#the stilettos thing is seriously true

[tfwstherapist]

I may not look physically intimidating at first glance, but I can sprint full speed and climb trees in eight inch stilettos and I always carry a knife.

[yasmindifference]

8 (my birthday is the 8!)

The night is unseasonably warm, barely even cool enough for long sleeves. As such, the suit jacket Jason drapes around Tim's shoulders five minutes into their walk nearly makes him roll his eyes.

He channels his reaction into a girlish giggle instead, then has to swallow a more sincere laugh when he sees how the high-pitched sound nearly cracks Jason's mask.

"You're soooo chivalrous," Tim says, unable to resist pushing that little bit further. His Valley girl impersonation puts a twitch in Jason's eye every time. "Like, swoon."

Jason wraps an arm around Tim's waist--probably solely to disguise the sharp pinch he delivers to Tim's side--and smiles down at him.

"You deserve it, baby," he says, in the same smarmy tone he's been using all night.

It makes Tim want to punch him, a reaction he's sure Jason's eliciting on purpose--after all, he's been doing the same thing with his own Valley girl impersonation.

...It's possible he and Jason aren't taking this mission as seriously as they should be.

Oh well.

In retaliation for the pinch, Tim fakes a stumble over a crack in the sidewalk and drives his elbow into Jason's gut, earning a faint oof he wants to smile over.

Instead, he puts his hands to his face in exaggerated dismay.

"Oh, I'm so clumsy," he says mournfully. "It's so embarrassing..."

Jason brushes his hair (or rather, his wig) out of his face and twists his ear painfully in the process; Tim applies his stiletto heel to the toe of Jason's left shoe.

"You're not clumsy, baby, it's just those shoes," Jason says, voice a little tight--with pain or annoyance? Tim can't tell. "You want me to go get the car?"

"No, no," Tim says, "it's such a nice night--just look at those stars!"

He tips his head back and gazes dreamily at the sky which, being in Gotham, shows not a single star.

"They're so beautiful," he says happily.

"Not as beautiful as you," Jason says, with such smarmy passion that Tim barely remembers to hide the laugh he can't help behind a cough.

"Oh, pookie bear," he says--

--and finally, Jason breaks.

He lets go of Tim's waist to brace his hands against his knees as he cackles, choking out "fucking hell" and "pookie" as he struggles to catch his breath.

Tim just smiles and enjoys the victory.

"Okay," Jason says once he catches his breath, "holy shit, you win. How the fuck did you say that with a straight face?"

"Practice," Tim says dryly. "You play the tough guy too often. You should branch out more, broaden your range. Then you won't be so easy to shake."

Jason gives him a flat look and, straightening to his full height, spreads his arms in a silent invitation to look at him. Admittedly, Jason's height and bulk do make him less than ideal for the kinds of covers Tim prefers.

Tim was bullshitting anyway--Jason might default to tough guy, but he's entirely capable of more versatile covers. And he really wasn't that easy to shake; Tim was kind of expecting to break him when he showed up in a dress, stilettos, and wig without warning. Instead, he lasted all through dinner and a ways into their walk.

"Okay, you lasted a lot longer than I expected," he admits.

Jason smirks. "Admit it, I almost got you at dinner."

It's true that Tim came extremely close to breaking when Jason spoke over and ordered for him at the restaurant. Tim actually didn't get to say a single word to their waitress--not even thank you.

"You almost got a plate dumped in your lap," he corrects. Now that they've given up the covers, he shrugs out of Jason's jacket and hands it back. "I could see Ashley thinking about it every time you cut me off."

"Yeah, that was a close one," Jason agrees. "I doubled my usual tip in thanks for her restraint."

Tim nods in approval. "But yeah, admittedly I was not expecting you to go the--"

"Hello?" Dick's voice breaks in, thick with annoyance and a little too loud over the comms. "Did you guys forget that you have a job to do? This does not sound like an undercover conversation!"

Tim and Jason trade eyerolls.

"Good catch, Dickiebird," Jason says. "We are not in fact undercover."

"Excuse me?"

"Dick," Tim says with extreme patience, "Damian is a trained vigilante. He absolutely does not need us as backup on his first date."

Dick gasps in offense. "We agreed--"

"No, we agreed," Jason corrects.

"Yeah, we agreed your mother-henning was out of control," Tim says. "We tipped off Damian last night so he could change his reservation."

"And got Babs to find something to distract you with so you couldn't come follow him yourself," Jason adds.

Dick splutters.

"Take a deep breath," Tim suggests.

"Chill the fuck out," is Jason's less gentle contribution. "Anyway, we're done for the night. You should call it, too--maybe work on remembering the kid is sixteen and not six."

"Harsh but fair," Tim agrees thoughtfully. "Night, Dick!"

Dick is still spluttering when Tim pulls out his comm.

"How much do I owe you for dinner?" he asks Jason.

Jason shrugs and slings his jacket over one shoulder. "Buy me ice cream, we'll call it even."

"Deal," Tim says.

Because he, unlike Damian, is no longer a teenager, he doesn't ask if going for ice cream constitutes a real date.

He can't stop himself from wondering, though.

Happy early birthday, anon!!! In celebration, this got very long lmao. Prompt #8 was two characters on a nighttime stroll! I hope you enjoyed! ♡♡

[starcrossedxwriter]

Wicked Fantasies Part 6 (MBJ x OC)

Warnings: Look… its literally just angst lol you're gonna feel things! Don't say I didn't warn you. NSFW

A/N: This is like 2 weeks later than I promised (SO sorry, y'all!) but I hope you enjoy!

***

“This isn’t so bad,” Michael argued. “She’s just complaining that she hasn’t met me yet and some other shit that isn’t even true. Why’s that a problem?” 

Alex shook her head as she scrolled on her phone. Her eyes did not even leave her phone screen as she spoke, her nails furiously tapping across the glass screen. “It’s not what she said that’s the problem. It’s that she’s talking at all… the only things I want to see in the media about the two of you are cute photos from date night, not tell alls from family members. Does she know about your… previous career?” 

This was the first time his manager had even directed a question at Raven, who had sat silently since they arrived. She was so angry that she could not even revel in the fact that she was at Michael’s house for the first time, not regulated to her usual place in his bachelor pad. She thought being invited to this intimate part of his life would make her happier. But instead of feeling joy and welcomed, she merely felt like a burden. She was only there out of necessity to fix the crisis her own sister created. 

This is why you can never be more, she reminded herself. Paris had started to rip out the weeds of doubt that grew in her soul, siphoning away the power of the notion that they could not be more. It had made her fall deeper in love with him, made her seriously ponder whether his feelings for her stretched into deeper territory.. But this? This reminded her of a sickening fact. 

No matter how many trips he charted for her, gifts he showered her with, or kindness he showed, she did not belong here with him in the real world. It was as if every intimate detail of his home and his real life that she saw screamed at her that she was out of place, punching above her weight, and needed to return to where she belonged: the outskirts of his life in the condo where he took one-night stands and flings that meant nothing once the sun rose. Because as soon as their arrangement was done, she would be nothing to him again. And while Paris had made her feel like she could still win in the ring, now she felt as if she was merely being punched right back down where she belonged. 

“No. Well… she doesn’t know about the prostitution. But… I always thought she figured out I was a stripper somehow.” 

Alex, who previously had been engrossed in her phone, lifted her head in surprise. “You were a stripper too? Would’ve been nice to know before now,” she muttered under her breath. 

Raven’s long stiletto nails bit into the palm of her hand as she tried not to let one comment push her right off the cliff she was teetering on. She knew Alex was not intending to be judgmental but that did not stop her from feeling the sting of it. Every choice she made in her life since the moment she came into the world seemed to be a bad one for everyone else. She could not do anything right. 

“I was a 19 year old with no skills who needed to pay for college. I wasn’t facing a fucking mountain of options. So I did the best I could with a shitty situation... Sorry my choices as a desperate teenager are making your job so difficult,” Raven snapped. 

“I didn’t me-” 

“Alex.” Michael’s stern voice cut through the budding tension, stealing the words right out of Alex’s mouth. Michael’s dominance and power seemed to have an effect on everyone, though Raven suspected it was because he was not the type to abuse it. Alex immediately let the rest of her sentence fade away, opting to apologize instead. 

Michael’s eyes had not left Raven’s body since they got in the car. He hated how her eyes actively avoided him, he had been unable to look in her beautiful brown eyes for over an hour and that killed him. They were the most expressive part of her, windows into her soul and every feeling she had. She shied away from his comforting touch in the car so he kept his distance but even still, he could see how her entire frame trembled ever so slightly. Her furrowed brow… her silence. God, her silence was so deafeningly loud in his ears. He was not used to it. Even if it was awkward ramblings, she was rarely silent with him. This was a side of her he had never seen. It was not sadness or resignation, he had seen both of those, and she seemed to be able to push through those just fine. No, this was something else and it was red hot and all consuming to the point where he could tell she could not hide it. It was a far cry from the woman who was sound asleep on his shoulder on the plane two hours prior. 

“I’m sorry,” Alex raised her hands. “I’m sorry. I’d never judge anyone for doing what they need to. I just need to know what else your sister could say.” 

“She has no proof… just speculation. But that’s it. She doesn’t know anything about my life now… we aren’t close.” 

At first, she had immediately handed Alex back her phone, uninterested in reading whatever lies her sister decided to spew. However, when Michael summarized it for her, the notions in it were so absurd, she had to read them for herself. She instantly wished she had not. 

It was as dramatic as it was false, her sister complaining about how Raven had changed and alienated her own family since her romance with the superstar had begun. She spun a web of tall tales about how Raven never spoke to them anymore, how close they once were and how much the family missed her, how Raven had told them Michael was too busy to meet them. By the time Raven got to the end of the article, she was shaking. 

She supposed the silver lining was that the article was more of a personal attack on her character than their relationship, which she was used to from her sister. She just had not expected her sister to drag it into the public eye like this. And while reading her words agitated some of her deepest wounds, they fueled more anger in her than any other emotion. Anger was not an emotion Raven often felt where her family was concerned. Slight frustration, sadness, hurt, guilt? She felt all of those often but she was used to it and often brushed them off. But true anger? That was rare, or rather, it was rare that she let herself feel true anger. And now, it hit her as high, powerful waves crashing against her shores. 

“So she’s just lookin’ for her 15 minutes. Fine. But she can’t say anything else, this’s gotta be it.” 

“Who cares if she mouths off to the media?” Michael asked. He knew why Alex cared and why he should care. But at that moment, all he could actually care about was minimizing this for Raven’s sake. He knew her well enough to know that the only person she would blame for this was herself, not her idiot sister. And it seemed to him that she blamed herself for far too much where her family was concerned. He did not want to add another unnecessary thing to that list. Nor did he want her to feel the burden of this because she was quite the opposite of a burden to him and he would clean up 100 PR nightmares for her without a second thought. They had taken 10 steps forward in Paris, walls came crumbling down for both of them. If he did not fix this fast, Raven would retreat 15 steps back from him and he could not take that. 

“That’s not the point! She’s smoke and TMZ knows where there’s smoke, there’s a fuckin’ fire. And y’all two and this whole situation is a damn forest fire. We don’t need TMZ or a fuckin’ Inspector Gadget head ass Tik Toker to look into Raven’s life or past anymore than they already have. So you need to shut her up now. Is she a fan of his or somethin?”

Raven scoffed. “If wanting to add him to her list of fuck buddies means she’s a fan then sure… she’s a fan.” Her anger meant she could not hide the bitterness in her voice, could not pretend to have a kind word to say about her sister who seemed to take joy in going out of her way to ruin all the good things in her life. 

“Well, that shit definitely ain’t happenin’,” Michael stated with a growl. 

“I mean, no nigga, I wasn’t gonna suggest you fuck her sister.” Alex rolled her eyes.

“Maybe we s-should just end this. I’m causing more problems than I’m fixing.” Raven’s voice was so quiet, Michael almost did not hear her. It hurt her heart to even consider it but Paris had rubbed her raw, left her and her emotions exposed in ways she had not experienced in a long time. And she had not minded that at first, she savored the closeness and vulnerability with another person. But now, all of her emotions felt dialed up by ten in that vulnerability and that overwhelmed her. She was overwhelmed by the rage she felt at her family for trying to use Michael the way they used her. She thought she couldn’t ruin him but she felt as if she already was. “I’m r-ruining everything…” 

Michael’s heart stopped, his head shaking vehemently before any words could even escape his lips. “What? No… why would we do that?” 

Raven’s head fell into her hands as she let out a frustrated and strangled sigh that sounded like a sob. 

“Ok, let’s all take a breath. I’m sorry, I probably made this seem like a bigger deal than it is. We don’t need to stop or end it if you aren’t ready to. This is still a good plan, no one is ruining anything. We can fix this. We just need to give her what she wants. If you just meet her, take a picture with her, get her tickets to a high profile event or party or whatever she wants, then maybe she’ll settle down and keep her mouth shut.” 

“She won’t,” Raven mumbled to no one in particular. 

“Everyone has a price and we just need to find hers,” Alex continued texting on her phone.  

“She won’t because she’s an attention seeking bitch. She’s never had a real job or ambition or anything going for her and just takes and takes and takes from everyone with no thought. I can give her the fucking world and she’ll come back with her hand still out!” Raven exploded, jumping up from her seat as the words escaped her lips before she could even hope to stop them. She buried her face in her hands and turned away from both of them as she heard them in the space, instantly regretting them. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” 

Michael sighed and gestured toward the door, Alex walking out of the room with him. He closed the door behind them.

“So I take it there’s some bad blood there?” Alex asked as she leaned on the door. 

“Lots of it. You know how family shit is… lots of heavy ass baggage there. Let me talk to her and I’ll call you tonight with a game plan. I think she just feels betrayed and upset and needs to process all that.” 

“Understood,” Alex raised her hands in surrender. “Take your time, give her what she needs. Sorry this had to happen as soon as you came back. She seemed really happy when y’all got off the plane, I didn’t mean to ruin it.” 

Michael shook his head. “Doing your job isn’t ruining anything. But my guess is the timing of this, on her sister’s part, wasn’t random. Sucks too… the past week was the most relaxed I’ve ever seen her, first time she seemed actually happy.” Michael stared through the glass panels of his office door to watch her. He could see the tension in her shoulders from all the way over here, could tell they were shaking slightly from silent tears. 

He turned away to look back at Alex whose eyes were big with shock. 

“What?” 

“You’re in love with her.” 

“Alexxxx…” he dragged out her name, his manager scoffing and dragging him by the arm further away from the door. 

“Don’t insult my intelligence, Bakari. I’ve run a couple PR relationships in my time and most fail miserably. Been trying to figure out why this one seems to be working so well… I knew it wasn’t cause you’re that good of an actor, no shade. It’s because you… Michael Bakari Jordan love her. You’re not having to play for the cameras because you’re actually in love with her. Look me in my eyes and tell me I’m wrong.” 

Michael sucked his teeth. “I love her.” He admitted. “And I know what you’re gonna say… it can’t work and it’s stupid and I’ll need to end it like we always planned. I know, I got it.” 

He started to move past her when her hand grabbed his bicep to stop him. 

“I was actually gonna say that I’m happy for you. Been waiting for you to wise up and find someone for real. If she’s what you want, I support it and you 100%. And we can figure out how to spin it.” She jerked her head back toward the office. “Go take care of your girl. Call 

me later.” 

They shared a hug before Michael disappeared back into the office. Raven sniffled and quickly wiped her tears away before standing up and walking over to him. She tried to put a positive look on her face and tone in her voice as she spoke. 

“I’m sorry… that outburst was m-mean and totally unnecessary. And not helpful. She’s right, we need a game plan and everything. Where’s Alex? I want to apologize and then I can fix this.”

He perched on the edge and widened his stance so he could pull her in between his legs. His arm wrapped around her waist as he pulled her into his chest. He did not like how she braced her forearms against his chest to avoid fully melting into his embrace. 

“I don’t need you to do anything and Alex doesn’t need an apology. She’s fine. I care more about whether you’re good or not. You’re upset.” 

She shook her head. “I’m not upset.” 

Michael raised an eyebrow. “You just called your sister an attention seeking bitch. Ain’t gon’ hear an argument from me but that’s not like you. You’re pissed, rightfully so. Tell me why though, don’t bottle that shit up.” 

Raven stared at him for a moment, her mouth opening and closing a couple times as she tried to find the words to tell him. Tell him that she was near out of relentless hope and optimism, that a not-so-small part of her hated her sister and wished she never had to see her again, that she wanted to cut her and her dad out of her life completely but she wasn’t brave enough to be truly alone so she couldn’t, that a bigger part of her wanted to call TMZ and tell them all about how horrible her family has been to her her entire life, that it cut deeper than she imagined it would to read her sister describe a relationship between them that had always been her dream but she actively denied her. She wanted to tell him that she was tired, that she felt guilty and ashamed for dragging him into this mess, that she didn’t deserve his care and kindness because all she had done was ruin his life.

It was all too much, the avalanche of emotions she felt picked up speed and power with every moment she stood in his presence. And she needed it to stop, needed to throw up some type of blockade so she was not run over and drowned by it. She needed walls again, barriers. And the only way she could think to recreate those was to put both physical and emotional distance between herself and the man in front of her. He was the only person who forced her to exist in her vulnerability, to feel everything and not shy away from it. But that was dangerous. She was not built for it. Once the avalanche hit, she knew she would not get back up. So, she had to get out. 

So she did the only thing she could think of, she threw up the walls of a working girl. She knew they would not hold for long, not with his persistence, but they would hold long enough for her to reign it all in again. Long enough for her to lock her feelings back up in their cage where they belonged. 

“I’m not angry.” Her tone left no room for argument as she pried herself out of his embrace and walked back to the couch to grab her bag off the floor. “I’m not angry. Kiara’s not a… bad person. She’s just… Kiara’s the Sun and I imagine the Sun would be upset if Pluto tried to steal its spotlight too. She’s the center of my family’s world and she hates it when it seems like I’m trying to take that away. It’s fine. I’ll give her whatever she needs to feel like the Sun again and that I humbled myself back to my position as Pluto. Everyone wins.” She said it in such a matter-of-fact way that, if he didn’t know her, he would have missed the bitterness in her words. 

“You don’t need to pretend with me, Rae. You can be upset.” 

“Nothing to be upset about. This is just how it is… I’m used to it. She wants something and she knows I’m gonna give it to her. I’ll call her and figure out what she wants and we’ll fix this.” 

She started to fiddle on her phone before Michael pried it out of her hand and threw it on his desk. 

“I don’t give a fuck about what your sister wants right now… I care about what you need.” 

“I don’t really need anything from you or anyone else right now.” Her words clipped and colder than Michael had ever heard her before. “Least of all a damn therapist.” 

Her heart broke at the hurt that flashed across his eyes but she decided that was fine. She needed distance and however she achieved that, even if it was by pushing him away, it would work for her. However, before he could respond, her phone started to buzz loudly on the desk. 

“Speak of the devil.” Michael handed Raven her phone back, her sister’s name popping up across the screen. 

“Hey Kiara.” She put the phone on speaker phone so Michael could hear. 

“I’m surprised you didn’t call me all day, I know you saw the article.” 

Raven and Michael shared a knowing glance that made Michael’s blood boil. She had done this just to outshine Raven who had been in the media and tabloids multiple times in the last week from their trip. Michael had guessed that but knowing her sister went to such lengths to diminish her sister bothered him far more than he could describe. Was there no one in his girl’s life that allowed her to shine? 

“Yea I saw it. I’m sure you also saw that Michael and I weren’t in the country. We just saw it when we landed about an hour ago.” 

“Yea I saw you both... Why didn’t you invite me??” 

Raven let out a small huff. “Do you even have a passport?”

“No… but I could’ve gotten one. it's not fair that you get to go while I’m stuck here. And with my favorite actor. All my friends sending me clips of your stories and pictures and shit. And I didn’t even know you were gonna be there. And I had to lie and tell them that you invited me but I couldn’t go. You don’t include me in shit and you keep makin’ me look fuckin’ stupid. You probably didn’t think about me once!”

“I mean no, you weren’t the first thing that came to mind when my boyfriend invited me on a trip to Paris. I’m allowed to have and enjoy experiences on my own. Also no one forced you to lie, who would have expected you to be invited on a trip with me and my boyfriend?” 

She heard Kiara scoff on the other side of the phone. “‘My boyfriend,’” she mimicked back. “You better enjoy this lil 15 minutes of fame you’re getting from him cause it won’t last. Ain’t like you’re worth his time. He’ll wise up, realize he needs a real woman, a girl like me.” 

“Did you want something?” Raven interrupted, turning her head from Michael so he could not see just how deeply her words cut. She would never argue that she was good enough for the man sitting next to her but hearing someone else validate those insecurities hurt.. Her sister certainly knew which wounds to cut into. “Or was your tell all just to ruin my trip?” 

“Oh well… None of this would’ve happened if you had gotten me even one of the things I asked for weeks ago. Like damn, I know he’s busy but he don’t even have a real job. He could come out and met me when I asked.” 

Michael’s face twisted up in a look of faux offense that would have been a perfect gif, which made the edges of Raven’s lips curl into a small smile as she stifled her laugh. How did he manage to make her smile even when she felt utterly incapable of the action? 

“Acting is a real job, Kiara. And I invited you all here to meet him. But no, I wasn’t gonna ask him to get you a Birkin, I don’t even have a Birkin.”

Michael resisted the urge to cut in and ask her if she wanted one. Because he could easily have one at the house by sunset if she did. 

“Dad and I can’t afford to jet set out to LA… the hotels, the food, all that shit. We’re barely getting by as it is.” 

Raven rolled her eyes. “Barely getting by” when they both worked and Raven often paid most of the major bills. 

As she was talking, Michael gestured for her to mute the phone. “Tell her I’ll pay for the flights and invite them to Thanksgiving.” At Raven’s wary face, Michael just nodded. “Just trust me.” 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize the price of the flights was the issue. H-how about we pay for the flights and your hotel and… you could come for Thanksgiving this year? Michael’s family are great cooks so it’ll be nice. And you can meet him?” 

“Really?? Thanksgiving at Michael’s house?” 

“Yea,” the words were almost painful to get out. Part of her wanted to believe this could be a good thing but the more logical part knew that it would not soften anything between all of them. After all, they were not coming to see her, they were coming to gawk at Michael. “But you can’t talk to the media anymore, Kiara. Seriously, you can meet him and everything but you can’t go give a tell all to TMZ or Page Six or any of them anymore. Understand?” 

“Fineeeee. No more media. I’ll tell dad. Send me the flight and hotel information. Make sure to put us up somewhere nice… you know like the Ritz or a five-star hotel. And can you have a car for us while we’re there? We’re gonna wanna sightsee and everything.” 

“Of course,” she muttered through gritted teeth. 

“Ok. See you then, bye.” 

Raven clenched her phone in her hand, resisting the urge to chuck it across the room. 

“Damn, sis’s got expensive taste,” Michael muttered. 

Raven’s laugh was cold and humorless. “It’s easy to have expensive taste when it’s not your money. You sure about this? Thanksgiving? Here?” 

“What? Thanksgiving is the time people spend with family. We can get a nice group shot and they can feel included. And I’ll get her somethin’ expensive and nice… nothin’ crazy. That’s all she seems to want anyway. Hearing how she talks to you… I don’t want ‘em here anymore than you do but this is the best solution. You had plans or somethin’?” 

“No, no… I just didn’t… I didn’t even know I was invited to the Jordan Family Thanksgiving dinner,” she chuckled, pulling at the sleeve of her jacket awkwardly.  

Michael’s face twisted up in confusion. “Of course you’re invited. Moms would kill me if I didn’t. But yea I guess I should’ve asked if you had plans first. What do you usually do?”  

“Nothing.” 

“Nothing?” 

“Nothing. I order Chinese and I pick a marathon of movies to watch in bed. Same with Christmas except I usually pick a new recipe to try and I always watch the Grinch,” she chuckled. 

“You spend Thanksgiving and Christmas alone?” 

She shrugged and gestured toward her phone. “If you had to pick between alone and that, which would you choose?” At his silence, she nodded. “Exactly. They never want to see me anyway so I make it easy on everyone.” 

“Well, this year’s gonna be different.” 

Raven scoffed. “How so?” 

Michael closed the distance between them and rested his hands on her hips. “Well, one, you’ll have me, which means your family will be on their best behavior. If they aren’t, two, you have me and my family as a buffer. And three, you have me… and I ain’t gon’ tolerate disrespect like that in my house. You say the word and dinner’s over.” 

“You can’t kick people out of your house for me,” she whispered, her eyes avoiding the intense stare in his. 

“Who says I can’t? Thought I’d made that clear by now that I’d do anything for you. And when you’re with me, I’m not just gon’ protect you physically… all of you is safe with me.” 

Those walls she threw up? Already starting to crash down around her. Why does he do this to me?? And why can’t I resist it? She thought to herself as she looked at him. 

“Thank you. But hopefully, they’ll be on their best behavior and then who knows, maybe they’ll see your family and want to turn a new leaf? This could be good?” In her heart, she knew that would not be how this particular story played out but she had to try… had to hope and dream that it could be different. She studied him for a sign that he agreed, and believed her. But he offered her nothing but a peck on the forehead. 

“Yea, maybe.” 

They stood there for a moment before Raven felt the overwhelming urge to run again. She hated this feeling… the contrasting emotions of wanting to melt into him and run from him at full speed. 

“D-do you think Allen would mind taking me home?” 

