#step in the right direction so good for her

[blckbrrybasket]

Quiet Riot

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 3.2k

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: protected then unprotected sex, mean!Rafe, mean!reader, Rafe’s a slut, bickering, degradation, name calling (slut, whore, bitch)

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: Rafe was never created to be a good roommate. He constantly finds ways to be loud and disrupt your peace, so it’s unsurprising that when you need to finish a project he’s fucking another girl.

You needed to get this project done. It was your fault for procrastinating it, but right now Rafe certainly wasn’t helping. No. Right now, he was banging a girl in his bedroom next to yours. The apartment layout was bad enough that your room was stuck next to his, but he was never quiet. You’d think someone who needs to sneak around for a living would know how to be quiet but apparently not.

Hearing another loud moan from the girl he had over made you drop your pencil. You didn’t see the appeal that granted him a new girl to fuck every other night. Maybe that was a slight exaggeration but still. A louder moan that sounded close to a dying cat had you standing up to go to his room. Sure you’d slept with other people in the apartment before. You were no saint yourself, but you avoided doing it when he was busy. More than what he could say.

Rafe slid his cock in and out of the girl, who’s name he wasn’t sure of, and flared his nostrils. Sweat beaded on his forehead from the exertion while his eyes were focused on the slick coating his condom. He pounded back into her with a lewd squelch before he heard your knock on the door over her moaning. Knock was an understatement.

A groan of exasperation left his lips and he looked down. “One second.” Rafe squeezed her waist and pulled out with a grumble. “I’m coming, damn!” He rolled his eyes at your continued knocks. His fingers tugged at the latex as he pulled off the used condom. Rafe tossed it in the trash and glared at the bin. 

“Waste of a good condom.” Rafe sighed and grabbed a towel on his chair to cover his still hard cock, the girl forgotten on his bed. He yanked open the door to see your fist raised to knock again. “What?” His eyebrows were raised while looking at you, his pupils wider than normal.

You huffed and looked at him, crossing your arms. “Can you please be a little quieter? Shit, cover her mouth if you have to!” You hissed out the last sentence, not wanting to embarrass the poor girl. Rafe, however, could get the brunt of your frustration and god if he didn’t like it. He was almost annoyed with how quickly his dick twitched at the sight of you being upset.

You furrowed your eyebrows and jerked your head in the direction of your bedroom. “I have shit to do!” Rafe leaned against the door frame somehow looking relaxed in this state. It wasn’t the first time you butted heads and it was doubtful that it would be the last.

He blew a lazy puff of air out of his mouth, a smug smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Well, aren’t you being a little bitch today?” He let out a low chuckle, his voice dripping with mockery. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked you up and down, taking in your irritated expression when you scoffed.

Rafe pushed himself off the door frame and stepped closer to you, soundlessly padding over the floor. “You know what?” he said with a wicked grin, enjoying the power play. “I’ll keep the noise down if you promise to keep those lips of yours occupied with something other than bitching. Now I’m wondering…can you do that?”

Your nose scrunched up in disgust at his innuendo and you took a step back. In the opened up space the now modestly dressed girl dipped out between the two of you. She ducked her head and rushed out the front door, not sparing either of you a glance. Slowly turning back to look at Rafe, you faked a wince. 

“Yikes..” You looked down momentarily before quickly glancing back up. It was hard not to notice the obvious bulge that his towel clung to. The white cloth only reached his mid-thigh, keeping his deep v-line visible. You fake gagged at the sight. Deep down your heart raced, but you wouldn’t let him have that satisfaction, opting to reach up and flick between his eyebrows. “Man whore. Can’t believe you’d break *another* girl's heart like that.”

Rafe reached out to catch your wrist mid-flick, his grip firm but not too tight. Rafe let out a throaty chuckle at your ‘disgusted’ reaction, enjoying how it heated up your cheeks. “Watch it,” he replied, his voice low. “You know I love it when I prove you wrong, but don’t mess with me when I would happily punish you.”

Rafe tilted his head to the side. “And she knew we were only fucking. Didn’t seem like you knew that.” With a teasing grin, he leaned in closer, his breath warm against your ear. “But you can't deny that you were enjoying it. I saw you looking at me, you know?” He saw how your pupils blew out at the sight of him sweaty and almost entirely naked. 

Your breath hitched at his vulgar words. You knew Rafe lacked a filter, it was common knowledge, but it didn’t make it any less shocking. Your eyes caught his, your lips parting in shock. “I-“  “I bet you’re getting wet thinking about it.”

Rafe released your wrist, letting his hand trail down your hand before he took a step back, giving you some space. You blinked slowly then shook your head, pulling your hand back from hovering in the air. Fuckkk. He was right, you could feel slick slowly pooling into the fabric of your underwear. Rafe’s eyes roamed your body, his gaze trailing from your cheeks down to the curve of your lips.

“But if you'd rather keep acting like a prude, that's your loss.” He shrugged casually. “I’m not acting like anything, I just don’t like you,” you retorted semi-easily. He rolled his eyes at your stubbornness. “Whatever,” Rafe continued on as if you weren’t discussing him making you wet.

“What's so fucking important that you have to interrupt me, huh?” His eyes sparked with something unidentifiable as he awaited your response. You rolled your eyes and turned to look back at the open door to your room. Rafe would obviously throw a fit if he knew he was interrupted over you needing to do a project. “Just doing shit, get off my dick.” You huffed.

Rafe couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction at the effect he had on you. “Yeah. Shit,” he laughed, shaking his head. “See, I know what you’re doin’,” he lowered his voice conspiratorially. Looking up at him, you rolled your eyes. “And what’s that, Rafe?”

“You’re actin’ like a frigid bitch cause you like me.” At your incredulous laugh he leaned further into your space. “No, I get it. Big, bad, evil Rafe…and shit you like him. I’d be scared too.” His voice was too smug for your liking as he straightened back up with a satisfied smirk.

“You may not like me, but your body sure does,” he rubbed his jaw, chuckling. “And I’d bet it’s been a bit since someone properly took care of you.” His blue eyes stayed focused on you, his hand moving to slide over his crotch. His thick fingers grazed over his covered length. It was a mystery as to how his tip wasn’t exposed by the shorter towel. 

“But shit, if you want me to hop off, then I will. I'm always here if you change your mind,” he mused, his voice laden with hidden invitation. Rafe’s hands raised in fake surrender and with a smug smile he turned on his heel to walk back into his bedroom. The door swung shut, but he made no move to properly click it closed. The choice was yours, and Rafe knew that he had planted a seed of curiosity in your mind that wouldn't easily be ignored.

The image of his erection under the towel that his hand had rested over, thumb stroking up and down over the hidden skin was stuck in your head. “Jesus, Rafe.” You sighed to the shut door. A battle raged it’s war in your mind. You knew what would happen the moment you stepped into his room. Shifting on your feet you groaned quietly before crossing over the threshold, pushing the door back open.

Your eyes studied the familiar decorations and landed on him by his bed, still only in his towel. Rafe leaned nonchalantly against the edge of his bed, his eyes glimmering with anticipation as he watched you cautiously enter his room. The towel that barely covered his muscular frame showed off his physique, leaving little to the imagination. 

His tongue darted out to wet his lips as he studied your every move, his eyes locked onto yours, filled with hunger. “Changed your mind already?” Rafe grinned proudly. He pushed himself off the bed, closing the distance between you with slow, measured steps. Rafe’s fingers reached out, his touch feather-light as they grazed along your jawline, his voice a mere whisper against your ear. “Didn’t know you were such a slut.”

Rafe’s hand trailed down from your jawline, his ghosting over your neck, teasingly trailing down the curve of your collarbone. His touch left a trail of electric anticipation in its wake, raising goosebumps on your skin. “If you want me to back off, say so,” he mumbled, his lips brushing temptingly close to yours. “If you don't, there’s no going back. I’ll give you everything you need.

You rolled your head back to expose the column of your throat. “No. I want this..I want you.” Your voice was strained and you fluttered your eyelids closed. For a moment the only sound was your breaths fanning over each other's lips. Taking initiative, your hands moved to rest on his bare chest. Once slid up and over the curvature of his shoulder to find the hair at the nape of his neck. “Please.”

There was no going back now. You could only trust that he’d take care of you like how he trusted you. Outside of sex you knew him and he could be kind, even when he acted like he wasn’t. He had and would never hurt you. You trusted him. The tension in the room grew thicker as desire mingled between the two of you. His hands moved to rest gently on your waist, pulling you closer until there was almost no space left between you. The heat from his bare chest seeped through the fabric of your shirt, setting your skin ablaze with anticipation.

Rafe’s voice was a low rumble as he spoke, his breath tickling your lips. “Trust me, relax. I'll give you exactly what you need,” he murmured the promise. You could see the fire burning in his dark eyes, a spark of something deeper than desire. He was a man of many contradictions and lies, but in this moment, there was something genuine in his gaze.

“I've got you.” With that, his lips crashed against yours with a need that matched your own. The kiss was immediately passionate, filled with the pent-up desire that had been brewing for far too long. His hands roamed your body, exploring every curve and dip with a familiarity that betrayed his previous insinuations of not caring.

His touch became bolder and more desperate with each passing second. You moaned freely into his mouth, digging your fingertips into his hair and tugging. Rafe hissed momentarily before groaning low in his throat when your fingernails raked down his chest. Angry red marks rose on his tanned skin, a testament to your want. 

Through your shorts and his thin towel his hard cock nestled against your thighs. You pulled back and then pressed forward repeatedly, pecking smaller but just as needy kisses on his lips. “Need…to..ride..you.” Each word was punctuated by a kiss before you bit his lower lip. His bottom lip was sucked into your mouth, your teeth pulling it down before popping it back into place. 

The pain mingled with his pleasure, heightening the sensations that coursed through his body. Rafe returned your kisses with equal fervor, his lips hungry against yours, relishing in the taste and warmth that they offered. “Fuck,” he groaned. “‘M not going to say no that” His cock pressed firmly against your in rhythm with the grinding of your hips, each movement sending a jolt of pleasure coursing through his body. 

Rafe’s hands tightened around your waist, guiding you onto the edge of his bed. He positioned himself in front of you, hands exploring your body when you sat back. Your own hands grappled at his shoulders and tugged him on top of you. Lips finding each other again, you both slowly crawled backwards up the bed. The earlier girl was completely forgotten in his mind. It was only you, you, you.

Rafe’s muscular arm slipped under you and easily flipped the two of you over so you were on top now. He gripped your hips, guiding you down to straddle him. “Take what you need.” he urged, his breath hot against your ear. “Ride me.” In any other situation you would have thought of a dumb quip, but right now you were too caught up with him.

Your hand swept the loose towel to the side and off the bed. Mouths opening, the two of you kept your lips close to let your tongues swirl outside of the confines of your mouth. Rafe’s teeth nipped at the tip of your tongue before he lapped at it to soothe the sting. It should be gross, all the spit coating your lips, but Rafe made it feel so good.

You were too distracted to take your shorts off properly, fumbling with the button. It strained before popping out of the slot and letting you yank them off. Rafe hurriedly helped you slip them off your ankles and tossed it to the floor, pulling you back down right after. 

Your underwear were molded to the shape of your cunt, soaked when you desperately ground down against his begging cock. Rafe was just as lost in the pleasure as you were, head knocked back and groaning unabashedly. Rafe forced himself to look down and watch your every move with a racing heart. The friction of the cloth against his flesh was a sweet torment, igniting a fire in his gut that demanded release.

His arms, toned and strong, moved to rest above his head, offering himself to you completely. Rafe’s breath came in short bursts, his anticipation palpable in the air. He held your gaze, the connection between you both unbroken as you hovered over him. “Fuck,” he murmured, his voice a rough whisper. “You gonna do something?”

The look in his eyes showed a burning need for fulfillment that could only be sated by each other's touch. And as you pressed your cover cunt against his cock, the desire reached a fever pitch, the promise of pleasure and ecstasy just a heartbeat away. “Need it off fuck.” You grunted in response, feeling his hands assist you in pulling your underwear off. Rafe’s hands helped shove down the tight material past your thighs. With a relieved sigh, you found some relief in the cool air, your cunt throbbing.

The momentary reprieve was followed by a sigh of repose when you sat up to straddle him. You raised onto your knees and wrapped a hand around his dick, guiding him to your folds. Your hips moved, sliding him between your puffy lips, coating him in your wetness. It didn’t seem to be enough though, his worried expression not going unnoticed. 

Your head shook instantly as you held eye contact with him. You knew what you wanted, and you needed it now. Foreplay was far from your mind, all you needed was him. “Only need you.” You admitted. “Right fucking now.” Slowly, deliberately, you lowered yourself onto his cock, savoring the sensation of being stretched out and filled. 

Your hand came down to circle your clit, making your thighs twitch on either side of him. It effectively moved your focus away from the stinging. The feeling of familiar discomfort mixed with pleasure had the thought of coming around him conquering all else. Rafe took deep breaths, an almost pained look on his face as he slid into you.

This is what he had been missing out on. If he had sucked up his pride earlier he could have been fucking you way sooner. He couldn’t have any regrets though when both of your hips began to rock back and forth as he bottomed out. “Fuck,” Rafe cursed. Finding a rhythm that allowed you to adjust to his size was easy enough, Rafe seemingly knowing your body already.

Rafe gave up trying to relax back, too invested now to let you go and do all the work. He’d prove how good he could be so you’d come back to him. His hands rested on your thighs now, blue eyes filled with intensity. “You’re going to ride me,” he stated. “And I’m gonna guide you. A’ight?” At his words you nodded and tilted your head back with shut eyes. “Yeah…yeah, please.” You mumbled without thought. 

Without any hesitation, his hips rolled, circling his dick deep inside you. The base of his dick brushed against your cunt, signifying that he had claimed you. A raw moan ripped its way through your body when his grinding drug his cock against your g-spot. 

It was as if a bolt of lightning shot through your body, electrifying every nerve ending and causing you to jerk forward involuntarily, your clit pressing against his pubes. “God fucking damn,” Rafe groaned, the sound resonating from deep within his chest. The sheer pleasure of completely filling you drove him wild. 

Picking up the pace, his hips continued their rhythmic motion while his hands on your thighs lifted and lowered your body with little effort, biceps flexing. “Holy fuck Rafe,“ you bit your lip in concentration before slamming your hips forward, his tip hitting that sweet spot again. Driven by the insatiable need for more, you ground forward and rutted up against his body to stimulate your clit. 

The motion sent you forward and back onto his dick to stimulate your cunt simultaneously. As you humped him, your walls clenched around his thick cock, drawing him deeper with every movement. Unable to resist the temptation, Rafe’s hand reached down, his fingers curling around a fistful of your ass, spreading you open even further. 

The rough touch mingled with the pleasure coursing through your veins amplifying the euphoria of finally fucking him. Rafe fucked into you with uninhibited fervor, his grip on your ass giving him a handle to support your body while he drove his hip’s mercilessly into you. “Gonna come inside. Shit. You want that?”

Feeling you clench, he grinned and pressed his forehead to your shoulder. “Knew you’d like a creampie, slut.” You grimaced, smacking his shoulder, the sound masked by skin on skin slapping. “That’s disgusting, don’t say it like that.”

Rafe snorted, “How else do you want me to say it? I’m telling it like it is. You want my cum deep in your pussy.” He bounced you on his dick, victorious when you moaned instead of talking back. “That’s what I fucking though, now shut up while I fill you up.” Rafe grunted, his balls tightening as he hissed through his teeth.

[organic-bloodbath]

Hiiiiiiii. Could you do a Salesman fic?

I would love to see one where his usual calm and powerful energy is lost around the reader, as he's just enamoured with her. Like no shame, he is down bad and the reader is just flustered and lowkey confused cause they haven't known each other for long.

Idk if this makes any sense to you (up to you if you make it smut i don't really mind)

Teach Ddakji to me

The Salesman x American!Reader

Summary: You play Ddakji with a man at a subway station, but the game brings you two much closer than either of you were prepared to.

A/N: I'm not sure how well i was able to follow the request of how he behaves around the reader but this is what i got ;-; hope you still like 🫶🏻 (i'm so deep in love with this psycho i've been giggling during every other paragraph)

♡♡

You rushed down the stairs in the subway station, only one minute until your train was going to leave. You weren't going to make it, but you had to try.

The doors were closing right in front of you and you wanted to scream and let out several different curses, but you didn't want to draw attention on yourself. Your day at the college lectures had just ended and all you wanted to do was to get home, have a dinner and rest.

You heard noise behind a corner, as if someone was slamming something on the floor. You went to see what was going on out of curiosity.

Two men were standing there, the other one tall and dressed in a grey suit, the other one a lot shorter and dressed in a simple hoodie and loose jeans, a worn out cap covering his messy black hair. Suddenly, the man in the suit slapped the other so hard on the face that the man's head turned to the right.

They slammed blue and red squares on top of each other over and over again, and it ended in the man in the suit slapping the other almost every time. Once in a while he handed to the man what looked like a bill of money. You had never seen anything like that happen anywhere and were confused.

You got a notification on your phone, a text message from your classmate.

"Join us for studying and then a dinner? A new restaurant opened nearby, we'll go and try it tonight," she messaged.

"Another day, i don't feel like going out tonight," you replied, getting a thumbs up emoji as a respond.

You put your phone in your pocket and turned around, almost having a heart attack and jumping a step back when you saw the man in the suit standing mere inches away from you, looking down at you with a slight smirk.

"Enjoyed the show, i hope?" he asked and your eyes widened. Fuck, he had noticed you stalking the two of them.

"Yea, um, sure," you said awkwardly. "Though i didn't know what it was, really."

Seeing his face now closer and him staring at you with his dark eyes made your heart beating faster and it wasn't only because of him scaring you for appearing out of nowhere. He was extremely handsome and the way he looked at you made you blush.

"You haven't heard of Ddakji?" he asked, but didn't seem surprised since he figured you weren't local by the looks of you. "It's a Korean game, want me to show you?"

"Sure," you said, nothing else to do than wait anyway. The man took the squares in his hands and offered you to choose one. You took the red one.

He explained the rules to you, it was simple. You only had to hit your square on the blue one and make it turn around, the upper side facing the floor.

It sounded simple but you were hesitant if you were actually able to do it. You threw it on the floor, aiming at the blue square, but it didn't move even an inch in any direction. You let out a frustrated groan.

"It's okay, very few people succeed on their first try," he said in a comforting tone and took a step closer to you, standing right in front of you. "But do you know what losing means to you, hm?"

You had a very good guess after seeing him and the other man play just a while ago.

"You're gonna slap me?" you asked with a grimace.

He smiled. Without a word, you felt a painful sting on your left cheek when he slapped you, not going any easier on you just because you were a woman.

"Jesus Christ!" you gasped and held your hand on your cheek which was definitely going to have a red mark later. You had never been slapped on your face and it hurt more than you thought it would hurt.

"My turn then," he said and grabbed his blue square from the floor. He slammed it on top of your red square and it immediately jumped in the air and landed on its other side on the floor.

He looked at you with the same smirk again.

"So what happens when you win?" you asked, crossing your arms. If you continued this game much longer, your face would be completely covered in bruises and you'd have a lot of explaining to do to your classmates.

"I get to use your body again," he said with a confident tone.

You closed your eyes and prepared for another slap, hoping that it would be the other one this time because your left cheek still hurt. When you felt a touch on your left cheek, you automatically winced a little bit.

But it wasn't a slap, it was a tender kiss. You opened your eyes when he had already leaned away and you saw a glimpse of kindness in his eyes this time. You felt your cheeks warming up and tried to avoid eye contact for a moment.

"Your turn," he said.

Your hand was shaking when you lifted the red square from the floor. You wanted to succeed, you had never been good at losing in anything, it was always about to start to piss you off if you didn't start winning too.

"Do you want me to help you?" he asked. You looked at him and soon he was right behind you, keeping an eye contact with you when he put his left hand on your waist and his right one to hold your hand which was holding the square. "Is this okay?"

He didn't put too much pressure on holding you, making sure that you gave him a permission for that. You suddenly couldn't get words out of your mouth, so you just nodded and swallowed the lump in your throat. He held you tighter now and instructed how it was supposed to be done. You had to have more force when you would slam the square down.

"Spread your legs a little bit," he whispered.

"What?" you gasped in shock.

"To get a better and more firm position when you throw it," he explained, his breath hot in your ear.

"Oh," you said, cheeks burning even more. You hadn't realized you were standing almost like a stick. He guided your hand up in the air in a correct position.

"Remember to let go of it at the correct moment, i'm going to aim it for you, okay?" he said and you nodded, now much more nervous than you would have been if you did this alone.

With this help, the blue square flew into the air and landed on its other side easily. You were excited of the victory, even though it was for his help, and a wide smile spread on your face.

To be honest, for a second you wished you would have failed on purpose, just to get his hands on you again - you didn't even care if it was a slap, kiss or something else.

He let go of you and you turned around to face him, already missing his touch.

"There you go," he said with a proud expression on his face. "Now, you can choose what to do to me."

You didn't hesitate for even a second longer, you immediately slapped him on his left cheek as hard as you could. However, you knew you didn't have as much as strength in your body as he did, so the slap must have stinged a lot less. His head didn't move even an inch and he only smiled.

Right then, the train you had been waiting for arrived and you took your bag from the ground. You weren't going to miss this train just because of wanting to have another round of Ddakji with this stranger.

He offered you money, worth of 100 dollars, and put them in your hand, closing your fist around the bill. You were about to refuse but he wasn't having it.

"Treat yourself a nice dinner tonight," he said. When you didn't answer, he nodded towards the train which was about to leave soon, with or without you.

"Thank you," you said. "Um, bye."

You made it into the train just in time and when you looked back at the spot where that man had just been, he was already gone.

♡♡

The salesman didn't want you to leave. He was absolutely mesmerized by you, you were the most gorgeous woman he had ever laid eyes on. Your perfume and the smell of your shampoo still lingered in his nose, even after you weren't there anymore.

He would have wanted to ask you to stay, but he couldn't find the correct words and you were in a hurry to catch your train.

He hadn't felt like this of a woman in a long time and he wanted to find you again. To hold you again.

He didn't understand how you could have made this big of an impact on him in only under 10 minutes, but all he knew was that he needed to get to know you better.

♡♡

The next day, you arrived to the class and sat next to your friend.

"Oh my god, what happened to your face?" she gasped in shock.

Yes, there was a visible red mark on your cheek and you didn't have anything at home to cover it. You didn't really use any makeup either except mascara.

"Oh um," you started, trying to find some excuse. "It's my allergies and acne." You didn't have any allergies and hadn't had acne since you were 15. But you couldn't tell her the truth, atleast now that you didn't have time to talk much since the class was about to start.

And what were you going to say to her? A stranger in the subway station slapped you and you enjoyed it?

The teacher arrived and the noise of the door slamming closed interrupted your friend who was about to say something to interview you further.

♡♡

You walked down the subway station stairs again on your way home, just like yesterday. You had your headphones on, listening to random metal songs on Spotify and were texting your mum who catched up with you twice a week how you were doing. You were supposed to have a video call later today but she apparently had to work extra tonight, she was a nurse.

When you had reached the bottom of the stairs, you bumped into something and almost tripped back but managed to keep your balance. You looked up and saw the same man in the suit as yesterday, staring down at you with a smile.

"Hello," he greeted, not moving anywhere.

"Hello," you repeated and lifted your eyebrows, taking of your headphones. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you," he said without thinking.

"Me? Why? How did you know i would be here?"

"I didn't. I only figured you might have the same daily routine and took a chance," he explained.

"Why did you want to see me?" you asked, confused but feeling butterflies in your stomach.

"I didn't have a chance to ask for your phone number yesterday," he said. "And i'd like to take you out."

"Take me out you mean murder or dinner?"

"The second option. I already finished the first task earlier," he said with a smile. Handsome and with a sense of humor.

"Fine, where did you plan to take me?"

"Anywhere you want. Are you hungry?"

"You don't even know my name," you pointed out.

"You can tell me your name and all about you on our date," he smiled.

"Aren't you straightforward," you chuckled. "Are you going to teach me Ddakji again?"

"If you wish so," he said.

You bit your lip, not sure if you should go somewhere with this stranger or not. You hadn't been asked for a dinner at a subway station before, though, so you could write it on your bucketlist and cross it out.

"Okay."

♡♡

He had taken you to a lovely dinner to enjoy local foods you had never eaten before. You rarely tried any new foods, always sticking on the ones you already knew you'd like, but now you had tried something different and loved it.

Now, you were in a park, nobody else in sight. It was already dark and you knew you had to go home soon if you wanted to get enough sleep.

You held the red square in your hand once again and aimed for slamming the blue around finally on your own.

Again, you weren't able to hit it. But you hadn't even tried properly and weren't mad about it.

"Damn it," you mumbled.

"You'll get there," he smirked, stepping closer to you.

He lifted your chin with his finger.

"Close your eyes."

You did as told and waited for the worst option, squeezing your eyes shut tightly.

You felt his lips press on yours, taking you into a slow kiss. He broke the kiss but didn't let go of your chin

"Do i have to play another round of Ddakji to do that again?"

You smiled and stepped on your tiptoes to reach him better, cupped his face and pulled him in a proper, deeper kiss. He instantly wrapped his arms around your waist to press your body against him tighter.

"Just so you know, i don't sleep with men on our first date," you said when the kiss was over, his hands wandering around your back they had almost reached your ass.

He moved his left hand to the back of your neck, keeping the right one on your lower back. He pushed his fingers through your hair, softly massaging your scalp.

"What is it about you that makes me so drawn to you?" he whispered, and you didn't know if the question was for you or just for himself. "Only two days and you've managed to make me absolutely addicted to you."

He pushed a strand of your hair behind your ear, and you felt blush creeping on its way to your cheeks.

He eventually walked you back home like a gentleman, not allowing you to walk anywhere at this hour. He had to make sure you got back home safely.

"Will i see you again tomorrow?" he asked before you managed to leave, gently holding your wrist.

"I have to study, i've fallen behind in couple of courses so i need to catch up," you said and his face fell a little bit. Surely he had other things to do in his life besides seeing you. "Are you free this weekend?"

His face lighted up again for your suggestion.

"For you, of course," he said and brought your hand towards his face, planting a kiss on your knuckles. "Goodnight, Y/N."

You went inside your apartment and silently closed the door, trying to do everything as quietly as you could, but then the lights were turned on.

