#that line was particularly groan-worthy

[infinitelilith]

Dude don't say that like it's a good line (this guy works for Square)

[cherrybr4t]

lawyer!wonwoo (+18, mdni)

A/N: thank you to the anon who requested for lawyer wonwoo! i have anth lawyer!wonwoo sitting in my docs—it’s more of a series/a smut w plot (lol) so that may be out a lil later, in the mean time, i hope you enjoy this! 💋

WARNINGS: smut, bdsm (hands tied), slight spanking, neck grabbing, unprotected sex, creampie, lots of ‘fuck’, lots of nicknames from wonwoo (princess, good girl), public(?) sex, lowk a messy turn of povs here n thr..dom!wonwoo, sub(ish)fem!reader W/C: 2.1k

lawyer!wonwoo was a great mentor to you, always willing to go the extra mile to help you—guide you through the mechanics of the big law firm, saying he’s doing what he ought to.

lawyer!wonwoo who always looks so goddamn hot in that white shirt with black tie, glasses perched on that tall nose of his; if not, hooked onto his shirt— top buttons undone when he’s feeling tired. (honorary mention of him pulling his tie loose when he’s feeling particularly frustrated or fired up)

lawyer!wonwoo who admires how hardworking you are, noting your raw talent for this line of work. his first glance at you—he thought you were stunning. looked like his ideal type built up from scratch. but—everyone in the office knows how professional wonwoo is, being the top performing lawyer in the firm. he pushes those thoughts away, but seeing how good you are at your job, he can’t help but let the feeling of admiration for you take over him.

lawyer!wonwoo who stays up with you late in the office, working hard on cases. late nights develop into getting food in the wee hours together, indulging in personal conversations. and neither of you can deny the chemistry that was boiling in those shared moments.

lawyer!wonwoo who always keeps a respectable distance because you’re attached. but the minute you cry to him about leaving behind that cheater boyfriend of yours, he’s determined to swoop in and prove to you—you’re worthy of much better. in fact, you were worthy of the whole world in his eyes.

lawyer!wonwoo who—on one of those late nights, decides to take that leap of faith when he finds you leaning in closer to him.

like magnets, he feels a pull towards your lips and he can’t pull away. not even if there were a hundred opposite forces pulling him away. it’s like he was meant to find those lips.

he kisses with fervour, conveying those months of hidden desire towards you. grabbing hold of your face, he seeks dominance by playing with your tongue, exploring every inch of your mouth and biting on your bottom lip.

“come here,” he pulls you onto his lap, guiding you to straddle him, which in turn causes your skirt to ride up. he traces his hands softly up your leg, before losing control and roughly grabbing on the side of your thighs.

“so fuckin’ pretty, can’t believe i have you here on my lap right now, better than anything i’ve imagined.” wonwoo groans, before crashing his lips against yours once again. you pull away, catching your breath, “you-you’ve thought about this?”

“you have no idea, princess. now you’re here sitting so prettily for me— all for me to play with now right?” he strokes the back of his index finger down your warm and red cheek, before settling a finger in between your lips.

“suck.” he says with such command in his voice. together with that stare of his, you gush in your panties, immediately taking in his fingers, sucking and licking around it, showing him how well you play with that tongue of yours.

removing his glasses with his other hand, he tosses it on the table before running his hand over his luscious black locks, cracking his neck and groaning. “fuck, driving me crazy and here you are just sucking on my finger,” you moan around his finger, shuffling around his lap.

“are you as eager for me as i am for you princess?” he pops his finger out, before reaching underneath your top to tug on your nipples with his soaked fingers.

gasping, you arch your back and nodded ardently, “wonwoo—wanna feel you,”

“yeah? gonna let me do whatever i want with you? be my pretty little obedient princess?” he hums and probes, already knowing the answer to that.

“yes—yes wonwoo, i’m all yours to play with, wanna be your good girl,” you breathe out, anticipating and pooling in your panties at every word out of that man’s mouth. he’s sin incarnated—and you’re willing to be the world’s greatest sinner.

he unbuttons your top, soaking in the sight of you and your pretty tits, giving them a few slaps before leaving behind marks on your mounds, “fucking love these,” he grabs them and flushes his face between them, taking his time to give each one proper care— sucking and biting to his heart’s content.

you can’t control the moans slipping out of you, not like you wanted to anyways. it’s 2am, not a single soul left in this building, and you were going to let wonwoo know just how good he’s making you feel.

scooping you up in one go, he carries you onto the sofa perched against the huge glass window overlooking the city.

“on your knees for me baby, look towards the window,” you place your arms on the sofa’s channel back, knees settling on the sofa itself, while you faced the city lights.

“good girl, look—you can even see me through the reflection, it’s a dark night isn't it princess,” he chuckles lightly before pushing your skirt up, leaving him face to face with your soaked panties.

the strain it causes in his pants makes him curse under his breath, before undoing his perfect tie in a haste. he grabs your left arm, before you finally understood what he meant to do through the reflection.

“may i, princess?” he takes a moment to ask sweetly, before you lay your head onto the backrest, placing your hands behind for him.

“all yours,”

“my good girl, let me know if it hurts kay?” he ties your hand up in a hurry, before focusing on the main meal. pushing your panties to the side, he plays with your slit teasingly, dancing his fingers along your slit, occasionally brushing your clit.

“wonwoo…”

he pushes a finger in, stretching out the soft walls. he curls his fingers, before going in at an inhumane speed, and you cry out. your mouth waters at how good his fingers feel fucking you incessantly. before you know it, he fits two fingers inside, and you swear you could cum on the spot at how full just his fingers make you feel.

“nnrggh, so..so good wonwoo, so good,” your mind fogs, all you can think about is the stretch of his fingers, how you want nothing more than to come undone on his pretty fingers.

“mmm, bet you could come right now can’t you, princess? hmm, but i only want you to come when i say so,” he smacks across your left butt cheek, causing you to twitch and cry out.

“ohh. look at this, you liked that didn’t you. tightening around my fingers, you’re holding onto them for dear life, princess,” a dark chuckle escapes him as he gives another strike across.

“my princess is a little slut too, isn’t she. likes it when i go rough on her,” he groans at how your cunt reacts immediately to every word he spits out.

before you could snap around his fingers, he pulls out, and you let out yet another cry—this one sounding of pain and betrayal though.

“wh-why? i’ve been a good girl wonwoo..” your voice cracks and wonwoo’s heart ached so bad he almost wanted to give in and give that clit a little suck.

“i know, i know princess, just wanted to make you cum around me, you want that don’t you? to cum around my cock? make it yours hm?” he caresses your cheek that has his hand print after two smacks.

you perked your head up, “fuck, yes..yes let me cum around you please. need it badly.”

“whatever my princess wants, she gets,” pants discarded on the floor, boxers next to it as he covers his cock with your slick, more than enough for him to be fully lubricated.

he pushes in inch by inch, and once he’s fully in, he pulls you up with a tight grip on your neck, before laying an arm across your shoulders to hold you in place.

he kisses behind your ear, “look at you princess, so fucking gorgeous aren’t you, so full of me, such a good girl for me,”

you moan at how big he is, how full he stretches you, your cunt hugs him so fucking tight, never wanting him to leave.

“fuck me hard, wanna be so full of you—of your cum wonwoo,” you croak out, leaving him with no choice but to of course— do as you wish.

he starts thrusting hard and slow, eliciting a cry out from you every time his tip hits that little gummy spot. “there! fuck, just right theree,” you drag out, filled with ecstasy at how close you already are; considering the orgasm denial you’ve just experienced.

he quickens, eager to feel you cum around him—he needs it, needs to feel you flutter your walls around him to feel complete.

“fuck thats it, taking my cock like a fucking champ. making this cock yours huh princess?” he says between breaths and moans, reaching his hand back to a tight grip around your neck.

his other hand making way from your hips to your clit, drawing out tight and fast circles, eager to bring you to your high.

looking at your reflection through the glass, you feel your knot tighten at how wonwoo looks. swear making his hair stick to his forehead, that determined and lustful look with his jaw out. he’s making you feel highs you’ve never experienced before.

“fuck wonwoo, gonna cum, fuck fuck fuck,” you ask for his permission to cum in desperate ‘fuck’s and high pitched moans that turn into cries halfway.

“you can cum for me now princess, let me see you fall apart around my cock, yeah, just like that,” he gives a final pinch on your nipples, slowing down his thrusts as he continues to flick at your clit.

“so fucking pretty when you cum for me, wanna see you cum for me again princess,” he gives you no break as he continues to ram into you, his cock now fully creamed and even more slippery as he goes maniacally.

“fuck, want you to cum with me this time,” he bites down on your shoulder, fingers back to drawing figures on your swollen clit. you feel so sensitive, every touch every thrust makes you cry out—until you feel actual tears of pleasure running down your cheeks.

“fuuuuck, baby you’re gonna make me cum so fucking hard, i’m almost there,”

“can’t wait anymore wonwoo,” you cry out in your pretty voice, which makes his balls grow even tighter as he feels the blood rush to his tip, and he knows he’s about to spill over.

“cum with me princess, gonna fill you up so fucking full as you-as you fuck cum around me—” his sentence ends in a long dragged out groan as he shoots his load inside of you, filling you full as he promised as you convulsed around him.

he kisses your cheek as you both catch your breaths; before he slowly—and gently unties your wrist and removes his cock as he watches the amount of cum spill out of your hole.

“you did so well for me, princess. my good girl. took so much of my cum, basically made me yours,” he smiles smugly before laying you down on the couch, giving you a gentle peck on your lips.

“gonna order in some ramen from that 24-hour store, and some lemon soda that you like. gonna grab a blanket too, we can lay here for a while—eat up before we head back to mine princess?” he suggests while looking at you so lovingly you swear hearts are coming out of his eyes.

lawyer!wonwoo insists that you both take off from work tomorrow too. you need the rest, he would say. and you find yourself giggling and agreeing to whatever he says.

lawyer!wonwoo who now; not only is your mentor, but your boyfriend who adores you so much. he believes in you so much, and you both push each other to be the best at work, while being back to your cuddly selves in the comfort of your homes.

a true power couple indeed 👀 i hope yall liked this ahdkkdkd !!!!!! i hope to get the original piece of lawyer!wonwoo i wanted out soon 🫦 but for now!! leave a like/comment/rb if you liked this <3 MUAH XOXO

[sweetlikehoneystingslikeabee]

How would Riddler (which one is writers choice) react to a SO who drops those slightly infuriating jokes? (I just saw a post asking how you make an egg roll and the answer was 'push it' and I just think his reaction to those kinds of jokes would be hilarious)

"Groan-worthy" Riddler Party x Reader

Dude I'm such a sucker for Riddler's it's so difficult for me not to wanna go "my choice? all of the above" when it comes to that man. So you're getting all of them short and sweet!

TW: None

60s

Gotham

Takes him a second. Oh, you like puns? He gets that sheepish little smile and compliments how clever you are. It's much harder to come up with those than one would think! You have to have a good sense of word play, formatting of the joke and-

Oh, he's rambling. Yes. It was good! If it's a particularly bad one or he's stressed, he might give you an annoyed look. But normally he'll just smile.

The riddler who appreciates it the most! A lot of his riddles dance along the line of being riddles and those kind of jokes. Part of why he's always laughing! Puns and double entendres are his bread and butter.

The two of you will have each other hyena cackling to the point people can hear you from another room. There's definitely a jealousy amongst others that the two of you can find so much joy in each other over something so goofy.

Capullo

You would think he'd be way too cool for that and genuinely, he will attempt to act like he is. Try to fool you.

Then you tell just the right joke that's incredibly cheesy and he doesn't guess the punchline before you say it. You hear this deep ugly snort and then he's covering his mouth.

His jokes aren't necessarily groan worthy, they're just really fucking nerdy in a way that makes you roll your eyes when you get it.

Telltale games

BTAS

Audibly groans. You think that's cute, don't you? Then you notice he's smiling. He can't help it, you ARE cute. Even when you're being silly he can't help it. It's charming!

He likes to think his jokes are higher end but... they're verbose and require just a tad more thought. Still slightly infuriating.

Just looks at you. You can feel the judgement seeping into your soul.

If you REALLY enjoy them, he'll tell you dad jokes that are just awful. Terrible. But he tells them with a completely deadpan face reminiscent to "and don't call me shirley."

Batman 2022/Nashton

Arkham games

ANNOYED. Particularly if at any point he thought the joke was a real riddle or a genuine question. Yes. Ha ha. Word play. If you excuse him, he has real work to do and you're distracting him.

If he actually hurts your feelings with the attitude... he does an incredibly tired sigh, "I was going to tell you a joke about time travel.... but you didn't like it." Mini jazz hands. There. Did you like that one? What? Was that one not bad enough?

Autism. Look okay, we can say that for almost every riddler to an extent but this is the kind of shit he hyperfixates on. You've seen his cards? "I'm mad about you" "but it might spoil the chemistry" with a mad scientist on the card? UGH. He loves it.

Rhyming, puns... he gets SO excited. You know, he's never had someone to share these with, so once you do with that first joke... you see his eyes practically dilate like a cats. His time has arrived. You're about to get SO mad.

[tiringwritings]

💐

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Buck had started to protest, as usual.

He always did when Eddie told him to stay over, insisting that he didn’t want to be a bother or that he should just head home. But tonight, after the three of them—Eddie, Buck, and Chris—had spent hours sprawled across the couch and floor, watching some of the worst movies in cinematic history, even Buck couldn’t muster up the energy to really fight it.

The last movie had ended with a particularly cringe-worthy line that had the two of them groaning and chucking a handful of popcorn at the screen. They’d tried to keep their laughter down, not wanting to wake up Christopher, who somehow had managed to fall asleep halfway through the third movie, despite all their commentary.

Now, the living room was dim, only lit the television’s soft glow, and Buck was yawning so much his jaw was starting to hurt.

“It’s really late,” Eddie said, glancing at the clock that read past midnight. He stretched, his t-shirt riding up slightly, revealing a sliver of skin that Buck tried very hard not to look at. “Just stay, Buck. It’s not a big deal.”

Buck hesitated, hovering by the edge of the couch, the words “I don’t want to intrude” already forming on his lips. But Eddie gave him that look—one that was soft but firm, no room for arguments, a silent plea mixed with exasperation. And because it was Eddie, Buck finally sighed, giving in.

“Fine,” Buck mumbled, snatching up a blanket and throwing it over the couch.

Eddie nodded absently as he went to check on Christopher, making sure his son was actually asleep and not just pretending. When he returned to the living room a few minutes later, he found Buck sprawled out on the couch, already halfway to sleep, his eyes closed, and his breathing evening out.

“What are you doing?” Eddie asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Buck cracked an eye open, giving him a confused look. “I made my bed,” he replied, voice heavy with sleep. “But if you’ve changed your mind, I can still leave…”

Eddie rolled his eyes, letting out a long-suffering sigh. “Buck, you’re not sleeping on the couch.”

Buck sat up slightly, frowning. “Why not? It’s a comfy couch! Definitely better than the ones I’ve had.”

Eddie walked over and gave him a light shove on the shoulder. “Because you’ll wake up with a sore back, you’ll be grumpy in the morning, and then you’ll spend all day complaining at the station. And then Hen and Chimney will complain to me about you complaining, and I will be too tired for that, okay?”

Buck blinked up at him, momentarily thrown by the logic. “I’m not grumpy…”

Eddie raised an eyebrow. “You are. Trust me. Just sleep in my bed.”

Buck hesitated again, opening his mouth to argue that he’d already imposed enough. But Eddie looked tired, the kind of tired that said he really didn’t want to fight over something so trivial. And truthfully, Buck was exhausted too. His body ached from the long shift they’d had, and his eyes were drooping shut again.

“Alright,” Buck said slowly, getting up from the couch. “But I feel like you’re trapping me somehow.”

Eddie just smiled, a small, satisfied thing, and patted him on the shoulder as he led him to the bedroom. “It’s not a trap. Just go to sleep, Buck.”

Buck flopped down on the bed without further protest, pulling the blanket over himself and closing his eyes with a sigh. The bed was warm, the kind of warmth that seeped into your bones, and Buck found himself sinking into it almost immediately. Eddie disappeared for a moment, presumably to grab some pajamas, and when he came back, he slipped into bed on the other side, trying to be quiet.

For a few minutes, there was silence. Just the soft rustle of blankets and the distant hum of the city outside. Buck was almost asleep when he felt a sudden tug at the blanket. He opened one eye to find Eddie pulling it over himself, leaving Buck’s side exposed to the cool air of the room.

“Hey,” Buck muttered, grabbing the edge and tugging it back. “You’re hogging the blanket.”

Eddie huffed a laugh but didn’t let go. “I’m not hogging it. You’re just taking all of it.”

Buck tugged a bit harder, turning on his side to glare at Eddie. “I run cold, okay? I need it more than you.”

Eddie raised an eyebrow, amused. “How do you run cold? Your body’s always warm. You’re like a furnace.”

Buck scoffed, pulling the blanket harder, making Eddie slide a little closer. “Yeah, well, I have cold feet.”

Eddie snorted, trying to keep his voice down so he wouldn’t wake Christopher. “That’s why you wear socks to bed.”

Buck frowned, only now noticing that Eddie’s feet were, indeed, covered with warm, fuzzy socks. “Oh my god,” Buck whispered dramatically, as if making a grand discovery. “This is such a red flag, Eddie.”

Eddie rolled his eyes, still clutching the blanket. “What are you talking about?”

Buck laughed, louder than he intended, immediately clapping a hand over his mouth. “Only creepy people wear socks in bed,” he whispered, still grinning.

Eddie’s lips twitched, fighting a smile of his own. “Well, than I am the proof that is simply not true. It’s called being practical. Maybe if you tried it, you wouldn’t have cold feet all the time.”

