently been pleading for ever since they made their way into the busy bar and crossed her fingers to find Vanessa in the sea of people. By the time their wish came true, they were a couple drinks in, eager to follow her every move back to her room. The two hadn’t even made it through the door by the time they had her back against it, Kehlani pulling her close with their arms locked around her waist. The invitation inside had them smirking against her lips, craving to fill the void of the last couple months without her touch. A soft laugh escaped them as Vanessa fumbled for the key, only to drop it and let it linger on the ground. “I missed you, more than you could know,” they admitted, a pause to reach up to run their thumb along her cheek, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "More than I could even say." Another pause to kiss her. “But maybe I can show you.”

JOE: Joe was lucky enough to find a few days off from work for a mini vacation in Jamaica. It was pretty great for the most part, he got to spend a lot of alone time with his girlfriend, Madelyn, and even finding time to hang out with friends he hadn't seen in so long because of him having such a restricted work schedule. Joe was walking down the long hallway through the hotel after having just come back from the bar in the hotel to retrieve a couple of drinks for him and Madelyn back in their room. It was late at night and they'd both had a long day of traveling, getting sun, and spending a lot of time by the water and they just wanted to relax. However, Joe couldn't have predicted that relaxing was going to be last on the agenda tonight. The closer he got to his room, the more he noticed two people outside of one of the other rooms; kissing and practically all over each other. They may as well could be considered dry-humping. And it took him all of five seconds to figure out just who it was outside the door. Joe's blood was boiling. He set the drinks down on a nearby table and he marched right up to Vanessa and Kehlani without so much as a warning. "Vanessa, what the hell is this?" He exclaimed, his flexed arms crossing over his chest in a display of anger. "What happened to you having things under fucking control? This doesn't seem like you have shit under control!"

VANESSA: Vanessa was usually so cautious in every situation involving her heart, but as soon as it involved Kehlani it was like everything went out the window. Just hearing them say how much they missed her had her emotions reeling, though she was choosing to only show them physically for the moment. "Please, show me," she practically whined against her lips, submissive in a way she normally never was for anyone else. It all came to a halt when an all too familiar voice filled the hallway, Vanessa's head instantly flipping to the side and seeing Joey standing there looking more pissed than she had ever actually seen him. "Things are perfectly under control," she shrugged, not even making an attempt to pull away from Kehlani, "Just because it's not what you want me to do, doesn't mean I don't have them under control." Vanessa huffed and pulled away only slightly to bend down to grab the key, still keeping her body pressed up against Kehlani's in the process. "Go back to your room, Joey. Please. This isn't any of your business," she told him, unable to even make full eye contact with him at this point. Even if she hated the way that he tried to control her with this situation, she still couldn't bear to see the look of disappointment or care in his eyes because it would make things even more complicated for her. "Go," she told him again, reaching for Kehlani's hand to make a point to show she wasn't about to let him stop them. Now she really hoped Nick wasn't here, the last thing she needed was there to be any more drama than what she already attempting to flee from. Vanessa made a move towards the door, stumbling slightly thanks the drinks at the bar, and nearly dropped the key once again.

JOE & NICK: “You call this under control?” Joe laughed incredulously, dramatically gesturing to what Vanessa and Kehlani were currently doing. “I told you… I fucking told you I didn’t trust your judgement when it came to Kehlani and look where you are. Practically fucking each other in the goddamn hallway,” he ranted, his eyes refusing to even glance in Kehlani’s direction. All he cared about was Vanessa making reckless decisions; and clearly while not sober. “You’re kidding me right now, right? It became my goddamn business when Kehlani decided to break up with you because of me.” Joe was angry, that much was obvious. But it was coming from a place of love, and genuine worry and concern. He just didn’t want to see her go through all of this again and end up hurt… Again. The fact that Vanessa was even refusing to look his way only fueled his anger more, but his demeanor softened when he caught her stumbling. Instinctively, he took a few steps forward and swiped her petite body into his arms, then throwing her over his shoulder with ease. “I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you. You’re drunk out of your fucking mind—"

Joe’s sentence was cut short when the door to Vanessa’s room swung open, only to reveal Nick Jonas on the other side of it — the expression on his face nothing short of confused. “What the hell is going on out here?” Nick interrupted, but all either Joe and now Nick could focus on was the fact that they were now face-to-face with each other for the first time. Forget that Vanessa was literally thrown over Joe’s shoulder. They hadn’t officially met, but Joe knew Nick hated him all because he fucked Troye while they were still together, with their open relationship. “Vanessa? What is this motherfucker doing here and why is he carrying you like that?” Nick began rattling off questions, more confused than ever. “And Kehlani? I just… What the fuck? I’m so confused. And will you put Vanessa down? Jesus fucking Christ,” Nick scolded, running his fingers through his messy curls. “Must be a thing of yours to fuck everyone that I fuck, huh? Like some weird competition thing you got going on or something? Can’t just keep your dick in one place, can you, Macaulay Culkin?” As Nick ranted away, Joe just stood there in silence. He truly had no idea what to say now that they were face-to-face with one another.

KEHLANI & TROYE: To say Kehlani was left speechless was certainly an understatement. The alcohol running through their veins had things moving quickly, and suddenly it felt like time had stopped completely. One minute Vanessa was back in their arms, and the next they were dragged away by Joe — the person Kehlani didn’t have the greatest history with, given how things had ended. It was clear Joe was angry, but from a previous conversation, Kehlani’s mind knew he meant well. That he wanted the best for her, and maybe the best wasn't exactly them. Despite that, their heart was ready to battle it out, to pull Vanessa back and tell him to get lost. As she opened her mouth to speak, no words left them, lips parted just to stare at Joe and silently hope he would give it up. Once Vanessa had told him to go a second time, Kehlani had that playing on a hopeful loop, clearing their throat before finally speaking up. “You heard her, put her down and mind your business, get back to your girl and stop worrying about mine.” To say it was the alcohol talking may have been true — any other situation, they may have just turned away and called it a night… and maybe they still would have, if it were anybody else. But with Vanessa, they knew ending the night without a fight would be losing her twice. Before they could utter anything else, the door opened behind them, which had them spinning around in curiosity, swearing that Vanessa insinuated they would have the room to themselves.

“Who the fuck?” Kehlani said without much thought to their words, knowing exactly who the man in the doorway was, but how he was connected to Vanessa and why he had venom to spit at Joe was beyond them. “Oh, you’re fucking him, V? I didn’t know I was being brought back here for a threesome.” It was Kehlani’s turn to roll their eyes, turning away from the growing crowd of people only to see another familiar face strolling down the hall. Troye Sivan. Knowing the history between him and Nick, Kehlani was quick to shoot him a look, one that must’ve read as if they were in some sort of danger. Shit. Troye was making his way down the hall, back to his room after a night of catching up with friends and putting his mind towards any sort of distraction that presented itself to him. Once he was nearly to his suite, he saw Joe holding onto a brunette, who he couldn't quite make out, while another looked at him in a way that called for help. “Hey, is she okay?” Troye said, sprinting forward, pointing to Vanessa who was still in Joe’s arms, a grip the quarterback still had on her likely just to tick Nick off. “Do you need me to call some—“ Troye asked as he approached Kehlani, Joe, and Vanessa, his words cut short as he turned to the doorway to look at Kehlani, who had been the first to make eye contact with him, only to see his ex-boyfriend, Nick, standing behind her.

VANESSA: "I do call it under control, because it's my fucking choice." Vanessa just rolled her eyes with every word that left Joey's mouth, getting more agitated by the minute until she was suddenly scooped up into his arms and over his shoulder. It took her a second to really understand where she was after it all happened so fast, but suddenly she was looking at his back and could only see Kehlani if she strained her neck enough. "Put me down, Joey!" she yelled, shoving at his back to attempt to get some kind of leverage against him. It was of no use though, his strength outmatched hers a million times over and she was stuck dangling there, just listening to the pissing match happening between Nick and Joey. "Can everyone shut the hell up about fucking me?!" she groaned, still trying to wiggle free of Joey and then looked up at Kehlani, "Please, like I could ever have a threesome with you. I'd kill anyone who tried to touch you." As if things couldn't get any more insane and annoying, suddenly Troye was there, and Vanessa felt bad that now he was somehow being dragged into everything. "Yes, please call someone to make this asshole put me down," she said, hoping he hadn't heard the comments about her and Nick. Vanessa used the distraction of Troye and Nick to her advantage, finally able to connect her foot to the wall enough to push herself into falling out of Joey's grasp to the floor. "Ouch. You're too fucking tall," she groaned in pain, taking a minute to get up and then looking at all the faces surrounding her. This couldn't be more awkward or annoying if someone had planned it. "Are you two done having a whose dick is bigger contest so I can get back to my night?" she asked, looking between Joey and Nick. Vanessa ran a hand through her now extremely messy hair and moved to stand right back next to Kehlani, arms crossing over chest in defiance of Joey and everything else happening between the five of them. "You're not stopping this, Joey. I may be drunk right now, but I was sober when I texted Lani that I missed them the other night and I was sober when I made the choice to go up to them in the bar knowing how it would likely end."

JOE & NICK: Joe ignored Vanessa pleas to let her down, though, the little bit of strength she did have wasn't any match for his, so it didn't bother him all that much. "First of all," Joe motioned towards Kehlani, taking a deep breath and letting go of it slowly. "Don't order me around like you fucking know me. And Vanessa is not your girl. You lost that right when you broke up with her for no good reason." He then finally worked up the courage to face Nick, unsure of what he really wanted to say. He knew he'd be walking a thin line with him, but did it really even matter at this point? Everyone was already fighting with each other, so it seemed like no use now. "And Nick, you have no fucking reason to be jealous over me when all your boyfriend and I did was fuck one time. It meant nothing to either of us. I don't understand why you get so worked up over me, but it's fucking embarrassing and I'd appreciate it if you left me alone." Right when Joe finished speaking, Vanessa somehow managed to work her way out of his grip and ended up falling to the floor with a loud thud. "Jesus fucking Christ, Vanessa. Why in the hell would you do that?" He immediately went to go help her up, but she was already getting up on her own accord and moving quickly to stand next to Kehlani. Placing his hands on his hips, Joe let out a defeated laugh that came out in sort of a bitter way. "You know what? I don't care anymore. Do what you want, Vanessa. But I'm not going to be there for you this time when you get hurt again. I tried to help you, tried to protect you as best as I could, but that's clearly not ever going to be enough. Don't talk to me anymore." And without so much as a glance at Vanessa or even the other three people, he shoved his way through them and walked down the hall, storming into his own room.

Nick just stood, emotionless, while he listened to Joe and Vanessa bicker back and forth with each other. He hadn't realized just how close she was with him, and he could see how much it was affecting the both of them. "Well, thank God he's finally gone," Nick chuckled, but stopped short when he heard the familiar voice of his ex-boyfriend somewhere in the hall. He instantly froze, not knowing what to do or what to say. He swallowed back a thick knot that had formed in his throat and that's when he finally made eye contact with Troye. Though, neither men said a word to each other. It was the first time they had seen each other since they ended things and they were both startled by each other’s presence, rightfully so. "Uh... I—I'll just go," Nick stumbled over his words, it being the only thing he could manage to muster after a long and dreadful silence. He shut the heavy hotel door as fast as he could, leaving everyone else to fix the situation on their own. He would've invited Vanessa back in the room, so that he could help her calm down, but he figured Kehlani probably had that under control.

