#tbh the more i looked at him the less the ears stood out to me

[bonehildart]

Painting people is impossible and I only painted the eyes. Anyway, here, have a quick 1hr study of beloved ohioan Tyler Joseph

[thebluester2020]

[TWST] Kinktober Day 13: "Masturbation"

Summary: With you being the only girl on campus, Leona already had an idea that there would be competition! Luckily for him however, catching you alone at night proved to be his lucky break.

Warning(s): Solo Masturbation (Leona fingers the reader), Teasing, Slight Bullying (I got a thing for Leona being mean man), Fingering, Leona being possessive (in kinda a jealous way tbh).

Side Note(s): Okay so a few things mostly in regards to how I'm going to treat anything I write for TWST from now on. One, I'm going to write as if Night Raven College was an actual college. For the sake of me being confused as to what's what regarding the school system, I gotta do what I gotta do in order to help myself 💀.

Two— y'all I gotta update my yuu oc's sheet. I'm seeing so many fancy ones on here that it's giving me major inspo.

It was hard for him to admit it to himself at first but...Leona Kingscholar had a crush.

Sure, it was easy to say that it was only a matter of time before he gained one on you, especially when you were the only girl on campus but he thought he had more strength of will than that! So many others had a crush on you, too many fools lamenting about how they either wanted to date you or sleep with you. It was becoming annoying at this rate, and at first? Leona couldn't wait to hear the news that Headmaster Crowley had finally found your home and sent you back, just so he could stop hearing students in SavannaClaw constantly groaning about you.

Then it began to divulge into something else.

One class period, strangely enough, you were without your cat. In every class he had shared with you prior, you were always preoccupied with the cat and seemed to feed off his mischief and antics. Like a little duckling trying to mimic every single living thing in order to find its place.

Bothersome.

But he ignored it well enough until he witnessed you being...focused for once. And there, he gained a strange warmth in his chest as he found himself staring, admiring your gracefulness as you sat in your chair and the way you showed a surprising amount of intelligence, one that was usually hidden away by how much you were coddling the only other member of that Ramshackle Dorm. Sure, he didn't have much room to admire nor talk about someone being focused with how little he cared for his classes personally but...there was something regal about you in particular being focused.

But, as quick as he felt that warmth blooming, he snuffed it out.

No way was he entering a pointless rat race for one girl when thousands of other students were competing in the same competition.

Until tonight.

When he found you sitting all on your lonesome inside the Botanical Gardens, reading a book no less.

"Herbivore?" He smirked at how fast you responded to the name he had given you.

You quickly closed the book and stood. "L-Leona?" You gulped. "What are you doing out so late?"

"I could ask the same of you," He rose his brow, his gaze going from the book in your hand to the clothes you were wearing. You looked as if you had just rolled out of bed and decided to walk out of your room. "It's dangerous to be out so late, a lot of predators hunt at night and you're easy prey."

You rolled your eyes, deciding to sit back down on the bench and scoot over enough to allow the prince some room to sit if he wished.

Shockingly, he took the silent offer. "Enough of the animal references," You huffed. "It's safe on this campus, much better than my world where I actually need to be afraid." Leona flicked his ear at your wording, he was tempted to press further on your meaning but...he decided to leave the matter for another time. After all, his original reason for being out here was simple. He felt like going out for a nighttime stroll, feel the cool breeze on his skin and all that and maybe taking a small nap here as well.

With you being here although...his plans started to shift a little.

"A romance book?" You slammed your novel shut when Leona pointed out the genre of your book, a blush quickly appearing on your cheeks as you immediately shot a glare to the prince. "Fairytales don't exist herbivore." He chuckled quietly at the growing red on your face.

"For your information, it's not a fairytale. It's a play!" You huffed. "Romeo and Juliet, a tale of forbidden lovers, do you have anything like that in this world?" The beastman shrugged his shoulders, although he was well-versed in different literatures. Romance and forbidden love stories were never his preferred genre to read, to him? It always felt like something to give to young princesses who were hoping that some tall knight would sweep them off of their feet.

He tsked at the very thought of it. "There are plenty of forbidden love stories in this world. Your little book is probably just as predictable as the next one."

"Oh really?"

He nodded his head. "Let me guess...someone dies in the book? Maybe both of them?"

Leona laughed at your silence, causing you to gently shove at his arm at his confidence. Personally, you wouldn't lie to yourself when you said that the idea of a love story appealed to you, especially more so now that you were in a world where magic and princes existed! Hell, you were talking to one right now! However, as you looked at him through the corner of your vision...he wasn't anything like Romeo. He was arrogant, blunt, and a little bit rude. You hadn't forgotten that his ambitious plan lead to you nearly being ran over during the Spelldrive games!

But despite all that? Those very same attributes...they attracted you all the same.

Suddenly, Leona caught a scent in the air, one that made him breathe deeply before exhaling slowly. "What's going on in that head of yours herbivore?" He questioned with a tilt of his head.

"I'm thinking about when you're going to leave and let me continue reading," You lied through your teeth, causing the prince to smirk as he slowly moved closer to you, still giving you ample room to move away in case you were uncomfortable. Yet...as that scent grew sweeter and more potent, it seemed that you were anything but uncomfortable with his presence. "Really?" He pressed. "Something tells me you're thinking about something else herbivore...perhaps this prince can grant it for you."

You twitched a little when Leona suddenly placed a hand on your thigh. The scent of an earthy soap on his body reached your nostrils and, steadily, you began to feel your mind slipping a little.

Until you remembered, you had to hold strong. "...I'm thinking about how much I want you to get away from me." You continued to try and lie, your futile attempts making the prince's smirk grow even more as he continued to laugh.

"Cute," He scoffed. "You know...if you're honest, I'll reward you really nicely." His hand began to move a little, not traveling either upward or downward but only drawing a circle in your skin with his thumb. Your breathing became heavier, the scent of your growing arousal making the prince feel as if he were sipping on the most delectable wine in all the lands. Still, he wanted to hear a word of consent from you before he proceeded.

"Reward?" You panted, gulping before you gained the courage to look Leona in the eyes where his green orbs seemed to almost glow in the darkness. "What...what reward are you talking about?"

"What fun is there in telling you when I can show you?" His thumb stilled as you considered your response. There was little point in denying it to yourself, you could feel that you were absolutely soaked, your sex twitching in anticipation of Leona's touch whilst you could almost feel yourself drowning in the prince's gaze. You wanted to tell yourself that you had no business having sex with a prince, risking the possibility of developing more of an attachment to this world than you already were. But...it was way too hard to think that way when you so badly wanted to feel his warmth. "Show me." You finally whispered.

Finally, Leona's lips found your own before his hand eagerly moved up to your clothed pussy. He laughed against your lips, parting briefly from you as he licked his lips clean of your sweet-tasting lipstick. "Already this wet for me herbivore? All that talk earlier must've been a heap of lies." He then pressed another kiss to your lips before peppering a trail of kisses down your cheek and to the side of your neck. Oh, he was so tempted to mark you right here and right now in this garden but...Leona willed himself to play the long game rather than try to obtain all of his winnings in one single night. He'd get you addicted to his touch first, getting you to beg and plead for him to take you but, as cruel as it would be, he'd deny you. After all, it was more fun to have you come to him rather than him come to you.

"Ah..." You moaned sweetly, the beastman's ears perking to the sound.

"I-It's because you're so d-damn arrogant..." You said breathlessly before you whined at the feeling of cold air hitting your sex when Leona pulled your underwear to the side. The prince ignored your words, too focused on how you squeaked and shuddered each time he kissed you and especially how you grabbed at his shoulders like a lifeline when he began to touch your twitching sex.

"All this just from talking to me, herbivore?" He then trailed his lips back up to your cheek before whispering in your ear. "How shameless..." He continued to lightly scold you before he dipped a finger inside your pussy, your grip upon his shoulders getting tighter from the action.

"And here you were reading a romance novel...did your precious characters do something like this in that little book of yours?"

You shook your head with a whiney 'no' in response. "Oh?" Leona briefly flashed his teeth as he smiled. "You must've been really eager for something like this to happen then," He continued to whisper in your ear as his finger began to lightly thrust in and out of your pussy, the sound of your moans increasing only making the prince's cock strain harder in his pants. But, for the moment, he'd ignore his own desires in other to please you.

"You have a crush on anyone?" Leona lightly nipped your ear.

He felt his ego grow when you shook your head no, he had a completely blank slate to work off of. To make sure that you got addicted to him and no one else. "My lucky day then...I get a cute lil' herbivore to play around with then. It'd be pretty awkward to fuck you with my fingers before you'd leave and smile in your crush's face next." Then, he curled his finger a little, a whine leaving your lips when he suddenly hit your g-spot. At the sound, Leona began to press into that spot with more accuracy, causing you to wrap your arms around his neck as you pulled him closer to your body.

"L-Leona!" You gasped.

"Tch, you sound like a lioness in heat. All from a little fingering?" He teased. A knot began to form in the pit of your stomach as you continued to clench around Leona's finger at his words, the combination of his typically rude and sarcastic tone mixed with the pleasure he was delivering you making your head spin. Then, Leona added a second finger and his thumb into the mix. The addition of the rubbing against your clit and the increased thickness from the second finger making you whine Leona's name.

He had to hold himself back from cumming in his pants like some teenager at the sound. "F-Fuck—! L-Leona...!" You gasped. "Your fingers...f-feel so good..."

"Yeah?" He placed a surprisingly gentle kiss on your lips. "You're so much more honest when you have a couple of fingers tending to this needy hole of yours, don't you?" He chuckled.

You dumbly nodded your head, your further honesty to his question only making his ego grow as the pace of his thrusts increased. He had to cover your mouth with his hand to help muffle your moans, the feeling of your drool against his palm making the prince hiss at the dirtiness of it all. In this moment, he felt more akin to a thief rather than a prince. Stealing away the purity of the seemingly innocent princess, who was "promised" to her knight. Leona moaned at the thought, and what's more? With the way you called out his name and clung to him like you were begging him to give you pleasure, trying to continue to plead your case for him to give you what you so desperately want, Leona couldn't deny how quickly his desires for you grew.

"So loud herbivore..." He said with an unusually sweet tone as his ears started to move to the sound of your cunt beginning to squelch. Your slick started to stick to Leona's palm and drip down onto the bench, filling the air with the smell of sex as Leona picked up the pace of his fingers even more. "Gonna cum soon? Your drippin'."

You answered with a loud moan as your eyes started to roll to the back of your head while your hips started to thrust onto his fingers in time with his movements. Your cunt tightened around his fingers, making the prince have to put more work into fucking you until...you whined loudly behind his palm, your pussy clenching and unclenching around his fingers rapidly before you finally relaxed as he continued to fuck you through your orgasm.

When you made a noise of discomfort though, he finally removed his fingers.

"Dirty," He mumbled, spreading his fingers as he lewdly played with your slick before finally sticking the digits into his mouth.

You blushed at the sight, weakly turning your head to the side before Leona snickered and made you face him once more. "Next time...let's do this in my dorm room, hm?"

[97keanu]

୨୧ request ୨୧ daddy dom jw! reader in a collar and leash! size kink!

𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒍𝒚...

CW/Tags: smut, pet play, leash and collar, s&m dynamics, age gap, p in v, oral f/m receiving, trust dynamics, john is a VERY good dom <3, inexperienced!reader (to bdsm), commanding and authoritive john, use of daddy/puppy/good girl etc, SIZE KINK, John is a firm but caring dom, filthy smut, john ofc does after care, emotional reader after sex, might be the dirtiest thing I’ve written tbh…

Words: 5.3k

The steady rhythm of John Wick's footsteps on his morning walk always woke you up before your alarm. Like clockwork, he'd pass your house at 6:15 a.m., his black-on-black attire and leash in hand as his dog trotted obediently beside him. It was routine. Comforting. A reminder that the man next door wasn’t your typical middle aged dad-type—he didn’t care to invite you to the latest neighborhood cookout, or wave enthusiastically as he mowed his lawn on Sunday mornings. No, he was painfully, infuriatingly disciplined, in all he did.

At first, you only noticed him in passing. The quiet but polite neighbor who always nodded in acknowledgment, even when your conversations were limited to small talk at the mailbox. But something about John lingered: his presence, his patience, the way he seemed to see through people without saying a word. That quiet power drew you in before you even realized it, pulling you closer until your innocent hellos morphed into stolen glances—and eventually, something far less innocent.

Now, as you stood in his kitchen, sipping coffee while the leash you’d asked for sat coiled neatly on the counter, your heart raced in a way you hadn’t felt in years. John leaned against the doorframe, his gaze as steady as ever, though the hint of a smirk tugged at his lips.

"You keep staring at that like you're second-guessing yourself," he said, voice low and deliberate. "Changed your mind?"

You shook your head, fingers brushing the leather. "Not exactly. Just... getting used to the idea."

"Good," he replied, stepping closer.

His shadow felt larger than life as he closed the space between you, the width of his chest splayed out over a black shirt, the cotton holding him close.

"Because I don’t do halfway. If this is what you want, you’ll give me everything. Understand?”

Your eyes don't know where to go, your legs shift, thighs squeezing nervously with a rush of fear and excitement. You've had fantasies about something like this sure, but you never really thought…

“Eyes up here, puppy…” his voice isn't asking for attention, it's commanding, authority ripe in his deep voice.

Your obedience was what drew him in. The way you looked up when told, eyes big and full of nothing less than the want to please, even the highest of demands.

“If you want to back out, simply shake your head no.” His eyes watched yours, letting silence fill the kitchen without any hint of awkwardness.

He waits, letting you decide for yourself before continuing. Your head remains glued in place, worried even the slightest of flinches may give away any second doubts, something that John may see and deem a reason to stop right here and now. Your eyes search his dark ones, and you watch his lips part once more, a deep breath inhaled there.

“Or, you can put on your collar like a good girl and we can get started.”

Each word makes your heart thump in your ears, excitement rushing into every cell of your body. Your fingers twitch, and your eyes flashback over to that tempting leather that calls to you. Somehow, you know if you go through with this, you will never really be the same, never able to go back to how you were, placating frat boys at your college and having mediocre sex with boys who never even cared if you enjoyed a second of it. No, if you do this, you’ll crave it for the rest of your life.

Your fingers lift, grazing across the dark marble counter until they reach smooth, black leather. A collar just for you, perfect for your pretty little neck, custom made with the finest materials John could find for you. Your mouth parts, and a shaky, but excited breath leaves you as you bring the collar up to your neck.

“That’s a my girl…” John sets his coffee on the counter, walking behind you and brushing your hair to the side.

You feel his large, warm hands touch the nape of your neck, electricity passing between the two of you, unspoken tension building between your legs as he finishes the buckle back there. He tightens it just enough to be snug, but no more. He lets your hair drop once more, then lets his hands encapsulate your shoulders, their firm roughness bringing heat to your skin.

“Let’s begin.”

꩜ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ ✩ ୨୧˚

John had guided you—no, commanded you—into the living room, his hand firm but not forceful at the base of your neck as you followed his lead. The leash connected to your collar trailed in his other hand, the soft clink of the chain with each step grounding you. Your skin prickles, hyper aware of every move he makes, a wolf circling its prey before going in for the kill.

“Good,” he murmured, the single word full of approval as he turned you to face him, your heart blooming at the idea of pleasing him. His eyes, sharp and unyielding, roamed over you with an intensity that made your knees weak. “You’re already learning.”

You tried to swallow the knot in your throat, but his presence made it impossible. John Wick wasn’t the kind of man to rush anything—he took his time, measured and deliberate, savoring every reaction you gave him.

“Sit,” he instructed, gesturing to the plush ottoman in the center of the room. His voice was calm, as if you’d done this a hundred times before, and the weight of it settled over you like a blanket.

When you hesitated, his lips curved into a faint smile—not playful, but knowing. “Second-guessing yourself again?”

You shook your head quickly, not wanting to displease or seem childish in front of him, sitting as instructed. The moment you obeyed, his long fingers hooked under your chin, his large hand tilting your face upward so you couldn’t look anywhere but at him. Those dark eyes pierce right into the very depths of your being as his soft lips move.

“Good girl,” he said, his voice dropping just enough to make the air between you feel electric. “Now, let’s see how far you’re willing to go.”

John continues circling you slowly, his footsteps deliberate, each one echoing softly in the quiet room. You felt his presence like a heavy shadow, his gaze burning into you even when he wasn’t directly in front of you.

“Do you know why I like this?” he asked, his voice calm, almost conversational.

The question makes you pause.

You hadn't considered it. You were used to men using you for your body, for their own pleasure, disregarding yours entirely. You figured it was any mans dream to have a sweet, supple young woman such as yourself, collared and begging to please their every whim. You briefly open your soft, glossy lips to reflect.

John stops behind you, his hand brushing lightly against the leash before pulling it taut—not enough to restrict, just enough to remind you it was there.

You shook your head, words failing you under the weight of his scrutiny.

“It’s not just the control,” he continued, his voice low, steady, and far too composed. “It’s the trust. The way you give yourself over to me without hesitation.”

His fingers trailed along your shoulder, sending a shiver down your spine.

“It means you believe I’ll take care of you... even when I push you.”

You inhaled sharply, the meaning in his words sinking in.

“But trust,” he said, moving to stand in front of you again, “isn’t just given. It’s earned. And right now, you’re going to show me exactly how much you trust me.”

He crouched slightly, bringing himself to eye level with you, his sleek suit pants tight against his thighs, his expression unreadable yet entirely commanding. His hand tilted your chin up again, his thumb brushing along the line of your jaw.

“Speak,” he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Do you trust me?”

You breathe, looking at the man before you, at his imposing presence and how easy it would be for him to take advantage of you at any moment. How you could just be another silly, young girl he's lured into his trap.

But your mouth says otherwise.

“Yes,” you whispered, the word barely audible, but it was enough to make his lips curl into that faint, knowing smile again.

“Good,” he said, his approval like a reward in itself. “Then you’ll listen. You’ll follow. You’ll let me guide you.”

He tugged gently on the leash, urging you to stand. The movement was unhurried, meticulous, as if he wanted you to feel every second of his control.

As you rose to your feet, his free hand pressed against the small of your back, steadying you. The simple act sent a jolt of awareness through your body, reminding you that while he held all the power in this moment, it wasn’t about domination—it was about connection. About trust.

“You’re doing well,” he said softly, his fingers brushing the leather of your collar before settling back on the leash. “But we’re just getting started.”

His hands gently leave you, and he steps away once more, eyes flickering across every inch of your body, taking you in.

“Strip.” he commands, his voice unyielding in authority.

You hesitate. You had never felt so subconscious of yourself as you did in this moment. It's not like you hadn't been seen naked before, but that was always hurried, dark dorm rooms and drunken kisses taking up most of your awareness. You had never been inspected the way John's dark eyes were watching you now.

His eyebrow flicks up for a moment, and you hesitate no longer, hands going up under your short black mini skirt to begin pulling down your stockings, the way you usually get undressed at home, without much care for the act.

John's hand gives the leash a tug as he speaks.

“Slower. Start at the top.”

You freeze, your mind overwhelmed by the scrutiny, but your need to please take over.

You straighten, eyes flicking from John to the floor and back again over and over as you slowly begin to unbutton your pale pink blouse. You think about it, taking a breath and releasing it slowly to calm yourself from all the attention, hands steadying and making sure to be intentional, calculated in their strokes.

You had never had to be sexy in front of someone like this, a worry forming in your brow and your excessive fluttering lashes as you wonder if you're accomplishing the job. John's eyes give nothing away, his gaze steady, as if testing just exactly how you will react to such stimuli.

You shrug your shoulders as your blouse begins to gently glide off, falling down to your elbows and exposing your pretty pink bra beneath, complete with lace and bows. You wonder if you seem too inexperienced, too girlish, a waif who knows nothing of this dominant world that John is so clearly a part of.

As your first article of clothing falls to the floor, John gives the slightest of approving nods, and nothing more, eyes hungry to see just what else you will do.

Your hands reach behind your back to unbutton your bra, but you see John give a shake of his head, and your hands fall anxiously onto your thighs.

Right, right. Slow. Sexy. Deliberate.

You instead do something bold. Turning around, one step after another, a click of a heel then the other. Your manicured hands come under the waistband of your cream mini skirt, slowly but surely shimming the soft fabric down. You feel the bare parts of your ass tingle against the chill of the room, matching lacy panties snug against your skin, white stockings sheer in the light.

You can't see his face, and for a moment you wonder if you've killed the mood entirely until you hear him release a breath.

“Good.”

This one's softer than the others.

Your skirt pools at your ankles, and you slowly step one foot out, the other kicking the fabric away.

You take a moment, your back still to him, and you let your eyes close as you compose the butterflies fluttering deep in your stomach.

Your hands reach once more behind you, your bra seemingly the next logical clothing item to go.

You didn't realize John had come so close behind you, a frightened gasp slipping from your pink, pouty lips as his hands circle around both your wrists.

“Let me savor you.” His voice drips with want, his nose and mouth pressed against the back of your head, taking your scent in.

As he breathes you in, you feel your body press into his, his warmth, his tight suit, his hard cock pressed against your ass.

A moan escapes you as his hands come to your waist, touching the exposed skin of your midriff, goosebumps left in the wake of his lingering fingertips.

“John…” You breath out, and you feel a hand take the leather of your leash once more, a firm tug to let you know your place.

“You may call me master, sir, whatever signature of authority you choose, but never John.” He whispers it into your ear, his breath tickling you and his serious tone sending shivers all the way down your spine.

You mull this over, your lips curling into a smile as you finally land on the right one.

“Daddy…” you breathe out, a bit nervous to use it out loud for the first time, but knowing you’ve been thinking it ever since you laid eyes on John.

John chuckles in your hair softly, and you can feel his lips smile against you.

“Daddy it is…” he softly agrees, then pauses before letting out a long breath.

His heat moves away from your back, his hand moving around your neck gently as he comes to face you from the front. His eyes search yours deeply for a moment before speaking.

John’s thumb traced a slow, deliberate circle against your collarbone, the silence stretching between you like a live wire. His gaze softened, just for a moment, a rare glimpse of something gentler beneath his steady exterior.

“You’re doing so well,” he murmured, his voice low and rich, a quiet reassurance that sent warmth blooming in your chest. “But we’re not done yet.”

The leash in his hand shifted slightly, the chain catching the light as he gave the slightest tug. The motion drew your attention—and your body—closer to him.

“Kneel,” he said, his tone calm but leaving no room for question.

You blinked up at him, the weight of the command settling over you. His hand moved to cradle your cheek, his touch firm yet tender.

“No hesitation,” he reminded you, his dark eyes locking onto yours. “Show me you’re ready for this.”

The steady authority in his voice made it impossible to resist, and you sank to your knees without a second thought, the floor cold even through your stockings. As soon as you did, John let out a satisfied hum, the corner of his mouth lifting in approval.

“Perfect,” he said, tilting your chin upward again, his fingers brushing your skin like a promise. “Now, keep your eyes on me.”

Your big eyes gaze up at him, lashes fluttering with the slightest hint of confusion before reminding yourself that you need to put your trust in him. Your heart races in your throat as his size-able hands reach down to his belt, the cold sound of metal clinking against itself and leather ruffling through fabric echoes through the room as he slowly slips his belt off. You gaze in wonder for what is to come next, your mouth opening as if to ask then closing again as you remind yourself of your position here.

John wraps the belt around one arm, leaving it there. With the other he holds your leash, his dark eyes bore into yours.

“Take my cock out.” He instructs, and your immediate reaction is to flush, a heat rising in your cheeks hotter than it ever has.

You feel like a fish gasping for air on dry land as the command washes over you. You blink a few times before the tug of your collar grounds you back into reality, and you look to where you can see the massive outline of John's cock showing against his black suit pants, tight and ready to be released.

You look back up into his eyes, and without another word, your hands begin fumbling with the button and zipper, your big doe eyes searching his for that much needed approval.

“Y-yes…” You whisper, barely audible to keep yourself going, and you feel John's hand tighten its grip on your leash.

“Yes, what?” He raises an arched dark brow, his expectations in his eyes.

“Yes, Daddy…” You fumble a few times more with the zipper as the words drip from your mouth, sweet as honey.

“That’s a good girl…”

As the zipper comes to it's final resting place at the base of John's cock, you press beneath the waistband of his underwear, almost struggling to get a cock of his size out from such a cramped space.

Heat radiates from there, your hand almost refusing to wrap all the way around his shaft as it pops out in front of your face, dangling there with all its girth and surprising length.

Oh god…

You wonder how you will anything that size anywhere inside of you, and your pussy aches as you think of it filling you all the way to the brim. You feel your mouth water as you look back up at John from his cock, your eyebrows pressed together in worry and lust.

