#thank you for your patience and for sending this in

[slut4thebroken]

Just Business

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Pairing | Robert Fischer x dom!reader

Summary | He’s a brat and deserves way worse than this tbh.

Warnings | Smut, non con more like dubcon tbh, heavy misandry🤭, humiliation, degradation, light praise, cunnilingus, brat taming.

Words | 2.4 k

Notes | Idk this was originally supposed to be way more non con-y than it turned out lol.

Ao3 link | <3

Masterlist

You had an appointment with Robert Fischer at 2pm… An hour later and you were still waiting. Finally his secretary brought you into his office. 

“Ah, yes— The potential partner. Let’s hear it then.” He sighed leaning back in his chair. You sat down on the chair in front of his desk, trying to mask your anger. 

“Our meeting was supposed to be at 2.”

“Yes, well, something came up.” You already didn’t like him…

“If this is the way you treat your business partners, I don’t think we’ll be a good fit,” you started, but he cut you off. 

“I thought they were sending someone to go over the proposal— not an assistant.” He huffed. You clenched your jaw as you stared at him, holding back your emotions. 

“The man you spoke to on the phone who scheduled the meeting was my assistant.” That made him scoff. “You know what? Thank you for your time, Mr. Fischer, but I don’t think we’re a good fit for each other.” You said, standing up. 

He let you get halfway across the room before he stopped you. “Wait.” He sighed. “I... apologize for my lack of professionalism. Please continue with your proposal.” Even though you wanted to leave, you forced yourself to sit back down. 

As you spoke, Robert seemed to have a hard time paying attention. There were rumors that he was a nepo baby through and through, but you didn’t think he’d actually be unqualified… You were handing him printed notes as you explained that detailed the numbers and what not. However, it didn’t really seem like he even understood what was on the papers… 

“Mr. Fischer,” you said impatiently when he, once again, was just staring out the window.

“Sorry.” He cleared his throat, looking at you again. 

“Am I boring you?” You asked plainly, reaching the limit of your patience. 

“Not you… Just.. the content…” You couldn’t believe how incompetent this man was. Sighing heavily, you closed your eyes for a moment to compose yourself. 

“Is there anyone else I can meet with? Your father perhaps?” 

“He doesn’t handle this kind of stuff.”

“Clearly you don’t either.” You scoffed before you could help it. 

“I handle it just fine.” He suddenly snapped, getting defensive. “Usually I meet with men who just talk to me, not give a whole presentation like a robot. And I’m not constantly distracted by their tits.” He spat, glancing at your chest for a few seconds before meeting your gaze again.  

You raised your brows, giving him an unimpressed look. “Hm…” You finally hummed, getting lost in thought. Robert was surprisingly misogynistic for how… non-dominant he seemed to be. 

“What?” And he just kept getting brattier… You finally stood up, but you didn’t gather your things to leave. Instead, you slowly rounded the desk until you were standing next to his chair. He turned to face you, looking both confused and irritated. Placing one hand on the back of his chair and leaning down into his space, you used your other hand to grab his cheeks, holding him still. 

“Listen closely, Mr. Fischer because I’m only going to say this once.” You told him, your voice low and stern— almost sensual… He almost seemed shocked, but he hid it fairly well. “My boss wants this partnership to work out. Based on the way you asked me to stay, I’m assuming your father feels the same. I’ve laid out all of the facts for you, but since you can’t seem to understand, I’m going to change the terms of the deal.” He frowned when you blatantly insulted his intelligence. 

“You’re going to prove to me that you want it— that you’re willing to work for it. If I’m satisfied, then we’ll move forward with this partnership. If not, well… I’m sure your daddy will be very disappointed.” 

You felt his cheeks tense under your fingers when he clenched his jaw. “How am I supposed to do that?” He scoffed, his bratty attitude still going strong. You released him and straightened up, looking down your nose at him. 

“Get on your knees.”

“Excuse me?” He choked out, staring at you with wide eyes. 

“Get on your fucking knees or I’m leaving.” You said harshly. He hesitated for a moment, then clenched his jaw again. Finally, he moved to the floor, kneeling at your feet. “There you go…” You cooed mockingly, making him scowl. You walked around him to take his place in the chair. “Face me.” He huffed, but turned around toward you. 

“Have you figured it out yet or do I need to spell it out for you?” He watched the way you settled back into the chair, your legs spread as wide as your pencil skirt would allow. 

“You… Are you insane? I’m not fucking doing that!” 

“No?” You cooed, tilting your head as you looked down at him. “Fine. I’ll leave and I’ll tell my assistant to call your daddy— tell him why this deal didn’t go through.” Despite your words, you didn’t move, giving him another chance. “Or…” Your voice lowered and you leaned forward, reaching out to grab his tie. He let out a choked sound when you yanked on it, pulling him closer. “You can be a good little boy and put that bratty mouth of yours to good use.”

“H-How dare you? Coming here— to a building with my fucking name on it— calling me bratty? I should be contacting your superiors.” He scoffed, making you smirk. Even with the outburst, you could tell he was already crumbling. 

“I wouldn’t call you bratty if you’d stop behaving like a brat.” You said plainly, only making him more angry. “Listen, Robert,” you sneered patronizingly, “either you eat me out or I leave. You don’t have any other options.” 

“No! Are you even hearing yourself?” He yelled, making you sigh. “I- I have a girlfriend. I’m not just going to cheat on her because you’re blackmailing me.” 

“Blackmailing? Please,” you scoffed, “I’m not blackmailing you. And I’d hardly call this cheating.” 

“Then what the fuck would you call it?” He asked in disbelief.  

You hummed softly in thought as you considered it for a moment. “Business.” You all but shrugged. He watched with wide eyes as you grabbed the hem of your skirt and lifted it up above your hips, showing your panties. “Get to it, Robert. You’ve already made me late for another meeting, you don’t want to be the reason I miss a second one today.” 

He gaped at you, his gaze shifting between your eyes and your crotch. “You’re fucking insane.” He finally said. 

“No. I just actually earned my position and I have plenty of experience with bratty men who are used to getting everything they want.” He clenched his jaw and the tips of his ears tinged red with anger. “I won’t tell you again, Robert. You have five seconds to start or I’m leaving.”

Robert let out a heavy breath through his nose, but moved forward reluctantly, practically seething in rage at the fact that you were sitting in his chair in his office in ‘his’ building, demanding he service you sexually. And yet…

He pulled your panties to the side and got to work. At his clear attitude and lack of enthusiasm, you sighed in annoyance. 

“I thought this was obvious, but if you do a shitty job, this deal isn’t going through.” You told him. 

“Fuck you.” He gritted… but obeyed nonetheless. You let out a pleased moan when he dragged his tongue up your folds to your clit before sucking the swollen bud into his mouth. 

“There you go…” You cooed mockingly, spreading your legs wider for him. He rolled his eyes, but didn’t bother with a retort. “God you’re fucking pathetic.” You muttered, looking away from him, bored. You examined his desk, snorting a laugh at the online game that was on his computer screen. At the sight of the coffee cup, you picked it up and took off the lid to smell it— black with sugar… not your favorite, but after sitting in that lobby for over an hour, you deserved a pick-me-up. 

When he heard you drinking, he pulled back. “Are you fucking serious?”

“Three, two,” and just like that, he was back between your legs. You scoffed a laugh and took another sip of the coffee. “Only a man would be so pathetic and incompetent, he has to eat me out just to make a simple business deal.” You muttered to yourself, loud enough that he could hear though. With the exception of Robert, you made a mental note to tell your boss to stop giving you all the stupid potential business partners. 

“At least you’re pretty though.” You sighed, running your freehand through his hair, making his eyes snap up to your face. God- his eyes… So fucking pretty— They’d probably look even more pretty all glossy with tears… “I swear, if you weren’t such a dick, I’d take you to dinner instead of making you eat me out like a common whore.” You frowned, feeling almost disappointed. “But maybe you’re only a dick because I haven’t put you in your place yet.” 

He tried to pull back, but you just grabbed his hair and yanked him forward again, burying his face in your pussy— You were mostly talking outloud to yourself anyway, so he didn’t need to worry about doing something as silly as talking back. 

“I’ll wait and see what your attitude is like after you make me come all over your face, then I’ll decide whether I should have my assistant set up dinner or not.” You decided. Robert tried to speak, but you were holding him against your cunt too firmly. “Shh… You’re so much prettier when you’re not running your mouth, sweetheart.” The way his cheeks went bright red made you grin sadistically. 

“Use a finger.” You commanded, getting antsy for your orgasm already. Robert huffed, but used the hand that wasn’t holding your panties to slide a finger inside you. “Good boy.” You smiled. He let out a quiet sound when you started petting his hair again. 

“You should feel lucky, you know. I’ve been so busy recently that I’ve barely had any time to get off for almost two weeks straight so I’m already getting close.” He let out another muffled sound in response, slipping a second finger inside you. “Oh, look at you… Such a good boy taking initiative.” You cooed mockingly. Was he just trying to get this over with faster? Maybe… But you didn’t really care. You’d have plenty more opportunities for Robert to take his time now that you were going to be business partners. 

The constant suction on your clit with the way his fingers curled inside you made your back arch off the chair, pushing your hips down onto his face. Robert might’ve been a spoiled brat, but damn if he wasn’t amazing at eating pussy…

“God- you look so fucking pathetic with your pretty face buried in my pussy… and you love it, don’t you?” He grunted something unintelligible, but it wasn’t an obvious denial, at least. “Yeah you do.” You chuckled. 

“C’mon, Robert… Be a good boy and make me come— make your daddy proud and secure this partnership all on your own like a big boy.” You couldn’t help but smirk as you patronized him, but he didn’t get angry or try to pull away. He just let out another sound and started sucking and licking more enthusiastically. 

You brought your other hand down to his head as well, holding him firmly against your cunt. Your toes were curling in your heels as the pleasure continued building, until finally it all snapped. 

You bit your lip to stifle a moan, knowing you couldn’t be too loud since you were still in an unlocked office. Robert whimpered when you forced his face against your pussy hard enough to squish his nose against your pubic bone and limit his breathing. Despite that, he never stopped sucking on your clit or moving his fingers inside you. Your cunt was gushing and pulsing around his digits, your clit throbbing in his mouth as waves of pleasure rolled through you, and nonsensical praises left your lips. 

“Fucking hell… I needed that more than I thought I did.” You said through a breath, panting heavily. As you sagged back into the chair, you loosened your grip on him, but didn’t let go completely, you just let him pull back a tiny bit. He was also panting, the lower half of his face almost completely drenched, his cheeks a dark pink, and his eyes glazed over with what you assumed was lust. 

“You were better at that than I thought you’d be…” You told him, but he barely reacted. “Take your fingers out and suck them clean.” You ordered, wanting to test whether he was still just out of it, or if you actually broke him down already. 

He carefully extracted his fingers, then put them in his mouth, his eyes fluttering as he sucked off your arousal. 

“Huh.” You said to yourself, slightly shocked— That was way too easy… As another test, you picked up his coffee cup and took another sip, making sure he was watching. 

He just licked his lips, then cleared his throat. “…Are you going through with the partnership?” He managed to say, and you couldn’t hold back a smirk in time. 

“I need to think about it some more. My assistant will call you tomorrow to arrange dinner plans. I’ll give you my decision then.” You finally released his hair and ran your fingers through it a little, trying to smooth it out so it didn’t look like he just had his head buried between your legs… “Do you have anything you want to say to me for giving you another chance?” 

“Thank you.” Your smirk turned into a pleased smile and you cupped his cheek, brushing your thumb over his bottom lip. 

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Keep being a good boy and I’m sure this partnership will work out just fine.” He nodded dumbly in response and you stood up, fixing your panties and pulling your skirt back down. Robert just stared up at you, almost in a trance, and watched in awe. 

