#sorry for answering this like a day late i think tumblr buried the notification or smth

[aq2003]

Ten thinks that he’s like Kilgrave, because he’s so filled with grief and regret he sometimes can’t see himself as anything but a monster.

Kilgrave thinks that he’s like Ten, powerful and admired, because he can’t comprehend how his actions would be perceived otherwise.

Contrasting the two characters could be an interesting thought experiment, but good lord who the hell thinks that there are any similarities beyond surface level stuff?

Even the Time Lord Victorious would never do what Kilgrave does.

i think the number one difference between the two is that ten is like. always motivated by other people whether that be his love for his companions, whatever insanity he has going on w simm!master, or just in general his drive to help others (bc that's the doctor, that's who he is). kilgrave is basically exclusively motivated by vapid selfish desires and what can fulfill him in the current moment. jessica makes him play the hero for one minute and he thinks it's stupid the entire time and the only thing he gets out of it is the thanks he's given from the people he saves. and yea time lord victorious is incomparable to him bc it started bc a driven-slowly-insane-with-isolation ten could not bear to see more people die and the minute he confronts the consequences of his actions it falls apart in front of him

[bluemusickid]

Are You Mine?

Pairing: Ransom Drysdale x Fem! Reader

Warnings: 18+, smut, mentions of cheating (it's Ransom, come on) pretty/very dark (atleast by my standards lol), angst, orgasm denial, slight degradation kink, bondage, Dom/sub dynamics, slight dubcon, mentions of blood, knives, dark!Reader, DEAD DOVE. DO NOT EAT. MINORS DNI.

A/N: I am SUPER late on this. Like really, really late. But there were simply no ideas, WHOOPS. Anyways, I wrote this for @cockslut-padalecki 's challenge and omg it was a whirlwind of emotions! Congratulations, sweetie, you deserve each and every single one of your followers!! I hope this is a good read, I was not so sure of it, tbvh. It took 10 drafts to get it to this point. Whew. Hopefully it has paid off, and hopefully it follows the prompt. 😅

Check out my masterlist for more stories and drabbles and such! I am slowly phasing out taglists, if you wish to read my latest work, you can follow my other blog @lexiscyberlibrary ! Make sure to keep the notifications on! Thank you!!

18+ blog, Minors not welcome, you are responsible for your own media consumption. Not beta'ed, any mistakes, grammatical or otherwise are all mine. I post my stuff only on Tumblr and AO3, nowhere else. I do not give anyone permission to reproduce, copy or translate my work. Dividers by the wonderful @whimsicalrogers 💓 Likes are welcome, reblogs are much appreciated!

Prompt: “I'm not gonna hear your reasons and ‘please-just-take-me-backs.’ We never were right. Don't waste your breath” - How You Love Me Now: Hey Monday

You couldn't believe how naïve you were sometimes. Years of meditation, self control, mind healing classes, all gone to shit. What was this terrible coping mechanism?

You saw Ransom that night. You saw him with a girl. It shouldn't matter to you and yet, it did. It made your heart hurt.

You remembered all the good times you had with him. He was like a beacon of light in your life, making you come alive. But you were insecure, and you knew it. He was always with you, and yet, some part of you always felt that he wasn't. Like he was holding himself back, not divulging his truth. You gave him the benefit of the doubt many times. Home late three days in a row? C'mon, babe, you know it was an hectic and nerve racking time at Blood Like Wine, what with the deal with Netflix coming through. He said this with a flourish, kissing you with ardent passion. You believed him, your senses in a disarray as he worked your body into exhaustion with his ardent and zealous loving; if it could be equated with the feeling.

The next time, his shirt collar was stained with lipstick. You questioned him, yet again, with the answer being prompt. "Babe, you left that mark, remember? On our trip to Concord?" Not giving you time to think, he'd bent you over the table promptly, pulling up your skirt to leave a smack on your plump bottom, fingers ghosting over your clothed pussy.

"You're always so hungry for my cock, kitten. How can you forget all the marks you leave on me, as I fuck this pretty pussy? Looks like i'm gonna have to refresh your memory." He rasped, tearing your panties down and plunging into you, the feel of him being buried to the hilt wiping all your previous thoughts clean. There was no way he'd cheat on you. He loved you too much, you thought, feeling his fingers tighten around your neck as he neared his end.

How naïve of you. How very naïve.

You worst fears came true, the blood in your veins turning to ice. You couldn't believe your eyes as you took in the scene that unfolded in front of your eyes.

It was honestly so cliché, the whole in flagrante delicto thing. But what more could you expect from him? And it was your fault, honestly. You should've trusted your gut instinct, the deeper parts of your brain screaming at you to keep a check on this two-faced monster you called a boyfriend.

You walked out of the house as silently as you could, tears running down your face. You almost felt sorry for the girl he was fucking, whispering sweet nothings into her ear as he took her from behind. Jesus. She'd be a bigger fool if she actually believed his lies.

You sat in car and drove, drove, drove, to god knows where. You stopped at a little nook, switched off your phone and cried. Cried for a few minutes, hours, honestly, who knew? Time evaded you as you sat there, numb. You remembered all the good times, all the vacations and trips, all the memories. All tainted simply because he couldn't get his dick wet enough. You scoffed. You were a bigger fool than that broad. Atleast she was in it only for the sex. You, you were in deeper. You were in it for love, for marriage, for a future with Ransom. It hurt because after so long, his words actually meant something to you. He was the ideal man for you. Yes, he had his vices, but who didn't? You had promised yourself that you could change him, heal him from his past traumas. You would make him better and spend a lifetime together. But now, he'd gone and blown the whole goddamn boat.

You wiped your eyes, taking deep, cleansing breaths, like your therapist had taught you. You knew what you had to do. You just didn't know if you were strong enough to do it.

Ransom walked into your house, ready to fuck you into the mattress. He'd come to enjoy his routine a lot. Spend the day at work, meet a few girls and fuck their brains out and come home to you. Poor, unsuspecting you, who was too stupid for her own good. He felt pity for the naïve, little girl that you were, cleaning after him and always making sure that he'd always had a hot meal to eat. He'd been bored at first, trying to woo you, the prick tease that you were. But those doe-eyes of yours, which looked at him like he was the best thing in this world? Fuck, he'd be lying if he said those didn't get him hard.

He walked in, half expecting you to be cooking dinner, ever the 1950s dame. But what he saw stopped him in his tracks, because what he saw wasn't a cute little mousy creature. It was the subject of his wet dreams. You were in the slinkiest red teddy, with thigh highs, and Louboutins which accentuated the curve of your ass really well. Ransom could already feel himself getting hard, at the mere thought of throwing you to the ground at that instant and fucking you into oblivion.

"You're home early." You said, the sultry undertone to your voice a surprise.

"...Yes. I..I thought I would surprise you but I guess.. I'm the one who's ended up being surprised." He murmured, his voice breaking as he adjusted himself. You saw the movement and smirked, proud of yourself. He wanted you.

"I thought you might like it. I bought as a gift for you. You've been working so hard at the office, and I thought you deserve a lil' reward for all the work that you've been doing."

