#the second is that that's not aria either

[anythinggoesbutme]

First Roll of Film

Nash Hawthorne x Libby Hawthorne (Née Grambs)

Warnings: Suggestive themes, mild language, wedding mischief, and chaos.

Synopsis: Libby steps out of her comfort zone to surprise Nash with a playful, daring gift on their wedding day — and chaos (and blushes) ensue.

Song: “Die a Happy Man” — Thomas Rhett

Word Count: 2,105

Tag List: @anintellectualintellectual @aria-filomena @angelnextdooor @runningoutofink8 @saythewordheiress @lyrrrr @laurencelovesbooks @sp3ncerre1dsw1fe

Series Masterlist: Click Here

The idea came to life in the early hours of the wedding morning.

Libby’s hotel suite looked like a pastel explosion — silky robes in every shade of blue and cream, mimosa glasses scattered across the vanity, curling irons and stray rhinestone pins everywhere.

Avery sat cross-legged on the floor, meticulously separating Libby’s veil from a sea of tulle, eyes sharp and focused as always. Max perched on the bed, half-wrapped in a feather boa she had apparently found in someone’s gift bag.

Libby stood at the mirror, trying to steady her hands as she traced the outline of her lips.

“You know,” she said, voice wavering, “I think I might actually pass out before I even make it down the aisle.”

Avery glanced up sharply. “No, you won’t. You’re Libby. You wear blue hair like a crown and bake vegan cupcakes that make billionaires cry. You can handle this.”

Max snorted. “Yeah, seriously. You once made a gingerbread mansion from scratch at three in the morning because you ‘felt inspired.’ If that didn’t kill you, this won’t either.”

Libby’s shoulders shook as she laughed, though her eyes still glistened with nerves. “That’s different. This is… huge. I keep thinking Nash is going to see me walking down that aisle and realize he’s accidentally marrying a fever dream.”

Avery set the veil down and stood, crossing to her. “Libby. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to that man. He already knows you’re a fever dream. He likes it that way.”

Max’s eyes went wide as she jumped up. “Wait. I just had the best idea ever.”

Libby turned to her, suspicious. “Why do I feel like this idea involves glitter or theft?”

Max cackled. “No theft. Maybe a little glitter. But what if — hear me out — we take Polaroids. Spicy ones. You surprise Nash with them at the reception. Like… ‘hey husband, get ready for tonight’ energy.”

Libby blinked. “Spicy… photos?”

Avery’s eyes lit up instantly. “Like… Polaroids? To give Nash during the reception? Oh my God. Libby. That’s actually genius.”

Libby’s cheeks were already burning. “But… what kind of photos? Like… suggestive?”

“Not if you’re uncomfortable,” Max said, immediately softening her voice. “We’ll do it however you want. But think about his face, Libby. You love surprises. He loves surprises. You’re the definition of chaos in a cupcake wrapper. This is so you.”

Libby hesitated, staring at her reflection. Then she inhaled sharply. “Okay. Let’s do it. Four photos. That’s it. Four is my lucky number.”

Max shrieked so loudly that Avery had to shove a pillow over her face to muffle her.

Photo one was the warm-up.

Libby posed by the big window, morning light draping around her like a halo. She wore the white honeymoon slip, the thin lace strap already falling down her arm. Avery held the Polaroid camera like a weapon of mass seduction.

Photo two was bolder.

Max hovered behind her, coaching like a demented pageant mom. “Chin up! Think about the first time Nash looked at you like you invented oxygen. You’re a goddess. You are the moment.”

Libby’s lips parted, her eyes soft and dreamy. Avery snapped the photo at the perfect second.

Photo two was bolder.

Max insisted she throw her veil over her head and let it drape around her like a teasing curtain. Libby held the edge, peeking out like a mischievous forest sprite.

“This is giving ‘ethereal haunted bride from an indie movie that destroys men with a wink,’” Max declared proudly.

Avery rolled her eyes. “That is so specific it’s somehow accurate.”

Libby giggled so hard she almost ruined the pose, but in the photo, she looked like a soft, blue-haired dream.

Photo three was the wild one.

Libby lay on the bed, white sheets twisted around her. She pulled the slip up to reveal her thigh, the intricate garter glinting against her pale skin. Her hair spilled everywhere, her eyes half-closed.

Max threw a pillow at Avery when she tried to “fix” Libby’s hair. “Messy is sexy! Don’t you dare touch it!”

The final shot looked like something out of a vintage boudoir magazine — intimate, yet somehow entirely Libby.

Photo four was the most personal.

Avery and Max wrapped Libby in her bridal robe again, but left it slightly undone. She held a small handwritten note against her chest — Save me for later, cowboy.

Libby’s handwriting was slightly shaky, her smile crooked. It was cheeky, intimate, and so perfectly hers.

When the last Polaroid finished developing, all three of them stood there in stunned silence.

Then Max screamed, “For fox’s sake!” Avery almost dropped the camera. Libby covered her face and laughed so hard she nearly fell to the floor.

The wedding ceremony itself felt like a dream.

Nash looked like he’d stepped out of an old Western — black suit with that subtle cowboy edge, hair tousled like he’d just taken off his hat, and that sly smirk he only saved for her.

When he saw her walking down the aisle, he forgot how to breathe, he actually swayed forward. Libby, veil and all, blue hair shining like moonlight, her eyes locked on him as if there wasn’t a single other soul in the universe.

Avery held Max’s hand so tightly she nearly left nail marks.

Jameson leaned into Xander, muttering, “Damn. Nash looks like he’s about to drop dead.”

Xander just grinned, eyes glassy. “He’s in love. It’s gross. I love it.”

Grayson, composed as ever, stood near the aisle, quietly wiping the corner of his eye when no one was looking.

The vows were simple and earnest. Nash’s voice cracked when he called her his “forever surprise.” Libby almost dropped her bouquet from crying.

They kissed twice — once the official one, and a second time because Nash simply couldn’t help himself. Guests cheered, someone wolf-whistled, and the live band launched into a bright, rowdy country love song.

The reception started with all the classic elements: first dances, cake cutting, a raucous toast from Max, and a sweet, slightly rambling one from Avery.

Then the real mischief began.

Nash was standing near the bar with Jameson, Xander, and Grayson, all of them laughing about a near-miss with the cake when Avery approached him with a sly smile.

“Delivery for you,” she said, slipping the first Polaroid into his hands before vanishing into the crowd.

Nash looked down, brows furrowing — and then shooting up so high they nearly disappeared.

Jameson immediately noticed. “What’s that? A love note?”

Xander tried to lean over. “Oh, is it—”

Nash snapped the Polaroid to his chest like he was shielding it from a group of cackling vultures.

“It’s none of your damn business,” he managed, his ears turning red.

Grayson just raised an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “I assume it’s… private.”

Xander leaned in curiously. “Is it a cat photo? I support it if it’s a cat photo.”

Nash’s only response was to clear his throat and down the rest of his whiskey in one gulp.

A little while later, Max sauntered up to Nash on the dance floor, just as he finished a swing dance with an older relative.

“Round two,” she whispered, slipping the second Polaroid into his hand like a secret weapon.

Nash froze mid-step, looked down, and his breath hitched audibly.

From across the room, Jameson elbowed Xander. “Look at him! He looks like he just saw an angel and a ghost at the same time.”

Xander, holding a cupcake, squinted. “He’s going to combust before dessert, isn’t he?”

Nash shot him a murderous look, quickly tucking the photo away.

Grayson, now sipping champagne, shook his head slowly, amusement flickering in his eyes.

Later still, Avery found Nash standing alone by the edge of the dance floor, one hand still occasionally patting the inside pocket where he kept the first two photos.

“Hey, cowboy,” Avery teased, handing him the third Polaroid.

He swallowed hard, already looking overwhelmed. His fingers trembled slightly as he took it, flipping it over.

He swallowed hard, his thumb brushing the edge before he looked.

When he saw Libby sprawled across the sheets, eyes half-closed, he just stared. Then he pressed the photo to his lips in a silent, reverent moment that made Avery’s heart squeeze.

She actually felt bad for him for about two seconds — until he gave her a look that promised pure revenge.

The final Polaroid arrived from both Max and Avery. They practically skipped over, Max’s grin wide enough to split her face.

Nash had only just finished his second whiskey when Avery and Max approached him, flanking him like mischievous bodyguards.

“Hiya, cowboy,” Max drawled, slipping something into his jacket pocket.

“This is from your wife,” Avery added sweetly, batting her eyelashes.

“Last one,” she sang, placing it gently in Nash’s palm. “Good luck surviving the night.”

His eyebrows shot up so high they almost vanished into his hairline.

His jaw clenched, lips parting, breath becoming slower. His eyes locked with the note — Save me for later, cowboy — he looked ready to start a forest fire with just his stare.

Avery and Max were howling, leaning on each other for support.

“Holy shit,” Nash finally croaked, eyes glued to the photos.

Max winked. “She said to wait until after the party. But you can look as many times as you want.”

Avery patted his shoulder, so obviously delighted. “You’re welcome.”

Nash looked up at them, his eyes suspiciously shiny despite the wicked grin twisting his mouth. “You two are demons.”

“Oh, we know,” Max said smugly.

Nash looked back at the note — Save me for later, cowboy. He read over the note repeatedlya.

His whole expression shifted from flustered to absolutely feral in two seconds flat.

He pressed his thumb over the words, his breath coming ragged. His expression shifted from overwhelmed to dark, focused determination in seconds flat.

Jameson, Xander, and Grayson approached just then.

Jameson cackled. “Holy shit. He’s gone. He’s fully gone.”

Xander leaned forward, eyes huge. “Is this like… an adult scavenger hunt? Because I want no part of it.”

Grayson raised his glass with an amused smirk. “To our brother. May he survive the night.”

Nash’s only response was to tuck the final Polaroid carefully into his pocket with the others. His jaw was tight, his eyes dark and focused only on one person across the barn, muttering under his breath in the thickest Southern drawl possible, “Y’all better mind your own damn business. This is between me and my wife.”

The rest of the night, he kept catching Libby’s eye across the dance floor. Every time, she blushed; his grin sharpened, and he’d mouth later at her until she turned away laughing.

People came up to congratulate them, the cake was cut, Libby tossed her bouquet and nearly decapitated Max by accident. Every moment felt dipped in honey — sweet, slow, and impossible to forget.

But in between all the noise, jokes, and flashes of cameras, Nash kept sliding his hand to that inside pocket. Touching the Polaroids like they were a secret only he and Libby shared.

When the barn finally emptied and the lights dimmed, Nash stalked across the floor, his eyes locked on her like she was the only thing in the universe.

“Ready to get out of here, darlin’?” he murmured, his voice low and rough.

Libby’s breath caught. “Yeah.”

He leaned down, his lips brushing her ear. “Good. Because I have a whole collection burning a hole in my pocket, and I’ve been very, very patient. I think you owe me a private viewin’.”

Libby burst into breathless laughter, hiding her face in his chest.

From the dessert table, Avery and Max screamed in unison, “Get a room!”

Jameson shouted after them, “You’re going to have to explain this to future grandkids, you know!”

Xander ducked behind Grayson, pretending to gag.

Grayson just raised his glass, smirking. “Congratulations. And… Godspeed.”

Nash didn’t even turn around. He just took Libby’s hand, those four Polaroids burning against his heart, and led her out into the summer night.

Just as they disappeared into the dark, Jameson turned, grabbed Avery’s wrist, and twirled her smoothly into his chest.

She landed with a breathless laugh, her hand pressed against his shoulder.

“Where’re my Polaroids, Heiress?” he murmured, voice low and gleaming with mischief.

Avery rolled her eyes so hard it looked like she might never come back down.

“Keep dreaming, Hawthorne,” she shot back, though her cheeks went pink.

Jameson just grinned, leaning in closer. “Oh, I plan to.”

[aria0fgold]

Looking at my prepared dialogues of my 5 ocs for that oc dialogue meme and I immediately notice... the lengths... Alec and Ray have longer dialogues, honestly this is-- this is not intentional it just also happens that I realized 3 of 5 of those ocs are actually SO QUIET with those two being the most talkative ones and this is how I realize that like... I honestly didn't notice at all...

[retroaria]

MORE NAGI NSFW FANFICS PLEASEEE

✮ “wanna stay the night?” ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ🧸ྀི

• | nagi x fem!reader smut | all characters aged up 18+ | •

summary: besties to lovers?? nagi and you are a little too close to be just friends, and this dynamic isn’t getting either of you what you actually want…

authors note: I made a little backstory, this is loooong so strap in. very vanilla and simple, nothing too freaky.

• | BLUE LOCK M.LIST | enjoy 🩶 - aria | •

Nagi decided very early on that he liked you. He wasn’t one to deny himself the acceptance of his own feelings, so he surrendered at the slightest semblance of them. Feeling and acting are very different tasks for him, one was relieving and the other was a hassle. So he had no real intentions of ever expressing these feelings to you verbally. You found yourself in a similar situation. The two of you, blatantly in love, yet choosing to remain within the unspoken intimacy of your friendship.

Countless nights spent tangled in bed together, gentle touches and soft words. As it became more frequent, your bodies became more comfortable. Soon there were kisses planted to each other’s skin, his lips sometimes quivering over yours, but never committing to the act. He was unafraid to be handsy with you, he’s felt you from head to toe. These moments felt clandestine to you, though you can’t imagine he felt the same considering his unashamed willingness.

Nagi feels there’s no need to tell you how he feels anymore, surely you already know. He tells you he loves you every time you’re together. When he traces his name into your skin with his fingertips, or when he lets his lips linger on your skin a few extra seconds. Sometimes, he cups your face in his hands and looks you in the eyes, hoping you’ll read him to filth and hug him a little tighter to let him know you understand. Nagi is under the impression you already know how he feels, and you’ve yet to reject his embrace, so you must feel the same. As far as he’s concerned, you’re just taking it slow.

He called you over to his apartment with the intentions of taking the next step. “Wanna stay the night?”

Nagi spun around in his chair, his legs crossed criss-cross applesauce and his hands clenched around his ankles. He tilts his head at you as he awaits your response, his hair falling loosely to the side. “effortlessly adorable as always” you thought to yourself.

“Don’t look at me like that Sei, you know I have work in the morning and-”, you were cut off by an obnoxious groan.

You gawked at his interruption, an expression that he promptly ignored. He pulled his headset off and threw himself beside you on the bed. You already knew where this was going. His arms were reaching out to tug you down into his embrace, and once that happened there would be no escape. As soon as you picked up on his movements you shifted to get out of the bed, but before you could you were down for the count. Your waist was pulled back down, the rest of your body surrendered. Your efforts to push away from him could barely be considered efforts as he pulled you into him. His arms hugged your waist loosely and his legs wrapped around yours in an almost fetal position. Nagi’s sluggish stature always put you off guard to the sheer capacity of his strength, but you can feel it now as he holds you in place against him.

“I’m serious, Nagi…” your words came out with a sigh. Your pleads went in one ear and out the other. The only thing he was listening to was the gentle release of every breath you let out.

“So am I…and don’t call me that.” he huffed at you. His lips began to part as he nuzzled into the crook of your neck, his warm breaths heating your skin and melting down your defense.

He planted a chaste kiss to your jaw and trailed it down to your collar bone. His hands on your back found their way to the hem of your shirt, pushing underneath it and smoothing upwards against your skin. He was trying to lull you into the comfort he provided, hoping that you’ll ease into him and stop whining. He pulled his lips away from your neck and moved his head up to meet your gaze, giving you that same telling look he always did. “Come on, I know you wanna cuddle.”

“If I stay I might wake up late tomorrow. I’d have to be up early if I want enough time to head back to my place and get ready before-“ he had cut you off for the second time that night, far more obnoxiously than before, with his lips molding against yours.

Your body froze at the contact, though it didn’t feel foreign, just alarming. His body against yours felt like hot lava, and the strength of his hold weighted you more than before. You instinctively pushed him away, something you had never done to him before. “S-sei, what are you doing?”

“What do you mean? Are you okay?” he said with genuine concern, which shocked you even more than his unexpected kiss.

“Why did you kiss me?” you asked, darting your eyes back and forth between his, as if to say, “what the fuck?”.

“Because I wanted to.” he cooed at you, still seemingly oblivious to why you’re suddenly so frantic.

“Friends don’t kiss each other like that Sei…”

“But I kiss you all the time.” he let his head fall limp against the pillow, looking up at you with weary eyes.

“I know but…that’s different. We aren’t dating Sei.”

“I guess not, but we still act how we do with each other anyways so…” he trailed off, his eye contact with you unwavering. He’s right, the weight of his words hitting hard in this position, the two of you gazing at each other longingly. Nagi is the first to break eye contact, eyes shooting down to your neck as he sighed, “I thought you knew…”

You didn’t need him to explain what he meant. You, of course, were in fact aware of Nagi’s feelings for you. With you, Nagi was clingy, vulnerable, honest, and despite his sluggish nature, he was attentive, gentle, and doting. There were parts of him he reserved especially for you, and it didn’t go unnoticed. You could wisp away the thought with an excuse, “I’m his best friend, of course he treats me differently…” - but that couldn’t explain the way he’d beg you over the phone to come and hold him while he sleeps, or the way he’d trail kisses down your neck as he thanked you for coming over.

Memories began to bubble up. The love that Nagi Seishiro devoted to you was always there - apparent and unapologetic.

“No…I knew. I just didn’t think you wanted anything more.” you broke the silence that lingered in the small gap between you two.

“Of course I want something more, I want you.” the last few words came out like a cry. Has he always spoken to you so tenderly? Yes, of course he has. When you searched for his eyes once more you found that they were already beating into yours. His face was dusted lightly red and his bottom lip was tugged gentle between his teeth. His eyes glistened with a feverish glaze over them, one that almost gave you goosebumps.

He said he wants you, and it’s the neediest you’ve ever seen him. His hands graze down your back and land on your hips once again to pull you impossibly closer. He didn’t feel like waiting for you to respond, actually, he’d prefer if you both did less talking and more kissing. It’s been mere minutes since the first time he felt your lips against his and he’s already craving another hit. He swiftly brings a hand up to cup your face and pull you down, crashing your lips into his.

You could’ve pulled back, but you didn’t. Instead you followed his pace, moving your lips against his. The kiss was lazy, sloppy even, but it was possibly the most passionate kiss you’ve ever had. He shifted himself to hover over you, holding himself up with his hands all without parting his mouth from yours once. His hands began to roam your body as they did before, sliding under your shirt and tracing sweetly up and down your sides. This time around, he was teetering at the bottom band of your bra, and when his hands moved down, he did the same at the hem of your jeans.

“Can I touch you?” he said, breathless as he pulled away from the kiss. “Everywhere I mean, can I take this off?” his hand tugging at your shirt. Though he always kept it somewhat appropriate in the past, Nagi was no stranger to your body and skin - like valleys and plains that he’s already explored, each time as soft and warm as it was last. He felt it was only right to ask, considering how you reacted to his kiss. The gentleness of his touch masked his excitement. His boyish nature couldn’t be stopped, a smile tugging at his lips knowing he was about to touch some boobs, - it was stupid, he thought, and so unbelievably cringe he couldn’t bear to let you see it on his face.

“Yes, of course.” you leaned forward and helped him remove your shirt. He quickly discarded his as well before leaning back down to kiss you again. You planted your hands flat on his chest and pushed him away gently, making him whine into the kiss as it ended. “Wait, are we actually doing this? We got here kinda fast.”

“We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to, but you already know this is what I want.” his head found its way back into the crook of your neck as he spoke, ending his statement with a gentle kiss below your ear. It was alarming how quick the situation escalated, just minutes ago you were planning to head out and now you’re laying shirtless beneath your best friend. You try to take a moment to seriously consider your decision despite the intensity of the situation. Your vision stayed locked on your palms gripping gently to Nagi’s chest. Still in contemplation, you let your eyes trail back up to lock with his - dull and sheen with a glint of desire you didn’t know he was capable of mustering up at all.

Of course you wanted this, you were already worked up from him being all over you and could feel a sticky pool of arousal bleeding through your panties. But did you need this? What would the morning look like? Would you leave before dawn and head to work that day, your relationship with Nagi remaining in its undeveloped state? It had been only moments since he offered you the out, yet all these thought ran rampant through your mind, unable to find a satisfactory solution. He must’ve noticed your look of uncertainty, as he slowly began to peel his skin away from you

The detachment set you off. All your concerncs still unresolved, yet you had your answer. You all but lunged yourself forward after him, hands cupping his face and dragging him back down to the sheets with you. His hands caught your back just before you hit the bed. He fumbled with the latches of your bra, but figured it out rather quick - discarding it to the floor and laying you down gently on the mattress.

As he leaned closer to you, his lips met yours again. They trailed down to your neck, then he nibbled gently on the skin of your collarbone. His kisses continued down your chest, diverting the linear path to drag his tongue over one of your breasts and suck your nipple into his mouth - free hand holding the other, grouping it gently. He kept at this for a while, a thin string of saliva connecting his lips to your skin each time he pulled away.

After trailing his open mouthed kisses down to your lower tummy, he worked hastily on removing your jeans. Discarding of them, then smoothing his hands over your skin from your ankles to your thighs - gripping roughly at your plush skin.

It was strange, you weren’t a virgin, but Nagi sure made you feel like one right now. All of his touches and movements so smooth and quick. You were sure he didn’t have as much sexual experience as you did either, so his cool demeanor traveling over to a situation like this was a bit shocking. Later, you would bring this up to him,

“I was just really focused.”

“On what?”

“On fucking you, did you forget already?”

as insouciant as ever, the only thing throwing off his deadpan expression was the slight furrowed brow he shot at you.

His decision to keep your panties on proved to be fully self indulgent. After tossing your jeans to the floor, he was quick to lunge between your thighs, placing kisses to the wet fabric covering your heat - pressing his tongue over where your clit would be. Every twitch and gasp from you egging him on even further - for someone moving with such haste just moments ago, he was having way too much fun teasing you.

After he had his fill of that, he got off the bed to take his pants off - which he did a little awkwardly, stumbling a bit as he moved too quick to return to you. A sudden surge of joy warmed your heart at the sight, his clumsiness cutting through any tension. This was comfortable - you met his gaze above you and giggled. “This is exciting.” you said, and his eyes lit up.

