#t: into the lion's den

[theunknownmasks]

And something did shift in his eyes and mood. "Of course. Let me correct you Pharaoh.. Mana hurt me you recall she tore out my eye. She attacked first. believe what you will. I never hurt her. Love me? as if that some twisted joke. Again you said this before .. and i warned you not to say that to me again you KNOW HOW I felt. why did it have to be you. that i fell for."

Fuck...he was trying to not bring up the past. Not like this anyways. He simply wanted to say no matter what had been said and done between them all, that he still felt the way he did. It was coming to blow up in his face.

"Thief..that's not what I'm trying to say, I know this but we've had a lot of...issues between all of us. I didn't mean physically. I meant that we've all hurt each other in some way..and no matter what.." He felt like the energy between them had passed so he was dropping it. With a light shake of his head. "Nevermind..it's not important. I'm sorry, Thief. I never meant to bring that up. If you..need some time alone just say it I'll go." He was shutting down as he always did as a pharaoh.

Those words stung hearing it from him. More than he led on as he held back the pain in his heart and the tears that wanted to leave him. He held it all in and took a breath.

It was like a light switch that he had to flick off to turn it all off. No matter how much that hurt.

"I'm sorry..that you love a man like me."

[stingslikeabee]

@ivory-paragon . from here

The madame's replies were of the non-verbal kind - a soft press over his arm and a smile for Rufus, although it was an entirely genuine one rather than something done as part of their own little theatrics. But underneath it all, the woman's heart was agitated - it was a night of firsts for Melissa in many forms, including the next steps. While she was used to extracting information out of the average man who did not think honeygirls did much beyond spreading their legs and giggling at their jokes, their 'rat' was a different one.

It all pointed towards a reclusive soul, likely not too fond of socializing, and someone of high intelligence. Their act needed to be played perfectly or they risked losing track of that potential lead - with all the dire circumstances it entailed.

Once the couple left their box, Melissa made an effort to act like most of the girls around them did with their dates: enthusiastic about the performance of the first act, holding to the arm of their beau and not shying from the attention of their peers. It was a sea of differently colored dresses and jewelry on display and the Turks had outfitted the madame splendidly - while at the Honey Bee Inn she looked like the owner of the establishment, at the opera house she was easily lost among many other equally fashionable ladies.

Slowly, but steadily, they moved through the crowd while looking for the individual from earlier - and spotted him at the bar, waiting for his order. As the duo advanced, a server handed over a glass to their target - and judging by the coloration, one would imagine it to be wine. However, Melissa had read enough about the surroundings to know about their prized cherry productions, so potentially that could also be some local brandy.

Well - no matter; that glass was about to stain his white shirt in a couple of minutes.

Pulling some hair over a shoulder and ensuring the earpiece was well-hidden from view, Melissa politely detached herself from Rufus' arm with a cheerful exclamation about fetching them something to drink - and promptly made a beeline to their man, blaming their collision on a sudden twirl caused by her flamboyant excitement. The entire idea was for the madame to draw their little rat in - she had the unknown face and, for all they knew, the right gender for the experiments conducted in the past. The more the president remained in the background (as an observer), the better.

"I am so sorry, sir - please, allow me to help," and with that, Melissa's own performance started. The brunette looked genuinely mortified with the scene caused, then promptly started to go through her own purse for a handkerchief she could use to wipe the moisture away while apologizing to him. As the entire thing developed, the woman also tried to get the best look she could at the man...

...And it reminded her of the sketch that Shinra had managed to get done. It was a good match.

"It must have been the excitement - I was too eager to finally see a version of the Mythril Enchantress at the city where the play was created," Melissa carried on, talking in a way that was aimed to convey just how much she had been enjoying the opera - one of Kalm's creations inspired after the legend of an enchantress (or ghost) that had roamed the mythril mines nearby and which was featured in several accounts from former workers. The opera had fashioned it into something much more dramatic, as these often did... But if their suspect was one fond of the craft, perhaps talking about it would yield enough proof of his identity?

And maybe it had been luck (or just sheer preparation with the Turks), but it worked - the man's eyes moved from his shirt to Melissa, and he seemed oddly interested in the lady fussing with his clothing all of a sudden. Craning his head a bit, he asked:

"Is this your first time seeing this one, miss...?"

"Isabel Avelar," the madame replied easily enough, flashing a smile to the stranger and then stepping back to gauge the effectiveness of her attempt of cleaning him up from the brandy, "Yes, it is my first time. I adore the classics and I have seen too many adaptations of Loveless, but coming to Kalm for this local gem had been on my dream list for ages. My fiancé was kind enough to secure the best tickets... There is no best place to enjoy it but from a box and undisturbed by the chatter, wouldn't you agree?"

[pablitogavii]

Resolved Anger

“You’re not going! End of conversation!” Pablo was practically yelling at me at this point while still getting ready himself for this stupid party.

“And you are!? Mete a la mierda Pablo!” I was sitting on his bed wearing his oversized t-shirt with eyes crossed in front of my chest.

“I’m not taking you to lions den, where every footballer will try to fuck you enana!” He said putting on his leather jacket.

“You’re the only footballer who can fuck me then huh cabrón!?” I said angrily while he smirked nodding his head and leaning in closer.

“Dame un beso..” he said demanding it more than asking for it and I felt a shiver move down my spine.

He always claimed to be my “protective friend” but it’s a load of crap since every time we are close like this, he ends up between my legs..

“You know how footballers are hijo..keep them away from her” my dad said and Pablo squeezed my thigh underneath the dinner table.

“Te lo prometo” Pablo answered while I tried my best to control my breathing.

“Ya enana!” he was impatient and I sighed touching his face and pecking his lips with a pout..maybe this makes him let me go to the damn party!

“Take..me..with..you” I said between each kiss and he smirked rubbing our noses together.

“No y basta!” He said and I signed pulling away from him which made him roll his beautiful brown eyes at me. Idiot!

He was done getting ready adding that addicting perfume before walking up to be curled up in bed.

“Besito before I leave bombocito?” He said moving behind me but I was in no mood and he could tell.

“Estás enojada conmigo huh?” He said touching my arm and turning me to lay in my back so I can see him.

“Si..” I answer quietly because whenever he was hovering above me like this, it becomes hard to breathe.

“Hmm and if I give you your mimitos before bed?” He said and I felt my own excitement rise..I always loved when he would cuddle and kiss me to sleep.

I just nodded shyly and he leaned in leaving kisses on my neck pulling me on top of him while laying down on the bed.

“Vale, veni aquí cari” he said and I moved pulling on his jacket and he took it off to make me more comfortable. I nuzzled my face into his neck and he was playing with my hair.

“Que haces conmigo? Hm?” He said moving my hair back and looking down at my face with a smile. That damn smile..

“No te vayas..” I said sadly and he signed kissing the top of my head softly. It wasn’t that I wanted to go to that party so much that I knew girls would be hitting on Pablo like always

“Sleep..and I’ll be back quick” he said but that only made me grumpier. I tried pulling away but he wouldn’t let me and I couldn’t fight his strong muscular arms.

“Que tengas huh? You really wanna go that badly?” He said wrapping a strand of my hair around his finger and I shook my head.

“They will steal you from me..” I said and he smiled pulling you in and kissing your forehead.

“Tan preciosa..” he said and I sighed shrugging my shoulders while he moved on top of me.

“How do you think I feel when you mingle around footballers..” he said and I giggled..I knew Pablo was jealous and I loved him for it.

“Only one is on top of me every night..” I said and he smirked proudly kissing my lips and enjoying the ways my fingers played with his hair.

“Hmm estás mala..muy mala amor” he groaned when I started to scratch his back as he caught my lips kissing them passionately.

Then his phone rang..what a incredible timing boys have!!!

“Hola? Ah si, hermano..estoy list..oooh” he didn’t expect my lips sucking ontoo his neck as he gave me a warning look that made me smirk in amusement.

“Basta enana!” He said but I kept leaving hickeys all over his skin while Balde was talking about the plans for the night.

“Si que estoy escuchando cabrón!” He said while I laughed knowing he wasn’t paying attention to anything but how I made him feel now.

“Bueno! I’ll see you later Balde!” Gavi got off the call when I started kissing down his chest and unbuttoning his shirt.

“Que haces mi vida?” He said and I smirked leaving a trail off kisses and giving every one of his abs special attention.

“Making you stay with me..” I whisper seeing his jaw clenching.

“How am I doing papi??” I stopped looking up at him with arms behind his head and his eyes closed. Clearly he was very into it..

“Keep convincing me princesa..” he said and our eyes met as he held my cheeks and kissed my lips.

“J..joderrr” he groaned as I undid his shorts and started sucking him off needy for more.

“Ahhh princesa..mía..tan buena” he was playing with my hair taking off the rest of his clothes and pulling down by my legs to get on top.

“Im destroying your pussy tonight!” He sounded so angry and hot that I already had pool between my legs.

“Do it papii. I’m all yours “ I moaned making him smirk proudly.

“This was your plan all along .. huh traviesa!?” He was pounding his cock into me making my mind go blank.

“Yes! Please don’t go..just fuck me all night instead” I begged making him twist me on my stomach and get behind.

[star-my]

BTS Fic Recs ☆ Tumblr (i)

These are all available on tumblr as of April 2024. Some are likely crossposted on ao3 as well.

~Ao3 RECS HERE~ ~Recs (ii)~ ~Recs (iii)~

Almost all are complete works, those with “+” after WC are incomplete. Most are BTS x (F!)Reader.

Most of these are Mature or Explicit (usually because of smut) ~ mdni ~ italicized titles rated G or T ~ Please read responsibly

If any authors tagged here wish to be removed/untagged, please lmk! | Shoutout to @ggukkiereads who does an amazing job creating rec lists, which helped me find many of these fics

F2L = friends to lovers ; E2L = enemies to lovers ; FE2L = frenemies to lovers ; R2L = rivals to lovers ; BFB = best friend's brother ; BBF = brother's best friend etc

OT7/Multi

☆ BTS Reactions by @dreamescapeswriting | SFW + NSFW |

☆ BTS Scenarios by @btsjfans | SFW + NSFW |

☆ BTS Scenarios by @bulletproofwhalien | NSFW + SFW |

☆ BTS Scenarios by @salvejoon | SFW + NSFW |

☆ BTS Scenarios by @sunshine-and-bangtan | SFW + NSFW |

☆ Desperado Series by @heartbeatan | Mafia AU | PJM + JJK + KTH (in progress) | 60-160k(+) each

☆ The Company series by @btsmakesmehappy | Agent AU | 25-37k(+) each (in progress)

☆ Mafia BTS Reactions by @ninetailedfoxmanchi | Mafia AU (+Yandere AU) |

☆ #CodeBTS series by @yminie | Mafia AU | 1-12k each

Kim Namjoon

☆ The Ghost in Apartment 1403 series by @notsoguiltykpop | Ghost AU, Supernatural AU, Roommate AU? | ?k

☆ beauty & the bookworm by @jungshookz | E2L Library AU, Uni AU | 20k

☆ la vie en bonsai by @jungshookz | S2F2L Neighbours AU, Baker AU | 38k

☆ The Seven Nights series by @theunknowncryptid | SMAU, Mafia AU | 13k

☆ real magic by @heretobbtstrash | S2F2L Single Parent AU, Coffee Shop AU, Coworkers AU | 17k

Kim Seokjin

☆ {Unavailable}

Min Yoongi

☆ Take One by @untaemedqueen | Pornstar AU | 24k

☆ The Deal series by @untaemedqueen | Mafia AU | ?k

☆ suit & tie by @jungshookz | CEO AU, Office AU, Coworkers AU, PA AU | 21k + drabbles

☆ hellish by @jungshookz | E2L Demon AU, Roommate AU | 22k

☆ strike a chord by @snackhobi | S2L Pianist AU, Bar AU | 16k

☆ straight shooter by @snackhobi | F2L/E2L Cyberpunk AU, Dystopian AU | 14k

☆ devil with the mint hair series by @theharrowing | E2FWB Brother's BFF AU, Stoner AU | 11k+

☆ a wager of lords and love by @hisunshiine | S2L Historical AU, Arranged Marriage AU | 7k

☆ daechwita by @chemicalpink | Daechwita AU, Assassin AU | 10k

☆ stay by @luffles424 | Daechwita AU, Assassin AU | 3k

☆ daechwita by @se0kie | Daechwita AU | 4k

☆ make me proud by @moonscriptsx | Established Relationship AU, Canon Idol-verse | 6k

☆ by its cover by @kittae | S2L Cat Dad AU | 2k

☆ misfortunately, yours by @sor-vette | S2F2L Dark Fae AU, Dark Fantasy AU | 32k

☆ mixtape by @jungblue | F2L Uni AU, Radio AU | 15k

☆ cyberslut by @kimnjss | SMAU, Uni AU, Fboy AU | ?k

☆ alive aha fxck by @softyoongiionly | F2L Neighbours AU, Vampire AU | 43k

☆ a brew of wings by @inkedtae | S2F2L Dragon AU, Witch AU | 10k

☆ fury of their scales by @kpopisthereasonihavenolife | Dragon AU | 18k

☆ inheritance series by @jincherie | Hybrid AU | 21k

☆ tuxedo series by @whatifyoulivelikethat | Cat(-shifter?) AU, Roommates AU | ft JJK | 49k+

☆ Assuage series by @btsqualityy | Omegaverse AU, Werewolf AU | ?k

☆ show by @httpjeon | Pw/oP ft BTS | 2k

☆ drip by @here2bbtstrash | Pw/oP | 5k

Jung Hoseok

☆ midnight confessions by @snackhobi | BFF2L Coworkers AU, Office AU, Buzzfeed Unsolved AU | 27k

☆ the bride of ashmedai by @jeonggukingdom | Demon AU, Arranged Marriage AU | 13k