"Okay who the HELL is that man, Y/N?!" your roommate shouted at you, making you jump and almost have a heart attack. It was so late you thought she was already sleeping, she was the type to be in bed by 8pm and asleep by 9pm.

"Um, well I-"

"That is the most gorgeous man i've ever seen," she said, still speaking loudly, and stepped closer to you and pointed you with her finger. "How couldn't you tell me you were dating a new man?"

"Well i only met him a while ago," you admitted.

"Still?!" she shouted. "You know i like boy talk and you never talk about your dating life! Oh my god, have you finally downloaded Tinder or something?"

"Ew, no," you shook your head.

"You're right, there's no way men THAT hot would still be on Tinder and not married," she said and then gasped. "Girl, he's not married, is he?"

"I sure hope he's not," you said and for a moment you were afraid he might be married. I mean, how could he still be single? Your friend always talked so much that you started to doubt everything you previously knew.

"Wait a minute, i'll get us some popcorn and then you're gonna spill everything," she said and without another word, she was already in the kitchen.

And you did tell her everything because my god you needed to talk to someone about him.

♡♡

A few days and several text conversations later, you were in his hotel room, and he pressed you against the wall, his right hand leaning on the wall right by your head.

He lifted your head by his forefinger on your chin to make you look straight into your eyes.

"How long are you going to stay in Korea?" he asked.

"What, are you going to ask me to move in with you or something? Plan a summer wedding?" you joked.

"If you want to," he said with a serious face and you truly wasn't sure if he was serious or joking. You hadn't yet found a difference between the two.

"Wait what?"

You hadn't dated any Korean men before so you weren't sure how fast they progressed in the dating life. Would it be normal to propose on the first week or ask to move in? Surely not.

He smiled. "I only ask because i don't want to have you only for a short while," he said and let his fingers wander around your shoulder, sending goosebumps all over your body.

"Well, i'll be here for atleast another 5 months," you told him and then pouted. "So, no summer wedding?"

"I'd have to buy a ring first," he smirked.

"It better be a real diamond too then," you chuckled, having seen the stacks of money he had carried with him, and pulled him into another kiss.

He was soon kissing your neck, leaving a mark on your skin, until your stomach growled and interrupted him.

"When was the last time you ate?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "I thought you had eaten before you came here."

"Well, it's been a while i suppose," you said, not really remembering anymore when the last time was.

He stepped away from you and pulled out his phone.

"What are you doing?"

"We're ordering food," he said. "What would you like to eat?"

He ordered Chinese food for you and ate it on the bed while watching some brainless comedy movie.

When the movie had ended, he went to the bathroom, leaving you to lay on the bed and making you to fall in your thoughts alone.

You had been in a relationship twice in your life, and in neither of them your relationship had moved on this fast. I mean, you weren't in an official relationship, you had been just barely hooking up, but the way he talked about you only knowing you for a few days wasn't something you had been used to at all.

In the U.S., it took guys several weeks to make any progress in relationships, atleast what you had seen and gone through.

Maybe you should slow down a little, take a step back and see what he really wants from you.

By the time he came back from the bathroom, you had fallen asleep. You looked so peaceful in your sleep, so beautiful even with your messy hair all over the pillow.

He came closer to you and pulled a blanket over you, the edge almost reaching your jaw. You stirred in your sleep, turning to lay on your side, but didn't show any signs of waking up.

He laid himself on the bed next to you and just looked at your sleeping figure for several minutes. He was afraid of getting attached to a woman so fast, in so little time, but he couldn't help it.

To him you were perfect, and he wanted to know everything about you that there was to know.

♡♡

A/N: If you want a part 2, please leave any requests you might have, i'm not sure where to go with this 🫶🏻❤️💙

[somnus-lucis-caelum]

There had been some days in Somnus’ life already that he would have recalled as “worst days” already. But none had ever been that embarrassing. Not in front of others. Especially those of a standing like the Queen and King of the farmlands. He should leave a splendid, shining impression on them, always.

Well, that goal had been utterly shattered now.

With each word that the Queen said, Somnus’ eyes and head sunk a little lower and he felt more of heat creep up in his face. The utter shame and embarrassment he felt burrowing in his chest made him feel sick by the end of it all.

How could he have thought he had any say in this? How could he have believed that the monarchs of the farmlands needed help in such decisions and safeguarding themselves? He was a fool. And he was arrogant. That was made painfully clear.

How could he have thought he knew any better…

Maybe that was the ‘punishment’ for how happy he had felt these past days. That must be it. He had had too good of a time, now the bill came due. Life always found a way to equalize this and bring him back to reality.

That was exactly why he belonged into the shadows. He should have stayed there.

“I am so sorry, Your Majesty.”, was all he could say, when he barely dared to glance at Ifalna as she lifted his chin. Though his eyes were quickly fixed to the ground again, which he wished would just open up and swallow him. Sadly Titan had no such blessings for him, apparently.

“I promise to correct myself. I hope you can forgive me. This was foolish. I have no apology fit for my arrogant assumptions.”

He would do as she said. He would attend that breakfast. And keep his mouth shut. What had he been thinking…

He could tell that the Queen might have more words for him – but it was the Prince Consort, who suddenly stepped forward. He had given into Aerith’s subtly demanded hug – of course – and he had used that opportunity to look he rover. With worry. And regret at having failed her. A conversation that would come for Aerith soon enough. But Glenn wanted this in a private moment.

He had cupped her face for a moment, a kiss to his daughter’s forehead with the unruly hair, then he had grabbed his dark red vest to throw over his shoulders and half-finish his dressing as he walked past Ifalna.

“No need to chase our sweet daughter away – I suggest she stays with you and you two prepare for breakfast together.”

No doubt also a chance for mother and daughter to have a talk.

“I on the other hand will have a small walk with my new son-in-law. I think he needs a few conversations. Man to boy.”, the prince consort announced, with unhidden sarcasm and a tone that sounded half like a threat, half like a mockery. Before Somnus could flee, in body or word, he already had one of the blond’s massive hands on his shoulders (and squarely at his nape) turning him around and directing him out towards the long and lonely archways.

Not that Somnus would have had it in him to protest this right now. But it was clear that the coming hour until he would meet Aerith and his family again for breakfast would be long. Very long.

Ifalna reached for her daughter with her left hand, no less concerned as she looked Aerith over. It was wildly out of character for her to come knocking at her parents door before she was prepared for the day — but she was open and upfront about the reasons. No doubt this was actually a visit from Prince Somnus.

A fact that was quickly verified when he stepped up to the conversation.

There came a tired little sigh from the Queen before she cast a look to her husband. This was inappropriate. Something she suspected that the young Prince must have been highly aware of, else he would have visited them just himself, not with their daughter as a shield. But she would not punish him when he came to them with such an important matter. After all, he was the future of their kingdom now, they needed a foundation of trust even when it was inconvenient and half-informed.

"Good morning, my sweetheart, and good morning Prince Somnus. I appreciate your concern, and of course I am open to suggestions that will strengthen the safety of our travel — we will be making our final arrangements after breakfast, you are welcome to oversee the changes for yourself." Changes that had been discussed between the ruling monarchs. Changes that would have come to light at breakfast, where such announcements would reach everyone at the same time.

"We have received word that King Jacob has engaged in a sustained skirmish with King Baldur's forces. It is reported that his army is currently split. Half of his numbers are marching west following the report of a flagrant pyromancer challenging and pushing back against an initial warning raid. This intelligence is thanks to your father, he sacrificed part of his elite Kingsguard to scout for these critical updates when a rumour first reached his borders."

Aerith blinked in the wake of all this information. While everyone else present would understand these important details for what they were, she looked like a lost little fawn among hunters, doe-eyed and innocent as she looked around the room. At least she wasn't expected to make any comments on these matters because she was incredibly far out of her depth and it showed. Her mother, meanwhile, was a swan. Calm and graceful on the surface, but beneath all of that she furiously worked to keep herself afloat. Oh, how sheltered she still was.

"It has been decided, to my displeasure, that I will return home with Prince Roran via flight. We will arrive before sun has set, I am told. My husband and I quietly discussed the possibility, fearing that the long nights in carriages may be too traumatising for the young Prince, but now there is an intensified urgency to pull our own numbers together in light of this advantage and in light of our agreement with Lucis being upheld. It is our hope that the days of your caravan travel will roughly align with the days of assembling our army." Hopefully these updates would begin to put the Prince's mind at ease.

Aerith perked up a little. Her attention shifted to her father, who remained silent and watchful, clearly in a thundering mood with how tensely he held himself. She approached and opened up her arms wide, then wider still so he wouldn't possibly be able to deny her a hug. "Looks like you're stuck with the problem child. It's probably for the best, Roran would be confused if it were you and Uncle Leif on Nidhogg."

"Aerith." Ifalna gently chastised. Though 'problem child' was a little on the nose for that morning. "I will not have you attend breakfast looking like you shoved your head out of a window and shook it around — away with you, my darling girl, you will present yourself nicely to our hosts."

Then she turned back to Prince Somnus, reaching with gentle fingers to subtly lift his chin. "You will be more closely informed from here on out. All of us are adjusting to rapid changes, but I hope you hear me when I say your opinions are valued — now, prepare yourself for breakfast. Your mother expressed her concern that you might try to dodge away, that her Somnus is a deep thinker who needs time to himself whenever he has a lot on his mind. As your very mean mother-in-law I am informing you now that you will not miss the last opportunity to sit with your family before a war darkens our horizons."

[luvrrszn]

friends, right?

RAFE CAMERON x FEM READER

summary being rafe's best friend is already pretty darn good—but it's not enough

warnings angst, fluff, mentions of ward..., not proofread

a/n bruhhh the rafe obsession is real rn...

masterlist

being rafe's best friend had it's perks.

his undivided attention, sharing his kook privileges, and front-row seats to whatever questionable life choices he made (free entertainment 24/7 basically).

it also had it's downsides, being that you were just that. his best friend.

—

you were the camerons' neighbour. you'd lived next to them on figure eight for years, and you'd grown up alongside sarah. being best friends with her meant that you spent most of your time at her house, and that led to you and rafe developing a friendship.

almost everyone thought that you and rafe were dating, especially since neither of you bothered to correct them. however, nothing ever lessened the sting of the harsh reminders that you two were, in fact, not an item.

when sarah started hanging out with john b and the pogues, she didn't leave you behind. you became friends with everyone else too, much to rafe's initial dismay. he eventually came around when it became clear that both you and sarah were not going to stop hanging out with the pogues just because rafe "didn't like it".

so it became routine. almost every day, rafe would come to pick you and sarah up from the cut.

—

it was a day like any other. after hanging out at the chateau, everyone went their separate ways. you and sarah were waiting at the dock for rafe when you saw a familiar boat come into view.

rafe came into view, shirtless. his body was toned, sweat dripping down the side of his forehead. his hair was in a short buzz again, a haircut you'd teased him about multiple times.

you were about to say hello when you noticed a girl in the boat, wearing the tiniest red bikini.

sarah gets onto the boat first, throwing her bag onto a seat as she says, "hey. what's going on?"

"beach day. we're heading home now." rafe replies, offering you the usual hand as you step into the boat.

the girl has an unpleasant expression, as if rotten fish had been dragged on board. barely sparing in your direction, she stands up and wraps her arms around rafe's waist, resting her head against his back as he turns the boat around.

the whole ride back to figure eight, you're left wondering what she has that you don't.

—

and it wasn't like you were delusional either.

rafe had definitely been dropping hints, and giving you signals. there'd be some days where you were cooking for you and sarah in their house, and he'd walk up behind you and wrap his arms around your waist, burying his face in your hair.

there'd even be some days where you'd all be watching a movie in the camerons' home theater, and rafe would cuddle up next to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders.

—

about a week later, you're at sarah's house again. feeling thirsty, you decide to go downstairs to grab a drink of water. you walk past rafe's room and you hear topper saying, "dude, what happened to that chick? the girl you were with last week?"

you couldn't help but stop to eavesdrop.

"dude she was so fucking clingy, i had to get rid of her ass." you heard rafe chuckle.

"bullshit. you just don't want anyone who isn't" topper continues. when you hear him end the sentence with your name, your heart skips a beat. your curiosity is peaked, wondering what rafe will say in response.

"nah. she's too much of a pogue to be anything. plus, she's my best friend."

your heart drops. too much of a pogue?

you thought rafe wasn't bothered by your friends, not anymore.

you go downstairs and walk straight out of the front door, without so much as a word to anyone.

—

sarah has called you, multiple times. you finally pick up and make an excuse about feeling unwell, and that you're sorry for leaving so abruptly.

you'd just stepped out of the shower, trying to scrub off the feeling that lingered on your skin after finding out what rafe truly felt, when your phone buzzed with a text from rafe.

beefy: hey bug, sarah said you left without staying for dinner cause you weren't feeling well but i know you're bullshitting. you were literally fine, i heard you laughing from sarah's room. what's up?

you: i'm fine

beefy: don't lie to me

you: ofc you'd say that

frustrated, you throw your phone onto your bed and ignore the dozen texts from rafe for the rest of the night.

—

for the rest of the week, you ignore rafe. you don't say hi when you go over to his house, you don't say hi at the country club, and you don't text him, not even once.

you walk straight past him at parties, without so much as a glance in his direction.

but he figures he'll leave you alone for a while, just while he figures out what he's done so he can properly apologise.

he realises he's out of time when he sees you dancing with some guy who has his hand resting on your waist.

he storms over, and throws you over his shoulder, walking towards the front door as people around him move out of the way.

"rafe, what the fuck are you doing? put me down!" you whisper angrily, hitting your fists against his back. he doesn't say a word, and only sets you down on the pavement outside the massive mansion the party was in.

you recognise the look in his eyes, the anger. but it was never ever directed at you. except today.

"what the fuck were you doing in there?" he grits out.

"dancing, rafe, mygosh. and i was having fun too!" you groan, exasperated. it had been your pathetic attempt to move on.

"dancing like that? in front of all our friends?"

"not my friends rafe. your friends. my friends are the pogues, which i guess makes me too much of a pogue for you, huh." you don't notice when tears start to roll down your face.

it makes him go pale.

he made his sweet girl cry.

he uses his thumb to wipe away your tears as he says

"look, i didn’t mean it the way it came out. i was just frustrated because you’re always hanging out with the pogues, and it’s been bugging me. i was angry and said something stupid—because the idea of you getting closer to them, it just... it didn't sit right with me. i like you, a lot. more than best friends like each other. i was worried that you spending so much time with the pogues meant you'd develop feelings for one of them, and i was an idiot. i was a jealous prick, and i said something i didn't mean. i'm sorry, bug."

"rafe, you're a fucking idiot." you grumble as you bury your face in his chest while he wraps you in a tight hug. a hug so tight, as if rafe thought you'd slip away if he didn't hold on tight enough.

—

the next morning, sarah catches you slipping out of rafe's room. she chuckles, and says, "took you two idiots long enough."

[quartz-kilsviken]

Written in the Runes

Chapter 6

➸ Synopsis: Ekko, your mischievous yet endearing local troublemaker, trails a wealthy academy student from the topside. When you end up with the student's satchel, you find a notebook filled with intriguing magical research. Unable to resist, you embark on a quest to uncover the secrets of this mysterious scholar.

➸Pairing: JayVik x reader

➸Chapter Word Count: 2,917

➸Tags: Slow Burn, yearning, eventual smut, not

canon compliant

➸Notes: Your Honor, Viktor is a brat. The first few weeks at the Academy, I loved writing this chapter. I just wanna give Jayce a smooch on the cheek, he’s so sweet. ♡ॢ₍⸍⸌̣ʷ̣̫⸍̣⸌₎"

➸ Previous Chapter: Pt. 5

“It’s a complete waste of the technology,” Viktor grumbles, tapping his fingers on the desk. “The only ones who’ll benefit are the Councilors padding their pockets with trade deals.”

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind—setting up the lab, scrambling to get everything organized, and, naturally, arguing. This same debate keeps coming up. While the three of you are developing Hextech, the Council’s already decided what it’s going to be used for. Viktor’s furious. They want to build a massive teleportation system, similar to the energy from the night in Heimerdinger’s lab, but on a much larger scale. They say they want it to transport people and cargo across Runeterra. Your problem isn’t with the idea, it’s the scale—hundreds of crystals, each needing its own rune combination. Just thinking about it makes your head throb.

“They’re not exactly giving us a choice,” Jayce says, his voice calm but his posture a dead giveaway that he’s frustrated. His feet are propped up on the desk, balancing on the back two legs of his chair. He’s trying to stay composed, but you can tell it’s wearing on him. Viktor, on the other hand, looks like he’s a hair’s breadth away from snapping.

Viktor’s bent over his desk, flipping through Jayce’s notes with a frown that could melt metal. You’d rather not dive into this right now, but seeing both of them so stressed gets to you. “You’re both right,” you say, pushing your chair back and crossing your arms. “We don’t have much of a choice, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make sure it’s used for something good. I mean, right now, the only way to get to Piltover is by ship, and it’s miserable.” You shudder at the memory—seasick, your mom holding you over the railing to throw up because you couldn’t even reach it. You didn’t have time to warn her the first time and Khal had to clean up after you. He still brings it up. “At least this way, travel won’t suck as much.”

Viktor looks like he’s chewing that over, his face softening a little. Jayce, however, seems to latch onto something else. “You’ve traveled?”

Damn. Not the direction you want this conversation to go. But it’s hard to lie to Jayce when he looks at you like that. “Uh, yeah. My family moved here when I was younger, but I don’t remember much of it,” you say quickly, glancing back at your sketches in an attempt to shift focus.

Jayce doesn’t push, but Viktor raises an eyebrow. “Where did you live before?”

Viktor, as you’ve learned, is relentless when something catches his interest. The more you try to avoid it, the harder he’s going to dig. So, you switch gears before this goes any further.

You pick up one of your rough HexGate designs and hold it out to them with an exaggeratedly serious expression. “What do you think of this? I think it’s the best one I’ve come up with so far.”

Viktor’s face immediately turns from curious to horrified, and you can’t help but stifle a laugh. Jayce steps closer, squinting at the design. “It’s... impressive? But I’m not sure the Council would approve. It’s, uh, a little... much?”

Viktor looks at him, then back at the sketch, deadpan. “It’s... terrifying.” Jayce looks at Viktor, clearly trying to silently say, ‘don’t be mean’. You’re practically bubbling with amusement, and Viktor’s giving you exactly the reaction you wanted.

“No, no, you just don’t get the vision.” You gesture dramatically to the design as if it’s the most brilliant idea ever.

Viktor stares at it, his eyebrows knit together in distaste. The sketch is a monstrosity, but you’re selling it hard. It’s a massive statue-like structure of both his and Jayce’s faces, towering over the city. The jaws of the faces are designed to unhinge, releasing a beam of energy that powers the teleportation. It’s completely absurd. “Oh, we see the vision. It’s just... I’m not sure I’m prepared for our faces to loom over Piltover. It’s a bit... ominous, don’t you think?”

Jayce looks between you and Viktor, his expression full of confusion and concern. “But why are we the ones on it? Shouldn’t you be, too?”

You grin, shrugging casually. “Nah. You two are way more photogenic than I am.” You glance at Viktor, who’s trying not to smile. “Besides, I don’t need a giant statue of me towering over the city. That sounds a little... egotistical.”

Viktor snickers. “I’ll approve the design... but only on one condition.”

You raise an eyebrow, intrigued. “What’s that?”

“We simplify it,” Viktor says, looking at you with a smirk. “Only Jayce on the statue.”

Jayce’s face falls in mock betrayal, and you immediately spring up from your chair, shaking Viktor’s hand with exaggerated enthusiasm. “Deal. You’ve got yourself a deal.”

“Wait, what?” Jayce protests, his eyes wide.

You cross your arms, a triumphant grin spreading across your face.“Two against one, Jayce. Looks like you’re the face of Hextech now.”

Seeing them less upset—even if just for a moment—makes your heart lighter. You’d draw a million silly diagrams just to keep seeing them smile. But the moment fades as soon as you remember your studies start today. It’s been easier to get lost in Hextech, especially with Jayce and Viktor around. But now… you won’t be able to hide away in the lab much longer.

You start packing up your things reluctantly, and the two of them catch on. Jayce looks up and offers, “Want us to walk you? It’s not far.”

You’d appreciate it, but you know they have more important things to do. You can’t ask them to waste their time.

“Nah, I’m used to navigating this maze by now. I’ll be fine. Thanks, though.”

Viktor gives you a knowing look, his gaze sharp as ever. He catches the tension in your voice without missing a beat. Before he can protest, you can make your way out of the lab.

You had a million different ideas of how your first lecture would go, but somehow it ended up worse than you imagined. First, you got completely lost. Jayce said it wasn’t far, but somehow it took you thirty minutes to find the place. Then, when you finally made it in, the only seat left was right in the middle. You spent the whole time feeling like you were on display, barely able to focus. You didn’t catch a word the professor said.

The rest of the day was a blur—moving from class to class, barely keeping track of the time, let alone the content. By the time your last lecture ended, you were drained, desperate to escape, but the crowd at the door made that impossible. You almost considered climbing out of a window just to get away from it all.

Then you see him. His eyes scan the room until they land on you, and his face lights up with that wide, gap-toothed grin. For a moment, everything else fades.

You make your way toward him, and when his hand rests on your back, you let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. It’s just a casual touch, but somehow it makes everything feel a little easier.

“Let me guess. Viktor sent you to make sure I actually made it here?” you say, raising an eyebrow with a teasing grin.

Jayce laughs, guiding you through the crowd with a casual ease.

Once you’re in a quieter hall, he looks over at you, still smiling.

“So, how was it?”

His optimism is blinding, and you can’t bring yourself to admit how overwhelmed you are. Instead, you just shrug and smile back. “It was fine.”

You realize, even though you’re away from the crowd, his hand is still resting on your back. You hope he sees your nervousness as a result of the overwhelming day, not because of him. Jayce has this effortless warmth, the kind that draws people in without even trying. He’s like that with Viktor, too—his gaze lingers on him sometimes, full of quiet affection. It’s just how he is, you think. The three of you might share a connection, but in truth, you don’t know much about each other. Maybe that’s for the best. Instead of getting in your head about it, you focus on the comfort of the palm on your back, guiding you home.

As you open your door and turn to say goodnight, you catch him hesitating, like he wants to say something. His eyes flick past you, scanning your room.

“What, does my interior decorating offend you?”

“No—” he chews over his words. “There’s no interior decorating to be offended by.”

Right. The space is big—bigger than anything you’ve had—and honestly, kind of unsettling. The academy provided a bed and a desk, but the rest is empty. “I guess I just haven’t had time,” you lie, forcing an easy shrug.

Oh, he needs to stop looking at you like that—like he sees right through you. His voice is gentler when he says, “I don’t know if Heimerdinger told you, but this isn’t regular student housing. It’s permanent.”

Permanent. He definitely failed to mention that.

“This place is yours,” Jayce continues. “It might help you feel more comfortable if you got a few things. Viktor and I can help, you know.”

You know. And that’s exactly why you hesitate.

“If I present my HexGate design to the council, they might just kick me out, you know.” You flash a grin, but the joke is thinly veiled. The ridiculous, fake design you’d sketched earlier had been for fun—but what if your real ideas get the same reaction? What if you pour everything into this, only to watch it fall apart?

Jayce doesn’t call you on it, just watches you for a moment before saying simply, “Think about it.”

“Good night, Jayce.”

The rest of your week went smoothly, the routine settling your nerves. Even the HexGate project had taken a turn for the better—frustration giving way to excitement as plans started coming together. You’d gotten so caught up in your work that you even started pulling out your designs during lectures, ignoring the side glances from other students. Things had been going so well, in fact, that you’d completely forgotten about your conversation with Jayce.

Jayce, however, had not.

You had been looking forward to a full day of working on Hextech—only to walk into the lab and realize Jayce had other plans. He insisted you all go out to get things for your room, and to your dismay, Viktor had immediately agreed.

Now, you curse Jayce’s insistent kindness as your arms strain under the weight of a couch.

"Left, Jayce—my left, not yours. You’re a very intelligent man, but apparently, using your muscles and your brain at the same time is a challenge." Viktor watches from a safe distance, fingers tapping absently on his cane, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips.

“I’d like to see you try it,” Jayce grunts back, his voice strained.

From over the couch, you catch Viktor’s amused look as his eyes glint with mock disapproval. “Oh, you would, would you? That is cruel—wishing to see a man with a hurt leg carry a couch.”

“You’re mean,” you huff, adjusting your grip. “Mean and distracting, and I need him focused so I don’t get crushed under this thing.”

As you reach your door, Viktor steps in to help, and you decide it’s time to wipe that smug expression off his face. You smile, letting the teasing tone slip in.

“Here, grab my keys so I don’t have to set this down.”

Viktor’s eyes flick over you, and for just a moment, his expression tightens when his gaze lands on your back pocket. You see the brief hesitation, that almost imperceptible pause before he catches himself and steps forward.

“What, Viktor? Scared to touch my ass?”

He furrows his brows at you, but there’s a spark of something in his eyes—playful, but just a little caught off guard. He reaches into your pocket, fingers slow, deliberate, not quite brushing against you, but you feel it anyway. The space between you both seems to close just a little too easily.

When he pulls the keys out, you glance at Jayce, your grin widening.

“See how easy that was? You could tell Viktor he can’t fly, and he’d probably jump off a building just to prove you wrong.”

You barely hear Viktor muttering under his breath, his voice quieter than usual. “Don’t do what I’m asked, and I’m insulted. Do what I’m asked, and—still—I am insulted.”

He holds open the door, his usual confidence returning. “Left—no—my left.” He huffs a laugh as the couch bangs into the door frame.

“Don’t listen to him, Jayce. You’re doing really well.” You grunt, adjusting your grip.

You don’t notice how Jayce seems to soften at the praise, a slight glow warming his face, but Viktor does. The teasing edges of his smile fade as he watches, and instead of continuing his playful jab, he tucks the observation away in his mind.

As soon as the couch is set down, Jayce flops across it with a deep, exasperated grunt. He’s tall, sprawling across the entire length of it. You smack his shoe, a smile tugging at your lips.

“Budge.”

He doesn’t lift his head, but you can hear the exhaustion in his voice as he sighs. “I don’t think I can move.”