They continued their whispered argument, tugging the blanket back and forth until somehow, in the midst of their bickering, they ended up face-to-face, closer than either of them had intended. The room was quiet again, and they were so close that Buck could feel Eddie’s breath on his skin, warm and steady.

Buck’s breath caught in his throat as he stared at Eddie, the playful annoyance in his eyes softening into something else, something that made his heart race. They were so close now, close enough that Buck could see the flecks of gold in Eddie's brown eyes, close enough he noticed the slight curve of his lips as they quirked up in a sleepy smile, close enough that he could count each tiny freckle on Eddie's nose if he wanted to. Buck’s breath hitched, and he suddenly forgot how to breathe altogether.

He didn't know who moved first, if it was Eddie or him, or maybe it was both of them, a pull that seemed to come out of nowhere and everywhere all at once. Buck’s mind went a little fuzzy as Eddie's face drew closer, his eyes flickering down to Buck's lips, and oh god, were they about to—

Before Buck could fully process it, Eddie’s lips were on his, soft and warm and so gentle it made Buck’s chest ache. Oh, my god, they were kissing. He was kissing Eddie. Was he dreaming? That had to be it. He was so tired, and this was just one of those weird, vivid dreams you had when you were half-asleep.

But this didn’t feel like a dream. This felt real.

He couldn’t be dreaming. Not that he’d ever dreamed of kissing Eddie—okay, maybe once or twice, but he’d brushed it off so quickly it didn’t even matter.

His mind racing even as he leaned into the kiss, his hand moving up to rest on Eddie’s shoulder. The kiss was soft and slow, a little hesitant, like neither of them was quite sure this was really happening but also not wanting it to stop.

There was a pull, a magnetic force between them that Buck couldn’t quite explain. His body was moving closer, his hand releasing the blanket to steady himself on the bed, and he noticed Eddie doing the same.

The kiss deepened, the press of Eddie’s lips becoming more insistent, and Buck’s head started to spin. He could taste the lingering hint of toothpaste on Eddie’s lips, could feel the warmth radiating off his skin, and oh god, they were actually kissing, and it felt so right that it made Buck’s head swim.

He could feel Eddie’s hand come up to cup his jaw, the touch gentle but firm, grounding him in a way that made him melt and want to sink into Eddie’s warmth completely. Buck couldn’t help the small, breathless laugh that bubbled up in his chest, breaking the kiss for a moment before leaning in again, pressing his forehead against Eddie’s, his breath coming out in a shaky exhale.

“Are we... are we really doing this?” Buck whispered, his voice barely audible, more to himself than to Eddie, his lips brushing against Eddie’s as he spoke.

Eddie pulled back slightly, just enough to look Buck in the eye, his thumb gently brushing over Buck’s cheek. “Looks like it,” he murmured, a small smile tugging at his lips, his voice low and a little breathless.

And then Eddie kissed him again, firmer this time, more certain, and Buck’s brain shut off completely. All he could focus on was the way Eddie's lips moved against his, slow and sweet, like they had all the time in the world. His hand, which had been clutching the blanket just a moment ago, loosened and drifted up to Eddie's neck, pulling him closer without even realizing it.

They broke apart for a breath, and Buck opened his eyes, his heart pounding so loud he was sure Eddie could hear it. Eddie's eyes were still closed, his forehead resting against Buck's, a small, soft smile playing on his lips.

Buck blinked, trying to wrap his mind around what had just happened, around the fact that he had just kissed Eddie Diaz—his best friend, the person he trusted most in the world, and oh god, they had just kissed.

Buck blinked, trying to process everything, his mind still caught somewhere between sleep and waking, reality and whatever this was turning into. “I—okay,” he breathed, his thoughts a jumbled mess, but one thing was clear: he didn’t want to stop. “Okay.”

Eddie let out a soft chuckle, his forehead still pressed against Buck’s. “Okay,” he whispered, his voice filled with a warmth that made Buck’s chest flutter. “Now, can we please share the blanket and sleep?”

Buck blinked again, the haze of the kiss starting to clear, replaced by a wave of exhaustion that crashed over him all at once. He let out a soft laugh, nodding. “Yeah, sure,” he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. “Whatever you say.”

Eddie chuckled again “If I knew that kissing you would have made you shut up I would have done it earlier” as they shifted on the bed, adjusting the blanket over both of them, their bodies settling close together, a comfortable warmth enveloping them. Buck’s eyes were already drifting shut, when he mumbled “Just shut up”, his head resting against Eddie’s shoulder, a small smile tugging at his lips as sleep finally claimed him, the feel of Eddie’s hand resting lightly on his back the last thing he remembered.

They fell asleep like that, the blanket somehow forgotten between them, their bodies inching closer together until they were a tangle of limbs and warmth, lost in the pull of sleep.

In the morning, Eddie woke up to an empty bed and a note on the kitchen counter, next to a small bouquet of flowers—white lilies, so pretty they became his favourite. The note was scrawled in Buck’s messy handwriting, a smile tugging at Eddie’s lips as he read it.

“Thanks for letting me stay over, even though I was a brat about the blanket. But in the end, I think I ended up with something someone better . ;).” —Buck.

Beside the note, Buck had drawn a little winking face, poorly done but undeniably Buck-like, and Eddie found himself chuckling softly. He looked over at the flowers again, their scent soft and subtle, and shook his head with a smile.

“Yeah, you big idiot,” he muttered to himself, a fondness settling in his chest as he carefully picked up the flowers. “You really did.”

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thanks anon, for letting me write 🫶🏻 i really did enjoyed it and i hope someone ask for more, make me write

ps. i really love buddie being domestic and dork 😭

[8bitsupervillain]

Higurashi When They Cry Hou Ch. 7 Minagoroshi pt. 29

So I just have to ask. Broccoli or cauliflower, which one is green?

Well, guess Mion’s not coming up with a plan to save them all.

I don’t think she did. For whatever it’s worth, I don’t think Takano and the Mountain Dogs had anything to do with Satoshi’s disappearance.

Guess that’s one way to ensure nobody is able to stop your plans even when they get you to reveal it all to them like a Bond villain. Just a bullet to the dome. I assume she’s headshotting them anyway, it’s more cinematic that way. Also, once again I’m just going to assume that at this point in time Irie is dead.

This just seems needlessly cruel to Satoko. I wonder if the words even registered to her that Takano might have some information about Satoshi’s whereabouts before her fatal quiz?

So, going off of what she had said way earlier in the chapter I guess this means Takano thinks she’s doing Rika a solid by not knocking her out before her ritualistic murder.

I’d like to remind you.

Although I do think the line about giving Rika a chance to scream for her life is needlessly deceptive on her part. There’s not a chance in this world she would let Rika go at this point in her plan. Also, maybe it’s just a variation of the timeline thing, but in the manga, the very first thing we see for this chapter is Rika being viciously murdered. She didn’t have the gag then, but then I suppose maybe she was chloroformed that time. I don’t know.

Guess that answers the question if it’s psychic communication between the two.

Now this, this is great for me. Not that Rika is about to be ritualistically murdered, I think we can all agree that’s a bad thing. But it’s great for me because this confirms to me that Hanyuu does remember all of Rika’s deaths, who the culprit is, and everything else. Something about this conversation also makes me think that this particular version of Minagoroshi has, in fact, happened before in the past. Just from the way she was acting Hanyuu didn’t seem too particularly surprised at all the turns and developments that had occurred in Rika’s fight against fate. Like she herself was just going through the motions. I can only speculate why she never tells Rika about what happened, probably once she did and that backfired spectacularly so she resigned herself to keeping this from Rika. I just find Hanyuu to be a very interesting character, and I hope they do more with her in Matsuribayashi.

There is a moment coming up that is such an utterly ridiculous groan-worthy sentence that it was mind boggling. But for the death of Rika Furude the chapter is basically over.

[forestknifefight]

An excerpt of MotME Chapter One. The full fic can be read here.

The moon shines high above the Roman Colosseum, a picturesque view that tourists from all over the world come to see. Muggles seek it out for its historical importance: the construction, the use, the meaning.

Witches and Wizards, particularly Italian, approach the Colosseum with reverence. A monument to some of the most ancient and vile practices Italian magic users imposed upon the mundane. The tournaments held inside this arena? Nothing more than petty entertainment the once-ruling magical class demanded.

Babbano slaughtered for the enjoyment of Maghi.

Modern Witches and Wizards find their way to the remains of this building to pay respects to those who suffered between these walls and respect the importance of the International Statute of Secrecy.

There only comes trouble on nights like these.

There’s a crack of Apparition and a figure drenched in deep, red robes stands along the edge of the amphitheater seating, its hood pulled up to conceal any sort of appearance. It leans over the edge, glaring down into the gap between the floor of the arena and the rising stands.

The figure reaches into the pocket of its robes and procures an object: a small, oval-shaped handheld mirror. A withered hand holds it carefully, pinching the sides of it to avoid touching the fourteen spikes that decorate the short edges of the thing. Seven on the top, seven on the bottom.

A red-robed arm extends over the chasm and drops the little mirror in, letting it fall deep into the pit of the Colosseum, and, with another crack, the figure in the red robe is gone.

Covered by a series of intricate wards and concealment charms performed by the International Confederation of Wizards runs the Mercury Express, a bullet train servicing the Wizarding communities of Italy, Monaco, France, and England.

At its conception in 2000, the line was intended to provide ease of transportation for continental families that wished to send their children to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Any education worthy of Harry Potter – the Boy Who Lived, the defender of the Wizarding World – was good enough for their bright young minds. It runs alongside a sister line, the Hermes Route, that trails through Eastern Europe and Germany from Athens.

“Initially,” Ron continues to read from the informational plaque displayed on the platform wall, “the train had only one departure, an overnight trip that delivered students to London an hour before the Hogwarts Express disembarked.

“However, there was enough demand for the train to run regularly from other Witches and Wizards disinterested in Floo or broom travel. Thus, two other departures were added in recent years.”

Ron’s eyes widen as he pushes out a hefty breath. He follows it with a groan and a hand on his head, easing a headache.

“What a mouthful,” he says. “You’d think Skeeter wrote this dribble.”

Harry groans as well. He can feel the thrum of a headache in his temples as he stares at the minuscule writing on the plaque. They celebrated their last night in Rome with a nice dinner, much more expensive than anything they’d had in their time in Italy. With dinner, Harry let Ron pour him multiple glasses of wine, far more than he’d drink on a normal night. He’s paying the price for it now.

“I hate that it calls me that,” he murmurs, disgruntled but determined to ignore the discomfort. “It’s been twelve years, can’t we let it go?”

Ron looks over at him and, noticing his friend’s unease, bites back a laugh. “You alright there, Harry?”

The train bellows from behind them: only fifteen minutes until departure.

Harry groans, the loud sound doing nothing to aid in his wine-induced hangover. Ron nudges him with his elbow, pulls a small metal flask from his pocket, and slips it into Harry’s hand.

“Hair of the dog, mate,” he mutters.

Harry nods and slips the flask into his pocket next to his wand.

Both men turn to face the large green engine as Hermione stands from her seat on the platform bench. She leans down and lifts a large briefcase from the brick floor of the platform.

“You know they’ll never let the name go, Harry,” she says, a lilt akin to childish ribbing in her voice. “You’ll always be the Boy Who Lived. The Chosen One.”

Harry groans, rubbing his hands over his face.

“I thought you liked being the chosen one,” Ron says, continuing the teasing.

Harry opens his mouth to offer some weak retort but before a sound can escape past his lips, someone comes up to their side.

“Pardon the interruption,” a middle-aged man says with his head bowed. He wears simple clothing: slacks, a waistcoat, and a plain button-down all beneath an open forest green robe marked with the Mercury Express’s emblem. His only display of personality is a glittering, gold neck-tie that seems to move as it shimmers. He’s English, a peculiar fact that doesn’t escape the three.

“My name is Winchel, I’m the attendant for this departure,” he continues. “We’ll be boarding now, so I must take our safeguarding measures.”

Hermione’s face twists with confusion and she turns her body to direct the briefcase away from Winchel.

Harry notes the apprehension as well, stepping partially in front of Hermione.

Inside the briefcase is a particular artefact, a powerful item found haphazardly left within the Roman Colosseum. News of the item – named the Speculo Oculus, for its small, mirror-like appearance – traveled to England quickly. The Department of Mysteries’ Peculiar Artefact Office immediately dispatched Hermione to recover the object for study. Harry and Ron were sent along as a precaution.

The Speculo Oculus is the second of its kind that has found its way across Hermione’s workbench. All that is known about this object comes from its predecessor, the Flame Wielder: these things want to be wanted and will stop at nothing to be used.

Thus, Hermione is immediately wary of Winchel. She is the safeguarding measure.

“Safeguarding measures?” Harry questions. “Like what?”

Winchel smiles politely. “We collect all wands and heavy luggage to be stored in the cargo car, Mr. Potter.”

Ron chuckles, crossing his arms over his chest. “Why do you collect wands? We’re the only three taking this train today.”

Winchel nods. A placating action. “Yes, Mr. Weasley, I do understand the uncertainty. However, there is one other passenger boarding here–” he pauses briefly to gesture further down the platform where a much older, frail-looking wizard with long mint green robes and a tall pointed hat awaits. “And we will have two more passengers boarding in Monaco.

“Be that as it may, we do prohibit wands as a safety measure,” he concludes. “Children normally take this train. You understand.”

There’s somewhat of a tense silence between the four. Winchel’s polite smile stares back at Harry’s wary disposition. The latter glances over his left shoulder at Ron once then looks over his right at Hermione.

Hermione just shrugs. If they must surrender their wands, then so be it. It’s not her wand she’s worried about.

Harry looks forward and Winchel again and offers a shrug of his own. “Fine.”

Winchel’s smile turns the slightest bit sour. “We also prohibit alcohol on the train, Mr. Potter.”

Hermione’s head whips around to face Harry at the same moment that Ron’s shoulders sheepishly climb up to his ears. She admonishes him with a call of his full name.

Harry pulls the small flask from his pocket and twists off the cap. He knocks back the whole thing, drinking down the alcohol, which he finds out very quickly to be firewhisky. He pulls the now empty flask away from his mouth with a rough cough and turns it over to prove that there is no longer any liquid in it.

Winchel’s hands clap softly in front of his chest. “Wonderful! Right this way.” He ushers the three toward the train door before calling for the other passenger, Justinus, to join them.

The passengers and Winchel step up onto the train and load directly into the passenger car. The car is nothing more than a long aisle lined with green upholstered seating, two on either side. The door at the far end of the car opens and another Mercury Express employee enters.

“Welcome aboard,” the man says. “I am the engineer, you may call me Mr. Thames should you have to.” His hand extends toward Winchel, standing near the back end of the car with a wooden box open in his hands. “Please, deposit your wands with Winchel before taking a seat.”

Harry, the first to board after Winchel, looks down at the box apprehensively before slipping his wand from its holster on his arm and dropping it into the box. He brushes past Winchel and makes his way up the aisle.

Ron steps into the car next, pulling his wand from his own holster and dropping it in the box with Harry’s. He pointedly does not look at Winchel and silently follows Harry down the aisle.

Hermione steps up next and dutifully drops her wand into the box. She begins to move past Winchel, but he stops her.

“Unfortunately, Miss Granger, we’ll need to store your luggage in the cargo car as well,” he says kindly.

Hermione looks up at him, carefully schooling the stricken look on her face. Her head turns up the aisle toward Harry and Ron who are now looking back at her. Ron shakes his head, an almost imperceptible movement, and Hermione looks back at Winchel.

“Sorry, this is a personal item; I’d like to keep it with me,” she says.

“Oh, don’t worry, Ma’am,” Mr. Thames calls from his place at the other end of the car. “Winchel and I will store it properly in our cargo car to ensure its safety.”

Harry turns to face Mr. Thames. “How can you be so sure of that?”

Mr. Thames smiles in the same polite way as Winchel. “Once the items are locked up, they cannot be opened until I unlock them with my wand. And I need my wand to operate the train, so it will be unavailable. There are no worries, trust me.” He looks past Harry to smile something encouraging at Hermione.

She takes a sharp breath and turns back to look at Winchel. She forces her breath out and kneels slightly to drop the suitcase beside the attendant's foot. She turns and follows Harry and Ron down the aisle as Justinus steps up into the car and drops their wand into Winchel’s box.

The box snaps shut and Winchel tucks it beneath his arm. He kneels to lift the briefcase into his hand and straightens to wait for Mr. Thames.

Harry and Ron settle in two seats near the front of the car, further from the train’s entrance and opposite the platform, leaving the platform-facing side for Hermione. Justinus stops in a row closer to the middle of the car, slipping into the window seat facing the platform.

Mr. Thames moves up the car, passing the four passengers quickly. He takes the box of wands and briefcase from Winchel and disappears into the next car. Winchel tugs the door to the train shut and locks it.

He moves up the aisle, using his wand to double-check that the windows are shut tightly and the empty seats are clean and clutter-free.

Ron turns in his seat, watching Winchel’s movements. He calls out to him, “Why do you get your wand, but we don’t get ours? What if you attack us?”

Hermione groans out Ron’s name, slinking into her seat like an embarrassed child.

Winchel chuckles kindly. “Mr. Weasley, I promise you, I will not be attacking you. I use my wand to attend to the needs of the passengers aboard the Mercury Express, and right now that includes you.”

Ron scoffs as Winchel continues to make his way down the aisle.

“You are in very safe hands with me.”

As Winchel approaches Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s row, the far door to the car opens and Mr. Thames rejoins them. He shuts the door to the car behind him and claps heartily. He moves down the aisle with a jaunty step.

Winchel takes a position next to the door leading into the next car. He stands there at attention, waiting for instruction of some kind.