“Alright, puppy,” John sighs out, a smirk curled on his lips at your reaction. “Let’s see just how much your mouth can take…”

You gulp back fear, and look back at his cock, two hands coming up to grip it from both sides. You breathe out slow, and you consider all the other cocks you've taken before, but none have even compared to the one before you.

You bring your mouth to his tip, pressing it against the flat of your tongue, taking a few long licks and savoring his taste. Your eyes meet his, hoping desperately you're being a good girl as you move to take more and more of him into your mouth. He fills every inch, and soon enough, you've barely got half of his cock in your mouth before he's reached the back of your throat. A slight sense of panic starts to wash over you as you consider the very real possibility that you won't be able to get all the way to the base of his cock, and you squirm as you try to readjust in a way that might.

“Take your time,” John whispers while letting a hand come to rest on the back of your head, his fingers gently petting your hair there. You can't help but moan into his cock, the feeling of being treated as such making you wetter by the minute.

You work his shaft with your hands, trying your best to get him down the back of your throat over and over as you begin to pick up speed. You notice that certain things you're doing right now illicit a moan from John, like swirling your tongue or twisting your hands just right, and you almost whimper into his cock as you realize what a good girl you're being.

“That’s right puppy, take as much as you can…” John's hand begins to apply pressure to the back of your head, slowly but surely forcing you deeper and deeper onto his cock until you're practically choking on it.

Your whimpers get cut off by his huge cock filling up your throat, and your toes curl beneath you as your knees begin to scream against the hardwood floors. You squeeze your eyes closed tight, trying your hardest to not let any discomfort come between you and being a good puppy.

Your nose begins to hit against his lower stomach, your mouth filled with spit that has no where to go, your pretty little throat tight around his cock. John’s hips buck into your mouth, controlled thrusts forcing himself deeper until you don't think you can take anymore, until the breath in your lungs swells up from being cut off so often, and your moans are silenced by John’s hand working your head into his cock and keeping it there for way too long. You squirm, your weight shifting in your thighs and your cunt dripping with want, your eyes beginning to water and looking up at him with the most pleading, desperate look.

John grips your hair one last time and pulls the entirety of his cock out of you, your breath suddenly rushing back in, a few coughs and a trail of spit from you to him as well.

John’s breath seems to be stolen for a moment as well, his hand rubbing your head with respect and admiration for your job well done.

“God…” He catches his breath, looking down at you with thinly veiled awe. “You’ve been such a brave girl for me, taking all that cock.”

You have no idea what you look like staring up at him from the floor, your make up beginning to slide down your cheeks from the tears that welled up, but you imagine you're beaming at him. Hearing him say that has you in a daze of euphoria, and you nod along, his hand coming from your head to cup your face softly.

“Does a good pet like you deserve a treat?” He smiles gently as you nod into his hand, your eyes closing from working so hard.

He leans down and gently lifts you from the floor, picking you up effortlessly, as if your weight meant nothing to him. You watch his strong arms tense under his shirt, and you practically swoon.

He takes you over to a nearby chair, laying you in it softly and beginning to kneel now himself, positioned between your legs. You look down at him, lids half closed and still out of it from the throat fucking you just took, watching as his hands take in your legs, rubbing all the way up to between your thighs and grabbing your stockings there.

Before you can question just what he's doing, John’s strong hands grip the white see through material there and tear, a startling rip making you jump for a moment and hold your breath. Before you can react to John ruining your pair of stockings, he slides your pretty pink panties to the side to expose your glistening cunt, and your legs tremble for a moment, considering closing in embarrassment before his hands firmly open you back up.

“Don’t you dare try to hide such a pretty pussy from me ever again.” He looks up at you with hunger and adoration. “Understood?”

“Yes, Daddy…” You nod eagerly, body tense with want and waiting for what comes next.

He watches you for a moment, making sure you really understand, before diving in.

You gasp as his mouth refuses to hesitate, refuses to let you acclimate to the warmth of this tongue and the softness of his lips. Instead, he devours you, sucking on your clit until it stands to attention, aching and wanting more. He laps at your juicy cunt with relish, savoring how good you taste on his tongue, his fast and short breaths tickling every part of you down there. Your hands clutch the arms of the leather chair, your legs up over his shoulders and your heels clacking behind his head as he bobs up and down on your pussy, licking every inch of you he can.

“Fuck,” You moan out as you feel yourself shaking at his every touch, your heart beating out of your chest.

With the hand that’s not keeping your panties out of the way, he lets two fingers soak up your wetness before slowly making their way inside of you. He refocuses his mouth on your clit, his fingers twisting and testing just how well you adjust. You cry out, trying not to curse so much but you can’t help yourself. It’s as if your body has been possessed with lust and ignited by John Wick’s tongue.

”Oh god, John, I think I’m going to cum!” You feel that familiar tightness in your lower stomach begin to build, your thighs tensing and attempting to close in on John’s head.

“You better not, puppy!” John pulls off of your clit, mouth soaked and shiny from your wetness, his hands moving to opening you nice and wide as well as giving your collar a firm tug to bring you off of the edge.

You practically yelp from the sudden difference, your chest heaving, your eyes unfocused and confused from being stolen away from such a beautiful wave of pleasure.

“Not until I get my thick cock inside that tight cunt of yours.” John warns, moving to line his throbbing cock up with your entrance.

You gulp back fear as he taps his cock against your cunt, the heaviness of it bouncing off of you as you shudder.

“Now, are you going to be a good puppy who waits to cum until Daddy tells her too?” His tone makes you remember your place in all of this, makes you remember that you have no say in when you derive your pleasure.

All you can do is nod, wide doe eyes looking from his to his cock with wanton want.

“I need to hear you say it.” He growls as he rubs himself against you, his length evident as he does so and beginning to make your stomach squirm in worry.

“Y-yes…” You breathe out, forgetting the rules as you focus on just how much cock you will soon be taking.

“Yes, what?” John growls as he lets the tip of his cock play with the idea of entering you.

“Yes,” You take a deep breath, bracing for what he’s about to do. “Daddy…”

John’s hips snap back, the forward, slamming the entirety of his cock into you in one swift blow. You have never felt such a rush of pleasure and pain at the same time, a guttural cry escaping your mouth and your hands leaving marks in his expensive leather chair.

“Oh, John…” You cry out as he thrusts into you, his want taking over, his need beginning to spiral out of control.

“What was that?” He mocks the use of his real name with harder thrusts, his breath coming quicker and heavier as the seconds pass.

“D-ad-dy-“ You moan out, the word cut off by each powerful thrust, the movement taking over the whole of your body.

“That’s it darling,” He closes his eyes, getting lost in just how tight you feel around his cock, just how warm it is inside you. “Touch yourself like a good girl, now.”

You do as he instructs, the feeling of your fingers circling your throbbing clit taking away some of the edge of the pain of his massive cock, and you bite into your lip to try to stop from cumming right then and there.

You have to be a good girl for him, you have to do what Daddy says and wait for him to tell you to cum.

You never thought you would see John lose such control, lose himself inside of you and let go of such rigid mannerisms. His long hair falls into his face, a slight gleam of sweat building up on his shoulders as he puts all he can into fucking the absolute shit out of you, using up every inch of you he can, pressing himself so deep inside you, you don’t think you’ll ever be the same again.

You play with your clit intermittently, having to stop now and then to keep yourself from falling over the edge and cumming right then and there. It’s pure torture, you can barely keep up with it all.

John’s muscles tighten, and you can see he’s getting closer. You hear soft moans coming from him, held back by only the slightest bit of control he has left. As his cock swells inside you, the raw feeling of him sliding in and out overwhelms your senses. You feel as if you’ve never been this full before, never been fucked as deep as you have now, and you know that nothing else will compare ever again. Your moans become incoherent, hands gripping for anything they can get a hold of, legs wrapped around John’s waist as he pulls himself in deeper, deeper, deeper…

”Please Daddy…” You whisper out, barely able to form the words. “Can I please cum?”

John groans, his teeth gritting, and nods.

“Yes, babygirl…” He huffs.

You take no time waiting, your fingers dashing around your clit in mad circles as he continues filling you up over and over again, hitting just the right spots inside you effortlessly. You feel yourself tense more than ever, your legs clamping down around his waist, your pussy tighter than ever around his thick cock. John lets the last bit of control he has go as your cum around his cock, your cunt fluttering and throbbing, leaving him no choice but to spill the biggest load of cum inside you you’ve ever had. He moans out, unable to keep himself from doing as such, his breaths shaky and his hips rocking out the last few bits of pleasure that they can. You ride his wave, bucking with him and taking everything you can like the good puppy you are. John practically collapses into you, the arms of the chair keeping his full weight from weighing down on you.

He leaves his cock inside you, letting it throb out any final bits of cum for the moment, his face close to yours, your breath intertwining with his. Both of your eyes are closed, but his mouth finds yours with ease, those soft lips of his tiredly taking soft kisses and whimpers from you.

Finally, when he has the strength, John Wick stands, slowly pulling out of you, his hot cum leaking out of your abused hole. He pushes his mess of long, dark locks out of his face, then looks down at you with half open eyes, before leaning down to scoop you up. He takes you to a larger couch, where you can both sprawl out more, collapsing into it with you in his arms.

He says nothing for a moment, the sounds of his breath and heartbeat beneath your cheek as you try to catch your own, completely out of it by now.

You feel his big hand begin petting your sweaty hair, stroking it with softest, most admiring touches. Your ears ring as you come down from it all, and eventually you make a sound that isn’t his heart or his breath.

“You did such a good job…” He breathes out in tired, half mumbles. ”I’m so proud of you…”

Your heart swells, and the exhilaration and emotion gets to you, tears welling up in your eyes. You dip your head into the crook of his chest and arm, hiding your face as to not embarrass yourself from crying after sex.

“Oh, come here, darling.” John purrs, pulling you closer, gently rubbing your back as you let it all out.

“You’re safe,” He whispers to you. “I got you, you’re safe right here, baby.”

He purrs sweet compliments and assures your safety over and over, gently kissing the top of your head. You let the emotions come and pass into pure bliss, and eventually, to the sound of his soft cooing words, you fall asleep in John Wick’s arms.

[bunniekittiee]

Bi-Han x Fem. Reader

A little sad tbh but like yk i try to give good endings. Also Bi-Han is mean asf but it is just due to their circumstances so beware you might want to punch him in the face. Also this is not proofread so any errors you see, just ignore.

The amount of tears shed for Bi-Han was outrageous. His actions could be absolutely deplorable. When they first married, she thought that there was a chance he would not be so cruel, but he had made it clear that their marriage was for power rather than true love. It hurt, it hurt her little heart and it made her cry during the lonely nights when her thoughts got to her. She had lots of thoughts of whether she was good enough for Bi-Han or if they would ever love each other. She had already loved him, but he did not give her the same energy back. It was futile.

“Wife,” Bi-Han said to her as he entered the room. “Join us for dinner, now.” There were so softness behind his words, but she bit back her increasing emotions. “Yes, Grandmaster.” She said back after she swallowed the built up saliva in her throat. He waited for her to get up and join him so they could walk to the dining room together. Kuai Liang and Tomas sat there together, waiting patiently as they greeted her with a smile.

Sitting down carefully, they started their usual traditions before eating their food. It was a little quiet with only Tomas and Kuai Liang speaking at first with Bi-Han chiming in when he wanted to. The brothers tried to include Bi-Han’s wife into their conversations, but she was quiet. They wondered if it was part of her personality or if it was because Bi-Han was sitting next to her. Watching her every movement.

That was, until Bi-Han and Tomas began to argue, well, more so Bi-Han arguing while Tomas sat there and Kuai Liang tried to play mediator. It made dinner extremely tense.

“You do not have Lin Kuei blood.” Bi-Han spat at Tomas who only gave him a look of ‘what’s new’. “So your words are pointless.”

“Bi-Han.” Kuai Liang said in a warning-like tone. “Do not ruin dinner with your bicker.”

“And you stay out of it, little brother. Do not stick your nose in something that does not concern you.” Bi-Han kept going. It was like he was here to just ruin their day.

“Bi-Han,” she said softly. “Let’s just enjoy dinner.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “I do not expect anything less from you, incompetent girl.”

She felt her heart beat fast and her ears feel warm. Whether it was out of embarrassment or a flood of emotions coming, she looked down and tried to control her breathing. She did not want to cry in front of them. She could not show weakness.

“Bi-Han, maybe you should be a little nicer?” Tomas suggested which Kuai Liang shot him a look of ‘stop making it worse for yourself’.

The Grandmaster swiveled his head to meet Tomas’ gaze. “Silence you fool. Your words have no meaning, you are not one of us. You could hardly ever hold a marriage together, just like you could not hold your parents together.”

“Bi-Han!” Kuai Liang hissed.

She felt herself snap. “Grandmaster, you need to leave him alone!” Her voice cracked as she stood up and looked at Bi-Han. “You are cruel and cold. You treat your brothers so horribly. How can one even appreciate you when you are so disrespectful?” Tears brimmed her eyes and her vision blurred.

Tomas was taken aback. He had never been stood up for like this, especially with an outburst. Kuai Liang always tried to be peaceful, but she was different.

Bi-Han’s face scrunched in irritation and annoyance. “If you are going to be emotional, then leave us to our own devices. We can finish dinner without you weeping all over the food.”

Her eyebrows furrowed as more tears fell. “You are sick, Bi-Han. No wonder no one would marry you, you are barbaric.”

“Your insults do not affect me. Stop wasting your breath and leave.” He continued to dig his knife into her heart.

She turned away from the table, storming off and leaving the dining room to retreat to the bathroom in order to let herself cry. As she left, she heard Kuai’s sharp tone and Bi-Han’s rising voice begin to argue but her blood was pounding in her ears. Sobs wracked her body as she curled into a ball on the large, cool bathroom. Bi-Han’s words cut deeply, and as much as she thought she could be overreacting, nothing eased the pain in her heart.

How could one be so mean to his brother like that? Whether they were not related by blood or not, it did not matter. Tomas was one of them. He deserved the respect he never got, especially from the Grandmaster.

There was a quiet knock at the door and she sniffled, wiping her swollen eyes as she sat up. She heard a muffled voice. “It is Tomas, please open the door.”

A little reluctant, she opened the door as she continued to wipe away her tears. Tomas looked at her guiltily. “Please do not cry, it is not your fault.”

“He is mean to you, Tomas.” She said as she felt more tears coming. “You are his brother no matter what. You deserve much more respect.”

Tomas sighed. “It is okay, little sister. It is not your battle to fight. I hate to see you so emotional over me.”

She started to cry again, but this time Tomas hugged her. “It is okay, I am okay. I have learned to ignore Bi-Han’s words. They will not falter my attitude.”

This did not ease her heart. Just as Bi-Han’s words cut into her, his words to Tomas did just as much damage. “He is too cruel to you, Tomas. You are lovely and always so generous. You do not deserve it.” She whispered into his shoulder. Tomas heard her words and felt himself smile. No matter what she cared for him.

Embracing her for a few more minutes, Tomas offered to take her out of the home for a little bit to give herself space away from Bi-Han. Tomas knew he would not exactly apologize for his words or actions, especially when he felt very little for the woman he married. It was only for business reasons rather than true love. Tomas and Kuai saw the love she felt for Bi-Han, but they could not say the same for their brother.

Bi-Han never had a so-called filter. He spoke what he truthfully felt no matter how harsh it would sound coming out of his mouth. His brothers were adjusted to this, but his wife was not. He did not understand, or maybe he did not care, that she would be extremely wounded mentally with every rude remark he made.

This sadly happened a night when Bi-Han came to their living quarters in a horrific mood.

“How was your day, Bi-Han?” She asked him as they got ready for bed. He ignored her which made her feel unwelcome, but she tried not to let it affect her deeply. “I am sorry for asking.”

“Stop speaking for once with your incessant mumbling.” He said grimacing. “You do not need to fill the air with your annoying questions.”

The same feelings she had felt many times before begin to crawl their way through her body. “I apologize, Grandmaster.”

“Stop apologizing. Be better.” He replied. “Or is that too much to expect from you?” He never seemed to know when to stop.

“Do not say mean things because you are upset.” She retorted back. She was afraid of his reaction as she already started to feel the overwhelming emotions of weeping.

“It is the truth. You seem to be more annoying when you are nervous or trying to be nice.” He said with a frown. “I have never met anyone as annoying as you.”

She felt the tears begin to flow out of her eyes as she got up from their bed. She did not want to speak so he did not know that she was crying. “Are you going to cry like a baby? How old are you? Why are you like this? If I had known you would be this way, I would have not married you in the first place.”

Night gown flowing behind her, she quickly left their living quarters as she was once again crying her eyes out. His words ached. How much could she take before she could not anymore?

He did not follow her out. Whether it was because he was too prideful or he did not see anything wrong with what he said, he did not make an effort.

She made her way to Kuai Liang’s living quarters. He and Tomas were enjoying a quick cup a tea when they heard the weak knocks at Kuai’s door. They knew it was not Bi-Han.

“Little sister,” Kuai said warmly as he opened the door. He then noticed her shaking form and her tear stained face. “Are you okay?”

She cried more when he asked that question. That question seemed to make her feel so much worse. So vulnerable. Kuai Liang brought her inside of his room and closed the door. Tomas got to his feet fast as he approached her. “Oh no.”

It was hard to speak, but she did her best recalling her and Bi-Han’s argument. Kuai Liang looked concerned, eyebrows knitted as he shook his head when she told them what Bi-Han said to her. Tomas frowned and felt his heart squeeze at Bi-Han’s cruelty.

“I will never understand him.” Kuai said as he gently rubbed her back. “He has such an important person in his life, yet this is the way he acts.”

Tomas made her a small cup of tea and coaxed her to drink as she cuddled into a blanket he draped over her. Kuai Liang’s hands warmed against her skin. “He is not one to understand. His actions in general do not have an explanation.”

“It does not make it any more fair. He hurts the one person who loves him unconditionally. Many of us Lin Kuei do not have that opportunity.” Kuai replied. He sighed. “Bi-Han has always been rude as a child. We are used to it because we grew up together, but you, I do not expect you to be used to it or even deal with it in the first place.”

She chuckled with sadness and despair. “I have to deal with it. He does not understand. He chooses to not understand. It is he who I married, and as much as I love him, the hurt I feel consumes me everyday. He does not ease it. It hurts very much.”

They felt their own hearts splinter at her words. The fact that she had to go through this did not make them feel good. They wanted Bi-Han to be better for her. That is what she deserves.

“You need rest, a lot of it. You can sleep here with me, and Tomas may even join us.” Kuai said with a small smile as Tomas nodded.

It felt a little weird to be sleeping in the same room as the brothers because of how adjusted she was to sleeping with just Bi-Han or herself, but Kuai gave her the mattress while he and Tomas took the floor. She felt guilty and tried to argue with Kuai Liang, but he only shushed her and made her lay down to sleep.

When she woke up in the morning, Kuai Liang and Tomas were gone. She assumed it was for their duties. Sighing quietly, she got up from the mattress and made up the bed before she left. She had her own duties to attend to, but she needed to look presentable.

Leaving Kuai’s chambers, she first went to the bathroom to bathe and get ready. Her eyes were extremely swollen, and she could feel the sadness come back once more. How could Bi-Han be so mean? Even with his tough exterior, she could not comprehend why or how he could be so mean to her or his brothers. Soaking a wash cloth, she gently laid it over her eyes so the swelling could go down. She knew it would not fully help her broken blood vessels on her eyes and the swelling, but it would suffice.

Meeting Bi-Han in the morning was a little angering for the brothers. When they looked at him, all they could see was his wife crying into Tomas while Kuai rubbed her back. They could hear her cries and whimpers as her body shook with every harsh inhale she took. They knew Bi-Han was cruel, but to his wife? It bothered with Kuai Liang’s heart because of how he could not picture himself doing that to Harumi. But he and Bi-Han were very different in personality, so they were bound to be different in how they loved.

“What has your minds clouded?” Bi-Han asked sharply. He crossed his arms as he saw the dazed but fiery look in his brothers’ eyes.

Kuai shook his head. “It is nothing, brother.”

“If it’s about that weeping willow, I will personally throw you into the river myself.” Bi-Han muttered. Kuai’s eyes narrowed. “Forgive me, but elaborate.”

Bi-Han rolled his eyes. “My wife does not need to come to you for her problems. I can handle them myself.”

“Unless you are the one creating them for her.” Kuai replied. “You are rude to her, Bi-Han.”

“I only married her for the clan’s sake. I do not love such a feeble woman like her.” Bi-Han spat. “Her emotions control her. That is not like the Lin Kuei. She needs to grow tougher skin.”

Kuai felt his frustration burn. “You need to take it easy on her. She is not a man, brother. She is not adjusted like we are.”

“Who are you to stick up for my wife?” Bi-Han was now face-to-face with Kuai Liang. It was an intimidation tactic. “It is none of your concern.”

“I’m sticking up for her because she has difficulty doing so.” Kuai replied with hints of irritation. Tomas watched silently as his brothers fought. “You only have the opportunity to know the very few special people that come into your life, and when they are gone, they are gone for good. Appreciate what you have. One day, she will not be here any longer. And all she will remember you by is your cruelty.” Kuai turned away from Bi-Han and walked off with Tomas not too far behind him. Bi-Han watched in anger as he felt the tip of his ears pink with frustration and shame. To be told such a thing by his brother, someone lower than him, was embarrassing. Who was he to tell him how to be a husband? Kuai Liang was not married himself.

Bi-Han stayed away from his brothers and dove into his duties and plans, only interacting with Sektor and Cyrax. His mood was extremely dampened, and he continued to snap on Sektor and Cyrax who were beginning to become fed up with his behavior. They kept their mouths shut, but they exchanged irritated glances when Bi-Han was not looking. He was being eaten alive by Kuai Liang’s words and his actions. It was rather humiliating for a Grandmaster to be checked by his own brother.

It was dinner time and the men gathered around the table to eat. However, Bi-Han’s wife did not join them. Maybe it was from a mistake of before. Once they did their traditional business before eating a meal, Kuai Liang looked at Bi-Han. “I apologize for my outburst earlier, brother. I still stand by what I said, but I apologize for humiliating you.”

Bi-Han’s lips were pulled into a straight line. “Just eat, Kuai Liang.” This was the closest Kuai would get to a simple acceptance, but Bi-Han was still fuming. Dinner was tense and awkward, and the brothers wanted nothing more than to get away from Bi-Han’s presence.

Still in a bad mood, Bi-Han finished dinner and went to his living quarters where his wife lay reading a book. Clenching his jaw, he closed the door. “Stop going to my brothers for our problems. It is between a husband and his wife, not his brothers.” He said with a snarky tone.

She set her book down. “I had nowhere else to go, Bi-Han.”

“You could have stayed with me and dealt with your problems. When you married me, you married the clan and I. But that does not mean you need to include my brothers in your drama.” He fought back.

She felt her heart rate increase and her emotions choke her throat. “It is none of your business who I go to for moral support.”

“It is when it is my family and they cause issues for myself because of it.” He snapped. “Why don’t you think of your decisions, you stupid girl. It is not that difficult to grasp. Stop telling Kuai Liang and Tomas about our marital problems.”

“Then stop being so mean to me like you are now!” She replied angrily. “You always call me unnecessary names. You like to put me down. I am already low as it is since I married you!”

“It is not my fault that your father wanted to better his status of his clan.” His eyes narrowed and he approached closer to her. “It is not my fault that you have fallen in love with me. You knew from the start that our marriage was not based around love. It has always been based around business, and that is the way it will stay. I will never love you, and that is the truth.”

Sadness was not enough to describe it. Her bottom lip trembled as she felt herself break right in front of Bi-Han. She cried quietly at first, until she got a little bit louder. Her breathing was uneven, Bi-Han almost a little concerned if she was breathing well. His face fell, tilting his head as he watched her cry. Something in him made him feel bad. Worse than bad. Like he was a monster. She shied away from his touch, moving her body away as if he was poisonous to touch. He stiffened as her crying became worse. It was as if she was going to get sick.

“You need to let me take you to the bathroom.” Bi-Han said as he reached another hand out, yet she moved back from it. It was beginning to frustrate him, but there was nothing he could do. “Please let me do what I need to do.”

Her mind was frazzled as she felt all of her pain flow out of her. Bi-Han was eventually able to grab her wrist and help her up onto her feet, guiding her to the wash room. Bile was building up in her throat as she felt the weird sensation of throwing up. Bi-Han was able to put her on her knees and grab a bucket, putting it in front of her. “If you need to get sick, use this.”

