#something about the way it somehow feels so intimate
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mihsella · 3 days ago
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That other side of you.
Minors DNI!!
Bob Reynolds / Void x Female Reader
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Summary: Void has been growing desperate, seeing how you and Bob fucked whenever you guys wanted to. He also wanted his turn with you, he wanted you to know how good he could make you feel.
Warnings: Shameless smut, vaginal sex, fingering, oral sex, dom and sub undertones (i think), rough sex, overstimulation (if you squint), small reference of substance abuse.
A little bit of cute romance Bob for like two lines lol!
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You had been dating Robert Reynolds for a while now. Ever since you first saw him, you felt pulled towards him, that weird gravitational attraction that you only get once in your life. His dark messy hair, his deep blue eyes, his charming good-boy smile, they melted your heart since day one.
You loved how he was when you two got intimate. He was soft, delicate, yet somehow desperate, almost submissive at times. He could be at your feet whenever you wanted him too, begging you to touch him, begging you for more. And you loved him like this, you loved how desired he made you feel.
You knew about the Void, he had told you about him after your first night together, expecting you to leave like everyone else did. But you? You stayed. You can't deny you were scared at first, you knew how hard it was for him to control it, to control him. Nevertheless, ever since he joined the Thunderbolts, things were actually looking brighter. Bob came into peace with Void, and Void came into peace with Bob. They even talked to each other and Bob even allowed Void to manifest himself and do everyday things. And whenever he did, he was surprisingly normal. You just chatted and kept him up with everything, he became like another friend to you, another version of the puppy eyed boy you loved.
You were already accostumed to seeing Bob speak to himself, you knew he was talking to Void. But lately he seemed jumpy, uncertain. Whenever he spoke to himself he made sure to leave the room, it was like he didn’t want you to hear him, to hear them. It wasn't until one morning, when you were sipping coffee, that your boyfriend approached you, eagerly sat down, and said;
"I want to talk to you about uhm....something."
"Oh, what is it babe? Everything ok? …..Is it something at work?" You asked shyly. His recent demeanor had you worrying that he may had relapsed, or had problems dealing with Void again.
"No, its just uhm. Its about Void" He said, fidgeting with his hands and avoiding your eyes.
"Oh. Is he making you upset again?" You asked, eyes widening.
"No, its not that its just. You know how he has feelings too and needs too, right? Like he is kinda human after all….I guess. And, you know, uhm, we are like at some level the same person, so if I like something or need something he tends to feel the same way. That's why I let him take the lead sometimes, and talk to you, and go for walks, and eat and stuff" He is jumpy, shy, acting like the first time he ever talked to you. You must admit it, Bob was extremely timid, but now, he looked almost ashamed.
"I know that baby. I get that and I've told you I'm ok with that. I understand." You look deep into his eyes, stretching out your hand over the table to grab his. You knew he was insecure about his "condition”, yet you had never seen him this way.
“It’s just well, he had this idea, well I guess we had it cause I agreed and all. You know I love you so I guess he loves you, so…”
“So…?”
“So….ugh how the fuck do I say this…god” He brought his hands to his head, and furrowed his eyebrows. “Uhm…well..”
“Bobby, babe, you know you can tell me anything. You know I am willing to help you as long as it means you can control him and you guys can be at peace.” You looked at your boyfriend sincerely, you were truly willing to do anything for him.
“Well, he wants to…uhh…..he wants to fuck you”
“Oh” Your cheeks turned red. “I…I don’t know what to say” You can’t say you hadn’t thought about it before. About knowing how this other side of your boyfriend was, how he would touch you differently, feel you differently. But it was always just a fleeting thought. You never thought Bob would allow something like this.
“I mean if you don’t want to it’s fine”
“No no… I’ll do it” You smiled at him.
“Oh thanks babe really, I can’t thank you enough. This guy, you know, he was driving me crazy” He stood up, reached over and kissed your forehead, cupping your face in his calloused hands. “I love you so much” He smiled, his eyes brightening.
“I know” You smiled back.
He reached for your lips, pulling you into a soft, delicate kiss. And suddenly, he stopped. His eyes, still blue, turned somehow dark, like if a fog had taken over. He pulled away, smiling, he was still Bob but, not your Bob. He smiled cockily, confident, and looked straight at your lips. “Hey there”
You stood up, now aware. “Void..?” You looked straight into his eyes.
“In the flesh, baby” He pulled you into a long, deep kiss. His lips grazed yours roughly, he was desperate, hungry. His tongue exploring every single part of your mouth. His hands were everywhere, he grabbed your hair, cupped your face, touched your waist. It was so different from Bob’s delicate kisses, yet just as delicious. You replied back, putting your hands on his torso and sliding down, keeping up with all that he was giving you. He was so rough, so desesperate, you felt your whole body aching for him, that familiar feeling building up between your thights.
Sloppily, in between kisses, you made your way towards your bedroom. Clumsily tripping over stuff as you did. You got to your bedroom and he stopped, looking into your eyes “You are so beautiful”. He hugged you and held you up as he kissed you, slowly moving towards your neck. His hot breath against your skin made you feel otherworldly, you felt his desire in every single kiss. You moved your hands towards his shirt, trying to take it off without breaking the kiss. He looked down at you and smirked “Pathetic..” He cockily took his shirt off with just one hand, and took yours off just as easily. (God, has he been practicing this??) In a couple of swift movements you were completely naked, and him in his in underwear, his torso glowing under the sunlight.
“so fucking pretty for me…” He whispered, out of breath as he laid you in the bed. He climbed over you, his eyes locking with yours as he trailed kisses from your face, to your neck, and then to your torso. “So, so fucking pretty” He said as he took his mouth to one of your breasts. He kissed it, sucked it, ran his tongue in slow, torturing circles around your nipple. Grabbing your other breasts with his free hand and pinching that nipple as he sucked. A moan escaped your lips as you felt his tongue in your breasts, alternating between each one, kissing and grabbing, making you feel so sensitive. You were sure your breasts were already sore when you felt him start trailing his kisses down, his hot lips grazing through your skin. “I’m gonna make you feel so fucking good baby, you’ll forget you’re even dating goddamn Bob”.
He got to your clit and started kissing it, so slowly, yet it felt like so much. You looked down, into his sweet dark eyes, he looked beautiful. His long hair framing his face as he looked straight at you, face buried between your thighs. He went slowly on your clit, he wanted you to beg him, to make him know how hard you wanted him. “M…more”
“What was the baby?”
“More… please” You whined. You felt pathetic, writhing under this man. You felt his tongue slide through your folds, teasing them before he went all in, alternating between sucking and kissing your clit, and sliding his tongue through your folds. You moaned and whined, you felt it through your body, his tongue was hot against you. You felt yourself get wetter, you needed him, all of him, everywhere.
Almost as if he heard you, he suddenly added a digit into you, expanding and pumping. You couldn’t keep up with everything, his finger reached deep, into that sweet spot your boyfriend would always reach. Instinctly, you reached down, grabbing his soft hair and pushing him deeper towards you. He looked at you and smiled, he was so fucking cocky and you hated it, yet he made you feel so good, so used.
He inserted another digit and you felt your boyfriend’s cold rings against your entrance, his fingers curling as his tongue kept torturing your clit. Your moans were almost pornographic at this point. Loud, whiny, pathetic sounds came out of your mouth. “Those sounds baby, keep making them.” He said as he smirked at you, fingers pumping in and out of you mercilessly. You felt the heat quickly building up, like you were about to spill in any minute. “M’gonna…gonna cum..” you managed to get out in between your moans. He smiled, and started sucking harder on your clit, keeping the same pace with his fingers. You quickly felt your core tensing, and with a moan came undone into his hands, breathing heavily and writhing from the pleasure. Your mind was foggy, and you saw stars.
“So good for me baby, aren’t you? Such a good girl” He took his hands towards your waist, and started trailing them through thighs, kissing them and caressing them. “That was so much..” You said, still slurring on your words. “Oh but it wasn’t enough for me baby.” You heard the smile in his words as he took off his boxers, carelessly tossing them to the side.
He climbed on the bed and aligned himself with your entrance, sliding his cock through your folds. You were so sensitive that it already felt like too much, and he hadn’t even entered you yet. He looked at you, grabbing your face as you felt him go in, causing you to moan. You were so wet for him that it just slid in, no pain. You were already used to your boyfriend’s dick yet seemed to always forget how utterly big he was.
He gave you a moment to adjust to his size, and started pumping into you slowly, his eyes praising you as he did. You felt him him hitting deep into your core. Slowly, torturing you, making you feel each and every trust. He slowly kissed your neck, leaving marks all over you as he steadily increased his pace. You felt how much he filled you, overwhelmed by how his cock felt against your folds, and how his mouth was nibbling the skin of your neck. “I’m gonna fuck you dumb” he shamelessly whispered against your ear as he quickly started on a pace, going harder and faster into you. You were already so sensitive and now just felt completely cockdrunk. You couldn’t control the moans that were escaping you, and couldn’t even keep your legs straight, going limp under him, completely vulnerable to his touch.
He took notice of your reaction, and moved his hands towards your waist, pinning you down into the bed as he mercilessly fucked you. Each thrust leaving you out of breath and making your mind foggier. You could only feel him, it was so overwhelming yet so good. You could only feel him going faster, harder, giving you everything he had. You closed your eyes, unable to handle everything he was giving you. “Open your eyes, I want you to see this” he said, as you looked up and saw his hair framing his beautiful face.
His pace quickly became erratic, small moans escaping his lips as you felt that familiar feeling growing inside of you again. He kept holding down your waist as you whimpered, choking out every single time he hit that spot. He looked down on you, mouth open as he fucked you. Then, with one last long thrust, he came undone into you, filling your insides so perfectly. And so did you. Feeling your mind go completely blank and your body get overpowered by that heat, legs shaking with one last, loud moan. He collapsed on top of you, rolling over as he took deep breaths.
He looked at you. Your mind still foggy and fucked out of comprehension. “God, now I know why Bob loves you so much” He said as he cupped your face in one of his hands. Leaning in to kiss your forehead, and smiling as he looked into your eyes. You smiled back, catching your breath.
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This is my first fic here!! Taking any recommendations or prompts. Lowkey thinking about doing a sub!Bob fic. Tell me your thoughts!! Love you guys!! <3
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bearyfast · 3 days ago
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Rained In - LN4
Partnering: Lando Norris x reader
Type: Fluff (kinda angst a little but not really)
Established Relationship
Summary: After being rained in on a weekend trip away from the F1 world, Lando's real feelings about the future come out by the fireplace.
Warnings: None (if I've missed any, please let me know and I'll add them!)
F1 Masterlist
“I’m sorry today didn’t work out,” Lando mumbled into your hair as you were cuddling on the couch together, you wrapped up in his strong arms, keeping you in place. “I know you wanted us to actually do something on this holiday”
Coming up to a weekend break from the Formula One season, you had convinced Lando to go on a weekend getaway to a cabin in the English countryside.
You had wanted to do a few different things; going on walks and just adventuring in the countryside that you normally didn’t get to see with all the glitz and glamour of living in Monaco and being a Formula One driver (and a Formula One drivers girlfriend).
Unfortunately for your plans, the weather decided that it would rain; and rain it did.
Since an hour before the sun even rose until what would probably be the entire night it had been constant raining and pouring.
Which leads to the current situation- you and Lando laying together on the couch, watching a DVD that Lando brought along for some reason since the internet was down and a knitted blanket draped over both of you.
“It’s alright, today worked out pretty good anyway” You spoke softly, looking up to him with a soft smile and a small giggle at the end of your words.
Earlier that day, instead of leaving in the rain, you decided that you had all the ingredients to bake a pie. Which you did- really the only issue was Lando.
You see, as you were making the base of the pie, fingers deep in dough and hands clad with flour, Lando decided he would be ‘helpful’. Well if helpful meant scaring you by coming up the back of you without making a sound and wrapping his arms around your waist.
Jumping at the sudden contact, you spun around and placed your hands (the ones that had flour and dough all over them) on Lando’s chest to push him back. This caused Lando’s shirt to get flour and dough on it and his adorable little pout to be on his face for the next hour.
Though everything worked out in the end when you found him eating half of the pie a few minutes later- before you even got a chance to cut it up to have for lunch.
“Don’t remind me” Lando groaned as he pulled you closer to him, turning you around so you laid on top of him, chest to chest.
Leaning forward, you placed a soft kiss on his lips with Lando responding almost immediately-  turning the intended soft and short kiss into an intimate and slow one. It felt as if this kiss was somehow more open and honest than any other kiss you had ever had in your year long relationship.
As Lando pulled away, he connected your forehead with something… new in his eyes. Under the light of the fireplace nearby, the embers lighting up his face and eyes in a way you hadn’t seen before.
Like he was just full of love and finally let himself show that. It made your heart swell before he even began speaking again.
“You know what my biggest fear is?” Lando asked softly but with a raw undertone in his voice, nodding slightly as the already quiet noise from the TV turned into almost blurry noises in the background. “It’s losing you”
Before you could comfort him or tell him you weren’t going away, he shook his head to silence you while he swallowed.
“What if one day something happens to me on the track? I get hurt and suddenly I can’t come home to you,” Lando spoke with emotion high in his voice, but it came out slightly muffled since he grabbed the back of your head softly to hug you and buried his own head in the crook of your neck for comfort. “Or worse, what if our long term relationship doesn’t work out? What if we have different views of the future?”
After being silent for a few moments, you wrapped your arms around him as well. “That won’t happen, Lan. Why were you thinking of this anyway? Do you think we will have different ideas for the future?”
“No, I just-” Lando stopped himself, taking a deep breath of the scent of your perfume and shampoo’s scent mixed together. “Recently I met up with a guy from high school I used to be friends with, and when he proposed to his girlfriend, she uh- she said no because I guess they weren’t on the same page about their relationship.Then, you know, of course my job”
“Oh, baby,” You cooed, pulling his head out of the crook of your neck, holding it in your hands softly. “I knew your job when I started dating you, I know the risks, and also I’m pretty sure we’re on the same page of our relationship, but if you want to be sure- just ask, baby”
Lando just looked up to you for a moment before kissing you again- a tear running down his cheek and you quickly wiped away.
“So, just to check, if I were to propose, you wouldn’t reject me?” Lando said with a small grin on his face, the love in his eyes somehow stronger than before.
“I would only say no if you did it publicly” You smiled before kissing him again.
“Expect it soon then” Lando states suddenly. “After being rained in with you here and speaking to you like this, I realised that I only want you- forever and always. I love you”
“I love you too, Lan” You whispered, matching the raw emotion in his voice, something only achieved when away from the camera’s and in the privacy of between yourselves.
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petalbcrnes · 2 days ago
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⋆ ִֶָ ๋𓂃🌻 ⋆ fwb!𝓓𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝓖𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐒𝐎𝐍 ’n catching feelings .ᐟ
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𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐘 — you and dick have a fwb relationship, he catches feelings for you and can’t help but feel helpless to the feelings of jealousy festering in his heart. he wants to be the only one you look at.
𝐂𝐖 — this contains nsfw content (under the cut), descriptions of making out, séx / smút.
‎ ‎ ➢ ﹔DIRECTORY ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ
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— 𝓢𝐅𝐖 ⊹ ࣪ ˖
It started out simple. In no way was it supposed to turn into what it is now.
You and Dick got along well. Your friendship bloomed quickly. Similar interests, personalities, and friend groups brought you two together.
It could have been predicted you two would hit it off.
He was captivated by you at first. It was curiosity at first glance. He wanted to know more about you. He wondered if you’d let him in. Let him push back the layers you use to cover your heart tucked away between your ribs.
Fortunately (or unfortunately, that’s up for interpretation) you did let him in.
The weekends you two spent as friends visiting parks, arcades, shops, and cafes turned somehow different.
You two still went to the same places, but now it was only the two of you alone, no one else to disturb the time you spent with him.
It became second nature to spend that time with him. It didn’t take much time for Dick to seek you out every second of the day.
He wanted to be close to you. He made that very clear. Physically, you two were basically attached at the hip.
He should know better than to let something akin to attraction for one of his best friends bloom in his heart, but it is so natural when it comes to you.
Jealousy comes very easy to this man. He wants to spend every moment with you, and god forbid someone else takes that time away from the two of you.
He’s comically jealous. Dramatic as he claims you broke his heart. You two pretend it’s a joke. Whatever it takes to admit it’s all real.
It gets more and more intimate. There are drunken calls, touches that are too soft and tender, sweet words said between the two of you, and so much more.
Dick wants more. He hopes you do as well and is willing to take the chance to prove himself worthy of waking up next to you every morning, not as someone you only spend the night with, but as someone you call a partner.
— 𝓝𝐒𝐅𝐖 ⊹ ࣪ ˖
The first night you two cross the blurred lines of friendship and whatever the two of you have goes something like this.
The feeling of wanting more quickly bloomed in your chests. It grew and grew until one night the air felt different when he looked at you.
Dick’s eyes darted from your eyes to your lips. He looked different from what you were used to.
And suddenly every warning your friends gave you about him started ringing out in your head—he’s a playboy, you couldn’t trust him.
And you surely shouldn’t let him stare at you like that, let his lean fingers trace your jaw, let them settle on your plump lips.
You shouldn’t feel a burning ache inside you when he tugs your bottom lip ever so slightly.
You shouldn’t have let him kiss you. But you’ve always been weak for him. You should have known this would have happened.
Every precaution and warning about this gets thrown out the window as he travels his hand below, cupping your neck and waist at the same time, bringing you into his lap.
You can feel him smile against your lips, as if he has something he’s been wanting and craving for so long right in his lap.
He’s characteristically loud. He doesn’t shut up—“I’ve wanted to do this for so long.”
You can feel yourself getting dizzy and your mind goes hazy with every admission from his already glossy lips from the kisses you two shared—“I knew”—he mumbles between kisses—“you’d taste like heaven.”
Most nights you two spend like this.
Though you try to keep your distance, try to see other people, invite others to your bed.
You don’t think he notices, but he does. Every night you don’t answer his texts, it stings his heart.
The sex becomes even more emotional after the feelings grow into something more.
His hands grip your hips even more desperately, and his fingers dig into your skin as if he’s terrified to let go.
Every time he’s inside you, he begs to see your face. He needs to look into your eyes while the two of you reach the edge.
Surprisingly, there’s a new carefree and fun emotion added when the two of you spend the night together.
Tangled bodies under the sheets and you two will laugh, make jokes, and it all starts to feel domestic.
After that, he clings onto you. Aftercare becomes even more soft. The warm cloth he uses to clean you up is used with even more tenderness.
He silently begs for you to stay the night with him. Dimly sparkling eyes look up at you with a pleading look.
He’s basically a puppy at your door, scratching and trying to convince you to let him in.
Dick is used to being the one people chase.
Suddenly everything is flipped around. He’s the one begging for your touch, time, and presence.
He wouldn’t have it any other way. He just hopes you say yes to him the next time you two meet and he takes you out on a real date.
♥︎ . .. ♥︎ .. ♥︎
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© petalbcrnes | all rights reserved. even when credited, these works are not allowed to be reposted, translated, or modified. viewer discretion is advised.
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greenwitchfromthewoods · 2 days ago
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broken promises. l Clint Flood
💔 a few ways to break your heart 💔
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Summary: he broke his promise again, you couldn't have done otherwise
Warnings: angst, stable relationship that breaks, broken promises, tears, mentioning violence, pregnancy
A/N: the second season of broken hearts.
your feedback is very important to me and I thank you for all the reblogs, comments and likes. 🖤 sorry for all the mistakes
a few ways to break a heart [masterlist]
“No, no, no! You promised me, Clint! You promised this would end!”
You were furious. Angry. Devastated. The moment that man walked through the door to your house, you knew it had happened again. He had taken another job. And no, it wasn’t a safe and nice job, but a job that could cost him his life.
“Sweetheart…” Clint took a step toward you, but you quickly stepped back, standing behind the kitchen island as if it was somehow protecting you from him. The sight hurt him. “Sweetheart, we talked about this. I know what I’m doing.”
“Oh, what a relief!” you snorted. “I feel calmer right away.”
“Sweetheart.”
You were sure that tonight he would call you every sweet name he knew, he always did that when he felt guilty, when he knew that what he had done had somehow upset you. This big guy, who the whole town feared, was like a teddy bear next to you, but it wasn’t comforting. Not now.
You saw his injured knuckles and you already had your answer. “Did you kill someone?” you asked, even though the words barely made it through your tight throat.
“No, honey. He’ll be fine in a week or two, but he was alive when I left.”
You nodded. “That’s good. I wouldn’t feel like visiting you in prison or the cemetery.”
“Honey, I know you’re mad. But it was necessary. I did it for us. For you!”
Something in your gaze changed. Clint noticed it immediately. You straightened up, your fingers clenching.
“Don’t say things like that, Clint. There’s nothing about us in what you’re doing.” You said through gritted teeth. “I’ve asked you so many times. You promised me!”
“I can handle this.”
"And me? The past, what you do, will catch up with you eventually! Can't you see that?" you took a deep breath, feeling tears welling up in your eyes. You had to tell him eventually. You had hoped for a better moment, a more intimate one, but apparently this was your fate. "I can't risk it anymore, Clint. I can't let them see what their father did..."
He frowned. He looked at you carefully, as if trying to understand what you had said. What was that supposed to mean? He could feel your anger was greater than usual, but this was...
"I'm pregnant, Clint." you finally said. "I wanted to tell you at a better time, but I see there's no point in it." you took a deep breath. "I can't live like this anymore. I just can't..."
In the blink of an eye he was next to you. His large hands cupped your face as if you were his most precious treasure. Brown eyes looked at you with delight and love that only Clint carried within himself.
“Are you sure, honey?” he asked.
“Pregnant or that I’m sick of it?” you mumbled. “Because if you’re asking, the answer ‘yes’ fits every question.”
“You’re pregnant…”
Clint completely ignored what you were saying to him. His mind was focused only on thinking about the baby. He loved you, you knew that, but you also knew that you didn't have enough strength in you to pull him away from what could tear him away from you forever. This world was dangerous. What if Clint didn't protect all of you?
You turned your head when his lips wanted to touch yours, and after a moment you took his hands off your face. He didn't quite understand, or so you thought, because you immediately felt him trying to hug you. You slipped out of his grip again and circled the island again. "I can't do this anymore, Clint. I... I just can't."
"What do you mean?" he asked. "We love each other. This baby is our dream come true."
"And will you promise me one more time that you'll end all this? I can't listen to this anymore." Tears were streaming down your cheeks, but you quickly wiped them away with your hand. "Clint, I'm tired of fighting for you, for us."
"But I love you!"
"I know. And I love you too." You sighed. "I'm doing this for us."
"What do you want to do? Tell me."
When your eyes met, Clint understood immediately. No, he couldn't agree to this. He had been one step behind you all evening, promising, begging, assuring you of his feelings. You knew all of this. It wasn't the first time, but this time it hurt the most. And you both suffered.
Clint Flood was the love of your life. His child was the fulfillment of your dreams of a family. But the rest? You couldn't risk it. Not when you were carrying a new life inside you.
As you got into your car, Clint tried to convince you to come back.
“I love you so fucking much.”
You looked up at his heartbroken face, feeling like your heart was already in pieces. “I love you too, Clint. I always will.”
You started the engine and carefully pulled out onto the dark street. A part of you remained in the house you were leaving, but you knew you had to do this.
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mieldreams · 24 hours ago
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Pure Imagination
Summary: Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination
or where Vader delivers sweet torture in cruel dreams
pairing: Darth Vader x reader
word count: 4,912
warnings: smut smut smut, minors DNI (as the title suggests, dream stuff and I'm not too sure abt how comprehensible this is ngl), inappropriate use of the force etc.
a/n: 5k of pure filth, wasn't actually planning on releasing this cuz I wrote it so long ago but...oh well. it's the first time I'm posting a full fledged smut fic, hope y'all like
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You're in a rare deep slumber when you hear it, the unmistakable mechanical inhales and exhales coming from a dark silhouette in your mind. “You again.” That almost droid-like voice is hard to misidentify and all your senses freeze at once. Panic builds inside you but on the outside, you somehow remain asleep. “Vader? What the fuck?” You weren't exactly unfamiliar with the infamous Sith lord, having run into him on more occasions than you'd like, which established you on at least a ‘he can recognise me by face’ basis – much to your displeasure. But why in the kriffing hell were you hearing his voice in your mind right now? Hadn't you just gone to sleep? Fuck, had Vader found your secret base and infiltrated it? Had he taken you hostage and was he planning on torturing you through his weird mind fuckery? “Your inability to comprehend the ways of the Force does not make it absurd or a deception.” His hoarse voice echoes in your mind once again and you scoff. “Do not patronize me in my own mind. What the fuck do you want? Why are you here?” “You tell me, Rebel.” He spits out the word like it's venomous and putrid. You're losing patience, you're not sure what is happening – last time you checked you were supposed to be asleep in your room, so how was Vader manipulating your mind? “Your mind could be penetrated in my sleep, though I doubt I'd find anything of use.” His voice booms, emotionless as always, “However, it seems you have something rather interesting to show me.” You're starting to get pissed off by this giant fucking leather-wrapped tin can. “Hmmm, your tongue is sharp. If only the same could be said about your intellect.” He spits out, “After all, which perfect little rebel would want something like this.” Suddenly, an image flashes in your mind and your face immediately pales, appalled by what appears before you. In a quick flash you see yourself, lying on your back, goosebumps spreading across your skin as your bare breasts stiffen in the air. You hear your laboured breathing; see the way your chest heaves up and down. And then, you see him. The Darth Vader – in between your legs. His head over your most intimate area. You don't see his face, and the image cuts off right below his shoulders, but the way you're clutching him, pulling him in, and the way his head moves, the way your legs quiver and the way your mouth remains dropped open in pleasure very well lets you know what is going on. You gasp, your own horrified voice echoing in your mind, “What the fuck is this? What the fuck are you doing to me?” His tone would be teasing if he were speaking with his natural voice, “Would you like me to give a descriptive narration?” You growl, “What are you trying to do? Some new perverted mind trick your kind have come up with?” Despite the angry words thrown at him, on the inside you feel terrified. Because where even is this ‘him’? You're shouting at him in your mind but he isn't appearing to you. Just his hollow voice echoing endlessly in your brain with seemingly no origin. “Do not forget your place, Rebel.” It seems you have pissed him off now, or whatever weird body-less voice version of him at least, great. “These fantasies are a creation of your mind. Not so much a perfect rebel now, are we?” You're not going to just let him bullshit his way into your mind no matter what. “Your lies won't work on me.” “You think this is a lie?” He flashes the same image in your head again. This time you appear even more desperate in the filthy act he shows you, hips moving wildly as you moan and pull his head closer to your cunt. “A pity you fight against the want. Your subconscious betrays you.” “You're a kriffing liar!”
“Silence!” His voice booms in your head and you flinch. “A lie? You think I am lying? What about this?” Quickly the image changes, this time showing a close-up of your most intimate parts. Heat pours into your cheeks while anger burns through your veins. A black gloved hand comes into the frame, teasingly snaking up your thigh to caress your folds. You watch, frozen in horror, as it catches your clit, rubbing circles on the nub before dipping lower to tease at the slit. It does this a bunch of times till your empty hole is pulsating in demand, all the while your desperate little pants and whines colour the background. “Vader– want you inside me, please...” Your voice echoes through the dream. The hand, his hand, gently smacks your cunt to silence you before two of his long, gloved fingers enter you. Even through the image you can tell that they are thick, and to your surprise they move slowly at first, yet expertly, delivering deep thrusts that send shivers up your spine. “Stop this! Stop it! Why are you doing this?” You scream at him and his angry voice answers, “Why? Isn't this what you want? Isn't this what your body craves? Or do you still think this is a lie?” The image before you quickly shifts again, this time showing his fingers moving fast and hard inside you. He removes them to rub and pinch at your clit, before pressing on your slit again, this time with three fingers. “What do you want from me? Stop this! You're lying!” “Is that so?” The three fingers swiftly plunge into you, this time your loud moan sounds and your own hand comes into the picture, grabbing his wrist, holding him there. Vader's voice taunts you in your mind, “So this isn't what you want?” You watch as his hand quickly shakes yours off and the same hand that was inside you delivers a loud slap to your cunt, your hips jerking up in reaction but Vader's other hand pins them down. He delivers another wet slap to your cunt, then another and another, each one getting messier and messier as you get wetter and wetter. His fingers finally enter you again and it doesn't take long before you're gushing your release all over his hand. He prolongs your high by rubbing on your already sensitive clit and it has the dream-you begging, “Vader, please...” You shout in your head once again, “What the fuck is wrong with you? Stop this! Get out of my head!” “Do not assume that I am here by pleasure,” he clearly means to taunt you more, alluding to the embarrassing state you just saw yourself in, “it is your mind projecting this.” If you could, you would stab him. “So tell me, Rebel, am I to believe this is not something you want?” “I don't care what the fuck you believe. Get. out. of my fucking head.” He continues, “So you wouldn't want me to do this?” Out of nowhere, you feel a small pressure on your neck, one that steadily grows, as if someone were holding you by the throat. You panic – you had heard about the Sith Lord's preferred method of quickly disposing of his enemies – choking the life out of them as their flailing bodies struggled to get enough oxygen, limbs convulsing and face paling till they eventually died. He was going to kill you in your sleep. Your mind is on high alert, yet your body remains unconscious in bed. “Tell me, Princess, what does your body tell you.” “—If you think that is not enough, what about this?”
