#the charcoal is much nicer

[faunandfloraas]

He soundproof

[rabbitindisguise]

Unfortunately I found one (1) thing that's putting psychological strain on myself but I'm not gonna like what it is

[midnightorchids]

I love you and your writing. It makes me so happy to read your works!

Imagine Jason having his s/o move in with him. Imagine all the possibilities.

Like arranging the furniture together, showering together, taking turns cooking.

Or taking power naps together. I love me some soft Jason.

Omg stop!!! You’re literally so kind! Thank you for sending all these little scenarios, I always have so much fun writing them. Also, my apologies for getting back to you so late, I hope this little blurb makes up for it, enjoy reading!

Jason stares at the small key in his large calloused hands and then at charcoal door in front of him. This is it, he thinks to himself. He runs his hands through his hair and then shifts his gaze to your face, it’s beaming with excitement. Jason tries to hold back his smile, but finds himself unable to do so. He reaches over to your hand and gives it a gentle squeeze.

He’s waited for this moment for a long time. He’s dreamt of owning a place with you, of days where the both of you will go to sleep together and you’ll still be there in the morning. He’s dreamt of making you breakfast and kissing your forehead before you go to work or school and then have you come right back home… to him.

Jason’s emotional honestly, there’s something so tender and domestic about the idea of building a life together in this apartment.

The apartment, it’s not very big and the walls are an awful shade of grey. The paint is chipping in some places and there’s some obvious water damage. But none of that matters because it’s yours. It’s your home and that thought alone is enough for you and Jason to be happy.

You’re both sitting in the empty kitchen, unpacking your boxes and Jason can imagine spending the rest of his life here with you.

He takes a mental picture of the moment, tucking it deep in his mind and engraving it in his heart. He hasn’t been able to stop smiling since he walked in through the door, he feels content, at peace.

You and Jason spent weeks scavenging through different vintage shops to find the perfect decor and furniture. There were countless trips to Ikea and multiple trips to the mall.

All of it was coming together now.

The thought of saying “our home” instead of “my house” made Jason feel giddy. He finally had a place to call his own with a person who felt like serenity.

Hours go by and you’re still working on getting your new place sorted.

You’re both sprawled out on the living room floor, putting together your new coffee table. There’s screws scattered across the floor and bubble wrap on the couch. There’s music playing on one of your phones as the speaker is still packed away in one of the boxes.

“This is so much fun! It’s like building life size legos,” Jason suddenly exclaims and you stare at him unamused, the hours of working finally catching up to you.

“Shut up Jay! You’re talking too much, I lost my page again,” you reply looking back at the paper manual in your hands, trying to find your page again. Jason looks up at you with a small pout.

“Don’t be mean, you know I’m sensitive,” he tries to say seriously, but the little smile on his face says otherwise. you shuffle over to his side on the floor and ruffle his hair.

“Aw I’m sorry baby, I’ll be nicer,” you say, realizing it might be time to take a break. “Should we postpone building furniture for a bit, I’m starving.” His face lights up and before you know it, he’s already in the kitchen gathering ingredients to make you soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. There’s not much in the fridge, but he’ll make do with what’s there.

You stare at him from across the room and this time, it’s your turn to click a mental photograph of the moment. He looks beautiful in your new kitchen, his hair’s messy, it’s in his eyes and he takes a second to push away the bangs. Then, he continues working away near the stove, humming along to the song playing on your phone. You can’t help, but admire him. You look forward to seeing him like this forever.

You make your way over to the kitchen and take a seat on the island counter, opposite to the stove. Jason tosses the final bit of ingredients in the pot and lets everything simmer. He looks over at you, leaning against the counter. He crosses his large arms against his body, his face soft and relaxed.

“I’m really happy, you know,” he says, grinning, and you scrunch your face into a big smile.

“I know Jay, I’m so happy too.”

[cursedcupcakemaster]

can I order a Poison apple pie and candy violets with and get Spider Cider. With a ghost!reader , this is the same person who requested the other Spider Cider, hope you have a nice day❤️

Of course so we are looking for a deadly friendship with Skully are we ?

Order; Poison apple pie with a side of candy violets and a glass of spider cider

Notes; I do not own twisted wonderland, Skully or the reader,Skully and Twst belong to Disney as well as the brilliant mind of Yana Toboso, reader belongs to themselves, this is just my interpretation of how this would go with the character, reader isn't neccesarily Yuu but if you want to imagine they are you're welcome to, y/n, reader is you

Warnings;yandere, Skully may or may not have killed a few people, implied death

Yandere Skully J. X ghost reader

🪦Best friends forever🪦

You could hardly remember what happened to get you where you are now

A spirit haunting a house that hardly anyone would pass by except for one boy

He was tall and quite pale wjth a rather pleasant smile and sharply dressed at that

Skully would always come to visit you every day when the sun went down and would talk with you about the outside world that you couldn't explore much due to being bound to the house

It always made your afterlife feel just a bit easier to deal with and there was something about Skully that seemed familiar to you but it wasn't really clear what

Sometimes Skully would ask to bury things in the back of the house and you allowed him to but he never really told you what was in the yard

It just made you happy to have some company in your lonely house that wasn't the spiders weaving their pretty webs or the rats scuttling about

Skully would sometimes bring things for you, like teddies or dolls so you could possess it or little trinkets you seemed to like such as music boxes or books that you seemed interested in after he told you about them

The one thing he never really seemed to want to let you see were newspapers

It was odd but you shrugged it off its not as if much of it could really effect you considering you weren't alive

Another peculiar thing was that he seemed to know your house better than even yourself, particularly the attic

There was something about it that kind of unnerved you

Particularly a trunk in the corner of the room, it was a charcoal black and when you tried to phase through it you couldn't do it

It was rather shocking to yiu considering there weren't many objects you couldn't get through but the last time you tried Skully seemed a bit upset and yelled that there was nothing for you go see in there

He quickly changed his tune when he saw the look on your face before

The only other time you saw him act like this was when some punks came in to wreck the place, they smashed photos, the windows, and all the nicer things that Skully had brought into the house

He told you to not show yourself to them and that he'd take care of it

Doing as he said the last thing you heard of those punks were their screams before Skully came up smiling letting you know everything was fine

When you thanked him he said "it's really no problem, you're my best friend after all"

Somehow those words meant something to you, like you'd heard them before

After this incident a few more holes were dug in the back yard

One night Skully dropped something on his way out, it was a small skeletal key and the lock seemed to fit the shape of the odd trunk

Fitting it inside and lifting the lid you saw several things including photos of you, only you were....alive and you had a family

Beside you was a boy who looked an awful lot like Skully both of you wore friendship necklaces in the shape of a skull with heart shaped eyesockets

The photos weren't the only the only odd thing, there were some news clippings including "Teenagers missing" and "Mysterious deaths of local family "

There was one last object and it was a shovel

Going outside you took the shovel with you and began digging

What you found only made you feel ill and grateful you didn't have organs any longer

There were the corpses of the punks that tried to destroy your home, the people that were once your family and finally your own bones, you knew it was yours thanks to the friendship necklace shaped like a skull with heart shaped eye sockets

You felt a chill before you turned and saw Skully and he did not look the least bit pleased

"You finally saw it huh" he murmured

"W-why why would you do this?" You asked your voice dripping with fear at the boy who was once your friend

It seemed your question made him smile at you

"They were going to take you away from me. I couldn't let that happen, as for those other ones they deserved it for ruining our house"

Skully took a step toward yoh making you float backwards until you were cornered against the wall as he spoke again

"Don't you see, I did this all for you that's what friends are for~ and we're best friends forever"

You knew he wouldn't likely stop with his sinister projects unless you agreed to what he wanted

"Skully, please no more ,no more killing if you're really my friend please no more"

Ectoplasmic tears ran down your cheeks making him look at you with his face softening before wiping your tears with his thumbs

"Will you stay with me forever then?" He asked

"Best friends till the end" you replied before the skeleton like boy pressed his lips to your own cold ones

[redfoxwritesstuff]

What's This? (Hazbin Lucifer x Fallen!Reader)

CW: Cock ring, overstimulation, pleasure Dom undertones, wings, Luci a bit in his feels, Begging, praise, multiple orgasms Rating: Adult Summary: Lucifer's lover, a newly fallen Angel continues her exploration of sinful pleasure as Lucifer teaches her what the cockring she found in his nightstand is for.

“There’s some oil in my nightstand,” Lucifer said, wings fluttering as you ran your fingers through the plumage. 

“Will I have to start using it too?” you asked, fluttering your wings, now starting to look closer to charcoal than ash as you slipped off the edge of the bed. 

“Probably. Such a crap thing to lose your oil glands for falling.” Lucifer tried to keep his voice cheery, masking the look of sadness that crossed his face. You fell for him, rather literally, and having to use supplemental oil to maintain your feathers was just one more change your body would go through as a result. 

He hated it. He hated what loving him cost you. What he hated most of all was that he couldn’t make himself pick up the phone, call up top and arrange to send you back. He loved you too damn much. 

“What’s this?” you asked, drawing Lucifer’s eyes to where you had been rummaging through his drawer. In one hand was the bottle of oil and in the other was a small black ring. He watched for a moment as you stretched it between two fingers before looking at him. 

A golden blush was high on Lucifer’s cheeks as he indulged in your innocent wonder. He had shown you so much over the last few weeks, and yet you still had so much to learn.

“It’s a… cock ring.” 

Your eyes widened at the words, and for a moment he thought perhaps you knew what that was. “Jewelry? For your…?” 

He laughed, standing from the bed. All six of his wings fluttered as he settled the feathers into place while he walked over to you. “It could be, if it was a nicer one. This one- it’s all function though. Not much to look at.” 

“I don’t… function?” You blinked those wide, still so innocent eyes at him. They were so beautiful, even as they darkened from the crystalline color they had been while your sins took root. 

“It ah-” Lucifer chuckled. “It makes it so a penis is harder and stays hard for longer.” 

“Oh,” you looked between him and the rubber ring in your hand, “But you don’t… need help with… with that.” It was your turn to be flushed, gold rising high in your cheeks. 

“Not right now, no.” Lucifer laughed, “But it can be fun for really, really long encounters.” For a moment, silence settled over the pair of new lovers. “Do you want to see?” 

He was already unbuckling his pants. You looked at him with those wide, beautiful eyes he loved so much, taking in the way his cock already strained against the front of his pants. 

“You can’t be serious.” You shifted, rubbing your thighs together under the simple robe you wore. “We just made love a few hours ago.” 

“Exactly,” Lucifer laughed as he pushed past the risk of being rejected, eyeing where your legs met under the fabric of the robe, knowing it was his seed that still dampened your folds. “What better way to show off what this baby can do?” 

You looked away in a panic as his pants fell around his ankles, cock springing free as he took the ring from your fingers. While the differences between the male form and the female still made you blush, you couldn’t help curiosity. 

You watched as his cock grew harder in his hand. He easily stretched the black ring and slipped it over his length, feeding it down. It snapped slightly as he let it off his fingers, drawing a high moan from the devil. 

“Does it feel good?” You asked as the plastic dug into the base of his shaft, squeezing him. 

“It does,” Lucifer’s hips bucked as you reached out, soft fingers caressing the head of his cock. The whole of his cock was beginning to turn a golden hue. “It will feel even better when I’m inside you.” 

“How?” You asked as he stepped closer, wrapping his arms around you as he kissed your jaw. 

“Blood goes in,” he said, grinding his cock into her hip. “but it doesn’t come out as much. Makes it bigger. More sensitive. Makes it harder to finish, too.” 

“Oh,” you whispered, distracted by his lips on your neck and the feeling of his hand running through your feathers. When had he untied your robe? You lost track of his hands as he pressed his naked body against yours, warm skin against skin. 

He laid you back on the bed, crawling up over you. There was a moment where he hovered, just looking down at you with the softest eyes. “I love you,” he whispered, leaning down and kissing you sweetly.

“I love you, too.” You answered as he nestled the head of his cock between your slick folds. 

“Always ready for me,” Lucifer whispered, finding your arousal and mingled with the remains of his seed, allowing him to slip the head of his cock into your waiting opening without effort. He sighed as wet warmth surrounded him, sinking deeper into you. “It’s like coming home.” 

“You are home,” you sighed, back arching as he filled you slowly. He was thick on his own, but you could feel the added girth as your walls, already relaxed and stretched from earlier lovemaking, were pushed wider. 

Lips found lips as he worked deeper into you. Strong hands ran over your sides, taking in the feel of you as he softly thrust into you. Each push and pull of his cock through your walls had you gasping, still sensitive from the prior encounter. 

You ran your hands up his chest. Every feel of his muscles twitch and bunch made heat rise in your chest, threatening to burn you alive. His strong shoulders strained under your fingers as he angled his hips, ensuring his cock dragged against your clit with each soft thrust. 

“So warm,” he whispered into the kiss as your fingers ran through the feathers of his upper set of wings, getting lost in the thick down undercoat. “So beautiful.” 

Your orgasm snuck up on you, a soft wave that crested without a buildup or fanfare. Tired walls clenched and flexed as the length of his cock continued its steady push and pull through you. 

“Luci.” A gasping moan of his name fell from your lips. 

He had never had strong opinions on his name; it was simply what he had been called for eons. He was Lucifer, the Morningstar. The first. The best. The fallen. 

But hearing it fall from your lips in the heat of passion, he loved the sound of his name then. It was sweet music to his ears. Never did he want to stop hearing you say it. 

He had loved and lost before. Loving again terrified him, but for you, he would risk it. If it meant he could hear you sigh his name as your body clenched around his cock, he would risk it. If it meant he was the one giving you such pleasure, he would risk it. 

Your fingers ran up the back of his head, carding through blond hair that had once been ever so perfectly arranged. At some point, he hid his face in your shoulder as he thrust you through your orgasm, lost in his thoughts and the pleasure of your body. 

He pushed an arm under your back, holding you to him as he rolled off your body. You hooked your leg over his, running your calf up his leg as he continued his lazy thrusts. He would fuck you proper, he fully intended to, but right this second he was lost in the sea of lovemaking. His hips rocked with the waves, thrusting into you as he pulled your thigh higher, gripping it against his hip. 

“You’re so pretty like this,” Lucifer said, shifting slightly so he could run his other hand through the plush feathers of your wings. 

You looked at him as if he hung the very stars in the sky. He did, but that didn’t change the way his heart swelled with the admiration and love in your eyes. When you looked at him like that, he forgot the anxiety and doubt, if only for a little while. The way you looked at him made him feel like that man who had wielded the divine power of creation, building everything there ever was and would be at the whim of his father. 

He thrust into you, pulling your hip to meet his with each soft roll. Your arm wound around his, fingers digging into his feathers just as he worked his fingers into the plumage of yours. The steady beat of his heart under the hand you rested on his pale chest drew you closer, eyes locked on his. 

He moaned into the soft kiss, reveling in the feeling of your hands on him. It had been so long since he had someone to hold, someone who wanted to hold him. Even in the last few years of his marriage, Lilith didn’t hold him, even when they made love- no, there was no love then, it was just fucking. That’s why he had the rings, after all, so he could stay hard long enough to do the job for someone that so clearly didn’t love him anymore, who couldn’t love him when he couldn’t love himself. 

You eagerly touched him. There wasn’t a moment when you were not running your hands over him, passing touches, fingers threaded through fingers, soft kisses. He bathed in a sea of lingering touches, something he had needed for so long and been afraid to ask for. 

You ran your hand up his chest, fingers caressing his neck as they wrapped behind it, pulling him in. It wasn’t possible to hold one another closer as he continued to rock his hips into you, sliding his cock in and out of you at a slow pace that didn’t fail to build a fire in you but that didn’t stop either of you from trying. 

Your fingers ran through his hair and his feathers, carding the strong flight feathers and digging into the plush down feathers. He moaned, doing the same to your wings. Whispered words of love were swallowed as he pushed you forward, thrusting his cock through your walls. 

“Lu-luci,” you moaned, back arching as he tugged your feathers. Lips worked on your neck as he brought you closer to another orgasm. 

It didn’t seem possible, but his constructed, swollen cock pushed into you just right. His tail wrapped around your thigh, pointed spade tip caressing higher and higher. You jumped as he softly swatted your ass with it, not enough to do anything more hint at a sting. 

“I can’t,” you gasped as he palmed your breast, eagerly feeling every part of you. “Luci, I can’t.” 

“You can,” he whispered, lips moving against your shoulder as he lightly pinched your nipple. “You can, and then we’ll keep going. With this on me, I can keep going.” 

“Fuck,” you swore, such an uncharacteristic word to drop from your pretty lips as he shoved you into another orgasm. 

“Good girl,” he whispered, eyes focused on your face. He thrust through your convulsing walls, letting you ride your orgasm out on his cock. “You’re so beautiful,” he praised. “I could never have made something as beautiful as you.”

“No more,” you begged, tears sparkling in the corners of your eyes. “I can’t, I’m so sensitive.” 

Lucifer kissed you again as you squirmed out of his arms. Wide eyes looked at him, cock flushed bright gold in contrast to the black ring around the base, throbbing with each beat of his heart. 

“I can’t.” 

Lucifer stood, wrapping you in his arms as you rose on trembling legs. “You can,” he whispered before kissing you deeply. “If you want to, you can. I promise you, it’ll feel like too much, but I can show you just how much you can take.” 

“Lucifer,” you moaned, his tail wrapping again around your thigh. The tip ran through your folds, tip nudging the sensitive nub of nerves. You were so sensitive now, body coming apart on a hair trigger and needing hardly anything to push you toward another orgasm. 

“One more,” he asked, voice hot and needy in your ear as he kissed your neck. “One more, then I’ll take it off and we can finish up.” 

“That’s,” you sighed as his cock ran through your folds, nudging his tail from your clit. “That’s two more.” 

“For you,” he laughed as you sighed, body little more than jelly in his arms. “You can do it. Just say yes.” 

Temptation. The man you loved was the prideful face of temptation itself. He was everything anyone could ever want, a sweet promise of more. Who could deny him? Certainly not you. You granted your consent with nothing more than a timid nod, stilled by his lips on yours. 

The kiss was deep, stealing what little air you still had in your lings. It left your already weak knees unable to hold you. It didn’t matter; you didn’t need them too. 

Lucifer’s strong arms wrapped around you. Black hands buried in your hair, fingers digging into the feathers of your wings as he rutted his swollen cock against you. Each soft thrust had him panting, moaning softly. 

“Lucifer,” you moaned his name as he laid you back on the bed, legs hanging off the edge. 

“My favorite song,” he murmured, slipping his painfully hard cock back into your abused hole. His name fell from your lips again as he easily bottomed out, swollen walls easily parting for him, fluttering with the promise of more pleasure. 

“Wha-” you sighed your question, his pubic bone rubbing against your clit as he nestled the head of his cock at your cervix.

“You sing my favorite song,” Lucifer clarified, beginning to thrust into you. His pace was harder, each thrust slapping his hips against yours with more force than he had used in the prior two positions. The sting of him colliding with your clit had your back arched off the bed, wings twitching and spreading wide. “In all of hell, you sing my favorite song.” 

He watched himself delve into you, your warm body swallowing him easily. Arousal poured from you, evidence of the two prior orgasms. He hadn’t given you much time to recover from either of them, pushing you into overstimulation. 

Two more, that’s all he wanted. One for the selfish pleasure of watching you come apart on his cock and one for him to ride along with his own. It was selfish, he knew, but Father above knew he was little more than a prideful, selfish man. 

He watched as your breasts bounced and moved with each thrust into you. Tears gathered in your eyes as he ran his black hands down your stomach, feeling the way his swollen cock pressed into you with each thrust. Pleas fell from your lips as you looked up at him. 

Were you begging for more or for him to stop? You didn’t even know. 

Lucifer gripped your hip with one hand, running the other down your mound. As soon as he began rubbing your clit, running his fingers around your slick nub, your pleas reached new heights. Hips twitched as you battled between getting away from him and chasing the pleasure. 

You came with a sob. His name was the only thing that could be made out. Your chest heaved, breasts dancing for him as he lazily thrust into you. 

“So pretty,” he said, running his hands up and down your sides. He caressed your ribs and breasts as you twitched and clenched around him, body fighting him for the seed he was almost ready to give up. “A masterpiece.” 

“Last one,” you sobbed, body twitching with every brush of his hands. “I can’t, not again.” 

“You can,” Lucifer promised, pulling his cock from you. “It’ll be the last one, I promise. You’re doing so good for me. You can give me one last one. Look, angel, I’m taking the ring off now.” 

You slid from the bed, sitting limply on the floor at the foot of it as you watched him take the black ring from his cock. Instantly, once the pressure was removed blood rushed from his shaft. The golden color lightened and its size shank slightly. The head of his cock remained bright gold, weeping even as your slick reflected off of him. 

“Can you get onto your hands and knees for me?” He asked softly, kneeling in front of you. “You can do that for me, can’t you?” 

You tried. Shaking limbs needed support. He wrapped his hands around your waist, pulling your torso up as he sheathed himself in your shuddering body. He moaned behind you. 

As soon as he lowered you onto your hands, your elbows gave out. In a matter of moments, you were face down and ass up while the devil thrust into your body. Every part of you trembled, spent, exhausted and used up. The rustling of your wings was loud in your ears. Down feathers, knocked free by the change of position, floated down around your face.

The sound of his hips slapping into your ass reached your ears, along with the string of sweet praises. You loved the way he freely complemented you. Everything you did was just right for him, from the way you preened his feathers to the way you took his cock. 

You couldn’t make words form. All you could do was moan weakly as his fingers gripped your hips. There was something about this change of position that had you aware of the coil tightening in your stomach, something you swore you had grown numb to as he pulled orgasm after orgasm from you. 

“Luci,” you whimpered, finally able to form his name when his cock twitched inside you. 

One hand ran down your stomach, caressing your slick clit as the other ran up your back. Fingers walked up your spine before wrapping around the base of your wing. The tightening grip on it had you crying out and clenching around him. 

“Luci,” you gasped, face resting against the ground as he increased his pace. “Luci, I- I’m… I’m… Luci,” you sobbed his name as he chased his finish. You were clenching around him, tightening with each kiss of his head against your cervix. 

You came with a wail, sobbing his name again and again as he folded over you. The grip of your walls around his overstimulated cock had no trouble pulling him into his own orgasm. Just as you cried out his name, he chanted yours as if it was the most sacred prayer he’d ever say. 

As he painted your walls white, clinging to your trembling body, blackness overtook your vision and your mind floated away. 

“Angel?” Lucifer asked as your relaxed body shifted. Realizing you had blacked out, he wrapped his arms tighter around you. A few strong beats of his wings and he could position the both of you into the bed. 

It hadn’t been his intention to fuck you to the point of blacking out, but it wouldn’t be incorrect to say pride didn’t swell in him as he dozed, holding you as you recovered. 

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[alexanderwales]

Castle Solutions was the only time travel company in the world. They had a giant corporate headquarters in downtown Chicago, which was the only place in the entire world with a time machine, at least as far as anyone knew. They were worth hundreds of billions, and the only reason they weren't worth more seemed to be that they didn't care all that much about money. The time machines were used for everything: reporting, media, market corrections, the surveillance state, and industry. Castle Solutions was the lynchpin of the modern world.

Daniel had thought the waiting room would be nicer.

He sat in a blue-gray chair that would have been at home in any waiting room anywhere else in Chicago. Slightly tinny music played over speakers from the ceiling. A fake potted plant sat in one corner, failing to look lively. There were no windows, because the waiting room was deep in the heart of the building, close to the machine itself.

Daniel was the only one in the waiting room. He'd come half an hour early, lugging all his gear, and now the only thing left was for the clock to run down. A bored-looking woman had come in to tell him that it might be awhile, that they were running behind schedule — the time travel company, running behind schedule. So there had been more waiting than expected.

A man in a charcoal gray suit with a simple blue backpack came in. He slung the backpack down onto the ground with a sigh and rubbed his face. He had stubble there, but an artful amount of it, like he'd spent some time in the mirror making sure that it was the right amount of scruff to offset his expensive suit.

Daniel looked straight ahead, trying not to look, keeping his face blank, like he was passing by a homeless person who might ask him for money he didn't have.

"Wow, you've got a lot of stuff," said the man. "Is that a sword?"

"It's a katana," said Daniel. He didn't match the eye contact the man was giving him.

"Oh, cool," said the man. "You're going to ... katana times?"

"Edo Japan, yeah," said Daniel.

Daniel was trying his best not to engage, to get this conversation over as quickly as possible. He wasn't making eye contact.

The man picked up his backpack and moved across the waiting room to be closer to Daniel.

"You speak Japanese?" the man asked.

"Hai, watashi wa nihongo o hanashimasu," replied Daniel. He wished that he were more fluent, that the words had come out less rote.

"Cool," said the man. He had apparently also come closer to get a look at all of Daniel's stuff. His eyes moved over the duffel bags. There wasn't much to see, everything had been carefully packed away. "Wow, you sure are prepared, huh?"

"It's a different time and place," said Daniel with a shrug. It represented five years of planning, five years of training, learning, honing himself.

"Personally, I'm going to 1946," said the man, though Daniel hadn't asked. He held out his hand. "Archie Vedder."

Daniel reluctantly took the hand. "Daniel Strom." He had never really gotten the hang of shaking hands. He worried that his hands were too clammy, a worry that proved founded when Archie wiped his hand on that expensive charcoal suit.

"I went with the kit," said Archie, pointing to his backpack. "I've got papers, I've got a computer with a backup, I've got a projector, a media library, a science library, the whole works, plus some forged bonds and a stack of cash. I got a sweet deal on it, they're overstocked now."

Retreating into the past had seen its heyday. Now most of the people who had been most enthusiastic were gone, and there were only the dissenters left. Everyone agreed with using the machine for the mundane stuff, but simply leaving, never to return, rubbed people the wrong way.

"I guess they don't sell kits for Edo," Archie ventured.

"They do," said Daniel. "They're trash."

"Ah," said Archie.

"This is all custom," said Daniel. "Higher quality, field tested, everything I'll need to set myself up there." Only some of it was stock. He had two computers, three smartphones, chargers and plugs, solar panels, replacement batteries, and redundant media libraries and science libraries.

Archie raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean, field tested? Because people don't come back. You're there for good, right?"

What it actually meant was that Daniel had gone out into a field and tested it, made sure that it worked under various conditions, set himself up like he might be explaining all this to a carefully chosen daimyo. There was only so much that camping in the woods and taking dry run vacations could tell him though.

"Some of it is theory," said Daniel. "Research."

"Yeah, see, that's why I went with 1946," said Archie. "It's really well-trod. You know, I was reading an article the other day that maybe the Baby Boom was a little overstated? Like, we're obviously living in the wake of time travelers, but that's the prime time to come back, anywhere from 1946 to 1960. The economy is doing well, tech is advancing, it's familiar enough. The culture is so close you can sell some stuff from a media library, it's brilliant. You're five steps away from becoming a multimillionaire in a time when that meant something."

"Sure," said Daniel.

"Any reason you're doing hard mode?" asked Archie. "I mean, samurai and ninjas are cool, sure, but —"

"It's not about that," said Daniel.

"Alright, sure," shrugged Archie.

Daniel looked over at the waiting room's lone clock. You would think that a waiting room for a time travel company would have better clocks, but it was a cheap utilitarian design, thin plastic and wobbly hands.

"What's it about then?" asked Archie.

"I was going to go with a friend," said Daniel. "We had practiced together, trained together. Then he got cancer."

"Ah, shit," said Archie.

"He lived," said Daniel. "He's fine. But he's on medications now, and will be for the rest of his life, and he can't go anymore."