Park Jimin

☆ The Bird Cage series + The Lion's Den series by @untaemedqueen | S2L Mafia AU | ?k

☆ Set It Off series by @btsqualityy | Mafia AU | ?k

☆ the hunt by @httpjeon | Shifter AU, Fantasy AU | 8k

☆ lovebug by @httpjeon | Hybrid AU | 12k

Kim Taehyung

☆ Pied Piper by @untaemedqueen | Mafia AU, Established Relationship AU | 10k

☆ maybe i do series by @chateautae | Arranged Marriage AU, Chaebol AU, CEO AU | 410k + drabbles

☆ kinda hot by @kimnjss | BFF2L SMAU, Uni AU, Fboy AU | ?k

☆ nip it in the bud by @opaljm | Brother's BFF AU, Piercing AU | 10k

☆ heatwave series by @curly-bangtan | F2L Roommate AU | 12k

☆ under the covers by @jessikahathaway | Agent AU | 23k

Jeon Jungkook

☆ heavy lifting by @snackhobi | Coworkers AU | 13k

☆ Miss Vagabond by @bubblesuga | F2L Gamer AU | 8k

☆ blizzard by @curly-bangtan | S2L Roommates AU | 16k

☆ Sparkle by @btsmosphere | F2L Roommates AU | 3k

☆ Hands-On Learning series by @ladyartemesia | Uni AU | 5k

☆ kiss it better by @jincherie | Uni AU, Sports AU, Cheer AU | 12k

☆ ghosts just wanna have fun by @sugaxjpg | Ghost AU, Supernatural AU, Uni AU | ft MYG + KTH | 20k

☆ tell me your secrets (i'm all ears) by @jinpire | Uni AU, Hybrid AU | 7k

☆ under the bridge by @jincherie | Hybrid AU | 11k

☆ Swipe right by @ppersonna | BFF2L Tinder AU | 9k

☆ overtime by @cupofteaguk | CEO AU, Office AU, PA AU, Coworkers AU | 12k

☆ I won't stop you series by @imsarabum | Vampire AU, Fantasy AU, Office AU, Coworkers AU, CEO AU, PA AU | ?k

☆ life eternal by @jungkookiebus | Fae AU | 9k

☆ hotter than hell series by @chateautae | Demon AU | 136k

☆ Hellblazer series by @jungkookiebus | Demon AU, Constantine AU | ?k

☆ agent of love series by @ppersonna | SMAU, Agent AU | ?k+

☆ strawberry kisses series by @kimnjss | SMAU, Brother's BFF AU, Tinder AU | ?k

☆ drag me down (to hell) series by @kimvtae | Mafia AU, Single Parent AU | 58k (abandoned)

☆ Concealed Weapon by @gimmesumsuga | Mafia AU, Husband AU | 10k

☆ hate sex by @yeoreos | FWB Pw/oP | 4k

Overall Favourite Authors (If I recc'd all their works like I want to/more than I have, I'd have to make this series even longer >.<)

☆ @bonvoyagenoona's masterlist

☆ @chateautae's masterlist

☆ @flowerwrites06's masterlist

☆ @here2bbtstrash's masterlist

☆ @hollyhomburg's masterlist

☆ @icyhobi's masterlist

☆ @jungshookz's masterlist

☆ @justcallmenikki7's masterlist

☆ @kpopfanfictrash's masterlist

☆ @ladyartemesia's masterlist

☆ @luxekook's masterlist

☆ @magicalsalamander's masterlist

☆ @yminie's masterlist

☆ @yoonia's masterlist

[hansensgirl]

summary. | The family vacation your boyfriend’s dad planned turns out to be something much worse.

prompts. | Andy Barber + Boyfriend’s Dad + “Come out, come out, wherever you are!” + Cheating, requested by @vellicore.

pairing. | dark!boyfriend’s dad!Andy Barber x fem!reader.

warnings. | NON/DUBCON, cheating, age gap, deceit, lying, chasing kink, pet names, andy is a pervert (he gets hard), kidnapping/captivity?, jacob is aged up, and more. 18+ MINORS DNI!

author’s note. | this is a part of my Dark Concepts (2023) request form. thank you for taking part in this event! please enjoy and don’t forget to reblog. MINORS DNI, 18+ ONLY! taglist: @hansensfics

Jacob wasn’t here again, and this time, you really hated him for it. 

You should’ve known better after that long drive upstate, the lack of other cars and the monstrosity of the Barber family’s cabin. Your boyfriend insisted you drive up ahead of him, making up some excuse about privacy and taking your time to enjoy the scenery. It was nothing but a gloomy, rainy day the entire time. 

Andy was the only one there, and though he said Laurie would be coming up soon, you doubted him. Especially as he chases you through the house, desperate to take something he claims is his. You. 

You pant as you feel a cramp developing in your stomach, slowing you. You never thought a vacation home could be this large, but then again, you never thought your boyfriend’s father would be such a monstrous being. 

“Honey?” Andy calls out, voice sickeningly sweet. It makes you nauseous the way he refers to you so kindly despite his cruel intentions. He already got halfway there, as you’re only wearing your panties and a t-shirt. He caught you off guard, but you know you can’t let that happen again.

You groan as you shake the doorknobs to the many rooms, each one locked and needing a key. You curse under your breath and spin around, not sure where to go next. The stairs are creaky, and you’d probably trip. But Andy is in the opposite direction, so you’ll have to risk it.

Your aim is to get your car keys and leave, even without your most important belongings. You’ll drive as far away as you can until you find help. 

“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” the older man snickers, and you nearly gag. You’re thirsty and out of breath, tired and wholly terrified. “I won’t hurt you, sweetie. I promise. I’m just gonna show you how a man treats a lady,” Andy yells as you descend the stairs.

You do so carefully yet not too slowly, wary of making noise that’ll give away your location. You hope that either Laurie or Jacob will turn up, but you know that won’t happen. Fate seems to have it out for you.

You hurry to the kitchen and look for your keys. You placed them on the countertop when you arrived, but they’re not there anymore. You bite back a loud shout of frustration and pull the drawers open, searching through each of them. But you come up with nothing.

Andy must’ve hidden them—he probably had this planned, but for how long? You grow lightheaded when your strategy falls through. You don’t know what else to do. Your phone is all the way upstairs, and you’re not fearless enough to venture back to the lion’s den.

You spot the landline on the wall and rush to pick up the handset, but there's no dial tone when you hold it to your ear.

Suddenly, the phone is smacked out of your hand, and you jolt in fear. It clatters to the floor, and Andy kicks it away. 

“Stay away from me!” you yell, trying to push at him. But your boyfriend’s father is too strong. “Now, it was hot at first, sweetie, but I’m getting a bit tired,” Andy pants, grabbing you roughly. He pulls you close to his body, holding you tightly. You have no room to fight, no chance at escaping. 

You settle for your one last weapon—your voice. You cry for help loudly, and Andy groans, clapping one of his large hands over your mouth. You try to bite him, but your attempt is futile.

“You can be as loud as you want, honey. There’s no one around to hear you,” he whispers, and you know he’s telling the truth. You’re in the middle of nowhere. “But I’d much rather have you screaming when I’m fucking you,” Andy chuckles, and tears sting your eyes.

“What about your wife? And Jacob?” you ask him when he pulls his hand away. “Who cares, sweetie? It’s just you and me now,” Andy hums, and though he appears to be gazing down at you lovingly, you can see the darkness—the longing and lust—in his eyes. You thought he was different from his father and son, but who were you kidding?

The older man grinds his cock against your ass, letting you feel what you do to him. Andy presses kisses along your neck, and his grip on you doesn’t loosen one bit. You let yourself go slack in his hold, wishing your boyfriend could help, but you know he doesn’t care. He never has—but Andy always will. 

[blues824]

Hi! If requests are still open, ignore this if they aren't, could I request Savanaclaw with a fem! honey badger reader?

The one time I used Wikipedia lol. Reader is not Yuu, but stays in Ramshackle.

Leona Kingscholar

The first thing he noticed was that you were independent and strong. You were actually ferocious, and when you stepped on his tail in the greenhouse you were not afraid to use your long nails to scratch him to escape. But this was actually what made him attracted to you. You were a fighter, and he liked that.

You didn’t let anyone walk all over you. He’s seen the amount of times where even Jack shows up to Savanaclaw with a black eye, and he said it was because he trespassed into Ramshackle without your permission. Everyone was scared of you, but only he knew about the tunnels you dug underneath the old dormitory building. For some reason, you trusted him.

The two of you can often be found cuddling with each other in a den you made in your tunnels. It was a bit weird for Leona at first, but he knew that honey badgers typically didn’t even take on mates so this was weird for you as well. He actually liked the new level of privacy that the tunnels held for the two of you, so now no one would interrupt your naps. 

Your unique magic actually came in handy during his overblot, because you were able to dig underground and surprise attack him by jumping through the dirt and uppercutting him in the jaw. The best part was that your skin was super thick, and thus he couldn’t turn you to dust. You were practically invincible. The only vulnerability you showed was when he backhanded you in the head and you stumbled. Unfortunately, this meant that it was his target and you ended up unconscious as Yuu and the others finished him off.

In the infirmary, he woke up first. After he said hi to his nephew who was right on his chest, he looked over to see you still out. He quickly sat up, remembering all that had happened and realizing that he had the overblot entity behind him hit you hard in the head. Last time he checked, the head was the most sensitive and vulnerable spot on a honey badger. He found a nearby chair and, with a bit of struggle, moved it next to you so he could sit closer to you.

Ruggie Bucchi

You reminded him of the women back in his homeland, and you definitely scared him. Your sharp nails, your borderline mean attitude, it all intimidated him. He’s seen the first years have black eyes because they impede on your territory in Ramshackle. The only ones who have been unscathed from being in your burrow under the dormitory were himself and Yuu, and he is very honored.

It wasn’t always that way, though. When you found out that he was the one behind all of the accidents, you scratched him with your sharp claws and threatened that you would be willing to bite his ears off if he didn’t stop. He let out a whimper out of nowhere, and he sweatdropped before telling you that he would discontinue his actions.

However, now his favorite pastime is cuddling with you in your nesting burrow. There were a bunch of pillows in there, and he thought it was the perfect resting place. You told him more about honey badgers, and the fact that you were letting him in there meant you were committing to this relationship. He was, too, because he loved you a lot.

He was extremely scared for you when you were going up against Leona in his overblot, but when he started turning to dust after being touched, you were seeing red. You were throwing more hands than the lion could catch. You even landed a powerful uppercut, but it only ended up making him angrier and you being knocked unconscious by a blow to the head. Ruggie ran over, trying to get you to wake up, but you were out cold.

This man did not want to leave your side at all. He was growing worried. Maybe you suffered brain damage? However, the nurse had told him that you would be alright. He could not sleep at all, not with you still unconscious. He felt so bad, like he was guilty of doing this to you. He wishes he could take it all back, if he’s being honest.

Jack Howl

He met you when Yuu and you came to him asking for help against Leona. You sighed in pure anger when he said that he wouldn’t help. You actually reached up and pulled him down by the ear and said that he would help unless he wanted to end up like Ace Trappola. The Heartslabyul student attended class with a black eye and a bruised lip… oh.

You weren’t afraid to stand up for yourself either. Ruggie was going to try and take over your body just to make you fall down the stairs, but before Jack could stop him you took a fall. But, you got right back up and used your unique magic to go underground. No one knew where you were, but in a few seconds you burst out of the ground and slashed at the hyena’s face with your claws. Blood was drawn, and the wolf winced upon seeing his dorm-mate like that.

As much as this guy seems tough, he does like cuddling with you. His tail is a big source of warmth that you enjoy in the comfort of your nesting burrow. He actually gave you one of his blankets because it smells like him, and he once caught you sleeping with it. The sight made him super flustered, and Yuu made fun of him for being such a ‘simp’.

When Leona overblotted, Jack did not want you rushing into battle. He actually shouted your name when the Housewarden grabbed your arm, but you just twisted and wrestled and turned out fine. It was only when you landed an uppercut from bursting through the dirt below where you got hit in the head. The Savanaclaw First Year was enraged, and Ace and Deuce had to stop him from rushing in as well.

The last thing you heard was your name being shouted before you passed out. Your wolf boyfriend carried you to the infirmary, and he growled at anyone who came too close to you… even the nurse. He would have skipped out on all of his classes just to be sure that you were alright, but the other first years dragged him out and into the classrooms.

[sunshine-and-moonshine]

Captain’s Whiskey

Requested: Yes [Hi!! May I please request some non-con/dub-con with John Price x fem reader]

Warnings: Non-con, Drunk!Price, violence, slapping, Reader becomes concussed, oral sex (F receiving), unprotected sex, breeding kink, choking (to the point of passing out), implied Somnophilia

“Stay still, Sargent.” Price grumbled in your ear, hot and heavy, smelling of that whiskey you know he likes, the kind you gifted him for his birthday the other day. Normally you didn’t mind the smell but today it felt like it was suffocating you, like you were drowning in it. It burned your lungs and made you feel all the more pitiful as your Captain ran his hands under your clothes, groping and clawing and kissing at whatever skin he could reach.

You wanted to scream, wanted to cry, wanted to tell him to stop it, slow down, but all that came out was a pathetic whimper, strangled and quiet. You were helpless, belly down under the weight of your Captain, trapped between him and the creaked with every minor jostle, sounding like screaming when he started dry humping your thigh.

You shouldn’t have answered his summons. Not when it was the middle of the night. Not after that disaster of a mission.

You shouldn’t have stepped so far into the lion’s den when you could see the almost empty bottle of whiskey on his desk, a fully empty one shattered on the floor. Like he had thrown it in a fit of drunken rage.

“Always wanted this.” He murmured in your ear, one hand clutching tight at the collar of your t shirt while the other wrapped around your throat, rough calluses scratching at your neck, feeling like sandpaper against your skin. “Always wanted to fuck you. From the moment I saw you. So beautiful, Love.”