And so you let the little satin robe slip off your shoulders, watching his eyes darken as the garment floated to the ground.

Time to crank it up a notch.

You half-gasped, half moaned as he deepened the kiss, his tongue ever so slightly touching yours. Pulling free, you let your tongue caress his lips, the soft, pillowy feel driving you nuts. Running it over his lower lip, you sucked on it, slowly allowing your teeth to clamp down. The skin broke and a drop of blood adorned his lip; your tongue darting out and relishing the metallic tang of the liquid. He growled, partly out of pain, but mostly out of arousal. This was a completely different side to his otherwise meek kitten. Was it even her, or a cleverly programmed sex-clone?

He didn't have time to dwell on his questions as you moved your lips, leaving featherlight kisses on his neck. You skimmed your lacy core over the tent formed over his crotch, earning a groan from him; your lips reattaching to his yet again. But this kiss wasn't gentle. The basis of this kiss was pure, unadulterated lust for each other. It was messy, but you didn't pull free, attacking his lips with a ferocity which could only be described as raw animalistic need. Tongues meshed, teeth clashed, you hadn't an inch of space between the two of you and yet it felt like you were miles apart. He grasped your ass tightly, pulling you against him, grinding on his hard-on with all your might. You could feel him hurtling towards completion as his hands gripped your head tightly, his lips becoming even more insistent.

No. This was not how it was meant to go. You pulled away from his lips, standing up suddenly and made your way to the kitchen, rather unsteadily, hearing the faint voice of his, cussing out loudly.

"What the fuck was that, kitten? Why'd you leave me hanging like that?"

"Oh, babe. I put in all this effort for you and you're not even gonna get to taste it? Tsk tsk. Not fair." Moving around, acting like you were prepping for dinner, you continued, "You can do whatever you like to me after we've had this delicious dinner that i've been slaving away on for hours."

"Please, kitten." He gasped, his voice hoarse with arousal.

You jumped slightly as you felt him grip your hips, grinding his unclothed erection on your satin-clad behind. Smirking to yourself, you jut your ass out a little, reveling in the power you held over him at the moment. You'd never seen this side of him before. Of course, it was partly owing to your timid demeanour and partly due to him calling the shots.

He ground into you, gaining speed, his grunts become louder and louder. "Fuck, you have the best ass, kitten. I'm gonna fuck it so hard one day. But today, I'm gonna fuck you till you can't walk, 'til you're begging me for mercy. Will you let me, kitten? Will you let me inside? Will you let me fill you with my cum?" He whispered in your ear, his fingers toying with your clit.

"No."

Pushing away his wandering hands, you turned around and faced him, seemingly displeased. He barely masked his annoyance, caging you between him and the counter. You caught his gaze, folding your arms in defiance.

"Show me how much you want me, Hugh."

He stared at you for a long time, trying to decipher your words. You knew how much he hated you calling him by his first name and yet, you did it. To push his buttons, of course. His façade started cracking, bit by bit as moments passed; not a word said between the two of you.

Pressing himself against you, he whispered, "please, baby. I need you." His lips ghosted over your neck, as he undulated, the feel of him rocking against your stomach going straight to your core. He whimpered, afraid of the way he was feeling and behaving. It was truly unheard of for him to beg; and yet, he did. For you. "Please, kitten. Please let me fuck you." He murmured, hissing as you ran a fingernail along the thick vein of his shaft.

Grasping his hand in yours, you pulled him to your room, glancing back to look at him. He followed you, as if in a daze, his eyes wide and pupils wide, in lust.

This was it. This was the moment you were waiting for.

You surveyed your creation. There he was, completely at your mercy. You don't know what exactly was turning you on more, him on the bed tied up like that, or the power that you wielded over him. It was truly heady, and you were ready for what would unfold next.

Climbing over him, you kissed him soundly, your tongue melding with his, moaning as you felt him shift underneath you. He was hot and heavy against your ass, his hips moving against you fervently, hoping for some sort of relief.

Moving down, you trailed your tongue down his torso, stopping only to lave his nipples, his groan travelling straight to your core. You took his shaft in your mouth, determined to make him cum in your mouth. Bobbing your head, you left no stone unturned, your tongue moving along his entire length, as you took him in inch by inch, relishing the feel of it's weight. You gave it your all, taking a page out of the book of that bitch he was with. Whoever said you learn a lot from a cheating partner was right. Ransom was completely lost, fervently tugging against the restraints, resigned to his fate. His hips moved of their own volition as he thrust inside your mouth, groaning at the sight of your face; mascara running down your cheeks, spit and precum on your chin. You decided to show him who's in charge, swallowing him whole and staying there, trying not to gag. With a shout, he thrust upwards, his hot cum flooding your mouth. You gratefully pulled back, taking a deep breath and after a beat, opening your mouth to show him the result of yoir actions, swallowing his seed. Both breathing heavily, you enjoyed his darkening gaze; the fact that he was devouring you with his eyes. He panted, his mouth slack, eyes hungry.

"Kitten, that was...amazing. I've never felt anything this intense. Untie me now, please. I need to fuck you. Need to feel your sweet pussy clenching around me as I fuck you to heaven and back. C'mon, honey."

Your breath quickened, his words volatile to your already aroused self. Giving him a small smile, you reached over to the drawer, pulling out a ball gag. Holding it up, you saw him eye it warily, his arms trying to pull on his restraints.

"What's..that, babe? I..I don't think-"

"Ransom, do you trust me?" You asked softly, your fingers softly tracing his lips. He visibly gulped, squirming a bit, unsure of where the conversation was headed.

"O..of course, kitten. You should know that by now." He murmured, his voice laced with uncertainty.

"Good. Because I want you to know that I trust you wholeheartedly, with every pore of my being. I trust you with my love, my life, my soul. I know that you would never do anything to hurt me, and that you would always keep my best interests at heart. And I wished for it to be this way forever, till death do us part."

The words tumbled out of your mouth, as the images of him and girl flashed in front of your eyes, in a loop. You could see him get uncomfortable; a guilty look masking the lust from earlier. Fitting the ball gag in his mouth, you slid down till you reached his crotch, ignoring his soft, muffled protests. Grinding against him till you felt him get hard again, you rubbed him against your wet pussy, juices intermingling and creating a mess.

With a single move, you lowered yourself onto him, burying him inside you, the raw fullness threatening to engulf your senses. His muffled groan turned you on like nothing else as you sped up your actions, losing yourself to the rhythm; till you felt yourself reach your crescendo, and with it bringing him to a finish, as he painted your walls with his spend.

Nighttime soothed you. It calmed you down. There was nothing like a long drive in the dark, with only the streetlights keeping you company as the wind blew against your face.

The events of the night kept playing in your head. You hated how it all ended. You'd actually fallen deeply in love with Ransom. But he never would've learnt, would he? No, he would go back to his philandering ways again. Plunging that knife deep into his heart as he was coming down from his high, from his throes of passion; it broke you. His screams still echoed in your ear, haunting and chilling as they were. The sight of blood oozing out of him, akin to a river, and with it, his life, was a troubling scene; the sound of him choking, weeping and begging you for mercy being the final nail to the coffin. But it had to be done. Repentance, penitence, was a necessity. In a way, you'd liberated him of all his sins and evils. Atleast him and the bitch would be together now.