“I thought you were gonna stay with me tonight?” 

“Yea but I thought we were going to the condo… you want me to stay the night… here?” 

“I just thought after last week…” he stopped himself. “Here is just more comfortable than the condo. Besides, ma asked if you could stay for dinner so she can meet you. Wouldn’t want to disappoint her, would you?” At her continued expression of speculation, Michael added. “She also has been buggin’ the hell outta me to meet you so honestly, you’d be savin’ my ass.” 

Raven smiled and nodded. There was not anything but wallowing and frustration waiting for her back at her own apartment. And she had loved falling asleep in Michael’s arms during the last week. She was not ready to fall asleep alone again. 

“Just remember that next time you’re punishing me,” she winked at him. 

“Deal.” 

***

“Bakari!” Donna called over to Michael who was standing outside with his dad overseeing the fried turkey for dinner. 

“What’s up, ma?” He jogged over to her as she continued moving around the kitchen. Michael had offered, as he did every year, to have dinner catered but his mother could not dream of not cooking Thanksgiving dinner with her own two hands. Michael never pressed too hard though because he knew no caterer would ever beat his mom and dad’s cooking. 

“I think a certain girl needs your attention more than your father and that turkey,” she gestured toward Raven whose hands were filled with neatly folded napkins as she sat each one on each place setting around their giant farm style table. 

Michael’s eyes scanned over her body. He could see the tension in her shoulders but she had been tense since they woke up that morning. She had also been quiet all day, simply getting up and heading down to the kitchen to assist his mother. While she was more than happy for the help and it gave the two a chance to chat and bond, Michael knew Raven’s motives were not completely altruistic. She needed the distraction. 

“She’s setting the table, what’s wrong?” 

His mother lowered her voice. “She’s set and reset that table 5 times now in between asking me if I need help 100 times and apologizing for her family being late.” She gestured toward the pitcher which held a fall sangria for dinner. “Poor girl’s been on her feet helpin’ me all day and she’s a dream but she needs to relax. Pour her a drink, get her outta my kitchen, and make her sit down till dinner, please?” 

“Yes ma’am.” He kissed his mom on the cheek before quickly grabbing a glass and pouring a tall drink before walking over to her. 

“I think those napkins will be fine wherever you put them, baby girl,” he whispered in her ear, causing Raven to jump slightly. 

She clutched her chest, glancing down at the table setting and set of napkins in her hand. “Sorry… was in my own head. Something about it still doesn’t look right still,” she whispered as she started to rearrange the setting in front of her again. 

Michael eyed her for a moment before grabbing the things out of her hand and setting them down. He called for his sister to take over setting the table before grabbing Raven’s hand and pulling her behind him into his bedroom upstairs. He closed the door and handed her the glass. 

“Drink.” He instructed. 

Raven took a sip before lowering the glass again to hand back to him. 

“Nope, drink the whole thing and then tell me why you’re so scared.” 

“I’m not scared.” 

“Yea you are. Tell me why.” Michael wasn’t dumb. Raven had been off since her family landed in LA, more tense, quieter and not herself. He wished he could get the version of her from Paris back but that woman was buried deep beneath the seemingly never-ending bull her family put her through. 

Raven took another big gulp of the drink before sitting on the edge of Michael’s bed, her dress riding up her bare thighs slightly. His eyes sparked with lust but he tempered himself. That was not the point of bringing her up here. 

“I’m not… scared. That’s not what it is. I just… Well, first, I’m frustrated because they’re late. I explicitly told them 2 so they could meet everyone and chat and mingle and it’s almost 4. I spent over an hour on that damn charcuterie board. And they haven’t called me or texted or anything. And now your mom probably thinks I was raised by inconsiderate ass wolves.” 

“Rae, my mom doesn’t care in the slightest. Food wasn’t gonna be done at 2 anyway so they haven’t missed anything or messed up anything. And you know that. So what’s really bothering you? We aren’t leaving this room til you tell me.”

She sucked her teeth in annoyance before sighing. She knew he would make good on his promise not to let her leave until she was honest. 

“I’ve lived in LA for years. Did my masters out here, became a published author here, built a life here and you know how many times I’ve asked them to visit? And the first time they come, it's not even to see me. It’s to meet you. They’ve been in LA for 3 whole days… you know they haven’t made an effort to see me once? Never mind the fact that every restaurant they have a reservation to, we booked. Every excursion, you booked and paid for. And it shouldn’t bother me,” she whispered, throwing the entire drink back before wiping the corner of her lips. “It shouldn’t… bother me. Usually it doesn’t bother me. After all, this’s been it, my whole life. But since I met your family… I see how you are with them a-and I spend time with you all and it’s like breathing in rare fresh air? A-and I dunno, it just… the polluted air is a lot harder to breathe in than it used to be.”  

Since they returned from Paris, Raven had become a staple in the Jordan household. They still returned to the condo some nights after dates as it was often easier than getting back to his mansion in the hills. Raven had fallen in love with Michael’s family and it seemed his family had taken quite a liking to her as well. His nephew loved to have Raven read to him as she did the best silly voices, and she, his mom, and sister had already gone out without Michael for manis, pedis, and dinner - with his card, of course. 

Raven would never forget their first dinner the night they got back from Paris. She had been in such a bad mood but ten minutes at the table with Michael’s entire family had lightened her spirits significantly. His dad was charming and told stories that had Raven’s muscles aching from laughter; his mom so sweet and spent half the dinner asking questions about Raven’s book after having it finished it while they were away; his brother was quiet but he and Michael’s friendship made her heart want to melt; and his sister was witty and made Raven want to be her friend immediately. Everytime Raven spent time with them, they made her feel like part of the family. And she fell into it, despite her efforts to avoid it, with ease, like she had been part of the fabric for years. It caused some guilt to swell as she remembered that the girl they loved so much was a lie and that she and Michael were deceiving them. However, as her own family continued to disappoint her, it was nice to be a part of something so pure and loving. 

“Sorry to interrupt,” Michael’s sister poked her head into the room. “But your family’s car just pulled up.” 

Raven immediately stood up and handed the wine glass back to Michael. She went over to the full-length mirror in his room to adjust her outfit and ensure she looked perfect before putting on the most forced smile Michael had ever seen grace her lips. 

“Come on, we shouldn’t keep them waiting.” 

Michael grabbed her arm to stop her as she tried to walk around him. 

“I told myself I’d stay out of it… your family, your rules. But word of advice, if you’ll let me?” When she said nothing, he continued. “People treat you how you allow them. And just because you’ve allowed this disregard for 30 years doesn’t mean you have to allow it now or that you deserve it. It hurts more now because you know you deserve more. And you’ve experienced more. So demand more.” 

“And if they don’t give it?” Raven’s voice broke slightly with that question because she knew what his answer would be, what she should have done many years ago but did not have the courage to do.  

“Somethin’ isn’t always better than nothin’. Especially when that somethin’ is just dead weight you have to drag around behind you. No one ever got far with dead weight.” He pressed his lips to her forehead, Raven desperately wanting to melt into him and the comfort he provided. He laced his fingers in hers and kissed her hand. “That’s all I’m gonna say. We’re gonna have a good time, promise. You’re with me so you know I gotchu. You ready?” 

“Yea, I think so,” she smiled at him before following him out of his room and downstairs. 

As they descended the stairs, she was unsurprised to find the deep baritone of her father filling the foyer of Michael’s mansion as he greeted everyone. Raven fixed her face to maintain a smile as she and Michael finally made it to the bottom of the stairs. She could feel her sister’s eyes studying her, taking in her designer dress, the signature red bottoms of her heels, and the diamond necklace and earrings glistening against her skin that Michael had bought her in Paris. It may have been a role, but Raven could not lie, she enjoyed dressing the part of a movie star’s girlfriend more than she thought she would. A petty part of her also did not hate the way her sister’s nose seemed to flare with jealousy at it. 

“How y’all doin? I’m Michael?” Michael stepped forward and offered her father and sister a hug. 

Raven’s eyes narrowed as her sister tried to linger in the very chaste hug Michael offered. Neither of them acknowledged her as they introduced themselves to Michael and his family, Raven awkwardly teetering on her heels behind him. 

“It’s so great to meet you, son. Loved that Tom Clancy movie of yours. Watch it all the time,” her dad boasted as if he was Michael’s greatest fan. 

Raven rolled her eyes behind Michael, knowing how much he hated when the first thing out of someone’s mouth when he meets them is their favorite role of his. 

“Thank you, thank you. That was a fun one.” Michael reached behind him and pulled Raven to his side. He protectively tucked her under his arm and smiled down at her. “Great girl you have here.” 

“Hey dad,” Raven offered, stepping forward to accept the half hug her father offered. She knew it was merely for show but she accepted it anyway. “Kiara,” her tone made her seem far more excited to see both of them than she was. But unlike her family, she was painfully aware of the studious eyes of Michael’s family watching them. And while their foundation had cracks the size of the Grand Canyon in it, she did not want Michael’s family to see them. 

Her sister could not even stop eye fucking Michael long enough to give her a hug. She merely nodded in her direction. 

Michael, thankfully, ended the awkward silence between the family members by gesturing for everyone to follow him to the kitchen. There, the island was heavily laden with food that his mom deemed ready to serve. Everyone grabbed serving dishes and started helping move things to the table. Seeing an opportunity to grab her father and her sister, Raven pulled them off to the side for a moment while Michael’s family got ready for dinner. 

There was an awkward silence as the three of them stood in Michael’s living room before Raven found her voice again. She did not know why she was nervous, this was her family after all. 

“Just wanted to see how the trip’s going? A-and ask if y’all had plans tomorrow. Thought maybe, you could come see my apartment? And then maybe we could go hiking to the Hollywood sign, it’s such a nice view of the city. And Michael got us all reservations at a new Japanese spot tomorrow night.” 

Kiara turned her nose up at the mere idea. “Hiking?? No. Dad’s taking me shopping tomorrow on Rodeo Drive. It’ll probably take up the whole day, sorry. But dinner with Michael sounds good.” 

Raven’s heart deflated a bit. Another outstretched hand pushed away. “Oh… yea of course. Shopping sounds fun. Maybe I could meet you all?” 

“That’s ok. We know you’re busy,” her dad interjected, waving his hand to dismiss her suggestion. 

“Oh… well, it’s just… you leave Saturday, I wanted to spend some time with y’all before you leave? I tried calling you both, I haven���t seen you all week. I invited you all out here, thought we’d get to at least spend a little time together before you leave.” 

“We’re spending time together right now. We’ve been really busy. We came to meet Michael and enjoy the city. That’s what we’ve been doing. Besides, we all know Michael paid for us to come, not you.”

Raven scoffed, already frustrated and they had not been there for more than 5 minutes. She regretted everything about this plan. Her time with Michael’s family, this sanctuary she had found with them in his home, now felt tainted as if their mere presence had poisoned that sweet, fresh air. She knew she should have been more excited to see them, after all, it had been longer than she could remember since she saw them in the flesh. But now, that small part of her that never wanted to see them again only seemed to get larger and larger with every moment she stood in their presence. 

Why do you even bother?

“Oh, should I start itemizing everything I’ve paid for in the last decade? Is that the best way to get yall to, you know, actually care to spend time with me? I mean I’ve been asking y’all to come out this way for years. I just thought… since we haven’t really seen each other in a while, this could be a good chance to reconnect. But shopping is more important than me, everything seems to be,” she muttered more to herself than to them. Before her sister could cut in with another smart comment, Raven added. “Can you make sure to thank Michael for this trip you’re enjoying so much? He really went all out of y’all.”

“You don’t need to lecture me on good manners, Raven. I did raise you both,” her father spoke up, clearly annoyed and bored of this conversation. 

Raven bit down the retort that she was not sure please and thank you were even phrases in their vocabulary and just nodded. 

“Is that all?” her sister asked cooly. 

“Yea, yea that’s all.” 

Both of them immediately left to return to the dining room where Michael’s family gathered, leaving Raven in the living room. She let out a deep shaky breath as a welcomed face popped out around the corner. However, she cringed slightly, fearful that he heard that entire exchange. 

She walked over to him, Michael immediately pulling her into a tight embrace. Her head thudded against his chest. “Please tell me you didn’t hear any of that.” 

“Don’t think me lying to you is gonna make you feel any better.” His fingers brushed aside the curls that spilled into her face. .

His hand rubbed soothing circles into her back before he kissed her on the top of her head. This time Raven did not even attempt to shy away, she fully melted into his embrace, at least as much as she could without breaking down. 

“Say the word and they’re gone,” he reminded her, leaning back so he could look in her eyes. 

Raven could tell he was completely serious, that he would kick both of them out without a second thought or a care. However, she knew that was not a possibility. 

“As much as I hate it, we need them, remember?” She sighed. “For once, I do actually need them. So I’m gonna do what I’ve always done.”

“And what’s that?” 

She shrugged, pulling herself out of his embrace. “Suffer through it.” She answered simply. 

“Anything I can do to help?” 

“Keep my glass full,” she answered bluntly. “I can already tell it’s gonna be a long fucking afternoon.”

***

“So Kiara, what do you do?” Donna asked as she sat down from transitioning the dinner dishes out and replacing them with dessert. 

Raven did not know how she was going to eat the slice of apple pie Michael cut for her. Everything had been so delicious, she had eaten two plates and would have gotten a third if her sister had not made a backhanded, loud compliment about her food and her figure. While she could count the number of plates she had eaten with ease, the same could not be said for the glasses of sangria. 

She had not lied when she said she needed it. Tipsy Raven cared far less about her sister’s consistent jabs to make her feel inferior and puff herself up to Michael nor did she care about how her father objectively ignored her for the entire dinner. He talked of her and around her but not once did he direct a question or comment to her. She could not tell which slight bothered her more, the disrespect or the disregard.  

“I was doing hair for a while but I really love to cook so I’m going back to school to be a chef.” 

Everyone around the table offered the appropriate congratulations and well wishes while Raven merely smiled and stopped herself from rolling her eyes. Kiara changed career paths about as often as she changed boyfriends, which was damn near monthly. Being a chef was just another way to throw her dad and Raven’s money down the toilet. 

“Once I finish school, maybe you can float some clients my way? My dream is to be a personal chef.” 

Raven downed her glass before filling it again. She found that drinking was the only way to stop herself from commenting on everything they did that frustrated her. However, that was an incredibly foolish drinking game to play. Because everything they did today seemed to frustrate her, every slight seemed amplified now that it was in the presence of Michael and his family. Each one fueled that anger she often ignored and suppressed. She should have known this was coming, that they would try to ask him for favors. She didn’t even ask him for favors. All they did was take and it was one thing to do that to her, but Michael did not deserve it. 

You don’t deserve it either, a small voice that sounded oddly like the man sitting next to her reminded her. 

“Maybe finish school first before you start chatting up my man for clients,” Raven teased, keeping her tone light and playful though she knew Kiara could see the lack of amusement in her eyes. 

“Well, we all gotta start somewhere right? Can’t all be big time like you, sis?” 

Raven smiled, “Well, you can be if you work hard… and don't rely on boyfriends, dad and I for everything,” she added the last part under her breath, however, she knew her sister could hear her. Michael’s hand went to rest of her thigh as if he could sense the change in her demeanor and mood almost immediately. 

“Oh we loved Raven’s book,” Donna offered, transitioning the conversation away from her sister. “Such a talented and vivid writer. I probably talked the poor girl’s ear off when we first met about it. Was she always like that?” 

Raven’s dad chuckled. “Yea she always had her nose buried in a book or a notebook writing somethin. She used to write these little short stories, got a drawer full of ‘em back at the house.” 

“That’s so sweet. I’m not much of a fantasy reader,” Donna admitted. “But she had me hooked from the first chapter. Such a beautiful story.” 

“Yea the book was really great,” he added lamely, unable to offer much beyond that because, as Raven knew, he had not read her book. “I always encouraged them both to follow their dreams, great to see her accomplish so much.” 

Something about hearing him talk about her passion, her life’s work, the thing she tolled and fought for and had to give up, as if he cared about it at all made all those years of suppressed rage finally boil over. She could suffer through a lot, it was true, but she could not listen to that, listen to him lie and pretend to be supportive or caring when he was nothing of the sort. And now, she did not even care who knew it. This was simply not a piece of fiction she would allow him to sell.  

“What was your favorite part of the book, dad?” Raven had not said much throughout dinner, allowing her sister to monopolize most of the conversation. However, it seemed as though Michael was the only person who realized the unfortunate turn their Thanksgiving dinner was about to take. He leaned in closer to her, quietly whispering in her ear but he knew his sweet nothings meant just that at this point: nothing. She was too far gone to hear them or register them. Her body felt as if it was almost vibrating with rage. He wished he could take her outside and give her a few plates to smash but he knew his mom would not appreciate that. 

“Oh all of it. Whole thing was great.” 

“Huh…” she muttered, taking a long gulp of her drink before reaching for the pitcher to refill it. “Who’s your favorite character?” 

“Maybe we should slow down on…” Michael quietly whispered in her ear, subtly trying to beat her to the pitcher but she grabbed it first and poured another large glass. She raised her hand to stop his sentence. 

“Didn’t realize there’d be a pop quiz,” he let out a deep chuckle as the tension around the table grew to levels that were impossible to ignore. 

“Not a pop quiz. Just tell me one thing about the book you loved so much and encouraged me to write. Favorite plot twist, favorite scene, favorite character… hell, name one character you remember at all?”

“What the fuck, Rae? What’s your problem?” 

Raven let out a humorless laugh as she leaned back in her seat. She downed her entire drink in one go, sitting the glass down before folding her arms casually. 

“What’s my problem? What’s my problem? Right now, my problem is this fiction you’re spinning as if you give a rat’s ass about my book, my career, or me when if someone put a gun to your head, you wouldn’t be able to tell them the name of my book, let alone anything about it. My problem is the fact that I invited you all here to spend time with me, my boyfriend, and his family, all for you to ignore me for most of dinner. My problem is that you wax poetic about stories I wrote as a kid when, if you had ever bothered to read a single one of them, you would have seen a child writing herself into literally any other world and family to escape the pitiful one she had. I have a lot of problems, too many to list right now. But the common denominator in all of them is you two.” 

Everyone’s movements and side conversations halted at her outburst. The silence and her deep breaths were only interrupted by Michael’s brother accidentally dropping his fork against his dinner china, the loud clanging filling everyone’s ears as they stared at Raven and her father.

She was not one to start a scene or draw attention to herself. But she could not let any of this go on for another moment. 

“Baby… why don’t we take a break for a minute?” Michael asked, standing to pull her chair out. Raven knew that if she sat there for a minute longer, she’d lose whatever little composure she had left, so she forced herself to heed Michael’s advice. She wiped her lips and immediately threw her napkin down on the table to stand and leave. 

“Excuse me.” 

However, as she turned around, she heard her father’s voice. 

“I didn’t mean to cause an issue. I tried my best with her and Kiara but you know, some kids are just harder to handle than others.”

As soon as those words hit her ears, she exploded. Before she even realized it, she had returned to the table and was leaning over it yelling at her father. 

“‘You tried your best??’ YOU TRIED YOUR BEST? You never tried! All you’ve done is give the bare minimum and suffer through my presence like I’m was a fuckin’ pest you couldn’t get rid of!” 

“You think you can talk to me that way? I’m still your father! All I’ve ever done is love you and take care of you.” 

Raven scoffed, throwing her hands in the air. Michael shifted so he was standing behind her, an arm wrapped around her waist as if to stop her from jumping across the table. It was not that he thought she would actually do anything, baby girl did not seem like the scrapping type. But he prayed his presence would calm her down if nothing else. This was a side of her he had never seen before. He could not lie, it was kinda sexy, seeing her finally stick up for herself and be assertive. 

In a part of her brain that felt distant and detached, she could feel Michael’s presence, hear his soft whispers to calm down. And she knew and appreciated what he was trying to do: stop her from doing something she’d ultimately regret. But at that moment, she did not know if she wanted to be stopped.

“All you’ve ever done is give me scraps! Scraps of support, scraps of your attention, but not an ounce of your love or affection. All to punish me for the sin of being born.” She had always bought into her family’s narrative that she was to blame for what happened. But it was as if the small voice that nagged at her her entire life was finally roaring. This was not her fault. No part of it was. “You can’t be mad at God for that shitty situation and you won’t be mad at mom for making her choice. So for 30 years, I’ve endured you hating me because you needed someone to be mad at. When you ignored birthday after birthday and accomplishment after accomplishment and need after need, I persisted in trying to win your love and win your affection. When you threw me out and cut me off after one year of college, I dusted myself off and kept going. When you rebuffed every attempt to reconnect and build a new relationship, I kept reaching out, kept trying. When you ignored me on every holiday and at every visit and everything, I still showed up. And when you ask for everything I have despite not deserving a cent of it, I give it. Every single time. Even after I lost my book deal last year and my career and didn’t know how I was gonna pinch pennies together for rent, I put myself and my needs last to help you two every single fuckin’ time. And you both expect me to be gracious for scraps while I kill myself to give you the Sun, Moon and stars and you take and you take and you take without so much as a thank you.” Every ‘take’ punctured by her hand slamming down on the farm-style dining table. “It’s not enough and I refuse to spend the next 30 years pretending it is. I’m done!” 

“God, you’re such an embarrassment,” Kiara muttered. 

“Oh fuck you, Kiara!” She cried out. “You miserable, attention-seeking bitch. You can say whatever you want about me but unlike you, I made something of my life and I did it all on my own. Meanwhile, you float through life without a single responsibility or thing to your name that someone else didn’t give you. And you can’t stand the fact that my life, despite both of your best efforts, is better than yours.” 

“Wow. Nice to know how you really feel about your family.” 

“I’ve never had a family. You both made damn sure of that. You want me out of your lives so bad? Fine. I’m out. Let’s see how far both of you get without taking from me. Get out. Both of you.” 

Raven had no authority to kick someone out of a house that was not even hers but she could not hope to care. She knew Michael would not argue with her or lobby for them to stay after she just cussed them out six ways to Sunday in front of his entire family. 

“You can’t kick us out!” 

“Yes she can,” Michael piped up, speaking for the first time since the blow up began. 

The intense stare down continued before her father and sister angrily stood up and stalked to the door. 

“And Kiara!” Her sister stopped walking to turn around to her. “Say another word about me or my relationship to the media and I won’t hesitate to tell this entire world what a shitty person and sister you are. See how your friends like that story then.”

Her sister merely glared at her before stomping out of the house behind their father. As soon as she heard the door shut, Raven felt the adrenaline in her system crash and the weight of what just happened set in. 

What the fuck did you just do? And in front of Michael’s family? 

She let out a shaky breath as a wave of shame hit her. “U-Um… I am… I am s-so so so sorry,” she whispered. She rang her hands together, unable to make eye contact with anyone in the room. She had not felt this embarrassed in a long time. “I-I should go too.” She pulled herself away from Michael and tried to race toward the door, ignoring his calls for her to stay. However, before she could leave the dining room, Michael’s mom stopped her. 

She grabbed the young woman’s hands and patted them softly. 

“No, no you aren’t. No one leaves my table till dessert is over. You’re gonna sit and finish your pie with family.” 

The tears brimming in Raven’s eyes spilled over. 

“I-I’m sorry for r-ruining dinner.” 

The older woman laughed. “That ain’t the first blow up this family’s seen at a dinner table… won’t be the last. Go on and sit down.” 

She steered Raven’s body back into Michael’s arms who pulled back her chair for her to sit. She ate her pie in silence, conversation flowing with ease around her. The Jordans acted as if her meltdown was just par the course, though she knew they were likely just trying to make her feel better. But still, she appreciated it. Within 15 minutes of eating dessert, the mood across the table felt lighter and easier than it had all day. Raven calmed down enough to laugh and joke. By the end of several rounds of drinks and a very rowdy spades game to cap off the evening, Raven’s heart and soul also felt lighter than they had in years.  

However, that quickly ended when she and Michael finally retreated to his suite for the evening. She collapsed onto the edge of his bed and kicked off her shoes, her movements sluggish and slow as if the weight of what she had done was finally creeping on her now that she was alone. 

“I’m… alone,” she whispered to herself. 

“What?” Michael crouched down in front of her, her eyes misting over slightly as she realized the truth. 

“I’ve always been alone for the most part… after my grandma died. And I couldn’t keep a relationship going for long ever. It’s always just been… me. But it was ok because even though they were awful, I still had… family a-and there was still hope that it could be something. But now… now I have no one cause they’ll never come around after what I said to them.” She rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hand. “I don’t regret it, I was holding on to something that just wasn’t ever gonna be anything. But the dead weight was… something? Didn’t expect how empty I’d feel without it.” She sniffled and wiped her eyes. “It’s stupid,” she whispered. “Sorry.” She cleared her throat and stood up to walk to his bathroom. “Give me a minute to get my life together and then we can do what you actually pay me for and not this sad shit.”  

Michael watched as she dapped her eyes in the mirror to rid them of tears before she reached behind her and pulled down the zipper of her dress. She looked gorgeous, her body clad in another one of her lingerie sets from Paris. This one was a nude brown that perfectly matched her skin. He knew she was merely trying to use sex to move on and forget, and he would oblige. But he could not do so without saying one thing.

“You have me.” It was not a question, but a firm statement. A matter of fact statement that left no room for arguments or questions. 

Raven’s hands paused as she tried to fix her hair for a few minutes. She turned and smiled at him, closing the distance between them. 

