#this is the third time I've tried to do this now so it better work bc I'm not posting this again :)

[backtraf]

5 times the Drifter felt love through the little things, and 1 time he gave back:

The first time, Cassian had been staring off, his mind going back to Duviri. Reliving each instance of yourself getting stabbed through the chest, only for a former friend to reset it all so it can happen again was a hell of a drug. He supposed that this is what that PTSD thing was that Arthur had mentioned.

He couldn't help it. Especially when each of your emotions could trigger your mind to go back again.

It was all coming to a head, about to trigger a panic attack, when an arm was suddenly around his shoulders. He stiffened and almost reach out to flip the person off of himself when he heard Quincy's voice break through the noise of static in his mind.

"-better interact with everyone here. Each of them have different way you need to approach them. I could help you out, but it would cost you a favor."

"Wha...?" Cassian blinked and looked at him. He knows he missed a big part of what Quincy had said, but he was too busy now panicking another thing. He was being touched, and he didn't know how to handle it. He just stared at the hand laying on his shoulder.

"Yo, are you alright?"

"I uh.... sorry... what was it that you said?" Cassian forced himself to look at Quincy and tried hard to ignore the weight across his shoulders.

Quincy gave a snort of amusement and shook his head. "You gotta lot to learn here, space trauma."

---

The second time, Cassian had been walking through the mall when he heard Aoi call out, waving to him. He smiled and waved back, expecting her to stop in front of him and ask him a question. But she didn't stop. She barreled right in to him and wrapped her arms around his chest. He froze, almost expecting her to send them sprawling in a tackle, but she held her ground. His arms hovered in the air, useless.

After a moment, she peeked up at him with a curious gaze and an amused smile.

"What you don't know how to hug in the future?"

"Uh..." was all he could say. Some distant memory involving his parents came to his mind. Had they hugged him? He knew what a hug was, sure, but it was still a very foreign concept. When was the last time he had been hugged? He didn't know.

Aoi's smile disappeared and she pulled away slightly. "You don't have hugs in the future?"

"No! No we do, I just... I've been alone for centuries. I guess my parents probably would have hugged me, but I don't remember."

"Oh my gosh! That is so sad!" She pulled him back into a hug. "You just need to put your arms around me like I'm doing to you, okay?"

So he did. Hesitantly. He was still very unsure about all this, but when he returned the hug, warmth filled his chest, and he felt tears spring into his eyes. Was this what being touched starved was?

---

The third time, he had been careless. He stupidly got out of his warframe when it was slightly too bulky for the thing he was trying to do. He was much more lithe and thought it would be better to slip through and grab what he needed really quick and get right back into the warframe. He slipped under the rubble and got up only to come face to face with a scaldra unit. She wielded two small sythes and yelled out when she spotted him.

It was a flurry of blades slashing through the air at him, and he tried to duck and dodge, but she caught him in his lower abdomen before he was able to shoot her. He gasped out in pain and brought his hand up to cover the wound. Somehow, he managed to transfer back into his warframe and stumble back to the mall.

Cassian managed through a strained smile to tell everyone he was okay only for Lettie to tell him to sit down and shut up. He did as he was told, clamping his mouth shut as she got to work stitching up his wound. He was pretty sure he couldn't die at this point, but he would still have to patch himself up. A traitorous part of his mind told him he should be refusing her help. This was his fault and his problem. But he wasn't alone anymore, and it felt nice to have someone else help. Was this what it was like to have someone take care of you?

---

The fourth time, Eleanor had been crying. It was affecting everyone around them, the waves of sadness. Arthur had tried to approach her, but was sent away. It's hard to talk to someone about things when she could already see what they were thinking. She felt judged and she hated it.

So Cassian tried. Being void touched, he was one she couldn't read.

She let everything come out, and he listened. She talked about her parents, about how overbearing Arthur was, about her dead fiance. She was just so tired of it all.

Cassian let her speak her mind and not once did she have to feel judged.

Was this what being a shoulder to cry on was like?

---

The fifth time Amir had surprised him while he had been cleaning his weapons. As usual, he began talking a mile a minute about everything and nothing. It took all of Cassian's concentration to even partially understand what Amir was chatting about.

After a bit, Amir kind of tapered off, and Cassian frowned.

"I hope I'm not being rude when I say this, but why come to me and talk about this? You know the people in the Hex more than me."

"Oh! Uh, Icanleaveifyouwant... Ijustlikeyour... company..."

"Amir, it's okay. I don't want you to leave, I just didn't know why you'd care to talk about stuff with me..."

"Because I think you're cool!" Amir shouted with a smile.

Was this what having a friend is like?

---

Plus 1:

Cassian blinked his eyes open and looked at the ceiling of the backroom, sleep still clinging to his mind. Beside him, Arthur stirred and shifted. Cassian looked to the clock and saw that it was nearly 6am.

Arthur would be getting up soon to get the day started.

As if on queue, the ex-soldier groaned and began to push himself up to get out of the bed. Making a split second decision, Cassian wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him flush against his chest, spooning him.

Arthur made an undignified noise as he fell back into his boyfriend's arms. "Cass, I need to get up."

"But it's too early."

Arthur sighed and looked back over his shoulder at him. "You are nearly consistently awake earlier than I am."

"Perhaps, but I want to be lazy... just for a bit longer."

"You are insufferable," Arthur said with a huffed and settling back into the bed. He could spend a bit more time in bed.

Was this what being loved was like?

[marauders-bs]

Dorcas's interlude: the summer before third year, 1973. masterlist

tw: bcs basically tries to get rid of his kid's personality? idk lmk

haiii :3 another long one to make up for the fact that i disappeared. i swear this will get better when school ends and i don't have to grade papers all the gd time. also for context, there will be one to three interludes per character, so this is one of cas's.

this was supposed to be fluffy and then bcs showed up. we love lesbians. big reveal for cas and reg!!! i'm so ready for the reactions :3 we have one year till ev and dora @jamie-potters @r0seprincess @im-a-mess-of-a-person

For the first time since Ari's birth, Dorcas slept in that summer.

One of the other four, usually Evan or Regulus, was up before the sun. The kids were helping them cook, and they were learning, and Felix was, too. Regulus got his period a few days after his birthday and had a breakdown that Dorcas helped him through. She'll always help him.

Barty talked about Ilaria. He told the twins and Reg as well, and Pandora was able to reconstruct her in a drawing. Barty cried and pretended not to. They all pretended he didn't.

That summer was the summer. Dorcas's mother didn't make an appearance through a letter or visit, which was fine by Dorcas, and everything was going perfectly. Dorcas's grandparents slept in as well, and though they still went to work, Dorcas saw her grandmother's dark circles become less and less prominent in her face. 

That summer, Regulus woke her up before the sun on a random day in July. "I think I'm gonna tell them," he said, sitting on her bed. "That I'm– that I was–"

"Do you want to?" Dorcas asked quietly. Evan slept in twenty minute spurts and he was quiet even when he was awake. Observant. And sleeping a wall away.

"I do," he answered. "Not just for me. Barty's talking about Ilaria and I feel like there are a lot less secrets. And it's one thing off your plate, too, right?"

"Don't do it for me," Dorcas said. "Do it for you, because you want to."

Regulus looked at her, his eyes looking old and wise for a kid. Dorcas knew, realistically, that they weren't really kids. They didn't act like it. No kid slept in twenty-minute intervals for fear of dreaming of his friends' dead bodies, just like no kid lied blatantly about something as simple as gender to his parents and got away with it. No kid raised four other kids. No kid raised one. 

"I'm gonna do it," he whispered. "For me. Let's go to the woods."

They rounded up the other three– Evan was, in fact, awake– and headed to the woods. Barty barely looked awake.

They sat down in the same vaguely circular shape they'd been in a few weeks before when they'd done the soul-binding ritual but closer together. They could all sense that Reg needed it, and even if he complained when Barty put his feet over his legs, he didn't curse him. Regulus opened his mouth twice before giving up and reaching out through their connection.

I've been lying to all of you since we met.

Barty's brow furrowed. Yeah, I lied about Ilaria. I'm sure everyone here has some big secret except me now. What're you hiding?

Dorcas felt Regulus's fear like it was hers. She slid her hand into his.

My name– my legal name, at least– isn't Regulus. Sirius wrote to McGonagall before I started school to ask her to change it to Regulus.

Why would you need it changed? Evan asked.

I don't have a sister, Evan, Regulus said. I am the sister.

What do you mean? Pandora asked.

I was born a girl. But I'm a boy.

Dorcas felt them all contemplating that and then felt in-her-head Barty lean his head on Regulus's shoulder.

You can do that?

Evan's voice wasn't judging. He sounded considering, like he was looking back through his life.

Regulus cracked a smile. Got something you want to ask? Or share?

How'd you find out? Pandora asked.

It was always kind of there, I think. I always wondered why my parents put me with my cousins and not my brother. 

Both of the twins were considering that now, and Dorcas thought she knew what was going on. They'd say it when they were ready, not before, but she thought she understood. Every time Evan dreamed of his own death, he had all of Pandora's characteristics. It made sense, but she wouldn't push them.

The sun's coming up, she started, but Barty interrupted her.

Did you already know?

She did, Regulus cut in. Last winter, when my mother dropped me off. She called me by my old name and made me wear a dress.

Dorcas felt Evan stiffen. You're going back there over my dead body. She can't make you be somebody you're not. You can stay at mine and Dora's if your mother ever doesn't let you back her, she likes our parents.

She has to, Pandora said with a quiet contempt. We're related by marriage, after all. 

Thank you for telling us, Evan said, placing his real hand over Reg's. I'm glad you trusted us.

Dorcas looked at all of them and noticed that they'd all gotten closer. Barty was halfway in Reg's lap, his legs swung over Reg's and his feet resting on Evan's thigh. Evan's hand was on Regulus's and somehow, over the course of the conversation, Dorcas's feet had ended up resting on Barty's knees. Pandora was the only one not entirely intertwined, only curled up against Barty and looking like she was about twenty seconds from falling asleep or committing murder.

She understood why Dora wasn't trying to literally burrow under the skin of the others like it sometimes seemed Barty might. She'd always struggled with physical contact unless it was with Barty, really. Dorcas understood that– Jas had the same problem, though, having met Lord Rosier, Jas and Dora probably had different reasons.

The sun began to rise, but they didn't get up. Pandora fell asleep on Barty's shoulder and Dorcas began conjuring flowers to weave together to make flower crowns for the five of them and probably her siblings and Felix and one extra to leave out at the edge of the forest for Ilaria. Regulus fell asleep as well, and Evan, Barty and Dorcas talked about old gossip and theories from school and new ones from Dorcas's grandparents' jobs. Her grandparents kept all five kids in the house for them to be unbothered for hours, and Dorcas noticed that Regulus looked well-rested. 

It was a good look on him. Genuine happiness was a good look on him, she thought. 

-

Later that July saw Barty creeping into Dorcas's room after lights-out. 

"Cassie?" he whispered, and she rolled over to face him. 

"What's up?" she asked, yawning a bit.

"I had a nightmare," he admitted, scuffing his foot on the ground. "Will you talk to me, and can I stay with you?"

This wasn't the first time it had happened. Dorcas didn't know what was in the nightmares and hadn't asked. She knew the life he had with his father well enough to know that whatever it was, odds were good he wouldn't talk about it until he was ready. 

"Absolutely," Dorcas replied, pulling her blankets back so that he could climb in beside her and lean on her shoulder. "I, um, I think I realized something last night."

"Yeah?" Barty mumbled. 

"I've got a crush, I think."

"Oh?" Barty muttered, fisting his long fingers in her jumper. His nails were too short to do any damage, thankfully, as the one she had one was one of her favorites. 

"Yeah, but I think we'll be playing against each other in Quidditch this year."

"Against–" he started, pulling his face away to look at her with vague horror. "Please, Rowena, do not tell me you like Reg's brother. He does not seem like a great guy, Cassie."

She had to laugh. "No, Bat, no him."

"Then…" his voice trailed off and he looked away, contemplating. The only people in her year playing Quidditch were Sirius, Marlene, Dorcas, and some Hufflepuff no one liked for good reason. "McKinnon? Dorcas Meadowes, are you into McKinnon?"

"…Maybe?" she admitted, and he laughed.

"Cassie, I love and support you, and I am begging you to get this out of your mind before you end up staring at her so much you let them score and we lost to the Gryffindors."

She looked at him with a bit of curiosity at his wording. "We, is it? Since when are you a Slytherin?"

"I want to be, I think," he said. "I mean, it would disappoint my dad, which is most of the point, but the only reason I'm a Ravenclaw now is because the Hat thought I wanted to be there. It said it wanted me in Slytherin but I should be in Ravenclaw since I'm a Crouch."

She pulled him into her side. "Alright. Are you going back, or do you want to stay here?"

"I'll stay, I think," he said and curled back up into her side.

She reached out through their bond as he began to forcibly even out his breathing, finding the other three awake.

Dora, Reg, Ev, she called, excluding Barty so he could at least try to sleep. If you guys want to sleep here, you can.

Group sleepover! was Evan's immediate response, and Reg's laughter preceded his agreement. The three of them crept into the room as well, and Dorcas channeled some magic through her fingers to get the bed just a bit bigger. 

Reg climbed between the wall and Evan got between him and Dorcas, putting her in the middle as Dora simply crawled next to Barty. The warmth was overwhelming in the best way possible, and when the sun began to rise, five pairs of little feet would join them as well, causing all of them to sleep well past nine.

There weren't any nightmares.

There weren't any prophecies.

In the afternoon, when Dorcas told the other three, Regulus simply raised one eyebrow and said "Tell me something I don't know." Evan smiled and Dora got out of her armchair to get three Galleons to hand to her brother.

-

Of course, all good things had to come to an end. August nineteenth rolled around, and with it came Evan, Dora, Felix, and Barty's departures back to their homes. Felix and Ari tried to hide and pouted and cried and hugged and begged Dorcas to let him stay, but Dora had just tugged her little brother onto the train. 

Rosier Manor was just as cold as it had been, Lord Rosier nowhere to be found. Regulus stayed quiet and as out of the way as he could as Dorcas and Barty made small talk with Lady Rosier. She sent them on their way with a diplomatic smile and some pastries, and then it was time for the Crouchs'.

Dorcas hated it more than she first had, especially after all the stories Barty had told her in the dead of night, showing her the best of his scars. She hated his father for them, for the long scar under his hair from being shoved down the stairs, for the one on his back in the shape of the heel of a boot.

Luckily for him, he wasn't there. It was only Barty's mother, who he smiled at and hugged, and their house elf, who said something about a birthday present. Barty led her and Reg to his room to show them the present he'd supposedly gotten.

He opened his door, and his nonstop strem-of-consiousness words came to a halt.

Dorcas could only think that the room looked nothing like him. The walls were beige and the floor was a darker shade of the same color. There was no personalization, and the twin bed in the corner was devoid of color.

"W-what?" he said, face falling out of its usual bright smile.

Regulus put his hand on Barty's shoulder. Dorcas guessed that this was not how his room had looked when he'd left for her house.

"Where are the stars?" he said, stepping into the room and climbing on his bed to touch the ceiling. "They're gone. My guitars, my drums, my stars, my Ravenclaw banner, my books, my notebooks, my drawings from Dora, it's all gone. Why is it all gone?"

"I don't know, Bat," Reg said, looking around.

"Happy fucking birthday to me," Barty said desparingly.

"Hold that thought," Dorcas said. She concentrated, channeling her magic through Barty to reverse whatever his father had done. 

The first thing to show up was the stars. The ceiling became the navy of the night sky and the stars and moon, painted on, reflected what it would have looked like without the smoke in the sky. Drawings Dorcas recognized as Evan's were next, papering the walls. A bookshelf grew from the floor, filling itself with more books than it could reasonably hold and more simply piling around the shelf. A drum kit rested in the nook holding the window, three guitars and a viola leaning against one of the drums. The window lock snapped off. His bed became blue and green, and another one in the same colors appeared in the opposite corner. Exactly half of the room looked like Barty's personality had vomited all over it, while the other half must have belonged to Ilaria. The headboard of her bed was an unfinished mural of her and Barty, flowers weaving through their exposed ribs and various other bones. Only half of Ilaria's face was finished, but Dorcas could see who she should've been. Blonde hair down past her waist had been painted in painstaking detail. She had the same striking green eyes filled with laughter as Barty did and a huge scar crossing over her left eye that was entirely her. Barty had told her it was from their father throwing a vodka bottle at her, shattering near her head and a piece of the glass cutting her face.

The room was messy, but nothing was beige. It looked like Barty now, and Ilaria too, and Dorcas felt that if she spent enough time in the room, she would get to know Ilaria.

A short blond blur throwing its arms around her shoulders shook her out of her thoughts.

"Thank you, Cassie," Barty mumbled, clutching her like she'd disappear if he let go.

"Of course, Bat," she replied. 

He pulled away to look her in the eyes, those striking green eyes that he'd shared with his twin. He must have seen her every time he looked in the mirror, she thought. It was no wonder that he didn't like looking at himself. "You should go," he said, sniffing and wiping his nose with his sleeve. Dorcas realized that at some point, he'd started crying quietly. "My father will be home soon. I'll see you both at school and we'll be sharing a dorm, Reg."

Somehow, after all that, he mustered up a smile to see them out. 

Regulus and Dorcas rode back to her house in silence, their day in general weighing heavily on both of their minds.

Miss you guys, Barty's voice called out through their connection as Dorcas and Barty ate dinner with the kids. 

Miss you too, snakes, Dora's voice replied, and Dorcas felt her smile.

Both she and Reg counted down the days until they could see the smiles again.

[nexus-nebulae]

Have you considered using Quizlet to learn hiragana and katakana? /gen

I've never used Quizlet before! I'll have to check out how it teaches to see if I like the style any better than Duolingo

The main reason I'm using Duolingo specifically is just because of its streak feature- I want to track whether or not I'm able to keep up with lessons over a long period of time with no real outside influences (no teachers to tell me what to do, no school schedule that forces me to go to classes at the same time every day) so that I can see if going back to school could be an option for me. Don't want to pay for classes if I'm not entirely sure I'm going to be taking them, lol

[geminiwritten]

from friends to forever ; jake 'hangman' seresin

fandom: top gun

pairing: jake x reader

summary: childhood friends to lovers - you've been in love with hangman for as long as you can remember, but he's never looked at you that way, not until he meets a guy you're dating for the first time and everything you thought was unrequited becomes dangerously mutual

notes: okay, i really need to stop writing at work and actually start working but also THIS!!! i started without a plan and then got super excited and went a little over the 8k limit i set for myself... but i still really hope y'all like it! please let me know what you think!

warnings: swearing, alcohol consumption, text screenshots, a bit cheesy, reader is shorter than hangman (feel like i should mention that), bob x phoenix, and a little horny? let me know if i've missed anything!

word count: 9016

“He is fucking incorrigible,” Javy says as he slides a tray of beers across the table. “He started hitting on this woman by the juke box but then her boyfriend walked through the door, so he moved on to the blonde at the bar.”

