#the owners just accepted her being there and offered her a drink

[rynnaissance]

MORE RANDOM MODERN AU BELL’S HELLS

fearne practically *never* texts, but this doesn’t mean that she’s not communicating with her friends. she just always responds to a text by immediately facetiming whoever reached out. she’s usually busy doing something in public, so it really doesn’t make sense for her to do that.

EXAMPLE

imogen, through text message:

“hey fearne, were you still planning on coming over for dinner tonight? laudna is worrying over the menu and wants to know what you want.”

*incoming video call from fearne*

fearne: *sitting on a beach, wearing giant heart shaped sunglasses, and sipping an equally giant piña colada. the sound of waves crash in the background.* “what about dinner?”

imogen: “are you… fearne, where are you? what beach is that??”

fearne: “i don’t know(:”

[vintagebuckybarnes]

Unexpected Connections

Pairing → Neighbor! Bucky Barnes x Neighbor! Fem! Reader

Total Wordcount → 1.9K

Summary → Living next to the one and only Bucky Barnes and the cutest cat you've ever seen has its upsides, and when he asks you to come along to one of the parties Tony throws, you're about to find out just how good the perks can be.

Tags & Warnings → Mostly canon compliant, neighbor au, Avenger Bucky Barnes, Civilian Reader, Bucky's past is referenced a few times, occasional use of Y/N, fluff, first meetings.

Author's Note → Hi, and welcome to my first story for Bucky! I'm pretty excited to have been working on a story for him, as he's been my favorite since I joined the fandom of the MCU a few years back. I hope you will enjoy this story, and I'm looking forward to creating more and reading everything you all have made, as well.

Bucky Barnes - a former assassin who was brainwashed and used as a weapon, Avenger, and the best cat dad and neighbor you could have ever wished for - is someone you never thought you'd get close to. Not only do you live completely different lives, but you're also socializing in entirely different circles. Despite this, the universe had its plan ready when he moved into the apartment next to yours a little over six months ago.

It's been a few days since your new neighbor moved in, and even though the two of you have run into each other a few times, you never got more than a 'hello' out of him. Today, you're going to his apartment with some of your famous chocolate chip cookies. After checking yourself in your hallway mirror one last time, you grab your keys and the cookie container, ready to introduce yourself.

When you're at his door, you knock a few times, and before you can even think about what could happen, the front door opens, and you're met by a sight you only have ever seen in your wildest dreams. A tall, broad man opened the door while holding a stark white cat in his arms - one of them being a prosthetic, based on its black and gold color. His hair is neatly trimmed, and his beard has undergone the same treatment. What you notice most of all, though, is how his blue eyes are roaming over your face in a questioning way, making you feel a bit nervous.

"Hi, uhm, I am here to welcome you to the building! I'm your next-door neighbor, Y/N Y/L/N, and I brought some cookies for you to enjoy as a gift. Though if I had known you had a cat, I would have made a little treat for them, too," you say, internally chastising yourself for saying something so weird.

"It's nice to meet you, Y/N; I'm Bucky and this—" he raises the cat with his arm "—is Alpine, though she already gets plenty of treats from me, so don't worry about that," he says with a small smile. While he wasn't having a particularly good day today, his mood shifted slightly when he saw you.

A soft meow follows his comment as she looks up at her owner as if trying to disagree with him, making you smile at the scene unfolding in front of you. Then, you reach out the Tupperware container with the cookies, and he accepts with a small smile and a soft 'thank you' before you head back. The click of his front door behind you lets you know he went back inside.

Since that meeting, Bucky quickly warmed up to you and your enthusiasm about the things you love. It only took a few weeks for him to open up about his work as an Avenger - which had you gasping loudly - and that he might be gone for weeks on end. That night, you offered to take care of Alpine in his absence, and when she approved of you as well, Bucky was happy to become friends with you.

"Doll?" Bucky asks as he's grabbing a drink from his fridge for you. He just returned from a mission when he found you napping on his couch with Alpine in your arms. You woke up not long ago, but he returned and didn't wake you.

"What do you think of going to one of Tony's parties with me this upcoming Sunday? If you're free, of course," he says with a small smile. He's aware your schedule can be unpredictable at times, with your job at the local bookstore and your volunteer work at the animal shelter, and always wants to make sure you have time to go anywhere together.

"That would be amazing, Bucky! Meeting the Avengers, having fun while getting free drinks, and spending time with you?! There's nothing better if you ask me," you say with a broad smile, which is infectious as Bucky agrees. It would be amazing if you could come with him.

"Okay, I will ask Ms. Jones to watch Alpine for the night then. I was initially going to ask you, but I figured a night with the Avengers would be a lot more fun than to be stuck here with this little goofball," he jokes as he sits down next to you, though she doesn't even open an eye to look at him as he does.

"I don't know, spending nights with Alpine is always fun, too," you tell your neighbor with a giant smile as you pet the white feline's back, her purring intensifying with every passing minute. Your smile is infectious, as Bucky can feel the corners of his mouth curling up, too.

It's the night of Tony's party, and you're ready to go as you hear a knock on your front door, letting you know Bucky is here to pick you up. After his invite, you went out to get a simple black dress that shows off your curves just the way you like, and your hair and make-up are kept simple, as you've never been one to go over the top with things like that.

As you open the door, Bucky can't help but let his gaze wander over your body, making the butterflies in your stomach go wild as he does. While you and Bucky don't have any interest in each other romantically - with him having a crush on his fellow Avenger, Steve, being proof of that - he can appreciate the beauty of women, and this moment isn't any different.

"You look stunning, Doll," Bucky says, and you can't help but smile as you take a moment to take in his outfit, too. He chose a black suit and a golden bowtie, matching his arm.

"You're not bad-looking yourself, either," you say before grabbing your keys and leaving your apartment. The Uber he ordered is already waiting for you two, and he opens the door for you like a true gentleman. When you're seated, he quickly walks around and gets in himself, ready to be brought to the party.

"What's on your mind?" Bucky asks as he looks over at you. Your nerves are clearly visible as you look out the window, and you're clutching your bag for dear life.

"Well, I- uhm... I'm a bit scared they won't like me," you confess as you cast your eyes down to where your hands are in your lap, holding onto the bag to ground yourself. Before saying anything, Bucky grabs one of your hands, making you look up at him.

"Y/N, I can promise you that there is not a single world in which they would not like you. If I'm being honest, you're an absolute ray of sunshine in your day-to-day life, and I cannot wait to share your happiness and kindness with them. I understand the nerves, but you got me to love you, so I'm positive the others are going to love you as well," he says, his blue eyes looking into yours with a soft gaze.

As he tells you this, you can feel the nerves in your stomach settle down immensely. The rest of the drive goes by so quickly that you don't even realize you're there until you see a bunch of flashing lights from the paparazzi at the party, and Bucky is already on his way out of the car to open your car door.

"Ready?" he asks as he extends his Vibranium hand, and you put your hand in his, ready to get out and into the party. He quickly leads you past the paparazzi, and once you're inside, Bucky immediately spots his best friend and crush - the one and only Captain America, aka Steve Rogers.

"Hi," Bucky says shyly as Steve embraces him, and you can't help but smile at this sweet side of Bucky. While they share some small talk, you look around, trying to see if you can recognize any of the other Avengers, but so far, you have only found Steve.

"You must be Y/N; Bucky speaks very highly of you," Steve says with a bright smile and kind eyes, and you nod as you can feel your cheeks heating up once again. His hand feels very large compared to yours and warmer than you're used to, but Bucky has explained that the super soldier serum raises their body temperature, which is why he's never cold.

"It's very nice to meet you, Steve. I have heard a lot about you from Bucky, both from the 30s and 40s, as well as what you two get up to now," you tell him, and this time it's Steve's turn to blush. Before he can answer, you're suddenly approached by a woman in a long red dress and fiery red hair: Black Widow.

"I was wondering when we would meet you—the sweet, caring neighbor he can't stop talking about," Natasha says with a smirk as she shakes your hand. Something about her immediately piques your interest.

"Bucky can't seem to shut up about you, so I'm happy to see that you actually exist," she says with a wink to Bucky, who rolls his eyes before ordering some drinks.

"I'm happy to hear that Bucky has already informed you about me; it makes me feel good that I'm worth talking about," you tell her honestly, and she smiles at your words. Sometimes, you wish to shut up with your blunt honesty for a moment, but it doesn't matter with Natasha. She enjoys people who say what they think.

"Have you met the others yet? Maybe Bucky could help you find the rest and introduce you," she offers, and your neighbor and friend nods with a smile before offering his arm, through which you hook yours. Before you know it, you've met Clint, Bruce, and Thor, who couldn't stop complimenting you, so the only person that's left is Tony Stark himself.

"Is this real? Am I going to meet Iron Man himself?" you ask Bucky with excitement dripping from your entire being, and he hums in approval. You spot the man you're looking for quickly, as he's always a significant presence in every room he's in. As you approach him, your heartbeat rises steadily until it feels like it's beating out of your chest.

"Well, who do we have here? If I'm not mistaken, you're the only Y/N Y/L/N," Tony says in his smooth voice, and the butterflies in your stomach go wild. He always has this effect on women, and you're most certainly not immune to it when he gently grabs your hand and presses a kiss to the back of your hand.

"H-hi! Yes, that's me," you tell him with a broad smile, which he reciprocates in his typical manner that melts hearts and ruins panties everywhere he goes.

"It's an honor to meet you, and I hope Bucky will treat you right tonight. Now, go and have fun, you two," he says before being pulled away, leaving you with wobbly knees from the excitement coursing through your entire body.

"I can't believe it, Bucky, I've met the Avengers! Me, a simple human, meeting the Avengers of all people! I can't believe it," you tell him excitedly, your pace of speaking rapidly increasing as you get increasingly excited about what has just happened.

"You're not just a simple human, Doll; you're the best neighbor and friend anyone could wish for, and I'm happy you're here tonight," he says before guiding you to the bar, ready for the rest of your evening to start. The entire time, you're made to feel welcomed by everyone, and you couldn't imagine a better first meeting than the one you've had today - apart from the one you had with Bucky, that is.

Masterlist → Bucky Barnes masterlist

GIF: Source → All the other graphics are made by @vintagebuckybarnes

If you'd like to be tagged in future stories, add yourself to my tag list here.

[luckycloverforducks]

Fuck it, HH swap AU

Their core personalities and backgrounds stay the same, it's mostly a role switch

Niffty <--> Husker

Angel Dust <--> Vaggie

Alastor <--> Charlie

(the typical for swap AUs, I know,,)

Everyone else stays the same

These r edits bc I was just figuring out their designs for the AU, I'll draw them normally another time (Husker isn't here cuz I can't find a good png of the mf)

In this AU Alastor started the hotel mostly because he randomly thought up the idea once and thought, "that's fucking hilarious, I'm doing that" + a secondary sentimental reason he'd kill me for saying (he got genuinely fully invested in the cause eventually)

He advertised it on his radio show suddenly out of the blue after 7 and a half years of radio (lol) silence. Alastor still owns Husker's and Niffty's souls but they're also obviously friends (or atleast close to it)

Also he can read tarot bc why not :3

Charlie is closer to her dad in this AU and more sheltered, adopting a more aloof, smug, and dangerous persona so sinners take her seriously, she also has a very slight condescending outlook towards sinners but she's at her core still compassionate and still views them as her people and want to protect them to a certain extent, and she still thinks the Exterminations are unnecessary and cruel, but she doesn't feel like she can do much about it since according to Lucifer's stories and discouragement, she knows heaven likely wouldn't listen much if at all, but when she heard of Alastor's little project it resparked hope in her and she decided to invest in it, becoming co-owner and funder for the hotel.

Angel Dust/Anthony never made a deal with Valentino and actually stayed in his family's crime/mafia business for the 1st half of him being in Hell, but his dad is a POS and kicked him out for being gay so he started doing s3x work, and then he met Alastor after he brutalized his harassers one day, and Angel wanted to repay the favor somehow. Alastor seems interested in him so they struck a deal (not a soul deal, just a simple deal) which has Angel/Anthony is under Alastors protection in exchange for Angel/Anthony's loyalty and assistance when needed (which is a rare case so Angel still feels like he owes Alastor). They grow friendly with time, and Alastor offers to have him be patient zero for his redemption project, and he accepted.

Vaggie/Vi is still a fallen exterminstor and still met Charlie the same way she did in the show, but after that they went their separate ways and Vi finds herself making a deal with Velvette. Instead of being a pornstar like Angel in the show, she is an influencer and a rockstar/singer, she does enjoy making music and playing the guitar but Velvette tends to overwork her and make her do things she doesn't really like for views/popularity. Velvette is the nicest to Vi/Vaggie compared to with her other employees (which isn't a very highly set bar tbh) but she also frequently break her boundaries.

Vi met Charlie again during one of her concerts and they got close and started dating. (Also one sided Velvette x Vaggie is sort of slightly maybe canon in this AU bc toxic Yuri is fun (and it's only fully one sided after Charlie and Vaggie/Vi started dating))

She helps manage the hotel when needed, but is honestly only there cause Charlie is.

Not much about Niffty changes tbh (she's perfect the way she is, utterly unhinged 😍) she's just a bit more mellowed out and less hyper (she's still hyper just not all the time like in the show) and she's also a bartender and has surprisingly good taste for alcohol, and also frequently makes borderline poisonous drinks while experimenting, but when she gets it right it's really good. Doesn't stop the others of being terrified of her drinks though

Husker is a more smiley and charming in this AU, using a laid back attitude to put people at ease and more willing to open up to him if they need to (he used to use the information people share as blackmail when he needs to back when he was an Overlord, although he never actually needs to spread anything, just threats), and he's still very observant but he's also slightly more unhinged- He's a sort of butler/cleaner for the hotel

He still gets grumpy time to time, but mostly when he's drunk, which isn't as often anymore ever since Niffty was put in charge of the bar (understandably so)

He has a bit of an anger issue and also gets annoyed easily, and sometimes makes unhinged threats as a sort of joke (they stop being much of a joke once you genuinely piss him off)

He likes things clean and tidy because it helps him pretend to be put together

He and Alastor are a bit friendlier compared to in the show, hes still one of the few people that knows more about Alastor, though hes still bummed about the whole being owned by Alastor thing (Husker can also read tarot to a lesser extent bc Al taught him for funzies and Husker thought it's interesting)

His gambling addiction is also ever so slightly worse

[magics-neptunes-things]

Hide And Seek

Hi guys!

Another request that you can find it here, even if I'm only going to write it at one part.

Resume : Two times you and your secret girlfriend almost got caught by your big sister and the time she caught you.

Warning : Fluff, swearing (because it's Lucy), a little bit of angst because I like it with happy ending. !BronzeReader

______________________________________________________________

You met Alessia thanks to your big sister Lucy Bronze. These two playing together in the national team, it was not difficult to meet her. You meet her several times even, whether at parties for their different victories or when you go to see Lucy at her training sessions. You always thought Alessia was beautiful, but when you heard her talk about her boyfriend with Ella a few years ago, you got used to the idea that it was better to give up.

The months and years passed and Alessia was single for a little while when you had the opportunity to have a moment of exchange just the two of them, during their final won at the Euro. After having celebrated this with the families, some of them decided to extend the party in nightclub and you accepted when Lucy offered to accompany them. Jorge being a father, he had to resolve to let his two sisters go without him, but you promised him to stay wise and not drink too much.

Lucy, on the other hand, just sneered at him. She is dancing in the middle of the track with several of her teammates, including a Leah Williamson in fire. For your part, you watch the scene with a smile, proud of what your sister and her team has achieved.

"What are you doing alone?"

You raise your head to realize that the person who asked you this question is nobody but Alessia. You joked that it could have passed for a lame line from a lame flirt and when she blushed while sitting next to you you found yourself falling for her even harder.

You discussed the rest of the night, interrupted only when the nightclub owners kicked you out. When you arrived home, you could see that Alessia had started following you on Instagram and your relationship started like that. You made the decision not to tell anyone, starting with Lucy. There are some implicit rules in family life, starting with not getting in a relationship with your sister’s friends.

********

The first time you almost got caught was during the winter football break.

"Raise and shine baby, your sister's here!"

You are awakened with a start, the voice of your sister causing you a start of panic attack. This is not the first time she comes at yours when she's home from Barcelona, usually to bring you breakfast and spend time with you. And you like it, as much as you love your big sister.

However, this morning, there is Alessia with you in your bed. An Alessia not fully dressed, hair in bulk and eyes still asleep. This doesn't prevent her from throwing you a look of pure panic. Lucy doesn’t know that you two share more than a purely friendly relationship, you know that she wouldn’t appreciate you dating one of her friends. Just as it would be perfectly reciprocal if things were reversed.

"Y/N are you still sleeping? It’s past 10am"

You have always been a big sleeper, you are constantly quarrelled with this in your family. You quickly get up from your bed and beckons Alessia to do the same.

"I’m coming! Give me time to get dressed and I’ll come" you answer.

She grumbles and settles on your sofa, turning on the television. You appreciate even more the fact that she feels at home when she is at yours. This will allow you to whisper with Alessia to get you out of this bad step.

"You have to hide" you mumble to Alessia while putting a t-shirt.

"Where? I won’t hide in your closet, I warn you"

"Get dressed to start"

Alessia’s blue eyes cast a reproachful glance at you, certainly linked to the tone of the voice you just used. You apologize with a look and watch her get dressed.

"Go find your sister instead of looking at me, creep"

You roll your eyes and gently open the door to find Lucy actually installed in the living room. When she sees you appear she jumps on her legs and hurries to join the kitchen. Maybe things aren’t going to be as complicated as you thought.

All you have to do is keep her from entering your bedroom.

Lucy sitting at your kitchen table, you exchange the latest news of your lives while you put what she brought on plates. You listen to her talk about her life in Barcelona and you smirks when you hear her talk about this famous girl who seems to take more and more in her life, maybe joining Barcelona this summer.

"What?" she asks you when she sees you smiling.

"Nothing" you answer before laughing and biting into your toast.

You change the subject of conversation, going back to your nephew’s next birthday hoping that she does not delay too much. You can’t help but think of Alessia still waiting to get out of your bedroom.

"By the way, I need my camera back. You have it, you know where you put it?"

Busy doing the dishes after your breakfast and a few games of Mario Kart, you start answering without really thinking.

"It's on the dresser in my bedr…"

Holly shit.

By the time you turn around, Lucy’s already headed to your room and opened the door. You run after her, ready to face Alessia lying on your bed, but she’s not visible anywhere.

"Thank you" Lucy smiles, not noticing your lost look. "I have to go, but I’ll see you later ok?"

"Sure. Can't wait to meet Ona though" you mumble, still looking around.

She gives you a light punch behind the back of the skull, puts a kiss on your cheek and left as fast as she came. The door of your apartment closes and you turn towards your room.

"Lessi?"

The door of your closet opens slowly to reveal your girlfriend, her eyes cold and her face closed. She is really not happy at all.

"I am so sorry"

She grumbles for any answer but accepts the hand you hold out to help her get out of the furniture. You tell her again your apology, applying yourself to lay as many kisses on her face as possible, until she finally offers you one of her smiles that you love so much.

"It’s an original way to get out of the closet, though" you joke softly in the pit of her ear.

She frowns and punches you in the back of the head, right where Lucy did it to you earlier.

"Ouch? I didn’t know you were in the category of abusive girlfriends?"

She rolls her eyes and leaves the room, making you smile when seeing her rush to the toilet. You go back to the living room and prepare a plate with what’s left of the breakfast, determined to make amends. And, sorry Lucy, but you can’t help but tell her about your sister’s confidences earlier.

********

The second time you almost got caught was during the World Cup. You made the trip for the entire tournament, officially to support your beloved big sister. Unofficially to spend time with your girlfriend, which you simply can’t live without. You spent two separate weeks for her training camp and that was enough for you. By an incredible chance you found a job in London to be able to follow Alessia without it attracting anyone’s attention. Maybe because you were in the confidence of Alessia leaving Manchester for Arsenal from the beginning and you were able to do things smoothly.

After resigning, you have almost two months free before returning to work and you decided to fly to Australia.

Alessia sharing her room with Ella, you have at first to show imagination to be able to see you. Even if you are in the stands every time, it’s obviously out of the question that she comes to kiss you as if nothing had happened. Alessia finally confessed that she was seeing someone, not to mention your identity. Ella tried to find out more, but the pretty blonde didn’t want to embarrass her best friend and make her life complicated. If Lucy finds out about you and knows that Ella also knows, Tooney might get scolded too.

Except it only lasted four days before Ella understood. After helping Alessia escape from the surveillance of their teammates for a secret date on a beach, Ella didn’t think much of anything anymore. Eager to change her mind, she proposed a little noctune ride to everyone and this was accepted by Lucy, always willing to discover the voisinnage, Mary and Maya.

It was only when they turned around a street corner that they had never explored to come across a small beach that an alarm sounded in her head. She easily recognized the silhouette of her best friend, sitting on the wall at the beginning of the beach. However, she didn’t have time to try to recognize who was with Alessia that Lucy’s incredulous voice resonated beside her.

"Y/N?"

When you heard the voice of your older sister, you jumped and hurried to get up. And Ella understood.

"What are you doing here?"

"We asked her to come see you, we made this with Alessia" the surprise passed, Ella quickly made her brain work. " You seemed a little down by your knee so we thought seeing someone from your family would make you happy. Lessi had to meet her here and I had to take you there."

Alessia’s panicked look quickly turned into a look of relief when Lucy seemed to gladly accept the answer. Especially since it is true that her knee worries her and that the idea that this World Cup is the last one works a lot.

So happily passing her arm around your shoulders, she takes you a little further away from the others. Luckily, Maya and Mary didn’t seem to doubt Ella’s story. But seeing her best friend’s eyes, Alessia quickly understood that she was going to have some explanations to give her.

In any case, fortunately your kissing session had ended a few minutes earlier.

********

Lucy is back from Barcelona for the training camps for the national team, like many of her teammates. With the latter taking place in London, Alessia doesn’t have much to do to join it on the first day. And fortunately, since the evening before you went out to see a concert and it’s possible that you will extend the evening by going for a drink somewhere. Alessia is not a stranger, but you are always careful not to be to intimate towards each other when you know you can be seen.

Except that last night, alcohol and the prospect of not being able to see you for a few days may have made you lose your mind.

And that’s why pictures of you and Alessia kissing each other appeared on the net. These kisses against a red brick wall on a London street certainly brought a very pleasant moment when you returned to Alessia’s apartment, but if the blonde could disappear underground now, she would. Her teammates obviously came across the photos and teased her with it since this morning.

By a miracle, it’s almost impossible to recognize you. They only see your hair and your back while Alessia’s face is perfectly recognizable. Ella tried to divert the attention of their friends by all possibilities, discovering herself a fan-girl side for your couple, but in vain.

Even worse, attracted by the giggles of the girls and the pink cheeks of Alessia, Lucy comes to mingle in the conversation.

"What did I miss?" Lucy asks while sitting next to Mary.

"Alessia has a secret girlfriend" sings Lotte maliciously.

A little surprise laugh escapes from your big sister’s lips, which Alessia avoids looking in the eyes since she realized that she and you have exactly the same color.

"I thought you were straight?" asks Lucy, curiously looking at your blonde.

"I’ve never stuck labels on myself" Alessia mumbles as she looks at her hands.

"You’ve only been with boys so far" Esme gently says.

"What do you want me to say? She changed my mind."

That was true. Without making a fuss, Alessia had always imagined herself as heterosexual before getting closer to you and realizing that it was not friendly hugs that she wanted to give you.

"Let me see the pictures"

Lucy reaches out to Maya's phone, who willingly reaches out. Alessia wince when she sees Lucy reading the article and enlarging the photos. You also saw the article, obviously. You tried to reassure Alessia by telling her that no one could recognize you and that it would eventually settle down.

"Can’t you leave her alone?" intervenes Ella, anxious to protect her best friend.

But Lucy doesn’t listen, distracted by the photos. Her eyebrows gently frown.

"Wait, I know this tattoo"

Oh no. Paling in s

ight, Alessia rises most discreetly from her seat but barely has time to take a few steps that a roar sounds behind her.