“Oh, and, Robert?” You leaned down a little, taking his warm cheeks in your hand to make sure you had his full attention. “The next time you think you can get away with being a brat to me, you’ll be doing much worse than just eating me out.” You smiled sweetly, making his poor, fucked out little head lag as he struggled to understand the real meaning behind your words.

(Also yes, I already started part 2 lol)

[joostabernichtklein]

hii, could you write some headcanons ab dating joost? 《(;´Д`)》

-btw so far your blog seems nice! 🩷

Hey there, anon!

Thank you for our first ever request, make sure to pick some emoji to be our anon :3.

I was not sure if you wanted NSFW as well, so i only did SFW, make sure to send another request if you want NSFW ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝

Dating Joost Klein headcanons✗♡✗♡

Joost may be hesitant to let you fully into his life at first, but with a bit of patience, he's not difficult to love. He's someone who might take time to open up, but once he does, he's genuinely invested in you

He would love to show you off to his friends whenever he gets the chance

Although he would definitely keep your relationship private and off of the internet to avoid the prying eyes and potential judgment from his fandom

I can totally imagine him wanting to help you style your outfit or wanting you to help style his

Matching outfits while you're at home

Doing small acts of service for you feeds his ego so much for sure, so he would spoil you 24/7! I mean after all you're his favourite person, right?

You showed him a cute t-shirt you found online? He already bought it for you, he'd love to suprise you with gifts

Any favourite snack? You don't even have to ask him to grab you some while he´s in the convenience store, getting ready for your movie date night

He would also buy you a lot of stuff after you guys argued, to make up for it

While mentioning that, he'd definitely spend all the free time he has with you, between tours and rehearsals

When he's away, he would send you a mix of funny and cute videos of cat videos on instagram just to make you laugh and feel somewhat closer to him

With that he would also be sending you a lot and i mean A LOT of photos and videos of him and his crew during their travels (private photos as well)

Once he gets home couple's vacation is a must, it doesn't have to be somewhere far, even a quick getaway would be perfect for the two of you to relax and chatch up after not seeing each other for a long period of time

He would make sure that, even through his busy schedule, your relationship would always be a priority

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝

that's it, we hope you like it anon! ( ≧ᗜ≦)

make sure to point out any grammatical errors, since we're not from an english speaking country

see ya later!₊˚⊹♡

[quandledlngle69]

🍡🍡🍡🍡🍡🍡🍡🍡

HELLO MY FAVORITE AUTHOR!!!!( ˘ ³˘)♥︎

CONGRATULATIONS ON GETTING 100 FOLLOWERS MY LIEGE IT IS VERY WELL DESERVED UR WRITING IS ANGELIC🙏🙏

BUT ANYWAYS… im here to make another order since u feed me so well everytime i make a request👅👅

i really wanted to participate in the little 100 followers event but i am sadly not a fan of character x reader x character… so, can i get uhhhh another super pathetic kaiser one where uhhhh hes a vampire willing to burn out in the sun for a hit for human reader bc of how much he actually craves her blood since the last time he tasted her and uhhhhh he kisses the shoes she walks in and asks her to have him as her lover even tho her whole kingdom is against mythical beings or wtv and uhmmmm yeah THANK YEWWWWW

・. ★ HI GORGEOUS ⸜(ˊᗜˋ)⸝ .ᐟ Wait i can't believe I'm your fav author literally giggling and kicking my feet rn AAAAAAAA. thank you thank you thank you omg ily sm. Its totally okay that you don't like character x reader x character, it's not everybodys cup of tea so thats why I put single characters too :3. I'm sorry i was supposed to get this out for you like days ago but i was superrrrr duppper busy with college, I love you sm anon pls don't explode and keep sending me asks shjdjejdje.

☆ CONTENT: A vampire breaks into your bed chambers and bites you, after that he simply won't leave you alone. He begs and begs, even burning himself in the sun just to touch you. But what happens after a long day and his patience runs out, and he'll try everything in the book to get you to agree. ☆ GENRE/THEMES/WARNING: vampires, royalty, kaiser being annoying, reader being royalty, fem!reader, kaiser begging, kaiser knowing reader likes him and using it to his advantage, kaiser being a tease, reader forced into the mating press, kissing, licking, biting, blood, pain, burning, kaiser worshipping reader, kaiser getting reader worked up. 'Eure Durchlaucht' – My Serenity/Highness. 'Bitte' – Please. 'Ich verspreche es' – I promise. 'Prinzessin' – Princess. ☆ PAIRING: Vampire!Kaiser x Royal!Reader. ☆ W.C. 1.4K. ☆ NOTE: This was for my 100 follower event :3 It feels a little rushed and sloppy, i proof read it twice but if theres an mistakes lmk.

Kaiser can only dream about the last time he had tasted your blood. 

A consistency thick and syrupy, like honey, not like the diluted contents of animal blood; no–something so, so sickly sweet, not like the overwhelmingly bitter, sour taste of other noble women. When his long fangs first punctured your skin, it was like biting into a crunchy apple, a sound that would make mortals nauseous, but it only riled him up more. His fangs were anything but dull, sharper than obsidian, it tore through muscles and nerves unapologetically.

The metallic scent of blood and the natural smell of your skin hitting his nose doubled the effect, your legs kicked and thrashed, but it was quickly shut down as he tangled his limbs with yours. You didn’t scream, per say, but the grunts and hisses that erupted from your mouth told Kaiser all he needed to know about the agony you were in. Your hands which fisted his ruffled blouse, sluggishly lost its grip, and only when you went slightly limp in his arms did he detach his lips from your warm skin.

He watched his spit mixed with your blood run down and pool in the crook of your collarbone, the area around the bite marks already blooming an angry red and blue.

The first words he spoke to you was a love confession. It was also the first time a women had slapped him open–palmed in the face. God, could you blame a man like him for being hungry? It's not his fault you left your bed chamber window open. 

Ever since that day, he had not left you alone. 

And even now, as you walk briskly down the empty hallways, you try to ignore the casual sounding strides of footsteps behind you. A sliver of light came from the shut floor curtains, stretching across the corridor to the wall, stepping over it as if it was an object in your way, you stop abruptly, whirling around to see he had paused short before the light. For a moment, his cerulean eyes flashed crimson as they locked onto your neck–he seemed amused, his smirk ever so wide.

“Just one more taste, bitte.” He murmured. 

“No.”

He sighed dramatically, as if your words of denial were an inconvenience. “You're being unreasonable.”

“And you're insufferable.”

His expression is unreadable for a moment, before he reaches out carelessly, exposing his skin to the sun's light to grasp the meat of your upper arm. The sizzling of his flesh was instantaneous, the curling of smoke from the exposed skin finally made you shove him back into the shade and against the wall. He didn’t even seem fazed by the pain, completely ignoring it as you glared at him like he had grown three heads. 

You jabbed at his chest with your manicured nail, “Is your brain that full of madness? Are you that desperate you'll risk turning to a pile of ashes?”

He overlooked your scolding, smiling as if everything was sweet in the world. “I can make it painless this time–”

“–And you could also make yourself disappear.” You snapped, pushing him away before storming off, and this time, he didn’t follow you, watching you turn the corner, disappearing. 

You had almost forgotten the whole interaction, having been worked to the bone all day from your princess duties. By the time the moon had risen to shine upon the kingdom, your body felt like an exhausted pile of jelly. You basked in the quiet atmosphere of your chambers, the warmth from the fireplace as the mattress of your grand bed dipped under your weight. You spread out on your back, your legs dangling off the bed. You could relax–if only for a couple of seconds, before the door swung open.

You just knew from the disregarded manners of knocking, that it could only be one person. You groaned out loud, too vexed to hide the displeasure you were experiencing from his mere presence. 

“Eure Durchlaucht,” he purrs, and your eye twitches. “A simple request, from a very humble subject–”

“Get out.”

He shook his head, tutting under his breath as if you were a disobedient child, shutting the double doors behind him. “Now now, I haven't even said my request.”

You didn't need to hear it fall from his lips to know what he wanted, he had been begging pathetically ever since that day, and you hadn’t gotten any softer. Clearly he was tired from feeding from the criminals in the dungeons, as he described them as ‘virtually disgusting,’ to you. It was that, or him asking you to be his lover for the tenth time after you told him if your dear old father (or the kingdom for that matter) ever found out, he would have been tied to a pole before dawn and left for the sun to finish him off. 

“Kaiser,” you replied coldly, your voice leaving no room for argument. “I said no.”

With heavy lidded eyes, you observed him silently approach, his figure drawing nearer to the foot of the bed. Your eyes search his for his intentions the closer he gets. Your mind working overtime trying to decipher what you could as his leg knocked your knees apart, slotting himself between them. You sit up on your elbows, your heart beginning to stammer in your chest at the proximity. His cologne encases you, something roughly between musky and metallic. His features were indecipherable, his cerulean eyes shining with a certain intensity that made you tremble. He looms over your form on the edge of the bed, and an audible exhale is heard from you, your body warnings going haywire. 

There was nothing malicious coming from him, no–but you had remembered behind the cocky and arrogant front, he really was a beast of the night. Michael Kaiser wasn’t a gentle man, you experienced that first–hand from meeting him. He wasn’t the most patient, either. There was no way your constant denying of feeding hadn’t cut through the thin thread of patience he harboured. At any point in time he could have taken what he wanted, whether you were fighting it or not. 

But he hadn’t.

His voice speaks out in the suffocating silence, his words boring a sense of desperate begging. “Bitte, Princess.” 

His voice breaks you out of your trance, blinking owlishly at him as your body tensed under his hold. “Kaiser, I said–” you swallowed hard, voice barely audible as it trailed off, eyes darting to his chest, anything but meeting his heavy gaze. 

His eyes narrowed at your sudden hesitance, his rough fingertips creeping down your leg, eventually wrapping around your ankle, hostling it up on his shoulder. A gasp tore from your throat at the sudden action, mortification filling you at the suggestive position he put both of you in. 

“Bitte,” he begs again, a little more breathless than before, his lips finding the pulse point on your ankle, kissing it softly. You knew what he was doing, and your breathing rapidly picking up must have emboldened him, as his mouth got bolder, nipping down to the skin of your calf. He was keeping eye contact the whole time, as if quietly commanding you to keep studying his affection towards you.

By the time his mouth had gone past your knee, your chest is heaving, your face down to your neck warm with an almost feverish heat. His pupils were blown wide with an assured starvation and yearning, his blonde strands of hair tickling your sweltering skin made you shiver lavishly, something that wasn’t missed by him. 

“I'll make it painless, Ich verspreche es.” 

He was still begging, but at this point your ears had simply shut off, only paying attention to the sensations he was causing on your body. His finger tapped the outside of your knee, and you mindlessly obliged to his request, giving him more room to settle in between your legs. His eyes flashed with something, as if his patience had truly run out. His big hands slide under both of your thighs, pressing your knees to your chest, forcing you into a mating press, eliciting a loud yelp out of you. 

He was pushing his whole body weight on you, cheeky bastard. The skirt of your nightgown pooled around your hips, your legs bare. His choppy hair tickled your forehead, and you could feel his breath on your cheek. His head dipped even lower, peppering kisses up your jaw. “Bitte–” kiss, “–Bitte–” kiss, “–Bitte.” You almost choked on your own spit. The last straw was when he filthily, deliberately, licked the corner of your quivering lips. 

You finally yell out hoarsely in agreement, bolting upright, almost knocking into his forehead, making him laugh in amusement. Your shaking hand grasped onto his shoulder for stability, feeling feverishly overheated and disgustingly aroused. His hand left one of your twitching thighs to cup over yours, his thumb rubbing your knuckles as he hummed, giving your dumbstruck face a kiss on the cheek.