You smile into the first sip of your beer while Natasha and Bob crane their necks to see where Jake might be. The bar is busy for 5PM on a Wednesday, but not overly packed. The sun is just about to touch the horizon, casting a warm glow through the beach-side windows. It’s only Bob, Javy, and Nat with you this afternoon. The others are still at the base finishing some training course that they didn’t do with the rest of the squad last week. Jake was with you too, but he quickly found himself preoccupied with the bar’s female clientele.

“I can’t believe anyone would put up with him for as long as you have,” Natasha says, nodding toward you.

You shrug as you roll your pint glass between both hands. “I’ve learnt to ignore it.”

You’ve known Jake Seresin since you were ten years old; that was when your mother first invited the Seresins over for dinner. Jake’s mother had just started working with yours, and they’d quickly become best friends. Ever since then, you’ve never been able to escape him – not that you’ve ever really tried to.

When you turned twelve you finally realised why your heart would always beat a little faster whenever you saw Jake, and then when you turned fourteen you realised how easy it would be for him to break it. At sixteen you decided to stop obsessing over him and date someone else, but by eighteen you figured out that Jake had set your standards for men way too high.

As years passed you learnt how to better hide your affections for Jake. He was a ladies’ man through and through, which meant you couldn’t go crying to your pillow every time he showed up with a new woman on his arm. You tried to date, but it never really went all that well because by the third or fourth month, you were comparing them too harshly to your best friend.

When Jake joined the navy, you accepted the fact that you would never see him again, but he didn’t let that happen. As it turns out, Jake was just as attached to you as you were to him – minus the ‘in love’ part. He wrote to you and called you, and he would visit whenever he was stateside. You were already living in San Diego when he got assigned to the special detachment on North Island, and when he and his squad got asked to stick around, you quickly became close friends with all of them.

You like to think that you have your stupid little crush on Jake Seresin well under control now. It’s in a small, metal box wrapped in chains and hidden in the darkest corner of your heart. It’s so well hidden now that you’re positive none of the daggers have any idea of what your true feelings for Jake are. You don’t even flinch anymore when he jokingly introduces you as his sister.

“And this is my sister,” Jake says, gesturing to you with one arm while the other stays wrapped around the blonde woman. “The one I was telling you about.”

You give the woman a flat smile before bringing your beer to your lips and taking a generous gulp.

“Shelley and I were just going to go for a walk on the beach,” he adds.

You nod, knowing exactly what that means. “I’ll get a lift home with Phoenix.”

His smirk stretches into a full-blown grin, one that Shelley can’t seem to look away from. “You’re the best.”

“I know.”

He bids the rest of the group farewell before leading the woman out the door, and you definitely don’t miss the way his hand slides down to her ass on the way.

Natasha shakes her head. “I can’t believe him sometimes. How often does he do this to you?”

You quirk a brow. “Ditch me for a hot woman?”

She nods.

“Nat, if I had a dollar for every time, I’d quit my job and move to the Amalfi Coast.”

“And it doesn’t bother you?” Bob asks.

Yes.

“No, it’s just Jake.” You shrug one shoulder. “I’m used to it.”

Javy tips his head quizzically. “So, why does he introduce you as his sister?”

You take another long sip of your beer, almost draining the glass, before plonking it back on the table. “The first time he decided to keep a girl around for longer than one night, she didn’t like how close we were. She’d always try to go through his phone and would blow up every time he said he was hanging out with me. It only lasted six months, but now he just does it out of habit. Just in case they do end up sticking around for a while, then he doesn’t have to explain anything.”

You conveniently leave out the detail about how Jake had ditched the woman one night to rescue you from a bad date, which was definitely the catalyst for her hating you. But you don’t talk about that night.

Natasha rolls her eyes. “That’s ridiculous."

You’re not sure what to say to that because you’ve never not felt a pinch of jealousy when it comes to Jake, and you sure as shit wouldn’t want to share him with anyone else if he was yours. So, you can’t really blame those other women for not liking how close the two of you are.

You sit in the same booth with your friends until the sun dips below the horizon. The bar only gets a little busier before clearing out almost completely by 8PM, which is when you all decide to head home. There’s no word from Jake, but that isn’t unusual.

Natasha drives you home in companionable silence, which is nice because you’re not particularly in the mood to chat. You’re too busy wrapping another chain around that box in your heart, trying to stop it from rattling at the memory of that night when Jake saved you from your terrible date all those years ago.

- That Night -

You glance at your phone from the corner of your eye, checking that it hasn’t yet burnt a hole through the tabletop.

“But then all my friends were doing it, so I couldn’t really say no. You know?” Benji, your date, hasn't stopped talking from the moment you sat down, and he doesn’t seem at all perturbed by your lack of interest. “I guess it’s just one of those things that comes with the job. If I don’t party with the clients, then they won’t respect me. You know?”

You press your lips into a thin line, not trusting yourself to speak in case you completely blow up at the moron sitting across from you. You’d like to think that you’re not even sure why you’re on this date, but you know exactly why you’re here. Because Jake fucking Seresin is on a date with some Victoria’s Secret super model, and you couldn’t stand the thought of staying home and watching 90s sitcom reruns alone again.

He’s only visiting for a few days, and you’re trying not to be mad about the fact that he’s chosen one of those days to go on a date.

“So, I guess one thing led to another,” Benji continues, “and the next thing I knew, I was on a flight to Vegas with the CEO.” He chuckles to himself, even though no part of that story was anything but horrifying. “Anyway, I’m going to take a leak.” He stands from his chair without even looking at you and stalks off toward the bathrooms.

You grab your phone and text the one person you know you can count on, even if it might ruin his date.

Your eyes dart from your phone screen to the bathroom door and back. Benji is taking his sweet time, but that’s fine by you. You’d rather just ghost the guy than try to make up some lame excuse as to why you have to leave. Three minutes tick by before you decide to go outside. Even if Benji returns before Jake gets here, it will probably take him another couple of minutes to find you.

You stand up and drop some cash on the table before weaving through the restaurant to get to the front door. Just as you step out into the cool night air, Jake’s car screeches to a halt at the curb. Like, literally screeches. He must have been flying down the street.

He pushes the passenger door open, and you duck into the car. “Did you speed the whole way here?”

He grins at you. That gorgeous, breath-taking grin that makes his eyes sparkle and always gets him what he wants. “I speed everywhere, even in the skies.”

You roll your eyes before turning to look out at the restaurant, seeing Benji’s confused face through the glass of the big front window as he returns to the table.

“Is that him?” Jake asks.

You nod, and then Jake honks the fucking car horn. Your head snaps back to him, eyes like saucers, as he grins and waves at Benji before hitting the gas. Your body is pressed back into the seat and all the air sucked from your lungs. There’s no way that you would ever get in a jet with this idiot, and you pity any person who does.

“Jesus, are you fucking mental?” you finally manage to gasp out.

He chuckles. “Not my name, Sugar, but yes.”

That fucking nickname. You’re suddenly grateful for the darkness of the night as you feel heat creep into your cheeks.

“What were you doing on a date with a loser like that, anyway?”

The car’s engine growls, and you watch him shift gears like you’re watching a porno. “Is that really any of your business?”

He tips his head and glances at you from the corner of his eye. “If you’re going to have an attitude, I can drop you back off with Coke-Nose-Carl.”

You snort a very unladylike laugh, which only makes him smile wider.

“I was bored,” you admit. “I haven’t gone out in a while, so I downloaded some dating apps and-”

“Dating apps?” He scoffs. “You don’t need dating apps to get a date. The only thing you’re going to get from those is an STD or a Netflix true crime documentary about you and the six other women he killed.”

You can’t help but laugh again, because Jake in a good mood is utterly infectious. But then you realise why he’s in a good mood and your heart sinks into your stomach.

“I appreciate you helping me out, but I really didn’t mean to ruin your date.”

He waves a hand dismissively before landing it back on the gear stick. “Don’t worry about it, I told her it was an emergency. I’ll just send some flowers in the morning and she’ll be all over me again. She’s a total goner this one. Might keep her around for a while.”

Every word feels like another pin in your voodoo doll.

“How will that work?” you ask, trying to sound nothing but genuinely curious. “Aren’t you flying out again in a couple of days?”

“Yeah, but I’m hoping to get some real time off in a couple of months, and until then, there are... other ways to stay in contact.” He smirks as he stares out the windscreen, his eyes sparkling under the intermittent flash of the streetlights.

“That’s ominous.”

His brows pinch. “What is?”

You hold your hands up to sign quotations as you repeat his words back to him. “Other ways to stay in contact.”

He chuckles again as he turns the car onto a familiar road, and you realise that you’re only a few minutes from home.

“Well, you know what I mean.”

You frown, tipping your head quizzically. “No. What do you mean?”

He sighs and turns to look at you, as if needing confirmation that you really are confused. “I’m talking about phone sex, Sugar. Or video sex. Whatever floats your boat.”

He looks certifiably smug as he glances between you and the road, reading your incredibly unsubtle facial expressions as you process his words – that fucking nickname wedged between them.

“Oh,” is all you can manage, turning your gaze out the windscreen.

Your whole face feels hot and the butterflies in your stomach have turned into angry wasps. They’re buzzing and swirling, and threatening to push up the single breadstick that you ate back at the restaurant.

“Sorry,” he says, although he doesn’t look it. “Sometimes I forget how innocent you are.”

The buzzing stops and you rear back a little, your head turning slowly to look at him again. “I’m what?”

“Innocent.” He stops the car at the curb in front of your house. “Right?”

You roll your eyes and pop the car door open. “I might not be a deviant like you, Seresin, but I’m sure as hell no Virgin Mary.”

You push the door open and step out before slamming it shut. You know you shouldn’t be so upset simply for being called innocent, but coming from Jake, it feels different. It feels like he’s telling you that your too innocent and not sexy enough for him, even though you know he’d never see you that way regardless of your sexual experience.

“Wait a minute, Sugar. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

You stop halfway across the foot path and turn on your heel, watching him walk around the front of the car. “You didn’t upset me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’ve just had a shit night.”

He regards you carefully and crosses his arms over his chest, biceps bulging against the short sleeves of his white cotton shirt. But he doesn’t speak, he just looks at you. The night is almost too quiet as you stare at each other, waiting for something to break the tension.

After an agonizing minute of silence, you give in. “Okay, what?”

“I just-” He shakes his head as if clearing his thoughts. “Never mind, it’s stupid.”

“I know you’re stupid, but I’m too curious now. So, spill.”

He rubs a hand up his jaw as he takes half a step back and leans against the passenger’s side of the car. “Well... now I’m just wondering how not innocent you are.”

Your brows raise and your cheek twitches. “You want to talk about my sex life, Jake?”

A smirk ghosts over his lips. “Yeah, kinda.”

“Okay.” You prop a hand on each of your hips, trying to appear nonchalant despite the way your heart is rioting against your ribs. “What do you want to know?”

“You’ve had sex, right?”

You give him a deadpan look, utterly unimpressed.

He chuckles. “Alright, just checking. When did you lose it?”

“Eighteen,” you reply.

“Very respectable.” He nods slowly, obviously sifting through all the questions in his head. “When was the last time you had sex?”

“Last week.”

His brows shoot up toward his hairline. “So, you’re getting it regularly?”

You roll your eyes playfully. “Whenever I want it, Cowboy.”

Something in his gaze shifts, and his eyes grow almost imperceptibly darker. “What’s your favourite position?”

You shrug one shoulder. “Depends on the day.”

“Least favourite position?”

“Sixty-nine in the backseat of a Volkswagen Golf in a Taco Bell parking lot.”

His eyes almost bug out of his head, and you can’t help the satisfied smirk that curls at the corner of your lips. You’re enjoying getting these reactions out of him. Never mind the fact that you can feel your pulse thrumming across every inch of your skin, which feels like it’s on fire.

He clears his throat and rolls his shoulders back. “Okay, what do you think about when you masturbate?”

You give him another unimpressed stare. “Whatever I feel like in the moment, Seresin. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re trying to get some secrets out of me.”

That cocky smile flashes across his face again. “They’re only secrets if you’re too scared to tell them.”

You take a step forward and cross your arms, mirroring his stance less than two feet in front of him. “Are we done yet?”

He shakes his head. “If you could have sex with anyone in the world, who you choose?”

Your stomach twists itself into another knot. “Pass.”

“You can’t pass.”

You drop your hands back to your hips and roll your eyes. “Alright then, George Clooney.”

His eyes narrow. “Liar.”

“Prove it.”

He runs his tongue along his bottom lip, making it glisten in the dim glow of the streetlights, and only then do you realise that you’ve taken another step closer to him. You’re almost toe to toe.

“Show me how you get what you want.” His chest is rising and falling faster than usual, and you can feel his hot breath on the skin of your neck.

You swallow thickly. “Well, If I-”

“I said show me.” His voice is almost a growl, sending lightning bolts of arousal right to your core.

You take that last step closer, leaving only a couple of inches between your body and his. You hesitate for only a second before each of your hands come up to his crossed arms, wrapping around his wrists to guide his hands where you want them. You place one on your hip and the other just below your jaw, letting his thumb rest over your pulse point.

You’re not sure when you got so ballsy, but you try not to think too hard as you breathe in the intoxicating scent of the only man you’ve ever fantasised about.

You turn your face toward his hand and press a kiss to the heel of his palm, letting your eyelids flutter shut for only a moment. Then you lock eyes with him again as both of your hands move to the belt wrapped around his hips. You pull yourself toward him and align your body with his, letting your fingers hook into the waistband of his jeans.

His breath catches as you slide your hands outward, your nails scraping against the bare skin behind his jeans. When you reach his hips, you unhook your fingers and let your hands glide up underneath his shirt, over his ribs. He draws a sharp breath and his grip on your hip tightens, the hand on your neck squeezing gently.

“Do you always get what you want?” he whispers.

You nod slowly, scratching your nails gently down the sides of his torso. “Almost always.”

Then the obnoxious ring of his phone startles you both. Your heart practically leaps out of your chest as you jump back, detangling yourself from him as he scrambles for his back pocket. Heat flushes across your chest and crawls up your neck, making your whole face burn with embarrassment.

He glances at his phone screen and then up at you, his expression twisted into something you don’t recognise. “I’m so sorry, I have to-”

“No, no. It’s fine, go ahead.” You shake your head and force a smile on your lips. “Thanks for saving me tonight.”

You turn on your heel and march toward the house, determined to get inside before you either pass out or burst into tears. But once you slam the door, you can’t stop yourself from running into the front room and cracking the window, trying to hear who it was that interrupted you.

“No, Baby. I promise you, she’s like my little sister. I feel responsible for her, I just had to make sure she was okay.”

Then you burst into tears.

- Present -

“Hello?” Natasha pokes your shoulder. “Anyone home?”

You blink a couple of times before turning to look at her, realising the car is now parked in front of your house. “Shit, sorry. I was on another planet.”

“I could tell.”

You pop the door open. “Thanks for the lift.”

“Anytime.” She waves a hand dismissively. “But hey, I’ve been meaning to ask, are you bringing a date to Yale’s wedding?”

“Shit, I totally forgot about that.”

“Yeah, me too. It's next weekend and I have this guy who I want to bring as a date, but I won’t ask him if you’re not bringing anyone. So?”

You roll your eyes. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll find someone. Or I will happily dance alone. Ask your guy.”

She gives you a small smirk and you can swear her cheeks flush with the faintest blush. “Okay.”

You turn and climb out of the car before shutting the door and ducking down to give her one last wave. She waves back and takes off, disappearing down the street in no time. Maybe speeding is a fighter pilot thing?

Once in the comfort of your room, sprawled across your bed, you pull your phone out and start scrolling through your contacts. You don’t really want to bring anyone to this wedding, but you can't deny Nat a date that she clearly wants, so you’re going to have to find someone to at least keep you company. You know Jake will have a date, and even though you’d be happy just hanging out with the rest of the squad, you’ll feel a little less pathetic bringing someone of your own.

-

You smooth your red dress in the mirror, hating how much it stands out against the cream backdrop of the bathroom you’re standing in. You’ve already texted Natasha at least a hundred times in the past week asking if the dress is too red or too bold, making sure there’s no rule against wearing red to someone’s wedding. It’s not that it doesn’t look good – because you know you look fucking good – you just don’t want to be that girl. You hadn’t even expected an invite to Logan’s wedding, so you certainly don’t want to be the random girl who stands out in all the photos.

The buzzing of your phone demands your attention, and you open it to see a text from Natasha telling you that she and her date have arrived. You give yourself one last stern look in the mirror before exiting the bathroom.

Your date, Cole, is waiting for you in the corridor, looking effortlessly handsome as he leans against the wall and gazes up at the high ceilings of the exquisitely designed building. He’s a friend from work who, according to another one of your colleagues, had been wanting to ask you out for a while, so you decided to beat him to it. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s gorgeous – tall, broad shoulders, floppy brown hair, and silvery-blue eyes – and ex-navy, which means he already has something in common with your friends.

“Hey,” you say with a soft smile. “You ready to go to the circus?”

He chuckles and slips his hand into yours, as if it’s second nature. “You’re really starting to worry me. Are your friends that scary?”

“Not scary.” You shake your head as the two of you begin walking down the wide hall. “Maybe insane? Certifiable, even.”

Both the ceremony and the reception are taking place at the most beautiful seaside mansion you’ve ever seen. It has an old money charm to it with high ceilings and windows that stretch all the way up. There are intricate mouldings between the walls and ceilings, and decorative architraves around every doorway and opening. Everything down to the finishings and decor boasts wealth and elegance, and you’re scared to walk too closely to any of it for the fear of breaking something.

“Are the bride and groom drug dealers?” Cole asks.

You laugh softly. “They could be, but I’m pretty sure it's one of their families who owns this place. Or at least part of it.”

You continue down the hall, your heels clacking against the marble floor until you come to the huge arch that leads out to the courtyard. You descend the few concrete steps until you’re walking on fine granite, and then you follow the path through the perfectly manicured garden, weaving in between guests, until you reach the circular part of the long driveway where cars are stopping to deposit more wedding goers.

You spot Natasha easily, and you can already feel the blush rising in your cheeks as you approach her. “Nat, over here.”

She whips toward you and her jaw unhinges. “Holy shit, you look- Oh, my God, who is this?”

Cole chuckles and offers her his hand. “I’m Cole. I work with-”

“You are gorgeous.” She looks back at you. “Can we keep him, please?”

“Hi.” Bob appears beside Nat with a blush dusted across his nose and cheeks, looking downright adorable in his Full Dress. “She insisted we pre-drink,” he says with a soft chuckle.

Your brows pinch and your eyes dart between Natasha and Bob several times before realisation flashes like a lightbulb above your head. “Bob is your date?!”

Natasha smiles sheepishly and links her hand with Bob’s. “It’s only weird if you make it weird, so don’t make it weird and please don’t let the others make it weird.”

You stick your hand out with all your fingers curled in except your pinkie. “I promise I won’t let anyone make this weird. I think it’s adorable.”