The radio crooned in the background, the punk rock song playing, a true irony to your predicament.

I'm not gonna hear

Your reasons and "Please, just take me backs"

We never were right

Don't waste your breath

You smiled bitterly, realising how the future had changed in an instant. How he had changed it in an instant. You wished he hadn't cheated. You wished he hadn't been an asshole. Most of all, you wished that your final memories of him wouldn't be the sight of his beautiful blue eyes, filled with fear and unshed tears. But that was his fault. All of it.

Softly caressing your belly, you silently made a vow; to raise your son to be a better man than his late father ever was, or even would be. If only he were a better man, he would've been there to witness his child grow up.

Oh well. Third time would be a charm. Hopefully.

[aitarose]

hi! i’ve been so inactive lately and wanted to post something today, and i realized i haven’t made an appreciation post for my moots in a hot minute—so hey hotties, here’s some cute words about uu. oh and this isn’t all of my mutuals, just the one’s i’ve spoken to outside of the discord lol asjfdkl

@hesthermay —❥ you’re one of my best friends and ilysm and i hope that we get to meet in person one day, so you can endlessly hear me talk about how much i love jimmy woo. also i want to get matching marvel bracelets or smth, gonna look on etsy later for us ajskdlf

@probablydisgusting —❥ you’re like actually so funny and sweet, whenever you pop in the gc on snap just to say goodmorning or goodnight—it really makes everyone’s day and we love having you around. plus, you were one of the first people to pop into my inbox when i was an atla blog and i think that’s so nice.

@imarizaki —❥ i literaly love you sm mari, like you’re adorable and i want to give you a hug, i feel like you give rlly good hugs. and congrats on 400!! you deserve it and i hope 500 comes rolling around fast so you can hit another milestone in the near future ajskfdl

@tsukishumai —❥ cam i swear i know your name like I SWEAR I DO! you’re like an older sister to everyone in the discord and you bring such a comforting presence like it’s so nice to have you in the chat whenever you choose to pop in. you’re quite literally the calm to our insanity

@fukurodianthus —❥ dani you’re asleep rn but when you wake up and see this i want you do know that ily wifey. pls i love it when you harass me in my inbox, i think it’s so funny AND IM GOING TO FLOOD YOUR’S EVENTUALLY I JUST NEED TO BECOME ACTIVE AGAIN ASDJKL

@missmorosis —❥ you’re literally one of my favorite moots ever and you’re always so sweet to me and everyone else around you, it’s so heartwarming to see your positivity and happiness on tumblr and how hard you work! pls ilysm

@ray-ofmoonlight —❥ I LOVE TALKING TO YOU ABOUT THE BACHELOR. i haven’t responded in a hot minute, but dw i’ll answer in a bit i have to go through my messages jaksfld. you’re so nice and fun, and literally the sweetest ever

@diorzumi​ —❥ hi rheya! i’m so glad you took the time and all that hard work to make the server, like that’s insane and i still can’t believe you did all of that. pls the amount of effort you put into keeping it up is so evident and amazing!! also ur rlly pretty, like RLLY pretty

@luvoikawa​ —❥ gigi!! my face literally lights up whenever i see you in my notifs or on my dash pls. i love your energy sm and the presence you bring to the discord. like idk, you just seem really cool to me, does that make sense? like you have cool girl energy.

@sugas-cookie​ —❥ hello rissie. you should be sleeping rn, but ily and you’re my favorite and only child, and no matter what i say i would never bring you back to the ditch. but like...the frogs? i fucking hate the frogs, abolish all frogs they make me physically cringe i cannot.

@kei7ime​ —❥ CHLOEEE!! every time i see your theme i feel so satisfied, like it’s so pretty it rlly is. you’re so fun and i love talking to you or just popping in your inbox to say hi. omg hi chloe!! ok ok ily

@pxnk-velvet​ —❥ angie your drawing of us are so cute and i love them sm, and i can’t wait to read the story that you’ve been writing of our gc as a volleyball team, like pls i’m so excited. also the line “just shut up already, angie” lives in my head rent free

@miyalove​ —❥ hi dylan! i haven’t popped in your inbox in a while but i just wanted to tell you that i love u and you’re so nice and sweet and ilysm. you give off hot girl energy dylan, like for real, you rlly do.

@iwaizoom​ —❥ HI JADE. you’re so nice and your blog is so pretty, like the light green jaskljl PLS ITS SO PRETTY. i love the vibes you give off like you’re so chill and so easy to talk to sjakljdkl pls ilysm

@kageyuji​ —❥ lore i love you. like i love you. every time i talk to you i just feel happy like idk it’s this overwhelming feeling, you just have this gift where people feel comfortable when they’re talking to you. and your blog is so pretty pls asdjl

@hikariakaashi​ —❥ you’re one of my favorite moots, firstly bc of our interactions on tumblr in the early days of the discord and now on snap too. you have rlly good style, like rlly good style—and whenever you do your voice asks, your voice is like rlly pretty! girl you have a rlly pretty voice!

@ceci-chan​ —❥ hi twinnie! pls i think it’s so funny that we have literally the exact same nose, that’s actually wild. it’s so fun to watch your blog grow and your events are so cute and ily

@nekomabvc​ —❥ i buried you in here so you’d have to search for your part. literally going to say nothing i’m tired of writing about you goodbye. you called me a whore this morning. that’s not very swag of you, i’m going to report you to mab and cancel you on corpse tumblr.

@bellesowl​ —❥ hi isa! we haven’t interacted all that much, but in the times we have you’ve been so kind. and you’re rlly pretty, just sayin. you’re blog is also super aesthetic and i literally live for it, pls the muted tones are everything ajsdlk

@gellysticks​ —❥ angela pls you’re actually so funny like you’re so funny. every time your tiktoks come up in my suggested they literally make me laugh pls—but the frogs are terrible. abort frogs. this is a frog slandering blog. me and all my homies HATE frogs.

@cafemiya​ —❥ issy you give off such hot girl energy (and you are a hot girl anyways) and your energy is so contagious, like idk how it just is. you bring this positivity to the discord just by being there and i know everyone is so thankful that you’re so interactive with us jaskfdl

@biqherosix​ —❥ DANIZA I HAVEN’T OPENED YOUR SNAP YET BUT I RLLY WANT TO HEAR YOUR BAND PLAY. pls that’s literally so cool, like i wish i was in a cool band with my friends jsakdljkl. i love talking to you and we’ve been friends for like a good three months now which is crazy

@velvetfireworks​ —❥ rach i literally never read fics but yours are so good and they live in my head rent free. PLS THE SAKUSA ONE FOR THE BROKEN HEARTS CLUB AUDHS. you’re so nice and so talented and i reread your masterlist OMG I JUST REMEMBERED THE MOB AU ONE THAT ONE IS PERFECTION.