“Yeah…you’re so beautiful…” he muttered as he gawked at your body beneath him. His fingers tracing over the hem of your panties , as if deciding whether or not he should remove them yet. He let his cock slide up against them. As his tip fluttered over your clothed clit, you looked down and made eye contact with it.

Nagi was big, in terms of length and girth. It didn’t look big enough to hurt, but definitely the biggest you’ve seen thus far. As he watched your eyes trace his length a smirk crept over his face, but he was quick to shut it down. He finally pulled your panties down your legs, both of you moaning in sync as his cock laid against your bare folds. Unlike the rest of your clothes, he left your panties on the bed beside you, which he would later slip under his pillow hoping you wouldn’t notice. He’d pretend to help you look for them in the morning, but you’d both give up since you had to get to work; sneaky.

He relished in the feeling of your warmth against him for a few more moments. Then, he leaned down and planted a chaste kiss to your swollen lips, then another, and another; pecking you like a little bird. His cock grinding up and down your folds, tip nudging your bundle of nerves in a soft and swift motion, causing your hips to lightly buck up into him. A moan escaped your lips between his kisses and he swallowed it whole. Slotting his lips with yours and pushing his tongue into your mouth, speeding up his thrusts.

Nagi’s thrusts were lazy, but not so much that they were sloppy. His hips rocked into yours with a soothing rhythm and a gentle pace. He let most of his weight lay on top of you as his moans of your name and other profanities poured into your ear. Without any notice, he pulled his hips back and lined his tip with your entrance - taking a sharp breath in before sliding between your slick walls and breathing out in a low groan.

“Ah~ fuck…you feel so good” he whimpered out as he begins rocking into you at a steady pace, still languid, yet striking. Once he found his rhythm, he gripped underneath your thighs and pulled your legs up to wrap around his waist. He towered slightly above you now. His hair hung low with his head down, covering his eyes - though you knew he was watching the way your cunt sucked him in with every thrust, probably ogling at it with glassy eyes and drool threatening to spill from the corners of his mouth.

You had been so focused on Nagi this entire time: his movements, his facial expressions, where his eyes wander too. As soon as his cock made way inside you, the only thing you could think about was his tip placing rough kisses to your cervix every second - which made it hard to do anything but slack your jaw and roll your eyes into the back of your head.

Nagi averted his gaze from the mess he was making of your cunt only to watch your face contort in pure pleasure - pleasure that he was giving to you. Your lips were swollen, but slightly drying from the way your mouth hangs open. Every noise that comes up your throat sounds off straight at him, each time making him pick up his pace. The faster his thrusts the more disheveled he got. The longer he’s spent inside you the needier he’s gotten to chase his own orgasm.

He lets himself lay on top of you again, hiding his face in your neck. The sounds Nagi made were purely shameless and every so often he’d heat up your ear with strings of praise, “God~ so good for me, so fucking good for me baby”. At this point, his thrusts were actually starting to get sloppy. He was rutting into you like a horny dog, one hand gripping your waist and the other tugging at his bed sheets. His eyes were squeezed shut and his bottom lip was tugged between his teeth in a pointless attempt to quiet himself down. “Ha~ ah, s-shit i’m gonna cum”.

After a few more thrusts he pulled his hips back and let his cock slide out on your tummy. Seeing as he was already on the verge of collapsing, you decided to help him out - reaching down between the two of you and stroking his length until sticky white ropes shot out painting your stomach and chest.

“Fuck…I’m sorry…” he heaved out between heavy breaths.

“Don’t be, it’s ok.” you said sweetly, hand still rubbing over his cock. You were a bit disappointed, but still happy with the experience nonetheless. Before you could say anything Nagi sat up and pulled your legs apart further, scooting himself a bit down the bed before diving between your thighs. He kissed them up and down, biting gently at your skin - you gasped at the sensation and he moaned against you.

“Gonna make you cum, m’kay babe?” he looked up at you, lust still lingering in his grey eyes. You nodded eagerly at his gesture and he smiled up at you, not a smirk, but a heart warming smile - he looked totally blissed out, hair sticking to his sweaty face and pupils blown. That sweet moment of you two looking at each other didn’t last long. He put his hands on your hips and pulled you closer to him, then began trailing kisses from your tummy down to your folds just over your clit. He reached underneath your thighs and pulled them up to get in a better position before wrapping his arms around them and gripping your waist - you’re lower half totally locked in his arms.

Once he had you where he wanted you, he immediately prodded his tongue into cunt, lapping up your arousal. He dragged it up your folds until he reached your clit again - wrapping his lips around the area and sucking gently as he kitten licked the bundle of nerves teasingly. You let your hands roam down to his hair, gripping it roughly as he sped up his tongue drawing circles around your clit. This garnered you a deep groan from him which reverberated through your pelvis, causing you to jolt up into his face.

He eats your pussy like it was the last thing he’d ever do, pushing your thighs together and squeezing them around his head. The combined feeling of your thighs clenching him down into you and your fingers tugging his white locks was enough to get him hard again. He rutted his hips into the mattress as he flicked his tongue over your clit in a tantalizing and fast rhythm. Your hips were bucking up into him, moans and whimpers spilling out. His entire head was completely engulfed in your hold and he was on cloud nine.

Fueled by your reactions and the wetness from your cunt that filled his sense and smothered all over his face, he unlatched his hand from your waist and sunk two fingers into your leaking hole. Those slender fingers curled up into your cunt as if to beacon you closer, your hips moving further into him against your will. He pumped them in and out of you with an unrelenting vigor. The sounds coming from below your waist were wet and filthy.

It didn’t take long for your orgasm to wash over you like it was the first one you’d ever had. Something about cumming in front of Nagi, cumming because of Nagi, felt unbearably surreal - but you can’t deny how it egged you on. He continued all his motions well past your point of climax, the only thing stopping him was your thighs squeezing harder than before and your hands pushing him away from you. After lapping at your cum soaked cunt a few more times, he placed a tender kiss to your clit and pushed himself up to level with you. He immediately dragged you in for a kiss, letting you taste yourself on his tongue - his lips and chin still wet with your arousal.

“We don’t have to talk about anything yet, we can just shower and go to sleep if you want…just want you to stay here with me…is that ok?” your gentle kiss was broken every few seconds as he spoke into it a bit nervously. He had leaned over to the side of you at this point, his body still pressed against you and his hands cupping your face closer to his. He asked for reassurance with lidded eyes slowly tracing all your features.

“Yeah…ok, that works.” you smiled at him softly and bumped your nose against his to ensure he understood you were comfortable and happy. The whole ordeal hadn’t yet hit you, and Nagi offered you an out to prolong that until the morning. Remaining in his warmth without worry felt like a good way to spend the rest of the night. He kissed you again, deeper this time.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Sei.”

hey guys it’s aria isn’t that crazy i’m literally alive and not dead!!!! sorry not sorry for the mini hiatus, im working full time again and making bread which is fucking awesome :D trying to get myself a new car soon so I’ve really been on the grind. Being able to go to my drafts and update this throughout the week has been nice, low commitment and fun in between the other motions of my life. I LOVE WRITING YIPPIE!!!

[leclarifies]

letters (MV33)

꒰ max verstappen x childhoodbestfriend! reader ꒱

synopsis┊it was confusing, even though you were continents apart, you never understood why max never responded to your letters, until you attend the belgium gp to finally get the answers you were looking for. inspired by the prompt, "why did you never reply to my letters?" "you wrote me letters?"

genre┊ fluffy, the fluffiest fluff i've ever fluffed.

word count┊ 4.4k

aria yaps┊ i have worked on this non-stop for two days, and i loved the way it turned out, maybe one of my favorite works. enjoy reading this as much as i enjoy writing this!!

SECOND PART

she was always around max, either from the sidelines or the first person max ran to when he won a race, it was always her. not even his father, even though he held his father to the highest regard, but it was always her.

the little wrinkles on the edge of her eyes when she smiled at him, the way her lips would curl up, or the way she would giggle every. single. time. that he would come and hug her after every race finish. he remembers it all. and the way he would snuggle his face in the crook of her neck and asked her softly after he would win a race, 'did you see me win, schatje?'

she would always smile back with a laugh, 'of course i did maxie.'

it was always about max, her life revolved around him, whether he liked it or not. she adored him and maybe he adored her a little bit more. they were childhood friends, they were inseparable since they were little babies, their mothers being friends made it even harder for the both of them to not be attached at the hip.

she loved being in his presence and he loved her.

the divorce between jos and sophie was hard on max, he blamed himself and his career but she was always there to tell him that it's not his fault. that their decision was their own and she never forgot to tell max that it wasn't his fault, no matter how much they told him that it was.

she saw the way jos had pushed max to his limits, get physical with his own son and his way of escaping that life was run to her arms, she was there tending to every bruise, every wound whether physical or emotional. she was his rock and it was final. nothing anyone could ever say or do would change his name.

"schatje," max had gently woken her up from her slumber, and she stirred awake from his soft voice, she noticed where she was and finally remembered what happened.

max had finished lower than expected and jos had thrown hurtful things about max, she was there on his mother's couch, comforting him and had fallen asleep that way, with max on her lap, "are you sleepy?"

she shook her head, not wanting to admit that yes, indeed she was sleepy, but if max needed comfort then that wasn't a big deal to her, "what's wrong maxie?"

"nothing, you can sleep on my bed if you're tired. i can sleep here," max had brushed a stray strand of her hair behind her ear but she refused, she hated taking his bed because she knew how uncomfortable the couch was, she wanted him to sleep well.

but he wouldn't allow her to take the couch, so they both slept on sophie's couch almost cuddled with eachother because they were both stubborn.

max was necessarily content with how he was living his life right now, but she made it better and that's all he could ask for. was it her smile? maybe her presence? max didn't care. the first memory he could remember from his early childhood was her, and it was etched into his memory like stone.

she was content with being max's rock, she was there to keep him grounded and she too only had memories of him from her early childhood. she wouldn't replace him for the world, he was too precious for anything in this earthly world.

but there was one day, it felt like a bomb dropped on her. her father had told her that he would have to move to korea to continue work, and she didn't know how to break the news to max until a few days before she had to leave.

she knew it was wrong to keep something this big away from max, but she was so stricken with anxiety that she never got the chance to until max came over to her house and saw all the packed boxes with their belongings.

"why didn't you tell me sooner?" max was angry, she could tell, by the way he was pacing around her room, looking at the packed boxes around. max thought he meant more to her than just a measly friend, he felt frustrated— betrayed almost. why wouldn't she tell him? why would she keep something as big as this away from him?

"why didn't you say something before? why now? why before you could see me race this weekend?" max was raising his voice now, and she didn't know what to do. her eyes turned glassy and those doe eyes max loved so much just looked so sad.

she stayed quiet, a guilty look on her face. she knew max would break from the news, and she knew that it would affect his performance, but she didn't know how to stay, how to convince her father that she didn't want to go, so yet again, she stayed silent in important moments of her life.

"schatje, can you say something? say anything?!" max yelled and she flinches, she didn't know what to say or what to do, she wanted to say something, say anything. but nothing would come to her lips. it was so hard for her when he was angry like this, it reminded her of his father and his father was deathly scary when angry.

a sigh escapes max's lips when he sees her flinch, coming close to her to wrap her in a hug. tears escaped from her eyes as she held onto max tight, "i didn't know how to tell you," she whispers into max's ear but max didn't say anything to that, just held her even tighter and he did not want to let go.

"it's okay schatje, i'm not mad at you. i could never get mad at you, i'm sorry for raising my voice. i just don't want you to go," tears started to escape max's eyes too, he didn't want to see her go. he wanted her to stay, and she did too. but the universe was pulling them apart and there was nothing either of them could do about it.

the ride to the airport was tough, being only fifteen and sixteen respectively. max held her hand the entire time, not wanting to let go, he didn't want her to leave, she was his biggest support system and he couldn't imagine her gone like that.

she was the most scared of the two of them, what if her father never returned to belgium? what if she was stuck there in korea forever? what if she never got to see his pretty blue eyes anymore?

max was the one to ground her, no longer lost in her thoughts, "can you promise me we'll keep in touch? or maybe visit from time to time?" max was holding onto her hands tightly, she felt like they would bruise, she could only smile and nod.

her mother had called her over, it was time to go. she looked at max for what it felt like the last time and left her life in belgium.

dear schatje,

hi, this is the first week that you're gone and it's bene been so hard without you here with me. i forgot that you weren't here anymore and i was expecting to see your face, but when i didn't, i may or may not have almost cried.

i miss you so much. tell me how it is in korea, is it cold? do they have bears there? what about the food? is it good? can you eat it? i heard there's a lot of spiy spicy food there? honestly i don't care about what they have there, i just care about you.

when can you visit again? can you tell me if you're ever coming back? i'm so worried about you there, i miss you... so much schatje.

written with a lot of love, your maxie.

max always handed off his letters to his father, telling his father to hand it off to his mother because apparently they kept in contact and wanted to send it off to the post office on behalf of him.

he just wondered how she was doing there.

it's been months and countless of letters max had sent, and none of them replied. he was starting to lose hope, he didn't want to think that his best friend would forget about him so easily like that, but he held out hope. he knew that she wouldn't magically forget about him now that she was there.

jealousy bubbled within him when he realized that she would be meeting new people, what if she met someone like him? who enjoyed karting and wanted to steal her attention?

no, he couldn't be thinking like that. he loved her and he knew she loved him as much as he did, so he told himself to just be patient, maybe letters to korea took months to reach?

the naviety was almost laughable but he was fine with it. he just wanted to hear back from his pretty girl.

"i do not understand why you keep writing letters to that stupid girl, she doesn't reply to you and all it does is distract you," jos had reprimanded his son, but max was stubborn. he didn't care what his father had to say, he loved all of her, even when she was thousands of kilometers away. he wanted to talk, even when she never replied.

max was in the process of writing another letter, but he never listened to his father, not about her. not about how much of a distraction she's been to his career, he didn't care. he used it as motivation to get better on the track, so the next time she saw him, he would be a world champion, that's what he silently promised to her.

it had been two years, and he hadn't heard a peep back. slowly, he was starting to lose hope but he couldn't lose hope, every single time he would send off the letters, he told himself that maybe it got lost in the mail.

max kept writing though.

max's debut in f1 was explosive to say the least, his interviews would absolutely go viral by the things he was saying in them. he didn't understand why, he just said what was on his mind.

what was truly on his mind was her.

was he not good enough for her? was him being in f1 not enough to impress her? why wouldn't she write back?

oh god how he missed her.

he still wrote to her weekly, it was religious at this point. he never forgot and he always told his father to send them off to his mother and the week after that was always disappointment because he wouldn't hear anything back.

little did he know, she never received those letters.

max had slowly stopped writing letters as he got into f1, he didn't see a point in it anymore. she never replied. she didn't care. letters didn't take years to reach korea, and he finally lost hope.

winning his first championship felt empty, the pretty girl who used to be waiting for him wasn't there for him anymore. of course, he was happy to win such an impressive feat, who wouldn't? but it just... lacked her.

max indeed lost hope that she would ever write back, but never lost hope that she was out there, somewhere, watching him race every single week and beat the shit out of his rivals. she loved watching him race and that's what he intended to do until the day he died, he wanted to impress her, maybe that was his ulterior motive to becoming a formula one driver.

all just to impress his best friend who had lost contact with him for a decade now.

"you need to stop figdeting so much," her mother had scolded her, she could only laugh nervously and stop fidgeting around. she wondered why max never wrote back to her, she had written him letters. did he hate her for moving out to korea and not coming to visit belgium?

she shook the thoughts out of her head, she was here now. for his home race, and for the rest of her life. her father had now decided to move back to belgium, because and i quote, 'i don't want my daughter to lose touch with her culture'.

she was 26 now, and she had guessed that he turned 27 not too long ago. it's been so long since she talked to him and she hoped that the spark that she had been yearning for had not been lost to the passages of time.

getting the paddock passes was not easy, it was a war and a half but she managed to snag some for herself and a friend that wanted to visit belgium and would arrive later on in the week.

"how did you even manage to get paddock passes for us?" heejin, her friend that wanted to visit had asked, she could only laugh and explain how she got them, it was a war and a half. heejin laughed along with her as they both arrived and scanned their passes at the entrance.

"i'm gonna meet my best friend here— well it's complicated. i don't think he considers me a best friend anymore, but i still do," she had softly told heejin who was a big formula one fan even before meeting her, heejin raised her eyebrow when she said that.

the both of them were walking down the paddock, passing all of the different team's hospitalities. heejin raised her eyebrow at her friend, who shrugged.

"who's your best friend?" heejin had asked as they pass by the red bull hospitality, she stopped which signalled heejin to stop as well, she looked at the redbull in awe. she hadn't been to a formula one race yet, the closest she'd been was to karting but that didn't bring on the feelings she felt when standing in front of this red bull building.

"well, he's driving the number one car."

"YOUR BEST FRIEND IS MAX VERSTAPPEN?!"

"YOUR BEST FRIEND IS MAX VERSTAPPEN?!"

max had heard a girl yell, he slowly turned his head. he was confused, he didn't have a best friend— well not anymore. she had moved to korea, all memories of her stuck in his head being replayed all over and over again.

that's all he had left of her.

the other girl shushed the girl who yelled, and that's when it dawned on max. the other girl looked awfully familiar, he couldn't quite place why she looked so familiar but she looked like her, like his best friend.

"shh! you can't just yell that out in public," she clamped a hand on her friend's mouth, "they're gonna think i'm insane!" then the both of them giggled, it did sound ridiculous but now he was curious.

was she back? was that her? who was she with? is that her new best friend? is that her?

as they both walked away, max wanted to run up to them, to ask that one particular girl what her name was. what she was doing here and who she was with but all of that died when he got approached by his race engineer.

then he forgot all about that familiar girl that he saw in front of the red bull hospitality.

max would only get another glimpse of her when it was race day, they were walking through the paddock in a similar fashion, but max promised to himself that he would approach them, that he would ask but there was doubt in his heart.

what if she forgot about him?

she couldn't, right?

and so approach them he did, tapping the girl that he felt was so familiar to on the shoulder, she had turned around and they had locked eyes.

it was as if she never left.

the sparks, they all came rushing back and then his heart started beating out of his chest, he wanted to ask so many questions, why she was here, who she was with, when she came back— why she came back, why she never wrote him back.

but the only thing that left his lips were a simple, "hi."

heejin was freaking out, she could tell. she knew that heejin was a big red bull fan too, always talking about how the team was dominating and they had the better car. she had heard all about it. but the little dutchboy she left all those years ago was standing in front of her and not-so little anymore and all those thoughts about her girlfriend was forgotten.

he looked the same, but grown and decked out in red bull merch. she wanted to laugh at how innocent he looked when he tapped her on the shoulder to get her to turn around, he looked stupid, stupidly cute.

all of those feelings from when she was back in belgium came back, she almost forgot what it felt like to be around max— her max. he looked like he was going to cry when he got a good look at her, that he finally realized that yes, it's her. the one that left him in belgium all those years ago.

and maybe she could cry too.

"maxie?" a familiar nickname slipped from her lips and she didn't get a response back, but a bear hug in return.

god, her scent. it was everything to him. he fucking missed it— miss her.

"i thought... i thought you forgot about me," max buried his face into the crook of her neck, she too wrapped her arms around max and buried her face into his chest. his voice was so vulnerable, all she wanted to do was curl around him and tell him that she would never.

she shook her head as she sank into the hug, "i could never forget my maxie," she mumbled into his chest, he held onto her tighter. he never wanted to let go, not now, not ever. she was where she was finally supposed to be, right in his arms.

once they got time alone after his race, max had stolen her away from her friend and dragged her into his driver's room, locking the door and pushing her against the wall, slamming his lips onto hers. he had been dreaming about this for so long, his lips on hers.

he didn't want to so sexual with her, no not yet. being in the small driver's room where they couldn't be free out of the public eye wasn't a good place. he just wanted to touch her, hold her, love her, make sure that she knew how much he had missed this.

missed them being together.

her hands instinctively went up to hold onto his shoulders, holding on for dear life as he kissed her softly. the feelings going through him were a mix of nostalgia, longing and love. he loved her for so long and it was so like her to show up when it mattered the most.

he won it for her today, to show her, that the little max she knew still had it in him to win and to impress her even with a world championship under his belt.

she felt the softness and the gentleness that max was touching her with, she knew how much he loved her. how much he care, how much he longed for her touch and she did too, only so much more.

she had so many questions in her, on why he never replied to the letters she sent or why he never sent any himself, not knowing what happened with her letters and why they never arrived properly.

but she didn't care at the moment, all she cared about was that she was safely in his arms, never to be let go ever again.

safe to say, her lips were to the point of bruising that night. max had forbade her to go back home, or to be away from his sight. he had kissed her silly, not wanting to let her go and there she was, settled nicely in his arms.

it's not like she wanted to go anywhere anyway.

the movie in the background was long forgotten, max's lips felt like they were molded for hers. he had waited for her for so long, waited to feel her skin after so long and this just felt right, it felt right when he was with her.

"maxie— mmhh— my love, stop," she had to talk in between kisses, max didn't want to let her go, his fingers were basically imprinted onto her waist. she was straddling max as he sat upright and kissed her, so softly. like she would break if he was any harder, even though he absolutely did want to kiss her harder.

max released her from the kiss with a pout, his pretty lips were red and swollen from all the kissing they did. everything in the world just seemed to fade into the background when they were together, like everyone else in this world was so insignificant for their time and they were the only people worthy of each other's time.

"but why? i wanna kiss you, i miss you. i have waited for you for ten years, the least you can do is let me kiss you until you're sick of me," max mumbled against her lips and all she could do was giggle.

god, her laugh, he loved it.

she shook her head and left a final peck on his lips, "because i want to talk maxie, we can't just kiss whatever questions we have for eachother away," she told him but he seemed to think otherwise, she had moved back to put a bit of distance in between them, to make sure max didn't go in to kiss her again.