You’re tired too, and without thinking, you shift his legs off just enough to make room for yourself. As you settle back into the couch, his legs fall naturally across your lap. The weight of them is surprisingly comforting. You let your head fall back against the cushions, savoring the softness.

You feel his muscles tense beneath you, a subtle shift in the air. When you open your eyes just a bit, you catch him staring. The intensity in his gaze catches you off guard, and your stomach flutters before you can look away. He clears his throat, quickly turning his attention to Viktor, who’s unpacking the rest of the items.

“We should get one of these for the lab.”

You laugh, trying to shake off the unexpected warmth spreading through you. “Oh yeah? Well, you can carry it yourself. I’m never lifting another couch.”

Viktor pulls his gaze from the two of you, placing a new lamp on your desk, but his attention shifts, lingering over the paintings scattered across the space. Some old, some new, but one in particular catches his attention. The blue glow from the scene reflects over both his and Jayce’s faces as they float in Heimerdinger’s lab. He stops, staring at it, the soft light catching his features.

‘Is this really how she see’s us?’ he thinks, something shifting in his chest. ‘It’s beautiful.’

The only thing missing from the piece, he realizes, is you. But before his thoughts can wander further, he shifts his focus back to the lamp. As he reaches down to plug it in, another painting catches his eye. He pulls a canvas from the bag in the corner, completely captivated.

It’s a scene of a mother and daughter, gathered by a fire. Their closeness is palpable, the warmth of the moment so real you almost feel you’re there. The mother is showing the daughter some kind of magic. Viktor’s eyes drift to the bottom corner, and before he can stop himself, he asks softly,

“Did you paint this?”

You don’t respond right away. Instead, moving out from under Jayce and striding across the room, your expression suddenly distant. Viktor’s heart gives a small, unexpected lurch as he watches you, realizing too late that his question has caught you off guard.

“No.”

You move swiftly to take the painting back, but before you can grab it, Viktor holds it just out of your reach, his hand lingering there a little longer than necessary. He can’t help himself, his voice softer this time.

“That’s your name in the corner, is it not?”

You freeze, your hand still outstretched. When you meet his gaze, your eyes lock for a moment that feels too long. There’s an unexpected shift, a warmth that pulls you both closer, though neither of you dares to acknowledge it. You shift just a little, your body instinctively drawing nearer. Viktor’s gaze flickers, and for a brief second, he looks almost... uncertain.

Before the moment can stretch any longer, you use his distraction to quickly snatch the canvas from his hand.“It’s my grandmother’s name. I don’t sign my art.”

You shove the painting back into the bag, zipping it shut a little too quickly.

Jayce’s soft voice draws your attention, “Art like that is meant to be shared, not locked away. We’re already here, we can help you hang them.”

You realize they’re both well-meaning, but you still feel a soft pang in your chest, something you can’t quite place.

Hesitant, you open the bag again, pulling out two paintings—both by your mother, one of a flower, the other of the sea. You hand them to Viktor, the gesture light, almost fleeting, but something lingers in the air.

Without a word, you turn toward the kitchen, the quiet task of making dinner a welcome distraction. It’s easier to focus on that than whatever their kindness is stirring in you. After everything they’ve done for you today, helping you settle in and furnish the place, it’s the least you can do.

[hirayalore]

Can I please request Sirius with a single mama who happens to be a muggle? He would be such a good daddy 😭😭😭

[ sirius black x muggle!reader | fluff | in an alternate universe wherein there was no wizarding war | 3.1k words ]

note. well this got way longer than intended and yet for some reason still doesn’t feel enough??? anyways halfway through writing this i realized that jily is supposed to be 18 when they got married so for the sake of this fic let’s pretend that they’re in their late 20s hehehe,, hope you’ll like this one! 🫶🏻

Sirius got to meet you through Lily.

The meeting was unexpected, really. It was during the time James and Lily were preparing for the wedding, and Sirius, being the designated best man and all, was tasked to deliver some important items for the ceremony from the Evans home to the Potters. 

He knocked on the front door, clad in his usual attire of faded jeans, black shirt, with a leather jacket worn around his shoulders. His motorbike was still running in the driveway, an indication that he wasn’t planning to stay long, but as soon as you opened the door and locked gazes with him, Sirius suddenly thought that perhaps it would be okay to hang around even for a few minutes or so.

He flashed a smile, a smile he knew turned up the charm and made his handsomeness look a bit devilish, and stepped a bit closer, his hands placing themselves on the front pockets of his pants. “I didn’t get the wrong address, did I?” he asked. “Although if I did, I don’t think I should be in the position to complain.” His smile transformed into an easy smirk.

You stared at him, analyzing him, taking in the sight of his dark tousled hair and the manner in which his piercing eyes looked back at you, before opening the door a bit wider. “I take it that you’re Sirius Black?”

“The very one. And you are?”

“____ ____,” you said your full name, extending a hand out for a handshake but when Sirius took it, he didn’t do what you were expecting him to do.

Instead, he brought it closer to his mouth, pressing a kiss on your knuckles. “Beautiful name for a beautiful girl,” he replied smoothly, prompting your face to feel a bit hot.

As you were about to utter a response, Lily came behind you and saw what was happening. She rolled her eyes and playfully shoved Sirius’ shoulder, causing him to drop your hand. 

“What?” he asked, mock innocence on his features but he was already laughing.

“Don’t even think about it, Black,” she warned, though she too was chuckling. She then handed him the things he came for without delay. “____ is off limits.”

“Why? Is she taken?” he asked, glancing at you as if waiting for you to confirm it yourself.

“No,” Lily answered before you could (again), “but she’s my best friend.”

“And? I’m your fiancé’s best mate. Wouldn’t that technically make us meant to be?” He smirked, eyes flickering to you once more. “Don’t you agree, love? I reckon you’re the maid of honor too—my perfect match as the best man.”

You laughed, a soft melodic sound that he got momentarily mesmerized by. “Well, I see Lily was right about what she told me about you. You do seem like a menace.”

“But charming and handsome nonetheless?”

“Sirius,” Lily walked out of the threshold and began gently pushing him to the direction where the motorbike was parked, “go before I hex you,” she said. “Or worse, uninvite you to the wedding.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll behave.” He relented, waving a hand before heading to the vehicle and placing the fetched items in the compartment. 

Before he revved the engine, preparing to leave, he gave you one last look which consisted of a rather heart-fluttering grin and a very flirtatious wink.

Lily turned to you as he sped off, already reading what was on your mind. “No,” she said, her tone final.

You laughed. “I didn’t even say anything!”

“You didn’t have to. It’s written all over your face.” She scoffed with a teasing smile, marching back inside the house and leaving you there, still staring at where Sirius rode away.

****

The next time Sirius got to see you, it was at the wedding itself.

It was a small ceremony. James’ parents were there, all happy and excited for this new chapter of their son’s life, and as for Lily’s family, only her parents came to attend.

Her sister, Petunia, still had an unprovoked dislike towards wizards, a feeling that apparently couldn’t be ignored even for one day in order to be part of her sole sister’s special day.

As for other attendees, aside from some friends they went to school with back at Hogwarts, there were quite a number of Muggle friends and relatives, mostly from Lily’s side. It was for that reason that the event felt… mundane, you could say, with the absence of magical decorations and whatnots—but in the best way possible, as it gave the whole affair a more intimate and solemn feel.

“Padfoot, you’re going to turn into a giraffe if you don’t stop craning your neck like that,” Remus retorted with a chuckle.

Sirius gave him a lopsided smirk, dropping the cigarette between his fingers and extinguishing it on the ground.

He was trying to search for you among the busy crowd, curious on where you might be. It wouldn’t take long before the entourage would be asked to take their positions and he would have the excuse of having your arm latched to his, the both of you ultimately walking across the aisle as the best man and maid of honor.

After a few more giraffe-like actions of trying to catch a glimpse of you, he finally saw you talking with Lily’s parents, a baby girl not more than three years old wearing an adorable dress carried in your arms. He didn’t think much of it, assumed that she was a flower girl, though he did notice a bit of similarities between your appearance and the little lady, such as the shape of your eyes and the color of your hair.

“Excuse me,” Sirius arrived just in time beside you as the Evans went off to greet a relative, “I believe that you’re my partner for the day?” he cheekily said.

His smile was directed to you at first, but it swiftly shifted to the toddler who you still had in your arms.

“This is Esther.” You introduced with a fond grin. “My lovely daughter.”

You watched as his eyebrows rose in surprise. 

“Daughter?” he repeated, though the manner in which he said it had no malice. “Well, that explains the pretty eyes.” He chuckled before doing a courteous prince-like bow to Esther. “Pleasure to be of acquaintance, Ms. Esther.”

Esther giggled, hiding behind your hair in bashfulness, though still peaked as Sirius like she was initiating a prompt peek-a-boo game.

“Where’s this cute one’s dad?” he asked next. You could tell that he was attempting to sound nonchalant about it, as if the question wasn’t being asked to check if you were single or not again despite confirming it last time. It seemed like what he wanted to confirm this time was your current relationship with the father of your child.

You shrugged. “No idea. Probably off at someone else’s bed.”

“I see.” He laughed, sounding a bit too pleased.

When you eyes met again, your lips curved upwards as his eyes twinkled.

****

For the rest of the ceremony, you and Sirius shared conversations then and there. 

You reckoned that without Lily’s focus on you, there was less chances of her reprimanding you if she saw you willingly involve yourself with the heartbreaker that is Sirius Black. You weren’t lying when you said that she had said several things about Sirius prior to your first meeting, all of which involved not letting your guard down and being seduced by his ‘bad boy charm’.

“He’s generally nice,” Lily told you. “As a friend, that is—I can’t say much as a significant other—but I do know that he made loads of girls cry and curse his name back then.”

And as Sirius made you laugh after one joke and another, you could understand why. He was the type of guy who knew what the ladies loved and used it to his advantage; the type who was aware of how good looking he was and yet acted as if he didn’t, this effortless aura surrounding him that pulled you in ever so naturally.

Whenever Esther was whisked away by a friend or any elderly couple that were enamored with the presence of a child, Sirius took it as an opportunity to level up his advances. He’d compliment you, look at you with a gaze that made you a bit weak in the knees, and spoke in a voice that was all velvety and smooth—giving you an even clearer picture that this definitely wasn’t the first time he went his way to woo a woman.

“Look at those two,” you said upon seeing Lily and James sway along the rhythm of the slow music, caught in their own world at the center of the dance floor, “I find it hilarious that he’s the lad she ended up marrying. Do you know how many times she complained about him whenever she came back from Hogwarts?”

Sirius snorted. “Well, in her defense, James was a bloody tosser. He followed her around, trying to get her to go with him for even one date.”

You hummed in agreement. “Yes, but I also heard that he was an arse, always messing with Severus.”

“Oh, you’re familiar with Snivellus?” He appeared amused for a second, daresay proud at the awful nickname—but then realization dawned unto him, and he shifted his expression to a more controlled and behaved one. “I mean, Severus, yes. Severus Snape—I didn’t know you knew him too.”

Your nose wrinkled.

Instead of answering his question, you tilted your head slightly to the side before uttering out what you have been itching to say since he began blatantly showing interest to you. “I know your reputation, Sirius,” you began, “and I’ll have you know that I have no time for funny business.”

“Great. Neither do I.”

“I have a daughter.”

“Yes, as you have introduced me to the little one earlier.”

“And does that not bother you? Or do you like knowing that you can have someone with a child wrapped around your finger?”

His features softened in an instant. “Love, I don’t know what you exactly heard from Lily, but I’ll tell you this. I won’t deny how much of a menace I’ve been when we were still studying, but it has also been a few years since we graduated. I’m not entirely the same lad as I was.”

You were skeptical. No matter how talking to him throughout the evening gave enough proof to support his case (he did prove that he was a man of substance and who knew how to lead a meaningful conversation), you were also wary of putting all your trust in him. After all, this wasn’t the first time that a man charmed you and made the implication that he was going to treat you the best, only to flee the moment you made it apparent that you needed him.

“Okay,” you said.

Sirius chuckled. “Okay? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“As it’s supposed to be.” You shrugged. “It’s a free country. You can do anything you want, as they say.”

****

It has been 11 months since Sirius and you became a couple officially.

Was Lily mad?

She was furious. She scolded you nonstop for days, saying how she didn’t lack in warning you about Sirius and that you should be careful about letting men in your life, especially since the last man you let in was not only an embarrassment, but someone who had made it apparent that not everyone can stay true to their promises.

She was right, of course. You weren’t naive and you for sure were smarter this time around. There was no moment that you ever made it easy for Sirius the second he declared his intentions with you, always being transparent of your feelings and whenever he did something that you didn’t like. Your mindset was always that if he were to give up because of your ‘pickiness’ or ‘unrealistic’ demands, then it would save you the time of investing your feelings yet again to the wrong person.

But Sirius was a different breed. He was persistent. He met each ridiculous request with ease and listened to every concern you addressed to him with commendable willingness to change. Though there were still moments wherein his inherent mischievousness jumped out, when his sharp tongue rolled out at the presence of others and you saw a side of him that you didn’t particularly like—at the end, Sirius knew when to apologize and how to show you that he wasn’t all talk in saying that he was ready to change for the better for you.

As for his relationship with Esther… well, you thought that was the most compelling thing about being with Sirius, just seeing him effortlessly take on the role of her father figure without being asked to.

“Oh, Merlin, you must be the most adorable little lady in the world, darling,” Sirius cooed at Esther as he adjusted the backpack worn behind her shoulders, dressed in light denim overalls with a white shirt underneath.

She was going on a trip with your brother, along with his wife and two kids, and was going to be picked up a few minutes from now. Sirius had insisted the night prior to sleeping at your place to help you pack Esther’s things, given how the trip was going to last three days, and when you woke up this morning to prepare breakfast and some snacks she could bring, saw that Sirius had already prepared it for you.

“I didn’t know you could cook,” you mused.

“I don’t.”

“Then how—” you cut yourself off at the reminder of him being like Lily, a wizard, and the sight of the smirk plastered on his face. “Right, right. Almost forgot about that one.”

“Sirius,” you heard your daughter chime while you checked her belongings, making sure that everything was set, “will you still be here when I get back?”

Sirius smoothed her hair. “Hm, that depends, love. You know I don’t actually live here, don’t you?” He teased her.

“But you’s always sleeping here!”

“Yes, because I like spending time with your mum.” He chuckled. “And you, of course. You can’t quite sleep without me reading you your favorite storybook.”

She nodded. “Tha’s ‘cause I likes it when you read it.”

“More than you like listening to Mummy?” You jumped in the conversation, crossing your arms in fake hurt. “I’m wounded, darling.  Aren’t I supposed to be your favorite?”

Esther grinned rather sheepishly. “You’s still are, Mummy. But when Sirius reads me my storybooks, he makes the characters all come to life!”

Before you could process the implication of what she said, two loud honks from a vehicle outside announced your brother’s arrival and Sirius was quick to take advantage of the distraction, ushering you to greet your brother outside while he helped with bringing Esther’s things to the car.

Once all things were settled, you kissed Esther’s cheek goodbye, a wet smooch that she giggled to, and said your farewells to your brother, his wife, and your two nieces that you hugged tightly and gave sweet kisses to as well before you stepped back in the driveway, waving as they drove off.

You turned your heel around the second the car was far enough, looking at Sirius who was leaning casually on the door frame of the front door.

“What?” he asked, but you knew that he was already aware of what the look meant.

You reached him as you entered the small house. “Do you use magic whenever you’re reading books to Esther?”

“Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“No, absolutely not.” 

You raised an eyebrow, in which Sirius finally grinned. 

“Okay, maybe sometimes.” He yielded. “But I promise, it’s all harmless. I just make the drawings move and run around her bedroom.”

“You…” a sigh escaped your mouth at his statement, “you make the drawings move? And, and run?”

He nodded. “It’s a simple charm, really. Makes Esther all excited too. Sometimes she even requests that I make them life sized so she could play with them.”

“Is that even allowed?”

“Well, she’s a kid, so I reckon she’d blame it to her imagination if she ever does remember this in the future.” He laughed.

You couldn’t help but laugh too, seeing his point yet still being in disbelief at the reality of all of this. You were never that weirded out by magic—in fact, you were amazed by the existence of it—but as someone who grew up with completely mundane stuff, you still couldn’t grasp its possibility and how casual Sirius was whenever the topic arose.

“You’re lucky she adores you, Sirius,” you told him, laughing and shaking your head. “If not, you wouldn’t have gotten yourself out of this one.”

The grin was still on his mouth as he gently hauled you closer to him. “What can I say? My charisma is universal.”

“I think I beg to differ.” 

“Oh, are you saying that it doesn’t work on you? You haven’t fallen for my irresistible allure yet?”

“And if I were to say no?”

He kissed you, slow and lingering, enough to make your head spin a bit at how his lips moved with cognizance of what you liked. When he pulled back, he flashed you a rakish smirk that had you weak in the knees.

“Then I’ll have to change that. Can’t have Esther’s gorgeous mother not fall for me, can’t we?”

“You’ll survive.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

Another kiss. You grinned at how you could feel the intent behind the gesture.

“But seriously,” you pulled back momentarily to look him deeply in the eyes, “thanks for being there for Esther. I appreciate how you make her laugh and all. I can see that she likes being with you.”

He smiled in response. It was sincere and warm, a side of him that you have come to witness and love for the past months. “No need to thank me, darling. The kid isn’t hard to adore either. I’d say I’m honored to be part of her life.”

You continued to gaze at Sirius, his words making you feel fuzzy and gooey inside. You never thought you’d get to this point of yours and his relationship. You always assumed that he was going to get tired one way or another, or perhaps realize that dating a single mother was not for him, but here he was, smitten with you and treating your daughter as if she was his own.

“Fine, I’ll take it back.” You slyly pulled the collar of his shirt down so you could be the one to kiss him, Sirius smirking against you as you did. “Maybe I’m not immune to your irresistible allure after all.”

He laughed, the beat of his heart syncing with yours. 

gentle reminder: this author loves feedback! let her know your thoughts if you enjoyed reading this fic and you’ll add 100+ points in her writing motivation meter ♡

[kookochan]

Trust

You don't know why you feel this way towards him. Neither does he know. Maybe you need some time, maybe you need to spill some secrets.

Summary: What if Jungkook, the boy who does everything to annoy you, finds out some of your secrets? +18

student Jungkook x fem! student reader

(Private University & rich families)

warnings/content: cigarettes, use of drug (weed), sexual content (unprotected sex - do not, oral fem rec.,), violence (mentions of beating up someone), mentions of blood, family issues, alcohol

wc: 5,3K

༊*·˚

You're sitting on a bench in the middle of the park. Watching the moon and smoking a cigarette. The silence feels heavy, your thoughts going wild. You feel warm although it's freezing outside. Your grandmother's voice in the back of your head. 

"With every day that passes, you look more like your mother."

"She was a bitch who only wanted the money of my son."

"You wonder why I don't like you, but did you ever think about the fact that your own mother left you?"

"I will never see you as my family."

Every time you saw her, you had an argument. She never accepted the fact that you're her grandchild. The only one. You also had a lot of discussions with your dad about her attitude towards you, but he always told you that she is old. That she will never change, and it's too late to change her. You will never tolerate that. And that is the problem. Today she overstepped the line by arguing with you in the hallway of your house. The Jeon's sitting in the living room and enjoying the scene. At the end, it's a big no-go for your dad to have a family dinner without you. But you don't even care anymore. 

Opening the little metal box, you see that you only have one cigarette left. A sigh leaves your mouth. You hear some steps coming towards you; turning your head in the direction you see Jungkook's wide smile, you realize that the night will be longer than usual.

"You really are a little crybaby," he says with a teasing voice. You roll your eyes at him. "Fuck off". He sits next to you and looks around. It is funny because nobody is here. "I would rather fuck you," he says, voice a little lower. You choose to ignore him. He notices that you are shivering and puts his jacket over your legs in your short dress. You grab it to throw it back to him, but he is quick to stop you. 

"I'm not here to tease you this time. I overheard your conversation with your grandma and felt bad. Don't get me wrong; I'm not pitying you, but I can understand how you feel. It must probably suck," he tells you; this time his voice is more gentle. "You don't need to waste your time here. I will go back soon. Oh, and I hope you didn't expect to hear my story or whatever," you say. He nods, already prepared for this answer. 

You sit in silence with him for another thirty minutes. It's time for your last cigarette, but you can't smoke in front of him. He would definitely use it against you because, at the end of the day, nobody knows about it. "I will go back home. Have a good night, and thanks, I guess," you say while standing up and handing him his jacket. He quickly gets up too and walks with you. You turn towards him and frown, "Leave me alone, creep". His soft laugh fills the cold night. "You don't expect me to let you go alone at night, right?" he asks. 

The walk is silent but surprisingly peaceful. When the realization hits you, you stop in your tracks. "I can't go home. They are still there," you say and squat down. No, you will not show weakness, but you're ten seconds away from crying. To your surprise, Jungkook squats down next to you. "Hmm, you're right. Your dad is leaving tomorrow for a business trip, right? So how about turning back tomorrow?" he asks. You look at him, unsure if he wants to help or make fun of you. "Yeah. I will go to a hotel," you answer. "Nah, don't worry; you can stay at mine," he says and stands up. He reaches for your hand to help you. You don't bother to answer him, just following him to his house.

The door of his apartment closes behind you. It's funny that he gives you a place to stay. After all, your father and his father are hating each other. They are sitting at the same table just for work. And like them, you and Jungkook hate each other too?

"I will give you something from my closet," he says and goes to his bedroom with a walk-in closet. You sit down on his couch. The last time you were here was one month ago when you both argued about something Jungkook did, and the teacher thought it was you. Jungkook took the opportunity and acted like you were the bad guy. But the argument ended differently; it ended with him fucking you. And neither of you ever talked about that again.

Jungkook comes back with some clothes in his hand. "Here, wear these," he says while handing them to you. Maybe he wanted you to change in the bathroom, but you start to undress in front of him. His eyes watching you with sparkles. You put on the shorts and the shirt he gave you. Both a little bit bigger than expected. "Thank you for letting me stay," you murmur and sit down. He thinks that you look adorable with his own clothes on. "Are you hungry?" he asks. You shake your head in response.

"Can I have a pillow, please?" you ask him. The tiredness has a grip on you. "You can sleep on the bed," he says instead. "I don't want to," you answer right away. Laying down on the couch and turning your back on him. Your hair is messily on the couch, and he dares to play with some strands. You're really sleepy to notice anything, and it doesn't take long for you to fall asleep. He stands up and carries you to his bed. Making sure that you can sleep well.

The next morning is cold. You already left his house without a sound. Jungkook expected it already but felt strange anyway. He doesn't know why you're both acting this way, like hating each other. It's also confusing to him to call it 'hate' because what he is feeling is a lot different than that. At the end he decides to ignore all of it and goes to school.

•

"She is crazy. If she lived years ago, they would definitely call her a witch," Jimin says in utter disbelief. You laugh at that. "I really don't understand what she wants from me. Just let me live, you know?". He feels sad about your family drama and wishes he could do more for you. "But you said you slept somewhere else. Where?" he asks. "Don't judge me, but I was with Jungkook," you say a little shy about the confession. But yes, he dramatically turns his whole body towards you. "What the fuck? Why wouldn't you call me?" he says a little mad. "He heard everything and followed me when I left the house. It was already late, and I was like, Fuck it, I will go with him," you say. You don't care about Jungkook. "He will use that information," Jimin says and plays with your hair. "If he annoys you, tell me and I will talk to him. He listens to me well because he loves me," he adds. You laugh and hug him right away. "Everyone loves you," you tell him. You're happy to have a best friend like him. 

•

The uni day is hectic like always. It's not like old schools anymore because everyone is from a rich family and too serious to have actual fun. Sometimes you wonder why your family insisted on a private university. "I want to go home," Yuna says after a drag on the cigarette. Yuna was one of your closest friends, and now you're sitting on a bench hidden behind the building. You watch your own smoke leaving your mouth. "Same," you answer. At the same time, you hear a loud noise and turn in the direction. The source of the noise leads Yuna to stand up in panic and walk in the opposite direction. You roll your eyes at her. 

Jungkook is standing there with his phone and goes on with the recording. "I think your dad won't like this," he says with a grin. You take the last drag. "Stop filming me," you tell him, which he listens to. He walks over to stand right in front of you. You look up with an annoyed smile, "What do you want?". Jungkook grins at that and asks, "What can you offer?". It's a green light for you to tease him. Your fingers move from his chest to his belt. You can feel that his breathing changes. His eyes are watching you with lust. "A lot," you answer to the question some seconds ago. You start to move your fingers a little lower to feel him more. He puts a strand of your hair behind your ear. "You look pretty in this position," he tells you. "I know, and I also know that you want me to go on. Maybe in your dreams," you say with a low voice. You push his chest to stand up, and he laughs at that. "We will see," he says as you walk away.

•

The lunch break begins, and you are having a conversation with Jimin. "She could behave at school," someone says while looking towards you. "Why are they looking at us?" Jimin asks. Since you are sitting here, more people started to watch you. You have the feeling they're also talking about you. "What's the matter?" you ask a random boy. He looks a little shy but answers, "Someone said that you're smoking in the uni-blog on Twitter.". Oh, that's right; you really thought Jungkook would keep it for himself? 

"How did they know?" Jimin whispers. "Jungkook saw me today," you answer. These people will talk about it for some days, so it's not a big deal. Until you see a proud Jungkook waving at you. He wants to play, so you accept that.

The next tweet is about Jungkook and his failed love life. It's not a big thing but a good distraction from your scandal. I mean every girl is talking about him, but he never dated anyone. There must be a reason, right? Maybe a small dick. What you didn't expect was that he didn't give a fuck. He also laughed at the rumors and told some girls, 'I can show you if you want'. In summary, you hate him a lot. 

•

Jungkook turns off the water of his shower. He puts a towel around his waist and walks out of the bathroom. Already checking his notifications on Twitter. Everyone is talking about you and him. The combination is cute to him, so he lets out a chuckle. When he walks inside the living room to get to the kitchen, he freezes in his spot. It's dark inside, but he can see a figure sitting on his couch. He turns on the lights to see you sit there and look at him.

"What the hell. How did you get inside?" he asks. Jungkook is shocked for real. "I saw your passcode last time," you answer while tilting your head. The view is nice. His toned abs and some tiny water droplets on his skin. He knows that you're checking him out. "I will change and come back," he says, despite liking the attention.