"Huh," said Archie. "So there's a friend who you're leaving behind?"

"No," said Daniel. "I mean ... this was what we did together. We talked about it a lot. We read history books and practiced crafts and skills. At the start, I didn't really take it that seriously, it was just a hobby, but I got invested, and I guess I kept seeing it as — I don't know."

"I mean for me, it's a way out," said Archie. "Most people feel that way, yeah? My wife filed for divorce, I got fired from my job, so hey, time to start over in 1946, pretend I'm part of the Greatest Generation, ride the waves I know are coming. Exploit it."

Daniel grimaced. The Vietnam War, segregation, the Red Scare? People had a rosy view of that time. He'd never felt particularly aligned with people like Archie who were just looking to make a quick buck.

"Oh come on," said Archie. "You think you're better than me? You're a, you know, what's the word. Colonizer."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "No."

"What, just 'no', it's not, you know, what we did to the Native Americans?" asked Archie. "The whole 'conquer the past' thing?"

"I'm a single person," said Daniel. "I'm bringing back things that will change their culture forever, but I'm not an agent of my country, and even if I were, I think those people who want to be a god king are morons. And sorry, I'm not spending my last minutes in the present on badly rehashing a debate I've had a thousand times already."

"Why not?" asked Archie. "See, I think having arguments right before you go is great. You can leave on a high note. I've spent the last few days saying whatever the hell I wanted to people. It's great. I went to my dad and said 'hey, you were a terrible father, I never liked you, and it's sad that you thought I needed your approval'. And then you know what's hilarious? I get to just walk away and never be seen again. How's that for a power move? How's that for a mic drop?"

"Seems immature," said Daniel.

"Well, see, I'm actually fine being immature," said Archie with a little laugh. "And when this conversation is done, one or both of us is going into the past, never to be seen nor heard from again, and isn't that great? You don't like me, I don't like you, and then we're strangers again."

Daniel had been looking straight ahead, but he turned to Archie after that. "You don't like me?" he asked. "You don't know me."

"I know your type," said Archie. He leaned back. "You spent what, three years cooking up a plan, making this trip back in time your entire personality, and now you think you're better than me, better than everyone, like you've got it all figured out. You talked yourself into throwing away everything you've got going on here. You got dreams of a future in the past. It's quitter talk, is what it is."

"Fuck off," said Daniel. In his normal life he'd have never said it, but he was on the precipice.

"You think going into the past is going to transform you?" asked Archie. "That another world, a second chance, you'll somehow become the man you think you were supposed to be? Well let me tell you, if you were a loser here, you'll be a loser there."

Daniel stood up and drew his sword. He'd practiced the draw a thousand times. The sword gleamed, even under the ugly fluorescent lighting of the waiting room. "Fuck off, or you'll be going back to the 50s missing a hand."

"Bah," said Archie. "Fine." He stood up and took a seat further away, the same one he'd taken when he first came in. He was bouncing his leg and reading something on his phone.

Daniel was putting his sword back in its sheath when the receptionist came into the room.

"Daniel?" she asked, glancing only briefly at the sword. "They're ready for you."

"Finally," Daniel thought but didn't say, because even though he wasn't going to be around anymore, he believed in basic politeness.