“Yea I have you… But this’ll end and you’ll find the right girl for you and then…”she shook her head, not wanting to think about that: being alone or being without him. “Thank you… for today.” 

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Usually, Michael initiated their kisses and they were domineering, hurried and passionate. While this moment held the same passion, it was slow and measured, each second inching past them. And Raven used every second to convey what her simple thank you could not. She prayed he felt it and appreciated it, because at that moment, the small action was all she had left to give. She did not have the energy for grand speeches or words. 

She broke off their kiss and slid down to her knees, assuming the same position she did almost every time they had sex.

However, tonight, Michael decided he needed something different, that she needed something different. His finger gently lifted her chin so her eyes were on him.  

“You take care of me every time we have sex. Let me take care of you for once.” 

He did not let her question it as he helped her to her feet and led her to his bed, gently pushing her down. She let out a dramatic huff that made him chuckle. 

He stood over her for a moment, his eyes taking in the hills of her breasts, the soft panes of her stomach, her thick plush thighs. He often found himself just staring at her and this moment was no different, moments where he wanted to commit her beauty to memory, burn her image in his brain matter. 

“You are fuckin’ gorgeous,” he whispered. “You know how beautiful you are?” he asked as he sucked on the skin of her neck. 

She turned her head, giving him more access to the skin of her neck as he sucked and bit. She whimpered slightly as his kisses moved down her body, savoring the taste of her soft supple skin. He took his time, however, this felt completely different than when he teased her. Then, he was purposefully avoiding giving her what she wanted. Now, her moans created the roadmap he followed. His lips and hands lingered where she needed them to, only pausing to shower her with praises. As his kisses continued, Raven lost all control of her senses, of the world around her. Everything else, the pain and emotions of the day faded away as every thought in her mind and every cell in her physical body turned their focus on him.

“I love everything about you. The way you moan, the way you beg me for more, the face you make when I make you cum.”

“Michael, please,” she whimpered.  

He paused his ministrations and grasped her chin with a featherlike touch, her eyes focusing on him. 

“I’m gonna take care you, I promise. Always. Trust me.” He hoped that the look in his eyes conveyed the truth, that her pleasure was not the only part of her he would take care of. He would worship and care for her mind, body, and spirit. 

His fingers hooked into her lace panties and slid them off, settling between her plush thighs for his favorite meal of the day. Her eyes clenched shut as he spelled his adoration and love for her with his tongue on her clit. Michael had always been a generous lover but river always bent toward his pleasure. Every action, while it brought her pleasure, carried the reminder that it was not for her pleasure, it was for his. And she loved it, craved it, got off on it. It was one of the benefits of the arrangement to her. 

But it had been so long since she had had sex like this, where the river flowed toward her and only her, where someone was so committed to bringing her mind numbing pleasure and ensuring she knew she was cared for and safe. She knew why he was doing it, after seeing how unsafe she was with her own family. She knew it was not real but she could not close the gates to her heart fast enough and stop herself from feeling it, from enjoying it. Every touch was gentle and sweet and let her know she was safe in his arms, safe in his sanctuary. And even though she knew she could not stay there with him forever, she loved him even more for letting her in from the cold for a moment. 

Michael’s eyes never left her face as he devoured her, every moan, groan, and plea for mercy spurred him on. Her thighs clamped around his head as he pushed her farther and farther up her mountain to the peak of desire. He knew Raven’s body almost as well as he knew his own now, increasing his speed and efforts when he felt her legs shake and heard her moans grow louder. 

It did not take much longer for Raven to feel the snap of a powerful orgasm crash over her. She let out a continuous stream of praise and lewd words as she road those waves of sweet bliss. 

“That’s it, baby. Cum for me. Fuck, you taste so good.” He emerged from between her legs, kissing her deeply. 

He wrapped his arm around her waist and used his strength to hoist her farther up onto the bed. He placed her legs on his shoulders and lined himself up with her entrance. Raven offered him a raised eyebrow at the position choice, she could not remember the last time they did missionary on the bed like this. On creative surfaces, like tables? Sure. 

“I wanna look you in the eye when I make you cum. Keep your eyes on me, baby,” he whispered, Raven’s heart’s fluttering as she felt him fill her to the brim. 

“Fuckkkk,” she cried out as he drove into her deeply. Every stroke felt like heaven, a promised land he was so graciously sending her to. There was a vulnerability to the position that she had not expected, the way he looked at her with every thrust forward and retreat. 

“Look at me.” He demanded as her eyes fluttered closed. As soon as her eyes were trained on his, he uttered three words Raven never would have thought to hear from his lips. “I love you.” 

Raven was rendered speechless, her moans catching in her throat as she felt her stomach drop 100 stories. 

Did he say what I think he said? She thought to herself, her brain trying to cut through layers of pleasure fog to work properly. 

“You deserve the entire world, Rae. You deserve someone who’ll  give you this world… the sun, the moon, and the stars. And I don’t deserve you, I don’t deserve this. But I’ll spend everything I have, I’ll give everything I am to make sure you got it. I want more than an arrangement and six months with you… I want you, all of you, for as long as you’ll allow me.” 

His words directly clashed with the narrative she had in her mind, the seeds of doubt life and her family had sowed. And despite her heart begging her to scream the words back at him, those doubts stopped her. She heard his words but she did not believe them or rather, she could not believe them.  

She did love him, she was so in love with him. It was a devastating, beautiful, painful, once-in-a-lifetime sort of love she thought she would only read in the pages of love stories. But she felt it… every devastatingly beautiful moment of it every time she was in his presence, every time she felt his touch, every time he comforted her or looked into her eyes. 

But the words, those three precious words, were stuck in her throat. A barrier of fear and doubt, made even heavier by the events of the day, weighed them down. Instead of celebrating that the man she so desperately loved felt the same about her, she could only focus on how that just could not simply be true. The story she had built in her mind that she was not good enough, that she did not deserve him, that he could never love her, a part of her brain clung to it as a lifeline. She had given Michael this grand speech about living and falling but she could not do it herself. Because if she gave in and  allowed him to love her, truly love her, and then this was all a lie? That was the crash she did not think she could survive. She could handle her family hurting her. It knocked her down but she could always get back up again. But Michael? He would be her armageddon. If he hurt her, she would not get back up again. 

The avalanche was hurling toward her once again, only this time she was standing at the bottom without a barrier or way to outrun it. She was mere feet away from being swept up by it and all the emotion and vulnerability it brought in its wake. The day had just been too much, too heavy. And emotionally, she had not been prepared for any of the twists and turns the day had brought. She suddenly felt overwhelmed, so out of control of everything, particularly her emotions, the one thing she usually had under control. 

She felt tears sting the back of her eyes but she knew they were not good tears, the tears Michael usually induced during sex. No, these were entirely different. She quickly realized she needed a break, a moment. And the only thing in this world that she could control in this particular moment was the man above her. He was the catalyst every single time, the cannon blast that started the avalanche, that forced her to feel everything all at once. And she needed that to stop. She needed him to stop. 

“Wakanda…” she choked out, her voice as broken and small as she felt. 

She did not have a chance to repeat it as Michael immediately stopped his movements in mid stroke, his face stricken and concerned. 

“Shit.” He slid out of her without a second thought  and braced himself over her, shocked to find tears streaming down her face, her body trembling. He  immediately grabbed the blanket that was hanging half off the bed, wrapping her nude form tightly in it. “Hey, hey. You’re ok, you’re ok. You’re having a panic attack. Deep breaths for me.”

Raven curled into a small ball under the blanket, gasping for breath. Michael pressed her hand into his chest. 

“Focus on me, baby girl. That’s it. Deep breaths.” 

She closed her eyes and focused on the faint thumps of his heart in his chest, the way it rose and fell against her hand as she tried to sync up her breathing to his. He held tightly to her hand as she took long deep breaths. It felt like hours passed before either of them moved, before she felt calm enough to speak, but she knew it had likely only been a few minutes. 

“First a concussion,” she wiped her tears. “And now, a panic attack. I must be the worst woman you’ve ever had sex with,” she let out a watery chuckle. 

“Or the best?” he offered in a voice so gentle and quiet, it made a new set of tears well up in her eyes. She did not deserve him. “What happened? Did I hurt you?” 

She shook her head. “N-no, you d-didn’t. I j-just couldn’t… you can’t look at me l-like that o-or keep doing stuff l-like this. Pretending you love me just to make me feel b-better.” She shook her head rapidly. “I know you feel obligated to be g-gentle and shit when I’m having a bad day. But i-it’s just confusing. I know t-this isn’t real a-and I c-cant take anyone else pretending to love me or care about me when they r-really don’t.”  

“I’ve never done anything for you that I didn’t want to do, Raven. I’m not kind and gentle with you because I feel obligated. I’m kind and gentle because I want to be, because you deserve it. Do you find yourself so undeserving of all these things that it is that hard to believe that I’m in love with you? That I do all this shit for you because this is real to me??” 

“There’s no way that is true! You don’t love me!” She argued. 

“Yes I do!” 

Raven wanted to pull her hair out and scream at him. “Stop saying that! W-we are just fantasies to each other, Michael! P-playing a role that the other needs filled and j-just because the fantasy is nice, doesn’t mean I should kid myself into believing it is real. You’ll toss me aside as soon as this agreement is done because everything you feel is based on a fantasy!”

“You aren’t some fantasy to me, Raven!” 

“Fine! Not a fantasy! But everything we are is conditional… even you have to admit that. I mean we have a fuckin’ contract! Everything we are is based on me fulfilling those conditions! You can dress me up like a girlfriend but I know what I am when the cameras go away, Michael. I’m the girl you met in a hotel who was paid to fuck you!” 

He jumped off the bed and grabbed his phone, thrusting it into her hand. “Robert Pearson. Call him.” 

“W-who is that?” she asked, completely bewildered by the change in the conversation. 

“He’s one of the top reporters at TMZ. Call him, call him right now and tell him this whole thing is a fuckin’ sham. Hell, want me to start an Instagram live for you so you can tell the whole fucking world? I’ll do it.” 

She threw the phone back on the bed and stood up, wrapping the blanket around her like a dress. “I’m not gonna fucking call anyone or do that!” 

“But you could! That’s my point! You could call TMZ right now and tell him this whole thing was a sham, sell a fuckin’ tell all and I’d still love you. I’d honestly thank you for it because then I wouldn’t have to pretend I only love you because of some arrangement. I could admit that I love you for you. I love you for your vulnerability, your spirit, the fact that you give and you give and expect nothing in return and don’t even stop giving all of yourself when everyone else would. I love that you talk in fuckin’ sonnets and monologues. I love your relentless optimism and hope. I love your smile, the way you can’t look someone in the eye when they compliment you but it lights up your entire being. I love that you’ve got a wild imagination and you're quirky and funny and…” he threw his hands up in the air. “I. Love. You. I am in love with you. You can keep telling me to stop saying it, you can ignore it, pretend you don’t hear it, you can reject it. But it won’t change it. I love you. No conditions, no expectations. Just you for you. The question is do you love me?” he demanded. 

“It’s not that simple!” She tried to move around him but he blocked her way. She needed to get out of her, needed to escape this chaos. “Move, Michael.” 

“No! It is that simple. Do you love me? Forget everythin’ else. What you think you do and don’t deserve. Do. You. Love. Me?” 

“Of course, I fuckin’ love you!” she cried out. “I fell in love with you the morning I woke up with a concussion and you were sitting in my hospital room. I love you! But t-there’s… no one loves me like that. What you’re claiming to feel… no one feels that for me a-and there’s no way that you, a man who could get any one of the billions of women on this planet, would be the first. There’s no way you would settle for loving me.” She let out a deep sigh. “A-and my heart can’t take it… I can’t take the rejection and pain from people I love who don’t love me back anymore. I c-can’t. Which means I can’t believe that you love me. I’ve taken all I can take a-and if I accept that you love me, then I risk you rejecting o-or hurting me. And when you do, it’ll kill me.” The last word hung in the air as she sank down to the floor by his bed, her head buried in her hands. 

Michael settled down on the floor next to her, his hand grasping hers as he intertwined their fingers. There was so much to unpack in her words, so much that he knew he would not be able to convince her of or solve in one night. But there was one thing he knew he could assure her of right then and there. 

“There were a hundred ways I could’ve spun what happened between us that first night, hundreds of ways I could’ve dealt with you that would not have led us to this moment. But I chose the road I chose, not so I could have a body to use or fix a crisis. But because you stole my soul the moment you turned around in that hotel room. Loving you isn’t fuckin’ settling, it’s everythin’ I’ve wanted for damn near a decade but didn’t think I could have again. We’ve been standing on the edge of this cliff, waiting for the other to be ready to jump for months now. And I’m ready and you’re holdin’ on for dear fuckin’ life. I’m askin’ you to let go and trust that I won’t hurt you. I know that’s scary… shit I’m scared too. But I’m willing to jump if you are.” His thumb wiped away her falling tears before kissing her on the forehead. “I’m not lookin’ for an answer tonight, love. I know today… this week’s been a lot for you. I didn’t mean to add another thing on top of all the other shit, I just… needed you to know how I felt.” 

“Don’t… don’t apologize. I-I j-just got overwhelmed b-by everything. It’s been a day of unexpected emotional confessions,” she chuckled. “I…” she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m really scared. Scared of being hurt, scared of falling even more in love with you a-and another good thing being taken from me. B-But I want this for real with you too. I don’t wanna keep pretending what we have isn’t real when we know it is. If you’re ready to jump, so am I. And we can just be scaredy cats while we fall together?” 

He pulled her into his lap and pressed his lips to hers softly. “Not a fan of you callin’ me a  scaredy cat,” he teased. “But yea. I meant it when I told you, you’re safe with me. All of you. And I’ll do whatever I gotta do to make sure you believe that shit.” 

Her heart fluttered a bit. She knew he meant his words. If there was one thing she had always been with Michael, it was safe. And she adored that about him. 

“I love you,” she whispered. 

“I love the way that shit sounds. Say it again.” . 

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” her lips tugged upward into a grin as he started peppering her face with kisses and having her repeat the phrase over and over again. He picked them both off the ground and continued kissing her and causing her to giggle as he placed her back in bed. 

He settled her under the covers and pulled her tightly into his arms. Their legs were quickly tangled in each other’s as she laid her head on his chest. They laid there in silence for a while before Raven sat up. As much as she enjoyed cuddling in his arms, Raven wanted more. Emboldened by their confessions of love, she pushed herself to her knees and straddled his hips. 

“You used your safe word. We ain’t gotta…” she pressed a finger to his lips stopping him. 

“I know what I want and need, Bakari,” she whispered, using his nickname, which was only reserved for family and close friends for the first time. Michael was not much of a crier but hearing his nickname on her lips made his heart skip one or two beats, made tears sting the back of his eyes.  “And I want you. You showed me how much you loved me… now let me show you.” She gave him a sly smirk before shifting between his legs to taste him. 

The pair lost track of how many times they moaned or screamed those three magic words to each other. But by the time they were finished, their bodies a tangled mess of limbs and bodily fluid, Raven knew, in her heart, that his words were true. And so she fell asleep nestled in his warm embrace, feeling true happiness with anther person for the first time in her life.

Tag List: @readinghere2023 @blackerthings @prettyisasprettydoes1306 @physicxal @purplehairgawdess @miyuhpapayuh @rueruesclues @geemamii @certifiedlesbianbaddie @pipsqueak-98 @nyifly22 @destinio1 @twocentaur @gopaperless @musicisme333 @roguekiki @majesticbrownjawn @taurusqueen83 @mysteryuz @miamormilan @itsknor-thedeep @naj-ay444 @mads-grace4 @nayaesworld @kholdkill @msniaimani @nccu-rnc @apenasumlug4r

***

A/N: The babes finally confessed their love for each other!!! Woohoo! How do you think our two lovebirds make the jump from fake romance to a real relationship? Thank you for reading! Drop a comment and let me know what you thought :)

[izvmimi]

cw: smut, minors dni, exhibitionism/public sex, dubcon, reader wearing a dress and heels, repost!

Kunigami has not been the same since the Wild Card.

While he struggled to explain to you exactly what had transpired once he’d left the Blue Lock facility and shown up suddenly on your doorstep, even before he spoke you could tell something was seriously amiss. Hair slightly overgrown and shaggy and an odd look in his eye, he told you he missed you and nothing more. You had many questions, having missed your friend just as much, but Rensuke didn’t allow any more inquiry to the subject than that and it was a short reunion, given you were still high schoolers, your parents were home and as usual they would rather you study than entertain a boy.

The next time you met up with him, some of the gloominess that stuck to him appeared to have disappeared, and your date went smoothly. Kind and considerate to almost a fault but with a little bit more of an edge when he protected you from bullies, he was mostly the same Rensuke you grew up with.

Years later, Kunigami seems to have healed and is back to being quiet but in a way that’s no longer heavy and somber. The relationship between you two is as strong as ever and he remains sweet - 

to an extent.

The darkness is still there somewhat, and it rears its ugly head whenever he loses a match. 

Before the last ten seconds elapse to zero, you’re already making your way down to find him. There’s a corridor in the bowels of the home stadium that is rarely frequented, and perfect for encounters of this nature. In haste, you slip your panties off underneath your dress and over your stilettos, stuffing them into your purse. 

Your Rensuke doesn’t take long to appear, and the wild eyes are back. 

He never used to be a sore loser. 

But now, frustration gnaws at him so easily, and the only way to help is offering up the space between your legs, and you now share an understanding, falling into this routine whenever things don’t turn out the way you or he would like. 

His lips press against yours roughly, and you can taste the salt of his sweat. He’s worked so hard, running up and down the court and every bit of his effort lingers on your tongue. He bites and nips at you roughly, harsh breaths replacing normal speech.

“You did your best,” you murmur softly, and you know he hates your pity in this very moment as he sinks to his knees. He gathers up your dress and sucks at your lower lips quickly swelling with arousal and you whimper; hastily, he grips you by the asscheeks, firmly planting your thighs around his glistening neck. You squirm but he keeps you still, eating as though sucking and swallowing is the only way to pacify him, and your moans intensify.

“‘suke, it’s too much, hold on-”

He tortures you for just a moment longer; you squeeze your arms tighter around his head and your legs close tighter around his neck until eventually he sets you down carefully, a tiny shred of mercy still left in him. Legs wobbly, you lean against his chest, burying your face into his drenched jersey.

“Ren, it’s okay if-”

“Bend over,” he instructs. The impatience and gruffness to his voice reminds you that if you don’t move quickly enough he’ll do it for you and you turn over. Pressed against the wall, he slots himself inside you with a hint of pain, masked by a hard slap on your ass.

“God, you’re always so ready for me,” he hisses into the side of your neck. A bite, and then he begins to thrust, and you revel in the sharp, ferocious, angry thrusts into you - nothing like the soft gentle love he makes at home, but anxious and irritated. Like this, slapping your ass cheeks, growling into your neck, and dragging his cock in and out of you, you’re nothing but a stress ball and willingly so. 

“You’re the only person who fucking understands how pissed i am right now,” he mumbles, nibbling at your neck. It’s true, and you love him, but all you can think of right now is how good he makes you feel, especially when his large hand clasps over the front of your neck and tightens.

“Everyone is so fucking useless except you, I don’t know why I even bother, I can only carry so many of these bastards on my back-”

You nod, knowing the vitriol he spews now, he’ll soon recant. It takes some getting used to, this new mean part of him, but it’s there and it’s a part of him, and when he finally cums and leaves you dripping between your legs, he spins you around and kisses you. 

His eyes have changed, but not all the way.

“Was I too rough this time?” he asks, apologetically. A hand brings yours to his mouth and he kisses the back. 

“No,” you kiss him back. It’s not like it’s never happened as he is a little bit too strong for his own good, but not today. 

“Don’t forget our safe words. I’ll remember them no matter what.”

Another kiss, as you slip your panties back on. 

“i’ll see you after postgame interviews,” he promises. you nod.

It’s a new side of him, but you like it when he’s mean.

[rea-grimm]

The crow and the spider - House of Phantomhive pt 1

Through the animus, you experience the life of your ancestor living in 19th century England. Your target is the family of Phantomhive and Trancy. However, their servants don't make your task as an assassin any easier. Nor does the red ribbon of fate that binds the demons to their soulmate.

The world was dominated by the legend of the red ribbon of fate, which bound soul mates together. But few knew it wasn't just a legend. It was real to demons and only these supernatural beings were able to see this ribbon. 

The mansion you lived in was consumed by flames to its foundations. You had nowhere to go... That wasn't really true. You had nowhere to go, but it was a perfect opportunity to get closer to your goal. 

So at the queen's request, you took shelter in Phantomhive House for a few days. The young earl provided you with a large room of your own, where you had every service. Moreover, he ordered his butler, Sebastian, to take proper care of you. After all, he couldn't disappoint Her Majesty, to whom your family was close. 

You could say you were not like other nobles. You had a mind of your own and liked to do things your way. That was true even when it came to washing and dressing. 

Sebastian filled your tub and wanted to help you wash and then dress. You refused to go around him naked and even though you knew that's what other noblewomen did, you refused. 

At first, you tried politely, but eventually, you ran out of patience and threw him out the door. You were pretty self-sufficient and you weren't going to change that. Why waste a servant when you could do it yourself? 

Sebastian was quite amused by your behaviour, as it was a challenge and such behaviour was unusual for ladies. Everyone wanted to be spoiled by him. He knew how to make a woman submit to him, only you were harder than the others. It was a challenge to tame you and subdue you. 

You explored the estate, as you had the impression that there was much more going on here than met the eye. 

Your unorthodox behaviour of treating the servants kindly and not like things made everyone take a liking to you. They were happy to serve their master, but you were a welcome change. As they tried to impress you, they made Sebastian's job harder. He had to drive them away from you and remind them of their work.

Ciel allowed you to use his vast library as you pleased. You felt most at home there, and the library became your base. You studied the maps, the letters and the movements of the Templars. From there, you sent encrypted letters and instructions to other assassins. 

You loved to sit on the roof of the mansion, where you had a beautiful view of the whole property and the surrounding woods. Plus, you had peace away from everyone. From the staff, from the butler you had a problem with, and from everything else. 

🟉-🟉-🟉-🟉-🟉

During your stay at Phantomhive House, you and the Earl received an invitation to the upcoming Trancy Family Ball. It was an excellent opportunity to find out more about this family, as they were on your list of suspects as well.

Ciel gave you a beautiful long dress with shoes and matching jewellery as a gift. After all, when your house burned down, so did your stuff. 

You were blown away by the dress and went to try it on. This time you didn't even mind Sebastian coming with you, since he had to lace it up in the back. The shoes were gorgeous too, but you had an opinion about them. You picked them up and went to show them to the Count. 

"If you want to kill me, do it the classic way. These shoes are a murder weapon," you said seriously, pointing to the high stiletto-like heels. 

The Count was not amused by your reaction, though you noticed a small smile from the butler. Unfortunately, you had no choice. If you wanted to attend the ball, you had to go in those "murder weapons." At worst, you could use them as a real weapon. 

You liked to wear heels but at a reasonable height. When you first tried on these shoes, you were afraid you'd break your foot. 

All of which led to Sebastian giving you dance lessons at his master's request and seeing to it that you learned to walk in those shoes by then. 

You liked those lessons with the butler. It was like he was someone else at that moment. He may have been strict and punished every misbehaviour, and he seemed to revel in punishment, but when you made progress he rewarded you accordingly. 

You danced close, and even though you were wearing heels, he was still taller than you. Many times during the dance you were lost in thought and in his eyes, which were an unnatural red color. The soft lips when he looked at you lustfully. 

🟉-🟉-🟉-🟉-🟉

One night you couldn't sleep and decided to get a glass of water. You didn't want to annoy the servants because of your vanity and maybe it would help you sleep. 

You were walking down the hall when you found a small kitten crouched in the corner next to the commode. 

You crouched down beside the kitten and took it in your arms. You planned to take him somewhere away, hide him from the Earl since you knew Ciel had allergies and didn't like them much. 

You grabbed a glass of milk instead of water in the kitchen and headed out with the kitten. You thought everyone was asleep when you got a chill down your spine and felt like you were being watched. 

You looked over your shoulder, but no one was there. When you turned back around, you jerked in shock as Sebastian stood a few steps in front of you. You couldn't read anything from his expression.

His gaze then focused on the kitten, wanting to take it from you. You hesitated to give it to him. You were worried he might hurt it. You knew how cruel and stern he could be on occasion. 

You refused to give him the kitten and instead scratched the creature's head. You were about to go around Sebastian and keep going when he stopped you. He wanted you to follow him because he wanted to show you something. 

You made it to his room where you could faintly hear meowing. You looked at him suspiciously. He just smiled at your reaction before he opened the door and you walked in. 

You couldn't believe your eyes. His room was full of cats crawling around him, begging for attention. Seeing this, you knew you could trust him with a kitten. You sat down on his bed and immediately the cats started cuddling with you. 

You were glad your ancestor didn't have a cat allergy like you do in modern times. You were content to cuddle with the cats. Sebastian sat down next to you and watched you contentedly. 

You had no idea when, but as you were surrounded by cats, you slowly laid down and before you could return to your bedroom, you fell asleep. 

From then on, Sebastian called you lost kitten or just kitten in private. You were as cute as the felines he took care of.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

[let-your-chaos-explode]

Hi. Could you please write a clarissa dovey x reader story?

Dear Anon,

Your wish is my command! This was going to be a one-shot, but then I decided I had more of a plot than originally planned and has now turned into a multi-chapter fic. However, for the sake of getting it out to you sooner, the first chapter is a very brief intro. Stay tuned!