The next image he projects in your mind absolutely destroys you. You see your bare back facing you in the fantasy, though your torso is not enough to hide Vader's wide built silhouette in front of you. You are straddling him, but this time too the image is cut off just below your waist. However it doesn't take a genius to figure out what is going on when you can so clearly see the way your body moves on top of his, swivelling your hips sensually as you move up and down. The way your back arches, the way you cling to him, nails digging into the leather over his chest, the breathy moans that escape you. The you in the image grabs Vader's gloved hand and places it on your throat and the real you – or at least your consciousness in your mind gasps in mortification. “How scandalous. The proper princess of the rebellion wants me.” He mocks, “worse, she wants me to want her.” This whole time you had been angry, mad at the evil Sith Lord for showing you these lies – these perverted images that you don't understand the purpose of. What is he trying to achieve? Does he hope to shame you? Provoke you? Therefore weaken your mind's resolve and obtain some information from you? But then you watch yourself in the fantasy – your hips quickening their pace as your breathy moans become raspier and louder, Vader's huge hand roams your naked back, running the middle finger of his gloved palm down your spine before moving to your front again. He caresses your breasts, toying with them and it makes the dream-you mewl. Suddenly the Vader in the projection grabs your hips, stopping your movements entirely, making you whine. He lands a stern slap on your ass in warning before pulling you in by your waist, guiding your arms from his chest to lay over his shoulders.
You can only stare in horror and regretfully–arousal, as Vader takes full control, thrusting up into you with such precision it has you screaming. You still cannot see anything below your waists and yet the lewd sounds that now echo in your mind, mixed with your own traitorous mouth chanting his name in pleasure, asking him, begging him to make you cum, has a certain humiliating warmth pooling in your centre. You want to look away, you want him to stop showing you these cursed dreams – but you have no idea how. The images are directly showing in your head and Vader doesn't seem to actually be in your room. So how do you stop this? Before you get to shout at him again, the previous pressure on your neck, one that you had nearly forgotten about, grows stronger again, pressing more on your throat till you can hear your own heartbeat echoing in your head. You realise then that the pressure on your throat is definitely not something imagined and that somehow, Vader was actually choking you physically in your sleep. Were you wrong about your assumptions? Had Vader really somehow broken into your quarters? But the others would know. They'd wake you – they'd try to stop him. Wouldn't they? Or had they all already tried – and failed to stop him. Is that why you could physically feel his hands on your throat? “You think too much.” His voice echoes after a long time, “Tell me, Princess – after everything I've shown you – do you still dare to think of this as a deception?” You don't know what to say, you have always wished for Darth Vader's defeat in every battle you have been a part of, always hoped that the tyrannical rule he was a part of would end. And yet you also knew that there was something weird– something wrong here. Every time you had encountered the Sith Lord you had felt an odd sort of feeling in your mind, as if something was amiss. You had always been wary of the force-users and weren't entirely convinced of its powers– or better yet, its presence in the universe. Yet every time you ran into Vader, you had always felt a certain presence in your being – like a pull, a connection that wasn't quite complete. Like two wires of a running circuit that occasionally rubbed together and created sparks. But what does it mean? What does any of this mean? You still cannot believe that whatever Vader showed you was some sort of prediction of the future. However, he told you that it was your mind that projected this.
But can you believe him? You would scream and fight and argue that he's a cruel perverted liar and that none of this is true. But then why is there a part of you that suddenly feels heavy with need? You almost want to strangle yourself when you realise the wetness in your pants. And you suppose you really should just jump off a cliff when you realise that Vader can and probably is reading your mind right now. “I do not need to read your mind to know your desperation, Rebel.” Or maybe you could throw him off one instead. “While it would surely be amusing to see you attempt, right now, Princess, tell me – are you still convinced that all I've shown you is a deception?” With his words he slowly moves the pressure down your neck, tracing your collarbones to your breasts, cupping them as if they were naked. He fondles them, pinching and pulling and you whimper. “—that you don't want this?” His hands ghost down your torso, caressing your hips before moving further south. You freeze when you feel him slip below the waistband of your pants, going lower and lower before stopping right at your slit – the same way he had in the vision he showed you. He mimics the same actions from the fantasy on your body – running his fingers up and down teasingly before pausing on your clit to rub slow circles. “Tell me to stop, Princess.” He slips his fingers lower again to put pressure on your slit without actually slipping inside and you're not sure how to answer him. You want him to stop because this cannot be right – you already don't know how he's even doing this, and surely you don't want to fuck Vader? But then you don't want him to stop because the expertise with which he's teasing your tits and rubbing your clit is making it hard to think. Vader can tell that you're at the edge of your limits. He flashes all the images he's shown you once again, repeating them in your head as he lures you, “Look,” he can tell that you're trying to fight him, trying to break off his connection and stop him from showing you these visions. Too bad he's a Sith Lord and much better at controlling. Brats like you really need to be tamed. “I said look.” The images flash much quicker now, all of them with you naked and begging for Vader to take you. He uses the force to toy with your body once again – phantom lips kiss their way from the corner of your mouth and up your jaw to nibble at the sensitive spot right under your ear. He shows you your own face in the visions where you climax in his mouth, on his fingers, on his cock – your mouth dropped, brows scrunched and naked chest heaving as you whine and moan. He makes you listen to your own screams of pleasure, of begging – begging to give you his cock, to let you cum, to do it all over again.
The real Vader puts a steady thrumming pressure on your clit, one that would've had you immediately buckling at the knees if you weren't still asleep in your bed. You can't help the whimper that escapes you. “Vader, please...” You feel ashamed when you find yourself repeating the words from the dream, though you're not sure if you're pleading him to stop or asking for more. “What's the matter, Princess? Surely a proud rebel like yourself wouldn't want a Sith Lord?” His voice continues mocking you as the humming pressure turns into full vibrations over your clit and that combined with the way he pinches your nipples has you melting against your own wishes. Or is it? Is this really against your own wishes? You can lie to him, but can you really lie to yourself? And it seems Vader's presence in your mind is as attentive as ever as he soon questions. “Tell me to stop. You said I was lying – so why aren't you stopping me?” Vader can feel the steady build of a climax in you, you are right at the brink and he can tell that all it would take is one push to send you over the edge. Suddenly, he stops all his actions. Every way he was touching you–it all disappears in a second. It happens so quickly it's like your body gets whiplash. You feel naked despite the fact that your body is still fully clothed and tucked in bed. You sob, “Vader—” “What is it, Princess?” When your own inner turmoil keeps you silent he continues his provocation, “Surely, you do not want me–a Sith Lord, to fuck you?” He mocks with a surprised tone. “Surely you do not want something like this,” he once again flashes another image in your head. This time you're on your back again, fully naked, but the sight doesn't shock you after all that you have seen in the past few minutes. Your hair is strewn over the surface, nipples hard as your half-lidded eyes twinkle up at him, a teasing smile pulls on your lips as your nails dig into Vader's stomach, dragging them up before spreading your palms over his chest. You tug him to you, and Vader's wide frame covers your body.
He is still clothed and his cloak falls over his shoulders to drape over the two of you. You watch as he squeezes your throat, but unlike the panic that grows in you every time you feel Vader's hands over your neck, the you in the dream smiles. She smiles and puts her hand over his as if encouraging him and fuck that shouldn't make you drip even more but it does. Vader shuffles back a little and for the first time in all of the visions he's shown you do you get to see any part of him. The real parts. And it's his cock – thick and long, slightly curved–and heavy. Heavy as you watch yourself take him in your palms, heavy as Vader slips his hand under yours to pin your wrists above you before thumping his cock on your button, making you whimper. Heavy as he runs it up and down your slit before he hooks the fat head in your hole. The dream you hums in pleasure as Vader's thick cock parts your walls, except suddenly he stops. He stops halfway in, running his possessive hands up and down your hips and legs. The pause makes you whine, instinctually clenching around him to pull him deeper and it almost knocks the breath out of Vader. He leaves a stinging hand print on your ass as a reminder to behave before one of his hands comes down to where the two of you are joined. Watching his hands–it makes you think. Even during such an intimate act Vader never takes off his gloves, in fact he doesn't even take off his clothes. In every dream you have seen tonight he is always fully clothed and it almost makes you yearn to see what he actually looks like. The dream you was always busy being fucked senseless by Vader but you couldn't stop wondering about how he was underneath all that leather. How would it feel if he were to touch you, really touch you. Would his hands be warm to touch? Or would they be as cold as his voice? Your contemplation doesn't last long as that same vibrating pressure grows stronger on your clit, just as the pleasure blooms in your core. Every time Vader touches you, really touches you–with whatever weird sexual Force abilities he possesses, your mind goes entirely blank. It's like he quickly takes over every string controlling your body and all you can do is give in. You give in as Vader cups your sex and palms your throat–it's as if he's right there behind you, broad chest to your back, slow and deep breaths exhaled right next to your ear, tickling you and somehow arousing you further. When you start getting fussy he tightens his grip on your throat, “Watch.” He commands before directing your attention to what he's projecting in your mind. You stare in embarrassment and arousal as the dream Vader first makes you come on his tip, using his fingers to pinch and pull and rub on your clit, pushing you to your high till you're pulsing around the head of his cock. It makes him dig his nails into your plush thighs, slick fingers moving up to grip your ass and lift your hips up to use for his pleasure. Vader pulls out of you to tease you again. You had been whining the entire time he was playing with your body and it entirely distracted you from the way Vader was actually toying with you in reality. Or was this all a dream too?
Your thoughts are cut off as Vader lines his thick fingers to your slit, circling and circling till you're dripping and surely staining your pants. Your hips move on their own to get him to finally push inside. You're embarrassed but also glad that you have separate quarters and that you sleep alone. “You want it that bad, Princess?” His deep voice rumbles in your mind. Wasn't the bastard supposed to be able to read your mind? You don't answer, instead, you try to reach out to whatever it was Vader was using to toy with you, focusing in your mind on that odd sensation that seems to be the source of all this. Maybe it's Vader's own distracted nature that allows you to sense his presence so quickly in the Force, especially when he doesn't do anything to stop you as you reach out to him, to the feeling of him. You connect to his presence, as if gently caressing the very fabric of his being. It feels somewhat weird; you've never done anything like it before. It feels like you're weaving yourself into him as you concentrate on the feeling of him in your mind. Even his presence feels intimidating–strong and dark, imposing and fearful. Yet, you reach out, gently, a little unsure but determined to get him to do something, anything.
You wonder why Vader isn't doing anything to stop you, especially when you know he can, being all-powerful and all that. Did he want this just as much as you? Your contemplation is cut short as you feel a steady pressure on your entrance and you throw your head back, thinking fucking finally. You think you hear something like a deep chuckle echoing in your mind before the same dream from before flashes at the forefront again. This time, dream Vader lines his cock up with your hole just as you feel the force touch grow stronger on your cunt, and simultaneously you watch as Vader's cock swiftly enters you and you feel a thick length bury deep inside. A loud moan echoes in your mind and you can't tell if it was the dream you or you. This time Vader doesn't waste a second before he starts thrusting, both in the dream and inside you. You watch as Vader fucks you fast and hard and feel as the heavy girth parts your walls, before pulling back to deliver sharp and precise thrusts, making you feel so full that it steals your breath and renders you speechless. “Hmm, nothing to say now, Princess? No accusations of lies or deception?” When you say nothing Vader slows down his pace, again both in the dream and in you, and this time even if the dream you says anything it goes completely unheard as you whine out. After watching yourself come apart so many times, hearing your whines and begs, the lewd sounds of fucking, you were downright aching, desperate to have your want fulfilled and your cunt stuffed. “Tsk, tsk tsk, such filthy wants you have, Princess.” His mocking voice booms, “and here I thought you wanted me defeated and dead.” You did, you swear you did, just....after you were done with whatever this was. Because fuck Vader feels so good inside you, so big and so deep, especially as he grinds into you without pulling out. In the haze of your pleasure you barely notice Vader picking up pace again and in retaliation he delivers a slap to your ass and it's so much worse. It's so much worse because it feels so so good, your hole pulsating around nothing desperately. “Watch.” He echoes the same word again as he forces you to concentrate on the dream he's showing you. It's a struggle to focus as Vader expertly fucks you into the mattress, pleasure coursing through your veins as he hits that deep spot inside you again and again. It becomes so much more difficult when he makes you watch the way he fucks you, the way his broad frame covers you entirely, practically dwarfing you, the way you greedily swallow him, stretched to your limits as his thick cock thrusts into you – hard and fast, not showing any mercy. Holy shit, you realise, Vader was showing you how he would fuck you, and he's making you feel how he would fuck you. All without fucking you at all.
He's ruining you, absolutely ruining you as the lewd sounds of him thrusting hard and deep into your wet pussy echo in your mind. As sweat runs down your forehead, as your chest heaves, and as your cunt leaks and leaks, surely ruining your sleepwear. As you sob in pleasure and you can’t even tell if it’s from the dream or you.
You feel the pressure on your neck return and it makes you heady, your eyes roll to the back of your head as Vader toys with your clit again, not faltering in his pace of fucking you.
You’re barrelling towards the edge at record speed, but you would never admit to Vader that no one’s ever fucked you this good, not even the best sex of your real life came close to whatever Vader was doing to you now.
Did you feel guilty about it? Immeasurably so. But it wasn’t at the front of your mind when you could also feel the way you were so close. So so close – just one more deep thrust, just one more flick of your button, just one squeeze of your throat and you’d be—
Suddenly every bit of touch disappears from your body.
The long length inside you is no longer there, the wide palm on your bare throat has vanished and the thrumming pressure on your clit has faded into nothing.
You can’t help the cry that escapes you, calling out his name in desperation.
There is no reply. You writhe on the bed, your desperation showing in the way your knuckles protrude as you fist the bedsheet, your hips squirming and cunt pulsing in need for what was so cruelly stolen from you.
You quickly sit up as your mind awakes and your eyes shoot open. Your quick pants are the only sound you can hear in the pin drop silence of your separate quarters.
Your voice is shaky as you call out, “V-Vader?”
Still no reply. You let your head fall into your hands, a silent sob escaping you as you come down from the high. Your cheeks feel warm, in fact, your whole body feels on fire and you just can’t seem to get enough air into your lungs.
The tears that slip down your face, dry and cool your heated skin but it’s not enough.
Every encounter with Vader always made you feel like something was missing, and tonight that feeling’s stronger than ever, carving out a chunk of your being and wringing your stomach into knots.
You feel hollow. Unsure. Unsafe. And yet you want to forget all of this. There is no physical evidence of anything other than your ruined underwear that you’re more than willing to ignore. Maybe this was all just a dream. A very very bad dream. Nothing more.
Just as you’re about to chalk this all up to some weird way of the universe fucking with you, a deep inhale echoes in your mind.
“The temple is where our business will be finished.”
And just like that you’re once again left alone in the silent darkness of the room.
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a/n: welp folks, here we have it. weird way to say it ig but happy star wars day! may the force be with you
(ignore that this is a day late and also absolutely not proofread, both becuz tumblr was being a bitch and I lost this fic like 6 times and I almost don't care anymore lol)
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better-setterv2 · 1 day ago
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𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒲𝑜𝓇𝓁𝒹 𝐵𝓁𝑜𝑜𝓂𝑒𝒹 𝒲𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝐼 𝒮𝒶𝓌 𝒴𝑜𝓊 - 𝒫𝓉.𝟤
Authors Note: Hi all! Here is part 2 of The World Bloomed When I Saw You. I really enjoyed writing and setting this out. Feel free to leave any suggestions or advice about my work. Lots of love xx
Summary: After locking eyes with her soulmate Lewis Hamilton in the Melbourne Grand Prix, they meet privately to speak about new beginnings.
Warning: none
MASTERLIST
P1, P2
࣪𓏲ᥫ᭡ ₊ ⊹ ˑ ִ ֶ ���࣪𓏲ᥫ᭡ ₊ ⊹ ˑ ִ ֶ 𓂃࣪𓏲ᥫ᭡ ₊ ⊹ ˑ ࣪𓏲ᥫ᭡ ₊ ⊹ ˑ ִ ֶ 𓂃࣪𓏲ᥫ᭡ ₊
It all happened fast - too fast for your mind to fully catch up. One minute you were gripping the barrier as Amilia tried to snag a selfie of a driver she spotted in the distance as well as gawk when Lewis Hamilton spoke to you. The next, a woman with kind eyes and an air of calm confidence was standing beside you.
“You’re Lewis’s just found soulmate, right?” she asked, voice low, almost secretive. “Come with me.”
You blinked. “I - I’m sorry, what?”
“I’m Angela. Lewis saw you and said he saw colour. He’d like to spend some time with you. His soulmate.”
Your heart practically stopped. You turned to Amilia, wide-eyed. She looked like she might pass out, gaping between you and Angela.
But before either of you could speak, a soft-spoken man in Mercedes gear tapped Amilia on the shoulder. “Would you like a private paddock tour? On the house by Lewis Hamilton, who wants the best friend treated with respect.”
Amilia’s eyes sparkled, and for once, she was the one speechless.
You weren’t even given a second to question it. Angela had already turned on her heel, expecting you to follow. And somehow, your feet obeyed.
You were guided through the maze of hospitality suites and trailers, the hum of the paddock growing quieter behind you as Angela led you toward a tucked-away motorhome, away from curious eyes.
She opened the door gesturing for you to go inside.
And there Lewis was. Sitting casually on the edge of a counter, braids loose, arms crossed, expression unreadable. But when he looked at you, it was like the world clicked back into place. Colour still danced around you like a fresh coat of paint, soft and overwhelming, as if your eyes were still adjusting.
“I figured coffee was too cliché,” he murmured, nodding toward the little setup behind him.
There, on a small table, was a tray of chocolate croissants, fruit, and two mugs of chamomile tea.
“I didn’t know what you liked yet,” he said, voice a touch shy now. “But I wanted to do something different.”
You smiled. Heart throbbing from his kindness, it was soft, peaceful. “Chamomile’s actually my favorite.”
Lewis let out the smallest laugh, more breath than sound but it reached his eyes. He looked at you like you were something worth slowing down for.
“I’m glad,” he said simply.
And in that quiet motorhome, with flaky pastry crumbs and warm tea between you, you weren’t two people from opposite worlds anymore. You were just two hearts, finally beating in colour.
You settled into the space slowly, like stepping into a dream you didn’t want to jolt awake from. The hum of the motorhome felt comfortable, the low clink of ceramic as Lewis poured the tea, the soft rustle of his movements. It all felt too gentle, too intimate to belong to a world so loud and fast-paced.
He handed you a mug with a careful kind of grace, his fingers brushing yours for the briefest moment. It sent a spark up your arm, quick and quiet, but you saw the way his eyes flicked up to yours, just to make sure you felt it too.
You did. God, you did. It sent a shiver down your spine.
“Thanks,” you murmured, fingers wrapping around the warmth of the mug. The scent of chamomile soothed your nerves but not as much as the soft low voice of Lewis’s when he spoke again.
“I don’t usually do this.”
You looked up, brow arching in a teasingly way. “Invite random strangers into your motorhome?”
He smiled at that, slow and crooked. “Something like that.”
You took a small sip of tea, feeling it settle in your chest. “I don’t usually let myself get dragged into racing weekends either, so I guess we’re both doing something different today.”
He leaned forward, forearms resting on his thighs, watching you with an intensity that should’ve unnerved you. Although it didn’t. It was grounding.
“What changed your mind?” he asked.
You hesitated, eyes flickering down to your lap. “Amilia. She begged. And maybe” You paused, heat rising in your cheeks. “Maybe I was tired of always saying no to my best friend about f1.”
Lewis nodded like he understood more than you said. “I know what that’s like.”
There was a beat of silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was full of the weight of something new blooming, of the shared quiet silence between two people who hadn’t known each other yesterday but somehow knew everything that mattered today.
He tilted his head, studying you. “Was it really black and white? Before?”
You nodded slowly, remembering the dullness that used to fill your world. “Like living in an old film. I didn’t even realize how flat everything looked until…until now.”
His voice dropped, almost reverent. “Until me.”
You met his gaze, and something unspoken passed between you, something big and wordless. “Yeah,” you whispered. “Until you.”
He reached across the table then, his fingers brushing lightly over your wrist. It wasn’t forward, not bold or demanding. It was simple. It was gentle. But it made your breath catch.
“I’ve waited a long time for this,” he said. “Didn’t even know I was waiting. But now that I see you."
He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t need to.
You blinked, trying to keep from falling apart. “What does this mean? For us?”
Lewis looked thoughtful for a moment, then offered a small, warm smile. “It means we take our time. That we figure it out. Together.”
And maybe that was the most romantic thing of all. That he didn’t make promises of forever, or fate, or fast declarations. He just promised this moment. This beginning.
You reached for another bite of croissant, your fingers brushing against his as you did. “I think I’d like that.”
His smile turned a little brighter, a little softer. The gap between his teeth showing which you thought was cute “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” you said, your voice almost a whisper. “I think I’d like to get to know you and figure it out steadily together .”
The words hung in the space between you like sunlight through a window.
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ramp-it-up · 24 hours ago
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Muse: Four
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Muse Three | Muse Masterlist | Muse Five
Summary: This is the one. The one where decisions are made. Words are said. The end or the beginning of you and Ari.
Pairing: Art Curator! Ari Levinson x Plus sized model! Reader
Word count: 3 K
A/N: Muse will be a series of one shots featuring Muse and Ari, and this the second one. We’re gonna hear from them at least every week. 😏 . This AU is tangential to the Peach and Knock You Down verses. If this drabble makes you angry, let me know! I love reblogs, replies, asks and likes. Let me have it! :)
Warnings: 18+ Only, Minors DNI. SMUT! Read at your own risk; curate your own experience. Angst. Art Curator Ari. Plus sized model Reader, dating app life, casual sex, Dominant Ari, Missed connections, yearning, the green eyed monster, late night confessions, oral (f recieving), fingering, hint of breeding kink, size kink, nipple obsession, nipple play, protected sex, the 'L' word (finally).
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I Do NOT Consent to my work being reposted, translated or presented on any other blog or site other than by myself.
--------
Two days later, you were shooting inside one of the most beautiful spaces you’d ever worked in. It was a gallery so beautiful it felt dangerous ot breathe. A curated reverence hung in the air, the kind that made you instinctively speak softer and move slower.
But you were on edge, because you hadn’t known the shoot would be here. 
No one had said Red Sea Gallery. The one owned by Ari Levinson. Just: White walls, natural light. Tribeca-adjacent. Minimal set.
When you put the address your agent sent you into your maps app and the name popped up, you were gobsmacked. You tried to prepare yourself in the two hours notice you had before the shoot, but you weren’t.
There were the standard issue floor-to-ceiling windows, along with the scent of clean wood, old paint, and history. What was unexpected was the way the afternoon light struck a sculpture in the corner, a piece too raw to be just decoration or inventory. 
It was too intimate not to notice.
You stared at it, knowing that he had chosen it, and how much more you understood about Ari because of it. There was something about the shape of the metal, the tension in the curve, the heat in the cold material. It was alive somehow.
It was you come undone.
Your stylist, Misty, snapped her fingers. 
“Hey. Earth to supermodel. Time to get into look number three.”
You nodded, throat dry. “Right. Sorry.”
But as you changed in the makeshift dressing area, pulling silk up over your hips, you couldn’t stop staring at the sculpture.
Couldn’t stop feeling him.
Ari had studied your face in the dark, and he’d whispered, “You don’t even know what you do to me.”
Yeah. Well, you fucking knew now.
You posed for the camera like everything was fine. Hip cocked, chin high, face set to neutral.
But inside, everything churned.
And then, you saw a flicker out of the corner of your eye. You turned your head just in time to catch a shadow slipping past the far end of the gallery. The figure was tall and broad with a confident stride. 
Ari.
You didn’t need to see his face.
Your heart rate spiked, your skin prickled, and your body betrayed you all over again. But by the time you crossed the floor barefoot and barely covered, the hallway was empty.
He was gone, just a ghost of cologne in the air.
The photographer called your name.
You turned back slowly, with one last glance at the metal sculpture, gazing at the raw emotion rendered in steel.
You hadn’t spoken to Ari in days.
He hadn’t texted. You hadn’t called.
And still, the city kept folding you into each other’s orbits.
Near.
But not enough.
—----
Ari hadn’t meant to stay, it was going to just be a fifteen-minute walkthrough before tomorrow’s showing, nothing more. But the moment he heard the shutter snap and then heard your laugh, Ari stopped breathing.
He knew that you were here in his gallery and in his world. That world tilted a little bit.
His adrenaline spiked as he ducked into the shadows between exhibits, watching you from there. You were barefoot, bare-shouldered and bathed in golden light, wearing a gown that clung to your body like a second skin.
You were fucking good at your job, and Ari was witnessing first hand the work that went into producing those gorgeous pictures. You were professional and poised, but he knew the passion that lay underneath.
Ari’s fingers became fists at his sides because he had touched that fire, he’d tasted it. And now, all he could do was watch as he starved for you, every nerve stretched thin, every breath hard to take.
It had been days, not weeks or months, but he felt too long deprived of the sight of you. Even though he’d decided not to contact you again after that night that felt like war.
You turned slightly, your hips angled, one hand at your waist, and the light hit you just right. Like you’d been lit by God himself.
Those lips. That jaw. That hourglass silhouette that curved into him like a puzzle piece, you were amazing.
His hands had memorized every inch of that body, but at the moment he couldn’t move to touch you, couldn’t speak to you, couldn’t even fucking blink your image out of his brain.
The photographer said something about “more edge,” and you smirked, dropping your chin just enough to make mischief with your gaze.
It wasn’t meant for Ari. But fuck, he felt it. 
Ari stayed in the shadows just long enough to carve your image into his bloodstream.
Then he turned and left, silently bleeding for you.
—--
You weren’t trying to be on your phone, but it buzzed three drinks deep at some rooftop party, where the music was loud and the faces were blurred by flash and too much champagne. 
The second your screen lit up, you sensed it.
A DM. Then another. You tapped through. And there he was.
Ari Levinson. Black sweater. Cocky smile. Calm, cool, and collected.
A woman with mile-long legs and too much lip gloss draped herself over him, laughing into his shoulder in the boomerang video.
Made so you could watch it over and over again.
Ari didn’t touch her; he barely looked at her. But he didn’t move away either. 
And that was enough.
You locked your phone, shoved it under your thigh, forcing your lips into a smile when your friend slid another drink your way.
“You good?”
You lied. “Peachy.”
It wasn’t rational. It wasn’t fair. You didn’t own him. You didn’t even call him yours.
But all you could see was him, the man who once kissed you so hard you forgot your own name.
The man who made you feel.
And now he was somewhere else and you were losing your mind in an Uber home, crafting and deleting half a dozen texts you’d never send.
you looked good tonight
Delete.
was she worth it?
Delete.
i can't stop thinking about your mouth
Delete. Delete. Delete.
—--
Ari left that rooftop party ten minutes after that girl posted him.