He gathered his things and left the waiting room, ready to leave.

~~~~

Archie sat outside Castle Solutions, in their little courtyard, vaping.

It wasn't long before the receptionist, Lydia, came to sit next to him.

"It didn't really seem like you wanted to convince that one," she said.

"Yeah," he said. "Sorry."

She shrugged and pulled out a vape pen of her own. "Sometimes you just want to yell at someone. I get that. But you're risking us getting caught. And if we get caught in the future, we probably get caught in the present."

"Yup," he said. "Won't happen again."

"Give it a few days before you come back," she said. "Three, let's say. He didn't file a complaint, so there's nothing in the system."

"Mmm," said Archie. He made a long, slow drag of the pen. They sat there vaping together for a while. It had often occurred to him that vaping was impossibly lame, but it felt less lame when done with someone else. He watched as the vapor left her mouth in a thin, concentrated stream. "You wanna go out sometime?"

"On a date?" she asked. She gave the tip of her vape pen a casual look. "No, not really."

"Alright," said Archie.

"I don't really know what your deal is," she said. "Why this is important to you. Why you want to talk people back from the brink, or yell at them."

"Mmm," said Archie. "You want to tragic backstory?"

"Meh," Lydia replied. "I'm not going on a date with someone who has a tragic backstory. That's all. Sorry. I've got my own tragic backstory, thanks very much."

"Fair," said Archie. "It was my kid brother, that's the short version. He up and left one day, left us a note that read like ... well, you know." He drew a finger across his neck.

"Where'd he go?" asked Lydia.

"England, 16th century," said Archie. "He thought he was going to take Shakespeare's place." He shook his head. "Only eighteen, you know? Unconscionable that they let kids that young through. He had his whole life ahead of him and he just ... disappeared."

Lydia sighed. "Yeah."

She turned off her vape pen, then mimed stubbing it out on the bench like a cigarette before slipping it into her purse. He felt a surge of attraction for her.

"Alright, I'll go on the date," said Lydia. "But if we're going to be dating, you've gotta stop this."

"Vaping?" asked Archie.

"You know what I mean," said Lydia. "You going in there trying to convince them to back out, that's one thing. It's noble, almost. But if it's going to be fighting, if it's you trying to work through some shit, then I'm not sticking my neck out for you. Doubly so if you want to get together. You process your trauma some other way, or repress it like the rest of us, alright?"

Archie thought about that for a moment. "Alright. Sure."

"I've got to get back to work," said Lydia as she rose from the bench. "You have my number."

Archie nodded, and after she had left, he stayed, looking out at the courtyard.

He wondered how Daniel was doing out there, in that other timeline, but he supposed that he would never know.

[beheadedtheatrekid]

What your favorite RTC character says about you (just my opinions, it may be wrong)

Ocean: You are just like her in many ways, but little bit nicer

Noel: You certainly ship Nischa. Also you're kinda tired of everything. And everytime someone says "I want to" you think of a person named Monique, right?

Mischa: You feel really sorry for his fate. Or you just think that his song is awesome

Ricky: This sweet boy makes you smile. And your friends probably can't understand why do you love SABM so much

Jane: You love silly and weird characters because you're weird. And it's so freaking beautiful. Also every Jane's move or line is inside your heart forever

Constance: You want to hug her and protect her. You wish she was your friend in real life. And her song made you cry and think about your life choices

Karnak: You have a dark sense of humor

Virgil: You don't concentrate on dialogues as much as you concentrate on songs

Talia: You believe she's real and you're absolutely right

Monique: Well.. You're probably not ✨a hooker with a heart of black charcoal✨

[nanamimizz]

i’ve heard u have some…dubcon sae thoughts lamb…….

𝐅𝚶𝐑 𝐌𝚬 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝚶𝐑 𝐌𝚬 𝚶𝐍𝐋𝐘

Tags: fem! Reader dubcon, fingering, somnophilia, established relationship, reader’s clothes are described as “skimpy”, possessiveness, reader has japanese nationally (they grew up there!) - let me know if i missed something

Synopsis:  You’re the only thing Sae loves from Japan, so just keep being pretty for him?

Sae gets home from his red-eye flight at two in the morning - some parts of the cities are still alive but your apartment is dead quiet, the lights are out and he’s sure when he steps in you’ll be in bed. Tucked in your too-soft blankets that are soft and fuzzy because you always run too cold for your own good. He bets you even have that little pink bear that you’ve had since you were a baby; you always bring it into your bed when you miss him. Sae can’t help but think it’s cute, how earnestly you miss him even if all he’ll do is scoff and keep his cool facade.

You gave him keys to your place a long time ago, a little too soon in his opinion but he’s glad you trust him enough to enter your home when he’s too tired for the long trip to his family home. The scent of honey and vanilla is in the air, a ghost of a smile on his handsome face when he sees you light the candle he brought you from Spain. The soft green of the wax reminded him of you - you were his green, his safe space like an open meadow free from any sort of worry. He sets his bag down quietly and takes off his shoes, putting them aside neatly in the clean space that shines in the soft light from the lamps in the hall that automatically turn on and off. As he walks further into your home he makes his way to the closet in the hallway, it’s where you store his spare clothes for when he drops by. 

Sae is almost jealous. You have an unspoken talent for laundry, all his clothes come out smelling nicer and feeling softer when they are washed under your careful hands than his. A new set of clothes in hand he makes his way to take a quick shower - you enjoy keeping clean and Sae would rather die than bring the germs from the plane into your bed sheets that he knows you washed today. When he sees his products lining your shower he hums amusedly when grabs his shampoo and begins to lather the product in his hair.

You had even stocked up for him. How cute, how earnest, how could Sae ever stay away from you?

He’s all done now, in fifteen minutes or less, and pads quietly into your bedroom. Sae rarely smiles, wearing his emotions openly was something he never needed to do around Rin but when he went overseas at the tender age of fifteen it became his outer shell more than anything else. Now, it’s a habit he can’t curve but it helps when you are asleep and he can smile broadly as your sleeping form; your face is being smushed into the pillow and he was right, you did have the little bear at your side.

You had missed him something fierce this time around and his hand is out to pet your head in a way that makes you drowsy. Sae shakes his head when he hears sleepily mumble something that sounds like the three letters of his name and he feels you getting closer to his hand. The crown of your head fits perfectly into the palm of his hand and Sae can’t help but think if that’s what your heart weighs. He pulls back the sheets, the smell of your detergent and it’s funny how well Sae knows-

Oh.

Sae Itoshi did not expect this.

He was right about everything but what you wore to bed, makes him freeze in place. Never before had he seen so much of your skin and even his stoic outer shell crumbles when he can so blatantly take in the curve of your stomach and the swell of your hips. A soft black top that shows off your belly and shoulders paired with panties he’s never seen before. Charcoal gray, low on your hips, and trimmed by lace. Sae swallows around the lump in his throat when he greedily consumes how the skimpy underwear rests below your belly button - he can see the cute birthmark you have underneath it and it takes all he has in his heart to stop himself from reaching out to kiss the little spot.

The puppet master knows not what to do when he does not hold the strings, he wonders if maybe they have been held in your comparable dainty hand all this time.

His hand twitches and for once Sae moves without careful foresight, letting the tips of his fingers trace up the soft swell of your thighs. You’re ticklish so even the slightest touch makes you twitch and make a soft little noise that is too muddled by sleep for him to read what it means. He folds the blanket away and you whine, there is something charming in the way you curl up under him from the loss of warmth. His hands grow greedy, and the tips of his fingers become his palms to skim against the skin of your exposed belly.

He wonders if this is why cats purr as there is a flower of contentment in his chest as he paws at your skin and where he is all hard lines and definition your skin is satin and silk and all things smooth in the world. Sae doesn’t know what’s come over him, in a blink of an eye his gentle touches turn hungry and they take to separate ways. His right hand goes to the north where the swell of your chest is more prominent and his left hand goes to where your thighs meet. Desire is a tricky thing, blindsiding not only you but the object of your wanting too - it’s why you wake up with a jolt and a sleepy call of his name on your lips.

“Sae? What are you-”

“Shh, it’s okay just lay back.” he cuts off with a whisper that is as gentle as it is wicked and Sae lets his fingers sink into the plush of your breast as he traces the gusset of your panties.

“W-when did you get back?” He answers you with a hum, following the seam of your underwear until he finds the pretty little lacy that frames the soft plush of your bottom. His thumb digs into the fat, tracing the stretching marks and thumbing the cute little birthmark you have on your cheek.

“Just got here - tonight. Was going to join you in bed but then I saw you wearing this skimpy shit for me and I couldn’t help myself.” He whispers as he peels back your panties only to laugh under his breath when he can see the way a string of slick clings to the fabric. Your hand blindly reaches out, barely getting to his wrist before you feel it - his fingers swiping through your damp folds.

“Ah, Sae it’s not skimpy, s’not for you and - Sae wait please I’m too sleepy,” You whine back, twisting and arching your back as his fingers find the swelling pearl of your clit and begin to swipe at it in the way that your knees tremble. His body follows yours and he bends over you until his mouth is to your ear.

“You can go back to bed if you want. This is more for me than for you, you’re the prettiest for me when you cum.” You shudder into the pillows, turning your face back into them as you fall into a state of half sleepiness and half pleasure lidded. Sae’s finger slips inside and with the precision of a machine, he finds all your weak spots like he hasn’t been gone for four months across the world.

You moan girlish little sounds - high and thin into the pillow and you can hear Sae tease you from above you, “What? I thought you were too sleepy for this?” You don’t even have it in you to say anything back, only further melting in your place between the bed and the hardness you feel above you. In the low light, he sits back on his haunches still giving you his fingers as he watches the clear, tacky slick that seeps from you and clings to his hand down to his wrist.

“You expect me to believe this isn’t skimpy? Bet you wanted this to happen, wanted to get your little cunt finger fucked by your boyfriend, huh?” He whispers to you, loud enough that you can hear because he knows you’re still awake, the pleasure thrumming in your system too much to let you sleep deeply and truly. Your back arches deeper this time and you squeal as the band of heat that had been growing in your stomach - right underneath that cute little birthmark under your belly button snaps as you gush down the lines of his palm. Whines and huffs leave your lips, you sound like a little puppy which only endears him more to you if that was possible.

Sae feels you twitch when you feel the heat that’s being pressed against your too-sensitive cunt, his crouching all around you now, letting you feel the bulge in his sweats.

“Everything about you is for me and me only. Don’t ever forget it, got it?” You lift your face from the pillows and something in him coos at how water your eyes are as you blink away the remaining sleep that had tucked itself into them. Teal eyes glow green from greed as he looks down at you through unstyled mauve hair.

“Let me do the work, just be pretty for me, yeah?” You nod, because everything about you is for Sae and Sae only.

[edytae]

Chapter 3: picnic (smut-mature) ft. Kim Taehyung x Reader

pairing: Taehyung x (female) reader        

summary: very soft scenes and Taehyung is in love

rating: fluffff!!! slight smut, still do not interact if you are underage

genre/warnings: there isn't much. Taehyung imagines some hot stuff briefly. 

word count: 21K

A/N: chapters aren't in chronological order. Check out my other work on my masterlist.

Chapter 1:  Needy Love

Chapter 2: Tae-time

Chapter 3: picnic

“Y/N, do you know I called you here, darling?” Your father asked gingerly as he sipped the coffee you made for him. You pulled yourself up from the couch and shook your head nervously. “No, father, but I was hoping we could chat about my studies.” You were perfectly bending your voice to appear calm. 

“It is about your future, my darling daughter.” He sipped another big gulp and nodded his head approvingly. “You know you are in the age of-” You sighed at the same old introduction to the same old topic, marriage. “Please, don’t roll your eyes. I– we– your mother and I firmly believe that it is your time have a serious relationship.” His voice was way nicer than your mother’s. She would just start complaining about you and it never ended well.

“Namjoon is still single.” You had an answer ready all the time. 

“Well, your brother is a man. He is— I know sweetheart, I know it must feel so unfair as we treat you differently because you are a woman. I think it is bullshit too, but I must care for you regardless.”  When you thought about it objectively, you couldn’t find your parents unreasonable. They were already beyond their peers to support you in your career. 

“But marriage is– scary!” You shrugged eyes stuck on the shining pen holder he had on his desk.

“It is not supposed to be… Also, since when you think Taehyung is scary?” Your father asked you playfully. You choked on your breath at the sound of his name. Your heart started beating crazy, your palms got sweaty immediately. 

“Wh-what do y-you mean- Taehyung?” You asked with your cheeks burning like charcoals. Your father continued with a reminiscent smile on his face. “Oh, you thought we forgot the times you cried to be Taehyung’s bride?” 

You remembered your twelfth birthday when Taehyung decided that he was too cool to play with kids, and you screamed in his face, “You can’t go Kim Taehyung. Our wedding didn’t even start yet.” He had replied with, “No, Y/N. I am not a child anymore; I don’t want to play with your friends.” The denial had made you cry your eyes out to his parents. They had soothed but you continued to cry, tugging at your white dress, “But I-i want to be Taehyung’s bride! No, I want him!” 

You couldn’t reply to your father without turning into a beetroot. Your knees were shaking from where you were sitting. Your ears were buzzing as if strong winds were blowing. “Does he know about this?” You whispered as you covered your face with your hands. 

“Of course, he does. We have talked about a prospect of an actual marriage, but if you don’t want to marry him, that’s something else. You may find another suitable ma–” 

You didn’t let your father finish his words. “Fine.” Your father knew your facade. He knew that you would act uninterested, but the blush on your face was enough of an answer. “You don’t have to rush–” He tried to continue but you shut him up again with a huff. 

“I said fine! Now, please excuse me. I am late to bed.” You left your father's office with your cheeks redder than the sun. He was laughing after you, chuffed with your infatuation with Taehyung.

The air was colder in the corridors. Your shoes clinked on the marble rhythmically as you rushed your wing. You needed alone time to process all of this. Thankfully, it was way after dinner, everyone was in the living room for drinks so you could easily excuse yourself to your wing without anyone noticing it. 

When you entered your small living room, you could hear your heart beating in your ears. You were beyond excited to hear the expected news. 

Taehyung was your childhood love. He was your first and only love, your best friend for years. He was always kind, understanding, generous and fun. Oh, he was so fun to be around. He could always make your day with a simple thing. He was thoughtful. He would always bring you various gifts when he travelled. He would get you jewellery, clothes, shoes, hats… He would get you flowers to plant in your greenhouse at his parent’s mansion. He would help you care for your baby orchids and trees. He used to write you long letters when you were away in a boarding school. He would write everything that happened, his feelings, his plans. You would read them over and over again. He was also very attractive too. He was the most charming person you ever met. He could easily captivate anyone with his contagious laugh and seductive words. 

Just like that, you heard a couple of laughs. You walked towards to window and looked outside to see Jimin, Namjoon and Taehyung sharing a cigarette just below the arbour. They were inhaling the cigarette smoke quickly and passing it around like a bunch of teens. Taehyung was standing in the middle; he was facing your family’s mansion. Jimin and Namjoon were on his sides, laughing at something very enthusiastically.

Taehyung must have sensed as his eyes immediately found your room’s window. You flinched back when his eyes grazed your face through the thick glass. There was no way he could see you in your dark room, but still, you held your breath. Taehyung slightly squinted, and then his lips curled. Right after, Namjoon and Jimin left with their wrestling game. Taehyung dismissed them with a nod of his chin. You assumed he would leave too, but he kept staring at your window. 

With a sudden urge of confidence, you turned on your lamp light beside your window. This was where you sat and read before going to bed so your lamp was conveniently close. Taehyung’s brows rose up as you finally quit being so stubborn. 

You pulled your window open, “What are you looking at?” 

Taehyung chuckled, “Looking at my beautiful fiancée!” He shouted back with a grin. Oh, he already knew why your father wanted to talk to you. That was why he held your hand before you left to see your father at his office.

You huffed, stomping your feet on the ground. Even though Taehyung didn’t get to see it fully, he was beyond glad to see you this flustered so his laugh only grew larger until you poked your tongue at him and closed your window with blinds tightly shut. 

Taehyung eyes were locked onto your window, sort of in shock when you poked your tongue. You were still that annoying little girl with two ponytails, and now you were going to be his wife. He rolled his neck slowly. He was feeling amazing. Taehyung loved you for as long as he could remember. You were his play friend since you were babies. You were his best friend while growing up. But things changed when Taehyung hit puberty first. As his body changed to be a man, he realised his feelings were deeper than a friendship. He was in love with you as he yearned to spend time with you every single day. 

Also, he craved you like a mature man as he woke up to soiled underwear with you in his mind. You were a pretty, lovely woman he adored endlessly. Since he was a kid, Taehyung has been referred to as your future husband, but now, he was closer to turning that into a reality.

Taehyung had multiple meetings with your father about your future with him. Your dad was a simple, direct man. He wanted you to marry Taehyung. He was very well aware of your infatuation for each other since you two were teenagers. But he also wanted you to have a perfect marriage without any dishonesty. 

“Look, kid… You know, I like you so listen carefully. Y/N is my only daughter and I want her to have a perfect life. And I know you love her but I need to be sure that you are perfect for her… I need to be sure that you will never put her second and that you don’t and won’t have any lovers. My daughter cannot ever be a second to another woman, nor a mistress. I am giving you some time to get yourself together.” 

Your father’s talk was short, precise and non-negotiable. Taehyung knew if he didn’t live up to those set expectations of a perfect husband, you could easily find hundreds of men to tie the knot. He didn’t remember how many times he wanted to punch someone right in the face because they were dying to meet you, would love to take you out for an opera… So, Taehyung did get himself together.

He was already in business with your father so he was always in the spot which made him work harder and be more sensible. Taehyung knew this wasn’t about money. Only a part of your inheritance was enough to feed a village for years. 

Then, he had cut his ties with many of his friends, which your father considered not good friends, a considerable amount of them consisted of females. 

Taehyung came to thr next meeting with your father with a good profit, a refreshed social circle and a prayer on his lips to have you as his wife. “I am glad you improved, my son. I know you will be good to my daughter… You will understand what this means when you have a daughter of your own.” When your father gave him the green light to proceed further, he sobbed like a young kid right there.  Your father was surprised as he watched Taehyung cry in his chair. Taehyung knew how meticulous your parents were about your life. Taehyung’s parents were the same as his sister. He understood that well and wanted to be his best for you. 

Taehyung saw a shadow move behind your curtains, a few minutes later the shadow disappeared as you turned off your gas lamp. Taehyung lit up another cigarette, this time smoking with joy as he imagined you cuddled up in your big bed with big pillows. Soon enough it would be him that you cuddled. 

—

On a warm and sunny afternoon, a few days after your dad’s talk with you, Taehyung arrived at your family estate, eager to see you. Your families were living very close lives. On gorgeous days like these, they would take turns to make dinner plans and enjoy each other's company. In the past days, you made an incredible effort to avoid Taehyung, your actions often resembled those of a playful child as you gasped every time you saw Taehyung hide.

You felt a mixture of excitement and shyness that made your heart race. It had always happened with Taehyung. You were running and Taehyung was chasing. He would do that with you gladly as long as you landed in his arms. 

 You were usually in your garden before dinner, soaking up the last bit of sun before saying goodbye to it for the day. You enjoyed being with tall trees and flowers despite not liking the accompanies that came with them: the bees and flies. As he strolled through the lush garden, he called your name. "Y/N, where are you? I can't wait to see you!" Taehyung's voice was filled with love and anticipation.

Taehyung's brow furrowed in playful frustration as he continued to search for you. "Y/N, you can't hide from me forever!"

He wandered deeper into the garden, searching for your hiding place, his determination mingled with amusement. He couldn't help but find your shyness endearing.

Finally, his eyes caught a glimpse of the delicate lace from your dress peeking out from behind the roses. He moved closer, his smile widening as he saw you blushing, your face partially concealed by the blossoms.

"Found you," he whispered, his voice warm and loving.

Your shyness only seemed to deepen as he approached. "Taehyung," you said, your voice barely above a murmur. “What are you doing here?” You asked while trying to look busy with gardening, but your attempts were cute. 

"Y/N," Taehyung replied, feigning innocence but with a mischievous glint in his eye. "I was just strolling through this lovely garden and, well, I couldn't resist the temptation to find the most beautiful flower here."

You gasped largely at him, cheeks flushed. "You and your leisurely strolls," you teased, pretending to be engrossed in tending to the roses. “Since when you are a man of the green?”

It was true that gardening wasn’t Taehyung’s liking, but it didn’t mean that he wasn’t good at it. He always helped you when you were kids.

He took a step closer, his tone playfully innocent. "Am I not allowed to visit my future wife's garden?"

Your heart fluttered at the words "future wife," but you maintained your facade. "You can't just sneak up on a lady. You're supposed to be a gentleman!”

Taehyung raised an eyebrow, a sly grin on his face. "Who said I was sneaking? I called your name."

“Well, I happen to not hear it.” You shrugged and continued awkwardly patting a flower. He took another step closer, his gaze unwavering. "You know, I find your attempts to look busy very cute."

“What? I am not pretending!”

Taehyung chuckled at your faux indignation. "Oh, I'm sure you're the most diligent gardener I know with a lace dress right before dinner."

You rolled your eyes but couldn't hide the smile on your face. "Well, someone has to tend to these flowers."

Taehyung took another step closer, and now he was right beside you. He plucked a stray leaf from a nearby plant and studied it for a moment. "You're right. But you know, I have been trying to spend some time with my lovely flower too."

You raised an eyebrow, trying to sound nonchalant but failing as your heart raced. "Your lovely flower?"

He flashed a mischievous smile, "Yes, my lovely, shy flower who hides in the garden."

You huffed playfully, "Shy? Me? Never."

Taehyung shook his head, his dark hair ruffling in the breeze. "Oh, I beg to differ. I've seen you turn redder than those roses whenever I'm near."

You are offended. "I do not!"

He moved even closer, his gaze warm but teasing. "In fact, you're blushing right now."

Your cheeks grew warm, and you turned away to hide your face, missing the triumphant grin that crossed his. Taehyung laughed, and the sound was like music to your ears.

“I– Taehyung!” You hid your face in your hands before turning to run back to the house.

Taehyung chuckled, following you at a leisurely pace, though the mischievous glint in his eyes didn't fade. "Hey, don't run away now!"

Taehyung could easily catch you but he intentionally walked slowly and stood behind you. Your dress, hair and your shoes weren’t for running at all. You were a pretty doll to be enjoyed by Taehyung’s eyes. 

The dining room was expansive, with high ceilings adorned with intricate chandeliers that bathed the space in a warm, golden glow. The walls were covered in rich, dark wood panelling, which gave the room a sense of grandeur. Large, ornate paintings hung from the walls.

The table was set with fine china, crystal glassware, and silver cutlery. A clean white tablecloth draped over it, adding to the air of sophistication.  The chairs around the table were upholstered in plush, dark velvet and featured intricate carvings that added to the room's old-world charm. At the head of the table, there were two particularly imposing chairs, one reserved for your father, and the other for Mr. Kim, Taehyung's father.

The room was adorned with other antique furnishings like a grand wooden sideboard on one wall. A beautiful marble fireplace dominated the other wall, with a roaring fire that added a cosy touch.

The large windows, draped in heavy curtains, offered a glimpse of the manicured gardens outside. The entire scene created an atmosphere of timeless elegance, a reminder of the grandeur of the aristocratic society to which both your families belonged.

As you rushed into the dining room through the big glass door, the delicious aroma of dinner greeted you. Your parents were already there, waiting for dinner to be ready. They shared knowing smiles and soft laughter at the sight of you and Taehyung being so playful and clearly in love. They couldn't resist a bit of teasing and playful banter flowed freely. There was a shared delight in seeing the two of you so deeply in love.

Your father raised an eyebrow and said, "Ah, the young lovebirds have graced us with their presence." 

Taehyung's family, the Kims, couldn't resist joining in the fun. Mr. Kim, with a chuckle, said, "Well, it's good to see that you two are as inseparable as ever." Mrs. Kim added, "Young love is a beautiful thing, isn't it?" They were holding hands elegantly. 

This light-hearted teasing made you blush, and you sought refuge by stepping closer to Taehyung. Your cheeks turned a shade of pink as you playfully hid your face behind his shoulder, allowing him to shield you from the teasing.

Taehyung looked behind, seeing you get smaller and smaller. As you playfully hid behind Taehyung from the teasing, he couldn't help but find you utterly endearing. He wanted to wrap his arms around your waist, swirl you around and bury his nose into your neck. His strong, protective instincts kicked in. 

As the light-hearted teasing continued, Taehyung couldn't help but notice how your discomfort was increasing. So, with a playful yet protective smile, he decided to divert the attention away from you.

"Alright, alright," Taehyung said, his voice carrying a touch of playful authority. “Please stop before Y/N turns completely red.” He was so desperate for physical touch. He wanted to coo your cute face and kiss your temple when you looked up at him with thankful eyes. 

Casual chatter filled the room, and Taehyung's protective gesture hadn't gone unnoticed, and you felt grateful for the considerate and caring partner by your side. The blush on your cheeks began to recede, replaced by a feeling of contentment. As the chatter continued and the delightful aroma of the dinner filled the air, your families proceeded to dinner in the grand and sophisticated dining room. The long, intricately carved wooden table was adorned with fine china and sparkling crystal glasses. The soft glow of the chandeliers above cast an enchanting light across the room.

You and Taehyung took your seats next to each other, as etiquette suggested for an engaged couple. Despite not being officially married yet, the two of you were forced to embrace the traditions and formalities even in intimate family dinners.

Throughout the dinner, Taehyung's attention was solely on you. He ensured your glass was never empty, expertly striking up conversations to draw you into discussions. His eyes held a special tenderness whenever he looked at you, filled with a silent promise of a future together. However, as the evening continued, and the sweet scent of the wine lingered in the air, Taehyung's desires grew more physical. He had been drinking to stop himself from gawking at you. His leg brushed against yours under the table, and he couldn't help but steal subtle glances in your direction. His longing for you was evident in the way his gaze lingered and his fingers lightly grazed your hand during the pauses in conversation.

Your skin felt tingly when he touched you, but still very comforting. You found yourself craving for his touch, but you pushed the indecent thoughts from your head. Taehyung couldn’t though. He was almost addicted to daydreaming about you until your voice filled his ears. 

“It is really important for our city as well as it is for our business. The DeVergensky family has a really good relationship with the King.” Mr Kim commented after your father announced their trip to Lyon. 

The DeVergensky family, wealthy and distinguished, had decided to leave Russia amidst the ongoing conflict in their homeland. Their reputation preceded them, prompting the Russian ambassador, Mr. Charles, to request that your father accommodate them during their initial days in France. So, Taehyung and Namjoon had been working on the possibility of a trade agreement since the notice of their arrival. Plus, their daughter was a friend of yours from boarding school.

“How long will they be staying Marseille?” You asked. 

“We aren’t informed yet, but I assume not long since Mrs DeVergensky health.” Your father reasoned. 

“Thank you so much already for accepting to help, Y/N. We appreciate it.” Mr Kim thanked you sweetly and you enthusiastically nodded. 

You were sent to a boarding school in Switzerland as a young girl. Despite your peers, your father wanted you to have a proper education that made you stand out. Your years in the beautiful Alps were long and enlightening. Now, you were fluent in both German and Russian and had a strong understanding of history and philosophy. All of these made you a very good prospect for Mr Charles, who has been trusting you with his foreign visitors. 

This was also an opportunity to prove yourself and contribute significantly to your family's business ventures. Your proficiency in Russian would undoubtedly play a crucial role, in bridging any potential gaps in communication between the visiting family and your own.

“Despite my fullest enthusiasm to be a diligent host, I want to remind you that their wealth coming from the land cannot be trusted.” You concerningly repeated. The air in the room shifted into a tension. Your mother immediately jumped in, “Darling, it is fine. Everything will be alright at the end.” She gingerly smiled. 

You impatiently gulped, “It is not just an acute incidence, mother. Everyone knows that something big is going to happen over there.” You looked at your father and Mr Kim. “We’ll see another revolution in our life-times, father. People like DeVergensky’s have the power of people they exploit. After the storm, they will have nothing. The Bolsh–” Your words were harshly cut by your mother’s. 

“I think it is enough, Y/N.” She tried to be stern, but you could see the discomfort in her eyes. You couldn’t blame her. She was scared. Nonetheless, the way she interrupted you was rude. Your eyes flickered down in defeat. Your shoulders shrugged. Taehyung held your hand in understanding over the table. His pretty eyes closed in acknowledgement.

“You are right, darling. We must not rely on them for long, but we can’t deny their influence on the King’s household.” Your father valued your point of view dearly and often opposed you to have a better understanding of the situation. 

“He isn’t as affluent as his cousin in London. The Brits got ahead with their cha–” Your words got interrupted again.

“But still there is nothing that concerns us.” Your mother forced. 

You were hot-blooded. You loved to debate. You had the best upbringing for it with hours-long classes just to brainstorm. As the heated words were about to fly out from your mouth, you held them in with a hitch. You decided to completely change the topic for the sake of your family’s well-being. 

“Mrs Marie, can I have my dessert early, please?” You asked as the maids were shuffling. 

Taehyung squeezed your hand one more time and got ready to watch you enjoy a bowl of profiteroles. As the maids rushed to fulfil your request, Taehyung's gaze never left you, filled with an unspoken admiration for you. You gave him a grateful smile, silently conveying your appreciation for his support.

While you waited for your dessert, the conversation gradually shifted to more light-hearted matters. Mr. Kim shared stories about the recent expansions in their upcoming stores, and how difficult it was to train the new staff members they had recently hired.

The tension in the air was replaced with the gentle hum of laughter and the clinking of cutlery. The rich aroma of the freshly prepared profiteroles soon filled the plate as the maids presented the dessert to you with a flourish. Each bite was a delightful explosion of flavours, and you couldn't help but express your satisfaction with an occasional hum of delight.

Taehyung watched you with a contented smile, his gaze lingering on your animated expressions as you savoured each bite. As the delicate dessert graced your taste buds, your eyes lit up with delight, and a soft sigh of satisfaction escaped your lips. Taehyung couldn't help but be captivated by the sheer joy radiating from you, his affectionate gaze following the movement of your hand as you reached for another delectable profiterole.

The gentle glow of the dining room's lights cast a warm ambience over the scene, accentuating the play of emotions on your face. With each bite, your expressions shifted from pure bliss to a hint of mischievousness, as if each taste was a secret pleasure shared between you and the dessert.

Taehyung's contented smile only grew as he observed the subtle nuances of your enjoyment. The way your eyes closed momentarily, basking in the sweet flavours, and the delicate movement of your hand bringing the dessert to your lips created an enchanting sight that he couldn't tear his eyes away from. He couldn’t figure out if you were intentional with the way you gave him a little show. He both wanted and didn’t want his little angel to be tainted. Regardless, he found himself so much amused that he took you out for desserts regularly. He knew that it wasn't just the dessert you were savouring; it was life itself. In these moments, he was reminded of the many reasons he had fallen in love with you – your ability to find beauty in the simplest of pleasures, the way you lit up a room with your presence, and how you turned an ordinary evening into a masterpiece of joy.