KEHLANI & TROYE: Kehlani couldn’t let the liquid courage allow them to blow up at Joe, no matter how much she had words at the tip of their tongue they would love to spew at him. They had to keep it civil, or at least a little bit, given the last thing they wanted to do was upset Vanessa once more. “Don’t order you around? If I remember right, you first came up to me a couple weeks ago,” they started, pointing fingers from themself to Joe for exaggeration, “And while you have every right to tell me off, you can’t tell me how to live my life either, and you certainly can’t tell Vanessa what to do when it comes to me.” By this time, Vanessa had taken a leap from Joe’s arms, had fallen to the ground, and nearly got herself up again before Kehlani could even register their next thought. Words were being thrown amongst each other a mile a minute, and now their attention was on Nick, who was in the doorway seemingly saying the least. They gave him an apologetic look, as if to say they were sorry for bringing the commotion right in front of his room. As Joe walked away, Kehlani was careful to turn their full attention to Vanessa, looking to see how she reacted to his words in that moment. By now, they had forgotten Troye had stepped into the scene, looking absolutely clueless.

As Joe left with nothing more to say to Vanessa, his protection and guidance now seemingly out the window, Troye couldn’t help but feel bad for the both of them. He had clearly walked into something he knew nothing about, but what he did know was that Nick didn’t seem to want to see him around that corner. He shut the door as quick as Troye had caught a glimpse of him, leaving him with no chance to speak. No chance to check in. And certainly, he had no right to pick up the key that taunted him right on the floorboard by his feet and barge in. Part of him almost wanted to turn away, to see if Joe needed anyone, to see if he could wipe his mind with anything but the startled look on Nick’s face as he saw him. How it was such a contrast to the normal smile he’d typically see from him as they locked eyes. He sighed, turning to face Kehlani and Vanessa who stood like they were frozen. Like nobody could believe the interactions that just happened, how everyone found each other like magnets and then exploded like ticking time bombs in the hallway. Only for Troye to be next to detonate, thanks to the drinks he’d thrown back himself. “And about the whose dick is bigger contest,” Troye started, voice much louder than before as he leaned against the door of Nick’s room — “I think we know Joe’s the fucking winner. Have a good night, everyone.”

VANESSA: "And I'm not your girl either, Joey," Vanessa responded to him quickly, "I'm not anyone's girl but my own, so I can make my own damn choices. And that choice is Lani." To say she was over all the petty drama happening around them right now would be an understatement, now that she was standing next to Kehlani and watching the boys go back and forth, she was ready for everyone to shut up. It wasn't until Joey's parting words that Vanessa really felt the sting of anything he said, her body physically reacting and curling in on itself as he started to walk away. "Only a real piece of shit friend would do that, Joe," she practically spat his name, not using the nickname she always called him, "Guess that's the difference between us, I'd never turn my back on you no matter how much I disagreed with a choice you made. Enjoy your night, asshole." Now she was not only angry, but hurt on top of it all, and it wasn't until the focus seemed to fall directly on Troye and Nick that she was snapped out of her own emotions. She felt incredibly guilty that the two of them had been dragged into this, and that she had to see the look of hurt on both of their faces. At least until Troye's next comment, which caught her completely off guard and just shrugged off. "At least Nick actually knows what to do with his," she spoke loudly, trying to make sure her voice carried down the hallway to wherever Joey was, "Have a good night, Troye. Sorry you got dragged into this mess." Vanessa finally picked the key up off the floor and turned to look at Kehlani, giving them an apologetic look as well followed by a pout. "Please tell me you're still coming in," she softly asked, using the key to open the door. Though Vanessa wanted to focus her attention on Kehlani from that point forward, she immediately went to go find Nick and check up on him, offering him the same look she had to both Troye and Lani. "I'm sorry about all of that, Nick. If people knew how to mind their own damn business, none of that would have happened. I know you probably just want space for tonight, so I'll check on you tomorrow, okay?"

NICK: As soon as Nick shut the door behind him, he leaned up against the surface and tried to calm his anxiety the best he could as it creeped up on him. Seeing Troye here was not on his agenda. He figured they'd probably run into each other at some point, that was a given. But not so soon after their breakup. He didn't really want to turn his back on Troye, but he truthfully didn't know what to say. Even after they'd been texting for some time. Seeing each other in person was completely different and he didn't really know how to feel. He continued to stand there and listen to everything going on outside the door, but that only proved to be a mistake because of what he heard Troye say next. He almost wanted to laugh at Vanessa's comment to him, but not a sound came out of him. The only thing he felt was hurt. Why would Troye purposely say something to upset him? He shook his head in disbelief as he fought back tears and pushed himself away from the door, walking back over to the bed in the middle of the room where he'd previously been before he was so rudely interrupted by the drama going on outside. But before Nick could even lay back down, he was practically startled by the door opening, turning around to see who it was and thanking God it was only Vanessa. He turned to the side and tried to hide the fact that he was wiping away tears that eventually fell, then shook it off as best as he could. "It's fine. It's not your fault," Nick said quietly. "I'll be fine, you don't need to check on me. And I don't want to insert myself into anything, and I know I haven't exactly been the nicest to Joe because of his history with Troye, but... Go easy on him. I've seen that look before in him, in other people, and I know he's only doing it because he cares about you a lot. I'm sure it's not easy seeing someone he loves and cares about going through something, especially if you got hurt. Kehlani's a good friend of mine and I have nothing but nice things to say about them, but... Just be careful, okay? I care about you, too. Outside of the sex," he said with a genuine tone. "Now, go. Get out of here and go have enough fun for the both of us."

KEHLANI: Kehlani kept their stance near Vanessa, close to the door, as if it was some way to protect Troye from doing something foolish and crashing on through. However, before they could even exchange their goodbyes, he was already down the hall with nothing left to add to the conversation. They knew it was for the best, thankful the crowd had dwindled back down to just the two of them and Nick beyond the closed doors. As Vanessa offered her a pout and asked them to come inside, despite everything, they knew they couldn’t let her down. They had made it this far. Although it wouldn't please Joe, there was no turning back. Kehlani was already too far gone with the idea of their day ending with their arms wrapped up in their ex. With a nod of their head, they followed in behind her as she entered the room, giving her space contrary to how things first began, pressed up against one another in the hallway. They wanted to give them the opportunity to check on Nick, to make sure everything on his end was as mended as it could be. Knowing Vanessa was still shaken up herself, she and Nick may have needed that moment together, for Kehlani to keep their distance on the other side of the suite, soon to be in exchange for an entire night of Vanessa letting them back in… even if it was only for the night.

VANESSA: Vanessa wasn't entirely sure what type of reaction to expect from Nick, even with all the time they had spent with each other this year, there was still a lot they didn't know about each other. Making situations like these one of those that were pretty wide open for what direction it could go in, but she was grateful when it seemed there would be no drama between the two of them. "Still, I didn't want anyone else to get involved, so I'm really sorry," she said before shaking her head almost instantly, "Don't defend him, not with the way he just treated me all because he refuses to let me make my own decisions. I know he cares, I never doubted that, but he had no right to treat me like that." Vanessa sighed, running a hand through her hair and nodding her head. "I'm being careful, I promise. I'm doing what I want to do, something I thought about while sober. But thank you, for caring and for not trying to stop me," she smiled softly, leaning over to press a quick kiss to his cheek. A friendly gesture, despite all the things that had happened between them over the last week being the complete opposite of just friendly. "Get some rest, Nick. And maybe sleep with the tv on," she winked with a laugh, before finally leaving his room. Vanessa walked out to find Kehlani, dragging her ex to her own room and not spending another second thinking about all the drama that went down tonight. For now, she was only focused on Kehlani and the two of them together, the rest could wait until tomorrow. And all the days it would likely last after that.

[lgchyoseop]

why does the past follow me

“forgetting exactly what you should remember”

...

tw: mentions of eating disorder, eating disordered thoughts

         he was sixteen then, it’d been six years, there was no reason for the past to still haunt him till this day, not when it had been so long. there was no good reason for it to still hurt him, for him to still think about it, she was gone, it was just a bad memory from the past. 

he’d been rather busy lately, a schedule much more packed than what he usually had. there was future dreams, the bootcamp, variety shows, apparently being a trainee at legacy included much more than just the usual training. it was not like the male was famous, his face was out there in the public, but he would still say he was far from being famous, he’d gotten recognized a few times, emphasis on the few. his mom lived far away, so he couldn’t just see her every day, and though his dad lived much closer, his dad was a successful and popular model, both of their schedules were often filled. at last though, the two males had finally found time to be with each other, both of them wearing a cap and mask, just to make sure not to get recognized, this was a father-son day after all, and they didn’t get a lot of those. they were on their way to ice-skate, miso talking lots, there was a lot of ‘gossip’ to catch up on. as they walk though, hyoseop stops as he feels a bit dizzy, there goes a few seconds before miso stops, he looks at the younger “are you fine?”. with a smile on his lips, hyoseop nods before taking the next step.

he faints.

waking up in the hospital wasn’t something he’d done in a while. after opening his eyes there doesn't go much more than a second before his father is over him, removing his own face-mask quickly, and it’s easy to tell the worry in his eyes. “what happened?” the younger male asks, “you fainted” is the response, and hyoseop has his guesses to why he fainted, but no answer does he wish to share with his dad. “the doctors said something about drinking too much water and eating too little food” but of course, the doctors were quicker than hyoseop himself, not a fair race when hyoseop was out of it while they weren’t. “i thought you were eating well? whenever i text you i ask if you’re eating well and you tell me yes―” “i am eating well, i promise” “why promise something, when there’s clear evidence you’re not speaking the truth?!” there’s a hidden anger in that voice. “go it through with me, what do you usually eat in a day?” “dad i―” “go it through with me!” deep breath. “what do you usually eat for breakfast?” “oatmeal i guess..” “okay, and lunch?” “i skip lunch” sigh. “dinner?” “chicken and vegetables” “and what else?” “that’s what i usually eat… chicken and vegetables every time” besides the time he doesn’t eat chicken and just sticks to the vegetables… “and for snacks?” “i don’t have snacks” silence. “you eat two meals a day, and nothing else? how are you expecting to live that way!” his tone becomes high, hyoseop looks at him “sorry, i’ll speak quieter”. “i have looks to maintain, i can’t eat things that are unhealthy, if i want to see progress with working out, i must think of what i eat too” “but that’s it! you barely eat!”.

“ah excuse me?” they both look at the owner of the voice quickly, “we’d like to keep hyoseop for at least until tomorrow” it’s a nurse, or doctor, or whatever. “he’ll stay here as long as he needs” hyoseop’s look turns to his dad, “i’ll be going home today”. “ah but… we wouldn’t recommend that” “you’re staying here!” “i’m an adult, you don’t get to make that choice” and out he swings his legs, ready to already leave. “why can’t you stay? just until you’re better” the anger is gone, it’s more sadness or maybe confusion now. “i’m fine, and besides, i have to return, i don’t wish to tell legacy i won’t be there for reasons that are dumb, i have things to do beside laying in a bed” like working out. 

six years, and the things she’d told him then was still haunting him, no matter how much he denied it. 

“you should really think about what you’re eating”

“it’ll be easier getting a job if you’re pretty”

“it’s not just important that it is healthy, it should look healthy too”

what is he, if he’s not handsome and fit? he lacks in every skill, he can’t lack in this too.

[xiubaek-13]

The Busiest Night Manager in Seoul - Part 2

Part of the Crimson Aurora Hotel & Spa collaboration

Genre: Hotel AU, eventual smut.

