#suspense writers

[authortoberecognized]

WRITER’S FORUM  MYSTERY WRITING

WEBSITES HELPFUL TO WRITERS This is a series of posts which, I think, will be beneficial to writers. But first, I would like to include my usual warning about using websites. Whenever you check a website you are, in my opinion and I talk from experience, being put on a list for sale. So, expect the possibility of being bombarded by ads from companies you, perhaps, have never heard of and have…

[going2hell4everythingbutbeingbi]

btw if you write a teen character with any kind of powers they better do some dumb shit with those powers or I'm unsuspending my disbelief

[suspensefulpen]

No, we do not fix the problem.

We give the problem to a character.

Like real men.

[tvchi]

Veiled Intentions: The Hunt, Prt 3

Disclaimers: DO NOT COPY OR REPOST MY WORK. DO NOT TRAIN AI WITH MY WORK.

Warnings: Mature Audiences ONLY: 18+, Minors DNI- Nudity, Female receiving fingering, Profanity

Pairing: black male x black female Words: 3,884k

A/N: Here is Part 3 of this series. I'm proud of myself for meeting this week's deadline. No real smut here. I'm so sorry, you're gonna have to wait for it. However, the suspense is building. Once again if suspense, thrillers, and espionage are not you're the thing, I get it. Please scroll.

Summary: Terry lets Y/N know that her Mark may be on to her and there are things that she may not be considering in this case. When she finds out that Adrian may not be completely forthcoming, how will she react?

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Terry

I walked into the building and made my way down the hall. I had to let Director Moore know I was being watched, and most likely, she was, too. Once I got to my office, I began getting intel on this Adrian guy. As soon as I got past his birth records, there was a knock on the door.

"Good morning, sir. I just wanted to know if you wanted some coffee because I made your fine ass some," said Brooke. I chuckled and smiled.

"Thank you, Broooke," I sang back.

"You say my name like that again, and we go together!" she retorted, gently laying the cup of coffee on the table before turning around to leave.

"Hey, I wanted to ask you something. Maybe you could help me out. I've looked through all the files and there's not much about the Mark, Adrian. You've been on this case as long as Y/N has. Maybe you know something."

"Yeah, well, he went to Pembroke but got his master's in art history at NYU. He took some time off to travel. Went backpacking in Europe and then visited Columbia, Panama, and El Salvador. He stayed in Okinawa for 3 months before coming back to the States. He submitted a proposal for a PhD, but it was denied. I think I remember him getting a collections manager job for a small-time museum in Miami before coming back here. Why?"

"You keep giving me answers like that, we might just actually go together" I grinned mischievously, sipping the now warm coffee. 

"Stop playing with me before this whole office catches an early morning show; you hear me?"

At this, I couldn't help but laugh. 

"But seriously, why are you looking into him? Should we all be?"

"Yes, why are you looking into him?" said Y/N from the doorway. I hadn't noticed when she came in, and I always noticed.

She wore a cropped hoodie, an oversized blazer, dark-washed jeans that just kissed the bottom of her hoodie, and Air Jordans. Her braids hung freely down her back. Her lips were outlined in a soft chocolate, accentuating their plump center. I wondered what they tasted like. Trying not to let my eyes linger too long, I flashed my attention to her eyes. Hers met mine and quickly darted to Brooke and then to my desk. This was the third time she's averted her eyes from mine. I stood and walked around my desk.

"Brooke, thank you for the coffee and the intel. If I need anything else, you're my girl," I said, winking.

"You're too fine to be winking at me like that, sir. I'm going to mess around and pass out," she replied, giving me a wink of her own. I smiled. Grabbing my coat, I walked out of my office.

"So you're not going to answer me when I'm talking to you?" Y/N said, stalking down the hallway after me. 

"I speak to people who greet me in the morning and look me in the eyes when they're speaking to me. You do neither. If you want to run that question by me again, I'll be in the cafe for the next half hour." I threw over my shoulder.

When I finally got to the cafe, there was a line. I took everything in. The college students huddled around their different groups. All animated. All full of life.

There was this couple in front of me. The girl was trying to decide whether to get the scones or a croissant while trying to convince the guy to drop out of human sexualities because it's for "perverts" and join her in a sociology course. She was giving him good arguments, too, including the point about men only joining to learn different positions and not how to get better at pleasure. Most people who take that course never actually get around to knowing where the clit is. I chuckled.

As I looked around, I wondered if this would have been the life Mike had been living if he were alive. Whether he'd be love-struck, chasing some girl all around campus, listening to her world views, or convincing him to drop courses. I wondered if he would have felt more at home here than the cells he saw.

I placed my order and occupied a free table by the windows. I stared out of the windows, not really taking in the sights but riddling myself with guilt about all the things that I could've done to keep Mike alive. It was a once-a-week misery date I kept with myself so I would never forget that I am living as penance for what I wasn't able to do– nothing else.

A sweet smell filled the air. I turned my head slightly to see who or what it was coming from, and there she stood. She took the seat across from me and peered at the table momentarily before bringing her eyes to me.

"Good Morning ASAC Richmond. I don't want to bother you, but I wanted to know what the reason was for looking into my Mark. We ran background checks months ago. I placed everything in those files."

“Good Morning SA Olisa. You're not bothering me. To answer your question, I wasn't looking into him at all before he stopped me this morning and told me that he was looking into me." Her gaze lowered, and her brows furrowed. 

"What do you mean he's looking into you? How does he know you?" she said, confusion littering her face.

"It doesn't seem like he knows me. But it does look like he's keeping tabs on you while you're away from him."

"This is Adrian we are talking about. He's charming and doting. He also forgets his keys every other day, calls me for help when he accidentally trips the alarm at the museum and is actively boycotting Apple for handing over user data to 'The Feds'. I'm pretty sure he's not tailing me."

"Well, I don't know how else to explain him curb-side siding me on my way to the Box, asking me what I'm doing here and telling me that he's never seen me before." She laughed.

"I'm sorry, but there's no way you could be talking about Adrian."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yea. Okay."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that I'm going to continue gathering intel on all members of this case, including the ones who actively seek me out, and you can continue maintaining that the Mark is incapable of any wrongdoing."

"I didn't say he was incapable of wrongdoing. I said he isn't a guy capable of surveilling me."

"Okay."

"I think I would know. I've only been—"

"Sleeping with him for the last three months," I finished flatly, attempting to hide my contempt with boredom. 

She inhaled deeply and slowly before speaking again. "I was going to say that I've only been at his side, living with him and monitoring his habits for three months. I'm not sure how anything else I do is any of your concern."

"It is if you forget that he's a mark," I replied too quickly.

"Forget?" she said incredulously, her eyes squinting and lips flattened into a line. Her head tilted to the side in smoldering anger. For a moment there, I was distracted. Even in her disdain for me at that moment, she looked incredible. Not wanting to escalate things, I quickly thought of a way to disarm her. 

"I just mean, when was the last time you did a sweep? When was the last time you tailed him? When was the last time you listened to the bug in his office? The last time you looked into the new clients he was purchasing for? Did you do a deep dive into his overseas contacts when he was backpacking in Europe and parasailing in Panama because I didn't see any details in the files?"

"Are you suggesting that I can't or didn't do my job?"

"I didn't say that. I think that we have a limited focus, and we need to broaden the net. He approached me. We were never seen together except for in the Box. So unless he's also a part of the case, I'm not sure how he would know me."

She pursed her lips. Her forehead creased in pensive thought or inner turmoil; I couldn't be sure. 

"If you need proof that he approached me," I started, chuckling, "There are thousands of cameras around this campus. Ask Brooke." With that, I stood and walked out of the cafe with my coffee in hand. 

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Y/N

He has no reason to lie to me, and he's technically my boss. He has nothing to prove. I've been studying Adrian's tells since he first asked me out on a date. I know him. He hasn't been lying to me. I also haven't been asking him very many questions lately. Nothing that would need him to tell a lie.

You sat at the coffee shop on campus, thinking for a long moment. What if Richmond was right. What if you haven't been paying as close attention as you should have. This is the part of the job you hated— the second-guessing. Being the first African-American female on the shortlist for Assistant Director was without its fair share of imposter syndrome.

Having to conduct meetings or manage briefings where everyone's eyes are constantly questioning you. Their perpetual state of disbelief or random inquiries on work that you've triple-checked always got to you. No matter how iron-clad your work has been over the years, there's always someone else who doesn't think that you should be here. Someone else looking to point out your mistake and hang you for it. Someone needs to find hard data to prove that you should've never been hired. Today, it's him.

The pressure in your chest starts to build as you begin to put into words a feeling that has been ruminating in the back of your mind for weeks. Always knowing you're alone in this world and seeing the hard proof of it are two different things. I know that if it were him or me, his connections or my word, his status or my truth, he'd always choose himself. I'm not entirely sure his sole purpose of coming here and shortening our deadline isn't because the hire-ups don't trust me to run point on this. You closed your eyes, hoping to dull some of the pain circling your temples. After a deep breath, you opened your eyes again.

"Ma'am, I'm not sure if you wanted to order anything, but if you did, you have to do it upfront," the waitress interjected.

"No, I was just leaving. Thank you" you replied and headed out of the shop and towards your car.

Driving back home, you tried to think about the case and what you could be missing. Adrian being into play was far-fetched but if Richmond was right, it may be the answer to why they've been behind for so long. That thought made your stomach turn. 

"Hey, Siri. dial Brooke"

"Dialing. Brooke. Now," Siri responded.

"Two days in a row. I must say, ever since Mr. Fine Ass showed up, you've either been calling the office or showing up way more than you have been. You tryna get perfect attendance in his class, heifer, 'cause he's mine." You laughed. Brooke always had a way of making you smile.

"Brooke, you know HR and IA exist, right?"

"I know. I also know that I'm the head of surveillance around this muthafucka, and won't be no evidence for them to find!"

"Lol. You got that."

"So, wussup?"

"I need some footage of all the library entrances and exits from early this morning till about now."

"Why, what's going on?"

"I haven't heard any chatter, but I wanted to double-check that I'm not being followed."

"Okay. I'll send those right over. Today's encryption code is 4761."

"Thanks, girl."

"Anytime. Oh, girl, I gotta go. Here comes Mr. Fine-Ass now. Heeeeeeey ASAC Richmond"

As the call disconnected, you wondered whether Richmond was in the Director's office right now telling him how he doesn't think you're fit to lead this operation.

After you got home, you headed straight to the den. You opened the government-issued laptop and typed in the code. An entirely new interface comes alive on the screen. You navigated emails until you landed on the one Brooke sent of the footage. Quickly, looking around the den to make sure no one else was there, you clicked on the video and began to watch.

Around 6:15:35am, there is a man approaching Richmond on the steps with a knitted hoodie and black denim. The face is obscured by a fitted cap, hoodie, and Richmond's frame.

Then, at about 6:17:45 am, he changes positions, placing his back to the camera. He continues to do so throughout the entire video. He must have known this camera was there. This could be anybody.