After putting on some grey sweatpants and an oversized black shirt, he turns back to the living room. "Okay, what do you want? It must be urgent if you break into my house," he says. "First of all, are you Gossip Girl? Why would you say that to the uni-blog?" you ask him annoyed. "I thought it was fun. And why are you questioning me after doing it yourself?" he asks back. You roll your eyes. "I know that your little tweet is just the beginning. And I really don't want my dad knowing about it. So I want to find a solution," you say with a smile this time.

He looks at your lips. It's the first time that you're not forcing yourself to smile at him. And he definitely likes that. "Okay, let's find a solution. How about being friends?" he asks. "Oh, come on. That's what you suggest? You're the one who has been bullying me since the first day. Now you want to be friends?" you ask back. This time he rolls his eyes and adds, "We can try at least". You think for a while. 

Option one is that he is pretending to be interested in finding a solution. Option two is that he is thinking of something else, so he is acting right now. The last option is that he wants to try.

You hope it's the last option when you say, "Okay, let's try". He smiles at you and shakes your hand. At the same time, his eyes catch the paper bag on the coffee table. "Did you buy food for me?" he asks. "No, dumbass. I bought it for us," you say and sit down on the rug. Opening the bag, you put everything on the table so he can eat too. He watches every single movement you do, and he is happy that it's so peaceful. 

Both of you are sitting on the rug and eating while watching a movie. You talked a lot about the plot and the food. When the movie ends, Jungkook suggests drinking a little. He fills up some wine, and you start drinking in silence. "My father is cheating on my mother," Jungkook says all of a sudden. You look up to him. "What?". He shrugs. "Yeah. My mother knows, but because of the name of the family, she stays. That's also the reason why I'm living alone," he adds. "Why are you telling me this?" you ask. "To gain your trust," he answers. You nod at him. "I'm so sorry about that. I can imagine that you're mad at your mother for staying silent, but sometimes you can't change their minds. Try to be there for her anyway because she must be feeling lonely. She is old enough to make decisions," you say. 

There is a moment of silence. He grabs your hand and plays with your fingers. "Thank you," he says. This time he looks vulnerable and kind. You smile up at him only to see that he is already looking at you. The eye contact feels heavy but peaceful. When he gets closer, you close your eyes and feel his lips on yours. The kiss is so slow and intense that you need to hold on to his shoulder. He slides his tongue inside your mouth, which makes you moan. Pulling back, he whispers, "I need you close". It's a sign for you to sit on his thighs and continue to kiss. The makeout session gets deeper, and he starts to walk to his bedroom with you in his arms. 

He puts you down on the bed and gets rid of his shirt. You do the same thing and watch him get over you. "You're so pretty," he says and starts kissing a way from your chest to your tummy. It doesn't take long for him to undress you. He is on his knees between your legs, and his tongue is playing with your heat. You moan his name when he starts pushing his fingers inside. The sensation hitting harder than you remembered. He takes his time to savor your taste. It's almost embarrassing how quickly you start shaking against his lips. He quickens his pace, and his free hand caresses your tummy. "Come for my baby," he says while locking his eyes to yours. It's the final push you needed to come undone with a little moan. 

You watch him pull out his fingers and lick them. When he starts kissing you, you can taste yourself on his tongue. Your fingers find a way to his chest, gently touching his abs, and they stop at his hardened dick. You stroke him in a tight grip, and his needy moan fills your ears. He kisses your neck and behind your ear. "I want to fuck you," he whispers. He pulls away a little, and you smile at him, "Fuck me".

"Get on all fours," he says while pulling away a little. He slowly strokes his dick and watches the way you're positioning yourself. "Condom?" he asks and helps you to spread your legs. "No, I'm on the pill," you say. He comes close and pushes your head down. His other hand positions his dick to your entrance. With a quick push, he is nestled inside you. You moan at the sensation and his hissing. He doesn't wait for a sign of you; he starts to thrust. "You're so tight," he murmurs at the feeling. His pace quickens with every thrust. His lips press against your hips and back. You wonder how he can be so gentle and hard at the same time. 

When he turns you on your back, only to watch your face, you close your eyes. "Look at me," he says while holding your hips to quicken his pace. Your eyes flutter open, and you watch his dick going in and out of you. "koo.." you moan at the sight. "Fuck," he grunts at the nickname. He can see that you're already fucked out and that you're near coming again. When you start shaking against him, his hips falter for a moment. You moan his name while coming down from your high. "Good girl," he praises you while his own climax is reaching him. With a final thrust, his dick twitches inside you. He pushes his whole length inside and spills his cum inside you. Both of your mouths leave a moan. He rests his head on your belly without putting all his weight on you. Your hands quickly find his hair. 

He looks up to you with a lovesick smile and watches your tired eyes with awe. Then he slowly pulls out of you, which makes you whine. "Sorry, baby," he says and throws himself next to you. It's weird this time because all he is doing is watching you. You don't know how to feel and also why your heart is beating so fast. He stands up and pulls you into his arms. "Let's take a bath," he says and walks to the bathroom. The night goes on with a long bath and a peaceful sleep. Hugging each other tight until the morning. And also you eat breakfast together.

•

"One more round?" Jimin asks. He looks a little drunk with pink cheeks. You smile at him and nod. At the end it was his idea to go to the house party. You accepted right away because the last time was a long time ago. You watch Jimin walking to the kitchen, and at the same time, you see something suspicious. A nice-looking guy exchanges something. They look like weeds. You never tried it out, but it looks appealing. He looks over to you with a lazy smile, and you return it. That's a good excuse for him to walk towards you. 

"Are you watching some business?" he asks. "I mean, you're doing it in the middle of the room," you say. He hands you the drink that he's holding. You take a quick sip and scrunch your face. "It's too strong". He smiles at that and drinks it in one go. "What's your name?" he asks. "Yn, and yours?". "Yoongi," he answers. "If you're interested, that's my number. Call me and we can meet up," he says while giving you a piece of paper. Then he walks away without looking back. Weird you think, but you also keep his number. 

"Nice to see you," you hear from behind. When you turn around, you see Jungkook standing there with a cup in his hand. "Same," you answer. Without a single word, you start to dance with him. It's weird how both of you started to move in rhythm. He holds your hips and sings to the music. You laugh at his cute expression and sing along. All of this moment starts to feel like it's in slow motion. Your eyes catch Jimin's worried face and the way he tries to get to you. 

You stop dancing, and Jungkook gives you a questioning look. "We need to go," Jimin says without looking at Jungkook. "What happened?" you ask him. Instead of answering, he pulls you away, but Jungkook's strong hand stops him. "What is going on?" he asks this time. Jimin sighs and shows his phone. It's a tweet from the uni-blog. 

Hi, my lovely followers. Today's topic is Y/n l/n. Her mother left after giving birth to her. Such a heartbreaking story. But how can she be the school's queen everyone fears? Let's think about that.

See you in the next post! 

Your eyes widened while reading it. Everyone thinks that your mother died after your birth. Only your family knows about the truth. And Jimin, and Jungkook. You freeze at the realization and turn towards him. He looks shocked and confused at the same time. "That's so low. Even for you, Jeon," you say. His eyes find yours, but he doesn't answer. You walk to the door knowing a lot of people are looking at you. This gossip will be haunting you for days and months. 

When Jungkook starts walking towards you, Jimin stops him. "I thought you guys would be at peace. Did you tell them?" he asks. Jungkook turns to look at him. "No. I swear this time it was not me," he answers. Jimin watches his expressions, and it's weird that he thinks that he is not lying. Both of them rush to the door, but you're long gone. 

While getting your phone out of your pocket, you see the paper with a number on it. First you text Jimin that you're going home and want to be alone. Second, you save the number and text him, 'Can we meet?'. Maybe the decision is thoughtless and you will regret it, but right in this moment you need to relax. Your head hurts from thinking about all the rumors and the reaction of your family. Yoongi sends his location and tells you to come in one hour. So you go home and change into more comfy clothes and walk to his place.

The location Yoongi sent to you is a garage in a quiet neighborhood. After a small knock on the door, it opens to reveal Yoongi standing there. He waits for you to come inside, and you start looking around. You had a wild imagination of the space, but to your surprise, it looks really good. There is a big couch in the middle of the garage on a red rug, and in the back you can see some instruments. On the walls are some posters and signs. "Do you like it?" he asks while walking to a chest with drawers. "It's suits you," you answer and sit down on the couch. He comes back with two rolled-up bars. "Are you going to smoke too?" you ask. He nods and makes him comfortable on the couch.

You pull your knees to your chest and hold the blunt in your hand. It's already burning, and you take your first drag. You can feel the difference between weed and the usual stuff you smoke. All of your nerves are relaxing. "So tell me what brings you here," Yoongi says while smoking his own. "I got exposed. Everybody knows what happened with my mother. It sucks," you say. You feel like it's easier to talk, and your thoughts are more collected. "What happened to her?" he asks. He is not the type who is interested in drama, especially because he is older. "She left me after my birth. She saw me as a burden," you admit. You don't know why the tears are streaming down your face. 

"I'm sorry for you. But at the end it's her loss. As I can see, you also managed to grow up without her. So you shouldn't be sad about it," he tells you in a cold voice. You glance at him. "It's easy to say. Maybe we would be a perfect family?" you say. He laughs at that. "I know your dad, yn. He would be the same as now, and probably your mother would work with him too. Nothing would change. It's the dynamics of your family. They are focused on working and making money. They need the power". For a moment you're quiet and think. He is right; probably nothing would change. You sigh, "You're right". That's the final word you say, and both of you start smoking in silence. 

Your phone is ringing for the 10th time this night. Not that you're aware of it because you fell asleep on the couch an hour ago. But Yoongi starts to feel annoyed by the ringtone. He pulls out your phone and answers it. "Where are you? I'm standing in front of your house, and it looks empty!" Jungkook asks in worry. Yoongi chuckles at that. "She is at my place," he answers. Jungkook freezes at the voice. It's kind of a familiar voice. "Oh, it's me, Yoongi," he adds. "Why is she there? Don't tell me she smoked some shit, hyung," he asks a little angrily. "I know you told me to stay away from her, but she came on her own. Don't get mad; she is alright and sleeping. You can take her home if you want," he explains. Jungkook doesn't answer; he hangs up and starts driving.

When he walks into the garage, he looks at your sleeping figure. You look so peaceful. "Hi, do you want a drink?" Yoongi asks. "No thanks. I will bring her home," he answers. He picks you up carefully and puts you in the car. After making sure you're buckled up and safe, he drives to his apartment. 

•

You open your eyes and look around. You can't remember coming here or falling asleep. The distant noises are a sign that you're not alone. You walk to the kitchen only to be met with Jungkook cooking. He doesn't catch that you're standing behind him. For a moment you're enjoying the view. It doesn't matter what he wears or does; he always looks good. When he turns around to place something on the table, he looks at you. "Oh, good morning," he says and smiles at you. You don't answer him and sit down to start eating. He frowns a little, but also he understands.

He sits in front of you and watches you eating. "It wasn't me," he says. You watch his eyes for a moment in hope of catching some mischief in them. But he seems honest. "Okay," you say and smile. "You don't need to go to uni for a while. You can stay here, or I can drive you home," he suggests. "Actually, I don't want to go home. My dad will ask a lot of questions about it," you answer. "You can stay as long as you want," he tells you and grabs your hand. His fingers moving gently on the back of your hand. "Thank you. I appreciate that, but I will stay with Jimin," you say. A little sad to break his heart. He quickly masks the disappointment on his face. "I also will go to school. No need to act like it's affecting me," you add. He nods at that, and both of you return to eat.

•

The school day is as expected. A lot of students asked you about the news, and you told them that it's a family issue. Also, you got a lot of weird looks from people you didn't like. You feel a little lonely when neither Jimin nor Jungkook is in sight. You wonder what they are doing.

At the same time, Jungkook and Jimin are standing in the sports hall. Some of their friends holding the door and others standing in front of it to give a signal when a teacher comes. The poor boy is sitting on his knees on the floor. Apologies leaving his mouth in fear. Jimin and Jungkook were on the search for the responsible person. And it was easier to find him than they were expecting. He was the son of a famous family. His mother was friends with your grandmother. And that explains how he knew about your secret. Jimin wanted him to apologize to you, but Jungkook wasn't satisfied with this idea. So he started beating him up and then made him apologize. "I will text YN to come," Jimin tells him. 

After receiving the message, you walk to the sports hall. A little confused but also curious. When you step inside, you see a boy with blood all over his face looking at you. Jimin and Jungkook standing in front of him. "What the fuck is going on?" you ask. Both men turn towards you. "That's the guy who told it to the blog," Jimin answers. You roll your eyes. "So you started beating him up?" you ask. "He deserved that," Jungkook says and shrugs his shoulders. 

The boy looks at you in hope and says, "I'm sorry. It was dumb of me. Please forgive me". You look him up and down. "Don't act like you're sorry. If I were you, I would run," you whisper the last sentence. He stays in place for a while, and then he starts running away. You turn to Jungkook, "I don't need a lame apology". "Everyone should know that they shouldn't mess with you," he says. You look down at his red knuckles and sigh, "Look at your hand. So stupid of you!". Jimin crackles at that but shuts up after getting a glare from Jungkook. You hug Jimin's side. "Thank you for being there for me," you say. He quickly hugs you back. "Everything for you, princess". You giggle at him and catch Jungkook's frown. "What about me?" he asks. For a moment he looks like a lost puppy, and you snort. "Thank you too," you say. But you can already see that he isn't satisfied with that. Despite that, you walk out with both of them and make fun of the boy who was seconds from crying. Your heart is feeling a lot lighter.

•

The weeks go on, and every day it gets quieter. There are some people left who talk about the topic, but a lot of them dropped it. You found a good bond with Jungkook and Jimin. Feeling like you were friends for more than years. Okay, you know both of them since childhood. But Jimin was your friend since then, and Jungkook your enemy. Not anymore, though, and it doesn't feel weird. You can feel that he is developing some feelings for you. And you can't deny that you have feelings too. But no need to rush it, right?

Your family was more affected by the gossip than you. They were worried that the business would be destroyed. Your dad and grandmother scolding you for being dumb and telling people about it. After you told them that it was the son of your grandmother's friend, they left you alone. Sometimes you were staying at Jungkook's house instead of at home. And you think that this was the best decision you ever had.

Tonight you planned to go on a date with Jungkook to spend some time together. He picks you up in his fancy car. Lending you a bouquet of red roses. You smile at him and lean in for a kiss. "You look beautiful," he says while looking at you. If you had seen this months ago, you would have laughed. But now you're happy with him and smiling wide every time he talks.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.

I'm not a smoker, so don't come for me if I used wrong terms etc :( .

I would be happy if you could leave a review. Feel free to ask me questions or talk about anything (press the button in my bio)! Feel loved ♡

[slaymitchabernathy]

Older & Wiser

| "...you're so much older and wiser and I, I wait by the door like I'm just a kid, use my best colors for your portrait..." |

Growing up, Soarynn heard lots of advice when it came to dating men.

Don’t date anyone who comes from a different financial background than you do. Upper class married the upper class, middle class married the middle class, and lower class married the lower class.

Those things don’t mix.

She was also told to wait until marriage. A good Capitol girl saves herself for marriage so that her husband knows that she’s pure, untouched by anyone but him.

Plus, it eliminates the fear of an unwanted pregnancy.

And although it was never directly stated, she knew that girls her age should stay far away from older men who were far too busy and important for girls like her.

But no one ever mentioned Coriolanus Snow.

It’s a damn shame that he’s thirty because he could easily pass for twenty-five. He’s so effortlessly charming, always knowing just what to say and working the room. He’s overly successful, rich beyond reason, devilishly handsome, and best of all, he’s obsessed with Soarynn.

They met one night at a silent auction. She had been dragged along by her good friend Livia Cardew who was looking for both a new piece of art and a potential husband.

She found the second one, Festus Creed, and left Soarynn to wander around the art gallery once the auction came to a close. She had been admiring a certain piece when Coriolanus came up to introduce himself.

However, a man like him needs no introduction, especially after placing the highest bid of the night. Still, she let him charm her, compliment her, and share a little bit about himself. By the time she had to leave, he had arranged for her to be picked up and taken to dinner at the end of the week.

Soarynn had been giddy with excitement, she never really dated while attending school so she didn't know what to expect but he surpassed every one of her expectations. They had dinner in a private room, lit by candlelight. The service was impeccable, Soarynn felt as if she were eating dinner with the President himself.

She learned a bit more about Coriolanus and the type of man he was, the type of man to crave dominance and control. She also learned that he had yet to marry because he hadn't found the right woman yet and was in no rush to settle down.

Despite hearing that, Soarynn held onto the hopes that she might be the one, the future Mrs. Snow.

Even now, waking up in his large bed alone, she hopes that one day he'll see that she's the one.

Coriolanus often rises before the sun, showering and getting ready for work which leaves Soarynn to wake up alone in his large penthouse apartment. The first time she woke up alone she had felt so...out of place. His penthouse is opulent, filled with tasteful furniture and expensive artwork. Everything about him screams how important he is.

But the household staff didn't bat an eye when she stumbled out of his bedroom in nothing but a borrowed button-up shirt from his closet the first time she slept over.

Now she's more than used to being here by herself, he even gave her a key! Soarynn just knows that it's a step in the right direction, that it shows how much he trusts her. She certainly trusts him, after all, she let him take her virginity.

He had been so sweet the first time, so patient and gentle, making it a magical experience for Soarynn. They often partake in rougher more passionate sex since she's more experienced and Coriolanus Snow is an excellent lover in the bedroom, always bringing her to a delicious orgasm without even trying.

Soarynn wakes up sore every morning in this apartment, covered in love bites in places that only he can see. Coriolanus is terribly possessive over everything he owns and Soarynn believes that he views her the same way, clear property of Coriolanus Snow and she's not mad about it.

It's her close friends who question his motives. They bring it up all the time how she should be cautious with an older man like him. "A man like Coriolanus Snow wants one thing and one thing only," Livia had told Soarynn one night at dinner, "I just don't want you to get hurt Soarynn."

But Soarynn had assured Livia that she knew what she was doing, Coriolanus would never hurt her.

She rolls over to face his empty side of the bed and smiles when she sees that a bouquet of roses has been left for her along with a little card. She takes the card and opens it, reading what he scribbled on the paper.

Buy yourself something pretty, darling. - Coriolanus

Soarynn can't help but squeal and kick her feet in excitement. He loves to spoil her. New shoes, new bags, new jewelry, new clothes and all on his card. Not that Soarynn can't afford these things on her own, but she's not going to be an idiot and decline such gifts.

Soarynn eventually pulls herself out of bed and goes into the bathroom, skimming her fingers on the marble countertops, imagining a life where she lives here all the time and has a vanity of her own. She does have a very small section of his closet filled with clothes she's left or purchased over the past few months.

She chooses a white dress, with a flattering neckline, short enough to drive him mad, and very flattering on her figure. She pairs the dress with red heels to give her outfit a pop of color along with gold jewelry. She puts on the necklace he gave to her just last week with a golden rose pendant hanging on the delicate chain.

Soarynn still doesn't have a lot of makeup in his bathroom, just a few toiletries and hair products so she'll buy some things today. She brushes through her long blonde hair, remembering how his fingers felt pulling on it last night. Soarynn sighs at her reflection, her life is so perfect, he is so perfect.

All she needs is a ring on her finger.

꧁ ꧂

"Ms. Nightingale, there's a phone call for you."

Soarynn looks up from the sofa she's sitting on, wearing only one shoe since she was about to try on another one with the help of the saleswoman. "Oh, alright, I'll be right back," she says, flashing the saleswoman an apologetic smile. She follows the other employee, a salesman to the back of the store where the phone is waiting for her to answer in the back hallway.

She brings the phone to her ear, "Hello?"

"Darling, it's Coriolanus."

Her lips curl up into a smile the second she hears his deep voice along with the pet name he gave to her, "How did you know where to find me?" She asks him, amazed at his ability to always know of her whereabouts. She rarely ever knows where he is but it seems that he prefers for things to be that way.

"I knew you'd turn up here eventually," he tells her, sounding prideful, "and I wanted to make sure that you were actually spending my money the proper way."

Soarynn giggles, twirling the phone cord around her index finger, "I am," she promises sweetly, "I was trying on shoes before you called."

"What color?"

Soarynn bites her lip before answering, "Blue."

There's a pause and she worries he might not approve, Coriolanus has a good sense of fashion and she's always trying to get his approval.

"Good, they'll bring out your eyes," he finally says and she sighs in relief. "Yes, I thought so too, are you still at work?"

Rarely does Coriolanus ever tell Soarynn about what his day entails, if he wants to see her, he calls her and she comes running. Their roles have never been reversed but once again, he prefers it that way. And she's not one to complain, Coriolanus is a very busy and very important man, she's lucky he can see her as often as he does.

"I am, although I might be at the office later than I normally am. Last minute meeting," he says as if that explains everything. Soarynn's smile turns into a frown, she was hoping to see him tonight, to spend the evening with Coriolanus wrapped in his strong arms.

"Oh," is all she says, her voice quieter than before.

"You should have dinner with some of your little friends, my treat darling."

Well, that's sweet of him. Soarynn leans against the wall and toes the ground, "You're so good to me," she tells him, knowing how much Coriolanus likes having his ego stroked, "I truly don't deserve your generosity."

The low chuckle that comes from her lover is all Soarynn needs to hear to know that she said the right thing, "Spend the night and you'll wake up next to me in the morning," he promises before she hears voices in the background, "I have to go, darling, I'll see you later."

"Goodbye," Soarynn whispers just as he hangs up the phone.

She wonders if he'd go into more detail if they were married, or engaged, or courting.

While they spend lots of time together with and without clothes on, nothing official has ever come of it and it's slowly beginning to eat away at Soarynn's heart.

She just has to act like it isn't.

꧁ ꧂

"Festus is being so annoying," Livia whines over dinner that night, "he won't stop pestering me about meeting his parents. We just started seeing each other!"

The bitter, jealous part of Soarynn wants to snap at Livia and remind her friend that she should be grateful that she actually has someone to call her own, unlike Soarynn.

But she bites her tongue and diligently nods to her friend's complaints, "That's so terrible Liv," Soarynn says, placing a sympathetic hand on top of Livia's, "he should respect your space and needs." Soarynn would be lying to herself if she said that she didn't want to be in Livia's shoes.

Livia is adored so publically, so openly by Festus who happens to be a good friend of Coriolanus. Soarynn wonders if Festus might pass along a hint for her, telling Coriolanus to hurry up and make her his.

People know that Coriolanus and Soarynn are friendly, that they spend a lot of time together but they're not courting so it doesn't even count. A bottle of champagne is brought over to their table by the waiter, "Oh, we didn't order that," Livia tells the man who politely shakes his head. "Compliments of Mr. Snow," he explains.

All the girls gasp at the sweet gesture, especially Soarynn because this must mean something. If he's sending her champagne then he must feel bad about working late tonight, which means that he's thinking about her.

"How sweet," she finally says, accepting the bottle, "he's always been so thoughtful."

"Has he mentioned courting you yet?" Clemensia asks from across the table, causing Soarynn to shake her head. "Not yet," she answers, "but it's coming soon, I just know it."

꧁ ꧂

Exhausted from a day of shopping and dinner, Soarynn is fast asleep in her lover's bed when he curls up behind her, wrapping a strong arm around her waist. Soarynn sighs and Coriolanus groans, hooking his chin over her bare shoulder, "How was dinner with the girls?"

Soarynn keeps her eyes shut, enjoying how his skin feels against hers, "It was good, the champagne was so sweet." Coriolanus shifts behind her and she can feel his bare chest pressing on her bare back, he always craves physical touch the most at night.

"My secretary suggested it," he mumbles, his voice growing deeper as he falls asleep, causing her heart to shatter into a million pieces. She thought that he was the one who sent the champagne, who thought of the sweet gesture. Not his secretary.

Soarynn feels her mood souring even more than before. She was already upset that she didn’t get to see him all day but this champagne is the last fucking straw.

Soarynn needs someone to appreciate her, to care about her, genuinely care about her.

She just wanted it to be him.

꧁ ꧂

Soarynn wakes up in a rotten mood.

The bed is empty. Again. But she can hear some sizzling in the kitchen. It’s Saturday which means the penthouse is empty, no staff on the weekends. Normally, Soarynn looks forward to these two sacred days. She gets Coriolanus all to herself since he doesn’t have to go to work. They run errands, go to the zoo, catch a movie, and end it all with dinner.

Not today though.

If he doesn’t see anything wrong with the amount of effort that he’s putting into this, then Soarynn is going to take it as an invitation to give Coriolanus Snow a taste of his own medicine.

At nineteen years of age, Soarynn considers herself to be a very mature young lady. Constantly complimented on how she carries herself, why, anyone on the street who laid eyes upon her would surely say that she’s at least twenty-one.

She knows how Coriolanus sees her. Sweet, adorable, submissive.

Harmless.

He likes her this way, likes carting her around on his arm, dipping into her fountain of youth. Soarynn sits up, pulling the covers up to her bare chest, and frowns, perhaps that’s why he’s kept her around for as long as he has. Perhaps she makes him feel younger, feel like he’s a young man again.

He certainly looks younger than thirty but still, he’s getting up there in age. Soarynn hasn’t even reached twenty and she already feels old, as if she’s outgrown her skin and her body. But Coriolanus might view her as a vice, something to remind him that he still has that famous Snow charm.

She glances over at the doors where she left all her shopping bags from yesterday, too tired to properly unpack them. She could stay for breakfast, let him dictate their day. Or, she could leave, leaving him dumbfounded.

Soarynn goes with the second option, quickly getting out of bed so she can dress herself. She doesn’t plan on coming back here for a long time, not until he comes crawling back that is. Soarynn knows Coriolanus well enough to know that he craves control and if he loses her, then he loses control.

Which is very unfortunate for him.

Pleased with her scheme, Soarynn goes out into the hallway, purse in hand, shoes on feet, and a determined look on her bare face.

“Darling?”

His deep morning voice catches her completely off guard. She freezes in her tracks, slowly turning around to face a shirtless Coriolanus. He looks so good right now, wearing some pajama pants with a plate in his hand. Whatever he made for them smells delicious and he looks delicious.

Maybe she could stay for breakfast.

No! She had to stay strong!