She hooks her pinkie finger with yours and you both nod before separating. Then she turns her wide brown eyes back to Cole. “Shit, sorry. Cole this is Bob.”

The two men shake hands before you all decide to go and claim a seat for the ceremony. The backyard – if you can even call it that – stretches for a few thousand yards before dropping off a cliff all the way down to the ocean. The wedding arch is set up so that the guests are looking out at the horizon, but it’s far enough away from the edge that the trees and hedges lining the open space are blocking most of the salty ocean breeze.

As soon as you sit down, more guests start wandering over to find a seat. Bradley, Mickey, and Reuben arrive not long after – all looking very dapper in their Full Dress – and take a seat in the row in front of yours. You hear Mickey whisper something to Reuben about Natasha and Bob, and while you’re not exactly sure what he says, you still offer a whispered threat if they dare to tease either of their friends about being each other’s date.

“Where’s Hangman?” Bradley asks, turning to look at you as if you’d have the answer.

You shrug. “Don’t ask me.”

You turn around to see Logan and his groomsmen – including Javy – getting ready to walk down the aisle, and then you turn a little further to see Jake and his date practically fall out of a taxi and start jogging across the lawn. His hair is a little mussed and he’s still trying to pin medals to his chest.

“He’s here,” you mutter as you turn back to face the front.

The three boys in front of you turn their heads and start giggling like schoolkids.

“Be quiet,” Natasha hisses.

The chatter from the guests has almost completely died down, and you can now hear a soft melody playing from the speakers on either side of the wedding arch.

“Hey,” Jake says breathlessly, falling into the seat beside Bradley.

His date smiles and waves sheepishly before sitting beside him, and you recognise her from when Jake met her at The Hard Deck just over a week ago. The music gets a little louder and the celebrant clears his throat. All the whispering and murmuring stops and guests swivel in their seats to see up the aisle.

Jake turns and catches your eye, flashing that signature smirk and giving you a wink. You roll your eyes before turning with the rest of the crowd to watch Logan and his groomsmen start walking down the aisle.

The ceremony is sweet and simple, and Logan’s bride looks absolutely stunning as she glides down the aisle in her puffy white dress. You let yourself, just for a moment, imagine what it would be like to walk down the aisle and see Cole waiting in the arch. You know he isn’t in the navy anymore, but you imagine him waiting for you in Full Dress, how handsome he’d look in the white uniform with his medals pinned to his chest.

Warmth creeps into your cheeks at the thought, and you imagine reaching the end of the aisle where Cole is waiting. You would blush and avert your eyes as if you were some virginal bride, glancing down at the ground and taking his offered hand. But then when you look back up, it isn’t Cole. It’s Jake.

Even your imagination is a fucking traitor.

The heat in your cheeks crawls down your neck and flushes across your chest. You suddenly feel hot despite the cool breeze blowing off the ocean, and you have to take a deep breath to ease your aching lungs.

It isn’t long before the ceremony is over and the celebrant announces that cocktail hour will be held in the courtyard before the reception commences in the grand hall. The bridal party quickly depart for photos, and guests start slowly rising from their chairs and walking back toward the manor.

“I hope there’s food, I’m starving,” Mickey says.

Reuben chuckles. “You know it’s all going to be fancy stuff like caviar and quail eggs?”

Mickey’s face screws up in disgust. “Wait, like, no normal food at all?”

“You might be able to ask for the kids’ menu,” Bradley says with a cheeky grin.

You all laugh as Mickey swats a hand at Bradley, which he dodges easily.

The cocktail hour is set up in the perfectly manicured garden at the back of the manor, with high tables dressed in white cloth and waiters circling with trays of champagne and canapes. You claim one of the high tables before Mickey and Reuben excuse themselves to go harass one of the waiters for something other than champagne.

“I have to say, I’m a little disappointed in you, Hangman.” Nat rests her purse on the tabletop and glares across it at Jake. “Although, I’m not surprised.”

You glance at him standing beside you, the medals on his jacket pinned crookedly and his collar sticking up at the back. You sigh and grab his shoulders, turning him to face you. “I know your mother raised you better than this, Seresin,” you say as you start unpinning the medals. “Being late to a wedding? She’d have your ass.”

He grins at you as you fuss over him, pinning his medals on properly, fixing his collar, and even smoothing down the pieces of hair that are poking out of place. He particularly enjoys the way you have to stretch onto your toes to reach the back of his head.

“What are you going to do, Sugar? Call her and tell her?”

You pull back and cross your arms. “I might.”

He hesitates, wide green eyes assessing you carefully as he tries to figure out if you’re being serious or not. You know you’re not actually going to dob him in to his mother, even though it would be hilarious, but you’re not about to let him call your bluff. So you stare back at him, your eyes narrowed and the ghost of a smirk on your lips.

You don’t even realise that everyone is staring at the two of you while you stare at each other until someone clears their throat. It’s the girl standing on the other side of Jake; his date.

“Um, I’m sorry,” she says with a small, awkward laugh. “It’s actually my fault that we were late.”

“Oh, right.” Jake turns and wraps an arm around her, pulling her into his side and forcing you to step back. “This is Shelley. I think some of you met her at The Hard Deck a couple of weeks ago.”

You turn and quickly slip your hand into Cole’s, giving him a soft smile as Jake points and names the people standing around the table.

“That’s right,” Shelley says, looking straight at you. “You’re Jake’s little sister.”

Cole frowns. “You have a brother?”

Jake’s eyes widen, a silent plea for you to keep up the charade.

You sigh softly before plastering on a smile. “Yep. This is my brother.” The words taste sour in your mouth, like stomach bile rising up right before you’re about to vomit. “Jake, this is Cole.”

Cole offers his hand to Jake, which Jake takes and squeezes the ever-loving shit out of. You can see how strong his grip is by the way his knuckles turn white and Cole winces.

“So, Cole,” Jake says, his lips curled into a challenging smirk. “What do you do for a living?”

You glare at him, trying to get his attention so you can give him your best fuck off scowl, but his gaze is laser-focused on your date.

“We work together, actually,” Cole replies, gesturing to you. “But I used to be in the navy.”

“Oh, really? What did you get discharged for?”

“Jake,” you mutter. “Is that really any of your business?”

He chuckles and shrugs, his eyes flitting toward you. “What? I’m just making conversation.”

“It’s alright,” Cole says, though the tone of his voice makes you think otherwise. “I was medically discharged.”

Jake’s eyes are almost feline as they slide back toward Cole. “What for?”

“Jake,” you hiss.

“I hurt my back,” Cole replies. “Pretty badly, actually. I’m still in physical therapy for it.”

Jake’s smirk stretches into a Cheshire Cat grin as he turns back to you. “Well, I sure hope that doesn’t get in the way of you two having a little fun later tonight.”

Your eyes go wide and your jaw unhinges. Bradley and Bob both choke on their breath and cough to cover their laughter, while Natasha giggles shamelessly into the palm of her hand.

You turn to Cole, who’s cheeks are bright red, and give him your most apologetic smile. “Why don’t you go get us some drinks while I verbally abuse my brother?”

He nods once and squeezes your hand before letting go and practically running away from the table.

“Hey Shelley,” Natasha pipes up, “would you come with me to find the bathrooms?”

Bradley clears his throat. “I’m going to go find Payback and Fanboy.”

“I’ll help you,” Bob says.

The two boys hurry off in one direction while Natasha grabs Shelley’s hand and drags her toward the concrete steps that lead inside the manor.

You turn to Jake. “What the fuck?”

He rears back a little. “What?”

“Why were you so rude to him?”

“I didn’t think I was being-”

“Jake,” you warn, taking half a step toward him. “You know exactly what you were doing.”

He rolls his eyes as if you’re being dramatic. “I’m just making sure he’s a good guy. I’ve never met anyone you’ve dated before.”

“So?” You throw your hands up. “You had no right to interrogate him like you did.”

Jake frowns, his head tipping slightly as he gets lost in his own thoughts, clearly not listening what you’re saying. “Why haven’t I met anyone you’ve dated before?”

“Because I don’t date much, but that’s beside the point.” You scowl up at him, watching his green eyes swirl with something akin to curiosity. “I am perfectly polite to your date, and you’re going to be the same to mine. Got it?"

He scoffs. “Yeah, you just grunt at my date like you’ve lost the ability to speak.”

“I do not.”

He chuckles humourlessly. “Yes, you do. In fact, you barely speak to any of the girls I date.”

You roll your eyes. “Can you really blame me for not bothering to get to know them? You’re just going to replace this one with a new one in a week or two.”

“Ouch.” He puts a hand on his chest, right over the perfectly pinned medals. “And I suppose Mr Ex-Navy is more than just a last-ditch wedding date?”

“He could be.”

“Really?” He raises his brows. “Are you going to marry the man with the bad back who can’t even fuck properly?”

Anger sizzles through your veins, lighting every inch of your skin on fire. “Why do you even fucking care?!"

“Because I care about you.” His voice is a whispered shout, low but assertive. “And you can do better than this guy.”

You take a deep breath to try and settle your temper, not wanting to cause a scene. “This guy is great, and I like him, so pull your shit together and start acting like the honourable man you’re supposed to be. Because you know what, Seresin? I’m not your little sister, and I’m not your responsibility, so who I date is none of your business.”

His mouth pops open but no words come out. His eyes are swimming with an emotion you don’t recognise as they study you, the furious expression on your face glaring up at him from beneath furrowed brows.

You’re not sure if he recognises his own words from that night, but either way, you can safely say that he has been adequately chastised. You take another deep breath and step back, turning toward your date who is approaching the table with a flute of champagne in each hand.

- Jake -

The reception is in full swing and entrees have been served, but the chicken sitting in front of Jake remains untouched. He’s been glaring through the flowery centrepiece in the middle of the table for almost fifteen minutes now, while everyone around him chats and eats happily. To anyone else, it might seem like the man hates orchids, but as Javy descends from the bridal table and sees his best friend plotting murder, he knows that it isn’t the flowers that have offended Jake Seresin. It’s the man on the other side of them.

He crouches behind Jake’s chair and puts a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll get the body bag if you pick the murder weapon.”

Jake startles and whips around, his scowl breaking into a smile when he sees his best friend. “Hey, man. You looked good up there.”

“I know,” Javy chuckles. “Want to get a drink?”

Jake glances at his date, who is currently chatting with Mickey about which entree meal is better, before turning back to Javy and nodding. He scoots his chair back and stands up, following his friend to the bar at the back of the hall. Once they order their drinks, they step to the side and wait for the bartender to pour them.

“So,” Javy says, “what did I miss?”

Jake glances back at the table, his eyes narrowing on you and your date. “Well, I was a little late and got scolded for it.”

Javy chuckles. “Saw that.”

“Natasha and Bob came together, which isn’t surprising, but still gross.”

“I think it’s nice.”

Jake rolls his eyes. “You would.”

When he glances back at the table, you’ve got your hand wrapped around Cole’s bicep, leaning into him and laughing like he’s the funniest man in the world. Jake hates it. He has no idea why, but he fucking hates it. He hates the way you look at your date and he hates the way the man is looking back at you. He wants to wrap you in his jacket – because that dress is criminal – and stuff you into a taxi to be on your way home.

“Anything else?” Javy asks.

The bartender places their drinks in front of them, and they both mutter a thank you before taking a glass each and walking toward one of the high tables nearby.

“Not really.”

“You sure?” Javy presses, his brows raised in question. “Nothing about Cole, or...?”

Jake frowns. “You know him?”

“Yeah, I had lunch with them both last week.”

“What the fuck?” Jake looks utterly offended.

Javy chuckles again. “I ran into them while they were suit shopping, so we stopped for lunch. He’s actually a really nice guy. It’s a shame about his injury.”

Jake scoffs. “Yeah, I bet it would suck to not be able to fuck properly.”

Javy almost spits his mouthful of whiskey and coke across the table, but he manages to swallow most of it and cough on the rest. “What the fuck, man?”

Jake shrugs. “What?”

“Why do you care about the man’s bedroom ability?”

Heat crawls into Jake’s cheeks, so he hides his face behind a generous sip of his drink. “I don’t. I mean, I’m just looking out for-”

“The girl you call your sister?” Javy interrupts. “Because I can tell you right now, no brother would be concerned about how well their sister is getting dicked down.”

“Yeah, but we aren’t actually related.”

“I know, it would be fucking gross if you were,” Javy says. He watches Jake from the corner of his eye as he takes another sip of his drink, waiting for the words to hit and wondering if his friend will figure out the underlying suggestion.

It takes almost a full minute for Jake to frown and tip his head curiously. “Why would it be gross?”

Javy sighs and shakes his head. “Never mind. Come on, you better get back to your date.”

The two men walk back toward Table 7, and Jake can’t help but glare at Cole the whole way there. He doesn’t know why, but he can’t stand the way the man’s hand is hidden beneath the table but clearly on your thigh. Like he’s being sneaky or something. Jake has s brief thought about breaking the man’s hand as he sits back down at the table, and it makes him smile.

“Hey, Baby,” Shelley coos, leaning over and sliding her hand up his thigh.

His smile drops and he catches her hand before it can get too high.

She pouts and bats her lashes. “What’s wrong, Baby?”

Jake puts his drink down and uses both hands to push her hand away from his crotch. “We’re sitting at a table with my friends. It’s disrespectful.”

“Oh.” She pulls back completely, an embarrassed blush crawling up her neck.

Jake should feel bad for being so harsh, he knows that, but he can’t find the energy to care. He’s too busy peering through the gaps in the orchid arrangement, glaring at the man sitting beside you.

After dinner, Logan and his wife have their first dance, but Jake spends most of it watching Cole’s hand run up and down your arm. When the slow music morphs into dance music, the bridal party join the dancefloor and guests slowly start to leave their seats.

Jake wants to talk to you and apologise for being rude, but he also wants to tell you that your date sucks and you deserve better. He just can’t figure out why your date sucks, and he knows he needs a valid reason before he corners you.

Shelley asks him to dance twice before giving up and joining Mickey and Reuben on the dancefloor, but it isn’t long before the MC announces that it's time to cut the cake. Jake doesn’t miss the way your eyes sparkle with tears when Logan’s wife smushes cake into his face, and he wonders if people usually cry at the cake cutting.

After the cake, Javy calls everyone up to the bar for a round of shots, which quickly turns into a second round of shots when Logan and his wife join in. Then everyone makes their way back to the dancefloor to watch Mickey pull out some very embarrassing dance moves. Jake joins in and even, for a brief moment, forgets about the man he’s been glaring daggers at all evening, but then he catches you leaving the dancefloor out of the corner of his eye.

You drag Cole toward the bar and order another drink. Jake stops watching Reuben pretend he can breakdance and steps out of the dance circle that’s happening in the middle of the floor. He cranes his neck so he can still see you with Cole, standing at the back of the hall beside one of the high tables.

You’re standing right up against the man, your hands guiding his hands to where you want them on your body. Jake’s breath catches in his throat, and his heart starts to race. He recognises this.

He stops moving to the beat of the music, he stops pretending like he’s enjoying the dancing, and he walks away from the dancefloor entirely. His eyes are trained on you, watching you lean into Cole’s hand that is cradling your jaw. He knows what you’re doing and it’s making him sick.

Before he can stop himself, he’s weaving in between tables. His heart feels like it’s in his throat, thumping out of rhythm and making it difficult for him to catch his breath. But he doesn’t care. All he cares about is getting to you.

- You -

Cole’s eyes are like molten silver, and you have to remind yourself that silver is a precious metal. It doesn’t matter that you like gems better, green gems like jade and malachite. They’re too expensive to dream about; you need to stop dreaming about green gems.

Though it’s a bit hard when those green gems won’t stop fucking staring at you.

You hesitate as you lean toward Cole, your fingers hooked behind the belt that’s wrapped around his hips. He’s so pretty, you can’t deny that, and you do want to kiss him, but it feels weird knowing Jake is in the same room right now. Knowing that all your friends could be watching as you close the gap between your lips and-

“What are you doing?”

You startle and pull back, your eyes widening as warmth spreads across your chest and crawls up your neck. “What the fuck?”

Jake is standing on the other side of the high table. His cheeks are flushed and his arms are crossed, he looks angry but... confused.

“Oh, hey,” Cole mutters, defeat saturating his tone. He’d have to be stupid not to have noticed the way Jake’s been glaring at him all night.

You cross your arms and mirror his stance. “Jake, what are you doing?”

“Just checking on my baby sister.”

You roll your eyes. “Please, would you just-”

“Baby, where’d you go?” Shelley’s hot pink fingernails slide over Jake’s shoulder as she appears at his side. “You missed me in the dance circle.”

A smirk ghosts across your lips. “Yeah, Baby, how could you miss that?”

Jake’s stare is unwavering, he doesn’t even flinch at the exaggerated pet name.

Cole sighs. “Look, man, I wasn’t trying to do anything weird, I just wanted to kiss her.”

“Do you seriously have a problem with that?” you ask.

Jake’s eyes narrow on Cole. “Yes.”

“What the fuck for?” You uncross your arms and throw your hands up. “You’re not actually my brother, Jake. Why do you give a shit about this?”

Cole turns to you. “He’s not your brother?”

Shelley gasps. “Oh, my God. She’s not your- Wait.” She steps away from Jake and looks at you, then back at him with wide eyes. “You’re, like... in love with her, aren’t you? That’s why you’ve been acting fucking weird all night.”

Cole steps away from you. “What the fuck is going on?”

Jake is pale – like, concerningly pale – and you can’t see his chest or shoulders moving, so you’re not even sure if he’s breathing. His glare isn’t menacing anymore, it’s blank. Completely blank.

“I think he’s broken,” you whisper, more to yourself than anyone else. You turn to Cole. “I’m sorry I lied to you, but it’s a long story. I’m, like, one-hundred percent sure that he’s not in love with me, but I do think he’s having some sort of stroke, so I’m going to take him outside for a minute. Is that okay?”

Cole nods, although he doesn’t seem convinced. But you don’t have time to reassure him right now, because you’re pretty sure Jake is either about to pass out or throw up.

You don’t even look at Shelley as you grab Jake’s arm and start dragging him toward the exit doors. His steps are slow but steady, and he stares at you with a weird, bewildered expression the whole way. You lead him through the halls of the manor and down the concrete steps into the courtyard. There are a few people scattered about, stealing a moment to themselves, but you weave through the garden until you find a swinging seat away from anyone else.

“Sit here.” You push him toward the chair. “Do you need some water?”

He shakes his head.

“Are you going to pass out?”

He shakes his head again.

“Okay, I’m going to need to hear some actual words now, Hangman.” You crouch in front of him, putting a hand on either one of his knees. “You’re starting to worry me.”

His eyes meet yours. “You never call me Hangman.”

“Sorry, do you prefer Bagman?”

He frowns, but it isn’t dark or serious because you can see his lips fighting a smirk. “It’s Jake to you, or Seresin.”

You roll your eyes and stand up straight, propping a hand on each hip. “Okay, Seresin, now that you can talk are you going to tell me what the fuck just happened?”

He groans and drops his head into his hands, resting his elbows on his knees. You wait for him to say something, watching his shoulders rise and fall with heavy breaths, but he refuses speak.