"oh yes we can, i don't care about the questions, schatje. i just wanna be with you, just like old days, but now it's so different because in those ten years without you, i finally realized what i felt and how i felt for you and i can't wait any damn longer to finally kiss those pretty lips of yours, so please. just let me do this for another three hours and we can talk," max begged as he pulled her closer.

she couldn't imagine kissing for another three hours as they spent the last hour doing it, but with him? she would do it for another life-time if she could.

the both of them later had the serious talk when they were done kissing each other, now wanting answers from eachother. their legs were tangled and intertwined with each other's, not wanting to let go from their skin to skin contact.

"first off, why did you never reply to my letters? i wrote you so many. so many that i lost count, i would always write to you but you never replied, why?" max's voice came out strained, all of the painful feelings from the last ten years of his life were coming out, her doe eyes looked up from where she was, laying against his chest.

"you wrote me letters? i wrote you letters, you never replied. i thought you got too busy with your karting career to reply—"

"i could never get too busy to reply to you, but i never got any of your letters, schatje," max murmured against her forehead, kissing it gently after he spoke. she hummed a response before it dawned on her, she had always sent the letters to his father's address and she knew that his father wasn't fond of her, even offering her a huge lump sum of cash just for her to stay away from his son but she never accepted it, always choosing to be beside max, no matter what happened.

she looked up and sighed, she knew what happened now, she connected the pieces, "did you send your letters off to your dad?" she asked, and max nodded before it dawned on him too.

"that fucker hid the letters from you and never sent mine..."

she could only nod sadly, but it didn't matter now. all that mattered was that they were reconnected now.

scattered around them were the countless of letters max had written to her and all of the letters from her that he never received, the years of pining, longing— all of them tucked neatly away into these little envelopes that held all of those unsaid feelings.

a soft sigh escapes her lips, she looked at all of them, there were hundreds maybe. all of them posted to where she stayed in korea but never sent, always kept in a big box where all of his letters were and hers were stuffed in there in a similar fashion.

her heart clenched when she saw how many there were, there were far more many than whatever she sent, even though she did send quite a big sum.

when max had found out, he stormed into jos' house and demanded to ask why he never sent out the letters that he wrote and a big fight broke out, she had to hold of max from physically harming his own father. then they left after given the big box filled with letters.

"there's so many..." she watched in awe as all of them were sorted by date, from the latest to the earliest, max looked up at her with those big blue icy eyes of his, he looked really sad. stuck in his feelings almost, not understand why his father would do whatever he did in the past.

max held her hand gently, pulling her into his embrace, "i have always loved you, even when i was a little kid. i just didn't understand what those feelings were, i just acted on how i felt and being away from you... i just couldn't. so i sent you my love in the form of these letters."

she left a lingering kiss on his cheek, she felt sorry for having to leave all those years ago. she should've fought, should've stood her ground on how much she wanted to stay but she was just a 16 year old kid who didn't know how to, "i know. i'm sorry i had to leave all those years ago."

"don't apologize, schatje. i have never blamed you for leaving me. i have always held love for you in my heart, even if you didn't know it."

"i always knew max, and i still do."

very willing to do a part 2 to this btw, will only do it when requested tho. not proofread, excuse grammar mistakes.

[heliosunny]

could we get more merman aventurine x reader, s’il vous plait?:3

Blood//Water

Merman!Aventurine x Reader

In a city like this, death had a price, and you were the one setting it. Your office sat high above the neon gutters, where glass skyscrapers scraped the polluted sky and criminals wore tailored suits. And among the many monsters that roamed this place, yours stayed in a bathtub.

Aventurine wasn’t human, at least not entirely. When the lights dimmed and the job was done, he shed the form he wore like a second skin. Tail shimmering in dim light, teeth too sharp for a man. Trained by your hand. Loyal only to you. The name Aventurine echoed in whispers between gangs and high-society vultures.

You didn’t need many. Just one like him.

The man who came in that day wore desperation like cologne. He sat across from your desk with shaky fingers and a silver case, thick with currency and cowardice.

"She’s a liability.” he said. “I want her gone. My stepdaughter, Aria."

You didn’t like it. The way he avoided eye contact. Something reeked, and it wasn’t just his fear.

Aventurine leaned against the wall like he wasn’t listening. But you saw it—the slight twitch of his tail where it was hidden beneath the illusion of legs, the gleam in his eyes.

“Sounds like fun.” he said lazily, flipping a knife in his hand. “Boss, may I?”

“You sure?”

“Let’s say my instincts are tingling. I’d like to see what sort of fish swims in this pond.”

You allowed it, but only on one condition: you’d go together.

You both went in dressed to kill—metaphorically, this time.

The party was held in one of those high-rise halls lined with art that looked expensive and meant nothing. The kind of place where old money and new sins mingled behind gold-rimmed glasses. Everyone had secrets; you were here to pickpocket them with charm and sharp ears.

You played your part. Aventurine played his even better. He brushed shoulders with senators and smugglers, fed one man just enough falsehood to loosen the truth from another. It didn’t hurt that he looked like he’d stepped out of some forbidden fairytale—otherworldly but too pretty to question.

By the end of the night, you had what you needed: Aria was upstairs. And alone.

So you waited.

When the music dulled and the guests began to peel away in champagne-stained clusters, you both moved like shadows through the service corridors and up the emergency stairs. The halls above were silent. You reached her room. Locked, but Aventurine made short work of that. The tension in your chest was drowned under the hush of practiced movements.

You slipped inside.

There she was.

Asleep, by the look of it.

Aventurine took position at the foot of the bed, raising the silenced pistol, breath steady.

You stepped forward, hand raised slightly. “Wait—”

The blanket peeled back. And there it was.

Aria.

Already dead.

A neat hole between her eyes, blood dried dark against the pillow.

Aventurine froze, lips parting in a hiss. “No one was supposed to beat me to it.”

A high-pitched, snarling wail that painted the halls red with flashing lights. Someone triggered the alarm.

“Trap.” you said instantly.

He didn’t need to be told twice.

Glass shattered behind you, heavy boots stormed the corridor. You both bolted through the adjoining room, down the service stairs, twisting through blind spots.

When you were finally safe, pressed into the silence of the getaway car, Aventurine chuckled low in his throat.

“Well, Boss…” he turned to you, “someone’s playing our game. And they just made their first move.”

You returned to your building just before dawn. You didn’t expect quiet—not in your line of work—but you didn’t expect this either.

The street outside was crawling with cops.

A corpse was being wheeled out, zipped up in plastic. The man who’d offered you the job. The coward in the suit.

Dead.

No one kills a client unless they know what they’re doing.

You and Aventurine stayed low in the car, watching the scene unfold through tinted windows.

“Well,” he murmured, “Looks like someone’s cleaning house.”

You said nothing. But your thoughts were already racing. The party. The faces. And one stood out. A rival who’d been trying to edge into your territory for months now. Someone who never liked that your business thrived in shadows his spotlight couldn’t reach.

You needed confirmation.

A hotel to stay. You needed that. And of course, a shower.

Aventurine’s voice through the door, something teasing and smug: “Don’t take too long. I’m feeling lucky tonight.”

You hit the casino just after sundown.

It wasn’t the kind of place you liked, but it was the kind where secrets changed hands beneath poker tables.

Aventurine fit in far too well. He was playing a high-stakes game when you stepped away to sweep the perimeter, check for familiar faces, or worse—set eyes watching from the dark.

When you returned, something was off.

Aventurine was losing.

Which never happened.

His opponent, a smug man in a sharp suit, was clearly cheating. You didn’t even have to look closely to know.

You moved to Aventurine's side, standing close enough for your presence to shield him from the worst of it.

His shoulders relaxed instantly.

“Your scent calms me.” he murmured without looking at you, voice so low it was nearly drowned by the roulette wheel’s spin. “Warm. Like the deep, right before a kill.”

You didn’t answer.

He leaned closer, smiling wide for show. “Got the info. We’re being hunted.”

You gave a faint nod. “Let’s finish this.”

Men in black swarmed through the crowd, armed. You recognized the movement instantly.

Aventurine cursed under his breath.

You both bolted.

Glass shattered behind you, panic rippled through the casino floor. Screams. Lights. Alarms. You ducked into a corridor, and just as you reached the back exit. “They’re splitting us.” Aventurine hissed. “Go!”

You hesitated, but he shoved you. “Move. I’ll catch up.”

You lost sight of him near the hotel fountains.

Aventurine wasn’t so lucky.

One man pinned him near the edge of a long decorative pool. Aventurine got cut, forced backward.

Still, the man made a fatal mistake.

He tried to drown him.

Aventurine opened his eyes under the water.

And he smiled.

The illusion peeled away in pieces, his tail unfurling from nowhere. Fins shimmered in the poollight.

The man had no time to regret.

When Aventurine rose from the water moments later, the man was gone.

---

The room was dim, lit only by the laptop’s blue glow. Rain tapped the glass. You were hunched forward in the desk chair, fingers flying over stolen files, backdoor ports, and surveillance logs scraped from the laptop you’d lifted mid-escape.

Someone wanted you both dead.

You barely heard the door open. But you felt him.

Aventurine padded in barefoot, still dripping wet, water trailing from the hem of a hotel robe that was definitely too small for him. His hair clung to his neck, strands curling at the ends, cheeks flushed with the faintest post-fight glow.

You didn’t turn around.

“I take it the guy’s not going to surface again.”

“Nope,” he said lightly. “Just feeding the koi now.”

He crossed the room without a word of warning and sank into your lap with a deep, satisfied sigh, arms winding lazily around your shoulders, head resting right where your neck met your collarbone.

“Don’t have anything better to wear?”

His voice rumbled against your skin. “At least I have something to put on. Thought about walking in wrapped in the hotel towel, but I figured you'd get distracted.”

You scoffed, rolling your eyes, but didn’t push him off. You just kept typing.

He settled more comfortably, eyes fluttering half-shut, his damp weight warm despite everything.

“I got into their comms.” you said, scrolling through an encrypted map. “Their hideout’s in the old shipping district. Either they're cocky, or they're baiting.”

Aventurine let out a low, sleepy hmm in response. You felt his breath ghost against your neck.

“Don’t fall asleep on me.”

Too late. His arms only tightened, head tipping with full trust, eyes fully closed now.

Another soft hmm.

“Just... let me be like this for a bit.” he murmured. “Feels like you’re the only place that’s not trying to kill me today.”

You didn’t say anything.

But you didn’t move either.

You woke up alone.

The warmth where he’d curled against you was gone, replaced by cold sheets and an eerie silence. Only the soft hum of the hotel AC remained, and the faint echo of your thoughts.

You stretched instinctively toward the space he’d occupied—empty.

Not a note.

Just the TV flickering faintly in the background.

You turned the volume up.

A breaking news alert: “Flash Flood Devastates Dock District—Authorities Suspect Sabotage” Camera footage showed the very warehouse you’d planned to hit today, submerged and broken, the concrete crumbled from beneath. Waves had torn through the building like it was nothing.

You leaned back in your chair, sighing. “Of course.”

That was his signature. If someone else had gotten to the prize first, he drowned the whole table.

Still, staying here wasn’t safe. Nothing ever was for long.

You packed up the laptop, burner phone, the essentials. You moved.

---

You’d never believed in myths. Never cared for bedtime stories about creatures below the waves.

But then you found him.

And he found you.

You thought back to that one fight, the only real one you'd ever had. You accused him of being reckless. He accused you of treating him like a weapon, not a partner. That night, he disappeared into the ocean for a week. You didn’t sleep.

But he came back.

You didn’t ask why. Something changed after that.

Still... There was always that gnawing question: Would he leave again? And one day, would he stay gone?

Your burner phone buzzed.

You didn’t recognize the number, but the voice was unmistakable.

“Aww, you missed me?” Aventurine’s tone was light, teasing. “I’ve got the hook, Boss. Meet me at the first man’s house. The one who hired us.”

You frowned. “You’re there now?”

“Oh yeah. And you won’t believe what the tide dragged in.”

The line went dead.

The house was quiet when you arrived. The once-pristine estate was now marked by shattered windows and muddy boot prints. You slipped inside.

And there, in the center of the ruined living room, she was waiting.

A young woman, bound to a chair. Wrists tight behind her back.

Aventurine stood beside her, one arm lazily draped over the back of the chair, a playful smirk curling his lips. Dried water still clung to his jacket.

“Told you I had the deal.” he said, “Meet Aria.”

You blinked. “Aria’s dead.”

He shrugged. “So we were told. But either someone’s a really good liar... or this,” he gestured down at her with mock formality, “is our real target.”

“Behold” Aventurine said, half-mocking, half-serious.

You turned.

And what you saw made your stomach knot.

Rows of glass chambers. Hidden behind sliding panels and secret walls, now revealed like some grotesque gallery. Inside—bodies. Preserved mermaids, naga, winged things you couldn't name. Beautiful, impossible creatures, all dead.

“Holy—” you muttered.

Aventurine’s jaw clenched, eyes filled with something rare: disgust.

Aria lifted her head from the chair, a grin splitting her face.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” she said. “Took years. But he—” her eyes gleamed as they settled on Aventurine, “he’s my crown jewel.”

It all clicked.

The obsessive stepdaughter. The fake kill contract.

Her father? She sacrificed him without a blink just to frame the stage.

A maniac. A woman who hunted the impossible and called it art.

You looked at Aventurine.

His calm had shattered, replaced by a cold rage you rarely saw. His form shimmered faintly, like the illusion of humanity barely held together.

You tilted your head at her.

“She’s all yours.”

Aventurine stepped forward.

But the crack of a gunshot snapped the moment in half.

You gasped as fire lanced through your leg, collapsing to the ground with a curse. Blood soaked the floor.

“Sniper..” you hissed, gritting your teeth.

Aventurine didn’t even look at the sniper.

Water surged up like it had always been there, as if the air itself was laced with ocean. A vortex erupted from nowhere, smashing through the high window above. A scream followed. The sniper was gone.

But that moment of distraction was enough.

Aria slipped free with a razor hidden in her boot. She stood, eyes sparkling with feverish triumph.

“How touching.” she cooed. “You’re not leaving him.”

Aventurine dropped beside you, hands pressing to your wound. His tail flared beneath him, the illusion broken. His panic was wordless but sharp in his touch.

Aria watched like a child at a puppet show.

“I think,” she said slowly, “I’ll drown you in front of him. Watch the light leave your eyes. See what happens to a sea creature when you kill the tide it follows.”

The room shifted. Metal doors locked with mechanical clicks.

Men emerged from the shadows—five, six, maybe more. All armed. All waiting for her signal.

You struggled to sit up, pain lancing through your side.

“Any bright ideas?” you muttered.

Aventurine’s grip didn’t leave you. “She dies. And so does this house.”

You looked at him.

His body shimmered faintly, the air around him humming with moisture. He wasn’t just angry, he was about to call the sea.

Your mind raced, calculating angles, pressure points, structural weaknesses.

This was no longer an escape.

It was survival.

And if you didn’t find a way out together, one of you was going to end up in a glass box.

You didn’t have the strength to fight. Not like this.

So you made the only choice that ever made sense.

You reached out, your fingers brushing Aventurine’s wrist.

"Do it."

He looked at you once. Then he stood up.

His human form dissolved like mist.

The floor shuddered.

Aria’s confident grin faltered.

Water surged from the cracks, rising in walls, spirals, currents that obeyed only him. The collection shattered. The preserved creatures within sank like fallen stars, finally free in death.

You watched it happen from where you lay—half-conscious, half-drenched in red. The water rose around you fast.

Memories clawed up your throat like bile. That lake. Drowning had always stalked you like a second shadow.

Not again.

Still, you trusted him. So you held your breath. Until you couldn’t.

Darkness swallowed you whole. And when you came back—

—his mouth was on yours.

You choked violently.

Water erupted from your lungs, splashing against your chin and his chest. Something else came with it. Blood.

You heaved, trembling, coughing until your vision tunneled again.

His hands were cupping your face.

“Stay with me, Boss.”

When you woke again, it was silent.

Just the low hum of your office lights.

You were lying on the long couch in your private room, wrapped in towels and blankets that smelled like the sea. Your clothes were gone—replaced with something clean and dry.

The dull ache in your chest reminded you that breathing had become a battle.

The first thing you saw was the silhouette of him.

Aventurine, sitting on the floor beside you, head resting against the couch.

He noticed you stirring and leaned up slightly.

“You sure know how to ruin a good escape plan.”

You gave him a weak glare.

“You flooded the place.”

“Aria’s collection’s at the bottom of her own mausoleum now.” he said casually.

You looked at him for a moment.

“…How long was I out?”

“Long enough I almost kissed you again just to be sure.”

Your expression soured. “You did kiss me.”

“CPR~” he said.

“Don’t ever do that again.” you whispered.

“Only if you promise not to die.”

---

You decided to move.

You couldn’t ignore the blood in the walls. The bullet scars.

So, a new office.

Aventurine moved too. Not because he had to, because he wanted to. He was like that. Said the sea never stayed still, so why should he?

That night, you brought food home.

You’d moved half the files, a few weapons, and a coffee machine. The rest could wait. But your stomach couldn’t.

You set the bag down by the bathroom door and knocked once before pushing it open with your foot.

He was already in the tub.

Water steamed gently around him, his tail flicking lazily, shoulders relaxed, hair floating like silk. There was a soft glow to him under the bathroom lights.

“Dinner,” you announced, tossing a container toward the edge of the tub. “Try not to soak it.”

“Always a romantic,” he murmured, catching it mid-air and peeling it open. “Is this shrimp?”

“Thought you’d like the irony.”

You sat on the floor across from him, leaning your back against the wall, opening your own box. The bathroom smelled like salt, jasmine soap, and spicy takeout.

For a moment, neither of you spoke.

“When’s a merman supposed to die?” you asked quietly.

He blinked at you. “That’s morbid, even for you.”

You shrugged. “Curious. You ever going to outlive me?”

Aventurine didn’t answer immediately. He leaned his chin on the edge of the tub.

“Depends,” he said at last. “On what I choose. On who I follow.”

You paused. “So... you are following me?”

He grinned. “What gave it away? The murder? The tub in your apartment? The fact that I almost drowned half a city just to make sure you lived?”

“Do mermen retire?”

He scoffed. “Retire? What do you think I am, a bank manager?”

You sipped your drink. “Thought you might want little fish one day.”

He raised a brow. “Baby mermen?”

“Don’t tell me no one’s tried to breed you in a lab.”

“Gross,” he muttered, then chuckled. “But yes. They tried. Didn't end well for them.”

Your head tilted. “So... no kids?”

He glanced at you.

“Not unless I find someone worth anchoring for.”

You looked away first.

Eventually, you got up.

“I’m going to sleep. Don’t flood the floor.”

“No promises.”

He watched you leave.

But as you turned off the light, his voice followed.

“…I don’t know when I’ll die. But if I do, I hope it’s with you. Not before. Not after.”

You paused in the hallway.

Didn’t turn around.

But the silence that followed was more comforting than any goodbye.

[moonhoures]

Wicked Games

🕷️ kinktober — day 16: edging 🕸️

pairing: haechan (nct) + reader (afab/fem)

genre: non-idol!au, smut

warnings: 18+, minors do not interact, explicit smut, established relationship, subtle d/s dynamics (dom!haechan), edging / orgasm denial, oral (f receiving), dry humping, fingering, haechan does eventually let reader cum, haechan calls reader ‘baby’

word count: ~1.3k

synopsis: your boyfriend’s favorite game? denying your orgasms at the last possible second <3

a/n: dedicating this one to my fellow haechan stan @jaylaxies (aria 💙) 🤭

posted: october 16, 2023

kinktober masterlist

Three times. Your boyfriend had basically taken you by the hand, leading you to the very brink, the precipice, of an orgasm just to rip it away from you right before you could have it. Each time a whine would tear through your throat and escape through your lips before he would hush you with a kiss, telling you that would be the last one. But it wasn’t, it never was. He was in one of those moods again.

Haechan would often get into these sadistic moods where he would thrive off of edging you, denying your release over and over and over again until he finally felt some sympathy for you. He luxuriated in the way your brows scrunched together and your mouth parted to let out a noise of unfathomable pleasure before it turned into squeaks of disappointment and frustration. A smile would spread across his rosy lips when your knuckles would tighten then unfurl after being played for the nth time. It was all a game to him, and he only scored points when you looked disheveled, disheartened, and dissatisfied.

“Hae- Haechan, please,” your voice came out in cracked breaths, desperation dripping off of your words.

“Yes, baby?” he was so patronizing in the way he addressed you, like he was so innocent.

“I need to cum,” you whimpered like a wounded animal, begging for mercy, “Please.”

“You need to?” he repeated, “Or you want to?”

“I-,” you had to be careful, because however you answered next would determine your fate in the next few minutes, “I need to.”

“That so?” he asked after a moment of consideration.

You nodded, hissing when his fingertips touched the bruises he left from gripping your thigh while eating you out just ten minutes prior. The corners of his lips twitched, wanting to form a wicked smile. He continued to trail his fingers along your skin, over your hips and waist, past your navel, creating goosebumps in their wake. Up the center of your chest and the column of your throat, finally the digits came to a halt at your chin. They tilted your face towards his own as he now hovered close to you on your shared bed. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, the taste of your pussy still present on them from his earlier venture.

“Then I shouldn’t make my love wait any longer, huh?”

A venomous undertone was latent in the way he spoke. Your eyes began to tear up as you realized this will either be the finale of your torment or just another round of his cruel little game. You weren’t sure how much more of this you could take, but you wanted to cum so bad you couldn’t think straight anymore.

You breathed deeply in and out of your nose, gritting your teeth behind tight lips as Haechan’s fingers went back between your thighs, drawing meaningless lines and curves with the lightest touch possible. The skin between your thighs was sticky from the amount of arousal that had built up over the past thirty minutes. Thirty minutes of amusing foreplay turned into agony.

The first time, he had you pressed against the wall, your clothes still on. His knee was pressed against your cunt, expertly bucking up between your thighs until you were crying out his name and gripping onto his shirt for dear life. Then he was pulling away, tossing you onto the bed unceremoniously.

The second time, he was eating you out, relentlessly lapping at your clit like a piece of candy. And he didn’t stop until you were squeezing your legs around his head, moans spilling from your pretty lips. The same lips that whined out when he came up with a wet smirk on his own lips, mischief prominent in the way he moved up to kiss you.