"Alessia Mia Teresa Fucking Russo!"

Rushing to hide behind Mary who innocently enters the cafeteria, Alessia barely has time to hide behind the goalie’s shoulder as Lucy is already with her.

"Mary please, she’s going to kill me"

"Lucia what the fuck?" asks Mary, moving Lucy away from Alessia, putting her hand on her chest.

"It’s my sister! It’s my fucking little sister she’s kissing in these fucking pictures!"

********

You didn't hear about Alessia that night.

You tried to call her at the same time as usual, but not seeing her answer you simply told yourself that she was busy and that she was going to call you back. When you saw that the hours were passing and that it was not the case, the worry that she was injured became too strong. So, despite your desire not to disturb people, you tried to contact Ella. She did not answer you either, increasing your anxiety.

With no one else aware, it was impossible to contact anyone else to ask about Alessia. So you spent a sleepless night looking at your phone screen hoping to get a message, but nothing. The day has passed and you have never been so ineffective in your life at work. Your fear turned into anxiety throughout the day, unable to distract your mind from Alessia.

It wasn’t until the evening that you received notification of a message from Alessia. Except the message you received was far from what you expected.

From LessiBaby 🧸❤️‍🔥 We are over

From You What are you talking about baby? Are you alright? I was really worried, what happened?

From LessiBaby 🧸❤️‍🔥 You and me. We are over I'm sorry Don't contact me again pls

And after that, Alessia had to block you since you couldn’t call her and none of your messages could be delivered to her.

A breakup with the woman you’re in love with is hard. But it’s even harder not to understand why. Everything was perfectly fine when she left for camp, she even took care to leave you several of her hoodies so that you can sleep with it in her absence, promising to see you as soon as she had the opportunity.

Then, finally, the infernal spiral of your thoughts made you understand that she had surely realized that she deserved better than you. A sportsman or woman like her, who surely does something more interesting than a simple job in an international compagny. Someone she could expose herself with.

On the third day of your breakup, you were unable to get out of bed to go to work. Feeling that something was wrong with you, your closest friend in London who is also one of your colleagues arrived at your house. She didn’t ask a question when she saw you in your pajamas at 2:00 in the afternoon, eating chocolate ice cream in front of the television.

Instead, she made you pack a bag and took you home for the weekend. The first day you refused to leave the guest room, only answering your mother’s messages so she wouldn’t think you were murdered in a dark alley in London. The second day you confided in Ashley about the whole story. She listened to you, didn’t judge you for a second and tried to give you some advice.

When Lucy wrote to you asking you to go for a drink, you refused on the pretext of having something planned with Ashley. You know that your sister would quickly understand that something is happening in your private life if she see you and you don’t want to talk to her about it.

The following Monday, you and your sadness returned to work under Ashley’s encouragement. Her boyfriend must have thought you were a psychopath but didn’t comment on your physical or mental state either. It allowed you to confirm to Ashley that he was a good man.

In the evening, you returned home, making a new night routine. Often just taking time to shower, you went back to bed quickly. The only news you have of Alessia is on England’s national team social media. Despite the pain of these images, you can’t help but look at them. She’s still beautiful. Tired maybe, but anyone is tired during these camps. You know they’re intense.

On Friday night, Ashley practically came to take you out of your bed to get out. She forced you to shower and put on something other than an Alessia sweater. However, you refused to wear make-up and fix your hair other way than a messy bun. You put on a ripped jeans and a white top with your black leather jacket and that’s enough.

You don’t know the bar Ashley is taking you to, which is not surprising since you’re still new to London. What you do know is that the hubbub that sounds as soon as you enter it will soon cause you a headache.

"Can you at least fake that you're not dying from the inside?" Ashley laugh softly after you had your drinks.

"Sorry" you mumble, well aware of your unpleasant company.

"I asked John to come to, is it ok?" Ashley asks, mentioning her boyfriend.

You mumble that it's fine, before the door open again leaving a group of about ten people to enter. You automatically glance at it before freezing to see who it is. There is at least half of the Lioness contingent. Mary, Milie, Leah, Keira, Lucy, Lauren, Beth, Georgia and Alessia and Ella closing the march. You shift on your seat, staring at Ashley.

"Did you do it on purpose?"

"No! Of course not!"

You don’t have to study her face long to understand that it’s not Ashley who did about it, but fate. Finishing your Daiqiri in one go, you turn towards your friend.

"You have five seconds to figure out a way to get me out of here without me getting noticed"

You didn’t respond to Lucy’s last messages with more than one sentence, also refusing a proposal to go for a coffee before one of her workouts. As for Alessia, you don’t have the courage to look at her now. You look at your fingers, fearing to turn into a salt statue or worse, to see her happy and smiling while you cried last night while not managing to open your new jar of jam.

Luckily, the small group chose a table at the end of the room, allowing you to think about an action plan.

"Your girlfriend doesn’t look very happy" says Ashley, who can’t resist observing them.

"Ex" you whisper, still looking at your fingers.

Ashley stay silent and you jump when someone falls between you on a chair. But it’s just John, leaning over to put a delicate kiss on Ashley’s lips. You greet him with a vague smile, happy to see that despite your breakup you manage to bear the happiness of others.

Ashley asked you if she could tell your story to John and you agreed, certain that the poor man didn’t care much about your problems. But you were wrong and he always show you kindness and empathie.

A grimace appears on his face when your friend informs him of the situation and you shrug your shoulders in return. It’s at this precise moment that you realize how much you miss your big brother and that you feel guilty for not having written to him these last days. John is friendly but he’s nothing like Jorge.

You end up looking at the players' table, automatically looking for Alessia’s figure. Sitting next to Ella, of course. If the latter seems in full conversation with Milie, Alessia is leaning against the back of the bench, staring at the table in front of her. It makes you frown, if she is at the initiative of your breakup, why does she seem sad too?

Your eyes slide down to your sister at the end of the table. Her head leaning on her hand, she also talks with someone you can’t see, her eyes going around the room to discover the decoration.

"I have to get out of here," you whisper as you turn to your couple of friends.

"I’ll help you."

John throws you his cap that you put on your head to hide yourself. You hope to sneak out discreetly. Getting up, you let yourself be carried away by John who passed a protective arm around your shoulders. You sigh of relief when he opens the door of the pub, before finding you nailed to the ground, facing Mary Earps.

"Y/N? Who’s that?"

Her eyes get cold when they lands on John and you quickly understand why. He also hurries to remove his arm from your shoulders, but you force the way out of the establishment. There’s no way you’re gonna get you spotted now.

"John, a friend. Don’t look at me like that, his girlfriend is inside and he was just helping me out."

After making sure he can leave you, John returns inside, probably impressed by Mary's icy look. You can understand.

"I’ll let your sister know you’re here" Mary informs you by grabbing her phone.

"No, no! please…"

Mary again raises her gaze on you and it’s your turn to find yourself in front of her icy gaze.

"Oh yes. Enough of your stories, I’m tired of Alessia looking at Lucy like she killed your whole family. And to see Lucy look at Alessia like she killed your whole family. And you look like someone who lost their whole family. If I don’t do it for you, I do it for my own sanity."

"I don’t understand what you’re saying "

Mary doesn’t answer, typing on her phone. You don’t have much time to think about it since Lucy comes out of the establishment, a questioning look on her face.

"Y/N?" makes Lucy gently before offering you a brief embrace.

You let her, determined to understand what’s going on before you get angry. You still missed her. A long silence passes, finally interrupted by Mary’s exasperated sigh.

"You’re not even trying. Okay. Lucy, explain why you made Alessia break up with your sister, please?"

"What?!" you jump.

You knew there was very little chance that Lucy would react well to this announcement, but between that and pushing Alessia to break up with you, there’s a world.

"I didn’t force her to break up, I told her what I thought of your relationship and the fact that you preferred to hide it from me rather than tell me."

"You told her that she was a traitor you couldn’t trust and that she should be ashamed of betraying her friends like she did."

Mary’s objection makes Lucy wince and makes you frown. You can imagine how much these words must have affected Alessia, it’s hardly anything that was thrown in her face when she left Manchester for Arsenal.

"What have you done Lucia?"

Even if she rolls her eyes when you say her full name, she still look embarrassed. And you, kinda angry.

"I messed up. I tried to talk to you this week about it, but you were always busy."

"I wasn't busy, I was fucking heartbroken Luce! You didn't have the right to get into my relationship!"

You're cold, but you can't understand how or why Lucy would make a move like this. You never said anything about her relationships, unless it was friendly teasing.

Lucy opens her mouth again to speak, but it is only Alessia’s sweet voice that you hear above all this hubbub.

"Y/N?"

"Hi" you sigh by sliding your hands in the pockets of your jeans.

You remember bitterly that a few minutes ago, you had hoped to leave here quietly. A new silence takes place during which each of you is observed thé others without knowing what to say. Mary finally reacts, taking Lucy by the arm to get her inside again, telling her that she will have time to reconcile with her little sister later.

So you find yourself alone in front of Alessia and you don’t know what to say to her. Worse, you realize you’re angry at her too.

"I’m sorry" said Alessia after a few seconds.

"I don't understand"

You can’t face her. While the only thing you wanted less than two hours ago was to be able to find her arms back, you now just want to go home and that the whole world leaves you alone.

"You don’t you understand what?" asks Alessia gently.

"Why didn’t you fight for me? For us? Lucy tells you to end our relationship and you did, without even giving me any explanations or reasons. Do you have any idea what happened in my head?"

Alessia swallows, apparently not expecting you to talk to her that way. Aside from the little arguments, you never got confused. You don’t even know if she saw you once angry. But now you feel it boiling in your veins. And, as every time you are angry, you feel tears in your eyes and it annoys you even more.

"I told myself that you had found someone else or that you had realized that you wanted someone with whom things would be easier. Maybe someone more athletic, smarter or even more available than me. That you might have realized you deserved better than me, after all who care about a simple accountant, huh?"

You see she wants to answer you, but now that you’re on the move, you can’t stop. You even take a step in her direction, pointing an accusing finger in her direction.

"I was in love with you, I would have done anything for you, Alessia. And it destroys me to see that it is not reciprocal."

Like you, Alessia has tears in her eyes. She looks like she’s blown away by everything you just threw in her face, like a boxer who just got hit in the face. That’s when Ashley comes out of the bar, freezing as she sees the scene. What a great timing.

"Can you please take me home?"

"Of course."

You need 20 minutes to get home. Meanwhile, as if to support the bad atmosphere, the clouds began to pour torrents of water on London. You had to promise Ashley several times that you were gonna be okay before she let you join your apartment alone. Despite the small hundred meters that you have to do to reach your building, you are quickly soaked.

Once at home, you hurry to get rid of your wet clothes to take a hot shower and put on a jogging bottom and a t-shirt much too big for you. This one also belongs to Alessia. Your phone stayed on your nightstand and you decide to leave it there. You just want the world to leave you alone. Armed with a hot chocolate and a plaid, you sit in front of the television and launch the first season of Friend’s.

An hour later, you jump when you hear someone knocking on your door. Fortunately, your cup has been empty ever since. You hesitate a few seconds to answer, before getting up sighing.

You don’t know what you expected, but certainly not that. Alessia, wearing the same clothes you left her in front of the bar, soaked from head to toe. Her hair is stuck to her face and her clothes are glued to her body. She’s dripping on your doormat, but that doesn’t seem to be the most important thing to her right now.

You might have found her sexy if you hadn’t been seriously worried about her health.

"Jesus Alessia" you whisper before you let her in.

The young woman tries to speak but she shudders so much that you cannot understand anything with her teeth colliding.

"No wait, hush, shut up" you mumble

Without giving her the choice or really explaining what you are doing, you drag her into your bathroom. There, you push her under the shower all dressed and turns on the hot water, determined to warm her up as quickly as possible. You’re genuinely afraid she’ll end up hypothermic.

"Did you walk from the bar to here?" You ask her after a few minutes.

Alessia crossed her arms on her chest, probably trying to warm up faster. She still trembles but nevertheless manages to make an understandable sentence.

"I had to know."

"Know what?"

Still under hot water, Alessia takes a step in your direction to be closer to you. Unlike earlier, your voice is calm and concerned. And no matter how much you think, you don’t see what she wants to know.

"Earlier. You said I was in love with you. You used the past"

"Alessia…"

It was obviously not voluntary and finding you immersed in the blue of her eyes take you back to every single good memory you had with her. You don't want to lie to her, you have always entrusted everything of your thoughts to her because you have full confidence in her.

"Please Y/N. I need to know. Do you still love me?"

Her voice trembles again, but it’s not because of the cold this time. You feel your heart break a little when you see that her eyes are full of tears and that some have even started to roll on her cheeks, mixing with the hot water.

"Of course I do" you end up whispering.

In less than two seconds, Alessia grabbed you by the shirt and you’re stuck between her and the wall. Two more seconds later and her lips are on yours. They’re cold, indicating that her body heat is still not at the right temperature. But that’s the least of your concerns. Her hands are all over you and you try to respond to the force of the kiss that Alessia offers you. This mixture of passion and despair is rather surprising and you must quickly catch your breath.

When Alessia looks back at you, her look make you wonder if she will tear your clothes off or start crying again. She ends up opting for a third option, pressing her forehead on yours.

"I never wanted anyone but you. I’m sorry that such ideas came to mind. I’ve shown you very badly, but it’s always been you. I don’t want anyone but you."

The fervor of Alessia’s words cuts your breath. Her gaze in yours confirms that she truly thinks every word she just said. You smile at her, stroking lightly her cheek.

"Let's get out from here right?"

You hurry out in the shower to wrap yourself in a towel, reluctantly removing the t-shirt you like so much. After taking out a towel for Alessia, you quickly get dressed, this time putting on a hoodie and an old shorts with the Manchester United logo. You also get something out for Alessia and when she’s dressed you slip under your duvet.

Alessia once again loses not a second before drawing you against her and you let her do it with pleasure, delighted to find your favorite smell.

"We need to talk to Lucy" Alessia whispers after a few seconds.

You let go of a little grunt for a simple answer. Now that you are reconciled with Alessia, you are not even angry with your big sister.

"Tomorrow" you answer before putting yourself on your stomach to be able to better observe it.

"Are you still mad at me?"

"No" you answer, smiling as you see the relief on Alessia’s face. "Lucy told me she tried to contact me to discuss this with me. You know what it was for?"

"I think a discussion with Mary and Leah made her realize she didn’t choose the right way. They must have seen that those few days were complicated for me. I think she wanted to see how you lived it."

You just hums, resting your head on her shoulder. But Alessia won’t let you do it since she gently raises your face in her direction. Keeping her hand under your chin, she gently strokes your cheek with her thumb while talking to you.

"I need to know what you’re thinking. You used to tell me everything without filter and now I feel like you’re holding everything"

"I’m just still a little confused" you explain with a frown, trying to formulate as best as possible what is happening in your head. "I didn’t know Lucy was the reason you broke up with me. It was so sudden… First you didn’t answer my messages, Ella neither and then you wrote me to tell me it was over and to stop writing to you. And then I realized you blocked me on all your social media. The only way I could make sure you were still alive was by the brief seconds you appeared on the Lionesses account."

"I am so sorry"

Alessia’s voice is strangled by emotion and you know perfectly well that she never tried to hurt you.

"I thought I’d lose you forever and now you’re back. I’m gonna need a few days to realise that I'm not dreaming."

"Would you like me to leave you alone tonight?"

"No! Never go again" you exclaim, supporting your words by wrapping your body around it.

Alessia’s laughter makes you smile and you close your eyes to well being when you feel that she puts a kiss on your hair.

It’s only at this moment that you realize that the screen of your phone turns on. Stretching your arm, you grab it and frown as you notice that you have ten missed calls from Lucy, as many Ella and other numbers that you don’t even know.

"What the fuck?" you mumble.

"What’s happening?"

You need two seconds to focus on what’s going on, Alessia’s lips being busy stroking your neck. You turn the screen in her direction to show her the notifications, making her frown too. You don’t have time to think any longer as your phone rings again, indicating Ella’s phone number.

Sitting on Alessia’s hips, you pick up, still so lost.

"Hello?"

"Y/N! Thank God! Alessia disappeared, she left without taking her bag or even her phone"

"Oh" you mumble, pinching your nose. "Don’t worry, she’s at my house. She’s fine."

"What?! We’ve been looking for her for hours, give her your phone!"

With a little smile of apology, you hand your phone to Alessia. She grabs it with a constrained air and you put a kiss on her cheek while seeing her startle when her best friend yells at her. You can understand every word Ella utters and carefully watch Alessia’s face go from pout to frown following the words spoken by the Manchester United player.

You take advantage of your position to observe Alessia’s face, in search of change. You can’t find anything, except that she looks tired. When your fingers begin to slide gently across her face, Alessia’s eyes look for yours. You simply give her a tender smile, to which she responds almost timidly, while continuing your caresses. It takes you a few seconds to realize that Ella’s voice has finished resonating at the end of the phone, taken in your moment.

"I’m sorry Ella, I didn’t think you’d panic like this"

You still hear some furious exclamations on the other end of the phone, making you smile softly.

"I’m sorry. Can you cover me with the coaches for tonight? I’ll explain everything, I promise."

Alessia smiles as she hears Ella groan something in return, making you laugh silently.

"Thank you. Love you"

After that, she gives you your phone back and you quickly answer Lucy that you will talk tomorrow.

"She’s not very happy," Alessia comments, sliding her hands on your knees.

"Didn’t you tell them you were leaving?"

"No. And now can I have a kiss please?"

You smile and put your phone on the bedside table, amused to feel Alessia pull you by the sweater. It’s obviously with great pleasure that you oblige, putting your lips on hers.

______________________________________________________________

alessiarusso99 and yourinstagram

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alessiarusso99 Time to let them know I’m yours ❤️🤍

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YourInstagram I love you SO MUCH ❤️🤍  

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lucybronze 😘

user1 Not Lessi hitting on Lucy's little sister 😂

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user2 It's as cute as unexpected

↳ user3 I saw them at England's last game. The alchemy was tangible.

↳ user4 she was wearing a Russo jersey too

[thecapricunt1616]

Allspice (c.b oneshot)

𝐵𝓁𝓊𝓇𝒷 (𝑀𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝐵𝒯𝒞): You were so engrossed in the work, that you hadn’t even realized someone had approached your table until they cleared their throat awkwardly.  Your gaze slowly travels up, seeing a blue apron covering a white shirt, tattooed hands holding- your meal? Your eyes flicker up to his piercing blue ones. “Chilean Sea Bass” he sets it in front of you. You snort a laugh.  “Hm.” You look around before back at him “These people” you motion to the restaurant. “Other patrons. Which meals of theirs did you bring out- Chef?” You accentuate the last word, it was all too uncommon for a chef to personally bring a meal out to a table. 

♡ O.S Inspo: Forever & Always - Fearless (TV) ; "Was I out of line, did I say something way too honest, made you run and hide like a scared little boy?" ♡ Pairing : CarmyxAFAB Reader as little physical description possible | She/Her pronouns used, NO use of Y/N :) ♡ Summary: You have a very successful Culinary Review blog, the social media manager of one of your new hometown restaurants 'The Bear' has been dying to get you out to try their food. But since the EC is a bit of an overzealous competitor, you end up having to go back for round 2- you end up having a delicious dinner, and a free show.

♡ W/C: 4,381

♡ Posted Date: 03/18/24

♡ A/N: FIRST THING: I am HORRIDDDD at writing Claire- I'm much better at writing Carmy cause were alot more similar- so this Claire isn't gonna be CRAZY canon, but I think she got the job done. Anyway- EEEEEP!!! Here is my VERY FIRST ONE SHOT EVER!! Inspired by my amazing, wonderful, PRECIOUS FLOWER @daysofyellowroses that can be found here :) AAAAA!!! My precious Rose I hope you enjoy this, It could ABSOLUTELY have a part 2 if y'all like it. I ended it here cause I'm sooo wordy and I didn't want it to turn in to a multi-chap. fic by mistake...but ofc if y'all want more just tell me and ill get RIGHT TO WORK!!! I really hope this comes off how I saw it in my head. There's no smut/sexy stuff, just mutual pining and flirty teasing, I hope thats ok!! aaa here we goooo!!! Enjoy <3

♡ Warnings for BTC: Swearing, Drinking alcohol (Literally it LOL)

➵ 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 ♡

Being a Food Critic wasn’t an easy gig, as much as people wanted to believe it’s simply going to famous restaurants, trying their most popular dishes- and giving your opinion, it was much more then that. 

Each and every aspect of the restaurant was under your review, from the second you walked in the door, you were judging everything. From the atmosphere, to the music, to the decor, to the comfortability of the furniture all of it, was to meet your expectations if the owner of the establishment wanted a good review.

Today was finally the day you'd review one of the restaurants that had sent 3 requests for you to feature a review of them on your blog. 

The Bear. Interesting name, you thought.

With the rugged name- you’d assumed a more millennial hipster-New American vibe. But when you’d arrived- you were quite…impressed? That instead of leaning into that all too common aesthetic, it was more of a classy, comfortable vibe. 

They’d not even had bear art, anything of the sort. It was pure comfort, mixed with subtle class. The kind that spoke to the cost of the dishes- but wasn’t in your face obnoxious. The only ‘Bear’ was the little golden bear embossed into the leather menu you’d been handed when seated at the table. 

The way you did your reviews was…a tad unusual - some chefs in the industry called it ‘unfair’ but you called it…the fairest things could be. Instead of telling them when you’d be swinging by for a review since where’s the fun in that you’d call, make a reservation under some random name, and they’d know you’d accepted their offer when the review had been posted on your blog. 

It felt most honest and fair because you were one of the most renowned food critics in the country right now. If they knew you were coming- any EC with a brain would spend the night before your arrival, prepping the entire restaurant and staff - assuring they’d be on their best behavior to try and squeeze a higher grade out of you.

 But you were just a reader once upon a time, years ago- when you realized in culinary school that the making of the art didn’t interest you, it was the observing. Food wasn’t just about taste, but rather the whole experience. And if every famous food critic you’d taken interest in back in the day- never got a true experience due to their notability? You’d never have gotten into this field. So, you were most keen on keeping things fair. 

A woman with mousey brown hair comes up to your table, dressed in the typical waitress slacks and black button up shirt. “Hello! Welcome to The Bear. My name is Sam, have you dined with us before?” she asks. 

You sit up in your chair, peeling your eyes from the menu. You give her a small kind smile “I haven’t” you replied, urging her to continue her script. 

“Well welcome in, we're so happy you chose to spend your evening with us. So for our menu” she opens it in front of you. “Here” she points “are our wine options, fabulous selection this month. Then we have draft beers right next to it. On the following page” she points “all of our craft cocktails, then this,” she points in the bottom corner. 

“Our house cocktail - Just called The Bear. It’s wonderful, if you like old fashions you’ll love this - made with Bearface Triple Oak Whiskey.” She said and you nod. 

 “That please. That’s what I’ll start with” you said and she nodded. 

“I’ll get that right in. But quickly, just so you’re aware” she flipped the page and pointed. 

“These - are the dishes of the month. Each crafted by one of our two head chefs, they change monthly so if something calls to you I recommend you try- because it won’t be back” she said. You raised your eyebrows a bit in surprise and nod. 

“Thank you” you said and she gives a nod before heading off to the bar to put in your drink order before heading off to tend to other tables in your section. 

Having an alternating menu intrigued you, for such a high end establishment- one with a Michelin star at that- implementing such a menu would consistently have their star at risk. One dish, one app, one drink- that was not up to par and it would be revoked. You guessed the owners of this place liked living on the edge, as if being in this industry wasn’t already being constantly on edge. 

You gaze over the menu, the Chilean Seabass sounded like a fair assessment. Seafood was quite difficult to get right, especially in the springtime before peak season, and you’d be able to judge the consistency of the chopping and such because there was a fresh tomato corn salad that came with it. That was your rule when you came to judge restaurants, one main course, and one dessert.  