Dinner ended very soon after the dessert was served. Not many were keen on having something sweet as they would indulge in wine soon anyway. Before your father called it done, Taehyung cleared his throat, gathering his courage to ask for permission, his eyes flickering to your father. "Mr L/N" he began, a touch of nervousness in his tone, "I was wondering if I could steal Y/N away for a walk. The weather is still so lovely, and I thought it would be nice for us to enjoy it together."

Your father regarded Taehyung with a knowing smile, his eyes twinkling with pride. "Of course, my boy," he replied, his voice warm. He didn’t need to add anything on as he knew Taehyung would take the best care of you.

Taehyung’s mother chimed in with a laugh, her gaze shifting to his son. "We'll be keeping an eye on you, you know."

You felt your cheeks flush at their playful teasing, but you couldn't help but smile at the familiar banter. With a grateful nod to your parents, you stood up, ready to join Taehyung for the strolls he seemed to love. His outstretched hand met yours, and as you intertwined your fingers, you could feel the excitement bubbling within you. The prospect of a quiet walk with Taehyung, under the soft glow of the moon, seemed like the perfect ending to a delightful evening.

—

As you stepped outside, the cool evening air enveloped you, prompting Taehyung to help you into your fur jacket with a tender gesture. His fingers brushed lightly against your skin, eliciting a shiver that had nothing to do with the temperature. You couldn't help but relish the sensation of his warmth surrounding you rather than your rich coat. 

Once you were properly wrapped up, Taehyung linked his arm with yours, and together, you set off on your leisurely walk. He watched your step so closely and held you secure as the terrain was uneven. 

The night was serene, and you both strolled, savouring the peaceful atmosphere. The gardens were bathed in moonlight, and the sound of the gently rustling leaves added to the tranquillity of the moment.

As you and Taehyung wandered through the moonlit garden, you couldn't help but fuss about your long coat concealing your beloved lace dress with open shoulders. You sighed, "Taehyung, I really adore this dress, but this coat hides it completely."

Taehyung, his eyes gleaming like stars, chuckled warmly. "Y/N, as much as I admire your dress, you must also think about keeping warm. It's a chilly night."

You pouted playfully, "But I want to be seen in this dress. It's so lovely."

Taehyung raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "But there's no one here to see it. It's just the two of us."

You grinned mischievously; your eyes locked on his. "Then, you look at it!"

Taehyung's eyes softened as he gave you a gentle scoff. "Well, in that case, let's give your beautiful dress the attention it deserves."

He held your one hand up and twirled you around yourself. Your lace dress with delicate open shoulders exuded an ethereal charm under the soft moonlight. The intricate lacework adorned the fabric, creating an elegant and graceful appearance that perfectly accentuated your natural beauty. The way the dress clung to your form, highlighting your curves in all the right places, left Taehyung mesmerized. “A beautiful princess.” He breathlessly said. 

“Right? I love this dress so much. It is so beautiful.” You patted your waist.

“It is you that is beautiful, darling.” Taehyung pulled you closer, his eyes locked onto yours. You always shied away whenever he got close, lowering your face.

“Well, you were the one who picked this colour and lace for me.” You bit down your lips. 

“Did I?” Taehyung was surprised. There was no possibility to count the gifts he gave you. “That’s why it is my favourite.” You added. 

“My darling…” Taehyung sighed and tipped his chin slightly up, “The moon bathes you in its soft radiance as if you were a celestial being yourself," Taehyung murmured, his voice tender and filled with awe. "Even the flowers in this garden pale in comparison to your grace and beauty. You are truly a vision, my love." 

Your cheeks grew in his hands in an adorable pout, but you didn’t look away. “Taehyung…” You whispered.

He gently traced the delicate lace detailing on your dress, his touch feather-light and respectful. "This dress does justice to your elegance, but it's your heart that truly shines. It's a treasure I'm blessed to cherish every day."

You felt a rush of warmth flood your cheeks at his heartfelt words. "You always have a way with words," you mused, trying to mask the butterflies fluttering in your stomach.

"Only when it comes to you, my dear. You inspire the poet in me." His gaze never wavered, and the sincerity in his eyes made your heart flutter even more.

“Oh, Taehyung.” You were properly charmed and shied away now. “Thank you so much, dar–” You stopped yourself last minute from calling him darling. You didn’t know why it rolled out this easily. 

Taehyung's eyes glimmered with affection as he glanced at you, his gaze warm and understanding. "You almost called me something there," he teased gently, a playful glint in his eye.

Your cheeks flushed with an invisible hue, the sudden realization of what almost slipped from your lips causing you to feel flustered. "I...I mean to," you stammered, your words faltering. "It just...came out."

"It's okay, Y/N," Taehyung reassured, his smile widening. "We don’t have a rush. I just want you to feel safe and loved, darling." He squeezed your hand gently, his touch a comforting reassurance that filled you with warmth.

You gasped at how sensually he said the pet name. 

“You are the only place I feel safe, Taehyung.” You said eyes closed, letting your head rest on Taehyung’s shoulder as he walked your body for you. 

Taehyung's heart swelled with affection as you nestled closer to him, his protective instincts kicking in. "I'm always here for you, Y/N. You can count on me for anything, my love." His voice was tender, conveying a depth of emotion that made your heart flutter.

You lifted your head slightly to meet his gaze, your eyes locking with his in a moment of quiet intimacy. "I trust you, Taehyung," you whispered, your voice barely audible in the evening air. "Please promise me you'll always be honest with me, no matter what."

Taehyung nodded, his expression earnest. "I promise, Y/N. I'll never keep anything from you. You mean the world to me, and I want you to always feel that way."

Your heart swelled with gratitude, feeling the depth of his devotion wash over you. "I do… You make me feel like I own the world.” 

This time it was Taehyung's turn to blush. Thankfully, it was dark so you didn’t realise it. “Well, soon I will…” You cheekily smiled as your hands pressed on his chest, barely feeling his heartbeat. He was closer now, his breath ghosting your cheek as your chest heaved with the sweet proximity. 

The corners of Taehyung's lips quirked up in a playful grin as he leaned in closer, his breath warm against your skin. "Do you think your parents were peeking through the window to catch us in the act?" he teased, his voice barely above a whisper. "I wouldn't be surprised if they were, just to make sure we're upholding the family's traditions."

Your cheeks flushed with warmth, the humour of the situation easing any lingering tension. "I wouldn't put it past them," you chuckled softly, the sound light and carefree. "But I think they trust us enough to know we'll abide by the rules, even when they're not looking."

Taehyung's hand found yours, intertwining his fingers with yours in a gentle, affectionate grip. "I think you're right," he murmured, his gaze soft as it met yours. "But if they were watching, they’d see if you would let me steal a kiss from you.” 

With his words, you shuddered with anticipation. The fact that you didn’t have your first kiss made Taehyung so hungry for you in a way that he could explode. 

“What makes you think I will let you steal a kiss?” You were ever full of banter. Before Taehyung could oppose with something witty, he felt your cold fingers grasp his face. Then, you planted a soft kiss was on the corner of his mouth, where his dimples lay. 

Taehyung felt the ground slip under his feet. It was as if time stood still, the world fading into the background as the sensation of your affection enveloped him completely. His mind raced, trying to process the surge of emotions that swirled within him. He was utterly captivated by the softness of your touch, the lingering warmth that remained on his skin, and the delicate yet powerful message that your gesture conveyed. In that fleeting moment, time seemed to stand still for him.

A surge of excitement coursed through his veins, electrifying every inch of his body. He could feel his heart racing, its steady rhythm disrupted by the sudden rush of adrenaline that pulsed through him. Every nerve in his being seemed to jolt with an overwhelming sense of joy.

The intensity of the moment was etched into his memory, leaving an indelible mark that he knew would linger for a long time. 

After the trick you pulled on him, you had the audacity to giggle right in his face. It was so pleasant to see him affected by your moves. “Do you want to sit on the garden swing?” You asked. 

Taehyung was still speechless. Before Taehyung could find his words, he nodded dreamingly. "I would love that," he managed to say, a hint of wonder still lingering in his voice. As you made your way to the garden swing, he followed you, trying to regain his composure. 

The swing was located on the left side of your gardens, where no one would come to visit so it made an excellent spot for you to hide. Joseph, footmen of your household, built that for you. When Taehyung sat down next to you slowly, the wooden hinge squeaked. There wasn’t enough room for two of you so you sat next to each other body to body.

“Are you cold?” He asked, concern lacing his voice when you pulled your coat tighter around you and got closer to him.

“Just a little,” You admitted with a faint puff of fog that came out of your mouth. 

Taehyung immediately tried to take off his jacket. “No, no, Taehyung it’s fine!” You tried to stop him. “You will be cold as well.” Thankfully, the swing was too small for him to move. 

“Of course not, Y/N. Have my jacket.” There was no question in his mind. 

“Just– Just sit closer and I’ll be fine.” You wrapped your hands around his arms timidly. Taehyung huffed, he wrapped his arm around you, pulling you closer to his side. "Is this better?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

You nodded, grateful for his warmth. "Much better, thank you," you murmured, leaning into his embrace. As he gently swung the two of you, you couldn't help but feel a sense of security and comfort that only he could provide.

"Y/N," Taehyung began, his voice soft and appreciative, "I wanted to tell you how smart I think you are. Your insights during dinner were truly remarkable. You have such a quick mind, and it's one of the many things I love about you." He was annoyed that your mother disregarded your attempts to make an argument.

Your lips curled down, and a shrug followed. “I try my best.” 

Taehyung shook his head no, his warm breath visible in the crisp night air. "You do more than try, Y/N. You excel. You bring a unique perspective to every conversation, and I find that incredibly attractive."

“Oh, Taehyung.” You were properly charmed and shied away now. “Thank you so much.” You hid your face in his shirt. You couldn't help but appreciate how good he smelled. Taehyung's cologne mixed with his natural scent was a heady combination. Interestingly, the cigarettes he seemed to be eating were gone.

He continued to swing the chair gently, kind of scared that it would break. “So, you know one of the DeVergensky’s?” He asked.

"Yes, their daughter, Nina was in my dorm," you said absentmindedly, your voice almost dreamy as your thoughts lingered on Taehyung's comforting warmth. His strong, protective aura enveloped you, making you feel secure and cherished. A flicker of ambiguity flashed across Taehyung's gaze as he probed further, his eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity and concern.

"Were you good friends?" he inquired, his tone gentle yet intent, as if he was trying to unravel a mystery.

You shrugged, the frown on your face deepening as you reminisced. "Not really," you admitted, your voice tinged with a hint of regret.

"Why not?" Taehyung's curiosity seemed to be piqued, and his protective instincts were on full alert.

"Well, she wasn't the kind of girl I would hang out with," you explained, trying to downplay the significance of your past acquaintance.

"Was she mean to you or did she cause trouble? If yes, it’s gonna be tough to have them around," Taehyung remarked, a note of possessiveness creeping into his words, his protective nature surfacing.

You pulled your face from his chest, meeting his gaze with a playful glint in your eyes. A mischievous giggle bubbled up as you prepared to share the intriguing details. "No, she was fine and, well, she didn’t play pranks on people, but you see... She was very interested in boys. Always had an interesting story to tell.” You giggled. It was so much fun to sit around with the girls and gossip about boys.

Your words seemed to strike a chord with Taehyung, his brows furrowing slightly as he processed the information. A shadow of concern flashed across his features, mingling with a hint of possessiveness.

"So, she was quite popular with the boys, huh?" Taehyung's voice sounded slightly strained, and his grip around you tightened imperceptibly.

You nodded, a playful grin playing on your lips as you recounted the wild stories that circulated in the dorm. "Oh, you wouldn't believe the number of boys she managed to charm," you remarked. You clearly remembered once she went canoeing with a boy and got fallen into the lake. Poor girl came to the dorms with soaked clothes but still didn’t snitch you on the headmaster for helping her skip classes.

A flicker of insecurity flashed in Taehyung's gaze, and his jaw clenched ever so slightly. “How were there any boys in an all-girls boarding school?” 

You giggled, “I wasn’t in a monastery! We could go anywhere we wished on weekends. And well, on weekdays if you were good at jumping.”

Taehyung's eyebrows furrowed slightly, a hint of irritation tugging at his features. "I suppose you girls were quite the little escape artists," His jaw clenched slightly, a subtle sign of his discomfort. "And you? Did you ever... I mean, did you have a lot of attention from boys?" His attempt at nonchalance couldn’t hide the protective edge of his words.

You detached from his side and let your head hang on the chair, eyes looking up to the sky. You would watch the sky a lot in boarding school too, always had one of your friends to chat with.

You playfully nudged him, enjoying the way his gaze lingered on you. "I had my moments," you replied. Taehyung gritted his teeth. His mind went absolutely haywire with all the possibilities… Oh, he was getting angry now. He could imagine how those boys would do everything to charm you. 

You couldn't help but tease Taehyung a little further, not fully realizing the storm of jealousy brewing within him. "No one significant that I can remember." you said, flashing him a sly smile.

He took a deep breath in, hand holding yours to reassure himself you were here with him. He struggled to maintain his composure. "Did any of them... kiss you? Have you... had your first kiss?" he asked, his voice strained.

You paused for a moment, weighing his reaction. “Well…” Taehyung couldn’t play anymore. "Y/N," he began, his voice low and intense. "Have you ever been kissed?" The vulnerability in his eyes pulled at your heartstrings. 

You met his gaze, observing the mix of emotions swirling in his eyes. “No…” You clearly answered him. 

Relief flooded Taehyung's features, the tension in his shoulders visibly melting away. His eyes, once clouded with doubt and jealousy, now sparkled with gratitude and reassurance. The creases that had formed on his forehead softened, and his lips curved into a gentle smile.

You could almost feel the weight lifted off his chest as he exhaled, the air carrying his pent-up anxiety and worry with it.

You found his relaxed face almost annoying. “Did you have your first kiss, Taehyung?” You asked bitingly. 

Taehyung's mouth hung slightly ajar as he processed your biting question. The momentary relaxation in his expression shattered, replaced by a sense of discomfort and regret. His mind raced, grappling with the memory of his past interactions as he was quite experienced in the same milestones. 

You annoyingly giggled, your voice had zero joy with the same jealousy that poisoned Taehyung. 

The silence between you grew thick, the air charged with unspoken words and unresolved tension. It was as if your question had opened a door to a place neither of you was fully prepared to explore. In the midst of this emotional turmoil, you both were faced with the raw reality of your individual pasts and the consequences they held.

After a lengthy pause, Taehyung finally spoke, his voice laced with vulnerability. “Y/N," he said, his eyes seeking yours with sincerity. The past is... well, the past. What's important is the present and our future together."

Your gaze met his, and while a trace of lingering hurt remained in your eyes, there was also a glimmer of understanding. You sighed, relenting to the power of your emotions. "You're right.” You nodded understandingly. 

Taehyung could almost read your mind as your mind got lost in possibilities. He was sad that he upset you. “There is only you now. I only see you, darling…” He turned his whole body to you, still holding your hand like a lifeline. You looked down to his hand grasping yours up to his face. 

“You better.” You warned him, the playful warning in your voice laced with a hint of vulnerability and annoyance. 

“Y/N…” Taehyung called your name in a serious tone. He engulfed your cold hands in his large ones and brought them to his lips. “Please look at me…” He whispered; his warm lips caressing your knuckles. You looked at Taehyung’s face. He was so handsome. His warm, honeyed eyes held an ocean of emotions, each glance capturing your attention and igniting a fire within you. The gentle curve of his lips seemed to beckon you closer, inviting you into a world of comfort and safety. His strong, defined jawline exuded confidence, complementing the softness of his gaze and lending an air of mystery to his already magnetic aura.

Every time you saw Taehyung, your heart would race, and a feeling of pure, innocent love would wash over you. He was the embodiment of your childhood dreams, the prince from your favourite fairy tales, and the protector who would always be there to keep you safe. 

Taehyung opened his mouth to search for words that seemed to pour out his heart so gently and smoothly. This time he fell short on sophisticated words and spoke his one and only truth. “I love you so much.” 

Your heart skipped a beat at Taehyung's heartfelt confession. It was a simple declaration, devoid of any elaborate language, but its sincerity and depth resonated with you. You closed your eyes to not let your tears fall down. You didn’t realise you were on the brink of crying. “Darling?” When he worriedly cupped your face, your cry grew even larger. 

You took deep breaths to calm yourself to answer him. With a shaky voice, you replied, “I love you too, Taehyung, more than I can express."

His intense gaze held yours, and in that profound moment, his own tears spilt over. You watched as they trailed down his cheeks, a poignant reflection of the depth of his feelings. His tender touch cradled your face, his thumb brushing away the tears that escaped your own eyes. He leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead, a gesture of solace and unwavering devotion. In that shared vulnerability, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss upon your forehead, a silent pledge of devotion. You find your way into his embrace and place your head on his chest. Your face pressed onto his neck as pressed you to himself. “I promise I will be so good to you, my love. I will continue to worship you. 

The night continued to envelop you both in its embrace, the bond between you strengthened by the unspoken words. You held each other until both of you stopped crying and the night grew colder. It was time to take you back inside. 

Taehyung helped you get up and walked you back to the house. When the two of you entered the house, your family's laugh was filling the estate. As you and Taehyung entered the warmth of the house, the familiar sound of laughter, the hearty, rich laughter of your families, enveloped you like a comforting embrace. It was a sound that bespoke joy and shared bonds, a sound that resonated with the harmony of relationships cherished over time. You glanced at Taehyung, his eyes still glistening with traces of the tears that had fallen moments before. In that gaze, you found an unspoken understanding, a silent vow to protect the love that had blossomed between you.

Your families, upon seeing the two of you, erupted into gentle teasing and knowing smiles, their eyes filled with the warmth of affection. Your mother, with an endearing twinkle in her eye, ushered you both toward the crackling fireplace. She insisted that you both sit and warm yourselves, ensuring that you were well cared for in the tender glow of the fire. 

As you settled into the comfort of the ottoman with Taehyung sitting right beside you. His arm was wrapped around your waist to provide you backrest while engaged in conversation with your father. The sight of him engaging with your family, the ease with which he blended into the dynamic, only served to deepen your love for him.

Taehyung’s mother called out, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Have you two been having a good cry out there?"

Taehyung’s father joined in, a playful glint in his eye. "Ah, the young ones must be experiencing the emotional rollercoaster of young love. Did you shed a tear, Taehyung?"

You exchanged a quick, knowing glance with Taehyung, a silent understanding passing between you. "Cry? Us?" you retorted, feigning innocence. "Of course not! We were just enjoying the beauty of the night, weren't we, Taehyung?"

"Absolutely," Taehyung agreed, his voice laced with a chuckle. "No tears, just the beauty of the night sky."

Your parents and Taehyung's parents shared knowing glances, their eyes sparkling with amusement as they exchanged playful remarks.

Taehyung's mother chimed in, a mischievous grin playing on her lips. "It seems like our children are already practising the art of melodrama." 

Taehyung laughed a rich and hearty sound that echoed through the room. "We're just enjoying the fresh air, I assure you. No drama here, not yet at least." 

Your mother chuckled, playfully shaking her head. "Well, you both look like you've been crying." 

You couldn't help but join in the laughter, feeling the warmth of the familial banter surrounding you. "It’s just same old Taehyung… always making me cry.” Your voice came out hoarse due to crying previously. Taehyung chuckled next to you as he rubbed the small of your back gently. 

“So, we assume two of you made up your minds?” Mr Kim asked you gently. He saw you his second daughter, acting more carefully than your own parents.

Taehyung looked at you for the answer. He had decided years ago. 

You looked at him and down to your hands. You took a deep breath, then met Mr. Kim's eyes with a sense of conviction. "We've talked about it, Mr. Kim. And yes, we have made up our minds." Your words were met with a chorus of smiles and nods from both sets of parents, and you felt a wave of support and understanding wash over you. Taehyung squeezed your back, his heart fluttering like a baby bird. 

“Ah, Y/N!” Taehyung’s mother rushed to your side and pulled you into a hug. “You were always a part of our family. Now, you will be my daughter too!” Her excitement brought back the tears to you.  

When she let you go, your mischievous side decided to play again. You look at your parents. “But I have one condition.” 

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise, their expressions shifting from curiosity to mild concern as they tried to anticipate your condition. Taehyung's grip tightened around your hand, his gaze fixed on you, a mix of anxiety and excitement flickering in his eyes.

You cleared your throat dramatically, as if about to make a life-altering announcement. "I want Taehyung to propose to me." you declared.

A collective gasp of relief and laughter filled the room. Taehyung's heart, which had momentarily felt like it was about to burst from his chest, now seemed to flutter with both relief and amusement.

Your families chatted amongst themselves at your silliness as Taehyung turned to you with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Oh, really? That's your condition?"

You nodded with a teasing smile. "It is. I want a romantic, down-on-one-knee proposal, with all the clichés – a ring, flowers, and a heartfelt speech."

Taehyung feigned surprise, his hand on his chest. "Well, if that's what it takes to have you as my wife, I guess I have no choice."

The families watched with affectionate smiles, happy for the love that had grown between you.

His mother clapped her hands excitedly. "Well, let's not waste any more time, shall we? I have a feeling we're going to have a lot of planning to do!"

Oh, you did have a lot of planning to do. Starting from the next morning too. 

—

The next morning, even before your father’s wake-up time, your mother came knocking on your door. Last night you couldn’t stay awake until the Kims left and fell asleep on the ottoman near the fireplace. Taehyung was amused by how sleepy you got and sat on the floor and watched you sleep while the conversation grew into past midnight. Even though he was eager to carry you to your bed, your mother complained while she tugged you upstairs like a doll. After that you couldn’t fall asleep, swam between dreams and consciousness, your body clearly yearning for Taehyung’s comfort. As a result, when your mother came to wake you up, you were upset, to say the least. Apparently, Julia, your families’ dressmaker was coming today and you had to be at Kim’s this morning. 

You hate to be disturbed while sleeping. It reminded you of your school days but got dressed without complaining. Your maids were extra glad that you were sleepy and didn’t make a fuss about how you looked. You weren’t dressed in an intricate dress as you were going to be changing in and out of clothes all day. However, the thin and flowy dress wasn’t made for a crispy morning. Even though the carriage was closed on all sides, you were shaking from the wind. 

“I didn’t know Julia was coming today. When did Mrs Kim booked it?” You asked your mother as you pulled your cloak securely over your head to avoid cold weather outside. 

“We’ve been out of our minds because of you and Taehyung’s engagement! But don't worry dear, we will order dresses for the ceremonies we will attend with our guests. But maybe you want to look at a few wedding dress models, what do you think?” Your mother squealed like a young girl, face plastered with a large smile. 

You nodded and let the carriage swaddle you like a baby and lull you into a nap. Unfortunately or fortunately, Kim's mansion wasn’t that far away, and once again you were brutally woken. You somehow carried yourself into the front door, thankfully your driver stopped the carriage right beside the door. 

Kim's household wasn’t fully awake as the fireplace wasn’t even lit yet. As you stood with a pout on your lips, contemplating whether to go to the kitchen to warm up, Mrs Kim greeted you still in her nightwear. “Y/N! Good morning!” She welcomed you in a hug. 

“I am sorry for waking you up this early, but Julia will be here very early and we have so much to do!” Their enthusiasm was to be taken as an example. You looked at her through your sleepy eyes, wondering if she would let you go for now. 

And she did.

“Why don’t you go and wake Taehyung up? Or you can watch him sleep just like he did for the whole night.” She patted your arms, remembering his dear son’s affection for you. 

Suddenly, you were wide awake. 

As you moved through the lavish Kim mansion, the ornate walls adorned with intricate paintings and gilded mirrors, the sense of opulence surrounded you. The soft carpet beneath your feet absorbed the sound of your hurried steps, and the subtle scent of fresh flowers from the nearby vases filled the air.

Reaching Taehyung's chambers, you stood before the ornate door, its intricate carvings a testament to the family's refined taste. The richly decorated walls were adorned with intricate tapestries and historical paintings, the vibrant colours catching your eye as you made your way towards Taehyung's wing. The faint scent of polished wood and the delicate fragrance of flowers in vases added to the luxurious ambience, creating an atmosphere of refined elegance. You knocked gently, and there was a rustling sound from within. The door opened slightly, and Taehyung peered out, expecting to see one of the footmen. 

His eyes widened in surprise and delight as he saw you, and for a moment, he was rendered speechless. The morning light filtering through the window highlighted the strong contours of his puffy face, his tousled hair lending him a slightly disheveled yet utterly attractive appearance. You couldn't help but feel your heart skip a beat as you took in his tall, commanding figure, dressed in a finely tailored suit that emphasized his powerful build.

"Y/N?" he exclaimed, momentarily taken aback by your unexpected visit. "What a wonderful surprise!" The hint of excitement in his voice was unmistakable as he ushered you inside, his warm gaze never leaving your face.

You groaned out when he invited you into his warm wing. The fireplace was burning with full power, most probably fire was started an hour ago. “I was freezing…” You mumbled and let Taehyung guide you into his couch. 

“Oh, my darling…” He cooed your face. “It is so chilly in the mornings, right? You should have woken me up. I would have been here to warm you up."

You leaned into his touch, relishing the way his presence brought immediate comfort. “We just came.” You mumbled into his cream shirt. 

“What is the reason, my darling?” He asked as you melted in his chest even though it seemed like your back was straining from hugging him.

“Hmm… The dressmaker will come today.” Why wasn’t your bed this comfortable?

Taehyung leaned back on the couch, letting you get comfortable on his chest. When you found your perfect spot like a cat, his hand caressed your face. “Are you feeling better now, my little ice cube?” He teased you.

You snuggled deeper into him, enjoying the warmth that emanated from both the crackling fireplace and Taehyung's proximity. “Much better now, thank you,” you quipped, a playful twinkle in your voice. "Maybe I should just move in here permanently.”

Taehyung hissed at the offer. His head dropped back as he let out a groan. He would fucking want that so much. You in his room, in his bed… to have you in his naked arms… oh, to have his way with you. Your body was already so soft to his touch, that he could feel your shape to his hold. Mornings were a bad time for you to be around him. He had just stopped dreaming about you, and now you were in his arms in reality. 

“But I don’t think I can ever let you go if I stay here.” You lifted your face in his hands and looked up to him. Taehyung gently kissed your forehead. “I am here as long as you want.” 

His kiss made wonders to you. It seemed like your grumpiness was eradicated with his lips on your forehead. 

That’s when you decided to bless him with another kiss. You puckered your lips and planted a soft kiss on Taehyung’s cheek. “Good morning, darling.” You rasped. 

Taehyung's breath hitched at the sound of your voice, his eyes widening with a mix of surprise and unmistakable adoration. His lips parted slightly as he drank in the sight of you, the soft morning light casting a gentle glow on your face. The husky rasp of your voice only added to the allure, sending a shiver down his spine. Despite his infatuation, he needed to leave your embrace before you felt his secret hiding inside his pants. 

But he couldn’t bring himself to let you go. “Good morning.” His voice was raspier, waking up the feelings within you that no man was allowed to. 

“Will you be picking pretty dresses for me, love?” Taehyung needed to get you out of his mind. 

You nodded with quite a mumble. You held Taehyung’s hand on your face. You rubbed your face onto him like a cat and planted a kiss on his palm. When your fingers delicately wrapped around his, Taehyung was so scared that he was dreaming. 

“I can maybe pick a few things for my bridal gown too…” You sheepishly smiled at the possibilities. “Also, for the affairs with our guests…” Taehyung was almost sure you were fully asleep. “Maybe I can pick something pretty to go out with you…” You sniffed and stopped murmuring.

Taehyung took a mental note to leave a fat cheque to his mother for your expenses. You were to be his wedded wife, his everything, so he needed to provide for you starting from now. 

“That’s sounds amazing, darling. Make sure you don’t get too tired, okay?” He gently scolded you. You nodded. 

Taehyung hissed at your obedient nature. He really needed you to stop pushing his buttons. 

“Why don’t you get into my bed, sweetie? I need to leave now, but I’ll come early.” With gentle guidance, Taehyung led you to his bedroom, the atmosphere exuding a comforting warmth that embraced you as you crossed the threshold. The room was bathed in a soft morning glow, and his cologne lingered in the air, creating an intimate ambience that wrapped around you like a familiar embrace. He helped you remove your cloak, the heavy fabric was the only thing to keep your fragile body warm. “Sit down, sweetie.” He whispered and sat you down on his bed. He didn’t remember if it was in accordance with etiquette to have you like this, and he didn’t give a fuck. When you sat down, he helped you out of your shoes and  Taehyung smoothed the covers around you, ensuring you were snug and cosy. His bed, adorned with a plush comforter and a pile of fluffy pillows, looked especially inviting with smell still lingering on the pillow. 

You hummed and buried your face into his pillow, legs rubbing against the smooth bedsheets. 

Taehyung stood in the doorway; his gaze fixed on your serene form. He didn’t trust himself to stand closer as he was yearning for your soft touch already. 

A rush of tenderness and protectiveness enveloped him, stirring an instinctual urge to safeguard you from any harm that might dare to disrupt your peaceful slumber.

Taehyung smoothed his clothes, and put on his jacket. He straightened his tie and walked to his desk. His chequebook was in the drawer. He put a large number on the paper and put it in his pocket.

He left his wing with a prayer to have every day of his life like this morning. Your mother and his were downstairs in the small drawing room. Housekeepers were preparing the large room for the dressmaker. 

“Good morning ladies.” Taehyung’s voice was full of confidence. 

He announced his presence to your mother and his. They were sitting down with tea in their hands.  

“I see, you couldn’t let your lover go easily. Your father has already left.” Mrs Kim smiled at his son. 

Taehyung nodded. He didn’t care what happened as long as he spent time with you. 

"It’s fine. Y/N is still resting in my room. I request you'd let her sleep a bit more," Taehyung explained, a soft smile gracing his lips as he spoke of you. "I don't want her to be disturbed."

Mrs. Kim's eyes softened with understanding, her gaze conveying an unspoken warmth and affection for you. "Of course, Taehyung. I won't disturb her. She's like my own daughter, you know that," she replied, reaching out to squeeze his hand reassuringly. 

Taehyung nodded, touched by his mother's words. He then reached into his pocket and withdrew the cheque, he slid down the table towards his mother.

"This is for Y/N," he explained. "Please make sure she gets everything she likes. I know you and Dad will cover, but I want her to have the freedom to choose whatever she wants." As he spoke, a sense of determination and protectiveness emanated from him, accentuating the weight of his words. 

Your mother and Mrs Kim shared a knowing look. They were amused at how protective and caring Taehyung got. 

"Of course, Taehyung. I'll make sure she has everything she needs," she reassured him, her voice laced with warmth and affection.

“I will come early.” With a final nod and a small smile, Taehyung turned to head out, his mind not in full ease, wondering if you were cold, if you were hungry. 

—

Despite his promise, Taehyung’s work seemed to stretch over the lunch. Normally, he would leave his office whenever he pleased, but he was going to be a man of a household; therefore, he needed to be more patient. 

He placed his arms on his desk, over the files lying on his deck and closed his eyes. You appeared in his head. The images in his head sometimes were memories of the past, sometimes visions of the future but they all had you in their centre. 