Her breathing was choppy, her hands uncovering her face slightly and he was able to get a glimpse of her red face. He felt guilty. He knew that she was emotional, but to this extent? He was unknown to it. He rubbed circles on her back as she did eventually get sick. He held her hair back too and stayed quiet while she emptied her stomach. All of this because of what he had told her. He truly felt like a monster. He was now beginning to understand Kuai Liang’s outburst.

Once she started to quiet, only her hiccuping could be heard, he frowned. “I… I am truly sorry. I really am.”

She did not reply as she hardly looked at him. It still hurt. A ‘sorry’ was like a band aid on a wound that needed stitches. Looking at Bi-Han would make her break all over again.

He sighed as he took a washcloth and wiped her mouth from any residue, throwing it to the side and picking her up bridal style. “To bed.”

She could not argue with him, she felt exhausted and her head was thumping crazily. Her red-rimmed eyes were so swollen, it looked like she was squinting at everything. Her nose was still red along with her cheeks. Bi-Han laid her down and crawled into bed after her, reluctantly yet gently pushing a few hairs back off her forehead. “I am sorry. I did not know it was to this extent.”

Silence was all he got back. He understood that he did not deserve any words. He caused this, and it was his job to pick the pieces back up. Even if he did not love her, he could not let his wife deal with it by herself. He had already done it before. Hearing her breathing slow down, he held her close to his body. The guilt wracked him. He felt terrible for what he had done. Kuai’s words echoed in his head.

‘You only have the opportunity to know the very few special people that come into your life, and when they are gone, they are gone for good. Appreciate what you have’.

He thought of his mother. She was a special person in his life. She adored Bi-Han, she loved him, she took care of him. She was there for him when his father would push him to his limits and he would pass out from exhaustion. She was there when he received the ability to control ice. She was there for a lot until her death.

But after she had passed, he had no one else to do that for him. Until his wife came into his life. Whether it was for business or not, she still made sure to take care of him after he came home from fighting. Cleaning and stitching his wounds up. She took care of him similar to how his mother did.

He looked down at his wife’s sleeping form in his arms. He now felt ashamed. So ashamed he almost wanted to leave her to sleep by herself away from him, but he decided that he needed to be there. It was for her own good. He closed his eyes and lulled himself to sleep.

Bi-Han was gone the next morning when she awoke which was not a surprise to her. She rubbed her face gently, careful to not irritate her skin much more. Her crying had already done that enough.

She looked at the side table and was a little taken aback. There were flowers on the table. She assumed they were from Bi-Han. She carefully picked them up and inhaled their scent, sighing quietly to herself. She saw a note and picked that up as well. She read it carefully.

“Dear wife,

I have duties to attend to, but I apologize for my behavior towards you. An apology may not be enough for the harm I have caused. Truly, I am sorry. Kuai Liang has opened my eyes, and I witnessed first hand how my attitude and words affect you. I will be better for you. That is what you deserve. Please rest and relax, I will check in every so often.

Sincerely,

Bi-Han”

She felt her eyes water as she read the note over and over. It felt foreign to hear such vulnerability from Bi-Han, but she was somewhat glad to know that he realized how much his words can hurt. She hoped that he would stick to his word and truly improve. His words still stung, but she would take the time to heal and move on. That, she was sure of.

[goldencuffs]

woke up to news of ur new snippet!!!! yay yay yay yay doing cartwheels im so excited it's insane, i love everything u have written and the fact that u r continuing to write and post is so crazy and im so grateful, i wrote this ask while doing another cartwheel

stopppppppppppp omg you're too bloody nice!!!!! 🥹😭😭😭😭😭😭

tbh im still shocked im still here but then again im not damen and laurent truly never leave my mind!!!! also i love you a lot so here is a small dumb little snippet that shows a little bit more about damen and laurent's dyanamic hehe 😋

Damen's hair was already starting to grow out; less buzz cut now, more of a tuft. It was ridiculous he made it work, especially because his curls were also coming in. One stubborn one was forming over the top of his left ear.

His silver chain glinted under the light, and the shirt he was wearing was tight. It strained against his biceps, which shifted every time he lifted his glass. His tattoos jumped with each movement too.

Laurent's mouth was dry. He swallowed a large mouthful of the scotch and then topped up.

Outside, the cicadas had come out. Laurent tilted his head to look out at the stars, thinking about Aimeric and Ancel. He couldn't believe how stupid he had been, revealing his… thing with Damen like that. He should've… denied more. Not admit it all. Maybe laugh it off, wave his hand and say pshawwww me and Damen? Maybe he should have admitted to fucking someone else--like someone from the convenience store. Maybe he should have said he was a virgin. Anything but confirm that he'd been with Damen.

Aimeric had said they were brothers. That implied trust, bond. But Laurent had a real brother--and the biggest betrayal in their life had come from him. Not all brothers were good. Not all brothers could be trusted. Sometimes all they did was lie.

"…Laurent?"

"Hmm?" Laurent turned his head to Coach.

"Remember to clean up the kitchen before you go upstairs, okay?"

Laurent blinked, more alert. "You didn't clean up while I was outside?"

He regretted asking as soon as he did; Coach stared at him, befuddled. "No, that's your job, Laurent." he said this slowly, like he was explaining it for the first time. "Remember what I said, kid? A house can only function when we all follow our assigned responsibilities. Yours are cooking and cleaning and--"

Laurent stood up. Scotch sloshed over his fingers. "Right," he said, and left.

He'd heard that lecture a thousand times. Laurent cooked and cleaned and mowed and painted. Coach paid for the dishawasher and the microwave and cared for and about the Football Guys.

The cicadas were louder in the kitchen. Laurent stood in it for a moment, alone and  still, staring at the mess on the table--bowls and pots and spoons; evidence of life.  Once upon a time, it had always been like this; now the image was foreign and pulled at Laurent's heart.

Laurent worked slowly. The scotch had been stronger than he expected. His head wasn't spinning, but he was warmer than he had been a few minutes ago. It was probably because he was unusued to it; drinking, particularly on a weeknight, wasn't something he did.

He was thinking about Damen, too. Couldn't help it. Just knowing he was so close hurt.

He'd just put the last dish into the dishwasher when Coach came by. He smelt of scotch, which was so unusual, it made Laurent pause. But he seemed sober enough, and he kissed Laurent's temple sweetly. "Love you, kid," he said, and then headed from the stairs.

A few minutes later, Damen walked into the kitchen. Laurent froze, and then realised that Damen was probably going to slip out of the alfresco, because he was an asshole who refused to use front doors.

But Damen came towards him instead. His eyes were like two coffee drops, rich and deep as he leant against the counter top and watched Laurent wipe it down.

Laurent refused to break first--even as the silence in the ktichen grew thick and gelatinous.

"So," Damen said, when the counter tops smelt like lemon. "what's with your new twink group?"

Laurent rolled his eyes. He moved onto sorting the utensils. "Don't call them that."

"Uh huh." Damen's arms crossed. "They're the reason you're ignoring me now?"

Laurent looked up and scoffed, truly taken aback. "I'm ignoring you? Funny."

Damen watched him. Laurent went back to the silverware.

He tensed when he felt Damen come up behind him. He was warm.

Laurent inhaled sharply when Damen's arm came around his waist, pulling him flush.

He smelt stronger like this. Damen's chin dropped to Laurent's neck, rubbing the side of it. It tickled and Laurent squirmed. Damen held on tighter.

"I don't like sharing you," Damen said.

[fawnfictions]

HII :D

So basically I was thinking of a platonic thingy with monkie trio with gn!reader who can just fall asleep literally anywhere

sleepy findings

— macaque, wukong & mk, gn!reader

tbh, i'm not the smartest, so i wasn't sure if you meant the traffic light trio or like swk, mac, and mk? i went with the latter, but if you meant redson, mei, and mk, let me know and i'll happily do them, too <3

i really liked this prompt, so i wrote more than i thought i would by accident LOL

;; platonic, fluff, no warnings.

MACAQUE

- he may get a lil concerned at first, not understanding why you would fall asleep anywhere that isn't necessarily comfortable.

- after a while, he won't bat an eye, simply moving around you and continuing with his business, or making sure you're comfortable.

- if he turns around and you're just sleeping on the floor, he'll chuck a blanket on you, maybe a pillow or two (or even moving you completely if the position looked like it'd ache later).

- as much as he'll refuse to admit it, sometimes he'll hop into the shadows just to check up on you (he can't lie, he's terrified of losing you after making a new friend after so long).

- and if he finds you passed out somewhere that you probably shouldn't be, he'll carefully pick you up and move you somewhere else nearby.

- if you've decided to take a nap on a bench in the park, you'll mysteriously wake up inside Pigsy's restaurant, assuming that you must've started sleep walking.

- will definitely join you whenever and wherever you decide to conk out, if he's able to, though.

- depending on the strength of ur relationship/how long you've known each other, he'll lay down close to you.

- probably won't snuggle with you, but will move as close to you as he can, having some part of his body touching yours; like his tail laid over your midsection, or his arm against yours.

- he's most likely touch-starved in some way—monkey's are very social and affectionate creatures, and since his resurrection, he hasn't had the chance to cuddle up to, or rough house, with anyone, much less the other monkey's on Flower-Fruit Mountain.

- but he'd be reluctant to start anything, and wouldn't want to outright ask for cuddles, either.

- if you insist on it, though, he'll happily wrap himself around you in a warm embrace, reminiscing on the cuddle piles he and Wukong used to take part in.

The dark-shaded monkey dipped himself into the familiar darkness, joining the bitter shadows lingering in the cracks and crevices of buildings and people alike. He travelled away from the dojo, his usual place of hiding, and onwards to the theatre.

Macaque had planned to perform his usual shadow play, a sort of practice for the eventual time that the Monkey King's little successor would be lured there. However, he'd be lying by saying he wasn't enjoying himself—putting on a show for the local theatre had almost turned into a hobby for him.

As he emerged from the void he often travelled through, stepping into an alleyway next to his destination, Macaque felt one of his ears twitch. He picked up a noise he had grown familiar with, following the quiet snores after adjusting his cloak to ensure his identity was hidden from the public.

The anthropomorphic monkey rounded the corner, taking all but a few steps until he was stood in front of an occupied wooden-bench. He silently sighed, holding back a smile at the scenario he had been through all too many times.

You were seated, chest moving rhythmically with your calm breaths. Your head was uncomfortably leaned backwards at an angle, eyes closed, and mouth slightly agape.

You were clearly asleep; although, Macaque didn't know how.

He felt his heart swell at the peacefulness and innocence displayed on your face. He already knew that he'd do anything to protect you from the kindness you had shown him, but this just further encased that thought in his mind.

It took all but seconds for him to decide. The shadow play could wait and be performed later; for now, he'd focus on taking you home and ensuring your safety and comfortability.

He gathered you in his arms, positioning your head to lean into the crook of his neck and holding underneath your legs and upper back.

Macaque promptly fell into the shadows after a quick glance confirming that no one important would see. He held you tightly, understanding that these 'voids' of his were often too cold for most lifeforms, not wanting you to catch a sickness.

In less than a minute he felt himself 'pop!' back into existence, the familiar interior welcoming him back. Your house had always felt warm to him; not in the sense that you kept the heater on, but rather that it radiated a friendliness that drew people in. It felt very... Homely.

He navigated himself to your bedroom, which was practically muscle memory at this point. After gently placing you amongst the fluffy pillows and heavy blankets, he shed himself of the cloak he wore and lazily tossed it on the floor.

With conversant movement, Macaque took his place beside you in the bed, worming his way under the covers and wrapping it over you. He hesitantly lifted his arm, laying it over your midsection and pausing, listening for any hitches in your breath or signals of disturbance.

Once he was certain you weren't going to wake up any time soon, he relaxed into the position, unconsciously curling his tail over your leg under the blankets.

Macaque may have had plans today, but none of which were as important as taking a lazy day and napping with you.

WUKONG

- he totally gets it tbh

- if he could, he would be falling asleep anywhere and everywhere.

- he isn't too concerned about it, he figures that if you aren't worried about it, he shouldn't be either.

- refuses to ever wake you up, unless you are in immediate danger or if he desperately needs you for something.

- if you fall asleep anywhere on Flower-Fruit Mountain, you WILL wake up in a non-consenting cuddle pile with like, 20 monkey's.

- wukong may or may not also be in that pile (he totally is, out of jealousy).

- any time he finds you sleeping, no matter where it is, he'll join you.

- asleep in a tree? he's jumped up there and is already wrapping his arms around you.

- taken a nap in Pigsy's restaurant? well, looks like he'll surprise MK with a quick visit (where he's cuddling up to you).

- sleeping on a public bench? okay, maybe he's a little more reluctant to be that public about it, he is the Monkey King after all—he'll just move you both to a more private location.

- that may sound saucy, but it isn't, i promise <//3 he's just nervous of someone taking advantage of him in a vulnerable state and attacking you both.

- he LOVES his lazy days, and if you even entertain the idea of sleeping in, he will immediately be dragging you back under the covers to get some more shut-eye.

- honestly, you'll have to drag him out by his tail if you want to get up any time after, like, 10am.

- and, if he gets you too wrapped up in his arms, you aren't seeing the outside world until MK comes knocking at his door, asking about his lesson that was supposed to start 10 mins ago.

- this monkey is VERY cuddly.

- you don't even have to ask, and he'll be (NON-SEXUALLY!!!) touching every part of your body with his own.

- he loves feeling you against him, it really grounds him and confirms that his loved one is safe within his arms, and hasn't abandoned him.

Wukong was growing nervous.

You had told him you'd only be gone for a few minutes, planning on grabbing a few snacks for the movie marathon that you two had set up. Yet, it had been nearly an hour and there was no sign of your return.

When he realised his tail was unconsciously tapping against the arm of the couch, Wukong decided to investigate. Despite his comfortable position amongst the pillows, he lifted himself onto his feet and wandered towards the kitchen. If you were supposed to be collecting snacks, that's where you should be, right?

As he glanced around his familiar abode, he felt his heart drop at the lack of your presence. However, before he was able to begin panicking about your whereabouts and a possible kidnapping, one of his monkey's pulled on his pant leg to gain his attention.

With a few chirps and hand motions, Wukong realised that the smaller of the two wanted to lead him somewhere. If he knew his monkey's well enough, which he did, he'd know that this one must've picked up on his anxious behaviour and was trying to help. With this knowledge alone, the mystic monkey was willingly led to, hopefully, you.

It took all but a few minutes to come across a, rather large might he add, cuddle pile. And, in the midst of it all, was you, smothered by several monkey's clinging onto your form.

Despite the swelling of his heart to seeing his family and you getting along so well, he felt somewhat... irked. This was where you were the entire time? Without him?

Wukong was able to shake the feeling away, before stepping closer to the pile with the intention to join everyone. His entrance had woken most of the monkey's up, causing them to move further away from you to allow their King to take his place next to you in the middle.

From the appearance of it, he was left to assume that you had entered the kitchen and gotten distracted by the cuddle pile that had begun to form, unable to resist the temptation of sleeping. He wasn't surprised; there wasn't a week that had gone by where he hadn't found you asleep in some odd place.

He lowered himself next to you, gently wrapping your body close to his and folding his arms around you. His tail was moved around your leg. Gradually, he felt more monkey's placing themselves around him, further enticed by their King joining the cuddle pile.

It wasn't long before Wukong felt himself drifting out of consciousness. Your rhythmic breathing and the reassurance of your body pressed up against his created a calm atmosphere in his mind, surrounded by his loved ones. He had a feeling that he would need to cancel that lesson with MK, later, though.

MK

- he is SERIOUSLY concerned when he finds you falling asleep one too many times.

- asks if you've been sleeping alright, how many hours you're getting each night, etc.

- poor boy thinks you must be stressed and lacking sleep, from prior experience of his own.

- when you tell him that you just... fall asleep for no reason, sometimes, he's... surprised, to say the least. you can tell he doesn't immediately believe you.

- gets even MORE concerned when he finds you in these weird locations and positions, some of which do not look comfortable in the slightest.

- might even ask Sandy for help, only to be told the same thing that you already told him.

- listen,,, he's just worried for his friend's wellbeing :(

- if you fall asleep in Pigsy's restaurant, he'll rush upstairs to grab you a pillow and some blankets.

- and he'll act as your guard dog, making sure no one disturbs your sleep by being too loud or by moving you.

- although, if anything, he'll be the one to wake you up—he can't exactly control his volume very well.

- If he finds you asleep somewhere outside, he'll probably take you to Pigsy's restaurant, but if it's closed, he'll just take you to his house instead :)

- honestly, i doubt he'd cuddle you at all, unless you were like, ultimate besties and asked him to cuddle.

- he'd be MEGA awkward about it too, but once he got comfortable, he would realise that he's a lil touch-starved and would revel in the feeling of his arms around you/your arms around him.

- if Mei walked in on you two cuddling, she would join you IMMEDIATELY join you, and you'd be stuck in a cuddle pile with them both for the next couple hours.

Before he's even found you, MK knows you've probably fallen asleep in some obscure place that will concern him. Despite his dislike of this habit you've gotten, when he finds you asleep in Pigsy's, he's somewhat glad, because at least he knows where you are.

It's days like these that he can feel himself getting older by the minute. The stress you put on him is undeniable, he hates not knowing whether his friends are safe or not.

Fortunately, his searching does not take long until he finds you.

At first glance, he assumes that you're a child, collecting sticks or playing hide-n-seek in the park, before realising it's you; sleeping underneath a tree. MK wastes little time in rushing over to you, giving you a once-over to ensure that you haven't brought injury unto yourself.

He sighs in relief after noticing that you're in good physical shape. That was one less thing to worry about; now, onto the next...

He wormed his arms underneath your body, being as careful as possible to not disturb your slumber, and lifting you up against his chest. You might complain at him later, feeling embarrassed to be picked up and moved by him, but he's fine with it as long as you're safe and in his sight while sleeping.

With the strength he's gained from his newfound abilities and Monkey King's training, he barely breaks a sweat in his endeavours to relocate you. The familiar scent of Pigsy's restaurant calms him, and clearly you, as well, if the unconscious smile on your face after entering was anything to go by.

MK makes a beeline for one of the booth seats, gently placing you down and ensuring that you won't take a tumble off the edge, before rushing back outside to enter his own apartment above the restaurant. Despite knowing that you're a heavy sleeper and unlikely to wake anytime soon, he hurried to grab the necessary items that he kept stashed in a seperate cupboard for your unexpected naps.

With a pillow and blanket now in his grasp, the young successor retraced his steps to the building below.

Both his boss and Tang ignored his behaviour, used to the odd interaction that happened between you two every week or so. As MK carefully wrapped the blanket over your shoulders, he quietly shushed Tang after a particularly loud slurp from the scholar.

Once he was certain that you were the comfiest you could be, he sat down in the seat opposite you and relaxed. Pigsy had let him out on a break earlier, and he still had 10 minutes left to enjoy it.

That was, until he was startled by the yelling of a young girl entering the building.

MK, in response, stammered out a warning that you were sleeping, putting a finger to his mouth and shushing her. He glanced over to you through Mei's apologies, thankful to notice that you hadn't woken from the disturbance.

He really had no clue how you were able to sleep the way you did.

[topoeiaz]

Am I Allowed to Cry? (HP) Tom Riddle x OC

18+ blog • minors dni

content: angst, hurt/comfort, fluff

warning: infidelity, implied domestic violence

word count: 7.6k

summary: They weren't meant to be, not when she was arranged to marry someone else. That didn't stop them from loving each other. No, they couldn't help themselves.

a/n: does this count as a songfic if it's heavily inspired by Guilty as Sin by Taylor Swift? I'm not sure what a songfic means tbh.

hp masterlist • ao3

She had met him in the train to Hogwarts back in first year. No matter how hard he had tried to hide his excitement, his bright countenance and starry eyes had been honest as he asked to share her carriage, citing that the others were all full.

Tom Riddle, he had introduced himself.

Briana Selwyn, but you can call me Bree, she had reciprocated with a mirror of his polite smile.

When he had shown no looks of disgust nor mockery upon learning her name, relief had washed over her and she had allowed herself to ease the tension in her body – not completely, dear Lord, never completely. But life had never been her strongest ally, Briana had thought as the pair chatted during the ride – sharing their anticipations for their year ahead as firsties tended to do – and soon, her momentary respite had come to an end when dread had begun to haunt her.

He'll dislike me once he knows, a bitter taste on her tongue, just like everyone else does.

She hadn’t allowed herself to hope, no. He would leave her just the same and she would have only a couple hours’ worth of memory of their brief encounter to pine after – to fuel her ‘what if’s and ‘if only’s. Hence, when the semester had started and she had found herself as alone as ever as the year dragged on, she hadn’t been surprised; regardless of how her broken heart had shattered further, the shrapnel lodging themselves inside her. Hence, imagine her befuddlement now, when she found herself sharing a private space – despite the astronomy tower being a public space – with one Tom Riddle after four years of pretending they had never been friends, even if it had lasted only one day.

Instead of acting on his prefect duty and reprimanding her for being out of bed after curfew – during the first week of class, no less – Tom kept silent as he walked towards where she laid on the floor, legs propped up and hands fidgeting on her stomach, in the middle of the room. After years of practice, she was finally able to spell the ceiling to mimic the night sky, much like the castle’s Great Hall, but only for an hour. Briana forced herself to gaze back up and ignored the rapid thumping of her heart as Tom drew closer and closer. She prepared herself to cast a Shield Charm wandlessly, a feat she had been forced to learn on her own after her tormentor had successfully disarmed her on multiple occasions, and unknowingly held her breath in apprehension. She watched in her peripheral vision as Tom stopped a foot away from her and, after a short moment of hesitation, moved to sit on the ground right where he had stood, his body facing the same direction as hers.

The silence was dull to her ears as her thoughts ran a marathon around her head. The stars grew distant and blurry, her right hand had begun scratching her left arm to feel something – anything – to counter her fading senses, and she would’ve missed Tom’s voice interjecting the peace of the night if it hadn’t been for the fact that she had trained herself to register any sound regardless of how absent she felt in her own body.

Her head snapped to her right, casting the boy a doubtful look which he ignored in favour of leaning back on his hands to admire the ceiling expressionlessly. I won’t hurt you, Tom had said. It wasn’t rocket science to figure out why Briana didn’t trust that.

However, when he said nor did anything else as the minutes ticked by, her doubts became bemusement and she allowed herself to return her attention to the sky mimicry. No more words nor looks were exchanged between them, and when the hour was up and the stars had disappeared to expose the rest of the room, Briana steadfastly kept her gaze onto the ceiling beams even as Tom gave out a heavy sigh before getting up and leaving without acknowledging her presence beyond a murmur of, “goodnight, Bree.”

Briana’s heart stuttered.

Bree. He had called her Bree.

What did that mean?

Probably nothing, many would argue; and she would be wise to agree. However, it was the first time that anyone had called her by her nickname since she was seven – her first meeting with Tom unaccounted for, for he had not known the tales revolving her then. Not even her roommates had had the opportunity to refer to her as such before the rumours had spread and they, too, had turned against her; although they still kept up friendly pretences in public because – Merlin forbid – the entire school found out that Hufflepuffs were not all sunshine and rainbows. Hence, there was no doubt that Tom had heard of the gossips by now. And yet, he had called her Bree.

Others might have easily shrugged off a happenstance encounter from first year, but Briana couldn’t help but wish over the years that the moment had had a chance to flourish and given her a friend. Alas, it could never happen – or so she had thought until now. For Tom to regard her with familiarity after all this time, she couldn’t help but wonder if he had ever spared her a moment’s thought. Or perhaps their previous time together had only flashed very briefly in his mind when he had bidden her goodnight and he thought naught else about it. Surely, that must be it. It couldn’t be anything else. He didn’t care for her.

Tears prickled her eyes. She inhaled sharply.

No tears.

And that was that.

The weeks passed with the usual radio silence from Tom. He paid her no attention as always and it didn’t hurt her, not when she had been treated worse – treated horribly – she was just confused. Confused as to why Tom hadn’t treated her as a stranger would that night when he could’ve simply taken points off of her and sent her back to bed without any fuss. Confused at his intention when he had chosen to accompany her quietly without prompt and had even reassured her that he had meant no harm in approaching her. Confused at why she even cared. There was no hope in making friends at this stage – in fifth year – when all the cliques and friendship groups had been established and rooted to the ground. There was especially zero expectation that she should make any now considering how the masses looked at her; in pity, fear, disdain. Cursed, they sneered at her. Will only bring about doom and death, the stories painted her to be.

Why else had the dementor kissed her if not because Magic had wanted her dead?!

Like a rope, her mother’s words spun and tightened around Briana, rendering her short of breath when they locked around her lungs, giving her no room to breathe. Air escaped her in short gasps and she had to strain her energy to inhale without choking.

She heard the footsteps before they reached the top.

