#that also means i have to start on the second chapter. hm.

[wraithsoutlaws]

TITLE: Perfect Drug CHAPTER ONE: Jawbreaker WORD COUNT: 4,309 PAIRING: Dagger/Dum Dum CW: Light violence, gore mention The story of how two fucked up guys become one fucked up couple.

The sky changed colors in the city. The endless scroll of neon gave it an artificial glow, and from the first moment he crossed the desert line, Dagger had resented it. Nothing looked real. Nothing was–not the food, the music. Certainly not the people. He found himself looking up as he drove further into it’s clutches, searching for a sliver of sky that felt familiar, but the only thing he found was a thinly veiled layer of bullshit.  Northside was different, though no less oppressive. The smokestacks kept the air murky, and no matter how many times he blinked or re-calibrated his optics, he couldn’t quite clear his vision of the red haze that defined it. But unlike Night City, it took pride in it’s own ugly. And he liked that. 

The All Foods factory sat like an icon at the center of it all, more mythical to the locals than even the crumbs of Arasaka littering the district. Dagger stood outside with a cigarette, gazing into it’s shuttered maw. 

A week had passed since he found his way to the building for the first time, toting a severed head in one hand, and a duffel of recovered Militech cargo in the other. He had taken both from a smoldering warzone in Sierra Sonorra where two behemoths fought their last battle; a cadre of Maelstrom gangoons and a unit of corpo dogs. He could have taken the wreckage back for the Wraiths. The gear would have fetched a pretty enny, and the head of a Milietech sergeant would make a lovely hood ornamented for his Quadra–but Dagger never cared for money, and he had plenty of heads already. 

He brought the cargo home to Northside instead, head in hand like a peace offering, still bleeding fresh after decapitation. He wanted a deal, not a payday. Something worth more than a shiny new car, or a pair of genuine leather boots, and after one long blurry fucking night, he got one.  

The Wraiths would protect Maelstrom’s interests in the Badlands and the ‘borgs would give them leverage in the city, pushing to wipe Sixth Street from Santo Domingo. Dagger would move between them, lending his skills to one while extending his power in the other.

In the end, he'd puppet them both.

His mama always said to dream big.

He pressed at a dwindling bruise over his ribcage as he double checked for his smokes in his jacket pocket. Each breath came with a dull ache that hadn’t quite quelled from that night, even a week later. He’d paid his price for admission. He could still feel the wreckage in his bones as he stood at the entrance of the garage, cigarette half smoked already, waiting for an answer at the door. The security camera at the edge of the roof peered down at him, it’s blinking red light a mimic of the trademark optics that were watching him from inside. And they were watching him. Making him wait, though they were the very ones who had set the meet. When he glared up at the lens, he could feel them on the other side.

Another minute passed. He threw his cigarette down, banging a fist to the rusted metal with impatience. After a moment of waiting he considered going around to the intercom, but it felt too much like defeat. He knocked again instead, kicking with a steel tipped boot for good measure and flicking another glare up to the camera. 

The noise must have worked. The door swung open with a growl, sudden enough it nearly took an inch off his nose. Before he could blink, the front end of a revolver shoved itself against the scar on his cheek, forcing his back to the wall with its presence. Seven eyes peered over the muzzle, a shiny chrome scowl beneath them. Dagger’s fist moved on instinct, nestled now against the underside of Dum Dum’s chin where the skin still felt human. The steel claws in the chassis of his hand inched in the sheaths between his knuckles, hungry for a drop of blood. They stood still, entwined in each other’s violence, neither one ready to budge.

“Keep that gun in my face any longer and I’ll get real acquainted with your fleshy bits.” He wasn’t sure which lens he should look at, or which ones were looking at him. His icy gaze settled on the ones that looked most like eyes, though he couldn’t read them. The tip of his claws met skin, just slightly. Enough bite to prove he wasn’t lying.

Dum Dum didn’t sweat it.

“You think your trigger is quicker than mine?”

“Might be fun to find out.”

The sound that came from his throat could have been a laugh. A moment later, Dum Dum drew the gun back and slid it into the waistband of his pants. Slowly, Dagger followed suit, letting his hand fall away with a tinge of disappointment. A click of his tongue.

“Scared?”

“My bullet would rip through your meatpan before your chrome even touched me,” Dum Dum said. He sounded sure, the weight of his optics nearly prying Dagger apart, scanning his hardware in bemusement. He wouldn’t find much, except maybe that his assessment was correct. Which begged the question: why not pull the trigger?

Dagger grinned.

“You gonna invite me inside?” 

Dum Dum didn’t answer, turning a corner toward the street without looking back at him. “Nothing in there for you.”

“Is that right?” Dagger pulled his cigarettes from his jacket and lit one as he followed. A busted up Chevillon was parked on the corner, garish Maelstrom colors splattered across the rusted paint like a badge of honor. Ugly, like everything else around it. He smiled. “Taking me out to pasture then?”

Smoke slithered from his lips as they walked. 

“You wanna play with the big dogs you’re gonna have to work like a bitch.” Dum Dum stopped at the car, and spared him an indecipherable look. “That means you do what I say, when I say it, how I say it. If I tell you to lick the shit off my boots you better fucking get on your knees and do it, yeah? Piss me off and it’s bye bye with a bullet. We’ll sell your meat to the Scavs without a second thought.”

Dagger raised a brow, amusement flickering in his eyes as he took another drag from his smoke. “My god, I think I can see Royce’s hand up your ass using your mouth like a little puppet. Don’t you wanna be a real boy?”

Dum Dum looked tough, but Dagger had seen enough already to know that he folded for the big man as easy as paper. He half expected the gun again, but to his surprise, he only saw a smile on the other man’s face–teeth that looked too human to belong to him. The tension in his shoulders seemed to drop.

“You are one stupid motherfucker.”

He almost sounded impressed.

Dagger stared him down with the same grin, head tilting. Anyone else, he might skin them alive for the assertion but Dum Dum could be useful. No doubt more than any of the other rusted lugnuts lurking in the gang who’d still be more than happy to kill him. If he wanted this to work out, he’d need someone watching his back, and he’d already proved he wouldn’t pull the trigger.

Dum Dum slid into the driver’s seat and gestured for Dagger to go around. He wasn’t thrilled about playing passenger, his own car parked down the block, but he decided not to push it. He didn’t know his way around the city yet, let alone wherever the fuck they were headed. Or why.

He climbed into the Chevillon, choosing to play nice, a decision quickly waning as he waited for an explanation that never came. He blew smoke toward Dum Dum, a juvenile attempt to get his attention as the engine turned over.

“Got a problem, princess?” Dum Dum asked without looking. At least his head didn’t move.

Dagger leaned back in his seat. “Just wondering what the fuck I’m doing here.”

“You’re the one who knocked.”

“Funny.”

The car pulled onto the street. 

“Got a pick-up.” The flat drone of his voice gave away his own annoyance in the silence. “And I wasn’t bullshitting before. Do as you’re told and we won’t have a problem.”

Dagger rolled down his window to vent the smoke from his cigarette. “Pick-up? And here I was hoping for a little fun. Ain’t you lot known for your violence? No offense but thats a waste of my talent and I’m keen to believe it’s a waste of yours too.”

“Royce wants to know you can follow orders. You might be hot shit to those desert dogs but you’re a long way from the top out here.”

Something in the gravel of his tone indicated a warning, but Dagger flicked it off with the ash from his cig. He glanced at him from the corner of his eyes, watching the city blur past the tinted glass. Northside was less colorful than the rest of Night City, all smoke and concrete. In a way, it reminded him of home–the badlands, an endless sprawl of sun bleached dirt, harsh and rigid. Vibrant in its decay. They bore their similarities alright. He could smell fire in the air. A laugh lodged itself in his throat as he finally looked over.

“So that’d make you what, then? The babysitter?”

A grunt. There might have been humor in it. Or a threat.

“You should count yourself lucky. Anyone else prolly woulda shot you by now.”

Dagger didn’t doubt it for a second. Dum Dum was different from the rest, and somehow just the same. He followed orders, and crumbled like soggy paper for the top dog. Out of fear or loyalty, he couldn’t tell yet, but he lacked the self-respect to see that Royce would throw him out as soon as he wasn’t useful. He wondered what might happen if those strings pulled taut. If something sharp happened by to whittle them down. 

Dum Dum’s voice caught him by surprise.

“I’m actually impressed you’re still walking. Didn’t think you’d show up after that beating last week.”

“That right?” Dagger said, casually flipping down the visor ahead of him and examining his face in the two inch mirror. The bruise beneath his eye had faded from plum to a brown rot and for a moment he could feel the impact of the metal punch that knocked him on his ass again. It wasn’t the only one. His body was littered, like the canvas of an old painter–splashes of color hemorrhaging against his skin. He knew there was a cracked rib, probably a concussion, too. A few busted teeth, and more. Welcoming gifts from Maelstrom. It was his own suggestion, a last ditch effort to get close to the gang without having chrome shoved up his ass. An initiation plucked from his smuggling days. Each member got a single hit. If he was still alive by the end of it, he’d get in.

And Dagger always got in, smiling and spitting blood. He’d do it again just to prove that he could. 

“Hell, I thought that left hook from Lars might kill you.” Dum Dum laughed.

Dagger flipped the visor closed. “You kiddin’? My Daddy hit me harder for stealing a cigarette when I was eight years old.”

“You were prolly just a pussy back then.”

A grin cut across his lips as naturally as the sun cresting over the cityscape. “Well, he had a harder swing than you, at least.”

“Makes sense.” The car turned a tight corner and Dum Dum’s head tilted toward him for the first time. “Considerin’ I pulled my punch.”

Dagger met those empty red lenses with a raised brow. “The fuck you did.”

The crack of his own teeth rang out in his ears again, as if that chrome fist was crashing into his face all over. He could still remember his seven eyes watching him as he stumbled back, spitting blood and enamel in his face. He tongued the empty space on his bottom gum where the molar used to sit. Dum Dum had extracted it more seamlessly than the world’s best dentist ever could.

Pulled his punch. 

Dagger scoffed.

Dum Dum didn’t show any sign of humor. His silence said it all.

“And why the fuck would you do that?”

A pause. And then finally a smile.

“‘Cause the harder we hit you, the louder you laughed. Didn't wanna give you the satisfaction.”

Dagger’s face fell, as expressionless as the red lenses in front of him, which seemed now to burn holes through his chest in the silence. He should cut them from his skull, but the feeling passed at the sight of a smile on Dum Dum’s lips.

“Fuckin’ lunatic,” he said, somewhere between affection and dismay.

Dagger took it for a compliment. He grinned, and a bruise sang triumph beneath his skin. 

The car pulled off the street beside a painted wall that looked nearly identical to every other street corner in Northside. Dagger could find his way through every small vein of dusty road across the Badlands with his eyes closed but ask him to distinguish between one block or the next within the industrial sprawl of the district and he’d be lost. He pressed his forehead against the window and looked up. Not even the sky could help him. The shadow of the city all but smothered it. 

Dum Dum cut the engine. 

Wrecked cars littered the crowded alleyway where they sat now, nothing but skeletal remains, picked clean by the vultures. But there was one ahead of them, a black van that stuck out among the rest. The pick-up, if he had to wager.

“What are we waiting for?” he asked, his cigarette almost nothing but ash. He finally flicked it out the window. 

Dum Dum didn’t answer. He studied the van ahead of him in the quiet, and after a moment Dagger pushed his optics to scan it too. Standard. No heat signature inside, though there was something stored in the back, a chemical signature he couldn’t get a specific read on. Drugs, more than likely. Of course it was. He had heard the ‘strommers had their own brand of shit. The kind with enough kick to push past the thirty pounds of chrome in their head. 

“Something the matter with it?” On instinct, Dagger looked in the rearview, scanned the surrounding area. A flash of light flickered somewhere behind them and disappeared. He waited for it to happen again, but he saw nothing. 

“Gadge ain’t here,” Dum Dum said, tone flat. Once more unreadable.

“Taking a leak?”

A grunt. He leaned back in the seat, hand dropping down to the revolver wedged between his seat and the middle console. He flicked his head forward, toward the van. “Well, go on, bitch boy. Check it out.”

Dagger’s eyes narrowed, but he pushed back the urge to tell him to fuck off. He lit another cigarette on the way out. The street was quiet, though somewhere a few blocks down a siren echoed off the smokestacks. He paused when he reached the back of the van, head turning over his shoulder. There was nothing here. Nobody in sight beside those seven glowing eyes behind the glass, and still the hair rose on the back of his neck. 

No Gadge. No blood. No struggle. So why did he have a bad feeling? He focused his attention back to the van as Dum Dum waved a hand at him impatiently. Another quick scan told him the same information before he finally reached for the handle and pulled the bed open. A creak of metal cracked through his ears.

It almost deafened the gunshot.

Dagger ducked, dropping low without thought. His cigarette fell to the ground half burned, mocking him as another bullet riccochetted against the back of the van. His first thought was Dum Dum. Royce had changed his mind on the deal, ordered his execution. A quiet hit didn’t sound like his style, and Dagger was almost disappointed he wouldn’t get to see the ugly bastard one more time just to call him a fucking pussy to his face, but a moment later he could hear the ‘borg’s static voice yelling at him from the car to get the fuck up.

He stayed low, unable to pinpoint the direction of the gunshot, and made his way back to the passenger’s side of the Chevillon.

The engine sputtered to life at the same time as the van in front of him. He crawled inside just in time to witness the driverless van crash through a charred Mackinaw to the next street over.

“Fuck!” Dum Dum yelled, flooring the pedal before Dagger could get his foot pulled in all the way. “Shit’s hacked. Gonk’s don’t know who they’re messing with.” 

He rammed through the same debris as the van but caught a harsh edge of metal, and the Chevillon stalled for a moment before struggling through. The ringing in Dagger’s ears hadn’t stopped, and he only realized his hand was bleeding when he reached for his third smoke. 

“Hack means their close.”

Dagger rolled the window down and stuck his head out, catching the stale air of Northside in a suffocating wind. He could see the van ahead of them like a black smear, but it wasn’t the van he was interested in. Quickhack on a vehicle was useful, but it had drawbacks. One being proximity. Had to be close or you lost connection, even with boosted gear. 

A small Hatchback swung suddenly out from a sidestreet, narrowly missing their car as it sped past. Dum Dum swerved and lost a foot of paint on a fire hydrant in attempt to keep steady. Dagger scanned it as it followed track with the van, spitting chooh2 to catch up. Two signatures inside. A runner.

He ripped the gun from Dum Dum’s seat and pulled himself halfway out the window to take aim. He shot quickly and near blind, bullet lost in the wind as the chase veered left. 

“Fuckin’ shoot steady,” Dum Dum yelled over at him.

“Drive fuckin’ steady,” Dagger snapped, and this time he held his breath as he aimed for the speeding car. A shot came back at him in response and he ducked back into the window before firing again. The windshield spiderwebbed but the car stayed true, zipping through a line of traffic as they headed into a busier part of the district. A horn blared beside him. The hatchback disappeared between two trucks, and Dum Dum struggled on the wheel, crashing into the edge of a turning car and nearly throwing the gun from Dagger's slick, bloody grasp when he shot again.

He couldn’t track where the bullet hit, but he could tell that it missed.

With a growl, Dagger reached over for the wheel.

“Switch me places.” It was a command more than a question, but Dum Dum didn’t protest. He ripped the gun from Dagger’s hand as Dagger pushed his leg over to the gas pedal and shimmied across the seat in an awkward dance, climbing over him without slowing the vehicle until they both settled into their new positions.

Dum Dum took aim as naturally as Dagger did the wheel. He was no stranger to this, or to the electricity running through his chest as he gripped the wheel knuckle tight, grin spreading over his lips.

The tight streets were no match for an open road, but it got his blood pumping all the same. 

He could barely make out the back of the car up ahead, but he could see the rear light explode as Dum Dum fired beside him, leaving red glass sparkling on the pavement like blood. Another shot bellowed, and the hatchback veered wildly, nearly toppling sideways as it made a sharp turn. 

Dagger followed, cutting the same corner with the ease of sharpened steel. He couldn’t see the van further up, but he locked his optics onto the car. Blood splattered the window, and he knew that Dum Dum had hit one of them inside. The engine groaned as he pushed it further. The Chevillon didn’t have the same gumption as his Quadra. He could feel the waiver in her gait, but they were close now. Dum Dum felt it too. He braced his arm on the roof. One good shot is all they’d need.

Dagger seamlessly crossed over the center line, taking the opposite lane to blow past several cars that separated them from their goal. Traffic sped by, so close it rocked the car, but he didn’t flinch.

One. Good. Shot.

Dum Dum fired. 

Blood sprayed the windshield. 

The hatchback veered suddenly into a passing car, which came to a skidding stop, halting the traffic behind it and keeping Dagger from passing back over into the right lane. His mind raced, and on instinct he took a quick left to avoid collision, and then another.

Dum Dum screamed in his ear, but the words were deafened from wind, the ringing, the sirens. Neon lights burned together, flashing against his corneas. 

“Wrong fuckin’ way!” He heard finally.

The streets grew narrower, and then he understood. 

He could smell the ocean. 

 Northside’s warehouses were a shadow in the rearview as they headed toward the bay into Kabuki. Tyger territory. They had crossed the district line. 

Dum Dum reached for the wheel in a last ditch effort to change course. The momentum of the turn threw them upward, tires leaving the ground. The car spun uncontrollably, flipped, crashing through the barricade on the side of the road in a explosion of crunching metal. 

He could see the ocean.

A smear of open blue that could match the sky his heart yearned for. It was beautiful.

Almost.

And it hit like a fucking rock. 

His vision blacked for a moment before the water caved in around them. Slowly, then all at once. He barely had time to take in a lungful of air. Kicking at the door wildly, he swam away from the wreckage as the sea pulled them under. His gaze shot upward, searching once more for the sky to lead him. He followed the light up and up, chest starting to ache, until finally he found it.

Dagger gasped as he breached, shaking water from his eyes. He didn’t recognize the city around him, but he spotted a dock nearby. He swam toward it, then stopped. Looked back. The only remains of the Chevillon were petering bubbles at his back, and smooth water beside that. There wasn’t any sign of Dum Dum. By the look of him, he’d sink as quick as the car.

He glanced between the dock and the bubbles and back again. 

All that fucking chrome…

Walking back to All Foods without the drugs and their sergeant at arms might earn himself a spot in that industrial microwave that Maelstrom liked to boast. Dum Dum was the only one who didn’t want to kill him, after all.

“Fuck.”

He spit water then took another breath and dived.

The car left a trail like ink in the murky water. Dagger clawed toward it, dragging himself further down into the dark depths. Day turned to night. The city was different here, peaceful, and if not for the pounding in his ears, quiet. 

The distant red glare of those eyes shined like a beacon further down. He followed them like the north star, pushing himself to go faster. Dum Dum kicked despite himself, maybe instinct, maybe panic, but his weight worked against him, pulling him down quicker. Dagger pushed harder, reached further. Dum Dum finally noticed him, lenses fixed and unwavering, a calm coming over him as he finally got close enough to grab. Dagger heaved upward, working against the ocean’s cold grasp and the anchor like weight dragging him down. His chest began to burn, and the sky still looked so dark above them. 

He considered letting go, eyes squeezed tight, angry ‘ganic lungs ready to burst. 

And then he could breathe again.

He reached blindly for the dock ladder, trying hard not to heave. Dum Dum climbed up beside him, still as a corpse.

“Fucking gonk shit,” he muttered.

Dagger almost didn’t catch it over the sound of his panting. He laid flat on his back, taking in the welcome blue above him. He could finally see a break in the cityscape, clouds sneaking in at the edge of his vision. 

“Quite a fuckin’ thank you,” Dagger said without taking his eyes from above.

“Oxygen reserves. Could sit down there all day.”

He sat up slowly, running a hand through wet, matted hair. “All the good it’d do you. Be a pile of rust by the time they found you. If they found you.”

Dum Dum laughed. Short, quick static. Somehow it sounded genuine.

“And I’m sure you did that outta the kindness of your heart.”

“What fuckin’ heart?” He said flat, patting down his pockets for his cigarettes. He pulled the pack out, sopping wet. He didn’t bother trying to light one before he tossed them into the bay with a sigh. “Owe me some fucking smokes.”

Dum Dum opened his mouth to speak, but the words never made it. He lifted his head, and though he couldn’t see exactly, Dagger knew he was looking past him. A gun cocked at the back of his head. Cold barrel against his skull. He clenched his jaw, and turned to see a woman he didn’t recognize staring down at him behind glass eyes.

His automatic translator picked up her words better than his ears.

“Welcome to Kabuki, bitch.”

[kamiversee]

➶-͙˚ ༘✶ 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙁*𝘾𝙆 𝙇𝙄𝙎𝙏

✧.* CHAPTER 40 || The Ringtone

[ { SYPNOSIS } ] ➤ A tale in which Gojo Satoru blackmails you into seducing a list of people to clear his debt. Sounds easy enough, right?

[ { CHAPTER CONTENT } ] ➤ language, fluff, & sexual tension.

[ { WORD COUNT } ] ➤ 4.2k

[ { PAIRINGS } ] ➤ jjk men x f!reader. gojo x f!reader. geto x f!reader. toji x f!reader. choso x f!reader. sukuna x f!reader. nanami x f!reader.

[ [ chapters mlist } ]

——THESE WERE YOUR LAST thoughts before you dozed off. Unfortunately for you, your moment of sleeping lasted maybe twenty minutes before the sound of your phone ringing hit your ears.

You stirred awake, still lying on top of Choso who was dead to the world within his slumber. With careful movements, you were able to slip out of his arms and wobble over to your phone that was inside the pocket of the long disregarded jacket on the floor.

When you crouched down to get the device, it stopped ringing as if whoever was calling didn’t mean to and you let out a huff. Not only were your legs sore in some places but getting up to come get your phone only annoyed you since the call stopped before you could even see who it was.

As you look at your notifications, you still don’t see who it is that called you so you had to go to your recent call log to find out. As you do so, the first name is in red, indicating that you missed a call from the contact under the name Asshole-- also known as, Gojo Satoru.

You wanted to know why he called, even though he ended it before you could answer, so you went to call back. Only for your finger to click on the call prior to that… which happens to be Choso. You think you jump out of your skin when music begins to play from a nearby device.

‘We can go wherever you like.’

What the hell? Is that NewJeans?

‘Baby say the words and I’m down.’

Where was it coming from? 

‘All I need is you by my side.’

Why is it so loud?

‘We can go wherever you like.’ ‘Now, where are you?’

Fuck, Choso’s going to wake up any second now. 

‘What’s your ETA? What’s your ETA?’

Turn it off. Turn it off.

‘What’s your ETA, What’s your ETA-’

You had finally clicked the phone off, shutting your eyes and letting silence fill the air again.

Choso’s phone was sitting on a table nearby and that was the source of the sound. You kinda panicked when you heard it so instead of just ending the call from your phone which was literally in your hands, you rushed over to his and struggled to get it off.

It was a silly mistake of yours and now you feel so embarrassed that you accidentally just called Choso, who’s literally in the same room as you. Even so, you start smiling as you realize what his ringtone is for you.

Turning your head around to the man in question, you watch as he makes eye contact with you for less than a second before turning so that his back is to you. His face was red as a tomato and you’re pretty sure he never intended for you to know about that.

“Choso…” You murmur, watching his body move a bit as he sighs heavily.

“Shut up,” Choso grumbles.

Your smile widens and you make your way over to him, leaning over his resting frame and forcing your face into his peripheral vision. “Is that really your ringtone for me?” You whisper to the male.

His face is so red that even with the dim lighting you can see it. “...Y-Yeah.” Choso’s voice is so small and you don’t think you’ve ever seen him this embarrassed.

“That’s so cute,” You chuckle, “I-”

He mumbles your name, “I don’t wanna talk about it…”

“But Cho, that’s adorable.” You gush anyway, “I don’t have ringtones for anyone and I’ve never known anyone to have one for me so…”

He just barely looks at you from the corner of his eyes, “It’s only like that cause’ it… it just lets me know it’s you calling…”

“Yeah, but you could’ve chosen any song,” You tease. Choso says something but it’s so low and mumbled that you genuinely couldn’t hear him. Leaning closer and pressing your chest to his back, you smile and talk softly, “Hm? What was that?”

His face is so hot and red with embarrassment. He can’t do this with you so he looks away from you and tries to ignore your body pressing against his.

“C’mon Cho, what’d you say?” You question gently.

“I…” He clears his throat, “I said… I uhm…” His face is so damn red, “I c-chose a song that makes me think of you, I dunno…” Choso explains with a sheepish shrug.

You’re trying not to tease him but he’s just so cute like this, “Awww, Chosoooo,” You coo to the man.

He grits his teeth and looks away from you again, “Please shut up…”

“Nooo, that’s so sweet.” You continue regardless.

He pouts, “I don’t like you right now…”

That makes you laugh, “Why? I just think you having a ringtone for me is cute. Do you have one for everyone?”

Choso is quiet for a second as he thinks. Then, he sighs, “No…”

Your eyes light up, “Wait so just me?”

“No.” He hums.

Of course, now you’re curious, “Who else?”

“Can we go back to sleep please?” Choso pleads, his face yet to cool down as embarrassment courses through him.

“Nope.” You utter, a large smile plastered across your face, “Who else do you have a ringtone for?”

He sighs, “I’m tired, baby. Can we please go back to sleep?”

“Nooo, tell me who else you have a ringtone for or I’ll go searching.” You say, moving a hand to caress his arm.

His eyes narrow even though he’s not looking at you, “You don’t even know my password…”

“It’s Yuji’s birthday.” You say simply.

He pauses, “How… How do you know that?”

“You told me.”

Choso’s brows pinch together, “When did I tell you my password?”

“I think it was one time when I asked to use your phone for something.” You recall with a slight shrug, “You just kinda’ gave it to me, how do you not remember?”

“I dunno but, to answer your question, I have a ringtone for my brothers too.” Choso finally tells you.

And again, you’re too wrapped up in your teasing to stop, “Awww really? What song-”

“Baby, please.” Choso whines, “I’m embarrassed enough as it is…”

You bite your lower lip, “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”

He takes a second to think but his words are falling out of his mouth before he processes them, “Will I still be cute when I flip you over and fuck you back to sleep?”

“Choso!” You huff, your eyes widening at the man.

His face scrunches up in a sassy manner, as if he didn't say anything wrong, “What?”

You pout, “...Why’re you so grumpy all of a sudden?”

“Told’ you I’m embarrassed.” Choso huffs.

You snicker, “Aww, you get angry when you’re embarrassed? Wait that’s so cute-”

“You have ten seconds to stop teasing me.” He warns.

“Or what?”

Choso moves a bit, his body shifting so that he’s lying on his back. You end up somewhat against his chest, your eyes on his as he meets your gaze, “I’m gonna’ put you in your place.”

You burst out laughing, “Put me in my place? Who, you?”

He scoffs, “You think I’m joking…”

Technically, you know he can but most times, Choso is too much of a switch to be one hundred percent dominant with you during sex. One minute he’s telling you to take it and then next he’s begging you to cum for him.

So, you chuckle, brushing off his threat entirely, “Choso you’re too loving to do something like that-”

And in a matter of seconds, you were underneath Choso with your hands pinned above your head. His face was still flushed from embarrassment but his grip on your wrists was as tight as ever.

How did he pull the entirety of your body onto the couch so fast? How did he flip over so quickly? How did he get your wrists crossed over and above your head like this? You genuinely have no idea. He moved so quickly that his touches were there and then gone in a matter of seconds.

You and Choso are both still bare, having never had the energy to put clothes back on ever since you both laid down so, the situation you were in could turn sexual in a matter of seconds if either of you wanted it to.

You swallow, “Choso-”

“Shut up,” He voices, his tone low and commanding for once. Earlier when he said that to you, it was in a joking and light way but right now he looks so serious and it’s… well it’s kinda hot.

So, your mouth shuts and you stare up at him with wide eyes.

Choso gazes down at you for a minute before saying something. “Was earlier not enough?” He questions, his voice so deep and husk all of a sudden.

“Earlier?” You hum innocently, still deciding to poke at him as you tilt your head.

He glares at you but his eyes are still loving, “Don’t act fuckin’ stupid.” Choso says. He sounds mean but it’s coming from a place of teasing and love so, although to someone else he may have seemed genuinely upset, right now he was just acting. “Did I not fuck you hard enough?” He asks.

You shrug a little, “I mean-”

“Actually, don’t answer that,” Choso interrupts. He then leans down to you and your breath hitches in your throat as his lips near yours, “If you can still walk then clearly I didn’t do my job properly.” He comments.

Your eyes widened but before you could say anything, his lips were pressing into yours. His tongue was warm as it slithered into your mouth, quickly licking up your taste and savoring it as he began making out with you. It was a sensual and slow kiss and Choso’s lips slotted so perfectly against your mouth.

For a brief moment, like a really brief moment, hell, barely even a second, his way of kissing you reminded you of Gojo. And you hated to compare them more than anything because there are different and separate things you like about each man.

Choso pulls away carefully and exhales, his breath hitting your lips as both of your eyes pry open. He hums your name and his tone gives you butterflies for some reason.

“Do you wanna go again?” Choso asks gently.

You stare, “My legs are already kinda’ sore…”

“They’ve been worse,” He comments.

“Cho…” You frown.

“Okay well…” Choso starts smiling a little before he even gets the words out. “Can I at least eat you out?”

You give the man a blank stare. Never has there been a time where Choso gave you head and you weren’t left with numb legs, a face wet from tears, and your voice gone after losing it to your moaning.

“Choso that’s basically the same as you putting your dick inside me.” You huff out.

That goes to his ego a bit, “Is it really?”

“And once you go down it’s hard to get you back up…” You point out, sighing.

“I know I know but…” He drops to your neck and kisses you there, “I haven’t tasted you in so long…” Choso whispers, his hands releasing your pinned ones as he moves his lips to your collarbone, “Just one lick, baby…”

You give him a firm look, “That’s the same as saying just the tip and we both know it’s never just the tip.”

“Five minutes, princess…” He pleads, his tastebuds eager for you at the thought alone, “Jus’ let me eat you out for five minutes.”

“No, Choso.” You decline.

He pouts.

You chuckle, “And see? I told you that you were too loving to put me in my place-”

“Alright, bet.” Choso scoffs.

You smirk and look at him, that slight smile of yours fading when he starts bending your legs up. “C-Choso, wait seriously, I’m already sore.” You say with a chuckle.

His touch softens but he doesn’t stop, planting quick kisses down your stomach. “I’ll be gentle then.”

“Baby, c’mon,” You comment, the nickname making his cock twitch.

“You’re making this harder for me…” Choso whispers with a shake of his head, “Literally.”

“Choso, I’m tired.” Your words are half true. Technically, you’re never one to decline Choso of giving you head, he is the best at it after all.

“So tell me to stop.” He says, pausing in his movements to properly give you an out, “Say it.” He urges.

You hesitated for a second, obviously loving it when he gives you head but, you had just told yourself you needed a break, and allowing Choso to do this wouldn’t help. “Stop,” You whisper.

Of course, he doesn’t hesitate to obey. “Oh, you’re serious?” Choso comments as he starts moving. The man shifts your legs around and he goes to sit on his heels. 

You watch as in a blink of an eye, Choso starts running his hands up and down your legs, moving to massage them. “Choso, you don’t have to-”

“No no, I was being pushy just now so, lemme’ do this to make up for it,” He tells you.

“I…” You don’t even know what to say to that because it’s clear he feels bad. In his mind, he should’ve stopped as soon as you told him no but he kept trying to convince you and that makes him upset with himself.

A sigh is let out from your mouth as you just lay there and watch Choso massage your legs, his eyes calm as he does so.

“Oh, I actually meant to ask,” Choso starts up, looking over to you, “Why’d you call my phone anyways?”

Your skin tenses within his palms but you think he believes that’s from his massaging, “Uh, I pressed the wrong thing.” That reminds you that you needed to figure out what Gojo called you for-

Wait no, maybe you don’t need to figure that out. Maybe what you need is to just relax under Choso’s touch until you fall asleep again and then in the morning you head your separate ways as you take some time to collect yourself.

“Pressed the wrong thing? Who were you trying to call, then?” Choso asks curiously. He’s far too quick to put two and two together. You’re hesitant on telling him and he picks up on that, “...You were gonna call him, weren’t you?” He assumes.

“N-Not for the reasons you might be assuming,” You rush out, worried about where this conversation is going to go.

Unlike you, Choso’s not worried at all. Especially since he knows how to keep himself together and think in a rational way, “Tell me the reason then.” He requests, quickly adding on a, “...So that I don’t assume,” So that he doesn’t sound upset.

“He called me,” You murmur, “And I went to call back.”

You didn’t know it but your honesty alone was enough for Choso’s heart to expand in ways he couldn’t express. If you had made up some excuse or tried to change the subject he probably would’ve been hurt but the way you just tell him everything is so heartwarming to him.

Unbeknownst to you, Choso has enough liars in his life to deal with so he truly appreciates it when someone’s honest with him, “Are you still going to?” He questions.

“Uh, I dunno, maybe I’ll just text him and ask instead.” You shrug.

Choso’s eyes soften for a moment and he finds himself speaking from the genuine kindness in his heart instead of a place of insecurity and jealousy like he had earlier on, “You should call him.”

You scoff slightly, “Why?”

He shrugs and looks away from you, “Cause’ like… if I were him, I think I… I’d want you to call back.”

“Choso…” You smile a little at how mature he’s being about this, “I thought you didn’t care about him or how he feels?”

“I don’t but…” He swallows, “I care about you and… you care about him so, I just think instead of stressing yourself more, you should just call him back and find out what he wanted. You texting him is only done in courtesy of me, which I don’t want.”

“Oh…” You hum.

“So, yeah…” Choso sighs and returns his gaze to you, “Call him.”

You bat your eyelashes at him, “R-Right now?”

“Whenever you’re ready angel,” He laughs, “I’m not rushing you, I’m just trying to give advice I guess…”

“Thank you.”

“Mhm…” He nods and then redirects his focus to soothing your legs whilst changing the subject, “Anyways, uh… What are your plans for the break?”

Self-isolation and peace of mind for once. But you’re not going to say it that bluntly.

“Uhm,” You pull your lower lip into your mouth in thought. “I think I want some time to uh… focus on myself.”

Choso nods, “Yeah, you need that.”

“That doesn’t bother you?” You blurt out, having felt like telling Choso you want time for yourself might hurt him since in his mind he might feel like he gave you two months to do so already.

“Why would it?” Choso asks, almost as if he’s offended you thought it would, “You have to pick between two guys and your heart is all over the place, if you didn’t say you were gonna’ take a break I was going to suggest one.”

That eases you in more ways than one, “Really?”

“Well, I would’ve liked it if we spent time together during this break but, I think you need the mental rest more than time spent with me.” He says, his voice filled with care.

Your lips curl into a thankful smile, “Aw, Choso…”

“You don’t have to gush about it, I’m just being honest.” He chuckles, shrugging it off like it’s no big deal, “And hey, whenever you do want to see me or talk to me or whatever, you can call me.”

“I can…?” You blink, wondering if he forgot how he told you not to do so.

Choso grins, “Of course, baby.”

“No, I mean like,” You raise a brow, “Are you gonna pick up this time?”

“Yes.” He replies, “I’ll never ignore a call or text from you again.”

“M’kay… I think I… I think I’ll do that when I’m ready.”

“Okay, good.” Choso smiles, “Take as long as you need.”

.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆ .　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

And taking as long as you need is precisely what you did.

Calling Choso or texting him once during the remainder of your winter break might’ve been nice but honestly, as soon as you stopped thinking about him, Gojo, and the list, you were already in a mindset of peace.

What exactly did you do for yourself in that time?

You went shopping, naturally. You bought Shoko some things because it simply felt nice to see the smile on her face whenever you gifted something to her spontaneously.

She never even questioned where you disappeared to on Christmas day and you assume Gojo must’ve told her. Even if he didn’t, you still adored the peace of mind you had not having to explain yourself for once.

On New Year’s Eve and day, you and Shoko had a little pizza night-- just the two of you, and it was perfect. You couldn’t have asked for something better. According to her, she was just as tired of the guys as you were so it all worked out perfectly.

Then, into the new year, you were sure to inform Gojo that you wanted some time for yourself before you focused on Nanami. Similar to Choso, the man didn’t argue with it and actually insisted you take your time.

Well… just not too much time. There’s no time limit on the list but, there was a clock still ticking, he just hadn’t told you about it. Instead, he hints at it when he tells you to take a few weeks to relax but try to at least seduce Nanami before the school year ends.

You thought this was just him being sarcastic and playful like always so you didn’t think much but, Gojo was actually serious when he said that.

Even so, it’s about time you stopped thinking about him or the list in general. You’ll figure that all out later.

As of right now, you are in the middle of calmly searching for a job again. It’s been months since you looked thoroughly, especially since the money Gojo pays you has been keeping you pretty well occupied. But, with only one person left on the list, Gojo can’t pay you forever.

So, you need to start planning ahead and this is how you do that.

You started by thinking back to what you told Sukuna about being a therapist and wondered if you could actually land a job in a clinic or agency. It’d be fun for you to work with people and their mental health, that’s what brings you joy in terms of your career.

With that, you took hours and days to do your research and you were pleasantly surprised to learn the fact that your current university was offering a pad internship for counseling. And holy hell was that perfect, this is an internship you’d seen earlier on that year but at the time, they had no available programs.

And now, you see the option to apply for it. Of course, you didn’t hesitate to get out a premade application that was constructed for this purpose exactly. But just as you went to go submit said application, you wondered if you should wait.

If you start now, it could interfere with the time you need to seduce Nanami and although you don’t want to think about anything regarding the list, you’re forced to when it’s somewhat time-sensitive.

A sigh leaves you as you think about it and you eventually come to the decision that you’ll just wait. Hopefully, the position stays open and if not, you think you visit an old professor or two and ask for guidance on where to get employment.

They’ve offered it in the past but you just never felt like accepting their advice or assistance to now.

Even so, as you now sit with a plan made out, you think you’re relaxing into your position in life. When you’re not wasting your time thinking about silly men who complicate everything for you, life feels a whole lot simpler.

You have your worries and doubts about things of course but, even with that, worrying about a job is a lot better than trying to figure out if you want Gojo or Choso. The matters of the heart are not for you, hence why you’re a psychology major-- the brain is just so much simpler sometimes.

And emphasis on the sometimes because you can not figure out how the hell Gojo Satoru’s brain works for the life of you but, that’s beside the point. His brain only operates in certain ways because of the swaying his emotions and heart have on him, a lot of which you won’t understand because he’s keeping stuff from you.

You shake all your thoughts of Gojo away. It’s annoying how quickly you find yourself thinking about him or Choso.

And it happened quite often during this little metal break of yours. You find your thoughts drifting to them and your memories with them often. You could be performing the simplest of tasks and all of a sudden you’re remembering how much of an idiot Gojo is when he’s dancing with you or teasing you.

Then your mind alternates right back to Choso any time you do something like watch a movie. Suddenly, you’d be recalling times when he’s asleep on your chest and how relaxed his handsome face is. Or you’d think about the way his eyes light up whenever you say something intelligent and how keen he is on paying attention to what you say.

Damn. Is this what it’s like to fall in love? Is that what this is? Is that why you can’t get them out of your head no matter how hard you try?

Hell, you definitely think of Gojo’s confession to you at least twice a day. You wouldn’t say you prefer his over Choso’s but it was definitely more heartfelt. Even though, you’re pretty sure that was because of the tears.

Or… maybe it wasn’t. Perhaps Gojo’s confession was more heartwrenching because there’s so much more to it. Not to mention, Gojo had a longer time to keep his feelings for you hidden, there was more time for him to marinate and sit inside him until he expressed them.

Whereas Choso only met you a few months ago and by the time he realized he was in love with you, he was already hearing you tell him that you couldn’t be in a relationship with him. That’s why he waits. He wholeheartedly hopes and prays that one day you’ll wake up and reciprocate his feelings.

There are a lot of differences between the two but if there’s one thing that remains the same throughout… it’s the fact that no matter what you say or do, and no matter how hard you try not to, you are steadily falling in love.