He didn’t even say goodbye because he hadn’t wanted to be there. He hadn’t wanted anyone but you. And when he saw your name light up his notifications, saw that you’d watched, well shit, it made him feel sick.
Because he knew what you’d think, and it wasn’t the truth. The truth was you were already under his skin; you were already it for him.
He didn't know why that was so important to him, but it was.
You were.
—-
The knock came at 1:42 a.m.
You were scared, because you knew it was someone who could hurt you.
You knew it was Ari.
You padded barefoot to the door, one hand trembling against the wood as you peeked through the peephole. Ari was there in a Tribeca Festival hoodie, his hands deep in his pockets and his jaw tight.
You opened the door and didn’t say a word. Neither did he. For a moment, the city noise poured in behind him and then you stepped back.
He walked in like he was home. And you let him.
—--
You didn’t speak.
Just closed the door behind him and walked into the kitchen like he hadn’t shown up at nearly two am with that whole brooding/penitent thing going on.
You opened the fridge, poured a glass of water and sipped. You should have been an actress.
Ari stayed where he was, near the door, hoodie pushed back, hands in his pockets, eyes never leaving you.
You didn’t spare him a glance.
“Thought you were busy tonight,” you said evenly.
He didn’t answer right away.
“I was,” he said finally.
You set the glass down, still not looking at him.
“Saw the party,” you added. “Looked like fun.”
Nothing in your tone gave you away. Not the way your chest was tight, not the sting behind your eyes, not the taste of jealousy in your mouth.
"Didn’t stay long," he said finally.
The laugh that escaped you was bitter and broken.
"Long enough."
You turned, and there he was, suddenly in front of you, so close you could feel his heat.
"You were watching," he said quietly.
You glared up at him.
"Is that why you’re here? Because I saw?"
"I’m here because the second I saw your name on that story, I felt like I couldn’t fucking breathe."
You stared at him and saw that he wasn’t untouched. He wasn’t fine. He was fucking wrecked.
"You think you know what I’m feeling?" you said, voice cracking.
"I know exactly what you’re feeling," he said, "because it’s the same thing I’m feeling."
The words landed because they were true. Because he was the one person who saw through all your practiced detachment and soft cruelty. Even after so little time.
It was lightning in the bottle, finding the one who looked at you, read your bullshit and still wanted more. On a dating app no less.
Fuck your life.
You walked past him toward the couch, brushing too close on purpose. 
“You think you know me,” you said, sitting down and crossing your legs slowly.
“But I don’t own you Ari. You're free to do what you want. And she looked like a good time.”
You shrugged.
“You showing up somewhere with her is none of my business.”
Ari bristled.
“I didn’t show up with her. I went alone. I left alone.”
You blinked as he crouched in front of you, his hands on the edge of the cushion, one knee brushing your thigh.
“And I’m here now. With you. Because all I could think about was you sitting here, alone. Wondering what it meant. Wondering if I was fucking her. Wondering if I’d moved on.”
Your lips parted, but no sound came out. He reached up, thumb brushing your jaw.
“I haven’t. I can’t. You’re in my fucking bloodstream," Ari said.
"And I can’t rip you out."
He bent and pressed his forehead to your knee and just breathed.
Your fingers hovered above his head for one breath. Then two. And then you gave in. They slid into the soft hair at the nape of his neck, and his whole body tensed, like he hadn’t expected you to touch him, like he was braced for a shove instead of tenderness.
But he didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. And when your hand tightened, just slightly, he looked up.
Those eyes. God, those eyes. Those eyes gutted you the way they looked at you like you were the one who might disappear if he blinked.
You leaned in just enough to make him meet you halfway. And when his mouth met yours, it wasn’t urgent. It wasn’t greedy.
It was devastating. You couldn't pretend any more.
You broke the kiss only to whisper, “I hated seeing you with her.”
His head dropped, breath ragged against your knee.
“I didn’t touch her,” he rasped. “I haven’t touched anyone.”
You tilted his chin up. “Why?”
His answer came without hesitation. 
“Because I can’t get you out of my fucking head. When I look, I can’t see anyone else but you. I don't want anyone else."
That was when you lost it. The dam broke. You grabbed his hair, dragging his mouth to yours. 
The kiss wasn't sweet. It was needy. It was desperate. Your teeth, hands, and mouths were ferocious, and still, it wasn’t enough; it would never be enough.
"Tell me you hate me," he whispered against your mouth.
You kissed him harder.
"Tell me you don’t feel this."
You gasped, "I can’t."
You kissed him again.
"I don’t want to feel anything.” 
“I know.”
“And I still fucking do.”
“I know that too.”
Ari groaned against your lips, the sound low and primal, and it shot straight through you. His hand found the hem of your tank top and found the warm skin underneath.
You shuddered and gripped the front of his hoodie, yanking him closer and when the kiss broke and you gasped for air, he pressed his forehead to yours.
"You are so fucking stubborn," he whispered.
"I know," you rasped.
His hand slid up your ribcage and weighed your breast, thumb tracing your areola.
"Still want you," he said. "Even when it hurts."
He pinched your nipple to emphasize his point. You grabbed his jaw, palm dragging over his beard.
"Show me," you whispered.
Ari groaned and peeled your top over your head with shaking hands, tossing it somewhere neither of you cared about. You stripped his hoodie and t-shirt off too, tugging him closer by his broad shoulders, breathing him in, burying your face in his throat for one dizzying second.
Ari turned and sat on the couch, lifting you onto his lap. Your knees sunk into the cushions on beside his thighs and your bodies crashed together. He kissed down your throat, stopping at your pounding pulse to bite down gently. And when you felt the huge ridge of his cock through his jeans, you moaned helplessly.
"You drive me insane," he  whispered into your skin.
“Can’t fucking breathe without thinking about you."
You whimpered and arched into his touch while his thumbs circled your nipples until you were gasping in his lap.
"Ari," you moaned.
He kissed every inch of you he could reach.
"I’m here," he said. "I’m right here."
He carried you up to your bedroom, and the way he looked at you when he laid you on your bed made your heart ache. When he slid your panties down your legs, he kissed the inside of your ankle, then your calf, your knee, working his way up your body like he had all the time in the world.
You tangled your fingers in his hair and whimpered when he kissed between your thighs.
"Need to taste you," Ari stated. And then he did.
His tongue licked into you as his hands pinned your hips down when you tried to buck them up into his face, feeling like a desperate slut for him. Ari was an expert at making you feel good; his tongue was perfect on your clit and licking inside your folds, and his fingers fucked you open, lighting you up from the inside out, over and over, until you were a trembling, trembling, moaning mess under him.
You came hard, gasping his name, nails clawing at the sheets, and he didn’t stop tasting you until you came down. Then, he kissed up your body, planting open-mouthed kisses along your stomach, your ribs, and your throat.
At this point you were beyond feral, and you yanked at his jeans, needing more, needing him. He stripped them off, pushed his boxers down, and there he was, thick, hard, beautiful, aching, and dripping for you.
"Condom," you panted.
"Fuck…. Okay, yeah."
He scrambled for his jeans, hands shaking, and you couldn’t help but smile; wild and wrecked looked good on him. He rolled it on, kissed you again and then he guided the broad tip of his cock to your snug, slippery entrance and eased inside you.
You both gasped. He was so fucking big. Ari destroyed you so good.
It wasn’t just physical. It was everything. All the denial. All the want. All the feelings. It all combined to have your cunt slowly pulsing around him already.
Once fully inside you, he stayed still, forehead pressed to yours, giving you, and himself, time.
"You good?" he whispered, his voice wavering as your cunt pulsed around him. He was so close already.
It had never been like this.
The question was strange. He'd never cared this much while he was fucking you. But this time, it wasn’t just fucking.
You nodded, eyes burning.
"Move," you said.
And he rocked into you slowly at first, like he was savoring every second. You clung to him, nails dragging down his back, thighs tightening around his waist, making involuntary whimpers and ragged gasps.
His fingers glided over your clit and the pleasure exploded in a rich, crazy rush.
"Ari," you sobbed.
"I know, Baby," he panted against your neck. "I know. Feels so damn good."
He kissed your jaw, your temple, and your mouth like he couldn’t get enough. You rode his thick cock as his fingers spun your climax higher and higher as you tipped over the precipice again, crying out, your cunt locking down around him.
He groaned and thrust harder, losing control. It was the quickest he would ever come with you.
"Can’t…fuck…can't hold on..." he gasped.
You grabbed his face, made him look at you.
"Come inside me," you whispered. "Please."
This wasn't about the condom. It was the sentiment.
Ari's brain blanked, his whole body shuddered, and he buried his face against your throat and let go, hips jerking, mouth open in a silent cry.
You held him through it. And when it was over, he didn’t move. Just stayed pressed against you, still inside you, breathing hard.
"Don’t leave," you whispered into his hair.
He made a broken sound,  half a laugh, half a sob.
"I’m not going anywhere, Muse." he said.
"Not anymore."
—---
You woke tangled in Ari, your cheek pressed to his bare chest, his arm heavy across your waist, his breath steady against your hair. For a second, you just laid there, afraid to move. But then, his fingers moved up and down the curve of your spine.
You swallowed hard and shifted slightly, feeling him stir against you, realizing that he was hard again.
God, you were wrecked for him. Beyond reason. And beyond pride.
You tilted your head back to look at him, and saw that he was already awake, watching you. You opened your mouth to say something, something stupid. Something defensive. 
To make a joke. To make it light. To pretend it didn’t mean everything. But Ari beat you to it. 
His voice was rough with warning.
“Don’t run from me.”
It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t a plea. It was a command.
Your chest hurt because God, you wanted to run.
It would be safer. Easier. But you couldn’t run from him anymore.
You dragged your hand up his chest, feeling the rough patch of hair and the steady thump of his heart.
“You make it really fucking hard to breathe,” you whispered.
Ari smiled and kissed the corner of your mouth. Your cheekbone. Your eyelid.
And then he rolled onto his side, pulling you with him, keeping you locked against him as he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you even closer. You buried your face in the curve of his neck, breathing him instead of air.
And then he said it, the words that split the world wide open.
“I’m in love with you.”
Like it was simple. Like you could just say shit like that.
You froze.
But he didn’t flinch, backpedal, or give you a single out. He just held you.
Like what he’d just said wasn’t terrifying.
And now you were crying, hot rivulets of your tears running down his neck.
You pulled back just enough to see his beautiful, stubborn, stupid face, and you gave him the only thing you had left.
You whispered it back, trembling and scared.
“I’m in love with you too.”
-----
oh. my. god. wbu?
Muse Five
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chaotic-fandom-writer · 21 hours ago
Note
Hewwo :) I seen you had some stuff for Adam and I was wondering if you could do a oneshot with a human! reader where Adam wants to get sexual with the reader but she has sexual trauma and is scared to tell him??
Hazbin Hotel: Adam Oneshot
Requested by @totaltangerinewife Thank you for your request!
Warnings: Heavy cursing, HEAVY themes of past sexual trauma, ADULT THEMES, 18+
🚫MINORS DNI🚫❗❗18+❗ADULT CONTENT ❗❗
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You and Adam had what seemed like a fairytale romance. He was kind, sweet, and oh so handsome. Maybe he was a bit rough around the edges, maybe people didn't like him very much, but he never showed that gruff demeanor with you, you only received princess treatment.
However, there was one thing that plagued your mind - the day that he wanted to go further, get more.. intimate. You just weren't sure if you were ready for that..
See, the thing is, there was some stuff from your past that you had yet to tell Adam about. Dark things, things that still had you traumatized, even to this day.
How could you possibly bring this up to Adam? It just seemed.. embarrassing, almost. To describe to him the way that you were.. taken advantage of, the things that still scare you, still haunt you.
Well, little did you know, that day had come. Adam enters the room, disrupting your thoughts. He takes a seat on the bed next to you.
"Hey baby!" He says with a big grin, leaning in to plant a kiss on your cheek. You giggle, your cheeks flushing red.
"Hello, darling. What are you doing?" You giggle again as he's snaked his arms around your waist.
He begins to kiss softly on your neck, nibbling here and there.
"Nothing.. just wanting my girl." He whispers against your throat, before licking a long stripe up the side.
You shudder from the feeling, goosebumps raising on your arms.
You chuckle nervously. "Oh?.. well, here I am!"
He chuckles. "Indeed.. here you are."
You feel the hand around your waist slowly start to make it's way up your abdomen, resting comfortably on your chest. He gives your breast a gentle squeeze, earning a yelp from you.
Suddenly, you pull back, feeling your heart beating rapidly. Your breath is quickened, and you clutch your chest in an attempt to relax yourself.
Adam jumps back immediately, his eyebrows furrowed with concern.
"What's wrong babe? Did I hurt you somehow?" He asks, clearly worried for you.
You turn away, trying to take a moment to compose yourself.
"N-No.. I just.." You almost can't speak, you can hear the words clearly in your mind, but as they exit your mouth, all that comes out is stuttering gibberish.
Adam leans forward, grabbing your chin gently, turning you to face him. He looks incredibly worried, touching you like you're made of glass - one wrong move, and you could shatter.
"(Y/N), what's wrong? Please, tell me. Did I do something?" He asks, his voice nearly cracking.
"No! No, Adam, that's not it, it's not you.." You trail off uncertainly.
"Please, what, then?" Adam nearly begs. You take a deep breath.
"There's something I haven't told you.. from my past." He doesn't reply, simply listens, waiting for you to explain.
"I.. I was.. assaulted. A while before I met you, and.. it still haunts me, even to this day. It's still hard to move past, hard for me to be able to have se-" You cut yourself off, your words becoming choked with sobs.
Adam quickly pulls you into his arms. "Oh, oh my GOD. I'm so fucking sorry, (Y/N), I had no idea! Why wouldn't you tell me something like this sooner?" He says, rocking you gently. You feel the tears begin to spill over onto his chest.
"How could I? That's so.. so embarass-"
Adam cuts you off, pushing you back by your shoulders so he can look you in the eye. "Embarrassing?! Fuck no, no it's not! That's traumatizing, dehumanizing, but embarrassing? Absolutely not, and don't you ever say that again.
You can't control what happened to you. It was fucked up, and evil. Shit like this is why Hell even exists. Please don't feel that way, especially about yourself. What happened to you is unforgiveable - and in no way your fault.
Do you hear me, (Y/N)? It wasn't your fault."
At these words, you can't control it anymore - you begin to sob uncontrollably. Your chest heaves, your body shudders. The sound of your choked sobs fill the room.
All Adam does is hold you in his lap, swaying you back and forth gently.
"Shhh.. shh. It's okay, my love. I'm here. I will protect you."
He pulls back, planting a gentle kiss on your lips, wiping your tears with his thumb.
"I'll never let anyone hurt you ever again."
--
I hope you enjoyed! ❤️
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misskingshit · 2 days ago
Text
Cut!
summary: Yuou got casted in the Eminem's biopic, as his love intrest, but ony in the movie...right?.
note: IM SO SORRY IT TOOK ME SOO LONG, GOD IM SORRY, if u want any other fic about whoever u want, you sent me an inbox.
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It’s a beautiful day… if you count rain as beautiful, of course. It’s freezing, the wind’s cutting through your jacket, and you're dashing through the parking lot, heading straight for the recording studio. But, you can’t help the grin spreading across your face. This is Eminem’s film, 8 Mile, and somehow, you’ve been cast as his love interest.
You’d never expected anything like this to happen in your life. You’d always been a fan of his music, admired his artistry, but being this close to him? Actually in the movie? It felt surreal. It still felt like some bizarre dream you’d wake up from. But no—this was real, and you were walking straight into it.
As you entered the studio, you were met with a flood of activity: people running around, lights being set up, equipment being adjusted. It felt like a completely different world. A man, holding a clipboard, spotted you and immediately grinned.
"Good morning, you must be our future Alex," he said, offering his hand.
You laughed nervously, a hint of uncertainty creeping in, but you reached out to shake his hand, "I am. It’s a pleasure."
"The pleasure is mine," he said with a wink. "Come on, I’ll show you to your dressing room. You can get comfortable, and in about 20 minutes, they’ll come for your hair and makeup, and we’ll get you into wardrobe."
You nodded, still in awe. You were about to step into the dressing room when he glanced down at his calendar, his eyes darting over the schedule. "You’re going to look amazing today. I can feel it."
You smiled, grateful for the reassurance as you stepped into the spacious room. It was pristine, yet generic—nothing too extravagant, but definitely fitting for someone in your position now. You caught your reflection in the mirror and, for a moment, took a deep breath.
You were really doing this.
Filming was in full swing. The tension between you and Eminem—aka “B-Rabbit” on set—was palpable. The two of you were constantly thrown into intense, emotional scenes, and while it was exciting to bring Alex to life, it also made the connection between you and him feel... different. At first, you kept the distance. You were professional, and he was—well, Eminem. A legend. A little intimidating. But there was something else behind those sharp eyes. You couldn’t put your finger on it, but you’d caught glimpses of it between takes.
Then came the premiere.
The red carpet stretched out before you, buzzing with excitement. Cameras flashed from every direction, and you couldn’t help but feel like a deer in headlights. You had done this before, but never like this.
And there he was.
Eminem. Standing a little off to the side, looking like he belonged in every magazine cover. As you both posed for pictures, he suddenly pulled you in closer than you expected. So close, you could feel his breath against your cheek. It wasn’t just for the cameras; there was something in the way he held you, something that felt almost... intimate.
You barely had time to register the heat rising in your cheeks before the interview started.
"So, 8 Mile—it’s been an amazing journey. You two clearly have some chemistry," one interviewer remarked, looking between the two of you with a raised eyebrow.
Eminem nodded, his eyes softening as he looked at you. "She was incredible. I couldn’t have asked for a better co-star. She brought Alex to life in a way that was... real. Beautiful, really."
You could feel your heart race at his words. Beautiful? Was he really saying that? His usual tough, aloof persona seemed to have melted away when it came to you, and the realization made your stomach do flips.
The interviewer turned to you, eyes wide with surprise. "We’ve all seen Eminem be a little... reserved when it comes to praise. It’s honestly surprising how much he’s talking about you. How do you feel about this new, softer side of him?"
You froze for a moment, completely caught off guard. The “Eminem doesn’t do compliments” idea had always been a running joke in the tabloids, so to hear him say those things in public... to you... well, it was almost too much to process.
Before you could respond, he flashed you a quick grin, his voice low enough that only you could hear it. "Yeah, I guess I’m pretty soft for her. Guess I can’t hide it."
You shot him a look, a little embarrassed, but you could feel that warmth spreading through you again.
As the event began winding down, the two of you were still answering questions for the cameras, talking about your roles, the process, and everything in between.
But then came the curveball.
Eminem, looking completely mischievous now, glanced at you and then to the cameras. "So, I’ve got a question for you," he said, leaning in slightly, the smirk on his lips turning into a playful grin. "You think I should take her home tonight? Show her a good time?"
You froze. The room seemed to go dead silent for a moment. The cameras flashed relentlessly, and every eye in the room was on you.
You felt your cheeks burn red, and you swallowed hard, trying to steady yourself.
"Uh… w-what?" you stammered, completely thrown off balance.
He laughed, throwing an arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer as the cameras continued to roll. "Just kidding," he added, still grinning like a schoolboy who knew he’d just made things way more awkward than they needed to be.
But you were still too flustered to even properly respond, feeling your heart race like crazy.
As the interview wrapped up, Eminem leaned in closer, whispering in your ear, "You’re gonna be the death of me, you know that?"
You had no idea how you’d get through the night without melting into a puddle.
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katethetank · 12 hours ago
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Possession of the Heart - Chapter 6
Rating: 18+ minors gtfo Chapter Summary: Steve is falling for Eddie and realizes something more might be happening, Tommy suspiciously welcomes Billy back into the fold, and confessions are made. CW: Brief descriptions of sex/oral, unprotected p in v sex, knotting, implied/attempted assault (nothing actually happens, these Alphas are just horrible men with horrible intentions, Stevie is ok!), Billy gets a little too close, love confessions, mpreg?! Pairing: Alpha!Tommy x Omega!Steve - Alpha!Eddie x Omega!Steve Word Count: 2.7k
Chapter 5<<Masterlist>>Chapter 7
Months have passed since Steve first arrived at Hagan Manor, and summer has now faded into fall. Though the beginning was grim, and his time with Tommy still is, he has found a joy he never knew was possible with Eddie. They meet as often as they can at the cottage that now feels more like a home than the manor ever could. Some days Steve has to refrain from disappearing into the woods to keep up appearances and play the part of the dutiful spouse. Those days make his heart ache, but it’s all forgotten when he falls into his lover’s arms.
Steve has become so intimately familiar with Eddie’s body, and his own. He’s learned so much about himself, his own pleasure, and Eddie’s as well. Steve now knows the taste of his cock, how his own slick tastes mingled with Eddie’s spend, the look of awe on Eddie’s face when he straddles his lap and sinks down on his length, the primal allure of Eddie taking him hard and fast while he’s on his hands and knees, and how slow and tender they can be with each other when making love.
And that’s what this is, Steve is certain. 
He’s longed for someone to love, who will love him in turn. His heart swells with the feeling every time they’re together. He swears he feels it in every touch, every kiss, every look. In the way Eddie cares for him. How he reads to him and teaches him how to fish. The way he feeds Steve morsels of food while they’re knotted together, or shares his apples while lying naked on the banks of the stream. How he holds Steve close, making him feel content and safe enough to purr. He had never done that before Eddie.
Steve wishes he could feel that way now as he prepares himself for another one of Tommy’s events. He’s grown so weary of having to play host and put on a fake smile, and stand by Tommy’s side as if he’s happy to be there. He looks down at the formal attire laid out on his bed and groans. 
He buttons up his starchy shirt and puts on his tie. He’d rather it were a noose so he wouldn’t have to go to this soirée. As he slips on his waistcoat and buttons up the constricting material, he winces at the ache in his chest. Pausing at the top button, he slips his hand between the waistcoat and shirt and palpates the area around his nipple. It’s tender and feels slightly swollen. 
Suddenly his mind races. When was his last heat? How could he forget…it was right before they moved here in June and Tommy acted as if it were a great hardship having to put off their travels by a few days while Steve suffered through it alone.
He should have been due for another one over a month ago. He’s heard tell of Omegas getting pupped outside of their heats, but it’s rare. Is this possible? His heart swells at the thought of having Eddie’s pup. And then it all comes crashing down when the realization hits him that if he is pregnant, Tommy will find out soon enough and claim the pup as his own. And then there will be the inevitable bite he’s been fortunate enough to avoid. He’ll be bonded to Tommy for the rest of his life.
With shaking hands, he finishes getting dressed. He can’t know for sure just yet if there’s a pup growing inside him. It’s safer if he keeps the information to himself and doesn’t breathe a word of it. Tommy can’t know. And as much as he would like to tell Eddie, he doesn’t want to say anything until he somehow knows for sure. Until then, he needs to find a way to get out. 
He joins his husband in the foyer and puts on his well practiced smile to greet their guests. He just needs to get through this event and tomorrow he can start to make a plan. There has to be some way he can get out from under Tommy’s thumb and take Eddie with him.
He finishes shaking hands with another one of Tommy’s associates that he couldn’t remember the name of if he tried, and his stomach sinks when he turns back to the door. William Hargrove steps in with a smirk that spells trouble. He hasn’t been here since their first party after they moved into the manor. Since Tommy scratched his name off the guest list.
Tommy greets him warmly, welcoming him back into the fold. William turns his gaze towards Steve and bows. “The Gentleman of the household. It is so good seeing you.”
Steve’s blood runs cold. Something in his look and tone strikes fear in his heart. He tries to mask it as best he can. “Good evening Mr. Hargrove.”
Steel blue eyes stare him down for a moment, and he winks at Steve before walking away. Nothing has ever made him feel so uneasy. Steve watches as he saunters his way to the parlor, and turns back to his husband. “Why is he here, Tommy? I thought you didn’t want him coming back.”
Tommy looks up at him with a smarmy smile. “As it turns out, Billy has a special set of skills that come in handy for my investments.”
His words are unsettling and Steve wishes he would elaborate only for the chance to possibly calm his nerves. “What kind of skills?”
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. It’s just business.” Tommy looks back to the door where no more guests are waiting, and speaks to Steve in a low voice. “Darling, it’s been months since we spoke of our…situation, and still you have not provided what I asked for. If you can’t find someone on your own to do the job, I shall have to find someone for you.”
He pointedly looks toward the parlor, and as Steve turns around, Billy is standing near the open doors and raises his glass of champagne to them. Steve has the immediate urge to flee. He holds back the tears that threaten to form and wishes he could run right out the door and never come back. 
“I’ll not discuss this with you while we have guests to attend to.” Steve leaves Tommy’s side and brushes past Billy, ignoring the man’s quiet chuckle. He exchanges pleasantries with their guests, making his rounds and engaging in dreadfully boring small talk. He’d love a glass of champagne to dull his senses, but his stomach won’t settle while Tommy and Billy are so near. 
He takes a break from his hosting duties and ducks out to find a moment of silence. Making his way down the empty wing to find solace in the washroom, he’s startled by a hand grasping his shoulder. He’s spun around and is pressed against the wall by the rough hands of Billy Hargrove. Nobody is around them to stop it as he gets a hand on Steve’s hip and squeezes hard enough to bruise. His other hand lands on the wall above Steve’s shoulder, caging him in. 
“Leaving so soon, little Omega? I was hoping to see more of you.” 
Steve tries pushing him away, but Billy has his feet planted firmly on the floor and won’t budge. “Get your hand off of me.”
Billy licks his lips and chuckles while scanning Steve’s body. “What if I put something else on you?”
He starts to lean in and Steve quickly turns his head, sinking his teeth into Billy’s arm while hiking his knee up and making contact with Billy’s groin. He shouts in pain and stumbles back, hunching over and gasping for breath. “You bitch!”
Steve doesn’t waste a second. He takes off through the manor, into the kitchen, and out the door where deliveries are loaded in. His feet pound the ground and he doesn’t look back as he makes for the tree line over the hills. He’s never been so thankful for a full moon, as it helps guide his way to the path. He knows this route like the back of his hand and his heart pounds in his ears as the trees thin out and the bridge comes into view in the clearing. It’s bathed in moonlight and looks like a gateway to safety.
He dashes through the clearing, over the bridge, and down the path leading to the cottage. When it comes into view, he’s nearly out of breath from the distance he’s covered, but manages to find enough air to shout Eddie’s name. His feet carry him closer and he rounds the corner, colliding with the solid chest of his lover.
“Steve?! Sweetheart, what are you doing here?”
Steve can’t answer with how hard he’s breathing. He just throws his arms around Eddie’s neck and soaks his shirt with tears. Eddie returns the embrace and kisses Steve’s temple, shushing him softly. Exhausted from sprinting so far, Steve’s knees buckle. Eddie is quick to lift him off his feet, and wraps Steve’s legs around his waist. 
He carries him up onto the porch and sets him down the railing. Steve trembles as the adrenaline wears off and he regains control of his breath. “Eddie. I can’t stay here. I can’t.”
“Stevie, what happened? Please, darling…tell me what’s going on.”
Steve looks up at Eddie’s concerned face and the glow of the moon on his skin makes his heart skip a beat. “It’s Tommy. I can’t stay with him. He’s so cruel, Eddie. He thinks because he owns me he can do what he wishes and lend me out to who he pleases.”
A growl erupts from Eddie’s chest and Steve has never seen him look so furious. “Has someone laid a hand on you?”
“No! Someone tried, but I fought him off and ran straight here. I’m so scared, Eddie, I can’t do this anymore! I have to find a way out. We have to find a way out. I…I love you, Eddie. I can turn my back on Tommy, but I’d die before I walked away from you.”
Eddie’s expression softens and he cups Steve’s face with both hands. “My sweet boy.” He places a soft kiss on Steve's lips. “I’ve loved you since the day I first saw you. You’re all I want. Say the word, and we’ll leave right now.”
“I want that more than anything. But Tommy has the means…I fear we wouldn’t get far before he tracked me down. And I’ll still be married to him regardless. I’ve never felt so trapped.”
“Stevie, I promise you. We can find a way, alright? And as soon as we do, I’m taking you away from here.”