Already sat up, Briana quickly snapped her head to the left so that the approaching individual couldn’t see her face when they would inevitably make it up the tower and tried to restrain her breathing even further than it already was to keep herself still and inconspicuous.

The footsteps halted.

Unavoidably, her trembling figure gave away her distressed state and when the stranger picked up on their steps again, a nonchalant voice accompanied the foreboding sound of shoes tapping against the tile. “Should I call for Madam Flint?”

Tom.

They were back in the same place where they had met exactly one week ago.

As much as Briana would love to keep silent and shake her head to indicate her answer, her head had started to throb out of exertion of her strength. She took a shuddering breath in and managed out a quiet, quivering, “no,” only audible to Tom due to the lack of noises around.

Tom said nothing as she heard him set himself down at the same spot he had taken last week, giving her space to deepen her shallow breaths slowly but gradually until she felt confident enough that her face wouldn’t spell out her suppressed pain and discomfort if she were to reveal her side profile to the puzzling boy beside her. She opted out of gazing at the star-covered ceiling above her like Tom was doing and gathered her knees, folding and placing her arms on top of them and resting her chin on her arms, eyes casted onto the floor as she tried to regain control of her destructive thoughts.

Her mother’s shriek was still ringing distantly in her head when Tom shut Lady Selwyn down with a question aimed at Briana. “Does that happen often?”

Without facing Tom, she knew that he hadn’t turned to her either. In a low voice, she gave an assent, “frequently enough.”

It wasn’t a secret, people had seen her attacks in public – when they would stumble upon her after her encounter with the causal person of her panic, or when certain triggers had been activated either on purpose or not. Word, of course, had spread to the rest of the school population, and even going as far as the students’ grandparents, and more accusatory looks had been shot her way, as if her episodes had been a punishment bestowed upon her by Magic for deflecting her attempted murder at her seventh birthday and not a natural reaction that she had grown accustomed to due to the stress placed on her for many years. She didn’t bother rectifying the rumours; no one would believe her anyway.

Tom gave a hum of acknowledgement and said no more. Briana followed the silence with her own and kept her eyes downcast. It was a fair while later when he piped up again, a comment leaving his lips this time around. “He brags about it every time.”

Her body stiffened. But as the notion registered fully, she could only scoff out a breath of laughter humorously with her fist clenched tightly in an attempt to fight against her sorrow. “Doesn’t surprise me.”

“You’re good at Defence; far better than Yaxley. Why don’t you fight back?”

Briana turned to regard Tom with a bitter smile, who had also torn his eyes away from the glimmering sky to give her his utmost attention. With a single sentence that spoke volumes of her experience and her prior attempts in defending herself, she retorted softly, “what good will it do?”

There was a furrow in his eyebrows that she could almost mistake to be concern for her. His eyes traced her features, sparking in her bouts of insecurities in his wake. Even in the dim lighting of the cosmic life, there was no denying the paleness of Briana’s face. Sunken eyes that had seen too much, cheeks voided of the slightest hint of colour to liven her countenance, and lips that had smiled too few times in the past near decade of her life. These features were as unchanging as the sea and she had been plagued with them ever since that fateful day with the dementor. She was no looker, not one bit, especially not when Annabelle was everything she wasn’t – people liked to compare the two sisters as they would the sun and moon – and she resolutely turned away from Tom to avoid the inevitable scorn of her appearance.

“Bree.” She hummed. “Bree, look at me.” She did no such thing.

Next thing she knew, he had curled a finger under her chin while his thumb held her face unforcefully. The gentle nature of his hold, as if giving her the option to reject his touch, was the deciding factor for Briana to allow him to coax her into facing him once again. The unmistakeable tension filling the gap between them urged her to lock her eyes with his and – Helga knows – she couldn’t look away. The dark irises of his eyes that were usually guarded no matter how friendly he had postured himself in public – a feature of his that she had caught onto all the way back in first year – swirled with unfamiliar emotions that took her breath away. The concern that she had denied from him was clear to her now and she felt helpless in his hold, not knowing how to react when the only ones who cared to worry about her were the house elves at home and, sometimes, the head of the Hufflepuff house. It was the unnamed simmering sentiments in Tom that advised her to approach his concern differently, however, and while she had an inkling as to what these feelings he was presenting to her with were, she doubted herself. How could she not when the person who should be looking at her like Tom was, had turned out to be the one who would revel in her agony and terror?

Briana’s thoughts cut off when Tom gave her a smile, small – much subtler than any of the cordial ones he sported as he strolled down the hallways of the castle – but genuine. Nothing could prepare her for the next three words he uttered and she would find herself sleeping soundly later, for the first time in ages, as his voice repeated like a mantra in her head – a welcomed change from the usual taunts from her memories.

You’re beautiful, Bree.

Her wide eyes and parted lips once the words had left Tom’s lips didn’t even get a chance to embarrass her when his smile promptly turned fond as he took in her bewildered expression. He didn’t shame her wordless response, instead dropping his hold on her chin to place his hand atop her right hand that had fallen onto the ground. She didn’t retaliate when he took her hand in his, bringing it up so that he could catch Briana further off-guard by giving the back of her hand a short but firm kiss.

He must’ve caught her disbelief from her face and he let their hands fall, still clasped together, and reassured her of his honesty. “You’ve always been beautiful, Bree. I knew so four years ago and I know so now.”

“But- I- you’ve never…”

When Briana trailed off hesitantly, Tom offered with a regretful smile, “approached you ever since?” Her silence was all he needed. She followed his gaze when he looked down at their hands and watched him adjust his hold to weave their fingers together. When her eyes flickered back to his face, she was taken aback to see uncertainty crossing his expression. “That was a mistake that I wish to amend; I shouldn’t have left you just like that.”

She tried forming sentences in her mind, only letting them slip off her tongue when they sounded agreeable. “Then… why did you?” It had come out quietly and without accusations, tinged only with woe for all the time lost between them.

“What was a boy to do,” Tom started with a hopeless tone, “when he had found out that the girl he could only ever hope to want, had already been fated to another person?”

A hiccup threatened to escape her throat.

“What was a boy to do,” he continued bitterly, “when he had learned that the girl and her fiancé held a status so far out of reach, that he couldn’t even catch a glimpse of their standing no matter how hard he tried?”

“Tom, please-”

“And what was I to do,” the grief in his voice rang loudly despite his hushed volume, “when you have only proved yourself ever more beautiful and lovable over the years, that I could only dream to be worthy of your affections?”

A sob wracked through Briana’s body tearlessly. Her lips wavered as she held back her cries and Tom softened upon seeing the tears brimming in her eyes. His apology had barely left his lips when Briana shook her head firmly, her headache be damned. “No- no, please,” she tried to catch her breath, “I’m sorry.”

They were both sitting up with their body facing each other at this point and Tom lifted his other hand up to cradle her cheek gently. “There’s nothing for you to apologise for, darling.”

She, again, shook her head rashly. “I’m sorry that you had to learn it from someone else. I’m sorry that I’ve never tried to change things between us; I could’ve been the one to reconnect with you but I had thought that you- that you wouldn’t want me. I’m sorry that I- I can’t- no,” she shuddered. It was with absolute strength that she managed to pull away from his comforting touch against her desire. The flash of hurt in his eyes only singed her heart painfully and it took all her willpower not to cave into his tender care. She had to do this – she had to stop it before it was too late for the both of them. “I shouldn’t,” she corrected.

Her eyes had been shut tightly and she held her breath in anticipation of the sound of Tom leaving. The footsteps never sounded, however, and a heart-wrenching whisper instead left Tom’s lips. “Oh, Bree, my love...”

Never had anything sent her heart aflutter just like that.

Hesitantly, she blinked her eyes open to see Tom still sat up and patiently looking at her with eyes that the starry sky above could never compare up to. He gestured towards her hand with a soft, “may I?” To which, she relented without a fuss. He took both her hands in his this time, caressing them with his thumbs while smiling so softly at her. “You won’t even give me a chance? Am I that horrendous, love?”

His teasing tone brought about a watery smile on her lips and Merlin could not erase the fondness written on her face. “You know it’s not that, Tom. I just…” He spared her a look of understanding but she went on anyway. “I can’t risk getting caught engaging in infidelity. Helga knows what they would do if they found out- what he would do.”

Tom frowned at this. “That’s… true. I can’t have you risking your safety for me.”

Briana gave a grin, feeling the happiest she had ever been in years despite the heartbreaking situation she was in simply because she had Tom. “Top of the year and you hadn’t thought that far? Whatever happened to you Mr. Riddle?”

He let her easy-going lilt charm him and reflected it back at her. “I’ll admit, I hadn’t even been confident that you’d grace me with a second of your time, much less been sure that you’d even accept my advances.” Merlin, she could die a happy death in this moment. “I had meant it when I said that you are worth more than I deserve.”

“Oh, Tom.” No tears, no tears. She bit her lower lip momentarily to suppress her next words, but they came out of her quietly anyways. “I want this too- us. I want us.” But we can’t, went unsaid but echoed in their ears regardless. But when their eyes met, they knew what they had was unavoidable – that sparks flew. Her hands felt right in his and that was all that mattered in that moment.

And so, in the privacy of the calm night, they were content to pretend that all else existed not; that their worries were simply nightmares and that they could be together. Live the moment for it could never be anything more. Except, the moment turned into two.

Then, two to three.

A fourth time happened.

Then, a fifth.

And more.

Each time they met under the same circumstances on Friday night, the outside world and its troubles were forgotten and Briana and Tom got to live a dream – a wish. The footlong distance between them stood no chance by the third week and, by the sixth, Briana felt comfortable in letting Tom wrap his arms around her as she sat with her back against his front torso. Beyond that, she felt safe. Two months into it, they had grown close – far too close, her conscience added – enough that she put up no arguments when Tom had started to pepper her skin with lingering kisses. Her wrists, her neck; she allowed herself to bask in his touch – a mistake.

Then, when his lips would trail up to her jaw and near her lips, she’d pull away. The festering guilt ate her up whenever he was inches away from kissing her lips and she’d recoil from him, her scars underneath her glamour spell burning in phantom pain. Tom would take no offence with her choices and would simply connect their foreheads together in silent apology. Was it cruel of her to withhold a proper kiss from Tom if she allowed everything else? Was it cruel of her to excuse her infidelity by never placing her lips onto Tom?

Was it cruel of her to indulge in this in the first place?

Besides announcing their relationship publicly and engaging in physical intimacy beyond innocent kisses from Tom aimed anywhere but the lips, they did everything that a couple would do. They confided in each other, talked of futures and marriages, and even went on dates – that was, if they counted their late-night trysts as dates. Briana was there for Tom when he had week-longs fixations on ‘nerdy’ topics like unicorns and warding spells, or when he had trouble grappling with his true birth history, and she had also patiently dealt with and redirected his misguided frustrations against all-things muggle. Tom had cared for Briana during her attacks and their aftermaths, he had soothed her worries of academics, self-esteems, and life in general. He had even, at multiple points, sent Yaxley to the Hospital Wing hidden under the guise of tragic accidents while ensuring that Briana wouldn’t receive the brunt of her fiancé’s anger by keeping track of Yaxley’s whereabouts and instigating distractions to get rid of the snake’s tempestuous nerves.

Briana had never been happier.

Autumn gave way to winter.

Winter turned into spring.

The seasons flew by and they found themselves back in Autumn of the next year, when they had become sixth-years, and reality caught up to them in the form of Briana and Yaxley’s wedding invitations.

They were due to marry on New Year’s Eve – a cruel birthday gift to Tom, indeed. Briana had stolen one of the invitations for Tom in a whim, knowing full well that it was unlikely that he would want to attend. She insisted he kept it anyway, in case he ever changed his mind, and it took immense conviction from Tom not to incinerate it immediately.

In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Briana and Tom grew solemn. Chatters were quiet and sparse between them and the air held them tense. Gone were restful nights and Briana could count on one hand the nights where she didn’t cry herself to sleep. Her hopes for a miracle depleted with every passing day and it had become a habit to rein in her tears whenever her sights fell upon Tom. Tom, himself, held her in his arms stronger and longer, unwilling to part himself from her that they had, thrice now, ended up staying in the astronomy tower until the sun had begun to peek over the horizon – not that she had complained. All that, and they had yet to verbalise the elephant in the room. Ultimately, the task was unavoidable and it was a wonder that they had managed to postpone it until the final week before the winter holidays.

They didn’t bring it up as they settled themselves on the floor, not even as they talked lowly about their winter plans, nor did they acknowledge Briana’s early birthday gift to Tom as, quite possibly, the last thing she could ever gift him. Her present was a flower, a single stem of forget-me-not, spelled by her to never wilt, scent and vibrancy to never fade, and overflowing with her magic because she had used Patronus Magic to envelop the flowers with her joy and love, her feelings for Tom – while she was unable to call on her patronus like her accidental magic had done all those years ago due to the dementor’s kiss, its magic went beyond merely summoning a guardian. They skirted around the issue, ever present and intimidating, and it was only when they had stood up to retire for the night that it all came to a head.

Briana and Tom stood with their bodies facing each other, her hands clasped in his and hanging in the tiny space between them.

This was it. There would be no more ‘Briana and Tom’ after this.

Their eyes spoke of their sentiments wordlessly, shiny and stricken with heartbreak, despair, and love. They had never said the word, had never said the three damning words for fear that they could never return from it ever. Regardless, they knew it floated around them, clear as crystal, and Briana was, at this point, only mildly guilty of feeling such a way for a man that wasn’t her contracted fiancé.

Briana searched Tom’s eyes for regret, peeking into every nook and cranny as he laid his feelings bare for her. She found none, not a single speck of it in him that told her that he would ever wish that they had never happened. When he reciprocated the action, she let him search her just as vulnerably as he had been, knowing with utmost certainty that he would come to the same conclusion as her – that she felt no regret; no, never regret. No matter how short their time had been, no matter how sad their ending was always going to be, no matter how much they knew that indulging in this relationship had only intensified their love for each other and made it infinitely harder for them to move on with their lives. They had been Happy. They had laughed, argued, loved, and nothing else they had could ever amount to what they had meant for each other. It was a bittersweet love but love nonetheless. So, no, there wasn’t a smidge of regret in them that their time had come to an end like they always knew it would eventually. No, they were proud to have loved each other.

People said that time heals.

Now, as they had their foreheads planted together, surrounded by the moonlit sky and silent as the sleeping castle, Briana and Tom knew for a fact that the saying wouldn’t hold true. Not in one year, five, a decade – not even until life itself had rotted away and the cosmic universe had fallen dead. No, time could never put together the little pieces of their hearts as Briana and Tom had done for each other in the past year. Nevertheless, there was no room for regret.

One minute; the hands of the clock ticked by.

Two minutes; words escaped them like the sun from the sky every nightfall.

Three minutes; their hands grasped each other tightly to cling onto their dreams for a while longer.

A beat.

…

Briana pulled back.

Their eyes met each other one last time.

She let her tears fall.

Tom was conflicted. Her eyes told him to leave, to make things easier for her; yet the unfamiliarity of the situation – Briana crying in his presence – made it hard for him not to gather her in his arms to comfort her.

He took a step forwards; she took a step back.

She shook her head frantically, a small, broken plea leaving her lips that he had almost missed it. She wanted to shout, to scream at Tom to leave – walk away from everything that they had built and loved because she couldn’t do it; not now, not ever. She didn’t want to break down in front of him because she knew he wouldn’t leave her in this state, not when she needed him, and that would only make it harder for her to leave than it already was. She wanted to curse Fate, yell at Her for damning the one thing that made her happy after all the misfortune She had already bestowed upon her. She wanted to close the distance between Tom and her so that she could feel at home once again. She wanted to kiss Tom after a year of denying themselves. She wanted to be with Tom. She wanted Tom.

But life had never been her strongest ally.

Briana had her hands brought together in front of her lest she surrendered to her desires and reached out to Tom. Her eyes had been shut in hopes that by erasing the boy present in the room visually, it would make things easier for her – it didn’t. And so, just like the first night they had reunited all those times ago, Briana relied on her ears as Tom took his first step away from her.

One step.

Two steps-

She sobbed.

-halt.

Briana pressed her palms against her eyes desperately and another weak plea escaped her subconsciously.

A plea for what? To beg Tom to stay? To leave?

She didn’t know.

The footsteps started up again and she covered her mouth physically to prevent another sob from sounding out. The sound grew distant, further and further away, and she only dropped her hand from her lips once she couldn’t hear it anymore. Immediately, a heart-wrenching cry ripped out from deep inside her and she could do naught but clutch her chest as her legs gave out beneath her. Tears streamed down her cheeks freely and she had to gasp to breathe, hiccups cutting off her airway occasionally.

She didn’t know how long she was curled up there, on the floor of the astronomy tower, crying her heart out like she had never before. All she knew was that she had regained enough composure by the first glimpse of daylight to drag herself back to her dorm, casting the room a final look because she knew it would be the last time she would voluntarily come near the tower if it wasn’t to be with Tom. She kept herself locked behind the shut curtains of her area in her shared room for the entirety of the day – no one care at all about her to question her wellbeing – leaving only for the bathroom and to pay a visit to the kitchens during dinnertime to seek food. She slept restlessly and woke up before the sun did, taking her time to prepare for the train ride back to London later that morning. Her head was kept angled downwards and she looked at nobody, something that her parents were quick to reprimand when they caught sight of her at King’s Cross station.

Your wedding is less than three weeks away. Behave like a lady.

At the reminder of her situation, the tears threatened to fall again and she had to force herself to reel them back. It couldn’t come any faster, she bitterly thought. By the time New Year’s Eve had arrived, Briana had become empty, soulless. Her dreadful countenance reflected how she felt – dead.

She felt spiritually absent as her body moved on its own with years of etiquette training to guide it. She didn’t bother faking smiles and everyone was happy to brush it off as the effects of her curse. She tuned out the officiant as he spoke of love and promises, stayed silent when it was her turn to share her vows, bit her tongue when the rings were presented.

Finally, it was time to sign the marriage contract that would legally bind herself and Alexander Yaxley together. The groom had gone first and done it. It was now her turn to step behind the podium with the officiant beside her to witness her signature. A rumble of cries lodged itself in her throat upon seeing all her details already filled out and ready, and at seeing the details of her husband-to-be and finding none belonging to Tom. She felt the expectant eyes around her when she hesitated, her hand already gripping the quill harshly.

She took a deep breath.

She drew the first stroke of her signature.

She was almost done.

She-

-heard the footsteps echoing down the hallway.

Swiftly, her hand stopped its movement before the completion of her signature and her head snapped up to eye the doorway down the aisle. Everyone else looked to her in confusion for the briefest second before they, too, turned to regard the double doors when it had slammed open with a loud bang that elicited a few shrieks of surprise from the guests.

There, in the doorway, stood Tom Riddle.

Briana’s heart started beating harshly against her chest and the smallest, the tiniest, flame of hope flickered inside her. His name left her in a whisper and she couldn’t care less how love-stricken she must’ve looked as she took in the sight of the man she loved – not even when some people had glanced at her accusatorily, her parents and in-laws included.

Tom walked in imposingly, face set in determination and eyes locked straight onto Briana’s shaking form. He only got to cover a quarter of his way to her when Lord Yaxley stood up roughly and raised his voice at Tom. “And who are you to interrupt my son’s wedding?!”

“An invited guest, sir,” Tom quipped back without missing a beat, lifting up his hand which held the wedding invitation Briana had given him months ago.

Those who had recognised Tom, namely their schoolmates, were unashamed to mutter under their breaths as they expressed their astonishment as to why he had shown up when he had no direct relations to the bride and groom, nor power in society to be invited to the union of two members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight in the first place. Yaxley, having caught Briana’s call of Tom’s name earlier, stared down the latter man who shot back a cool glare of his own. “And who are you here as today, Riddle? A cousin from the bride’s family?” The Selwyn family bristled at the suggestion.

Briana and Tom knew what Yaxley was trying to do, to expose the presumed scandalous relationship Tom had with the bride. Whilst Briana had no idea as to what Tom was planning, she allowed herself to ease her nerves slightly when Tom glanced at her reassuringly.

“Not a cousin, no.” His lips quirked up into a saccharine smile, eyes voided of any semblance of cordiality as he spoke to the groom. “I’ve come here to object the wedding as the bride’s legal husband.”

Unquestionably, the room erupted in chaos.

The Lords and Ladies of the houses of Yaxley and Selwyn drilled Tom with an unending speech of questions filled with accusations and suspicions while the rest of the guests had started to whisper amongst themselves at the turn of events the wedding had taken. The reporters had been forgotten as the parents of the bride and groom lost their cool and they were having a field day. And Briana? She could only gape at her apparent husband cluelessly.

When Tom caught her stare, the fake, overly sweet touch to his smile softened and she could feel her heart thump stronger, her nerves still easily affected by Tom even after all those times she had spent with him. He then pulled out his wand, ignoring the gasps from his audience and the defensive stance some had taken with their wands, and conjured a scroll in the air, tied close with a red ribbon. The paper unfurled when he had spelled the ribbon away, and he levitated it towards the podium where the officiant stood with an expression just as bewildered as everyone else. “Here is Briana and I’s official marriage document. You are free to check it for any fraudulence, sir.”

“R- right…”

Taken aback, the officiant did as Tom had suggested and retrieved his own wand to cast spells upon spells on the floating scroll to investigate it for any deception. With every spell casted, the voices around grew louder and louder until finally, the room quietened when the officiant dropped his hand that held his wand and adjusted his glasses helplessly. Briana’s breath had halted at this point and she looked to the old man with anticipation thrumming in her blood.

“It is legitimate. Tom Marvolo Riddle and Briana Tristine Riddle née Selwyn have been legally married as of half past eight this morning.”

All eyes snapped to the clock in the hall.

8:37 AM.

Briana and Tom had legally wedded seven minutes ago.

…

What?

Briana looked at Tom, more astounded than ever, and the flame inside her grew and travelled to her eyes, letting the world see the first sighting of life in her that day. He returned her surprise with an affectionate smile, relaying to her words that he hadn’t uttered but she knew he would say all the while if he had been beside her.

You’re safe. I’ve got you.

“But the contract! The one from our ancestors! Your marriage is null because our contract takes precedence unless you’re one of us!” One of the Sacred Twenty-Eights, Yaxley had meant. It was a stupid and classist law, one that Briana and Tom had accounted for when they had once dreamt of running away and eloping to avoid her duty towards her family. When Tom showed no signs of faltering under Yaxley’s words, Briana quelled her worries silently.

Tom extended his hands, showcasing the unfamiliar rings on both his index fingers; green and silver on the left, and black and white on the right. “If you could be so kind to refer to tomorrow morning’s paper, you will find that I have officially inherited the titles of Lord to the House of Slytherin and Heir to the House of Gaunt. Your officiant can also refer to the paper in front of him to see that I have claimed these titles prior to my marriage to Briana.”

Upon receiving flabbergasted stares from the masses, the officiant sighed audibly and confirmed Tom’s words. “It is true.”

“Oh, Merlin- Tom.” Briana’s voice had come out breathlessly and shakily, and she was beginning to feel her lips wobble and vision blur.

“But- how- there’s no way-” Yaxley was cut off when more footsteps sounded beyond the open door and more gasps sounded when everyone caught sight of the four men in robes that were unmistakeably the aurors’ garbs. Keen eyes watched with bated breaths as the aurors marched past Tom and headed straight for the front of the room. A pair of them parted from the group once they had reached the end of the aisle and steered towards Yaxley, each grabbing hold of one of his arms and holding them behind him despite his loud, panicked protests. “What in the- what the bloody hell is going on here?!”

“Alexander Yaxley, you are under arrest for suspicion of physical violence against Lady Briana Riddle on multiple accounts.” More gasps echoed and the chatter had no hopes of dying down.

“Release him at once!” Lord Yaxley’s voice rang throughout the hall as he rushed towards the nearest auror to face him toe-to-toe. “My son has done no such deed to warrant such treatment! I say, release him!”

The auror took on the infuriated man with stoicism and shot him down easily with a levelled voice. “That, I cannot do, Lord Yaxley. We have received Lord Riddle’s reports of Heir Yaxley’s actions against Lady Riddle.”

“And what evidence have you?!”

“I’m sure Lady Riddle is more than willing to provide them.”

At that, Lord Selwyn circled to join Lord Yaxley in releasing his fury at the auror. “If you’re talking about submitting her memories to you, I absolutely forbid that!”

The auror gave the pair of fathers a dangerous look that dared them to argue any further. “I think you will find, Lord Selwyn, that as the Lady to the houses of Slytherin and Riddle, authorisation of Lady Riddle’s participation in the investigation by providing her memories falls onto the decision of Lord Riddle and not you.” Speechless, the auror’s words left Lord Selwyn stuttering and stumbling after himself.