Coriolanus has a certain gravitational pull on people, drawing them in and keeping them right where he wants them to be, including her. It’s going to take a lot of effort to get out of his orbit.

“I…I can’t stay for breakfast,” she says, fidgeting with her purse. Coriolanus purses his lips, looking her up and down, “Why not? I made omelets.”

Coriolanus is an excellent cook even though he hires one, only showing off his skills to Soarynn. On Saturday nights he’ll pour them both a glass of wine and have her sit on the counter while he sautés a delicious meal. She’ll wear one of his button-up shirts, swinging her feet off the edge of the counter while she watches him.

Soft music will play in the background and he’ll have her taste test everything, laughing when he gets some sauce on her chin. Which will give him the perfect excuse to lean down, wiping it off before kissing her.

It’s a perfectly domestic thing to do with someone you don’t even consider courting and Soarynn feels a terrible chill run down her spine.

“I have to go,” she says softly, “there’s um, there’s an emergency.”

She could always tell him the truth, but when has that ever worked?

Besides, the terrible part of her still wants him to want her. So as a precaution, she’ll remain on his good side. A little distance will do them some good, even if he doesn’t know that’s what this is.

He looks concerned, worried for her well-being, and walks towards her, only stopping when he’s inches away from her and she can smell the omelet and the smell of roses.

It’s always been roses with Coriolanus.

“Is everything alright? Do you need me to do anything? Call you a car?”

He’s so sweet and caring even when she lies to him. Maybe she’s the one who doesn’t deserve him instead of it being the other way around.

Soarynn shakes her head, faking a smile, “No, no you don’t have to do anything. I just have to go alright?”

He seems disappointed that they won’t get to spend their morning together but he doesn’t push her. “Alright,” he mumbles, “call me when everything’s sorted then.”

Soarynn hums and presses herself on her toes to kiss him, short and sweet but she savors it all the same.

She doesn’t give him a chance to deepen it, pulling away as fast as she leaned in so she can leave. Soarynn closes the doors to his penthouse behind him, that terrible feeling still very persistent.

She hopes that he’ll pick up the pieces, put them together, and realize that she’s the one for him. Or he won’t and he’ll find some other girl to swoon and lead on.

She might have left the key he gave her in his room, but he still has the key to her heart.

꧁ ꧂

Three weeks pass by without a word from Coriolanus.

Well, he hasn’t come up and spoken to her in person that is. Soarynn has missed phone calls on her answering machine, unopened gifts that sit by her front door, and wilting roses that stand in a vase on her kitchen counter.

She’s been holding out on him, hoping, praying that this distance will remind him that she’s the one for him. He leaves notes with the gifts but they’re not confessions of love, just requests or possibly demands, all telling her to call him or come to his penthouse.

But Soarynn is done being at his beck and call, tired of being dragged around on an invisible leash.

She is Soarynn fucking Nightingale and she’s finally starting to act like it.

The sun is finally setting on the Capitol skyline and she’s forgotten how great of a view she has of it from her apartment. For a while, she was merely a visitor in her own home, coming and going whenever she needed something and then running right back to his place.

Not anymore.

Dressed merely in one of her many silk nightgowns, Soarynn prepares for a night in. She bought some chocolate and strawberries today at the store, planning on making her favorite dessert so she could snack while watching some television before going to bed.

A knock at her door pulls her out of the blissful bubble she’s been in the past few weeks and she walks towards her entryway. She mentally prepares to greet the gentleman who sits at the front desk in the lobby, responsible for delivering packages to the residents of the building. Or in recent weeks, gifts from Coriolanus that are addressed to Soarynn.

She’s sure this man is sick of her and her deliveries. She went from never coming home to the most popular person in the building in a matter of days.

She should really start tipping him.

Soarynn pops a strawberry into her mouth and unlocks the door, pulling it open and the fruit almost falls out of her mouth when she sees him.

Coriolanus Snow.

He looks furious. She’s been dodging his calls and ignoring him so he has every right to be but it’s something to see him standing her at her doorstep.

He’s never been to her apartment before. Never saw the need to.

And now here he is.

Soarynn doesn’t even know what to say, not with a strawberry in her mouth so she turns on her heel and walks back down the hallway, leaving it to him to either follow her or leave.

He follows her. Slamming the door behind him.

“So you’ve gotten my gifts and oh look, your phone looks just fine. I was starting to think that you fled the Capitol until I saw you earlier today on my lunch break, giggling with your friends as my car drove past you.”

Soarynn rolls her eyes, still chewing, men are so dramatic, and Coriolanus, although he won’t ever admit it, is always desperate for validation. Without her, she wonders who’s been stroking that big ego of his.

“Soarynn, look at me.”

She finally swallows down the berry and turns to face her lover, feeling simultaneously caught and commended for the efforts she’s gone through to get her point across.

You can be the most successful man in the world but without a woman by your side, you’re just another man.

"Why have you been ignoring me?" Coriolanus asks, looking confused while dressed in an expensive-looking suit, "You've been dodging my calls and tonight was the company gala, the gala that you promised to attend with me."

Oops. She forgot all about the gala.

"I thought you'd find someone else to take," she squeaks, watching the veins in his throat bulge. "Well I didn't," he hisses, stalking towards her, and for the first time ever, Soarynn realizes how big Coriolanus is, how strong and powerful he is. He could easily snap her neck, throw her against the wall, take her against her will. He won't, but he could.

"I looked like a fool," he continues, only a foot away from her now, "standing there without a date, being showered with pitying looks from everyone else. I had hoped that you'd come to your senses by now but you clearly haven't so tell me Soarynn, why are you so hellbent on ruining my reputation?"

Soarynn's jaw nearly falls open. He's not even here because he cares, he's here because his reputation is at stake. She resists the urge to slap him right across the face, even though he'd be quite deserving of it.

"Why won't you court me?" She finally asks, letting the question she's been thinking for months finally tumble from her lips. For so long she's held off on asking, held off on asking why she's never met his parents, or why he can call her every name in the book during sex but not in public.

Soarynn tries to be a patient person but her heart cannot say the same.

He looks shocked by her question, not expecting her to ask such a thing. A good Capitol girl never asks a man that, she waits by his side, waits for him to be ready to commit.

"I mean, you do everything else," she says exasperatedly, "you buy me things, send me flowers, kiss me, fuck me, and I do everything for you! I wait for you at your apartment, I listen to you talk about your day at work, I spend hours in bed with you. I just don't understand how difficult it is to court me, you're a grown man Coriolanus, you should be married by now, with children but you're not. And if you plan on being single for the rest of your life then that's fine but stop dragging me along with you."

They both stand in silence. Soarynn can't believe that she actually said that but at the same time, she's glad that she did. It's been too heavy of a burden for her to carry around any longer.

Coriolanus presses his lips into a thin line, composing himself after a moment of weakness, "Have you ever thought that maybe I don't see myself courting you? That I haven't taken this as seriously as you've wanted me to take it because I don't ever intend to?"

It's like he just ripped her heart out of her chest and tore it apart in front of her.

Soarynn feels the tears pooling in her eyes, unable to stop them from coming. This isn't how she planned for this to go, she thought he'd beg for her to come back and confess his feelings but instead, he's shot her down.

She sniffles as a tear rolls down her cheek, "Never mind then," she whispers, turning to flee the scene. She hears him calling out to her but Soarynn is already blinded by her tears and her heartbreak. She stumbles into her bedroom and runs past her bed into the bathroom where she can have a proper breakdown in peace.

She's been taking a lot of baths lately, reminiscing about the times when she'd take them with Coriolanus. Not anymore, she'll never think about him again after this. All those kisses, those smiles, those words. All fake.

How could she be so stupid?

She gave him everything. Her trust, her love, her virginity.

The gravity of what she's done hits her all at once and she sinks into the tub, curling up into a ball while she sobs. He's probably left already, perplexed by her strange behavior and tears. Soarynn has always remained cool, calm, and collected around Coriolanus, never whining or complaining. Not anymore.

She's so busy feeling sorry for herself that she doesn't even hear the tall, broad man pad into the bathroom, not until she feels his cold hand on her shoulder. Soarynn cracks her eyes open, gazing up at Coriolanus, somewhat surprised that he actually came after her.

"I didn't mean to make you cry," he tells her gently, crouching down by the tub, "you know that I care about you darling, but it's all...it's all so complicated. You wouldn't understand."

Those three words are enough to give Soarynn a second wind. She pushes herself to sit up and glares at the older man, wondering where he finds the audacity to say these things to her.

"Then explain it to me," she snaps, "because I'm not an idiot, I'm smart, I'm important, I am of value. I've given you everything Coriolanus, my trust, my love, my, my virginity," her voice breaks on the last word. She's ashamed all over again, she's been so foolish with him, so blindly trusting.

His brows crease and his hand remains on her shoulder, she hopes he doesn't remove it.

"Soarynn, you're so young, so beautiful and kind, it wouldn't be fair to chain you to me. I'm not always as kind as I am when I'm with you, not always as understanding. That side of me is reserved only for you but I can't guarantee that version of myself to my future wife, she'll have to deal with all sides of me, the good, the bad, and the ugly."

She sniffles, wiping away her tears in an attempt to look more presentable, "I don't mind," she mumbles and he sighs, "truly, I don't. I can handle it, I can be your wife Coriolanus, I can be Mrs. Snow. I won't let you down or embarrass you, I'll be so good, so devoted to you."

They both fall silent again but this time, she dares to reach out to him, cupping his face with her hand and he leans into her touch, "Who else decodes you like me?" She whispers, "You don't let anyone else see you like this but me, think about it, you've already got one foot in the door. Think about how easy it would be to just get married."

She can see him contemplating her argument, a desperate one but she's also desperate. Soarynn thought some time apart would remind him of what he took for granted but it also reminded her about how much she missed him. She's missed his smile, his laugh, the way he smells after they have sex.

Although he tries to remain cold and closed off, she can see right through his facade, she knows him too well to his chagrin and when he finally looks into her teary eyes, she knows that he's decided on an answer.

꧁ ꧂

꧁ Five Months Later ꧂

Soarynn sits in the finest nail salon in the Capitol, known for its impeccable service and treatment towards its clients.

With a fresh manicure and pedicure, she feels on top of the world, like a new woman. "What color did you get for your nails again?" Livia asks from the chair next to her. Soarynn lifts her left hand in the air for her friend to see her freshly painted nails, a light pink color, it's practically her signature. She admires her nails and more importantly, the way the sunlight causes her new engagement ring to shine and sparkle.

Soarynn would never consider herself spoiled, but she's used to getting what she wants.

Including a husband.

It didn't take much to convince Coriolanus that she was the one for him. After breaking down in her bathtub and telling him that she would be the perfect wife for him, she knew he'd make a move. He spent the night at her apartment, claiming that he didn't want to leave her alone in her moment of distress and they ended up without their clothes on, making up for lost time.

The next day they had officially made up and Coriolanus officially asked to court her. He told her that they'd tell everyone that they'd been courting for much longer but in secret. Turns out he was eager to make her his wife now that the idea was planted in his head, more eager than she was. He proposed a mere two weeks ago, getting down on one knee and shocking her with a gorgeous engagement ring.

The diamond is huge, and Soarynn loves looking at it, envisioning their wedding and what's to come shortly after. Children, pets, the whole nine yards. They're already decided on a date, next January since the Snows apparently only marry in the winter. Something about family traditions.

"I still can't believe you're engaged," Livia says with a shake of her head, "I mean, I suspected something between you two but still, it all happened so soon." Soarynn smiles, lots of people were surprised but she wasn't, she's been planning on becoming Mrs. Snow for a long time.

"When you know, you know," she replies.

She just knew from very beginning.

꧁ ꧂

When Soarynn finally gets home from another day of shopping, she finds that her fiance has busied himself in the kitchen rather than his study. An odd change of scenery for Coriolanus who’s always holed up in his study if he’s at home.

He’s chopping away at some vegetables on a cutting board, so focused on the task at hand that he doesn’t even notice she’s back until the timer on the oven beeps, snapping him back into the present.

He looks over at her and grins, “Darling, when did you get back?”

Soarynn remains in the doorway to the large kitchen, content with watching him cook, “Just now,” she answers, leaning on the frame, “is the cook not here?” He shakes his head, scraping the chopped vegetables into a large bowl, “I sent her home early, I sent everyone home early.”

Soarynn frowns, wondering if something happened while she was gone. She’s already moved in with him, selling her apartment but once they’re married, she’ll be in charge of managing the household staff.

Until then, Coriolanus is still in charge.

“Why?” She inquires, stepping into the kitchen and setting her purse down on the counter, “Did something happen?”

His smile only grows bigger as he goes to open the oven, a heavenly aroma quick spreads throughout the room and Soarynn suddenly feels very hungry. “No, nothing happened. I just wanted it to be you and me tonight.”

It’s Thursday which usually means Coriolanus coming home right in time for dinner and wanting to go straight to bed. But he’s already home, and cooking. Something must be going on, he must be cooking up something else besides dinner at the moment. She knows him too well.

“Is there a particular reason for that?” She asks sweetly, appreciating the gesture but questioning the intent behind it. Nothing comes without a price, nothing at all. Soarynn would know that better than anyone.

The ring on her finger is the perfect example. Only given to her once she bared her soul to Coriolanus and somewhat embarrassed herself by crying in front of him.

And he’s far too clever to come home early for no good reason, Coriolanus loves to play games, loves a good riddle, a good challenge.

Soarynn has never been too fond of games.

Coriolanus sets the pan down on the stove to cool off, allowing her to admire how handsome he looks from behind, his white dress shirt still tucked into his pants. She can see that his curls have broken loose from the gel he slicks them back with every morning.

“I have a gift for you.”

Well now her interest is piqued. He turns around and laughs at her expression, eager to see what he got her, “Oh, now you’re excited that I’m home early,” he teases, “well you’ll have to wait until after dinner.”

Soarynn pouts, already knowing that it’s pointless. Coriolanus is a simple man who likes to complete one task at a time. He won’t move to her gift until they’ve eaten dinner and he’s washed all the dishes. Which is very annoying for her and very amusing for him.

Even engaged he still likes to pull her around on a leash.

So she doesn’t fight it. She asks him about his day, lets him feed her pieces of food while he continues cooking until the entire meal comes together. They eat in the dining room, a huge room with an even bigger table for just the two of them. Coriolanus sits at the head of the table, of course, and Soarynn sits to his left.

“I was thinking about the wedding,” she says between bites of chicken, “we should really try to limit the guest list or we’ll be stuck greeting everyone all night at the reception instead of enjoying each other.”

Coriolanus sips his wine which is a shocking choice of beverage for a man who loves whiskey or bourbon. A small smile grows across his lips like he knows something she doesn’t. He probably does considering how much older and wiser he is.

“Darling, the guests will come to us,” he tells her, placing his hand on top of hers, “there will be no running around the greet the guests. We’ll sit down at our table and enjoy our dinner,” he gestures to their current situation to use as an example.

Soarynn feels a little silly now, of course, people will come up to them and not the other way around. But she’s never been to a wedding before, too young and none of her friends have even gotten engaged yet.

She’s the first.

At least she doesn’t have to worry about losing her virginity. They crossed that bridge months ago.

"Oh," is all she says, her cheeks burning with a little bit of embarrassment, "well, I think I found my dress today." Changing the subject is an easy way to avoid any criticism from Coriolanus who often expects her to act twice her age while still remaining the youthful, wide-eyed girl he met forever ago.

His eyebrows shoot up, he knows how stressed she's been about finding the perfect wedding dress. It has to be something distinguished, something elegant and flattering, something the wife of a Snow would wear.

He's got it easy, wearing a black suit like he always does for important events.

"Did you now? What does it look like?"

Soarynn shrugs, a sweet smile on her lips, "What does my gift look like?" Coriolanus laughs at her attempt to even the playing field, she can't help but want to know what he got her today. "Never mind then," he decides, shaking his head, "we can both bathe in the anticipation."

Soarynn groans but he doesn't give in. Every once in a while he does, even a grown man like Coriolanus Snow can't fight off her pouting and innocent gaze. So she shows him her freshly painted nails and asks him about work, it's a domestic night for the both of them.

Once dinner is eaten, she helps him with the dishes, passing them to him so he can rinse them off. Soarynn likes to imagine doing this a few years into the future with little ones sitting in the living room, whispering about how romantic it is that their parents do the dishes together.

Coriolanus has only spoken about children a few times since she met him but she knows that he expects to start a family. He's late to that race compared to his friends his age whereas Soarynn is very early.

"Alright," Coriolanus says, drying off his hands with a dish towel, "let's go get your gift darling."

Soarynn squeals with excitement, she's not always the most patient person in the world which is why Coriolanus loves to make her wait. He made her wait to get engaged but look how that ended for him.

She follows him out of the kitchen and down the hall towards his study. Soarynn has only been in this room a few times since they met, finding it boring since it lacks anything of interest to her.

"Sit down here," he instructs, patting an armchair that sits across from his desk. Soarynn does as she's told, sinking into the chair and crossing her ankles. "Now close your eyes and hold out your hands, no peeking Soarynn," he says sternly. Soarynn gives him the best innocent, angelic look she can manage, "I won't peek," she promises.

He grunts and she closes her eyes, holding out her hands to receive her gift. Soarynn listens to him walk away from her and then hears the sound of a desk drawer being opened. She hasn't the slightest clue as to what he's gotten for her. If it were jewelry or clothes then he'd bring her to the closet.

Soarynn feels him standing in front of her again and then feels the light weight of what must be a card placed in her hands.

"Open your eyes darling."

Sure enough, it's a card. Soarynn gives him a curious look as he leans against his desk, watching her with amusement. "A card? Did you get our wedding invitations back?" They finally decided on their wedding invitations and Soarynn has been waiting for all of them to be delivered so she can mail them out to their guests.

He merely grins at her guess, "Open it and find out."

Soarynn's fingers gently tear open the envelope and she's surprised to find no note or invitation inside. In fact, it doesn't look like there's anything inside. Soarynn purses her lips, turning the envelope upside down and shaking it when a small, pink card falls into her lap. Soarynn picks it up, holding it between her thumb and index finger to inspect it.

It's no bigger than her citizen's license.

"Well? What is it darling?"

Soarynn looks up at her fiance, very confused as to what this is and why he's asking her to tell him. She turns it to the other side and her eyes zero in on the words that have been engraved into the card.

Soarynn Snow - Capitol Banking Card - 05081 082810

A sharp gasp leaves her lips.

"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, is this, is this what I think it is?!"

For the longest time, Soarynn has just been using one of his cards to go shopping and spend his money. Coriolanus trusted her enough to hand over one of his many banking cards without batting an eye, telling her to go shop her little heart out. But that was back when this all first started, since getting engaged, she's still been using his card, mostly because he hasn't asked for it back yet.

His banking card is sleek and black, with his name and his card number engraved into it.

But this is her card, with her name on it.

Coriolanus smiles, nodding his head, "The bank called me this afternoon to tell me that all the paperwork was finally in order. I left work early to pick it up for you."

Soarynn leaps out of her chair, too excited to sit still. She flies into his arms, smiling and shrieking, "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Coriolanus wraps his arms around her, holding her tightly against him while Soarynn clutches her card like it's a lifeline.

It's her first step towards becoming his wife.

"You're very welcome darling, I figured it was time for you to have your own card since you seem so keen on using mine to spend my money," he explains, giving her a teasing look. Soarynn giggles, she might have a habit of spending a lot of his money, but he can't have his fiance walking around in last season's shoes!

"Well, I'm going to have so much fun using my own card to spend your money," she tells him, smiling down at her little pink banking card. She can't believe he did this for her!

Although she'd never admit it out loud, there was a short-lived time when Soarynn worried that he only proposed because he felt pressured to, that he was only doing it out of duty and obligation. If that was the case then she was in for a miserable marriage where it would always be known that she trapped him into getting married.

But this card is clear proof that he feels the same way she feels about him.

He hums, rubbing a hand up and down her back, "It's the first official document that has your married name on it, even the banking paperwork has been updated."

She hadn't even given it any thought but he's right. Soarynn's old card still has her maiden name on it. According to the people at the Capitol Bank, she is Soarynn Snow, Mrs. Snow, Coriolanus Snow's wife.

It's the most perfect gift she's ever been given.

"I love it, thank you."

Soarynn kisses him on the cheek, leaning into his touch which becomes more possessive by the second, "There will be limits" he mumbles, turning his head so he can properly kiss her, "just like when you were using my card there will be monthly limits as to what you can spend."

Soarynn gives him a playful whine, tugging on his bottom lip, "It's all a precaution darling, I can't have you running me into the ground with your frivolous spending."

Soarynn gasps, pulling away from their kiss, "Frivolous spending?! My lingerie that you love so much is not frivolous!" She's got him there, Coriolanus loves it when she spends his hard-earned money on lingerie that he can rip off later that same night. And it's not like Soarynn has ever gone and run him dry, she's very frugal with her spending, only buying exactly what she needs.

Which sometimes happens to be twelve pairs of shoes plus a few new dresses.

"I do love your lingerie," he agrees, giving her a squeeze, "but sooner or later it won't just be the two of us on my tab, we'll have little ones and I have an inkling that you're going to be quite the spender when it comes to our children."

Just the thought of having children with Coriolanus excites her. Soarynn has always wanted a family, to be a part of something and she's always dreamt of being a mother. She's spent long enough thinking about the type of mother she's going to be. She'll be a good one, raising her children to be polite and respectful, but also darling and adored by all they meet.

She's meeting his parents this weekend for the first time.

Coriolanus has always kept her far away from his own family, to the point where Soarynn had to question if his parents were even still alive. Hers weren't. But now that they're engaged, his mother is eager to meet her future daughter-in-law.

"She's going to love you," he had told her after bringing it up to her the other day after dinner, "she's always wanted a daughter and I already showed her a photograph of you, she thinks you're adorable."

Soarynn didn't quite know if adorable was what she was going for but it was better than some trampy young girl running after a man ten years older than her.

Coriolanus hasn't mentioned a thing about what his father will think of her.

She hasn't brought it up either.

But she knows that his parents will expect grandchildren and she'll be happy to deliver on that expectation.

Soarynn sighs into the kiss, "You always think ahead don't you?"

From the moment she met Coriolanus, she knew he was one of the smartest people in the world, always so sharp and bright, anticipating everyone's next move before they could even think of it themselves, including hers.

"Of course darling," he mumbles, sliding his hand down to her left hand, rubbing her engagement ring, "Snow always has to land on top."

| tumblr oneshot/drabble |

| taglist: @strawberriicakes @wonderlandbound111 @kickmybark @evilmenarehot @thevoicesinmyprettylittlehead @melodyoflovee @erensrealgf |

[eridanidreams]

A little something I worked on today for my ongoing Starfield longfic stars through my fingers like grains of sand. I just posted a new chapter, and this is the beginning of the next.

***

Cait shivered as she stepped into the ready room; Devine hadn't spent too much money on insulation, and the howling wind outside sucked the heat right out. The Constellation suits didn't have the same kind of protection she'd built into the Mantis and Paladin suits—but the Constellation suits wouldn't give away their secret identities, either. Fortunately, there was a workbench; she could probably cobble something together to give them a little more oomph. "Bring your suit over here," she said, resolutely keeping her teeth from chattering. "I want to give them a once-over before we go out. Just to be on the safe side."

"Mei's people would have had access to the suit storage lockers," Sam observed, following her direction.

"Yeah," she agreed. "Wouldn't put it past them to get 'creative'."

He made a derisive snort at the idea. "Hey, hang on a sec." She turned to see him half-out of his jacket. "Put this on—you're cold enough you're about to make me start shivering." He gave a mock-shudder. "See?"

Cold as she was, she wasn't about to argue. As she slid into it, she was surrounded by the warmth of his body that still clung to it, as well as the faint scent that was, now and forever, lodged in her memory as Sam. "You'll tell me when you need it back," she said.

"Don't worry about me. You know I like the cold." He winked at her. "Warm all the way down, remember?" There was something about the satisfaction coming off him that went beyond just warming her up. "Gotta say, you wear that old thing almost as well as I do."

Cait thought about it for a moment as her practiced hands started the diagnostics going. "This is one of those guy things, isn't it?"

"What's a guy thing?" Sam sounded innocent as the long day, but his silent laughter fizzled against her skin.

"Me wearing your jacket?" she responded tartly.

"Ohhhh," he said, in tones of sudden—and feigned—understanding. "You mean the desire of a man in a romantic relationship to see the woman of his dreams wearing a piece of clothing recently removed from his body, so that the intimacy of touch is transferred via the garment?" She turned to look at him incredulously—he looked like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. "That guy thing?"

"Something like that," she said slowly.

"Maaaaaybe…" His eyes crinkled, and his lips curved into a warm smile. "Not that I would admit to such a base urge." He took a step closer to her, his voice softening. "And I sure wouldn't want to distract you from being all knotted up with tension before we throw ourselves into danger, now would I?" Behind her, the diagnostic continued to run. "That would be just terrible." Cait managed to keep her suspicious face through most of his spiel, but the mock-gravitas he laid on the word 'terrible' broke her into a fit of giggles. "There we go." His voice dripped satisfaction. "Feeling better now?"

"Much," she sighed, as the diagnostic beeped. "You're a bad, bad man, Sam Coe, and one of these days I'm going to give you exactly what you deserve."

Sam chuckled and pulled her into an embrace. "Don't threaten me with a good time, darlin'." The kiss they shared was slow and lazy, a promise rather than a demand. "Might just take you up on it."

She was laughing when she turned back to the workbench.

Gooooood Morning! It’s WIP Wednesday Thursday!

Just:

Reblog this post with a snippet of what you’re currently working on attached, and I’ll rb with comments/encouragement !

It doesn’t have to be Dragon Age, it can be whatever you’re working on!

Very chill, no pressure! Thanks for sharing, and have fun!

[merelylillies]

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Note: ‘‘Starting to get the hang of it...might still be bad. Brace yourself I guess? Also not proofread so fingers crossed.,,

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Fandom: Hoyoverse's Genshin Impact

Pairing: (Fem.)Reader x Xiao || Alatus >>Mentioned: Malipo Kinich

Content Warnings: (NSFW) Kissing, Needy/Desperate vibes, Jealousy, Praise, Handjob (giving).