His nimble fingers skill–fully undid the top buttons of your nightgown, brushing your hair out of the way, leaving your neck, collarbone and shoulder bare to him.

“I knew you would come around, Prinzessin. Now show me that pretty neck.”

Quandaledlngle69 © 2025

・. ★ Credits for Divider.ᐟ: @.sisterlucifergraphics

[mermaidchansons]

Divine Indeed: Part Four

Neighbor!Terry Richmond x Divine Wells (black OC)

Story Recap: After avoiding Terry for a month, Oshun puts Divine directly in Terry's path at a popular Mexican restaurant downtown.

Words: 6300+

Warnings: SMUT, 18+ minors do NOT engage (you’ll be blocked), mommy issues, tism is tisming real bad, cannabis usage

Series Playlist

Author’s Note: Hiii lol I know it's been a while; I've been sick on and off again and dealing with too many hyperfixations. Thanks to whoever left that kind anon message; you really encouraged me to finish this. Thank you, beta boos @juliidoll & @megamindsecretlair <3 - Ashanti

Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3 Pt. 4 Pt. 5

“What, no rubber duckies today?”

Divine paused her music and looked up to see Terry of Level 5. His gorgeously chiseled face twisted up into a devilish smirk. She let a small smile slip, rolling her eyes at him. 

“Oh, you got jokes, huh? I left them at home today, sir.” 

“Don’t worry, you still look good.” 

Terry was taking his time letting his eyes roam over Divine's body. Warmth gathered in her cheeks and she looked away. She looked at her shoes and the ever-dampening concrete beneath them; anything to avoid those eyes. He handed her the ID back and Divine shoved it in her bag, ready to walk in. 

“Hold on now,” Terry stopped her, his hand brushing against her tummy. “Gotta check your bag, make sure you not packing heat.” She giggled, from not only his touch but the idea that she would ever get away with having anything related to ‘heat’ on her person. She opened her bag, allowing him to rummage through its contents.

“I kinda wondered what you did for work. Wait, should I be worried that Chisme needs security?”

“College kids got a little rowdy the other night, you know how 2520s be. Ah, I see you came prepared, got the switch on deck.” 

“I’m surprised you know what that is, grandpa. Did you learn about it when you finally went to the movies,” she teased. 

“Now who’s got jokes, Divine?” Terry looked her up and down before rolling his bottom lip between his teeth. She squeezed her thighs together, a flashback from her dream filling her mind. Don’t say my name like that.

“Yo, there’s other people in the line. Can you two speed this up?”

A record scratch sounded in Divine’s brain as the ill-mannered man behind her interrupted her train of thought. Terry’s face dropped and a wave of seriousness washed over his face. The same look he gave that guy in the gym. The man turned a ghostly pale when his eyes shot to the steel piece in Terry’s holster. It gleamed against the light of the overhead bulb. Was it possible to be intimidated and turned on at the same time?

“Sir, if you want to feel safe in this establishment, you need to exercise some patience. I suggest you let me do my job before I walk your sorry ass off of this property. We good?” 

Divine’s eyes shot between the two men, a small ‘oop’ escaping her mouth. She would always do her best to mind her business, but her face always gave her away. A hushed ‘yes sir’ slipped out of the stranger’s mouth and Terry nodded, before bringing his attention back to Divine. She stood with her mouth agape as his features softened when their eyes met. The look he gave her filled her with warmth, sending her thoughts swirling into nothingness. The look was familiar but distant. It felt like home.

“Head on in, cuteness. Tell Dante at the bar that you’re with me, they’ll take care of you.”

Terry offered a panty-dropping wink and Divine rushed into the bustling restaurant, embarrassed at how quickly she got frazzled. You’re here for enchiladas. Not your fine ass neighbor. ENCHILADAS. Repeating the word in her head like a mantra, she set up her station at the mostly empty bar. 

“Welcome to Chisme. What can I get-”

“Enchiladas with extra red sauce, please. I’m withering away,” Divine sputtered, cutting the bartender off. She watched the person chuckle, amused by her sudden outburst. Her eyes traveled across their floral printed shirt and hovered over the name tag: Dante, they/them. 

The tanned bartender slicked his jet black hair into a bun and nodded with a playful smirk splashed across their face. A wave of embarrassment washed over Divine and tingled in her shoulders until it stung. She scrunched up her face imagining their perception of her. The events that occurred in the line outside had left her frazzled. Her mask nearly slipped. She fixed her mouth to apologize like always but Dante had busied themself with inputting the order behind the bar. You should have just ordered in. Just be normal for one meal. Ice cubes clinked loudly and brought Divine out of her thoughts and back to the bar. A frosty glass of ice water was placed in front of her and she watched a droplet of condensation fall down the side. The sight calmed her anxiousness, washing it away with a single drop. 

“I’m so rude, I didn’t even let you finish your greeting.” Divine eyes flickered with regret but Dante waved her off. 

“Don’t sweat it. You’re the first person tonight who didn’t tell me their whole life story before they ordered.” A chuckle rippled out of their chest and sent signals of ease into Divine’s brain. She unwound her shoulders the rest of the way and they shared a smirk between them. She looked around at the tables of inebriated restaurantgoers, a fresh tray of margaritas making its way to a table of golden singles. Thank the ancestors for headphones. After ordering a crisp glass of cola, she made quick work of unpacking her bag. With the mostly done cardigan in her lap, she set up her station and warned Dante of the impending non-verbal session that was going to take place. 

An hour of Neo Yokio had passed on Divine’s screen by the time she had finished both her cardigan and her food. Well, most of it. The leftover enchiladas and rice would be looked at as a convenient luxury once she was stoned later in the evening. She was watching the characters Gotlieb and Lexy tote off their caprese martini until she felt a large hand on her shoulder. Pausing the show, she looked up to see Terry sitting on the neighboring barstool with ease. His height filled her with both excitement and envy. Some people were blessed with all the height. Meanwhile, she was still waiting on the growth spurt that was promised to her with puberty. 

“What’d you get, Div?” Sparkles sprouted in her tummy at the sound of her shortened name. A man who looked the way he did had no right to sound the way he did. With a deep bass that rumbled in his chest and sent rays of warmth into unsuspecting hearts. It wasn’t fair. Her name would never sound that beautiful in anyone else’s mouth.

“Enchiladas with extra red sauce and a Mexican coke. So y’all know each other,” Divine asked, watching Terry and Dante dap each other up with a smile. 

“Yes ma’am, we go way back,” Dante yelled over the noise of the restaurant, “We met back in the Marines, that’s my road dog. You hungry bro?” 

“I’m good, man. You can put her on my tab, though.” 

Divine looked at him with surprise, her mouth going dry as she tried to will the words to come out. Dante had disappeared to another patron before she could protest. Packing her things away, she made a note to bring Dante a big tip the next time she got paid. 

“It’s pouring out there. I’m done with my shift, let me take you home,” Terry offered, a slick smile pulled at the corners of his cheeks. Divine looked past his broad shoulders to eye the absolute mess of rain and lightning outside. She practically sighed as she recalled her reluctance to get her driver's license. 

“Would that be okay? I don’t wanna impose.” 

Terry stared down at her with an inquisitive smile. He blinked a few times before speaking. “We live in the same building, Divine,” Terry chuckled, grabbing her leftovers and standing. 

She slid off the barstool, fixing her skirt before tucking the rest of her things in her cross-body bag. Apprehension made its home in Divine’s chest as she followed the man to the side service door. He’d left her to her thoughts and headed out into the rain to retrieve his car. 

A black hybrid pickup truck rolled up slowly, glistening from the now pouring rainfall. Terry emerged from the car with an umbrella to protect Divine. Laughs traded between them as she squealed at the sight of it all, water splashing as she stepped through a puddle she couldn’t avoid. His hands lingered on her waist after he helped her up into the truck. Even after he’d begun driving and flowing heat warmed the air, she could still feel his hands seared onto her thick hips. She shivered at the thought of it. Oshun was doing a number today.  

“I always see you wearing those. The world’s too much, huh?” Terry’s eyes flashed over to Divine, watching her take off her headphones.

“Too loud. It’s like the moment I step outside, everything is amplified. I’m-,” she stopped, cutting herself off before beginning again. “Can I be real with you?”

“Shoot.”

“I’m..autistic.” Divine squeezed her eyes shut and winced at what his response might be. It wouldn’t be surprising if his passing interest in her fizzled out at the mention of her disorder. That’s how it had been with many potential suitors before. 

Scarlet, a tall and curvy statuesque woman, had heavily shown her interest and lust for Divine from the moment they’d matched on a WLW dating app. The date was filled with nervousness and excitement until Divine mentioned discovering her disorder. It was as if someone had sucked the life out of the room and the deep brown eyes that had once lit up with interest dimmed with disappointment and disgust. The next morning, Divine awoke to a text from Scarlet. She could only remember bits and pieces from the long-winded explanation of why the alluring woman no longer wanted to see her. Something like ‘your illness is not something I want to deal with further down the line’. For once, Diving was thankful for her brain’s MO to protect her from herself; filing memories away in the hidden filing cabinets of her mind. 

“You’re good, Div. You not the first autistic person I met. And I’m sure you won’t be the last,” Terry nodded with a reassuring tone before offering a soft smile. 

Divine met his eyes for a split second and relaxed into the passenger seat, silently sighing with relief. She watched as he drove with one arm, drinking in the sight of his tall frame. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of his bicep straining against his black muscle shirt. His tattoos and bulging veins made her want to moan like an absolute slut. The pent-up desire from her wet dream flashed in her mind and she shook her head. He’s your neighbor, she thought. The corners of Terry’s full mouth quirked up into a smirk as he pressed down onto the gas pedal a bit, driving faster. 

“If you wanted to stare at me, cuteness, you shoulda shot me a text when I gave you my number. Then you could stare at me longer. Maybe even get a pic.” 

Divine felt heat bloom in her cheeks and averted her gaze out the window at the passing street lights. Feigning annoyance, she rolled her eyes. It was clear that she liked the way he flirted with her- her thighs squeezed together, looking anywhere but at Terry, the smile ghosting on her lips- even if she insisted on lying to herself. The gentle giant could flirt her right out of her panties. 

“You gave me that number for ‘community shit’, remember?” 

They both chortled before settling into a comfortable silence. Divine eyed the pictures clipped to the air vents next to the radio. One of an astute-looking black cat and the other of a smiling young black man with a complexion darker than Terry’s. Curiosity filled her brain but she stopped, remembering that some questions were too personal and could offend; so she settled for the cat. 

“This picture is so cute, is this your little baby?” 

“That ‘little baby’ is a pain in my ass,” he sighed exasperatedly as he pulled into the parking garage of our apartment building. “His name is T’Challa. And I know he’s pissed 'cause I’m three hours behind on dinner.” 

“Ooo, can I meet him?! He’s so cute, Terry.” Divine’s eyes lit up at the idea of meeting the little man. She hadn’t had a pet in years and was starting to have withdrawals. Maybe a visit with T’Challa the cat would tide her over until she decided to bite the bullet.

“Yea, tell me that after you meet his ornery little ass.”

Terry parked the car before glancing over at Divine, amusement dancing in his eyes at the sight of her. She was practically smooshed against the passenger door, maintaining her distance from the delectable man. His gaze caught hers and she found herself getting lost in his eyes. Like she was slipping out of reality and into Terry’s personal domain expansion, the sound of crashing waves playing with her mind. 

“Your eyes are crazy. Like water.” Her words spilled out of her mouth in a hushed tone. She watched as his face melted into an amused, shit-eating grin and her eyes grew wide with realization. Divine was sure she’d only thought the words but by the look on Terry's face, he’d heard every word. She made quick work of grabbing her large purse and leftovers bag as Terry exited the car, making his way to her door. He held it open, offering her a hand as she hopped down from the lifted seat. 