Taehyung's mind drifted away from the documents on his desk, and soon, his office became a canvas for his daydreams. Vivid images of you sleeping peacefully in his bed flooded his thoughts. He imagined the gentle rise and fall of your chest as you breathe, the soft curls of your hair splayed across the pillows, and the delicate curve of your lips, set in a serene expression. 

As he continued to lose himself in the trance, Taehyung envisioned himself lying next to you in the bed, arms wrapped around your soft, warm body. Your limbs entangled into his, your breath on his neck. He imagined kissing your forehead like the little princess you are. You were his pretty baby. Then, he would kiss all over your pretty face to wake you up. He almost heard your little laugh. 

Taehyung wouldn’t stop kissing your face.  Oh, he wouldn’t… He would beg you to steal kisses on your neck. He knew if he kissed your neck once, he wouldn’t be able to stop.

He would whisper in your ear, “Baby…” You’d let him continue obediently. Then, he would kiss down your throat, and bite your collar bones. He’d lick your delicious skin and suck little bruises to show everyone. By then you’d be wide awake. “Does that feel good, baby?” He’d ask.

Your whimper would be so soft, “Taehyung… It–” 

He wouldn’t let you stop your sentence and suck your nipple into his mouth. Your knobby nipple would feel delicious in his mouth. He’d kiss your breasts for minutes on end as your thighs rubbed to his knee. Your cries would fill his ear, “Tae.. What are you doing to me?” Taehyung is going to be the first and only man to satisfy your needy desires so he’ll explain to you everything your body craves. 

“I am making love to you, sweet girl.” He’d inform despite your dirty mind that imaged this repeatedly. Your hands would tug at his hair and you would bless him with a moan. “Taetae…” Your cries would be loud and he’d have to busy your mouth. 

He would whisper, “Dirty girl… Why are you moaning? You like your fiancée doing unholy things to you, hmm?” Then, he’d bite your bottom lip but your cries would only grow louder. 

Then, the only thing that would suffice would be Taehyung’s fingers in your mouth. “Open up, cry baby.” You’d follow his request like an obedient slut you are. Taehyung would only place one finger in your warm, wet mouth.

“Fuck… Such a warm mouth… Suck on it, baby. Keep your mouth shut, my pretty girl.” You’d nod.

Taehyung’d add, “And let me play with this little pussy. Can I touch you there, baby?” Taehyung knows you are a virgin so he’d ease you into it.

“Y-yes, p-please.” You’d whimper like a fragile bird.

“Oh, such a polite lady.” But he’d treat you the opposite of a lady. First, he would feel you over your garments, “Fucking drenched! You’re very excited right, baby? Hmm? I am too.” 

After a few kisses to soothe you, he’d start stirring little circles over your clit. As the cute bundle would be deprived of any stimulation, even the smallest touch would turn you crazy. 

“Tae…” You’d moan around his drenched finger.

“Hush!” He’d continue with a quicker tempo, scared of getting caught. “Do you want to climax, darling?” He’d mockingly ask you as your eyes largen. “Do you know what that means?” 

When you pliantly nod, he’d punish you for knowing what it is. “Oh, you do? I thought my sweet girl was innocent… I guess you can show me how it is done, right?”

With enough stimulation on your poor clit, you would experience your first real high in front of Taehyung’s eyes. He’d watch you as your face crumbled into pleasure and bite his finger off.  

The sound of the door opening snapped him back to reality, and Taehyung's cheeks flushed as he hastily straightened in his chair. “Well, well, well.” Jimin rushed into his office, catching Taehyung slacking. 

Jimin's excited voice filled the room, drawing attention to the news of the forthcoming wedding. 

“I was gone for two weeks, and I came back to have my best friends engaged to each other.” Jimin shook his head cutely as he sat down in front of the desk.

Taehyung chuckled as he sat back, “We aren’t technically engaged yet.” He pressed his lips together. “Miss Y/N wants me to propose her first.” 

Jimin's eyebrows shot up in amusement. "Oh, the mademoiselle got her demands already, huh?" He leaned back in his chair, a mischievous glint in his eye. He looked at Taehyung’s infatuated face. “She already has you wrapped around her finger, doesn’t she?” 

Taehyung laughed with a soft and carefree sound that echoed through the room. "You have no idea," he admitted, his eyes sparkling with affection. "But I wouldn't have it any other way. I'd do anything to see that smile on her face."

“You were always like this, nothing new.” Jimin said. he teased, a reminiscent glint in his eyes. "Remember that time at the park when you made my tooth fall out because I scared Y/N with a frog I caught?”

Taehyung's face lit up with a mischievous grin. "Oh, how could I forget? You had it coming by scaring her like that." He laughed, the memory vivid in his mind. 

"Y/N was so scared, she wouldn't even talk to me for a week after that." Jimin chuckled along, remembering the incident vividly. "You were always looking out for her, even back then." Jimin's eyes softened with the shared memory.

Taehyung smiled, filled with nostalgia and gratitude. "Well, Y/N is very special to me, and I'll always try to keep her safe and happy."

Jimin nodded. "You two are meant for each other." His eyes welled for his best mate. He was so glad that the two of you figured it out despite your stubbornness. "Well, you better not keep her waiting for that ring. You wouldn't want to start off on the wrong foot with the future Mrs Kim, would you?"

Taehyung took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I am thinking of a way to propose her. I want to do it when she least expects it."

“Well, you are Mr Poet for a reason. I am sure we will figure something out.” Jimin teased as he offered Taehyung a cigarette. 

Taehyung shook his head no, “Y/N doesn’t like the smell of cigs.”

Jimin rolled his eyes, “Changed my mind, Mr Devoted!” 

Old friends laughed together and chatted about Jimin’s travels. Taehyung envied his best friend’s endless trips and wished to make them with you in future. 

—

Meanwhile, at Kim's estate, you had been trying on different fabrics for what seemed like hours. The bustle of activity never seemed to subside with excited gasps and humming of the dressmaker’s sewing machine crafting lining and moulds of the dresses you envisioned. 

Julia always had her charm and creativity with her. Even after being widowed, she was able to support herself as no man could with her captivating skills. She had known you since you came from Switzerland and she was quick to pick up on your style and taste. After a 10-minute chat, she placed sketches of her visions in front of you.

You put your teacup down, “They look wonderful…” 

The first dress they contemplated was a true masterpiece. A floor-length ball gown in a deep and rich burgundy shade, it seemed to embody sophistication and grace. The bodice was a masterpiece of lace, adorned with intricate patterns that seemed like they were inspired by the garden's most delicate roses. The lace flowed down to the full, voluminous skirt. 

The second dress you examined was equally enchanting, though more charmingly and playfully. It was a tea-length gown in a soft pastel blue. Delicate embroidery and intricate beadwork adorned the neckline and sleeves.

Then was the most special dress, the one you wished to wear to your engagement party. You want it to be simple and elegant. You want Taehyung to look at you and fall in love with you again and again, desperately want you as his wife. The coloured, off-the-shoulder satin dress with the soft, lustrous fabric draped delicately over your frame, subtly highlighting your natural curves. You could imagine Taehyung’s eyes fluttering as his manly hands gently caressed your skin. His hands were usually shy, not wanting to scare you away, but his eyes were always hungry, eating your clothes away. You want to make him loose control of his hands and hold you forever.

After making a few changes, you were stripped to your undergarments whilst Julia expertly took measurements and diligently sewed the initial drafts of your clothes. 

Taehyung's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, all leading back to you, as he left work early, unable to focus on anything but the thought of your company. The horse-drawn carriage took him swiftly back home.

As Taehyung's carriage neared the Kim estate, the magnificent stone walls came into view, bathed in the warm, golden hues of the setting sun. The ivy-covered facade of the mansion lent a timeless, almost ethereal beauty to the entire scene.

The sound of horses' hooves on the cobblestones echoed through the trees that lined the estate's long driveway, creating a rhythmic melody that seemed to serenade Taehyung on his journey home. The crisp, country air bore hints of blooming flowers and freshly mown grass, adding to the sense of serenity.

He couldn't help but gaze out of the carriage window, the anticipation of seeing you making his heart race. As the carriage rolled closer to the grand entrance, the intricately designed wrought iron gates came into full view. 

He couldn't help but daydream about the life he envisioned building with you in this very estate. The thought of having children, watching them grow and play in these very gardens he spent his childhood in. The laughter of his own kids echoing through the estate was a scene he couldn't wait to witness.

And beyond that, he imagined you both growing old together in this tranquil sanctuary. Walking hand in hand in the evening, sharing stories of your adventurous youth, and cherishing the quiet moments. The years passed together, creating a tapestry of shared memories.

The carriage came to a gentle stop, the footman leaping down to assist Taehyung out. Stepping onto the cobblestones, Taehyung paused to appreciate the meticulously manicured gardens and the estate's stately exterior. The transition from the bustling city to the tranquil beauty of the Kim estate was always a sensory delight.

As he entered the estate, the air felt different, charged with excitement and a sense of bustling activity. He heard the faint chatter of voices and the rustle of fabrics. Making his way through the elegant hallways, he followed the sound to the sitting room, where the usual calm ambience was replaced by vivacious energy.

His heart quickened as he caught sight of you, surrounded by your mother and Mrs Kim, standing on the platform with only a skimpy gown on that did so little to cover your skin. You were wearing something close to nightwear, something that you would wear to bed and for his eyes only. With your bare legs, the sheer fabric did almost nothing to cover your skin. Gladly, the fireplace was well-lit to keep you warm. And yet, you were standing in front of the living room like a doll. Julia was bent towards your side stitching a draft for the bust. 

He felt his throat dry. Taehyung was sure he wasn’t allowed to see you like this yet.  He stood by the door, taking a moment to simply observe you before anyone noticed. Adjusting his cufflinks, smoothing down his waistcoat and most importantly his trousers, he took a deep breath, bracing himself for the joyous chaos that awaited him.

He coughed, “Am I allowed, ladies?”

Taehyung's sudden appearance startled the ladies, and a faint blush crept onto your cheeks as you quickly tried to adjust your gown, which earned you a notice from Julia.

Your mother kissed him welcome. “Of course, what a question!” His mother was too busy talking to one of the apprentices, describing something urgently whilst holding a gorgeous blue satin.

“Taehyung!” You welcomed with him the brightest smile. He noticed your body wanting to jump towards him.

“You're always allowed, Mr Kim,” Julia said before giving her all attention to you. “So, you don’t want it to end here, Miss Y/N?” 

“Exactly. I don’t like it when the back ends there. It gives me a weird hump.” You explained you turned your back to your viewers to show Julia what you were talking about. 

The piece of fabric you were wearing was a very basic draft of a bust so it could be folded and reshaped. Julia watched you through the mirror. She nodded. 

“I say we go either all the way up–” You pulled the extra fabric to your shoulders. “–or just backless.” 

Julia nodded, her expression thoughtful as she observed the garment. "I completely understand your concern, Miss Y/N. A backless design can be very elegant, especially for someone of your age. It just looks so beautiful.” She sighed before placing the needles to adjust the draft. 

Taehyung further concentrated on you and your bare back. Your muscles were strained as Julia worked very close to your skin. Taehyung gritted his teeth; he was scared of needles hurting you.

“I think Mr Kim might fire me if I accidentally prick you, Miss Y/N.” Julia joked. 

Taehyung gave her half a chuckle, “I am afraid I might.” Taehyung’s serious tone was hilarious to you. Julia has been your family’s dressmaker for over five years and she has never pricked you before. 

Taehyung carefully observed the way the dressmaker draped the fabric, her fingers working with such precision that every stitch seemed to be an extension of her artistry. Taehyung's admiration for the craft was only surpassed by the adoration he felt for the woman at the centre of it all – you, his beloved.

Despite the temptation to gaze at you without restraint, he remained resolute in keeping his demeanour composed. He knew he mustn't give in to his desire to drink in your ethereal beauty, not with so many eyes upon the two of you. Instead, he opted to immerse himself in the vibrant energy of the room, cherishing the moments that would soon become cherished memories of a love that knew no bounds.

After the rough shape of the draft was done, the bust was taken off your body. You quickly wrapped yourself in a more modest dressing gown to cover more skin. Julia retreated to the sewing machine as Taehyung’s mother approached you. 

“Y/N.” She called your name while holding a deep sapphire fabric. “I want to get this dress for you as a gift for the gala. I think the colour will suit you so perfectly, my darling daughter. This could be one of yours something blue! You don’t have to wear it if you don’t like it, okay? I am– I am just so happy that you blessed our family.”

You genuinely could see her happy. Her eyes have been teary since you pulled yourself out from Taehyung’s bed fully rested, and accepting her offers to allow her to spoil you. You knew she was already extra emotional since her daughter, Taehyung’s sister, was away in a boarding school, so she had really missed having mother-daughter time. 

Taehyung's heart swelled with an overwhelming sense of contentment as he observed you and his mother exchanging heartfelt words. He cherished these moments, seeing the woman he loved wholeheartedly embraced by the family that meant everything to him. The deep connection between you and his mother reaffirmed his belief that you truly belonged in his life and in the Kim family estate.

He marvelled at the way you expressed your gratitude and warmth, reciprocating his mother's affection with such genuine appreciation. It was a sight that reinforced his belief that you were the missing piece in their family puzzle, the one who brought a different kind of joy and completeness to their lives.

"Mother, enough now," Taehyung chuckled as Mrs. Kim embraced you tightly, her eyes glistening with tears. His playful jealousy extended even to his own mother, it seemed. You joined Taehyung's laughter as he gently pulled you away from his mother's loving embrace.

"Stop making fun of your old woman! You don't understand how much this means to me," she sniffed, her voice wavering with emotion.

Taehyung intercepted your attempt to hug her again by your arm, his expression shifting to a more serious tone that you couldn't quite decipher. "Taehyung?" you queried, looking at his firm hold on you.

"You both are lucky to have each other," she said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “I am so happy.” She added.

Your mother came to soothe her friend, Taehyung released his touch. “My friend, we have a long time to enjoy their happiness. It is your turn now.”

As Mrs. Kim's maid entered the living room, Taehyung knew it was time to leave. You made a quick decision to accompany him. "Taehyung?" you called out, stopping him in his tracks. "Can I have some of your time?" Your voice was tinged with a hint of shyness.

Taehyung turned to face you, his expression softening. "Of course, my darling. I came early to see you."

"Okay, that's awesome," you stammered, feeling slightly flustered. "Just give me some time to change my clothes." You hurried to keep up with his stride.

Taehyung nodded, his gaze gentle and understanding. "I'll change as well. I'll be waiting for you in the library near the guest rooms."

You bit your lip nervously, hesitating before adding, "My clothes are actually in your room. The maids were cleaning the main guest room, and your mother allowed me to use your room." With very frequent trips to each other’s home, the main guest room was always reserved as your room at Kim’s estate. As your position in the family changed, Mrs Kim allowed you to have Taehyung’s room. In addition, Julia brought the previous month’s order so Taehyung’s chamber was big enough to hold them.

Taehyung's eyebrows raised slightly, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Is that so?" he replied, a sly smile forming on his lips. "Well, I guess we have to be roommates.” He giggled as he noticed your uneven breath as you walked to match his speed. He slowed down immediately. “Feel free to use anything you need; my room is yours. You know that." As the two of you ambled towards his room. 

Taehyung's steps were deliberately slow now. "Were you able to sleep, my darling?" His voice carried a tender concern, highlighting the depth of his care.

You felt a surge of warmth at his attention, the way he noticed every detail about you. Nervously, you bit your lip, you craved his simplest touch since this morning. You touched his elbow, begging him silently to understand what you were going to do. His intense gaze locked onto you, his expression a mixture of curiosity and tenderness. Your heart skipped a beat, and in a moment of desperate need, you reached for him, intertwining your arm with his, the connection soothing your nerves.

"Oh, darling…" Taehyung's voice was laced with amusement and affection. He lifted your hand, gently pressing his lips to the back of it in a tender kiss. Then, secure your arm in his. You answered him with a pleasant hum. Even the littlest change made your mind calm down with the desire to touch him

A shy smile graced your lips as you gazed up at him. "Yes, I slept amazingly." You whispered softly, finally answering his question. “In fact, I don’t think I slept this good in a while. Your bed was so comfortable.” 

“That’s amazing, my love. I am glad you liked where you will be sleeping in future.” he teased, his voice a smooth murmur that set your heart alight. His thumb continued to trace gentle circles on the back of your hand, a subtle yet intimate connection that sent delightful shivers down your spine.

He was being extra flirtatious because he knew you were easy to shy away and it amused him dearly. Even though your lips didn’t say it, he could see your body yearned for him.

Taehyung’s chamber was slightly rearranged to fit your new clothes as the maids scurried about, meticulously arranging your belongings on Taehyung's tasteful furniture, ensuring that your clothes remained impeccably neat. The room seemed to come alive with your presence despite the mess, and Taehyung's delight was evident as he watched his personal space intertwine with your essence. Even his belongings liked you. 

“Oh lord…” You whined. “I am sorry, Taehyung. I thought they were going to pack them for me.” Taehyung let your arm go as you covered your face. 

“That’s totally fine, my darling. Everything I own is yours. You can make every change your heart desires.” You peeked through your fingers, catching the affectionate glimmer in his eyes, and couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by his unwavering support and generosity. His genuine words resonated deeply within you. 

The head of the maids spoke. “Miss Y/N, will you be changing now?” 

You nodded. “I will be, please stay to help me.” 

She bowed and closed the door, waiting for your sign. 

"Take your time, my love. I will wait for you outside," Taehyung gently encouraged, his warm breath grazing your skin as he leaned in to press a tender kiss on your forehead. Soft and affectionate, his touch conveyed a silent reassurance that filled you with warmth.

He pulled back slightly, his voice barely audible as he murmured, "I will take you out later, pretty girl." You looked up to him with excited eyes and lips curved into a smile. His gaze held yours for a lingering moment as you nodded. With a last, lingering glance, he turned and left his room to leave you to get ready.

—

You quickly got in one of your new dresses. You chose a dusty pink tea dress with cream-coloured heels. Taehyung didn’t take too long to change from his work suit to a casual one while you brushed your hair and powdered your face. 

As promised, he was ready to take you out after his sudden disappearance for 15 minutes. He showed his gentlemanly attitude when he asked your mother for permission to take you out despite knowing he would be granted. 

And yet, Mrs Kim cautioned the two of you not to get too close since the engagement hadn't been formally announced yet. Taehyung responded respectfully, assuring her, "I don't think it will be a problem, Mother. But do not worry, I would never do anything to damage Y/N's honor." With a bow to both mothers, he then took your hand. 

"Are you ready, my dear?" he asked, guiding you toward the waiting carriage. You allowed him to lead you, relishing the sensation of his strong, yet tender grip. As he helped you up into the carriage, you playfully teased, "Why would you lie to your mother, Taehyung?"

He recognised the teasing in your voice and waited for you to finish. “Do you think you will be able to keep your hands off of me?” You looked at his one arm curling behind you and resting on your waist while the other hand enveloped your hand.

 Taehyung bit his lip off as you tugged at his perfectly ironed cream shirt. “Who says I am taking you to a public place?” He teased. 

As the carriage sped up, he comfortably melted into the seat, sweetly pressing you between his body and the leather walls. He held your hand and explained. “Newly courting couples should spend their time together in intimate settings to get to know each other. Public appearances are avoided until the engagement is agreed and partners spend most of their time with each other’s family.” 

You rolled your eyes at him as he explained the etiquette to you.

“So…” Taehyung brought his lips to your ear. “As much as I would love to flaunt you, my pretty doll, we will be alone together…” His breath ghosted your skin.

You shivered next to him as your fingers dug into his. “Where are you taking me?” You asked. 

Taehyung pressed his lips together into a straight line and shook his head. “A surprise.” He quipped. 

"Taehyung, please tell me where we are going," you pleaded, tugging at his arm. Taehyung's lips curved into a secretive smile as he resisted your pleas, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "It's a surprise, my love. You'll know soon enough," he teased, savouring the anticipation.

You pouted, trying to feign annoyance but failing to hide your growing eagerness. "You know I don't like surprises," you protested, pretending to cross your arms in playful defiance. "Come on, give me a little hint at least?" Taehyung's eyes gleamed with mirth at your adorable antics. "If I tell you now, it won't be a surprise anymore," he teased, the corner of his mouth lifting into a half-smirk. "But I promise you'll love it."

You groaned in mock frustration, knowing very well that Taehyung enjoyed teasing you. "You're so mean," you huffed, although the hint of a smile tugged at the corners of your lips. Taehyung's warm laughter filled the carriage, a delightful sound that soothed your impatience. "You'll thank me later, I promise," he assured you, squeezing your hand gently. "Just trust me." With his words, you couldn't help but settle back against the plush seats, your heart dancing with excitement for the mysterious surprise he had in store.

“Okay, I trust you.” It baffled Taehyung when you stopped being stubborn, shrugged and let your head rest on his shoulder. 

He hummed softly, his voice a gentle rumble as he pressed a tender kiss to the crown of your head. With your head resting on his shoulder, he couldn't help but marvel at how much smaller you seemed in comparison to his frame. It made him feel protective and responsible for your well-being.

“Have you thought about when to have our wedding ceremony, Taehyung?” You asked dreamily. “It is the only topic your mothers talked about since yesterday.”

He laid his cheek on top of your head, “I’ve been thinking about the day I’ll marry you for a long time, my love.” He replied softly as you giggled.

“But I want to know what you think, seriously.” You moved your head, causing him to gently squeeze you. You looked up at his eyes.

"Perhaps next summer would be perfect. I want to have every kind of blooming flower to witness the day I take you as my beloved lady…” He said ever so sweetly.

As you rested your chin on his shoulder, a playful pout graced your features. "So, nine months later?"

He nodded, a serene smile gracing his lips. "That's correct."

You pouted slightly, and Taehyung couldn't help but be charmed by your impatience. "Nine months seems too far away," you sighed.

Taehyung laughed amused. “I thought I was the eager one to get married?”

You shrugged again; you weren’t the one who was good with words. You looked at his pretty side profile. He was a masterpiece, sculpted with elegant lines and subtle contours that made your heart skip a beat. His strong jawline, chiselled and defined, tapered down to a perfectly shaped chin. He was not only strikingly handsome but possessed a kindness and warmth that made you feel like the luckiest person in the world. 

Taehyung was taken aback by your touch, admiring so dreamily. Like he knew, you weren’t good with words so you touched him.

“You think I am not eager to marry you?” You said, voice adorned with a tint of sadness.

Taehyung opened his mouth, weighing his words before he uttered them. Before he could, you spoke. "You are my childhood love, Taehyung. You are the one who made my heart race so fervently that it felt as though it might burst from my chest. I loved you since I can remember. You were always my supporter, play friend, confidant…"

“Darling…” A gentle sigh escaped Taehyung's lips as he absorbed your words, realizing the depth of emotion that lay behind them. You knew that he was going to coo you but you needed to get everything off your chest.

"I never want you to doubt my eagerness, Taehyung," You added sincerely, your voice soft and reassuring. "I've loved you ever since, and my desire to be with you is never to be question… even though I am not good at showing you."

He looked into your eyes, his own filled with a mixture of fondness and enthusiasm. You could see that he needed to hear this. 

"We can get married tomorrow if you want," he suggested in a raspy voice, his eyes gleaming with sincerity. 

You couldn't help but giggle at the notion. "Well, technically, we did decide to get married yesterday. It would only be fair to act quickly and make it official," you teased back. 

Taehyung chuckled, playing along with the jest. "But are we ready to face our mothers' wrath if we did that?" he inquired with a mischievous glint in his eye. 

You widened your eyes playfully. "Oh, never! They've already chosen the colour of the napkins for the dinner after the ceremony at the church. Oh, and the wine we'll be serving too," you listed off with a grin.

 “I know that our mothers are eager, but I want you to know that you are the only person in charge to make decisions, okay? If you are shy to oppose them, just tell me and I will deal with it.” The way he granted you all the options and choices this delicately made you feel very special. He was just an incredible man.

You leaned towards his touch. “Okay, I will wait until summer.” Taehyung could figure that out since you hate winter. You let him kiss your cheek once again and gave him a beautiful melody of your laugh. “My princess…” He whispered against your skin, your smell tickled his nose.

As he thought your conversation came to an end, you spoke, this time without looking at his eyes as you laid your head on his chest. 

“What about the children? Do you want to have children with me?” You asked. 

Taehyung's heartbeat quickened at the question, a surge of warmth enveloping him. “Of course, my love. I only want healthy and chubby babies from you, no matter how many.” His low voice vibrated his chest as you listened to him. “The important question is if you want, my darling.”  Taehyung's fingers traced delicate patterns on your back, a soothing rhythm that mirrored the gentle sway of the carriage. 

You nodded, a serene smile playing on your lips. "I want to start having babies when I am 25 years old," you began, thumbing your fingertips onto his tummy. "The first baby at 25, preferably a boy, the second baby girl at 27, then the third one at 28. And maybe another one before I turn 30." You listed your plans.

Taehyung chest hummed under your ear with a very low chuckle, “I have a plan to keep up with, huh?” You wouldn’t even begin to imagine how ready he was to give you kids. Hell yes, he was ready to fill you up with his seed, make you bloat with it, make you whine about the mess he created, and make you cry with overstimulation. 

His mind drifted to the process of making him a father. Suddenly, the carriage was too hot for him. Your warm body snuggled to him was too much. 

Again, he needed to find another topic to busy his mind. “Honestly, we will be fine with two sets of adoring grandparents.” He couldn't suppress the smile that tugged at his lips, “Ah, yes, they will be spoiling our little ones rotten.” 

You joined him with a giggle as he kissed your head again. “My precious girl.” He whispered, making you shiver. 

You remained lying on his chest with his arms around you, his fingers caressing your waist gently as the carriage manoeuvred on the roads. You could see the change of scenery from a calm view of Kim’s estate to the bustling city and again to the countryside. 

“When will be there Taehyung?” You pouted. Your face was adorned with the traces of the button of his shirt. Taehyung chuckled as he pressed onto your soft skin. 

"We should be arriving shortly, my love," Taehyung replied, his voice a tender caress. You excitedly picked yourself off his chest and looked outside from the window. The carriage began to slow down, the rhythmic clip-clop of the horses' hooves growing softer as they neared their destination. 

"Are you excited to see where I'm taking you?" he asked, a playful lilt in his tone. His hand moved to intertwine with yours, his fingers lacing through yours as if he couldn't bear to let go.

“Yes, I am so glad that we will spend time together…Doesn’t matter where we are. But Taehyung… I am so hungry!” You blurted out excitedly, holding your stomach to emphasise. 

“Don’t worry sweetheart.” He kissed your hands that he was holding. “I will feed you good.” 

You laughed, “Will you hunt for food or what?” You pointed to the endless grassland that you were looking at.

Taehyung bit down his lips, “If I have to, yes! All those hunting parties aren’t for nothing.” 

You rolled your eyes as Taehyung let his body hang outside and spoke to the driver. Soon the carriage came to a halt. 

—

As Taehyung led you out of the carriage, the sight that greeted you was nothing short of breathtaking. A sprawling meadow, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, spread out before you. The air was filled with the gentle fragrance of wildflowers, and a light breeze rustled the tall grasses, creating a soothing, almost ethereal atmosphere.

You couldn't help but admire the beauty of the scene. "Taehyung, it's stunning here," you said, taking in the breathtaking surroundings.

When your feet hit the ground, he walked behind you and wrapped his arms around your figure. Your insides fluttered when you felt his rigid body fully. 

You took a deep breath and dropped your head to his chest, feeling a sense of serenity wash over you. "It's beautiful," you breathed, a sense of awe lacing your words. "But why did you bring me here?" You turned your face to him with a question.

Taehyung's smile widened as he squeezed your waist gently. "I thought we could have a little picnic here, just the two of us. A chance for us to enjoy each other's company in the midst of nature's embrace," he explained, his eyes never leaving yours.

Horses shuffled as the driver asked, “Will you be starting now, Mr Kim?” 

Taehyung unwrapped his arms, “Yes, we will. Please leave the baskets and you may leave to pick us up a few hours later.”

The driver approached the back of the carriage and retrieved the two well-stocked baskets, their woven exteriors brimming with an assortment of tantalizing aromas. He effortlessly balanced both containers and laid them at your feet, offering a courteous nod before retreating to his seat. With a light flick of the reins, the carriage rumbled back to life, wheels turning as it gradually disappeared into the distance.

You watched the carriage fade into the horizon, feeling a swell of contentment as you turned your attention to the treasure treat that Taehyung had prepared. You smiled at him. “Let us pick a tree and settle under its shadow.” He announced.

You smiled largely and tried to reach for one of the baskets. "Please, my love, let me handle this," Taehyung insisted with a warm smile, gently intercepting your attempt to take one of the baskets. He deftly manoeuvred them, balancing them with apparent ease. “I am your man, sweet girl. I’ve got everything under control.” 

You chuckled at his playful stubbornness, watching as he expertly balanced the basket and the blanket, his confident stride never faltering. "But Taehyung," you protested, "I can at least help carry something. It's not fair for you to do it all on your own."

He simply shook his head, his gaze warm and determined. "It's my pleasure to take care of you. You just pick a tree for us, my lady. I've got this handled."

You let Taehyung into the meadow, walking a few steps ahead. “I don’t want to sit too close to the water. Frogs are awfully loud.” As you pondered over which tree to choose, your gaze flitted from one to another, considering their characteristics and positions within the meadow. Taehyung watched you with a tender expression, his eyes following your every movement with unwavering adoration.

“Okay, okay, I will pick here!” You pointed to the large willow tree.

As Taehyung pulled the picnic blanket, you rushed to help him. “Darling, I said no.” He sternly warned you. “You are my wonderful princess, and you will do nothing but enjoy this gorgeous outing.”

You still held the side of the blanket as he laid it out for you. “Now, you sit beside the tree. Darling, do you want me to take your shoes off? Would that be comfortable for you?” He asked.

You nodded. “I will take–” Taehyung didn’t let you finish again and knelt before you, his nimble fingers delicately undoing the straps of your shoes. He handled each buckle with care. With gentle precision, he slipped the shoes off your feet, placing them carefully aside. “My princess never does things while her man is around.” He reminded you again. You bite your bottom lips and smile at him shyly, thanking him for the hundredth time. 

As you settled against the tree trunk, feeling the rough texture of the bark against your back, Taehyung slipped off his jacket, a gesture of warmth and protection. He gently draped it around your shoulders, ensuring that you were shielded from any pricking. "There," he murmured softly, his voice tender and soothing. "Is that more comfortable?"

You couldn't help but lean into the soft fabric of his jacket, feeling the comforting scent of his cologne enveloping you. The warmth of his presence cocooned you, his attentive nature making you feel cherished and cared for.  “I would have worn something else if I knew we were going to have a picnic.”

Taehyung shook his head no, “You look gorgeous, my darling. Don’t worry.”

The meadow's beauty was amplified as Taehyung began to unpack the picnic baskets, revealing an array of tantalizing dishes. The soft rustling of leaves above, the occasional songbird's melody, and the gentle warmth of the sun created a romantic ambience.

Taehyung's strong, lean form knelt gracefully beside the picnic spread, casting a handsome shadow under the midday sun. His fingers worked deftly as he removed each item from the baskets. The sunlight danced in his hair, highlighting the copper tones in his dark locks. You felt yourself drool over his figure; your body felt tingly with pleasure by just looking at him.