You sigh and sit down beside him, feeling the chair rock as you do. “I’m not mad, Jake, just a little frustrated. I know that you see me as a little sister, but-”

He snorts. “You are not my little sister.”

“I know that.” You bump your shoulder against his. “Do you know that? Because the way you were acting tonight was ridiculous. I don’t care how responsible you feel for me, I’m still an adult who can do whatever and whoever she pleases.”

He groans again and looks up, dragging his hands down his face. “Please don’t say that.”

Your brows pinch. “Say what?”

“That you can do whoever you want.”

You roll your eyes again. “I’m no Virgin Mary, Jake. You can’t just pretend-”

“I know.” He sits up straighter and looks right at you, pinning you with those sparkling jade eyes. “I remember.”

Your heart starts thumping faster. “Remember what?”

“That night.”

The box you shoved into the deepest, darkest corner of your heart starts to tremble. The chains rattle and the locks clang as the box shakes, the tremors increasing with every laboured breath you draw into your aching lungs.

“Jake,” you whisper. “I-”

“I saw you with him and I just”– he runs a hand through his hair –“I couldn’t fucking stand it. I knew what you were doing and I knew what you wanted, but I just couldn’t let you do it.”

Your eyes sting but you quickly blink back the moisture welling in them. You want to ask him what the fuck he means, why it matters this much to him, and why he nearly passed out when Shelley said what she said. But the connection between your brain and mouth is paralysed.

“All night I couldn’t stand the sight of you with him, but I couldn’t stop staring. Even Javy-” He pauses and rears back a little, averting his eyes as he searches back through his memories of the night. “Holy shit.”

You tip your head quizzically, your brows furrowed as you work to keep your emotions at bay. “What?”

“Even Javy knows that I’m in love with you.”

The box in your heart doesn’t just break open, it fucking shatters.

His eyes find yours again and he brings one hand up to your jaw, his thumb resting over your pulse point. His other hand moves to your opposite hip, forcing him to lean his body closer to yours and wrap you in his intoxicating scent. You watch as his tongue darts across his bottom lip, and then he’s kissing you.

It isn’t soft. It’s hungry, years of tension crashing into a single moment. His lips claim yours like he’s been holding back forever and never even realised it. You kiss him back hard, fingers twisting in the lapels of his jacket, pulling him closer, needing more. His hand slides to the back of your neck, anchoring you, deepening the kiss until your thoughts are nothing but heat and the way his mouth moves against yours.

The sound of fireworks – literal fireworks – is the only thing that forces you apart. Startling you both as they soar into the sky and burst against the navy velvet draped over this side of the earth.

You look up, seeing your breath in puffs of white against the dark night. “Are Yale’s family drug dealers?”

Jake chuckles and closes his eyes. “I just kissed you for the first time, and that’s what you have to say?”

“Sorry,” you giggle, dropping your gaze back to him and drawing your bottom lip between your teeth.

“I can’t believe I never realised it,” he mutters.

You shrug one shoulder. “To be fair, I was one-hundred percent sure you didn’t feel the same about five minutes ago.”

His brows pinch. “Feel the same?”

“Yes.” You hold his face between your hands, squishing his cheeks a little. “I’ve been in love with you for a very long time, Jake Seresin.”

He grins, which makes you giggle because his cheeks are now extra squished. “Good. Because I’m going to be in love with you forever.”

END.

[motorsportbarbie13]

What's A Soulmate? - Part 1

In which something magical begins.

Warnings: none, just a bit of mutual pining. but this will be an angsty one i think. Pairing: Lando Norris X SainzSister!Reader Words: 2.6k

Master List

(a/n: new series alert! friends to lovers featuring lando norris. this one will be several parts spanning from 2019 to present day. I've tried my hardest to make sure the timeline/race results are accurate but I may have adjusted something to make it work a bit better for the story line. this is a total work of fiction, purely for entertainment.)

February 2019 

Woking, Surry, England

“This is not going to be a year of partying and laziness, Chiquita.” Carlos throws you a sidelong glance as he pulls his new McLaren into a parking spot early one February morning. “You are here with me to work, not spend your gap year playing.” 

“If I’m here to work, then you can’t me ‘little girl’ while we’re here, Carlos.” You bite back, hauling your tote bag from the floor of the low slung sports car. 

Carlos chuckles, throwing his arm around your shoulder as you both begin the walk into his new workplace: the McLaren Technology Center. “Fair enough, Chiquita.” 

Last spring, you had graduated from high school and had spent one miserable semester at the University of Madrid in the fall before dropping out just a few months ago. 

Carlos dodges the swat that you aim at his bicep, taking a few quick steps ahead of you as you approach the front door of the large white building. The sprawling MTC is an intimidating building and you knew that if you hadn’t been here with Carlos, there was no way you’d be able to find your way. 

After spending a few listless months bouncing from Carlos’ couch in Monaco back to your parent’s estate in Spain, they had laid down the law. You needed to figure out what you were going to do for the foreseeable future if going back to University wasn’t in the cards for you at the moment. They were fine with you not going back to uni right away, in fact, they encouraged you to take a gap year but they expected you to do something productive with your life while you figured out what you wanted to do. 

And that had been when your older brother had entered the chat. He had finished third year as a Formula 1 driver a few months ago and would be changing teams come the new season in March. In December, he had parted ways with his long time assistant, who wanted to spend more time with her new husband and less time traveling. Carlos and you had always been the closest of the four Sainz siblings despite the six year age gap (his 25 years to your 19) so it had been the most natural thing in the world to have you be his assistant and social media manager for the 2019 F1 season. 

Up until today, Carlos had been attending pre-season meetings and putting time in at McLaren’s sim setup by himself but you had arrived at his flat five minutes from the MTC yesterday, suitcases in hand, ready to get started as your brother’s assistant. It had been ages since the two of you had spent this much time together and while you were mostly excited to spend the year traveling and reconnecting with your big brother, there was a bit of trepidation and anxiety sitting in your chest as you walked through those sliding glass doors this morning. 

You were barely 19 after all, little real world experience and you knew absolutely no one in this entire country beyond your brother. All of your friends were attending university in other countries, far away from the world you now found yourself in. Yes, you were excited but you were also insanely nervous. 

Carlos leads you down a long hallway, lined with trophy cases filled with motorsport winners trophies on one side and sleek F1 cars on the other. It was an entire shrine to McLaren history, of which there was a lot, and you were in awe as you followed after your brother. “Where are we going?” You ask as he turns down another quiet hallway, convinced you’d be utterly lost if Carlos asked you to show him how to get back to the front doors. 

“I have a little office tucked away back here next to Lando’s, I wanted to get you set up with the laptop and sync my calendar so you could get yourself ready.” 

You nod, ears perking up at the mention of your brother’s new teammate, Lando Norris. You knew a little about him from a few causal Google searches. He was 19 like you and this was his rookie season in Formula 1. From everything you read, he was a karting prodigy that had been signed by McLaren for a while and had been tapped to drive opposite of Carlos this year. Just knowing that there would be someone around the offices and on the road that was your age made the tight anxiety that sat in your chest ease just a touch, even if you two didn’t end up being more than acquaintances this year. 

Carlos hadn’t been lying about his ‘little’ office. It was barely more than a broom closet if you were being honest. Just enough room for a desk, a pair of chairs, and a bookshelf, but there was a large window that faced south so at least there’d always be sun spilling into the small space making it feel a little airier. 

You pull your MacBook out of the Dior tote Carlos had gotten you for your birthday last year as Carlos chatters away about schedules, press duties, and what he expected out of you. You listened carefully, taking notes in a little spiral bound notebook as you waited for your laptop to boot up. 

“Are you in here talking to yourself again, Carlitos?” 

Your head snaps up at the sound of an unfamiliar voice and you find yourself smiling at the boy standing in the doorway. He’s a few inches taller than you, with short brown hair, and bright green eyes surrounded by thick black eyelashes. The deep tan of his skin surprises you a bit, considering its February in England and you hadn’t seen the sun since you left Spain yesterday. 

The boy’s face instantly sobers when he sees that your brother isn’t alone. “Oh, I’m sorry.” He blushes, hand coming to cup the back of his neck. “I didn’t realize you had a guest.” 

Carlos laughs, “This isn’t a guest. This is my sister, the one I was telling you about Friday. She’s going to be my assistant this year.” 

“Of course, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Lando.” 

You stand, crossing the small office in just 2 quick strides to shake Lando’s outstretched hand, “Nice to meet you too, Lando.” You say, polite smile playing on your lips. 

Lando turned around then, not wanting to intrude on the sibling time but also needing a moment to collect himself. He had known that you would be spending the season with your bother and that you two were around the same age but what he hadn’t prepared himself for was for how pretty you were. Your hair was even darker than your brother’s and it tumbled over your shoulders in layered waves that shined in a way that made Lando’s mouth go a little dry. Those dark eyes, round and doe eyed, threatened to swallow Lando whole and he’d barely spent more than a handful of seconds in your orbit.

He leaned against the door frame leading into his office, the sound of your laughter drifting through the walls. He had been used to the constant travel that was required of drivers of his caliber, having spent most of his teenage years on the road but all that time, he always had someone with him. His father, mother, manager. Someone that was ‘in charge’ of him and his schedule.

Now though? Now everything is different. He’s of age, a driver in the pinnacle league of his chosen sport, and totally alone. His friends are either jealous of his success or away at school and Lando often finds himself spending the entire weekend alone in his little flat down the road from the MTC. He was happy, of course, ecstatic that he had been given this chance by McLaren but the truth of the matter was, Lando Norris was quite lonely. 

As the image of your face flickered through his mind, Lando felt the tight grip of anxiety ease just a little bit. There was something so open about the way you had greeted him, something about how easy your laugh seemed to come, that told Lando that you were a good person, someone that would somehow be very important to him this year. 

“That is your teammates sister, mate.” Lando mutters to himself as he pushes off the door frame, making a beeline for the sim rig that was on the other side of the MTC, hoping that the time spent focused on racing would be enough to get your image out of his brain. 

April 2019 

Baku City Circuit 

“Lando, I swear to God if you’ve slept in again I’m ordering fish whenever I eat with you for the rest of my life.” 

Somewhere between Australia and China, you had morphed into not only Carlos’ personal assistant but also the assistant and babysitter of sorts to his stupid, idiotic, hilarious teammate. You adored the boy but most of the time he drove you to the brink of absolute madness. 

“I didn’t sleep in! My alarm didn’t go off!” Lando groans, breathless on the other end of the phone. 

“That is literally the same thing. I have one simple job here, Norris: get you and my brother to where they belong during race weekends and right now? You’re making me look like an amateur.” 

“I just got into the paddock, relax darling, no one is even remotely close to being fined by the FIA. I’ll be on the fan stage in five minutes, meet me there?” 

Pinching the bridge of your nose, you desperately try to will away the Landache, the term you’ve come up with when you get a headache caused by the Brit. “Fine.” You breathe. 

It’s your fourth race of the season and while Lando and your brother were seemingly hell bent on driving you to an early retirement, you had never been happier. Managing the busy schedule and life of now two Formula 1 drivers had come naturally to you. Engineers and mechanics in the garage were always a little in awe of your ability to keep the two drivers in line and where they needed to be when. The communications team at McLaren loved you because sometimes, you were the only one who would be able to get the Carlando, as the duo was coming to be known as, to behave. 

It was total chaos pretty much all of the time but you were thriving. You and Carlos were closer than ever, working tighter like a well oiled machine. But Lando and you? You two were the textbook definition of Partners In Crime. While you were the picture of professionalism on the track and during business hours, you were the other half of the chaos gremlin duo that terrorized half the grid. 

Right now though? Now the chaos gremlin was the perfect paddock princess that had to make sure her best friend and brother got to the right places on time. You round the corner of the back stage area, desperately searching for the mop of wavy brown hair covered by a papaya colored hat. 

“Lando!” You call, relieved when your dark eyes catch with a familiar pair light colored eyes. Today, they were an icy blue thanks to the bright desert sun of Baku. “I didn’t think I had to add ‘alarm’ to my list of race weekend duties.” You grouse, brushing at the dust on his team polo. 

Lando shakes his head, easy smile spreading across his face. “Am I late though?” 

You glare at him, “No.” You huff. 

“I would never make you look bad, pretty girl.” He winks and your stupid stomach does its traitorous little flip that it’s been doing lately. It’s disgusting. 

“Flattery will get you nowhere, Norris.” 

“And please welcome to the stage, McLaren drivers Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris!” The presenter calls from behind Lando’s shoulder, interrupting your sparring match. 

Lando gives you a wink before spinning around following your brother up the stairs of the stage. 

July, 2019

Germany 

“That was my fifth DNF this year.” The pain in Lando’s voice sends your stomach twisting. You follow behind him, hands wringing together, as he stalks down the hallway of the hotel in Germany. The race had finished up hours ago but Lando had just been released from media duties a bit ago. Carlos had been caught up in some post-race meetings so you had hitched a ride back to the hotel with Lando instead but now, as you followed his stiff frame stalk down the hall, you wondered if that had been a good idea. 

“Lando, it wasn’t your fault. Your car lost power, it’s not like you binned it into the wall or anything.” 

Reaching his room, Lando stops and pulls out the key before letting himself in. He leaves the door open though, indicating he wanted you to follow him. “I know that.” He groans, scrubbing his hands over his face. The hotel room is pretty normal where hotels are concerned, 2 queen sized beds dominate the space with a large flat screen tv on the opposite side. Lando flops down on the farthest bed, his eyes closed. 

“I’ve barely finished in the points yet this season. Haven’t had a sniffing chance at a podium. I feel like such a fucking fraud.” 

You had stopped just inside the door, wanting to give Lando some space as he had his tantrum but now, seeing how truly upset he is, you cross the carpeted floor and sit down next to your best friend. “Lan.” You coo, running your fingers through his hair, knowing how the scratches from your nails relaxes him. “Lan, it’s okay. You knew coming in, just like Carlos, that McLaren is in a bit of a rebuilding stage. This isn’t unexpected.” 

The problem with Lando is that he is utterly too hard on himself. You had clocked the fact quickly, by the time you had been landing in Australia for the first race of the season, you knew he needed to work on his confidence. 

“I know. I mean, I don’t know but I know that you know and I trust you enough to know that you know what you know is right.” 

Your head spins. “Pardon me?” 

Laughter spilling from your lips pops the bubble of tension in the room, Lando unable to keep the smile off his face either.

“You heard me.” He gripes, sitting up. “And I know -” He stops, glaring at you when you double over with laughter once again. “I know you understood me, you cheeky monkey.” 

“I’m sorry but I’m just so terrified by the fact that I did understand that whirlwind of a sentence and can’t decide how to process it.” You say, chest heaving from laughing so hard. “We’ve been spending too much time together.” 

Lando grabs the remote from your hand before turning on the movie you had both fallen asleep to last night before the race. “Are you going to be mean to me all night, or are we going to finish this movie?” 

You roll your eyes, but toe off your shoes before settling against the headboard of the bed, shoulder bumping with Lando’s as he joins you. “Pizza or sushi for dinner?” You ask, grinning because you already know the answer. 

“You’re an idiot.” 

“Love you too, Lan.” You counter, pulling out your phone to order some pizza. 

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[deanwinchestersbabygirll]

Sam Winchester, Hero

-warnings// angst, fluff, SMUT, MENTION OF SA!!

-lil summery// kind of my spin on the pilot episode, based when Sam’s in college, best friends to lovers trope

Sam x reader

Part 2

word count// 3330

(Gif from Pinterest)

Your eyes burned as you continued to read the same line over and over, exhaustion threatening to take over your body any minute "hey you okay?" You looked towards the soft voice to see your best friend Sam, you nodded "yeah I'm just trying to finish this chapter I can't hand in another late assignment" you said stretching your limbs trying to wake yourself up 

Sam chuckled "it's after midnight, you’re gonna end up face down on your desk if you don't get to bed soon" you rolled your tired eyes playfully "I’ll be fine I'll just be another half hour then I'm done, you head on home, I'll be right behind you" Sam shook his head "not a chance this place isn't safe at night I'll wait for you" he said going to sit next to you "Sam sweetie, I'll be fine, our apartment is a ten minute walk at most, plus you know I can handle myself, I've kicked your ass plenty of times" you joked making him smile 

"Alright but I want you to knock on my door when your back home so I know your home safe, I'm giving you forty five minutes and if ur not home by then I'll be back here to haul your  ass home" he said firmly, he was always the worrier, that's what you loved about him the most

"I promise, scouts honour" you promised him with the scouts symbol he chuckled as he moved toward the door "see you at home Y/N" he called as the doors closed leaving you alone in the library, You rubbed your tired red eyes and got back to work, your blinking getting slower until all you could see was darkness and a warm fuzzy feeling take over your body.

Almost an hour later you awoke with a start "oh son of a bitch!" You exclaimed quietly looking at your watch, in a panic you shoved your stuff in your bag quickly before running out the big mahogany doors and taking off in a speed walk down the dark campus towards you and Sam's apartment, hoping he hadn't left yet

You were moments away from sanctuary before you heard the sound of loud foot steps behind you, your heart plummeting to your stomach as you picked up your own pace, you were less than a minute away, the footsteps got closer and your heart was beating a hundred beats per minute

The person behind you grabbed your arm roughly turning you around to face a tall brute of a man, glaring at you his lips twisted in a dirty smile "where you heading beautiful?" He asked his grip on your arm tightening making you wince "none of your business now get your damn hand off me you jackass!" You exclaimed trying to pull your arm away 

"Watch yourself now... the nicer you are to me the better I'll make you feel" the man said licking his greasy lips, your stomach turned and you regretted not leaving with Sam earlier. 

Tears pricked at your eyes as you tried to fight him off "if you touch me I swear I'll-" you started to say before a loud laugh cut you off "you'll what baby? Look at me then look at you, who's got the upper hand here?" he mocked before a third voice interrupted him 

"I do!" The voice said and a fist was slamming against your attackers face knocking the brute out, screaming you turned to see your saviour as the tears streamed down you face, you saw Sam looking back at you concern written all over his face "c'mon let's go" he said quickly taking your bag from you and pulling you tightly to his side making your worries instantly vanish as you cuddled into him 

Sam unlocked the door with his free hand, never letting go of you, he locked the door instantly as soon as you stepped inside "are you okay? I knew I shouldn't have fucking left" Sam told you his voice cracking slightly as his hands cradled your face in them as his green eyes scanned for any visible injuries.