Mr. Thames stops at the next door and turns to address the four passengers.

“Again, Welcome aboard the Mercury Express,” he says. “We have two stops on this route – one in Monaco at half past ten where two more will join us, and then one in Bordeaux at a quarter to one – before we reach our final stop at King’s Cross station in London at about five before three this afternoon.

“I promise you all are in great hands here with Winchel, he is one of the best I’ve ever worked with. He’s a very talented attendant, and, should you request it, can fully disillusion himself to avoid any disruptions.”

“Do it now,” Ron interrupts.

Hermione reaches across the aisle to swat at Ron’s arm, scolding him lightly.

Harry even nudges his friend slightly, a quiet insistence that Ron stop antagonizing Winchel.

Winchel and Mr. Thames both smile politely. As the latter turns around to leave the passenger car, the former speaks quietly.

“Lunch will be served at 11:45 precisely,” he says. “I’ll bring something for you, Mr. Thames, at a quarter past noon if you would be so kind as to open the engine.”

“Of course!” Mr. Thames says as he disappears once more.

There’s a long, pregnant lull in the car after he leaves. Ron adjusts in his seat, looking to get a bit more comfortable before turning on Winchel.

“You can’t open the engine?”

Harry stifles a small laugh, but Hermione can’t even find it in herself to make any sort of disappointed noise. Winchel only smiles.

“Mr. Thames’ wand is needed to open the engine door,” Winchel’s hand comes up to stop Ron as the ginger’s mouth opens to comment. “The door is very sturdy and completely soundproof.” Both hands return behind his back as he and Ron stare at one another.

[tiutale]

Erestor stretched his legs out as he pushed his chair back. This treaty would not stop causing him all manners of problems. He smirked as he took a sip of his steaming cup of tea. Expected of Lord Celeborn. He has his ways and he is set in them.

Lindir poke his head into the Councilor's office. Hair done up in an elaborate mesa of braids he grinned. "Are you attending my new show or do you prefer to hide from your returned bonded here." He chuckled. "I do not know who was in more foul a mood Glorfindel or Asfaloth."

Erestor simply set his tea back on its plate and took up his quill again. He had been the spul source of calming Glorfindel's anger for the last several hours. Their mind speech a decent distraction from the monotonous task at hand. "I will be retiring in the next few hours." He smirked

"I am certain I will hear of it at Fast Breaking in the morning."

Lindir made a face. "Not all of my performances are so talk worthy. I am almost offended."

Erestor laughed. "Thus fsr your record speaks for itself. " He laughed again as Lindir stick out his tongue and left. His mind buzzed lightly as Glorfindel lightly coaxed him into their bond. *Did your bath sooth?*

Glorfindel's voice was a mix of a content purr and a desperate whine. *It was the second most pleasant thing I have been gifted these last weeks. Thank you love.* His mind released a gentle wave of a chuckle. *The scents of the oils were particularly complimentary to the incense.*

Erestor quietly preened to himself. *You said second. What is the first?*

Glorfindel's Fea practically curled about Erestor's like a warm blanket about a chilled body. *The first being one of your massages to ease the bruised aching muscles the bath has softened?*

Erestor grinned making a flourish of a note on several lines. *That has already been arranged. As has our Chambers.* He sent an image of a clean turned down bed. Incense and dinner set in their main room. A window cracked enough that the roaring hearth did not overheat. And a table beside the bed of Glorfindel's favorite scented oils.

Erestor chuckled as the groaning whine of gratitude nearly echoed in the entire Home. Despite the bathing chambers his bonded was in being apart from the House proper. *I will see you there shortly. I am almost finished.* Glorfindel's soft caress left his Fea pining as it often did. The patrol had run into so many fall outs he was not surprised his Warrior wished for his love to take control of the rest of this day and eve.

Erestor was ever willing to do what was necessary to ensure he was content. Smiling he sipped his tea again adding a few more notes before beginning to pack his desk up for the eve.

[reliablejoukido]

(An excerpt from the worst fic I’ve ever attempted, still in progress)

He’d recently acquired a sizable collection of his brother’s old CDs from back in the day when CDs were a thing, and Takeru had just gotten around to importing them into his computer. Yamato had very obviously not gone through this music before dumping it on his little brother, because some of the albums were wildly hilarious and worthy of blackmail.

One particularly terrible song pushed its way to the front of his brain. There was a good chance Daisuke, who spoke English rather well and had an affinity for pop culture, would pick up on this one immediately. And he hoped and prayed that this would be Ken’s downfall for the evening.

Takeru cleared his throat and began singing. “…Everybody…” he waited for a response, but none yet. “Rock your body… everybody… rock your body right. Backstreet’s back, alright!”

“Duh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh…” muttered the man currently being carried. The man currently being carried and currently trying to gyrate his hips.

“Daisuke! Don’t try to dance, oh my god,” Ken groaned, swaying to the side as Daisuke burst into giggles.

“You’re right, Ken! ‘Oh my god’ is the next line in the song!” Takeru told him, trying not to shake his phone as he laughed.

“Oh my god we’re back again!” Daisuke shouted. His voice echoed off the nearby apartment buildings.

[casspurrjoybell-25]

The Healer of Shakkara - Book One

*Warning Adult Content*

Chapter 2 - Bruises - Part 2

Books were rare in Thryn.

Children were taught to read... everyone was expected to understand signs and posted notices and later written missives passed among the Guard but knowledge took a back seat to more physical talents.

When Galen showed a passion for it, though, Harrald had made an effort to acquire whatever volumes he could, whenever he could.

He'd given them to Galen on his birthdays or on high festival days and Galen treasured every single one.

It had to be admitted that Harrald was not particularly discerning, however and the selection was borderline comedic.

Galen owned a book of Yuthi recipes most of which called for ingredients he'd never heard of a dry, classic History of Sakkara and a pamphlet titled Treatise on the Relative Discordance of the Celestial Primaries at Variable Temporal Foci and the Possible Arcane Applications Thereof... written by someone named 'Tim' among various other tomes.

He loved and treasured each of them, even if he understood less than half of what they contained.

Absorbing himself with his most recent acquisition... a fascinating study on the various insects found throughout Sakkara... he was only roused from it by the slam of the back door, signaling that Harrald had finished his work for the day and would soon be ready for his meal.

Galen set aside his book with care and descended quickly to the kitchen.

The bread was done, the stew still hot and he carried both to the table, wincing again as the strain hurt his injured wrist.

He sat and waited for Harrald to descend from his room.

The old man came down a few minutes later, drying his hand on a cloth.

His other arm ended at the elbow.

That wasn't the injury that had finished his career in the Guard, though... that was the twist in his back from when his horse had fallen in battle and crushed him beneath her.

Lowering himself into his seat with a groan, Harrald waited while Galen served him, ladling steaming stew into a large wooden bowl, along with a square of bread topped with fresh butter mixed with honey... a small luxury.

Then he waited a little longer, while Galen served himself.

"Delicious, as always," Harrald said, slurping a spoonful of stew.

"If you get bored of medicine, the best kitchens in Tal p'Nir could do worse than to hire you."

"As if," Galen scoffed.

The Sakkaran capital was known for its fine cuisine.

Galen was certain vegetable stew and masa bread were not on the menu.

Besides, cooks were little more valued that healers, though both were necessary to keep warriors alive.

But Harrald often suggested such things, as if even being a lowly healer might be too dangerous for someone like Galen.

"I'm serious," Harrald said, glancing up over the rim of his bowl.

His frizzled red-blonde hair was mostly gray now and his rugged face was lined and crisscrossed with scars but Galen could still see how he might have been a handsome man, once.

He'd always wondered why Harrald had never married.

"They'd be lucky to have you. If you can make a few veggies taste this good... I'd love to see what you could do with better fare."

Galen's mouth twisted and he bit off a piece of dry bread and chewed it, hoping to disguise his expression.

It was a compliment... he knewbut it had unintended barbs, nonetheless.

If Galen were a fighter, he'd be in the Guard, making a decent salary and they'd have enough money for 'better fare.'

So, too, if he managed to get an apprenticeship in the Capital, he'd be able to send money home and make a name for himself at the same time.

Earn 'honor,' in his own way.

He swallowed and then Harrald reached across the table and grasped his arm.

"I didn't mean it that way, Gale," he said, his wiry brows pinched.

"I mean you're good at what you do. Worthy of praise. You know I don't give it, otherwise."

This was true and Galen sniffed and nodded.

Harrald was a man of few words and he didn't waste them.

When he spoke, he meant what he said.

Then Harrald squeezed Galen's wrist in a gesture of reassurance and Galen flinched and withdrew his arm.

Harrald froze.

"Are you hurt?"

Galen shook his head.

"Galen..."

Galen shut his eyes and sighed.

When his adoptive father used that tone, he knew there was no point in trying to hide.

He pulled up his sleeve, exposing the bandages.

"I fell," he said.

"It's nothing."

"Hmm."

Harrald sat back, arms crossed.

"Show me."

Reluctantly, Galen lifted his soft cotton shirt, revealing the bruises on his abdomen and chest.

Harrald scowled, his eyes traveling Galen's thin form, taking in every detail.

"How did this happen?"

"I told you. I fell..."

Harrald cut him off in a sharper tone.

"Galen. How did you get those bruises and where is your pendant?" 

There was a reason he was among the foremost

Watchers in the Guard... nothing escaped him.

Galen bit his lip.

He'd never been good at lying to his father but the stranger had warned him not to speak of him and the last thing Galen wanted was to bring trouble on Harrald's house.

"I wasn't paying attention," he said, which was true enough.

"And I fell. I must have lost my pendant at the same time."

"Where?"

"The forest," Galen admitted.

"Where in the forest?" Harrald pressed.

Galen bit his lip.

"Near... Out near the Wild Green."

Harrald's eyes narrowed and Galen braced himself for the full interrogation.

To his surprise, Harrald drew a breath through his nose and returned his attention to his meal.

"Perhaps it's for the best. That necklace was a piece of the past, and it's best to leave the past be."

He chewed a piece of masa bread, swallowed carefully and took a bracing gulp of ale.

Then he spoke the words that Galen feared.

"But you're not to go into the forest again, understand?"

Galen bristled.

"But Father... I have to. All the best ingredients are..."

Harrald clunked his mug on the table with a force that made Galen start.

His voice was rough and carried the authority of the former Captain he was.

"I said no. You're to stay within the region patrolled by the Guard and you're not to stray so near the Wild Green again. Do you understand me, Gale? If you can't defend yourself, then..." he huffed in frustration and rubbed his hand over his grizzled face. Galen lowered his gaze and studied the rough surface of the table.

Not high craftsmanship but sturdy and strong and... useful.

Unlike him.

"Yes," he whispered.

"I understand."

No longer hungry, he rose and gathered up his bowl and utensils.

"Gale, wait. I didn't mean..." Harrald tried to rise as well but sat back down with a grunt.

He'd been hard at work all day and his back undoubtedly hurt him.

"I'll bring you some mint salve, later," Galen said.

"And some willow tea. Don't worry about the mess."

Taking his bowl to the kitchen, he washed it and left Harrald to enjoy the rest of his meal in peace.

As he brewed the tea and prepared the salve he'd promised, though, he made a vow to himself.

As much as he hated it, he would learn to fight... so that the next time someone tried to take something that was his... he'd be able to defend himself.

With honor and valor.

And even if it killed him, he'd make Harrald proud.

Luckily... he had the perfect teacher in mind.

[elenaramirez]

She wasn't running. Not from something as stupid as this. Not from someone as excessively vain as Matthew Alexander. —Even if part of her still shook with an unnamed emotion at the mere sight of the demon elder. At the memory of how maladjusted and inadequate he had made her feel. At how he had cracked her open to pull out parts of herself, Elena had hoped to bury along with the rest of her past.

Okay, fine, maybe she was running. Hiding like a little kid. But at least she wasn't bawling her eyes out next to a plate of fucking Yorkshire Pudding. He certainly didn't deserve that kind of satisfaction. Swift steps carrying her farther away from the noise and the commotion, hands clenched into tight, white-knuckled fists where she kept them pressed to the outside of her thighs, she finally reached the line of trees that seemed to separate the lively potluck dinner from the rest of the Chissob Hills forest.

Eyes closed, Elena let herself fall back against the rough bark of an impressive oak tree, hoping to find reprieve in the shadows. Though other than being sort-of-resurrected by deity who had for some reason thought her worthy of a second — ..third? — chance at life, she had never been particularly lucky. And it seemed luck was not on her side this time either.

The smell of smoke was the first things she noticed. Fighting back a groan, she let her gaze slide to the left where it locked onto a man, leaned against a tree in a position not dissimilar to her own, a gleaming red dot dancing in front of his face. "Sorry, I..," words momentarily failing her, she made a vague hand gesture towards the deeper parts of the woods before them. "I didn't realize this spot was taken. I'll just–"

Potluck

Attending the potluck was something that the beta had been looking forward to all year but, of course, as fate would have it, he wasn't feeling it so much right now. Three years gone and this is where that got him. At odds with Caleb and feeling like he didn't belong anymore. It wasn't so much that he had to be there, but keeping up appearances wasn't something he was great at.

Having sat at the main table and chatted with some of the guests, Jax saw the opportunity to get some space and stepped aside, pint of beer in hand to a little clearing. He exhaled softly, relieved to be alone for a few moments, and felt his jeans for a small box of cigarettes. He wasn't a smoker. Not even close, but he had been known to enjoy a smoke from time to time.

Wasting no time once he'd made sure he was alone, Reed leaned up against a tree and lit it.

@vievecorcitystarters

[heesdreamer]

anything else

PAIRING ➩ hyung line x reader

SUMMARY ➩ life brought you four boys at different times, somehow knowing when you needed them most. how could you possibly choose?

WARNINGS ➩ sexual content, um they’re very punk so piercings, fights, etc

WC ➩ 12.7k

AUTHOR NOTE ➩ so this one’s a little out of the ordinary but i hope you like it because i do despite the issues it gave me lol. little reminder that you can request additional scenes or specific scenarios you’d like to see but i don’t think ill just write a “part 2” also i originally started this as a specific member one shot try to guess who she was going to end up with! (NOT PROOFREAD)

There were three rules you religiously followed when it came to hooking up with people and any sign of them even slightly bending and you were gone before your side of the bed had even cooled.

The first one was the most simple and the one people had a problem with the least, no exclusivity. You didn’t want to belong to anybody and considering the crowd you ran with seemed just as against commitment, you didn’t find yourself having to argue this point a lot.

Your friend group had been close since a young age, only adding on a few additions as you all got older and branched out into different social circles, some of you bringing back worthy contenders into the main group of people. But for the most part things remained tight between you all and you liked it best like that, knowing the scandal that could unfold if some of your weekend activities were made public knowledge.

You’d met Jake and Sunghoon fresh into elementary school when they moved into the house next door, Jake’s parents taking in Sunghoon pretty much full time to the point he had his own bedroom in their house. You’d learn over time as you got closer to them that his home life was shaky and he slowly and slowly stopped going home at all as the years passed.

Jake caught your attention from the first night you’d seen him, standing on your porch in front of his parents legs with a scowl on his face and messy hair.

The same scowl he had now as he leaned back against the couch you were sat on, groaning and settling his feet into your lap. Jake wasn’t necessarily the troubled kid your parents had made him out to be, growing concerned and warning you away from him once they realized he had caught your interest. He was more sensitive than he let off and could do more damage with his clumsy feet and the way he threw his whole body into a laugh than his fist, but his bark was always a lot bigger than his bite.

You liked him immediately.

You’d spent the first few months of knowing him watching him from your porch and he tried to learn how to skateboard, seeing him fall and scream words that you’d only ever heard your parents say when they were particularly stressed about something.

He’d fall off the board a few times and you’d watch him stand back up, knees and hands bloody from smacking against the concrete. He didn’t pay any mind to it and you wondered if he felt any pain at all.

When you were 16 years old, you let him take your virginity. You’d spent the previous hours leading up to that drinking on a random week day, Sunghoon having thrown up in the kitchen sink and then falling asleep sprawled across the cold tiles.

You were both young and drunk, extremely stupid, and his handsome face was rambling about something that had happened in detention that pissed him off when you sloppily fell forward on your hands and kissed his sneering face.

It wasn’t good and it definitely wasn’t romantic but you trusted Jake more than anybody on the planet, with Sunghoon following at a tight second place, and you didn’t regret it the following morning. Jake, of course, showed no sign of awkwardness and if you didn’t sleep with him yourself you would’ve had no idea anything had even happened between the two of you.

That’s what you thought at least, quickly being proven wrong over a hungover breakfast when Sunghoon immediately sniffed the two of your out and bluntly announced it in the middle of the quiet restaurant.

That was your favorite thing about being friends with Sunghoon, you absolutely never had to worry if he was telling the truth or sugarcoating things to protect your feelings. He couldn’t care less how you reacted to his honesty, as long as he told you exactly what he was thinking.

Sometimes when Jake had little outburst of anger or isolated himself from the two of you, Sunghoon staying temporarily at your house during those times, you got stuck in your overthinking about him. If he actually liked being your friend or if you were just leeching onto him and he was tolerating your company for convenience.

You never had to think about that type of stuff with Sunghoon, directly opposite to Jake in the way he handled his emotions. You figured that’s why they managed to be so close for so long, their differences balancing each other out.

It became apparent to you that Jake had a habit of befriending people different than him when you finally graduated from high school and all entered college together (Sunghoon had been accepted to better schools but he didn’t want to miss out). It had only taken a week of classes before Jake was showing up to lunch dragging a boy you hadn’t seen before behind him.