At 6:20:29 am, he turns to leave down the stairs of the library. Once down the stairs, he walks off to a vehicle that is out of frame. You rewind the video back to 6:17 and watch it again. This really could be anybody, I mean — you spot it.

[At a cookout last month, Adrian invited you to meet some of his friends. The park was teeming with bodies, from those who were well-known in the county to those who were just happy to be there. The DJ played all the Top 40 hits and mixed some 90s jams throughout. You spotted a friend and joined in a line dance on the grass. Finally spotting Adrian, you ran to him. 

"Wait, wait, wait girl. I will give you the world, but I will throw you somewhere if you get those muddy ass boots all over these 1s."

"What is so special about them damn sneakers that you'd risk your life like that?"

"Wouldn't be the first time"

"Now you gotta tell me."

"It was 2017. My first Mardi Gras experience. My brothers took me to the All-Star weekend festivities because their friends had the hookup. We were going from the games to the clubs. There was liquor, titties, and ass everywhere. That same weekend, they dropped these. There was a line down the block at every Foot Locker and Finish Line in the state of Louisiana damn near. I left the club early and stood in line all night and all morning. I finally got to the store, and there were only 3 left in my size. As soon as I placed my hand on the shoe, this other guy placed his hands on it. I looked at him and tugged the shoe away. The next thing I know, this guy is swinging at me. We fought, and security had to break us up. I told them that they had to go to the back and look at the footage of who got the shoes first and who assaulted the other first. I was not leaving there without those shoes. One of the employees and one of the security guards left together to watch the footage. I snatched the other sneaker out of the man's hand and walked up to the register to get my shoes. I got to pay for them, and I noticed that my wallet was missing. I called everyone I knew to either look for my wallet or come pay for the shoes. Eventually, my second oldest brother came and bought the shoes for me. Turns out, I had left my wallet in our section at the club, and he picked it up."

"Oh, you really went to war for these."

"Sure did. That night, we went out to celebrate.]

The special edition Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG All-Star with the iridescent detailing glistened into view on the computer screen. There was a white tag that he linked through one of the holes. You stared back at the shoes missing from the case and back to the video. Shit.

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Y/N

"Babe, you home? Adrian's voice boomed from the front entrance.

"Hey. I'm here. What are you doing at home?" you quickly shut down the laptop and closed the lid as you heard his footsteps make their way toward the den.

"Got done early today, so I thought I'd pop in and get dinner started. I didn't want to order out again."

"Oh well, aren't you thoughtful"

"What are you doing at home? I thought you said that you'd be working a little later tonight. Something about moving up a deadline," he probed.

"Right. Well, you know me…I thought I would focus more if I was on campus like every other collegiate student. I kept getting distracted," you lied. "Then I tried my office, but I wasn't comfortable there," that wasn't entirely a lie. You wouldn't have been able to focus in the Box. Not with him there. "In the end, I just gave up and came home. But there is still very much a deadline that I have to meet," you finished.

"Sounds like you need some productivity. Lemme get out your way" he concurred, pecking you on the lips twice and then moving to the empty case.

"Oh, I see you brought out the big dawg today. What was the special occasion?" you asked, hoping that this would be the start of something enlightening.

"Oh, you mean the shoes. Nothing. I just felt like wearing them today."

"Mmm, well, what did you do all day today looking fresh."

He chuckled. "Nothing. I went by the office, spoke to a couple of clients who were interested in some pieces, stopped by the store, and then came home."

"You should've stopped by my office so I could show you off to those hating ass hoes at my job if you just wanted to look fresh running errands."

"I'll do that next time," he joked. "Alright, I'm really gonna leave you alone. Get that work done!"

"Sir, yes, sir."

He turned back and smirked. "Hold on to that. I may need you to say that to me again later." He turned and went up the steps. When the door shut, you exhaled. He was lying to you.

When did this start, and why didn't you notice? You started retracing your steps with Adrian to see if there was something you missed or maybe a change in behavior. When you couldn't pinpoint an inciting event, you left that task and adopted a new one that required you combing through his file piece by piece.

"Did you do a deep dive into his overseas contacts when he was backpacking in Europe and parasailing in Panama because I didn't see any details in the files?"

As Richmond's words echoed through your head, you started going back to all of the places that he had been seen and confirmed vacationing in. You worked all into the night.

A soft knock on the door alerted you to the fact that it was late. Adrian walked down and stood at the doorway. 

"Come eat, Alana"

"I'm coming. I just need to jot down one more thing." You changed your interface back to the default Microsoft interface and powered down your phone before he could get the chance to look at it. You climbed the stairs, wondering how you were going to muster the energy to withstand tonight's dinner conversation. You sat and ate dinner, slowly pondering the day's revelations. It must have shown on your face because Adrian stood up and asked. 

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just thinking,"

"Talk to me"

"It's really nothing. I guess I just didn't realize I had so much to do behind this project."

"Yeah, I get that."

A moment passed, and you finally finished the last bite of your salmon when you heard some music playing in the distance.

"Dance with me," Adrian commanded, hand held out to you.

"Adrian? Right now"

"Yea. Dance with me. C'mon, woman", he repeated.

You took his hand, and you two danced to the sounds of Sweet Lady by Tyrese. His hands slowly trailed your spine as his head nestled into your neck.

It was the strangest thing. Feeling at home in the arms of someone you knew was lying to you, knowing that you were lying to them. Your bodies swayed together in tandem as you both held each other. It was everything you wanted. It was what you craved. Why couldn't this be…real?

After a couple of songs, he led you to bed. He slowly undid your jeans, helping you out of them one foot at a time.

Then, after applying short kisses up your happy trail, he stood up, removed your cropped hoodie, and undid your bra. Your breast spilled out of them. He took the left into his mouth as you moaned. Interchanging between nibbles and kisses, he stimulated the small whimpers you tried to stifle deep within your throat. After a few moments, he turned his attention to your other breast.

A trail of kisses slowly went up your neck and finally to your mouth. You took his lips in yours desperately. You hungrily sucked his tongue, hoping to salvage the last night you would be this version of yourself with him. He tugged at your thong until his hand found what it was searching for.

He traced circles around your pearl. You waited for a moment to feel that release. That dampness that never had to be beckoned. That exhilarating plummet in your stomach makes way for the honey coating that ruins the sheets. It never came. 

"Is something wrong?"

"Mmm, no, why?"

"Your panties are usually done by now."

"Maybe I didn't drink enough water today."

He looked at me intently. His eyes darkened with intensity, then softened slightly. 

"I took you to Cali for three days. All we had were shots of Tequila and a couple of Coronas. I had your legs behind your hand, and we had the sheets changed four times one of those nights. Water has never been a problem for you. Talk to me," he said sternly.

"I'm not sure what's going on, Adrian," you lied.

"Are you sure there's not something you want to tell me?"

"Like what?"

He paused for a moment. "I don't know. I'm just asking. Maybe you're upset or worried about something?" he probed.

"The only thing I've been focused on has been the deadline. I'm okay with that, though. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. It's okay. Let's go to sleep."

"Or or or…maybe we can try some lube," you suggested, trying to lighten the mood.

"So now we're lube people?"

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with lube."

"No, but something is going on with you, and I'd rather we get to the bottom of it than throwing some lube on it,"

"But...but," you pouted as you looked at his erection.

"He'll be fine. Let's go to bed."

"You sure?"

"Yea, come here," he said, lying down on his side and pulling you close. Unable to fall asleep, you wondered how you were going to salvage this night. You needed to find out who the new buyer was going to be and fast because, at this rate, it would only be a matter of time before he found out the truth.

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Check out Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven't already! Please hit the comments with your feedback, give suggestions on what you'd like to see, and let me know who you like and don't. Talk TO ME!!! Part 4 coming soon.

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@kinginwithbreezy-blog @bunniibooooo @sk1121-blog1

[autism-alley]

hi originally posted this at the end of a long thread of back and forth, here’s the og post if you want full context but i feel like this needs to be its own post especially bc i keep seeing this argument being made—the argument that the kids (in this case it was annabeth) SHOULD just know the monsters are monsters and who they are and how to defeat them before ever encountering them, that it’s a problem if they don’t.

the problem is not if 12 year olds should recognize a trap when they see one, even if they’re smart 12 year olds, and if that’s realistic. that is entirely beside the point.

the problem is rick riordan wrote a book series whose formula is bringing myths to the modern age and he’s not sticking true to that in the show—percy jackson and the olympians’ Shtick is taking these classic, ancient threats and giving them a new face. these traps work because these kids are not walking into a cave marked with Get Out and getting ambushed by monsters—the monsters are disguised as harmless mortal human beings, in harmless mortal human being places (for the most part) and i think we—and more importantly, the show—are all forgetting the mist, the magic involved here. it’s not just that medusa is a “creepy lady with her eyes covered” it’s that there is ancient magic at work here, magic that, like the systems of abuse pjo exists to criticize, has been evolving and continuing its malevolence for millennia. it’s formulaic, that’s the point. it’s the same trap you’ve learned about all your childhood, the same trap a thousand children before you learned all their childhoods, and still, it works. you fall into the trap. because that’s how generational abuse works. it’s a trap. it isn’t enough to learn monsters exist, what they look like from a second hand story that originated thousands of years ago. if you want to escape alive, you have to adapt as quickly as they do, recognize their face, and ultimately, beyond any individual trap, the game itself has to change. real, generational change.

so. the problem is rick riordan wrote a series with a formula for action that perfectly captures the overarching, systemic conflicts he was commentating on, and then threw that formula out in the show because it was “unrealistic”. i don’t give a damn about realism when it works to the detriment of the story. this is a story about generational abuse, yes, but it’s told through ‘a tale as old as time’ and that’s why it works so fucking well. and when it comes to basic storytelling, if your characters know the threat before they even walk in and you do practically nothing to then make up for the stakes you have removed, that’s a flaw. now you’ve lost the entertainment value for your audience, on top of also lessening your themes.

something else that is so. honestly soul-crushing as a writer and a creative, is that to me this is reflective of the way we are now afraid to tell earnest stories. stories where we care not for listening to the people who want to pick apart fictional, mythical, fantasy stories for not being “realistic” instead of aligning with our target audience who acknowledges reality is not what makes a story. think of your favorite movie, show, book, comic, what have you—has the reason for your favoritism ever been because it is the most reasonable, the most grounded, the most practical out of any you’ve seen? or is it because of the emotion? the way it speaks to you, to your life and the person you are? the journey it takes you on? is the percy jackson and the olympians book series so good because it’s inherently realistic?

the secret to storytelling is, very simply, focus on your story. everything else is secondary. if it’s written well, it doesn’t matter to me that the characters walk into a trap that, to the audience, is obviously a trap. because i can understand how the characters don’t know it, and how the story falls apart if the narrative just tells the characters it’s a trap from the jump. that’s what dramatic irony is—first used in greek tragedies! this is literally a tale as old as time in every sense except for the end—where it’s happy. and it’s not earned if we don’t first see, over and over, the status quo as a tragic trap.

it’s not about if annabeth (or the other kids) is “smart enough” to not walk into a trap, or about if she’s just too prideful to not walk into what she knows is a trap (or any reason that could apply to the other characters), it’s that annabeth, at the end of the day, is a character. she is a storytelling tool for the messages of the narrative. that doesn’t make her any lesser. in fact ignoring it reduces her, because it reduces what she represents. it’s about how rick riordan, or whoever else at disney, has fumbled the storytelling bag so ridiculously hard that they can’t take the simple, effective formula outlined from start to finish (by good ol 2009 rick himself) and adapt it to the screen without answering the most unimportant, derailing, anti-story questions.