The question would then remain; to whom are you falling for? And are they going to catch you when you do?

GOJO SATORU ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙮

GETO SUGURU ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙮

TOJI FUSHIGURO ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙪𝙢

KAMO CHOSO ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙎𝙚𝙢𝙞-𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙪𝙢 / 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙮

ZEN'IN NAOYA ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙀𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙮

ITADORI SUKUNA ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙎𝙚𝙢𝙞-𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙮???

NANAMI KENTO ☐ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙙

mlist || previous chapt || next chpt

[kpopaussieline]

𝔖𝔞𝔠𝔯𝔦𝔣𝔦𝔠𝔢𝔡 | 𝔗𝔥𝔯𝔢𝔢

A/N: Tada ✨ Chapter three is done! Coincidentally the longest chapter written in the shortest time. I really like this one, and I hope you guys will too <3

Shoutout to Rose for all her help and feedback, and for encouraging me when I'm stuck. Love you bae x

Synopsis: After another failed escape attempt, it seems like you're not going anywhere any time soon. You're still not willing to give up, but at the same time... something is changing...

Warnings: swearing, mild violence, angst (mentions of death), smut (implied noncon [in a dream], virgin!reader,loss of virginity, unprotected sex [my bad guys, don't do it], cumming inside)

Part one / Part two / Part three

The last bit of sealant falls away from the window and you don’t even have time to celebrate. You drop the mirror shard, gripping the top of the window and pushing it up. The sound of it opening and the waft of fresh air that follows makes you want to cry with relief. You swing one leg over the sill.

Then you hear the door lock click and that relief comes crashing down in a wave of oh shit.

You hesitate– eyes flickering to the door, then back to the window. You duck your head and manoeuvre yourself through. The door opens and someone steps into the room just as you fall out onto the balcony. You scramble to your feet and run for the railing, looking over the side.

“Y/N!” an angry male voice calls after you.

A thirteen foot drop, maybe? It can’t do too much damage…

With no time to consider anything else, you scramble over the railing and let yourself drop to the ground.

“Y/N– Fuck!”

For a split second, you feel weightless– but also like your stomach is going to come flying up your throat.

You land on the grass with a thud, and pain shoots up your ankle. You let out a hiss. You hear rustling, and the clanging of metal against metal, and you know he’s coming after you.

You get to your feet and the pain flares. You grit your teeth and ignore it, stumbling forward. You try to run, but as soon as you put your injured foot forward, you crumble, falling back down.

You hear him land just behind you and you start to panic. You begin crawling forward, determined to get away no matter what it takes.

You feel fingers wrap around your ankle before you’re dragged backward. You scream, thrashing and attempting to escape his hold but he pulls you back, forcing you onto your back and crouching down to look at you.

“Where do you think you’re going, angel?”

You kick out at him and try to wriggle backwards. He kneels and draws you closer, wrapping your legs around his waist and keeping them there with an iron grip. You yell again, tears streaming down your cheeks.

“You never listen, do you?” The man leans closer, hovering over you. “What did Heeseung say, hm? If you tried to run away again, you’d face the consequences.”

Like that was going to stop me, you think venomously. But you can’t get the words out, your chest is too tight.

The man cocks his head. “Look at you falling apart… and we haven’t even done anything yet,” he muses, mostly to himself. He goes quiet for a moment, looking at you as you glare up at him, chest heaving. “I guess telling you wasn’t enough, huh, angel? Alright… Let me show you then.”

 He releases his bruising grip on your legs and hauls you up by your arms. You keep tugging against him, but he doesn’t let go. He gives your arm a tight squeeze.

“Stop making this harder than it needs to be, Y/N.”

“And who the fuck are you?” you spit. Not that you care.

He looks down at you, black bangs falling into his dark brown eyes. You see a small mole on the side of his nose, a slight imperfection that somehow makes him look more perfect. “I’ll tell you who the fuck I am, angel,” he says calmly.  “I’m the man who will have you begging and crying underneath me while I take what’s mine... But by all means, call me Sunghoon.” He stares down at you, watching as his words sink in.

You stare up at him, eyes wide, any protests dying on your tongue.

“That’s what I thought. Now come on.”

 

Sunghoon leads you back into the house via the back door. ­­­Through the kitchen, through the living room. There’s no-one else around and it’s strangely quiet. Then again, you guess it’s not that strange. This house is always still, and when you’re not face to face with one of the men, it feels like you’re the only living thing in this place.

You go up the stairs. But instead of taking you back to your room, Sunghoon stops outside a room two doors down.

“Let’s see if this changes your mind,” he says. He opens the door and it swings open slowly. It’s dark inside, and you can’t see much besides the silhouettes of some furniture. Sunghoon lets go of your arm and gestures inside. “Go on.”

You look up at him, then into the room. You hesitate, feeling nervous all of a sudden.

“Come on, angel. Don’t be scared now,” he presses with a smirk.

You grit your teeth. He’s got a point. Fear hasn’t stopped you before, why start now?

You step through the doorway and take a few tentative steps into the room. You feel a buzz under your skin, barely noticeable, but there. You swallow, fingers curling and uncurling by your sides, feeling restless.

Now that you’re inside, things become a little clearer. Everything in the room is either dark or silver. You make out a king four-poster bed made of black metal, with black bedding and a sheer black canopy over top to match. There’s a solid timber dresser with a lamp on top. Burned down candles are arranged meticulously around the room. Then, as your eyes adjust, they pick out the concerning details. Like the handcuffs attached to the bed. The bar bolted to the wall. The sofa, the weird-shaped… chair?

Oh god. This is how they punish the girls?

You stumble backwards, in a hurry to get out of the room. Sunghoon laughs from behind you, where he’s leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

“What’s wrong, angel? You don’t like it?”

“What kind of sick shit is this?” you say, eyes wide with horror.

“Sick?” He cocks a sculpted brow. “And here we always thought it was fun.” His lips twist into an amused smile.

You slowly put one foot behind the other, backing away. “Stay the fuck away from me.”

“No can do.” He gets off the wall and strides toward you, fingers clasping around your arm before you have time to dodge him. “You tried to escape again,” he says as he hauls you back down the hall, down the stairs. “I have a feeling you’ll be in that room again very soon, angel. I can only hope it’s me that ends up in there with you.” He looks at you with a predatory gleam in his eye. “I’ve got a lot of things I plan on doing to you, I may as well teach you a lesson while I’m at it.”

Fuck that.

Your body reacts to your fear, and without you even realising what you’re doing, your fist comes up, aiming for Sunghoon’s face. You catch sight of his shocked expression a split second before the impact. You hear the thwack, followed by a dangerous silence. Pain spreads across your knuckles as you stare at his side profile, equally surprised. His jaw clenches, the vein in his neck popping. His body is tense, and you wait for him to strike you back.

But he doesn’t say anything. Doesn’t do anything except continue leading you down the stairs.

When you reach the living room, it’s no longer empty. All of the others are lounging on the sofas and armchairs, watching as the two of you enter. Heeseung’s eyes bore into yours as you come to a stop in front of the coffee table.

“Let her go, Hoon,” Heeseung says, sitting directly across from you. His eyes are still locked on yours. “I doubt she’ll run and hide. Will you, love?”

You shake your head.

Sunghoon lets go of you and goes to sit beside one of the men who you haven’t met yet. You feel antsy, but you maintain your composure as you hold Heeseung’s gaze.

“You caused quite a commotion,” he says simply.

You open your mouth, sarcastic response ready and waiting on the tip of your tongue. But he holds up a hand.

“I don’t want a response from you. I want you to listen to me. Really listen because everyone here knows you haven’t been good at that lately.” His tone morphs from calm to irritated. “I warned you what would happen if you were stubborn enough to escape again. And what did you do? Cut the seal with a bit of broken glass and climbed through the window. I know Riki here warned you about us. You didn’t listen to him either, and he was trying to be helpful. And now you’ve punched Sunghoon in the face? Has it not occurred to you that maybe fighting us isn’t the answer and you’re better off cooperating?”

“You think I want to die?” you interject, voice loud. “Has it occurred to you that I’m doing this to protect myself, not just to make things difficult for you, you selfish prick?”

“Who said anything about death?” Heeseung says coldly.

It had only been a thought until now. A possibility lingering in the back of your mind. But now that you’ve said it aloud, your heart hammers. “That’s what you do, isn’t it? Bleed girls dry until there’s nothing left, then ditch them somewhere and wait for the next Offering?”

You’re met with the weight of seven stares.

“We let the girls go,” Heeseung tells you. “What happens to them afterwards has nothing to do with us.”

“Except it does. How much blood do you take beforehand? How weak do you make them? Do you just let them walk out the front door and wander through the woods alone, trying to find a way out, knowing damn well they won’t?”

Silence. You know you’ve caught them out, that you’re right.

“You’re killers,” you continue, voice shaky. “You’re responsible for the deaths of so many young women, and you think you can sit there and tell me otherwise? I won’t let myself–”

“If you know what’s good for you,” Heeseung interrupts in a low, icy voice. “You’ll stop talking and listen to what I say next very carefully.”

You close your mouth, glaring into his eyes.

“I’m done dealing with your crap, Y/N. I’m not letting you get away with this bullshit anymore. You step out of line like that again, and I’ll let you know how dangerous I can be. You shouldn’t be worried about dying. You should be worried about what will happen if we catch you trying to run from us again. Do you understand me?”

Everything from his body language, to his tone, to the energy in the room tells you this time it’s serious. You have no doubt that if you ignore this warning, you’re screwed. There’s no winning this time around.

“Fine.”

“I said do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand,” you reply through gritted teeth.

You turn to leave and Heeseung clucks his tongue at you.

“Don’t think you’re getting away with this that easily. I told you next time you tried to escape, there’d be consequences.”

You freeze.

“And I think it’s only fair Sunghoon takes care of it, seeing as you attacked him.”

You spin back around to see Heeseung smirking at you, and Sunghoon grinning in a way that has the hair prickling along the back of your neck. The others exchange nervous glances.

“Are you crazy?” you demand. “He’ll attack me if you leave me alone with him! Please–”

“Hold on.” One of the men stands up. He’s tall too. Short dark hair, with a few strands falling over his forehead, and strong features. “How about we just… take it easy? Just this once?”

“We have been taking it easy. You think she’s going to stop if we keep letting her get away with everything?” Heeseung says.

The man speaks calmly. “Just let me talk to her. I think it’ll help more than punishing her.”

Your eyes dart between the two men, and you pray Heeseung agrees. You don’t know the other man’s intentions, but you’re sure they’re better than whatever Sunghoon is thinking.

Heeseung looks at you, then back at the man. “Fine. But if this doesn’t work, Sunghoon gets her next time.”

Your heart thuds against your ribs as you take a breath.

The man nods, then makes his way over to you. He offers you a reassuring smile and you notice a vague dimple. “Hi, beautiful,” he whispers. “My name’s Jay. You wanna get out of here?”

You nod. You even let him hold your hand as he leads you down the hallway off the living room, grateful that he stepped in.

He stops in front of the third door on the left and opens it, stepping aside to let you in first. You pause for a moment before walking inside.

The bedroom is homely. It feels personal, lived in. Mostly thanks to the clutter on the desk, and the wrinkled sheets on the bed, and the small pile of clothes on the floor.

You make your way to the desk and sit down in the office chair. Jay perches on the edge of his bed, facing you. You wait for Jay to say something. You figure that’s the reason you’re here.

Eventually, he breaks the silence. “You know, we’ve never encountered a girl like you before. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had our fair share of fighters. But never anyone as determined as you.” He looks at you with something like admiration. “I’ve never known someone to have your kind of strength unless they’ve had to deal with something that required them to be strong. What happened to you, Y/N?”

 You avoid his soft gaze, crossing your arms. “That’s none of your business.”

“You’re not the only one with a past.”

At that, you look up.

Jay’s lips curl up slightly. “What, you thought we just spawned out of nowhere?”

“I… I guess I never thought about it,” you admit.

“Most people don’t. But everyone here had a life before this.” He looks out the window. “I was a guitar teacher. I used to teach elementary school kids.” A reminiscent smile spreads across his face. “They loved it. I always felt like a proud big brother whenever they finally got a part in a song right, or when they played really well.” He pauses. “One morning, I woke up feeling really unwell. My head was killing me, I could barely get out of bed. I probably should’ve gone to the doctor or something. But I figured it was just the flu, so I just stayed home. And then, just as I was feeling better, it got worse. Everything around me started feeling… weird. Like I was dreaming. But it was all the time. I was confused, I didn’t know what was going on with me. And I didn’t want to leave the house feeling like that, even if it was to get help. It passed eventually, but…”

 He sighs, taking a moment before continuing. “When I went back to work, I got the news that one of my students had passed away. She’d gotten sick a couple of days before me, and her parents said she went downhill from there. They took her to the hospital, and the doctors said she had something called HVD. I didn’t know what it was, I’d never heard of it. But when I saw Heeseung’s ad on the internet, and I found myself here, he said it stood for Human Vampire Disease. Most people who caught it didn’t make it. But the survivors ended up like us. ‘Vampires’.”

You sit in the quiet, trying to digest it all. You try to feel indifferent, but you can’t. You don’t know what to say, but there’s a lot going through your mind.

Jay watches your reaction and you see him frowning. “I’m sorry to dump all of this on you–”

You shake your head. “No, don’t be sorry.” You look down at your lap, taking a deep breath. “I lost my sister. Emily. She was nineteen. It was my thirteenth birthday, and she went into woods to get some things to make me a gift. Leaves, twigs, stuff like that. We told her not to go in too far–” Your voice breaks and you sniffle, taking a second to compose yourself. “She disappeared. They looked for her for over a week straight. They told us she’d probably gotten lost, or fallen in the river. The worst part wasn’t that she was gone. It was not knowing whether she was dead, or wandering the woods cold and scared. I dreamt about it every night that week. And I still dream about it sometimes.”

 Your fingers play with the hem of your shirt and you stare at them, not wanting to look up and see the pity in Jay’s expression. You’ve seen it enough from everyone else back in the village. “It hit my parents pretty hard. They didn’t know what to do, how to cope. So they decided to blame me. They couldn’t blame the woods, they couldn’t blame anyone else, so they blamed it on me. Because it was my birthday, and she was out there to make my present.”

 The tears start to build, spilling over your waterline and creating wet paths down your cheeks. Your voice is strained as you try to speak through the lump in your throat. Your tone is tainted bitter and the hurt you felt back then bubbles under the surface. “I was their daughter too. We should have made it through together. But then they left. They said they couldn’t take it anymore, and they moved away. I don’t even know where they went. That’s when I went to live with my Nanna. I was happy there. We were always close. She helped me a lot. And then on the night of the Offering, two of the villagers broke in and the last time I saw her she was unconscious on the floor.”

You choke out the last sentence, eyes blurring with tears and body shaking with restrained sobs. “And I just want to get back home and see her and make sure she’s okay.” Your nails dig into your thighs as you try to keep it together.

You hear Jay moving off the bed and over to you. He kneels in front of you, one hand on your arm and the other brushing back your hair, wiping tears away. “Hey. Hey, it’s alright,” he whispers. “Just take a breath for me, gorgeous.” He hands you a tissue and you wipe your nose while he dabs up your tears. “There we go. It’s okay.”

You take a shuddery breath and look into his eyes, nothing but care and warmth in his gaze. His touch is gentle as he rubs comforting circles on your arm with his thumb.

“Sorry,” you whisper, embarrassed.

Jay smiles at you and that slight dimple appears again. “Don’t be ashamed. It’s good to cry sometimes, it helps us feel better.”

You sigh, feeling the sadness melt away and leave your body. “You’re being so kind to me.”

“Of course. How many times do we have to tell you that, contrary to popular belief, we’re not all monsters?” He grins playfully.

You chuckle.

He chucks the tissues in the bin next to the desk, then looks back at you. “Thank you for telling me. I know it’s hard opening up to strangers. But your story’s safe with me. I won’t tell the others.”

“Thank you.”

You still can’t get used to how considerate Jay is. From Riki’s bluntness to Sunghoon’s intensity, you weren’t expecting to come across someone like him in this house. But you’re glad you did.

Jay takes your hand and helps you stand up. “Why don’t you go get cleaned up, clear your mind, yeah?”

You nod absent-mindedly.

“The bathroom is the first door on the right. There are clean clothes in the dresser and closet in your room.”

You look at him cautiously. “Where did you get the clothes from?”

“They haven’t come from anyone else, if that’s what you’re thinking. They were bought from a store.”

It sounds almost weird to you. You never really thought about the entire world outside of Riverfield and these woods. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s there. It makes you wonder if you’ll ever get the chance to see it.

“Oh. Okay. Thanks again.”

He lets go of your hand with a small smile. “See you later, beautiful.”

You leave, heading back upstairs. You notice on your way that everyone has disappeared again. It’s almost like they’re ghosts, or figments of your imagination. There one moment, gone the next. You still don’t know whether you like it that way or not.

***

You hadn’t realised how much of a mess you were until you went to shower.

You stared into the mirror– at the knots in your hair, the dirt on your clothes and body. You examined the splinters still wedged underneath the skin of your wrists, the cut on your foot, and wondered how the hell you hadn’t noticed all of it before. You guessed you had been preoccupied rebelling and zoning out and all. How the boys could find you remotely attractive in this state also went over your head, but it didn’t matter.

You were surprised to see the bathroom had been renovated, and was actually quite nice. It was also stocked with all the essentials, from painkillers to toothbrushes.

It was finally sinking in just how human the vampires were. And that just raised more questions for you. But you figured you had plenty of time to ask them, seeing as you weren’t planning on another escape attempt any time soon.

Once you finish cleaning up (which takes a while), you decide to head for the kitchen. You’re starving.

You jog down the stairs, stroll through the living room– it’s a familiar route by now. You hear voices and you slow a little, your steps a bit more measured.

You round the corner to see the serving window is open and so is the kitchen door. One of the men sits at the breakfast bar under the window, and you recognise him as the blond who stopped you from escaping the second time around. He looks a lot less intimidating now, with a smile lighting up his face and crinkling the corners of his fox-like eyes. Another man stands in the kitchen, leaning on the counter to talk to him. He has longish black hair. Apart from that, you can’t tell much about him from here.

They see you approaching and look over. The dark-haired one grins.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he greets you brightly and you pick up on an accent. “You’re looking a lot better.”

You smirk. “I would hope so.”

You make your way into the kitchen and open the fridge, assessing the contents inside. Your eyes land on some leftover fried chicken and you grab it, taking off the cling wrap and digging in. Your eyes almost roll at the crunchy batter and tender meat. “Mm,” you hum with satisfaction.

You stand at the counter beside the man and he turns to face you.

“I’m Jake. Nice to finally meet you, sweetheart.” He holds out a hand.

You dutifully ignore the veins running up his hand and forearm, and shake his hand. “Nice to meet you too.”

Jake studies you. “You seem different. What did Jay say to you?”

“Does it matter?”

You realise he’s right, though. You feel like you’re finally able to relax a little. It’s… really good actually. It’s a relief, like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. You don’t know exactly what’s changed, but… maybe it’s for the better. 

The blond looks at you, tilting his head and resting his chin in his hand. “Well, it’s good to see you, princess.” You look at him and he smiles. “I’m Sunoo.”

You give him a small smile in return. “Hi.”

You take another bite of chicken, chewing contently.

Once you finish your food, you put the plate in the sink and then jump up, sitting on the counter. “So what do you guys do for fun around here? I’ve been holed up in my room for a week, I could use something to keep me distracted.”

“Normally we each do our own thing– watching movies, gaming, etcetera,” Sunoo says. “It can get a little repetitive to be honest.” He gives you a sly smile. “But at least now we have you to play with.”

“Cut it out, Sunoo,” Jake scolds him. He looks at you curiously. “Do you have any hobbies, sweetheart?”

“I love painting, and reading. I used to like cooking with my Nanna, too. Other than that, I liked listening to music on the radio… Taking a walk, especially on warmer days… I like watching movies, but we didn’t watch them that often because Nanna had this old analogue television that barely worked.” You smile at the memory.

Jake grins. “We can work with that. You know, I think there might be some old paint supplies in one of the spare rooms. I don’t know if you’d be able to use it, it was here when Heeseung bought the house. But I can try find it for you, if you want.”

Your heart warms a little at his thoughtfulness. “That would be great. Thank you.”

“No worries. If you want something to do while you wait, there’s tons of books out in the lounge. Or you can watch a movie, there’s plenty to choose from.”

“Alright.” You hop down from the counter and walk out into the living room. Jake follows you out.

“I’ll be back,” he tells you. Then he heads down the hallway and into one of the rooms.

You stand in the middle of the living room, looking around and trying to decide what to do. You see one of the few modern things in the room– the large flat-screen tv mounted on the wall. It’s foreign to you. Back in Riverfield, there wasn’t anything fancy. It was fairly old-fashioned. A result of being small and isolated, you guess. You want to watch a movie, but you don’t even know how to turn this thing on, which is kind of embarrassing.

Sunoo sees your confused expression and chuckles, making his way over. “Need some help, princess?”

“Uh, yeah.”

He strolls over to the coffee table and picks up a remote. He stands beside you so you can see the buttons. “Okay, to turn it on, you press this red button here. This little plus sign turns the volume up, the minus turns it down. This one shows you all the channels. These are the different streaming services, where you can watch movies and tv shows. Use these buttons to scroll. Got it?”

Your eyes narrow as you try to remember everything. You nod. “I think so.”

“I’ll be working out here anyway if you need help.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

He disappears down the hall.

You sit down on one of the sofas and turn the tv on.

Two people appear on screen, a man and woman, holding hands as they walk into a house. A couple, you’re guessing. The romance genre was never really your thing, but you can give this one a try.

You settle back into the cushions, getting comfortable. The actors are standing in the kitchen now, talking about some guy who had been bothering the female lead.

“You think I’d just let him harass you?” The man moves closer, trapping the woman against the counter.

“I don’t need you to be my knight in shining armour.” The woman tries to sound defiant, but her body language says otherwise.

“Knight in shining armour? I never claimed to be that heroic.” He leans down, his lips ghosting over hers. “I’m just keeping my girl safe. Screw everyone else.” He kisses her and though she tries to pull away at first, she eventually gives in.

You sigh under your breath. You wait for them to pull apart, but they don’t. You shift when the man lays the woman on the countertop, his tongue still somewhere in her mouth. You look out the window, ignoring the film until this part is over.

But then a cry comes through the speakers and you look at the screen to see the woman half-naked, the man between her legs with his hips moving at a rough pace. Your mouth falls open as you realise what’s happening. Moans and sounds of skin on skin play mortifyingly loud through the speakers as you dive for the remote.

“Shit. Where is it? Oh my god.” You cringe as you hear a whiny, “Harder.”

You finally find the remote and hurriedly turn the tv off. You release a breath, slumping back against the sofa.

“Interesting movie choice, princess. I never would have thought you were into porn.”

You flinch, turning around to see Sunoo standing behind you, a laptop under his arm and an amused grin on his face.

“It wasn’t porn!” you exclaim, feeling your cheeks grow hot. “I just turned the tv on and it was normal until they started– I don’t– No!”

He sits down on the other end of the sofa. “No need to be embarrassed. It’s a normal thing to do. Just maybe not in the living room where anyone could walk in.”

“Shut up! I don’t watch porn. I’ve never watched it and I don’t want to watch it!”

“Okay, okay. I believe you, calm down.” He grabs the remote from you. “Let’s just pick something else.”

He turns the tv back on and you’re horrified to see the actors are still going at it.

“Oh,” Sunoo says as the actress kneels on the kitchen floor and licks what looks like whipped cream off the man’s penis. “You know, I never got the whole whipped cream thing. It just seems so messy and sticky. Like sex doesn’t have enough of that already,” he comments casually.

“Turn it off!” you shout, covering your face and wanting to curl into a ball.

“Alright, alright.” The living room goes quiet and you look at the screen. He’s changed it over to Netflix. He hands the remote back. “Here.”

You mumble a thank you and start scrolling through. You put on a random movie, taking note of the rating to make sure it’s safe before putting the remote down and settling in again. Sunoo opens his laptop and starts typing away.

You look over. “You said before that you’re working? What do you do?”

“All of us work for this big entertainment company. I’m a talent scout. I keep an eye out on social media and that for potential trainees.”

You tilt your head, intrigued. “An entertainment company? That’s… unexpected.”

“It was Heeseung’s father’s company. He left it to him, so now he just oversees it from afar, with employees to attend meetings and everything for him. He saw it as the easiest way to earn money.”

“That makes sense. But why not get jobs of your own? I mean, what if you don’t want to do this kind of work?”

Sunoo looks up at you. “It’s not that simple, princess. We can go to the ‘outside world’, obviously. And we do, sometimes. But working out there and being out there all the time just wouldn’t work. It would be like putting an alcoholic in a beer, wine and spirits store. It’s easier to resist temptation when there’s just one person versus when there’s thousands.”

You nod, seeing his point.

“Y/N.”

You turn around to see Jake standing at the mouth of the hallway, a bright smile plastered on his face. “Yeah?”

“I found some of that paint supplies if you want to have a look.”

Your face lights up. “Oh, really? I’d love to.”

You hop up off the sofa and follow him down the hall to the last door on the left.

Inside, it’s feminine, with floral wallpaper and a sewing table set up in the corner. There are cabinets and shelves and tubs all filled with craft supplies. It’s dusty, and you can tell no-one’s been in here for a long time. But it’s still nice. It makes you think of a woman just enjoying her spare time from homely duties and being creative. You like it.

Jake picks up a carboard box and brings it over. “There are paints and brushes and stuff in here.” He gestures to one of the cabinets. “And canvases and easels in there. Feel free to set up wherever you want.”

You peer inside the box and smile, taking it from him. “This is great, thank you so much.”

“Any time, sweetheart. It gives you something to do. And if you enjoy doing it, then even better.”

 “I do. Is it alright if I test the paint?”

“Of course, go ahead.”

You get out a palette and squeeze some paint onto it. It’s runny with clumps in it. Your lips turn down. “It’s separated. I can’t use it.”

“Oh. Okay. Well, I’ll buy you some next time I’m out.”

You look up. “What? No, you don’t have to do that.”

He smiles. “Don’t worry about it, it’s the least I can do.” He picks the box up again. “You go and get back to your movie. I’ll take this up to your room for you.”

Your eyes soften. “Thanks again, Jake.”

He nods and walks past you, out of the room. You stand there, looking around for a minute longer before leaving too, closing the door behind you.

***

You don’t know how long it takes for you to fall asleep, just that it takes a while. There had been a lot on your mind. A lot that had happened in one day. And you hadn’t really had a chance to digest it all until you were lying in bed and staring absent-mindedly at the light fixture.

Once you finally do cross the threshold into unconsciousness, all those thoughts bleed through and plague your dreams, creating one big movie.

You’re laughing with Riki. The two of you are sitting on the balcony outside your bedroom, admiring the view. Or at least you were until he cracked a joke and now the two of you are wheezing, bent over with mirth. It’s dusk, and the moon has just appeared in the steely blue sky. There’s a nice breeze drifting through the canopy and ruffling your hair.

You catch your breath and look up, meeting Riki’s eyes. He gives you that cheeky smile.

“You look like a tomato.”

“And you look like a weed.” You smile and playfully bump his shoulder.

You guys lean on the railing, letting silence fill the space around you. You can hear crickets and cicadas, and the rustling of the leaves. You take a deep breath in, then slowly let it out. You feel light. The stress and fear is gone and you feel happy. At home even. You’re no longer wound up with anxiety and paranoia and what ifs? You’ve accepted what fate has in store for you, and you’re going along with it. And it’s so freeing.

There’s a knock on the window behind you and you see Jay standing there. You open it.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt, but I have something I need to talk to you about,” he says.

You nod and climb back inside. “What’s up?”

He grabs your hand and leads you away from the window, voice low like he’s about to reveal a secret. “They’re looking for you.”

You frown, not liking his ominous undertone. “Who is?”

“Heeseung and Sunghoon. You need to hide.”

“What? Why? Jay what’s going–”

He guides you toward the door. “Just go!” he whispers, opening it.

You stumble through and look up and down the hallway. It’s dark and you can hardly see anything. You put one hand on the wall, using it to guide you as you jog blindly down the hall.

Suddenly, a door opens part way and soft yellow light spills out through the gaps. You head towards it.

You step inside and the door slams shut behind you. You jump, whirling around to see Heeseung standing there, one hand on the door as he looms over you.

“You’re not getting away this time, love.”

You back away from him. You hear footsteps and look over your shoulder to see Sunghoon approaching from the other side of the room.

Your heartbeat quickens and you know they have you cornered. Your back presses against the wall and the light– coming from the candles burning around the room– goes out.

An arm wraps around your waist and you’re picked up and slung over someone’s shoulder.

He drops you down on the bed and you feel his weight pin you down as he straddles your legs. You struggle, trying to wriggle out from underneath him and push him off.

“There’s no use fighting, angel,” Sunghoon’s voice says from somewhere to your left. You feel the mattress dip as he gets on the bed.

“Don’t worry, love. I’m sure you’re tough enough to take both of us, right?” Heeseung purrs above you.

You scream in protest as he gets off of you and you’re manoeuvred onto your stomach.

“Me first,” Sunghoon says. You feel his movements on the bed as he gets behind you. He leans down, his chest brushing against your back, and he wraps your hair around his fist, pulling your head back. You wince at the stinging in your scalp. “You should have listened, angel,” he whispers in your ear.

He buries your face in the pillow, holding your head in place, and your shouts become muffled.

Your surroundings become distant, in a way. Your senses are off. But you do register the cool air hitting your now bare core, panic rising alongside the goosebumps on your skin.

“No!” you try to scream, but you can’t hear your own voice. You feel the tears soaking your face and the pillow, though.

Something prods your entrance and you desperately try and crawl away, but you can’t move. Your voice breaks as you scream as loud as you can.

Your eyes fly open and you gasp. You scramble to sit up, your heart pounding in your chest. You look around. You’re in your own room, in your own bed. You’re alone.

“Fuck,” you whisper, running your hands over your face.

You sit there for a few minutes, but you just can’t calm down. Restless, you throw back the covers and get up. You take a few steps toward the door, but then you pause. Where are you even going? Are you really going to wander around the house this late, after that dream?

You sigh. You don’t want to stay in here. You’ll just start thinking and overthinking and it will drive you crazy. You need a distraction.

You open the door and stop in your tracks when you see the door across from yours open too.

Jake appears, wearing a t-shirt and boxers, his hair messy. He looks up and freezes. “Y/N? What are you doing up?” he asks quietly, his voice rough.

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“I was going to get a glass of water. Is everything okay?”

You chew your lip. “Actually… um, do you think I could… come in? I could kind of use someone to talk to.”

He blinks. “Oh. Of course, come on in.” He steps aside and you cross the hallway into his room.

The lamp on the bedside table casts a warm light over the space, making it feel cosy.

You sit on the bed and look at a framed picture on the dresser that catches your eye. Jake is crouching down, his arms around a beautiful border collie. An older woman and a guy around his age are on either side of him.

Jake shuts the door and sits on the bed beside you. You notice as he runs his fingers through his hair, trying to smooth it down. “What did you want to talk about?”

You glance at him. “I’m not sure. But I thought talking to you might help distract me from the nightmare I had.”

“Oh, a nightmare, huh?”

You nod. “Yep.”

“Well I’d be more than happy to distract you.” He falls backwards, lying down. “May as well get comfortable, sweetheart.” He grins.

You chuckle. You look at him, and after a moment you lie down next to him, leaving a few inches between you. You sigh softly, looking up at the ceiling. “So where are you from originally? I picked up on your accent earlier.”

“Well I was born in Korea. But I moved to Australia with my mum and brother when I was nine.”

“Is that them?” You point to the photo frame.

He follows your gaze. “Yeah.”

“You guys make a beautiful family.”

He smiles. “Thank you.”

“What’s your dog’s name?”

 “Layla.” He looks at the photo, smiling fondly.

“She’s adorable.”

“She is... I miss her.” He turns his head to look at you. “Have you got any pets?”

You shake your head. “No. I never have.”

Jake’s eyebrows rise. “Seriously?”

“Mhm. I always wanted a cat or a dog, but…” You shrug. “We never got one.”

“Maybe we should get a pet. It would liven the house up a bit.”

“I think I’ve been doing enough of that lately.”

He laughs. “Yeah, you certainly have.” He yawns and stretches, then flips onto his side, facing you.

You smirk, turning your head to look at him. “Am I keeping you up?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, I’m wide awake.”

You sigh. “So am I, after that dream.”

“It shook you up that bad?”

“Well, yeah. It was fine at the beginning, but then something… I don’t know– bad? traumatising? happened. Something that could– and I’m scared will– happen in real life.”

Jake frowns, concern in his eyes. “What was it?”

You chew your lip, teeth tugging at it until a small flake of skin comes off and the vague taste of blood hits your tongue. You twist the ring on your right hand– take it most of the way off, then put it back on before repeating the movement. You don’t meet Jake’s gaze, opting to stare at the ceiling instead. “Heeseung and Sunghoon. They lured me into that room, the one with all the dark furniture and candles, and they pinned me down and I couldn’t get away and Sunghoon…” You trail off, not sure how to say it or particularly wanting to say it at all.

“Wait. Someone showed you the cell?”

You frown, looking over. “Yes…? Sunghoon showed me right after he caught me trying to get away for the third time. Hold on, you call it the cell?”

“A few of the guys started it. It’s a scare tactic for when the girls act up. We’ve never actually taken anyone in there, let alone used it.”

“Oh.”

He hesitates. “But, if I’m being honest, if any girl was going to end up in that room, it would be you.”

An ounce of the resurfaced nerves and fear shows in your eyes as you meet his gaze. “Why?”

He bites his lip. “I don’t know. There’s just… something about you, I guess. As cliché as that sounds.”

You shake your head. “I don’t want to go in there again.”

“You might not. But even if you did, I’m sure they wouldn’t hurt you.”

“I don’t want it to happen at all. I’m not going to have my fir-” You stop yourself, realising your slip up. You look away.

“Wait. Your first time?”

You clench your jaw, which is all the answer he needs.

“Is that one of the reasons you’re so scared?”

“I don’t want to have sex with any of you anyway,” you say and it comes out colder than you mean it to.

There’s a beat of silence.

Jake shifts, inching closer. “Are you sure?” he asks in a low voice.

You turn your head to look at him. “What the fuck do you mean, am I sure? Yes. I am.”

“How could you know without giving it a try?”

Your heart beats a little bit faster as he gets close, his body brushing against yours as he looks into your eyes. You want to retort, but you don’t know what to say. You feel this slight buzz of anticipation.

“Maybe you’re lying to yourself, sweetheart. Or maybe you’re in denial.” His eyes flicker to your lips. “Should we test it out?”

You could push him away. Just say no. But there’s a part of you that’s curious what it would be like. And that part takes over as you nod timidly.

Jake smiles. His hand comes up to cup your face gently as he leans in. His lips press against yours and you feel a warmth spread throughout your body. It’s like a switch flips in your brain and you don’t register anything except him. His lips, his warmth, the lingering smell of his cologne. Without thinking, you tentatively kiss him back. One hand slides up his chest and the other goes to his hair, your fingers threading through the soft strands.

His free hand moves under your shirt and rests on your bare hip. It sends a small shiver up your spine.

The kiss grows more heated, Jake dragging your bottom lip gently between his teeth. You part your lips and he slips his tongue into your mouth.

Eventually, you pull away for air. Your chest rises and falls, and your heart pounds. Your cheeks feel warm.

Jake’s thumb swipes under your lip, tugging it gently. “You know, if you’re scared, I can help. I’ll be your first time.”

You look up at him, eyes tinted with lust. “How would that help me?”

“I’ll show you what it’s like, help prepare you. There’s nothing to be scared of, sweetheart.” His voice drops to a more seductive tone. “I can make you feel so good, if you let me.”

Heat starts to pool between your legs at the thought of it. On the few occasions you’ve found yourself with your fingers tracing your clit and dipping into your clenching core, you’ve wondered what it would feel like to have someone else touch you. To have someone inside you. The older you got, the more you wanted it. And now it’s being offered to you on a silver platter. You just have to say yes.

But he’s one of your captors. He’s a vampire. You can’t let–

You don’t care. You want him.

“Do it,” you say quietly, but surely.

Jake leans in and kisses you again. He grabs your hips and manoeuvres you so you’re straddling him. His fingers grasp the hem of your shirt and slowly lift it up, brushing against your skin. You pull away long enough for him to lift it over your head and drop it on the floor.

You feel a little self-conscious as he admires your breasts, but then he places a kiss to your neck and the thought escapes your mind. He peppers kisses from your jaw, down your neck, across your chest. His hand trails up your stomach and his finger hooks the cup of your bra, pulling it down. Your breast spills out and he kisses just above your nipple before taking it into his mouth. You moan softly and your head tilts back. He does the same to the other before sliding your bra straps down your shoulders, one hand then moving up your back and undoing the clasp. Your bra falls between your bodies and he chucks it aside. His lips return to yours and you gladly kiss him back once more.

You pull away, tugging on his t-shirt. “I think this can come off, don’t you?”

Jake smiles and obeys, pulling the shirt over his head and discarding it. Your eyes are drawn to his abs and your fingers reach out to touch them, ghosting over the lines.

“So pretty,” you murmur.

His fingers wrap around yours and bring your hand up to his lips. He presses a kiss to the back of your hand. “You’re prettier, baby.”

You feel a flutter in your stomach at the name.

You can feel your slick steadily dripping into your panties and you start getting impatient. You shift forward on Jake’s lap and you feel how hard he is beneath the thin material of his boxers. A quiet whine escapes your lips as you grind on his bulge. He inhales sharply, grabbing onto your hips. He looks at you and you meet his gaze. His eyes are darkened with desire, and you’re sure yours are too.

“You want to take it further?” he asks.

You nod, and he guides you off his lap. He grabs the waistband of his boxers and slides them off, letting his cock spring free. You almost moan at the sight of it, squeezing your thighs together. You have nothing to compare it to, but it looks long and thick enough to hit all the spots your fingers never reached. So pretty, too, just like the rest of him.

He doesn’t even have to ask before you shimmy out of your shorts and panties, casting them aside.

Jake looks up at you and bites down on his lip. “Fuck, you’re beautiful,” he says under his breath.

You smile shyly, crawling over and straddling him again. Your pussy clenches around nothing, knowing his cock is so close yet so far.

Jake takes your hands and places them on his shoulders before resting his hands on your waist. “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” you say quietly.

“I’ll help you through it, don’t worry.”

You nod. You lift yourself up a little more and move forward, so your pussy is hovering over his cock.

“That’s it.” He wraps his hand around the base, holding it steady for you. “Now lower yourself down. Take your time.”

You do as he says. You feel his tip pressing at your entrance and you take a second. This is it. You take a breath and sink down further, whimpering at the stretch that brings a bit of pain and a bit of pleasure. You close your eyes, trying to relax your body as you attempt to take him. He bottoms out and you exhale softly.

Jake massages the skin of your hips, giving you a small smile. “Good girl. You’re doing well, baby.” He places a short kiss on your lips. “Move when you’re ready, you’re in control here.”

You slowly lift yourself back up, moaning as his cock drags against your walls. Then you sink back down. It takes you a couple of tries before you find the perfect angle, the head of his cock brushing that spot inside of you that has you craving more. The sounds filling the room are downright dirty, but neither of you care. Jake’s head is tilted back, eyes closed and lips parted as he holds on to your hips. His moans sound so sweet, making you want to draw more out of him.

Your thighs start to burn, but you keep going, too lost in the pleasure to stop. The band in your stomach is tightening, getting closer to snapping.

Jake sees you starting to struggle and grips your hips tighter, helping lift you up and down, thrusting up into you each time. You cry out, grabbing onto his shoulders so you don’t fall.

“Fuck,” he groans, biting down on his lip. The sound of his voice has you clenching around him.

He pulls out of you and you whimper at the loss. He flips you onto your back, barely giving you a second to catch your breath before swiftly entering you again. He leans down and captures your lips in a hungry kiss, his thrusts beginning to speed up. He’s growing more desperate, and honestly, so are you.

You wrap your legs around his waist and the new angle allows him to go deeper. It quickly brings you to the edge, only needing a small push to send you over. “I’m close,” you say in a small voice.