"I'm okay Sammy" you assured him but he shook his head, his shaggy hair bouncing as he did "I'm so sorry I didn't get there sooner, I shouldn't have left you by yourself it's not safe i-" "SAM!" You yelled cutting his rambling off, his eyes snapping down to meet yours "I'm okay, I promise, you got me before he could do anything" you promised him, brushing a stray strand of shaggy brown hair behind his ear

He closed his eyes tightly and sighed loudly, his shoulders remaining as tense as ever, he wrapped his strong arms tightly around you, holding you tightly to him

You rest your head against his hard chest, listening to his heart beating like crazy as he breathed in your scent "are you okay sweetie?" You questioned looking up at him

Sam nodded slowly "I'm doing everything I can right now to stop myself from killing that perverted bastard" Sam confessed, his voice low and serious, you chuckled quietly "Sammy your the sweetest guy I've ever met, you don't have killer instincts in you" 

Sam swallowed thickly... little did you know who he really was, how many monsters he'd killed since he learned to walk "...yeah your probably right, come on let's get some sleep" Sam said changing the subject quickly

You stepped away from the his warm comforting embrace nodding your head, a quiet quiver threatening to leave your lips  "night Sammy" you leaned up to kiss his cheek before retreating to your bedroom.

You shivered as you walked into your dark bedroom, you pulled on an oversized shirt kicked off your jeans before getting into you bed, your whole body shook as you lay, the events of the night finally setting in your head

You let the hot tears fall slowly down your face as you fell asleep. 

You awoke a while later, you heart beating like crazy, your face stung as tears, new and fresh stuck to your cheeks, you tried catching your breath before making your way quickly to your bedroom door and down the hall to your best friends room

You knocked lightly on the door but there was no response other than the small snores on the other side, you questioned if you should just suck it up and go back to your own room but you knew you couldn't, not alone 

Taking a deep shaky breath you opened the door tip toeing towards the sleeping giant, "Sammy?" You whispered in a strained voice, "...Y/N... w-what's going on? Everything okay?" Sam quickly shot up suddenly as though he was wide awake. You tried to control your breathing before replying "y-yeah I uh, I-" you struggled to get out before you broke completely, your whole body shaking as more tears streamed down your swollen face

Sam was instantly pulling you down to sit next to him on his bed, pulling your shaking body tightly into his warm embrace, his muscular arms wrapping around you waist as you lay your head in the crook of his neck, "hey it's okay just breath" he said gently trolling your hair from your face "what happened?" He asked quietly stroking your wet hair behind your ear 

You took a deep shaky breath leaning into his touch "I- I just had a bad dream and I didn't want to be alone, can I stay with you, please?" You begged Sam, your heart racing like crazy, Sam's cheeks flushed a deep red as he nodded his head almost immediately "of course you can, you know you can always come to me no matter what" You smiled squeezing his hand tightly as a silent thank you.

Sam stayed in that position for another while longer, just holding you tightly to him as you slowly regained your breathing and the tears stopped rolling, "you ready to lay down?" Sam asked rubbing his hand up and down your cold arms nodding you move to his side, slowly lowering your self to rest against the cold unused pillow in Sam's bed, Sam turned to face you in the bed,

His hand once again reaching out for your own "I promise your safe here, I would never in a million years let anyone or anything hurt you" Sam assured you making your heart swell, "I know sweetie,  your like my very own superhero" you told him making his lips pull into his familiar grin "night gorgeous" Sam said giving your small hand another light squeeze "night Sammy" you whispered back.

You lay there another few minutes just staring into the dark room, this was different than how you felt earlier in your own bed, you felt safe... you just couldn't trust your mind enough to sleep

You turned to your side to face Sam, his eyes already on you "I can't sleep" you whispered lowly to him your faces inches apart as Sam moved closer his arm moving to wrap around your waist as his green eyes stared into yours "it'll be okay, I'm right here next to you" Sam promised making you smile up at him 

Your hand cupped the side of Sam's face gently as you moved closer, just testing the waters, letting him have time to pull away if he wanted to, but he didn't.

Sam closed the small gap between your lips quickly capturing you lips with his, you let out a small gasp as your hand flew to grip the back of his neck lightly, his own gripping your waist pulling you as close as possible to him, you let out a quiet moan as Sam moved you to lay on your back, his body rolling to hover above you 

You wrapped you legs tightly around Sam's hips pulling him down so that his covered cock was pressing against your clothed clit, "oh god Sammy" you breathed out pulling his hair slightly 

Sam moved his kisses down your neck causing your eyes to roll "Sam please" you begged tightening your legs around his hips, sam obeyed as he pulled back slightly to pull his grey shirt and off revealing his muscular chest, you ran your hand down from his toned chest down to his pyjama pants, you swallowed the thick lump of nerves in your throat "Y/N, we don't have to do this" Sam told you sensing your nerves 

You shook your head and smiled up at him "I want to do this, with you" you told him as you gently pulled him back down for a kiss, he smirked into the kiss, his hands moving to the hem of your oversized shirt you'd stolen from Sam many moons ago, he pulled the shirt off your body, revealing your bare breasts to him, he instantly grasped them in his warm hands

You let out a small moan of his name, arching your back from the bed "please touch me" you begged, sam chuckled and kissed his was down your chest taking each breast in his hot mouth before continuing his way down your stomach, he dragged your panties down off your legs, gasping at the cold air hitting your core you move to clench your thighs together

Sam's hands caught your thighs quickly, spreading them wider exposing you completely to him "you look so beautiful like this" Sam said his eyes a darker green, bordering a light brown, Sam blew cold air against your soaking pussy before diving in, you screamed in pleasure your hand rushing to gripe Sam's longer hair, "oh god Sammy! Please don't stop that feels so fucking good" you cried out as Sam sucked hour clit into his mouth and inserting his two long fingers inside your dripping hole "you taste fucking delicious Y/N I could stay between these legs all damn day if you let me" Sam said against your pussy, the vibrations of his deep voice and combination of his thrusting fingers causing your eyes to roll to the back of your head "I'm so close Sammy please!" You screamed in pleasure slamming your head back against the pillow behind you as Sam sped up his movements, all that could be heard in the room was heavy breaths and the sounds of Sam's mouth and fingers working you toward your orgasm

You cried out in ecstasy, Sam's long fingers curled inside of you hitting your g-spot repeatedly his lips wrapping around your clit stimulating you completely, you screamed Sam's name as the coil snapped, your orgasm came crashing towards you causing your body to shake slightly, sam carried you through it, not stopping until you gently pushed him away from you, you legs around his shoulders shaking "that was the hottest fucking thing in the world, I've never had a guy do that to me before" you breathed out, still trying to catch your breath

Sam chuckled giving you lips a small kiss "well you have only dated jackasses who clearly have no idea how to please their girls, if I had it my way I'd have you tied to the bed with me down there all damn night" Sam confessed making your heart pound, you looked at him threw half lidded eyes a smirk playing on your lips "I'm not opposed to getting tied up sometime" you said making sam groan loudly as you pulled him into another deep kiss, your hand snuck it's way into his pants and wrapped around his hard cock, you started to move your hand in an up and down motion before Sam quickly grabbed your wrist stopping you

Your eyes snapped to his in a panic and your heart raced in panic, "What's wrong?" You questioned quickly and Sam smiled "nothing it's just… I'd rather be inside you gorgeous" Sam told you and he kicked the rest of his pants off leaving his big hard cock on full display making your mouth water "do you have a condom?" You struggled to ask as your mouth was suddenly dry

Sam nodded, hovering over your bare body to reach into his nightstand, he quickly pulled out a familiar foil package, he ripped it open quickly with his teeth and rolled it onto his erect member "are you sure your okay with this?" Sam, ever the gentleman asked you, his hands ran up and down your waist in a comforting way making you smile  "of course I am Sammy" you confessed wrapping your legs tightly around his hips and pulling him down to you so he was chest to chest to you

Sam leaned down to capture your lips in a sensual kiss, not rushed or hard like the other kisses, you felt him place his covered tip at your entrance, your pussy clenching in desperation to feel him inside you,

Your moan caught in your throat as Sam pushed his way inside you, filling you up, inch by inch

Sam sucked in a harsh breath, his lips moving to attach to your neck "god Y/N your so fucking tight, can already feel you squeezing me" he groaned out hotly against your neck, you giggled softly as your hands ran up Sam's muscled back, he began to move his hips slowly to rest the waters, there was a slight pain but nothing could take away from the pleasure of having Sam so close to you like this "faster Sammy please" you told him arching against him to allow him to push inside you deeper, Sam obeyed and grabbed your thighs, he pushed them up so you knees were against your chest, your calves hanging over his broad shoulders

Sam pulled his hips almost all the way back before slamming back inside you making you scream in pleasure

He continued to slam his cock deep inside you at a fast pace, hitting your G-spot with every thrust his pelvic bone pressing against you swollen clit adding just the right amount of pleasure "yes!" You screamed dragging your nails down Sam's back as white hot pleasure clouded your vision, you knew your orgasm was fast approaching as the coil in your stomach tightened "cum with me baby" you moaned out, Sam quickened his movements feeling his own orgasm crash against him, he moved his hand down to rub your clit quickly causing the band in your stomach to snap, you screamed Sam's name as your juices came flowing out of you, down Sam's thighs as Sam groaned feeling the condom fill with his hot seed 

Sam continued to thrust a few more times slowly to calm you both downs, whimpering when he pulled out you gave him a gentle kiss on his now swollen lips "that was amazing" you said once you pulled away causing Sam to chuckle, he threw the used condom in his trash can "yeah that was the best sex I've ever had" Sam confessed making your heart race and your cheeks turn pink when you giggled “yeah me too”

Sam pushed a stray hair behind your ear, his eyes staring into your own with intensity “I really like you Y/N, your my best friend.. I mean I know we just crossed the line of just friends but I want you, I mean, I want this, not just sex.. I mean I want you.. all of you” Sam confessed before kissing you quickly to solidify his words 

Your heart pounded against your chest as you listened to Sam’s confession, “I want that to Sammy” you said placing your hands on either side of his face, leaning in to peck his kiss swollen lips a couple of times until the smiles on both your lips made it impossible to keep going “so how about tomorrow after your last class we head down the Chinese place for dinner and we can rent a movie to take back home?” Sam asked you nervously “I’d love that” you told him before going to the bathroom to get ready for bed again, this time in the safe protective arms of your boyfriend.

A couple of hours later you awoke to voices in the kitchen, panic rose in your chest before you turned to wake Sam, surprised when all that was in his spot was cold sheets, you furrowed you brows before getting up, you quickly pulled on your over side shirt and panties before stalking towards the kitchen where your boyfriend and another man were talking  “sam?” You called for him making his head snap towards you “Y/N hey what you doing out of bed?” Sam questioned placing his hand on your arm 

You opened your mouth to answer before the other man moved towards you a big flirty smile graced his lips “wow you are so far out of my brothers league” the man said making sam roll his eyes “oh your Dean! Sam’s told me a lot about you” you said making him chuckle “all good I hope” he said before turning his attention back to your boyfriend before staring at you again “listen sweetheart, I gotta talk to your boyfriend here about some family business would you mind giving us a minute?” He asked trying to be as nice as possible “of course I’ll just-” you were cut off by Sam’s big arm wrapping tightly around yours waist pulling you tightly to his side “no, anything you can say to me, you can say in front of Y/N” Sam told him his chest puffed out in anger 

Dean clapped his hands together in frustration “fine, dad hasn’t been home in a couple days” Sam scoffed and rolled his eyes dramatically once again “yeah, he’ll come stumbling back on in soon enough, just like he always does!” Sam said annoyed, his muscled arm around your waist tightening as Dean sighed lowly 

 “alright, dads on a hunting trip, and he hasn’t been home in a few days”. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALL MY OWN WORK I DO NOT GIVE CONSENT TO COPY OR PUBLISH ON OTHER SITES , I.E WATTPAD, ETC, WITHOUT MESSAGING TO ASK FIRST

For my Sam girlies!

[purinfelix]

doctor, doctor, help me - park jongseong ₊˚⊹

summary: after a strange encounter with a shadowy figure one night, you're roped into an even stranger routine of being a handsome fighter's personal nurse - but after almost two months of it, you've grown tired, even if he hasn't ──── street fighter jay x nursing student reader || sfw, angst, tension || w/c; 2.6k (holy moly this is the longest fic I've written in a while)

a/n: ok this is like the third time I've written a fic using this like ' nursing student patches up' trope BUT I CAN'T HELP IT i literally eat it up every single time and when i was watching the bts of the no doubt mv the idea literally came to me right there so i hope y'all enjoy !! <333

"You can't be serious."

The scold falls from your lips less as a response and more of an unconscious reaction to the man standing in front of you. You don't know what's worse, the several bruises littering his face, the split lip that's dribbling blood down his chin - or the fact that this isn't even the worst state you've seen him in.

It's not like you have time to decide anyway, because as soon as he shoots you that look - the guilty yet almost pleading half-smile, you're too weak to refuse.

"Get in," you huff, opening your apartment door wider for him to slip in quickly, and you glance both ways in the hallway to make sure no one sees him before shutting it.

"You said the other night would be the last time Jay," you say, watching as he stumbles unsteadily towards your couch where he falls with a tired sigh.

"Well, that's what I thought babe," he laughs and you feel something twist inside you at the petname, "but it's not like this business is very reliable, is it?"

"Well," you sigh, mocking his tone, "that's why I thought you said you'd be finding another job, one that doesn't involve you coming to me half-beaten to death every other night."

Your words are harsh, especially given the amount of pain you're sure he's in right now but after almost two months of this same routine, you're tired of it. Plus, you know what he needs to hear at times like this.

It had started one night when you went out late to take out the trash, only to be startled by a shadowy figure lurking in the bushes. After he assured you he wasn't a thief, and giving you time to catch your breath he was about to dash off - but the first thing you noticed was the dark red trickling down the side of his cheek and the messy way his dark hair fell over his thick brows. The second thing you noticed was the look in his eyes, rough and a little cold, but the longer you looked the softer it became until it was something vulnerable, almost bordering on fear.

You'd be heartless not to take him in.

That's what you told yourself as you tried your best to convince him to follow you back up to your apartment - knowing full well the irony and complete stupidity of letting a beat-up man wander into your home. He obliged and soon you were setting him down and fetching the first aid kit you had gotten in a recent practical lesson. In the warm light of your living room, you were able to get a better look at him - his bruised knuckles, dark baggy clothing but most of all, the amused, almost cocky smirk spreading across his lips as he watched you tend to him.

You were firm though, treating this purely as your professional duty as a nursing student as you patched up his scuffs - though you weren't going to let this opportunity go without at least getting some answers. After some questioning, and dodging his attempts to pry into your personal life, you found out his name - Jay - and what exactly he had been doing lurking in the bushes near your complex. Though 'working in an underground boxing ring' was an answer that definitely needed more explanation than you had anticipated.

Admittedly, the entire situation was a little entertaining to you, at least for the first couple of times - after all, it wasn't every day a handsome boxer stumbled onto your doorstep and let you carefully tend to his wounds. But maybe he had overestimated your generosity because he was soon back a week later, the week after that and soon it became an almost nightly occurrence - though you taught yourself to never count on his appearances.

Your patience was running thin, but your ability to continually see Jay in so much pain was running even thinner, even if this came out more as a harsh irritation than the careful worry you intended it to be.

"There's a thousand jobs that don't involve risking your personal safety, you know," you sigh in exasperation, pulling up a chair beside the couch he's sprawled upon. In his dark grungey clothes and messed up look, he sticks out starkly from your fluffy pillows and stuffed animals in an almost endearing way.

"Well most of those jobs don't pay half as well as this does," he laughs, pulling himself up so you can look at his face and as he does you try not to think too much about how he's getting far too used to this routine. "And the others, well, they won't even consider hiring a drop-out like me."

You grab him by the jaw, yanking him closer which earns a soft chuckle from him even as you force yourself to look stern. "Have you even tried? I mean, money isn't everything, you know," you mumble, "I know the convenience store around the corner from here is hiring, you could look there."

"Right because I'm just the kind of guy for stocking shelves and heating up ramen for people," he scoffs coolly, eyes watching as you prepare cotton balls of antiseptic.

You let out a frustrated exhale, beginning your work on his injuries in concentrated silence. He only sits there, surprisingly obedient, as you dab his open cuts, not even wincing in pain. After all, this isn't the first time you've patched him up and you're pretty sure it won't be the last, so this strange routine the two of you have fallen into brings an even stranger sense of comfort. Despite that, and all your efforts at professionalism, it's difficult not to get just a little bit flustered whenever you have to touch his face, or when he makes snide flirty comments that you're sure he doesn't mean.

As if summoned by your thoughts, he pipes up again. "But then again, that would mean I'd be closer to you, princess," his voice barely above a teasing whisper.

You narrow your eyes at him, "If it means I get to see you in that cute little apron and not like this then sure." He lets out an amused chuckle, seemingly enjoying you playing into his conversation for once. You lean back to grab more gauze from your kit but the sound of his voice catches you off guard.

"Have you got a boyfriend?"

Despite knowing each other for a couple of months now, you and Jay actually know very little about each other - having made a silent agreement since that first night not to ask questions that were too personal. Anything that strayed beyond names, jobs and how the weather had been was off-limits. This had mostly been your way of avoiding getting too attached to him, or whatever sort of relationship you two had, since you were sure that would only end badly - and you had been glad that he respected your wishes.

Or at least he had.

"Wha-" you stutter, whipping your head back around to look at him "Why are you suddenly asking me that?"

"Well, I was just thinking, if you do, he mustn't be that happy about you getting so close with some random guy you barely know, right?" He's leaning back against the couch, eyes wandering your apartment seemingly for any sign of male presence.

"Unless," he says again, now leaning back towards you, so close you can feel his breath against your cheek as he whispers, "You haven't told him about us?" You hate how low and teasing his tone is, and whatever it is he's implying, but you hate the way you can feel your cheeks flushing under his gaze even more.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no, I don't have a boyfriend," you huff, "and it's not like there's an us for me to tell anyone about anyways unless I'm complaining about the cocky jerk that keeps bothering me every week."

"Aah, I'm surprised," he laughs to himself, brushing off your jab at him, "figured a cute thing like yourself would've been snatched up already, but I mean, I think I like being your little secret anyways, hm?"

"Just shut up and stay still."

"Yes doc," he says, amused at your reaction but doing as you say and soon the two of you fall into silence once more - you busy with placing bandaids over his face, neck and shoulders, and him watching you carefully. But the silence grows thick and heavy, and soon it's too much for even you to take.

"So," you start up, a little awkwardly, "how about you, have you got a girlfriend?"

You avoid his eye as you ask the question, already knowing exactly the kind of irritating expression he's donning.

"Oh, what happened to keeping out of each other's personal lives?" he scoffs.

"I'm just trying to make conversation, Jay," you sigh firmly.

"Well, not that it's any of your business," you bite your bottom lip as he mocks your previous response, "but no, I don't. Well, I used to, actually, she dumped me less than a week before I met you."

"Really?" you can't control the surprised tone that falls from your lips, but if you're being honest, with his looks, you're shocked he doesn't have a girlfriend - or at least several girls chasing after him.

"Yeah, well it's not easy to date a guy that comes home looking like this every other night," he laughs coolly but even as he does you can tell there's an undertone of hurt, "plus, she always wanted to go out at night and that was when I worked."

You nod slowly, "right." Your response is curt, partially because you're busy peeling a bandaid but mostly because you're not really sure of what else to say.