[delayedstrawberry]

Dracule Mihawks Unknown Visitor

Summary: Dracule Mihawk is a man of many secrets, so naturally, he greeted Zoro and Perona with silence when they asked him about his unusual mood during their unannounced visit to his castle on Kuragana Island. However, it all starts to make sense once a stranger unexpectedly at the door.

Fandom: One Piece

Relationships: Mihawk x Reader / Female OC

Characters: Dracule Mihawk, Female reader, Zoro and Perona

Notes: Hello♡ This is just a silly and slightly romantic little idea I came up with, so I had to get it out of my system. I posted this Fanfic on my AO3 as well (DelayedStrawberry). I hope you enjoy reading!

˚✩ ⋆｡˚ ✩Dracule Mihawks Unknown Visitor ˚✩ ⋆｡˚ ✩

Mihawk sits on his usual throne chair in the tea room, holding the newspaper in his hands as he lazily reads through it. There’s a fresh cup of tea by his side, and a book to keep him occupied later on. He’s wearing his frilly white shirt today, alongside his long black pants, his black boots and a cross necklace. The air around the castle seems calm and undisturbed, except for the loud voices of Zoro and Perona talking in the living room down the hall. Thankfully Mihawk has the door shut, and told them to shut the living room door too. They’re visiting for around two weeks against Mihawk's will, so he’s got one week left of them making a mess of the place. The pair decided to come unannounced again. This is what, the third time this year? What a bother.

Mihawk sighs, the fluttering of the newspaper being heard throughout the room as he shifts in his seat. They’re still too loud. But no matter…they made him some rice and vegetable soup in the morning so he can’t get too angry. Granted, they did an awful job on it, but he can’t deny they still tried their best.

“Aw come on Zoro, hold still.” Perona whines in a frustrated tone as Zoro sits between her legs.

“I’m trying! But you keep tugging on my hair…I’m not some statue!” Zoro spits back, changing his seating position for the hundredth time.

Perona has somehow convinced Zoro to let her braid his hair. He’s grown it out pretty long over the summer and she’s been bugging him about it for weeks, so she’s got him trapped between her legs as she sits on the couch.

“Pfft not trying hard enough. I thought you were some strong swordsman, you can handle my hands in your hair, right?” Perona tugs another piece of his hair, giggling as she does so.

“That’s it! I’ve had enough!” Zoro suddenly stands up and knocks Perona over backwards on the couch, a breathless gasp escaping her. He promptly runs his fingers through his hair to get rid of the braids, but manages to tangle his hair instead.

“That was like an hour's work!” Perona whines, crossing her arms over her chest as she sinks into the couch with a pout.

“Dammit, what did you do to it…it’s getting tangled.” Zoro murmurs as he continues to try and get the braids out.

“Why do you ALWAYS have to be like this?? I was nearly done.” She whines, the pout on her face growing deeper.

“I don’t care. And I don’t want your grubby hands in my hair anyway!” Zoro retorts, his voice rising.

Perona gasps. “Grubby??? How DARE you insinuate-”

Zoro cuts her off. “I’m not insinuating, I’m stating a damn fact. You’re just an annoying grubby girl who can’t seem to begin to imagine what diseases live under HER fingernails!”. His hands are furiously running through his hair to get rid of the braids, but miserably failing.

“Oh yeah? Well, your mouth is a disease!” Perona’s voice gets slightly louder, and she sits up straighter on the couch as she looks up at him.

“Oh how original of you.” He rolls his eyes, crossing his arms and looking off to the side.

“How about we ask Mihawk what he thinks?? I’m sure he’ll agree with me!” Perona says with conviction, a small smile on her face.

“He would agree with a bag of rocks before he would agree with you!” Zoro laughs loudly, stepping back closer to the couch to loom over Perona with a half grin.

“N-NO!” Perona stutters out, her smile dropping, knowing Zoro's right.

“Then we agree. You’re grubby.” Zoro says as he leans down and gets close to Peronas face.

“We do NOT agree! Ugh this isn’t fair!” She looks back into Zoro's eyes with a stubborn expression.

Zoro's voice rises as his frustration comes back with a crash. “Not fair??…Not FAIR?? You messed up my damn hair! It’s gonna take days for it to look good again!”

“It never looked good in the first place so I don’t know why you’re so worried!” Perona shouts, getting up in his face even more.

“Says the pink haired FREAK!” Zoro shouts back.

“Your hair is GREE-” Zoro cuts her off by quickly clamping a hand over her mouth.

“God, quiet down! Mihawks’ already been in a bad enough mood lately, don’t make it worse.” Zoro says in a hushed tone, saying it as if he wasn’t also shouting.

Perona grumbles under his hand, but then they hear something. It sounds like footsteps, but not the demanding ones of Mihawk…but the softer and lighter kind, and they’re coming from outside the castle. The two slowly turn their heads simultaneously towards the sound of them, their eyes growing wider.

Perona prys Zoros’ hand off of her mouth, both of them still trying to listen.

“Who’s that…?” Perona whispers, her ears straining to hear who’s footsteps they are.

“I don’t know.” Zoro whispers back. “It seems to be coming from outside.”

“An intruder??” Perona whispers, a bit of alarm in her voice.

Zoro shrugs as Perona gets off of the couch, quickly floating across the living room to the window. She peers through it and Zoro goes to stand behind her. However, due to the distance and the angle, they can’t see who it is. Perona huffs and floats out of the living room door to go towards the front entrance of the castle. Zoros’ eyebrows shoot up. There’s been a warning from Mihawk about how there’s been a gang of pirates in the nearby seas causing unusual trouble lately, and told them to be careful.

“Wait for me, you’ll get yourself killed!” Zoro shouts after her. He sighs and straightens up, walking after Perona who’s already halfway down the hallway.

Zoro stumbles a bit as he leaves the living room, his hand now occupied with his tangled hair as he tries to follow Perona as fast as he can.

The two walk through the castle halls and various rooms with gothic furniture and colours, although Zoro is more distracted by trying to fix his messy green strands.

“Dammit.” He curses under his breath, stumbling into a chair.

Perona rolls her eyes and grabs Zoros’ hand, yanking it out of his tangled locks. “You’re gonna get lost again if you keep thinking of your stupid hair.” She says in an annoyed tone. Zoro just protests under his breath, and the two of them walk to the main entrance of the castle.

The main entrance of Mihawks’ castle is quite the large area, with an even larger door. The floor is covered in dark green shiny diamond tiles, and the 3 metre door is dark brown with a vintage golden handle. The footsteps seem to be coming towards the entryway, so Zoro pulls his swords out just in case, and Peronas’ heart pounds a little faster.

“What if they’re here to kill Mihawk??” Perona whispers, looking up at Zoro.

“I could take them…” Zoro mutters.

Perona pauses for a second. “Yeah, that’s what you said about Mihawk.”

Zoro glares at her, clearly unamused.

The footsteps come even closer to the door, still sounding soft and light. Zoro and Perona tense up.

“It couldn’t be a guest, right? Mihawk never has guests. The old man barely has friends.” Zoro whispers.

“Mhmm. And we weren’t told of any guests, he would tell us!” Perona whispers in a whiny voice.

The footsteps are heard even closer, it sounds like they’re on the steps which lead up to the front door.

“Perona! Fix my hair, right now.” Zoro whispers, his voice laced with panic.

She quietly giggles and grabs his head so that she can properly take the braids out, the braids he so wonderfully tangled. Zoro keeps his eyes on the front door, the footsteps coming even closer.

“There bossy-I mean mossy. Your hair should be fine now.” Perona grins. Zoro gives her a half glare but decides to leave her comment until later. They both look at the entrance way, the footsteps even closer now and the air full of nerves. Zoro and Perona look at each other in anticipation before silently stepping towards the door.

The footsteps are heard right outside, and without a second thought Zoro flings the door open and raises his swords.

A loud scream is heard and papers fly everywhere as the person falls to the ground in fright. Zoros’ eyes widen…fuck. It’s just a postman.

“Oh g-god don’t kill me! P-please! I-I was sent here b-by the marines t-to give a letter to M-Mihawk! The birds aren’t in s-service at the moment! Mihawk k-knew I was coming I s-swear! I t-told them I wasn’t u-up for the job! This p-place is so-.” The poor postman rambles, frantically trying to pick up all the letters he dropped. Zoro rubs his temple and puts his swords away, he bends down to help the shaking man.

“Uhh sorry about that…we thought you were…” Zoro trails off.

“An intruder trying to kill Mihawk!” Perona exclaims loudly as she floats up behind Zoro, her hands on her hips and her lips pursed.

The young postman nervously smiles, stuffing a handful of letters into his bag. “Nope…h-hah…”

Zoro helps with putting the last papers in the mans’ bag, and gets handed a letter as they both stand up. “T-this is for Mihawk. It’s f-from the marines.” The postman says nervously, sweating and trembling slightly.

Zoro nods and clears his throat, waving the letter around slightly. “Yeah okay, we’ll give this to him. Thanks.”

The postman nods then starts to hurry off back down the stairs. Zoro grimaces slightly and sighs, then Perona speaks up.

“Pshh. Why would you do that, Zoro!? You pulled your swords out on an innocent man! How rude.” She puts her nose in the air and crosses her arms, floating away from him and back into the castle.

“WHA-!” Zoro stammers with a start, his head quickly turning towards her. He groans and shuts the door behind him and starts walking back into the castle too, muttering under his breath about how she’s the one who put the idea in his head that it was an intruder.

“You can’t just be swinging those swords around, you’ll take some innocent persons’ eyes out, you know.” Perona continues to talk as they cross the entrance way.

Zoro sighs heavily. “So much for an exciting day, guess we’ll go and…”

“Braid your hair again?” Perona turns around to look at him, a huge flashy grin on her face.

“No! I was gonna say we’ll go and get something to eat.” Zoro furrows his brow.

“Zoroooooooo!” She whines.

Zoro shakes his head in disbelief, and walks out of the castle's entrance down a hallway. Perona floats after him, a huge pout on her face.

As they enter the large kitchen, Zoro looks at the letter in his hand intended for Mihawk, and decides to put it on the kitchen counter for now.

The two settle down on the stools with food from this mornings’ breakfast, and they silently wonder why Mihawk didn’t eat it all…maybe he wasn’t hungry, he’s been in a pretty bad mood lately. At least, more than usual. They did try to pester him about it, but Mihawk likes to keep things to himself.