“I got you, sweetheart.” He places a gentle kiss to your neck, his hand reaching between the two of you. His thumb finds your clit, rubbing slow circles.

You start to squirm, grinding your hips into his touch. The pleasure builds until it’s nearly unbearable, and then it releases, hitting you like a tidal wave. Your eyes roll to the back of your head, your back arching. You feel like your nerves are alight, your senses being consumed.

Your orgasm triggers Jake’s own, his hips stilling before he empties himself inside of you. You whimper slightly at the feeling, still recovering from your high.

Jake pulls out and lies down beside you. He turns his head to look at you. “You feeling okay?”

You nod, turning onto your side. “I’m good,” you say with a smile.

He raises a brow, clearly a little surprised. “Really?”

“Really.” You’re telling the truth. You don’t feel bad at all. If anything, you feel better now.

He must see in your face that you’re being honest. He grins. “That’s good, sweetheart. I’m glad.” He kisses you, softly this time. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

Jake goes and gets a wet towel, then comes back and gently wipes away the mess between your thighs. He picks up your clothes from the floor and helps you put them back on, getting dressed himself before climbing back into bed.

“You can stay here if you want,” he offers.

You settle under the covers, getting comfortable. “I think I will.”

He chuckles to himself, getting comfortable as well. “Goodnight, sweetheart. Sweet dreams.”

“Goodnight. Sweet dreams to you too.” You close your eyes.

Jake turns out the light and the room goes dark.

As you lay there, waiting for sleep to take over, you can’t help but think how right this feels. It makes you happy, having someone lie beside you. You can’t help but feel like this is a turning point. Not just because you lost your virginity. But like maybe you can finally start putting a bit of trust in the men you’ve found yourself stuck with.

To be continued...

Taglist: @un06 @naviiy @lilyuwon @kangseulgithegreat @seungielvr @saturdayssvillain @wonenonly @msauthor @nshmrarki @sakanelli-afc @b3tt7boop @yunjinswifee @lucycarlisleswife @lol6sposts @fandommaniac07 @strxwbloody @iritas @toodeloosoo @jungwonmeover @sol3chu @skzenhalove @chaoticotaku @moonpri @donttaketome @slvtella @d-dilemma @heeshlove @qrazyquokka @yangjungwonnie @ro-diaries

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Dividers by @dollywons

[riririnnnn]

Am I overreacting or do you also think it's odd that we still haven't seen a flashback like we did with the previous three teams:

Yes, we did have that locker room chapter after PxG Vs Manshine City, but it isn't same as the above—it doesn't tell us how everything was like in the start.

I really want to know how everyone reacted to eachother, especially Rin and Shidou. And how did Loki handled things? Was Charles under control during introduction like how Kaiser was besides Noa, Agi was besides Chris, and Lorenzo was besides Snuffy? Or was Charles a menace from the very first second? Was he hopping around the Blue Lock-ers like a bumblebee?

So many questions! But no answer, why? Was the flashback only meant for the introduction of Coaches? And since we knew Loki beforehand that's why we weren't given one?

However, the main question is why did Rin and Shidou chose PxG, and I think I have an answer for the former one.

Do you remember the introduction given at the start about the team France? Yes:

"...the new, young upstart of the European leagues..."

"....running on its way to being the top league in Europe."

And in that interview, Sae said this:

You getting me?

As for Shidou, I can't think for a reason except that his favourite soccer player is from Sweden. I mean, Shidou focuses a lot on explosive soccer which should mean that he wants to play with/against good players, but the world's best striker, Noel Noa, is on the other team...? Hm?

Which leaves me with a hunch that maybe, maybe Shidou chose PxG because of Loki.

We can't forget that Loki was a part of the Team World Five and no Blue Lock Team (of the second selection) won against them. So, maybe Loki caught Shidou's eyes back then? He did seem quite happy to see him:

Besides, as the story progresses more, Loki just seems to get more and more important bits by bits. I think he'll have a major role during the World Cup arc.

What do you think?

[morgana-larkin]

Alright so I saw a prompt from @meowmeowhissss for a jealousy fic and of course I couldn’t resist. The prompt is: It’s a holiday. Melissa takes R to a family function. The schemmenti family loves them. Kristin and R get along very well, which makes Melissa jealous. She’s either jealous because R’s attention should be her or because she misses having a connection with Kristin (your choice 🤷‍♀️). Could end in reassurance or some jealousy smut.

On another note: I’m trying to decide what to do next, your prompts, to start a Marilyn one or continue the next chapter of worth it, hm, maybe I’ll post a poll soon. Like right after I post this lol.

Translations:

Italian:

Tesorino - sweetie

Papera - duck

Dutch:

Oma - grandmother

Red And Green

Warnings: Jealous Mel (when I say red and green, I don’t just mean the colours 😏), oblivious reader, smut, fluff

Words: 5k

It’s Christmas Day and Melissa invited you to her family get together as they keep asking to meet you. You accepted, although confused. You and Melissa are really good friends and have known each other for a year and a half. You were attracted to her from day 1 and it only grew, more so in the past 4 months when she started paying more attention to you.

You put on your red dress that stops mid thigh and it’s a bit flowy from the waist down. It comes with a white belt and you put on your black heeled boots that stops just before the knee. You apply some green eye shadow and red lip gloss. You then hear a knock at your door. You go and answer it and see Melissa standing there. All you see is her black leather pants and her black coat zipped up.

She however got to see your outfit and her brain stopped working for a second. “Wow, you look amazing hon.” She tells you and you blush. “You all ready?” She asks and you nod.

“Let me just grab my coat and purse.” You say and she nods. You go get both and you grab your present for Melissa and for the steal a gift that she said her family is doing. You also grab the cookies you made as a thank you to her family for inviting you.

“You made cookies?” She asks you and you nod.

“My Oma taught me to never show up empty handed when someone invites you to a family party.” You tell her and she smiles.

“My Nonna would have loved you. And would have gotten along with your Oma.” She tells you and you smile and blush.

You get in Melissa’s car and she tells you that you can put your music on if you want. “Do you like Christmas songs?” You ask her and she shrugs.

“Some of them.” She says and you put one on and she looks at you weirdly.

“Really?” She says and rolls her eyes. “Out of all the Christmas songs I thought you were gonna put on, I want a hippopotamus for Christmas was not one of them.” She says and you laugh. Melissa looks at you laughing and singing along and she doesn’t have the heart to change the song. She’d listen to it every year at Christmas if it meant she’d hear your laugh and singing along happily.

“Btw, why did your family invite me?” You ask her when the song ends.

“I don’t know, they told me the details and asked if I could invite you to it.” She says with a shrug. “I thought it was a bit weird too. They’ve never asked me to invite anyone else before. Well they did for Barb once years ago and obviously Joe and Gary.” She tells you and you smile.

“Well I’m very honoured they wanted to invite me. Do you talk about all your co workers to your family?” You ask her.

“The ones that matter.” Is all she says and you blush and look down. Melissa has a feeling for why her mom wanted to invite you. Her mom has only asked to meet someone in her life for two reasons, 1: her mom thinks they’re dating and 2: when she tells her mom she’s dating someone. Her mom wanted to meet Barb thinking her and Barb were dating but said they weren’t and that Barb is happily married to a man with 2 daughters. She’s worried that her mom thinks she’s dating you. Melissa is attracted to you and knows you’re into women but doesn’t know if you’re attracted to her. Melissa has mentioned you but never told her mom she has feelings for you. Although it wouldn’t surprise Melissa if her mom figured it out.

She pulls up at her parents house after 20 minutes of driving. You both get out and you hold your things and wait as Melissa gets her items from the trunk. She grabs a handful of gifts and closes the trunk then goes and walks to the door with you following her. You see about 10 cars parked outside and think that’s the average amount for a family gathering until Melissa speaks up. “Looks like only half my family is already here.” She comments and your jaw drops.

“What do you mean half? How many people are in your family?” You ask and she laughs.

“Have you forgotten I’m Italian?” She says and you sigh.

“It might have slipped my mind that most Italians have big families.” You say.

“Are you ok with big crowds?” She asked and you nod.

“Ya, it just surprised me is all.” You tell her and she knocks on the door. A few seconds later the door opens and an older women that looks like an Melissa with just a couple differences answers and you know right away that she’s Melissa’s mom. She lets you guys enter and Melissa greets her.

“Hey Ma, Merry Christmas!” She tells her and hugs her. How she managed to hug her while holding onto a bunch of gifts without dropping one is beyond you. Her mom then turns to you and smiles.

“Hi, you must be y/n. I’m Teresa, Mel’s mother.” She says to you.

“Yes I’m y/n, nice to meet you.” You say and hold out a hand to shake.

“We hug in this family.” She tells you and holds out her arms and you hug her.

“I brought some cookies.” You tell her.

“Oh aren’t you sweet.” She says and takes the cookies from you. “You didn’t have too.” She adds.

“My Oma taught me to never show up empty handed to a family gathering that I’m invited to.” You tell her and she smiles.

“She’s a good one Mel.” She tells Melissa and her cheeks go red.

“Maa.” Melissa says and her mom just smiles at you.

“I thought I heard the second trouble maker.” A man says and comes out to you guys.

“Hi Pa.” Melissa says and hugs him. “I guess that means the papera is already here.” She adds and Teresa scoffs.

“You and your sister with the insults to each other honestly.” Her mom says and you giggle. “Oh Tesorino, this is y/n.” Her mom says to her husband and points to you.

“Hi, I’m Cosimo. And to brag but it means beauty.” He jokes and flips his short hair that barely moves and you laugh.

“Here let me take your coats.” Teresa says and takes yours and Mel’s coat. When you finally see Melissa’s full outfit, you forgot how to breathe for a few seconds. She’s wearing a low cut red shirt with a green sweater. You stare at her long enough for both her parents to notice and smirk at each other.

“Where can we put the gifts?” Melissa asks and her mom leads you both to the living room where most of the people were gathered and you put your gifts under the tree.

“Well well well, look who finally decided to show up.” Someone says and you recognize the voice of Melissa’s sister, Kristen Marie.

“Nice to see you too Kristy.” Melissa says and they hug each other.

“You must be y/n, Melissa mentioned you a few times.” She says to you and you nod.

“Ya I am, nice to meet you.” You say to her.

“Here, let me show you around and introduce you to everyone.” Kristen says to you and you miss Melissa’s glare at her sister. Kristen is unaware of Melissa’s feelings for you and she thinks you’re kinda cute.

“Oh ok, thank you.” You tell her and she leads you around the house and introduces you to people. You wanted to spend time with Melissa but you didn’t want to seem rude.

After about an hour, you meet everyone and saw the whole downstairs of the house. Melissa keeps a close eye on you and her mom comes up to her at some point.

“So when are you going to tell her?” She says to her.

“What?” Melissa says.

“When are you going to tell y/n about your feelings?” Her mom states.

“What makes you think I have feelings for her?” Melissa asks her mom.

“Oh please. It may not be obvious to other people but you’re my daughter. I hear the way you talk about her and how your eyes look when you do. And how you’re now staring holes into your sister’s head since she stole y/n away from you.” She tells her and Melissa sighs.

“I do have feelings for her but we’re friends. And that’s all we’ll ever be.” Melissa tells her mom.

“Cara, why don’t you want to tell her?” She asks her.

“Because I don’t know if you noticed the age gap, and the fact that I don’t have the best luck when it comes to relationships.”

“Mel, I noticed the age gap but that has never stopped anyone in our family before. Your bad luck is only because you wanted different things in life than they did.” Her mom says. “Plus your sister is going for it and she’s only 2 years younger than you.” She adds and Melissa whips her head at her.

“What do you mean she’s going for it?” Melissa asks surprised and her mom smiles.

“Kristen Marie is flirting with her.” She tells her and points to you and Kristen Marie. Her sister has her arm wrapped around your waist and holding you close while talking to a cousin. Melissa crosses her arms and huffs. “If it helps, she’s interested in you as well. But if you don’t make a move, she might actually start to flirt back with Kristen, thinking you’re not interested in her.” Her mom says and then walks back to the kitchen. Melissa walks over to you guys, stands right beside you and joins in on the conversation.

“Hey Melissa!” You say and she smiles at you.

“Hey, you having fun?” She asks you.

“Ya I am, Kristen here has been so nice to show me around and introduce me to everyone. We also have similar interests as well. How come you never introduced me to your sister before?” You ask her and she frowns. She thinks her sister might have won you over.

“Melissa and I have only patched things up 3 years ago.” Kristen says to you. “And I think Mel still forgets she has a sister at times.”

“More like I try to forget but it never happens.” Melissa retorts and you laugh. Just then Teresa announces dinner is ready and everyone scurries to line up at the kitchen. It’s buffet style and then just sit wherever. Kristen pulls you to the line before it gets too long and Melissa tries to keep up but ends up seperated. She watches you and Kristen talking and you laughing at whatever she says and Melissa gets angry.

“You alright cuz?” Someone says to Melissa and snaps her out of her thoughts and she turns around.

“Ya Vinny, I’m fine, why?”

“Because you look like you want to kill your sister. And you guys patched things up a few years ago.” He tells her.

“Like I said, I’m fine.” She tells him with a bite to her voice and Vinny looks unconvinced but doesn’t question it further.

You all managed to eventually get food and sit down in the living room. Kristen continues talking to you and starts to get touchy so Melissa takes action. She walks right up to you both and squeezes in between you both.

“Excuse me.” She says and you and Kristen both have to move over to make room for Melissa.

“What the hell Melissa?” Kristen says and you look confused but don’t think much of it.

“What?”

“You’re impossible sometimes.” Kristen tells her and Melissa just smirks and turns to you.

“Enjoying the food?” She asks and you nod.

“Yes I am. I hope your mom didn’t cook all of it. There was enough for a village in there.” You say and both the sisters laugh. You miss Melissa elbowing her sister in the stomach.

“No, Ma didn’t cook everything. She cooked about half though. Lots of our family volunteers to bring something over. Last year I brought a branzino.” She tells you and Kristen scoffs. “Something you want to say Kristy?” Melissa turns to her sister with a glare.

“Nope.” Kristen says and takes a bite of her food. “Y/n have you ever tried caprese chicken saltimbocca?” Kristen asks you and you shake your head.

“Can’t say I have.”

“Did you get some?” She asks you and both of them look at your plate and sees that you didn’t. Before Melissa could offer some of hers, Kristen beats you to it but offers you a bite off of her fork and you accept it. Melissa looks at interaction and stews. She doesn’t want to have another feud with her sister especially since her sister technically isn’t doing anything wrong. You’re single, beautiful and sweet, the whole package. She can see why her sister is flirting with you.

After dinner, you all have dessert as you do the steal a gift. It has 2 rules, 1: you can’t re-steal a gift back as well as the same gift can’t be stolen more than once in a round and 2: you must wait your turn.

When it’s your turn, you pick a gift and see that it’s a beautiful necklace of a green diamond heart wrapped with silver lining, the green is the same colour as Melissa’s eyes and you love it.

Unfortunately one of her cousin’s steals it from you and Melissa sees your pout and then you go to get a different gift. Melissa is the last person to pick and she’s gonna steal that necklace back for you. You open another gift and see that it’s a bottle of Italian wine and you get a bunch of ‘ooo’s from everyone. And someone says that you’re having bad luck when someone steals it from you and you laugh and agree. You're sitting beside Melissa and she has her arm on your low back the entire time. You talk with Kristen Marie as well who’s sitting on the other side of you.

When it’s Melissa’s turn she immediately goes and steals the necklace from her cousin, the one who stole it from you, got it stolen from her and now Melissa is stealing back for you. She’ll give it to you later tonight. You end up with a hoodie that says “I’m Italian you gaboots” to which you and everyone laughed.

Teresa then goes and hands the gifts under the tree to who it’s for. You end up getting one from Melissa and her parents to which you were surprised. Melissa ends up getting a few gifts as well as her sister and everyone else. You open hers and see that it’s a baseball cap that says the eagles on it that you mentioned you couldn’t afford at the time, when you and her went to a game. You saw that she got a cap but you thought it was for herself and you now saw that she got it for you. You squeal and give her a hug.

“Oh, thank you thank you thank you!” You tell her and she laughs.

“You’re welcome hon.” She says.

Melissa sees that you got her a gift and she opens it with a smile. She sees that it’s the book she wanted and you must have heard her talking about it and got it for her.

“Omg thanks hon.” She says and hugs you.

“Open it.” You tell her and looks confused.

“To what page?” She asks.

“Any page.” You tell her and she opens it and she immediately tears up. The first letter of each word was highlighted. She flips through it more and it seems like it’s like that for the entire book.

“Omg.” She says and puts her hand over her heart.

“You ok Mel?” Her mom asks and Melissa nods and turns to you.

“Did you get someone to highlight it or did you do it yourself?” She asks.

“I did it myself.” You tell her and she launches herself at you in a hug.

“Omg hon, this is the best gift ever!” She tells you. Her mom looks at the book and sees what you did and she smiles. The fact that you knew of Melissa’s dyslexia, got her a book she wanted and knew what helps her and did it yourself, made her see that you’re the perfect one for Melissa. When most people were done opening their gifts and chatting with people, Melissa turns to you. “Hey hon.” She says and you turn to her.

“Ya Melissa?” She pulls out the necklace from the steal a gift.

“I saw you loved the necklace and decided to steal it for you.” She tells you and your jaw drops.

“You did that for me?” You ask in disbelief and she nods. “Are you sure? I mean I’m sure it would look lovely on you.” You tell her.

“I’m sure but I got enough necklaces for now and it would look better on you. Turn around and lift up your hair.” She tells you and you do. She puts the necklaces on you with a smile. Kristen hears the conversation and sees the interaction between you and figures out why Melissa has been glaring at her all evening. Melissa likes you. She decides right there to amp up the flirting with you to make Melissa jealous. She knows her sister might not make a move otherwise. Her mom sees the interaction as well and sneaks a picture of Melissa putting the necklace on you.

She clips it on and you turn around and face her. “Wow thank you Melissa!” You tell her and stare at the necklace with a smile.

“You’re welcome. I knew it would look good on you.” She says softly and you blush. As a thank you, you kiss her check and then turn around to face Kristen Marie as she taps your arm right away. Melissa is stunned by your action and touches where you kissed her with a blush and smile. Teresa gets a picture of the kiss and Melissa’s reaction.

Before anyone leaves, they all get up to take a bunch of photos. A few of everyone, a few without the partners or guests of people. And then individual ones of the households and everyone’s little families. Melissa got one with her mom, dad and sister and then one with just her sister. She thought she was done and then her mom calls you up again and gets you to take one with Melissa. She takes one with Melissa’s hand wrapped around your waist and tells you to get closer as your ‘besties’. Her words, not yours. Melissa then goes behind you and hugs you from behind and puts her chin on your shoulder and her mom takes a picture and then Melissa sticks her tongue out for the next one to which you laugh and copy her. The photos of other people continue as you two go to sit down.

Kristen Marie grabs your attention right away and Melissa gets annoyed. Kristen Marie has gotten more touchy with you, the more into the night you get. You are wondering why she’s touchy with you and you are starting to like it a bit, you normally don’t get attention like that from people. Kristen Marie puts her hand on your thigh and whispers something to you and that’s when Melissa decides to leave. Other people have already left so she thinks it wouldn’t look weird.

“Hey hon, I’m getting tired so I’m gonna go.” She tells you and you look at her.

“Oh ok, let me get my things and we can go.” You say but Kristen Marie speaks up.

“If you want I can drive you home and you can stay longer.” She offers and you look at her and her hand goes higher up her leg and Melissa sees red.

“Oh um, I’m actually going to hitch a ride with Melissa if that’s ok with you.” You ask her to which she immediately nods.

Melissa and you say your goodbyes to everyone. You thank her parents for inviting you and Teresa hands you your container back, now empty as all the cookies were eaten.

You put your stuff in the car and Melissa starts the drive back to your place. “So you and my sister seem to have gotten along.” She starts and you look at her.

“Ya, she’s really nice, she even gave me her number.” You say and Melissa takes a deep breath to try and control her jealousy.

“That’s because she was hitting on you.” Melissa says bluntly and a bit snippy.

“What? No she wasn’t, she was just being nice.” You tell her and she scoffs.

“Hon, you have got to be the most oblivious person on the planet if you couldn’t tell she was flirting with you.” Melissa tells you and you look at her confused. “I mean she literally had her hand on your thigh.” She says with a bit of anger.

“Well I did think that was a bit weird but didn’t want to seem rude if that’s normal in your family.”

“That’s not normal for us, we’re not that touchy.”

“What?!? But you’re touchy with me too.” You say.

“Ya! Because I’m trying to flirt with you too!” She says annoyed but then she realises what she just admitted and mentally facepalms.

“You’re what?” You ask.

Melissa leans back into the seat and doesn’t bother looking at you or answering your question.

“Melissa, do you like me?” You ask her and she sighs. She then finds a place to pull over safely and then turns to look at you.

“Ok yes I do, I’ve been trying to flirt with you for 4 months ever since I realised I liked you over the summer. But I guess you’re the most oblivious person, I also didn’t want to tell you directly because I was afraid. But I saw how you were with my sister and I got jealous.” She admits and you stare at her with wide eyes and then you smile at her.

“I like you too.” You tell her and she looks shocked at you.

“Do you really?” She asks and you nod. Melissa then cups your cheek and leans in. You lean in as well and you kiss each other. It starts out slow as you learn each other’s mouths and savour it. Then it quickly turns desperate and Melissa deepens the kiss. You let out a moan and Melissa puts her hands all over your hair. You then pull away and look at her face.

“Take me to your place.” You tell her and it takes her a second to process and then she nods and puts the car in drive.

She then drives to her place and you both quickly get out and into her house. Once inside she pushes you against the door as soon as it closes and attacks your lips with hers.

“Wait.” You tell her and she pulls back. “Were you jealous of your sister flirting with me?” You ask her and she looks down and blushes. “Hmm, I knew you were acting a little different. I kinda like it.” You tell her and she looks at you.

“Really?”

“Ya, go on and take your jealousy out on me.” You whisper in her ear. And with your permission, she does just that.

She attacks your neck roughly and you gasp and moan. She pins you up on the wall and pulls your dress down to go for your nipples. You bury your hands in her hair and moan. She then pins your hands to the wall and you whine as you’re unable to touch her. “Naughty girls don’t get to touch.” She says with a deep voice and you shiver. “I know you liked the attention you got from my sister.” She adds and you whimper. “Tell me, do you think my sister can get all these sounds out of you?” She asks and you squirm. You then decide to add fuel to the fire.

“She probably could. I mean she knew how to move her hand under my dress.” You say and you see the jealousy practically leaking from her as there was so much.

“So that’s how you’re gonna play it I see.” She says and carries you to her bedroom. “I see you want to be fucked roughly tonight, treated like the slut you are.” She tells you once she sets you down on her bed. She unbuckles your belt and flings it off you, then rips your dress off. She unclips your bra and sends it flying then attacks your nipples and she moans. She pulls you up more onto the bed and climbs on top of you. She slides your underwear and then looks at you bare under her. She then gets up and goes to her closet and brings a box over. She then oh so casually, takes out some cuffs and ties you to the bed.

“What?” But I haven’t touched you yet!” You exclaim and she smirks.

“Like I said, naughty girls don’t get to touch.” She says then she takes her sweater and shirt off and you drool at the sight of her chest on display like that. She then straddles your lap and takes her bra off and you stare at them. She then puts her hands on her boobs and touches herself while all you can do is watch and struggle against the cuffs. “Hmm oh I bet you’d love to touch me like this.” She teases and she moans. You whimper and she grinds against you a bit. She then gets up and takes her pants and underwear off. She then get a vibrator out, turns it on and instructs you to close your legs, she then puts it on your clit and tells you to keep it there. She then goes and slowly puts a strap on while she watches you squirm. She knows your close and she wonders if she should edge you or make you come many times. She decides to edge you and tells you not to come. You squirm even more and she enjoying watching you struggle.

She then ups the speed on the vibrator and you arch your back and try to keep the vibrator in place like she told you too. She then turns it off when she knows you can’t hold on too much longer and removes it from you. You whine as you were very close but then she gets in between your legs and starts licking you. You moan at the feeling of her hot wet tongue and mouth on you where you need her the most. She then goes for your clit and you gasp. She roughy licks and sucks on it for a couple minutes until you were just about to come and she pulls back. She waits a few seconds for you to calm down and then she sticks her fingers in you and fingers you. About half a minute she curls her fingers inside you and it hits your g-spot. You have your legs spread nice and open for her and you’re close again. She then pulls out when your close and you whimper.

“Mel please, I need to come.” You say with a pout and she chuckles.

“You don’t get to come until I say so.” She tells you and you realise she’s edging you. She then lines the dildo up with your entrance and she shoves it in. You scream out and she gives you a second to adjust. She then goes and starts pounding it into you and she rubs your clit. Melissa comes about a minute later but doesn’t tell you, she wants to know how much more you can take. “Hold it in you slut.” She says and you whimper. She then pulls out at the last second and you whine and whimper. She takes the strap off and goes and sits on your face. You take a few licks and she moans out. She then pushes the vibrator to your clit and turns it on to the max. “When you make me come then you can.” She says to you and you squirm the entire time as you hold in the orgasm she’s been denying you all night. And then finally she comes and it drips all over your chin and lips and then you come with a scream as it hits you hard due to the intense build up.

She then releases you from the cuffs and she goes to get a cloth. She makes sure to not touch your clit but cleaning you up and then cleans herself up. She throws the cloth on the ground next to the strap and lays down beside you.

“Are you ok?” She asks you as you cuddle into her and place your hand on her boob.

“Ya, when I told you to take your jealousy out on me, you really went all in.” You say surprised and with a smile.

“It wasn’t too much?” She asks and you shake your head.

“It was perfect. The only complaint is that I couldn’t touch these magnificent breasts.” You tell her and squeeze them. She giggles and then goes on her back to let you touch her all you want. “You don’t have to worry btw. I’ve only had eyes for you and no one else.” You tell her and she smiles.

“Good, because I want you and don’t want anyone else to touch you.” She says as she strokes your cheek and you lean into her touch.

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[xetlynn]

Twilight- Youngest Shadow: Chapter Six, Confirming Us

(Alice X Reader X Jasper)

[five] [six] [seven]

Bella stands by me, getting herself ready for what she’s about to do. It’s the end of the school day and I suck in a deep breath for her. I can not believe she’s actually going through with this.

She starts walking towards the Cullen’s. She makes eye contact with Edward and he immediately gets the message but Rosalie grabs his arm. Bella already disappeared in the trees that bordered the school property. Rosalie says something to him but Alice shakes her head and removes her hand, also speaking. I obviously can’t hear them from here.

Biting the dead skin off my bottom lip nervously I try my best not to cough. Of course I’m still sick, not as bad as yesterday but still up there. Just without the fever.

I watch Edward finally get away from his foster siblings and go to my sister. It feels like my breathing has been shortened. I have a feeling he won’t do anything to her but there’s always a thought in the back of my mind.

“Hey, you okay?” I turn and it was just Angela. “Hm?” I raise a brow. “Oh I was just asking if you’re okay. Since you were pretty sick yesterday.” She smiles, putting her hand on my back causing me to shutter. “I’m better, still sick.” I look away to cough. Her touch makes my chest squeeze and I don’t notice the two staring at me from across the lawn. Or at least I act like I don’t.

“Aw, I’m sorry.” She pouts moving her hand to my shoulder and I nervously laugh. “It’s okay, did you find your prom dress?” I change the subject, her eyes light up in response. “Yes I did. Did you? I wasn’t able to ask since you were so bad yesterday.” She takes her hand back and I felt like a corset was being taken off and I could actually breathe again. “Ah, that’s amazing. I don’t know if I’m going.” I shrug.

She takes my hand and that one feeling comes back. “You have to it will be so fun. And since we don’t have Bella coming we need at least one Swan sister to come.” She tries to convince me. That sentence throws me the wrong way though, I know she didn’t intend it to but I don’t know.

“We could even match colors. My dress is like light pink.”

“I mean if you’d like me to I will.” I tell her with a small smile. “Light pink is such a good choice.” Another voice rings to my right side and both of us jump from the person. I mentally curse once I see who it is. “Oh, um… thank you Alice.” Angela grins at the other girl as I glare at her.

“So, [Name] how’d you sleep last night?” She turns to me and my lips press together angrily. Angela seems confused.

“What an odd question to ask.” I say through my teeth.

“Really? I just wanted to make sure it was nice since Jasper and I left before you woke up.” She sweetly says, my eyes widen.

“I slept fine.” I roll my eyes.

“That’s good! Angela? That’s your name right? I’m going to steal [Name] here for a second.” She doesn’t even let the girl answer nor give me the chance to deny. Taking my arm and dragging me away. I look back at Angela apologetically.

She waves me goodbye, furrowing her eyebrows as she was just as confused as me.

We get into a car where I’m in the backseat, Jasper was in the driver seat. “What was that!?” I pull away from her, my face scrunched with anger.

“Shh.” She tells me and I grunt as I push myself backwards on the seat. “Is this a fucking AA or something? Here to tell each other secrets?” I cross my arms.

“Why are you so mad at us, darling?” Jasper turns to look at me.

“Why are you so obsessed with me?” I rebuttal.

“Well, you obviously know what we are is that your reason?” He ignores what I had just said. “No I’m just- I’m confused!” I exclaim.

“You’re both together, in a relationship. Immortal I might add that I am not. What do you want from me?”

Their gazes soften. “[Name], you’re our missing piece. You’re ours. You have been for years we only now found you, again” Alice tells, still smiling. I think back to my dream.

Their missing piece…

“You still aren’t answering me correctly. Give me an explanation, a good one that doesn’t sound like you’re crazy!” I exasperated.

“I’m some missing piece, whatever! But why me? You don’t know me!” I hold myself trying not to get emotional from how overwhelmed I feel.

“We know more than you think, love.” Jasper says, i glance over to him, motioning for him to keep talking.

“We’ve had this feeling for years, we knew you as humans, [Name]. Years and years ago. You’re the one who would get through our fingers. Your past lives have popped up. And they will continue to do so until you fall for us. You won’t remember until you-“ he cuts himself off, Alice’s eyes bored onto me. “You won’t remember.”

I sit there for a minute in complete silence.

Then I start laughing. “Okay I played into this for a little bit. I actually believed it, I believed my sister too! Is this some sort of prank or something?” I shake my head. “This is good, really. You had me. But knock it off.” I go to open the door but it won’t open.

“Hey, let me out.” I play with the handle and the two just sit there. “I said let me out.” I order, now using to hands.

“[Name],” Alice goes to touch me but I go up against the door. “Don’t touch me.” I smack her away from me and a shock goes through my arm. I gasp not only from how cold she is, even though I already know she is. But something actually shocked me. Not a normal metal shock but like a taser went through my arm.

“We’re telling the truth.” Jasper says lowly, I just scoff.

“Okay, sure and I’m a fucking werewolf. Do you know how crazy this sounds!?” I throw my hands into the air.

“Yes, yes we know.” Alice sadly replied.

“I want proof.” I simply say. “I want to see the speed shit or whatever.”

They look between each other, nodding.

“We can do that but we have to go to an excluded place. Do you trust us enough?” Alice asks me. I sit there for a moment.

“Sure.”

“We need a yes if we leave this parking lot.”

I roll my eyes, “yes.”

And in a quick notion we’re on the road, exhilarating passed the speed limits.

I grip onto the handle above me.

Then we come to a stop, we’re in the forest. “We gotta do some walking.” Jasper warns me, I just nod.

He finally unlocks the child lock he had put on and I get out. I leave my backpack inside the vehicle. Alice and Jasper stand next to me on either side. We start up on this hike trail. We walk in silence. None of us tried to start up a conversation.

“Watch your step.” Jasper warns me and even with that warning I somehow trip. Luckily I don’t fall. My face warms up in embarrassment. They don’t say anything, don’t even crack a smirk or anything. Sort of making me feel better about it.

Then Jasper starts going off trail and I stop in place. “What are you doing?”

“Excluded place, remember, Darling?” Jasper reminds me, I look around trying to think of a way to get out of this. “Right.” I whisper, realizing there isn’t going to be one. I buried my own grave here.

“I’ll be right behind you to make sure you don’t fall.” Alice tells me, trying to reassure me.

I don’t acknowledge what she said, just following Jasper.

It was long until we get to this small spot. “No one’s around.” Alice tells Jasper who nods shortly.

My nerves start rising, I play with the sleeves of my sweater.

“Okay do you have anything else to ask?” Jasper asks and I shake my head. “Just do the speed shit.” I tell trying not to sound panicked but that doesn’t work.

He snickers and Alice stands next to him. Then he’s gone and I feel a tap on my shoulder. When I turned he was gone again. I look straight and Alice was gone too. A tap on my back this time and they’re both behind me. I squint at them and then Jasper is gone again. Now hanging on a tree branch.

Alice grins.

He jumps down, it was a high branch so I gasp. Almost going to run to him but he stands with perfect posture.

“Do you believe it now?” Alice teases me, my mouth opens to speak but nothing comes out. “I… I um”

“Are you scared?” Jasper questions me, going back next to his lover.

“Would you be in my position?”

The two laugh. “Yeah, we would.” Alice sighs.

“Well, oddly enough I’m not. I want to know more.” I tell them.

And for the next few days that’s what we do. I learn more about them.

Barely passing by Bella but we both subconsciously knew that each other got our answers.

And with learning about them came.. loving them. Both of them. I never thought I’d be with two people- vampires?

I guess no one thinks they will be with a vampire.

I knew I’d be in a relationship no one would understand in my family. Like being with a woman most likely. But in this odd polyamory love affair I would’ve never guessed.

They were gentle with me. Like a doll.

“Jasper usually has trouble around humans. That’s why he kind of looks like he’s in pain. But with you. It’s like you’re one of us. We still have to treat you with fragile care. Nonetheless you’re made for us.” Alice grins, holding my hand as we walked together on that same trail. Jasper had to help Rosalie and Emmett with something so he couldn’t join us today.

“Do you think there’s something with my blood?” I look at her and she gives me a confused look. “What do you mean?”

“Well you guys drink blood. What’s so different about mine?”

She breaks out into a small laugh. “Nothings different it’s just how we are with you. It’s been like that in all of your lifetimes. It’s how we know it’s you. Well we normally know because you always look the same. Same first name too.” She explains, my mouth going into the form of an ‘o’.

“You’re cute.” She gently bumps into me.

And no matter how many times I ask them about my past lives, about how I acted they never answered.

Always saying “you’ll find out when you do.”

It was very frustrating.

“I can see into the future, visions. I can see what a persons up to at this very moment. The future can change though. It’s not always accurate.” Alice tells me and I raise an eyebrow.

“Did you know about Bella and your brother before they came about?” I tilt my head.

“Sort of. I didn’t want to pry.” She says. “Can you do anything special?” I turn to Jasper.

“I can manipulate your emotions. Sort of like an empathetic person. I feel your emotion instead of you.” He explains.

I tilt my head, wanting to know more.

“How come you didn’t do that to me when I was angry with you guys?”

“I didn’t want to have this relationship based off of me manipulating you. I wanted you to feel everything, think for yourself. Make your choice. You’re worth waiting a million years for.” He takes me hand like Alice is but takes it up and kisses it.

I smile to myself, glancing down at the ground.

“We want you to come over and meet everyone.” Alice suddenly says.

“Your sister will be there too.” She adds.

I blink a few times, my chest tightening. “Uh… are you sure?”

“Of course.” Jasper chimes in.

And I felt like throwing up.

The thought of meeting their family made my heart thump quicker than normal.

“Okay… I’ll do it if my sister is there.”

“Great, we will pick you up tomorrow.”

Today I brought my motorcycle myself this time. So I drove home myself. And getting there Jacob and Billy stood outside talking to my dad. Well Billy sat in the car as Jacob was going to get out. I’m guessing to take out the wheelchair.

Getting off my bike, I take my helmet off as I walked over to them. “Hey, squirt!” My dad shouts over to me and I wave.

“Hey guys!” I smile. Jacob comes over and pulls me into a hug. Billy was a bit standoffish but he smiles and greets me as well.

Jacob walks away and goes to set up the wheelchair, Billy gets himself up to sit in it.

That’s when Bella gets dropped off by Edward, Billy and him make eye contact and Billy seemed nervous.

Okay this chapter is a little shorter than normal. I had some things happen so I’ve been busy. But I’m hoping to have two chapters out on Sunday.

And a few requests done.

[moondirti]

13. A CHALLENGE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN OF ANIMALIC | MIGUEL O'HARA X F!READER

↼ chapter twelve / chapter fourteen ⇀

summary: you ask for a challenge. miguel gives you one worth your salt

mature | 10.2k words warnings: praise kink, mentorship with benefits, sparring, sexual tension, loads of banter/flirting, mild angst, sexual fantasies (including blowjobs), insecurity, blood and injury, mentions of death, dirty talk, arousal notes: i know y'all hate me after that end

Sunday, 14:45

“How long’s it been?” You urge, voice strained with thinning breath. 

Miguel – for all his insistence that you push yourself beyond normal measure – doesn’t seem to hear you, gazing off into a distant corner. His forehead looks especially flickable from this angle, in this particular moment, and you have to curl your fist to quell the urge as it arises.

“Hm?” He hums, finally snapping out of it when you walk to the stretch of ceiling above him, intruding on his eyeline. The conditioned air of the gym itches the parts of you that are damp with sweat, particularly that exposed by your drooping shirt, draped under your bra to reveal your abdomen. Gooseflesh pocks your skin.

“The time.” 

“Right.” He blinks, lifting his wrist to pause the stopwatch he’d set, then makes a small noise. “Double the last. You’re getting better.” 

“Yeah, well–” To dispense the effects his praise has on you, you turn to make your way over to the pull-up bars at the back. They were your means of getting up on the ceiling, and they’re your way off. “S’not really difficult. I’m just hanging, trying not to throw up.”

“You could start practising on walls. It’d make the whole ‘getting down’ process easier.” He says, almost admonishes. As good as you’ve gotten at defying gravity upside down, you’ve stayed clear of testing your luck by doing so perpendicularly. “Not to mention, accessible. You won’t always have conveniently placed support to help you.” 

“I don’t quite trust it yet.” Because you don’t, and it’s hard to imagine you will. The whole idea feels like a big fuck you to every physics lesson you’ve ever digested. “It makes no sense.” Swinging off the bar, you make sure to land on a wide stance to prevent your tumble. Your extremities have long since numbed, and you’ve already learnt your lesson on how that generates a lack of stability for the first few seconds until adjustment. “If everything in the universe operates on the same laws, I won’t be the exception.” 

“You’re right.” Miguel ducks to fetch the bottle you left beside him, handing it over before you can ask. “You wouldn’t be. Several spiders manage it just fine.” 

“Several spiders also have several one-ups on me.” The cold slice of water cuts through your thirst, tamping the headache you could sense starting at your sinuses. Recovery, in absolute contrast to your endurance, has cut by half. You’re recuperating from exertion a lot quicker than before.

“Like?” 

“Failsafes in case they fall. Web-shooters, assistive gear.” You neglect to broach the topic of your own infallible; him, never too far out of reach. Not only would its mention go against your point, you’re still unsure of the nature of his aid – whether he would catch you if the severity of the situation did not call for it. If he’s here because you need him, or in commitment to a duty beyond your understanding. 

(Tallying what you know about Miguel, you’d bet on the latter.)

“Everyone starts somewhere.”

“Very helpful, thanks.” You’d offer him your drink, but even the thought of his lips touching where yours once did makes you flush with molten heat. Late at night, tucked on your bed as you watch the highway leading to Second Base, you strain to remember what they felt like, mashed to yours in a laser confined cell. If you knew back then how things would end up, maybe you would’ve savoured it for longer. “Experience too. With the constant danger they face, they pretty much have to equip every skill at their disposal.” 

“Is that what you want, then – danger?” He teases, mouth curling in a downwards smile. You’re too quick to shake your head. That word, want, still haunts you.

“You’re missing the point.” 

“Am I, now.” 