He unveiled a bottle of sparkling champagne and two crystal flutes from the icebox, and gently wiped the extra water off of them. "Of course, some bubbly to celebrate our time together."

Then, he revealed assortments of finger sandwiches with different fillings, including cucumber and cream cheese, egg with mayo, and chicken salad. "I thought we'd have a variety," he explained. "But I know you have your favourites."

Next, he set out a selection of cheeses and fruits. "I will prepare you a gorgeous charcuterie board, sweet girl.” 

Then, he looked at your eyes with a short pause. “You were asking me why I was gone just before we left, right?”

You nodded as he dug inside the icebox. "Look at what we have here," Taehyung said with a playful glint in his eye, his voice infused with excitement, as he carefully lifted a metal tray brimming with freshly baked eclairs. "I was so afraid that the chocolate would melt, but it seems the icebox did its magic." 

“Taehyung! Those are my absolute favourites! Oh, I didn’t even know they were baking them,” you exclaimed, your eyes gleaming with anticipation. You were already leaning in, eager to savour their irresistible flavour.

He arranged the delectable pastries on a delicately designed wooden board, each one exuding a rich, inviting aroma. As you gasped in delight, he couldn't help but smile at your exuberance.

Taehyung, after arranging the eclairs, playfully licked the remaining chocolate from his fingers. You looked at him with a pout, your eyes fixed on the lingering sweetness.

“Do you want to taste?” Taehyung's voice was laced with amusement as he offered his chocolate-coated fingers to you. Without a moment's hesitation, you closed your eyes and wrapped your mouth around his proffered fingers, savouring the rich, decadent taste of the chocolate that lingered on his skin.

Taehyung realised his mistake as your warm mouth wrapped around his finger. He felt dizzy as in a second his body pumped all of his blood to his dick. He let his moan gurgle out as a low growl. The way your tongue caressed his fingers sent shivers down his spine. He marvelled at the softness of your lips, the gentle pressure with which you held his fingers by his wrist. 

For a brief moment, his mind wandered to realms of this current moment’s possibility. You would take his invitation to delve into the uncharted territory of the sweet dance of love if he asked. But he had to be careful and gentle with you. You were too precious to be used mindlessly, just because he felt like it. 

“Taste amazing…” You complimented with a glint in your eyes, you seemed very well aware of your actions.

“Y/N…” He whispered your name as the breeze hit his wet fingers. He had the urge to suck your spit off his finger but was currently frozen in his stance.

“Should we start our picnic? I am starving.” You pouted him innocently as Taehyung sat down. 

Taehyung replied, his voice came out raspy. You settled into your comfortable spot, the vibrant colours of the meadow surrounding you, adding to the magic of the moment. Meanwhile, Taehyung started to prepare the charcuterie board for you. He always had a perfect artistic eye, so he created a beautiful assortment. 

As he worked silently– mostly to calm his raging body– you picked up the finger sandwich. The egg and mayo ones were your all-time favourites as the platter mostly consisted of them. You couldn't resist the urge and with a playful glint in your eye, you extended the half-eaten sandwich toward him.

"Care for a bite?" you teased, your eyes dancing with playful affection. Taehyung rolled his eyes but accepted it with a smile, his lips brushing against your fingertips as he savoured the taste. 

“Hmm, why is it sweet!” He said with a faux surprise. 

You looked at him confused and ate the small piece left in your hand. “You made it sweeter by touching it with your sweet lips!” He retorted, his gaze soft and affectionate. It was his turn to overwhelm you despite he couldn’t play dirty like you.

You pouted your lips adorably as you fell into his trap and continued the savour the scene. As Taehyung picked up the champagne bottle. “We should start with a toast, right?” 

He weighed the bottle in his hands and read its label to you. “The finest champagne for my lover, dear Y/N.” his thumb traced over the intricate label. "Brought all the way from the vineyards in Reims, France. It's a vintage 1889.” The strong and lean muscles of his arms flexed ever so subtly as he deftly twisted the bottle. Your gaze lingered on the strong lines of his long fingers and the way he moved with practised ease.

"Is there anything you can't do elegantly?" you quipped, a note of admiration colouring your voice. Taehyung glanced down at you, a playful glint in his eyes. He let you savour the sight of him for a moment. Then, he coaxed the cork to release with a satisfying pop. You squealed, genuinely scared.

Taehyung laughed at you airly. You playfully swatted him on the arm, teasing him for scaring you. His laughter was infectious, filling the meadow with its warmth. "You just scared a family of squirrels Y/N!” he teased you further whilst pouring the champagne into the delicate crystal flutes. The liquid bubbled and frothed, its golden hue catching the last rays of the sun.

“I shall make a toast for you, my dear.” He announced as he held his glass up, his voice was warm and rich as he spoke, and his eyes locked onto yours with unwavering devotion. "To the most wonderful woman a man could ask for," he began, his voice carrying the weight of his sincerity. "I am beyond grateful for every moment we share, and I promise to spend the rest of my days making you as happy as you make me."

You felt a rush of emotion swell within you, your heart overflowing with love and gratitude for the man sitting before you. Before he could gesture you to drink, you raised your glass too. "To the man who has stolen my heart and continues to fill my life with joy and mischief," you said, your gaze unwavering. "I promise to stand by your side, to support you, and to love you unconditionally, for all the days of our lives."

With that, you raised your glass and clinked it against his, but throats dry with overwhelming emotion. “To your health.” He said and drank the entire glass in one go. You chuckled and joined him with a sip. 

—

After the two of you devoured most of the sandwiches, you were worried that your time with your lover was about to end. So, you angelically called his name, “Taehyung…” He looked at you with curious eyes. “Cuddle me.” You pushed the plates and opened your arms towards him. 

Taehyung gave you a lopsided grin as he crawled towards your lap. “Put your head on my lap, darling. I will feed you.” You murmured as he took his place on you. Normally he would oppose to this position, but he has been supporting a raging boner since you licked his fingers despite gulping down four glasses of champagne. Even though you could see the very obvious tent on his crotch, he didn’t want you to feel what you had done to him. 

He laid between your legs, over the length of your pink skirt. he laid his head on to your soft thigh while letting his hand rest on the opposite one. He hummed sweetly when you brought your hand to his hair.  “Let me take care of you too, baby.” You whispered; his lips curved into a soft smile.

He had never been this close to you despite all the cuddling he received. He was, now, very close to your intimate spots. Your perky chest was a few inches from his face, slightly obstructing his view of your face with their plumpness.

Your tummy was soft against his head, he was filled with intention to bury himself into your flesh, bite your soft skin. “Open up, Taetae.” Instead of your delicious taste, you gave him a grape. Taehyung gladly accepted it as he nestled into your lap. He was ridiculously tall, his feet were outside of the blanket. It felt like a giant was on top of you as his smallest move shook your body. 

“I can already hear my mother’s nagging about where I took you, what we did, what we talked.” Taehyung sighed as he smiled. 

You continued to caress his hair with a giggle. “She is so excited. She is planning our wedding like it’s the biggest event of the century.” 

He shook his head onto the soft meat of your thigh, “That doesn't surprise me. My mother loves grand affairs, and she is beyond delighted that you are my bride. And Jimin, too. He visited me at my office today, and he was so delighted for us. We haven't seen him that thrilled in a while."

“He might be happy because of the free booze.” You loved your alcoholic friend regardless. 

Taehyung's expression softened, and he looked thoughtful. "Speaking of friends, Eunjin…” You gave Taehyung an airy laugh when he mentioned his sister with this much scare. 

“She's going to lose her mind when she hears the news of us getting married. Ahh! I can’t even imagine the squeals. Let us uninvite her, darling." Taehyung squeezed his eyes, but he didn’t mean the annoyance. 

Fond memories of your childhood friend and Taehyung's sister flooded back. "Taehyung! You know we can’t do that. I already want her as my maid of honour…I really miss her. It’s boring to go tea parties without her."

Taehyung chuckled, "I am sure she will make sure everyone behaves well.” He reminisced about his little sister and her control issues.

You shared a warm smile, appreciating the shared memories you both had with your families and friends. 

"I think Namjoon won’t be surprised." You mused, thinking about your sweet and clumsy brother who was currently outside of town, attending a hunting party.

“He already knows,” Taehyung replied, his tone nonchalant.

"What do you mean he knows?" you inquired, a furrow forming on your brow.

Taehyung shifted, his expression becoming more serious. “Well, I have been preparing for this for a while now,” he explained, his gaze intense.

Confusion clouded your features. “Preparing for what, Taehyung?” you pressed, wanting to understand.

“Princess…” he hissed, a possessive glint in his eye. “Your father spoke to me about our future together before the summer started. So, I have been readying myself to be one of the prospects.”

“Before summer? It is more than three months ago?” As you absorbed his words, you felt a mixture of surprise and a thrill of possessiveness at his declaration. He nodded, “You have many bachelor candidates waiting for you, pretty girl.” Taehyung leaned in, his fingers tracing soft patterns on your thigh as he listed some of the eligible bachelors from various corners of the world with disgust in his low voice. "There's Carl Harrington, the textile magnate from Madrid. Then, Louis Beau, a barrister in London. Then there's Edmund Sinclair, heir to the prominent shipping company in Scotland, a man of stature in the maritime world."

As he recited the names, a tinge of possessiveness crept into his voice, showing his unease with the idea of you being courted by them. With those words, Taehyung lifted himself up from where he had been lying on your thighs, his head now resting against your heart, his nose tickling your skin. The alcohol in his body didn’t help him to make the right choices. Every etiquette, every rule disappeared from his mind as you pulled him in with your sweet smell. 

“Well, I can’t lie, I had some points in my block, but I had to be the best one for you, darling.” he murmured, his jaw set with determination.

“What made you think I would want them? You have my heart, Taehyung. I don’t think you need any other qualifications,” you stated firmly, your gaze meeting his with unwavering affection.

 “That’s great, my sweet girl, because you belong to me now. No other man…” His voice was a soft murmur, his breath caressing your skin as he claimed you. 

He rubbed his nose against your collarbones. his lips left a trail of soft, lingering kisses along your collarbones, his warm breath sending shivers down your spine “I want you to know, my love, that I won't allow anyone else to have what's rightfully mine," he declared firmly. “I will give you everything as your husband, okay?” 

You obediently nodded; head only filled with his presence. 

The fervour in his declaration was palpable, and you found yourself surrendering to the intensity of his love and devotion. 

“Taehyung…” You hummed his name just like in his dreams. Taehyung noticed the slight confusion in his voice as he kissed your skin one last time. 

“My love…” He mimicked your voice as he supported his whole body with his one arm. He was equally captivated. “Y/N… Can I kiss you?” He begged you silently, his nose brushing your cheek.

“Y-you know I haven’t ha-d my f-first–” You blabber. 

“I know, baby. I know… Do you want me to be your first?” Taehyung didn’t have the intention to be this desperate, but you made him so weak.

“What if I am bad?” You closed your eyes as his nose continued to rub your cheek. 

“Never, my darling. But if you don’t want to….” He licked his lips and took a deep breath to have enough of your captivating smell.

“I- I want to…” You murmured. 

“Oh, baby...” Taehyung whimpered. 

Taehyung's heart pounded as your request hung in the air, his desire for you only intensifying. His gaze never wavered from your face, drinking in the beauty and vulnerability that you displayed in this moment.

The world around you seemed to fade into oblivion, and all that remained was the two of you, drawn together by an irresistible force. Taehyung's hand, trembling ever so slightly, cupped your cheek, his thumb tenderly tracing your lips. He leaned in, his lips hovering just above yours, a silent request for permission.

Your heart raced, and a thousand thoughts flooded your mind. What if you weren't good at this? What if you disappointed him?

Gathering your courage, you nodded slightly, granting him the permission he sought. With a soft sigh, Taehyung closed the remaining distance, and his lips met yours in a sweet, unhurried kiss. It was a promise, a beginning, a declaration of love. His kiss was gentle yet ardent, his breath mingling with yours.

When Taehyung's soft lips met yours, it was like a delicate brush of silk upon your skin. The sensation was an exquisite blend of warmth and tenderness. His lips felt like a gentle whisper against your mouth.

The kiss, rather a prolonged peck, carried a need to express the depth of his emotions, yet it was imbued with patience as if he were willing to wait an eternity for you. His lips were slightly moist, shaking but still sure of what they desired.

“This was your first kiss, right?” He asked, his tears were about to fall from his cheeks.

You didn’t trust your voice, so you nodded. 

Taehyung pressed his lips to yours again as you froze in your place. “This was your second… I am your first and second.” 

“Taehyung…” You whimpered. 

Taehyung looked up to your eyes with fear, what if you regretted this already?

But your lips were curled into a content smile as you sucked on your bottom lip. “Hmm?” Taehyung couldn’t speak. 

Your eyes were closed but your smile got bigger. “You like that?” He gathered the courage to ask you. You nodded. “You gave me my first kiss…” Your voice was so quiet, scarred of ants and bees hearing you.

Taehyung’s arm grew weak, and he placed his back into your neck, lying on his side. “I did…” He whispered.

“Oh my Lord! Taehyung!” Your voice filled your lungs cheerfully. “You gave me my first kiss!”

Taehyung was a weak man. He was on a tide of emotions.

—

He was either poisonously possessive and jealous which made him bitter, or he was head over heels with ever-growing love. After sharing two quick pecks, his heart couldn’t slow down despite the relaxing encouragement from you. You weren’t different, you wore a delusional smile on your face and giggle with the remainant taste of him. 

After having the kiss, he laid back on your thigh, taking deep breaths to savour the moment. As he laid on, his driver returned, marking the time as 4 p.m. It was time to return home. Taehyung packed the stuff up hurriedly, he shoved most of the stuff back into the baskets. But Taehyung helped you get the carriage with utter gentleness and held your hand during the ride back home. 

On the ride, Taehyung's gaze occasionally shifted toward you, his eyes conveying a mixture of tenderness and protectiveness that had become all too familiar. The ride back felt shorter than the journey there, perhaps because of the warmth that enveloped you both at the newfound intimacy.

You stole glances at him too, admiring the subtle lines of his profile, the way the fading sunlight played upon his features, casting a golden halo around his countenance. The tender memories of your first kiss lingered, the sweetness of the moment still etched in the recesses of your mind.

Your entrance back to Kim’s estate was wordless too, your bodies thriving in the spell of love together. Taehyung’s henchman greeted you at the door with a big smile. As you entered the house, Taehyung took your jacket off for you. “Thank you, Tae.” You shivered when his knuckles brush your shoulders. 

“Your mothers are at the blue drawing room, Mr Kim.” The henchman announced as he closed the door behind you.

You and Taehyung proceed into the room as another maid took your jackets. Ever gentleman, Taehyung offered you his arm. You accepted, “The blue drawing room is my favourite!” You quietly squeal. 

Taehyung gave you a sweet chuckle, pecking your temple. He could see the little girl he used to chase down the halls with your words. “Are you ready for the big inquisition?” He asked.

You playfully rolled your eyes at him. “Take me back to the meadow!”

As you and Taehyung entered the lavish blue drawing room, the silver and blue furnishings gave the room an air of refined elegance. The intricate silver-framed portraits adorned the walls, complementing the lavish blue draperies that billowed gently in the evening breeze. The chandeliers above illuminated the room with a soft, golden radiance, casting enchanting shadows across the floor.

Both your mother and Mrs Kim had already adorned themselves in their evening finery, complete with sparkling tiaras that added an extra touch of glamour. Their eyes lit up as they spotted the two of you, immediately eager for the details of your day.

Taehyung greeted them first, “Oh lord! The room is so bright with your elegance, mothers!” Taehyung's playful charisma shone through as he addressed the company in his charming manner. 

They gave Taehyung a melodic giggle, “Son, you are a charmer as always.” Your mother said.

“Come on, sit down, you love birds. Tell us what you have done!” Mrs Kim chippered quickly. Your mother gave her a knowing look. “How was your day, my dear Y/N? Did my son treat you well? If not, you just only tell!” Her hand reached for her heel.

You couldn't help but smile, feeling the warmth of their interest. "It was absolutely delightful, thank you! Taehyung took me on the loveliest picnic. We had the most wonderful time together under the sun." you replied, your voice filled with the remnants of the joy and excitement from the day's escapades.

"It sounds like very romantic day…" Mrs Kim added with a soft sigh, the memory of the picnic bringing a pleasant warmth to your cheeks. Both of the mothers couldn't help but express their admiration and fondness for the idyllic setting. 

Your mother, with a playful glint in her eye, interjected with a teasing remark. "Yes, but you two used to bicker so much, it's a wonder you didn't drive each other crazy! It seems you've found a way to get along." She shot a knowing look at Mrs Kim, who chuckled in agreement.

Taehyung, always quick with a quip, responded with a grin, "Oh, well, Y/N came long way, I think. She even shared her eclairs with me, isn't that right, my darling?" He reached for your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as his eyes met yours with a twinkle.

You pouted with a huff, “Taehyung!” Just like that two of you returned to bickering. 

—

masterlist |

[hedghost]

A Comprehensive Rating of all The New Nike Kits that Literally No One Asked Me For:

starting off strong with England:

listen when i first saw this i was like hmm okay 😐, then i saw it on the players and i was like hmmm okayyyyy 💅💅

home is clean, classic - i like it. collar is a choice but i think it works, sleeves are nice, retro kits slay always - 8/10

controversial but purple as a colour in general sucks. however, i would barely call this away kit purple, the charcoal vibe is actually fucking sexy. it’s almost a grey kit, and a grey kit is almost a black kit, and i love black kits. love the pattern down the side, love the gold, my only reservation is that it looks like a training kit (specifically that ugly purple kit the lionesses had a few years ago) - 7.5/10

special shout-out to that eyesore of a goalie kit, i absolutely fucking love it

——

now Portugal is a serving us a game of two halves:

the home is… a kit. it’s nice, it’s clean, but it literally could not be less forgettable. it’s fine - 5/10

the away on the other hand - masterpiece. that pattern is actually gorgeous, colours are so cute, and it’s actually unique! love when kits have nods to culture/history- 10/10, stunning

——

United States - yea girl give us nothing!

listen the home is fine. but one word springs to mind and that word is boring. where’s the flavour? the flag collar saves it - 6/10

the away is absolutely vile i fucking hate that- 1/10

—-

France said how big can we possibly make our badge:

again home is fine. it’s nothing special, it’s clean, it’s whatever, it’s a home kit. i’m bored. however both kits suffer from the ailment of that absolute fucking monster chicken. why is it so huge - 5/10

the away is nicer. pinstripe is nothing to write home about, but at least there’s a little something something going on. again, the chicken is hard to get past - 6.5/10

—-

Canada gave us the classics

these are both nice kits. the home is proof that nike do know how to make plain kits that don’t look like they just stuck a badge on a primark t-shirt. simple done well - 8/10

again, the away is simple but effective. does look a bit like an exercise book, but that’s fine. sleek, classy, it’s a decent kit - 7/10

—-

Brazil proves once again that they know the meaning of cool:

listen, when the colour scheme of your team is yellow and green, you just have to commit to garish. this kit is an eyesore in a good way. this is not a great picture of the pattern but let me tell you it’s gorgeous. i’m not sure about this weird collar though, it looks fine on some of these other kits but idk it’s just not doing it for me here - 8/10

again, this away pattern is hurting my eyes just looking at it, but i like it a lot. makes me wanna go to the beach. brazil knows who they are, and you will know about it. nice colour, bit of fun! more fun kits please! - 7.5/10

—-

just like it’s football team, Poland’s kits are pretty forgettable:

yeah sorry poland i really don’t know what to tell you here, it’s just really fucking dull. the collar does look nice here, but other than that it’s really not saying much - 4/10

again, not much to say. this does have a bit of a cross stitch pattern which i quite like, but other than that it’s average. normally i like a centred badge but here it just looks like weird. think it’s too big. sorry poland - 5.5/10

—-

sorry Turkey, the only thing worse than boring, is being boring and ugly:

this away shirt makes polands kit look like the sistine chapel. i can’t even comment because there is absolutely nothing going on - 3/10

and yet somehow… the home kit is worse. i will never be a fan of a block stripe across the chest. the centred badge might have worked if it didn’t have a circle around it. boring and ugly - 2/10

—-

meanwhile, South Korea blew it out the fucking water!

now this is how you make a kit! take notes turkey! this home kit is literally beautiful. colour is stunning, pattern is gorgeous! 11/10 no notes

and it doesn’t stop there! black kits are stunning anyway, but this?! i adore it. so fun, so sleek. - 10/10

—-

The Netherlands just couldn’t really be arsed:

i fucking hate this. orange kits done well are beautiful, and this is neither one of those things. at least the players will be up to code if they visit a construction site. the colour is quite literally named ‘safety orange’ - 2/10

the away kit is alright. i quite like it, the patterns decent. the colours are nice. it does look a bit like a bus seat though. - 5.5/10

—-

China took the stripped back approach :

these aren’t my favourites, but they are nice. the home is classic, nothing fancy, but it’s smooth, it’s sleek, it’s smart. the sleeves are a nice touch - 6.5/10

the same goes for the away. not as nice as the red, but it’s cool. i like it. - 6/10

—-

Norway forgot which continent they’re from:

now i’m aware the home kit is unpopular, but i actually like it. idk it’s something different, it’s a smart little pattern, centred badge looks good - i’m a fan. i like when countries incorporate their flags into their shirt. it is, however, the flag of thailand. - 7/10

this is a nice away kit. it’s giving fjords, it’s giving glaciers, it’s giving norway. reminds me of the adidas wwc kits, and we all know how nice those were. - 9/10

—-

Nigeria only knows how to serve cunt!

this is nice. it’s giving me like early noughties vibes, with the font and the tick, and i’m a fan. i’ve never seen a bad green and white kit. well played nigeria, well played. - 8/10

i love black kits. i love green kits. i love patterned kits. and i love this kit. it’s a sick pattern, and it’s just gorgeous. good job - 10/10

—-

Croatia is… also here:

yeah croatia what the fuck is this? this home kit is absolutely atrocious. boring and ugly - 3/10

i honestly don’t know if the away is better or worse. just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. i don’t know, it’s alright. weird - 4/10

[ashisgreedy]

Garreth Weasley x F!MC

Professor Garreth AU

“A Potion Of You.” 

Tags: Spicy 18+ | First Date | Making out | Heavy petting | Fingering | F!Orgasm | Hickies | All chars are aged up 21+ish. WC: 7,100

-18 Minors, do not interact with my blog/content.

A|N: In chapter 1, Garreth is introduced as a professor at Hogwarts after not seeing the MC for many years. He proceeds to get outed as having a crush on her when they were in school and his feelings are reciprocated by the MC. He asks her out on a date. Chapter 2 is their date!

| Ch. 1 |

Chapter 2 

Entering the castle after all of these years was a shock of nostalgia. The corridors all seemed so familiar yet she’s been gone so long, she knew she couldn't have made her way around by memory anymore.  She knocked lightly on the solid wooden door of Garreth’s classroom. She was unsure if it was the correct room but the surrounding stack of caldrons made her more confident she was in the right place.

She didn't have to wait long before the door swung open to the Potions Classroom, Garreth greeting her with a large smile. Seeing him was also a mix of nostalgia as well, laced with a hint of unfamiliarity. There was a time, long ago, when she knew every single thing about him. 

“Hey! Come on in.” He welcomed her warmly. Garreth’s hair was styled like it always had been. His curl pattern and the way his hair grew must not have been open to many different types of styling. 

“Hello, good evening.” She greeted him sweetly. 

Her day had seemed to drag by so slowly making her nerves stand on end. It was almost surreal being here with him now in his classroom, finally. She wondered all day what the date would be like, what he would be like. Would they still banter like they used to? Could being romantically entangled complicate things in a way neither of them could have imagined? She hoped things would go smoothly at least. As teens, they always clicked together effortlessly. Hopefully, not much has changed despite the years of maturity between them. 

He was dressed a bit nicer than the night before at the bar. He was wearing a maroon vest with gold buttons and trim. His top was a light cream and his slacks were a dark shade of charcoal grey. He looked great and so put together. He never lacked in the fashion department when they were teens but it was nice to see him trying a bit more for her, for their date. She shook her head internally at the thought, still in disbelief that she was on a date with the guy she had the biggest and longest-running crush on in history. 

“I’m happy to see you again.” He said, giving her a quick look over. “You look amazing.” He blew out air from his lungs in a rush and rubbed the back of his head. “I mean to say, you look very beautiful.” 

Her stomach flopped at his compliment. “Thank you.” She took a moment to rake her eyes over him. “You’re not so bad yourself.” She shot him a playful smile. That was an understatement. He looked downright hot. This man had only gotten better with age. He was filled out, broader, and his legs were a good deal longer. His arms were way more muscular than she had ever seen them. She wondered if he worked out or if the simple task of carrying heavy objects around his classroom got him so into shape. She imagined he may carry many heavy stacked cauldrons and crates of supplies to and fro, arms flexing as he did. 

“Why, thank you.” He beamed. “I just have to grab my keys and we can be off!” His energy was still very much the same albeit a bit more toned down. Garreth still looked like he’d be up for any spontaneous adventure. His eyes glittered in the room light before he tore his gaze away to grab his set of keys. 

She had missed those deep emerald eyes of his that used to be such a comfort to see on even the most stressful of days. She missed his red fluffy hair that she used to throw tiny bits of balled-up paper in that he, of course, never realized it was her doing. (She should confess that to him soon…)  Hell, she missed him and his antics and his jokes and his laugh. They were always chatting and planning something back in school. Their conversation always flowed like water down a stream, it was as easy as breathing. She wondered how their adult conversations would go.

They both had nervous jitters that bounced around the room. It was a strange combination of feeling the familiarity of an old friend while also being somewhat strangers. It didn’t help her nerves being so open about being attracted to said friend. And, of course, going on a date. A date with many possible implications that she refused to allow herself to think about all day. She blushed and made her way back out the door from where she had just come. 

What if it did work out? What then? One of them would have to leave the adult life they built. One of them being her, of course, she would never ask Garreth to leave his job as a professor here at Hogwarts. It would make her sick to her stomach to even ask him to quit so he could come live with her in her hamlet many hours away doing menial tasks to stay afloat.  She supposed she wouldn’t mind leaving her life behind, but she was getting ahead of herself. The date hadn’t even started yet. She would just have to go with the flow and have fun with it. 

“I brought my appetite like you asked.” She assured him. Garreth sent her an owl early that morning with a bit of banter and a hint to wear warm clothes for their date. It also told her to stop snacking at 4 to be hungry enough for what he had planned. She read the letter six or seven times just to study his neat handwriting. The way he wrote her name with an extra flourish made her heart swell. 

“Fantastic!” He closed the door, locking it with one of the larger keys on the ring. “I don’t want to spoil too much of the surprise, but we will definitely have lots of food options tonight.” 

“What’s such a surprise about eating dinner together?” 

Garreth sent her a charming smile and offered her his arm. She took it, linking her arm in his as they walked down the long corridor.

“You will see soon enough.” 

She wondered if his cheeks were going to be sore from smiling so much. She touched her own face realizing she may be facing the same issue later. They walked arm in arm, their steps, and easy chatter filling the halls. 

Gareth took her to a small balcony high in the Hogwarts castle. It looked so familiar to her but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. But, oh wow, was it an incredible view. It was akin to something she would only be able to see flying on her broom. Rolling hills in the distance, glowing just a bit with the last remaining rays of the setting sun. The black lake below looked massive from where they stood. Its waters were calm and it reflected the hills behind it like a mirror.

A small circular table sat in the middle of the balcony. A white tablecloth draped to the ground and the centerpiece was decorated with a red flower and two floating candles. Two empty plates were set out across from each other, chairs angled slightly toward the view. 

“Wow, it’s lovely.” She took in the romantic scene. Her heart squeezed at the effort he’d put in. She stepped toward the table with a huge grin. 

Garreth laughed. “I may have gotten some advice on what kind of date to take you on. I told my colleagues I couldn’t grab drinks with them because I had a special date.”  He enunciated the T in ‘date’ and winked. He pulled out the chair for her and waited for her to sit. 

“Do you grab drinks with your fellow professors often?” She unfolded the napkin on the table and placed it on her lap. Garreth took his seat across from her and relaxed back into the chair. He eyed the scenery then slid his gaze back to her.  

“Sometimes. I guess it's been more often lately since the cool weather rolled in.” He rubbed his hands together and searched the table for something. “I think a lot of people get lonely this time of year.” 

“Did they give you any good advice for our first date?” She teased. 

The floating candles were enchanted, giving off a whole fireplace's worth of warmth. It made it bearable to stay outdoors in the winter, but she was still grateful for the long coat she wore that covered her skirt. Garreth found what he was looking for, a tiny brass bell. He rang it and sat it off to the side. 

“A bit. Only one bit of advice was useful though.” He gestured at the view. “The divination professor told me to pick a spot that held meaning for both of us. I don’t think I’ve been to this side of the castle in a while. I wouldn’t have thought about it again if she hadn’t said anything.” 

“Special meaning?” Her brows knitted together. She searched her mind for answers but came up blank. This scenery would be hard to forget, but it was possible it was already culled from her mind after all these years.

Garreth nodded, looking around the balcony. “This is where we used to come to sneak out to during 6th and 7th year when I made those series of… concoctions. The ones that I hoped would get us either drunk or experience a unique buzz.” 

It all rushed back to her in an instant. She recalled Garreth pulling out vile after vile of different potions he’d made and dropped them all on the balcony for them to sift through. They’d drink a vile then eat some candy they’d gotten from Hogsmeade and just talk and laugh. Sometimes they’d play games, most of which Garreth had come up with on the spot. Some, they would modify to turn them into drinking games. She didn’t recall ever taking in the view like she was now. It must have paled in comparison to the company she shared. 

“Damn,” She began. “I can’t believe I didn’t recognize this place! Remember the time you drank two potions back to back and your skin ended up turning purple?” She began to laugh and Garreth feigned annoyance. 

“Yes well, I remember when you used to force me to drink all the newest concoctions because you were too scared to be my guinea pig. That’s why my face turned purple! I could never say no to you.” He shook his head with a grin. “I guess you know why now.” He shot her a playful wink.

“What would you rather have had me do? I couldn’t walk around school with purple skin.” 

“It’s not like I wanted all those strange stares either.” He crossed his arms, a huge smile across his face.” 

“Well, you are the one that made them. It’s only fair that you are the one that tested them too.” 

“I was just happy to be hanging out with you. It was always worth it to have double vision for a few hours or even purple skin.” 

They smiled at one another for a long moment. Now that the conversation easily flowed, she felt more comfortable in his presence. 

“Oh, and you mentioned you spoke with the divination professor? Did she predict our date would go well?” She smirked, raising a questioning brow. 

Garreth laughed then shook his head. “I didn’t ask.” 

“Bullshit.” 

“Okay fine! I asked!” He put his hands up in defense, a huge smile still on his face. “ But she wouldn't tell me. She just said ‘Have fun.’ and shut the door on my face.” 

“You poor thing.”

“Yes, feel sorry for me.” He teased.

She admonished him and rolled her eyes. It was fun, how easily she could flirt with him. It was welcoming, almost like no time had passed. 

A bell chimed sounding the same as the one Garreth had rang moments ago. 

“Lean back.” He directed, leaning back in his own chair.

She removed her arms from the table and relaxed back. Out of thin air, food appeared on the plate in front of her. Several sides populated the outskirts of the plate while the middled filled an entre. The huge mug to her right began to fill to the brim with a fizzing liquid.

“This looks absolutely delicious.” She breathed in the new smells that permeated the balcony. The effervescent drink bubbled as she took a small sip. The cider warmed her from the inside. 