Stillness washes over the room as the two eat for about an hour, not bothering to talk to each other. Perona’s still pouty and Zoro wants some peace for once.

Just before they finish eating…they hear more footsteps coming from the outside of the castle. Lighter than what they heard the postman make.

Zoro furrows his brow, slamming his chopsticks onto the table as he looks up. “What the hell?”

Perona tilts her head, her mouth full of food. “Postman again?”

“No…these sound different…I don’t like it.” Zoro stands up and begins to walk back towards the front door, a bit of fire in his eyes. What’s the chances of this happening twice in one day? Perona starts feeling a bit uneasy, and quickly floats behind Zoro to keep close to him.

They get to the entrance way of the castle again, and begin to listen. These footsteps aren’t like the postmans’. These sounded more calculated, or like they had more of a purpose. Perona instinctively clutches Zoros’ arm tightly, wrapping her own arm around his.

“Okay, this one REALLY feels like an intruder.” Perona whispers, her hold tightening on Zoro.

“Yeah these sound a bit…strange.” Zoro whispers back, narrowing his eyes at the door.

The footsteps seem to be hurrying a bit, and they quickly hear them going up the steps to the front door. Zoro and Perona step back slightly, not wanting to redo their last encounter with a stranger, and going for a more hands off approach for this one.

Someone's unknown footsteps walk right up to the entrance. The door slowly opens, shit. They didn’t lock it after they encountered the postman. Zoros’ eyes widen, his breath catching in his throat and his heart pounding. Perona hides behind Zoro, continuing to keep her own arm securely and tightly around his, her heart going a million beats per second.

As the door slowly opens, someone on the other side mutters about how the damn thing shouldn’t be so heavy. They seem to struggle to get it open, the door actually shutting again before opening for the second time. The two look at each other with puzzled expressions, but still on guard.

The door finally opens, and a woman they don’t recognise steps inside. Her eyes land on the two but she doesn’t flinch, she gives off an air of confidence which is slightly intimidating. Zoro seems to relax at the sight of this woman but he keeps his guard up, while Perona tenses up even more as her intuition suggests this woman is bad news.

Zoro clears his throat, keeping his distance from her and speaking in a firm voice. “What’s your name?”

“y/n. Who are you two?” She says with a light smile as she looks over the two, noting their tense bodies and narrowed eyes.

Zoro looks the woman over, noting her put together demeanour. “I’m Zoro, and this is Perona.”

Perona doesn’t like this one bit, she knows that a pretty and innocent smile can hide all sorts of danger. So she speaks to y/n in a cold tone. “You’re here to harm Mihawk, aren’t you?”

y/n looks slightly puzzled but stays calm.”Who said I was here to hurt him?”

Zoro and Perona glance at each other for a moment, not liking her response in the slightest. It seems like she’s dancing around their question.

“Well…y/n, you’re clearly in the castle without Mihawks’ permission. Of course we would think that’s what you’re here to do.” Zoro says sternly, his eyes narrowing even more and his hand going to the hilt of his sword, feeling protective over Mihawk.

“Oh, well…I’m-”But before y/n can respond, Perona cuts her off.

“Don’t say another word! I know a liar when I see one, so whatever you have to say we don’t believe you!” Perona bristles, her tone challenging. Zoro gives Perona a look portraying that he wants her to calm down, but she doesn’t care. Her heart’s set on y/n being an intruder.

“I can assure-” y/n begins, but gets cut off by Perona again.

“We know Mihawk never has guests, and we’ve never heard of you before! And it would be too much of a coincidence if both strangers who’ve shown up are innocent! So get your small butt out of here and go back to where you came from, woman.” She says firmly, untangling her arms from Zoro and crossing them over her chest instead.

Zoro shakes his head in disbelief with how Perona is behaving, but he’s still very much on edge by this mystery woman, there’s definitely a better way to handle this. But despite Zoros’ concern, he knows Perona is just as protective of Mihawk as he is, it just comes across a little differently.

“You know what, I don’t have time for this.” y/n sighs, then begins walking past the two and heading across the entrance way, clearly intending to head deeper into the castle.

Zoro and Perona feel a wave of concern wash over them, so they follow after her. Perona floats pretty quickly behind y/n, while Zoro strides behind them with his hand still on the hilt of his sword.

“Hey, woman! Where do you think you’re going? We weren’t done talking to you!” Perona calls after her, catching up to y/n pretty quickly as they all go down the long hallway.

“You were the one doing most of the talking, and insulting.” y/n says aloofly as she continues to walk. Perona only gets more angry at her response.

“Who do you think you are?? You’re the one who’s here without anyone's permission.” Perona scowls.

“We can’t let you waltz in here unannounced to see Mihawk!” Zoro barks from behind them, his anger flaring up as y/n doesn’t seem to have any intent to stop walking.

y/n sighs to herself, clearly fed up with the two, the air around them tense. “I tried telling you why I’m here, but you kept cutting me off. So why should I even bother.” She says as she opens some doors to walk through one of the spare rooms.

“Because we don’t trust you. Whatever you say, it'll be a lie, so you're not allowed anywhere near him!” Perona says loudly, her voice full of frustration. y/n furrows her brow but doesn’t stop moving.

“I’m getting a headache.” y/n says as she pushes through some more doors, going through yet another big room.

“Yeah right. Try having 2 unannounced people turn up today.” Zoro huffs, his glare on the back of y/n’s head.

Perona nods, her grumpiness growing as she agrees with Zoro. “You say you’re getting a headache, but we’ve stressed out twice already in the past hour!”

As y/n pushes through another set of doors, they get into the long dimly lit hallway that leads to Mihawks’ throne room. Zoro and Perona get even more on edge, what the hell does she want with him?

“You can’t just walk around the house like you own the place!” Perona says angrily with a hint of redness growing on her cheeks, following y/n at her heels. Zoros’ frustration builds as well, noting that y/n isn’t even replying to them anymore and clearly going towards Mihawk.

“y/n! You can’t just go into Mihawks’ throne room uninvited!” Zoro calls out, bringing out one of his swords in case things get ugly.

“Watch me.” y/n says calmly, looking straight ahead as they begin to approach the door.

“Goddammit y/n! Do you have a death wish or something?” Zoros’ voice gets a little frantic, and Peronas’ heart beats quicker than it was already.

“Mihawks gonna kill us if we’re the reason he gets killed.” Perona whispers to Zoro, getting a nod out of him as he takes a deep breath to brace himself for the inevitable.

The 3 reach the door leading into Mihawks’ throne room. Zoro and Perona exchange a glance, then without any hesitation y/n opens it and walks inside.

Inside the throne room Mihawk sits there with a book in hand and the newspaper off to the side, his teacup is empty and he’s got his usual stoic expression. When the 3 walk in he looks up, a hint of curiosity on his face. His gaze immediately falls onto y/n, and his eyes grow wide alongside his pupils dilating. His hands lose grip of the book he was reading and it falls onto the ground with a soft thud.

Perona points at y/n. “We told-” Before she could speak she yelps in pain, Zoro nudging her ribs with his elbow to shut her up, knowing Mihawk can surely handle the situation from here.

“Y-y/n?” Mihawk says breathlessly, his heart beating wildly in his chest and his eyes still wide.

She swallows, her breathing becoming a little shallow as her heart races just the same. “They let me leave early.”

Mihawk keeps looking at her, and says in a breathless voice as he absorbs her words. “You’re back…early…” He can’t believe his eyes.

Zoro and Peronas’ anger makes way for the overwhelming confusion they feel as they look over the interaction, Zoro puts his sword away but keeps his guard up.

“Mihawk…you know her?” Zoro asks quietly, his voice full of confusion and slight concern.

Mihawk doesn’t take his eyes off of y/n, and struggles to speak as he replies in a horse whisper. “Yes…I know her.”

y/n walks closer to Mihawk as he stands up from his throne. His eyes set on her, not even seeming to register Zoro and Perona anymore. Mihawk stands still as he watches her approach, not able to move a muscle from the shock and disbelief.

As they’re only centermeres apart, Mihawk brings up his hand to cup y/ns’ face and gently runs his thumb over her cheek. y/n puts her hand around his wrist as he touches her, gently caressing his arm with her own thumb. He looks down at her and his face visibly softens, and so does hers as she looks up at him.

“They let you come home early…” Mihawk murmurs, swimming in a wave of emotions as he looks at her, it’s almost overwhelming.

y/n nods her head slowly, closing her eyes for a moment as she takes in the feel of his hand on her face. Mihawk then grabs her waist and pulls her against him, moving his other hand from her face to her waist as well and holding her tightly in his arms. y/n puts her arms around his neck firmly, leaning her face against his chest as Mihawk buries his face into the crook of her neck and taking a deep breath as he breathes her in.

Zoro and Perona look stunned, they’re completely speechless and wide eyed as they look on, their mouths open from shock.

“Is it just me…or is Mihawk acting really weird right now? And what did he mean by home? Do you think they’re-” Perona whispers to Zoro.

“I…I don’t know…but he’s acting weird alright.” Zoro whispers, mulling over the scene before them.

Mihawk holds y/n close to him, closing his eyes as he feels her body against his and the smell of her in his nostrils. They stay like this for about a minute or two in silence, just being in each other's arms and breathing the other in. In this moment, they’re just two people who have been apart for far too long.

“They should know, darling.” Mihawk murmurs hazily to y/n after a few minutes of silence, smiling lightly as he glances over at the two who look gobsmacked. He feels quite amused by how shocked they look, but refrains from laughing.

“Yeah they should, my love.” y/n murmurs back just as hazily, looking at them as well.

Mihawk kisses her neck lightly and then turns his gaze to Zoro and Perona, shifting his body so that only one arm is around her waist. Zoro and Perona wait nervously, and straighten up when Mihawk looks at them.

Mihawk lightly smiles, his haziness still prominent. “Zoro, Perona…this is y/n. She’s-” He takes a short breath, looking at y/n for a moment before looking back at the pair. “...my wife.”

Zoros’ eyes widen even further, if that’s even possible, and he opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out. Perona on the other hand, her face goes pale. She told this woman some awful things, even telling her she can’t walk around the house like she owned the place…when she did in fact, own the place.

“Oh my god y/n, I’m so SO sorry! I spoke to you so harshly…I thought you were an intruder and some liar!” Perona says frantically, floating up to y/n with a panicked expression. Mihawk narrows his eyes on Perona, ingesting this new information.

y/n smiles faintly and gently puts a hand on Peronas shoulder. “I understand you were just trying to protect Mihawk.” She speaks softly, knowing that Perona seems genuinely apologetic.

“Don’t speak to her like that again.” Mihawk sternly warns as y/n squeezes her shoulder, sending a shiver down Peronas spine causing her to frantically nod her head.

Perona heavily breathes out and floats back to Zoro, her cheeks red with embarrassment as she hides her face in her hands. Zoro stands still looking between the two, his brow furrowed and you can practically see the cogs turning in his head.

“You’ve been MARRIED this whole time? Why the hell haven’t we heard of her?” Zoro says in a defeated tone, scratching his head from nerves as the information sinks into him further.