The third time, he had been making out with you fervently, the two of you a mess of tangled limbs and mashed lips and teeth. He couldn’t hold back his grunts as he slotted his hips between yours and humped you. Both of you were still in your clothes, but only undergarments. You could practically feel his erection against your pelvis, the tip moistening his boxers as it bumped against your folds with every thrust of his hips. You were so close that third time, the closest you had gotten, only for him to pull away with a laugh when he noticed how pathetic you looked.

But now was the fourth time, and it seemed he was going to finger you. Usually your boyfriend liked to cum inside of you, so your chances of cumming soon were looking slim to none. Your chest deflated when you came to the realization, and Haechan noticed the shift in your expressions. A crack formed in his sadistic, playful demeanor.

“Want you to cum on my fingers. You can do that, can’t you, baby?” he kissed your cheek lovingly as his fingers finally slipped between the cushions of your thighs. The sides of his hands accumulated the arousal from your skin while his fingertips collected it from the depths of your slit. A chill went down your spine as you finally got him to touch you, like, actually touch you. Not with his knee or his tongue, “_________?”

“Yes,” you panted, already having forgotten the question. All you could think about was the pads of his middle and ring fingers teasing the slick skin around your clit. Your hips were bucking into his, yearning for more of him. He found it amusing, a cocky smile showing as he finally moved his fingers to your hole, dipping them in. His eyes watched your face contort with pleasure as he slowly sunk his fingers deeper, knuckle by knuckle, until he couldn’t go any more.

He slowly pulled his fingers out before thrusting them back in, repeating those fluid movements again and again. He created a pace that had your head digging into the pillows and your back arching. Your hands were clutching at his arm and the bed sheets, your fingernails denting his skin and your fingers twisting the sheets in their grip.

You were painfully aware of the wet sounds coming from between your legs. The squelching caused your ears and cheeks to burn with embarrassment, but it only turned Haechan on more than he already was. He loved knowing that he could make you this wet. That with a little foreplay and teasing, he could turn you into the biggest mess, and all without you cumming. If his pride could be measured it would’ve broken a scale by now.

“Cum on my fingers,” he said, gaze intense as he watched you get closer and closer to release. He knew your tells so well by now. The way you clenched around him was a dead giveaway, but your thighs also twitched and shifted, like you wanted to run but had nowhere to go. Your chest moved sporadically with your uneven, rugged breaths. Your moans became unbridled and carnal.

“Can I?” you whimpered, praying this wasn’t just some cruel joke he was making before he ripped the rug out from under your feet again.

“Yeah, baby, come on. Make a mess on my fingers, I want you to.”

Before he could even finish talking, you were already letting out a moan-like sigh, your hips pressing up against his soaked fingers. As soon as you finished, they fell back against the bed, and you were now aware of just how wet the sheets had gotten. But you didn’t care in that moment, and you wouldn’t for a while longer. You only cared about the buzzing sensation riding throughout your lower half, like electricity running through an electric fence. It crackled in your abdomen, your thighs, your toes, your clit. You forgot how good it felt to actually cum. Maybe now you were starting to understand why Haechan got off on doing this to you.

— taglist #1

@jaylaxies @xiaoting999 @kookthief @zaddywilk @wonrangwoo @pedriswrld @ikykleeknowww @odisdad @abby-grace @jungwonloveer @pinklemonadeflav @celestialplatinum @luvkpopp @nlklstan @jenos-eye-smiles @a-l-i-y-a @kisses4denji @channiesprincess @bekah931215 @heerinnie @fairygirl18 @cinnikoi @im-ur-calico-cat @unlikelysublimekryptonite @k-drizzle @iguanas-world

[lila-lou]

✨His second exception - Pt. 33/33✨

Summary: The moment Ben found out you were pregnant was probably the happiest moment of his life. However, happiness proved fleeting. Now, he is faced with the aftermath of his shattered dreams. Of what is left of you, and what is left of him.

Pairing: Soldier Boy x Reader

Warnings: 18+ only! Smut, Language, FLUFF, LAST CHAPTER GUYS-Pls read the A/N at the End <3

Word Count: 6347

A/N: This is the sequel to “His only exeption” - and Part 33 of "His second exception".

English isn’t my first language, so please be lenient. 💙

With that, the door finally shut behind them, leaving the house in peaceful silence. Just you, Ben, and Aria.

Ben exhaled deeply, shifting on the couch as he got comfortable. His boots were already kicked off, his supe jacket unzipped, but he made no move to get up—just leaned back, stretching out and cradling Aria against his chest. His massive hand ran over her tiny back, his fingers tracing slow, absentminded circles.

“You’re still all scrunched up, huh, chicken?”, he murmured, smirking down at her tiny legs, which, as always, remained curled up against his chest. He nudged them lightly with a finger, only for Aria to wriggle and pull them back in, making a soft little grunt in protest.

Ben huffed a short laugh. “Stubborn. Just like your mom”.

You chuckled from where you stood, watching him settle in. “She’s comfortable like that. You’re not gonna win this fight, you know”.

Ben glanced up at you with that lazy, lopsided smirk you knew all too well. “Yeah, well, I wasn’t planning on losing, either”.

You rolled your eyes, walking over to stand beside the couch. “You know what else you’re not planning on doing?”. You leaned down slightly, wrinkling your nose. “Skipping a shower after being gone for a hole week”.

Ben arched an eyebrow, still rocking Aria lightly in his arms. “What, you don’t like the smell of blood, gunpowder, and pure testosterone?”.

You snorted. “Not on my baby”.

Ben let out a low, amused hum, shifting Aria slightly to free one of his hands. He reached up, grabbing your wrist, and tugged you just a little closer. “Yeah?”, he murmured, his smirk deepening. “But you don’t mind it on you, do you?”.

His voice had dropped into that lower, teasing register, the one that always made your stomach twist in that annoying, predictable way. His fingers ran up the inside of your wrist, his touch feather-light but enough to send a shiver down your spine.

You narrowed your eyes at him, pretending to be unimpressed, even as heat crept up your neck. “Ben, you literally just got home”.

He leaned back further into the couch, looking entirely too pleased with himself. “And I seem to remember a certain someone saying they missed me”, he drawled. “You sure you want me to take that shower alone?”.

You scoffed, shoving at his shoulder—not that it moved him in the slightest. “You’re impossible”.

Ben smirked, shifting Aria slightly as he looked up at you with that infuriating, cocky glint in his green eyes. “Still”, he murmured, voice low and smooth, “I won’t shower alone”.

You narrowed your eyes at him, though the corner of your lips twitched. “Ben”.

“What?”. He tilted his head, feigning innocence. “I’ve been gone for a week. You really gonna make me suffer through some boring-ass, lonely shower?”.

You huffed, reaching down to take Aria from his arms, careful not to disturb her as she dozed against his chest. “I would”, you said, carefully cradling her to you, “but I don’t trust you not to fall asleep standing up in there”.

Ben let out a low chuckle, rubbing a hand over his face. Now that he’d finally let himself relax, the exhaustion was catching up with him, weighing down his movements just slightly. But even still, that damn smirk stayed in place. “You saying I’d pass out in the shower? Nah. You’d just have to keep me awake”.

You shot him a glare, rocking Aria gently in your arms. “Ben, I swear—”.

He pushed himself up from the couch with a deep grunt, rolling out his stiff shoulders. Then, before you could react, he leaned down and kissed you, slow and unhurried. His lips lingered against yours, the heat of him wrapping around you, and for a second, the world shrank down to just the two of you.

Your lips barely parted from his as you mumbled, “What about Aria?”. The warmth of his breath brushed against your skin as Ben smirked, his hands bracketing your waist, his touch firm but not overbearing.

“She’s out”, he murmured, glancing down at the tiny bundle resting against your chest. Aria was still fast asleep, her soft little breaths even and steady. “And I don’t hear her complaining”.

You sighed, already feeling your resolve slipping, especially when his rough fingers skimmed along the small of your back, trailing heat in their wake. “Ben”, you whispered, though you weren’t sure if it was meant to scold or encourage.

You sighed, pressing your forehead against his chest for a brief moment, trying to keep a straight face. But, of course, Ben wasn’t about to let this go. His large hands slid lower, pressing against your hips, his touch both teasing and possessive.

“We just put her in the crib and take the baby monitor with us”, he muttered, his voice low, rough with impatience. Then, with a smirk, he tapped the side of his ear. “Not that I need one”.

You narrowed your eyes at him, even as warmth spread through your body. “Ben—”.

“C’mon, babe”, he whined in that deep, gravelly voice, pressing a lingering kiss to the side of your neck, just below your ear. His breath was hot against your skin, his lips trailing lower, slow and deliberate. “My balls are about to fucking explode”.

You let out a small, breathy laugh, shaking your head. “You’re impossible”.

Ben pulled back slightly, looking down at you with those sharp green eyes, dark with something dangerous, something insatiable. “And yet, you love me", he murmured, smirking. “So, what’s it gonna be, sweetheart? You gonna make me suffer after I’ve been gone a whole damn week?".

You bit your lip, trying to stay firm, but the weight of his body against yours, the way his fingers flexed slightly against your waist, made it impossible to think straight.

“…Five minutes”, you whispered, finally giving in.

Ben’s grin was pure satisfaction. “Sweetheart, that’s all I need”.

In your bedroom, he wasted no time, stepping back from you just enough to let you gently place Aria in her crib. You moved carefully, ensuring she was snug and peaceful before reaching for the baby monitor on the dresser. Just as you grabbed it, you felt Ben behind you—his chest pressing against your back, his large hands settling on your hips.

"See?", he murmured, his lips brushing against the shell of your ear. "Problem solved".

You exhaled sharply, clutching the monitor as his fingers trailed down your sides. "Ben", you whispered, a weak attempt at resistance.

He smirked, nuzzling into your neck, letting his stubble graze your skin. "I missed you, sweetheart", he rasped, his voice rough and low. "Need you".

You swallowed, heart pounding, as he guided you toward the en-suite bathroom. The moment the door clicked shut behind you, he was on you—his hands, his mouth, his heat. His lips crashed against yours, deep and claiming, his fingers gripping your waist as he pressed you against the counter.

"You’re lucky I actually need a shower", he muttered between kisses, reaching past you to turn on the water. "Or I’d say screw it and take you right fucking here".

You shivered as he tugged at the hem of your shirt, peeling it off with an urgency that made your skin burn. "Ben", you breathed against his lips, tangling your fingers in his hair.

He groaned, his grip tightening on your hips. "Say my name like that again, and this five-minute deal is off the table".

You laughed softly, tilting your head up to kiss him again, letting yourself melt against him. "Then I guess we’d better hurry, huh?".

Ben smirked. "Sweetheart, I don’t hurry—I make it count".

Inside the shower, the moment the warm water cascaded down Ben’s broad shoulders, he wasted no time. His strong hands gripped your thighs, lifting you effortlessly as if you weighed nothing, maneuvering you until your legs were draped over his strong shoulders. Your back pressed against the cool tiled wall, the sudden shift in position making your breath hitch.

“Oh, shit”, you whispered, your hands instinctively flying into his damp hair, gripping the thick strands.

Ben smirked against your skin, his grip tightening under your thighs to keep you steady. “What?”, he drawled, his voice dark with amusement. “Never had me down here before?”.

You swallowed hard, your pulse thrumming wildly in your veins. “Just… Where the hell is this coming from?”.

Ben chuckled, low and deep, his breath warm against your core. “Week away had me thinking”, he murmured, pressing a slow, open-mouthed kiss to the inside of your thigh. “Had me starving”.

Your breath stuttered as you tried to adjust, your hands still buried in his wet hair. The height, the sheer power in how easily he held you up—it sent a mix of excitement and nerves racing through you. “Ben, this is… really high”, you murmured, your thighs twitching slightly.

Ben let out a low chuckle against your skin, his breath hot as he teased, “That’s ‘cause you’re so damn small”. His grip on your thighs tightened slightly, his fingers digging into your flesh just enough to remind you how easily he was holding you up. “Or maybe I’m just too big for you”.

Your breath hitched, your fingers threading tighter through his hair as his lips inched closer to where you needed him the most. The teasing smirk on his face never faded, but there was something else in his expression now—pure, hungry intent.

“Ben—”. You barely got his name out before his lips finally met you, slow and deliberate, taking his time like he had all the patience in the world. The heat of his mouth sent a shiver through your entire body, your back arching against the cool tiles.

Ben groaned against you, the deep vibration shooting straight through you as he worked you open, his grip keeping you steady even as your legs twitched around his broad shoulders. “Fuck, you’re already shaking”, he murmured, pulling back just enough to look up at you, his green eyes dark and gleaming. “You sure you can handle this, sweetheart?”.

You barely had the breath to glare at him, your fingers tugging at his hair. “I swear to—ahh—”.

Your words cut off into a gasp as he dragged his tongue against you again, slower this time, drawing it out just to hear you whimper. The way he was holding you, the way he kept you pinned like you were weightless—it was overwhelming, intoxicating.

Ben chuckled against you again, clearly enjoying how easily he was unraveling you. “Gonna have to hold on tight, baby”, he warned, his smirk audible. “I’m just getting started”.

Ben took his damn time, dragging his tongue in slow, lazy strokes that had your entire body shuddering. He wasn’t rushing—not even close. If anything, he was deliberately teasing you, keeping the pressure featherlight, just enough to make you squirm but not enough to satisfy.

Your fingers tightened in his damp hair, tugging, but he didn’t budge. If anything, it just made him smirk against you. “Impatient?”, he murmured, the vibration of his voice sending a shock through your already-overstimulated body. “You’re the one who let me starve for seven weeks”.

You whined, your head tilting back against the cool tile as your thighs twitched against his shoulders. “Ben”, you gasped, your voice barely above a whisper. “Please”.

His grip on your thighs tightened just slightly, his breath warm against you. “Please, huh?”, he drawled, his tone dripping with amusement.

You bit your lip, resisting the urge to snap back. He knew exactly what he was doing—pushing you to that perfect edge, taking his time just to watch you unravel.

Then, finally, finally, he gave you what you wanted. His tongue flicked against you with just the right pressure, his movements slow but deliberate, tasting you like he was savoring every second.

Your entire body jerked at the sensation, your fingers digging into his scalp as a desperate moan slipped past your lips. Ben groaned against you, his grip tightening, his mouth working you open as he set a pace that was agonizingly slow, but devastatingly good.

“Fuck”, you gasped, your breath coming in short, uneven bursts. “Ben—”.

He didn’t stop. If anything, your reaction only encouraged him. His tongue moved with precision, slow enough to make you whimper, but deep enough to have your legs trembling around him.

“Better hold on, sweetheart”, he murmured between strokes, his voice low and gravelly. “I’m not letting you down until you break”.

Your release crashed over you hard and fast, your body tightening, shuddering against Ben’s relentless mouth. Your fingers clenched in his damp hair, your thighs trembling around his shoulders as pleasure pulsed through you in waves.

Ben groaned against your heat, savoring the way you came apart for him, his grip firm as he held you through every second of it. Slowly, he eased his pace, letting his tongue drag over you one last time before he pressed a final, lingering kiss to your inner thigh.

Then, with effortless strength, he shifted you, lowering you down onto his hips. Your arms instinctively wrapped around his broad shoulders for balance, your breath still ragged as your chest pressed flush against his. The heat of his body surrounded you, his erection thick and heavy against your stomach, a solid reminder of just how much he’d been holding back.

Ben exhaled sharply, his large hands smoothing over your waist, his grip steady but hesitant. His green eyes locked onto yours, his usual arrogance tempered by something more careful—something rare.

Ben let out a rough breath, his green eyes dark with something deeper than just desire. His hands settled firmly on your hips, his thumbs brushing the sensitive skin just above your thighs as he pulled you even closer, your bodies pressed flush against each other.

His smirk returned, lazy and cocky, though there was an edge to it—something more controlled than usual. “Seven weeks, huh?”, he murmured, tilting his head slightly as he let his lips brush against the shell of your ear. “Think you’re ready to take me again, sweetheart?”.

You shuddered at the way his voice dipped, at the way his grip tightened just enough to make your pulse spike. “Ben…”, you started, breathless, but he cut you off with a low chuckle, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin of your neck.

“Gotta make sure”, he muttered, voice thick with restraint, but his fingers were already moving, trailing down between your legs, teasing at your slick heat. His touch was slow, deliberate. Testing.

He groaned as he felt how ready you were, how your body was already responding to him, clenching with anticipation. “Fuck".

Ben let out a deep, shuddering groan as he slowly lined himself up, the thick head of his cock pressing against your entrance. His grip on your hips tightened, his control hanging by a thread as he felt how warm, how impossibly tight you were around him. “Shit”, he rasped, his forehead nearly pressing against yours. “You’re even tighter than before, sweetheart…”.

But just as he was about to push in, you suddenly tensed beneath him. “Ben”, you whispered, looking up at him, your expression shifting from pleasure to something more hesitant.

He blinked, his brows knitting together in brief confusion. “What?”. His voice was gruff, breathless, thick with need.

You bit your lip, a tiny, cheeky grin forming despite the flush on your cheeks. “You need to wrap up”.

Ben immediately froze, his entire body going rigid. His green eyes flicked up to yours, his expression caught somewhere between disbelief and pure, unfiltered irritation. “You’re joking”.

You shook your head slowly, biting back a laugh at the sheer look of offense that crossed his face. “Nope”.

Ben groaned dramatically, throwing his head back against. “You gotta be fucking kidding me”, he muttered. “You want me to—after seven weeks—you want me to—fuck”.

You giggled, reaching up to stroke his damp hair. “I know you hate them, but come on, Ben. Unless you want another little chicken running around in nine months…”.

Ben’s face twisted into something that looked both horrified and turned on at the same time. He inhaled sharply through his nose, his fingers digging into your hips. “You’re evil”, he muttered. “You know that? Fucking Evil”.

You only grinned wider, leaning up to kiss his jaw. “So? What’s it gonna be, big guy?”.

Ben let out a long, suffering exhale, his fingers flexing against your hips like he was physically restraining himself from throwing a full-blown tantrum. Then, with a gruff mutter of "Fucking hell", he set you down on shaky legs, his grip lingering just long enough to make sure you were steady before he took a step back.

“Go get one”, he grumbled, clearly annoyed but resigned, his large hands running down his face before he tilted his head back under the hot water. His fingers curled into fists like he was trying to keep himself in check, his cock still standing thick and heavy against his abs.

Before you turned, he reached out and gave your ass a quick, sharp pinch.

You yelped, giggling as you swatted at his arm. “Behave”, you teased, stepping carefully out of the shower.

Ben huffed, crossing his arms over his broad chest as he watched you tiptoe naked and dripping wet toward the bedroom. “Yeah, yeah”, he muttered, eyes locked onto you like a predator tracking its prey. “But hurry the fuck up, or I’m saying screw it”.

You smirked, shivering slightly as the cooler air hit your damp skin. Moving quickly, you padded over to the nightstand, snatching a foil-wrapped condom from the drawer. As soon as you had it in your grasp, you turned on your heel and walked back toward the bathroom, holding it up between two fingers.

Ben arched an unimpressed brow as you stepped back inside, steam curling around your body. “You look way too fucking smug right now”.

You grinned. “Oh, I am”.

Ben rolled his eyes, muttering something about how he should be the one getting rewarded for his patience. But the second you climbed back into the shower, his hands were on you again, pulling you flush against his chest.

"Hand it over", he grumbled, his voice a low, commanding rasp as he reached for the condom. But before he took it, his lips found your neck, his teeth grazing your skin in punishment for making him wait.

"You’ll see how much better it feels without one”, Ben grumbled against your neck, his breath hot and heavy, the frustration thick in his voice. “So get rid of your fucking grin”.

Before you could respond, he nipped at your skin once more, his teeth grazing just enough to send a shiver down your spine. The sharp contrast of the cool air and the heat of his body pressed against yours had you gasping softly.

Then, with an almost annoyed huff, he turned away from the water, shielding his dick from the hot spray as he tore open the foil wrapper with his teeth. His fingers worked quickly, rolling the condom down his thick length with an almost begrudging efficiency.

You watched, still breathless, pressing your back against the shower wall, your body already buzzing from anticipation. His jaw was tight, brows furrowed, as he finished, his large hand stroking himself once before his eyes snapped back up to yours.

Ben let out a deep, frustrated grunt, his fingers adjusting the condom . “Squeezing the shit out of me”, he muttered under his breath.

You bit your lip, trying—and failing—not to laugh at the obvious discomfort on his face. “Maybe you just forgot how to wear one”, you teased, your voice dripping with amusement.

Ben’s green eyes snapped to yours, sharp and unimpressed. “Or maybe”, he shot back, rolling his hips just enough to press the thick length of him against your slick heat, “you bought the wrong damn size”.

Your smirk only widened, knowing exactly how much that would get to him. “I dunno”, you hummed, tilting your head. “Looks like it fits just fine to me”.

Ben let out a dry chuckle, his large hands gripping your thighs tighter as he lifted you higher against the shower wall. “Yeah?”, he muttered, his voice low and edged with warning. “Feel free to keep talking, sweetheart. See where it gets you”.

You opened your mouth, fully prepared to push him further, but before you could get a word out, he shifted his hips, pressing the thick head of his cock against you, stretching you ever so slightly without fully sinking in.

Your breath hitched, your fingers tightening against his shoulders. Ben smirked, seeing the change in your expression. “That’s what I thought”, he murmured, pressing a slow, taunting kiss to your throat. “Now, let’s see if this thing holds up, huh?”.

Ben groaned deeply as he eased into you, his thick cock stretching you inch by inch, his grip firm on your thighs as he held you steady against the cool tile of the shower wall. His breath came out in a sharp exhale, his jaw tightening at the overwhelming heat of you around him.

“Fuck”, he muttered, his voice gravelly, lips ghosting over the sensitive skin of your neck. “So fucking tight. Seven weeks and it’s like you missed me, sweetheart”.

You let out a shaky breath, your fingers digging into his broad shoulders. “Maybe… maybe I did”, you whispered, barely able to get the words out between gasps as he pushed in deeper, inch by agonizing inch.