You’d felt like the main courses were the true stars of the show anyhow, and it would be unfair to muck up your palate with an app that was usually something easy to get right (since they were usually fried, covered in cheese, or some kind of carb). And the dessert usually showed the restaurant's creativity, which you loved to see, so 2 dishes was your max. 

The waitress returns with the cocktail, setting it down with a napkin under it. “Here you are, now- have you decided on a starter?” She questioned and you shook your head. 

“Straight to the good stuff, I’d like the Chilean Sea Bass please. And for dessert,” you flick the page and your eyes settle on the words savory cannoli - hmm, imaginative indeed. “And uh- The Michael Cannoli?” You said, shutting the menu and handing it to her. 

She nods with a smile, jotting down the order into her notepad before taking the menu and holding it to her chest. “That will be out soon as possible. Enjoy your drink” she said and headed back to the kitchen. 

You sit back sipping the cocktail and humming. She was right, much like an old fashioned, but floral notes. Almost…chamomile? Yes! That was it. Very interesting.

You slipped your iPad out of your bag, opening up your journaling app and grabbing the pencil out of the little sleeve. You quickly snapped a picture with your phone of the drink, airdropping it to yourself and adding it into the entry and writing;

‘To start; ‘The Bear’ house cocktail- initial thoughts ; not too sweet, strong (but not overpowering), chamomile? Some kind of herbal tea flower’ 

You take another sip, letting the flavors sit on your tongue a moment before swallowing. “Mmm!” You hum to yourself, finally realizing where the herby taste beneath the chamomile was coming from that gave it that oaky piney taste. 

‘Angostura bitters- will confirm!!’ You wrote just as someone approaches your table. You look up to see a man, short brown hair, stubble. He was smiling, holding a plate. 

“Hello! Here we have Arancini with our house-made pesto, courtesy of Executive Chef Carmen” he placed the dish in front of you next to your iPad. Your eyebrows furrowed slightly, looking up at him, scarcel confused. 

“Wrong table” you murmured, thumbing the dish back in his direction lightly. He cleared his throat awkwardly. 

“Nope- ah, he- he said this table.” He replied. It did smell fantastic, and any other day you’d never deny delicious, deep fried balls of risotto dipped in smooth, decedent pesto- but you’re working right now and it’s not fair. 

“Well, you can tell him” you lifted the dish, offering it back. “I have a system. And I’m unsure how he realized that I’m coming here, tonight, but I dislike cheaters. And he should know if he’s read my blog- I don’t muck up my palate with grease before I try the main course.” The plate was so close to him now it was nearly digging into his chest.

He nodded quickly, taking the plate without another word and briskly walking back to the kitchen. You sat back in your seat with a slight scoff. 

He thinks he can win you over just like that? How did he even know you would be here?

You picked up your pencil once again, adding a note. 

For the chef; Arancini smelt delicious. Didn’t order it, so I didn’t taste it . Presentation wise; 7/10. Pesto looked like it was spooned in the dish a tad bit messy to me. 

You smiled to yourself, you knew he’d read the final review once it was posted. And since he wanted to be a little cheater and get a overall higher score since he was trying to weasel you into trying extra dishes- you’d kick his ego down a few extra pegs for fun. 

You sat, nursing your drink, adding extra little notes here and there, as well as editing a blog post about Ghost Kitchens you’d been working on and how they were ruining the mobile order industry on the side. You were so engrossed in the work, that you hadn’t even realized someone had approached your table until they cleared their throat awkwardly. 

Your gaze slowly travels up, seeing a blue apron covering a white shirt, tattooed hands holding- your meal? Your eyes flicker up to his piercing blue ones. “Chilean Sea Bass” he sets it in front of you. You snort a laugh. 

“Hm.” You look around before back at him “These people” you motion to the restaurant. “Other patrons. Which meals of theirs did you bring out- Chef?” You accentuate the last word, it was all too uncommon for a chef to personally bring a meal out to a table. 

You swore even in the ambient lighting, his cheeks flushed slightly. “You- uh- you declined, my Arancini. Why?” He asked, holding his hands behind his back, the position making his already toned and tattooed arms appear more muscular. It makes him all the more impressive he has all these tattoos and still made it in this industry. I can only imagine the shit he got for them. 

You raise your eyebrows in surprise at his boldness. “Because that’s Cheating. Mr.Berzatto. I’d assume you know my work well. Considering you know what I look like, so- why try to cheat? You know how I feel about appetizers. It’s a scapegoat.” You shrugged, locking your iPad when you realized he’d been peeking at the notes. 

“Messy” his eyes narrow. He scoffs a bit, alluding to the note you’d written a short while prior “Messy?” He asks again, you laugh a bit.  

“Mmhmm! Oh, was it you chef? Wow…I mean- now that I think about it” you shook your head, now just messing with him since you see how much he was dying to impress you. “I could’ve sworn- the pesto it just..was too loose. Overblended maybe? That’s why it was impossible to plate without making a mess.” You shrugged, cutting up your fish carefully and spreading the vegetables with your knife to observe the cohesivity of the cuts. 

He scoffs, “too- too loose?! W-y’know what. No. No. It- you’re gonna try it.” He demands and you look up at him, nearly laughing at the seriousness of his tone. 

“That depends. Bring me a pesto worth trying and I’ll think about it. Now” you wave him off casually “I can’t work with the chef over my shoulder. So- Shoo chef don’t bother me” you teased and he shook his head. 

“Game on.” He muttered, heading back to the kitchen.  

You smiled to yourself, the Arancini absolutely isn’t going into the review. But you’ll humor his ego by trying it.

You cut the fish thoroughly, checking the texture and the evenness of the seasonings slathered on the skin, writing little notes as you go along. The cuts of the vegetables were pristine. Nearly perfect. The only misshapen pieces were clearly cosmetic defects of the vegetable. The chef that cut these was immaculate with a knife. 

When you took your first bite, you nearly moaned. The fish was buttery, the skin was crispy, slightly spicy, tangy, the flesh melted in your mouth. The risotto was so cheesy and buttery and wonderful. You could eat this meal every night for the rest of your life and never get sick of it. It was the best Sea bass you’d ever tasted. 

You opened your iPad again, jotting down notes about the flavors, the mouth feel, all the usual points you hit in your review. 

This meal is a 9.2 out of 10. 

You write at the bottom. Very fair score, you never had rated something as a 10. Something being a 10 would be- you don’t even know what it would be. But it would be what the score says, perfection. And while this dish was wonderful, and very very good- it was not perfect. At least to your heavily trained palate. 

You finished what you wanted out of the meal, pushing the plate to the side and not soon after, Carmen was back at your table. He placed the plate in front of you, 3 perfectly circular Arancini discs were placed equal distance on the plate, and truly beautiful pesto, sat in the dish alongside it. It frankly was immaculately plated. 

“Unbroken pesto. Sorry again, about the last one.” He said, watching you carefully. You hum as you grab your fork, splitting one of the discs and digging out some of the risotto. 

“Could be firmer.” You said, eyes flicking to his. He nods, clearing his throat a bit. 

“It’s not- uh- it’s” 

“Fresh” you finished for him, raising your brows and he nods. “So- since you’re frying it. You cook it for about..a minute- maybe forty seconds less than you usually would.” You said, daintily taking the bite off your fork. 

“Heard..” he nodded, waiting for your reaction. You hummed a bit. 

“Great balance of parm and butter though. I’ll give you that. Neither overpowers the other, that’s hard to do considering the notes” you added, cutting up the crust and tasting it. 

“Mm-“ you scrunch your nose and his face visibly drops. “Mm-mm…no- not peanut oil…why would you do that? It totally overpowers the breadcrumb with this like…cheapy taste. I’d say it would be way better if you fried it in sunflower oil” you added, digging out more of the risotto and dipping it in the pesto before having a bite and humming. 

“This though” you point at the little dish of green sauce with your fork. “This is great.” You add and he nods. 

“Ok-yeah…ok…” he nods, rubbing his hand over his chin. “Thank y’for trying it.” He said and you nod. 

“I’ll be back for a fair assessment. I think I’ll pass on the cannoli tonight, and just get the bill. Thank you” you slipped your pencil in the case before putting your iPad in your bag and holding your hands on the table in front of you. 

“Y-y’re coming back” he said, sounding slightly surprised. 

You shrugged “well- you clearly want a full review based on your behavior tonight, Chef. So I’ll humor you. I won’t tell you when of course, so just pray that it’s a day like today-“ you paused, looking around. “Where things seem to be running…alright.” You sat back in your chair casually with a small smile. 

“I look forward to your review.” He gave a nod and headed back to the kitchen. 

It was 3 weeks before you’d decided to return back to The Bear spring had quickly turned to early summer, and you thought you’d given enough time for your little conversation with the head chef to slip his mind. 

It was 9:20, 40 minutes before closing. You did promise to come back at a random time, and no time is more random then a Friday night less than an hour before the kitchen closed. 

You pulled open the door, stepped in and headed up to the host stand where the same man that originally offered you the Arancini stood. “The picky critic returns.” He said, tapping his pen against the reservation book absentmindedly. 

“She does” you smiled a bit. 

“Well lucky f’you cousin said you get a table any time, right this way” he leads you to a booth near the back, where you had a perfect view of the restaurant. Much cozier then before, right next to the doors of the kitchen where you could hear the back of house crew buzzing about. 

“Same cocktail as last time?” He asked and you raised your brows in slight surprise as you sit. 

“No waitress?” You asked, getting comfortable and setting your iPad down next to the empty plate. 

“She’ll be over, just figured a friendly offer couldn’t hurt” he said with a small smirk. 

You roll your eyes playfully. “House cocktail please, and thank you. But don’t count on kindness boosting your hospitality score-“ you stop, realizing he never gave you his name. 

“Richie” he said, sticking his hand out to shake. 

“Richie.” You repeat, giving him your firm professional shake. 

“House cocktail comin’ up” he said and headed back to the bar. You mulled over the menu, lemon chicken picatta, that sounded like a perfect dish to judge this time around. 

A few minutes later, Richie returns, setting the glass down in front of you. “Waitress should be by momentarily, enjoy your meal” he said, heading back to the host stand. 

A bit after the waitress came to take your order, the restaurant had begun to die down. You were going to be the last person served tonight it looked like, since in 5 minutes they would stop seating people. 

You added additional notes to your section about the cocktail, getting a better photo of it for your blog when you hear a bit of commotion up front.

You look up, to see a woman with curled brown hair in navy blue scrubs, her hands on her hips, talking with Richie with a frustrated look. There were tears in her eyes, you couldn’t help but tune in to their conversation. 

“Richie, please let me see him- he- he hasn’t said anything and I…I just need to hear him say it to my face. Please!” She begs, tears were streaming down her face now. 

Richie looks around nervously, tugging her to the side so they weren’t standing right in front of the host stand. You lean over just a bit- not so much it would be noticeable, but enough your nosy ears could continue to pick up what was being said.

“Claire. You shouldn’t be here…I’m sorry- he told me-he said that..that you can’t come here anymore. It’s too much and he will apologize when he can find the words. But he can’t. So please before he sees you. Leave” he said softly, attempting to soothingly rub her arm and she jerks away like his touch burned her skin. 

“Fuck you, Richie. Get him. Now. I’m not working on his time anymore. This is my time now. I’ve waited around enough for him. I’m done waiting. Either get him yourself? Or I swear to god I’ll go in that kitchen and embarrass the fucking shit out of him” she hissed. 

Your eyebrows raised, shit. Whoever fucked her over should at least be warned. 

He snorts, clearly amused before stepping back and raising his arms in defeat. “Have at it ClaireBear.” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “You think he’s gonna take kindly to you startin’ w’him in his house? Be my guest.” He shrugged, going back over to the host stand. 

And then it clicked. She’s here for Carmen.  

She laughed dryly, sarcastically, like a woman who’d had it. “You think I’m scared? Richie? You think I’m scared of little Carmy who couldn’t even check out a library book by himself? mm?” She goads him, arms crossed, chest heaving with rage. 

His head snaps back to look at her, brows raised in shock. “Kid- I really think you should go calm the fuck down, because Y’re not gonna like the way that this conversation ends w’him- at all.” 

And with that, she shoves open the kitchen door. You couldn’t just sit there and not watch- this was the juiciest drama you’d ever been privy to in person, and this means he’s single. You slightly curse yourself for being so giddy that this means the sexy chef would likely be on the market. 

Your foot catches the door before it closes, leaning against the frame. She storms in, eyes frantically darting over the kitchen. 

“Carmen.” She barks, the entire kitchen stops moving and looks at her, as if they were in shock and awe someone would ever raise their voice to him in such a way. 

He rounds the corner, holding a pan of focaccia dough that he nearly drops at the sight of her. He blinks a few times, squeezing his eyes shut as if she’d disappear when he opened them again. 

“The fuck are you-“ his eyes meet yours, his face going pale quickly, he looked white as a sheet. “Leave.” He orders her, slamming the dough down on the counter. 

“Leave?!” She laughs coldly, “you’re gonna tell me to leave?! You’re a fucking pussy Carmen. A pussy. Y’know- it was charity giving you a chance. Pity work.” She spits and you blink a few times, taken aback by such harsh words. 

Is she serious? She thinks anyone could believe dating a super hot, ripped, talented, chef prodigy - that was charity work in any sense of the word?

He scoffs, “Charity?” He chuckled dryly. “Claire- you begged me to fuckin’ be with you! You-you-y’re a fuckin gnat! Claire! You- all you do is-is fuckin’-” he runs his hand through his hair, his chest heaving in anger, “You dont know me, Claire! Alright? There- And I-I-I don’t want you i’m-i’m sorry-” 

She laughed, shaking her head, tears streaming down her face. “You-” she whispered, her chest shaking with a sob. “You- fucker- I- I gave you a chance…” she whispered and gripped her wrist sadly. “I- I was there for you, Carmen- when no one else could fucking stand you.” she croaked.

“And I never asked for you too- please- just…leave me alone-” he shook his head. “Leave. Please…just-pretend we never happened, it was a mistake, Claire.” he breathed, clearly utterly defeated, and It sounded like he’d told this girl these same words multiple times. 

“M-Mikey would be sick- Carmy, he’d- he’d hate who you’ve become…” she said meekly, and with that- something behind his eyes snapped.

“Claire I’m not DOING THIS I SAID GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY FUCKIN’ RESTAURANT. WERE OVER. YOU ARE NOTHING TO ME! YOU MEAN NOTHING CLAIRE!” He roars, the veins in his neck popping out, angrily and aggressively pointing to the door. “OUT. get the fuck out. G-get out, b-before I-I-I fuckin- holy fuck” he finds his composure once more, even though his breath was still ragged from his outburst, flicking his hand next to him his entire body trembling with panic. 

She looks to her left and right, she’s not that- 

Your thoughts were quickly proven wrong, when you see she was stupid enough to grab a pan off the stove to whip at him. 

“Aht!” the spanish woman standing a few paces to the right said, quickly grabbing the arm with the pan and twisting it behind her back. “Drop it.” she hissed. 

Carmen looks between the two of them, utterly in shock. “Y-y’were gonna hit me?” He asked her, face twisting in rage. “Fuck you. Fuck you Claire.” He seethed, taking the pan from his employees grasp and tossing it in the sink with a loud clatter. 

“Get the fuck out” you told her, grabbing her from the handle of the woman who’d stopped the assault, shoving her towards the kitchen door and into the front of the restaurant. “Y’re a fuckin crazy bitch.” You laughed dryly, giving her a hard shove for good measure. 

“Oh and who are you” she straightened herself out, pushing her bag up on her shoulder. “Doesn’t matter. Glad to see that Carmy still needs someone to protect him. I’ll gladly give up that spot.” she said, causing you to laugh. 

“Oh my god- you are pathetic. He just spelt it clear as day sweetheart- you are over. O-v-e-r. He doesn’t want you babe! And no, he doesn’t need my protection- I was enjoying dinner and apparently a show until you went batshit bitch.” You snip, plopping back down at your booth. 

She scoffed “he doesn’t want anyone. The only thing he wants - is to remain miserable. Good fucking luck, whoever you are.” She said before stomping out. 

“Yo she was really gonna throw somethin?” Richie asked as he walked over. Thankfully, it was just you, him, and the bartender in the front of the restaurant.

You nod “thankfully she didn’t realize I was there- Carmen would have had a nasty burn, and a concussion.” You said, taking a large sip of your drink. 

Carmen comes out, eyes meeting yours immediately. “Fuck- I- don’t worry y’re meal is comped and don’t…don’t worry about a review, i’m sorry- I-I guess it wasn't in the cards f’r us to be featured on y’r blog... I’m really so sorry… Shes- ah..” he rubs his arm nervously, trying to find the words. 

“A woman scorned” You teased, and he snorts a laugh, nodding a bit.

“Hell hath no fury, right?” He joked, sighing a bit. “It’s uh…it’s my fault I guess…I uh- I should’ve dealt with that…I've been putting it off” he said and you nod a bit.

“You off the clock?” you looked at your phone for the time, 10:07. 

“Shit- fuck- sorry- I’m so sorry- give me like- I was making y’r food…and then-” you shook your head, stopping him.

“No- No…I was uh-Asking to see if you maybe wanted to..have a drink with me? Not-not like…professionally…” you shrugged, stirring your half full cocktail with the bar straw that floated in it. 

“Sure- uh…sure- I’d like that lemme..lemme go change, i’ll be right out” he nodded, heading back into the kitchen.

[lorelune]

hell is a hound without a chain

|| blade x gn!reader || M || yandere wolf hybrid blade || wc: 3.8k  || ao3 ||

A bite is quite a burden.

minors, antis, and ageless blogs dni

a/n: folds hands man ... hybrid blade is sure something. i chewed on this au for a minute because truly hybrid blade is such a flavor. a toothy one. enjoy loves!!

CW: dark content, hybrid AU, wolf hybrid blade, yandere blade, reader is not a hybrid, biting, claiming bites, caretaking, victim blaming, injured reader, references to reader drinking casually

You ache.

Your neck hurts.

It’s hurt for the past few days, and you imagine it will continue to hurt for the next several weeks, considering that Blade is not allowing you to heal in any meaningful capacity.

You sit on the bathroom counter, a bit teary-eyed, with Blade standing between your legs. A scented candle sputters on a small shift. Blade’s tail swishes. Annoyed. Ears twitching and jaw locked. There’s a first aid kit open beside you and it's running low on gauze and antibiotic ointment.

You sniffle as Blade pats at the wound on your neck. He’s being… gentle. For him anyway. The contact and disinfectant still sting and you hiss at the sensation and jerk away.  

Blade stills.  

"I’ll bind you again." His hand cups your jaw— too tightly. "Would you like to force my hand?"

"No, n-not really.” You sound pathetic. You want to cry. You probably will. "It hurts. I'm sorry."

Blade sighs but doesn't press you. He trades the disinfectant for a slather of ointment and prepares a gauze pad. The piece he cuts is larger than normal. It’s the size of his palm. You suppress the urge to feel for the wound on your neck and check its size and depth. You haven't gotten a good look at it yet. Judging by the red stain soaking down the front of your shirt, it’s a worse wound than normal. 

Blade has made it a routine to freshen the bite mark on your neck at least once a week. He always sinks his teeth into the same spot while other, less severe marks decorate your throat and shoulders (and chest and stomach and thighs, but those are easier to dismiss.) The mark he worries the most, the one that you know he associates with some animalistic claim, is on your side, broken flesh splitting where your neck meets your shoulder.

...

You first... 'earned' it after leaving Blade to his own devices for a weekend. 

It was just a beach trip with a few friends. Kafka encouraged it— you needed to stretch your legs. ‘Bladie’ as she so affectionately referred to your hybrid, was more than capable of taking care of himself. He was doing so long before you came into the picture and formally offered your home up to him. Besides, he’d had several months to settle into your home, hadn’t he? Kafka goaded you into accepting a “well-deserved” break. Himeko seemed... hesitant about the arrangement at the time. She warned that hybrids can get a bit prickly about being left alone, even if they are independent. 

("They tend to hold grudges.")

The trip was a mistake. 

It had been a lovely weekend. Kafka had thrown her card down for a beachside cabana at a resort. Drinking sweet fruity cocktails, lounging in the sun, and generally relaxing. It was... nice to be out and not worried about Blade. He knew where you were. He had a phone with an internet connection that he knew he could use, and he didn't bother to contact you. You figured he was enjoying the break from his typical vigilance. Perhaps he was enjoying not having an owner to stalk around and guard.

You were wrong. Wildly.

The moment you arrived home (you hadn't even set your bags down—), Blade was on you. Pressed into your own door, he growled and spat that you smelled “wrong”. You asked him what he meant— you nervously joked you could take a quick shower and make dinner. Whatever he wanted. Your voice had trembled, and your breath had started coming too quickly. 

His gaze pierced you a moment later, a growl ripping from his mouth, lips curling back. 

Nothing could have prepared you for the way he grabbed your jaw, jerked your head to the side, and buried his teeth in your neck. He covered your mouth with his palm when you screamed. Muffled any shout or cry for help. You knew Blade was strong, but you hadn't ever realized how strong. You were immobilized between him and his teeth and the door.

By the time he withdrew and lapped at the wound he'd made, you were sobbing, scrambling to get away, run, shut yourself in your room, and try to figure out how the fuck to handle this situation—   but Blade hadn't let you far. He cleaned the wound first with his tongue, then a damp rag, then dressed it properly as has become routine. He carried you to bed and curled around you. Arms locked around your waist, legs tangled. It would’ve been sweet if he was your lover.

(But, he is not. He is a wolf you foolishly allowed into your home.)

The reality of your situation began to sink in then. Slowly. Bit by bit. 

Blade freshens the bite about once a week, give or take. If he's feeling antsy, it's less. If you're more compliant, more tethered to home, or dare to take him in public with you, he leaves it alone. Allows it to almost heal before digging his canines into the rapidly thickening layers of scar tissue.

It's awful of him, but you don’t think he'll ever stop now that he's intent on marking you. You had been stupid to think of yourself as anything other than a claim to him, hadn't you?

A few tears drip down your cheeks as Blade secures the dressings. He dabs them away with the side of his finger, careful not to scratch you with his blackened claws. He brackets you in on your sides. He tips his forehead against yours and deflates.

"Bed," he says. It's something akin to a request. He'll take you there, anyway, but being given a warning feels like a luxury.

"Okay." Your voice is quiet. Scratchy from shrieking against his palm less than an hour before.

Blade scoops you up and ferries you to bed. He pauses to throw an extra blanket onto his... nest (even if it's on your bed). It’s a quilt he favors, worn through but soft. His preference for it would be endearing under different circumstances. 

He runs a hand through your hair, trailing his touch down to the wet collar of your shirt, “You need to change. You’re dirty.”

As is routine, he pulls your shirt off as you squirm. You lightly shove at his chest, if only to make yourself feel better. Resist a little for your own pride, despite knowing it’s useless. Your modesty doesn’t matter to Blade (not if it’s just him and you in the room. He’s permitted himself to your skin in the most non-traditional ways.) Regardless, you aren’t bare for long. He replaces your shirt with his own. It’s warm and too big. His frame is almost inhuman, and it gapes around your shoulders.

Blade cajoles you to the headboard and lets you fuss a bit along the way. He sits behind 

you and settles you between his thighs. The knit blanket is pulled over your lap and his arms wind around your waist, unyielding. Locking you there. Blade tucks his face into your neck on the... less injured side. He scents you there with a half-there growl. 

You rub at your puffy eyes. Your chest hurts.

"You need to rest." Blade tells you. He tells you this often. He's more in tune with your physical state than you are these days, so you appreciate the reminders. You feel half out of your body. 

"... Oh yeah?" you laugh, voice wobbly. "I should, huh? Don't I need to make dinner?"

"Unnecessary." Blade replies. He squeezes you. "You need to rest, first. I will prepare a meal."

"... Sure." Blade doesn’t do particularly well in the kitchen. "I can rest, then cook, okay? If you can wait that long? Otherwise, I can cook then rest later too—"

Then Blade really growls. It’s the kind that you feel between your ribs and makes you go stiff. His mouth opens, too hot against the fragile skin near your neck, and the points of his canines rest. Idle. You start to shake. 