“I’m just saying,” Biting your cheek, you scramble for a fitting sentiment. Nothing quite encapsulates the crux of your little tangent, and you can’t help but compare yourself to Miguel. No matter how far the conversation strays, he always finds a link to tie it altogether. Unshakeable, poised. Like the sun, pulling comets into its orbit until they shine brilliantly, their tails forged under the radiation pressure. “A challenge might hit your lessons closer to home. Y’know, thrill, adrenaline – forcing me to resort to lengths I wouldn’t typically go to, instilling in me all the marks you want me to land on.” 

(But if he’s the sun, what would that make you? Pluto, far on the other side of the solar spectrum, barely doing enough to keep its cosmic status? Even dwarf planets have their pull, some force strong enough to accrete nearby matter, and so it seems ill-fitting.)

Your mentor accepts your argument regardless, nodding minutely. 

(Perhaps you’re the comet itself – coming from nowhere, heading nowhere, meant for the one, singular event that could give your existence meaning. That crossing paths with a star, to burn brightly in its influence before dissolving into nothing.)

“Similar to the planking exercise we do. Up the stakes and simulate something real for you.” 

We. Your stomach lurches to your chest and you have to swallow it back before speaking. “Y-Yeah.” 

“Te entiendo. Alright.” He agrees. “If that’ll get you to make progress. Come.” You follow him to the centre of the room, stumbling over hurried strides until you reach the combat training mat. “You remember our first day here.” 

“Feels like centuries ago, but yes.” You respond, assuming he means the premiere lesson of yours, betiding this very spot. You’d christened it by letting him fuck your throat, and that’ll forever be the memory that occurs to you so long as you keep returning to this gym. It’s hard to forget.

“What did I ask you to do?” 

“Er– Pin you down.” Your pitch drops an octave in an effort to mock him. “Three seconds, and you’ll have proved your point.” His inflection is tough to nail down, though – unique to the broad-shouldered form that affords his vocal folds more space, subtly curled where his accent comes through. You end up sounding like a parched frog more than you do him. 

He shakes his head, nose twitching. It’s a vague quirk that says nothing about his amusement. 

“As I recall it, you couldn’t.” 

“As I recall, I was kept quite busy.” You, of course, are referring to his cock and it’s wedging into your mouth. And if he didn’t get the implication on word alone, then your lewd miming of the act fills in what gaps remain. Miguel sighs, waiting for your redolence to subside to continue. Though his weight shifts from one foot to the other, like he’s ridding himself of the tension that swells at your suggestion, and the small action speaks louder than what he likely intends. To think that you might have the same effect on him as he does you, however physical, is a tempting thing. 

“Before that.” 

You acquiesce, arm flopping uselessly to your side. “Sure. Though to be fair, I’ve no knowledge on how.”

“Good.” He crosses his arms. “We’re going to try again.” 

“Right now?” 

“No.” 

“Well don’t keep me in suspense,” Rolling your eyes, you start to fold your sleeves to sit above the elbow. “Or next thing I know, I’m trapped in a cage with Rhino and a knife for defence.” 

That drives a chuckle from him. It’s warm and coarse and low, and with the way your stomach churns at the sound, you hardly care that it’s at your expense. “Proper spectacle that would be. You wouldn’t last ten minutes. The best I’d give you is a weaponless Vulture.” 

“Are you forgetting that I took down a symbiote on my own? Where your first instinct was to throw punches at it.” You huff. “They’re regenerative!” 

“An oversight on my part. ‘Course, I didn’t want to get involved in the first place.” His chin practically sits on his chest now, tipped down to look you face-to-face. It’s the way through which you realise how close you’ve gotten, nose millimetres away from his forearm. He smells infuriatingly clean – fresh patchouli aftershave, soap, clothes fragranced from the laundry, familiar only because you use the same detergent. “Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately for you, your opponent continues to be me.”

“And you want us to wrestle.” 

“Given a few caveats.” He shrugs when your expression pinches. “To make it more real.” 

“Okay…” 

“Today will continue as is. I’m going to teach you the basics of taking down a larger opponent and we’ll drill it until you understand.” You cut his explanation into small fragments for better digestion – takedown, larger than you, drills – and show your attendance with wide eyes, following as he circles you. “Pinning me down in a static setting is simple enough. Your challenge is to do so unexpectedly, somewhere outside of this gym. Within the next week, I want you to sneak up on me and staple me to the ground for upwards of three seconds. Anywhere, any time of the day; so long as you aren’t following me on missions, it’s all up to you. Take me by surprise, use it to your advantage. But remember–” 

You cock your head, earnest. As he speaks again, it’s seven trumpets to armageddon, deep punctures to the anticipative silence you’ve built.

“When you come for me, I won’t be holding back.” 

Ribs echoing with the rattle of your rapid heartbeat, you wipe your palms on the loose fabric of your sweats and take longer than you perhaps need to register his dare. He wants you to act much like a hero would on a stealth operation. That’s fine. You can do that. You’ll be taught on how to disable him and all that’s left is the matter of covertness, in which you have an advantage given your newfound ability to walk on the overturned pathways of HQ. Except–

“Wouldn’t your spider-sense–” 

He shakes his head. No. And though he doesn’t state it explicitly, you’re reminded of his claws and how divergent they are to the standard spider-power. It seems, then, that he differs in more ways than one. No enhanced intuition. You couldn’t imagine. 

But it’s new. Exciting. It’s exactly what you needed, and again, you’re left wondering how he’s gotten so good at reading you. If in place for his deficits, he’d been granted a supernatural knowledge on body language. Even now he’s looking, studying your restrained appearance for a hint of your feelings on the subject. You give it to him with a devilish smile.

“That the best you got?” 

“Big talk.” He winds around you, positioning behind your back. “We’ll see how you feel in seven days.” 

“Glorious, having kicked your ass ‘n’ all.” 

“Okay, sparks. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Miguel says, before patting your hip. His hand is heavy, and you brace yourself against the urge to shiver under it. “Most people are left leg-leaning. Not always, but it’s a statistic you can count on for learning. Put it forward. I’ll show you how it’s done.” 

You do as he says, adjusting to an open posture, slanting your torso so your head faces the same direction as your left foot. The man appears in front of you after making a few corrections, mirroring your effort. 

“Because I’m anticipating what leg you’ll resort to, I’ll bring my right leg forth. Always match same side foot. It’ll give you leverage towards your opponent’s vulnerable areas.” You sway a bit when his muscles stretch the taut material of his shirt. As you try to picture what more is hidden by his civilian clothes, it occurs to you that you’ve never seen him nude enough to make that a possible feat. “Assuming you’re shorter than them, aiming for their lower half is your most efficient bet. But you want their focus away from it when you make the jump.” 

Blinking, you reorient yourself away from your tangent. “Right.” 

“So you’re going to reach.” 

“Rea–” 

Suddenly, he’s grabbing for your face. It’s swift and done with enough aggression that you don’t process what you’re doing until your arms come up to defend it. Split second instinct, your spider sense combing through the hairs on your neck. And he takes the obliviously-given opportunity to duck, hooking his foot behind yours, back hand wrapping around your knee to grip onto his other. His head pushes up on your ribs to stand you on one leg, off balance, and faster than it started, it stops. The attack throws you backward, slamming you onto the cushioned floor. Air syphons out of your lungs. 

“When they’re down, you don’t hesitate to straddle them.” He adds. “The blow will probably knock their limbs to the side.” He bridges over you, lowering so that his knees touch the surface above your shoulders and his feet anchor onto the bits below. His weight rests on your upper arms now. You, despite the loss, can’t help but flick your gaze down to his crotch. If he notices, he doesn’t comment on it. “The technique’s called stapling. Pressing down on two points to completely immobilise.”

“Feels awfully familiar.” You grin, only to choke on the spit accumulating by the back of your throat when he not only acknowledges your innuendo, but reciprocates. 

“Used to being on the bottom?” Huffed sardonically, with all the constituents of a flirt yet none of the sticky-sweet charm. And he doesn’t give your stunned-self a chance to quip back either, rising and gesturing that you do the same. You scramble off your back, rubbing the sore spots left by his grip, watching him warily. It’s facile to convince yourself that it didn’t really happen at all. “Your turn. Right foot forth this time. Remember, reach and duck.” 

You stay locked onto him when you throw your fist up at his face, stopping shy of his jaw. He isn’t as ignorant as to believe you, but his elbows draw away from his hips to allow space for your consequent assault. Squatting, you step forward to completely embrace his left leg. Quick calculations tell you that his weakest point is at his knee, so you lower your clutch around it, cheek squishing onto his stomach, before lifting the appendage off the ground. It isn’t heavy on you, all his mass directed to the back leg he now has to balance on. 

And then– 

And then… what? 

He’d done it so briskly that you completely missed his method. 

“Tell me what you did wrong.” Miguel examines. He’s got your head scissored in one strong arm, and if you weren’t struggling to comprehend how he gained the upper-hand, you’d be salivating with how potent his cologne is from this distance. 

You mutter a faint “Agreeing to this.” and hope your bowed pose muffles it enough.

“Overcommitting. If I wanted to, I could shove your neck downward and take you on from behind.” He shakes you off his leg. “Don’t put your chest on my thigh. Lace your right shoulder over it so that your crown hits my ribs. Yeah, that’s it.” He smooths his hand over your back. It’s merely a graze and almost enough to have you collapse out of position entirely. “See how your head is preventing my arm from leaning on you? Good. Now use that, knoc– oomf.” 

You don’t let him finish, driving him up until he tips backwards. The gratification stalls you for a split-moment, pride trembling up your frame, knocking your bones together. But he raises an eyebrow at you from the ground, and you remember the second part of the expectation.

(If this were the real thing, you’d be squashed by now. He’s holding back, guiding you semi-gently through this practice round.) 

With no further ado, you seat yourself on his abdomen. His biceps are too large to pin your calves to while keeping both your knees and toes to the ground, so you spread until you can do so over the bends of his arms. Your pelvis aches with the near-split, and you find you couldn’t care less, shivering in high delight. 

“Huh. Would you look at that.” You wiggle to reinforce your point. “And how did I do for my first time?” 

(Admittedly, it’s a much milder line than what you had in mind; but even you have your limits, and congratulating him on taking your wrestle-victory virginity is just out of bounds.) 

“Everyone starts somewhere.” He says, purposefully echoing his earlier attitude, recognizant of how it irritated you so. The answer pops your ego before it could begin to surmount to anything. “But you wavered, don’t pretend I didn’t see that. Get off. We’re going again.” 

Tuesday, 22:00

Your first attempt at his challenge comes late. 

The logic felt elementary; wait a day before trying anything so he’s caught further off his guard. It was a plan born with sights on his warning – when you come for me, I won’t be holding back – and, admittedly, your anxiety to it. This new equanimity you find yourself within is fragile, a compromise held up on couth alone. You’ve fought Miguel at his best, with claws reared and fangs snarled right at you. It never ended cleanly. And if either of you lose sight of the labour that is keeping it civil – away from that exact past – you’re terrified that things will shatter in pieces that tear you apart.

(There also remains the knowledge that you’d lose, sorely, should the match be equal.)

So, you didn’t want to give him the opportunity to resist at all. To your sleep-deprived self, there were a few steps in ensuring that: 

Find him late at night, following a presumably long day, having just been lulled into faux comfort by his last meal before retiring. Beyond the fact that you skipped a day since his initial proposal to act on it – with a belly full of food, the lights of HQ dimmed low, and a drowsy filter cast by work, he’ll grow lax. Complaisant. At least, that was your theory, based on patterns you’ve observed in yourself. And it had been solid enough to ground your hopes on, especially when all that was required of you is to disarm him. 

Only as you wait for him to emerge from the cafeteria do you realise the various other factors you forgot to take into account. Ones that complicate your lattermost objective.

The bridge is still, a thick cover of quiet befalling the sector. Bobbing outside the asymmetric windows is a waning gibbous moon, its luminescence casting lurid shadows onto the carpets and columns surrounding you. You sit, crouched behind a bench on an offside seating area, tracing patterns onto an adjacent palisade with your eyes. The moulding on it is triangular, like everything else in this building, and the task is mind-numbing enough that it hits you, then and there. Entirely too late. 

He only taught you the one way of tackling your opponent. 

Head on, with no room for stealth in your approach. Unless Miguel comes out of the cafeteria with a blindfold on, he’ll see you running towards him and squander the endeavour with ease. It’s like you to resort to your worst suspicions when cornered, so you can’t help but believe he did that on purpose. Either to test your ingenuity, or for some other convoluted reason you’ve no mind to get to right now. 

Fuck. That bastard. 

Should you back down now, you won’t trust yourself to face him tomorrow. Already, you’ve stalled for far too long, prudent to the approaching deadline. A week's time. Seven days to prove you’re worth your salt, to overcome the obstacles he’s thrown your way. Unlike your other exercises, you weren’t guaranteed anything in return for mastering this. He probably expects you to want it so bad that you become motivationally self-sufficient. And he’d be right. You do. Christ, you’d asked for it – this much needed intervention on the monotony you’ve been living in. It’s given you something to do beyond your lessons, and a victory might encourage him to design more like it. So–

You’ll stay. Work something out – an alternative plan. He hasn’t been in the caf for long. Given the chance he chose to have a sit down meal, you’ll have time. 

“Lyla.” 

The artificial intelligence flickers into being above you, hovering at your shoulder. She appears wildered, blinking owlishly at the source of her summon. You’d never called on her before – until now, you didn’t think you could. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and your throwing caution to the wind seems to have paid off. 

That is, if she’s willing to proffer Miguel’s position. 

“Upgraded from haunting worlds to our very own HQ?” 

You shrug, blaisé to the jab you’ve heard so often. “Promise I’m on my best behaviour.” 

“My, my.” She belly flops onto a nonexistent surface, still level with your nose, to shelf her chin onto her hands and kick her feet behind her. A small smile worms its way onto your expression when you notice her attire; a silk set of pyjamas, bunny slippers and a heart-shaped sleeping mask, pushed back to keep her bangs off her forehead. “Wonder what the boss has to say about that.” 

“The boss can’t know I’m here.”  

“My lips are sealed.” After miming the action, she glitches onto the ground in front of you, peeking from behind the bench to spy on the automatic doors leading into the cafeteria, much like you’re doing. “What’s with the secrecy? Please tell me this is a proposal. You’re certainly underdressed, but we can work what we’ve got. Oo!” She straightens to a ram-rod posture, alongside the exclamation mark that pops above her head,  clothes returning to normal and a clipboard materialising in her hand. “We can add a little jeuje to the space. What’re we thinking? Flowers–” An orange array of digital peonies projects onto the bridge, fat and blossoming with accelerated speed. “Or streamers?” The petals are soon replaced by banners and curled ribbons, drooping from overarching beams. 

Face molten with panic – and a hint of mortification – you wave through her incorporeal form to hurriedly interrupt her tangent. You can only hope that none of the commotion gave away your primacy. 

“No!” Whisper shouting, you bow your head to the floor to look her in the eye. “Nothing like that. Listen, I just need you to watch Miguel and report back to me on his status. Preferably, before he exits the cafeteria. It’ll help me anticipate his approach while I think of what to do next.” 

“Hmmm.” The lifeform approximation takes her sweet time considering it. Your gaze oscillates anxiously between her and the door, your body in perpetual flight or fight. Any longer, and you’re afraid quick-trigger reflex will have you jumping regardless of whether he emerges or not. “Don’t know what you’re trying to do, but I gotcha. Double agent Lyla, at your command!” 

And then, she disappears. 

Her aid does not reassure you. Baby hairs tickle your nape, matted with sweat. The condition persists, extending to your palms, which lay pressed to the tiled floor to tamp the perspiration seeping from them. Adrenaline – the very response you’d predicted – makes you sick and dizzy despite, bubbling up your gut in violent bursts. For all that you should be focusing on a course of action, her words claim a monopoly in your mind. 

Double agent. 

Do you want to know? 

No, you decide. Not now. Whatever it is, it’s bound to hinder your performance. You settle back down.

Moments later, she crops back up. 

“He’s on his way. If I were you, I’d up and turn around. He looks hangry.” 

“Thanks, Lyla.” It’s about the worst thing she can say to you right now. “Go back to… sleep.” 

Giving a final bow of her head, she departs. Her exit marks the milliseconds before Miguel’s entrance – sacred suspense stretching, spreading, only to implode by the schwip of the automatic door. It unlatches, layer by layer, to reveal a wide silhouette, framed by the bright fluorescents of the still-open cafeteria. 

She’s right. Based on posture alone, you can tell he isn’t in the best of moods. It’s the only clarity you’re afforded as the entryway closes off, plunging him – and you – into the void of your surroundings. You strain to see where he begins or ends now, navy-suit obscuring his edges, punctuated only by the red accents on his chest. They become your indication on how and where he moves, the angling of the lines informing you that he’s headed straight towards you. 

In complete contrast to the plod he takes on, your internal dialogue is a tangled mess of stray worries. An old, feral part of you – the girl who had to fend for herself for a year, untreated to the woes and safeties of regular food and board – claws out with a vengeance. She’s scared, she has nothing to lose, she’s plump with horror at the sight of a prowling hero, which had only meant one thing for her – and the sheer force of it all crushes you into choked submission. Perhaps it’s foolish to think you’ve moved on from your past when old habits return so easily. So she is still you, and it takes a good bit of convincing – of spotting and counting backwards from ten and breathing real slow – to prioritise your objective in face of the sudden regression. 

By the time you manage it, in fact, he’s already a few paces away. 

There goes your plan. 

Frantically, you spring off your haunches, shooting to the side to hinder his track in an bid to salvage what’s left of it. It’s clumsy, lacking all the grace necessary for you to have even the chance of success, and when he stutters short of stepping on you, you make matters worse by curling around his ankles, striving to destabilise him by tugging at the roots of his support. 

It fails. Obviously. 

(In a rather anticlimactic way.)

He releases an exasperated sigh, staring down at your writhing form with what you can only imagine is regret at having ever agreed to this. “What are you doing?” 

“Um–” You stop, glancing at him with one, hesitant eye. “Tackling you.” 

Miguel blinks. Once. Twice. His foot bounces, pushing you off. Then– 

“Up, before you hurt yourself.” Unphased. Strict.

You clamber to a stand. He gives you a once over, shakes his head, and brushes past you to continue his route. As he walks off, you catch a quiet huff, followed by a mutter – the reflection meant only for himself to hear.  “Tackling me. Honestly.”

Wednesday, 10:20

Your second attempt finds you asleep under his desk.

Not deliberately, of course. You didn’t drag a pillow and comforter to his lab like an impromptu nap would lend you an upper hand. The position that brought it forth is hardly even a comfortable one – tucked under a squat table that has you bending your neck to fit, raised high off the ground on a hovering platform, in a cavernous office whose only lightsource seems to be the overhead aperture and orange monitors. They beep multiversal jargon and blare the occasional alarm, which never fails to send your heart rate sky-high – and if you hadn’t at all been convinced in your plot, then you would’ve left after the first couple minutes wait. 

It’s torturous. Depressing. How he’s able to think, let alone work here, is beyond you. It can only be an optimal environment for what you set out to do – and perhaps that’s a point you should take up with him, should he care about being snuck up on by a more competent threat. 

But you dozed off anyway, made weary with all your fretting, legs pressed close to your breast, cheek slotted upon them. It was cold, and he hadn’t arrived yet – off being the responsible spider-hero that he is, conducting city patrol while you tarry for the opportune – and Hobie’s gifted cardigan is snug enough around your frame that it serves as a blanket of sorts. Your course of action, set on an unremitting loop in your mind, was the last straw – a lullaby, cradling you down onto security. Fully drafted, practised, with no room for mistakes given the lessons you learnt last time. 

Even submerged in sleep, it’s all you think about. 

On account of an oversight, you’d panicked. Lept at him with no regard for the tactics you’ve learnt, instead of rerouting an alternative or preparing for contingencies. He’d taught you to tackle him head-on, and while that isn’t ideal for the covert-component of this challenge – like on that bridge, where he would’ve seen you coming from miles away – you can still make do with what you’ve got. That’s why you’re here, early in the morning, waiting for him to come to you, all while remaining oblivious to your presence under his desk. Not only does it grant you cover while he stands mere centimetres away, it ensures his hands are too busy to defend him when you strike, raised to tap away at his screens.

Those are the foundations you worked out on your chagrined walk home last night. The logistics – intricacies you have to calculate spontaneously – can be dealt with as they come up. Like sneaking in undetected. (Accomplished successfully.) Or whether space will allow you to lunge out onto him when he appears. (You practised it first thing – one eye on the door in case he comes in – and established that with a bit of improvisation, it’s possible.)

Your fingers twitch, triggered by muscle memory into acting the attack out on a smaller scale. It’s odd that you recognise it – still somewhat unconscious, suspended in an hypnopompic state where both your dreams and reality intersect. Elements of both topple over one another, porcelain dominoes that splinter on impact. You feel your fingers twitch, yes, and the scrape of your chapped lips – things you abstractedly assign as real – but they’re strewn between memories that run like worn film, singed at the edges. 

A warm hand cupping your neck, callused fingers rubbing lightly over the curve of your shoulder. Shallow breaths, fanned across your lashes, struggled in keeping still. 

Multi-coloured motes, flipping through a catalogue of colours in dark corners. 

A headache, nipping the nerves leading to your brain. Pain, excruciatingly itchy above your elbow, up the back of your arm. Whiplash, smouldering agony across the junction of your shoulder. 

A voice, hummed from the depths of a broad chest. Resonant, rugged. ‘Don’t move’ – the demand so steady it could’ve been gospel. Him, keeping you stable. Him, the only constant you know.

For a moment, you believe you’re still there. Buried under mounds of grey rubble, nestled on his lap. Oxygen depleted, injuries severe. No hope of escaping or checking in on the population of Earth-15, whose fate you screwed by merely existing on the same plane. The past number of weeks were fable, then, conjured by your sick mind to help you die easy. Creating a story besides the one that ended you; where you and Miguel worked something out.

And if it’s true – if you truly imagined it all – then that’d entail you never grew out of your hatred. You never got to rest on a bed, or take a shower, or bask in a filling meal again. It’d mean you didn’t leave any legacy beyond that of Wraith; destroyer of worlds, bane of his existence. 

(And that you never counted as anything more to him than just that.)

Gradually, the pseudo-dream morphs into a nightmare born of stressful thought, and at its peak, it shakes you so hard you wake up. Bones jolting out of your skin, legs ready to kick outwards; raptured in fight-or-flight until you remember where you are, why it’s so cramped – because his desk is obnoxiously short and not because a building toppled over you – and how you got here. 

You’re thankful you’re able to collect yourself so swiftly. Had you smacked your head on the belly of the table, or otherwise panickedly flailed about, then you would have alerted the man currently standing in front of you. His upper body is cut off from your sight, but you’d recognise those muscled thighs anywhere. Clad in his digital suit, little patterns shimmering on its surface. You see them clearer in your proximity, correlating them to the figures you’d observed on his monitors. Parallel lines and concentric circles, like maps of the spider-verse projected onto a navy backdrop. 

How long were you out?

Despite your semi-awareness to your surroundings, you hadn’t heard him come in. Nor did you feel the platform drop to allow him to step onto it. You brush the confusion off, figuring it’d do you no good, and rub the drowsiness from your eyes while catching yourself up to speed. 

You’re here to tackle him. The voice in your head begins chanting the plan again; leap out, grab his forward leg, ram his ribs with your head and pray it’s enough to tip him over. That’s one.

Two: you’re a quiet sleeper. You can’t imagine the embarrassment had you not been – if he were to catch you napping in his office by following the sound of your groans. You suppose it’s a frivolous thing to get hung up on, but you remember how your college roommate would talk during her nightmares. It never failed to capture your attention, even with headphones clasped tightly to your ears.  

Which leads into your third remark– 

He doesn’t realise you’re here; the most important thing considering. You’re still in the clear to go ahead. 

Right now, Miguel is a smidge too far away for it to work out. You knead the sore flesh of your nape, stalking his feet for the slightest movement. They stand on the other side of the platform, verging near its brink, tapping in cogitation. Then, when he swipes a screen away from his direct view, his weight leans onto the back one. The manoeuvre brings his pelvis lower, cut-off rising to his midriff. It’s all you can do to remain dignified, gaze locked on anywhere except his hamstrings and where they round out to form a pronounced behind. 

Would it be wrong for you to abandon your objective on justification of lust? It strokes some primal part of you seeing him so dedicated to his work. You’re instantly overwhelmed with the urge to crawl out and service him like this, on your knees, while he maintains his concentration. To give him a soft mouth, soft hands, maybe elicit an iota of pride over how well you behave. It’s depraved – you won’t deny it – but in your darkest moments, nothing consoles you like the thought of his unequivocal praise. Acceptance. There’s no one it would matter more from. 

(No one it could matter more from. It’s true that he’s the only constant presence you’d ever had, even before your world went to ruin. Though you’re unsure of whether it’s in good providence, or if you’ll ever fully accept the fact.)

Miguel steps closer. You repress the reverie, slapping yourself softly to land back on target. A bit more to his left– yes, that’s it. He’s in front of you now. 

When you’d practised, your head had to be out from underneath the desk for the manoeuvre to work. Pushing up into a squat, you shuffle forward. All you need is a distraction so he doesn’t catch you peeking out in his peripheral, and it comes in the form of child laughter. 

Distant, as though it’s been passed through a speaker. With the way it repeats, incessant like that of a fond video playing over and over, you can appreciate that it isn’t happening live. Perhaps it’s a subject he’s keeping his eye on, or he’s slacking off with a movie. Not that it matters, of course – so long as he’s honed in on anything other than you.

His knee is at your eyeline. You scoot further. The low metal of the desk slips over your head. Now or never. 

Pouncing, you wrap a gable grip around the bend of his leg, using the momentum of your squat to spring upwards. It’s bull-like when your forehead slams onto the exposed expanse of his ribs, toes skidding for acceleration as you force him to balance on the one limb, driving onward. The force could’ve concussed, had he not been cushioned by brawn. It’s certainly enough to almost throw him over, in any case. He stumbles backward, arm slipping across your back, and the scuffle is so promising that you let yourself relax slightly.

That’s your fault, you admit. 

He exploits the slip-up to wrench your arms off from around his knee, using the appendages to pull you out from underneath him. With a frankly painful tug at the wrists, he twists you so your back is facing him, before pinning them in one strong grip. You’re shoved onto his desk that way, unceremoniously bent at the hip, nose ramming into the reinforced durasteel. Warmth trickles from it. A metallic taste fills the back of your mouth. 

“¡Maldita sea! What the hell?”

Pain crackles up your nose, where ichor continues to bloom and slip from your nostrils. His aggression perhaps shouldn’t surprise you – he did say he wouldn’t be holding back – but it’s parallel to the treatment you received as Wraith, and you can’t help but assume that he resorted to what he was used to in all the adrenaline.

“That hurts.” Groaning, you wiggle your fingers in a plea for release. His pelvis flattens on the plump of your ass, and it burns the longer he continues to press into you. The situation is almost reminiscent of the fantasies you create when alone; rough-treatment and all.

“Christ.” He hisses, backing off at once. Despite asking for it, you mourn his absence, rubbing the brand left by his clothed crotch, sheepishly turning back to look at him. The instant he sobers up, he’s opening the drawer to his left. “I didn’t realise it was you.” 

“Who else...” You murmur, ducking to shield your bloody nose from his attention. It’s done in vain, though – he already has a towel in hand, heading towards your face. Erroneously, you think he’s passing it to you and reach out to grab it – only to brush across his knuckles when he instead presses the white cotton to your lip. “Security that big of an issue?” 

“You got in, didn’t you.” 

“Har har.” As the red is wiped off your skin, he steadily lets you take over, dropping the towel to allow you to tamp the flow on your own. 

“How long have you been under there?” 

“Ah–” You pretend to occupy yourself with the task at hand, waiting for the heat to diffuse from your cheeks before you speak again. “Depends on what time it is.” 

“Half past ten.” 

“Two hours then.” You’d come in at eight. “Give or take.” 

“I’ve been here for one.” He adds, prodding for a more satisfying explanation. 

“Don’t worry. I wasn’t snooping for intel or anything.” A necessary preface and not at all a bid to steel yourself for your confession, the prospect of doing so filling you with shame. “I fell asleep.” 

“You–” Like his stutter, his brows spasm at a rapid pace, creasing together in a flash before smoothing out to form a more pleasant expression. With eyelids fluttered shut and lips quirked at the edges. Amusement. Your stomach cartwheels. “You fell asleep.” 

“Sure.” In complete contrast, you imagine your expression is solemn. Loss is an ugly and hopeless beast, roaring in your gut. You place the towel on his desk, starting to make your way out with a petulant march. “Like this place isn’t built for it, you gloomy jerk. I mean, where are the lights?”

(If he managed to overpower you despite doing everything correctly, then what chance have you got?) 

The universe has a sick sense of humour too, it seems. Your argument is interrupted by the border of the platform, where you teeter over a fifteen foot drop. Fear blazes through your nerves, suddenly awake with the knowledge that you’re hovering mid air, no fence or handrails to hold you in. 

Miguel chuckles from behind you, sounding way too pleased with himself when he asks. “You need help getting down?”

You throw a dirty glare over your shoulder, hoping it compensates for the humility you have to succumb to. “Yes.” 

His arms stay crossed over his chest, holding out. 

Fucking fine. 

“Please.”

Thursday, 13:05

You plonk the heavy bag of scraps onto your table, sighing in relief as the weight redistributes off of you. 

All morning, you’ve snooped around HQ with a nimble hand. It’s vast, after all, with many winding halls and unfrequented corners, of which you’re probably the only person to have walked through in weeks. Accompanying you, a makeshift pouch and a cover-up story; if any outsider should inquire – then you’re exploring the building that’s been your home for the last month. It would be suspicious, if the venture could not be so easily misconstrued.

No. You’re not worried. Far from it, in fact. You’re sure that the gadgets you pilfered won’t be missed. Some even had a thin coating of dust when you picked them up, their uses long neglected in favour of newer technologies. You’re merely giving them a new purpose, reshaping bits and bobs to suit your goal. 

(A far-fetched one, for certain. But it’s wild enough that he won’t expect it. 

That’s what you need. To stop playing by his rules.)

“Lyla.”

The AI glitches into translucency at your beckon, saluting as though you were a general and she a cadet. “Lyla á la espionage, reporting for duty!” 

“No. Not this time.” 

“Theeeen…” 

“Can I count on your discretion?” Squinting, you stare straight through her pink-heart glasses, like lying is an expected part of her programming. Her last remark occupies a small portion of your mind. Double agent. You still haven’t asked, and you’re running at a speed too fast to jump over that hurdle now.

“Perhaps.” 

Shaking your head, you do away with the ambiguity. “I’m hoping you’re good with tech.” You say anyway. “I need help.” 

She only grins, wickedly, skipping over to peer into your bag. You spread it open for her, laying out the stolen paraphernalia. Then–

“Wraithy.” She adjusts the moniker so that it rhymes with baby. “I am tech.”

Saturday, 2:00

Nueva York streaks past you in blurs of blue and purple. 

The sky lifts its buildings from the top up, spires pierced into its inky surface. You count the panels that pose a stark, golden contrast to the night-drenched landscape, lit up by residents whose lives are framed in the tiny windows. It’s a worthwhile distraction from the vertigo damaging your systems – all your efforts directed in looking forward, not up, as the ground shrinks farther and farther away above you. Yet with every metre, your distress worsens, distending to become a ferocious force. 

Eventually, not even city gazing is enough.

You’ve trained on ceilings. On balconies. But the bottom-side of an elevator is another matter entirely, especially as it moves with zipping speed. You’re terrified that, at any moment, it’ll wobble and send you plummeting to your untimely death. And Miguel, who currently stands on the flip-end of it, won’t be able to process your presence or scream for help by the time you hit the ground.

That’s the calculated risk you convinced yourself into making when you sought him out today. It’s evolved beyond the point of learning a lesson, or whatever prompt you’d initially proposed to get him to agree to this. Now, or in the way it has been for the past two days, it’s personal. Your ego is bruised but not battered yet, and if the cuffs on your forearms have any sway in it, then you’ll get your solatium soon enough. 

The apparatus is impressive, by standards of the day it took to hurriedly construct it. A smooth fit to your wrist, with narrowly hammered metal and a small compartment designed to hold your personal, synthetic formula. Lyla had pulled schematics from a large archive, handing you one she deemed ‘friendly for beginners’. You begrudged the coddling, if only because you yourself were worried about your competency with it. 

You tested it, naturally. It’s functional. The fluid is durable, if not sticky. If worse comes to worse, you can rely on the prototype to catch yourself. That’s what you tell yourself, at least, all the way up to the top floor of HQ, which comes at a gradual halt of the lift.

Eager, you hook your fingers over the brim of the platform before flipping over to the right side up. You somersault so your landing isn’t as heavy-footed, and blood bursts down to your numb legs as you reorient yourself with gravity. It’s all you can do to wait until you regain feeling in them, before following the man out the door. 

He’s multiple steps ahead already, traipsing with a tired gait. You match it, careful to set your toes down first so as to not make noise. The floor isn’t one you’ve been to – and it isn’t so much a floor as it is a singular hallway, lined with tilt-and-turn glass windows that gleam like all futuristic things do. The aesthetic is juxtaposed by a frankly retro carpet, shades of yellow and brown cut into a pattern you recognise from the bridges in the lobby. 

Plastered to the edge, away from the subjection of the spotlights down the middle, you wonder where he’s going. It’s gotten late – you’ve been shadowing him for the better half of a day, since Friday afternoon after your lesson. The plan was to tackle him on his way out, right as he was about to leave to go home, but it’s two a.m. now and he’s at work. Still in hero attire. Wandering a corridor you’ve no reference to, with sight set on the door at its end. 

If he waited this long to get to it, then it must be important. That’s what you argue against, anyway – that he likely arranged to complete this task at night when he would be ensured total privacy. How questionable is it, then, that you’re violating that?

You could turn back now, find him later instead. Yet today marks your final day before the deadline he set expires, and you want at least one more chance to try should this attempt turn to shit. 

The right glove of Miguel’s suit disappears, digital projection flickering to white as the nanotech retracts into his palm. You notice the act only because his fingers soon flick out, a key pinched between them. It’s red and patterned with the same arithmetic lines as his ensemble.

Smart. 

Once he arrives at the door, he uses the pass to unlock it. It comes open with an effortless swish, sliding completely open to allow him access. He lingers for too long, though, and you press closer to the wall in case he suspects your pursuit. He doesn’t turn around though, instead hitting a setting on his watch that causes the entryway to slip shut. 

Before you can catch up. Before you can sneak in.

Your heart drops. 

Floundering, you run to pull at the lock. It doesn’t budge. Nor are there any other ways in, the narrow hall composed solely of this door at one end and the elevator on the other. You can’t go in by any manner except pass through, and with every slap of your hand on the wall, it becomes increasingly apparent that your powers won’t miraculously emerge like they have before.

Nails digging into a fist, you reassure yourself that not all is lost if you give up now. It’s an unofficial loss, made outside the scrutiny of anyone besides yourself. And though you’ll kick yourself to sleep over being so inept in your own abilities, at least he won’t come to the same conclusion. That’s what matters – doesn’t it? His opinion of you.

Giving a final, aggravated sigh, you’re about to relent when you catch sight of it – a silver lining, adjacent to you. Levelled on the same plane as the door, separated only by the right wall of the hallway, opened to the high atmosphere air – a casement, hinged to a window much like the one you ogle at it through. Leading into the room he just entered. Just a short jump and swing away. 

You shiver at the notion, first instinct loud and conclusive. No. Absolutely, positively not. It’s a ‘jump’ over a hundred-story fall. Even if you manage to crawl out of the first opening with your sanity intact, you’re nowhere near experienced enough to make it to the second. Unless–

Your belly lurches with pre-emptive nausea, and you sink to your knees to massage it without retching. You can’t believe you actually consider the reckless idea, sitting with your poor excuses for web shooters, triggers flat on your palm, looking far flimsier than anything you could trust. Your refusal to walk on walls comes back with a vengeance, laughing in mocking echoes at the simple obstacle you can’t overcome. 

Whispering, you try your last alternate. “Lyla.” 

There’s a lag before she appears, glasses skewed upon her nose. “Huh.” 

“Do you…” You rasp, swallowing the bile surging up the back of your throat. “D’you think you could, y’know–” When words fail, you gesture to the locked door with the cock of your head. 

“Oh-ho-ho. No can do. I’ve done a lotta favours for you sister, but this is crossing the line.” 

“Okay. Okay, sorry for asking.” Your chest tightens. The corridor narrows. The shapes on the carpet warp to resemble the plunge off the end of a skyscraper. You have to ask to abate the panic. “What’s in there, anyway?” 

“Find out on your own accord.” She doesn’t take the bait, fur coat rising with a brief shrug of her shoulders. “Good luck.” 

And in a blink, you’re on your own again. 

You must sit like that for half an hour, rocking back and forth in anxiety that refuses to settle. It gnaws on your energy until the passion depletes, draining out, leaving you to wallow as an empty husk. Every so often, you press your cheek to the cool glass spanning the side of the hallway, wishing the problem had magically amended itself since the last you checked. But the ground remains where it is, bottoming endlessly down below, and so does the window to the room, built just out of reach. 

Of your concerns, there’s a resounding question that doesn’t quite fit. Its edges and curves search for a spot to click into place, but you aren’t able to find it – not until you give the piece further contemplation. 

Why haven’t you left?

If you’d given up hope, then why haven’t you gathered your wounded pride and salvaged the rest of your night? You could’ve been in bed by now, cosy under a heavy comforter, ruminating over your failure in a safer setting. Yet you’ve chosen to stay and prolong your torture, egged on by the reminder of what you couldn’t do. 

You’re not waiting for him to emerge. That hadn’t even occurred to you. 

(And a tiny part of you already knows the answer, keening by the base of your skull. It just takes some work to admit.)

It’s that stupid, idiotic, dangerous philosophy he’s instilled in you. The ideology that gets heroes killed. The conviction that marks scars on their body or gives them the peace of mind when walking on walls and swinging across heights that could permanently ruin them. 

What had you spread out underneath him, cupping your knees while his tongue lathered your wet cunt. Or when his fingers shoved into your pants, scissoring you open to the seconds on his stopwatch. The thing that’s kept you coming, fighting, over and over again despite receiving the brunt end of your endeavours every time. 

Resilience.

You’ve internalised it. You’re here, where you wouldn't have stayed a month ago. And it’s forcing you to face the second lesson he’s been trying to teach; a value impossibly scarier. Courage. 

You know you won’t rest until you embody that too. 

Rising, you take your first step towards it by unlatching the fastener to the window in front of you. The pane upturns, pitching open like a gluttonous mouth. Frigid wind rushes in, biting at your cheeks. You breathe in the crisp freshness of it and ignore the threat it might pose to your welfare. Pessimism is a hulking burden. It’ll only weigh you down.

The rest follow in a clumsy sequence. 

You sit on the edge, sticking the soles of your shoes onto the wall outside. It fixes in that newly familiar way, like how it does when you’re upside down, sucking onto the perpendicular surface. You don’t stand up despite the mild relief that washes through you, though – you understand now not to let your guard down until the task is done.

Keeping a firm grip around the window for stability, you scoot off the support it provides your bottom. You’re hanging out, posted on the external side of the hallway. There’s nothing but air underneath you. You don’t linger to process it, moving on to the next operation before dread knocks you out. 

Tapping the button on your free hand, you test your web shooter one last time. Once to equip, twice to release. Once to equip, twice to realise. 

When you sling it to the adjacent slot, your gaze is bolted forward. Never, ever down. Nothing exists, you cry to yourself, nothing exists but this small jump. And the web holds firm when you tug on it. You’ve tested the fluid against your own mass. It’s held strong. You’d have to be a novice scientist to have overlooked that; and you’ll be fine. 

Nothing exists beyond this small jump. 

(Except for maybe the cosmic forces you pray to. You invoke God, the sun, the stars. Even the moon, who gently glows down on you. It hits you, then, that you’re the closest you’ve ever been to any of them. 

That verity reassures you just enough.) 

You jump forward.

Tears bud on the corners of your eyes, scleras burning with the whip of air, sinuses scorching alongside it. Your organs hurtle to your feet, and your heart beats like bullets to your chest. It’s a vile, sickening sensation – akin only to the paralysing disbelief after finding out you’d brought an early apocalypse to your world. Nothing has required more bravery from you than enduring it, but…

You don’t fall. 