@hajiswife​ —❥ hi gabbie! your blog is gorgeous and your so nice pls!! like i literally can’t believe we’re mutuals it hits me like a brick. i love your works and your energy sjaklfdjl i’ll probably be popping in your inbox later just to say hi lol

@svgashi​ —❥ NIKE!!! omg we’re literally sister wives. you’re the first moot i had on tumblr that understood how great sugawara is and it’s like a breath of fresh air from the constant slandering my friends give him. ILY

@sexy-bee-juice​ —❥ aja!! i love getting your messages and just saying the most out of pocket things with you, and your reblogs make me laugh so hard like you’re rlly funny. also my broken french is terrible but i’m glad it makes you laugh ajskfdl

@koutarousangel​ —❥ MICKEY PLS YOURE SO FUNNY. I LOVE YOUR VIBES AND EVERYTHING LIKE YOURE FUNNY. and ily too. just putting that in there in case i haven’t said it in a while <3

@hvnlydmn​ —❥ hi ains! congrats on 5k!! that’s literally so insane like omg you must be reeling rn jadskfl you really really deserve it tho, everyone sees how hard you work and how much content you produce in such a short amount of time CONGRATS ILY

@akaashi-bby​ —❥ victoria you were the first person i talked to teen wolf with in like three years pls. i’m listening to a song from the show atm and it’s making me sad but ilysm and i love talking to you about literally anything

@laineywritesstuff​ —❥ LAINE!! hi! you’re so pretty like you look like you give the warmest hugs and i feel like if i ever met you in person i’d just get engulfed does that make sense? you’re so nice and ilysm and i hope you’re have a fantastic day!

@kiyoalex​ —❥ you’re rlly funny. like rlly funny. and i feel like we match each other’s energy pretty well in pms. pls my insanity is too real back there BUT IT’S OK I THINK BC YOU SEEM TO UNDERSTAND IT LOL ILY

@shoutamajiki​ —❥ hi nana!! you’re so nice and i’m so glad you joined the discord! and i’m so sorry i added you to my terrible private story on snap pls it’s so bad i’m very very sorry about that jksalfjdl

@sunacity​ —❥ nea i love your works so much like literally they LIVE in my head. you’re so talented and i can’t believe we’re mutuals that’s literally insane bc i love your stuff pls. and on top of being talented you’re so nice, like the nicest jaskdflj i can’t

ok ok i think that’s it for now, this isn’t all of my mutuals—but it’s the one’s i interact with the most and if we are moots and i didn’t include you pls my inbox or pms are always open to just like go insane in. ok have a great rest of your day!!

[sestra-inestro]

Part of the Team (1/?)

Miniseries for @mushyjellybeans writing challenge. Hope you enjoy it!

Prompt: “We wouldn’t be having this conversation if you had just listened to me!”

Pairings: fem!reader x Natasha Romanoff

Summary: Reader is part of a private investigation that is kept secret from the Avengers. Instead, they believe she took a bribe. Isolated for two years as the investigation comes to an end, reader is awarded a Medal of Honor and the team realises their mistake, but it might just be too late.

Warnings: Angst, violence, isolation and harsh treatment. Re-uploading because I don’t know what tumblr did to the original one.

Series Masterlist

You stood in the small room you had been moved to in your moment of exile. The team hadn’t shown up to the award ceremony, much expected. They had been bitter towards you for a whole two years now, you didn’t expect them to suddenly change their minds.

The empty shelves and the and the stripped bare bed showed no signs of you living inside anymore.

You clutched the medal you had been granted in your hand, the cold of the metal screaming at you that you had done the right thing and that they were wrong, but now you felt lonely as ever.

What had turned into you witnessing an event with an undercover agent, had looked to the team like you were accepting a bribe and turning a blind eye. Since then you were stuck in an investigation that had to stay secret from the team, so you had to take their nastiness in the chin. The worst was when Nat broke up with you. The disgust on her face when she saw you turn away from that agent in the middle of a fight had stained your memory.

Now that was the only look she gave you when she acknowledged you.

But your secrecy was to keep the team safe. It was for the best.

~

Fury had forced you to keep your mouth shut. Reading the file on the agent had given you some insight into what exactly was being investigated and now you were hyper-aware.

Walking into the common kitchen, eyes followed you.

“He didn’t kick you off?” Tony asked incredulously.

You looked to him and took in the looks you were being given.

“No, only a warning.” You said lowly as you opened the fridge.

Clint scoffed at your answer. “If I had my way, you’d be off and shipped right now.”

“But you don’t.” Steve butted in. He disapproved and was cold, but he didn’t act out like the rest. “So we just had to soldier on and make the best of the situation.”

You looked down at his words. Great, now you were a situation.

You snatched water from the fridge and quickly made your way out of the room, they watched you exit with shame.

You wanted to tell Natasha. You had to.

Making your way up to her room, you racked your brain of ways to deal with this whole situation. As soon as you got to her door, it swung open.

Her eyes looked at you with disgust and disbelief.

“What do you want?” Venom laced her voice.

“I need to talk to you.” You tried to sound like you weren’t begging.

“There’s nothing for us to talk about.”

“Yes, there is Natasha. Please just listen to me-“ You begged but she cut you off.

“No! I don’t want to listen to you.” She raised her voice to yell at you. “I can’t believe you would do something like that.”

“It’s not what you think Nat!”

“I watched you shake his hand and let him go, June! You can’t tell me that you didn’t let the enemy go and screwed up our whole mission.” You could, in fact, tell her that. But it was going to be hard.

“You disgust me.” Her words cut you deeply. The look in her eyes salted your wounds.

“Nat...” You tried.

“No. This,” She gestured between you and herself. “Whatever we had is over.”

~

Their resentment wasn’t the worst of it. They destroyed you in training, and eventually, you stopped training with them together. They had turned into a team of bullies, you thought it was childish, but you couldn’t blame them because of the unknown.

~

You had been trying to be nice to every member in the building. Going out of your way to getting stuff, smiling if they looked in your direction, helping them if they struggled or just trying to start a conversation. But nothing was working.

Walking down the corridor of the tower you had your nose buried into the StarkPad in your hands. Hearing another set of footsteps, you looked up to see a sweaty Bucky coming but from the gym. Making eye contact you pulled your lips into the sweetest smile you could muster, he was never one to be bluntly rude to someone since joining the team. But as you kept your smile and got closer to him, he passed you with a glare and a hard thump of the shoulder, causing you to grunt, stagger and drop the StarkPad. Steadying yourself, you looked down at the broken device. Great, another reason for Stark to hate you. You looked back at Bucky as he walked away from you, not a second glance in your direction. That was when you really started to feel unwanted and disconnected.

-

The training was the worst. They either excluded you altogether or targeted you. Each blow they gave, you took with pride. One day they would know the truth and everything would be okay.

“June, you’re up.” Steve’s voice picked your attention away from the exercise you were doing. Seeing Natasha on the sparring mat, sweaty and flustered gave you a wave of anxiety.

“June, let’s go!” Steve hurried you.

You left your stuff at that end of the room and you slowly made your way to where Nat was standing and waiting.

You were good at hand-to-hand combat, but you definitely weren’t the best. You did better with weapons and guns. There was no way you could beat anyone on the hand during a sparring session. Especially Nat.

You eyed her carefully as she watched your approach.