Steve grabs a fistful of his shirt and pulls him in for a searing kiss. “Until we can…will you take me to your bed? I want to forget this night ever happened.”
Eddie carries him inside where wood crackles in the fireplace, and the air smells of cedar and suede. They strip each other bare and Eddie lays him out on his bed. There’s nowhere else Steve would rather be. As Eddie kisses him breathless and slowly rocks into him, he takes Steve’s hand in his and laces their fingers, pressing them down into the mattress. As if Steve will float away if he lets go. They whisper I love you into each other’s ears until they both reach their peak together. Eddie’s knot feels right at home inside him and he wishes he could stay in this bed forever. 
Once their bodies are able to separate, Eddie gently cleans him and Steve reluctantly gets up and begins to dress. 
“It’s late…I should go back to the manor. I’m afraid if I don’t return, Tommy will send someone to look for me. And if they find me here…I don’t want to think about what would happen.”
Eddie sighs and retrieves his clothes from the floor. “I don’t want you going back there, but you’re right. We need to be careful. Once we figure out a way to free you from that bastard, I’ll carry you out of here myself.”
When they’re dressed, Eddie walks Steve past the bridge, all the way down the path, and to the tree line where they regretfully must part. Eddie pulls him in for a deep kiss and whispers to his lips, “I love you, darling. My Omega.”
Steve’s heart flutters. “I love you too, Alpha. I’ll come back in the morning. I promise.”
“The dawn can’t come soon enough.” Eddie kisses him one last time before letting go, and Steve lets the light of the moon guide him back to the manor.
It’s quiet when he sneaks back in through the kitchen. The guests and staff are long gone. And if the deep snores echoing down the hall are any indication, Tommy has been asleep for some time now. He quietly climbs the stairs and locks himself in his quarters. His formalwear is removed and he changes into his bedclothes. The silk shirt hangs loose on his form and he’s grateful to no longer be wearing any constrictive clothing.
As he tucks himself into his nest, Steve’s hands rest on his stomach. If he truly has been pupped, there is only a matter of time before his belly swells. He doesn’t know how long that takes, but hopes it’s enough time for him and Eddie to find a way out. Overcome with exhaustion, Steve slips into a dreamless sleep.
The next morning he eats breakfast with Tommy and they don't speak a single word to each other. His stomach twists, but he forces himself to at least finish the toast before he excuses himself and takes his leave. The walk to the cottage is as dreary as his mood. The sky is overcast today and he thinks it might rain. Steve pictures himself cozied up with Eddie, wrapped in a blanket in front of his fireplace while listening to the rain fall. It makes him smile for the first time today. What he wouldn’t give for endless days like that. 
His smile falls when he reaches the porch. The front door is open. There is no light coming from inside and it’s deathly quiet. Steve steps through the door and calls Eddie’s name. There is no answer. His heart beats faster as he looks around and notices some things missing. Some of Eddie’s books are no longer on the shelf near the sitting area. The lilac embroidery Steve left him, that Eddie lovingly hung by the kitchen table, is gone as well. Panic strikes him, and he races up the stairs to the loft. The bed is just as they left it the night before. Steve goes to the wardrobe and opens it to find that all of Eddie’s clothes are no longer there. 
Eddie is no longer there.
Steve perches himself on the edge of the mattress and sits in stunned silence while tears fall down his cheeks. Eddie left. How could he leave? After everything that was said last night…the promises made and the words of love they exchanged. 
If falling in love feels like coming alive, he should have expected heartbreak to feel like death. 
Now he has to return to the manor, to Tommy and Billy and a life that doesn't belong to him. To a man who bought him and never loved him and will take his pup and his freedom. Steve has felt helpless before, but that was nothing compared to the utter despair he feels now. 
Rising from the bed, his feet carry him down the stairs and out to the porch. He takes one last look at the only place that’s ever felt like home to him, latches the door, and begins his final march back to his prison. He doesn’t even feel it when the rain starts to fall and slowly soaks his clothing. 
When he arrives back at the manor, he trudges through the halls and is met with Tommy waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. He looks smug and Steve is overcome with a feeling of dread.
“Back so soon?”
Chapter 5<<Masterlist>>Chapter 7
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TOMMY!!!
Taglist is open!
@mrsjellymunson @the-unforgivenn @watermelonmite @hiscrimsonangel @micheledawn1975 @stedestielfrattficlover @disrespectedgoatman @orie-jai @themoonagainstmers @moltenchocolatelavacake
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christian-ford · 15 hours ago
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Christian let himself laugh at the remark about going backwards with old-school style. He was dead-on: old school could either be just right…or way too fucking much. “You know, I used to have this girlfriend back in college…” Christian thought back to how she used to talk about the seventies: with fervor, with aggression, with more romance than she’d ever felt for Christian. “The way she thought about the seventies, you’d think she’d had some time-travel adventure there like in Back to the Future—that was how intimately she spoke about it. I used to wonder what she’d do if I said one thing bad about the era—like, ‘disco is corny’, something like that. I don’t think disco is corny, I just think throwing yourself headlong into nostalgia is corny. You’re absolutely right. We’re past that. I think if you’re chill about old-school, though, you can pull it off without a hitch…and look like you’ve put some thought into what you’re doing. My two cents.”
Christian just nodded his head hard at the other man’s comment about sitting at bars. Christian had done plenty of that. He was doing plenty of that that night…hopefully with some unique perspectives granted by this conversation. When the other man commented, “People, like, don’t have opinions?”, Christian replied with, “Yeah, they actually don’t. Not in the way you’d think. Opinions fall into two categories, I think. The first is opinions you form by being alive, that’s literally it. So everyone has those. What foods you like, what things look good on you, etcetera, etcetera. The other category is opinions like yours, which take some thought and are really fascinating when shared. Those are the kinds you wish people would volunteer during those empty, boring conversations…but they just don’t. Because it’s special to form those opinions, even more special to share them.”
Christian listened as the other man described his experience with his sport. From the sound of it, it was football (that was what corners played, right?). And he’d been good, as the guy said. That had to have been incredible. And his perspective on new places was spot-on. “I love what you just said—about not being the thing people all believe you are. I felt that way when I moved to Windsor Bay. It was like a completely blank slate.” Tabula rasa. “I just…wandered around in those early days, business to business, store to store, just to see what people were getting up to here. And no one knew a thing about me. They couldn’t have.” That was referencing the nature of his identity, at that point—both Christian Ford, the imaginative daydreaming son of a bitch, and Christian Ford, the imaginative constructive novel-writer. People hadn’t heard a thing about the face they were talking to. Couldn’t have.
“And it was freeing. It was different. It was making a new identity for myself that wasn’t…well, my book Guaranteed Paradise was pretty big at that point in time.” He paused, let himself slow down a little. “When you were playing football—I’m Christian, by the way, I don’t know that I ever told you that—did you ever wish you could just change everyone’s minds about you that already knew you—show them, like, a really good play you’d done, or something everyone on your team was proud of you for?” Christian stopped his cart—they were at the entrance to the grocery store again. “That’s how Windsor Bay made me feel, every single day. Like my life here could somehow change everyone’s opinions of me, by virtue of this life being nice. Me being nice. I don’t know—I could’ve made people think differently about me, I think. If they’d seen what I was doing here…mundane stuff.” He trailed off. “Hope that made any sense.”
Christian paused. “And, by the way, I for sure want your number. We should hang out sometime. You’re not in a biker gang, clearly, but I think you’ve got your own brand of cool going that I’d love to witness more of.”
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“see – i don't get that part. wanting to be, like, old school. some of it is cool. but other times it's like .. we're past that, you know? it feels like going backwards.” it made a lot more sense in his head, but kiernan doesn't think before he speaks. a catch - 22 of being an extrovert with a mouth that goes fifteen miles an hour. saying so much, sometimes meaning so little, yet it all comes out like kiernan has never spoken a word in his life and has a lot to say. a nod of his head. “that makes sense. y'should go sit at the bars. there's a lot of people that go there. regulars, and all that, who love to yap your ear off. especially if they've had one too many.” a shrug. shooters is where he goes, if only to annoy benny and the bartenders. it's funny, okay?
nose scrunches. “people, like, don't have opinions?” that doesn't sound right, but then again, he's always been the one to not hold his tongue where it didn't matter, frivolous arguments were his favorite, and maybe it's the goldstein gene, but there's a reason he was kicked out of debate club in high school. yeah. “i mean, i guess. it just doesn't feel very cool. cool is like … if i was the leader of a motorcycle gang or had a world record or something. like, important. maybe. dunno.” there's a moment of pause at the mention of football — it's still a sour spot, something in his chest feels a bit heavier with the topic. not a bad thing, per see, but kiernan doesn't like how something he liked also is now out of his grasp.
“i was good at it – so, you know, i guess it was. it was moreso just something i was doing ‘cause it got me into school and it was something i was good at. corner for the oregon ducks.” he won’t mention the fall that lead him back to windsor bay. christian can google it, if he wants – the video is a little embarrassing. “i liked just being there better, though. i think. it's like – when you're in the same place forver, you feel like you have to be what people think you are, yeah?” no. “it's easier to go where people don't really know you. start over, fresh, whatever they're sayin' these days. the lingo, man .. can't keep up.”
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meowdei · 7 months ago
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“Did you know—”
“I don’t care,” Sukuna interrupts, wholly disinterested. It’s half past three—(which is, of course, his fault, but that doesn’t mean he’s any less tired).
But you, wholly uncaring, promptly ignore him. “—That some female spiders eat the male ones after mating?”
“What do you want me to do with this information?” He looks at you irritably, glaring at you from the corner of his eyes. You flash him a grin—it’s a mischievous little thing, your lips curled in a cheeky, flirty way that warns him silently that he’s about to risk popping another vein. He seems to do that around you quite often, and it certainly feels like it’s underway once more.
(And, as it always is, his intuition would be right).
“It’s a warning,” you hum.
He snorts, raising a clearly disbelieving brow as he hums, “oh yeah? For what? Are you gonna—wha-hey!”
Not a lot catches Sukuna off guard. You giggle as he barks out a surprised yelp of your name, harshly shoving you away from his chest. There’s a nice, fresh, very crystal and very clear outline of your teeth marked right on the flesh surrounding his nipple.
He looks at you like you’ve lost your mind.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” He asks incredulously.
You let out a soft, amused little giggle that sounds through the room before he feels your weight shift and fall onto him, making him grunt as his arms steady you and his eyes stare up at your hovering face with an agitated purse of his lips.
“I’m eating you,” you say cheekily, “see?” For emphasis, you leave an equally as shocking bite to his bicep, your head leaning down to get a mouthful of his bare arm. He lets out a low, startled grunt before one large and very firm hand grabs the back of your neck and yanks you off.
“Have you completely lost it?” He hisses.
“We just mated—”
“Who on Earth talks about sex like that? We are not animals who—”
“—And now I’m going to eat you after mating. Like a female spider.”
“If you’re going to be weird, just go the fuck to sleep,” he grumbles lowly.
Sukuna is tired.
(And yes, the reason is partly because he’s a bit inexhaustible once he’s felt the velvet heat of your walls, and yes, it’s technically his own greediness that’s worn him out so physically for the night. But that’s all been the cost for something of greater benefit to him. Something he doesn’t exactly mind draining his energy for.
Bur your odd, unsettling, abnormal and very plainly weird schemes are not a part of the list of things he’s willing to sacrifice his energy for. There isn’t much pleasure in entertaining your nonsense most of the time.
If anything, there’s pain—the stinging bite marks on his skin can attest to that.)
“I’m not tired,” you hum.
“Then let me make you tired,” he offers smugly, lips tugging into a cocky grin as he looks up at you.
“If you didn’t manage that the first time, what makes you think that’ll work the second?” You tease.
He doesn’t seem to like that very much, because with a growl, he pushes the back of your neck until your face falls into the crook of his neck, a strong, bulky arm wrapping around your waist and keeping you in place against his body.
It’d be awfully intimate, and awfully sweet if he didn’t mumble, “I love when you sleep because it’s the only few hours of the day I get to hear you shut the fuck up.”
“Maybe if you’d just appreciated my fun fact—”
“You bit my fucking nipple.”
“I could bite the other one, too, if you want,” you pipe up with an excited grin. He can feel it pressed against his skin as your face buries deeper into the space between his neck and shoulder.
Sukuna is tired. Most of the time, it’s because of you. All of the time, he chooses to allow it because he likes having you around for a good fuck.
(And, of course, there’s all that bullshit about love and affection, too. But that’s just that odd stuff you like to babble about—that odd, unsettling, abnormal and very plainly weird emotional part of you that somehow ropes him into being the same way every once in a while.
He doesn’t like it.)
“You need a lobotomy,” he mutters, wincing when you bite the skin of his neck in response. Not in a manner he likes, either—very much in a manner that makes sure he feels the sharpness of your incisors.
“Don’t be rude,” you scold, “I’m biologically meant to be your predator.”
“You biologically give me fuckin’ migraines.”
You grin—it’s a smile that’s easy. Smooth. Maybe a little giddy, too. It comes out only around Sukuna. Him and his gruff, rugged way of accepting your affection, and his double as rough and crude way of giving it back. His callused hands and toughened knuckles that brush along your cheeks carefully. His crass and undignified words that are carefully thought out enough to never cross the line. His downturned lips and narrowed eyes that only ever soften at the sharp corners around you.
“Next time, I’ll eat you for sure,” you murmur, settling against his chest and getting comfortable. He wraps both arms around you, warm and tight enough that you almost think you can forgo the blanket altogether. “Assert my dominance.”
“You can’t even open the pickle jar.”
“That’s different.”
“It’s only a matter of time until natural selection gets you,” he snickers quietly. You huff, biting back a smile as he yawns.
Gently, with a kiss over the bite mark you left against his neck, you say softly, “goodnight. Love you.”
“Night.”
“I love you.”
“For the love of—love you too, holy fuck. Go to sleep.”
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marvelstoriesepic · 2 months ago
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Like he means it
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Pairing: Roommate!Bucky x Reader
Summary: You can’t take another night of hearing Bucky fuck a girl who isn’t you.
Word Count: 13.6k
Warnings: Bucky is a fuckboy (but he’s still a sweetheart); lots of talk about unrequited love (but is it?); mentions of sex; crying; lots of desperation; longing; heavy confessions; feels; happy ending
Author’s Note: This is written for the lovely cinema themed writing challenge of @elixirfromthestars ♡ I had this kind of idea for a while but when I read those lyrics it somehow immediately came back to my mind and I needed to make something out of it. This is kind of inspired by your Boulevard Confessions because I loved it so much! And damn, I've already written so much about roommate!Bucky but I can’t help myself lol, I love him. Also, this got a little long, I'm sorry. Still, I hope you enjoy! ♡
Hold My Hand "Pull me close, wrap me in your aching arms. I see that you're hurtin', why'd you take so long to tell me you need me? I see that you're bleeding, you don't need to show me again. But if you decide to, I'll ride in this life with you. I won't let go 'til the end." — Lady Gaga
Masterlist
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You hear the giggling before anything else.
It’s always the giggling.
And, as always, it grates on your nerves.
It carves through the air, seeps into the walls, into the floorboards, into you. It tears its way inside and scrapes its manicured nails along the rawest and most sensitive parts of you, only to bury itself deep, where you can’t simply dig it out.
Then comes the keys.
The light, metallic jingle, so careless in its melody, but so troubling in its meaning.
Then the lock turning, the click soft and yet so irrefutable.
Then the door opening.
More giggles.
His breathy chuckles.
Then the door closing.
Shoes being kicked off, one hitting the wall.
You press the pillow harder against your ears, as if you could suffocate the sound before it reaches you, as if you could bury yourself deep enough under the covers to escape what you already know is coming. But you can’t. You never can.
Your brain usually does you the favors of drowning out the parts in the hallway, knowing it will probably make your heart stop in an instant. Today, it doesn’t do you any favors and you close your eyes, accepting the sting behind them.
And then, his bedroom door.
And if all that wasn’t torture enough, it was only the easy part.
Because now is when it really starts. It’s when your throat closes up, the breath in your lungs turns heavy, thick, impossible. Because no matter how many times this has happened, no matter how many times you laid here in your bed, still, so still, waiting for the agony to stop, pretending it doesn’t happen - it never stops hurting. It never stops breaking your heart - or whatever’s left of it.
At first, there is silence. The small period where you almost dare to believe, to hope.
But then comes the moaning.
High-pitched and breathy, hinting at a pleasure that strikes you with a hammer.
Someone else. Always someone else. Someone who is not you, someone who never had to try, someone who will never know what it means to ache for him like you do.
Then, quieter, but just as devastating, Bucky’s voice. The low sound of him unraveling. The sound of something slipping from him that you will never be able to take.
And that’s what breaks you most. That’s what turns the ache into utter misery. Madness even. It’s the inescapable proof that he has something to give - something deep, something intimate - and he is giving it away. Over and over again, but never to you.
You close your eyes, as always. It doesn’t help, as always. The sounds don’t stop anyway. The images come anyway - the touches you have imagined, the way his hands would feel against your skin, the way his mouth would shape your name if you were the one beneath him. The way he might look at you, if only he could see.
But right now, you are just the ghost in the next room, curled in on yourself, ears filled with the sound of someone else living the life you always wanted.
And in the morning, or right after, when the door will open again, when the giggling will turn to goodbyes, you will still be here, where you always are. Where you always will be. Waiting. Wanting. Breaking. Wishing you could turn it off, this feeling. This unendurable and never-ending heartbreak.
And that finally makes the tears flow.
They well up before they spill over, down the slope of your cheek, gathering in the hollow beneath your nose before falling onto the pillow and wetting it like a pool.
You squeeze your eyes shut, so tightly it should hurt, so tightly it should make them stop. But they come anyway. They come despite the barricade of your willpower, despite the way your body coils tighter in on itself. They come despite the desperate war you wage against them.
They come because you have lost. Because it’s too much.
The moaning doesn’t stop, and it’s too much. It’s the middle of the night, and it’s too much. It’s the third night in a row, and it’s too much.
Bucky’s hushed voice shatters something inside of you, you didn’t know was left intact a few seconds ago.
Your breath turns sticky, only half of it making its way up your throat. The other half stays attached to the walls of your throat like honey gone rancid. It refuses to leave completely, snagging and trapping you in the awful space between breathing and choking.
Maybe if it stopped altogether, it would be easier. Maybe suffocating would be gentler than this slow and unsparing death of heartbreak.
Your hands are shaking. You bury your face into the pillow, willing it to just take you as a whole and never let you leave again. The fabric muffles the shuddering sobs, but it cannot do anything for the way your body trembles. But you know that the sounds of pleasure in the other room will tune out the sounds of your cries. The pillow is being clutched so tightly, you might tear the fabric. But it’s your heart that’s being torn into so many pieces. So what is a pillow compared to the ruin of your heart? It’s nothing.
You are alone in your grief.
The moans stop for a second - abrupt, cut off mid-breath.
Bucky’s voice comes. He says something but you don’t catch his words.
However, you do catch the displeased groan of his girl for the night. Drawn-out and petulant. Annoyed.
Bucky speaks again. Firmer, this time. Again, it’s too quiet to catch it.
And then you hear your name. It’s muffled still, but you would hear your name coming from his lips always and forever. You know the exact cadence of it shaping his mouth.
Everything in you halts. Your breaths are suspended somewhere in your throat, caught between shock and devastation.
The girl scoffs. It’s a snappy sound. Almost whiny. You would have rolled your eyes if you weren’t so troubled.
The moaning resumes. But it is quieter this time. Controlled almost. A courtesy. A mercy. But not for you. Not in the way you wish.
And it makes you know.
He asked her to keep it down. For you. He must have told her he has a roommate - you - and that they need to be mindful, that you might be trying to sleep.
Somehow, in all the infinite ways he could have cared for you, this is the one he chose. Not to love you, not to want you, but to make sure his flings don’t disrupt your sleep. As if that’s the worst of it. As if the noise is what truly keeps you up at night, and not the agonizing truth of it all.
Harshly, your teeth sink into your lip, fighting to stifle the sob that trembles on the edge of you. But again, you are losing.
Because hearing your name in the middle of something so intimate, spoken in the same breath of his pleasure, is pure anguish.
Because your name should not exist there. Not like this. Not casually sneaking into a mind occupied with pleasuring someone else.
If he were to say your name in a moment like this, it should be a soft whisper against your skin, entangled in sheets, buried in kisses that steal the air from your lungs. It should be something private, something sacred.
Not an idle afterthought. A consideration. A passing thought before he loses himself in someone else’s body. You have never heard him say any girl’s name before when sleeping with them, but hell you also don’t try to listen too closely.
You won’t talk about this. You never talk about this. When the morning comes and you meet Bucky in the kitchen for breakfast, you will not mention it. Just like you never mention the other nights. Just like you never dwell on the soft apologies he offers when they got too loud. And just like always, you will brush it off, force a brittle smile, and tell him that it’s fine.
It’s not. It never has been. And you don’t think you ever manage to make it sound like you mean it. But you are gone before Bucky can push or apologize again. Or see how deep the knife has gone.
Because he might be careful to be quiet. But he will never be careful enough to stop breaking your heart.
So what is the point?
You don’t want to do another morning like this.
You can’t do another morning like this.
Not three times in a row.
Not when the night has already taken your soul and what was precious of it, barely sewn together by the time the sun fights its way through the window.
Not when you know how it will play out. Like it has the day before. And the day before that.
The door to his room will creak open, the girl already gone. You will hear the shuffle of his bare feet against the floor, the sigh as he stretches, and the yawn that usually makes it past his lips. He never tries to stifle it.
And then, him standing there and watching you.
Disheveled. Bed hair sticking up in a mess. You never let your mind wander to how her fingers might have something to do with that. His shirt would loosely hang over his frame, probably thrown on in a hurry, collar askew, revealing a sliver of skin you shouldn’t be looking at.
That lazy and slightly flustered smile. Sleep still in the corners of his eyes, his lips, his voice, when he greets you with a scratchy morning.
Like nothing happened. Like he didn’t shatter you into a thousand unfixable pieces last night. And the night before that. And now this night.
You will do your best to greet him back without sounding pained. Focusing on making coffee. The way the steam normally curls into the air, the warmth of the mug in your hands. You will have to focus on it as if it’s the only thing keeping you upright.
And despite knowing you shouldn’t - despite hating yourself for it - you will slide a cup toward him. As you always do.
His smile would shift. Settling into something fond, something warm, something that digs its claws into your ribs and refuses to let go.
Because that’s usually the worst part. He’s always so sweet with you. Thoughtful, affectionate in ways that don’t count. In the ways that make you feel like maybe if you just hold on a little longer, if you wait just a little more, he might start feeling what you do.
But you are certain, he won’t.
Because for him, everything seems fine. For him, this will be just another morning. Another easy, comfortable start to the day. With his eyes on you and sipping his coffee, exhaling like he is finally at peace, and leaning against the counter with a lightness that always has your stomach all up in shambles.
He always makes it seem so normal. Starting conversation with you, talking to you as if nothing has changed. Like you didn’t spend the night curled in on yourself, swallowing down sobs so thick they feel like razor blades. Like you didn’t spend the night choking on the sound of him with her.
He never mentions them. Never says any of the girl’s names, not that you even know what they are. He never makes plans to see them again. Just another faceless but very loud girl. One to be forgotten.
But tomorrow night, there will be another.
Tomorrow night will be the same.
And in the morning nothing will have happened.
Only him standing there with his sleep-mussed hair and that sweet, easy smile, drinking the coffee you should have stopped making for him a long, long time ago.
You rise out of bed, not even aware of it. The cold air nips at your tear-streaked cheeks, your sheets thrown back in a mass of tangled fabric still warm from the ball your body was curled in, breaking in silence. The pillow is still wet.
Your hands move on their own, tugging on slacks, yanking a hoodie over your head as though the fabric could hide you, save you from the devastation caving a hole into your chest.
You fumble for your phone before throwing open your bedroom door.
The moans are louder again. Yanking at your resolve and laughing at the way your tears keep coming.
Your feet move faster. You don’t actually run, but it feels like running. Like fleeing. Escaping a burning building before it collapses. The living room comes into view and it’s like a cruel trick, like the universe is taunting you, because all you see are phantoms.
The coffee machine on the counter. How many times have you two stood there, still tousled with sleep, you making coffee for the both of you because Bucky burns everything. How many times did he lean on the counter, watching you with that stupid little half-smirk, pretending to judge your process but always humming in satisfaction when he took the first sip.
The bookshelf in the corner - the one you swore you could build on your own. And you tried, you really did, but the second the screwdriver slipped and you gasped out loud, Bucky was there immediately. Hands on yours, worry furrowing his brows, grumbling about your stubbornness and continuing to grumble when he passive-aggressively built it himself.
You sat cross-legged on the floor, watching him, pretending to be annoyed but secretly savoring the way he kept glancing at you, again and again, to make sure you were okay and giving you instructions as to how it’s done but throwing you a glare when you insisted on trying again.
The carpet. The same one you both collapsed onto after a night out with your friends, too tipsy to move, giggling like teenagers as you pointed at the ceiling, pretending to find constellations in the uneven paint. He named one after you. You named one after him. You fell asleep there, side by side, and when you woke up he was so close. So close.
The couch. The one he practically melted into last week when he had a fever, whining dramatically until you caved and brought him soup. He kept pulling you back when you tried to leave, pouting like a child, demanding your attention because I’m sick, doll. Can’t ignore me when I’m sick. Until you sighed and sat down, letting his head rest in your lap. He fell asleep like that. Snoring. And you didn’t have the heart to move.
And now he is in his room, tangled in her, moaning into her skin, kissing her - like it doesn’t mean anything. Like none of it ever meant anything.
Your breath is uneven, your hands shaking as you grab your shoes. The laces blur, your vision fogs, but you can’t stop.
You throw open the door to your shared apartment, barely thinking, barely breathing, only moving. It swings back into the frame with a sharp sound echoing through the hallway, louder than you had intended. But it doesn’t matter now. Because you are sure that Bucky doesn’t hear it. He doesn’t notice. He is otherwise occupied and you are utterly drained of thinking about with what.
The air outside the apartment feels different. Lighter and cooler, but it doesn’t bring relief. It’s thin and hard to pull into your lungs properly.
Natasha’s place isn’t far. Fifteen minutes on foot. You tell yourself that over and over, like a mantra, like something to grasp on.
No more moans. Lost to silence, left in a place that feels little like home right now. Still, they resonate in your skull, haunting reminders of that pain you can’t dismiss, that hurt that hangs off you like a heavy burden.
You slow your steps on the staircase and inhale deeply. It trembles on its way out.
You hate how fragile you feel. How breakable. Hate how much this affects you. How much he affects you.
But you keep walking.
Just yesterday, you talked to Natasha and she offered you to stay with her for the night, looking at you all sharp and knowing, but in her own way sympathetic. You declined. Because you thought you’d be fine. Well, you were wrong.
It’s past midnight now, completely dark, but you don’t care.
You know, Natasha will let you in. And that will have to be enough for tonight.
The city is alive even at this hour. Neon lights glow in the distance, their reflection shimmering in rain-slicked puddles that dot the cracked pavement. Somewhere across the street, there is a group of people laughing, and disappearing around a corner. A car flies past, with headlights unlocking long shadows lengthening down the sidewalk.
You focus on those things. On the shoes thumping against the pavement. The way the crisp air is somehow refreshing as it weaves through the fabric of your hoodie and stings slightly at the tear-streaked skin of your cheeks, keeping you awake and propelling you forward. Not that you need any more motivation to leave.
You wind your arms around yourself like a shield, like a last-ditch effort to keep yourself from falling apart completely.
You don’t look back.
Somewhere above you, there is a creak of a window opening.
It makes you freeze for a small second, before tightening your arms around yourself and picking up your pace.
Your stomach spins violently because fuck, you know that sound. You know the groan of that window when it moves, just a little off its hinges, just enough to make a noise you’ve heard a hundred times before. Because it’s the window of your apartment. And it makes a noise that has never felt so much like a punch to the gut.
“Y/n?”
You close your eyes.
“Y/n!”
Your name spills from his lips, laced with confusion, infused with something that makes your fingers clench around your arms.
You could ignore him. You should ignore him. Just keep walking, keep moving, pretend you didn’t hear.
