#still not over that teal + gold actually
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hey olly. hey olly.
well damn i wasn't planning on another ao3-style comment but nooooo, you had to go make another beautiful gifset (lmao i love both you and your gifset so much!!) literally saved this until i can fully appreciate it, i feel like a little kid wanting to open a present slowly to keep the suspense longer, like i'm trying not to look at the gifs first (impossible) because i want to give you my FRESH response. i adore colour palettes (to no one's surprise)!! so excited for the ep2 gifs!!
gif 1: NIKO MY BELOVEDDDD. i love love love the green-pink contrast, i feel like that is just very niko!! we see her in other colours, sure, but in my mind they're her main two. obviously the pink is the sprites (and the lesbianism of course lmao) but the colour palette just really draws attention to it which is soooo pretty. and the yellow and greens!! the way her school clothes actually look green makes the whole thing SO cohesive and satisfying. also also the different shades of pink, like if i didn't look closely i would've thought it was one shade of pink except the colour palette made me look! *heart eyes motherfucker*
gif 2: ohhhhhhh my god turquoise+gold my beloved!!!!! sooooo in love with this palette it's not even funny. everything is so turquoise and kinda monotone with the funky lighting, and then you just have a few gold lights to give the whole thing life ough. (also a fun callback to the ep1 cat leash, aka the conflict they're headed towards??)
gif 3: HI LESBIAN NIKO HI! i love how the animations reflect in her eyes omg, i wonder how they did that? the purple that's the reflection of the light on her hair :o i never noticed it!!! and the other non-pink colours, the sort of pastel-y light green and yellow is so perfect for this scene WOW, actually all of the animations seem to be all pastel-y! and the green coming from the background (window?) is SO COOL
gif 4: hhhhhhhh SUCH a fun base shot but not one that i think is usually giffed? at least i haven't seen it around. it's really lovely to get those scenes like little treasures! and the greens!!! god i love a good green and these are the BEST. the monotone? *chef's kiss* (also i think i said something about it in the ep1 reaction and i know there's an aesthetic reason for it BUT it really does make the boys feel more ghostly since the only colour on them that's represented is the greenness of the forest reflecting on them. it looks amazing, basically)
gif 5: oooooh neutrals + gold? did not expect it, but i LOVE. also very fitting for the bathroom as this sort of very mundane place. nothing supernatural's going on in here, no sirree. also also very fun camera angle! something something about the light itself being white, but the light it casts being this warm gold? also the reflection of the light in the water, never noticed that!! i know the water is for crystal to splash her face with, but it just gives off scrying vibes and i am such a big fan. they should let the gang explore more supernatural methods in s2! but i digress. (oh and crystal being much more present, the dark colour picking up in her hair as well as the tiles, and the beige and white in her rings, just like the taps! crystal is so alive)
gif 6: another green with some red this time!! lmao it's like an optical illusion, my brain refused to see the reds until i actually stopped and looked for it. so nice and autumn-y <3 again the accent colour being the most prominent example of that colour is SUCH a vibe. also. they are so teeny-tiny omg who let them out to solve cases T-T
gif 7: PIIIIIIIIIIIINK (god i love a good monotone) plus the (weird) perception we have of pink as this innocent colour vs this horror that niko's going through?? the good sauce man! also i love how the pink shifts until the middle colour basically fades against the background, that's really fun
gif 8: sprites sprites sprites! lmao i love them, they're terrible but at least they're funny about it <3 the colours?? obviously the greens, the gold in the coins and litty's dress, the white in their hats and clothing (and litty's highlights, damn girl), but that blue?? iconic. i probably wouldn't have seen it if not for the colour palette omgggg
overall: i didn't expect you to be able to surpass the ep1 colour palettes but i should never have doubted, oh my godddd olly!!!! just. WOW. loved all the nikos! loved the bright colours! loved the monotones! loved the greens! loved the pinks! loved the golds! (honestly it might be faster to mention everything i don't love, which is..... nothing) THANK YOU FOR GIFTING US MERELY MORTALS WITH YOUR DIVINE GIFSETS <3
Dead Boy Detectives (2024) 1.02 — The Case of the Dandelion Shrine (insp)
#dead boy detectives#dbda#charles rowland#edwin payne#niko sasaki#crystal palace#litty and kingham#olly's STUNNING GIFS#with another ao3-style comment#because i'm insane about this actually. just decided#god i just love me a good colour palette#still not over that teal + gold actually
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The sun's soft rays cling to your skin with their warmth. It's a sunny day. For once in Gotham City, the rain has stopped, and the sun peeks out of the dark grey clouds.
Your loud steps on the concrete path go unnoticed by you. Your attention is completely stolen away by the hundreds of books for sale on the street. The stands are long and covered with old second-hand novels and romances, fantasies, and sci-fis stacked on top of each other.
There's a nostalgic feeling that blooms in your chest when you run your fingers over the covers. It's somehow firm but soft. The dust clings onto the paperback like a blanket. The faint smell of old paper never fails to comfort you.
There it is. A specific, special book you're looking for. The word 'Emma' in a soft rose gold color is embedded on a teal hardback cover. Your hand quickly reaches for it, but you're too late.
A stranger seems to have gotten their hands on it first. You look up, ready to at least try and reason with them about how desperately you need this book. Years of only drowning yourself in Dostoevsky and Wilde seem to dim your outlook on the world. Hopefulness, dropped and discharged–like a lilac-blossom in the garden.
As you open your mouth to speak, no words find their way through. The man in front of you is pretty, very pretty. Beautiful, actually. His eyes are a sea-colored green. Almost teal. Like the book you wanted.
Right, the book. You almost forgot.
He speaks first, "It's a great book. No wonder you want it." The corners of his lips curl up. A small smile, but a smile nonetheless.
You finally gather your wits and speak, "Seems like you've read it already." You try to hide the small feeling of disappointment of not being the first one to get the book, trying to focus on him instead.
"Here," he hands you the book, "seems like you haven't read it. And you should." He chuckles, "if you want, that is." He runs his hands through his hair, and you notice a few white strands.
"Oh–" You grip your jacket closer to you, "thank you so much. Though, I do need to return the favor." You take the book from his hands. Your fingers cross over the rose gold embellishment. "It's my second time reading Austen, actually..." You admit.
He jokingly gasps, "What, seriously? You've been missing out then." His voice is comforting. Not too loud, not too soft. "You seem like a reader, haven't taken your gaze off of any of the books here. And there's a lot of them." He's not asking too many questions, but he's still curious. His smile returns.
You grip the book closer to your chest, "Let's do it like this," you pick another book from the stands, "how do you feel about trying something new? We can trade, sort of?" Your voice trails off, "You have recommended this book to me, so in return, I recommend one to you."
He tilts his head, his teal eyes glancing at the new book in your hands, and then looks at you again. "Alright, I already trust your taste. So, what do you have for me?"
You hand him the book. It's a dark blue paperback. Golden leaves fall in the background. Yellow letters spell "Collage in the Moonlight." He takes it gently and looks it over, fingers grazing the spine.
"I never thought they'd translate it, but here we are." You giggle. "You'll like it." You look back at him. "I mean, I think you will. I'd never give a bad recommendation." You say, your voice filled with a tinge of pride.
He takes the book from your hands, looking it over. You notice just now that he smiles with his eyes. Cute.
"I trust I'm in good hands, then." He replies, "I'm Jason, by the way." A few strands of his hair fall free, framing his face. He can feel the nervousness in his stomach, but it doesn't seem to bother him.
You quickly give him your name, "Though, after I read this and you finish your book, I'd love to hear what you think." Your hands grip the book tighter, you're so nervous. Calm down. "Same place? In a few weeks, maybe?"
"O–oh, I will, I mean." He straightens his posture, "I mean, of course." Jason's cheeks feel a bit warm. Is the weather that warm already?
You give him a small smile before getting ready to leave, "See you soon, Jason."
Jason's eyes trail after you as you leave. He stands there for a while in silence before he realizes he didn't even say goodbye. He mentally scolds himself. Though the giddy feeling that follows after the reminder that he'll see you again here seems to calm him down.
The sun is still out, not yet covered by the clouds.
#jason todd imagine#jason todd x you#jason todd fluff#jason todd x reader#jason todd#jason todd fanfiction#dc x reader#red hood imagine#red hood x reader#red hood#red hood x you#imagines#my writing#can be set in the peccatores universe#they're both idiots#but cute idiots#their trying lol
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What is your hidden talent?
Hey, everyone! It would be super helpful if yall donated to my CashApp. I want to do this kind of work full-time. I have been told by people I read for that I am meant to do tarot reading. I am inclined to believe them because fr it has been so fun for me to see how much it helps yall. Way more fun than any retail/food industry job I've had. I feel like I am actually doing something substantial with my time. If yall want me to be able to continue to do this daily it would be so awesome if yall donated. Thank you guys in advance!
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The decks I am using today are The Tarot of the Divine, Believe in You Own Magic Oracle and The Healing Waters Oracle. Take everything that resonates and leave the rest behind but always be open to new experiences.
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PILE ONE
Astrology: Leo, Virgo, Scorpio
Song: I Set Fire To The Rain by Adele
Vibes: Teal, green, yellow/gold, shear white cloth, smelling smoke, burning house, swimming, mixed drinks, hot chocolate, braided hair, locked doors, house plants, deep skin tone, 888, shells, feathers, crayons, colored hair, ares
Cards: 2 of Wands, 9 of Cups, 5 of Wands, Mural, Gold, Cleansing, Into the Unknown
Welcome in, pile 1! You have two hidden talents. One that you use rather regularly but unknowingly and the other you have yet to unlock. The energy I am getting from the cards makes me think the two talents are intertwined. ALSO Trigger Warning for abuse in this reading. It is VERY HEAVY. Do not read if you do not think you are ready.
The first hidden talent is starting new from the ground up. I know to you it might not sound that interesting. You have no idea how hard it can be to start new things for others. Starting from the ground up is scary and intimidating. Organizing the chaos in your mind and project that chaos clearly into reality. I see you are probably an artist of some kind. You might paint, make clay sculptures, or hand-make intricate jewelry of some kind. I see you learned to hone this ability because of a karmic relationship. They made you feel adored and cherished until you were in their grasp. When you were trapped with them, they turned on you. It's giving love bombing. This person literally blew up on you over the smallest things. I see a shattered tea/coffee cup. You stayed with them for a long time even though you knew what they were doing was wrong. You had to completely shred the life you had with them. You had to start your life from scratch. Which is why you are so used to the idea of starting with nothing and building up. The pain that you felt from that past connection still hurts you to this day. You probably have PTSD from the situation you were in. I am so sorry you had to go through all that. You didn't deserve to be treated like that.
The second hidden talent is transmutation. I see that the reason you haven't unlocked it yet is because you fear change. What happened to you in that shitty relationship makes it way easier for you to start over than to change the situation. You are scared to see things to the end. I see that this fear reveals itself in your artwork. You probably have many unfinished projects because you view yourself as incapable of seeing them through. Which by the way isn't true you are so capable of anything you want to do. Heal the hurt part of you that thinks you are incapable. Your ex was the one who instilled that in you. Don't let that motherfucker get you down. Especially if they aren't in your life anymore. Don't let them have that power over you, love. You deserve to feel good. Face your fear of them being right. You and I both know they aren't. When you do unlock this ability you will be able to transmute all the pain that asshole put you through into beautiful art. You will be able to finish all of those unfinished projects. You will be able to find true love within yourself. You will find that you were never broken like that bitch said you were. You were always lovely, sweet, and accommodating. You were always creating love everywhere you went.
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PILE TWO
Astrology: Sagittarius, Gemini, Pisces
Song: I Love Rock n Roll by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Vibes: Navy Blue, white, peach, deer, horses, libraries, books, coffee, hot springs, scones, pillow forts, maxi-skirts, cowboys, mermaids, 333, wine, fine dining, tall trees, athena, artemis
Cards: The Hermit, 3 of Wands, Knight of Swords, Nostalgia, Stars, Water Codes, The Healing Lagoon
Hello, pile 2! You have one secret power but trust me it's a good one. You have the ability to pull information out of thin air. You are crazy smart. People might not think it when they look at you because you try not to flaunt it too wildly. You prefer to stay under the radar when it comes to intellect. This makes people underestimate you. I feel that some of yall reading like this for various reasons but others really fucking hate it. You have some insecurity around this skill. That's why you don't think it is a good skill tbh. You think a lot on the go even while in conversation which makes people see you as kind of ditzy. Even so, you absolutely obliterate at trivia night. Your friends come to you first when they need obscure information. You might have been a really lonely kid and spent a lot of your time reading away the time. For a big chunk of your childhood you found your companionship in novels. You may have been bullied for this. Don't let those people's words get you down. Honestly, they were just jealous of your intelligence. The friends you have now love to hear you infodump about your favorite books. They love to hear everything you know about sea creatures and astrology/astronomy. They ask questions not to mock you but because they genuinely are interested in what you have to say. You are magnificent. Your mind is unparalleled. How people perceive you has nothing to do with what is actually happening in your mind. It is just their projections of themselves onto you. Ignore them lmao. <3
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PILE THREE
Astrology: Cancer, Taurus, Libra
Song: Stay by Zedd
Vibes: All shades of blue, creeks, hanging flowers, 9999, faires, watermelon, paint-brush, rabbits, bird chips, car horn, pearls, lily pads, walking in the rain, lanterns, puppies, beaches, zues
Cards: Queen of Cups, Page of Cups, Ace of Wands, 9 of Pentacles, Raindrops, Stagnant Waters, Light House
My dear pile 3, welcome to your reading. You have a hidden ability that I feel is only hidden from you. Everyone else seems to know this about you. You have the power of hospitality and refuge. You are a safe place for everyone you know to come to if they need it. You are the type of person to tell everyone you know if they need a place to stay for any reason, all they gotta do is ask. You have a motherly energy about you, even if you aren't a woman. You always have emergency snacks for occasions like that. You host parties and everyone always leaves feeling 10 times better than when they arrived. You are the friend that lends a hand when needed. You the kind of person to have a shoulder ready for anyone to lean on, even if you don't know them well. The most beautiful thing about this is that these actions are never self-sacrificing. You have an abundance of all that you need so you can be generous constantly to those in need. I see you resting when necessary and listening to your body. I see you volunteering in your community. I think recently you helped clean up a beach or something. Maybe you organized it? Your energy is so soothing. You are just amazing, my friend. Absolutely the softest heart on earth. I also see you might foster animals! You take in rescue animals and nurse them back to health until they can find a forever home. ;n; You are the definition of an earth angel. Please see how amazing you are and how big your heart is. I wanna be your friend so bad from hearing all of this. Never stop being this beautiful of a soul, my dear. You are perfect.
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PILE FOUR
Astrology: Aries, Capricorn, Aquarius
Song: Black Girl Magic by Londrelle
Vibes: Cyan, yellow, rusty red, iridescent, sake, 4c hair, magic, spell casting, curse breaking, singing, tea, pottery, steam-train, festivals, celebration, 963, small forests, mercury/hermes, lambs, Oshun
Cards: The Star, Ace of Cups, 2 of Cups, 6 of Swords, 7 of Wands, Tower, Spaceship, Thank You
PILE 4, WOW. Welcome. Your energy is just sooo woah. You are so indescribable. All that you have been through. Everything you have seen. All I can say is, wow. Your secret power is balance. It is a well-earned hidden ability. You have been through so much to gain the skills that I see in this reading. You have traveled so far. When I first looked at the reading I could not pin down exactly what skill you had because you are just so good at EVERYTHING. I legitimately out loud said, "Everything??? Everything." You know how to take care of yourself. You are an excellent lover. If you are a parent you are good at that too. You are chasing your dreams. I see you performing as a singer or a musician and your talent stuns everyone in the room. You are the best manifester in a 20 miles radius. You are a witch for sure. You have worked so hard on breaking karmic familial curses and you succeeded. You succeeded far past your soul's initial expectations. You are everything, my love. Like literally everything. Then it hit me. You are a tightrope walker. You are balancing everything perfectly. Have you ever heard of Rock Cairns? They are stacks of rocks that hikers add to as they pass by on park trails. You have turned your life into something like that. You have perfectly balanced every stone you passed in your life in a pile and you manage it all on your own. First off, I want to tell you what a good job you are doing. What a good job you have been doing since you were born. Second thing, PLEASE REST WHEN YOU NEED IT OHMYGODS. You don't need me to tell you that though. You are probably smoking a joint right fucking now while reading this or you just got done doing that. No notes, baby. You got this. I just think Spirit wanted to remind you of your magnificence.
#tarot#tarot reading#astrology#pick a pile#pick a card#spirituality#tarot pick a card#oracle#spiritual journey#spiritual growth#oracle readings#divination#tarotblr#crystals#tarot blog#reading#seer#self discovery#secret power#hellenic pagan#witchcraft#witch#pagan#hellenistic polytheism
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Hi! Please excuse any misspellings, english is not my frist language...
Firstly I just wanted to tell you that I love your AU! Your Harlequin au was what intorduced me to lovely TADC au Tumblr community and I absolutley love it! I haven't seen alternate universes as creative as these since the Sansverse era!
Secondly, I hace a question about the Patriarch: He seems to have a very good idea of who Caine is, wouldn't he be this world's equivalent to Able? I ask because althugh his design is WAY different from most fan Able depictions, he still has that "The Puppetmaster's brother" vibe that all Ables tend to have, a peace of Caine's past that he can never get rid of!
If he is not Able then I am curious of who he is, if he is then the lore just got spicier and if you don't want to spoil anything I'll understand.
But honestly: Keep it up! Your au has filled 70% of all my daydreams, the only thing I have been able to think about for a while has only been game mechanics, combat and chase sequences!
Damn y'all are fucking sleuths istg
Though I am very proud of that because that means my design philosophy worked somehow, and for that, I'll throw you guys a bone. And also because I can't keep it a secret any longer I've been holding it in since the very beginning of this au
YES.
The Patriarch of Puppets is none other than Abel, Caine's biological brother.
When I was first designing him, I wanted every aspect of Abel's design to scream "opposite of Caine", and to hold some form of symbolism. From his megaphone head, down to the color palettes, there is meaning. Don't get me wrong, Mushy's Able is a very memorable and awesome design and I could've incorporated him the same way I did Souls-like, but I wanted something deeper for Harlequin.
While Caine is adorned in golds and maroons to symbolize his warmer nature, Abel has teals and silver, a very cold and intimidating stature. Their outfits and the colors are an opposition towards each other yet reflect one another somehow, the way Abel dresses tightly and formal when Caine is loose and open, his intense red pupil conveys his hostility, whilst Caine's eyes are softer blues and greens.
His king-size height dwarfing Caine tells just how much the Puppetmaster felt living on his shadow, HELL, someone noticed the weird "A" on the sides of his head and I had to shrug it off because I didn't want to reveal it as early as that time.
Even the megaphone head design holds SO MUCH UNTOLD STORY BETWEEN THE BROTHERS THAT I WILL CHOOSE TO KEEP A SECRET FOR NOW. I've put SO MUCH THOUGHT behind his design.
*sigh*... Which is also why I very much dislike the "siren head" jokes, because it's the one thing I didn't really foresaw when I was developing his design until I finished, and someone pointed out it might cause jokes like that to prop up. Something I thought I wouldn't mind initially, until everyone made the same joke over and over again and I just audibly groan irl.
But you know. internet's gonna internet, they see one thing that resembles a popular media, it's an immediate connection. I didn't even give a shit enough about Siren head to know how the design actually looked like, just a silhouette of the guy.
Therefore, I would really appreciate it if saying this out loud would help lessen the jokes, but ik not everyone is going to see this post so.
I do still wanna thank you for your kind words, because these kinds of asks are the fuel to my fire of inspiration and motivation for this AU, and I wish that I can keep this fire going till the very end of this AU's story :')
#thanks for the ask!#tadc#tadc au#harlequin au#tadc harlequin au#the amazing digital circus#caine#the patriarch of puppets harlequin au#tadc harlequin au the patriarch
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Can’t Bring Myself To Hate You - Part 6
Pairing: Azriel x Third-Oldest-Archeron-Sibling!Reader
A/N: Are things really getting better?
Warnings: honestly I don’t think this one’s that bad—comparatively, nodding instead of communicating, progression that I was not emotionally prepared for.
Word Count: 5,528
-Part 5- -Part 7-
“You could move in with me.”
Golden eyes meet your own, shining with sincerity. Maybe that’s the sunset.
Lips quirk, attention returning to the Sidra. Marking the small diamonds of teal and turquoise that gleam between the multitude of reds and yellows. A beautiful rainbow of colours. “Funny, Bas.”
“I’m serious,” he says, eyes weighing on your cheek. “You could help out, if you’re worried about being a burden. You’ve got the brains for it—it’d barely take any effort.”
You shake your head, firmly dismissing the idea, “it’s not that… I just couldn’t.”
“Why not?” He asks, clothing shifting as he readjusts himself. You peer down into the river, allowing the breeze to push and play with your feet—hanging over the ledge. Beneath you, Bas has laid a picnic blanket, the two of you sat cozily, side by side.
“It would be too much,” you reply, looking down the river. Peering at the restaurants that line it’s bank, preparing for the influx of customers that sweep in around this time. Eager to watch the colours flicker and dance. “I can’t ask that from you.”
Bas blows out a deep breath, the air bubbling from his lips. Laughter creeps into your eyes as they flick to him. He raises a single, dark brow, amusement gleaming in his gaze. “You know you sound like a horse when you do that.” Bas grins, full lips pressing together as he repeats the sound. Your own hurt as they stretch into a smile, “stop it. This is supposed to be a serious conversation.”
Amusement dances in his eyes as he takes in your feigned glare. “You didn’t seem to be taking it particularly seriously,” he counters, tucking one knee beneath his chin, propping it on his forearm as he watches you. Locks obscure some of the gold in his eyes as he peers at you from beneath a raised brow. “And your solution was to whinny like you were sulking?” You shoot back, smiling faintly.
“Well, maybe if you actually rode your horse from time to time, he wouldn’t be so grumpy,” he mutters playfully. A surprised laugh bursts from your lips, landing a knock to his shoulder in chastisement. He doesn’t so much as budge—merely smiles, propping his jaw on his arm instead of keeping the lower portion of his features obscured.
“I don’t know what you’re laughing about,” he grins, watching the Sidra reflect in your eyes. “I’m laughing at the fact you would willing compare yourself to a horse,” you return. “Why not something more majestic? Like a lion?”
“Is that what you think of me? That I’m a lion?” You try to suppress your smile—why do you even bother when you’re around him? “Would you rather I compare you to a rat?” Bas barks a laugh, loud enough to draw a few sets of eyes, your own widening at the volume.
“Your flattery could use some work,” he says, still smiling. Tension releases your shoulders, breath easing from your lungs. A cool breeze flutters by, making you shiver. He shifts closer.
“What’s stopping you?” He asks gently, allowing the quiet to calm the two of you. Lips purse, teeth prodding your lower one. “I just couldn’t,” you murmur, “like I said: it would be too much.” His brow narrows, attention remaining solely on you.
“How?” He asks. “It would just be for a little, yeah? Until you find something to do.”
“But what if I don’t find something to do? Then I’d just be a dead weight, and I’d have to go back without having done anything,” you say, softly. “I wouldn’t be able to face them.”
Bas shifts again, lowering both legs over the edge, his thigh pressing to your own. “You’re smart. You’ll find something.” You roll your eyes at his false confidence. “You have nothing to base that on,” you smile, attention briefly flicking to him. “But I appreciate the reassurance.”
“Nothing to base it on,” he scoffs. “You read essays for fun. What other sources do I need?” You release an indignant huff, stubbornly setting your gaze back on the river.
When he figures you’re ignoring him, his hand darts behind you, quickly pinching your backside, before returning to his lap. You start, then turn to glare at him, “Bas.” He gives you one of his grins, and you falter. Heat settles in your lower belly. “I think it would be a nice arrangement, don’t you?” He drawls, roughly. “You wouldn’t have to sneak around as much. Could just roll out of bed and straight into mine.”
Something dark and syrupy gathers between your legs and you glare at him harder, heat warming your skin. “We’re in public, Bas,” you chastise, eyes darting around to make sure no one detects the shift in your scent. No one except for the male who’s leaning in a little closer now, nosing at your throat with interest. “Then maybe we should go somewhere else, yeah?”
Golden eyes lock with your own, darkened with hunger. It hits you like a kick in the stomach; muscles practically melt. “You’re way too good at that for my liking,” you breathe, already having trouble looking away from his mouth. Lips lift into a smirk, sharp eyes gleaming, “well I get a lot of practice, don’t I?”
Teeth push into your lower lip, and all it takes is the few seconds you look away from him to make up your mind.
You need a night to empty your head. To feel again.
And Bas is the perfect relief.
————
The story repeats itself, more familiar to you than anything else in your life.
Hot breath tickles the nape of your neck, lips lifting into a helpless smile as you attempt to move out of the way. Arms wrap snugly around your waist, dragging you across the mattress, back flush to his naked front. Hair brushes against you, clean and rough, making you squirm in his grip. Vaguely trying not to wake him.
It’s over when he huffs a soft laugh onto your skin, and you lightly elbow him in the ribs. “Bas…” you laugh quietly, rolling over to face him. Golden eyes cut into your own, already clear despite sleep weighing his lids. “Trying to sneak away?” He asks, mouth quirked in a faint grin. You roll your eyes, noting the beams of sunlight streaming in from the circular skylight. Brow furrows, “what time is it?”
His expression mirrors your own, raising to peer over your head at the old clock mounted on the opposite wall. “It’s eleven thirty. About.”
You groan into his chest, ducking back beneath the covers. Count to seven. Pop back out. “I should be going, shouldn’t I?”
Bas quirks a brow, watching you fondly, well-accustomed to the questions you ask yourself. Watches as you sigh again, then roll over, allowing you to leave. Especially when it gives him a view of your lovely body, softened by sleep as you move lethargically to find your clothes. Pick them up. Set them on the bed. Move for the washroom. He uses the time to steady himself.