“Like water, huh?” 

“I- my bad, I didn’t realize I said that out loud. Maybe I should meet T’Challa another time.” 

“Nah, you locked in now.” Terry placed his large hand on the small of her back and guided Divine to the elevator. She held her breath at his touch and sent a silent prayer to the ancestors for strength. 

Terry pressed a code into the keypad on the door, opening his apartment and ushering Divine in. She watched as he walked into a different room before walking further in past the foyers. Letting her eyes explore, she took in how ‘Terry’ the apartment was. It was practically a black blank slate, like the outfit he was wearing. Dark walls met dusky mahogany floors, making the air in the room seem still. Both the living room and adjoining kitchen shared the same decorative styles, deep brown furniture and gold accents. The only non-neutral colors were on the only piece of wall art; a poster of the 1977 Star Wars: A New Hope. Divine shook her head as a smile played on her lips, remembering their conversation in the gym. He really is a grandpa. 

A crispy meow grabs her attention, causing her to spin towards the sound. The meow immediately filled her body with free serotonin. A big black cat with pointy ears waltzed out of the back room, stretching his big front paws out until his butt and fluffy tail were in the air. His gold name tag said T’Challa with Wakandan script under it. Divine’s eyes grew wide at the sight of him, squealing on the inside as her twin had taught her. ‘Cats prioritize peace over affection. If you’re too excited, they will ignore you’. Divine kept her excitement at bay, as T’Challa scampered over and sniffed her. 

“Quality check, I understand, little man,” Divine murmured as she looked down at the fluffy cat sniffing her pink sneakers and legs. But when T’Challa rubbed his body onto her leg, she wanted to sob. She’d missed the wistful feeling of having a cat pay attention to you. 

“You’re the first stranger he’s done that to. My bad for the wait, I had to find his meds,” Terry chimed as he walked into the living room, now dressed in a t-shirt and joggers. All black. 

“Terry, he’s rubbing into me! He’s so cute. I could cry right now, I would die for him.” 

Terry chuckled as he took a look at Divine’s face; her pretty brown lips fixed into a pout. Her eyes were practically welling as she bent down to give T’Challa back scratches. She didn’t even care that the mask had slipped. The feel of the cat’s coat was like a muscle relaxer.

“Shit, you can have him. All he do is eat and bother me. Don’t even pay rent.” 

“Oh please, y’all probably be cuddling and shit every night. That used to be me and my cat Chauncy. He was a gray tabby who loved to snuggle next to me in bed. I even knitted him a crochet bonnet to match mine. Haven’t had another pet since.” 

“Well, Chauncy was very lucky to have you when he did. You can come visit T’Challa anytime, Div.” 

Divine felt Terry’s gaze on her but kept her eyes on the stretched-out cat making air biscuits. “What kind of cat is he?” She looked up at Terry and continued to use her short nails to give T’Challa scratches, the vibrations of his purring tickling her hands. 

“He’s a Maine coon. Somebody was giving away a litter and, on a whim, I chose the black one. First cat I’ve ever owned. That learning curve kicked my ass.” 

“Of course, you chose a black kitten,” Divine chuckled, “look at your apartment, your clothes. All black everything.” 

Terry hummed and moved to the kitchen, opening a cabinet and making a paper rustling noise. T’Challa’s ears twitched at the sound of falling kibbles clinking into a metal bowl. His little slitted pupils grew wide and he shot up, leaving Divine to run to the kitchen. T’Challa’s belly swang back and forth when he trotted, making it look like his tummy had a mind of its own. The burning stretch of the deep squat finally got to Divine and she stood with a groan. 

“I’m a simple man and black and grey are easy choices. I’m sure your apartment is as colorful as you are, cuteness. You’ll have to give me a tour someday.” Terry crossed his bulky arms, a sleeve curling up and revealing a tattoo as it stretched against him. Her vision went hazy for a moment. He was the type of man you only read about in romance novels. The ones with a woman in a ripped bodice on the cover that moms loved to borrow from the library. A sort of trance took over her when the next words escaped her mouth.

“You can come see it now if you want.” 

“I’m down. Lead the way, Divine.” His full lips stretched into an amused smile that made his features light up with an air of mirth. Divine nodded curtly, walking out of the front door as Terry held it open for her. It didn’t take long for the elevator to come. The moment they step in, Divine starts in on her recent hyperfixation. Explaining the ins and outs of it, recalling details, and sharing fun facts. A weird mix of nervousness and excitement had bounced between them. And Terry just listened, smiling at her as her excitement came off in waves. He was eating up everything she shared. By the time they arrive at her apartment, she’d still yammering about the same topic. What started as a fix for under-stimulation now moved into a full-blown conversation. Questions and answers were flowing between them like water. 

“Welcome to my crib, MTV.” Divine opened up the door to her apartment, leading him in with a wave of her arm. Terry shook his head at the deep cut and stepped on the door mat, placed inside the apartment rather than out. Reading the mats’ words ‘bitch don’t wear no shoes in my house’ made him chuckle and he obliged, stepping out his slides. 

“I’m having a sensory overload with this damn fleece hoodie, I gotta go change. Make yourself at home, okay?” 

He watches as she steps on the back of her pastel sneakers and pads off in lobster-patterned socks. Barely fighting off a chuckle, Terry ventures further into her apartment. The layout was the same with the kitchen and living room melding into one another. It was just as colorful as Divine; steeped in pastels and eye-catching patterns. Stepping into the kitchen, he takes notice of how clean it is. No dishes were piled in the sink but every bit of used counter space looked well lived in. Hints of lemon and vanilla hit his senses while he took inventory of the kitchen. Pink appliances tucked everywhere and bags of Japanese snacks were neatly organized in a wicker basket. Walking to the fridge, the bubblegum pink surface was littered with knick-knacks and elaborate magnets that held up papers; a reminder to pick up more paprika, a concert ticket to King Woman, and a pink menu for ‘Grandma’s Baby’ coffee shop. Terry was a regular there; it’s been a part of his daily routine for years now. Red circles were drawn sloppily around a few items. Sweet potato latte. Almond croissant. He makes a mental note of her selections, saving it for later. 

Divine’s bare feet plod into the living room, now dressed in a comfy sleep romper with bear ears sewn to the hood; the result of recreation of an item she saw online. Walking into the kitchen, she let out an audible ‘tee-hee’ as she retrieved two pink mugs from a cabinet. Terry was standing with his feet shoulder-width apart, his right hand over his left; she wondered if he slept like that too.

“You’re off the clock, Terry,” she joked over her shoulder, grabbing a small jar filled with loose tea leaves, “Go sit on the couch or something. You smoke?” Her insides flipped when he chuckled, his deep voice echoing in her apartment. She kept it together, focusing on starting up her electric kettle.

“Nah, gotta stay sharp. I’m cool if you do, though.” 

A flickering light caught Terry’s attention in the corner of his eye. Multiple candles were lit on a table against the right wall of Divine’s living room. Walking over slowly, he eyed the crystals and herbs wrapped in twine. He kept his hands in his pockets, remembering Grandma Thérèse’s warning to never touch anything on other folks' ancestor tables. Four ornate picture frames with photos of black and brown folk who looked akin to Divine were strategically placed behind small golden bowls. His eyes traveled up from the table to the painting hanging above. A faceless woman with reddish-brown skin walked in the middle of an ocean, waves crashing on either side of her. She was wrapped in canary yellow and gold with her hands outstretched. The more he looked at the faceless woman, the more he lost himself in the painting. He could almost hear the waves crashing against the barrier around her. 

“I hope you like peppermint tea.” 

Divine’s voice pulled Terry back to the present, the waves no longer crashing in his ears. He turned on his heel and joined Divine on her plush powder blue couch. Divine felt his eyes on her as she tucked her thick legs beneath her. Feeling a question bubble in her mind, she opted to reach for the resin pen in her pocket and inhaled deeply. Their eyes met as she continued to inhale, not stopping until the pen blinked. She immediately regretted her decision, coughing wildly and sending thick puffs of smoke. A look of concern colored Terry’s face and she waved him off, practically hacking up a lung. 

“I’m good,” Divine coughed out, holding up her hand in a ‘thumbs up’ position as her breathing calmed down. This was a nightly routine for her; coming home from a long day, settling in with a mug of tea, and getting absolutely zooted off the weed.

“Damn, thought we almost lost you, cuteness.” 

Terry picked up his mug from the coffee table and let the warmth seep into his hands. Peppermint and brown sugar filled his senses as he took a sip. It was sticky sweet, the mint leaving a cooling sensation when he breathed through his mouth. When he looked up again, Divine was smiling as she tapped on her phone. “It’s hitting, huh?” 

Divine only giggled at Terry’s question and nodded in response, connecting her phone to the pink speaker in the corner. Soft music swirled into the air from Divine’s ‘Reclaiming My Time’ playlist. The weed hit in the best way, where she was not too gone. There was no haze in her mind, but she was comfortably numb and hyper-aware of her surroundings.

Terry’s eyes drifted to the painting above her ancestor table, still curious about the woman in the waves. “Why does that painting feel so… familiar?” 

“Ah, I see Oshun has caught your eye. She tends to do that. Orisha of water and love, among other things. Folk usually invoke her through rituals for love or fertility,” Divine noted, looking at the painting through her heightened gaze. She let out a rough sigh, thinking of how much the owner of her head had tortured her in the last couple of months. Adjusting the strands of time to put her in Terry’s view, pushing them towards each other. 

“Oshun means well but sometimes, she pisses me off. My mom always told me ‘Where all other orisha fail, Oshun makes the impossible, possible.’ But if she could just stop trying to make everything change, that’d be great.” Shrugging, Divine pulled her pink afro bubble braids into a lazy bun. 

He puffed out a breath as he quirked up an eyebrow. “You do know change is inevitable.. right?” 

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Divine stuck her tongue out at him, crossing her arms over her ample chest. “You know, you could also be a child of Oshun with those eyes. So stormy and vast.” 

She reached out her hand, grasping Terry’s chin softly. With the weed in her system, her mask was nowhere to be found and now she was 150% Divine. A ball of hornyness, gamer rants, and audacity. She’d been fighting herself from texting him for a month. But now he was in her apartment, on her couch. He’s just too pretty, Divine thought as she absent-mindedly brushed her thumb over his full bottom lip.

Terry wrapped his large hand around her wrist, softly holding her in place. “If my eyes are so ‘stormy and vast’, how come you didn’t text me? I’d look at you all night if you asked me to.” 

The deep bass in his voice wrapped around Divine like a velvet blanket, filling her with warmth. Their gaze locked onto each other's for a moment. Heat swarmed her middle from the tender touch of his skin on hers. Why didn’t she text him? Her brain searched for the answer, imagining a spinning lottery wheel that landed on a blank. She cleared her throat, trying her best to deter her need to feel his lips against hers. 

“Change is hard. Good or bad, dude.” Divine released his chin, slipping her wrist from his touch. The sounds of a Halsey song flowed into the air, filling the moment of silence. “I’ll give you my number now if you still want it?” 

Terry’s full lips spread into a lazy smirk and he reached into his pocket, placing his phone in Divine’s outstretched hand. His eyes hovered over her thick thighs folded beneath her. He suppressed a groan and instead focused on Divine taking a selfie with his phone for her contact ID. It was hard not to stare at her. A couple of pink braids had fallen out of her bun and when she smiled, her tooth gems gleamed in the low light of the room. He couldn’t remember the last time he let himself be into someone. Imagining date scenarios, spending way too much time staring at her lips, thinking of ways to get closer to Divine. He was enthralled. 