Glissando

You stood, trunks at your feet, staring at the majestic School for Evil. The castle was just as you remembered it from your own schooling so many years ago. It stood tall against the blushing pinks and reds of the rising dawn behind it. A breathtaking sight really…one beautiful enough to paint. You decided to do exactly that once you get settled in your new rooms. 

You pulled out your golden time piece from a hidden pocket of your dress. Three minutes gone half past six. It was unlike Professor Dovey to be late. 

You turned, and from the corner of your eye you saw her running toward you from the gardens. It was a slightly comical sight. The fairy godmother hustled across the expansive lawn with her voluminous skirts held aloft and sharp stiletto heels sinking in the grass as she stumbled forward. She lurched forward as her shoe caught on the cobbled path. Quickly, you reached out to catch her and steadied her on her feet. 

“Oh!” She cried, grasping your arms tightly. “Y/N! So good to see you! And good catch!”

Dovey shoots you a blinding smile in clear appreciation. For a moment, you forget yourself and you stand there looking at her dumbly. Her eyes crinkle softly in the corners and you swiftly (awkwardly) release her from your hold, cheeks flushing a violent violet. 

“Yes, erm…it has been a while, hasn’t it?” You said, clearing your throat loudly. 

“Five years is entirely too long! When was the last time we saw each other?” Dovey asked as she hooked her arm through yours and started walking toward the castle. 

As if an afterthought, the golden-haired woman raises a glowing finger and your trunks start floating behind you as you walk. 

“It was Rapunzel’s wedding, wasn’t it? Or was it Queen Anna’s coronation?” You pondered. 

You had your reasons. Perfectly valid, justifiable, not-at-all inappropriate reasons for keeping your distance. 

“That’s right! The wedding! You played the harp.” She sighed wistfully, shaking her head leaning a bit more into your side. 

It wasn’t at all that you were without a doubt, truly, hopelessly, fucked. 

“Truly, you work some magic with your fingers.” Dovey said seriously, causing you to choke a little on your own saliva. 

Because you were in love with Clarissa Dovey, Dean of the School for Good, best Fairy Godmother in the realm, epitome of grace and beauty. 

Dovey halted her steps and turned to check on your well-being. “Are you alright, dear?”

“Yes, Professor Dovey.” You wheezed through the residual coughs. 

Her hand came to rest on your back, rubbing soothing circles as you caught your breath. Her brows pinched tightly and a small frown tugged at her perfectly painted lips. 

“Please call me Clarissa!” She protested. “We’ve known each other quite long enough! And now we get to work together.”

You shrugged casually and allowed a small smile to brighten your face. “Clarissa it is.”

You both attended the School for Good and Evil around the same time. Even then, you had admired her. She has always been a golden beacon of goodness. It was impossible not to notice her. But it wasn’t until you both chose the path of the lonely as fairy godmothers…forever helping others achieve true love and happiness, but never your own. 

The joke was on the Storian, really. You had sworn off princes. You never explicitly stated anything about princesses…or other fairy godmothers. 

The thing about fairy tales, though, was they were essentially all the same. How many times did you hear of a prince finding another prince? Or a maiden slaying a dragon to claim the hand of a princess? To your knowledge, there was yet to be a successful story with those endings. And the realm was rather…sticky about the way things needed to be done. That was why you settled for the life of a fairy godmother. Forget arranged royal marriages and babies, that was never going to be your story. 

Clarissa nodded happily and another perfect smile lit her face. She gestured to the opening doors and led you inside with a gentle hand at your lower back. 

“Well, then…shall we?” She beamed. “Welcome home, Y/N.”

Maybe, just maybe, you might find your happy ending where it all started.

[justiceforskywarp]

How to do easy hard mode -- dead cells

OKAY SO. ANYONE WHO'S BEEN FOLLOWING ME FOR MORE THAN LIKE 12 SECONDS WILL KNOW I JUST BEAT DEAD CELLS ON 5BSC TWICE AND GOT THE TRUE ENDING. and im sure it feels unattainable for a lot of fans, especially casual ans. tbh i did have to sweat to get the prior boss cells. however i would like to assuage everyone's worries about 5bsc--if you use what i call "easy hard mode", 5bsc is not only doable, but easier than your previous cells in difficulty. the reason for this is simple: aspects. you can use aspects without punishment in 5bsc, and lets face it--what casual player is going for flawless on every boss at 5bsc? there's one aspect that stands above all others as being the most useful, and that is: Toxin Lover.

easy hard mode works because it allows you to recover hp as you lose it without using your flask. your flask is pretty much used only to reduce malaise OR if you have an absolute emergency and need it. as im sure most of you know, there are two aspects that restore your health: toxin lover and blood drinker. toxin lover, however, is far superior for one reason:

you recover HP if you stand in a toxic cloud, regardless of how it spawned or if you deal damage. blood drinker requires you to constantly attack, but toxin lover allows you passive recovery at all time as long as you have a toxic cloud up. so, here's the strategy:

acquire a fast weapon. i recommend sadist's stiletto, balanced blade, impaler, or the crown jewel that makes this build the most op possible, queen's rapier. queen's rapier is best due to the massive hit output you can get from it.

whatever weapon you get, upgrade it to spawn a toxic cloud with each hit. this attribute is essential, or you can't get this to work.

acquire an amulet that lets you spawn a toxic cloud when you take damage or dodge.

and finally, make your secondary weapon either a shield (i find this is essential against the bosses when they move fast at max malaise) or frost blast. seriously, these as a secondary weapon will save your ass.

and from there, you're free to do what you want. the more poison clouds you spawn, the better. you will heal constantly, and as long as you dont mess up massively, you'll find that its EXTREMELY hard to kill you with this build. you just heal WAY too much, and no matter how many enemies spawn, each of them turns into free health.

bosses are where this build will struggle a bit. to do my runs, i went concierge, scarecrow, hand, and true final boss. i would not recommend facing bosses that you know will take a very long time, because your malaise will max and you will suffer. fuck you conjuctivius.

but anyways, the best weapon for this build is undoubtedly queen's rapier. the amount of hits you get off in seconds spawns so many clouds that you will constantly have healing. and one last thing--for this build, i recommend the mutations combo, no mercy, and melee. combined with queen's rapier, your enemies often will not have an opening to hit you because of how fast you strike while also slowing them down. i literally went through the entire run with the first weapon i got (queen's rapier) and still managed to beat the final boss (though admittedly, the weapon the hand drops is essential here! put your shield in your backpack and carry it with you, it will help you a LOT in the final fight)

and with that, you've accessed easy hard mode! dont expect to sweep because youve got this build, if you fuck up the game WILL punish you, and this does not guarantee every boss will go smoothly. it just makes resources management infinitely easier, eliminates the need to use your flask, and allows you to mistakes without resetting. you'll still need to know how to play, deal with enemies, and of course, fight and dodge bosses.

good luck, fellow dead cells fans! you too can acquire the true ending and get your well earned drip with this build! and remember, its not cheating if the game allows it!

[facetsofthecloset]

It was mentioned a little earlier but if your bra is consistently leaving red marks on you after wearing it all day or it is genuinely physically painful, you need to be trying different bras because yours is not working for you.

Similarly, if your stockings/leggings/hose are itchy and tearing at the slightest provocation, you need to try different brands because this is also a quality issue. YES, of course, we’re all broke as fuck AND late stage capitalism means that finding high quality ANYTHING is difficult, but seriously. Do not take as read that stockings are SUPPOSED to be itchy!! They CAN be if they’re cheap/shit quality, just like anything else, but they’re not SUPPOSED to be.

I just want people to know that clothes SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE. It’s often NOT, because we don’t have wide access to tailoring/good quality fabric etc, but red marks? Being incredibly relieved to take it off at the end of the day? It’s not fitting right or maybe you’re allergic to the fiber content or maybe something else.

Yes, some styles of fashion are more inherently uncomfortable, like stiletto heels or tight lacing corsets. Those are MEANT for SHORT EVENING OUTINGS, like a dinner party, not all day everyday. But even then, if you had the luxury of getting everything tailored to you, it is entirely possible to wear that stuff with moderate or even complete comfort.

I’m not invalidating any points here, I’m just concerned by how it sounds like some people just think that some clothes are inherently, inescapably uncomfortable AND THAT’S NOT TRUE. PLEASE SHOP FOR BRAS SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN VICTORIA’S SECRET! TRY STUFF UNTIL YOU FIND SOMETHING THAT GIVES YOU SUPPORT WITHOUT HURTING YOU IT EXISTS SOMEWHERE I PROMISE

You don’t need to accept that pain as a given or as part of being a boob-haver! Clothes should be comfortable and practical! You can have the trifecta of both those and fashionable, you just might have to look a bit harder. Not always necessarily more expensive either, because the thing that works for you might be at the thrift store. (Even though thrift store gentrification and price hiking is a whole other thing.) Don’t let your clothes win! Don’t accept painful mediocrity from your clothes! They’re YOUR clothes they should fit YOU! Look up some basics of sizing and tailoring! Check for fiber allergies!

I know that that’s extra effort and time and money which you might not be able to afford, so if the trade off of having ill-fitting or painful clothes is worth it to you, then fine. I just want people to know that you don’t HAVE to put up with that, you have options!

Also, some nuance for the hairspray updo part, it can also depend on your hair type. I have thick East Asian hair so even when I have a can of hairspray and five million bobby pins up there, yeah it’s a little stiff at the end of the night but it doesn’t clump, not the way I’ve seen people with thinner (as in each individual strand is finer not that there’s less hair overall) Caucasian hair types. It’s an absolute bitch to put my hair up at all because it doesn’t grip much, it all wants to slip down instantly, but that’s just my hair. I can’t speak to it but I’m sure it’s different with black and other hair too.

Dear Men Writers

Lesser known facts when writing women:

High heeled shoes don’t become flats if you break the heels off.

The posts of earrings aren’t sharp.

Nail polish takes a long time to dry and smudges when wet.

You can’t hold in a period like pee.

Inserting a tampon is not arousing or sexual in any way, ever.

Feel free to add your own.

[princecharmingwinks]

Sterek Fic Rec - August 2022. Evening all, time for some new fics to add to your reading list. Enjoy :)

written in the cards by elisela (1/1 | 2K | General)

Stiles should have known it was too good to be true. Hot men don’t just show up at his door for no reason and despite doing regular tarot readings for people, Stiles doesn’t actually believe in fate or any type of higher power that would listen to his stupid, lonely, post-finals drunken wishes.

“You need to tell Jennifer that I’m not her soulmate,” the guy says. When he crosses his stupidly buff arms over his chest, Stiles can practically hear the seams of his sweater begging for mercy.

Jesus, she hadn’t been lying about her boyfriend being absurdly attractive.

Nailed It by Poppets (1/1 | 2K | Mature)

“Seriously, dude? Stiletto nails?”

Derek has a thing for marking Stiles. Stiles decides it’s time to return the favour, but first he needs a good set of nails.

Toss A Coin To Your Alpha by fairytalesandfolklore (1/1 | 625 | Teen)

Stiles walks through the forest, high on post-battle adrenaline, having a grand old time strumming the stolen lute in a series of tragically out of tune powder chords, belting out parody lyrics to a familiar melody Derek recognizes from a tv show he recently watched, replacing all instances of Geralt with Derek and white wolf with sourwolf.

An Alpha's Mark by Piscaria (1/1 | 12K | Explicit)

Stiles never thought he'd get a tattoo -- then he found out human pack members could grow stronger by taking an Alpha's Mark.

Baking is Whisky Business by Leslie_Knope (1/1 | 7K | Mature)

But Stiles’ most distinguishing feature, besides the pretty eyes and the mussed hair? He makes a fucking mess every time he bakes, and Derek is the unlucky soul who’s stuck cleaning up after him. Seriously, if he didn’t know any better, he’d think Stiles was doing it just to screw with him.

(Or, the one in which Stiles is a Great British Bake Off contestant, and Derek is the long-suffering production assistant.)

I want to be that person by unholy_obsessions (1/1 | 1K | General)

“Oh you’re mad at me now?” Derek asks rhetorically. It’s unnecessary, Stiles notes, for him to be so worked up. He isn’t even that hurt, he’s definitely had worst injuries.

“I don’t understand why you’re making such a big deal about this Derek,” Stiles replies, voice rising and arms flailing in frustration.

“Because I love you!”

Achingly Infinite by whenwordsmakesense (1/1 | 2K | Teen)

"Derek..." Stiles says, voice so low it's almost impossible to hear. They stare at each other for who knows how long, and when Stiles finally unfreezes enough to come forward further, Derek steps back. Stiles' magic isn't stopping him, so he moves as far away as possible, stands at the door to drive home the point that he's done with this conversation.

He stares at the blindingly bright sky visible through the window as he says, "I don't deserve good things, Stiles."

Arrows Made of Desire by loserchildhotpants (1/1 | 6K | Explicit)

There's a MOTW, Scott's an idiot and a Bad Friend, Stiles has a magic bat (not a euphemism), and Derek submits to the mortifying ordeal of being known (true, but also a euphemism).

But I'm Only Human by spaceprincessem (1/1 | 3K | Teen)

“Who did this to you?”

He watched Stiles flinch, taking a small step backwards with wide, fearful eyes. Derek felt his heart ache and he used all of his will power, the sweet lingering scents of vanilla and cinnamon, to anchor himself.

“Derek?” Stiles asked, his voice trembling slightly.

“Stiles,” Derek said hesitantly reaching out, the boy's bruised and bloodied face illuminated in the street lights, “who did this to you?”

(500) Days of Sitting In Front of the Computer by orphan_account (1/1 | 4K | Teen)

The boy, Stiles Stilinski, had always been into MMORPGs. The other boy, Ithuriel, had always been into MMORPGs as well, albeit secretly. The Alpha, Derek Hale, was possibly the object of Stiles's affections. One day, Stiles met Ithuriel.

But be warned, this is not a tragedy in which Derek Hale saves Stiles's virtue from Ithuriel. That would be ridiculous.

This is a love story.

princecharmingwinks special mention (This is a little darker than my normal reads but it sucked me in straight away and I loved the sterek dynamic, it is sizzling!)

Enemy of My Enemy by calrissian18 (1/1 | 8K | Explicit)

Stiles blinks hard. He can’t argue that he’s not quite all there, a little woozier than he would like, but he’s done more difficult things a lot worse off. The wolf didn’t know shit and Stiles sure as hell didn’t need him. He huffs out a little laugh into his own chest, leaning back against the armrest and chin dropped to his sternum, head lolling slightly. His eyelids are heavier than they were a minute ago. “What makes you think I wouldn’t use the opportunity to gut you? I hunt werewolves for sport, and so does everyone I have left.”

A careful claw tilts his chin up and it takes Stiles’ eyes a second to bring the face in front of him into stark relief. “You can barely keep your eyes open,” the wolf says softly, “I don’t think you have the upper hand now, human.”

Man, I just love this pair! You writers make me fall in love with them all over again every time I open AO3. I am very greatful. Remember to leave kudos and comments for our amazing writers. See you next month!

[mochegato]

Truth Be Told

This night was not turning out how she had thought it would turn out… Actually, up until a few minutes ago, it wasn’t much different from how she thought it would go.  She hadn’t been holding out much hope for the guy Rose had set her up with.  They did not have similar vetting styles or criteria.  So despite Rose’s most heartfelt hopes, the date with an overly sugary prick, oozing with fake charm and inauthentic compliments, was a complete flop and yet completely expected. 

While that man was annoying, he was not the cause of her current frustration.  No the current frustration was the man that had attempted to grab her as she walked home, her stilettos in her hand, because truthfully, she’d rather risk the dirty sidewalks of Gotham than the pain and blisters wearing those for another twelve blocks would cause.

She’d kept an eye on the man for the last block as he followed her, getting slowly closer and closer in a vain attempt not to alert her.  Joke was on him, she was always on alert.  But she wasn’t positive he was actually a threat.  Lots of people in Gotham were creepy, it didn’t mean they were a threat. 

When he finally grabbed her arm, she twisted immediately hitting him in the face with one of the stilettos.  He screamed in pain, bringing his hand up to his face.  She took advantage of his momentarily distraction to run.  She was confident in her fighting abilities, but there was always a chance for him to get a lucky hit in and a fight avoided if possible was safer than a fight engaged… or something like that.

He took advantage of his greater size and lunged at her before she could get out of his range.  He jerked her back with such strength and force, she couldn’t stop him or brace herself.  She fell as he pulled, dropping her shoes as she did.  He angrily swung for her head as she laid on the ground.  She rolled out of the way just in time and heard the crunch as his fist connected with the concrete.

She took a breath and stood up, moving behind him to punch him hard in his kidney.  He crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath.  She took advantage of his position to knee him in the face, breaking his nose.  He groaned in pain and cradled his nose.  Marinette paused for just a second to take a breath before running again.  The ogre moved quicker than she had expected and grabbed her arm with his good hand, yanking her to him.  She used the momentum to drive her palm into his chin.  He staggered back a few steps, giving her enough room to kick him in the chest.  He fell back against the building next to them, hitting his head on the bricks with a sickening smack and slid down the wall, crumpling into a pile at the bottom.

Marinette edged closer to him to see if he was still alive, tensing as she got closer, ready to bolt if he so much as twitched.  She breathed a sigh of relief feeling a strong pulse and let herself relax for a moment.  Her whole body immediately tensed again as she heard a sound of something dropping behind her.  She slowly turned around to see a figure with a red bat across his broad chest a few feet away from her.  Her body relaxed minutely at the sight.  He was one of the bats.  One of the more violent ones, if she remembered correctly, but only against people who hurt kids.

She watched nervously as Red Hood sauntered slowly up to her.  He stopped a few feet away from her, looming threateningly over her.  He stared at her silently for a few moments, or at least she assumed that’s what he was doing.  It was rather hard to make out where exactly he was looking with his mask on.  She just barely stopped herself from jumping when he lifted his hand out to her, holding her shoes.  She looked at them dumbly for a few seconds before finally taking them with a quiet “Thanks.”

He didn’t react, or maybe he did, she just couldn’t see it under the mask, which was doing nothing to calm her.  Finally after she’d gotten her shoes back on he decided to break the silent, looming, threatening presence aura.  “That was amazing,” he gushed out.

Her eyes widened at the comment and snapped up to the mask’s eyes.  Of all the things she had been anticipating, that was not one of them.  “Uh… Thanks,” she answered uncertainly.  She studied him for a moment and realized he hadn’t been sauntering earlier, he had been staggering and now he was swaying as he stood turned.  “Are you… um… are you okay?  You’re kind of…” she motioned to his body.

Red Hood tore his eyes away from her eyes, with great force of will to examine his body for what she meant.  He stumbled as he tried to check himself for injuries.  He was fine.  He hadn’t even been involved in this fight and Scarecrow’s goons hadn’t landed almost any of their hits.  He was perfectly fine.  He looked back up to meet her eyes again and cocked his head to the side for a moment.  Her eyes were blue but he couldn’t quite tell the shade with his mask on.  The filters in the mask were making them appear slightly different than they really were and he needed to see her eyes properly.

Marinette failed to stop herself from jumping slightly when his hands moved lightning quick to remove his helmet to see her better.  Marinette gasped at his freshly exposed face.  “Should you be doing th…”

“Wow… you’re fucking hot,” he grinned.  He had definitely made the right decision removing the helmet.  He could see her much better without it. He could now make out the rosy hue on her cheeks at his comment and the exact bluebell shade of her eyes.  He had been right.  She was even more gorgeous without the filter.

“Um… thanks,” she gave him a nervous smile.  What the fuck was happening right now?  “So are you.”

“I am,” he nodded in agreement.  “But you’re hotter.  I’m Jason.”  He reached his hand out to shake hers.

Marinette drew in a breath and clenched her lips closed.  Her eyes turned concerned.  “Oh, you definitely shouldn’t be doing that,” she tried to lightly chastise him, but he was looking at her with such an earnest, hopeful expression she couldn’t help but smile at him and take his hand.  “Hi.”

“Hi,” Jason… should she call him Jason or Red Hood.  She really shouldn’t know his name… but she did so… Jason said again breathlessly.

“Hi,” Nightwing added loudly from behind Jason, breaking their moment.  Marinette yanked her hand back and looked back and forth between the two.

Jason groaned loudly and shook his head.  He looked up to the sky for a moment, but quickly returned his focus to Marinette.  “Oh fuck off, Dickhead.  I’m working here.”

“So the body is yours?” Nightwing prodded.

“No,” Jason grinned proudly at her.  “It’s hers.”

Marinette gave Jason a panicked look before switching to look at Nightwing again.  “He attacked me and I stopped him.  He’s still alive.  I checked.”

“Yes you did,” Jason confirmed delightedly.

Nighwing tapped his ear piece and knelt next to the body, examining it.  “Oracle, can you send police to my location, please?  We have an unconscious body.  Looks like he’ll need a medic too.”  He nodded at whatever was said in his earpiece and took a beat to collect himself before walking up to them slowly, watching them analytically as if trying to assess the situation.  “You okay, ma’am?”  He asked with a guarded tone.  Marinette looked over to Jason who rolled his eyes at her and looked away in annoyance at Nightwing’s interruption.  Marinette looked back to Nightwing and nodded slowly.

“Glad to hear it.  Sorry about Hood,” he grinned charmingly at Marinette in a manner she was sure was supposed to lull her into a sense of calm and trust, but after an entire dinner of smarmy smiles, Nightwing’s grated on her instead.  Jason’s earnest smile however… that was something else. 

Despite Jason’s previous insult, Nighwing continued walking closer until he was close enough to throw his arm over Jason’s shoulder.  “Scarecrow had a particularly potent drug and Red Hood got hit with it a few times.  So Hood could have been saying absolutely any crazy thing.  I’m honestly surprised he can even walk right now.”

Marinette caught on quickly.  This was Nightwing’s way of mediating potential security breaches, in case Jason had done anything that could compromise his and their identities, like removing his helmet and telling her his name.  Marinette could sympathize with the attempt after her years of trying to manage the miraculous identities secret, but he’d come with his fake smile and fake concern and she was done with fake people today.  So, mess with him it was.  “So I shouldn’t have taken him saying I was cute seriously?” she asked innocently.

Nightwing paused for just a second.  If Marinette hadn’t been watching, she would have missed it.  “No!  No,” he stuttered.  “I mean, it doesn’t STOP him from saying true things.  And that certainly is true.  It just…”

Jason finally tore his intense gaze away from Marinette to whirl on Dick and shove him away, which was actually quite lucky for Jason, as the shoving motion is the only thing that countered his momentum and kept him from falling.  “Stop hitting on the woman I’m hitting on,” he hissed at Nightwing.  Nightwing gasped at seeing Jason’s naked face, not even a domino mask to hide his identity.

Jason twirled back toward her, but overcorrected and turned past her.  He had to slowly turn back until he faced her and pointed his finger at her accusatorily.  “And I didn’t say you were cute.  I said you were fucking hot and you are.” He smiled proudly at his statement.

Marinette giggled both at Jason’s bluntness and the horror on Nightwing’s face.  She raised her hands in surrender, letting Jason take the win.  He nodded smugly at her acquiescence. 

“Okay Romeo, let’s get you home,” Nightwing said, clapping Jason on the back and not so subtly pushing him past Marinette and down the sidewalk, or at least attempting to. 

Jason swayed back toward Marinette, raising his arm to balance himself just high enough that it landed perfectly on Nightwing’s shoulder in a way that would have been considered smooth if it had been in anyway intentional rather than sheer dumb luck.  “Dickweed, if you stop me from getting her number I’m going to fill all of your uniforms with itching powder,” Jason growled threateningly.  He leaned in closer to Nightwing until their faces were a few inches apart.  “ALL OF THEM.  If she’s willing to give me her number, I’m going to take it.”

“And what good would her number do Red Hood?” Nightwing gritted out pointedly.

Jason blinked and pulled his head back clumsily.  “Don’t know.  But it’ll do Jason Todd a lot of fucking good.”  He smiled roguishly at Marinette.  “And if I’m extremely lucky, maybe eventually, some good fucking too.” 

Marinette sputtered at him completely exposing his identity and his honest admission of his intentions, her mouth dropped.  Nightwing groaned.

Jason moved closer to her, trying to keep his steps measured and graceful.  It didn’t really work, but it reduced the stumbling.  “I never did catch your name, Helen might come close but couldn’t match.”

She blinked a few times to catch up with the rapid change in tone and quirked her head to the side.  “Helen?”

He nodded slowly at her, his eyes still focused solely on her.  “Of Troy.  Face that launched a thousand ships.  Surely yours could launch a million.”  His voice was reverent and his smile had softened becoming affectionate rather than roguish.

“Oh my God," she giggled, an incredulous smile settling on her face.  "Is he like this when sober?”

“Not with me,” Nightwing said rolling his eyes, or at least she thought that’s what he was doing under the domino mask.  His entire head rolled as he did it.  “But he is usually pretty blunt,” he acknowledged.  “But with the serum added in…”  He trailed off, letting her fill in the gaps.  Nightwing looked back over at Marinette appraisingly.  “Look…”

“Marinette,” she supplied.

“Marinette…” Jason repeated.  He let the name linger on his tongue.  “That’s a beautiful name.  Epic poems could be written about that name and that smile.”