The boy looked nervous and you watched them as they approached, getting the urge to push his round glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

“Made a friend.” Jake was declaring as he swung his leg over the tables seat and smiled at you and Sunghoon. He looked back at the boy impatiently and patted the spat next to him, implying he wanted him to hurry up and sit down.

“If he kidnapped you let us know.” You were addressing the boy, a bored tone in your voice at Jake’s antics. “Sunghoon can hold him down while you get a head start.”

He looked like he didn’t know if you were joking at first, eyes going to Sunghoon who had looked up from his plate and was observing the stranger with his usual stony face. Then Jake was bursting out into a laugh loud and you cracked a smile, extending a hand towards the boy who relaxed slightly.

Lee Heeseung was a stark opposite to your trio, even more so than your usual dynamics. Jake explained he had befriended him because he was smart and you were all struggling, minus Sunghoon but he was less than helpful when it came to helping you out with academics. Immediately following up and saying that he seemed cool too when Heeseung shot him a hurt expression at his shallow reasoning.

You found Jake’s influence over people very interesting from somebody who was unaffected by it for the most part. You wondered if people were partly fascinated by him because they carried the very human urge to fix things that they deemed broken.

You’d seen it on random people who’d been in your life, classmates and week long girlfriends who’d came and went quicker than you could memorize their names but it was especially noticeable in Heeseung, more apparent as the years went by and he remained in your lives.

It was hard to remember when exactly in time he had stopped being so quiet, stopped being so kind and dedicated to his studies and started to become a bit more like you and your friends. You felt small pangs of guilt when you’d come home to your shared apartment and see him sitting on your couch in a haze, missing another important class that just six months ago he would’ve broken into a nervous sweat over.

Still, he was an adult and capable of making his own choices.

“This is a terrible choice.” Your voice was mumbling today, watching him as he was perched on your bathroom counter with his back pressed against the mirror. You were stood between his knees and staring at his face with a disappointed look.

“You’d do it for Jake but not for me?” He was complaining, trying to get on your good side.

You fiddled with the metal stick in your hand and glanced down at it. Last week you had drunkenly fulfilled Jake’s request for a home style eyebrow piercing, amateurly piercing his smooth skin and ignoring Sunghoon’s groans of disgust at the blood dripping down his forehead.

“Jake’s an idiot.” You sighed and pressed the sharp point of the needle into your thumb for a second. “That’s why I don’t care if he looks like an idiot.”

“When’d you get so motherly Y/N.” Sunghoon’s flat tone was ringing from behind you and you looked over Heeseung’s shoulder at the mirror, seeing him leaning against the doorway and watching the scene play out.

“I don’t know, I guess something about cleaning after three boys in their 20’s for four years does that to a person.” You were sarcastically responding, bitterness in your voice. His mouth quirked up into a half smile and you grinned at his reflection.

You looked back at Heeseung who was watching you with excited expectant eyes, bangs pushed back so you could have clear access to his eyebrow when you inevitably fell for his begging and negotiating. You hummed at his expression and stood on your tiptoes, pressing forward to kiss him.

He wasn’t at all surprised by this, or unnerved by the fact Sunghoon was standing right there and still watching the two of you even when his hand came up to hold your hair.

Bringing you back to your original point and the most important things to you as you entered your young adult life, your three rules.

No exclusivity was the most important to you for multiple reasons, the main being the fact it made your skin crawl for anybody to consider you something they owned, something they had any say over. And more selfishly, you’d quickly realized after sleeping with Jake that you liked sex.

You didn’t discover this through him, in fact after the first time you slept with him, the two of you never once spoke about it. Then three years later at a college party you were tipsy and dancing together, pressed tightly against his front and you weren’t sure if it was the alcohol running through you or the way he looked under red lighting but you suddenly found yourself desperate for him.

So you let him fuck you against the wall of a grimy frat house bathroom and tried not to think of the consequences with him panting into your open mouth and roughly tugging on your hair.

It’d been three years now and you’d still yet to feel any negative effect from that night, waking up the next morning to bruises on your skin and him sleeping off the liquor soundly next to you.

It almost drove you crazy how normal he was about it, how normal he continued to be every time he was coming into your room at night to let off steam or pushing against you in the kitchen. At a young age you admired the way Jake handled tough situations but as an adult it weighed heavily on your mind, not being able to get a read on his emotions.

So when he had walked into the living room after a late shift at work and caught you pressing Heeseung into the couch, mouth moving against his and his shirt thrown onto the carpeted floor, you aren’t sure why you expected him to care.

He froze for just a second, mirroring the way Heeseung did from underneath you. You sat up to look at him in the doorway, breathing heavily from your spot in your friends lap. He watched you for a few seconds, holding your worried gaze, before he was smirking slightly and walking down the hall towards his room.

Much to a distraught Heeseung’s displeasure, you were too thrown off by his reaction that you immediately hopped off the boy and you didn’t sleep together.

Still to this day you hadn’t ever fully had sex but you’d built up a casual habit of intimacy in other forms, including, and the one you did most frequently, kissing him. You liked the way he sent you a text when he couldn’t sleep, coming over to lay on your chest and get some rest and you liked sitting in his lap in a packed car and letting him rest his head on your shoulder.

So the first rule was silently installed and despite your initial confusion at Jake’s careless reaction you eventually found yourself thankful for how normalized it was in your small group to find comfort in each other in different ways.

The second rule started right around the time you met Jay.

It wasn’t often you yourself made friends outside of the boys, despite your frequent stops at parties and clubs you tended to stick near one of the three or make light conversation with somebody who knew one of them and you by association.

So when you brought home a boy after a particularly hazy night, spending an open weekend smoking on some random frat boys uncomfortable couch, it was a big shock to your roommates and best friends.

An even bigger shock when the next morning he was shirtless in your kitchen, cooking breakfast suited for five and acting like the scratch marks across his back weren’t an obvious tell to what you had been doing the night before, just a few feet from where they’d been sleeping. (Or not sleeping considering your lack of volume control.)

Somehow Jay had understood your friend groups dynamic without needing it explained, automatically fitting in and proving himself an asset both to the boys who happily devoured every home cooked meal they’d been missing out on, and to you.

If you need a distraction, an outlet for you to forget temporarily everything weighing heavy on your mind at night, you could call Jake over to your room or barge into his no problem. He wouldn’t ask questions, he wouldn’t give advice, he’d understand your silent need and pin your down and help you pretend for a few hours that things weren’t as bad as they were.

But that was where he was comfortable and you never experienced tenderness with him during those moments, not that you were complaining while it was happening.

Jay was similar to Jake in personality, although a lot less angry, but opposite to him in the way that he treated you during your time together.

So you established rule two in a whisper against his chest as he slept soundly, hand moving in slow soothing circles on your arm. You were absolutely not allowed to catch feelings.

You were reminding yourself of this now as you moved against Heeseung’s mouth, stomach pressed into the bathroom counter and the feeling of his knees on your sides. You pulled back from him and smiled at the way his soft pink hair was covering his eyebrows again, pushing it back so you could get a look at the area he wanted you to pierce.

“If she hits something important and you can’t move that side of your face you owe me 20 bucks.” Sunghoon was remarking from the doorway, still unphased by the kiss or the fact Heeseung’s lips were red and glossy now.

“Facial paralysis and short on cash? What kinda bet is this?” Heeseung was smiling over in his direction and you pressed his skin together softly, squinting your eyes to try to find the best angle to send the needle through.

You could hear the front door opening and closing, sound carrying easily in the small apartment. You weren’t sure which of the other two boys it was, despite the fact it was originally just you, Jake and Sunghoon living here the other two had gradually stopped going home over time.

Jay still had his own dorm, less than twenty minutes from your apartment since you lived right off campus but for christmas you’d gifted him his own key on a lanyard with your faces on it. As for Heeseung, you weren’t exactly sure when he had started living here but he was a permanent fixture now, bouncing between the three bedrooms and the couch.

“Are you guys ever going to be doing anything normal when I get home?” You could hear Jake’s tired voice getting closer, sounding half amused and half annoyed.

You imagined the latter emotion was due to the fact you were hogging the only bathroom, slapping Heeseung’s bare chest when he turned his head to look at the approaching Jake and messed up your measurements.

Heeseung smiled apologetically in your direction, leaning back down to kiss you again. You kissed him back for just a second before pushing his chest so he would sit still, eyes catching Jake’s in the mirror now that he was standing in the doorway with Sunghoon.

They were hardened as he looked at you and your expression fell slightly, not knowing if he was just in a bad mood in general or if you had done something directly to piss him off. As much as you cared for the boy, he was completely unpredictable in his mood swings and sometimes it was best to just leave him alone until he found an outlet for his anger. Sometimes said outlet leading him straight back to you.

As much as they both were judging you and Heeseung as you situated yourself again, they both watched with interest and let out sharp hissing when your shoved the needle through his skin. It came through the other side and you were relieved to see he wasn’t bleeding nearly as much as Jake had.

“I didn’t even feel it.” He was remarking with a small frown, like he was looking forward to the pain.

“It’s going to bruise.” You were explaining to him, having gone through the process yourself already twice. “You’ll have a black eye for a few days.”

“That’s kind of sexy though isn’t it?” He was smiling down at you, the needle still in his eyebrow and he groaned in pain when he tried to quirk it seductively in your direction. You laughed softly stop him and heard Sunghoon chuckle dryly from behind you.

“If she found black eyes sexy she’d just need to sleep with Jake more.” Sunghoon was saying, catching on to what Heeseung was implying with his comment.

“If she slept with me she’d never be able to fuck Jake again, black eye or not.” Heeseung joked back and you looked at Jake in the mirror again, jaw twitching slightly at the comments regarding him. You knew the boys were just having fun and typically he would know that too. You figured he must be in an extra bad mood.

You shushed Heeseung with a small shove to his chest, cupping his face to hold him still while you interchanged the needle for a small piece of jewelry with two balls on either side. He leaned into your touch and quieted down, stopping his jokes so he didn’t accidentally mess you up.

“Does it look good?” He was whispering once you’d put it through, trying to stay as still as possible.

It did look good, better than you’d originally thought it would and surprisingly nature on his kind face. You were reminded of the kind boy with fluffy black hair and big round glasses you’d met at the start of college and your heart softened slightly. As different as he looked aesthetic wise, he was still peering down at you with doe like eyes waiting to hear words of approval.

“You look hot.”

——

Sometimes you missed being a freshly turned nineteen year old, away from home for the first time and just getting by on gas station meals. You missed the free feeling that came with curing a hangover with more drinks and finally getting home from the night before after the sun has already risen.

You still carried some bad habits now that you were slightly older, in your last year of college and only now legally allowed to engage in all the things you’ve been doing since middle school but other things were overwhelmingly different.

“Literally what the fuck is the difference between a red and green pepper.” The reason for your thought process was speaking now and you looked over to see Sunghoon angrily glaring down at a piece of paper.

You wanted to laugh at the fact that he was having a rare show of extreme emotion at something as simple as a grocery list, but you held back. You walked closer to him and leaned against his arm, looking at the list Jay had sent with the two of you after he had gone through all your cupboards, becoming more and more appalled at every empty one.

“Aren’t you meant to be the smart one?” You muttered to him and he stuffed the list into his pocket, looking down at you from where you were still leaning against him.

“Maybe I’d know how to cook better if I hadn’t had such awful influences growing up.” He looked annoyed, face flat as he watched you but you knew him well enough to understand he was teasing you.

You took a step away from him with a sigh, scanning the aisle and shifting the basket that you were holding in your hands.

“Influence, singular.” You reminded him, excluding yourself from his comment. “Don’t complain too loud, I feel like Jay can hear you from the house.”

He looked amused at that and you started to walk down the aisle again, bumping into each others sides. As different and foreign as it felt, you were having fun with him. It was strangely domestic to be grocery shopping on a random week day. If you were lacking the dyed hair, piercings and specific clothing style, you imagined you’d look like a regular college couple with normal responsibilities and living situations.

“I’m sure he can. Everybody is so uptight there these days.” His voice was still light and flat as he voiced his concern and you frowned slightly, agreeing with him. “Is the sex not good?”

You shoved him once you processed what he was implying and he groaned, nearly knocking over a display of cans as he tripped over his foot. He steadied himself and gave a half smile down in your direction at your angry expression.

“I’ll have you know sex with me is amazing.” You were suddenly aware of your loud volume when an older woman passing by the aisle you were stood in gave you a disgusted stare, speed walking past you when you offered her a small apologetic shrug.

Sunghoon didn’t respond as he grabbed something off the shelf, tossing it into your half full basket and turning on his heel to head back to the front of the store where the registers were, now that your list was fulfilled. You followed him to the self checkout where he took it from you and started to scan the items slowly.

“I wouldn’t know.” He was saying after you’d gathered up the plastic bags and started to walk outside towards the bus stop. You were glancing over at him and cocking your head in confusion. He looked down at you and shrugged. “How sex is with you.”

You were beyond used to his bluntness and the fact it sometimes created uncomfortable situations, other times hurting your feelings even though at the end of the day you were always thankful you found out things from him first and directly. So you were only half thrown off at his comment.

And he was telling the truth.

You always wondered what he felt about the fact the two of you strictly didn’t sleep with each other or ever even do anything non platonic. You knew he would tell you if you asked but for some reason you never did and you never wanted to talk about it, this being the first time he’s brought it up on his own.

Truthfully you weren’t sure why you hadn’t. Sunghoon was probably the most stunning person you’d ever seen in your entire life, so pretty that you were genuinely taken back sometimes when you saw him doing casual acts around the house.

Not to mention how much hotter he was considering his usual attitude and demeanor. He was already strong in the literal sense but he felt sturdy and solid in his calm direct approach to things and you liked the way his dark eyebrows always stayed unmoving on his inexpressive face.

You think maybe it was a weird complex thing. The thought of sleeping with not only some, but all of your closest friends on a regular basis made you have a strange sense of insecurity. You knew they liked you and cared about you and if you decided one day to never touch one of them again that way, they’d accept it immediately and not treat you any different. You were their friend first before anything and you felt reassured in that despite your occasional habit to overthink.

“Do you ever wonder why?” You decided to ask him the thing you were curious about directly, knowing he wouldn’t judge you.

He took a second to respond since you were approaching the bus stop. He grabbed the bags you were holding and added them to his pile, setting them down on the bench as you stood together and waited for it to arrive. Eventually he was turning to peer down at you with a small look of amusement.

“Saving the best for last I guess.”

——

The third rule was one that needed no discussion, undeniably the one that needed to be honored above all else.

Sometimes you forgot about it, especially it’s importance. When you were at home and it was just you and the boys, you felt comfortable and hidden away in your little bubble of a world. Things were unconventional, maybe a little dingy and immoral at times but there was never any judgement and never any type of conflict you couldn’t work out with all of you together.

So when you left this space you were struck with the reminder that things were not like that in the real world. There was consequences to your actions and considering you were still in college and surrounded by your peers and gossip most the time, most your consequences were social.

You were currently sat on a couch at a party, a common occurrence still despite you not being at the age where you wanted to be black out drunk every saturday. You still liked to have fun, or at least watch the boys have fun while you sat and smoked.

It made you feel good to watch them feel good. You liked the way Jay danced with strangers, a bright smile on his face and you liked watching Heeseung chat animatedly with people standing near the kitchen, almost forgetting how shy he used to be. Sunghoon was typically with you or off somewhere doing… whatever it was he did.

You normally didn’t see Jake until the end of the nights, having to drag him away from an argument or a full out fight at least once a week if his attitude called for it. You were always amazed at his ability to have a problem with absolutely anybody.

So you were slightly surprised at the fact he was sat next to you on the couch right now, a hand on your thigh and his side pressed against yours tightly. He was passing the joint back to you and letting his fingers linger against yours when you went to grab it from him. You could feel him breathing against the side of your face and you almost wanted to laugh at how fucked up he was this soon into the night.

Sunghoon was on your right, similarly pressed against you but he seemingly wasn’t paying any attention to you. He was scrolling on his phone and occasionally watching the people drunkenly dancing on the floor infront of you.

“What was with your mood the other day?” You were speaking out a cloud of smoke, face curling into a grimace as you coughed and nudged Sunghoon to take it without looking, keeping your eyes on Jake. You blamed said smoke for being the reason you asked, normally you’d avoid it knowing it could go one or two ways with him.

“You worried?” He lazily smiled over at you and you felt his hand squeezing your thigh as he spoke. Thankful he hadn’t gotten defensive at your question, you leaned into his space slightly and shrugged.

His eyes were darting sideways suddenly and you followed his gaze, seeing a girl across the room watching the two of you. Her eyes were low and hazy as she took a sip of her cup and you glanced back at him in confusion. He kept his stare on her, either not noticing you were seeing him or not caring. His eyebrow was cocking in her direction and he squeezed your leg again.

You frowned slightly and leaned away from him, feeling your back bump against Sunghoon’s side and ignoring the noise he made.

From your knowledge, Jake didn’t sleep around a lot. He never brought girls back home with him and you or one of the other boys were there almost every time he went out, he stated once he simply couldn’t be bothered to do small talk every single time he wanted to fuck something. Even if the thought of him fucking somebody else when you were sat next to him bugged you a little, you had no right to say anything. However the fact he was only touching you as some form of flirting method with some random girl made your stomach flip in disgust.

You smacked his hand off your bare thigh, Sunghoon’s head turning at the sound, and scoffed at him. Now he finally turned his attention back to you, eyes sparking with slight anger and a challenge.

It was clear to you now that he hadn’t gotten over whatever was bothering him before and you frowned at the harshness in his eyes.

You scooted away from him slightly, now fully pressed up against Sunghoon to the point you were nearly halfway into his lap. Jake shook his head at your reaction, letting out a mean humorless laugh and standing from the couch, disappearing into the crowd of people.