“What? Think you’re too good to train with the rest of us now?”

You didn’t answer her back. You stepped onto the mat and got into position. Hopefully, this would be quick.

“Go easy and be fair,” Steve warned both of you before stepping off the mat.

Nat gave no time for Steve to say go before she lunged at you. She was a blur before your eyes but you managed to dodge her. Stumbling back a bit, she took that chance to swipe your legs out from under you. You hit the mat with a grunt and a clap sounded through the gym.

Nat stepped back to her place at the mat and you groaned as you lifted yourself up. Steve watched you as you repositioned yourself.

You were starting to regret training with them, but you had to show them that you weren’t going to let them down anymore.

Nat huffed as she watched you get into a defensive stance and rolled her eyes. You had gotten used to that reaction from her, but it still hurt.

“Alright, go again.” Steve said.

He clapped again and this time, she didn’t lunge. She kept her glare trained on you as she shuffled towards you on her toes.

She took a jab at your face and you deflected but as you did, she went for your ribs, which you weren’t fast enough to dodge. While it caused you to struggle as you crunched forward and groaned, Nat kicked back one of your legs and wrapped her arm around yours. She pushed you to the mat face down her arm pulling yours back between your shoulder blades, you straining against her grip.

“Nat,” You struggled in the position she had you in. One sudden movement and your elbow was done for.

“Tap out.” She spat.

Fuck this, this was not worth it. You twisted your arm and flipped yourself up, causing her to roll backward. You felt a burn run up your arm as your muscles strained at the odd movement but you fought against it.

Expecting her to lunge at you, you lifted your arms in defense to suddenly feel a sharp piercing pain in your upper arm. Yelping out, you jumped back and away from her. Your yelp was followed by a silence throughout the gym as you looked down at your arm to see a tiny knife had been lodged into you.

Blood slowly started to seep through the wound and a tiny drop of blood trailed down your arm.

Shakily, your hand grasped the handle of the knife and you gently pull it out of your arm. You look back in at Nat with shaky breaths. She looked uncertain like she was deciding if she regretted throwing her knife at you, or if you were going to throw it back at her.

You understood now. They hated you. The hint was finally taken. She actually threw her knife at you, made you bleed.

You looked around the gym to see the same look on the rest of the teams’ faces.

“That’s enough.” Fury’s voice came from the entrance of the gym. “June.” He called to you.

Staring into Nat’s eyes, you dropped the knife to the floor where you stood. You turned, walking to where you had left your stuff, gathered it in your arms and headed out of the gym, Fury stepping aside to let you out before following you.

That was the last time you trained with them or spoke to them.

-

“You’re leaving?” Nat’s voice pulled you from your memories. You turned to the door, seeing her standing just inside the doorway.

“Yes.” Your reply was short.

Nat took a deep breath. She had only just received a notification of the award ceremony and missed it by an hour.

“You don’t have to go.” Her voice was small like she didn’t want to crack the calm exterior you were putting on.

“I handed in my resignation letter two weeks ago.” You say to her, turning back to the medal that sat in your hand. “I’ll be out of your hair in no time.”

Nat sighed. “June, please.” She stepped forward to you. A couple of years ago, the roles were reversed. “We didn’t know.”

“But you would have.” You turned to completely face her. “I tried to tell you the minute Fury finished telling me. But you wouldn’t listen, you just slammed the door in my face.”

Nat looked at you with sad eyes. Her chest caved in with the heavy guilt as she watched you. “For years the whole team has treated me like shit. You had no lesser part in that. I tried my hardest. In fact, we wouldn’t be having this conversation if you had just listened.”

“I’m sorry.” Nat’s voice was almost a whisper.

“Yeah,” You tossed the metal onto the bed. “I’m sorry too.”

You reached for your bag and pushed passed her. She watched as you walked away from her, all the harsh memories of the past two years flooding her brain and the pain in her chest expanded with every step you took.

~

You packed up your stuff into your car and made a rest stop at the bar. Sitting solemnly at the bar all by yourself with a bourbon in your hand.

This is where you were meant to celebrate with people after the ceremony. But you chose to come later when you expected no one to be there and you were right. No one you knew had shown their face and you were glad in a way. Though, you had never felt more lonely.

“Congratulations.” Fury’s voice came from beside you as he took a seat.

Without looking at him, you have a quick upturn of your lips before it was gone again. “Thanks.” You said, looking down at your drink.

“I know that this doesn’t feel like a whole lot, but you save a lot of people and helped in a major investigation that you weren’t even meant to be a part of.” He nudged your shoulder with his. “You did good. You deserve that medal.”

You didn’t know how to respond to him. You knew that this how the situation would turn the team against you. You just didn’t count on them being as mean as they were. You couldn’t blame them, but you would never feel truly a part of the team again. And the medal didn’t make it feel worth it.

“I’m not forcing you to stay, I could never. All I am saying is that they will understand now, and you will always be welcome back.” He finished his talk and got up from his seat, fishing through his pocket for some cash and placing it in front of you. “Free drinks for the hero.” Fury patter your shoulder before leaving you to your thoughts.

Tears sprang to your eyes as the emotions swirled in your chest. Hero. If you were a hero now, then why didn’t you feel like one? After two whole years, you now felt the bitterness. Bitterness towards the team, towards the investigation, towards that stupid undercover agent who was dumb enough to get himself caught and forced to reveal himself, and towards the medal that burned in your hand the first time you touched it and you were glad you’d left it behind.

“Fuck this.” You mumbled. You downed the rest of your drink and set the glass down. Getting up from your seat at the bar you made your way and fished in your pocket for your keys. You were done with this place and wanted to move on.

As if more things could hold you back, when you pushed open the bar door, you came face-to-face with the rest of the team. They were making their way into the bar to congratulate you. Steve and Bucky held bouquets of flowers and Tony and Wanda held what seemed to be gift bags.

You took their image in, a lump in your throat forming again and tears made their way to your eyes.

“We heard that you were leaving?” Tony asked you.

“You heard right.” You cleared your throat. “Please don’t try to convince me otherwise, this is already hard enough.”

“We’re sorry.” Steve said, his eyes sad.

“I know.” You looked down to the ground. “But it doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Of course it matters, June.” Clint said sternly. “We didn’t know anything but-“

“So let it be then! It’s not your guys’ fault that you didn’t know.” You cut him off and raised your voice. “This was all just a big misunderstanding and nothing can change that.”

The team fell silent. You didn’t want their apologies, you hated the fact that they had to give them to you. You knew it was cowardly but you just wanted to run away.

A crack of thunder rose in the sky and lightning beamed down, signally Thor’s arrival.

Great, you inwardly rolled your eyes.

“June!” The God bellowed cheerfully. “I’ve heard of your success and have come to celebrate in a feast and drinks!” He patted you on the back.

He had been gone for the last two years, of course he wouldn’t know anything about what went down.

Thor’s words were met with silence and tension, which confused him. “I’ve missed something...” He said in a soft voice.

You finally turned to face him and sighed. “Yeah, a bit.”

You glanced back at the team and then back to Thor and gave him the best smile you could. “Thank you, so much. But I’m leaving, I’m being transferred to another agency.”