“So, I noticed the other picture in your truck. Is that your brother?” Divine watched as his smirk faded away. She handed him his phone back. Terry’s gaze drifted off as he thought of Mike. Memories replayed in his mind. The sound of distant radio police chatter buzzed in his brain. His jaw flexed as he returned his eyes to hers, deliberating how to tell her what went down that led to Mike’s death. Terry scooted closer to her, their thighs touching. 

Terry placed a large hand on her thigh. “Do me a favor and look up my name online,” Terry instructed. Divine tapped on her phone quickly, unlocking the phone and running a search under his name. 

He let out a sigh as her eyes grew wide, no doubt surprised by the headlines that populated. Divine scanned her eyes over the words of the article, careful to not get lost in the words on the screen. Former marine and courthouse clerk take vigilante approach to bringing down the corrupt police department of Shelby Springs. Terry Richmond avenges cousin, brings real justice. Inmate Michael R. Simmons one of many pressure points of the Shelby Springs Conspiracy. She put a hand to her chest as a chill washed over her. Waves of shock, anger, and immense sadness crashed into her. 

“The last time I saw Mike alive, they were transporting him to a federal prison. I was racing on my bike next to the prison bus, desperately trying to see him. Warn him. It’s on me.” Terry stopped talking as Divine placed her hand over his. She quickly wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling his large frame in for a tight hug. Terry froze for a moment before melting into the hug. He nuzzled into the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent of her cinnamon-forward perfume. 

“I’m so sorry that happened to you, Terry.” Divine squeezed as hard as she could, smooshing her plush body against his hard one. “I can’t even imagine losing someone like that.” 

Terry’s large hand rubs warm circles into her back. He could feel every ounce of comfort radiating out of her through her hug. Smiling, he felt the ripples of the sherpa fleece fabric wrapped around her. 

“I don’t mean to put anything on you, Div. It’s been three years, don’t trip.” 

“Terry of Level 5, if you don’t hush up and let me comfort you.” Divine leaned back slightly, frowning exasperatedly at him as their breath mingled. Terry dissipated the distance between their faces and pressed his full lips against hers in a chaste, tender kiss. Divine sat stunned, their arms still around each other. Her lower half was practically vibrating. 

“What you gone do if I don’t? Hmm?” Terry challenged, flicking his gaze between her brown sugar eyes and her pouty lips. Something clicked in Divine’s mind as Prince’s ‘The Beautiful Ones’ began to play on the speaker and she returned her lips to his. A rough groan left his lips and he tightened his arms around her shapely waist. Divine felt like she was being bathed in warm water, the slight sting of her skin being set ablaze by his touch. Like rays of sunlight shining through the rain. Maybe it was the lyrics or the weed; or the fact that she’d been wet for this man for hours. Something was moving her past her previous reluctance and deepening the kiss.

He kissed her slowly, cautiously; like she would run at any second. Gripping her by her waist, he pulled her into his lap and she squealed in between kisses. Divine savored the taste of him, the cool peppermint tea and warming brown sugar filled her senses. Vibrations traveled through her body from the blend of weed and lust. She could feel Oshun in him.

She lifted her lips from his, humming when she felt his hands caressing and gripping her rolls and curves. Looking down into his grayish blue eyes she brought her plump lower lip between her teeth. 

“Not you looking at me like that while you got Prince playing in the background. You tryna seduce me, Divine?” Terry’s deep voice reverberated in her chest, his hands continuously roaming over her back and thick behind. She giggled at his breathy accusation and retrieved her phone from the other side of the couch. Moving to straddle his thigh, she flipped through her playlist. Her hips move on their own accord, the delicious friction teasing her throbbing bead of nerves.

“Nah. If I was trying to seduce you, I’d play this song,” Divine cooed, changing the song to ‘Tear You Apart’ by She Wants Revenge before tossing her phone. Terry gave her an impressed nod and moved in to press open mouthed kisses along her chin, jaw, and down her neck. His large hands gripped her thick hips, guiding her to grind against his thigh. Terry leaned his head back to watch the cute little deity whimper as she humped his thigh. The lyrics of the song filled the space around them, egging her on.

Its cute in a way, till you cannot speak

And you leave to have a cigarette, your knees get weak

An escape is just a nod and a casual wave

Obsessed about it, heavy for the next two days

“Go ahead and take what you need, Divine. Mhm,” Terry hummed in approval, softly squeezing and kneading the soft flesh of her behind. She ground onto his thigh desperately, chasing the same orgasm she’d felt in her dream that morning. The weed in her system made her hyperconscious of each touch, kiss, and squeeze. Dancing in and around her veins. Like lightning trapped in a ball, thrashing erratically at the walls; moments from breaking out.

I want to hold you close

Skin pressed against me tight

Lie still, and close your eyes girl

So lovely, it feels so right

Smoothing her hands from his shoulders to the sides of his face, she pressed her lips to his once more. Sliding her tongue along his bottom lip, beckoning his mouth to open to her. “Fuck you’re pretty,” Divine says breathlessly, smiling down at him with dilated pupils. 

“Nah, that’s you, cuteness. Look at you chasing that nut. You been thinking about me, pretty girl? Been waiting for this, huh?” Terry held Divine’s jaw and she nodded furiously, her lower half never ceasing her movements. He guided her closer to rest her forehead on his. Praise kink, praise kink, PRAISE KINK, Divine thought to herself.

“Oh fuck, keep talking to me like that and I’m gonna cum.” 

I want to hold you close

Soft breasts, beating heart

As I whisper in your ear

I want to fucking tear you apart

When Terry felt her thighs shaking, he moved his large hand from her ass to cup her breast; his thumb immediately found her nipple through the fabric, rubbing tight circles around her stiffened peak. The coil in Divine’s middle tightened hurriedly, chasing her orgasm. 

“Just like that, pretty girl. Let go for me, Divine,” Terry rasped directly into her ear, becoming her undoing. The coil snapped at his words, her body seized up as an orgasm ripped through her. Divine could practically hear fireworks popping in her ears as she squirted, looking directly into Terry’s stormy eyes as she made a mess of both their clothes. Her hips bucked sporadically and he smoothed his hands up and down her back. 

“That’s it. There you go, Div.” 

Divine laid her head on his shoulder, catching her breath. “Fuck, Terry.” Her mind was spinning, trying to readjust to reality. The orgasm had kicked her soul out of her body before dragging it back in. Rain patted against the window outside as if on queue. Like Oshun was applauding Divine for letting go for once. 

Her hand traveled lazily down Terry’s chest and he grasped her wrist before she got to the tent in his joggers. She pouted before giggling, the high still working on her. 

“Nah, I need you sober for that. Don’t worry, cuteness, I’ll be playing in that pussy later,” Terry smirked, chuckling as she rolled her eyes at him. Her small protest was only built out of hornyness. Hearing how he talked her through it, Divine knew better than to argue with the gentle giant beneath her. Hell, if anything, that made her excited to experience him fully. Men with boundaries would always be a green flag, but damn if he kept this up, she was going to find a way to keep him hostage. Yawning, Divine shifted from straddling his thigh to sitting on the couch beside him. 

Grabbing her forgotten phone, she winced when she saw 11:45 PM on top of her capybara background. Sober Divine’s gonna be pissed. “I don’t mean to ‘toot it and boot it’ but I really need to sleep before I fuck up Sober Divine’s sleep schedule.” 

“Oh, Sober Divine? So she’s the one in charge.” Terry’s muscular frame unfolded as he stood from the couch, his chuckle ringing out amongst the rain and the soft music. He picked up the two mugs and crossed into the kitchen. “How pissed is Sober Divine gonna be when she finds out that her little game of playing hard to get has been squashed?” 

Resting her head on the arm of the couch, Divine watched as Terry moved through her bubblegum pink kitchen. The muscles in his back flowed and stretched as he washed the two mugs. 

“That’s Sober Divine’s problem. I’m good,” Divine cooed, smiling softly after yawning again. He seemed so big in her kitchen, using a rainbow towel to dry the newly cleaned dishes. His tall black clad form stuck out amongst the pastel decor around him. She wanted to kick her feet like she was watching a rom-com come to life. When Terry walked to the front door to slip on his slides, Divine practically skipped over to him. 

“Alright cuteness, let me get out your pink hair.” He fixed Divine’s hood over her hair, pinching the teddy bear ears attached to it. Kissing her forehead softly, he murmured a ‘goodnight’ and left out the door. 

The events on the couch replayed in Divine’s mind and she missed him already. How was that even possible? Quickly, she opened her front door and looked down the hallway to see Terry waiting for the elevator. 

“Pssst! Terry!” The whisper carried through the hall and he frowned in confusion before eyeing Divine peeking her head into the hallway. Terry smirked and walked back over to her with his hands in his pockets. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Can you kiss me one more time? I don’t know when Sober Divine’s gonna get her act together,” Divine asked, gazing up at him with so much lust her pupils practically took the shape of hearts. 

“Just one. Then I gotta get out here before you eat me alive.” He cradled her jaw in his hand, squeezing her cheeks together. Divine nodded briskly, causing a low laugh to pulsate in his chest. Leaning down, he pressed a tender kiss to her lips. It was soft but earth-shattering. Incredibly sexy but intimate. When he pulled back, her eyes stayed closed, savoring the moment. She could feel her heart beating wildly against the confines of her chest and she nodded again. Terry pressed a soft kiss to her forehead once more before telling her to ‘go to sleep’ and leaving with a grin bigger than the Cheshire Cats'.

Thanks for reading! xoxo

@babybluepeaches @muse-of-mbaku @melaninmarvel @naturallyqueenie @howtoshuckatlife @goldieccentric @archivistofwakanda @alexundefined @minyara-kun @destinio1 @raysunshine78 @madamslayyy @notdsg @ghostfacekill-monger @soufcakmistress @greennightspider @bitchacho25 @jordanhelah @puremolasses @ajspencer1892 @monochrome-pineapple @psuedo4 @bubblyqueen @chaneajoyyy @blowmymbackout @tchallasbabymama @megamindsecretlair @nahimjustfeelingit-writes s @jvzmine19 @ashanti-notthesinger @onherereading @blackmoonchilee

[starry-sophrosyne]

FINAL COMMUNITY UPDATE! :

I'm SO sorry for this long awaited update, I truly cannot believe that you all put up with me and my WEEKS of worth of delay and lying about publication, it's so incredibly ridiculous but I can only thank you all over and over again for your dedicated patience ( ´ ᗣ ` )՞

I have finally have big news about the community, which is that the community is finally ready to be joined! If you desire to join, please send a dm to one of the moderators (@crashingstar69 @sopping-wet-cat-wizard @second-best-daisy @the-tcclique @sussybaka42069 or me, maybe not @vernnationembassador as they aren't available on the weekdays), and they will get back to you with an invite as soon as they can. Please be patient while waiting for your invitation however, as we are still busy ppl irl with personal lives and work or school of some sorts. ( ´﹀` ) /lh

General rules will be provided through the guidelines, but I'm putting them here as initial reminders for those who want to join, and also to be more in-depth/explicit about them. Please let me or any of the other moderators know if you have any other questions! Otherwise, thank you so much! ٩(ˊᗜˋ)و

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1. Do NOT send the invite link to anyone else, invites are sent by moderators only. Doing so will result in a temporary ban. Feel free to tell a mod about somebody who wants to join the community, as blogs without any rpf interaction will need some sort of voucher in order to join.

2. Please note that you will have to join the community as your main blog, as communities do not allow side blogs to join. We hope this feature will be added in the future, but as of now, we cannot do anything to change that. If you do not wish to join the community for this reason, that's a completely acceptable decision, we will not take that personally at all. ( ´ ˘ ` ) /gen

3. Please read the pinned rules posted in the community before you go off posting anything. After that, you're free to go! And again, me alongside all the other moderators of the community thank you guys so much for all your patience!