In the middle of the havoc, was Briana. All eyes placed her in the spotlight as they anticipated her reaction to all this commotion.

She was still stood exactly where she had prior to Tom’s arrival, behind the podium with a quill still held in her hand. She looked down to the paper she had dreaded to sign to see that ink had gathered at where the quill’s tip had touched the paper and had left a huge mess on the paper and her right hand when she lifted the quill up. With trembling hands, she wiped the excess ink on the paper and dropped her hold on the writing utensil. Her eyes returned to Tom to see him staring back at her, having wrapped up his hushed conversation with the an auror while she had been fussing with herself.

The situation fully registered in her mind at that moment and she realised with a start that- it didn’t have to end. She could have Tom.

It mattered not that the circumstances were far from her ideal wedding, nor did it matter that she had ink smudged on herself and her dress haphazardly as hundreds of people who disliked her gazed up at her judgementally. How could she care for these trivialities if it meant that she could have Tom?

Briana sidestepped the podium and the hall fell silent at her sudden movement. She took a step forward, eyes still on an anxious-looking Tom who was sporting a besotted look on his face.

Another step forward. And another. More.

“Briana Tristine Selwyn, don’t you dare take another step forward!”

Her mother’s cry fell onto deaf ears and Briana ran.

She gathered her dress in her hands and cared not that her tears had begun to fall. A relieved smile was etched onto her lips, a sight new to everyone else bar Tom, and her expression was one that mirrored Tom’s unabashedly.

The tap, tap, tap of her heels against the carpet resounded throughout the hall as she flew down the aisle towards her beloved. Tom had started forwards once he had been sure that Briana was as happy to see him as he did her, and met her halfway down the aisle. To his delighted surprise, her arms reached up to wrap themselves around his neck, his arms going around her waist, and pulled his head flush against hers so that she could connect her lips onto his firmly. Their eyes having fallen shut, they had missed the first glimpse of blue light emerging from the space between their hearts, understandably much too taken with the long-awaited feel of each other’s lips, and they only parted with a gasp, eyes snapping open, when they felt the warmth engulf their chests out of nowhere. They watched in amazement as the blue light grew brighter – not blinding – until it suddenly shot out to the side, separating into two, and taking the form of winged creatures – two swans. There was no mistaking what they were:

their Patronuses.

It had been over a decade since Briana had seen her Patronus and the swan had thrown her off her loop because- her Patronus had been a dove. The wonder in her face was just as prominent in Tom’s and she was reminded of the fact that he had never been able to conjure a Patronus, ever.

The swans flew around them, flapping their wings gracefully as they took to the air while emitting a sense of joy – Briana and Tom’s – onto the surrounding people along with its blue glow. Choked up with emotions, Briana reflexively grasped Tom’s shoulders harder and caressed him in apology when she realised upon gaining his attention. “Sorry, love.”

“That’s alright, Bree.” Tom took a hand to hold her cheek gently. “You feeling alright?” It was then that she remembered that she was still crying. Distractedly, she realised that she felt better than ever, her chronic pains that had started up since her seventh birthday had faded into nothing and she felt light on her feet.

Briana gave a reassuring hum and pulled his head down to plant her forehead with his. “Very- I’m Happy.”

He wiped away her tears with his thumb. “So am I, my love.”

Then a thought struck her. “How did you get my signature anyway?”

A scheming grin plastered on his face, he leaned down and placed his lips beside her ears. “I may or may not have broken into here much earlier to peek at the drafted-up marriage contract between you and Yaxley to steal your identification number.”

“Tom!”

“And your gift for me, your forget-me-not – you had left a strong trace of your personal magic on it with the Patronus Magic that it sufficed as an authentication of your identity because it had been willingly provided by you.” Then, Tom raised an eyebrow. “You ought to be careful with your magic, love.”

“Hey!” She slapped his shoulder weakly in protest. “I gave it to you in confidence!”

He shot her a teasing smirk. “Oh? Should I not have used it to wed us, then?”

“Now, I didn’t say that.”

Tom laughed and pulled her in for another kiss, both only vaguely aware that they were still in a room full of hundreds other people – although, their Patronuses were providing fairly good entertainment. When they parted again when a giggle of mirth had bubbled up Briana’s throat, bringing about a tender smile in Tom at seeing his beloved so Happy, they brought their heads together again for comfort, never straying too far away from each other now that they could help it. A whispered confession left Briana with an affectionate sigh and Tom was quick to reciprocate it.

I love you.

Nothing else mattered.

ao3 🌱 topaz 🌱 masterlist

don’t steal my work, claim it as your own, upload it to another site, or use it to train AI

dividers by: @strangergraphics-archive & @saradika-graphics

[sabo-has-my-heart]

Hiii can I request for sabo, ace and law(you can add more characters if you'd like because I mainly wanted these three<3) where you are sparring and they accidentally touch you inappropriately? With a female!reader please

Thank you so much if you're doing this :D

Your writing is amazing and I've been checking your tumblr daily tbh, keep up the work you're doing great ^^

You check my stuff daily? Thank you so much!

Warnings: inappropriate touching, mentions of male arousal (Ace), scientific explination of breasts

Word Count: 1165

     Facing each other, you couldn’t help but smirk. You both knew each other’s fighting styles, both knew how the other’s body moved, how they typically reacted, how they worked. It meant that you could both push each other, but help each other. Knowing each other’s fighting styles meant that neither of you could use your typical style, you had to improvise, mix things up, and think on your feet. How their body moved, their reach, their strengths and weaknesses, meant that they had to fix the points you’d take advantage of, how to reach further or use their reach against them. It all meant that with each match, you got better, you could do better, that when you met a real enemy, you could be better.

     It had honestly been an accident. He’d been going for an attack when you moved, he’d simply been trying to move with you, to hit you while you attempted to dodge. Now, laying on the ground, unmoving, eyes wide, he wished he hadn’t. The young man quickly scrambled off of you, immediately standing up and looking away.

Sabo

     His cheeks were bright red as he looked away.

     “S-Sorry, Y/n. I didn’t mean to. I uh, here, let me help you up.” he said, looking away as he held out his hand. You couldn’t help but cover your breasts as you took his hand, the blond quickly and easily hoisting you up. Neither of you could look at each other, your faces bright red as you stood there awkwardly. 

     “I uh, th-thanks for sparring with me, I… I always learn a lot from you.” you muttered, still covering your chest. You swore you could still feel his gloved hand over your breast, the way he touched you as you both fell to the ground. His strong arms pinning you to the ground as you both tried to process what had just happened. You both fidgetted nervously as you stood there, not sure what to do or say. It wasn’t like either of you were innocent to the ways of the world. You knew this kind of stuff happened and you’d had passionate make out sessions where his hands had groped your ass. You knew it had been an accident, that he hadn’t meant for any of it, but that being said, this was in public and had been a little more than just his hands on your butt. 

     “So uh, let’s um… end early today, I uh… could use some lunch.” Sabo muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

     “Yeah, that… that sounds great.” you said, the both of you heading inside awkwardly. You hesitantly took his hand, giving a light squeeze as you looked away. You wanted him to know that, no matter what happened, you weren’t upset.

Ace

     The two of you stood there, as if frozen in place. You stood in front of him, his arms wrapped around you, one wrapped around your arms and stomach, the other still placed on your breast, the both of you redder than tomatoes. He’d just been practicing his hand to hand combat. He used his devil fruit powers so often that he wanted to work on his basic abilities. Nothing more, nothing less. Feeling the soft plush of your breast hadn’t been his intention. All he’d wanted was to put you in a hold, one arm around your stomach, pinning your arms to your side and another around your shoulder. Held tightly to him as he whispered in your ear, enjoying feeling you in his arms while still training. Ace slowly let go of you, as if he wasn’t certain if he should let you go or not. To be honest, he was still fairly stunned, his brain having short circuited the moment his hand had grabbed the soft, squishy orb. Being a healthy 20 year old, he’d seen bare ones before in magazines, heard how soft and squishy they could feel, had felt them pressing against his bare chest as he held you close in a passionate kiss. But none of it could have prepared him for actually feeling it in his hand, for the way it felt under his fingers, how it felt so perfect, it was so…. You eyes widened as your head whipped around to face him, unable to do much more than stare at him.

     “S-sorry, I… I didn’t mean to… I just…” Ace mumbled, unsure what to say as he looked away from you.

     “I-I understand… it was an accident… you um… I’ll see you at lunch?” you asked, looking away from him. Ace just nodded quietly, heading towards his room, hands stuffed in his pants, hoping nobody noticed how his loose shorts bulged.

Law

     The young doctor cleared his throat as he moved away from you, pulling his hat down to cover his blush. As a doctor, the female anatomy was nothing new. Subcutaneous fat filled orbs containing mammary glands necessary for feeding infants until said child was ready to eat solid foods. The glands all lead to the nipple, a sensitive bud that an infant suckled from, often an errogenous zone that brought women pleasure or could be so sensitive as to cause pain. These orbs would often swell when a woman lactated, the mammary glands filling and flowing with milk that would nourish the newborn. That being said, while such things were simple bodily functions, basic anatomy that every doctor knew and ‘nothing to be ashamed of’, he still found himself extremely embaressed and bright red at what had happened. You took a few steps back, trying to calm your racing heart and bright red cheeks down. It was an accident, he hadn’t meant to, you kept repeating this in your head in an attempt to calm yourself, only succeeding in fidgetting nervously. 

     “It was a simple accident. Nothing to be ashamed of. As a doctor, I’ve studied the human anatomy and seen plenty of bodies.” Law said in an attempt to shake off the embarressment. Not that it actually worked as you both continued to stand there silently, not really sure what to do next. You just nodded, staring down at your feet.

     “W-why don’t I go make us a snack? W-we trained pretty hard today, we deserve a small snack.” you said before hurrying towards the kitchen, anything to escape the moment and the embarressment. Law sighed, taking off his hat and running his hand through his hair. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to look at you for a week after what just happened and the moment would probably replay itself in his mind over and over again. Looking down at his hand, he swore he could still feel your breast in his hand, how it felt against his tattooed fingers. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to look you in the eye without turning bright red for a while, no matter what he told himself in an attempt to calm himself down.

[nessinborderland]

V-E-N-U-S (03)

Pairing: Rafe x plus size!Reader

Genre: smut, dark-ish fic

Word Count: 6 ,2k

Warnings ⚠️ Mildly Dubious Consent, Enemies to Lovers, more like Enemies to Enemies That Fuck tbh, Rafe Cameron Being an Asshole, mentions of bullying, Vaginal Sex, Oral Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Rough Sex, Mentions of death of a parent, Drinking, Drug Use, Rafe needs therapy asap, fatphobia, Other Additional Tags to Be Added

Summary: The nickname he had given you in 8th grade was supposed to be ironic. In Rafe’s defense, he used to be a pretty stupid and cruel fourteen-year-old, as most kids that age are. So yeah, nicknaming the fat and nerdy chick Venus – like the goddess of sex and beauty – had been pretty hilarious in young Rafe's opinion.

What he would've never guessed was how much that name would fit you now as a grown woman.

Notes: Here is part 3! Enjoy 💖

AO3 | Masterlist | Part 1

You felt like you could finally breathe when you set foot inside your house, the familiar scent of beef strogonoff making your stomach grumble as you realized you were starving. You knew it wasn’t healthy, but you rarely got hungry while working, doing a shift without much more than a granola bar and yogurt in your stomach.

But you were home now, and your body knew it, muscles relaxing and mouth salivating at the prospect of finally sitting down and having a nice meal. Maybe then you would forget about your shitty day – in particular your last conversation with Rafe. That had really soured your mood, a tension in your shoulders and neck that was starting to give you headaches.

Locking the door behind you, you dropped your backpack on a chair and sat on the floor with a tired exhale, taking off your shoes before fully laying down on the wooden surface, dust and dog fur in your hair be damned. Your whole body needed a break, your feet in particular; they always hurt like a bitch after a long shift of standing up and walking around.

The noise of loud indie rock came somewhere from the back of the house, and you could hear kid music and cartoons coming from the living room, just to your right. A tip-tapping sound from the hallway made you look up, and a smile stretched your lips as you were approached by the only family member to always greet you at the front door.

“Hey old man, how was your day?” you cooed as you sat up to pet K-Nine behind the ears, just how he liked it.

The old German Shepard mix wagged his tail from side to side as he excitedly tip-tapped his nails on the floor, trying to welcome you with a lick to the face that you promptly dodged with a chuckle. Your dad had let you pick K-Nine on your 10th birthday, and, in a way, this dog was like a part of your father that was still with you. It hurt watching him get older and start to prefer naps instead of long walks outside.

After a quick cuddle and a pet to his graying muzzle, you stood up and walked into the living room together, where your younger brother sat on the couch with his full attention on the TV.

“Hello, Kev,” you greeted when you passed by the couch, being completely ignored even when you ruffled his hair as you walked towards the open kitchen. “Bluey is that good huh?...” you muttered under your breath before smiling at your mother. “Hey, Mom, smells good!”

“Hey, sweets, you got home just in time,” greeted your mother, sending you a tired smile as she set the table. You hurried to help her, knowing that – no matter how tired you were – your mother would be ten times worse. “How was work today?”

“Work was okay, got some good tips,” you said as you took out the orange juice from the fridge and set it on the table. “How was your day?”

“Exhausting,” She said as she sat at the table with a tired sigh, a smile still on her lips. “But cleaning rich people’s houses does have its perks – Mrs. Lockwood gave me some good clothes her son doesn’t use anymore, so that’s one less thing I have to worry about – I swear that your brothers are growing like weeds.”

“That’s nice of her,” you said with a forced smile; your mom was always thankful for the things her employers at Figure 8 gave her, didn’t matter if they were second-hand or not – but you still remembered how kids used to bully you over it. You just hoped your brothers didn’t go through the same. “Have you been taking your new medication? Doctor Marsh said you weren’t supposed to feel this tired after a few weeks of taking it, right?”

“Yeah, but I don’t think it’s working,” she muttered with a shake of her head, eyes down on the napkin she was folding. “They help a bit with the pain, but I still feel so drained…”

“Maybe you should do some more exams?” you asked as you grabbed the plates and started serving the still piping hot food, the smell making your stomach grumble again. “We can go early tomorrow if you want, I only start work at five.”

“And mess even more with your college savings?” she asked in what you knew was a rhetorical tone. “I’m not doing that.” Then she turned to your younger brother, still watching his cartoons like they were the only thing in the room. “Kev, honey, go call your brother for dinner, please – Kevin, now.” Then she turned to you again. “Fibromyalgia won’t kill me, I can manage. Let’s just focus on getting you into college for now, I’m not having you stuck on this island waiting tables for the rest of your life.”

You gave her a resigned nod, setting the plates on the table before sitting down at your usual place in front of her, noticing the bags under her eyes and the silver in her hair – she had aged so much since being diagnosed two years ago. You didn’t like the fact that your mother refused to get all the help she needed; yes, there was no cure for her condition, but there were treatments to alleviate the symptoms, which she just refused to do if it involved touching your savings.

At times, it frustrated you more than just a little. You would rather your mother enjoyed her life comfortably with no pain than go to college; it was not like your major of choice was going anywhere, anyway.

The arrival of your brothers stopped you from pressing on the matter again, and dinner went by as it always went, with silly conversations that made you laugh and your worries disappear, allowing you to enjoy these little moments when everything was fine.

No work, no stress, no drama.

It was now almost ten-thirty in the evening, and your mother and Kevin were already long asleep while you relaxed on the couch with K-Nine sprawled belly up between you and David. Mom had only recently allowed him to watch scary movies, and the kid was obsessed, to say the least. So, it had become tradition, for the past few months, to watch a horror movie every Friday and Saturday night after dinner, which you were happy to oblige.

David was very noticeably going through puberty right now, and sometimes the only way to get him out of his room was to convince him to either go to the movies or watch something on the TV. Netflix was a luxury you were willing to pay for if it allowed you these special moments with him.

“Do you believe in demons?” David murmured as you watched the final shot of Annabelle in a glass enclosure fade to black before the credits rolled.

“Sure do,” you snorted as you stretched your stiff muscles with a yawn. “See them all the time at my job.”

The boy tilted his head to the side, brows furrowing.

“Uh, do you mean Kooks?”

“Kooks. Demons. They’re pretty much the same thing,” you replied with a specific person in mind. “Why? You scared?”

“I’m thirteen, of course I’m not scared,” he said with an eye roll that could match your own, helping you fold the blanket you had used before adding with a small shrug, “Just wondering…”

“Well, I don’t think we have to worry about demons, so you’re good.”

“Hmm…” He looked lost in thought as he hesitantly asked, “And what about ghosts? Do you think they’re real?”

“Not really.” Something sounded off, you could see it in his faraway gaze, the way he chewed on his bottom lip, shoulders sagged. “Why do you ask, Davie?”

He was quiet for a moment, and then he uttered, his bottom lip trembling, “I- I can’t remember Dad’s voice anymore… I think I’m forgetting Dad.”

“Aw, Davie.”

You pulled him against you, arms going around him as you held him in a tight embrace, kissing the top of his head when he hugged you back just as tight, his shoulders lightly shaking as he hid his face in the crook of your neck. He was growing up so fast; another year and he would be taller than you.

You said nothing as you let him cry, hugging him while rubbing his back, trying to ignore the lump in your throat. Even though you could cry, you wouldn’t do it now; he had seen you cry so much in the past, seen you sob and lose yourself as you grieved, not old enough to quite process everything that had happened, but old enough to hold you like you were holding him now.

It was your turn to support him through this.

He had been eight years old when your father died, just a little boy – which, in a way, made it so much worse for him. You had been fifteen and had almost died yourself, too deep in your own despair at the time to notice anyone else’s misery. But now you felt his pain as if it was your own. You were sure that if there were no pictures of your father around the house, his face would also start to blur from your memories.

“I think Mom might have some videos of Dad in a hard drive somewhere,” you said after some time in silence. “Why don’t we look for them tomorrow and watch them together?”

You heard him sniffle as he nodded, and you broke the embrace before gently guiding him out of the living room and saying goodnight to each other.

You watched as your brother opened the door of the room he shared with Kevin before getting inside, leaving it slightly ajar as he did every night, the shine of the night light (he still had nightmares sometimes) giving you some visual aid as you walked the dark hallway towards your own bedroom.

A sudden knock at the front door made you jump in place.

“Shh, boy, it’s okay,” you hushed your dog as he let out a bark from the living room, rushing after you as you hurried to check the peephole. Your brows furrowed, lips pursing as you noticed who was on the other side of the door.

Taking a deep breath, you opened the door to face none other than your cousin.

“Hey,” he said in a hushed tone before you could utter a word, looking at you with his hands in his pockets and a nervous expression on his face. “I know it’s late, but can we talk?”

You hesitated before giving him a nod and stepping outside, leaving the door unlocked behind you as you walked towards the front steps. You had a good guess as to why he was at your doorstep at this hour, and your shoulders tensed at the prospect of having this specific discussion right now.

“Fine,” you muttered as you moved to sit on the front step. “What do you wanna talk about?”

John B followed your lead and sat beside you, absently petting K-Nine behind the ears as the old dog lay down on the porch with a huff.

“JJ told me about you and Rafe.”

He was going straight to the subject. Good. The sooner you finished this, the sooner you could go to bed and pretend it never happened.

“What about me and Rafe?”

John B stopped petting the dog, fingers fidgeting as he started picking the old scraps of paint from the wooden step beneath him.

“Please don’t lie to me, V. Not about this.” You didn’t think you had ever heard John B say anything in such a serious tone, jaw clenched and mouth set in a straight line as his gaze locked on yours, eyes shining in the moonlight with something akin to concern. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. I know you would never have something with him even if he was the last man on earth, but I heard the rumors, so what the hell happened between you two?”

Your brows furrowed, his tone not lost to you as you tried to understand exactly the meaning behind his words.

“Wait, what- what are you talking about?” you asked after a moment of only staring at him, unsure of what to say. “What the hell did JJ tell you?”

“Last Saturday, at that Kook party, Rafe did something to you.” You looked at him in total confusion as he took your hands in his, his grip a little tighter than you would find comfortable. “He forced you, didn’t he? I saw the bruises, I saw the marks but I just thought…” he shook his head, tone turning frantic as you let out a nervous chuckle, at a complete loss for words as you realized what he was implying. He couldn’t be serious. “Did he drug you? Whatever he did, you have to tell me, tell the police. We can get him arrested. If- If you don’t want to do that maybe we can try to- to, I don’t know, but we can make him pay somehow.”

This was madness. This whole situation was ridiculous. Absolute insanity.

“John B, no, please stop–”

“No, no, no, you don’t have to be scared of him–”

“Johnathan, stop!” you snapped, tears stinging your eyes as you finally managed to pull your hands from his grip. “Whatever JJ told you, it’s not true. Rafe didn’t force me to do anything I didn’t want to do, so stop whatever this is!”

He stared at you, eyes wide and mouth agape as understanding finally settled.

“What?”

“Rafe didn’t hurt me.”

His eyes flashed with anger, and an intrusive thought crossed your mind; it was almost like he preferred you had been assaulted.

“You actually willingly slept with him?”

The disgust was as clear in his voice as it was in his face, and you couldn’t stop yourself from recoiling in a sudden burst of shame. You were quick to push that emotion aside; you had nothing to be ashamed of.

“Even if I did, whatever my deal is with Rafe is between me and him. Not you and not JJ, so you can just stop getting in my business like I’m your responsibility. I’ve been dealing with Cameron for years now, he’s not your problem.”

“That’s the thing though, he is my problem!” he shouted, and you looked back at your house, afraid your family would be alerted by the ruckus. This was not a subject they needed to get involved in. “He’s always picking fights with us and treats Sarah like shit! Have you seen what he and Topper did to Pope the other day? He’s not a good guy and you know that so why the hell would you willingly spread your legs for him?”

“Hey, watch it!” your tone raised to match his own, index finger pointed at his chest as you pinned him down in a glare. K-Nine barked, sensing the rise in emotions. “You don’t get to talk to me like that!”

“What, am I lying?” his tone quieted, but the expression of anger on his face didn’t falter, hand raising to roughly push your own away. “Didn’t you go from hating him one minute to letting him fuck you the next? Like a–”

You felt the heat in your palm before you could even register what you had done. Tears stung in your eyes as you stared down at John B, who was cradling his cheek and looking at you with a mixture of shock, anger, and sadness in his hazel eyes.

“Get. Out. Of my house,” you commanded in between shaking breaths.

You stared down at each other for what felt like hours, neither of your saying a thing. You forced yourself to stop your lower lip from trembling, hiding your shaking hands behind your back as you finally broke eye contact, sure that you would erupt into tears if you stared at the disappointment in his eyes for one more second.

“Just leave,” you whispered as you made your way to the front door, not caring anymore if he left or not.

“He’ll hurt you.”

You halted, hand on the doorknob, glancing at him over his shoulder. Waiting.

“He’ll hurt you,” John B repeated, firmly this time, avoiding your eyes. Then he added, his tone so soft you barely understood the words “And when he does, you can count on me. Until then…”

You opened your mouth to say something, anything, but he was already walking away before you could utter a single sound.

«»«»«»«»«»

You rolled in bed for the hundredth time that night, your cousin’s words repeating themselves in your mind over and over and over, like a broken record that never stopped.

Didn’t you go from hating him one minute to letting him fuck you the next?

You had… hadn’t you? Against your better judgment, against your own principles, you had let Rafe touch you and kiss you in ways you never even thought he would want to. Rafe Cameron was an awful person, and that wasn’t a matter of opinion. He was entitled, cruel, temperamental, and prone to violence. You knew that. He had terrorized you for years and made your life a living hell; laughed at you, hurt you, made you cry more times than you could count, and still…that hadn’t stopped you from riding him and moaning for him as if your life depended on it, had it?

And now here you were, unable to sleep, with a tightness in your chest and a churning stomach that was starting to make you nauseous. You were exhausted from all the muffled crying you had done as soon as you got to your bedroom, your pillow stained with tears.

John B’s words hurt, making you feel even worse than you already felt. Part of you hated him a little, insulted and beyond upset by everything he had said. He had no right to act like that. Still, the other side of you cried in shame, wondering if he was right and if you really were being the stupid and undeniably wrong person in all of this mess.

I slapped him, for God’s sake!

That alone was enough reason to at least text him an apology, but you quickly stopped yourself from doing it. You were still too furious, wounds too fresh.

Your thoughts started spiraling out of control, and that tightness in your chest grew worse.

What if your mom found out?

What if your boss found out?

What if you lost your job and your family because of it?

What if you and John B’s relationship never recovered?