"You will rest." Blade tells you. "I... went too harshly on you. You are weak. You need to rest. I will cook so you do not need to. I cannot guarantee that it will be any good, but you should not be on your feet."

You laugh. something rotten curls in your belly.

There’s care in the way that Blade speaks about you. He rarely speaks in such a forward way— it’s hard for him. You can hear how he struggles between certain words. How the sentences are harder for him to construct. The sentiment of care is not easy for him. This makes sense— as he is a wolf that has you in his jaws. There is not care in slaughter. An animal’s claim is just that. A claim. Baseless. Primal. A twitch that follows an instinct, maybe. 

Hearing him say things that could be kind makes you want to vomit.

You dig your nails into Blade's forearms. His hold constricts.

"Why would you care?" You snap. "Don't act like you give a shit about my wellbeing, as if you didn't just take a fucking chunk out of me."

It's the wrong thing to say. You know this. It’s better to not anger him. But it's hard to care when you’re this tired and worn down. Self-preservation is an afterthought. You feel spiteful, terrified tears burn your eyes. You wait for a wolf’s violence as Blade tenses and goes still behind you.

Preparing for the kill, you presume.

Instead, however, his mouth closes, and soft lips press into your throat. No teeth. No apparent ire. No mouthy attitude. And he stays quiet. Somehow drags you closer into the solid, warm line of his front. He is solid, maybe a little softer than when he first moved in with you. 

"My mark on you is protection, even if you do not realize it." Blade tells you. You figured as much, but it doesn't justify it. "Anyone who smells or sees you knows that you are claimed."

"Yeah, so everyone knows I've got some bully of a wolf at home, ready to tear my throat out?"

(You've read his file, you know he's capable of it.)

"I wouldn't." Blade's voice grates, low and angry. “I... I wouldn't. Not to you."

"If you say so."

"I mean it." He punctuates it with a kiss. He's half-hard against your lower back and you swallow. "I... I do not know how else to convey to you that you are cared for. That you are mine."

(You’re not sure you believe him. There are other, crueler ways he could. On your more anxiety-ridden nights, you’re grateful that Blade’s touch hasn’t strayed there. Never. He hasn’t ever touched you like that, with that part of him. Anything below your neckline is all teeth and tongue. Violence is his language of physicality, you've found. Pleasure he seems foreign to.)

"I'm yours?" You dig your nails in and his tail slaps the bed. good. You'll bear the consequences later. Best to get it all out of your system. "When did I agree to this?"

Blade thinks, for a moment. You doubt he'll be able to find when you did agree because you haven't.

"You allowed me into your home. Bed. I wear a collar with your name on it when I must leave this place." Blade tells you. His hand cups your chin, turning your face toward his, and his nails tease over your cheeks. "What did you think all of that meant?"

Your stomach drops. 

"... A kindness?"

“An offering." He corrects. He noses into your jaw, scenting again. His touch drifts under your soft shirt, resting over your tummy. "One that was accepted."

"Oh."

It hits you. All of it. Awareness is like being dunked in ice water, suffocating on it, and throwing it back up. Kafka had once warned you that hybrids think so differently from humans. You figured the differences would be... obvious. Easy to sort through.

You were, once again, so wrong.

You want to tell Blade that that's not what you meant. That you opened your home and heart because he was a beaten down stray who clearly needed a home— one where he was the only one of his kind. Where he had the attention he needed to thrive, and the space to do so too. That you signed your name on the necessary paperwork not as a proposition but as a gesture of care. 

In the same moment, you realize that even if you do tell all of this to Blade, it wouldn’t matter. This misunderstanding has been steeping for months beyond your control. You feel stupid. Foolish. So naive it hurts. There’s a bite mark dug into the flesh of your neck that will never really scar. If Blade can help it, it will never fully heal. You’ll bear it bloody... forever. 

“You smell wrong.” Blade huffs against your neck. He squeezes over your hips, rubbing little circles into the soft flesh.

Can he smell when you’re upset?

Probably. Blade always got particularly cagey when you would return home from the rare trip into the office. You were always exhausted, on edge, and overstimulated from a full day of endless everything. Blade would follow you around on those days, never letting you out of his sight. He’d wrap you up in blankets from his bed. Shove you in his clothes. Hand-fed you in his lap despite the fact his hands were too big and arthritic. 

Was that care? 

(So, so clearly.)

You don't realize you're on the verge of tears until you open your mouth to speak and nothing comes out but a wounded, awful cry. Like you're the pained animal and not Blade. 

"Hush." Blade tells you. He smooths your shirt— his shirt over your front, over your chest in a way that makes your breath hitch and squirm uncomfortably. He’s burning hot against your back. "You are safe. You can rest now."

Is that care?

Tears slip from the corners of your eyes. They’re angry, tired, and sad all at once. You try to suck them down the best you can.

Blade pulls you at you, sinking you into the sheets. He spoons you, flush against your back, hot and soft in all the ways that matter. You bury your face into your pillow when he runs a soothing, clawed hand up and down the back of your neck.

For a moment, you consider your options. It’s immediately overwhelming. Defeating. 

You know that there is nothing you can do about your position. You could rear up, slap Blade, and scramble for the door. There are organizations. Sections of government that handle situations like this. You might be able to get to your phone. At least text someone that things have gotten out of hand.

You also know that Blade would not allow this. He'd not allow you out of bed, let alone this room. He'd have you pinned, belly to the bed with a hand dug into your hair to brace you there. He'd let you squirm and kick and scream. He'd bruise you in return— leave his own marks. another set of molted hickeys across your shoulders.

He'd probably push at the freshly bloodied claim on your neck too. Never mind that he just patched you up. 

It's hopeless, and the knowledge hits you so hard that you feel winded. You scramble against the bed to grab onto the sheets, and you cry. It’s in your chest. You sob and cry so hard it hurts. The sounds you are making are ugly and broken. The feeling between your eyes is burgeoning into an acidic headache, and your mouth is somehow dry even as you get spit on the soft sheets. 

Despair is not beautiful. It’s toxic and infecting. 

Despite this, Blade does not move away. He is steadfast, and curls overtop of you. He hushes you with his simple, curt words and a low rumble in his chest that's hard to identify. It soothes something in your hindbrain you wish you could kill. His lips press into your hair. His touch is solid, bruising, but not maiming

Violence... shouldn't be comforting.

And yet— yet it is. When the tears come slower, and morph into hiccups as you desperately try and catch your breath, Blade... helps, you realize. His mane of hair spills over your face, like a curtain to darken the room. His hand slips to your front, under your shirt once more so it's his palm against the clammy skin of your chest.

"Breathe." He tells you. It's a command. "Like this."

His hand strokes up and down, in time with his own slow, deep breaths. There's the terrifying edge of his claws, blackened and sharpened, but they never cut in enough to gore. Only enough to remind you that they’re sharp— to maim, to protect— (what’s the difference to a wolf like him?) You're drained, and you can only follow his lead, sucking in breaths that become more steady with each one.

There's nothing left in you by the time you settle. You're wrung out, emptied and so tired. It's clarifying, maybe. As Blade pets you into sleep, you shakily bring a hand to press over the covered, weeping wound in your neck. A full moon of teeth marks. Even the light touch aches.

Blade nips at your hand, nosing it away. 

(How terrible, really. To be cared for by a beast who believes love and violence are one in the same. How terribly idiotic of you to not notice. How... cruel of Kafka for never connecting the dots for you. You’re sure she must’ve taken note, at some point, of Blade’s claim on you and its implications. She was once in your position, but knowing her own disposition, Blade never took her like he’s taken you.)

(Himeko probably noticed as well. But, she’s the type to only step in if she thinks she can make a difference. She has her own self-preservation in mind, and you can respect that. Mostly. Perhaps she saw Blade’s claim taking shape and realized that a Wolf’s bite is not something she had the claws to interfere with. She has her own hybrids to take care of. You ignored her words of caution in the beginning when she first offered them.)

(It’s hard to fault her.)

(And how can you fault Blade for his instincts? Perhaps you were too kind. You lacked caution— self-preservation— whatever you wish to call it. You put your own soft throat in the line of Blade’s bite. In retrospect, it’s frighteningly clear. It guts you. Over and over. The only thing that tethers you is Blade’s touch and breath against your neck. A reminder.)

(A reminder that you are his to tug and push and pull as he pleases. That he’ll leave bite marks where he desires, never to gore, but to show that you’re... protected.)

Isn’t there something alluring about that? 

It makes you shake all over again. It makes you muffle a fresh sob into your pillow and you beat your fists against the mattress. Blade lets out a growly word or two you can’t make out as he pins your wrists to the mattress.

It makes sense, now, why Blade always wanted to accompany you out on errands, if only to growl and bark at anyone who looked at you too long. You had thought he was just poorly socialized (partially true) — but he was snapping at strangers to make sure no one even thought of looking at you for too long. Let alone touch. Pursue. 

You have a hazy memory of a night at the cocktail bar. Kafka had asked you to come alone— ‘girls night’ again. Blade had given you the cold shoulder when you told him sheepishly that you’d be leaving him at home. Whatever alcohol dulls the memory, but you can recall Blade had thrown you over his shoulder the moment you had come home. You swayed and slurred your words and Blade looked ready to gut you. He threw you in bed, tore off the pretty dress that he had said was “far too revealing” and shoved you into one of his sleepshirts without listening to a single one of your protests. Your fighting and punching didn’t deter him— it didn’t make him any more aggravated. 

(“You’re stupid.” Blade had told you, roughly wiping a soft cloth over your face. Makeup smears on the fabric. “Why are you out in the dark? How did you get home?”

“... You’re silly. I took a cab.” You tell him with a frown. You bat at his ears and Blade grabs your arms with such force you’re scared they’ll break. 

“You’re reckless.” Blade had growled in your ear. “Do you know what you invite when you’re in this state?” 

“... A hangover?” 

Blade had stared at you, fuming. The next moment, his teeth were embedded in your neck and a pillow was shoved over your face as you wailed. Your vision swam as he pulled away, lips and chin smeared red. 

Blood stains his teeth as he drags you up by the collar, and spits— “Do you know how many men would eat you alive like this?”)

You realize now that there was an implicit— “And I’m not there to keep it from happening.”

There’s comfort in it. You feel disgusting, but the roiling behind your eyes is cut by how warm Blade is behind you. That he’s good at patching the wound on your neck, and attentive when you let him be. 

If you really can't escape Blade and your mutual incidental claim... maybe it could be okay. There’s some assurance that Blade will not gore you, only tenderly hurt for the sake of some instinct you will never feel, but are coming to understand. He is honest too. His words are solid. He is too straightforward to mince his words. They are never a riddle. There's safety in being underneath him as you are now. 

There's safety in him. You almost cry again. He'll hurt you but never rend apart into pulp as you know he could. He'll sink his teeth in but as a claim. His slaughter is accompanied by care— for you. Slaughter inflicted on others is instinctual violence born from different baser needs. It hits you, like a blow to the chest, that whatever brutality he could inflict on you, is only a fraction of what he would inflict for you.

"Oh," you say, so softly, as you realize. You feel foolish all over again. 

Blade makes a contented sound against your nape. Mouthing at you. His palm is settled at the base of your throat. "Your kind can be so slow. Now rest."

You laugh, blurting it out into your buttery sheets. There are specks of blood dotting the cream fabric, new and old. Fresh and faded. 

You'll have to restock your first-aid kit.

[muffymello]

Handsy- ii

(Buggy the Clown x f!Reader)

A small-town shopkeep makes the second biggest mistake of her life by humouring a pirate captain's idea.

1.2k Words

Another boring day working in that stupid shop had taken a full 180 to you now being sat in the lap of a feared pirate captain as you watched the theatrics and insanity of his ship’s circus tent. The one constant of the last few hours was the detached hand holding yours tightly, the white cloth of his glove not concealing the warmth of his palm against yours. The hand, now reattached to Buggy’s arm, didn’t seem intent on letting you go any time soon.

He sat wide-legged with you wedged sideways in his lap, your back resting against the high-set arm of the throne with his other arm right behind it. This positioning had your faces set awfully close together as he grinned maniacally. “So, doll, what’s the story? Kidnap my hand for attention, hm?” He prodded, his arm now snaking around your back to hold you in place. You tensed a little at his words, brain going blank for a minute before you could respond.

“I found it in an alleyway- just a few hours ago! Came here right away…” You lied with a forced smile, not wanting him to know you’d unknowingly caught the hand in the first place. Your best bet was to change the subject a bit, avoid any more suspicion than what you could already see in his narrowing eyes, smudgey makeup framing pretty blues.

“Is that so? Well then, someone as loyal as you should be a part of my crew!”

The certainty of his tone as well as his bold statement caught you off guard, planning to ask something meaningless about his crew or outfit when he proposed such an absurd offer. You squirmed in his lap, only prompting him to give your hand a squeeze and tighten his arm around your back, moving it to rest comfortably on your waist as he pulled you in close to give you nowhere to look except right into those eyes of his. “Whaddaya say, then? Life of a pirate ain’t so bad, y’know~” He teased, still grinning like a maniac.

Alam bells blared in your head at everything going on, but you couldn’t fight off the part of your heart that wanted to accept immediately. The makeup and showmanship of it all wasn’t what enticed you, but the way his hand had remained gentle in yours, keeping you from feeling any real fear at all. You’d assume a fearsome pirate like this to be brutal in nature, but the way your fingers interlaced with his so easily, such a soft and simple gesture, not painful or distressing, had your ever-sappy heart doing cartwheels. “I- uh…”

Mumbling was all you could manage, breaking eye contact and looking around the tent. Everything about this was the exact opposite of your normal. Unpredictable, seemingly no routine or discipline. Still, everyone smiled and shared in eating, drinking and laughing as they performed. It was like a happy family amidst how chaotic it felt, and the rumbling laughter you could feel in the clown’s chest only immersed you further in the experience.

“Not to worry doll, run along for now to think.” He said, amused by how dumbstruck the simple ask of joining his crew had rendered you. His hand once more popped off of his body, less unsettling than it should be to you. The hand led the way, guiding you through the crowds and wild motion, seemingly sure of how to take a path without intervening or colliding with anything. 

Buggy the Clown was surely the only man in the world who had any sense to navigate chaos such as this, and as his hand led you all the way to the edge of your ship, you couldn’t help one last gentle squeeze before watching it fly back to its owner.

Your heart panged with guilt as you knew better than to even consider his wild ideas, there was no way you were cut out for being a pirate. The shop hadn’t exactly trained you for something like that, the closest thing had been lifting heavy boxes and fighting off rude customers. That was nothing compared to the dangers faced at sea, especially as a part of such a well-feared crew.

The idea of the brutality was too much to even weigh out as an option, and you sighed as the music faded and the ship went out of view as you walked home to sleep off the insanely fast beating of your heart in your chest.

_____

The next morning was a new day. New wasn’t the best word for it, as it would all be the same. Same breakfast, same clothes, same walk to work at the same time as usual. Normally, the monotony was no bother, but after seeing the excitement of the pirate ship you’d boarded the night previous the dullness of it all felt suffocating.

Your coworker didn’t even believe half the things you told her as you recounted the encounter with Buggy the Clown himself, her face paling as you told her about his offer. “Hell, you said no right away didn’t you?” She practically begged, grabbing the sleeve of your shirt. “I didn’t exactly say yes, or no. He told me… to think.” You said causing your coworker to pale even further at the glint she saw forming in your eyes.

“Oh God, you know all the things that could happen to you?” “Yes, I do. I hear stories all the time.” “It’s no joke! This is serious!” The two of you went back and forth, even if you hadn’t fully convinced yourself her words didn’t faze you in the slightest. After a few minutes, she huffed and pulled a backpack out from under the register, red in the face. 

“Just go.” She muttered, not looking you in the eyes. “Pack this up and get going, who knows when they’ll leave port.” Her words were practically a whisper as you saw tears begin to bubble up along her lashes. She didn’t even give you a chance to question her motives here before speaking again.

“I’ve never seen you so… bright. You’re glowing, you’ve been practically dancing around the store all day. This small town isn’t big enough for that mind of yours, take your chance before I change my mind and never let you go… and quick, their boat won’t stay docked forever!” She practically yelled at you, holding the bag out. 

You gave her a quick hug and nod before grabbing it, shouting out your thanks as you ran from the store to grab anything and everything you’d need for life as a pirate before the Big Top took off again to the seas.

As you stumbled out onto the dock you saw the ship begin to move, but the panels around the ship’s cannons were big enough to squeeze through. With a great leap and a bit of wiggling, you were officially a stowaway beyond the point of return as the storage room you’d ended up in greeted you merrily with the clanking of what you assumed to be alcohol bottles and sloshing of sake in large, hefty barrels.

You could hear the sound of another outrageous party over the deafening beating of your heart as you curled up in the corner, reaching into your pocket to give Buggy’s hand a squeeze but realizing it obviously wasn’t there anymore.

You wondered what your fate was on this ship, if the great clown would pay you any mind, but your thoughts were cut short as loud, sluggish footsteps echoed louder and louder down the halls.

[ddarker-dreams]

Would hwr reader be the cool wine aunt? (I can see her accidentally getting drunk off wine thinking it was grape juice or non alcoholic, then chrollo having to supervise her the whole night lol)

anon ... are you a secret telepath because i've considered so many variations of this exact scenario.

for some context on HWR reader's abysmal alcohol tolerance — certain bloodlines from her home country hailed from the dark continent. they could temporarily boost their abilities, whether it be the five senses, strength, or speed, at the cost of enduring excruciating pain once the burst ends. a peculiar side effect owing to this constitution is that those who possess it are extremely sensitive to psychoactive substances. so, understandably, she takes great care in avoiding anything that could land her in a precarious position.

the common language in hxh isn't her native tongue, so if a word or term is obscure enough, all bets are off. for instance, in the earlier days when she just joined the troupe, paku once offered her a nightcap. HWR reader accepted. imagine her confusion when she was presented with a drink. it didn't look like any hat she'd seen before. the troupe greatly perplexed her at first.

the scenario you proposed has definitely happened before. here's the basic rundown:

her and chrollo were staking out an event under the pretense of being guests. a wandering waiter offered her a drink from his tray. it wasn't held in a champagne chute, martini glass, or the like, there was no indication to the beverage's true nature. she inquired over the ingredients. the waiter listed off what made up the concoction. the name of the hard liquor went over her head, it was the lovechild of a recent startup the event's owner had invested in to 'diversify his investment portfolio.'

it lacked the bitter tang commonly associated with alcohol. it was slightly sweet with a tarte aftertaste.

whilst sipping away and fraternizing with the other attendees, chrollo reappeared. he'd been piecing together a mental blueprint of the estate for later use. he easily integrated back into the social scene, almost as if he'd never left in the first place. before he'd even reentered the grand reception area, he'd caught onto a fluctuation in HWR reader's impeccable aura. while not an outright cause for alarm, he found it odd.

(some not SFW beneath the cut)

although he hid it well, he was genuinely surprised to see his normally abstinent lover indulging herself. she was critiquing the research of two gentlemen who had been not so subtly flaunting their game-changing findings the entire evening. the men appeared scandalized as she pointed out inconsistencies in their data and the like. he swooped in only when it became evident the men were about to raise a fuss, smoothly excusing him and his increasingly irate date.

he could roughly guess how this predicament came to be. he explained to her in a low and steady voice that this drink actually has a high alcohol concentration. it took a moment for her impaired cognition to catch up with his words. when the realization hit, however, she was not enthused.

by the time they'd made it back to their 'borrowed' vehicle, her legs were unsteady. there was a thin glaze over her eyes, like she was only half-present. on the drive back to the hotel, she'd randomly continue her earlier critique in an incomprehensive murmur. he never knew poorly falsified data was such an unforgivable slight in her eyes.

chrollo was growing increasingly intrigued by this unfiltered version of his otherwise prim and proper girlfriend. did he feel bad that she ended up in this position? kinda, but he wouldn't let anything happen to her. or, to be more precise, let anything happen to the civilians in the immediate area. not out of compassion, mind you, but for convenience's sake. he's trying to maintain a low profile in this area until the heist's completion. a dangerous, sword-wielding woman capable of wiping out an entire town's population should she see fit would be counteractive to this goal.

he dutifully keeps an eye on her in their suite. she vacillates between forgetting he's there or eagerly engaging him in a wide array of topics. everything from the separation of church and state to 'if he really likes her.' at this point, she'd shrugged off her outer garments (with his assistance), the heat of inebriation unbearable. chrollo had been exercising every modicum of self-control in his body as she crawled into his lap, perching herself there like it was her throne. her fingers, free from her usual gloves, brushing along the various grooves of his face.

"pretty," she hums. her blissed out expression, breathy voice, and the pressure of her body against his crotch makes him strain to behave himself. "my pretty boy."

he's grateful that she isn't lucid enough to note the rosy blush that spreads over his cheeks at this unexpected praise.

in a languid motion, her arms wrap around his neck. she embraces him tight enough that he can feel the soft swell of her chest, threatening to spill out from its restraints. she plays with the ends of his hair, humming a melody unknown to him, perfectly content. he allows himself some indulgence — his hands settle on either side of her hips. to help steady her, he tells himself. for such a proficient liar, this excuse is admittedly pathetic.

"boss."

"hm?"

"i have a secret," she whispers. this piques his curiosity, overriding his previous sentiments to respect her privacy. selfishly, he hopes she doesn't remember this come morning. otherwise, he'll be in for an earful...

"oh?" he goads her on. "and what would that be?"

(goodbye plausible deniability).

her lips brush against his outer ear and he shivers.

"i've fallen in love with someone."

his breath hitches in his throat. he ceases his previous ministrations of rubbing circles into her skin. despite enjoying three years of sex, heists, and frequent companionship, those infamous three words have yet to be uttered. they've made it evident that they're exclusive, but that's about it. neither of them have delved into the nitty and gritty of whatever their relationship truly means.

momentarily, he forgets how to weave elaborate webs that ensnare his victims right where he wants them. all eloquence and posturing melts away. what little of him that leaves remaining utters his next two words, not the persona whose charisma could rival a manipulator's hatsu.

"with who?"

the raw, guttural urgency he speaks this inquiry with is foreign to his ears. he wonders what he'd do should she profess devotion for another. would he have what it takes to respect her choice? it's a silly question; of course he wouldn't, not past a chilling smile that doesn't reach his eyes.

alas, this hypothetical is put to rest. its his name that she speaks. the accent she tries suppressing sneaks out, curling around each slowly enunciated syllable. after what feels like an eternity, he relaxes, sinking back into the plush couch.

"don't tell him," there's a threatening edge to her voice.

chuckling softly, he hugs her tighter.

"i won't."

[madelynraemunson]

CALL ME WHAT YOU WANT 𓆩♡𓆪

(Book #1 of the Hellfire Gentlemen's Club series)

(strip club owner!eddie x fem!exotic dancer!hargrove!x reader)

𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐍 𝐀𝐔 18+ MDNI

Chapter 005: All That and A Can of Worms

Chrissy offers you some insight about Eddie over brunch. You ask Steve how he’d feel about a threesome. Eddie asks if you want to go on another smoke break in his van.

* = somewhat smut

** = smut

↳ chapters: 001, 002*, 003** , 004**, 005 , 006 , 007* , 008**, 009, 010, 011, 012* , 013**, 014**, 015, 016**, 017, 018, 019, 020*

word count: 4.6k

warnings — mutual pining, angst, tension, casual hookups, profanities, NURSE…billy’s out again, talks of abuse, manipulation

“You’re good at impersonating someone who cares. You had me for a minute there.”

♡

Being annoyed and sexually frustrated at Benny’s Diner at 9 AM is not how you want to start your day. But anything for your new — and very hungover — friend, Chrissy.

You would think Miss Cherry still had the munchies from last night just by how she’s inhaling her breakfast potatoes. You sit there and drink your piping hot tea, all while Chrissy spills hers.

“I don’t know,” Chrissy shrugs. “I just think Crypto currency is shady as hell, and the fact that Jason is doing it full time is a red flag.”

“And you’ve been seeing him for how long?”