Pairing: Night Manager Baekhyun x Hotel Guest Reader, Head of Security Lee Jihoon x Hotel Guest Reader

Word Count: 10,230

Warnings: More terrible Christmas themed innuendo, roleplay if you squint, effects of drink spiking, lots of sexual tension, alcohol use, smut.

A/N: Remember last time when I said I was breaking the fic up so that I didn't drop a 15k monster on you? Well my finger slipped and now you get 10k. There is still Part 3 to come! Whoops! I hope you enjoy this.

The downside of the plan you’d formulated was the complete obliteration of your normal sleep schedule. Messing with the night manager kind of relied on you being awake… at night. The more days that passed, the later you stayed up. You knew you were in for a hell of an adjustment back to reality once the end of the week came and you had to return home, but for now, you were free to make poor decisions in regards to your sleep.

You’d frequented the bar, making note of how there were actually a few staff members around until midnight. After that, it was just Baekhyun and his many disguises. It confused you how you seemed to be the only person who noticed that the man at the front desk, the bar, the piano, room service and waiting tables were all the same person. To you it was blindingly obvious but he did it with such speed and charm that if you weren’t noticing him, then maybe you’d never pick up on the ruse. The real question was why were there no other staff? Why was he all alone during such an incredibly busy time of year? Wasn’t this hotel meant to be swanky? 

Your phone chimed, notifying you that it was almost 10pm which meant that his shift would be starting soon. You weren’t sure what game you were playing at but you felt a pull to him and you hadn’t noticed him flirting with anyone else. So, on your third night at the hotel, you decided to test the waters. You were going to stay up late and see if you couldn’t get him to talk. Also, you needed to make another guess about his favourite ornament. Last night you’d left a napkin at the front desk with your guess on it, figuring he’d know what you meant. When you woke up this morning there was a reply waiting for you at the front desk which simply said guess again. 

It was Christmas in July Eve, if that was even a thing, which meant that the hotel was busy. You stood in front of the tree in the lobby and stared at the ornaments as guests and staff rushed past you. You had three more nights to guess the correct ornament and more than the promise of free drinks, you just wanted to get the right answer. You didn’t think it would be one of the baubles. It had to be one of the odd ornaments, the kind that were only classified as a Christmas decoration because they had a Santa hat on or something trivial like that. You moved closer, slowly making your way around the tree. 

“You’re getting warmer.” His playful voice sounded from behind you. 

You smiled as you heard him speak. Something about his voice was so warm and inviting. You still hadn’t shaken the feeling that you knew him from somewhere. You were pretty sure you’d remember that face if you’d seen it before but you had this strange sense of deja vu every time you laid eyes on him.  Not wanting to appear too happy to see him lest you give up your ruse, you placed your hands on your hips and huffed as you turned to face him. “I don’t recall asking for any hints.” 

He chuckled softly at your response. “Good evening to you too.” He glanced at the tree, scanning it to make sure his favourite ornament was indeed still there. “How was your day?”

You hummed as you followed the spots of the tree where his gaze had lingered, making note of the ornaments in those areas, hoping he wasn’t successfully tricking you. “Tedious if I’m honest.” You replied. 

He frowned slightly. “Why so? Aren’t you on holiday?”

“I am, but it was a reward from work so it included a one day conference, which was today. Let’s just say I’m not sure this trip was a reward anymore. I think it was a punishment with a 2 day buffer on either side to soften the blow.” You were complaining. About your all expenses free trip because for six hours of your day you’d been stuck in a conference with people who were passionate about selling insurance, and all of the ways to convince clients to sign up for extras. You hated it. You sold their insurance, yes, but you sold it when you were approached by clients. You never tried to give them more than what they needed. You really didn’t believe in ripping people off and in your town, this had resulted in everyone coming to you for their insurance needs because they knew you weren’t going to do exactly what every person in today’s conference was trying to do. 

Baekhyun sucked in a breath. “That bad huh?”  You nodded, a small pout forming on your face. “What do you do for work?” He asked.

You sighed. You hated the look you got whenever you told someone you were an insurance salesperson. It was always as though you’d just ruined a perfectly good interaction. “I work for an insurance company as a salesperson.” You replied.

“I used to work for a bank.” He replied, a small grin ghosting his features. “You can look less scared of me judging you harshly now.” He chuckled. “Business meetings are rarely enjoyable. There’s always those corporate lapdogs who descend upon us mere mortals to instruct you on how to make more money for the company at the expense of the little guy.” 

“Exactly!” You said a little too loudly. The echo of your voice startled you which only made Baekhyun laugh. “I’m not that by the way, I just work in a small town and because I don’t follow what the higher ups try to push on us, I have more sales. Go figure.” 

“I’m glad you aren’t a slimy sales rep, I’d have to stop speaking to you if you were.” He grinned. Before you could reply to that jab he once again glanced at the tree. “Have you got a guess for me? I’ll be run off my feet once the staff who are kindly working overtime go home so it’s probably best if you guess now.”

“Tell me one thing.” You started.

“I thought you didn’t want hints.” He smirked.

“I never said that. I just hadn’t asked until now.” He shook his head as he laughed. “Is the ornament somewhere I can see it? Like it’s not up near the top of the tree or anything like that is it?” You asked.

He shook his head. “No, it’s somewhere where I can easily spot it every day.”

You pondered his words as you took one more lap around the tree. You were conscious of the fact that Baekhyun was following you as you walked.  You stopped in front of an ornament you’d spotted the previous night. It was at the front of the tree so it was visible from most of the lobby area as well as if you were to walk past the tree. It was cute, and only just Christmassy enough to be acceptable as an ornament. “This one.” You said as you pointed at the small corgi who was holding a snow globe in its mouth. The small figure had a wrapped gift and a candy cane next to it but the focus was the expressive corgi.

Baekhyun stood right behind you, just far enough back that it could be passed off as professional and that he was simply explaining an ornament to you but you could feel the space between your two bodies. You just knew that if you took one step backwards you’d bump into his chest. You face heated up at the closeness and you were glad he couldn’t see the effect he was currently having on you. There was just something about this man. “Ah Mongryong, that adorable rascal. His happy little face just makes my day.” His voice was low as he spoke, still cheerful but only loud enough for you to hear. “One drink voucher coming right up.” You knew the exact moment he stepped away from you, the closeness of him vanishing, and you released a breath that you hadn’t realised you’d been holding in. 

It didn’t take long for Baekhyun to return with your drink voucher. You could see staff members beginning to dissipate and head home for the night which meant your time with Baekhyun was probably over for the night. You’d still see him and talk to him, you were sure of that, but he’d refuse to admit it was him as he played his various roles. “It’s a pity.” You said as he handed you the voucher.

He tilted his head in question. “What’s a pity?”

You sighed dramatically. “It’s a pity that you have to work. I’d ask you to have a drink with me otherwise.” You smirked. “I hear your bartender makes an excellent cocktail.” 

He stared at you, as though he wasn’t quite sure how to respond. “That is a pity, truth be told. However, I’m sure our resident bartender Taemin will keep you company. His specialty is a Love Me Right.”

“I’ve never heard of that one before.” You replied.

He shrugged. “Well this is a classy establishment so we had to change the name.”  

“What was it before?” You asked.

A knowing smirk appeared on his face. “Something far more explicit.”

“Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to deduce it myself?” 

Baekhyun moved closer to you, a move that to you felt like it was in slow motion. He was so close to you, you could smell his cologne, could feel the heat radiating between your two bodies. You were just two people standing close together to an outsiders gaze but in your small sexual tension filled bubble there was a whole lot more going on. Surely he could feel this electric pulse that moved between the two of you. Surely that wasn’t just you. His tongue darted out to wet his lower lip as he leaned down to whisper in your ear. “Lick her Right.” 

Then he was gone. Whisked away to perform his job. You just stood there in front of the tree and tried to collect your thoughts from the depths of sin that they had rapidly descended to. You didn’t go directly to the bar. That felt desperate after what had just conspired between you and Baekhyun. Especially since you both knew that he was the bartender in question. 

Instead you took a walk around the grounds to cool your head. The hotel was thoroughly decorated and you kept hearing parents telling their children that Santa might even make an appearance. Your thoughts drifted back to the Night Manager. You planned to spend time away from your room tonight but you also didn’t want him to think that he was the sole reason for you being out of your room at this hour (even if that was mostly the truth of the matter. Apparently you were that person now). He intrigued you. You enjoyed the albeit short conversations you’d had with him, the flirting was fun, plus it didn’t hurt that he was very, very attractive. And now all you could think of was that damn drink and its double meaning.

***

You were watching  Baekhyun Chanyeol play piano as renowned jazz singer Zhang Yixing performed an impromptu set, a mixture of his songs and Christmas carols. The singer was surprised when the pianist had announced that he had agreed to do a small set for the very special occasion that was Christmas in July. The woman he was seated with had an expression on her face of confusion and annoyance. Though once Yixing began to sing her face lost any negative emotions and pure unfiltered adoration replaced it.

You were surprised at how adept at piano  Baekhyun was and how well his playing, and occasional vocal harmonies, complemented Yixing’s voice. Between the two of them they held the room in the palms of their hands. It was as though they had cast a spell on their audience as all noise ceased to exist outside of the music being performed. Even children stopped to sit in silence as they were bewitched by the two men on the small stage.  Baekhyun Chanyeol had donned a black velvet jacket with tails and white gloves, completing the look with a santa hat to hide most of his hair. No one seemed to notice that the bar was left unattended for the twenty minutes that they played. 

Applause broke out the moment they concluded their set,  Baekhyun Chanyeol bowing then quietly disappearing while the crowd praised Yixing’s voice and thanked him for the very intimate performance. By the time you turned your attention from the scene in front of you,  Baekhyun Taemin was back at the bar chatting about whiskeys with a couple of men. He was fast on his feet, you had to give him that.

So far you’d seen Baekhyun fulfil three roles, night manager, bartender and pianist. How many more could he possibly manage?

***

“How long have you been a bartender?” You asked. 

“Hmm” He pondered, mentally calculating the years in his mind. “About 5 years I think.”

You wondered if anything Baekhyun Taemin said was true or if it was all made up for this character. It was feasible that he had worked as a bartender before, that much was easy enough to deduce just from watching him work. He had an easy smile and effortless way of making anyone who walked up to the bar calm. He could pull off the flourishes that you’d only seen cocktail bartenders in movies do. He gave the guest in front of him his full attention, smiling warmly once he finished their order. You were enamoured. 

“What is your best cocktail?” You asked.

He chuckled as he cleaned a glass, putting it away before repeating the action with the next one. “Define best. Best looking, best tasting, best at getting you blackout drunk? So many options.”

You smiled. “You’re the bartender, how about the best cocktail for me?” His fingers tapped the counter as he stared at you, assessing you. 

“For you. Ah but what if you judge me harshly off what I select for you? How could I live with myself?” He said dramatically.

“I’ve been at this bar a few nights in a row now.” You said as you swirled your straw through the last remnants of your drink. “You know my taste in drinks by now and you’d also have some idea of me as a person unless you are the worst bartender in history.” 

He stared at you for a few more moments, his eyes laser focused on you. Then without uttering a word he began to mix a drink. You couldn’t work out what he was making, it wasn’t too intricate but he made sure to conceal the ingredients from you. The only thing you were certain of was that there were apples in it because you saw him put the fruit through the juicer. 