A tear slipped down your cheek, not dignifying his words with any kind of response, just turning your head away, burying it further into his pillow. You could hear him click his tongue but it sounded so far away, like something put on the television late at night while you were on leave, trying to drown out the voices in your head.

It never worked.

You vaguely registered him ripping at your shirt, heard it more than anything, barely registering the cold seeping into your very bones when he leaned back to work at your pants as well, leaving you splayed beneath him in only your underwear.

You closed your eyes. It would be over soon, you assured yourself as he let out a low whistle, his fingers tracing the outline of your labia, thumbing at your clit.

“So wet, Love.” He groaned, and you heard the clinking of him undoing his belt, the shifting of fabric before he was back on top of you, hot like molten lava against your skin, almost exactly like the fire from an explosion Johnny had set off on your way out of a building, almost burning you with its head. You cried out, trying to arch your back away from him but he wasn’t having any of it, pulling you back against him tighter, a growl of warning in your ear that you didn’t heed.

It hurt, it burned, it was too much, help-

You didn’t notice when he turned you around, but you sure did notice when he slapped you, his palm striking your cheek so violently that it snapped your head to the side. You were sure you could taste blood in your mouth.

You looked at him slowly, clutching your cheek like it was some fatal wound, trembling beneath his angry red face, his body shaking with his heavy breathing.

He didn’t say anything but he didn’t need to as he pushed you back, your head hitting the backboard with a dull “crack” sound. Lights flashed behind your eyes, like fireworks at the dead of night. You didn’t register the pain, only his fingers tugging your panties to the side before stroking between your lips, rubbing through wetness that was so prominent that the sound of it echoed in your ears, barely heard above the beating of your own heart.

Two fingers curled into you with no preparation, making your hips jolt, sensitive to his touch as those calluses stroked your insides in a way that wasn’t all that unpleasant. Two fingers turned to three, stretching you so fully that it almost hurt. You could hear someone faintly through the noise of your heartbeat and your own wetness. They were moaning, soft and gasp like, they sounded so needy. Desperate. Was that you? It sounded like you. But you couldn’t feel those noises coming out of your throat.

His fingers were gone, so suddenly that you heard the voice keen in what sounded like dismay. Price cooed at the sound, petting your cheek gently.

“Don’t worry, Lovey. Just wanna taste ya before I give ya something better.” He tells you, pecking your lips before kissing his way through your cleavage and down your belly, big hands rubbing at your thighs as he hooks them over his shoulders as his mouth makes its way to your pussy, tongue flicking against your clit in a way that was almost playful. His eyes sparkled at the way you wiggled at it, doing it again and again as you moved more desperately before he finally had mercy on you and took your clit fully into his mouth, giving it a rough suckle.

Your back arched, the voice keened so loudly that you were sure others would hear. Price chuckled, sending vibrations across that sensitive bundle of nerves. You couldn’t remember why you were here, how you got beneath him, could only focus on how he slipped his tongue inside you, wiggling it around to try and taste every inch he could, his beard scratching at your skin and his nose rubbing against your clit.

“Taste so good love.” He murmured when he finally pulled back for air, lapping at your lips, keeping a strong grip on your hips when they tried to rise to meet his mouth. Then he was back at it, making you writhe and cry as he worked you over with his tongue and lips, unraveled you little bit by little bit until your slick painted him face, your legs trembling, belly coiled tight and hot as your orgasm rolled through you, leaving you aching and tired down to your very bones.

He kissed your clit, rough and messy before he moved his way back up your body, licking a long stripe from your pubic bone all the way to your neck where he started sucking, sure to leave bruises that, even if not seen, would be felt for days.

“Fuckin perfect, Love.” He tells you, nudging you to face him instead of the wall. The overhead light shone above him, shadowing his face. It made him look like an Angel.

Or a monster.

He kissed you then, his tongue in your mouth, making you taste yourself with hints of his whiskey as an aftertaste. You let him, your hands weakly gripping at the sheets below your body. Your body didn’t feel right. You felt sluggish and tired.

Something prodded at your pussy, slipping through your wetness before sliding all the way into the very base, filling you some completely and perfectly that you actually shed a tear, a shuddering gasp leaving your lips.

“That’s it, Lovey. You’re being such a good girl. Knew you wanted it.” Price groaned, his hands fisting the sheets on either side of your head as he jerked his hips once, twice, three times before stopping, trying to gain some semblance of control over himself. “Just needed to be shown how good I could make you feel.”

You didn’t say anything. He didn’t seem to care.

“Ye’re mine, Love. My good girl. My Sargent.” He panted, his thrusts slow but no less rough. “Gonna fill your pretty pussy, yeah? Give you a baby. Show everyone how you’re mine with a little one that looks like me on your hip. You’ll give it to me, won’t you?”

You didn’t respond. Your vision flickered in and out, black spots taking over your sight.

Price didn’t seem to like that, his hands wrapping around your throat. They were just there at first but they got tighter the longer your silence continued. You felt numb. You couldn’t breathe-

You blacked out.

You woke up sometime later in what you were sure was the infirmary, something leaking from you with the smell of Price’s cigars enveloping the room. You didn’t have to look, you knew he was there.

You shut your eyes again and just cried.

[pastryland]

charlos completed fic recommendations

If any of the authors of the fics mentioned here or are tagged and don't want their fics to be here, please let me know and I'll remove it!

Will update this list periodically

❤️ = favorite

⭐️ = I love fics by this author in general

❌ = triggering themes

🔥 = explicit

punctuated all wrong - 7k - ❤️ ⭐️

Prompt: "I don’t know if someone else agrees with me but I’m a sucker for the whole person A falls in love with person B but they think they don’t deserve person B’s love trope and I’d love to see how it would play out with charlos (not saying who’s person A and who person B, even though that should be pretty obvious)"

head over heels - 44k - ❤️ 🔥

“Oh, really, you think that you, Carlos Sainz, somehow have a kink so fucked up that I wouldn’t be able to handle it, do tell me what it is”, he says, “is it spanking maybe, I’m sure you think that’s beyond taboo, you want to drape me over your lap, punish me for being a bad boy?”, Carlos shakes his head, a small glint in his eye, “Bondage then? Do you want to tie me up?”, another shake of the head, “Whips? Paddles? Feathers?”, Carlos continues shaking his head and so Charles leans in further, his voice dipping lower as he continues. “Maybe you’re into age play then”, he pushes closer, so their faces are only inches apart, “do you want me to call you daddy?”, the air between them feels like it’s on fire as Carlos breathes out a hot laugh, giving another miniscule shake off the head. “Then tell me”, Charles demands and waits as Carlos seems to consider him for a moment, before leaning forwards so his lips are next to his ear, his breath hot against his skin, sending shivers cascading down his body. “Love”.

i feel so much, i feel so numb - 23k - ❤️ ⭐️ 🔥

As long as he’s known what a soulmate is, he’s known his soulmate’s name. Carlos. Scrawled along the delicate skin of his right wrist.

can't sleep 'til i feel your touch - 8k - ⭐️ 🔥

“I could...” Carlos trails off, and Charles drops his hands from his temples, looking at him curiously. “You could, what?” “...give you a hand.” He says it so casually that it takes Charles a minute to even attempt at understanding what he means. ~ ~ OR: Charles develops insomnia, and the only thing that helps is...Carlos?

the trials of 2022 - 33k - ❤️ ⭐️ 🔥

A partial summary of the 2022 season, as told by Charles or Carlos, following each race.

dice che ti ama (ma lo sai che mente) - 2k - ⭐️ 🔥

But Charles smiled, dimples out and about, back against the wall of Carlos’ driver’s room. Like he knew he wasn’t in danger. Like he hadn’t entered a lions’ den looking like a three course meal. (Like he knew Carlos was all bark and no bite, and toying with the metaphorical rubber band —stretch, stretch, stretching— wouldn’t ever make it snap into his straight nose.)

Almost Total Wreck - 2k - 🔥 - also has Pierre/Charles

He imagines telling Pierre about it: he spat right in my face and I came like that it was so good, and he’s already replacing the man’s orgasm with his own, making his wounded sounds as he drags it out kicking and screaming, so that by the time he’s done his stomach hurts with it, his head pounds like a fever, more ache than pleasure but that’s what pleasure is, isn’t it?

worthy is the lamb (thank you for the price you paid) - 12k - ⭐️ ❌ 🔥

Predestined (adjective): [ˌpriːˈdes.tɪnd] If you say that something was predestined, you mean that it could not have been prevented or changed because it had already been decided by a power such as God or fate.

my blood is singing with your voice (the saints can't help me now) - 13k - ⭐️ 🔥

He was there. (God was also there.) Carlos walked towards the altarpiece (and the back with the white t-shirt) breathing through his nose like a bull. The cross on his chest wasn’t warm because it got a little chilly at night. He turned. “Carlos.” “Hey, Charles.” “You say my name weird.” Carlos swallowed. “Oh—” “I like it.”

all the king's horses, all the king's men - 38k - ❤️ ⭐️ 🔥

Carlos Sainz was eight years old when he fell in love. (For the first time.) It was at a race track. (It wouldn’t be the last time.)

little of your love - 5k - ⭐️ 🔥

in which Charles gets accidentally knocked up by Pierre, and he’s determined to raise the baby himself. Carlos is having none of that.

I Fell for Your Magic - 10k - 🔥

Charles had been the one to decide the sun rose and set with Carlos Sainz Jr. And it was Charles who had unexpectedly fallen in love with his teammate over the last couple years.

last night - 24k - ⭐️ 🔥

Rule #1: When you go to America, don't lose your virginity to your best friend's roommate. Charles fails Rule #1.

internal mechanics - 15k - ⭐️ 🔥

"Charles was with someone at the gym," Carlos hisses into the phone.

are we out of the woods yet? - 10k

Charles takes a few moments to consider it. It doesn’t sound like him at all. “So I really wanted it.” “Yes,” Carlos repeats, and then frowns. “Do you think–” His voice hardens just the slightest bit, leaning into… something that Charles can’t really place. “I didn’t make you do it.” Charles shifts away from him, staring at the other wall instead. “Of course. But anyway, I don’t know. I don’t remember it anyway.”

mind over matter is magic - 6k - ⭐️ 🔥

Carlos leaned on the side of the pool that overlooked Singapore at night. Arms crossed over the ledge — Carlos almost wanted to look down below. Feel the swoop in his stomach at the realization of how high up they were, relish on it. But, he rationalized, looking at Charles Leclerc usually had the same effect.

the hours i lost - 3k

Charles thinks he was foolish to be afraid of this, of Carlos. He thinks he was foolish to let himself get this far. He thinks he should have given in years ago. He thinks he’ll regret everything once he’s sober.

all the same old places - 13k - ⭐️

Charles stares at Carlos, then. Right at him. His eyes haven't changed, either. They're still the same shade of green - almost blue, even more so in the warm light of the sun. For reasons unknown, Carlos feels like smiling.

Pouring - 10k

At the age of ten, it's easy to talk about how his soulmate will be someone tall and certainly a brunette, because no one really knows what to expect until the moment they actually meet them.

Ballad of a Thin Place - 39k - ⭐️ 🔥

Thrust into the aristocracy after marrying a baronet's daughter, Charles, now a lord, struggles to adapt to the quiet life of an estate in the English countryside. Desperate for the connection and compassion that is lacking from his wife, he pursues a torrid affair with the handsome gamekeeper on their estate, a man who has a past he's trying to escape...

you bring me back to life - 1.8k

Charles said nothing, instead opting to ask him how he had been doing in his racing career. Arthur excitedly relayed everything that he could remember, from paddock gossip to results from race to race. It felt good to be surrounded by family. Not for the first time, he wished that he would have stayed. It is too late anyway. If he dwells on the past he’ll lose his present.

[theunknownmasks]

"I don't recall harming Mana? But.. i wasn't me back then...if you mean the wars." He sighed looking away. "Do..you..really love me after all that.." He tone softer - hopeful. He needed to be reassured this wasnt just a dream that Atem wanted to be with him.

Atem knew things had been...intense between them always however, one thing he appreciated more than anything was the fact that they could at least remain good friends. Thief had became a family friend to him. Someone he considered a trusted ally.

So to hear this question, he fell quiet before he smiled tenderly before he looked at him.

"My feelings for you never changed, Thief. However, as you know my love for my family is far stronger. I would never cheat on my wife. That would just hurt Mana more than I already have. I refuse to do anymore harm to either of you."

[honey-minded-hivemind]

I just imagined: What if there's an AU where Logan and Reader are experiments, maybe for the Weapon X scientists, maybe for something else, or for some mutant-experimenting group, and Sabretooth (a.k.a., his brother) ends up taking care of them once they've been busted out?

Let's look at it this way:

Logan has been in that place for Heaven only knows how long. He's seen sh*t, he's heard all sorts of awful things, and he's lived them. Then there's a kid thrown in with him, and suddenly he's a dad now. (Who else is going to parent this random kid/teen? The scientists? F*ck no!) So he's now trying to keep himself and this kid alive, biding his time until he finds the best opportunity for them to leave.

Reader is this random kid/teen who's been put into this program/experiment, and they've been tossed into the mess with no safety net... Until they end up with Logan, or as everyone else calls him, Wolverine. And Reader, seeing a feral, growly, possibly dangerous individual... tries to be gentle. Tries to treat him as a person. (This guy is covered in wounds and reeks of blood, and obviously needs care, and they're all in this together, aren't they?) And Reader is soon met with someone who is their protector in this H*ll they're living in, someone who'd kill for them and die for them, if the situation called for it. Too bad Reader would do the same for him...

(They become cellmates/cell-buddies. Logan, when he's not chained to the wall or floor or restrained in some way is curled around Reader. Reader tries to keep his humanity intact, and tries to maintain both of their sanities. The moment someone tried to take Reader away, Logan bit someone's arm off-)

Sabretooth comes into play when he finds out about this secret program trying to make or recapture mutant experiments, wanting soldiers or guards or weapons... And when he catches wind of a rumor, that his baby brother is in there... He decides to make it his business. And realizes he's going to have to get involved if he wants to get him out mostly intact.