Her cheeks reddened and she had to look away from the intensity of Jason’s stare.  She shook her head and coughed to try to calm her heart.  She raised an eyebrow at Nightwing.  “So I take it that it was a truth serum?”  The deep sigh Nightwing let out was confirmation enough for Marinette.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that you are sexy as fuck,” Jason interrupted her.

Marinette, whose mouth had been open to continue her thought, snapped it shut with an audible clap and turned bright red.

Nightwing choked and tried to cough to cover it.  “Jesus, Jason.  Take it down a notch or ten.”

Jason shrugged at him, smiling proudly at Marinette’s expression.  “Equal and opposite flirting rule.”

“Excuse me?” Marinette interrupted.  Because that sounded like he was flirting to the same level she was and she had definitely NOT been flirting at that level or at all.  Damn, she needed to up her flirting game.  She opened her mouth to say something but snapped it shut quickly.  Now was not the time.  He was drugged out of his mind.  She was not going to hit on someone who was buzzed beyond belief.

“The level of flirting exhibited shall match the level of awesomeness of the subject of the flirting,” Jason explained calmly, still smiling his soft smile at her.  And honestly, if he kept that up, she was going to rescind her stance on flirting back at him.

Marinette stared at him for a few seconds “Uhhh,” she started, internally groaning at her very intelligent response.  Eloquent conversation?  Nailed it.  Very deserving of the ‘awesome’ title.

She blinked a few times and turned to Nightwing.  “I understand the value of a secret identity.  I assume you won’t take my word on it, but perhaps you could take a fellow hero’s word?”  Nightwing raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her.  “You’re part of the Justice League, right?  You can check with Ladybug.  She’ll vouch for me.”

“Ooohhh,” Jason suddenly let out, moving in between her and Nightwing.  “Ladybug!  She’s fucking hot too and so amazing.  Almost as much as you.  You fight like that without a magic suit to help.  That’s so impressive.”  Marinette could feel her cheeks grow even redder.  If this kept up, her face was going to be as red as her mask, and there would be no hiding her identity.  “You’re friends with her?” Jason continued, oblivious to her inner turmoil.  “Batman won’t let me meet her.  Are all your friends as hot and amazing as you?” 

“I’ll check with her the next time I see her,” Nightwing confirmed over Jason, putting his arm around his waist again to guide him down the street.

Marinette nodded at him.  “It was nice meeting you two.”

“Wait,” Jason lunged out of Nightwing’s arm toward her, nearly knocking her down.  “I didn’t get your number.”

Marinette looked to Nightwing.  “Uh… I don’t think your… teammate wants me to do that.”

“Ignore that happiness killing asshole.  Dick has always been like that.  Besides, we’ll need your number to keep an eye on you, right?  I volunteer,” he grinned brightly.

Marinette opened her mouth and shut it again.  She determinedly refused to look at Nightwing, Dick apparently, and focused on Jason, fixing him with a pointed stare.  “If I give you my number, will you stop giving me personal secrets?  Yours and your other partners’?”

“My brothers?”  Marinette’s eyes snapped to Nightwing’s this time.

Nightwing slapped himself on the forehead.  “Little Wing…” he groaned.

“Yes your brothers’.  And go home and sleep this off?” she continued.

“Yes I will.  Although I’d sleep better if I knew you were there too, watching over me,” he added earnestly.

“No, you wouldn’t.”  She pulled out a sheet of paper to write it on but he shoved his phone in her hands instead. 

“Just put it directly in here,” he offered instead.

She closed her eyes and sighed.  She looked over to Nightwing for guidance, but he shrugged at her, defeat clear in his slumped shoulders.

“I definitely would,” he countered her.  He turned toward Nightwing.  “You should have seen her take out that thug when he tried to grab her.  She was amazing,” he sighed out dreamily.  “She knocked his ass out.  Hey!” he perked up as if suddenly realizing something.  “She’s a knock out who knocked his ass out!”  He turned back toward her and leaned on Nightwing in a daze.  “I think I’m in love.”

“I am so sorry about him,” Nightwing looked at her pleadingly.

Marinette waved him off and put her name and number in Jason’s phone.  “Truthfully?  Significantly more honest, respectful, and romantic than the date I had tonight or in the past… while, so… Have him give me a call tomorrow if he still feels the same.”

“Oh I will,” Jason grinned at her, taking his phone back and laughing at the (Helen) she’d put next to her name.  “It was nice meeting you Marinette.  It was the highlight of my week.”

Marinette grinned and pushed up to kiss him on his cheek.  “Mine too.  Now put on your helmet before you out yourself to anyone else.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jason nodded.  He put his helmet on as she walked away, but rubbed the area of his helmet over his cheek where she had kissed him, a goofy smile on his face.  He would definitely call her in the morning.  He would make sure he remembered.  He wasn’t stupid enough to let someone like her get away.

Continued in Well, Well, Well, If It Isn’t the Consequences of My Actions

@boldlyanxious

[chemist-ana]

Chapter 12 The Gala— Sams POV

Book: The Nanny Affair

Characters: Sam, Ana Schuyler (MC), Vivan and Mason Dalton

Pairing: Sam Dalton (male) x Ana Schuyler (MC)

Rating: 18+

Content Warning: NSFW, Sexual Language, Adult Language, Sexual Situations

A/N This chapter has been a very highly anticipated chapter by all of those who have been reading this series. It took me a while to write because I wanted to make sure I got it right, I really hope you all enjoy this trip into Sam Dalton’s mind… because this is really when their relationship changes. I hope I did this chapter justice. Thank you for all of your support during this series and for all the likes and reblogs.

Summary: All it takes is one night for everything to change.

Word Count: 5192

Tag List:  @txemrn @secretaryunpaid @lifeaskim @aussieez @pixie88 @thefrenchiemama @sfb123 @mainstreetreader @shewillreadyou @khoicesbyk @lady-calypso @choicesficwriterscreations @somersetmummy @melalicious8383 @chrissythadon @nestledonthaveone

Her eyes are wide in surprise as the silence stretches before she finally speaks.

“What happened to Sofia?”

“She can’t make it. She came down with a bad case of food poisoning.” Or so she says… I didn’t want to ask too many questions, because honestly… I am glad she isn’t my date tonight…

“Oh. Still… I’m not sure it’s a good idea for me to take her place.” Her face drops. “Don’t you think we’d be tempting fate? Or at least, each other?”

I let my eyes wander over her body, noticing every dip and curve of her hips and chest. I don’t care, to hell with duty and responsibility, I fucking want you.

“Yes, definitely. But I can’t seem to help myself. Besides, it was Sofia’s idea.”

She perks up at this information, her mouth setting into a thin line as she raises one sculpted eyebrow. “Seriously?”

“She said you’d know what to do, since you helped her prepare. And it was ‘uncouth’ for Dalton Enterprises to have an empty seat at the table.”

I watch hope flash through her emerald eyes as the corners of her lips teased up in a small smile.

“What about the boys? We can’t leave Mason and Mickey by themselves.”

Ah, yes, but that is why I have Carter.

“Carter already said he can keep an eye on them.”

“Okay, but…” She looks around her room, taking her bottom lip in between her teeth, until I see a sense of resolve settle over her. “Sam, I’d love to be your date tonight.”

“Really?” My smile widens, things just keep getting better and better...

“Hell yeah! Or something more appropriate for a fancy gala… most delightedly?”

“Honestly, I don’t care if you’re appropriate or not. I’m just glad you’ll be there.”

“So… what exactly does one wear to a fancy event like this?”

“Funny you should ask… I thought it’d be nice if we matched tonight.”

I bring the dress from behind my back and the gold sends flashes of light across her face. Her lips spread into a genuine smile.... So beautiful…

“It’s beautiful…” She whispers as she lightly runs her fingers across the delicate fabric.

“You’re beautiful.” I say without hesitation. “Doesn’t matter what you wear. But I do think you’d look particularly stunning in this. I am going to step out and give you a moment to change.”

She looks up at me as she takes the dress, whispering a quiet okay.

The door clicks behind me as I step out. My eyes look over to Mason and Mickey who are whispering something between themselves at the end of the hall. When they catch me staring, they run into the living room. I shake my head with a smile, trouble makers.

Eager to see Ana in that gown I turn around and knock softly on her door. She calls out ‘come in’ and I open the door slowly.

“You ready?” I ask before my eyes land on her.

“You tell me.” She turns to face me, squaring her shoulders with a confident smile.

I stop in my tracks, letting out a sharp exhale… fucking breathtaking. My eyes scan her body, starting at the stilettos strapped to her feet curving her long legs up, the slit in the dress showcasing her toned leg. My eyes continue up to the deep V in the front, showcasing the soft curves of her breasts and the delicate skin between them. Then finally they settle on her face.

“I was right. You’re stunning.” I take two long strides until I am standing right in front of her, resting my hands on her waist and slowly trailing them down the curves of her hips. “Fit’s like a glove.”

Her breath catches as our eyes meet. “Sam…” She whispers as a blush spreads across her cheeks.

I reach up and run my thumb across the velvet skin of her cheek, losing myself in her eyes as my chest tightens… this is way more than just infatuation…

I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket as a text comes in, bringing me back into the moment. I clear my throat taking a step back, and I watch her let out a breath.

“We should head out.”

“Right. Don’t want to be late.” She grabs her clutch off of her dresser.

I give her a rueful smile as I intertwine our fingers together. “That, and if we stay here a moment longer, I don’t think I will ever be able to bring myself to leave.” And I want to show you off tonight.

“… Oh.” Her blush spreads further across her cheeks. That delicious blush is going to be the death of me, it’s like a key to your true feelings.

“Come. The limo’s writing for us.” I pull her out of the room, leaning into the feeling of being elated for the evening ahead.

***

We trade glances as the limo drives us through the city streets. I fight every urge in my body to run my hand up the length of her dress to her most private place, keeping my hands firmly placed in my lap.

When the limo pulls to a stop outside of the gala, my eyes dart outside, noticing the throngs of reporters. I take a steadying breath before our driver opens the limo door. I step out first, turning back and offering a steadying hand to Ana as she gracefully exits the limo.

That's when the lights started flashing, these snakes expected me to show up with someone else… I hope she can handle this.

I place my hand on the small of Ana’s back as she leans into me.

“Whoa. The press is even crazier than at your engagement party.” She says just loud enough for me to hear.

“Just smile and nod. That’s what I always do.”

She leans back and I look down at her with a warm smile. I offer her my arm, and she links hers through mine.

“Sam! Sam Dalton! Who’s your date? Where’s Sofia Russo?”

I feel Ana tense on my side and I pull her closer.

“She’s got such style! Look at that gown…”

I glance down at Ana and she has a smile on her face that could drop any man to his knees.

“Give us a quote, sweetie! What’re you doing here? What happened to Sofia?”

“No comment. Now, if you’d please excuse us…” I guide Ana confidently through the paparazzi, looking down at her and mouthing a silent ‘sorry’ as we step away from the mob together.

“I can see why Sofia prepared so much for tonight… I didn’t realize this party was such a big deal!” The confident smile that played on her lips is now replaced with a look of worry.

I stop, pulling her into my chest. “Ana, I’ve thought about taking you out on a night like this for a long time. Now that we’re finally here, I’d really like to focus on us, not Sofia. Because you…” I lean back and scan my eyes down her delicious body. “…are all I can think about. Deal?”

That lovely smile returns to her luscious lips. “Deal. No more Sofia talk. Let’s head inside and enjoy the evening.”

She takes my hand and we walk side by side into the ballroom. This feels so incredibly natural…We make our way to our table and my stomach drops when I see my parents already seated. My mothers eyes widen as she looks over to my father. I see a flash of disappointment on his face.

“Ana? What a… delight to see you here. You look wonderful in that gown.” Her gaze softens.

“Thank you.” Ana responds confidently.

“Where’s Sofia?” My father asks gruffly. Great manners dad…

“She wasn’t feeling well, so she stayed home. Luckily, Ana was free to help us fill the table.”

“Lucky, indeed. You know how it looks to have an empty seat.” He manages to give Ana a smile before turning his attention back to the room.

“Are we expecting someone else?” Ana looks up at me.

“Unfortunately, Robin couldn’t make it at the last minute either. But never fear, Mason’s old secretary should be along soon to take his place.” My mother waves it off with her hand… Robin not showing up to a party?

“You weren’t kidding about this empty seat thing.” Ana leans in and whispers in my ear.

“Yeah, if you buy a table at an event like this, you’re expected to fill every seat or you might get frozen out next time.” I whisper as my eyes fall on hers. I lift my gaze to scan the guests that have begun to fill the room and my eyes land on Miles Houston.

“That’s Miles Houston. I recognize him from Sofia’s flashcards… Why are we staring at him though?”

Intuitive, god you are impressive.

“I’ve been trying to convince him to collaborate with us on a new project, but he’s notoriously un-schmoozable. Care to help me change that?”

“It’d be my honor.”

She takes my arm and we make our way across the room.

“Samuel. You’re looking well.” Miles extends a hand, which I shake firmly before turning to Ana.

“You too, Miles. Ana, I’d like you to meet Miles Houston, a fellow technophile and unrepentant geek. I’m hoping he might brainstorm with me someday.”

I watch his eyes scan up Ana’s body and I bite the inside of my cheek.

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Do you work at Dalton Enterprises as well?”

“I… freelance alongside the company in a limited capacity, but I’m inches away from committing full time.” Clever girl…

“Oh? Why do you say that?”

“I love how the waste and energy efficiency are top notch.” She pauses, pushing her shoulders back. “It’s important to be conscious of your environmental impact, even on a small scale. Like how after a company event, Sam himself stayed behind to recycle every last can.” Her eyes flick to mine, and I wonder if she can tell how proud I am of her at this moment.

I turn my gaze back to Miles as she catches him by surprise. “It’s hard to find a CEO willing to do the work instead of cutting corners. “

“We do what we can. It’s our responsibility to set the standard.”

“It is helpful to see Dalton Enterprises from a different point of view… and the way you describe it seems rather idyllic.” Miles tips his glass of champagne at Ana as his brows raise.

Gotcha.

“As you know, we’d love to bring you onboard. You could be instrumental in making sure we hit our environmental goals with the latest Nightingale update.”

“I admit, I’ve been on the fence, but after tonight… I’ll be in touch.” He looks at me with a nod.

I reach out my hand, trying to hide the grin that is spreading across my face. He shakes it, and as he walks away, I turn to Ana.

“I can’t believe you just schmoozed the un-schmoozable.”

“Turns out, it’s pretty easy when you study everyone’s life story for a full day. Speaking of…” Ana gestures over my shoulder and I turn to see Selene d’Torte standing at our table, having what appears to be a heated discussion with my parents.

“We’d better rescue them.” My eyes flick down to Ana and we make our way back to our table.

My father is visibly upset as we approach. . “Selene, you can’t just back out like this out of the blue. It’ll make the other shareholders panic!”

“That’s not my responsibility. I just want to sell my shares and be done with the whole market.” I can tell Selene is uncomfortable.

“Pardon the intrusion. It’s good to see you again, Selene. May I introduce Ana Schuyler? This is her first gala, and I’m trying to show her a good time.”

Selene turns towards Ana and her face softens slightly into a smile.

“I couldn’t help but overhear… Are you really going to sell, Ms. d’Torte? Dalton stock has been so stable recently, even trending up.” Oh, Ana, I hope you know what you are doing…

“I just don’t trust the game anymore, I wouldn’t expect you to understand…” She trails off as fear flashes across her face.

“I understand, and it reminds me of something Kierkegaard said.” Ana smiles. “‘Life must be understood backwards, but lived forwards.’ If you dump all your investments now, you’ll just be living ‘backward’.”

“I did feel like I had a talent for investing, but I was so wrong with MediShade…” Selene takes a small step back.

“Maybe you’ve been burned in the past, but life is about observation and adaptation. That’s all philosophy is, right? Distilling education from experience?” Damn you’re good.

I clench my jaw to keep it from dropping to the floor.

“Jonathan Swift did encourage us all to live every day of our lives, and I think he meant to take risks.”

“Exactly. I’d hate to see you lose confidence in your judgment of one mistake.”

I can see the moment that Selene’s mind has been changed because of the smile she gives Ana.

“I suppose it would be hasty to make a decision right now. Sam, let’s meet next week to discuss this further.”

We shake hands and after a polite goodbye, she retreats back to her table.

“That was…” My father is at a loss for words.

“Impressive.” My mother finishes for him.

“That was Ana in action.” And I am more impressed than I ever believed I could be…

I heard the music change and against my better judgment, all I want to do is have her in my arms.  I look over at her and extend my hand.

“Dance with me, Ana? You’ve more than earned a break from all the shoptalk.”

“I’d love to.” She places her hand in mine and I lead her out onto the dance floor. I pull her to my chest and we sway together, the rest of the room and all the guests fade away.

“I don’t really know how to waltz… or whatever this is.” She whispers softly.

“Just follow my lead. Or I could follow yours, if you’d prefer.”

“Meaning what? If I twerk, you will too?” She laughs softly.

“Something like that.” I squeeze her hand in mine and lean closer to whisper in her ear. “This is our night, Ana. Not theirs.”

“In that case, I’ll follow your lead.” She murmurs in response.

I intertwine our fingers together with my right hand while placing my left hand on the small of her back, drawing her closer to me. The smell of jasmine and Ana overtaking my senses, as I feel her body melt into mine.

“Just relax. As long as you stay loose and let me take control, it’ll be easy.”

“You say that like letting you take control is easy for me.”  Her melodic voice ringing through my ears.

“Do you prefer to be in control?” Arousal stirs through me.

“Mmm… I like when we take turns.” She says as she squeezes my hand.

“... Duly noted.”

I pull her even closer to me as we dance in time to the music, I can feel her body tensing up as she steps on my foot.

“Whoops! Was that your foot?” I see a blush rising on her neck.

“I’ll survive. Don’t worry about the steps, Ana. Just look at me.” I encourage her. She leans back slightly and her emerald eyes meet mine. She is looking at me like I hung the moon and my chest tightens. She starts to loosen up and I take the opportunity to spin her around the dance floor. The intense feelings I am having for this woman grow exponentially in this moment, as I watch her dance and her face light up.

“Wow. I didn't think I had it in me.” She looks up at me with a grin but I can’t return it as the war of emotions rages on inside of my head. “What is it?” She whispers as worry flashes through her eyes.

“Walk with me?” I say quickly.  I need to get her alone before I change my mind…

I hold her hand and lead her outside onto a secluded balcony, as soon as the door closes all the noise from the gala disappears.

“Something on your mind?” She asks quietly as we walk towards the railing.

“Honestly? I just wanted you to myself for a while. Ever since we got here, the other guests have been swarming around you, drawn to you…” My voice fades as I turn to her, so beautiful in the moonlight. The gold of her gown highlights every single curve that I dream about every night. “Not that I can blame them, especially in that gown.”

“It’s not that special…” She blushes.

“You are what makes it special. You’ve made this whole night special by just being here. It’s like you’ve grown up surrounded by all this. You’re in your element, and you shine.” I shake my head.

“You may think I belong here, and you’re right.” She hesitates for a moment before her emerald eyes shine bright into mine. “I feel like this is where I’m meant to be. By your side. Nowhere else.”

I reach up and rest my hand on her cheek. “I can’t help but wonder if you’re right… like everything that’s happened between us since your interview was fate. And I don’t even believe in fate.” I lean towards her, drawn to her magnetic pull, our lips only a breath away from each other. The smell of champagne is lingering in the air between us and my eyes scan her face, and linger on her pink lips.

“What if someone sees-“ She says breathlessly, her gaze shifting down to the floor.

“I don’t care.”  I place my index finger softly under her chin and lift her eyes to mine. “Right now, all I care about… is you.”

I ignore the alarms going off in my head, warning me to stay away from this beautiful woman, the duty and responsibility mantra that has ruled my life for far too long… I can’t resist her anymore… I don’t want to resist her anymore… she whispers my name, and the sound coming from her lips is all I need to close the gap and press my lips to hers. I part her lips with my tongue and the familiar taste of Ana fills my senses as our kiss builds in intensity.

Her body melts into mine as I pull her tight against me. My lips leave hers as I trail kisses down her neck and my hands find her hips as I pull her even tighter into me.

“Sam…” She moans as her head falls back.

I have completely lost control, as every single part of my body craves every single part of hers. I guide her backwards until she is pressed between my body and the railing, her breathing growing quicker.

I slide my hands down her waist until I feel the slit of her dress on her thigh. I trail my fingers across the soft skin of her inner thigh, her breath hitching in her throat.

“Ana, I want you… but I can’t keep stopping myself. You have to be the strong one here. If this isn’t what you want, tell me to stop now.” My voice husky as my lips graze the shell of her ear. I can feel the desire pulsing through my veins.

“What if I don’t want you to stop?” She presses soft kisses along my jaw until she’s right below my ear.

“Fuck…” I whisper. I pull back as our eyes meet, her eyes burning with desire and I can feel the heat that is coursing through her veins.

“Sam… don’t stop.” Her voice pleading, and any sliver of hope that I might have had as to control myself, is gone.

My lips are on hers again and I wrap my arms around her slender body, relishing in the feel of her. Our kisses deepen. The heady combination of Ana and champagne lingering on her tongue.

“God, you’re perfect…” I whisper against her lips. My hands travel down to the curve of her ass and I pick her up. She takes the clue, and wraps her legs around my hips as I trail kisses down her neck. “Tell me what you imagine when you touch yourself at night, Ana. Do you think of me?”

I grind my hardness against her and her breathing intensifies as her head lulls back.

“I imagine you being my hard, strict boss.” Her eyes are dark as she focuses on me. Oh you naughty little thing…

“I told you that I wanted your panties on my desk by midnight.” I narrow my eyes at her and her breath hitches. I bring my hand up to her hair, threading my fingers through the long brown strands, before I clutch a fistful of it. I pull her head back just enough to expose her neck. “Care to explain why they aren’t there, Miss Ana?”

I bring my mouth to her neck, nipping and licking as she moans against me. With my hand still in her hair, I bring my other hand to the bare skin of her thigh, trailing my fingertips across the sensitive skin. “Or should I skip straight to punishing you?” I growl.

“I’m… sorry…” She says between breaths.

My fingers find her center and I can feel the wetness pooling through her panties. She is completely at my mercy as my fingers dip beneath the delicate lace fabric, stroking her wetness. God, she is soaked for me. “I’m going to have to discipline you for disobeying.”

I remove my hand, giving her peachy ass a quick, sharp slap. She gasps at the contact.

“I can… still get them for you.” She moans.

“It’s too late now. I need the real thing, not just the little piece of fabric you rubbed against all day.” Moans escape her lips as I suck on her throat, desperate to mark her and claim her as mine.

“I dreamed about this, before we met… the night before our interview…” She says breathlessly.

“About us?” I lean back from her slightly and my eyes widen at her admittance.

I watch a smile play on her lips as she snakes her hand down and grabs my cock that is uncomfortably hard in my dress pants.

“This, right here.” She says coyly.

I close my eyes and groan as she strokes her hand up and down my arousal. Fuck, that feels so fucking good.

“Sam, let me touch you.” She whispers in my ear.

“You don’t have to-“

“I want to. I want to feel how much you want me.” Her lips curve up in a smile. Where have you been my whole life?

I set her down on her heels, leaving my hands settled on her waist. She reaches for my belt, and I watch her delicate hands as she unbuckles it quickly and unzips my pants, easing some of the pressure on my cock. She slips her hand inside and my breath hitches in my throat.

“Ana…” I moan. Fuck.

She wraps her hand around my hardness and pumps her hand up and down.

“Is all this for me?” She purrs.

Fuck, yes, beautiful, it’s all for you. “Yes… only for you.”

The soft skin of her hand continues to work up and down and I fight back every urge I have to come right in my pants. This woman is going to unman me.

“Ana, if you don’t stop soon… I’m going to…” I say between breaths.

“Would that be so bad?” Her voice drips with desire as she watches me unravel.

I tighten my grip on her waist as she continues stroking me, her thumb circling around the tip and spreading the moisture around the head.

“Ana…” I warn.

“Sam, I need you. Now.” Her emerald eyes find mine.

My eyes search hers for a moment before I lower myself between her legs, pushing the skirt of her dress up and pushing her panties to the side.

“Finally…” I whisper as her perfect cunt is finally bare before me. I lean in and press my tongue to her warm, bare skin. And her taste is just as sweet as I imagined. She moans as I flick my tongue against her clit. I reach up and press my thumb and her body writhes under my touch. Her hands grab onto my hair and I feel her body tense as she nears the edge.

“Sam, I need…” Her moans fill the silence. Her hands find my shoulders as she urges me closer.

“I need you too.” I lean back and look up, her lips are open as she breathes frantically, her head tipped back. I stand up, reaching behind her to find the zipper to her dress. I pull it down and her dress pools at her feet.

“Hurry.” She whispers. Her fingers push my jacket from my shoulders. Then with shaking fingers she unbuttons and pushes my shirt off.

“So demanding.” I smile as I pull her near naked body into mine. Her eyes roam my chest and my abs and her eyes darken even more. “See something you like?”

“You have no idea.” She smirks. She reaches for my cock again, pumping me. A moan escapes my lips as the pleasure courses through my body.

“Ana… Ana… Ana…” I warn her, you are too damn good with that hand. She lets go and moves my boxers all the way down to my feet. When her eyes finally land on my bare cock, her breath hitches in her throat.

“I had no idea that was the situation we were dealing with. I…” She hesitates.

Oh beautiful girl, you have never been with a real man before, have you?

I reach up and run my thumb across her plump bottom lip and her gaze shifts to mine.

“Trust me, it’s the perfect size.” She takes her bottom lip between her teeth. My fingers travel down to the apex of her thighs as she grinds her hips into my touch.

“Sam… let me serve you.” Her throaty moan escaped her lips as she dropped down to her knees in front of me. Oh my god…

“Ana, you don’t have to-“ But fuck I want you to.

“Don’t you dare try to take this away from me, Sam Dalton.” She looks up at me through her long lashes. My eyes never leave hers as she darts her tongue out and licks the length of my cock. My hands tangle into her hair as she opens her mouth and wraps her pretty pink lips around me.

An instinctual growl escapes my lips as my head falls back. Fuck, your mouth feelsso fucking good. I moan her name and lightly pump her head up and down my length. I can feel myself nearing the edge, and there is no way I am finishing in her mouth. I give her hair a small tug and bring her lips to mine, pinning her against the railing.

“That felt… but I need to be inside you.” My lips brush hers.

I stare into her eyes as she nods her head, her tongue darting out to lick her lips. I lift her into my arms and she wraps her legs around my hips. I can feel the tip of my cock teasing her entrance.

“Ana, are you sure?” My eyes search hers.

“Yes.” She smiles as she pulls our bodies closer together.

I bring my lips to hers and thrust my hips forward, surging into her. Fuck, she is so fucking tight, god I have dreamt of this moment for so goddamn long.

She gasps and her body trembles around me. I pause for a moment before I start moving in and out of her. Her hips start to move with mine and our bodies fit together like puzzle pieces.

“Yes… don’t stop…” She moans, her forehead resting on my shoulder as her breathing increases. Every logical thought goes out of my mind as my body starts to move harder and faster against hers. I feel her fingernails digging into my back as she tightens around me.

“Ana, I’m going to…” I say breathlessly, as my body nears the edge.

“I’m close… so close…” Suddenly, I feel her explode in my arms, her head flying back as a cry escapes her lips. She clenches around me and suddenly I am diving over the cliff with her. I lose myself in her perfect little cunt as she calls out my name and I call out hers.

I hold her close as my heart rate slows. I feel her breath on my neck, and her arms are still wrapped around my shoulders. She picks her head up off of my shoulder and I take that as my cue to softly place her back on her heels.

Wordlessly we both hurry to slip back into our clothes, all of those warnings come rushing back.

What the fuck did you just do…

Damn it, Dalton.

My thoughts are a jumbled mess as I button my shirt and tuck it neatly back into my dress pants.

“So… now what?” Ana breaks the silence as I see her glance over at me.

“I… guess we slip back into the gala?” I have no idea what will happen next...

She smiles softly… “Is that a question?”

“I don’t exactly have a protocol in place for something like this.” I force a smile.

“I hope no one notices.” She bites her lip in uncertainty as she glances at the balcony doors. “We’ve been gone a long time…”

My head starts to spin as the sound of her moans echo in my ear.

Have I completely lost control? This is all just a pipe dream… fantasy…

“Yeah, we should get back in there… back to the real world.” I clear my throat. “I’ll, uh, go in first? We probably shouldn’t walk back in there at the same time.”

“Makes sense… I’ll wait a few minutes.” Her tone is disappointed, but I can’t handle that right now.

I glance at her one last time, giving her a curt nod. I move towards the door, before turning to her one last time. Say something to her, ass hole.

“Ana, I…”

“It’s fine. I’ll be fine. We can talk later.” She turns her back to me and fixes her gaze on the city.

“…Okay. If you’re sure.”

I unlock and open the balcony door, slipping back into the gala. No one spares me a second glance as I make my way back to the table. My head spins as I take a seat.

“Is everything alright, Sam? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I look up and see my mother giving me a worried look.

I clear my throat. “Yes, yes. I’m fine.” I reach up and straighten my tie, shifting my gaze to my plate.

What the fuck happens next?

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Victor’s Delicacy Date (Eng Translation)

🍒Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date which has not been released in English servers!🍒

Note: This is a cancelled date which will unlikely come to EN :’(

More from this Collection: Gavin // Kiro // Lucien

The date begins with MC sitting in for a negotiation meeting between Loveland Financial Group (“LFG”) and Yuan Shan Company

The negotiation has been dragging on for 2 hours because both sides cannot agree on a price

Victor has been silent and no one knows what’s going through his mind

When he finally speaks, MC is startled because she has never seen Victor in full-blown work mode before

Lots of business jargon follow. Victor is basically really badass and shows he has done detailed research on Yuan Shan Company and knows that it’s not worth the money they are asking for:

Victor: You think LFG needs to rely on the little credit standing Yuan Shan has? Or do you think you’re in a position to discuss terms with me?

Victor: An LFG without Yuan Shan will still be LFG. Without LFG, what would Yuan Shan become?

Victor: I don’t plan to rescue a company that has decided to “commit suicide”.

Victor gives the representative of Yuan Shan Company another chance to re-consider, then leaves the room.

While MC is out for a breather, she overhears employees from Yuan Shan gossiping about Victor:

Yuan Shan Employee A: I heard early on that Victor is no-nonsense at work, but I never thought he’d be so…

Yuan Shan Employee B: He’s so domineering and arrogant, though you can’t deny he’s cool.

Yuan Shan Employee C: Sure, he’s cool, but if you were to live with him, the stress would be akin to shouldering an entire mountain.

Yuan Shan Employee A: What do you mean?

Yuan Shan Employee C: He’s basically an ice sculpture. I felt like I was going to suffocate in the meeting room… tch. His words are vicious! He’s so harsh! He clearly wants to swallow us up whole.

This lady… She actually gets it…

Yuan Shan Employee C: Also, I heard that last month, he fired an elderly worker who had been working here for five years because of some trivial reason.

MC: !?

Yuan Shan Employee A: Is that true? Don’t spread false rumours!

Yuan Shan Employee C: I already said I heard it from someone. Though… seeing him today, I wouldn’t rule it out as a possibility.

Yuan Shan Employee B: Just think about it. If he isn’t hard-hearted, how could LFG grow into what it is today in just 8 years? I also heard…

Their voices trail off, and I’m unable to hear what the employees say after this.

I originally saw Victor as just being plain overbearing, but I never thought…

MC starts getting flooded with memories of how Victor points out minor issues in her reports, his red-inked comments haunting her.

In the midst of her trembling, she sees Victor coming her way.

I panic and shift backwards, almost tripping because of my shaky feet. Victor quickly reaches out and steadies me.

At this moment, his black eyes, which look as deep as the sea, betray no hint of emotion. His frown, however, carries slight reproach.

Feeling shocked, I tear myself from his grip and jump to the side.

MC: S-sorry!

Before Victor says anything, he can only watch the girl’s retreating form as she hurriedly runs away.

Goldman: CEO, do you think MC is a little weird today, like she’s gotten possessed…

Victor doesn’t respond, only watching as MC grows smaller and smaller into the distance. He looks to be deep in thought.

MC continues to feel anxious as the afternoon goes on.

MC: Don’t think about it! Don’t think about it!

Victor: Don’t think about what?

Turning my head, I see a cold-faced Victor standing behind me.

MC: …!

Caught off guard, I am once again shocked out of my senses. With a ‘clang’, my lunch box falls to the ground.

Victor looks at the sight on the floor and frowns.

Victor: Why are you afraid?

MC: …Nothing…

I hurriedly squat to clean up the mess, but he reaches out to pull me up.

Victor: Come to the office with me.

MC: W-what do you want?

Victor doesn’t turn around, leaving me with the sight of his back.

Victor: There’s some wrong data in your report.

The curtains in the office are drawn and sunlight pours in through the window. The air is warm, but the only thing I feel is coldness.

The only sound in the room is the rustling of paper as Victor flips through the documents.

I stand in front of his office desk, like a child who has been punished.

After an inordinate amount of time, Victor finally speaks.

Victor: Do you have any questions for me?

I nod my head mindlessly, and then hurriedly shake my head.

In my heart, I mutter, “Weren’t you the one who came asking me about the wrong data…”

Victor: None? Very good. But I have a question for you.

Victor folds his arms on the desk and looks at me.

Victor: You’ve been avoiding me today?

MC: N-no I have not!

Victor: How so?

MC: …

I have nothing to say in response, and lack the guts to look at Victor. I stare at my toes.

I hear the sound of him getting up and his footsteps coming towards me. I feel his breath on my skin. I instinctively shift backwards, but he holds on to my waist to stop me.

I hear his voice from the top of my head.

Victor: Am I very scary?

I’m frozen to the spot, unable to answer.

The palm of his hand is slightly warm. The heat seeps through my clothes and onto my skin. I have nowhere to escape.

Victor: You look as if…

Victor pauses and lets out a sigh.

Victor: I let you sit in during the negotiation for you to learn. Not to let your wild imagination be used for things that serve no purpose. Ask me directly if you have any questions, instead of troubling your own IQ.

MC: …

Victor and his usual snarky comments.

I lift my head to look at Victor. His eyes lack the same coldness they had during the negotiation, but they carry an unreadable emotion.

This person… is he trying to explain himself because he can sense that I am avoiding him…

Victor: Do you still have any questions for me?

MC: …Yes, I have one question.

Victor: Speak your mind.

MC: …I heard that an elderly worker made a tiny mistake, one that could be ignored, but you fired him?

Victor:  You’re very free today. You even have time to listen to gossip.

I duck my head slightly in embarrassment. Victor sees this and laughs in a low voice. I feel his grip on my waist tighten.

Victor: What else?

I shake my head.

Victor: Listen well. I don’t have the time to bother myself with trivial mistakes. Furthermore, firing someone requires legitimate and reasonable justifications.

I feel Victor releasing another sigh. After pondering for a moment, he continues.

Victor: As for the negotiation earlier… that’s a necessary technique.

He really looks like… he’s explaining himself to me.

Right now, Victor may not be gentle, but he doesn’t come across as aggressive.  

Victor: Are you still scared?

With my face beet red, I shake my head again. Satisfied, Victor retracts his hand.

Victor: All right. Make a reservation at a restaurant then.

MC: Huh?

Why does he suddenly want to make a reservation? I haven’t even corrected the data yet…

Victor, as though reading my thoughts, continues.

Victor: Even though your data is strange, it doesn’t stump me.

MC: …

Victor: Don’t forget the restaurant.

MC: How about Souvenir?

Victor casts me a glance.

Victor: I’m very busy today.

I nod my head vigorously. He spent the entire morning on the negotiation, and having to cook at night… Even King Kong would be tired to the point of paralysis.

~

MC: I didn’t ask what kind of restaurant Victor wanted, or who he was going with…

MC leaves the office and looks for a restaurant on her phone. She finally decides on one and notifies Victor, who doesn’t reply. After a successful negotiation with Yuan Shan, he calls out to her:

Victor: Let’s go for dinner.

He says this naturally, but I don’t know how to react.

MC: …Don’t you have plans tonight?

Victor: You picked the restaurant yourself, so I should like it.

The restaurant is in a rather inconvenient location, so they have to walk quite a distance to reach it. MC is wearing an uncomfortable pair of stilettos. He notices that her expression is off.

Victor looks at my stilettos, takes my hand in his, and slows down his pace.

Victor: Idiot.

The temperature of his hand flows into other parts of my body. Although only a mere second passed, both my cheeks are already flushed. I unconsciously wiggle my fingers but his hand simply grips even more tightly instead.

Victor: Such thin high heels, are you trying to sprain your ankle?

MC: Of course not!

Victor: Then be obedient.

He doesn’t continue, leading me to the restaurant slowly.

MC: Victor, why did you suddenly invite me to dinner? I thought you were going to eat with some important guest, so I specially picked this…

…exorbitantly priced restaurant with a meal that will take hours to complete…

Victor: What, do you want to go somewhere else?

MC: …No need!

They proceed to have an evening of fine dining.

Victor: I didn’t expect that you’d be competent at picking out a restaurant.

MC: What do you mean by “didn’t expect”? It’s just picking a restaurant. My work is so much better than this…

The corners of Victor’s lips waver, but he doesn’t speak.

Under the warm yellow lights, I suddenly feel that the Victor in front of me and the Victor earlier in the day are two completely different people.

I ponder for a moment and decide to ask a question.

MC: Are the reports I give you really that bad? Is that why…

Victor continues ladling his soup, lifting his eyes towards me.

Victor: When I pick out mistakes, it means you have space for improvement.

Even though his answer is short, he says it seriously.

Their meal takes hours to complete.

While walking out the door, Victor naturally takes my hand in his.

Victor: Why is your hand so cold?

MC: Maybe the food we ate just now was on the colder side?

Victor: Let’s find a place to have something warm.

MC: Huh?

Did Victor not have enough? 

The portions just now were quite small, and easy to digest.

It’s already late, so most restaurants would be closed…

I think for a moment.

MC: How about going to a food street for supper!

As predicted, Victor’s expression reveals a look of distaste.

MC: It’s really delicious… I always have wonton and spicy stir-fried river snail there with Willow and Kiki!

[Note] Wonton is a type of Chinese dumpling

Seeing how my eyes sparkle excitedly, Victor can only give in.

Victor: All right.

Victor parks his car outside the food street and they go to the store.

MC: Boss, I want a big portion of spicy stir-fried river snail! And two bowls of wonton!

Boss: Yo MC, you’re alone today? Where are the other two ladies?

MC: They’re busy so they can’t come. I’m not alone though!

I introduce the boss to Victor, who is standing behind me with a cold expression on his face.

MC: This… this is my friend Victor.

Boss: Ah, this lad is not bad, rather serious hahaha~  Lad, spicy or non-spicy?

Victor: Either way is fine.

Boss: This MC – she can’t take spicy food but always wants maximum spiciness, and even adds a layer of chili powder into the soup hahahaha~

A little embarrassed, I stick out my tongue.

MC: That’s only because your wontons and chili powder are just so delicious that I can’t do without them!

Victor looks at me, his voice carrying with it a rare smile.

Victor: Wouldn’t have expected you to have such a quirk.

MC: What “quirk”? This is clearly an interest… No, a hobby!

Victor arches an eyebrow.

Victor: Quirk. It means the person has an interest that differs from other people.

MC: Fine fine fine, and this CEO likes collecting small toys!

Victor’s expression suddenly falls. Meanwhile, I continue treading these dangerous grounds.

MC: For example, a cute lamp…

Victor: …

The food is served and Victor tries them.

Victor: I’ve never had such… interesting food in a long time. It tastes very good.

MC: Ah? … Which tastes better – this or the food from the restaurant just now?

Victor taps the bowl of wontons and points to the food in front of us, probably saying that the food here tastes better.

I smile, my eyes crinkling in happiness.

MC: Come to think of it, the best things I’ve eaten would be the food you make, and the food prepared by the boss here would be in second place.

Victor laughs lightly.

Victor: You dummy. Food doesn’t exist solely to pander to one’s tastes or to fill one’s stomach. There’s something more important - “companionship”.

MC: ?

Victor: It’s okay if you don’t understand.

MC: I understand!

Victor turns to look at me, a serious look on his face. I think for a moment before speaking.

MC: It means that when you eat with certain people, even delicacies can become tasteless. And when you eat with certain people, even cold soup can become excellent!

Victor: Although the way you express it is a little lacking, the idea not wrong.

Must Victor’s agreement carry with it a flavor of ridicule as well…

When I look up again, I notice some sauce at the corner of Victor’s lips.

He doesn’t seem to have noticed, taking his time to finish the food in front of him.

Seeing him like this, I let out a laugh.

MC: Victor, come here a little~

Victor: ?

Victor leans towards me.

I reach out to help him wipe off the traces of sauce. He is stunned for a moment, then grabs onto my hand before I can retract it. His warmth travels across my entire body.

Suddenly, time seems to have stopped…

Under the luster of the lights, the steam from the food rises. Victor’s face seems to fill my entire vision. I can hear the faint noise from the crowd, food stall owners shouting, the sound of food being cooked…

These sounds tell me that time is ticking on…

It’s just… me…

I feel a thin layer of Victor’s breath slowly encasing my surroundings. I can almost hear his heart beat. It beats with strength.

He looks at my shocked expression, and slowly opens his mouth.

Victor: Just now, you asked why I invited you to join me for dinner. I think you already know the reason.

Through the steam, I can see a rare tenderness in his eyes. As well as the seriousness that has never left.

Victor: I know people think I’m unreasonable, or even scary. But the last thing I want is for you to be that person.

[tsarisfanfiction]

I think I drank too much - with ma boi John Tracy, Eye in the Sky?

(I hope you wrestle uni into submssion)

A Bad First Impression

Fandom: Thunderbirds Rating: Gen Genre: Family/Friendship Characters: Scott, John, Penelope

Brain is in default Scott mode (when is it not?), so more Scott than John, but it is John saying the line, so that counts, right?  Haven’t proof read this or anything, but alcohol+John gave me one idea straight away, so here we go!

4am so the other prompt currently sitting in my inbox will have to wait until post-sleep (and probably post-more uni work), but feel free to send more in!

(Uni is... not going down without a fight but I have got my lecturers on my side so it’s not quite as terrifying as it was the other day.  Still got a heck of a lot of work to do, but hopefully it’s survivable now.)

Lightheaded/Fainting Prompts (I know it says ‘starters’ but I figure as long as the line’s in there somewhere it counts).  Or honestly any other prompt games I’ve reblogged are fine, too, just make sure to tell me which one it’s from!)

Scott glowered down at his phone, where his message was stubbornly remaining as sent.  Ideally, he wanted a reply, but it had been five minutes and it still wasn’t even showing as read.

People were sending him disapproving looks, no doubt seeing a stranger with a backpack lurking outside a door and drawing their own conclusions the longer he remained slouched against the wall.  Apparently even in England, people didn’t take too kindly to loitering, and Scott would appreciate it if his brother would hurry up and let him in.

Maybe for some people, five minutes was too soon to be getting cranky, let alone worried, and any of his other brothers, in any other situation, Scott wouldn’t expect an instantaneous reply, but it was John, at midnight.  He should be wired into whatever technology he was playing and receiving messages instantly - especially as Scott should be expected.

The journey had been a long one, jet lag was hammering hard, and he just wanted to greet his brother, catch up for a bit, and then crash out on the couch.  It had been too long since he’d last seen him - why John had decided to go to college in England, Scott had no idea.

Seven minutes, and still no answer.  No little icon assuring him John had even seen it, even though John had known exactly what flight he was on and had been the one to tell Scott how long the taxi would take from the airport.  Scott had fully expected his younger brother to open the door just as the taxi pulled to a halt.

The fact that he was still standing outside, seven minutes later - and midnight in Oxford was not warm - had Scott one part annoyed to three parts worried.

The looks were getting dirtier.  He was surprised no-one had confronted him yet, and hoped that didn’t mean they’d decided against talking and skipped straight to calling the police.

“C’mon, John,” he muttered.  “What’s taking you so long?”

Looking up from his phone again - nine minutes - he caught sight of a pair staggering their way in his direction.  One was ginger, and he straightened, more than a little disbelieving when his younger brother staggered right past him without looking and pawed at the door ineffectually.

“Honestly, John,” the girl he was with - petite, blond, and in high heels that made Scott’s feet ache just to look at (his younger brothers didn’t know about his time in high heels and it was staying that way) - sighed, although the giggle that followed it ruined whatever gravitas she was trying to exude.

There were many things wrong with the sight, from John being not inside, to John looking like he’d been at a nightclub, to John apparently bringing a girl home, but the thoughts all temporarily abandoned his head as John swayed just a little bit more.

“I think I drank too much,” his brother commented, in that sort of detached fashion Scott recognised from his own nightclub experiences, and ignoring the girl, he lunged forward just in time to catch John as he crumpled.

This wasn’t the greeting he’d been expecting.

Nor was the stiletto kick to his chest, winding him and almost making him drop his brother.  It was fortunate his first instinct was always to hold on tighter, otherwise John would probably have just gained a concussion to go with the hell of a hangover he was going to be facing in a few hours.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the girl demanded, drawing herself up to her full height - and even in those dagger stilettos, still failing to reach Scott’s chin.  “Unhand him at once, or I’ll call the police.”

Scott was tired, grumpy, and had no patience for irritating girls trying to get in with his not interested younger brother.  He straightened, hefting John into his arms - he might be tall, but John had never been a challenge to lift on the rare occasion Scott had carried him - and made a show of looking down at the small female.

“And I suppose you were planning on carrying him inside?” he challenged, shifting John’s weight until he could slip two fingers into his pocket and extract his door key.

John always kept his key in the same pocket.  Scott was glad that hadn’t changed.

“And now you’re trespassing,” she huffed as he fumbled the door open.  “No-one invited you in.  Leave, before I call the police.”

“Actually, I was invited,” Scott snapped, stepping through the door.  “You, on the other hand, are not welcome.  Go home.”

He kicked the door shut with his heel, knowing Grandma - and probably John, in the morning - would be furious with him for leaving her outside by herself at midnight, but not finding it in himself to care right then.

The apartment wasn’t large, just a kitchen with a sofa and a door that Scott determined had to lead to the bedroom and en suite, which meant he heard the front door open again as he shouldered his way into the bedroom.

“Who are you?” the girl demanded.  Scott ignored her as he settled his brother on the bed - planets and stars embellishing the otherwise plain navy comforter.  “Look at me when I’m talking to you!”

Scott pulled his brother’s sneakers off and set them down on the floor, making a mental note to find where John kept his shoes and put them away properly before his occasionally-clumsy brother tripped over them later.

“Why are you in his apartment?” he asked, kicking off his own shoes and letting his backpack fall onto the floor before pulling himself up onto the bed.  John could sleep in his clothes just fine, but that coat and jumper had to come off before he overheated.

“Are you stripping him?” she shrieked.  “That’s it; I’m calling the police.”

...Okay, Scott could see why it might look bad if she didn’t know who he was.

“Look, miss,” he started.

“Your ladyship,” she interrupted.

“Uh, what?”

“It’s your ladyship,” she said.  “Not miss.  I am Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, and I insist you tell me who you are and why you’re manhandling my friend.”

“John has friends?”  John did intellectual peers, but he’d never cared for friends, mostly because he found it tiring when people couldn’t keep up with him - or tried to force him into socialising, which Scott was starting to suspect this girl, Lady, whatever, had done tonight.  His friends were computers.

“Of course he does, you pervert,” she snapped back.  “Now answer my questions, and if I don’t like the answers, I’m calling the police.”

“Perv-”  Scott interrupted himself with a sigh.  “I take it John didn’t bother to tell you I was coming to visit for the week?”

“Your name,” she insisted, and he rolled his eyes.

“Scott Tracy.  I’m his brother, so if you could stop the ridiculous accusations that would be great, thank you very much.”

“You don’t look related.”

Oh, for-

“You should see the rest of them.”  John shifted against his chest in a quickly-aborted attempt to sit up.  Scott tightened his grip.  “Scott, Lady P.  You won’t get rid of her.  Trust me.  Lady P., my big brother, Scott.  You won’t get rid of him.  Trust me.”

“John-”

“So stop arguing and let me sleep.  My head kills.  Penny, why did you let me drink so much?”

“I was curious what you’d be like drunk,” she answered, completely unapologetic.  “You didn’t tell me your brother was coming.”  She paused.  “Why didn’t you tell me when I came to get you earlier?”

“You’d have accused me of lying to get out of going,” John muttered.  “Sorry, Scott.  Thought I’d be back before you turned up.  Wasn’t expecting to drink so much...”  He trailed off with a yawn, and Scott helped him lie back down.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said - not strictly true, but as far as reunions went it was already terrible.  He had no intentions of worsening it with an argument.  “Get some sleep.  I’ll find you something for the hangover in the morning.”

John was asleep again before he’d finished talking, and with a fond smile, Scott slipped off the bed and pulled the covers loosely over him.

Then, he eyed the blonde in front of him.  John didn’t like socialising, and yet she’d dragged him out regardless - and apparently never took no for an answer.

Scott did not like the implications of that.

“We need to talk,” he said, quietly enough not to wake John, but seriously nonetheless.  Blue eyes flicked from him to John and then back again.

“Yes,” she agreed.  “I suppose we do.”

[nightshade-minho]

Nightmare (3)

Warnings: awkward situations, a lot of feelings, suggestiveness.

Part 1 | Part 2

“Alright, So we need to figure stuff out. There has to be rules, right...? I’m not completely sure, but in nearly all the movies where they do this kind of thing, they always make like, a list of ground rules.”

You tried not to think about how in most of those movies, the two end up together as well. So...you weren’t sure just how helpful a list of ground rules would be.

“You’re going to base whether or not you go to prison because you watched To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before once?”

Minho rolled his eyes. “Well, yeah. I hated that movie, though.”

You groaned out loud. “Okay, Minho. So what exactly do you propose?”

“Do you think I should get a paper and a pen, or something?”

You contemplated slamming your head on the coffee table.

“I’m sure we can remember.”

Minho put a finger on his chin. “Okay...so first of all we have to make this believable, right? We have to adjust our lives a little bit, start doing more coupley things, even if we’re alone.”

You looked at him, frowning. “Why?”

“It has to look natural in public.”

You nodded. The more Minho spoke, the more your brain was cursing you for agreeing. There were so many alternative solutions to his problem...although you couldn’t think of any at the moment.

“A lot of people already know we’re best friends, so just walking together isn’t enough. We really have to take this to the next level...”

“No kissing.”

Minho trailed off, raising an eyebrow. “What?”