In retrospect, you were pretty quick—the two of you up and out of his house before the hour hand struck one. Walking up the short path through the garden that leads to the River House before half past.
“I’ll see you in a couple of days, yeah?” He checks, hands tucked into his pockets. Casual and at ease. Comfortable in his skin.
Lips quirk playfully, “greedy.”
His mouth matches your own, “you’re just as bad as I am. Don’t pretend otherwise.”
“I’m not the one who was at attention first thing in the morning, Bas,” you whisper, smiling as his golden eyes gleam. “I’d be a little confused if you were, dove. Very flattered, though.”
Lips part in a grin, cheeks aching from your time spent with him. “Okay, I’ll drop by in a few days,” you smile, aware of your own reluctance to return to the house. “Try not to lose your head in the meantime.” Hand presses down on the handle, door swinging open, a gust of cool air greeting you.
Bas grins—one of his grins. “I’d be happy to give it to you,” he teases, eyes gleaming with amusement and a drop of sincerity. “Whenever you want, dove. It’s your call.” Heat flushes your skin at his offer—what even sex can’t decriminalise to your mind. He retreats a step, gold flashing in the sun as he grins easily, “you can’t hide from it forever. One day, yeah? I’ll show you how good it can be.”
You want to reply, but he’s already sauntering off, hands still tucked in his pockets, casual and leisurely. Bastard.
His offer repeats, how nonchalantly he regards that particular intimacy. As if it doesn’t go against the very root of human society. The foundations you were brought up on. Highlighting a primary difference between here and where you grew up. Women aren’t supposed to enjoy sex, let alone have it to themselves.
Sighing, shoulders weighed down, you allow the door to close at your back. Already missing him.
Walking into the entrance hall, you spot a parcel sat atop the entrance table, beside the vase filled with flora. Eyes flick about the room, checking no one’s around as you make for the stairs, aiming for your room.
“You aren’t going to take it?” Azriel asks, appearing in the doorway leading to the sitting room. You still, blinking. Turn around warily. “Pardon?” Hazel flicks to the package, “the parcel. Aren’t you going to open it?” Attention moves to the table between you. “That’s not—… I didn’t get anything?” You say, shifting on your feet.
“The note says it’s for you,” he replies, remaining the other side of the room.
Debate your options. Slowly walk forward, picking up the package. The note is indeed carrying your name. Flip it over to read its underside. In a clean, elegant script is scrawled: For your education.
Brows narrow, turning the parcel in your hands. No note saying who it’s from. Maybe it’s a late birthday present? “Thanks…” you murmur, absently, “I would have walked past it.” Eyes squinted in confusion, you make to turn around, interested in unwrapping it. Discoveries to be made.
“Eris left it.” Azriel states quietly. Intrigue vanishes, feeling like you’re holding scorching coals.
Gaze lifts to meet his own. “He did?” It seems he enjoys stirring up chaos.
Azriel nods, attention never leaving you. “Did he mention what’s inside?” You ask hesitantly, loosening your grip on the hard rectangle. He shakes his head in answer, making you sigh.
“And I suppose you want to know what’s inside?” You ask, grim smile on your lips. His throat rolls, eyes flicking away. “I would appreciate it if you let me know once you open it.” Blink away your surprise. Nod slowly. “Yeah,” you whisper. “Okay.”
Hastily clear your throat, emotion clogging your chest. Turn to head to your bedroom. “Are you feeling better?” He asks, again causing you to stop. Peer at him close, wary. “I am…” you hedge, watching him closely.
He nods, “good.” Shifts on his feet. “I’m glad.”
Your heart skips a beat, staring at him with poorly concealed surprise. Something flickers in his gaze, eyes briefly flitting away from your own, allowing you to shift your features to cover what you’re feeling.
“Yeah, I had… I had a good morning,” you mumble, peering down at your feet to hide the flush on your cheeks. He hums in acknowledgement, and your toes curl in your shoes, something warm and tender spreading across your breastbone. “Pillage any bookstores while you were out?” He asks, enough sincerity to have your lips stretching wide into a grin, cheeks aching all over again, painful enough you have to try to force it away.
“Not today. I thought I’d leave some for Nesta,” you reply, meeting his gaze. His features are neutral, but the edges of his irises are softer—warmer than normal. You quickly look away, stomach fluttering wildly. Too many butterflies suddenly resurrected for you to handle.
A peaceful quiet calms the room, allowing you some time to temporarily bask in the warmth of his approval.
“About our conversation, a few days ago…” he begins gently. Carefully. You shift on your feet, but don’t flee from the spot.
“I’m sorry for how I went about it,” he settles on. “Eris… There are some awful people in this world, and what he did to Mor…” he blows out a breath, shoulders loosening some of their tension. “I wouldn’t want that happening to you because he’d managed to convince you he could be trusted. I couldn’t forgive myself if that happened,” he admits quietly. “None of us could.”
Your heart rises up into your throat, pounding wildly as your eyes meet. Hazel calm, and steady. Tough and reassuring. You manage a weak nod of your head, fingers tightening on the package. “It’s fine,” you say gently, too overwhelmed to manage much more. “I’d already… You don’t need to apologise,” you reassure, fighting to keep your voice from trembling. “I’d practically forgotten.”
His eyes flicker, then he nods, accepting your assurance. “Then I won’t keep you any longer.” You nod back, mirroring the movement, “yeah. Okay.” It takes you a moment to remember yourself, clutching the parcel tighter, “I’ll go open this now, then.” You give him a smile before you turn, managing to ascend the stairs without turning to see if he’s still there.
Lungs hold at full capacity, near bursting with something warm and fuzzy as you peel back the brown paper, removing the string keeping it together. Take a few minutes to scan the pages of the volume, attention flitting mindlessly over diagrams and neatly written essays, quick to reach the end. It looks interesting, titled: Prythian: An Anthology of Discoveries.
While flicking through, you catch glimpses of constellations, depictions of your solar system, detailed illustrations of the planet closest to your own—further from the centre. Near the end, one in particular catches your attention: three overlapping ovals, appearing to make up a six-petaled flower that contains some small dots at its heart. Intriguing. Utterly fascinating.
You reach the final page, and make to flip back to the beginning, intending on reading each passage in detail, but—you’d said you’d let him see. He’s trusting you to follow through, and you’re not going to disappoint. Not now he’s allowing you some leeway.
So you hop to your feet, and make your way to where you saw him last, happily handing it over for inspection. Hazel flicks over the cover, taking in the title, scanning the first few pages in detail before shutting it again. “Thank you,” he says softly, “I’ll go through it quickly and then you’re free to read away.” A smile lifts your mouth, heart fluttering as you nod your head. “It’s fine,” you say, “take your time. I get you’re busy.”
Then you turn, not wanting him to see the deep flush on your cheeks—embarrassingly warm—and hurriedly make your way back to the silence of your bedroom. Clean and tidy, at last.
Heart pounding, you lean against your door. Replaying the gentle talk he’d given you. It’s been too long since he’s acted like that, breathing becoming shallow at the memory alone.
Slowly, you inhale a deep breath, pressing against the wood as you slide down, until you’ve reached the bare floor. Hand slides across your chest, feeling the drum of your pulse. Hold the breath to steady your lungs.
And when that breath releases, relief crushes down with it.
Finally.
Finally, you’ve gotten something right.
————
Days pass in a blur, and you find yourself pondering what to wear.
Bas had told you to find him in a couple of days, and quite frankly, you’re looking forward to it. Azriel will be done with your book soon, too. Probably either today or tomorrow, making your heart flutter. So many exciting things happening all at once! So many things to be happy about! It’s exhilarating.
The sky is clear as usual, sun beating down onto the cobbled streets. The flower baskets hanging either side doors and windows sway, leaves and petals glowing in the warmth, curling at the edges. You should wear something loose, to keep cool.
Before you know it, you’re ready and dressed, descending the staircase when knocks are landed to the front door. Golden eyes gleam with mischief when you answer, refreshing breeze sweeping in, playing with your skirts. He’s in the front garden, dark locks tied back, a few that aren’t long enough to reach framing his features. The carved beauty of his cheekbones, the cut of his jaw, the spark in his eyes…exhilarating.
“Bas,” you greet, smiling. “What are you doing here? Did you miss me?” He rolls his eyes, hands remaining tucked at his back, something rustling as he shifts. “Just making sure you weren’t going to chicken out, dove,” he says cockily, lips parting in a familiar grin. “And, well, I got you these.” From behind his back he pulls out a paper wrapped bouquet, containing pink and white baby’s breath. The flora is dried to keep it preserved, so it will store nicely in your room, without demanding any particular care.
Your can feel your features stretch as a smile overtakes your entire face. “Bas, are you serious?” Tentatively, you accept the menagerie of flowers, eyes gleaming as you peer into the swirl of colour, so complimentary to one another. He shrugs, “you seemed down last time. I thought these might brighten you up a little.” You meet his gaze, gold soft around the edges, and you feel yourself melt a little inside. “Thank you, Bas. You really didn’t need to.” You turn back to the bouquet, smiling.
“I wanted to,” he replies, nonchalantly. “So go put them up in your room, yeah? Then we can go out and have fun.”
You nod absently, making to head back inside, “where did you even find them? These don’t look endemic to the Night Court?”
“New shop,” he calls, “had all these long names in the window. Guessed you’d like stuff like that.” Lip press together in a smile, hurrying into the entrance hall and up the stairs, setting them on the table before returning. “Did you pick these out because they were the nicest or because they had the most complicated name?” You hop down the last step, mindlessly glancing at the table in the centre of the room.
“You couldn’t waterboard the title out of me,” he admits, a smile lighting his eyes. “Something like Gyrophilia Panicrolilia.” A snort bursts from you at the tangle of consonants.
“Gypsophilia Paniculata,” you amend, “from the Caryophyllaceae family. Same as carnations?” Bas sighs, “of course you know the name.”
“No,” you laugh, trying to make it clear you’re being sincere. “I just read a book on botany the other day. Otherwise I swear I wouldn’t have known. It’s a coincidence.” Bas gives you a look as if he doesn’t believe you, making you smile wider. “Well, shall we?”
You’re about to cross the threshold when you hear your name being called from the sitting room, boots lightly scuffing on the floor as to not surprise you. Stiffening, you turn to face Azriel, stood in the doorway. Hazel pierces into you, having already marked the guest at the door. A strange feeling settles in the pit of your stomach. He doesn’t like Bas. “Yes?” You ask, fingers wringing together.
Boots move forward, making you tense as he steps fully into view, coming to stand at your side. Golden eyes flick over the male, his familiar lips quirking and you send him a sharp glance. He barely managed to keep his mouth shut the last time they collided. “Azriel,” he greets, inclining his head ever so slightly. “Bas,” he returns, features neutral. Anxiety swarms the pit of your stomach, turning to fluttering butterflies when his fingertips graze the base of your spine. Tension seeps from your shoulders, attention helplessly attracted to his gravitational pull.
Hazel remains locked on gold for a second longer than necessary, before latching onto you. Skin prickles beneath his focus, features flushing with warmth despite the breeze. “I thought I’d let you know I’m finished with the book,” he says calmly. “Feel free to collect it whenever you want.” Slowly, you nod in acknowledgement. Swallow. “Okay,” you manage, world fading a little around him. “Is there a time that’d be good for you?” You ask, attempting to steady out your heartbeat.
Azriel pauses, thinking. “After dinner would be good,” he settles on, and you nod.
“Okay,” you answer, “I’ll knock after dinner, then.” His eyes flick to Bas briefly, and you tense. Are either of them going to clash? “Well,” you break the silence, not waiting to find out. “I’ll see you later.” You offer one of your better smiles. He nods, still watching Bas. Step forward, falling into pace beside him, heading out into the bright sun-warmed streets of Velaris.
“You heave really questionable taste, you know that?” Bas states once you’re both down the street, out of ear-shot. Smile, and roll your eyes. “Isn’t that obvious? I spend so much time with you.” He snorts, shoving you lightly. “I’m serious,” he says, eyes gleaming, “you looked like you were about to start glowing.” The laughter stumbles in your chest, coming out a little strained, but you manage to persevere. “Very funny, Bas. Now can we change the subject?” You offer, glaring at him playfully.
“All I’m saying is you picked a difficult guy,” he comments, eyes scanning the shops. Sighing, your attention flits into different windows, picking out all sorts of items and antiquities. “Why don’t you two get on?” You subvert, trying not to peer at him to mark his reaction, “I’ve never seen you quarrel with anyone else?”
Bas shrugs, “how should I know. We’ve barely ever spoken before.” Your brow dips, but he finally seems content to let the subject drop. You’re more than happy to let it slip away.
————
“Come in.”
Toes curl at the sound of his voice, but you gently push away the heat, stepping into his office, scanning the room curiously. He’s sat at his desk, piles of paper neatly stacked a few inches from the edges, ink pots and quills as well as a few daggers litter the remaining space. Typical decoration for him. The room is fairly sparse of personal touch, save for a rug laying atop the floor, muffling to step of your feet.
“Hi,” you say quietly, smiling as hazel latches onto you. Giddiness warms your heart, melting your bones to soft liquid. “I hope I didn’t disturb you.”
Azriel straightens in his chair, setting aside whatever report he was inevitably filing, giving you his full attention. “No, actually. Perfect timing—I was just finishing.” A sigh breathes from your lips, tension seeping from your shoulders as you step further into the room. “Was everything okay? With the book, I mean,” you ask, automatically seeking out the neatly bound volume.
He nods, standing as he picks it up, handing it over. “Do you know why he gave it to you?” Blink once. Redirect your attention to the anthology, gently plying it from his hands, bringing it to rest against your torso. Like a strange, make-shift shield. “Not really,” you admit. “We had a brief talk about my orrery, but he seemed fairly disinterested.”
“Your orrery?” He asks. “Like the one Rhys has?” Your head raises by itself, meeting his piercing gaze. Eyes sparkle as you nod, grinning, “mine’s a little smaller—by quite a bit, actually. But ‘Lain got it for me and” —you shift the volume into one of your arms, Azriel’s hands flexing at his sides as if you might drop it— “it’s the most beautiful creation I’ve ever seen. It’s utterly incredible. I’d love to show you sometime—it’s so intricately carved, and the texture is rendered so lovingly.” You stop momentarily to ease in breath. “But really, it’s utterly incredible.”
Azriel looks vaguely surprised. “I think that’s the quickest I’ve ever heard you speak,” he comments, gaze flitting to the book, “I didn’t realise you had an interest in science.” Heat flushes your cheeks, torn between clarifying that you aren’t trying to disprove the existence of the Mother, and telling him more about the worlds and the universe. Telling him everything you can think of regarding the subject, actually. It’s all perched on the tip of your tongue, ready to be recited with perfect accuracy.
“Did you have a good day today?” He asks instead, knocking you off your feet. Memories of the stars vanish, replaced by a blank space. Blink once. Twice. Nod slowly. “Yeah…I did,” you answer softly, unaccustomed to being asked after. Clear your throat. “What about you?” You fumble out, “have fun doing your” —peer at the stack of reports on his desk, wincing— “…work?” He nods back, “I suppose. It’s out of the way, now.” You nod in acknowledgement, fingers itching to tangle with one another.
“Okay,” you say, softly, “remember not to overwork yourself…” You chicken out, unable to finish with his name. Toes curl in your shoes. Just the two of you. Two people in one room. Two people alone. Alone together. Heartbeat spikes. Book shifts in your arms. Deep breath.
“I—… There’s something…you might…” you fumble, skin flushing, unsure what to say. “I mean, it might not— You might not need to know, but maybe it would be better to tell you? But I don’t…” Embarrassment weighs in your gut, numbness gliding down your back. His attention weighs into you, making you shift to your other foot, resting the heavy book on your hip. He holds out an offering hand and you mindlessly return the volume, wringing your fingers. Deep breath.
“I…sometimes glow.”
He blinks. Nods for you to continue. Bite your lip.
“It’s only really been my hands…” you say quietly, “but they glow, quite brightly, sometimes. It’s kind of green…maybe a bit yellow? —like Starfall.” He nods again, silently telling you to continue. Tongue flicks out to lick your lips, finding them dry. “That’s…it.” Shift on your feet.
“When did it first happen?” He asks, causing you to perk up again.
“Maybe a month…” —his brows narrow— “or a fortnight ago? I’m sorry, I can’t really…” He nods in understanding. “That’s fine,” he reassures, easily sustaining the weight of the thick volume. Gestures to his desk. You follow him around the furniture obediently. Heart flutters when he motions for you to sit in the chair. His chair.
“Do you remember what you were doing when you first started glowing?” He asks, though his voice is a distant pleasure in your mind. Attempting not to lose your mind as his warmth wraps around you, his scent seeping into your clothing, seeping into your skin.
Your name sounds on his tongue, and you blink, looking up at him. Blink away the fogginess. “Would it be easier to talk elsewhere?” He suggests, gently. Shoulders a little stiff. You swallow, hurriedly shaking your head, “no, I’m fine…just remembering.”
He nods, “if you want to move, that’s fine.” You nod back. Pry your tongue from the roof of your mouth. “It was when we went to the… With Elain? To…” Lips press together. She was going to see Lucien. Hazel flickers briefly, but he waves it off, gesturing for you to continue. Heart flutters. Swallow again.
“And…you know I ended up in the river?” You ask, gently. Dips his head in response. Bite your lip in embarrassment. “Well, I got…quite angry about it.” Surprise lights his eyes, but he keeps his mouth shut, allowing you to finish speaking. Nod to yourself slowly, “and I got back up onto the path and…hit…him.” Dip your head, peering down at your feet, anxiety twisting sharply in your gut. Nausea rising. “Please don’t let him know I told you. He’ll probably be furious if—”
A surprised laugh cuts you off, making you look up at him.
There’s a dimple to one corner of his lips, the edges curved upward, and he’s laughing. Hand covering his mouth, attempting to quiet himself. You stare.
Air ceases flowing.
Mirth dances in his hazel gaze, while the laughter stops as quickly as it started, but… You stare. Eyes lock. You can’t look away.
Azriel gestures for you to carry on. “Go ahead.”
“That was” —clear your throat of the sudden raspiness— “that was the first time it happened.”
“Did Eris see?” He asks, making you stiffen. Yes, he definitely saw.
“I’m not sure…” you hedge, shifting in the seat. “It happened quite quickly, so maybe not?”
“If there was enough time for you to notice, it’s more than likely he did, too,” Azriel reasons steadily, settling back into a strategising mindset. Hard eyes flick to you, “you should have told me this earlier. Why didn’t you say anything on the way back?”
“I was scared,” you whisper. The words out before you can stop them. Humiliation burns through your stomach lining. “Anyway,” you murmur, softly, trying to tuck deeper into the chair. To take up less space in his office. “I only noticed because of the feeling. Not particularly the colour.” Burning is quite difficult to ignore.
Quiet stretches between you, making your nerves wriggle.
“Please don’t be angry,” you manage, looking up at his unreadable features. “I know I should have said something, but I just— There wasn’t a good time,” you finish quietly. Duck your head. You should have told them sooner. “A good time,” he repeats slowly. Processing your excuse.
“I’m sorry,” you mumble. Unable to look at him.
Azriel sighs deeply. Flexes his hands. Folds his arms. “You know you should have said something,” he says at last. Bite the inside of your lip. Nod your head. Quiet stretches. “Any information regarding your magic,” he begins, “is information you should not be giving out. It jeopardises our unified front. Imagine if he had brought it up during a meeting without us knowing. Can you see how that would have gone?” You nod your head again.
“I’m sorry,” you repeat. Head hanging between your shoulders.
He sighs, weight settling in your stomach. “Better now than later,” he says at last, and relief crushes into your bones. Shoulder slumping as you settle back into his chair. “You should tell Rhys, or Feyre, whoever you’d prefer, and we can start figuring out what’s going on with your magic. Okay?”
You stare at him. Slowly shake your head. His eyes narrow.
“No,” you mange. “No, I don’t— I’m not telling them.”
“You can’t hide your powers,” he chides, giving you a look that doesn’t settle well in your stomach. “You’ve told me. It’s no different.”
“No,” you repeat. Still shaking your head.
“Then I’ll have to tell them.”
“No,” you say, panic working its way into your throat. “No, you can’t.”
“I can,” he counters, “it’s the right thing to do.” Eyes narrow, “why are you against it?”
“I was there, you know,” you remind, gripping tight to the chair. “When Nesta—” Cut yourself off. Try again, softer. “When she was deteriorating.”
“I can promise you won’t be forced to train relentlessly every morning. That was solely to give her something to latch onto.” His brow narrows, watching you intently. “And she’s done well. Very well. You shouldn’t be scared of becoming like her.”
“Give me a month,” you ask, hands gripping the arm rests either side of the chair. “Give me a month, and if I haven’t worked anything out, I’ll tell them.” Azriel pauses, marking the trembling of your fingers.
“A week,” he offers.
“A fortnight,” you counter, joints practically splintering in your knuckles.
Hazel glitters in the low light. Then he nods, reluctantly. “A fortnight.”
————
Arms ache from the bound volume. Dust motes shooting out as it thumps on your desk—pushed up against the wall.
Cough, waving away the particles. Sit down. Stare at the anthology with dull eyes.
It’ll be exciting once you start. Just open the first page, and you’ll be alight again.
(A fortnight.)
Spine creaks as you flip open the book; your brow dips. There should be a stamp of some kind—an indentation to say where to return it to. It’s always right on the inside, yet there’s nothing here.
Frown deepens, running fingers over its insides, tracing the ribbing. It’s thicker than you’re accustomed to. Nails catch a the edges; you blink. Slide deeper, carefully prying the paper from the edge, as if it’s been stuck down from age.
A dull smile dusts your lips, spotting the stamp you’d been searching for. Triumph sparks and dies in the blink of an eye as you pull the paper from the book—clearly misplaced.
Ink catches you attention. Probably an annotation from some past scholar. Raise it to the light to see clearly.
Heart stutters. Take in the clean, elegant script.
Hello, cygnet.
General Taglist: @myheartfollower @tcris2020 @mali22 @amygdtjhddzvb @sfhsgrad-blog
Az Taglist: @azrielshadows1nger @jurdanpotter @positivewitch
CBMTHY Taglist: @impossibelle @naturakaashi @sakurafrost3-blog @ficienjoyedrbspot @azriels-shadowsinger @marina468 @misstea12 @going-through-shit @fussel9913 @minakay @i-am-infinite @wannabewolf @thegirlintheshadows101 @kennedy-brooke @esposadomd @horneybeach1 @jeannineee @harrystylesfan2686 @tothestarsandwhateverend @abysshaven @starlight-hope @stupidwingboy @nastynesta @luvmoo @furiousbooklover @kuraikei @kemillyfreitas @chasing-autumns-chill @marvelpotter @starswholistenanddreamsanswered
#CBMTHY#Can’t Bring Myself To Hate You#CBMTHY Part 6#Azriel#Azriel angst#Azriel x reader#Azriel x reader angst#Eris#Eris Vanserra#Night Court#Autumn Court#acotar#acosf
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hii! can i request a neteyam x metkayina!reader where she’s really quiet/shy (being closer to kiri and tuk) and doesn’t think he notices her a lot, but neteyam is actually very attentive of her and one day he confesses about this in a maybe fluffy/personal moment? i’m sorry if this sounds confusing and thank you in advance. <3
Those Ocean Eyes
|| AS YOU WISH. sorry if it isn’t as good but again, NOT PROOF READ i’m a lil lazy and just woke up
characters: neteyam x metkayina!reader
ratings: SFW , fluffy soft shit , aonung being a butt , neteyam being protective , reader bein all timid 🤭
||
Kiri dipped into the water first, playing around with the sea creatures and Tuk was around collecting shells. Sitting down in the sand, Neteyam and Lo’ak sat on the beach rock next to you and their sisters. You made small drawings in the sand, glancing over to Neteyam occasionally who seemed to be engrossed in Lo’ak talking about his Tulkun.
Each time you looked away, Neteyam glanced at you. Still paying attention to his younger brother talking about his adventures today. You frowned in annoyance, seeing Rotxo and Aonung heading towards you and the Sully’s smugly. Before you knew it, Lo’ak dropped down first much to Neteyams dislike. You kept still, hoping it wouldn’t turn into a fight again, while Aonung was already picking on Lo’ak for his ‘demon blood’. They both tarted pushing each other around, Aonung being right in front of you and honestly he was losing. He kept getting pushed into you, while you struggled getting up in the sand that kept fighting against you. Guess like you were losing too.
Neteyam scowled, dropping down from the rock and hoisting you up carefully, pushing you behind him. “Ay, Skxawngs. Watch where the hell you’re fighting. You could’ve crushed her.” He said with a booming voice. Dusting you off and holding your shoulder protectively. Aonung huffed a small laugh, turning around to say some more bullshit, “If you like her just say that forest boy, she’ll never wanna be your mate anyway-“
Neteyam pushed him back with a strong force, and Aonung tumbled back. Holding his arm out to stop Rotxo. “I said leave, now bro.” Neteyam said before pushing them off into the opposite direction again. You were embarrassed at the mention of you in the conversation. Yet you failed to notice how upset Neteyam got, his breathing growing quick and heavy with annoyance. “You alright?” He asked you, patting the side of your head. You nodded quickly, “Yeah, yeah. It’s nothing i’m not used to around those morons.” You took the first step back, feeling like your heart would explode if you stayed. Tuk came back, along with Kiri. Both of them were ragging you away. reading to make their necklaces with all the shells they ended up finding. You wanted to speak to Neteyam more, but he was already turned around to scold Lo’ak gently.
..
You weaved through the shells intricately, do sucking on each pattern you tried to make. Big shell, medium shell, tiny shells. You hoped Neteyam would find the necklace flattering, and would appreciate it. The salty wind came through, nearly blowing away your vines and leaves. Before you could react s blue hand pressed them down before picking them up and plopping down next to you in the sand.
It was Neteyam. “Ay, that necklace for me?” He said teasingly, his thigh pressing against you. It was like he had no sense of personal space, not that you minded but you thought it was cute.