[allylikethecat]

More matty sickfics please!!

Hello Kind Anon! I know you spent this back in December and I took ten thousand million years to write something, but alas here we are, I have finally completed a Sick Fic Tumblr Prompt fill. It might not be *exactly* what you are looking for, for which I apologize (I promise I am working on something about the IV situation at the end of SATVB) BUT I am happy that I managed to write *something* and am going to try really hard to get through some more of the wonderful prompts in my inbox now that I have finished the January OTP Prompt situation. Thank you again for the request! Let me know your thoughts (and if it's really not what you wanted please let me know and I'll try and write you another one!) Thank you for the support and have a great rest of the week- it's almost the weekend and happy February!

❤️Ally

Matty sickfic

“We’re rescheduling the show,” said George grimly, shaking his head even as Matty opened his mouth to argue. 

“And don’t you even try and start,” George said, silencing him before he even had a chance to try and speak. He crossed his arms over his chest like a pouting child and sunk deeper into the blankets.

The concierge doctor, George felt bad, he didn’t remember his name, that had been called in to attend to him chuckled, adjusting the IV drip that Matty was attached too. Matty winced, the movement changing the flow of the cold fluids being delivered straight to his bloodstream. George wasn’t sure what was in the IV bag and he was almost afraid to ask, the answer would tell him just how sick Matty really was.  

“I’ll be back to check on you in about an hour and change your drip,” he said kindly, “why don’t you try and get some rest?” 

Matty tried to sigh dramatically but his theatrics were interrupted by a coughing fit, the sound wet and painful as his chest rattled, causing both George and the doctor to wince. Matty curled further in on himself. The air smelt of sickness and the cool, minty, scent of menthol was heavy in the room from the Vicks George had rubbed onto the skin of Matty’s chest. It made George’s eyes water as he sat down on the edge of the bed, hovering over Matty, as the doctor took his leave. Matty hadn’t even complained about the Vicks, his hatred of menthol well known, too congested to smell it even though it’s purpose was to clear his sinuses. 

“Do you want me to call down and get you some soup?” George asked, his heart aching with the desperate need to be helpful, to fix Matty somehow, to make everything better. 

“No,” Matty rasped, “hurts to swallow.” The and talk went unsaid. 

He looked proper miserable, his nose red and irritated, his eyes wet and glassy with fever. It felt like as time went on, Matty became sicker and sicker, looking worse and worse instead of getting better. George bit his lip, and wondered if the concierge doctor their tour manager had summoned to the hotel had been the right call. He wondered if he should have insisted on taking Matty to the hospital himself when he woke to him clutching his tight chest, coughing so hard he could barely take a breath, tears streaming down his face as he wheezed. 

George opened his mouth, he wanted to argue that he needed to eat something, he needed to keep his strength up. But the doctor’s instructions rang in his ears. Get some rest. 

“Wait,” Matty wheezed, reaching out weakly to grab at the sleeve of George’s hoodie when he went to stand, intending on heading into the living room of their suite, leaving Matty to get some rest. “Stay.” 

“Okay,” said George, folding easier than he knew he should. He could never deny Matty anything, especially when he was ill. He kicked off his trainers and swung his legs up onto the bed, adjusting his position so that he was leaning against the headboard, careful of the IV line attached to Matty. 

Matty let out a little huff, and started wiggling, positioning himself so that he was half on top of George, half on the mattress, his head resting on George’s chest. He looked so young, so helpless and miserable that it made George’s heart ache as he ran his fingers through Matty’s sweaty, gray streaked curls. He sniffled, nuzzling his face into the divot between George’s pecks, the fabric of George’s long sleeve washer worn tee shirt soft against his cheek. George had a feeling that when he inevitably stood up he was going to have a wet drool and snot patch on his chest. It was objectively gross, but George didn’t care because it was Matty. He could never find anything related to Matty gross and the man had thrown up on him, more than once. 

“I don’t want to disappoint the kids,” rasped Matty, not lifting his head from George’s chest as he spoke. George felt his heart break all over again. Matty was always giving pieces of himself away, always pushing himself to the absolute limit to try and make other people happy. He gave himself away and away until there was hardly any pieces of himself left. 

“I think they’ll understand,” said George softly, “you can barely hold your head up, let alone talk. If you can’t talk, how are you supposed to sing?”

“They’ve been lining up for days,” Matty said before breaking out into a cough. 

“And you can’t even take a breath without coughing,” George reasoned. 

“They’ll understand, your health needs to come first, and if they don’t fuck ‘em, that’s not the kind of kids I want at our show anyway then,” George said.

He knew that even if Matty wouldn’t admit it, he had the bad habit of reading his own press. He had seen every vile word written about him the last nine months. He took it in stride, gritting his jaw and keeping his chin up even as his light, the spark that made him Matty dimmed. George knew that the media wasn’t going to be kind when they announced that they were rescheduling the show. He knew that their so-called fans would be even more vicious, especially the ones that had been lined up for days, caring more about the perfect TikTok video than the health of their so-called idol. 

“I just want the tour to be over,” Matty said at last with another sniffle. Oh no thought George, he was starting to cry. “I just want to go home,” he hiccuped, turning his face into George’s chest again, “Please George, can we just go home.” 

“Soon love,” said George, scratching lightly at Matty’s scalp. When he was no longer attached to the IV, and if he felt up to it later, George wanted to help him take a shower, knowing clean hair always made Matty feel better. 

“I’m just so tired,” Matty said and George squeezed his eyes shut, his own eyes welling with tears at how broken, how burnt out Matty sounded. He knew that Matty wasn’t talking about just right now but of existing in general. 

“I know love,” said George softly, “try and get some rest.” 

He pressed a kiss to Matty’s damp curls and held him as he cried, desperately wishing that he could do more.

[appalachiancowboy99]

Special Thank You and WIP Update!

Photos by @restingmadface

Wow. What a year it's been, huh? I know, I know, I'm a month too late for New Years, but I wanted to stop by anyway and make an update post for y'all! I've been wracking my brain for the last couple of weeks, trying to figure out exactly what I want to say here, but everything is far too jumbled for me to pinpoint the exact thoughts in a cohesive manner. So, just bear with me as I try to comb through the mess and pick out the most important bits! 💕😁

First of all, I wanna thank each and every single one of y'all for the love you've given me 💕 It's hard for me to fathom that over 170 of you decided to stick around and give me your continued support! Not to mention over 1,000 of you took the time to interact with After Dark (Hold on a minute while I go CRY)!!!!! It means the world to me that y'all enjoy my little ramblings, although far and few between they might be. Without y'all, I wouldn't have had the courage to continue working on this ole' blog. So, thank you so so so much for each little heart, comment, and interaction- they never go unnoticed by me!

The friendships I've made within this community in the last year will last me a lifetime. I hadn't expected to meet so many kind people and form such long lasting relationships. So, I wanna give the biggest of thank-yous to: @photo1030, @tortureddpoett, @grymghoul, @emerald-ranch, @pinescent-and-gingerbread, @zae-heeyyy, @cassietrn, @moeitsu, @twola, @redwritr, @wipidek, @subpopizzy, @coltermorning, @amorgansgal and so many more that I've gotten the pleasure to interact with over the last year. I love each and every single one of you dearly and I'll always be wishing you absolutely nothing but the best! 💕

Now onto the juicy bits:

From here on out I wanna focus more energy into keepin' y'all updated instead of just having long bouts of time between posting- even if that means a work in progress post every other month! So, I suppose this'll be my first post to start the year off right! I have two current WIPs that are listed on my Masterlist:

A Cure for the Common Cold (ask/one-shot)

The Heart of an Outlaw - Chapter 1: Gone Honeymooning

Both of those works will be out within the year, though, the ask/one-shot will be posted much sooner than the first chapter of the series! There's just so much I got cookin' up in my brain, so thank y'all so much for being patient with me as I flesh these bad boys out! As promised, here's a little snippet from A Cure for the Common Cold:

-

He could watch you like this forever: hair haphazardly pinned up in a bun, wet curls clinging to the base of your neck, cheeks flushed, and eyes fluttering shut as your lips wrap around the red-ripened, fleshy fruit of the strawberry he offers you. Sweetness rolls over your tongue for the first time in what feels like weeks, coming in cresting waves of pleasure with each decadent bursting of flavor as you chew. Though, nothing is as pleasurable as the comforting warmth of his chest behind you, or how his left arm is slung lazily around the softness of your middle beneath the steaming, sudsy water like an anchor planting you right where you need to be.

Lazy, wet kisses brush over the ball of your shoulder, rounding up the supple dip of your neck in a delicate dance of tender passion. It's a subtle shift there, but you feel it. Right there in the pit of your stomach it simmers like a kettle over a roaring flame.

"You like that?" He hums when the soft touch of his lips meets the shell of your ear.

Oh, what you wouldn't give to turn your head and press your lips to his. He's right there, mere inches away from giving you what you want. But there in lies the game: no lip-smacked affection or the smothered press of love's promise, lest you infect him with the very cold that's plaguing you.

A/N: WIP snibbit is subject to change in the final post! Sending y'all some additional love 🤗💕

[beefcakekinard]

43 + 45 for bucktommy 💕💕💕

43. falling asleep with their head in your lap +

45. running hands through hair

In the unflattering fluorescent hospital lighting, in a hard plastic visitor's chair, Evan looks wan. The light hits his face at odd angles, dragging down the deep bags under his eyes, draining his skin of its colour, its rosy vital glow.

Tommy has never seen anyone look so beautiful.

"Hey, baby," he rasps. He tries to clear his throat and ends up in a coughing fit that sets pain lancing through his body. Evan's eyes widen and in his rush to get a straw between Tommy's lips, he spills water on Tommy's chest.

"Hey, hey, it's good to see you awake," Evan says as Tommy sips his water. "How are you feeling?"

Tommy lets the straw go and tries to take stock. He looks down at himself - his left leg is in a cast from his hip down, as is his left arm. They both hurt in a dull, vague way, same as his ribs and his head. There's an IV line running through the back of his right hand. His stomach turns a little at the sight so he looks away. He's not great with needles.

"It hurts," he says, frowning. He looks back up at Evan, who plasters a fake smile on his face. "What happened?"

Evan takes his hand, carefully, cups Tommy's fingers between both of his hands without jostling the IV. "You don't remember?"

Tommy shakes his head and decides never to do that again when it makes the room spin.

"You were- there was an accident," Evan says, stroking his thumb down the back of Tommy's index finger. "You, uh, you got hit by- by a car."

"Oh." Tommy looks into Evan's eyes. They're so pretty. "Really?"

Evan smiles a little - this one is real, Tommy can tell. "Yeah. What's the last thing you remember?"

Tommy thinks, tries to grasp the memory of what he was doing before he woke up. It's hard to hold onto any one thought - it's like chasing bubbles. The second he gets his hands on one, it pops, gone. Evan likes to blow bubbles for Jee. She runs through them, twirling until each and every one is gone, and asks again, again! It's so cute it makes Tommy giggle.

"What's so funny, huh?" Evan asks. He's smiling still, kind of, but he looks confused.

"You're so cute," Tommy explains. He knows Evan will get what he means. Evan always gets what he means. Case in point: he laughs, which makes Tommy smile even more because he loves that sound.

"You enjoying that morphine, babe?"

Tommy almost shakes his head - but then he remembers he shouldn't. "I don't like morphine. It makes me nauseous." He pulls his hand out of Evan's hold and presses his thumb to Evan's birthmark. It fits his thumb so perfectly. Like Cinderella's shoe. "I like you, Cinderella."