Trying to act the part of a willing subject... oh, it grates on his nerves... Having to act like he's loyal, or controlled. Doing what they say when they say it. But the reward... tearing out their throats and getting his brother away from them, causing chaos, too... is too sweet, too much of a good thing, to pass up. Then he finds out his brother is attached to another subject, and suddenly he's now trying to figure out if he needs to keep them alive, too.

And what he finds... it convinces him to keep Reader alive.

They're the only good thing to his brother in this h*llscape. The only one treating him with any respect or decency. And that earns them his protection. Not to mention they're a small pup, just a cub, in a den of snakes and lions... And his brother likes them. Those are enough reasons for him to add Reader into his plan, to the list of people to break out. (If he roughs up or sets up a few jerks so they can have a taste of what they've given his runt or the cub, it's no one's business-)

And finally, the day comes and he can break them out... Except something goes horribly wrong, and he's now trying to make sure Reader is alive while struggling to keep his brother from running off with them. (Neither of them are in a position to survive alone, or to go another week without proper care and for and safety). So that leaves him with hardly any choice but to kidnap his brother and hide him and the kid where no one can get to them. They can all fight it out when they're well again, but that isn't going to be for a long time, and he does miss taking care of his brother... And he gets to care for the cub, who needs extra careful care and gentleness... So he's going to be busy for quite awhile now, isn't he?... He can't wait to get them warm and cleaned up and fed. They're just going to have to be kept very sleepy and relaxed while he works his own brand of healing and caring for them, 'kay? Just let good ol' Victor take care of everything...

(If you have any questions about this idea, please ask them!)

[poisonlove]

Miss Ortega | j.o

Part 1 part 2

part 3

As I reached the third equation, I heard the sound of heels approaching. I shivered and tried not to look at the person responsible, intending to stay focused. When I placed the tip of the pen on the paper, I felt a presence behind me. It seemed that Professor Ortega had made her way around the desks, curiously observing her students' work.

At this moment, she was standing behind me.

A hand rested on my chair, and the other spread its fingers on the side of the desk. An intoxicating perfume invaded my nostrils, and a shiver ran down my spine due to Jenna's sudden proximity. A cascade of black hair fell to the side of her head, brushing against my shoulder. From the corner of my eye, I saw the professor attentively looking at the paper, analyzing each equation with her gaze.

She had a relatively perfect profile. A button nose, full lips that extended when she smiled, and coffee-colored eyes that pierced through anything or anyone they focused on. I noticed a dimple on her right cheek when she smiled. My cheeks turned red when I saw that the professor had slightly turned in my direction, catching me in the midst of my contemplation. She smirked mockingly, making my cheeks turn even redder.

I looked back at the desk, focusing on her hand. It was... small, and I almost had the urge to reach out and confirm my observation. Her nails were painted an intense black color, and her fingers, wrist, were adorned with rings and bracelets. I swallowed, feeling my throat strangely dry.

Our fingers were close. If... I moved a few centimeters, I could check if her skin was soft.

I mentally scolded myself.

"Here... take a closer look," her voice suddenly husky, brought my attention back from my thoughts. Jenna was whispering, so as not to disturb the other students. Her index finger moved towards the result of my second equation. With confusion, I reread what I had written and widened my eyes when I spotted an error.

Damn, this is ridiculous.

With flushed cheeks, this time from embarrassment, I drew a line over the incorrect result and wrote the correct one above it. In a quick motion, her hand landed on mine, giving it a slight approving squeeze. Jenna moved away and made her way to her desk, sitting on it.

The contact of her hand still burned on my skin.

After 10 minutes, I stood up from the chair, drawing the attention of some curious students. I walked towards Jenna with a smile on my lips. I was very proud of my exam. Professor Ortega mirrored my gesture and reached out her hand towards my sheet, grabbing it.

Once again, our fingers brushed against each other.

"Are you sure? Do you still have... an hour?" she exclaimed in surprise after checking her watch. I nodded, and she smiled softly, her eyes gleaming with pride.

I released my grip on the paper and returned to my seat.

"T/N?" I lifted my head upon hearing my name. Jenna looked at me with a smile.

"Come here, I wouldn't want the others to be distracted," her hand tapped lightly on the wooden surface, indicating that I should come and sit beside her.

I looked at Enid guiltily, my heart pounding in my throat as I walked straight into the lion's den.

With a shy demeanor, I approached Professor Ortega, who looked at me with a half-smile. I sat next to her figure, perching on the lectern.

My feet scraped the floor, swinging my legs back and forth. I tried not to let a smile escape when I saw Jenna's feet only reaching halfway down the lectern. Despite the heels, she was at least 10 centimeters away from the ground.

Nervously, my hands intertwined, resting on my lap. Jenna watched her students like a vulture, giving a disappointed look when she saw two girls whispering to each other, probably asking for answers. I absentmindedly bit my lower lip while watching Enid write on her paper.

I hope she wrote something.

Jenna cleared her throat, tilting her head in my direction. My hairs stood on end as I felt her breath against my cheek.

"What color do you like?" she asked, and I was perplexed by her question. I could feel her gaze on the side of my head. "Really?" Inevitably, the corners of my lips lifted, forming a shy smile. My gaze was focused on the class.

"Blue," I replied, avoiding eye contact between us. Jenna smiled faintly. "Yours is black, right?" I asked, glancing at her from the corner of my eye.

She nodded slowly, looking confused.

I looked at her hand beside my hips. With a tilt of my head, I indicated for her to look down, and she smiled when she saw my range of action.

Her black nails.

She raised her hand, making her bracelets jingle. With her arm in the air, she held her hand steady, spreading her fingers. "Do you like them?" she simply asked.

Instinctively, I took her wrist, taking a quick glance at her hand. "Yes... they are really beautiful," I smiled.

"Do you like mine? They're skin-colored," she joked. She didn't have nail polish on, and she chuckled shyly at my joke.

We fell silent, enjoying each other's presence. The atmosphere was pleasant and not at all uncomfortable. I must admit that I liked Jenna; I enjoyed chatting with her. I think it was mutual because she attempted a conversation to establish a kind of friendship between student and teacher.

"Nice ring," the dark-haired girl suddenly remarked. Jenna took my hand to get a closer look at the ring my grandmother had given me. Her eyes marveled at the beauty of the white metal.

With a laugh, I took it off, placing the precious ring in her hands. "Try it on," I smiled. I knew it would be too big for her hand, but trying wouldn't hurt. As I predicted, it was too large for her fingers, but she still managed to make it fit on her thumb.

The sound of a chair being pulled back made her look towards the middle of the classroom. The teacher clenched her jaw in annoyance, closing her eyes at the squeak. Deborah walked towards our direction, handing out the exams.

She gave Jenna a stern look. Jenna smiled at her, placing the test on top of mine.

"And tell me..." I redirected my attention to the dark-haired girl. Her eyes were attentively focused on my face. "Why this passion for Calculus?" She raised the corner of her upper lip. "It's not a true passion... I simply understand numbers," I shrugged indifferently, answering her question.

"Well... in a few months, there will be a competition. You should participate," she confessed, and I fell silent, pondering her words. Jenna stepped down from the lectern, capturing the attention of those who were still taking the exam.

"Guys... you have..." she emphasized the letter 'e', "...10 minutes." Panic-filled groans resonated in the room at the news. Jenna stood in front of me, observing my legs swinging from side to side. She lightly tapped my leg with her hand, indicating that I should stop. I obeyed her request and stopped in mid-swing.

The vibration in my pants pocket made me jump in surprise. I grabbed my phone and saw a message from Erick.

Erick was one of my best friends and openly gay. I smiled when I saw the message, and this caught Jenna's attention.

"Who is it?" she asked, leaning her head towards my phone with curiosity. "Oh, just a friend," I smiled, puzzled by the sudden question. Jenna nodded with a smile.

The sound of the bell prompted a series of movements, and one by one, students handed in their exams, many of them furrowing their brows at how it had gone. Within seconds, the room was empty.

Enid jumped with her backpack on her shoulder and approached us, handing me my backpack. I gave her a grateful smile, and she winked at me.

"Shall we go? We have history now," she said, walking towards the doorway.

"Miss T/N, can you stay for a moment?" Jenna exclaimed, arranging the papers. I nodded and gestured to Enid with my hand to go ahead without me. I would have caught up with her in a few moments. Enid gave me a mischievous smile and left the room, leaving me alone with Professor Ortega.

"Do you need something, Professor Ortega?" I asked, nervously biting my lower lip. Jenna genuinely smiled as she put the tests into her backpack.

"Oh, call me Jenna. We're only a few years apart," she laughed at the thought. I nervously tightened the strap of my backpack.

Anyway, yes, I do need something," she cleared her throat. "As I told you before, there will be a competition in a few months, and I would really like you to participate. You have talent," she looked at me with a half-smile. "I'll be your tutor, of course, and I can help you with the exam," she tilted her head to the side. "You just need to stay a couple of afternoons a week. Do you accept my proposal?" she asked with a hint of hope.

I blinked in confusion, surprised by her proposal.

"Umm... can I think about it and give you an answer by the end of today?" I suggested, feeling a strange pressure on my shoulders. I didn't want to make hasty decisions; I wanted to avoid getting her hopes up for something I hadn't thought through yet.

She gave me a big smile. "Then I'll see you later, T/N," she winked playfully and with a giggle, she left the classroom, leaving me completely alone.

The sound of heels fading away.

My cheeks turned red, and I started fidgeting with my fingers. My thumb didn't feel the familiar sensation of the metal ring around my finger, and with agitation, I looked at the missing ring on my left ring finger.

Jenna still had my ring, damn it.

A notification on my phone snapped me out of my trance. I turned on the screen and saw that it was from Enid.

Enid: Having fun with the sexy teacher, are you?

I rolled my eyes at her stupid comment and quickly walked to my next lesson. History awaited me, along with an Enid who wanted to hear gossip. But the back of my mind kept replaying the conversation with Jenna, making me think about the upcoming meeting this evening.

You need to stay calm, you can do this, T/N.

(...)

At one o'clock, it was time for lunch. Most of the students chatted among themselves, eating in the meantime. With my lower lip caught between my teeth, I waited for the line to move. I was really hungry, and when I was hungry, I could be quite grumpy. Enid looked curiously at the fries a guy was receiving. My knuckles clenched tightly on the still empty tray.

"Do they have fries? Since when?" Enid was very excited. I shook my head, letting her know that I didn't know the answer.

All I cared about was getting some food in my stomach.

"I'll have... this," I said when it was finally my turn. A mush they called pasta sat in a corner of the kitchen. It looked awful, but I was still starving. The cook rolled her eyes in boredom and put the mush on my tray. The sound and smell made me tremble slightly, and with my head lowered, I glared at the woman with anger.

"Do you need anything else?" she asked, placing a bottle of water on my tray. I shook my head, suppressing the urge to tell her that we didn't deserve to eat that garbage.

With a frustrated sigh, Enid and I made our way to the table where Erick was sitting.

The blushing boy genuinely smiled at us as he held hands with his boyfriend. I have to admit, Diego is a good guy, and they look so cute together.

With a thud, we sat down at the table.

I was sitting across from the lovebirds.

"I heard there's a new Calculus teacher. What's he like?" Erick put a french fry in his mouth. "We have him tomorrow, but I'd like to know your opinion," he swallowed loudly and immediately took another fry from the tray, dipping it in mayo.

"Well, actually, it's a female teacher," Enid genuinely smiled. "She made us take a test, but despite that, she seems pretty chill," she shrugged indifferently. "She's really young, and, well, really sexy," she raised her eyebrows mischievously, and I rolled my eyes at the comment.

"Is it true that she kicked Edward out of class?" Diego asked, placing a hand on his boyfriend's tray and receiving a small slap on his fingers. The brunette rubbed the affected area, looking at Erick with a furrowed brow.

"Yep, that idiot called her 'doll'," I smiled. "I'm glad she kicked him out. Sometimes that guy can be really stupid," I said, playing with the pasta.

Reluctantly, I took a bite, struggling to swallow the unpleasant taste.

"Finally, someone put him in his place," Erick smiled, happy with the news. "T/N, do you want some fries?" he asked me later. I guess my friend noticed that my food was terrible. I shook my head, amused by Diego's incredulous reaction.

"By the way... you have an admirer," Enid whispered, smiling mischievously. Her eyes were fixed on a point behind my back.

I turned around and saw Jenna grabbing an apple and a bottle of water from the kitchen. In fact, her eyes were aimed at me, making brief eye contact with me. Her gaze then turned to the cook, smiling at her and saying something I couldn't hear for obvious reasons.

She gave me a quick glance, and with a shy smile, Professor Ortega left the dining hall.

Enid let out an ecstatic scream. Many students turned towards us, looking at us with confusion. With flushed cheeks, I looked back at the blonde.

"You were not mistaken at all, Enid," Erick genuinely smiled, resting his head on Diego's shoulder.

"By the way, what did the sexy girl want?" Enid rested her head on her hand, looking at me intently.

"Her name is Jenna, or you can call her Professor Ortega," I said irritably, giving a reproachful look to the petite blonde.

Enid rolled her eyes in boredom, gesturing for me to continue talking.

"Anyway..." I said, swallowing nervously as three pairs of eyes stared at me without blinking. "There's going to be some kind of Calculus contest in a few months, and she wanted me to sign up," Enid sighed, suddenly bored.

"Then?" Diego prompted, curious to hear what I had to say. "She offered to be my tutor and help me a couple of afternoons a week."

Enid's eyes widened, and she took my hand, squeezing it tightly. A silly smile was plastered on her lips. I think something has gotten into her mischievous head.