“Because I’m a big name in this world, so when we got together many years ago I decided I don’t want y/n to potentially suffer the consequences that come with it. If everyone found out she’s my partner, there’s no telling what sort of people could go after her.” Mihawk says with a tough expression, his hand tightening around her waist instinctively. Perona just nods her head slowly, while Zoro still looks confused. “She’s precious to me, and I don’t want anything happening to her.”

Zoro feels respect washing over his heart, and also a lot of understanding. But he’s still finding it hard to process all of this, and can’t help but ask a little further.

“How is that even possible…” Zoro breathes out.

“We just don’t go flaunting it about, we’ve found it ensures our peace and her safety.” Mihawk replies softly, a hint of vulnerability within his words. “However, we didn’t say NO ONE knows about our marriage.” Mihawk says as he smirks lightly and feels a rush of pride run through his veins, him and y/n sharing a knowing look.

Zoros’ eyes widen again, looking between them once more. “Who else knows?”

“The other warlords, Shanks, some of the top marines, my family, Luffy…” y/n explains calmly, leaning against Mihawk a bit more.

Zoro looks flabbergasted. “LUFFY??” Perona also whips her head between the two as the information that Luffy, out of all people, know about them.

“Yeah he saw us at a restaurant a while back, and we told him to keep it a secret.” y/n says with a light smirk, squeezing Mihawks’ side lightly.

Zoro tuts and looks away, crossing his arms. This is all too weird for him.

Perona then speaks up, breaking her own silence. “How long have you two been married then?”

Mihawk smiles, feeling another rush of pride going through his veins. “Almost 7 years now.”

“Mhmm, almost.” y/n smiles, her head resting on his arm.

Zoro and Perona look gobsmacked again. They can’t help but gawk at the couple, and still have a hard time coming to terms that THE Dracule Mihawk has a wife, and for 7 years? Mihawk sighs as he looks at their faces, deciding to clear things up a bit more.

“She’s the best thing that ever happened to me and I want her to be safe, so I don’t feel the need to announce my personal life to everyone, unless it’s necessary. So I expect you two won’t go off and talk about this. Am I clear?” Mihawk looks between the two with his piercing hawkeye gaze, speaking in his scarily stern voice.

“Yeah…of course.” Zoro manages to say, tensing up at the sternness of Mihawks’ voice.

“I won’t tell a soul, living or dead.” Perona says as she nods her head quickly, her hands scrunching up her dress from the stress of being under Mihawks’ gaze.

“Good, now…you two, out. We need some alone time. We’ll answer more of your questions you’re sure to have, later.” Mihawk says in a firm voice, carrying a hint of impatience.

“Okay okay we’ll go…” Perona breathes, floating out of the throne room. Zoro just nods and follows after her, shutting the door behind them. Once they’re out of the room they can hear Zoro speak to Perona in a hushed voice. “By the way, I haven’t forgotten about how you called me bossy earlier!”

Mihawk sighs in relief and takes y/ns’ hand, sitting back down on his throne and bringing her down with him. He brings her into his lap and she sits sideways so that she’s cradled by Mihawks’ strong arms. He looks over her features, taking her in silently for a moment. Before he leans down and gently connects their lips in a soft and tender kiss, y/ns’ hand going to the side of his neck as she closes her eyes.

After a few moments, they pull back.

“I missed you…” Mihawk murmurs against her lips, pressing their foreheads together, their eyes still closed.

“I missed you too…” y/n murmurs back, breathing in his scent again.

Mihawk opens his warm honey eyes, and talks in a slightly concerned tone. “So, darling. Why did you come back early? You weren’t due to come back for another 2 months, not that I’m complaining, but did something happen?”

y/n shakes her head. “Nothing happened, I just missed you…3 months away from you took a toll on me, again. So they said it was alright for me to leave.”

He hums in acknowledgement, closing his eyes again. “I don’t like when you’re gone, I don’t like when your side of the bed is cold every night.”

It’s y/ns’ turn to sigh, tears sting her eyes slightly. “I know, darling. I don’t think I can do it anymore, I can’t keep leaving for months when I’d rather be here, with you.”

Mihawk holds her a little tighter as she says that, his face full of pain and longing. “I don’t think I can handle it either, y/n, I struggle when you’re gone. I want you to be here with me, where I can keep you safe.”

“I think…I’m gonna quit the job.” y/n says abruptly as she opens her eyes, her face portraying her longing and slight nervousness.

His eyes open in shock, widening as he takes in the information. “Really? Darling-” He says breathlessly, his arms tightening around her even more than before.

“Really. I’ll call them in the morning to tell them I’m done.” She says softly as she brings her hand up to caress his cheek.

“I thought…you were going to hold out a little longer.” Mihawk murmurs, his eyes searching hers. This feels like a lot of information she’s suddenly dumping on him.

“I know, I know…but I just…can’t. It’s unbearable. I know my job will get upset with me, but as long as I’m with you, I don’t care.” y/n murmurs back, nuzzling his nose with her own.

“Okay…good.” Mihawk says as he takes a shaky breath and smiling lightly, his eyes never leaving her face.

“You know…you dropped your book on the ground earlier, Dracule.” She mutters a little teasingly, a grin growing on her face.

“Oh be quiet, I was distracted…” Mihawk mutters as a slight blush of pink spreads over his cheeks, but he can’t help smiling down at her and running his fingers through her hair.

y/n giggles warmly, and brings Mihawk into another gentle kiss. His hand going under her shirt to her back, so he can feel her soft skin for the first time in months, and her thumb caresses the growing warmth on his face.

For the rest of the day, evening and night. The two spend their time in each other's arms and talking about y/ns’ journey out at sea. Zoro and Perona have decided to be quiet for once, and keep their distance so as to not disturb them. Mihawk and y/n go to bed that night curled up as close as they can get, feeling content and happy as they doze off to sleep.

Notes: This is my first Fanfic, so I kept it relatively short! This is also the first time I'm posting it to Tumblr, and I'm new here so I'll see how it goes <3 i hope everyone has a good day/night♡

[writing-to-survive]

#193

"Is this not considered kidnapping?"

"You came willing, saying—and I quote—'I call shotgun.'"

"Which I didn't get."

[thepedanticbohemian]

My writing has been compared to Stephen King, Thomas Harris, Dean Koontz, and Peter Straub. Why? Because I'm unafraid to go there when it comes to disturbing imagery. Gory details don't scare me, though they will likely scare my readers. Sort of the point, really. lol

[theodimasbabygirl]

I do have to say I'm a touch disappointed with the killer/reveal in S4. Marshall was the most obvious suspect but him being the only killer (despite the fact that Sazz was snooping around a building conspiracy) feels so...dull? Marshall is easily the most pathetic killer in the entire series (and this is coming from someone who haaaated last season's killers) and I ended the finale going "that's it?".

[authortoberecognized]

WRITER’S FORUM  SUSPENSE WRITING

WEBSITES HELPFUL TO WRITERS This is a series of posts which, I think, will be beneficial to writers. But first, I would like to include my usual warning about using websites. Whenever you check a website you are, in my opinion and I talk from experience, being put on a list for sale. So, expect the possibility of being bombarded by ads from companies you, perhaps, have never heard of and have…

[agent-44mc]

*gets comfy in pink bed, lights lavender candle, opens pink laptop, sees my Taylor Swift wallpaper, opens google docs, smiles* ah yes, where were we? Oh right, murder! The fun part!

[suspensefulpen]

Not Again

TW: Kidnapping, Captive Whumpee, Chain Restraints

Whumpee pulled at the chain locked over their ankle. They’ve been trying since they woke up. They woke up in a basement alone. They weren’t sure where but something about it looked familiar — they couldn’t put their finger on it.

Obviously, someone kidnapped them and decided to throw them in a basement. But the question is, who would do that and why?

Even more so, why weren’t they dead yet?

Whumpee glanced around to find something sharp but came up empty handed. They sighed and went back to attempting to pull the chain from its base in the wall.

They instantly froze at the sound of footsteps over their head. Gently, they placed down the chain and listened. It wasn’t long before the steps stopped at a door that was far from Whumpee’s grasp. The locks moving filled the short silence before the door creaked open, revealing—

“Whumper?” They exhaled. A smile slowly appeared on their face. “I’m so glad you’re here! You can get me out of this. I’ve been trying for forever now. If you can just—”

They were silenced when he began to laugh.

Did they miss something? Or was this just an elaborate joke to scare Whumpee?

“No, no Whumpee.” He shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. “I am the reason you’re here.”

“What?” They rolled their eyes, a smile on their face. “Oh I get it. You’re mad about that— listen, it was a bad idea and I—”

“Oh I’m mad alright.” He descended down the stairs, coming closer. “But the reason is not what you think.”

Whumpee raised a brow. Whumper stopped in front of them, kneeling down to their level. He gently lifted their chin.

“You got away from me Whumpee.” His voice was low and gentle yet pained. “And you almost got hurt. I’m not letting that happen again. Because I’m never gonna let you go.”

[xpastelsweetsx]

Okay so fun fact for IB theatre (a class I’m in) you write a 12 page proposal on how you would produce, design, block, and essentially execute an entire show and I was og gonna do cabaret but honestly… after everything that’s happened as of late with AI and SAG-aftra and such how would we feel abt a 12 page paper on a production of newsies set in modern times?? Like everything’s the same it’s just… now

[behindthesemasks]

20

Chapter 19

Gabe is on a mission...and he has one destination...

It seemed to take Gabe an hour to drive from the original hotel to the one that Mel and the others had now holed up in. After circling a few different blocks, he found a parking garage without surveillance to leave the SUV in and texted Mel that he was on the way up. That was when he turned his phone off and headed down to the street below, to walk the remaining way to the hotel. No doubt Ambrose would be making sure that the GPS trackers on the SUVs were being watched and trying to triangulate their locations by their phones.  While he would be able to find the SUV Gabe had driven, where he’d gone when he’d left the garage would be something that would take him longer to figure out.  The fact that all the others with Melania had also turned off their phones indicated that they too had thought of this.  

It was after 2 AM and there were no other people or vehicles in the area.  The area appeared deserted, although he could see lights behind curtains on the floors above street level.  Even if there were surveillance cameras in some of the shops and buildings he was passing, Gabe had turned up his collar to make it hard to see his face. One more step in making it harder for Ambrose to track them down.  There were only four blocks he had to navigate, but he was hoping to keep to the shadows and make the trek as quickly as possible.  He had been trusted not to give away their location.

Fifteen minutes after he’d stepped onto the street, he walked into the hotel lobby. It was bright and filled with old-world elegance. Marble floors, ornate furniture, and live flowers on every table; this was not your budget hotel. Bypassing the front desk, much to the interest of the desk clerk, Gabe headed straight for the elevators. He knew the room number and wanted to waste no time hanging out in areas where he could attract attention. Now he knew he had been on camera, but there was no way that the others could have made it up to the room without being recorded as well. Hopefully, there wasn’t a way to back door into the hotel’s security system.  He knew the type of men Ambrose hired, and if there was, they’d do it.