“Actually it is, it was supposed to be a surprise.” You laid the necklace into the sand, slowly lowering your hands. Neteyam did the same with all the materials, digging up a place to safely put your hard earned vines. Your bright teal eyes met his gold ones, and he smiled, it could show in his eyes too. Your thoughts kept getting louder, yearning for his affection more and more. Even though you were so timid and shy, you were sure his affection could only be platonic, you were always to yourself, or with his little sisters. Introverted like Kiri was, but as playful as Tuk when it came to the right people.
You dropped your hands into your lap. Holding your breath.
“I need to tell you something,”
“I need to tell you something.”
You both laughed, his teeth showing a lot from the coincidence. “Alright, me first.” He said eagerly, not even waiting for a retort. Neteyams body turned to face yours more, the ocean just barely touching the two of you.
Before he started he noticed the glisten in your eyes, how pretty they looked when the sun was setting. “You’re a gentle girl. There’s this soft light about you, always so caring. Helping us learn the ways of the water people, even though you’re so shy, you were the first to talk to me.” Neteyam placed his hand onto your thigh, reassuringly. His heart was beating as fast as yours.
“I see you. I really do. Everything about you. Even those pretty ocean eyes.” He said, leaning in a little.
Your heart almost dropped to your ass, mouth slightly agape from the compliments he showered you with. He noticed your sincerity, and even admitted to loving the shy and introverted bits. You took his hand, crawling into his arms and he welcomed you eagerly. “I’ve never had someone say that. I was drawn to you the moment I saw you Neteyam.” The moment was very heartfelt, both of you pouring your emotions out just from the tight embrace. “I…see you too, Neteyam. I always did.” He held you tighter, a warm feeling washing over him as the waves engulfed you to up to the waist. Neither of you minded, as you both laid in the sand, holding onto each other.
#neteyam x reader#neteyam imagine#neteyam x you#neteyam sully#avatar neteyam#neteyam#atwow loak#loak imagine#avatar way of water#metkayina#omaticaya
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It couldn't be a masquerade ball because it was an unmasked ball
The S2E5 ball symbolism seemed very prominent to me when I watched Season 2 even for the first time, but I saw @meatballlady ask this wonderful question & Neil's answer and thought : hey why not share my thoughts on the clothing at the ball as well.
If you're reading this you probably know all about how coat lapels are an important character signifier both seasons of GO. If not, TLDR; jacket lapels align with a character's intentions, and their alignment with a faction is determined by their jacket colour (light goes up or dark goes down).
So why do I say that this was an "unmasked" ball? Because if you follow the lapel theory, all the important participants who seem neutral in real life gain allegiances in their costumes when they enter the bookshop. Let's break it down.
Crowley & Aziraphale
If you aren't just making everyone fancy, but actually trying to reveal intentions during this ball, then it would make sense that Aziraphale and Crowley don't change outfits : they've been wearing their hearts on their sleeves since season 1. Maggie
In everyday life, Maggie purposely wears tops without lapels. Everything is round or crew-neck, and she never wears black. In the ball reveal, Maggie wears black for the first time, and has big pointing down lapels on her navy satin shirt, indicating alignment with Hell in both colour and intention. All of her cutesy bows and hearts and gold jewelry are gone. She wears sparkly silver only, and a prominent wristwatch (like Crowley). However, her pinkie ring is still present. (go read @indigovigilance's post about pinkie rings, it's great).
Nina
Nina is all over the place in real life. Colours clash and she wears black and earth tones often. She also never wears jackets with lapels. When we get to the ball however, she suddenly has a golden brocade jacket with teal & crimson shoulders, and golden hair clasps. She becomes exactly what Maggie is attempting to project in real life, but her lapels are pointing out and up, so alignment with heaven in both colour and intention. No pinkie ring on Nina in the series. Under the jacket she wears green and crimson. A confused pairing as I've ever seen on the show. Who knows what that's about*. Jimbriel
In normal life, Jim is ultra-neutral with lapels pointing out (neither up nor down) on a brown coat. (Underneath is a whole different ball game for another post.) Jimbriel gets a hilariously Liberace-fied version of the Aziraphale outfit : bowtie, poweder blue and labels pointing down and also to the side, fluffy white and details like Michael and Uriel. He's HELPING AZIRAPHALE WITH THE PLAN, wink wink nudge nudge. You go Jim. Mutt
Mutt the magic shop owner also has a pinkie ring in real life, as does his spouse, and keeps it for the ball. He gains impressive gold details on his lapel-less tunic, and the colour shifts from base of black to a base of navy, with red and white flowers instead of orange and teal swoops. His sleeves widen, becoming almost an angelic robe-like tunic, making him kind of a mysterious mashup of symbols. Arnold
Arnold of Arnold's music shop fame is wearing black with rainbow tie and suspenders before the ball, without much jewelry save a pinkie ring. Inside the ball, he keeps the black, but now has crimson and teal accents instead of rainbow, and lapels that are very high up, but that point out to the side, making him more neutral/Mutt the magician aligned, even if he's wearing black. Justine
Justine wears Hellish green and black in real life on her daisy patterned dress, no lapels here. She has no pinkie ring either, but once inside the ball, all the green melts away and she's allllll black flowered lace. She also has no lapels here, making her also more aligned with Mutt & Arnold than anything, but just as mysterious. Mrs Sandwich
Mrs Sandwich seems easier to judge. Black and gold no lapels in real life, alllll sparkly black and big downturned lapels for the ball. No pinkie ring on her in either outfit, but a prominent wristwatch. This makes total sense to me. Even if she might not be aligned with hell directly, she runs a brothel and profits off of sex workers so probably a pretty bad lady if we're weighing the odds from a biblical perspective. In other moments she also seems pretty fond of Crowley, and pretty unhappy with Nina (see above). Mr&Mrs Cheng
Mr & Mrs Cheng are VERY interesting to me. While Cheng wears all black in real life, and we never see her partner, she is transformed in the ball into the only character (besides Nina in solid green) who wears a green pattern. She has become a plant/garden (specifically a Monsterra, like in Corwley's box), and her husband is the pollinating golden butterfly, (with neutral lapels on a black background). Neither of them wear pinkie rings, but Mrs Cheng keeps her distinctive teal earrings, and is now sporting red lipstick, making her and her husband most associated with Nina. Nina also trusts Cheng enough to mind her coffee shop whilst talking to Crowley across the street in the last dregs of E6. As an aside, they also seem to *sort of* have a pre-teen girl child at this ball. We see her briefly in the evacuation but very hidden between other characters, and never in the ball proper. Mr Brown
Do we need to go through Mr Brown's outfit again? I don't think so. ------------------------------ * I have a feeling it's to do with other things, like Jim's sweater vest, but I'll have to dig into it later.
#good omens meta#good omens season two#art director talks good omens#good omens 2#go season 2#go meta#good omens season 2#good omens prime#crowley x aziraphale
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so 96% of you wanted to see me do a redesign of mermista. and while i can draw, i've been stuck in an art block so i opted to just draw over her current design. i don't hate all of it so i'm not changing everything.
let me go through the complaints i do have about her design.
first off, she does not look like royalty in the slightest. she just looks like some girl who likes the color blue. even the gold accents don't really help. i'm not saying she has to walk around in a gown and tiara but at least add something to her design to indicate that she's a princess?
secondly, those clown shoes are NOT IT. who even thought of that? they look uncomfortable and ridiculous, and doesn't make sense for her character design.
those sleeves/armor (??? i honestly don't know what those are) and gold gauntlets also do not look practical in the slightest. they look like they'd be a hindrance for a swimmer. and guess what, she still has them in her mermaid form.
the OG mermista design wasn't the greatest but at least it looked like she could swim comfortably.
so my objectives were:
give her outfit a more streamlined look so it would make sense for her powers
make her look like actual royalty and not some girl with a cool color palette
expand more on the indian-inspired design and reflect that in her usual outfit, instead of putting her in a saree-inspired dress for one episode and calling it a day (i say saree-inspired because it's not really a traditional saree, but more like a modern and slightly western rendition)
i made two versions of her redesign - one with a dupatta and one without. the dupatta, i understand, could be a hindrance in certain situations but i just wanted to give an example of how to take inspiration from a culture instead of just using it for brownie points. a dupatta is something indians would wear with their casual attire, mostly with salwars, unlike sarees which are generally reserved for special occasions (there are sarees that are casual wear, but they're still not the most convenient).
secondly, i gave her a headwear inspired from desi wedding attire and older indian tiaras. mind you, indian tiaras themselves are a lot more complex and beautifully crafted, but 1. it would take me ages to draw all the details and 2. i figured mermista would go for a simpler look, especially when she's not at her palace. also, while indian headwears are usually made with gold and jewels, i gave mermista's headwear pearls because.. pearls, oysters, ocean. mermaid vibes.
i changed the shoes and gave her a pair that are inspired by water shoes. i know that she would transform into a mermaid while swimming anyway, but these still look more comfortable without serving clowncore.
i replaced her gold accents with silver because the gold doesn't really mesh well with the teal, in my opinion. while indians are known for their love of gold, a lot of people nowadays opt for silver, because it is less expensive and more compatible with casual wear.
i highlighted the fishscale pattern in her outfit since you could barely see them in the original.
i gave her a bindi and the necklace that 80s mermista wore, as a tribute to the OG show, and the design is complete. i know that some of these may not be the easiest to animate but if they could animate perfuma's cape thing, entrapta's hair and a hundred different outfits for catra; this design is just child's play.
let me know what you think of the redesign and if you want me to do the same for the other characters!
#spop critical#spop#spop criticism#spop discourse#she ra#spop redesign#character redesign#character design#mermista#mermista redesign
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The Sun
The Sun presents a feeling of optimism and fulfillment. It represents the dawn which follows the darkest of nights.
Author’s note: wow hi!!! It’s been a minute! Life has been busy, but I have been thinking of this fic for a while. This one is entirely spontaneous and will have no posting schedule. Just as soon and I can get it written it will be out. I hope you guys enjoy :)
Pairing: Josh x reader and Jake x reader
Warnings: cursing, angst, adult themes, alcoholic consumption, smoking
Word count: 10.1 k
PART 1:
“I can’t fucking stand you! Matter of fact, I hate you!” You scream, your voice raw with emotion.
He lets out a laugh. “Yeah, right back at you Sugar.”
You’re boiling inside. Filled with rage, sadness, and anger. You can’t decide which emotion is the most prominent at the moment. You blink away the hot tears that have formed in your eyes. You feel the sting of them rolling down your cheeks.
“I’m fucking done. We are done. It’s over.” You say, with still a hint of anger, but at least you weren’t screaming this time.
He stares at you for a moment. Blank expression, impossible to read. You think maybe for 0.1 seconds you see a hint of sorrow in his eyes, but with him that would be impossible.
Eventually he scoffs at you. “Fine by me.”
He stays for a few moments with his eyes lingering on you.
“Get the fuck out!” You shout, while tears spill down your face.
Then he’s out the door as fast as it started. Leaving you there in a puddle of your own tears and rage.
Nothing had ever made you feel this way before. You were unsure how you would ever feel normal again. But there was one thing that you were entirely sure of- you fucking hated Jake Kiszka.
**
Teal is so tacky. It’s one of the tackiest colors to exist, you had decided. That's what you were doing at this very moment staring at a teal handbag that you would like to set on fire. It was sitting on a bar next to an equally tacky girl. You realized how insane you felt, but you needed to do something to distract your mind from the truth. Tonight was your third date with a guy named Aiden. He was fine, there was nothing wrong with him. He was attractive, ambitious, successful, and nice. But a part of you knew you were already so bored with him. You never knew how to pick a good guy. Which is why you tried your best to give Aiden a fair shake. Nonetheless, here you were sitting at a booth only thinking of a teal purse. You had decided to meet for drinks after work. You wore a hot pink blazer with a white tank turtleneck and a matching hot pink skirt, that might have been a little too short for work. You wore white tall boots, with gold jewelry. Your hair was done in loose curls and you had on a full face of makeup. This wasn’t your normal attire to work, but you knew you had a date tonight. Out of the corner of your eye you see Aiden pop in. You breathe in and prepare yourself. He’s in a nice gray suit. He always looks nice.
“Hey! So sorry I’m late. Traffic was awful.” Aiden says, reaching down to hug you.
You hug him back. “Oh no you’re fine! I just got here myself. How was your day?”
He smiles at you. “It was great actually. I had a really big pitch that I think went well for me. But I’m happier now that I’m here with you. How was your day?”
You make sure to smile at that, even if it did make you cringe a little. “Well that’s great. My day was good. Rather mundane I suppose, but work feels like that everyday.”
He chuckles. “You’re right about that. Ready for some drinks? A martini right?”
You nod your head. “Yes please.”
“Great. I’ll be right back. You look beautiful by the way.” He says with a smile before he heads over to the bar.
You take a moment to breathe in a little. Aiden was so nice. You had already decided that you would go on another date with him when he would inevitably ask later. You picked at your nails while you waited for your date and drink. You eyed the door constantly, that wasn’t a good sign. It was somewhat stuffy inside, but maybe that was in your head. You were just finding something to complain about. You had been like that for a while. Anytime a man would show interest you bounced. The truth is you were looking for someone to set your soul on fire. You craved a love so deep, that even the ocean would be jealous.
Instead you got guys like Aiden. Again, nothing wrong with him. But he didn’t ignite you. You knew who was to blame, but you hated to even think of him. So you chose to do this same routine over and over. Dating- then never speaking again. It’s not like you necessarily needed a man in your life, you were perfectly content with your life as is. But you wanted excitement again. Maybe if you gave Aiden a chance he could be that for you. Though you doubted it. You continued to eye the door. It wasn’t really busy, but every now and then someone would walk in. Mostly people in suits off to commence nefarious activities, then wake up and do it all again tomorrow. That life never spoke to you, but here you were smack dab in the middle of it. Funny how life works.
You fiddled around with your nails some more, damn you needed to get them done. You glanced up and thought your eyes were playing tricks on you.
Hair.
Then he spoke.
Immediately you felt chills run down your spine. There’s a voice you hadn’t heard in years. There’s no way. You creep your head around the corner and see four very familiar faces. Your blood runs cold and your face becomes incredibly pale. Holy shit.
You whip your head back into your booth trying to stay out of their line of sight. What were they doing here? Why were they here? What?
Just then Aiden returns and hands you your martini. He frowns at you when he sees your face. “Hey, is everything okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
You blink a few times and nod your head. “I’m um- I’m fine.”
He sits back down across from you and takes your hand. “Are you sure?”
Just then that voice rings from right behind you. Now it’s closer.
“Oh shit. Well hey Sugar.”
You turn around and Jake is standing over you with a shit eating grin plastered on his face. You’re absolutely shocked and horrified. You try to speak but nothing comes out.
“I thought I heard your voice.” He flicks his eyes over to Aiden and extends his hand. “Hi. Jake Kiszka.”
Aiden gives him a strange look, but eventually extends his hand and says “Aiden.”
Finally you are able to muster up the courage to speak. “Jake.” You say calmly. “What are you doing here?”
He smirks at you. “I could ask you the same thing, Sugar. We were out scouting bars. We just moved here and I’ve got to say, you were the last person I was expecting to see tonight.”
You furrowed your brows while your voice goes up an octave higher. “What? You just moved here? Like from Michigan?”
Then the rest of them make their way over. You see Sam, Danny, and your old friend Josh.
Aiden clears his throat, clearly sensing your tension. “How do you guys know each other?”
Jake flicks his eyes to you and gives a wide smile. “Old friends.”
Aiden huffs a little at that. “Okay. Well looks like you have some catching up to do, with your old friends. I’ll call you tomorrow? I’d love to plan something if you’re free Saturday.”
You look back over at Aiden and nod your head.
He excuses himself and slides out of the booth.
“Bye Aiden! Lovely meeting you!” Jake yells out.
Jackass.
The other three are now approaching the table.
“Holy shit!” Sam exclaims when he sees you.
“Oh, hi Sam.”
Then you’re standing up and Sam hugs you, then Danny’s hugging you. Then you see Josh.
“Hi.” He says, standing there with his arms around his back. “Long time no see.”
You are unsure of what to say to that. “Hi Josh.”
“So, can we join you or what?” Jake asks.
You let out a breath and then motion your hand for them to all sit in your booth.
Jake scoots in right next to you. Immediately you feel the need to down your whole martini so you do.
“Whew. Damn Sugar. You okay?” Jake asks, nudging you.
You nod. “Yeah. Just wasn’t expecting such a-“ You pause. “Reunion.”
Josh smiles at you. “I can tell. Well don’t fret if it’s unpleasant for you. It’s just temporary. We are here with a new label working on an album. They decided to rent a house out to us for the next few months.”
You feel bad all of a sudden. You loved Josh. You and he had been friends for years. That was until you started dating Jake. You see, you and Josh had been friends after meeting in a coffee shop in Detroit. You had grown close with all of them, but Josh was your best friend. You two were practically inseparable. You pretty much did everything together. Then, one night you and Jake hooked up and the rest was history. It was hard on Josh. But you were too enamored by Jake to quit. You both had fallen fast and hard. Taking things way too fast, but it felt euphoric. Jake was like a drug. The highs were so high. But the lows were so low. You and Jake were only together for around 10 months. It was a toxic and crazy relationship. The only thing you and Jake were ever good at was sex. To this day no one made you come as hard as he had. But Jake acted like a selfish child. You two spent more time arguing than anything else. When you had broken up you had cut off all contact with all of them. You couldn’t bear it any longer. Josh had tried to reach out to you, but you ignored it. You wanted to forget Jake had ever existed- and that meant cutting off all people who reminded you of him. Then, you had moved to Nashville and gone on with life. You hadn’t seen or spoken to any of them since the break up.
“No it’s not that it’s unpleasant at all. Just unexpected. I never pegged you guys to settle down in… Nashville.” You said, trying to give a convincing smile.
Jake chimes in. “Settle down? We aren’t necessarily doing that. It’s temporary. I fear domesticity.”
You scoff. “Yep. I know.”
Jake laughs at you. “Good one.”
Josh changes the subject. “So what are you up to these days?”
You shift your gaze to Josh. “Well nothing as exciting as you guys. I work at a marketing firm and I have a Beta fish.”
Josh smiles at you. “That does sound exciting. Marketing huh? I can totally see it.”
You nod. “Congratulations to you all by the way on your success.”
“Thank you! We’ve been trying. It’s been a while since the garage band days.” Sam says.
“Yeah. It seems as if we’ve all grown up.” You say, still trying to push back negative feelings.
“Sam, Josh, you guys wanna go get drinks?” Danny asks, obviously trying to give you and Jake a moment to speak.
They both agree and follow Danny to the bar.
“I’ll take a whiskey on the rocks!” Jake yells to them and Sam gives him a thumbs up.
Then it’s just you two alone again. You turn around to face Jake. He’s still wearing that same smirk.
“You know Sugar, I’m digging the pink. You look good.”
You try not to let those words affect you. “Thanks.” You reply flatly.
“So, Aiden?” Jake asks.
You take a sip of the other martini on the table. “What about him?”
Jake hums. “Doesn’t really scream to me your type.”
“Oh yeah? Well what is my type?” You poke.
“Me.” Jake says and grins ear to ear.
You swig the martini again. “Funny.”
“C’mon Sugar. Lighten up. We’re just two old friends catching up.”
You pinch your face up and look at him. “Oh is that what we are?”
Jake smirks at you. “Okay well you know- ex lovers, future lovers. It’s all the same.”
You roll your eyes at him. He was always so full of charm which drove you crazy.
The other three returned with drinks in hand.
“So what are we getting up to tonight? It feels just like old times now.” Sam says with a bright smile.
You start to shut that down. “Count me out unfortunately. I have to work in the morning.”
It gets a little quiet.
“Well what are you doing this weekend?” Josh asks.
“I have pilates, but other than that I guess I’m free.” You reply.
“Does Aiden know that?” Jake teases.
You roll your eyes again.
“We have a show we’re doing this weekend. Would love if you could come and see us play after all this time.” Josh adds.
You pause for a minute, contemplating your options. But you didn’t want to seem so abrasive to Josh, you really did feel bad for ghosting him the way that you did. “Yeah, that sounds fun. I’ll be there.”
Josh smiles at you. “Great.”
“We can have a pass up front for you. Then I guess maybe uh Jake could text you the details?” Sam says cautiously.
Jake chuckles. “I’m blocked.”
Sam falls quiet, fearing maybe he had stirred something up between the two of you.
You try to lighten the situation. “Oh yeah? How do you know that?”
Jake shrugged. “I’ve reached out here and there. It’s never gone through.”
Yikes.
You clear your throat. “Josh? Do you still have my number? If not I can text you.”
“I’ve still got it.” Josh says lightly.
You half smile. “Great. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to slip out of here. It was truly great seeing you guys.”
“Care if I walk you out?” Josh asks.
You weren’t really expecting that.
“Oh yeah sure.” You reply.
You smile and nod everyone else off and Jake has that same smirk on his face.
“See ya soon Sugar.” Jake says, eyeing you up and down.
“Jake.” Is all you say with a nod.
Then you and Josh are walking out of the bar. It’s definitely awkward and there’s so much to be said, but you’re so unsure where to start.
“I’m just right here.” You say motioning over towards your car. “Thank you for walking me.”
Josh gives you a small smile. “So if I text you are you actually going to respond?”
Ouch.
“Josh I-“ You start.
He holds his hand up to you. “I’m only teasing. I know it was a weird situation.”
There was the sweet and understanding Josh he had always been. “It was. But there was still no excuse for me to do what I did to you.”
Josh shakes his head. “Consider it water under the bridge.”
You give a small sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“I’ll see you Saturday?” Josh questions.
You nod. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Josh smiles. “Good.”
“Hug?” You say extending your arms out.
Josh obliged and stepped in and hugged you. It felt like comfort. You smiled into his shirt. When you both let each other go. Josh was reciprocating that smile.
“I’m glad I ran into you tonight. Get home safe.”
“Me too. Bye Josh.”
“Bye.”
Then he stood outside and watched you pull out, waving you off.
Your head was running a million miles an hour. What just happened? You felt like you wanted to vomit, half bile, half rainbows. All you knew was that now you had to prepare for a Saturday with your ex-boyfriend, old best friend, and their band.
**
Saturday had rolled around quicker than you had anticipated. You huffed as you threw your pilates bag into your car. In a way you were ready to work out all of the anxiousness and frustration you felt. Your pilates studio wasn’t too far from your townhouse. It was in an upscale little plaza next to a smoothie shop, which you would definitely be taking advantage of after. Once you arrived you checked into your class and rolled out your mat. You took a few deep breaths and adjusted your attire. You wore a rather loud pair of green leggings that fit you like tights, and a white sports bra top. You unlaced your white sneakers, letting your bare feet hit the mat. You felt grounded, drained of negative energy. Pilates was always an outlet for your stress, better that than alcohol.
After an intense session you felt reborn. You rolled up your mat and hit the locker room, splashing cold water on your face. You took your hair down and watched it cascade down your shoulders, it had gotten so long. You dried your face with a clean towel and wiped the sweat from your hairline. You rolled on some deodorant and you were vibrating with excitement at the thought of the peanut butter banana protein smoothie you were about to inhale. After dropping off your items in your car you walked with some pep in your step to the entrance of the smoothie cafe only to be met with confusion.
Jake?
He saw you through the door as soon as you saw him, his face lighting up with a smile as he got up to meet you at the door.
“Hey Sug. What a pleasant surprise.” He greeted, as you stepped in.
“Are you stalking me?” You ask, half serious.
He lets out a chuckle. “You wish. No, Josh and I are here meeting with our social media manager. She wanted smoothies, but I’ve got to say I was hoping this pilates studio next door was the one you frequented.”
You glance around him and see Josh at the table giving you a wave while a blonde girl scrolled through a laptop.
“So why this smoothie place? Did you search for one closest to a pilates studio?” You ask in an accusatory tone.
“You overestimate me Sug. This was just the closest one to our house.” He replies coolly.
“Closest?” You ask with pinched brows.
“Yeah. Our house is somewhat secluded I guess. It’s a few miles behind that block of townhomes.”
“Motherfucker.” You whisper.
Jake looks at you strangely. “What?”
”Nothing.” You say dismissively.
He cracks that annoyingly perfect smile at you. “Don’t tell me you live close to there?”
You glance up at him, always finding it hard to lie to him “I do.”
”Well I’ll be damned. What does fate have in store for us Sug?” He asks through a smirk.
You scoff at him. He was ridiculous.
“Let me at least buy you a smoothie and you can come join us.” Jake offers.
You make a face at him. “I don’t need you to buy my smoothie Jake.”
He cracks a smile at you and places his hand on your lower back ushering you towards the ordering station. “I know you don’t need me to. But I want to. Y’know good karma and all.”
You scoff. “It would take a lot more than a smoothie to give you good karma.”
He lets out a small laugh. “You’re right.”
You two order and stand by the counter while you’re waiting on all of the smoothies. He had ordered one for him, Josh, and the laptop girl too.
You try to tune Jake out but you can feel his eyes burning into you.
“What?” You ask, looking over at him.
“Ah nothing. I thought pink was your color, but it might be green.” He suggests with a smirk, while nodding his head towards your tight green leggings that are practically painted on you.
You roll your eyes but feel your face flushing red. Thankfully, they call your order number up and you grab your smoothie and Josh’s while Jake waits for whatever else he ordered. You walk towards the booth and are greeted with a smiley Josh. You decide to slide in next to him, the blonde girl barely looks up from her computer.
“Ah I thought that was you. I didn’t know you would be joining us this morning?” Josh questions, almost as if he would believe that you and Jake had planned this.
You lightly laughed at that notion. “Yeah me either. My pilates studio is next door. I come here religiously for these protein shakes.”
“Pilates and protein? What happened to my beer and mac & cheese girl?” He teases with a bright smile.
You huff a laugh, but before you can respond Jake comes buzzing over to the table. “Here ya go Dev.” Jake says, sliding over to the blonde girl who was so wrapped up in her computer. However, that’s not the case anymore.