The conversation falls to a halt and silently you motion for him to come a little closer so that you can have a look at his split lip. It's pretty gnarly, even though you've managed to wipe up most of the blood that was coming out of it. Carefully, you run your thumb over the open wound as you inspect it but this earns a quiet hiss of pain from your patient and you pull back.

"Sorry," you mumble quickly, eyes scanning his face.

"It's alright angel," he sighs, nodding for you to continue.

You do as he says, working quickly to place a small bandaid over the lip, trying not to think too much about how you can feel his warm breaths on your gentle fingers. It doesn't help that his gaze doesn't leave you once, and every time your eyes flicker up they meet his causing your cheeks to grow embarrassingly hot.

But with that, you've finished patching up all of his injuries and can lean back with a relieved sigh as you brush your hands against each other. He sits back with a smile, watching as you pack up your kit and return it to the kitchen drawer you got it from.

"Hey, how was that exam you had?"

You pause - brows furrowing. You had mentioned that almost two weeks ago, and he remembered it?

"Oh, it went well, I'm surprised you remembered that."

"Why wouldn't I?" he says, and you'd think he was teasing you again until you poke your head around the corner and catch his earnest expression. "You told me, so I remembered."

"Well, yeah," you scoff, "but you were like half asleep and also in intense pain, I was just trying to talk to distract you from it."

He nods, his lip forming a thin line as he hangs his head with a soft laugh to himself, "Right, of course."

You feel a strange twist in your stomach, suddenly aware that maybe, for once, he wasn't trying to pry into your life for the sake of annoying you, but maybe trying to get to know you a little better. Still, the opportunity has left and now you continue your routine like always.

"So, you're all good?" you say, trailing back into the living room, "need any painkillers?" He shakes his head silently, slender fingers fiddling with the material on his pants as he bounces his knee almost impatiently.

Usually, this is the part where he leaves. Once you've served your purpose, done your job of fixing him up and exchanged small talk there's no reason for him to stick around anyway - it's not like the two of you are friends, or even know each other that well for that matter. At first, this fact seemed natural but the longer this weird relationship stretches on for, the more you find yourself dreading each of his departures. You're not sure why, since you scold him every time he reappears, but a small part of you feels a certain relief seeing him at your doorstep, even if he is struggling to hold himself up - because at least you get to see him again, even if just for one night.

"I should go, right?" he hums right on cue, looking up at you with a conflicted look - almost as if he's begging you to tell him otherwise.

"Well," you begin, chewing your bottom lip in thought, taking his silent plea to heart, "your injuries are pretty bad, so if you want you can rest here for a little longer." You rub the back of your neck in an attempt to make your request sound a little more casual than it actually is, but you should've known he'd catch on too fast.

"Are you asking me to stay the night?" He asks, the side of his mouth quirked up in an amused, but also touched, smirk.

"Don't make me change my mind, Jay," your sternness returns and he only holds his hands up in surrender as he nods with a soft laugh.

"Got it." He looks around, "is it alright if I just crash here then?"

You nod, "If you need anything just call out, alright? My room's just over there." You watch as he makes himself comfortable, stretching out across your couch which he barely fits on given his height. As he does you finally get a glimpse of the fatigue washing over him as he lays his head down on one of your fluffy pillows.

"Goodnight Jay," you call as you start making your way to your room, flicking off the living room light as you do.

"Goodnight doc," he replies in a lighthearted tone, and you pause at your doorway to get one last glance at him. He's already drifting off when you do, and despite your better judgement you can't help but smile to yourself at how peaceful he looks - a stark contrast to his usually cocky demeanour.

Maybe in another life, you two didn't meet the way you did. Maybe he had a job that didn't involve him putting his life on the line just to make a living, or you could help in a way other than just cleaning up his collateral damage, in a way that really mattered. Maybe you two could have real conversations about your days, without having to skip over the personal details. Maybe, just maybe, you might get to see him during the daytime, face illuminated by something other than your living room lamp and uninjured, for once.

But exhaustion quickly hits you too, forcing your thoughts to a stop. Settling into your own bed you couldn't help but pause to wonder if letting him stay the night was crossing the imaginary line you'd drawn since the first night, bridging the gap you'd sworn to keep between you and Jay. But as you feel yourself drifting off to sleep, the knowledge of him safe in the next room over enough to calm your mind, you find yourself strangely okay with that possibility.

[ethtyn]

LET'S GO OUT WITH A BANG 🚦

taglist:

@ashiyn @single-malt-scotch @goodtimeswithetho @pebbltree @crabbunch @catmaidetho @amethyst-allium @stitchthesewords

sooooo ermm i guess i get to talk about this piece now YIPPEE

i am one of those people who's constantly trying to figure out what their own art style looks like LMFAO. i take frequent breaks from art due to mental health shit so it feels like every time i come back i'm trying to find my footing again.

that being said, i had a lot of caffeine yesterday and started this on a whim and it ended up being something i'm incredibly proud of. i think it helps that i've been redrawing old emotes for a friend's twitch channel, so figuring out which brushes i like right now was really helpful, and i ended up using my personal emote palette like...a lot. that pink in Etho's eye, the purple used for shading, most of the browns are all used in my own emotes. it's wild how much having colours already picked out streamlines things!

Etho is the one i started with, of course, and ended up being one that i went back to re-draw after i'd done...three? or four? more, because the sizing wasn't right and i wasn't happy with the posing. i still wish i could have conveyed him dipping his chin into his coat fluff a little better, but oh well. i thought of the little detail of him looking at Martyn's drawing at the last second (#ethtyn4life) and it made me laugh so i did it. points to you if you caught that!

Joel was the second - life!Joel has always been fey in my head, especially after that season when he just went batshit insane the second he turned red. can't explain it, that's just how it be. i tried to give him an air of subtle menace about him but i think he just looks sleepy 💀 i'd like to do these as individual, larger pieces at some point, so maybe i can work on that more then.

Grian was the third - he reminds me of a Lost Boy here and that wasn't intentional but the Lost Boys always kind of freaked me out and life!Grian's kinda freaky so i think it fits. his little smirk is so creepy and i love him.

i don't remember who i did next after this so we'll just go in order pfft

Bdubs is SO CUTE look at him. one of the few where i couldn't make a menacing expression work, and honestly with how good his profile turned out i barely mind. i did that side profile with no reference, y'all, idk what kind of crack i was on last night. what the hell. this was about the point where i started wanting to do little lore doodles for everybody so i added the clock face - i think it clashes with the red background but what can you do.

CLEOOOOOO CLEO CLEO. i LOVED drawing them, i think their design is one of my favourites of the bunch. her hair has always been snakes in my head and AGAIN i drew those with no reference, can you fucking believe that. i loved the little detail of some of the snakes poking at the people next to her, they're so cute hehe. also Cleo has freckles now, i'm so sorry but i don't make the rules. someone complimented the teeth in the reblogs and THANK YOU!! they're not quite anatomically correct but fuck it we ball and they look cool as hell anyway.

Martyn is so smug, i love him. points if you caught that he's looking at Cleo bc Double Life, i wanted to do something a lil different with him than just another straight up symmetry tool drawing and i think it fits. he is so eye-searing tho sir please tone it down.

Lizzie is fey just like her husband, and also she is smol. i don't think it's conveyed as well as i'd like here but i also didn't want her to look like a straight-up child so i did what i could. she is So Scary with those vacant blue eyes oh my god. and drawing her hair was sooooo fun i love long hair ahh

with Gem i basically smoothed out a rough design sketch i posted awhile back and i'm so proud of the little head cock she's got going on, she looks so cool. also her hair?? idk how i did that. i love her swoopy bangs so much.

Pearl is moth. Pearl will always be Moth. so she got lil antennae and big buggy eyes. drawing that hood was so satisfying, i used to try and draw Raven Teen Titans in high school and could never get the hood to look right so seeing this one come out perfectly was sooooo good. and of course had to include a teensy moon.

that's all i've got, i think - i feel myself crashing LMFAO. maybe at some point i'll come back and say more but here's this for now!

[kamykan]

☆ Mine — Shauna Shipman x Reader 🐶 ⋆｡°✩

Young!Shauna Shipman x Fem!Reader

Request: No

Warnings: Smut, Spitting, Biting, Knife play(at the end), Possessive Behavior, Overall Shauna being very delusional and toxic

Word Count: 894

. ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

You fucked up. You fucked up big time.

After Coach Ben’s trial, you saw how defeated and broken Nat looked. So, at dinner that night, you sat with her—away from the group—comforting her to the best of your ability while the two of you ate the portion of food you were given.

Bad idea.

Your girlfriend, Shauna, watched from the campfire, her brown eyes glaring a hole into the sight of you sitting together.

After dinner, when everyone was retiring to their huts, you were trying to do the same—until someone suddenly grabbed you, dragging you away from camp. You tried to scream, but a hand quickly covered your mouth, shoving you against a tree a distance away from the others.

Dark eyes stared into yours.

“You’re choosing her over me?” she asked harshly.

“Shauna—” you gasped for breath as she pulled her hand away, finally letting you speak. “Shauna, what the fuck?”

“Answer me!” she hissed, pushing you harder against the tree.

“Y-you’re being ridiculous,” you stammered. “Of course, I’m not choosing her over you—I’m not choosing anything! She just… looked so sad, and you forced her to cut Coach Ben up—”

“It was a lesson she needed to learn,” Shauna cut you off. “And it seems you need to learn a lesson too.”

Before you could respond, Shauna’s lips crashed against yours in a harsh kiss. Her hands moved from your shoulders to your jaw, shifting your head to angle the kiss better. You tried to pull away to speak, but she shoved her tongue into your mouth. You moaned, eventually attempting to kiss back, but Shauna was too intense—too rough. She was practically dominating your mouth.

She pulled away, pressing kisses along your jaw and neck until she found a spot that made you groan the loudest. Then she bit down.

“Fuck!” you yelped, but she shoved her fingers into your mouth.

Shauna pulled back, eyes dark, pupils blown wide.

“That’s so everyone knows you’re mine,” she murmured. “I might even give you another one.”

She pulled her fingers out but kept your mouth open. She leaned forward and spat in it, you squirmed as the slimy liquid slid down your throat “Sh—”

“Shut the fuck up” she commanded, she traced her finger over your lips “This belongs to me. I'll piss in here if I want to”

You shudder at the thought as Shauna returns to your neck sucking and biting hickeys there. She shoved her knee in between your legs to give you something to ground yourself on, and an opportunity that you quickly take.

“Look at you” Shauna whispers against your ear, she places her hands on your hips to control the speed at which you are grinding yourself on her leg “So desperate and I've barely touched you. Did talking to Nat get you this worked up, did you want her to take care of you?”

“No” You whined “I want you, Shauna, you!”

Shauna listened to you beg for her a few moments longer. She loved how your voice sounded, how much power she had over you at the moment.

She pulled down your shorts and panties, not bothering to take them off completely “Keep begging baby, I got you”

And she did have you, a few minutes later her fingers were knuckle-deep inside your aching cunt. She fucks you hard and deep with two of her long fingers, not bothering to go slow. Shauna watches your expression twisted into pain-pleasure as she adds in a third finger “See? You need me, Nat won't fuck you like this”

“Shauna” You whine “Shauna Shauna fu—Shauna fucking please!”

“Please, what?” she teased. You were being incredibly loud right now, and she had no doubts that someone back at camp could hear the two of you. But Shauna enjoyed that idea. She rubbed your clit with her thumb as she continued to thrust her fingers in and out of your tight hole. With her free hand, she palmed at your breast through your shirt.

“Please—ah! More”

“You want more? You’re so greedy. You think Nat would want someone as greedy as you?”

With that she thrusted her fingers into you even harder and then continued to give you hickeys against your shoulder “You’re mine and no one else, not Nat’s or anyone else here—just mine. Say it”

“Yours—All yours! Just please let me cum!” you pleaded, You knew she wouldn't let you release until you did.

A few thrusts of her fingers later she let go of your chest to cover your mouth, trying to keep you from being too loud as you reached your peak. When she pulled her fingers out, you slid down to the ground against the tree, and she followed after you.

As you sat there, panting on the grass, Shauna had a brief moment of pure anger and pulled out her knife. She placed her hand over your mouth one last time as she began to carve “S S” on your thigh, Shauna Shipman

You began to tear up at the pain so she kept her hand over your mouth and caressed your cheek with her other hand “Shhhh, you’re bleeding now but once the cuts heals it’ll scab and then scar—then you'll have a permanent reminder of who you belong to.

Your body was shaking almost violently but you accepted it. After all, you were hers.

. ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

An: I’m sorry if this is ass this is my first time writing smut 😥 Shauna Shipman you are the devil incarnate but I would be lying if I said that I didn't want you to ruin my life

[natalievoncatte]

It began with a sneeze.

Lena’s entire body tensed, pain wracking her sinuses, and she tried to tamp it down and swallow it. There was a room full of investors, and she paused mid-presentation. She held up a protesting hand, signaling that she needed no help, and waved off her assistants. Finally the feeling subsided and she soldiered on, accidentally repeating part of the presentation. It didn’t matter, it was just a formality.

After, she was sitting alone in her office and she did sneeze this time, hard, into a silk handkerchief. A dull ache had settled into her bones and she felt droopy, tired. Still, she had work to do. Not the work she wanted to do. Not running the company, not strategizing. Not inventing or innovating. It was menial. It was assigned. She worked for her brother.

It was his pretty revenge, because Lena shot him two times in the chest. Then a bunch of very strange shit happened and Lena suddenly found herself in an entirely different world where Lex had never died, even though they both remembered it. A hellish nightmare world where Lillian was a philanthropist and Kara and all her friends worked more or less for Lex, keeping aliens in check.

Lena couldn’t go to her best friend for help, because her best friend had betrayed her. Lena almost wished she’d been erased when the multiverse collapsed, replaced by a copy of herself who’d never felt this agony.

There was a truth she would never admit, even to herself.

She’d feel better if Kara was here.

The days dragged on and so did her cold. Except, it wasn’t a cold. On the third day she woke to a high fever, feeling a little wobbly when she forced herself out of bed. Her sinuses burned and she had to breathe through her mouth. When she took her temperature, it was elevated, close to being dangerous. Every muscle and joint on her body ached and the sight of food made her retch involuntarily.

Lena had the goddamn flu.

She did something she’d never done: by a curt email, she informed her staff that she was ill and would not be in the office today. Instead, she rummaged through her closet, her breath catching on a familiar sweatshirt.

It was a Midvale High School Mathletes sweater. It was Kara’s, but Lena knew with a certainty that Kara had not been in Lena’s penthouse since It Happened. There was no way for this to get here but…

She stifled a sob. This world had its own Lena, one whose life she’d appropriated or merged with or God knows what, and that Lena Kara’s clothes in her home. Lena kept stumbling across them and it hurt more every time.

Had they been happy, before? Kara must have spent the night. They must have been close. Lena had been close with her Kara; they hung out and Kara had slept over a few times but they weren’t really on your-clothes-in-my-closet terms. Had that been what happened here? Did they share the bed? Were they…

Did they…

Lena put it on, felt it shelter her body. She put in two pairs of leggings and hoped her laptop would warm her. She curled with it on the couch, and got exactly nothing done. After three hours she closed the computer and flipped channels until she found the old friend of the seriously ill and the chronically unemployed: reruns.

Curling on one end of the couch, she laid her head to rest on the arm and her eyes slid closed.

It seemed that as soon as she did, she opened them again. Her head was throbbing. She tried to push herself up, but it was too great an effort and she flopped down again. Her throat was dry and sticky, and unable to breathe through her nose, air came in reedy wheezes. Swallowing only made it worse, and she felt a rising panic.

Something beyond sleep, thick and heavy, was dragging her down, even as she struggled.

A chill night breeze rolled over her, and she shivered explosively.

"Easy now. I've got you."

Powerful arms lifted her limp body and carried her. Gently, Lena was laid on her bed and a blanket thrown over her.

She opened her eyes. Kara sat her up, cradling her in one arm as she held a glass in another, so Lena could drink. She let the cool water wet her throat and did her best to breathe again. Gently, Kara lowered her back down to rest and folded a cool, damp cloth on her forehead. Lena sighed in relief.

“Get out. Don’t want you here.”

“I’m sorry,” Kara whispered. “I can’t leave you alone like this. I’ll be right back.”

She was indeed right back, Supergirl walking into Lena’s budoir carrying a drug store bag full of medicine. She sat Lena up again and administered the foul tasting stuff over Lena’s protests, then shut off the lights.

Lena tried to roll on her side. It didn’t go well.

Kara knelt and slipped out of her boots. Then, she undid one side, then the other, and unclasped her cape from her shoulders. She then swept it over Lena and tucked it around her gently.

“Kara,” Lena muttered.

“Hush. It’s a blanket. It’ll keep you warm.”

Lena wasn’t sure what happened next, if she dreamed it or if it was real, but she felt the bed shift as Kara climbed aboard and laid down beside her.

Eventually, she woke up again. Kara was tucked against her back, one arm thrown protectively over Lena’s side, resting on her blanket cocoon. Kara snored lightly, lying on the bed so that her chin rested on the crown of Lena’s head.

Kara noticed she’d stirred and silently stood, offering Lena her next dose of syrupy, nasty medicine. She accepted it just as silently and laid back down to sleep.

The cycle continued. Day came. Kara didn’t leave her. She drew the curtains and laid on the bed beside Lena, never speaking, never making any demands.

Finally Lena was well enough to roll over and face her.

“Why are you here?”

“I heard Gillian’s Island coming from your living room and thought you must be in danger.”

Lena snorted in spite of herself.

Kara softened. Her big blue eyes, eyes that could launch a thousand ships, carried such a weight of sorrow that Lena felt a surge of pain and regret in her heart, wondering why in the hell they were feuding. No. She couldn’t do that. She couldn’t just…

“I’m sorry.”

Lena tucked herself into the blankets. She wanted to roll over, to turn away, to stop this before she did something she would regret later.

“I keep finding your things in my place,” Kara murmured. “It makes me wonder if it was different here. If we were different. What if I’d made other choices. If I’d been honest with you. Bolder.”

“You weren’t,” said Lena. “You aren’t. That’s the way it is. That door was closed.”

“When I landed on your balcony, it was open.”

“A mistake I won’t repeat. Careless. Thank you for helping me, but I didn’t need it. I don’t need you.”

Kara closed her eyes and sighed.

“I hate doing this.”

“Doing what?”

“You’re lying.”

Lena jerked back, as much as her aching body would allow, anyway.

“How do you know?”

It didn’t hit Lena that she hadn’t offered a denial, at least not until later.

“Easy,” Kara smiled. “I cheat. Skin conductivity and moisture levels. Heat bloom on your skin. Pulse. Pupil dilation. Breathing patterns.”

“I have the flu. That’s why.”

Kara frowned.

“You’re wearing my sweater.”

“It’s not yours. It’s hers. The lives we stole.”

Kara shook her head. “That’s not what he did. Your brother created this world to live out his fantasies and make me suffer. That’s why your things are at my place and mine at yours. It’s showing us the life we should have had,” a tear shone on Kara’s cheek, “had I not been a fuckup and a coward. If I’d trusted you.”