To your surprise he placed two drinks in front of you. One was in a short glass, a cloudy green colour with something coating the rim of the glass. The other was in a hurricane glass and was a mixture of white and pink colours with two cherries as a garnish. “Are both of these for me?” You asked.

He nodded. “I think they represent you well. At least, the parts of you that I’ve gotten to know this week.” He slid the green drink towards you. “This is an Apple Pie. It’s tequila mixed with fresh apple juice with a small amount of cinnamon dusting the rim of the glass. It barely tastes like alcohol but it is potent. It’s an intriguing drink that makes you come back for more because it’s sweet like a dessert but a little tart as well. It’s easy to have until it hits you like a truck. It’s subtle and gets under your skin.” You hung off every word, even when some of those words could be misconstrued as insults. You lifted the glass to your lips and took a sip. The cinnamon and apple complemented each other so well that you never even tasted the tequila. It was delectable, you couldn’t fault him on that. Not too sweet, but not too sour either. A perfect balance.

He slid the second drink towards you. “This is a Pickled Tink. It's an odd concoction of raspberry vodka, pina colada and strawberries. It is sweet, unsuspecting, creamy, and gives the feeling of escapism. It looks relatively easy to read but there’s an underlying alluring quality about it.” The coy yet suggestive smile on his face made you feel like you were blushing as he described the drink. You took a sip through the straw and were gobsmacked. You were expecting more of a pineapple taste due to the pina colada mix but it was like drinking strawberries and cream with a little kick at the end to remind you that there was indeed vodka in it. Both of the drinks he’d made were ones you were adding to your list of cocktails that you absolutely loved. You weren’t really focused on how well they represented you but more how well they fit your taste. If you focused too heavily on his descriptions of the cocktails then you’d have to process the fact that he alluded to you being under his skin, alluring, intriguing as well as unsubtle, a tart and potent. Those were descriptors to unpack another night. 

“They are both wonderful and dangerously easy to drink.” He laughed at you as you took another sip of each.

“I don’t recommend mixing them unless you want to be sick so I’d just pick one and stick with it.” He glanced down the bar as guests approached. “I’ll return shortly to see which drink is the victor.” You watched as he chatted with guests, flirting playfully with some of the women which kept them at the bar spending money. He brushed off their advances with ease, not hurting their feelings but ensuring that they were aware that whatever it was that they were hoping would happen, it would not be. The rejection was so smooth that they kept returning for the banter. He had this knack for making a person feel heard and seen. You couldn’t blame them for trying.  Baekhyun Taemin was incredibly attractive. He fell somewhere between boy next door handsome and bad boy you know you shouldn’t get involved with even if you knew the sex would be worth it handsome and that was a deadly mix. The silver hair and eyeliner didn’t hurt either. For a fleeting moment you wondered what the real Taemin was like. That train of thought was interrupted by someone approaching you.  

***

“Ma’am are you ok?” A stern but concerned voice sounded above you.

Your response was immediate. “I’m fine. Please don’t call me ma’am either.” 

He sighed. “Ok then random lady who can’t get up off the floor, are you sure you’re fine?”

You were on the floor? Why were you on the floor and why was said floor concrete? Rather than attempting to focus on your surroundings you instead took umbrage with how he referred to you. “Random lady?”

He replied in a tone that suggested he was growing tired of the discussion about how to address you. Like that wasn’t the important thing to be focusing on. “I don’t know your name, hence the use of ma’am earlier.”

Well fair, the stranger had a point. You tried to stand but your ankle screamed in pain as soon as you put pressure on it. What had you done? The last thing you remembered was sitting at the bar in the hotel. You hadn’t even had that many drinks. “You’re not fine.” He said matter of factly. “Let me help.”

Strong arms helped you up to a standing position, he placed your arm over his shoulder as he supported your weight easily. It dawned on you at that moment that this man was a stranger and that you should probably be a bit more concerned about the fact that you were outside in a poorly lit area with a strange man who was easily stronger than you. “Who are you?” You asked, struggling to remain focused on anything other than the feeling of pain radiating from your ankle and the fuzz coating your brain.

“I figured the uniform would have given it away but I forgot how many drinks you’d had.” He saw the look of fear and confusion on your face and quickly corrected himself. “I’m Jihoon. I work security for the hotel.” He used his free arm to hold up his ID badge. “I was scanning the cameras, doing my job to keep an eye out for anyone in trouble or anyone who looked like they were going to cause trouble when I spotted you at the bar.” He stated.

“How flattering yet still creepy Jihoon.” You mumbled.

He scoffed. “Well not you, more I watched you because you were the perfect mark. Alone and easily distracted, not a smart mix on a busy night where everyone is absorbed in their own festivities. I kept an eye on you and sure enough I caught what you missed.”

“What did I miss?” This was probably important. You should probably pay attention to this. But your brain was tired of dealing with everything. So you leaned into Jihoon’s side, your mind drifting to the feeling of his body next to yours.

He repositioned himself to adjust to supporting more of your weight. You weren’t heavy but the weight was unbalanced. His tone became softer as he spoke. “The guy who approached you, who seemed less than willing to leave. Used lots of hand gestures to distract you from the fact that he slipped something into your drink. It’s not about you, it is my job to ensure the safety of our guests and correct me if I’m wrong but having your drink spiked generally compromises one's safety.” 

You gripped his shirt as the realisation came crashing down on you, the fog over your brain alleviated for a moment. “What, I’ve been drugged?!”

“Yes, I don’t know what he laced your drink with though.” He started to slowly help you walk back towards the lobby of the hotel. “I had another member of my team watch the cameras while I went to deal with the person who sees no problem with spiking drinks - he is in police custody now by the way. Then I came to find you.” 

The shock of what could have happened to you started to set in and you started to cry. Jihoon stopped to try and comfort you, rubbing your shoulder softly. “Hey, no, you’re ok. Let me get you back to your room and I’ll have someone come and check on you.” You were too lost in your thoughts to really hear him. You remembered a guy approaching you at the bar, offering to buy you a drink but you’d politely refused. He’d seemed fine with that and only stuck around for a few minutes of conversation. He did have a habit of talking expressively with his hands but you’d been distracted. You’d half listened to him and half watched  Baekhyun Taemin as he kept glancing over at you to make sure you were ok. Then the next memory is when Jihoon found you. You were injured, had the man done anything to you? What if he had? The fear of how vulnerable you were was overtaking you. Jihoon shook you to bring you back out of your thoughts. “Hey, don’t do that.”

“What?” You choked out.

“Fall deep into the realm of what ifs. Let me tell you this much, you were drugged but we got to him before anything happened to you. I know the thoughts will play on your mind about what would have happened if we didn’t but I can assure you that I’m exceptional at my job and my team were hand picked by me. We do not miss. Your ankle is injured because when that creep tried to tell me that you were his girlfriend and I didn’t believe him, he let go of you and you fell. He let go of you to try and fight me,” Jihoon smirked. “But he underestimated my skills. He’s got a cracked rib and a broken nose but he brought that on himself.” He pulled out a small packet of tissues and handed them to you. “I cannot apologise enough for the fact that that piece of shit was even inside of this hotel.” You were in no state to chat, quietly wiping your tears and taking deep breaths to calm yourself. Your body moved on autopilot as Jihoon guided you through the lobby and to the elevators.

Jihoon got you back to your room and onto your bed before he radioed down to the front desk to request a doctor to assess your injuries as well as the effects of the drink spiking. “The doctor will be up soon. I also ordered some room service for you, courtesy of the hotel of course, but food can only help as far as I’m concerned. Do you want me to stay with you until they arrive?”

You shook your head. You’d calmed down considerably once reaching the safety of your room. You were doing your best to not dwell on the terrifying possibilities that could have taken place this evening if it weren’t for Jihoon and his team. “I’m very grateful for all that you’ve done for me Jihoon but I think I need a few minutes to myself to process.” 

He nodded and gestured at your ankle. “Just doing my job but you are welcome all the same. I’ll let room service know to knock then enter with your food and I’ll have the front desk escort the doctor to your room so they can let them in.”

***

Baekhyun POV

He struggled to remain calm when he got the call from Jihoon. His only reassurance was the knowledge that the head of security would not have let that creep go unscathed before handing him over to the authorities.  Baekhyun had enquired about your injuries, feeling guilt over the fact that he’d failed at watching over you at the bar tonight. He’d seen the man approach you and talk to you but his attention was torn between watching you and serving the other guests. He’d missed the vital moment where your drink had been tampered with and the subsequent moments where you’d been removed from the bar by the man. 

He called the GP service that the hotel used and spoke with a medical professional. They were swamped with all kinds of holiday mayhem and wouldn’t be able to get to the hotel for hours. Baekhyun had asked if he could do anything. The doctor on the other end of the line told him how to check your ankle and determine if it was just a sprain or if you’d broken a bone. She also gave him an incredibly fast run down on signs to look out for with drink spiking, and at what point he needed to call them back with a list of symptoms. Most likely you were going to be lethargic, fuzzy and compliant, but he was to keep you awake until you became clear headed. 

He took his notes and grabbed a first aid kit from his desk. Jihoon had said that you were upset but that keeping you calm was important as well as distracting you from thinking about what could have happened. With that in mind Baekhyun decided to don a white doctors coat, which was just a white coat from the kitchen staff but it looked close enough to the real thing, and a stethoscope, hoping to make you feel so ridiculous that you forgot about earlier in the night. 

He’d been enjoying the night, with you playing along every time you spotted him. Like you were in on his little secret but you weren’t going to tell anyone. He was lucky that Van hadn’t killed him when he stole her date and got him to perform, Yixing was too nice to say no to something like that but the daggers that Van shot his way were the opposite of kind. It was a good thing she was utterly smitten with Yixing because she seemed to forget about Baekhyun as soon as Yixing started to sing.

The night had been insanely busy, as he knew it would be, but he’d found time to chat with you. He wanted more than just fleeting moments with you. He wanted to be able to talk to you without knowing that he’d have to leave if a guest appeared. He was enamoured by you which is why it pained him to know that something unspeakable almost happened right under his nose. He was now determined to make it up to you.

***

Your POV

Even though there was a knock at the door you still jumped slightly. Your mind was cloudy and it was difficult to keep focused on any one thing for more than a few moments. You were hesitant to call out for the person on the other side of the door to come in but then you remembered that they had to have a key to get in. “I’m going to open the door now.” The muffled voice said. It was familiar in a way that put you at ease.

“Okay.” You responded meekly.

Unfamiliar fear spiked as the door began to open. What if this person was untrustworthy? As far as you were aware there were no cameras in the rooms so how would Jihoon or any of his team be able to help you? You were supposed to be safe but what if you weren’t? 

Then Baekhyun spoke.

His soft voice broke through your terror filled thoughts. You took a moment to look at him. He wasn’t in his night manager uniform. For some utterly baffling reason he was dressed as a doctor, and was holding a tray with a cloche covering whatever he was holding. You were pretty damn sure that he wasn’t a doctor and that you were in need of a real life medical professional, one with a degree and memories of their residency. “Um, Baekhyun, what are you doing?”

He looked at you, worry etched on his face. It eased slightly after his eyes roamed your form and found you still in one piece. They lingered on your ankle. It was covered with an ice filled hand towel to reduce the swelling. You waited but he just kept looking. “Uh, Baekhyun?”

Your voice finally reached him and he shifted on his feet. “I brought fries because Jihoon said you should eat.” He set the tray down on the edge of the bed and removed the cloche, the smell of warm fries filling the room, causing your stomach to rumble. “Please have some.” He said quietly.