She flashes a smile to Jake. “Oh thank you Jake.” She says, her voice thick with sweetness.
Oh she likes him. You can tell by the way her eyes light up when she sees him. You get it, you really do. But why is it bothering you?
Josh clears his throat. “Okay, well maybe proper introductions are in order here? Devan this is y/n. We all go way back.”
Jake snickers at that. “Yeah, way back.”
You flick a brief look of judgment at Jake, but you notice your heart rate quicken.
“Yes… and this is Devan, she is our newly hired social media coordinator. She’s brilliant. I figured you two might have some common ground with your marketing career?” Josh offers.
Devan meets your eyes. She’s pretty. Moderately short dirty blonde hair with platinum highlights, blue eyes lined perfectly with black eyeliner and encased in black rimmed large eye glasses. You weren’t sure if they were for seeing or fashion, but they looked great on her. She was trendy in a business casual way. Very much a Nashville girl.
You flashed her a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Devan.”
She offers you a tight lipped smile before averting her eyes back to her computer. “Mhm likewise.”
Oh. You would completely understand her demeanor had she behaved like this the whole time. Work is work. However, she lit up like a Christmas tree for Jake. So you were led to believe that you and her would not be making each other friendship bracelets anytime soon.
“Jake, can you tell me what you think of this filter?” Devan asks in that sickeningly sweet voice again.
Jake glances up at you slightly with a grin and scoots closer to Devan. He brushes his hand with hers as he scrolls on the mousepad and you see her cheeks dust with pink. “Oh wow. Devan this is beautiful. We really are so lucky to have hired you.” He says nudging her shoulder. “Josh, look at this.”
Jake spins the computer around and you glance at the photo. It’s a fucking black and white picture with grain. You now know Jake is trying to put on an act since you’re here.
Josh purses his lips. “Yeah… absolutely. Looks great.”
He has always been so kind.
Your attention is diverted when your phone starts to vibrate on the table.
Aiden Rodgers flashes upon your screen and Jake sees it before you do.
“Sorry guys. I’m going to get out of here and take this call.” You look over directly to Josh. “I’ll see you later?”
Josh gives you a polite smile. “Yeah of course.”
You grab your phone that’s still lighting up the table and glance up at Jake before shuffling out of the booth.
“See you tonight. Do feel free to bring Aiden, Sug.” Jake says with a sly smile.
You make a face at him. Why did he always manage to get under your skin? As you walked off you took a deep breath and answered your phone.
**
Lunch with Aiden went perfectly well. You had fibbed a little and said that you had a family thing come up for the evening, so Aiden offered lunch. He took you to a cute little patio restaurant where you indulged in a salmon and goat cheese salad with a lemon blueberry mojito. He was funny and charming. But you couldn’t help but let your mind drift elsewhere while he was speaking. You sent Aiden off with a hug and a promise to call him soon. Now you sat in your living room nursing a wine cooler contemplating what you would even wear tonight. What is the attire for attending your rockstar ex-boyfriend’s concert? Part of you wanted to bail on the whole night and not even go, but you couldn’t do that to Josh. Despite all of the shit with Jake, Josh was always there for you. It was about time you showed some reciprocation after all this time.
You groaned and peeled yourself off of your couch. There was a laundry list of things that needed to be done before tonight and you had better get started. Your phone buzzed whilst you were in the middle of an everything shower. When you climbed out you check it immediately to see a text from Josh:
After party tonight at our house. Would love for you to come and you’re more than welcome to stay. Pack a swimsuit!
You felt a swirl of emotions hit you. You missed them and you knew going would be fun. But were you ready to be around Jake for longer than 10 minutes? You dried off and tried to do anything but contemplate how the night might play out. Once you had completed all of your skincare, you threw your hair up to dry in a turban towel and picked through your closet. You fingered through your dresses, business casual blouses, and blazers. Nothing spoke to you. Then, it hit you.
Black.
Jake had said he loved you in pink and green, but you still remember the way he trembled when you wore black. You tried to reason with yourself that the sole reason you were choosing your outfit was not based on him, but you were drawing blanks.
Once you applied sultry makeup and put bouncing curls in your hair you were ready to get dressed. You picked up your lingerie-esk black see through cami adorned with lace. It was entirely sheer except for the front. You decided to pair it with a longer silk black skirt with a high slit and black strappy heels. Once, you were dressed, you accessorized and sprayed yourself with a perfume that made you smell like a walking dessert. You might have taken a liquid shot of courage before you got into your Uber to head to the venue.
There was a line of fans outside and you smiled to yourself knowing that their dream was coming to fruition. You clicked your heels on the pavement up towards the box office, carrying your small duffle bag and gave them your name. You were given a lanyard and entrance to the side door where a rather muscular man led you down empty hallways. He smiled and attempted to strike a flirty conversation with you while taking your bag to carry it, but you were already bored of him as he droned on about how important he was. Finally you had made it to a lounge area where you saw Danny rummaging through the fridge with Sam hot on his heels. You laughed to yourself at a memory that had come to mind seeing the scene before you. Josh had always called them tweedle dee and tweedle dumb in the most endearing way. Where there was one the other surely would be in tow.
“Y/n! Hey! You look hot!” Sam yelled, rather loudly as soon as he noticed your presence.
“I believe this is where I leave you ma’am.” Muscles said, sitting your bag down on a chair. “If you require my assistance later or need help getting to your seat, here’s my number.”
You politely accepted his small slip of paper and tried to pretend like you didn’t see his wink.
“You made it!” Josh stated enthusiastically heading your way.
You wrapped him in a warm embrace. “I’m done dodging you.”
He smiled at those words. “Promise?”
”Pinky.” You said, extending your finger out towards him.
This was something you and Josh had done in the past. The most serious of vows, your pinky promises.
You saw his heart swell at your action, happy to have his best friend back. That was short lived when you felt a cloud come into the room. You could sense his eyes on you.
“Want a drink?” Josh asked, nodding towards the small wet bar.
“Just a vodka soda please.”
As one twin left you, another approached. Jake didn’t say a word as he took you in with his eyes. Scanning you up and down no doubtably undressing you with his eyes. You tried not to let that affect you.
”Jake.”
He nodded towards you. “Sugar. You look… just wow. Takes me back to a different time.”
Your face slightly reddens at his admission. You expected more of a sleazy conversation from Jake rather than an unintentional trip down memory lane.
The mood shifts entirely when Josh comes back with a vodka soda and two limes.
“You remembered.” You say to Josh with a smile, gesturing towards the extra lime.
“Of course. How could I forget?” He replies with a grin.
Jake clears his throat. “Well glad you could make it. We have a hell of a show tonight and I assume you’ll be at our house later of course for the party?”
You give a quick glance to Josh, who is looking at you hopefully. “Yep. I’ll be there.”
Jake flashes you a mischievous grin. “Excellent. Enjoy yourself tonight Sug.” Then he heads off to converse with one of his technicians.
“Rather brooding isn’t he?” Josh jabs.
You snicker at that. “I’ll say.”
Josh turns towards you and places a hand on your back. “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve missed you.”
A wave of guilt mixed with sentimentality rushes through your veins. You loved Josh. No matter what happened with Jake, he was still that beautiful shining beacon of light for you. It was then you had decided to focus on him rather than concern yourself with whatever Jake may do. “I missed you too Josh, so much.”
“Alright everyone! Openers are about to go on. I need you all dressed and ready to shoot some social media content in ten!”
You glance across the room and see Devan with an iPad in hand. She was wearing a similar stylish business casual outfit like she had previously worn. When she finally looked up from her screen she noticed you immediately and gave a harsh face. It was brief, but you had caught it.
“Devan can we push this back a little? Y/n just got here and I’d like to show her around.” Josh asks.
Devan makes a face a Josh before tapping furiously on her tablet. “Eh sorry no can do Josh. The best I could do is an additional fifteen minutes but that will cut into Danny’s tik tok later. Besides, we need to make sure we are staying somewhat confidential with our filming so that nothing gets leaked.”
You felt a pit form in your stomach. She didn’t want you around and you were intruding on their work.
“Uh Devan she’s basically family.” Sam chimes in. “She wouldn’t dare leak anything.”
“No, it’s fine!” You try to say as nonchalant as possible. “I wanted to catch some of the opening act anyway. You guys go and get dressed and do your thing.”
Josh gives you a sad look, but eventually nods on.
“I’ll call that security guard to come fetch you. Oh! Jake! I need your feedback on something.” Devan says, hurrying over towards Jake who looks at you with raised brows.
“One sec Dev. Gonna walk y/n to her seat.” He says, shuffling past her.
He walks up to you with a pleased smile and sticks his arm out. “Shall we?”
You give him a pointed look and huff before grabbing his arm. “Break a leg.” You say to Josh with a smile.
He gives you a half hearted smile back and nods. You wondered why his mood had seemed to change, but Jake’s voice quickly snapped you out of your thoughts.
“Excited?”
You hum. “I supposed. Eager to see how much you’ve all changed.”
Jake chews on his cheeks before he speaks. “I guess we all have… changed quite a bit. Grew up a little.”
You laugh. “Oh, have you? That seems far-fetched for some of you.”
He huffs a laugh back. “You’re talking about Sam right?”
“Oh most definitely.” You snicker, but can’t hide the smile that creeps out. “You didn’t have to walk me, you know. I can manage.”
“And leave that meathead to try and sweep you off your feet? No way Sugar, I’m the only one who can do that. Besides, these halls can be empty. No one around. Private really.” He retorts with a shit eating grin.
There he is. You roll your eyes. “Oh Jake, you really always have been ever so charming.”
“You flatter me. But in all honesty it can be difficult to navigate around backstage. When we first started playing at bigger venues I would get lost just trying to find somewhere to smoke a fucking cigarette.”
“Cigarettes? That’s a nasty little habit.” You say with faux disapproval.
He turns towards you and sets his eyes on yours. “Quite. Sometimes the things that can hurt you the most are what you want more than anything. You crave it.”
You feel your heartbeat quicken at that statement. Your chest starts to blaze with an indescribable feeling, but before you can respond you’re interrupted.
“VIP guest? I’ll usher her over to side stage.” A crew member says approaching you and Jake.
Jake clears his throat and nods at the man. “Yep, thank you.”
Then he turns away and heads in the opposite direction without looking back at you. You felt your brain spinning as you blinked to come back to reality. You were taken to your seat where you were surprisingly close to the stage. You weren’t necessarily in seats, but had a foldout chair side stage on the floor. Your mind drifted to what they might play and if Jake played with as much passion as he used to. When you two had dated you were mesmerized watching him play. His dedication, his intensity, the way his body swayed around that guitar, the facial expressions, the sweat, his…hands. Stop. You couldn’t think that way. That time was over. You have moved on. You were over Jake. Right? You hated him. Didn’t you? You massaged your temples and requested a drink from a crew member. When it arrived you nursed the burning liquid in attempt to suppress whatever in the hell your psyche was feeling. You tried to concentrate on the openers, but before you knew it their set was over and you were left thinking what the next setlist might be. Since you went no contact, you did not go out of your way to search for them or their music. You only know the early days. The early days. Would they play it? Your song? They used to play it all the time. A catchy song written drunkenly by Jake and Josh one night when they were younger, but you were the driven force behind its publication. They played it all the time. It was a great jam song, but no one knew Jake had dedicated it to you. Anxiousness swirled in your stomach as you anticipated the mere minutes before they would take to the stage. You had to admit there was quite a turn out. They had fans and not just casual ones either. A part of you felt proud while another solem that you had missed the build up to this moment.
The lights dimmed and cheering ensued. Then you heard those familiar chords billow through the speaker. It couldn’t be. Your song? They started with your song? Josh’s wailing fills the venue and Jake’s fingers move at lightning speed to match his twin. Highway Tune. Your song.
So sweet. So fine. So nice. Oh my.
Jake used to jokingly say this to you all the time. Your body betrayed you as you swayed to that ever so familiar sound, the build up to the catchiest little riff that has haunted you for years. For a moment Jake’s eyes meet yours and a bright smile appears on his face followed by a wink. He knew what he was doing. The song comes to a close and you hold your breath in anticipation to see if they do it. Danny beats the skin off of his drums, Sam plucks wildly at his bass, Jake strums and struts, you see Josh take a breath and then look at you before the close out.
Sugarrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
**
You were reeling after the last two hours of whatever that was. A rush of conflicting emotions assaults all of your senses as you make your way backstage. Starting off with your song and then you heard a song that made a pit form in your stomach. You’re The One. Was that about you? Timeline wise it would make sense. You wouldn’t dare ask in fear of being embarrassed if it wasn’t about you. But you had a gut feeling that it was.
All of a sudden they all rush back into the green room high off adrenaline.
“So, what did you think?” Danny asks, grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat from his chest.
“You guys were phenomenal. Seriously, I was blown away.”
Danny smiles, clearly pleased with your answer while Sam pulls you into his side for a hug.
“Feels so nostalgic in here huh?”
You let out a small laugh. “Sure does Sammy.”
“Nostalgia for sure Sug.” Jake says, pressing a freshly poured glass of some dark liquid to his lips. His eyes are intense as they study you, trying to see if there’s any falter behind you.
You breath out when you see Josh and take the opportunity to get you out of this weird eye contact that you have with Jake. “Josh! Oh my god, your voice! You were absolutely amazing. So grown up now.”
He smiles sweetly at you. “You’re too kind. It’s been a work in progress for a while.”
“I can tell. I always knew you were talented but I just- wow.”
He blushes slightly at that.
“Yeah yeah enough of the love fest. Can we please go home and start drinking?” Sam says in a faux annoyed tone while sending you a wink.
“Don’t have to ask me twice. Wanna ride with me Sug?” Jake asks looking towards you with raised eyebrows
You swallow thickly at that. “I’ll hang back with Josh. Gotta find my bags anyway.”
“Suit yourself.”
**
“Josh!” You say in a fit of giggles as he matches your laughs.
“What? It’s true! He absolutely looked like he was snorting steroids.”
You and Josh had left the venue and were headed back to the house. You thought you would be anxious, but neither you nor Josh had shut up or quit laughing. It all felt so natural, just like it once did.
“We’re just around this corner here.” He says, whipping his jeep to the left.
“Josh.” You start. “I have a confession.”
He raises his eyebrows at you. “Yeah?”
“See those trees back there? Just to the right of that little park?”
He quints and nods.
“I live back there.”
His mouth falls open. “No shit?”
You laugh and nod. “I’m so serious! I live in one of those townhomes. That’s why I was so weirded out when I ran into you guys at the smoothie cafe.”
Josh grins and taps the steering wheel. “Hell. Small world. Who would have thought?”
“It’s the universe bringing us back together Joshy.” You say playfully giving his arm a light tap.
His grin turns into a full on smile at that. “I’ll hold you to that.”
When you arrived Josh grabbed your bag and ushered you inside. The house was quite big, definitely bigger than your townhome. There was loud music blasting inside and a slew of bodies which didn’t look familiar to you.
“Wanna take this to my room?” Josh yells over the music.
You nod and grab his hand as he leads you up the stairs.
“Shit it’s loud down there. I’m going to fix that when we get back there. I don’t wear earpieces to protect my ears on stage only to have it ruined at a shitty house party.” Josh says, as he shuts his door.
His room is so very Josh. There’s a white plush king bed in the center, perfectly made. A John Denver poster hangs on a blank wall with a few plants scattered around. But your favorite feature is a small reading nook that Josh has made out of his relatively small windowsill.
“Josh, this is so cute.” You say, running your fingers through his books. You two had always been avid readers and you were delighted to see his new found fame hadn’t changed him.
He gives you a bashful grin. “I guess. I just need a space that’s just for me. Somewhere to escape from the normal insanity that is my life.”
You shrug at him. “Understandable. The reason I chose the townhome I’m in is solely because of a clawfoot tub in my bathroom. I will sit in that thing for hours after a long day at work.”
“You still stay in there long enough to be a mermaid?”
You nod and smile. Josh use to always call you a mermaid because of your extensive baths.
“Ready to head down? I’ve got to kill this music before we get the damn cops called on us.”
You agree and follow him down the stairs. He introduces you to a few dozen people who you couldn’t possibly remember before taking two tequila shots. He throws you a seltzers and a leaves you with a promise to return as soon as he gets the music turned down. You sip on your drink as you can feel the two shots of tequila already working it’s way into your system. You took the time to walk around the house and explore. Careful to avoid any unwanted interactions. You finally found yourself in a small corner of the living room observing some vinyl that was hanging. It seems their collection had almost doubled since you last saw it.
You weren’t alone for long when you felt his presence near you. It was magnetic the way you two had always gravitated towards one another and you knew he was fighting that pull just as much as you had.
“Enjoying yourself Sugar?” Jake asks, leaning in closer than necessary so you can hear him. Immediately you can smell the booze on him. Was he trying to drink away the feelings he felt just like you were?
“Having a splendid time Jacob. Thank you.” You reply, cordially.
He laughs and presses his back up to the wall, observing the party with you. “Why do I always find you in a corner by yourself? You should be out there mingling and mixing.” He teases.
You scoff. “We all aren’t social butterflies like you I suppose.”
Jake turns back and leans in closer to you. “Don’t play coy with me Sug. Don’t forget, I know you. You are very personable. Dare I say charming even?”
You take this opportunity to poke back at him. “Charming? I think I use my charm a little bit differently than you.”
He clicks his tongue and brings his glass up to his lips. “Whatever do you mean?”
“I use my charm simply in a way that any human would; for the purpose of social interaction. Right? You use your charm to try and get panties to drop. So why are you lecturing me? You need to get out there and mix and mingle instead of standing in this corner.”
Jake studies you as you speak and takes a step even closer. He stares directly in your eyes, his slightly red and half-lidded. “Fair, but there’s only one person here that I want to try that charm out with.”
You tried not to flinch at his words, but that hit you like a bullet train. “Yeah?”
He leaned down, bracing himself on the wall. “Yeah.” He whispers into your neck. His hot breath fanning on a sweet spot that caused goosebumps to form everywhere. “And I can only get to her in this corner. Unless of course she would like to accompany me upstairs? We could do a lot of mixing and mingling up there.”
Fuck.
You feel a rush in your chest as Jake’s eyes bounce from your eyes to your lips.
Oh but his lips.
Slightly wet from nursing his drink, but so perfectly plump and pink. You tried to remember how they felt when they used to graze every inch of your skin. That thought alone sent shivers down your spine. You felt frozen in time as your heart was thudding. Maybe it was the alcohol in your system or maybe it was the burning sensation of lust coursing through your veins, but you were going to kiss him. No you were going to fuck him. You didn’t care, all of your inhibitions had long flown out the window. You stared back at him intently and fluttered your eyes tilting your head forward. He leaned in slowly and parted his lips. You followed suit. His nose brushed yours and electricity shot down your spine. This was it.
“Jake!”
Damnit.
You both spun around to see Josh heading your way. Jake huffed a few curse words under his breath as you instinctively took a step back.
Josh makes his way over to you and runs his fingers through his hair. “Thank god I found you. That redhead is looking for you. She’s been following me around for the last few minutes. Something about plans you had?”
Redhead?
Your stomach sinks slightly at that and you feel embarrassed that it did. Of course he has little flings or hell even multiple girlfriends.
Jake cocks his head at his twin and narrows his eyes at him. Almost like he cannot believe what he just said. There’s a long pause of silence between the two of them, neither breaking eye contact from the other.
Finally, Jake lets out a huff and glances back at you before walking off.
You were now beyond grateful that Josh cockblocked you.
“Such a sour puss. You ready to go swimming?” Josh asks you with a grin.
You match his. “Absolutely.”
**
You stared at yourself in the mirror feeling a little self conscious as you took in your body in the black bikini. Jake hadn’t seen your body in a while. Not since you had become more womanly and of course the months of pilates classes. You knew you looked attractive, sure but you still had those voices inside your head criticizing every imperfection. You massaged your temples to get out of your own head and threw on a large Nirvana t-shirt with some leather flip flops before leaving Josh’s bathroom.
“Ready?” He asked you, sitting patiently in his windowsill. “I got us towels.”
You let out a small laugh. “Thank you. Yes, let's go.”
You and Josh descend the stairs and head outside. There’s a decent amount of people there. You don’t scan around looking for Jake, instead keeping your eyes on Josh as he plops your towels down on a chair. He’s wearing light orange swim trunks that match his tan perfectly. It’s just now that you realize how fit he looks. He has really filled out since you last saw him.
You take off your t-shirt and slide off your flip flops, placing them all on the chair. When you glance up your eyes meet Jake’s. He’s staring at you, mouth slightly agape. He’s in the pool, with a fair skinned girl with red hair laughing and straddling him. Her arms are on his shoulders and instantly jealousy creeps down your spine. Why were you jealous? You couldn’t say, but you were. You peeled your eyes away from Jake and headed towards Josh, who was at the cooler fetching you drinks.
“Hot tub?” You ask him walking up behind him.
“Oh yeah sure-“ He turns around and his eyes scan your body. He’s not being nonchalant about it and when he catches himself his face dusts red and he clears his throat. “Yeah hot tub it is.”
You and Josh pad your way to the hot tub, opposite to where Jake and the red head were. You see Sam sitting in there animatedly speaking to Danny. You giggle because you can tell he’s intoxicated.
“Wow wow wow!” Sam whistles wildly at you two approaching. “Josh, you look incredible!”
Josh laughs at his brothers antics while taking your hand to help you climb into the hot tub. The warm water goes from slightly uncomfortable to pleasant the more you sink down in it. You crack your watermelon tequila seltzer and cheers with Josh as you get settled, opting to share a jet together.
“Sammy boy, how much have you had to drink tonight?” Josh pokes.
He throws his hand up at you two. “I lost count. I’m just trying to celebrate! Enjoy the lovely night with lovely people!”
Danny groaned at the end of that sentence and handed Sam a bottle of water. “Drink this.”
“Ah! The gang’s all back together. Where’s Jake? I’m surprised he peeled himself away from you.” Sam giggles. “He was eye fucking you all night on that stage.”
It got quiet.
“He’s in the pool.” Danny offers, bluntly.
Sam cranes his head around to look for his older brother. “Oh. Shit. Is that one Holly or Katie?”
“Holly.” Josh interjects. “Katie is the other one.”
Other one.
Sam sucks in his cheeks and turns towards you. “Sorry. I know that might be awkward for you. It’s nothing serious.”
You let out a laugh. “It’s okay Sam. It doesn't bother me.” You lie. “That was a long time ago.”
“Sam, no one was thinking that. You’re the one making things weird.” Danny says through a laugh.
Sam lets out a breath. “Pshhhhhh. Nope. Come on we all remember how they used to-“
“Sam!” Josh snaps, somewhat abruptly. “Let it be. Can we not traumatize her again?”
You play it off. “It’s fine I promise. But tell me about this house? It’s insane! You guys are living here for how long?”
Josh faces you. “It is. I’m very grateful they gave us such a big place to write this album. We used to go in the smallest cabins in the woods and hold up for weeks. But I think we should be here for at least a good six to nine months.”
You swallow at that. How would you be around them or him for that long? “Wow. Sounds like you guys will be busy then.”
Danny rolls his eyes. “We would be if we could stay on topic.”
You smile at that. “Not much has changed, has it?”
Sam sips his water. “Not even a little bit.”
**
Eventually the party had died down and the crowd began to disperse. Danny and Sam were on cleanup duty while you and Josh both quickly took a rinse shower and put dry clothes back on. You were done first, so you decided to head back down wearing gray sweat shorts with a white cropped tank. Your hair was slightly damp and had curled up significantly.
“Need any help?” You ask Sam as you see him throwing cups on a trash bag.
“That would be great.” He offers with a big smile.
You get to work and grab a bottle of cleaning solution with paper towels and being spraying and wiping down the sticky surfaces, while Sam finishes picking up trash and begins to sweep.
“You’re too sweet, you know that? I’ve always thought so.”
You giggle at his drunk confessional. “Thank you Sammy. So are you.”
He shrugs. “I guess. I’m sorry if I made you upset earlier. I’m just glad to see that you don’t have an achy Jakey heart.”
You can’t help but laugh at that one. “It’s okay, really. I’m a big girl.”
Sam grins at you. “I know you are. But for what it’s worth, he hasn’t really been the same since- you know. Despite how he acts it really fucked him up. He never said a word to indicate it, but we could all tell. I’m sure you heard that song tonight. He would absolutely kill me for saying all of this to you right now, but I feel like you should know it. If for nothing but closure. Fuck, I know I’m drunk and I’m oversharing here.”
You feel like the wind has been sucked out of you. A pool of emotions you absolutely cannot identify swirl in you. Does Jake have feelings for you? After all this time? That song? Were you right?
You’re interrupted abruptly by Josh climbing down the stairs. “Sammy, why do you have our guest working?”
Sam clears his throat, trying to drop all of the conversation that had just occurred between you two. “She volunteered because she is kind. Unlike a certain diva I know.”
“Please. Jake and I have the next clean up- that was the agreement.”
Sam rolls his eyes. “Yeah yeah. Help me take this trash out.”
Josh gives you a head nod as he grabs two bags of trash and walks with Sam towards the door.
Then you’re left in your own thoughts, absentmindedly putting away things that you have no idea where they go.
“So who are you?”
You whip your head around to see redhead approaching you. She’s still in her neon pink bikini tracking pools of water on the floors Sam had just cleaned.
You try not to narrow your eyes at her as you tell her your name. “Old friend of theirs.”
She takes in what you say. “Hm, old friend? I don’t think I’ve ever heard them talk about you.”
You’re a bit taken back by her nastiness. “And you are?”
“Holly.” She says with a smile. “Jake’s good friend. Thank you for helping clean up and all, but the party’s over. I think we’ll get it from here.”
Okay now you narrow your eyes at her. She doesn’t know you and you have a good inkling she doesn’t know how much of good friends you and Jake used to be. “Appreciate your tip and all, but I’m staying here tonight.”
She makes a face at you. “What are you taking the couch or something?”