Thor’s frown deepened as you patted his shoulder and pushed passed him.

You looked over your shoulder to them. “See you around.”

They watched as you climbed into your car and drove out of the bar parking lot. Thor turned to the team and saw the stuff they were holding.

“What has happened?”

[robinrunsfiction]

Twelve Days of Christmas Challenge Day 12 - Ryan Ross

Pairing: Ryan Ross x Gender Neutral Reader Rating: General Requested By: @x-whyareyoureadingthis-x Word Count: ~1,200 Author’s Note: I just wanna say thanks to @x-whyareyoureadingthis-x for trusting me to write her a story for her birthday, even if it is going up a little early (which I’m pretty sure it is, even though I’m bad at time zones). I hope she has a wonderful day and I appreciate her giving me an idea for this last entry into the twelve days of christmas challenge!

You woke up the day after Christmas and groaned. Not because you had drank too much the night before, or because you had stayed up too late eating cookies, but because it was your birthday. 

Having a birthday around Christmas wasn’t fun, as anyone could imagine. Ever since you could remember your presents, your celebration, everything that would normally mean a special day for you, was lumped in with Christmas so you never had a special day just for yourself. You were used to it by now, but that didn’t make it right.

You sat up in bed and quickly scanned over your phone, but didn’t have any new notifications. Everyone was probably still in their post-Christmas haze and you assumed the well wishes would eventually trickle in, as they usually did.

You shuffled downstairs to find none of your family was around. You glanced around and found a note from your mom letting you know that they had run out to the store, but they’d be back later. You felt a twinge of hope that maybe they were picking up a cake or some kind of treat for your birthday, although the note didn’t acknowledge the day at all.

You grabbed some leftover cookies and headed back to your room, logging on to your computer. Some people had posted holiday photos, and a few people were posting random things on tumblr, but no one had made any mention of your birthday there either.

Shutting off your computer, you picked up a book you had been reading and got lost in the fictional world for a few hours until you heard your family return. You got up and hurried down the stairs, but trying to contain your excitement at the thought of a birthday celebration.

“Hey! Need any help?” You asked cheerfully.

“Yea, there are a few more bags in the car, can you go grab them?” Your mom asked.

“Sure,” you smiled and hurried to the garage. ‘They must have something inside they want to set up while I’m out here,’ you thought, the smile growing on your face. You waited a moment longer before heading back inside, ready to appear surprised.

When you burst through the door, your face fell instantly when you saw nothing. No cake, no balloons, nothing out of the ordinary at all, just your family putting away the groceries they had picked up. You set the bags down before hurrying back up to your room.

You threw yourself onto your bed and buried your face in the pillow before letting out a scream. How could this happen? How could your own family forget to acknowledge your birthday?! It hurt so bad to think that you slipped their minds so easily.

It seemed like hours had passed when you heard your phone vibrate on your desk behind you. Getting up you were surprised to see it was a text message from your friend Ryan.

To call Ryan your friend was a bit of an understatement. You had been desperately in love with him since the day you met him, but had never let him know. You valued him so much as a friend that to try to change what you have could ruin everything, and you felt it better to leave everything as it was. When you opened the message, you gasped.

Happy birthday (YN)! Are you free? I have a present for you

Tears started to well up in your eyes. You couldn't believe he not only remembered your birthday, but had got you a present as well.

It took you ages to decide how to respond before sending back Yea, I'm free. Want to meet at the park? Then you waited impatiently for him to respond.

Great! On my way he said a couple minutes later.

You hurried back downstairs and pulled on your jacket.

"Heading out?" Your dad asked from the living room.

"Yea," you replied curtly.

"Will you be home for dinner?" You mom asked.

"Does it matter?" You sighed, almost certain of the answer before you asked the question.

"Oh not really, we were just going to have leftovers."

You shook your head. "I'll be back later," you said before hurrying out.

The walk to the park was cold, but the sunshine was warm on your face. When you arrived, you saw Ryan was already sitting on a bench and you couldn't help but grin at the sight. He glanced over his shoulder and waved when he spotted you.

"Hey, happy birthday!" He said hopping up and giving you a hug, his brown eyes shining.

"Thanks," you replied with a smile.

"I got you something, it isn't much, musicians salary and all," he chuckled.

"You didn't have to do anything for me," you replied as you sat down next to him and he handed you the neatly wrapped flat box.

You unwrapped it and opened the box to reveal a beautiful blue scarf that matched the sky above you. It was incredibly soft to the touch as you ran your fingers over the material.

"Oh wow Ryan, its beautiful." Suddenly every feeling you had stuffed down all day came charging back and you were sniffling back the tears stinging at your eyes. "Thank you."

"(YN), are you ok?" He asked with such genuine concern that it broke down the dam holding everything back.

“It feels so selfish to say it, but everyone forgot my birthday, even my family," you said wiping away the tears that ran down your cheeks

"Oh (YN), I'm so sorry."

"It just sucks because I just feel like no one cares about me, like no one loves me,” you sobbed, no longer holding back the emotions.

“I do,” Ryan said suddenly.

You looked up, the stunned look on your face mirroring his. “What?”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” he said leaning back and running his hands over his face.

“You don’t care about me?” You asked so softly Ryan could barely hear it, but when the words registered in his mind, his heart broke.

“No! No no no, it’s not that!” He sighed. “I care about you (YN), so much. I… I love you and I understand if you don’t feel the same, but I want you to know that someone does love you.”

You looked up at his big brown eyes, filled with concern and caring. “I do.”

Ryan furrowed his brow in confusion at your words. “What?”

“I love you too,” you replied with a sniffle. “I was too afraid to say anything and change things between us.”

Ryan took your hands in his. "I'd be the luckiest guy on earth if I could call you mine."

You nodded and smiled, sniffling back the tears again. "I'd like that."

Both of you leaned in, lips meeting softly. He let go of your hand to caress your cheek lovingly. When you pulled back he was grinning and you couldn't help but laugh with delight as you rested your head against his shoulder.

"Wanna go get some hot chocolate?" He asked.

"Sure, but first," you said taking the scarf out the box and wrapping it around your neck. "Thank you for making my day one to remember."

"It's my honor," he said, offering you his hand as he got up. You took it and headed off in the direction of the cafe.

[dmcdrabbles]

I didn’t intend for it to get like 1.3k words but I hope you folks will forgive me for this slightly longer than normal spiciness u3u

And tumblr has now become allergic to doing readmores on asks so I guess this is how I’m uploading these from now on

Me (2:30 a.m.): Hey Dante Me (2:30 a.m.): Are you awake?

You squeeze your eyes shut and hesitate a moment. It was really late at night, maybe you shouldn’t– but then it had already been a week since the last time you and Dante were able to speak, right? He had to be hoping for a message too, right?

You click send before you can talk yourself out of it, pressing your phone to your chest. The second it touches your skin it buzzes with a notification. You jolt with it, fumbling to unlock it and open your messages.

Dante (2:30 a.m.): Tfdddfff

You roll your eyes and snort, affection blooming in your chest.