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The one time you left Paimon behind you felt surprisingly deprived of her usual chatter as you made your way up onto the cobblestone path. Though you supposed it was all well and good, she was with Xiangling, not only safe but with the company of endless food. Surely she won't complain by the time you pick her up tomorrow. Although as of right now, the atmosphere felt empty, the only noise being your heeled boots clacking onto the wooden platform of the open-air elevator. It had been a while since you last visited Wangshu Inn.

With everything that had happened between Fontaine and Natlan, it's fair to say a moment's rest has been few and far between. With the latter, upon meeting some of the tribes' people had you then suddenly grown homesick. The Malipo name bearer having played tricks on your eyes one too many times from behind. His tousled, dark blue strands with sharp cuts flooded nostalgia through your blood countless times, before you were inevitably met with green irises instead of the gold you so cherished. Lost in thought you'd barely registered the platform had reached the terrace with a clunk. Looking around, most of the guests had early turned in for the night, the moon hanging high in the sky and the air perfectly still if not for a small breeze. Walking off the elevator and rounding the entrance to the front desk, Verr Goldet was busying herself petting the inn's cat perched on the counter. She turned at the sound of footsteps with a clear look of surprise that melted into a welcoming smile.

"Welcome back Traveler," she spoke softly. Nodding in greeting you glanced around, eyes landing on the staircase leading to the upper terrace. Upon catching this Verr smiled almost knowingly.

“He's been waiting a long time you know?" she said cryptically.

“Oh." was all you managed to get out.

"Take this on my behalf will you?" she asks with an amused look before handing you a delicate plate with a decorated portion of Almond Tofu.

“Xiangling sent in a letter earlier when you departed from the harbor. I had Yanxiao make it before clocking out.".

“Thank you." you responded almost dumbfounded before taking the plate from her hands.

She nodded before turning back around to scribble away in her log book, leaving you to stare down at the dish before ultimately turning to make your way up the final flight of stairs. As you made it to the top of the stairs, building up your courage to call his name you stopped just short of the archway. To your surprise, the man was already there. Sitting balanced on the railing of the terrace, with one leg bent into his chest, the other dangling down towards the void. The Adeptus' back was to you, allowing you to gaze over the back of his hair, your brain almost warning you it's just another hopeful illusion. As your silence goes on, he turns his head in your direction, glowing yellow peering into you like daggers. Everything stilled for a little while, the two of you just staring at one another without making a move. Gods you had missed him.

“Hi Xiao." you offered, breaking the silence. He continues to look at you, then suddenly shifts, disappearing into thin air before reappearing a couple of steps away from you, standing stiffly. Swallowing your doubt, you walk closer holding the Tofu out to him.

“Yanxiao made this for you-" you suddenly stop at his expression, as he stares at you with a perplexed look, confusion mixed with upset and then switching to weariness.

“Xiao, what's wrong?" you ask concerned, eyes checking over his figure before feeling gloved fingers slide on top of yours holding up the plate.

Looking up at him, his eyes seemed to roam across your face frantically, and then finally settle on your eyes, gazing into them intensely. His other hand comes to your shoulder, gently holding you, before tightening his grip firmly once he knew for a fact you were actually standing before him. He seemed to be physically relieved at your presence. You were actually here. In front of him. Without another second wasted he pulled you into him, plate long forgotten on the floor. The embrace was rigid, but he pulled you in so tightly as if he were scared to even consider letting go.

A few beats pass by before he shifts his arms, his hands that were clutching at your back now trailing down near your waist. He continues to hold you there, pressed up against him, his head hovering above your shoulder, dark strands tickling your ear.

“Where have you been.” It sounded more like a statement than a question, an accusation almost.

Hesitating with your response you swallowed a bit nervous. “I was traveling to the other nations- I’ve been to Fontaine and Nat-”.

“You took so long.” He breathed out, almost a whisper.

“You worried me.” He started. “I started thinking you might’ve been stubborn again and refused to call upon me.” His voice turned stern again, despite the softness of his low volume.

“Xiao..”.

“Traveler..May I be selfish?”, He pulls back enough to look at you, his forehead grazing your own.

Nodding slowly at him, your eyes lock onto his, seeing the underlying passion and yearning and admiration that he hid deep within himself.

Before you could say anything else he closed the distance between you.

The kiss was soft at first but as you kissed him back, reciprocating his movements with practiced ease, he started leaning back, shrinking into himself more. This was experience he continued to lack even with the many times you’d shared kisses. Kissing and any physical intimacy was a foreign concept to him, so he couldn’t help the small noises that escape him as you didn’t let up on his lips.

It was almost embarrassing how worked up he started getting, the harsh persona faltering the more you pressed forward and the longer the kiss continued. He felt breathless. For all his training he suddenly couldn’t calm his racing heart and his shortness of air.

You let up for a few seconds, letting him fill his lungs before diving back in immediately after his first gasp.

“Aah-mm” The hum leaves him involuntarily. Xiao had never wanted to be the vocal type, but novelty to these sensations made it hard for him to surprise himself.

Could you just- Archons above. Give him a second- Suddenly, despite his rare initiation, he feels out of his depth.

Adepti are trained to have endless patience and composure. So dear Seven, what the FUCK. He was feeling things he shouldn’t, thoughts crossing his mind he would berate himself later for. But as you kept moving forward, hands mimicking his own, wrapping onto his own waist, all trace of thought was gone from his mind.

You felt yourself turn light as a feather for a moment before realizing you had changed settings. He had teleported you inside. Now in a beautifully decorated chamber, the furniture adorned with untouched, long-settled dust. This must be the room Verr keeps for him.

As your turned your focus back to Xiao the boy looked beyond unrecognizable. The usual scowl on his face replaced with an unreadable expression. His pale skin blushed over with red. The tips of his hair standing up a little wilder than normal. But most of all, his eyes. Oh his eyes.. They held you with their stare, glossed by the warm, dim light of a bedside lantern.

Xiao’s brain seemed to spontaneously re-wire itself as he shifted his footing. Walking over to him, you started kissing him again, firmly and with so much emotion from you missing him, leaving behind the slow gentle pecks from earlier.

He fell into your rhythm, not once fighting to control the kiss. Walking him backwards until the back of his knees hit the mattress, making him fall down with you straddling him. Almost grinning against his lips you opened your eyes to look at him. His unfocused, widened gaze and his half open mouth, lips turned more vibrant with friction.

As you settled above him your hand moving up to his waist before your hand grazes over the front of his pants, a hitch of his breath escaping in response. Surprised at the sound, your eyes trail down to his trousers only to be met with a more prominent bulge.

Oh. Oh.. oh.

He couldn’t meet your gaze, his forearm moving atop his face shielding his eyes.

“You missed me that much?”

“It’s an uncontrollable aspect of the male human body. Something you should well be aware of. Your own kind’s shortcomings.” He replies with a hoarse voice, trying to keep his tone steady and even.

“Oh I wouldn’t say shortcomings..” You reply smugly before shifting your palm down onto him.

“A-ah-” He cuts himself off with a hiss of a breath.

As your hand continues grinding onto him his breaths pick up again, chest stuttering with his small gasps. Brows visibly furrowing, as the arm shielding his face twitches in place with small trembles.

“You- m-mm-” He attempts.

“I what?” You tease back.

And he’s really trying. Rex Lapis knows he’s trying to hold it in. Not seem so..so.. needy. And he doesn’t want to beg. That’s pathetic and unbecoming of an illuminated beast, an immortal, weapon of war..

“You look so pretty Xiao”, You whisper, caressing his soft hair, fingers trailing down his jawline, “I missed you so.”

Curse Celestial-

“Please.”

You don’t even get to respond to his sudden plea before others pour in.

“Please. I-I desire your- hahatouch. Ah. You. Please.” His arm strongly planted over his eyes.

Smiling down at his shaky form, you dip your hands past his waistband and loosen the sash holding his pants. The fabric dips down his slim hips, his usually cold skin, burning to the touch.

Finally wrapping a hand around him he gasps louder, this time a high pitched moan fully tumbling out of his lips.

“Ha- Aa-ah fuck -mmmmh”

You give him a tentative slow stroke up before reaching the tip, thumbing at it while watching his reaction. His first bawling against his own palm, the less human features of his hands peaking out from their usual concealment. Nails sharpening and veins becoming more visible, running down his arm.

“Yes-ah just like that— AAah-” His fingers twitch as you repeat the motion, dragging your thumb slowly against the slit.

As you speed up your motions his back begins arching slightly, lifting off the mattress as his pitch heightens with breathlessness and an almost whiny undertone. Your hand tightening around him and squeezing him just how he needed and god it feels good.

And he’s basically never done this before, and so he’s already getting embarrassingly close. His heart feels like it’s in his throat with the way he feels unable to utter out anything more than pleasurable moans. Your hand picks up the pace, and he bites his lip, sharp canines almost piercing his already kissed raw, red lips. His arm barely staying still from the stimulation, shudders running their course throughout his body. Finally falling to the side, his arm yanks at the bedding, his eyes scrunched up in pleasure as his eyebrows knit together. His entire face is blushed heavily, not to mention the almost visible pants of hot air escaping his mouth with little to no restraint from him.

“I’m- I..”

“Hm? Does it feel nice Xiao?” You boldly inquired boldly.

“Is this what you desired? What you fantasized while waiting for me? Imagining me so desperately?”

He was so sensitive and he has been wanting you all this time- having to wait so long and he was pent up and you knew that- and-

“Fuck- ah-Aa-hah..Please I’m almost.. Ah-” His voice breaks on his last plea, feeling too out of it to care.

Without much else he comes undone into your hand, letting out a small mewl that resembles a whimper.

You move to hover over him closer to his face and he opens his eyes to look ups t you dazed but with determination in his eyes.

“Ah-a-Again….” He huffs.

“Hah-h please.”

[redroomreflections]

PRESIDENTIAL AU TIDBITS

this is all just for fun for the time being. I'm also watching scandal

The heels of your pumps clicked against the marble floors as you strode down the hallway, your assistant barely keeping pace beside you, rattling off the day’s remaining tasks. You scrolled through your Blackberry to get through as many emails as possible as you headed through the West Wing toward the Oval Office.

“Senator Hughes wants a call before the end of the night, your briefing with the Joint Chiefs has been moved up to seven-thirty, and the French ambassador is still requesting a follow-up—”

Behind you, a few agents followed in silence. You had a handle on multitasking as you shook your head.

"Tell Senator Hughes I'm busy, reschedule the Joint Chiefs for eight, and tell the ambassador to send an official request."

You rounded the corner and passed through security, where agents were scanning the room before moving on.

"And the Canadian prime minister?"

"Cancel."

She nodded, writing down the messages as you walked. Your mind was on the rest of the day, already calculating the best course of action. As you neared the Oval Office, Janie glanced down at her notes and hesitated for half a second before speaking again.

“Oh, and the press office wants to know if you’re available for a soft feature on ‘A Day in the Life of the President.’”

You scoffed, not even looking up from your Blackberry. “Sure. Let’s start with ‘watching government officials ignore basic logic in real-time.’ Think that’ll make the cut?”

Janie bit back a laugh, shaking her head. “I’ll let them know you’re considering it.”

You smirked, finally glancing up. “Good. And tell them if they ask again, I’ll be sure to schedule it right after my deep dive into international debt reform. Should be riveting content.”

Janie chuckled under her breath but quickly straightened when she noticed you raising a brow.

"Who's this?" You gestured to Natasha with a thumb over your shoulder.

"This is your new agent, Natalie Rushman," Janie replied, flipping through her notes without missing a beat. "Former U.S. Army, served three years, transferred to the Secret Service after a stint in counterterrorism. Black belt in karate and jiu-jitsu, fluent in five languages, advanced marksmanship, defensive driving, explosives training—”

You exhaled sharply, giving the woman in question a once-over. She was composed, standing with perfect posture, expression unreadable.

“Impressive,” You admitted, crossing your arms. “And finally, some more estrogen on the team. It’s about time.”

Janie smirked, but Natasha didn’t so much as blink. You continued walking as Janie spouted off more things on your to do list.

"No, reschedule," You shook your head. "No, no, yes, no," you muttered, walking faster. You turned around, striding in the other direction.

“And,” Janie's assistant continued, flipping through her notes, “Sophia’s on line two.”

That gave you pause. “My Sophia?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

You sighed, rubbing the bridge of your nose. “Alright, I’ll take it in the Oval.”

By the time you stepped inside of the office, you had already slipped off your blazer and were rolling up your sleeves. You pressed the blinking line on your desk phone, trusting that someone else would close the door.

"Sophia?” You called. "Hi, baby, how are you?"

A dramatic sigh came from the receiver. “Oh, so you do remember I exist.”

You pinched the bridge of your nose again. “It’s been a day, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, well, it was a day for me too,” Sophia said. “Specifically, a day where you forgot I had my orchestra concert. Again.”

Shit.

Before you could apologize, Sophia kept going.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. You were probably off saving the country or whatever. Meanwhile, I had to play the first chair with zero moral support—do you know how stressful that is?—and then Mellie had the audacity to say—”

Your daughter’s voice dropped into a furious rant about her classmate, and that’s when the expletives started. Creative ones. Vivid ones. Ones you were certain Sophia did not learn in your household.

"She's such a stupid bitch, and—don't tell me not to call her that, she is—and it's just not fair. Why can't people be nice for once, instead of being mean, or annoying, or rude, or—"

You let her vent for a while, nodding as she rambled. You pressed the button to switch from speaker to receiver and pressed the phone to your ear.

“—an absolute, delusional, gaslighting little—”

“Sophia.”

“What?”

Your voice flattened. “Language.”

Sophia scoffed. “Oh, now you want to parent me.”

You sighed, dragging a hand down your face. “I’ll make it up to you, alright? Dinner on me, of course. Tomorrow night at eight. And we’re having a conversation about your vocabulary.”

A pause.

“Fine,” Sophia muttered. “But I want sushi. And not the cheap kind.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the small smile. “Noted. Now go do your homework.”

“Okay, get off my back," You could practically hear the eye roll.

"I love you, Sophia," You said.

"Love you too, Madam President,"

You hung up, tossing the phone onto your desk.

"Is something funny, Janie?"

"No, m'am," Janie quickly shook her head. Your eyes glanced over to the new agent. Natalie was still stone faced but something in her look told you she agreed with Janie.

"Natalie?" You asked

“Your daughter has exceptional tactical vocabulary, ma'am."

Janie bit back a laugh. Your glare snapped to your assistant, but there was no real heat behind it.

"Get out," You ordered, trying to hide your own smile.

Janie cleared her throat, collected her files, and headed toward the door.

"Yes, m'am," She grinned. "Though you should know Quinn and Joseph are on their way in less than..."

Before she could finish, the twins burst through the Oval Office, making a beeline for you.

Quinn clutched a well-loved stuffed pig in her arms, her determined steps making it clear she had a mission. Joseph trailed close behind. Their nanny barely managed to keep up, looking apologetic as she hovered in the doorway.

“Mom!” Quinn called, ignoring every ounce of decorum the room demanded as she rounded the desk. Joseph followed suit, reaching for your hand as soon as he was close enough.

You sighed, but there was no real exasperation behind it. “I thought it was bedtime?”

Quinn clambered into your lap without hesitation, clutching her stuffed pig like a battle companion. “We tried. Didn’t stick.”

Joseph, slightly more diplomatic, rested his chin on your desk. “We missed you.”

Your features softened as you smoothed a hand over Quinn’s hair and gave Joseph’s cheek a quick kiss. "Two executive orders just walked into the room." You said.

"Mama, can you read us to bed tonight?" Joseph asked.

"Yes, Mom," Quinn looked up, batting her eyelashes.

"Bribery is a form of coercion," You said.

"So is lying," Joseph said.

"And cheating."

"And stealing."

"And killing people," Quinn added.

"Okay, okay," You held up your hands, laughing. "Point taken. I cannot read you a story tonight. I still have a few things to do."

"Aww," Quinn groaned, pouting. "Do they have to do with the big secret thingy?"

"The 'secret thingy'?" You raised a brow.

"Yeah, the thingy we're not supposed to talk about because of national security and stuff," Quinn nodded.

"Quinn, I know you've heard the word 'secret' before, so maybe you could elaborate?"

"No, that's a good explanation," Joseph said. "'Secret' means no one should know about it."

You smiled, brushing the hair out of Joseph's face. "Well, this 'secret thingy,'" You used finger quotations for the phrase. "Is just some boring adult stuff."

"But Sophia's not an adult, and she knows," Quinn said.

"Sophia knows nothing," You denied. "Now, I want you two to meet my new agent. She'll be with us for the foreseeable future."

The twins' heads snapped around, looking at the new agent for the first time.

"She's pretty," Quinn said. "Doesn't look mean either."

"You can't just say that," Joseph scolded.

"Why not? It's true."

"I'm sorry about them," You addressed Natasha. Natasha only nodded. "You can talk to me, Natalie. I don't have a stick up my behind despite the rumors."

"Yes, ma'am." Natalie nodded. "Nice to meet you both." She said rather stiffly but not unfriendly.

Quinn narrowed her eyes, sizing Natasha up with the intensity of a pint-sized interrogator. “So, where are you from?”

“New York,” Natasha answered evenly.

Joseph crossed his arms. “Have you ever had to jump in front of a bullet for someone?”

Natasha tilted her head slightly. “Not yet.”

Quinn leaned forward, her stuffed pig tucked under one arm. “Can you do karate?”

“Yes.”

“Like, really good karate?”

“Yes.”

Joseph gasped. “Can you throw someone through a window?”

Natasha’s lips twitched. “Depends on the window.”

The twins exchanged looks, clearly impressed. Quinn gave a solemn nod. “Okay. I guess you can stay.”

Before they could continue their interrogation, you raised a hand. “Alright, that’s enough. This is not a Senate hearing.” You turned to Natasha, shaking your head. “I swear they get it from their sister.”

Natasha gave a slight shrug, but you noticed her eyes crinkle.

[dixonsdarkelf]

QOTU: A Little Friendly Competition Part 2

Summary: Going on dates wasn’t always a guaranteed good time. Vec has had her fair share of shitty dates, but the nerves she had for this particular one were for a different reason. She truly liked this one, and she wanted it to go well. Thankfully, Scud shared the same sentiment, and it made for one of the best nights of their lives.

Part two of Vec & Scud’s first date is finally here. It picks up right from where part 1 left off. I’m sorry it took so long. I’ve hardly felt like a person for the last month. I hope you like this 🖤

There’s a mention of line dancing, so if you’ve never heard of that or seen it before, here’s a good example.

Era: Pre-apocalypse, a little over a year before the outbreak

Word count: 6.2k (really glad I split this one up since part 1 was 8.1k lol)

Warnings: swearing, some small bits of content with a suggestive undertone, brief discussion of guns & weapons (in reference to Scud’s past with Blade)

We're also cross-posting on AO3 if you'd rather read over there!

My AO3 Krys' AO3

Her heart nearly catapulted from her chest as he laced his fingers between hers, and he squeezed lightly, a silent ask to make sure she was comfortable before they stayed walking. Their night had started with a little friendly competition, and now, they were off to a bar to continue their date.

“Definitely not gonna get lost now,” she grinned.

The crisp evening air nipped at her legs, forming goosebumps through her fishnets. She shivered slightly, regretting having not grabbed a jacket before stepping out that night. The sweater she’d chosen was light, barely a sweater when it came to warmth standards, as far as she was concerned. Her shiver was subtle, but it still caught the inventor’s attention.

“You cold?” he asked as his thumb absentmindedly drew small circles over the back of her hand.

There was a shudder in her voice as she talked, clearly trying to use her words to downplay how cold she really was as to not be an inconvenience to her date. “A little, but I’ll be okay. It doesn’t look like we’re going that far.”

“Nah, c’mon. I have a jacket in my car. Small detour ain’t a big deal.” He was already dragging her in the direction of his vehicle, not giving her room to protest. He wasn’t ever the type to “not take no for an answer,” but in the case of of the beautiful woman on his arm shaking like a leaf and slowly turning into a popsicle, he was willing to break his own rules.

“It’s okay Josh, really,” she reiterated as they reached his car. He was already headfirst in the backseat, quickly emerging with his red and black leather jacket, before she could protest further.

“What kinda man would I be if I let a lady such as yourself go cold for the evenin’ when I could’ve done somethin’ about it?” He handed the jacket over to her, their fingers grazing past each other, causing her cheeks to turn baby pink under her makeup again. Despite having been holding hands only moments before, the butterflies in her stomach still went into overtime. “Plus, I’m sure it’ll look way better on you.”

She smiled at the compliment and gathered her hair in a ponytail, laying it over her shoulder and sliding her arms through the sleeves. Her shivering ceased almost immediately, the thick material shielding her from the breeze and cocooning her in its warmth. He stepped around and gently gathered her hair, careful not to disturb any of her curls as he moved it to hang down her back.

Being a gentleman? Yes. Using it as an excuse to touch her? Also yes.

He stepped back and gave her a not-so-subtle up-down look over. His piercing blue eyes lingered over his jacket on her smaller frame for a few moments longer than the rest before meeting her gaze again. Scud was awestruck, already thinking about the next time he would wear it, knowing it would have a faint scent of her and her sweet vanilla perfume on it. “Told you.”

Taking his hand again, they trekked across the parking lot, his jacket now a barricade to the evening breeze. He slipped a thumb between their hands and lightly scratched her palm. The gesture had her heart fluttering, causing her to sweat a little despite shivering just minutes ago. She could only hope the breeze against her hand would prevent it from feeling clammy.

“I know I don’t need to say this, but thanks for being so cool about me being on my phone to text my best friend,” she praised, stepping up onto the curb and pressing the button on the crosswalk sign for the light to change, “being cool about girl code and all that.”

He chuckled softly, as if to emphasize reassurance that it was all good. “You’re right, you don’t need to say it. Like I said, it’s not a problem. You’ve got someone looking out for you, and that’s good. Are you two close?” He scoffed at his own remark, then continued. “That’s a stupid question, of course you’re close. How long have you two been friends?”

As they crossed the street, his hand tightened around hers ever so slightly, and he pulled her closer, both small, subconscious acts that were completely unintentional. Being the observant icon that she was, she noticed and squeezed back, drawing a faint, almost unnoticeable flush to his cheeks, only evident to her due to their close proximity.

Vec’s voice sparkled as she mused over the details of their origin story. “Since we were little, before we could even talk. Our moms were good friends and got pregnant around the same time. Our birthdays are pretty close.” A soft chuckle escaped her lips. “I’ve got two weeks on her, though. 13 days, if you really wanna get technical about it.”

“Damn, that’s a long time. Most friendships don’t last that long. That’s impressive.” As a crowd walked by on the other side of the sidewalk, he gently pulled her closer, and it only sent her heart into further fits of fluttering.

“Yeah. She’s been with me through everything, and vice versa. She’s a sister to me. My family consider her one of their own. I’m really lucky.”

“That’s awesome. I’m happy for you two.” He stifled a chuckle before asking his next question. “Do you ever get pegged as a couple in public? We talkin’ that kind of close?”

“That is the pinnacle of female friendships, Josh,” she explained, “once you’ve reached that stage, there’s no going back.”

“That’s kind of adorable.” He briefly paused before continuing, realizing his previous comment didn’t do the situation justice. “Not kind of. It very adorable.”

She could see Whistler’s up ahead, the rustic metal sign swaying lightly in the breeze. She smiled softly as she watched a group of strangers cross the street, one of the guys picking up one of the girls bridal-style and spinning her around. Her infectious laughter stood out amongst the evening Atlanta traffic, drowning out the sounds of honking car horns and music playing from nearby businesses. Vec only hoped that maybe, things would work out for her, and one day, that could be the two of them crossing the street like that.

There was still the presence of some butterflies, but the high anxiety she’d started off with before leaving the house had completely subsided at some point during the course of their little competition. Being around him felt…comfortable, natural, organic. The way her hand fit perfectly in his, the way she felt at ease with him around—it was like a dream.

Approaching the front door, he released her hand and stepped in front of her, swinging it open and gesturing inside. “After you, m’lady,” he insisted.

“Ooh, such a gentleman,” she mused, slipping past him and stepping off to the side, pulling out her phone to update her best friend.

Ginny 🌻: Probably that one. It’s cute. He has good taste. Stay safe 💛

Vec: Yep, that’s the one. We just got here. I’ll keep you posted 💙

Sliding it back into her purse, she wove through a sea of people along the counter, Scud close behind as he guided her through the crowd with a hand on her waist. They managed to snag the last set of stools at the bar, her taking the one farther from the door and positioning herself to face him, legs crossed.

“I take it you’ll still let me know if I pull any stunts you don’t like?” he wondered, propping himself onto the opposite stool. As he asked, his hand found her knee, searching her eyes for any sign of uncertainty or discomfort. When he didn’t find any and was met with a playful smile, he began drawing small circles and tracing the edges of the fishnet with his thumb.

“Oh trust me. If you pull something I don’t like, you’ll know,” she assured. There was a teasing edge to her voice, but he knew she was serious.

“Good.” He gave her knee a tender squeeze before continuing. “So what’s your drink of choice, Buttercup?”

Her stomach fluttered at the pet name, and she fought to contain the giddy giggles threatening to break through. “I don’t usually drink, but when I do, I usually go for something fruity.” She pulled out her ID and slid it to the bartender, ordering a Dirty Shirley while Scud ordered himself a beer. “I’m kind of a lightweight.”

“How much of a lightweight are we talking?” he asked, ordering some fries from the bartender when she dropped off his beer, “should probably eat something too, in that case.”

She smiled softly at his insistence, giving a friendly nod to the bartender as she stepped away. Usually, when mentioning she was a lightweight, she was met with much more crass commentary, often with attempts to get her to drink more. And here Scud was, making sure she was going to get some food in her system to help combat any side effects of the alcohol. If she wasn’t over the moon before, she certainly was now. “I’m a one drink kinda gal. Any more than that and I start throwin’ ass, and I don’t know you like that yet. I don’t have much, but I can shake what I got.”

“Yet, huh?” he smirked, clearly pleased with her choice of words. The implication of the word hung in the air for a moment before he continued. “Does that mean there’s potential to “know me like that?””

“Keep playing your cards right, and we’ll see,” she replied in the most flirtatious tone she could muster. This time, it was his turn to have the blood rushing to his cheeks at mach speed. Seeing him turn red had her heart nearly beating out of her chest, and she could practically feel it bumping against the inside of her ribcage as it tried to break free.

He cleared his throat and took a swig of his beer, doing his best to deflect from his blushing. “You got any other tricks up your sleeve? Maybe ones that don’t require you to get drunk?”

As if on cue, the bartender came back and slid Vec her Dirty Shirley, followed by some fries in a small basket. She took the glass in her hand, swirling it gently, before taking a small sip. And that was when an idea struck her.

“I do, actually,” she confirmed, a playful smile on her lips. Putting two fingers into her drink, she plucked the cherry out and broke off the stem before dropping it back in. She didn’t need to explain any further for him to know what kind of talent she was referring to.

His heart leapt into his throat when she put the stem in her mouth. Her eyes wandered around the room, landing on everything but his as she worked the stem with her tongue. He watched intently, his baby blues never leaving her face for even a second. His gaze was full of wonder, intrigue, and more arousal than he was capable of hiding.

Once she finished, she stuck her tongue out, the stem, now tied in a perfect knot, resting on it. More than ever, she was thankful for her full-coverage foundation and the dim lighting of the bar. Otherwise, she was sure her red-hot, glowing cheeks would light the place up enough for it to look like daytime. The tension between them was palpable, swirling and hanging around them like a thick cloud, evident to everyone in the bar.

“Shit.” The word came out breathy, like he’d been panting for air despite not taking a single step from his seat. “How’d you learn to do that?”

She removed the coaster from the top of her drink and plopped the stem back in before taking a sip and sliding the coaster back on. “One of my friends in college bet I couldn’t do it, so I taught myself out of spite.”

“Well aren’t you just full of surprises?” Scud studied her face as she looked at him with a devilish glint in her eye. The entire time, his hand had remained on her knee, drawing those same little circles with his thumb and running his fingers over the fishnet material.

“Oh, I have more,” she elaborated, taking a fry and biting it carefully as to not disturb her lipstick, “I can line dance.”

He eyed her up and down, his gaze first stopping on his hand on her knee, then her hand brushing some curls out of her eyes. “No shit. Like country line dance?”

She nodded as she finished another fry, a silent confirmation that he was indeed correct. She swirled her drink in her hand before sipping it again, leaving yet another lipstick mark on the rim. “Yeah. One of my friends in med school wanted to learn, but she didn’t wanna do it alone, so she convinced me to join her.”

He couldn’t help but notice her slide her coaster over her drink every time she set it down. While they’d been talking every day in the weeks leading up to their date & he knew he was no threat, he also knew that she, ultimately, didn’t really know him. Not to mention, they weren’t the only two people in the bar, and not all of them had good intentions. She was simply looking out for herself, and watching her be smart and do little things to protect herself was…attractive.

“How do I get to see this in action?” he questioned, his tone playfully demanding.

Vec looked around the room, pretending to be deep in thought as she tapped her chin with her finger. “I’ll make you a deal. If a song comes on that I know a dance to, I’ll show you.”

He nodded his beer in her direction as a form of informal mock toast. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Vee.”

She did the same with her glass and tilted it toward him, a giggle slipping from between her lips. “So enough about me. Tell me more about your experience inventing weapons for…” She raised her eyebrows and eyed him, her voice trailing off and she waited for him to continue.

“His name was Blade. Called him B.”

“For this ‘Blade’ guy. What kind of weapons did you make?”

“Guns, defense weapons, things like that.” He said it so casually, like it was the most normal thing in the world to be the personal weapons-maker for some mystery man. Despite her intrigue, there was also a lingering sense of worry, albeit small.

“Shit,” she sighed, covering her mouth as she chewed, “was he military or something?”

“Guess you could say he was more of a…hit man of sorts.”

Before he could continue, the shock caused her food to catch in her throat, and she coughed repeatedly, needing to take a few swigs of her dirty Shirley to calm her body.

“Whoa, you okay?” he asked. He lightly patted her on the back, a small gesture to hopefully improve her current situation.

After a few moments, and when she’d mostly regained her composure, she nodded. “Jesus Christ,” she exclaimed, small coughs still escaping her chest, “can you even be saying that?”

“I didn’t mean to spook you. He wasn’t exactly a hit man in the traditional sense, but that’s the closest comparison I’ve got.” He leaned in closer and dropped his voice to a whisper. “There was something fishy about him though.”

“Why are we whispering?” she asked, leaning in closer and dropping her voice as well.

“Cause it’s a secret.” His hand found her knee again, this time lightly threading one of his fingers under the fishnet and circling her bare skin, some small attempt to sooth her worries. Her heart soared, and despite the butterflies ramping up in her stomach, she was loving every second of it. “I think he was a vampire.”

She cocked an eyebrow and stifled a small laugh. She was certain he had to be joking. “A what?”

“Y’know, a blood sucker.”“I know what vampires are, you goof. Just wanted to make sure I heard you right,” she explained, her voice still a whisper.

“You sure did. The weapons I made helped with…protection of sorts.” He dropped his voice lower, forcing her to lean in closer to hear him amongst the chaos and music of the bar. Their faces were mere inches apart, and she could feel his warm breath on her skin, sending small shivers up her spine.

It took every fiber of his being to stop himself from planting one on her right in that moment.

“Protection for what?” Vec asked.

“Was more like “from” what,” he clarified, “the ‘what’ being “other vamps.”

“A vampire…needing protection…from other vampires?”

“That’s the short version,” he explained, bringing his voice back to a normal volume, “usually like to keep the details to a minimum to start. If that’s alright with you, I mean.”

“Of course, that’s more than okay,” she assured, nodding and leaning back to take another sip of her drink.

He watched as she did so, admiring the way her eyes fluttered close every time she took a taste of her beverage. She set her drink down and slid the coaster across it again, running a hand through her bangs to fix them as the bartender approached her, asking if she wanted a refill at any point. She assured her she was good with the one and thanked her with a bright smile, a smile that sent Scud’s heart nearly plummeting out of his body. His eyes barely left her face the entire time they’d been sat there, and this was no exception. She looked beautiful under the soft glow of the dim bar lights, the sparkle on her cheekbones—highlight, as she had said it was called—mimicking the twinkle in her eyes when she talked. He was one to fall fast, but he wasn’t sure if he’d even fallen this fast before.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Her voice broke him from his daydreams, not noticing that she had turned back to him. Flustered, he said the first words that came to mind. “Your makeup looks really good. You need to show me how you do that.”

Her tone changed to one of mischievous intrigue, a hint of a smirk falling on her lips. “You want me to decorate your face?”

Deciding to be bold, he reached up and softly ran his thumb across her bottom lip, enough to smear some of her lipstick onto his thumb, but not enough to drag it onto her face. “Could decorate it with this.”

The next-level flirting made her swallow hard, and not a single word came to her. It wasn’t often that Vec was rendered speechless, but this was the moment that reigned above all else regarding the speechless factor. She simply stared at him, her mouth slightly agape as she tried to come up with something, anything, to say in return. But her mind was blank, fried from his touch, and he laughed softly at her shocked state. He wondered if she looked like a cherry blossom under all that makeup. If there wasn’t tension before, there certainly was now.

“Surprised to see you at a loss for words,” he teased. He swiped the lipstick on this thumb onto the back of his hand, smudging it around so no residue was left, maintaining eye contact the entire time.

Once she found some words, they came out stutterer through a cracking voice. “I’m gonna…I’m gonna go, uh…go fix this…I’ll be right back.” Quickly jumping from her stool, she scampered off to the bathroom without so much as a glance over her shoulder.

Throwing herself into a stall and locking the door, she took a seat on the toilet, her hands shaking as she pulled out her phone to text Georgie.

Vec: Gin, I’m fucking SWEATING

Ginny 🌻: In a good way or a bad way?

Vec: A fantastic way

Ginny 🌻: Are you bringing him home? Do I need to dig out my headphones?

Vec: He won’t be coming home, but you’ll definitely still need your headphones.

Back in the main area, the bartender approached him, asking him if he wanted another beer. He nodded, and she quickly returned with one, cracking the lid. “You two are cute,” she commented, handing it over to him.

“Thank you,” he smiled, taking a swig and nodding his bottle in the general direction of the restrooms, “she’s the cute one, though.”

“How long have you been together?” the bartender, whose name tag read ‘Sam’, inquired.

Scud chuckled softly to himself, flattered that their dynamic implied to strangers that they were a couple. “Oh no. This is a first date.”

Sam raised her eyebrows in surprise. “A first date, huh?” She reached under the counter for a bottle of something and began preparing a drink for another customer while she talked. “I’ll be honest, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a couple with that much chemistry, let alone one that’s not even official.”

“You mean that?” His smile was almost the biggest it’d been all night.

She nodded in affirmation, handing the drink off to someone who approached the counter behind Scud and smiling at them before turning her attention back to him. “You’re doing good, bro. Keep it up. She’s devouring it, I can tell.”

As if on cue, Vec returned from the bathroom, sliding back onto her stool and turning to him. “Sorry about that,” she apologized, moving closer to him so their legs were touching.

“Nah, you’re good,” he reassured. He put a hand on her knee again, this time slipping a few fingers between the holes of her fishnets. “Don’t worry about it.”

The minutes turned into hours as they continued chatting. All the noise in the bar drowned out during their conversation, like they were the only two people in the bar. Hell, the only two people on Earth, it seemed.

His eyes barely left her once, hardly even doing so to taste his beer or take a fry. His hand remained steady on her knee, occasionally squeezing it or absentmindedly drawing shapes on it, but keeping his touch respectful and never driving farther north. He wanted to know every detail about her, every single thought, dream, fear, aspiration that passed through that pretty little head of hers. He was captivated by her in a way he’d never been captivated before.

She did the same, almost never taking her ocean eyes off him, other than to cover her drink with her coaster. He was fascinating, captivating, intriguing, and so much more, all wrapped up in the most beautiful package she’d ever laid her eyes on. She had to fight with all the strength she could muster to stop herself from cutting off every once of his sentences with a kiss.

“Well, my dad’s an astronaut, so he—“

“He’s a what?” The interruption wasn’t intentional, but he was captivated, his ADHD getting the better of him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to cut you off, that was rude. That’s just so dope.”

“It’s okay,” she promised, giggling softly, “your excitement is adorable.”

He turned a soft pink as blood flowed to his cheeks, her compliment launching his ego up at the speed of a rocket. “So did you grow up with a telescope at home?”

“Oh yeah. If he was gonna be on the International Space Station when we’d be able to see a planet or a comet or something, he’d tell my mom before he left, and she’d mark them on the calendar in the kitchen,” she explained, a small smile forming on her face as she reminisced about her childhood—those late nights staying up to see a comet fly by or being woken up by her mom at 2am to see a planet up close. “There was one time that we could see Saturn pretty close. I was like 12 or 13 I think, and my best friend stayed over so she could join us. Even though I had school the next day, my mom woke us up in the middle of the night to see it.”

“I’m a little jealous,” he teased, “so what’s it like up there, living in zero gravity and what not?”

“Well he’s the space professional, not me,” she replied.

“”Space professional” is cute. Makes it sound more official. And sorry. I’ve got a million questions.”

“Don’t apologize. You ever meet him someday, you can ask him all the questions you want.” She was certain he’d ask her more, and she was already planning on sending them to her dad and passing his answers along.

A little while later, the bartender began shouting out for last call, the remaining bar patrons slowly beginning to file out. Vec threw back the last of her drink, all that remained essentially just being ice melted into water.

“Shit, I didn’t realize it’d gotten so late,” she sighed, adjusting her purse strap on her shoulder underneath his jacket.

“As much as I’d love to find a way to keep the night going, I do have to be up early,” he grimaced. The bartender set a receipt and pen in front of him, and he slapped his card down and signed off on it before she even had a chance to react. “Gotta open in the morning.”

“That sucks.” Her face dropped every so slightly, and even though they’d spent several hours together, she was bummed to have to part ways. “What’s “opening” mean for you?”

“Startin’ at 8 but gettin’ up at 6 cause I gotta get there early,” he explained. He rose from his stool and took her hand to have her do the same. She scrunched her nose to adjust her glasses, a little quirk that he had picked up on earlier in the night that he found downright adorable. Every time, it made him smile.

“Eww. And on a Saturday? I’m sorry. That’s brutal.”

“I’m sure you’ve had your fair share of early days.” His hand hovered over her lower back as he guided her through the crowd to the front door. His inability to keep his hands off her for even a second in each other’s presence sent her ego, her heart, her hormones, and everything in between to the moon.

“More than I care to count,” she confirmed. He held the door and let her out first, immediately taking her hand again on the sidewalk as they headed back to their cars at the bowling alley.

“Y’know, you never showed off your moves,” he teased, lightly bumping her shoulder with his.

“I’m a woman of my word,” she asserted, “I promise I didn’t know a dance for any song that came on. I would’ve leapt out of my chair if I knew one. I’m not afraid to get down in public, sober or otherwise.”

Just like on the way there, he held her hand for the entire duration of their walk, occasionally swinging their arms back and forth and eliciting little laughs from her. The sound was like honey, almost sickly sweet with the way it clung to every one of his senses. He wanted to hear her laugh day-in and day-out, in any and every context—the good, the bad, and the nefarious.

“You sure you’re good to drive?” he asked as they leaned up against her car, his hand traveling from hers up her arm.

“I had one drink four hours ago. And I’ve eaten since then. I’m good,” she promised, “but I appreciate your concern. Are you good?”

“It takes more than a couple of beers for me to even get tipsy.” He sounded boastful, like he had bragging rights for being able to handle a couple of beers. He slowly eyed her up and down before giving her arm a light squeeze. “Unlike the lightest lightweight I’ve ever met.”

The teasing tone in her voice was heavy as she playfully shoved his shoulder. “Shut up.”

The tension between them as they stood there was somehow thicker than it had been at the bar. She slipped his jacket off and handed it over, muttering a soft “here’s this back” as their fingers grazed each other’s, their intense eye contact never breaking for a second. His mind wandered to their earlier escapades and the terms and conditions of their little competition. He was beginning to worry if he’d come off too strong with it.

“Look, about what I said earlier…you don’t gotta give me a kiss if you don’t want to,” he reassured, “I’m not trying to put you in an uncomfortable situation or anything.”

“You never said what kind of kiss, so…” her voice trailed off, and she placed a soft, tender kiss on his cheek, his blushing disguised in the dim lighting of the parking lot, “you can still have one. You won it fair and square.” She took notice of the stain she’d left behind, and she quickly reached up to fix it. “Oh shit, let me get the mark off.”

“Nah, leave it.” He took her hand and slowly lowered it, but not before returning the gesture of a soft, gentle kiss to the back of her fingers. Their eyes never once broke contact. “Let everyone know I got a kiss from the most gorgeous woman in Atlanta.” Her stomach was doing backflips, front-flips, somersaults, a whole goddamn gymnastics routine in her abdomen. “I’ll still tell you a secret though. Not a ‘deepest, darkest’ type.”

“Bring it on,” she encouraged. She leaned further into her car and folded her arms over her chest, propping one foot on the other. He mimicked her posture, aside from the hand resting on her arm and drawing small shapes with his fingers.

She wasn’t sure whether the goosebumps were from the cold or from his touch.

“When I was in middle school, probably 13 or 14, there was this girl in my class that I was obsessed with. There was a dance coming up, and I asked her to be my date for it. Little teen Scud was over the moon when she said yes.”

He cringed and shuddered a bit as his mind travelled back to that night. “So the dance comes, we have a fun night, and then after is when I decide I’m gonna kiss her. So I swoop in for the kill, and we just keep hitting each other. We bonked foreheads, noses, you name it. After a few attempts, she just pulls back and says “wanna try again?” I turned beet red and was so embarrassed that I just gave her a kiss on the cheek and left. Never been so humiliated in front of a girl in my life. Still don’t think anything has topped that.”

She made a hissing sound through her teeth as she inhaled. It was a little funny, but he was clearly uncomfortable with it, so she kept her laughter to herself. “Oof, yeah, that’s bad. Thanks for sharing though. I appreciate you trusting me with that.”

Scud nodded in response. “Maybe one day, you’ll get the deepest darkest one.” He leaned forward a bit, closing the distance between them further and lowering his voice just a hint to a more seductive tone. “If I get to see you again, that is.”

“Of course you do,” Vec promised, a flirty giggle rising up from the depths of her chest as she met him with an award-winning smile.

“I’m already thinking of ideas for the next one,” he continued, taking a small step closer, “maybe we come bowling again & I’ll let you beat me this time.”

“Unless we have another friendly competition.” It was a statement, but it came out as more of a suggestion. “Keep the parameters the same. Then I’d be more than happy to lose.”

“So would you say it worked?”

“Say what worked?”

“Your lucky perfume. Did it work?”

She dropped her gaze to the ground for a brief moment before bringing it back to his, and her already big smile somehow grew in size. In all of the fun antics of their evening, she’d nearly forgotten all about her perfume. “Yeah. Yeah, it definitely worked.”

This time, it was his turn to plant a kiss on her cheek, his lips lingering there for a moment longer than necessary before pulling away. As much as he wanted to kiss her properly, the nagging thought of her military brothers ate away at his confidence, fearing he’d be hearing from them if he so much as thought about making a “wrong” move.

He felt her skin getting hot under her makeup, and he snickered, knowing he had in fact been making her blush like a cherry blossom all night. “Let me know when you get home safe.”

“Will do.” Flashing him one last bright smile, she climbed into her car and watched him walk off. She gave her car a few minutes to warm up, texting both her dad with all of Scud’s questions and Georgie in the meantime.

Vec: Headed back now

Vec: I have so much to tell you

Ginny 🌻: As long as I don’t have to worry about getting the tissues out, color me extremely curious…

Ginny 🌻: And excited?

Ginny 🌻: Do I get excited?

Vec: You get excited ☺️

Ginny 🌻: You can’t see, but I’m a giddy mess rn

Upon arriving back at their apartment, she found Georgie waiting for her on the couch, nearly jumping up to greet her and scooping her up for a hug before she’d even closed the door.

“So how was it!?” Georgie asked, squeezing her tighter as the tone of her voice heightened in pitch. She was nearly squealing with delight, bursting at the seams to hear every juicy detail of the eventful evening her bestie had.

She grabbed her best friend by the shoulders and took a deep breath to gain her composure. “Gin…he’s got a tongue piercing.”

“Huh. That’s cool.” Georgie wasn’t into piercings the same way Vec was, but she knew how things like that affected the doctor. She chuckled softly. “Do you need a minute?”

Taking another deep breath, Vec slowly lowered herself to the ground, setting her bag next to her and stretching her limbs out into a starfish pose. Simply thinking back to the reveal of his tongue piercing was doing things to her. “I need several.”

“Compose yourself while I get the wine. Pizza’s already on the way. Placed the order as soon as you said you were on your way back,” Georgie said, chucking softly again at her bestie’s dramatics.

“God, I love you.”

Back at his place, Scud fell back against the couch, his head resting on the back as he stared up at the ceiling. His mind was racing, replaying little snippets of their adventures over and over again. His whole body was buzzing.

“Holy shit.” A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, warping from something small into a silly grin. She made him a kind of happy he hadn’t felt in a long time.

A vibration in his pocket interrupted his thoughts, pulling him from the sweet daydreams he was getting lost in. However, he was delighted when he realized it was from her.

Vee 😍: Made it home safe & sound

Scud: Good ☺️ So did I

Vee 😍: I had the best time. Thank you for everything. I’m excited to see you again (hopefully soon?) 😉

Scud: I should be thanking you for the best night ever. And yes, I definitely wanna see you again soon 😉

Vee 😍: Hope your shift tomorrow isn’t too brutal

Scud: I’ll text you in the AM

Scud: Sleep tight

Scud: Try not to miss me too much 😉

Vee 😍: 😏 Goodnight Josh

Vec sighed and tossed her phone on the ground next to her, and she kinked her legs up to take her boots off and toss them on the ground as well. “I need this man in ways that would make a nun clutch her rosary and make the concept of feminism shake in her boots.” Reaching into her purse, she dug out a hair tie and tilted her neck up before gathering all of her hair and tying it into a messy bun on the top of her head.

“Based on what you were sending me, it sure sounds like it,” Georgie agreed.

“Also, he called me Buttercup…like the Powerpuff girl,” Vec said, resting her head back on the ground and looking back over her forehead in Georgie’s direction. The details were already flowing from her lips against her will, but she wasn���t mad about any of it.

Georgie nodded as she filled a glass with wine, thinking over the details of said Powerpuff girl and just how accurate of a nickname it was. “Well it’s certainly fitting,” she agreed. Deciding to be playful and “torture” her a little more with the whole tongue-piercing thing, she continued. “Just imagine what that piercing would feel like when he’s going down on you.”

Taking yet another deep breath, Vec groaned, her mind wandering further into the nefarious directions it had gone in earlier in the night. “I was just starting to cool off, Gin!”

“Suffer!” Georgie teased. Her warm laughter echoed through their apartment, eliciting a laugh from Vec as well. As Georgie joined her on the ground with two glasses of wine, Vec could hardly hold the details back, and they began their debrief before the food even arrived.

Vec belongs to me, Georgie belongs to @dixons-sunshine

QOTU taglist (aka the council): @kat-herine00 @gothic-pumpkin @weirdoneattheparty @ffsjustletmesleep @imadisneyprincessiswear

General taglist: @raddydaddydude @lovenormandixon @angeldemoncrowley @negansbestie @holdmytesseract

Want to become a head of the council? Hit up either myself or Krys to be added to the taglist :)

Banner, divider, and © below were made by Krys

[cloudcountry]

for rubia (@twstchatterbox) the bestest ever <3 may we brainstorm for years to come!!

first time writing something like in like FOUR YEARS kinda NERVOUS.

under the cut mwah

Watchful hazel eyes trail from Haku’s wistful expression to Rubia’s back as she leaves, mentioning a meeting with someone or other. It was something Auburn normally would have paid attention to, had it not been for the elephant in the room—Haku’s sharp eyes pinned to her back until she was out of sight. She must not have been aware of the barely contained shake in her shoulders from holding in laughter at his obvious pining (although maybe not so obvious to others), because when Haku turns to look at her he immediately looks exasperated.

“What’s so funny?” he leans back in his chair, feigning nonchalance.

“Haku, come on. You don’t have to pretend like there’s nothing bothering you.” Auburn prods, scooting closer, “You can talk to me if something is going on, you know?”

She lowers her voice and he thanks her internally for her discretion—this is not a mess he wants to clean up, not when he’s so hesitant to show even the slightest part of himself.

Not that that ever mattered to Rubia.

“Listen, Haku,” Auburn speaks slowly, making sure every word gets into that thick skull of his, “I’m not the most romantic person out there but even I can tell when someone’s got it bad.”

“...Sorry, I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.” he laughs sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, “Am I missing something? If you have a problem I’d be happy to listen.”

Auburn purses her lips, seemingly thinking for a moment, before picking up her tote bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

“It’s alright if you don’t want to admit it to me.” she says plainly, hands gripping the straps, “But it would do you a lot of good to at least be upfront with her. She’d appreciate it, really. It’s not exactly my story to disclose, but she’s had some awful relationship experience. We both have. Our past school was a place full of deception and loopholes and exploitation, and she was often in the middle of it. Even more so after meeting me.”

A beat of silence. Auburn shifts uncomfortably, as if remembering something unpleasant.

“Just tell her whatever it is you feel for her. And be honest. She’s worth the vulnerability, right?”

Haku blinks.

The look on Auburn’s face is something he could only describe as bittersweet.

“Yeah. Yeah, I got it.” he says, standing up beside her.

“I know you’ll treat her right. In whatever way you feel, of course.” she bows her head, a thankful gesture that is not lost on him.

“Thank you for trusting me with her.” he murmurs, so softly she almost doesn’t hear.

“Of course.” they reply flippantly, turning on their heels and walking away, “What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t?”

Haku stands there, hand in his pocket. He watches Auburn go for a beat longer before looking in the direction Rubia went. She’s been long gone for now for sure, but that didn’t mean his chance was gone. Far from it.

Haku sighs, low and deep, trying to stop the thrumming of his heart at the possibility of something.

He leaves their meet up spot too, a skip in his step and the song of the ocean in his heart.

[bumblesimagines]

Familiar Faces

Request: Yes or No

Summary: When his afternoon takes an unusual shift, (Y/N) reacquaints himself with his neighbor and an old classmate.