“Like two weeks,” she answers. “I was gonna invite him to the thing but I don’t think Eddie would’ve liked him.”

“Yeah,” you agree. “I feel like BYOB is more on the…intimate side anyways. Eddie’s close circle.”

Chrissy nods in agreement as she continues to chow down, paying no mind to the adorable ketchup stain she acquired at the corner of her chin.

You can hardly contain it anymore.

“What can you tell me about Eddie?”

Chrissy’s munching ceases. She’s slowly chewing now, attempting to read you.

“Depends…” she squirms. “What do you wanna know?”

“What’s he like?” you wonder. “Did he ever have a girlfriend? Is he someone who’s emotionally available?”

Chrissy thinks for a moment.

“The last serious partnership he ever had was with Isabelle,” she cringes. “But we won’t go into that.”

Isabelle. Okay, you’ve got something.

“Is she the lady friend?”

“No, Lady Friend was just some random chick,” Chrissy shakes her head. “Isabelle was like… serious serious.”

Suspicious now, Chrissy automatically is inclined to ask,

“And you’re asking me this because…?”

Chrissy has been nothing but welcoming ever since you started at Hellfire. The friendship you two have built you feel is something very strong. You trust her enough to know about last night’s scandal with your boss.

“Some things happened last night.”

Chrissy’s eyes widen. “Omg. Like what?”

“Well…” you exhale. “When you went home with Argyle, Eddie gave me a ride home.”

“Go on…”

“We got pretty stoned and then things got heated. Right before we were about to do anything he flat out dipped on me! Blamed it on not wanting to fuck under the influence. I get it, but… something is telling me there’s more to it.”

Just as you expect, Chrissy’s eyes widen in shock. Laughing at the wild news she just received, she requests a quick backtrack. Acceptable reaction.

“Hold on,” she stops you. “We skipped a few chapters. I…thought you were banging his roommate Steve.”

“I am.”

“AND YOU ALSO WANNA GET WITH EDDIE?”

The entire restaurant, it seems, goes quiet. You could hear a spoon clink against some plates from the other side of the establishment.

You try to shush Chrissy. “Dude…”

“Sorry,” Chrissy covers her mouth. She lowers her voice to an aggressive whisper. “Damn, girl! You’re a little hoe.”

You can tell she’s joking.

“Can you blame me though?” you chuckle.

“No,” she shakes her head and giggles. “I really can’t.”

You nod in agreement with her as she mouths “Sooo hot” regarding both Eddie and Steve. Then Chrissy grows serious again.

“Now that we’re here…can I tell you something?”

“Sure,” you shrug. “Anything.”

“As someone who’s…hooked up… with Eddie before…” she begins. “I do think that his behavior towards you is a liiittle strange. He’s typically not hot and cold. He’s usually very forward.”

The plot thickens. It would make sense that those two were a thing, given the sexual tension they had last night when Eddie gave Chrissy the edible.

“Wait you and Eddie hooked up?”

“Yeah…” Chrissy confirms. “He used to smoke me out a lot when I first started at Hellfire. One thing led to another and we ended up sleeping together a few times.”

You start to feel like an idiot.

“Chrissy…I’m so sorry,” you start.

But your friend flails her hands around insistently.

“Don’t be sorry! Oh my gosh. It naturally died down anyways!” she exclaims. “'Think it had to do with the excitement of a new face. Eddie eventually got too busy and I started seeing other guys.”

“Oh,” you dial down. “I still feel like I’m breaking girl code in a way.”

“Don’t be sorry girl!” Chrissy repeats. “When it comes to me, you’re not! I actually think everyone needs to experience that man at least once.”

That man, being Eddie.

You jaw pops open.

“What?”

“I’m serious girl,” Chrissy sighs. “He’s just that good.”

“You’re lying.”

“Eyes rolled back,” Chrissy gushes. “Everything. OOH! Girl, he is just so respectful but rough and it’s, ugh…”

You can’t believe what you’re hearing.

“It’s sex from another dimension.”

You and Chrissy squeal in excitement as she gives the details, reenacting most of the ordeal on her poor breakfast potatoes. It's revealed to you that Eddie loves catering to the female body, loves taking charge, and lives for a woman’s reaction. That alone is good enough to make him cum. It all makes you think about the dream you had and if it would be anything close to that.

“Well anyways,” Chrissy concludes. “Eddie’s one of the most chivalrous guys I know. Fucking a girl while she’s not sober is just not how he rolls. He probably freaked out.”

“I understand that,” you tap the table in thought. “But something was still off though. I barely had time to process it. Before you know it, he was dumping me at my house as if nothing happened.”

You fill Chrissy in on more of the details, chugging your tea like it’s a bottle of hot vodka. Being hot and bothered with nothing but a wet dream to get you by until you see one of them again is not a good combination.

“I would talk about this with Eddie and Steve,” Chrissy politely suggests. “And soon. I can feel the…frustration…radiating off your very strong grip…”

You nearly slam your teacup on the wooden table. Chrissy flinches.

“You’re telling me you two haven’t fucked when you were both high before? I mean like come on, that’s what gets people in the mood most times.”

“You may be onto something,” Chrissy squints in thought. “We were high almost every single time. So why now the sudden change?”

“Exactly.”

You say to Chrissy verbatim everything Eddie said to and about you last night. How he was fucking his fist yesterday to your moans. How he was telling you how much he wanted to fuck your brains out while being inches away from your face. How he had the opportunity to have you but chose to run from it the moment you showed interest. Nothing about it made sense.

"Leaving me high and dry after all that?" you reiterate. "I'm almost certain that never happened with you."

“But I also wasn’t hooking up with Steve at the same time,” Chrissy points out. “Maybe this deal might be breaking guy code in a way.”

Or the Munson Doctrine.

The phone rings, ushering your convo with Chrissy to a standstill. Your heart has been trained into thinking it’s Billy, especially since the eerie phone calls and messages have started up again. You’re overpowered by nausea and suddenly want the check.

The name that pops up on your phone causes you to breathe a sigh of relief.

MAX MAYFIELD 💌

“It’s my sister,” you announce. “Let’s keep it PG.” You tap the green phone button to accept the call. “Hey!”

“Hey, I was wondering if you can spot me $100 a month,” Max requests. “At least until I find a job.”

“Good morning to you too,” you mutter.

“Pleeeaaase!” Max begs. “It’s for the Y.”

“A membership at the Y is $100 a month?!”

“Yeah Hawkins is a fucking shoebox, I’ve learned,” Max mutters. “The city needs a lot of funding to keep things open. So will you do it?”

“Only because I love you,” you sigh. “But you better be looking for a job.”

“Scouts honor,” Max promises. “Thank you, sis. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Has Billy been reaching out?”

You swallow hard.

“Yeah," you choke. "Has he been texting you?”

“Mhm.”

Billy called again this morning. And again and again. Surprisingly, there was only one voicemail. But it was the same spiel.

"Hey, it's me," Billy greeted you in his voicemail. "Answer the fucking phone, please! I miss you and Max. You guys are lucky I'm giving you another chance."

His words just boil your blood. If anything, it should be him earning another chance from you and Max. Not the other way around.

"I'm worried about you guys. Y'all have never left the house for this long. So if this is your way of proving a point, all this manipulation projection, you guys won. Just please come back home okay? We can talk it out and ground ourselves to the situation at hand. Together. As siblings. No one loves you as much as I do, and no one will ever love you like I do. We’ll figure it out. Like we always do. K. Later.”

Billy never knows what he’s talking about. It’s obvious he takes every word he hears in therapy and makes alphabet soup out of it. Otherwise, he’d be practicing what he preaches.

The lack of control your brother has over you and Maxine is making him spiral. Without an ample supply, Billy is sure to explode any day now.

“Whatever you do,” you caution her. “Don’t fucking reply.”

“I know, I know,” Max says. “I know how this shit goes.”

“I love you,” you say again.

“Love you more.”

You hang up and instantly begin massaging your temples. Chrissy watches in horror.

“Man do you need dick or what…” she shakes her head. “Hearing all that stressed me out!”

“Tell me about it,” you sigh. “I need two if I’m being honest.”

A few more nibbles of your food, and then you and Chrissy go your separate ways, paying for both of your meals in all ones. You two do it for the cashier’s reaction. It’s always pretty funny.

“Anyway, thanks for this girly,” you give Chrissy a hug.

“Any time!” Chrissy beams. “I’ll see you tonight. We need to do this again soon.”

“Yeah, I just gotta find the time,” you mumble. “I still gotta meet Eddie for his usual stripper-orientation-lunch-thing that he does. Might as well buy a planner with all these commitments popping up.”

As she slows down her walking speed, Chrissy looks over at you with a puzzled look on her face.

“Wait… what ‘usual’ lunch?”

———- ☕️———-

Eddie’s van is nowhere in sight when you pull into Steve and Eddie’s neighborhood. You make your way over to the townhouse quickly, trying to catch The King before you have to clock in.

It’s one push of the doorbell and a wave into the Ring camera before Steve answers.

“Hey you!” he cheers as the door swings open. “Good to see you.”

He showers you with kisses before inviting you in.

“Good to see you too,” you kiss him right back. “Thanks for agreeing to meet me before the gym.”

“Anything for you,” Steve responds. “Dustin usually runs late anyway.”

You make yourself at home by setting your purse on the now tidy kitchen island. Steve offers you some water and you accept. He puts a lemon wedge in it to make it look fancy.

“I got you something,” Steve proclaims.

Before you could react, he’s already running to his room to get you your surprise. Your heart begins to skip a beat.

“Stop,” you gush as Steve disappears into his room. “You didn’t have to.”

“But I wanted to,” Steve insists as he races back out. For someone who was insanely drunk the night before, Steve is so full of energy. “Especially since I made myself look like a fool last night.”

In his hands, Steve unveils something the size of his palm.

It’s a fridge magnet of a Hawaiian hula girl, with a grass skirt, coconut bra, and a beautiful plumeria lei. She’s got sunglasses on, hilariously one that matches Steve’s. The magnet says your name on it in purple.

“Oh my gosh!” you cheer, with slight confusion. “A hula girl magnet.”

“Yeah!” Steve cheers. “I saw it at CVS and had to get it for you.”

You watch in amusement as Steve attempts his own version of a hula dance. He sings a song while he does so, but it sounds like a language he made up and not actual Hawaiian. You can’t help but giggle.

“It’s the closest thing to sunny San Diego that we have here.”

Your heart swells when you realize the meaning behind the gesture. Such a thoughtful thing for Steve to do. It all makes you miss home a bit more. You never did get to properly grieve saying goodbye to the town that raised you. The grip you have on your little gift tightens so much that the hula girl is now starting to hurt you.

“I know how much you probably miss home,” Steve explains. “Hopefully soon you can go back and visit.”

“Thank you,” you sniff. “That is so sweet of you.”

You two kiss again.

Then it goes beyond an endearing peck. It’s three more intense lip locks back to back before Steve slowly starts to insert his tongue. You roll yours along with his, both of your tongues wrestling for dominance. He bites your lower lip, hands moving from your waist to the small of your back. As you surrender your hands against his chest, Steve sneaks a quick grab to one of your ass cheeks. You moan in his mouth.

“So I was thinking…” you smirk, poking Steve at his sides. “That we can spice things up in the bedroom.”

“Ooh,” Steve bites his lip as he draws you closer. “I like where this is going. What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking…” you answer. “That I’ll take you up on that voyeur thing. Give Eddie a little show?”

Steve seems puzzled.

“Huh?”

It’s far too late to take anything back now. The worst Steve can say is no.

“Remember yesterday you said that you’re a voyeur. And that we might as well let Eddie watch?” you elaborate. “Maybe we can also do a little more too. You, me, and him?”

“Oh…” Steve’s demeanor softens. He runs his hands through his freshly done hair, then sits down on the bar stool closest to him.

Steve looks at you for a moment, expression unreadable as he shoves his hands into his pocket.

“Hargrove I…” Steve says. “I was kidding.”

You begin to feel yourself flush. “Oh.”

Your friend with benefits taps his feet in thought, making sure to craft his response perfectly out of respect for everyone.

“This is something you really wanted to do?”

“Of course, but if you don’t want to that’s totally okay too!”

You made sure you were clear on that. Steve thinks for a minute again. Then his eyes travels over to the bar stool next to him, where Eddie’s leather jacket is lazily perched atop of. He sighs.

“Who, uh, who was your ride last night?” Steve inquires. “Since you know, I was the one who drove us.”

You gulp. “Eddie was.”

“Oh,” Steve repeats.

He kicks the floor gently with his feet. You, since you’ve been watching his every move, subconsciously follow.

“I’m really sorry if I got your hopes up,” Steve apologizes. “I should’ve never worded the Eddie thing the way I did yesterday. If I’m honest with you, a threesome isn’t something I would be okay with.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Steve hangs his head. “I don’t know if you remember, but a third party is what destroyed my last relationship… so that topic is still pretty sensitive to me.”

You take that back. That’s the worst thing Steve could say.

The space closes up around you and shame starts to fire at you from all corners of the room. You feel like such an idiot for not realizing something so inherently obvious.

“Steve…” you don’t even know where to begin. “I am so sorry.”

“It’s okay, Hargrove. You didn’t know,” Steve shrugs it off. “It’s not like we’re exclusive either.”

Steve’s phone vibrates, and judging by how fast he gets up, you assume it’s because Dustin is getting closer. You start to reach for your purse, recognizing that your stay is about to be over.

“I feel really bad for taking this now,” you hold the hula girl magnet up to Steve.

But nonetheless, Steve smiles. “Keep it, darling. She suits you.”

Steve still insists on walking you to you car, carrying your purse for you over his shoulder while you fiddle awkwardly with the hula girl. He gives your rosy cheeks one last tender kiss before opening the door to the driver’s side so you can get in.

“Have a good shift,” Steve smiles faintly. “Tell Eddie I got him the Scooby snacks he wanted.”

You try to laugh at the most Eddie thing you’ve ever heard, but it’s not there. So instead you nod. “Of course. Have a good workout, Stevie.”

“Oh, I will.”

———— 𓆩♡𓆪 ———-

When talking with the Hellfire girls, it’s decided that you’re on tip rail tonight. Distracted by the new problem at hand, you naturally end up forgetting a few last minute things. Lucky for you, House Mom had travel sized makeup for you to use and a wide selection of small snacks to choose from.

You’re eating by Nancy’s little concession set up when your boss strides in. Eddie scoots by you, his lack of spacial awareness causing him to bump you aggressively against the hip. With the height difference and how much more bigger he is than you, the small brush shoves you forward.

“Rude,” you call out to him, though you’re only half joking.

“Sorry,” he tuts. “Behind.”

“You better be sorry,” you snap back. “With your mean ass.”

Eddie waltzes back over and asserts himself behind you, resting his rough hands at your sides. Your breathing hitches as he bends down, his curly locks tickling your cheekbones ever so teasingly.

“Would you say I’m being disrespectful?”

You turn to face him and nudge him with your hip. He chuckles slyly.

“Very,” you respond. “Very disrespectful.”

“Disrespectful. Sober,” Eddie rests his chin along your collarbone. “Looks like we both kept our promises.”

You two sway side to side in silence, enjoying the moment. Work is definitely not going to be this slow so you take it all in while you can.

“How’s your day going?” Eddie mumbles against your skin.

“Alright so far,” you respond. “Chrissy and I went to Benny’s for breakfast. And my sister wants a YMCA membership now so I’m either gonna have to pick up more shifts or reallocate some finances…”

“I vouch for the first option,” Eddie smirks.

“Oh yeah? Of course you do.”

“Mhm…” he nods. “Got some things I need you to do for me in the private show room.”

Goosebumps start to rise. You can’t have him here now. Not when you’re about to go on stage pretty soon. Eddie removes his hands from your hips and changes his embrace to a bear hug instead. The swaying continues.

“Billy also called this morning.”

The swaying stops.

“Fuck,” Eddie mutters as you spin around to face him. “You didn’t answer that piece of shit did you?”

“‘Course not,” you cross your arms. “There’s nothing to say or do at this point. He made his bed. My sister and I moved on.”

“Good girl,” he coos. “Your new life is here with us anyways.”

You blush as you suck on your lollipop, eyes meeting Eddie’s once again. Eddie’s dark pupils dilate once more, his tongue venturing out as he licks his lips hungrily.

“Grab your things,” Eddie orders. “Let’s go for a quick smoke.”

You’re back in his van again, smoking the same bong and rolling with the same paper as you did last night. Hopefully this is the redo you’ve been anticipating. Before Eddie lights up the bowl, he glances down at your tote bag.

“Scrubs 4 Less?” he chuckles.

“Oh yeah…” you say. “I may have told my little sister I work nights at the nursing home.”

“You are vile,” Eddie laughs. “Creative, but diabolical and oh so very vile.”

“I prefer the term protective,” you utter as-a-matter-of-factly.

“Mmm, very…” Eddie quips. “Got any spare restraints then, nurse? You got a madman on the loose.”

You bite your lip in absolute lust. “I suppose I can spare a few.”

You kick your stilettos off and rest your feet on Eddie’s lap again. He automatically compensates, staring at you in complete bliss as he exhales.

“Steve bought you your Scooby gummies by the way.”

“Fuck yeah,” he smiles. “Husband of the year.”

Eddie resumes grazing your legs again, rubbing your calves and moving upwards to your thighs. He bombards you with words of endearment, saying he needs to watch the junk food he eats because he’s trying to look good for you. Flustered you slowly sit up, further closing the space between you two and leaning into Eddie’s touch.

Oh yeah, right where you left off.

“I still can’t get over how hot you looked last night,” he says. “Doing your little thing at the VIP table. Downing that tequila. Chewing those gummies while holding your own. You’re something else.”

You blush.

“You were looking pretty hot yourself,” you compliment him and he blushes back. “And when you got all angry at that customer. I was getting all flustered.”

“Mm, you like when I’m aggressive huh?”

“Oh yeah,” you bite your lip. “Love my men rough around the edges.”

So you decide to make the move. Eddie inhales sharply as you scoot yourself closer, leaning in to kiss his soft lips just as you intended to last night. To your shock, you’re taken aback when Eddie pushes you away.

“Whoa!” he exclaims. “Easy there, tiger.”

“What?” is all your mouth can formulate. “Oh no, do I have food in my teeth?”

Eddie chuckles. “No? I just can’t kiss you, silly.”

Bewilderment overrides your horniness now. Removing yourself from Eddie completely, you’re back in your own seat, crossing your legs away from your boss who is still casually lighting up.

“Eddie, what’s going on? I thought we were feeling each other.”

He sets his lighter down and glances over at you.

“Scuse me?”

“Last night…” you remind him. “We were close just like this…you said you wanted to fuck my brains out… told me you were jacking off to my screams in the bathroom.”

“We were fucked up, Hargrove,” Eddie explains. “Okay? It was a mistake.”

“Drunk words are sober thoughts or whatever the fuck right?”

Eddie falls silent. There is no way in the world that this is happening right now. You think about brunch. You think about Chrissy. You think about what Eddie did just fifteen minutes ago that led up to this very moment. But Eddie’s the puzzled one?

“I like you Shy Girl,” Eddie begins. “I really do. But this? Can’t be a thing.”

“Why not?” you find yourself asking. Like a desperate little girl.

“Getting involved with an employee would just open up another can of worms,” Eddie sighs. “I can’t play like that. I won’t play like that.”

That’s his excuse? You find yourself getting even more frustrated. Eddie should have had the same mindset when he was hooking up with Chrissy. What made this situation any different?

But surely, you don’t bring Chrissy up. You didn’t want Eddie to know you knew.

“Eddie,” you try to control your voice. “I thought that after all this… the feeling was mutual.”

Eddie exhales. “Sweetheart… All the pet names and the flirting and the giving rides home…Whatever you picked up on, I do that with everybody.”

He can’t say he didn’t warn you. That was the first phrase of Eddie’s to stick with you entirely. It all felt so personal though. Like everything was geared specifically to you.

“Really?” you demand. “You do it with everybody? The last time I checked, Chrissy had no idea what that orientation lunch that you do with everybody is about.”

“It’s a…newer thing.”

“Or it’s a ploy to get to know me better,” you hiss. “And then what would you have done if you got what you wanted?”

Rage fills you now. Clouded with the anger, you scoop down to grab your bag and push the door of Eddie’s van open. Eddie’s shocked at your sudden behavior change.

“Whatever,” you huff as you climb out. “It’s all good. I gotta get ready for the show.”

“Hargro-” Eddie starts. “Hargrove!”

“And put some more water in that thing, would you?” you California self orders him. “Your lungs will thank me later.”

The little time left before the show permits you to go to the bathroom and cry. Your familiar friend, Loss, is paying you a visit again.

You fucked up. You had someone so good to you, someone so patient and gentle and caring, and you threw that away for your manipulative walking red flag of a boss. Surely, Steve might still want to casually sleep with you, but the energy has shifted now. You’ve lost him, you fear.

But no matter how much you wanted to convince yourself, Steve couldn’t give you everything you wanted. He was still missing something, which is why you stayed falling for Eddie. Or the idea of Eddie, rather. Everything you made him up to be has now been rendered completely false.

So now even Eddie can’t meet you where you’re at.

Emptiness comes by to accompany your friend Loss. Pressing your lips to your arm, you let out a muffled wail.

Fuck. How could you be so damn stupid?

Billy’s words crawl along your back and into your ears. You’re afraid your brother is right again; and for someone as irrational as he is, you can’t help but wonder how that could be true.

“No one loves you as much as I do, and no one will ever love you like I do. We’ll figure it out. Like we always do.”

Come home.

All while abusive, Billy’s love was always unconditional. No matter how far both of you took it, the key was always under the mat. And no matter how many times Max had to separate the two of you, shouting for you two to stop trying to strangle each other, you two always found your way back into each other’s arms.

You two came out of the womb hugging. You escaped your cribs to sleep beside each other. You comforted each other after every beating. You fed Billy to make sure he ate after Mom’s funeral while he did your laundry and laid out your clothes for a week straight. When one of you was in danger, the other just simply knew.

Billy is Love in its truest form. Your greatest comfort. All you’ve ever known. And that alone scared the hell out of you.

It all makes you crumble further. Is your brother’s love as good as it’s ever going to get?

———————

author’s note: our boy eddie is RAN THROUGH!!!!! also i love how ST fanfic writers have all collectively agreed to drag steve to HELL AND BACK for the plot 🫣😩 poor boy never gets a break, not in the original universe, not in this universe, not in any of ‘em

—————

tag list: @changemunson , @the-fairy-anon , @ali-r3n , @corrodedcoffincumslut , @bebe07011 , @mmunson86 , @eddiesguitarskills , @chelebelletx , @imonhereforareasonsadly , @eddies-trailer-babe , @hideoutside , @motherfckerrr , @jxpsi i , @munson-magic , @lindseyj23 , @sidthedollface2 , @manda-panda-monium , @elvendria , @micheledawn1975 , @holabeans00 , @hereforshmut , @siriuslysmoking

[anshares]

It was just a normal day at the office for Shi Qingxuan...files needing approval, sit for hours on meetings, and meet the new employee who will work under her.

That is until said employee was also the same woman she had a one night stand with a week ago! WAIT???!! WHAT IS THIS ITS NOT HER UNDER ME BUT ME UNDER HER?!??!? WHAT IS HAPPENING?!??!?!?!?!?!!!!

Click more for full plot!

Modern Office AU (F/F Beefleaf flavor)

Shi Qingxuan lives like a princess, she has it all! friends, money, position in a company courtesy of her brother who is the owner of said company. Shi wudu is a successful business tycoon and is planning on running as a politician and SQX fully supports her brother.

Her friends invited her to go clubbing being the social butterfly that she is, she accepted the invitation. As soon as she enters the club, she notices this lady dressed in a black minidress.

This lady has an air of mystery in her but just spends her time alone drinking on a corner of the club, she doesn’t interact with anyone and just turns down attempted advances on her by others but she can’t help notice said lady keeps glancing at her.

SQX admits she feels drawn to this woman plus she is gorgeous! So she steels herself to go invite her to dance at least, hopefully she won’t be rejected.