"That changes everything! It's a date!" Enid smiled, and I looked at her as if she had two heads.

"A study date," I emphasized, puzzled by her words, breaking the contact between our hands. What's gotten into her? After all, Jenna is my teacher.

I stood up from my seat, suddenly losing my appetite. Enid looked at me with a slight smile on her lips.

"I'm going to the coffee machines. I feel like having a cappuccino," I pointed lazily towards the exit, grabbing the water bottle.

Enid squinted her eyes, trying to figure out my true intentions. Erick smiled at me, waving his hand in greeting.

I began walking towards the exit with quick steps.

"Good luck, lion!" Enid shouted, and with flushed cheeks, I increased my walking speed, avoiding the inappropriate comment.

My real intention was to talk to Jenna. In the hours since her class, I had reflected a lot on her proposal, and it didn't seem like a bad idea after all.

I wanted to accept the proposal and retrieve the ring.

Come to think of it, I was in the mood for a cappuccino.

All I hoped for was to find Jenna Ortega.

I took a few hesitant steps before hearing a familiar voice in the distance. Timidly, I walked toward the sound of the voice, and a laugh made me furrow my brow in confusion. I turned the corner, and a strange sensation hit the pit of my stomach when I saw who it was.

Jenna was engaged in animated conversation with Professor Asher Spenser. The sandy-haired professor was flexing his muscles with the clear intention of impressing the Greek goddess in front of him. In return, Jenna seemed to enjoy his antics but was not primarily interested in the young professor's muscles. Asher invited Jenna to touch his biceps with a look, but the brunette politely declined, laughing in embarrassment.

It seemed like the perfect moment to intervene and make my presence felt.

I cleared my throat, drawing the attention of the two young people, and Asher subtly adjusted his shirt, avoiding my gaze. I observed his behavior and approached the couple. Jenna gave me a charming smile, looking at me almost with relief.

I saved her from Asher.

"T/N! So glad to see you! Do you need something?" Jenna looked at me with a smile, putting her hands in the back pockets of her jeans.

I approached Asher, who watched me with confusion and a hint of anger, as I had interrupted the moment with the new Calculus professor. I averted my gaze from him and focused my eyes on Jenna's figure, her brown eyes curiously fixed on me.

My cheeks turned a dark shade of red, and I opened and closed my lips several times, trying to talk to Jenna without stuttering. Asher smirked.

"Well, it's been a pleasure. You can go now," the Gym teacher said with a half-laugh. I clenched my jaw, and... He made a mocking smile, toying with the whistle around his neck. I closed my hand into a fist, trying not to lose my patience.

Jenna looked at Asher disapprovingly, wiping that stupid smile off his face.

"Um... actually, I'd like to talk to the professor alone," I emphasized the last part, trying to make Asher understand that he should leave. I knew Jenna told me to call her by her name, but I wasn't sure if it also applied in public.

Jenna raised an eyebrow and looked expectantly at Asher.

The Gym teacher sighed and muttered something to himself, walking away down the hallway, leaving me alone with Jenna.

"Coffee? Cappuccino? My treat," she said, and I smiled, shaking my head.

"A cappuccino, but I'll pay for it myself." She opened her mouth in feigned surprise. Jenna pursed her lips and looked at me with amused eyes.

"I'll pay. How much sugar?" she asked, looking at me seriously. I sighed resignedly at the clear defeat.

"Three," I said, and Jenna inputted the number.

The coffee machine started making its typical grinding noise.

As I shifted my weight from one leg to another, I looked at the coffee machine, aware of Jenna's piercing gaze. A few seconds later, the machine beeped, indicating that the cappuccino was ready. Jenna leaned over and took the cup with the hot liquid, handing it to me. I gave her a grateful smile and timidly sipped the cappuccino, closing my eyes at its warm and comforting taste.

Jenna clicked on the button for a long black coffee.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about two things..." I blew on the cup and finished the cappuccino in one sip. Jenna laughed, and after a few seconds, she took a sip of her desired coffee. With an uncomfortable smile, I threw the cup in the trash.

"I'm totally yours ," she joked.

Her statement made me blush and, at the same time, feel a strange sensation in my lower abdomen. The expression on my face made Jenna laugh.

"Sorry about that. Go ahead," she said, taking a sip of her coffee while keeping her eyes fixed on mine.

"The first thing is... could... let's say... I get my ring back?" I smiled nervously, scratching the back of my neck in embarrassment.

Jenna widened her eyes and threw the cup into the receptacle once she finished. The misunderstanding made Professor Ortega blush.

"Shit, I'm sorry." She took the ring off her finger and handed it to me. "It was so comfortable that I didn't realize it wasn't one of mine." Her cheeks turned even redder, and I couldn't help but think how adorable she was.

I put the ring on my ring finger, feeling the cold metal against my skin once again.

"Mind if we talk while we walk? I have to go to the third floor. I have a class in 10 minutes." She looked almost guilty as she made the request, and I nodded in agreement.

We started walking side by side towards the stairs.

"What else did you have to tell me?" Jenna glanced at me from the corner of her eye as she continued to walk.

We climbed several steps.

"I've considered your proposal, Jenna," I said her name, and she smiled, satisfied. I have to admit it felt strange calling a professor by their first name. I shrugged indifferently and continued speaking.

Meanwhile, Jenna stopped in the middle of the stairs, looking at me expectantly.

"I accept... I don't think it's a bad idea to spend a couple of afternoons together each week," I confessed, and a 32-tooth smile spread across her lips.

Almost instinctively, I grabbed the railing as a body collided with mine, wrapping their hands around my neck.

My eyes widened, and I tensed up at the sudden contact, but I began to relax when I realized it was Jenna. Once again, her perfume filled my nostrils, and I closed my eyes at the pleasant sensation of her body warmth against mine. My hand ran timidly along her back, returning the embrace. Jenna made the hug last for only a few seconds, and I almost complained about the sudden lack.

Professor Ortega had flushed cheeks, and for the first time, I noticed a series of freckles surrounding her nose.

She straightened her clothes, embarrassed and avoiding my gaze.

"Sorry... for the excitement," she justified with a nervous laugh.

"Don't worry," I smiled, and she let out a sigh of relief.

"Well... I should go to class now," she pointed in the direction of the classroom as she took a step back, never taking her eyes off mine.

I started descending the stairs, but someone calling my name made me stop. I looked up and saw Jenna. The professor had her head tilted towards me, her unruly hair partially covering her face.

"See you later? I'll finish the lesson, and then we can discuss the details. Does that sound good?" Her voice sounded an octave higher due to the strange angle of her neck.

"Sure, theoretically I'm done for the day. I'll wait for you in the teachers' lounge," I smiled, and she returned the smile, composed herself, and walked toward her destination.

Once again, the sound of heels faded

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Being in a relationship with Kure Raian...

You’d think that Raian, although he’s the black sheep of the clan, would be as obsessed over strong people and fighting as everyone else is - Just like Karla is obsessed over Ohma not because she likes him, but because he’s strong and could produce strong offsprings and whatever - But Raian isn’t that way. 

In fact, even if people like that catch his eye, he would fight the urge to march up to them and strike up a conversation - Rather, if he does find strong people, he might just beat them up.

But there is something that would make Raian all hot and bothered - And that is getting ignored.

Yeah, that’s right.

Raian would literally spontaneously combust if he wants someone’s attention, and he’s getting blatantly ignored or brushed off.

That’s exactly what happened when his younger sister, Fusui, brought over one of her friends. At first, he didn’t care. You were just some pretty face, like many, many others he’s seen... But somehow, your aloof personality and the resting bitch face you were sporting, a complete opposite aura from Fusui, who held the most cheerful grin on her face - Okay, he was intrigued. Not only that, but from what his sister said, you were just a normal person - A cute, little rabbit in a den of lions - Yet you seemed completely at ease and unafraid.

In an instant, Raian found himself towering his large shadow over the spot on the grass where the two girls were having a picnic. He had that psycho grin of his ever present. Fusui greeted him cheerfully, though she sweatdropped, realising that he might be so bored that he wants to scare her friend away. 

Y/N simply gave him a lazy wave of her hand - Her attention was still on Fusui, and she didn’t once break the flow of their conversation. He frowned. Not even a hello? How rude!

Raian’s voice became louder, but also grittier, like the sound of nails scratching a blackboard. He was throwing the most random profanities, and telling Y/N about his latest assassination mission he had, hoping to creep her out with the gore details - Much to his surprise, the small girl casually got to her feet and looked, incredibly bored, into his eyes.

“Hey, Ryan, where did you get this shirt?” Raian blinked, his smile dropping immediately, feeling the girl gingerly pick the hem of his shirt and feeling it. “It feels like cashmere. Is it cashmere? It’s really good quality.” “My name is Raian, you bitch! Get it through that thick skull of yours!” Fusui immediately reprimanded him for insulting her friend - But the insult fell on deaf ears. “Tell me where’d you get it from, Kevin. I kinda want to get one myself.” her hands slowly traced up to his abdomen, but Raian was so flustered up and irritated by getting called such weird names, that he didn’t notice. “I SAID MY NAME IS RAIAN, ARE YOU DEAF?!” he was shouting so loudly, that Y/N could have sworn her eardrums ruptured. “It would be better if the store had an online site - I don’t really have much time to go shopping myself. Actually - Do you think I could have it delivered for Kure Miguel?” Fusui was sure her friend had a death wish, but at the same time, it was kinda hilarious seeing her brother so worked up over his name. “WHO THE FUCK IS MIGUEL?!” his screech was so powerful that he’d put a Banshee to shame. “Dunno.” Y/N shrugged and pushed Raian into the small water pond right behind him. The water barely reached his waist as he was sitting in it, a lilypad on his head. “I’ll kill you.” his voice was so ominous, low, dark, menacing - And solemn, above all else - That Fusui’s heart froze in fear for her friend’s life. “WAIT, NO, RAIAN DON’T ---” but Y/N was laughing so cutely, that Raian stopped abruptly, glaring down at her. Instead of killing her, he threw his arms around her, hearing her groan. “I~ Got~ You~ So~ Weeeeeeeet~ ♪ Babeeeeeeeeeee~♪“ Fusui has never seen her brother like this - She could just stare in complete disbelief. “Technically speaking, I made you wet, Fritz.” the girl put her palm over his face, pushing him away from her. “Now you’ve done it.” Raian grinned widely. Y/N realised his master plan, and she sighed in defeat. “You’re gonna throw me in the water, aren’t you?” he let out a ‘yup’ sound, before he threw her in the pond. If the water was any higher, he’d have jumped with her - But with how little it is, she probably would have barely gotten wet at all. He was laughing so hard, his sides were aching, but he couldn’t stop. She looked like a wet, grumpy dog - Until she, too, started laughing. “Alright, alright, you got me. Good one. Now help me up, psycho.” Raian missed the mischievous smile on her face, and as he crouched down, extending his hand for her to take - Only for her to tug on his hand and have him fall in the water again. “You’re the psycho, not me!” the two looked at each other and started sniggering like two idiots. Fusui just stared at them, perplex, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from them. Did Y/N just manage to tame the Black Sheep of the Kure Clan? Something that not even their Patriarch could do? “You owe me your shirt.” she said blankly, stopping her laughter abruptly. “Any time~♪“ Raian nonchalantly took his shirt off and let it fall on her head. “...Okay, I might have just sabotaged myself.” she sighed, getting up and out of the pond. “I was supposed to have a sleep over. I don’t have any dry clothes anymore.” she stole a glance at the man. “I suppose I can’t stay over anymore. What a pity. Time to get home, I guess.” she shrugged nonchalantly, waving at Fusui and walking towards the exit of the large garden, only to feel herself being picked up bridal style.

Raian had taken her to his room and threw at her all cashmere clothes he had, while Y/N could barely hide her amusement. Clearly, she could wear some of Fusui’s clothes, after all, they’re around the same frame and they are friends - Or she could borrow the clothes of literally any woman of the Kure - Silly boy, so easily tricked. Or maybe he wanted to be tricked? Either way, Y/N found this, by far, the most hilarious situation she ever faced.

By this time, Raian kept bugging on Y/N and Fusui for the whole day, and during the evening, at dinner, Erioh and Karla and her brother had them all eat together. Y/N looked at her friend, her eyes pleading, embarrassed at the get up she was wearing. Suddenly, the whole joke was ruined and she was the one being tricked. How can she possibly go eat dinner with their 1000 year old patriarch and the rest of the family, when she’s barely wearing Raian’s shirt, and albeit long enough to reach the middle of her thigh, it was still improper. Raian didn’t give her any time to beg Fusui for a proper change of clothes, for he grabbed her wrist and dragged her and his sister all the way to the table. He was also still shirtless, so it only made things worse.

Y/N kept her head down the whole time, hoping that her face wouldn’t betray her embarrassment. Karla, Sarla and Fusui were talking casually about their assassin work, Y/N threw some comments here and there, the old man was quiet, and Raian was... Being Raian, and wolfing down a shit ton of food. Until Karla suddenly noticed there was no more water, and the fight for who would be the loser to bring another water carafe started. It genuinely felt like all the Kure children were going to put down the chopsticks and start a brawl to the death - But Y/N broke the tension. “Ah... There’s no more water. This food is so good, but it got me so thirsty... Can you please tell me where the kitchen is, to get more water?” before the old man could blink, Raian had already returned, and was pouring water in Y/N’s cup. “Oh! Thank you, Jericho!” ... Jericho? Erio had no idea what was going on, but he was genuinely impressed by how this outsider managed to quite literally manipulate the most rebelious clan member to do whatever she wanted... And prevented a war. And he was also shocked when he saw Raian placing his small rice bowl over her face, and laughing like an idiot, to the point he was rolling on the ground like a manic.