Pronouns: He/Him/His, M!Reader

CW/TW: Typical Twilight warnings, mentions of emotionally and physically absent parents, not much tbh

I decided to give the book another chance! divider by thecutestgrotto

~~~

"Move your ass or I'm going to dump all your makeup in a pot of boiling water, Abby!"

He waited a moment, then felt a surge of satisfaction when the shuffling upstairs became a hurried thumping of footsteps, quickening their pace in fleeting worry of the threat. (Y/N) waited at the base of the stairs, his arms crossed over his chest and foot tapping impatiently against the old wooden floorboard beneath him. It was an empty threat, of course; he'd never let money go to waste.

His precious little sister was no longer the toddler who wept until he bundled her into his arms or the little girl who clung to his pant legs while suckling on her thumb until it turned bright red. She'd reached the tiresome age of thirteen, when she still dove toward him for safety during horror movies but stuck her nose up at his help. This was the age when children became teenagers, and their interests faded from dolls and playdates to makeup and hangouts at the mall with friends and potential future partners.

He missed those days. He'd give anything to return to them instead of working at some low-end diner where he served food to truckers, lumberjacks, and fishermen who'd known him his whole life. 

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Abby appeared on the landing, no longer wearing her strawberry-print pajamas or fuzzy red socks. A small huff left her before she rapidly descended the stairs and hopped down from the last step. The bottom of her low-top black converses landed on the floorboard with a loud and purposeful thump!

He scanned her powdered pink cheeks and the clumpy mascara sticking to her lashes, his arms dropping to retrieve her backpack from the floor. "You look like a clown."

"As if you'd know anything about makeup, asshat." Another thing about reaching thirteen: learning curse words and sounding like someone trying to speak a language they'd never practiced before. His smirk only made her roll her eyes and snatch the backpack from his hands, quiet huffy muttering filling the air.

Living with a preteen girl was certainly something. 

Once he slipped on his muddy, worn-out boots (and pointedly ignored Abby's mutters about getting new ones or at least cleaning them), he stepped out onto their wet porch and held the door open for Abby. His eyes tracked her as she made her way down the steps, a quiet hum of disappointment vibrating in his throat when the wet stairs failed to make her slip as they so often did. It was the highlight of his day, and he often took it as a good sign. 

Abby glared at him over her shoulder and he quietly snickered, locking up the house and wiggling the doorknob before carefully following her to his car. His head tilted toward their next-door neighbor's house when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He met Chief Swan's eye across the mini swamp of halfway submerged grass and mud combining their small front yards. Chief Swan raised his arm in greeting and then looked toward the figure standing on his porch, speaking words lost in the distance. 

Oh, right. His daughter was back in town. How could he forget when it was the latest buzz?

"Morning, (Y/N), Abigail!" Chief Swan called, and his daughter, Isabella, snapped her head in her father's direction with wide eyes. She looked at him, almost pleadingly, but her father either remained oblivious or purposefully ignored her because he made his way toward them and motioned for her to follow. Her nose crinkled as she trekked through the grass, taking long strides to avoid getting her shoes too muddy and wet. "You remember my daughter, right?"

"Yeah." Vaguely. He recalled 'playdates' when they were younger, the two of them sat side by side with little Jacob Black and his twin sisters on a fishing boat during the summer while their fathers fished and laughed about things their young minds couldn't fully understand. Most of the time, they were forced to 'play' while the adults sat by idly. He offered her a nod and she lifted her fingers off her backpack strap in greeting. "How are you, Isabella?"

"Good." She smiled nervously and visibly swallowed. Definitely not good. "Bella's fine, by the way."

"Bell, remember Abigail?" 

At the sound of her name, Abby looked up from her phone and squinted briefly at Bella before one of those polite I-have-no-idea-who-you-are smiles appeared on her face; the types of smiles you wore when a distinctively familiar elderly woman approached you with claims of having once changed your diaper. It was expected given Abby had been a toddler verging on child when the two of them were finally given the option to hang out with the adults or not. Bella held Abby exactly one time back then, and she'd looked as rigid as a statue the entire time.

"Mhm." Bella nodded weakly. "Hi."

"Hi." Abby turned back to her phone, wholly uninterested in catching up with someone she scarcely remembered. Bella looked relieved.

From the depths of his memories, he dragged out an image of Bella from their childhood and compared it to the young girl standing on the line between teenhood and adulthood. She was skinny and soft-looking, her cheeks still round with youthful fat and naturally flushed from the cold damp air but her limbs were long and almost lanky, unlike the small girl he remembered. She'd never been interesting looking with her pale skin, average chestnut brown hair, and normal brown eyes but she was pretty, in a conventionally attractive kind of way.

Awkwardness and tension forced her into a hunch, her head dipped and hands curled around her backpack straps to give an almost boxy look to her figure. Shy as always but perfectly average-looking like everyone else in town, apart from the Cullens, of course. Nothing made her stand out, and he assumed it was something she was relieved by. It was better that way in small towns. 

"We should get going." (Y/N) said, tearing his eyes away from Bella who'd also been flickering her eyes between him and his sister, likely updating the images in her head of them like he'd done. He jerked his head in Abby's direction. "I gotta get this one to school."

"Forks Juinor High is on the way to Forks High, isn't it?" Chief Swan questioned as if he didn't have the whole town and each individual street memorized, his blunt nails lightly scraping against the growing stubble along his jaw and cheeks in thought. (Y/N) was fairly certain he could drive around blindfolded and never miss a single turn. 

"Dad-"

"Why don't you drop Bella off? The truck's still got a dent from that accident." Chief's Swan voice went up a pitch, containing a certain tone (Y/N) was more than familiar with. It was a scheming type of tone, the type your aunts would have when they were subtly trying to set you up with someone while pretending otherwise.

In a far, distant memory of his childhood, he vaguely recalled Bella's mother once cooing over how 'perfect' and 'meant to be' he and Bella were when they were children. He was fairly certain the only thing they were perfect for was pretending and occasionally helping decorate each other's trees for Christmas.

"Dad." Bella looked positively mortified, so much so the tips of her ears turned a bright red. (Y/N) would've felt bad if it weren't a little amusing. "It's fine, I swear. It's a small dent, it's nothing-"

"Safety first, Bell." Chief Swan lifted his bushy brows at her and placed his hands over his hips in a typical dad pose before he turned back to him. "You don't mind, do you, (Y/N)? It'll give you time to catch up."

"Fine by me." (Y/N) chuckled and Bella's shoulders slumped with defeat. "Hop in, Bella." 

The ride to Forks Junior High was mostly silent, apart from the soft sound of the warm air pumping inside and the tapping of Abby's nails against her phone screen. Bella fiddled with the zipper of her backpack and glanced at him occasionally, lips parting as if to say something but chickening out last minute each time. He tried to keep his focus on the road, and then the carpool line, gazing at the school containing an ocean of memories. 

"Did you do your Civics homework?" He glanced at Abby in the rearview mirror, catching the way her lips pursed and a second of panic flashed over her face. He shook his head as the car slowed to a stop, listening to the soft click of the doors unlocking. "Finish it before class, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah." Abby slung her backpack over her shoulder and pushed the door open, hopping out of the car and slamming it behind her. A second later, she opened it again to call out a quick 'love you!' before she shut it and hurried off to group up with her circle of friends.

They greeted each other enthusiastically, hugs going all around before they huddled together, likely to gossip or gush over some dumb boy they'd forget about by the time the winter formal strolled around. He assumed half her friends would take up cheerleading in high school, not that Forks had much to cheer on with their mediocre school teams. (Y/N) already predicted Abby would follow suit and take on being a cheerleader just to have something in common with them. 

Bella chewed on her bottom lip and watched the middle school pass on by, the view replaced by a long expanse of towering trees. "She's taller than I expected. What is she, fourteen?" She turned to look at him, her toothless smile telling him she was simply trying to break the silence before it could grow unbearably uncomfortable. 

"Thirteen." He corrected with a heavy sigh. The word weighed heavy on his tongue. Thirteen would become fourteen and fourteen would become sixteen and soon he'd have a high school senior searching for colleges on his hands threatening to take his little firecracker away from him. "She's doing better than I was in middle school."

Bella laughed softly at that and the gripping tension in her shoulders disappeared. Her body slouched more comfortably against the car seat and her fidgeting fingers smoothed out along her backpack, the smile on her face turning into a more genuine one. "Charlie says you graduated last year. What are you still doing here?" Her head lolled back against the headrest, dark eyes watching him with soft interest.

"Mom works long hours at the hospital and Dad's always on the road. Someone has to keep an eye on Abby." (Y/N) shrugged casually despite the pinch of bitterness in his gut.

It'd been an option, his mother had insisted a few weeks before he was supposed to walk across the stage and grab his diploma, to teach Abby some of the basics so she could cook herself some meals. He hardly found it fair for her to be forced to basically live alone in a two-story house with no one else to tend to her apart from the rare times their mother had days off, but she usually spent those downing whatever liquor they had and sleeping the day away to actually count as time off work. 

"Do.. do you wish it was different?" Bella asked tentatively and she pushed herself to sit up straighter when the tall brick buildings of Forks High peeked over the treeline. She zipped up her crinkling coat and adjusted her backpack so one strap was snug over her shoulder and halfway resting on her thigh. 

"Sometimes." He nodded and felt a wave of deja vu wash over him when he pulled into the parking lot of the school. Four years of familiarizing himself with the route, three years of actually driving it and obtaining a parking spot most of his former classmates associated with him.

(Y/N) carefully drove through the parking lot, occasionally coming to a full stop to allow groups of students to hurry on by, and he almost immediately found his eye drawn to the shiny volvo just a parking spot ahead. The Cullens were gathered around, having just arrived from the looks of it; their car doors were still open, and the big bulky guy he always considered linebacker material was retrieving his backpack from the floor of the back seat.

(Y/N) wasn't familiar with the Cullens. The five of them had enrolled during his junior year and while they'd captivated his attention, he'd never been one for gossip. The boyish one with bronze waves and an air of grumpy indifference otherwise known as Edward secured himself a spot in an AP History class with (Y/N) during his senior year, but the singular time they'd interacted was when Edward had been chosen to hand out a paper for an essay.

That was about as much interaction as he had with the startling beautiful family, though (when she was coherent and conscious) his mother blabbered about how handsome and kind their father, Dr. Cullen, was. He made it a point to stay away from the hospital so he took her word for it.

"Should I drop you off with your friends?" He questioned, scanning the student body shuffling through campus or taking time to squeeze whatever water they could from their pant legs.

"Uh," Bella's eyes briefly flickered to a small group huddled together consisting of two brunettes, a blond jock, and a shorter guy who appeared deep into a debate nobody was particularly paying close attention to. She cleared her throat and shook her head, even ducking her head slightly when the car passed by them. "No, you can, uhm... you can drop me off by the curb. It's fine." 

Carefully maneuvering on the slick road, he stopped by the sidewalk leading up to the building and watched her fumble with the seatbelt, attempting to be quick but it effectively got her nowhere. A quiet, rushed apology tumbled from her lips before she pushed the door and stumbled out, nearly tripping on the curb but catching herself in time. Jesus, this girl. It was a miracle she didn't land herself in the hospital every week.

She ducked her head to smile at him, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Thanks for the ride. I'll see you later at pick-up?"

"Yep." She was like a deer- or a fawn, actually. Trembling legs and survival instincts that'd yet to kick in.

"Great, bye!"

Bella moved to shut the door only to catch it before it could shut properly. Her body stiffened and she held it for a brief second, as if her mind caught up to what her body had done, before she opened it again and ducked down to smile sheepishly at him. She hooked her finger around a strand that slipped over her face and her eyes flickered around the interior of his car nervously. 

"I.. I was wondering if you wanted to come to Seattle a week from Saturday with me- if you can, of course. I want to stop by and grab a few books, and maybe some clothes." Bella explained, shifting her weight from foot to foot as the consequence of her uncomfortable position settled onto her back. She then rushed out, "It's okay if you can't. I just thought it'd be nice to go with someone." 

"Sure, sounds good." He nodded, and she visibly relaxed once more. "I don't mind." 

"Cool." She nodded too and remained still as her mouth pressed into an awkward line. "Okay, uhm.. bye, again."

This time she let the door close completely and he chuckled under his breath, watching her quickly make her way toward the building to get out of the light drizzle right as Edward Cullen caught up with her. He arched a surprised brow at the sight of them together but from the irritated way Bella looked at him, he assumed they were far from friends. Edward looked amused, though. He spared a glance over his shoulder at (Y/N) and- much to his surprise, again- he raised his hand to give a small wave.

Did he remember him from History class? Maybe.. no, definitely. Why else would he wave to a complete stranger? Clearing his throat, (Y/N) waved back, which seemed to please the usually scowling boy. Edward turned back to Bella and spoke to her, prompting a flustered scowl and a peek over her shoulder at him. 

(Y/N) tore his eyes off the two and stepped on the gas, carefully avoiding getting caught in any iced-over parts and dragging a poor student along with him before he drove back onto the road. 

The diner he worked at, like most places in Forks, was just off the interstate and separated from other buildings by short expanses of woods on three sides. The neon lights that once shone vibrantly had dulled into a lime green color that read Milton's Diner during the daylight and Din in sparse flickers during nighttime, hardly inviting but it still had its fair share of loyal customers shuffling in and out throughout the week. It was a small, shabby, diner run by the same family throughout the decades.

It was there before him and it'd probably be there long after he perished.

Like a switch was flipped in his head, (Y/N) settled into work mode the second he stepped inside and found his nose assaulted with the smell of brewing coffee and cooking oil. He felt as if he'd stepped out of his body and left it to run on autopilot while he took orders, answered questions, laughed at jokes he'd heard a million times over, and balanced hot plates on his arms until the rush of morning slowed into the even pace of the afternoon.

He always knew he wasn't destined for much outside of Forks, or the dingy diner he worked at.

A certain hope lingered with him through his high school years, one that told him he could make it out of his small town and make something of himself, but that'd been promptly crushed under the heel of parents who'd had no business having a second child when they barely tended to their first. He wanted to hate them, to scream at them each time he saw them, but when he took in the exhaustion they wore like second skin, he always thought twice about it. 

The soft ding of the bell brought him back from his daily pity party and he pushed himself off the wall, already deducing the only other waiter working was on her tenth smoke break despite having only clocked in an hour prior. He reached into his apron and tugged out his notepad and pen, the greeting automatically rolling off his tongue before he even looked up. 

Bella stared at him in alarm, already halfway into one of the booths. Edward looked overly amused.

(Y/N) was no stranger to ditching class or recognizing former classmates on impromptu dates but he never expected Isabella Swan would be the type to do either of those things. Her face flushed in that familiar shade of red and she glared accusingly at Edward, her body lightly thumping against the cushion of the booth when she sat.

He tilted his head toward the old and chipped grandfather clock pressed against the wall by the counter. "Shouldn't you be in school?" He questioned them, pointing his gaze at Bella because he knew what her father would think about it. He had little idea what rules Dr. Cullen imposed on his adopted kids.

"I-" 

"Bella fainted," Edward stated, grinning when Bella glared at him again before he continued. "She wasn't feeling well so I offered to drive her home." 

"And you came here instead?" 

"And we came here instead." Edward nodded, almost as if he were a regular customer and not someone who looked like he belonged at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.

Edward picked up the flappy and likely sticky menu to study it, his eyes flickering over it too quickly for someone who was actually taking time to look at the options before he set it back down and peered up at him.

His eyes were an interesting shade of golden brown, which was odd considering (Y/N) recalled them being a whole lot darker the last time he saw him up close. He still looked other-worldly, like a model in a magazine whose face had been photoshopped to rid it of any imperfections, yet the area below his eyes was a darker shade as if he wasn't getting enough sleep. Strange for a kid who likely slept on the most expensive mattress and nicest of sheets.

"I'll get a black coffee." 

"I thought you were hungry," Bella said under her breath, hands roughly tugging at the sleeves of her wet jacket until it was snugly set beside her and draped over her backpack. 

Edward barely glanced at the menu. "And fries."

By the time (Y/N) turned around toward the counter, Dolores had returned to her spot behind it and set a cup of steaming black coffee for him to retrieve before turning to shout the simple order into the kitchen in her nasally voice. He shot her a thankful smile and she nodded in return with her usual blank expression, her attention more focused on squinting at Edward before looking away to read the newspaper she'd abandoned in favor of smoking.

Gingerly setting the coffee down in front of Edward, he looked to Bella but she shook her head dismissively. He gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment and tucked his notepad away, sparing the two another look before spinning on his heels and retreating to his corner while he waited for the fries. He tried not to watch them but they were virtually the only people in the diner, apart from an old man at the end of the counter who was blatantly dozing off over his half-eaten burger. 

Bella and Edward had a hushed conversation, one that seemed to amplify her irritation and his amusement. Every so often, her shoulders would slump and her features would relax, and occasionally his expression would tighten with seriousness before melting back into that casual, nearly teasing smile.

They were a strange duo but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Bella was so... Bella and Edward was the quietest of his siblings, perhaps even the normal one of the bunch.

The rattle and thump of the fries took his attention off the two and he slinked up to the counter right as Dolores plopped the basket onto the counter without looking up from her newspaper. He picked it up and took a few steps toward their booth, the smell of the warm fries tantalizing to his senses and he reluctantly parted ways with it. Before he could turn, Edward caught his eye.

"Sit with us." He said, and he added another layer of absurdity by scooting further into the corner and patting the spot beside him.

Did Edward Cullen believe they were... friends? He frantically thought back to his high school years post-Cullens but he only managed to recall the one singular interaction where he'd only muttered a quiet thanks and the few times he'd pass him or one of his siblings in the hallways. Maybe he thought there was mutual respect. Maybe he was thankful (Y/N) hadn't spent his time gawking at him and his family like everyone else.

"I'm working." He mumbled.

Edward surveyed the diner and then quirked a brow at him as if to say 'Seriously? That's your excuse?' so (Y/N) reluctantly slid into the booth beside him. Bella's eyes flickered between them, more perplexed than surprised, but she made no comment about it and instead fished out a fry to nibble on. Edward propped his head on his fist and kept his other hand spread over his thigh, at no point making any move to drink his coffee.

(Y/N) waited for a minute of silence and no movement to pass before he reached out to grab the coffee and some sugar packets from the little tray pressed against the wall. Edward only smiled and watched, a light laugh vibrating in his chest when (Y/N) sipped on it and immediately crinkled his nose.

"Edward is insistent on joining us on our trip to Seattle. I hope that's okay?" Bella's brows lifted in a pleading kind of way, her puckered lips and the way she glanced at Edward telling him she definitely tried diverting the subject but ended up giving in.

"You two can go." He spoke in a tone he hoped reassured her he wasn't mad about it. He wondered how much Charlie knew about the trip. Would he have to cover for her? 

"No," Edward shook his head and one of his wavy strands fell over his forehead. "The three of us will go. We'll take my car." 

Who was he to argue with a Cullen and deny himself a taste of their fancy lifestyle?

"How long have you been working here?" Bella asked, her chin tilted up and eyes roving over the random posters, license plates, signs, and animal head mounts scattered across the walls.

If she was looking for an aesthetic, she wasn't going to find one. The decorations had a habit of suddenly appearing with little to no explanation, and they didn't pay (Y/N) to question their choice of interior design. He could, however, do without a mounted deer staring at him while he worked.

"A while." (Y/N) answered, regretfully taking another sip of the coffee out of habit. Edward laughed again and attempted to muffle it by pressing his mouth into his knuckles when (Y/N) glanced at him. "Mom's work pays for most of the bills but I have to pay for my car, groceries, anything Abby needs or wants. I started working so I wouldn't have to bother her all the time."

"She's your mom," Edward said suddenly, his brows furrowing. "It shouldn't bother her." 

"She works long hours." (Y/N) shrugged but Edward still looked unconvinced. Annoyed, even.

Bella hummed. "And your dad? Is he still driving trucks?" 

His lips pursed. "I think. I haven't seen him around for a while but he sends money sometimes so he's still alive... somewhere. Sometimes I think he has a new family somewhere else."

Silence fell over the table, as it usually did when (Y/N) revealed his family wasn't exactly the white picket fence type. Bella looked sympathetic, but (Y/N) knew she was familiar with the struggle of having a somewhat incompetent parent and a borderline absent one, even though it'd been her choice to spend more time with Renée. Edward, on the other hand, looked furious with his deep frown and knitted brows that formed creases in his otherwise smooth skin.

"So, uh," (Y/N) cleared his throat, eager for a subject change away from him and his family. "How'd you two meet?"

"Biology," Bella answered yet her eyes were more focused on studying Edward. "We- We sit next to each other."

(Y/N) tried to ignore Edward staring a hole into the side of his head. He was sort of.. weird.  "Ah... well, we had History together last year. I don't remember where we sa-"

"I sat on the row directly behind you." Edward interrupted, his voice quiet yet naturally attention-grabbing.

"There wasn't a sitting chart but you sat in the same spot by the window the whole year and you spent half of the class each day staring out of it at the forest but you always got good grades. Kayla Patton and Chloe Asaka were the ones who sat next to you most often; Kayla because she had a crush on you and Chloe because she's known you since middle school and you had another class together. You were one of Mr. Wallace's favorites and you were always in class earlier than everyone talking to him even though everyone hates him because he's strict."

(Y/N) could only stare at the bronze-haired boy beside him in startled silence. He'd forgotten about Kayla Patton entirely, let alone even realized Edward Cullen had spent the entire year faithfully sitting behind him. The amount of conversations he must've overheard, the amount of habits he must've picked up on. He felt a hint of fleeting guilt for not having taken note of the Cullen earlier. 

"History couldn't have been that boring." He exhaled, suddenly feeling wildly shy.

He always considered himself more of a passerby, someone who blended into the background and went unnoticed by strangers. People recognized him, it was a given in a small town, but it was never the kind of attention that implied they were looking or waiting for him because they wanted to be in his presence. Yet, perhaps the most wanted boy in school, had paid him attention. Had he worried each time (Y/N) called out sick? Was he relieved each time he appeared the following day?

"It wasn't." Edward agreed, the anger replaced with soft amusement. The gentleness on his face was almost tender, like the way Chief Swan used to gaze at Renée before their divorce. "You were just more interesting."

Edward was full of surprises, and (Y/N) had never been a big fan of them. Heat licked up the back of his neck and bit at his cheeks, ones that were already warm from the smoke slipping out from the kitchen. He looked away from Edward with a quiet noise and when the Cullen chuckled, low and husky and vaguely flustered, (Y/N)'s heart undoubtedly skipped a beat.

Ah, shit. He'd been hoping he was immune to the untouchable Cullens.

No matter what he did, he couldn't get Edward and his stupid words out of his head. He'd forgotten how irritating and distracting crushes were- ugh God, was it really a crush?

Edward was undeniably attractive, he recognized it the second he and his siblings became the talk of the town, but he'd never actually been attracted to him. He'd had always been Edward Cullen, the guy whose model-like siblings were dating each other and nobody truly cared because they 'weren't actually related'. But now, each time he closed his eyes, Edward's pretty honey eyes flashed in his head, crinkled with warmth and humor.

He was hyper-aware of himself now too, and when he usually tossed on whatever was in reach, he took a moment to think about his clothes before realization slammed into him each time. 

He wanted to strangle Edward, or better yet, run him over until his pretty face remained permanently disfigured and he had to remain on permanent bed rest so (Y/N) would never have to lay eyes on him again. 

Maybe he wasn't the best at processing his emotions...

(Y/N) swirled around the soggy cereal in his bowl and watched the remaining Cheerios swim along the milk, waiting to be eaten or dumped down the drain. Abby, thankfully, hadn't caught on yet to his predicament and he wanted to keep it that way. (Y/N) (L/N) had better and more important things to fret over than some stupid guy.

His head lifted when he heard two soft knocks on the door, and he waited until he heard another before scooping the bowl into his hand and chugging half of the remaining milk. The bowl clattered softly when he placed it into the sink and he wiped at his mouth, mentally flickering back through the checklist he'd made for Abby when she told him of sleeping over at her friend's place. Instead of seeing his sister standing on the porch, he saw their neighbor.

"Bella," He greeted and he looked her over, unconsciously searching for an injury or anything that could explain her sudden appearance. It was a Saturday but Charlie was working and he guessed it was easier to cross the yard than search the town for her father if she needed help. Bella looked unnaturally frustrated.

"Can I.. talk to you about something?" She asked, fiddling with the sleeves of her rain jacket.

He frowned. "Of course." 

With Abby having a sleepover at her friend's house and their mother essentially living at the hospital, the house was silent. Bella reacquainted herself with the interior, gazing over dusty picture frames and running her finger along the old railing as they made their way up into his bedroom. He couldn't recall the last time he'd had someone over who wasn't Abby's friend.

"You okay?" He asked and took a seat on the edge of the bed, head raised to observe her fully. Bella rocked back and forth on her feet and chewed on her bottom lip, her anxiety making him anxious. "Bella-" 

"This is going to sound crazy.. but hear me out." She began, not the start he wanted to hear but he nonetheless nodded for her to continue with furrowed brows. "I bumped into Jacob at the bonfire Mike invited me to yesterday night and he mentioned some things that had me thinking about the Cullens." 

"The Cullens?" He repeated, his confusion heightening as Bella began to pace his room, her fingers now toying with the ends of her hair.

"The tribe has stories about these 'people' they call the Cold Ones. Have.. have you ever noticed how Edward's eyes sometimes change color? From black to gold? Or how they're strangely pale and have this almost inhuman beauty? And when I had my accident, Edward was nowhere near me yet he managed to be at my side in seconds and left a dent in Tyler's van with his hands." 

"Okay." (Y/N) said long and slow as he attempted to piece the puzzle she was spewing together. "What exactly are you saying?"

"I think- I think Edward and his family are vampires, (Y/N)." 

[winthropsghostkitten]

New to the party but I agree with this. I like the previous comment of “either he’s a thirst trap or he’s awkward, pick one”. (Am I using words right? I’m old.)

I think back to what Queenie said in FBAWTFT about Leta being a “taker”. It would have been one thing to see why that’s so in COG but I…didn’t. She was so sad (and rightly so) but I didn’t see how that translated as her “taking” from Newt. Maybe it was meant to be his affection? His feelings? His caring for her? And her just like “lol whatevs weirdo thanks for letting me copy your homework and taking the fall for me dorkus”.

Because that’s what I thought Queenie meant. That’s what I thought her line implied. Newt had put himself out there, taken a risk on someone he thought loved him as he was, and then she just wound up using him and shattered his heart. (There’s also the implication of “Lestrange” being added in there: We know from mainline Harry Potter that Lestrange is not a “good” name, so you’re meant to think “oh shit what did she do to him” from the name alone). You see Newt asking Queenie to stop talking about it so it’s implied that Leta hurt him. And we see that to an extent in COG.

But as a “taker”? I didn’t quite see that (though I may have missed it, I was sick when I rewatched it last week). I saw lost and confused and not sure how to act due to her situation. And Newt did take the fall for Leta and get kicked out of Hogwarts, so I guess that was it? …okay I guess?

I don’t know. Maybe I’m reaching here. I just rewatched the first two movies (haven’t seen the third yet, no spoilers please!) and I remembered those feelings from when I watched the first one (“Oh a Lestrange, she’s a baddie, that explains it!”) and now seeing it again and reading this has me going “yeah that was sort of just abandoned wasn’t it”.

And yeah her “I love you” in Newt’s and Theseus’ general direction is meant to imply Newt is just…no.

Again, hope y’all don’t mind me nosing in here 😅 I like critical analysis like this so I hope I’m not stepping on toes!

omg in the interpretation of COG where Leta is in love with newt for the whole thing, marries Theseus as a second option, and confesses her “true feelings” to Newt when she sacrifices herself, that’s actually so sad for Theseus wtf. and for Leta too actually because this version kinda robs her of the agency she did have …but I can’t get it off my mind, like Newt hugging Theseus in the graveyard now means what…

[I’ll be honest, I don’t like Leta being in love with Newt romantically. because then Tina, Leta, and Bunty are all in love with Newt. that’s too high a proportion of the female cast. it being unrequited, though, with Newt pining and Leta just hanging out seeing him as a friend…that’s fun because it’s messy]

[femme-foucault]

Fernanda Torres just won Best Actress in a Drama??? WHOA.

Did not see that coming!!! I haven't seen her movie but we all know how US award shows are biased against performances not in English so that is so great! I hope that I'm Still Here is eventually released in my city/state.