But you can’t. You never can.
With a slow, dragging breath, you turn around.
Bucky is leaning over the frame, his torso reaching out the window, bare from the shoulders down. He is bathed in the hazy yellow glow of the streetlights.
His hair is messed up, brown tendrils all sticking in different directions. His brows are knitted in confusion. His lips in a frown so full of worry. And it’s just too much.
Too warm. Too intimate. Too familiar.
Your chest stutters, lurches, and swirls itself into a dozen moving shapes that hurt more than they should. Because he stands there shirtless. Shirtless. And you know why.
You swallow back your hurt, but it stays stuck in your throat and crawls right up again to make you taste it on your tongue.
You force your gaze away from staring at the curve of his collarbone, the slope of his throat, the soft lines of his skin, the hard lines of his muscles that she had her hands on just minutes ago.
“Where are you going?”
The tone highlights his concern, thick with the kind of worry that would have meant everything if it weren’t coming from him like this, not now. His voice is rough, remnants of the time already spent with that girl, but all you can hear is that damn worry in it.
As if you owe him an answer. As if he isn’t the reason your chest feels like it’s been hollowed out and left to rot.
You draw in half a breath and look away - down the street, down at your shoes, the bricks of your building. Anywhere that isn’t him.
“To Nat’s.”
It’s clipped and short. You don’t want to explain, don’t want to talk, don’t want to stand here in the night air beneath the window of the apartment you share with him like some pathetic wreck while he worries about you.
“Nat’s?” You can hear the bewilderment in his voice, the way he is trying to piece it together, the way his brain is already working overtime, scrambling to make sense of this - and you can practically feel the moment he decides he won’t let it go.
“Somethin’ happen?” His voice just won’t stop to be so perplexed, so concerned. It is softer now, but you only glance up at him briefly before averting your eyes again.
Because damn Bucky, yes, something happened. Everything happened. Every night that he brings someone home, every touch that belongs to someone else, every soft moan that isn’t meant for you.
All these moments, all these memories, every feeling left unsaid that swivels and stings and grows into what it is now - a storm inside your rib cage, a hurricane of almosts and never wills and why does it have to be like this?
But of course, you can’t say that. You won’t say that.
So you just shake your head, tighten your arms around yourself, and take a step back.
“Go back to bed, Bucky.”
Because you can’t do this right now. You won’t do this right now.
Not when you are already about to break.
“I- What?”
His voice is a little raspy, puzzled, and under any other circumstance, it might have been endearing. On a normal day, if this were some cozy Sunday morning and not the breaking stretch of midnight, you might have smiled at the sight of him like this - hair in a wild mess, eyes a little heavy from the day, bare shoulders shifting in the glow of the streets.
But this is not a Sunday morning. And nothing about this feels good or cozy or right.
You are so damn exhausted. So damn drained.
“You-” he starts again, brow furrowing deeper, but before he can get another word out, hands appear - slim fingers wrapping around the thick of his bicep, tugging, pulling, trying to drag him back inside.
Bile is pooling at the base of your throat.
She’s alone with him up there, in the space that you have spent so much time making into something warm, something filled with comfort. A space where you feel home. With him. And yet, it’s that random girl in there, laying in his bed, under his covers, in his scent, in him.
“Bucky, come on.” Her voice is thin and peevish, thick with impatience. And exhaustion you believe she has no right to feel when you are the one who has spent the time suffocating under her presence.
But Bucky doesn’t move.
His hand only grips onto the windowsill tighter, muscles in his arm locking.
And his eyes stay fixed on you.
Still searching. Still confused. Still trying to understand.
And it makes your hands clammy.
The way he looks at you like he is reaching for something just beyond his grasp, something that eludes him no matter how hard he tries to hold onto it.
He huffs out a breath that just borders on frustration when her fingers won’t stop pulling at him.
“Hold on, doll-” he calls out to you and unwinds her hands from his arm, barely sparing her a glance as he leans out the window again. There is a little something in his tone when he speaks to you again. Something like exasperation. But it’s not meant for you. “What’re you doin’ at Nat’s? Tell her it’s the middle of the goddamn night. Why would she let you walk over to her? She knows it’s not safe.”
You shake your head, already half turning away again. You just cannot do this right now.
“It’s fine. Just go back to bed, Bucky.”
“Y/n - hey. What’s wrong? What’s this about?” There it is. That softness in his voice. That concern. And it hurts. Because he doesn’t get it.
“Go. Back. To bed,” you repeat, sharper now, gritting it out between clenched teeth.
But Bucky has always been stubborn. And so infuriating. It’s like he doesn’t hear you at all.
“C’mon doll, did something happen? Talk to me,” he urges, voice gentle but he doesn’t seem to like the way you look as if you would bolt around the corner any second. His tone is coaxing in a way that makes you ache because this is what he does. This is what he has always done - pulling you in, making you feel safe, making you feel cared for, making you feel like you matter. Like he means it.
And it’s cruel. So cruel.
Because you are in love with him.
And he is standing in that window, bare-chested and rumpled from a night with another woman, while you are in slacks and a simple hoodie beneath him with your heart cracked wide open, bleeding into the pavement.
“I don’t wanna do this right now, Bucky,” you snip, voice losing patience. But you are so tired.
Bucky sighs and runs a hand through his hair, frustration growing, seeping into his voice. “You’re killin’ me here, sweetheart. Just tell me what’s goin’ on. It’s cold out, doll. You’re not even wearin’ a jacket.”
You swallow down a choked breath.
Because this is making things so much worse.
That he cares. That he is looking at you like this, like you matter, like you are his.
Like you are something he wants to figure out. And he wants to take his time with. Like he wants to fix you.
But you are not broken. You are just in love.
“Bucky,” that girl calls out again, dragging his name out, voice honey-thick and pettish. “Come on babe, let it go. Just-” She tugs at his arm again, nails skimming along his forearm. “Come back to bed.”
But he doesn’t move.
Doesn’t even glance at her.
His mouth twitches, jaw ticking as he exhales sharply through his nose, shaking her off with a firm roll of his shoulder. “Would you quit it for a sec?” His voice is edged now, tinged with a kind of terse impatience he seldom ever lets out. “Jesus, m’tryin to talk here.”
The girl huffs, clearly displeased, but Bucky doesn’t spare her another second.
But the one second he threw his head around at her was your chance. Your feet move before you can think, before you can talk yourself into staying, because if you do, if you let him pull you in, let yourself hope-
“Woah, doll, hey. Wait, I-”
His voice is frantic, stammering over its own syllables and filled with too many things your mind is too jumbled to focus on.
But it makes you stop your body in the midst of a step. And you grind down on your teeth against the frustration burning inside you.
You should keep walking. Shouldn’t have stopped.
But Bucky is leaning even further out now, his knuckles bracing against the sill, the night air tousling his hair, eyes wide and concerned, searching. One of his arms is reaching out, down to you as if he could touch you like this.
“Hold up, yeah? I’m comin’ down.”
You whip halfway back to him, brows snapping together, heart slamming against your ribs.
“No, you-”
He’s already pulling himself back inside, shaking his head as if it should be obvious. “I’m coming down,” he repeats, more insistent, more sure. Leaving no room for argument.
Your fists squeeze the fabric of your hoodie. Your stomach churns. “Bucky-” you try again. But he has already made up his mind.
“Wait there, alright?” His voice dips lower, steadier but still urgent. Resolute, as if he would run after you if you bolted down the street. “Doll. Promise me you’ll wait.”
Something in his tone, the look he is giving you, like he’s begging, almost a sweet-talking declaration. It’s catching your breath somewhere in your throat.
You could run.
You should.
You should turn right back around, disappear into the night, and leave him standing there, shirtless and confused and worried.
But you hold his gaze for just one long and heavy beat, then exhale shakily, shoulders dropping slightly.
“Okay,” you say weakly.
Bucky nods determined and taps his fingers against the windowsill, before rushing away, leaving the window wide open.
And you stand there hating yourself for waiting.
Hating yourself for hoping.
Technically, you could just leave.
Take a different route to Nat’s apartment, slip into the dark veins of the city where his voice wouldn’t reach, and let him walk out onto an empty sidewalk with his hair still tousled from another woman’s fingers and the taste of someone else’s lips still lingering on his own.
You could make him feel just a fraction of what you feel, with something hollow pressing up against his ribs when he finds nothing but cold pavement where you used to stand.
But you don’t.
You know you won’t.
Because it wouldn’t just frustrate him. It would hurt him.
And that’s the one thing you could never bring yourself to do.
Not Bucky.
Never Bucky.
You know him. The way he chews at the inside of his cheek when he’s trying not to say something reckless. The way his brows pull just a little too tight when he’s agitated but trying to play it off like he is fine. The way he folds his arms over his chest, not because he’s closed off, but because he needs something to hold onto.
You know exactly how he would react if he stepped out here and you weren’t there.
How the slight crease between his brows would deepen. How his fingers would twitch, opening and closing, like he’d missed his chance to catch you. How his lips would open and he would stare helplessly around and call your name.
And god, as much as this pain is devouring you from the inside out, pushing its way into the light but leaving you sitting in the dark, as much as your heart feels like being torn apart with unsaid words and unmet confessions - you cannot stand the thought of hurting him.
So you stay.
With feet planted on the concrete, fists clenched so hard, that your fingers start to cramp. You lift your trembling hands to your aching cheeks to hastily scrub away the fresh wave of tears surging forth downwards, willing your body to erase any evidence of your devastation.
But the more you wipe, the more it hurts.
You believe your cheeks are red from the effort of wiping so much, eyes swollen and puffy, your body trying to rebel against all of your commands.
Inhaling shakily, you force the breath down, down, down where you can pretend it doesn’t hurt so much. You angle your face slightly away from the building, hoping the dim spill of moonlight won’t betray your inner struggles.
Because the moment Bucky steps out that door, it will be the same as always.
He’ll look at you like you are his best friend. Like you are his safe place. Like you are the person he can always count on.
And you will look at him like you aren’t falling apart.
Like your heart isn’t unraveling at the seams.
Like you aren’t drowning in a love that will never be returned.
The door swings open with a force that startles you, the sound of it hitting the frame a little too sharp against the night.
Bucky storms out onto the sidewalk like he’s got something urgent to say, like the world might stop spinning if he doesn’t get to you fast enough. He doesn’t hesitate. Doesn’t pause. Just moves straight to you, his steps quick, closing the space before you can change your mind about standing here. He has a crumpled shirt thrown on and it hangs a little off. But it makes you want to run so hard.
His fingers wrap around your arms, not hard, not forceful but firm.
Those warm hands on you make you want to crumble.
His breath is coming fast, chest rising and falling, like he ran down the staircase to get here as fast as possible.
His eyes are so deep, deep and blue, roaming your face with so much intensity, searching and scanning and pausing.
Shadows cast over his sharp cheekbones at the way his brows are furrowed, his lips slightly parted.
“What’s going on, doll? You been cryin’?” His voice comes out rough and he talks fast. Urgent, breaths spilling over themselves as he rushed through the words, almost tripping on them in his desperation to get them out. “Why’ve you been crying? What happened?”
His thumb twitches against the fabric of your hoodie.
You open your mouth, close it again. Your throat is dry from the sobs you tried to silence earlier. You shake your head, a knee-jerk reaction.
“I was just going to Nat’s, Bucky. Nothing happened.”
It’s a weak excuse, said in a weak voice.
And you hate how it makes Bucky’s expression shift. That tiny wounded something that crosses his features, something that shouldn’t be there, because you did wait for him, you didn’t leave, but it’s still not enough. You lied to him. And he knows it. And he’s hurt. And you hate yourself.
He shakes his head, his jaw going tight.
“No,” he murmurs, eyes never leaving you, voice so low. “That ain’t nothin’, doll. C’mon. You’re runnin’ off in the middle of the night, how could this be nothing?”
You look away. Because if you keep looking at him, him with his concern and confusion and hurt all interflowing in the pool of those blue eyes, you won’t be able to hold yourself together much longer.
You swallow hard and force yourself to breathe slowly.
The sting behind your eyes is never really leaving you.
Bucky leans in, just a little. His grip on your arms tightens, but it’s not harsh. Only insistent. Desperate for you to give him something here.
“Somethin’ up with Natasha?” His voice is gentle, like he knows this has nothing to do with her, but he has to ask anyway to go through all the possible options of what might be going on.
“No,” you croak, barely managing the word.
He softens at the sound of it, but that frown doesn’t ease.
“What’re you doing then, huh? Why’re you running off like that? S’ not safe, you know that.” His voice is soft. Almost like he’s trying to soothe a skittish animal. But the concern is wrapping around every word. “What’s got you so upset, sweetheart? Talk to me, yeah? Please?”
His voice takes on a desperate intensity. Like he’s begging you to just let him in. To make him understand.
You bite down hard on your bottom lip, willing it not to tremble, willing your face not to crumble right in front of him, but the air is too thick for your airway, making it harder and harder to breathe.
And Bucky is looking at you, like you are breaking his goddamn heart. Like you took a shot straight for it.
He is so full of worry, it looks painful, the crease of his brow always there when he’s thinking too hard, when he’s feeling too hard. His lips are still parted, like he wants to beg for an explanation, for some string of words that will make this all click into place and turn this into something fixable.
Because Bucky Barnes fixes things.
But this might be the only thing he can’t fix.
His hands on you are a contrast to the way you feel as if you’re falling apart. You hate how much you just want to collapse into it, to let yourself lean into him, let him hold you up. Because he would. You know he would. He would pull you in without hesitation, wrap his arms around you like he has done so many times before.
But you don’t want him to hold you. Don’t want him to hold you like a friend.
You want him to hold you like he means it. Like you mean something more than the sum of all the nights you spent choking on your own silence, swallowing words you could never say.
So all you can do is stay frozen, bones locked, eyes burning, heart splitting itself open in the middle of the street where he doesn’t even know he’s killing you.
“I-”
You try. You really try.
But then the door swings open again. And the sound of it alone is enough to send a bolt of ice down your spine.
Because this time it’s her walking out.
She steps out onto the sidewalk like she has every right to be a part of this moment.
Like she hasn’t spent the first part of the night in Bucky’s bed. Like she hasn’t been touched by him, kissed by him, fucked by him, wanted by him in a way that you have only ever ached for.
Like she hasn’t taken something that was never hers to have.
But it’s not yours either.
She looks so composed, too. More put together than you would have imagined. Her hair smoothed, clothes adjusted, skin glowing in a way that tells you she wasn’t just sleeping up there - she was living in something you’ve been dying for. She probably took a moment in your bathroom to check herself, to fix her lipstick, maybe even to admire herself in the mirror while you were downstairs, breaking apart.
She had the time for that.
Meanwhile, you can barely stand.
Your body is alive with magnitudes of unspoken things, suffocating. You feel like you’ve been sanded down, like a piece of wood, leaving nothing but the ache and longing and all the words you can’t say. This destruction is slow and ruthless, it doesn’t come with an explosion, but rather a slow erasure.
Like you’re being unmade. Piece by piece.
Like you were never meant to be here in the first place.
And Bucky is still looking at you.
Not at her.
You.
And maybe that should be enough. Maybe it should mean something.
But it just puts more pressure on the knife that is already turning around in your flesh.
The girl doesn’t leave and Bucky stiffens.
“Bucky,” she drawls, almost lazy, like she’s bored with this already. “Are you coming back up, or…?”
Your stomach lurches.
You feel exposed, scraped raw, like you’ve been trampled over, flattened by something massive, left behind for everyone else to step around.
Bucky lets out a slow breath through his nose. His jaw works under pressure. And then, he huffs. Annoyed. Like she’s interrupting something important.
“Go home,” he flatly tells her, his attention still on you. Not even addressing her with a name. Perhaps he doesn’t even know it.
“Seriously?” she scoffs, crossing her arms. Her eyes flick between the two of you.
Bucky exhales another breath and drops one of his arms from you to scrub it over his face, pushing through his hair. He turns toward her just a little, stance rigid.
��Yeah, seriously,” he mutters, already turning back to you. “I’ll call you a cab if you need-”
“God, you’re such a dick,” she snaps, cutting him off, rolling her eyes with an exasperated huff. “Unbelievable.”
And then she’s gone.
But so are you.
You don’t even think about it. You just move.
Your arm slips from Bucky’s loosened grip, your body already shifting, already turning, already pulling you down the sidewalk, away from him, away from this.
It’s pathetic. You know this. But you have to get away.
Your vision is a blur, the streetlights smearing into a soft, hazy glow against the wetness welling in your eyes, and no matter how much you try to breathe through it, it’s too much. Simply too much.
You’re hurting. And you need to go. Now.
But Bucky doesn’t let you.
“Woah, whoah, hey!” His voice is quick, rushed, and then he is moving, closing the space between you. And this time, he cuts you off completely, stepping right into your path, right in front of you, blocking the way like a wall. He’s so broad in front of you, and so fucking present, making it impossible to escape.
You stop so fast it almost sends you stumbling back.
His eyes flick over you so quickly, so intensely, scanning for something he doesn’t understand but is so desperate to find.
“Alright,” he exhales, low and careful, holding his arms out as if ready to stop you again if you make a run for it.
“You want me to put you in chains to keep you still?”It’s a weak and failed attempt at humor.
And it’s not funny. Not even close.
His voice is too thin, too strained, and there is something in his eyes, something tight and aching, that makes it clear he is not even trying all that hard to make his joke work.
You don’t smile. Don’t look at him. Arms still around yourself.
Bucky’s throat bobs as he swallows, as he shifts his weight, as he lets out another slow and deliberate breath. He moves so slow. As if any tiny movement of him would make you walk away from him.
“What’s going on with you, mhm?” His voice is so soft. So concerned. Brooklyn warmth and worry combined with something gentler than you can handle right now.
“What’s this - this fight-or-flight thing you got goin’ on?” he continues, tilting his head just slightly, watching you too closely, reading too much. “You’re rushing off like the damn place is on fire. The hell is that about, doll?” Still so soft. So cautious.
His eyes are on you like you are the only thing in the world that matters, like he’s trying to solve you, like if he just looks long enough, he’ll figure it out.
But if he really understood, if he really found out, everything between you would change.
And you can’t handle that. You can’t handle anything at the moment.
“Just drop it, Bucky, alright?” It comes out sharper than you mean for it to. Harsher. A little spit of venom that you hate yourself for the second it hits the air. He doesn’t deserve your attitude. But you can’t hold it back.
You see the way it lands. The way his brows pull in tighter, the way his lips press together, the way his chest rises and falls so measured. But it’s all not out of irritation. He just tries to figure out where that came from. What is happening. What has you react the way you do.
His voice is even and calm. But oh so careful. “I don’t think I will, doll.”
You look anywhere than at him and his troubled face.
Your throat tightens so fast, you have to swallow hard against it, teeth digging into the inside of your cheek as you blink up at the sky like maybe that keeps the tears from spilling over.
And Bucky watches all of that.
His expression stays soft, but his eyes are burning with something deep, something real, something that makes you feel like you might actually drown if you keep looking at them for too long.
“Y/n,” he almost whispers, and it sounds so pained. “Why are you crying, sweetheart.” He’s so gentle, so tender, so fucking careful like he’s afraid that if he pushes too hard, you’ll just break.
You shake your head, arms around yourself tightening. “I’m fine.”
Bucky makes a quiet noise in his throat, somewhere between a sigh and a scoff, something deep and disbelieving.
“See, that’s bullshit.”
You’re about to turn again, but he anticipates and gets hold of your arms.
“Look,” he sighs, heedfully taking off a hand of you to rub it down his face. “You don’t wanna talk? Fine. You wanna bite my head off cause I’m askin’? Fine. But don’t stand here and tell me you’re okay. Because I’ve got eyes, doll, and I can see that you’re not.”
You want him to stop.
You want him to turn around.
You want him to leave you here to fall apart in peace.
But he won’t.
And you don’t know what to do with that.
And you break.
No matter how hard you bite your lip, it doesn’t matter.
The tears slip and streak down your face before there is anything you can do. A sob follows. You can’t choke it down. Your shoulders shake, your breath stutters, and your face tilts towards the ground as you bring trembling hands up to wipe at your cheeks, in a futile and desperate attempt to regain composure. It’s useless.
You feel so pathetic.
Embarrassed. Ashamed that you ran off like this. That you’re standing here, crying in the middle of the night, on a sidewalk with no explanation, making a fool of yourself in front of him.
And the second your face crumbles, his does, too.
The second your breath hitches, he is moving.
Strong arms envelope you, winding tight, pulling you straight into his chest like he doesn’t even need to think about it. Not for a single second.
You let him.
Because it’s either this, or you’ll collapse down onto the asphalt.
His grip is firm, grounding, warm in a way that makes you ache even more. His hand cradles the back of your head, tucking you against him, and you feel the press of his lips there, gentle, but somehow rough.
Like your pain is his own.
“It’s okay. Shh… it’s okay,” he breathes, pained and low, the words pressed into your hair, into your skin. Making space between your ribs. “Oh, doll.” He presses you tighter to him. His hand brushes over your hair. “It’s okay.”
There is something so deep and aching in the way he talks to you, like the sound of his own voice hurts him. Like you hurt him.
His other hand moves over your back, soothingly, trying to give you some strength.
“I gotcha,” he breathes. “M’here, doll. Okay? Just breathe. Gotta breathe for me, baby. Please.”
It’s a slip. Baby. A mistake.
And it makes you cry harder.
Because it’s so soft. Gentle. Because it falls from his lips like something that’s always been there, something that’s always belonged to you.
Except it hasn’t.
It doesn’t.
Not in the way you want.
You don’t know what he calls those girls he takes home. If they get to hear him say it. Girls who have felt his hands in places you never will. Girls who have heard his voice rasp against their skin in the dark.
But you are not one of those girls.
You never will be.
And you know you will never be able to untangle that damaging wrench in your stomach.
So hearing him call you that. Baby. Like it means something. Like it’s yours. Like it hasn’t been whispered in the dim glow of your apartment, murmured against someone else’s lips, someone else’s skin, just someone else just hours ago.
It’s too hard. too cruel.
You wish it didn’t matter. You wish it didn’t rip through you the way it does, splitting you down the center, carving you open.
But it does.
Because even if it doesn’t belong to you, you still want it.
So you cry harder.
Sobs wrack through you, your chest hitching with the force of them, your hands gripping the fabric of his shirt, clumping it in your fists.
Bucky feels it and he hears it and he grips you tighter, pulls you closer.
“Hey, hey, hey,” he coos, voice just above a whisper, more desperate now. Like he’s drowning in your hurt right along with you.
“Sweetheart,” he tries again, voice strained, thick. His lips are in your hair. “Please talk to me. Make me understand, baby, please! Tell me what’s wrong.”
But you can’t.
Because what the hell would you even say?
That you’re in love with him?
That you’ve been in love with him?
That seeing him with her - hearing the sounds that bleed through the walls, the ones you’ll never be able to unhear - feels like being skinned alive?
That you want him in a way you shouldn’t?
That you want him in a way he will never want you back?
You won’t.
So instead, you just press yourself harder into his chest and squeeze your eyes shut, letting him hold you like you are something precious. Like you are his. Even if you are not.
“Help me understand here, baby. Please,” he repeats with a voice so soft, that makes him seem afraid you might break apart completely if he speaks any louder.
Maybe he’s right. Maybe you’re already in pieces at his feet, shattered beyond repair, and he just hasn’t realized it yet.
He lets you cry when you don’t answer, hand stroking up and down your back, the other soothing over your head. He whispers into your hair, words you can’t even process, just the deep cadence of him, the low rasp of his voice against your temple.
His lips move to your forehead, brushing over it. His breath is warm against your skin. You don’t have it in you to pull away, but you wish you would.
Because none of this makes it any easier.
Because his hands feel too good, too steady, too right - and it’s a lie.
Because it’s him.
And that means it hurts.
You wish he would just go and let you have your pathetic heartbreak alone.
But Bucky Barnes has never been the kind of a guy to leave things unsolved.
He pulls back just slightly after a while, just enough to get a better look at you, and when you try to duck your head, to keep him from seeing too much, he doesn’t let you.
Strong, warm fingers cradle your face, thumbs brushing over the damp skin of your cheeks, tilting your head up and forcing your gaze to his.
He looks wrecked.
His brows are drawn, lips parted, chest rising and falling unevenly. His hands tremble just a little against your skin, but his grip stays firm. Solid.
“Don’t look away, doll. Eyes on me, yeah?”
You swallow hard, jaw tight. “You just ruined your good night,” you say, the words falling out bitter, self-deprecating, stiff with something that tastes like resentment but feels like heartbreak.
Bucky’s frown deepens, his lips pressing together, eyes scanning over your face like he’s searching for something, anything that’ll make this make sense.
“The hell I did,” he scoffs, shaking his head. Confused you even brought this up. “I don’t give a shit about her. Don’t even know her name, if I’m bein’ honest.” He lets out a huffed laugh.
But you don’t.
Because somehow this makes it worse.
And you hate it.
You hate that some part of you wanted her to mean something.
Because if she meant something, if she was special, then at least this ache in your chest would have a name. A reason. A shape you could hold in trembling hands and squeeze so hard that it stops hurting at one point.
Then, at least, you could maybe finally accept that there is no hope. No reason to hold on to those feelings.
But Bucky just shrugs.
It meant nothing. It never meant anything. Not with them.
Not with the girls that come and go, the ones who pass through his nights in the same easy way the hours do - fleeting, ephemeral, touched, and forgotten.
Not with anyone. Not even with you.
You have spent so long feeling this, holding onto it, trying to keep it hidden beneath layers of friendship and longing and careful restraint. You have spent so long pretending that it is fine, that it doesn’t matter, that you can live like this - on the sidelines, just the girl in the other room, in the shadows, in the spaces between what you want and what you’re allowed to have.
And he stands here and looks you in the eyes, telling you that it is nothing. That she is nothing. That they - all of them before her, and all of them after her - are nothing.
You can barely breathe past it.
You don’t say anything.
And Bucky freezes.
His hands, where they cup your face, stop their soft, absentminded strokes. His thumbs, which had been tracing reassuring circles along your cheekbones halt. His breath catches and his eyes shift.
There is something uncertain in there.
And then, his lips part. His brows go up ever so slightly. His pupils flare.
Something settles over his expression that you don’t recognize.
Like a switch has been flipped.
Like a puzzle piece has clicked into place.
Like suddenly he is seeing something in your eyes, something like an answer, something that has been there all along.
His fingers tighten, anchoring himself. Making it seem that if he lets go, if he moves even a fraction, something will break. In him, or you, you’re not sure.
He pulls back. Not far. Just an inch. But he needs to see you better. Just enough to search your face for something he needs to know. His gaze locks onto yours and holds you there, testing something, making sure.
His voice is hushed when he talks. Breathless.
“Is that what this is about?”
It’s quiet, the way he says it. Like he’s afraid of it. Like he’s careful with it. There is disbelief on his face. Astonishment.
You shake your head too fast, too sharp, like if you deny it hard enough, it’ll erase the way he’s looking at you right now. That it’ll undo the meaning of his words and the way they sit between you. Something fragile on the verge of breaking.
“No,” you say, but it barely comes out, barely sounds convincing. Your voice is hoarse, scraped raw form holding back everything you don’t want to say. Your lungs refuse to work in sync with the rest of you. You swallow, eyes darting away, grasping for something to latch onto.
But Bucky doesn’t let you.
“Doll…” It comes like a sigh. Weightless and soft. His hands don’t drop from your face, don’t loosen, don’t give you the space you’re so desperately trying to carve out between you. If anything, his grip grows more robust. Just enough to keep you there.
“Hey. Look at me.” His tone is low, carrying the kind of warmth you’d usually like to lean into, but now all you want is to get away from it. You don’t want to meet those stormy blues.
Bucky’s thumbs are sweeping, so feather-light, over the curve of your jaw, smoothing along the damp trail of your tears, and his voice dips even lower. Softer. He is so close.
“C’mon, sweetheart. Give me somethin’ here.”
It’s not fair that he gets to call you all those sweet names like he means them. Like you mean something. Like it’s not the same word he probably called her and all those others who got to have him, even if only for a night.
“I don’t-” you try, but your voice is trembling and thick with tears, and Bucky’s gaze shadows.