In fact, your angling is so flawless that you glide into the space between the window frame and casement. The grace ends there, however, as momentum throws you hard onto a piece of furniture, toppling over it to smack head-first on the tiled floor. Pain blazes up your shoulder, jerked back by the web you forgot to release. You blink to diffuse the black dotting your vision, slowly coming to terms with the havoc you’ve wrought. The commotion had made way more noise than intended, and it seems you aren’t the only one who thinks so. 

Sure enough, the light in the next room flicks off. It’s a choice made with the careful contemplation of a trained hero; if Miguel suspects an intruder, then he knows that he’d have the upper hand in the dark, within this space he’s far more familiar with. You feel around for the seat you tripped over, crawling behind it for cover. 

As your vision adjusts, you’re able to make out the advent of his faint silhouette. His pants are looser than that of his suit, his arms bare – judging by the fleshy colour, hardly illuminated by the ambient lighting outside. The change would confuse you had you not been honed in on your challenge, reconciling stealth as you calculate your next course of  action. The pound-force per square inch of your splitter-web function isn’t high enough to shoot across the distance you want – that being the expanse between you – so either you move closer, or he does. 

The circumstance mirrors how things played out in this lab. Although this time, he creeps away, cautiously navigating the space with a prowess that can only be explained with night vision. Perhaps it’s a part of his spider-granted abilities, or otherwise he frequents the foyer often enough to know when to side-step to avoid incoming furniture. 

Unfortunately for you, you don’t have either luxury. Thrill rockets within you, striking every nerve like a pinball game gone wild, fuelled by the fortitude your indiscreet stunt afforded you. He’s taking far too long to search his surroundings; at the rate it’s going, you’ll have lost your will before he comes close enough to wrestle onto the floor. You decide it’s much too intoxicating a sentiment to sacrifice, then, settling on the former bet. 

Move closer it is. 

You don’t run at him like you’re inclined to do. That hadn’t resulted in your favour the last time. Instead, you stay on all fours, bound inching in the opposite direction he takes on. You use the bulky chattels surrounding you to escape his notice, ducking behind the shaded shapes until you’re mere inches away. 

The web shooters practically hum on your flesh now, mimicking your excitement as you point them to the angles intersecting his arms and torso. You hope your aim is as good in this less perilous scenario, the ploy contingent on your initial shot. Binding his extremities together would reduce possible scrimmages to zero, which buffs your chances of pinning him down to a pretty percentage.

And you make sure he spots you before you fire. 

(Nothing satisfies like the slight widening of his eyes when he realises it’s you.)

The bombardment allows him no room to escape, discharged in every possible way as you run a three-sixty around his thrashing form. Your webs secure his arms, yes – but also his legs to one another, and his hands flush to his hips. For extra measure, you even go so far as to switch into long-form shots to wrap the final product once, twice, thrice, so he’s adequately swaddled and cuffed. 

You don’t know how he’s still standing once you’re done. It can be seen as rubbing it in at this point when you tip him onto his back – but really, you just want to hit every aim he’d set out for you.

Within the next week. Check. 

Sneak up on me. Check. 

Anywhere, any time of day. Check. 

Staple me to the ground for upwards of three seconds. 

As you crouch down to straddle his abdomen, you count. Check. Check. 

Miguel’s face is hard to read, shrouded and pursed in an indecipherable lour. You bite your lip with the appreciation that, despite his vague disapproval, your pride is still wholly valid. 

“I won.” You croak, voice hoarse with misuse. 

He shakes his head, slowly, then quicker when you combat it with an eager nods. 

“I won. I won. I wo–” 

“Web-shooters were never part of the challenge. ” 

“Call it ingenuity,” You smirk, tapping on the metal contraptions. “You should add it to your list of traits befitting a hero.” 

“Let me go.” He growls.

“Not until you admit it.” 

“Let me go.” Firmer. It's smouldered by a fire you can’t locate the source of, for all that his tone rings familiar. 

“C’mon, O’hara. I can see how badly you want to cut me the credit.” Arching down, you only mean for your next bribe to be heard more clearly, yet your chin brushes against his and his cologne hits you like a brick wall. Tension crackles in the same way it did then – when you’d been at the wheel of a cop car, hurtling towards a fate that’d always been coming for you. Promising ruin. Promising change in the sense that things could never be the same again. “It’s as much of a victory for you as my mentor, I think.” 

“Hardly, seeing as you followed me home.” 

(Home.

Of course it doesn’t go in the way you expect, though. Nothing ever does.)

“Wh–” All of a sudden, things start to make a whole lot more sense. You look around like the revelation will paint your setting in new colours. “You live at work?” 

“I own the building.”

Your bravado shrivels to a minute thing, becoming a fraction of what it was. Just like that, he captures the upper hand again, all the while still dormant underneath you. The sun – you remind yourself. Always the sun to your comet. 

“Alright, well.” You mumble, nipping the soft tissue of your cheeks. “I still won.” Though the proclamation holds foolish meaning now; not at all worthy of the lengths you went to. 

Miguel’s hips thrust up, jostling your thighs, which remain pressed on him. Your core keels with the movement.

“Let me go.” He emphasises again. You shift to do exactly as he says, succumbing to the crushing pressure of your diffidence – only to be interrupted by his continued warning. It’s tricky. Devastating. It stops you right in your tracks, tearing the fibres of your chest apart with mad violence. Yet the implosion is only as powerful as the various fantasies that’ve gone into this very moment, and you can only attribute your reaction to your depraved self and not the filthy words that exit his mouth.

In truth, you have to hold on to his leg to make sure you heard him right. 

“Lest I change my mind about fucking you silly, you bold little thing.”

chapter fourteen

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[seeingivy]

the party scene

roommate eren x f!reader 

you and eren won’t dance 

**find the series masterlist here

content warning: drinking, hitch and marlowe being annoying, someone gets pushed into a pool, marco getting clowned for his halloween costume, toilet humor 

an: ok yall. here’s the chapter. heheheheheh. and you should listen to the song, when you get to it. for vibes of course. to many anon who guessed correctly, hundreds of kisses. not my fav roommates chapters me thinks (but also it seems like everyone else has different fav chapters than I expected so)

previous part linked here

- 

“What are you going to be for the party?” 

You can literally see Eren’s ears perk up, breaking his concentration from the dinner he was cooking on the stove. You tried to make ravioli for dinner. Key word, tried. He didn’t let you stand there for longer than two minutes because he didn’t want you to “burn the apartment down.” 

You put foil in the microwave one time and suddenly he thinks you’re some arsonist. 

“The party on Friday? You’re going, peaches?” 

“Yeah. Jean invited me. Kind of being a wingwoman for him and bringing my classmate Marco, who I’m like ninety percent sure he has a crush on.” 

Eren turns his face back to the pan, dishing the food around on the plate. You get up occasionally, grabbing things you know he’ll need before he asks for them. Setting the dishes, grabbing the salt (because this man doesn’t know how to season), the Yerba Mate Eren claims to hate but drinks anyways. 

“Hitch and I are going as Anakin and Padme. From Star Wars. Apparently, Marlowe loves that crap and she never gave him the time of day for it. She thinks it’ll make him real mad if we show up like that.” 

“You should put a braid in your hair. You know, like from the second movie.” 

“Ew. I’m going as the third movie look.” 

“Good. He’s hotter in that movie anyways.” 

He flashes you a smile as he dishes out the food, lifting the plates and setting them on the table. You join him with the drinks, the two of you sitting right next to each other. 

It was getting easier. Eren was your friend. Maybe even your best friend. You’d still get the occasional heart pounding, flustered cheesk whenever he walked past you or said something that made your heart flutter, but other than that, you were making progress. You can live with a heart flutter here and there. 

“What are you going to be?” 

“Jean wants to do some basic angel/devil thing for the party. I’ve got a white dress and he apparently has a halo already so it should be fine.” 

“Have you ever been to a party?” 

“Yeah. Not really my thing though, but I don’t mind helping Jean. It can be fun with friends. Dancing, letting loose and all that.” 

“Hm. Save a dance for me, peaches?” 

“I’m not riding up on you, Eren. That’s weird.” 

He drops his fork, an exasperated expression spreading across his face. The vein in his forehead is prominent and you always enjoy when it shows up because you know you’ve won. He’s just that easy to aggravate. 

“Who said anything about you riding up on me? I didn’t mean it like that. That’s like…perverted. You could expect that type of shit from Jean or something but-” 

You place your hand against his forearm, laughing in his face. He stops immediately at the sight of your laughter, glaring at you. 

“You’re so easy to piss off, Eren. I’ll save you a dance, okay? A normal one.” 

He holds his hand out, gesturing for you to shake.

“Deal?” 

“Deal, Ren.” 

 - 

“Hey.” 

“Hi Ren.” 

He steps into the bathroom, standing directly behind you as you finish doing your makeup for the party. Jean was supposed to be here in thirty minutes and the two of you were going to go pick up Marco. Meaning, you were going to have to deal with their awkward pining for the ten minute drive to the party. 

“Can you help me with something?” 

“Sure. What’s up?” 

“Can you help me draw the scar?” 

“Oh, yeah. Show me the picture.” 

He hands you his phone as you inspect the picture, the scar starting before the eyebrow and breaking just underneath the left eye. He sits on top of the toilet seat, his ankles crossed over each other. 

“Ah. Hitch gave me this to use. For the scar.” 

He hands you a tube of lipstick, which you slide open and swatch against the back of your hand. Too glittery for a scar.

“Do you mind if I use mine? Hers is kind of glittery and it’ll look kinda weird?” 

“Yeah, sure.” 

You bend over, digging through your bag to find the one tube of red lipstick you own, that Pieck forced you to buy for her wedding. You can’t show up to my wedding in lip gloss, that’s an atrocity. You find the tube at the end of the drawer, walking over to where Eren was sitting. 

As you amble over, you realize that the toilet seat is way too low and you can’t properly reach Eren’s face to reach. You were towering over him, his long legs sprawled across the floor of the bathroom. 

“Why are these toilet seats so low? I can’t even get the right angle.” 

“Levi. Kenny told me he hates having his feet dangle over certain toilets so he makes sure to get the shortest ones when picking his apartments. As if Levi’s going to come shit in our toilet at some point.” 

You nod, trying your best to lean over and indent the mark over Eren’s face. Out of all the angles you try, not one of them works - your head is blocking the light, your hands are in a weird position, you’re all up in his space. 

“Just sit on my knee. If it’s easier.” 

He splits his legs, tapping on the top of his thigh for you to sit. You nod, setting both of your legs on each side of his one as you lightly perch on top of his leg. 

“That’s hovering. Not sitting, Y/N. It’s fine.” 

You sigh, pressing your full weight against Eren as you lean back over for the phone and check the picture. As you slide over reaching for it, Eren puts his hands on your waist, holding you from falling off of his knee. 

“Thanks Ren. Just wanted to check again before I started.” 

You focus on the picture, the light shining against your face as you check where the scar was exactly on your eyes. Eren locks his fingers together behind your waist, pulling you closer so you can get a better look. 

“Okay. I think I’ve got it down.” 

You cradle the side of his face in your hands as you start drawing the scar on, trying to be as gentle as possible. Trying to avoid the fact that you’re basically straddling him right now. You can feel his cheeks warming under your touch and you try your hardest not to let the smile spread across your face. At least it’s not just you. 

“What’s so funny?” 

“Nothing Ren. You’re just blushing, that’s all.” 

“You’d blush if you were in my position too.” 

You shake your head, pressing your fingers against his lips so you can stop him from moving. You’re only halfway through the scar and if he talks again you’re going to smudge it. 

“Since when do you wear red lipstick?” 

“I don’t. Pieck made me buy it for her wedding. It’s for special occasions.” 

You lean back, cupping his face in your hands as you glean your eyes over the scar. You compare it to the picture and figure it's semi accurate, giving him a smile to signal you’re done. You slide off of his legs, beckoning him to join you in the mirror. You watch him lean forward, eyeing your work. 

“Thanks.” 

“No problem.” 

“Can I try?” 

“Try what?” 

“Doing makeup on you.” 

You pause, dropping your lipstick tube back into the box. 

“I don’t have a scar for my costume.” 

“I know. But you must have something left to do. You just looked so focused, like you were face painting, and I just wanted to try.” 

“Um, okay. You can take this glitter. You basically just dip your finger in it and swipe it against my eyelids. And then along the collarbone too, because it's body glitter.” 

He nods, taking the white glitter into his hands. He inspects the box first, turning it over and over again, holding it up against the light, smelling it. 

“Do you need to do a police inspection on the box? It’s just glitter.” 

“Shut up. I was just checking if it was okay to use.” 

“It’s obviously okay to use if I’m giving it to you. I’ve used it before.” 

He rolls his eyes, learning down. He sets his hands on both sides of your face, angling your face to inspect you this time. 

“You’re short.” 

“Thank you, Captain Obvious.” 

“Do you always have to give me attitude?” 

“Pretty much.” 

“Sit on the counter. It’ll be easier for me to do if we’re closer to the same level.” 

You brace your palms against the counter, trying to push yourself onto the counter. You clearly misestimated how tall the counter was because you barely hit the back of the top, stumbling in the air. 

“Okay, Humpty Dumpty. Let me help you.” 

He reaches down, securing his hands around your waist to lift you up to the counter. You can feel your cheeks burning at the sensation, unable to look him in the eyes. 

Right. Because it was getting easier, because he was becoming your friend. But there were still moments like this. Ones where you can feel your cheeks burning, your heart pounding, your fingers shaking. 

You hate that he still makes you feel this way. 

“Okay, widen your stance.” 

“What?” 

“Open your legs.” 

“Ew. You’re so vulgar, Eren.” 

“Well, I said to widen your stance and you gave me that stupid look on your face. It’s your fault.” 

You roll your eyes, parting your legs. He steps in between the space, leaning close to your face with the glitter still in his hands. 

“So, the eyelids and collarbones?” 

“Yeah. You can just use your fingers. You wash your hands after you pee, right?” 

“Of course not.” 

“What?” 

“It’s better for the environment. If I just wait until I have to poop, I can just save water by washing my hands once. You should try it.” he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. 

“As if. Girls don’t poop.” 

“Yes, they do.” 

“No, they don’t.” 

“There’s no way girls don’t poop.” 

“Ask your mom. Or Mikasa. They’ll tell you the same thing.” 

“Okay, stop fucking around. We’re running late.”

“You started it with your stupid toilet humor.”

“Shut up. Your attitude is going to kill me one day.” 

“That’s a promise, Yeager.” 

He rolls his eyes, a small smile spread across his face as he dips his thumb into the glitter. He cups the side of your face and you flutter your eyes shut, his fingers gentle against your eyes. You can hear him laughing and you squint your eyes, glaring at him as you open them. 

“What’s so funny?” 

“Nothing Y/N. You’re just blushing, that’s all.” he responds, his tone mocking. 

“Did you do this just to prove a point? It looks like finger painting, my ass.” 

“Close your eyes. I’m not done yet.” 

You shut your eyes again, Eren sliding the last bit of glitter along your eyes. You open your eyes to find him staring at you, his eyes wide. 

“What did you do? Don’t tell me there’s glitter on my forehead.” 

“No, it just looks pretty, that’s all.” 

You look down, focusing on his hands as he dips into the glitter again. Stupid fucking hands and voice and smell and hair and soft cheeks. You can literally feel your heartbeat all the way in your stomach and he’s barely even touching you. 

He uses his hands to tilt your face up, lightly pressing the glitter against the exposed parts of your neck. You feel your body shiver, instantly remembering the last time you and Eren were like this. Pressed up in the bathroom, with him kissing your neck. He presses his hand to your shoulder, his eyes washing over in concern at you shivering. 

“You okay?” 

“Yeah, sorry. Got a weird sense of deja vu, that’s all.” 

He nods, finishing off the last of the glitter. When he’s done, he locks his hands across your waist again, lightly setting you back down on the counter as you both stand there. You’re both staring at each other, neither one of you talking first. 

Right. Because what are you supposed to say after that? Oh, sorry, I was just thinking of your lips on my neck, my bad.

The doorbell rings and Eren gives you a soft smile before squeezing your shoulder and leaving. You can hear Hitch in the doorway and you try to ignore the way your entire body is steaming. 

  -

“What are you even supposed to be, Marco?” 

“I’m a space cowboy, Y/N!”

“You’re holding a glittery gun and wearing a flannel. You look like a kid who got lost at Party City and picked the closest thing you could find. You don’t even have a cowboy hat.” 

“Ignore her, Marco. I think you look great.” 

You watch Marco’s cheeks turn a bright pink, awkwardly stuttering to respond to Jean. Great. They’re going to do this whole oblivious idiots thing all night. 

Marco slides into the front as you and Jean walk to the other side, unlocking the car. 

“Ignore her, Marco. I think you look great.” you say, mocking Jean’s high pitched voice. 

He rolls his eyes, lightly shoving you as you settle into the seat behind him. They’re both talking animatedly, forgetting you were even sitting in the back. You unlock your phone, playing Wordscapes as they go on in the background. 

- 

Eren’s eyes were trained on your figure, as Jean and Marco were spinning you around on the dance floor with them for a better part of the last forty-five minutes. He’s been waiting, staring at you, anticipating when you’ll look at him. 

You’re driving him crazy. Today, especially. Soft glitters, a willowy white dress, that stupid flowery perfume you wore during the concert. He even likes the stupid halo you have on your head. 

He wants to touch you. Press his hands against yours, drag you out and leave with you so he was the only one who could see you like this, your stupid eyes glittering in the light. 

He hates that you can still make him feel this way. 

He sees you leave, waving off Jean and Marco who were still left on the dance floor. Marco’s wearing your halo and you have the glittery gun Marco was holding. 

He’s still watching you. Shamelessly. You weave around people talking, wait to walk forward so you don’t get in the way of pictures, compliment strangers on their costumes. 

“What are you staring at?”

“Nothing, Hitch.” 

She’s been annoyed for a better part of the last hour, not that he’s been paying much attention to it. Marlowe still hasn’t shown up. 

He doesn’t mind the guy. He doesn’t quite understand why Marlowe and Hitch have to play these games - circling around each other, making each other jealous, making up. He figures a part of it is the chase, but he’s always found that part the most agonizing. He’d catch you if he could. He’s been waiting long enough. He’d make you feel good right here and right now. 

He watches you leave the room, leaving the heat of the room to the patio outside. 

“Mind if I leave? Just call me when he’s here, okay?” 

Hitch nods and Eren basically bolts out the door, ready to follow you where you went. But before he can, Jean all but falls right off the dance floor, piled on the floor in front of him. He can see Marco’s hand under him, dragging them both up by their arms. He can tell Jean’s already too far gone and that he has to deal with this first. Then you. 

-

Your feet hurt. Like a bitch. You made the wrong choice of wearing your Doc Martens to the party. You had figured you wouldn’t be moving much, just sticking to the walls and talking to whoever you knew there. But no, of course Jean’s nervous ass had to drag you onto the dance floor with Marco, the three of you spinning in circles. 

You had made your safe escape, sitting outside on the patio. You had been watching the wind whistle through the trees in the dead of night, watching the lights in the pool change colors. They had been changing every minute - switching from purple, to red, to green. There were a few stars glittering out, barely sparkling in the sky. 

“Anyone sitting here?” 

You look up to find a guy with black hair and pale green eyes kneeling down, crossing his legs next to yours. 

“No. Well you are, now.” 

He smiles, the two of you sitting in silence. You watch people swerve around the pool, girls holding hands, people leaning against the chairs, everyone nursing drinks in their hands. 

“I’ve never seen you around here.” 

“Yeah. I don’t really come to these things, I just came here with my friend Jean.” 

He nods, leaning down to feel the temperature of the water. 

“Do you want to play twenty questions?” 

You hike your knees against your chest, tangling your fingers together across. 

“Sure.” 

“Your name is…?” 

“Y/N. Yours?” 

“Marlowe.” 

Right. Hitch’s Marlowe. The guy she was trying to make jealous, the reason Eren was seeing her and not you. Well, not exactly. He said you two were just a mistake but you could have convinced him if she wasn’t in the picture. Semantics. He taps your shoulder and you forget that it’s your turn. 

“You play a sport, Marlowe?” 

“Water Polo.” 

You nod, lightly turning your head to the side. This is wrong. Surely Hitch wouldn’t be the happiest that you were sitting with Marlowe and not her. You can hear the party getting louder behind you and you swear you can hear her screaming in there somewhere. 

“Seeing anyone, Y/N?” 

“Uh, no. You?” 

“Not exactly, Y/N.” 

“I have this friend, I think you’d like her. Her name is-” 

“Hitch?” 

You pause, swallowing as you turn your face to look at him. He’s sitting way too close, an all-knowing look plastered on his face. 

“Yeah.” 

“Thanks for the suggestion. I’m okay, for now. It’s your turn to ask.” 

“Um, okay. Why don’t you want to see Hitch?” 

“Because I’m talking to you.” 

He untangles his legs and stands up, holding out his hand for you to follow. You press your hand into his and he pulls you up, not letting go of your hand as the two of you stand. The party is getting even louder, the sound of voices drowning out the sound of the music. You’re positive you can hear her now. 

“My turn. Do you know a guy named Eren? Plays soccer, green eyes?” 

“Uh, no. Never heard of him.” 

He nods, squinting his eyes at you. He must know Eren’s your roommate. Maybe he’s found out their together and he’s trying to get you to admit it. You let go of his hand, the two of you standing awkwardly by the pool. 

You can’t really tell what he’s getting at, but every part of him irks you out. He’s perfect for Hitch. 

“My turn, Marlowe. Are we done now?” 

“That’s barely even twenty. But fine, one more question.” 

You teeter on the balls of your feet, ready to take off the second he asks his stupid question. He turns to the side, eyeing the window, before asking. 

“When was the last time someone kissed you?” 

Before you can respond, Marlowe crashes into the pool, with Eren suddenly standing at your side. Eren just pushed Marlowe into the fucking pool. You can hear the sound of footsteps behind you - Hitch, Jean, and Marco at your sides. 

Jean and Marco - well wasted beyond their minds - swing their arms around you, slurring as they ask you if you’re okay. Hitch on the other hand is pissed. At Eren. 

“What the hell is your problem, Eren?” 

“Him, Hitch. He was pissing me off.” 

“This wasn’t what I meant when I asked you for help with this Eren. And your stupid roommate wasn’t helping the case either.” 

You feel your eyes widen, as you make eye contact with Hitch, awkwardly crossing your arms across each other. You turn back to Jean, who still isn’t paying attention, instead playing rock paper scissors with Marco on the floor. 

“You want to be with Marlowe so bad, Hitch? Go ahead and join him.” 

He leans over, lightly pushing Hitch into the pool where Marlowe was still watching. He turns to you and ou can tell he’s pissed - that stupid vein on his forehead is showing again. But not in the good way. 

“We’re leaving, Y/N.” 

He grabs the edge of your wrist, dragging you towards the door as you shake on his hand. 

“I drove here with Marco and Jean, Eren. And they’re way too drunk to drive home now.” 

You both turn back, leaning over Marco and Jean. Jean’s way too out of it, but Marco looks up, smiling at the two of you. 

“You guys are so cute. I love your Anakin and Padme costume.” 

Right. Because he took your halo and you took the glittery gun because he kept hitting Jean with it. Eren turns to you, shaking your hand again. 

“Armin will come get them. You and I are leaving. Now.” 

“But how will he even find them? And what about Marco’s car?” 

Eren turns around fully, stopping in the center of the door. He’s pissed, at you now, and you can lightly hear Marlowe and Hitch arguing in the background. 

“You can hear them right? Knowing them, they’re going to walk up in a few seconds and start arguing with you and me. And if he says some shit again, I’m going to do worse than just push him into a fucking pool. You and I are leaving.” 

He tangles his fingers around your wrist again, his touch still gentle, as the two of you file out of the party, making it back to the apartment. 

 - 

Eren doesn’t say anything to you as you walk to the car, when you drive home, or even when you stare at him from the confines of your kitchen. He can tell by the look in your eyes that you’re waiting. For an explanation. 

But he can’t do that can he? Tell you that the reason he pushed Marlowe in the pull and argued with Hitch is because he can’t stand the thought of him being with you? He can see the entire scene in his head, like he has been for the past hour, his anger burning every time he does. 

“Jean, get the fuck up. You too, Marco.” 

They both stand up, half leaning on each other. Totally gone. 

“Eren. Marlowe’s here.” 

He turns to find Hitch at his side, her face scrunched up in anger. Eren waves off Marco and Jean, pushing them towards the kitchen where (he hopes) they’ll find water and sober up a little. There’s no way he’s letting them drive you home, that’s for sure. 

“Where?” 

“With your stupid roommate outside. What is she doing?” 

Eren turns his neck to find you, where he was just about to join you, sitting by the side of the pool. He can see Marlowe sitting next to you, leaning way too close for his liking. He turns back around, pressing his hands against Hitch’s shoulders. 

“Get him to leave. Now.” 

“How the hell am I supposed to do that?” 

He drags Hitch out by the arm, the two of them leaning their necks so they can hear what you and Marlowe are talking about. 

“Seeing anyone, Y/N?” 

That’s enough. Eren moves forward, not exactly sure what he’s going to do, but Hitch stops him, pulling him back by the wrist. 

“What are you doing, Hitch?” 

Hitch digs her fingers into Eren’s wrist, turning to glare at him. 

“What the fuck is she doing?” 

“He asked her the question, Hitch. Shut the fuck up.” 

He’s getting angrier. He can feel it - burning hot, red anger. Because why the fuck is Marlowe talking to you? Asking you if you’re alone? Why are you talking to him when you know he’s here? And why the fuck is Hitch pissed at you like Marlowe’s not the one all over you right now? Don’t you know he’s been waiting for that dance you promised him all night? 

“Not exactly, Y/N.” 

“I have this friend I think you’d like. Her name is-” 

“Hitch?” 

He turns back, his turn to glare at Hitch. 

“See, Hitch. It’s fucking Marlowe. Now go and stop him.” 

“How the fuck am I supposed to stop him? And I have no interest in chasing him.” 

“Get mad. Argue and then kiss and makeup. I don’t give a fuck. Just get him to stop fucking talking to her. Now.” 

“I already told you. I’m not chasing him.”

“This isn’t fucking about you. Do something now or I’ll call the deal off now. I’ve already done more than enough and you can’t do one thing for me?” 

“Why do you even care?” 

He turns his neck again, to find you and Marlowe standing, his hand in yours. He can’t stand it. Your hand in his. Because he doesn’t deserve you. No one does. Because he can’t treat you right and Eren can. He’d praise the ground you walk on if you let him. 

He hears the last question and he can’t take it anymore.

“When was the last time you were kissed?” 

So he does the only thing he can think of. Push Marlowe in the pool. Drag you out of the party, where Hitch and Marlowe and Jean or Marco or anyone can’t talk to you. See you. He hates it. Being possessive, getting jealous. He knows you’re not his. But he can’t fucking stand it. It makes his skin fucking burn thinking of an asshole like Marlowe even touching you, let alone kissing you. 

“Earth to Ren?” 

He looks back up to find you staring at him, awkwardly brushing your hands against your forearms. Right. Because you’re still waiting for a fucking answer and he can’t tell you. Tell you that the thought of another man touching you drives him crazy, that the only person who could touch you right, make you feel good was him. 

“You’re doing that thing again. I can see the steam coming off of your head.” 

He deflates, leaning against the counter as he watches you. You’re moving from the side, pressing the glass of water in your hand to the dispenser in the kitchen. It’s pissing him off even more. The thought of someone seeing you like this - bedhead in the morning, focused when you’re doing your makeup, half asleep on the couch. He can’t fucking stand it. 

“So. Do you want to talk about it?” 

“No.” 

“Okay, Darth Vader. No need to growl at me.” 

Fuck. Everything is pissing him off. Everything. 

“Let’s think about something else, yeah? We don’t have to talk about it just….stop being so pissy.” 

You’re at his side, circling the glass of water in your hand. 

“Fine. The answer to the question. What was it?” 

“What question, Ren?” 

“The one Marlowe asked you. Before I pushed him in the pool.” 

When was the last time you were kissed? In the bathroom, when Eren had his lips pressed to your neck. 

“A real kiss, Y/N.” 

Eren Yeager, mind reader.

“Oh. Um. A while ago, maybe a year? It was back when I was dating Floch.” 

Eren turns his neck, his eyes flashing at you as you look at him. He looks less angry, his eyes more concerned than murderous like they were a few seconds ago. 

“I don’t even think I can remember. I don’t know - he never really liked that stuff. Affection, compliments, all that.” 

“Did you ask him to? Do that stuff?”

“At first, yeah. But he never did.” 

Now he’s even more pissed. Because an asshole wanting to kiss you, him doing it all wrong is infuriating enough. But the fact that you had to ask someone to do it? He’d literally drop on his fucking knees if you gave him the chance and you had to ask someone for it? 

Eren does the only thing he can. The only thing he knows how to do. He wraps his arms around you, tucking your face against his neck as he holds you. 

It was either this or kissing you, full on like he wanted to. But he can’t really do that. So hugging it is. He hears you murmur against his shoulder, your arms pressing against his back. 

“S’okay Eren. What are you so mad about?” 

“You said we didn’t have to talk about it. And no. It’s not.” 

“We don’t. But I think this is less about whatever happened and more about whatever just-” 

He tightens his grip on you, the pressure of his arms silencing you. 

“I’m mad because you should be kissed. Often. And by someone who knows how. Like they can’t get enough of you, like you’re the air they breathe, like you’re inventing kissing just by putting your lips together.”

Shit. He said too much. 

You stand in silence, staring at him as he finishes talking. Oh he messed up big time. 

He watches the smile spread across your face, your eyes still in the dim light of the kitchen. Stupid fucking glitter. He’s going to go into the bathroom and throw it out. 

“Didn’t realize you cared so much, Ren.” 

He doesn’t respond. 

“Why do you?” 

“Why do I what?” 

“Care so much, Eren?” 

You watch him constrict his fists again, his jaw clenched.

“Selfish reasons.” 

You walk up to the counter where he’s leaning over, lacing your arm through his. You push your hands into his fists, forcing him to stop clenching his hands so hard. You can tell his anger is dissipating, his shoulders slowly tensing as you touch him. 

“Selfish reasons?” 

“I don’t want to see you unhappy or anything. You’re like...my best friend right now. Is it so weird that I want you to be happy?” 

You smile, leaning your head against his shoulder. Fucking idiot. 

“No, Ren. It’s not weird.” 

You both stand like that for a while, your head pressed against his shoulder. He’s still tense, his heart pounding against your ear. 

“So I say all this nice shit to you and you have nothing to say back?” 

“Nope.” 

“Nothing at all.” 

You shake your head, watching him begrudingly smile at you as you two smile In the kitchen. You stand there for a while, the anger, awkwardness, wearing off. It’s just you two, standing in the light of your kitchen. 

“You promised me a dance. You never even gave me one, Ren.” 

“I’m not riding up on you, Y/N.” 

“I’m heartbroken.” 

You both laugh and Eren leans over, grabbing your phone from the side. He puts a song on - I Won’t Dance by Fred Astaire - and holds his hands out. You lean forward, knotting your hands behind his back as he presses his hands to your waist.

“You know Fred Astaire, Ren?” 

“Old timey shit. My parents love it.” 

You tangle your hands behind his neck, the two of you dancing in the dim light of your kitchen. 

You hate this. That you want to lick all his wounds, hold him till his anger goes away. That you want to dance like this in the kitchen with him, all the time. 

He hates this. That it’s this easy for you to fix it all for him. For you to make it better. That he wants to hold you, make you feel good every night. 

Do you love each other? 

- 

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[hayakawalove]

Test of Love (Chapter Two)

Chapter Two

Chapter one, All Chapters

Summary: You had so much fun with Suguru the last time you went out, so you decide to go on date number two.

A/N: Bit of a Suguru centric chapter. Gojo girlies, don't worry. He'll get his time.

CW: Borderline NSFW, alcohol W/C: 5,771

Credit to @benkeibear for the banner

Your body sinks into your chair, Yaga’s voice becoming a low hum in your ears. It was usually hard to focus at staff meetings, but it was even harder when you were only going over information you already knew about. That happened a lot. Being friends with Gojo offered many perks, one being insider knowledge about the inner workings of Jujutsu society. 

Your eyes focus on the map behind Yaga showing the last attacks until your vision starts to blur. God, you were so bored. A vibration coming from your pocket shakes you out of it. 

Gojo: What underwear are you wearing :) 

You: You’re annoying 

You: What underwear are you wearing 

Gojo: A lacy thong 

You: You’re full of shit 

Gojo: Wanna come find out? 

You stifle a laugh, which catches the principal's attention. 

“I’m sorry, am I boring you?” He calls your name, squinting his eyes at you. 

“No, I apologize, please continue.” You say back, embarrassment flooding your system as all the teachers' eyes fall on you. Gojo pokes your foot with his, an easy smile playing on his lips. What a shit. 

You don't even get the opportunity to try to focus before your phone is vibrating again. It’s from an unknown number. 

Unknown: Hey, I had fun last time we saw each other, would you be interested in hanging out again? 

You: I would love that! What do you wanna do? 

You keep your eyes locked on the screen in your lap. You hadn’t saved Suguru’s number yet, but you knew exactly who it was. 

Unknown: The choice is yours, sweetheart 

You ignore the heat that begins to spark underneath your face. 

You: Why don't we go out to eat? 

You: I’m not picky on where, I’ll let you decide 

Unknown: Perfect. I’ll make reservations 

You were excited to see Suguru again. The two of you had been texting off and on ever since your date, and you really enjoyed his company. It was exactly what you needed after a long day of working your ass off. You did feel bad that you didn’t tell him the truth about your occupation, but you didn’t really have much of a choice. 

“So far the attacks haven't been anything too serious, but they are troublesome. I called this meeting together to let you know that we will start to have constant patrols near the school to try to avoid another attack.” Yaga steps to the side, briefly looking at the map before turning his attention back to the group of sorcerers in front of him. 

You rest your head on your hand and flick your eyes across the room. You were at a loss on what to do about this situation. You were busy thinking about Gojo and Suguru, when you should have been thinking of ways to handle the problem at hand. 

“Hm, no.” Gojo says calmly, his hands behind his head. 

“No?” Yaga repeats. 

“No.” Gojo tilts his chair back until it’s almost about to tip over before he leans forward again. 

“We should have the students survey the area to get experience. The curses aren't too high of a grade so they should be able to handle them easily. We can cycle through the first and second years so they get breaks from patrolling. I mean, the students are here anyway. We can send out recent graduates to handle the larger threats, they can also jump in here if needed. And if it gets really bad then we’ll only be a few miles away.” 

Silence settles over the room. It wasn’t a bad idea. The students went on missions anyway. You didn’t have to be worried about them being too far out of reach, either. 

“Do you think they’re ready for that?” Yaga asks. 

“Yeah, Yuuji might need a little more training but everyone else is fine. Unless, you have no faith in your students?” Gojo says your name. 

“They can definitely handle it.” You look towards Gojo. 

With his plan, higher level sorcerers would be freed up to handle bigger threats. You wouldn’t tell him, but he could be smart. Sometimes. 

“Alright. We’ll try Gojo’s plan to see how it goes.” Yaga sighs, calling the meeting to a close. 

You stretch your arms while walking back to your classroom. You were so fucking tired. Between texting Gojo and Suguru, you haven't been getting much sleep. Luckily, your students were out on a mission today, allowing you time to catch up on grading papers. At least you wouldn’t have to use too much brain power. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Gojo asks, long legs striding up beside you. “Who’s that?” He peers over your shoulder to look at your phone, watching as you type a message to Suguru. 

“Don’t worry about it, and my classroom. You should probably go to yours as well.” You unlock your door and enter, not bothering to close it behind you as Gojo would only kick it down. 

“You didn’t wanna see my lacy thong?” 

“Maybe next time, Gojo.” You stand next to your desk and turn around, tilting your head back to look at him. 

“How does tonight sound?” Gojo says with a wicked grin. 

As much as you wanted to hang out with him… 

“Can’t. I have a date.” 

“And it’s not with me?” He looks at you dumbly. 

You laugh, you hadn’t told Gojo about your date with Suguru. You didn’t really see a need to. 

“You’re in an open relationship, isn’t it only fair that I can see who I want as well?” Not that you were necessarily official with Gojo. 

Gojo pouts, staring down at you as you step closer. 

“Is it your first time seeing him?” His blindfolded eyes follow you as you stop centimeters in front of him. 

“My second.” 

“Did you guys go all the way last time?” 

Your throat feels dry at the question. 

“It’s none of your business. And no. We didn’t even kiss.” 

Gojo’s shoulders relax a bit at your admission. 

“Aw, you jealous?” You joke, lifting a finger to point into his chest. 

Gojo grabs your hand, yanking you closer. It catches you off guard, leaving your feet to wobble. You use your other hand to steady yourself against him. 

“I don't have any reason to be jealous. You’ll be crawling back to me after your little date.” 

The oxygen feels like it’s sucked out of the room, his lowered voice simmering in your stomach. Gojo lowers his blindfold to highlight his point, his blue eyes staring hard into you. 

“Is that so?” You ask, breathlessly. 

When did his lips get so close? 

He hums before leaning down closer. His woody cologne fills your senses, making you immediately dizzy. Gojo watches your expression closely before his white lashes flutter shut while he presses his lips against yours. Soft and sweet. His lips were like sugar as they meld to yours. There’s no tongue, but you don't need it. Your body temperature is rising all the same. 

He pulls away and smirks down at you before stepping away. A cocky bastard. You run your thumb along your bottom lip, indulging in the tingling sensation that lingered on you. 

“I don’t need to be jealous if I got to kiss you first.” He says with a chuckle, turning around to head out of your classroom. 

You can't deny the heat that was beginning to spread in the lower half of your body. You would be a liar if you said you had never thought about kissing him before. It happened only seconds ago and you were already replaying the scene in your head. At least he kissed you, you weren’t sure you would’ve made the first move. Even if you were glad he kissed you, a part of you hated him for leaving you high and dry. 

“Have fun on your date!” He calls out over his shoulder, turning the corner to exit the classroom. 

Bastard. 