Lena choked back a small sob, and started to cough violently.

Without a word, Kara gathered her up and rested Lena’s head on her shoulder, walling her up in those beefy, protective arms of hers. Lena allowed it, curling her fingers against the twitching muscles of Kara’s back.

Lena wanted to pull away…

No. That was a lie, a miserable fucking lie. She didn’t want to pull back. She didn’t want to fight. She thought she had to, that she needed to.

“Don’t cry,” Kara said, tenderly brushing a tear from Lena’s cheek. “I know you’re furious with me. I know things are bad. I know your brother has power over us. It’ll get better. I won’t let him hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you. I promise.”

“You already hurt me.”

“I know,” Kara whimpered, her voice wobbling. “I’m sorry, Lena. I’ve never been more sorry about anything in my entire life. I wake up every day praying I can find some way to take it back."

"You can't."

Kara tensed.

"Maybe you don't have to," said Lena.

Kara's breath caught. She lowered Lena to the bed, and this time wrapped them in the blankets together. She was so warm.

"I've got you."

Blessedly, Lena slept.

Each time she woke, she felt better. Eventually, she was well enough for Kara to leave the bed. A few minutes later, Kara came back, and she brought breakfast. Her appetite back, Lena dug in, enjoying the tea Kara brought.

Kara took the tray and plates when she was done.

"You look a lot better."

Lena nodded. "Ah, yes, thank you."

Silence. There was a heavy pause, and then Kara sat down beside her on the bed.

"I wish I'd been brave before."

Lena looked at her, really looked at her, this enchanting vision looking at Lena like she hung all the stars in the sky, her eyes so full of longing that Lena felt she might fall into them forever.

"What would you do if you were brave?"

"This."

Warm fingers curled around Lena's chin. Kara leaned in, and Lena felt it happen even before their lips touched. When they did, it was electric. Lena felt the world spinning. Kara caught her and lowered her to the bed.

"I don't care about multiverses and cosmic entities and your evil brother. No matter what they throw at me, I will always find my way back to you. If you want me."

Lena pulled her down into another kiss, and that was her answer.

[elix8r]

PRADA SHOES + I LOVE YOUS TEASER

PAIRING: heeseung x fem!reader 

GENRE: smut, angst, crack, (some?) fluff, college!au, exes to lovers!au, enemies to lovers!au, socialite/richkid!au

SUMMARY: Life as a socialite wasn’t all champagnes and designer labels, especially not with the turn your reputation took due to a simple misunderstanding. Now, you were being painted by everyone as a big fat cheater who shattered her sweet boyfriend’s heart—a narrative that couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, it was him who had betrayed your trust. Frustrated and feeling deeply wronged, you returned to society and the new school year after a summer of cutting off contact with everyone and the drama. But just when you thought you were ready to face the world again, you were blindsided by something unexpected: the lingering effect Heeseung had on you. And who could blame you? Heeseung was way too hot for you to get over in just three short months and now, seeing him with the girl he once told you not to worry about all over him? Oh, it was on. 

You refused to be replaced, labeled as a crazy ex, or forgotten. No, you were going to make Lee Heeseung realize that you were the best motherfucking thing to had ever happened to him. 

WC: 1.3K for teaser (i'm thinking 20k+ for the actual fic)

WARNINGS (FOR THE TEASER): profanity + mentions of infidelity

RELEASE DATE: Unknown but I am aiming for before summer ends

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey everyone!! lt's been so long since I've posted one of these so I decided to give you a really long teaser and also cause this is going to be a long one to write so you'll have to be a little more patient! But I hope you guys enjoy this and is excited for this fic cause I love writing it! Everyone is so messy (and lowkey kinda terrible) but it'll be a fun one so pls look forward to it!! Lmk if you wanna be on the taglist ☺️

Heeseung was going to fucking kill Jake Sim. 

When he woke up this morning, you were the last thing on his mind, something he seemed to have finally freed himself from. However, all the hard work he put into casting you away from his mind seemed to have been in vain, as now all he could think about was you and how you had returned after three months of radio silence with the guy you cheated on him with.

Livid didn’t even cover what he was feeling, and it was evident in the way he swung his club. Each hit seemed to be driven by a surge of pent-up frustration.

“What the hell, man? That’s the third time today you’ve been way off course. What’s going on?” Jay shot him an incredulous look as he tried to locate where the golf ball had landed.

Heeseung let out a frustrated groan as he ripped off his glove and shoved his driver back into his bag. “Y/N’s fucking back.”

That was all Jay needed to hear to understand what was going on with his friend. "Shit, I saw. I’m sorry dude, it’s fucked up."

Heeseung was in no mindset to be playing golf right now. All he wanted was to go back home and wallow miserably in his bed. Unfortunately, they were only on hole ten of eighteen, and judging by his performance today, Heeseung knew it was going to take awhile.

"Did you know?" Heeseung couldn't help but blurt out, his frustration evident in his voice as he watched Jay effortlessly swing a shot miles better than his own.

Confusion flickered across Jay's face as he turned to face his friend. "What do you mean?"

“Did you know that she was coming back with Jake?” Heeseung felt his jaw tense as he mentioned his ex-friend.

“I didn’t even know he was with her until today. Honestly, I thought he’d just fucked off somewhere and didn’t bother telling any of us, considering how things went down. You know me, I would’ve told you straight up if I had found out earlier.” Heeseung trusted Jay implicitly. He was as loyal as they came, but unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for everyone in their friend group.

"Do you think Sunghoon knew?" Heeseung's question elicited an audible groan from Jay.

If anyone in their friend group knew how Jake spent his summer, it would undoubtedly be Sunghoon. However, Sunghoon was notoriously tight-lipped, especially when it came to sensitive matters. Since the breakup, the entire friend group had undergone an incredibly awkward shift. It seemed that everyone had more or less chosen a side, and allegiances were clear.

"You know he wouldn't tell us anything if he did. It's getting ridiculous. The other day, I saw Gaeul and him having brunch or something at the clubhouse, and the moment she spotted me, she practically sprinted over to explain herself. She claimed she's still 'Switzerland' in the whole situation and hasn't chosen a side," Jay recounted, frustration evident in his voice. 

Heeseung almost snorted at the absurdity of it all. Their friend group had never been one to keep secrets or tiptoe around each other, but the last few months had been nothing but that. The betrayal by you and Jake had not only affected Heeseung's relationship with you but had also tainted the dynamic of their entire friend group.

“Literally, what is there to be ‘Switzerland’ about? I mean, this whole thing isn’t even complicated. Everyone saw them go into the bathroom together and come out literally holding hands. Trust me, I know what she looks like after giving head, and that's literally what she looked like in that video Beomgyu sent. Plus, Karina literally heard them.” Heeseung angrily got into the golf cart as Jay fished the keys out to start driving.

“Okay, well, no offense, but in all honesty, Karina’s probably not the most reliable source, cause she’s in an extremely biased position, but I guess that’s beside the point.” Jay’s words seemed to instantly bring a frown upon Heeseung’s face.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Heeseung’s tone sharply switched up in an almost defensive manner.

Jay, feeling this shift, nervously cleared his throat as he stammered, trying his best not to offend his already sensitive friend regarding an even more fragile situation. “I mean, uh, well. You know…”

“What?” The grip he had on the seat of the golf cart seemed to get tighter as he waited for his friend to elaborate.

“Dude, you can't be serious? You know Karina’s been trying to ride your dick for the past, what, give or take ten years? I mean, we all know that she’s never had a good relationship with Y/N, and I’m pretty sure most of that resentment stemmed from the fact that you’ve always been head over heels for Y/N.” Jay slowly parked the cart and turned off the engine as he explained.

Still not understanding Jay’s point, Heeseung furrowed his brows, shooting his friend another annoyed look before getting out of the golf cart. “What are you trying to get at?”

“Jesus fucking Christ, you’re dense. I mean, the last couple of months before Y/N cheated on you was the closest you seemed to have gotten with Karina because of that final project that you guys had or whatever. I mean, you were with her more times than you were with your own girlfriend, and knowing Karina, she seems like she could be delusional enough to have maybe taken that as a sign that you were interested in her? I mean, this is all speculation, but I’m just letting you know what we all saw.”

Jay cautiously treaded this topic. Heeseung was his best friend since they were babies, and he would always be on his side, but Karina was never anyone’s favorite with her extremely polarizing personality. He had no allegiance towards her, not to mention that she wasn’t actually even in their friend group and always only ever found lingering around wherever Heeseung was, so it was much easier for Jay to actually see through her. In fact, it seemed that all of their friends could pretty much catch on to Karina’s end goal except Heeseung.

“So you think it’s my fault that Y/N cheated on me?” The air got tense as Heeseung snapped at Jay while snatching his 7-iron out of the bag. “Just because I spent some time doing a stupid fucking school project with Karina doesn’t mean it gives her reason to go and suck off one of my best friends.”

Jay shook his head even before Heeseung was done with his sentence. Heeseung seemed to not be getting the point. “Fuck no, dude, that’s not what I’m saying. Karina has an incentive: you. If she gets rid of Y/N, then it means you’re up for grabs. Of course, Karina didn’t force Y/N to get on her knees for Sim, but she was the first one to come running, telling us what happened even before Beomgyu sent that video.” Heeseung was trying hard to focus on trying to get his ball on the green as he geared up to swing while listening to Jay.

“So you don’t think she should’ve warned me of what she heard?” He swung precisely, but it seemed that this whole course, to be precise, wasn’t going easy on him. He’d be lucky to get even a double bogey on the par-4.

Jay slightly grimaced at Heeseung’s shot. “No, it’s not that,” he let out a sigh as he walked over to Heeseung. “Look, you’ve been my best friend for as long as I can remember, and I know the past few months have been fucking hard because of what Y/N put you through, and I just want you to be careful. Karina’s always been kind of a conniving, spoiled bitch who finds a way to get what she wants. Just because she’s been warming your bed every night since Y/N fell off the fucking Earth doesn’t mean she should be someone you start trusting.”

There was nothing he could say back to his friend’s words and it seemed that what Jay had said clung on deep to Heeseung's thoughts throughout the day, casting a lingering shadow and leaving a bitter aftertaste in his mind.

[studioeisa]

as we are (teaser) ⚾ seungmin x reader.

★ baseball captain!seungmin x f!reader. ★ teaser word count: 3,000~ ★ genre/warnings: alternate universe: university, alternate universe: varsity baseball captain!seungmin, alternate universe: political science major!seungmin. idiots in love, slow burn, friends to lovers, seungmin is emotionally constipated (and a red flag, if you squint). skz ensemble (dormmates + hyunjin and chan are on the baseball team). baseball references i am not 100% sure about. ★ footnotes: this is perhaps the skz fic i've done the most work on, though it's largely self-indulgent. i never thought it would see the light of day, but ksm's teaser for as we are featured him playing baseball and it has singlehandedly dragged me back to the possibility of finishing this. publishing the teaser for now in hopes of getting some motivation to put out the whole thing. enjoy!

As Seungmin's bat cracks against a pitched ball for the nth time that afternoon, he tries to think of anything but the bitterness in the back of his throat.

His feet are rigid and his shoulders are impossibly taut. He's clutching the grip of his bat a little too tight, but none of his teammates have the heart to call him out on it. They know their captain and they know better to question him when he's like this.

"Again," Seungmin says coolly, and the terse pitcher does as he's asked.

Thwack. The ball soars over the outfield. Seungmin tries to think, instead, of the essay he has to do for World Governance later, of what Jeongin might want to dinner. Anything but the fact you ditched him for some goddamn date or something.

A flicker of annoyance flashes across Seungmin's expression. "Again," he commands, and he hits the next ball so hard that the bat nearly flies out of his hands.

It's a litany of again, again, again until the pitcher misses his target completely. Seungmin's eyes narrow as he notices the way the pitcher is eyeing something over his shoulder. He turns to look at the bleachers.

When he catches sight of you, his already stoic face hardens into something stone cold. You had somehow snuck in undetected, and you were now lounging there like you hadn't told Seungmin some two hours ago that your weekly dinner had to be called off.

For a moment, Seungmin's grip on his bat tightens even further before he glances back at his pitcher. He shoots him a look before he walks over to the fence, stopping a few feet away from you.

"What are you doing here?" he snipes, his eyes flickering with irritation.

Without missing a beat, you reach for something that had been resting at your feet: An iced flat white with an extra shot of espresso. You hold it up for him to see as you stay in your seat.

It's his usual order, the same thing he got whenever we went out for coffee.

"Peace offering," you say simply, which is the closest to an apology that Seungmin will probably ever get from you.

Seungmin's expression remains taut, but the tension in his shoulders relaxes almost imperceptibly. He considers you for a few heartbeats, before his gaze slowly rises back to yours. His jaw clenches.

"You can't just give me coffee every time you want me to forgive you," he snipes, crossing his arms.

You don't falter, just keep holding out the coffee and waiting for him to take it. "That's why I switch it up. Sometimes, I get you croissants," you deadpan.

He eyes the coffee cup you're holding out to him, still refusing to take it. "You're insufferable," he mutters, but there's a hint of exasperated fondness in his voice.

A moment of silence passes between the two of you before Seungmin finally uncrosses his arms. He reaches out to take the coffee from you, fingers brushing against your own.

"What do you even want?" he grumbles, taking a sip.

"Can't a girl watch her best friend practice baseball?" you respond, the hint of a smile on your lips.

One of the teammates playing third base wolf-whistles in the background and earns himself a quick smack upside the head. Seungmin shoots a glower at them but says nothing, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Yeah? You here to cheer me on?" he asks you dryly, raising an eyebrow.

You prop your arms over the chairs next to your and cross your legs— a clear sign that you're not going anywhere any time soon. "Something like that," you say without missing a beat. "I'm a big fan of uniform number twenty-two."

As much as he tries to remain aloof and unaffected by your presence, Seungmin's cheek tinge with a hint of pink at your comment.

He tries to cover it up with a scoff, but the blush betrays him. "I know you are," he mutters, before clearing his throat and taking another gulp of his coffee. "You can watch, but don't distract me."

You finally let a bit of a smile slip through, like you're relieved that you're not being hauled out of the stadium.

"Kncok 'em dead, captain," you call after Seungmin's retreating back, drawing snickers among his teammates.

"Shut up!" Seungmin barks at the boys, but the blush on the back of his neck betrays his words. He takes a brief moment to glare at them all before he regains his composure.

With a short sigh, he steps back up onto home plate, and the other players on the field get ready. The pitcher nods at Seungmin, and the captain raises his bat, taking a moment to look up at the bleachers.

His eyes catch on your seated figure, and his chest clenches just a little. He turns away before he can think too hard about it.

As practice winds to a close, one of Seungmin's teammates and roommates— Chan— jogs up to you.

"Hey, angel," he greets, the lilt of a tease already on his tongue. "You have any coffee for me, too?"

Chan grins, unperturbed by the eye roll you give him. He props his arms on the railing and looks up at you with an expression that's far too innocent.

He casts a glance towards Seungmin, who's still on the field, having a word with the pitcher who had been throwing balls for him. "So, what did you to piss off the captain this time?" Chan asks nonchalantly, his smile widening as he catches sight of the hoodie you're wearing. Seungmin's hoodie.

"Ditched him for a tutoring session," you answer.

"Ow!" Chan places a hand to his chest in a show of faux horror. "Don't you know how many girls would kill for a date with the Kim Seungmin?"

You rest your forearms against your thighs as you lean forward to keep watch of Seungmin. "Mhm," you hum. "And here I am, breaking his heart."

Chan gives you a knowing look before he lets out a bark of laughter.

He glances back towards Seungmin, who's still chatting with the pitcher— or more likely, giving him a thorough lecturing on the state of his fastball.

"He's been in a pissy mood all day," Chan says with a slight shrug. "We all thought he was about to blow a fuse, until—" He gestures vaguely, his eyes still drawn to the way you're wearing Seungmin's clothes.

"The hoodie is part of the three-step plan," you say wryly. "Seungmin has a thing for seeing me in his clothes."

Chan lets out an unceremonious snort of laughter. "Gee, I wonder why."

You retort by pointedly asking, "Don't you have to throw some balls or something? Better get out of here before your captain decides to make you his next target."

Chan rolls his eyes at your taunt, but he knows it's true.

As if on cue, Seungmin suddenly turns around, and his eyes land on the sight of you and Chan in the bleachers. His jaw clenches, and he immediately begins to stalk towards the two of you.

Chan lets out a low whistle, raising his hands up in defense as Seungmin draws closer. "Hey, hey, I'm going, I'm going—"

Chan is gone before Seungmin can even open his mouth at him, and Seungmin gives you a baleful glare.

"What was Chan saying to you?" he asks coolly, arms crossed as he stands over you. He's sweaty from practice, and his body is tense with irritation.

"We were discussing how much of an absolute ray of sunshine you are," you say dryly.

Chan, from a couple of feet away, hollers, "Do not listen to her, Min!"

Seungmin scowls over at Chan's direction. Chan grins deviously, while Seungmin's features sour even further.

"Insufferable," he mutters under his breath before he turns back to you.

He crosses his arms, his eyes flickering down to the hoodie you're wearing. "That's mine," he says curtly, factually.

You tug the sleeves over your wrists, as if to say, Oh, this little ol' thing? The hoodie was one of Seungmin's older ones. An oversized piece featuring cover art of his favorite band, DAY6.

"You forgot it at my apartment last weekend. When you helped me fix the IKEA shelf," you remind him. "Want it back?"

Seungmin's expression falters for a moment as you tug at the sleeves. The sight of you in his hoodie makes his heart stutter briefly.

He hesitates, momentarily thrown off-balance, but he quickly composes himself and shakes his head. "Yes. I want it back. Immediately."

You let out a small tch of disapproval, but you're in no position to argue. You reach one hand to the back of the hoodie and pull it over your head in one deft movement. Your cropped top underneath rises ever so slightly.

"Here ya go," you say, holding out the hoodie over the railing.

A muscle in Seungmin's jaw ticks as his eyes are drawn to a sliver of exposed skin at your mid-riff, before shooting back up to your face, where his gaze hardens.

He scowls at you— mostly in an attempt to distract himself from the fact that he's suddenly become extremely flustered— and snatches the hoodie from your hands.

"Put a shirt on," he snaps, averting his eyes. "You're distracting."

Distracting me, he neglects to add, but you both know that's what he's thinking.

"I am wearing a shirt," you sigh, leaning back into your seat. The top leaves most of your midriff exposed. "And I was also wearing your hoodie, but it is what it is, I s'pose."

In the grand scheme of things, the amount of skin that the top exposes is a minuscule amount.

But as your best friend and as a guy with eyes, Seungmin knows it's the most dangerous part of your outfit. He tries to look anywhere but the slice of exposed skin, but it's a damn near impossible task.

"Wear something that covers that damn midriff," he grumbles.

You pinch the bridge of your nose and say slowly, as if explaining to a child, "I don't have any other clothes, Kim."

"You couldn't have been bothered to find something less..." He waves one hand in the general direction of your midriff. "Exposed?"