You pulled the tray closer to you and grabbed a fry. “Thank you, but the fries, whilst very much appreciated, don’t answer my question.” You knew your head was fuzzy but you were certain that he was wearing a doctor's coat. Why?

“Oh right. Uh, well I rang for a doctor like Jihoon requested but they are swamped because of Christmas in July, go figure, so the very helpful doctor I spoke with told me what to look for so that I can assess you to see if you just need rest or if you need medical attention.” He replied.

“Again, that does not explain why you are dressed as a doctor.” You stated in between mouthfuls of fries. “These are excellent by the way.”

“I guess I kind of wanted to lighten the mood.” He sighed. “I’m only admitting this once, but you have been correct that I’ve been pretending to be different members of staff at night, going by different names and personas. I’m waiting for my boss to finish hiring more staff and I didn’t want it to look like the hotel was lacking. Until you, no one noticed. So I guess I thought that doing the same thing now might help keep you calm and comfortable? You’ve played along perfectly so far. I don’t know about you, but I’ve really enjoyed it.” His hands toyed with the stethoscope as he spoke, the only sign of his nerves.

“Oh so you mean to tell me that I haven’t been enjoying the company of Taemin or Chanyeol?” You said lightly. “You mean to tell me that I was right when I said you were everywhere?”

“If I was everywhere this wouldn’t have happened to you.” 

“It’s your fault as much as it is mine, which is to say that neither of us is at fault.” The food was helping you keep focus. “Jihoon told me that guy watched and waited for his moment. If it wasn’t me, he would have targeted someone else.” That didn’t appear to make him feel any better. “I mean, it’s why you have Jihoon and his team right? It’s their job to see what everyone else might miss. And they didn’t miss. I’m a bit shaken up and will be a bit traumatised but I’m ok.” 

“It must have been scary though.” He mumbled.

You paused your eating and looked at him. His guilt was eating at him, his posture making him appear small and defeated. You didn’t want to think about it because you knew that would spiral you back into terror. You wanted to sit and eat fries with Baekhyun, even let him pretend to be an actual doctor if need be. “Honestly I don’t have any memory. One minute I was at the bar, the next Jihoon was helping me up off the floor. I’m trying not to let my thoughts drift into what might have happened if Jihoon’s team hadn’t been there. He told me not to dwell on it either, that it would do me no good and only slow the process of moving forward. That all it did was give the creep power over me. He said it would be a very different situation if something had happened to me but since it didn’t, not giving that person the time of day in my mind was the best outcome I could aim for.” 

 He said nothing in response.

“Eat a fry.”

“What?” He asked.

“Eat a fry.” You repeated. “Eat a fry, and do what the nice phone doctor told you to.” 

“Okay.” He said as he took some off the plate and ate. Fries were a magical food, you decided. They had kept you relatively coherent throughout this albeit brief conversation. You kind of hoped Baekhyun was ready to take over and do most of the talking because you were tired of concentrating on your words. Listening still wasn’t the easiest talk in your current state but it was far easier to do than to form consistently coherent sentences. “By the way, it’s Dr. Byun.”

You giggled. Actually giggled at the title he had given himself. It was one thing to assume multiple roles whilst working but in the confines of your room, Baekhyun trying to be a doctor was funny to you. He ignored your reaction as he moved to sit next to you. 

“I’ll need to check your vitals first.” He placed the small first aid kit on the bed next to him and opened it. He quickly checked the contents and then returned his attention to you. He used his first and second fingertips to press gently against your throat as he checked your pulse.

“I think it’s obvious that I’m alive, Baekhyun.” You deadpanned.

He didn’t remove his fingers as he watched the seconds go by on his watch. “Dr Byun.” He corrected. Once a minute had passed and he was satisfied with your pulse he pulled out a small device and held it to your forehead. After a few seconds it beeped and he made a note in his phone of the reading.

“What was that for?” You asked.

He glanced up from his phone to reply. “Checking your temperature.” He put the earpieces of the stethoscope in his ears and gestured for you to sit up. “Now I need to check your breathing. If you could sit up for me.” He held the chest piece in his palm to try and warm it before placing it just above your collarbone. “Now take a deep breath in and slowly exhale for me. Keep doing that until I tell you to stop.” He moved the stethoscope to the same spot on the other side of your body, then moved closer to your sternum, pausing once he realised that he’d have to place the stethoscope on the swell of your breast. “Here, hold this,” He handed you the end of the instrument and tapped a spot just to the right of your sternum. “Hold it there.” You placed it in the spot he asked and took a deep breath, moving it to the other side when instructed. You followed the places his hands indicated on his own body as you moved down and under your breast. He took the instrument back off you when he was ready to move to your back to repeat the process. 

“You didn’t need to get me to do that Baek.” You breathed.

“Dr Byun.” He once again corrected. “And it felt improper given the circumstances. Deep breath in” He was quiet as he listened to your lungs. “I only want you to feel comfortable.”

He wasn’t going to let the doctor thing go. Your brain still found it funny to think of Baekhyun as a doctor. Doctors weren’t fun. Baekhyun was fun. Doctors were all clinical and closed off. Baekhyun was warm and conversational. “I feel comfortable with you Baek Dr Byun.” 

He cleared his throat as he finished up listening to your breathing. “I’m glad that you feel comfortable with me, even though we’ve only just met.” 

You smiled. “You look too young to be a doctor.”

He grinned. “That’s very kind of you to say.” He placed the stethoscope back around his neck as he turned his attention to your ankle. He removed the makeshift ice pack which made you wince. “Your ankle is a bit swollen. I’m going to have to manipulate it a bit so please tell me when it hurts. I need to check if it’s just a sprain or if you need an x-ray.” You nodded which prompted him to add. “I need verbal consent.”

“Ok Dr Byun.” You replied. The fuzz in your brain liked the feeling of being touched but the small rational part of you was not welcoming the pain that you knew you’d feel once he started to move your ankle about.

He gently pressed his fingers around your foot and ankle, asking if it hurt when he pushed certain points. Most of the spots he touched elicited a dull ache but not the sharp pain that you felt when he hit one particular spot. He made a note of it and then moved on to rotating your foot which hurt a lot less than you had anticipated. However, when he applied pressure to your heel and pushed upwards the pain returned. It was enough to cause you to yell out but it wasn’t unbearable.

“I think you just have a sprain so I’m going to wrap your ankle and elevate it. We’ll apply cold to it periodically to help reduce the swelling. I can’t give you any medication until I hear from the police about what exactly your drink was laced with. Your temp is a little high and your heart rate is a little high.” You hummed, not really paying attention to him as he spoke. You just wanted him to keep his hands on you, they felt nice.

He watched you and sighed. You were clearly under the effect of something and the sooner he knew what it was, the better. He liked coherent you, the you that would happily volley with him in conversations. This you was still cute and endearing but you were drugged and so he was having to fend off the fact that you seemed to be happiest when his hands were on you. If you still felt that way when you were in control of yourself then it would be a different story but for now, he would only provide PG rated comfort. With nothing else to do he grabbed some of the tape and a bandage from the first aid kit and began to wrap your ankle. Once he was satisfied with his handiwork he put your foot back down on the bed. 

You frowned when his hands left you. The action definitely not lost on him. He ignored it in favour of dialling Jihoon to check for an update. He answered on the second ring. 

“Boss, how is she?” Jihoon asked.

“Her ankle is ok, I’ve just wrapped it but she’s clearly drugged. Any leads on what is in her system?” He replied.

“I was actually just about to call you. The police rang to let me know that she’s been drugged with a low level dose of MDMA. She’s likely to be a bit incoherent and uh a bit uninhibited. It’s been in her system for a couple of hours now and they said normally it could take up to 12 hours to be fully absorbed but given the low dose she was given it’ll be closer to 4 hours.”

“So we’re halfway through it then.” Baekhyun replied.

“Seems that way. Do you need me to come back and watch her so you can return to the front desk?” Jihoon asked.

“No, I’ve got Jinki watching it. I’ll let you know if I need to leave so you can keep an eye on her. I think we’ll be fine though, most of the guests have turned in for the night. Funny how the threat of Santa not visiting can make everyone go to bed even when they’re adults.” He chuckled.

“Alright, well I’m here until you clock off so let me know.” With that Jihoon hung up. Baekhyun looked at you on the bed, your hands playing with the quilt cover, almost stroking it. That would be the tactile fixation from the drug. 

He stood and moved from the bed to an armchair on the other side of the room. You whined at the distance he created, not understanding why he didn’t want to be near you. You thought he liked you. “Baekkkkhyun.” 

“Dr Byun.”

“Ugh whatever. Dr Byun, don’t you like me?” You whined.

“I have to keep an eye on you until the drugs are out of your system. You need to drink more water as well.” He replied.

You rolled over onto your side to face him. “I thought you liked me.” You sulked. “But you don’t want to be anywhere near me. Am I so repulsive to you?” 

He leaned forward in his chair, his hands raking through his hair. “You are not repulsive. You are, in fact, so not repulsive that I had to move to the other side of the room so that we don’t do something we’ll regret when you’re sober.” He sounded frustrated. You wanted to help him be less frustrated.

You looked at him, confused about what he meant. “What do you mean?”

He held his head in his hands. “Right now being touched and touching things feels amazing to you doesn’t it?” You nod and hum in agreement. “That is the drug talking. I can’t allow you to touch me or me to touch you until it wears off. It would be highly inappropriate.”

“You like me?” You smiled at him.

He laughed. “That’s what you took from this? Yes, I like you. Quite a lot I think.” 

Your smile grew. “I like you too, whatever version of Baekhyun you are right now. You’re a bit weird, with all of the role play stuff, but I kind of like it, and I like you.”

He smiled to himself, warmth blooming in his chest. Drug induced or not, he knew your words were sincere. “Try to rest, we’ll talk more later.” 

“I’m tired but I can’t sleep.” You replied. 

Baekhyun turned on the TV and selected an animated kids movie. He watched you zone out completely before you eventually drifted off to sleep. He glanced at his watch and saw that the time read 1am. He cursed himself for the last job he had to do as it meant leaving the room. 

He stood and texted Jihoon before scribbling down a small note and placing it on your bedside table.

I promise I’ll be back before my shift ends. There’s one more job Jinki and I need to do for the night. Don’t worry if you wake up and I’m not here. This is my number if you need me. If you can’t reach me, this is Jihoon’s number… he should be ok with me giving it to you. 

Dr Byun, Not Taemin, Not Chanyeol, but most importantly - Baekhyun.

[1:02AM] Baekhyun: I have to leave to help Jinki with the presents before the guests wake up. Can you keep an eye on her door? 

[1:02AM] Jihoon: You got it, boss. Go be merry old St Nick.

***

You wake up feeling groggy and a bit disorientated. As you rub the sleep out of your eyes you notice the piece of paper on the bedside table. You can tell it has writing on it but your eyes have yet to catch up with your brain so the words remain blurry. Your mouth felt like cardboard and you knew you looked seedy. Thankfully you’d memorised the route to the bathroom and didn’t need your eyes to work properly in order to get you to the shower and toothpaste you desired. Once you stood up, your ankle reminded you that you were injured. You limped your way to the bathroom and decided to run a bath, that way you could keep your bandages dry and your foot elevated. While the bath filled with water you went about brushing your teeth, determined to get that cardboard that had been left by the garbage bins in the rain taste out of your mouth. 