You huff and settle down into your seat, hoping the rest of the day would go by faster. 

~~~

Luckily for you, it does. And strangely enough, Gojo hasn’t texted you at all since your encounter with him. You were kind of expecting him to pester you for details about the date. It wouldn’t be too far out of the realm of possibilities for him to show up and insert himself. That would be funny, you thought. Gojo and Suguru together would be interesting. They’re on opposite ends of the spectrum, the mere idea of them interacting puts a smile on your face. 

The sun is beginning to set as you gather your things to head out for the day. Suguru told you what restaurant you guys were going to, not that you had ever heard of it. He also said he wanted to pick you up if you’d allow it, which you graciously accepted. The restaurant was higher end, in a richer part of Tokyo. You had only ever been to that area several times with Gojo. You were kind of nervous to go, feeling slightly out of your realm, but you knew you would have a good time if you were going with Suguru. 

You stand in front of your mirror, rubbing your hands down your outfit. You decided on a black dress that landed just above your knees, the perfect mix between sexy and classy. 

Checking your phone, an idea pops in your head. Would it be weird to send a picture of your date outfit to Gojo, considering you were also seeing him? 

Yeah. Probably. 

Oh well. 

You lift up your phone and take a picture of yourself in the mirror, checking it before sending it to Gojo. Right as you send the photo to him, a notification pops up at the top of your screen. 

Unknown: I’m here, are you ready? 

You: Yes! 

Grabbing your clutch, you hurry outside to find Suguru waiting for you. He’s leaning against his car, head tilted as he looks around. When he brings his eyes to you, you feel a chill down your spine. He reminded you of a fox. He wore a black button up with black slacks, his hair tied up into a neat bun. 

“You look beautiful.” His velvet voice floats over to you. 

Your eyes flutter down at the flattery as you make your way closer to him. 

“You don’t look too bad yourself.” 

Suguru chuckles and steps aside, grabbing the passenger door handle to open it for you, resting his hand against the top of the door so you don’t bang your head. His car smells like wood and leather, an intoxicating scent that instantly fills your body. He rounds the car before sliding inside the drivers seat, eyes flicking to look up at you. 

“How was work?” He asks, pushing the keys in the ignition before pulling out of your parking lot, driving towards the restaurant. 

“It was okay, my coworker was kind of getting on my nerves today. He kept getting in my business.” 

Suguru smirks, arm flexing as he grips the steering wheel loosely. 

“Sounds like someone I know.” He responds easily. 

The building comes into view and it looks even fancier than you were expecting. You could see the low lights past the windows with tables evenly spaced throughout the place. There was even a terrace on the top, apparently a rooftop bar according to Suguru. You make a mental note to see if he would bring you up there after you ate. 

Suguru gets out before you and opens your car door again, causing your heart to race. You had never been with someone so gentlemanly before. He offers an arm out for you to take, leading you towards the front door. Once you step inside you’re able to see just how busy it is. There was a short line in front of you, and it looked like every table was taken. You remember that Suguru told you he made a reservation, which eases your nerves a bit. That being said, you still felt out of place. 

When you get to the hostess table, a young woman glances up at you before doing a double take, eyes settling on Suguru. 

Can’t say you blame her. 

“Hello sir, did you have a reservation?” Her eyes gleam as she bites back a grin. 

“Yes, under the name Suguru.” 

“For 7 pm?” She looks back down, studying the list in front of her. 

“That would be it.” He lifts a hand up to brush his palm against your arm, wordlessly comforting you. He must’ve been able to tell you were nervous. 

“Oh, it looks like we accidentally double booked the table. Let me go and see if the other couple has already arrived.” 

Suguru’s brows furrow and you bite your lip. What would you do if your table wasn’t available? You really didn’t wanna go back home, and the two of you were already dressed so nicely. 

The woman returns with a somber look on her face. She fidgets with her hands while looking up at Suguru, completely disregarding your presence. 

“I’m so sorry, it seems your table was already taken. We can put you next on the list for when another one opens up?”

“Do you know when that might be?” You ask. 

She looks down at you, as if she just realized you were there. 

“Probably 30 minutes.” 

You and Suguru stand in silence for a moment, debating your options. You could wait, but you were also really hungry, a fact Suguru must have noticed. 

“I think we’ll look for another restaurant.” He excuses you both, a soft smile on his face. 

As the two of you exit, you look up towards Suguru. 

“I can always cook something for us back at my house. I don’t think my boyfriend will be home for a while.” He wonders out loud, checking his watch. 

“No! It’s okay, I wouldn’t want to intrude like that,” you say quickly, “why don’t we just walk around and see if we can find something nearby?” 

Suguru squeezes your hand and agrees, walking alongside you down the sidewalk. There’s a slight breeze in the air, ruffling your hair as you make your way further down the street. It was extremely busy since it was a Friday night. There were groups of young people congregating together, laughing loudly. It had been awhile since you spent the night on the town. You honestly rather preferred to stay curled up in bed with a good book in your hands, but you couldn’t deny the joy you felt as you walked beside Suguru, weaving your way through seas of people. 

“Oh! How about here?” You point towards a food truck parked on the side of the road. 

Suguru’s brows fly up in what you assume is surprise before he trains them back down. He didn’t seem pompous, so you were hoping he wouldn’t complain. 

“I haven’t had their food in awhile.”

“You’ve been here before?” You whip your head towards him while pulling him closer. 

“Yeah, my boyfriend really likes it.” 

Weird, the only other person you know who eats here is… 

“What can I get for you!” A cheery older man says, poking his head out the side of the window. 

“Did you know what you want?” Suguru asks you. 

“Oh, um, I’ll just get a slice of the cheese pizza.” You murmur, looking at the menu printed on the side of the van. 

Suguru orders a slice of the same, and the older man takes his money and trades off two paper plates. It looks greasy and wonderful, just how you remember it being. 

“Thank you!” You exclaim, grabbing your plate before sliding to the side, standing at the edge of the sidewalk.

The pizza melts in your mouth the second you take a bite, the golden cheese sliding down your throat. You let out a groan of approval, stopping in your tracks when you notice Suguru’s eyes on you. 

“I-I’m sorry!” You fluster out, cheeks immediately heating at the attention. 

“It’s cute.” Suguru whispers with a small grin, before taking a bite of his slice. 

You bite back a smile as you sink your teeth into the pizza. Honestly, you had no idea what you had done to get so lucky. Most women dream of dating a hot, sweet, funny guy. And you had two of them? You weren’t quite sure what to do with yourself. 

A gust of wind blows by, causing your body to shiver. Suguru steps to the side to block the wind from chilling you further, reaching a thumb out to swipe a bit of marinara sauce on your lips. 

The action almost felt parental, but you were beginning to notice that trend with him. It seemed like every action he did was in care of you, constantly looking for ways to help out. 

“What did you want to do once we finish?” He asks, already halfway done. 

You ponder the idea for a moment. Really, your options were endless on a Friday night. Suguru was still a bit of a stranger, so you weren’t really sure what he liked to do. Your eyes drift around the area you’re in, taking note of the establishments. A bright sign catches your attention. 

“Do you like dancing, Suguru?” 

Suguru’s eyes follow yours, seeing the club that stood several businesses away. There was a line out the door, but it was moving pretty fast. It had been awhile since you’d gone to a club, but the idea sounded very tempting. It was fun to let loose, plus you wanted to see what Suguru looked like under the flashing lights. Maybe that was a selfish desire, but you craved it. 

“Yeah, is that where you wanna go?” Suguru laces his hand with yours once you finish eating, the two of you walking towards the club. 

Just like you thought, you aren’t waiting long before you’re already in the front, flashing your IDs to get access. A waft of alcohol hits you in the face along with the cool breeze of the AC. It was slightly cool outside, but you knew you’d need the comfort the artificial cold provided once you were packed with the other bodies. 

“Do you want anything to drink?” Suguru asks, his voice slightly louder than his normal talking tone in an attempt to speak over the blasting music. 

You nod your head and follow him to the bar, his hand holding yours tightly so you don’t lose each other. His palm is large in yours, easily overshadowing the size of your hand. His skin was warm, but not in an uncomfortable sweaty way. It felt calming, protective. 

When you arrive, you order a mixed drink while he gets a glass of whiskey. Hopefully the alcohol won’t get to you too fast since you had just eaten. The idea of being drunk in front of Suguru kind of mortified you, you still wanted to make a good impression. 

The alcohol burns down your throat as you sip the drink, setting it down on the counter once you’re finished, only to find Suguru’s eyes already looking at you. Just like you expected, he looked amazing under the lights. Flashing colors illuminated his face, his tall stature even more daunting when compared to the other men in the club who didn’t even come close to his height. 

“Let’s dance!” You yell over the music, digging your nails in his arm to drag him to the dance floor. 

He smiles as he allows you to maneuver his body, standing him in front of you. His cologne goes straight to your head as you press yourself against him, throwing your arms around his neck. 

“It’s a little busy.” He observes, mumbling in your ear. 

The brush of his breath against your ear causes you to gasp, gripping on him tighter. 

“It’s better that way, I won’t get embarrassed since no one will be watching me.” You respond. 

“You have nothing to be embarrassed about.” Suguru guides his hands up your body, the slow drag making you want to groan. He brings them back down and settles them on your waist, holding you tightly against him. 

You sway your body to the music, standing so close to Suguru that you can't see his face. You aren’t sure you want to see his face. The alcohol was flowing through your veins, and you were afraid of what you might do were you forced to acknowledge his presence. 

Bodies dance beside you, the heat of the room finally crawling up your spine. Your neck is starting to feel sticky already, but you’re too drunk on the moment to care. 

Suguru’s body feels hard against your own, and you can't help but find yourself wondering what he looks like underneath all his clothes. He looked strong, you could practically feel the muscles that bulged underneath. Your mouth begins to salivate at the image you start to conjure up in your head, the sight borderline pornographic. The more you think about it, the more you can feel your restraint begin to slip. It wouldn’t be so bad to make a move, would it? 

Bravery, it was a fickle thing, wasn’t it? 

You were in need of it every day for your job. You needed it so often that you tended to forget that what you were doing required it at all. Sometimes it was hard to summon. 

It also tended to be easier to use when you had the aid of liquid courage flowing through you. 

You drag your hands down, softly scratching the skin of his veiny forearms while you pull away from him. He looks down at you with raised brows, waiting on bated breath to see what you were going to do. The music changes, giving you the last boost you needed. You turn around, placing your ass against Suguru while grabbing his hands, guiding them to your waist once more, and you start to follow the music. 

You didn’t mean for it to be filthy, you really didn’t. At least that’s what you tell yourself. 

It was too hard to resist the beat of the music so you decided to let your body do the talking for you. Quickly the two of you find a rhythm together, your bodies moving in tandem. Suguru digs his fingers in your waist, keeping you pulled tight against him. You allow your eyes to flutter closed while you sing along with the music surrounding you, the vibrations of it filling your soul. 

“This feels so good!” You speak over the music, telling Suguru. 

“Hm, is that right?” He questions, guiding your hips back and forth. 

The lowness of his voice crawls over your skin, sparking a match deep inside your stomach. You meant dancing felt good, but now that you thought about it, your bodies pressed together also felt amazing. 

You throw a hand back, placing it on Suguru’s head, bringing him closer to you. Closer, you needed him closer. What the hell was in the drink you had? You were feeling unstoppable. 

You grind your ass against him harder, noting the way his hands tighten around you. It sends a rush of excitement over you, only beckoning you to go further. You run your hands over his arms again, delighting in the rumble you feel come from his chest. 

“Careful, baby.” Suguru warns, placing a slow kiss on your neck. 

How could he tell you to be careful if he was going to tempt you further to the deep end? 

“Or what?” You find yourself asking, looking over your shoulder. 

Fuck. 

You were treading on a thin line, and you knew it. His eyes are narrowed in on you, peeking at you from thin slits. He doesn’t look angry, he looks determined. 

Suguru reaches down, curling his fingers underneath the hem of your dress. He doesn’t pull it up, he just slides his fingers across your skin, causing goosebumps to prickle you. 

You lean forward slightly, pushing your ass out more against him. If he wanted to tease you, two could play at that game. 

It felt like you were the only two ones on the dance floor. Your bodies moved in perfect sync, almost as if you had danced this way with him hundreds of times before. Your mind was dizzy, drunk on the feeling that sunk in your chest. 

As you move, you’re able to feel something underneath you. You only have to glide back and forth several more times before you’re able to deduce what that something was. When you look over your shoulder you see Suguru looking down, his brows furrowed as he watches you grind against him. 

It’s as if he can feel your gaze, because he’s flicking his eyes back up to you. Your stomach immediately drops once you’re caught, but you still delight in the look he’s giving you. A low pressure builds in your core. 

He takes control, practically moving your body for you. You want to feel embarrassed, but you don’t. Not when you know that there’s probably twenty other couples doing the exact same thing. 

You feel like you’re a patient person, never jumping the gun on hardly anything. But in this moment, right now, you’re desperate. 

You turn around, wrapping your arms around him and yanking him down towards you. He instantly gets the hint, grazing his lips against yours. The two of you look into each other's eyes through heavy lids before you press your lips together. 

Kissing Suguru was everything you thought it would be and more. 

His lips tasted smoky like the whiskey he drank earlier on in the night. It suited him. You press your mouth against his harder, silently begging for more. No matter how urgent you felt, Suguru refused to cooperate. He moves on his own time, guiding his lips over yours while his hands trail down your back. It’s painful to wait, your body craving to taste him. 

Suguru slips his tongue through his lips, grazing it against yours before you open your mouth. Fuck, was the room always this hot? Your tongue molds against his, heavy breaths being shared between you two. He slides his hand down your leg, hiking it up against his hip. 

The new angle causes some friction against your core, leaving you reeling. If you didn’t have better self control, you might have just ripped your clothes off in the middle of the dance floor. 

You moan against his lips, making him smile. His fingers grip your leg tightly, so tight you’re sure you would have bruises tomorrow morning. 

His tongue easily follows yours, neither dominating or submissive. You didn’t care if anyone’s eyes were on the both of you. Suguru had you completely entranced. You were sure if he told you to do anything, you would do it. 

You wrap your arms around his neck, reaching up to pull his hair tie out. You run your fingers through his silky hair, appreciating the way it flows through each digit. When his hair falls down, you’re able to get a whiff of his shampoo and probably conditioner (there was no way this man didn’t have a multistep routine). The scent was that of lavender and frankincense. It was calming, just like him. 

Pulling back, you open your eyes to look at his face. He was so fucking handsome. Suguru’s lips follow yours, but you reel your head back even more, granting you just a sliver of space. How cute. His eyes flutter open to look down at you, as if offended you stopped kissing him. 

His amber eyes cause your breathing to stumble, the intensity punching you in your gut. 

“You’re a brat, aren’t you?” He asks, as if he already knows the answer. 

“Why don’t you come find out?” You respond. 

He stares at you for a moment longer, gaze calculating in the way he watches you. A pang of fear grips you, but it’s overshadowed by the alcohol in your system. 

“Let’s get out of here.” He leans down to whisper in your ear. It’s not a question, it’s a statement. One he knows you’ll agree to. 

Suguru pulls back, bringing his hand up to move some of your hair out of your face, behind your ear. He looks at you like you’re delicate china, something he wants to hold and protect. 

Fuck, you really feel bad for not being able to tell him the truth about yourself… 

You force yourself to snap out of it, too intent on enjoying this moment with Suguru. You place a quick kiss on his lips and tug him towards the exit. 

How long has it been since you got laid? 

The prospect of sex was rattling around your brain, making your mouth go dry. When you were dancing on Suguru you could tell he was big, and that fact only messed with you more. Could you take him? Something told you that he would make it fit. 

Suguru slides his keys from his pockets, opening the car door for you once more. Part of you wasn’t even sure you’d be able to wait until you got home to have sex with him. 

“Your house or mine?” You ask, out of breath from the anticipation. 

“Mine’s closer.” He starts the ignition, holding his arm behind your seat to back out. 

Of course he backs out like that. 

Your fingers twitch in your lap with the need to hold him again. The idea of sitting on his lap while he drove was almost too tempting. 

Suguru makes a series of turns until you’re waiting at a stop light, your stomach tingling. 

“Suguru, how much l-“ 

Suguru turns around and grips your chin. He smashes his lips against yours, effectively cutting you off. You can’t help the squeal that falls from your lips at his action. His tongue brushes against your bottom lip, making you raise a hand to grip his shirt. 

“Be patient, little one.” Suguru murmurs, pulling back to look into your eyes. 

You furrow your brows, seconds away from groaning. The red hue on his face changes to green and he’s moving back into place, pressing his foot on the gas. 

Handfuls of nice apartment complexes pass by the car as you speed to his house, making you wonder just how rich he was. He said he was a freelancer, but you didn’t know of any freelancers who made this kind of money. 

“We’re here.” He says, easing the car to a stop. 

You lean forward to peer up at the building in front of you. It was incredible. It had to have been at least twenty stories, with glass paneling all around. You’re too busy gawking at the apartment to notice Suguru opening your door, waiting outside for you. 

“Oh, sorry. This is really nice Suguru.” You mumble, taking his hand as you step out. 

Your eyes are locked on the building as you get out, wondering what the inside looks like. It definitely had to be nicer than your place. You were starting to be glad that the two of you didn’t go to your apartment, you weren’t even sure you had picked the laundry up off the floor and here he was living lavishly. 

Suguru tilts your head back to him, garnering your attention once more. He presses his lips against yours, trapping you against the car. His mouth was much more frenzied by now, as he pulled away to leave hot kisses down your neck, sinking his teeth in your throat softly. 

You let out a quiet moan, which makes him grip you tighter. The two of you were beginning to gather attention, as you could feel the heat of people staring as they walked by. 

“S-suguru.” You mumble, tugging his shirt. 

He pulls back and looks down at you with feral eyes before stepping away. Suguru grips your hand, lacing his long fingers around yours while you follow him clumsily to the doors. He nods once to the front desk attendant before stopping in front of the elevators. Your body heat is steadily rising as you get closer to his apartment. His hand flexes around yours as the elevator slowly inches closer and closer to the bottom floor. 

The second the doors open he’s dragging you inside, pressing you against the shiny walls. His lips are back on your throat in an instant, his hot breath caressing your neck as he nips you. The elevator was too small, the heat the two of you were emitting only circulating making you even more dizzy. You moan and dig your nails into his shirt, pulling him closer to you. His hips press into you, and you’re able to feel his hardness again. 

Hell, if he wasn’t going to make it fit, then you were. 

Beeps from the elevator fill the small room as you slowly crawl to the next floor. Your eyes are glued to the red numbers at the top, watching them get higher and higher. 

Suguru sinks his teeth near your jugular and begins to suck, relishing in the groan you release. Your lips are slightly parted as you indulge in the sensation of his tongue working your neck. He was definitely going to leave hickeys, but you didn’t care. You bring your hand down and graze his crotch, brushing past his hard cock. Suguru takes in a quick breath, his fingers digging harder into you. 

The elevator beeps once more before you’re at floor twenty, the doors slowly opening. 

“Suguru-“ 

He pulls away and smashes his lips to yours before stepping away. The look in his eyes is a far cry from his appearance when you met him in that quiet bookstore. 

You sink your teeth into your lip as he leads you down the hall, perfect white tiles lining the path as you go. The wetness between your legs was beginning to borderline on uncomfortable, and a throbbing sensation was shooting up from your core. Suguru stops in front of a door and rips his keys from his pocket, jamming them into the knob. Simultaneously he’s turning his head to kiss you again, finding the fact of being away from you unbearable. You hold the side of his face and stick your tongue out, tangling with his as the door opens and the two of you stumble inside. 

“Oh, you’re home early.” A voice comes from inside the house. 

Suguru pulls away from you and looks over his shoulder. 

“Satoru, you said you wouldn’t be back until 11.” 

…Satoru? 

Tag List: @tojislittleprincesss, @dinolvrrr, @kimi01985, @constawrites, @spookysoowpprince, @reosnagi, @faerie-soirxx, @platrom

If you want to be added to the taglist just let me know, please specify if you want to be added for all my works or just this fic

[kitnootkat]

See you later sk8er !

Episode 1. ; A little girl with cookies and her older brother ... Show List || Next

God you hate your brother. Walking to the front door YN takes a deep breath and collects herself before facing whoever’s on the other side. 

The teen prays that she looks decent since she only had a moment to look in the mirror before rushing to the door. If anything, she wouldn’t even have to be socializing if her brother didn’t make her go down. Blah blah, you’re the oldest you need to go blah blah i’ll tell dad blah blah that little shit. Opening the door you are greeted by the sight of an older boy who, for some reason you feel like you’ve seen before, and a little girl who looks about eight or so. Blinking for a moment, you wave at them both. Unfortunately, all that comes out of your mouth was an awkward greeting.

 “Uh, hi?” Before you can say anything else though you notice a smirk grow on the boy's face while his sister walks forward a bit and gives you a small container with a drawing taped to the top. Accepting it politely, you smile and squat down to meet her eye level, “Thank you! What’s this for?” As you wait for a response the little girl starts rocking back and forth on her heels. She seemed nervous but also fairly excited? She then starts speaking a bit quietly. “M-my Momma wanted me and Rin to bring cookies over as a gift! A-and she also wanted to d-double check if you’ll still be eating dinner with us…?” So Rin is the older boy's name? Hm. In response to the girl your smile turns soft as you giggle a bit. You remember your parents talking about having lunch with the family next door and reassure her that you’ll be going.

 You also decide to compliment how cute the drawing was. It was honestly adorable and you forced yourself to keep in a squeal. If only your brother was this cute but he's just a demon. 

The little girl, who’s name you now know as Rina, lights up at the complement of her drawing and starts to ramble about it. As you listen though, a voice cuts into the conversation. “Rina, they’re still probably unpacking. We should go before we become a bother.” Oh shit. You completely forgot her brother was here. And his voice is kind of hot.

Smiling embarrassedly at the fact that you completely forgot him, you stood up and nodded at him. The guy says something to his sister and she brushes her skirt off and mutters a small bye. Thanking them again for the cookies, you wave them off. When they start to walk away, the older brother turns to you and nods “See you later” all you can reply is a simple reciprocation. Before you can turn away though, Rina turns back and waves at you yelling something out before walking away.

“Bye Bye Onee-san!! See you later!!” You reply with a smile and a wave mouthing back to see you.

Notes !! ;;

-> WOOOOHOOO FIRST CHAPTERS DONE!! -> actually really excited for this series hopefully this was digestable -> yn's mom and suna's mom met while yns parents were buying the house and agreed to dinner -> idt Suna's sister name was ever confirmed but a lot of Japanese families like matching names so she gets to be Rina ! -> yn was Fukurodani's manager during her first year, it's currently March right after her first year ended meaning she's an upcoming second year! -> Fun fact the fukurobros gc (which i forgot to rename whoopsies) got really close really fast + bokuto and yn love matching pfps for some odd reason -> Debating on adding this series playlist to the contents page hmm taglist : open ! ft. @lcvemiyuki @cannibalsrider @skazewrld @thvvluvr @snail-squasher @mfcherry @sereniteav @cocoforkuroopuffs @causenessus

[wandas-lunchbox]

so sick of you (chapter 4)

series summary: you and natasha have ended your relationship due to her cheating on you. it's been 5 years now. what happens when you bump into her at a bar on your birthday?

warnings: some swearing, light make-out sessions but otherwise none

a/n: took me 4 months to write this, progress?

day one in italy. it was like you could smell the pizza in the air as you walked out of the plane.

“are you ready to get this party started” wanda exclaims.

crazy how this girl was dead asleep not even 10 minutes ago and now she has the most energy.

i didn’t answer her however, looking for the girl who was on the plane with me.

“bitch i know you did not just leave me on heard!”

“hm?” i say looking at her

she rolls her eyes and repeats “i saidddd, are you ready to get this party started”

i grin at her, trying to forget the thoughts of the girl on the plane. i still never got her name.

we start walking out of the airport with our bags in hand. we (or well wanda) had ordered a scheduled taxi before the flight so we didn’t need to wait to call one. we head into the car to our hotel. looking at the view from the car i could just cry from seeing the view. my thoughts about natasha had faded from my mind. my thoughts were all on the plane girl and italy. i mean what better thoughts could i have?

once we reached the hotel we spent some time just hanging out there before deciding to start getting ready for some dinner wanda planned.

“girl i dont know about you but i’m just hoping to get fucked, it’s been too long since i’ve done it. your girl has needs.”

i laugh at wanda, she’s always got some out of pocket thing to say.

“girl same”

“don’t lie to me, i’m your best friend i know someone caught your eye on that plane, what’s her name”

i give her a look

“so you were awake! omg i hate you!”

“i love to sleep but mate i needed some entertainment and you being a fumbling mess was the best.”

“i hate you”

“remember the person who planned this trip” wanda reminds.

i roll my eyes and continue to get ready. i end up wearing a mini skirt and a cropped baby tee that says “i love italy” because of course you need one.

after eating dinner we head to a bar. we decided to just get a couple drinks the two of us and talk.

“yeah, and you know what that asshole steve did—”

she gets cut off by my phone ringing

“sorry!” i say

checking my phone i see “unknown number” flashed on the screen. i pick up anyways

“hello?”

“hey! plane girl!”

“hey! how come you’re calling me?”

“turn around” she says through the phone

i turn and see the brunette. her hair down in waves. wearing a button up half open with a loosely done tie and a black mini skirt. her glasses substituted with most likely contacts.

“how come you’re here? did you miss me that much?” i say

“no silly, you told me on the plane you were coming here after eating”

wanda looks at me with a stinky eye

i look back apologetically (even though i wasn’t sorry one bit)

“but how come you came?” i say

“i mean why not. when you do come you’re gonna need a name to scream right? and i don’t think i want to hear you screaming plane girl as entertaining as it sounds”

i laugh.

“well this is wanda, and she’s awake now, we were just talking but i don’t think she’ll mind if we leave for a few mins” i say also asking wanda

wanda looks away for a second not meeting my gaze.

“yeah go ahead, have the sex before me i guess” she says grumpily, with a hint of sadness in her eyes

why was she sad?

“bye!” i shout

i see from the corner of my eye wanda walking up to the bar to talk to some other girl. go her i guess.

“so! plane girl, what is your actual name”

“madison, but people call me maddie most of the time”

“pretty name, it suits you,”

“thank you baby. do you wanna get a couple drinks”

“sure, margaritas for me please!”

“wow cute”

“i’ll take the same as her please” she says to the bartender as i order my drink.

from the corner of my eye i see wanda leaving but i don’t go not wanting to leave maddie in this moment.

we continue to talk before deciding that it was getting late. it was around 2am when maddie and i get into the car. there’s music playing the background.

i feel maddies arm brush my thigh and it sends shivers up my spine. my body starts to warm up. we are still talking until she realizes my shiver. she looks at me eyeing my lips and my eyes. before anything else could happen she kisses me. our lips intertwine and we kiss like theres no tomorrow. she leans towards my neck and leaves a couple kisses there. by the end of it we are both breathing heavily. we reach my hotel and i step out of the car, thanking the driver. i kiss maddie one more time before getting out of the car.

“thanks for tonight” i say

“goodnight baby” she says before having the taxi driver drive.

i walk up into the hotel and get in the elevator taking out my key. it was silent in the room. wanda already snuggled up into our bed. i go to take my makeup off and see lipstick marks all over my lips and neck. i take a photo before taking my make up off.

i change into my pjs and slip into our bed before sending a text to maddie

attachement one photo

nice art maybe you should frame it?

i send to her, along with the photo of the lipstick stains.

“haha, goodnight angel see u soon ;)” she texts back.

i switch my phone off putting it on charge slowly starting to fall asleep.

i heard a faint sigh from wanda but i didn’t think much of it before falling asleep.

a/n: chapter 4 donee (ops on maddie??)

taglist: @lakita-fisher @marvelogic @dark-hunter16 @marvelwomen-simp

(lmk if you want to be added to the taglist ( i am in the process of making a new one)

[peakyltd]

New Endings - Part 6

A/N: I know it's been a while but I promise I haven't abandoned this story (although it might seem like that since I started on this chapter in december already). I want to thank every single one of you who have supported this serie and I hope you still will... because it's not done yet 👀 Little note: there are a few lines from an earlier chapter, these are marked like this. There's also a little flashback that has not been in any of the chapters, these lines are marked like this.

Warnings: Angst, abuse/domestic violence, threatening, mentions of a gun, swearing, injuries.

Word count: 3.7k

MASTERLIST | PREVIOUS PART | NEXT PART

The cold morning rain hit harshly against her face without any mercy while the hard wind made it almost difficult to breath. The storm reflected the one of insecurity and doubt that was raging inside her.

It would only take a few more minutes until she’d reach the house that once held so much joy. She pressed her quickly gathered belongings closer to her soaked coat while thinking about what would happen the moment she would knock on the door.

None of her thoughts held anything positive.

As the house came in sight she noticed it was eerie quiet. Maybe he was still asleep, it was very early after all. She took a deep breath before passing trough the small gate and making her way to the door. Hesitation made her hand stop mid air, her knuckles inches away from touching the wooden door.

She felt the water drip down her face into the puddles that had formed on the tiles, slowly shaking her out of her thoughts. There was no way back, she had said her last goodbyes to Tommy and now had to face David.

Her knuckles hit the door a few times, awaiting the answer from the other side. A few seconds turned into a few minutes before she knocked again. Her trembling body waited for an answer once again, one that didn’t came.

Maybe he wasn’t home.

She decided to make her way to the back of the house until all of sudden she heard the door creak. The beating of her heart sped up as she watched the door open, standing eye to eye with the man who she feared.

“David-“

“Are you here to tell me that you succeeded already?” The confused look in his eyes quickly turned into an intimidating one as his eyes scanned her thoroughly.

“I-“

“Or did he kick you out? I mean what else did you expect to happen?” He spoke calmly but his words were laced with venom. He stepped aside, making room for her to enter. “Come in, before you get sick.”

He caught the insecure look in her eyes as she hesitated to set her feet inside, his demeanor softening in an instant. “Go get changed, you’re soaked.” His words sounded genuine but scared her more than any threat that had came her way. She walked past him into the house, the warmth of it welcoming her. She carefully put her belongings down on the table before taking off her coat. She watched David as he stood on the other side of the table.

“Well? How is Thomas Shelby?” He asked while crossed his arms. “I didn’t do it.” She answered the first questioned he had asked her at the door. He slowly shook his head as he approached her, his hand cupping her cheek. “What is it with you and all your bad decisions lately, hm?”

She swallowed harshly. “I don’t want to get involved.” David chuckled humorlessly. “It’s a bit late for that now, don’t you think?”

“Please I-“

His hand left her face, her eyes focusing on his, begging him to leave her alone. “Go upstairs and get rid of those wet clothes.” He ordered while taking a step back. “I’ll make you a bath.” Noticing her hesitation he spoke up once again. “Go on.” She nodded slowly before making her way upstairs.

A couple of documents were slammed on Tommy’s desk with a loud bang, his aunt’s hand still resting on top of them. He looked up at her, an unbothered look on his face as far as being unbothered went. “I gathered everything you need, don’t you dare telling me I was wrong.” Her brown eyes were laced with anger and annoyance, staring directly into her nephew’s eyes before taking her hand off the papers. He kept her gaze, a burning cigarette in his hand, not saying a single word. “I’ve told you from the beginning that it was a bad idea.” Harsh words were thrown his way. “Where do you think that she is now, hm? All of sudden going back to the man that was being terrible to her, who the bloody hell would do that?”

After keeping her gaze for a few more seconds, Tommy let his eyes move down to the papers before sliding them to the side of his desk. “It’s her decision. Turns out she’s not mine to love.” The uninterested tone of his voice sparked something within in Polly that caused the fire to lash out even more. “I said it before and I’ll say it again, she makes you blind! I’m not going to sit here and wait until this family is wiped from their existence.” She pulled one of the papers from the pile and slammed it down in front of him. “They’re after you, Thomas and she knew. She fucking knew!” The frustration in her voice made him wary. He took another look at the letters that were infused on the paper, the words connecting with the dots in his mind.

“Where did you get this?” He wondered while eagerly grabbing the other papers, his cigarette still firmly sat between his fingers. “I actually did something with the information you gathered. Something you should’ve done before letting her back into your life.” She sneered as she grabbed a picture from between the documents, putting it down in front of him and pointing at two particular men standing smiling next to a group of people. “Do you recognize them?”

He looked at the picture, immediately recognizing the man who had become a rather important topic in his life. “David Wright.” He looked up at his aunt. “How did you get this?” Her answer didn’t came, instead she pointed at the other man on the photograph. “Did she tell you about him?” She asked, her eyes boring into him. “No.”

“Of course not.” Polly clenched her jaw. “Luca Changretta.” She spat. “The italian maffia, Thomas.” He looked up at her, remembering something (Y/N) had told him and creating the missing link he was looking for since the first night they had spend time together.

How did you meet him?" Tommy asked while he leaned his arms on the chair. "At a party, in a club. Also in London." She took a sip of her wine. "A friend invited me. He was there with a group of his friends and he came to the rescue when some Italian was bothering me."

He should’ve known, her nervous behavior should’ve been a sign.

"We hit it off pretty well and it turned out the Italian was a friend of his who had a few too many drinks."

“They’re after you.” Polly warned again while she watched him read the remaining of the papers. “She’s in on it too, she’s the one that knows everything about you after all.” He shook his head. “It’s been years, Pol. She wouldn’t.” The words left his mouth before he could think and before realizing who was in front of him. “She would and I’m not going to wait until they hunt us down! You’re too blind. Once again you’re way too fucking blind!” The loud voice of his aunt boomed trough his office, repeating the words she had told him before.

“They’re after you and she went back to him once she had you wrapped around her finger, what more do I have to tell you?!”

A deep sigh left her mouth as she made her way down the stairs. The warm bath David drew for her and the dry clothes made her body feel more at ease after a stressful morning. When she entered the livingroom, she found David sitting at the table. The gun he gave her was right in front of him with six bullets neatly lined up next to each other.

“Must be better, right?” David mentioned, referring to her dry clothes while leaning back in his chair. She nodded as her eyes didn’t leave the gun. “It is.”

“You can sit down, sweetheart.” The pet name disgusted her but she obeyed him anyways. “Let’s adress the elephant in the room, shall we?” He started. “As you can see I made it a little easier for you.” He rested his finger on top of one of the bullets. “Since Thomas Shelby seems a little too hard to start off with, why don’t we start with someone else first?” He pushed the bullet her way, she noticed a name that was carefully carved into the ammunition. “John Shelby. Must be an easy target, not the smartest one and doesn’t think before he acts. Something you two seem to have in common.” He sighed as he pushed another bullet her way. “After you’re done with him, we have Polly. Way too nosy.”

The blood in her veins was racing trough her body, the thumping of her heart filled her ears while the panic was clawing onto every single piece of her body. She watched as David shoved the other bullets her way one by one, the names of Arthur, Ada and Finn neatly carved into them. “And last but certainly not least, Tommy Shelby himself. Must be much easier since you’ve had a bit of practice.” He coldly told her, adding a wink.

Tears filled her eyes at the disgusting words that fell off his lips. “No.” She shook her head while rapidly blinking away the tears that threatened to spill, this was not the time to look weak in front of him. “No, I refuse. I fucking refuse.” Her words came out harsh as her fear lashed out into anger. “You refuse? You have no fucking choice.” David’s loud voice boomed trough the room as he slammed his fist on the table, the sound of the bullets rattling against the wood. “You crossed a fucking line and you’re going to make up for it!” He pointed his finger in her direction. “Or do you want to tell Luca that it isn’t going to happen? That his whole fucking plan is going down the drain because one pathetic bitch is too scared to pull the trigger? Do you think he’ll be understanding and tell you that it’ll be alright?!” The sudden movement of him standing made his chair fall backwards with a loud bang.

“I don’t fucking care!” She shouted back at him. “I never wanted to be a part of this!” Her eyes widened when she saw him come closer. Her breath stocked in her throat, making it hard to breath. “Was that before or after your woke up his bed like the fucking whore you are?! You had no problem coming all the way to Small Heath to tell us where we could find him!”

“You fucking forced me to! You fucking framed me with all of your fake promises!” She stood up, trying not to let him intimidate her. “And I did not sleep with him!” She felt his hands grab her wrists tightly, pushing her hands above her head and pushing her until her harshly back hit the wall, a soft cry left her mouth. His face was only inches away from hers as she struggled to get out of his strong grip. “You’re going out there, finishing what we started! You know I’m within reach of your loved ones and unlike you, I’m not a fucking coward!”

His booming voice made her ears ring, the words getting to her loud and clear, knowing he wouldn’t throw empty threats her way. “Fuck you.” She hissed as she felt the grip on her wrist tighten even more. “It’s obvious you’ve surrounded yourself with that Shelby scum again, look at the way you’re talking to me.” He harshly grabbed her cheeks after releasing her wrists, feeling his fingers painfully dig into her skin. “You should remember that you don’t fucking talk to me like that.”

As soon as he released her, she spat in his face. A stinging pain in her left cheek was followed immediately after. “Fucking bitch!” As she tried to lash out at him, another hit struck her.

Tears pricked in her eyes as she carefully touched her cheek and eye, trying to sooth the pain somehow. David turned around to take the gun from the table, her eyes widened as he put the bullets back into it. Fear took over her and she turned away as quickly as possible to flee the room. The firm grip of his hand yanked her back by her arm and harshly pushed her back against the wall. The feeling of the cold metal resting against her forehead made her freeze. “I could also end it all right here, right now.” David calmly explained, his finger resting on the trigger. “It’s your choice.”

Her chest was heaving up and down, her breathing becoming heavier each second. “Please do. I’d rather be death than that I have to spend one more minute with you.” Her determined voice was soft but clear, a sudden confidence taking over. A life full of abuse and taking a toll on her.

“Is that what you want, yeah?” He pressed the gun deeper into her skin. She closed her eyes, not wanting to look him in the eyes. “I fucking asked you something!” He shouted at her, making her body tremble. Rethinking her decision she spoke up one more time. “Yes.”

Without hesitation he pulled the trigger back. She heard a loud click followed by deafening silence.

The metal was still brutally pressed against her skin, providing a painful friction. It took a moment before she carefully opened her eyes, only to find David with a bullet between his fingers.

“Thomas Shelby saved you once again.” He spat as he put the gun down. “But this will be the last time.” He continued while putting the last bullet with Tommy’s name on it in the chamber. “Now get the fuck out.”

Tears ran down her cheeks as she felt her heart banging against her ribs, suddenly realizing what kind of fate she had accepted in just a few seconds. “Did you not hear me? Get the fuck out!” He pushed her out of the hall to the front door. “Let me get my coat, please.” She chocked out. “Shut the fuck up.” He opened the front door and pushed her out in the pouring rain, pressing the gun into her hands. “David-“

“You’d rather be death than spending one more minute with me, hm? Won’t let you have that.” He slammed the door shut behind her, leaving her numb on the front lawn with the gun as a burden she couldn’t get rid of.

She stared at the house in front of her, the one she always dreamt of, the one that was supposed to be the center of happiness. The promising words of David replaying in her mind.

“We can leave London when business is done, move to the town you grew up in.” He told her when gently stroking her hair. “Really?” She beamed at him, thinking of how, even after everything, she had been missing Birmingham. “But you love London.”

“I’d do it for you.” He smiled at her. The corners of her mouth curled into an even bigger smile before pressing a kiss against his cheek. “You know, I actually got you something.” David took a set of keys out of his pocket and handed it to her.

She gave him a confused look. “What’s is this?” She chuckled. “Remember you told me that house you always loved as a kid?” He asked her as he watched her nodding. “It’s ours.”

“What?” She gasped. “Are you serious? Why?” He smiled and nodded. “To promise that I’ll treat you better. We can use it for the weekends and once I got my business rolling here, we can move there. Would you like that?” She nodded eagerly, making him chuckle. “Thank you so much David, I don’t know what to say.” She smiled. He pressed a kiss against her lips. “You don’t have to say something, sweetheart. Just imagine our future, hm? Just the two of us, being happy. Maybe a little family a few years in.” He told her while kissing her again.

How her life had turned into the worst. She should have known the moment he used the house as a bait to make her stay. Promises to do better, only became lies to make things worse.