“No.” Josh’s voice peaks from behind you. “Not that’s it’s any of your concern, but she’s staying with me.”
She drops a considerable amount of attitude with Josh in the room. “Oh! No, yeah I just didn’t know.”
She heads back outside as Josh scoffs. “Don’t worry about her.”
You flash him a smile. “What? She seems so friendly.”
He nudges your shoulder. “You have no idea.”
You and Josh had decided to go outside to make sure everything else was done before you had retired to bed. You found Jake sitting in a chair with redhead practically on top of him. His eyes found yours when you stepped outside, but you looked away quickly and refused to look back.
“Is Sam making a fucking fire?” Josh asks through a laugh.
Danny walks by and places his hand on Josh’s shoulder. “Indeed he is. Something about old times sake and a card game?”
A smile spreads across your face. “Rummy? That’s what we used to all play when we were high out of our minds.”
“Bingo!” Sam yells from a distance. “And you’re in luck baby because look what I have!” He holds up a sandwich bag full of joints.
You shake your head and smile at Josh. “Oh my god.”
He throws his arm around you. “Are you up for this?”
You think about it for a second. Contemplating being around Jake and redhead even longer. You didn’t want to be a buzzkill though, so you bit your lip and nodded your head.
You all eventually gathered around the table. You seated yourself next to Josh and Sam, trying to steer away from Jake. It was to no use when he sat down directly in front of you. His eyes bore into yours, but again you wouldn’t look at him.
“Wanna shuffle Sug?” Jake asks you, attempting to hand the cards in your direction.
You can see redhead squish her face up at the pet name.
“Sure.” You take the cards and begin to shuffle them around before dealing.
Sam lights up and starts to pass the joints around. You collect your cards and take a joint from Josh, watching him take a drag. You bring the joint to your lips and take a small hit, not wanting to do too much for the night. The smoke fills your lungs and you feel that light sensation rush to your head. You close your eyes and exhale, deciding to take another puff before passing it back to Sam. It’s not long until all of you are red eyed and smiley. The first few games were won by you and Danny, then the cards got tossed to the side stories began to flow. At this point the cotton mouth began to set it.
“Gonna go grab a bottle of water. Want one?” You turn to Josh.
He gives you a smile. “Please.”
You head towards the house and go to the bathroom first, relieving your bladder. You wash your hands and stare at the mirror, trying to fix the slight black smudge under your eyes. You were tired and ready to call it a night. Once you headed back into the kitchen you were startled by a body standing there.
“Fuck! Jake, you scared me.”
He laughs. “Sorry Sugar. Just wanted to come and check on you.”
“I’m fine.”
“You are.” His voice was like velvet. He was always somehow more attractive when he was stoned.
“Careful Jake. Don’t want your friend out there to hear.” You say nonchalantly, grabbing two bottles of water.
Jake gives you a devilish grin and steps closer. Backing you up into the countertops. “Oh come on now Sugar. Just say the words and she’s gone.”
You look up at him, studying that beautiful face. “I’m good actually.”
You shimmy out from underneath him heading back outside to Josh. You let out a deep breath before returning to the group.
“Thanks love.” Josh says, taking the bottle from you.
Jake returns to the group not uttering a word.
“I’m tired.” You announce to Josh.
“Yeah me too.” Redhead states. “Jake can we go to bed babe?”
You glance up at him. He looks at you with raised eyebrows, almost asking you. You avoid his glance and he mutters a “yeah” towards her. It sort of felt like a stab to your gut, but you wouldn’t give it any attention.
“Good night guys!” Redhead yells, toting Jake’s arm all the way inside.
You and Josh helped put the fire out before heading back inside.
“What a damn day.” Josh jokes, handing you toothpaste to put on your toothbrush.
You huff a laugh. “Tell me about it. Also I’m freezing, why is it so cold in here?”
“Daniel insists we keep the house at a crisp 68. Michigan blood isn’t used to this Tennessee heat.”
You snicker. “You would all boil if you came to my place.”
“You’ve adapted well I see.”
You shrug. “I’ve always preferred to be closer to The Sun I guess. Makes me happy.”
Josh smiles at you. “I know what you mean.”
You both brush your teeth side by side. A part of it felt so domestic, like it was something that you two had done every night forever. You chalk it off to being high and climb into bed with your once best friend.
You snuggled down into his plush sheets and both crack a few jokes before drifting off to sleep. Somehow, Josh’s arm found it’s way wrapped around you. You were no longer freezing; you were now warm.
Both inside and out.
***
Thank you for reading :)
#greta van fic#greta van fleet#greta van fleet fic#jake gvf#jake kiszka#gvf fanfiction#josh gvf#josh kiskza fanfic#josh kiszka#josh kiszka x reader#the sun GVF#GVF tarot series#gvf fic#daniel gvf#sammy gvf#gvf smut#gvf#josh kiskza smut#josh x reader#jake kiszka gvf#jake kiszka x reader#jake kiszka fic#jake x reader#greta van angst#greta van smut#greta van fluff
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I see all your neopet posts and reblogs, so how a neopet review? What is your favorite neopet design and why?
Gotta go with the Xweetok for this one. I've always loved this design ever since it came out—it's like the perfect blend of cute and elegant at the same time.
Xweetoks are vaguely chipmunk-esq with the stripes and general head shape, but the actual body anatomy is more like a fox than any kind of rodent. The end result is something that feels like it could be a real animal, even if it isn't.
And speaking of stripes, the use of color on these guys is also particularly good. They have these really pretty thick black lines running from their heads all the way down to their tails, with color often (though not always) constrained to the stripe and the mane. For example, in the basic colors shown above, brown is used as the base with bright pops of color elsewhere, rather than the entire Neopet being a single color.
In addition to the colors being pretty, the lines also accent the body shape and give it a great sense of movement. This is especially noticeable in their old circle pose, where you get this really nice curved body shape due to them sitting backwards.
It's also worth noting that Xweetoks are one of the only Neopet species to have open eyes that don't have human-like corneas or irises but are also more than just black dots. The deep blacks of their eyes really help to accent the black stripes on their bodies, while the color in the middle helps to pop whatever secondary color is used.
Thankfully, Xweetoks also fared pretty well from customization; the only major change is them now having one paw raised up to hold items (which doesn't look great, but it's not like the fists look good on any Neopet) and slightly different front leg anatomy. Some changes, such as removing the weird thin line above the eye and making the mane thicker, are actually improvements. I do wish it kept the highlight on the mane like it did on the head, but otherwise, Xweetoks look just as good now as they did before if you can get over the fist.
(Also, Xweetoks are one of the only species where female pets look better than males, due to the default pre-customization design being taken as the female design for a change.)
Favorite colours:
Faerie: Faerie Xwees have always been absolutely gorgeous. The light brown base combined with teal and dark brown is beautiful, and the shape of the brown markings accents the body wonderfully. I also love the style of the wings and how the antennae on the head run directly off the stripes, the shape of which are matched by the first set of wings. Unconverted faerie Xwees are super dynamic, but the converted ones still look quite nice if you want to be able to customize them.
Mutant: What a fantastically sleazy design. Taking what's basically a chipmunk of sorts and making the mutant version a rat is a fantastic concept, complete with buck teeth and a naked tail. The expression is also fantastic (slightly more so in the unconverted art, but the converted still looks pretty good).
Pirate: Unfortunately the UC version of this pet isn't available any more as of the time of writing, but even the converted design is nice, with a nice dull grayish-blue base and some nice red and gold accents that really pop. The old art really went hard though, with the mane basically acting as a beard and the face having a different, tougher expression. I particularly love the ponytail at the back of the mane.
BONUS: I also have to give a shoutout to the fire Xwee, because I have one. :) The fire mane and stripes against the black base works beautiful; definitely one of the all-time best fire pets.
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Wicked Fantasies Part 5 (MBJ x OC)
Warnings: Slow burn, NSWF… All the past warnings and series warnings apply lol this is just pure filth lol not gonna lie.
“Bonjour Mademoiselle Turner. Welcome to Le Hotel Shangri-La Paris. We hope you had a pleasant travel experience? I know you must be tired.”
As if her body wanted to respond to the concierge who was leading her through the hotel, her only response was a deep yawn that made him hum in agreement.
“Sorry… the jet lag is rough.” She had been so anxious on the flight that she had barely slept. She had thought of a million random things… the dangers of traveling alone, even though she was meeting someone else, how much time Michael would actually have to spend with her, if it was even safe to travel halfway around the world with a man she met a little over a month ago, how she knew precious little about what even they were going to do for a week. She had just boarded a flight and asked little to no questions. Once she was on the flight, it dawned on her that if something went wrong, she knew nothing and no one there. Just Michael. But still, despite those practical concerns, she did not regret the decision. She was hopeful that it was going to be as amazing as she imagined it would be as she prepared all week.
She took a sip of the glass of champagne they gave her upon arrival. She could now fully understand why the wealthy were so determined to remain so if this was how they lived. This was high living, high cotton as her grandma used to say. From the moment she stepped out of her apartment building to right now, she had not had to use her brain to think of a single thing. Everything was taken care of. She had not even touched a single piece of her luggage since she left the apartment. When she landed in Paris, she had a moment of panic as she realized she did not know how to get to her hotel. She was about to make a beeline toward a taxi when she spotted a burly driver holding a sign up with her name who took her straight to the hotel.
The hotel was something plucked straight out of every novel she had ever read about kings and queens, a converted palace drenched in finery and elegance. The marble hallways gilded in gold, tall ceilings donned with crystal chandeliers. It was as if she had stepped back in time and was headed to a ball. And it had all been thoughtfully arranged by a certain prince.
“Well, Mr. Jordan ensured your suite would be ready when you arrived so you can rest. Though I tend to recommend remaining awake if you can. We are in a fantastic location. There is much to see and do and we have a car here for you. Monsieur Martin, the gentleman who picked you up from Charles de Gaulle? He will be your driver during your stay. He can take you anywhere you’d like.”
“Thank you.”
“This,” the man opened the door to her suite. “Is our suite Chaillot.” He pushed open the door and held it so Raven could enter first, her eyes widening as she took in the suite.
She stood in the living room, sitting her backpack on the couch as she scanned the space. The entire room felt serene, designed in shades of taupe and teal that made the space feel extremely homey for a hotel. Her hand rubbed the soft velvet fabric of the couch as she glanced around, her eyes landing on the French doors that led to her terrace.
“Ah the best part, in my opinion,” he smiled as he watched her take a step toward the terrace. He walked over to the double doors that led to the wraparound terrace and pushed them open.
Raven followed him outside, her eyes landing on the Eiffel Tower in the distance. She was shocked at how close it was, just over the river.
“A perfect view of our crown jewel. Mr. Jordan’s suite and this one have my favorite views in the hotel. Some would argue that Bonaparte’s apartment has the best view but I must disagree.”
“That is spectacular,” she muttered as she leaned against the concrete railing. Paris had always been on her bucket list, one of those cities and destinations that everyone went to and raved about. She wondered if it would live up to the hype and it was already exceeding it.
“Would you like us to set up breakfast out here for you in the morning? 9 a.m.?”
“Yes, please.”
“Excellent. I will leave you to rest.” A knock at the door interrupted him. “Oh there are your bags. Please call down to the concierge if you would like the car brought around for you or if you need anything else. Mr. Jordan asked me to give you this,” he handed her a card from his pocket. “I hope you enjoy your stay with us and your time in Paris.”
He opened the door and helped the men place her two suitcases into the bedroom before giving her a nod and closing the door behind him. She had likely gone overboard packing but she wanted options.
Raven stared at the door for a few moments before turning to get a 360 view of the suite. She tapped the card on her palm as she walked to the bedroom. She kicked off her sneakers and promptly flopped down onto the bed with a content giggle.
“What the fuck is my life right now?” She whispered.
She opened the envelope and smiled as she read his writing.
Welcome to Paris. Kept me on my toes wondering if you were gonna come, not gonna lie. Figured you’d want the day to rest and I have press and events until late tonight. I set up treatments for you at the spa starting at 4 and got you a day pass so you can relax by the pool there. Enjoy the night and I’ll come by when I get back if you’re still awake.
Michael
Raven let out the most childish squeal of her life before letting her arm fall onto the bed. She had made an agreement with herself on the plane that she was going to indulge in all the luxuries Michael offered and she could afford to. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and, she knew, the only one she would get with Michael before they broke up. She was determined to enjoy every second of it. And she appreciated that he seemed to know a day of pampering was exactly what she needed.
She glanced around, realizing she still had almost six hours until her spa treatments. She quickly grabbed another athleisure set from her bag and hopped in the shower. After a quick but still luxurious shower, she felt slightly more awake and refreshed and slid back on her shoes to go on a walk. She grabbed her wallet and AirPods before heading to the lobby.
“Mademoiselle, would you like me to have the car brought around?” The concierge asked as she walked through the lobby.
However, she quickly shook her head. “No, I think I’ll just walk. Thanks!”
She would certainly get plenty of use out of the car while she was there but today, she just wanted to roam. She wanted to see the shops and people watch and just enjoy being in a new city. She put in her headphones and slid on her sunglasses before venturing down a random side street. Naturally, her feet gravitated toward the Eiffel Tower. She spent over two hours roaming the expansive parks surrounding it, getting a million pictures of the tower and selfies by the river. She knew she was giving strong tourist vibes but she could not hope to care.
She stopped for lunch at this small sandwich shop and bought a crepe from a street vendor for her walk back. By the time she returned, it was almost time for her spa evening. Not only was she thankful for the manicure, pedicure, facial, and massage, she was grateful Michael once again arranged everything for her. She was far too tired to use her brain for anything useful. She knew she was beyond exhausted when she laid down on the massage table and was asleep before the man even truly started. She only remembered him touching her shoulders before he had to wake her up and tell her the two hours were done. But every muscle in her body felt 10x more relaxed than when she first laid down so she knew it had been a success.
She almost forewent dinner but was able to stay awake long enough to order and wait for room service. However, as soon as she finished eating, she settled into the couch and dozed off. She did not take the extra steps to get in the bed or put her phone on sleep mode because she did not want to miss Michael knocking on her door when he was back. Though she knew he would happily wait until tomorrow to see her just so he did not wake her up, she did not want that. She wanted to see him… tonight.
And she was not disappointed when a loud knock jolted her out of her sleep. She quickly jumped up and wiped her mouth, feeling a bit of drool from her deep sleep.
“Gross,” she muttered as her body protested getting up.
She ran her fingers through her hair, which she had gotten blown out and pressed before the trip, knowing she had messed it up slightly by forgetting to wrap it before falling asleep. She almost tripped over her backpack to get to the door and swing it open.
“Hey.”
“Hi,” she offered with a smile, attempting to hide some of the excitement she felt at seeing him.
“Didn’t mean to wake you… know it’s late.”
She stepped aside so he could enter. “Don’t worry about it. You invited me, seems like I could stay awake long enough to say hi. This suite is insane. You could’ve just put me up in a regular room in a hotel that doesn’t cost thousands a night, you know?”
She gave him a quick once over as he walked into the suite and perched on the arm of the couch. He was in a gorgeous red suit, perfectly tailored to his form as if it was his own skin. He looked sexy as fuck. But she could tell he was just as, if not more, exhausted than her. His usual perfect posture lacked a bit, his shoulders hunched over as if he could not hold them up any longer. His lips were tugged down in a frown and his nose was scrunched up a bit, which he typically only did when something was wrong.
He merely shrugged and winked at her. “Maybe a regular nigga woulda done that. But that ain’t me. Have a good flight and everythin’?”
She yawned. “Yea, didn’t sleep much but first class was…” she did the motion to say chef’s kiss causing Michael to grin brightly.
It had only been a week but he missed her. Getting to see her this week had been the light at the end of this hellish tunnel of a press tour. He loved his job, he was living his dream and he was beyond blessed to do so. But the grind was exhausting. He had been working nonstop for almost a decade, between projects and press tours, he went and never stopped. Perhaps because he was on the most important run of his career, the pressure, the exhaustion, the weight of it all felt like tons on his back this time around. But with Raven here, he would have a reprieve, however brief each day. He could be whoever he needed to be with her and that was the rest he did not know he needed until he stood in her presence.
“Walked around for a couple hours. Got a crepe just on the side of the road… which I’m gonna gain like 100 pounds this week between that and the pastries. The spa treatments were amazing… well, at least the ones I was awake for,” they both laughed. “Thank you for this. Seriously. Haven’t had a vacation in a while..”
“Good, I’m glad. And I know, that’s why I invited you. Glad you’re here. Oh I wanted to give you this,” he pulled out his wallet and slid out his Black card and put it in her hand.
The mere weight of the card in her hand let her know the limit on it did not exist.
She held it up between two of her fingers. “What’s this for?”
“A couple things. I got a photoshoot tomorrow. Got one surprise for you in the morning but then it’s all you until the late afternoon. Then I got reservations for us for dinner. Whatever you wanna do, charge it to that card. Day after, my stylist is gonna take you shopping. All his favorite shops, they’ll pull pieces. He is instructed to ensure you buy anything you like. Don’t argue. In fact…” He glanced around for a moment and eyed her wallet on the dining table before grabbing it.
“Hey!” She rushed forward and started grabbing at it but he held it over his head, knowing she was too short to take it from him. He held it up and rifled inside it, finding every card that could be used as currency and the cash she brought to convert. He held those in a tight grip in his fist while putting his card in it and handing her the striped wallet that now only had his card and her ID. “Give those backkk.”
“Not a chance. I invited you so I’m payin’ for everything. The only card you touch till you land back in LA is that one. And you’ll get these back when we get home. Understood?”
“I can’t accept that! I will happily pay for whatever I want to do when we aren’t together.”
“You can and will accept it. I order you to,” his hand grabbed her chin to force her eyes to his.
“I’m not on my knees… who says you can give orders right now?” She smirked at the way his eyes seemed to light up at her sass, her bratty attitude.
He chuckled. “I see someone already forgot they have a punishment waitin’ huh? You wanna add to it?”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she offered with a innocent smile.
Michael tucked that away for later. Once she got over that little jet lag, he was going to tear that ass up.
“Besides, the stores he’s takin’ you to… well, they ain’t all just for you. There’s one store where he’ll wait outside. A lingerie boutique. The staff is under specific instructions not to let you leave without, at least, one set for every night of the week. Figured I should get somethin’ out of this shopping spree.”
Raven’s lips turned into a playful grin. “Well that does only seem fair, I suppose. Any special requests for that particular store?”
“One set needs to be black and gold. Otherwise, it’s all you.”
She raised an eyebrow as she realized why he wanted her in black and gold. Visions of Erik Killmonger immediately flooded her mind and a couple of visions that she knew she could never breathe out loud. Her mental break must have been obvious because Michael waved his hand to get her attention.
“What was that?”
“Oh nothing, nothing,” she immediately lied and cleared her throat.
“Nahh, none of that. Tell me or I’ll double your punishment.”
Raven wondered if she should see how far she could take it. However, she quickly remembered that he never said exactly what the punishment was going to be so she could be playing with fire.
“I just… maybe thought about how it’s a shame you couldn’t keep your suit… from the movie,” her eyes got quiet with embarrassment.
Michael let out a barking laugh that made her cover her face with her hands in embarrassment.
“Baby girl, if you wanna role play, just say so.”
She shrugged. “Eh without the hair,” she gestured up at his freshly cut fade. “It’s not the same.”
“Really, it’s the hair?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I mean no, it’s 100% the abs and your face. Like no one’s getting wet just cause of the hair,” she chuckled. “But the hair is the difference between you fuckin’ me as you and you sellin’ the fantasy that Erik is fuckin’ me. Otherwise it’ll just be you with a deeper voice and ruder tone,” she waved her hand dismissively. “But just… remember me for Black Panther 3 when you gotta grow the hair out again. Won’t even charge you for that date, promise.”
He bit down the retort that he could never forget her.
“Deal.” They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment before he cleared his throat. “Um. Friday through Sunday is all us. Do some research, let me know if there’s anything you wanna do. Figured we could hit all the big tourist things and shit. But it’s up to you. Never asked you - you been here before?”
Raven shook her head. “Nah, went to Amsterdam after I got my MFA to celebrate but my passport hasn’t seen much love since,” she admitted.
“MFA?”
“Masters in Fine Arts. That’s when I wrote my manuscript for my book.”
“Learn somethin’ new about you every day.”
“I’ll do some googling, talk to my driver and see what he thinks we should do.”
“Aight. Sounds like a plan. I’m gonna let you go to bed.” He stood up again and started to walk toward the door.
Though she desperately needed sleep, she could not help the way her face fell at the idea of him leaving. “We aren’t gonna…”
The disappointment on her face, those perfect puppy eyes she gave him, likely with no conscious thought on her end, made him want to amend his statement. This girl? She would be the end of him but a glorious end indeed. However, he knew he shouldn’t and that she deserved a night to actually get sleep this week.
“Oh I plan on fuckin’ you on every surface in this room and mine for the next week. Don’t worry. But not tryin’ to have you fall asleep on me. Take tonight, get situated and get over the jet lag.”
“Understood.”
He leaned on the door handle for a moment before turning to her. “Don’t fall asleep on the couch again,” he warned. “Get in bed… bad for your back. And you’re gonna need all your limbs workin’at their best this week. See you tomorrow.”
She merely giggled as he opened her door and left. However, before the door slammed shut, she ran forward and stuck her head in the hall searching for him.
“Hey!” She called after him, causing him to turn around at the end of the hallway. “Thank you again… for all of this.”
“Don’t mention it.” He threw her his boyish grin before disappearing into the elevator.
***
“A bit early for a summons, don’t you think?” Raven moaned playfully as she walked out onto Michael’s terrace. The sun sat high in the sky, a slight breeze making the late fall morning a bit frigid.
He merely laughed and gestured toward the empty seat across from him, the table outside heavy laden with breakfast foods.
“Have a late start today, figured we could eat breakfast. How’d you sleep? Feelin’ alright?” She could hear the cockiness in his voice.
Raven’s eyes narrowed. “Like a baby… never felt better. Thanks for asking.”
While that was not necessarily true, she would not let him know that. He had done a number on her last night in all the best ways. Even as she sat there smiling at him innocently, she had to avoid shifting uncomfortably to ease the discomfort of her sore ass. Her punishment had been long and severe, her body draped over his lap as he spanked her 50 times. He had dragged it out, the spankings split up by his finger teasing her entrance but never letting her cum. That is until she was in a pool of tears with a bruised ass begging for mercy. After that, he let her cum more times than she could remember or count. It was the first time he left her with actual bruises but she did not mind, it was a punishment she would endure over and over again for those results.
“Good to know for next time. I was goin’ easy on you. Besides, you were such a good girl last night, I have a treat for you.”
Raven’s eyes twinkled. “The shopping spree I’m about to go on isn’t the treat?” His stylist, Brian, had sent her a list of all the stores they were going to today and Raven could not wait. She was not one to care much for labels, after all there were more important things. However, it was clear that she had free reign to shop until her heart dropped. Such a rare opportunity she knew she could not waste.
“Nope. This one… well I think you’ll enjoy it.”
Raven smiled as she took a sip from her cup of hot chocolate. Michael handed her a plate, piled high with fruit and pastries, which she devoured as they sat in silence.
“How was the library yesterday?” Michael asked as he continued eating.
Thus far, her experience had been something straight out of a novel. She could not have written a more perfect fairytale herself. She had woken up yesterday to a similar spread on her own terrace, complete with a mimosa. She listened to R&B music as she sat out there in her nightgown for over an hour. The only thing that broke her out of the peace trance was a call from the concierge letting her know her car would be ready at 11 for a surprise.
She tried her hardest to guess what the surprise could be or coax it out of her driver but there was too much to see and do to pinpoint what Michael had set up. She had started a list of things she wanted to see when he finally had time off but she had fallen asleep with her phone in her hand.
She still was not sure why he was going to such lengths for her. The cost of her hotel alone was more than most people made in a year. She knew the price, to him, was comparable to putting her up in a four star hotel for a regular man. However, she still struggled with accepting such extravagance, and could not stop the intrusive thoughts that questioned whether she was worth so much money and effort. After all, they were going to break up in a few months. She tried not to allow that to disappoint her every time her brain reminded her heart of that simple fact. That was what she signed up for: a relationship with a firm expiration date. Her brain knew that. Her heart though? It did not care about the practicalities of what she signed up for. It only cared for how he made her feel: wanted, appreciated, cared for.
And that was rare air.
Still, she could not help but wonder why he even invited her there in the first place. He mentioned no events he needed her to attend with him, no public appearances in which he needed a woman on his arm. Yesterday and today, she was on her own. He had essentially paid an exorbitant amount to give her a vacation for a week. She was itching to get to the later half of the week when they would actually be able to spend time together. When it was just the two of them, Michael became the singular space in this world where no one wanted anything from her. She could just be. Sometimes she had everything to give and sometimes, like her birthday, she had nothing. And he seemed to accept either without judgment or question. And she needed that.
Yesterday, his surprise was a guided tour of the oldest public library in Paris, Le Bibliothèque Mazarine. Raven had a ball as she took in the insanely beautiful architecture and special collections the curator showed her. She simultaneously loved and despised him for it, for his thoughtfulness and how in tune he was with her.
“It was gorgeous… the architecture?? God, there are so many gorgeous libraries in the world. This was certainly one of them. Can’t wait till I can afford a house and build out a giant library in the basement,” she mused. “That’s the dream.”
Michael silently put that knowledge away for later.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Figured, you know, given your day job, it might be cool.”
“It was. And it’s not just… my day job. I’ve always loved libraries. You know I used to spend hours at the library down the street from us? Holed up in a corner with a stack of books or my homework. Knew every person who worked there by name. They’d have to kick me out at closing,” she chuckled as she wiped the flakes of her chocolate croissant from her lips. “I had a favorite corner, by this window that overlooked the park across the street. You could hear the kids playing. If I wasn’t at school or at home, I was in that spot.”
“No one ever cared that you weren’t home?”