When he’d finally made it up to the room, he could hear laughing inside. Obviously, even if Mel had been tired, she hadn’t fallen asleep just yet. He knocked on the door and found himself yanked inside when the door cracked open. Facing him were Mel, Alexander, and Cade all sitting on the couch with bottles of wine, gin, whiskey, and scotch on the table in front of them. Judging from their demeanor, they had all enjoyed some while waiting for him.

“Feeling more relaxed?” Gabe asked with a bemused smirk as Dez headed back over to the chair he’d been sitting in.

Mel was on her feet and on the way over to him before he could finish asking the question. “I am now, you finally made it!” Her arms wrapped around him and her face was buried in his chest.

Instinctively his arms went around her and he held her in close. Only now did he notice the slight tremor in her body. His eyes looked questioningly at Alexander and Cade. What the hell was going on?

“She tried to sleep; needless to say some things cause horrible nightmares,” Alexander answered the silent question that hung in the air. “So, we decided to drown her in booze.” His hand gestured to all of the bottles on the table.

“Did you know she has five fake identities in her purse? They’re complete with driver’s licenses, passports, and credit cards. FIVE. Do you think the boss will let us keep her?” Dez had obviously had too much whiskey, but he did get a half-chuckle out of Gabe.

“She’s not a fucking pet asshole. And no, I doubt Ambrose would allow us to take her on missions. Although you would have been proud Gabe, the girl intimidated the ever-loving hell outta the front desk clerk that was here when we got in. I think he may have wet himself.” Alexander chuckled as he poured himself some more scotch. 

Cade moved over to one of the chairs, stretching his long legs out to rest atop the coffee table, as Mel and Gabe moved to sit on the couch. Mel was still all but trembling and Alexander put his arm around her shoulders when she sat down. He looked over at Gabe with an expression that said he was worried about her, but that it wasn’t the time or place to say anything. Gabe nodded, this wasn’t a great situation.

“If you guys want to go back to the other hotel, I’ll understand.” Mel’s voice was soft and quiet, hardly the woman any of them had seen earlier in the day at the hotel. 

“I don’t know about the other boys, but I was hired to keep your ass safe while you were here. I don’t see how I’d be doing that if I left you here. If Ambrose decides to take the money back…I’m not worried.” Cade was the first to answer. There was no hesitation or doubt in his voice as he looked over at her with a slight cocky smirk on his face, and then gave her a wink.

“I think my boy said it well enough. If I was doubting, I wouldn’t have shown up beautiful.” Gabe used two fingers under her chin to turn her face towards him, then kissed her forehead.

“I was never here just because of a job from Ambrose,” Alexander added, causing Mel to look over at him with affection. He really was like a big brother, and just as protective. 

“Fuck, if I wanted to go back, I wouldn’t have driven that damned SUV all the way out to the airport and had to take a cab back.” Dez laughed, winking over at her. 

“If your money is taken back, I’ll still pay you,” Mel said softly, even as she knew that didn’t seem to be a concern for any of them. When Cade started to object, since he was the one who had mentioned money, she added, “I’m worth more than Nic now that my parents are dead. And it means nothing to me.” Cade reached over and squeezed her fingers. Damn, the girl was stronger than she looked, both inside and outside.

“That reminds me, how the hell did you guys get here from the coffee shop? It’s quite a hike.” Gabe asked as his hand took Mel’s to keep hers from shaking. “And did you leave all the weapons out at the airport? Really?” He looked over at Dez.

“She has a Porsche SUV bro. A FUCKING PORSCHE.” Cade laughed. “And all the weapons are in the back safely in their cases. Well, except for the two cases that have the tracking devices in them. They’re at the airport along with the SUV, just no weapons in them.” He laughed. They had swept everything that they transferred between vehicles. There had been no tracing devices in any of it. All of them, knowing Nic and Ambrose, didn’t want to take any chances. 

Gabe nodded as he saw Mel’s head starting to nod. “I think it’s bedtime for you before you fall asleep on Alexander and me, then we’re pinned to the couch all night.” She laughed as he helped her up and to the bedroom on the right side of the small living room that had two beds in it. There was a bedroom on the other side that had two beds in it as well. He helped Mel off with her hiking boots and up onto the bed. Exhaustion, emotions, and the liquor were starting to have a strong effect on her. 

Alexander came in behind them, kicking off his shoes and flopping on the other bed in the room. “I’m taking this one, Dez snores when he’s drunk. You can have one of the beds in the room across the living room. Cade is going to take the first watch for the next few hours.” His words were slightly slurred as he was obviously drifting off to sleep.

Gabe looked down at Mel who was starting to drift off. He leaned over to place a kiss on her forehead. How could Klaus have been such an idiot as to not listen and just hang up on her? Furthermore, how was Erik an even bigger idiot for what he’d done? She was a woman who proved she wasn’t afraid and could be just as fierce as they could. Shaking his head, he began to back up.

Gorgeous blue eyes cracked open and looked up at him. “Don’t go yet, just sit here till I fall asleep? Please?” The look in her tired eyes tore at him. Damn it if he wasn’t a sucker for a damsel in distress. He saw Alexander chuckle as he rolled over, giving him a thumbs up as he did. Sitting down on the bed next to where she was lying, he took her hand in his and leaned back against the headboard. He prayed the next day wouldn’t be nearly as long or as sideways as the previous 24 hours had been. 

Soon Gabe felt his head starting to drop. He started to move off of the bed but looked down at his fingers intertwined with hers and changed his mind. Instead, he slipped down to lay flat on his back next to her. A soft smile formed on his lips as he felt her move closer to him and he drifted off to sleep. Fuck what any of the rest of them thought, Klaus may have promised to keep her safe but he was actually going to do it.

Just over three hours later, the soft click of the lock on the door to the suite signaled that someone was coming in. A lone figure slipped through the barely cracked door, carefully closing it behind him. The feel of a gun barrel at his temple told him instantly that his entry had not gone undetected. As he waited to find out who it was that had gotten guard duty, a slow smirk crossed his lips.

“You’d better have one damn good excuse for being in here asshole, because if you don’t you’re going to wish you had never opened that door.” The end of the barrel pressed more firmly into his skull as he heard Cade’s voice low and growling.

“Seeing as my grandfather is paying your fucking ass, I think I have a good enough excuse to come in if I want. Although how the fuck you all got here is something I’ve got to hear.” Nic’s quiet voice held amusement. It had taken him what seemed like forever to even find a clue where any of them had gone.

“Shit bro, you’re lucky I asked questions first. How the fuck did you find us?” Cade holstered his weapon and moved closer to Nic so that they’re voices wouldn’t wake the other four up.

“Gabe parked his SUV four blocks away. When he stopped answering his phone, I went hunting.” Nic shook his head. “Y’all were fucking hard as hell to find. One female with three bodyguards does make an impression on a desk clerk though.” He chuckled. “Two rooms? Who’s where?”

“Dez is over there. The door is closed because his snoring was about to drive me insane. Alexander, Mel, and Gabe are all over there.” Cade gestured as he talked. He had sobered up an hour or so before and was now annoyingly clear-headed and awake, albeit with a massive headache.

“You know how she got out? And how did you end up here with your SUV at the airport?” Nic looked over at Cade as he leaned his back against the wall.

“Window in your grandfather’s office in the suite, along the ledge to the fire escape that was one room over, then down to the alleyway. Then she just walked until she got to a coffee shop. From there she rented the car and got ahold of Gabe. Gabe texted us. We met up with her at the coffee shop. When she got tired, Dez took the SUV to the airport and got a cab back here with the cash she gave him. We had already transferred all the weapons into the back of her SUV, so it was safe for him to leave it. Then she drove us here. She was the lead the whole time bro, organized the whole damn thing. Did you know she has five false identities?” Cade almost laughed as he talked.

“More than five, and yes I did. Although apparently, grandfather’s men have made some new ones because I couldn’t find a trace of the old ones. I only got the key up here because I scared the desk clerk more than the rest of you did.” Nic answered, pausing for a moment. “I wasn’t here. Understand? Tell none of them. She’s safe, you’re all alive. That’s all I cared about. I’ll keep grandfather off your asses, but you’re going to have to show up eventually. Let me know when you are and I’ll buffer the reception.”

Cade looked over at Nic with a newfound respect. He had expected to get dressed down for going off grid and helping Mel, not that he cared, but he hadn’t expected Nic to cover for their asses. Not that he was going to turn it down. “Never saw ya bro. I gotta ask though….how insane have Ambrose and Klaus gone?” 

“Grandfather is convinced one or more of you are with Mel. This Oglesby though, he’s a major player and violent and vicious. He’d kill Mel if it gave him a tactical advantage with grandfather and Alexander, so I wouldn’t say he’s exactly calm.” Nic looked over in the dim light of the room, the expression on his face clear to Cade. Nic was worried. Ambrose was worried. The main thing was not to let this asshole know that Alexander and Mel were in the same place.

“Klaus is a mess. I don’t know if Gabe told you but he damn near shattered Erik’s jaw. Grandfather had to fly in a medic to at least set it enough for the moment so that he wasn’t in so much pain he couldn’t think. He also broke his cheekbone and gave him a concussion. The doc thinks Erik may have a couple of broken ribs too. That was from less than a half-dozen punches. I think that Erik’s lucky that the blow to the throat didn’t crush his windpipe. Erik is having to use the laptop to type out his answers to questions at the moment. Although threats of letting Klaus back in the room are more effective than anything in getting his cooperation.” He saw Cade’s eyes go wide in the gloom and nodded. “So I think that tells you how he’s doing. He’s no less upset now than he was when he about knocked me and grandfather over to get to Erik. We’ve had to keep Klaus separated from grandfather, they do nothing but butt heads because Klaus is being kept in the hotel and not out looking for Mel. They’re going to end up shooting one another if they’re left alone too long.” Nic sighed. “ That she hasn’t called or contacted him is driving him out of his mind. He’s like a caged lion. So yeah.” Nic shook his head lightly. He felt for the other man, truly he did. There was just nothing that could be done at the moment to make the situation better without pissing off his cousin. Klaus had made his own bed when he hung up on her, he’d just have to lie in it a bit longer.

“Sounds like you’ve got your hands full bro. But hey, you think in the future we could get the short chick to come with us on missions?” Cade tried to lighten the mood. “She’s good; I mean she’s damn good. She put the fear of God in Andreas, she slipped out of a locked room and had you chasing your tail, and she can pull off a cover identity as well as any of us. We could use her.” 

“I take it you want to have Ambrose committed to the lunatic asylum. He would go all kinds of batshit crazy.” Nic laughed. He had to admit, she might have picked up too much over the years from being around him and their grandfather. “Now, before any of them wake up, or I’m out of contact for too long and they start checking up on me…I’m getting my ass out of here. You need anything…ANYTHING…you call ME, no one else.”