“The fuck is his problem.” Sunghoon’s sudden voice caused you to jump slightly and you felt his arm move so it was resting on the couch behind your head, helping him get comfortable now that you were a lot closer.

“Your guess is as good as mine.” You frowned and shifted in your spot slightly, not understanding what he was possibly so upset about. You didn’t recall anything happening but then again, Jake didn’t always seem to need a reason to lash out. “He makes no sense to me sometimes.”

“I think Hee pissed him off.” Sunghoon was telling you and you were slightly surprised at the fact he had also caught sight of Jake’s reaction to Heeseung’s comments in the bathroom.

You looked over at him to find him already watching you, heads so close your nose brushed against his.

“Why would he care about that?” You were still frowning as you spoke and his eyes were looking down at your lips before meeting yours again. You’d never been this close to Sunghoon before and you were starting to think about the conversation you’d had at the grocery store.

“Maybe he’s worried Heeseung was right.” He said it like it was obvious but that confused you further.

“That still doesn’t make any sense. He knows I fuck Jay and he’s never cared about that.” You were reasoning your side of things but Sunghoon seemed pretty certain in what he was saying.

“Jay doesn’t fuck you like Jake does.” His voice was nearing a whisper as he spoke and you tensed for a second at his words. He was right of course, he always seemed to be, but you weren’t quite sure how he knew that in the first place.

He was staring at you intensely, somehow more intense than he usually looked, and you had a feeling he also knew that you were thinking over the things he had said to you at the bus stop. His hand that wasn’t around your shoulders was coming over and resting at your knee, pulling your legs forward so they were over his and you were halfway in his lap. You took the hint, lifting your butt up off the couch and moving forward so you were fully sitting on him.

He hummed softly in approval, looking up slightly now that you were sitting on him and above him. It didn’t feel weird or too new being this close to him. Living in the same small place and growing up together didn’t leave much room for privacy, you’d seen each other in different states of undress and slept together in beds on dozens of occasions.

Yet it was different all the same. His eyes were more narrow and hazy, a clear want in his expression and he was watching you with interest as your eyes studied his features from this angle.

“You think he’s worried Heeseung will make me feel better?” You continued on your conversation in a low challenging voice, trying not to flush when he was putting one hand in your hair and the other around your waist to keep you steady in his lap.

“Maybe.” He was mumbling, distracted now. “Or maybe somebody else.”

The implication in his words were obvious and a heavy tension settled over the two of you as he spoke his mind. His multiple shows of confidence made your skin feel hot and you had completely forgotten about the girl and Jake’s random attitude.

“I want you to show me.” You spoke bluntly, knowing he liked it best when you did that. He didn’t respond, quirking an eyebrow at you like he was expecting something. “Please.”

He let out another hum as you quickly pieced together what he was expecting and delivered it, your voice soft raising an octave and you leaned against him. You wanted to kiss him or have him touch you, not minding who saw.

“Rule number three.” He was basically whispering against your lips as he spoke and you frowned at his words, mind spinning and hazy from both the weed and the heavy tension between the two of you.

So it took you a second to understand what he was trying to say before you gathered your thoughts and immediately deflated in disappointment, knowing exactly what he was implying.

Rule number three clearly stated that the most important thing in your friend group was that nobody, and absolutely nobody, was allowed to find out about the things you did. It had actually been Heeseung who suggested this become an official rule, not just a silent acceptance. He wanted a firm promise that the entire campus wouldn’t figure out you were essentially all spit buddies.

You imagine you were already slightly teetering this line with the way you were perched on Sunghoon’s lap, especially with how rare it was he was seen interacting with somebody so openly and how obsessive his fan club could be. But you were sure it could be brushed off as the drunken need to have contact with somebody.

“Are you rejecting me?” You made sure to quirk your mouth into a small smirk so he would understand you were just messing around with him, waiting for him to take the bait.

“I’m actually trying to take you home.” He confirmed what you were thinking but for some reason hearing him actually say it made your cheeks flush.

You looked down at him for a few seconds, not saying anything just yet. Your eyes were going around his handsome features as you felt your resolve completely sway and shatter.

The two of you didn’t speak for a long time after that, not when you stood from his lap and took his hand in yours and not when you started to make your way out of the party. You briefly met Heeseung’s eyes as you pushed through the crowd with him behind you and he continued to watch you with a clouded expression until you were out the front door and into the cold outside air.

You didn’t speak when he whistled for a taxi, feeling less than sober as you leaned into his side in the backseat and pressed a kiss to his neck as he muttered your address to the driver.

He didn’t touch you the whole ride other than a hand on your hip and you were growing impatient and desperate, moving your mouth and teeth against his warm skin while he occasionally squeezed your side. If you cared a bit more you would have felt guilty for the driver regarding the loud noises filling up the otherwise silent car.

But your head was spinning with desire and you almost didn’t even realize the car was stopping and you had gotten out until Sunghoon was pushing open the door to the apartment.

The second you were inside your back was hitting the wall. He wasted no time and immediately was pressed against you, kissing you feverishly. You moaned against his mouth, hands going to his dark hair and making sure he couldn’t pull away from you.

You were drunk off excitement and lust, clumsily walking forward until his legs hit the couch and he was falling onto his back, taking you with him.

He laughed into this kiss and you smiled at him, pulling away for a second. You were suddenly hit with the fact that you were making out with Park Sunghoon, your childhood bestfriend who you’d gone over a decade without touching once. He seemed to be having a similar thought process, eyes darting around your face and back to your mouth.

You kissed him again and he groaned, hands clumsily sliding down your back before grabbing the back of your thighs and pulling you up slightly so you were more on his lap and not sprawled on top of him.

Your hips were moving instinctively at the new position, rubbing against him and drinking in the way he cursed into your open mouth. His hands were moving to the top of your thighs, kneading them as a form of relief and your breath hitched when his thumb accidentally dipped forward and pressed too close to your underwear.

He froze at the noise and pulled out of the kiss to look at you. His eyes went down to your puffy lips and then back to your low hazy gaze that was watching him as you panted. He pressed his thumb down again, purposely this time as he held your stare.

He smirked slightly at the way you immediately rocked forward, mouth parting in a soft whine as he kept his hands just a few inches away from where you needed them.

“Ask me.” He was leaning forward to speak, pressing his mouth against yours and you felt his tongue snake between your open lips. You unfroze at the feeling, closing your mouth around him and sucking his tongue softly while he waited for you to respond.

“Touch me.” You eventually breathed when you couldn’t take it anymore, your voice whiny and bordering on a beg.

“So now you want me to touch you?” He was humming mockingly, eyes darkening softly at your request. As attracted to him as you had always been, you never took too long to think about what Sunghoon would be like in bed. You should’ve guessed he wasn’t going to be easy on you, a mean tone to his voice.

“Please.” You were too desperate to show any dignity, grinding down into his lap again and kissing messily against his jaw. “Please I want you to touch me so bad Hoon.”

“So needy for a whore.” He was whispering the words but you caught it loud and clear, breath catching at the word. He noticed your reaction and you heard a smirk in his voice when he started to speak again. “Three cocks isn’t enough for you, right baby?”

You were nodding your head, sitting up slightly to look him in the eyes and make sure he knew you were agreeing with him. He smiled fully at this and kissed you softly, caressing your cheek and nodding along with you mockingly.

“I want you to speak.” He was repeating with a soft voice, directly contradicting the hard expression on his face.

“It’s not enough.” You were rushing out and you felt slightly embarrassed at how slurred your words were, not thinking clearly. “It’s not enough, I need you.”

He seemed momentarily pleased by your words but he didn’t say anything, still not moving his hand and just watching you. Your gaze fell down to it’s placement and you felt another wave of need pass through you at the sight of his large hand and long fingers resting just close enough to the end of your skirt to fuel your imagination. You put your hand ontop of his and looked at him, feeling satisfied when he didn’t tell you to stop.

You slowly moved his hand with yours, pushing your skirt up onto your waist so he could have a clear view of your panty clad lower half sitting in his lap. His breath hitched slightly and you suddenly were curious how often he had done this, if ever. You seemed to just now realize he’d never spoken about being with anybody and knowing him, that would be something he’d casually mention like it was no big deal.

You were distracted from this train of thought when he was suddenly kissing you again, your hand leaving his inside your skirt and coming up to hold his face so you could deepen the kiss immediately.

Before you could process the movement of his hand, you felt his fingers pressing against your underwear. His hand was practically cupping your entire core and you bucked into it instinctively.

“You’re so cute like this.” He was smiling into the kiss and curling his fingers so they were pressing against you harder, you were embarrassed at the way you pathetically held onto his broad shoulders and practically sobbed at the feeling.

“I’m always cute asshole.” You were pushing out, voice breaking. He laughed softly and kissed your cheek, a weird show of affection that almost caused you to pause your movements and question him about it.

He seemed to notice your change in demeanor and for the first time in a long time, you saw him look visibly thrown off and embarrassed. You quickly forgot about it when he was grabbing your hips and turning your bodies so he was on top of you now.

You didn’t think about it for the rest of the night.

——

“What’s going on with you and Hoon.” Heeseung’s tired voice was mumbling above you in your bed and you frowned against his chest although he couldn’t see it.

“What do you mean?” You were laid against him, leg thrown over his waist and hugging his chest. Your room was warm and silent, perfect for a nap before he started to speak.

“He brought you home the other night.” He was explaining in a weird tone. You could hear his slow heart beat and you picked your head up off his chest so you could look at his expression, eyes locking on his bruised eye for a second. “Never seen you guys do that before I guess.”

He was holding your gaze with soft eyes and you felt a bit worried at the hurt in his features.

“Yeah.” You didn’t explain any further, knowing the simple answer would tell him what he wanted to know and what he was asking without asking. You didn’t have sex with Sunghoon but you did go home with him. “Why?”

“What’d you guys do?” He asked, his hand coming up to push your hair behind your ear and rub against the smooth skin of your cheek.

You didn’t say anything for a few seconds, trying to think about how much you wanted to tell him about that night. You shifted in your place on him, basically laying on top of him with his hip between your legs.

“He fingered me.” You answered him bluntly and his eyebrows shot up, a small amused smile appearing on his face at the information. “And we just kissed alot.”

“Oh, you kissed a lot?” His voice was teasing and you were overwhelmingly glad that his weird expression from earlier was gone. He sat up slightly so he could lean closer to your face, pressing a small kiss against your lips and sitting back again. “Was he a good kisser?”

You groaned at his nosy line of questioning, laying your head down on his chest so he couldn’t look at your flushing face. You could feel him laughing with the vibrations against your forehead.

“He better be considering he watches us all the time.” He was continuing on and you picked your head up quickly, eyebrows furrowed in an accusatory stare.

“You like it when he watches us.” You pointed out and he shrugged with a small smile. You were the telling the truth, something he admitted to you during a particularly tension filled make out session you had at a party a year or two ago.

Sunghoon had been a few feet away from the dance floor, leaning against the wall and keeping an eye out like he always seemed to be doing. You were too caught up in kissing Heeseung to notice, his hands on your hips pulling you into him as you half danced half grinded into his leg.

“Our guard dog is watching us.” He was whispering into your mouth and you opened your eyes to look at him in confusion, finding his eyes over your shoulder. They were low and hazy, arousal apparent at the observation.

“Tell him to cut it out.” You were half whining, upset his attention wasn’t fully on you and too out of it to process his reasoning for saying it wasn’t because he was feeling uncomfortable. Quite the opposite you’d quickly realize.

Heeseung hadn’t responded verbally, instead keeping his eyes over your shoulder open as he grabbed your chin and pulled you in for a wet sloppy kiss, moving his mouth against yours deeper and deeper in a lewd display.

Thinking back on it now you shifted ontop of Heeseung, arousal flaring up at the thought of him keeping strong eye contact with Sunghoon that night. You wish more than anything you had been in sound enough mind to look back and see what his expression was, if it changed at all.

“So he was good then.” He hummed softly and cupped your face. His expression was a bit guarded again and you frowned causing him to mirror your frown in confusion.

“Why are you so curious?” You asked him softly but your heart felt tight and heavy, fearing you already knew what his response would be.

“Why not?” He shrugged again but it looked more awkward this time, like he was trying to fake casual. “You already know that I’m i-.”

“Don’t.” You cut him off quickly, freezing on top of him and you suddenly felt the urge to get off the bed. You didn’t because you didn’t want to hurt his feelings but you felt a sick wave wash over you when his eyes deflated looking into yours. “Don’t say it.”

You weren’t stupid and you knew Heeseung had feelings for you. It was obvious from the first year you’d spent together, back when he was still nervous and didn’t talk as much. He’d follow you around like a lost dog and listen to you speak with big wide eyes like every word was important to him. You ignored it at first because you figured it was just because you were the first girl he’d really spent time with, it would just go away with time.

You admit you still feel guilt sometimes now regarding the way your relationship progressed. Kissing him and letting him hold you while you slept together probably did nothing but sink him in deeper and confuse his feelings now that they mixed with arousal and want.

But you did love Heeseung. You loved all the boys and you wanted them to be happy and feel cared for no matter what. And selfishly, you liked how much he liked you.

He still, after years of having time to get sick of you, looked at you like you personally hung the stars. He made no move to hide the way he felt about you but you’ve warned him before not to say it. You reminded him of the rules and what it would mean if you heard the words yourself, how you wouldn’t be able to do this with him anymore.

He didn’t respond to your interruption and you laid your head back on his chest hesitantly, feeling relieved when he wrapped his arms around you and squeezed you in a hug.

You still felt sick with guilt. You hoped he knew that you loved him too, even if you’d never say it yourself or allow him to. But things were far more complicated than being two friends inlove with each other and you weren’t willingly to pop your bubble just yet.

——

You were sat on the kitchen counter, watching Jay attempt to coach a simple meal prep, when Jake slammed the front door shut.

All four of your heads turned in his direction, Heeseung slowly halting mid vegetable cut in confusion. Jake looked over at the feeling of being stared at and glared in your directions, taking in the sight of everybody packed into the small kitchen.

“Hi.” You hesitantly greeted him. You weren’t sure if he was angry again or if this was his current resting face. “Do you want to come help? Jay’s trying to show us how to…”

Your words slowly trailed off as you watched him start to walk away, down the hall towards him room. He completely ignored you and you felt your heart sink.

Jake had mood swings, he was rude to strangers and he didn’t talk about his emotions or personal thoughts as much as you wished he did but he had never been this angry at you for this long and you still had no idea what was causing it. You always felt special at the fact he seemed to have a soft spot for you, outside of sex he was always gentle and showed you he cared about you in little indirect ways.

You felt a hand on your knee, rubbing it softly in an attempt at reassurance and you looked to see Jay’s worried expression watching you carefully. You imagined the other two had similar looks on their faces but you didn’t check to verify this, sighing softly and giving him an attempt at a smile to signal you were okay.

“You should go talk to him.” Sunghoon’s low voice was muttering and you looked at him now, meeting his expressionless face.

“She’s tried already.” Heeseung sounded annoyed and was shaking his head, eyebrows furrowing. You wanted to smooth out the crease in his forehead and remind him to be careful because his piercing but you stayed still. “He’s just in one of his moods.”

“No it’s different.” Sunghoon was responding, still watching you and you suddenly remembered what he had said about Jake at the party. You wondered if he knew more than what he was telling you or if he was just making his usual observations.

“If I go in there he’s either going to ignore me or tell me to fuck off.” You shook your head in denial, slightly anxious at the thought of confronting an angry Jake. You knew he’d never hurt you, or any of your friends, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a habit of saying harsh words for the sake of shutting people up. Even if he didn’t necessarily mean them.

“Then you can come back out here and watch a movie with us.” Jay shrugged like it was an obvious solution and you smiled at him because it honestly was.

As much as you wished Jake would calm down and join the four of you, you knew that regardless you could lean back on your friends and find comfort in them.

“If I’m not back in half an hour, save yourselves.” You were joking with them as you left the kitchen towards the bedrooms. You smile immediately dropped when you rounded the corner, feeling nervous for how many ways this conversation could go wrong. You reminded yourself again that this was Jake, the person you loved and trusted most in the world.

You kept repeating this to yourself as you knocked on his door, soft taps as you shifted from side to side and waited for him to open it and invite you. The door was swinging open and he was glaring down at you, one headphone dangling out of his ear.

“Why are you knocking?” He mumbled and turned to sit back on his bed. You felt stupid after his comment, considering he was right and you’d never had to knock on his door before.

“Didn’t know if you wanted to be bothered.” You shrugged and sat on the end of the bed near his feet, anxiously picking at a loose thread on your sleeve. He was watching you with a guarded expression.

“Well are you planning on bothering me?” His tone caused you to frown and look down at your lap.

“What did I do?” You felt slightly childish for your disheartened tone but you truly didn’t understand why he was treating you so bad. You glanced at him when he didn’t immediately respond and his face softened at your sad expression.

He sighed softly, taking his other headphone out and leaning back against the headboard. You watched him from the side of your eye as he patted the spot next to him and waited for you to climb fully onto the bed.

You hesitatingly did what he said. You didn’t want to acknowledge the fact it was rare you spent time in Jake’s bed with your clothes on. He wasn’t like the others in terms of cuddling or taking naps together and you slightly appreciated the show of vulnerability.

“You didn’t do anything.” He was saying once you were situated. You weren’t sitting that close but your shoulders were pressed together. His legs were laid out flat down the length of the bed and you were sat hugging your knees as they were pulled tight to your chest for comfort.

“So why are you being so mean.” You voice broke slightly and he swayed a bit into you, bringing your attention to him.

He was holding his hand out, palm up, on his lap and you looked at it for a few seconds in frozen shock. Jake was blankly offering you affection and comfort and you were starting to get worried something was really wrong for him to be acting so out of character. Still, you took his hand in yours and waited to see what he was going to say.