“Don’t what?” he coaxes, leaning in just a little, close enough that his breath skims your skin, warm and stable in a way you aren’t. His fingers slightly move against your cheeks, as if resisting the urge to pull you closer.
You shake your head again, your hands wrapping around his wrists - not to push him away exactly, but to have something to hold onto. You have no idea what to say.
“It’s- It’s not-” Your words trip over themselves, stuck somewhere between your throat and your ribs, tangled up in everything you’ve never let yourself say.
But Bucky just watches you, unreadable things swirling in those impossibly blue eyes. Wary things. Still so damn careful.
He exhales and his hands slide down, skimming the column of your throat, settling against the curve of your neck like he’s grounding you. Holding you both together.
“Doll,” he sighs, and it’s too much.
It’s not teasing. It’s not playful. It’s not easy. Not the charming lilt he likes to throw in his tone.
It’s vulnerable. Tender. Substantial.
“You’re breakin’ my heart here.”
And that’s what has another tear slip over your lashes.
Because you’re breaking his heart?
What does that even mean?
You were the one trying to escape the heartache he caused and now he tells you it’s his heart that hurts?
“Please,” he whispers, and his voice is wrecked, gravel thick in his throat. “Just tell me, doll. Tell me what I did. Tell me so I can fix it.”
His lips stay parted, trying to find air, trying to find some kind of solid ground. There is a sheen over his eyes.
“I can’t-” Your voice cracks, but you don’t look away this time. His hands won’t let you. He won’t let you.
His eyes are pleading.
“Can’t what, sweetheart?” he urges, dipping closer, voice just a rasp of sound between you. His thumbs wipe away the new tears and he winces while doing it as if it actually causes him pain that they fell.
The streetlight flickers above. It casts shadows across his face, highlighting the sharp line of his jaw, the tight pull of his mouth. His fingers flex against your face.
“Is it-” he starts, then stops, then starts again, throat bobbing and voice rough and hesitant. “Is it those girls?”
A shallow gasp slips from your lips. Fractured and tripping over something unseen. Your shoulders grow stiff.
You can’t answer. You only shake your head, not in denial, not in confirmation, but in something else, something tired and so fucking done with feeling like this.
You try to pull back, try to slip free from the heat of his palms, try to turn away. Another tear drops onto the back of his hand.
Your reaction must be answer enough.
Bucky’s head, Bucky’s hands, Bucky’s eyes, Bucky’s whole body - everything is moving so much, keeping you from slipping away, reaching for you, not letting you go.
A breath. A pause. Like his brain needs an extra moment to process what this all could mean. His breath catches in his throat and you can feel the exact moment he gets it.
The exact moment he realizes.
“Shit,” he breathes, so quiet you almost miss it. His grip tightens. It grows distressed. Despairing. Keeping you from leaving his hold, although you don’t stop trying.
You sob and his hands press into your cheeks, thumbs smoothing away tears like he can erase this, like maybe if he holds you tight enough, he can go back five minutes, five months, five years, to a time before he made you feel like this.
“Shit, doll, I-” His voice breaks, gravel and regret and anguish - and something so painful - landing with every syllable.
You don’t stop trying to pull back, trying to push him away. You can’t talk. You can’t stop crying. You can’t look at him.
But Bucky is devastated. And he is desperate. And he won’t let you go.
“No, no, don’t - please, Y/n, don’t.” He runs through his words, frantically getting them out, frantically trying to make you look at him.
He reaches your face again and holds on like it’s important. Your tears won’t stop falling. A whimper falls from your lips when you realize he won’t let you leave.
Bucky panics.
His swallow seems to hurt him. Everything he does seems to hurt him.
“Oh, sweetheart - fuck, fuck, I didn’t-” He lets out a rough breath, one of his hands letting go of you to scrub over his face, pushing through his hair in frustration.
Not at you.
At himself.
“Doll, I didn’t - Jesus Christ, I didn’t know.”
It comes out hoarse, scraped down to nothing but feeling. Each word drags from his throat like sandpaper against silence. Coarse and raspy.
And then he’s shaking his head, hands sliding to your shoulders, his hold firm, his eyes darting over your face like he is trying to memorize it, searching for the right words in the curve of your lips, the glisten of your tears, the way your breathing is a single shuddering mess.
“I didn’t - fuck, I didn’t mean-”
He seems to hold back a scream.
Sucking in another sharp breath, he squeezes his eyes shut like he’s in pain, angry at himself, wanting to go back and rewrite everything, tear out every page where he made you feel like you were anything but his.
You wish you could believe it.
“Bucky-” you croak out.
“No, don’t-” His head doesn’t stop shaking. His jaw is clenched tight. Hands shaking against you. “Don’t say my name like that.”
“Like what?” Your voice is whisper-thin.
His breath shudders out, and when his eyes meet yours again, they are so earnest. Glossy with a sheen of tears.
“Like it’s over.”
Your throat closes around your next breath, never making it reach your lungs.
Because what is he saying? Nothing ever had the chance to be anything.
“I didn’t know, doll,” he whispers, voice breaking. “I swear to God, I didn’t know. You gotta believe me, I - fuck, I never wanted to hurt you. Never wanted you to feel like- I didn’t think you’d-”
He cuts himself off, voice choking.
His hands drop suddenly, like he doesn’t even deserve to hold you anymore. Like the guilt is weighing them down.
And then, unsure and hesitantly, he lifts one of them again and pauses before cupping your face, waiting for something - permission, maybe, or just a sign that you won’t pull away this time.
When you don’t, when you just keep standing there, frozen and broken and bewildered, he lets his palm settle warm against your cheek, his thumb brushing so lightly it sends a shiver down your back.
“Tell me how to fix it. Tell me I can,” he pleads, like he means it. Like he would do anything. “Tell me what to do, baby. Anything. I’d do anything. Just gotta tell me. Please,” he chokes out.
Cars roll past you. There are voices in the distance. A neon sign flickers. But none of it touches this.
This thing between you.
Bucky’s hand shakes against your cheek. His breath stirs against your skin so ragged and he leans in. His forehead presses to yours, his body curling toward you like he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it, just needing to be close.
“I’m so sorry,” he gasps out. “God, I’m so fucking sorry.”
Never have you seen Bucky like this. He keeps things easy, keeps things light, and shrugs off pain like it never quite reaches him. But it does now.
It consumes him.
His fingers curl at the back of your neck, not pulling, just holding, grounding himself against you. And when you continue standing there, breath shaky, tears still trembling in your lashes, his whole body sags.
His chest heaves with a breath so deep it sounds like it’s costing him something.
“I never meant for this to happen. Please, believe me.”
His forehead presses harder to yours, seemingly trying to press his words straight into you, that maybe if he gets close enough you’ll feel how much he means them.
And you do. You just don’t know what the hell is going on.
He lets out a sound that resembles a sob. And then you feel the damp heat of a tear where his face brushes against yours.
Bucky is crying.
It breaks you. You don’t know what to do with all this pain. His and yours. Don’t know how to ever let it go.
You pull back. Just slightly. Just enough to breathe, to think, to process.
But Bucky’s whole body tenses, and his eyes squeeze shut as if he knew it was coming but it still pains him. Bracing himself for something he already knows is going to hurt. His hands drop to his sides.
And maybe that should give you some kind of satisfaction, a tiny sense of justice for the nights you spent lying awake, wondering if you meant anything to him while he had his hands on someone else.
But it doesn’t.
Because the way he is looking at you, when he cracks his eyes open again, when he meets your gaze with so much open ache, makes your chest hurt. It makes something inside of you quake.
“Bucky,” you start, but your own voice is so small, so lost. You shake your head, scanning his face, trying to piece it together, to make sense of something that refuses to fit. How the tables have turned. You just can’t seem to find the irony in it. “What are you even - I don’t - I don’t I understand.”
His throat bobs, thick and tight, and he pulls in a breath like it’s the last one he’s going to get.
“I love you.”
Your mind blanks. You flatline. Your knees go weak.
He says it like it’s the simplest thing to say. As if it is the most obvious thing in the world. But it isn’t.
Because if it was then why has he spent all those nights with those seemingly meaningless girls. Why has he let you ache for him while he touched someone else.
“I love you,” he says again, softer, trying to make sure you believe it.
But you don’t know how to.
Your lips part, but nothing comes out. You feel the words, heavy and warm and terrifying, but your body doesn’t know what to do with them. Your mind is screaming at you to run, to protect yourself, to build the walls back up before it’s too late, but your heart doesn’t listen.
Bucky’s hand trembles when it reaches for you, fingertips ghosting over your jaw, waiting, waiting, waiting for you to pull away.
You don’t and he steps closer again.
His whole body thrums as if he is scared to touch you but more scared not to. He looks at you with those red-rimmed and puffy eyes, so tremendously bare, holding onto your own eyes like he is drowning and you are the only thing keeping him afloat.
“Say something, doll,” he pleads, his voice so unsteady, that it guts you.
But what could you say?
Because love is not supposed to feel like this, to hurt like this. It isn’t supposed to feel like your heart has been split open and stitched back together all in the same breath.
But looking at him and at the way his eyes are just as pleading as his words, at the way he is breaking right in front of you - it makes you wonder if maybe it was hurting him all along, too.
“You-” you begin, voice barely more than a whisper. You have to stop, have to pull in a breath that doesn’t seem to want to settle, have to force your hands to stay at your sides instead of reaching for something - for him - that you don’t know if you can take. “But that-” Another inhale, sharp and broken. Your chest hurts. Your whole body hurts. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
Bucky exhales, long and slow and then he drops his head. Shoulders slumping, spine curling, like something inside of him, has just given out.
Guilt.
It sits heavy in his frame, in the set of his jaw, in the way his hands jerk like he wants to touch you but knows he shouldn’t.
“Yeah,” he mutters, a humorless little laugh escaping, barely more than a breath. He drags a hand down his face, through his hair, before letting it fall uselessly at his side. His voice is lower when he speaks again, raspier, weighed down by something that feels an awful lot like regret. “I know.”
You watch him, waiting. Because he owes you this. Because he cracked open something you weren’t ready for, something you tried to bury, and now you need to understand.
And Bucky must feel that. Because after a beat, after a deep, shuddering breath, he looks at you again.
“I didn’t think I could have you,” he admits, voice quiet. Cautious. The words fragile in his mouth. “Didn’t think I was allowed to even want you. To this extent, anyway.”
Air enters you unevenly, shaking on the way in like a shiver made of sound. “Bucky-”
“You’re my best friend,” he pushes on, stepping in just a fraction, like he can’t help himself. His voice is getting rougher, rawer, like something in him is unwinding too fast for him to stop it. “I didn’t wanna mess that up, y’know? Didn’t wanna lose you over somethin’ I couldn’t control.”
Something tightens in your chest. Something shifts.
“So you-” you swallow, shaking your head, trying to put it together, trying to make sense of it. “So you just went around to go get yourself other girls you can fuck?”
Bucky flinches. Actually flinches.
Gaze dropping in shame, his features form a grimace. “I tried,” he croaks out, gesturing at his chest with one hand. “Tried to stop feeling like this. Tried to move on, tried to-” He exhales sharply, tilting his head side to side, something torn playing out with the movement. “It didn’t work. Nothin’ worked. Didn’t even make it easier. But I was afraid to face it. Really face it. So I just kept going.”
It hurts.
It hurts in a way you don’t know how to hold. Don’t know how to carry.
You thought, for so long, that the way you love him, ache for him, is a one-sided agony.
But he is confessing to you, eyes red and weary, voice splintering, telling you that he’s been afraid to speak it aloud too.
That he loves you, that he tried to kill it, that he thought losing himself in someone else would somehow erase you from his mind.
Bucky’s words are a fist curling around your ribs, squeezing the air from your lungs.
It should matter. It should mean something that he’s standing in front of you, breaking apart, pleading for you to understand. Shouldn’t it be enough that he’s telling you it was always you? That no one else ever came close?
But he still touched them.
Still chose them, even if only for a meaningless night.
While you sat in your room, staring at the ceiling, wondering if you were going insane. While you clenched your fists so tight beneath your sheets at night, biting your tongue, swallowing it down, because Bucky is your friend and friends don’t ache like this.
And yet, he is telling you, showing you, he aches too.
But instead of sitting with it, instead of letting it consume him the way it consumed you, he tried to make it disappear.
He tried to fuck it away.
And now he looks at you like you are the only thing that has ever mattered, like the ground beneath his feet, is unsteady, like he is afraid you are going to bolt at any second.
You feel like the ground beneath your feet shits a fraction of an inch, not enough to send you falling, but enough to make you question if you were ever standing solid in the first place.
“But, doll, it-” he rushes forward, watching your pain, stepping into your space until there is barely anything between you. “It never meant anything. Swear to god, none of ‘em ever meant something to me.” His hands wrap around yours, squeezing, grounding, begging. “They weren’t you. Couldn’t be you. Didn’t matter how hard I tried, how many times I told myself to stop thinking about you because you’re supposed to be my best friend, but I wanted so much more than that - it didn’t matter. Nothin’ worked.”
He is struggling to force the words out, but he does. And they leave him with a catch in his voice. Faltering.
“I thought about you, sweetheart. Every fuckin’ time.” His voice turns frantic and he leans in to make it convince you. He watches your lips tremble and shakes his head quickly. “Thought about how you’d feel. How you’d sound.”
Your breath stalls.
Bucky swallows, taking a quick pause but continuing, voice growing softer. Lower. Reverent. “Tried to picture you instead. How you’d look under me, wrapped around me. So goddamn beautiful.” His voice cracks. “But it wasn’t you. And I know it was wrong, but I couldn’t help it.”
He stumbles over his words, afraid of saying too much, of pushing too far, or admitting too much - but it doesn’t stop hurting.
Even if you know it might not be fair.
But the thought of him with them, the thought of his hands gripping someone else’s skin, his lips murmuring something soft against someone else’s throat - it makes you sick.
And he sees it.
You try to blink back another wave of tears.
His hands are on your face again, thumbs swiping furiously at your damp cheeks like he can rub the hurt away.
“Please tell me I didn’t ruin this.” His voice cracks through the words, the panic breaking through. Your silence seems to suffocate him, squeezing his ribs until there is no space left for air.
“I’m so sorry, baby! I wish I could take it all back. I would.” His bottom lip trembles and he bites down on it before continuing. “Tell me I can fix this. There’s gotta be somethin’ I can do. Anything.”
You blink rapidly, vision swimming, breath hiccuping in your throat. You don’t know if there is anything to fix, if there was ever anything there, to begin with, but he is looking at you like there was. Like there is. Like it is still hanging in the air between you, waiting to be caught, waiting to be named.
And you want to catch it. To press it to your heart and cherish it.
But the wounds are fresh. Still bleeding. Still open.
The images you conjured up in your mind, him with all those girls. The sounds of him bringing one after the other home - the routine.
The giggling. The keys. The apartment door. More giggling. His chuckles. The hallway. His bedroom door. The goodbyes. The mornings.
But worst of all is that you can’t even blame him.
Because what was he supposed to do? Wait for something that was never promised? Hold out hope for something that was never offered?
You had no claim on him.
But still, you hate how he tried to fuck you out of his system. Hate that he couldn’t, that he’s standing here now, telling you it was all for nothing, that you were always in his head, in his bones, and that that somehow is supposed to make it better.
You don’t know if it does now. But you hope - you hope so dearly - that it will get better. If he’ll stick with you.
“No more girls.” The words choke out of you, weak and broken, barely a breath. But he jolts like you have screamed them.
“Never,” he breathes immediately, shaking his head as if to get rid of his own images, gripping you tighter, his thumbs pressing into your cheeks, his eyes burning through yours. “No more, baby. No one else. Not ever.”
Your breath catches, body sways.
There is a burn behind your ribs, not quite pain, but not far from it. It is something that pulses in time with your heartbeat. Too quick. Too uneven.
“Only you,” he adds, his forehead dropping to yours, noses brushing, his breath warm against your lips, his hands trembling where they hold you. “It’s only ever been you.”
Heat rises up your throat, something between nausea and electricity, a burst of too much all at once.
“I got a lot to make up for.” His tone is unraveling at the seams. But it sounds firmer now. Convicted. “I know that. I know I- fuck, I screwed this up before I even knew I had a chance. And that’s on me.”
You squeeze your eyes shut, because it’s too much - his voice, his touch, the way he is looking at you like you hung the damn moon when you’ve spent years feeling invisible to him in the way that mattered.
“I don’t wanna rush this, alright?”
You blink up at him. Your chest feels stretched too tight, as if the ribs themselves are holding onto something they shouldn’t, something too large, something too consuming.
“I don’t wanna mess this up more than I already have. I don’t wanna push or expect anythin’ from you - I just wanna do this right. For you.” His voice wavers on the last word, still scared of saying the wrong thing, scared of losing something he only just realized he had. “You understand me?”
You nod wordlessly. Almost feeling hypnotized by him. His eyes are so intense. So full.
“I’ve been waitin’ for this, hopin’ for this - Christ, I don’t even know how long.”
Your stomach flips, something curling in your stomach at the heaviness of his confession, at the realization that you weren’t alone in this. Maybe never have been.
“And now that it’s happenin’ - now that I have you, even if I don’t deserve it - I wanna take my time. I wanna make this good for you. Have to. I have to make this right,” he says, voice filled with something gravelly, rough like something barely holding together.
His fingers slide over your jaw, tracing along the column of your throat, memorizing the feel of you beneath his hands.
“And I hate-” his voice falters, eyes squeezing shut for a moment before he forces himself to look at you again. “I hate that it’s happening like this. That I hurt you first. That I didn’t see this sooner.”
“Bucky-”
He cuts you off with his eyes and a shake of his head.
“Please I- I gotta do this. Gotta say this, baby.”
You nod.
He closes his eyes again for a moment like he wants to go back and shake his past self by the shoulders, tell him to wake the hell up and stop hurting the one girl he ever cared about.
He continues, voice hoarse. “I would do anything to make this different. Better. The way you deserve.”
Your breath is shallow, not quite catching, but hovering just short of where it should be, as if your body can’t decide whether to brace itself for collapse.
You’ve spent so long breaking for him, wanting him in ways he never seemed to want you back. But now he is pouring his heart out and asking for something he already has but isn’t sure he is worthy of.
“You don’t gotta say anythin’ right now, doll,” Bucky whispers. Afraid of scaring you off. “I know I shoulda told you sooner.” He grimaces, disgusted with himself. “I shoulda known sooner. I was so fuckin’ stupid. So fuckin’ blind.”
You don’t even notice you started leaning further into him.
Bucky stares at you for a moment. You look back.
“I don’t deserve you,” he says quietly. Whispers really. He exhales shakily and you feel the breath fan along your cheeks. “But I swear to God, I will.”
You don’t weigh the hurt against the want, don’t let the war in your head talk you out of your next move.
Your hands reach up, curling into the fabric of his shirt and before he can say anything else - before he can tear himself apart further - you kiss him.
And for a split second, Bucky freezes.
Not believing this is happening, not expecting it even after everything he just told you.
But then, he exhales this soft and quivering breath against your lips, relief knocking the air out of his lungs.
One hand flies to your waist, pulling you in, the other threading into your hair. He kisses you back like he is starving, like he has been dying for this, like he can’t believe you are real and this moment is something he’s imagined a thousand times but never thought he’d get to have.
And he is so warm. So solid. His lips move against yours, soft and slow at first - savoring you, afraid to go too fast, to push too much. But when you let out a little sigh and your fingers tighten, Bucky melts, pressing in closer, enveloping you in his arms in a way that has you feeling he tries to make sure you never go anywhere else again.
He breathes you in like you are something holy, tilting your head and deepening the kiss. He is not forceful. He takes what he can get and he cherishes it. Like he said, he wants to take his time with you. It makes you fall in love with him even more.
It’s like he can’t believe you are even letting him have this. But he kisses you with a hope and a determination that this will not be the only time he gets to have this.
And when you pull back again, he rests his forehead against yours once more. You feel the way his chest rises and falls against your own, the way his breath shakes, the way his grip does not loosen at all.
“Jesus, doll,” he rasps, panting. “You tryna kill me?”
And the way he says it, the way he looks at you, so full of longing and desire and relief makes you realize that maybe he’s been suffering just as much as you have.
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“I want you. It’s as simple as that. I’ve spent a great deal too much of my life already trying to convince myself that I can make do with less but I can’t. You hear me? I’m done. I’m not giving up. A life without you is not enough.”
- Beau Taplin
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mephisto-reporting · 2 months ago
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Hearbreak Anniversary with Zayne
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Summary: It was your anniversary with Zayne. One year of togetherness. But what if he does not show up when you expect him to? What if he was spending it with MC? Pairing: Non MC! Reader x Zayne Note: MC in this fic goes by the name Lina (my name... so if you are angry, you can be angry at me :3). This oneshot was based on this request. I will write this for the other LADS men too. Also I don't think any of these men would ever be the type to actually willlingly forget it. Especially Zayne. So I had to adapt the request a bit. Content Warning: injuries, panic, insecurities, self worth issues, Zayne POV
Rafayel version | Zayne version | Sylus version | Caleb Version
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Zayne’s apartment smelled like him—clean, crisp, and faintly of the eucalyptus-scented candles he kept on the shelves. You sat on the edge of his couch, smoothing the fabric of your dress down your thighs, nerves making your fingers tremble slightly. The dim light of the chandelier cast a soft glow over the room, illuminating the carefully planned surprise you had for him —flowers, his favorite treats, elegant scarves, and jackets you had spent weeks picking out. The final touch was the flexible weekend getaway tickets, somewhere warm and far from the sterility of hospital walls. A place where he could finally rest.
You had gone all out for tonight. The garden-themed restaurant was supposed to be the perfect setting—a quiet, intimate place where vines curled around twinkling fairy lights, and the soft scent of fresh blooms would fill the air. And you had dressed accordingly with something elegant, something that made you feel beautiful for him. The deep navy-blue dress you wore clung to your form just right, the intricate lace details at the sleeves soft against your skin. You had taken your time getting ready, styling your hair to perfection, slipping on a pair of delicate earrings he once admired absentmindedly. A spritz of white jasmine perfume, the one he once said reminded him of spring mornings. You wanted to look like someone worthy of being by his side. You wanted to be beautiful for him, for the man who had somehow, impossibly, fallen for you.
Because, truth be told, there were times you weren’t sure you were.
you still didn’t understand how this happened—how Zayne, the prodigy, the man who could save lives with his hands and mind, had chosen you. He was brilliant, disciplined, and deeply compassionate. And you? You were just… you. Ordinary in comparison. He never made you feel small, never belittled you, but standing beside him you felt you were just lucky to be there. His world was one of brilliance, filled with extraordinary people—Lina, the fearless Deepspace Hunter; his late friend Caleb, a DAA pilot whose loss still lingered in hushed conversations; his esteemed mentors and fellow doctors who spoke in a language you could only ever grasp at the edges. Compared to them, compared to him, you felt so small.
But tonight, none of that mattered. Tonight, was supposed to be about the two of you.
You had fallen for him in the quietest of ways—through the gentle cadence of his voice, through the moments he noticed things others didn’t. How he’d pull a chair out for you before you could do it yourself, how he’d check the temperature of your tea so you wouldn’t burn your tongue, how he’d listen, really listen, to your ramblings even after a 48-hour shift. He had nestled himself into your heart without you even realizing it.
And tonight, he had insisted he wanted to be with you, even with the chaos of the hospital weighing on his shoulders.
The call came two hours before your reservation. You already knew what he was going to say the moment you saw his name flash on your screen.
“Hey, sweetheart…” Zayne’s voice was warm, familiar, but there was an edge of exhaustion to it. “I’m so sorry. I can’t make it tonight.”
Your heart sank, but you swallowed it down, forcing your voice to remain even. “It’s okay, Zayne. I know you’re busy.”
“It's been a long shift, and the surgeries…”
You nodded even though he couldn’t see you. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll cancel the reservation. Take some breaks and rest, okay? You sound tired…”
“I am fine, sweetheart. I’ll make it up to you,” he promised. “I swear.”
"It’s fine, Zayne." you whispered, even if it wasn’t. “We’ll just celebrate it another day. No big deal.” Even though it felt like one at the moment.
Still, you weren’t upset. Not really. You understood. You always understood.
You hung up and exhaled slowly, pressing your palms against your lap. It wasn’t his fault. He was working back-to-back shifts, saving lives, doing what he was meant to do. And yet, you couldn’t quite keep the disappointment from settling in your chest.
You exhaled slowly, stripping away the dress you had so eagerly put on just hours ago. You slip into into one of Zayne’s oversized sweaters instead, the one that still smelled like him, the sleeves swallowing your hands. You wear leggings underneath and slip on your shoes. You took your time packing the gifts back into the car, moving slowly, as if dragging out the moment would make it hurt less. Maybe when he was finally done, you could pick him up from the hospital. At least you’d get to see him and surprise him. This was what occupied your time for the next three to four hours.
Once everything was back in the car, you plopped yourself on his plush but ergonomic couch. You scrolled through your phone while waiting, mindlessly tapping through social media, until one post stopped you cold.
Lina’s story.
A picture of her sitting across from Zayne in a small restaurant outside Akso hospital, the caption lighthearted:
When you have to drag out your doctor because he won’t follow his own advice about resting. (-_-)
Zayne looked amused in the photo, tired but still composed, his lips slightly curved in a small, rare smile. He looked… content. His gaze focused on her as if she had just said something ridiculous.
Your fingers trembled as you stared at the screen.
It was stupid. It was so stupid to feel like this. Lina was his childhood best friend. She had never given you a reason to be insecure, and yet, the sting of it hit you like a slow, creeping ache. He had time to go out for a meal with her. He had time to smile like that, even after canceling on you. You knew you were being irrational, that he had only stepped out for a quick bite in his busy shift, yet you felt betrayed.
Tears pricked at your eyes before you could stop them. You wiped them away quickly, but they kept falling, silent at first, then turning into quiet, shuddering sobs. You felt pathetic. Childish. He wasn’t doing anything wrong. You knew he wasn’t. But it hurt anyway. Because you would have taken anything—just a few moments, even just a simple meal at that tiny restaurant, if it meant spending time with him today.
It hurt in a way that made your chest feel tight, made the lump in your throat impossible to swallow. The sting of it crept under your skin like a wound you hadn’t realized was open, raw and aching. The disappointment bled into something uglier, something heavier. Why, after everything, did it feel like you were always on the sidelines of his life? No, Zayne never made you feel that way. It was your own spiraling thoughts.
A loud sob choked its way out, your hands gripping the fabric of his sweater as if that would somehow ground you. You wanted to hate yourself for crying over something so petty. He was saving lives. He was exhausted. He didn’t mean to hurt you.
But it hurt.
You needed to go home. You needed to collect yourself before the ugly thoughts swallowed you whole. You stood up, tears streaming down your face, as the weight of it all seemed too much to bear. You didn’t want to sit here anymore. You didn’t want to wait. You needed to go home, to clear your head, to get away from the overwhelming sense of inadequacy.
You sniffled, grabbing your keys and heading out. The highway would be the fastest route home—less traffic, a straight shot. You rerouted, pressing your foot on the accelerator, trying to breathe through the tightness in your chest. You wiped at your tears quickly, trying to focus on the road.
The road stretched out before you, a wide expanse of concrete and asphalt that felt like it would swallow you whole. The tears wouldn’t stop, and you wiped them away, trying to steady your hands on the wheel, trying to focus on the road ahead. But it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter that you understood, that you were rational about his work. The reality of it, the empty seat next to you, the disappointment of seeing Zayne happy in a photo with someone else, it all felt too much.
And then—
Headlights. Too close. Too fast.
A car jumped the signal, trying to merge into the highway.
You slammed the breaks, the scream of tires against pavement rang in your ears.
The impact was instant. A violent, sickening jolt that sent your body forward, the seatbelt snapping against your chest, the airbag exploding in front of you. The windshield cracked, splintering into a spiderweb of broken glass. Your vision blurred, the world spinning.
Pain.
Your chest burned, lungs straining to catch a breath. Your limbs felt heavy. You reached for the seatbelt, your fingers fumbling, but it was jammed.
Fuck.
Your head lulled forward, resting against the deflated airbag. Your head was heavy, your thoughts slipping away like sand through your fingers. The distant wail of sirens reached your ears, but they felt so far away.