Me (2:31 a.m.): Uh, I’m guessing that’s a “kinda”

A moment passes, then another. You were half expecting another response, but Dante’s probably falling back asleep. Best get to business. You click into your photo gallery, browse through the pictures you took earlier. If you didn’t have at least one thing prepared, you knew you’d lose your nerve- you hadn’t exactly done this before…

You select your favorite picture of the set. The shot starts just at your half cheeky, half shy smile- a smile that says it knows the way Dante’s eyes will trail slowly down to your breasts, cupped and pushed up to full advantage by the delicate red lace of your new lingerie set. You squeeze your eyes shut again and desperately try to send it like that, fumbling to press the arrow without having to look. You only know you’ve sent it when your phone buzzes with the reply.

Me (2:40 a.m.): <Image Sent>

Dante (2:40 a.m.): oh damn

Me (2:40 a.m.): That got you up fast!

Dante (2:41 a.m.): you have no idea Dante (2:41 a.m.): you look damn good in that Dante (2:41 a.m.): is it new?

Me (2:42 a.m.): I bought it like a week ago, it was supposed to be a surprise for when you came back home :/

Dante (2:42 a.m.): sorry babe Dante (2:42 a.m.): didnt mean for this mission to go on so long

Me (2:42 a.m.): I miss you

Dante (2:43 a.m.): i miss you too babe Dante (2:43 a.m.): you feeling a little frustrated? Dante (2:43 a.m.): i can help you out if you want

Despite yourself, you feel your cheeks burn up. You initiated this and yet he still finds a way to make you blush about it.

Me (2:44 a.m.): Wow, how brave

Dante (2:45 a.m.): answering your booty calls is serious work but someone has to do it Dante (2:46 a.m.): speaking of which Dante (2:46 a.m.): is that top part of a matching set?

You snort and shimmy up the bed, leaning on your side against the headboard. You open your camera and snap another picture- a shot down the length of your legs and a generous peek at the curve of your ass.

Me (2:50 a.m.): <Image Sent>

Me (2:57 a.m.): Dante? You still there?

Dante (3:00 a.m.): damn, just damn Dante (3:01 a.m.): have i ever mentioned how much i love you in thigh highs?

Me (3:02 a.m.): Once or twice maybe~ Me (3:02 a.m.): You always shred them whenever I try to wear them in bed

Dante (3:03 a.m.): what can I say, babe Dante (3:03 a.m.): you just have this effect on me Dante (3:04 a.m.): <Image Received>

You stop typing your response, eyebrows flicking up in surprise as you sink down into the bed. You click on the icon to download the picture. After a torturous couple of seconds, it pops up.

Oh. You’d recognize that body anywhere. It’s a selfie kind of shot, framing Dante from chest to thighs. His shirt is pulled up at the middle- he’s holding it up by his teeth, letting you get an eyeful of his muscled torso, flexed taut. Show-off. Your eyes travel down his treasure trail to where he’s squeezing his length through his pants. He’s so hard already that you can see the full outline of it.

“Oh shit,” You whisper, digging your nails into your leg thoughtlessly.

Dante (3:08 a.m.): haha Dante (3:08 a.m.): earth to Y/N Dante (3:09 a.m.): gonna leave me hanging now that ive shown you the goods?

Me (3:10 a.m.): Goods? You’re being stingy.

You roll onto your back and slide your hand into your panties, fingers immediately diving to rub your clit. You gasp, knees twitching- damn, you’re already sensitive. You line up your camera, take a shot at the way your hand disappears under your waistband.

Me (3:12 a.m.): I thought you said you would help me out?

Dante (3:13 a.m.): sgow yoy mine if you show mr yourx

Me (3:13 a.m.): Lol you okay there?

Dante (3:14 a.m.): typing with one hand is hadr

You giggle, slide your panties down a couple of inches and take another picture.

Me (3:15 a.m.): <Image Sent> Me (3:15 a.m.): Show me yours?

Dante (3:16 a.m.): god damn Dante (3:16 a.m.): just you wait until i get home Dante (3:17 a.m.): <Image Received>

You click the image and as it downloads, notifications of Dante’s messages keep popping up.

Dante (3:17 a.m.): sit on my face and im gonna have a feast Dante (3:17 a.m.): bedroom, office, wherever

Dante’s picture opens and your face burns. Show you his indeed. It’s a shot from his point of view. His shirt is still rolled up but now his pants are open and he’s got his hand wrapped around his cock, on full display and shameless. You rub your palm against yourself and buck into it, moan bubbling up your chest. You slip your fingers in, working yourself slowly.

Me (3:18 a.m.): dante, more

Dante (3:19 a.m.): then im really gonna make up for lost time Dante (3:20 a.m.): you just tell me how you want it Dante (3:20 a.m.): and we see how many times i can make you come in one night

You bury your face in your pillow, squirming down against your hand. God, why didn’t you think about texting him like this before? Would’ve helped with plenty of lonely nights.

You try to type out a response but your hand trembles and you drop your phone, and to hell with it- you press the CALL button. He picks up on the first ring, and you tuck the phone against your shoulder as you try to rub your clit in time with your thrusts.

“B-” He starts, before you rudely cut him off with a moan. Then he’s laughing a little into his side of the phone, voice husky. “That doing it for you, babe?”

“K-keep talking!” You squeak, legs twitching with how close you are.

“Wish I could be there to see you come,” He pants into the reciever, “You always get so desperate, clawing me up like crazy and fucking yourself on my cock. It’s amazing.”

“Dante..!”

“I’ve been thinking about it every night since I got h-here…” He growls a little and you can tell he’s on the brink too. His voice drops down a lower tone. “C'mon, let me hear you come.”

You tumble over with a gasp and the phone slides off your shoulder onto the bed as you curl up, moaning Dante’s name over and over as you squeeze around your fingers.

It feels like it takes hours before you’re steady enough to grab your phone.

“Dante…?” You pant.

“Hey babe,” He chuckles, sounding just as winded as you. “Glad to hear you’re back.”

“S-sorry, I uh. Dropped the phone.”

“Did you? You were so loud I didn’t notice.”

“Dante!” You squeak, face heating up again. You can just hear the smirk in his voice.

“I’ll be back in a few days, call you before I’m heading out.” He hums a little. “Maybe you can give me a replay in person.”

[starrnobella]

Turn Around Bright Eyes - Chapter 2 - It’s Kinda Hard to Talk Right Now

A/N: I've been sitting on this update for a few days. Things have been extremely hectic lately, but I wanted to make sure I got a chapter out to you all for this story. I know you're dying to know what's going to happen next. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out because I haven't found my inspiration song yet, but I promise I'm working on finding one.

Alpha love goes to @squarepeg72. Otherwise, this story was self-betaed. I apologize in advance for any mistakes you may find. They are my own.

The title of this chapter is It's Kinda Hard to Talk Right Now which is a lyric from Lips of an Angel by Hinder.

Be sure to check me out on Facebook and Tumblr if you'd like to interact with me a little more than the comment section allows. All the links are on my profile! :)

Be sure to let me know what you think!

Love always, ~starr

10:05 AM - What time does he normally fall asleep?

10:07 AM - It varies. Why?