When SQX asked if she wanted to join her on the dance floor the lady in black turned her down dejected she starts to leave but the Lady stopped her.

MY: “I'm not much for dancing but shall we drink some wine while you keep me company instead? I admit it's getting lonely here.”

SQX: “Sure!”

MY: “ What’s your name?”

SQX: “It’s Shi Qingxuan”

MY: “Ming Yi, nice to meet you Shi Qingxuan”

One thing led to another and they spent the night together, sadly when SQX wakes up Ming Yi is already gone.

She regrets that she wasn’t able to get her number, she would love to see the gorgeous lady again if she allows it but doesn’t regret spending the night with her because she gave her a night worth remembering.

A few days later, SQX is at work and they are about to welcome a newly hired employee that will be working directly under her, the head of the department. Imagine her surprise when she sees the very same woman who she has a one night stand with!

She sees that Ming Yi doesn't have any visible reactions on seeing SQX again, that kinda pricked at her feeling cuz could Ming yi have forgotten about her already? Is she just a passing fling to her?

But no SQX isnt a quitter so she tries to befriend Ming Yi but Ming Yi just treats her like a stranger and when she tries to hint about their shared “history”,

Ming Yi changes topic back to work. It frustrates SQX a lot till one day during overtime and they are the only ones left in the office that Ming Yi confronted SQX.

Ming Yi corners (kabedon) SQX to her door office,

MY: Do you think this is funny? I see the way you look at me, do you think I don't notice your attempts at flirting?

SQX: AHA! I knew it!! You do remember me so why are you ignoring me?

MY: Of course I remember you, my memory isn’t shit. You are aware of the position we are in right, You are my boss and this is inappropriate so i suggest you stop this for both our sake.

SQX: What if I don’t want to? What are you gonna do about Ming Yi?

They just stare at each other and then proceeds to make out and office sex. As they were getting dressed, Ming Yi says she won't deny that the attraction that they feel to each other is mutual but honestly she is quite reluctant in having a relationship with her boss,

so she offers a friends with benefits situation instead SQX agrees to this and thinks that she can charm her way to Ming Yi’s heart and get to see her romantically. Ming Yi on her side tries to set up boundaries such as no strings attached,

they maintain a professional relationship at work, no one can know about this even her friends, and finally no falling in love. They act like a normal boss and subordinate in the office but no one knows that these two are in a FWB situation.

As they spend more time together, SQX inevitably falls and falls harder to her. Based on moods, Ming Yi can be either rough or gentle on her, SQX loves the gentle one because it makes her feel loved by Ming Yi with how tender and gentle she holds her.

During one such night while they were cuddling in bed after their romp, SQX is complaining about how her brother is strict and suffocating sometimes she just needs to get away

So Ming Yi offers her the key to her apartment and tells her if she wants to get away from her brother for a while her doors are always open to her. SQX is touched by this.

She kisses her hard and starts a sweet and gentle round 2 and realizes while they are at it that she loves ming yi and wants to be by her side forever.

Whenever SQX remembers their nights she fondly touches the marks (concealed by make up or her clothing) that Ming yi left on her. SQX tries to be subtle about it, she thinks Ming Yi probably notices the change in her attitude but doesn’t say anything about it.

SQX thinks it's mutual too because of how Ming Yi is being gentle with her during, the way Ming Yi takes care of her after and the simple gestures when they are at work, it's so tender as if they were something more but Ming Yi keeps quiet, SQX doesn't want to assume….

Sometimes she acts cold to her then gently again, it's quite frustrating that Ming Yi is giving her mixed signals but she thinks that Ming Yi is just having a dilemma, SQX leaves her alone for her to figure it out,

SQX doesn’t try to talk about it nor confess to Ming Yi as she doesnt want to rush her and is scared that she’ll lose what they have at the moment, if she can be with Ming Yi like this for now that’s okay, she will give her all the time she needs to sort out her feelings.

Ming Yi may treat her gently at times but in actuality she doesn’t want any of that, it just so happens that this naive woman wrapped in her arms, dozing without a care for the world is a pawn for her plans for revenge.

Ming Yi real name is He Xuan, she grew up privileged and with a loving family, all is well till one day her parents got accused of a crime they didn't commit and paid for it with their lives. With her life suddenly turned upside down, she ended up in the streets.

She was then recruited by a fellow teenager into a mafia group where she will work for them in exchange for food and shelter. She knows being involved in that world is dangerous and may lose her life in the process but way better than starving and dying in some random alleyway.

At least with this she may be able to investigate the truth behind what happened to her family. She owes this one eyed boy a life debt for saving her from the streets and giving her the opportunity for revenge, because years later she finds out the truth about her misfortunes.

Turns out Shi Wudu, a huge business tycoon is actually quite corrupt doing dirty deals and other crimes behind the scenes. The Police won’t arrest him because the police is also in on it and coincidentally her family is partners with this company and was chosen as scapegoats.

With vengeance fueling her, she created an elaborate plan to cause this man who took everything away from her his downfall. As soon as she established her own mafia group and became a boss herself with the help of her friend/brother (she treats HC as her brother)

The plans are set in motion and it starts with Shi Wudu’s beloved little sister, Shi Qingxuan. From her seducing SQX and working in Shi Wudu’s company everything is part of the elaborate plan for this man’s downfall but there are days when HX wavers because of SQX,

she admits that she has become quite endeared with but during one of the moments when both mafia lords meet up for a drink HC asks him if she is planning on abandoning her plans now that she is close.

HX denies and no she won’t abandon her plans, SQX is just a stepping stone to get closer to the goal, she is nothing to her just a chess piece in this board and resolves to push this through without a care for the collateral damage it may leave, a taste of his own medicine.

Now with the elections drawing near, SQX notices something off with her brother and how Ming Yi is acting. She has gotten even colder now and doesn’t join her often in bed even if she does, she could feel that she is angry at something.

HX took a leave of absence for a week and hasn’t contacted her ever since…. At home she notices that her brother is also quite tense, when she asks he just says that it's just some setbacks at work and his election campaign.

In reality HX is starting her attack on his businesses and campaign, one by one she destroys it and there’s nothing Shi Wudu can do about it as the police can’t even track it down they know that there is a larger power at play here.

At the same time, SQX got a text where HX wants to meet up cuz she has something to tell her, SQX thinks this is it, this is the moment where their relationship will change for the better she hopes!

Since she also decide to confess her feelings when they finally meet up, she really missed her and wonders where did was she when HX took a leave of absence.

But something is off as the address that HX gave her led to an abandoned house (it was HX childhood home) she can't find Ming Yi but finds her brother instead and is confused that her brother looks panicked and asks her if she harmed in any way but she tells him that she just got here.

Shi Wudu tells her that they've been set up by one of his enemies he thinks and that they should be careful then out from the shadows Ming yi emerges,

SQX immediately goes to her worried that she might be set up to get to her too, not a moment passed when SQX hugged “Ming Yi” she pushes her hard away from her to the point SQX tumbles on the floor.

She was confused on why “Ming Yi” is treating her like this and she doesn't look like the ming yi she has known for months, this “ming yi” looks imposing and sinister.

“Ming Yi” ignores SWX and starts introducing herself as He Xuan and asks if SWD remembers her or her family, SWD answers that he doesn't. SQX asks what is going on,

so He Xuan starts listing all the things SWD did and how today is also the death anniversary of her family, the very family he ruined. She then asks if he now remembers this family he used as scapegoat after she revealed everything.

SWD was like what about them, they have served their purpose no use remembering cannon fodder, this angered HX and starts pointing a gun at him. SQX was shocked by all of this and in denial of what she is hearing because it's just impossible,

Shi Wudu raised her like a spoiled ignorant princess without her knowing of the darkness lurking within, even if SQX has a feeling or an inkling on what her brother is up to but she just turns a blind eye to everything,

because that just impossible her kind, sweet brother strict he may be won’t do that.

SQX jumps in front of her brother asking HX to stop this, this isn't her which HX just raises a brow "you dont know anything about me" and decides fine shell be merciful and asks for an apology and when he doesn’t she points the gun to SQX instead.

SWD starts kowtowing, “I apologize for everything I did.THERE! Are you happy now?” he tries to rise but HX just smashes his head again on the floor. “Did I permit you to rise?” SWD clenching his fist so hard you can see his knuckles turn white “No.”

SQX is just crying on the side and can't bear to see her once proud brother like this. “Ge, please just apologize properly” she says between sobs,

SWD just glared at her to be quiet, he does so and asks that her beef is with him so let his sister go as she has nothing to do with it, she knows nothing. HX says that's why it's so detestable she knows nothing,

why wasn't she allowed to know nothing that all her possessions and position she gained because lives were trampled, she didn't know then but is still ignorant. She turns to SQX with a chilling glare, she told SQX that she gave her many chances but it seems like SQX ignored all of it.

She just starts sobbing and apologizes now, “what good is your apology?” so she demands a life for a life to atone for the sins. SWD tries to negotiate that his sister’s life does not merit a death sentence and HX asks in turn which of his family sinned? Which among them deserved death?

Both just remained silent and HX just wonders why can't they answer her now. So she makes them choose a way to atone for their sins: one SWD kills his sister and makes himself scarce or two SQX kills SWD and never shows herself in front of her again.

Forget everything that happened, it's what she does best after all; the choice is theirs. SWD tries to bargain that he'll kill himself instead but HX tells him he has no right to bargain.

SQX tells her brother to pick the first one but SWD rejects it so SWD just decided to kill both of them (him and her sister) but HX put a stop to it by hitting SWD with end of her gun telling him if she gave him a third path

then SWD starts laughing and mocking HX how everything she did for revenge was futile. SQX pleads with SWD that he stop talking because it just makes everything worse.

HX asks how could he have no remorse over the lives he trampled but SWD being the prideful man that he is tells him that remorse is useless and a joke

while SQX just calls for Ming Yi while clutching her leg begging her to stop and apologizing HX looked at her and said “you called for the wrong person” then she pulls the trigger and shoots SWD in the head

As HX was walking away SQX stops her again and asks in a dazed quiet voice if she is happy now that she got her revenge and asks hx if she can answer her just one thing.

Were all the time they shared real or did HX just use her for her revenge? Was there even a tiny space in HX's heart for her during that time?

HX stops but doesnt turn around to answer just says SQX already knows the answer to that the she asks back if she has something else to say to her but hears nothing,

HX continued to walk away just as SQX starts breaking down on the floor and begs to be killed why leave her like this? She already lost EVERYTHING, what's the point in living then?!

HX turns around at this and responds coldly “Dream on. If you have someone to blame for your misfortunes, blame your brother." and SQX lost consciousness then. For Shi Wudu his greed was his downfall, for SQX it was her ignorance.

After the whole ordeal HX took a break and lied low as the whole thing made it to the headlines since SWD is a well known person and a political candidate while his sister went missing, the police doesn’t know her whereabouts.

In reality SQX is setting up for her new life in a faraway town, far away from her old life in the city. While SQX was getting used to her new commoner life,

It was hard but not as bad as she expected since there seems to be someone looking out for her. She doesn't know who and she doesn't want to make assumptions.

She wants to think it's that person but maybe not, one of her brother's old friends perhaps? She is actually right in her first hunch HX still keeps tabs on her well-being but wont interact after everything that happened between them.

After everything HX still feels responsible for her because technically she is just a bystander who got caught in the crossfire. Her only sin was being ignorant of everything. It’s best that they don't cross paths ever again.

-THE END-

[baby-yongbok]

Poetry

Chapter Two - It's a Date

Hyunjin x Fem!Reader

Genre: Fluff, dare I say slow burn? The type that tickles your heart.

Word Count: 2,661

A/N: Ya'll voted for a part 2 but I honestly would've probably made this a mini series regardless 😭. I love this story with my whole heart and I hope you do too. I decided that I'll be uploading the chapters for this series on Thursdays at 6pm EST. Anyway, Enjoy! Any and all feedback is appreciated!

Summary: That cute stranger that you met at your favorite bookstore cafe is anything but a stranger now.

Part One

✧Poetry Series Masterlist✧

✧Main Masterlist✧

(Reading part one before reading this is highly recommended)

“Six o’clock on the dot. We should start paying you for coming here.” Amanda, the cafe owner, joked as you walked through the doors of the small bookstore. 

“Yeah? I think I’d like that, I could use the extra money.” You smiled at her as you clutched a stack of books to your chest. “Oh, these are donations by the way. All brand new, my brother is cleaning out his office and business management isn’t exactly my cup of tea.”

You place the stack of books neatly on the counter in front of Amanda and she flashes you a genuine smile. “This is why you’re my favorite customer. Here, your next drink is on us.”

Amanda hands you a coupon that you gratefully accept. You’ve learned a long time ago that declining her offers is futile. “Oh and I think that someone is here for you.” 

She wiggles her eyebrows teasingly and you furrow yours. You turn around and a soft smile spreads across your face. Your eyes land on Hyunjin’s tall frame sitting cross legged at one of the free tables in the nearly empty cafe. An iced americano in one hand and a book in the other. 

“He’s been here for thirty minutes.” Amanda whispers over to you and your smile spreads wider. 

“Of course he’s early.” You shake your head, chuckling a bit. “Thanks for the coupon.” 

You wave your goodbye to Amanda and start to make your way over to Hyunjin who seems to be completely engrossed in his book. You steal a glance at the cover and raise your eyebrows at his current literary choice. 

“Life is so constructed, that the event does not, cannot, will not, match the expectation.” Your voice catches his attention causing him to sit up straighter as he takes you in with a smile. 

“You’ve read it?” He asks, referring to your quote as he places his bookmark and closes the novel. 

“I’m a bit of a Charlotte Brontë connoisseur.” You reply with a shrug. “I did my thesis on that novel for my senior year of college.”

“I’ll have to pick your brain about it once I’ve finished it.” 

You watch him as he stands and stretches a bit. You take a second to drink in his appearance, his orange and black crocodile print sweater and black slacks fitting his frame perfectly. You have no doubt that it’s expensive just like everything else that he’s worn during your Thursday evening meetings. Once he’s satisfied with his stretch he pushes in his chair and circles the table to stand in front of you. He holds a hand out to you and you slip your fingers over his slender ones. He brings your hand up to his mouth and kisses the back of it gently, a grin pulling at his lips. 

“You look lovely tonight.” He looks you over slowly, taking in the form fitting glory of your black pencil skirt and the contrast it has to your baggy maroon sweater tucked in just in the front. 

“You say that every Thursday.” You playfully roll your eyes and Hyunjin smiles, shaking his head in agreement. 

“Because you look stunning every Thursday. I can’t wait to see you on a Monday or a Tuesday.” You blush a bit, looking away from him in an attempt to hide your reaction. 

The two of you have been meeting at this bookstore cafe, Adore, for two weeks now, today being the third. You’ve found yourself planning your outfit for this day of the week as soon as you wake up on Friday. Each time that the two of you say goodbye you can’t help but to think about the next time that you’ll see him and all of the questions that you’ll ask him. Hyunjin was no different, he found himself thinking about you like a teenager who just asked their crush to prom. His roommates started teasing him for the extra work that he’d been putting into his appearance. Every Thursday he’d spend an extra thirty minutes in the bathroom making sure that his hair looked just right since you complement it every time you see him. He’d gone on for about an hour asking his roommate Felix for his opinion on different colognes even though he normally doesn’t bother to wear any. He even took on an earlier work schedule so he’d be available for your meetings. Anything to see you again. 

“Thank you.” You whisper and he nods in response. He grabs his bag from the back of his chair and packs his novel away before grabbing his drink. 

“Shall we browse?” You nod your head, lacing your fingers together behind your back before taking a step forward. It seems that you both had the same idea since the two of you bump into each other softly. You both chuckle lightly and Hyunjin moves his free hand to the small of your back to guide you in front of him. “Ladies first.” 

His words come out in such a whisper that you could barely hear him but that could also be due to your heart thumping in your ears as a chill runs over you. You shake your head trying to play off your reaction to the small physical contact but you can’t help it, his touch is electric. The two of you trail off into the poetry section and you know exactly what you’re looking for. 

“I take it that you have someone in mind?” Hyunjin asks with a curious glance as you browse the shelves. You nod, your gaze never leaving the organized spines lined up on the shelves. 

“There!” You reach forward quickly, plucking the book from the neat stack and holding it up to show Hyunjin. 

“Rupi Kaur, I can’t say that I’m familiar with her.” Your face twists in disapproval causing a small chuckle to fall from Hyunjins blushed lips. “Why don’t you introduce me to her work.” 

“ If you like R.H. Sin then you’ll love her.” You look down the aisle both ways to make sure that no one is around before kneeling down and sitting on the dark carpet. Hyunjin looks down at you with furrowed brows as you take off your bag and place it next to you. Once you’re settled you look up at him returning his confused expression. “Are you coming?”

You pat the carpeted floor next to you and Hyunjins confused stare quickly melts into a gentle look of admiration. He nods his head before joining you on the floor, sitting next to you with his back resting lightly on the book shelf. He glances over at you as you study the hardcover book in your hands, your fingers tracing over the embossed words. He takes in the steadiness of your breath and the way you hum ever so slightly when you notice a new detail on the cover. He doesn’t notice the grin that’s creeped across his lips until you look up at him, he looks away quickly as a blush creeps across his cheeks. You mimic his actions, blushing a bit yourself. A few seconds of quiet surround the two of you before Hyunjin breaks the barrier. 

“May I?” He asks, gesturing towards the hardcover in your hands. You let out a deep relieved sigh and nod at him. You hand the book over to him, the tips of your fingers brush lightly against his and you both still momentarily at the contact. You both had to have felt that shock run up your spines right? The two of you decide to shake it off quickly, concluding that it was merely a case of static electricity. Hyunjin looks down at the book in his hands, turning it over and taking in the words on the back cover. He clears his throat a bit before reading the text on the back.

“This is the recipe of life, said my mother as she held me in her arms as I wept…” You listen closely to each word that his voice carries. Sinking into your own little bubble, this time that the two of you reserved every Thursday served as a calming ground for the both of you. Nothing else mattered right now, the only thing that exists is the two of you and the poetry that you shared. 

“The sun and her flowers.” Hyunjin read the title as he flipped the book back over to its front. “I have to admit that I’m very interested.” 

He opens the book to its contents and reads off the name of each section. “ Wilting, Falling, Rooting, Rising, Blooming.”

You nod as you look over the grayed out page with him. “Which section do you think you belong in?”

Hyunjin looks over at you, a bit taken back by your question. Your large doe eyes stared back at his shining narrow ones patiently waiting for his response. “Uh, I don't really know.”

You nod, catching on to his hesitance. You look forward for a second, your eyes mindlessly scanning the spines of the books in front of you before you do what you wanted to do last Thursday. Slowly and carefully you lean your head to the side gently resting your temple on his shoulder. You feel him tense a bit at the sudden contact but he quickly relaxes into your touch even leaning over a bit to give you better access to his shoulder. 

“I think that right now I belong in falling.” You watch as Hyunjin silently flips through the pages before landing on the first page of the section you mentioned. He licks his lips before reading the poem. 

“I notice everything I do not have and decide it is beautiful.” He lets out a deep sigh that he wasn’t aware that he was holding before shaking his head. 

“I think that maybe I belong here too.” 

His fingers run over the picture placed under the poem, imitating pencil strokes as he studies it. You turn slightly to look up at him, studying his slow blinks as his brown orbs focus on the page. The gentle air escaping his nose tickles your lashes as he exhales but you don’t dare blink, too afraid that you’ll miss a moment of him. What is this that you’re feeling? 

“But I don’t think that I can say that everything that I don’t have is beautiful, not yet.” His eyes don’t leave the page as he continues to imitate the abstract strokes. “Well, there is one thing that I don’t have.” 

His words come out in a whisper and his gaze suddenly shifts over to you. His brown orbs are looking deep into yours. Your breathing picks up slightly as you will yourself not to look away.

“And it’s definitely beautiful.” His gaze is intense yet soft as he looks over your features. You notice that his eyes wander over your lips a bit longer than everything else before meeting your eyes again. “I guess I have to convince myself that I deserve beautiful things.” 

He lets out a light sigh and you can’t help but to bring your hand to lay on top of his. 

“You are more than worthy of beautiful things, Hyunjin.” He grins down at you gently before tearing his gaze away from yours. 

“Perhaps I am.” He whispers more to himself than to you. Suddenly he lets out a deeper sigh as he closes the book. “Have you eaten yet?”

You return his sigh as you lift your head from his shoulder. You can’t help but to wonder what he meant, why would he think that he doesn’t deserve to indulge in beauty? You shake the thoughts from your mind, not wanting to ruin your Thursday night with him. “I haven’t”

“Would you like something?”

“I can make something when I get back to my place, money is a bit tight for me right now.” 

“My treat.” He hums out simply as he studies the spine of the hardcover in his hands.

“I’m alright.” You chuckle and he looks over at you with a bit of concern drawn on his features.

“Really it’s no problem. I know that I pay every Thursday but it makes me happy that I can provide you with something as small as refreshments every week. It gives me peace of mind.” You blush a bit at his confession, so he does think about you as much as you think about him.

“Well if it means that much to you..” He smiles down at you with a nod.

“It does.” He shifts suddenly as he moves to stand. He holds his hand out to you and you take it, allowing him to help you up. “They make an amazing tomato caprese sandwich here.” 

“I’ll try it.” He nods at you happily before taking the lead out of the aisle. You follow closely behind him when suddenly you remember something. “Oh!”

You catch Hyunjin’s attention as you walk up a bit faster to stand beside him. You rummage through your bag until you find what you’re looking for.

“I have a coupon for a free drink!” You muse excitedly and Hyunjin can’t help but to laugh at your sudden elation. 

“Keep it, I appreciate it but I’ve got this.”

“Oh come on! Let me help.” You pout a bit as the two of you reach the register and Hyunjin puts in the order for the two of you, he’s already memorized your drink order so little discussion is needed. Once your order is placed and paid he turns to your pouting face with a warm smile.

“You know what? There is a way that you can help.” He slides his hands into the pockets of his slacks and you perk up a bit as you listen to him. 

“Anything.” You smile up at him, wide eyed and eager to be of use. 

“How about next Thursday we… meet outside of this place. Maybe I could take you on a date?” 

A deep blush creeps onto your swarthy cheeks as his question sinks in. Your lips pressed together in a thin line and you shift the position of your feet slightly. Hyunjin looks down at the dark tile nervously as he waits for you to say something, anything. His nerves began to creep up his spine, spewing doubt into his mind. Just as he was about to retract his offer and apologize you let out a breathy chuckle. 

“I’d really like that.” A toothy smile spreads across his face once he hears your response and you instantly wear one to match once you take in his reaction. 

“Uh, great! I’ll text you the details.” He takes his hand out of his pocket, offering his phone to you. “I can’t believe we haven’t exchanged numbers yet.” 

A shy chuckle escapes him as the two of you exchange phones and input your numbers.

“There you go.” You hand his phone back to him, your giddy smile still present on your red painted lips. 

“Alright, well um, I’ll text you everything you need to know once I plan it.” He says as he stares down at your contact for a second too long, he bites his lip slightly to try and hold back his smile. 

“It’s a date.” You both stand in front of each other smiling like enliven children at an ice cream parlor. “I’ll go grab us a table.” 

Hyunjin nods at you as you turn on your heels and make your way to your usual booth. He watches you as you walk away from him with awestruck eyes. He allows himself to smile now that you aren’t looking, his eyes turning into shining crescents as excitement builds inside of him. He glances down at your contact one last time before locking his phone and stuffing it back into his pocket, He glances over at you before turning to face the cafe counter and whispers to himself.

“It’s a date.”

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[xiofuu]

Coward

Unedited, Angst, Unrequited love, Mentions of alcohol, Not good writing

It'd only been recent that your heart began to ache so heavily. Watching as the one person your heart happened to choose chase after another whom their heart had set as theirs. The small crimson haired child who had once childishly promised you their hand in marriage when you'd grow older, who had given you a place to call home, and the one to make you fall foolishly in love.