Evan laughs for real, then, big and loud, and Tommy feels proud of himself. It's his job to make Evan happy. His hand is dislodged, but he raises it again, landing it in Evan's hair. It doesn't feel like gel, like he's used to, all he feels are Evan's soft curls, and he could get addicted to how they glide under his fingers. He pulls Evan closer, then down, so he's resting his head on Tommy's hip, and Tommy doesn't have to lift his hand so high to touch his hair. Evan's still smiling up at him.

"You look tired," Tommy says. Evan proves his point by yawning.

"I'm fine. You're the one who needs his rest." Evan lays a hand on Tommy's knee. He likes it, he always likes when Evan touches him.

"You can sleep," Tommy says. He traces his thumb across Evan's dark under-eye, making his eyelashes flutter, and on his way back to burying his fingers in Evan's hair he presses his thumb into Evan's birthmark again. "I want you to."

"Will you sleep if I do?"

"Yeah," Tommy lies. He thinks Evan sees through him, because Evan knows him so well, but he still closes his eyes and nuzzles against Tommy's hip.

Tommy focuses on brushing his fingers through Evan's hair, letting his curls bounce back into shape before he reaches them again, following the soothing rhythm of Evan's breathing. He loses track of time; it drips, slow like the motion of his fingers, slow like his thoughts that remain out of reach, and before he has a chance to notice it, his own eyes have grown heavy.

He falls back asleep in pain, still - but with Evan's head a welcome weight on his hip, Evan's hand on his knee, his fingers tangled up in Evan's hair, it's easy to ignore.

[nedeii]

[theholmwoodfoundation]

Starting to get Season One episodes back from our sound designer! It’s all coming together 🦇🦇🦇

[snkyou]

Drabble Prompt: Post-canon Levi, struggling with chronic pain and mourning his dead loved ones, being visited by his still alive loved ones

Anon, you knew how to talk pretty to me <3

hihi requests are still open btw

I feel like I gotta put a disclaimer or something lmao. So, the length of my drabble requests is usually something between 100-400 words. This request is just an incredibly unexpected exception. it just happened to fit into this idea I already had been thinking of, which was how the remaining 104th would ask Levi to be part of important events in their lives because well, they like the dude lmao, so expect that sort of one-shot soon. Additionally, since I kept reminding myself that this was supposed to be a drabble, I might have glossed over the chronic pain and mourning bits so I'm sorry about that ;;

that being said, 2.4k words of Levi and Gabi be upon ye <3

Now on Ao3!

The angry hissing of the kettle makes him flinch. It brings a loud ringing to his right ear. Instinctively, he places his right hand over it, and gives his ear a couple of gentle taps; it's more of a grounding gesture, a distraction from the buzzing. He usually keeps watch over the kettle, so that he can lower the heat just right before it gets a chance to scream at him. 

He realises then that he must have spaced out while waiting. It’s alright, he thinks. It’s been like that a lot, recently. He’s been like that. Lost in thought-- lost in time, if he allowed himself to be precise. The last days, weeks even, as the temperatures started to drop, blended into each other. There’s a little calendar on his bedside table, it had been a birthday gift from Armin – or had that been Mikasa’s? He isn’t sure, he had received an absurd number of presents from the kids last year, it had been hard to keep track of who gave him what and now the fact escaped him. Turning the pages of the little calendar, with its delicate botanical illustrations on each day, quickly became part of his morning routine, and so he was sure that time was passing at all. The stillness of the routine, he guesses, made him like this.

His vision blurs momentarily while he scoops the tea leaves into the teapot. He squints, trying to will his good eye to focus, but all he gets in return is a throb in his right eye. After putting the tea canister away, he presses the inner sides of his wrists to both eyes, placing just enough pressure to relieve the discomfort. When he opens his eyes again, he is pleased to find he can read the small print on the canister an arm’s length away. 

There’s a loud slam coming from the front of the house, followed by footsteps coming further into the house.

He quickly recognizes the heavy stomping as Gabi’s gait. She’s always been so loud.

Gabi crosses the arch into the small kitchen and dining area. 

“Don’t slam my doors,” he says as a greeting, slowly turning his head to his left side, trying to catch a glimpse of her in his periphery.

“Aye, aye,” the kid waves her hand, shoots him a teasing grin, “someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

Levi hums in response but doesn’t say anything else. He busies himself with placing everything they need for their morning tea and coffee on a metal tray on the counter, which Gabi takes from him as soon as it’s ready and sets it on the table.

He grabs his cane from where he had hooked it on one of the kitchen drawers. He has been leaning against the counter, his right leg supporting most of his weight all this time. He braces himself for the sharp pain that will surely surge from his bad knee, through his left hip and up his spine. Cold mornings like this one and being still in one place for long will do that to him. It’s not so bad. It could be worse.

It takes 4 steps to get from the stove to his chair, which Gabi has already pulled out for him. It sits at an angle that allows him to easily slide down on it and rest his right elbow on top of the table, leaning back and against his good side.

“I have something that will cheer you up,” she holds a couple of envelopes in her hand and waves them at him, “You’ve got mail!”

He nods at her in acknowledgement but does not take his attention away from preparing his first batch of tea of the day. There’s a ritual to it, it almost feels like, and he doesn’t want to mess it up. Not when the ringing in his ear is still there, the building pressure in the upper back part of his eyeballs, and the cold air seeping into his bones through his thick jumper. Oh, how he needs a good cup of tea right now.

While Levi waits for it to steep, he grabs the papers that she had shoved in his face, squints his eyes at the first envelope and finds that he is unable to make out much of the handwriting. He brings it closer to his face, squints harder, steals a quick glance across the table and hopes Gabi isn’t paying him any mind, too preoccupied with choosing from the bag of pastries she brought with her. It is with an impassive expression that he hands the stack of envelopes back. 

“Read it for me.” A beat and then he adds, a little reluctant: “Please.”

He knows Gabi prefers coffee in the mornings, and black tea in the evenings, so he makes sure to have a fresh brew of the former whenever he knows she’s coming over; so, with shaky hands, Levi gets to prepare her cup of coffee. While he enjoys the aroma of it, he remains faithful to tea; at first, he thought he didn’t like it because he had butchered his first attempts at brewing it. But even after Onyankopon had taught him how to do it properly and he had enjoyed his cup, it didn’t bring the same comfort as tea. It just never hit the spot.

She shoots him a mischievous grin, “Oh, you sure? What if I read something personal, hm?” 

Levi just shakes his head, scoffing at the idea of Gabi finding his junk mail fascinating.

“Is this how I find out you have a secret lover you’re exchanging raunchy love letters with?” Gabi teases, wiggling her eyebrows at him.

He lets out a tired sigh and rolls his eyes, “just wanna be done with it, ” he stirs the milk into Gabi’s coffee, which now has turned into a cup of milk with coffee. “We have a lot to prepare for tonight.”

She clicks her tongue at him, but still rips the first envelope open, “Mr. Levi, your reading won’t improve if you keep doing that,” she jokingly scolds him.

Although Levi mentally recognises handing her and Falco stuff he couldn’t be bothered reading before, that’s not the case this time. He’ll let her think that for now, though, because he doesn’t want to mention the pressure building in the back of his bad eye, it’s not important and she, a kid, doesn’t need to know his newly found ailment of the week. He can see just fine around him right now. He can see Gabi’s big eyes and playful smile at the other side of the table, and that’s good enough; smaller details, he doesn’t feel he can do them, not without making himself go dizzy with a migraine.

Levi slides the cup of coffee to her and is pleased with himself when she approves of the colour of her drink.

“It’s from Armin,” she announces as she scans the letter. 

From this angle, the soft morning light illuminating her face and thanks to his faulty vision, Gabi’s image stirs his memory. His heart faintly constricts as he is reminded of the many times Hange read their research reports to him during breakfast in the mess hall before presenting them to Erwin. Levi always wondered how they could read so fast, sometimes he even doubted they were actually reading at all, their words barely being able to catch up with her eyes; he never asked about it, maybe reading came easy to them as numbers did to him.

A high-pitched squeal from Gabi startles him, bringing him back to the here and now.

“Oh… ohh, Mr. Levi,” she starts, her smile widening by the second “This is good news!”

Gabi makes a show of clearing her throat and then starts reading “Dear Captain, I hope this letter finds you well and in good health.” 

Levi can’t help but let a sardonic huff at the irony of the greetings but doesn’t let himself be bothered by it. He has written only a handful of personal letters throughout his life, and by now he knows it’s just something you’re supposed to say because jumping straight to the point isn’t acceptable, or so that’s what he had been told. 

Gabi continues reading Armin’s words to him. For the most part, it’s a standard letter coming from him: he asks Levi how he’s dealing with the changing of the seasons, how Gabi and Falco are faring, if business at the tea shop has been good, if there’s anything Levi needs that he can’t get in town so that Armin or the others can get it for him. He tells him a little about the country he’s writing from, he even includes a photograph. Then, after the expected pleasantries, Gabi can barely hold her excitement and starts reading faster, trying so hard not to trip over her words.

“If I’m being sincere, we would prefer to ask you in person,” Gabi stops for a second to look up at him from the paper, gauging for a reaction and finding nothing, she continues. 

Armin apologises for not being able to visit him before the holidays, Annie included, and so it is implied that he won’t be attending tonight’s reunion. 

Sometime during the last five years, the Alliance brats had decided to make showing up at Levi’s doorstep together once a year a sort of custom; the first time it happened was during an early winter, a blizzard had stopped them from leaving Levi’s until the next morning. It had been a really nice evening despite the awful weather, Levi remembers, after everyone pitched in one way or another, they all shared a simple but hearty meal together. It was Connie who jokingly said they should do it every year. The following year, Onyankopon, Gabi and Falco joined them. 

This year would be their fourth, and the first someone wouldn’t make it. That fact sits heavily in Levi’s chest, stealing the spotlight from his throbbing eye.

“...Annie and I have decided to get married. The both of us would like you to officiate our ceremony!” unable to contain her excitement, she tears her eyes away from the paper and looks at Levi. “Huh?! This is good news! What’s with the constipated face?!”

That doesn’t sound right. It figures that Annie and Armin would be the first to marry; in a way, he is happy for them, they clearly care for each other. No, that part is easy to understand. Their union is logical to anyone who knows the couple. What Levi can’t figure out is why they are asking him such a thing.

He clears his throat, assumes it’s been 3 minutes and his tea is ready to be poured and so he distracts himself with that.

When he doesn’t answer Gabi, she picks up where she left off. 

He isn’t… well, he isn’t that close to either of them. He’s sure Annie must have other relatives that could step in his stead. Maybe a brother, a cousin. Even Jean or Reiner would be better options than Levi. He isn’t good with words or people like they are, he couldn’t possibly give them a speech about something foreign to him as it is that kind of love, that’s what people expect, right? His title of Captain is obsolete in this new world, so it can’t be that either. Hell, he has never been to a fucking wedding. 

Just… why him?

As expected, Armin doesn’t really go into the details of their choice but does let Levi know they do not expect a fast answer and that they do not want him to feel pressured to accept it, despite how much it would mean to them if he did. Armin asks if there’s anything in particular that he would like for his birthday, as it is a month away, and closes the letter by saying he looks forward to seeing him and everyone then.

When the letter is closed and put back into its envelope, silence falls around them. For a moment the only sound that can be heard is the clinking of tableware as Levi places the teacup back on its saucer.

It bothers him, that he knows he will be letting Armin down by refusing something that any other well-adapted person would consider an honour. But the thought of embarrassing him and himself, because he gave an awkward, most likely insensitive, speech, mortifies him. No, he can’t put them and their guests through that. He will find a way to make it up to the couple, maybe he can… he doesn’t know yet, but he will come up with something.