As she turned to leave, the front door opened again revealing David with her coat and a suitcase with other personal possesions. “Get that shit out of here.” He threw her coat on the lawn before opening the suitcase and emptying it all over. She watched her clothes and precious jewelry scatter all over the tiling and grass before the suitcase was tossed her way, hitting her in the process. “Remember that I’ll always find you.”

The door slammed shut as she got on her knees to retrieve her belongings and stuffed them into her suitcase. She picked up her coat and draped it over her arm as it was way too wet to provide her the warmth she needed.

She made her way down the street, with no idea where to go.

The evening had covered the sky with a blanket of darkness, giving the world a sign it was time for their well deserved rest. The same rest she finally could give her feet, after carrying her the whole day, as she sat down on the stairs in front of the entrance of a building. Her body shivered from the cold wind that was blowing against her wet clothes.

She was desperate to find a place to stay but there wasn’t. She had no money and the only one she could turn to was no option any longer. There was no way Tommy would let her come back after she told him that she was going back to David.

She couldn’t stay out either, it was cold and most of all dangerous to wander the streets at night to find any kind of shelter.

The only thing that came to mind was the Garrison, even if it was only to warm up, maybe she’d find someone who could help her out. She leant her back against the wall, steadying her suitcase between her feet, as she let the events of the day run trough her mind.

How did she let it get this far?

Bad decision after bad decision was made, the wrong people were trusted and it felt like a downfall, except for the fact that she was still falling deeper and deeper and there was no way to stop.

Maybe London was the biggest mistake, in retrospect Birmingham gave her everything she needed but she might’ve realised it way too late. She wanted more but it brought her less.

“Fucking lock.” John tried to turn the key but failed once again. Maybe it was the lack of light or the amount of alcohol he had that night but it seemed like it was much harder than usual. A cigarette hung loosely on his lip as he mumbled out some more curse words.

“Are you closing?” A familiar voice made him look up, finding the silhouette of a woman next to him. “Y/N? Is that you?” He watched her as she came closer, surprising him. “What are you doing ‘ere? You’re fuckin’ soaked.”

She sighed, feeling embarrassed to ask for help. “Well, I-“ She paused her sentence to think about her next words. John’s eyes fell on the suitcase she was carrying. “Oh, I’m sorry (Y/N).” She shrugged. “I got kicked out. Again.” She jokingly said. It was followed by a soft chuckle as she tried to lighten up the situation in someway.

“Doesn’t sound very funny to me.” He seriously said as he looked at her, his eyes falling on her swollen cheek, the light bruising of her eye and a few marks left on her skin. "Did that fuckin' bastard hit you again?" She shook her head. "No-" John interrupted her. "(Y/N), I can see it. I might be drunk but I'm not fuckin' blind. This is not from falling or bumping into something.”

"It's nothing, I promise." She smiled kindly at him while he shook his head. Silence followed as he kept his eyes on her. “I think I-I’ll go.” She mumbled, his gaze making her uncomfortable.

“Where are you going to stay?” He slurred out the last words of his sentence. “I don’t know. I hoped to warm up in the Garrison but I think I’m a bit too late.”

He sighed softly. “Yeah sorry, love. Was just closin’ up.” He tried the key once more, finally being able to lock the pub. “You know, I’d let you stay on Watery Lane but I have to talk to Tom and Pol about it”

“No it’s fine.” She smiled at him. “But where will you stay then?” He wondered again.

“I honestly don’t know.” She fumbled with her suitcase. “I have no space at home. Y’know with the kids and all but you’re welcome for breakfast.” He offered. “I appreciate it John, thank you.”

He let his gaze wander over her again. “For how long have you been out?” He wondered. “Since this morning.”

“This morning? Are you mad? You’ll get sick.” Worry laced in his words. “Look I can bring you to Watery Lane, yeah? I'll talk to Tom and Pol tomorrow.”

“No, no, I don’t want you to get in trouble.” She waved her hand dismissively as she declined his offer. “Then what? It’s too dangerous for you to stay out here in the dark.” John tried to convince her. “I’ll find something.” She watched John as he was fumbling with his suitjacket.

“ ‘ere.” He put the keys of his childhood home in her hands. “No, no, you really don’t have to. I’ll find something else. I don’t want to be a bother.” She tried to protest against his offer, the idea of running into Tommy making her anxious. He took her chin gently between his thumb and finger, immediately apologizing when she flinched at his touch. “Oh… sorry.” He trailed off for a second before speaking up again. “Listen, it’s fine. Wouldn’t forgive myself if something happened to you, eh? Now I’ll get you there safely, yeah? And then you thank me and wish me a goodnight because I can’t wait to go see me wife.” He winked at her before carefully letting go of her face, earning a small smile from her.

“Thank you, John.” She softly answered as she felt the pressure of the gun burning against her skin.

Taglist: @cyphah @kissforvoid @graciesbow @raincoffeeandfandoms / @justrainandcoffee

@casa-boiardi @brummiereader @call-sign-shark @zablife @mommahwa1117

[rebekadjarin]

Watch me

Chapter 16 of Golden Dawn

A/N: For the life of me, I will finish this fic! If you're new here, Golden Dawn is my reader insert comfort bad batch fanfic with a slow burn Crosshair love story (with smut). It's about going on missions, hanging out with the batch and overall just them being happy and having fun. Other clones are included too! If you are interested, here is chapter one.

Summary: You spend an eventful day on Kamino with the bad batch and you get to spend some time with everyone, especially Crosshair. He seems unable to take his hands off you but you both have your duties. It doesn't mean that you can't squeeze in some quality time for the two of you... One of your favourite 501st boy also appears, and you get to find out what the hell Hardcase got into this time.

Rating: super explicit, explicit on the square

Word count: 11k

Warnings: S M U T, cum

My old taglist: @fangirl-goes-nova @murdertoothpick @tacticalsparkles @coffeeandtodd @moonstrider9904 @luosymekawa @littlemisscare-all (if you want to be added/removed, just message me!)

You read the chapter here or click on the chapter title in the beginning and it will lead you to my ao3

“We have training to do,” Crosshair told you in the morning when you asked what their program for the day was. 

“Do I have to go?” you asked and stretched, sitting on his bed. You already got ready but you lay back just for another five minutes while the others went ahead. 

“No, I don’t want them anywhere near you,” he answered and you sent him a questioning look. “When we didn’t train with Jango, they had other bounty hunters do the job. And I also prefer to train you myself,” he added with a small smirk. 

“I think we have been doing a little different kind of physical exercise lately,” you suppressed a smile and he came closer. He bent forward to lean on the bed with his hands and you stopped breathing for a second. 

“Which proved to be more effective than I ever imagined.” His voice was raspy from the morning and also because of lust. 

Your lower muscles clenched in anticipation but you were rudely interrupted when Tech’s head popped into the room to hurry Crosshair. 

“In a minute,” he quickly got rid of Tech. 

“Maybe I do want to come along with you after all,” you stood up and looked up at Crosshair’s face. 

He moved his toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other and raised an eyebrow. 

“I want to watch,” you added with an innocent smile. 

“Really?” he stepped so close that you could feel his hot breath on your skin but he didn’t touch you. “You want to watch, sunshine?” 

You nodded with that same playful look on your face. 

“Because I can make you watch, if you’d like to,” he continued and you gulped loudly, making him smirk. “Or maybe change it up and make me the one looking at you while you’re pleasuring yourself, hm? How soon would you come under my gaze?” 

You felt like the floor disappeared from under your feet and you moaned loudly at the picture his words painted into your mind. That would be so excruciatingly arousing. You couldn’t take it anymore and rested your forehead against his chest and interlaced your hands around his waist. 

Your hands traveled up his back and scratched it. You got so turned on by this little conversation of yours that you couldn’t stop yourself and started leaving wet kisses on his neck. He was still standing motionless. 

“Crosshair,” you said his name while continuing to suck on his neck. “I think I could come only listening to your voice,” you confessed and he couldn’t take it anymore and grabbed your waist roughly. 

“Fuck,” he said and pulled your hips closer to his. “I have to go,” he said but his grip on your body didn’t loosen. 

You reached down with your hands and started to take off his codpiece. “You can make it quick,” you placed another kiss on his neck. “You already got me hot and wet enough.”

“Fuck, fuck,” he groaned and ripped his codpiece off to take his hard cock out and shoved you back on the bed. You grinned as his self-control shattered and he flipped you to your stomach and yanked your trousers down. 

“Fuck it,” he continued cursing and quickly bent down and bit your ass before putting his cock in front of your entrance. “Just from my voice you say?” he grabbed your hips and shoved himself inside you with one rough motion. 

You didn’t lie when you said you were ready for him, he slid in easily but you still moaned at his roughness. 

“Just from me watching you?” he started thrusting into you and you had to stop yourself from yelling loudly from pleasure as he roughly fucked you. “You think you could come only from those?” he asked, out of his mind while fucking you. 

“I do, Crosshair, I could,” you nodded frantically while he continued to destroy you. 

He let his hands travel up your back, under your shirt and find their way to your breasts. He started to draw circles with his thumbs around your nipples. 

“I believe you,” he moaned into your ears. “But let’s just remember how well you come around my cock,” he buried himself deeply inside you while still stimulating your nipples and a quick but strong orgasm exploded in you and all you could do was whimper while he fucked you through it. 

You heard a knock on the door and Tech’s voice came from outside to hurry up Crosshair because they were really going to be late. 

“Just a second,” Crosshair shouted back in a completely normal and collected voice while not slowing his pace. “See, I’m going to be late because of you,” he whispered into your ears. 

You couldn’t collect yourself enough to form a coherent answer but he just fucked you faster before he pulled his cock out of you and rutted it against your ass, coming in hot pulses on your lower back. You felt his thick cum cover you and drip from your hips. 

You moaned loudly when you felt his cum all over your body and he patted your ass before standing up and putting himself away. He quickly picked his codpiece up and reattached it while you were trying to catch your breath, laying on the bed, covered in his cum. 

“Crosshair,” you groaned and looked back at him. He was standing next to the bed, armor back to the usual, his eyes mischievously shining. 

“Yes, sunshine?” he cocked his head on one side.

“I don’t think I can get up,” you confessed. You barely felt your limbs, you were still so numb from having just been fucked like this. 

“That’s alright, you look perfect, covered in my cum, lying there, numb from my cock,” he smirked smugly and you groaned. 

“I really have to go,” he added and walked toward the door. 

“You can’t leave me here like this,” you shouted after him. 

“Watch me,” he winked at you and walked out. 

“You want to explain what took you so long?” you faintly heard Tech’s annoyed voice in front of the door. 

“No,” Crosshair answered simply as their steps slowly faded away. 

You let out an exasperated breath and trembled when you felt another drip of his cum flow down your ass. He really made sure you couldn’t follow him for the training. 

You wondered for a second about what kind of bounty hunters trained them that he didn’t want to let you close to them but you were too distracted to dwell too long on it. 

It took you several more minutes to collect yourself enough to get up and you were thinking about getting back at him the whole time. He was usually the collected one who reduced you into a blubbering mess but you wanted to see him be the one begging one time. You weren’t even sure it was possible but you would definitely try. 

A shower helped you recover from the rough morning sex with Crosshair but your heart was still racing and your cheeks felt hot whenever you remembered it. 

After calming dawn a little you decided to make yourself useful. You started with visiting the medical area to help out the medics there. 

You saw a few kaminoans and couldn’t stop following their slender figures flow on the corridors. Hearing their smooth voice sent shivers down your spine and you had trouble finding them sympathetic. 

You were relieved to see that there were clone medics working in the hospital wing and not kaminoans. They creeped you out and you couldn’t really put your fingers around the feeling. 

“Hardcase?” you stopped immediately when you caught a glimpse of his tattoo in the corner of your eyes. 

“Hey Medy!” he greeted you eagerly and sat up, just to press his palm on his side and groan from the sudden movement. He tried to ignore the pain and continued talking. “Fives and Echo told me that you’re around, I’m so happy to run into you!”

You instantly changed into medic mode and stepped closer to examine his injury. 

“I’d rather not see you here, Hardcase,” you shook your head a little. “What happened to you this time?”

“Ehhh,” he looked away, feeling a little embarrassed. “I fell down.”

“From where?” you raised a brow because it was never this easy with him. 

“Well out of the window. But I really had no choice!” he protested vehemently. “Rex clearly told me not to even think about walking out the door. He didn’t say anything about the window,” he smiled mischievously. 

“Why am I not surprised,” you shook your head and scanned him. You quickly checked the results and saw that the injury wasn’t too bad. “I’ll apply a bacta patch and you need to take some medication for the next few days,” you searched for the right ones and handed them to him. 

“Thanks Medy,” he smiled at you and took them. ”Now you can apply the patch,” he grinned and pulled up his shirt. You rolled your eyes but did as he said.  

“Why did you have to stay in that room anyway? Did you do something?” you sent him a questioning look.

“I might have successfully made a small explosion after tampering with some gadgets," he confessed. “But you should have seen it! It was mind-blowing! I might have just come up with a new weapon,”  he was clearly proud of himself and you couldn’t suppress a smile. 

“I’m glad that it wasn’t literally mind-blowing,” you laughed and he just waved it off. 

“So yeah, after that Rex sent me back to my room to think about what I did or something like that, I didn’t really pay attention to be honest.”

“And why did you decide to leave the room?” you were still trying to put the story together. 

“I was hungry,” he shrugged. 

“And why did you fall? I have seen you pull off far worse stuff. Not that I advise you to do those,” you sent him a playfully scolding look. 

“Oh yeah, I totally had it under control,” he waved. “But then I saw Rex behind a window and he was just about to turn. I swear to you he felt that I was there. So I had to disappear and I might not have paid enough attention and slipped. You know how rainy it is out there.”

“You’re lucky you landed on the roof and didn’t fall sixty meters into the water.”

“Yeah,” he grinned and you shook your head. He was always playing with fire. And he did it in his slightly unhinged but undeniably cool style. 

“You should take care of yourself a little bit better,” you patted his shoulder when you were ready with everything and he sent you a grateful smile. 

“Why would I when you’re always here to heal me?”

“I wish that was the case, but I won’t always be there. So just don’t suffer stupid injuries, alright?”

“I’ll try my best,” he winked at you and you knew your little speech had no effect on him and sighed. 

“I guess that’s a start.”

You spent the next hours helping out and stitched up a few shinies who got injured during simulations. 

“I knew I would find you here.”

“Tech!” you turned around and smiled at him. “Did you finish with your training?” 

“Crosshair and Wrecker stayed behind to practice some more. I thought that this was the perfect opportunity for me to show you around in the laboratory, if you’re interested.”

“I am, that sounds great,” you put the equipment you were cleaning down and stood up. “Let’s go.”

“So you said Crosshair is still practicing?” you asked him on your way to the lab. 

“Correct. He’s a perfectionist and always has to practice the most.”

“Well, it really works for him. I actually wanted to ask you something about him.”

“Yes?” Tech glanced at you . 

“Where do you think his jealousy originates from? I mean I think I know a little about it but I wanted to ask you about it as well. You’ve known him longer.”

“As far as I’m concerned, he has never shown this type of behavior before. It’s only when he’s around you,” Tech sent you a curious look. “But jealousy has a simple scientific explanation. It discouraged desertion by a mate, bolstering the family unit and enabling the survival of the young. At the same time, it has pushed us to abandon philanderers in favor of more stable and rewarding partnerships.”

“Maker Tech, that's pretty dry. I was thinking about something closer to Crosshair.”

“Oh. In that case,” he tilted his head to think for a few seconds. “I believe it’s because of his own insecurities and him thinking that if he let you get closer to another male you’d leave him for them.”

“Oh.”

“Was that sufficient?”

“It was a lot, Tech. And what could I do about it? I really want to be there for him.”

“I’d like to offer a solution for you but my knowledge in the matter isn’t extensive enough.”

You sighed. All you wanted was to understand Crosshair more to be able to support him better. Tech must have seen that you weren’t comforted yet and tried again. 

“What are you worrying about?” 

“Just that I’m not able to support him in a way he needs it.”

“That’s nonsense. He’s clearly happy.”

You felt a little relieved. “Thanks Tech, that means a lot.”

“You are welcome. But I don’t understand, can’t you see it on him?” 

“I can but sometimes I’m not sure I can trust my eyes. I'm afraid they would show what I want to see and not what’s actually there.”

He seemed to think this through. “You have nothing to worry about. He’s lucky to have you, you seem to pay special attention to his well-being.”

“Of course I do,” you said like it was obvious. “Sometimes that’s all I think about.”

“Well, it’s clearly working. He’s better than he’s ever been.”

You closed your eyes for a second. It felt so comforting to hear these words from someone else’s mouth, especially Tech because he and Crosshair had a special bond. 

“Thank you, Tech, this was really comforting.”

His face lit up after your praise and he unconsciously started walking faster from happiness, you had to jog to catch up with him. 

“And how are you feeling Tech?” 

He looked a little taken aback and slowed down to match your pace. “My work on the ship is endless, I still want to boost the engines and I have to reorganize the food cabinet after Wrecker made a mess a few days ago. Last night I read an interesting article about molecular underpinnings of a disease affecting corals.”

“Is marine life something you’re interested in?”

“Very much so,” he smiled a little. “I would love to explore it in different water planets.”

“Maybe we’ll get an underwater mission once.”

“Highly unlikely, I don’t see why they would send us. It’s not the area where our enhancements are the most useful.”

“I was just hoping for it, Tech.”

“Oh. In that case I also hope that it will happen.”

You smiled at him and he held the laboratory door open for you. He showed you around and talked about all the equipment you were interested in. You also spent some time working on one of your medicines you started earlier but couldn’t finish. Working with Tech was always easy for you because he was so clearly passionate about what he was doing that it kept you going endlessly. 

“Hungry?” came the question from behind you and you jumped and turned around immediately just to see Hunter standing in front of you with a smirk on his face. You put your hand on your racing heart and took a few deep breaths to calm down. 

“First of all, don’t do that,” you motioned at him, “but yeah, now that you ask I’m hungry.”

“Great, come on!” he smiled at you warmly and turned around. 

“Tech?” you looked at him but he shook his head. 

“I’ll stay, I want to finish this. But you should go.”

You nodded and walked toward the door to catch up with Hunter. 

“You two get on well since day one,” he noted when you arrived next to him. 

“He’s always been very kind to me,” you smiled remembering how in your first days you spent all your time next to Tech. “And he says very interesting stuff all the time, you should listen to him more.”

“Thank you for the suggestion,” he smirked and led you toward the cantina. 

“How was the training?”

“The usual,” he dodged the question easily and sat down next to you. “I also just wanted to check up on you,” he tilted his head and looked at you deeply. 

Your hand that was halfway to your mouth with a mouthful of the plain kaminoan food stopped and you looked back at him. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just that many things happened in a short amount of time and I wanted to make sure that you’re alright. And that Crosshair was treating you well when we’re not around. Not that I don’t trust him,” he added quickly, “but we know how he can get and I don’t want him to treat you like that.”

“Oh,” you smiled and put the bite in your mouth and swallowed it before answering. “That’s so considerate of my kind sergeant,” you teased him, making him smile but then you continued in a more serious voice. “No, I really meant that. Thank you. And I’m really good. You can’t even imagine how nice he is when you’re not around,” you lowered your voice and leaned closer to him as if you were going to share a secret. He tensed a little and paid attention to your every move. “Hunter, I think he is…,” you whispered, “a softie,” you finished and he laughed out so loud that many clones sitting at tables near you looked over to see what it was about. 

“That sounds pretty serious, are you sure you can handle that? Because I’m not afraid of moody or angry Crosshair but soft Crosshair scares me,” he grinned and you laughed with him. 

“I know right,” you couldn’t stop smiling. “It’s pretty serious, I don’t think there’s any coming back from this.”

“Wow,” Hunter calmed down and shook his head with the last hints of laughter still playing on his lips. “You know I really think that you were all he needed,” he looked up at you. “He’s different since you’re together. Before, he’s been often with us but stayed distant. Lately he just seems more alive. He’s just like who he was back when we were cadets.,” Hunter smiled at the memory. “You know before the war and missions. You really bring that out of him.”

“Hunter,” you smiled, really touched by his words. You quickly patted his hand that was resting on the table. “Thank you.”

He smiled back at you. “Anytime. Also if you have any sexual questions you can always come to me,” his smile turned into an evil smirk and you rolled your eyes. 

“Shut up and eat,” you told him with a full mouth. 

“You know I won the bet and can talk as much about it as I want?” he snickered but did as you said and scooped some food on his spoon and quickly swallowed it. 

“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”

“If I can, then I will,” he grinned and you shook your head with a tired smile on your face. 

“That does sound like a motto of the bad batch.”

“It really does,” he nodded with an eager face. “Let’s patent it so after the war we can use it for a small business,” he joked. 

“Do you think a lot about the end of the war?” you took a sip of your drink and watched a group of shinies walk away in front of you. Why did they have to wear their full armor inside when there were no battle simulations? It must not have been comfortable. Maybe it was to prepare them. 

“Yeah, sometimes,” Hunter answered. “I imagine us all staying together and maybe continuing working for the Republic, you know, because we want to, not because we’re their property. That would be nice.”

“That does sound good,” you smiled at him. “I hope it’s going to be here soon.”

“Let’s just win that war before, shall we?” he winked at you and you both stood up after finishing your food and walked out of the cantina after you packed up some food for Tech. 

While you were walking on the white corridors you ran into Wrecker who was coming from the training rooms, freshly showered and whistling to himself. He was hard to miss with his size and also the off tune whistling. 

“Hey guys,” his face lit up when he saw you.

“Hi Wreck,” you smiled back at him. “I’m taking this for Tech, wanna come?”

“Sure,” he agreed and you turned left where Hunter went right, he headed back to the barrack. 

“You don’t look tired,” you glanced at him and he laughed. 

“They don’t have enough weights to tire me out,” he flexed one of his massive arms. “You know these are pretty cool,” he lifted his fingers up and looked at his nails. 

“Hunter did a pretty nice job, I’ll tell him that after the war he can go work as a nail artist,” you added seriously and Wrecker snorted. 

“You know we could do more stuff like yesterday.”

“I think so too, Wreck. I missed these nights so much,” you smiled softly. 

“Well, I’m always here if you want to.”

“Thanks. Maybe we could also… No forget it, I’m sure it’s not your thing…,” changed your mind while talking. 

“What? You started saying it, now you know I won’t let you rest until you tell me,” he nudged you softly. 

“I was just thinking about how much I wanted to go shopping for clothes and stuff,” you confessed and waited for him to laugh at you but he didn’t.

“Then let’s go. Next time we can, we’ll go.”

“Really?” you face lit up. “You’d come with me?”

“Sure,” he grinned. “We can also get a couple beers and you can spill all the tea on Crosshair.”

You laughed. “Sounds like a pretty cool plan to me.”

“Can’t wait,” he added with a grin just when you’ve arrived back to the labs where you dropped off Tech his lunch and made him promise that he would eat it and not forget about it. 

“Forget about eating?” Wrecker shook his head. “I could never.”

“Yeah, same.” 

“Wanna get a snack?” he looked at you mischievously

“Here?” you raised an eyebrow. “How?”

“I know a way,” he sent you a crooked smile and showed you the way toward another building. He was leading you through dark and narrow corridors which not even the cameras kept an eye on until you arrived in front of a simple door which Wrecker quickly tampered with and opened so you could sneak in. 

The room you arrived in was full of neatly organized boxes and Wrecker immediately led you to one of them and opened it. You saw that it was full of different flavors of chocolate covered energy bars. He grabbed a handful of them and you did the same and he carefully closed the box back and you made your way out. 

“How did you know about that?” you laughed when you were back to the well-lit white corridors. 

“You think I wouldn’t find where they kept the snacks we occasionally got?” he grinned and shoved two into his mouth. “Hunter led me there, he could smell it but then after that it’s all my work.”

“And they never noticed?”

“The secret is to not do it often,” he passed on his knowledge. 

By the time you arrived back at their barrack Crosshair was already there, freshly showered and looking more handsome than ever with his new haircut. You smiled when you saw that he was back and ran to him. 

He quickly pulled you into a hug and placed a kiss on the top of your head. 

“How did the training go?” you asked, your voice muffled because you were still pressed against his chest. 

“Fine,” he answered and sat down on his bed and pulled you into his lap. You stared into his eyes and drank him in. 

Then you noticed something changed behind him on the wall and you looked over his shoulder to take a better look at it. The usual three target posters were still hanging on the wall but something changed. 

“Did you…?” you asked him and a smile spread across your face. Previously, the middle poster was shot carefully to make the letter C. Now it’s been changed to the letter your name started with. You couldn’t find the words and it was just so sweet of him. 

“Crosshair,” you pulled him closer and he hugged you back. “This is so sweet.”

“What happened?” Wrecker came over to take a look too and he smiled when he saw what Crosshair did. 

“Who would have thought that you were such a romantic, lil bro?”

“Don’t call me that,” Crosshair answered, pretending to be irritated but the smile playing on his lips gave him away. Wrecker quickly ruffled his hair then went back to his bed. 

Some time later Hunter arrived back with Tech by his side. His face was more serious than usual and you grew a little wary. 

“New mission?” Wrecker asked with a grin and sat up on his bed. 

“A bigger one,” Hunter nodded. “The jedi discovered a new separatist base but they had to fall back to help the battalions on Ryloth. Our mission is to find out all we can about this new base, what technology they use, why they moved there and any useful information before destroying it.”

“Nice, an explosion then,” Wrecker cheered but Hunter’s face remained serious. 

“What else is there?” Crosshair asked, he also saw that Hunter was yet to share everything with the group. Hunter came closer and looked into your eyes. 

“I’m afraid you can’t come with us this time. We have to drop you off at the Republic base on the planet, you were ordered to stay there because they are in dire need of medics. We lost a battle there a few hours earlier,” he sighed. “You can imagine the situation.”

You gave him a firm nod. You knew your duty. 

Crosshair’s face didn’t show much about his thoughts. 

“Cross?” you nudged him, wanting to hear what he was thinking about. 

“I don’t fucking like the way they just order you around,” he said sourly. 

“Technically they can,” Tech stepped in front of Hunter. “Officially she’s still listed as our medic, not a fifth member and medics can always be ordered around when a shortage appears somewhere. Also I have to add that it would be much safer for her to remain at a Republic base than to accompany us to this mission.”

You heard Wrecker chuckle and turned your head his way.

“I know that,” Crosshair answered Tech with a grimace, “that’s why I didn’t protest.”

“What’s up with you Wreck?” you asked him because he was still chuckling to himself. 

“Let me guess,” Crosshair raised an eyebrow and the corner of his mouth twitched despite his gloomy mood. “Tech said technically and you find that extremely amusing.” 

Wrecker burst out laughing again and just nodded. You shook your head with a smile on your face and turned back to Crosshair. The furrow between his brows was still there. 

“I’m gonna be fine,” you stroked his face. “I’m more worried about you guys.”

“Nah, don’t be,” Wrecker, who collected himself a little, sent you a grin. “We wouldn’t risk getting injured when the only one to stitch us up is Tech.”

“I did the work fairly efficiently!” he objected. 

“The emphasis is on fairly,” Hunter added with a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. 

“It’s not my area of expertise,” he nodded reluctantly. 

“It’s okay Tech, it wasn’t so bad,” Wrecker tried comforting him, which he thanked with a half-smile. 

“You hear that guys? You’re not allowed to get injured because I’m not gonna be there,” you looked at all of them. “That’s an order.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Hunter jokingly saluted you. “But I thought it was usually Crosshair giving you the orders, right?” Hunter asked with a mischievous grin and you froze. 

Crosshair just rolled his eyes and ignored Hunter’s comment. 

“He just wishes to get promoted,” Wrecker patted Crosshair’s back not so lightly. “But we wouldn’t let ya go,” he also pushed him a bit and Crosshair shook his head with a faint smile on his lips. 

“So when do we leave?” you asked them. 

“Right after they finished preparing our ship,” Hunter answered and took a seat on his bed and put his legs up. 

“They are doing what?” Tech jerked his head up. “No one can touch my ship when I’m not there.”

“As I said, our ship,” Hunter repeated but Tech ignored him and was already on his feet and halfway out of the door. He was pretty sensitive when it came to the maintenance of the Havoc Marauder, he had already put so much work into the ship that it rightfully felt his a little more than anyone else’s. 

“If we have a little more time…,” Crosshair started and placed a soft kiss on your shoulder, making goosebumps appear on your whole body. His lips lingered on your skin just one second longer before he leaned closer to your ears. “I could show you the armory.”

“Yeah, he doesn’t actually mean the armory,” Hunter commented without even looking up from his datapad. 

“Do you always have to ruin the mood?” you looked at him and he shrugged with a crooked smile on his face. 

“I just wanted to make sure that you two are on the same page,” he added and you rolled your eyes. 

Wrecker raised his head when he heard the word armory. “It’s a pretty nice armory. I shed a few tears when I first saw it after they renovated it.”

“You cried?” you laughed. 

“Your man right there did too,” he grinned evilly and Crosshair sent him a death glare. 

“I didn’t.”

“Yeah you did, lil bro,” Wrecker continued grinning. “There was one teardrop running dramatically down your face when you saw the rifle collection. I saw it.”

Crosshair pursed his lips and you needed every ounce of self control you ever had in your life to not laugh in his face. 

“Medy’s is quite close to dying there,” Hunter noted and you closed your eyes and tried to concentrate on your breathing to control your uncontrollable urge to laugh. 

“I just need a minute,” you managed to say somehow. 

You couldn’t see but were sure that Crosshair and Wrecker were silently communicating while you were dying, as Hunter worded. 

“Alright, I’m sorry, I know the armory is our secret bonding place, I won’t share anything I learnt there again,” Wrecker apologized and Crosshair facepalmed. 

“Secret bonding place?” you asked, your curiosity overriding your urge to laugh in their faces. 

“It’s not a secret when you know about it,” Hunter said casually. 

“You knew?” Wrecker asked with his mouth hanging open. 

“How would I not have known, Wrecker?” Hunter looked up at him. “You thought that you could sneak past me without me waking up? Also, stealth was never your strongest quality. Crosshair though,” he tilted his face. 

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Wrecker asked him. 

“It seemed like a you two kinda thing,” Hunter shrugged. 

“That’s so sweet,” you smiled and felt discomfort radiating from Crosshair. “What, Cross? Is me learning that you have a special bond with one of your brothers uncomfortable for you?” 

“He’s just not used to showing emotions at all,” Hunter answered instead of him. 

“I want to leave,” Crosshair said and Hunter nodded. 

“You should before he tells her about your weird obsession with porgs.”

“Your what?!” you laughed. 

“They are so freaking cute!” Wrecker immediately protested. 

“Sorry, I didn’t know that your secret armory meetings were officially called porg fan club meetings,” Hunter mocked them. 

“So porgs?” you smiled at Crosshair who was not just radiating discomfort, he was burning with it. 

“I want to leave,” he repeated and picked you up and carried you to the door. 

“He says that they are neat,” Wrecker shouted after you and you sent him a grin. You were so grateful to have his brothers next to you because learning this kind of information would have been almost impossible from Crosshair himself. 

“Cross,” you cupped his flushed face and looked deeply into his eyes. “Don’t do this, you know I love learning everything about you. You shouldn’t feel bad about this, this is so normal,” you laughed. “Why do you have a guard up most of the time?” 

He shrugged and put you down on your feet when you were out of the room. He held your hand and started walking down the white corridor. 

“You shouldn’t, you know,” you continued, “you can always be yourself with me. I want that. I want everything about you.”

A small smirk appeared on his lips and he stopped to kiss you. He gently brushed his lips against yours to let you know he got what you were talking about. 

“Right now what I want is you,” he whispered against your lips and deepened the kiss. You opened your mouth to welcome him as he slid his tongue inside your mouth to explore it. 

His hands traveled down your waist and pulled you closer until you were pressed up against his hips. His fingers dug into your flesh and you already forgot what you were talking about. 

He didn’t even check the door you were standing in front of, just opened it and pushed you inside while kissing you. Only one of his hands left your body to lock the door. Then he lay you down on one of the bunk beds and deepened the kiss.

“You looked absolutely amazing when I left you in the morning,” he said in a raspy voice and pushed his hips against yours. You moaned when you felt his hardness. 

“I can never get enough of you,” he continued and lifted your shirt, placing a kiss on your stomach. “I could be with you all day and all night and it would never be enough,” he unbuttoned your pants and pulled them down. 

His words made your head spin but all that came out of you was a soft whimper. He laid you down on the bed, his head between your legs. He grinned at you, a full smile that you loved so much.

“And I have more plans for you for today,” he slightly bit his lower lip then buried his tongue inside you. You inhaled sharply and your fingers found their way into his silver hair. His pace fastened and soon all you could think about was how much you wanted him inside you.

“Crosshair,” you asked him and he looked up at you, licking his lips in a mischievous way. 

“Will you do me a favor and fuck me right now?” you lifted your hips with desire. 

“There’s something I want you to do for me before, sunshine,” he smirked at you and you lifted a brow.  

“Now that I’m not going to be here for a few days,” he started talking and you almost moaned at how sexy his voice sounded, “there’s something I want to ask you not to do,” he continued with a darkened look on his face. 

“What?” you asked and licked your suddenly dry lips. 

He answered with a knowing smirk. “But I want to watch now. I want to see what you’re not going to be allowed to do while I’m away.”

You drew in a sharp breath when you understood what he was talking about. Did he want to see you pleasure yourself? While he was standing next to you?

“Come on sunshine,” he told you, his voice the smoothest you’ve ever heard it and it made you want to do anything he told you. Without question. You would have followed his voice alone to hell and back. 

“Do you want me to talk you through it?” he continued and you closed your eyes and nodded. “I want to see how you come from your fingers, sunshine. I want to see how your body trembles under the pleasure you caused.”

“Why am I not allowed to do it while you’re gone?” you asked in a weak voice, already turned on just by listening to his words. 

“Because I’m a selfish bastard who wants all of your orgasms to himself,” he answered and you couldn’t suppress a moan hearing that. “Don’t get shy now, sunshine. Do you remember how dirty your mouth gets when you’re begging me to fuck you? This isn’t different. But this time you’re the one doing it to yourself.”

You were already burning with desire and you wanted to please him too so you shyly lifted your fingers and placed them on just the right spot. 

You could hear him drawing in a sharp breath when you started circling your clit and rubbing the wetness all over yourself. 

“You’re so turned on,” he said, his voice airy and eyes wide. 

“It’s only for you,” you answered and threw your head back as you applied pressure on your clit while circling around it. 

“You’re so fucking perfect,” he breathed as you winced from pleasure hearing his praise. “Always coming around my cock when I fuck you. Always saying the perfect words to make me lose my mind. You do that to me, you make me lose my fucking mind,” he kept talking and you closed your eyes and focused on the pleasure your fingers on your clit were causing you while listening to his smooth voice. 

“Look at me,” he ordered and you reluctantly opened your eyes and glanced at him. All air left your lungs when you saw his expression, it was wild with lust and passion as he was looking down at you, a few drops of sweat balancing on his body as he was trying to fight the urge to fuck you right there and then and just enjoy the sight of you pleasuring yourself just a little longer. Just until you came. 

“What you said earlier,” he kept talking, “I know I can be myself with you. I don’t always show it but I know it. And I will. With time, I will show you all, sunshine. But we have time. We have all the fucking time in the galaxy.”

Your mouth fell open as you were listening to his words and you couldn't stop staring at his face while he was talking, he was so genuine. And he said all the time in the galaxy. Fuck, that sent a shiver down your body and you trembled as you felt the first signs of your orgasms building in your body. 

“You should see how beautiful you look right now, lost in my words and pleasure. You’re absolutely out of this world.”

The orgasm that was building in your body exploded and ripped through your body and your whole body trembled. He was there behind you immediately, sliding next to you and kissing your forehead. 

“Such a good girl,” he whispered and lifted the hand you were pleasuring yourself with and licked your fingers off. You groaned at the sensation and pressed your body harder against his. 

He rolled you over to your side and slid behind you. He gently sank his teeth in the sensitive skin on your neck and his hand traveled to your hips and pulled you closer, until his cock was touching your entrance and you winced in pleasure, still high from your orgasm. 

He pushed his hips forward and buried his cock inside you while his lips never left your neck and you whimpered, feeling overstimulated but drunk on pleasure. 

“Such a good girl,” his lips were moving against your skin as he was whispering. He started moving, every thrust audible because you were so wet for him. “So perfect for me,” he sighed and dug his fingers deeper into your hips as he started fucking you faster. “Talk to me.”

“I can’t,” you managed to say between two intense thrusts. “You make me lose my mind too, Crosshair.”

He exhaled deeply and shoved himself deeper than before inside you. He ran his delicate fingers down your body until they grabbed your butt and squeezed it, making you moan. He turned you around, standing on all fours and entered you. Both of you were completely lost in each other when you heard someone standing in front of the door, trying to enter. Thank the Maker Crosshair had enough in him to close the door earlier, otherwise you would have found yourself in a rather mortifying situation. Not that this was not making you flush with embarrassment.

‘I think,” you started saying but Crosshair didn’t seem to startle as much.

“We’re busy,” he called out and focused his attention back to you. “So where were we?,” he asked in a husky voice and rubbed his short stubble to your neck.  You shivered at the sensation and were reminded again what you two were in the middle of before being interrupted. 

He started moving again, slowly, making you moan out of pleasure. You tried muffling the sound with your hands but he stopped you. 

“I want to hear you,” he said in a raspy voice and picked up his pace. “I’d want everyone to hear you and know that you are mine,” he emphasized every word with thrust. You completely forgot about the interruption, all you could sense was him everywhere around you. 

 “I am yours, Crosshair,” you confessed between two moans and he inhaled sharply.

“What a good girl,” he softly stroked your hair before grabbing your butt and dictating an even faster rhythm. 

You moaned his name as he came inside you and filled you up with his thick, warm cum. He held you in place while he came, drunk on the voices you were making. 

After a minute of both of you just breathing hard, you turned around to face him and rested your forehead against his. “You’re mine too, Cross,” you whispered and kissed him. He kissed you back fondly, eagerly and embraced you. You stayed like that until both of your breathing calmed down. 

“You mesmerize me,” he whispered into your ears in a voice so low you could barely hear. 

“Crosshair,” you murmured his name. 

“I loved watching you,” he continued, stroking your naked body with his smooth, long fingers. You smiled sheepishly. “You are so beautiful,” he kissed your temple and you melted into his arms. 

“I can’t wait for you to come back from the mission,” you were reminded of the fact that he was going to leave you soon. He tensed a bit next to you. 

“I will come back. I will always come back to you, sunshine.” 

You took a breath to say something more when an abrupt knocking startled you. 

“Oh, fu-,” you started saying and abruptly sat up and started looking for your clothes. “Shit, I forgot about him,” you were so mad at yourself and flushed with embarrassment again. 

Crosshair stayed laying down on the bed with an evil grin playing on his lips. watching you hurry and get ready again. He reached for a toothpick and placed it between his lips.

“Crosshair!” you warned him. 

“What?” he stretched without any signs that he wanted to leave. 

“I think we should go right now and let poor shiny get his room back,” you said.

“Let him wait,” Crosshair answered smugly. “This might be the first and last action he could have heard.”

“You’re such a jerk,” you suppressed a smile and rolled your eyes. “Let’s just go!” you offered your hand to him which he couldn’t reject and got up. “Now, dress yourself,” you jerked your hand away and pointed at his clothes. He stared at you, naked and an amused look on his face. Well, he wasn’t completely naked, his toothpick was between his lips. It was a sight you wanted to see for the rest of your life. You couldn’t hide your smile. 

“Come on,” you managed to tear your eyes away from his body and nudged him to put his clothes on. He scowled and reluctantly started putting his clothes back on.

Then he held your hand and you walked out of the room to find a trooper awkwardly standing in front of the door. You felt a flush of embarrassment run through your body but Crosshair must not have felt anything remotely close to that because he just flicked his toothpick on the floor and casually told the trooper that the room is all his again. You mumbled an apology while Crosshair reached for another toothpick but luckily the clone seemed to be just as eager to get out of the situation as you so he just made an awkward face and disappeared in his barrack. 

“Well that was awkward,” you noted when you were walking on the corridors, in a safe distance from the room. 

“Only if you think it was,” Crosshair sent you an amused look and you thought about it. 

“I guess you’re right. I still think it was.”

He chuckled lightly and before he could have opened the door for you, it opened and Hunter walked out with Wrecker following him. 

“Why is there always someone in front of the doors today?” you wondered out loudly and received a confused look from your sergeant. 

“We are leaving, Tech signaled that his, I mean our ship is ready,” he decided to ignore your comment and just started walking toward the exit. 

“How was the armory?” Wrecker asked you genuinely and you suppressed a smile. 

"I was pleasantly surprised,” you sent a smirk to Crosshair. “It was even more than what I was expecting,”  you continued and looked back at him again. He had a triumphant and smug expression on his face. 