You sink into the divine warmth of the bath, lathering yourself with scented body wash and allowing your body to relax. You remember everything that happened to you, bar that period between you being at the bar and being outside the hotel. You remembered Jihoon helping you and then Baekhyun looking after you. Was he still in your room? You hadn’t brought a change of clothes to the bathroom. You couldn’t walk back out there naked, but you didn’t want to put that dress back on.  You noticed a bathrobe hanging on the door and thanked past you for leaving it there.  

Once you’d finished washing away the feeling of the night before (even if it was only 4 or 5 hours ago) you drained the tub and carefully got out, making sure not to put too much pressure on your bad ankle. You dried yourself and donned the robe before limping your way back out into your room. Baekhyun was nowhere to be seen. Wait there was a note by the bed. He must have left that there for you. You made your way over to the bed and sat down, reading the short but sweet note he’d left. He liked you. Like actually liked you. You couldn’t help but smile, glad that the drugs in your system hadn’t embellished the details of his feelings towards you. 

The sound of your door unlocking chimed. This time you were only fearful for the briefest of moments before the logical part of your brain kicked in to remind you that only Baekhyun, Jihoon & Jinki knew where your room was and that the man who had preyed upon you was in police custody with one hell of a shiner courtesy of Jihoon.

A red coat with white trim and a black belt with matching red pants came into view. You shook your head. Maybe there was still something knocking around in your system because the sight before you was ridiculous. Baekhyun shuffled into the room, smiling when he saw you sitting up. “How are you feeling?” He asked, completely ignoring the elephant in the room which was his outfit. He was not dressed like that earlier. You momentarily allowed yourself to visualise that doctor getup again. You wouldn’t be mad about it if he turned up in that in the future… but that wasn’t what was important right now. 

“Am I still high or are you dressed like a slutty Santa?” You replied.

He chuckled as he finally seemed to remember how he looked. “Ah this.” He walked further into the room, glancing at his note which was still in your hand. “This was the last job Jinki and I had to do for the night. Junmyeon, my boss, wanted Christmas in July to be special. It’s not normal for anywhere in the Northern hemisphere to celebrate it since we have Christmas during winter but he wanted all of the children staying here to wake up to presents from Santa. So Jinki and I had to dress up - Jinki makes a ridiculous elf by the way - and place presents in front of every room that has a child staying in it. 

“I get the Santa part but why the vaguely male stripper version of Santa? How is that child friendly?” You retorted.

He shook his head as he moved to sit on the bed next to you. “I had the belly and beard, I just took them off and left them in my office before I came back up here.” He didn’t miss the way your eyes roamed up and down his body.

“Good. I’d hate to hear about how you scandalised poor innocent children looking like this.” You cooed.

Baekhyun pulled you onto his lap, his arms wrapped around your waist. “What about you? Have you been a good girl this year?” He asked suggestively.

You batted your eyes at him, running a finger down the white trim of his coat that covered his chest. “Yes Santa, I have.”

He smirked. “Then Santa should pay you a visit and give you a present on Christmas morning.”

You leaned in closer, until your mouth ghosted over his ear as you whispered. “But if you ask nicely I might be bad for you. Santa Bae-k”

You heard the hitch in his breath as he swallowed thickly, his grip around your waist tightening as he shifted you so that you were straddling him. You pulled back and let your eyes roam over him, the ridiculous Santa costume that he somehow made sexy, the slicked back hair and look on his face. The tip of his tongue slid out to wet his bottom lip and something within you snapped. Maybe it was from all of the flirting, or the residual lack of inhibition you felt but you couldn’t hold back any longer. So you let go.

Your lips crashed into his messily, surprising him momentarily before he returned your kisses with equal fervour. He pulled you closer to him as your kiss deepened, feverishly passionate. The kiss was borderline sloppy, releasing all the tension built up in the past few days but neither of you cared, you were both too busy devouring each other. You kissed him like he was your lifeline and you could feel the passion coming from him as his tongue entered your mouth. You moaned as your hips involuntarily bucked into his. 

Baekhyun broke the kiss to catch his breath and stare at you, his eyes filled with unchecked lust mixed with something else, gone before you noticed it. “You’re so beautiful.” He said, his voice lower than before. “Like a present ready to be unwrapped.” He winked at you.

You groaned. “Oh my god. Why are you trying to ruin the moment with lines like that?”

“Did you or did you not say Bae-k?” He countered. Well shit. He wasn’t wrong…

“I can neither confirm nor deny that statement.” You rambled. Your brain could not keep up with your mouth because you just kept talking while your brain was still incredibly conscious of Baekhyun’s hands gripping your hips and incredibly kissable lips which were within reach and now that you knew how sweet he tasted you only wanted more. “You could try to find some witness statements but I fear that it will just be your word against mine and in circumstances such as these I think you’ll find that -”

“Oh my god, shut up and let me kiss you.” He groaned, cutting you off as he reconnected his lips with yours. The kiss felt hot and wet and so unbelievably wonderful. He kept you guessing, giving you soft sensual kisses one moment and rough, animalistic ones the next. He was wrestling with his own desires as he tried to retain some sense of composure, and was quickly failing to do so. You ground your hips into him, desire pooling within you as your need for more grew. He moaned into your mouth, biting down on your lip as his hands began pushing your robe open.

“You are so fucking hot.” He whispered against your mouth as his hand slipped beneath your robe, ghosting over where you wanted him the most, making you gasp into the kiss, your arms now wrapped around his neck. 

Baekhyun slid his fingers through your wet folds, kissing you harder as your hips moved with a mind of their own. You’d never felt desire like this before. Your pussy clenched around nothing. “Holy fuck, you are so wet baby. You want me this much?” His voice was rough with want.

You gripped his shoulders tightly, your nails leaving small crescent shaped marks on his skin, even through the fabric. “Baek. I need.” Your brain could barely function. You needed him to touch you properly, to finally cross that threshold. Coherency was swiftly making its exit from your being. “Want you to touch m-” 

Riiiinnnnggggg

He glanced over at his phone before deciding to ignore it. He inserted a finger, slowly beginning to pump the digit into you. You were practically vibrating with desire which would be embarrassing if you weren’t so turned on and if his finger didn’t feel so heavenly inside of you. You gasped at the sensation as his thumb brushed against your clit before he inserted a second finger, preparing you for what was to come next. You moaned loudly as he scissored his fingers in you, stretching you out for him.

Riiiinnnnggggg

He froze, his fingers stilling in their ministrations. You whimpered at the lack of friction, grinding your hips into his hand until his free hand held your hips still, grunting at you to stop.

Riiiiiiinnnngggg

“Fuck.” He exhaled, torn between what he wanted to do and the fact that his work phone was ringing and no matter how much he wanted to continue drawing those delightful noises from you, he was the one in charge of the hotel at this moment in time. As much as he didn’t want to, he knew he had to answer it. “Hold on.” He grumbled, removing his hands from you and shifting you on his lap so he could reach for his phone.

His head dropped as he let out a deep sigh of frustration. “It’s my boss.” He frowned. “I’m so - you have no idea how sorry I am but I have to take this. He will just keep calling.”

“His timing is terrible.” You complained. 

Baekhyun leant in to kiss you again, much softer this time. “Beyond terrible. Let me see what he wants, I promise it won’t take long.” You nodded, climbing off his lap and curling up on the bed as he adjusted himself and took a deep breath before finally answering the phone.

“Yah, what took you so long!?” A loud voice sounded down the line.

“I was busy.” Baekhyun said flatly, not in the mood for explaining himself further. “What’s wrong?”

“There’s a burst pipe on the fifteenth floor which has leaked into one of the rooms on the floor below. I need you to get a plumber out as soon as humanly possible, no matter the cost, and stop that leak.” Junmyeon’s voice rambled through the phone line, listing the plumbers that he refused to let step onto the premises and why. Baekhyun didn’t have the patience to listen to his boss, not when he had been so rudely interrupted from the incredible feeling of you beginning to lose yourself on his fingers.

Baekhyun tried to cut him off. “Ok, I’ll get on it now. Talk to y-”

Junmyeon interjected. “Not so fast, what is with you tonight? There’s more.” 

“What?” Baekhyun asked, wishing his phone had broken so that he’d never answered this call. He was technically still on the clock for another three hours but the universe owed him. He’d gone above and beyond the call of duty for the past month. He deserved uninterrupted time to learn every inch of your body. Instead the universe had decided to cockblock him.

“I said it’s leaked into a room on the floor below. You’ll need to relocate the guests in that room.” He said.

“But we’re fully booked!” Baekhyun said exasperatedly. 

“You’ll figure something out. You always do. I’ll be there in the morning for the Christmas in July breakfast so you can debrief me then.” The line cut out. Junmyeon had a bad habit of never ending a call properly when it was late at night. That had always irked Baekhyun. 

Baekhyun walked back over to the bed, grabbed a pillow and crushed it into his face and yelled. You could hear the muffled sounds as you watched him, dumbfounded by the action. You knew that he had to leave the room and from the sound of the call, it was going to be very soon which meant you weren’t going to get to see his face as you gripped his length in your hand and guided it to your mouth tonight. But you were here for a couple more days. There was still time to show him all of the wonders your body could perform and in turn, experience all that he had to offer you.

He didn’t notice you as you crawled over toward him until you were tugging at the hem of his ridiculous jacket. He paid his vocal assault on the hotel pillow but did not remove it from his face. “How about you call to wake me in the morning? The hotel offers that service, don't they?” You offered.

He slowly lowered the pillow from his face, raising a brow at you. “You do realise my shift finishes at 6am right? That’s only a few hours from now.”

“No one said I have to stay awake… I just want your voice to be the first thing I hear. For it to bring me back to this moment so that when I inevitably fall asleep again my dreams will be of you and all that you’ve promised to do to me.”

“I’m pretty sure that I’d be fired for leaving you the wake up call that I would actually want to do.” He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “I really wish I didn’t have to go now. Fuck. You have no idea the effect you have on me.”

You nipped at his neck, eliciting a groan from him. “I’m sure you’ll show me, hopefully sooner rather than later.” You placed one more kiss to his lips, a kiss that promised so much, before stepping away from him and watching him reluctantly leave your room. 

He paused before walking through the door and smiled to himself. Not entirely believing what had almost transpired in your room. He felt a sudden need to make sure you knew he wasn’t just acting on desire, that he felt more for you than that. “I like you, like quite a lot so mark my words when I say I’ll make this up to you.” 

“I like you too Baek.” You smiled sweetly at him, trying not to blush as the man who was knuckle deep in you a few minutes ago was now making you feel shy. You felt shy because he liked you, for more than just a one night stand. Why that made you feel more naked than you already were, you weren’t sure of. You’d unpack that another time. “Don’t forget my wake up call.” You added.

He beamed at you. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” He pulled the door closed behind him as he left, already planning what he was going to say when he had a conversation with Junmeyon at breakfast. 