Ben chuckled darkly, his smirk pressed against your jaw. “That so?”, he taunted, rolling his hips just enough to make you whimper. “Didn’t seem like it when you were making me suit up like a damn rookie”.

You let out a breathless laugh, but it quickly turned into a moan as he finally bottomed out, filling you completely. Your walls fluttered around him, adjusting to the stretch, and he let out another low groan, his forehead pressing against yours.

“Shit", he muttered, his grip on your hips tightening possessively. “Gonna have to work this condom off you if you keep squeezing me like that”.

You gasped, half-laughing, half-moan. “Ben—”.

He smirked, rolling his hips in a slow, deep thrust that had your head falling back against the tile. “That’s right, sweetheart”, he murmured, nipping at your throat. “Say my name real nice. Let me hear how much you missed me”.

You barely managed a response, your breath hitching as he rolled his hips just right, hitting that spot that sent sparks of pleasure racing up your spine. Your fingers dug into his damp shoulders, clinging to him as he kept a steady, punishing rhythm, dragging himself almost all the way out before pushing back in, making you feel every stretch, every inch of him.

“Come on”, he gritted out, his grip firm on your waist, his voice dark and teasing. “Seven weeks, and this is all I get? No begging? No telling me how fucking good I feel?”.

You let out a breathless moan, tilting your head back against the cool tile, trying to gather enough words to fire back at him. “Cocky asshole”, you managed, but the insult barely carried any weight with how wrecked you already sounded.

Ben chuckled low in his throat, clearly pleased with himself. “Damn right I am”, he muttered, sucking at the sensitive spot just below your ear. “’Cause I know no one else could fuck you like this. No one else could make you fall apart just by stretching you open”.

His words sent a deep, aching heat straight through you, making you clench around him involuntarily. Ben groaned, his fingers digging into your thighs. “Shit—just like that, sweetheart”, he breathed, his control slipping just a little. “Keep doing that, and this damn condom’s not gonna be the only thing I ruin”.

You whimpered, tightening your legs around his waist, forcing him deeper. “Ben—”.

“Say it again”, he muttered, his pace picking up, harder now, rougher.

Ben growled low in his throat, his grip tightening as he slammed his hips forward, driving himself deeper into you. “Say it again”, he demanded, his voice rough, almost desperate.

You gasped, your nails dragging across his broad shoulders as pleasure built higher, hotter. “Ben”, you whimpered, clenching around him again, making him hiss through his teeth.

“Fuck, sweetheart”, he groaned, pressing you harder against the cool tile, his hands gripping your hips so tight you knew you’d have bruises tomorrow. His rhythm was relentless now, each thrust sending shockwaves through you. “You feel that? How perfect you fit around me?”.

You could barely think, let alone respond, but he didn’t need you to. He already knew. He could feel it in the way your body responded to him, in the way you were already so close, your breath coming in ragged gasps.

Ben leaned in, his lips brushing against your ear as he muttered, “Look at you—already so fucked out, and I’m not even done with you”.

A sharp moan tore from your lips as he angled his hips just right, dragging another wave of pleasure from you. Your legs tightened around him, locking him in place, needing more, needing everything.

His smirk returned, though it was strained, his own restraint slipping. “That’s it”, he groaned, his pace growing erratic. “Come for me, sweetheart. Let me feel you”.

You didn’t stand a chance. The pleasure crashed over you in waves, your body trembling against his, his name falling from your lips. Your nails raked down his back, your walls fluttering around him as your climax hit so hard you momentarily forgot how to breathe.

Ben let out a deep, guttural moan, burying his face in your neck as he followed, his entire body tensing as he spilled into the condom with a final, shuddering thrust. His breaths were ragged, his chest rising and falling against yours as he came down, still holding you against the wall as if he never wanted to let you go.

For a long moment, the only sound in the shower was your heavy breathing and the water cascading around you.

Then, Ben let out a slow, satisfied chuckle, pressing a lazy kiss against your collarbone. “Yeah”, he murmured, his voice thick with exhaustion and smug satisfaction. “That was worth the wait”.

You huffed out a breathless laugh, your fingers still tangled in his damp hair.

Ben slowly eased you down, but the second your feet touched the tile, your legs wobbled. He let out a low chuckle, gripping your waist to steady you. “Shit, sweetheart”, he muttered, smirking as he kept you against him. “Did I fuck the strength outta you?”.

You shot him a tired but amused glare, your fingers tightening slightly against his forearm for balance. “Shut up”.

But before he could throw another cocky remark your way, his head tilted slightly, his sharp green eyes flicking toward the door. His smirk faded into something softer, something focused.

“She’s waking up”, he muttered, voice quieter now.

You blinked, still catching your breath. “What?”.

Ben tipped his chin toward the bedroom. “Aria. She’s squirming. Smacking her lips like a fucking fish”.

You let out a small laugh, shaking your head. “Of course you can hear that”.

Ben’s smirk returned, though this time it wasn’t teasing—it was fond, almost proud. “I hear everything when it comes to her”. Then, with a final squeeze to your waist, he grabbed a towel from the rack, wrapping it around your body before reaching for another to dry himself. “C’mon, sweetheart”, he murmured, voice low and warm. “Our little chicken’s hungry”.

You barely managed to wrap the towel around yourself before you had to steady yourself against the doorframe, your legs still wobbly from what had just happened in the shower. You shot a glare toward the bedroom, half-amused, half-exasperated. Ben had done this on purpose. No way was that just him getting carried away—he wanted you to feel like you couldn’t walk straight after.

Smug bastard.

Still, as you pulled the towel tighter around you and carefully padded into the bedroom, you found Ben already ahead of you—still completely naked—lifting Aria from her crib before she could even let out a full wail. His broad arms cradled her tiny body effortlessly, and as soon as she was settled against his chest, her little mouth made a soft, suckling motion against his skin, searching.

“Hungry little thing, aren’t you?”. His voice was gruff but warm, and he ran a large hand over her tiny back in slow, soothing circles.

Ben smirked down at Aria, watching as her little mouth suckled instinctively against his bare chest. He let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. “Sorry, chicken”, he muttered, adjusting his hold on her. “Ain’t gonna find any food in these”. He gave his chest a playful slap with his free hand. “Flat as a damn board”.

You snorted as you settled back onto the bed, adjusting the pillows behind you. “Well, if she keeps trying, maybe you’ll magically start producing milk”.

Ben shot you a flat look, but there was amusement lurking behind it. “Yeah? That how it works, doc?”. He turned back to Aria, rocking her slightly. “Sorry, sweetheart. Your old man’s not built for the job”.

Aria let out a frustrated little squeak, her tiny fingers curling against his skin as she wriggled, still searching. Ben exhaled through his nose, glancing back at you. “Alright, alright”, he grumbled. “You win”.

He moved toward the bed, sitting down beside you before gently passing Aria into your arms. You let your towel slip just enough to guide her toward you, and the second she latched, her fussing stopped instantly.

Ben huffed, leaning back against the headboard, still very much naked. His green eyes dropped to where Aria was nursing, and after a long moment, he let out a deep, irritated groan.

“This is bullshit”, he muttered.

You arched an eyebrow, biting back a smile. “What now?".

Ben gestured vaguely toward your chest, his gaze flicking between you and Aria. “She gets to suck on your tits all night, and I’m still sittin’ here rock hard”.

You glanced down, and sure enough, Ben was very much rock hard again, his cock resting against his thigh, thick and heavy. You bit your lip, trying to suppress a smirk as you looked back up at him. “You weren’t kidding”, you murmured, amusement lacing your tone.

Ben huffed dramatically, throwing his head back against the headboard. “Yeah, no shit”, he grumbled. His hand dropped to his stomach, fingers twitching slightly like he was resisting the urge to do something about it. “You think I was just talking to hear myself?”.

You chuckled softly, shifting Aria slightly as she continued to nurse, her tiny hands resting against your chest. “Well”, you teased, voice light, “looks like you’ve got a real problem”.

Ben turned his head toward you, his green eyes dark with something equal parts frustration and amusement. “You think this is funny?”, he muttered, his voice lower now, rougher. His free hand trailed along the edge of your towel, teasing at the skin of your hip. “You sitting there all bare, feeding my kid, while I’m sitting here—like this?”. His eyes flicked downward pointedly, his grip tightening ever so slightly on your hip.

You chuckled, shaking your head as you adjusted Aria slightly in your arms. “How is that even possible?”, you teased, casting a glance at Ben’s still-throbbing erection. “You just—literally minutes ago—shot your shot”.

Ben let out a gruff scoff, rubbing a hand down his face before grumbling, “It’s like you just met me”. His green eyes flicked back to you, smirking despite his obvious frustration. “You really think once is enough after a seven weeks break? Sweetheart, I don’t even know what ‘satisfied’ means when it comes to you”.

Sure enough, the second Aria had finished nursing and drifted back to sleep, Ben wasted no time. He carefully laid her in the crib and wheeled her in the bathroom, his movements surprisingly delicate for someone so naturally rough. The moment he turned back to you, however, his restraint snapped like a thread pulled too tight.

“Finally”, he muttered under his breath, his hands already tugging at the towel loosely wrapped around you.

You barely had time to react before he had you pinned beneath him, his massive frame pressing you into the mattress, his mouth claiming yours with a hunger that sent heat straight through you. It wasn’t slow, wasn’t careful—Ben had been holding back for too damn long, and now, he was making up for lost time.

And he didn’t stop at once.

Even after the first time, when your body was still shuddering from the aftershocks, Ben wasn’t finished. He barely gave you time to catch your breath before he had you again—his grip firm, his pace relentless, his voice a low growl against your ear, telling you exactly how much he missed this, missed you.

The second round bled into a third, and somewhere in between, you were barely coherent, your mind foggy from pleasure and exhaustion. You weren’t sure when you finally passed out, only that the last thing you felt was Ben’s strong arms wrapping around you, pulling you against his chest as he let out a deep, satisfied sigh.

You woke up hours later, still tangled in him, his arm slung possessively around your waist, his breathing deep and steady. Even in sleep, his grip on you never loosened—as if even now, he wasn’t letting go.

Ben never thought he’d get here.

Not in a million years. Not after everything.

His whole life, he’d been told what he was—what he was made for. A soldier. A weapon. Indestructible, untouchable. Love? That was for men with the luxury of normal lives. Family? That was for people who weren’t designed in a lab, for people who weren’t engineered to be a symbol instead of a person.

He was meant to fight, not to feel.

But then, there was you.

His only exception.

The one person who had seen him—really seen him. Past the legend, past the propaganda, past the violence that had built him up and broken him down a thousand times over. You hadn’t flinched, hadn’t turned away, hadn’t seen a monster when you looked at him.

You had seen Ben.

And somehow, impossibly, you had made him believe that he could be more than just the wreckage of the past.

And then, against all odds, against all reason—there was her.

Aria.

A baby he never thought he could have. A baby no one thought he should have. Proof that whatever the hell was in his DNA, whatever was in yours—it worked. Something that shouldn’t have been possible, and yet, there she was. A miracle born from all the things he thought he could never have.

But none of it had come easy.

Nothing in his life ever did.

You had nearly died bringing Aria into this world. And for the first time in his life—his long, brutal, war-torn life—Ben had felt helpless. Not the kind of fear that pumped adrenaline through his veins, not the kind that made him throw the first punch just to make sure he got the last. No, this was the kind of fear that had nearly broken him in half.

The kind that came from standing there, useless, watching you slip away, watching doctors scramble. And for all his strength, for all his power, for all the fights he had survived, he couldn’t fight for you.

But you made it. Aria made it.

And now, years later, as he stood on the porch of your home—Aria’s tiny hand gripping his index finger, her soft chestnut curls bouncing as she tried to match his long strides—he knew what peace felt like.

Not the silence after a battle. Not the weightless nothingness of another mission completed. This.

The sound of Aria’s laughter, the warmth of your gaze as you watched them, the way his world had finally stopped spinning just long enough for him to hold it in his hands.

You stood a few feet away, arms crossed over your chest, a knowing grin playing at your lips. “She’s got you wrapped around her little finger”, you teased.

Ben scoffed, but his hand instinctively tightened around Aria’s. “Nah”, he muttered, glancing down at her. “She’s just lucky I like her”.

Aria giggled, her green eyes—so much like his—glowing with mischief. She had your heart, your warmth, but that sharp, unrelenting attitude? That was all him.

“You ready, chicken?”, Ben asked, smirking down at her.

“For what?”, she chirped.

Ben scooped her up effortlessly, holding her up high, ready to swing her around the way she loved it as he turned to you.

But then, his sharp green eyes flicked to your stomach before settling on your face, and just for a second—his smirk faltered.

There it was again.

That feeling. That realization. That fucking exception.

Because there was going to be another one.

And suddenly, his second exception?

Didn’t seem like his last.

-The End-

------------------------

A/N:

And just like that, another chapter of Ben’s story—the one he never thought he’d have—closes. But that doesn’t mean the story is over.

Not yet.

Because life isn’t wrapped up in neat, final endings. It’s made up of moments. Little glimpses of laughter at the dinner table, whispered conversations in the middle of the night, arguments over whose turn it is to change the diaper, and stolen kisses when no one is looking.

And there’s still more to tell.

They’re still not married—because of course, Ben being Ben, he drags his feet on that, even though it’s inevitable. There’s another baby on the way, another exception he never saw coming. Aria is getting older, showing more of that sharp wit and stubborn attitude that is so clearly inherited from both of them. And Ben? He’s still figuring out how to be the kind of man who deserves all this.

So consider this story open-ended.

I’ll be adding occasional updates, little moments from their lives—some sweet, some messy, some absolutely chaotic, because let’s be honest, a life with Ben will never be boring.

After all, for a man who never thought he’d have exceptions, he sure keeps making them.

So one last time for now... Please let me know what you think. 🥰

-

Taglist: @deangirl96, @thatgirljayy, @suckitands33, @deans-spinster-witch@mimaria420@kaz11283@uncle-eggy@jackles010378@vxnilla-hxrddrugs @meowmeowyoongles@sarahgracej @zemosdarling228 @leila22rogers @mostlymarvelgirl@emily-winchester @blacknoirr @onlyangel-444@seasonofthenerd@staple-your-mouth@artemys-ackles@selfdestructionandrhum@mystic-mara @kat-nee @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @star-yawnznn @me1501 @CheyNovaK @faephoria @hobby27 @baby19sthings @fitxgrld @winchesterwild78 @uddiifiigj @libby99hb @urgogodancer @urinternetmom @mochminnie @laaadygisbooornex3 @fallout-girl219 @whump-loverz @fallout-girl219

[starstruck-cupid]

Secret Lover

Jason DiLaurentis x fem!Reader

A/n: I'm sorry this took so long. I lost the motivation to write and the last few months have not been great for me this will be a two or 3 part series and might not end happily, but we'll see

“Ali can't find out about this. You can't tell any of them.”

Jason had sweet moments, but those words felt like a punch in the gut. He was right, of course. He usually was. At least he was when he was sober, which wasn't often.

The fling we had that summer, the same summer Alison disappeared, was short and sweet. It was what he needed it to be. He wanted something easy with someone malleable. I was like a stray dog. I was alone, and willing to follow whoever gave me any attention. Ali knew that the second she saw me, so it's no surprise Jason did too. The whole DiLaurentis family had a knack for sensing things like that.

Jason ended it when he found someone more fit for the image he was trying to portray. It was easy for him. He never had trouble with girls. It was never easy for me, though. Especially after him. No one could ever be him.

Rosewood after Ali disappeared was hell. Nothing ever happened in Rosewood. People were afraid for a while. They thought their daughters were next. As time passed, the feelings of fear dissipated. Alison was forgotten. She became a statistic. Just another missing girl from a small town.

Jason and his parents left soon after, it was weird seeing the house next door so empty. Then Aria left. She stopped messaging a few months after she left. No one blamed her. It was just Hannah, Emily, Spencer, and the ghost of Alison’s memory. It was different, though. We all drifted and became different types of people with different types of friends. Small conversations became passing a “hello”, which turned to nothing.

/////////////////////////////<3//////////////////////////////////

Tomorrow marks a year since Ali disappeared. All of these thoughts and memories had been running through my head. I desperately wanted someone who understood to be around. Imagine my surprise seeing Aria walk out of the bathroom with a man way too old for her a few minutes into my shift.

“Aria?” shocked, I stopped in my tracks. The look on her face screams of surprise and embarrassment. The two of them share the same look of embarrassment. I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.

“Come find me when you’re done here,” I say in a playful tone, shaking my head.

A few minutes later is hear the clicking of heels against the floor. Setting down the paperwork in my hands, I look up and see Aria in front of me. It feels like forever that we're sitting there analyzing each other. She looks different. No more pink streak. I remember helping her dye it in my already dye-stained bathroom with some leftover pink I had. I think it was the only time we weren’t silently fighting to be Alison’s best friend.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t say anything,” she said, finally breaking the silence.

“Honestly, I get it. I probably wouldn’t have either. How long have you been back?” I pushed a chair across the table out with my foot and finished the little bit of the accounting paperwork I was doing.

//////////////////////////////<3///////////////////////////////////

We talk for what feels like hours. She talked about Iceland, the man in the bathroom, and everything going on with her family. I talked about Rosewood, my job, the rest of the group, and oddly, Jason. Aria had messaged him a few months ago and he seemed better. I couldn’t pretend I wasn’t jealous. I could have tried, though. After Aria said her goodbyes, I wrote, deleted, and rewrote so many messages to Jason. I wanted him to know I was thinking of him. I didn’t even know if he would want that.

I gave up after half an hour. I packed up my stuff, said goodbye to my uncle and whoever else was left, and walked out. It was 11 pm, and cold. After putting my headphones in, I start walking. I felt a presence during my walk. I felt eyes on me, watching me like I was prey. I felt like my every move was being analyzed. I jumped when I felt my phone buzz. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I see a text from an unknown number.

‘Missing your lover? Sucks for you Bitch - xo A’

What the fuck?

/////////////////////////////<3//////////////////////////////////

I didn’t sleep last night. Anxiety kept me up. Anxiety about the text and the first day of school. Walking into my English class, I was surprised to see Aria, Emily, Hannah, and Spencer. All of us were in one room for the first time in almost a year. Walking towards Aria and Emily, I take the seat in front of Aria.

“Interesting class lineup,” I jokingly say, turning towards the girls. The bell rings and I turn halfway towards the front of the room. An oddly familiar figure stands in front of the board. As he turns I recognize the man from last night. That’s the guy Aria fucked. I turn my head back to her, wide-eyed, and am met with a similar face. Her eyes get wider as her phone goes off.

////////////////////////////<3/////////////////////////////////

The rest of the day is less eventful. No weird texts, no odd interactions. It was nice to spend the day with Aria and Emily. Work was paperwork, putting in orders, and planning community events the bar was involved in.

Walking towards my house, I see flashing red and blue lights. Speeding up I see ambulances and cop cars in front of Alison’s old house. Walking up to the group of people I spot Spencer away from the group. I stand beside her, Aria appearing next to me soon after.

“I heard the cops took Hannah to the police station today,” Aria said, breaking the silence.

“Wait, you don’t think she’d ever talk about-” Spencer began to ask.

“The Jenna thing?” Hannah interrupted, “ We made a promise”

[moonlitcelestial]

Chapter 2

Beyond the Lens - Logbook Videographer!Reader x Poly OT8 Ateez

W/C 2,752

🎥 Series Masterlist 🎥

☽ Masterlist ☾ 

Inspiration Pictures

Pinterest Board Masterlist

Previous Chapter (Chapter 1)

Disclaimer: This story is purely a work of fiction. It is not meant to assume or mock anything about Ateez, Atiny, or anything relating to what I do not know about being a videographer. I will be attempting to keep it as gender neutral as possible but it will lean toward she/her pronouns. 

The logo in the center is mine. Please do not reuse or copy.

I strongly recommend looking at the inspiration pictures. 

Warnings: cussing, conflict, possible angst, fluff, and obliviousness. 

This list will be updated as the story goes on. 

Thanks for reading <3 Moonie

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

After you fitfully slept on the proposition and spoke to your mother about taking care of the furballs when you would be gone you had officially decided that you would like to take the offer. You sincerely hoped the rest of the team decided the same. You also decided it was time to take the giants into the office. You had previously discussed the idea and the team agreed it would be fun. The giants were almost like dogs and were fairly well behaved even when getting out of the house. They were also great stress relievers. You knew that everyone would appreciate them being there. The giants have a way of knowing when emotions are high and they are the most comforting presence in those times. 

“Alright children, it's time for you to finally go to the office. Let's get you saddled up and get on the road.” You grabbed all three harnesses and jingled them, they knew when they heard that sound that they were going on an adventure. Toothless was the first one to appear as he was never too far behind you. He rubbed on your legs and you strapped the black winged harness around his chest and legs. You knew Forrest would get a kick out of it, especially since he got it for him. It was the perfect black to blend in with his fur. He peaked up at you with his big green eyes and you gave him scritches behind his ears. 

“Good job bud. Let's get you to the car,” you walked into your garage and opened the car door for him. He leapt into the car and settled immediately in the back seat. 

The next to appear was Beans. Her black and gold fur was shining in the sunlight as she walked. She looked at you with her split colored face while she chirped. She was the mouthiest of the three. You smiled and grabbed her white, black, and gold harness. “Hi pretty girl, let's get you ready so we can go see Auntie Aurora.” Her and Aurora had bonded immediately, if she wasn't with you she was with Aurora when all of you hung out. She was all strapped in and ready to go. You led her to the car and she got right in, making her way to the passenger seat. 

You walked back into the house and saw Mocha sitting patiently by her white and gold harness. She was the diva princess, and she certainly looked the part with her all white fur and her different colored eyes. You always joked that they were her two personalities. She was either in your face demanding attention or playing hard to get. “Hi Princess, let's get your jewels on and head out.” you strapped the harness on and led her to the car, she leaped in and settled down close to Toothless. They were always partners in crime. Once you were satisfied they were comfortable you closed the door and got into the driver's seat. Your copilot chirped at you again. You started your Cadillac Lyriq that you affectionately named Aria. You reached over and petted Beans, making sure to scratch her chin for a second. You headed to the office which was about a thirty minute drive. Generally you made it there a couple minutes before the others so they would hopefully be surprised by the giants.