“I know right?” Wrecker continued. “It’s so fucking cool, next time I’m gonna show you the explosives and maybe give you a little representation,” he got all excited and you didn’t have the heart to tell him that you didn’t actually visit the armory. Hunter smirked knowingly but for once didn’t say anything. He exchanged a look with Crosshair that only the two of them could understand and sent him a crooked smile accompanied with a wink, making Crosshair roll his eyes with a smirk tugging at his lips. 

“That would be so nice of you Wrecker! But maybe let’s not blow the place up where you grew up, alright?”

“Oh, he wouldn’t blow it up, he knows what he’s doing,” Crosshair told you and Wrecker pushed out his chest at the compliment, “but I would be wary, he can talk endlessly about explosives that are basically the same,” he added with a smirk and Wrecker protested loudly. 

“Hey, you know they ARE all different! And it’s not like you don’t gush over your precious rifles every opportunity you can.”

“They really are all unique with their own enhancements,” Crosshair argued. 

“So are explosives!”

“He’s just playing with you, Wrecker,” Hunter weighed in. “He’s always doing this just to annoy you. Or us,” he made a face. 

“Oh,” Wrecker reacted and Crosshair sent him a playful smirk. “You’re a jerk.”

“Funny thing, I just told him this not long ago!” you said with a smile playing on your lips. 

“Really? He got it two times a day?” Hunter continued. “You aren’t yourself, Cross, it is usually way above ten by this time of the day,” he glanced at the time and shook his head, pretending to be disappointed. 

“I'll do better tomorrow," he answered with an amused face and you couldn't stop yourself from rolling your eyes. 

"That's the Cross we know," Hunter patted his back. 

You arrived back to Tech muttering to himself about how no one else can touch his ship. 

"Did they screw anything up Tech?" you asked him as you were all getting on the ship. 

"No, but you know the odds of that happening?" he asked vehemently. "I should always be notified when repairs are being done to the ship." 

"Don't worry, your baby's okay," Wrecker gently shoved him. 

"How long is this mission gonna be?" you asked, not wanting to let Crosshair go for even a day. Or just spend days without all of them, you got so used to them always being around that you felt some unease creep up on your spine when you thought about being apart while they were risking their lives. 

"Probably a few days," Hunter answered. "But if he will be this motivated to get back it might take less," he smirked at Crosshair who kept you close to his side. 

"All I know is that we are going to blow something up and that's enough for me," Wrecker grinned. 

"You deserve it, Wreck," you grinned back, knowing that it was already too long since he could blow something up. You thought about your meeting with Hardcase in the medical area and couldn't help but notice how well the two troopers would get on. "You know I treated a clone on Kamino, long story short he caused an explosion and fell down from the roof, I will have to bring the two of you together someday." 

"I wish I could have seen it," Wrecker laughed. "Who's the guy?" 

"It's Hardcase from the 501st," you answered. "He said that his growth chamber leaked and it made him hyperactive."

"That sounds like fun," Wrecker looked around the ship, probably for something to blow up. 

"Don't even think about it," Tech looked up from piloting and sent Wrecker a harsh look. "I have just got the ship back to its original state" 

"Man," Wrecker shook his head in disappointment. "I have to blow something up right now!" he was radiating energy and you thought how much he meant what he said. 

"You might need a cause for that, Wreck." 

"I have a cause, it's because I want to do it," he argued and you burst out laughing. Hard to argue with that. 

"Technically…," Tech started talking but Wrecker cut him off. 

"I don't wanna hear that, nothing good ever comes after that word. It do be funny when you say it though ." 

"Yeah, it was like the first word he ever said," Hunter said. "99 told us everything." 

"Actually it was a full sentence, don't undermine my so early developed skills." 

"Yeah Tech, we all know that you are a smart-ass." 

"I would once again ask you to refrain yourself from using that word to describe me." 

"Alright, then nerd." 

"Is that better?" Tech quickly glanced at you. "I'm unfamiliar with the latest changes in so-called slangs." 

"It's fine Tech," you restrained a smile. 

"Alright then."

"So Wreck, I see you're in dire need to do something, tell me a little about those explosives, what will you use at the end of the preferably short mission?" you asked Wrecker. Crosshair pulled you closer and interlaced his fingers around your waist. You needed a lot of self control not to lose your mind but Wrecker's happy face was worth paying attention to. 

"Sure thing, but first how much do you know about explosives?" 

"Not exactly much," you managed to answer but Crosshair's hands were very distracting. 

"Then I'll start from the beginning," Wrecker dived into the topic and showed that his knowledge was way more extensive than you would have ever imagined. You thought that he just blew stuff up for the sake of it but it turned out that he knew his way about them better than anyone. 

He told you everything about the difference in sizes and ingredients. 

"He actually came up with the idea of one of my custom bullets," Crosshair told you. Your conversation with Wrecker caught his attention too and he was listening to it carefully.

"It's a completely new approach and works very well," Tech added and you smiled proudly at Wrecker. 

"Maybe I shouldn't have, if I didn't give you those bullets I would have won a few more of our competition," Wrecker made a face and Crosshair sent him a smirk. 

"And I will continue using them against you," he said with a smug face. 

"You wish, this mission I will crush you," Wrecker answered with playful determination. 

"I don't think so," Crosshair raised an eyebrow. 

"I hope the both of you know that the beginning of our mission will consist of less shooting and more sneaking around for information, correct?" Tech asked and they both looked at him with a slightly disappointed face. 

"You'll get your chance to destroy clankers after we're done with the boring part," Hunter quickly calmed them. 

"Exiting hyperspace in ten seconds…," Tech warned you before you flew out of hyperspace and you saw the planet you were going to land on to drop you off. 

Crosshair held you a little tighter now that the time to say goodbye came closer. 

"If you don't all come back in the same condition, I will kill you," you said only half joking. 

"I'll take care of them," Hunter smiled at you reassuringly. "Just as I always do." 

Wrecker snorted loudly. "And what about the time you were hanging from that really tall tree and couldn't do anything because you dropped your knife? Who came to take care of you?" 

"You did," Hunter answered unwillingly. 

"And what was Tech doing while that?" 

"Being surrounded by clankers while trying to get the door open," Hunter continued in the same voice. "But they had it under control with Crosshair."

"Well…," Tech started to say but was cut off by Hunter. 

"Did you make it out alive or did you not?" 

"Barely."

"See," Hunter pointed at you. "Told you I always take good care of them."

"I mean if staying alive is considered that then you're doing just great," you gave him a thumbs up. 

"I know right," he grinned at you and you shook your head with a smile on your face. 

"I took care of that situation," Crosshair whispered into your ears and you believed him. 

"With me," Wrecker protested. 

"You might have helped."

"It was teamwork, right lil bro?" Wrecker patted Crosshair's back, making him roll his eyes but not saying a word against it. 

"As always," Wrecker finished and you sent him a smile. You were less stressed about the mission now and knew that they would take care of each other no matter what. 

“You better send me messages whenever you can,” you looked at each of them sternly. “Especially you,” you tightened your grip around Crosshair’s arms. 

“I will call you any chance I get,” he whispered into your eyes in a low and husky voice that weakened your knees, “I already miss your voice moaning my name,” he added in an ever quieter tone.

You gulped and he chuckled softly in your ear. The others turned back to each other and started discussing the mission. 

Crosshair’s hand wandered around your body and squeezed your waist, making all air escape from your lungs. Would you ever get enough of this man? You knew the answer was no.

“Why are you torturing me?” you asked and leaned a little closer to him. He put his large hand over your stomach and pulled your hips closer to his. Your breathing accelerated so noticeably that it made him smile against your shoulders, where he buried his face. 

“If this is how you react to torture, I’m unsure of your abilities,” he teased you lightly. 

“Why, you’d be able to hold up better?” you asked, your mind foggy with him being all around you and his smell surrounding you. Everything felt stronger now that you knew you would have to be apart for a few days. 

“I did,” he kept his tone light but the seriousness of the answer surprised you and you opened your eyes abruptly. 

“What?”

“Don’t worry about it, sunshine,” he buried his face back to your shoulder and you let his silver locks against your cheeks divert your attention. 

“You better come back to me,” you whispered, suddenly afraid of their upcoming mission again. 

“Haven’t I told you before? I always come back,” he answered and kissed your skin softly. Then again and again, leaving a trail of tender kisses across your neck and shoulder, making you melt into his arms. 

“Someone’s awfully clingy today,” Hunter turned away from the discussion he was having with Tech and Wrecker and looked at the two of you. He was wearing one of his crooked smiles but it was tinted with a hint of mockery. 

“Just making sure she doesn’t even think about anyone else why I’m away,” Crosshair answered and you frowned. 

“Like there is any doubt.”

“As I said I’m just playing safe,” he turned his attention back to you and kissed your neck again. You tried to keep your expression together now that Hunter was looking at you and you knew you didn’t succeed when his grin grew even bigger. 

“You won’t have to worry about anything like that,” Hunter reassured Crosshair with a wink. 

“If any of the regs give you a hard time…,” he started saying but you cut him off. 

“They won’t!”

“If they give you a hard time,” he continued like you hadn’t spoken, “call me and I’ll be back. Fuck the mission and anything else.”

“That won’t be necessary. If anything, they’ll give me a hard time with being too amusing and not letting me rest,” you brushed it off but realized what you said might not have been the best thing to say to him. 

“I changed my mind, you are coming with us,” he said with a dark expression and you shook your head. 

“Crosshair!” you warned him. “Stop this. I will be fine.”

“With regs surrounding you everywhere. And I won’t be there,” he was starting to get a little too worked up.

“Crosshair!” you warned him again and turned over to cup his face and stop him. “Stop!” you looked deeply in his eyes. “Stop it, you are being unreasonable.”

He scowled but didn’t look away from your eyes. 

“They are my friends. You are my man. And this is going to stay like this. Always.”

He seemed to think this through. “I still don’t like it,” he said eventually but with way less vehemence. 

“You don’t have to. Just accept it. Try it. For me?” you smiled sweetly and looked up at him from under your lashes. He lightly shook his head and raised his hand to hold your chin and lift your head to kiss you. 

At first he was gentle, his soft lips brushing against yours but then he deepened the kiss and got lost in you. His hands traveled down your back and one of them rested on your waist while the other stayed on your back to pull you even closer. You were still cupping his face and stroking his stubble as he kissed you desperately. 

You forgot about everything and everyone else, it was just Crosshair and you and you never wanted it to end. 

But then Tech cleared his throat to let you know that you landed and you broke away from each other, Crosshair a little too unwillingly. You didn’t even notice when you landed. 

“I’m afraid this is goodbye for now,” Tech said and glanced at you. You somehow managed to get out of Crosshair’s hands and walked over to Tech to pat his shoulder. 

“Take care Tech,” you smiled at him and he sent you a half-smile. 

“You too Medy,” he said and pulled a small but elegant silver blaster out from one of his packets and handed it to you without saying a word.. You reached for it, speechless. It fit perfectly into your hands and you knew it wasn't on purpose but you couldn’t not notice how its color was unmistakably close to Crosshair’s hair color. 

“I know you have a blaster but this one fits you better, it’s personalized for your hands,” Tech started talking. “It has yellow blaster bolts, which is the color mandalorians mostly use. It’s more powerful than both red or blue blasts,” he kept going on about it and you lifted the blaster to inspect it from closer, still stunned by its beauty and Tech’s gesture. It was a beautiful piece of weaponry, elegant but deadly. Exactly what you thrived to be. 

“Last time we were apart you got injured and we came back to find you severely exhausted,” Tech said. “I don’t want that to happen again.”

“Tech,” you placed the blaster down carefully and gave him a quick hug which surprised him and he didn’t know what to do. “Thank you so much,” you let the astonished trooper go. “It’s beautiful. I don’t know how to thank you for it.”

“You could start with not getting shot again,” he answered and you laughed 

“I’ll do just that.”

He nodded and glanced at Crosshair who came closer to inspect the blaster. He took it in his hands and looked at it carefully. He balanced it on one hand to check its weight and then handed it back to you without a word. 

He and Tech shared a look and Crosshair sent him a nod and a soft smile. Tech tilted his head and nodded back. Crosshair reached forward to pat his shoulder before taking a step back and looking at you again. 

“That’s a pretty blaster for the pretty lady,” Wrecker joked when he took a look at your new blaster too. “And Tech’s right, we better not find you as tired and done than the last time!” he grabbed your shoulders and shook you a little just to make sure his words got to you. 

“You are the ones going on the serious mission, why are you worried about me, who’s staying at the base?”

“‘Cause last time you managed to get into trouble,” Hunter told you with one brow raised. 

“Yeah, we handled that just well.”

“You got shot,” Crosshair said with a sour face. 

“Barely,” you waved and pointed at him. “You were the one who got seriously injured not long ago so you don’t really have a say in this.”

“That has nothing to do with this,” he stepped closer. “I’m used to getting injured but you are used to healing them.

“Well, I don’t seem to get used to healing your injuries  so you if you just stopped receiving them,” you glared back at him. 

“Alrighty,” Hunter decided to step between the two of you. “Let’s just not get carried away. We are dropping Medy off, she’ll be safe there. And if not, then she’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself. And we’ll be fine too,” he looked at you reassuringly. “We took care of each other even before you so don’t worry, it’s barely more than a standard mission for us. Piece of cake,” he said and you saw Tech wanting to say something and open his mouth but he seemed to think it through so he remained silent instead. 

“I’d want that piece of cake,” Wrecker wondered and you couldn’t help but smile at that. 

“We’ll get you one after the mission,” you told him and he nodded excitedly. 

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Tech stood up from his seat, “but I believe it’s time for us to leave if we want to arrive at a time when security is lower around the base.”

It was time to say your goodbyes. They all accompanied you while you got off the ship. 

Hunter nodded at you encouragingly and patted your shoulder before getting on the ship again. Tech sent you a smile and then followed Hunter. Wrecker picked you up and gave you a bear-hug, making you laugh. He ruffled your hair after putting you down and then went after his brothers. It was just Crosshair left. 

He looked at you for several seconds without saying anything and then pulled you into his arms and kissed you again. His kiss was passionate and rough and he held you almost painfully tight but it was all you needed. After the kiss he rested his forehead against yours. 

“I’ll be back soon.”

“You better,” you smiled at him. “But until then…,” you smiled at him mischievously and gave him something that you had hidden in your pocket earlier.

His eyes widened and a mischievous smile appeared on his lips. Then he lifted his hand to his face and inhaled the smell of the little fabric that you gave him. Then he put your panties in one of his pockets and smiled back at you playfully then his expression darkened and he bit his lower lips.

“I will have fun with this while I’m away.”

Now your eyes widened. “On the mission? You wouldn’t dare,” you waved. 

“Yeah?” He smiled cockily. “Watch me,” he stole another quick kiss and started walking toward the ship. You stood there, frozen and just stared after your beautiful man. 

He glanced back at you over his shoulder. “Oh, you’ll be able to watch. I’ll call you,” he smirked and got on the ship, leaving you there, astonished and aching for him.

[obsidianpen]

Okay, so a lot of people here have talked about the use of AI and large language models such as ChatGPT, and honestly, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I think that using them to help you proofread is fine. So spelling, grammar, and that sort of thing. And writers can also do this process themselves obviously, but I don't see the harm in using ChatGPT for this, as long as you are aware that you are giving your data and story over to OpenAI.

When it comes to ideas, bouncing ideas off of an AI can be fun, but only to the extent that they are completely your ideas (meaning the AI didn't come up with the idea for you and you aren't giving the AI information about someone else's ideas). So your idea your choice, but don't use the AI to get the idea for your work and don't give the AI other people's ideas or works. And this only really applies if you don't have anybody either in-person or online to do this with instead.

The last thing I'll say is that AI writing isn't the greatest. It can sound realistic and be cohesive to an extent, but it isn't the same as a real author. I actually tested this a few times because I was curious how it would turn out, and I promise that it is not a substitute or replacement for real authors. I think this is because ChatGPT and other AIs work by predicting what is the best/most likely word to come next in its response based off of the dataset it was trained on. It even has a function that allows some degree of randomness/variability in the next word, rather than only using the top/best next word each time. But this means it isn't coming up with new or inventive ideas. It doesn't come up with plot twists, it can't plan slowly developing arcs across multiple chapters, and it doesn't make the characters interesting to read, have a lot of depth, sound real, or so forth. There are more things too, but I'm just giving a non-exhaustive list of why ChatGPT's writing is not the same as a real author's writing.

Note: I apologize if this isn't clear or if I'm just rambling or if I made any typos. I'm writing this on my phone and have not had ChatGPT or other AI proofread it for me.

hm. I’d say there’s been a lot more discussion about whether or not Tom Riddle has a breeding kink (he does not; just a WAP kink) and about the height difference between Harry and Voldemort in NG (there are charts; they are, somehow, confusing). I don’t want this to be a recurring theme on this blog, so consider this my (very hopefully) last post on this topic.

My opinion on the matter: I don’t agree with your reasoning for using AI. You said you didn’t think it was an issue ‘as long as you are aware that you are giving your data and story over to OpenAI.’ I think you absolutely should care that you’re giving your data and story over to AI!!! You should care. Pretty much just sold yourself there as far as I’m concerned.

I don’t think anyone should be using AI for proofreading. I don’t know how great it is at this, but even if it’s amazing, I think you should be doing this yourself!!! Editing is a skill, and a great one to have. I catch a lot of things when I proofread my own shit; I realize I missed things or screwed things up - not just grammatically speaking but plot wise, which as you said, AI can’t help with anyway. Proofread your own stuff. Proofread your own stuff!!!! And if you want a second set of eyes on your work, ask a real human!!!!!!!!

re: bouncing your ideas off of AI… no!!!! Bounce your ideas off of PEOPLE I promise you will have much better conversations because they will be with someone who can think critically.

and the thing about chatGPT not writing super well… yeah, duh. But what some writers do is use shit like chatGPT as a starting point, then edit. It doesn’t come up with plot twists - unless you feed them to it. No one is arguing that it’s a good as a ‘real author’ but that doesn’t mean people who consider themselves ‘real authors’ aren’t using it. I think this sucks, because, in case we forgot, chatGPT uses theft as its foundation.

(and this isn’t even touching on the environmental shit concerning AI.)

In conclusion: I don’t think anyone should use it for anything creative. At all. Feel free to disagree (and you can post about that on your own blog), but if you lean on AI to edit or create your creative work, you’re only hindering yourself.

Note: I apologize if this isn't clear or if I'm just rambling or if I made any typos. I'm also writing this on my phone and have not had ChatGPT or other AI proofread it for me, nor would I ever.

[kitthepurplepotato]

Chapter 4 - It’s OK to say NO. (18+)

Summary: … this is not how you two wanted the morning to go, but oh well.

Please, look at the bright 18+. If you are underage or not comfortable with the sexual content, feel free to skip this chapter as the next one starts with a brief summary anyway so you won’t miss anything if you don’t read this one. Cheers <3

Warnings: (Almost) sexual content, swear words, insecurities

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

The sun abuses your sensitive eyes as they flutter open around 8AM; the smell of burnt sugar eases the tension that suddenly appears in your chest.

Everything is fine. you are safe. You are alive and well. Yeah. It’s all good.

“Stop wiggling around.” Katsuki murmurs while he snuggles into your hair to hide from the sun. His arms snake around your middle, pulling you closer and your heart makes a somersault in your chest.

Katsuki is beautiful in the morning; the sun makes his hair almost white, his usual frown forgotten in his sleepy daze; he’s absolutely stunning. You bite your lips while your heart rate goes quicker as Katsuki leaves tiny kisses on your neck, still half asleep. It’s hot and wet, lazy but weirdly passionate as he maps out your left side with his mouth without opening his eyes. His hand starts to wander on your belly and slowly crawls underneath your T-shirt leaving hot trails all over your body with every caress; he travels further and further until his hands touch the underside of your breasts and he suddenly tenses; slowly, Katsuki’s mind wakes up as his finger touches the soft skin for only a second before he retreats and looks up at you.

“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking. Also, you are allergic to me, did you know that?” He mumbles, back to his half-dead state after hiding his face in your hair again. Wow, sleepy boyfriend Katsuki is the most compliant creature you’ve ever seen, what the fuck. You didn’t think Katsuki is a morning snuggler but fuck, he really is and it’s absolutely adorable.

“What do you mean?” You giggle while your fingers mindlessly play with his sleep mussed hair.

“Your heart started to act up when I kissed you. Mine does that too and it feels really shitty when it does.” He murmurs and leaves another kiss in the crook of your neck; your heart acts up again, beating rapidly in your chest, fire spreading in your veins like poison. You can’t help the awkward giggle rumbling through your chest.

“That’s not an allergy, you dumb fuck.” Ahh, this man is hilarious. “It’s a common reaction. It means you like what the other person is doing… it’s adrenaline. Ahh, I don’t know how to describe it, fuck. It means I have the hots for you. And I want you. Or something. I fucking don’t know, but it’s definitely not allergies, it’s more like the opposite. It means I can’t get enough of you.” Your face flushes, fully ashamed. You basically just told him you are horny. Right in his face. Just like that. Great. This is great. You should have used other words, talk about love and butterflies but no, you had to talk about your inner desire to fornicate with him in his parents house, while his mom is probably busy making breakfast in the kitchen.

“Hm…” Katsuki hums while he helps himself up on his elbow to look down at you. His other hand caresses your hair, his fingers sliding down your sensitive neck and your breath hitches from the father-light movement. “I’ve never felt like this with anyone before though. It wasn’t hard to breathe and there was no squeezy feeling in my chest before… Why?” he murmurs as his hand finds it’s final destination; your chest. He listens to your frantic heartbeat with a soft gaze, his eyes wondering up and down your face and body.

“Can I ask you a question, Katsuki?” You mumble, your hands still in his hair. You fingers slowly trail down to his ear and his neck; you put your hands on his chest and listen to his quickening heartbeat as your body burst into invisible flames.

“I asked first.” He mumbles back, but there is no edge to his words; his eyes are cloudy and he’s not focusing anymore.

“It’s connected to my answer.” You retort, your fingers slowly moving down to his collarbone, tracing the dip of the skin with the tip of your fingers. Katsuki visibly shakes at that and it goes straight down to your… yeah. That. Katsuki doesn’t say anything just moves up to tower over you; the silence is gold so you continue without an actual answer. “Did you care about the person who touched you this way?” You whisper; your fingers move to his shoulders, caressing his skin on his arms back and forth.

“No.” The answer is simple.

“Did you enjoy being touched by them?” You move back to his collarbone then to the middle of his chest; your finger slowly trails down between his pecs as your other hand finds his hips and grabs the skin heavily. Katsuki’s hips twitch forward; it would go unnoticed if you wouldn’t be staring at him like a hawk, analyzing every single movement to prove your point.

Fuck, it’s really hot in here.

“Fuck, no.” Katsuki heaves and your hand moves down his belly and stops at the trail of hair disappearing in his underwear. He takes a deep breath and looks at you hungrily, his whole body shaking from the tension. Your finger finds the hem of his underwear, tugging on the fabric once then let it go with a tiny snap. Katsuki forgets how to breathe.

“Do you like it when I touch you, Katsuki?” Your finger slide over the hem of his underwear until you reach his side; your hand slides up on his sides, palms shamelessly grabbing on the muscled skin, mapping out every single crevice and scar on the way.

“Yes.” The answer comes easily between two heavy pants.

“Do you care about me?” You smile at him, already knowing the answer.

“Yeah, I fucking do.” Katsuki whispers, his mind blown by the sudden revelation. “Fuck.”

Things happen really quickly, the same way they always do then Katsuki feels too full of new, strange emotions; he surges forward and kisses you fiercely, the motion heavy and hot; he tugs and bites right away, a weak, shaky moan leaving your lips from the sudden sensation. The sound only urges him on; he moves to your neck and leaves hot kisses all over it, his tongue moves up to your ears, leaving a trail of quickly cooling saliva in it’s wake then nibbles on your ear lobe before he changes his mind and comes back to your mouth, absently trying to force you to make that sweet sound again and again. Your hands wonder up his pecs absently, the feeling of his nipple under your palms leaves you a breathless, stuttering mess; he makes a tiny gasp at the feeling, trying his best to not make too much noise but failing miserably. Katsuki finds your mouth again, his kisses frantic and unpredictable; he licks into your mouth and joins your tongue in a sensual dance while his hips jerk forward for any kind of friction. A broken whine leaves your lips when you feel Katsuki’s hardness through his underwear as he dips down and moves his hips into you; while the tension is heavy in the air the friction is feather light and tentative, but it leaves nothing but fire in his wake; you try to chase the feeling, pulling yourself up to find him halfway and a high pitched moan leaves Katsuki’s mouth, way too loud in the silence of the early morning; the sound goes right between your legs, your body on fire as Katsuki makes the same motion over and over again while he devours your lips and neck hungrily.

“Let me touch you.” You whisper, your hands already on the hem of his underwear but Katsuki jerks away.

“Wait, I… I can’t.” For your surprise, Katsuki looks like a hurt puppy, confused and shaking as he looks down at himself.

Your breath hitches and you feel like you’ve done something terrible, but it doesn’t make sense, he was clearly into it and you just wanted to urge him on, let him know you want it too, but you’ve clearly missed something in the heat of the moment, maybe he didn’t want this at all…

Fuck, you are spiraling.

Fuck, it’s so hard to breathe.

~•💥•~

“Wait, I… I can’t.”

Katsuki is a mess. An aroused and confused mess. He has no idea what had happened in the last few minutes if he’s completely honest; one moment he was flustered by Y/N’s light touches, then… then he almost creamed his pants after a few minutes of friction. He might have an explosive quirk but he’s never felt so much heat in his body before; it felt like every single part of his body was on fire, flames licking up his chest and his belly as he panted on top of Y/N, his mind foggy from lust.

Bakugou Katsuki, 25 years old, has never felt flames growing in his belly, he’s never felt so weak and vulnerable as he does right now, ready to go down on his knees and beg Y/N to let him finish this, because he knows the feeling would be amazing and he’s so close, and it was so good, nothing like anything he has felt before, not even alone in the shower and definitely nothing like the times he messed around with random women to ease the tension.

Katsuki is utterly confused by his body right now, because for the first time in his life, it actually worked properly.

“Did I do something wrong? Did I go too far? I’m so sorry Katsuki… please, say something, anything, yell at me, call me names, I don’t fucking care just say something!” Y/N looks at him with teary eyes and something breaks in him; he didn’t mean to make her cry, he really fucking didn’t.

“Fuck, it’s not your fault, give me a second. Please.” Katsuki takes a few deep breaths and thinks.

There are a few revelations here he need to get his head around.

First of all, he’d just realized he’s demisexual… or something. He has no idea about sexualities and he never bothered to Google them. He did hear about this from Sero though; it makes so much fucking sense now it hurts his brain. He will need to apologize to Sero for calling it “bullshit”; who is he kidding, he will never actually do that.

He never liked porn or anything sexual. No woman nor man could satisfy him in any way, he could never make it until the end before giving up and leaving the situation, because it’s really hard to do stuff when his member isn’t interested. His one night stands usually ended up with him satisfying the other person in other ways and leaving like this was what he wanted to do in the first place. No one asked questions and no one ever cared as long as they were left satisfied and happy. He haven’t had too many of them, to be honest; 3 or 4 maximum, and they were all terrible so Katsuki just accepted that he is not into sex at all. Then motherfucking Menace came into his life and all the shit he was sure of crumbled in front of him, leaving nothing but questionmarks all over the place as his body betrayed him and reacted to Y/N’s fleeting touches. He caught himself staring at her more than once, daydreaming about touching her and it only left him more and more confused about himself; why does he care now? Why is this different?

And here comes the second revelation of the day; Katsuki only just realized how deep his feelings really are. The fire in his body from Y/N’s caress is one thing, but the way he turns into a mush when Y/N looks at him with those beautiful eyes, looking deep into his soul, and how Katsuki looks up from his paperwork every time she makes the tiniest of noises, worried she might pass out again like that one time ages ago, how Katsuki wants to be around her 24/7 to keep her safe and how much he can’t get enough of her fiery touches and sweet giggles, fuck, he even loves when Y/N yells at him for being an absolute asshole to a fucking extra. When she kicks his ass out of spite he wants to say thank you.

Fuck’s sake, he really is head over heels for this fucking woman. It’s not just “love” and “adoration”. It’s an actual fucking obsession at this point.

… but.

Being interested in this way is great but that doesn’t mean he’s not overwhelmed and terrified to do something wrong.

What if he goes all the way and fails? What if he’s not good enough; fuck, the only time he had actual sex was when one of the ladies got impatient and tried to “help herself” which ended with him going limp in 2 fucking minutes because he didn’t like it at all. It was really awkward.

Deep inside, he knows this wouldn’t be the case with Y/N. The throb in his pants is enough of an evidence, but fuck, he’s terrified.

“I’m not a virgin, but… I’ve never… fuck’s sake.” Katsuki swears and puts his head on Y/N’s shoulders to take a deep breath filled with her cotton candy scent to calm down. “I need more time. I’m new to this and it’s too much. Too good. So fucking good, Y/N.” He looks up finally, right into her teary eyes. She needs to know he’s saying the truth and this is the only thing he could think of.

Y/N smiles, but it’s broken, sad around the edges; Katsuki fucked up.

“I understand and I’m sorry.” She murmurs, while her fingers play with Katsuki’s ruffled bangs.

“The fuck are you sorry for? I initiated all of this. Not you.” He retorts with anger in his tone. He takes a few deep breaths and continues. He can’t fuck this up more, can he? “The only thing you can be sorry for is to wanting to go further in my parents house, because that’s weird and nasty.” Katsuki teases, moving back into Y/N’s personal space with a cheeky grin. Finally, Y/N chuckles and Katsuki leaves tiny kisses on her neck; he would do anything to make Y/N smile at this moment. This is another new feeling Katsuki needs to get used to; this urge to please his other half, like being himself is not enough anymore, he needs to be better, kinder, stronger for his partner, for Y/N, being “okay” is not enough anymore, he needs to be the best… ahh fuck this whole love thing, this is fucking ridiculous. A warm puff of air leaves Katsuki’s mouth and Y/N shivers underneath him; he might be in the middle of a hate-speech in his head but the can’t lie, he absolutely loves the way Y/N reacts to his touches. It’s so fucking addicting. Y/N pushes him away gently, forcing the blonde to look into her eyes; the smile falters and changes into a serious gaze, one full off worry and love.

“Katsuki… I want to say something. Will you listen to me?”

Well, fuck. He really doesn’t want to, but he doesn’t have a choice. He’s so fucking ready to have a meltdown in the bathroom.

“Spill.” Katsuki rolls his eyes, trying his best to act like everything is okay and this conversation is absolutely unnecessary, even though he knows it’s not.

“I know you hate to feel weak and vulnerable and you probably can’t wait to run away and never come close again, but I want you to know that this… this was okay. It’s okay to say no. It’s not a fucking weakness.” Ahh, here it goes. The fucking pity he hates so much. “And if you say no next week or next month or even after that, it will be okay. If you don’t want to go further at all, that’s also okay. I don’t care, Katsuki. The only thing I care about is you being here with me, supporting me and liking me. I’m more than happy to live without sex for the rest of my life if it means you’ll stay by my side. So… just talk to me, okay?” Katsuki is not sure if he wants to run away, cry on Y/N’s shoulder or just marry her in the nearest register office. What the fuck did Katsuki do to deserve such an understanding, beautiful fucking girlfriend who can keep up with him even in the worst days? How?!

“Stop saying cheesy shit, I hate it.” Katsuki mumbles, his cheeks red as a tomato. “It’s stupid anyway. Thanks, though.”

Well, that sentence definitely did not convey a single thing he wanted to, but Katsuki isn’t good with words. Or deeds. Or with anything emotional. He didn’t even know he had them until last month.

“I know you hate this, but it’s a part of being in a relationship. I want you to tell me about this later, when you feel comfortable. I want to know everything about you. Even if it’s something stupid.” Y/N smiles and fuck, Katsuki really wants to make this Menace the happiest fucking woman on Earth.

“I want to make you happy.” Katsuki grumbles, his hands slowly crawling up on Y/N’s thighs until he gets to the edge of her panties. He can feel his blood pumping aggressively inside him, leaving trails of burning fire in their wake. Y/N scrunches her face for a few seconds and takes a deep breath; she slowly removes his hands from her body with a disappointed frown on her face.

Well, Mr. Katsuki definitely sucks at this.

“Kats, did you even listen to me?”

“I did…” he mumbles with a guilty expression in his eyes.

“I want to wait until you are ready, and I want to do this together. Now move your fucking ass and let me calm down.” She sighs, and Katsuki hates it.

Katsuki might be a changed man but he still hates a lot of things. Clearly.

“I suck at this shit.” Katsuki grumbles after he moves away from his girlfriend.

“You really do but it’s kind of sexy to be honest.” Y/N gives him a seductive look which makes Katsuki’s little friend twitch and that’s when Katsuki decides he’d had enough of the Menace’s shenanigans for one day and leaves the room. He can only hope his mother is not doing laundry right now, because if he has to face her while looking like this, he’ll catapult himself out of the window and move to Mars.

Katsuki needs a cold shower. Or two. Or three.

Fuck, being in a relationship is a real fucking challenge; thank god he’s a hot headed, challenge-loving bastard who absolutely can’t wait to see what kind of obstacles he’ll need to overcome in the future, plus fucking ultra and all that shit.

He’ll fucking win at this relationship-thing, because he always fucking wins.

… Next Chapter!

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Potato ramble:

- Be like Katsuki. If you are not comfortable with something, say it. If the other person loves you they’ll understand. If not, they are not the one. There is also no such thing as being to old to be a virgin. Do stuff when you are ready.

Sorry for the random advice but I would have killed to have someone telling me that when I was young, so I had to do it.

TL: @sixxze @iwannahaveaprettyaesthetic @hanatsuki-hime @cloroxisadelectabletreat @cheesenmax @coffeent @smolsleepybat @therealpotatobish

[klaprisun]

One Sunny Day

(Stardew Valley) (Haley x Female Farmer)

Chapter 10: Haley's POV

“What are you looking for, Haley?” Alex questions me.

“Hm? What do you mean?” I retorted back. We are standing in our usual ‘Egg Festival spots’ which is at the other end of the town square and in the grass.

“You keep looking over there,” Alex points to the pathway leading west from town square.

“No I'm not.”

“Yes you are. I literally see you looking right now.”

“I think you’re seeing things, Alex.” 

“But-”

I turn and give him a frown before he can even begin the rest of his sentence. Instead, he begins a different sentence that I let him finish, “Are you waiting for Farm Girl Danny?”

“No! And don’t call her that! She is more than just a farm girl, Alex. She is also more than a personal comedian,” I cross my arms and daze off for a second, not realizing I am staring right at the pathway I said I wasn’t.

“Um… okay? Not just a farm girl and not just a… personal comedian… Got it,” Alex gives me a confused thumbs up. Sometimes I think there is just air inside his head, but I tolerate him. He has gone through a lot in his life and needs someone there for him. His grandparents took him in when his mom passed and dad walked out. Evelyn and George are very kind people and did a great job taking care of him through his life. He is very kind to both of them in return, and does a lot for them since they’ve gotten older. I love visiting their house and eating Evelyn’s wonderful cooking. However, they make a lot of leek salad for George which I’ve never figured out. Every meal he has to have either just a leek or a leek salad!

Alex wraps his arm around my torso, and I lean my head against his side. We’ve been on and off a lot as a couple. A couple years now at least. Sometimes, I’ve caught him cheating on me when we take trips into Zuzu city but I can never actually see who it is he is with and if she looks like me or not. That’s always the question. OR! He moans a different name when we have sex. Whoever ‘Taylor’ is. Other times he is just plain rude. I don’t know why I stick around though. I think it’s just a small town and I feel trapped. Another reason is I really do feel for him and understand all he has gone through.

Finally, not that I’m looking or anything, I see Danny come into sight over at the west pathway. I immediately stand up straight and stop leaning on Alex. He notices my reaction and moves his arm away, half expecting me to bolt over to her.

She is wearing those overalls she wore like 4 times when she first got here. She has on a purple shirt underneath that looks like it has yellow flowers on it. Perfect for the Egg Festival. Her chestnut brown hair under her cowboy hat has been chopped off though! It’s about shoulder length and shaggy. She no longer has the long braid that I thought was pretty cute on her. 

I reach for my own hair that I braided this morning for the occasion and start fiddling with it anxiously, unsure of what to do next. 

Everyone is crowding Danny as she enters town square. All talking to her, introducing themselves to her if she hasn’t met them already, and Vincent and Jas are hugging her legs. I can’t seem to peel my eyes away from them all. I feel a pang of jealousy rising in me.

“Do you want to go over there, too? Say hi?” Alex snaps me out of my trance.

“No. Let’s just stay here.” I continue watching from a distance. There is no need to go over there. She seems busy with everyone else anyway. That is until she looks my way. She raises her hand in the air as a hello gesture. From here, I can still see her bright, big, charming smile.

The crowd is still swarmed around her, but she is only focused on me. She doesn’t break her gaze after gesturing hello, but she doesn’t walk over here either. Instead, she finally turns to Mayor Lewis and nods her head.

“Everyone participating in the annual egg hunt, get into your positions!” Mayor Lewis announces.

“Eat dust guys. You all know I win every year,” I hear Abigail brag. Vincent and Jas look visibly upset as she says that. Danny noticed their reactions and started smirking.

“We’ll see about that,” Danny says to Abigail who is staring daggers at her.

“On your marks… get set… GO!” Mayor Lewis chants.

Sam, Elliot, Vincent, Penny, Jas, Abigail, Maru, Leah, and Danny all take off around the town.  Alex had walked over to his grandparents to socialize with them which I don’t blame him for. I’d do the same thing. I’m left standing around a couple bushes that I've noticed earlier had an egg hiding in them.

Danny is now grouped up with Vincent and Jas, helping them find eggs. They are laughing and playing around searching every area imaginable. Danny points out the eggs for them and they run over and throw them into their baskets. Danny hasn’t put a single egg in her own basket. 

The three of them get closer to me and I decide to speak up. 

“Pssst,” I whisper to them.

3 pairs of eyes make direct eye contact with me. I tilt my head in the direction of the bush that has the egg in it. Danny gently taps Jas to go over and get the egg. In a fit of giggles, Jas runs over.

“Thank you ma'am,” Jas politely thanks me.

“Yeah, thank you ma’am,” Danny smirks and tips her hat slightly at me. I immediately feel my face get warm. The short hair really suits her.

Danny doesn’t even realize the two kids took off looking for more eggs. She is too busy standing all high and mighty with her arms crossed, staring at me. I notice her look me up and down a couple times, and I feel my stomach lurch. 

“Look at you,” she takes a step and takes my long, blonde braid gently in her hand, “you look like a princess.” 

My face gets even warmer and I can only manage to stutter, “I-... ye-... uh-...”

“That’s time folks! Bring your eggs to me so I can count them!” Mayor Lewis announces across the town.

“See you around, princess,” Danny mutters before catching up to Jas and Vincent.

“Abigail with 8 eggs!” Let’s see if anyone can out do that this year!” Mayor Lewis calls out.

Everyone who knew they didn’t have over 8 eggs shyly backed down. However, Jas and Vincent went running over to Mayor Lewis with their baskets. Danny is standing proudly a couple feet behind them.

“Would you look at that! Jas AND Vincent with 10 eggs each! We have the winners folks! Here is your prize… sorry…we only have one,” Lewis says shamefully.

The two of them run over to Danny with their prize. It was a straw hat. They hand it up to her but she just takes it and places it playfully onto Vincent's head, purposely covering his eyes with the brim. She looks behind her and notices a daffodil growing from the ground. She bends over, picks it from its place, and hands it to Jas. However, there is still another daffodil growing in the same area and she picks that one too. She starts walking over to me.

“For you. For helping with finding an egg,” she sings as she hands me the daffodil.

I do a small gasp. “For me? Thank you!” but before I can take it out of her hands, she tucks it behind my ear.

“Matches your outfit,” she points out. I had totally forgotten I threw on a yellow and green sundress today. 

“Oh…yeah…you’re right,” I mumble while smoothing out my dress.

“Did you enjoy the Egg Festival?” Danny asks.

“This festival is alright... but what I'm really looking forward to is the Flower Dance.” I reply as I raise my shoulders and tilt my head.

“Ahhh the flower dance. When is that exactly?” 

“It’s on the 24th. You’ll be able to see it on the calendar at Pierre’s,” I pointed over to the wall of the store where the bulletin board is. Part of me wants her to look at the calendar so she knows it’s my birthday tomorrow.

“I guess I’ll have to look at that before I go home today, eh?” 

“You could.”

We stand around in awkward silence, neither of us knowing what to say next.

“Well I better get back home and keep working. I have to rack up some more money so I can expand my house and actually get a kitchen and a bedroom,” Danny chuckles, “I have nowhere to put my groceries… or all those ladies you think are in love with me,” she sneers jokingly.

“You need to forget I ever said that! I mean look at you, I don’t know who would ever love a big mutt like you,” I say a little meaner than intended. Danny’s face drops. I didn’t mean to say it! She seems easy to love and she isn’t a mutt! I don’t know why I just said that.

“You just had to ruin it. I have to go Haley,” Danny storms off to the west path and disappears. I’m left standing alone, holding my hand up to my mouth and choking back tears.