“I think I’m losing my mind.” He was laughing as he was saying it but it was dry and humorless, a sad heavy tone to his words.

You didn’t say anything and gave him a second to explain, squeezing his hand and trying not to think about how strange it was that he started to rub yours with his thumb in smooth circles.

“I think you’re making me lose my mind honestly.” He was turning his head to look at you for a second and your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I’ve noticed it for a while but I think Heeseung being a dickhead really made it a sure thing.”

You felt like you were holding his breath as he spoke, still not sure where exactly this line of conversation was heading towards. You felt a tightness in your chest at the thought he might suggest you stop sleeping together, or even worse, you stop being friends.

Maybe hearing Heeseung directly mock him in a way, woke him up to the fact they were both involved with you.

“Then he told me you left that party with Sunghoon and I didn’t think I could ignore it anymore.” With every word he spoke you were becoming more and more certain your current arrangement wasn’t working out and he was about to completely remove himself from it.

“What can I do to fix this?” You were squeezing his hand as you spoke. You respected his comfortably but the thought of Jake not wanting to be with you anymore and thus pulling himself even further from your tight knit group made your stomach lurch.

He let out a soft laugh at your statement, shaking his head and leaning into you again so you swayed slightly to the side.

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” He was explaining his reasoning for the laugh and still shaking his head. “I know the rules and I fucked up, it’s my fault.”

This confused you even further. What rule was he implying he broke? He could be saying he’s longing for exclusivity but he hasn’t broken that yet even if he is finding himself insecure or jealous and you highly doubt he’d told anybody about your arrangement considering he barely talked about it amongst the five of you.

“What are you talking about?” You urged and he slowly looked over at you again, an expectant and nervous expression on his face like he was waiting for you to piece it together any second now.

When you finally did you felt the breath get knocked out of you, your hand going limp in his and your mouth parting in a shocked exhale. He grimaced at your reaction but he didn’t move or pull away, letting you process the fact that he was seemingly saying he had developed feelings for you.

“I know you’re inlove with Heeseung… or maybe Jay I’m not sure but I just needed to tell you.” His voice was strangely vulnerable and for the first time in your life you were saying him look upset and out of control, his mouth moving faster than his thoughts as he rambled on. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a dick that probably didn’t help my case at all, I was just freaking out.”

You didn’t say anything for a while and tried to decide how honest you wanted to be in this situation.

He was right and you weren’t denying it anymore, feeling more and more suffocated everytime you felt your heart warm or your stomach tighten with happiness around one of the boys. He was right about who you were in love with and he was also wrong that you weren’t in love with him.

If anything, you had loved Jake first and most passionately. You’d been glued to him since the second you saw him on your front porch and you’ve stuck by him despite his bad habits and people constantly warning you that no good could come from a boy like that. Because good did come from Jake for you and you’d always been sure of that even when things were messy.

When you first moved in together and you had barely enough money for rent, Jake was working multiple odd jobs late into the night to make sure you all had meals on the table and you didn’t have to worry about missing too many classes to try to individually support yourselves. You were a family and you shared resources because you wanted to see everybody thrive together, not just one person or one pair.

Jake was the type of person who befriended Heeseung without a second thought because he looked lonely and nervous and he was the type of person who you still felt you needed to see at the end of a hard day even after all these years passed.

So you think a large part of you always knew you were in love with Jake, maybe that was the reason you’d established the second rule in the first place. You never thought he’d date you or even really see you as somebody he could do that with, normally teasing each other or sitting in comfortable silence outside of when you were having sex.

You let yourself bury it down deep, to never be unearthed, and you watched him continue to be the funny and out of the box boy he’s always been.

He didn’t need to know you loved him, you didn’t need to make things weird or ruin such a good thing while it had managed to survive everything else thrown your way. So to go through all that and now hear him say the things you’d been biting your tongue on for over a decade, you felt a bit breathless.

Your first instinct was to tell him he was wrong and that you did love him, more than he could ever know. But he wasn’t wrong and you felt bad lying to him.

But you also weren’t sure you could bring yourself to tell him that you loved the others too. You were barely processing it yourself, you knew of people who had multiple crushes or even multiple partners but somehow throughout this whole arrangement, you never considered being able to be with all of them at the same time.

On the other hand, you also never considered having to choose one of them.

Heeseung was the light you needed in your life. Things didn’t feel hard around him and you could just have fun and bounce off his intoxicating puppy like energy. And you knew he truly loved you, certain of it for the first time in your life.

He never rushed you to be with him or implied he was upset that you always stopped your hookups before things got to that point. He was patient and warm.

Jay was similar to him in that aspect but he had an added sense of being grounded that Heeseung lacked. He’d always make sure you ate on days you couldn’t find the space to remember and he took care of the other boys just as eagerly despite not knowing them for as long as you had all known each other.

Realistically Jay probably had figured out you loved Jake, being kind enough to never bring it up and only giving you vague advice when you inevitably found yourself teary eyed in his bed looking for comfort. It wasn’t a rebound thing, or seeking what Jake didn’t give you in him, you just genuinely felt most comfortable and safe when you were around him.

Sunghoon had been the most recent development for you.

He was always an anchor in your life, both as unruly kids and misbehaving teenagers. You knew nobody would ever be as important to you as him but you hadn’t fully considered the idea of being with him in the extra way that dating required.

Yet you hadn’t stopped thinking about what it felt like to kiss him and more importantly your mind had been replaying the gentle way he kissed your cheek. You’d never seen him with that look in his eye before and you wondered how long he’d been looking at you like that without you noticing.

“I am in love with Heeseung.” You finally responded to Jake now, turning on your knees so you could fully face him as you said the heavy weighted words. His face dropped at your sudden statement before he was slowly nodding in acceptance. “But I’m in love with you too.”

He didn’t say anything when you said this, face unchanging like he was waiting for you to deliver the punchline of a joke.

When he realized you were insanely serious, your eyes teary as you anxiously chewed on your lip and rocked slowly back and forth on your knees, a self soothing action you didn’t even realize you were doing, his face changed.

“Oh.” His one worded response made you feel sick and your watched him with desperate eyes as you waited for him to continue. “Somehow I didn’t see that coming.”

You groaned softly at his attempt at a joke, leaning forward so your head was hitting his knee and you were able to grab his hand that he had left loose in his lap since you abandoned it.

“I’m sorry.” Your voice broke in a cry and you looked down at your conjoined hands, not be able to see his confused expression for another second. “Do you hate me?”

“Hate you for what? Why are you sorry?” His voice was smooth and calm, taking you by surprise as he cupped your cheek with his free hand and lifted your head so you were looking at him again.

“Sorry for falling inlove with people you’ve spent your whole life with? What’s wrong with that?” He was reassuring you and you imagined you looked extremely confused and thrown off because he smiled softly.

You shook your head through your tears, face scrunched up as you tried to make sense of what he was saying to you.

“You don’t care that I’m inlove with somebody else, with all of you?” He didn’t look at all surprised as you spoke, bringing up the fact it was more than just him and Heeseung.

“I mean it’s definitely a surprise but it makes sense when I think about it.” He was shrugging and weirdly casual, almost like he was just relieved to have his feelings reciprocated. You never treated him any different even when you started sleeping with Jay or forming your strange relationship with Heeseung. He was starting to think you had way more than enough love for all of them.

It was silent for a few seconds as you both looked at eachother, observing the multiple pieces of new information you’ve just brought to light.

“Do they know?” He was asking after a bit, voice so soft it was almost a whisper.

“I’ve never said it until now.” You suddenly flushed at the reminder you had just casually done the one thing you swore you never would. He gave you a smile that looked prideful, like he was prepared to brag he heard it first. “I think if any of them know it’s Hee.”

“Because he’s obsessed with you.” He said it matter of factly, always teasing your friend for his obvious feelings towards you.

You half laughed at his joke, not fully being able to relax at the thoughts of how many different ways this could go wrong. Jake was okay with it but who knew how the others would react and even if they accepted it for now, you knew a relationship like this wouldn’t be easy or conventional.

You had no idea what you were going to do and you were starting to feel yourself cry again, squeezing Jake’s hand absentmindedly. He was scooting forward on the bed so he could wrap his arms around you slightly, rubbing your back.

“Maybe I should bring them in here and we can have a talk. Does that sound okay?” He was whispering and you were nodding your head before he even finished talking, knowing that was the best idea.

He pressed a loving kiss to the side of your head before getting up and disappearing out of the room.

You felt worse at his absence, scooting back against the headboard now that you were alone and sniffling softly as you anxiously waited for him to return, this time with a lot more company. You were trying to think of what you were going to say but nothing was coming to you and you realized you were just going to have to wing it.

That idea was completely blown out of the ball park when you actually saw them, following swiftly behind Jake with varying levels of worry and distress on their faces. Minus Sunghoon who seemed calm, more so than usual, and almost expectant.

They silently sat around the bed and you felt your heart warm slightly seeing them all together like this, knowing it could potentially be the last time you did if things were to go as wrong as you were expecting. Jake was scooting back into his spot beside you, Jay following so he was on your other side. Heeseung climbed into the middle of the bed and hesitantly placed a comforting hand on your knee like he wasn’t sure it was appropriate.

Your gaze locked on Sunghoon’s as he sat on the end of the bed, slightly distanced from the rest of you.

“Do you want to say it or should I?” Jake was murmuring from beside you and you appreciated his nice gesture, willing to take the heat of voicing it out loud.

“She should say it.” Sunghoon was immediately disagreeing in a stern voice and all of your eyes went to him. You noticed a slightly hurt look in his eyes and you were beginning to think he didn’t know as much as you assumed he did. “If you guys are together now, she should be the one to tell us.”

He immediately proved you right in your assumption, clearly misreading the situation and coming to a false conclusion.

You felt a heavy guilt and sadness wash over you at the thought of how he must’ve been feeling this entire time, sitting and thinking you had chosen Jake after just sending him mixed signals by hooking up with him. You wished he wasn’t sitting so far away so you could reach out and touch him but now you understood why he was.

“We aren’t together.” You were shaking your head and Jake nudged your side gently with his elbow, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively with a smirk and trying to lighten the situation. “Okay well maybe we are apparently but it’s more than that.”

You looked over to see their reactions and if anybody had caught on to what was happening yet. Heeseung was looking down at his hands with furrowed eyebrows, betrayal and sadness radiating off of him but Jay on the other side of you almost looked happy for you, a soft calm smile on his face.

“I want to date Jake.” You started to explain, hands coming out in front of you in slight frustration for your lack of words. You decided to just say it outright. “But I want to date Heeseung too, and also Jay. Sunghoon you too.”

Similarly to how it was when you said this to Jake earlier, the room fell silent and you almost bodily cringed at the way the words seem to just hang in the air obnoxiously. You wanted to curl into a ball and not move until they all left the room.

You didn’t want to look at their expressions, not sure you could handle the confusion and possibly heartbreak on their faces at this news. You were still figuring that this was going to be the end of it all and knowing you were sitting here and tearing apart your family for the selfish sliver of hope they could accept your feelings was crushing you.

“I mean,” Jake was clearing his throat from next to you and you glanced at him expectantly. “Feel however you guys feel but, just for the record, I’m okay with it.”

“What?” Sunghoon’s voice sounded just as upset as it had before you clarified and you forced yourself to look at him. His body was turned towards you guys now like he wasn’t sure he was hearing you properly. “How could you be okay with that?”

“Personally I don’t think it’d be that different.” Jay sounded casual next to you and you turned your teary eyes towards him just in time to see his shoulders fall from a nonchalant shrug. “I’m basically already dating Y/N while she’s with you guys so what’s the major shift in adding an official label to it.”

“She may be with you guys but she’s not with me.” Sunghoon was scoffing and you looked at him again, slightly hurt at his angry words. He wasn’t one to lose his temper but you imagine the fact it’d only been a new development between the two of you was making it harder on him than the others, who had plenty experience being with you. Both alone and in pairs.

“But I want to be.” You were telling him as earnestly as you could, scooting forward slightly so he’d keep his attention on you. You wanted him to see how sincere you were, not wanting him to feel like a last choice. “I’m not saying it just so you’re included, I really mean it.”

“It’s always been you and Jake.” He was spitting, looking more frustrated at your closing distance. “After all these years suddenly you notice me?”

The other boys didn’t say anything, understanding this was something that dated back before their addition to the friend group. You didn’t speak immediately either, professing what he was trying to say.

Sunghoon was displaying insecurity you’d never seen from him before and you felt a wave of guilt at the fact you’d never even considered it to be something he’d feel. If he had any feelings for you other than sexual, he’d done a good job at hiding it but you felt shameful that he had apparently felt left out or like you’d picked Jake over him at some point.

“You’re crazy Hoon.” Heeseung was finally speaking and Sunghoon dropped your gaze to look at the boy. You couldn’t see his expression since he was looking over his shoulder to face your upset friend. “I knew she was inlove with you guys the day I met you all, atleast you had a shot.”

“Are you not listening to what she’s saying?” Jay suddenly sounded annoyed and you could feel him tensing next to you.

The room got quiet again as you all looked over at him. You were starting to feel like you were getting whiplash from the constant focus changes, mixed with the different statements and scenarios suddenly being confessed.

“You all had a shot, and guess what it landed dude.” It was weird hearing Jay sound so fed up but as he implied earlier, he clearly has been observing this long enough to know it without being told, having entered the group most recently and spent alot of intimate time with you. “She loves you all, us all.”

He was looking at you as he said the last two words, correcting himself with a small smile on his face. You tried to return the warmness in his eyes despite the tears still clouding your vision.

“You love me?” Heeseung was talking again, sounding breathless like he had just fully processed what was happening. His eyes were big and round and you felt your heart warm at the sight of him. You knew suddenly that no matter what happened now, you had made the right choice.

“Of course I love you.” You said it to him more directly and he looked overwhelmed for a second before smiling softly at you and nodding.

“For what it’s worth, I don’t necessarily need to be making out with you idiots but I do love you guys too.” Jake was shrugging from beside you and you heard Jay snort a laugh on your other side at his casual comments.

“This is actually what you want to do?” Sunghoon was finally talking again but he looked and sounded a lot less angry, still having a slightly guarded expression on his face.

You looked at each boy carefully, all laying together in different ways on Jake’s bed and your heart felt full and happy, most of all safe. They’d been your family for so long and you didn’t want to be anywhere else, with any of them missing or somebody different in their place.

“More than anything.”

[faeprincefelix]

I was in your wet dream

Pairing: Eddie x Fem!Reader

Word count: 3.2K

Warnings: smut, unprotected sex, swearing

You and Eddie have been best friends since forever. Sharing a bed is nothing new for the both of you, but when Eddie starts talking in his sleep everything changes.

You and Eddie had been best friends since infancy. In fact you didn't remember a time when he wasn't a huge part of your life. It had been you and him against the world for most of your early life. Your friendship circles getting a little bigger as you entered high school, but you still made sure to make time for each other. Eddie had come round to yours late this evening after a particularly hard day. Jason, one of the idiot jocks at school, had decided it would be fun to play a game where he and his tribe of idiots threw food at Eddie across the cafeteria. Though Eddie had laughed it off at the time and pretended he didn't care- simply making smart arse comments in reply, you knew that sometimes they got to him. Eddie didn't have a lot of people in his life who made him feel worthy, a fact you hated. It wasn't rare for Eddie to stay over at yours when he got like this, Wayne worked nights a lot and Eddie didn't want to be alone.  For most of your life you never gave sharing a bed with him a second thought but around six months ago your feelings had begun to wander past that line of friendship. You refused to do anything about it, you were Eddie's safe space and you didn't want to make things awkward and let him down. He'd been let down far too many times, and you'd be damned if you let your crush get in the way of the wonderful friendship you both had. 

You couldn't deny though, it was difficult being like this with him. His fingers curled into the front of your tshirt, head nuzzled into your back. You'd tried to fall asleep you really had, but your thoughts were racing. The weed you'd both smoked earlier wasn't helping to calm you at all. You thought instead about what you'd do to Jason Carver if the law didn't exist. Jason had been obsessed with putting Eddie down for years. You hated him. Hated what he stood for. Hated that people in that school treat him like a god. More than anything you hated that you weren't there with Eddie anymore. He didn't need your protection and was more than capable of defending himself but that didn't mean you didn't want to be there to support him still. 

Eddie shifted in his sleep, his hand slipping to your waist. You cursed in your head at the electricity it sent through you. You closed your eyes, once again trying to fall asleep, then all of a sudden a soft moan fell from Eddie's lips. Another, deeper this time. He was mumbling but you couldn't hear what he was saying. You squeezed your eyes shut, trying desperately to fall asleep immediately and shut down the reaction you were having. 

"Oh fuck yeah" Eddie moaned, loud enough for you to hear this time. It took a few seconds for you to realise what was going on. Blood instantly rushing to your cheeks as you put it all together. Shit. You didn't know what to do. If you moved you'd wake him up and the last thing you wanted was for him to get so embarrassed about it that he left. You had earplugs in your bedside drawer. If you could just manage to reach for them then you could pretend none of this was happening.

"Yes y/n- just like that" Eddie mumbled, more moans falling from his lips. Your eyes were wide with shock and you almost thought that you'd misheard him til he groaned your name once again. You didn't know what it meant, didn't dare to dream. Eddie adjusted his position, his hard cock pressing against your arse and you whimpered. Carefully you moved his hand off your waist, turning on to your other side, facing him. You had put more distance between you, still unsure of what to do.

"Eddie" you whispered, tentatively stroking a hand through his hair. He stirred a little but was still lost in the dream. You repeated his name, louder this time, hand nudging him. His eyes fluttered open, goofy smile on his face at first. One that quickly fell as his brain caught up with the situation.