Part 1 | Part 3 (coming soon)

A/N: Thanks for reading and enjoying this collab. Please don’t forget to check the other writers out @myeoning-call @leewalberg @yourkeeperoftherunners @taem-min @ouvuo @dreamylittlesugarcube @jxstadaydreamer & @sojuri

[hhhecates]

Modern AU! Genshin College Boys HCs pt 3

# — pairings: xiao x gn!reader

# — characters: gender neutral reader, xiao, venti, mentions of hu tao

# — summary: third and possibly final part of our college headcanons, of course with our soft grumpy boy xiao and as usual with some sketches at the end to help with the visual. Here you can read part 1 and part 2 if you’d like.^^

# — warnings: a whole lot of fluff, really wholesome, kissing and soft touches, xiao with piercings and tattoos yes that’s a whole warning, talks about chronic pain

# — tags: hc format, fluff, hurt/comfort, college au, canon divergence

# — notes: This is actually not one of the works I had previosly scheduled to upload,,, endo has really been kicking my ass in the last months, and well it got worse than usual so I got rushed to the hospital on Christmas day lol. Xiao is a character that brings me so much comfort and while I was there at the hospital I didn’t know what to do, so I wrote for him (that’s probably why this piece is a lil softer than what I usually write). Ahhh I’m so mad cause his rerun is coming soon and I probably won’t be able to get him (before albedo and now him too, what’s with the pretty boys hating me huhh). Writing this helped a lot, I know I said I’d be taking a break (for various reasons really) but writing for xiao, writing here in general, and interacting with the friends I have on here really keeps me going. I also want to thank everyone who sent me messages in my ask box and dms. I'm sorry I haven’t answered yet, the last few days have been really draining, but I promise you I read every single one and treasure all of them so so much. All of this being said, please do enjoy some of this soft xiao just for you!^^

- the whole campus is split between having a crush on him, cause have you seen him?? And being scared shitless of him because of how intimidating he looks. Not to mention that with how quiet but menacing and unapproachable he appears he's got quite a few rumors surrounding him actually I talked about this more in depth here;

- when I tell you no one, and I mean no one knows what the fuck is this boy's major;

- he follows so many courses that probably every single person on campus has seen him at least once in their classroom;

- xiao wears either big chunky and over-sized black hoodies that quite literally swallow him whole, or tight high neck sleeveless shirts and yes, even in the middle of winter, boy claims that he's not cold, and to be fair his skin is always sizzling hot to the touch, if you tell him that'd make him a great cuddle buddy, watch as he literally auto-combusts and flicks your forehead in mock annoyance;

- he absolutely fucking rocks street-style, loves cargo pants and turtlenecks, bucket hats and platform boots and shoes are his bread and butter. His favourite pair of pants is that one kind that zips open at the level of his thighs venti got them for him on Christmas as a gag gift, but surprisingly enough xiao ended up really liking it;

- venti is also his roommate and no one can wrap their heads around how these two ended up living together;

- venti is a walking hurricane and has the enthusiasm of someone constantly high on coffee and energy drinks, while xiao has,,, no energy left admittedly;

-you’d expect sweet, cheerful venti to be the soft one of the pair when he’s just devious really, but venti would beg to differ, knowing smirk on his pretty face, because it’s xiao who grumbles but acquiesces to braid venti’s hair when he’s too tired or lazy to do it himself, it’s xiao who chides and rolls his eyes, but makes sure hu tao and venti are okay, cup of water on their nightstand and some soup to heat up in the fridge when they come back from parties a little too drunk, and it’s still xiao who came home one late night, soaked to the bone, hair sticking stubbornly to his face, and a little calico kitten cradled oh so gently in his jacket;

-venti swears he found xiao talking to the cat, named Tofu by no other but xiao himself, xiao swears one of these days he’s going to beat venti up;

- xiao who only his roommate venti knows he's a dance major;

- in particular a ballet dance major with a double minor in music theory and computer programming (the latter just because after giving it a crack he quickly found out to have a flair for it);

- xiao who everyone thinks he's some sort of genius, but he's truly not. And people who do nothing but assume that he's got it easy actually piss him off so much;

- sure xiao can play flawlessly so many instruments: from guitar to flute to drums and the bass being his favourite. But he's not some music prodigy like venti is. He can't pick up strum patterns by only watching someone else play once, clumsy fingers stumbling and pinching the wrong chord. He can't manage his breath right on the very first try, his flute whistling awfully when he tries particularly hard allegretto. Oh, how ironic, even if he's a ballet dancer, he struggles with drum rhythm patterns, cause damn, how long it took until he could play a half decent half-time shuffle, and he still isn’t quite satisfied with his results just yet;

- and that's how you find him. Alone in the old theater, feet tucked neatly under the radiator to pull and pull and bend his bones at his own will. "You shouldn't do that." his head snaps in your direction at the abrupt sound of your voice, his gaze judgmental as he eyes you up and down. "And what do you know?" he fixes you harshly. You hop on the stage and sit next to him, far enough not to make him even more uncomfortable with your unwanted presence "I know that no perfect arch of your feet is worth weak ankles and possible long term injuries." you rummage through your bag and take out a tube of arnica cream, and what appears to be a feet roller. Xiao raises one eyebrow at you "You're a dancer." a statement. Not a question. You shake your head at him, purposeful laughter easily leaving your lips. "I'm not. I just used to take ballet when I was little." xiao's eyes dart between your figure and the tube of arnica you slid over the parquet to him "Were you any good?" you merely shrug, and sometimes reticence is more of an answer than words. And xiao understands. You were probably talented. Xiao envies you. "Did you like it?" he inquires again, one pitch lower "Oh hell no-- Hated it with everything I've got." he hums "Then why?" you mindlessly shrug again, it’s almost timid "To prove a point.". Xiao's gaze falls over to your lap, an open sketchbook resting there: doodles of the paintings adorning the walls of the theater hatched in dark graphite, the fresco on the ceiling prettily sketched out in vibrant cololured pencils. "You draw. That's... impressive." you laugh again, and it's different. Xiao recognizes it. It's an excuse. The same that falls from Xiao's lips when someone tells him that he's oh-so-talented. "It's not. Not for anyone who practiced as much as I did." there it is. "Then why?" xiao asks again and you grin, deceivingly sweet, and challenging, and fierce "To prove a point.". Xiao then almost reaches out to take the gel tube you gingerly offer him, fingers twitching expectantly at his side. "Take it. You won't forgive yourself if you make yourself hate what you once loved the most." xiao thinks, he wouldn't mind your company more often;

- xiao isn’t talkative, not at all, much preferring to ask you about your day, he likes knowing of the little details of your life rather than doing the speaking himself. However, if you push and pry just the right amount, gently coaxing him to speak with a silent but beaming smile, he finds himself opening up a little. He's awkward for the most part, stumbling clumsily on his sentences, it’s like forcing a swan to walk and not fly. You think it weird to see xiao being anything but graceful. Xiao’s not sure what you want to hear from him. It's more taciturn pauses and tongue-tied silence than actual speaking. But you don't take over, don't make it stifling, it's not the kind of silence that begs to be filled. You let him take his time, take a nice deep breath, share whatever thoughts comes up off the top of his head as you split some takeout or just laze around in one of your rooms;

- it's comforting. Xiao realizes. It nestles and burrows its way in his chest and makes it feel all warm and,,, whole. No room for staggering possibilities, you gently hold his hand in yours, your brows furrowed in concentration as you paint his nails a dark shade of teal “not black, not this once, let's change it up a little”, you had said before. You hum along to his ramblings of how C++ is his favourite programming language, you brush your lips against his knuckles, in teasing or encouragement, xiao will never know. What xiao knows though, is that his hand is still cradled in yours and he doesn't want you to let go;

- xiao picks you up after your lectures, surprises you by swooping right in when you step out of the classroom and pressing a nice warm drink from the cafeteria to your cheek in lieu of greeting, on hot days though, he switches it for a cool tea, huffs in amusement when you sigh at the sensation of sudden coolness against your face;

- xiao who sheepishly asks you if you can help him dye his hair. He's laying on the fluffy carpet of his room, tugging at his locks and gauging at how much his roots are actually showing. He looks so tired, dance practice being harder than usual lately. And you're quick to indulge him: that's how you find yourself at 3 in the morning with your hands covered in teal dye you gave up on the gloves long ago and while you're attempting at using the brush, xiao squirming around doesn't make it any easier. He swears he's not ticklish, but you don't think you can believe him when his sleepy giggles and gasps fill the room as you accidentally you get some of the dye on the back of his neck;

- the week after, still in xiao's room, still at 3 am, you find yourself asking him if he could dye your hair for you too. He looks at you weirdly, but 30 minutes later you're at the nearest convenience store, stumbling in the empty aisles and tugging xiao along by the hand. As you browse the hair dye section how is it that there's such a wide choice too you ask xiao to pick for you, and you giggle when you see his eyes, dazed with sleep, focus and narrow, taking very much too seriously the task at hand;

- xiao lets you fiddle and play around with the chunky rings adorning his fingers, he won’t really hold you hand, but it’s almost there, one breath away, as he relishes how your digits trace over the funky designs of his rings, twist and pull and take them off just to see if they fit on another finger or your own. He sometimes is bold enough to take them off himself and put it on you, but you always whine after awhile, because they look better on him, and admittedly they’re are so clunky it’s nearly impossible not to feel uncomfortable after wearing them even for a short time. Xiao takes notice, of course he does, of the way you unconsciously pout when you give them back to him, like you don’t want to part with them just yet. So he adds a simple but elegant one to the mix, a slender and thin silver band that fits so well on your fingers it makes him almost crack a smile. He likes the way you hum in approval when he puts it on you the first time, likes it even more when you don’t give it back as you usually do but give him a silent mumble of “I’m gonna keep it”. And you do, though you don’t stop fidgeting with his rings too, and sometimes you slide your new acquired one back on xiao’s own digits just to have him grumble and put it back on yours again and again;

- xiao who’s obsessed with platform shoes like come on, they make him taller. And no matter if you’re taller, shorter or the same height, every day it’s a competition of who wears the tallest platforms and maybe even who’s the tallest that day (yes xiao once almost did break an ankle because he wore boots too high. Venti still brings it up every so often for his chagrin too);

- xiao who can't keep his hands still, blames it both on being a dancer and playing so many instruments. He practices whole choreographies with swift swoops of his fingers, twist his longer locks of hair until they're all knotted up and he has to ask you to brush it out for him, xiao drums paint-chipped nails on every surface possible, playing out his favourite tunes and trying out new ones as well. It gets even worse when he's nervous: xiao picks and tugs and scratches at his skin, sometimes even leaving bloody trails along his cuticles. So when it happens, when his groovy pattering turns into brassy rapping, you take his hand in yours, trace soothing circles on his knuckles and gently tap his currently favourite song on his palm. The effect is immediate, xiao's shoulders drop all of the tension, and a funky smile or at least a lame attempt at hiding one gently takes over his features. Careful though, because now you'll be subject to xiao's tapping. Whenever he's anxious, or upset, or even just tired after one long day of classes, xiao starts tapping at your knee, soft touches trailing up to the skin of your thigh, your hip, if he's feeling playful enough your ribs to tickle you yes, but he'll never admit it though. He drums along your favourite songs now, because he knows, xiao knows he can count on you to play his favourite songs on his skin too;

- xiao who has a lisp, he very much embarrassedly told you he used to have braces back in high-school, he struggles to get his Ls and Rs right sometimes, and whenever he stumbles upon the same word multiple times in a row he would get all huffy and quiet, brows furrowing as he looks down. You cup his cheeks and kiss the corner of his lips, just where air would escape them and cause his lisp, and when you see how the frown softens you add another fleeting one on his lips just for yourself. He is so quick to melt in your embrace then, but please, don’t make him look at you in the eyes while he hides away in the crook of your neck;