Once you got to the office you grabbed their leashes and had them follow you into the building. They all were very curious, and the people passing cooed at them. Once you made it in you unlatched their leashes and let them wander around for a minute while you got things started for the morning. You smiled at the three pictures you had hanging in the lobby of them, your unofficial company mascots. You had brought them to a park and took professional shots of them with the help of Aurora forever ago. You had been looking for pictures to put up around the office to represent your talent and these were the three you chose. You called them to the hallway door and propped it open for them. They ventured in to explore, once all three of them were in you closed it. You headed up the stairs and propped the door open at the top landing so they could meander around. You headed to your office and put the door stopper in it. There was a no closed door policy that they had instilled in you, you only had the doors closed if they weren't allowed in the room when you were not in that room. 

Once you sat down your bag you booted up your computer and started on some of the emails you had from the night before. Not too long after you heard Beans chirp, “Come here baby, I'm up the stairs.” you heard the padding of a few sets of feet and Aurora appeared with the three in tow. Ah that's why she was being mouthy. You hadn't even heard Aurora come in the door. 

“Hi N/N it's good to see the giants," she said while she knelt down to pet all three of them. She walked off to her office and you heard her prop it open. The other two teammates followed the same routine once they got in. Toothless was curled up on your couch back to back with Mocha when Forrest appeared. He took one look at the floofs on the couch and squealed at the small wings you could barely see on Toothless’ big frame. You left his harnesses on for this exact reason. 

“I knew you would love seeing him in it.” you remarked not looking up from your computer. Forrest marched over to pet Toothless and then picked him up and held him up like Simba to inspect the wings and harness. Mocha chirped at the lack of affection. Forrest gently set down Toothless and started scratching Mocha’s head. 

“Is everyone here?” You inquired looking up from your computer. 

“Yes, Willow came in a second before I did.” Forrest responded while petting both cats. 

You stretched and got up, “alright, lets go to the round table and have a team meeting.” That was what your group had affectionately called the large table that was on the landing. Even if it was not round, it was more oblong than anything. You stopped to unclip the harness from Toothless on your way out the door, you had already taken off the other two’s harnesses. Forrest smiled at them and started to the round table. You walked over to the other offices beckoning them to come for a team meeting.  You noticed Beans curled up on the corner of Aurora’s desk. Of course, her second favorite person was around so her first didn't matter. 

“Alright, we have had time to discuss with our families and sleep on it, has our verdict changed? Do we need to discuss anything before we take the next step? You questioned pushing up your glasses as you sat down. 

“My answer is still the same. Meadow is cool with everything and said that we should buy her souvenirs any time we go anywhere. This is the time of the year that she travels a lot as well so we wouldn’t have seen each other any way” Aurora piped up after taking a sip of her coffee. 

“Same here, Asher is absolutely in love with the fact that we will be getting to travel. He said to take lots of pictures,” Forrest agreed. 

“My answer is the same. I discussed it with Rowan and he is going to discuss the whole thing with his managers to see if they will permit him to work while traveling. He does remote work so I don't see why it would be an issue but he would rather be safe than sorry.”

“That's smart, I am glad he is possibly going to come along.” You said smiling at her. “Also, I would like for all of you to be in the room while I call them so that way you can hear the details as I do. I am unsure about what the exact details will be but I am sure we will get more answers soon.”

“Let's do this!” Aurora said with a fighting gesture that only you would understand. You laughed at her and got up to head to your office. They all followed you and filed in. Forrest picked up Toothless and Willow picked up Mocha while they sat. Aurora plopped onto the giant beanbag chair you had in the corner. Before too long you heard the padding of soft feet. Beans appeared and got comfortable next to Aurora. 

You redialed the number you took down for KQ, your fingers slightly shook as you dialed. It rang a couple of times before someone answered. 

“KQ Entertainment, how can I help you?” a man questioned

“Hello I am looking for Ji-Yu, my name is Y/n with Beyond the Lens Studios.” 

“Okay perfect, I will get you transferred back momentarily.”

“Thank you.”

The hold music was some of the background music from some of Ateez’s songs. It was endearing how they adored their artists. Definitely something some other companies could learn from. 

“This is Ji-Yu, how can I help you?”

“Good morning Ji-Yu, this is Y/N with Beyond the Lens Studios, I have you on speaker with the rest of my team to give you our decision.” 

“Okay, perfect, Let me grab our CEO and then we can discuss your decision.” You were put on another brief hold. The music had changed into something completely different, something you only could assume was Xikers or Eden. You looked over to your team, each of them loving on one of the giants. 

“Hello Y/n?” Ji-Yu’s voice fitted through the speaker. 

“Yes I am here.” you said, snapping your head back to the phone. 

“Okay, you are on speaker with me, the CEO, and Hongjoong.” She noted. 

“Thank you for letting me know.” Holy shit you thought to yourself. “On behalf of our team here at Beyond the Lens Studios I would like to formally accept the offer you have extended to us. 

“That is great news, we have already drafted up the contract in preparation.” Ji-Yu said “Would it be alright if we come over to your studio this afternoon to discuss details before you sign?” Your eyes widened. 

“We would also like to get a feel for your studio and formally introduce ourselves to you as you will be spending a lot of time with us.” Hongjoong piped in, “we only have this afternoon available as a group for the foreseeable future.”

You looked at your team, your eyes almost popping out of your head, they looked back at you with the same amount of shock. You had expected it to take a little bit of time to sort out their things before meeting with you, especially the boys. 

“Let me check if our calendar is clear.” You turned to your computer and looked at the group calendar and noticed that it was empty for this afternoon.  

“This afternoon works perfectly. What time would you like to meet?” 

“We could do it at 1:30, that way everyone has the opportunity to eat beforehand and we don't have any grumps in our ranks.” Hongjoong said. 

“That also works for our team,” Ji-Yu said. 

“Perfect! I will get you on our calendar and we look forward to meeting you this afternoon, thank you for this opportunity.” you said cheerily.

“We look forward to meeting with all of you as well.” Hongjoong said. The call ended and you leaned back in your seat. You pushed your hands up under your glasses and sighed. You hadn't realized you were holding your breath. Bringing your hands away from your face you looked at everyone.

“Holy fuck,” Aurora blurts, “I was not expecting that to happen so quickly.” 

“I don't think any of us were.” Forrest said. You looked over to him and Toothless jumped from his lap to your desk approaching you. He always knew when your nerves were high. You reached out your hand to him and he bunted it. You smiled at him and started petting him fully. He was your boy, he followed you around everywhere and was very demanding when it came to cuddles. If there was a sling that would fit a cat of his size you are sure he would absolutely love it. 

“It is a good thing we all have a spare set of clothes here to change into to look professional.” Willow chimed in.

You looked down at yourself, the black sweats and large black hoodie were definitely not appropriate for a business meeting. The other sported similar looks only with more color. 

“Let's head down and get started. We need all the time we can get to make the office look presentable, and to get our faces ready.” You got up and headed toward your door, it was right around 10 am, so you only had just about 3 hours to get your shit together and look presentable. 

“Are we ordering food or is someone going to make something?” Forrest ever the foodie asked from behind you. 

“Just order in and put it on the company card. This will be a company lunch anyway cause we definitely don't have the time to cook or go home. We need to go and clean up the studio and vacuum the floors of the dressing rooms. After we clean we still need to make ourselves look presentable.” 

“Kay kay, I'll go order for everyone, and I will pick it up in about an hour. In the meantime, there are still a few things out in the studio from the shoot that was here earlier this week.” Forrest said walking to his office. You looked over the balcony rails and saw a few lights scattered around and a couple of tripods. 

“I've got that, will the two of you split up and check the dressing rooms and please make sure the conference room looks good and that the snacks are all stocked in there as well. You said to the two women following you out of the room.

“Roger that,” Aurora said with a mock salute, “I'll go check the dressing rooms.”

Willow walked out of the office last and said “I'll get the conference room then, I'm the only one around here we can trust around the snacks anyway.” Aurora gasped in mock offence and you giggled at the snipe. You walked toward the upstairs door and made sure to close it after the three of you so the furry hooligans wouldn't get downstairs while you cleaned. 

After cleaning up for about an hour and eating which was about 30 minutes you started to get ready for the meeting. You walked to your office and grabbed the outfit you had hanging in its garment bag on your coat rack. Days like today were exactly why you recommended all of you have outfits at the ready. You unzipped the garment bag and pulled out the hangar. You made sure that the full outfit was there. The belt wrapped around the top, the black cropped jacket, black high waisted slacks, and the black sleeveless blouse were all hanging from it. You grabbed your pointed toe black shoes that were sitting at the base of the coat rack and made your way out. The best way you could describe your professional style to anyone was corporate goth or dark academia. You always dressed in black and very rarely had any color on. Your tattoos were barely going to be on display with the choice of outfit. You walked downstairs to the dressing room where Willow and Aurora were seated doing their hair. You smiled at them and hung your outfit on one of the hangers attached to the wall setting the shoes down as well. You made your way to the vanities and started your process. After a little bit you straightened your hair, and finally you got dressed. The other two had left a little while ago. You had just put the jacket on when you heard a small knock on the door and Willow peaked her head in. 

“They're here, " she said through the crack of the door.

You checked yourself in the mirror one last time. 

Here we go

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Next Chapter (Chapter 3)

Taglist

@breadedloafs @a-short-ass-disappointment

[harrisonarchive]

George and Olivia in Los Angeles, 1975; photos by Henry Grossman.

“Unannounced [at A&M Records], George one sunny day [in 1975] shambled in with Linda’s sister, Olivia Arias. Gorgeous as she was, he was the one who seemed to glow. He was ‘aurafied’; something shimmery this way comes. His vibratory sheen, real or fancied, I have noted on only one other person: I saw it all around Bobby Kennedy […] Dino [Airali] made the intros, and George said, ‘Hosford — oh yes, with Shelter [Records], isn't it?’ What a gas! I knew the Wence boys would be proud of me. George was cool. Chit-chatty. Affable.” - Larry Hosford, sisyphustracks dot com “Hosford was cutting his second album, Cross Words. Harrison liked what he heard and asked to add some slide to ‘Wishing I Could.’ […] Hosford still has a strong recollection of Harrison’s studio demeanor: ‘George is pretty laid-back, played sitting down. Absorbed? Oh, yes, and very focused on getting his stuff right, very intent, not in any way nervous.’ […] ‘He doesn’t clone himself tune to tune. But the licks are recognizable within the scope of what we’ve come to know and expect of him musically: tasty, confident, tone worthy, original, apt, well rendered — those things are, to me, his ‘signature.’” […] ‘He was “aurafied.” I have met many, many celebrities and it wasn’t that — not just a star-struck moment. And it wasn’t like some colorful-haze-all-about-his-head-and-shoulders, fortune-teller deal either. Maybe it was born of arcane cosmic or psychic phenomenon on his part (or mine), but I did in fact perceive a glow, a shimmer, a something… It wasn’t there every tome I looked, yet it was recurrent. Yet, he seemed to be the only one around who wasn’t aware he was a superstar of unprecedented magnitude, though I am sure we can assume he was. Everything I know about him defines a bone fide, good-natured human.’” - While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison (2006)

[misssparklingpaws]

Shadow in the Flame

Chapter 27:  Womb conspiracy

The compound kitchen was unusually full for 7 a.m.

John was nursing his third coffee, clearly regretting his life. Ava sat on the counter, legs swinging, scrolling through something ominous on her phone. Alexei was rummaging through the fridge like it owed him rent.

Aria sat quietly at the island, a half-eaten bagel in front of her, blanket around her shoulders like a soft, sarcastic queen. Bob stood behind her, humming and peeling an orange with surgical precision.

And then Yelena burst in like a blonde missile.

“You’re pregnant.”

Aria blinked once. “Good morning.”

Bob turned innocently. “Hey, Lena. Want some juice?”

She marched past him. “Don’t change the subject. You’re hiding something, and I know what it is.”

Aria took another bite of her bagel. “Lactose intolerance?”

“Pregnancy,” Yelena hissed. “You haven’t been sparring. You dry-heaved in the middle of debrief last week. You’re living off ginger tea and crackers like you’re being haunted by a Victorian ghost.”

Bob made a low oooh sound. “That’s good. Write that down.”

“I did,” Yelena said, yanking a folded page from her jacket. “I made a chart.”

Aria glanced at it with a faint wince. “Is that… yarn?”

“Yes, red. For ‘WOMB ACTIVITY.’”

Bob snorted and quickly turned it into a cough.

Yelena slammed the chart on the counter. “You two are up to something, and the vibes are maternal. Either you’re pregnant, or you’ve adopted an alien larva and I deserve to know which.”

“I told you it’s a hernia,” Aria said calmly.

Yelena narrowed her eyes. “You had a hernia six weeks ago. This is a new energy.”

Bob offered her a fresh juice. “Calcium helps with wild theories. Just saying.”

“You’re glowing,” Yelena pointed out, eyes flicking to Aria. “That’s not ‘hernia.’ That’s ‘tiny organism is stealing your calcium and emotions.’”

Aria deadpanned, “I switched moisturizers.”

“Oh my God,” Yelena gasped. “You’re gaslighting me.”

Bob wrapped his arms gently around Aria from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. “Technically, we’re just withholding the truth to maintain a superior tactical advantage.”

“That’s the definition of gaslighting!”

Aria sipped her tea. “Sounds like a you problem.”

Yelena turned on her heel, pacing. “Fine. Okay. Let’s say you’re not pregnant. Then explain the saltines. The oversized hoodie. The way Bob almost passed out when you said ‘I’m craving pickles’ last night.”

Bob raised a hand. “To be fair, that was just a lot of emotional whiplash in one sentence.”

Yelena spun back to face them. “You’re glowing. You’re soft. You kissed in public. You made eye contact for longer than four seconds.”

Aria shrugged. “I was sleep-deprived.”

“AND,” Yelena said triumphantly, slapping her hand on the table, “last night I found an empty jar of prenatal vitamins in the trash!”

Aria blinked. “That could’ve been anyone’s.”

“It had your initials on the label.”

Aria sipped her tea again. “Well. That does sound suspicious.”

Yelena stared at her. Then at Bob. Then back at Aria.

“You two are insufferable.”

“We prefer enigmatic,” Aria said, standing slowly and brushing crumbs off her hoodie.

Bob grinned. “Or mysterious.”

“I hate you both,” Yelena said.

“We love you too,” Aria replied sweetly, and kissed Bob on the cheek.

Yelena groaned like a banshee and stormed out of the kitchen, muttering, “I will get confirmation. I will uncover the truth. I will swab that saltine for hormone residue if I have to.”

When she was gone, Bob turned to Aria, beaming.

“You think we pushed her too far?”

“No,” Aria said, picking another saltine from the pack. “She lives for this.”

“True.”

Aria rubbed her belly absently and murmured, “She’s going to be so dramatic when we finally tell her.”

Bob chuckled. “You mean even more than this?”

“She’s going to throw a party. Or a tantrum. Or both.”

He leaned down and kissed her neck. “Either way, it’ll be loud.”

“Exactly.”

They clinked glasses.

War was coming.

And they were going to enjoy every second of it.

---

After breakfast Yelena walks in mid-conversation with Ava, ranting at full speed.

“And I’m telling you, they’re messing with me deliberately. I saw Bob yesterday staring at a fertility tracking app like it was Reddit. And Aria? She ate a pickle with tajin and mango jam.”

Ava shrugs. “That just sounds like her Mexican side fighting her Stark side.”

“Exactly!” Yelena points, unhinged. “That’s hormonal chaos. It’s culinary war.”

They round the corner and freeze.

Aria is sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by a tower of tissue paper and a huge designer box with Bob kneeling beside her. The pair looked suspiciously serene, like cult leaders about to unveil prophecy.

Inside: rows of tiny, luxury baby onesies. Prada. Dior. Stark-custom black with mini arc reactors embroidered in platinum thread. One said “Billionaire Heir in Progress.” Another? “Daddy’s Human Shield.”

Yelena’s brain short-circuited.

“WHAT IS THAT?” she blurted.

Bob didn’t even flinch. “Baby clothes.”

“I can see that! Why do you have designer baby clothes?!”

Aria, deadpan “They’re for Morgan.”

“…Morgan is eight.”

“Exactly,” Bob said, lifting a tiny Gucci onesie like it was sacred. “She’s turning nine next week. This is for her gift.”

Yelena blinked. “You’re giving a nine-year-old baby clothes?!”

“For her reborn doll,” Aria clarified, straight-faced.

“She has a reborn doll?” Ava asked skeptically.

“She will,” Bob said. “We’re commissioning one. Hyper-realistic. Weighted limbs. Real human eyelashes.”

Aria nodded. “I told the artist to match its bone structure to a 3-month-old with Stark jaw genetics.”

Yelena stared at them in horror. “You’re both demons.”

“Designer demons,” Bob said proudly, holding up a onesie covered in tiny repulsors. “Look. It’s heat-resistant.”

“It’s absurd,” Aria added mildly. “But if we’re going to corrupt a child with materialism, we might as well do it properly.”

Yelena’s eye twitched. “You’re pregnant and this is psychological warfare.”

Bob gasped. “How dare you accuse us while we’re mid-charitable act for a minor.”

“She’s your half-sister, Aria!”

“Which means I owe her a reborn doll dressed like a miniature billionaire assassin,” she said smoothly.

Yelena threw her hands up. “Why do the onesies say ‘Starkling Alpha Model 001’?!”

“Personal branding,” Aria replied. “She’ll appreciate it.”

“She’s NINE!”

“Then we’re right on schedule.”

Bob gave a sage nod. “By age ten she’ll have her own monogram.”

Yelena paced in a tight circle. “This is not normal behavior. None of this is normal. People don’t spend $1,200 on baby couture for a doll.”

Aria gave her an icy look. “Don’t be classist.”

Bob added helpfully, “And technically, the Fendi set was discounted. Aria bought it during their stealth maternity drop.”

“Maternity?!”

“For the doll,” they said together, completely in sync.

Yelena looked like her soul was trying to escape her body. “You’re messing with me.”

Aria blinked innocently. “Or maybe… I’m just rich and weird.”

Yelena narrowed her eyes. “You two are chaos made flesh. I will find the truth.”

“And when you do,” Bob said kindly, “we’ll throw you a party.”

“Or gaslight you again,” Aria said.

“Maybe both,” Bob shrugged.

Yelena turned and marched out of the room, muttering in Russian about crimes against logic.

As soon as she was gone, Bob grinned and leaned close. “How long do we keep this going?”

Aria smirked and folded the onesie back into the box. “Until she dreams about baby mannequins.”

“Too late,” Bob whispered. “She already texted Bucky: They’re building an heir. It wears Dior.”

Aria laughed into her hand.

Somewhere down the hall, Yelena screamed into a pillow.

Victory was sweet.

And fit in a Louis Vuitton newborn set.

---

Later that day after lunch Yelena had just finished a sparring session with John and was wiping sweat from her brow when Bob appeared in the doorway, smiling way too sweetly for 9 a.m.

“Hey,” he chirped, “you busy?”

Yelena froze. “No. Why?”

Aria strolled in behind him, holding two paint swatches and a measuring tape. She looked completely non-lethal in leggings and a ponytail. It was terrifying.

“We’re repainting the spare room beside our suite,” she said calmly. “We need help.”

Yelena narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

“It’s going to be a yoga room,” Bob said cheerfully. “Very peaceful. Very… pale blue.”

He held up the paint swatches. One was named Soft Serene Mist. The other was literally Baby Breath.

Yelena blinked. “That’s a nursery color.”

Aria didn’t even blink. “That’s a yoga color.”

“We want a calming space,” Bob added. “With soft lighting. Maybe clouds on the ceiling.”

“Clouds.”

“And stars,” Aria said. “It’s for inner peace.”

“You want me to help paint a yoga room with clouds on the ceiling.”

“Yes,” they said in unison.

Alexei walked past, did a double-take, and muttered, “Why don’t you just hire someone?”

Bob turned to him with a totally earnest, gleaming smile. “Because we want to make memories.”

Yelena choked on her water.

John leaned in, confused. “Memories?”

“Yeah,” Bob said. “The good kind. Hands covered in paint, laughing too much, stepping on the tarp—y’know, the full DIY bonding montage.”

“Sounds like a romcom,” John muttered.

Aria nodded. “Exactly. And if the paint ends up uneven, that’s part of the charm.”

Yelena stared at them, then at the Soft Serene Mist, then back at Bob. “Do you even do yoga?”

“I stretch sometimes,” he said.

Aria added, “And sometimes he breathes. Deeply. That counts.”

Yelena exhaled like she was physically in pain. “This is a baby room.”

Bob looked her in the eye. “No, it’s a spiritual restoration chamber.”

“With clouds.”

“And glow-in-the-dark stars,” Aria confirmed. “We’re considering adding a mobile.”

Yelena blinked. “A mobile.”

“Balance,” Bob said solemnly. “It’s all about balance.”

Ava poked her head in. “What are you guys doing?”

“Painting a yoga room,” Aria said before Yelena could open her mouth.

Ava looked at the swatches. “Those are literally baby colors.”

Bob shrugged. “Some people feel safe surrounded by gentle, womb-adjacent tones.”

Yelena whispered, “They’re playing me like a fiddle.”

Ava blinked. “Wait—are you… is this…?”

“Don’t encourage her,” Aria said quickly. “She thinks we’re nesting. It’s delusion.”

Bob placed a hand on Yelena’s shoulder. “We value your painting skills. Also your trust.”

“You have neither,” Yelena said flatly.

Bob handed her a tiny roller brush.

Aria added, “We got you a lavender jumpsuit. It matches the serenity vibe.”

Yelena looked between them, the brush, and the cursed paint swatches. “I’m going to paint this entire room. Then I’m going to sit in the corner until the baby shows up just to say I told you so.”

Bob grinned. “We hope you enjoy the process.”

“Traitors,” she muttered, stomping toward the hall.

Aria leaned close to Bob. “Should we start assembling the crib while she’s out?”

Bob smiled. “Nah. Let’s wait until she thinks it’s a moon altar.”

And somewhere, in the soft blue chaos of manipulated trust, their yoga room dreams came true.

---

The last straw was that day, after dinner.