"Shit" he cursed "i- shit- was i talking in my sleep?" Eddie wasn't really asking, you could tell by the way he was looking at you. He clearly knew you were aware of what he'd been dreaming about. "Fuck- I-" he stumbled over his words, shuffling back on the bed

You reached a hand out to stop him, fingertips brushing back and forth on his skin "it's okay Eddie". He looked at you confused. Studying you for a second, before his eyes wandered down, stopping when he saw your hard nipples through your t-shirt.

"Oh" he swallowed. You wanted to say something, but you didn't know how. Both just staring at each other in shocked silence. Eddie was the one to make the first move. He reached out, fingers delicately tracing your jaw. "Is this okay?" his voice a little shaky.

"Yes" you reached out for him in return, shuffling closer to him, and running your thumb across his neck "and this?"

Eddie nodded. His eyes darted down to your lips and this time you lent in first. Lips touching his gently, still not fully confident yet. Still not entirely convinced you weren't dreaming. Eddie kissed you back, deepening the kiss and soon your hands were in each other's hair. Bodies moving closer on the bed until they were touching. Eddie was still semi-hard and the feel of him against you again made you moan into his mouth. He smirked, sliding his tongue inside your mouth. You parted, both needing to catch your breath. "Can't tell you how long i've thought about doing that y/n." 

"Me too" you echoed. Your heart was pounding, half from the thrill of what was happening and half from the fear of what this would mean for the two of you going forward. You didn't want to think about that right now, you just wanted to get lost in him. "Kiss me again" it was part question, part order. Eddie didn't hesitate, the kiss hungrier this time. His hand came down to your waist, pulling you flush against him, smirking once again as you whimpered. You wrapped your leg around his waist. Eddie's hand was on your thigh immediately, caressing and kneading the skin. 

"So pretty" he muttered as he pulled away, lips ghosting against the nape of your neck. Your breath hitching in anticipation. He started by pressing a few gentle kisses across your skin. Niping and sucking as he got more confident. It felt amazing and you moaned loud as his mouth connected with a certain spot. He chuckled to himself "those sounds- even better than in my dream." He sucked on your neck hard, making you squirm. 

"Tell me about the dream" you panted "tell me exactly what i was doing that you got you in this state." Your hand was now rubbing against his bulge through his boxers. 

"Are- are you sure?" Eddie's eyes were full of concern. And you knew what he was thinking, you were thinking it too. There would be no going back from this point. A few kisses- you could both pretend that didn't happen, blame it on the weed. But this. 

"I'm sure Eddie" you replied softly "if you're comfortable telling me- you don't have to if you don't want to." You eyes darted away from him nervously and he gripped your chin, bringing your gaze back up to meet his.

"Oh believe me, i want to" Eddie was wearing a lazy smile and you couldn't help but hide your head in his chest. He stroked your hair comfortingly. "It's weird for me too" he reassured you "not bad weird obviously- we don't have to continue, we can stop if you need to." You didn't reply at first and he continued. "I-" his voice was nervous again "i've liked you for a while now y/n, i just didn't know how to tell you, thought you might see me like a brother or some dumb shit"

"Eww" you laughed, hitting him on the chest. "Just to clarify i don't think of you like a brother, that'd be really fucking weird considering i just kissed you, idiot." You shook your head at him. "I've liked you for a while now too" you admitted "but what does this mean for us?"

"I guess it means whatever we want it to mean?" Eddie answered. A perfect answer really. One that earned him another kiss. "I think we don't put pressure on ourselves, just do what feels right in the moment, yeah sweetheart?"

You nodded, giving him another peck on the lips. "I still want you to tell me about the dream- i'm intrigued- need to know what i'm getting myself into."

Eddie laughed "alright then". He pushed you backwards so that you were now laid on your back on your bed and hovered over you. Hands on either side of your head to hold himself up. "I'm not gonna lie I didn't get too far into the dream before you woke me up but i'll tell you everything I did manage to dream." He leaned down kissing you fiercely and your hands moved to his arms. "It started with us in my trailer, getting high and listening to music and I dared you to do a strip tease for me, then you were in just your underwear standing between my legs and you gave me a look and-." Eddie paused, taking a breath, goosebumps appeared on his skin as you ran your fingers up and down his arms. You nodded, letting him know he was okay to continue. "And then you were unbuttoning my jeans and dragging them off- and you were on your knees taking me into your mouth" you could hear the arousal building in his voice. "And then you woke me up-" he stuck his tongue out at you.

"Dreaming about me sucking you off, how unoriginal" you chastised him jokingly. Reciting the dream to you had made him hard again and you palmed him over the fabric. 

"What can i say, i'm a simple man" his voice was getting breathy already which only egged you on. The awkwardness of the situation now starting to dissipate. His lips found their way back to your neck, this time his actions harsher and more unforgiving. Dragging almost constant whimpers and moans from you. Your hand speeding up its pace, cupping him once. He groaned loudly against your neck, and you cursed under your breath. "Feels so good" he murmured, moving out from your touch and shuffling down, head now at your waist. His fingers resting on the hem of your t-shirt, he looked back up at you "can I?" You nodded, giving him permission and helping him to free you of the fabric. Eddie was quiet as his eyes took in the view. "Christ, you're so fucking beautiful." You couldn't help but blush, not used to compliments said like that from him. He placed kisses down from your throat, slowly travelling your body. His hand cautiously moving to your breast, looking up at you, making sure you didn't want him to stop. 

You could feel that he was shaking a little which surprised you. Eddie was more experienced than you. You weren't a virgin or anything but Eddie had certainly had more flings. He pinched your nipple between this thumb and finger and you cried out. Eddie's eyes were watching you, filled with lust. "Did you ever dream about me doing this?" He almost whispered, taking you by surprise.

"Yes" your own voice was shaky, affected by his touch. "Dreamt about your hands and mouth all over me." It still felt a little weird to admit that to him but you were trying to get past it. 

"Really?" He teased "like this?" His hand still groping your breast, his mouth journeyed down further, taking his time to pay attention to every inch of your skin. Licking a trail at the waistband of your pajama shorts, a curse word leaving you. He repeated the action, fingers now resting on your waistband, once again finding your gaze to gain permission. You swallowed before nodding. He pulled your shorts off, his eyebrows raising in surprise as he realised you weren't wearing any underwear underneath. His tongue ran over his bottom lip, before he came back up, kissing you passionately. "You're magnificent y/n, you know that" he stroked your cheek gently "now are you gonna let me make you feel real good?"

"Yes" your voice was faint, caught up in it all "please Eddie, i want you to." That sentence was all that he needed and soon his hand was trailing down your body. Thumb rubbing your clit gently as your eyes flickered closed, his fingers journeyed down and he groaned at how wet you were for him. He slid a finger inside you, gentle at first, waiting to see your reaction. You couldn't help but buck your hips up, wanting more. He didn't hesitate, speeding up his rhythm and adding a second finger. You brought him back in for a kiss, moaning into his mouth the entire time. He pushed his fingers in deeper and your back arched, earning you a low growl from Eddie. His actions had you half clawing at him already, his pace just fast enough, on the edge of teasing  He took his fingers out and you whimpered.

"Patience baby" a spark ran down your body at the pet name and then you were watching with bated breath and his mouth once again made its way down your body, licking and sucking, stopping to place kisses every now and then. His head ducked between your thighs, and he lightly bit the skin of your thigh making you cry out in surprise. He teased you, running his tongue between your folds slowly and you shivered with pleasure. God, you'd imagined this moment so many times and you could hardly believe it was actually happening. Another teasing drag on his tongue before he finally gave you what you'd been craving. 

Eddie ate you out like you were his last meal, not stopping for a second. His thumb rubbing circles on your clit. Your hand was grasping harshly at his hair, and your thighs were pressed against his face. Eddie didn't seem to mind. Eyes glancing up at you sometimes, filled with lust as he watched you fall apart because of it. "Fuck, Eddie" you'd never had someone make you feel this good before. He changed his position slightly. Tongue pressing against your clit whilst he slid two fingers back inside you. His actions met by your loud pitch moan.

"Can I make you cum?" his pace slowed as he waited for your answer. His mouth covered in your juices.

"I think i'd kill you if you didn't right now" you breathed. Eddie chuckled, the sound vibrated against you and you squirmed. Eddie continued his work, looking up at you more often now, trying to gauge how close you were. It didn't take him much longer to bring you to your peak and you cried his name as his fingers worked you through the orgasm. Eddie laid down beside you as you caught your breath, sucking your juices off his fingers as if it was just a casual thing. Once your breathing had returned to normal you decided it was your turn. You rolled over so you were hovering on top of him and placed kisses slowly down his chest. You could feel Eddie's breath start to pick up as you descended further down his body. Fingers hooking under the waistband of his boxers. Looking up at him once for permission. With an eager nod from Eddie you tugged them down and off of him. You only had one thought in your head; you wanted to make that dream of his a reality.

"Fuck" Eddie shuddered as you took him in a firm grip, you stroked him gently a few times, before running your tongue around his head. Another curse word falling from Eddie's lips as he grasped the bedcovers. You took him fully into your mouth and he groaned loudly, his free hand moving down to tangle in your hair, controlling your rhythm. "Shit y/n- fuck, feels so good" Eddie's hips rocked up into your mouth, almost choking you.  He only let you continue for a few more minutes before pulling you off him."Not gonna last much longer with your mouth around me like that" he quickly explained, almost out of breath "wanna be inside you–if- if that's what you want too." Eddie gave you a sheepish look. You didn't reply to him, instead moving up onto your knees and straddling him. The look Eddie was giving you right now let you know he understood your answer. You let out a nervous breath before grabbing hold of him once again so you could slide down on to him. 

You both moaned together as you eventually took all of his length inside you. Eddie sat up so he could get closer to you, biting large marks on your neck. "Feels so right" he mumbled against your skin and you mumbled back in agreement. Eddie was correct, it did feel right, not half as awkward as you'd expected it to be. It was just you and him, sharing this moment. Melting into the intimacy and all you could think about was the way he felt, the praises he was whispering into your ear sending sparks through you. 

"Don't want to ever stop doing this” you murmured, gaining an amused laugh from Eddie as he rocked up into you harder, almost throwing you off rhythm. 

"Might need to take some breaks sweetheart" Eddie teased, nipping at your earlobe "otherwise you might kill me- though suppose it's a good way to go." Without warning Eddie flipped you over so you were on your back and slammed into you hard, making you cry out. "Uhh y/n, that's a great sound"

"Then you should get me to make it again'" you challenged him. You knew it wouldn't be difficult. You were so close already. Eddie smirked, happily taking the bait. Once again he thrust into you hard but this time he didn't give you time to recover, his pace relentless as he slammed into you over and over. Eddie had you crying out his name and clawing at his back. His hand snaked down between you both, thumb circling your clit. That feeling was all you needed, and the waves of your orgasm washed over you and your back arched from the bed.

"So fucking beautiful" Eddie panted, his thrusts losing their rhythm as he pulled out of you, spilling across your lower stomach. He barely gave himself time to catch his breath before slipping out to your bathroom and bringing back a washcloth to clean you down with. After he'd finished, Eddie laid down on his side facing you, fingertips tracing patterns on your skin.

"So what now?" you asked, tucking a loose piece of hair behind his ear.

[xcrystalzero]

i just wanted to take a moment to look at you

pairing: diluc x gn!reader

note: i'm back... i decided to write diluc for once. based off of a wattpad-worthy story my friend got to experience that i am exceedingly jealous of. also, this is kind of the diluc version of my "sun is up" kaeya fic so if you're into the sexy eyepatch man at all, maybe check that one out :)

As it turned out, Diluc Ragnvindr was just as sleep-deprived as you had thought he would be. A sideways glance at the gently ticking clock positioned on the far wall told you that noon had passed and yet, the man before you didn't seem inclined in the slightest to awake.

For all it was worth, your time spent waiting was not without the most stunning of views. There wasn't a soul in Mondstat who could claim Diluc to be anything less than striking without resentment or envy coloring their tone. There was a certain pride however in noting that you were likely the only one who had seen this particular side of his beauty. The thick, wavy hair he always took such efforts to keep cleanly tied back now lay splayed out on the pillow beneath him, surrounding his head like a fiery crown. You hadn't realized it before, but his eyelashes were extremely long, casting warm shadows into the space under his closed eyes as his chest rose and fell gently in a even rhythm.

Ah yes, the famed Darknight Hero, the only one to brave the darkness in servitude of Mondstat. Looks like it had caught up with him.

With a sigh, you placed the steaming cup of coffee in your hands atop the nearest bedside table before settling yourself on the edge of the bed. Well, it wasn't like you had anything particularly urgent to get done today.

Moving in slow, tentative stretches, you gently eased yourself back underneath the covers. A soft groan left your lips as your back made contact with the plush bedding, your limbs relaxing fully into the soft covers. Sure, the man in your bed was pretty great but just the bed was honestly kind of nice too. Despite his wealth, Diluc wasn't the type to splurge on much but his bedding was always of the finest quality. The man had his priorities straight.

Your eyes were just fluttering shut when the sound of movement next to you jolted you awake once more. You moved immediately to sit up, expecting to see one of the maids standing in the doorway but the moment you moved to sit up, a hand grasped onto your shoulder, gently yanking you back onto the bed.

"Wha-" The words caught in your throat as instinctively, you threw your hands up in front of you to fend off your attacked. In an instant however, those hands were caught, a grip tight around your wrists that pushed them into the sheets above your head. In the moment it took your brain to come back online, you vaguely registered a curtain of red that seemed to surround you, blocking out the thin rays of sunlight making their way through the curtains.

"Are you just about done?" The words are harsh but the soft laugh at the end tells you need to know. Finally composed enough to stop fighting your boyfriend (who was very much supposed to be asleep), you stared up at the man hovering above you with wide eyes.

The world was still red, but you could now identify it as Diluc's hair. the ends of it settled gently around you, a few strands tickling the top of your head as the man shifted his weight forward, bringing his face closer to yours.

"What's all this about?" You managed to get the words out though they sounded a little pitiful even to your own ears. It wasn't your fault that the man you were so lucky to call your partner was this beautiful. You'd been admiring him all morning but in that moment you were sure that you could just lay here staring into those eyes for an eternity longer.

"I just wanted to take a moment to look at you." His tone was once again, almost comically matter-of-fact as though he hadn't just spit out a line that could make anyone in Teyvat swoon.

"Is there really all that much to look at?" You could feel the flush spreading across your cheeks as you peeled your gaze away from his, instead looking very deliberately at the floral curtains on the nearest window.

Diluc let out a soft chuckle as he released one of your wrists, instead bringing it down to your chin, gently tilting your face back towards his. His lips were closer now and you couldn't stop your eyes from flitting down towards them. His next words were a whisper just before his lips met yours.

"More than you can ever imagine."

[shvdwscng]

"i  have  learned  to  tune  you  out  when  you're  particularly  insolent."  dax  was  still  one  of  the  few  who  did  not  annoy  her,  and  while  there  were  moments  where  she  didn't  quite  enjoy  admitting  he  was  right  (  but  that  applied  to  many  aspects  ),  she  needed  those  in  her  inner  circle  who  did  not  become  meek  in  her  presence.  alina  was  hardly  an  inviting  individual,  but  by  now  she  was  certain  that  her  inner  circle  had  a  decent  understanding  of  their  high  lady’s  temperament.  she  had  never  punished  them  for  speaking  their  mind  frankly,  they  were  the  fae  she  should  be  able  to  trust  and  reply  on,  and  so,  that  was  not  a  relationship  she  had  built  on  fear.  Yet,  she  was  aware  save  for  her  emissary,  they  were  all  cautious  around  her.  daxton  had  met  her  gaze  without  a  shred  of  hesitation,  speaking  his  mind  freely  as  if  he  were  speaking  to  a  friend  rather  than  his  high  lady...but  it  was  one  of  the  things  she  had  grown  fond  of  regarding  him.  there  was  a  wisdom  to  him  that  extended  well  beyond  his  years,  and  she  knew  he’d  been  puzzled  when  she  informed  him,  out  of  the  blue,  that  he  would  be  her  spymaster  moving  forward.  she  could  not  say  for  certain  if  this  had  been  his  intention  all  along,  to  befriend  her,  to  have  a  more  personal  relationship  with  her  than  what  his  title  allowed,  but  the  moments  where  he  went  out  of  his  way  to  offer  her  something  more,  were  not  unnoticed  by  her.  while  he  never  uttered  the  words,  alina  read  between  the  lines,  this  sense  he  had  when  he  believed  the  high  lady  needed  a  friend.  “i  cannot,  my  magic  of  the  water  comes  from  our  lands.  i  do  believe  every  now  and  then  we  need  a  stronger  reminder.  It  seems  decades  and  millenniums  of  monarchy  have  made  the  citizens,  particularly  the  royals,  of  gaea  too  arrogant,  so  your  theory  might  stand,  and  we  just  happen  to  be  caught  in  their  mess.”  she  nods,  “we  are  the  most  powerful,  that  will  always  mother,  the  lands,  and  the  cauldron.”  she  thought  for  a  moment  at  his  question,  “i  fear  we  may  have,  i  cannot  speak  for  the  other  high  rulers,  but  this  fatigue  that  i  felt,  still  do  for  the  time  being,  it’s  different  from  the  previous  ones.  if  this…thing  wasn’t  being  affected  by  our  magic,    it  perhaps  can  pull  from  us.  that  is  why  I  believe  it  might  be  best  not  to  fight  it  until  we  know  for  certain.  the  capital  is  the  oldest  place,  and  perhaps  where  the  cauldron  rests,  she  did  allow  this  monarchy  first  before  the  courts  began  to  form.”

they  were  not  strangers,  not  entirely,  they  grew  up  in  the  court  together,  both  the  same  age,  but  it  was  when  alina  was  chosen  for  the  high  seat,  she  had  made  it  her  mission  to  find  those  she  deemed  worthy  to  be  her  trusted  circle  members.  he  was  an  excellent  scholar,  but  he  was  proving  to  be  an  irreplaceable  spymaster,  and  friend.  it’s  why  when  he  rolls  his  eyes  and  repeats  her  words  of  herself,  she  doesn’t  remark  further,  alina  has  no  doubt  he’s  seen  more  of  her  than  anyone  has.  “we  shall  see…”  comes  her  response,  finally,  at  the  topic  of  alliance.  it  was  a  sound  advice,  but  the  problem  was,  alina  was  stubborn  and  suspicious,  even  if  she  saw  the  logic  in  his  advice.  working  together  had  never  been  an  issue  for  them,  it  was  all  the  more  reason  alina  knew  he  belonged  in  his  current  position.  his  groan  almost  made  her  smile,  “you  call  yourself  a  curious  soul,  a  scholar  mind,  this  is  your  chance  through  the  mother  queen.  do  what  you  can,  dax…”  the  other  words  were  implicit,  only  what  he  was  comfortable  with.  so  he  had  seen  her  with  cedrian,  nonetheless,  her  brassy  hues  gave  nothing  away  even  if  she  catches  the  curiosity  dax  attempts  to  hide.  she  did  not  blame  him,  of  all  those  in  her  inner  circle,  it  was  her  spymaster  she  was  perhaps  the  closest  to,  the  one  who  was  the  most  perceptive  when  it  came  to  alina.  a  fact  that  still  unnerved  her some  days.  “i  do  not  recall  one  of  your  duties  as  spymaster  being  to  spy  on  your  high  lady.  you  have  remarkable  nerve,  dear  daxton.”  to  anyone  on  the  outside,  those  words  might  sound  vaguely  threatening,  but  she  knew  how  odd  that  sight  might  have  been  for  the  male  who  knew  alina  to  be  quite  anti-social,  and  certainly  not  the  sort  to  entertain  other  high  rulers,  not  when  she  made  her  disinterest  of  them  very  clear  all  this  time.  “you  say  that  as  if  he  would  share  all  of  his  secrets  to  a  stranger?”  a  brow  quirks,  “i  suppose  i  ought  to  be  flattered,  you  think  I  can  uncover  such  intimate  details  from  anyone,  let  alone  another  high  ruler.  i’m  taking  your  advice  under  consideration,  we  will  see  if  he  can  be  an  ally  to  us.”