10:09 AM - Well, since I can't see you tonight, I thought it might be nice to talk to you on the phone….

10:11 AM - What about your wife?

10:12 AM - She's clueless. Besides, she's normally asleep by eleven.

10:15 AM - We have plans tonight. Dinner with the in-laws, so we'll be out late.

10:16 AM - How late?

10:17 AM - Why does it matter?

10:17 AM - Because I miss you and I'll stay up as late as I need to just to hear your voice…

10:20 AM - I'll text you after he falls asleep…

. . . . . . . .

Hermione sighed, rolling onto her side as she laid in bed and picked up her phone. It had been buzzing non-stop since she had arrived home. Wasn't the whole point of leaving work at the end of the day supposed to mean that the phone would stop going off for work? Apparently not, she thought with a shrug.

Flipping the phone over, she smiled when she saw the name flashing across the screen. She slid her finger across and read the messages that had appeared in the last few moments. In fact, she had been so engrossed in her phone that she hadn't realized Draco had walked into the room.

"Who's that smile for?" he asked, climbing up onto the bed beside her.

"You," she replied, quickly setting her phone aside as she rolled over to face him. She leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "What took you so long to come to bed?"

"I couldn't get Pavarti off the phone. She's freaking out about what happened at work today," he sighed, folding an arm underneath his head and pressing back into the pillow.

"What happened at work?"

"The CEO laid off fifteen people this morning, and everyone was waiting for the next cut to come through the office memos. In fact, I'm pretty sure we're all waiting for the next listing to go up."

Hermione sat straight up in bed, turning to face him. "Why did fifteen people get laid off? Is your job on the line? What's going on?"

Slowly, he moved into a seat position and reached over, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he pulled her into him. He pressed his lips to the side of her head as a smile pulled at his lips. "For the time being, my job is not on the line. Or at least that's what I was told this morning. I was also told they couldn't make any promises as of right now."

"Okay," she sighed, taking a deep breath as she nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck. "What happened to everyone else?"

He shrugged, resting his cheek on the top of her head. "Dunno. In fact, I didn't even know that anything was going on until Pavarti came flying into my office like a chicken with its head cut off."

"Weird…"

Behind her, she heard the soft buzzing of her phone once again. With a sigh, she leaned over, lifting the phone slightly to see why it was buzzing and quickly locked the screen again.

"Who was that?" he asked, turning his head to face her slightly.

"It was just a Facebook notification," she hummed, turning back towards him and pressing her lips into his gently. "Nothing to distract us now…"

"Is that so?" he asked between kisses, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her against him. "And what would it have possibly been distracting us from?"

. . . . . . . .

"Why does your phone keep buzzing?" Theo asked, reaching over to her side of the bed to grab the annoying device, preparing to throw it across the room. Just as he was about to pick up, she snatched it out from underneath his hand.

"We had like six people up and quit today at work," Millie replied, locking her phone and shoving it in her pocket. "So everyone is trying to figure out what the hell is going on. It's a nightmare."

"That's crazy," he replied, carding his hand through his hair before allowing it to come to rest on his stomach like before. He watched as she walked away from the bed toward the dresser and began digging through the top drawer. "What are you looking for?"

"My pajama top," she grumbled, tossing a few items out of the drawer allowing them to fall onto the floor. "Where the hell is it?"

"Do you really need it?" he asked, quirking a brow as a seductive undertone flooded his voice. Ignoring the audible huff he had heard her make, Theo took a few moments to glance around the room. Based on what he could recall from their actions the night before, he had a relative idea as to where the mysterious top may have been hiding. "Check behind the chair by the lamp."

"Why would it be over there?" she asked, spinning around on her heels to face him with her hands settled on her hips. As she spun around, her eyes glanced around the room, slowly trailing in the direction of his suggestion.

He was right. Damn.

She shook her head as she crossed the room to gather the garment in question and quickly slipped it on over her head. She laughed when she spotted the smile Theo was now sporting from the bed.

"Lucky guess," she mumbled, collapsing on the bed beside him, allowing her face to be buried in the pillows.

Theo laughed and slid down the bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He leaned over and placed a few gentle kisses along the exposed skin that wasn't covered by the flimsy fabric of her camisole.

"It wasn't a lucky guess. I was just taking in my surroundings," he whispered against her shoulder.

"It was still luck," she grumbled, turning her head to the side. There was a hint of a smile in her eyes when they met his.

She felt her phone buzzing in her pocket once again. Sighing she reached down and held the lock button until it powered off. Now wasn't the time for distractions. Well, at least distractions of the technological kind.

. . . . . . . . .

The soft buzzing of her phone against the nightstand caused her to stir, rolling onto her side and reaching out for her phone. Glancing back over her shoulder, she noticed him stir slightly, but he dozed off easily. With a sigh she looked down at her phone, smiling as she noticed the name written across it.

She slipped out from underneath the blanket and made her way to the door. She paused, looking back at his sleeping figure on the bed. He looked peaceful as he slept, but right now her mind was in another place.

Closing the door quietly behind her, she slid her thumb across the screen, answering the call. "Is everything okay?"

"Well, hello to you too," he replied with a laugh.

Nervously, she ran a hand through her hair and smiled as she curled up on the couch in the next room. "I'm sorry. I was just surprised that you called."

"Do you want me to hang up?"

"Of course not. I'm happy you called. I was just surprised is all. What are you up to?"

His voice was hushed, probably for the same reason hers was as well. Neither one of them wanted to wake their significant others, but they didn't want to miss this opportunity. It had been few days since they had last spoken.

"I miss you."

"I miss you, too."

"I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head furiously as she pulled a blanket over her lap. "I was having trouble sleeping actually."

She could practically hear him smiling on the other end of the call. She smiled to herself as she slid down into the couch, making herself more comfortable.

In the moment of silence that followed her response, she could tell that there was a question lingering in the air that he was too afraid to ask. She sighed, knowing sooner or later there were going to be questions arising about her loyalties. Both to the man on the phone and the man fast asleep in the other room.

At the same time, however, she could raise questions about his loyalties as well. Both of them were living a lie and neither one of them were ready to come clean. Each one parading around a front of a happy marriage without any problems, but here they were sneaking around to speak to one another on the phone and making secret plans to run away for a few hours while the husband and wife were none the wiser.

"Did I wake -," his voice faded away before he was able to complete the thought that had been floating around in the void between them. Taking a deep breath, he paused momentarily before speaking again. "Does he know you're talking to me?"

She shook her head and then exhaled sharply, smacking herself softly in the head. They were on the phone, bright one. He can't hear you shaking your head. "No, he's fast asleep. In fact, he didn't even register that I had gotten out of bed. What about -?"

He cut her off quickly. "I don't think she has a clue. Although, I haven't gone back to the bedroom since she went to bed. I was working on some stuff for work."

"Oh, okay," she replied, internally sighing at the relief that they were safe from getting caught, at least for the moment. That was a conversation for another time when they knew exactly what was going on between them without any questions floating around unanswered in the air.

It was only a matter of time until they slipped up, exposing everything to the open. Although for now, they'd take advantage of the time that was allotted to them and the happiness they were able to share.