What if this stupid fucking mistake stopped you from going to college and making a better life for yourself and your family so you would be forced to work as a waitress for the rest of your life until you died alone on this island with no family and friends, only the police to discover your cat-eaten corpse?

What if, what if, what if?

You buried your face in your pillow with a grunt of frustration, wishing you could go back in time and murder Rafe Cameron in his sleep, just for good measure. Then none of this would’ve happened, and you could continue living your life without this particular storm hanging over your head.

Groaning at how stuffy your room felt, you kicked your sheets off of you before getting out of bed and walking straight to the chair in the corner of your room. Grabbing the pair of shorts and the hoodie laying on it, you hurriedly got dressed before making your way out of the house, phone and keys safely stored in your hoodie’s pocket.

You hesitated as you walked down the stairs of your front porch, unsure of where to go.

It was at times like this that you wished you had more friends; Nina had been abroad for two years (It would be four in the morning in Portugal, so it was not like you could call her now) and you doubted that JJ, Kie, Pope, or Sarah would want to hear anything you had to say, after what happened. A couple of other people came to mind, but you never contacted them unless sex was involved, and that was not what you wanted right now.

Sex was what got me into this mess in the first place.

The sounds of waves in the distance crashing against the shoreline caught your attention. You listened for a moment, taking a deep breath of the salty breeze, mind going blank for a blessed moment. Living this close to the ocean could be a curse some days, unwanted memories rushing to your mind if you let them take over; right now, however, you would like to think of it as a blessing.

You were strolling towards the Boneyard before you could give it much thought, hands stuffed in your pockets and hoodie over your head as the chilly coastline wind made you shiver despite the warm island weather.

Your ears perked as the sound of loud music and voices alerted you to a party nearby, right on the other side of the dunes. You could smell burning wood the closer you got, and it didn’t take you long to catch the sight of a bonfire, people laughing and dancing and drinking without a care in the world.

Exactly what you needed.

You approached the gathering with your eyes on the crackling fire, enjoying the way the dancing flames cast a glow over the sand, making it look the color of melted caramel under the moonlit sky. The sand under your naked feet was cool to the touch, and the seawater was thankfully far enough away for you to be able to relax.

Most people around you were familiar in one way or another, a fair mix of Kooks, Pogues, and Tourons that just wanted to enjoy their Friday night as much as you did. You walked through the party crowd, being mostly ignored besides the occasional wave or nod of recognition that you made sure to retribute.

Fortunately, you saw no unwanted faces that would make you instantly turn around and leave.

That made you release a breath you didn’t know you were holding; no one seemed to be talking about you or looking at you weirdly, and there was no one to ruin your night more than John B already had. Perfect.

Coming here was a good decision, you thought as you approached the kegs of beer, smiling as you recognized one of the guys handing out drinks.

“Hey, V.” Eli, a tall young man with short curly hair smiled at you as he handed you a full cup of beer before you even had to ask. “Haven’t seen you in a while. What have you been up to?”

“Oh, you know,” you shrugged as you took the cup from his hand, sipping the bitter drink, “just working and binge-watching shows on my days off. All very thrilling. You?”

“Same,” he chuckled, warm brown eyes looking almost golden in the light of the fire. “Just helping out at the cafe and surfing when I can. By the way, when are you passing by? My Mama keeps telling me to bring you over again, says she has some new books you might like.”

“Aw, she misses me?”

“C’mon, V, you know we all do,” he said, sending you a wink that made the corners of your lips twitch and a familiar heat take over your cheeks, the suggestion in his tone not being lost on you.

You really liked Eli, with his pretty smile and easy-going nature.

He had graduated two years before you, and you had gotten closer when you started spending your free time at his family’s cafe, staying whole afternoons reading or writing in their quaint little book corner. It didn’t take you long to develop a friendship, and before you knew it you were having your first kiss and experiencing your first time in his bed, in the apartment right above his shop. He had been kind and patient, and you really couldn’t have imagined a better way to lose your virginity.

But – even though you were aware that he liked you – you had never let your relationship evolve into something more than friends with benefits. Why ruin something that worked just fine?

“Maybe I’ll pass by on my next day off,” you said, and his eyes glinted. “Are you working on Monday?”

“I’m not, but I’ll be waiting there for you. Wanna go out and have lunch too? This new place just opened and–”

Your smile faltered, and he was quick to notice.

“No, no, I mean, just as friends,” Eli quickly clarified with an awkward chuckle. “I know you don’t want to change what we have and that’s fine by me. But, you know… we can hang out if you want and have a good time. We’re chill, right?”

Sometimes you wondered what was stopping you from getting into a relationship with a guy that was handsome, kind, shared so many of your interests, and knew how to please you in the best way. The problem wasn’t him, you were well aware of that. The problem was you and your fear of commitment.

Fuck that. You deserved something good in your life. And, right now, you really needed it.

“We are,” you answered, and you noticed relief softening his brow. “You know what, yeah, let’s plan something fun for Monday. How about–”

A heavy hand on your shoulder made you jump, and you stopped mid-sentence to look behind you, heart almost jolting out of your chest as you faced the last person you wanted to see at that moment.

“Rafe,” you muttered, glaring at his blue eyes before looking down at his hand, still on your shoulder. “Take your hand off me.”

“You’re in the way,” he simply said while dropping his hand to his side, nodding past you at the kegs of beer.

You said nothing, moving to stand next to Eli as Rafe passed by you and refilled his own cup. With a strange look at you and a glare sent in your friend’s direction, the blond left, and you followed him with your eyes as he walked away to the other side of the crowd, where he stood with his little gang of friends.

Of course he would be here, you thought as your hand reflexively squeezed the plastic cup in your hand. Luck was rarely on your side.

Maybe coming to this party hadn’t been a good idea, after all.

“That was weird,” uttered Eli, also looking in Rafe’s direction. “He could’ve gotten more beer right there.” He nodded in the direction of the other kegs, where no one stood in the way.

“Yeah, he just wanted to piss me off.”

“You’re still at each other’s throats then?”

“Yup.”

He hummed in response, and a weird moment passed where neither of you said a thing. You, for once, were too preoccupied with weighing the pros and cons of staying at a party with Rafe Cameron in your vicinity. The smart move right now would be to leave; you had no idea what would happen if both of you stayed. Then Eli spoke again, words coming out deliberately and slowly like he was thinking them carefully.

“You know that he’s not a good guy, right?”

You scoffed.

“You’re telling me that, of all people?”

“Just making sure…”

You let out a sigh, hand raising to brush over your face with a tired grunt.

“So, you heard about it too, huh?” you asked, hoping the irritation in your voice scared Eli enough so he wouldn’t ask too many questions.

“Yup,” he said, popping the ‘p’, eyes down as he kicked a tiny hill of sand. “Don’t know if it’s true and I don’t understand you if it is, but it’s none of my business so… just be careful, okay? He hangs around the wrong crowd sometimes, and, well,” he shrugged, “you know how he is.”

You glanced at Eli, taking in the way he rubbed the back of his neck, thinking his words through. Whatever he was implying, was said out of concern for your well-being, nothing more.

“Okay…” you started, unsure of what else to say. “Thanks for letting me know, but there’s no reason to worry. I can take care of myself.”

“I know.” He nodded once, and a pretty smile graced his lips again as he looked at you. “Now, about Monday…”

«»«»«»«»«»

You were more than just a little tipsy.

You stumbled over your own feet as you walked past the dunes, giggling to yourself as you remembered a joke you had said early in the evening, already so plastered that you had struggled to get the words out without laughing. You hadn’t really meant to get as drunk as you were, but before you knew it you were six cups past sobriety, dancing and singing at the top of your lungs with Eli and his friend group.

You felt amazing in your intoxicated high, barely remembering what had soured your mood in the first place. Eli had helped you forget, with his easy conversation and sense of humor, and his friends had welcomed you into their group without unwanted questions or weird looks sent your way.

Was exactly what you had been needing; and a long time overdue if you were being honest with yourself.

Not even Rafe had been able to smother your euphoria, despite the very noticeable glares sent your way throughout the night. After some time, you had even forgotten he was there, completely focused on enjoying the party to its fullest.

And damn you if you hadn’t succeeded.

It was now somewhere past two in the morning, and the exhaustion of your workday had gotten to you despite the alcohol in your bloodstream and your high spirits. So, you had said goodbye to Eli – with the promise to meet on Monday – and were currently making your way out of the Boneyard. A tiny voice in your brain warned you about the massive hangover that you would without a doubt suffer in the morning, but you lazily brushed it off; now was not the time to think about tomorrow.

Now all you wanted to do was lay down.

Lay down…

You fell to the sand with the grace of a newborn foal, giggling as you laid face up, eyes wandering lazily on the clear sky. It was spotted with shiny stars, one constellation more beautiful than another, and your eyes watered; looking at the night sky had always made you feel emotional.

I’ll sleep here tonight, you thought as you curled in on yourself, face towards the stars, fingers tapping on the sand out of rhythm with the music still playing from the party just on the other side of the dunes.

“‘Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling,” you drunkenly sang off-key as Cascada’s ‘Everytime We Touch’ played loudly. “And every time we kiss I swear I could fly.” You could still hear people sing and laugh from your spot in the middle of the sandbanks, and it almost made you want to go back there and stay until the sun rose.

But you really had to go to bed; or sleep right there, one of the two. Your head spun as you tried to sit up, so you let yourself lay down again with a huff.

That’s when you noticed someone approaching.

“You’re so fucking drunk.”

“Oh, pardon me, your Royal Highness,” you mocked with a snort, turning towards the voice to see Rafe Cameron standing just a few feet from you, hands in his pockets, “but this peasant doesn’t give a shit about what you think.” You couldn’t see his face well in the darkness – only the moon as a light source – but he was most likely looking down at you with a frown, as per usual. “Leave me alone, I’m trying to sleep.”

“Here?”

“I’m homeless, you wouldn’t understand.”

“Venus.”

“Rafe,” you laughed as you tried to imitate his baritone. “Oh, Venus, you’re so fucking drunk. Oh Venus, let me fuck you again.”

“You’re fucking annoying, that’s what you are.”

You didn’t even notice Rafe approaching you, letting out a yelp of surprise as you felt him pull you up before stumbling against his chest as dizziness took over you. You made a whiny noise as he started to half-push you, half-drag you away, a strong arm around your waist while the other grabbed you by the elbow.

“No, I don’t wanna leave!” you cried out as you tried to turn away from him and back to your spot on the sand.

“I’m not leaving you to sleep on the fucking beach, you moron.”

Now you were close enough to see the annoyed glare that he pinned you under, giggling at his pinched expression as you slapped his chest in a weak attempt to have him release you.

“Ugh, you’re so boring,” you whined, letting yourself fall in his arms when you realized he was not letting you go. “Okay okay, I know, let’s tell each other secrets!” You clapped your palms against his chest, pulling his shirt when he groaned. “C’mon I’ll go first: I hate you. Like really hate you. But-” you lowered your tone to a conspiratorial whisper, “having sex with you was really good – I still hate you, though.”

“Venus–”

“Shh, it’s a secret,” you giggled, putting a finger against his lips. “Now you.”

“I–”

“You have really pretty eyes, you know that?” you mumbled as you looked into his blue eyes, forgetting the game you had been one-sided playing. “It’s so unfair…”

Rafe let out a long sigh.

“Anything more you want to tell me?” he asked, hands steadying by your shoulders as you swayed in place.

“Hmm… nope.”

“Good, then let’s get you home.”

“Wait!” you exclaimed, pulling at his hand as you let yourself fall to the sand again, laughing as he fell on his knees beside you. “Let’s watch the stars.”

He sighed again.

“I’m so close to just leaving you here.”

“Good, then go, goodbye,” you said as you frowned at him, slapping his hand away when he tried to lift you again.

You heard him sigh a third time, followed by a sound of resignation before you watched him sit down beside you. With a grunt, you used his arm to pull yourself into a sitting position, leaning against his shoulder for support as you turned your neck to look up.

“Aren’t the stars so pretty?” you whispered, shaking his arm when a moment passed without an answer.

“Yeah, guess they are.”

You kept staring up, feeling your lids drop the more you looked at the mess of gold, red, and silver dots that painted the dark blue sky. It was all so beautiful. You felt… content, even with Rafe beside you. He was still an asshole and you still couldn’t stand him, but he wasn’t being himself right now, for some weird reason your intoxicated brain couldn’t even wonder about.

Rafe cleared his throat beside you, snapping you out of your stupor.

“Can we go now?”

“Wait…” you murmured, closing your eyes for a moment as you took a deep breath of the clean ocean breeze. “Okay, we can go now.”

“Finally.”

He pulled you up and you yelped as you tripped over your own feet, allowing him to hold you straight against his chest. You looked up at his face, and a sudden thought made you bite your bottom lip.

No, don’t do it, warned a voice in the back of your mind that you promptly ignored.

Kissing Rafe felt… nice. Better than nice. You had thought so too when you had been naked under him just a week prior, moaning against his soft lips as he fucked you in a way you had never been fucked before.

Now felt no different.

You moaned into the kiss, intertwining your arms behind his neck as you pulled him closer, fingers tangling in his soft blond locks. One of his arms went around your waist, pulling you flat against his body as a hand cupped your cheek, forcing you to deepen the kiss. You did so gladly, enjoying the feel of his tongue against yours, shivering as his teeth swiftly pulled at your bottom lip.

You let yourself enjoy it, the possible outcome of it all pushed to the back of your mind. All you wanted right now was to kiss him, consequences be damned. You would deal with those when you were sober.

Rafe was the one breaking the kiss, and you almost cried as he lightly pushed you away. You wanted more than just one kiss, at this point, an insisting heat making you squeeze your thighs together.

“C’mon, you little tease,” he said, chuckling as you whined and tried to chase after his mouth. “Let’s get you home.”

«»«»«»«»«»

Part 4 ->

[thefcguy]

Miraculous Season 6 Redesigns Ranking - Civilian Edition

So, season 6 is now out, the majority of the new designs have been revealed, and everyone's opinions are... pretty mixed, tbh.

I think that the reason is because the designs have just come out, the majority of them had been shown to us by the weirdest PNG poses they could come up with, and we haven't seen the majority of themselves on the show itself.

My opinions are also pretty volatile at the moment. It's very plausible that the next time I rank them a few months from now, the opinions will be entirely different.

In general, I think that most characters got a major improvement.

Without further ado... let's start this!

17- Alix Kudbel

The interesting thing is that, although the majority got an improvement, some stood the same and a minority ended up getting worse...

Alix is one of the characters that, in my opinion, it got worse.

They barely change her design. The only noticable difference, and what makes it worse in my opinion, is that the snake on Alix's shirt got more abstract and simplified... which, in my opinion, just makes the design worse.

At this point, everyone knows that Luka is the snake and Alix is the rabbit.

Not that Alix needed to start using rabbit themed merch everywhere, but, they should have removed the snakes and this shade of green.

Besides, everyone knows about Bunnix's identity. Her father revealed it to the class, and, the world probably got around.

And, even if she is stuck at burrow at the current moment... they could have just retconned and replaced the shirt with another one that had blue details.

Besides, the helmet was replaced by a cap, making her feel more unoriginal.

Either way, this new design was a disappointment.

16- Luka Couffaine

Luka was another one that got worst to me.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think it is a bad design in general. But, the thing is, Juleka and Luka always had a sort of "Alternative punk look". Juleka more evidently than Luka.

But, for some reason, both siblings became less alternative after the redesign. They even removed the electric guitar and gave him a regular guitar.

And unlike Juleka, who at least got a cool new hair and beautiful earrings, Luka's design stood the same, but was made more plain.

He also looks younger than how he used to.

At least, to ME, it's least angering than Alix.

15- Adrien Agreste

Besides the change on the position of the stripes on his shirt, and the fact that Adrien is now taller and a bit more buff... his design changed nothing.

It didn't receive a downgrade, like Luka, or become worse with the new context, like Alix, but they could have gotten more creative.

At least, Adrien's design was never bad, so, it's great seeing that it looks good on the new arstyle.

Still, they could have done a little bit more.

14- Dupain-Cheng

Just like with Adrien, they changed barely nothing with Marinette's design.

They made her hair a lighter shade of blue, something that I DON'T like, because I was never a fan of being born with an unnatural color of hair if it doesn't have an explanation or it isn't on a fantasy world.

And no, miraculous don't count as a fantasy world because, if it wasn't for the kwamis, the world would be basically the same.

I like the small tie on the shirt, the new details on the blazer, the pink shorts with the leggings... but, it's just too little.

Marinette is a fashion designer! If there is anyone who would experiment with their outfits and go crazy should be Marinette!

My theory is that they didn't change Marinette and Adrien as much as the rest of the cast for marketing purposes.

They are the brand's faces. They need to be easily recognizable.

If the two got completely new outfits, it could be harder for kids to recognize them...

Still, I don't consider it good enough of an excuse.

13- Rose Lavillant

From this point forward, I think that all the designs were improvements.

Rose is a design that I am torn about... in one hand, I love the new outfit!

Considering how Rose's old design was a bit too much basic, all the new additions and details are fantastic!

Rose is a very intense person. It makes sense for her outfits to be a bit exaggerated in some way or form.

... the make up, however... it's a bit creepy, not gonna lie. She looks like Glamrock Chica and that she is going to kill me.

Maybe, when we see her in scene, it will be more natural and look good.

But for now, since this is our best way to see her, I won't rank her any higher.

12- Alya Cesaire

Alya's design... barely changed.

I ranked her slightly higher than the rest because I like how they gave her a new hairstyle, but come on! You guys could have done a little bit more.

11- Juleka Couffaine

Although, just like Luka, I think the design was simplified and looks a bit more bland... I love the hair, and I love the earrings!

It makes me think of Marceline, and, since I like Adventure Time, I ended up liking the new design.

Still, they could have made her outfit a bit more punk.

10- Mylene Harprele

Mylene is a design, that, at first glance, I liked a lot. It's a lot more fashionable than the old one, while still showing Mylene's essence.

And, at first glance, I genuinely thought that they solved the whole cultural appropriation issues with the old design.

However, as @nerdy-chocomallow said... when you look closely at the ponytail... it has an animation texture that still makes it look like a black person's hair. And considering Mylene is a character that is PRESUMBLY white, it still is not a good look on Miraculous Corp.

Either way, it is an improvement on the old design, but... it seems like the miraculous team hasn't learned their lesson.

9- Sabrina Raincomprix

My first instinct when seeing this design was hating it, because... it looks like something Sabrina's grandmother would have used. It's very 60s coded. And the hair and the new color for the glasses seem like something a librarian would wear.

But, on the opening scene, and we actually get to look how it actually looks on the animation style... it actually looks kind of good.

I wish they kept her old glasses, and maybe chose another color for the pants, but, in general, the design is an improvement from her older design. (And the new shade of cyan is WAY better than the old one).

Felix Fathom

Although many people are commenting that Felix's design didn't change anything, and, that's a lie! The sleeves are now shorter and he doesn't have a tie anymore! Completely different!

...

XD

Jokes aside, I KIND OF understand their choices here. Felix barely had development, and he doesn't have much personality besides "Toxic Serious Abusive Male Lead from Webtoon that people excuse their actions because of their looks" vibe, so, they had many limitations when making his season 6 outfit.

So, since there was not much they could do, and the design does match Felix... I put it quite higher on the list, even if the character doesn't deserve it.

8- Ivan Bruel

Ivan is another design I am torn about.

In one hand, his new outfit looks way more fashionable than the last one, and he is rocking this new style. Seriously, you guys have no idea of how much I love this new design.

But, on the other hand... it looks a bit too much like Roger. XD

At it's kind of weird how he looks like a middle-aged cop who is also a father.

7- Kagami Tsurugi

Although, on the outside, Kagami doesn't look much different, they actually changed a complaint I had with this design.

They got rid of the Japanese School Uniform Aesthetic!

I can't remember exactly why, but, after seeing a conversation bewteen @teawinx and @natedogx15 , I found out that the whole Kagami using a uniform was bad. Can't remember why.

Either way, I am glad they replaced the blazer for a sports jacket.

But, again, they could have made something more interesting with the design.

Also, this haircut is EVERYTHING!

6- Kim Ature

Although Kim's design didn't change much either... I do think that long sleeves impact a lot.

I love this new look for him! Specially because I love hoodies.

I do think that, since they were changing some camouflages for the miraculous, they could have replaced the ear things to not enter water while swimming.

But, it is in character, so, can't complain much.

5- Zoe-Lee

Zoe's design is also one I enjoy a lot.

Even if there are some small details that I think they could have made different, I like what they did with hair.

The new hairstyle and the fact she dyed her other hair lock blue.

I know it might sound weird, but... this new design kind of made me think of Harley Quinn.

Which, honestly, makes sense. Both were girls in toxic relationships, who are just now having a taste of freedom, and free to explore their sexuality (Although, I doubt miraculous corp will let her have a girlfriend... #givezoeagirlfriendinseason6)

And, although the face looks a bit weird in this png... in the animation, as we saw in the earlier part of the intro, it looks amazing!

4- Marc Anciel

Man, they actually fixed Marc's design.

You may be wondering why, because his outfit is the same. But, as I said before, what made me uncomfortable was the face. It was very uncanny valley.

And, they actually managed to make his face good here!

I would also like to comment that they made his hair a little bit blue... since this only happens to characters with asian descent.

This might mean that Marc has asian relatives on his family tree. Who knows?

3- Max Kante

I LOVE Max's new design.

The sweater over the shirt is amazing! I love it! I would definetely use it!

Besides, the new camouflage for the horse miraculous is very stylish.

2- Nino Lahiffe

Honestly, Nino's fashion sense this season is very similar to mine.

As I said before, I love hoodies, and I also love blue! I would definetely wear this hoodie.

I also like how they made him look older this season. Like, after the school year of season 1-5, the characters should look older

The new camouflage for the turtle is also very good!

I genuinely think that the camouflage mode should look as much different as their real forms as possible.

1- Nathaniel Kurtzberg

Nathaniel's new design is PERFECT.

I like how they finally noticed that red didn't work with him, and instead, put an orange shirt undearneath his overalls.

They also changed his hair color a bit, and I love how they added his brunette roots on the hair.

Either way, I love this new design. To me, it's the best of the bunch.

Now, we will have to wait to see how Chloe will look like when she returns (Astruc commented on his twitter that she will return, and no, she still won't get a redemption), and, MAYBE, Socqueline.

[marciaillust]

Thank you so much for Ecdysis. I only got around to read it today and urgh, my heart. Get this poor boy (Kazuma) a hug. But you gave him so much more (Ryuunosuke).

Somewhat chronological things that stood out to me: I loved the little snowman to indicate the change of seasons. And I was very glad to see the chibis in the following scene; it's just something I associate with you ever since The Clockmaster. I know you can draw hands; I think they look so well because you draw the nails. Anyway, this time I paid more attention to the ears though. You mentioned drawing lots of heads in different postition and the ears fit each time.

Again, thank you very much for creating and sharing this.

Hi! Thank you so much for the lovely message, it made me so happy to hear about all the little details you noticed about Ecdysis!

Ever since I started working on it I knew that I wanted the comic to encapsulate the timespan of about one year (leaving out all the flashbacks of course) and I spent some time thinking of quick visual indicators that would communicate the passage of time. The little snowman is one of them, another one would be the cherry tree outside Ryuunosuke's dorm room

from a blooming spring scenery, to slowly losing petals, cherries and in the very last frame of it it loses its final leaf :,)

A big part of all the background work for me was communicating the feeling of "temporariness" that Kazuma is so fixated on. Butterflies famously have week long lifespans. His footsteps in the snow get covered up by the new snow falling, and their footsteps on the beach get washed away by the sea. The foliage wastes away. And when he looks at Ryuunosuke on that final page on the beach there are a few shooting stars, beautiful yet gone in less than a second. All the while the snake stays and only grows in sizeeeee ; 0 ;

Thank you for the compliments about the anatomy! Ears have lowkey become my special point of interest when drawing heads, I feel like over the last year of making this comic I realised how much they can elevate the sense position/rotation of the head. Ears are objects with a lot of intricate details and it's kinda cool to try and capture all of them from an angle. I remember when I started drawing comics half a decade ago my ears had only 3 modes aka full on front ear (just a little C shape on the side of the head), full on side ear (90% of the ears were this ear lol), and the full on back ear ( which tbh is almost nonexistent in real life but gosh manga and anime is right about how it immediately puts a shitty head in perspective lol).