Garreth was quiet for a long moment before he spoke. “I’m glad you like it. Just so you know, we can ring this bell and more food will be brought out. Each time we ring it, a new dish will be served.”

“Is this with the help of the kitchen elves?”

“Yes, the concept is similar to how they fill the dining hall for every meal. Pretty neat, huh?”

“Very neat!” She looked up and met Garreth’s gaze. “Garreth, I really do like this.” She spoke quietly. Understanding washed over his features. He kept eye contact with her, appreciating the moment. “I like everything about this night. The food is perfect, the view is incredible, and having dinner on this balcony was a marvelous idea.” Garreth’s smile grew as she spoke. “But most of all, I like the company.” 

There it was, a red blush, spreading across Garreth’s face. “I’ve never been happier.” He sounded as if he were in a dream state.

“Oh hush,” She giggled. “Liar. I was there when you managed to make the perfect batch of fizzing whiz beer that didn’t blow up, and it actually tasted drinkable.” 

“That WAS incredible!” He laughed, reminiscing. “I have since refined that recipe, I’ll have you know. You can actually drink a whole mug of it and not get sick!” 

“Wonderful! I’d love to try some.” 

“Well… okay maybe it still makes one a bit sick on occasion…” He backpedaled. “It’s a bit unpredictable. But, I have another better recipe I’ve been working on that you can try!” 

“I may take you up on that offer.” Do you live here,” She gestured to the castle. “in the faculty tower?” She recalled that most, if not all of the professors lived in the tower. 

“Uh, I don’t. I do have a room to stay in if I need it. But, I actually live in a nearby Hamlet. It has a yard where I can grow some ingredients and it’s near some woods where I can forage.” Garreth took a drink from his cup. 

“Oh? I didn’t think they would allow you to live off the property if you were a professor.” She honestly hadn’t put much thought into it as a child. Most of the time it felt like the professors just slept in their classroom offices. 

“There’s a floo flame two houses down from me. And, there's a floo flame right outside of my classroom. I can arguably make it to my classroom faster than others that live within the castle itself.” He smiled like he’d tested that theory already. 

The conversation flowed easily as they ate their meal. The two candles floating above the table kept the balcony romantically lit and very warm. The gentle yellow flame made Garreth’s hair appear more strawberry blond than his usual firebolt strands.

She didn’t want this night to end. She felt annoyed that she had to leave early the next morning. When she initially visited, she hadn’t planned on even staying the one night let alone two. She didn’t bring more than just the one spare set of clothing nor did she bring enough galleons to pay for yet another room at a nearby stay. Sadness crept into her mind, but she pushed it away and focused on enjoying the moment. 

They continued their banter as the dinner progressed. They both took turns bringing up memories of their time at school and sharing knowledge about what their old friends were up to now. 

Later, she found her arm linked with Garreth’s again as he showed her around his classroom. 

“I’ve made some changes, but mostly kept things the way they were. I don’t like sitting for most of the class. I find that I walk around and answer questions most of the time anyway. So, I got rid of the desk to make room for additional caldrons.” Garreth spoke excitedly. He looked a lot like his enthusiastic younger self now. She loved that he still held onto wonder, like everything was still fresh and new. 

She took in her old classroom, spotting some differences here and there. “I’m impressed by your ingredient shelves. They are much more organized than I remember.” All the shelves were organized by color and size. Most of the jars looked dusted and all their labels were facing outward neatly.  

Garreth rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, you can thank one of my students for that. A first year. She came in the first day and gasped. Said that this was no way to run a classroom. She ended up staying after class several times for a couple of weeks just to reorganize my ingredients. She condensed some and separated others. I haven’t dared to touch them since. I am grateful, but I don’t want to mess up all her hard work. Plus, the other students have been finding things much faster. Whatever she did, it’s a far better system than what I could have come up with.” 

“Sounds like she’d make a good teacher's assistant one day.” They continued their jaunt around the room, eventually making their way back toward the entrance. 

“That would mean she’d have to go into my office. I think she would quit on the spot if she went in there.” Garreth laughed. “Speaking of,” He waved his wand at the lock on the door within the classroom. The lock popped and the door swung open. “This is my office.” He pocketed his wand and lead her in. 

It wasn’t dirty at all. In fact, there was far less dust than what she remembered from it being Professor Sharps's office. It looked more lived-in albeit disorganized. He used almost every surface to house potion bottles, ingredient jars, or bubbling caldrons. 

“I know it looks kind of bad… But, I know where everything is. Or, at least I think I could find what I was looking for pretty quickly.” He glanced around then looked back over at her, eagerly waiting to hear what she thought. 

“It’s very you, Gar.” She reached over and squeezed his hand. Her eyes bounce from one shelf to another. There were several corks on his desk and a slew of blank tags tossed about. She guessed he must have been in the middle of labeling some potions before she got there. 

“Feel free to take a seat if you want.” He squeezed her hand back, grinning like an idiot. “I can make us some tea.” The only seat was at his desk. It felt strange to be seated while he stood so she opted to lean against the desk instead. 

She peaked at the clock ticking away on the wall and sighed. “I think I’ll pass on the tea. It’s getting a bit late.” She had a pang of regret the second she said that. “I-I don’t want the night to end, but I do have to leave a bit early in the morning.” 

Garreth nodded his head. “It’s perfectly alright. I’m glad you said something. I would have kept talking for hours.” His smile looked bittersweet. He ran his hand through his hair and rested his palm on the back of his neck. 

She didn’t want to come outFright and say how she was feeling quite yet. If they did want to see each other again, it wouldn’t be for a while due to their schedules. And, what if long distance wasn’t Garreth’s thing? Or if he agreed to it, how long would they both last? Did he always want her to come to him? Or would he be willing to come to her? He probably couldn’t stay with her for very long anyway, he would always have to come back for his classes. She shook her head out of her thoughts. She was getting ahead of herself.

“I’d love to talk to you for hours.” She bit the inside of her cheek. “If I could.” 

That brightened his smile. “Yeah? And what would you like to talk about with me for hours?” He took a step toward her, brows lifting in question. 

“Anything…” She breathed the word. 

She laughed as nervous and giddy energy bubbled up inside her. But, it was the second step he took that made her stomach break out into flutters. Garreth stood in front of her, gaze falling on hers. He took her hand in his and laced their fingers together. Her heart hammered as she realized just how alone they were. They weren’t kids sneaking around anymore, and no one was looking for them.  

His eyes twinkled as he cupped one side of her face. Their noses touched and he hovered in silent question. She squeezed her hand in his and held her breath when his thumb gently stroked her skin.

Her heart thrummed wildly in her ears while she focused on the two freckles that decorated his top lip. Without further hesitation, she pressed up on her toes and accepted his invitation. His lips were warm against hers and oh, so soft. He kissed her like she was delicate, pressing his lips to hers tenderly. He let out a relieved sigh and planted several soft pecks atop her mouth. 

He slowed his rhythm gradually. When it felt like he was going to conclude the kiss, she slid her palms up his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. Garreth took a sharp inhale and slid his hand to rest on her lower back. He hugged her close, tilting his head more to the right, and slotting their lips together to get a much deeper kiss. 

The sounds of feet shuffling as they scrambled to get that much closer to one another, labored breathing, and lips meeting filled the office. She was caught up in the rhythm of it all. The urgency of the kiss began to reflect how much she deeply yearned for him, all the way to the center of her being. She wanted this. He wanted this. It was clearer than glass to her. They just fit together so perfectly.

Bells chimed in the distance and Garreth tore his lips away. He looked pained to be parted from her. His forehead pressed into hers while taking a deep breath. 

“That’ll be 11:00 PM. I am sorry I kept you out so late.” He pressed a long, hard kiss to her forehead, hands cupping the sides of her face as he did. 

She smiled at the affection and looked up to meet his eyes. “Thank you for tonight.” Her fingers playfully twirled a stray piece of his crimson hair. 

Garreth smiled wide and raced to plant a chassed kiss on her lips. “I should be thanking you. I am so glad you came into town. I’m happy you agreed to go on a date with me.” His thumb swiped over her bottom lip. He marveled at her for a few more moments before stepping away. 

“I…” She paused. “I guess I should be going.” She did tell him earlier that she couldn’t stay out too late. But, this was making her regret that statement. She wanted nothing more than to fold into his arms and stay there all night. 

“May I walk you back to your lodgings for the night?” 

“Of course. I’d love that.” She gave him one last smile and squeezed their clasped hands before breaking away. 

On their way out, Garreth locked his office door with a wave of his wand then took her hand in his. “There’s a floo flame just there,” he pointed across the hall. His warm fingers laced with hers and excitement bubbled up in her chest. They fell into pace with one another with no effort. 

The trip was like a flash. The warm air from the castle was gone and replaced instantly with the night's chilly atmosphere. A gush of icy wind blew past, lifting dried leaves from the cobblestone street. She hugged herself to suppress a shiver.

“It’s that one.” She pointed to the quaint bed and breakfast across the square. 

Garreth squinted in that direction. “I see it! Let’s get inside.” He looked down just as she shivered. “Quickly now!” He said with a smile. 

They bounded for the building in sync, both laughing a bit at the other's competitive nature. They both tried to quickly step in front of one another but Garreth rushed forward at the last minute and opened the door for her. 

“After you.” He gave her a playful wink.

Stagnant warm air greeted them. She rubbed her hands together to create heat. The fireplace in the corner of the room blazed and the scent of freshly brewed tea wafted in the air. 

“Good evening!” The receptionist chimed. She stood from behind the desk, setting her drink down in the process. She smoothed her blazer and looked between the two of them with a welcoming smile. 

“Yes, good evening.” She greeted. 

“Good evening.” Garreth nodded. 

“Do you need to check in?” The receptionist began opening a ledger. 

“No, I’ve got a key already. Thank you.” She wave to the receptionist and guided Garreth down the hall. 

“Not a problem. Please feel free to come to the front desk at any time if you are in need of anything.” The receptionist called after. 

“Will do!” She responded over her shoulder. 

She realized how fast she was rushing to her room and began to stall her steps. The excitement and energy from their playfulness outside had not worn off on her yet. She buzzed with adrenaline and, truthfully, nerves. She wanted to kiss him again. 

“It’s a nice stay.” He broke the silence. 

“Yes, it’s very nice. It was the only open room I could find nearby on such short notice. They were quick to get me a room. A nice couple, the people that run this place.”

They walked a few more steps in silence. “Will you be coming back anytime soon?” Garreth’s voice was full of hope. 

“I might, I mean- Maybe? I have some business back near my home. So, it won't be for another few weeks before I can come back.” 

Garreth’s eyes wandered as he processed her words. “Then, may I come visit you? If you’ll have me of course.”

She stopped walking. “I’d love that.” She pulled the key out of her pocket and read the number on it. 

“Fantastic!” He sighed in relief. His smile reached his eyes and he looked absolutely bursting with happiness. 

She smiled at his expression and turned the corner. Her steps slowed in front of the second door on the left. “Here I am.” 

Garreth nodded and ran his hand through his hair. “I had a lot of fun.” He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I would love to take you out again, soon. Maybe I can visit you this coming weekend? I teach my last class at noon on Friday, so I will be free all weekend starting then.” 

She leaned against the wall next to her door, picking at a piece of loose thread on her jacket sleeve, and smiled. “That would be fine, as long as you don’t mind going on a couple of errands with me.” 

“I would not mind at all.” He smiled wide. “In fact, that sounds like a lot of fun.” 

She absently pulled at the loose thread, a light blush never leaving her cheeks. Garreth looked over his shoulder down the hall then back at her. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other. 

“Could I, er…” He averted his eyes and looked down the hall again, biting his bottom lip.

“What is it?” 

Garreth resolved himself, clearing his throat. He leaned in a bit closer, keeping his voice down. “I want to kiss you… again.” His eyes caught hers. “May I?” 

Her blush spread to her ears. “Yes.” She perked up, ready to press up on her toes at a moment's notice to capture his lips yet again.

“Yes?” Garreth smiled wide.

“I’d like that.” She admitted.

He ran his hand down her arm tentatively. He took her hand again and rubbed a circle on the back of it with his thumb. Garreth was almost a head taller than her now. It was still so strange seeing just how much he’d changed after all these years. She wanted to explore more about him and get to know everything about who he was now. He accommodated their height difference by leaning down. His lips parted ever so slightly as he inched closer to her. She pushed up on her toes to meet him halfway. 

They met in the middle, arms wrapping around one another. They picked up where they left off in his office. She poured every bit of passion she could muster into that kiss hoping to show him just how much the night meant to her, how much he meant to her. Garreth reciprocated her passion like it was a challenge. 

She was lost in the kiss, lost in the fervor, but something prodding her lips brought her back down to reality. She paid attention to their mouths trying to process what it was. Garreth did it again, pressing the tip of his tongue against her closed mouth. She realized he was asking her to part her lips for him. A dizzying rush swept over her, and she relaxed her lips at his request. 

His tongue dipped passed her parted lips in slow sensual motions, gliding over the tip of hers. She hummed at the sensation. Fuck, it felt so good kissing him like this. Her sighs encourage him, and he slipped his tongue in more and more. She pushed against his body eagerly, arms tight against his neck, hands sliding in his silky hair. He pushed back, pressing her body firmly against the wall with his. She could feel just how much this was affecting him as he absently rolled his hips against her.

The soft yearning sounds he started to make were heavenly. He sounded borderline needy and holy hell was it affecting her. Each whimper he stifled went straight down her spine, fueling her burning desire. Weak at the knees, she’d probably slide to the floor if it wasn’t for him holding her up against the wall.

She quickly realized, despite his roaming touches, Garreth’s hands only moved everywhere that was decent, missing all her sensitive places. She peaked her eyes open as they made out, seeing just how lust drunk he was. She noticed the angular cut of his jaw, decorated with hundreds of tiny freckles. His face was beet red and his hair was in shambles. She’d done that to him, she was the one that made him into this mess of a man. 

The realization of the effect she had on him gave her a shot of audacity. When his palm roamed to the small of her back again, she reached back and slid his hand to cup her ass. 

She broke their kiss to speak. “It’s okay, you can touch me.” 

“Yeah?!” Garreth was breathless. His hand was frozen in place. She felt a tremble go through him. 

“Yes… Please. We won’t see each other for a while and…” Was that the best excuse she could come up with? She tried again, the truth this time. “I want you to touch me.” 

He nodded, and his hand squeezed the roundness of her ass. His mouth moved from her lips, to her jaw, and down to her neck. His little nips and kisses made her ache between her thighs. He sucked lightly under her ear, both hands wildly massaging her backside. His tongue swept across her skin sending chilled bumps down her arm. 

Her skirt was riding up with the friction of his enthusiastic movements. He was way more handsy than she expected him to be but welcomed it greedily. The enthusiastic massaging and groping of her ass excited her to no end.  When her skirt rode up too high and his finger touched her bare thigh he stopped. “Is this okay?” His eyes went wide, a pleading look of apology in his gaze.

“Yes!” She didn’t mean to whimper but fucking hell her mind was becoming mush. It was filled with just him, Garreth’s lips, Garreth’s tongue, his hands, his hips, his hard as fuck cock in his pants rubbing against her with every grind of his hips. 

With her permission, he slid both his hands under her skirt, feeling her ass with only the thin barrier of her cotton panties. “Shit,” She panted into his kiss. With his grip manipulating the cloth, moving it around, she could feel just how wet she’d gotten from this interaction. 

Garreth was breathless as they made out. He groaned into her mouth, swiping his tongue as deep as it would go. She matched his energy, and gripped the back of his head, holding him to her lips. Her hands soon began to slide around his hair, touseling his already messy waves. He groaned when her nails gently scraped his scalp. 

Garreth’s hips pushed against her again and she returned the gesture, grinding against him in kind. Her heart was swelling with emotion the longer they kissed. She could have this with him, all the time. She wanted it more than anything. This could be the very adventure she’d been searching for. A life with him, rekindling their childhood flame and making up for lost time for as long as they lived. The butterflies in her stomach doubled.

She pushed his head to the side and began trailing kisses down his neck to his clavicle. She unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and pulled the collar down to reveal more freckled skin. Garreth panted like he’d been chased all the way here, hands still kneading her ass.

She began to kiss his chest as more skin became bare to her. She wanted to leave a kiss for each day they were apart, a kiss for every moment she spent pining after him in school, a kiss for every year that went by where her love for him hadn’t yet faded. 

He slowed his grip and ran his palms up and down her thighs, teasing his finger along her panty line. He was getting bolder and she loved it. She sucked on the patch of skin that would be hidden by his clothes in the daytime. Despite wanting to mark him for all to see, Garreth was a professor now and had a professional life. His racing heart pulsed on her lips as she marked him. She licked and sucked the same spot while he watched, eyes half-lidded. 

“Something to remember you by?” Garreth tried to tease, but it came out as more of a needy sigh. 

“Something like that.” She teased back, breath heady. 

The hickey was smaller than she thought it’d be based on how hard she’d been sucking. She kissed the small mark before letting go of his shirt and hiding it from view.

Garreth’s mouth was on hers in a flash. He left one hand under her skirt while the other slid up her waist. He stopped at her ribs and rested there. 

“You can touch me.” She assured, cupping his face and pulling him into a devious kiss. 

He groaned into the kiss, sliding his hand up slowly to cup her breast. He squeezed her and held his breath. She slid her tongue into his mouth, pushing her chest against his palm. He readjusted his stance to hold both her chest and ass comfortably. 

The squeezing and rubbing sensation was gunning her desire. His hand gripping and sliding along her breast moved the fabric around just right to pleasure the sensitive nipple below. She moaned when he squeezed particularly hard, pressing herself into his arms.  Their muffled sounds of pleasure filled the air as their kisses heated up. Waves of desire and heat radiated between their bodies. 

Garreth gave her ass one last squeeze before daring to press his hand between her thighs. He cupped her pussy and added some pressure. His palm ground into her clit in a circular motion and she cursed. Before she knew it, her hips rocked against his hand fervently. The motion spread her wet desire all over the cloth of the panties soaking through to his skin. 

“Fu-uck” He moaned, grinding his hand against her cunt. “You’re so eager, so perfect,” His voice was a borderline whimper. “...so wet.” he whispered in disbelief. 

“Garreth-” She moaned his name, gripping his shoulders to keep herself upright. 

He kept up his eager pace, grinding his hand in a circular pattern while she rocked her hips. Garreth bit her bottom lip, forcing her mouth open so her moans filled the hall. He then swiped his tongue against hers, kissing and lapping at her mouth in a craze.

She could feel it coming, the release her body was working up to. It lingered on the edge, like a diver working up their courage to take the plunge. Her legs were jelly and her head was swimming. “...Sssso close.” She moaned into his mouth. 

Garreth stopped his ministrations and dipped his hand in the front of her panties and used his fingers to focus pressure on her clit. The feeling of skin-to-skin was blinding. She saw stars at the unbridled sensation. His fingertips were so smooth against her sensitive, throbbing clit. 

She focused on his touch, clenching her eyes shut. Garreth ran his lips along her skin, gently biting the spot below her ear. He squeezed his other hand on her clothed breast, rubbing his thumb along the center. “Holy shit, you’re so beautiful.” He admired. 

“I’m…” She began. The feeling between her legs paused near the peak, holding itself there for an agonizing moment. “I’m going to-” A moan cut her off. The orgasm pulsed inside her, throbbing against Garreth’s circling fingers. 

He sighed, shoulders relaxing, as she trembled in his arms. 

“That’s it, my sweet girl.” Garreth encouraged, never stopping the rhythm of his fingers that got her to her climax. 

She buried her head in his neck, riding out the last remnants of her pleasure. Her breathing soon returned to normal, but her grip on his shirt was just as tight. 

When she settled down, Garreth’s finger left her clit and swiftly slid inside of her. Her post-orgasm wetness allowed him quick and easy access. Her walls trembled against the intrusion, still affected by what he’d done to her, the pleasure he’d given. 

“Oh!” She gasped. Garreth pressed firmly against her wall, sliding in and out slowly. “There… Yes. You’re making me feel so incredible, Garreth.” He was hitting the right. fucking. spot. 

A thought floated into her mind wondering how many women he’d been with to know exactly what to do with her body, but she swatted it away just as quickly. This was about them and them alone.

“Your praises are making me feel invincible.” He nuzzled her face, inviting her to look up at him. “I want more of those sweet little kisses please.” His kind voice was laced with a lingering hint of lust. 

She was in a daze. The world around her was nothing but a dream state. She kissed him again and poured her soul into it. Garreth’s slipped in a second finger, keeping his ministrations shallow, driving her absolutely mad. 

She pleaded into his mouth. “Gar, I need mor-”

“Down the hall and to the left!” The receptionist's voice sliced through their moment. “Have a good stay.” 

“Thank you,” A stranger’s voice echoed. 

Garreth stood up straight and looked at her with wild eyes. “Shit! We're a mess!” He whispered. 

He quickly readjusted her panties and helped smooth down her skirt, shifting it so the zipper was in the back. She began to tame his wild hair with a huge grin. They both giggled as they rushed to help one another become decent again. She didn’t miss the way he wiped his fingers that had just been knuckle-deep inside her on his trousers.  

Just as she fastened the top button of Garreth’s shirt, an older couple came around the corner. She hoped they’d walk past the hallway they were in, but of course, they were booked to sleep in one of the rooms down her hallway. 

She knew they could tell they’d just interrupted something as they glanced them over. Once they assessed the two lovebirds, they looked away silently. Not a word was spoken by anyone as they walked past and entered the room across the hall. 

Garreth flashed her wide eyes and grinned. Once the door was shut, and they were alone again, they both laughed quietly. 

“I am so sorry. I’ve kept you up so much later than you wanted.” He apologized, smoothing down bits of her hair. 

“It's fine,” She smiled up at him, still completely blissed out. She cupped his cheek and rand her thumb along his speckled skin. “I’m definitely not mad.”

He laughed and dropped his head. His cheeks were still stained pink. “Good… good.” He sighed. They melted into a warm hug. “I will let you go now. But-” He spoke quietly. “I can’t wait to see you again already.” 

“Me too.” She squeezed him as their hug lingered. 

When they kissed again neither of them could stop smiling.

“Get some rest. You’ve got an early morning!” He gestured to her door.

“It’s already your fault I’ve lost sleep.” She teased. “Next time…” She bit her lip. “We focus on you…” 

He hugged her again. She couldn’t get enough of his touches. “Don’t worry about me.” He assured with a calm tone. “Now, go to bed young lady. It’s probably past midnight by now.” 

She smiled at him. “Good night, Garreth.” 

“Good night.” 

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

Thank you for reading! All my work is tagged as #my writing

Tagging: @ellivenollivander

[sempsimps]

Gregory Violet head cannons + NSFW

Season 4 of black butler has me thinking about a certain emo (Gregory not ceil but check out my friend @serve-corps if your into that) but like omfg he's so fine what for and like man wears lipstick I just he's so adorable I've never wanted to own the manga more in my life he's so- I should stop but like aaaaaa so this is head cannons mixed with actual cannon that was on the fandom wiki so that's fun I was thinking of writing a full story later but for now....

this is head cannons, and at the bottom, I'll have a warning for my nsfw thoughts. lol, just remember you're responsible for your Internet consumption, but before i get into this, it's all my opinions. Don't take it as gospel or anything like that, im having fun, alright? okay then.

Little head cannons

-he likes poetry. He gives that vibe like come on...(literally an hour later) Okay, so like, just seen a manga page of him drawing a jabberwocky around ceil like a sleep paralysis demon. a little back story on this particular poem is "a nonsensical poem about the killing of the jabberwocky" in 1871, apparently. this is very relatable to ceil and Gregory alike and like Google it for real (so like I was completely right about that and I didn't even know)

he smells like a mix of charcoal and acrylic paint like dusty but kinda nice, ya know (i go back to this further down)

-why dose he seem like he has autism, i cant explain it but, i have it to, so I'm not trying to be rude, but the bowtie he wears is like a normal tie but looser and nicer. and i hate ties, so i feel that in my soul. he also seems like he wouldn't like synthetic material idfk. also social situations suck, his voice is mostly monotone and quite, its not the typical "not understanding cues or not getting jokes" but its more like a social anxiety thing, and that's usually diagnosed with autism i think? (I'm not a doctor i don't really know. Maybe I'm projecting here a little)

-he's like defo bi or pan or perhaps an ace group. I'm not that educated on that lgbtq+ aspect apologies but that's the vibe (again, that's my opinion)

Dating head cannons male or female [brackets if pointed to someone with tits lol]

-bones. Need I say more? I like bones and rocks soooo be like, otters give him a bone (not like that-) or rocks he strikes me as a rock guy like smooth ones. idk how, but just get one he deserves it.

-painting dates if you struggle, he can easily guide you through it, his hand gently moving to help you use the right brush stroke. he's clearly more skilled in pencil/charcoal works, though we haven't seen much else [that takes skill and I take art like damn that's difficult]

-So apparently the sun and dancing makes him dizzy (it was on the fandom wiki) so definitely have water on hand and well he doesn't seem like the type to like anything plain becuse of the drink mixing so water is a no go to boring and i get that so grab one of those ball tea infusers and make flavoured water he can put the flavours in it like idk lemon slices and let it sit in the water maybe add suger (wait thats just flat lemonade lol whatever I'm a genius ik don't flatter me)

-stolen hoodie? Nah, stollen emo robe looking ass. it seems everyone in purple house has one, and well, yall could swap, or ya know, just wear his. if he has another obvious man is never seen without it, it could be a comfort for him. but like, he seems like he would have a bigger one, and it would smell so nice like charcoal and acrylic paint (that i mentioned earlier). Don't question it, but you can smell that, right? but there's a hint of passion fruit becuse he's trying for you (aw how cute) you can not tell me he doesn't like perfume and like its either passion fruit or cola adjacent like i know it probably wasn't around at the time but like you can see it (maybe i based this on a meme i found but shush)

-you paint each others nails need i say more? and even if you dont like/want to, he would just like to take time off with you to do his own or you do his. oh my god, I just remembered he wears eyeliner the same thing, but he likes you doing it. For some reason, you're better at it, and he doesn't want panda eyes.

-sneaking out at late to hide behind the boarding house, to just chill or chat, looking at the stars. It's a nice area, but yall gotta dodge the house master most of the time. Still, a little thrill never hurt nobody, just maybe given a Y or two if you're caught.

-hiding in your shoulder when the sun or people get too much to deal with. (I feel that so much)

-Gregory is a mix when it comes to pda. Overall, he doesn't like it could be a little overwhelming for him, but when yall with the other prefects, he might hold your hand, he's trying, and we love him for it.

-Gregory seems to observe his friends a lot, and so i think he truly values any relationships he has with anyone. on a whole, he usually draws people that are around him, like ceil, and i think i seen one of Lawrence. (idk i don't have the manga) so i think he would have a lot of sketches of you, be it in his work as doodles, or fully fledge charcoal drawings, maybe even a painting. but he values and enjoys being with you a lot.

-little snacks like fruit and chocolate almost like a picnic in the swan gazebo, but ya know not sharing with everyone unless Gregory wants to, also the fact your with the others in the swan gazebo is becuse, 1 your allowed to be there they've invited others before, 2 you get along with the prefects and drudges and they really don't care, 3 your either his drudge or the first two already applied before hand so you both seen no point in doing that.

okay, so i can't think of anything else wholesome to put down, and i just can't stop thinking, so now this is the warning I REPEAT NSFW BEOYNED THIS POINT!! ALSO HE IS 18-19 ACORDING TO GOOGLE

NSFW head cannons

- some general things, he's a switch or power bottom idk but i can see it so much he prefers you on top, though

-favourite body part would be chest. tits or not [but defo would love them so much like a stress toy] or the space between shoulder and neck, to hide in and bite....(he is a wolf lmao)

-right, so first off lipstick. oh my god... imagining it smeared in places and having prominent marks on your body made by him, like hickeys but removable. and like after he gives head, it would get so messed up on his face or you and just kissing him with it like that, getting some on your lips... (jesus, i need to touch grass)

-he likes art obviously, and well going back to the lipstick and hickeys, he wants to see what colour they turn, your like a brand new canvas just begging to be painted on by him, and honestly vice versa he's too pretty not to mark up..... (no comment)

-this is an all boys school they most likely don't have sex ed here and so you would have to teach him what to do but once he knows it kinda clicks right ya know [another reason i think he would just love titties becuse he wants to learn and i mean like he would get kinda fascinated with them] also he would be really sensitive in general and that's a great advantage to top (but hey you didnt hear that from me 0^0)

okay then that was that and ive run out of ideas now and i need to get this out of me ive got like 2 more things to write about this emo becuse i love and relate to him so much anyway hope that was good i try to be accurate even though this is head cannons and not real at all im still trying to be in character sorry if my writing sucks :)

[katnissdoesnotfollowback]

Wrapped In Red prompt:

Peeta buys Katniss another set of sexy red stockings for Christmas, along with a matching red jeweled butt plug 🔌

An entire stocking full of coal for you, Anon. Absolutely stuffed with naughtiness. Disclaimer: I adjust prompts as I think fits the characters in the story. Hope you enjoy your raunchiness anyways, Anon. RATED E below the cut.

**

“I’ve been behind all day,” I mutter to Peeta as I practically storm into the house. I’m late getting home from work because Plutarch insisted on us exchanging our Secret Santa gifts before we left, but I ran out of there before I could open mine.

“It’s okay,” Peeta says gently. “We still have time.”

“I really wanted to get a shower before Karina’s concert,” I tell him and snag one of the fresh rolls Peeta must have made for dinner and scamper out of his reach. “But now I have to decide: food or shower.”

“Guess I’ll be dealing with your body odor during the concert then,” he teases and I stick my tongue out at him. I take a bite and try not to moan like a porn star as I clamber up the stairs. I swear I’ve put on ten pounds of carb weight being married to Peeta. But who freaking cares when I get to eat cheese buns like these all the time now.

“Tell Karina she needs to get down here to eat!” Peeta calls after me and I give him a garbled answer then step aside to let Karina pass me.

“Heard you, Dad. I’m coming.”

I start the shower water and finish the roll while it warms up. A quick shower and then I get dressed. My red stockings, a long sweater dress in a soft, warm, charcoal gray knit. I tug on a pair of my nicer knee high boots and quickly dry my hair enough so I won’t freeze and then braid it. By the time I make it downstairs, it’s almost time to go. Peeta hands me a bowl of stew and kisses me on my temple.

“You look lovely,” he tells me and I smile up at him. While Peeta and Karina quickly clean up dinner, I shovel as much of the stew down my throat as possible. Grab a roll for the road, and follow them out the door.

As it was last year, Karina’s concert is lovely. And just as we did last year, Peeta and I hold hands the entire time. His thumb swipes gently back and forth over my skin. I rest my head on his shoulder while the other performers are on stage. When he lets go of my hand to record Karina, I rest it on his thigh.

When we finally make it home, Karina yawns loudly and tells us that she’s going to bed early. Between piano practices and homework, she’s had to stay up late a few nights leading up to the concert. Alone in our room, I peel off my boots then gasp when Peeta’s arms wrap around me from behind and he kisses up the side of my neck.

“You were wearing those stockings the whole night?” he asks and I laugh slightly, leaning to the side to glance at him over my shoulder.

“And?”

“Nothing,” he says. Then he leans in close and whispers hotly in my ear. “I’m just glad you didn’t tell me beforehand. Otherwise, I would’ve been hard the whole time. Would’ve dragged you out to the parking lot and fogged up the car windows instead of watching the whole concert.”