Your vision swam, the edges darkening.
I hope the other person is alright.
The thought barely had time to settle before everything faded into black.
ZAYNE'S POV
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The fluorescent lights of the hospital buzzed faintly, casting an artificial glow over the chaos of the emergency room. The air was thick with the scent of antiseptic and the undercurrent of blood—familiar, almost routine, yet tonight it gnawed at Zayne's nerves in a way he couldn't quite shake. He hadn’t left since he stepped through those doors, yet somehow, the guilt weighing on him had nothing to do with the lives he saved today. It was you.
He was tired. God, was he tired. His body screamed for rest, his temples throbbed from the strain of back-to-back shifts, but the hospital was understaffed, and there was no room for exhaustion when lives were at stake. As a cardiologist, his expertise lay in the intricate mechanics of the human heart, but duty demanded flexibility—especially in the ER. Cardiologists weren’t meant to be dealing with blunt force trauma and lacerations, but tonight, none of that mattered. They needed doctors. He was a doctor. So, he worked.
Even through the fatigue, his mind kept drifting back to you. He could still hear your voice from the call earlier, soft and understanding despite the disappointment laced beneath it. You didn’t deserve this. You had every right to be upset, to be frustrated that he had broken his promise, yet you didn’t even complain. That hurt more than if you had yelled at him
God, he loved you. And he hated himself for testing that patience again and again.
His hand tightened around the pen he was holding. He had plans—plans to make it up to you. The necklace in his office drawer, nestled in a velvet box, had been meant for tonight. Something small, perhaps, compared to everything you did, but a token of his devotion nonetheless. He could still salvage this. Maybe he could call you later, ask if you were still awake—
His device beeped, pulling him back to the present.
MVA on the highway. ETA: 5 minutes.
Multi-vehicle accident. Paramedics on site, victims en route.
Zayne exhaled sharply, shifting into work mode. He stepped into the ER just as the first stretcher was wheeled in. The radio chatter from their comms filled the space.
"Female, mid-to-late twenties, restrained driver, T-bone collision from a vehicle that ran a red light. Airbag deployment, but impact trauma to the chest from seatbelt. BP slightly low, likely from pain response. Tachycardic at 112. GCS is 14. Possible wrist fracture, mild concussion. No signs of internal bleeding from the ultrasound, but needs further imaging to rule out any complications."
He nodded briskly, slipping into the detached, clinical efficiency that had been drilled into him for years. It was only as he stepped forward, pulling the curtain aside, that his breath caught in his throat.
His world stopped.
There, on the hospital bed, was you.
Lying on the hospital bed, your hair disheveled, your skin pale against the stark white sheets. His breath lodged in his throat, the world narrowing to a pinpoint focus on the rise and fall of your chest. He couldn't move. Couldn't think. There was dried blood at your temple, your lower lip swollen where you must have bitten down upon impact. The sight of the IV line in your arm, the faint bruises forming along your collarbone—he couldn’t breathe.
No. No. No. No. No.
"Dr. Zayne…" Yvonne’s voice cut in, sharp and urgent. A warning. He was frozen. This wasn't just a patient. This was you.
He blinked, his hands suddenly trembling as he reached for his gloves. Breathe. He had to focus. Had to push past the sheer, gut-wrenching fear threatening to paralyze him.
This is her. She was waiting for me. She—
"Dr. Zayne!!" Yvonne pressed, handing him the updated chart. "She needs you."
That snapped him out of it.
The moment his hands touched you, they were steady again. His voice was even as he examined you, the motions automatic, controlled. He checked your pupils, gently palpated your ribs to assess for fractures. He was a doctor. He was your doctor right now. He had to move. Focusing, he reached for his stethoscope, pressing it against your chest to listen for abnormalities. The rhythm of your heart was steady, but your breathing was just slightly labored—likely from the seatbelt trauma.
"You’re going to be fine." he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
You were stable.
"Her left shoulder—check for AC joint separation," he murmured, voice steadier than he felt. "Get a CT to rule out any internal injuries. And…" He swallowed. “Get me images from the crash site.” He needed to see how bad the collison was. He had to.
The hours blurred. He monitored your scans, adjusted your IV, checked your vitals more times than necessary. Each time his eyes drifted to you; his chest ached. He had seen the accident reports—your car, your windshield shattered, the crumpled hood. And the contents scattered across the scene…
You had planned everything.
For him.
And he wasn’t there.
Zayne clenched his jaw. Flowers were scattered, crushed against the upholstery. The pastries you must have picked out for him were ruined; their boxes torn open from the force of the crash. And gifts. There were so many gifts. He hadn’t even known you had planned all this.
He felt like he was going to be sick.
You had so much waiting for him. And where had he been? At a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, eating with Lina because she forced him to take a break. He had been smiling in that photo while you were—
God.
He ran a hand down his face, exhaling shakily as he sat by your bedside. He should have been with you. If he had just—
The monitor beeped steadily, a quiet reminder that you were alive.
Now, he sat beside you, watching the slow rise and fall of your chest, fingers curled into his palms to keep them from shaking.
"Wake up, sweetheart." he murmured, voice barely above a whisper. "Please, just wake up."
And for once, Zayne—brilliant, composed, always in control—felt utterly powerless.
The beep of the heart monitor was steady, rhythmic, but Zayne found himself gripping the edge of his chair every time you stirred, waiting for that moment when your eyes would finally open. His body was stiff from staying in the same position for hours, but he didn’t dare move. He didn’t want to miss it.
Then, a small shift in your breathing. A twitch of your fingers.
Zayne leaned forward just as your lashes fluttered, your eyes cracking open, only to squeeze shut again at the harsh fluorescent lights. You groaned softly, shifting against the sheets. Instinctively, you tried to sit up.
"Hey—stay put," Zayne said immediately, pressing a hand against your shoulder to keep you down. His touch was gentle but firm, his fingers warm even against the hospital gown. "Don’t move too much yet."
Your body resisted for a moment, muscles tensing as if you wanted to argue, but the disorientation dulled your fight. Your gaze finally settled on him, hazy with the remnants of sleep and confusion.
Then you frowned.
“…You look tired,” you murmured, your voice soft, still groggy. “How long have you been here?”
Zayne’s heart clenched so tightly it hurt. Even now, even when you were the one lying in a hospital bed, barely recovered from an accident, your first thoughts were about him.
His throat felt tight, but he exhaled sharply, forcing himself to speak. “You should look at yourself first, sweetheart.”
Your gaze flickered down, taking in the IV in your arm, the bruises along your wrist, the faint soreness that no doubt ached across your body. Zayne exhaled sharply and reached out, his fingertips tracing the side of your face before cupping your cheek fully. His thumb brushed lightly against your skin, as if grounding himself with the warmth of you. His eyes were moist, though no tears fell.
“I’m sorry,” he said, voice low, raw in a way that stripped away every layer of his usual composure.
You parted your lips, breath hitching as if you were about to reassure him—to do what you always did, to let him off the hook, to tell him it wasn’t his fault.
But he didn’t let you.
“No,” he cut in firmly, shaking his head. “Not this time. This is the one time you shouldn’t be so understanding.” His jaw clenched, something bitter twisting in his expression. “I should have been there. We should have been celebrating our relationship. End of discussion.”
Silence settled between you.
After a beat, he exhaled, running a hand through his hair before looking at you again. “Why didn’t you demand my time?” His voice was quieter now, tinged with regret. “You had every right to.”
You hesitated, glancing away. “…I didn’t want to bother you.” Your fingers twisted into the hospital blanket, grip tightening slightly. “You’re important, Zayne. You save lives. I didn’t want to pull you away from that.”
Something in him snapped.
He let out a sharp breath, then reached for your hand, gently prying your fingers from the blanket. His grip was warm, grounding.
“Shh… And you think you’re not?” he murmured, shaking his head. “Don’t ever say that again.” His gaze bore into yours, unwavering. “You are important to me.”
"You’re important to me," he repeated, voice steady but almost desperate. "Just like my work makes demands of me, you are more than entitled to make demands of me, too."
Your eyes searched his, uncertainty flickering beneath the lingering haze of exhaustion. But Zayne’s gaze didn’t waver.
"I know I should have been there," he said again, quieter this time. He hesitated for only a fraction of a second before brushing a thumb over the edge of your jaw, tilting your face slightly. “When I saw you on this bed when I entered the ER… pale, unconscious… I haven’t felt fear like that before," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "Not in all my years of doing this. Not like that."
You didn’t say anything, but your hand came up slowly, resting over his.
He closed his eyes briefly, exhaling.
This—this was what he almost lost.
His jaw clenched, then loosened as he exhaled. “I don’t want to ever feel it again.”
Another pause.
Zayne inhaled deeply, steadying himself. His hand still cupped your cheek, his thumb tracing absentminded circles against your skin, as if reassuring himself that you were still here. That you were warm. That he hadn’t lost you.
“I know I say I’m sorry a lot… and it probably has lost meaning to you.” he murmured; his voice rough with emotion. His lips pressed into a thin line, as if struggling to put his feelings into something more tangible. “I should have been there. And I will be. Every step of the way until you’re fully recovered and after....”
His eyes flickered downward, scanning you like the doctor he was, but this was different. This wasn’t just clinical analysis—this was personal. "You got lucky," he admitted, exhaling through his nose. "Blunt force trauma to the ribs, a mild concussion, and a broken wrist. Some lacerations on your arm and leg, but nothing deep enough to require surgical intervention. The worst was the head trauma, but the scans came back clear. No bleeding, no swelling. That’s the only reason I’m not having a complete breakdown right now…" His fingers ghosted over your arm, careful not to apply pressure. "Nothing life-threatening or with lasting consequences. But still… you shouldn’t have had to go through that alone." His jaw tensed. "Not when you have me."
You gave him a small, tired smile at that, and something inside him twisted.
He pulled back slightly, just enough to reach into his pocket, his fingers closing around the small velvet box. He’d gone to his office to clock off for the day to be beside you when he picked it up from his drawer. The very box he wanted to give you today. The one that was supposed to be given in a far more joyful setting. This was supposed to be today. A night spent celebrating the two of you—not this. Not hospital beds and IV drips and the hollow fear that had nearly swallowed him whole.
But none of that mattered now.
What mattered was that you were here. And this… this was still yours.
His throat felt thick as he flipped it open, revealing the necklace inside—a delicate silver chain holding a white jasmine pendant, smooth and polished, its petals carved with intricate detail. And behind it, barely visible, were his initials.
His fingers trembled just slightly as he took it out.
"I was supposed to give this to you today," he admitted, voice lower now, almost guilty. "Before all of this. Before I let my own priorities get in the way of what really mattered." He glanced up at you, and for the first time in a long time, he looked vulnerable. "I don’t want you to ever think that you come second. Because you don’t. You never have."
Gently, he reached around your neck, his touch featherlight as he fastened the clasp. The cool metal of the pendant settled just above your collarbone, resting against your skin. His fingertips lingered there, just briefly.
Then he let out a slow breath, tilting your chin up just slightly with his knuckles. His mind still reeled with everything that had happened, with everything he should have done differently.
"I love you," he said, and this time there was no hesitation, no wry smirk to mask his emotions, no half-hearted deflection. Just honesty, raw and unguarded. "Even when I do a crappy job at showing it." He didn’t need you to say it back—he just needed you to know.
For a moment, silence stretched between you. Then, his lips quirked, just slightly, into something softer. "And since I’m apparently on mandatory bedside duty, I hope you’re ready to be completely spoiled. I’m talking fresh coffee, extra pillows, a ridiculous number of medical advices—"
A small, breathy laugh escaped you, and Zayne felt something in his chest loosen at the sound. Then, slowly, you lifted a hand, brushing your fingertips over the pendant before reaching up to cup his cheek.
Zayne leaned into your touch instinctively, exhaling softly. He smiled, finally, pressing his forehead lightly against yours. "Yeah," he murmured. "We’ll be just fine. I've got you sweetheart... I'll always be here for you."
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AN: reblogs, feedback and opinions are appreciated!
Rafayel version | Zayne version | Sylus version | Caleb Version
Taglist: @cordidy, @natimiles @leighsartworks216 @notisekais @raining4food @fallthelong @pomegranatepip @juliuscaesarsstabbedback @krystallevine @lemurianmaster @nenggie @loverindeepspace @sinsodom
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ilikeevilblondes · 2 months ago
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Breaststroke
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18+ MDNI!
Summary: Joel, single dad extraordinaire, is struggling to teach his daughter how to swim. You end up teaching Sarah over the course of a few weekly swimming classes. One fortunate day, Joel accidentally stumbles upon a rather intimate situation involving you in the shower rooms after hours. He’s about to leave, but right before he can, he hears his own name spilling out in a desperate moan from your lips.
TL;DR: It’s more fun to stay in the YMCA (shower rooms) (because that’s where Joel fucks you.)
W.C: ~7.7k
Warnings: Singledad!Joel x swimmingteacher!reader, softdom!joel, accidental voyeurism, mutual masturbation, blowjobs, praise, fingering, unprotected p-in-v, shower sex, pull out and pray, implied age gap, Joel’s got that daddy humour (no outbreak!)
Note: waiter! waiter! some plot with my porn, please! sorry, you freaks, mama had to stretch the narrative before the rawdogging. and sorry for the late upload, the flu was not gucci. hope y'all enjoy as always, though! and if you got any reqs, feel free to send them my way 🤓
@pedrospurplerain
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According to HealthyChildren.org, most children in America begin to learn how to swim by their fourth birthday. Basic abilities like floating and treading water can be ingrained in their motor skills at that point, and by the ripe age of five or six, most children will have been able to freestyle across any urine-defiled public pool.
Joel sighed as he watched his five-year-old angel scream and hiss at the local YMCA pool, refusing even to dip a toe into the chlorinated abyss.
“Sarah, pumpkin, you’re not a cat.” He sighed, pinching his curved nose bridge.
Sarah merely shot him a dirty look, the dirtiest a toddler could muster. She crossed her arms over her chest, the bright orange inflatable armbands around her upper arms squeaking as she did so.
“I don’t wanna go in there, daddy.” Sarah humphed.
Joel shook his head, looking up at her from where he sat in the shallow area of the gym’s pool. His little treasure, bless her heart, was stubbornly standing over the ledge and peering down at him with both fear and unwavering defiance.
“Y’gotta, pumpkin.” Joel ran a hand through his wet hair.
Of all the dads in the world, Joel would not say he was among the worst percentile. He certainly tried his best to do anything and provide everything for his little girl; working as many shifts as he could to pay for her school (his kid somehow, thankfully, didn’t get his brains and was starting first grade ahead of schedule), moving into a ‘nicer’ neighbourhood, and spoiling her with all the stuffed toys and lego sets her little heart desired.
Being a single dad wasn’t easy, to put it simply. Joel would’ve thought, owing to karmic nonsense, the universe could have been a bit nicer to him for the measly crime of forgetting to teach his daughter how to swim. But there he was, staring up at a child more hydrophobic than a rabies survivor.
“Can we go home, Daddy? Please?” Sarah stomped her little foot down onto the tiled floor.
“We will, sugar, I promise. Just, not until you at least try to step down here.”
Sarah shook her head wildly.
“No.”
“No?”
“No.” She said, more decisively.
“Says who?” Joel raised a dark brow.
“Me.”
“Remind me again, pumpkin, are you the adult or the child in this relationship?”
“You’re the one in the kiddie side of the pool, Daddy.” Sarah giggled, revealing a toothy grin.
Joel sighed through a smile. God, this kid was too smart for him. She was gonna be the death of him.
Mumbling something to the effect of ‘smartass’ under his breath, Joel treaded to the end and hoisted himself up, towering over his three-foot-nothing daughter and dripping chlorine-infected water down onto the ground.
“You wanna switch places?” He crossed his arms over his broad, bare chest, nodding his head toward the pool.
“Nope!” Sarah smiled.
Joel was about to give up for the day and take his troublemaker home only to return the next weekend, when he suddenly felt a tentative finger tap his shoulder.
He whipped around to see a girl, much younger than him—and much shorter, too, dressed in the standard red lifeguard one-piece uniform. 
“Sorry to intrude,” You began, biting your lip. “I couldn’t help but overhear.”
Joel blinked, not realising he had to reply to your remark like a normal fucking human would. Instead, he opted for the less popular, uncivilised caveman method of furrowing his brows and blinking madly.
He was too distracted by the way your swimsuit clung tightly over your body. Too mesmerised by the droplets of water sliding in slow motion down your curves. Not to mention that disarmingly pretty smile of yours. 
God, he’d been too single for too long.
“Hello!” The reason for his singleness beamed up at you and waddled closer. “I’m Sarah.”
Your smile stretched wider as you bent down to meet her eye level and introduce yourself in return. Sarah repeated your name back to you delightedly, like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.
After making a comment about how ‘cool’ her floaters were, you straightened up and met Joel’s coffee-brown gaze.
“Anyway.” You absentmindedly tucked a stray piece of wet hair behind your ear. “Um, well, I overheard your situation. And, uh, just wanted to let you know that the gym hosts free introductory swimming lessons every Saturday afternoon. I teach the classes, actually, and you and your daughter are more than welcome to come, mister…?”
By some miracle, Joel was able to move his mouth and properly communicate this time.
“Miller. Joel Miller.” He managed to say without so much as a stutter, smiling politely at you and sticking out a hand.
You took his hand in yours and shook it.
“Nice to meet you, Mr Miller-Joel-Miller. That Italian?” Your laugh was a sweet sound and, at risk of being completely predictable, music to his ears.
“The only Italian in me, sweetheart, is from the canned ravioli we had for lunch today.” Joel chuckled. “And we’d be more than happy to come, wouldn’t we, Sarah?” 
To punctuate his claim, he flashed Sarah a look.
A frown cut into her soft features, but she relented. 
“Yes, we would.” Sarah sighed dejectedly.
“Great! Um. Here’s the flier.” You produced a colourful leaflet and held it out to Joel. He took it. “It has the times and details and, uh, that’s my phone number on the bottom, there.”
“Thanks, sweetheart.” Joel pocketed it. “We’ll be there.”
“I look forward to seeing you two then.” You smiled again.
Joel would’ve fallen to his knees if you had stayed longer with that damn smile of yours. But you turned around to speedwalk towards the other side of the pool, blowing your whistle and reprimanding a bunch of teenagers running across the slippery poolside.
And if he thought the front of you was stunning, he was quickly shown that your back view was just as providing.
“You’re staring,” Sarah observed, tugging at his arm.
Joel cleared his throat.
“Let’s go home, pumpkin.” He ruffled her hair, much to a fit of giggles, and led his daughter away from the outdoor pool.
—-------
Saturday afternoon did not come quickly enough. 
After a week of late nights spent finishing drywall and early mornings making Sarah’s lunch—because there was no way in hell she was going to eat whatever junk-filled shit the American school system provided in cafeterias—Joel was tired, to say the least.
By three o’clock sharp, he had arrived at the pool with his daughter dressed to the nines in a robot-themed swimsuit and bright green goggles that suctioned so hard into her little face that she looked wide-eyed and cartoonish.
And when four o’clock had rolled around, Joel was happy to report that his daughter had finally worked up the nerve to get in the pool. With your help (and some floppy-haired assistant coach), Sarah had also managed to do some basic swimming manoeuvres without clinging to the side for dear life and frothing at the mouth.
“Hi, sweetheart.” Joel approached you after the session had officially ended, and Sarah was dried off and warm. “Just wanted to thank you. And, uh, Coach Bryan for, you know…”
“No thanks necessary, Mr Miller.” You winked, then bent down to Sarah, who stood beside her father. “You did great, Sarah. Really.”
Sarah smiled sheepishly. Joel chuckled at her bashful demeanour and ruffled her hair affectionately.
“Same time next week, Coach?” He asked.
“Yes, sir.” You saluted him and walked off toward the shower rooms, a towel around your shoulders and a spring to your step.
Joel shook his head, smiling, and took Sarah home in a better mood than he had been that morning.
—-
Joel quickly learned that the swimming lessons were beneficial to both him and his daughter. Sarah was speedily conquering her fear of water, and Joel was… well, Joel spent a lot of time talking to you when you weren’t in the pool. And afterwards, too, when the rest of the kids had already left and there were no other parents to chat your ear off.
“You’re taking a gap year?” Joel mused after one particularly smooth sailing session, taking off his sunglasses and hanging them on the hem of his shirt.
“Yep. Just taking a break after college so I can figure out what I wanna do in life.” You shrugged. “Is being a contractor any fun?”
“Well, sweetheart, I doubt you’d like it very much.” Joel smiled, glueing his eyes to yours with steely resolve. 
He was not going to look down at your body this time. He was not going to ogle the tight fit of your one-piece. He was better than the average man.
Besides, you were definitely too young for him. Possibly even young enough to be his daughter. You’d likely recoil in disgust and horror and, possibly, contact the local authorities to capture him, the creepy older man, if he were to ever make a move.
“Eh. I was open to the idea.” You laughed, shaking your head. “But I guess it’s dominated by big, strong hunks like you, huh?”
“I mean, I—” Joel began, but cut himself off upon realising what you had just said.
He blinked. Did you just flirt with him?
As if sensing that Joel was getting somewhere other than friendly banter with her swimming teacher, Sarah jogged up to the two of you.
“Daddy, I’m hungry. Let’s go home!” She pulled at his wrist.
Joel cleared his throat, offered you a quick goodbye, and led his daughter outside back to their car.
—-
“I promise it’s funny.” Bryan nudged your shoulder, giving you a very indiscreet once-over.
Joel was shamelessly eavesdropping on your post-lesson conversation as he towelled Sarah’s unruly hair nearby. Not to be nosy, of course, just to find out whether he was your boyfriend or not. Out of pure curiosity, really. No ulterior motive whatsoever…
“I somehow doubt that.” You hummed, no amusement evident in your unimpressed tone.
“Okay, so, there’s this ginger, a brunette, and a blonde—”
“I’ll stop you right there, Bryan, is the punchline, by any chance, ‘breaststroke’?”
“Well, shit.” Bryan sighed.
Joel chuckled to himself, giving Sarah one last tousle with the towel before settling it over her shoulders. 
He concluded you either hated your boyfriend, or he wasn’t your boyfriend at all. 
Joel preferred the second option.
—-
“I’m just getting some water. You okay with the kids?” You pulled yourself out of the pool, glancing at Bryan.
“Yep. All good here,” He called back.
With a nod, you draped your towel over your shoulders and made your way towards the deck chair that held your things.
It seemed that the heavens were smiling on you that day, too, because none other than Mr Miller himself occupied the chair beside yours.
And what a sight he was.
Sun-bathing, his sunglasses resting over closed eyes, and his broad, bare, tanned chest exposed to all. 
“Having fun there, Mr Miller?” You smiled, taking a seat on your chair, bringing your water bottle to your lips.
Joel lowered his sunglasses and very discreetly let his gaze travel down your body. 
You bit back a grin. He always thought he was so subtle.
“Absolutely, coach. Need to set a timer, though, or I’ll end up medium well-done.” Joel sat up, facing you.
You snorted at his dad-humour.
“Tan looks great.” You commented, wiping your brow with your towel.
“You think?” Joel smiled, reaching for the can of soda on his side table and taking a sip. “Thank you very much, sweetheart.”
“No problem at all, Mr Miller.” You licked your lips, your gaze momentarily caught on his … form-fitting trunks. “Well, I better get back to it.”
“Yeah. Wouldn’t want to keep your boyfriend waiting.” He pushed his sunglasses back up his aquiline nose.
“My—oh! Oh. Bryan? No. Ew,” You held back a gag. “No. No. God, no.”
Joel chuckled.
“I think you may need one more ‘no’ to prove your point there, darlin’.”
“No.” You played along. “Him and I are strictly friends. Besides, he isn’t my type.”
“He isn’t?” 
“I like my men like I like my cheese.” You shrugged, standing up.
“Don’t say smelly.” Joel laughed.
You opened your mouth but decided to leave your preferences shrouded in mystery as you began walking off.
Well, until you threw him a look over your shoulder, catching him in the act of staring at your ass, but pretending not to notice.
“Aged.”
Joel choked on nothing while you innocently walked away like you hadn’t just made a heavily suggestive remark.
—-
“Daddy? Can I go talk to Amanda for a second?” Sarah asked, her gaze flickering over to a plait-wearing blonde girl nearby.
“Yeah, okay, sugar. Be quick, though. Tommy’s coming over soon.” Joel squeezed her shoulder before letting her run off, her wet flip-flops squeaking against the tiled poolside as she approached her friend.
Joel shook his head and smiled. He was so proud of his girl for overcoming her phobia. Maybe he needed to treat her to ice-cream one of these days–
“Hi, Mr Miller.”
After craning his head, Joel found you standing behind him. Bright-eyed and wearing that same, impossibly tight, lifeguard swimsuit. Thank God for nylon.
“Hey, coach.” Joel offered you a lopsided grin. 
“I just wanted to say, I’ve been really impressed with your daughter over these past few weeks.”
“She’s a fast learner.” Joel moved beside you, still facing Sarah and her little friend but keeping his eyes trained on you. “Unlike me.”
“Does she get it from your wife, then…?”
Joel couldn’t shake his head faster. “No wife.”
And there went his eyes, dragging down your slightly wet body. Christ, it was like you jumped straight out of a Baywatch episode—keep it together, Miller!
“Oh.” You coughed. “So that’s why all the moms flock around you.”
Joel let out a short laugh. “I think you’re exaggerating, sweetheart.”
You took a quick glimpse at the hoard of middle-aged women unabashedly staring at the wide-shouldered man next to you before returning your sights to the wide-shouldered man himself.
“I don’t think I am.” Your lips pulled upward in a small smile. “Well, anyway. Just wanted to catch you before our final lesson next week.”
“Our final lesson’s next week?” Joel sputtered out, sounding way less calm and collected than he had intended.
“Yeah. Unless you want to learn how to swim, too.”
“I think I’m all covered in that department, darlin’.” Joel smiled. “But thank you. For everything. I know this whole shindig is free, but I just wish there was some way I could repay you.”
You clicked your tongue and, if Joel caught that correctly, lowered your voice.
“I’m sure we can find some way for you to pay me back, Mr Miller.” You said innocently, but your half-lidded eyes told another story.
Before he could so much as utter out the first syllable of a reply, Sarah came darting back.
“Okay, Daddy, let’s go!” She took her father by the hand and spared you a glance. “Bye, coach!”
Joel tried to hide both his shock from your very obvious innuendo as well as his disappointment from his daughter’s very poor timing.
He rubbed a hand down the lower half of his face and nodded at his daughter. “Let’s go then, pumpkin.” He gripped her hand and turned to you with a slightly dazed smile. “I’ll see you next week, sweetheart.”
“That you will, Mr Miller.” With a quick wink, you spun around on your heel and made your way toward the shower rooms.
—-
As fate would have it, barely half an hour later, Joel found himself sighing unhappily and looking down at his daughter as he attempted to contain his frustrations.
“We just got home—what do you mean, you left your goggles at the pool?” Joel said through a deep exhale.
“Sorry, Daddy, I didn’t mean to forget them.” Sarah shuffled her feet, her eyes locked on the floor in front of her and her fingers twisting the bottom of her t-shirt.
Tommy stuck his head out from the kitchen, one hand clutching a can of Bud Light and the other braced on the doorframe.
“Yeah, Joel, she didn’t mean to.” He piped in, unhelpfully.
“Shut up, Tommy,” Joel grumbled, shooting him a quick glare.
His brother just smirked and took a sip of his beer.
Joel sighed and turned back to Sarah, pinching his nose bridge. “Look, pumpkin, it’s fine. I’ll just drive back to the pool and get ‘em for you, okay?”
Sarah frowned. “Will you be back in time for dinner?”
“Yeah, Joel, you better be. You’re the one making it.” Tommy let out a dramatic huff.
Joel ignored him.
“Won’t take but a hot minute.” Joel ruffled Sarah’s unruly curls and pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head before turning away toward the front door.
“Say ‘hi’ to sweetheart for me, if you see her!” Sarah smiled up at him.
Joel paused mid-step, his shoes halfway on.
“Hi to who, now?” Tommy leaned closer.