Y/N slowly removed the bowl from her face and used a napkin to clean all the rice, and she sighed. “Alright, I suppose I deserve it.” her nonchalance was genuinely so weird for all these proactive people. “Your stomach is going to hurt if you continue rolling like that.” she warned. “Also, it’s not nice, playing with your food. What are you, a kitten, Abraham?” Raian straightened up immediately and glared at the girl, watching her continuing to eat without sparing him a single glance. “WHO THE FUCK IS ABRAHAM?! AND I’M NOT A FUCKING CAT, YOU STUPID BITCH!” he shrieked loudly into her ear, but she didn’t flinch. Instead, the hand in which she was holding her own rice bowl slowly made its way to his face. Raian’s whole face had rice all over it, and Y/N wasn’t removing the bowl. “Take this off me, bitch, or I snap your neck!” that is what he said - Or, at least, what he tried to say, for the rice kept muffling him. “It’s not nice to speak like that, especially in front of your family... Or... To me. You really made me sad...” her voice was pouty and upset - Erio couldn’t believe the power she had over him, and as far as he was concern, this was the first time they met. By the looks of it, everyone was still in shock. “Y/N....” she slowly took away the bowl from his face, and with perfect precision, used her chopsticks to take a single rice grain from his face, and taunted him by eating it.

The whole room was quiet. They were preparing for the girl’s funeral. That is, until they saw her turn her head to the side, biting her lip and her shoulders were shaking. Raian’s face also suddenly split in a wicked grin. Suddenly, a few rice grains started falling off his face, and Y/N couldn’t keep herself in check anymore, and she started laughing, and so did the psycho. Y/N took another rice with her chopsticks, and they ended up laughing even harder. “Weirdos.” Fusui smiled wryly, completely surprised that her friend was getting along with her brother better than with her. “Y/N’s going to be our new sister, Fusui! I want to take care of your babies with Raian! I bet they’re going to be so strong!” the laughter stopped, and the atmosphere changed immediately. Y/N looked down, her face red with embarrassment, whilst Raian immediately wiped his face and glared at Karla, shouting at her for being an idiot. After this, no other fun moments happened, and Y/N returned to Fusui’s room.

Surprisingly, Raian doesn’t always act like he’s fucked in the head, nor is his voice harsh and loud. Late into the night, he sneaked into the girls’ room and woke Y/N up, and with a playful smirk, he urges her to follow him outside, and he takes her back to the pond. The two didn’t speak much, and just gazed up at the stars for a while. It was a serene and comfortable silence, though there was a certain tension between them, and neither spoke. It was weird. 

Raian would take off his warm jacket and put it over her shoulders, as she was still wearing just his cashmere shirt - He knew it would be chilly outside. He knew he wanted to see her, but he had no idea what to say. Karla’s comment really threw him off his grove, and it seemed to have done the same for Y/N, who was able to purposely get a raise out of him so many times in a single day, to the point that he was so hot and bothered that he’d have claimed her on the spot. A hundred times, and more. But that vanished completely, and now he annoyingly felt like some kind of awkward teenage boy, and he hated it.

“Hey, Bruce Lee.” Y/N’s voice wasn’t challenging nor provoking, and though it irked Raian to be called by a wrong name again, the softness of her voice only made him grumble. “Do you know how to put 100 babies in a single bucket?” “Huh? What the hell are ya on?” he snapped his head at her, looking with a weird expression on his face.  Y/N turned to face him, and her smile grew, as if she was trying not to laugh at herself for the stupid joke she was about to reveal. “In a blender.” 

Raian stared stupid at her, eyes wide, unblinking - He almost looked as though he was analysing the very milimeters of her ever growing grin. Raian’s humour was shit. Dark jokes that involve carnage, or simply shock value... Maybe even a shit joke, but with a good momentum delivery... And Y/N’s joke seemed to check all the boxes.

His laugh resounded so loud through the Kure village that the two actually heard “SHUT UP” scolds right back. Y/N was trying hard to stifle her chuckles, but to no avail. “You’re actually kinda cute when you laugh.” “What’s big and smells like shit? GENOCIDE!” he was choking from laughing so much, while Y/N’s mouth twitched. Shit joke, shit delivery.  “Your joke was about as bad as your sense of humour, Jose. But it’s fine. I’ll be the funny one of us.” she looked away, shrugging nonchalantly. “If ya call me by another name ONE! MORE! TIME!!! I swear, I’ll fuckin’ kill ya, babe!” he sneered at her with a glare. “Do it, Dennis.” Y/N found herself being roughly pushed to the ground, though her head didn’t collide, as it was carefully pillowed by his palm. She did not see the starry night, but his face - Handsome, and so impossibly close to her own. He sniggered like a mischievous demon. “You’re trapped, babe~♪ What’cha gonna do now~♪?”

Y/N blinked, realising the situation she was in. Not only was she trapped in those big and warm arms of his, but his body was also almost flush against her own. They were so close, that she feared Raian felt how fast her heart was beating against her chest... And against his own also.

But Y/N’s response was unexpected - Gingerly wrapping her fingers into his cashmere shirt... Did he choose it intentionally? - She pulled herself up to plant tender kiss on his lips. For a maniac, he had very plump and kissable lips. Eventually, she pulled away and laid back on the ground, shyly looking at the completely unresponsive boy.

Kure Raian, the Demon, the Black Sheep of the Kure clan - Was blushing like a highschool boy with a crush. How is he supposed to react? What is he supposed to do? Just -- What just happened? He is so lost that he’s making Y/N uncomfortable with how he’s staring at her so intently.

“U-Uh... Wh-What do you call a baby with no arms and no legs in the middle of the ocean?” hearing her voice, albeit, shaky and unsure, unlike before, brought him back to reality. “What?” he breathed out. “...Fucked.” Y/N’s smile was so nervous and awkward. “Marry me.”

Since that night, Raian began his “Marry me” gimmick - And though it was obviously a gag, he half-meant it every time he said it.

Nobody ever believed that Raian would ever have a proper relationship, considering that everyone ostracizes him for being a merciless idiot, but the way he’s unintentionally simping SO hard for you is almost hilarious. How you learnt to tame the beast that he is, it’s a complete miracle. The Clan literally watches you, leaning at the base of a tree, reading leisurely, and you bait Raian into doing whatever you want, like - Make you a lemonade, or have him go get an ice-cream. All the weirdest things.

But if that wasn’t shocking enough, the fact that that boy can actually stay STILL for more than 5 seconds at a time, was absolutely fascinating. The patriarch would sit on the porch of the house and watch Raian sitting with his head on your lap as you absently play with his hair - And he actually stays there, and doesn’t laugh, or speak a thousand words per second, or throws profanities - He’s just laying there, a passive smile on his face, and living in the moment.

What a fascinating creature.

Raian always tells you all the most gruesome details of every mission he goes on, hoping he would creep you out - But you just nod at him dismissively and tell him to go on with his story.

Raian loves to show off when he’s training, knowing perfectly well that he’s attractive, wearing only his fighting shorts, with sweat dripping all over his flexed muscles... And then chases you around the garden to give you a hug, knowing you don’t want his disgusting sweat all over your clothes.

Fusui becomes your literal best friend, though you’re wary of Karla and her obsessive comments - She’s a good girl otherwise. Generally, you get along well with the clan, but both you and Raian agree that you need a break from them, so you crash at your own, away from all the madness the chaotic assassins dwell in.

When you’re hanging at your home, you feel more comfortable to act a bit more intimate. Don’t be fooled by his brashness, if you get together before he’s like - 20 years old, he’d probably brush off the idea of going any further - Unless you initiate it, then he’s game.

He just likes to be the best at everything he does, and while he was born into a family of fighting and killing, being intimate is something completely different, and it annoys him that he’s not a God from the very beginning - Although, he makes up with his eagerness and his absolute love of touching each and every part of your body and teasing you with a ton of kisses. He’s actually a natural, and the cute faces and sounds you make are his fuel, especially when he surprises you.

When you get intimate, he’s not afraid to experiment things and easily picks up on the things that you like and you don’t.

He also loves kissing you until you can’t breathe anymore.

Kisses with Raian are careful and soft at first, but quickly get deeper and more passionate, and he starts kissing and nipping at your bottom lip, licking and sucking on it before pulling you even closer to his body.

The problem is, he loves hugging you from behind and nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck that he forgets he’s not always at home, in private, with you only, and he starts nipping at the soft skin on your neck.

The inside joke of calling him different names continues well into the years, and it confuses most people - The problem is, you often forget what names you used, and he teases you by pointing out you called him the same name twice in a week.

He wants to see you wearing his shirt at home and preferably nothing else underneath, while he stays topless and purposely flexes, to the point that he’s ridiculous.

Raian is incredibly playful, even if it goes borderline genocidal, it’s just how he is - And you always make fun of him for trying too hard.

Years after you met, he gets in the Kengan Annihilation Tournament, and of course, he refuses to go unless you’re with him - And honestly, how can anyone complain, considering you’re the only thing keeping him somehow stable? Though, you sometimes have the bad habit of letting him play around a bit too much.

You also kinda laugh when he’s threatening and playing around with Lihito in the bathroom, though you also scold him for dragging you in the men’s bathroom and unintentionally being forced to see that idiot’s... Privates.  

You’re also a bit irked by his unnecessary sadist show against Mokichi, especially as he’s called out your name, and you wanted nothing to do with him killing the only guardian of a little girl.  

When you scolded and refused to speak to him until he apologised, he got angry as all fuck and went on a rampage, and despite the Kure literally pleading to you to make him stop - You didn’t.  

Surprisingly, though, he was humbled in the second round by Tokita Ohma - And you mentally thanked the brunet for being strong enough and putting a dent into Raian’s ever-going berserk attitude.  

 Though Ohma was in a coma, Raian woke up soon after, and he found in the infirmary, alone with Mokichi and Ohma.

The room was quiet, save for the beeping of the oxygen machines, and you refused to even look at him, which angered him.

But then you explained why you were pissed with him, and also, why he lost so pathetically - And though he wanted to snap your neck for scolding him, he also knows she was right, not that he’d admit.

During the coup d’etat, he threw all of his frustrations into mass-killing, but once again, his bloodlust made him lose focus, and he got injured again.

Though you didn’t say anything, you did patch him up - He was so silent, that it made you realise he was actually reflecting on his downfall.

And you kissed him.

Over the course of almost three years after the Kengan Tournament, when Ohma comes over to the village to life and train with them, you can see Raian focusing more, and though the brutality is still there, he can actually control it.

Ohma became a trusted confidant and good friend of yours, and the two of you could comfort each other with the two Kure obsessing over you.

Raian’s gimmick with the marriage thing was amped up, though it was more or less to make fun of Karla... Not that she’d realise.

Over the years, Raian made sure to actually teach you how to fight to defend yourself, despite priding himself with being being so powerful that she’d never get herself in danger.

When you reveal Ohma to the world and go visit Koga and Ryuki at the hospital, you see Raian had climbed up the 5th floor and was mocking the young boys.

So you went up to him and pushed him off.

Everyone except for Ohma gawked, afraid for his life.

You just show him the selfie Raian sent you, while he was falling - He was pulling an overly exaggerated kissy face.

Dork.

He was a bit annoyed with how empathetic you were, comforting or cheering every fighter (except for Akoya) for their matches, so he keeps you caged in his arms, teasing you with small comments and kisses to your neck and cheeks.

To stop himself from going ape-shit from the wait leading to his own match, he snatched your hands and would absently play with them or kiss them.

Though the whole Worm thing was worrying you - You didn’t want anything bad happening to the family, or these Kengan people. They all looked like good people. 

But then Raian’s match came by and he was fighting Alan Wu, a clear enemy.

You pulled Raian into a kiss, more or less to have the time to warn him not to lose his cool and actually focus on the match, not on his bubbling emotions.

He just grins and brush off your worries, saying he’s a changed man and what not.

But then he gets threatened with a knife, sees Edward Wu in the hallway...

And he rips Alan in two in a split second, running after his arch enemy.

You stare at the mess left behind that was once a person, and you curse out loud - Raian’s lost it and he’s gonna get in trouble.

You don’t care that Alan was killed, but you fear Raian and his impulsiveness might get him in such a tight situation that he might get himself killed.

Even though Erio and the other two are there.

You and Ohma look at each other, and together, you pick Karla and rush to look for Raian, ready to potentially help him in a fight.

Only to see Kure Erio on the ground and dying.

Raian was sitting on the ground, livid with anger, feeling defeated.

They should have won with no casualties! So why the heck did the old fart use himself bait?! And why wasn’t he strong enough to kill those fuckers without the need of aid?!

He was filled with so many feelings of self-hatred and anger, that even your arms around him, or your comforting words couldn’t drown them out.

You held his hand throughout the funeral and comforted him for days on end, but Raian was still bitter.

Since then, you took a more active role in searching for the Worms - You might not have been a fighter, but you were smart enough to come up with plans and do the brain work for them.

Since the patriarch’s death, Raian visibly mellows down, at least around you, and he finally realises how fragile life can be - And if even that old man, who was the strongest man he knows, who was the first Fang of Metsudo and whatever... If even he could die... What about someone like you, who’s such a fragile little bunny? What if he’s not there to protect you? Not that his presence mattered when Erio died. And, worse - What if you’re used as bait to get to him? What if you get killed in front of him?

Being an assassin means that he’s seen and done a lot of cruel things himself, so he puts all the worst in front.

The night of the patriarch’s funeral, you hold his body close to your own, his head on your chest, and you play with his hair, allowing him to vent his anger with any profanity he might feel the need to spew.

But his silence is far worse than all his anger.

During that very night, Raian came to the realisation of a lifetime.

He pulls you into a tight embrace, and hides his face in the crook of your neck, so you wouldn’t see the single tear of sheer self-anger and regret.

 And in the most broken, vulnerable voice, you hear him voice the words that he’s been meaning to tell you for so long, but stopped himself, thinking he’d sound weak or something that didn’t matter anymore.

“I love you.”