She scoffed, holding her mug tightly in her hands as she cozied up in her chair, one leg coming to her chest. Michael loved how relaxed she looked. She had not gotten fully ready for the day yet, no make up, her hair in a high ponytail. She was dressed in a casual dress with a slouchy oversized sweatshirt that hung off one shoulder. Her back was to the Eiffel Tower and somehow one of the most beautiful structures in the world was still eclipsed by her natural beauty. He could not take his eyes off her.
“After my grandmother passed? Nope. And by high school, I preferred to just be out of the house anyway. Everyone just pretended like I wasn’t there so it hurt less… to just not be there. Spent time at friends’ houses or at the library or I was at school but that was really it. But it was good. When all you do is read and study, you tend to do well in school.”
“No parties? No fun?” Michael asked, part of him not believing she engaged in nothing fun or reckless as a kid..
She laughed. “No, not really. I don’t think I even drank until I was in college. I was so boring back then, which is why my first career choice… well anyone who knew me would’ve thought it was an odd one.”
“Why’d you pick stripping? Plenty of ways to make money.”
“Needed something I could do at night, after classes and my work study job. Doesn’t require past experience and the owner liked that I looked young, had the whole innocent girl doe-eyed thing going for me. I picked up on the dancing and tricks pretty quickly too. It was fun… in its own way.”
“Who taught you your moves?”
“Monique… best dancer I ever saw. Taught me every trick in the book. She had been dancing for like 5 years when I started. Took me under her wing, I guess.”
“Really? That’s a long time.”
Raven shrugged, leaning on the table as she reminisced on a time that felt like eons ago. “Everyone does it for a different reason. Some don’t have much of a choice, some are working their way through something else, like I did. And some girls really liked it. Monique was a girl who really liked it. And it showed. She was saving up to open her own burlesque club, which I think she did a couple years ago.”
“Did you like it?”
She stared off into space for a moment before answering. “I guess it was nice to be the center of attention… the spotlight for once. I was a wallflower 20 hours a day but during my shift, I was more. Men wanted me, some of the girls wanted to be me. I didn’t hate it. I don’t miss it… but I miss who I was on that stage. The confidence, the power… it was something. Could never quite get it to translate to regular life though. Certainly couldn’t get it to translate to being a working girl,” she grimaced. “It’s just not the same though.”
“And you never felt exploited by it? Or scared?”
She shook her head. “Not any more than cat calling on the street makes me feel scared. First thing Monique told me when I met her - Sex is power, one of the few powers that women inherently have that men don’t. Always has been and always will be. And it's the one power that, try as they might, they can’t take away. Everyone sees it and their place in it differently. But I always remembered that they were there to see me, spend money on me. And whether they had a good night or not, whether they went home satisfied and happy, that was all my decision. And I liked that.” He liked the sparkle in her eyes as she talked about that time. “I dunno if stripping is proper breakfast conversation.”
“It ain’t but I like it anyway. One last question… tell me your name?” At her confused expression, he clarified. “The one you used at the club.”
“Give me my treat and I’ll tell you.”
Michael gestured for her to stand up. “Come here.”
She walked over to him and stood between his legs. His hands took free reign, running up her toned legs beneath her dress, tightly gripping her ass, which made her hiss in pain.
“I thought you never felt better?”
“Shut up,” she mumbled with a small huff.
He shifted a few of the dishes out of the way before pulling her sweatshirt and dress off, leaving her in nothing but her panties. He pushed her gently, a silent but clear instruction to lay down.
She glanced behind her at the pastries and food. “Someone’s gonna have to clean all this up if they fall.”
“Guess you’ll have to be careful then.” At her continued hesitation, he smiled. “I’ll leave a bigger tip for the staff, aight? Now lay tf down.”
At his command and assurance that the staff would be compensated for their games, she gently laid back, cringing as she heard one plate crash down onto the stone floor as Michael pulled off her panties. He draped her legs over his shoulders and leaned forward in his seat, his face eye level with her prize.
“W-what are you doing?” She asked quietly, the anticipation getting to her as he merely stared at her. She squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze.
“About to finish breakfast,” he muttered as if it was obvious. “This is better than anything else on this table.”
And with that, he slid a finger inside her, Raven’s back immediately arching off the table. She bit down on her lip hard to stop a moan from escaping her as he wrapped his lips around her clit. He glanced up at her and stopped.
“I wanna hear you. And I want everyone in this hotel to hear you.”
And with that, he devoured her. Michael loved any chance he got to taste her and find himself nestled between her thighs with her pleasure completely at his mercy. However, today was particularly special. This was the most relaxed he had ever seen her, the most at peace she had been since he met her. And it did not hurt that the backdrop for his favorite meal was the best view of his favorite city.
One hand kept her firmly in place as she writhed on the table while the other, in sync with his tongue, did nothing short of the Lord’s work.
Her hips rolled to meet every thrust of his fingers.
“You like that, baby girl?” He moaned as he slid another finger inside her, both of them curling into her g-spot at a quick speed.
“F-Fuck! Yes, yes! I l-love it!” She cried out loudly, knowing her voice most certainly would carry to their neighbors. But with the promise of an orgasm at the end of this, she could not hope to care.
Michael certainly had pushed her limitations farther than she would have expected since they started “dating.” Everything he tried, she loved. Every limit he pressed against, she yielded and every time? It exceeded her wildest dreams and fantasies. Public sex was one of those lines she always wanted to cross but knew it was too wild to do so. And yet, Michael seemed to know all her fantasies, even the ones she felt were too wild and wicked to speak out loud.
Michael reached over and grabbed a piece of ice from the ice bucket that held a bottle of champagne. He could tell she was so consumed by his fingers that she did not even notice. But she would.
He put the ice in his mouth while he continued to fuck her, sucking on it for a few moments before diving back in. The moment his cold lips and tongue touched her sensitive bud, she came. Fast and hard as if someone had pushed her off a cliff without warning. She could not control the loud slew of expletives that escaped her lips as he sucked, the cold temperature sending shivers of pleasure through her whole body.
“That’s it. Scream for daddy,” he muttered as he talked her through her orgasm. However, he was far from done and far from letting her tap out as he put another cube in his mouth and pressed it directly against her clit.
“I-It’s too m-much!” She clamped her legs around his head, her entire body nearly seizing up from the pressure and pleasure the cold provided. She tried to shy away from it, moving hastily, causing another dish to crash around them. But his firm palm on her stomach stopped her from getting away.
“Nah, you said you were better than ever. You can take this shit. Open your fuckin’ eyes.”
She forced her eyes open as tears spilled out, “M-Michael… I-I’m g-gonna cu-cum…”
“Let ‘em hear you. Whose pussy is this?” He demanded, lifting his head as he added another finger and hammered into her. “Look at me!” He ordered, towering over her body with such dominance that, even without him touching her, she could’ve cum on the spot.
She locked eyes with him as he added another finger, four in total and pressed roughly into her spot. She could see her juices glistening in the sun on the hairs of his beard. She hoped he would give her a taste, she loved it when he had her to taste herself.
“It’s yours!” She cried out loudly, louder than she would’ve liked, as she came all over his hand again.
“That’s right. Good girl,” he talked her through her orgasm before pulling out of her.
He held his fingers up to her face, all four completely covered in her juices. “Suck.”
She opened her mouth immediately and propped herself up, sucking with earnestness as she enjoyed the taste of herself.
“You like the way you taste, baby?” He asked, enjoying the feeling of her warm mouth on his fingers.
She merely hummed her response and showed him how much by continuing to suck on his fingers. When she was satisfied she cleaned them to the best of her ability, she released them with a pop and a smile that made Michael want to fall to his knees and start over again.
“That’s my good girl,” he whispered before leaning over and kissing her softly.
She let out a sharp exhale before collapsing back against the table with a chuckle.
“That was… fucking amazing,” she muttered as she laid there, completely naked, contemplating the meaning of life. “You wanna do that every morning this week?”
“Sounds like a good ass time to me.” She started to move off the table when a strong hand gripped her thigh, halting her movements. “I didn’t tell your ass to move. Lay there till I’m done.” He picked back up his coffee mug and his phone before grabbing his previously discarded plate.
She wanted to protest but instead she merely laid back down as instructed. From that moment until the end of his breakfast, he treated her like a mere centerpiece of the table. Something to gaze upon and fondle but nothing more. He disappeared into his bedroom once, returning a few moments later. He said nothing and offered her no explanation as he held out nipple clamps, both connected with a chain. He worked in silence as he put both of them on her erect buds before settling down to resume his coffee. Her eyes twisted up for a moment at the sharp pain before it settled down to a dull ache. With the clamps, everything felt 10 times more sensitive, even the cool breeze made her want to touch her aching boobs. But she had been scolded once already for moving so she merely laid there.
Her eyes followed his frame as he sauntered around the terrace with his coffee cup, lazily refilling it as he scrolled on his phone. His joggers sat low on his hips, showcasing that perfect V that led to one of her favorite parts of him. She licked her lips, wishing he had allowed her to taste him as he had her. Lust curled in her belly as she watched his muscles flex as he moved around. Here she was, laying on a table in the middle of Paris like a human flower arrangement, and all she could think about was how sexy he was. A God among men.
Every so often, he would return to her and tug on the chain connecting the clamps, sending jolts of pleasurable pain right to her core. And after, he’d give her a bite of whatever pastry he was continuing to eat. She appreciated him remembering that the rest of her breakfast had been a sacrificial lamb to their activities.
This continued until his manager called him. Michael reminded her that good girls keep quiet before he answered, putting the phone on speaker to incentivize her. She had to stifle a laugh as she heard him say he was just “enjoying a lazy morning on the terrace” before heading to an event. She listened as they talked about the film and numbers and his schedule, while he trailed pieces of ice around her nipples and under her breasts and down the soft panes of her stomach. That made her eyes roll back into her head.
She loved nipple play. She had heard of women orgasming from that alone but she had never experienced it herself. However, as Michael talked about business, he seemed determined to get her there with that alone. The clamps increased the pleasure of every touch as he fondled her.
She thought she would draw blood as she bit down on her lip to stop the moans from escaping her as he played, contrasting the warmth of his mouth with the coldness of the ice when he had to talk.
“Yea once we settle all this shit with the Coach deal, we’ll be set,” Alex remarked as Michael sat the phone down on Raven’s stomach so he could give each of her boobs the attention they deserved. When he bit down on the swell of her breast, she let out a groan that she prayed was barely audible. It reached his ears, she knew, but the oblivious woman on the other end did not even skip a beat. “How’s Raven enjoying Paris?”
Michael threw her a smirk and pressed a finger to his lip as he continued doing what he was doing, Raven trying her hardest to quiet the pants of pleasure that wanted to escape.
“Oh I think she’s enjoyin’ it just fine.”
“I’m glad. Post something of the two of you while you’re there. Doesn’t have to be much but let’s make sure we’re getting something out of these extra four days you’re spending there instead of continuing to promote your movie.”
Despite the fog of pleasure, Alex’s words stuck out to Raven, settling into her brain. She did not have the capacity to contemplate them too hard right then but she tucked them away for later.
“Yes ma’am. I’ll make sure we all get somethin’ out of it. Anything else for me?” he assured her as he pulled the clamps off roughly, causing Raven to clamp her hand over her mouth to muffle the scream as the blood rushed back to her breasts. To top it off, he clamped his mouth around one of them while his fingers pinched the other, causing her whole body to convulse with her third orgasm of the day. And it was not even 10 am yet.
“Nope, that is it. Have fun today and don’t forget to get something for your favorite manager while you’re there,” Alex continued.
Raven felt her entire vision go white as she focused all of her attention on muffling the screams of pain and pleasure that were boiling over.
“Sounds good. Listen, I gotta go. Someone here needs my attention. Let’s talk tonight.”
He signed off quickly, pulling Raven’s hands from her mouth so he could hear the sounds of her pleasure, which were music to his ears. He gave her a few moments to calm down before he leaned over and kissed her.
“Now you can get up and finish your breakfast. Take your time.”
“You’re… a menace. I hope you… know that,” she whispered, her hand pressing into her chest as she tried to calm herself down. “It’s not even lunchtime and you’re trying to kill me.”
“Let’s not pretend like that wouldn’t be a better way to go.” He winked at her before pulling on her arm to help her sit up and disappearing inside to change into his own clothes.
Raven took a deep breath, her hand massaging one of her aching breasts as she sat there for a moment. She finally forced herself off the table, her legs almost giving out beneath her before she collapsed into his chair. She grabbed a few pieces of fruit and a danish as she sat there, contemplating how he continued to manage to surprise her.
.
She took a moment and gathered her thoughts before she slid her clothes back on just as Michael emerged back onto the terraces in a burnt orange sweater and slacks.
“You good? Enjoyed your treat?”
“Yea… yea I did. Can’t tell if it was more for you or me though.”
“First part was for you, second was for me. Now you’re relaxed and can go spend all my money. Brian’ll be waiting for you downstairs in an hour. Don’t forget… black and gold.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” She winked at him before walking past him to head back to her suite.
***
Raven could not believe how quickly the week seemed to pass her by. She could not help but be sad that it was already almost over. Their flight home was tomorrow and despite having a week there, it did not feel like enough. She had enjoyed every single second of it, particularly the last three days with Michael. They spent those days hitting everything they could think of, the major tourist attractions and some off the beaten path.
Michael had clearly forgone his diet for this particular trip and the pair ate any and everything that looked remotely good, particularly anything with carbs. She savored this long stretch of uninterrupted time the pair had together. At home, they just saw each other for dates and talked on the phone at night. But the last three days, they were together from breakfast until the moment he finished and she slid out of his bed to return to her own. It made her sad to leave in the middle of the night, to end their private time together, but she knew she had to. They took tons of pictures, the least curated ones they had ever taken. Neither of them cared to pretend these were for the masses and tabloids when they were just for them, their opportunity to capture those moments together.
By the time they returned to the hotel Sunday afternoon, Raven could not hide her melancholy attitude about having to leave.
“You good?” Michael asked as he escorted her back to her suite.
“Yea, yea,” she smiled sadly. “Just sad to be leaving. Not gonna get another experience like this for a long while,” she shrugged. “But once-in-a-lifetime experiences aren’t called that for nothing, I guess.” She leaned on the door frame of her suite.
“Well… surprises ain’t over yet. Couple things waiting for you in there. Get some rest, make up and hair will be here at 7. Be dressed and downstairs at 8.”
“That’s all you’re gonna give me??”
“Wouldn’t be a surprise if I gave you anythin’ else. See you at 8.” And with that, he turned to head back to his own suite.
Raven quickly entered her own room, racing to the bedroom to find the black and gold lingerie set she bought laying out on the bed. Next to it lay a jewelry box set and hanging on her closet door was black dress that was fit for someone heading to a ball. She opened the box to find diamond earrings and a diamond choker necklace waiting for her.
“God I love him,” she whispered to herself as she took everything in. And she did, she loved him. She could never say it or admit it to anyone but God and herself but she did. And it was not the material things, it was his thoughtfulness… that he would even think to arrange something like this for them. That’s what she loved. And that is what she would miss when it was all said and done.
Raven did not get any rest as Michael instructed. She merely laid in bed, scrolling on tik tok and counting down the minutes until she could get dressed. Around 6:30, she got up and got in the shower, taking her time before Michael’s team arrived.
They worked quickly but efficiently and had her dressed and ready to go by 7:50. She spent five minutes just staring at herself in the mirror. She spun around a couple of times, examining the dramatic dress Michael had chosen for her. It was unlike anything she would have gravitated toward herself but she loved it. It was a showstopping, head turning dress. She always felt like a million bucks when she and Michael went out. But tonight? Tonight, she felt like billions.
Brian took a couple photos of her on the terrace since the sun was setting before she left her room to meet Michael. As promised, he was waiting in the foyer for her in a black tux. It was simple but he looked gorgeous. And as she got closer, she realized the detailing on his jacket matched that of the bodice of her dress.
She stretched her arms out as if to ask what he thought, the actor completely silent as he took her in.
Raven bit her painted lip, fear gripping her as she mistook his silence for displeasure. “D-do you not like it?” However, before he could give her an answer, she answered for him. “It’s not what you wanted is it? Fuck. I’m sorry… I t-thought the dress was a little tight but Brian assured me it wasn’t and I knew I shouldn’t have eaten all those damn pastries and crepes this week. But I’m a slave to a crepe,” she moaned pitifully. “Not an ounce of self control. And I didn’t have good enough spanx for this type of dress. I s-should’ve known it didn’t look right. You got me this beautiful dress and I probably look like a fucking whale o-or a busted can of biscuits or something horrible. I’m sorry, I can go change?” she offered, already turning away from him to race upstairs and hide under the covers.
However, before she made it more than two steps, a force grabbed her and pulled her back. She quickly found herself in his arms, Michael holding her flush to his chest. He kissed her deeply, silencing any more rants, concerns, or criticisms that could have fallen from her lips. He did not want to hear any of them. He pulled back to look at her, his finger on her chin to keep her eyes on his.
“You gotta let me answer before you start spiraling, baby girl. You are exactly what I wanted and exceeded my expectations. I was speechless because I didn’t think I had the right words to describe how fuckin’ gorgeous you look.”
“Really?” she asked quietly.
“Really. One thing I’d never do is lie to you, hope you know that by now. You ready?”
She nodded and allowed him to lead her out of the hotel and into their limo. They spent most of the car ride recapping the last three days and their favorite parts of the trip.
Soon they pulled up to a restaurant and Michael led her into the elevator. It went straight up to a rooftop, one that overlooked the entire city. Paris was beautiful any time of day but night time eclipsed all the others in her opinion.
“Bonjour Mr. Jordan,” a waiter approached them as they stepped off of the elevator.
He led them to their table, which offered a perfect view of the city. There was a dance floor in the middle of the roof and a small stage that held a string quartet that was softly playing music. The railings were covered in string lights.
“This place is amazing… how is it so empty?” Raven muttered to Michael as he held out her chair for her to sit.
“Bought it out just for us.”
Raven shook her head in disbelief. “No way…” At his completely serious face, she gasped. “Wait, you’re serious? How much did that cost??”
“Didn’t matter. Wanted to come here and have the place and that view to ourselves.”
Raven laughed. “That’s wild. Not mad at it though. This view probably makes it worth every penny.” Raven let out a content sigh as she stared off into the depths of Paris, not realizing that the city was not the view Michael was admiring as he muttered.
“Yea, it does.”
They settled into content silence as the waiter brought them a bottle of wine and let them know they would be enjoying the chef’s signature tasting menu. Slowly, course after course made its way to them as they talked and enjoyed the evening. By the time they reached dessert, Raven felt as if she was floating on a cloud that she never wanted to come down from.
The familiar refrain from the string quartet filled her ears. “Oh I love this song,” she muttered more to herself than the man across from her.
“You recognize it?”
She nodded. “La Vie en Rose… I know the Louis Armstrong version but pretty sure he covered it in English from a French artist.”
“Don’t know if I’ve heard that one before. My French is trash,” he chuckled. “What does that phrase mean?”
“Means to see the world in pink, you know with rose colored glasses essentially. It’s a beautiful song, the lyrics are so romantic.” She paused. “Hold me close and hold me fast. This magic spell you cast… this is la vie en rose. When you kiss me, heaven sighs and though I close my eyes, I see la vie en rose. When you press me to your heart, I’m in a world apart… a world where roses bloom. And when you speak, angels sing from above… everyday words seem to turn into love songs. Give your heart and soul to me and life will always be la vie en rose.”
The two merely stared at each other as the words settled into the space between them. Raven felt every word of that song with him. But every time she wanted to sink into that feeling, melt into him, her brain stopped her. She merely cleared her throat and chuckled, breaking the trance both of them were in.
“Don’t ask me to sing it though,” she joked. “I’m dreadful.” She took a long, awkward sip of her wine before Michael stood up and held out his hand.
“Dance with me.” Since it was only them in the restaurant, the dance floor was wide open and available.
She glanced at the string quartet as the song transitioned to XO by Beyonce. She hesitated for a moment before sliding her hand into his. He pulled her to the center of the dance floor, their bodies flushed against each other.
The entire night had been perfect, filled with romance and magic Raven never thought she would have herself. She knew it was for show but she could not deny that there was an intimacy to it that felt… real. Felt like they were truly connecting with each other at a deeper level. When he looked at her, sometimes, she swore she saw it. A twinkle of something too deep… too paralyzing to be mere friendship. But every time, she felt like she imagined it. Maybe even hoped she imagined it because that would be easier. She knew it would not be her but as she looked at him, she could not help but think he enjoyed this. The romance, going above and beyond to show someone you love them. And now he just needed someone, a real someone, to do it with.
She stared at him for a few moments as they swayed in each other’s arms. “Tell me about her.”
Michael did not need her to elaborate on who she meant. Michael shook his head. He had the perfect woman in his arms, there was not a single woman in his past worth talking about right then.
“Why does she matter?”
Raven shrugged. “Because she’s gone and you’re still shutting yourself off from things I think… you’re too afraid to admit you really want. You want this,” she gestured between them. “Not with me, obviously,” she chuckled. “But this, this connection with someone who you love and loves you back. Does she really still have so much power that she can take this away from you forever?”
Michael wished he could grab her shoulders and shake her. So beautiful and so smart yet so oblivious to the hints he was throwing out left and right. He did want those things but not with anyone but her. He had hoped the last week would paint the picture for her. He knew he should just come out and say it himself but he was not brave enough… not yet anyway to admit that he was head over heels for someone again. Because Raven did have that much power. She controlled his heart and very being. And if he said those words to her and she rejected him or broke his heart? She would be the last woman he ever said them to again.
“Not that interestin’ of a story to be honest. But she was… an actor too. Not super well known but you know, steady workin’ and everythin’. Met on the set of a show I was workin’ on. We hit it of.. She was the first woman to really understand me? Understood my dreams and my ambition. I understood hers, I had been in the industry longer so I helped her out, making connections and all that. We dated for almost three years. First relationship that I saw a real future in, even bought a ring.” He sighed as he glanced down at Raven, their bodies swaying to the music. “But all she cared about was using me to get to the next thing. Saw a text on her phone one night, she was cheating on me with another nigga. Had been for most of the time we were together. Left me for someone with more money, bigger name. We broke up and she acted like it was nothin’... as if three years of living life together hadn’t mattered at all. Felt stupid for not seein’ it, for thinkin’ there was a future there… but also for believin’ she loved me for me. Went on a binge afterward… lots of partyin’, drinkin’, fuckin’ every woman I could see. Decided that if that was all everyone was gonna see or care about, the money and all that… then that’s all I would give.”
“I’m sorry. No one deserves that. She’s dumb. Too stupid to realize what she had.” She paused. “You can’t give up though… gotta keep trying to find the right girl. Keep reaching out your hand until it happens.”
“Not all of us have your annoyingly relentless hope and optimism. More worried about my hand getting ripped off.”
“It might,” she admitted. “But I dunno, I’ve always believed heartbreak is the price we pay for love. At the end of the day, we’re all standing on a giant cliff and when you take that leap with someone, you can’t see the bottom. You just hold hands and you jump and you experience the fall that is living life together until you crash into the water. Whether you’ll enjoy the fall, whether rocks or an oasis are waiting for you, whether your fall is long or short. We have no idea, which is why jumping is so scary. But the only thing that’s certain is the crash at the end because all of it ends. Whether you get the greatest love story that goes on until the end of your life or a tragedy that gets cut short because other shit gets in the way. All of it ends. That’s the price, the fall isn’t forever. But when it ends and that heartache comes, the hope is that you look back on it all and see the life you lived and that it was all worth it. And so you’re willing to pick yourself up, dry yourself off, and go back up to the cliff and do it all over again. If you’re avoiding the crash, you aren’t jumping and that means you aren’t living. And there’s a woman out there somewhere who pulled herself out of the water and 's willing and waiting for you to be ready to take the leap with her. Who knows you’re the person they want to free fall with and who will make it worth it.” She ran her hand over the material of his tuxedo jacket. “It’s a shame because while you’re avoiding the cliff altogether, people don’t get to see how amazing you are.”
“You really are a writer,” he mused, causing her eyes to crinkle at the corners and her whole body glow. “Only someone who writes love stories can think of some shit like that. But I hear you. I dunno though, most people can see how amazing my life is. I don’t think that’s the problem.”
Raven scoffed and shook her head. “Your money, the things you can buy?” she gestured around them. “Those are the least interesting things about you,” she remarked flatly. “You’re funny. I would’ve never guessed you were as funny as you are. You’re thoughtful, you see through people, through the bullshit and facades and the walls. You see them, the one they hide from the rest of the world. You’re smart and engaging and so clearly care about every person in your life. Every woman I know wants that. Hell I want that,” she laughed, not noticing the joy that sparked in his eyes at those words. “And all of this is lovely and amazing but most of us can be happy without it. She told you that all you’re worth to people is money and clout and things. But the version of you I see right now is more than enough. And there’s someone out there who knows that too.”
Her hand cupped his cheek as she spoke, Michael learning in and kissing her softly. She had kissed him many times but there was something different about this one, something that made her want to profess her love for him right then and there.
She leaned back and studied him for a moment. “I hope… I hope when this ends, that we can still be friends? This was all really special. You made me feel like a real princess this week. Made me feel wanted and cared for in a way most people don’t. I was in… not the best of places when we met. Seeing a lot of darkness and no light at the end of the tunnel. But all of this, I dunno, reaffirms that annoyingly relentless hope and optimism. Things do turn around eventually. And this’ll all end but I’ll never forget the things you’ve done for me since we met.”
He spun her around for a moment before bringing her close again.
“I didn’t do anything,” he muttered in her ear. “Just gave you the space to be you. You’re far from a wallflower or sidekick or however you described yourself to me on our first date. You’re powerful, smart, beautiful… promise me you’ll take this version of you, the real you… the main character version of you back to the real world tomorrow. You do that and I’ll work on takin’ your advice,” his hand played with the curls in her hair as he spoke. “And then… what’s that line from Casablanca? We’ll always have Paris.”
“Seems like we both need to work on seeing ourselves how the other sees us.”
“Well we got plenty of time to work on it.”
“Yea… guess we got a few more months before I gotta let you go.” She could not hide the sadness in her words. She was resigned, knew their fate but that did not make it hurt any less.
His heart screamed at him to tell her she didn’t have to let him go. They didn’t have to end just because of some agreement they made under stress. They could try it out for real, love each other for real. But the words felt lodged in his throat. His fears, now top of mind since their conversation, were massive blockages that would not allow it out. He wanted her, it hurt how badly he wanted her. But that terrified him.
They danced for a few more minutes before the song, which she recognized as All of Me by John Legend, came to an end.
“Let’s go back to my suite. Got one more surprise.”
Though she did not want the romantic part of the evening to end, she could not deny she was looking forward to the other part of the night. Michael had kept true to his promise and fucked her on every surface in his suite and hers. Her favorite, though, had been that morning on the terrace. She’d never forget that.
So she put up no argument when he led her back to their limo and whisked her away to the hotel. She hated the time in between the end of their date and the start of their more private moments. Time seemed to inch forward as slowly as possible, the anticipation always felt like torture. She was practically bouncing out of her skin when they finally made it to his suite.
However, instead of opening the door, he stopped her.
“Close your eyes.”
The game was starting early, she thought to herself, which signaled she was in for a long and wild night. The romantic Michael was about to disappear and the dominant one would stand in his place. She rolled her eyes and pouted like a brat before following his instructions. However, she could not let the moment pass without a warning. “If you lead me into a door, I’m gonna kill you.”
“I don’t think French prisons are that nice so wouldn’t recommend that. Trust me, you know I’d never hurt you.”
She snorted as he led her into his room, her feet taking extremely small tentative steps that made Michael chuckle to himself. After a few steps, he stopped her.
“Ok open.”
She blinked a couple times before gasping, her eyes taking in the chrome stripper pole in the middle of his living room. His couch had been pushed away and a singular armchair was in front of the pole like a throne in front of a stage.
Michael walked into his bedroom and came back with a wad of cash. “Figured you could give me a private show? Besides you forgot to tell me your name the other morning.”
Raven ran her thumb over the cash, fanning it out lightly. All she saw were hundreds. She stepped around him and walked over to the pole, her manicured nails tapping on the chrome as she strutted around it in her dress. The elegant gown now seemed out of place in a room with a stripper pole. But the lingerie number she had on underneath would fit in perfectly.
“How much?”
“What?” He asked as he went over to the decanter in his room and poured two glasses of whiskey. He handed her one, Raven downing it immediately. She needed the extra liquid courage to do what he was requesting.
“Did it cost to convince them to let you pressure mount this into the ceiling?”
Michael turned off the lights and strode over the chair and sat down, his face and body illuminated by the moonlight and lights from the Eiffel Tower through the giant windows. Raven licked her lips as she took in his power, his body slouched back and his legs spread wide. A king on his throne waiting to be entertained.
“I’m sure you’ll make it worth every penny.”
She chuckled. “You are something else,” she muttered. “I went by Nova… Name of a character in a book I was reading at the time.”
He chuckled. “Definitely thought you were gonna say somethin’ a little more out… stereotypical,” he admitted.
Raven snorted. “The market was oversaturated with Candys. Besides, I like to be different.”
“So tell me, Nova, how often did the niggas you danced for throw benjamins at that fine ass?” He took a sip of his drink.
“Not often enough.”
“I imagine you’ll enjoy the experience then. Dance for me.”
Raven could not help the way her legs clenched together at the demand, the juxtaposition of how he asked her to dance with him a mere hour ago. He turned on the speakers, sultry music filling the room. She had not danced in so long, it was true. She felt like part of her should have been nervous but she was not. It was like riding a bike, a skill she knew she’d never truly lose. And though she may not have the strength to do any tricks anymore, she guessed Michael knew and did not care much about that.
She reached behind her to unzip her dress, allowing it to fall to the floor. She quickly threw it on a chair so it did not get wrinkled on the ground. She kept on her heels, though they were not tall enough to give the effect she wanted. The gold accents of her black lingerie glittered in the moonlight as she approached his chair. Her hips swayed with the music, her hands roamed her own body as she went, her eyes trained on him.
Once she was in arm’s length, he immediately lifted his hands to grab for her but she stopped and held herself just out of his grasp. She shook her finger at him with a teasing smile.
“No touching… club rules.”
Michael letting out a menacing chuckle. “You’re gonna regret that later, baby girl.”
“I don’t think I am, daddy. Rules are rules. You like the lingerie I got for you?” She asked as she turned and leaned back on him, her ass grinding on his lap. She could feel him growing hard beneath her, loved how his hands curled into fists as he physically stopped himself from touching her.
“Fuckin’ perfect. Think it’ll look better on the floor though…”
“I dunno, I like it better like this.”
She knew he was realizing just how out of control he truly was. This was her stage and she had all the power. The power to entice, to tease, to give, and to take away.
She slid onto her knees beneath him, crawling away from him and back to her pole. She could feel his eyes trained on her ass as she moved. She knew it looked absolutely perfect, it was the main reason she purchased this particular set. She looked like a goddess and she felt like one too.
For the next 15 minutes, she put on the best show of her life as Michael rained bills on her as if he could not get enough. She allowed the music to flow through her and thought of nothing other than pleasing him. Every movement tailored to his reaction, the spark in his eyes when she spread her legs, the way he bit his lip as she fondled her breasts, how he so clearly resisted undoing his tuxedo pants to pleasure himself when she finally stripped her bra off. She threw it at him, his hand catching it with ease and precision. She allowed herself to get lost in it, lost in the spotlight and the feeling of his eyes laser focused on her. All those things Michael said she was? In that moment, she felt it… like a queen.
Meanwhile, Michael was beyond mesmerized. He could have watched her dance for hours and hours and it would not have felt like long enough. She moved as if born for a stage of some sort. This was a side of her he had never seen, a woman who knew her power and proudly stood in it. He wished he could punch any and everyone who diminished this version of her, who chipped away at this person and made her think she had such little power that scraps were all she deserved. She deserved so much more than that.
“Come here,” he whispered, barely audible over the music. But she heard him and immediately finished her dance move and sank to her knees to crawl to him.
Once she was before his chair, she slid into the position he always made her wait in, on her knees and head bowed.
“What do you want?”
“W-what?” Michael never asked her what she wanted when they had sex. That was the whole point, it was not about what she wanted.
“What do you want? How do you want me to fuck you? Tonight, I do what you say.”
“Anything I say?” she asked, a twinge of a playful tone in her voice that made him shake his head.
“Don’t get too excited. I still own that ass. But you put on a good show for me, feelin’ generous. What do you want?”
She stared at him for a moment before answering. “I want to taste you and then I want to fuck you. And then… I want you to fuck me so hard I can’t move tomorrow.”
He let out a barking laugh before standing to strip, his member standing at attention. Her mouth watered as she took in the pre cum already leaking from his head. She wanted to groan at how slowly he was moving. He leaned over her and wrapped his hand in her hair, pulling her head back. “Your wish is my command. If that’s what you want, ain’t no tappin’ out tonight.”
“When have I ever tapped out?” she challenged.
Michael grinned like a Cheshire cat. He loved that she had some fire in her. But she was not wrong. She never tapped out.
“We’ll see then.” He let her hair go and settled back into his seat.
Raven immediately launched herself at his dick, not bothering to waste another second. She kept her eyes trained on his face as she spat on his dick, licking his head like it was her favorite treat. In some ways, it was. She continued her teasing, after all, it was still her show and she was still in control. She licked the underside of his shaft, along a vein that made him groan every time. She grinned as the deep, guttural sound escaped him. He did not even need to touch her, his mere voice and the sounds he made made a mess between her legs all on their own.
“Don’t like… to be teased, baby girl,” he mumbled as his head fell back in pleasure, feeling particularly tortured by her warm mouth and her hand as she spread her spit along his shaft.
She paused, her hand continuing to pump him. She decided that she was going to egg him on. She wanted him to take her to another realm when he fucked her tonight. She wanted all of him, all of his strength, all of his dominance, all of it until she could not take a single inch more. And she knew the best way to get that was to rile him up a bit.
“Shouldn’t have asked me what I wanted, daddy. Cause right now, I’m in a teasing mood.”
He let out a low whistle. “Gonna tear that ass up in a minute.”
She winked at him before enveloping his dick in her mouth. She moaned around him, enjoying how his hips bucked into her face at the vibrations, sending his dick farther into her throat. One of his hands rested on his stomach while the other tangled itself in her pressed hair. However, he did not stop her from controlling the pace as she sucked him. He just enjoyed the feeling of her head bobbing up and down on him, her hand massaging the base of his dick that she couldn’t fit into her mouth fully. She was responsive to his groans and moans, and had learned over the last month what he liked.
And the one thing he liked was sloppy. She took breaks to spit on him and make a mess of her drool on his lap and the chair beneath him. They could add it to his tab, he decided as she deep throated him. Usually, when she did this, it was just him fucking her throat without a care. However, this time she was in control and she took her time, allowing him to feel every inch of him as she took him down her throat.
“Fuckkkkkk… love your mouth, you filthy slut. That’s it. Take this dick.”
Her jaw hurt, the dangly thing in the back of her throat ached every time she pushed her head back down on him. But all she heard was his praise and that spurred her on. Faster, sloppier. Whatever she could do to feel him explode in her… on her. On her… that stuck out as she felt his hips start to move faster in rhythm with her mouth. Michael had a thing for cumming on her ass when he fucked her from behind, which she loved. However, a particularly wicked idea came to her mind as she wondered where else she would like him to cum. She could not imagine he would say no… most men dreamed of that right?
“I’m about to cum, don’t stop!” He called out.
However, she did stop, letting him fall from her mouth but continued giving him a hand job.
Her breathing was labored as she tried to catch her breath. “Cum on my face, daddy,” she begged, her voice filled with need and pleas that made Michael forget that he should be mad at her for stopping when he told her not to.
She did not give him a chance to respond or check to ensure that was truly what she wanted before she took him into her mouth again. Knowing where she wanted him to release himself, Michael did not let her control the pace any longer. He wrapped her hair in his hands and fucked her mouth with abandon. Raven did not even care that she lost control, the sounds of his moans and grunts, the disgustingly lewd and sloppy noises of her mouth, her gagging were a perfect symphony to her ears.
“I’m gonna cum!” he warned before using one hand to keep her hand in place while he aimed his dick right at her cheek and lips.
Both of them were panting as he finished unloading on her face. She stayed there beneath him as he wiped his dick off on her other cheek. She licked her lips, enjoying the taste of his cum but she left the rest on as she rose to her feet and straddled him. Usually she did not move until he told her to move. However, she had made what she wanted clear and she was taking it. And then he could take her.
She kissed him deeply, her hand massaging him until he was fully erect again. She wasted no time sliding down on his throbbing dick, both of them groaning as he filled her.
“Wish you could see yourself… bouncing on my dick, covered in my cum. Such a good whore for me, baby. Did you like me cummin’ on that pretty face?” Michael asked as she rode him. He loved how disheveled she looked. Her face covered in his seed, her mascara running from her tears after he fucked her mouth. The picture of submission and that made him want to fuck the daylights out of her. However, he knew he had to practice patience. After all, he had given her control, he had to let her enjoy it… at least for a time.
He buried his face in the valley between her boobs as she cried out. “Yes! Yes! I l-loved it!” He wished he had the nipple clamps to tug on while she rode him, an activity for later he decided as he sucked on her nipples. Everything he did to one, he did to the other as that was only right and fair as she switched between his favorite slow grind on his lap and bouncing on him.
He could tell her legs were starting to grow tired as they slowed down a bit. However, he did not mind, that was perfect actually. It meant he could take over.
“You had your turn. You read for daddy to take over again? Give you what you need?” he asked in her ear, his hand wrapped around her throat. She gasped as he squeezed lightly, the action sending her tumbling over the edge of her first orgasm.
“Y-Yes, p-please.”
“What do you want? Say it.”
“Fuck me like a whore,” she whispered, desperate to feel all he had to offer.
His hands grabbed her beneath her thighs and hoisted her up in the air. She let out a shocked cry at the sudden change and clung to him tighter. The whole time, their bodies never separated as he walked with her until she was backed against one of the French doors. He let her legs fall to the ground and turned her around roughly.
“Spread your legs,” he demanded, his voice leaving no room for arguments, not that she had a single one.
He pressed her cheek into the glass panel, her eyes trained on the glittering lights of the Eiffel in the distance as he wrapped his hand in her hair once again. He held the head of his dick at her entrance, sliding it against her clit and making her body convulse slightly.
He slammed into her, causing Raven to scream out with pleasure. His thrusts pinned her entire body to the door as he fucked her like a man possessed.
Her high pitched screams were incoherent words that Michael could not make out as he fucked her roughly against the door. She loved every moment of it. It was painful, her breasts and body pushed up against the door like that with every thrust but she loved it and never wanted it to end.
“You still in a teasing mood??” he asked, Raven immediately shaking her head. She tried to answer verbally but the words would not form. He pulled her head back, her sweet perfume hitting his nose as he bit into her neck. He did not do it hard enough to leave a mark but he knew she felt it. “I asked you a fuckin’ question!”
“No! N-no! I-I’m s-sorry,” she blubbered as she felt another orgasm building. She had asked for this and he was not going to disappoint. “F-Fuck… you f-feel so good. I-I love it!”
He let go of her hair and slid out of her, Raven groaning at the sudden feeling of emptiness. He gripped her arm and pulled her into the bedroom.
“Get your ass on the bed. Face down toward the window, ass up.”
He disappeared into the bathroom for a moment while Raven assumed her favorite position. However, when he returned, she glanced at him and found a small black bullet in his hand. He turned it on, the powerful and loud vibration filling the bedroom. She knew exactly what he wanted her to do as he climbed onto the bed behind her and slid it into her hand. She immediately tried to shy away from him but he stopped her.
“The fuck I say about tappin’ out? You’re gonna hold that to your clit and aren’t gonna take it off. Drop it, I spank you twenty times, turn it down, I spank you fifty times, turn it off… you won’t sit for a fuckin’ week. We’re gonna see how many times you can cum before I do.”
With that, Raven braced her body up one one forearm before reaching beneath her to put the vibrator on her clit. She immediately shuddered as it sent spasms through her body. This was torture.
“You tortured me. Now, I get to return the favor,” Michael offered as he roughly thrusted into her.
She had never used a toy during sex in this way and torture was the right word, delicious, mindnumbing torture. With Michael’s dick curving into her g-spot with every thrust and the vibrator stationed on her clit, she came in record time, couldn’t have been more than 30 seconds. Keeping it on while she came was even harder. Every instinct wanted to end the pleasure so she could calm down but she couldn’t.
“I-I c-can’t,” she whimpered as she felt her orgasm start to build again. It was too fast, too much too soon.
“Yes, you can and you will. You wouldn’t want to disappoint daddy, would you?” A loud smack filled the air as he spanked her. “But I’ll help you.”
He reached around and wrapped his hand in hers, forcing her to keep the vibrator there. Michael had to slow his movements down a bit to hold onto her hand but it was worth it to feel her pussy snapping around him with every orgasm. She came and she came and she came. She begged and screamed for reprieve and mercy and rest but he gave her none of it. He ignored all of it. By orgasm number 4, she was a quivering mess. Her arm had completely gone slack, her upper body pushed into the bed and he wondered if he was pushing her too far. But no safe word had crossed her lips, just a lot of curse words.
“I’m close, baby… How many more you got in you? I think you got two more. Don’t fuckin’ run from me, baby girl. This shit’s what you wanted isn’t it?” He slammed into her with a particularly rough thrust. “Isn’t it??”
“Y-Yes…” she choked out. But now she did not know what she wanted because her brain was utter mush. She wanted less, she wanted more, she wanted him to slow down, she wanted him to speed up. She wanted to stop and she wanted to give him those last two orgasms he believed she was capable of. It might kill her but so be it.
“Yes what?” He spanked her again with all his might.
“Yes sir!”
She fell off the cliff again, a breathless scream escaping her as she came again. It was still pleasurable, a tinge of pain accompanying it that she had not expected but enjoyed. Her body was covered in a layer of tacky sweat, she was exhausted. And yet, she knew she had one more. She could feel all the signs that he was close and after all he had done for her this week, she desperately wanted to give him one more, to hear him praise her for doing so.
She used her last bit of energy to fuck him back, using her arms as leverage to bounce back on his dick. She took the vibrator from him, pressing it into her clit.
“That’s it, baby girl. Cum with me, baby. Take this dick and cum with me.”
Just as he shot his load deep inside her, Raven felt everything in her explode with untold pleasure. She collapsed forward, the vibrator falling out of her hand as she rode the waves of the most intense orgasm of her life. She felt as if he had just restructured her very brain chemistry. Everything faded in and out as she laid there for only God knew how long, paralyzed and exhausted. Michael’s presence and movements felt like a ghost hovering around her. She did not move, stuck and frozen in that position until she felt Michael help her flip onto her back.
She let out a whimper of pain and tried to close her legs as she felt a warm washcloth touch her too sensitive clit.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice returning to his usual gentle baritone. “Just tryin’ to clean you up a bit. We made a mess.”
Once he was done, he reached over to the phone and called down for new sheets and a comforter before picking her up in his arms. He loved how her body immediately curled into his chest as he carried her into the bathroom and settled both of them into the tub. He held her up until he could get her hair in a high enough ponytail to ensure it did not get wet. He knew enough black women to know she would not appreciate that when she finally came to.
Raven moaned, the water was heavenly. They sat in silence, Michael massaging and rubbing her aching limbs while she just laid there with her eyes closed.
“I hurt you?” he asked. It felt good in the moment, it was so easy to get lost in it with her. But now he worried he had pushed her too far past her limit. And more so, he felt worried that she had not felt safe enough to say so.
She shook her head, her words coming out as a raspy sigh, her voice half gone from screaming. “Not in any way I didn’t want you too. You gave me exactly what I asked for.”
He kissed her shoulder. “You sure?”
“Positive. It was… amazing. I promise.”
“Never made you squirt before… I liked it. Maybe I’ll do it more often.”
She chuckled. “That’s what happened at the end? If that’s how it feels, I’ll gladly do it again.”
They stayed in the tub for a while, Michael lazily helping her work out the soreness and kinks she felt in her legs and back. She appreciated how gentle and attentive he was afterward. Something about the end of their playtime made her feel vulnerable and exposed, made her wonder what he truly thought of her after the things she willingly did. However, every time, he took the time to care for her and ensure she was ok, he checked in and asked questions about how she felt and let her rest in his arms before he left. She appreciated and needed that.
When they finally got out, her legs felt like jello but she imagined it was better than it would have been. He helped her dry off before giving her a robe to put on. He settled on the edge of the bed, which had already been remade with fresh bed clothes as she walked out of the room and returned with her dress. She started to slide the bodice up her nude body.
“Tonight was fun… perfect ending to a great week. Thank you.” She gestured toward the door. “I s-should head to my suite.”
She turned to leave when his hand grabbed hers to stop her.
“Stay.” The request was simple and though it was not phrased as a question, she knew it was one.
She could not help the way her face twisted up in shock. She never stayed the night, they never actually slept beside each other. It was an unspoken rule between them. She bit her lip as she studied him. She could list a hundred reasons this was a terrible idea but none of them seemed reason enough to say no. So she settled for, “You sure that’s a good idea?” her voice was filled with her own hesitation and desperation to say yes.
“Nah, I’m not,” he admitted, his hand cupping her cheek. “But I’m willing to take the risk if you are?”
That was all she needed to hear. She unzipped the dress and let it fall back to the floor, this time too tired to care about discarding it on the ground. She followed him and let him help her into bed before falling asleep on his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her.
***
“So what’d you think?” Michael asked as he helped her down the steps of the private plane. “First private jet experience? Worth it or nah?”
“Totally worth it. No security lines? No screaming babies? No annoying adults? Insane amounts of leg room? True bliss.” And it was. Raven had slept most of the ride home, mainly due to still being sore and exhausted from the night before. She had asked Michael to introduce her to the mile high club but he told her she needed to rest. And he was not wrong, her pussy definitely needed a break. So she spent most of the flight curled up on his shoulder asleep while he worked and listened to music.
By the time they landed at LAX, she had not even realized the whole flight had passed her by. The pair noticed a few paparazzi lurking on the other side of the gate as they walked to the car where Alex and Allen waited patiently for them.
“Welcome home,” Alex offered as the two approached Michael’s car, Allen immediately greeting them both as well before grabbing their bags. “Have fun?”
The couple nodded enthusiastically.
“I’m so glad. That means you two are relaxed and can get back to it. Cause we got a problem.” She handed Michael her phone, his relaxed face immediately scrunching up in frustration.
“What’s wrong?” Raven asked, confused as to what could have happened in the span of a flight. All was well when they took off this morning.
“Well let’s just say… I am so glad I’m an only child,” Alex answered flatly as Michael handed Raven her phone so she could see ‘the problem,’ a giant TMZ headline staring back at her that featured a quote from her very own sister.
Fuck.
Tag List: @readinghere2023 @blackerthings @prettyisasprettydoes1306 @physicxal @purplehairgawdess @miyuhpapayuh @rueruesclues @geemamii @certifiedlesbianbaddie @pipsqueak-98 @nyifly22 @destinio1 @twocentaur @gopaperless @musicisme333 @roguekiki @majesticbrownjawn @taurusqueen83 @mysteryuz @miamormilan @itsknor-thedeep @naj-ay444 @mads-grace4 @nayaesworld @kholdkill @msniaimani @nccu-rnc @apenasumlug4r
***
A/N: I hope Paris was as magical for you as it was for me lol And our not-so favorite sister is backkkk. Drop a comment and let me know all your thoughts or if you want to be tagged! Thanks for reading!
#black writers#michael b jordan#michael b jordan x oc#mbjordanedit#michael b jordan x reader#black panther#michael b jordan fanfic#creed 3#adonis creed#creed iii
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Fuck JKR: How To Create A Harry Potter-Esque Aesthetic Without Any Harry Potter In It
So I saw a few posts from people mentioning that a reason people might be into Harry Potter is because of the aesthetic or atmosphere, and ya know what? I can't even argue that, because if there's one thing about HP, it's that it Sure Does Have Aesthetic And Atmosphere.
So! I'm gonna tell you how to STEAL ITS LOOK! Because:
JK Rowling considers ANY support of her work to be support of her politics.
Fan content/fan merch is still free advertisement for Rowling's work. YOU might not choose to give her money, but you can't be sure you won't pull people into the fandom who will.
Everyone should create more things that aren't tied to corporate-owned IP, period.
So. Most things in these films have an aged, antique look. You'll see a lot of brown hues, both on sets and on people's clothes. There's a lot of near-blacks (especially charcoals and walnuts) and lighter grays on the sets, especially from the third film onwards. (Wood is more often than not stained dark, while lighter hues are often provided by bricks or plaster.) The last two films use a lot of stormy blues and grays. Prisoner of Azkaban also emphasizes contrast between tones, which heightens a sense of texture. True black also appears throughout the films, such as on students' uniforms and many Death Eaters' outfits, and on the chairs in Malfoy Manor. White appears occasionally, especially on Hedwig, students' shirts, or during winter scenes, but pure white isn't otherwise really common. Paper or parchment is usually warm beige. There's also a lot of silver, gold, and brass, often appearing on things like dishware, tools, trinkets, Christmas baubles, and so forth. Bronze also comes up occasionally.
Reds, yellows, blues, and greens are pretty common throughout the films, even outside of Hogwarts, though you'll see just about every color somewhere. For example, orange is often found around the Weasleys, and orange, maroon, and purple feature in the divination classroom. Teal features prominently in Grimmauld Place (contrasted with saffron yellows).
Most colors aren't really super bright; a lot of the time they look a little faded, or like they're colored with natural dyes. If you use medieval illustrations to source your colors, or aim for earth tones and jewel tones, you'll be about right for a lot of what you see in the films. Bright colors are pretty rare; some of the brights we do see are in Honeydukes, Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes, and certain magical effects, such as Floo fire.
A lot of light is provided by candles, torches, or fireplaces, which cast a warm yellow/orange light. Moonlight is represented by blue light in the first and second films. Blue light is also used for the Goblet of Fire and the penseive.
Another thing you gotta have in there is clutter. It should look kinda antique and give off a kind of magical or mystical atmosphere. Think books, storage jars, orreries, crystal balls, old lamps, antique clocks, vintage glassware, antique mirrors, old teapots, and little metal trinkets. (If you're trying to decorate a physical room, your stuff doesn't have to actually be antique, of course; antique-styled is fine.)
Texture is also very important, which can be represented with full or top grain leather book covers, stone walls, dents and scratches, cracks, embellishments, and embossing. Additionally, all damage and wear gives a sense of oldness to things. Stains and variegated colors also add interest. (If you're decorating a physical space, you might look into aging/distressing/antiquing techniques.)
If you want a space to look cozy, you don't really want bare or blank walls. Shelves, paintings, tapestries, and wallpaper can all help with that. Again, use brown, rather than black. Warm, yellow lighting will also help. If you lean toward blacks and cool lighting, you're going to have a colder-looking space.
Fashion in the wizarding world is extremely all over the place, ranging from stereotypical fantasy witch and wizard clothing, to pretty normal vintage clothing, to some wacky vintage-inspired looks, to the kind of fashion that would be put under the cozycore umbrella, to ordinary modern clothing. One thing that's absent is subculture fashion as we know it. (Bellatrix Lestrange does look kinda goth, but it's less a subculture thing, and more a "yeah we're putting our bad guys in fancy black stuff" thing.)
If you're trying to lean into the whole quirky/eccentric/old-fashioned kinda thing, you'll want to pass over the more modern and obviously synthetic type stuff. Also, patterns, textured fabrics, knits, mixed colors, lace, and other embellishments can add interest to outfits.
Architecture is also all over the place. Hogwarts is pretty medieval, while places like Diagon Alley give more Victorian vibe. The main thing is looking old fashioned and quaint.
To try and summarize all of that:
Browns. Lots and lots and lots of browns. Blacks and grays, too. Contrast between light and dark browns and blacks/grays.
More beige and gray than pure white; more charcoal gray and dark walnut brown than true black.
Among other colors, mostly earth tones and jewel tones. Very limited brights.
Polished metal and glass also add shininess.
Old-fashioned. Vintage. Antique.
Clutter, texture, patterns, variegation. Minimalist/clean aesthetic avoided.
Aged and distressed.
Lighting often yellow/orange due to coming from fire. Blue/teal light often coming from moonlight and certain magical light sources.
Now, here are some things we actually don't see. I'm not mentioning them to discourage you from using them if they're what you really want, but to inform you about them so you can consider whether they might throw off the vibe for you:
Green/purple/black combos.
Purple/silver/black combos. Pink/purple/teal combos.
Pink/black combos.
Orange/black combos.
Green/orange/purple combos.
Red/black combos.
Basically a lot of combos commonly associated with Halloween, witches, or vampires.
Big raw crystals. We see crystal balls now and then, but that's it.
Other natural items used as decorations - feathers, pinecones, sticks, etc. The one exception I can think of are the shells embedded in the walls of Shell Cottage.
Crushed velvet. Lots of fantasy uses this, HP films don't.
If you need inspiration, go look up medieval and renaissance diagrams and illustrations of stuff like the four elements, the zodiac, the solar system, and all that. Go look up alchemical symbols and emblems. Search up pre-WWII vintage ephemera. Go look up Victorian clipart. Look up stuff like botanical, zoological, and astronomical books and art from the 17th-19th centuries. Look up vintage wallpaper and fabric patterns. Look at vintage-style crafts. Research period architecture and fashion. Research European heraldry.
If you're wondering what exactly you're going to design around without Hogwarts and the Four Houses, here are some suggestions:
The four classical elements (earth, air, fire, and water)
The four seasons
Card suits - Tarot, French, whatever you want
Holidays - Halloween, Christmas, whatever
Fairy tales
Flowers
Mythical creatures
Bugs
Birds
Any other animals you like
Ecosystems
Your own original worldbuilding
So yeah, there ya go. You don't need to keep participating in HP to indulge in the aesthetic.
[NOTICE: Anybody who clowns on this post by making this about them and their childhood, patting themselves on the back about their chosen means of "ethical" participation, praising the fandom, or adding any other form of irrelevant bullshit is getting blocked. Also, I don't want to hear about PJO or Earthsea again for the millionth time, either.]
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The Valkyries Friendship Bracelets
I love this scene of The Valkyries making friendship bracelets & choosing the colors for each other because of the wholesomeness in it, as well as the possible foreshadowing:
Gwyn choose for Emerie: Green, Purple, and Gold
Nesta choose for Gwyn: Blue, White, and Teal
Emerie choose for Nesta: Navy Blue, Crimson, and Silver.
If these colors truly mean anything remains to be seen. But the Gold, Blue, and Crimson colors stand out to me given we have:
Mor who Emerie blushed about and who is associated with Gold, imo, because of her hair color and Gold just seems to fit with Mor given who her character is.
Azriel who we have after this scene Nesta saying was the new ribbon for Gwyn, & who is associated with Blue because of his Siphons. Actually, they both are associated with Blue given the Invoking Stone the priestesses use that is also a parallel in a way to the Illyrian Siphons. Equals am I right?
Cassian who is mates with Nesta, and his Siphons are red/sapphire in color.
We still have that "three" symmetry with Mor, Cassian, and Azriel getting with Emerie, Nesta, and Gwyn. And with two of those pairings (Mor and Emerie & Azriel and Gwyn) we can finally have the proper closure over the whole Mor and Azriel thing, without Cassian being a buffer anymore, while they get with their respective partners. It's a nice bowtie to that little bit of plotline still left unresolved given Rhysand question to Azriel in his bonus scene.
The foreshadowing is there for us to see. Nesta and Cassian were endgame. It's only plausible to come to the conclusion that Gwyn and Azriel & Emerie and Mor will be endgame as well given the signs.
Which of course only leaves Elain and Lucien to be together in the end given Sarah loves her happy ending for her characters and loves to pair her characters up (just look at her TOG series where a whole group finds their person pretty much from each other friends/acquaintances)
#gwynriel#emerie and mor#nessian#gwyn acosf#emerie#nesta acosf#gwyneth berdara#mor acosf#gwyn and azriel#elucien#elain and lucien#lucien and elain
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*sniffs air* is that... pisces season?!? wishing the happiest of birthdays to the dampest of them all @spindrifters! the boys are dressing appropriately for the occasion...
"Happy Valentine's Day, Moons."
The box is deceptively non-threatening: plain cardboard tied with gold ribbon. But Sirius has that all too familiar glint in his eyes, the one that once meant they'd be spending the evening in detention.
Lips pressed together, Remus holds his husband's gaze as he opens the box—slowly, just in case something jumps out at him.
Inside is a simple, olive green corset. Soft, sturdy suede with delicate embroidery along the edges. "Not really your style, is it?"
"No." Sirius smirks. "It's yours. It's for you."
"You want me to wear this?"
"Desperately."
Remus sighs, suddenly nostalgic for the year he was gifted 'moon' themed boxers. "That isn't a present, Pads; that's torture."
"Oh, just try it."
"What's it going to suck in? My ribs?"
"It'll be good for your posture."
"My posture?" He cracks a grin. "Made you wear corsets in your Pureblood etiquette classes, did they?"
Ignoring his question, Sirius removes the corset from the box and sets about loosening the laces for him. "Take off your jumper."
Resigned to his fate, he peels off his jumper with far less enthusiasm than he was hoping would be the case tonight.
He's left winded just from yanking the corset over his shoulders. Sirius tuts and gently pulls it the rest of the way down for him.
"As a proud member of the working class, I thought you'd appreciate a front-lace one. I can still help lace you up though... if you like..." His fingers run teasingly up his front, toying with the laces.
"Not too tight," Remus grumbles. "I'll get light-headed."
"Don't worry; we'll get you a fainting couch."
His scowl gives way to a gasp as Sirius tugs, exposing a bit more give at his belly than he was expecting. Those elegant fingers work their way up slowly, reverently, lips pouted in concentration. The strange intimacy of it momentarily distracts him from the way his spine is straightening, shoulders rolling back.
"Moony!" Sirius exclaims as he ties off the laces in a perfect bow. "Are you actually taller than me? Are those shoulders I see?"
He rolls his eyes and hunches instinctively—or he tries to, but the corset doesn't allow it.
"I'm not taking the piss," Sirius insists. "You look so fucking fit, Moons. Makes me want to fuck you in a haystack or something. Come look at yourself."
Sirius drags him to the mirror—a place he generally ignores.
It isn’t horrible. His shoulders and chest do look broader, creating the illusion of a v-shape. And the colour suits him, and he supposes, on the whole, he feels rather… pretty. It's a silly thought, even sillier for inciting a prickle behind his eyes.
“Knew you’d like it,” Sirius says, annoyingly smug.
“It’s alright.” He shrugs. “Do you want me to wear this tonight, then?”
“No, keep it on.”
Sometimes he forgets that he married a madman. “I’m not wearing this to dinner.”
“Wear your jumper over it.” Sirius hands him back his jumper, and he knows there’s no arguing it.
He consults the mirror to see how ridiculous he looks, only to find that he simply seems more… erect. Confident, even.
“Oh will you just admit you like it?”
“It’s… surprisingly comfortable,” he concedes.
Sirius snorts. “I’ll get you a prettier one for your birthday. One with little bows and lace maybe. Or shiny teal one. Make you feel like a... sexy grindylow.”
“A sexy grindylow.”
“Yes.”
“You want to fuck a sexy grindylow?”
“I mean…” Sirius laces their fingers together, teeth grazing his lower lip. "Do you think Jeff would go for it?"
Remus shakes his head, desperately jostling away the image of Sirius and his grindylow godfather before plucking a kiss from his lips.
Sirius beams, gorgeous and glowing. "Happy Valentine's Day, Remus."
"Happy Valentine's Day, love. Are you ready for your present now?"
And well, Sirius isn't the only one with a telling glint of mischief in his eyes.
His husband arches a knowing brow. "Am I?"
He struggles to keep a straight face as he hands him the box, watching the first crackle of laughter cross Sirius's face as he opens it.
They both break as he lifts the collar—red with gold spikes—from the box, doubling over at the sight of the heart-shaped tag bearing Remus's contact information.
"I hate you," Sirius wheezes, wiping tears from the crinkled corners of his eyes.
"I love you too, darling." He smirks. "Do you need help putting it on?"
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Just To Spite You
Media The Artful Dodger
Character Jack Dawkins
Couple Jack X Reader
Rating Flirty AF
Requested: Hi, I would like to request something It's for the jack Dawkins book The reader's father is throwing a party and invites a lot of people including jack , the reader's enemy. They hate each other, the thing is there is such a thick tension between them they can't deny it but it has to be a secret
I stood at the top of the staircase doing my best to hold my breath and keep out of view. I looked down at myself in my little heeled shoes too tight for my feet, my tight stockings, my endless crinoline, bird cage of wicker, petticoats, my corset on tight enough to strangle me, and my huge uncomfortable gold glittering ballgown around me, the top off my shoulders but tight to my skin so much it would truly mark me, my long sheer glittering butterfly sleeves almost to the floor, A band of teal blue ribbon around my waist, my hem and as a choker around my neck. I had skin-tight white gloves to my elbows already glimmering from the glitter that had fallen from my dress, a ring around my finger with a large blue gem attached to the bottom my dress so I would not have to hold it to move or dance, My hair had taken hours or meticulous combing and curling and now allowed to hang freely down my back. I hated to look at myself. I felt uncomfortable. Out of place. But this is what my father wants for tonight...
Tonight was my father's Grand ball he holds each year, and this year I was a grand piece of it.
I had always been a decoration for his grand balls but tonight was different I know my father is desperate to wed me off before I will begin to be labelled as an old maid or thornback, it already brought him such rage that I was even a spinster.
"If I may announce, formally. My daughter Miss Y/n Y/M/N Y/l/N!" He called out and the party began to applaud.
I sighed and stepped slowly down the stairs knowing the sort of madness if I were to trip or worse fall down the stairs. I stopped at the landing of the stairs looking out the the party, full of eligible men and a few couples of high local importance. They all looked impressed by me but I just felt awful. As soon as I could I grabbed a drink and hid myself in a corner trying to not be passed or looked at much, not easy in this glitter of a gown.
Men often came up to me to greet me so I forced a smile and a nod a drank more.
"Having fun?" A smirking voice spoke up I glanced to my side and saw a familiar sight... admittedly He'd cleaned up.
Dr Jack Dawkins leant on the wall a pair of well-shined shoes, black trousers, and his usual shirt but it was actually white. Good god I didn't know he still owned any that were still white and not an off-grey from washing blood out, a light cream waistcoat with a slight teardrop pattern to it, a white tie around his neck and a black jacket folded over his arm, his hair well fixed without its usual fluffy frizz and his hands clean... or well as clean as one can get a surgeon's hands without bathing them in acid.
"Ohh yes, Thrilling." I sighed downing the rest of my drink at the mere idea of the two of us having to... be nice to one another.
"You're father's gone all out."
"He will. He does. He's a social man."
"And you're a recluse."
"I am not a social recluse Dr Dawkins, I meer wish to spend my time socializing with people with high intellect and important things to say."
"That's why you're talking to me?" he smirked,
"No. You are neither of those things so if you could kindly take your buggery blonde butt elsewhere that would be... Marvellous." I sighed as I saw a drinks tray go past so I quickly took one and so did he,
"Pompous Old maid" he muttered
"Butcher."
"Whiner"
"Coot"
"Witch"
"Uneducated scoundrel"
"Patronizing Princess"
"irritating malevolent"
"Snobbish toffee nose"
"illiterate Phiilistine"
"exasperating Spinster"
"Crude vagabond" I complained, "will you go away!"
"I would, however, every woman here is married, courting or an utter idiot. And at least you can hold a conversation."
"Even if I'm going to insult you."
"Insult me all you want just please don't talk about bloody flowers. I can't hear anymore."
"What are you doing here anyway?"
"You're father invited me."
"Why? He knows about my... feelings towards you."
"I believe he mistakes our hatred for sexual tension," he said,
"Why would he do that?"
"At least he sees you talking to me, even if we are arguing. And let's face it most husbands and wives are like this after five years so... maybe he just thinks we are getting a head start" he said sipping his drink
"You are one of the most insufferable men I have ever met Mr Dawkins."
"Dr Dawkins. You're going to insult me you can do it correctly Sweetheart."
"Do not call me sweetheart!" I glared
"Why? Are you gonna fight me in your glittery little dress sweetheart?" He smirked moving closer and bending himself to make eye contact like you would with a child given he was a whole head taller than me "Or better yet take it off and we can go upstairs."
My response was to simply throw my drink in his face and march off elsewhere.
Unfortunately, I was found by my father who forced me to begin the usual nonsense, I now had to dance with any man who asked it of me and of course many did. I found it utterly nauseating being held and dancing with these men only interested in me for my father's money all while on display to everyone meaning if I pulled a face or acted up everyone would know. Luckily it would soon be over as most of the eligible men invited I had now danced with.
This man finished up with me kissed my gloved hand and returned to his friends, leaving me before him.
Jack stood with a wide smirk his jacket now back on he bowed and offered his hand, I did my best to hide my face but I'm sure I turned red with anger.
"Don't you dare," I whispered letting him take my hand and giving it a sweet kiss
"Ohh I will princess. Just to spite you" He smirked holding my hand in his own he grabbed my waist and forced me close enough I could feel the buttons on his jacket, I sighed and moved my hand to his shoulder,
"I am going to dispice every moment of this."
"I think I'm going to enjoy it," he smirked as we began to dance, he lead of course even if at times I did fight with him luckily many others danced too so we could speak even in hushed tones and I didn't have to be as careful hiding my emotions
"Do you have to hold me so tight my father will get angry?"
"Ohh that's the plan, I want us to be close."
"Why?"
"well half because I can make your father suspicious, and I can see down your dress."
"You just get more and more insufferable don't you Dr dawkins."
"Ohh I do, it's awfully fun." He chuckled "Christ I can feel the glitter on your dress flaking off in my hand"
"Perhaps I shall send you home glittery and sparkling,"
"You would wouldn't you."
"I would. Just to spite you."
"God even your perfume is infuriating" he whispered in a sly tone as we danced doing a good spin or two,
"Ohh I live for the moments you spin me away, Dr Dawkins,"
"Ohh why do you get a moment of peace from my arms?"
"No, because for a few brief seconds, I don't have to smell your blood-laden aftershave."
"Perhaps I smell bloody because I'm a vampire about to bite your neck sweetheart."
"You bite my neck, and I chop your dick off," I said purposely forcing him to spin me out but he quickly spun me back into his chest
"Ooohh feisty" He smirked
"At least my drink somewhat covers your aftershave."
"Well then I thank you for making me more palatable"
"Ohh you're far from palatable."
"You know, you're not a bad dancer."
"Neither are you, surprisingly." I sighed "How did you get this good?"
"So I'm good am I?"
"For a butcher."
"I was in the navy, you'd be surprised how many officer's balls you attend. You pick things up."
"I imagine all the ladies wanted to dance with you,"
"Ohh they did, but I save my skills for the pretty ones."
"so I'm pretty am I?"
"Gorgeous Sweetheart." He whispered
"Don't call me sweetheart." I glared digging my nails into his hand
"You are adorable when your are angry, like a little pixie."
"One of these days Dr. Dawkins, you're going to wake up with me over you."
"Ohh I'm betting I will" he smirked
"And I shall drive your own scalpel into your heart."
"Ohhh sweetheart, such a violent little thing you are." He smirked, "Just remember you do anything to me, I will haunt your every waking moment, I will be the face you see in your nightmares and trust me you'll be having nothing but."
"Just dance doctor." I sighed
"Why? Are you enjoying our dance? or do you just like a man having you in his arms."
"I've been dancing in men's arms all night."
"Not boys. A Man sweetheart."
"Ohh I would love too, shame I don't see any men here tonight."
"One of these days I'm going to have you tied down on my operating table."
"Ohh? Didn't know you were into that sort of thing Dr Dawkins."
"Ohhh you'd be surprised by the sorts of things I'm into."
"Ohh getting rejected by little ladies? even after you saved their lives."
"You know. I'm a doctor."
"As you keep saying."
"One of these days you'll need my help, you'll be laid on my table, and only I will be able to save you."
"Ohh? And you'll let me die I suppose out of pure spite?"
"No." he smirked as we finished our dance he took a step back and brought my hand to his lips giving it a firm kiss never breaking eye contact "I'd ensure you live. Just to spite you." He smiled "Goodnight Miss Y/l/n"
"Goodnight Dr Dawkins."
"It was a pleasure," he smiled wickedly before he headed back into the main mess of the party.
Ohh, my god... I hate that man.
why does he have to be so..... Ughhh! there isn't been a word for that man!
I fixed my dress a little before I noticed.
MY RING!
It's gone!
Ohh and I know just the slippery eel who took it.
"Miss if I may-" A man began trying to dance with me
"Not now." I snapped lifting my dress and marching through the party to find Dr Dawkins, and I spotted him leaving the main room so I rushed after him grabbed his jacket and yanked him into the music room empty for this evening
"What the hell!" He yelled
"My ring I know you stole it!"
"I haven't stolen anything."
"Liar!"
"Ohh you come to admit I've stolen your heart?"
"Give me my ring Jack! it was my mother's give it back."
He rolled his eyes and handed me my ring back
"You are... the most unendurable peacockish Lobcock of a man I have ever had the misfortune of meeting!"
"You are the most horrendous upstart of a woman I have ever met!"
Both of us were red in the face from yelling, our blood boiling I wanted to kill him to throw him across the room but I grabbed his shirt and he grabbed my face and we kissed with more passion and heat than I had ever felt in a kiss, his lips soft and gentle as we slowly kissed in utter silence. It was... the most amazing kiss of my life.
We stopped and moved away from each other both of us gasping and trying to comprehend what just happened between us.
"What the hell was that..."
"I have no idea."
"Do you wanna fight me or fuck me jack!"
"I don't know!"
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"I don't know. you're a ...complicated woman and you make me feel... Complicated"
"Complicated?"
"Some days, I swear to god I could strangle you! but... I also want to hold you and kiss you"
"I...I admit I want to slap you so so badly but... I also really want to kiss you." I answered, "Did you wanna do it again?"
"God yes!" He gasped pulling me back to his lips, I happily kissed him back stroking his neck and tugging on his hair, and he backed me against the closed door "Ummm you evil little witch! all this time all you've done is wind me up, I want you. I need you. I swear to god I will tie you to my bed tonight and have my way with you kicking and screaming if I have to."
"I want you too. I need you too. I want you forced on my bed until you beg me for mercy"
"Ohh I wouldn't beg you for mercy. Just to spite you."
"Then I'd never scream just to spite you."
"Ohh I'll make you scream sweetheart."
"Don't call me sweetheart."
"Ohh I will," he smirked
"We must stop"
"We must."
"I don't want to."
"Me either."
"But we must." I gasped moving away "We must. We... we must build a wall between us. These emotions they must... never be revealed."
"No... they mustn't" he nods
I found myself unable to not stare but he also couldn't help it, as we stood five feet from each other wanting nothing more than to be in each other's arms
"Beleive me... if your father and his party were not on the other side of that door." He said, "I would throw you on this floor and ruin you."
"As would I you." I answered "But... we cannot. People will hear. people will talk. We can never be together."
"Why not? this is a ball to find you a husband isn't it?"
"why would I ever want to be married to you!"
"Because we can't resist each other. You know it. I know it. Our anger has always been just boiling tension... take my hand. and come with me to see your father. Let me marry you. and I swear our lives will be nothing but enthralled passion and ecstasy."
"I do not wish to be married."
"And you can't avoid it. you know you can't your father will wed you to the first of those boys who ask... and you know your life could be infuriating if you were married. At least if you marry me you know it will be."
"Passion made fade in time."
"If it does... it will be too late. I will be yours. your will be mine. I do not imagine our passion fading but if it does, I will keep you in my arms, love you endlessly, and make love to you with the passion of tonight. Just to spite you."
"if we were to marry, you must understand that I will have to trust you... and if you break it Dr dawkins. I will see to it that your life is miserable and I will never ever give you peace, just to spite you."
"Understood. marry me. Be my bride. And I swear I will suffer with you all of my days." he said taking my hands
"....Marry me. Make me your bride... so we can suffer this fate together for the rest of our lives." I stroked across his face
He pulled me to his lips and we kissed with such hunger, such passion and love.
"I love you sweetheart,"
"Love you too Jack." I smiled laying my head on his chest and he rested his chin on my head
"Come on then, let's go see your father before some boy tries to snap you up, sweetheart."
"Alright jack" I smiled holding his arm as we returned to the party.
#tbs smut#thomasbrodiesangster#tbs imagine#thomas sangster imagine#tbs imagines#thomas brodie sangster smut#thomas sangster#thomas brodie sangster imagine#thomas brodie sangster#tbs#thearttfuldodger#theartfuldogger#the artful dodger#jackdawkins#jack#jack dawkins
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"You were just a kid" Stan twins one-shot
Stan twins but mostly Stan-centric shorty. Next WILL be longer pinky promise.
TW: Child abuse (emotional and physical)
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"Quicker Sixer!"
Tiny voice was heard on the New Jersey beach. Two boys running around barefoot on gold sand. Stan, the one who shouted, was at front rapidly speeding into the sea. His feet covered by teal tides reflecting the summer sun. It was a hot afternoon, perfect one for treasure hunting. Every day they got a chance, twins would go out of house and explore every nook and creek of rocky beach by their family home.
"I'm coming!"
Ford, the one who was trying to keep up speed with his only fifteen minutes younger brother but was failing miserably. As Ford gained more and more speed he couldn't slow down and bumped into Stan causing him to fell into the sea and soak his clothes. Stan laughed and playfully splashed Ford with cold water as a revenge. They both laughed. They were kids. Kids being kids. Now both were building a sandcastle together on the sea shore. What an adorable sight. You'd have to be there. When the sun was going down and twins were nearly finishing building their medieval world, that even Tolkien himself would be proud of, Stan saw something in the water. Something shiny reflecting the reddish sky and orange sun. Stan's irises grew bigger as he started walking towards the shine.
"What is this, Stan?"
Stan didn't answer. He got closer to the water, the shiny object was in a weird shape and tides breaking the light didn't help to figure out what it was. Ford came behind Stan watching over his shoulder. Stan was just about to grab the thing when-
"Stop!"
Ford quickly shoved Stan on the wet sand and he himself lost balance and fell into the water. Stan could hear a scream and crying from Ford who was laying wet sand right next to the thing. Ford's arm was swollen and red, Ford himself couldn't stop crying.
"Oh no, no. What do I do, what do I do?"
Stan got up and tried helping Ford do the same avoiding to touch a wound. They both quickly ran home. Stan shoved the door nearly breaking it and ran up to mom who was in a kitchen making dinner. When Caryn first heard, then saw Stan with crying Ford's arm over his shoulder she was mortified.
"Stanley! What happened!"
Stan didn't know and couldn't say anything through his own tears of fear and confusion. His nose running, gritted teeth in his mouth. Ford was the one who spoke, or more tried to.
"Jell-lyfish!"
That's all information their mother needed. She quickly sat down Ford, got some tweezers and hot towel from bathroom and got to work. Stan meanwhile was sitting on the couch quietly weeping. That was his fault, he was the one who wanted to touch the thing. Stupid, stupid Stan. As Caryn put hot towel over red swell, Ford calmed down a little bit but it still stung. She then turned to Stan and gently wiped his tears off his cheeks cupping his face in her hands.
"Shhh. Everything's okay. Don't worry. I just need you to tell me what happened."
Caryn said with soothing voice making circles on Stan's cheek with her thumb. That actually helped. Stan wiped his nose and started muttering.
"Well, I-I saw this shiny thing in a water a-and wanted to touch it... b-but Ford shoved me and he touched it by accident instead."
Stan nearly burst into tears as he tried to tell a comprehend story without stuttering. But then the worst happened. Dad came home.
"You did what, you moron?!"
Filbrick Pines went into room, noticeably fuming even if you couldn't see his eyes through dark glasses. His angry, heavy footsteps closing towards the couch where sat little Stanley.
"Leave him alone, he did nothing wrong!"
Caryn wanted to defend Stan but got slapped in the face with such force that she fell on the floor with tear rolling down her red, painful cheek. Filbrick grabbed then Stanley by collar decreasing the space between their faces. Stan had to step on his toes to keep himself on the ground. The man made sure that Stan was looking him in the eyes. Stan again tried not to cry because he knew it would make situation worse but he couldn't. Salt water rolling down his cheeks from reddish eyes. Fear in his gaze as he was about to fall from the cliff to his death but he couldn't show it, otherwise he would get beaten again.
"You fucking idiot, how could one be that stupid. You perfectly know there are jellyfish in the sea. You did that on purpose didn't you?"
Filbrick shouted into kids face. Stan only could nod in approval. He was too scared to resist before his father, he valued life. Filbrick shoved Stan on the floor face-first next to his crying mom, making him bleed from his nose.
"Maybe one day you will stop being a fucking ignorant and do something with yourself. Maybe one day you won't be the stupid, useless, not important twin, huh? You're brother is better, deal with it."
Filbrick said, without a flick of emotion in his voice. He left the house with slam on the door leaving Stan and Caryn on the floor and Ford still on the chair who was to embarrassed to even look at his family. Caryn quickly crawled to Stan and hugged him tight.
"Everything will be alright, I promise."
And they both laid there, harmonizing their crying. They both knew everything won't be alright.
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Thank you SO MUCH for reading! I also posted this on my ao3 and kudos there will be really appreciated! (link in bio)
#gravity falls#stan pines#ford pines#filbrick pines#young stan pines#young ford pines#ao3 fanfic#fanfic#one shot#writers on tumblr#ao3
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