“  you  can  always  demote  me.  ”  but  he  knows  she  won’t.  alina  had  pulled  daxton  from  the  library  without  really  asking.  nothing  the  high  lady  did  really  came  with  a  question.  it  hadn’t  surprised  him,  really,  he’d  watched  a  portion  of  her  life  prior  to  becoming  the  high  lady,  and  then  saw  as  the  magic  swirled  and  crowned  her  as  their  new  liege.  his  family  didn’t  have  the  best  story,  but  daxton  grew  up  in  the  palace,  grew  up  in  the  library,  and  while  his  parents  struggled  with  loyalty  to  one  another,  his  was  never  in  question  when  it  came  to  the  dragomir  family.  in  truth,  his  confidence  ended  at  his  cocky  remarks,  no  weight  behind  them  as  he  still  struggled  to  understand  why  alina  had  so  much  confidence  in  him.  confidence  he  could  not  find  himself.  he  liked  to  poke  and  prod  at  the  high  lady,  in  truth  because  he  believed  people  walked  too  delicately  around  the  woman  as  if  she  would  snap  their  necks  without  a  moment’s  thought.  daxton  saw  more  to  alina,  and  he  knew  she  needed  someone  like  him  whether  it  annoyed  her  or  not.  if  anything,  she  needed  a  friend  she  was  not  related  to.  “  i  think  we’re  all  guilty  of  forgetting  what  magic  runs  beneath  the  surface  of  our  world.  perhaps  it’s  decided  that  now  is  the  best  time  to  make  a  showing  of  force  when  the  king  atop  the  throne  cannot  fight  it  back.  ”  daxton  has  always  believed  that  there  is  far  more  to  prythian  than  they  could  ever  know,  wishes  he  could  find  older  tomes  than  what  they  had  to  discover  his  beliefs.  his  head  tilts  a  bit,  considering  the  thought.  “  the  high  rulers  weren’t  always  the  most  powerful  in  this  realm.  ”  he  murmurs,  mostly  to  himself.  but  his  ears  perk  at  the  comment  of  drain,  and  he  glances  to  the  window  as  if  he  could  see  the  barrier.  “  do  you  think  you  powered  it  ?  ”  did  their  show  of  magic  give  this  force  the  ability  to  contain  them  in  the  capital  ?  “  what’s  the  oldest  place  in  all  of  prythian?  ”  

he  rolls  his  eyes,  leveling  alina  with  a  gaze  that  clearly  said  he  knew  more.  “  sure,  all  thorns,  my  lady.  ”  he  knew  she  was  capable  of  more,  he’d  seen  her  with  her  siblings,  but  daxton  wasn’t  about  to  argue  that  in  front  of  everyone.  the  high  lady  of  summer  had  a  reputation  to  keep,  and  the  spymaster  was  not  about  to  reveal  all  her  secrets  in  the  earshot  of  the  capital.  “  if  not  more  protective.  ”  he  muses.  the  archives  seem  to  be  locked  up  and  held  under  many  keys.  “  i  simply  think  you  might  benefit  from  an  alliance  or  two,  but  you’d  know  more,  of  course.  ”  he  may  be  a  little  shit,  but  daxton  didn’t  believe  himself  to  know  everything  of  ruling  a  court.  perhaps  he  just  hated  seeing  someone  he  considered  a  friend  be  seen  as  such  a  cold  and  callous  ruler  when  he  knew  her  not  to  be.  “  we  typically  are.  ”  it’s  why  they  worked  well  together.  he  groans,  again,  flirting  with  the  queen  didn’t  seem  enjoyable  at  all.  what  had  he  done  to  deserve  this  punishment  ?  “  i’ll  see  what  i  can  do.  ”  he  grumbles,  but  his  fussiness  fizzles  at  her  next  words.  daxton’s  brow  cocks  at  the  high  lady,  and  his  retort  comes  out  before  he  can  stop  it.  “  i’m  surprised  there’s  much  else  to  be  found  after  the  length  of  your  earlier  conversation  with  the  high  lord.  ”  but,  in  truth,  daxton  pushes  against  limits  but  never  means  to  overstep,  and  knowing  he’s  in  that  danger  zone,  the  spymaster  relents.  “  i’ll  see  what  there  is  to  be  found  and  share  it  with  you  promptly.  ” 

[iridescentxstars]

ares!bangchan x fem!reader x hades!juyeon || threesome + oral || wc: 640~

all kinktober drabbles are smut and mature rated; if you are a minor DNI

"That's a good girl," Chan says proudly as your head moves up and down on Juyeon's cock, your ass wiggling in the air as you try and entice the other God to take what you are offering. "All in good time, sweetheart, we can't rush this now, can we?"

You had heard rumours that the Gods had returned, that they were taking offerings and giving blessings to those who worshipped them so you had to try. It had been hard for you ever since you lost your job, you had been trying so hard to find a new place of employment but nothing was working in your favour and while this may be a long shot - you had to try.

You were desperate.

You entered the temple and found Ares and Hades sitting on the thrones with offerings at their feet but they were particularly interested in what you had to offer - your body. You had nothing else, no money, no possession worthy enough of a God and while you didn't think your body was something they would accept, the two male Gods seemed to enjoy the thought.

"It's been such a long time since I've had a human worship my cock like this," Juyeon groans out as his hand rests on top of your head, holding your head down as he thrusts into your mouth, his cock smoothly sliding down your throat. "Ah, no gag reflex?" Chan chuckles as he watches Juyeon fuck your throat with a newfound fervour while Chan focuses on toying with your wet pussy that's on display for him.

"I haven't seen you this alive in years, Juyeon." Chan teases, his slick-covered fingers moving to circle your clit and the action causes you to make a noise that has Juyeon moaning, head tilting back. "Oh, she is a treat, isn't she?"

"Do that again." Chan obliges and enjoys watching your cunt clench around nothing, desperate to be filled. "Shall we keep her?"

Juyeon finally pulls you away from his angry, red cock, a line of saliva connecting your tongue to the tip and watering eyes look at the dark-haired God laid out in front of you. His lithe, long body is bare from the black robe he was wearing earlier and your eyes slowly move to look him in the eyes. Dark, nearly black eyes look at you with a cold smirk on his lips, the look has you shivering because something about it has you thinking that you may have bitten off more than you could chew.

Chan hums as he thinks, his dark red hair pushed off his face so he can see you clearly. Your ass is up in the air, pussy ready to be taken and your back is arched as your head rests on Juyeon's thigh, cock in hand. "You know if we keep her, we have to share." You squeak at the thought of servicing another God.

"Not really~ they don't need to know." Juyeon tilts your chin so you're looking at him. "Isn't that right, pet? You wouldn't want to be anyone else's toy other than ours."

Chan clicks his tongue as his hands leave your body and begin to prepare himself. "Don't answer him, sweetheart, you don't need to think right now." The head of his large cock presses against your entrance and you push back, helping him slide in with a satisfied moan. Chan moves slowly, allowing you to keep your sanity for a moment before he moves faster and Juyeon guides his cock back into your mouth.

When you came here, offering yourself to the Gods so that your bad luck with jobs could finally end, you didn't know what you expected to get from this but having the God of War pound you from behind and make you choke on the God of the Underworld's cock was definitely not it.

Neither was the job you managed to get right next door to the temple after you walked out. What a fun coincidence~.

[kjack89]

Such Faithfulness in Effigy

For @themiserablesmonth Day 27: Hands.

Modern AU E/R (with a whiff of implied reincarnation).

Read on AO3.

The squeak of Enjolras’s sneakers against the wood floor echoed loudly throughout the space and he winced. As if sensing his discomfort, Grantaire snaked an arm around his waist and turned to kiss his cheek. “Thank you for coming with me.”

Enjolras put his arm around Grantaire’s shoulders. “Of course,” he said easily.

Grantaire raised an eyebrow. “I mean, I know art’s not really your thing,” he said, gesturing around the art museum gallery with his free hand. 

Enjolras just shrugged. “No more than early morning rallies are yours,” he pointed out evenly, “and yet you still show up.”

“Most of the time, anyway,” Grantaire said, half-smiling. “Hangover permitting.”

Enjolras rolled his eyes affectionately. “Well, I didn’t have a hangover this afternoon, so I figured, might as well,” he said bracingly, before glancing around the room at the various paintings, sculptures, vases, and random other odds and ends. “So this is some kind of special exhibit?”

Grantaire nodded. “Yeah, they found a whole cache of art that some rich eccentric apparently commissioned or collected back in the mid-1800s in France and, naturally, decided it was worthy of display for that reason alone.”

Enjolras snorted lightly before pursing his lips. “The mid-1800s,” he repeated slowly. “So that would be…Baroque?”

Grantaire gave him a look. “I know that your only art joke is ‘if it’s not Baroque, don’t fix it’, which I also know you stole from Beauty and the Beast, but, uh, you’re off by over a century.” 

“I have more than one art joke,” Enjolras said, mock-pouting, and not just because he had absolutely stolen that joke from Beauty and the Beast, even if he’d never admit it.

“Really?” Grantaire asked skeptically.

“Sure,” Enjolras said blithely. “Why did the artist end up in jail? Because she was framed.”

Grantaire groaned out loud. “How about an art joke you didn’t steal from a Laffy Taffy wrapper?”

“I’ll have you know I got that one from a popsicle stick,” Enjolras said, with as much dignity as he could muster.

Grantaire just sighed. “Of course you did.”

Enjolras grinned at him before asking, “So if it’s not Baroque – don’t even start with me – what art time period would this fall under?”

Grantaire shrugged, looking around the room as if he was looking for something in particular. “Well, the 1800s had a bunch of different movements happening, so it could really run the gamut. The piece that we’re here to see kind of straddles the line between neoclassicism and romanticism.” 

“You know I don’t know what any of that means, right?” Enjolras asked, amused. Grantaire tactfully chose not to answer that, so Enjolras asked instead, “So we’re just here to see one piece?”

He tried not to sound as hopeful about the premise as he felt, but judging by the look Grantaire gave him, he hadn’t quite succeeded. “I mean, we can definitely look at the whole collection, but yeah, Feuilly thought we should take a look at one piece in particular.”

Enjolras brightened. “Oh, well, if Feuilly wants us to look at it—”

Grantaire rolled his eyes. “I knew I should have led with that,” he huffed, shrugging away from Enjolras’s arm.

“You know I value your opinion as well,” Enjolras told him, laughing when Grantaire just gave him a withering look in response.

“Uh-huh, sure,” he said dryly. “Anyway, he was working on setting up the exhibit space and this sculpture caught his eye and he thought we should check it out.”

Though Enjolras nodded, he still couldn’t stop his brow from furrowing as he questioned, “Why?”

Grantaire shrugged, leading them towards a sculpture in the corner of the room. “Partially the subject matter, which he seemed to think you’d particularly appreciate,” he hedged, which led Enjolras to believe there was a larger, less savory reason.

His eyes narrowed. “And partially…?”

Grantaire shrugged again, looking a little uncomfortable. “Well, he says it looks like you.”

“Like me?” Enjolras repeated, incredulous.

“Yeah, and—” Grantaire stopped in his tracks, gaping at the sculpture in front of them. “Holy shit, he’s not wrong.”

Enjolras looked critically at the marble sculpture, which appeared to only have been partially completed. The main figure was mostly complete, though some detail seemed lacking, but there was an entire other block of stone that had barely been touched. The figure that had been sculpted had one fist raised, his shirt half-open and a cravat knotted loosely around his neck, but Enjolras imagined those weren’t the things that Grantaire and Feuilly were claiming resembled him. He peered closely at the chiseled face, and made one of his own. “That does not look like me,” he said dismissively.

Grantaire just gave him a look. “Sure.”

“Oh, come on!” Enjolras protested. He peered more closely at the stone figure’s determined expression and reluctantly allowed, “I mean, I guess there are some similarities in the facial structure…”

Grantaire circled the sculpture, his expression full of something almost like awe. “I know I’ve always said you look like a marble statue but I don’t know if I ever really mean it until right now.”

Enjolras rolled his eyes, and to give himself something to do besides watch Grantaire ogle a sculpture, decided to read the placard the museum had included with the work. “Artist Unknown,” he read aloud. “Believed to have been commissioned by M. Pontmercy in the mid-1800s – do you think that could be a relative of Marius’s? – the unfinished sculpture evokes Eugène Delacroix’s ‘Liberty Leading the People’, featuring a masculine revolutionary figure striding forward into the future. Note the Phrygian cap and Cockade details.” Grantaire let out a soft gasp and Enjolras frowned as he glanced up at him. “What?”

“The hand,” Grantaire said, with something like wonder. “Look at the hand.”

Enjolras followed his line of sight to the sculpted figure’s other hand, the one not raised in triumphant defiance, and his frown deepened. “What…” He trailed off as he looked closer. “Is he holding someone’s hand?”

Grantaire nodded. “I think so. God, look at the detail.” He shook his head slowly. “I can’t even imagine what it would have taken to carve this.”

Enjolras’s brow furrowed as he looked closer at what he could now see was the beginning of a hand emerging from the rest of the stone that hadn’t been carved. “I think it’s sad,” he said softly.

“What?” Grantaire asked, startled.

“That it was never finished,” Enjolras said with a shrug. “His companion, whoever they were, whoever the hand belongs to – they’re lost to time, their contributions forgotten.”

Grantaire shook his head, something eager in his expression. “And see, I take the opposite view.”

“How so?”

“Because they’re holding hands.” Grantaire said it simply, easily, as if that was the only answer that mattered. “That’s the most important thing. That’s what’s immortalized for all time, the symbol of their love.”

Enjolras frowned. “There’s no indication that it’s love—”

“Isn’t there?” Grantaire murmured, shaking his head again. “I mean, God, look how tenderly their hands are clasped.” He pointed with his finger, tracing the line of each wrist with a finger in the air. Enjolras, who knew nothing of art, to say anything of sculpture more specifically, just shrugged. Grantaire shrugged, something unreadable in his expression. “I just know that if it were you and me, that’s how I’d want to be remembered. “

“As a somewhat chipped block of marble behind me for all eternity?” Enjolras asked, somewhat skeptically.

Grantaire gave him a look. “Asshole,” he said, with no real heat. “No, as the one hand that you thought was important enough to clasp and bring along with you into the future.”

Grantaire’s words made the breath catch in Enjolras’s throat. “Oh,” he managed. After a long moment, he added softly, “For what it’s worth, I do.”

“Do what?” Grantaire asked.

“Think of you that way.”

Grantaire’s expression softened. “I know.”

They stood there for a few moments more before Enjolras reached out to slip his hand into Grantaire’s, clasping it with just as much tenderness and love as in the statue. Grantaire glanced over at him and smiled that crooked smile that Enjolras loved so much. “There’s this poem that Jehan sent me, not too long ago,” he said. Ordinarily, Enjolras would be inclined to make a joke about that, but he refrained. “This kind of reminds me of it. And the last line…”

He trailed off and Enjolras squeezed his hand gently. “The last line?” he prompted.

“‘What will survive of us is love’,” Grantaire quoted, looking back at the statue. “God, I hope so.”

“Yeah,” Enjolras agreed softly, his chest tight. “So do I.”

A/N: The poem Grantaire quotes, and from which the title for this fic, as well as vague inspiration, was taken, is "An Arundel Tomb" by Philip Larkin.