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

Being in a relationship with Wakatsuki Takeshi... Being in a relationship with Yoroizuka Saw Paing... Being in a relationship with Kure Raian... Being in a relationship with Tokuno’o Tokumichi... Being in a relationship with Kano Agito... Being in a relationship with Gaolang Wongsawat... Being in a relationship with Gaoh Ryuki... Being in a relationship with Narushima Koga... Being in a relationship with Hatsumi Sen

[dreamgrlarchive]

My Fav Bad Girls

#PrettyHeiressDiaries: BGC Edition 🎀

tiara - bgc 7

“i’m the sh*t! look at me, then look at you! look at your hair, then look at mine!” ❤︎︎

bougie girl down! the hair and makeup were never not on point (tbh this is the reason i like most of these girls)!

real and pretty. never hopped on a bandwagon simply bc it was popular.

so freaking funny! and effortlessly too. she never came across as try hard.

my number one fav!

ashley - bgc 6

“i’m establishing my own dominance and these b*tches can’t f*ck with me!” ❤︎︎

if tiara is my number one fav, ashley is a close number two!

very girly girl and i love that in anyone.

cute little playboy bunny.

so authentic and never gave snake or try hard.

took an entire house on and was not scared to stand alone.

danni - bgc 8

“i’m not scared of no b*tch! whoop my ass today, whoop my ass tomorrow! i don’t give a f*ck how big you are! if i wanna do something i’m gonna do it and none of these b*tches are gonna stop me! so i’m glad you whooped my ass! that was the biggest fight in bad girls club history and it ultimately made us the stars, so, THANK YOU!” ❤︎︎

if you pay attention, danni was never the issue. she just always had her sisters back unconditionally. as someone with three sisters, i love that.

she and her sister WERE the entertainment of season 8.

knew she couldn’t fight and walked into the lions den unafraid. tbh i don’t care about a girl that “fights”. that is NEVER the reason i like someone. it’s corny.

danni was very clearly aware of the bigger picture and simply did not care about taking a hit. it’s not that deep.

camilla - bgc 8

“b*tch you’re just mad that another cute, hottie chick came up in this mug, and looked AMAZING!” ❤︎︎

gorgeous!!!! doesn’t get enough credit as one of the prettiest bad girls.

as someone that has been bullied in real life it was so fulfilling to see the way she handled it. she didn’t let ANYTHING shake her.

said exactly how she felt when she felt that way.

girls were jealous and she knew it.

sarah - bgc 11

“there’s no lying or sugar coating it! i do what i say and i say what i do!” ❤︎︎

my fav bgc blonde of all time. better than kate, kristen, and jada in my opinion.

yeah she talks a lot but she’s real and isn’t scared of anyone.

i would love to be friends with her she seems so sweet and caring. she reminds me of the girls that took me under their wing when i started at hooters.

called out stephanie’s irrelevant ass at the reunion, checked mehgan as soon as she heard shit talking + anyone who beats gigi’s ass is a fav in my book!

her signature piercings, bows, and blonde hair was so bimbo i love it. + that iconic reunion look!!!

unfortunately didn’t get enough time to shine on that raggedy season of hers but she was definitely the star of season 11 so i’m glad we got to see more of her on BGASB and season 13.

jelaminah - bgc 14

“i don’t feel like i’m better than nobody!… but i’m comfortable with who i am because it’s taken me a lot!” ❤︎︎

dominance at its finest. she said it’s the jela show and manifested that down. she had girls stuck in her face, but talking behind her back. that’s because they knew it wouldn’t fly.

her signature look oozed of feminine allure. educated! believed in having her own life and goals AND not entertaining men that weren’t up to her standards.

she kept her space clean and was disgusted by mess and filth.

able to cope with lots of personalities and get along with everyone.

proud to be black and didn’t tolerate racism.

the clermont twins - bgc 14

“you know, certain things i can’t help. i feel like i’m not just cute; like i got a lot going for myself and i’m smart. so like when you’re that strong of a person, you’re a bad b*tch!” -shannon

“i just look so damn good, and it’s so hard to meet other girls who are just as confident as i am! -shannade

“b*tch, SHUT UP!” ❤︎︎

vain black barbies and i’m here for it.

as much as people seem to think otherwise, they weren’t mean girls or bullies. they just spoke up for themselves when getting unsolicited harassment from the other girls.

every look for for me was a ten. i loved their aesthetic back then.

smart girls. they capitalized on their appearance on the show and now they’re two of the most noteworthy and wealthy bad girls ever.

unshakable confidence. the other girls wanted them humbled so bad and they just didn’t waiver. luvs it.

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

THE COMPLETE COPOLLO MASTERLIST

Desperately looking for fics to satisfy your obsession with the RRverse's most dumpsterfire of a ship? Look no further than this post :3

I have Copollo fics ranging from Ao3, FF.net, and here on tumblr! Each fic will be linked, and if the author has a tumblr (that I know of - if you know their tumblr let me know!), they will be tagged.

Also, before we begin, I would just like to say that when I say every Copollo fic I can find is on this list, I mean all of them. This includes fics that are canon compliant, crack, aus, and those with darker tones. If that isn't your thing, all you have to do is avoid clicking on said fics. They're all organzied very nicely if I do say so myself. Nothing more to it :3

Look below the cut for the list! If you have any fics that slipped between my grabby fingers let me know so I can add them! :3

Roman Empire Era

A Cruel Occasion by @seductivegrapethrowing

Grapes and Blood (written in German) by Buttons_Buttons (Rated G)

Fairness by mothmansaysgayrights (Rated G)

The Death of Emperor Commodus by LusiaLovegood (Rated G)

Long Life to You by kitatyourservice (Rated G)

Death's Embrace by me (Rated G)

When the Day Met the Night by me (Rated G)

When Everything's Wrong, You Make It Right by me (Rated G)

Call Me Commodus / Today I'll Be Your Ruler / I'll Also Die Here by kitatyourservice (Rated G)

Of Broken Promises by @money-and-dandellions (Rated G)

Rewrite The Stars by me (Rated G)

drunk off that love, it my head up (there's no forgetting you) by me (Rated G)

Keeping Warm by @soleil-in-retrograde (I reread the Copollo part of this over and over :3) (Rated T)

vow by @daisy-mooon (Rated T)

my teeth will only cut your lips, my dear by localcryptidlivinlife (Rated T)

Always Told You Not To Love Me (Now Look What You Made Me Do) by anxious_tofu (Rated E)

ghost of mine (you're taking up all my time) by anxious_tofu (Mainly perpollo, but I read it for the Copollo :3) (Rated E)

i’ll break your little heart in two by anonymous (Rated E)

Trials of Apollo

Canon Compliant

As Far As I'm Concerned, You're Just Another Picture To Burn by @solahflare

It Isn't Love, It Isn't Hate, It's Just Indifference by @solahflare

A Pity by kitatyourservice (Rated G)

forget - me - not by localcryptidlivinlife (Rated G)

Song of Apollo by @tsarinatorment (For the Copollo crumb within :3) (Rated T)

Fractures of the Mind (Heart) by me :3 (Rated T)

The Devil Within (His Mind) also by me (Rated T)

Chapter 5 of some ToApril drabbles because my head is as empty as Meg's by orphan_account (Rated T)

Divinity, Fire, and Former Lovers by @seapinecone (Rated T)

Aus

All's Fair in Love & War by me (Rated G)

and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started by patsusan (Rated G) (nom nomming)

It's Be Okay by Apollo4612 (Rated Fiction T)

i loved you dangerously (more than the air that i breathe) by @okathleen (Rated T)

i will only break your pretty things by localcryptidlivinlife (Rated T)

@daisy-mooon

Taunt (Rated G)

Outnumbered (Rated T)

Blindfold (Rated T)

Spark (Rated M)

Triumvirate Wins Au by bacchis

to eros, in secrecy

den of the lion (Rated E)

there are a couple more fics in this series if you're interested but only the two above have brief Copollo moments (i will admit this au lives rent-free in my brain)

AUs

Winds of Ruin by me (Rated G)

Coward by @nyaningthroughlife (Rated T)

Moonrise by me (Rated T)

and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started by patsusan

And historians will call them close friends, besties, murderers of each others’ souls by patsusan

The Moon Brooch by @trials-of-apollo-my-beloved

Hazbin Hotel nonlinear AUs

Stayed Gone by me (Rated T)

Hell Hath No Fury by me (Rated T)

Crack (when i say every fic, I mean every fic)

It's a Fun Time in Commodupolis! by Anonymous (Rated M)

Dark

Nothing Like The Sun by Cola_bubblegum

Day & Night by Lif61 (UltimateFandomTrash) (Rated E)

TAG LIST: @moodyseal @plastikstarz @hazardous-lightdas12 @worlds-oldest-teenager here it is! :3

[dramioneasks]

Do you know any fics with D&H already married during war time and something bad happens to either one of them? (Ex: Kidnapping, torture)

All For Her By: Awfulwaffel - M, 17 chapters - Very dark spin on memory charm trope. Obsessive and possessive Draco. Major character death. Graphic. Vile. Wizarding Britain is about to learn family is everything. Draco Malfoy finally claims what's his, Harry Potter flounders without direction, and Hermione Granger is just gone. I own nothing. {Complete} {Rewritten and Reposting}

Breathe in. Bretahe out. by CosmicCthulhu - T, one-shot - Hermione is terrified. The Death Eaters have attacked her home and she has no idea where her husband is. Now, all she can do is hide away in the safe house and wait for him – while doing her best to shield her son away from the harshness of the war.

Divine Artifice By: jessiy - M, 25 chapters - The story of how Draco Malfoy found redemption, his heart, and reclaimed his family’s honor. All thanks to a mislabeled bottle of Experimental Amortentia. Hermione/Draco

Dragon in the Lion’s Den By: ginnyginny - M, 31 Chapters - As the final battle ends, Hermione’s secret is acidentally exposed.  Will Harry and Ron understand the path that Dumbledore put her on in their 6th year not only led to the defeat of Voldemort, but to her marriage to Draco Malfoy?

-Lisa

[ssuperficialspacecadett]

Roll Call

Chapter Two of the Through the Scope series | Chapter Three

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 4K

TW: (Very) subtle hint at SA in readers past, gym member being creepy

Chapter Overview: Today is your first day at Brass Knuckles Boxing Gym. Benny has a surprise for you after your shift.

Notes: Hey everyone ! Still no set posting schedule, but I managed to get this one done this week. I have a pretty packed week coming up so I can't make any promises as to when chapter three will come out. thanks for dealing with me (': happy reading <3

*no use of y/n & female presenting reader*

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Your alarm clock makes its presence known bright and early this morning. Normally getting up for work on a Monday isn’t anything that you would be overly excited about, but today is your first day working at Brass Knuckles. It’s also your first day getting back into a stable work and life routine. Which is something you have been craving since you moved. You feel like a nervous child the morning of a school field trip. The good kind of nervousness that buzzes around inside your body and lingers. 

After hopping out of the shower, you head into your bedroom. You see your phone lying haphazardly on your bed and think about texting Benny to ask what you should wear today. He didn’t strike you as the kind of guy to enforce a dress code at work, but you also didn’t want to look out of place. Oh fuck it. He didn’t say anything negative about the jeans and t-shirt that you were wearing while you toured the gym. Might as well just wear something in the same vein as that to play it safe. 

You slip into your clothes and wander back into the bathroom with your phone in hand. The bags under your eyes are a physical testament to all the stress you have been and are under currently. Maybe some light makeup you say to yourself. It’s not as if you had any intention of trying to find a boyfriend here much to Robbie’s dismay. You just didn’t want anyone to think that Benny hired a walking corpse to greet the guests. You check the time on your phone and realize that you need to leave right about now to make it to the gym by 7:30 A.M.. Benny had texted you over the weekend asking you to come in half an hour early so he could give you the rundown of what you need to be taking care of on a regular day to day basis. Your shoes get thrown on and you grab your tote bag as you run out the door to your car.

Thankfully Brass Knuckles is only a 15-20 minute drive from your apartment. You pull into the parking lot and turn your car off before taking out your phone. You text your dad to remind him that your new job starts today so you will be coming by to see him after 8:00 P.M. Monday-Saturday. When he quickly texts back you’re a bit surprised. You would think retirement meant sleeping in.

Dad: Have a good day, Sweet Pea! Make some friends. Remember to hit them in the throat and in the balls.”

You smile and heart the message on your phone. This is your dads not so subtle way of reminding you where men are the most sensitive. Since according to him, you were walking into the lion's den by working here. As you climb out of the car your smile drops. Maybe if you would have remembered his advice when you were 19, things would have ended differently.

“Are you ready?!”

There was only one voice you knew that had the capability to be that loud this early in the morning. You look up quickly to see Benny waving and holding the gym door open for you. 

“Morning, Benny! Yes, I think I am.” You say slipping past him to get inside. 

“That’s what I like to hear outta my employees!” 

You set your tote bag down on the desk and take a deep breath in. It still reeks, but less so now that the smell has had time to dissipate between closing and opening shifts. Benny comes up behind you and pats your shoulder encouragingly as he walks behind the desk. 

“Come on, let me show you how everythin’ is setup.”

Benny has you sit in the chair so you can get a feel for things while he teaches you how to operate the scheduling system. He shows you how to login to the program under your profile and then how to access each individual client once you’re inside. You notice that he set your profile picture to the selfie you sent the other night. It seems to be a pretty straight forward program, you note. You are able to see, create, and control Benny’s one on one training appointments up to three months in advance. He gets excited when you figure out, on your own, that you can color code clients. You’re pretty sure that he didn’t know how to do that before, but he looked so happy that you didn’t have the heart to say anything. 

Once the two of you cover all of the bases for the scheduling program he moves on to the ‘easier’ tasks, as he calls them, that you are incharge of. He shows you how to scan membership cards with the scan gun on the desk and how to register new members when they ask. He shows you how to sell and print out tickets for the Friday fights. You feel him pull your chair away from the desk and see a small black, mini fridge underneath it. 