You sighed, listening to the chatter of the other patrons within the tavern as you sat at the bar, thinking about the events that had gotten your heart to painfully ache while slowly sipping on the glass of wine while you waited for the owner to eventually walk through the door.

Whenever that would be, that is.

It wasn't like you had waited like this for hours, no. Definitely not. You've just managed to sip through one bottle, share a few spare drinks, and even managed to barely keep yourself awake as you sat at the bar, taking another sip of your Death After Noon whilst waiting to tell the man how you've felt for ages.

But even then, he's never been hours late for a meeting.

Your lone glass sat on the bar, your head laid within your arms while you could feel the alcohol settle, making your head dizzy as your face flushed, thinking about Diluc as you almost dozed off.

Thinking about his rare smiles that brighten up your days, the way his face dusts with pink as he accepted the compliments from his dearest. You knew he'd do anything for the one he loved. You've seen it before.

Watching as he offered her an outing to a sweets shop that you once asked him for while his face could barely hold the love he felt for her. The drinks were getting to you, you could feel it as the tears pricked your eyes before you placed them on your arms, feeling the tears soak into the fabric of your sleeves.

You wanted to drink more to forget how bright his smiles were for her, how you knew that he would never love you back, how you've even been pushed out of his life to make space for her. This was the last thing you wanted to do while you were still in your position.

Though, the time never came as you stood, stretching away the numbness within your body from sitting for far too long before sitting once again, lifting your glass to finish whatever had been left there for far too long, only for a hand to softly place itself on yours, the clink of the metal shattering your heart as you blinked away the oncoming tears.

"Mx, you shouldn't drink this much," a soft voice spoke as you turned to face the young maiden.

"Ah, Noelle, it's okay. I'll be sure to rest fully tomorrow, so I'll be okay," you mumbled, your head spinning as too many thoughts rushed through, your main priority now being to finish the wine before you lost it all only to discover that there was no more wine within your glass.

"Even so, this isn't healthy for you," she dragged on, waiting for you to go along with her only to be met with the rowdyness of the other patrons as they got drunk and sang along with the bard about their newfound happiness.

"Noelle," you hesitated. "He sent you here again, didn't he?" You asked, knowing the answer yet still bothering to ask.

The young lady's hand had been shaken from yours to meet her own in front of her lap while she looked down apologetically, not wanting to answer while her silence made your heart tug at their heartstrings, almost snapping them.

You nodded your head towards her before placing more mora on the table, asking Charles for a bottle of Death After Noon as you stood, preparing to leave for the night. Noelle looked up and faced the man, wanting to stop him but instead stopping herself as she knew there was nothing stopping you. This has happened once too many before.

Charles, who had previously dealt with this before, had warned you, telling you that this was your xth bottle of the week; that this wasn't healthy for you and that you should consider something else only for it to go unheard, not bothering to acknowledge it.

"Should I call for Sir Kaeya?" Noelle stuttered, watching you grab the bottle as you turned to leave the tavern, pausing at her mentioning Kaeya. Your pause only meant the worse to her as she started to list the small list of people who you knew before you sighed.

"Noelle, please." She paused, watching you leave the tavern as she continued to follow and escort you home. You could feel the bitter cold of the night bite at your skin while you walked home, wanting to enjoy something as your mind wandered.

Was he with her? Were you going to always feel like this? Were you going to continue to be left behind like this?

"Yes?" Noelle spoke, reminding you that you were being escorted against your will.

"Leave it be. I'll be okay own my own, you know this," you tried to reassure, only to meet her eyes that held worry and pity. "Just," you paused, "if anyone asks about tonight, tell them nothing happened."

You both continued down the road, watching as your little apartment came into view and the bitter cold that once bit at your skin felt even worse now as you could almost feel the cold wrap around your fingers to freeze them off.

"Oh," you remembered, "Could you tell Acting Grandmaster Jean that I'll be taking that mission she offered?" You turned to Noelle, watching as she nodded and continued to walk with you in silence.

Your eyes couldn't help but to wander at the thought. The mission. The one that no one else wanted to take as it could potentially end their lives or lead them to returning home without success. Jean couldn't help but ask you to do it, knowing fully that you'd also decline before she would eventually forcefully assign it to you.

Your eyes moved from your incoming home that felt cold, to the closed shops nearby that felt unnatural, to the bright red that stood out amongst the dark night that tugged against your heartstrings.

Your tears threatened to fall once more with the ache of your heart as you walked, dismissing Noelle as your home was a few steps farther. You could feel a sense of dread sink in as you remembered the bottle that sat in your hand while you pat around your body to look for the keys to your apartment, happening to hear the small chatter and giggles as you imagined his smile.

That small simple smile that could brighten up your day; that same smile that you worked so hard to achieve, only to be taken by another while you couldn't help but watch from the sides, no longer wanting to be his family as you yearned to become his lover.

This was it.

The moment you enter your home, there's no going back. You'd spend tomorrow and maybe the day after to recover from your lack of care for the amount of drinks you downed tonight and then spend the rest of the week packing, planning, and leaving.

"To think, I'd be weak enough to simply run away like a coward," you sighed, pushing your keys into the lock as tears fell down to meet your shaking hand. "who cares, this mission will either end me or I'll come back and leave the knights and go back to my homeland and never return," you mumbled.

You felt too much in this one moment. The fear of losing your life, the sadness of losing the one you loved, the bitter cold that followed; everything added up and you couldn't deal with it anymore.

There were going to be no more lonely nights at the tavern after this. No more nights of waiting for Diluc to answer your letters, no more nights of wishing to be his lover, no more.

.

.

.

Right?

[freyjhasdesiredreality]

I'm Here For You (Charles Leclerc x Reader)

(Credits to GIF owner)

A/N: Two stories in a row about my mental situation, please bare with me that's how I comfort myself. :( Excuse my grammar mistakes, English is not my first! I hope you'll like it!

WC: 1.1k+

Warnings: Anxiety, panic attack, fluff. Let me know if I missed any!

Being Charles Leclerc's girlfriend was never easy. A lot of random people would try their hardest to make you feel bad. Although you tried to live your relationship out of media sight, you lived in Monaco. It was a small country, that's why there were always someone would spill any little thing about you.

You were a successful business woman. You were good at your job, some people would envy your success, you could say. You worked hard in the past to be where you are right now. When you came to Monaco for the first time, you fell in love with the city. You had to attend a business meeting, you dressed in a knee high red dress, hoping you weren't too much. That's where you met the love of your life.

You were sitting alone at the bar in the hotel lobby, dreaming with the happiness of your sense of success. Now all you needed to do was go back to your country, pack your bags and come back to Monte Carlo to begin your new life.

"Is this seat taken?" you heard a soft voice over your shoulder, getting you back to the real world. You turned to see the most beautiful green eyes, waiting for your approval to sit down beside you.

"No, you can have it," you said smiling. He returned the smile, having the seat and raised his fingers to order a drink. You couldn't help but stare how perfect his hands were. "Can we have 2 of what she's drinking, on me," he turned to you, secretly hoping you would accept his offer.

You nodded your head, "Well thank you mister-" you waited for him to complete his name for you. "Leclerc. Charles Leclerc, and you are?" he offered his hand. "I'm Y/N, Y/N Y/L/N," you took his hand to shake.

"Well, would you look at that, when everyone around the hotel were talking about this business woman, wondering who they are and here I am, looking at her beautiful eyes," he brought your hand to his lips and kissed your knuckles. You blushed and giggled. "So people already gossiping, I wonder how is it like to live here. Everybody knows everything I assume?" he laughed at your joke, "You could say that I guess."

You tried to remember your first conversation with Charles. You remembered how gentle and kind he was. You loved being around him. It was always so peaceful. That's why you needed him right now.

As Charles walked through the door of his home, he could immediately sense that something was wrong. You were sitting on the couch with your arms wrapped around your legs, shaking slightly. Charles knew immediately that you were having an anxiety attack, and his heart sank. He hated seeing you like this, and he wanted nothing more than to comfort you. He knew sometimes life overwhelmed you, he just hoped he could bring you back to his world.

Without a word, Charles walked over to the couch and sat down next to you. He gently put his arm around your shoulders, pulling you close to him. You leaned into him, your head resting on his chest, and he could feel how fast your breathing was. He knew that sometimes all you needed were his presence and touch, and he was more than happy to oblige.

For a few moments, you both sat in silence, with Charles simply holding you close. He could feel your body slowly starting to relax, and he knew that he needed to do something to help you calm down further. He started to speak softly, his voice a gentle murmur in your ear.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm here. You're safe." Charles knew that sometimes, in the midst of an anxiety attack, it could be hard to remember that you were safe and loved. He wanted to remind you that he was there for you and that you had nothing to fear.

As he spoke, Charles began to rub your back, tracing slow circles with his fingers. He could feel the tension in your muscles slowly start to release, and he knew that he was helping you relax. He continued to speak softly, his words a soothing balm for your frayed nerves.

"Take deep breaths with me, okay?" Charles said, taking a deep breath himself. "In... and out... In... and out..." He continued to breathe deeply, and after a moment, you joined him. Together, you breathed deeply, each inhale and exhale helping to calm your mind.

Charles knew that your anxiety could be triggered by many different things, and he didn't want to pry. He simply wanted to be there for you, to support you, and to let you know that he loved you no matter what. He continued to speak softly, his voice a constant reassurance.

"You're doing great," he said. He could feel your breathing start to slow down even further, and he knew that you were making progress.

For a while, they simply sat together, breathing in unison. Charles could feel your heartbeat slow down, and he knew that you were starting to feel better. After a while, he felt you shift slightly, and he knew that you were ready to talk.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice gentle.

You hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I don't know," you said finally. "I was just thinking about.. you know, my work, your work, fans, social media and then... it was like everything just got too much."

Charles nodded understandingly. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know how hard it can be sometimes." He paused for a moment before continuing. "But you don't have to go through it alone. I'm here for you, always."

You looked up at him, your eyes wide and grateful. "I know," you said softly. "Thank you."

You sat in silence for a few more minutes, simply enjoying each other's company. Charles knew that you were starting to feel like yourself again.

"I know we've talked about this many times, but I want you to know, it's really not true what they say online. They are just jealous of you because we are so good together," he spoke. You nodded your head, knowing he was right. "I know, thank you," you smiled.

He reached out to your cheek, wiped the tears and pressed a kiss where the tear was. You looked up, leaned up to his cheek and gave him a small kiss. He giggled and leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead. "I love you," he said.

You smiled up at him, you eyes shining. "I love you too," you said. "Hungry?" you asked. He nodded his head, "Very much, but baby, I'm cooking today," you gasped, put your hand on your chest, "Oh no!" you acted frightened. "Shut up," he laughed and kissed your lips. Now you were completed.

A/N: Likes and reblogs are appreciated!

[f1endish]

Ok so my brain has decided to spiral from the headcanon of Papa Ed and Eddie Chiplucky being related which has turnt into me thinking up a whole backstory for both which I need to expel from my thoughts sooooo

Basically in the order of events:

* Ed and Eddie are twins whose parents separate when both are in their teenage years. Predominantly raised by their mother, I can imagine their dynamic is very similar to that of Stan & Ford from Gravity Falls, Ed ends up as a scientist and Eddie being considered the black sheep of the family with him being transmasc & gay and they live in Texas (not the most accepting place for the LGBTQIA+ community from what I've heard, probably worse since I imagine he's in his late 30s-early 40s so he was probably born somewhere in or around the 80s) so gets kicked out by his mom and finds work on the black market.

This work involves being paid privately by clients to track gather blackmail on people normally with photos/videos. As an example, a suspicious spouse paying him to see if their partner is out cheating on them or a business owner wanting to get more stakes in their company so get Eddie to get evidence of their co-owner doing shady stuff so blackmail them into getting their claim of the business. I chose this since 1) I myself am into photography and am taking it for one of my college courses 2) It gives opportunity for Charles & Eddie to have possibly worked together in the past before properly meeting and in turn Charles knowing who he is and what Eddie can do. Not only being able to find people (A bonus of this is that Eddie has the gift in my mind, it was definitely stronger when he was younger but it has still stayed around a bit. In a nutshell Eddie has a spider sense thing that helps him identify if someone also has the gift) but get out of situations where he was probably caught by the people he was getting blackmail on and having to talk his way out of that situation, which would be good for convincing people to get into the whole Rollerama thing; And making it to where I can compare Eddie to Daniel from Interview with a Vampire so that makes Charles Armand and in turn Golden Treasure as Devils Minion sounds perfect in my mind, and 3) It gives Eddie at least a tiny connection to Blinky cause I swear he does like, from the Blinkys song instrumental playing in Yellowjacket when Ethan & Hannah are in Pizza Pete's to the whole looking through security cameras being the first time we meet him.

* Back onto the main plot of the backstory, Ed worked on the project that created Otho and had a lot of concerns over it. At the same time, Eddie & Ed's mother contacts Eddie begrudgingly cause she's concerned over Ed and can't get into contact with him since he moved out and didn't give her his number. So Eddie takes on the task of finding him and ends up in Hatchetfield where he runs into Ed and they talk, Ed expressing how worried he is about what Otho could do if the project were to be completed so asking Eddie if he can break in there with a key card Ed gives him and gather evidence against the project to get it shut down or at least halted as for as long as possible.

* Eddie agrees, but later on ending up getting caught and questioning on who gave him the key card to get in. Eventually, ending up getting punched in the mouth by one of the security guys there (who I like to imagine is Bruno since I like the idea that he gave him his iconic golden tooth he has in Yellowjacket). Charles who has heard of what's gone on since of how Eddie getting in could have been a bad thing cause of how much he invested into Otho, comes to see Eddie who he recognises and has a talk with.

* Very much like the song 'The Other Side' from the Greatest Showman, he gets Eddie a drink to loosen him up (hopefully enough to get him to talk) and says he basically just simply wants to know who gave him access and Eddie would be good as gold. Even offering him the recruiting job at the Rollerama. Eddie considers this, he's not stupid and he knows if he doesn't eventually rat Ed put, he's fucked. These guys mean real business. Eddie is not a brave man. And Charles is considering him after everything, offering him a more secure job than he had before, he has had experience talking with the guy briefly before but to get his talents noticed is a thing Eddie hasn't dealt with in a while, looking at him like he's... good treasure. His mother had always favoured Ed over him, with him being the more academically successful, while he was probably just the screw up who only was contacted by her to find her golden child of Ed. He's been bitter and doesn't want to be in this level of trouble cause his brother couldn't even deal with his own problems himself. So... he agrees.

* Charles thanks him, and Ed gets taken in and probably exposed to some sort of other project him and the other scientists were working on and then promptly fired, so now probably very traumatized he ends up adopting Peanuts the Pocket Squirrel as a coping mechanism to focus on. Eddie's corruption arc furthers to how he is when we see him in Yellowjacket.

* Ok, so this probably doesn't line up with the proper timeline of the Hatchetfield Franchise and might be a bit ooc. Still might make a fanfic or an au around it one day, who knows 🤷

[aeolia18]

In Her Pool of Heat

Note: This is by far the longest smut fic I've ever written with a 4.4k word count HAHAHHAA go Hiyori Shizukesa x Yuichiro Tokito 🤣 I reallyyyy enjoyed writing this!! No, please DO NOT PROCEED if you are uncomfortable with the following themes below. MDNI OR I WILL BLOCK YOU. Yes, I'm going to make sure that they will keep on having a great time @snowmist-hashira 🤭🤭

NSFW || Aged Up Characters! (Hiyori is 18, while Yuichiro is 20), Oral, Outdoor Sex, Unprotected Sex, Breeding, Overstimulation, Multiple Positions, Spanking

"You want to give me what?!" 

The serene private hot springs that laid just at the feet of the mountain had almost the perfect ambiance, had it not been the bewildered exclamation from the young man who accommodated the place with his lover who seemed to dip her senses in a euphoric state. 

"Well, you heard me right. I want to give you a baby." From the way she spoke, it was obvious that she enjoyed a little bit too much 'sake', the rice liquor she loved. 

Just before they entered the waters, the owner of this hot springs provided Yuichiro and Hiyori some free drinks to which they accepted. However, it seems that Hiyori had consumed almost half of the stuff given to them. It's thanks to Yuichiro's interference, he was able to stop her from gulping everything. 

"Hiyori, this isn't the right place to do.. that." He sheepishly said, while his face was turning red. He didn’t have the courage to face her right now, considering how they’re apparently nude underwater. 

“But I’m just so stressed I was unable to buy you anything because Oyakata-sama sent me on an emergency mission and it occupied the rest of my free time!” Even without looking at her, Yuichiro knew she was pouting that never failed to make her look like an aggravated cream puff. 

“Tsk, you and your sorry excuses. Don’t bother, I’m really not the materialistic type either or.. wanting to have kids right now.. so being with you today is more than enough. Go direct your stress somewhere else.” He went over the edge of the pool near the rocks where he isolated himself from his fiancee to calm down for a moment. It wasn’t a skill issue, financial capability, or anything else that would call his own abilities into doubt; he's confident he'd be able to offer efficiently. 

If they made love here, that would serve as their very first. Aside from that, he wanted to please her while she's at the most comfortable place. Not.. outdoors. 

He rinsed his own body with water that cascaded onto his well defined biceps; the result of his harsh training that brought him right now to deserve a position as one of the Hashiras of the Demon Slayer Corps. 

"I think I want to de-stress myself with you, my love." Hiyori suddenly stood behind him, which caused his heart to leap in shock. She didn't make any sounds that he could've sensed her stealthy approach to his direction. Turns out he wasn't the only Hashira here. 

"Hiyori wait –" Before he was able to finish his sentence, Yuichiro was cut off when his fiancee slammed her lips against his own. 

His calm heart began to roar wildy at her sudden boldness, the overwhelming scent of sake that lingered in her taste and the warmth of her lips that he loved so much about her filled his senses, his mind fought an intense battle between keeping himself composed or allowing his lover to consume every bit of him right here and right now. 

It wasn't only that. He felt her hand rest on his abs, while her whole weight pushed his body to the rocks making him lean against it. Yuichiro had known Hiyori to make the bolder moves ever since they began dating. And even though he should've gotten used to her advances, she never fails to put him in a cardiac arrest that she finds his reactions quite adorable. 

He was cornered. He could feel her soft body for the first time against his bare skin and the way her hair and plump breasts were pressed suggestively on him was driving him insane. Yuichiro knew he wasn’t able to keep up with her kisses, considering how he was panting really heavily due to the fact how he was completely turned on of her actions, Hiyori swallowed every of his shallow breaths and sealed his tongue smoothly and passionately with hers as she brought him into a heated dance that thoroughly demonstrated how much she ached for him. 

Just as he thought it would escalate further, he felt her slender fingers wrap slowly on his shaft, causing him to yelp at her gentle touch. “Hnghh–! H-Hiyori.. w-what..” 

“Get up over there and sit down.” Her voice was low, underlying her temptation to have him for her own. 

“W-wait, I can’t..” He was a little trembling when she didn’t let him go from down there. Hiyori pressed deep kisses on his neck which caused his mind to swirl even more, and when Yuichiro thought that she was about to finish her teasing on him when he felt her hold on his shaft gone, he was suddenly gripped on his sides by Hiyori lifting him off the water to have him sit on the rock.

“???” He was astonished that she was able to carry him off like that.

All the comical seconds instantly vanished the moment she went between his parted legs and began to kiss his tip with both her hands on his length. 

“Hahh..Aah..Hiyori..” He felt like his whole body would melt on the spot when her slippery tongue glided the entirety of his manhood from up to down while her fingers massaged his balls which the throbbing down there almost hurt him.

As she continued with her lewd acts, he could hear her heartful sighs but they were very faint since he moaned louder. He felt too weak to even look at his fiancee savoring him even just his pre-cum with the look of lust that only he had seen in his dreams. 

Hiyori never missed a spot, even his balls were damp with saliva and it felt like Yuichiro was about to lose his own voice. It even got worse when she decided to swallow him whole, earning a loud groan from the man. 

As she bobbed his entire length with such passion and heat, it took such endurance from Yuichiro not to look at her and control himself. He grunted and felt frustrated that as his hands blindly searched for anything to hold on to, there was nothing but the smooth rocks to grip on tight. 

At last, his eyes met hers, and he knew that the way her orbs glowed with the shimmering waters that sparkled with the sunlight, her beautifully messy hair, and her flushed cheeks; she never failed to catch him breathless. As a demon slayer, notably a Hashira himself, he was a defiant warrior who stood powerful and majestic. But only Hiyori had the power to make him crumble like this – he would always be at her mercy and he shall let it be that way. 

Something ignited within him at that precise instant. A fire; a blazing passion that flooded his veins and gave him tremendous strength at that very moment. 

With a hand that he held firmly on the ground just behind him, his other one grabbed Hiyori by the head and began to shove her repeatedly on his length while his hips bucked forward to meet her soft luscious lips that were comfortably wrapped around him. 

This completely startled Hiyori to which she whined and moaned in utter shock and delight, the vibrations of her voice hardened him further while her tongue continued to wrap itself and slide around him.  

He pushed her up and down firmly, her muffled voices that vibrated on his dick sparked a hidden fantasy he never told anyone but his heart which only encouraged his inevitable release. Moments later, he filled her mouth with his load but it wasn’t that much yet. Not for him. 

Yuichiro was pleased that Hiyori swallowed them all up with her eyes that shimmered with mirth. With his swelling heart full of adoration, he went back into the waters and gathered her in his arms. 

“Y-Yui? Where are we going?” His sudden actions startled her. As they made it to the other edge of the water where there was a nearby table filled with their dry stuff, Yuichiro reached to grab a face towel and carefully wiped Hiyori’s face clean. 

“There. I’m so sorry for earlier. I got out of my control.” He admitted, voice soft and his face laced with worry, Yuichiro felt his heart a little heavy for how he treated her like that for their first time. 

Of course, Hiyori immediately sensed his emotions, she cupped his face to comfort him. “Hey, it’s alright. I didn’t get hurt. I promise. Haha~” She chuckled, finding his thoughtfulness a lot more attractive. Among all they knew, only she had the special permission to witness and receive this side of his. Vulnerable. Tender. And Gentle. She finds herself falling in love with him all over again.

Yuichiro kissed the bridge of her nose before lifting himself off from the water and wrapped a dry towel on his body. “I’ll let you rest. You’re probably still tipsy. Don’t soak for too long, okay?” He said, before turning away from her. 

“Wait!” 

As she called out for him, he stopped from his tracks, but he didn’t turn around to face her. 

“Yuichiro, I.. If it felt like I forced you into doing something you don’t want, then I’m sorry. I just.. Ugh, you can call me impractical or what, I don’t care anymore. But I just want.. to be with you. I’m sorry if I seem selfish for wanting something more when it’s your birthday, and knowing how it’s almost impossible to lead a peaceful life when we’re both among the strongest slayers in the Corps, I still want what other people have. I want to live without any fear or worry. I want to laugh and be with the people I love, I want to clean and cook and take care of you, I want..” Hiyori’s voice trailed off, which prompted Yuichiro to glance back at her.

When his eyes landed on hers, she was already standing out of the water, and it was the first time he saw her naked but she looked so.. ethereal.

As she emerged from the water's embrace, a vision of beauty intertwined with nature unfolded. The sun's warmth radiated off her skin, and her damp hair framed a face whose beauty could compare to the most breathtaking paintings of the bright cloud-filled heavens. Her eyes, like twin sapphires, held both the serenity of tranquil waters and the allure of uncharted horizons as if they bore from the rivers to the seas. Every droplet adorned on her skin glimmered like tiny beads of diamonds which elevated her presence to that of a goddess who has risen from the waters to captivate the world – his world. 

If this was anyone, he would’ve scolded them already, saying to choose a life away from the objectives of the Corps is a ridiculous one, and that one should dedicate themselves to put their life on line in the most fearsome and bloodiest of battlefields that not even the entirety of mankind has ever seen for the sake of peace and prosperity. 

But no way could he ever do that to her. After all, this was Hiyori. His love and peace. His solitude. His skies both day and night. His hope and glory. 