“That ain’t her name, pumpkin.” Joel chose not to look directly at Tommy as he huffed out another sigh and yanked his shoes fully on.
“Ain’t that what you call her, though?”
“Now, who are you callin’ ‘sweetheart’, Joel Miller?” Tommy wore a shit-eating grin on his face.
Joel decidedly ignored him, believing it to be the best course of action.
“Watch my kid, Tommy!” He called as he stepped out of the house.
—--
The pool area was mostly deserted by the time Joel returned to it, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows over the lengthy stretch of lane-roped waters.
Joel walked a slow lap around the perimeter of the pool, scanning the tiles and lounge chairs and the lone lifeguard tower for any sign of Sarah’s goggles.
Nothing.
Turning around, Joel’s eyes landed on the entrance to the womens’ locker rooms. He huffed out a heavy sigh, running his hand through his grey-flecked hair. He would have preferred to not snoop in there in fear of startling any lingering guests, but he decided that there wouldn’t be anyone this close to closing time on a Sunday and, moreover, didn’t want to come home empty-handed and disappoint his daughter.
So, on he went.
The locker rooms were quiet when he tentatively stepped inside, the scent of chlorine and cheap soap clinging to the air. 
Fortunately, it seemed that he was the only one in its vicinity.
And, even more fortunately, Joel immediately spotted Sarah’s bright green goggles lying by its lonesome on a bench near the showers.
Gotcha.
He was ready to make a beeline for them and head quickly home, but upon taking a few steps forward, Joel’s ears caught the distant sound of a shower running.
Turning his head toward the source of the splashing sounds, Joel’s eyes immediately noticed a swimsuit hanging precariously off the shower curtain rod.
But not just any swimsuit. It was a red one-piece with what appeared to be ‘lifeguard’ in bold, along the front.
It was your swimsuit. 
You were in the shower.
Joel pursed his lips. Just his fucking luck. Of course, the inappropriately young girl he tried not fantasising about for weeks was the only other person there.
Mentally chastising himself for even entering the locker rooms in the first place, Joel pivoted sharply and began making his way toward the exit.
He didn’t get very far, though, because, after two intentionally light steps, he heard his own name drifting from the steaming shower.
“Joel…”
He stiffened. Evidently, he was caught. He’d have to apologise profusely and somehow testify that he was not, in fact, a perverted Peeping Tom—
“Joel,” You sighed, followed by … shit, was that a moan?
And at that moment, Joel realised that, alongside the splashing of water echoing from the stall, there was the unmistakable clap and squelch of—
“Joel! Oh… fuck,” Your breathy moan carried easily down the short hall.
You were fucking yourself to the thought of him.
Shit, shit, shit.
If Joel were a better man, he would already be in his car, driving home. He would have forgotten this encounter had ever occurred, tucked it deep into the depths of his mind, granted you a curt farewell for the final lesson the coming week, and proceeded to never see you again.
But Joel wasn’t a better man.
Judging by how quickly his dick came to life to rest, half-hard, against his thigh in his swim trunks, Joel was an awful person.
Well, he couldn’t come home nursing a semi, now could he?
Yeah. Reaching down to pull his throbbing cock out of his waistband was the right thing to do.
At least, that’s what he told himself as he leaned against a corner and slowly slid his fist down his stiffening length.
“Joel! Fuck, your cock feels so good!” Your pitchy whine floated down the room, amplified by the generosity of the tile acoustics.
Joel’s dick twitched in his hand. 
Out of habit, he tightened his grip around his base and fucked up into his fist, squeezing his eyes shut and pretending it was your tight cunt he was jutting in and out of.
And it wasn’t hard to pretend, either. What with the sinful noises you were making a few stalls away, and the desperate pleas of ‘that’s it, Joel, fuck me harder!’
With pearls of precum dribbling down his tip and smearing along his hand with each thrust, Joel felt himself near his release. Judging by the increasingly airy quality of your whines, you were facing the same predicament.
Joel continued to fuck his fist, picturing you in various filthy scenarios. 
You, slowly wrapping your dainty hand around his hard-on and eagerly taking over.
You, on your knees, choking on his cock. 
You, tits smushed against tile as Joel fucked you with reckless abandon under the hot torrents of the showerhead.
Ramming brutally into your greedy fucking pussy, watching as his come-soaked dick disappeared in and out of your tight channel—
“Fuck!” Joel cursed aloud after a particularly enthusiastic thrust.
Suddenly, the water stopped. So did your noises.
Joel stilled. Oh, shit.
“Hello?” Came your voice, meekly. “Is … Is someone there?”
As silently as he could, Joel released his hold on his cock and carefully tucked himself back in his trunks.
Shit. What was he going to do?
Almost immediately after he regained his decency, the shower curtain slid halfway open with a faint metallic rattle, and you cautiously peered out, hiding most of your body behind the vinyl barrier.
“...Mr Miller?” You said, uncertainly, as if half-convinced he was some kind of dreamlike apparition.
Joel cleared his throat and took an instinctive step back.
“Uh—yeah. Just, uh… goggles. Sarah’s goggles.” He stuttered, holding them up weakly. “Her goggles. She left them here. The goggles.”
“Well, thank god you clarified that.” You smacked your lips, a sarcastic bite to your tone. The snarkiness soon faded from your expression once you added, with knitted brows, “you’re in the womens’ showers.”
“Yeah, I—” Joel winced. “I know.”
Silence.
After a moment or two, you opened your mouth to say something else, but the words died in your throat as your eyes fell on Joel’s trunks.
More specifically, the raging bulge making itself known in his lap.
“You’re hard.” You stated, your cheeks flushing a pretty shade of pink.
Joel’s eyes shot wide open. He glanced down, too, and sure enough, he was hard. It was almost as if he was fucking his hand to the thought of you only moments before. Oh, wait, that’s because he was!
To preserve the last shred of dignity in Joel’s inexecusably shameful body, he threw his hands over his groin and attempted to stammer out a valid excuse.
“Sorry, sweetheart—” No, he wasn’t. “—I, um… well, you see, I…”
Your eyes found the faint traces of precum on his right hand.
“Were you … jerking off to me in the shower?”
Yes, yes, he was.
“Frankly, darlin’, I think the better question here is, were you jerking off to me in the shower?” Joel coughed.
Your eyes trailed over his body, lingering again on where he covered his hard-on.
“I was.” Your stare found his. “Your turn, Mr Miller.”
Joel sucked in a breath through his teeth. There was definitely no backing out now.
He nodded slowly. Reprehensibly. 
Shame churned within him as he desperately wished for the ground to open up at his feet and swallow him whole, possibly even spitting him back out into the fiery pits of hell where he so clearly belonged after what he had done. Unfortunately for him, the earth, indifferent to his suffering, remained stubbornly solid beneath him, leaving him stranded in his own mortification.
“Look, sweetheart, I can’t express how sorry I—lord almighty.”
Instead of letting him scramble to finish whatever bullshit he was cooking up, you decided to pull the shower curtain all the way back.
Joel gulped, taking in your newly-exposed bare body, from the soft curve of your breasts to the thickness of your thighs to the seam of your … fuck, to the seam of the same pussy you were probably fingering just moments before; glazed in glistening beads of water under the cool fluorescent lights. 
You were fucking gorgeous. 
So gorgeous, in fact, that Joel felt his cock fully spring to life at the sight of you, standing naked and dripping-wet from the rain of showerhead.
“Let me… let me help you out.” You bit your lower lip, your eyes hazy.
“H-Help me out?” Joel breathed, staggering backward, his hands still persevering to conserve his modesty.
You slowly approached him, stopping when any semblance of personal space was lost, and dropped down to your knees.
Jesus Fucking Christ. 
Joel heard himself swallow.
“Don’t you want this, Mr Miller?” You looked up at him, your eyes pleading and almost doll-like from that angle.
While waiting for his response, your hands softly wrapped themselves around his, guiding them away from his lap to meet his tenting swim trunks head-on.
Joel, meanwhile, was busy trying to convince himself this wet dream of a situation was really happening whilst simultaneously refraining from spending his load in his trunks, because the vision of you, bare and waiting patiently on your knees, looked downright sinful.
“Doesn’t matter if I do.” Joel shook his head slowly, not registering the fact that his grip on the goggles loosened to a point where they fell to the floor in a dull clatter. “This… this is wrong.”
“The way I see it,” You hummed, your hands finding gentle purchase on his hips. “I’m naked. And already wet. And you’re…”
Your eyes flickered down to his bulge and wet your lips. Upon seeing this, Joel’s breath hitched in his throat.
“Ain’t there some—some rule against, I don’t know, a coach fraternising with a parent in this way?” Joel furrowed his brows, distractedly taking your chin in his hands and tilting your head upwards.
“No.” You eagerly let him direct you, moving at his will. 
“You sure?” 
“Positive.” The corners of your mouth pulled up in a small smile.
“What if someone comes—yeah, fuck it, I ain’t gonna keep pretending like I don’t want this.” Joel shook his head, his eyes dragging over you unabashedly.
“Oh yeah?” Your smile only widened.
“Go on then, darlin’.” Joel purred, his voice a low and rough timbre, his eyes overtaken with want. “What was it you said a while ago…? Help me out.”
With his less-than-reluctant approval, you tossed him another heart-stuttering wink, slipped your fingers past his waistband, and pulled him out.
And, fuck, you were not disappointed.
Joel was big, to say the least; in both length and girth, and you may have felt your cunt quivering at the mere thought of the possibility of taking him inside you later, but you were quickly overtaken by need upon seeing the drops of precum spilling from of his head.
With a hand wrapped around his base, you stuck your tongue out to lick a stripe up his length, tasting the salt of his skin and his arousal.
At your actions, Joel inhaled a sharp breath.
“You gonna finish what you started now?” Joel mused from above you, closing a fist around your grip on his cock and bringing it closer to your parted lips. He gently tapped your cheek with his free hand. “Open up for me, sweetheart.”
And you gladly did so, taking his tip into your mouth and swirling your tongue around his head like a fucking lolipop.
“Fuck,” Joel gritted his teeth, tossing his head back against the wall.
Taking his expletive as a sign to continue, you proceeded to hollow your cheeks and take his length deeper, as deep as physically possible without making you choke. 
“That all you can take?” Joel tutted, caressing your cheek.
Much to your determined efforts, you only managed to fit a little more than half of him in your mouth. Because, fuck, was he big.
You whined around his cock in response.
“Shh,” Joel murmured. “‘S okay. ‘S okay, sweetheart.”
His deep brown gaze met yours, and for a second, you could have mistaken the emotion swimming in his eyes as affection. 
“Nice and slow, hm?” Joel said through a satisfied exhale, his brows furrowed at the sensation of being enveloped by the warmth of your mouth. 
His fingers threaded through your hair, coming to grasp at your roots, but remained stationary, waiting for you to make the first move.
You looked up at him through your eyelashes and held that eye contact as you began moving your head back and forth. Seeing his eyes briefly flutter in pleasure, you flattened your tongue against the underside of his cock, feeling it twitch as you continued your movements.
“Fuck, sweetheart. That’s it.” His grip in your hair tightened.
You started to bob your head up and down at a quicker pace as you sucked him greedily, your hand moving in deft strokes along the stretch of his length your mouth couldn’t entertain.
Joel cursed under his breath and guided you on and off his cock in a steady rhythm as he fisted your hair.
And, fuck, he let himself thrust into your mouth once or twice, but upon hearing you gag, resolved to let you take charge of the speed entirely.
“Sorry sweetheart,” Joel breathed. “Sounded pretty chokin’ on my cock, but I guess I went too far, hm?” He sighed, caressing your cheek again.
You moaned with his cock heavy on your tongue, signalling your eagerness to die of asphyxiation from a fucking blowjob, and begun to take him even further into your mouth, feeling his head touch the back of your throat.
“Shit, darlin’.” Joel groaned. “That’s a good girl. Taking it so well.”
A strangled sound escaped from your otherwise occupied throat as you continued to deepthroat a man old enough to be your father.
Truly realising the situation you found yourself in, you felt a needy sensation thrum from in between your legs. Whilst continuing to bob your head around his cock, your hand went to trail down your front and relieve some of that tension you ached to be rid of, rubbing your clit furiously.
“Oh, my poor girl.” Joel cooed, seeing this. “Come on, now. Up you get,” He gently pulled you off his cock (wincing at the loss of your mouth) and up to stand in front of him.
“Not good?” You breathed, resting a hand on his chest while his hands settled on either side of your waist.
“No, sweetheart, it was very good.” Joel dipped his head down so his mouth was less than an inch away from yours, every word releasing as a warm breath against your lips. 
And then he leaned down to capture your mouth in a desperate, hungry, horribly sloppy kiss, licking into you and no doubt tasting his own arousal on your tongue.
You didn’t even register he was walking you backward until your back hit the shower wall.
“Just wanna fuck you now,” Joel mumbled, his half-lidded stare drifted down your bare form before flickering back up to meet your eyes.
“Well, since you asked so nicely.” You smirked, pulling him back into another frenzied kiss.
Joel smiled against your lips.
“So mouthy,” He tutted in that authoritative, paternal voice you’ve heard him use before, in between eager kisses. “I’d like to teach you a lesson, sweetheart, but I’m afraid I’m too fuckin’ impatient myself right now.”
At the sound of that, you clenched your thighs together.
The slant of his mouth trailed down your jaw to your neck, sucking and biting at your wet skin, humming in pleasure as he did so. Simultaneously, his big, calloused hand made their way from your waist down to your lower abdomen, and lower, still, until you felt his fingers ghost over your slick entrance.
You gasped.
“Mr Miller–”
“‘Joel’, darlin’. It’s ‘Joel.’” He mumbled against your neck, his stubble scraping lightly against your skin. “Heard you moanin’ it in here a while ago, I’m fairly certain you know how to pronounce it.”
“Joel,” You obliged, biting your lower lip as you felt Joel’s fingers meander nearer to your core.
“Yes, sweetheart?” 
“You don’t have to… you know,” You glanced down in between both your bodies.
Joel followed your gaze and saw his own fingers hovering close to your aching mound.
“Think I do.” He clicked his tongue. “Need to get ya ready. Wouldn’t wanna hurt that pretty pussy of yours when I… well, to put it bluntly, darlin’, I don’t wanna hurt your pretty pussy when I’m fuckin’ you in a little bit.”
“Oh,” You breathed.
“Yeah,” Joel hummed, nudging your cheek with his nose. “That sound good to you, sweetheart?”
You nodded almost too avidly.
“Good,” Joel sighed, his fingers skimming over your aching cunt and just barely dipping inside your folds. “Just relax, darlin’. I gotcha.”
That was the last of the preamble before you felt one of his fingers slip inside, dragging up and down against your walls.
Normally, if left to your own devices, you were barely satisfied with a singular digit of your own. But here you were, gasping and clenching around just his middle finger.
Content with your reaction, Joel kissed your neck and slipped another finger to crook alongside the first in an even rhythm that began to spark a familiar warmth in your gut.
“There we go.” He mumbled against your skin.
“Fuck,” You whispered as you felt his thumb settle on your clit.
You felt Joel smile against your pulse point. And then, with his other big hand, he gently held your face and titled it to the side to pepper kisses along your jaw.
“You can take another, can’t you? Yeah, you can.” Joel hummed, and before you could respond, you felt a third finger slip inside, stretching you wider. 
Your eyes squeezed shut as Joel’s fingers curled inside you at a faster rhythm while his thumb graciously swiped at your clit.
Blood pounded in your ears. Your breathing shallowed. You were so, so close.
“Joel, please…” 
“Please what? C’mon, baby, use your words like a big girl.”
His fingers only sped up, dragging against your walls so deliciously and filling you better than your own hand could have ever done.
You inhaled.
“Please don’t s-stop.” Your breath hitched in your throat. “I’m so close.”
“You wanna come for me? ‘S that it?” Joel cooed, his breath warm against your skin and right beside your ear.
“Please,”
“Come for me then, sweetheart. Let me hear you,”
With a scream of his name, your orgasm washed over you like a tidal wave, sending you into a light-headed bliss as you clutched his big upper arms.
His fingers only began to slow once your cunt stopped pulsing rapidly around him, and when you caught your breath again, he tenderly slipped them out.
“Made a mess of my fingers, huh?” He mumbled, staring down at how his hand glistened with your arousal.
You felt your cheeks redden.
“I’m sorry–”
“Don’t fucking be,”
And you watched as Joel stuck a finger in his mouth and sucked your slick off it like it was a world-class dessert.
“That was hot,” Was your breathless response.
Intelligent.
“Oh yeah?” The corner of his lips tugged upward as his eyes danced from your own to your parted lips. 
“Yeah,”
A soft, low laugh rumbled in his throat.
“Come here,” Joel sighed, placing a hand on the small of your back and another on the side of your face, leaning down to devour your lips in another messy kiss.
His tongue slid inside your mouth as if starved, licking against your tongue and letting you taste your own pleasure. All while the hand on your face brought you closer and gently stroked the curve of your cheek.
After a few moments, Joel broke the kiss almost regretfully.
He barely pulled away, his lips closely within reach of yours, and his breath mingling with your own as he spoke in a deep, gruff rasp.
“You still want this, sweetheart?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.”
Joel smirked. “A simple ‘yes’ would’ve sufficed.”
Before you could form a response to his slightly snarky remark, your breath was stolen from you at the sight of Joel tugging down his trunks fully and stepping out of them.
Glancing down, you found that he was still incredibly hard. Almost painfully, by the look of how his cock practically bounced up to his navel. Clearly, your recent oral assistance did nothing to tame the lust in his body.
Joel crowded you up against the wall once more, his tall frame easily looming over yours. One of his big hands went to caress your jawline, angling your head up toward him, and the other went to your thigh, wrapping your leg around his waist.
“Been a while for me.” He sighed, a hint of embarrassment peeking through his tone. “You tell me if I get … carried away, yeah?”
Instinctively, you hung your arms around his wide shoulders, bringing him even closer.
“Yes, sir.” Your lips quirked upward.
“Good girl,” He hummed, his thumb absently running along your bottom lip.
Then, the hand cupping your face went to guide his aching dick to notch against your entrance, sliding against your wet mound.
And, with a shaky inhale slipping past his lips, he sheathed himself inside you. 
“Fuck, you feel good,” Joel muttered lowly.
You let out a whine at the feeling. 
Despite being barely halfway in, Joel was already proving to be more than sufficient, especially from the way your velvety walls were already pulsing wildly around his length.
“I know, I know, I know,” Joel sighed, his thumb caressing where he held a grip on your thigh. “‘S okay, sweetheart. Shh, you can take it.”
In response, you nodded.
And Joel drove himself the entire way, balls-deep, his greying pubic hair tickling the inside of your upper thighs. He gasped in your ear at the feeling of the first full thrust and at the sensation of your channel clamping desperately around him.
He filled you up so fucking well.
“You doin’ okay? Hm?” He mumbled, leaving lazy, aimless kisses along your neck.
“Need more.” 
“Oh? She wants more, huh?” He smirked against your skin. “That what you were imaginin’ in the shower?”
“Y-Yeah,” You whispered.
“Flirtin’ with me for weeks now, and here you are bein’ all shy.” Joel tsked. “Don’t worry, you’ll get more, darlin’.”
Joel began sawing in and out of you at a relaxed pace, letting out low groans of satisfaction. 
With every sloppy thrust, you heard the distant wet thud of your back against the shower tiles, sounding in a steady rhythm. But, despite each measured roll of his hips sending white-hot shivers throughout your throbbing cunt, you found yourself dangerously craving even more.
“Harder.”
“Harder?” Joel hummed coyly.
“Joel,” You whined.
“Careful what you wish for, sweetheart,” Joel mumbled against the corner of your mouth.
You only realised you were moaning obscenely loud when the echo had bounced around the room, and Joel was muttering something encouragingly into your skin.
“That’s it. Y’sound real fuckin’ pretty.”
Joel’s thrusts had picked up the pace. The only sound competing with the volume of your moans were the crude wet slaps of his body against yours.
Slap, slap, slap.
You thanked your lucky stars the shower rooms were deserted after the swimming lessons, because you were sure even if someone happened to walk in on you two fucking like wild rabbits, you wouldn’t let him stop.
And some part of you knew that he wouldn’t want to, either. Not with the way he was breathing airy curses beside your ear and mumbling about how ‘fuckin’ tight’ you were and other such filthy ramblings.
After a particularly harsh thrust, you felt his pace falter and his dick twitch against your walls.
“Fuck,” He whispered sharply.
Out of the blue, Joel pulled out, leaving your slick mound vacant for a heartbeat or two before he spun you around roughly, forcing you to brace yourself against the wall.
And, not long after, he fed you the entirety of his cock again in one deep thrust.
“Joel!” You gasped. 
Your hands, stretched out in front of you and anchored against the wall, scrambled to find a grip on the smooth, slippery surface.
“Sorry, sweetheart.” He said from somewhere behind you, beginning to ram into you at a brutal pace as he held you in place with an iron grip on your hips. “Needed—fuck… Needed this.”
With your tits pressed against the tiles and his length kissing your cervix after every drag against your pulsing walls, your vision began to blur and your lower gut began to flutter. 
You were very fucking close.
As if reading your mind, one of Joel’s hands trailed from your hip to your front, sliding down until he brushed your clit. And then he began rubbing the sensitive nub in sloppy semi-circle motions, tutting sweet words as you whined nonsensical syllables.
“That’s it, sweetheart. Let me hear you,” He cooed soothingly.
You let out a pitchy whine, “feels so good.” 
“That right?” Joel mumbled distractedly, using a rough hand on your neck to turn your head toward him despite the awkward angle, and claimed your lips hungrily, licking desperately into your mouth as if it was the last thing he’d ever do, and letting out hoarse noises of appreciation as he did so.
His hips continued to jut into you, setting an erratic, jerky pace.
Slap. Slap-slap. Slap. Slap-slap-slap.
You arched back against him and unintentionally broke the kiss when the overflowing pleasure spiked incredibly high.
“J-Joel,” You breathed.
The man, who was single-mindedly pistoning in and out of your splayed legs, hummed a sound of acknowledgment in response, his warm breath ghosting over your cheek.
“Joel, I’m close,” You whispered, the heat of both your bodies meeting where your back leaned against his front. 
“Are you?” He replied almost casually.
His fingers only sped in their motions, swiping at your clit almost feverishly as he continued to rut animalistically into you; each thrust stretching your aching cunt impossibly wide and oh so easily finding your cervix—
“Fuck!” Your chest tightened.
“Ask for it.” Joel’s gentle yet commanding tone nearly made your knees buckle. 
That, and the manic force at which he was fucking into you.
Slap–slap-slap-slap—
“Go on, baby. Ask.” His nose nudged at the side of your face, breathing in your scent as he tutted lowly, “hate to see you all worked up like this.”
“Shit—please! Can I come, please?” You acquiesced.
You felt the muscles of his rugged face pull up in a small smile against your cheek and his dick twitch inside your tight walls, sending shivers down your spine.
“Be a good girl and come for me then, sweetheart,” Joel said in between strained breaths. “Come all over my cock, I gotcha.”
Your climax came rippling over your whole body, a prolonged resonance that sent you into the territory of overstimulation—much more powerful than your first orgasm—as neither his fingers nor his cock slowed down in their frenzied pursuits. 
So, there you were, chanting his name like a prayer and clenching tightly around his relentless length.
When the fluttering of your cunt subsided, Joel hurriedly pulled out and wrapped a hand around his throbbing cock, fucking up into his fist frantically and cursing under his breath. You all but folded against the wall as you felt his loss, sticking your ass out and waiting for the inevitable.
Soon, his breath caught in his throat, and you felt hot ropes of his come spill over your back.
“Shit.” Joel sighed, gently rubbing along your sides. 
He pressed a soft kiss to your shoulder once he recollected himself a few moments after, still softly trailing his hands up and down as both of your breaths evened.
“You okay over there, sweetheart?”
You nodded weakly, unable to voice your satisfaction with your brains all fucked out.
Joel huffed a short laugh. “C’mon, I’ll clean you up.”
Somewhere behind you, the shower handle groaned with a faint squeak. A dull clunk followed, and then, with a sudden rush, water erupted from the showerhead, dousing the two of you in a sputtering cascade.
Gently, Joel tugged you away from the wall to stand directly under the jet of water, softly helping you wash away any reminders of your reckless impropriety.
He pressed reverent kisses along your jaw, down your neck, and around your collarbone as you got cleaned up.
There was no hidden, lustful agenda to this, as far as you could tell. You assumed it was either a result of his years of fatherhood or some testament to his overall caring nature, but either way, you weren’t complaining. You happily let your eyes fall closed as sheets of warm water streamed down your body, all while Joel’s lips tentatively found yours, then your neck, and his strong hands moved along your body.
“Um…” Joel began after he had turned off the shower, looking at you with his big, soft eyes. “I know this is the completely wrong order of things, but would you like to–”
“Yes.”
A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “You didn’t even know what I was gonna say.”
“Were you gonna ask me out on a date?”
“Yeah,” Joel laughed bashfully. "Is that... is that okay?"
You stepped closer, wrapping your arms around his neck, and rising on your tiptoes to meet his lips in a lazy kiss.
“The answer’s yes.” You mumbled without breaking away for too long.
You felt Joel smile against your lips.
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cuntyji · 3 months ago
Text
the first video nanami ever posted was filmed on a shaky phone propped up against a bag of flour.
he was making bread—simple, easy, the kind of thing he found comfort in after long days at work. his hands moved methodically, kneading the dough with a quiet precision, and though he spoke very little, the video was oddly calming.
he hadn't expected much from it. maybe a few views, maybe a couple of people who’d appreciate the lack of unnecessary chatter. but the comments were overwhelmingly positive, people asking about his technique, his recipe, his voice—deep, smooth, effortlessly steady. so he made another video. then another.
it was the late-night upload of him singing "baby one more time" by the marías that changed everything.
filmed on an old macbook with a grainy webcam, the lighting barely enough to make out his face, the video had been an impulse decision—one he almost deleted. it was just him, sitting on his couch, his voice low and hushed, the way he usually sang to lull yuuji to sleep. but the internet clung to it like ivy, twisting and reaching until the video had over a million views by the end of the week.
"who is he." "why is this the most intimate thing i've ever heard in my life." "he looks exhausted and sounds like a dream, i'm in love."
he thought it would pass. but it didn't.
his subscribers doubled overnight. the demand for more was loud, insistent. nanami, being nanami, didn’t rush to meet it. instead, he structured it into his routine: one video a week, a mix of baking and singing—because baking was reliable, and singing had never been something he shared outside of yuuji’s bedtime.
his channel evolved. the baking videos became polished, edited with subtle precision. he switched to voiceovers, explaining each step in that same low, deliberate tone that made people feel like he was speaking just to them. and when he sang, it was always songs that carried a quiet sort of nostalgia.
"he only sings songs he sings to his kid to sleep i’m crying." "his lullabies are better than half the music industry." "i don’t know his name, his age, or his face properly, but i know his banana bread recipe by heart."
nanami never explicitly talked about being a single dad, but it was impossible to miss. yuuji’s voice sometimes made cameos in the background, muffled questions about homework, laughter when nanami burnt the edges of a cake. he didn’t hide it, didn’t play it up. it was just a part of his life, and his audience adored him for it.
his faq video—one of the few times he ever directly addressed personal questions—answered almost nothing.
"are you married?" "no." "how old are you?" "old enough." "what's your name?" "nanami."
the mystery only made people more obsessed.
"i know nothing about him but i’d die for him." "his hands. his voice. his existence." "the fact that he bakes and sings for his kid and still won’t tell us his age is crazy."
he now posted twice a week. one video was always baking, the other was whatever he wanted—sometimes music, sometimes a quiet q&a, sometimes just a video of him making tea while rain hit the windows.
people knew everything and nothing about him at the same time. they knew the exact ratio of brown sugar he preferred in cookies but not what city he lived in. they knew he tucked yuuji in every night with a song but had never seen his full face in a single frame. they knew the precise cadence of his voice when he said “and that’s how you make the perfect loaf” but had never heard him say “i love you”—and yet, somehow, they felt like they had.
the internet had fallen in love with him. and nanami, quietly, without even trying, had changed his life with nothing but flour-dusted hands and the sound of his own voice.
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