As he finishes his first cup, Levi realises that at some point while he was lost in thought, the ringing in his ear has subsided and now it’s back to that muffled, cotton-in-ear sensation he’s used to and he doesn’t feel his eyeball pulsating anymore. Glancing at Gabi, he notices she is trying really hard not to say something, her brow furrowed as she takes a sip of her own drink, followed by a big bite of her pastry. Flakes stick to the corner of her mouth and for once it doesn’t disgust him. Instead, it makes his lips twitch as if going into a smile.

“I can help you... if you want,” she says eventually, sounding uncharacteristically careful and small of her.

Levi quirks an eyebrow “Help? with what?” 

She shrugs, “How to… tell them you don’t want to,” she avoids looking at him for the first time, finding the flakes on her plate more interesting. She shrugs again and tilts her head to the side, a thin line of a smile appearing on her face. “...or prepare for the ceremony.”

Not unlike many times before, Gabi’s words render him speechless, if only for a moment. He spares his tea a glance and he thinks: it’s bold of her to be so upfront about offering her help to him, and had it been any other morning, one where he couldn’t think past the constant ache in his body, he would’ve chewed her head off for simply trying to help him because he himself doesn’t know how to accept that kindness.

This kid is trying her best and he can’t help but feel somewhat proud of that.

“You have shit on your face. Here,” he points to where the flakes would sit on his own face and picks his refilled teacup back up.

Gabi quickly wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, getting most of the flakes off. Levi gives her a thumbs-up with his free hand.

“I’ll think about it,” he finally concedes and tries to ignore the little happy dance she does in her seat.

This time, when the amber liquid touches his lips, it’s remarkably sweeter than before.

[originalartblog]

it's a goose picture takeover!!

[nemo-in-wonderland]

There's such a sad love Deep in your eyes a kind of pale jewel Open and closed Within your eyes I'll place the sky Within your eyes

There's such a fooled heart Beatin' so fast In search of new dreams A love that will last Within your heart I'll place the moon Within your heart

As the pain sweeps through Makes no sense for you Every thrill is gone

Wasn't too much fun at all But I'll be there for you-ou-ou As the world falls down

Falling As the world falls down Falling Falling in love

"AS THE WORLD FALLS DOWN" - Labyrinth

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

SO.

I was listening to some very perfect music a few days ago, music that ended up fuelling this VERY self-indulgent Mephistea Artwork and of course, as it always happens when I listen to music, the brain starts working and branching out with ideas would go very well with an idea that has been brewing in my brain ever since I drew the whole " sudden proposal" from Mephisto to Aranea.

And my brain cannot stop thinking that Mephisto's corruption of Aranea would start VERY early on.

Like, we are talking "as soon as Aranea is done with her vengeance" early on.

So, between the moment when Aranea signed her contract with Mephisto and the moment she exacts her revenge for Halim's death, I calculated it would pass around 5 years, that Aranea would spend in Cania to study *directly* underneath Mephisto himself (it was one of the clause of the contract that she herself had put. She reckoned that her soul would be lost anyway, so, in for a penny, in for a pound).

During those 5 years, Mephisto would start taking an interest in this curious Warlock of his, who was SO hyperfixated in acquiring as much power as possible to destroy the people that had taken Halim from her in the cruelest way possible.

Like, I love to imagine that in those five years, he saw in Aranea the same kind of focuse, obssessive need that often pervaded himself as well; the same kind of relentless mania; the same fury and ruthless ferocity that he felt deep within his soul each time he tried to overthrow Asmodeus.

And this left him quite enrupture with Aranea.

So, I like to imagine that, sometimes after Aranea was done with her vengeance, he would actually start to plan his moves to have more than just her soul.

He wanted to corrupt her in her entirety, so that she would match his soul completely.

AND THAT'S WHEN REALIZED THAT "AS THE WORLD FALLS DOWN" WAS JUST *PERFECT FOR THEM, AT THAT STAGE OF HER RELATIONSHIP.

The lyrics, the music, the whole scene was *precisely* how I imagine Mephisto would behave with still innocent Aranea (which is why I drew her with shorter hair and a bit younger than how I usually draw her).

How he would organize a ball for the sake of parading his prized warlock around, when, in truth, he started his seduction of her, his call toward his darkest side, with him whispering in her mind while she constantly looking for him through the crowd, moved by something she cannot, for the love of her, understand nor explain.

And well, if you know this part of Labyrinth, then you know precisely what the atmosphere would be!

And by the gods, these two have me by the throat fml.

I adore them so much. SO MUCH.

Also, fml, am living for their height difference and I like to imagine that Mephisto gave her one of the heaviest dresses possible, so that the only way she could dance if she is dancing with him.

That being said, now I will go to sleep a bit because I was up until late to finish this and I am *tired*.

But I hope you will like it anyway! <3

--Nemo

[mothwingwritings]

E and Y for Chifuyu please!

Anon I want to kiss you directly on the open mouth for this one, I LOVE Chifuyu so let's get it. ▼ω▼

(Also yes, I am the worlds slowest human that takes 5000 years to respond so sorry about that I am still here and still answering I am just a little turtle typer ^^;)

WARNINGS: Yandere, mentions of stalking and hints at future kidnapping, Chifuyu being just a liiitle too invested in you, mentions of suicide if you squint.

Exposed: How much of their heart do they bare to their darling? How vulnerable are they when it comes to their darling?

From the get go, they bare their entire heart to you. It’s one of the things that drew you to Chifuyu in the beginning, how open and honest he was with you. You were a little scared of him at first, his status as First Division Vice-Captain in one of the biggest delinquent gangs in Tokyo was off-putting, to say the least. Despite that, Chifuyu was never anything but kind to you. With all the things he would so willingly and eagerly do for you, some people even joked that he was maybe too kind. Chifuyu would go out of his way to take you to and from work/school (he always seemed to know your exact schedule, despite the fact that you don’t remember ever sharing it with him), and he was always conveniently nearby whenever something went awry, ready to step in and save the day. Chifuyu was also inclined to bring you daily little gifts and treats just to see you smile, regardless of the fact that you never asked nor expected anything of the sort from him. It was all a bit much, but it was so endearing when he would offer these things to you that you always found yourself unable to deny him.

He wasted no time in getting to know you, and was quick to share the secrets of himself most people would try and keep hidden away. Not long after meeting him, every tragic, harrowing, fucked up occurrence that had ever happened in Chifuyu’s life had been relayed to you in excruciating detail, his guts spilled through late night conversations and wordy text messages. Hearing all he has suffered through at such a young age is heartbreaking, and it kills you inside when you see the tears wavering in his eyes as he weaves his harrowing tales. It makes you want to embrace him, hold him close and protect him from any harm which may befall him, shield him from any pain the future may hold. He melts into your touch, clinging to you shakily when you wrap him in your arms, desperate for your warmth and affection. His vulnerability only makes you feel that much closer to him, privileged that he trusts you enough to share his weakness with you.

But after some time the initial attachment you felt with him begins to waver. His stories go from heartrending to downright threatening, the focus of them shifting from all the sorrow he has endured to all the harm he has physically inflicted on others (and still can, should the need arise). These dark conversations most often happen after you hang out in a group setting or when you give someone besides him a little too much attention. When it’s the two of you alone he’s always been a very calming presence, but the moment there are others among you he instantly becomes on edge-even if it’s his closest friend surrounding you. It unnerves you, the stark contrast in how he presents himself when it’s the two of you alone enjoying each other’s company, versus when others are around.

Yearn: How long do they pine after their darling before they snap?

Chifuyu is a slow burn kind of guy, so he has the capacity to wait for a very long time before he makes any kind of move. He wants to observe you first, take his time getting to know you and how you operate before he makes his move to claim you.

Though he was quick to become enraptured with you, he doesn’t want to rush anything. He prefers taking his time learning everything he can about you, savoring the time it takes to pick up on all your eccentricities and quirks. Each new caveat he discovers about your personality is like a goldmine, and he takes careful note of each and every thing he learns about you, committing them to memory. Should you find yourself staying the night at his home, he’s already picked up on your favorite body washes/shampoos/perfumes through your scent alone, and has stocked up accordingly. Whatever food or drink you prefer he memorizes so he can surprise you with them later. Your favorite color, animal, book, artist-he knows them all and then some.

Chifuyu is more invested in you than he is with anyone, himself included, and he takes pride in being the one person who knows you better than anyone else does or ever could. He may even know more about you than you do yourself, it certainly feels that way sometimes.

He bides his time as he considers the ideal way to confess his deep, all-encompassing love for you. He wants it all to be perfect. The place, how he presents himself, the timing, it all has to be something that will take your breath away, make you feel for him just as strongly as he feels for you. However achieving perfection takes A LOT of planning and he unfortunately has other obligations he can’t ignore that take his time away from you. As much as it upsets him, he doesn’t have the means to just pluck you off the street and make everything work out for the two of you, so he has to do a lot of juggling of his responsibilities that ends up impeding his progress.

Unlike other yanderes, he actually wants you to stay as ‘you’ as possible for as long as possible, not wanting to upset your way of life more than is necessary. He wants you to be happy and thriving without compromising your normalcy, but even more than that he wants himself and your relationship with him to be your primary focus, the one thing that makes you happier than anything else in the world. He will do everything he can to please you, his ultimate goal being to bring you to the same lovesick state he has been resorted to in your presence. He couldn’t bear the thought of you feeling any other way, nor could he live with someone besides himself making your heart race.

That being said, if someone were to insert themselves between the two of you and monopolize your time, attention, or (god forbid) love, he would need to rethink his whole course of action. Whatever trash has you fooled enough to feel such a way doesn’t deserve to be in your presence, nor do they have the right to have even an ounce of your affection. Chifuyu can’t understand why you are even bothering with them, can’t you see how they’re stringing you along, using you for their own selfish gain? Each time they touch you he wants to scream, every time you laugh at his stupid jokes it makes him want to hurl himself into the sun.

He doesn’t understand why you are doing this to him… Wasn’t his companionship enough? Are you trying to upset him? Chifuyu would never hurt you, never betray you, but if you keep spending time with some other jerk… He won’t be able to live with it. If you don’t love him, if you prefer someone else… he can’t really see much purpose in hanging around. Maybe he should just get it over with and remove himself permanently from the picture, that way you can be with whomever you want and he’ll stop being such a burden to you. That is the power you have over him, to decide his fate on a whim, no matter how misguided that whim may be. He prays that you open your eyes and see how wrong what you are doing is, before he is forced to do something drastic you both regret.

The choice is up to you.

[pink-envelope]

BP boys with an artist MC?

Quest:

Such a fan boy, he loves to see not only what you make but learn why you made it. He likes to write poetry and it's very personal to him, so in learning the meaning of your pieces and what you think of them he learns a little about you as well. Loves being in love with an artist, it's so romantic.

NightOwl:

God he's so hype to share a hobby with you. If you do illustrative art he'll love to do art trades and collabs with you, always hyping you up in the silliest ways. "The colors and composition are so slay, Cutie!". If you do other mediums of art he's not versed in he'll love to watch you work, every thing you do is amazing.

XYX:

The parallel play where you work on your latest piece and he reads in the same room is a comfortable ritual you two share, when he's not quietly admiring your face deep in thought for your work he's coming up to frazzle you to a stopping point. "Now, love. Isn't it about time you take a little break?" Maybe a little one wouldn't hurt...

Nakedtoaster:

Your biggest benefactor, not just in materials for your art but in the research if you need context for a specific ambitious new project. They'll never let you doubt your skills for a second or talk poorly of your works. No matter if you making art is a hobby or as work you always feel supported and loved.

[truethes]

sometimes growing up is realising you can pick up some good habits you had from the past and using them once more.