Yelena stood in the doorway, staring daggers at the enormous, glossy package parked in the middle of the suite a ridiculously fancy stroller that looked like it belonged in a billionaire’s nursery, not a government-funded compound.

Arms crossed, voice laced with disbelief, she deadpanned, “Okay. What the hell is this? Last I checked, neither of you is waddling around with a baby bump.”

Aria flashed an infuriatingly sweet smile. “Oh, that? Just a little surprise.”

Yelena’s eyes narrowed. “A surprise? What, like an alien baby? Because that stroller could fund my next five black ops missions.”

Before either of them could answer, the door flung open and Morgan strolled in like she owned the place cradling her reborn doll like a prize and radiating smugness.

“Is that for my reborn doll?” she asked, voice syrupy with fake innocence, eyes glinting with mischief. “You know, the one you’ve been spoiling like she’s heir to the Stark throne.”

Aria chuckled, reaching over to ruffle her little sister’s hair. “Busted. It was supposed to be a surprise.”

Bob leaned in with a proud grin. “Only the finest for the queen of reborn dolls.”

Yelena stared at them, slack-jawed. “I swear to God, I’m in some twisted reality show. Stroller conspiracies. Designer baby gear. And a tiny Stark spawn building a doll empire under my nose.”

Morgan tilted her head, smile sharpened to a knife’s edge. “You’re just mad she likes me more.”

Yelena threw her hands in the air. “Nope. I’m done. Someone sedate me. Or launch me into orbit. Either works.”

Aria winked at Bob, smug and victorious. “Chaos? Achieved.”

Bob gave a thumbs-up. “Flawless victory.”

Morgan held her doll higher, like Simba on Pride Rock. “Long live the queen.”

Yelena turned on her heel, muttering in Russian under her breath.

And the mischief rolled on.

[aria0fgold]

Living with Aly and Vita is like having two guardians telepathically communicating with me that is mostly at odds with one another. In other words, my head has been very chaotic with the addition of Vita.

[cadybear420]

Happy Wedding Day to Aiden and Evie!!!!

It's June 20, 2025! AKA, the official date of Aiden and Evie's wedding! So I've decided to revamp my original Aidevie Wedding Headcanons post! Comes with edits and a few dialogue snippets!

Original Questionairres Here and Here. I've combined them into this one big list.

Tags for those who may be interested:

@lover-also-fighter-also | @choicesmc | @our-own-private-paradise |

@loreofyore | @rjschoicesstuff | @aria-ashryver |

@zhoumeyourlove | @dutifullynuttywitch | @storyofmychoices |

@peonyblossom | @rosesnink | @aces-and-angels |

@pansexy-choices-the-sequal | @hssprimefan | @aallotarenunelma |

@lilyoffandoms |

How long were they together before they got engaged?

They got engaged on May 21, 2022– so they'd known each other for about 5 years, and had been girlfriend-boyfriend for about 4 and a half years. By this time, Evie had finished her second year of Uni and Aiden had finished his 3rd year of Uni. Despite them dating in high school and maybe going to different universities (I'm still figuring out where Evie goes to for Uni), they've had a very strong relationship all throughout.

Who first brought up the option of marriage? Was it an easy topic?

Evie I think was the first to bring it up. A few months into their relationship, they mostly just casually tossed the idea around a few times, as well as the idea of living with each other. Sort of like "imagine if we got married one day", or "I'd love to live with you in the future". Evie has fantasized about it more, so she was the first to think of talking about it. It wasn't necessarily difficult, but it was something they both wanted to be absolutely sure about and not rushing too fast into.

Evie had long since made it clear she wanted to be the one to propose, should they ever get married... but the two had also agreed that, prior to any proposal no matter who proposes, they would talk about it together if either of them felt sure of having a marriage. That way, no one would feel like they're being put on the spot by the other's proposal.

By at least late February 2022, Evie was starting to feel more sure of actually marrying Aiden, and by mid April, she initiated the conversation with him. And both were sure they were ready for it.

Who proposed and how? Was it grand and public? Discreet and private? Was it expected?

Evie proposed, obviously. She's always fantasized about proposing to a hypothetical future husband and always imagined it going perfectly. It's what makes her feel special personally, not to mention it's very gender euphoric.

Again, even early on into their casual marriage talks, Evie had made it very clear that she wanted to be the one to propose... though she'd often worry she was coming off as picky. Not to mention how she knows how Aiden sometimes worries he's not doing enough for her.

But they have sometimes coordinated who would do homecoming proposals and promposals– after Aiden had asked Evie to homecoming and prom as per the OG HSS timeline, Evie did express wanting to ask Aiden, and so he did agree that Evie would get to do the asks next year (during the HSS:CA timeline). They split it in Evie's senior year– Evie would ask Aiden to homecoming, Aiden would ask Evie to prom.

So, it probably wouldn't be as big a deal for Evie to insist that she propose. But she still can be unsure of herself about stuff like that.

I imagine a younger Aiden had always pictured himself being the one to propose, if he were ever to get married. Part of him still wanted to be the one to propose marriage and in general planning something big and special and important for Evie, but he does also understand how much it means to Evie to propose to him.

In the end, it's not all that important to him to be the one to propose. Plus, it didn't take long for him to grow onto the idea of being treated to a big special spoiling proposal. Even ignoring their Who Gets To Do The Hoco And Prom Asks talks, he does know he should let himself be treated and spoiled more.

As for how the proposal went down... Evie had been rotating this proposing-to-Aiden fantasy in her head like a rotisserie chimken for years, but it was only by late February/early March that year is when she was settling on a distinct idea of how she'd like to propose to him.

But even though her plan had become more strongly developed, when it was time for the actual proposal... she started screaming internally and began agonizing over everything.

While they made sure no one would be put on the spot to agree to say yes, they both still wanted some element of surprise to it. Like, Aiden knew Evie might propose to him, he just didn't know when. So there was already a lot of agonizing there on Evie's part.

See, she wanted to treat him to something big and special leading up to the proposal, but it couldn't be too big that it'd be painfully obvious what it was leading to and thus ruin the element of surprise. Like, oh wow, the two of you have officially decided on marriage, and you're going all out in spoiling the fuck out of Aiden on a day that isn't a particular special event? I just wondeeeerrrr what it could be abooouuuuut.

Evie also agonized a lot over which kind of engagement ring to get Aiden. She wanted one that sort of made him feel special, but was still within his tastes. She knew he probably wasn't gonna be upset and that she did know him well enough to choose something he'd like, but part of her also really wanted the proposal to be perfect y'know?

On May 21, 2022, Evie proposed to Aiden. She found a way to keep it simple but big. So she just took Aiden on a very extensive date that day. A day full of swimming, go-karting, and dancing. Then she took him back to her house, only to find that she– or at least their friends– had decorated the shit out of her house (Evie's choice of decorations, of course).

Then she led him to her backyard, giving a speech about her love for him... before dropping down on one knee and opening up a purple velvet ring box. Aiden said yes before she even had a chance to actually pop the question.

"Aiden Zhou, will you–" "Yes, Evie, yes yes YES!!!" He freezes, his face turning deep red. "Oh... sorry, um..." "It's okay, My King!" "Um... you can continue if you want..." "Are you sure? I mean, I'm not upset that you–" "Yeah, but I know how much you wanted to say it." "That's true, heh. Well then... Aiden Zhou, will you marry me?" "Yes, yes, a thousand times YES!"

Show us their engagement and/or wedding rings!

The engagement ring!

Dazzling diamond, unique, stylish– but still sleek and simple and not too clunky. Exactly what Aiden likes.

The Wedding Rings!

Think the style/design of the top image (sans the engraving on the heart), with the purple stripe+pattern in the bottom left image on the outside, and the music engravings of the bottom right image on the inside.

The musical notes engravings would be directly from one of the songs Aiden has composed for Evie.

Bonus: a series of other ideas I considered for their wedding bands! Was hard to decide which one, but ultimately I think they both wanted something with a cute design that was unique to them, but also relatively simple and not too clunky.

Truth be told, I'm not sure who wears which ring. Evie likes the left one because it's technically the more "masculine" one, but she also likes the right one because it has the gem in it and she likes that shit. The left one is also the one with the hole, which does make it suited for Aiden. I think judging by how the rings are designed, they are adjustable and so they each take turns with who wears which ring, swapping every month. I'm also gonna pretend their ring sizes aren't much different anyways.

Who were the first people to find out about the engagement? How did they react?

Pretty much all of their friends, since they helped with the decorations for Evie's proposal.

We all know Emma, Ezra, and especially Myra just absolutely lost their shit when they found out. Everyone was very proud and excited for them, but especially those three.

Scott also knew prior to the proposal. Evie was so excited, there's no way she wouldn't tell her Dad about it. He's equally excited, but also of course can't help himself with Dad Puns.

Aiden's parents would have of course known that they were technically making wedding plans, but they don't learn about the official engagement until after Evie's proposal, when he tells them excitedly.

How long was the engagement?

Evie and Aiden waited 3 years after their engagement before officially getting married. Seeing as they were both still in Uni, they wanted to take their time with planning the wedding. Plus, they're both pretty cautious and did wanna give it a few more years to think about it more deeply.

After Evie graduated, they had a lot more time and were able to fully plan their wedding within the following year.

Did they plan the wedding by themselves, with help, or with a professional planner? Who did most of the planning?

Both had pretty equal parts in the planning. Though I'd probably say Evie chose most of the decorations, but Aiden did vibe with nearly all of her choices so yeah. They did also have a few friends and family to give them guidance.

Was the planning and time up til the wedding stressful?

Evie sometimes did agonize over it, wanting a perfect dream role-reversed wedding. But for the most part, they were taking it relatively easy.

Wedding Party? Who are the maids of honor and/or best men? Why and how were they chosen?

Evie's bridal party consists of:

Emma, who is her Best Woman

Caleb

Cher Lee (my HSS:CA MC)

Bear Lee (my HSS:CA MC's twin)

Frank

Julian

Jade

Sakura

and possibly others.

Aiden's groom party consists of:

Myra, who is his Maid of Honor

Adelaide (my ROD MC who is also Aiden's cousin)

Ezra

Cameron

Michael

Ajay

Maria

Skye

Nishan

and possibly others.

Emma and Myra are Evie's and Aiden's closest bestest friends, respectively.

Emma generally prefers dresses, but she knows she can rock a suit and enjoys wearing suits every now and then. She was more than happy to wear one as Evie's Best Woman.

Myra wanted to go a bit all-out for Aiden's wedding, but did have to be careful not to upstage the groom. But let's be real, given the look he picked for himself, it's near impossible for anyone to upstage him.

Big Wedding or Small? Was there any drama whatsoever regarding the guest list?

Somewhere in between? The venue is fairly expensive, but the guests only consist of family and friends (a lot of the friends being those that they knew at Berry).

There wasn't really any drama with the guest list.

Show us a mood/stimboard of their wedding's general aesthetic/colors/theme?

Both Evie and Aiden want a nice balance between "simple, light-hearted, and whimsical" and "upscale, luxurious, and grand", so they decide on the former aesthetic for the ceremony, the latter aesthetic for the indoor area of the reception, and a mix of both for the outdoor area of the reception.

They definitely wanted some cherry blossom(-esque) decorations, because it's one of their favorite flowers. Cherry blossoms are awesome.

The leafy purple and succulent flowers + stray flowers for table decorations were because they both love the color purple, and because it did add a touch of summery chill relaxation vibes. Also, it matches the genderqueer flag. Pure Coincidence, I assure you. I picked those in like 2023, before I became more familiar with genderqueer as an umbrella term.

The candles are also Bergamot-scented and free party favors for guests to keep. Aiden and Evie made sure to save a stash for themselves as well.

I imagine there may also be some sunflowers. And rosies. So many pretty flowers aaagahhahahaga I want all the pretty flowers and so does Evie.

Tell me about the cake!

Red Velvet cake with chocolate chips inside, covered with an appropriate layer of basic vanilla frosting. Topped with a little ceramic bride-and-groom topper of them.

What about the flowers/bouquet?

Aiden's Bouquet (left) and Evie's Bouquet (right).

Evie has a bit of a fixation for pretty flowers, so they decided on both of them carrying a bouquet. Also whoop-dee-fuckin-woohoo surprise surprise, Evie's bouquet is genderqueer flag colored too. Also a Pure Coincidence, I picked these in 2023.

Aiden wanted genderqueer colored flowers too, but the two of them did want to add some summery-lookin flowers into the mix. It is a Summer wedding. They did also want each bouquet to match the other's outfit.

Do they get married through court? Church? Third secret option?

Either court or secret third option. They want it to technically be officially legalized, but also not so fussy.

When do they get married? Night or day? Any specific reason for either?

Probably they'd want it to take place over mid-late afternoon and/or early-mid evening. I'd think they'd want a bit of daytime and a bit of nighttime, but also still have enough nighttime to consummate their marriage hehe

Where was the Wedding?

The wedding was in the ballroom of a grand beachside hotel in upper Cedar Cove, I do not have a name for it yet lol. Evie gets excited about hotels, especially beachside hotels, so yeah.

Do either of them play music while walking down the aisle (if they do at all)? If yes, show us their song.

They definitely wanted music for when Aiden's walking down the aisle (and when officiating the marriage), preferably something that was the right balance of grand and ethereal.

I feel like they'd go with "Worthy" (Bmblb pt. 2) by Casey Lee Williams ft. Ariyel, from the RWBY V9 soundtrack. They both find it a beautiful song, a great combination of grand and ethereal, and these lyrics in particular are VERY fitting for them and their relationship:

And now I know I'm worthy of you (Oh, can't you see, you could be with me) With еvery smile you told me (I am your dream)"I love you" See me for everything I am You don't run away No matter the mistakes I made It's here, you'll stay And now I know I'm worthy of you (Oh, can't you see, you could be with me) With every smile you told me (I am your dream)"I love you"

Show us their outfits!

Edits by me, Art by @rjschoicesstuff! Please go give that art some love hehe <3 <3 <3

Evie of course went with a suit. Masc velvet suit hell yeah. Evie is obsessed with velvet textures.

Aiden by this point has become very comfortable wearing a dress. But he had a hard time deciding between whether his wedding outfit should be a suit or a dress, because he does like both for different reasons. At one point he even considered a hybrid of the two, eg. a blazer and tie over a dress, a suit that had a skirt-like appendage (think of f!Sam's wedding outfit from TNA 3), or some sort of jumpsuit.

He did end up deciding on a dress because a pants suit isn't exactly practical for the garter toss they wanted to do. He wanted a mix between elegant and sexy for his dress, and decided to forgo a blazer and tie too because he preferred the dress as it is.

In general, Aiden wanted to look and feel like an absolute ethereal special beautiful sexy GODDESS on his wedding day. Because let's be real, he is an absolute ethereal special beautiful sexy GODDESS, and he absolutely DESERVES to feel like one.

Bonus because why the hell not: My old designs for them. I liked them at first but eventually I just wasn't vibing with the hairstyles; Evie's looked too neat and corporate and did not go with those glasses, and Aiden's looked too blocky. Also the belt on Evie's suit is pretty, but I think she'd quickly start to find it too clunky. Also Aiden's skirt looked too thick and clunky in the original and it looks much better in RJ's art.

Bonus 2 because why the hell not: an older design for Aiden's wedding dress. I initially didn't like how the liquify tool made the dress come out, but revisiting it now... it's actually pretty decent to me. I may hold onto it for a different event.

Bonus 3 because why not: even older, more prototype Aidevie wedding designs, from 2021. My editing skills were very beginner level at the time. A friend of mine did the recoloring for Evie's outfit. I do still kinda like the idea of Aiden having a flower crown veil, not sure I can see Evie wearing a veil tho.

Do they follow any familiar, cultural, and/or religious traditions at any point of the wedding? Which traditions were important to them? Which ones did they skip?

They kept a lot of basic conventional wedding traditions, but with many of the gender-based ones they had, they'd have the roles reversed.

Aiden is the one walking down the aisle while Evie is the one waiting at the altar.

Both of them are carrying a bouquet, but only Aiden is doing a bouquet toss. Evie is holding onto hers.

Evie is the one tossing Aiden's garter.

Evie is the one bridal-carrying Aiden out of the venue and into their new home. Their first dance was a role-reversal of traditional waltz/ballroom as well (as is all their waltz/ballroom dances).

Evie and Aiden would also incorporate a few traditions from their own cultures, but role-reverse those too as fitting. Eg. IIRC there's a tradition in Chinese culture where the bride's new shoes can't touch the ground until she gets to their new home, so naturally Evie and Aiden would do a reversal of this and carry Aiden to make sure his shoes didn't touch the ground until their new home. Also there may be some sort of dragon-phoenix symbolism incorporated somewhere somehow, where Evie's the dragon and Aiden's the phoenix– though this one is also partly because that's what fits them best, and not just for the sake of role reveresal.

Who was the ringbearer?

Aiden's cat, Meowzart.

Evie's cat Daisy would have joined too, but she hates large crowds. Meowzart is a little more coordinated. But Daisy would still get to wear this little top hat (along with Meowzart wearing the veil)

Who married them?

A Professional Wedding Officiant, probably.

Show us their vows. Did either of them tear up at them?

Aiden, unsure how to properly word his vows, decided to compose a violin song. He has his Maid of Honor bring his violin along and hand it to him when it's time to say vows. He follows his composition with a short speech:

"This particular song was, of course, inspired by you, Evie. My future wife, and my best muse. Specifically, it was inpired by your confidence. Your confidence in me. Even when I would screw up, or had my less favorable moments... you could challenge me, but you never closed the door on me. You never thought lesser of me for... not always understanding you. Or when I would try to communicate through song, when my words just felt wrong. "Which is why I've composed this song for you today. Even now, words don't always come to me so easily, and these vows are no exception... but you've helped me accept that part of myself. You've helped me accept a lot about myself better. And better understand what are the real problems, and what aren't. And understand that those that are real problems... are manageable with you. "The moment I realized for sure that I loved you was when you told me, seven years ago, after my first promposal to you... that because music was important to me, my using it to express my feelings towards you was like me saying you were important to me. And it's vastly changed my perspective. "I love you, Evie Ayana. And I promise to maintain this all for you. To maintain my confidence and love for you just as you have for me. To work through our difficulties together. To always value the influence you have had and still have in my life, and to be– to continue to be– a fantastic person and now husband to you. You are important to me, you deserve only the best. And I want to continue to be that for you."

Evie also has a lot of trouble with wording her vows at first, but then has an easier time when she learns that employing narrative can be a common and pretty significant feature of wedding vows. So she decides to base hers around the story of when they first confessed their love to each other at prom.

"I remember, about seven years ago, when you first told me you loved me at our first prom. I was... elated, flattered, so, so excited, that you loved me just as I loved you. But at the same time, I was also... a little terrified. Terrified... that that love could end. Terrified that I'd end up doing something to hurt you, and destroy that love. There had even been a few disagreements before that, where I... was worried I'd hurt you, or that I'd overstepped. As well a few times where I was upset with you, where I felt you did something that you shouldn't have. "And yet, you said you love me anyway. And I said I love you as well. But what did that mean? That we were never going to disagree or be upset with each other ever again? "No. If we thought like that... well, where would we draw the line on what constitutes... a lack of love? Do we just never challenge each other ever in order to have real love for each other? Do we end things just because one of us so much as doesn't understand something the same way? "Even though disagreements were not (and still are not) commonplace for us, it was (and is) still evident that... they are inevitable in good, strong relationships. In even the best relationships So why did I still say 'I love you', even with my fear that it could be ruined, that it'd almost been ruined before, that our love was not real? Because in a way, sunconsciously, I figured... there may be a few reasons here and there that I might get upset with you. But there are a thousand more reasons for me to love you. And maybe that's what makes it real. "Perhaps, when we said 'I love you' to each other, we implicitly made an understanding. An understanding... that we probably wouldn't just be unwaveringly enamored with each other for eternity, but understanding to... accept... that imperfections and rocks and bumps... will be inevitable in our relationship. Understanding that you and I are people who can and will figure out how to work through those rocks and bumps in the appropriate manner, however it may be. Understanding that we... trust each other, but also can't be afraid to challenge each other when it matters. Understanding that not only would we have a lot of positives in their relationship, but also that any negatives in out relationships would be things we can and will do our best to work around. "By that point, I had known you well enough that I could decide... yes, Aiden Zhou, you are someone with whom I can manage the rocks and bumps with. You are just such an amazing person, and my life has only improved with you in it. I value you. I trust you. I love you. And after seven more years, I've gotten to know you even more, and my opinion holds even stronger because of that. "Within those following seven years that have passed since then, I've come to realize that that is the understanding we have of each other. Not just in our love declarations... but in almost every relationship milestone we've had. Every time we've come back together after either of us screws something up. Every time we say 'I love you' to each other. It's that understanding that keeps us going, that has always kept us going. "And today, our marriage... is simply an extension, a larger-step continuation, of that understanding. "Aiden Zhou... I love you. And I promise you that I mean everything that comes with it."

Did they tear up at each other's vows... do I even need to answer that? You know they both did.

Did anyone oppose the marriage? Did they speak then, or did they just forever hold their peace?

If anyone did oppose, we wouldn't know if they did or who they were. They forever held their peace, as they damn well should!

What was the ceremony/reception like? Any highlights?

After the ceremony, the reception went as follows:

First is their first dance as newlyweds. Aiden composed and recorded the song for it and kept it a surprise until now. Evie absolutely loses her shit over it.

Next is dinner and cake. Aiden and Evie fed each other the cake. No smashing it in each other's faces because that's messy and annoying however Aiden had a different kind of cake he was gonna smash into Evie's face, and they saved the wedding topper statue as a decorative commemorative ornament.

Next is toasts and roasts. Michael roasted the absolute fuck out of the newlyweds. Scott gave a very pun-infused speech. Emma read out some prose she wrote for them. Ezra and Myra performed a ballad they made for them. Glen and Bridget gave a very emotionally charged (in a positive way) speech about how far they've come since the Isa incident and how proud they were of their son. And possibly many more that I can't think of right now.