“I said, no kisses. On the lips, anyway. Cheeks, hands, foreheads are all fine. I....I just think it would blur too many boundaries if we did kiss.”

Minho nodded slowly. “I supposed that does make sense.”

He cleared his throat and resumed. “The culmination of all of this is at Rina’s party this Saturday. We have to be the perfect couple, okay?”

You scoffed. “Don’t you think it would be a little too difficult for you to attend a party and not suck the face off of every hot girl present?”

Minho smiled humorlessly. “Anyways, two days later, we’ll break up. It should be a public affair, and Rina should be there.”

You rested your head back against the sofa, rubbing your eyes with your palms. “I can’t believe I’m actually doing this for you.”

Minho let out an indignant chuckle. “Need I remind you that this is all your fault? I passed up the opportunity to have sex with one of the hottest girls I’ve seen in my life to come over here and spend time with your sorry ass.”

That hurt. You raised your face, looking at him. There was regret written in his eyes, but you didn’t care. You could feel tears rising, and you hated it. You couldn’t cry in front of him. You wouldn’t.

“Lee Minho, you’re a fucking asshole. Seriously, being my best friend isn’t compulsory. If it’s that tiring and exhausting for you, then by all means, don’t spend time with me...fuck as many girls as you want. It’s all you’ve being doing lately anyway.”

You turned around to leave but was stopped by Minho’s hand, that had shot out to grab your wrist.

He pulled you down, and you landed half on top of him, an angry blush spreading across your features as you realized how close your face was to him in this moment. He was staring deep into your eyes, his hand still on your wrist.

“Y/n...you are my best friend. And I love spending time with you. Also...” he trailed off, looking like he wanted to say more.

“...sorry.”

You sighed. You couldn’t stay angry with him for long. So you nodded.

It took a second for you to realize that you were still in that position with him. You moved off of him, and he straightened up.

“Hey, we’re both free right now. How about we move Movie Night to tonight?”

You giggled. “I’ll get the popcorn...and some blankets.”

You tried to stand up, but he placed an arm in front of you, stopping you from getting up completely.

“I’ll do it. I’m making up for my little faux-pas yesterday. Besides, I’m your ‘boyfriend’ now.”

He winked before leaving the room, and you sank back into the sofa, your heart doing little jumps in your chest.

•••

When he came back, he set the popcorn on the table before settling next to you, pulling the blankets over the two of you as the movie started playing.

You were trying your best to focus on the movie, but Minho had his arm around your waist and had pulled you into his side. Minho often put his arm around you, but this was different. It was clear that he was trying to be romantic, drawing little circles on your waist that was driving you crazy.

“You comfortable?” He whispered against your ear. You nodded.

“I was thinking, tomorrow morning we should walk to campus together. I know your classes are earlier than mine, but we should make an effort to be seen as a couple.”

It was an awful reminder that all this was fake. You shrugged Minho’s arm off and put a little distance between you. Minho turned around, puzzled. “What’re you doing?”

“I just thought I’d be more comfortable like this.”

“You’re ridiculous. What’s the point in being shy? It’s like this huge prank that we’re pulling on the entire campus. Last time I checked, you love deception and lies.”

Minho leaned forward, his hands going to your waist and tickling you like he used to when you were kids, causing you to laugh uncontrollably. He guffawed as he crawled on top of you, tickling you so hard that it hurt. You kicked your legs hard, hitting his arm with your fist. Minho finally stopped, panting as he stared down at you.

It felt like time had stopped. There he was, hovering over you, his face inches away from yours, again. How did the two of you keep ending up in these compromising positions?

Minho’s lips were so close to yours that if you moved up just a centimeter, they’d be touching. In horror, you realized that he was leaning slightly closer.

You pushed him away, sliding out from underneath him and sitting up, blowing hair out of your face. Breathing hard, you turned around to look at him. He had an indescribable expression on his face.

Minho slowly stood up. “Y/n, I’m feeling a little tired. I’m going to go to bed...enjoy the rest of the movie.” He left.

•••

Minho didn’t know what had gotten into him. It’s just...there you were right under him, lips so close to his. His brain had automatically moved him closer.

The ‘No Kissing’ rule was making more and more sense by the minute. It was true. There were too many boundaries that were being crossed.

Minho decided that from then on, the couple-y stuff should only be done in public. He had to remind himself that he’d slept with girls who were more conventionally attractive and sexually experienced than you.

Why then, were you driving him mad all of a sudden?

•••

In the morning, Minho came to the living room only to see you asleep on the sofa.

“Y/n? Get up! We’ve got to go to class.”

You groaned, getting up slowly. “My classes are like, two hours away.”

“I know, but remember? We have to walk together.”

You grimaced as you recalled the stupid arrangement. Getting up, you went to your room and slammed it, finding some clothes to pull on.

When you came back outside, Minho was tapping his fingers on the breakfast bar in a pattern, glancing at his watch from time to time. He looked up, and hurriedly grabbed your hand, half-walking and half-running out the door, with you in tow.

“Minho, slow down!” You felt your heart in your throat, due to Minho’s fingers being so tightly intertwined with yours.

“Can’t! We have to get there at the same time Rina does.”

A while later, Minho slowed his pace, his hand still firmly clasping yours. He looked around. There were a lot of people he recognized, some of them girls that he’d fucked before...the girl from his psych class over at the fountain was eyeing the two of you intensely. So was a lot of people.

Turns out, Lee Minho having a girlfriend invited a lot of questions, especially when some of them knew you to be his best friend. A few people, mostly Minho’s acquaintances, came over and made inquiries. Minho introduced you as his girlfriend each time, prompting a lot of ‘congratulations!’ and ‘finally!’s.

“Minho!?”

You turned around at the sound. There was a raven-haired girl running over to the both of you. She was wearing a very low-cut top and stilettos, and looked very intimidating. You quickly realized she was Mera, a girl that Minho had been fuckbuddies with for a while.

She crossed her arms. “You? And y/n? Dating?”

Minho nodded. “Mmhmm.”

“I thought you said you weren’t the ‘relationship kinda guy’.”

“I-“ Minho looked at you, and then squeezed your hand, pulling you closer.

“I realized I’m in love with her recently.”

You almost let out a gasp at that. Mera was dumbfounded...and frankly, so were you.

You inhaled. “I’m...in love with him, too.” You wish what you said had been a lie, like Minho’s statement.

But it was true, and the acknowledgement of that fact made you nauseous.

Mera stuck a finger in her mouth, imitating a gagging sound. As she walked past, she let her hand drag across his arm. “If you ever come to your senses and break up with her, I’ll be waiting, okay?” She blew a kiss and sauntered away.

You sighed. “This is more draining than I thought.”

Minho ignored you, looking around. “Rina’s not here...”

“Well at least a decent amount of people saw. And Mera’s one of the biggest gossips on campus. She’s bound to come to know. I mean, you’re pretty well known for your fuckboy-ness...this is big news.”

Minho cocked his head to the side. “I suppose that’s true.”

When the two of you reached a quiet hallway, Minho dropped your hand so quickly that you felt your heart ache.

“We’ll wake up a little earlier tomorrow, okay? Maybe we can run into her then.”

•••

That night, you lay on your side. You tried telling yourself that maybe, this was a way to sort your feelings out once and for all. Maybe the reason you fell in love with Minho was because he was your best friend, and that meant there would always be ‘what if’s. Now that you get a taste of what it would be like, perhaps you’d finally be able to go about your life as normal.

Suddenly you heard your door open. You sat up a little, your sleepy eyes adjusting to the light streaming in from the hall. Minho was standing in the doorway in basketball shorts and a loose shirt, holding Gyu.

“You left this little guy in my room.”

Ah. So that’s why you couldn’t sleep. Minho walked closer, handing it to you. “Mind if I join?”

When you stayed silent, he got in beside you anyway. You turned on your side, and for a while, he stayed where he was. Then he put an arm around your waist, dragging you closer until your back hit his chest.

A few minutes later, you heard soft snoring sounds. Your heart clenched, because you knew this was just ‘practice’ because he wanted to make it ‘believable’.

It hurt, the fleetingness of this moment.

You fell asleep with tears on your pillow.

[thebrotherssalvatore321]

Keeoing Secrets Ch. 36

Keeping Secrets Masterlist

The bass in the club beat loud as upbeat music played over the speakers. Sweaty body’s danced to beat on the dance floor while neon lights flashed. People stood on a balcony up above where the bar was located drinking and talking while watching the people dancing down below. Katie danced in the middle of the dance floor with a girl in front of her and a guy behind her both with their hands all over her while they bumped and grinded against her. Their drunk gazes on her bouncing chest, scantily clad in the black sequined mini dress with a plunging draped neckline and a halter strap of rhinestones.

When the song was over and a less upbeat song came on she turned to the guy behind her and slipped her finger under his chin beckoning him to her. “Come with me pretty boy.” He followed her out of the club and into the sketchy alleyway like a lost puppy. She reveled in the fact that she could lure men out without even having to compel them. The lust in the guys pretty blue eyes made her smile and when they got to the middle of the alley she turned to him, grabbed his shirt in her fist, pulled his face close to hers, the tips of their noses touching as the blood rushed to her eyes. His lustful eyes turned fearful in the blink of an eye. The guy stumbled back, tripping over an overturned trash can before he turned and ran. Katie let him run a little before she whooshed in front of him and he stumbled back, falling on his ass that he scooted on scrambling away from her.

Tired of playing with her food, she grabbed him up by his jacket, shoved his head to the side then sank her teeth into him. In thirty seconds he was tapped out and she pushed him to the side watching him fall to the ground as she licked the blood from her lips. She was staring at him when she heard a gasp behind her and turned to see a woman standing in the opening of the alley with her hand over her mouth. Katie whooshed over, grabbed her before she could run away, slammed her into the brick wall and looked her in the eyes. “If you are questioned by anyone, you tell them you saw a man wearing obnoxiously distressed jeans, one of those douchey affliction t-shirts and cowboy boots. He stabbed him in the neck with something you didn’t get a good look at. Understand?” the woman nodded. “Now forget you ever saw me.”

The tapping of her thigh high stiletto boots on the concrete filled the air as she walked back into the club. Done with dancing for the time being she went up to the bar on the second floor where it was a little quieter and ordered a drink. The bartender set down a napkin then a martini glass. She was about to grab the toothpick and eat the olives, but a hand came from behind her and grabbed them first. She didn’t have to guess who it was…she could feel him. She let out a sharp whistle and snapped her fingers to get the bartender to look at her and she crooked her finger at him. He walked over to her and she looked him in the eyes not having to speak to compel him. Elijah sat down on the stool next to her and ate one of the olives. “Hi handsome.” She told him with a smirk as she looked at him across her shoulder. The bartender stuck a new toothpick of olives in her drink then walked away.

Elijah whipped the handkerchief out of his suit pocket and held it out to her. “Your dinner is still on your lips.”

She pushed his hand down and leaned into him, her lips close to his ear. “You want a taste?” she pulled back looking into his brown eyes. Eyes that once made her heart skip a beat, but now did absolutely nothing for her. She could still feel him through their link, but it wasn’t like it was before. All feelings of longing and love were gone.

He pursed his lips and leaned back. “Wipe your mouth before someone notices.”

Instead of taking the handkerchief she licked her pointer finger, wiped her lips then sucked the blood off it. “Bet Damon would have kissed me.” she popped off making Elijah look away from her. “I would ask how you found me, but apparently even though I’ve flipped the switch, I still have a soul and that pesky little link still exists.” She told him, taking in his un-amused face. “And I can’t figure out if I find you so mouthwateringly handsome because I actually think it or if it’s the link.”

He narrowed his eyes “Did you want it to be severed?”

“Yep.” She answered without hesitation.

“Why?” he asked, studying her.

“Because I no longer want you.” She answered then looked away from him and took a drink.

“We will not discuss this right now.” he told her.

“Hey you asked.” She said with a shrug then threw back what was left of her drink and pushed the glass away.

“May I propose a deal?” he asked, looking at her like he was in deep thought.

“You can propose it, but I doubt I’ll take you up on it.”

“I find a witch that is able to remove our link, you turn your humanity back on.” He said as he propped his elbow on up the bar and watched her take the olives out of the empty glass and bite one off the tooth pick.

“You are vastly overestimating that link and whatever power you think you and it have over me.” she hopped down off the stool. “No deal.” She started walking away.

“What about Niklaus?” he asked and she stopped and turned back to him. “Did he have power over you?”

“Why do you ask?” she asked curiously.

“I know he meant something to you. You felt the loss of him so deeply you flipped your switch.” He told her with narrowed eyes.

She walked back over to him and looked him in the eyes. “Goodbye, Elijah.” She walked away and he let her.

TVDTVDTVD

Klaus walked into a small bar. He’d followed Katie’s trail of dead bodies here and it took no time to spot her sitting at the back of the room with her teeth sunk into a woman’s neck. No one was paying it any attention. So he assumed she had the whole place compelled.

He walked over and pulled the woman away from Katie and tossed her to the side to land on the couch. “Klaus?” Katie asked in confusion.

“In the flesh.” He told her with a cheeky smile.

“Huh, that explains some things.” She said as she stood up and tried to walk around him, but he grabbed her arm. She looked down at his hand on her then back up at his glaring eyes.

“This isn’t you, love.” He told her and a smile formed on her face making him give her an interested look.

“Sure it is.” She argued as she took her arm from his, walked over to a guy sitting at the bar and started to bite him, but Klaus whooshed between them. “What are you doing?” she asked with a bored look.

“Telling you that I am alive and to go home and stop this foolishness.” He pointed out.

“We screw a few times, you somehow come back from the dead and you think you can tell me what to do?” she asked with a cock of her head.

He grabbed her chin in his hand and looked into her eyes. “It was more than that and you know it.”

“Maybe it was, but guess what?” she whooshed around Klaus and sank her teeth into the guys neck then tossed him aside. “I no longer care.” She wiped her mouth as she walked away.

TVDTVDTVD

Klaus and Elijah stood outside a bar on the Virginia coast that Katie was in, leaning against Elijah’s car. “So what’s the plan?” Klaus asked, not liking that they were about to ambush her. But it had been almost two weeks since she flipped her switch and no one had been able to get through to her.

“Whatever it takes to get her out of there.” Elijah answered.

They walked into the bar and saw her up on the karaoke stage, jumping around as she belted Three Days Grace’s “The good life.”

“Did you know she could still sing?” Klaus asked his brother, not looking away from her owning the stage like a true rock star.

“No I did not.” Elijah answered not looking away from her either. He thought her outfit of a tight black leather vest that was only zipped half way, short black shorts, fishnet leggings and black closed toe heels made her look like a stripper, but her confidence made it work.

When the song was over Katie hopped down off the stage and headed to the bar. Klaus intercepted her and purposely bumped into her. “Hello, I’m walking here asshole.” She didn’t look at the guy's face as she started to walk around him, but he grabbed her arm in a grasp too tight to be human and she looked up. “Klaus.”

“Hello, Sweetheart.” He told her with a closed lipped smile and tilt of his head.

“Unless you intend on having a drink with me or taking me to a hotel I suggest you let go of me.”

“Sorry love, that’s not why I’m here.” He told her as his face turned serious.

“Mkay.” She told him as she did an evasive maneuver on him, but he anticipated it and managed to wrap his arms around her, holding her arms down to her sides. A sigh left her flared nostrils as she stomped on his foot, stabbing him with the pointed heel of her shoe then slammed her head back into his face and he let her go. She whooshed outside, where Elijah, who she felt too late, whooshed in front of her and stabbed her in the neck with a syringe of vervain. “Seriously?” She sighed as her world faded to black.

TVDTVDTVD

Katie woke up with a groan and tried to pick up her hand, intending on rubbing the sore spot on her neck, but her wrist was tied down to a metal chair. She looked around to see that she was in the middle of a beach house living room. Waves crashing off in the distance filled her ears. “Sleeping beauty finally awakens.” Klaus said, making her look to the left to see him sitting on a leather couch that separated the living room from the kitchen that Elijah walked out of with a drink in his hand.

Bright light shined in through the picturesque windows on each side of the door in front of her. “How long have I been out?” she asked with a squint.

“Around nine hours.” Elijah answered then looked down at Klaus who took Elijah’s drink from him.

“So what’s the plan? Torture me into turning my humanity back on?” she asked with an uncomfortable grunt.

“No, love, you see we’ve discussed it and we both agree that you’re no stranger to physical torture.” Klaus told her.

“Yes, Caroline has informed us that when Alaric tortured the two of you, you were a…what was it?” Elijah asked Klaus.

“A stone cold trooper.” Klaus told her with a smile. “Plus I know you endured the pain of vervain just to chew through your gag like a caged animal. So vervain and splinters will be useless on you. We’ve got something we think will be a little more effective in store for you.”

His use of we made her start laughing. “We? The two of you are going to work together to save me from my humanity-less self?”

“Why is that funny?” Elijah asked.

“Well, all things considered…” Katie told him with a look at Klaus

“Am I missing something?” Elijah asked with a narrow eyed look at her.

“No.” Klaus answered making Katie laugh harder.

“Yes.” Katie said as she made herself stop laughing. “Klaus and Rebekah have been keeping you in the dark.” She told Elijah who pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes further. She then looked at Klaus. “Do you want to tell him or should I?”

“Katie…don’t. This is not the time.” He told her as he turned his head to the side and blinked at her.

“I think now is the perfect time.” Katie thought to herself knowing that if she managed to turn them against each other the likelihood of them forcing her humanity back on would be cut in half.

“One of you speak. Now.” Elijah demanded.

Katie looked at Klaus and raised a challenging brow, but he just looked at her with pleading eyes that didn’t faze her in the slightest. “Klaus and I had sex.” She said then turned her eyes to Elijah. “Mind blowing…earth shaking…high class porn worthy fornication.” She knew when Elijah’s jaw slacked and Klaus blinked at her that it had worked. Did Klaus really expect her to keep that to herself? “Or did we make love?” she asked herself since she couldn’t tell the difference anymore. Klaus whooshed off the couch and grabbed a roll of duct tape. “Either way it was fucking amaz-” she was cut off when he slapped a piece of tape over her mouth.

As soon as Klaus turned around Elijah punched him and sent him flying through one of the glass windows and over the rail of the stilted beach house. Katie heard the thud of him hitting the ground below. Elijah whooshed away and continued to fight his brother, but Katie tuned it out and started working on getting the duct tape off of her mouth. As soon as she did she toed off one of her boots, grabbed it with her feet that they stupidly hadn’t tied to the chair and tossed it into her lap. She used one of her hands to start taking out the lace of it. When she got it out she managed to toss one end of it up on her chest then pushed her breasts together and picked the end of the lace up with her teeth. From there she whipped her head around until she caught the other end in her hand and threaded it under the ropes on her wrist then down to her foot and grabbed it with her toes.

With everything in place she moved the boot lace back and forth. She was weak from the vervain still working it’s way out of her system, but eventually the friction burned through the rope setting her hand free. She untied the rope on her other hand then kicked off her other boot and whooshed to the back exit out of the house. Lucky for her the brothers were still throwing fists and breaking shit and didn’t see or hear her leave.

She drained the first person she came across then sweet talked her way into a house and compelled the people inside.

TVDTVDTVD

Beaten, battered and tired the brothers went back into the beach house to find her gone. Elijah looked at her unlaced boot, the wet duct tape, and burned rope putting it all together. “Clever girl.” Elijah commented.

“Clever girl or half assed kidnappers?” Klaus asked as Elijah tossed the rope on the floor and stood up.

“Bit of both.” Elijah answered. “Lucky for me I can track her.” Elijah whooshed away. Klaus rolled his eyes and took off after him.

TVDTVDTVD

Katie was sitting in the living room with the family of three, watching cartoons when she felt Elijah tracking her down. An aggravated sigh left her lips. “Are you okay Miss Scarlett?” The little girl sitting next to her on the couch asked.

“Yes, Miley, I’m fine. Keep watching the cartoon.” She told her then got up from the couch and went to the kitchen where it was quiet.

Taking a shot in the dark she closed her eyes and concentrated on kinking her connection to Elijah.

TVDTVDTVD

Elijah and Klaus were whooshing through a row of abandoned warehouses when he lost contact with her and stopped. “What?” Klaus asked.

“I can’t feel her.” Elijah said in confusion. "I believe she has cut me off.”

“Well it can’t be the first time that’s happened.” Klaus commented.

Elijah ignored him. “She is roughly fifteen miles due east. Assuming she is not on the move as we speak." He told Klaus.

"Then let's hope whatever she is doing won't hold long." Klaus told him and he walked past him.

TVDTVDTVD

The longer Katie held off Elijah the more draining it became and the hungrier she got. After two hours, blood flooded to her eyes and she snapped, letting Elijah back in as she whooshed to the home office where the father of the house was working through lunch and sank her teeth into his neck. "Miss Scarlett?" A small voice came from behind her and she turned, letting little Miley see Katie in all her vampire glory, blood dripping down her chin and neck. Katie whooshed over to the terrified six year old and looked into her eyes, "Go to your room and stay there." The little girl screamed and ran upstairs.

TVDTVDTVD

“I can feel her again.” Elijah said feeling her essence fill him once again. He whooshed away leaving Klaus to trail behind. Katie knew he was close when she felt the pull in the pit of her stomach and rolled her eyes. "Open the door, Katie."

"Not happening, Handsome." She told him, looking at him through the peephole to see him rolling something around in his hand. Recalling the change through the coffee shop window incident she whooshed to the dead father, ripped out his heart, then whooshed to little Miley’s room.

A few minutes later the little girl opened the front door, her father's heart cupped in her little hands as she looked up at the two men standing on the other side. "Miss Scarlett told me to tell you that if you do not leave her alone, the next heart to be ripped out will be mine." She tossed the heart over the threshold and it bounced across the wood porch to Klaus’s feet. Klaus and Elijah shared a look, both knowing that Katie would never forgive herself for what she had just done.

Elijah kneeled down and looked the little girl in the eyes. "Come outside."

"I can't." She answered.

"She’s already compelled her not to listen to us." Klaus pointed out with a motion a the child.

"And she is in the basement." Elijah looked at Klaus with hard eyes and tossed the pebbles in his hand out into the driveway. "We need a human."

"I’m on it." Klaus stalked off with his determined walk.

TVDTVDTVD

Katie was lying on the sofa of the basement man cave with her eyes closed and ear buds in her ears. She no longer felt Elijah near so she assumed he and Klaus were gone. However, silenced shots were taken from the top of the stairs, darts pumped her full of vervain and she passed out. The ex navy seal Klaus managed to find and arm with vervain picked Katie up and tossed her over her shoulder. She carried her outside and passed her off to Klaus who motioned for her to give her to him.

Elijah whooshed over. "Your talents are highly appreciated." he put a hundred dollar bill in her hand. "Thank you." He looked into her eyes, "forget everything that happened in the last forty-five minutes." The woman nodded and walked off.

TVDTVDTVD

The first thing to make it into her semi conscious state was that she was laying on a soft bed on her back. The second were the voice’s of Klaus and Elena, who Katie knew was now a vampire thanks to someone who told her, she just didn’t care or remember who told her. “I apologize for the lack of windows. It’s to preserve the art.” She heard Klaus say in the room next door to hers. “And of course to prevent you from taking off your daylight ring and burning yourself to death in the sun.” Katie sat up and looked around to see three solid walls of brick and the forth that was across from the foot of the bed made of wood with a thick looking metal door. A crystal chandelier hung over the bed and another across the room. Statues and sculptures were decoratively placed around the room and very old looking works of art hung on the walls in the room.

“I’m not going to kill myself. I would never do that.” Elena told him.

“No, but you’ll want to. I did. Problem is I’m immortal.” Klaus told her.

“You went through this?” Elena asked.

“Yes, I did. For fifty two years, four months and nine days.” He told her. “I was tormented in my dreams…my every waking moment. Relentless, never ending torture. It was the only period of my life when I actually felt time.”

“So you knew that this would happen if Connor died? That’s why you got involved.” Elena asked. “Did Stefan know too?”

“All he knew was that the hunter had to be kept alive.” Klaus told her. “You should have listened to him when he said he had it covered, love.”

While they talked, Katie walked around the room looking at the works of art. “What else does Stefan know?” Elena asked.

“Now that’s one of life’s little mysteries isn’t it?” he answered.

“How did you make it stop?” Elena asked.

“I didn’t, eventually it just stopped.” Klaus answered. “The hallucinations tend to appear in strange forms.”

When she heard the door to the room Elena was in slam shut she expected Klaus to come to her room, but he didn’t. With no windows and no clocks Katie lost track of how long she was in that room before the door finally opened and Elijah came in. Someone pushed in a tv strapped to a rolling stand. A dvd player was plugged into it. “What, is it movie time in junior high or something?” she asked weakly from not having blood for a while.

He remained quiet until the minion left and locked them in. He grabbed one of the two leather chairs in the room and moved it across from the tv then motioned at it with his hand, elegantly like usual. “Sit and watch.”

“Sir yes sir.” She replied snippily and sat down in the chair.

He grabbed a remote off of the stand and walked around to stand behind her then pressed play. Alan Jackson’s “Remember When” started playing as a slideshow of pictures of her and her friends started playing. The music faded as a video of Katie and Caroline riding their bikes as little girls started playing. The girls, laughing and not paying attention, wrecked into each other and both fell off their bikes. Katie scraped her knee and started crying. Caroline who was okay rushed to her side as Katie’s mother, who had been filming passed off the camera to someone and ran to Katie. “It’s okay baby girl.” Her mother assured her child in a calming voice. “It’s just a scrape.”