Her eyes began to water as they stared at each other, silence had fallen even the nature and the foliage of the mountain around them. To his ears, only hers have been heard. “I want all of those things with you.. even just for a moment.” With the softness of her voice, he had been gravely reminded that while she served as his strength, she was also his ruin. 

“So..” Yuichiro’s breath and voice deepened and grew heavier the same way he gazed down at her. "You want a baby, right?” He strode boldly towards the love of his life amid the placid backdrop of the hot spring, the rhythmic sound of splashing water accompanied his approach with each step. And as they finally stood face to face, their eyes sparkled with a mix of intimacy and amour, the intensity of their emotions heightened despite the calm of their surroundings, complimenting the inconceivable draws of the water's embrace on their legs. 

Hiyori quivered with a mixture of exhilaration and tender reverence as she gazed upon Yuichiro. Her entire being appeared to tremble with adrenaline, each tremor a testament to the powerful emotions coursing through her. Their gaze locked, and for the first time, without the intervention of the obligations they'd sworn as an oath in their hearts, they let down their walls to reveal to themselves their deepest desires.

With a rush of energy that ignited in her heart, Hiyori sprang from her spot and stole a passionate kiss with Yuichiro, in which he wrapped his arms around her waist in response. 

As they broke their kiss with trails of saliva attached on their lips, Hiyori got hold of his shaft once again petting and stroking it with such care. This time, Yuichiro spoke, his eyes grew a little darker. 

"This is not how we make babies, Hiyori." His voice was different. The way he chuckled for a mere moment drummed an emotion, fluttering Hiyori's stomach. A side of his she does not usually see. 

Grabbing her wrist, he dragged her away from the pool, and led her to the bamboo walls at the corner. Unexpectedly, he flung her a bit harshly towards it, but thanks to Hiyori's quick reflexes, her hands took hold on the wall. "Yui?! What do you think you're – aah!" Her annoyed expression was instantly cut off when he glided his length against her pussy, rubbing their sexes together from behind in such a tease that earned a moan from her. 

As he kept on doing so, Yuichiro brushed her hair off her back and pressed his lip deeply on her skin, trailing them up and down from her spine as he continued to stroke his own length against her folds. 

Maybe this was payment for her teasing him while she blow jobbed his dick earlier. His hold on her waist became a little harsh, the minute his shaft slid perfectly inside her heightening her heartfelt moans. 

When he shoved himself in her mouth earlier, Hiyori became aware how lengthy he was considering how it felt like it hit the back of her throat. Because right now, his tip went straight to the deepest part of her core, making her hiss a little in pain. 

As he began thrusting his hips firmly, his thumb ran circles on her waist to soothe her; a sweet gesture that swelled her heart, relishing how Yuichiro was still taking care of her despite his actions. 

Swing after swing, their bodies continued to bounce in pleasure whenever he hit a spot inside her again and again. Even if he felt her slowly becoming tighter, he pushed through even though squeezing his shaft turned him on, the waves of delight sending his nerves to cum in her now. 

He held back his temptation and continued to slam himself again and again into her fluttering cunt, enjoying her heat. 

Hiyori was amused to know that Yuichiro had hinted to her earlier he had knowledge when it comes to sex. When did he learn to do so? Did he own any books from the erotic stores she passes by at the village near their house? As she tried to think, his dick hitting her spot only lose her focus to just give in to euphoria as he fucked her for the first time. 

Out of the blue, he slapped her ass with his hand, its impact combined both pain and pleasure that made her groans heavier. He did it again. Again. And again. Until she knew it probably flushed red, but the hitting of his dick that remained inside of her brought vibrations that she felt something was building up in her abdomen. Yuichiro probably sensed it, because his thrusts grew faster, slamming harder to her aching core. 

"Haahh.. Aaahhh.. Yui.." Hiyori felt she was slowly losing it, the delightful coil began to boil higher and higher each second. She tried to listen to the sounds around her, but aside the slapping of wet skin that made her cunt wetter as she felt turned on, her sighs and moans slowly heightened. 

It came without warning. Like a ticking time bomb in her, Hiyori felt her sudden release which jolted her body, stiffening her movements and the rest of her voice. 

As Hiyori finally came down from her high, Yuichiro lifted her one leg over his shoulder, which to her itself felt like she was wide open outside, making her feel a little embarrassed. He made sure to slowly slide half of his dick out of her, before instantly spearing her with his entire length once again, repeating the same vigor from his thrusts earlier. 

"Aaahh! Yui..!" As she groaned, he pounded inside of her again and again, without giving her room to recover from her release earlier. 

This time, Yuichiro pressed her sensitive bud by her clit, making Hiyori cry a bit louder this time. "My love, slow down please!! Haahh!" It blossomed new shocks of pleasure, bringing her again to her second release. 

'My love,' he thought. Hiyori had always used that nickname whenever she teased him. And to think that he would hear her use it this time when it sounded like she was begging him as he was making her feel good, brought an incomparable thrill in his heart. So this is what it feels like. 

Hiyori hadn't come yet, when Yuichiro suddenly pulled out, leaving her cunt exposed to the cold air, she ached in the absence of his member. She whined and hit his shoulder for treating her like that, when all of the sudden, he brought them both to a new position, turning her around and leaning her back this time on the bamboo wall and spreading both of her legs wide with his arms as he lifted her off the ground. 

In one swift movement, he speared inside of her again and fucked her hard against the wall. 

"Yui! Aaahh! Haah! Hnnghh!" She wailed while she clung to him holding for dear life. This felt like she elevated into a new level of bliss, she felt her mouth slacking as her own drool came out. 

The bamboo wall began to quake lightly, Hiyori's mind fought a difficult battle between losing herself in Yuichiro or being concerned of the possibility that the wall might break down due to their shameless activity. 

"Y-Yui, the wall.." 

"Leave it. I'll pay the owner if it breaks." His dominance like gasoline fueled her blazing desire, turning her on even more. Hiyori loves it whenever Yuichiro takes the lead, even if it was rare for him to do so outside his duties as a Hashira. 

Once again, another knot formed in her gut. It astonished her that Yuichiro knew when she was about to cum again because he grabbed her lips with his own, pinning her completely against the wall. 

"Hmph!" Lost in delight, the coil that burned within her intensified further and further, and it wasn't long until the couple began to huff hungrily against their pressed lips. 

As she released once again leaving her trembling, she hugged him tighter and heaved out, their kiss had finally broken. As the both of them perspired, Hiyori felt his embrace around her tightened, and thankfully the bamboo wall behind them didn’t collapse. 

But he still wasn't satisfied. "We're not done yet.", he growled. 

This shook her to the core of her heart. He never reacted to her like this before. Her heart raced, a flush of warmth enveloping her as his dominance caused sparks to fly across her skin. His voice, a melodic rumble, encircled her, speeding her pulse to the beat of his words. Hiyori was beginning to like this side of him. 

Yuichiro settled her down just to give Hiyori a moment to compose herself before gathering her once again in his arms, bringing them both inside their room. 

As the both of them settled down, they caught themselves melting in another kiss, Yuichiro allowed himself to fall on the futon as she went on top of him. He was the first to break the kiss, and when their eyes met, he flashed her a subtle smirk that made himself a lot more charming. “Ride me.” He commanded her.

Hiyori chuckled heartily. It was just her style to be on top, after all. 

Settling herself, she gently took his length in her hand as she aligned herself before slowly allowing his tip to kiss her folds. Once it pushed through, Hiyori swiftly landed her ass on his lap as she bottomed him out, the electrifying spark as their tips collided made them hiss.

Guided by their hearts, the couple intertwined their fingers together before she began to roll her hips against his own. Yuichiro groaned as his balls continued to receive the impact of Hiyori’s bouncing which caused the lewd slapping of skin to echo louder in the entire room. 

Demonstrating her prowess, Hiyori's moves were a choreography of power and finesse, revealing her remarkable strength and unwavering endurance; a testament to the dedication of harsh training she had committed to refining her trade. She never ceased to amaze him. 

As they continued to gaze at each other in their ardently intense love making, he was breathless at her almost heavenly form. Her breasts sprang up and down that further delighted him while her hair cascaded like the view of the distant waterfalls from the mountains. She was as beautiful no matter how she looked, even as she stood bare before him. Little by little, he felt himself reaching his limit, eliciting moans that had finally escaped from his lips. “Hiyori..” Yuichiro felt himself shaking. 

When he's on a brink, he keeps her steady by pulling down her wrist. When Hiyori stopped bouncing, Yuichiro began to move his hip upwards to a series of firm but passionate thrusts. He takes advantage of her cum that dripped after their activity at the hotspring as lube, while he continued to hit the same spot that weakens her gravely.

“Yui..! I’m about to cum..” She was slowly succumbing to the purest form of bliss, her eyes fluttering as they were half lid while her mouth still hung open. 

“Do it, babe.” To see her in this state adorned his heart with unmistakable affection, aside from the fact that his untold fantasies are transpiring, being chosen by her kindled an overwhelming sentiment within him, cherishing his fiancee forever and ever.

The warmth in her heart was apparent when her fiance used an endearment to call her for the first time, a simple yet profound act that ignited a spark of happiness within her. Her heart fluttered with joy in that captivating moment, like a graceful butterfly taking flight, now that she had also came heavily at him. 

“Ha! Haa! Hahh! Aaahhh, Yuichiro..!!” As her juices rushed down from her folds and onto his length, Hiyori jerked almost violently to the immense pleasure as she felt his own shot up straight inside her now that she had finally reached her limit. 

“Hnggh..That's it. Atta, girl.” Despite that he came with her in unison, Yuichiro did his best to comfort her, praising her dearly as she cupped her cheek, before ushering her to fall on top of him to which she did.

Hiyori became limp, still catching her breath. Carefully, he gently laid her down, deciding that she was incapacitated for today. Yuchiro lifted himself up, switching to another position without removing his member inside her.

Raising her leg up to his shoulder, Yuichiro started ramming deeply into her, dedicated to do this for the last time. 

He kept pounding relentlessly non-stop, his speed and vigor was at its peak unlike from the earlier episodes of their intercourse. The wood below them now began to thud and creaked soundly due to his movements, the small side table and the vase on top of it started to shake a little. Hiyori’s sweet soft sighs still filled the air, inviting him to keep going. 

Yuichiro began to sweat a lot now. Every blow he slammed at her pelvis, his dick painfully throbbed that as he began to feel he was about to ascend and chase his high, the lustful ache in him slowly uncoiled and blossomed from his abdomen. 

With one final thrust, while her leg still on his shoulder, he leans forward to kiss her deeply, before cumming heavily now that the tip of his dick reached her deepest parts, his massive load filling up in her womb.

Meanwhile, Hiyori saw white dots in her vision, her numb body that was overstimulated began to feel the lovely pressure of a point of his final thrust before her walls felt his hot cum that rapidly flowed inside of her. Time felt slow, as her senses began hyper aware of how his semen continued to spill more; it began to overflow, leaking out of her folds and dampening the futon beneath them.

Yuichiro becomes aware of this as well so he bucks in a very shallow manner just enough to push his cum back to her womb, allowing it to absorb every seed he generously poured on her. 

Picking up her hand, he kissed her wrist then traced his lips to her arm, traveling all the way to her collarbone until it made its way to the edge of her jaw, near her ear and then finally to her damp lips.

Hiyori felt his other hand rested just below her stomach, his palm pressed down her abdomen firmly to make her feel his cock still buried in her and their seed combined together in her womb. The emphasis of his action brought heat on her cheeks. 

Yuichiro continued to kiss her cheeks as he observed how she noticed his palm on her abdomen. Wrapping his arm around her, he kissed her shoulder before nuzzling at the dip of her warm delicate neck, relishing at the scent of her. 

“That.. felt so great.” He heard her whisper, still weak from their rigorous activity that highlighted their carnal pleasure and unwavering devotion for each other. 

“Yeah.” He almost chuckled, grinning softly while still half convinced that they finally did it. 

“Ohh I need to bring this up to you again, but you might carry twins, since I had a twin brother, and it runs in the family. They come as a package, so please accept them.” He added just to make sure she never forgets.

Just when she thought all her energy had been exhausted after everything they did, it seemed she went back to full battery upon hearing that news. “I might soon carry what now?!”

[waywardsummoner46]

Eternity, Part One

Pairing: Dark!Morpheus x (?)Reader

Summary: You should’ve known that running from your past would be your downfall… you just never would’ve imagined it’d land you right into the waiting arms of an Endless, one that’s been searching for you for eons. he may be trapped for now, but your new job at Fawny Rig may just be the solution for that. Heed the warnings: you took something from him and now he must consume you for himself…

Word Count: 2392

Warnings: mind manipulation/control, possessive and obsessive behaviour, mental breakdown, suggestions of psychological torture, threat of bones collapsing,more to added with more chapters

A/N: Heyyyyy, I know it's a tad bit late to be posting the first part to a prologue that was released like two months ago but it's here now! And it's longer than what I usually write so I hope that makes up for it. Enjoy this while you can because Morpheus is about to get a whole lot freakin' worse. As always, I hope you're okay and let me know what you think!

Fawny Rig had an… impressive exterior, to say the least. 

  Chuckling to yourself, you knew that living in somewhere as grand and beautiful as there would be a concept you’d never be able to experience. Although, based on the job description, it seemed as though the owners were quite friendly and presumably welcoming enough for it to seem like some sort of a home.

   Holding the advertisement in your hand, you contemplated how this would actually work; were you to be a permanent resident? Semi-permanent? Maybe this would be a day thing? Exhaling once, you decided just to wing it (within reason, of course).

  Speaking of wings, there was the distinct sound of a raven squawking in the distance. Curiously, you looked around and smiled slightly when you saw a beautiful raven perched upon your bag handle. 

  “Oh, aren’t you beautiful?” 

  Almost naively, you reached out a hand with the childish hope of being able to stroke the creature. You completely ignored the health risks that came with birds and it appeared to work out in your favour as the raven’s wings preened and glittered as the sun reflected off of them. 

  A small smile spread across your face, “Oh yes, you are. Absolutely gorgeous.” 

  For a while, you merely stood over your bags and admired the raven, so majestically offering itself up for your generous petting. However, the more you stroked it, the more the distinct feeling that you’d seen it before grew. Come to think of it, your palm had started itching… again. God dammit, you seriously needed to keep track of your meds.

  Reluctantly, you pulled one hand away from the bird and reached for your tablets in your pocket. The incessant crinkling of the paper annoyed you and furthered the  pain of trying to extract a pill from its case. Once you’d finally managed to wriggle it out, you let out a triumphant sound.

  The bird was temporarily forgotten and as you lifted the tablet up to your mouth, the screeching of the raven caused you to drop the pill. Exasperated, you turned to the raven. “Come on, dude. I need those.”

  When the bird raised a brow, you blinked incredulously. But then, it cawed a final time and flew off with the rest of your medication. “Hey! Get back here! This isn’t funny, bird!”

  “Miss, is everything alright?” A timid voice called from the entrance to the manor. Oh jeez, this was embarrassing .

  Turning around with, what you hoped was, a friendly and not-at-all crazy smile on your face, you made the regrettable decision to forget about the bird. “Yes, thank you. Sorry, a raven just stole my medication. I’m not crazy, I swear,” you offered a light chuckle.

 Luckily, the young lady seemed to accept your words for she made idle chit-chat as she invited you in. The maid,  Blythe as she’d introduced herself, led you into a well-furnished and incredibly artefactual, antiquated living room and told you to enjoy the pre-prepared drinks as she called your employers.

  Glancing around the room as her rhythmic footsteps grew quieter, you began to realise how out of your depth you were; never in your life had you been responsible for a job on such an important scale before. It wasn’t even that the job was difficult or in anyway out of your capabilities, it’s just that the weight of-

  “Ah, (Y/N), a pleasure to meet you. How are you? How was your trip? I hope you’re familiar with basements because that’s where you’ll be situated,” Alex Burgess spoke from where he was being wheeled by his husband, Paul. His bluntness caught you slightly off-guard, there was something underlying there that clearly made him anxious if his darting eyes were any indication.

  Immediately, you stood and stretched out a hand. “Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Burgess. My trip was good, thank you. And, yes, basements are something I’m acclimated to,” well that was complete and utter bullshit. Basements were a big no-no for you. Nothing good ever came from them, nothing, especially after…

  “Blythe informed me that a… raven… flew away with your medication?” He asked, drawing you away from your thoughts. Embarrassingly, your cheeks flushed and you began to stutter.

  “Y-yeah, that’s right. I didn’t even realise until it nearly deafened me.”

  Alex Burgess seemed to tense in  his wheelchair, why? You did not know, but curiosity killed the cat. “Is everything okay?”

  Snapping out a daze, he gave you a quick glance before asking Paul to guide him back upstairs. “Everything’s fine, thank you.” He gave you one last small smile before turning his attention to Blythe, “If you could show Miss (Y/N) to her room and inform her of her duties that would be marvellous.”

  Blythe paled almost imperceptibly, but you noticed, you always noticed. Worry churned your gut and your head turned suspiciously. 

  “Do you mean…?”

  He nodded and that’s all the answer she had before both Burgesses left. 

  Frozen, she stood in place and stared through the floor. The emptiness in her eyes made you uneasy. You took a tentative step towards her, “Blythe?” Snapping her head towards you, she stumbled away, her expression signifying she was seeing something you could not. “Woah, Blythe, take deep breaths. You’re safe, no one’s going to hurt you.”

  The young maid was incapable of listening, of seeing reason. Tempted to call for someone, you paused when her panicked breathing came to a halt. Similarly to before, she acted as though you were a window except this time she started muttering. It was indistinguishable at first, it soon grew to murmurs, to normal words, to shouts, and finally to panicked, urgent yells of pure unadulterated terror. 

  “Leave! You need to leave! He’s here, he knows you’re here. He won’t stop until you give. It. BACK! GIVE IT BACK! GIVE IT BACK!” 

  Now it was you who was frozen. Rational thought escaped you, instead overwhelming confusion and slight panic consumed you. What was she talking about? Who was “he”? How did he know you were here? What did he want back?

  Two men clad in suits walked in and wrestled with Blythe’s manic form out of the room, leaving you haunted by her echoing screams down the corridors. Concerned, though you were, bewilderment ceased you from forming any coherent functions for a time - only when Paul came to escort you to your room did you snap out of your daze.

  He made small talk as he guided you to your room, apologising for your rocky and traumatising beginning and assuring you that tomorrow wouldn’t be like this. You responded in kind, albeit numbly. In all honesty, you were disturbed with everyone’s behaviour above all else; Alex seemed anxious at  the mention of a raven, then Blythe had had a mental breakdown and what appeared to be a flashback and now, Paul was acting as though he was used to it, as though they were all used to it. 

  Despite your brain not working at full capacity, you managed to bid Paul a good evening and settled in for an early night. Despite your brain not working at full capacity, you knew that there was something going on here, something they were hiding. You’d be damned if you weren’t going to find out… What worried you was this man Blythe had spoken about and how he knew you were here. Another resident, perhaps? A neighbour? Couldn’t be, there wasn’t another house for miles, at least not one that you’d seen. 

  You had no further options, so you surrendered to exhaustion and hoped that your dreams might bring you some peace…

You were in the forest again. The same one. The same leaves crunching under your feet, the same sounds being your breath, the same stars gazing down at you from the heavens and the same raven, cawing nervously from where it was standing next to your sitting form.

  Regarding it with suspicion, you hesitantly gestured for it to perch itself on your shoulder. Once it did, your suspicion turned into contentment. Nature always puts you at ease, and after the night you’d had you needed a break. Speaking of the night you’d had,  your thoughts began to drift towards the inner turmoil Blythe’s outburst had caused you.

  The abruptness of the entire situation wasn’t lost on you, in fact, it only made you more and more anxious about the job you’d applied for on a whim. Because that’s all it was, wasn’t it? A whim?

  Your eyes absentmindedly traced the curves and edges of the leaves around you as you reflected on the past few days: you’d always made a point to consider things and pinpoint each and every outcome. Your experiences and past had instilled that habit into you from a very young age so your careless decision to take this job was extremely uncharacteristic and that scared you.

  No matter who you surround yourself with, you ensured that you never grew an attachment that could influence your decision making so you were left puzzled over your future and past - your present, even!

  Leaves crunching to your right jolted you out of your reverie. In your skittishness, the raven flew off your shoulder and onto the man who’d entered your space. You registered vaguely that you recognised him, his chiselled features and ethereal complex making it nigh impossible to forget and yet, a headache brewed when you thought too hard about it, about anything really.

  Your eyes looked over him and widened when they met his own; it was pure darkness. Pure darkness with hints of white, of-of stars, you realised, this man had literal space within his eyes.

  Dazedly, you muttered, “What the hell?”

  Calmly and with the grace of a king, he moved towards you. Half of you fought to step back but the other half was utterly captivated by his gaze, completely caught up in the vastness of his eyes and the emptiness within. 

  Suddenly, his gaze turned more intense and all fight left you within an instant. That stuck you as odd, why did your emotions sway that intensely? 

  Before you could question it, he raised his hand, his palm facing the sky, and your eyes were inexplicably glued to it. There was something scarily familiar about this situation… but even that nagging feeling wasn’t enough for you to ignore the urge to place your hand in his own. Eyes completely focused and brain becoming fuzzier by the second, you took in a shuddering gasp and moved your arm up.

  The distance between each of your hands was closing and with it the lack of coherent thought in your brain, the lack of any idea apart from take his hand.

  His celestial eyes were staring hungrily at your hand and when it finally, finally, made contact with his own, he let out a gasp so loud that it broke you out of whatever stupor you’d been in.

  “What the hell? Who are y-mmph!”

  The man had pulled you into his chest and now had both of his arms caging you in, like a bird imprisoned, completely helpless to its situation. Too awestruck to do anything apart from numbly stare into his shoulder, you struggled to comprehend your situation. You knew that this was a dream and yet the complete and utter ridiculous situation and worrying feelings you were experiencing caused scepticism to dominate your brain.

  The man was warm, you had to admit. Probably because of his intricately crafted black cloak. He was also strong if the feeling of his arms around you and your unfortunately placed hands on his chest were of any significance. 

  “Are you gonna let go any time soon, mister? Orrrrr…” 

  Speaking up was the wrong thing to do; his arms tightened once more except, they didn’t actually stop. You grew confused, and scared, especially once it became difficult to breathe. Was he trying to kill you with a hug? That would look amazing on a tombstone: “Death by Hug.” 

  Regardless of your wandering mind, your physical body was under extreme stress. Bones began to grind together and you could’ve sworn you heard some crack. There was no pain, though, so perhaps you were overreacting in the uncomfortable moment.

  “Once we have merged, my love, I will finally be able to care for you in the way only you deserve. But you must give it up to me, willingly,” his low voice directly in your ears sent chills down your spine. There it was again, this giving someone something back. Blythe’s outburst seriously did affect you, didn’t it?

  “This is no mere dream, little one. Have you truly forgotten me?”

  You tried to pull back slightly, to garner any sort of information from his facial expression that you couldn’t from his tone of voice, but he withheld unbearably tight - it was a struggle to even understand what he’d said. 

  You wet your lips, “I don’t even know who I… am… anymore.”

  Like he’d been struck, he reeled back and peered intensely into your half lidded eyes. He looked scandalised, but why? He didn’t know you, he didn’t even exist outside of this dream! You’d just had a taxing day and your subconscious was taking it out on you.

  A sudden look of pure rage crossed his face and you flinched back much like he had done only seconds before. As quickly as it had appeared, it vanished into a look of cold indifference. 

  “Then there is only one thing to be done.”

  Just like that, you awoke. The first thing you registered was the sounds of shouting, shortly thereafter an agonising scream permeated throughout the manor and you were instantly wide awake.

  Somehow you knew, you didn’t know how but you knew that something was wrong with Blythe. Something was wrong with this house and its residents. And you had a sneaking suspicion that it all stemmed from this… man… who haunted them before and who now haunts you.

  Fear unlike any other twisted your heart painfully behind your ribcage. Yet there was also something pulling at it, almost willing it in a way, to leave the room and investigate what was happening.   So you did what any other person would do - you left the confines of your room into what would unknowingly change your life… for eternity.

_____________

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