“This is where we keep the complimentary water for the guests. Just make sure to keep this stocked throughout the day. If it ever gets low we have cases in the laundry room.”

He checks the time on his phone while he scoots you and your chair back into the correct position. 

“Last thing you need to worry about is unlocking the door at 8:00 A.M.. As for me and my tasks? I help train people, obviously, look over finances, and take care of the music.” 

“You have time to queue up songs?”

“I make time to queue up songs.”

You were grateful for his help this morning. And even more grateful that he did it in a way that didn’t come across as condescending or like he was babying you. You got the feeling that he really did trust you with the work you were assigned even after only just meeting you. 

“You’re gonna do great today! Feel free to make the desk your own too.”

“Thanks, Benny.”

You walk with him from out behind the desk and lean against the brick wall as he heads into his office. 

“Oh,” he calls back to you before disappearing into the small room. “The guys are going to swing by around closing time. They wanted to see who they were drinking too the other night. I might have also talked you up to them.”

After he drops that bomb, Benny walks out of sight. You have no idea what to do with this information. Benny talked so highly of them the other day, so it makes you nervous that he wants you to meet them. Yet, the more you think about it the more you warm to the idea. He must feel like he found a friend in you the same way you did in him. You walk around the desk and head to the front door to unlock it. Cars have already begun to pull into the once empty lot signaling that your day has started whether you're ready for it or not. 

The first few hours of your shift crawl by at a snail’s pace. Two or three guests come in an hour. Each one of them mindlessly handing you their membership card to scan before they enter the gym. This gives you plenty of time to play around and really get to know the inner workings of the scheduling program. You want to make sure that there isn’t anything you aren’t prepared for. Benny, bless his heart, checks in with you just before 12:00 P.M..

“A lot of people come in here to burn off some steam durin’ their lunch breaks. It will be pretty packed for the next hour-hour and a half, but then it will go back to how it was this mornin’.”

God is he right. An endless stream of new faces begin coming at you soon after the clock strikes noon. Some of them don’t say anything, some of them offer you a polite greeting, and some of them take it upon themselves to welcome you in their own special way.

“You’re new, huh? I could show you a move or two in the ring if you want.”

“I’ll be back tomorrow if you promise me that you will be too.”

You just smile sweetly and scan their card with a simple ‘enjoy your visit’ to help move the lingerers along. The rush dies down a couple hours later, again just like Benny said it would. Honestly, you are a little bit sad that it's over. Time went by much quicker in those few hours and you finally felt useful. 

When shopping for furniture online in between helping guests check in got boring, you look for tasks you can take care of that venture past the desk. During your initial tour of the gym, you remember seeing a dirty clothes basket that was designated for towels. You figure that this late in the day it should be full enough to do a load of laundry. 

You walk inside the gym, weaving out of guests' way, and collect the used towels. It’s not too heavy so you carry it to the laundry room and dump all of the contents into the washer. You use the detergent that's on the shelf and close the machine's lid. Benny must have seen you walk in here because he walks up next to you as you press the ‘start’ button. 

“It’s a stubborn ‘ole son of a bitch so you gotta show it a little bit of extra love to get it goin’.”

You jump slightly when he rams the side of his foot into the washer. Unsurprisingly, it comes to life after he does this. For the third time today, Benny is once again correct. You look around the small room as the washer hums and see a photo hanging on the wall. It shows Benny arm in arm with three men you have never seen before.

“Are these your friends?” You point to the picture and ask Benny.

“Yup!” You can hear the pride in his voice as he says this. “That one on the right is Will, my older brother. The handsome devil next to him is yours truly. Then there’s Pope-”

“Pope?”

“Yeah, his name is technically Santiago, but we all call him Pope. It was his call sign when we served together and it just kinda stuck. We all have one, well I technically don’t, but I’d like to think mine is Brass Knuckles. It fits well with Will’s since his call sign is Ironhead.”

“That’s really sweet.”

“I like to think so.” he says bashfully. “ And last but not least…the one on the left is Catfish or Frankie.”

You nod along to what Benny is saying, but you would be lying if you said you were listening anymore. Your attention stays on the man in the left of the photo: Frankie. You could tell he hadn’t had a haircut in a while when the photo was taken. His thick, brown curls came up to lick the sides of the ‘Standard Heating Oil’ cap he wore. He had a full mustache that looked as if it was mocking the patchiness of his beard. You didn’t mind it. You thought it made him look more approachable. One of the most handsome noses you had ever seen sat atop his mustache. It was deeply sloped and came to a soft curve at the end. He’s laughing in the photo which makes the skin around his eyes wrinkle in an endearing way.

“You comin’ or what?” 

Unbeknownst to you, Benny had walked out of the laundry room while you were still captivated by the photograph on the wall. Or more specifically one of the men in the photograph. 

“Shit, my bad.”

Reluctantly you pull yourself away and walk back to the front desk with him. Your timing couldn’t have been more perfect either because his 4:00 P.M. appointment walks through the door right as you two arrive. Thankfully, Benny is so wrapped up in talking with the other man that he doesn’t notice how quiet you have gone. While your body may have left the laundry room, your mind is still very much there. You check him in and hand both men a water bottle before they head back for their workout. 

You sit restlessly in your chair as you watch the hands on the clock above the door chase one another. No one has come in since Benny’s last appointment, but you know that will change soon. It’s almost 5:00 P.M. which means the after work rush is on the horizon. You hear Benny faintly as he talks to his client and you find yourself wondering what goes on in his sessions. It feels safe to abandon your post for a few seconds so you stand up and peek your head around the brick wall. Benny has dawned some gloves with pads attached to the palms of them. 

“You got it, man! Right in the center! Yeah, just like that, great job!”

He carries on with his encouraging words as the man across from him continues to make contact with the padded gloves. You hear him tell the man to hit harder and in a more controlled manner. When he does this, Benny showers him with praise. It warms your heart to see him in action. You can really tell that this isn’t just a job for him. This is his whole life. 

The doorbell rings out and you look behind you to greet the client.

“Oh don’t turn around my account, darlin’. I was admiring the view.” 

He wasn’t a very tall man, but what he lacked in height he made up for in misplaced confidence. He was attractive in an average sort of way. The kind of way that wouldn’t make you do a double take on the street if you saw him. However, you could give credit where credit was due. He had great hair. It was thick and raven in color and combed in an almost meticulous way. 

“Welcome to Brass Knuckles. How can I help you today, sir?” you say, biting back your new found annoyance.

“I have a 5:00 P.M. appointment with Miller. I decided to come in early to warm up and I’m happy that I did. What’s your name?”

You ignore his inquiry about your name and take a seat in your chair. When you check the schedule you see his name, Ed Brunson, under the 5 o’clock spot.

“Ed? Let me get you checked in. Benny will be with you once he finishes with his 4 o’clock.”

“You can call me Eddie, darlin’.”

“Want me to put it in your file or what?” Now unable to hide your disdain. 

“Oh you're spunky. I like that.”

Benny jogs up to the front drenched in sweat. You take advantage of his current state and ignore Brunson to grab him a water bottle. 

“Brunson, you’re on time,” He takes a gulp of water. “That’s a first.”

You watch as Benny cautiously looks between you and Brunson as he polishes off the refreshing drink.

“I was just trying to get acquainted with your new receptionist here.”

“New receptionist, this is Brunson. Brunson, this is my new receptionist. Now y’all are acquainted.” His tone is flat as he says this.

You have to pretend to do something on your computer so you don’t snort at Benny’s ‘in depth’ introduction of you.

“I don’t get to know her name, Miller?”

“Did you come here to practice runnin’ your mouth or to practice throwin’ your fists?”

Brunson chuckles lightly and holds his hands up in defeat. You dare to glance up at the two men and see a weird tension in between them. Another guest walks in so Brunson takes it as his queue to head back into the gym. Benny stays up there with you as you scan the new guests card. 

“What was all that about?” you question when the two of you are alone again. 

“I don’t fuckin’ like that guy. I’ve been itchin’ for a reason to ban him from this place. Did he- did he say anything to you before I got here?”

“Just regular run of the mill meathead shit I suppose.”

“Are you sure?” He presses.

“I’m fine, Benny, really.”

“But you’ll let me know?”

“Yes, I’ll let you know. I’m a big girl though. I can handle myself. Now you better get back there, you wouldn’t want to keep that peach of a man waiting.”

He laughs, but seems a bit wary of your answer. You wave at him as he walks into what you’re sure will be a very strange session. Before you forget, you make sure to color code Brunson’s name in a bright shade of red.

***

You’re grateful when 7:30 P.M. finally rolls around. You think you could classify your first day here as a success. It may have droned on at times, but you had Benny to keep you company which made all the difference in the world. As you put the last of your things in your tote bag you make a mental note to bring some stuff from home to jazz up your desk. After all, Benny did say that you could make the desk your own. Maybe a cute potted plant in that corner, a new pen jar up there, an air freshener right here? You’re mapping it all out in your head when you see a tired looking white pickup truck pull into the almost empty lot. Three men get out and start heading in your direction. They aren’t dressed for a workout-? Oh fuck they’re Benny’s friends.

The closer they get to the door, the more easily you are able to identify them based on the photo in the laundry room. You don’t know why you have a knot in your stomach all of a sudden. You feel completely crazy for being so jittery over their approaching presence. The man Benny referred to as ‘Pope’ walks in first, followed by Will and then Frankie. You stand, a bit awkwardly, when they approach the front desk. 

“Well you must be the reason my wallet is a lot lighter than it usually is.” Pope theorizes as he leans his forearms on the desk. He’s got a playful grin plastered on his salt and peppered face when he speaks to you.

“Guilty,” you confess. “You must be Pope or Santiago. I’m not really sure which one I’m allowed to call you.”

“You can call me whichever one you’d like. Did Benny give you an exposé on all of us?”

“Kissing and telling wouldn’t be a good way to end my first day, don't ‘cha think?” 

Will laughs heartily as he steps up to greet you next. “William Miller,” you shake the hand he offers you. “I hope Benny wasn’t too much to handle today.”

“Actually he was really helpful, but I’m getting the sense that's not always the case with him.” 

All three men shake their heads in confirmation with your statement. Last to approach you is Frankie. You feel your heartbeat quicken as you realize he is much more handsome in person. His eyes also look considerably sadder than they were in the picture. 

“And you must be Frankie-”

“Hey boys!” 

Benny comes barreling out from behind the brick wall and greets each man with a bear hug. You smile when you see the love each of them has for one other. It’s really nice to see a group of men express that so readily. When Benny makes his way to Frankie the two of you make eye contact. Something about those deep brown eyes on you makes your ears hot and you have to look away. 

“So whaddya think?” Benny says to you when he finally lets Frankie go.

“The picture Benny has in the laundry room doesn’t do y’all justice.”

“Well I could say the same thing about you.” Pope quips.

Your jaw hangs open and you turn your attention to Benny. “So thats why you asked for a fucking photo the other night! You little shit!”

“No! No! You saw that I set it as your login picture! It was Frankie’s idea anyhow!”

“You!?” you snap your head towards Frankie who looks like he has just seen a ghost.

“Don’t you fucking pin that on me, Benny! I just told you how to ask for it in a non creepy way! Pope was the one who originally wanted it!”

“Pope!” you whine in his direction. 

“Okay. Okay. The buck stops here. You caught me. I got curious and couldn’t help myself.” 

“And I guess you were just along for the ride then, huh, Will?”

“That’s usually how it goes.” He shrugs innocently. 

Benny continues talking with his friends while you log out of the computer and shut it down for the night. As you do this, you can’t help but feel like there are eyes on you. You keep your own gaze on the computer and listen in. You hear Benny so it can’t be him. Pope just made a snide comment so it isn’t him either. There Will goes laughing up a storm at what Pope just said. The only one it could be is…

“Are you going to be joining us at the bar tonight?” Pope queries. 

“I’m flattered, really, but I have a previous engagement.”

“You’re breaking my heart.”

“Lay off, Pope.” Will gives him a playful shove. “Well the invitation doesn’t expire, so maybe when you’re free next?”

“Thanks guys. I’ll keep that in mind for sure. It was really nice to meet y’all!”

Everyone says their goodbyes as Will, Frankie, and Pope head out the door towards The Barrel. You swear you see Frankie turn around one last time before he gets bathed in the darkness of the night. Then it’s just you and Benny again. The way it started.

“So? How was your first day?”

He happily walks across the parking lot with you to your car after insisting that you shouldn’t go alone. You take a deep breath of the humid night air and feel it clearing out your lungs. 

“Besides the intense and constant smell of male body odor it wasn’t half bad.” 

“Oh, fuck off.”

“No, I’m dead serious. We have got to do something about that.”

He waits patiently for you to get in your car and crank the engine on. You look up at him before you drive away, but you see him motioning for you to roll your window down. 

“Yeah?”

He rests his forearms where your window disappeared into your car. “I’m glad you want to stick around. I’m even more glad you got along with my friends. We’re kind of a fucked up bunch. But I swear we are cool once you get to know us.”

You smile sadly at him as you pull out of the parking lot. He follows behind your car as you exit the lot and get into the street. Then he crosses over to the bar on his own. You watch him in your rearview mirror until you can no longer tell the difference between him and the shadows. Part of you wants to turn around, join them at their table, and see where the night takes you. It would be so freeing. It would be exactly what you need. Unfortunately, your better judgment takes over and you punch your dads address into your GPS. Maybe you will award yourself that luxury another night. You pull out your phone and press on your dads contact before your silly, little heart tips the scale inside your brain in its favor. 

“Hey, are you still awake?”

“Well I answered the phone didn’t I?” he says sarcastically.

“Touché, dad. I’m headed your way right now.”

“Did you make any friends today?”

You feel a coy smile play across your lips before you speak. “Yeah. Yeah, I think I did actually.”

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —