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tyxoxo · 11 months ago

Text

Ylang Ylang

| summary: while being close to you and your family’s extinction, a promise needs to be broken to save the lives of your people

| pairing: fairyhunter!jeno x fairy!reader au w/fairy!xiaojun x fairy!reader (if you squint)

| genre: suspense, angst, smut, fantasy, multiple nct/wayv + aespa character inserts, jeno and hendery are brothers

| words: 11.6k

| warnings: murder, blood, torture, knife play, noncon smut + suggestive scenes, blackmail, exhibitionism, caging/imprisonment, degrading, unprotected sex

(this is purely fiction, warnings in bold mean potentially triggering content, everything is tagged accordingly)

a/n: @jenomov and i came up with this concept out of nowhere also, so massive thanks to them for the inspiration, ideas, summary, and endless brainstorming! they practically helped write this <3 also jeno’s look in the header is essentially how i envisioned him to look for this story but imagine him however you want

playlist:

livv? - ylang ylang

weatherby - fleeting frozen heart

datfootdive - stars

alicks - 7 laps later

tame impala - one more hour

“C’mon Xiaojun, spit it out already!!”

You teased at your loving best friend, shoving him playfully with a single finger as you watched him struggle to speak lucid sentences.

The two of you were in your favorite and most “private” hang out spot—in the trees on the outskirts of your shared village. Far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the community, but close enough for comfort. Though you tried your best not to drift into the terminology of “safety”, “danger”, or “warnings.”

It was a sure way to initiate ill omens.

Both of your parents were aware of your shared infinity for exploring; venturing past the municipality limits. But as long as the two of you shrunk to “the size of a quail” outside of the village, they allowed you to bask in the wonders of blaring curiosity, to your heart’s content. Your species could never truly bring your guard down…

“Sorry…I just can’t form my words today.” He scratched the back of his head as he peered down at his lap, rustling the Crane's-bill flower crown perched atop his mauve hair in the process.

“Since when do you ever really form your words?”

This time you gave a subtle laugh to pair with your smile, hoping to ease his obvious discombobulation.

“You’re right. I don’t.”

His eyes met yours, his wings even twitching, which always signified when your kind was flustered.

He continued again, pulling at his own thumb as he drifted his eyes up to the newly blossomed tree leaves; an obvious attempt to avoid eye contact.

You could try to deny it for as long as you lived, but there was something within you that adored him more than he probably ever knew.

It was his tenderness, his soothing voice, his patience, whether it was those nights you stormed out of your house in search of him, as a form of solace from the constant nightmares of your genocide, or the days that you wanted to rant about your parent’s overprotectiveness (though they’ve eased up in recent years).

Anything you needed, he was there. And you always tried your best to do the same, despite having the feeling that he bottled up some of his troubles to keep from feeling like a burden himself.

“Well…I w-wanted to tell you, that I really appreciate you.”

He gave up on his own finger trap, to tug at the bottom of his white flounce shirt, finally meeting your eyes again with another twitch of his translucent wings.

“I appreciate you too Xiaojun, always.”

You leaned forward, so light that you barely caused the branch underneath you to stir. He froze upon witnessing your close contact, only his brown irises lowering to watch as you took both of his hands into your own.

“Is everything okay?”

You didn’t mean for your voice to come out in a whisper, but his stuttering had become more frequent, and this only made your thoughts whirl just as loudly as his.

If only you knew that he was on his way to confess his true feelings to you, if only he could get his mouth to work as fast as his brain, maybe then he could finally pull the weight off his shoulders.

But you made all of this difficult without even trying. His love for everything that was you, was infinite.

Even your constant teasing.

And the glimmer in your eyes was no match for his composure, let alone the way you held his hands.

You scanned his face in search of an answer, that definitely took too long for him to spill.

“Yeah don’t worry, everything's fine.”

You tilted your head in confusion, wondering where this could possibly be going, knowing he was aware of your ever-so-apparent “what’s the deal” persona.

He cleared his throat, and geared himself up for the revelation of a lifetime,

“I’ve been m-meaning to tell you that I really like you…that I’ve always dreamed of what it would be like to have this moment with you.”

You felt your wings twitch, more noticeable than his own. And the warmth that flooded your entire body could’ve lit the entire forest in a swarming blaze.

“W-would it be crazy if I asked you to be mine—”

His lips seemed to come at a rest in slow motion, eyelashes fluttering in stark contrast as he heard your breath hitch in your throat.

Not even the sun’s rays that flashed through the white pine tree could’ve taken you out of your shock.

You used what seconds you had left, to replay his confession in your head,

“…I’ve always dreamed of what it would be like to have this moment with you”

Xiaojun, your best friend since childhood, had always dreamed of this?

But the thoughts of responding were ripped away, as blood-curdling screams roared from the direction of your home. They weren’t light hearted nor playful by any means, and with the ability to hear great distances, the agony that bestowed upon your ears caused you both to wince in fear.

Xiaojun turned his head to look through the leaves, skin turning pale upon hearing further destruction.

Most of the branches obscured your vision, but it didn’t take much longer for the despair to continue.

“They found us!”

That voice, sounded like Karina.

And her frenzied words gave the answer—after two years of hiding, the hunters were back.

You felt your heart drop to your stomach, the ability to breathe becoming a distant memory.

You squeezed Xiaojun’s hand as you crawled through the thick pine, your best friend eventually grabbing your waist to stop you from venturing out too far.

“Stay back!” His hushed tone was never this turbulent, bringing all the more truth to the chaos brewing just a mile away.

“We have to go help!”

“It’s too dangerous, I can’t risk you getting hurt!”

Your adrenaline was too much for Xiaojun, as you managed to fight through his tight embrace or rather his hold on your longing to see your family and friends for what could be the last time.

“Let me go! We can’t just sit here and do nothing!”

You attempted to gear your wings for flight as you broke through his hold, hands raking through the leaves to get a clear view through the sea of green.

As you hovered past the pine tree, a familiar being appeared to be flying this way, the telltale sign being the blush colored wings that matched the embroidered dress swaying through the win at high speeds.

It was Giselle. And upon getting a closer distance, you saw the blood spatter that painted her arms in fresh crimson.

She was her natural size, like what your kind all chose to be while in the comfort of your home, and the only guess as to why she didn’t choose to shrink was the amount of energy it took to do so. She seemed to grip at her side as the blood continued to stain her silk dress, not once looking up at which direction to fly. Her Dahlia flower crown was nowhere to be found, something that she cherished more than anything in the world.

You had to help her, get her to safety within the trees, whatever you could to secure a better fate. But the constant screams kept you too terrified to react, and being out in the open like this was indeed risky.

Before you could muster the strength to call her name, Xiaojun was behind you, the vibration of his wings filling your senses. He leaped at you once again, this time pulling you back towards the trees with labored breaths.

He couldn’t just do this to you…prevent you from saving a life, from saving not only your friend, but his friend too.

You managed a measly call of her name, knowing her advanced hearing would be enough. And successfully, she glanced up for the first time since her escape, to watch as you motioned for her to join together in the same tree.

Her face, lit up with hope, was the last sanguine expression to ever grace her face, as the all too familiar sound of a crossbow arrow being loosed from its quarrel sped towards her injured frame.

Your scream, one just as gut-wrenching as those that continued from your home, was muffled against Xiaojun’s palm as he pulled you back within the tree. You were forced away from any further intervention, forced away from burying your guilt.

Giselle flung forward from the sheer impact of the arrow as it shot through her heart, her umber strands flying through the air in the same intensity; entire body falling face forward onto the red speckled bermuda grass.

You couldn’t look away, not while you witnessed her final moments—eyes drifting up to meet yours within her last breath, wings falling lifeless against her spine, and a faint smile from knowing you would be the last person she would ever see, instead of the hunters that were walking towards her.

Your entire body shook against Xiaojun, trembling in fear that her killers would surely discover the two of you here.

“Fuck! Hendery I had her!”

An unfamiliar voice, but one you would never forget, roared through the clearing that led to your dead friend.

You never felt so much anger from a person before, someone that you could only imagine was seething at the teeth.

Xiaojun finally took his hands away from your mouth, allowing you to inhale as much as you could before they got too close. But he still kept his arms wrapped around you, fighting through his own sobs that hit against the back of your neck.

“No Jeno! I’m not letting you fuck this up anymore! Remember what Johnny said?”

Yet another unfamiliar voice, but you were able to put the faces with the names right as the two humans approached just meters away, barely appearing disheveled despite the chaos they just unleashed. Thankfully their lack of enhanced senses worked in your favor, as you and Xiaojun remained undetected during their inspection of the area.

The one holding the crossbow was Hendery. And the one to speak first with the serrated knife was Jeno.

These had to have been the hunters your family warned about. For the two years since relocating to this new area, all of the last surviving elders made it their mission to describe these two, for if the day came that they scoured the land again, you would instantly know it was them.

They were just as menacing as your parents described, especially the blonde, Jeno.

Whether or not it was on purpose to instill fear within all of your kind, you were always taught to never underestimate him or his brother.

The two of them could’ve passed as supernatural beings themselves—flawless skin, chiseled features, intimidating height, and the perfect build…you could’ve spent your time describing their otherworldly looks, but their tyranny overshadowed everything else in your mind.

Your breathing finally began to steady as you stared them down like hawks within the evergreen tree, watching with glossy eyes as they stood over Giselle.

Maybe it was the tactical black clothes they wore, or the shared onyx in their eyes. Either observation caused a shiver to run down your spine; they screamed carnage.

You and Xiaojun both jumped as Jeno sheathed the knife in his left hand into his thigh holster, the ear-grating sound bringing you back down to the harsh reality of your near-death experience.

“The others should be on their way any minute. Let’s go.”

Hendery spoke again and pointed downward with his crossbow at Giselle’s lifeless body, signaling for Jeno to carry her now.

The blonde obeyed, but not without a furrowed brow as he bent down to gather the fresh corpse.

You were sure his disgruntled expression was due to his brunette counterpart taking away his kill, and a part of you knew that his method of disposal would have been way more barbaric than Hendery’s.

You felt sick to your stomach to admit that maybe Giselle didn’t suffer too much of an agonizing death, as an arrow to the heart was the quickest way to an end.

Jeno loves the thrill of a chase. Once he has his sights on you, his frenzy doesn’t stop…

The warning that your own mother gave you stuck ever since she first told you. And it all made sense now: Giselle was part of the hunt.

The last you would ever see of her, was a delicate, lifeless body slumped over Jeno’s shoulders as the two brothers walked back the way they came.

The two of you could’ve stayed hidden in the trees forever, passing the time by staring at the way the grass moved in the wind. Especially now that you had to face the aftermath of being found after such little time.

Xiaojun’s arms slowly unwrapped around your body, falling onto the branch in defeat.

You couldn’t help but fight back more tears as you looked back at him, eventually failing as you saw how red his own eyes were.

“What did they mean by “be here any minute?”

You asked in a trembling tone, voice slightly breaking from the sobs that overtook your chords.

“I fear they’ll stay close by for a while, but maybe it’s a chance we’ll have to take to see what’s going on.”

His cool breath touched your lips as he spoke, and you could only give a nod. No amount of talking could take away the pain you felt.

The two of you cautiously exited the trees, remaining in your shrunken size to stay undetected.

You gave one last look at the grass below you, soaking in Giselle’s blood that splattered onto the now-soiled greenery.

Xiaojun led the way, choosing to duck behind the trees along the clearing, as you did the same.

The area seemed too quiet now…

The wisp of arrows no longer filled the air, and the crashing of what sounded like housing structures were no longer drowned out by the screams of your family and friends.

Considering the two of you purposefully ventured out past the village limits, it seemed like hours before you reached the entrance to your once-forever home.

The destruction seemed picture-perfect to what your elders had experienced in the past.

Xiaojun reached behind to interlock your fingers with his as you both approached the gates. You could only let your wings carry you now, barely reacting to his physicality…the numbness had become too overbearing.

No sign of life could be caught within your sights, only smoke and dwindling flames littered the landscape.

Houses were barely standing, with sunken ceilings and crumbling timber.

Could everyone truly be dead? Even your parents?

You tried your best to peek over Xiaojun’s shoulder, trying as best as you both could to find your respective homes. And considering how small the two of you were now, the billows proved to be difficult terrain. You both covered your faces in defense of the embers, fending off the irritation to your eyes.

Xiaojun was the first to look towards what was left of your home, eventually dragging you along despite your best efforts to protect your eyes.

Upon stopping and hovering in front of your disheveled porch, it was obvious your parents were gone; though you didn’t want to think about the manner in which they were gone.

You couldn’t even bring yourself to rummage through the chunks of burnt siding, as every piece was scorching hot to the touch.

“Why even fucking bother?”

Your anger began to overshadow your grief, and despite the fumes emanating off the burnt mahogany, you kicked at what remained of the entryway.

Images of your parents flashed through your brain; undoubtedly giving it their all to fight back, not even caring that they would ultimately fail against them.

They never thought about the aftermath of their bravery…going out in glory seemed like the best way to go.

Xiaojun could only choke back tears as he hovered beside you, knowing that no amount of condolences would render you healed. He wasn’t a ghost to this kind of pain either.

You were there for him when his parents found their end at the hands of the hunters years prior.

And he knew he had to do the same for you.

“I’m sorry…” Xiaojun sniffled with a squeeze of your hand. You met his bloodshot eyes, blinking away yet another tear.

Your focus soon shifted past your best friend, as your eyes drifted over to a familiar piece of pink flower nestled under a heap of singed plywood.

Xiaojun noticed, and followed closely behind as you flew over to your discovery.

Somehow saved from the flames, was Giselle’s flower crown.

You steadied the speed at which your wings fluttered to keep the smoke at bay, and in one fell swoop of your hand, you held onto the only remnant of your dear friend.

Maybe this is why your kind wore these, not only as a form of self expression, but for moments like this. So anyone gone, would never be forgotten.

“We should go…”

You were sure it pained him as much as it did you to not give a valid response to his shared grief, but staying here out in the open was suicide. You clutched onto the Dahlia flower crown as the two of you flew south, with no real destination in mind.

Maybe a change of scenery or something less-desolate would clear your head.

—

Jeno tried his hardest not to tear a muscle in his jaw as he clenched down with every exhale.

He was left fuming ever since the end of their hunt.

He knew why Hendery intervened, and the thought of someone trying to control his methods disgusted him.

It didn’t even matter if that certain someone was his own brother.

No one got in the way of his kill.

Although he wanted to body slam Hendery into the ground, all thoughts of getting his vengeance were cut short as Yuta and Sungchan were arriving to help load the bodies. The brothers were waiting just outside the village in a clearing, with high hopes that more fairies would cross paths with them in the process.

Jeno passed the time by tossing his knife up and down in the air, purposefully avoiding conversation with his brother to bring more tension into the air. It worked somehow, with Hendery only kicking a few pebbles along the dirt instead of discussing how uneventful their slaughter was.

Yuta and Sungchan eventually drove up in the shared sport utility vehicle courtesy of Johnny, that had definitely seen better days: waves of mud caked along the fender from transporting bodies to buyers all over the county, along with a few specks of dried blood on the front tire rims from a raccoon Hendery hit the other day.

The fellow hunters skidded along the rough terrain with the help of four wheel drive, successfully parking in front of the pile where only four fairies lay stacked on top of each other.

The sun was beginning to set along the distant horizon, seeming faster as the entire land lay nestled on a hill. That still didn’t stop the golden hour from illuminating the-now blackened blood painted along their lifeless bodies, even decorating a few of their ruined flower crowns like black ink.

Yuta was the first to exit the driver's seat, putting out his cigarette in the portable ashtray just beneath the car stereo. Sungchan followed suit, but not without towering over his comrade as they came to a stop to view the brother’s labor.

“I feel like there should be way more than this…”

Yuta’s crimson locks swayed in the breeze as he broke the silence, eyes darting from the bodies, then to the blonde, then to the brunette.

He was sure such a statement would tick Jeno off, who’s excess pride always managed to bring home the most kills.

“There’s definitely more out there. I saw a handful scatter south.” Hendery tilted his head in the direction as he kicked the final pebble over towards the pile of bodies.

“Yeah well if you didn’t get in the way half the time, I would’ve gotten them.”

Jeno spat as he sheathed the bowie knife back into his thigh holster. His dissatisfied expression only grew as Hendery scoffed in response.

“What, you have nothing to say?” Jeno finally looked over to him, who’s tongue-in-cheek appearance was almost the final straw to his mania.

“Can we just load these up already?”

Sungchan, the timid pacifist, was the only one to stick to the task at hand, bending down to gather one of the bloodied corpses.

Yuta walked over to open the trunk as he texted Johnny with an update.

They each gathered one with ease, and despite being in their full size at death, all four managed to fit with a few pronounced shoves.

“Seems you went easy on them this time Jen…” Yuta took one final glance at the trunk, making sure Jeno heard his side comment before closing it. Based on the way Jeno slammed the rear passenger door, he succeeded.

Yuta couldn’t help but light yet another cigarette as he put the car in reverse, even offering one to Jeno and Hendery who both declined with a shake of their head.

It would take at least forty minutes before they reached headquarters, and anything to diffuse the obvious tension was worth a try.

—

You subconsciously thanked whatever God that your kind didn’t need food and water as often as the humans who co-inhabited this earth.

If you did, the hunger and dehydration would’ve befallen you a long time ago.

Neither you nor Xiaojun had eaten anything since the attack.

It was now dark, and based on the abundance of nocturnal animals scouring about, it had to be late.

And unfortunately, the smell of petrichor began to fill your noses.

Rain was definitely not your best friend while in this size or without proper shelter.

“Let’s stop here before it starts pouring.” Xiaojun guided you over to yet another tree, choosing to fly high up along the weeping willow for extra protection.

He had become so steadfast in a small amount of time, and you were sure it was because of his familiarity with this type of tragedy.

At least he was holding himself together better than you were.

Each time you glanced down at Giselle’s crown, you couldn’t help but tear up. And the thought of potentially finding more along your journey scared you.

Just as you nestled yourselves within the leaves, the rain began to pour and soon came the thunder.

Regardless of mother nature’s wrath, the comforting sound of raindrops hitting every leaf soothed away your stressors, as it did for Xiaojun. And not soon after, you found yourself laying back into his body for added warmth.

He welcomed your embrace, and let his head rest on top of yours as the two of you tried to drift off to sleep.

Giselle’s crown never let you, perched just above as some sort of guardian that you hoped would watch over you for a lifetime.

“I love you.”

Xiaojun’s whisper stirred you from your near distant slumber, and as you rose your head up, you found your lips just millimeters away from his own.

“I love you too…”

—

2 years ago

—

“Sorry to cut the training short but I need everyone in my office now.”

Johnny’s stone cold appearance into the gymnasium-sized training room caused everyone to freeze in place. Even YangYang, the newest recruit, had a hint of worry in his eye from what his boss could possibly want at this time of day.

The new offensive tactic he was learning from Hendery felt too liberating to be interrupted.

Nonetheless, all five hunters dropped their practice weapons, and began following through the halls of their headquarters. Jeno walked close behind, exuding annoyance with every step, followed by Hendery, Yuta, Sungchan, and YangYang, who all seemed less vexed.

“Fresh meat” as Yuta liked to call the newest recruit, found the Brutalist architecture of the entire headquarters difficult to get used to. Nothing felt welcoming, but what could he expect from a group of ruthless hunters who’s only form of entertainment were killing or training?

YangYang hoped that maybe he was jumping to conclusions, and that maybe they actually engaged in more leisure activities.

Eventually they made it to Johnny’s office. YangYang mentally recalled the first time he ever saw it, back when he was interviewed.

Not much self-expression, or color for that matter; only strange and usual murals of taxidermied animals, and a few plaques of outstanding achievements in “Guerilla Warfare.”

The newest hunter felt awkward in the sea of black, not knowing if he seemed “lazy” for wanting to sit in one of the two chairs positioned in front of the carbon grey desk. Though, his pondering was short lived as Hendery and Yuta swiftly shoved between him to claim the only two seats.

Everyone except Jeno stayed in direct view of their boss, instead opting to lean against the wall with a few kicks to the fine carpet below. YangYang could already tell from his fifth day here that his blonde-haired comrade was the hothead of the group, intimidatingly so.

“I called this meeting to discuss our sales…they’re unacceptable.”

If only YangYang had known that this wasn’t the usual topic of a meeting, nor was it a common issue, though he did notice that everyone had their undivided attention, especially considering Johnny’s succinct tone.

Yet there was a hint of relief in the hunter’s exhale, as there was no way he attributed to whatever poor sales his boss was referring to, when he’s only been here for less than a week.

“I wanted to wait and see if maybe there was a mistake in my counts before pulling you all out of training, but it’s quite obvious that we’re down 20%.”

Based on the way Sungchan and Hendery dropped their heads, the news was transparently bad. And despite the amount of bodies in the room, the atmosphere grew cold in the span of a heartbeat.

“I don’t understand, we’ve killed thousands. How is that bringing us down?”

Yuta was the first to speak after what seemed like minutes; eventually sparing the room of awkward silence. He leaned forward in his seat with intrigue, ultimately showing concern that was shared across everyone’s faces.

“Precisely. It’s not the numbers, it’s the method.”

Johnny leaned far back in his chair with a cross of his hands over his abdomen—typical posture for someone trying to keep their composure.

Was there confusion? Definitely. So much so that Hendery finally raised his head with a dumbfounded expression which might’ve garnered a slap from his displeased boss, though the thickness of his chestnut bangs spared him of the reprimand.

“With each receipt that I get, there’s been a pattern...some sort of complaint.”

Johnny paused to grab the binder in the corner of his desk that housed all of the “receipts”, eventually flipping it open to show the large stack that could barely stay organized due to the lightweight paper.

“Specimen AG — parts not salvageable due to maiming of thoracic cage and surrounding viscera…

Specimen BH — parts not salvageable due to debasement of intestines, including prolapse…”

The list seemed to go on and on—fifty pages worth to be exact, and it wasn’t until Johnny read the sixth one that the group of hunters finally caught on to the stress brewing within his chords.

“There’s a reason we don’t use bombs or any explosives, but based on the condition of these bodies, doesn’t fucking matter if we do!”

Johnny slammed the binder shut; seeming to resort back to his previous posture with equanimity.

His voice barely above a shout, surely to get louder if no one spoke up soon.

“But there’s one thing I won’t do, and that’s babysit. I have way too many important things to take care of while you guys are out there. So you all need to tell me what’s going on.”

“I might have a clue…”

YangYang’s peripherals shifted to Hendery, who was the second to speak with a brief raise of his fore and middle finger.

“I don’t think it helps that there’s someone in this room that likes to go overboard with their methods.”

YangYang was the only one to scan the room for the person in question, and eventually his suspicion bloomed upon setting his sights on Jeno.

He would never forget his first day hunting, nor would he forget the lingering smirk that painted Jeno’s face with every kill.

Each fairy met their end in the most gruesome way possible, and somehow even his own brother had less sadistic methods to his madness.

Limbs torn, torso’s gutted, throats ripped…

That was one way for Jeno to distinguish himself from the more quick and painless deaths of his counterparts.

Easily…

“You piece of shit…”

Jeno’s bark was just as hefty at his bite, and snapped YangYang out of his recollection.

Thankfully his laconic response was towards Hendery.

“I should’ve known.”

Johnny produced a heavy sigh as he leaned forward to put his head in his hands.

“Jeno you’re one of the best hunters i’ve ever known, you and your brother both. But you can’t do this. I’ve had countless buyers not only documenting but telling me that the parts are too mutilated…”

Johnny’s tone surprisingly stayed neutral, but the disappointment in his face didn’t falter.

“Why criticize me for doing what we are trained to do?”

Though Jeno remained still against the wall, it was evident his fists were clenched inside the pockets of his combat pants to resist the urge to punish his brother for “snitching.”

“They can’t possibly buy that junk Jeno!”

“Okay, next time I’ll just sit out and let everyone do the work then.”

Jeno’s solution to the problem was only a smart-ass response, one that tensed the room more than it already was.

“Everyone seems to understand but you…”

—

Present

—

[0900]

Two hours of laying in bed with his eyes open when he could’ve been doing something more productive ate away at Jeno’s soul.

Perhaps the best way to take his mind off the disappointment from yesterday’s hunt would be to train, even better if he could do it alone.

Considering it was still early, he was sure that could be arranged.

He couldn’t stand to hear the soft “tick” of the analog clock any longer, eventually rising up and navigating across the dimly lit bedroom; being especially mindful of YangYang’s crutches that lay in between their separate beds.

Just a few weeks ago he sprained his ankle while training with Yuta, and never heard the end of it from the red-haired bully. The teasing was warranted, as his clumsiness made him miss out on the second hunt of his career.

Before YangYang was recruited, Jeno was lucky enough to have a room by himself, but for the past two years he’s had to share. And despite his constant gripes with Johnny over that decision, there had been no changes in his room and board.

Thankfully, YangYang wasn’t as much of a headache as he thought he would be.

Just as Jeno reached for the doorknob, he was interrupted from YangYang’s awakening.

“How was yesterday?”

His groggy morning voice was a far-cry from his more upbeat tone that tended to blossom throughout the day.

“You didn’t miss much.”

Jeno refrained from turning his head to address YangYang’s curiosity, and as a result, missed the frown that littered his face.

“Guess that makes me feel a bit better about being a klutz then.”

YangYang had grown accustomed to Jeno’s uninterested personality and expected nothing in return: no reassurance nor words of encouragement, but it still left him feeling cold as Jeno exited the bedroom with a harsh slam of the door.

—

After freshening up in the bathroom, Jeno eventually walked through the maze of minimally designed hallways, with the constant reminder of how the entire building matched his current mood—arid, dull, and grey.

The gymnasium was just off in the distance and past Johnny’s office, which he suspected to be empty.

But to Jeno’s surprise, it was occupied by not only his boss, but an unfamiliar person.

Their voices still seemed hushed to a low volume as Jeno decided to pause just past the partially open door. The brief glance Jeno gave in between wielded a weak observation of the boy, but just enough to know that there was no way he could survive here—he looked barely old enough to even drive.

“Even though you still have yet to gain experience in the realm of hunting, I think you’ll be a great new addition to the team Jisung. We have plenty of approachable people here who would be more than happy to assist you on your learning curve.”

“Such a relief to hear that.”

The voice matched the ingenuous appearance of the boy, and somehow Jeno already had an irked nerve creep under his skin from the thought of gaining a new inexperienced “co-worker.”

“Due to tight restrictions on sales and making sure everyone gets equal pay, you’ll probably be the last hire, but I'll make sure we get you trained to expectations in no time.”

Last hire?

Jeno immediately fell into the depths of suspicion.

There was only one possible meaning in Jeno’s eyes: and the answer was replacement.

The mere thought of deception plagued the mind of the seasoned hunter, and to such a degree that he could’ve easily torn down the door and stormed in to give both of them hell.

If anyone saw Jeno now, they would see a raged monster—veins pulsed along his arms and down to his fists where he aimed to punch the wall nearest to him. The impact from his knuckle to the grey wall proved to be successful, and no amount of sting could’ve prevented him from giving another punch.

Of course they heard it. And he didn’t want to stick around to see their faces when they came out to check. The self- control Jeno possessed, would ultimately spare the two of his wrath.

The thought of training no longer sounded appealing; only real damage…real blood, could diffuse his anger.

And no one could stop him from killing the way he wanted to.

Not even his own brother, that just so happened to unveil himself from his shared room with Yuta.

Hendery was just beginning to start his day, having already decided to sharpen his crossbow arrows, as training with them weakened the aluminum overtime.

He heard the loud “thud” just as he opened his bedroom door, and to his surprise, Jeno was storming off in the direction of the courtyard.

Something had to have bothered him, especially to the point that a large dent was made into the plastered wall on the other side of Johnny’s office.

Did he have an impromptu meeting?

As Hendery began to jog towards his impetuous brother, he heard the creak of the office door, but couldn’t bother to look back at who appeared from inside.

“Jeno! What’s going on?”

His call yielded no response, and it seemed like miles before he got in arms reach of him.

Just like Hendery predicted, Jeno made it to the frosted glass doors of the courtyard, violently pushing them open to the point of almost cracking the inorganic material.

Hendery managed to lunge forward, ignoring the voices of Sungchan and Yuta in the distance as he cupped the back of Jeno’s shoulder.

“What the fuck’s going on?! Stop!”

Without conscious thought, Hendery’s reflexes erupted from the center of his body, branching out towards his limbs to forge protection from the sudden backhand Jeno tried to give with his left hand. Hendery adjusted his footing to keep from falling backwards, but it seemed that he had to be one step ahead to handle Jeno’s blind rage.

Sungchan and Yuta halted side-by-side, just in time to see Jeno practically attacking his own brother, with the first strike barely missing, though another seemed to be winding up from his right hand.

“What could you possibly do, huh? I’m getting fucking replaced!”

Sungchan was the first to look at Yuta with confusion as they heard Jeno’s explosive response. Even from their position at the doors, they could see every contour of Jeno’s muscles contract along his arms, with veins bulging against both sides of his temple as he seemed to hold back a snarl.

Regardless, the two hunters felt relieved to know they weren’t the ones trying to console an absolute maniac.

They knew better.

“What the hell?”

Within minutes of the brawl, a flurry of bodies appeared at the door. Johnny rushed down the steps after uttering his shock, followed by Jisung—and in the process of his first appearance, earned a scoff from Yuta as he brushed past. YangYang was the last to reach the ensemble, teeming with frustration at his inability to get accustomed to his crutches.

If any outsider saw the scene before them, they would question if there was any proper authority amongst a group of murderous men.

“Jeno! You have to stop!”

No amount of pleas from Johnny could tear the two brothers apart. And whether or not it was to make a good first impression, Jisung lunged into action to separate them both as best as he could.

With the assistance of Johnny, who was undoubtedly stronger than the three combined, the heavy strikes to each other's bodies eventually ceased…followed by bruised cheeks, puffed lips, and labored breaths that flooded the hostile climate.

Clearly, Jisung made the mistake of keeping his hands glued to Jeno’s shoulders as he rose from the dark granite rocks, shoving away the unwarranted contact.

“After all these years of me outperforming everyone you’ve ever known, you’re going to throw me away?”

He spat in Johnny’s face, even bucking towards him without shame before turning his attention back to Jisung. It was clear that Jeno wasn’t done, and Hendery’s intuition seemed to outshine everyone as he noticed his brother gearing up for another strike. Maybe it was the fact they were both bound by blood, as the two were always one step ahead of each other’s intentions.

Despite the pain burning at his body, Hendery put himself in between Jeno and Jisung, yet again taking another punch, this time for someone he hadn’t even propely met.

He took the brute force of Jeno’s knuckles, with plenty of newtons to make him stumble back.

Jisung barely had time to flinch, but the aftershock left him feeling indebted towards Hendery.

“I don’t want to lose any of you! If you came to me in private, I would’ve explained, but instead you go absolutely insane thinking he was your replacement?!”

For the first time, Jeno let his fists unclench with a harsh grimace. If it was to hide his disgrace or combat the raging headache, no one would ever know.

Johnny stepped closer to Jeno, seeking out a valid response, but he was met with an ungracious exit.

Hendery held onto his aching cheek as he watched Jeno walk away, presumably to never come back.

His final act of longing to reach for his brother was interrupted as Johnny spoke,

“Just let him go…”

The entire courtyard turned to silence as Jeno pushed past his two comrades at the door, eventually disappearing in the adjacent hallway.

Jisung was surprised to find that even after all of the chaos, Johnny remained calm. How?

—

“Xiaojun…Xiaojun wake up! Do you hear that?”

Off into the distance and below the same tree you both had been sleeping in for the past night, you heard the sound of flapping wings.

Through the breeze, you couldn’t discern if they were from your kind or an animal, but you desperately needed a second set of ears to assist with your discovery.

After rubbing your companion’s arm, he finally awoke, albeit at a snail’s pace. The flapping stopped just as he stretched his upper body, and it didn’t take a genius to realize your disappointment.

But there again, you heard the high frequency sound of those same wings down below.

This time Xiaojun heard it, and even his eyes grew an astonishing amount,

“I hear multiple sets of wings…do you?”

Maybe his advanced hearing fared better than yours considering your lack of proper rest, but after concentrating enough with closed eyes, you heard it too.

“We should go check.”

You wondered if Xiaojun felt like risking his life yet again, but if this was anything like you hoped, then there was a better chance of survival with more than just two to a team.

He agreed with a subtle nod, and stayed close behind as you both crept towards the edge of the weeping willow.

You paused before going any further, deciding to reach back and grab Giselle’s crown as it was practically your security blanket.

Once you reached a safe distance, you scanned the twilight sky for any signs of aerial life. But that observation was soon forgotten as four pairs of living bodies were flying across the fescue grass.

Myrtle, Canna, Red Flax, and Black Pansy rested atop each of their heads and you immediately recognized them.

Karina, Jaemin, Renjun, and Winter.

You clutched Giselle’s crown close to your chest as you dove towards them, almost forgetting that Xiaojun was right behind you.

Their hearing proved to be just as fruitful, as they each turned in the direction of your swift flight.

Their faces, lighting up just as bright as the peeking sun over the horizon, gave you all of the strength in the world. They seemed to be alive and most importantly well considering the disaster that befell the community just two days ago.

No words were spoken, just tears of relief as an assembly line of embraces filled the atmosphere.

Due to your excitement, you didn’t notice that they too had flower crowns, with Karina being the one to carry all three.

Chenle, Ten, and NingNing.

You felt a tight squeeze on your heart as you eyed the only evidence of their unforgettable beauty, but to see remnants of their existence was more than enough closure.

Winter was the first to speak as you hugged her last,

“I can’t believe you both are here! I’ve been crying ever since we made it out.”

She kept one hand on your shoulder as she used the other to rid the tear trailing past her chin.

The abundance of emotions even managed to make Jaemin tear up, as he was someone who never cried.

Karina seemed to keep her eyes trained on Giselle’s crown nestled in your hand, and as her lip began to quiver, you immediately rushed over to hug her again.

The two were inseparable—sisters who never missed the opportunity to experience life’s wonders together.

You knew no amount of words would take away the pain, but you hoped that your affection would forge an era of healing.

Based on her steady heartbeat and the collective encircle everyone decided to share, you knew it would happen eventually.

“Have any of you seen my parents?”

You waited until the group hug dispersed before asking, as you needed a solid look at each of their faces for any signs of an answer.

The silence was deafening, but unfortunately more than enough to answer your question.

“I can barely recall what happened. Everything seemed like a blur…”

Renjun’s statement garnered a collective nod. Nonetheless, you simply appreciated their existence as it didn’t seem like there was much left.

—

Jeno had finally found a reason to keep going.

There, in a clearing upon chance, was the source of his thirst.

Had the fight with his brother not happened, he would’ve missed the six fairies huddled in a circle amongst the teff grass.

They seemed delighted in their reunion, albeit shaken up from recent events.

Despite Jeno’s lack of supernatural abilities, he could still sense the wariness looming over their pitiful bodies…he could still feel the magnetic pull that drove him to be their absolute nightmare.

If he was a dog, he would be salivating, shamelessly so.

Ever since storming away from the courtyard, Jeno rushed back inside towards the training room to grab all of his signature weapons, along with any other utilities that would be of good use for his inevitable soul-searching.

Considering Sungchan was quite intimidated by him, he doubted the tall lanky hunter would mind if he took some of his homemade smoke bombs.

Might as well make use of what’s here…

Jeno had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to go back home, especially now that he saw you.

An absolute spectacle, perfect to use as an example of why your race was so weak…so obsolete.

Maybe it was the way you cautiously scanned the clearing ever so often, or the way you tugged at your opposite forearm to calm your nerves.

Nothing stood out more than your doe eyes—even more gratifying if he was the reason they widened in fear.

He clearly missed the opportunity to see that fiery emotion the first time he scoured your home.

Now he couldn’t let the chance slip away.

As he readied the smoke bomb in his left hand, his own eyes shifted into something sinister, like daggers ready to gouge at your delicate figure.

A toss was all it took to unleash chaos, and though the plume of white smoke covered your initial shock, Jeno knew he would see more of you, eventually.

It was like muscle memory how effortlessly his throwing knives flew through the air, hitting three in quick succession, spurts of scarlet shooting from their collarbones, tainting the ground yet again at the hands of a homicidal aficionado.

Their cries of pain were melodic, practically a sextet of symphony that grew louder the closer Jeno got.

Just like he had planned, you were unscathed, attempting to assist one that collapsed from his attack.

There was something different in the way you gathered your arms to lift him, something special in the way you practically ignored the obvious face of danger to make sure he felt your presence.

Jeno wasn’t the only one that noticed—the two that lucked out from the assault called your name, practically begging you to save yourself.

But based on the caresses you gave this frail boy, you would rather die than leave him.

How was it possible that a surge of jealousy brewed within his chest just as quickly as your selflessness?

—

Jaemin and Karina continued to shout your name as they made their way towards the weeping willow trees.

Besides them, you were the last one standing.

Every hit replayed in your mind upon impact.

Renjun, Winter, Xiaojun—with every blink, their bodies flailed from the sheer power of the flying daggers. The wisp of each knife was just too fast for your hearing.

You couldn’t let your world stop, not with Xiaojun gasping for air as the knife protruded from his neck. He needed you, and even if he didn’t survive, you begged him to be the last person you saw.

“I’m r-right here!”

You attempted to wrap your arms around his upper body to drag him away, but each attempt only garnered more of a struggle.

Specks of blood continued to paint his eyelids, with blotches of purple spreading where the knife lay buried.

The only sounds that managed to escape Xiaojun’s quivering lips were labored sobs, and the determination to reassure him began to crumble beneath your feet.

All thoughts of an escape melted away as you heard the sheath of a knife coming out of a holster.

—

Your eyes fluttered open just as fast as your wings, though there seemed to be something restricting the full momentum at which you could generate flight.

The feeling of cold metal gave you chills all throughout your body, and the realization of where you were made you feel even colder.

You were full size, surely because the stress you endured however long ago was too much for your body to endure. And somehow, there was a cage large enough to fit you as you hung from the ceiling like a lantern.

You gave up on trying to keep your wings stimulated as it constantly hit the black steel bars holding you hostage. None of that mattered anymore as you took in the setting before you.

A wooden shack, rusted tools leaning against the walls, and the same dome-shaped cages hanging from the ceiling, with your friends inside.

They each had their own confines, but the only thing separating them from you was the lack of movement and familiar pulses within their chest.

You slammed your eyes shut to focus on any signs of a heartbeat in case your eyes were deceiving you.

Your hearing was substantial enough to catch two—Renjun and Xiaojun.

It only took a second for your eyes to flood with tears as you realized Winter was silent…no sign of life in her once-rosy cheeks, no luster to her auburn strands, no apparent warmth to her skin.

Everything was cold.

And the only lasting memory you would have was her body slumped in the cage—eyes staring blank towards the exit that was so close, yet so far.

Jaemin and Karina were nowhere to be found in the garage-sized space, but you hoped to whatever god that they managed to escape.

If they had, they were the last ones left.

There was no ounce of hope in your survival.

“Renjun! Xiaojun! Wake up…please!”

Your hushed cries were just enough to wake Renjun as he lay cramped in the cage. He was slightly larger than you in stature, so you could only imagine how uncomfortable he felt as his wings failed to even twitch inside the metal bars.

He grimaced before raising his hand to touch the wound on his collarbone. Blood has pooled underneath his Victorian blouse, ruining the once pearl-colored fabric.

The dagger was out, and thankfully his body generated enough clotting to seal off the gash. The same could be said for Xiaojun too.

He shifted once more before scanning the room, eventually settling upon your crying eyes.

“Where are we?”

He choked up the same curiosity your own mind had garnered, though your wishes for a proper answer were slim to none.

“I don’t know…just please try and wake Xiaojun!”

Renjun was closest to him, merely centimeters away.

Just as he slivered his arm through the bars to shake at Xiaojun’s shoulder, he froze upon seeing Winter.

Your eyes whirled over in the same direction, but you regretted every blink spent on viewing her lifeless body; you were sure Renjun felt the same. The pain emanating from his expression told you so.

As he fought through his blurry vision, you focused your attention back on Xiaojun, who miraculously began to shift within the cage.

Despite his brutal awakening, you couldn’t help but marvel at how beautiful he remained through all the chaos.

He winced from the stinging in his collarbone, blaring his ivory teeth that were just as bright as the moon, and just like Renjun, he too was stained all over.

The way his eyes immediately fell upon you would’ve made any flame last for an eternity.

You would give your life for him.

The chance to do it would be soon, crashing down like a comet that would scorch your entire body in a blaze.

A few clicks of what you assumed to be locks chimed throughout the room, and there standing in the oak doorway was the end to your existence.

Jeno.

To no surprise, he stilled in the door frame with heartless eyes, gleaming with the satisfaction of his catch.

He captured four of you on his own and could’ve easily taken two more.

He stood in silence for what felt like fifty pendulum ticks, probably deciding how to execute each of you.

Regardless of the fact that you were his prey, and prey were never meant to stare into the eyes of their predator, you couldn’t look away.

You had gotten a good look at him when his brother killed Giselle, but seeing him in this state made all the more difference to the stories your family told of him.

He stood in similar black attire, with plenty of tactical accessories to compliment his status as a hunter—a knife holster on his left thigh, a belt assembled with the same smoke bombs he used earlier, and a few throwing knives tucked into an ankle holster on his right side.

There was a reason he was the most brutal one of them all.

It didn’t take a lot to kill your kind, but it made his job more enjoyable if every method imaginable could be used.

Your trailing eyes proved to be a mistake, and your upcoming death all the more damning because of how flawless he appeared in front of you.

His looks were even more deadly up close. Your eyes could’ve melted in their sockets at the sight of his sharp jawline, or even his cheekbones that heightened the electricity of his blue eyes.

Maybe dying at the hands of someone so unbearably perfect would make the sequence into the afterlife a little less daunting.

It was just a shame he wouldn’t make it quick.

Finally you closed your eyes, only using your hearing to verify that his footsteps were coming towards your own personal cage.

Your entire body flinched as you heard him unlock it and swing the door back, the gust of air rustling your eyelashes, forcing you to open your eyes wide.

He barely had to maneuver his body to wrap one hand around your entire waist, pulling you out of the cage like you were a feather from an owl.

You were nowhere comparable in size to him—the entire length of your body was easily a difference of a foot or more but your attention to those details were the least of your worries.

The aroma of bergamot and cedarwood filled your nose, stemming from his neck and chest. Each beat of his pulse seemed to push the scent further into your senses, intoxicating enough to distract you from the fact he slammed you into the adjacent wall.

Your entire head recoiled against the weathered hardwood, causing your vision to multiply. It wasn’t until you felt his calloused hand wrap around your throat and lift you meters above the floor, that your sights finally settled.

The cyan in his eyes had shifted to cobalt, though the diameter of color seemed to disperse as his pupils dilated. It was enough to make you wince, but showing fear would only fuel more desire.

“Please don’t…”

You barely heard Xiaojun’s sniffled cries in the background, as the trance Jeno put you in was too much to decipher anything else.

He continued to speak for you, but it didn’t seem to garner any second thoughts in Jeno’s mind.

You wished to be some sort of sacrifice; a guaranteed exit for what was left of your friends. There had to be something you could do to warrant that.

The only other possibility was actually right in front of you, though you shuddered at the thought of breaking such a promise.

You were never one to plead for your life, but that seemed to be the only viable option to please the sadist in front of you.

With one final gulp that seemed to get caught in between his palm and continue down into your stomach, you brought up your hands to wrap around his own.

His snarl only grew more intense as he watched, and there you saw a beast unleashing.

You opened your quivering lips, making a pitiful attempt at appearing even more pathetic than you already were.

“Take me…not them.”

Just as you expected, he forced you forward by your neck, only to slam you back against the wall. It was definitely rougher than before, enough to make your brain feel like it would pop out of your skull.

This time he stepped forward, using his chiseled thigh to separate your twisted legs.

His face was merely millimeters away from your own, and the coolness of his breath hit your lips like a blizzard.

You wondered why he didn’t verbally challenge your need for survival, but the reason was evident once you felt his groin make contact with your torso.

He let his length speak for him.

And with every squirm that you gave, it continued to twitch under the confines of his combat pants.

What you assumed to be the tip poked right underneath your breasts, and with that came the realization of how minuscule your kind truly was in comparison to his.

Your eyes attempted to follow his other hand as he reached for his prized bowie knife attached to his left thigh. The brief yet ominous sound of it being unsheathed caused Xiaojun and Renjun to rustle in their cages.

From where you were positioned, you could see Xiaojun just past Jeno’s shoulders.

During this entire ordeal, you kept your eyes away from him, as the indignity of the situation was too much for your soul to bear. But now that it seemed your death was near, it was only right that you gave Xiaojun one final look of goodbye.

You shifted your eyes over to the one person that remained with you through it all.

Through your peripherals you could see the glimmering metal rush towards you, but instead of feeling a sharp twinge of pain, you felt a rush of cold.

You could hear Xiaojun and Renjun’s breath hitch from afar as they both realized too that you were completely bare in front of them. Your clothes had flown off to the side, shredded from the sharpness of his trusted blade.

Despite the coolness in the air, the warmth emanating from your core served as an invitation for the monster prodding at your stomach.

Your entire body began to tremble uncontrollably, maybe as some sort of coping mechanism for the humiliation brewing deep within.

“Look at me!”

Your teary eyed shifted immediately back over to Jeno as he bellowed out his command, the cluster of veins in his neck shifting as he clenched his teeth.

Your shaking didn’t seem to help as he positioned the tip of his blade at your collarbone, pressing inward to break the skin.

“Keep looking…just like that.”

He spoke again, barely above a whisper; his speech matching the slow tempo of the knife being dragged down the centerline of your body.

The pain was nowhere near the worst to be endured, surely it was sharpness of the blade that kept the stinging bearable.

A trail of blood followed, a fine line that only stopped once the tip of the blade reached your clit.

You jumped considerably at the contact, which was enough to slice the bundle of nerves if you weren’t careful.

As you tried to keep your composure, Jeno stared deep at your struggling frame, marveling in the way gravity caused all of the maroon fluid to pool around your warm mound.

“Did you think I would kill you so soon?”

Any means of a response were thwarted as he tossed his knife to the floor.

You were shocked, as that seemed to be his most prized possession, but in mere seconds you realized why.

In two swift motions he finally let go of your throat, leaving you to stumble onto your feet and gain a few recovering breaths. You weren’t even sure how to stand on your own two feet anymore, as you’d grown so accustomed to being one with the atmosphere, flying so freely before any of this mess started.

Your chances at running towards your friends to set them free were all in vain as you heard the harsh sound of a zipper and belt clasp being undone.

The sight of his cock snapping out of his briefs was enough to make you press your back as far back into the wall as you could.

His length stood upright, with a glistening tip that managed to refract in the dimly lit room.

Time seemed to go slow as you watched his veins continue to pulse blood throughout his cock, keeping it just as red as your flushed cheeks.

Precum dripped like a broken faucet with a distinct patter as it continued to hit the ground just as fast as your racing heartbeat.

Your knees buckled as he used one hand to spread the clear liquid throughout his shaft in a slick up and down motion.

He seemed to be sensitive already as he bucked into his own hand, trying his hardest to keep his self-pleasure to a minimum.

You looked down to your feet to see that there were two puddles on the floor, one of your blood and one of his essence.

The way they attempted to mix together kept your senses distracted, completely missing that Jeno stepped up to you with his pants at the ground and his tight shirt pushed up to his muscular chest.

Your legs gave out just as he used one hand to grab at your hip, and the other hand to position his cock at your entrance.

“First time I get to fuck anything like this…”

Your brief pleas of no were cut short at his pistoned inside you without warning, attempting to tear you apart without sympathy. The guttural groan he produced from his evil chords echoed throughout the room, bouncing off the walls louder than your friends screams.

There was no way to respond to that, or to any of his actions for that matter. Not when you were being stuffed full, way past your limit.

All you could do was cry out at the pressure as he came to a standstill.

His mouth hung open in complete awe…somehow through his infliction of pain, you were wet.

And the addition of your blood made the entry all the more gratifying.

He was barely a few inches inside, but he was already touching your cervix, and the bulge present in your stomach confirmed it.

Burning began to surge throughout your core even as he stood still to try and accommodate more for himself.

“You can’t—nngh it’s too much!”

If he continued any further, you weren’t sure you would be able to voice your horror any longer.

He was too enveloped in how tight you were to care; the pleasure way above anything he’s ever killed.

Your attempts to lift off his cock only made the burning grow and eventually, earned you more inches to try and take.

Now, both hands were on either side of your hips with a death grip strong enough to leave bruised handprints on either side.

You had no choice but to wrap both legs around his waist to alleviate some of the pressure.

It wasn’t long before his groin finally made contact with yours, and shockingly you were able to breathe through all of the discomfort as he seated himself one final time.

The only thing keeping you grounded to reality was the continuous blood that seeped from your sternum and the grunts coming from Jeno’s drooling mouth as he began rocking into you at a steady pace.

You had long forgotten the others in the room—you couldn’t focus on that now or else you would go into shock.

But it seemed the more rhythm and sounds that grew between your connecting bodies, the more inclined Jeno was to remind you of your broken state.

You hoped the pleasure building within your core was strong enough to overshadow your guilt…the way he continued to hit every spot within your dripping pussy made you confident enough in that fact.

Through it all, you couldn’t bring yourself to voice how full you felt.

Your lips remained pursed together, sometimes even gnawing at the puffed skin to silence the sounds trying to escape your throat.

It wasn’t until you and Jeno’s eyes met in sync, that a whimper managed to slip.

Your eyes grew in horror, completely ignoring the skin slapping prodding at both of your ears.

You failed, but it seemed to fuel every fiber of his being.

He leaned forward to bury his face into your neck, allowing his tongue to paint a shiny picture along the side of your jawline.

You whimpered again.

Like the puppet you were, you found your hands having a mind of their own, lifting to rake your fingers through the back of his platinum locks.

“I could kill everyone you love, but you’ll still beg to take my cock…”

He groaned into your ear, tugging at your lobe for added effect.

That was enough to feel a wave of disdained euphoria wash over your entire body.

There was a band that seemed to snap at every nerve ending, causing you to squeeze your walls as tight as you could around his length until you came apart.

Your back arched involuntarily, finally giving your wings a break from the wooden wall that continued to tear the skin open with every snap of his hips.

“Fuck!”

He turned his head to roar against your cheek, hips slowly losing their rhythm the more your orgasm continued.

You voiced your displeasure with a whine as you felt him slide out of your weeping hole, only then did you realize that he wasn’t done with you.

He managed to face you to the wall despite how limp your legs were, and within seconds he was inside you again.

This new position was even more intense than the last.

Your hands grabbed at any crevice you could find on the wall for support as he drilled into you from behind.

Your eyes shifted down to see your juices splattering past his cum-laden pelvis, eventually mixing where the blood had turned black against the rustic oak floor.

“I’ll just keep you for myself, nothing more than a cock hungry slut…forever alone, taking everything I give you.”

His words stabbed at you worse than any knife.

It was too late to self-loathe any longer. The deed was long overdue, as his own release was nearing.

You felt those familiar twitches deep inside your torso, coming all the way from his scarlet-covered cock. With one final snap of his hips, heat shot deep into your womb, coating your insides in milky white. The rest pooled against his groin, spilling onto the floor to join the rest of the filth the two of you created.

His animalistic sounds had morphed into more subdued moans that played over and over like a broken vinyl as he came down from his raptured high.

Every word of caution from your family about Jeno seemed to be nonexistent now, because of you.

You were nothing more than a toy for him to use.

His exited you in a single breath, allowing your bruised body to slump onto the floor.

Convulsions soon followed as you felt his juices ooze out of your swollen hole.

You were catatonic, barely even reacting to how shameless he was in fixing his attire.

Only your hearing guided you to what he would do next.

Maybe it was in your favor that your eyes were stuck facing the door, away from the eventual slaughter of your friends.

You heard Jeno pick up his knife from the floor and walk over to what you presumed to be Renjun’s cage first.

The rustling of the metal grew just as loud as his hysterical cries.

But there was something else in the distance that you could hear, outside of the cabin.

Footsteps.

They grew in speed until a brief stop.

Luckily you were facing the door, hoping for some sort of savior.

It couldn’t have been Jaemin or Karina, as you would’ve heard the flutter of their wings instead.

Through your frozen state, only your eyes could widen as you heard the door crash open.

There standing with frenzied breaths was…Hendery.

“Jeno I’ve been looking every—”

You watched as he dropped his hands, eyes scanning the sickening scene in front of him. There was a deafening pause, where you hoped the last bit of humanity rested within Hendery.

You could only listen as he lunged at Jeno with a scream.

“You can’t fucking do this!!!”

There was an obvious power struggle, enough to knock over various items in the cabin that crashed to the ground, but not enough to make you flinch.

“Stop!! Jeno—”

Another pause, and this time you heard a knife enter someone’s skin. A rupture of what sounded like muscle tendon rang through your ears, followed by gurgling.

Time seemed to slow down as Xiaojun and Renjun entered your vision.

Without a second thought, they lifted your broken body into their arms, a collaborative effort considering your current state.

It was then that you saw the aftermath.

Jeno was sprawled on the floor in a pool of his own blood, with his knife peeking out of his neck.

The entire struggle was the claim of a life. But through it all, Hendery had set you all free.

Your tears seemed to match that of the dark-haired human as he fell to his knees, mourning the loss of his brother by his own hands.

A lasting memory that was etched into your mind instantly.

Soon, the smell of petrichor entered your nose and then came the moonlight that illuminated your skin.

As the two of them flew up into the sky, you felt Renjun place Winter and Giselle’s flower crown into your arms as you were carried to freedom.

—

to read about the lore, click here!

//tagging:

@tddyhyck @tsumuu @devinitysann

@oleoleniall @wingsss45 @onlyoursol-ace @xusbabe @cheyehc @derywinkle

#jeno smut #lee jeno smut #tw: noncon #tw: knife play #jeno hard hours #nct dream smut

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creamyavocadosoup · 2 years ago

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𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝

a/n: HI AGAIN :D This has been marinating in my drafts since September of last year yall. I've been so busy with school and struggling with burnout so I've taken some time to myself :3 This is genshin men in different scenarios I've experienced. warnings: fluff! mentions of vomiting/being sick, alcohol/being drunk. characters might be slightly ooc? tried my best to fit them into the scenario and keep their personalities characters: Kaeya, Thoma, Xiao, Kazuha, Ayato, Albedo, Diluc, Zhongli, Heizou, Cyno x f!reader (all separately!)

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

Kaeya

(slow dancing in the living room)

Huffing in frustration, I turn around to walk back to the Cavalry Captain's humble abode after realizing I had indeed left my pouch, which contained the only sum of Mora to my name.

Nearing the front door, the soft hum of Kaeya's voice could barely be heard from the outside and it made you smile. He was so adorable. Although he would vehemently deny it if you said it out loud, claiming he was instead gorgeous or charming - which was very much true - but he truly had his moments where all you could describe the man as adorable.

Knocking on the door, the humming stopped as his door was promptly opened shortly after. He smirked but before he could say anything, I beat him to it.

"Sorry! I left my pouch here and y'know I kinda need it." I gave him a small smile before pushing past the blue-haired man and into the home you've spent much time in.

He wordlessly walks off through one of the arches and returns, the familiar brown pouch in his hand. Sighing in relief, I thanked him, kissing him on the cheek and turned to leave once again but his hand on my wrist held me in place as he softly tugged me towards him.

There was a cheeky yet soft smile on his lips as he guided my hands to his shoulders. I was confused, wondering what was running through that head of his. "Stay for a moment." He almost whispers, resting his cheek on the crown of my hair as his hands settle on my waist.

"Kaeya, it's getting late." I murmur, the sky bleeding a vibrant orange when you had gone outside only reminding you of the darkness that was soon to come. He hums, instead continuing the song he was singing earlier and starts softly swaying you both side to side.

Knowing how stubborn he can be, I give in to the mans silent request and move to interlock my hands behind his neck. Basking in the moment of quiet, his voice was soothing and I recognized it to be one of the songs he would often sing when I had trouble sleeping. He didn’t sing much so it was surprising to hear him do so out of the blue.

The world seemed as if it stilled, only Kaeya and I moving and swaying under the watchful eye of the moon. It was peaceful, something we have had more of ever since this relationship of ours had blossomed.

However our little bubble was broken when we heard the loud creaking of the door behind us opening. I turned to see the familiar red-haired man standing in the doorway, staring at both of us with a light dusting of pink on his cheeks at obviously disturbing an intimate moment.

Kaeya, however, quickly recovered and plastered one of his usual cheeky smiles before greeting his brother. After exchanging conversation, Diluc hands him something and proceeds to shoo him away. The pyro brother only rolled his eyes before walking away, the small smile on his face not amiss. Turning back to me, Kaeya smiles, “Where were we?”

Thoma

(first valentines day)

Waving goodbye to my coworkers, I heave out a breath of relief at successfully running the booth during the entire festival. It had been extremely stressful especially being the last day and all I wanted to do was curl up underneath blankets and sleep until all the soreness disappeared.

But before I could think much about it, my feet bounded to a familiar estate. The beautiful cherry blossoms and serene surroundings signifying the comforting place you had come to know as your second home.

It didn’t take much searching to find the person I was looking for, the familiar tufts of blonde and striking contrast of red filled me with a sense of comfort as I wrapped my arms around him. Being a pyro user sure has its perks as Thoma’s body heat had effectively shielded me from the biting cold of the approaching Inazuman night breeze.

“[Name]!” the retainer turned to face me, quickly scooping me into a proper hug and burying his face to my neck as he always does. After being wrapped in the embrace, Thoma pulls away with a childish, giddy grin and his green eyes sparkling excitedly. I raised my brow at his sudden mood shift and fear started creeping into my thoughts, afraid that he might have pulled another prank.

Thoma held onto my arms, squeezing it to distract me from my thoughts, “So, I know we haven’t spent Valentines day today,” he starts. My eyes widen as I remember the day today, panicking that I didn’t buy him anything since I was completely overwhelmed of festival duties.

He rubbed my arms softly, a little action he did whenever he wanted to signify that it was okay, “Both of us have been extremely busy with duties so I understand, especially you running a booth for the festival. But,” he pauses, softly tugging me along with him to the inside of the estate. The Kamisatos were nowhere to be seen, only the guards being the other people around, presumably out at the city and overseeing commission affairs.

We arrived at the kitchen, his taller frame walking faster than I was making me have to quicken my steps. Thoma mimicked a puppy hearing about treats as he opened one of the cabinets animatedly.

Suddenly all I could see was a flurry of colors. Pastels of pink, yellow, and orange flowers were wrapped in a simple white paper forming a beautiful bouquet. In his other hand, he held a heart shaped red box tied with a lovely satin white ribbon.

I was shocked, not expecting him to actually buy me anything, “Thoma...” I trailed off, never really good at explaining what I feel. He had accidentally been dropping hints of getting me a gift for the occasion before vehemently denying that he was, saying that he “was busy anyway and wouldn’t really have time.” But here he was, gifts in hand, and it feels like my heart is about to jump out of my chest and my stomach to pour acid with how warm it felt.

He smiled brightly, his emerald eyes disappearing and corner of his eyes crinkling, “Surprise!” He looked akin to a puppy and I pulled him in for one of the tightest hugs I had ever given him. He was startled with the action but quickly returned it with equal enthusiasm.

“Thank you, Thoma.” I blabbed, repeating the phrase over and over as tears threatened to ruin his clothes with how much of them fell. Maybe it was the exhaustion or the fact that I had felt overwhelmed at the sweet gesture but it had me a complete mess, thanking and praising the stars for allowing me to be fated to meet such a person.

He pulled away, alarmed at the tears but I reassured him that it wasn’t sad tears. Soon my tears stopped flowing and I took heaving breaths to calm down, Thoma continuously soothingly patting my back. Only then did I realize how shaky my hands had gotten and the soreness in my belly.

“Can we go get some food? I don’t think I’ve eaten anything at all since this morning.” Patting my belly, a sheepish smile was on my lips as my stomach decided to sound out its demand for food at that very moment.

Thoma pursed his lips, his eyes reflected panic in them once again, “What?! You should be taking care of yourself better-” he started ranting worriedly, gathering the gifts and his things as he dragged me behind him, towards the cluster of food stalls and establishments at the city center.

Settling in at Kiminami Restaurant, not much words were spoken as I scarfed down as much as I could. He reassured me that I could buy whatever I wanted and not to worry about prices.

Thoma often glanced at you during the course of your meal, making sure that you had eaten well, taking a few bites out of the food he ordered during so. He was satisfied to know that you were eating to your heart’s content and he absolutely melted at the sight of you enjoying yourself, his thoughts eventually floating off and different scenarios ran in his mind.

After the both of us polished off our plates, Thoma offered to accompany me to my journey back to my house after expressing the urge to collapse into a blissful sleep.

The sky bled into a beautiful purple and pink as the sun set into the horizon, the trees swaying softly in the wind and allowing the pink petals to fall around you. Arriving to the quiet neighborhood, my mothers unmistakable mop of auburn hair shone under the golden rays as she worked tirelessly over her garden.

It almost had me stilling in my place as the realization washed over me. ‘My mother has never met Thoma before!’ My heart pounded at the thought, anticipating what her reaction would be. My mother was a nice person, intimidating to some, but she would never intentionally insult you to your face. But that fact still didn't stop the pounding of my heart or my clammy palms.

With flowers and box in hand, Thoma and I stop in front of my fence, his face also scrunched in nervousness with beads of sweat starting to form on his forehead. My mother stood upon realizing we were there, greeting us with her usual friendly smile but the glint of curiosity in her eyes were something I picked up on well.

Exchanging our greetings, I turn to introduce the fidgeting retainer beside me, "Mom, this is Thoma. He currently works under the Kamisato siblings."

My mothers lips quirk up, knowing who he is as I've told her about him countless times. Thoma stutters out his greeting, his cheeks and ears a deep red as he shakes my mothers hand.

"Thoma, it's so nice to finally meet you. [Name] over here has mentioned you a couple times." She smiles warmly, remembering fondly of days she would catch me smiling to myself. "I trust you've been taking care of them well?" She spoke, her voice light but you knew her all too well. She was doing that once over that she did to all my suitors, silently scouring their stature. She knew very well who Thoma was - most trusted retainer of the famous Kamisato clan - but it didn't make her any less wary. A parental thing it must be.

Thoma smiled softly, turning to look at me, "Only the best." He spoke only loud enough for the three of us to hear and it had me blushing wildly, me smacking the blonde man for it.

He laughed before we bid our goodbyes and parted ways. My mother admired the flowers, sending me a teasing glance, as she hurriedly placed them in a vase. I finally curled under the sheets after cleaning up, letting my body float into blissful slumber.

Xiao

(catching the flu)

Tossing and turning in my bed seemed like the only thing I had done in the past couple of hours. The pounding in my head and the numerous sore joints stopped me from any sort of duties the past couple of days, my sickness metaphorically chaining me to my bed.

Smiley had thankfully come to visit this morning, wondering where I had gone since I hadn't come into work yesterday leaving Verr to ask him to check up on me. By the sea of scrunched up tissues and the half dead me laying on my bed, he was quick to deduce that I had gotten sick.

My fever had gotten me extremely loopy, I could barely register his words as he spoke to me, "Be back... Will go get soup... medicine at Bubu Pharmacy." He smiled softly, cleaning up the tissues and tucking me properly into my bed, before leaving my home.

How long had it been since then? By the orange light slipping through the room, it had been long enough for the sun to start setting.

My body felt like it was on fire but it also shivered as if I laid in a blanket of snow. My fever had me going in and out of consciousness as I stared at the ceiling, wishing that this hell would end sometime soon.

I was so out of it I didn't notice the wisps of black and teal that I had grown to love seeing. Xiao stood by my bed, his posture stiff as he leaned over to give me a once over.

His beautiful amber eyes came into view, only then realizing that he was here. It made me feel a tiny bit better, but also confused as to why he would be here.

"Xiao? I croaked, my voice coming out crackly and dry, having not had any water practically since last night.

His expression sharpened, but not a hint of malice nor hatred was present, "Do not speak, [Name]. Conserve your energy." He spoke, demandingly. His hands carefully brushed away wisps of my hair, smoothing it down and ending up feeling like he was petting my head.

In my weakened state, it brought huge comfort to me, unknowingly leaning into his touch and eyes closing at the feeling. Xiao pursed his lips, a light dusting of red adorning his cheeks at how adorable you were being. But he didn't lose focus on the task at hand.

The grip on the bag he was holding loosened as he remembered the reason he was here. Rummaging through, he pulled out the bottles of medicine and the carefully packaged soup Smiley asked him to bring, placing both on top one of your dressers.

It was unlike of the adeptus to have cared for a mortal this deeply and go out of his way to do things for but upon learning from the Inn's chef of your whereabouts, worry settled in his stomach like a parasite and he found it extremely difficult to think about anything else but you.

"I brought soup from Smiley. You should eat it before it gets cold." He spoke softly, not wanting to disturb the blissful expression on your face. I only managed to nod to his statement, silently reassuring him I would do as he says.

He sighs, "I have to go," He reached over and smoothed down my hair causing a hum from me, "But I will return by morning for your next round of medicine. Rest well, [Name]."

The adeptus was certainly worried, judging by the tightening in his stomach and curled fists, but the night indicated his duties that would surely not be taking a break for him. I smiled as I opened my eyes, greeted by the beautiful pools of amber that were Xiao's eyes, and circled both arms to pull him into a short hug.

"Stay safe." I murmured into his neck. He hesitantly returned the hug, tentatively placing his hands on my back but it was gone sooner than it was there.

No other words were spoken as he disappeared in a cloud of black and teal, but I didn't miss the further reddening of his cheeks before he turned from me even under only the light of the moon.

Kazuha

(experiencing motion sickness)

Aboarding the Crux, you safely fastened the backpack over your shoulder as you felt the wobble of the floor beneath you. This would be my first time ever riding a boat and sailing across the seas. My palms slightly sweat at the prospect of the journey ahead but knowing I would get to explore Teyvat overwhelmed my fear. Having lived a comfortable life in Liyue selling pastries, it had shocked my folks to know that I wanted to leave but they understood.

Kazuha, whom had convinced me to come with him, walked behind me, a small encouraging smile on his lips. The samurai once wandered into my shop a year ago when he had just escaped Inazuma. You remembered it so clearly, a man with a mop of white on his head, looking at the display of treats in wide-eyed wonder then proceeding to buy the ones he deemed looked the most delicious. In-between traversing the lands and sailing the seas, whenever he would visit Liyue, he always swung by, sometimes only coming by for idle chat as I finished closing up for the day.

"Ready for your first trip?" Beidou approached me, a cheeky smile on her lips as she nudged me.

Beidou had been kind enough to allow me to board the ship so I was extremely grateful for that. I guess it also helped that she knew who my parents were, and my parents trusted her a lot so it eased their worries of me being in too much danger while away.

Soon the Alcor had set off on its journey, the waves rocking the boat slightly but it wasn't too bad. Busying myself with anything and everything, I walked back and forth on the deck, helping wherever I could.

The strong rocking of the boat willed me out the current task at hand as I steadied on the closest wall, willing my vision to stop spinning. But the rocking didn't stop, and it only worsened my dizziness paired with the food earlier attempting to force its way back up. The sensation had me frantic, my garbled senses only telling me one thing.

Kazuha, Kazuha, Kazuha....

It was a miracle I was still able to walk, despite me nearly falling to my knees every time I took a step, but I managed to find him descending from the ship's crow's nest, and all but managed to grip onto his clothing before I could fall flat on the wooden boards.

"Woah! Are you alright, [name]?" He held my arms, keeping me upright, his worried eyes scanning over me for any injuries. My skin felt clammy and shivers ran down my spine as I willed all my strength into not heaving in front of him.

I only shook my head, afraid of what would happen if I spoke, and thankfully he understood. Whisking me away to his cabin, he led me to sit on his bed and quickly took a seat beside me. It was funny seeing him become so unsure of what to do as his hands only hovered around me. I would have certainly laughed if I wasn't absolutely mortified at him seeing me like this, getting easily wrecked by seasickness.

He didn't have to be unsure any longer as I hurriedly made the decision for him, resting my cheek on his shoulder and hiding in the crook of his neck. The position allowed his scent of maple leaves and the sea waft and overtake my senses, allowing me to focus on that instead of the incessant rocking. My grip on his hand never loosened, feeling like it was the finishing red ribbon allowing me to stay in one piece.

Kazuha allowed me to stay until the feeling passed, only whispering soft praises and encouragement into my ears. The words had me dizzy but in a different way, my body going completely relaxed against his. Despite the passing of the rough waves minutes ago, none of us seemed to want to let go so we indulged ourselves for a moment more.

Ayato

(whispered confessions)

It wasn't often that Ayato would get a day off so whenever it did happen, the both of you maximized it as much as possible. Here you both were, sprawled on a patterned blanket on soft grass, staring up into the vast expanse of night just enjoying each others company. He laid his head on your lap as you brushed your fingers through his hair, the actions making Ayato turn lax at the relaxing sensations.

"Is it silly to say that I've imagined us on our own lawn, doing this exact same thing?" I murmur. Despite being together for nearly a year, we had not broached the topic of our future. It was quite difficult considering his schedule. And with how busy he often was, it felt like there might have been added pressure, so you both opted to live in the moment and just enjoyed the relationship for what it was.

But the bubbling love I felt for him, I couldn't help but let my thoughts wander away. Different scenarios would run through my mind whenever I find the time to relax and the prospect always left me grinning like a fool and heart beating out of my chest, extremely giddy at the thought.

The breath caught in my throat as I peered down to view his expression. His eyes had lazily fluttered open, and a soft smile plastered on his lips. He was absolutely glowing under the moonlight, his eyes twinkling in love and adoration and the light blush on his cheeks a sight you were not used to but was certainly not unwelcome, "It's not silly at all, darling."

"In fact," he hummed, nudging closer to your body just soaking in your body heat and the smell of you that he came to find comfort in, "I've also imagined such scenarios."

My eyes grew wide as I stared into his face, his expression teasing based on the mirthful smile and almost teasing lilt in his tone, but he was absolutely not joking. Knowing Ayato, he showed a more loose side of him, jesting and joking with you but his words had always been truthful behind it all.

"Really?" I nearly squeaked out, feeling my own face heat up at the revelation. My hands had stopped working through his hair when my brain shirt-circuited and he took the opportunity to sit upright beside me.

He chuckles and nods, placing a tender kiss on my cheek. "I've imagined us bumping hips whenever we cook together," his finger ghosted over my cheek, "Or seeing your face first when I wake up in the morning. Even something as simple as cuddling with you on the couch. I want it all as long as it's with you."

The more he spoke, the more my own heart burst with joy and my tears further blurred my vision. I could feel the wide grin on my face as my cheeks started to burn from it but I didn't care. I didn't care because we both saw each other in our futures. And I couldn't have been happier.

Albedo

(study buddies)

The words started to blur together as the drowsiness started to overtake my senses. The only reason I even fought to stay awake was my boyfriends voice who continued to drone on about the topic, pointing to different parts of the paper.

Curse him. His voice was too relaxing for me to not fall asleep but I did ask him if he could help me with the research I was currently doing. So it would have been extremely rude if I slipped into wonderland but I couldn't help it! He was just extremely comfy and smelt amazing.

"Are you listening?" his voice pulled me out of my reverie as I quickly opened my eyes, not realizing I had slowly started drifting off. There was a small frown on his face, his eyes peering intently into mine before scanning my expression.

Clearing my throat, I try my best to send him a smile despite how heavy my face felt, "Yes, yes. I'm listening." I slowly nod, gesturing him to continue talking but he only stared at me.

"There is no use fighting the drowsiness. It would be most efficient if you took a nap before we continue." he pointed out, and the words barely understood in your muddled brain but only one word stuck out. Nap.

Mumbling out a reply, you move to position your head on his lap, not wanting to leave the comfort he brought. Albedo wasn't expecting you to have the nap on his lap but he made no moves to disturb you nor turn you away.

The alchemist only stared wide-eyed as you made yourself comfortable, the squish of your cheek being accentuated as you lay it on his thigh. It didn't take long for your breaths to even out as Albedo tried his best to calm his rattling heart, a small smile taking its place on his face as his fingers carefully swept away the wisps of hair covering your face.

And he dared not move from his place, afraid that a single movement would wake you up and disturb you of your peace. He didn't have the heart to do that, you looked far too beautiful and he wanted to soak in this moment and allow himself to stare at you shamelessly, for once not caring about the papers strewn about the desk. He was confused at the emotions coursing through him, and he will sit and stare at you until he could understand what exactly it was he was feeling.

Diluc

(first time he receives flowers)

The market was surprisingly calmer today than it usually was, only a few people walking around buying their groceries or chatting with the shopkeepers. I took full advantage of the emptiness and took my time choosing the products I needed. I didn't really need to buy a lot, my pantry still quite full but I had a few bits and pieces that I needed to pick up for meals I was planning.

Successfully carrying the bag on one arm, the scent of fresh flowers catch my attention as I pass by Flora's booth. She had a few beautiful bouquets set up, a thought popping up into my head immediately.

Checking my purse, there was thankfully enough to buy one and I happily thanked her after complimenting the selection she had. Bouquet in hand, I decided to make a detour and made my way towards the ever familiar mansion.

The walk gave me time to think about what expression he would wear once he sees the flowers, which only made me more giddy. He always bought me flowers, and I had always wanted to return the favor, noting that I have never once seen that man receive a bouquet, even from his line of fanatical women.

The lush green and fragrant smell of grapes soon hit my senses as I walk right up to the front door. Knowing that he was most likely to be stuck in his office at this hour, signing stacks of papers as he always was, I push aside the large doors at the entrance of the manor.

Adelinde greeted me at the door, pausing in dusting the various trinkets as we exchanged warm greetings, "Master Diluc is currently in his study if you so wish to visit him." she bowed, dutifully taking the bag from my arm despite my protests.

After thanking her, I slowly made my way up the steps, quickly arriving in front of the familiar door. Knocking on the solid wood, you heard his voice gesturing the guest to enter. The familiar scent hit you the second you opened the heavy door, the sight of vermillion hair the first thing you see when you enter.

"I got something for you.." I sang, hiding the flowers behind me, my face splitting into a grin as I sauntered towards his desk. My feet couldn't stay still as I stood in front of his desk, constantly shuffling and bouncing.

He spared me a quick glance, finishing the piece of parchment he was currently reading, "Hm, and what might that be, my love?" You couldn't see his face, covered by his bangs, but you could hear the amusement in his voice, only the soft scratching of the quill on the paper the other sound in the room as he focused on whatever was on the paper.

The grin never faltered as I held the flowers in front of me, "For you, kind sir." I spoke, attempting to sound prim and proper, even slightly bowing to emphasize. He raised his gaze to the flowers, promptly stopping his writing, his eyes widening and his cheeks sporting a deep red as a quiet gasp escapes his lips.

"What - That's for me?" he stuttered, the smile creeping up on his lips only contained by him softly biting down on it. Promptly standing from his seat, he took the bundle of Cecilias, Sweet Flowers, and Small Lamp Grasses from my grasp as he continued to stare at it in wonder. He was speechless, not knowing how to react to such advances. And from you, nonetheless, which made his cheeks burn brighter.

I smiled, my heart warming at such an adorable sight of the usually stoic man so flustered. He thumbed through the flowers' petals, occasionally pausing to breathe in the scent and I could see the tiny smile he held.

He walked around his table, setting the bundle on his table, and scooped me into a hug. His hands gripped onto my shirt as he wrapped his arms around me, hiding his face in the crook of my neck. Returning the gesture, he murmured against my neck, "Thank you, my love."

I rubbed his back and softly thread my fingers through his hair, Diluc softly sighing in content, "Love you so much, 'luc." I hummed, slightly muffled as you place kisses on the crown of his head.

He only responded by burying his face closer to your neck and incomprehensible mumbles only he could hear. But you knew what he said, judging by the warming cheeks on your shoulder, or the tightening of his arms around your waist.

He loves me too.

A content smile settled on both our faces as we stayed in our embrace for a moment longer.

Zhongli

(relaxing musical evenings)

The usual hustle and bustle of Liyue Harbor was something that I had gotten used to the longer I lived in the city. It had become the background music of my day-to-day, the fast-paced lifestyle keeping me busy and on my feet most of the day.

Zhongli was extremely grateful as you both had a day off the same day, whisking the day away wrapped in each others company. The apartment certainly too tiny as I watched my lover walk around, his tall stature almost taking up all the space in each room he was in but it was comforting. You had gotten used to the sight and the place seemed very empty whenever he wasn't around.

With the main itinerary of relaxation, both of you were dressed in the same sleeping clothes as last night as you both sat on your balcony. The warm scent of tea, and soft strums of your guitar floated around the space and you couldn't have asked a better way to spend your free time.

Zhongli brought the cup to his lips once in a while, taking a sip of the tea but his attention had never strayed away from you. The guitar was settled comfortably on your lap, back slightly hunched, hair in disarray, and eyes glancing at the frets once in a while. You were in your own bubble and the domesticity of it all allowed for a profound sense of contentment to settle in his chest. It was warm, the freshly made tea paling in comparison, and it was a feeling Zhongli welcomed with open arms whenever he was around you.

Your beautiful voice wrapped around him, like one of the comfiest blankets, and it was a sound he soon grew addicted especially if you were dedicating it to him and him only.

The Archon remembered the first time it happened. It was when he had only recently started staying at your place, calling him into one of your spare rooms, the space filled with various art supplies and other instruments, and patted for him to sit beside you.

You had asked him to listen to the new song you were writing and he was extremely elated, remembering that this was the first time you had ever let him hear any of your songs. He had never heard you sing beforehand, only soft humming underneath your breath while doing chores or the muffled notes he would sometimes hear behind the closed door of your studio.

Both of you were nestled into one of the room's corners surrounded by plush pillows and blankets. The words had easily spilled from your lips, sounding as sweet as honey and as mesmerizing as the prettiest sunset and, oh dear, Zhongli was in trouble. For he was enchanted, enraptured, and absolutely hooked to the sound of your voice. The melody had managed to wrap itself around every fiber of his being, intertwining with his love for you and strengthening the bond. He had fallen in love with you a little deeper in that moment and he was absolutely fine with it.

Ever since that day, he was lucky enough to have been allowed the privilege of being your audience and he knew he will always crave your soft melodies in every place he goes to.

Heizou

(watching a performance together)

After countless hours of getting ready, my outfit having been steamed and ironed to perfection. Not a single detail was amiss, from my hair to my makeup, to my choice of shoes. It had all been through multiple choices and changes and constant mismatching to pair the perfect skirt and blouse.

Tonight, you had been invited to be part of a gathering as Heizou's plus one. This event has said to have some high profile and important guests which explains the extreme effort into getting ready. After all, wouldn't want to stick out like a sore thumb, no?

Smoothing out my outfit, I shake myself out of the anxious stupor I had gotten myself into and force myself to leave the house before I overthinked my way into an excuse to not go.

Heizou had planned for us to meet at the place, saying he had an important case he needed to finish up beforehand. Honestly, it had been quite a blessing in disguise because he truly did not need to see the process of me choosing an outfit and it's quite interesting to imagine what the detective's reaction would be.

Arriving at Komore Teahouse, the building had been decorated to be more cozy. Glittering lights and vibrant greenery brightened the atmosphere and eased my thumping heart. Thoma greeted me at the entrance, gently guiding me further into the teahouse where the rest of guests were.

"Please help yourself to anything you'd like! Heizou said he'd be arriving soon." The retainer smiled, leaving in a hurry after hearing the beckoning calls of Lord Kamisato.

And sure enough, not soon after that conversation, Heizou had walked in and quietly conversing with Kujou Sara. Although as if some sort of magnet had been placed with you two, his eyes immediately caught yours and the smile that lit up his face sent the warm, tickling feeling in your chest kick into overdrive.

Politely excusing himself from the general, he made his way over to me with his sparkling green eyes never once breaking eye contact with mine. "[Name]," he breathed out, "you look absolutely gorgeous."

I rolled my eyes but the smile tugging on my lips hid little of my true feelings, "You're saying that as if you haven't seen me wear these clothes before." Chuckling, both his hands gently pull me in by the waist, placing a quick peck on my cheek.

"You may be correct about that but somehow you become more beautiful with each passing day," He smirked, "Truly a mystery, wouldn't you say?" He tapped his chin, feigning contemplation and I swat him playfully.

"Oh hush." He only laughs, instead choosing to pull me in for a short kiss that had a warmth creeping up on my face, careful not to show too much PDA considering we were in a public place with important figures nonetheless.

Thoma stood on-stage, clearing his throat, "Good evening everyone! It is truly an honor that you all have been able to attend this gathering-"

Heizou and I took a seat towards the back of the room, his arm wrapped around my waist, as multiple took the spot on stage for their speeches. Snug and secure, he would often say whenever he had his arms around me.

Soon the night dwindled into light conversations and melodic tunes courtesy to the back-to-back performances. The warm lights strung along the place did plenty to highlight your beautiful features, Heizou thought. And he simply couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight.

His eyes boring into the side of your head definitely didn't go unnoticed and as my gaze flickered to his, he was staring at me with a soft fondness set into his features. That fact absolutely had your heart beating wildly out of your chest as you couldn't stop the giddy smile from spreading on your lips.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I giggled, a soft smile spreading onto his own lips.

"What? I can't simply admire my beautiful girlfriend?" His smile morphed into a cheeky grin as he lightly pinched my cheeks together. The night ended in fits of laughter and memories kept forever, soft touches and truthful words only to be shared amongst the both of us.

Cyno

(a fun night out)

It felt as if my body was floating. The alcohol coursing through my veins felt like molten lava and felt so warm. Weightless yet warm? Sounds like a fart. You giggled at your own thoughts, the drinks you had allowing your brain to ultimately turn to mush and turn you into your giggly, over-happy self whenever you had consumed one too many mugs.

Spending Friday night with a round of drinks with coworkers after a long, extremely tiring, yet fruitful week. Piles and piles of research finally paying off as results start flowing in and I couldn't help inviting them all out to Lambad's tavern for a much deserved celebration.

Chugging down the rest of my drink, I wiped away the moisture on my lips before tapping the person beside me, "Do you know Cyno? He's so silly and adorable especially when he starts telling his jokes." The words were slurred with hiccups interrupting in between some but the grin on my face was undeniable.

It was odd, your coworkers thought, how you had the General Mahamatra of all people seemingly wrapped around your finger. They sometimes witnessed the public displays of affection that he allowed both of you to indulge in whenever he would come visit you at the Akademiya, but it still left them sorely confused every time.

You had been rambling about your boyfriend for the past 5 minutes and thankfully the time he would be coming to pick you up was getting closer and closer. The other researchers silently cursed your lack of alcohol tolerance as they feared of what slipped from your inebriated mind would come bite them back in the ass in the form of the General.

"Alright that's enough drinks for you, [Name]." One of them spoke but the world had been spinning too much for you to make out who it was nor care either way. The alcohol had soon made me feel sleepy, resting my head on the shoulder beside my head as I slowly drifted off to sleep.

The person however didn't let me as they flicked my forehead soft enough to jolt me back awake, "Don't fall asleep, idiot. Cyno's here." The voice laughed and I barely recognize it to be Afratu. Sitting up, the familiar head of white hair and crimson eye stared back at me as I quickly stood to greet him.

That turned out to not be a good idea as I lost footing, almost faceplanting into the floor before the familiar pair of arms wrapped around me. "Careful." His smooth and comforting voice spoke softly into my ear as I giggled uncontrollably, probably sounding like a witch much to Cyno's amusement.

Once my glee died down, I wrapped my arms around his neck as he greeted my friends, asking each how their research had been going, "Cyno, Cyno, Cynooo.." I murmured, poking his cheek each time.

"Yes, baby?" his gaze connected with mine, taking in the soft pout of my lips and half-lidded eyes. One of his arms stayed wrapped around my waist, his thumb rubbing comforting shapes. His warmth still seeped through, despite the layers of fabric I wore, but I welcomed it wholeheartedly, dearly missing it throughout the business of the week.

Resting my cheek on his shoulder, I spoke, "Wan' go home. Sleepy and cuddles soun' nice." Despite how long you had been together, he would never get used to how casually you would speak your affections for him based on the light dusting of red on his cheeks. His grip on you only tightened as he bid his goodbyes to the whole table, choosing to carry you bridal style back home knowing it would take both of you longer if he let you walk.

Arriving to your - well now both of yours - home, he made quick work of having you both ready for bed, seeing as you had almost fallen asleep multiple times on the way there. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Cyno moved to grab clothes from your closet but was stopped when your hands grabbed his face.

Peppering kisses all over his face was the one thing he wasn't expecting when he bent down to entertain your antics. You were already affectionate but it seems as being inebriated brought that trait out stronger. Placing a tender kiss on his lips, he eagerly reciprocated the gesture.

"Love you, Cyno." I whispered, the warmth of my breath ghosting over his lips. He smiled, pulling you in for another short kiss.

"I love you too, [Name]." Moving away, he continued his task before tucking you both into bed.

And there you spent the rest of the night, cuddled underneath sheets, soft and sincere words continuously spilling from your lips as you practically wore your heart on your sleeve. Cyno had never felt such peace, he knew that despite you being intoxicated these were true. Maybe it was your beautiful smile or your steady heartbeat against his ear, but the General Mahamatra always knew when someone was lying. And he relished in the fact that he detected no such thing from you, letting a content smile rest on his lips as you slowly slipped into slumber.

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

a/n: holy shit, i finally finished it. this has been rotting away in my drafts for so long and after months of working on it on and off, its finally out into the wilderness. anyways i hope you enjoy this lots!! if you do, interacting with my work lets me know you do!

#ˋ°•*⁀➷ books #ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ sugar #kaeya x reader #thoma x reader #albedo x reader #ayato x reader #kazuha x reader #cyno x reader #diluc x reader #xiao x reader #zhongli x reader #heizou x reader #genshin x reader #genshin impact fluff #genshin imagines

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ginza-division · 2 years ago

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"I never lose. I either win, or I learn."

Introduction

Oki Teagan is the third and final member of the Ginza Division rap battle team, Last Judgment. He is known far and wide by his rap moniker, ATLAS. A former rap star that was once part of the rap supergroup known as C H A R O N, it is unknown what became of Oki after the group sadly broke up. The rest of the members moved on with their lives, but he was the only one whose status was unknown. Now, two years after the group's dissolution, he has suddenly appeared out of nowhere and has joined Ginza Division. Many questions abound, with the main one being: what happened to him these past two years?

An imposing man, Oki hasn't changed much in the last two years since he disappeared. He is a man in his early 30s, though he looks to be in his mid-to-late 20s, much like Masa. He is tall and has noticeable muscles on his chest. His hair is brown and goes down to his lower neck, which has a tattoo of a skull on the back of it. His most noticeable feature is the scar on his right eye, which he obtained years ago during a bar brawl. Speaking of his eyes, which previously were black, are now red, signifying that something has changed about him.

For his attire, he wears a black muscle shirt that is hidden underneath his whitish-gray jacket which is almost always zipped up. He has a pair of faded blue jeans that have tears where his knees are, and his pants are fastened with a black belt with a silver belt buckle. He has a pair of brown boots on his feet with a pair of black socks. Lastly, he has a spiked collar around his neck, and a pair of black sunglasses on his face, obscuring his eyes.

Name Meanings

Oki (沖) - 沖 meaning 'off the coast'.

Teagan (貞丸) - 貞 meaning 'upright'. / 丸 meaning 'circle'.

Aliases

Oki-kun - Masa/Haru

"The Titan"

"Experiment #6010"

Biographical Info

Gender - Male

Age - 32

Birthday - May 28th

Ethnicity - Japanese

Hair Color - Brown

Eye Color - Red

Height - 195 cm/ 6'5

Weight - 90 kg/ 190 lb.

Piercings - Two loop earrings in his right ear

Markings - A scar on the right side of his eye, and a skull tattoo on the back of his neck.

Family - Mother (Deceased)

- Father (Deceased)

- Grandfather (Deceased)

- Grandmother

Voiced By - ralph (Rapping)

Fun Facts

MC Name - ATLAS

Occupation - Rapper

Division - Ginza

Position - Third Member

Favorite Food - Unagi

Least Favorite Food - Soba

Likes - Rapping, writing music, bars, a nice, cold beer on a hot day, winning, a good brawl, haters, being seen, Haru, his former rap group, his grandmother

Dislikes - Failure, headaches, not being able to remember anything, drugs, talking about Haru, losing, Chinami Chinen

Hypnosis Microphone

Oki's Microphone is a microphone on a stand that starts off as black before fading into a dark blue, and finally a gold color near the top. The windscreen on the mic takes the form of planet Earth.

His Speaker takes the form of a bronze statue of Atlas, the Greek Titan in Greek mythology. Instead of the sky that he is usually depicted as holding, he is instead carrying a large speaker on his back.

His rap ability, Strength of the World, allows Oki to increase the strength and power of his attacks at the cost of some of his health and stamina. He can do this continuously, but he loses more health and stamina each time he activates it.

Oki's rap themes, much like during his days in C H A R O N, is fierce and challenging. His music assaults a person's eardrums due to how powerful and angry it is. Much of his themes revolve around building himself up, tearing others down, telling stories from Greek mythology, or something else.

Personality

To say that Oki was a bully and a ruffian would be a complete and gross underestimate. Since his childhood, he has always had a very hard time controlling his temper and emotions, which often got him into trouble. Even as an adult, he still had a penchant for starting fights and getting into trouble. When he was part of C H A R O N, he reveled in the spotlight and the publicity that his role as a rapper gave him, and he didn't hesitate to show it off against those who were less fortunate than him.

Chinami Chinen, one of the lyricists for the group, believed that his personality was a result of Oki's frail psychology, as he often based his self-worth on his and C H A R O N's accomplishments. Whenever C H A R O N was congratulated or complimented, it made Oki proud. However, when the group had setbacks, he became desolate and upset, often blaming the other members of the group rather than realizing that everyone, as a whole, was equally responsible. Also, when giving his opinion about C H A R O N's bad reputation and the malicious rumors on anonymous discussion boards, he reveled in their envy, laughing at them for being weak and mentioning how he frequented those boards just to see how mad they were.

He had no qualms about using his size, stature, and demeanor to get people to do what he wanted. It was for this reason that he was the least popular member of the group, both inside and outside of it. Even though he disliked every member of C H A R O N aside from his best friend, Haru, Haru, himself, often stated that Oki never acted that way when they were both younger.

Despite his friendship with Haru, there were, as stated, some disagreements between the two. One of which was Haru's relationship with Chinami, whom Oki never liked and disapproved of since their initial meeting. Though Chinami helped to push the group to stardom with her lyrics and rhymes, Oki still never approved of her. And after Haru died, his disliking for her turned into hatred, as he blamed her for the death of his best friend, though his death wasn't anyone's fault. His hatred then turned into a vendetta as he blamed her for the ending of C H A R O N, since her departure broke the group up.

After Haru's death and C H A R O N's disbandment, Oki became a shell of himself. Though he tried to keep the group from splintering, he failed to do so. The other members agreed to disband, not only due to the fact that Haru and Chinami, two of their strongest people, had both left, but because his previous actions had made him unlikable to the rest of the group. Afterward, he suffered a severe mental breakdown and began blaming everyone but himself for his own problems.

His personality now, after disappearing for a few years, is relatively the same, though there are some major differences. For one, he is a lot colder and more distant, preferring to keep people at arm's length, including his teammates. And two, aside from his relationship with his grandmother, he cannot recall the previous interactions he had with people in his past, including his teammates. However, there is one thing that remains true to his persona. And that's his hatred for the woman known as Chinami Chinen is still as strong as ever.

Background

Coming in a separate post.

Trivia

His favorite brand of cigarettes is Pall Mall Blue 100s.

It was his idea to incorporate a skull as the group's symbol.

He wears his sunglasses even indoors. The reason for this is unknown.

#hypmic oc #hypnosis mic oc #hypmic #hypnosis mic #hypnosis microphone #oki teagan #character bio #ginza division #last judgment

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dopamine--dream · 4 years ago

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A type?

No I actually don’t--

I don’t have a--

nah really I don’t--

#fine it's men with chin length brown hair and middle part #SO WHAT #I want aragorn to sit in my living room and just STARE AT ME #god damn #the brown hair signifies their troubled past #that's really key here #helps with the stormy eyes #aragorn #aragorn fan club #viggo mortensen #richard madden #timothée hal chalamet #bucky barnes #bucky #help

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froggie-recs-fics · 3 years ago

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Fic Roundup (up to 9/26/21)

I'm gonna start collecting fics I've read recently to recommend them, because making trope lists takes too long and many fics fall by the wayside. Let me know if you like this new format!

The fandoms in this list are as follows: Marvel (SamBucky, HTP, SpideyPool, WinterHawk, WinterIron, Stony, Stucky, SpiderShield), DCU (Bane/Blake), Inception (Arthur/Eames), Teen Wolf (Sterek).

A * signifies a particular favorite (though I love all these fics)

Marvel

Sam/Bucky

double back by flowermasters (E, 12K, Post-Endgame, Time Loop, Time Travel)

Sam gets stuck in a time loop. In 1943.

Things could be worse, but they could certainly be better.

Companion piece here: quick time

I'll explain everything to the geese by napricot (Post-Endgame, E, 50K, Sam can talk to birds)

Bucky is so competent that it hurts my feelings is not a rational complaint to have about a person, and yet, after a year of being Captain America and partnering up with Bucky for the new and improved, post-Blip Avengers, that’s kinda how Sam’s feeling.

It’s not great. It maybe leads to Sam making some rash, ill-advised decisions like claiming he has a previously undisclosed superpower, and then getting caught in a web of lies when he ends up actually developing that surprisingly inconvenient superpower. Talking to birds had seemed like a harmless superpower, but it turns out that birds have a lot of opinions, and they don’t hesitate to tell Sam about them, especially when it comes to his supposedly subpar courting skills. Which is ridiculous, because Sam isn’t courting Bucky. Right?

Rumlow/Bucky

**blueprints for a better world series by itallstartedwithdefenestration @astralhux (CATWS, Post-CATWS, Noncon, E, 115K, Dark Main Character)

When Pierce discovers the asset is no longer capable of getting himself hard during recreational use, he tells Rumlow to figure out what the problem is, and to fix it. The solution turns out to be more complicated than anyone expected.

I can't recommend this series enough

Peter/Wade

*Dead Men Walking series by doctorestranged @lazystrawberrymilkshakes (E, 235K, Identity Porn, Slow Burn)

When a series of murders take place, Peter Parker goes undercover in Sister Margaret’s to get intel on Tony Stark’s prime suspect: Deadpool. Peter goes in hoping to get enough information so that Spider-Man can save the day, but like everything in Peter’s life, it becomes a bit more complicated than that and it soon becomes apparent that he might not be the best fit for the job.

All About Chemistry by TwiceBakedPotato @sedatedkoala (No Powers AU, M, CNTW, 74K, Teacher-Student Relationship, Slow Build)

After serving his 20 years in the Marine Corps, Wade Wilson is cashing in his GI Bill and going back to college. He feels like the old man on campus, but that doesn't matter. He likes his classes. He likes learning. And he especially likes his Chemistry professor with the messy brown hair.

Clint/Bucky

Making Me A Habit by Kangofu_CB @kangofu-cb (No Powers AU, T, 20K, Pet Store, Slow Burn, Pining, Misunderstandings)

Bucky is a disabled vet struggling with reintegrating into civilian life. He has a routine and a rhythm, and he doesn't like to let anything - big or small - disrupt it. That all changes the day Bucky finds himself inside CATastrophe, the local pet rescue, recovering from a panic attack in the back room of the shop.

He’s used to walking by the place, not visiting, but the next thing Bucky knows, he’s hanging signs and being used as a climbing tree for a bunch of freshly-acquired kittens. And he just...keeps going back. First for the kittens, then for the disaster shop owner who rescues actual kittens from actual trees and teaches archery as a side-gig, and eventually because he’s hopelessly in love.

(Clint was in love before Bucky ever walked in the door.)

*Nameless by AvaKelly (Post-CATWS, M, 101K, Time Travel, Time Loop, Slow Burn)

A gun is pointed at him before he can even move from his position, the Soldier's metal arm steady in its aim. Clint sighs.

"Nemo," Clint says. "It's tattooed on your wrist, right here," he lifts his right hand and taps his left index finger where his palm ends.

The Soldier's eyes widen. "How do you know this?"

"I put it there."

Glitter, G-Strings and Other Mission Hazards by flawedamythyst @flawedamythyst (T, 16K, Undercover, Stripper Clint)

“Which is why you need me to shake my booty for cash,” said Clint.

“Precisely,” said Coulson. “You’re the only agent we have who wouldn’t need additional training in the skills of an exotic dancer to take on the mission, and we want to get someone in there as soon as possible.”

Clint nodded, shutting the file. “Okay, awesome. I’ll dig out my sequined g-string.”

“You’ll have full access to requisition any costumes you might need,” said Coulson.

A mission requires Bucky to be Clint's back-up as he goes undercover as a stripper, which gets more difficult with every new costume he comes out in.

Paternal Error by EVVS @skylarkevanson (Post-CATWS, T, 33K, Kid Fic, Established Relationship)

Bucky has never once thought of being a parent. Not since the Winter Solider happened.

Until he falls in love with Clint Barton. And that idiot just keeps collecting children for his flock.

Now Bucky has to pretend like he's good at parenting.

Bucky/Tony

Forms of Love by bear_bell (Post-CACW, E, 33K, Split Personalities)

Months after the Avengers' dispute in Germany, the team returns to the US and moves back into the tower. As always, everyone pretends that nothing happened. Tony is just fine with this. He's used to pretending, and he'll be damned if he lets any of them see him flinch.

Tony's the bad guy, after all. He's used to it. He's fine with it. He's good at it.

Only now, there's something far worse loitering around the tower - The Winter Soldier. No one notices the guy at first, but when they do, Tony figures that he should have the soldier's back.

Birds of a feather should flock together, and the bad guys should start a book club.

Steve/Tony

While You Were Sleeping by betheflame @betheflame (No Powers AU, M, 65K, While You Were Sleeping AU)

It's been years since Steve Grant Rogers Drysdale has spoken to his twin, Ransom. So it was quite a shock when he was summoned to a hospital and found out that Ransom was in a coma.

Even more shocking? That Ransom is engaged. To Tony Stark.

Steve/Bucky

The Road Goes Ever On And On by PipGraham (Omegaverse AU, M, Noncon, Graphic Violence, 20K, Road Trip, Pre-Serum Steve, Past Domestic Violence)

When Brock's continued domestic abuse puts not only Steve's life in danger, but also that of his unborn pup, he flees into the night with just a small backpack of clothes and almost no money to his name.

Steve quickly runs into trouble as he tries to embark on a 3-day cross-country bus journey back home to New York City.

He meets a kind veteran when he most needs a helping hand.

Just Words by LadyRazzle (crimegimp) @ladyrazzle (Pre-CATFA, Soulmate AU, T, 2K, Fluff)

Inspired by that now legendary post: "soulmate AU where you wake up on your 18th birthday with the first words your soulmate will say to you tattooed on your body so you’ll know them when you meet them." Well what if they appear the moment you turn 18, rather than just the day? And what if by the time you turn 18, you'd already fallen in love?

Bucky wasn’t eager to discover what the words said. He already knew what he wanted them to say. He always had.

Peter/Steve

Forgetting It's There by spinstitcher (stygian) (NR, 8K, Crack, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Porn)

“You’re Captain America,” he blurts out.

“What?” says Captain America, looking a little wide-eyed. He casts a nervous glance at the girl at the counter – he has nothing to worry about there, she’s rocking out to her iPod and could care less what they’re talking about – and says, ��No, uh, Steve, it’s just, I’m Steve.”

“Right,” says Peter, and then because his brain-to-mouth filter had apparently been completely destroyed in the fight on Oscorp Tower: “Hey, your butt really is as tight as it looks on TV.”

DCU

Bane/Blake

7 Deadly Ass(as)sins by teacuphuman @teacuphuman09 (AU, E, 23K, BDSM)

Bane and Barsad own a sex shop and John needs a job.

Straws by Menirva (Bane/Blake/Barsad, AU, E, 38K, BDSM)

John works in a smoothie shop.

He has a knack, a second sense if you will, for being able to look at a person and know what they're going to order. It's not the most spectacular gift in the world but he likes being able to figure people out and he's never wrong.

Except for this scruffy asshole who is clearly just ordering the wrong thing to fuck with him.

How is he even finishing an extra-large?

Inception

Aurthur/Eames

Rough Trade by Whisky (whiskyrunner) @whiskyrunner (AU, E, 23K, Internalized Homophobia)

Arthur is an investment banker. He is professional and efficient. He's a halfway decent cook. He's totally independent and has been since the age of eighteen. Maybe he's tired all the time because he works about ninety hours a week which is twice what normal people do, but he's rich and he's competent at his job. He's almost thirty, and already a success.

And there are some things Arthur is not. For instance: Arthur is not gay.

Lucky by earlgreytea68 @earlgreytea68 (M, 37K, Kid fic)

Arthur finds a baby.

Teen Wolf

Stiles/Derek

Cut to the Bone by standinginanicedress (Omegaverse AU, E, 112K, Secret Relationship, Enemies to Lovers kinda)

“Not that it’s any of your god damn business, but my name is Stiles. Do you need something?”

The alpha grins. All teeth, shiny white, straight as an arrow. He’s got this sculpted perfection to him that Stiles is sure has worked on all the omegas he’s ever encountered before, but Stiles stands his ground and narrows his eyes. “A date.”

Stiles looks him up and down, slowly, from the black shoes on his feet, to his uniform khakis and blazer littered with pins, to his face. He frowns, makes a face, and says, “pass.”

Cornerstone by Vendelin (Human AU, E, 83K, Marine Derek, Blind Stiles, Friends to Lovers)

Suffering from PTSD, ex-Marine Derek Hale moves back to Beacon Hills to open a bookshop and find a calmer life. That’s where he meets Stiles, completely by accident. Stiles is talkative, charming and curious. Somehow, despite the fact that he’s blind, he’s able to read Derek like no one else.

Stand Fast in Your Enchantments by DevilDoll, Rahciach (AU, Graphic Violence, E, 76K, Captivity, Feral Derek)

"Stiles knew damn well what a pissed-off wolf sounded like, and every hair on the back of his neck was telling him that somewhere in this room was a very pissed-off werewolf." An AU in which Derek is feral, Stiles is magical, and they eat a lot of fast food.

The Payoff Pitch by Leslie_Knope (Sports AU, E, 83K, Coming Out, Friends to Lovers)

Derek is on the cusp of his second season with the LA Dodgers, and as the reigning runner-up Rookie of the Year, the pressure’s on him to become the team’s star pitcher and lead them to the playoffs for the first time in five years. He’s trying to deal with the burden of expectations and really has zero desire to spend any extra time or energy on anything that isn’t baseball.

But then he meets Stiles.

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4dtk · 3 years ago

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anon: “hiiii jisung hand holding 22 + 28!! thank you” enjoy anon :)) i quite like this one ^^

hand-holding, 22 & 28: grabbing the other’s hand to pull them back from something, grabbing the other’s hand so they don’t fall

laughter fills your ears once you enter the place. the sight of families of different sizes and couples everywhere with the overhead blasting of music elicits a smile out of you. your hand is clutched tightly in jisung’s, while the other guys naturally pair up.

your boyfriend hums along to the music, toes already tapping to the beats as you wait in line to book your timings. the skating rink is filled with crazy lights and faces full of glee that the moment the money from mark’s hand lands in the worker’s, you’re taking off towards to try on the roller skates.

with your enthusiasm, you’re dragging jisung by the hand, skilled with balancing for your few years of dancing. jisung isn’t having that much trouble either, indulging in the warmness of your skin as you drag him through little kids complaining about their feet and parents distracting them with the rink’s vending machine food.

the members join a little later, but by then you’re enjoying the carefree nature of the rink and jisung’s laugh in your ears. the wind blows across your ears like a badly recorded video with how fast you’re going, but your swift manoeuvres prompt laughs out of your boyfriend and his hyungs.

the intermingling lights of blue and green and pink and orange dances across your faces, allowing for the two of you to enjoy youth a little selfishly. among endless dance practices and sweat-filled shirt, you at least hoped that this outing could ease jisung’s hard-working nature, even if it was only for just a day.

overtaking him for a bit, you skate backwards, only so you could admire him under the effect of mellow lights and rose glasses that was invisibly perched on your nose.

you’re kept in a trance with how his light brown hair falls over his eyes, a carefree grin gracing his face. and you feel your heart drop lower and lower when his eyes finally land on you. the upturn of the corners of his lips widen, if it was even possible, and you can barely see the usual large irises that comes out when he gets startled by the pranks you pull on him.

your heart falls deeper and you can feel everyone take a kick at it, because how could you not when jisung looks at you like that? you can feel your eyes soften. jisung’s does too, but before you can, his mouth opens in panic, those same large eyes making a comeback with a hand reaching towards yours.

“ya! yah!” jisung shouts, and you collide into his chest when a kid whizzes past you, bodies close halted to keep you from bumping into anyone else. all you can make out is jisung’s denim jacket in your grasp.

you let out a nervous laugh, averting your eyes to avoid his stare and pout.

“was looking at you sungie,” you murmured, pushing away from him although, you don’t let go out of hand.

your outright confession catches him off guard but he manages to joke around either way, “well, don’t go falling for me even more, ‘kay?”

you roll your eyes with a laugh, knowing he meant the exact opposite as you resume your skating session, but not before another incident happens.

it occurs too quick, jisung goes over a little bump, letting out a little squeak, but the bump doesn’t faze you. it’s the peel of the wooden floors that provides you with a bit of an obstacle that you're stretching for his hand that catches but doesn't quite pull you to safety.

it lands you both on the floor.

all you can hear for a millisecond is silence, but with an oof that signifies the air being knocked out of you, you crack up together with jisung, albeit a bit breathlessly with his full body weight on you.

"too late, already did, for the second time," you giggle when you see his unimpressed expression, and he pulls you up so that he doesn't accidentally collapse on you.

it's an endearing action on his part, but really, all he wants to do is kiss you under the noisy 80s music and energetic lights that he ignores the whoops from the dreamies.

"sorry, but i beat you to it," jisung mumbles with hesitance, but it causes you to smile anyway as you deepen the kiss on the wooden floor.

his fingers are in yours, holding on tight incase you'd fall again (even though you're already on the floor). his lips move fast and then slow, exchanging bashful smiles in-between kisses.

later, you're reprimanded by a parent who deemed you inappropriate for engaging in unbecoming behaviour in a family space.

"sorry, ma'am," you just feel jisung's squeeze of your hand before scurry off with a hasty bow, laughter on your lips and heart on your sleeve that's so desperately clutching into jisung's.

the only thing different from the heartbreak stories you've read about? jisung's heart is entangled with yours just as much, and you know it that much when the brightest of smiles and sweetest of kisses are reserved only for you.

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theartoflovingthomashunt · 3 years ago

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The Bogart Diaries #23: Trouble (Part Two)

Masterlists: [All Thomas Hunt x Alex Spencer] [The Bogart Diaries]

Characters: Thomas Hunt, Alex, Bogart Hunt (dog), Addison Sinclair Book: Red Carpet Diaries [Hunt x F!OC] Word Count: ~1,100 Rating: General/Fluff, with slight angst Prompt: costume ~ @choicesoctoberchallenge

Synopsis: After Thomas said he wasn't going to wear a Halloween costume to match Bogart, Alex found a loophole. (Alex has secretly had a Pictagram account for Bogart since his adoption, despite Thomas saying no. [fic]) This follows Trouble (Part One) .

A/N: The stunning art in the edit is by the always incredible @vantaray (been holding onto this for a while now!) I always knew this was the post that would be the one to get Thomas's attention to discover Bogart's account, I just needed to figure out the occasion!

Alex chewed the corner of her lip, heat rising in her cheeks. "All good things come to an end." She pressed a kiss to Bogart's head, tossing her phone on the table in front of her. "We might be in trouble."

The loyal black lab rested his head in her lap. A soft whimper escaped him as he sensed her anxiety.

She couldn't bring herself to pick up her phone from the coffee table, and yet, she couldn't take her eyes off of the red blinking light signifying new notifications. The screen illuminated a few times with his picture, as each time she ignored his calls.

She had always known there was a chance Thomas would discover Bogart's account...eventually, but with each new post, the secret grew, and its discovery seemed less and less likely. He had even been tagged in a couple of the past posts, and nothing! He'd have to log in to his social media to notice, and he didn't. Why had he now? Why today? Her perfect holiday surprise, ruined.

It had all been fun until that comment. Explain. Not only had he found the account, but it had to be that photo. She wasn't sure if he'd be furious or not, but as long as she didn't check her messages, she wouldn't need to find out.

The unmistakable roar of his vintage sports car rolled up the driveway. Her ears were trained on every sound; The rhythm of the grandfather clock in the hall seemed deafening as she listened for the door to open, awaiting the inevitable.

She pulled her legs up against her chest, resting her head on her knees, waiting and fearing the worst.

"Alex?"

"In here." She shifted uncomfortably, trying to put on a smile as he turned the corner. "How was your day?"

His stoic face remained unchanged. "Alex."

"Who's Alex?" She shrugged. A nervous giggle slipped from her lips that quickly turned downward. "Sorry."

"Not answering your phone," he stated calmly, laying his briefcase and coat on the armchair.

"No," she answered simply. She glanced down at the device, still illuminating with unread notifications.

"Any particular reason?"

She looked up as he moved closer. Her deep brown eyes misted over. "Are you mad? Do you absolutely hate me?"

"I—" Thomas sighed. "I don't know what I am."

Alex nodded, giving him time. "That's fair."

The cushions dipped as he took a seat beside her. "I could never hate you."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, interrupting him. "I should have told you. I was going to, but—"

"You didn't."

"I didn't."

"Why didn't you?"

"It just kind of became this joke—this silly secret. It was fun, but I never meant to hurt you." She turned away, blinking back the tears of worry that had built up and were now threatening to break.

"Alex." His voice was calm and sure. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

She pulled away. "It's my fault."

"I know. No argument from me." The words weren't harsh or critical. His eyes crinkled in the corner. "Come here."

Alex didn't resist this time. Instead, she buried her face in him, hiding her shame.

His fingers threaded tenderly through her silky hair.

"I love you, Thomas," she sniffled.

"I know that, too." He held her close. His hands massaged her back. "My love for you was never in doubt."

"Really?" Her eyes shimmered as she looked up at him.

"Alex, if none of the eccentric things you've done in the past have pushed me away, why would this?" His lips curled in the corners, his eyes brightening.

"But you didn't want Bogart to have a Pictagram," she pressed.

"When has that stopped you before?" His brow arched challengingly.

She hid her face as a smile broke her worry. "Am I that awful?"

"You're that wonderful, darling. You push me out of my comfort zone. I might not always enjoy it, but you're always there to guide me through it."

"How did I get so lucky? I love you so much, Thomas!" Alex's lips crashed on his, kissing him freely, not to get her way, simply in adoration of her husband.

"I will always love you, my Alex, even when you exploit loopholes in my words or engage in activities I don't see the appeal of." He continued stroking her back soothingly.

"Okay, but you have to admit, Bogart makes a pretty perfect mini-you." She nodded enthusiastically, her spirit returning. She jolted upright, eyes widening with glee and excitement, "Do you want to see it?!"

She began to jump off the couch, but his steady hand kept her beside him. "I'm more curious as to if Miss Sinclair made you a matching design as well. If I remember correctly, you had wanted the three of us to match."

Alex licked her lips. "She offered, but I kind of had my own idea."

"Of course, you did." He smirked. "Do I want to know?"

"Hmm," she pondered, a playful glint growing in her eyes. "Well, in the spirit of not keeping any more secrets it does seem only fair."

Thomas settled more comfortably on the couch, as Alex leaned into him.

"I was thinking it would be best if, for this particular costume idea, I only match you in private." Her fingers grazed over the soft, luxurious fabric of his tie, letting it flow between her fingers. "You have a lot of layers, Mr. Hunt, but I thought this one would suit me best." Slowly, she loosened his tie, slipping it off his neck. "What do you think?" She draped it over her shoulders, brushing her shirt to the side. "I figured why make things more complicated when I can so easily slip on this tie and 'voilà'! My own special brand of Thomas Hunt chic."

He watched as she dangled the end of the tie over her breast, imaging how she'd look with his tie exclusively. He wrapped his arms around her waist, guiding her into his lap. "I think I can work with that."

"Yeah?" She wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's not too much?"

"Too much?" He suppressed a laugh, shaking his head softly to the sides. "Just right." Thomas curled his finger under her chin, bringing her lips closer. "I think this is going to be my favorite Halloween, yet."

"For Bogart's adorable costume?" She winked, kissing his nose. Her fingers massaged the hair on the back of his neck.

His gaze shifted to the dog, lying protectively on the floor beside them. "For Bogart," he sighed reluctantly, even if he was secretly looking forward to seeing the dog's costume in person. "And for you."

"I am pretty wonderful," she teased, brushing a delicate kiss to his lips.

"You have no idea how wonderful you are, my dear."

"Thomas—" Alex leaned back, her eyes sparkling under his tender adoration.

He wrapped her safely in his arms, kissing her softly, again and again, relieving any worry she still might have.

This story has been a long time coming. I hope it doesn't disappoint. As I mentioned at the beginning, I always knew this would be the post that made Thomas aware of Bogart's social media, I just couldn't settle on the event and the reaction.

I hope this story does them justice. ❤️

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Likes and reblogs are greatly appreciated.

I will be tagging in a reblog, please let me know if you would like to be added or removed from the list.

#thomas hunt #thomas hunt x mc #thomas hunt x oc #thomas orson hunt #professor hunt #hunt x mc #red carpet diaries #thomas hunt rcd #fan fiction #bogart hunt #alex hunt #puppy hunt #alex spencer #halex #thomas x alex #the bogart diaries #halex commission

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the-witty-pen-name · 4 years ago

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Reunited

Part One of The Necklace (1/3)

Obi-Wan x Reader (f)

Warnings: none; fluff - maybe angst?

Word Count: 2k

Based on this Request:

“If you still need that inspiration... maybe an obi-wan thing where he makes the reader a beautiful necklace when they were young padawans and they get separated bc reader goes om a long mission but when they meet again as adults she still wears it and then he confesses his feelings (a bit of anakin teasing his master about his obvious feelings sprinkled in perhaps😂)”

A/N: Thank you so much to @katevino for this suggestion! I absolutely adore this idea and I decided to turn it into a small series. Part two will be posted this Sunday!

Italics are flashbacks by the way!

I hope y’all enjoy!

Preview:

“How do you think she’ll react to seeing you again, Master?” Anakin asks with a smirk on his face. They both step into the turbolift simultaneously after a small handful of representatives walk out first.

“I don’t know who you’re referring to,” Obi-Wan said dismissively, and very obviously lying. He wanted anything but to be having this conversation right now.

“You can’t think me to be that naïve, Master,” Anakin chuckles as the doors slide closed. It was just the two of them. “I remember her anyways,” he continues, while Obi-Wan’s heart sinks into his stomach. “I know I was very young when she left but I remember distinctly the way you looked at her.”

“It’s nothing that should be of any concern,” Obi-Wan replies, looking up at the ceiling- this already feeling like the longest turbolift he’s ever been in. They’d only gone up one floor before they were stopped and more people entered.

“I think you’re in love with her,” Anakin says so casually, and Obi-Wan coughs nervously because of the shock of Anakin’s words.

“A Jedi holds no attachments, Anakin,” he says, trying his best to take control over this conversation.

“Of course, Master,” Anakin replies sarcastically, holding back a scoff. He bites his lip to hold back a smile and decides to spare his Master of further embarrassment for now.

“I don’t know who you’re referring to,” Obi-Wan said dismissively, and very obviously lying. He wanted anything but to be having this conversation right now.

“I think you’re in love with her,” Anakin says so casually, and Obi-Wan coughs nervously because of the shock of Anakin’s words.

“A Jedi holds no attachments, Anakin,” he says, trying his best to take control over this conversation.

“Of course, Master,” Anakin replies sarcastically, holding back a scoff. He bites his lip to hold back a smile and decides to spare his Master of further embarrassment for now.

He sat on his bunk in the Padawan dormitories and the lamp next to his bunk was his only source of light. The night was pitch dark, not even any stars visible, and yet he sat in complete concentration as his hands worked with the beads he was working with. He knew he would get chastised if he was found up after curfew, but he was determined to finish this project before tomorrow.

He had created a necklace with a chain made of a thin strip of leather, and he was carefully feeding beads onto the material. The beads were dark jeweled tones, various dark greens and blues that complimented the dark brown of the leather. He had never made something so intricate before with just his hands, but it was his goal for it to be perfect. It had to be, for you. It was your thirteenth birthday and it needed to be special.

Traditionally, Padawans would receive a gift from their Masters, but he couldn’t help his desire to also present you with a gift. He knew it was wrong of him, but young Obi-Wan Kenobi harbored a very big crush on his dear friend. The guilt always affected him, but the feelings for you were much stronger than any guilt that tugs on his heartstrings.

The turbolift’s doors opened on the floor they needed and it snapped Obi-Wan out of his daydream where he had let himself wander into the past. He walked out first and Anakin followed. The were sent by the Jedi Consul to Coruscant as representatives for the Jedi Consul to meet with members of the Galactic Senate. There were rumors you would also be in attendance, accompanying the Senator from Alderaan, as you were sent there many years ago for your very extended mission with your late Master.

Walking into the conference room, Obi-Wan tried his best to keep a professional front. He was a very nervous wreck and he thought that his heart would leap from his chest. However, his heart deflated as his eyes scanned the room as there was no sign of you. Somehow, you not being there was in a way both better and worse for him. He hadn’t had this much trouble sorting out his emotions in years. He walked into the room and began shaking hands, introducing himself and Anakin to every Senator he had not yet met and catching up with the ones he’s known.

As people were getting seated around the oblong table, Obi-Wan noticed there were two seats across from him remained empty. He had only just sat down when the door opened again, two figures walking swiftly into the room, offering sincere apologies for their tardiness and then taking the two empty seats across from Obi-Wan and Anakin. A woman sat directly across from Anakin and a man Obi-Wan recognized as the Senator of Alderaan sat across from him. His fears and every other bottled-up emotion he had been dealing with bubbled to the surface again as he realized that the figure, he saw out of focus take the seat across from Anakin was you. The Vice Chair was sitting at one end of the table, and was making her opening remarks for the meeting when Obi-Wan made the fatal mistake of stealing a glance at you.

You were just as beautiful to him as ever. You didn’t look much different than when he last saw you all those years ago. Time, he decided, was much nicer to you than it was him. Your eyes were exactly as he remembered. Kind and incredibly expressive- intoxicating to him even. Of course, the last time he had seen you, you were a young, shy girl, and now you were a woman- holding yourself with confidence and grace, sitting up straight and doing a much better job of keeping yourself together on the outside than he was according to his perception.

And his heart stopped when he saw his necklace resting around your neck.

“Obi-Wan, it’s beautiful,” you marveled, pulling the necklace up out of the small box. “Help me put it on?” You asked, handing him the necklace before turning around and moving your hair out of the way.

“O-of course,” he replied nervously and fumbled with the clasp but did manage to help you get the necklace on.

“I love it,” you smile, holding your hand up to run your fingers across the smooth beads. “I’m never going to take it off.”

He grinned back at you, butterflies in his stomach looking at how it looked on you. Your whole face felt hot, and he knew he couldn’t help the blush rise on his face. Even at thirteen, he was in love with you. Of course, he was young and it wasn’t until much later on he realized he had loved you way back then. But nonetheless, he was undeniably in love with you.

“I think this is the best gift I’ve ever gotten,” you say with a smile. “Obi-Wan I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

“I’m glad you like it,” he manages to stutter. He follows your lead as you take a seat. You both sat under the tree in the courtyard of the temple. You both sit in silence for a few moments before you decide to speak again.

“Does it ever both you that you can never form attachments with someone?” You ask softly. “We’re not allowed to fall in love?”

“I-I suppose it does,” Obi-Wan answers, his heart beating so fast. It was like you could read every thought in his mind he had managed to close off as best as he could. “Does it bother you?”

“Yeah,” You admit. You look up at the sky as the colors signify that the sun is beginning to set and you both would need to go to dinner soon. “It’s frustrating… the rule is written like it’s something you can chose. No matter how hard I try, I can’t help how I feel at times…”

“I know how you feel,” he says softly, looking at you with his heart on his sleeve. “I- I really do. You have no idea.”

“Obi-Wan?” You say softly, even though you were alone you spoke in a hushed tone like someone would possibly hear.

“Yes?”

“I feel- I feel like that about you,” you admit, unable to look at him in case he was to reject you. You knew you shouldn’t- you both did. The feelings you held for him were too strong for you to suppress. You had two hopes, perhaps he would feel the same or he would talk you into reason.

You never imagined he would confess he felt the same. You also never imagined that he would lean over and place a quick kiss on your lips as a response, just overcome with the relief to know you felt the same. It was the first kiss either of you ever experienced.

How desperately he wanted to just pull you into his arms now. Despite the room of people, and the very important conversation he should be engaging in- his focus is solely on you. Anakin nudges him when a Senator directs a question their way and he tries his best to answer. He felt Anakin’s struggle to maintain a professional stature and Obi-Wan knew after the meeting his apprentice would be unable to hold back his comments.

The meeting went on for ages, and Obi-Wan just felt uneasy the entire time. When the meeting adjourned, he wasn’t sure how to approach you. You and the Senator you accompanied lingered like many others to chat. Anakin, before Obi-Wan could even think of what to do, confidently walked over to you as soon as the senator you were speaking to walked away.

“Master (Y/L/N),” Anakin said, “I don’t know if you remember me. Anakin Skywalker- I was a Padawan at the Temple right before you left on your mission. I’m sure you remember my Master, Master Kenobi.”

“I do remember you,” you say with a smile, looking between the young apprentice and the man who loved. You tried your best to remain civil, and you clearly sensed the amusement of young Skywalker at your and Obi-Wan’s discomfort. “You’ve grown up quite a bit.”

“That was the plan,” Anakin jests, “I’m going to say hello to the Senator Amidala.” And just like that, it left the two of you to face each other for the first time in years.

“Obi-Wan,” you say breathlessly, finally allowing yourself to address him. He looked amazing. He’s traded his braid for a beard, and he looked so distinguished. He always held himself with pride but now he looked the part of a Jedi Master- with an apprentice!

“I’m so happy to see you again,” he says with a smile, one that was clouded with an undertone of sadness. “How long will you be staying in the city?” He asks.

“Just for a few days and then I am returning back to Alderaan,” you reply. “If you have the time, I’d love to catch up?”

“I’d like nothing more,” Obi-Wan says, making you smile. You hated that the first time seeing him is in a place where you can’t just collapse in his arms and just immediately make up for the years away from him. You didn’t even know if he still felt the same as you did. You never stopped loving him. He had promised you the same all those years ago, but you were not expecting him to still hold those same feelings. You both committed yourselves to the Jedi Order and you cannot expect him to go back on those terms you both must adhere.

“Tonight?” You ask, hopefully.

“Tonight,” he confirms. He wanted nothing more than to leave this conference room. Sweep you away from the politics and the mess of the galaxy, to express his undying love and how the time apart just made him long for you. He’d pull you into him and beg you to return to the Temple with him so you could be in his life again.

“You should reign in that apprentice of yours,” you joke, looking over at Anakin with Senator Amidala, “You looked at me the same way,” you say, turning back to him. He chuckles, looking over at the two of them. “So anyways,” you say quickly, before he can respond to your observation, “I’m going to be staying at the Temple while I’m here, I suppose I’ll see you both there later on?”

“Yes, undoubtedly,” Obi-Wan answers. “I hate to leave, but I need to reign in my apprentice.”

“We’ll have plenty of time to catch up,” you say nonchalantly.

“I’ll make sure to find you when we return,” he says, before heading towards Anakin and Senator Amidala.

You sigh, and begin your goodbyes, parting ways with the Alderaan Senator for the day. You start your journey back to the Temple, with Obi-Wan being the only thing on your mind.

Part Two

#obi wan x y/n #obi wan fluff #obi wan imagine #obi wan x reader #obi wan kenobi #obi wan kenobi imagine #obi wan kenobi x reader #star wars imagine #star wars one shot #multi part fic #fluff imagine

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finding-my-inner-peace · 3 years ago

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Learn with me! 📖Minor Arcana (Witches Tarot) - Six of Swords🌬️

“A young man sits in the back of small wooden boat. His muscular arms are bare. He wears a soft purple vest and gray pants as he paddles his way across the water towards a distant shore. In the distance, surrounding the lake, you can see mountains. A breeze blows his brown hair back from his face, and we can see just a bit of his right profile - the man is content and concentrating upon his journey.”

In a general context, the Six of Swords represents progress, moving into calmer waters, moving on or moving forward. It is a Minor Arcana card of overcoming hardship, healing, relief and stability so you can expect problems in your life to settle down and things to be much easier to deal with. The Six of Swords can also represent escaping, running away, journeys, travel, travelling overseas and going on holiday. It can signify feeling lethargic and deflated after coming through a tough time or the calm after the storm. It is also a Tarot card of intuition, inner guidance and spirit guides.

The Six of Swords invites you to let go of whatever is holding you back, be it from your past or your present circumstances. Instead gaze ahead to your future and choose the way most in alignment with your Highest Good and long-term potential. You will need to make tough decisions and compromises along the way; see it as a rite of passage.

Life is filled with moments when you are going to be forced into letting go of things that you have become attached to. This will be challenging. The Six of Swords shows the sadness that you may be feeling, but you have to remember that the pain will not last, so you should look instead to the future for strength.

Meanings:

+ Calmer waters, healing, progress, moving on, moving forward, things calming down, calm after a storm, overcoming hardship, relief, stability, escaping, running away, journeys, travelling, travel overseas, going on holiday, feeling deflated, lethargy, holding onto negativity, spirit guides, guidance

Reversed:

- Trouble coming, out of frying pan into fire, lack of progress, slow healing, trapped, delay, stuck, overwhelmed, causing trouble, rocking the boat, changing/ abandoned plans, standing your ground, nowhere to run, stormy relationships, instability, disrupted/cancelled travel, return from travel, eloping, floods, accidents in the water

#lostwitchtarot #lostwitchtarottheswords #tarot #free tarot #tarot community #tarotblr #divi #beginner tarot #tarot reading #minor arcana #six of swords #divination #witchblr #witch community #beginner witch #baby witch #witchcraft #spirituality

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koskareevesismyqueen · 4 years ago

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Reunited at last

Pairing: Din Djarin x afab!reader

Word count: 2.8k

Rating: explicit (18+ only)

Warnings: oral sex (f&m receiving), piv sex, unprotected sex, breath play. Please be safe!

Summary: you were trying to get over ‘beskar boy’. That is until he walks into your local cantina and you’re reunited at last.

Author’s note: this fic has been written as part of the SL+ fic exchange for the amazing @louderrthanthunderr! I hope you enjoy having some Din time my love ♡

This, this was the way you enjoyed spending your evenings. Leaving work, coming straight to the cantina and spending an evening laughing and joking with your girlfriends. Talking about stupid shit, about the latest work gossip and who everyone had been hooking up with or at least talking to. You had no ulterior motive, no not at all. Not a beskar clad motive.

You shake your head, as if that’s really going to get rid of your thoughts, and take another sip of the non-descript, bitter clear liquid in front of you. You try to keep your face neutral, not allowing yourself to wince as the liquid burns the back of your throat.

“Well,” one of your friends asks as she looks at you from across the sticky, glass strewn table as she gives you a light kick in the shin with the toe of her boot.

“Huh,” you say as you meet her eyes, puzzled. You had definitely zoned out for way too long.

“Anything happened since beskar boy?”

You screw your face up, hating that you can’t refer to him by his real name when you’re chatting with your friends. You had insisted that they at least called him Mando, but beskar boy had stuck and you hadn’t changed their minds since.

“I told you, since the last time he was here I haven’t spoken to him. Anyway,” you say with the most faked nonchalant shrug you can muster, “I’ve forgotten about him.”

The table erupts into laughter and you roll your eyes in response.

“Forgotten about him? Really? Okay then, who have you forgotten about him with?”

Defeated, you let out an exasperated sigh.

“Right, I’m going to the ‘fresher. Don’t cause any trouble while I’m gone.” You wiggle your way out of the booth, glad you sat on the end, and squeeze your way through the gaps in the crowd surrounding the bar until you find yourself in the ‘fresher. Grateful for a break away from ‘beskar boy’ drama, you muse your hair, adjusting it so it sits just right. You reapply your lipstick, adjust your outfit then make your way back out.

You walk right past the bar, glad that there’s more of a path cleared for you than there had been on the way in, then slide back into the booth. Your table is uncharacteristically, no, scarily quiet.

“What?” You ask as you pull a face, suddenly feeling anxiety rising through your chest.

“Uh, did you fail to notice anything…different?”

“What, apart from you lot all acting like the mythical Luke Skywalker just walked in, no. I have no idea what’s going on.”

Your friend gently pokes her index finger into your cheek, forcing you to turn your head around towards the bar. You immediately snap your head back round, heart racing.

“Kriff,” you hiss, “has he noticed me?”

“What, going cold feet on beskar boy are you now? Go. Go and talk to him.”

You fidget nervously, the lines on the palms of your hands suddenly the most interesting thing you’ve ever seen. You can’t avoid him forever because he’s bound to see you at some point, then he’s either going to be hurt you ignored him and continue with his day or he’ll come and talk to you. At least if you go over, you’re in control. With a last deep, shaky breath you stand up. You smooth the creases out of your outfit and then stride over to the bar. You pull yourself up onto a bar stool a couple of meters to the right of Din and order your drink – something much less alcoholic. A little liquid luck had been necessary for you to get the confidence to come over by you absolutely didn’t want to have too much and embarrass yourself.

“Well well well,” you say with a smirk, the product of your false confidence, as you stir the drink the bartender had places in front of you, “I’d say look what the little green womp rat dragged in but I can’t see the tiny tyke anywhere?”

You almost hear the pain in Din’s next breath, despite the way you know he’s controlling it.

“He’s…gone to join other’s like his kind.”

You feel the way your eyes widen. “There’s a whole planet full of those little green aliens?” Half a question, half an exclamation. Din lets out a deep, soft chuckle in response and you feel the way your body quivers in retaliation.

“No. Other jedi. He’s gone off to train.”

You nod in response and place a hand on Din’s arm rubbing small, smoothing circles into the small space between his armour. You wonder if he feels the electricity run through him at the touch, despite how mundane and unsuggestive it is.

“I’m sorry, Din,” you say lightly, trying to read his emotions without much to go off. “I’m here if you need me.”

He turns to look at you and imagine the way his eyes look right into yours. “Actually, I’m really glad you’re here. I’ve been needing a distraction.”

“Oh?” You ask, suddenly realising that you’re shaking. Kriff, are you really this nervous to see him again?

“That’s if you’re up for it of course, Mesh’la?” You nod your head and Din wraps his fingers in yours, a strangely comforting gesture despite the barrier his gloves provide. He pulls you out of the cantina and you try your hardest to match your strides to him, but he’s taller than you and a trained warrior so it’s hard but you try your best anyway. He takes a sharp right out of the cantina and pulls you after him, taking the time to pull you in a little closer now. You’re never going to look like a perfect couple walking down the street with Din – him half dragging you after him as he rushes back to the Crest because he’s so desperate to fuck you is about as romantic as it gets.

Relief floods through you, alongside a fresh surge of heat, when you realise the Crest isn’t parked that far away. The ramp opens with a soft hiss of the hydraulics and closes the same way after Din pulls you in behind him. After the soft thud signifying the latches locking into place sounds, Din pulls you into him. You feel the way your breasts press between you against the hard layer of beskar, your nipples hardening at the thought of everything below his armour. He slowly pulls his right glove off then cups your cheek with his hand. You feel the way he strokes his thumb over your cheekbone and for a second you allow yourself to melt into his touch before he softly pulls his hand away.

You watch as Din slowly begins pulling off the pieces of beskar, undoing latches and buckles. He places them in a neat pile and the care he shows for them is obvious. He leaves his helmet and flight suit on, but the growing bulge is obvious and practically makes you drool. You close your eyes for a few moments as the familiar clunk of his boots over the metal floor clunk towards you, only opening your eyes when you can hear that he’s a few strides away. He pulls you back in close, the skin on skin contact so close it almost hurts, and wraps his hand through your hair. He pulls slightly, causing your head to tip back and he brings his head into the curve of your neck, his vocoder hovering next to your ear.

“Are you going to be a good girl for me?” He whispers, and you feel the way you clench in response, the dampness between your legs spreading. You nod your head, biting your lip to hold everything you want to say in.

Din steps away and you keep your eyes fixed on his visor. “Stand there. Don’t move. Watch me.” And you do. You watch as Din steps away and moves towards the little rickety bed. He sits down, then shifts his flight suit so that his cock springs free. In that moment you want to move, walk towards him, wrap your hand around it. Instead you bite your lip harder because you know you can’t move. You have to stay still.

You watch as he wraps his hand around himself, a bead of precum leaking from the tip as he anticipates everything. He slowly starts rubbing his hand up and down his length, occasionally pausing to gather the precum from his tip with his thumb, swirling it around to lubricate himself. You watch, as patiently as possible, but it grows harder and harder by the second. You feel the wetness between your legs, the way you feel yourself clenching at every slight movement. Din’s visor is fixed on your, your reaction, as you fidget around in an attempt to find some sort of friction.

“What did I say?” Din growls but you can’t help it now. You need to feel something, whether it’s Din or yourself. You start moving your hand and Din is there in a flash, thigh between your legs as grabs your hands, holding them aloft. You struggle a little but it’s all in good faith.

“I can be a good girl, Din. Let me show you,” you bat your eyelashes at him and bite down gently on your lip. Din doesn’t necessarily need a big show, but it doesn’t hurt to give one. You watch as his helmet gently tips, giving you the confirmation you needed, and you lunge at him claws practically outstretched. You kneel down on the floor between his legs – knees padded with a rough blanket he gives you – then wrap your hand around him. He looks big compared to your hand. You grip him tightly and begin moving your hand up and down, thumb pausing and smoothing over his head as you gather the slowly leaking precum, before you repeat the movement. You look up at him one last time, imagining the way his eyes – brown, you think – are hooded beneath his helmet as he looks down at you full of lust. You slowly dip your head down, opening your mouth to allow yourself to take his length. After a few moments you begin moving your head up and down, tongue swirling over him, hand gripping his base as you hollow your cheeks. You keep it up for a while, your other hand gripping the outside of his thigh, revelling in the way the normally quiet Din Djarin is slowly getting louder as he lets out a series of groans and moans. But eventually, he brings his hand to the back of your neck and slowly pulls you away. You release him from your mouth with a soft pop and look up unexpectedly, a mixture of drool and precum covering your chin. Din gently wipes it away and you try not to melt back into his touch.

“Enough,” he whispers softly, the deep bass of his voice echoing through the vocoder, “on the bed.”

He shifts himself out of the way and you take his place. You watch as he makes his way across the Crest, opening a draw and rifling through until he pulls out a couple of items. The first is the familiar blindfold that Din always puts on you when you’re together. He knots it at the back of your head, checking to make sure it’ll stay in place but also isn’t hurting you, then runs the tips of his fingers down your arm leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. You let out a slight shiver, the beginnings of ecstasy starting to course through you.

The soft clink of metal on metal sounds out throughout the room and you realise that Din has taken his helmet off. He picks up your hands, holding them carefully in his, then softly runs his lips over your knuckles. You feel his soft breaths and rough stubble against your skin, a stark contrast to anything you have felt for a long time.

He parts your legs with his hands, a firm push, then you feel him shift into position. It shocks you a little when he buries his head between your legs like a man starved but the shock is good. Stars, when was the last time you had felt something this good? Not since you had seen Din last, months ago. He laps out you, long strokes of his tongue lapping among your folds, tongue diving into your core then focussing on your clit. Your head tips back in ecstasy as your mouth litters out a series of moans and curses of kriff and stars. You had forgotten how good it feels as the pressure builds and you feel the wave of your orgasm building and rolling over, your body suddenly becoming ultrasensitive as Din continues to lap at you as your hips buck and writhe beneath him.

He continues, only slightly pausing to adjust his position. He uses one hand to pin you down over your hips and you feel the sheets shift as he reaches his other hand out, grasping around, followed by a soft and familiar buzz.

Stars.

The moment Din pushes the vibrator to your already oversensitive clit your hips buck, their movements more frenzied and jagged than before. He continues dipping his tongue in and out of you as he moves the vibrator around in small circles on your clit and its not long before you’re crying out as the second orgasm washes over you. This time, Din pulls away although you note that you can still hear the muffled vibrations. Your lungs take quick breaths in and out as you take the brief moment of respite before the next part that you know is coming.

Din picks you up and pushes you further up the bed so that he can lie on top of you. You feel the warmth of his body weight, the soft tickle of his chest hair and the thin layer of sweat between you. He brings his lips down onto yours, the kiss soft and sweet to start with but he soon pushes his tongue into your mouth, deepening the kiss and pulling the both of you closer together. His hand trails over your curves and you arch your back, shifting towards his hand.

“Are you ready, mesh’la?” He whispers against your ear, his voice still gruff but softer without the vocoder altering it. You nod your head, a little pathetically as you feel the head of his cock teasing against your opening. You buck your hips up slightly to meet him, reaching down with your hand to spread yourself open as he steadily pushes into you. His mouth reaches down to your neck, kissing and sucking along your collar bone as he begins slowly thrusting his hips into yours. Ecstasy and pleasure course through your veins as he hits your G-spot with every thrust, making you cry out every time.

The two of you begin to settle into a steady rhythm, hips meeting thrust for thrust, breathy moans and gasps against each others skin. But just as it becomes familiar, Din grabs you around your waist and flips you over, bringing himself up so he’s leaning back on his lower legs with you sat on top of him, one hand reaching round press the vibrator onto your clit again and the other snaking around your neck applying light pressure. Your moans becomes faster and louder, slightly constrained beneath his grip as he pushes deeper and deeper into you, the feeling of him bottoming out making you see begin to see stars.

“Din,” you whisper hoarsely, “I-I’m going to c-c.”

“When you’re ready, sweet girl,” he whispers back before you feel his teeth grazing your earlobe.

Your vision goes white as the final wave of your orgasm hits, your walls squeezing around Din as his thrusts stutter inside you. The two of you sit for a few moments, his arms wrapped around your middle holding you close.

“I should go and clean up,” you say lightly as you slowly extract yourself from his grip. By the time you come back out of the ‘fresher, Din’s helmet is back on which at least means you can take off your blindfold. You stand at the door, looking down at the blindfold which is now in your hands, unsure of your next move. For a second, you’re thrown back to being in the cantina, unsure if you’re going to see Din again. But now you’re here, naked on his ship. Even though you’ve seen him again, you’re not sure if and what this means for the future. But for now, Din is lying on his uneven mattress, arms open and waiting for you.

Yeah, the future is uncertain. But you can at least make the most of the next few moments in Din’s arms, reunited at last.

♡♡♡♡♡

#sl fic challenge #din djarin x you #Din Djarin x reader #din djarin x female reader #din djarin x f!reader #Din Djarin #mandalorian #the mandalorian #the mandalorian x reader

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llnewobsessionll · 4 years ago

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New Territory (Aro Volturi x human!reader)

A/n: Thanks for the ask! I had lots of fun writing this, hope you enjoy it!

Description: Y/n goes with Alice and Bella to Volterra to save Edward, in Volterra y/n meets Aro, her mate, due to past trauma y/n has difficulty and ends up running away. Y/n ends up in trouble and Aro saves the day.

Warning: Descriptions of anxiety, ptsd, assault and violence. (Anxiety and ptsd are both mental disorders that affect different people differently, I wrote them as how I experience and handle it, however this does vary from person to person.)

Word count: 3379

The fact that I had left Forks without even an hour’s notice was finally starting to get to me and panic started to sink in, I knew I was allowed, to I am an adult after all, but a trip to Italy from Washington on such short notice would surely be jarring for anyone. But, it had to be done, after all, Bella’s boyfriend was trying to commit suicide. This is also the same boyfriend who happens to be a vampire, all these changes were certainly starting to take effect.

Bella had run ahead to try to stop Edward because apparently, she was the only person Edward wouldn’t see coming, whatever that meant. Alice and I were coming up to the giant clocktower that Edward was apparently in, although moving through the crowds of the St. Marcus Day festival was getting increasingly difficult.

Alice made it to the tower ahead of me and snapped the lock on the inside of the doors that held the doors together… vampires were certainly gonna take some getting used to. She ushered me inside and for a second I was blinded from coming from the bright afternoon light to the very dim interior of the clocktower, around me I could hear the distant conversation but I was too confused by the change in scenery to pay attention to what was happening. When my eyesight finally did return to normal I saw Bella, Edward, and Alice together standing across from two men, two vampires, one of which I think is the tallest person I have ever seen in my life. Behind them, my eyes were drawn to a young girl, or I guess vampire, coming up to us.

“Enough,” she said, her voice powerful, obviously the one holding the cards in the conversation, she drew back her hood and my eye took in her bright red eyes, that’s strange, none of the Cullens have red eyes but she does and so does her two companions that I think about it.

Edward ducked his head in greeting and supplied her name, “Jane” I couldn’t tell if it was a greeting or for the benefit of Bella and me, or just Bella because I doubt he cares about me that much.

“Aro sent me to see what was taking so long” was her only reply.

I don’t know why but the name Aro, or at least I assume the name, made a strange feeling run through me. The feeling confused me and yet intrigued me at the same time, it didn’t feel bad, it was most certainly pleasant. Edward started walking forward with Bella’s hand in his guiding her. Alice followed and grabbed my hand as the two men followed behind us we walked all the way to the elevator, the two men, whose names I have yet to find out followed behind me. I really did not like people walking behind me, especially if I did not know them and their presence behind me caused me to tense up more than I was before and I started to panic. Alice must have noticed my reaction and gently guided me in front of her so I was now behind Bella, this still wasn’t ideal, but it was a hella ov a lot better than just that two strange men behind me.

We followed the petite blonde girl until we reached an elevator and the small glance at it from between Bella and Edward made me think that we would have to take two trips to get us all to where we were going. I was soon proved wrong when we all packed ourselves inside with zero personal space.

Being so close to so many people, most of which I did not know at all or very well with the exit closed off was not an exciting experience to me and if we had been in there much longer I would hate to think of how I would’ve reacted. The weird opera music only made me more nervous and put me more on edge.

Getting out I once again followed behind Bella and Edward, we walked past a human secretary who greeted us in Italian. Bella leaned closer to Edward to signify she wanted to have a private conversation, why she would try when we were surrounded by vampires of all things baffled me. However, I was so close behind them, even I, with my human hearing, could make out their conversation.

“Is she human?” Bella asked

“Yes” came Edward’s response

“Does she know?”

“Yes,” he once again replied, now I haven’t been around Edward too much but I can see he’s a man of very, very few words.

“Then why would…” Bella trailed off, “she wants to be.”

“And so she will be” came from behind, one of the guys had responded to Bella and Edward’s ‘private’ conversation.

“For dessert,” Jane finished off the sentence, her words made an uneasy feeling appear in my stomach. Not only was it nerve-wracking being around Vampires, but especially when they talked about killing people so casually.

Jane opened the doors that were in front of us and led us inside what looked like a chapel, it had similar architecture to worship temples, if a little grande, but I guess that was to be expected for Italy.

In front of us sat three thrones, and upon each of them sat a vampire, the one in the middle, he had black hair down to his shoulders, and the characteristically pale skin and red eyes, dressed in all black instantly had my attention. Something about him drew me in, I couldn’t place it but it was an instant attraction. Immediately both Edward and Alice were in front of me blocking my view of him and shielding me from his view.

Things were happening around us, conversation and movements, but I was still enraptured by the man, I was trying to look in between the gap that Alice and Edward had, but they kept making it harder and harder for me by moving and blocking my view.

I only came back to when Edward rushed forward, still at a human speed, towards where Jane stood. Jane muttered a word, I couldn’t make out what she said from where I was but Edward seemed to freeze in place and then dropped down to his knees. He looked to be in a great deal of pain and I swear I could see Edward’s vein nearly popping out of his skin from how tense he was.

Bella started to beg with Jane to stop and rushed forward as if to help Edward but a vampire that had been standing beside Jane flashed to her side and held her back. Whatever Jane was doing to Edward stopped when the attractive vampire called her name. She looked as if she woke up from a trance.

The attractive vampire turned to Jane, “go ahead my dear” I don’t know what he was talking about but Jane turned her attention to Bella. Bella seemed to tense and held her breath, waiting for something I would guess. However, nothing happened and tension between Jane and Bella rose. The tension was broken when the attractive male clapped his hands together and let out a maniac sounding laugh, “remarkable, she confounds us all. So what shall we do with you know?”

The man with the brown hair sitting behind the attractive guy piped up, “you already know what you’re going to do.” He sounded bored, but at least he finally provided a name for the attractive guy, Aro. For some reason, something as simple as his name had shivers of pleasure going down my back.

“She knows too much,” the blond one behind Aro added on, “she’s a liability.”

Now, I don’t know what exactly they were talking about, but I understood the situation enough that I knew that whatever the end result of it, it would most likely have Bella and me dead. The prospect of me having to witness Bella’s death sent me into a panic, and that may have caused slight irrationality, stepping out from behind Alice I finally spoke up, “there has to be something, what if they can promise that Bella will be turned? She’d no longer be considered a liability then.” As I spoke I looked directly at Aro, because from what I have seen so far, it was him that was making the decisions or at least the most active decision-maker.

Aro stepped forward, I had clearly intrigued him in some way, “oh and who are you, cara?”

It was at that moment, with everyone in the room looking at me, that my confidence escaped me and all I wanted to do was tuck tail and run to somewhere where I was alone. “Mm, my… name is y/n,” my voice didn’t come out as strong as I wanted it to and even I could hear the waver in my voice.

“Well cara, if Edward promised to turn Bella I do believe that that would solve the problem, although from what I have seen it seems as if he’s… hesitant” Aro seemed to slowly be inching closer to me, or that could have just been my paranoia talking.

“Bella will be one of us, I have seen, in one of my visions” Alice butted in, taking a step forward and slowly fingering her glove off, she took another step forward and placed her hand within Aro’s. The strangest of all is that Aro shut his eyes and looked as if he was concentrating, this confused me so I looked over to Bella and Edward in hopes that one of them would fill me in on my obvious obliviousness.

Seeing my confused face Bella thankfully informed me, “Aro can see every thought and memory you’ve ever had with one touch,” when she said this she did so quietly, almost like if she spoke too loud she would get scowled.

Well, I guess I’ll have to refrain from touching him then, eh?

Both Alice and Aro stepped back, turning to Bella he addressed her, “your gifts will make for an intriguing immortal, go now and make preparations,” he turned to me and reached out to grab my arm, I stepped out of his reach, trying to stop the contact.

“What about y/n, she has to come with us too!” Bella piped up after seeing both Edward and Alice trying to escort her out and leave me behind. Desperately I looked at her, hoping that she’ll take me with her. Even though I feel this strange attraction and connection to Aro I still felt safer with Bella, I was in unfamiliar territory with strangers, and the only thing grounding me was the sense of familiarity that I had with Bella.

“y/n? She’s staying here” Aro said with a sound of finality as he turned around and sat on his throne, completely laid back and absolutely unworried, which was the complete opposite from me as I was slowly starting to give in to my panic as I processed what was happening.

Thankfully it seemed as if Bella wasn’t gonna give up on me, who stood there uselessly by the way, “no! No, she’s coming back with us, you can't trap her here!”

Edward grabbed Bella’s arm and started half-heartedly tugging her out of the room, “Bella, come on, it’s no use.” I knew Edward didn’t like me all that much but to see him abandon me so fast definitely hurt.

Alice grabbed Bella’s other arm when she saw the younger girl still resisting, “Bella, calm down, we’ll explain it to you later, we can’t stop it.” At the very least Alice was doing a much better job at calming Bella down than Edward had, but to hear her be so definite about the outcome of the situation really didn’t help me at all.

Alice and Edward slowly started to escort Bella out of the room, I however still stood there looking at her desperately hoping that she’ll put up more of a fight for me. I knew if I tried to go with them one of the vampires would stop me before I finished taking a step, and there was no hope of fighting off a vampire or running off.

When the door finally shut behind Bella, Edward, and Alice I felt a sinking weight take place in my chest and could no longer stand. I sat down, desperately trying to hold back my panic. Almost immediately Aro was in front of me on one knee reaching for me, all I could manage to do was look up at him, no doubt teary eyed, “please don’t touch me, not yet,” he looked pained when I said that but nodded his head and lifted me into his arms bridal style, making sure that none of our skin make contact and that my pants and top were acting as a barrier between our skin.

It was less than ten seconds later than we stood in a different room, which looks to be a very expensive and immaculately kept bedroom. My face was still slightly buried in his shoulder from the run here.

He place me on the bed and stepped back, he look unsure of how to proceed next, almost nervous, I found it absolutely adorable and wholesome, and honestly a part of me wanted to ask him to stay, because no matter if I like it or not I felt some sense of comfort when I was close to him, but a bigger part of me needed the space in order to think and process all that happened and to calm down enough to think sensibly about the situation.

I couldn’t possibly look at him at the moment so I ended up looking at his shoes at the carpet that he was standing on, “I just need some… alone time, to y’know process everything” it came out as a quiet mumble, but I knew with his hearing he heard it anyway.

Nodding his head, he held his hands behind his back and rocked back on his heels, “certainly, I’ll come back later to check up on, if you need anything just call me and I’ll be right here,” he looked so delicate, long gone was the man from the throne room who was in charge and self-assured, no all that there was was a courteous, if slightly awkward gentleman.

He waited for my nod of confirmation before he left and suddenly I was alone in the room.

↼♔♔♔⇀

It was later that evening when the sun was almost completely down and several hours had passed and my confidence was back up that I decided to do something that could potentially be reckless. Did I acknowledge the fact that going out into a strange building that no doubt would be full of vampires would be a bad idea? Yes, yes I did. Did I have full knowledge that I had absolutely no clue where I was going and that the vampires drank human blood? Once again, affirmative. Did my grumbling stomach take priority over my safety? At the moment? Yes.

It was about five steps out the door that I truly came to terms with just how big that inside of the clocktower is and the fact that I would most definitely end up lost. But still I continued forward, hoping beyond hope that I could get myself so lost that I could find the kitchen, or anyone nice enough to direct me to the kitchen.

It couldn’t have been more than five minutes of me walking around taking turns and going in directions completely at random that I finally came across someone, someone who happened to be a vampire.

The Cullens were vampires and they all seemed to be really nice, even Rosalie as long as you didn’t mess with her, and Aro seemed to be nice enough so I thought that going up to the strange vampire and asking for directions to the kitchen couldn’t turn out too bad, especially considering that Aro, who seemed to be really important acted like he cared for me.

Going up to the vampire I had just opened my mouth to ask for directions when he suddenly turned around and stared at me. That star could only be described like a hunter looking down at its prey, ready to pounce and a shot of fear ran through me. I realized that asking a random person for directions didn’t sound like the best idea and just as I was about to take a step back and retreat he moved. In a split second he had me pinned up against the wall with his hand around my throat, the breath had been knocked from my lungs from the sheer force of his action so even if I tried to call out nothing more than a strangled gasp would make its way out.

“What’s a pretty thing like you doing walking around here, huh?” He hissed, his mouth slowly making its way closer and closer to my neck, I suppose that’s where my jugular would be, one bite and I would be down.

I heaved in a strangled breath, which was a lot harder than you would think with his hand wrapped around my throat like a necklace. Finally getting enough air to call out I tried to be as loud as I could to draw attention to myself “Aro, Aro, Aro” however just from calling his name three times left me feeling winded and the only other thing I could manage was a meek sounding “please.”

In a blink of an eye, a lot faster than I could process, the weight of the vampire was off me and Aro was standing in front of me with the two male guards from earlier. I slid down the wall with one hand on my throat coughing and trying to get enough air back in my lungs. Between the four vampires, a fight broke out and they were talking but I could hear them over the blood drumming through my ears. The fight only lasted for a couple of seconds before the strange vampire ended up in a pile of limbs on the ground.

While I was still trying to get my breathing back to normal Aro came over to me and crouched down, he looked like he wanted to touch me and comfort me but was holding himself back. At the moment, all I wanted was the comfort that I found around him so I opened my arms up in invitation and as a sign that I wanted a hug.

Relief seemed to come over his face and he pulled me into an embrace. I made sure that I had my hand on the back of his neck so he could use his gift. For a couple seconds he looked distant and I buried my head into his neck so I didn’t have to watch his reaction, I already knew it wouldn’t be good, nobody had a good reaction to memories like mine.

He hugged me tighter and lifted me up, “let’s go back to your room, cara.”

This time he walked us back to the room at a human pace, I would have normally been glad for that but the extra time it was taking us to get to the room meant extra time to worry over his reaction.

“Why don’t we just calm down, yeah” he whispered reassuringly while sitting on the bed with me still in his arms, “I promise nothing like that will ever happen to you again.”

A bout of relief came over me, he wasn’t gonna make a big deal about it or pull away because it made him feel uncomfortable, he was going to stay with me and help me through it.

On his lap I turned so I was stranding him and laid my head on his shoulder. I intertwined our fingers and left our hands on my thigh.

That entire night Aro stayed by my side, only leaving to get me food after my stomach grumbling interrupted us. That night I fell asleep with Aro right by my side and got the best sleep of my life.

#aro volturi x reader #aro volturi #volturi x reader #volturi imagine #volturi imagines #aro x reader

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tyxoxo · 1 year ago

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Ylang Ylang - teaser.

teaser, find full fic here.

| pairing: fairyhunter!jeno x fairy!reader (afab) au w/ fairy!xiaojun x fairy!reader (if you squint)

| genre: suspense, angst, fantasy, multiple nct/wayv + aespa character inserts, jeno and hendery are brothers

| summary: while being close to you and your family’s extinction, a promise needs to be broken to save the lives of your people

| words: loading…

| (future) warnings: murder, blood, torture, cnc smut + suggestive scenes, blackmail, kidnapping, exhibitionism, caging/imprisonment, degrading, spitting, unprotected sex

(this is purely fiction, warnings in bold mean potentially triggering content)

a/n: @jenomov and i came up with this concept out of nowhere and we decided to start writing our own versions. BUT i did make a header for us to share while she typed up the summary (which is awesome cuz i suck at them). just thought i’d clarify so no one would think we’re stealing/plagiarizing each other's work. just think of this as a collab! :’)) also, jeno’s look in the header is essentially how i envisioned him to look for this story but imagine him however you want (can’t help that haechan takes great pictures ㅠㅠ)

playlist:

livv? - ylang ylang

weatherby - fleeting frozen heart

alex sloane - mine

datfootdive - stars

“C’mon Xiaojun, spit it out already!!”

You teased at your loving best friend, shoving him playfully with a single finger as you watched him struggle to speak lucid sentences.

It was a sure way to initiate ill omens.

“Sorry…I just can’t form my words today.” He scratched the back of his head as peered down at his lap, rustling the Crane's-bill flower crown perched atop his mauve hair in the process.

“Since when do you ever really form your words?”

This time you gave a subtle laugh to pair with your smile, hoping to ease his obvious discombobulation.

“You’re right. I don’t.”

His eyes met yours, his wings even twitching, which always signified when your kind was flustered.

He continued again, pulling at his own thumb as he drifted his eyes up to the newly blossomed tree leaves; an obvious attempt to avoid eye contact.

You could try to deny it for as long as you lived, but there was something within you that adored him more than he probably ever knew.

Anything you needed, he was there. And you always tried your best to do the same, despite having the feeling that he bottled up some of his troubles to keep from feeling like a burden himself.

“Well…I w-wanted to tell you, that I really appreciate you.”

He gave up on his own finger trap, to tug at the bottom of his white flounce shirt, finally meeting your eyes again with another twitch of his translucent wings.

“I appreciate you too Xiaojun, always.”

“Is everything okay?”

You didn’t mean for your voice to come out in a whisper, but his stuttering had become more frequent, and this only made your thoughts whirl just as loudly as his.

But you made all of this difficult without even trying. His love for everything that was you, was infinite.

Even your constant teasing.

And the glimmer in your eyes was no match for his composure, let alone the way you held his hands.

You scanned his face in search of an answer, that definitely took too long for him to spill.

“Yeah don’t worry, everything's fine.”

You tilted your head in confusion, wondering where this could possibly be going, knowing he was aware of your ever-so-obvious “what’s the deal” persona.

He cleared his throat, and geared himself up for the revelation of a lifetime,

“I’ve been m-meaning to tell you that I really like you…that I’ve always dreamed of what it would be like to have this moment with you.”

You felt your wings twitch, more noticeable than his own. And the warmth that flooded your entire body could’ve lit the entire forest in a swarming blaze.

“W-would it be crazy if I asked you to be mine—”

His lips seemed to come at a rest in slow motion, eyelashes fluttering in stark contrast as he heard your breath hitch in your throat.

Not even the sun’s rays that flashed through the white pine tree could’ve taken you out of your shock.

You used what seconds you had left, to replay his confession in your head,

“…I’ve always dreamed of what it would be like to have this moment with you”

Xiaojun, your best friend since childhood, had always dreamed of this.

Xiaojun turned his head to look through the leaves, skin turning pale upon hearing further destruction.

Most of the branches obscured your vision, but it didn’t take much longer for the despair to continue.

“They found us!”

That voice, sounded like Karina.

And her frenzied words gave the answer—after 10 years of hiding, the hunters were back.

You felt your heart drop to your stomach, the ability to breathe becoming a distant memory.

You squeezed Xiaojun’s hand as you crawled through the thick pine, your best friend eventually grabbing your waist to stop you from venturing out too far.

“Stay back!” His hushed tone was never this turbulent, bringing all the more truth to the chaos brewing just a mile away.

“This can’t be! We have to go help!”

“It’s too dangerous, I can’t risk you getting hurt!”

Your adrenaline was too much for Xiaojun, as you managed to fight through his tight embrace or rather his hold on your longing to see your family and friends for what could be the last time.

“Let me go! We can’t just sit here and do nothing!”

You attempted to gear your wings for flight as you broke through his hold, hands raking through the leaves to get a clear view through the sea of green.

It was Giselle. And upon her getting a closer distance, you saw the blood spatter that painted her arms in fresh crimson.

He couldn’t just do this to you…prevent you from saving a life, from saving not only your friend, but his friend too.

Her face, lit up with hope, was the last sanguine expression to ever grace her face, as the all too familiar sound of a crossbow arrow being loosed from its quarrel sped towards her injured frame.

Your entire body shook against Xiaojun, trembling in fear that her killers would surely discover the two of you here.

“Fuck! Hendery I had her!”

An unfamiliar voice, but one you would never forget, roared through the clearing that led to your dead friend.

You never felt so much anger from a person before, someone that you could only imagine was seething at the teeth.

“No Jeno! I’m not letting you fuck this up anymore! Remember what Johnny said?”

The one holding the crossbow was Hendery: he had to have been the one to take the kill. And the one to speak first was Jeno.

These had to have been the hunters your family warned about. For years since relocating to this new area, all of the last surviving elders made it their mission to describe these two, for if the day came that they scoured the land again, you would instantly know it was them.

—

lmk if you want to be added to the taglist!!

#jeno smut #lee jeno smut #jeno x reader #nct dream smut #jeno hard hours #this is a REALLY long teaser but i couldn’t help myself

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pondmain · 3 years ago

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The Escape You Want

Chapter 2: First Hunger

Summary: Six and Mono escape the signal tower and travel to The Maw. But their relationship is forever changed.

Previous || AO3 link

The advertisements covered the walls of the Pale City, as if to signify some profound change in the narrative of the place. Ever since they had seen the first flyer, the boat had seemed to follow them.

It was rotund and sickly green. Painted waves crashed around it’s edges. There was lettering that Six had trouble putting together- She could be sure of the large black print at the top which read, “The Maw''.

They had stopped to rest for a while. The soft pitter-patter of the rain sounded from outside the awning they sat under. The looming ship was plastered on the wall above them. It was quiet, with only the faint howl of the wind in the distance.

Six stared into a puddle in front of them. There she was, reflected in the murky water- a small child wearing a dingy yellow raincoat. Her pale, stick-like legs stuck out just below the knees. She had pulled the hood over her head, though a couple strands of dark hair stuck out around her shadowed face.

Mono sat a few feet away from her. A brown trenchcoat hung over his faded-button up shirt and pants, bunched up behind him on the ground. His bony hands played with a key on the trenchcoat’s keyring, turning it over and over with a monotonous clank. Thick, dark hair framed his pale face and large brown eyes. He grimaced, and then a drop of rain cut through his expression. Ripples passed over his now empty face.

There was nothing but the rain, and the wind, and the clank, clank, clank. Six balled her hands into fists. Why did he keep doing that? The sound repeated, over and over and over. She turned her face away so she could scowl.

Clank.

“Hey, quit it!”

She whirled around, glaring at him with eyes made of fire. He flinched back, eyes wide and hand frozen on the key.

“Oh, uh, sorry, sorry,” He mumbled.

He turned away. His fingers jittered, until he picked up a rock and started turning it over and over. Six bit back a scoff. At least it didn’t make that horrible noise.

There was silence for a long while.

"How are we gonna get on?" Six said.

Mono hesitated.

"I dunno... there was a post office somewhere,” He pointed off into the distance, towards the tower that was now finally behind them. “Maybe it could mail stuff there. It was abandoned though."

Six wrapped her hands around her knees. She didn't want to go back there. Mono nodded as if he knew, and she felt a pang of annoyance at this supposed intimacy. She stood up and brushed herself off, as if to get rid of it.

"Follow the posters, I guess," she announced to the darkness.

Mono looked up at her, with a hint of surprise that she was taking the lead. And at once she fought to keep the snarl off her face, because why couldn't she?

"Let's go," she said, and her feet slapped across the concrete. Mono followed.

They made their way through the outskirts of the city. Once tall buildings gave way to small, enclosed houses running along broken concrete drives. The sky was still an ominous grey, pouring down faint rain upon them. Once a white bird with a jagged beak lit up the sky and they ran and hid. They stayed crouched in a small hole until its cries faded into the night.

They walked past the crumbling front steps of another house. Six’s feet hurt, but she refused to take another rest today.

A few hours ago she was sitting in silence with Mono, listening to the shuffle of his fingers over a key in his belt. He turned it around and around, hitting it against the others with a monotonous clink . It kept clanking over and over until she snapped and told him to quit it. He’d said sorry and looked away.

Something in the house next to them smelled like salt. The scent pushed its way into her mouth and lingered there, like the smoke at the beginning of a fire. She surreptitiously turned to Mono to see if he smelled it too, but if he did he gave no sign.

She wrinkled her nose- the smell was overpowering. She brushed her sleeve against her face. Mono’s pace quickened and he jogged up to her.

“Hey, is something-”

A great gurgling echoed between them. Six heard it before she felt it- the sharp pain that rose from her stomach. She stumbled, curling into herself. Mono grabbed her shoulder and tried to steady her, but she roughly pushed him off.

“Are you okay?”

Her breathing was ragged. She pulsed with a kind of need, for what she couldn’t tell. Something to fill her. Something to make it go away. She pulled herself up the rotting porch steps and staggered towards the front door. She fell against it and it wouldn’t move.

Mono ran ahead of her. He clambered up the windowsill and jumped through the broken frame. Moments later the door creaked open with a flurry of dust and she almost toppled over. Mono caught her and helped her stand.

“Seriously. Are you okay? What do I need to do?”

The smell hit her like a wave. It pulled her forward on wobbling legs as she pushed past him and into the house. It was dark, but she didn’t need sight to reach it.

She stumbled into a kitchen. Deep stains bled through the peeling wallpaper and moldy tile. The smell pulled her gaze upward and she saw it. Laying on a table, A half rotten carcass of a fish. Flies buzzed around the rancid meat, settling on brownish bones poking out of flesh. A worm crawled out of one of the empty eye sockets.

Six half ran, half fell forward. She leaped up to grab the edge of the table. Her arms felt like slush and she weakly raised herself a few inches. Her fingers slipped. She collapsed into a heap on the ground. She whimpered and reached out a hand toward the impossible height.

Mono appeared over the edge. A cloud of flies reared up as his hands dug into the fish, pushing it forward. She could hear the slosh of the wet flesh against the table and it only made her want it more.

The fish fell with a liquidy plop. Blood or something like it oozed out onto the moldy tiles. Six crawled over to it. With one quick movement she dug her teeth into its flesh. The world faded into a fog of blood and bone, and then she was staring at her hands. They were covered in a dark liquid.

She felt a deep fear creep into her bones. There was now a small hole in the fish’s torso, the newly exposed bones dripping in fat and flesh. A fly buzzed down and settled on one of the bones, burrowing its face into a small flap of meat.

She rotated one palm to see if she still controlled it. She did. The weakness in her muscles was gone. She slowly stood up. She was shaking.

Her gaze passed across the room until she saw Mono, standing a ways from her. He was staring, his mouth agape and hands clenched. She couldn’t tell if he looked scared or worried. Or both.

The sight of him forced her back to her senses. She pushed herself upward, pushed off the feeling of fear and disgust.

“We’re still going,” she breathed out, and her voice shook and she hated it.

“Oh. Right,” He nodded, and followed after her as she strode out the door.

#little nightmares fanfiction #ln fanfiction #ln mono #ln six #ln2

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gisachi · 4 years ago

Note

4, 16, 19,20, 21, 35, 39,41,42, 46!!! Sorry it's a lot. :(

Heey Anon hi! I know this took ages because I deliberately saved this for last even though this is one of the earliest requests I got. I actually already started with your request months ago and I attempted to incorporate all of the numbers. But I discontinued it because I had a hard time cramming all the kisses into one ficlet lol. So I’m scratching that and will approach this differently. Minus all the numbers I’ve already done, I will group the kisses into three, so I’ll make three ficlets for you! This is also to make up for the lateness. XD So this is the first one. Stay tuned for the other two!

20. Kissing in a stairwell, giving them an artificial height difference. 21. A chaste kiss given to each other because they are in mixed company.(1,777 words)

He is back.

Ran has a hundred reasons to believe that this is a dream, but her senses indicate otherwise.

She looks over her shoulder and he’s there, oblivious to her watching gaze. Her eyes trace the crook of his nose, dipping down to the depression of his philtrum, to his upper and lower lip that glisten with moisture, hiding the faint lines of dryness. She hasn’t noticed until now how clear and closed his pores are or how his hair turns gingerbread brown when hit by sunrays.

He sits behind her on the couch, and she feels his chest rise and fall slowly against her back, the warmth of his meditative breath fanning across her neck and causing stray strands of hair to tickle her skin. One hand is on her waist and the other over the black and white paperback print she holds open on her knees where his eyes are transfixed.

His index finger trails along unfilled white boxes as if reading Braille, deciphering the word behind each numbered riddle, and she notices how thin but slender his fingers are and his nails trimmed short, and she blushes at the slightest brush of his hand against hers.

She takes a deep breath, taking a whiff of his scent. It’s not a scent that comes and goes as when she passes by a bakery in the early morning. It lingers for a significantly longer time, the light sandalwood and musk that is uniquely his weaving like oxygen through the air.

And when he coughs, his croak resonates on her ears, and she internalizes that this sound is not a sound coming from a phone or from those hundred voicemails she’s stored, but a sound which she can source directly from his throat, from his voice box, from the actual person that is he.

Her senses indicate that this is more than a mere semblance of normalcy.

He is present. He is right here. With her.

This Shinichi is permanent.

“Earth to Ran,” he quips beside her ear, “I said number nine across is ‘aglet’.”

“Oh, right!”

Startled from her reverie, she twirls the mechanical pencil around her fingers before filling in the four blank boxes his finger is pointing at, beside the first ‘a’ of the down word ‘Neanderthal’.

She doesn’t need to look behind her to know that Shinichi is giving a curious look, directed not on the crossword puzzle but on her.

“You seem to be lost in thought,” he inquires.

“It’s nothing. It’s just…” she pauses, taking another deep breath, “I’ve been wondering.”

“About?”

“This,” she vaguely waves the pencil between them.

Shinichi perks his head back, nose crinkling in confusion. “The crossword?”

“No, no,” she chuckles, tilting her head sideways, her nose brushing his as she meets his eyes squarely. “Us. Right here. Peace. Stability. How we reached this point.”

“Oh.”

If the words didn’t come from her, she would’ve been amused by the sudden existential declarations too. But she knows he’s as used to this as she is whenever she gets emotional, and what she feels at the moment is no different from the moments he had returned in his real form in the past but this time, he’s around for much longer.

"How you’re here beside me...and actually staying,” she adds quietly, eyes lowering to the pencil she’s holding.

With an affectionate smile, Shinichi stretches a hand to caress her cheek. His skin is soft on her skin, warm to the touch and yes, this isn’t a dream. “Well, believe it or not, I’m not leaving anymore.”

As soon as he says that, a muffled ring from his pocket disrupts their little moment.

Ran’s stomach lurches. She knows what that ring signifies.

He holds one finger in front of her face as his other hand fishes for the phone in his pocket.

“Hello? Megure-keibu?”

She’s right.

“Where am I? At the Mouri Detective Agency. Yes. Yes… Uh, now?” He peers at Ran for a few seconds. His expression, though brimming with unkempt excitement, transforms into reluctance as his eyes meet her quiet ones. “Keibu, I don’t think now is the right-”

But as much as Ran doesn’t like where the next few hours may lead, she’s more mature than she ever was and knows better than convincing a warm-blooded detective to stay when his niche calls for him.

Halting him with a hand over his that holds the receiver, she mouths, ‘Go’.

Shinichi opens his mouth and closes it again. His brows furrow and he shakes his head curtly. ‘No,’ he mouths back.

Of course, she knows what’s running in his mind for it’s the same as what’s running in hers. He’s going to leave again. Ran understands the limbo that he’s in, having to choose on the spot between the only two options that comprise his happiness.

And knowing him, she has a hunch of what he might choose.

“Kudou-kun?”

“Megure-keibu, I-I’m sorry but I-”

Ran’s grip on his hand tightens, and she speaks a little above a whisper. “Shh. Don’t worry about me, Shinichi. This is the first time in two weeks TMPD calls for you again. I know you’re waiting for this.”

Her tone is firm and compelling and genuine, as genuine as the look of understanding she’s giving him, eager to wipe away whatever doubt and guilt he might be feeling for possibly leaving her again. He might be leaving, but Ran knows he’ll return. This is different from the past where everything is uncertain. This time, this time, for sure...he’ll return.

And she leaves him quiet, so quiet she can hear the hustle of the department on the other line. With a slow and reluctant huff of breath, Shinichi regards her with a light nod, and replies to the inspector, “Got it, keibu.”

“Sorry for the trouble. I already sent Satou-keiji and Takagi-keiji to fetch you. They’ll be there in a minute,” the receiver says. Shinichi acknowledges and hangs up.

She is ready to give him a teasing look, maybe pretend that she’s mad or anything to push his buttons, but she isn’t prepared for the tight hug that comes immediately after he shoves his phone back in his pocket.

Over her shoulder, Shinichi’s remorse is palpable from the way he groans heavily.

“God, Ran. Here I go again, I’m so sorry, I-”

“Wha- It’s okay, Shinichi!” Ran laughs mirthfully. “Really.”

He raises his head from where it burrows in her neck. “No. You’re disappointed. I can feel it.”

“Listen. If I have to choose between not letting you go and then having your attention divided by the prospect case and me, or letting you go to solve the case - which I know you can do so easily - and then coming back to me afterwards with your full undivided attention on me guaranteed, you know damn well which I’ll pick, right?” she says matter-of-factly, doting his forehead with the pencil.

That isn’t a lie considering how aware she is of Shinichi’s state - those dark creases under his eyes are a sign he’s been up most nights reading mystery novels, perhaps to compensate for the lack of real life mysteries coming for him.

Now that one finally arrives, how can she let it bypass him?

Even if she isn’t a huge fan of mysteries, since Shinichi loves it, and she loves Shinichi, little by little she’s learning to be thankful when they come his way, too.

“You’re not mad, are you?” he asks sheepishly, still not letting go of his arms around her waist.

“I will be if you won’t come back,” she chides, eyes narrowing acutely. She delivers it as a joke, but he doesn’t need to ask twice to understand she doesn’t mean it as one.

Outside, they hear tires screeching to a halt, indicating the arrival of his ride. Both rise from the couch, and Ran assists Shinichi to the door before the two officers can get out of the car to fetch him.

Shinichi bids her goodbye, and she watches as the man goes down the agency stairs.

In that moment, her chest tightens.

Shinichi with his back turned and departing away from her have always left a bitter taste in her mouth. This time, he’s doing it again.

Although assured that this Shinichi is permanent, still, she always finds the need to ask.

“Shinichi…” She halts three steps before the end of the stairs, just before he pulls the car door open. “You will come back, right?”

It is a simple question pregnant with meaning if specifically asked of someone she’s had the craziest history with. Shinichi knows why, knows where she’s coming from, knows the hundred implications she implores when she asks it.

And so, pausing on his feet, he faces her resolutely and walks to her. In front of her on the stairs he leans up, hand bracing her neck before he pulls her down for a kiss.

It’s only a quick press of lips but enough to convey the answer in his heart.

Even so, in that brief interval, she becomes hyperaware of everything.

The secure hand buried in her hair. The lovely smell of his sandalwood cologne. The sight of his red cheeks before and after he meets her lips. The sweet taste that lingers even when he separates.

Her senses indicate that this is more than a mere semblance of reality. Shinichi has never pressed his lips against her before. But in a matter of seconds, he suddenly does. And she feels his message everywhere.

This, indeed, is better than what any dream can offer.

“I’ll return to you before it gets dark. I promise,” he says quietly, face a breath away from her own. With what he has done and what she has felt, she knows he means it.

By the time Ran recovers from the daze, he is already in the backseat of the police car. She notes his half lidded eyes and crimson cheeks and ears, a look that is equally shared by the two police officers in front, except that their lidded eyes are more teasing in that respect. The belated realization that they were seen leads her to blush as intensely as he does.

Satou-keiji rolls her window down to give Ran a gaily salute. “We’ll bring him home before night, Ran-san, we promise!” she parrots before zooming away, no longer catching Ran’s embarrassed wave back.

Left behind, Ran waits until the car disappears from sight, gracious smile never leaving her face. She blinks back at the horizon with his promise at the back of her mind.

“I’ll be waiting, you idiot,” she whispers in the air.

#shinran #kiss prompts #fanfic #this is 6 months late haha sorry!#though it's no content november #I still can't resist posting #because it's one year of shinran writing for me yay!#this is me celebrating...by writing more hehe #anw I feel a bit rusty here!#but I still hope this is coherent #hope you like it anon!#will post the other two fics anytime~#thank you for the requests!

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talkfastromance4 · 5 years ago

Text

Love So Sweet-- boxer!Luke AU

I’ve finally finished this! This is the longest thing I’ve ever posted in one go. I originally wanted to do this in parts but I have too many in parts I’m still posting now lol. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing it! And yes, the title is from TEETH and you’ll see why at the end ;)

Word Count: 19.6k

Warnings: swearing, fighting, drinking (only casually), smut and sexual occurrences, unsolicited hitting on a girl at the bar, mentions of domestic abuse/violence

Masterlist

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Without further ado, enjoy! Please let me know your thoughts on this I’d LOVE to hear your feedback! :)

____________________________________

Luke Hemmings is a player and a boxer, the ultimate troubled duo. He’s the best fighter at Seconds of Summer gymnasium/arena and he goes through women like his fights, quick, fast and onto the next one. Even though the girls know they won’t get a second call from the devastatingly handsome fighter, they were still his entourage at every fight. Cheering him on and wearing scantily clad outfits.

Luke’s been undefeated since the start of the season, but that was all about to change on Friday night when he saw, quite possibly, the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen. She’s standing with her arms across her chest while he slips into the ring. Calum is murmuring tactics in his ear but he’s only half listening. He’s watching the dark haired beauty chew on her nail while she listens to her friend, who Luke recognizes is Penelope, or Nell. Nell is dating Calum.

Excellent.

“Bro, did you hear me? He’s quick on his feet so be wary,” Calum claps his friend on the back and Luke nods, sneaking one more glance at the pretty girl.

The sound of the bell signifies the start of the match and Luke began the dance he knows all too well. His height makes it difficult for him to move as fast as his opponents but it anchored him well enough to throw some great punches and uppercuts.

He won the first round, but he kept peeking at the new girl during the second. She wasn’t even really paying attention, instead she was scrolling through her phone or talking with Nell who was watching Luke adamantly. At least she was interested.

“Come on, Luke! Get your head in!” Calum shouts from behind and Luke regains his focus on the opponent dancing opposite him.

Luke took a running start and flipped the guy over his shoulder so he fell onto his back, his body making a loud thud and the crowd went crazy. Luke tucks a loose curl from his bun behind his ear and he strolls over to where Nell and the pretty girl were.

His usual gaggle of girls scream his name as he approached but the girl he was keen on noticing him was completely oblivious. That irritated him. Why come to a match if you aren’t going to watch?

Luke sighs and winks at his fans who squealed in response. The ding of the third and final round sounded and he turned around and was met with a hard fist to his jaw. It causes Luke to stagger as he rubs his jaw, the taste of pennies fills his mouth. He spits out fresh blood and curses at himself. This girl is getting in his head and he doesn’t even know what the hell her name is.

He lunges for his opponent but he’s tripped up, falling hard onto the floor and the guy is on top of him. Luke hears so much noise and the sound of flesh hitting flesh, then he thinks of the girl and with all his willpower he flips himself over with a loud grunt. He has the other guy pinned by the neck and the ref counts to ten.

A double bell sounds the end of the match and Luke clambers off his opponent. Calum and his two other best friends, Michael and Ashton, are jumping on him in victory. The crowd is going nuts, Luke’s breathing is heavy and his eyes scan the crowd for Nell and the girl but they’re gone.

He almost lost because of her and she didn’t even fucking witness his win. Unbelievable.

• • • •

“Why are you in such a mood? You’re on your tenth win!” Michael exclaims while they’re at their favorite bar, Charlie’s after the match.

“Thought I was going to break that streak tonight, Mike,” Luke says tipping his beer bottle to his lips.

“Yeah, what happened that second round?” Calum asks.

“I dunno, I got in my head,” he shrugs. He glances at the door just as Nell walks in searching for Cal. The girl he saw is close beside her. “Fuckin’ hell.”

“Hey guys!” Nell greets excitedly then looks to Luke, “congrats on the win, big man. Ten and counting.”

“Thanks, Nell,” Luke grins brushing his curls back with both hands, his eyes roaming over to the brown haired beauty.

She’s standing awkwardly playing with the pendant of her necklace. Luke can see her eyes are a deep blue.

“Oh! Everyone, this is my cousin, Evie. Evie these are Calum, Ashton, Michael, and the champion over there is Luke,” Nell introduces pointing to each person.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you all,” Evie gives a small wave to the group, her eyes slide over to Luke whose gaze hasn’t left her.

“She just moved here from Wisconsin,” Nell continues finding a comfortable spot in Calum’s lap who kisses her cheek affectionately.

“Well, welcome to sunny LA,” Ashton laughs with his arms open.

“Thanks,” she smiles a bit awkwardly and Luke can tell she’s shy.

As annoyed as he is that she distracted him earlier, he finds it endearing. He can feel she’s got a thick wall up and he wants to do anything in his power to knock it down. Just as long as she doesn’t keep getting into his head during fights.

• • • •

The next time he saw Evie was at his next match, and just like the first one, she wasn’t watching. She was on her phone or looking anywhere and everywhere around her except for at Luke and the ring. He almost lost again, but when that thought entered his mind it made him angry so he ended up winning anyway.

Ashton was throwing an after party at his place, lo and behold, Evie was off to the corner nursing a drink in her hand while Calum and Nell were on the opposite corner near the beer pong table... Her dissociation irritated Luke and it increased each time he saw her doing. Taking a quick shot and leaving the platinum blonde who was flirting with him mirthlessly in midsentence, he makes his way over to her.

She looks up at him, giving him a weak smile then turns her attention to the contents in her cup as she swirls it in her hand.

“You’re not a people person, are you, sweetheart?” Luke asks under his breath sidling closer to her. Normally he uses the form of endearment on his gaggle of girls as part of his tactic to get them into his bed, but it drips condescension with Evie.

“What do you mean?”

“At the matches and the bar you’re on your phone and now here,” he tilts his head down to look at her, his height overpowering, “you’re in the corner like a pretty little wallflower.”

“I’m not bothering anybody, so what’s the big deal?” she shrugs.

Luke is surprised at her retort to be honest. He thought the quiet, shy girl wouldn’t have a bite in her so he grins devilishly. “It bothers me,” he says lowly digging his hands in his black jeans.

Evie’s eyebrows raise in response. “How?”

“It bothers me how you’re always on your bloody phone when you come to a fight. You get in my head and it messes up my game. I’ve almost lost twice now because of you.”

“How exactly is that my fault? Why are you watching me anyway when you should be fighting?” her big blue eyes turn steely, he notices her sky blue manicured fingers tighten on her red solo cup.

“You distract me.”

“That sounds like your problem, not mine.”

“Evie! Come take a shot!” Nell shouts from across the room. Without another word, Evie skips around Luke’s large frame to join her cousin and his friends.

He sets his jaw and watches her go, wondering what the fuck this chick is doing with his head.

• • • •

The group of friends decided to go to a bar downtown. It was nothing like Charlie’s. It was more of a club than a bar because of the bouncers out front with a velvet rope and a massive line stretching down the sidewalk.

Luke is surprised to see Evie has joined them and even more surprised at the outfit she’s wearing. Normally when he’d see her at the ring she has on leggings and a simple shirt. Now she’s sporting black high-waisted shorts with a red sparkly tank top, he can’t help but notice the perfect amount of cleavage showing either.

Evie gives him a small smile in greeting when she walks past him. The smell of her perfume—roses and something fruity—are left in her wake leaving him momentarily stunned.

“You all right, man?” Calum asks walking by with Nell on his arm.

“Yeah, fine,” Luke mumbles following them inside the bar.

It’s dark and hazy from the random smoke machines that would go off with the bass drop of the songs. It’s crowded too and Luke searches for Evie only to find her up front leading the pack while he takes up the rear. The shortest and shyest girl of the group is leading them through the bar?

He sighs in slight irritation when he realizes he’ll have to keep his eye on her for the night so she doesn’t get into a compromising situation. He knows how guys’ minds work and Evie has that perfect innocent look with those big eyes of hers that draws you in.

Once they’re up at the bar he orders a round of shots first, something simple like a lemon drop. The group gathers in a big circle clinking their glasses and Luke’s eyes stay glued to Evie as she sucks the sugar off the lemon and licks left over sugar off her lips.

Luke orders another shot for himself. This is going to be a long fucking night.

The drinks flowed constantly and the girls danced along to the music. Luke had even saw a prospect of a girl across the bar but when he heard Evie shriek in laughter he was pulled right back to his unofficial post of watching out for her.

He tells Calum he’s heading to the bathroom quick who nods and Luke gives one more look at Evie. She’s leaning against the bar sipping on her drink listening to whatever Nell is telling her. Luke slips by dancing bodies quick as he can, now that he’s heading to the bathroom the need to relieve himself has increased.

When he’s finished he splashes water on his face and gazes at himself in the mirror. His eyes are bluer and he realizes he’s not even drunk because he’s been so preoccupied watching out for Evie.

Sighing at his reflection, he heads out of the bathroom but when he returns to his group, Evie isn’t in sight.

“Hey, where’d Evie go?” Luke asks Ashton who’s talking to some girl with bright orange eye shadow on.

“Uh, bathroom,” Ashton answers then turns back to orange eyeshadow girl.

Luke sighs scanning the crowd for her face before ordering a beer. Nell is making out with Calum against the bar so she clearly didn’t accompany Evie to the bathroom. He takes tender sips of his beer scanning constantly for Evie’s red shimmering top.

Finally, after what feels like hours, he spots her weaving in between people and Luke stands up a little straighter as she approaches. He frowns when he sees the look on her face then spots a guy behind her clearly trying to get her attention. Luke’s grip on his beer tightens, coaxing her to get to their group faster silently in his head.

When the guy grabs onto her wrist and waist pulling her against him, Luke springs into action. He slams his beer bottle on the bar top and stalks over to Evie.

“Let me go,” her voice is high as she tries to break free from the stranger but Luke is stronger.

He wedges himself in between Evie and this asshole easily, he pushes Evie behind him then glares at asshole.

“Hey man, I had her first—“

“She didn’t want you,” Luke says, his voice steely. “Walk away.”

“Whatever,” asshole scoffs shaking his head, “fucking tease of a slut anyway.”

The next thing Luke knows his fist has connected with the guy’s jaw causing him to stumble backwards into a throng of people. There’s gasps then Calum and Ashton are beside Luke when the asshole regains his footing. When he sees two other large men standing before him, he rubs his jaw then ducks away back into the crowd.

“What the hell was that?” Calum asks Luke in alarm.

Luke ignores him and instead turns around to look at Evie who’s being consoled by Nell. Her eyes are wide in shock and she’s clearly visibly shaken and what just happened.

“Are you okay?” Luke asks sincerely taking a hesitant step forward.

Her nod is jerky while she rubs her wrist, Nell is rubbing her back and hugging her to her side. Luke nods then puts a couple twenties on the bar to cover the rest of their drinks.

“Let’s get out of here,” he says and everyone agrees quickly.

He makes sure Evie is in front with Nell, Ashton and Calum are on his side as they basically escort the girls from the bar. The car ride was silent, the altercation sobering everyone up pretty quickly. Luke is only half listening to Calum berate him for punching someone outside of the ring but Luke would do it again in a heartbeat.

His breath catches at the realization.

Nell decides to stay the night with Evie and the guys want one more drink so they were going to go to Charlie’s but before they drove off Evie approaches the passenger side door. Luke rolls the window down.

“Thank you, for what you did,” she thanks him.

“You’re welcome,” he grunts clearing his throat. Their gaze holds for a moment before she nods then retreats to the entrance of her apartment.

• • • •

Luke tried to get Evie out of his head by getting someone else underneath him. It wasn’t until he opened his eyes while he was pounding into the girl he picked up at the end of his practice match that he realized he picked her out from the crowd only because her hair was the same color as Evie’s.

He closed his eyes again and focused on reaching his climax but it only made it worse because all he saw were Evie’s big, dark blue eyes.

Well, that didn’t work.

At his next match three weeks later, Evie is with Nell with the others surrounding them. She was still on her phone but not as often as the first couple times. That eased Luke a little. Slightly. Not really.

At Ashton’s that night he finally corners her because he needs answers. He pulls her out on the balcony, the summer breeze cools his burned temper slightly and she stares up at him in shock, her mouth open slightly. Luke tried not let her pink lips distract him.

“Why come?” he demands shoving his hands in his pockets

“What?”

“Why come to the match when you don’t even watch? Whoever you’re texting on your phone is more important so why come?”

“What is your deal with me Luke? You have a whole group of girls watching you, why does it matter so much what I do?”

“Because! You’re there with Nell then you act like we’re all beneath you or something. Like we’re not important enough for your time. It’s aggravating.”

“You want to know why I’m on my phone?” her voice changes and her eyes harden.

“Yes.”

“You really want to know why I don’t watch your fights?” Her normal soft voice is now monotonous with a hint of hysteria at the end.

“Yes,” he chuckles sardonically. “These are really simple questions.”

“Fine!” She throws her arms up as if in defeat. “I’m on my phone because my friends back home keep me updated on where my ex is. I can’t watch you fight because that’s what my ex did to me. Broken jaw? He gave me one. A split lip? I’ve had three. I’ve been bruised and beaten and I only come because Nell is my favorite cousin but I can’t tell her any of this because she loves it. There, are you satisfied now?”

Luke is frozen in his spot. He wasn’t expecting any of that and now he feels like a complete ass. His shock is quickly replaced with anger at whoever her ex is because any man who hits a woman is the lowest of the low and the scum of the earth.

“I—I’m sorry, I didn’t—“

“Now you do know,” she scoffs pushing past him and forces the glass door open. It slams against the wall as she stalks past their friends.

“Evie, wait!” he calls after her but she’s already rushing out Ashton’s front door. Everyone is calling her name then turn to Luke.

“What happened?” Nell asks worriedly.

“I messed up,” Luke mutters. “Fuck!” he runs his fingers through his curls in exasperation.

Nell runs out the door after her cousin and the others look at Luke waiting for an explanation but he won’t give them one. He’s not going to air Evie’s secret. He wanted to get her walls down but he never could have imagined the warzone he’d find behind it.

• • • •

Evie isn’t at his match the following Friday and it brings a bit pit to his stomach, he feels awful about what she admitted to him. After he practically bullied her into confessing it in the first place. After his win, he jogs to Nell who is looking somber.

“Where’s Evie?” he pants.

“Home. She wasn’t feeling well,” she responds stoically. “I don’t know what happened between you two, but she’s being more withdrawn than normal. You better apologize or do something to fix this Luke.”

“I will,” he nods frantically.

After his shower, Ashton is waiting for him by his cubby where his clothes are.

“What happened with you and Evie?” Ashton asks calmly.

“I really fucked up, Ash,” Luke sighs shaking his head.

“What’d you do?”

“I confronted her about being on her phone during my fights and . . . you can’t tell Nell this, but Evie’s ex was abusive. She said she’s had a broken jaw and a split lip and who knows what else. I think that’s why she moved, to get away from him.”

“Shit,” Ashton mutters looking at his feet. His hazel eyes are hardened when he looks back up at Luke. “You better fix this. Nell said she’s been real torn up.”

“I know. It’s all my fault. Do you know her apartment number? I want to go apologize.”

• • • •

Luke takes a deep breath before buzzing Evie’s apartment number.

“Yes? Who is this?” she asks over the intercom.

“It’s me, Luke. Can I come up? I want to talk to you.”

“We did enough talking, Luke.”

“No! Please, Evie. It’s really important,” he begs. It’s silent on her end of the speaker for about ten seconds then he hears the buzz of the door unlocking.

He bounds to the elevator and rushes to her door on the third floor. He knocks twice on her door and it opens wide to reveal Evie in sleep shorts and a thin hoodie. Even with no make-up, she still made Luke’s heart skip a beat.

“What’s so important?” she folds her arms.

“Can I come in?” he asks softly.

Evie sighs with her lips pursed contemplating until she finally steps back into her apartment with Luke trailing in behind her. He glances around her apartment, it’s warm and inviting with a fresh scent he can’t quite place. It feels very homey with pictures and art on her walls, fluffy rugs and blankets on her couch.

“What do you want, Luke?” she asks softly.

His eyes finally land her, really taking her appearance in. Her hair is curly in a low ponytail, she’s got dark circles under her eyes as if she hasn’t been sleeping well. That makes him feel worse.

“I want to apologize for last week. I’m so sorry Evie, if I would have known—“

“I didn’t want anyone to know,” she admits quietly, “I wanted to come here because it’s far from him. I dyed my hair and wanted to start over.”

“I’m so sorry,” he repeats, his sorrow heavy in his words.

“You said that already,” she flashes a small smile but it doesn’t meet her eyes.

“And I’ll keep saying it until it takes away how big of an ass I was to you. I’m not normally like that, I don’t know why it bothered me so much.”

“You’re used to girls watching your every move then throwing themselves at you,” she shrugs. “No big deal.”

“It is a big deal. I don’t want you to ever feel unsafe when you’re around me. And now I realize what I did at the bar probably made you terrified of me but I don’t—“he shakes his head. “When I fight it’s strictly tactical and in the ring. I do training everyday, I’ve been fighting since I was—“

“I’m not scared of you, Luke.”

“You’re not?”

“No,” she sighs. “And what happened at the bar . . . yeah it was scary but if you didn’t punch him who knows what that guy would have done. It’s just with the fights . . . the sounds bring it all back. What he did to me.”

“Fuck, I’m sorry. Can I make us some tea or something? Do you want to talk about it? Or, not talk about it? We can talk about anything else.”

“Tea sounds nice.”

• • • •

“It hasn’t really hit yet that I’m free of him, Danny is his name” she shakes her head while they’re sitting on her couch. A movie is playing on her TV while they’ve been talking. “Bad choice of words but I’m scared he’ll find me.”

“I won’t let him. He’ll have to come through me first.”

“He doesn’t stand a chance,” she smiles and he returns it.

“How long were you with him?”

“A year. My longest relationship and of course this is what happens.”

“I’m sorry you went through that. Why haven’t you told Nell?”

“Because she’d want me to go to the police but it wouldn’t do any good.”

“Why? Then you wouldn’t have to keep checking behind your shoulder if he followed you here.”

“If anything he’d get six months.”

“Did you get photo evidence?”

“Yeah.”

“Then he’d be locked up for sure—“

“Luke, you and I both know he wouldn’t. He’s conniving and he’d pay his way out of it which would only make it worse for me,” she snuggles a big white pillow against her chest.

They’re silent for a few moments watching the movie but Luke has no idea what is going on with the plot.

“You need some sleep,” he peers down at her worriedly. The dark circles under her eyes seemed to have gotten darker since he first arrived.

“Which is another way of saying ‘you look like shit,’ thanks,” she chuckles nuzzling closer into the pillow.

“No that’s not—“he sighs shaking his head. “Your eyes look sleepy, that’s all. Have you had trouble sleeping?”

“Lately, yeah,” she admits, her eyes roam over the characters on the screen. The light from the TV glows on her face, his heart aches at how tired she looks.

“I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”

“That might be awhile,” she warns.

“Good thing your couch is comfy,” he throws a blanket over her and stretches his legs out on the L-shaped portion of the couch, “and can hold a giant like me.”

She chuckles softly as he burrows further into the cushions, draping a blanket onto himself as well. He really likes how she has so many. It makes him feel cozy.

“Thanks, Luke.”

• • • •

Luke’s not quite sure what jolts him awake, but when his body jerks he has a momentary lapse of memory where he is. The TV is going through featured Netflix shows and movies when he looks down to see Evie has somehow scooted herself closer to him in her sleep. Her pillow is against his right side and her hand is clutching the fabric of his sweatshirt.

Luke smiles down at her then searches for the remote, it’s tucked in front of her. He pulls it away then uses the flashlight on his phone to figure out the buttons. Once the screen goes black, Evie stirs next to him mumbling incoherently, her fingers flexing on his sweatshirt.

“Sorry sweetheart,” he hushes, “just turning the TV off. Go back to sleep.”

She hums in acknowledgment and Luke tries to stand up without jostling her.

“Don’t go,” she sighs sleepily.

Luke freezes. Did she really say that?

“Are you sure?” he asks a bit louder.

“Stay,” she nods with her eyes still closed, “please.”

• • • •

His little sleepover with Evie from the night before has been running through Luke’s mind all day. Instead of straying his focus it has somehow kept him more on target with his punches and dodges from Calum as they practice in the ring. When he moves to the bag he’s imagining it to be the face of her ex, he doesn’t know what he looks like but he punches it as hard as he can anyway.

Once he’s finished practice and showered he calls up Evie who answers it cautiously.

“Hey, it’s me, Luke,” he says wondering why she answered that way.

“Oh thank God,” she exhales, “I thought—“

“Shit,” Luke closes his eyes slamming his head back against his seat, “I’m sorry. Of course you’d be weary because you don’t have my number and would think it’s—I’m sorry, Evie.”

“It’s all right, Luke,” she chuckles, “I’m good. What’s up? How’d you get my number anyway?”

“Nell gave it to me. I just finished practice, would you want to grab a bite to eat?”

• • • •

Evie is giggling hard behind her hand as Luke finished his embarrassing story. They were at a diner not too far from her apartment where she ordered a grilled cheese with a strawberry milkshake and a plate of fries in the center of the table.

“Ashton really thought baby turtles were tadpoles?” she snorts and it’s so damn cute Luke thinks his smile is going to be permanently stuck on his face.

“That’s closer than his second guess of thinking they’re mosquitoes,” he chortles popping a fry in his mouth.

The booth they’re currently sitting in is in the far corner by the window and he’s got his arm around the back of the booth but when Evie shifts, his fingers will brush her shoulder. His initial irritation for her is long gone and he hates himself for even feeling that way in the first place.

Now, he feels nothing but calmness when he’s with her, sitting here feels so natural and easy. When he picked her up at her apartment she told him she slept all day after he left to go to practice. Her eyes appeared brighter and she didn’t look so sleepy anymore which pleased Luke.

“You boys are funny,” she snickers taking a hearty sip of her shake.

“Excuse me, I’m a man,” he squeezes her shoulder and she leans into him.

“If you say so,” she giggles then picks up her phone at a buzzed notification. Apparently it’s irrelevant because she locks it right away then nudges him. “Don’t you have a fight in a few hours?”

“Yeah,” he shrugs. “I don’t need to be there until 7. Fight’s at eight.” He plucks up a French fry, dips it in ketchup and holds it in front of her mouth.

Without a thought she takes it and chews slowly as if she’s thinking of something to say.

“You don’t have to come, Evie,” he tells her gently watching her as her eyebrows furrow together.

“I know,” she nods then says more softly, “but I want to see you.”

“You can see me after. We’ll probably be at Charlie’s or I can come to your place and watch Friends.”

“I just won’t watch, I promise I’ll be fine,” she insists.

Luke knows he should convince her more to stay at her apartment but the thought of not seeing her for almost two hours doesn’t sit well with him. Her presence has impacted him greatly these past few weeks.

She nods again then rests her head on his shoulder. Her willingness to do that jumpstarts his heart and he rubs her shoulder. He wishes there was a way she could watch him fight without memories creeping up from her past.

Then, suddenly, he has a thought.

• • • •

When it’s almost time for him to fight, Luke grabs the small box from his cubby and moves to the door. Calum yells at him.

“I’ll be right back, I have to give Evie something,” he says dismissively then exits the locker room.

Cheers and calls fill his ears immediately as he enters the darkened ring area. He pushes through the bodies easily knowing where exactly Evie is standing. He spots her in between Ashton and Nell and sure enough, she’s on her phone.

“Luke, what are you doing?” Ashton asks.

Luke’s stomach flips when Evie’s head snaps up at the mention of his name, he smiles easily and she returns it. He pulls the box out of the pocket of his hoodie and pulls Evie aside, her hand is warm and comforting in his large one.

“Shouldn’t you be in the locker room?” she asks with a smile.

“In a minute. I got something for you,” he hands her the box.

Evie looks up at him in confusion before sliding it open then she gasps, her eyes are wide when she looks up at him again. They’re air pods.

“Luke, this is—“

“I sent you a link to a playlist on my Spotify,” he talks over her, “put these in, listen to it and you won’t have to hear the punches.”

Her mouth hangs open as she stares at the gift and then moves to her phone to find the playlist he was talking about. He titled it as her name with a blue heart next to it.

“They’re some of my favorite songs, and others made me think of you,” he shrugs sheepishly.

“Luke,” she shakes her head again then launches herself in his arms to hug him tightly.

He wraps his arms around her tightly, lifting her slightly off the ground because of their height difference.

“You’re so sweet,” she says into his neck and he shivers. Her arms release from his neck and he sets her down on the ground again. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome,” he grins then looks above her head at the ring. It’s almost his turn. “Come on, let’s get you back to Ashton and Nell before Calum comes out here and kills me.”

Before he does go back in the locker room, he helps her sync the air pods and slips them in her ears. She snatches his hand and leans up to kiss his cheek murmuring, ‘good luck.’