“Got it, bro. Be careful, if there could be a target on Mel’s back from this Oglesby, there could be one on yours too. We’ll keep her safe, don’t worry.” Cade nodded once toward Nic. They were friends, more like brothers, and as much as he would guard Mel’s ass, he’d guard Nic’s back as well.

With that Nic slipped out of the room as almost silently as he slipped in. Now he knew that his cousin was safe, it was time to hunt Oglesby.

banner from @cafekitsune

[tvchi]

Disclaimers: DO NOT COPY OR REPOST MY WORK. DO NOT TRAIN AI WITH MY WORK.

Warnings: You are in charge of your own experience! Mature Audiences ONLY: 18+, Minors DNI- SMUT, Nudity, Female receiving fingering, Oral Sex, Anal play, Profanity Pairing: black male x black female Words: 4,420k

A/N: Hey yall! Since I'm committed to finishing a series or two that I've started here for 2025, I am back with Part 4 of this series. I have been feeling a type of WAY, not sure if I'm ovulating or what, but this was what came out, and I hope you enjoy it. For all of my smut bunnies that have been patiently waiting for something kinky to pop off since Part 1, welcome back! Lol. There are some flashback scenes here that are Italicized.

Summary: Adrian is grappling with a myriad of things including why Y/N (aka Alana) isn't responding to him, meeting deadlines for a demanding boss, his own hidden agendas within the company, and possibly the police? See what happens on this installment of Veiled Intentions.

----------------------------------------- Adrian

She’s dry and became startled at my touch. As much as she tried to play it off, something had shifted. Either she knows or something is going on, and I have a feeling it has everything to do with that nigga. I had two jobs when it came to her. The first was to keep her happy and have her thinking that she had some semblance of control. The other was to make sure that my affairs were private.

I contacted some of my eyes on campus, and no one seems to know who this light-skinned nigga is or what department he belongs to. He’s been seen leaving that library with Alana one too many times for my liking, and they seem to be…familiar.

One of the videos I received of the two showed that they exited the building seconds apart and at a reasonable distance, but she had that look on her face. The one where I can tell that she’s pissed at me but is trying to parse through her emotions and thoughts to deliver a sound explanation for the way she feels while conjuring the receipts to back it up. I’ve only seen her have that look on her face when she’s studying, arguing with one of her annoying colleagues at the department or into it with me. 

I’m not sure when this thing between Alana and I bloomed into what it is now, but I was all in. After that night at the gallery, I became increasingly drawn to her. She popped out of nowhere and right into my lap with the witty sarcasm of someone not phased by glitz and glamour. The kind of someone who could fit into any crowd but had an air of sophistication about her. Someone who could help me run an empire.

Outside of knowing that every eligible bachelor would want a piece of her fine ass, she was also an art history professor. Our paths couldn’t be more aligned. I knew I was gone when I asked her to move in with me just after a month and a half of us dating. She hadn’t given me any yet, and I was still fucking Tara, but I ended all of that on our fifth date. I wanted Alana around me all the time. I wanted to be in her skin if I could. While I believed in marriage, I also believed in taking my time in getting there. Something about her made me reevaluate my timeline. I needed her.

The first night we fucked, everything in me unlocked. I felt it would be worth the wait, but I had no idea how much. Our bodies were in sync from the first night. 

---------------------------------

It was the way her eyes begged for more as I kissed her. Savoring every bit of the champagne that was previously on her lips, I poured some down her chest and began to lick slowly. I didn’t typically like playing with food, but she seemed like the perfect meal and plate. Edible dining ware was what she was.

I licked every single drop off of her while her nipple pebbled. Her areolas were the perfect shade of dark chocolate. I took them into my mouth one by one, then together. Wondering what it would be like to slide my girth in between her tits, I hardened. She moaned. The sounds she would make could make a dead man rise. They made you want to learn about her body and find out how many different ways you could bring her pleasure just for a chance to hear her sing.

I trailed kisses down her stomach to her belly button and drank the pooling liquid from there. I wanted to experience every curve and crevice. I finally reached her mound. Smooth, fresh, hairless. She knew tonight would be the night, making me want her even more. I ate her like she was my last meal.

Her climax trickled down my goatee and mustache. I kept going, introducing fingers into her warmth and into her ass. Her eyes bulged and rolled to the back of her head. I needed a couple more standing O’s for my work before I introduced her to my throbbing dick. She came again.

She lay on the bed, almost lifeless, when I came out of my clothing and used the remnants of her organism to coat my shaft and enter her. She gasped as I stretched her. I’m not sure anyone has had the honors in a while because she winced in pain. I slowed my strokes, letting her adjust to me. She cried out to me, saying my name. It was then that I knew I would paint the city red behind her. 

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I gotchu.” “Too. Much,” she let out in a staccato. “You’re a big girl. I know you can take it.”

She cried and moaned. 

“You want me to stop?” “No. Fuuuuck, Adrian. No. Fuck meeeee” “Anything you want, Mami”

I drilled her until she gasped for air, and tears streamed down her face. It wasn’t long before we both climaxed. Round two went a lot smoother. She was still getting used to me; her movements were slower, but she rode me like her favorite horse. The views from the back sent me into orbit. Riding my dick, she palmed and massaged my balls, sending me to heights I didn’t know were attainable. 

“Alana, I’m gonna c–”

Right before I finished my sentence, she lifted off of my dick and began to take me into her mouth. She used her right hand to apply most of the pressure around my shaft and proceeded to take my balls into her mouth.

“Alanaaaa” I grunted. This was a sound unfamiliar to me. She stopped abruptly and looked up at me. After a second, she said, “Cum for me,” as she stared into my soul and proceeded to stroke my dick, suck my balls, and massage the saliva dripping down her mouth into my tent and ass. I busted immediately. 

“Oh, fuuuuuuuck!” I couldn’t help it. I screamed, my cream coating her face. She straightened her posture and licked the cum off of her lips with her tongue. She took her index finger and wiped her eyes next.

“Good boy,” was all she said in a sultry tone. Then she sauntered off into the bathroom.  When she reemerged, evidence of my lack of control was wiped from her face. She cleaned me off with the warm, moist rags. Slightly embarrassed, I attempted to apologize, but she cut me off.

“I know you’re not about to apologize for doing something I explicitly told you to do?!”

“I wasn’t trying to disrespect you by bussin’ on your face. I was trying to control it. I didn’t think you were going to–”

Her index finger pressed against my lips. “I don’t feel disrespected. I feel like I own you now,” she replied as a wicked grin stretched across her face. She had no idea how right she was.  -----------------------------

Tearing my thoughts away from that night and back to the footage before me, I thought back to this particular day. She wasn’t supposed to be on campus the day of this footage. She told me that it was going to be a maintenance day. I remember because I slid her about $500 and told her which color I wanted on her nails and toes. She looked at me with those bright golden brown orbs, and the corners of her mouth curled up the sides of her face, almost reaching her eyes. Thank you, baby. That was what she could manage before skipping out of the door.

When she returned, everything was done, but not before she went in to work on her day off—something she rarely did. Something was off. I called in a few favors and put a tail on this new guy. He looked like a cop or military officer, and if they were trying to get to me through her, I wanted to be the first to know about it. It’s nothing to get him sent for. If Alana was turning on a nigga, I needed to put her down too. 

I left the apartment and headed down to the museum. I had an important meeting with the head of Consortium, and from what I gather, he doesn’t take too kindly to waiting. Once I arrived, I greeted West and Rich. They gave me today’s itinerary, inventory, and any events that may be hosted today. I thanked them and headed to my office.

I retrieved my laptop from the secure safe and began typing in my code. From this computer, I could monitor all the cargo routes, see the merchandise in transit, and monitor goods from each warehouse. It was safer to track this here than it was at home. I couldn’t risk Alana stumbling upon this and asking all kinds of questions she wouldn’t get the answers to.

There was a big set of morals on that one. She didn’t dabble in the grey. It was one of the first things I learned about her when we were dating.

---------------------------------

“I don’t think anyone should withhold aid just because other people take advantage of it,” she said sternly. We walked past a homeless family with three kids sitting on the street. One of the kids had come up to us asking for money. Alana reached down in her purse, pulled out three ten-dollar bills, and gave one to each kid. She looked at me, waiting for me to contribute, and when I never did, she flashed a faint yet disappointed smile to the kids and bid them a good day.

She started admonishing me for my lack of empathy, chastising me for buying her lavish gifts but not giving to those in need. This sprung into a debate about the begging industry.

“So, you are aware that a lot of these people choose to stay poor to take advantage of your sympathy, using babies and children to do it. Some of these people, especially in foreign countries, maim their own kids, forcing them to be crippled their entire lives just to give the money they get from you to thugs. It’s an entire industry. Look it up,” I said intently.

“It’s not that I’m not aware of the disgusting side of poverty and how some of these people have to do disheartening and strange things for shelter, protection, and food. But if they don’t produce, then what? They end up dying.”

“And what if I told you that for a lot of them, death is inevitable, and your $10 isn’t going to do anything but ease your conscience.”

“You don’t know that! If it was you, would you want someone to help?”

“Of course, they all do. The way this society works, or any social and political caste system for that matter, there needs to be systemic help to bring them out of their situation. Because capitalism always needs to use someone’s neck as the first stone to climb the ladder of hierarchy, you won’t change anything, and neither will the political system. You’d do better donating to HBCUs, school libraries, or local art museums and programs.”

“Yeah, but who remembers them?” she asked, referring to the family she had just helped.

“No one”

“That’s just not good enough.”

“It shouldn’t be, but that’s the way it is,” I declared in finality. 

She eyed me curiously, probably trying to decipher how I knew so much about how the underbelly of society operated or how I’d formed such a crass opinion about society. She didn’t need to know any of that. I wasn’t trying to reopen those wounds for anyone, especially not her. 

--------------------------------

Someone opening the storage room on the eastern dock brought my mind back to the present. I peered intently at the unfamiliar face. He opened the doors wide, blocking the line of sight of the camera I was looking at, so I turned to look at another camera showing a different angle.

The man was tall, muscular, and wore a snapback cap with an arch in the brim. His entire outfit was all black, topped with a black slender puffer vest. He moved like he knew his way around the docks and our containers. I watched him picking up items and placing them back down. He marked things off on a piece of paper attached to a clipboard.

Working diligently, he moved deep into the depths of the shipping container until I could no longer see him or what he was doing. After a long while, he resurfaced again. Shutting the container doors, he locked it and proceeded to head to another container and do the same.

At first, I didn’t think anything was strange outside of the fact that I’d never seen this particular dock worker before, and I personally handed out payroll to each and every worker on the dock. He may have been a new hire, but I would meet him soon enough. It wasn’t until he left that I noticed something small yet odd. 

“Adrian, Lucien is in the conference room waiting to see you,” my secretary Octavia said. I kept the anomaly in mind as I gathered the documents I needed to present.

“I’m coming”

“Those are words I haven’t heard in a while,” she cooed. I paused and looked at her as she flashed a devious smile. 

“Mhm” is all I managed before I followed her down the hall. 