“You wouldn’t have done that. Not during a concert with Karina performing. And not in the car she rode there and home with us.”

“Probably wouldn’t have done it,” he agrees and then gives me a wicked grin. “But I would’ve been thinking about it.”

I scoff and push him away. He then notices the small gift bag I tossed on our bed earlier and picks it up. “What’s this? Is this for me?”

“Secret Santa gift exchange from work,” I explain as I step away and peel off my dress. “I’m slightly afraid to open it since Johanna was my Secret Santa.”

Peeta snorts and finishes changing into his sleep pants and a t-shirt. We brush our teeth standing next to each other and then climb in bed. He hands me the bag as I’m getting settled under the covers.

“Here. Open it now. I’ll protect you from whatever gag gift she gave you.”

I shrug and toss aside the green tissue paper before pulling a small black box out of the bag. Scrunching up my face, I open the box and slide out the inner, clear plastic packaging. I examine the object inside and feel my brow relaxing.

“Oh. That’s not so bad,” I say. Peeta coughs and I glance over at him. His face is all red and his expression is weird.

“It’s not?”

“It’s actually rather pretty.”

“Katniss, honey. Do you know what that is?”

“Of course. I’ve thought about getting a festive wine stopper for us but just didn’t feel the need.”

“Wine stop-- oh god,” Peeta groans and laughs.

“What?” I ask as he falls back on the pillows, covering his face. “Why are you making fun of me?”

“Because it’s not a wine stopper,” he chokes out and sits back up, taking the clear box from me and turning it to show me the miniscule label on the back. “It’s a butt plug. An anal sex toy.”

It takes me a few seconds to register what he’s saying and as soon as I do, I start sputtering. Ranting about how unprofessional it is of Johanna to give me something like this. But Peeta pulls the thing from its packaging, examines the sleek silver stem and the shimmering red jewel that crowns it. Then he tugs aside the sheets and gazes hungrily at my legs, still clad in the red stockings.

“You cannot be thinking of using it,” I snap and he grins at me.

“I mean, it matches your stockings,” he says, and I squeal as he moves into me so fast that I find myself caged beneath his body, his broad palms sliding underneath me and cupping my ass, lifting me up into him as he sucks at sensitive points along the side of my neck. “Fuck, now I kinda wanna see this winking at me from your ass while I fuck you from behind. Or play with it when it’s inside you while you ride me.”

“Peeta,” I gasp.

“Aren’t you even a little bit curious how it would feel?”

“Let’s shove it up your ass and see how you like it,” I grumble, but I sound breathless because of the way he’s kissing me, touching me. He chuckles darkly and slips his hand around my hip enough to tease along my backside. Just gentle touches and swipes of his fingers before he pushes a little harder and I make a sound I can only describe as pained, reluctant pleasure.

“Wouldn’t be the first thing I’ve had shoved up my ass during sex,” he whispers and I shiver, trying not to think too much about his sexual past before me. “And if you wanted to try it, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve used one with a woman.” Now I’m trying not to imagine him using one with Glimmer. Thankfully, his kisses are insanely distracting and he knows exactly how to touch me so that all I can think about is him. Just him and me.

“I can be gentle with you, Katniss. And it can feel incredible,” he practically growls and lifts his weight off of me, only enough to flip me over onto my stomach. I grip the pillow beneath me and watch as he sets the butt plug on the nightstand.

“But we won’t try anything you don’t want to try,” he says and puts his hands back on me, touching me until I’m a shivering, begging mess. And when he tugs my hips up so that I’m on all fours for him, and I feel his cock parting my pussy lips, I can’t help the quick twinge of curiosity I feel. His left hand is played on my lower back and ass as he slides into me. And the curiosity only grows as I watch the light play off the red gemstone and his thumb once again slips between my cheeks and presses against me. Teasing me without crossing any thresholds. I squirm beneath his touch and bite down on the pillow to stifle the sounds I make, the power of suggestion and the reality of his touch causing a cascade of sensation inside me.

Maybe next time.

[jaybug-jabbers]

I have located a cheap aquarium among my parent's old junk. It had a weird plastic thing glued inside that was supposed to be for the filtration system. I removed it (after much effort) and it's much nicer now. I think I will try to use this as an isopod enclosure. I believe aquarium silicone sealant is safe around isopods, it's the only thing left on the inside of the tank, so we should be good.

Do not worry, I will not turn the lights on when I get the little guys in there-- lights are on just for the photo. Quarter for scale, it is a 3-gallon tank.

The lid has a few vent holes so there should be some decent airflow, but if I run into problems with gnats getting in or not enough airflow, I may need to construct a new lid.

Next up is getting ingredients for substrate. Here's one list of a suggested substrate I found off a video, I probably will just do the soil, sphagnum moss, charcoal, and bark. I see a lot of minor variations in the mixtures people prefer for their pods, so am trying to just go with a mix that seems popular among folks.

[brynnterpretations]

Vomit My Heart, Pull My Legs Apart

“If it was what Beverly was good for, nobody could fault Gretta for wanting a taste."

🔗 Read on AO3

⌗ gretta keene/beverly marsh (one-sided) ⌗ referenced gretta keene/sally mueller ⌗ bullying ⌗ sexual harassment ⌗ eating disorders ⌗ love/hate ⌗ binge-drinking ⌗ vomiting ⌗ song: i wanna sex you up (color me badd) ⌗ song: poison (bell biv devoe) ⌗ song: push it (salt-n-pepa) ⌗ its 1991 what can i say ⌗ titled after "vomit heart" by babes in toyland

By fifth period, word had gotten around that Beverly Marsh had been sucking Belch Huggins’ dick behind the bleachers.

“Christ,” laughed Sally, “that’s sad.”

It was. While everyone knew Beverly was a slut, Belch Huggins was a new low. Since Henry the Psycho had been jailed for killing all those kids, the Bowers Gang had splintered off, and while Victor had graduated, Belch had been held back a year. The guy was dumb as rocks. Ugly as them, too. Plus, he reeked. Just thinking about the dick cheese on the fucker made Gretta involuntarily shudder.

“It’s a new low, for sure,” muttered Gretta, leaning closer to the smudged bathroom mirror as she reapplied her mascara. Tears from her earlier vomiting of stomach acid and bile had made her bottom lashes clump together, and she hissed as the wand only further melded them. “Marc, do you have your L'Oréal?”

Truthfully, it was such a low that it pissed Gretta off, for a reason she couldn’t really decipher. Beverly was easy — everyone knew that. Since she’d affiliated herself with the Losers, it became common knowledge that she was riding all of them at the Quarry like they were Stevenson rocking horses. Still, though, she couldn’t act like she hadn’t expected some modicum of decency since sophomore year had started. Bev, to some extent, had started cleaning herself up, flying through the APs and IBs she shared with Marcia and playing on the lacrosse team in that egregiously short uniform of theirs (“easy access, am I right, boys?”). She’d started dressing a bit nicer, too, even though her clothes were still clearly coming out of Salvation Army bins down on Main Street. One may even say Beverly was pretty now, with her dusting of cheap mascara and wide eyes and toned legs.

“Shit,” cursed Gretta. She’d been so lost in her head that she now looked more like a raccoon than a human, her cheeks fat and bloated and eyes outlined by halos of charcoal. 

“Do you want me to help?” asked Sally. Gretta thought of her bubblegum breath and hot, damp hands, cloying and always so desperate to please, and inhaled through her nose.

“No,” she murmured under her breath. “It’s fine. Whatever.”

She grabbed her cheer bag from the ground, rifling through it to find her camisole and miniskirt. She and her girls were going to Jeremy Bent’s party at Witcham, and they had a decent amount of time between now, the pregame, and the actual party. 

“Wait outside,” she said, tossing her clothes over her shoulder. Sally and Marcia gave each other a dubious look. “Do you people even listen to what I say? Guard the door, too. Jesus.”

The two scuttled out as Gretta rolled her eyes and started stripping off her uniform. Bruises stained her inner thighs and hipbones, which jutted out unattractively in comparison to the doughiness the water retention in her face had created. If she wanted to get laid tonight and not have shit clogging up her school’s ecosystem, it would have to be with someone very, very drunk. 

That just made her think of Beverly Marsh, and she huffed. Beverly, who slept with half the town, yet didn’t have the marks to show it. Beverly, who always acted so poor and weak around her white-trash father, yet always left her apartment with a smile on her face and this holier-than-thou attitude that she held like a knife whenever Gretta treated her like the garbage she was. 

Maybe the whole Huggins debacle pissed her off so much because Gretta knew that Beverly really wasn’t sleeping with everyone in existence and probably would’ve dropped dead before getting on her knees for Belch Huggins. She was a pump-and-dump, sure, but Beverly clearly had standards, as nonsensical to Gretta they were.

 Once in her outfit, backed away to the back of the restroom, getting on her tiptoes to inspect herself. Black skirt with a bow-tied string for a belt. Lacy, hot-pink tank top. Neon Reeboks. All to say, look, but don’t touch, and ooze a certain sense of bitchiness. Chipmunk cheeks. Stubby legs. Rotten teeth.

“Come back in,” she said.

Sally and Marcia sheepishly walked in, looking like they’d been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. She knew they gossiped about her, but considering she knew damn well that they’d never tell anyone besides each other, she let them have at it. Within reason. She’d let them have their little moments of “wow, Gretta seems off” together instead of being at each other’s throats 24/7.

“You look beautiful,” said Sally, closing the door.

“Your shooters in the bag?”

Sally nodded.

“Toss me one,” said Gretta, “we’re starting early.”

I Wanna Sex You Up blared through Jeremy’s speakers. Despite Jeremy wearing knockoff Calvin Klein and living on Witcham Street — cow shit chic, as her mother called it — the fucker had a nice house. Big open living room, marble-topped kitchen counter already sticky with alcohol, and a pool outside. Gretta wished it wasn’t October in Maine, because she could use a swim. Derec Ruddock had let her finish his joint, and she felt like she was itching out of her skin.

She didn’t really feel as drunk as she did irritated, to be honest. She’d had three shooters, a swig of vodka, and two glasses of jungle since arriving, yet her mood the entire day had sullied the normal giddiness alcohol gave her. It was only thirty minutes into the party, and Gretta was over it.

Sally tottered over to her, already sporting a stain on her white tulle shirt. “BP?”

Gretta gave her a size-up. Sally’s cherry lip gloss had smeared past her lip into a milky pink sheen, and her eyes had that giddy, distant sort of look she always got when she’d had too many shots. “Not if you’re gonna make me lose.”

Sally whined, a shrill, irritating sound, snaking her arm around Gretta’s. “You don’t have to be on my team, you know. There’s someone I think you’ll really want to see.”

Gretta scrunched her nose. There wasn’t really anyone she was interested in. Sure, she’d staked her claim on Mikey Ewart, but she’d made it clear since 8th grade that she was not the type of girl to immediately fuck a guy within the start of a party.

“Fine,” muttered Gretta, “where’s Marc?”

“Talking to Jeremy,” giggled Sally as she led her through the crowd. She was needy — whenever Gretta was in a bad mood and hadn’t let Sally get in-between her legs in a couple of days, she became skittish, histrionic. “They’re quite the match, I’d say.”

Rolling her eyes, Gretta allowed Sally to whisk her down to the basement. It was stuffier than the rest of the house. Tarp was laid over the carpet and made soft noises when Gretta’s Reeboks treaded on it, and there was a lingering smell of stale beer. Still, it was less crowded than upstairs with less harah lighting, so Gretta would take what she could get.

“There,” nodded Sally, “have a go?”

Beverly fucking Marsh stood at the corner of the room, wearing one of her nicer donation-pile dresses, some billowing cami with an old couch pattern to it. It was clearly for someone more well-endowed than her, the hem of the dress awkwardly bunching up where her sparse chest was. As always, she wore a collection of cheap jewelry dangling off her wrists, her apartment-key necklace knocking into her prominent chest bones as she laughed with Mikey Ewart. Bitch bitch cunt. Beverly had done herself up a bit, with dark eyeshadow framing her freakishly blue eyes, mascara making her eyelashes even more voluminous than they already were. Slightly smudged red lipstick, too, a shade that Gretta’s mother would immediately call a slut paint. As Gretta stared her down, stomach churning, she felt like Beverly was actually able to pass as someone not the epitome of white trash, while Gretta was balloon-cheeked, stubby—

“Hey, Marsh,” called out Gretta, hand already fishing one of her last whiskey shooters from her purse. “2v2.”

Beverly looked up with those impossibly wide doe eyes, clearly startled. Considering Beverly’s reputation, she, at first, had no clue how the little shit had made it to a place like Jeremy’s, before recalling she was on the team with Mikey’s big sister — Dina, or something. She was upstairs and another one of those holier-than-thou types, probably thinking herself to be a good, sweet person for inviting fucking Swampmonster to a party.

“Oh, hey, G,” grinned Mikey. Unlike Jeremy’s, Mikey’s CK was actually real, but she was so pissed that she couldn’t care, downing her shooter and giving Mikey a nasty smile.

“Whatcha waiting for?” she sing-songed. “I don’t bite.”

Gretta did bite. Hard. Beverly had looked over to Mikey with that stupid faux-innocent look on her face, the one that said please daddy get me out of this sticky situation, but Mikey was too stupid to notice — one of the things she liked about the guy. Dumb boys were the easiest. 

As Mikey jovially pranced over, Beverly shuffled behind him, holding her jungle with an iron grip. Cute. “Eye to eye. You and Sally.”

“Your wish is my command,” said Mikey with a smile. 

The alcohol was finally starting to kick in for Gretta, making her body feel like it was buzzing, the remnants of her headache fading into a pleasant thrum. 

“Eye—to—eye—“

Despite her drunkenness, Sally’s ball made it — a fucking golf ball, Jesus, what did a girl have to do to get a ping-pong at a party — while Mikey’s didn’t. Baseball apparently didn’t do much for the guy’s hand-eye coordination. 

“Broadways first,” smiled Gretta as Mikey faux-grumbled to Beverly. Gretta saw her laugh weakly, obviously trying to just get through the round before skittering back to her shithole of an apartment. “You go, Sally.”

Sally looked at her with wide, drunken eyes, obviously trying to gauge what Gretta wanted out of the round. Gretta knocked her knee into Sally’s: just go.

Hers almost made it into the middle, but awkwardly bounced off. It was better than Gretta was expecting her to be, honestly, and she got points for scoring first, anyway. Gretta plucked her golf ball from her cup, meeting Beverly’s eyes.

“You first,” said Gretta sweetly.

With that, the game turned rhythmic. Beverly missed. Gretta didn’t. When Gretta held out her hand, Sally handed her her last tequila shooter, which Gretta threw back with practiced ease. Ball in, ball out, ball in, ball out — Gretta could barely remember why she had been in such a sullen mood at the start of the party. There was such an easiness to everything she did and felt. She never wanted it to end.

When Gretta’s turn came again, she looked over to Sally. She returned her gaze with big, brown eyes, so sick and desperate for approval. She leaned into Gretta, hot hands grazing her sides. “When do you want to get out of here?”

It took Gretta a few seconds to process what she said. She stared at Sally Mueller, her friend of eight years, who would do anything and everything to please her, who meant something to her — but not enough. She smiled.

“Let’s finish the game,” she said.

She retrieved the pong ball and readied her aim. Mikey was whispering something into Beverly’s ear as his hand rubbed at the small of her back, probably trying to bestow some ancient high-school BP strategies onto her, and Gretta felt something hot splinter in her.

Pop. The golf ball went smack-dab into Beverly Marsh’s perfectly blushing cheek.

Beverly stumbled back, and Mikey, off his ass on Busch, took a few seconds to register before gingerly placing his hand on her shoulder. “Are you—”

“What the fuck, Gretta?” asked Beverly. Her voice got higher when she drank. 

“Oh, poor thing,” cooed Gretta, all faux-sympathy. She felt a drunken surge of power, and with that came giddiness, like there was a light filling and warming all the dark, gutty crevices inside her body. “God, I’m so sorry.” 

“Shit, that’s Jeremy’s fault,” muttered Mikey. “Nobody could find the ping-pong balls. Probably had them wedged up his ass from how much of a control-freak he’s been about getting the party on the calendar—”

Before Mikey could finish his ramble in a semi-coherent way, Beverly had darted out of the room, her worn Dr. Martens click-clacking on the stairs. Gretta held back a laugh, while Sally had put her hand to her mouth, eyes crinkled in amusement.

“Ah, fuck,” said Mikey, rubbing a hand over his face. He stumbled halfway over to Gretta and Sally. “Dina’s gonna be pissed.”

“Why’s that?” asked Sally. She, too, was drunk off her fucking ass, putting her entire body weight onto the table and looking at Mikey as if he was the second coming of Jesus.

“Girl’s had a rough go of things lately,” Mikey mumbled, voice teetering on a whine. Ew, thought Gretta, feeling her empty stomach churn with disgust. “We were trying to make it better, get her away from all the shit.”

Well, I’m right, as always, thought Gretta. “Let me fix it.” 

Mikey looked at her from his right eye. His hand was still covering half of his face, and he seemed to be drunk enough to not realize that. “Really?”

“Yeah,” smiled Gretta. “No problem. It’s my bad, really. Sally, if you can stay?”

Sally appeared to almost cartoonishly crumple into herself — you don’t want me to help? —  and it made Gretta laugh, a light, airy one. She felt better than she’d ever felt in her life.

“I’ll be right back,” Gretta whispered into Sally’s ear before flittering away, like a bird flying for the first and final time. Everything felt perfect, until flashes came in her vision that made her suddenly furious and nearly aflame with her rage, but then she just had to see the faces of everyone at Jeremy Bent’s Witcham St. party to feel grounded again. She didn’t really know where she was going as the music wavered around her—Girl, I Must Warn You! I Sense Something Strange In My Mind—until she was outside the bathroom closest to the door.

The sad, loser bathroom, where the sad losers went to cry, sad losers like Beverly Marsh. Gretta leaned against the door, the cool of the wood against her flushed face feeling nearly orgasmic, and closed her eyes.

It wasn’t until Salt-n-Pepa started leaking around the corner that Gretta remembered. She knocked on the door. 

“Almost done.”

That flat, neutral tone of Beverly’s — gutless in its lack of conviction, in anything. Gretta inhaled deeply, a flash of hatred streaking through her body, and knocked again with both of her hands, beating on the door like the knuckles of a madwoman.

“Jesus, what the fuck do you want?” snapped Beverly, opening the door. The eye makeup she’d bothered to do had been cried off, a pink welt forming on her right cheek. It was round and pink like a cripps apple, and Gretta was overwhelmed with the sudden urge to bite it.

“Oh, fuck no,” said Beverly, about to shut the door, until Gretta manhandled her way in. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“I’m really sorry about all this,” said Gretta, locking the door. She turned to Beverly, her vision swimming slightly, giving her a nasty smile. “That looks like it hurts.” 

Beverly watched her warily. They’d never been left alone together in such a small space, and she looked like a cornered animal, yet Gretta could tell she was still calculating, still trying to calmly and indifferently get herself out of the situation, and it pissed her off. “I wonder why.”

“That cheek gonna stop you from rubbing up on every walking dick you see?”

“Jesus, is that your problem?” scoffed Beverly. Her head bobbed a bit, like she was trying to physically shake the alcohol off without looking too drunk. “Michael’s all yours, believe me.”

Gretta cocked her head. Stared. Felt a rush of tenderness for Beverly, feeling a sick sort of satisfaction for having a mark on her body that came from hers.

“Enjoy your shitty—” 

She did it without thinking, closing the space between them, mashing her lips on Beverly’s. It hurt, and that was what made it feel good, the mashing of Beverly’s teeth on hers as the redhead backed into the wall, nearly falling over the toilet. Gretta hadn’t ever kissed anyone standing up, and there was something that felt very purposeful and intentful about it, something that made her want to pin Beverly to the wall and make her regret ever talking to Mikey or getting on her knobby knees for any guy who treated her nicely. Without thinking, her hand found Beverly’s lower thigh— 

Gretta saw herself collide with the back of the door before feeling it. 

“Holy shit, what the fuck is wrong with you?” gasped Beverly. Her lipstick was smeared. She looked hurt, and she looked very good that way, a speck of blood beading at the corner of her lip. Gretta could taste it on her own.

She exhaled a ragged breath, staring at her, Beverly staring back, the animalistic feeling of everything turning into an exhaustion that made her want to throw up everything in her body. Beverly had never looked at her like that before. She’d been awful to her, had bruised Beverly, but hadn’t really done anything like this. Probably hadn’t ever seemed like the type of girl to do that sort of thing to other girls, to want it from other girls.

In Gretta’s inaction, Beverly darted past her and slammed the door shut. She didn’t hear any yelling, anything to indicate that Beverly was going to tattle. Nobody would believe her, anyway. Beverly was the whore who always insisted she wasn’t one, even though she obviously was, and she was so slutty that nobody would be surprised if she made a pass on Gretta — there was a reason she hung around Trashmouth, anyway. She couldn’t beat herself up for it later, either. If it was what Beverly was good for, nobody could fault Gretta for wanting a taste.

She stared at herself in the mirror, smudged from a bad cleaning job. The song felt like it was going on forever, making her stomach churn. Yeah, You! Come Here, Gimme A Kiss, Better Make It Fast Or Else I'm Gonna Get Pissed— 

It didn’t take long for Gretta to start puking bile into the sink.

[lily-drake]

[Bio!dad Dick] when Dick had amnesia and became 'Ric Grayson' He hooked up with a traveling Sabine. He later discovers when looking into his old things when he was Ric he had been contacted by Sabine who told him he has a daughter named Marinette (maybe 5 years old now?idk), during his time as Batman (with Bruce 'dead', Tim missing, and Damian being well Damian) Dick makes the hard choice to stay out of his daughter's life to keep her safe from the world he lives in, but watches from a distance when he can. Before he knows it more years pass and he wants nothing more than to meet her but feels like it's to late. However everything changes when he goes down for patrol and finds one of his brothers at the batcom with a file of Marinette open, and the words 'Master Fu, ex-guardian' 'Mutlimouse, Known' 'New Guardian?'. And files on a Ladybug hero who bares a striking resemblance of his daughter.

Ric Rolled

Note, Ric/Dick is 21 at the beginning of the story while Sabine is 23.

Ric Grayson liked his job as a taxi driver.  He learned a lot about the people in his city and even people from outside of it.  But he always felt like he could be doing, or rather was meant for something more.  Ever since he had left the hospital once the bullet wound was healed, he felt like he was missing something important from his life.  It was his 21st birthday, and he decided to celebrate it at one of the nicer bars in his city.  

“Hello, is this seat taken?”

A gentle voice spoke from beside him.  Ric slowly turned his head and saw a beautiful woman with charcoal black hair, silver eyes, her makeup was done naturally, and her dress was a beautiful red and gold knee length qipao.  

“No, you can sit here.”

He replied, gesturing toward the seat on his right side.  

“My name is Sabine.”

She spoke as she gestured for the bartender.  He didn’t respond, just took a sip from his glass.

“So what’s brought you here tonight?”

Sabine asked in a honeyed voice.  Ric thought about whether or not he should answer that question, his already addled brain found nothing wrong with it though.

“It’s my birthday.”

“I see.  You celebrating with anyone else?”

“Afraid not ma’am.”

“I see.”

Her voice was like that of a siren.  Enchanting and full of life.

“Let me buy you a drink, whatever you want.”

Ric smiled at the lady and nodded.

“Thanks.”

“Of course.  No one should spend their birthday by themselves.”

One drink led to another, which led to another, which led to a night that Ric hadn’t imagined he would have.  When he awoke, he was alone, only a note.

Thanks for last night.  Hope we can meet again one day, Ric.

~Sabine

Ric let out a groan, his head pounding up a storm.  He wasn’t going to be able to work today.

_________

3 years later

Dick Grayson stared at the screen in front of him in shock.  He remembered bits and pieces of his time as Ric Grayson, but he liked to pretend that those three years of his life never existed.  But as he stared at the information in front of him, he wasn’t so sure he could ignore it for much longer.  Turns out he had a daughter, and it had to be his because “Ric Grayson” was listed as the father on the copy of the birth certificate that he had been sent and the girl–his daughter– was just barely 2 years old.  

Sabine had sent him a letter, but he had never seen it before as he had moved on from being Ric by that time.  It was pure luck he even stumbled upon the letter in the first place when he was cleaning up the rundown apartment that he had stayed in.  The overwhelming feeling of need that he felt at the thought of meeting the little girl, Marinette, was so overwhelming he couldn't think of anything else.  Even breathing felt like a chore.  He imagined being a real father, teaching her to read, watching her color, listening to her stories, he could even teach her gymnastics.  It was a wonderful fantasy.  But that was it, a fantasy.  One that came crashing down with the sound of a katana slicing through a training dummy.  

He shook his head as reality came crashing in around him.  Bruce was dead, Tim was missing and probably hated him, Jason left the city, and he needed to make sure that Damian was being taken care of, he needed to be Batman and protect Gotham.  He took a single minute to mourn what could have been before he stole himself and closed the files.  She would be safer and happier without him.  From what he saw Sabine was in a relationship with another man in Paris.  He could watch after her from a distance, but it would be better if he was as far away from her as possible.  It seemed everyone he loved got hurt in some way, and he would make sure that nothing would happen to her by keeping his distance.

_________

8 years later

Dick stared at his phone.  There was a picture of a young girl at a sewing machine with the brightest smile.  She had hair as black as Sabine’s and his eyes.  She was growing up so fast and now that everything was working out he desperately wanted to meet her.  But it has already been so long, it was probably too late now.  She had Tom as her dad now.  He had another daughter now, he and Kori had finally tied the knot, and now they had little Mari’.  It wasn’t intentional, in fact it was Starfire that had named her that.  It made his heart hurt when he thought of his other daughter.  He often wondered if his girls would get along with each other if they ever met.  

He sighed as he set down his phone and looked around the cave.  He was in Gotham for the weekend just visiting his family—which was finally happy (well, as happy as they could be) together— with his wife and daughter.  Star would be down soon, she was just putting Mari’ to bed.  Star knew about Marinette and often encouraged him to reach out, and though he was thankful for her support, he was still too scared to approach her.  

He could hear the fast click clacking of the Batcomputer’s keyboard, and as Bruce was upstairs he knew that it had to be Tim.  Slowly he walked down the stairs to make sure that his brother hadn’t been down here for a consecutive 56 hours again.  He had been getting a bit better at taking care of himself, but he knew Tim and which meant that if Tim found something overly important all of Tim’s own needs would be put aside until he was sure that he had finished everything.  

“Tim, how long have you been down here?”

He asked as he carefully approached his baby brother from behind.  Tim didn’t answer, he just kept clicking and moving things around on the screen.  There was strike one, Tim may not always answer, but his shoulders would often either scrunch up or relax.  And as neither of those reactions happened he may not have heard him showing how tired he was as Tim was one of the most aware and attentive one out of all of them.

Dick got closer to the screen and looked up to see what was so important to Tim.  There files upon files of absolute chaos and destruction filling the screen.  It looked horrifying and Dick couldn’t believe that it was real as if this was anywhere on Earth or even in space they would have heard about it by now.  On the top and bottom right monitors there were files of three different people open at the moment.  On the top there was an image of a girl with strikingly familiar blue eyes, dark raven hair, and a face he was staring at only a few minutes before.

Marinette Lenoire Dupain-Cheng

Identity (Known): Multi-Mouse (First)

New Guardian?

Pupil of ex-Grand Guardian: Wang Fu

Age: 11

Ethnicity: Asian-American

Location: Paris, France

Mother: Sabine Cheng

Birth Father: Ric Grayson

Step-father: Tom Dupain

Dick gulped as he read through the data.  He hadn’t told his family about Marinette, but now they would know.  He had told Starfire before they had gotten Married, and he was so relieved when she still accepted him, still loved him despite his mistake and cowardness.  But he kept reading.  He would have to process that his daughter was a hero, a hero at the same age he was.  That his efforts to keep her out of this type of life were all in vain and that it didn’t matter now.  That he was a failure.  He started reading again.  

Wang Fu

Identity (Known): Ex-Grand Guardian

Belonged to “The Order of the Guardians”1

Age: Unknown

Ethnicity: Unknown

Mother: Unknown

Father: Unknown

Needs to be further investigated

Then there was the final one.

Ladybug

Identity: Unknown

Age: Unknown

Origin: Unknown

Father: Unknown

Mother: Unknown

Relatives: Unknown

Source of power: Earrings

Power: Creation and restoration

Danger level, high.  Need more data.

Tim studied the girl before him.  He didn’t like what he saw.  He looked at the picture of Ladybug, then the picture of his daughter, then the picture of his daughter in a mouse themed suit, then back to Ladybug.  Dick was going to be sick, he was going to pass out, he was going to have a panic attack.  He should have just been part of her life.  Maybe if he had been in it she wouldn’t have had to become a hero.  Maybe it was because he stayed out of her life that she unintentionally followed in his footsteps.  He was a terrible father, how would he tell them, how would he tell her?  What was he going to do now?  

“Dick!  Dick, you need to breathe!  Come on Dick, please breathe with me.”

There was a distant voice talking to him, but it was so hard to hear over the raging voices in his head.  What was he supposed to do now?  It was too late for him to just insert himself in her life.

“No it’s not Dick.  It’ll be okay.  I won’t tell anyone, it’s your news to share.”

That was a nice thought, but there was no way that the others wouldn’t figure it out now.

“That may be true, but they’ll respect your boundaries and wait until you feel comfortable enough to talk about it.”

The voice said.  Dick tried to breathe, he could feel his hand against something hard yet soft, and he clutched onto it.  He could feel a gentle beating against his hand and slowly he began to even out his breathing all while the voice seemed to rattle on, saying things that he couldn’t seem to process as he focussed all of his efforts into simply breathing.  How pathetic, he couldn’t even breathe right.

“You’re doing so go.  That’s right, deep breath in, then a slow long breath out.”

Dick leaned forward until his forehead was resting against Tim’s shoulder, silent tears that he hadn’t even realized were falling leaking onto the boy's shirt.  He could feel Tim’s arms slowly wrap around him as they both sat on the floor, silent except for the chittering of the bats and the light drip of water from the ceiling.  

“What am I supposed to do?  It’s too late to meet her, and now she’s in danger, she’s like us.  I stayed away to keep her away from this life and it was all useless.  It didn’t matter, I could have been in her life all this time but I didn’t and now-”

Dick let out a shuddering sob, unable to finish the sentence.  Tim was frozen; he didn't know what to do.  He could count on one hand how many times he had actually seen Dick cry.  It was always so strange and foreign and he never really knew what to do.  So he held Dick even tighter, rubbing his older brother’s back as he cried.  He could feel someone’s gaze on them from above and slowly looked up to see Jason and Bruce, eyes wide in shock at the scene.  Bruce snapped out of it first, racing down the stairs until he was at Dick’s side only a few moments later.

“Report.”

He barked panickedly, unsure of exactly what to do to help his oldest son.

“Dick found something out and he’s in distress.  I’m not allowed to say what about as it’s his business to tell.”

Tim replied automatically, but he never let go of his brother though he glanced over to the Batcomputer.

Bruce looked over the data on the screen and nearly short circuited when he stumbled across the name of the father for Marinette/Multi-Mouse before he glanced down at his son.  He understood the distress of his son when he had just discovered that he in fact had a child.  Not knowing about Damian until he was ten because Talia had hidden his existence from him had been heartbreaking.  He could only imagine what it felt like for Dick who loved those he was close with and trusted with all of his being.

Slowly Bruce bent down glancing at Tim who slowly nodded and backed away a little, but Dick only held on tighter with a slight whimper.  Tim looked like he was in pain himself.

“It’s okay Dick, Bruce wants to give you a hug too.”

But Dick didn’t let go of his little brother.  The little brother he nearly lost to Ra’s, to The Widower, to Lady Shiva, to the Joker, to so many people.  He clung onto the boy even tighter, he didn’t want to lose anyone else.

“Okay, okay, I’ll stay here with you.”

Tim whispered softly, pulling Dick closer.

“You’re going to have to pick both of us up B, he’s not letting go, and I think bad things will happen if I try to move away again.”

Bruce grunted in his ‘I understand and I’m really worried’ way and carefully picked up both of his sons, moving them towards the upstairs family den.  Jason had already left to get Alfred, worried about his big brother, but unwilling to admit it.

“We’ll figure everything out, you’ll get to meet her.  I think that she’d love to meet you.  You could just take Star with you, we could watch Mari’ for you.  I’m sure everything will work out, don’t give up.  It’s never too late Dick.”

Dick didn’t know how much he believed those words, but Tim was right.  He needed to go visit her, he needed to make things right.  But until then, he would hold onto the family he had now, because they loved him and he loved them.  He loved the daughter that probably didn’t even know existed, and he protected the people he loved.  So he would need to protect her, and in order to do that, he would need to finally meet her.  He would never give her up, he would never let her down, and never again would he desert her.

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