That night is the fastest Luke has won a match because he still felt Evie’s kiss on his cheek. It fueled his adrenaline and fueled his desire for her more. He showered quickly so he could go out to her and she was the first one to congratulate him and hug him on his win. He would have just loved to hold her as long as possible but his other friends wanted to show their congratulations as well.

After some small chit chat they all decided to head to Ashton’s place to drink in celebration.

“Ride with me?” he asks her as they walk out of the building hand in hand. Their group is loud to their cars but Luke and Evie are in their own little world.

“Okay,” she smiles sweetly up at him.

After a few rounds of drinks, Ashton’s living room has gotten a little stuffy. Luke stepped away for a minute to use the bathroom and when he returned Evie was nowhere in sight. He began to panic slightly when Calum jerked his head to the balcony where the doors were opened partly. Luke nodded his thanks and slipped outside to find Evie leaning against the cement wall staring out at the skyline.

“Cooler out here, yeah?” he asks.

“Yeah,” she sighs, “You found me.”

“I had a little help from Cal,” he grins sidling up next to her.

“Man, he ruined it.”

Luke laughs. “Did the earphones help?”

“They did,” she turns her head to look at him. His back is against the wall but he’s been staring at her the whole time. “You didn’t have to do that though, those are expensive.”

“I don’t mind.”

“You’re something else, Luke Hemmings.”

“You’re something spectacular, Evie Carson,” he nudges her playfully and she blushes.

“No, I’m not.”

“But you are though,” he disagrees lightly turning his body so his right arm is leaning on top of the wall. “You’re the sweetest girl I’ve ever met.”

“That doesn’t make someone spectacular,” she rolls her eyes.

“You’re also witty, and smart, and braver than anyone else I know. You’re funny, and beautiful without even trying.”

“You left out my eyes,” she bats them at him for good measure and he laughs.

“Can’t forget those beauties,” he strokes her cheek just below her eye.

“You’re pretty spectacular too, you know.”

He snorts in response.

“You are! You have this bad ass exterior with your leather jacket and painted nails and boxing, but deep down you’ve got so much heart and soul. You’re funny and charming and I trust you.”

He swallows hard. He’s wanted to kiss her for a while now, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity but he didn’t want to go for it and make her feel forced. He leans forward to touch her cheek again, then ghosts his fingers on her jaw and under her chin.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Yeah,” she barely whispers.

He tilts her chin up slightly then presses his lips to hers softly. It’s innocent enough but when Evie squeezes the sleeve of his leather jacket he takes that as his cue to deepen it so he threads his fingers in her hair to make the kiss deeper. He feels her hesitancy and he doesn’t want to push her so he breaks away slowly. He gives her one more peck. Then another.

She breaks into a smile bowing her head bashfully. Before he can ask what’s wrong she buries her face in his chest.

“Thank you,” she muffles, “that was perfect.”

“Anytime, sweetheart,” he smiles wrapping her up in his arms resting his chin on her head. He kisses her hair and sways from side to side.

When he feels her begin to shiver they head back inside and are glued together the rest of the night. They’re sitting on Ashton’s couch with his arm wrapped around her shoulders and Evie is nestled into his chest with her arm draped over his stomach. They were having quiet conversation until her head became slightly heavier and her breathing became deeper, he knew she was asleep.

“Has mine eyes deceived me?” Ashton asks pulling attention to the two on the couch. “Someone got through your hard, icy heart?”

Their friends all laugh and Luke shakes his head.

“Shut up,” he says softly, “if you wake her I’ll fight you.”

Ashton puts his arms up in defense and Evie shifts on Luke’s chest.

“Be nice,” she sighs heavily and pokes his stomach.

“Did he wake you?”

She shakes her head. “No. I was just resting my eyes, and you’re comfy.”

Luke smirks and rests his lips on her head, not kissing her but just feeling her warmth.

“Do you want me to take you home, lovie?” he murmurs. She hums a yes. “All right, come on.”

• • • •

After a long while of saying goodbye they were finally on their way to Evie’s apartment. Luke still didn’t want to leave her and was pleased when she asked him, ‘aren’t you coming?’ He couldn’t get out of the car fast enough just so he could hold her hand. Luke has never been the type of guy to be excited just by holding a girl’s hand before but with Evie it was different.

Everything with Evie was different. He took the key from her easily as she struggled to put it in the slot. She kicks off her shoes, he does the same, and follows her to her bedroom. He’s not quite sure if she wants him to spend the night but when she grabs her pajamas and motions to the bed saying,

“Make sure it’s warm for me when I get back.” And left to her bathroom.

He lets out a sigh of relief but can hear his heart pounding in his ears. Sure, he spent the night before but that was under different circumstances. This, though, this was something different entirely. Tonight they shared a kiss and Luke wasn’t afraid to admit that he liked her. He adores Evie.

Just as he pulled off his leather jacket, he had on a white t-shirt and his dark grey joggers (he’s thankful he didn’t wear his jeans otherwise it’d be an uncomfortable night) Evie returns. Luke can’t help but smile at her outfit, cloth shorts and a t-shirt with an elephant on the front. Her face was free of makeup and he could still smell the mint of her toothpaste.

“I thought I told you to keep the bed warm,” she pouts standing in front of him tossing her clothes in a pile on a chair in the corner.

“I got distracted,” he shrugs.

“By what?”

“You,” he pokes her nose causing her to giggle.

She stretches up on her toes to kiss his lips quickly then grabs his hand and pulls him to her bed. They climb in together, Luke is surprised at how comfy her bed is, and he pulls her close. She tangles their legs together and he puts his fingers through her hair before leaning in to kiss her.

It’s slow and languid the way their lips move together, he’s hesitant as he slips his tongue in her mouth. Evie sighs into him clutching his shirt in her fingers. He smiles.

“You taste minty,” he mumbles.

“You should brush your teeth,” she sighs dragging her nails over the scruff of his cheek but keeps kissing him.

He chuckles dryly against her lips. “Are you saying my breath stinks?”

“Maybe,” she sighs then giggles.

“I thought I was the asshole in this relationship?” he smirks stroking her cheek with his thumb.

“You did not just call me an asshole!”

“You said my breath stinks!”

“Did not! You can go to sleep without brushing your teeth? Disgusting,” she teases then captures his bottom lip between hers.

“Then why do you keep kissing me?” he asks after they have to catch their breath.

“Because I like kissing you. But go brush your teeth so you can come back faster and I can keep kissing you,” she kisses his nose then nips at it with her teeth.

“Ow! Fine, I’m going, you didn’t have to bite me,” he pinches her side before slipping out from the covers.

He doesn’t spot an extra toothbrush and doesn’t want to be a creep and go through her drawers and cabinets, so he uses the mouthwash on the counter. He gargles twice just to make sure she’s satisfied then jogs back quickly to his sleepy girl who is now very much wide awake. She’s sitting up against the headboard then smiles gleefully at the sight of him.

“Feel better?” she asks.

He takes his place back into her bed then pulls her easily onto his chest, she laughs as one hand holds onto her waist and the other cups her cheek.

“Now I do,” he breathes staring into her eyes.

Evie bends down to kiss him again but he easily takes the lead, massaging his tongue against hers running it over her bottom lip. She hums at that and it tightens his stomach. They continue to kiss in whispers until their lips are chapped and their breathing is irregular and Luke pushes her away gently.

“You should get some sleep, lovie,” he whispers kissing her jaw.

“I don’t want to sleep. I want to keep kissing you,” she pouts.

He traces her pouted lip and he wants to keep kissing her, too. He wants to do more than kiss but that’s for another night down the road.

“I do too, but we’ll have plenty of time to kiss tomorrow. It’s . . .” he stretches his arm to snatch his phone from the floor to look at the time. “It’s 3:30 in the morning, you need to sleep.”

“Fine,” she sighs rolling off him in a huff. He pulls her right back so he can run his fingers through her hair.

“Am I forgiven?”

“If you keep playing with my hair, then yes.”

He smiles and settles into the bed, his body is totally relaxed. He finds he’s like that a lot when he’s with Evie. He’s never been one to cuddle with other girls, after he’d sleep with them they’d always leave. He never cuddled. But with Evie it’s easy because she fits so perfectly against his body.

“Luke?”

“Yeah?”

“Before, when you said you were the ‘asshole in this relationship. . .’ does that mean we’re in a relationship?” her voice is quiet and he can hear the hesitancy in it.

He swallows hard. “I want to be, but only if you do, too.”

“I do want to.”

He hears the smile in her voice and he kisses her forehead.

“And you aren’t an asshole,” she says.

“To other people I am. You’re the only exception.”

• • • •

A few weeks have gone by and Luke and Evie have been spending so much time together. She’ll come by after his practice and head to the diner for lunch. Kissing is always evident and one night in particular is fresh in Luke’s mind when they went one step further.

When they were watching Friends he pulled her onto his lap, with one hand holding onto the back of her head and the other precariously close to her core on her inner thigh, she boldly moved his fingers to the round wetness between her legs.

“Want my fingers, baby?” he murmured and she nodded biting her lips.

He slid his hand from her hair to her lower back and began to rub his finger in circles on the outside of her underwear. He felt her bundle of nerves and the wet spot on her panties grew slightly. With their eyes still locked on each other he pushed the fabric aside and teased his finger up her slit. She jolted at his touch and he smirked.

“I haven’t even done anything and you’re already this wet for me?” he grinned teasing his finger up once more.

“Don’t tease, please,” she practically whined and Luke’s eyes darkened at her form of submission.

He removed his finger and before she could protest he held it in front of her mouth, the tip of his finger coated in her arousal.

“Suck,” he commanded softly, “then I’ll give you what you want.”

Her lips fluttered in a faint smile, she took his hand in both of hers then slipped her mouth over his long finger. Her tongue swirled around it as she took it all in his mouth. He enjoyed watching her mouth work on his finger, the idea of her doing that around his cock caused it to twitch in his sweats but he ignored it. He wanted to please her and only her.

“That’s good baby,” he praised removing his finger with a pop. A line of spit was connected to his fingertip and seeing it sling back to her lower lip aroused him in a terrible way. He kissed her roughly and inserted his finger into her entrance easily.

She gasped in his mouth as he twirled his finger inside of her and she rose on her legs so he could get a better angle. He pumped into her languidly, then when he added a second finger she moaned loudly and knocked her forehead against his. He tilted his head so he could still see her face as he twiddled and scissored his fingers inside her.

She came on his fingers that night and Luke can still hear her pretty moans while he’s going over the fight schedule with Cal. The look she made when she came undone on him was imprinted on his brain and the way—

“Luke!” Calum shoves him snapping his that encounter with Evie out of his head.

“Sorry, what?” Luke clears his throat looking over at Cal.

“I said, you’re going to be doing five fights in two days. Peterson is still out because of his wrist so you’re taking his slot on Thursday along with yours and Jacobsen is out for his fight Friday morning, and then you’re going against Hayes Friday night. Will you be able to handle that?” he raises his dark eyebrows.

“Oh,” Luke blinks looking at the schedule. “Yeah. No problem. Is that all?”

“Yeah, hey . . . Luke?”

“What?”

“Listen, I’m real happy you and Evie have gotten together. But, I don’t want her to shift your focus in the ring.”

“Cal, if anything,” Luke places his hand on Calum’s shoulder, “she makes me more focused. I gotta go get her, I’m making her dinner at my place tonight. See you Thursday.”

“No, I’ll see you Tuesday for practice, Luke,” he shakes his head.

“Right. Tuesday. I’m just messing with you, I know I’ll see you Tuesday. Later.”

Calum shakes his head again as he watches his lovesick best friend and champion walk away to get his girl. It’s a nice change seeing a genuine smile on Luke’s face instead of a permanent grimace. He’s got Evie to thank for that.

• • • •

Luke wasn’t the best cook so he resulted in baking a pizza for him and Evie. He blushed when he told her but she kissed his cheek assuring him, ‘I love pizza.’ So while he was kneading the dough on the pan she was getting the cheese and chicken ready to place on the pizza.

The playlist he made for her was playing and he was singing along to it, she loved listening to his voice. It was so pretty and comforting. When it was time to put on the toppings, she scooped up some cheese and put it in the sauce then held it up for him to eat. He took it gladly smiling then kissed tomato sauce off her thumb. She giggled and he winked before doing the same to her.

Before she could even lick up the sauce on his finger, he swiped it on her cheek near her ear and she gasped.

“Hey!”

“Oh no, let me get that,” he grins. He grabs her waist and licks up the sauce with a wet kiss, but he doesn’t stop there. He moves his lips to her ear then onto her jaw until finally on her neck where he begins to suck and bite.

She sighs running her hands up his arms moving her head to the side so he can access her neck better. He’s on his third mark when the oven dings signaling it’s all heated up.

“Luke, Luke, baby the oven’s ready,” she giggles.

“It can wait,” he mumbles squeezing her hips, his thumbs creating circles on her exposed skin.

“No, you’re hungry. Put the pizza in and we can continue,” she giggles shoving him off playfully.

He grunts but does as she says. She adjusts her shirt watching him pick up the pizza pan and checks out his ass as he bends down to put it in the pizza. He catches her and he smirks.

“Were you checking me out?” he asks even though he knows she was.

“Who me? No way,” she waves him off and turns away from him.

“Get back here!”

He lifts her in his arms causing her to squeal and he collapses onto his couch with her straddling his lap. He unzips her sweatshirt so she’s just in a tank top with her cleavage in front of his face. With one look she connects their lips together and they make out for a while before it’s her turn to drag her lips onto his neck.

Luke rolls his head back onto the couch as she sucks expertly on his skin. His large hands are holding onto her waist, he rocks her slowly against him moaning at the friction of their bodies. Tied with her mouth on his neck if Luke died right there he’d die a happy man.

“Mm, baby, you’re good at that,” he moans as she continues to suck on his skin.

“I’m good at something else, too,” she exhales and he gets goosebumps.

Before he can retort she’s slipping off his lap onto the floor and begins to undo the button of his jeans. She’s meticulous and takes her time with his zipper as he stares wide eyed as this beautiful girl before him shucks his pants down his thighs. He gulps when her finger lightly traces around the perimeter of the head of his dick. It twitches in response and she smiles.

“Can I?” she asks flicking her big beautiful doe eyes up at him.

Luke’s voice is gone so he just nods.

She lifts his girth into her palm, Luke is aching when she presses soft kisses up his shaft and then a wet one over his slit. She continues to kiss him preciously then darts her tongue out as she kisses up and down his shaft again.

“Fuck, baby, don’t tease,” he pants reiterating what she told him when he fingered her a few weeks ago.

“What do you say?” she asks and Luke is alarmed that she’s got a small dominant side to her. But he fucking loves it.

“Please, baby,” he exhales lifting his hand up but then drops it back to the cushion. He doesn’t want to grab her hair yet, he doesn’t want to push her.

She smiles again (fucking hell) then spits heavily on his head watching it dribble down before she took him completely in his mouth. Luke couldn’t contain his moan from feeling her mouth wrapped around him. He’s imagined it when he’s in the shower or thinking of her late at night but the real thing is so much better.

She lathers him up with her spit by moving her head up and down and when she’s satisfied, she begins to pump her hand up and down as well and Luke’s mind goes blank. The pizza is forgotten. The day is gone. Hell, his own fucking name has escaped his mind.

The only thing he’s focused on is watching his pretty girl bobbing her head up and down his cock, taking him as far as she can without gagging and what she can’t take she squeezes gently with her fingers which surprisingly feels good.

He’s a moaning mess and she’ll say ‘yeah?’ and ‘does that feel good?’ which causes vibrations and more sensations and he can’t form a coherent sentence so he just keeps moaning. When he’s getting close she sucks on his dick like a literal lollipop and then her fingers begin to fondle his balls and he feels the tight knot in his stomach begin to unravel.

“I don’t swallow,” she says quietly but keeps working at him and he doesn’t care.

“That’s fine, don’t stop . . . I’ll tell you when,” he gasps and bucks his hips slightly.

The sound of her slurping sends him over the edge and then he’s pushing her off him with rushed ‘baby, baby, stop, stop’ and he’s coming over his own fingers. Her small hand is beneath his though and she helps him release until he’s fallen back against the couch hot and bothered and totally satisfied.

He doesn’t even notice her leave until she’s sitting beside him with a wet paper towel in her hand and cleans up his hand and thigh. She rolls it up in a much larger dry piece of towel and he rolls his head to the right to look at her dazedly.

“Hi, honey,” she giggles and he gives her a lazy smile back.

“You’re fuckin’ incredible,” he sighs then purses his lips. She takes the hint and leans in close to peck his lips three times.

“I wanted to make you feel good,” she shrugs.

“You exceeded. That was fuckin’ phenomenal.”

She giggles again and then the oven timer is going off. Luke groans about to get up then realizes his dick is still out with his pants still around his thighs.

“Shit,” he mumbles shuffling them back on while Evie is laughing beside him. “Quiet you.” He wiggles a finger at her in warning and she fake bites in his direction while he heads into the kitchen.

The pizza they made is delicious and they eat a majority of it before deciding on eating mint ice cream for dessert. Luke has an idea and he tells her to go in his room and pick a movie on Netflix to watch. She gives him a quizzical look but does as he says and he pulls out some whipped cream along with the tub of ice cream.

When he enters his room he hears the sound of Mary Poppins Returns on the screen and Evie is sitting cross legged in the center of his bed. She smiles at his appearance and he sets the ice cream on the bed along with the whipped cream and one spoon, she looks confused.

“Just one spoon? No bowls?”

“Nope,” he says smoothly reaching forward and tugs her towards him, her ankles on either side of his legs. “Can you do me a favor, sweetheart?”

“Yeah . . .?”

“Can you take your leggings and underwear off for me?” he smiles pressing his forehead against hers. He hears her sharp inhale and is happy when she complies. He balls up the fabric tossing it to the side somewhere.

“Now,” he mumbles kissing her cheek, “can you lie back for me?”

She nods and slowly lowers herself on her back. Luke grabs her ankles yanking her further down the bed so her naked butt is on the edge. He kneels down then grabs the ice cream and spoon. He puts a small amount on the spoon then drags it carefully from her bellybutton her mound and on the inside of both of her thighs. He sticks it back in the container then picks up the whipped cream.

He sprays the cream on the lines he just made and sets the can on the floor next to him. He hums as he looks at her, she looks delectable and her pussy is throbbing already as he looks up at her. Her eyes are wide with excitement and lust as she realizes his plan.

“You’re my sweet treat,” he rasps then attaches his mouth to her stomach.

The ice cream and whipped cream are cold on her warm skin and it tastes so good on his mouth. He takes his time licking and sucking it up making sure he gets it all off her skin. When he reaches her thighs some of it is rolling onto his bedspread but he could give less than a fuck. He swipes his tongue at the rogue ice cream melting down her thighs and glances up at her before pressing his mouth to her core.

Evie gasps at the coldness of his mouth from the ice cream and whipped cream but then his tongue starts to move in intricate designs and she enjoys it. Her fingers are clenching the bedspread but Luke drags her hand into his hair and she’s yanking on his curls.

He hefts her thighs over his shoulders as he devours her rapidly and excitedly. She’s the sweetest thing he’s ever tasted and his tongue moves in expert precision. Soon she’s rocking her hips into his mouth and her moans are sinful, her fingers yank harder as he feels her come for the first time. He smirks on her pussy lips because he hadn’t even used a finger yet.

“Fuck, Luke,” she whines but he doesn’t stop.

She’s panting and wiggling above him, her thighs clenching around his head as she comes. He peeks at her through his lashes and her mouth is open in pleasure while her eyes are closed and he hopes she’s seeing stars.

When her hips slow back down he removes his mouth and kisses the inside of her thighs, biting lightly to mark her up as she relaxes.

He rests his cheek against her thigh and stares up at her as she opens her eyes slowly. “Hi honey,” he mimics her from earlier.

“Don’t be cheeky,” she sighs and he laughs against her thigh.

• • • •

The incoming fights have been on Luke’s mind all week. He hasn’t seen Evie since he made her pizza Saturday night and he’s had to force his thoughts of her away but it didn’t quite work. It’s been a long four days of constant footwork and practice from Cal.

Evie’s been all too understanding during the whole ordeal but he’s been sure not to tell her he’s doing four fights in two days. He’s not exactly sure why but he doesn’t think she’d like that too much. Nell was even in the dark about it too, so she was spending the night with Evie while Luke and the guys were at the matches.

The first fight went well and Luke walked away with minimal damage, just a small cut on his lip and bruised knuckles. His next fight was at 8:30 so he had a little time to call her.

“Hey you,” she greets and he can hear the smile in her voice. He wishes he could see it.

“Hi baby,” he smiles sitting gingerly on the bench.

“How’s practice?”

“Uh, good. Calum’s making sure to put me to work,” he chortles, “I just wanted to hear your voice before I get back to it.”

“You’re sweet. I wish I could see you tonight,” she says sadly.

“I know lovie, me too,” he murmurs. “Haven’t seen my sweet girl all week.”

“I blame Cal, tell him I won’t allow him to work you this hard ever again.”

“He’d laugh in my face,” he laughs at the sternness in her voice.

“Then I’ll tell him,” she states proudly.

“That won’t end well, baby,” he mumbles leaning against the cold cement wall. It feels good on his sweaty skin.

“Why?”

“Because, he’ll laugh at you, then I’ll have to punch him for doing so, then Nell will punch me . . . it’s a vicious cycle.”

“Or no one can just not punch anyone.”

“Double negative sweetheart.”

“I don’t care, it makes sense okay?” she sniffs and Luke laughs.

Calum pokes his head in jerking his head behind him signifying it’s almost time for the second fight. Luke nods and waves him off.

“I gotta get back to it, lovie,” he sighs. He’d much rather stay on the phone with her. “I’ll see you tomorrow night after my fight, okay?”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come tomorrow? I’ll bring my air pods.”

“Yeah, I’m sure, it’s not a major one. I miss you.”

“I miss you, too. Don’t practice too hard, okay?”

“Can’t make any promises babe,” he smiles. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a good night.”

“You too, Luke.”

She says his name so softly he almost wants to dip out of this next fight, snatch her away from Nell and snuggle her close in his bed all night. But he can’t.

• • • •

Nell had convinced Evie to surprise Luke at his match on Friday.

“Come on, Eve, you haven’t seen him all week and I know he’ll love seeing you there. He’ll be so surprised!”

Evie thinks about seeing Luke’s smile when he’d spot her in the crowd, it’s her favorite smile that he has reserved only for her and that alone convinces her. She decided to wear a black crop top with high waisted shorts and black ankle boots, hoping when Luke sees her he’ll be stunned into silence.

They arrive at the arena around eight o’clock, Luke usually goes on at 8:30 on Fridays but when they get there Michael and Ashton find them first. Their eyes are wide and slightly panicked.

“What the hell are you two doing here?” Ashton demands blocking their view from the ring.

“We came here so Evie could surprise Luke,” Nell answers folding her arms.

“He didn’t want you to be here, Evie,” Michael says.

“Yeah I know because it’s not that big of a fight but I haven’t seen him all week because Cal’s been having him practice every day,” Evie says sadly.

“Wait, he told you he’s been practicing?” Ashton asks.

“What are you guys saying? What’s going on?” Nell demands looking between the two tall men.

“Uh. . .”

“Well, you see, the thing is—“

“AND HERE’S LUKE HEMMINGS BACK IN THE FIFTH ROUND! AFTER BOTH WINS LAST NIGHT TONIGHT SHOULD BE A PIECE OF CAKE RIGHT? LOOKS LIKE HE’S LOSING HIS THUNDER, THOUGH!” The announcer’s voice booms throughout the arena.

Realization dawns over Evie’s face, Ashton and Michael’s faces pale when Evie pushes them out of her way and she looks down into the ring. Sure enough, there’s Luke swaying slightly as he raises his hands up slowly to his face. Even from a distance she can see how bruised up and battered he is, his technique is sluggish and Evie’s stomach drops.

“He hasn’t been practicing all week has he?” she asks quietly. “How many fights has he done?”

Radio silence is her response and she whips around, her eyes icy as she stares at the two men. They cower at her gaze.

“How many fights has he done?” she asks again enunciating each word carefully.

“Four,” Michael answers quietly, “in two days.”

“WHAT?!” Nell exclaims pushing through them this time so she can take a look at him down below. “How could Cal let him do that?”

“They were short, some guys were injured but the slots had to be filled,” Ashton tries to explain weakly.

“And he didn’t want me here—“

“Because he didn’t want you to worry or to see him fight,” Michael finishes with a sigh. His green eyes are sad as he looks at Evie.

It only takes Evie a beat before she’s darting down the stairs into the pit where the arena is. She ignores the calls from Nell and the guys even though they’re following her. She shoves past the cheering fans until she’s in Luke’s corner where Calum is standing. He glances at her then does a double take, his eyes going wide.

“Shit,” he mumbles as she stomps over to him.

“Get him out of there, Cal, he can barely stand!” she orders attempting to climb into the ring and stop him herself.

Calum stops her. “I can’t, he’s in the middle of a fight. I’m sorry Evie, he didn’t want you to know!”

“I don’t care! Look at him!” she cries pointing to him as he staggers heavily against the ropes. His body just looks heavy and drained of all energy.

Calum stares up at his best friend and prized fighter with his mouth open. The bell dings loudly and Luke slumps onto the floor in the corner of the ring. Evie tuts and scrambles into the ring, the guys in the crowd cheer thinking she’s some sort of show but she ignores the catcalls.

Luke’s breathing heavily as she crouches in front of him, her heart sinks at the sight of him. His skin is scattered with patches of black and blue, one of his eyes is swollen shut and his lip is puffed out from a large cut. He’s broken and battered and it breaks Evie’s heart.

“Oh, Luke,” she whispers sadly.

His head tilts up at the sound of her voice, his good eye tries to blink open through the sweat. He smiles, but it’s more of a grimace, as he looks at her fondly.

“He got me good if I’m imagining you here,” he croaks.

“No, Luke, baby,” she holds his cheeks gently tilting his head up so he can look at her. “I am here but you need to stop, you can’t take anymore.”

His eyes struggled to focus on her through the blood and sweat but he mumbles out a barely coherent, ‘I’m fine.’

“No, you are not fine,” she stresses. She spots a towel near his back, she picks it up and dabs away the sweat from around his eyes and on his forehead.

“Evie, give him this, he needs to drink,” Calum says from her left holding up a bottle of what looks like Gatorade.

She tilts it in his mouth and he drinks gratuitously, which sort of seems to do the trick because he appears more alert. His one good eye zeroes in on Evie and his special smile for her shows.

“I can do this, baby because you’re here,” he croaks stroking her cheek with the backs of his knuckles (which are also bruised and bloody) “I can finish. Just tell me you love me.”

“Oh Luke,” she sighs shaking her head, “I do love you. I love you so much but I didn’t want to tell you like this.”

“I love you too, baby,” he slurs trying to smile once more. “I’ll win for you.”

“Make it fast so I can get you home,” she warns then presses her lips to his clammy ones gently.

The bell dings again for the start of the sixth round, he’s only got two more after this. She helps him stand, he squeezes her hand tightly before Calum helps her out of the ring.

Evie doesn’t put her air pods in the whole fight because she’s more concerned in watching Luke. His footwork seems a bit more energetic and she’s praying he’ll knock out the other guy quickly by the time the eighth round begins. She doesn’t wince at the sound of skin connecting with skin, or the hard thumps of their feet on the floor of the ring.

Her focus is on Luke and his fourth (probably) wave of adrenaline. His opponent sends Luke a hard hit that sends him falling into the ropes. His body draped over it like a rag doll. He’s panting but when he looks down at his Evie, it’s like a switch goes off.

This amazing girl is standing here watching him after she told him she loved him and she mouths it to him once more, giving him a small nod. She’s his reason to finish this fight, not for the glory or the title of being undefeated. He wants to finish it so he can take her home and hear about her week.

That’s more important than any stupid fight.

Luke stands up straight then quickly whips around throwing a hard right hook to his opponent. He’s momentarily stunned and Luke uses that to his advantage and gives him a swift uppercut, followed by a roundhouse kick to his stomach. He does one more quick jab to his neck then another left hook and the guy is down.

The crowd goes crazy, the bell is ringing and the ref is shouting out Luke’s name lifting his hand in the air as he’s announced the winner. Luke doesn’t care though. He nods his thanks for the acknowledgment then helps his opponent rise from the floor.

“Really thought I had you, man,” the guy who Luke thinks his name is Rob says. “That your girl that was in the ring?”

“Yes,” Luke answers gruffly. He was already so exhausted, he didn’t want to have to fight again if this guy says something crude about his Evie.

“Reminds me of my wife, she hated seeing me fight. She a keeper?” Rob pants wiping blood from his lip.

Luke’s shoulders relax when he learns the guy is married. “Yeah, she’s a keeper.”

“Good. Take your girl home before she fights you next,” he chuckles then holds out his hand, “you fight really well.”

“Thanks, you too,” Luke says shaking his hand quickly.

Calum escorts Luke from the ring, and Luke leans on his friend for support and it isn’t long until Evie is on his other side offering her support.

“Hey Cal, guess what,” Luke sighs happily. His ears are still ringing and his head feels like it’s underwater. Apparently that’s what five fights in two days does to you.

“What, mate?”

“Evie loves me,” he says proudly leaning towards Evie who stumbles a little under his weight.

“That’s great because I think she hates me,” Calum grunts pushing open the locker room door.

“I don’t hate you, I’m just very upset with you,” Evie sighs helping Luke sit down on the bench.

“Same thing. I’m sorry, Evie, but I promise I won’t let him do this again. And I’m giving him the week off next week,” Calum says.

“Come on, I can go two more rounds,” Luke sighs resting his head against the wall. His eyes are closed.

“You can’t sleep yet, you need to shower, babe,” Evie tells him pulling onto his hand.

“Wanna shower with you,” he mumbles and Calum chuckles. Evie blushes.

“I think you should just take him home,” Calum laughs.

“Can you help me get him to the car?” Evie asks going to his locker to grab his duffel bag and things.

Just then Ashton bursts through the door saying a string of apologies but Evie stops him.

“It’s fine, Ash,” she sighs, “I just want to get him home. Can you help?”

“Absolutely. Come on, Luke,” Ashton hefts him up easily against his body.

• • • •

It was a bit of an ordeal getting Luke into her shower, he simply insisted on going to her place because he wanted to be around everything that is her. He kept begging her to join him in the shower but she refused because he still had to get his cuts taken care of.

He sat in her kitchen while she hustled about getting healing ointment and bandages. He was a tad more alert but his body ached and all he wanted to do was crawl into her bed and hold her close. She hummed quietly as she cleaned him up, his eyes trained on her.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs and she smiles.

“Thank you,” she says quietly.

Once he has bandages on his knuckles and ointment under his swollen eye, she held out her hands to drag him into her room. She flicked on her string lights that were on her ceiling and Luke clambered into her bed heavily. His eyes were closed then he opened them in concern because she wasn’t next to him.

“Why aren’t you in bed?” he asks.

“I don’t really want to sleep in these clothes,” she chuckles.

He groans.

“What’s the matter? What hurts?” she freezes taking her bra off.

“You’re undressing and I’m too tired to open my eyes and watch,” he pouts into her pillow.

Evie laughs and continues to take off her clothes. “Well, maybe you shouldn’t fight four fights in two days.”

“I’m sorry. Do you hate me?”

“I love you, Luke, how could I hate you?” she sighs finally slipping into her pajamas which was a shirt of Luke’s. It fit her like a nightgown and still smelled like him. She slept in it every night.

“Because I didn’t tell you about the fights. I lied to you. I never wanted to lie to you and I did and I’m sorry,” he says in a rush.

She gets into bed and he immediately nuzzles his face into her neck, his arms wrapping around her. He even tangles his legs with hers and she can’t help but giggle at him basically koala-ing her. Her fingers move to his hair so she can play with it and her other hand tickles his arm across her stomach.

“I get why you didn’t tell me,” she sighs kissing his forehead, “but as much as I would have hated it, I would have been there and watched each fight.”

“Really?” his voice his muffled by the fabric of his shirt on her chest.

“Yes. I support you Luke because this is your life. But I don’t want you to ever do this many fights without telling me, okay?”

“Believe me, I won’t ever fight this many again. But I’ll tell you,” he promises. He lifts his head looking at her through bleary eyes. “I’ve wanted to do this all week.”

“What?”

“Be with you in bed, I’ve missed you so damn much.”

“I missed you,” she smiles scratching at his beard affectionately.

He glances at her lips then her eyes before pressing a gentle kiss to her mouth. He inhales sharply tightening his hold on her as he deepens the kiss. It stirs a fire in her lower stomach and they both desperately wish they could do more than kiss but Evie pushes him away gently.

“You need to sleep, honey,” she tells him.

“I know,” he sighs dropping his head to her chest again. “Just wanted to kiss you.”

She smiles and goes back to scratching at his drying curls, his breathing slows down already.

“Sweet dreams,” she whispers kissing his forehead and begins to hum a song.

“I love you,” he says.

“And I love you,” she whispers. She goes back to humming and he’s out like a light in no time.

Evie stays up a little longer, smiling at each twitch he does in his sleep and simply enjoying just being with him.

• • • •

Calum was true to his word and gave Luke the whole next week off so Luke and Evie spent everyday together. She’d change his bandages on his knuckles and make him hold ice on his eye so it would bring the swelling down.

By Tuesday his bruises weren’t as horrendous looking and the cuts on his knuckles were healing over.

“Do you want to get out of town for a while?” Luke asks her while they’re lounging on her couch. She’s cuddled onto his chest wearing nothing but a t-shirt of his and his fingers are tickling the skin of her thigh.

“Where would we go?” she turns her head to look up at him.

“I’ve got a lake house about an hour away from here,” he smiles, “there’s a hot tub, and a really good restaurant that has the best bread and butter.”

“You had me at bread and butter.”

“What, not the hot tub?” he laughs.

“That’s great too, but bread is better,” she sticks her tongue out playfully.

“Silly girl,” he laughs again and pinches her waist causing her to giggle shrilly. “Do you want to? We can stay there until Friday afternoon.”

“That sounds really nice, yeah, let’s go!”

• • • •

Evie’s expression at seeing his lake house was pure amazement. It was a nice cottage with a bird bath in the front and flowers, and painted yellow with white shutters. She was silent as she walked throughout the house while Luke left to get the bags. The inside had white wood paneled walls and cream colored couches.

The whole place reminded her of sunshine and spring.

She found the hot tub outside the master bedroom on a top deck which had a beautiful view of the lake. She immediately went outside down by the small sandy beach near the dock. Whippoorwill’s trilled in the distance and Evie closed her eyes finally feeling calm and relaxed.

“There you are,” Luke murmurs from behind wrapping his arms around her waist.

“I went exploring,” she sighs leaning against his chest.

“Peaceful, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is. Do you come out here often?”

“Not for a while, you’re the first person I’ve brought out here,” he kisses her temple.

“Really? Not even the guys?”

“Nope, this is my hideaway. My safe space.”

Evie turns around in his arms and looks up in his pretty blue eyes. She notes how his left eye isn’t swollen anymore but still has faint coloring from the bruising and his lip is almost healed. Even battered he’s still the most handsome man she’s ever seen.

“Why’d you bring me to your private place?” she strokes his cheek gently.

“Because, you’re my safe space and I love you,” he says simply. He smiles then leans down to press his lips to hers.

She hooks her arm to the back of his neck as the kiss deepens. It’s been so long since they’ve shared a ‘getting-lost-in-you’ kiss because of his injuries from his fights. His hands go immediately to her waist then slips down to her ass. He squeezes and she sighs into his mouth.

“Let’s go inside, yeah,” he mumbles.

Evie just nods, her voice is lost on her from that knee buckling kiss. If it wasn’t for Luke’s strong hand in hers she’d probably fall flat on her face. He leads her through the house to the bedroom.

Her attention is distracted by Luke’s soft lips on her neck and his wandering hands moving up and down her stomach to her thighs. His lips continue exploring down to her shoulder while his fingers pull down the zipper of her jacket and he pulls the clothing off her.

He spins her around, his eyes trained on hers as he backs her onto the bed, her knees buckling as she sits down on it. She scoots herself backwards until her head lands on the pillows, she bites her lip and Luke crawls on top of her. He dips his head low so he can kiss her tenderly, her fingers tangle in his curls.

“Want you so bad,” he exhales letting his hand wander down her thigh.

“Take me,” she gasps yanking on his hair.

He unbuttons her shorts while she tries to lift his sweatshirt over his head. They’re a mess of tangled limbs and twisted clothing, laughter fills the air until they’re both void of clothes. He notices the rapid rise and fall of her chest as he leaves a trail of kisses down her sternum.

“You’re so perfect,” he breathes on her skin as he moves around her bellybutton.

He shifts himself on the bed so his face is between her legs. Without teasing, he kisses her heat and licks her slowly. Her moans are precious in his ears and he continues to lick her languorously. He wants to make her feel good, so good that she’ll remember this for the rest of her life and he wants to do this for all of his days.

“Luke,” she moans petting his hair before threading her fingers through it.

He hums against her and she gasps, his tongue flicks become faster as he adds a finger, pumping into her slowly. He brings her to her orgasm skillfully and perfectly. Luke sucks off her wetness from his finger and she drags him up by her so she can kiss him.

“Your turn,” she nibbles at his lip but he shakes his head.

“No, baby, tonight is all about you,” he watches her as he teases the tip of his dick in between her folds.

Evie bites her lip, full eye contact on him as he continues to lube himself up with her wetness. He pushes himself in gently, the warmth of her around him consumes him and he pushes in and out to create more slickness. Evie is tracing the features of his face as he does so, soft little grunts escape her each time he goes in and out and then he’s finally in her completely.

Luke exhaled as she inhaled from the moment of connection, her mouth open in a perfect little ‘o’ and her eyes nearly roll back in her head. He’s never seen her more lovely than this moment.

“God, I love you,” he pants then begins to start a steady thrust. When he connects fully in her he rolls his hips and Evie’s nails are scratching up and down his back.

“I love you . . . too,” she moans as his pace quickens.

Luke licks his lips adjusting his right arm beside her head to use it as leverage so he can fuck into her deeper. His other hand is holding onto her hip and soon she’s matching his pace, hips meeting hips, breath being exchanged.

Evie closes her eyes when he hits a certain spot and she begs him not to stop and Luke would never. Whatever she’d ask him in this moment he’d give to her without question. He felt her walls clenching around him and he pumped faster and faster until she’s moaning loudly in his ear.

“That’s my girl,” he praises into her ear. She moans in response and still he quickens his pace.

His hips snap into hers with ruthless passion and she’s coming over him again, her cries are salacious, her nails creating crescent moons into his back with her legs wrapped around his waist.

“Feels so good,” she whines arching her back.

Luke closes his eyes trying to hold his orgasm off but the sounds she’s making and the feeling of her around him becomes too much. His thrusts start to become sloppy but she’s moaning loudly---a fourth one?—and he’s coming as well.

He pulls out quickly because he remembers he didn’t put on a condom so he spurts all over her lower stomach. Her fingers are trying to brush away the curls from his forehead as he releases onto her. Once he’s finished he collapses onto her and they’re a panting mess, he doesn’t even care that he’s getting his cum over his stomach. His main concern is her.

“I’m so in love with you,” she admits tilting his head up from her chest.

He smiles giving her a deep kiss.

“I’m in love with you, sweetheart.” He kisses her cheek, making a trail down her jaw to her neck and to her breast that he sucks on lightly.

“That tickles,” she giggles.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you fully naked,” he muses moving to her other breast so he can kiss and suck on it as well. “Why is that?”

“Because other times you mainly paid attention to her,” she giggles again pointing down to her vagina.

“You call it a her?” he chuckles around her nipple.

“Duh, why would it be a he?”

“Fair point.”

“So what do you think?”

“Of what? Her? I fucking love her,” he sucks loudly on her breast.

“No,” she laughs, “my naked body.”

“I fucking love all of it, you’re so perfect,” he rubs her cheek with the back of his knuckles. He loves the blush on her cheeks.

“Mm, you’re pretty perfect,” she sighs closing her eyes as he continues to cater to her breasts.

• • • •

Luke and Evie stayed at the lake house until Sunday. They spent their time in the hot tub, walking along the lakeshore, going out to dinner every night because Luke insisted on spoiling her. And it was filled with lots of lovemaking.

When he pulls up to her apartment he helps get her bags out then pulls her against him, his lips connecting with hers. The plan was that she’d take a shower and change then meet him at the ring in an hour, Luke had to go over his schedule with Calum.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to wait?” he asks for the twelfth time.

“I’m sure,” she smiles stretching up to kiss his nose, “I’ll see you in an hour. Promise.”

“I love you.”

“I love you more,” she smiles then pulls away shouldering her bags and heads inside the entrance.

Luke watches her disappear, an ever present smile on his face then jogs around to his side of the car.

• • • •

Luke’s been watching the other guys practice while he wants for Evie to meet him at the ring, he’s already gone over his schedule with Calum. The finals are coming up soon so training is going to be more intense but he’s promised he won’t be fighting multiple times in a short amount of days.

It’s been a little over ten minutes from when Evie was supposed to meet Luke and Evie’s very punctual. He knows if she’s running late by even a minute it makes her anxious. Before he’ll allow himself to panic, he pulls out his phone and texts her. Luke tries to reason that maybe she’s still putting on her makeup or is stuck in traffic.

A few minutes turn into ten and still no response.

Fifteen minutes turn to twenty-five and panic starts to set in. He tries calling her but it rings to her voicemail. He tries again but by the third ring and still no answer, he’s reaching for his keys.

He’s calling her constantly while he’s in the car driving back to her place but she’s still not answering.

“Shit!” he exclaims smacking the steering wheel.

Something is very wrong.

He parks haphazardly outside her building and takes the steps three at a time until he’s on the second level. He pounds on the door shouting her name but its radio silence on the other side.

Luke searches frantically for his phone to try calling her again. With bated breath he waits and waits and very faintly hears her ringtone through the door.

Something is really wrong.

“Fuck,” he hisses fumbling for his wallet to get the spare key she gave him.

Then he remembers he left his wallet in the car and not wanting to waste more time he grabs hold of the doorknob and shoulders onto the wood as hard as he can. It bursts open, the knob clattering to the floor and he’s searching frantically for Evie.

“Evie?” he calls.

A chair is knocked over, the lampshade by her couch is askew. His heart pounds in his chest as he makes his way through her apartment. It’s eerily silent save for slamming of his heart in his ears and then his heart stops.

She’s lying on her bathroom floor crumpled in a heap with a small pool of blood near her head. Her phone is cracked next to her fingers.

“No, no, no, no baby, please,” Luke begs falling next to her. He touches her wrist and feels a heartbeat, it’s steady and thanks God it’s there.

“Evie? Lovie, can you hear me?” he asks brushing hair from her forehead, that’s when he sees the gash as the source of blood. It’s a pretty deep cut right above her eyebrow.

She makes the tiniest of scowls but makes no noise. Panicking again, Luke dials 911 and explains what he’s seeing in a rush and to please, please send help.

��Please hurry, she’s . . . she’s not waking up,” he cries and tries talking to her gently.

“Sir, an ambulance is less than five minutes away, they’ll be there soon, okay?” The dispatcher speaks calmly. “I’ll stay on the line with you until they arrive, but don’t move her.”

“Okay, okay,” he pants.

He still tries to wake her up and is careful not to touch no matter how desperately he wants to. Then he hears sirens and soon after quick and heavy footsteps down the hall.

“We’re here! She’s in the bathroom!” he shouts voice shaking.

Two EMT’s, one male and one female, push past him. He watches in shock as they speak medical jargon to each other and into their radios. Two others arrive with a stretcher and a neck brace that is wrapped quickly around her neck.

Luke watches in horror as they lift her onto the stretcher and he follows them wordlessly downstairs and outside. He’s stopped when he goes to climb in the ambulance.

“Sir, there isn’t enough room but you can follow us to the hospital,” the woman tells him.

“Okay,” he says hollowly then she touches his arm.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got her, sir. What’s her name?”

“Evie—Evelyn—Carson,” he croaks and tries to clear his throat but there’s a lump preventing him doing so.

“And yours?”

“Luke Hemmings.”

“We’ll see you at the hospital, Luke.”

He runs to his car and called Calum immediately, his tires squeal as he follows the ambulance.

“Hey, what’s—“

“Is Nell there?”

“Yeah, she’s—“

“Meet me at the hospital,” Luke rushes and turns the corner sharply.

“The hospital? Luke—“

“It’s Evie. Just hurry, I’m behind the ambulance.”

He hangs up before Calum can say another word and tries to keep his foot steady on the gas. He couldn’t help the tremble of his hands.

• • • •

Luke’s leg is bouncing erratically as he waits to hear news of Evie and for Calum and Nell to arrive. The doors to the waiting room swing open revealing a frantic looking Nell, she makes a beeline for Luke.

“What is going on?” she demands tears brimming her eyes.

“I—she was supposed to meet me at the arena in an hour after we got back. She wasn’t picking up after thirty minutes and I went to get her and had to break down her door. Her place is turned over and she was . . . she was on the floor in the bathroom. Blood was on her forehead and the floor and she wouldn’t wake up. I don’t know what happened,” he finishes in a choked sob.

“Danny,” Nell mumbles sadly.

“Who’s Danny?” Calum narrows his eyes.

“Her ex,” Nell breathes, “He found her.”

“You know about that? How?” Luke asks.

“Ashton told me. I figured if she wanted to tell me, she would. But she’s been so happy with you—“

“I should’ve been there,” Luke cuts her off shaking his head. He rubs his face twice with his hands, the image of her lying on the floor is ingrained in his mind.

“Luke Hemmings?”

He whips around quickly then is surprised to see a police officer standing in front of him. He was about the same height as Luke but in his late thirties and a hard, steely look in his eyes.

“Yes?” Luke asks stepping forward slowly.

“Can I ask you some questions, please?”

• • • •

Luke slumps back in his chair in one of the private offices of the hospital, Officer Roth is sitting across from him with a notepad.

“I’m telling you, I would never ever hit my girlfriend! Or any woman for that matter!” Luke thunders for what feels like the hundredth time. He feels like a broken record repeating the same story of how he found Evie.

“But you are a boxer, correct?” Officer Roth narrows his eyes.

“Yes, I fight at Seconds of Summer,” he sighs.

“Have you met this ex-boyfriend of Miss Carson’s before?”

“No, but she’s told me a lot about him. I don’t know how he found her but he did and all I want is to see how she is.”

Officer Roth eyes him up silently then folds his arms. “Your hands look like they’ve been through some fights, and that shiner on your eye looks pretty rough.”

“I fought four fights in two days last week,” Luke forces his voice to remain calm. “Evie and I went to my lake house because Calum gave me the week off—Calum. Go get Calum Hood, he owns the gym and is my trainer. He can tell you I was at the arena until about two thirty when I went to Evie’s. Please. I need to see she’s all right.”

Officer Roth takes his time tapping his pen on the desk, closes his little pad and pockets.

“Fine, but you stay here, got it?”

Luke nods watching Officer Roth heave out of the chair and exit the room. Luke’s leg is shaking as he waits in anxiousness. He has no idea what status Evie’s in or if she’s awake. Is she asking for him? Is Nell with her?

Minutes tick by and then the door opens. Luke twists in his chair to see Calum is behind Officer Roth.

“You’re good to go, Mr. Hemmings,” Officer Roth says. “I apologize for the third degree but . . . well, under the circumstances and your state, I had to ask those questions.”

“I get it but Danny’s the one you need to give the third degree to. Am I free to go?” Luke rises from his chair.

“Yes, I hear Miss Carson is asking for you. I’ll be by in a few minutes to get a statement from her. If Danny’s still in the area, we’ll do our best to find him.” He holds out his hand, “I’m sorry again.”

“Thank you,” Luke shakes his hand then rushes past him with Calum. “Thanks for setting him straight.”

“No problem, I can’t believe he thought you did this,” Calum says bitterly.

“She’s awake? How is she?”

“Freaking out because she woke up in a hospital and has no idea where you are. Nell is trying to explain but she’s a little frantic. She’s down this way.”

Luke picks up his pace pushing through the double doors into another hallway filled with constant telephone rings and murmurs from the nursing staff. Calum leads him into a room to the left and Luke’s chest breaks open when he sees Evie.

There’s a bandage above her left eyebrow and her lip is swollen and bruised. Discoloration of bruises peek out from the hospital gown she’s in and though her body looks worn and torn, her eyes are alert when they land on Luke.

“Luke!” she cries trying to reach for him but he moves to her first.

“I’m here, baby, I’m right here,” he rushes sitting next to her. He takes her hands gently in his, her eyes welling up with tears.

“Where were you?”

“A cop had some questions for me,” he says grimly, “he wants to talk to you, too so he can try and find Danny.”

“Why was he talking to . . .” her voice tumbles off an edge until her eyes widen in shock. “They thought you--?! Oh, Luke, I’m so sorry.”

Her eyes well with fresh tears and her breathing has become irregular and rapid as she sputters out incoherent apologies.

“Shh, shh, breathe, lovie,” he cradles her face softly trying to calm her down. “It’s all sorted now. I’m still angry about it but from their viewpoint, I do look like the bad guy. And I am.”

“What? No, you’re not—“

“I should’ve been with you, I wouldn’t have given him a chance to touch you,” says through his teeth.

He caresses her forehead, his heart falling once more at the sight of the stitches below the bandage. He overheard the nurse telling Nell while he was reuniting with Evie that she had severe bruising on her stomach. It made him sick and angry that this happened and he was right within reach.

Danny was probably there when he dropped her off. A new wave of anger ripples through him and he has to pull his hands away to try and cool his temper. It’s taking all his willpower now not to go out and find Danny himself.

“Luke, look at me,” Evie says softly.

He stares at her blankly. She reaches for his hand lacing their fingers together and squeezes.

“What happened isn’t your fault. I have no idea how he found me but I’m glad you’re the one who rescued me. I could’ve . . .” she swallows thickly closing her eyes at what possibly could have happened to her then opens them again to look into his sad blue eyes, “You saved me. That’s what matters.”

He sighs unevenly then nods just as there’s a knock on the door. It’s Officer Roth with a fellow officer to ask Evie what happened. Luke holds her hand the entire time as she explains through a shaky voice. When she falters, Luke kisses her hand in assurance and she continues until the officers have all they need.

Officer Roth gives Luke his number in case Danny returns and they can call him right away.

• • • •

Calum and Nell came back later that night while Evie was sleeping with new clothes for her to change into when she’s discharged. She has to stay the night for observation and with the bruising on her stomach the doctors and nurses wanted to monitor it in case there was internal bleeding.

Evie didn’t want Luke to leave her and he was more than happy to stay with her, he didn’t want to leave her side either.

“We cleaned up her place the best we could,” Nell informs while the three of them are standing just outside her door.

“Mike and Ash are fixing her door right now,” Calum adds.

“Thanks,” Luke nods. He heaves a deep sigh exhaling through his nose as his fingers rub at his eyes. “I doubt she’ll want to go back once she’s checked out tomorrow night.”

“Take her to your place, she’ll be safe with you and I don’t want Danny coming back,” Nell’s voice shakes in anger at the mention of Danny.

“I should’ve stayed with her,” Luke mutters. He shakes his head, jaw working as his body trembles in anger once more.

He wants—he needs to punch something. He’d choose the wall but the sound would wake Evie up and he didn’t want to pay for damaging the hospital.

“Luke, you can’t beat yourself up over this,” Calum sighs, “You couldn’t have known he’d be there. It’s because of you she’s safe now. This could have been way worse.”

“I don’t understand why he left in the first place,” Nell mentions then at the look on Luke’s face she adds quickly, “I’m glad he did! But why show up, do what he did and then leave?”

“What did Evie say happened?” Calum asks quietly.

“She told the cop he was already in her apartment. He must have asked a tenant where she lived and found the key she hid in the light to get in. She said he wanted to talk, he apologized apparently but she told him to leave. He snapped and—“Luke tries to swallow the lump in his throat “—and threw her chair before he began hitting her. She didn’t fight back, in the past it only made it worse when she did and then she passed out when her head hit the edge of the counter.”

“I thought you found her in the bathroom?” Nell asks.

“I did. Maybe he dragged her in there? I don’t know, the son of a bitch probably thought he killed her and left. That’s the only reason I can think of as to why he’d leave.”

“When—“

“Luke?” Evie calls out worriedly.

Without a second glance, Luke heads inside to be by his girl instantly, grasping her hand and dancing his fingers across her cheek.

“I’m right here, sweetheart. Calum and Nell are here, they brought new clothes and we were talking,” he explains dropping into the seat beside her bed.

“Did they leave?”

“No, do you want to see them?” he asks and she nods. “Guys, come on in.”

Nell enters first sprinting to her cousin’s side and hugs her tightly. Earlier when she was in the room Evie was still delirious and the only thing on her mind was Luke. They’re both crying and exchanging apologies.

“I should’ve told you what Danny was like,” Evie wipes under her eyes with the hand that’s not holding Luke’s.

“I understand why you didn’t. I should’ve told you I knew anyway. I’m so sorry you had to deal with this on your own,” Nell sniffs. “We’ll all watch out for you. He won’t get away with this and if he comes back we’ll make sure he’s locked up.”

“Thanks, Nell,” Evie gives her a watery smile.

There’s a knock on the door and a nurse comes in to check on Evie’s vitals. Someone will be checking on her every few hours.

“We’ll let you rest, Eve,” Calum says.

“Thanks guys.”

Luke nods his goodbye, eyes focused on Evie while the night nurse checked her vitals.

“Everything sounds good,” the nurse says, “can I check the bruising on your stomach?”

Luke watches in silent anguish at the careful way Evie moves the blankets and her gown. His eyes are trained on her face, she’s biting her lip but a small squeak slips by signifying this is painful for her.

“It hurts,” she whispers “can you help?”

The nurse aids her by lifting the gown slowly. She presses on Evie’s stomach gently, Evie winces at the pressure.

“Has there been blood when you used the bathroom?”

“No,” Evie’s voice is strained.

“That’s good. I’ll let you get more rest and be back in a few hours. I’m Cheyenne and I’ll be watching over you tonight,” Cheyenne smiles. “Call if you need anything.”

“Thank you,” Luke says watching her leave then helps Evie get tucked back in under the covers.

“Thanks,” Evie smiles.

“Try to get some sleep, lovie,�� he murmurs kissing her forehead minding the stitches above her eyebrow.

• • • •

It’s been two weeks since the incident with Evie. She’s been healing nicely and the cut above her eyebrow is now raised soft skin, and pale pink in color after the stitches were removed. Luke would trace his fingers over it and kiss that spot randomly throughout the day.

He knew she hated it and felt self-conscious about it so he made it his duty to show it as much love as he could. She’d only been to her apartment once and that was only so she could get extra clothes and her favorite blankets.

Luke had passed the divisional and is now moving onto the title win which has a decent amount of prize money that will really help out the gym. Calum has increased his workouts but scheduled them around Evie’s work schedule so Luke can pick her up.

It’s a lazy Saturday morning as they’re cuddled up on his couch watching old Disney movies. Evie is on top of him, their legs tangled together under her favorite fuzzy blanket and Luke’s fingers are tracing patterns on her back.

“Can you teach me how to fight?” she asks suddenly.

Luke’s dancing fingers stopped, he craned his neck in an odd position so he could look at her.

“What?”

“Can you teach me how to box? Or show me some easy moves?”

“Evie . . . why?”

“So if Danny comes back I can defend myself.”

Luke shifts underneath her so he doesn’t have to strain his neck in an awkward position, she shifts with him raising her head from his chest.

“If he comes back,” Luke’s voice is dangerously controlled, “he won’t even get a chance to fucking breathe in your direction.”

She smiles lightly at his need to protect her.

“I know but I want to learn so I’m prepared anyway. And it will make me more comfortable watching you instead of listening to music. Please?”

Luke sighs mulling it over, it’s not a bad idea. She should at least know the basics just in case something were to happen and Luke wasn’t there. But he meant what he said. If Danny comes back Luke will deal with him personally.

“All right,” he agrees and Evie squeals with glee then attacks his face with kisses. “But if anything hurts or you feel uncomfortable, you tell me and we stop. Deal?”

“Yes, deal. Thank you, honey.”

She presses her mouth to his sealing the deal.

• • • •

When Monday night rolls around Evie joins Luke at the gym into the training room. He’s spent the last forty-five minutes going over boxing basics and showing her the moves. He takes careful care of wrapping her fingers in tape then kisses her knuckles when he’s finished.

He slips on punching mitts then moves in front of her. He smiles at the sight of Evie, her dark brown hair is pulled back into a loose braid and she’s wearing a sports bra with some leggings. There’s a determined look in her eye that he finds so endearing.

“I’m not punching one of the bags?” she asks almost sadly.

“No, not today. Those are a lot harder than these,” he indicates the mitts on his hands, “I don’t want you to hurt yourself, lovie. Let’s start with an easy combination of a jab cross and right hook. Get in your stance . . . good. Keep your hands up by your face and start when you’re ready.”

Evie nods taking a deep breath then jabs her left hand across her body to hit the mitt on Luke’s left hand, she follows with a quick right hook on his other hand then repeats. Luke nods as she repeats it, her body dancing as she keeps her feet bouncing.

“Very good, lovie, keep going,” he encourages.

Evie continues, her eyes trained on the mitts. With each punch she hits harder and harder as an anger bubbles up to the surface. Each punch is for every hit Danny gave her. Each strike is for every time he yelled and swore and then more anger arose because he found her and could have almost ruined her and Luke.

Evie became relentless, hitting faster, faster, and faster still. Her face becomes red and her breath comes out in rapid huffs. Luke has been watching her carefully and when he sees her eyes flood with tears he springs into action and lowers the mitts.

She’s still punching the air and then his chest as he pulls her against him, crushing her arms so she stops. Evie chokes out her sobs into his shirt.

“I’ve got you baby, it’s okay.”

He rocks her gently from side to side as she continues to sob and gasp, finally releasing her pent up emotions she didn’t realize she buried.

• • • •

Title fight day is upon Luke and he’s trying to get in his own head and zone out the raucous cheers and buzz from beyond his changing room. He’s pacing, rotating his neck and loosening his shoulders as he attempts to block it out.

If he wins these twelve rounds he’ll also receive a whopping $50,000 prize money which would really help the gym. He tried not to think about it all coming down to him and to focus on the fight, his moves and the weak spots of his opponent.

His name is KJ Andrews who has a reputation of getting where he’s at from the ground up at his own gym he uses for youth.

There’s a quick knock on his door then Calum enters, a quick grin flicks across his face.

“Got time to meet a fan before you go out?”

“Yeah, I s’pose,” Luke huffs checking the tape on his hands.

“Don’t sound so enthused, honey.”

Luke’s head snaps up to see Evie step from behind Calum, a smile on her face as she approaches him.

“He should’ve said it was you,” Luke grins meeting her halfway. They join hands letting them hang loosely between their bodies.

“Four minutes, Hemmings. See you out there, Evie,” Calum bids them goodbye closing the door behind him.

“How’re you feeling?” Evie asks, eyes searching his face.

“Okay, good I guess. I just want to get out there,” he licks his lips. “Do you have your air pods?”

“I won’t be using them,” she shakes her head, “I can handle it but I have them just in case. This is a big fight for you, Luke, I want to be completely involved.”

“I love you,” he sighs bending down to give her a gentle kiss.

“I love you, too,” she mumbles on his lips giving him one more just as the announcer’s voice booms from the arena. “You’ve got this, Luke. I’ll see you out there.”

“Bye,” he says faintly. He gives her hands a gentle squeeze as she backs away, their fingers slipping away as she slips out the door.

Luke takes several deep breaths then heads out of his changing room and up the stairs. He cracks his knuckles then punches his palms, his adrenaline is kicking in.

When he steps out into the arena, the blue spotlight hits him but he pays no mind to people shouting his name or what the announcer is saying. Calum joins him as he makes his way to the ring and slips beneath the rope to go in his respective corner. KJ is already across from him, they both glance and nod at each other as the announcer rumbles stats.

“How’re you feeling, mate?” Calum asks rubbing his best friend’s shoulders.

“Good, I’m ready. Where’s—“

“Behind you with everybody else,” Calum smiles nodding behind Luke.

Luke cranes his neck and spots Evie right away. She smiles sweetly and waves up at him then gives him a thumbs up. His heart soars.

He can do this. He’ll win these twelve rounds and then ask Evie to move in with him. It’s crazy to think how six months ago was when he first spotted Evie. Crazy to think that six months has gone by. So much has changed but he knows he wants to spend the rest of his life with her.

The clang of the bell echoed all around followed by the loud cheers and applause from the spectators. Luke and KJ met in the middle, knocked fists and the referee blew his whistle.

• • • •

Sweaty and out of breath, Luke’s limbs were like jelly when the ref raised his right arm up above his head exclaiming ‘WINNER!’ of the title fight. The cheers were louder than ever but through his exhaustion he smiled looking out into the crowd. The house lights came on and he could see every cheering face but he only had one in mind.

When he spotted his friends he notices Evie isn’t there. Calum pointed behind him signifying his changing room and Luke nods. He’ll get to her soon enough.

Evie is setting up the six champagne flutes carefully on his coffee table with the champagne bottle in the center. The twelve rounds were intense and at some moments she thought Luke would come up short but he never failed.

She cheered as loud as she could when he was announced the winner, stray tears fell from her eyes from how proud she is for him. She snuck away quickly to set up this little celebration station for him when he arrived with everyone else.

The door opens behind her and she spins around.

“Congratu—“

Her congratulations falls short and her smile disappears when she sees who’s standing in the doorway.

“You always did heal up fast,” Danny says stepping into the room.

His presence casts a dark shadow in the room and over Evie who steps off to the side. The bottle opener is by the door still in the bag and her eyes scan frantically for any sort of defensive weapon she can use. The announcer is still calling out congratulations and she prays silently that Luke will be here soon.

“What do you want, Danny?” she asks her voice shaking.

“Why don’t you come back home? Your family misses you . . . I miss you,” he chuckles stepping even closer.

“You had an odd way of showing it at my apartment,” she bites back as furiously as she can.

“I was just angry you managed to hide from me for so long. And to cheat on me nonetheless,” he chuckles again.

The closer he gets Evie can smell liquor reeking from his body, her heart accelerated in fear.

“I didn’t cheat on you because we aren’t together. You hit me and verbally abused me, I left you, Danny. Just leave me alone, please.”

“I can’t do that, Eves, I love you too much. Come on, just come back home with me, I promise I’ve changed.”

He’s invading her space now, she flinches at his use of her old nickname but instead of fear she was filled with rage.

“You don’t love me. You don’t beat up someone you love. You’re sick and you need help but it won’t be from me,” she says vehemently. “You won’t hurt me again.”

In his drunken (or hungover) state, his actions were sluggish but Evie was faster as he lifted his arm. Evie pushes him back and throws a right hook as hard as she can into his face. A satisfying crunch sounds followed by pain in her hand that shoots up her arm.

She lets out a cry from the pain as he stumbles back then the door opens and Luke is there.

“LUKE!” Evie shouts cowering further into the corner as Danny continues to stumble.

Luke launches himself at Danny, kneeing him in the gut and punching him a few times until he’s slumped in a heap on the floor. Danny groans as Luke holds him up by the collar of his shirt.

“You’ll never touch her again, you bastard,” Luke spits then gives him on final punch and Danny is knocked out. He rushes over to Evie who collapses into his arms then lets out a whimper. “Did he hurt you? Where are you hurt?”

“I-I punched him and I think I hurt my hand,” Evie lifts her right hand that is already looking swollen and red.

Luke holds it gingerly in his own hands inspecting it. He flexes her fingers straight, she winces as he feels the bones and her wrist.

“I don’t think it’s broken,” he murmurs, “but we can have a doctor check it out.”

“Luke, we have—what the hell?” Ashton exclaims behind them.

“Call Officer Roth,” Luke tells them, “and make sure he doesn’t fucking move. I’m taking Evie to have her hand looked at.”

Luke holds her left hand leading her cautiously around Danny and out the door. Nell gives Evie a concerned look but Evie smiles and mutters an ‘I’m fine.’

The doctor on site inspected Evie’s hand and came to the conclusion it was only sprained. Evie is given an ice pack and told to keep ice on it to keep the swelling down and take ibuprofen for the pain. Two cops enter the gym after the doctor leaves, Officer Roth spots them from across the way.

“Are you all right, Miss Carson?” Officer Roth asks.

“I’m okay,” she nods, “I hit him this time.” Her eyes widen at her confession. “You aren’t going to arrest me are you? He came at me first and I defended—“

“No, no, you aren’t going to get arrested,” Officer Roth smiles kindly. “We’ll make sure he’ll be locked up for a long time. Apparently there’s an order for his arrest back at his place of residence, other girls have come forward explaining what he’s done. I’m so sorry you had to endure all of this.”

“He’s going to be taken away?” she asks faintly.

“Yes. Some allegations are from seventeen year old women,” Officer Roth responds gravely, “he won’t hurt anyone ever again. I promise you. You may have to head back home and speak to a judge and the police there, though. To give your statement of the past and from what happened a few weeks ago.”

Luke hold rubs the back of her neck in assurance at the news.

Evie takes a deep breath.

“If it will put him away I’ll do anything,” she nods, “Thank you Officer Roth.”

“I’m glad this will all come to an end for you. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call. And congratulations on the title, Luke. My partner and I heard the news from people on our way in.”

“Thank you,” Luke smiles and Officer Roth nods one last time before leaving. Luke turns to Evie and shakes his head in wonder. “You actually punched him.”

“I did,” she laughs shakily. “It felt good.”

“That’s my girl,” he kisses her temple then holds her against him in a warm embrace.

• • • •

After Luke joined Evie on the trip back home to give her statement and photo evidence of what Danny did to her, he asked her to move in with him when they got back to LA. She agreed happily throwing her arms around him.

Danny will be in jail for the rest of his life and Evie finally feels like she can breathe. She’s happy with her new life with Luke, she adores the new friends she’s made and is happy she gets to experience this all with her cousin Nell by her side.

Luke and Evie are practice fighting at the gym, it’s a weekly thing now. Evie has excelled in her boxing but will only use it as a workout and not as a profession like Luke.

They’re moving quickly and fast across the room, Luke taunts her (all in good fun) just to get her riled up and at her first slip-up, he cages her against the cool wall in between his arms.

“You’ve got to stay focused, baby,” he smiles leaning close to her body.

“You fight so dirty,” she giggles reaching up to scratch at the stubble on his chin.

Luke rubs the scar above her forehead with his thumb then slides his eyes down to meet hers, an amused look on her face.

“But your love’s so sweet,” he grins slotting his lips against hers in a loving kiss.

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