“Mommy, it hurts.” Katie cried.

“It’ll stop soon.” The little blond that was Caroline told Katie then stuck out her little leg and ripped a Cinderella bandage off of her own knee. “See.” She poked at her scabbed over knee. “You just need a bandage to make it feel better. Right Mrs. Finnegan?”

“Right, Caroline.” Katie’s mom brushed Caroline’s hair out of her face then held her hand out to Katie. “Come on, let’s get you a bandage.”

“A pretty princess one?” Katie asked, now more concerned with making her leg look pretty than she was the pain.

Her mom laughed. “I’ll see what I can find.” Her mother then noticed that whoever was recording was still recording and waved at them to turn off the camera and the video cut off.

The music kicked back up as did the slideshow of pictures. They mapped out her whole life and every friendship she ever made. A picture of her at an eighth grade party popped up on the screen. She was sitting on a hardwood floor with a beer in her hand, an empty beer bottle on the floor in the center of the circle of preteens. It had been taken right after Katie found out she’d have to go into the closet with the immature, douchey Tyler Lockwood. Her face was beet red and Caroline who was sitting next to her had a big smile on her face as she pointed at Katie. Matt on her other side had an oh-shit look on his young face.

When that picture faded a video of Tyler popped up on the screen. He spoke of how he loved her and thought for a split second about buying her a ring when she told him she was pregnant. She tuned it out, but when a video of Damon started she couldn’t help but pay attention. Damon was standing in his bedroom with an aggravated look on his face. “This isn’t going to work.” He said with an eye roll. “She didn’t care about me before she flipped the switch, why will she care now?”

“Talk.” Caroline barked at him. “Tell her how much she means to you.”

Damon sighed and licked his lips as he leaned on the post of his bed with his forearm. “Katie you are…one of the most understanding…caring…kind hearted and loyal people I know, but you’re also stubborn as hell and a major pain in my ass sometimes.”

“Damon!” Caroline snapped and he gave her a look. “Good things please.”

Damon sighed and rolled his eyes. “You caught my attention not because of your outer beauty, those glasses of yours were horrendous, but because you are gorgeous on the inside too. You cared so much for your friends that you made me want your friendship even though I could have cared less about making friends with anyone at that time. You…compelled me to want you to be my friend…That’s how powerful your friendship is. It’s one of the many reasons why I fell in love with you and why I still love you.” He took the camera and focused it on the top of his dresser as he walked over to it, showing her a framed photo of her and Damon kissing, the necklace he had given her hanging on the corner of the frame. “I never told you, but I gave you a moon and star pendant because I couldn’t wait for nightfall so I could sneak into your bedroom window.” He put his face in the center of the video. “You won’t feel anything now, but when you flip that switch back on and everything comes flooding back…I want you to look at that ring on your finger and remember that I never stopped loving you…it just changed into a different type of love and we pushed each other away. And as a side note, I’m still sorry I never took you on a real date.” His eyes watered right before the video cut off.

One of Stefan started and Katie let her head fall back and started pretending to snore. Elijah didn’t think this would work, but just in case Caroline and the rest of her friends knew something he didn’t he kept letting it play. More interviews of Matt, Elena, a tired and emotionally distressed Bonnie, and even Jeremy then it ended with an interview of Caroline herself that basically gave her the same speech she had given her after they found out Klaus had been desiccated.

“Did you really think that sappy crap was going to work?” Katie asked as she looked across her right shoulder at Elijah.

“No I did not.” He told her as he turned off the tv and set the remote back on the rolling metal stand. “But I had to try.”

“So what are you going to do, keep me locked in this room for forever?” she asked.

“If that is how long it takes to get you to take back your humanity and keep you from emotionally scarring more innocent kids…yes.” He told her then walked over to the door and knocked on it. Someone opened it from the outside and let Elijah out then shut it behind them.

TVDTVDTVD

Once again Katie didn’t know how long she had been in the room before the door was opened again. This time Klaus walked in and shoved a guy into the room then walked in behind him. Her eyes took in the guy in his late twenties with auburn hair and skin the same light ivory tone as Katie’s with freckles peppered over his nose, that looked like hers, and his face. Now that she really looked at him, she’d actually gotten a lot of her features from her father…he was just a masculine and more freckled version of her.

“Bradley.” She observed emotionlessly as she stood up from the chair in the room and walked over to him. “Mom said you’re good at talking people into things they don’t want to do” she stopped a few feet away from him and gave him a come at me motion with her hands. “Give it your best shot. You won’t succeed.” Klaus, who was leaning back on the metal door with his arms cross, smirked at the line he knew she’d picked up from him.

“You’ve spoken to your mother?” he asked confused.

“Yep. That’s how I know you killed her. Apparently your aim sucks.” She told him with a sneer. “Just like I know that the two of you left me with that abusive piece of shit grandfather of mine to go to New Orleans and find your way into Klaus’s inner circle and keep him and Elijah from ever finding me.” Bradley looked at her with a frown. “I know that you drunkenly told Damon Salvatore that you would never come back to Mystic Falls because the last thing I needed were vampires in my life. News flash!” She made flashing motions with her hands. “I am a vampire and not only did the originals find me I slept under the same roof as all of them.” She looked over at Klaus, “and with two of them.” Bradley sighed and rubbed at his temples and she started laughing. “It’s enough to make your head spin right?”

Bradley made a move to leave only to see that Klaus hadn’t left the room like he thought he had. “Abandoning her again, mate?” he asked with a glare.

Bradley realized he couldn’t run so he walked over to Katie and grabbed her shoulders. “My Little Scarlett.” He stared, looking her in the eyes. She looked back into his green eyes that matched hers. “I am so sorry. I only ever tried to do what I thought was best for you… I want you to know I never stopped loving you. There’s so much more I want to tell you, but it will never mean anything unless you turn it back on. Baby girl… you have to feel the pain to feel the good you have to open that door and let it all back in or my worst fear will come true. You will be lost forever. I will never get to know the daughter that I so stupidly left behind. I am begging you…My Little Scarlett, turn it back on.” He could not have been more sincere.

“Mom must have been the weakest woman in the world because that…” she twirled her finger pointing at him, “sucked ass.” Bradley sighed and let his head fall forward in disappointment. She looked at Klaus then at Bradley. “If you can get past him you can see yourself out.”

Klaus knocked on the door and one of his minions opened it letting them both out. “Well that didn’t work.” Katie heard Damon on the other side of the door. “Here’s an idea, compel her to flip it back on.”

“She will just switch it back off.” Elijah argued.

“So compel her to never turn it off again.” Damon told him with a loud tone and disdain in his voice.

“Compulsion will solve nothing. It has to be genuine. She has to want…it.” Elijah told him getting angry at Damon.

“Well, I would love to stay and keep up the dynamic save Katie threesome we’ve got going on, but I’ve got to go teach Little Gilbert how to actually fight before he starts trying to murder vampires and gets himself killed.”

TVDTVDTVD

That night Elijah sat in the room in Klaus’s house that Katie was being held in, watching her where she slept in the middle of the bed on top of the fluffy comforter. With a heavy heart he took her hand in his. He never meant for this to happen when he left. He thought she would be safer without him in her life putting a target on her back, but he realized now that he had been very, very wrong.

He also realized that in leaving her, he pushed her right into Klaus’s arm. He hadn’t been completely blind throughout the short time that he and Katie had been together. He had seen the way Klaus looked at her and the way Katie didn’t hate him as much as he thought she should considering all the bad things he had done and the fact that he had killed her in her first life.

He had also heard her at the ball when she asked Klaus who he would choose between her and Caroline. Why would she have asked if she didn’t want to hear him say that he would choose her? She had openly admitted that they’d kissed while he was daggered. He had no one to blame for Katie and Klaus but himself. And it pissed him off to no end and hurt him even more because if all it took was a month for her to move on, did she really ever love him?

Desperately trying to think of a way to get her humanity back so he could get some answers, he started thinking about their link. It was like a tube, connecting them with a constant flow of back and forth energy and emotion. With her switch flipped it was simply just energy he felt from her. She had constricted the tube once, and if she could do that…could he dilate the tube and open the flow. Could he let her feel his emotions even though she couldn’t feel her own?

He closed his eyes and concentrated. The longer he concentrated the more restless she started to grow until she opened her eyes, shot straight up in the bed and looked at him. “What are you doing? Why do I feel…angry and hurt?” she asked trying to pull her hand out of his, but he wouldn’t let her break the contact.

“Because I am angry and hurt.” He answered and she stood from the bed still attempting to pull her hand from his.

“You’re angry? You’re hurt” she asked with a scoff as her pupils dilated. “You are the one who left me!” she yelled at him. “You are the one who told me you’d never hurt me, who filled me full of hope and love. Who made me look forward to a future together then ended it the first time things got hard.” As she yelled at him he started to grow weak and he tried to pull his shaking hand away, but she placed hers over it to keep him from moving it. It felt like she was sucking the energy out of him and he wasn’t sure she even knew that she was doing it. “If you wanted me to be safe you should have stayed! You should have talked to me about your fears and concerns. But you took matters into your own hands! You, just like every other man in my life before you, decided what was best for me without even asking me. So please tell me why in the hell you think you’re the one who gets to be angry!”

“Katie you need to calm down.” He told her looking down at his hand that he couldn’t take off of her now. “Turn your humanity back on so we can have a rational discussion.”

“No.” she told him with flared nostrils and blood filled eyes. “I’m never turning it back on.”

“Please, my love, think about what you’re doing to yourself.” He begged.

“I said no!” she yelled at the top of her lungs, sucking the last bit of energy from Elijah making them both pass out.

TVDTVDTVD

Elijah woke up in his bed at Klaus’s house feeling weak and extremely hungry. Then he remembered that he and Katie had passed out in her holding bedroom. Someone had moved him. With a whoosh he went downstairs to Katie’s room and the guard let him in. He found Katie lying in bed with her hands folded over her stomach. Klaus was let into the room and Elijah didn’t look up from her as he asked, “How long have we been out?”

“Almost a day and a half.” Klaus answered as he walked over to the other side of the bed.

“Explains why I’m so parched.” Elijah said and Klaus held up a glass of blood. Elijah took it and took a drink as he walked over to look down at Katie. “Any movement from her?”

“Other than breathing, no.” Klaus answered then watched Elijah wave the glass of blood under her nose. “Tried that.” Elijah dipped his finger in the blood and Klaus knew he was going to put it in her mouth or smear it on her lips. “Tried that too.”

“Why didn’t she wake up when I did?” he was thinking out loud more than asking Klaus.

“Not a clue, but then again all I know is I woke up to her yelling at you and by the time I got down here the two of you were passed out.” Klaus said with a look up at Elijah. “Care to fill me in?”

Elijah told him what happened causing yet another fight to occur.

TVDTVDTVD

“She should be awake by now.” Elijah said as he paced the floor of her holding room. “Mother warned us that dying and coming back would eventually destroy her soul and I stupidly poured my rage into it. I can not feel her essence anymore. What if I single handedly destroyed her soul?”

“We will not know until she wakes up, will we?” Klaus asked with a harsh impatience, angry at Elijah for doing what he did.

TVDTVDTVD

“WAKE UP!!!” Klaus yelled, his hands on Katie’s shoulders as he leaned over her, tears of worry on his face.

“Get off of her Niklaus!” Elijah whooshed into the room and shoved him away from her.

“You did this to her!” Klaus shouted with a point at his brother. “Would it have killed you to just leave her alone for once?” he asked pacing back and forth at the foot of her bed. “Look at her.” he stopped and pointed at her. Elijah looked down at her to see her purple fingertips and toes. The dark circles of starvation under her eyes. “She is not only stuck in a coma, but desiccating because of you.”

“Keep an eye on her, I need some air.” Elijah told him then walked away.

*~That night~*

Klaus moved Katie to her room upstairs and was sitting by her on the bed with his back to the door when Elijah walked over and looked down at her, tapping his fingertips on the white post of the headboard taking in her degenerating state. The purple-grey of her desiccation had reached her elbows and knees. The blood bag that was connected to her arm was doing nothing to help her.

“Bonnie came while you were off doing who knows what.” Klaus spoke up. “Katie’s not just desiccating from lack of blood intake. You overpowered her soul and shattered her. If her soul ceases to exist, so does she.” He looked up at Elijah with angry eyes. “You all but signed her death certificate.”

Elijah’s wide brown eyes watered and hands shook as he kneeled down, placing his head on the mattress. His hand slid over her cold, motionless one and held it as he let his tears soak the plush comforter.

Damon knocked on the frame of the open door making Elijah and Klaus look up to see him along with Caroline, Bonnie, Elena, and Stefan. “I don’t know if either of you know this, but today is her birthday.” Damon told them as he walked over to the side of the bed where Klaus was sitting and pulled the necklace he had given her out of his pocket. “May I?” Klaus stood up and moved out of Damon’s way, but didn’t let go of her hand. Damon put her necklace on her then walked over to the foot of the bed where her group of friends was standing.

Caroline opened her hand showing Bonnie and Elena the star charm bracelet she had found in Katie’s bedroom at her house. “You do it.” Bonnie told her, a tear slipping out of her red eyes. “You were closest to her in the end.”

Elena didn’t say anything considering she didn’t care. She had flipped her humanity off and was only there because Damon and Stefan were forcing her to be, hoping that what was happening to Katie would make her feel something.

Caroline walked over to Klaus’s side of the bed and he held Katie’s hand and arm while Caroline fastened the bracelet around her purple-gey wrist.

Before she turned from him, Caroline rubbed his shoulder and looked at his red tearstained eyes then mouthed, “I’m sorry.” She was the only one who really understood why he even cared that Katie was dying.

When she rejoined her group of friends they all looked at Stefan. “I’ve never bought her anything.” He said with wide eyes realizing he didn’t have anything to give her.

Damon rolled his eyes and pulled a rolled up picture out of his back pocket. “Got you covered baby bro.”

Stefan unfolded the picture to see that it was the one he’d had framed for her. “I don’t get it.” Elena said with confusion.

“The mystery gift was from you.” Caroline spoke up remembering the unmarked gift from Katie’s last birthday party. Stefan leaned forward and set the picture on Katie’s stomach.

Taking in the things that her friends had given her Klaus whooshed down stairs grabbed a picture off the table in his studio and whooshed back to the room. As he walked in he went to the vanity, grabbed the teal jewelry box and held it out to Elijah who took it and popped it open to see the necklace he had given her. He’d assumed that after what he’d put her through that she threw it away. Instead of putting it around her neck with Damon’s necklace, he wrapped the chain around her wrist then fastened it.

Klaus walked around the bed and sat the picture he’d drawn of her in her ball gown on her chest. After a few minutes everyone started to clear out, but Katie shot straight up in bed taking in a deep breath and they all looked at her in shock as she panted out, “What the hell happened?”

[happi-tree]

On The Style and Effectiveness of 1-A Hero Costumes - Part 2/5

Part 2 of this post!

NAVIGATION

Part 1 2 3 4 5

INGENIUM / IIDA TENYA

It’s armor time!!! Behold a man. 

What I don’t like:

The costume seems too bulky for a Quirk and fighting style that optimize speed. And while it’s true that cars are pretty bulky but still go fast, it’s equally true that certain types of cars are designed to go faster. The current design reminds me most of a semi or a big SUV, but if the costume was more streamlined along the lines of racecars or sports cars, it would help take off the extra weight that the bulk provides, leaving Iida lighter and more streamlined - therefore, faster. 

Some examples of slimmer armor include Go Go Tomago’s from Big Hero 6 and Jim Lake Jr.’s from Trollhunters. And while I get that his body type inherently lends itself to being tank-like, lightening up on the bulk would probably be great for him.

The exhaust pipes out of his back confuse me. They bring some car energy, which is entirely welcome, but they likely hinder balance and motion, which is bad. They leave him looking a little unbalanced, and since so much of his strength and his fighting ability focuses on his lower body, having excess superficial material protruding out of the sides like that doesn’t seem to lend him any favors. And even while it looks cool, it just seems like it would be uncomfortable? Especially since a lot of runners - Iida included - like having full range of their arms to help propel them forward. The pipes might get in the way of that.

Here’s what I like:

The overall aesthetic. I love how this look both makes sense with Iida’s Quirk and personality and plays with elements of his older brother’s costume. It simultaneously puts across some knightly vibes - which is genius, considering how chivalrous and rule-following Iida typically is - and also calls to mind Transformers and cars with the emphasis on the engines and some of the more mecha elements.

The support! Armor is such an easy way to protect yourself while also getting some serious style points. His most essential areas are covered - neck, chest, arms, and legs - which is especially important considering that Iida’s legs are integral to his Quirk and his fighting style. The helmet is also a really good choice, considering this boy is essentially a human car. He looks a bit intimidating wearing it, which is good for fighting Villains, I suppose. Class dad is protected.

And a misc. note:

You know how after Iida’s special Recipro Burst move, he has to wait awhile while his engines cool back down? I think it would be really neat if he implemented some cooling technology into his Hero suit (similarly to Todoroki’s temperature-regulating gear). Theoretically, if he could find something that worked a bit like coolant for his engines, he would have a much quicker reaction time - and speed is the main facet of his Quirk, so it would probably help a lot!

Overall: Very good at providing protection while having a bomb-ass aesthetic. Not quite so good at being built for speed.

I CANNOT STOP TWINKLING / AOYAMA YUUGA 

On the other side of the armored spectrum… we have this kid!

What I don’t like:

*Edna Mode voice* NO CAPE! Why do I not like the cape? Capes can snag on stuff very easily and it would be an easy thing for Villains to target and use to unbalance Aoyama. Longer capes are especially susceptible to getting trapped under rubble, torn up, or covered in gunk from the environment (which is not the Look he seems to like). I feel like a shorter cape would get a similar message across while minimizing the potential dangers that a long cape poses. Of course, Aoyama can be trained via experience to utilize his costume effectively with the full-length cape, but when his life and the lives of others are on the line, I’d rather not take that chance.

The shades. I get that they’re iconic, but they’re taking rose colored glasses a bit too seriously. 110% will fall off his face and also messes with the princely Vibe the rest of his costume provides. I do like their Elton John energy, though.

Not a bad thing, but I just want to know how his belt works.

Here’s what I like:

The overall aesthetic. I love how the costume’s obvious “princely knight” vibe reflects so much of Aoyama’s character. 

The support here is also really good! Working the belt into the theme of his costume so seamlessly is very innovative and I love that for him. Getting the knee pads and shoulder pauldrons to match his central laser both adds to the uniqueness of the outfit and also pushes that royalty theme since they look very similar to inset gems. 

The color scheme. Purple, silver, gold, and black look very classy and regal together, and I appreciate how the royal purple ties back into the concept of European royalty, which is very in-character for this boy. His pantaloon-looking things??? Neato.

Overall: Eh, okay. Ditch the glasses and shorten the cape. Superb, you funky lil knight light.

CREATI / YAOYOROZU MOMO

Here we are! I’m finally taking a crack at one of the most highly debated hero costumes in the entire show, and like a good portion of people, I’m gonna be extremely salty about it. Yaomomo doesn’t deserve this - none of the girls deserve this. These are my thoughts:

What I don’t like:

The absolute lack of support. For any aspect of her. Nothing about this costume is protective (other than maybe the partial high collar). Her most vulnerable areas are exposed, and while it makes sense for easy Quirk usage, it does not make sense for a girl who’s fighting homicidal maniacs on the front lines. The most glaring area in need of support is obviously her chest, as nothing substantial is holding her bust in place. However, so much could be done to work with the benefits of Creation and against its weaknesses that is not being done in this costume. I’ve seen quite a few redesigns that include a sports bra with a front zip closure, which is worlds better. With the show being set in the future, having a slightly mechanized costume with the ability to retract certain pieces at the press of a button would be useful and likely doable considering Yuuei’s own Support department. Gloves would probably be a good idea to give Yaoyorozu a better grip on harder-to-handle Created objects, such as heavy metal machinery. 

The over-sexualization is, obviously, disgusting. Nothing about this costume says “Hero.” What it does say, in-universe, is that someone had the absolute gall to approve and send this outfit to a 15-year-old girl about to be thrown headfirst into training for an extremely dangerous profession. It says that giving a person in their freshman year of high school an overly sexualized outfit meant for combat training is okay (it isn’t, for reasons I can’t even begin to explain). This more closely resembles an outfit for a lingerie or swimsuit model than it does for any type of superhero, which alone should be enough to warrant some serious changes - especially, as I have stated, since the girl is only 15!

The overall aesthetic. There is no aesthetic reading for this costume other than “sexy”, which, as I explained above, is very problematic. Sure, the exposed skin makes sense for her Quirk, since she needs access to skin in order to produce items with Creation, but nothing about this outfit denotes anything about her personality. Yaoyorozu Momo is a gentle girl who has been shown to have self-esteem issues from early on in the show, and just knowing that makes me wonder if she feels uncomfortable wearing this. If she’s totally comfortable in this look, good for her! But comfort in our clothing factors so much into our mental states, which translates directly to our physical performance - it’s the same reason why having clothes that fit you and your style well make you feel more confident and more content. And especially if Yaoyorozu wasn’t quite expecting the amount of skin revealed when her costume was given to her, it could likely have added on to her self-esteem issues as seen early in the school year.

The skintight fit of what amounts to a glorified bathing suit is not conducive or acceptable whatsoever. With such a powerful Quirk, Yaoyorozu needs all the protective material she can get - which, as I said in Uraraka’s analysis, is quite simply not possible to fit under that bodycon fabric. Some padding at the very least would work wonders, and bulletproof material would serve her even better. 

Once again, heels are not good for any kind of running or fighting! At least it’s a block heel, which is marginally more stable than, say, a stiletto, but still.

The literal bookshelf on her ass. It makes no sense to put it there - it’s an inconvenient place (what if she needs to sit down?) and it looks incredibly awkward to move around with. Besides, there’s absolutely nothing stopping that book from falling at the slightest jostle. At least give her a proper holster or implement it into a toolbelt like some of the boys have. 

What’s with the belt? Can it hold emergency supplies? Or is it just there to make it seem like she’s wearing more than a deep v one-piece? I’m at a loss here.

Here’s what I like:

The color scheme. Deep red, white, and pale yellow look good on her! The color ratios are also pretty good in my opinion. Unfortunately, this is the only good thing I can say about her getup.

And to round us out, some misc. notes:

I feel like the book could be done away with entirely and replaced with something digital. This universe is set multiple centuries into the future, and I think something like a holographic data set would look slick, enable for faster search time for whatever info Yaoyorozu would need, and eliminate the bulk problem completely. At the very least, there could be a smartwatch-type gauntlet to pull up info with a larger screen to enable easy reading. Really, the lack of support for Yaoyorozu’s look is devastating because she could go so many directions in creating an outfit that works with her Quirk’s strengths and against its weaknesses.

Overall: Awful, a disgrace, and a disservice to one of the coolest, kindest characters in the class. I would kill for her to get the outfit she deserves.

INVISIBLE GIRL / HAGAKURE TOORU

Wow, look! Two travesties in a row! One more and I get a bingo!

Hagakure, I love you so much, and I am so, so sorry that the yahoos over at the Support company thought that this was a good idea.

What I don’t like:

Uh. The fact that there isn’t a costume. There is literally no in-universe rationalization for this. Surely, they have the technology. Just look at Lemillion! Togata Mirio’s Quirk is literally phasing through materials (including his own clothing) and they made him his own non-phaseable costume by weaving his own DNA into the fabric! Even if they don’t have the technology (they do), I know that Hatsume and probably the rest of the Support students would immediately jump on the chance of creating a fabric with the ability to switch between visible and invisible modes. 

Once again, the sexualization of minor Hero students continues to disturb me. Who in their right mind thinks it’s okay to send a naked teenager out into a live battlefield just because she’s less likely to be noticed that way? This line of thought surely doesn’t account for stray bullets or falling debris, nor does it account for this poor girl’s peace of mind. She should be focused on getting the job done and saving people, not worrying about how it’s too cold for her to work properly or how there’s nothing between her body and a loaded gun except for the air between them.

The gloves and shoes seem like they’re kinda. Missing the point of contributing to a stealth Hero costume? Yes, they’re good so that Hagakure can be easily recognized among her allies, but does she just have to stow them wherever when she needs to go fully invisible and hope she can find them once the mission’s over? Plus, Hagakure will always, at the very bare minimum, need something to protect the soles of her feet. Walking barefoot just for everyday civilian stuff would cause a lot of problems, but Heroes likely have a lot of broken glass, broken nails, debris, and other nasty things on the streets where they fight. Tetanus is not fun to have. 

Here’s what I like:

The gloves are a nice color, I guess?

Some misc. notes:

I gotta say, I’ve seen SO many good takes on outfit redesigns for Hagakure (same with Yaoyorozu) and the fandom collectively has some wonderful ideas on how to go about creating a costume for her. Personally, I think it would be cool if she had a full-body suit that could change between visible and invisible modes - that way, she would be easy to identify in head counts and it would likely be easier to see places where she could be injured after a fight. At the very, very least they could pull a Lemillion and have her outfit infused with something from her own DNA so it can disappear as she does while leaving her at least covered.

Overall: So, so bad. Please give this girl a suit. I’m tired. 

TLDR Part 2:

Great Costumes: 

Good: Iida

Okay: Aoyama

Questionable: 

Bad: 

The Absolute Worst: Yaoyorozu, Hagakure