- xiao's,,, not good with touch. He's halfway between utterly touch repulsed and grossly touch starved. His hands tremble when he does anything that's not dancing or programming. That's only where xiao's certitude lay: in the assured outcome of every of his leaps and twirls on stage and the numbers and letters on his computer screen. When it comes to anything else,,, xiao is quite lost. Still he feels it. Xiao always wants, needs you close to him when you’re out and about, he won’t accept you standing more than two feet away, hand hovering the small of your back, if the place is crowded, he also won’t accept you sitting anywhere but tucked against his side, nose nuzzling in your hair, or temple, or neck, xiao’s akin to a cat and he will headbutt you for affection;

- xiao also has developed the habit to brush the hair from your nape, gently blowing at the skin there and tracing your spine with his blunt nails. The first time he did it because your hair was sticking to your neck, though your startled reaction was much more of a reward. Oh- who knew xiao could be so teasing, because now that’s his favourite and only way to greet you. And no, he doesn’t feel guilty at all at the way you jump and squirm, he’s got his hands hovering around your waist to stabilize you anyways. You’re safe with him, not so safe from the teasing though;

- xiao actually suffers from chronic pains, and his strict ballet routine doesn't make it any better. There are days when xiao can hardly get out of bed from the pain that courses through his limbs. Xiao's very very far from being selfish, but on these days, you'll find him clinging a little harder at the hem of your shirt when you try to get started for your day. "Please." xiao ashamedly mumbles, and nothing else, because he won't ask you to stay, but you understand not that you were planning to leave him like this anytime soon anyways. On these occasions xiao will turn even quieter than usual, but surprisingly enough his inhibition seem to melt away as well. He'll spend the day with his head buried in your stomach or neck, fidgety and restless hands crawling under your shirt and running circles on your skin in search of comfort. Unfortunately your embrace alone can't make it better, xiao knows it, but as his eyelids grow heavy and he noses deeper in the skin of your collarbone, xiao thinks that no matter how much it hurts, if it's in your arms, at least it'll always be safe;

- xiao who is covered in tattoos. He's got his whole arm tattooed, pretty and abstract design wrapping all the way his knuckles, and up, up to his shoulder blade. Xiao doesn't really hide them except on official ballet performances when his professors advise him to you always tease him about how much of a good boy, of a good student he is, he groans and tries to ignore you, but the blush adorning his face says otherwise. However you only discover the full extent of his tattoos one lazy afternoon spent in his dorm room, while you're reviewing your notes on his bed, and he's sitting next to you, plucking at his bass, long comfortable with letting you hear him play. And then you see it, through the low cut sleeves of his top, the pretty pretty ink engraved on the skin of his ribs, winding down the planes of his abdomen. You don't realize you reached your hand out to trace the design with your own fingers until he gasps and recoils, but doesn't shy away from your touch. A half-hearted apology falls from your lips, and he just shakes his head but shuffles a little closer. "They're really pretty" xiao meekly hums in acknowledgement, then he takes a pause "Aren't you going to ask me what they mean?" you mull it over for a few seconds, then merely shrug "It doesn't have to have a meaning. It's pretty as it is." a questioning noise leaves his throat, halfway between startled and inquisitive "Doesn't art that's just pretty tend to be superficial?" and when xiao asks that, his voice is almost timid "Perhaps. But just because it's superficial, it doesn't make it any less valid. Art that's pretty, art that's meaningful, art that's both or neither. They can all stand on their own." xiao takes in your words greedily. He teeters even closer, then he resumes playing;

- xiao's got quite a few piercings as well. Aside from your classic ear piercings, he's got a couple of labrets and a bridge piercing too. And you thought that was it. But oh- how wrong were you. And you discover it the first time he properly kisses you. With his hands so softly cradling your jaw, thumb tracing reverent circles on your skin, you shiver against his lips and only then, when his tongue prods your lips open to find home in your mouth, you whimper and gasp, gripping at his shoulder and pulling him away, much for his displeasure and well, your own as well "YOU HAVE A TONGUE PIERCING?" you whisper-yell, trying to ignore the way xiao is still trying to tug you closer, and he does, because you're too weak to resist those glazed eyes of his, too weak when he's still staring at your lips, nose nuzzling your own. Xiao just hums dismissively, and apparently that's all the confirmation you need before your lips meet his own halfway. Only then the fog enveloping his mind seems to clear, if just for a mere second, xiao cracks out an apology, asks under his breath if kissing him with all his piercings hurt, he mumbles close close close against your mouth, you feel the words he utters resting on your tongue, xiao refuses to pull away even when you're both breathless. You shake your head hastily and pull him to you again because kissing xiao feels like a shipwreck and he's holding you like drowning is sweet.

Here’s some sketches of college au!Xiao,,, for some reasons I’m really soft for this concept are we even surprised anymore and I really like the idea of ballet dancer Xiao as well, so let me know if you’d like some more sketches of him in this au.^^

[royalwriteroftheuniverse]

Summer Wedding Part 5

Comments and reboots welcome NO permission to repost or publish or translate.

Angsty (a lot... it's me after all) fluffy 18+just in case.

The next morning she woke up and she felt so much lighter even if she didn't know where she was for a moment last night slowly came back to her but in reverse with Nick even helping her put sheets he loaned her on the bed of the fully furnished appartment. It was early afternoon and Nick had kept his door, which just happened to be across the way, opened.

Earlier he had gotten her a donut for breakfast just as a pick me up and was a little worried it was still sitting there; especially after learning how possessive Ari had been and how he made her feel.

He was teaching an older student, a retiree who always wanted to learn and now had time. Nick who keep one eye on the open door, well her door was her reaction to the treat. Her eyes opened a little. Her eyebrows raised slightly and then a sigh, he thinks, followed by a smile. She knocked on the door.

"Sorry to interrupt. But, thanks Nick"

"For what? Its not a big deal," He laughs it off. With a blush. "I figured you could-use a pick me up."

"I um " she chuckled nervously and her breath picked up hoping plans were still on the table for her to move in rent free for a bit. " I don't have a key and I have to run out I don't wanna I mean I don't-"

"Right I'll up make up a key for you later. We always change the locks after each person. Moves in case they ya know. I'll be here all day though so you're good."

Her shoulders drop in relief as a smile crossed her face.

"Thanks for everything Nick" I'll I'm sorry for interrupting." She smiles and then leaves. Once the building door is heard breaking the silence while the retiree was taking a drink of water.

"Chinese." The retiree says

"What?"

"Chinese and a movie night you can't go wrong with that."

"I don't know what you mean." Nick blushes

"I'm sure you don't. She's a pretty girl. And you never gave me food when I moved in."

Nick didn't know what to say.

"She won't say no I guarantee it."

-------------------------------------------------

She knew she would be out by now and out late today based on the schedule she had been given a week ago and if he was by some evil curse there he'd be sleeping. He was the same during certain types of "projects" . She was relaxed walking in.

Then she saw Ari sitting on the floor she watched as he ran his hands through his hair and then stood up oblivious to her, she was watching the scene completely confused. His head hanging low.

"Ari. You're here. And awake I thought you'd be-"

He had jumped up the moment he heard her voice call his name.

"I've been worried sick," he wrapped his arms around her with his head on top of hers. Hes only a few inches taller at 6'1 vs her 5'8 but he still did it "about you. You've been gone the whole night. I."

He let go to look at her all over make sure she wasn't hurt.

"I stayed at a friends." She shrugged away from him and he all to easily let her slip from his grip, "And I found a place I'm  moving in this weekend."

"What?" His heart hit the floor.

"Yea so you can have your bed back soon."

"Wa I mean I well this I-" for the first time Ari didn't  know what to say or how to handle the situation.  His entire life he's been able to just fly by the seat of his pants

Nick had kept his promise and that weekend he helped her move out. Nick had made sure Ari wasn't in a room alone with her and Nick had placed himself between her and Ari at all times.

She was so much happier since she was living alone. Truthfully so was nick...especially since she agreed to have dinner with him... more than once. He doesn't remember the last time he had laughed so much, even smiled so much and when she had smiled he did then too. There was such a light in her that Nick saw that first morning and he wasn't going to let Ari do anything.

The whole time Ari was watching it was the worst horror movie Ari has ever seen. The worst situation Ari has ever been in. Thr amount of internal bleeding Ari was dealing with was insurmountable. For the first time in Ari's grown up life he had no plan. No words. He was helpless. She wouldnt let him help in fact she tried her best to ignore Ari's presence. Ari left lifeless.

"Ari I, Im sorry I- no you know what I'm not sorry. You made me feel like shit like crap. I thought I was shit. And um. I deserve someone who won't do that to me. Make me feel like that."

Meeting Nick reminded her but she wasn't going to say anything. "Ari won't be in my life any more. In fact He isn't." She told herself. But she wasn't heartless she couldn't be after everything. There were good moments after all.

"You're an amazing father to Maya but that doesn't mean an you're  a good man...for me.tell her I'll always be here for her.

She sees Nick behind him on a door way nodding in encouragement. She told him how she was nervous about the conversation she knew would happen and Nick had simply assured her that she was right and he'd be there to help if Ari wasn't agreeing. Nick knew she was strong enough someone just had to remind her.

"The argument you never appologized. But I did and that told me everything. You can't say the words I'm sorry-"

"I am I am so so sorry."

"Ari just stop. It's  too late."

She pushed past him proud that the single tear that tightroped acorss her eyeline never fell over. That said more than words ever could.

(I know Ari ran his hand down his beard then was rubbing his beard trying to stratagize to find a strategy. But I need to put it behind me.)

"You ok?" Nick curiously asked hoping her answer would remind herself of her strength. Nick somehow never realized what a great guy he is but she did.

"Yea . In fact I'm great."

"Good. Now what do you think of ttyin the amazing fantastic Ray's for dinner?"

"Didn't we have that last night?"

"No we had the amazing fabulous Rays."

"Oh god."

"And they are all on facing street corners," he wispered for some reason but it made her laugh.

They were done but Nick realized heft his phone and went back in.

"Hey," Ari grabbed his arm as he was walking out, surprising Nick who didn't miss a a beat changing his posture to match the lion one Ari has naturally.

"She trusts you."

"And I trust her."

"You better take good care of her."

Nick was taken back she didnt need anyone to 'take care of her,' what she did need was a friend right now. And nick would wait forever for her.

"Comming from you that's real rich. We're not dating but," Nick looked out the window to see her smiling along with the radio, and he couldn't help but smile

"She means the world to me."

"She deserves it."

"Yea she does." Nick's venom pierced Ari like a snake bite as Nick was sure to make a point to drive it home to hurt Ari.

He got into the car and they went off to move her away leaving Ari alone. It wasn't that he was a lone, it was that he lost her. He always had her to come home to and he loves that and cherished that until he let a bad day become a bad week and took it out on her he had no one to blame but himself.

He walked to Maya's room and he picked up her Gloworm. The one maya insisted on using... for this... He opened the velcro and moved the battery aside, he took out and a small box. He doesn't know why he was torturing himself by doing this but as he opened up the box a small peice of paper came out, he unfolded it, it was something Maya wrote herself. She was so excited and happy when Ari talked to Maya about what he wanted. He felt a horrible so horrible.. worse than scum shit crap. as he just didn't ruin things for himself but for Maya. Then he read the paper it had one sentance written in pink crayone was the words:

"PLEASE marry my Daddy."

And Ari cried again.

Summer Wedding part 6

Taglist (if you want to be added let me know)

@nana1000night @sapphire-rogers @hawkeyes-queen @patzammit @sparklybarbarianninja