After that is the bouquet and garter tosses. Michael caught the bouquet (Evie was reluctant to let him keep those pretty summery orange flowers). Maria caught the garter (Aiden was reluctant to let her keep that lovely sexy accessory, even though he did keep a backup for their wedding night). Evie also almost tried to pull the garter off Aiden's leg with her teeth, until she remembered that both of them had family members there.

Last, is the actual party. Aiden and Evie made sure to have a variety of activities set up such as dancing, video games, karaoke, crafts, etc. A very exciting and vibrant night for everyone.

What about something that was uniquely ‘them’?

Their blend of aesthetics to have something vibrant and grand and exiting but not overwhelming. The insane variety of flowers. Their vows. And also how very shamelessly deliberately GNC their wedding was.

What’s their favorite memory of the day?

They can't really choose just one memory. Aiden is particularly fond of the songs he composed, though.

Did anyone pass out from a food/alcohol coma?

I don't think so, no.

Not food related, though, but Aiden will certainly be very stuffed by the end of the night :DDD

Do they have a honeymoon? Where to? How soon after?

First they spent one week in a suite of their wedding venue hotel. It's a very lovely hotel, plus they wanted a week to just go straight to their room and chill before heading out on a plane. There was a fair amount of sexy time and jacuzzi extortion, especially on the wedding night itself, but most of it was them relaxing and cuddling in bed, watching favorite movies, etc.

Next, they spent a week in a beachy/summery resort in Las Vegas. They wanted at least one part of the honeymoon to have full summer getaway vibes. 50% of their vacation was spent going swimming in the hotel pools, and the other 50% was very intense sexy time + extortion of the shower and jacuzzi.

They spent the final week in London, England, in the same hotel that they stayed at for the Spotlite trip in HSS:CA 3. Partly because they both like it there and partly because of the memory of going to Spotlite that was very important to them. This part of the honeymoon is lower on the sexy time, somewhat higher on the chill/relax time, with a lot of exploring of the city.

Do they renew their vows? Remarry, even?

I think they might do vow renewal on major milestone anniversaries (10 years, 25 years, 50 years, etc).

If the couple could describe their wedding in a sentence, how would they?

Grand, whimscal, ethereal, and shamelessly genderqueer as fuck.

If you could describe their wedding in a sentence, how would you?

Grand, whimscal, ethereal, and shamelessly genderqueer as fuck.

[retroaria]

HI ! I love your writing is it okay if you write nagi nsfw hcs ??

You know I totally forgot about my boy nagi so thank you for requesting this and making me lock in. :)

cw: aged up to 18+, MDNI!!!, afab!reader, honestly nothing too crazy, nagi ain’t a freak like that.

BLUE LOCK M.LIST | enjoy 😉 - aria | @aaliyah0022

Nagi Seishiro: NSFW Headcanons

I know it’s all anyone ever writes about but lazy sex with nagi is just a given. Sometimes you’ll be spooning and- oh! Yup, that’s his dick inside of you. (obviously he asked first consent is key). He tends to keep a steady yet sloppy pace when it’s like this, isn’t worried about you not cumming bc he can go on for forever in this position so trust me you will cum (not to mention he’s big enough to give you that nice stretchy feeling and hit all those sweet spots). His arms completely wrapped around your torso, hands roaming wherever they please, his hot breath and subtle groans deep into the crook of your neck, him thanking you afterwards. It’s like heaven.

While Nagi isn’t the most experienced partner he is definitely very open and willing to learn. The first time he made you cum gave him an epiphany. Seeing you like that, face contorted in pleasure, moaning his name in between brainless whimpers, walls clenching around him. This was a victory he was willing to work for.

Nagi in bed can be very different from Nagi at any other time. His careless lazy demeanor fades away and he becomes a needy, starving servant to the act. He even talks more during sex than he usually does. He’ll seriously drop whatever he’s doing at the time (even a league match, he’d risk it all). If you tell him you want him, let your hands roam his body and pull him into a sultry kiss, he’s all yours. “Where do you want me, baby?” He’d say in a low groan, ready to heed your every request.

He’s rarely selfish, finding that he gets off on pleasing you. He’s unashamed of the amount of times he’s came whilst rutting his hips against the bed like a needy dog with his head between your thighs, listening to the sounds of your pleading moans and your soaking cunt.

His favorite position is definitely the spooning one I mentioned before. Just fucking into you from behind, burying his face in the crook of your neck, one arm latched around you, fingers toying with your clit. He knows he looks like a feverish animal while doing it but it feels too good to care. Nagi is also a sucker for having you on top, riding and grinding on his cock as you need, using it to please your insides and holding onto him for dear life. He likes when you wrap your hands around his neck while you grind down on him, “Hahh~ god, love it when you use me like this- fuck”

Unlike Reo, he is not a fan of sharing. I’d imagine him trying to have a threesome but then regretting it when he realizes he hates every second you spend letting your attention fall on the other person and not him. Lets you know after that it will “never happen again” has to “re-fuck” you afterwards too bc chances are he couldn’t even get off during it. “I like you better like this, all mine, all for me.”

Nagi loves telling you he loves you during sex and he means it from the bottom of his heart. He doesn’t like sex that isn’t intimate which makes him rather against quickies. If he can’t have all of you for as long as he needs it feels like a waste of effort.

He’s not big on toys either. “Why do you need that? I have a mouth you know, hands too. Am I not good enough?” (He’s so dramatic smh) He’s fine with you using them when he’s not around, he even likes when you send him videos of you playing with yourself for him. Nagi has a collection in his photos app of your fucked out face and pretty body underneath him. He jerks off VERY often when you guys are separated, like multiple times a day, or at least he tries to. He has a hard time actually making himself cum sometimes because he gets frustrated that he doesn’t have you to do it for him and bored. He’ll just give up usually, sending you a picture of his sad, hard cock with a sad face emoji.

LOVES phone sex. When he’s having a hard time getting off without you around, he’ll call you and cum to the sound of your voice. Doesn’t like doing it through FaceTime, as much as he loves to see you, it’s just a hassle (same nagi, same). Loves when you guide him through it, telling him how to touch himself and tease himself until you hear his broken moans of your name on the other end and you promptly receive another photo of his cock with his cum dripped all over his lower stomach, but this time with a smiley face emoji

Nagi is an EXTREMELY good kisser and they are almost always sensual. He’s so loose and gentle with his lips on yours, tongue sweeping through your mouth. It genuinely feels like heaven, for both of you. He knows he’s a good kisser and uses it to his advantage. Any time your mad at him for something stupid he shuts you up with a needy kiss, any time he’s too tired to say what he wants he locks his lips with yours and lets his feverish hot breath say everything he needs you to know.

His list of turn-on’s is pretty random. He likes when you’re better than him at something, thinks it’s really hot when you beat him at games, if you play a sport that you’re really good at that turns him on too. He likes when you get defensive of yourself or him. Likes when you get angry but the pouty kind of angry bc when you’re actually mad he gets a little scared lol. Of course he likes the usual stuff too like seeing you in his clothes, sexy lingerie, revealing outfits, etc. you usually call him Nagi or Sei but hearing you say his full first name “Seishiro”, especially in a doting voice, it flips a switch in his brain and makes him putty in your hands. If you say it while he’s fucking you he’ll literally whimper.

[doctorgirlsblog]

Merz Prinzessin vs. Dutch Lion (series) Final chapter

Part 13: Can we just skip to that part?

Inspired by : Lauren Spencer Smith - That Part

I recommend listening to this song while reading

~time skip to the Dutch Grand Prix~

Season was going by mostly as the exchange of wins between Max and Aria, as they danced around the track, around each other. All the drama previously involved, became irrelevant as the season went. Aria was only couple of points behind Max at the moment, and as it was Max`s home GP weekend, she wasn`t even trying to be competitive that much. She knew how much it meant to him. She wasn`t of course going to gift him his win, but she wasn`t about to bring war on the track either. Max on the other hand, was acting weird since the weekend started. He kept his suitcase closed all the time, and as they were staying in the same room, it was already getting suspicions up in Aria`s head. Yet she decided not to say anything until the weekend passed, letting them both focus on the race ahead. Max secured Pole, she got the second. They were both facing the front row in couple of hours. She was sitting in her garage, going over data again, when she heard her name. Max was standing outside, smiling at her. ''Have a minute?'' She stood up, going outside to meet him. ''All good baby?''

''Yeah, just needed to talk to you before race.''

-''Oh. Anything serious?''

He smirked. ''I want to propose a bet.'' She laughed. ''Oh really? I'm getting deja vu from it, Verstappen. What you gonna ask for, my pink helmet?'' she teased him, her eyes shining brightly.

''That's the deal. I'm not telling you what I want before I win.''

-''So you're that confident that you're going to win today?''

''I hope so.'' he smiled at her, like she was the whole world holding him up right now. ''So what do you say? You in?''

She nodded at him. ''Always. Don't know what you have planned in that head of yours, but you better win then. I'm not gonna make it easy for you.'' He pulled her in for a kiss. ''Wasn't dreaming of it.''

It seemed like whatever Max wanted from the bet, was that important, that he left Aria in a dust building up an insane lead over 22 seconds ahead, making it impossible to catch up with him. She could already see the headlines calling it a masterclass from the Dutchman and she smiled under her helmet. He was really a menace when he wanted to be. She was proud. Race ended, and as she pulled in front of P2 sign Max was already outside, whole commotion around him. He didn't notice her coming, jumping slightly as she hugged him from behind. He turned around smiling brightly at her, bringing her in for a real hug.

''So you really wanted to win this bet, hm?'' she asked, looking up at him, smiling.

-''I did. You can't even imagine how much.''

''So, you got it. What do you want Schatz?''

Max pulled away from her, nodding to one of his team members briefly, before the man came over giving him a blue box. Aria's eyes widened. Shouts seemed to stop as Max stepped closer to her, going down on one knee as he opened the box to reveal a beautiful Harry Winston ring with blue stone.

''I may have won the bet, but you won my heart. You got me. Since that first day. I know we haven't been together for a long, but you're it for me Aria. My only choice. I want to make you mine in front of the world, in front of the God, for forever. I knew from the start that you're the one. So, will you please make me the happiest man alive and marry me?'' Tears were streaming down her face, as she looked at him with wide eyes, nodding her head rapidly, trembling hand already pulled out towards him.

''I want this Max. I never wanted anything this much in my whole life. Yes, I'll marry you, of course I will marry you!''

He put the ring on her in a second, getting up and pulling her in for a kiss, twirling her around. Crowd erupted into cheers, everyone rushing to them, wanting to congratulate.

Aria noticed no one. There was only Max, her Max, smiling at her like all his problems vanished into thin air the moment their lips met. She managed to pull away from him after what seemed like forever, looking deeply into those blue eyes that became her favourite color in the whole world. ''I can't believe you did this.'' she whispered at him.

''I couldn't wait anymore. I thought what better moment than here, at home?''

''And what if I've won? You wouldn't have asked me at all?''

He laughed. ''Oh, I would. I would've asked even if I didn't start the race at all."

''And I would have said yes in any of those scenarios. I love you Max.''

''I love you too baby.''

At the beginning, she liked the thought of bringing Max Verstappen to his knees. This one time, she loved it.

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

Club was filled with drivers and workers from different teams, almost everyone coming to the newly engaged couple to congratulate. One person they weren't expecting to come was Lando. Brit came over to their booth, smiling sadly at the both and just like that all conversation died out.

Aria was the first one to speak. ''Lando, hi. I'm glad you came. Want to join us?'' she asked carefully.

He shaked his head. ''Thank you, my girlfriend is actually waiting for me over there. I just wanted to congratulate you two, I hope you'll be happy. Happier than..''

Aria nodded. ''Thank you Lando. Really. I hope you also find all the happiness you deserve.'' Max nodded in agreement. ''Thank you mate. For everything.''

Lando nodded at the two again, before pulling away and going back to the smiling girl waiting for him at the other side.

Aria let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Max pulled her closer, kissing her on the temple. ''That went well.''

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

They used their break to put the wedding plans into motion. Neither of them was patient enough to wait until the end of the season. They didn't want anything extravagant, only their closest friends and family invited in beautiful venue at the beach. As expected, Max called Daniel to be his best man and Aria of course called Charlotte who screamed into her ear through the phone for at least 15 minutes. Wedding was planned rapidly, little bit messily but it screamed ''Aria and Max'' in every single detail of it.

Aria chose a princess wedding dress that pulled behind her in a long trail, making her feel like a real life princess. Max said that he wanted to take care of her bouquet and that she needs to trust him on it. Charlotte and Elena chose a baby blue dresses, one that were going to match the shirts of the groomsmen that Max chose.

The whole theme was champagne gold with light traces of blue. Venue itself was simple and elegant, Charlotte taking most of the decorating on herself as Aria trusted her the most. And as the planning took its course, the days went by and the wedding day finally arrived. Aria was a nervous mess, pacing around her room without pause, her dress flying around her. Charlotte bursted in, startling her, looking completly out of breath. Aria scanned her over. ''Why is your dress looking like that? And what is with all fluster?'' Charlotte's cheeks deppened with red.

''Cha? What did you do?'' Aria looked at her sceptically.

''He was just there okay? I didn't plan it. He looked good and I..''

''You little minx. You made out with Charles haven't you?'' Charlotte's cheeks got even redder. Aria gasped. ''I knew it!! Well, how was it?''

''Ari! You're not supossed to encourage this!'' Charlotte scolded her, still blushing furiously.

''The hell I'm not! I'm happy as fuck. You guys should really consider getting back together.'' Charlotte just smiled shyly, choosing not to comment further. ''It's almost time Ari. You ready?''

Aria looked at herself in the big mirror again, smoothing her dress out. She smiled brightly, nodding her head. ''Ready as ever.''

Knock at the door interupted them and Max voice could be heard. ''I know that I'm not allowed to see my beautiful wife to be, but I do have to give her her bouquet.'' Charlotte pulled her behind the door, not allowing her to peak over as she opened the door just slightly. ''Hello Max. Sorry, you need to wait a little bit more to get your girl. But I'll be happy to take these for her, she's gonna love them.''

''I know you can hear me beautiful. I can't wait to see you at the oltar. I love you.''

Aria smiled at the words, before she saw Charlotte pushing Max out. ''Okay lover boy, we'll be there soon.''

As she shut the door behind her, Aria found herself face to face with a big bouquet of white and blue roses, bound only with white, silky ribbon. She gasped, taking them in hand, her eyes already tearing up. Charlotte broke her stare. ''Ah-ah! No crying! Save happy tears for later. It's time sweetie.''

Aria took a deep breath. ''Let's go.''

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

Light instrumental music started playing and all eyes turned to the end of the venue, where Aria stood, arm hooked with her dad's. Max was looking at her in awe as she approched, smiling hard, his eyes sparkling with joy.

As she finally approched him, her dad handed her over to him, saying to take good care of his little girl. Max nodded, before taking her hand in his and bringing her to the aisle.

Ceremony began, lots of guests were sniffling quietly, but as the vows approched, everyone fell silent.

Max went first.

''Aria, you are the dream I never dared to dream, the love I never thought I'd find. Your spirit, your kindness and your unwavering belief in me have transformed my life. I promise to celebrate your triumphs and to comfort you in your sorrows. I vow to keep the spark alive, to nurture our love, and to explore the world with you, hand in hand. I promise to love you fiercely, tenderly, and unconditionally, for all the days of my life. You are my home, my partner, and my forever love.''

Aria kept looking at him, her eyes teary as she nodded her head. It was her turn to speak. She took a shaky breath.

''Max, today, I choose you - not just as my partner in love, but as my partner in life. You are the one who challenges me to grow, who celebrates my strenghts, and who holds my hand through my vulnerabilities. You've shown me that true love is not just about grand gestures, but about the everyday moments of understanding, respect and little moments. I promise to love you for all the years to come. You are my anchor, my adventure, my childhood love and my forever.''

As the priest said ''you may kiss the bride'' the crowd erupted into cheers, as Max pullled her closer and kissed her pasionately.

''We did it.'' she whispered against his lips.

''We did.''

As the night and celebrations went on, and as Max twirled Aria around the dance floor everything finally felt right. She had her head leaned on his shoulder, looking around, smiling. She noticed Charlotte not far away, dancing with Charles. Lando was feeding his girlfriend with some cake while she laughed at something he said. Even their parents were chatting happily in the corner, sipping on champagne. Her eyes locked with Victoria's, who nodded at her, smiling as she danced with one of her little boys. Everyone seemed happy.

Max nudged her softly. ''You're quiet.''

She looked up at him. ''I'm happy.''

He kissed her on a forehead, humming in content.

In that quiet bubble they created for themselves, surrounded by their family and friends, they knew their story had only just begun, a promise of forever etched in their eyes.

The end

Note: Big thank you to everyone for reading this little piece of my thoughts and ideas, you guys made me incredibly happy for being here and I can't wait to say hello in some new writings! Next series coming really soon, feel free to vote if you still haven't! 💙

Tag list:

@amz824 @m4xgirlie @samriddhisingh @aykxz98

[grandlinedreams]

|| notes: waves hand i woke up thinking abt this so uhhh enjoy Az being a menace [AS!reader masterlist]

|| warnings: pwp, mention of Aria, Az is whipped and we love it, oral (f receiving), soft sex, reader and Az are just gooey and in love

Azriel is not a morning person by choice.

Given his propensity for liking to be awake in the darker, more solitary hours of the night, it makes sense that he'd prefer to spend early morning still asleep. And he does when he can, when there aren't pressing matters to attend to ㅡ or he did, until his daughter was born.

Azriel loves Aria, truly. The little girl has him wrapped around her tiny finger ㅡ but he can't deny that he'd jumped at the offer Feyre and Rhys had extended of a 'cousin sleepover', snapping up the opportunity for Aria to get to play with Nyx, and for the two of you to get a tiny break from parenthood.

(He'd missed Aria the second she was gone, and the ache that rolled down your end of the bond said you shared the sentiment.)

So when he still wakes to the soft glow of early morning sunrise without the pounce of a small half-Illyrian girl on his body, Azriel groans and reaches for you, snuggling you closer to him.

Either still asleep yourself or half-way between that and consciousness, the way you press against him in answer still makes his heart skip a beat as he silently admires you. Your hair spills over the top of one delicate pointed ear, the rest pooled against the gentle slope of your neck.

There are a handful of marks over the column of your neck, bruises bloomed strawberry pink under the attention of his teeth the night before ㅡ and the memory of the sounds you'd made, both then and underneath his body, makes Azriel's breath catch and his eyes darken.

You have the entire morning to enjoy each other's company, to revel in time that isn't spoken for by both the duty of Night Court and parenthood ㅡ and it's that thought that has Azriel pressing his lips to your neck with intent.

He starts out gentle. Your skin is soft and warm under his touch, but it doesn't take much to fully rouse you out of sleep as a hand finds his hair, followed by a sleepy sigh. "Good morning."

"Morning," he murmurs, pausing his ministrations to look at you properly. "Did you sleep well?"

You nod. "Very," you answer, hand sliding from his hair to cup his cheek, expression softening as he leans into it. "Did you?"

Azriel hums, leaning to press a kiss to youe forehead, then your temple, soft kisses peppered down the curve of your jaw. You let him until he catches a flicker of impatience from you, hard pressed to keep from grinning when you guide him to your mouth for a proper kiss.

It's slow and sweet for the early hour, though it dips into something needier as Azriel deepens it, muffling your soft sound as he moves to cage you underneath him. Your neck tilts to offer him more room when he turns his attention back to the marks he'd left, airy gasp leaving your lips as he nips at your pulsepoint.

He leaves a handful of fresh marks in his wake along your throat and collarbone, and the one he leaves at the top of your breast gets him the curl of your fingers into his hair, making him groan when you tug.

Azriel's not sure he'll ever get enough of the sounds you make, delighting in the choked moan from you as you arch into the warmth of his mouth over your breast.

He leaves both nipples peaked and aching, lips grazing over your ribs to your navel. The hitch of your breath when he stops at your hip makes him smirk.

"You're a menace today," you tell him, but you're far from angry as he nudges your legs apart ans presses kisses to both of your thighs. "What's got you so worked up?"

"You," Azriel answers, savoring your gasp and twitch of your hips when he offers a slow roll of his tongue against your slick folds. His hands are steady against the tremble of your muscles as he gives you his attention in earnest, following every involuntary movement of your body.

His name is a sweet cry on your lips when he digs the tip of his tongue against your clit, hand in his hair tightening as he lets you buck against his face. "Fuck," you whine, and the desperation in your tone makes his length twitch in response.

Your other hand fists into the bedsheets, white-knuckled as you writhe, chest heaving as your mate works you steadily towards your orgasm. The work of his tongue against your slick, aching core is nothing short of sinful, making your eyes roll as searing pleasure mounts in your lower belly.

The tug on his hair and stuttering of your hips against his mouth are the only warnings Azriel gets before you're coming, noises pitching higher as he works you through your orgasm.

Azriel only lets up when you've stopped twitching, soft whimper tumbling from your lips as he kisses his way back up your body. The taste of yourself on his tongue when he kisses you makes you moan, hooking a leg around his hip as your own buck in silent demand.

Azriel enters you slowly, eyes shut tight against the white-hot pleasure that licks up his spine at the way you clench around him. Whether it be for the early hour or simply because he wants to make this last, Azriel's hips rock against yours in a steady, languid pace, intentional in how he sinks as deep into you as he can before sliding back.

Your hands wander over him, eager to touch what you can reach with both your hands and mouth. He shudders when you suck a mark into his own neck, skin sweat-slick beneath your lips. Your fingers curl against his shoulders, mindful to skirt the jut of his wings from his back as you drag them down.

Azriel chokes when your fingertips graze where his wings meet his back and even though you're gentle, the sensitivity of the skin along with the molten warmth of your walls around his length has him snapping his hips against yours roughly a handful of times before he's spilling into you with a low groan.

You aren't far behind, arching into him as you clench around him, milking him for all he has to offer before you go boneless, pressed into the bed by Azriel's weight over you.

The next few minutes are spent in a symphony of soft panting brfore you can find coherency to speak. "Well," you huff, "that's one way to wake up."

Azriel grins against your neck and then lifts his head to look at you. "Are you complaining?"

You snort, but your tone is soft and affectionate as you press a kiss to his forehead. "No, definitely not."