My newly found favourite ear to draw is the 3/4 back view when you can still see the iconic C swirl but also the back of the ear does a little peekaboo

Thank you so so much for reading Ecdysis! I put a lot of love into it and it means the world to me to hear you enjoyed it! :)

[underratedandoverit]

It's Not Your Story To Write

~4,4k words orangekip (orange cassidy/kip sabian)

angst, (emotional) hurt/comfort, but with a more content ending. set post january 26th rampage

poured this out of my brain a couple of days ago with everything thats been going on and then some. just trying to make sense of most of my own thoughts and feelings with this tbh, and i like reflecting through making kip suffer so. theres that

also cause the ending of that four way match on rampage really fucked with me at a time i was extremely sensitive to that kind of a disappointment and kip was a disgustingly upset and sad little creature.. yeah. theres a part of that too

@midnightpretenders0 @stormbornpirate

on ao3

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

Rolling onto the apron, Kip winced as he pulled himself together for long enough to sit up. The music he was hearing was most definitely not his own, once again much to his utter disappointment. The crowd was cheering, though obviously for the fan favorite winner of the match, but instead in Kip’s fractured mind, this was a targeted, hateful attack on him and they were happy about his loss more than anything else.

Kip watched as his friends retreated from the ringside, without him, more focused on one another, as if he truly was the villain in this story. Maybe in a sense he was, after all Kip had been the one to start trying to win the match for himself, despite forming a temporary alliance in a match where there were effectively no teams. Maybe he deserved this, maybe their actions and reactions were justified.

All Kip knew in the moment though was the pain all over his body, and the disappointed looks glancing past him towards the ring, clearly more upset that Butcher hadn’t picked up the win either than the fact that Kip had been the one getting pinned.

For better or worse, soon enough his mind was wiped clean from the hazing thoughts of pain though, as Kip watched all of a sudden the International champion stride down the ramp very unceremoniously. Just like his friends, Cassidy acted like Kip didn’t exist, eyes only locked inside the ring where his next challenger for the following night was currently holding his victory celebrations.

Kip averted his eyes, hanging his head in shame. The crowd’s cheers for their champion were more like bloody screeches in his ears. All he wanted to do was leave, get out, get up and walk away. And yet he stayed, just a moment too long, stealing a glance towards Cassidy as he pulled the title belt out of that cursed backpack of his.

That’s when it became too much.

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

“Hey.”

Kip ignored the voice, only continuing to pack his gear away. He was more or less working on autopilot, just going through the motions, trying his best not to think about anything. He just wanted to get the night over with, to return back to the hotel, to get some sleep, and fly home the next morning. That’s all he wanted, nothing more and nothing less.

Unfortunately for him, the way the hand brushed up against the small of his back made his shudder against his will, leaving the breath stuck in his throat.

Kip wanted to scream. Inside his head he already was, but there was no way for him to verbalize it at the moment. He didn’t want to cause a scene, he didn’t want to let his emotions get the better of him at a time and in a place like this. The hand tried to gently snake its way around his waist, only for Kip to almost too masterfully dodge it as he leaned down to zip up his suitcase, eyes finally, although briefly, landing on Cassidy for the first time since he had entered the locker room as Kip stood back up.

“I’ll see you at the hotel.”

He didn’t give Cassidy a chance to reply, picking his suitcase up and kicking it on the move, footsteps almost too hurried for the rest of his body to keep up with as Kip basically dashed his way out of the locker room. On one hand he was surprised, maybe even a little bit hurt, that Cassidy didn’t even try to stop him, but on the other, it was nice to have a little bit of breathing room again, at least for a little while.

He knew eventually he would have to face Cassidy about his behavior. Not that it was probably going to be that much of a surprise what was going on in his head if Kip was being honest, he was rather easy to read, but that didn’t mean he was looking forward to it. Quite the opposite, actually. While talking with Cassidy had admittedly become easier for him over time, at the same time sometimes Kip just wasn’t quite sure what to expect from him. What kind of a reaction, what kind of words.

Especially so when it came to highly emotional situations such as this.

He was able to breathe a little bit easier as Kip sat behind the wheel of the rental car in the parking garage of the arena, taking in the deafening silence for a while. For the first time since he had entered the building that night, it finally felt like time was standing still around him, and Kip was able to relax a little, even if only for a few seconds. The pressure on him to do well tonight, and then failing that simple goal at the end of the night, was admittedly getting to him, forcing Kip to stop for a moment to just sit there and try to steady his breathing.

Maybe he was used to being the one that made others look good. Maybe he was used to doing as he was told, to give his chances to others that people deemed better deserving of them than he was. Maybe Kip had worked himself into a corner where he could do nothing but keep repeating the same loop, over and over again, without finding a way to exit it anymore. Maybe even if he would have gotten to that title match, he would have just lost it all over again, as seemed to be the destiny for him by now.

If only he had gotten that far. If only.

Kip didn’t even notice he was shaking until after he had stepped inside the hotel room. Time around him was a haze, he could barely remember the drive back from the arena. Maybe he shouldn’t have left all by himself, it was probably a small miracle he managed to get himself here in one piece.

Kip closed the door behind him, staring at the bed across the room. Queen size. Made for two people.

A very familiar lump was back in his throat when he thought about who he needed to share that bed with tonight.

He left the suitcase in the middle of the floor, not really caring about it as he headed to the bathroom. The lights flickered on, Kip trying not to pay attention to them as he ran the faucet, pooling cold water on his hands, watching it drip over the edges of his palms. He could barely feel it, everything outside his skin felt alien. It had never gotten this bad before, he had to admit that to himself, and even scarier than that to him was the fact that he wasn’t entirely sure what was causing it.

Pushing the thoughts to the side for a split second, Kip splashed his face with the cold water, only to lift his face up to meet himself in the mirror. The smudged makeup he hadn’t had the time to remove before leaving was slowly running down his face with the cold droplets of water, making him wince. It wasn’t an unusual look for him, but tonight it felt like it was filled with much more unwanted emotions than the nights before. Kip quickly looked away, leaning down to fully wash his face, making sure to get rid of every brush of a makeup pen that had made him the Kip Sabian that was inside that ring tonight.

After he was finally happy with the results, Kip shut off the faucet, stopping to carefully listen as he dried off his face. It didn’t sound like Cassidy had gotten back yet, a fact that Kip confirmed as he walked out of the bathroom a moment later, finding the hotel room still occupying nothing but an empty bed and his suitcase. The silence was both a welcomed friend at his time of need, but also a grim reminder that eventually he would have to face the music. Kip knew Cassidy wasn’t just going to let him walk this one off, try as hard as he might.

Sitting at the foot of the bed, Kip intensely stared at the door, like he was mentally trying to will it open. Maybe getting this over with sooner than later was the solution he needed to his problem, but the wave of relief washing over him as nothing seemed to happen and nobody walked through the door during the time he sat there, being swallowed by the silence and his own thoughts, was telling him a whole different story. Kip finally broke eye contact with the closed door, proceeding to strip himself down only to his underwear to prepare for bed; getting properly changed was requiring energy that he just didn’t have at hand.

Plus, in the end, what did it really even matter?

Kip didn’t remember crawling into bed and under the blankets, but he had apparently done so and fallen in some sort of a state of sleep, as he came to as the bed shifted underneath him carefully. He could hear the blankets shuffling, a familiar warmth suddenly so close to him, a breath almost tickling his exposed neck, that he had to hold himself back from wanting to lean away from it.

“…Kip?”

The voice was a whisper, but Kip recognized it immediately. Not that it was hard for him to know who was sneaking into bed with him in the middle of the night, but having that confirmation felt at least a little bit nice. If for nothing else, than to confirm that Kip was awake, and this wasn’t a worse nightmare than the one he was trapped in in the real life.

Then again, maybe it being someone else than Cassidy would have been better.

As Kip didn’t respond, trying to pretend he was still asleep, Cassidy settled down on his side of the bed, Kip now being way too aware of how close he was. He could feel the body heat coming off the other man, even with the blankets between the two of them, soon enough feeling a soft tuck of the edge of his blanket as Cassidy’s hand snuck underneath it, obviously trying to get that comforting feeling of closeness that they usually had in this kind of a sleeping arrangement.

Only when the fingers brushed against Kip’s side, he flinched away from them on instinct.

Time froze inside the hotel room, Kip staring into the darkness with his eyes wide open, feeling like his heart was going to stop from the volume it was beating right there and then. He didn’t intend to make Cassidy aware that he was awake, let alone give him signals like this. The hand didn’t try to reach for him again, but Kip heard him shuffling a little bit on his spot, feeling the weight on the bed shift again as Cassidy sat up. Kip could feel the eyes staring at the back of his head, trying to burn holes into it, trying to gaze deep into the depths of his mind to figure out what was going on. He was biting his lower lip so hard to stay quiet, afraid he might actually bite through it. He could taste the iron in his mouth, fearing the red blood droplets that might fall and stain the pure white hotel room pillow cases.

“Kip?”

He still didn’t respond, this time being out of words. He couldn’t explain it to Cassidy, not here, not now. He didn’t want to, he probably couldn’t have even if he tried. All the disappointments of the day, the pain, the suffering, the humiliation. It was all too much to put into words that he could simply say in the middle of the night in a dark hotel room he was sharing with his boyfriend.

“Hey. It’s okay.” He knew that tone, Kip had heard it a million times before. As comforting as it was, as it was trying to be, it made him want to throw up. The anxiety rising in him, Kip knew what was coming next, him not being able to hold back his words no matter how hard he tried.

“Don’t touch me.”

Despite not seeing it, Kip could feel the hand that reached out for him freeze in midair, trying to decide whether to respect his request or to follow through with an attempt of comfort. Kip was waiting for it, a hand to land on his shoulder, give it a rub, pull him closer, tell him it was okay. They had done this dance multiple times before, Cassidy knew him, he knew Kip might have said one thing but meant the other.

But something about tonight was different. Maybe Cassidy could feel it too. Maybe there was a method to this madness, a truth to those words as Kip heard him moving again. Kip didn’t turn around to observe, he only listened, trying to put the pieces together as the bedding was shuffled around, the weight of Cassidy leaving the bed, the familiar warmth disappearing from his side. He fully expected Cassidy to walk around the bed to confront him, but much to Kip’s surprise nothing of such happened. Instead, the sounds died down after a while, forcing him out of sheer curiosity to glance over his shoulder, as if he was able to see anything in the dark room.

All he could see was the blanket covered shoulder and back of Cassidy’s who had now taken a spot on the couch.

Kip carefully settled back down, trying to steady his breathing as he was slowly calming down, at the same time both enjoying and despising the space he had been given now. He pulled the blanket tighter against him, wrapping his own arms around himself as he slowly curled up, hoping being in his own company would bring him the comfort he needed right now.

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

Kip jolted up as the hotel room door slammed shut, scaring him awake. The wide eyes scanned the room around him before finally landing on Cassidy standing awkwardly by the door, a clearly apologetic look on his face, obviously having not planned on being so loud it was waking him up. Kip relaxed a little at the unhurried look the blond was giving him, knowing this wasn’t someone trying to throw him out of the room for sleeping in, but at the same time him registering Cassidy standing there brought the lump back in his throat as the memories of last night quickly flooded his mind.

He quickly looked away as he registered the soft smile lingering on Cassidy’s lips, feeling like he didn’t deserve it after everything that had been said and done.

“You slept so deeply I didn’t want to wake you up.” Kip just nodded a little at his words, hugging the blanket against his chest tight enough to make his arms tingle with pain. From the corner of his eye he saw Cassidy moving, walking up to him but focusing on something on the side, Kip eventually seeing him put a cardboard cup of coffee and a sandwich on the nightstand next to him before he moved away again. “I got you breakfast. They had your favorite.”

He wanted to say ‘thank you’, he wanted to reach out and apologize. To do or say something, anything. Instead Kip just watched Cassidy walk away from him, leaving him to stare at the food left at arms reach for him. It was a small gesture, a simple thought, and yet it made Kip feel like he didn’t deserve it either.

“Here.” Kip jumped a little, eyes shooting towards the voice, watching Cassidy hand a shirt in his direction. Kip looked at it for a moment, but as he didn’t move, Cassidy just slowly lowered it on the bed next to him. Kip’s eyes followed it, brows slightly furrowing as he didn’t recognize it, knowing he didn’t really own white shirts and hadn’t packed those for this trip at all, Cassidy easily catching onto his confusion. “I couldn’t get your bag open, so it’s one of mine. I just… Think you might want to be more dressed for this conversation.”

Yeah, the lump was definitely in his throat again. Kip knew exactly what he meant, he could feel Cassidy trapping him in the mental corner with this, knowing he wasn’t going to leave this room, let alone this bed without finally telling the other man what was going on with him.

Slowly Kip reached for the shirt, untangling it and pulling it over his head. A small smile tucked the corner of his lips as he glanced down at it as he straightened it down. An Orange Cassidy shirt. He wanted to laugh, but maybe that would have been inappropriate.

The bed shifted next to him, soon after Kip felt a hand landing on his leg that was hiding underneath the blanket. His eyes moved onto it, watching as Cassidy gently rubbed his thigh through the blanket, giving it a small, comforting squeeze. He knew that was a thing that usually helped Kip calm down, to signal to him that everything was okay or at least going to be okay, no matter what.

Usually Kip believed him, but in this very moment that just felt impossible to him.

“This is about last night, isn’t it?”

Kip just stared at his hand, watching Cassidy’s fingers gently tap against his leg. He quietly continued as Kip didn’t answer back to him. “…Or more importantly, it’s about tonight.”

Kip didn’t even need to say anything to confirm it, they both knew how correct Cassidy was. Maybe Kip didn’t talk about his disappointments that often, but Cassidy saw how it was eating him alive, getting progressively worse over time as things kept repeating. Loss after loss, and especially so when Kip lost a match that might have led to the two of them facing one another, be it for the title or not. Those were always the nights Cassidy saw him having the most difficult time adjusting, and combined with how he saw Kip at ringside after the match last night specifically despite seeming like he wasn’t paying him any attention, it wasn’t too hard to put two and two together.

“You really wanted it to be you. And I wanted it to be you, too. I really did.”

The breath Kip took in was so much shakier than he expected it to be that it almost scared him. He wasn’t sure if it was a result of Cassidy seeing through him so easily, his feelings being ripped out of him and hung up on display for both of them to see, or something completely different. All he knew that everything Cassidy had just said, even if it wasn’t a lot, was correct. Whether he wanted to admit it or not.

“You just --”

“Stop.”

Cassidy’s hand stopped, Kip not daring to look up at him. He could feel the confused look given to him, he could hear it in the way Cassidy’s steady breathing changed. The second squeeze given to his thigh didn’t feel comforting anymore, it was more confused than anything else.

“I…” His voice trailed off, Kip trying to find a way to arrange his thoughts into something that made sense. Cassidy was right in what he was saying, the things he was assuming, but it went deeper than that. Deeper than just wanting to be the one challenging for the title tonight. He just wasn’t sure at all how to explain it, the things he was feeling about this, about all of this.

“I… I did want it to be me. I really did.” He swallowed thickly, closing his eyes for a moment as Kip could feel the tears stinging already. He was surprised it took this long for them to start forming, that he hadn’t shed them last night while he was alone, be it in the car or the hotel room. “I-I. I just don’t think it’s meant to be.”

Cassidy watched him, simply just observed. It was slightly uncomfortable for Kip to be stared at like that, even if he wasn’t returning the look, feeling the pressure of continuing to talk now that he had started. Obviously he had more to say, more words to explain himself, his feelings, the situation, but it was still hard to make it all make sense, even for himself.

“I try so hard.” Before Kip could stop it, he felt the first tear roll down his cheek. He inhaled sharply, but resisted the urge to wipe it away. Cassidy had already without a doubt seen it, so what was the point of trying to hide it. “I-I try. And it’s never enough.”

The second tear rolling down his cheek made Cassidy reach out, his hand gently cupping Kip’s chin, lifting his head up. It was still forceful, but Kip managed to finally look directly at him, opening the floodgates even more upon seeing the equally sad smile crossing Cassidy’s lips.

“You’re always enough for me.”

“That’s not the point.” Kip didn’t intend to snap at him, but he couldn’t stop the words. His eyes shot away, head turning to the side, feeling Cassidy’s hand slowly disappearing from his face as Kip bashfully returned to staring down at his lap. “That’s… I love you, but that’s not good enough for me. That’s not what this is about.”

Kip sniffled quietly, breaking the suffocating silence before it had a chance to fully settle in the room. “I’m… I’m just stuck. It feels like I’m cursed. Cursed to never succeed, to never do anything meaningful. My career is at a standstill. I want to do more but I… I can’t. Every single thing, no matter how small, always fails.”

Cassidy nodded a little. In a sense he understood it all, having not only seen this from the sidelines happening for pretty much as long as he had known Kip, but also in his own way having to deal with similar things himself. He remained from saying it out loud though, giving Kip the space he required especially now that he had started to verbalize those tormenting thoughts that had pushed him so far away from Cassidy and his shows of affection last night.

“Seeing everyone else be celebrated and getting those opportunities just… Gets to me, sometimes. A-And,” Kip stuttered a bit, biting his lower lip as he tried to compose himself, already feeling the tension and hurt his words would bring up, but he was forcing himself to speak them out loud. He had to, if he ever wanted to clear the air around this topic. “And seeing… You. I’m, I’m just…”

Cassidy leaned closer, arms wrapping around Kip. He didn’t pull him closer, he didn’t exactly hug him, he just held the Brit close as Cassidy buried his face into his shoulder. Kip allowed the action this time, feeling one hand carefully rubbing his back, finally finding that touch comforting again. Cassidy had this kind of an effect on him, try as hard as Kip might to not let it get to him when he didn’t want it to.

“I don’t want to hate you,” Kip whispered, his voice shaking, Cassidy just nodding against his shoulder. “A-and I don’t. But sometimes it’s just… Really hard to be the lesser one.”

“I hate it too,” Cassidy mumbled into his shoulder, Kip nodding in turn. “I don’t want you to feel this way. I’m sorry I can’t do anything to change it.”

“It’s not your fault.”

Kip could feel Cassidy finally giving him a little squeeze, pulling him just slightly bit closer to himself. Kip gave in to the feeling, the comfort that was finally settling between the two of them now that things were being said out in the open, letting his arms wrap up around Cassidy’s waist as well, letting him closer to close the gap between them. Feeling Cassidy against his chest finally increased his heart rate, but for once Kip didn’t mind. It wasn’t a sound either of them was unfamiliar with.

“I wish I didn’t feel this way.” Kip leaned down to Cassidy’s shoulder, using it to wipe the freshly formed tears from his face. “You don’t deserve it. I-I mean my feelings. You deserve what you have. I--”

“Shh.” Kip could feel a hand run from his back into his hair, Cassidy gently brushing through it as he hushed him, lulling Kip into the most comfortable position he had been in the past day at least. He fully leaned into the touch, finally allowing himself to melt against the other man, the feelings of warmth and safety along with the words he had for his feelings bubbling out in a series of sobs from him. “I understand. I’m sorry.”

He didn’t even need to apologize, they both knew it, they both knew it wasn’t Cassidy’s fault. But they both just accepted it, those two little words making dealing with everything just a little bit easier in the moment. It gave them the understanding that they were mutually dealing with this, even if only one of them was suffering, but how it was still hurting them both. Maybe Cassidy more through Kip’s actions and feelings, but neither of them dared to say it out loud. It wasn’t a conversation to be had here, maybe not ever.

“I love you,” Kip finally broke the silence that was filled with nothing but his sobs for a while, feeling Cassidy lift his head up from his shoulder. Kip pulled away slightly, for the first time initiating eye contact on purpose, seeing the soft smile playing on the blond’s lips. “I-I love you so much.”

Cassidy brushed his hand through Kip’s hair again before leaning closer, pressing a gentle kiss on his lips. Kip didn’t try to dodge it, this time he was fully ready for every touch Cassidy was giving to him, almost craving them and the comfort they brought to him now. He was still slightly hesitant to reply back to the kiss, but eventually did so, letting them both stay in the moment a little while longer before Cassidy broke it apart, leaning his forehead against Kip as he caught his breath with a few sobbing hiccups.

“I love you too,” Cassidy offered him a smile, feeling Kip’s head nodding. “We can do this. Together. I promise I’m not leaving you behind. Ever.”

[struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor]

Could it be you thought his stage persona was going to carry over into his ambassadorships? Recently his personal style has been very simple. It seems they were going for minimal jewelry. I’ve noticed some are missing his “puppy kitty” era of tight jeans and colored hair. I think he’s in a different era now with being comfortable and black-haired Jimin. What do you think?

I see what you mean, but Jimin's style has always been minimalist. It's just that he used to wear skinny jeans with loafers or boots and now he wears baggy jeans with sneakers or sliders or something. And he wears hoodies more often now, or sweaters, instead of shirts or tshirts. His style has changed but I think it has just become more functional. We see Jimin the most when he's working so he wears hoodies and baggie jeans a lot. But when he dresses up for a dance practice shooting or for the airport, his style is sleeker and more polished. Nevertheless, jewelry is a Jimin must have. He always has his piercings on and often wears a necklace and/or earrings and/or rings, sometimes even bracelets. It's like Jimin isn't Jimin if he's not wearing jewelry of some sort, especially small earrings or piercings. That's why his Dior looks have stood out so much to me. And his stage persona is more than a stage persona. If you think of his photofolio or Face, those were personal to Jimin and he chose to present himself the way he wished to be seen, in all his facets. All of his looks for the photofolio and various Face shoots were different but they had something in common - subtle yet pretty makeup, not the muted and colorless kind he wears with Dior, and also jewelry of some kind (in the Face hardware version Jimin wears something like jewelry, and in the software version his tattoos are the accessories, I guess).

If Jimin wished to wear more muted makeup and less jewelry wouldn't that be reflected more in his photofolio or recent shoots? He had full control of those. He also wouldn't have signed up for a jewelry brand. Most men choose watch brands (and Jimin likes watches) but he chose jewelry for a reason.

So, he might not be into tight jeans and colored hair anymore (skinny jeans just aren't trendy anymore, especially in SK, and he's growing older so he probably doesn't think it as appropriate to dye his hair and also he's damaged it a lot already), but this is different. Tiffany and Dior both fit his style well enough (actually, his jewelry is a thousand times prettier than what he has been wearing for Tiffany), but Dior is just giving him the blandest looks. They have worn Dior before and looked great (Dior Hobi, anyone?). Tbh, it kind of feels like they're trying to make him look more conventionally masculine and less "kpop boy".

Thanks for the ask.

[maissafespace]

hi could you do reader and timeskip yamagishi kazushi being caught by makoto suzuki please

Shameless

Timeskip!Yamagishi Kazushi x Reader

Synopsis: Due to Takemichi's carelessness, Yamagishi passed more time in the office to cover up and manage everything, when you pay a visit, you completely forget that he doesn't work alone.

Warning: unprotected sex, oral sex male receiving, reader is a brat but justified, degradation, vouyerism, reader and yamagishi caught, office sex, pent up frustration.

A/N: Sorry for making you wait lol, I was trying to figure out the situation and I hope you enjoy!!! Not my best tbh, but I tried XD

Masterpost - Masterlist

There was an amount of frustration built up by the amount of days that Yamagishi, your boyfriend of years, spent outside to work.

If helping managing a gang could be defined as working, that is. Your boyfriend always took it very much seriously. They had their own building and offices, the only thing that at least some of them weren't obliged to do was wearing a suit.

But as the sky started to become dark, night falling and you still had not seen him for a single minute of today and you were tired of it.

Taking your keys, phone and wallet you headed out of your shared apartment, hopping into your car and driving to the bulding just downtown Tokyo.

When you arrived, you could have cared less about the guards at the entrance, going up to the reception to ask for him and the mere half answer that he was in his office was enough to let you walk to the elevator and press the button for his floor.

You sighed, leaning back on the wall as you felt like a little brat in barging in without notice, but who wouldn't at this point? You missed him, that's all that mattered to you.

You took a deep breath before making your wait out once the doors opened, calmly walking till his door was the thing in front of you, conflicted in whether to knock or not for a minute before just turning the doorknob and opening it.

There was a shock turned in confusion when he saw you, putting down the phone that was close to his ears, furrowing his eyebrows and narrowing his eyes at you. "Y/N, what are you doing here?"

"Wow, that's the first thing you ask me after not seeing me for almost a week?" You leaned on the now closed doors, while his face seemed to welcome more confusion on his features, looking down at the screen of his phone.

"What do you mean a week, we saw- Oh..." You just hummed a bit disappointed.

Pushing on the door, you made your way to him, walking around the desk till you were right in front of him and leaning on the wood behind you. "I'm sorry, doll... but I have to work right now." He kissed your hand. "I promise to come back as soon as I'm done."

Your eyes rolled, calmly taking your hand away from his hold. "All I need is to have your attention for 10 minutes. To know if you even remember that there's someone at home always waiting for you or not." He sighed looking away a bit tired.

You scoffed at his reaction ready to walk away if this was his attitude. But were restrained back by him, his hands guiding you back and making you fully sit on his desk, your legs sprawled open in front of him, while his hand caressed the side of your waist. He stood up, at a height were his lips met yours.

A hungry kiss that met both of your neediness in one another, there was no other way to know that he had missed you just as you did, his fingers digging into your flesh as if to pull you closer than you were.

His hand trailed down in the middle, zipping down your jeans as he slid his fingers beneath your underwear finding and feeling the wetness of your cunt. A groan swallowed in the kiss.

He lifted you up a bit making it easier for him to slip your pants and down while keeping your panties on, dismissing his glasses as well, moving your lace underwear to the side as he kneeled in front of your entrance and started to savour you.

There were gasps and moans from you, your hands holding onto the edge of the desk while the other pulled on the light brunette locks he had, the beard around his mouth brushing against your sensitive part just well giving you more stimulation, making you reach your high faster.

"Bab- ah! I'm goin'" You muffled your sounds, remembering the place you where in.

But right as you said that, he pulled away from you, sitting back on his leather chair as you glared at him. He started to pull down his pants, the obvious bulge freeing itself and going up, slightly curved on the side.

"You were the one that wanted it, right? Come here, slut, suit yourself." His raspy voice was like a magic spell for you.

No doubts in your mind as you followed his words, coming down from the desk, your legs situating on each side of his thighs while he kept looking at you, at the flush on your cheeks, at the slight trembling of your legs as you reached for his shaft positioning it at your entrance till sinking down on it.

Moans and gasps filled the room when you had fully sat on him, his hips to yours, his tip touching the deepest parts in you.

His hands on your sides started to move and guide you, up and down feeling him touch every part in you while your mouth met his.

You both were a mess, the sound of the chair squeaking, the panting, you couldn't hear anything but everything stopped when you heard the door opening and the voice of Makoto filling the room. "Yamagishi, why the fuck aren't you-"

Your face hid in the crook of his neck while he gritted his teeth looking directly at his friend that now looked blankly at the wall. "Tch, are you just going to stand there? Get the fuck out."

"Finish it quick, Chifuyu and Takemichi will be here soon." He said muttering something under his breath, cursing at him, now unable to get that image of you two out of his head.

"Fuck." Yamagishi hissed, even when the other man came in, your hips had not stopped moving so subtly. He stood up, pounding back into you with your legs wrapped around his waist. "You got wetter 'cause we got caught, you see why calling you a slut is so fitting."

You cried out his name, kissing around his neck and caressing his hair, your core felt the tightening feeling seconds later. "Say what you are." He whispered against your ear, a demanding tone that felt like Heaven.

"'m you' slut, I'm goin-" Your words were cut short as he fucked you through your high, his hips moving sloppily till he emptied himself inside of you, filling you up to the brim with his semen.

He held you in his arms till your legs relaxed, kissing the side of your head affectionately. "You always get me in so much trouble."

You smiled on the side, your arms circling him in a proper hug, snuggling into him. "I missed you a lot..." you mumbled to him, squealing when he moved to lean back and keep you close.

He hummed peacefully. "Let's just stay here for a bit..."

You were happy to get some time with him again.

[dreamingofaizawa]

Good Kitty

Shouta Aizawa x Chubby! Kitty Hybrid! Fem! Reader

***18+ Fic***

If you are under the age of 18, leave. Thank you.

Warnings: Kitty hybrid reader, smut, fingering, unprotected sex, praise kink (?), reader has insecurities, Shouta is soft and lowkey feral?, chubby kink (sorta), reader has a heat for the first time, barely implied virginity loss, a touch of dacryphilia

Word Count: 2.4 k

Author’s Note: This is inspired by @cupcake-rogue ’s fic Not Allowed on the Bed. I got permission to use it as inspo so here we are! Tbh the orignal had me feeling all sorts of feelings because, as a very subby sub that loves to please, I definitely have a praise kink and I WILL CRY if I’m called a bad girl. HOWEVER, Katsuki being the rough-around-the-edges guy he is wanting reader regardless of size made me very happy and warm and fuzzy. 

The premise with this is pretty much the same, except I made reader a kitty hybrid...and of course I wrote for Shouta, love of my life he is. I’m such a fucking simp. I’m not the biggest fan of the ending, but this has been sitting in my WIPs for too damn long and it’s decent enough for me to feel ok posting it.

Also, for reference, reader has black fur regardless of hair color. Reader could be blonde, but still have black ears and tail. That’s just the way I’ve chosen to write this for some reason, don’t ask me why, I’m weird like that. 

I think this is the first time I’ve written for a hybrid, so cut me a little slack.

Anywho, enjoy~

*

*

*

You can’t remember life outside the shelter. You’d grown up here, the caretakers said they’d found you on the street as a nearly newborn kitten and immediately scooped you up and brought you back here. That was a long time ago. Now you sit, waiting, your hopes for getting adopted diminishing with every passing day.

It’s unfortunate, but you still haven’t been adopted. It’s not that you’re bad, you always behave, you make sure you do. But you’ve overheard time and time again the people that gazed down at you and whispered about how you were too chunky, too big and too squishy for a kitty hybrid. And some even called you bad luck. The pitch black fur on your ears and tail warded off many.

Today was just the same as any other day. Wake up, get fed, wait in your room while potential owners pick and choose not you. Adults and children alike would take chunks out of their time to play with you, but they all left the shelter with another smaller cat. It was nearing bed time now, dinner just finished and the caretakers were about to start closing when the little bell on the front door jingled. Someone had just come in. You ignored it all the same.

Two pairs of footsteps began making their way past rooms, whoever it was that had entered smelled good, like coffee and tree bark. A smooth hum accompanied the caretaker’s voice, it made your ears twitch and tail sway gently. Still, you decided to just curl up in bed and try to sleep. The chance of him adopting you was slim, if it existed at all.

As you lay there your ears pick up their footsteps, the lazy set that dragged familiar, the nearly silent set less so. You listened as they came closer, never stopping as the man strode past each room and peered in the windows. You waited for them to pass right by your room, as they had been, but suddenly the footsteps halted. The caretaker spoke first.

“Y/n? You awake?” You let your eyes flutter open and sat up, tucking your legs under you and sitting up straight. They asked the man if he wanted to go in and see you, and he gave a simple nod. When he entered you finally looked up at him. The first thing you noticed were his eyes, tired and bloodshot with dark circles beneath them, a deep scar curved under his right eye. His long black hair fell around his shoulders, swaying lightly with every measured step he took toward you.

He stopped right in front of you, a large hand stretching out and you give it a small sniff before nudging your head into it, letting him pet your hair and scratch at the base of your ears. It felt nice to be getting attention like this. A small purr sounded in your chest, your tail gently swishing behind you.

“How long have you been here?” His voice is deep and calm, tired even, but it sounds so welcoming. It’s so soothing to your sensitive ears, like a warm blanket. You give a small hum before answering.

“A long time. I don’t remember anything outside this place.” At that he raised an eyebrow, turning to the caretaker with a questioning look.

“Most people look for...specific traits in the cat hybrids. Y/n here is well behaved, a perfect house kitty really,” you purred a bit at the praise, “But she’s a little larger than most. And her black fur wards off the more superstitious.” The man gives a curious hum before looking back down at you.

“Do you want to come home with me, kitty?” The question caught you a little off guard. Nobody really asked the hybrids if they wanted to go with them. You looked over to the caretaker, who nodded their head with a gentle smile, encouraging you to answer. All you could do was give a small nod, and soon you were in the car, on the way to your new home.

He’d told you to call him Shouta. He was nice, always quiet and never got mad. He never smiled, but you supposed that’s just the way he is. He gave you your own room, and always let you rub up on him when you wanted to, taking the opportunity to pet you. Occasionally you got the odd kiss on the forehead when you nuzzled into his neck. Those always made you purr. He never came seeking you out, which was good since there were times you really didn’t want to be touched. 

The longer you’re with him the closer you get, and you find yourself doing things you’d never thought to do before. Sometimes you found the floor more comfortable than the couch, and would kneel down and rub up on his leg, your tail wrapping around his ankle. There were times you’d see his fingers idly drumming on his lap, and you’d lay down and nibble on one with your little fang-like canines. He didn’t seem to mind that little oral fixation, and he always let you do whatever you wanted. All in all, life with Shouta is great.

But today you feel weird. You’d been cooped up in your room for the first hour or so of the weekend morning, not quite wanting to go out and make it known something was off. But it’s gotten abnormally hot, your face and chest especially warm, and between your legs as well. Your panties are beginning to feel damp, your thighs starting to feel humid and sticky. It’s a little uncomfortable. And your tummy is starting to boil, neediness beginning to cloud your mind. This never happened at the shelter.

Reluctantly, you step out of bed onto slightly wobbly legs and peek your head out of your door to see him sitting on the couch, a book in hand and a mug of coffee on the table. His hair is loose, his strong lean body relaxed as he read. The sight of him and his scent made the feeling worse, made your panties and thighs wetter, your chest beginning to heave with your panted breaths. 

“Sh-shouta…” Your voice came out shakier and quieter than you wanted it to, but he’d heard you regardless. He closed the book and peered over at your shaking form in the doorway.

“What is it kitty?” You nearly mewled at his voice, his heavenly smooth baritone sending a shiver down your spine through to the tip of your tail.

“Something’s wrong...I feel weird…” As you tell him about everything that’s happening to your body, he’s dragging his eyes over you, taking in every detail. Soon he’s on the phone with the doctor, you can’t quite comprehend his words, only catching snippets. ‘Help’ and ‘how long’, followed by agreeing hums. It was all jumbled after that, your mind refusing to focus as you leaned heavily on the doorframe, your quivering legs barely able to hold your body.

Shouta’s large hand came up and cupped your cheek, letting you nuzzle into his palm. When had he hung up the phone? He ordered you to sit on the bed, and you obliged, watching as he swept up his hair into a loose bun and strode over, tilting your chin to look up at him through half-lidded eyes. He’s so close, his scent overwhelming and making your brain fuzzy.

“You’re in heat, kitty.” Heat...where had you heard that before? Back at the shelter, maybe? It was all a distant, unfocused memory right now. Shouta leaned down and kissed you sweetly, lips melding with yours as you purred and mewled, your tail thrashing behind you. His hands tugged at your clothes until you were bare before him, every inch of you on display. 

“You’re such a pretty kitty, you know that? So beautiful. Lay down for me.” The praise made you purr, made a chill crawl up your spine and your tail flick wildly. You obeyed the command, laying flat in the middle of the bed and he slotted himself between your legs, plunging two fingers into your tight hole. He let out a groan, pumping and scicssoring his fingers to stretch you out. You were already a sloppy mess, loud squelches ringing through the room in between your loud, whiny mewls and panting. 

It felt so good, the heat in your belly burning and tightening until Shouta’s fingers curled up into a spot that made stars dance in your vision. The pressure in your belly snapped hard, your legs trembling as he kept fingering you through it. His fingers slowed when you whined about it being too much, too sensitive. But you still felt hot all over, now it was worse, you wanted something so bad but you didn’t know what.

He got up and undressed himself and you licked your lips at his naked body, scarred skin pulled taut over thick muscle. What stood between his legs had heat spreading like fire through your body. You’d never seen a naked man before. He was quick to return to you, slotting his hips between your thighs and guiding the thick head of his cock along your soaked folds. 

“Relax kitty. I’m gonna make you feel good.” You gave a small nod and then he was pushing his thick cock inside you, groaning at the way your pussy clamped down on him. Your tongue lolled out of your mouth as he slowly pushed and pumped his hips, cock dragging along your wet warm walls perfectly. Mewls slipped past your lips, high pitched whines and pants like music in Shouta’s ears. 

His hands wandered over your body, squishing and pulling at every piece of you he could get his calloused fingers on. It made you squirm beneath him, your own hands trying to push his away, but he wasn’t having any of it. He grabbed both your wrists and pinned them above your head in one strong hand, then went right back to groping your body with his free one.

“I can’t have you stopping me from touching you, kitty.” That’s all he said before focusing back on your body. He tugged at your belly, your sides, every place that was fatty and squishy. He’d never admit out loud how much he loved how soft you are. You’re perfect, plump and meaty, just more for him to touch, to look at, more to squeeze and pinch and pull.

He groaned out as you whined beneath him, tears beginning to clump in your lashes because he just kept squeezing, and he isn’t fucking you hard enough. Your orgasm built slowly with his languid pace, not nearly enough to get you to that peak and you were frustrated because you wanted relief but it wouldn’t come. Shouta picks up on your hips jerking and rolling, trying to get him to fucking move faster. He pulled his hips back and slammed back in, setting a brutal pace and making you whine high and long. 

Tears begin to fall from the sheer ecstasy of it, and he’s realizing how much he loves to see you cry from the pleasure he can give you. With a groan, he’s releasing your hands and wrapping his arms around your waist, burying his face into your breasts and biting and sucking at your skin as he pounds you into the mattress. He isn’t normally an impulsive man, wouldn’t let himself let go like this. But for you. For you he’d give in to his lust and ravage you like you need him to.

Your orgasm slams over your body like a tsunami, your muscles locking up and a loud yip ringing from your throat, pleasure making your whole body shake. Shouta let out a hiss, your nails digging into the muscles in his back furiously, but he wouldn’t stop for that. He never stuttered in his pace, just kept ramming his hips into yours, heavy balls slapping against your ass and lewd squelches coming from where your bodies are connected. 

You’re overstimulated, throat feeling raw and tears still falling down your heated cheeks as you thrash from another orgasm, this one just as powerful as the last and making your vision spot black. This time Shouta leans back, wrapping a hand around your throat and licking the salty trails away.

“Such a good little kitty for me, so good.” With a few more thrusts he’s spilling inside you, and you can feel the warmth spread in your belly as you lay there, boneless. He lays down on top of you, both of you sweaty and tired and he starts whispering sweet words into your twitching ears.

“So pretty. You’re so pretty, kitten.” 

“Such a good girl for me.”

“You’re all mine, kitty. So good, all for me.” Tears begin to spill from your eyes for a different reason. Up until now you’d lived your life believing nobody wanted you because there was something wrong with you. You never felt ugly, never really felt like there was something truly wrong with you, but you always felt...unwanted. Unloved. Unlovable. 

But Shouta makes you feel wanted, and loved, and pretty and all the things you always assumed you didn’t deserve. You’re his kitty now, and you’re such a good kitty for him too. He’s showering you with affection that you’d never known before and you’re shaking from all the overwhelming emotions. He can feel your body quivering, leans back to look at you and cups your face in his warm palm.

“What’s wrong, kitten? Why are you crying?” Your nose twitches as you sniffle, which he mildly notes is fucking adorable.

“Do you mean it? Am I a good kitty?” His eyebrows furrow and he rolls the both of you over so you’re on top of him. He’s peering into your big sad eyes as if reading your soul through them, trying to read the emotions you’re feeling, but it isn’t hard for him to figure out what’s racing through your mind. You nuzzle your nose into his neck and breathe in his scent, his hand coming up to pet your hair and ears.

“Of course, kitten. You’re such a good kitty.” The small reassurance makes you feel warm and happy, your tail flicking softly before curling around both your leg and Shouta’s, the end brushing his skin gently. You can’t help but want to stay with Shouta forever.

[lilimiyu]

Let's Spar and Pretend We're Not in Love | Xiao/Aether

Summary: Xiao and Aether tease each other.

Characters: Xiao (Alatus) | Aether

Warnings: None

Tags: Fluff, Cuteness, Aether being a lil shit but so is Xiao

Word count:

A/N: idk what this is tbh

***

"Xiao!"

The adeptus who had been watching closely from atop a nearby boulder, let out an amused breath from his nostrils. He bit the inside of his cheek as the traveler struggled, tangled in a bush. The little fairy next to him wasn't doing much to help, floating about him like a bee and yelping unhelpful directions.

Xiao was more than amused. He was the one who pushed the boy into the bush, after all.

"XIAO!"

"Stop moving, idiot!"

"Maybe if you listened to the fairy." Xiao brushed the imaginary dust off his spear.

"PLEASE!"

Xiao merely blinked at Aether lazily, watching as he sank further into the thick of the bushes, his face disappearing entirely.

"Traveler, no!" came the fairy's dramatic cry.

Xiao sighed exaggeratedly. "Fine, I will show mercy." He dismissed his spear, and straightened to his feet. The fairy floated out of his way as he approached the bush, and smirked at the blond traveler who blinked up at him with large eyes.

"O mighty Vigilant Yaksha. Spare... Me..." Aether stretched out an arm before going limp, closing his eyes. Xiao had never seen such dramatics, but the traveler seemingly always had some kind of surprise for him.

With a roll of his eyes, Xiao hooked a finger into the front of Aether's armor, and yanked, pulling him upright.

"Whoa!" Aether's arms flew out to grasp at Xiao's shoulders as he faced the adeptus, a dopey smile on his lips. Hot breaths of exertion fanned across Xiao's face. He tried to ignore how the traveler's eyes zeroed in on Xiao's lips. "Hi."

"Hm." Xiao laxed his grip and the traveler dropped back onto the ground with a thud.

"Aether!"

This time, Xiao really had to bite back a laugh. Actual pity rose in his chest as the traveler frowned up at him, dried leaves scattered all over his hair, and the deadly glare pointing Xiao's way could not be any less threatening.

"Alright," he relented, "no more tricks."

He extended a hand, and before he realised his mistake, Aether was already grinning mischievously, grabbing the extended arm and yanking -

Only to be absolutely shocked at Xiao's lack of reaction. He had stood his ground, unaffected by the weight pulling on his wrist, blinking slowly- and most annoyingly, thought Aether.

"...Are you made of rocks?"

"I didn't even see him move!" Paimon quipped.

Xiao resisted the urge to roll his eyes once more.

"That's the Vigilant Yaksha for you, I guess," sighed Aether, finally being pulled to his feet and standing straight, straightening his clothes.

"Yaksha or not, your pull was weak."

A pause. Paimon sighed. "Here we go."

Mischief glinted across the gold in the traveler's eyes, and he summoned his sword. "Is that a challenge?"

Xiao merely raised an eyebrow. "You wish to prove your strength?"

"Only if you're willing to lose."

"I never lose." Xiao kicked his spear into the air and grabbed it, twisting it with style before stabbing the ground, a smirk playing on his lips.

"I'm gonna see what Xiangling is up to," Paimon sighed, floating away. The traveler didn't pay her a single second of his attention, eyes fixated on the adeptus, grinning madly. "I'll be back with snacks. Don't die." She shot a look at the traveler.

Xiao scoffed. "I don't kill mortals."

"Yawn. Let's start already."

Without so much as a warning, the traveler lunged forward. His movements were heavier on the feet, and Xiao took advantage of that fact and leaped, landing a relatively soft kick to the traveler's shoulder before hitting the ground gracefully.

"Hah!" The pointed end of a sword stabbed at the air near Xiao's ear, and he spun, taking advantage of the traveler's hastiness once more and flipping over his head - but not before pushing at his shoulder and landing him in yet another bush.

This time, Aether recovered quickly, springing to his feet and grabbing his sword with both hands.

Xiao chuckled and waited for the traveler to lunge at him once more before kicking at his right wrist, hooking his leg into Aether's elbow and twisting his hip. The traveler landed on his back with a thud, sword still held in his hands, pointing skywards.

"Fuck - "

The sharpened end of Xiao's spearhead missed the traveler's ear by a couple inches as he rolled away, grabbing at Xiao's boot.

Caught by surprise, the Yaksha flicked his trapped foot, lifting off the ground - a mistake, because Aether had grabbed at the other foot. Xiao slipped, and the ground, dried thoroughly by the scorching summer sun, scraped at the exposed skin of his back. He was sure to suffer a great many scratches on his back.

With a growl, he kicked both his feet into Aether's chest, successfully ripping the blond off of him, and pouncing immediately over his body before it could even hit the ground, feeling the puff of air that escaped his lungs from the impact on his own face.

From a high angle, Xiao could tell that the traveler was ready to give up, a grin already etched across his face. Xiao drew his knees upward, straddling Aether's chest, and pressed the pole of his spear against his throat. He increased the pressure slowly, giving the traveler enough time to suck in his oxygen without completely giving up the advantage of his position. Aether glared, as much as he could from his position, at Xiao, then closed his eyes as the pressure on his throat increased.

Xiao leaned in, feeling the rise and fall of the other's chest against his stomach. "放弃了吗？Giving up?"

Slowly, the traveler opened his eyes. He groaned. "You've gotta teach me those moves some time. Also, I have no idea what you just said."

"Sounds like you answered my question, anyway." He removed the weapon from his throat, sitting back and gloating, his ever-so-irritable smile - as Mountain Shaper had so elegantly put it once, a long while ago in a similar sparring session - and crossed his arms.

Aether placed his hands on his thighs then, humming. Xiao pretended that the gesture did not affect him, sniffing with faked nonchalance.

The traveler had lately started to put his hands on Xiao, caressing parts of his body that felt like it was on fire every time he did so. At first, Xiao did mind; He was not a fan of unnecessary skin-ship. But Aether did it so naturally it didn't even feel like it was supposed to make Xiao uncomfortable. Eventually, he even learned to enjoy it, even opting to return the favour every once in a while.

"How are you so skinny and yet you overpower me every time?" The traveler sighed, dragging his nails over his thighs and forcing a shiver out of the adeptus.

Xiao scoffed. slapping at his hand half-heartedly. "I might be lithe, but you forget that I ride the wind. You are, for some reason, heavy on your foot, and predictable in your actions. Always charging ahead like an ox. Some patience could do you some good."

Aether hummed, dragging his hands higher, slowing just below Xiao's hips.

"My sister used to cover my ass."

Xiao paused.

"She was lighter, you see, and quicker on her feet. I defended, and she attacked. We were a good team."

Xiao tilted his head, drinking in this newfound information. Aether rarely spoke of his twin, while Xiao rarely spoke of... anything, and now he felt uncomfortable. He could deal with his own festering thoughts, but not with others', although he did admit that he gave decent advice sometimes. Well, better than what Cloud Retainer would cough up, anyway.

"Much like you and I." Aether smirked, and the awkward moment was gone.

Xiao scoffed again, loudly this time. "I work alone."

Aether rolled his eyes, gripping at Xiao's waist. "I was flirting, in case you hadn't noticed, sir."

Xiao chose to stay silent for a moment longer before deciding that he probably needed to get off Aether.

"Where are you going?" Aether frowned and tightened his grip.

"Away from you. So you can breathe."

"I'm breathing just fine."

"I still need to get off you eventually."

He shifted under Xiao's weight, seemingly a little too comfortable. "Teach me how to fight like you."

"I can't do that. Our styles are far too different."

"Secretive. Selfish."

"More like strategic."

"Just teach me."

Xiao sighed. "What's in it for me?"

Aether smirked, reaching up to touch the Xiao's hair. "My respect and adoration."

"Aren't you already giving me all of that?" He smacked at the nosy hand, but it stayed.

"Almond tofu."

"One can only have so much sweet tofu before they get tired of it."

Aether slid his hands higher up the adeptus' body, up his sides and over his ribs, stopping right under his pecs. "My sweet lips, then."

Xiao shook his head. "Why must you always be so flirtatious?"

"Because you're lovely."

"I had my spear against your throat five minutes ago."

"Yeah," Aether sighed, dragging his upper body away from the ground underneath, and approaching Xiao's face.

"I have you pinned under me."

"Oh, yeah." The blond's eyes were half closed now, inching closer.

"I also see that Paimon is coming."

"Mm, yeah. Paimon's - Wh - Huh?"

Xiao laughed then, watching Aether look frantically around through the slits of his eyes - obscured slightly by his cheeks as he slumped his body forward, clutching at Aether's wrists.

"You - !"

"She's probably only just reached Wanmin, Aether, but - your - your face!"

"Not funny. We were having a moment."

Xiao pressed the back of his hand against his mouth. "It was a terrible moment."

"Oi!"

"Ah-" Xiao's smile dropped. "Oi?"

The traveler only leaned closer. "Oi, oi."

Xiao grabbed at the traveler's chin, and pulled him forward. "No respect."

Aether only smirked. "Oh no, what are you going to do about it?"

Xiao leaned forward to take the flesh of Aether's cheek between his teeth, biting hard into the skin.

"Euwhhh!" A weak hand slapped at Xiao's shoulder.

He leaned back to inspect Aether's cheek, now an angry red. Xiao grinned and leaned in to bite the pout off his mouth next.

"Nn!"

"Serves you right," Xiao whispered against Aether's mouth, licking the red spot on his bottom lip.

And if the red-faced, wide-eyed face of Aether's was reaction enough, then Xiao was thoroughly satisfied.