She was a very attractive woman. Caramel complected, cinnamon and vanilla scented, and soft-spoken, she had all the right weaponry when it came to her curves, and her slanted, hooded eyes looked at you like she knew.

I tried my best to avoid her, only speaking with her about projects and schedules, but she made the task impossible. She lingered a little too long, got a little too close, and was always a little too attentive. On some nights, when there were events at the gallery and Alana couldn’t make it, she often accompanied me around the room. People easily mistook us for a couple, and I had to correct the mistake that she didn’t seem to mind. 

----------------------------------

One particular night, at the Red Dragon Gala the museum hosted for the Chinese New Year two months ago, I went to my office to retrieve some bidding cards. We had run out downstairs, and there were way more investors than anticipated. That shit blew me because I always made sure that the list wasn’t too big as to draw attention to any particular event they were hosting.

I knew that my coming down here from the city had me pinned as the curator extraordinaire, but 30 big wigs in one small-town museum event for a heritage event was a little suspicious even for me. Our Chinatown wasn’t even that populous. I knew it wouldn’t make sense for anyone looking in, especially law enforcement, but nothing could be done about it. Everyone was already here. As I retrieved the last of the cards, I heard a set of heels behind me. 

“There you are,” she seductively beamed. “I was beginning to think I would have to send a search party for you.”

“No need. I was getting a few more cards for the auction. I didn’t know that so many people would be joining us tonight. I remember making that list and a lot less names were on it. A lot less invitations were created too. Any idea how this happened?” I inquired.

“Well,” she started, looking up at me with apologetic eyes. “Don’t be mad, but a couple of people on the original guest list wanted to bring plus ones who were interested in our events. I didn’t want to say ‘no’ and risk losing them as clients, so I obliged. Names on the guest list kept growing each week, but only those on the original list received formal invitations. I’m sorry,” she ran her fingers up and down the length of my arm. Her eyes never left mine.

“Next time, you come to me if you have issues with these assholes. You hear me?”

“No, I’m sorry. I couldn’t hear that. Couldn’t say that again,” she said, walking right into the space between my legs, lips at my left ear, and her right hand now caressing the sword underneath my slacks.

“Whoa, Oct—”

“That wasn’t what you were saying,” she continued, cutting me off. “I asked you to tell me what you said.

My breath became shallow, and after repeating myself, she unzipped my trousers. Reaching inside, she set my dick free and began to massage it.

“Nothing turns me on more than a man who protects. It makes me want to…give him things.”

“Like what?” I inquired, trying to even out my tone and steady my breath.

“The stars,” she replied, guiding me onto the floor by my member. 

I lay facing her as she lifted her skin-tight, floor-length dress and moved her thong to the side. She lowered herself onto me and, without hesitation, guided my dick into her warm walls.

“Shiiiiiiit,” he moaned.

With a salacious grin, she began riding me. Her even tempo allowed me to regain my composure because I was sure if she went any faster, I would be done for.

“You feel so good, Adrian. Is this what she’s getting at home?” Her alluding to Alana while bouncing on my dick didn’t sit too well with me, so I hoisted her up and changed positions. Turning her around, I placed an arch in her back and entered her from behind, snaking my hand around her neck. 

“Anh auh, we don’t talk about her,” I stroked, pounding my annoyance into her. As I proceeded to wreck her, I noticed that she had multiple tattoos of stars and planets on her ass, resembling a galaxy of some sort. It was the most intricate ink I had seen in a while.

“UUuoouuu, Adrian,” she yelled. I covered her mouth with my other hand, muffling her screams. Picking up on my rhythm, she started throwing it back. Matching me stroke for stroke, retreating and slamming into my center as I rammed into hers. The sounds of her creaming pussy and my hungry dick filled the air. 

I lowered myself just enough to whisper in her ear. “Don’t scream.” Then, I removed my hand from her mouth. I moved her legs together and pulled her arms back, using them as reigns. I entered her again. Her muffled cries ignited more fire in me. She tightened around my dick, threatening to explode.

“You better not fucking cum unless I tell you to. You fucked up once, don’t fuck up again,” I scolded.

“Please, Adrian. Please, baby, let me cum”

“Uh uh. You over here sending invites I didn’t tell you to send, then grabbing dick that ain’t yours. You must think you run shit around here.” The more I spoke, the rougher I became. I pounded her pussy until she almost collapsed. Her walls convulsed.

“Adrian, please. I’m going to come,” she gasped, tears streaming down her face.

“Say you’re sorry.”

“I’m sorry, Adrian, please.”

“Sorry for what?”

“I’m sorry for sending those other invites. It won’t happen again, baby, please.”

I was reaching my peak and knew I could not hold on any longer. My balls were pulsating. She must have sensed that I was there because she tightened her pussy around my dick.

“Fuuuuck!”

“Let me cum”

“Let me see you. Rain all over this dick, bitch”

She let go as I continued to pound. A shower emanated from her, wetting my legs, shaft, and the tops of my pants.

“Damn, that’s some good pussy. I’m finna bust.”

“Mmmm cum in me, Adrian. Cum inside of me”.

I growled. Her pleas set me off as thick cream shot out of my tip. I pulled out a second later, stroking the rest of the hot substance out onto her ass and back. I closed my eyes briefly, trying to regulate my breathing and regain composure. She wiggled her ass, causing some of the cream to slide down the curve of the tattooed ring of one of the planets inked on her ass, hitting the nearby star on the way down her leg. 

“Damn”

“So, did you see them? She asked. I looked at her in confusion. “The stars,” she finished, chuckling. -----------------------------------

She turned around as she opened the door to the conference room, a knowing smile dancing across her face letting me know that she could feel my eyes dancing over her ass. 

“Let me know if you need anything,” she said as I walked past her. She closed the door behind me and sauntered off. I had no time to think about all the different ways she could wet my dick. Plus, I wasn’t going to risk losing Alana for her. She had amazing pussy, but she was no Alana. I settled my thoughts as I walked over to Lucien. I extended my hand over to him, and he took it. We both sat down. 

“I know you’ve come a long way so I won’t waste your time with pleasantries. I see that my secretary has gotten you some pastries, coffee, and your favorite drink, so I’ll dive right in.”

“Man after my own heart,” he said, smiling while his entourage chuckled. 

I started delving into the presentation. There were three areas that connected our operation. I went through all the inventory we’ve been getting worldwide and on U.S. soil. All the merchandise that we housed totaled up to eighty million dollars.

Then, I presented an active list of everyone who was interested in clientele. To date, we had about three hundred and forty-seven active buyers and a couple more on the waiting list that had substantial capital.

Lastly, I reviewed the brick-and-mortar locations, land, and charities we owned and supported. I gave them an estimated time on when we could realistically expand operations at this location without raising too many eyebrows.

“All those years ago in Santa Monica, when you barged into my office, I knew you were the man for the job. You were dingy and straight off the street, but I knew you were different. No ordinary beggar, drunk, or gambler could leverage their debt into a million-dollar scheme like this,” he started. One thing about the threatened and wealthy is that they always try to remind you of your place. Beneath them.

He turned to his right hand, nicknamed Cain, and said, “I fucking told you. You told me not to trust him, and I said this one is a spitfire. And he’s good-looking too. He’s black and spic, but I bet you he can get people to listen to him. Didn’t I say that?”

“Yeah, boss,” replied Cain.

This is the part of our interactions where it starts getting racist and I start to tune out. They all knew that I was more than qualified for this endeavor, and if another person could do the job, they would’ve found them already. They’d take anyone over a nigga.

My returns did not lie; in 2 years, I had made them even more prosperous than they’ve ever been.  I united worlds that generally had nothing to do with each other, kept peace, and ensured everyone got paid.

Most importantly, they didn’t know how. A couple of months in, a couple of Lucien’s guys were following me, trying to uncover just exactly how I did my shit, hoping to mimic the system and cut me out completely. They should all know that niggas are used to getting fucked over, and by now, this nigga would have come up with a foolproof way to remain the plug. Once Lucien made good on paying off all of my debt, that’s when I really started escalating the business. 

“I need you to run by the museums on Pinehurst and make sure everything is ready for the event in two weeks. As you know, there will be a lot of A-listers present. I need everything to run smoothly,” his tone changed from lighthearted to firm.

“I’ve been going there twice a week since it was announced, and I’m already set to head over there tomorrow. Everything will go as planned,” I replied, insulted. I’ve been doing this for two years, and he hops on a plane to tell me how to do my job.

“Good. Well then, I’ll leave you to it then,” he said. “Oh, I’m sure you already know this, but there has been increased chatter about what we do here. A lot of curious minds want to know why there is a sudden interest in Harborview. Many of them think something fishy is going on and want to join the party. I would expect that you keep that girlfriend of yours close and your friends at the precinct closer,” he tossed over his shoulder while eating a toasted croissant. 

I packed up my things and headed to the conference room, leaving them to the snacks and drinks on the table. I didn’t have time for a dick-measuring contest. I still needed him, and he knew that. He was a wealth of information, and I still had to be tapped in to finish this phase of the program.

I wondered what he meant by “keep Alana close.” It only fueled the doubt growing within me that something was going on with her, and I needed to know what. Once I made it, I scanned the security camera around the building. A habit I indulge in twice a day during the work day and once more in the evening.

As I looked at the corner of the screen, I noticed a navy blue car that looked like it had been parked there for a while. I didn’t remember seeing it this morning when I pulled into the side entrance. Something about that car looked very familiar. I tapped into the other camera on the street, which was placed there by some of Harborview’s finest for extra security, and I could see some of the time within the car.

I zoomed in to see some of the items. There were two soft, small stuffed animals at the back of each headrest, and there was also a leather satchel with braided leather tassels that rested between them. I recognized that satchel after staring at it for a couple of minutes. What is she doing here?

---------------------------------------------------------

As always, I am so thankful that you made it till the end. Please comment, reblog, ask questions, and throw in some suggestions of what you may want to see next. I had fun writing this one and I thought it was about time that we heard from Adrian! CATCH UP: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

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[saintvainglorious]

alicent's whole life has revolved around keeping her children alive, even and especially at the cost of their own happiness. everything she's ever done, everything she's ever sacrificed - her body, her freedom, her dignity - has been to that end. so her decision in the finale is a pretty stunning reversal.

if you're gonna make alicent suddenly overcome the sunk cost fallacy and decide that she's willing to sacrifice the kids she destroyed her life for to attain personal freedom at long last - an idea that I do actually find quite compelling!!! no one else on this show deserves to be monstrously selfish more than alicent!!! - you have GOT to build up to that shit more. getting fired from the small council cannot POSSIBLY be the thing that convinces alicent "i'm done w this shit i'm gonna sacrifice my sons and escape my ongoing self-destruction". one frolic in the woods CANNOT convince me she's ready to abandon it all. alicent's woodland adventures were not nearly cool enough to be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

this is not a character arc y'all. this is a "hey wouldn't it be cool if alicent and rhaenerya thematically switched places" coming up in the writer's room and then the writers tossing it in the last two episodes rather than working towards that endpoint throughout the entire season. It's not just a stretch, it's a slap in the face.