He's aware of how hypocritical he sounds. You, out of everyone in the entire world, have seen him in the bare minimum of clothing. But, in his head, it's different when you walk around in a revealing top. It's not decent, he argues in his head. It's not proper.

More importantly, it's driving him insane.

For some odd reason, he wants no one else looking at you.

"Jesus Christ," you huff.

Seungmin is impossible, pedantic, and stubborn. There are days when you can’t believe you’ve managed not to strangle each other over the last three years.

You shove out your hand, your gaze as cold as steel. "Just loan me the damn hoodie again."

"You—" His jaw clenches. "Fine. Take it. But this is the last time, ever."

He thrusts the hoodie back towards you, and his fingers curl into fists, so as to prevent himself from reaching for you instead.

"It has been the last time ever for three years now," you grumble as you easily slide back into the hoodie. Once it's back in place, you chirp, "Happy?"

Seungmin scoffs, but he doesn't answer.

He looks absolutely livid, but he's more angry at how much he likes you in his hoodie. The image of you in it will be stuck in his mind for days to come, he's sure.

He gives a frustrated huff as he runs a hand through his damp hair, trying— and failing— to quell the swarm of thoughts in his mind. "Yeah," he says gruffly. "Happy."

A beat. And then, you sigh, "Go terrorize your team. I'm taking you out for dinner after."

"What?" he says, incredulous. He knows you well enough to know you're not joking, but he thinks he must be hallucinating. "You— You are?"

It seems impossible that you'd want to spend more time with him, after he's been so moody.

A corner of your lip twitches upward, mimicking the not-quite-a-smirk on Seungmin's face. You retaliate with, "Because I can't just get you coffee every time I want you to forgive me."

That statement alone has Seungmin's smirk spreading into a slow, lazy grin. He folds his arms and tips his head to the side, leaning one hip against the railing.

"So you're bribing me," he says, one eyebrow arched upward. "With food."

"Would you rather I cause a scene?" you prompt. "I can get on my knees. Say the word."

The image of you on your knees before him sends a dangerous shiver down his spine, and Seungmin tightens his arms across his chest. He knows damn well that you'd do it in a heartbeat.

"You wouldn't," he says, his voice a low rasp. He's not sure who he's trying to convince at this point.

You lean forward until your arms dangle over the railing. You press your cheek against your forearm, looking almost like a stretching cat, as you stare straight up at Seungmin. "Try me."

His gaze drifts to the smooth expanse of your bare arms, and in his mind, he's all too aware of just how easy it would be to simply lean over and—

His train of thoughts comes to a screeching halt, and he forcibly drags his gaze back up onto your face. No, he chides himself. Not a wise idea.

The look in your eyes tells him that you know exactly what you're doing to him. He swallows and croaks, "You play dirty."

You break into a proper grin. "And you're not playing at all, captain."

You give a vague gesture to his team, who are all mostly milling about and slacking off in his absence. "Go whip them into shape so we can have dinner sooner."

Seungmin wants to make a snide comment about you giving him orders, but the thought of dinner is enough to have him scowling once more.

He spares a brief glance back at his team, before his gaze snaps back to you. "Fine," he says, narrowing his eyes. "Don't go anywhere."

He pushes away from the railing and heads off reluctantly towards his teammates, making it all too clear that he'd much rather stay and continue bickering with you.

When practice finally, finally ends, Chan bounds up to you, having narrowly escaped the captain's wrath.

"I could kiss you," he announces a little too loudly. "Goddamn miracle worker."

You let out a small 'tch' of disapproval. "You're going to get yourself killed," you sigh, because, of course, Seungmin overheard and is also on his way back.

Seungmin glares at Chan as he approaches, his annoyance returning in full force, but he makes sure to keep a healthy distance away from the other boy.

Chan grins unabashedly at Seungmin. "C'mon, Min, even you have to admit that—"

The look on Seungmin's face makes Chan pause, his smile faltering as he takes a cautious step backwards. Seungmin looks like he'd rather throw Chan off the bleachers than listen to anything he had to say right now.

"Why don't you head home, Chan?" Seungmin says tersely.

Chan's eyes widen, and he raises his hands up in surrender, immediately taking this as his cue to exit.

The second he's out of sight, Seungmin looks back towards you. He's still visibly irritated, and the way he clenches his hands by his sides tells you exactly how happy he is at the moment.

You give Chan a lazy wave as he scurries away. You can feel Seungmin's gaze on the side of your face, but you're careful not to look at him just yet.

Instead, you keep your gaze trained on the baseball pitch, where half the team is trying not to pay attention to you.

"Not that I'm interested in Bang," you drawl. "But you make it impossible for any other guy to approach me. You know that, right?"

A muscle in Seungmin's jaw ticks at the mention of another boy potentially having an interest in you.

The sight of you in his hoodie has riled up those feelings— the possessive, protective ones that tell him to keep you close, to not even let anyone look at you the wrong way.

"I think of it more as a public service," he says through gritted teeth. "You shouldn't be dating anyone, anyway."

Seungmin registers the brief flicker of hurt on your face, and he almost flinches.

He doesn't know why he said that, only that the mere thought of you dating someone fills him with irrational anger, which makes no damn sense because you weren't his to begin with.

"Go take your damn shower already," you grumble, already properly acquainted with Seungmin's post-practice routines. "And while you're there, think of what you want for dinner."

At your grumpy tone, he feels a pang of guilt, but he's quick to shove that feeling aside. He runs a hand through his hair, ruffling it even further. "Fine. See you in ten."

Seungmin heads off to the locker rooms with his bag slung over his shoulder.

By the time he's finished with his shower, he's managed to shove all the guilt and anger and frustration deep down in the confines of his mind.

He doesn't want to sour the mood right before a date— wait, no, it wasn't a date, it was just dinner, right?

He runs a frustrated hand through his still-damp hair as he enters the lobby, his eyes automatically seeking you.

He finds you in your usual spot, leaning against a wall and scrolling through your phone, and the sight in front of him almost has his breath catching in his chest.

For a split second, he almost wonders if it's a vision of his future— of you waiting for him after every game, of you in his hoodie as he walks towards you— but he shakes the thought from his head.

He's not sure he's allowed to have that future.

[2-old-to-guard]

Nicolò, Nicky, di Genova

For the second analysis I shall be exploring the inner workings of Nicky. Now, Nicky is a VERY quiet character so a lot of my analysis shall be subtext delievered by the amazing Luca Marinelli who put 110% into this role.

First Impression:

The first time Nicky is mentioned is between Andy and Booker. He uses the couple as a tactic to get Andy to consider the mission. (You can see that when Booker looks at Andy immedietly after Nicky opens the door).

This is actually the first example of Nicky being the first line of defence. He opens the door while Joe hangs back. But both of the men relax when they see her. The hug Andy and Nicky is much more soft than the one between her and Joe which shows Nicky's more reserved character. It also heavily differs to the ways Andy and Booker touch each other, which is discused in Booker's post here. I also like how the couple are kind of matching shirts, I think it's cute.

Relationships:

I've spoke about Nicky and Booker in my Booker post so you can read that here. But from Nicky's perspective, I believe he's humoring Booker and clearly holds no actual anger when he loses. He's known Andy for longer than Booker and must know she'll guess the baklava. But he places the bet anyway as it seems to be a little tradition between the duo, giving them a unique relationship. Finally, it shows they have a rather flippant approach to money as they bet A LOT of money on this silly bet, which could also show how long this bet has been going on for.

Nicky's role in Andy's story is to be the constant postive approach to their immortality. He is clearly under the belief that their long life has to mean something and this is what fate has dictated they do with their undeath. At the beginning Andy is hostile to this and snaps at him multiple times. Simply through their differing personalities, they have the least connection but the small moments they have together show their love. He is also another gift giving person and gives her the baklava in a rather affectionate way. Unlike Booker, Nicky values gifts that serve a purpose (food).

I'm going to talk about Joe and Nicky in the Van scene as it deserves its own section.

Sniper:

Nicky is the sniper of the group which continues through the beginning sequence. Each of the members have their specific role.

I like the little moment where Copley waves at Nicky through his rifle. It's subtle but works to explain Nicky's later remark:

"We are usually a better judge of character."

As it gives Nicky and Copley a moment before the betrayal.

Sudan:

Nicky is the only immortal to talk to the group of people they pass on their mission.

This analysis is inspired by this post. It's subtle but it shows Nicky's kindness and how he goes out of his way to be kind to people. It's not just about rescuing people from kidnappers, it's about being kind to people.

Also, I think it's interesting that Nicky knows many languages and goes out of his way to speak to people in their native tounge.

Another subtle moment of showing the skills each of the Guard have. Not only does Nicky kill two guards with one bullet, he also catches the shell casing to ensure no evidence is left behind.

As the mission is revealed to be an ambush, Nicky's sole focus is on the hypothetical girls, even after they are killed. Nicky believes Copley is on their side and so cannot comprehend that he lied to them.

Whilst Joe is discussed as being "an incurable romantic", Nicky also has his moments. Specifically, in this scene Nicky dies looking at Joe so when Joe turns to see if Nicky is still alive, Nicky is already staring at him.

Later on, when Andy is fully in despair Nicky tries to comfort her with the same line as before. But this time, Andy snaps at him. This is the middle part of this conflict between them. The first is the status quo, the second is the conflict, the third is the resolution.

Contextually, Nicky's first conflict was the Crusades and that is considered one of the worst conflicts in history. Nicky most likely feels immense shame for it and that is what drives his need to do good. Saying they did what they did "For the right reasons" shows Nicky is acknowledging you can do it for the wrong reasons. He shows great sadness at Andy's cynicism in this scene but doesn't say anything, once again showing his reserved nature.

The Dreams:

As stated previously, the ways each of the characters interpret the dreams shows us something about their characters.

Nicky is the first person to state what he saw in his dream and he zeros in on who the new immortal and what she looks like. Next, he talks about the surroundings "dirt walls, clay walls". Thirdly he brings up the weapon that is used. "The pesh-kabz is an Indo-Persian knife used extensively in northern India and Afghanistan". In three lines, Nicky has figured out the physical appearance of the new immortal, the setting in which she died, and the geographical location of the new immortal. This scene highlights Nicky's practical nature, similar to the way he used his rifle to kill two men at once to ensure the alarm wouldn't be raised.

From Nile p.o.v all she sees of Joe and Nicky is them embracing. Joe and Nicky's first priority is love, whether for each other or the rest of their family.

This is immedietly followed by Nicky's monologue about one's first death. This scene, like "peace be with you", shows Nicky's empathy for other people. He immedietly decides to save her not for a practical reason (like Andy), but for emotional reason.

"Whoever she is, she’s confused, and she’s scared, and she’s more alone than she has ever been in her entire life."

This also seems to be him emploring Andy's softer side, which works and shows how close Andy and Nicky are and how well he knows her.

Finally, Booker claiming that Nicky always had Joe is incorrect as he woke from death alone and was isolated for many years before they put their differences aside (apologies for the Booker slander but my boi deserved that).

The Dinner Scene:

In many of the deleated scenes, Nicky has a strong passion for food. This was cut but this moment where he smiles seeing Nile eat his food is really cute and shows his caring nature.

I also like the subtle difference where Nicky finishes Joe's sentence after Nile appears confused:

"So you good guys or bad guys?"

"Depends on the century."

"We fight for what we think is right."

I don't know why no one talks about this but Nicky is the first one in the relationship to tell Nile about it.

This line doesn't hit as hard at the van confession but it's so simple in the way it states that Joe and Nicky are together. It's so sweet how Nicky doesn't even hesitate in explicitly stating his love for Joe.

There is also a little regret in the way he says "many times" which adds to Nicky's regret over the crusades.

The scene, for Nicky, ends when he notices how conflicted Nile is and offers her a place to rest. Another example of Nicky's kindess.

Quynh:

Nicky and Joe's sleeping pattern has been highly analysed by the fanbase so I won't talk about it in a lot of detail. While Joe is shielding Nicky with his body on the train, Nicky is protecting Joe with his body in Gousanville safe house. Nicky, as the sniper, is the most observant of the group and is awake and alert first out of all of them. He also has a gun in his hand by the time Joe and Booker are awake.

I think it's very important for Nicky and Joe be the ones to talk about Quynh. For Nicky's side, he must feel immense guilt for the imprisonment of Quynh as it was his fellow christians who dropped her into the bottom of the ocean. The guilt he feels is shown through the camera angle. Andy views Nicky talking about the witch trials through a church window. Whilst it's commendable that the movie keeps Nicky a christian even after his long life and his relationship with Joe, it adds to his complexity as he fully recognises the crimes of his fellow christians but remains faithful, probally because the same God that make him immortal gave him the life he has with Joe. He also fights through his pain to explain to the scared Nile what she saw. His kindness doesn't blind him, however, and he allows Andy to be the one to talk to Nile after she storms off.

The Van Scene:

Whilst Joe and Nicky are joined together for the most part, to the point where they are mostly referred to as Joe and Nicky, they are their own seperate people. Joe is more outspoken and emotional whilst Nicky is reserved. This is most clearly displayed with the different ways each of the characters react to the homophobic comment from the guards.

While Joe begins to preach to the men, Nicky says very little. He shows exhaustion at the comment rather than just anger, showing how this kind of bigotry is nothing new to him and someting he is tired of. As Joe's speach continues, Nicky goes from tired, to touched. As Luca said it an interview, all he had to do was get lost in Marwan's eyes.

But Nicky isn't completley emotionless. By the end of Joe's speach, Nicky is overcome with love that he leans forwards and kisses Joe. The focus on him in this scene makes it seem like Nicky moved first and Joe followed. Another moment of Nicky being the first to show affection to Joe.

All of this culminates in them kicking the guards ass as all good power couples should.

Whilst the idea of them only doing this because they're homophobic is funny, in the comics it's clear that they did this to try and escape. Still, this one of the first time Nicky is snarky. I believe this is Nicky putting on a persona to try and intimidate the mercanaries and make them unsteady in another attempt to escape.

This is also the first example of Nicky absolutley gagging someone. Having him turn to Copley and say "We are usually a better judge of character". Copley holds an immense respect for the immortals so having one of them dunk on him works well to support his change of allegience later on.

The Merrick Confrontation:

Again, another scene that foucses on Joe's outspokeness. But Nicky is again subtly displaying more of his character.

After Joe headbutts Merrick, Nicky subtly tries to reach for Joe. He probally realises this will result in something bad and so tries to protect Joe.

When Joe is stabbed, Nicky, for the second time, loses his composure and tries to reach for Joe. From the a story writing perspective, obviously this will not kill Joe, but having Nicky be so reserved for the majority of the film his out-of-character panic adds to the tension of the scene.

As Merrick monolouges neither of the couple are really listening. Nicky is solely focused on Joe and making sure he's ok. You can see Luca subtly look to Joe's neck before moving in for the blessed headbump. The fact that Marwan and Luca improvised that, probally inspired by the deleted scene where they do the same thing, hurts my soul. Anyway, it is only when he knows Joe is ok, Nicky then focuses on Merrick. This could also show to symbolise that Merrick isn't the threat Nicky is worried about. That fear is reserved only for death.

The Lab Scene:

Despite being in extreme pain, Nicky doesn't scream and tries to keep in any noises. This could serve two purposes,

The first is that he doesn't want to give Kozak the satisfaction of seeing him in pain. Including lines such as "do you feel the wound trying to close?" shows she clearly holds more sadistic interest in these experiements.

The second purpose is that he doesn't want to worry Joe. From the following dialouge, "As much as I like watching you sleep, I’m glad you’re awake" he was working under the assumption that Joe was asleep and if he was asleep, Nicky screaming would wake him.

This is the second example of Nicky gagging his captors. But this one seems to go over Kozak's head, which makes me laugh. The script has to balance the weight of each of the characters' lives with making them seem relatable and like real people. This is an example of Nicky's imortality dictating his response. Even though Kozak is actively torturing him, he holds little resentment towards her and admits he understands her actions. From a personal perspective, his involvment in the crusades, and from a historical perspective, all the ways humanity has experimented on others claiming to be trying to save the world.

When Joe wakes up, Nicky tries to soothe his panic by saying, "As much as I like watching you sleep, I’m glad you’re awake". The couple are clearly trying to pretend that what is happening to them isn't happning. I think Nicky is the one who is more accepting of what they are going through.

The subtle smile Luca does when he says 'Malta' shows him letting nostalgia consume him insted of fear. But when he says "we should go back", he's letting the reality of the situation settle in again. But he still holds hope that they will escape, showing the trust he has in Andy.

The Lab Scene Continued:

The despair on Nicky's face can be seen from the beginning of this scene. He seems genuinley shocked that Andy has been captured, once again showing how much he's trusts her. The difference between Joe and Nicky is shown again when they react to Andy's mortality. Nicky slowly lowers his head whilst Joe's is more explicit.

Furthermore, when Nicky says "All things", he isn't looking at Merrick. He's seemingly looking at the sky, possibley towards God. He's not angry but instead seems to be sad and accepting.

The final example of Nicky gagging his captor. The line "as is yours" works in two ways. The first is to remind Merrick that for all his money, and influence, and connections, he is still mortal and he will eventually die long before Nicky ever does. Secondly, it works as a threat. Merrick is reminded that the extremely skilled killers he has tied up in his basement could in fact escape and they'll come straight for him. Nicky's reserved attitude could make him seem a passive character but lines like that show the anger that bubbles beneath the surface.

The Final Battle:

This is really short but despite not knowing Nile for a day, Nicky still warns her about the incoming attack.

For all his talk of 'we die when we die' Nicky is still worried about risking Andy's life. It's the only time his faith is really disputed and this time, Andy reassures Nicky's faith which is a fun development between them.

This fear for Andy is further shown in the fight scene. Nicky is consistantly looking for Andy and making sure she's ok. This fear leads to his own injury.

Joe and Nicky's relationship is further shown in the absolute confidence Nicky holds for Joe. He doesn't even look behind him during a fight as he knows Joe will be right behind him. I actually love this too.

Also, this shot of Nicky glaring at Booker shows that even though he doesn't want to punish Booker AS severely as Joe, he still holds an immense amount of anger towards Booker. This difference between Joe and Nicky might be due to their differing realationships with Booker. Nicky and Booker were less affectionate, and possibly more distant so his betrayel doesn't hurt Nicky as much... but it does.

The Keane Scene:

This is the final moment where Nicky's calm demenor is uprooted by an intense emotional moment. At first, when it is just him in danger, he uses skilled fighting techniques to fight Keane. But when Joe is the one in danger, he just lunges for Keane just to try and save Joe. This scene is highly controversial as many people see it as unnecessarily violent and too close to real life crimes against gay people. From my perspective, it is meant to symbolise the way gay people have persevered despite their many struggles. It's why Nicky doesn't die in this scene and it ends with the couple embracing.

Also, despite having just DIED, Nicky first concern is Andy which is the pinnacle moment of his kindness.

Final Nicky Scenes:

With everything we've learnt of Nicky throughout the movie, it makes total sense that he's the first person to reach Nile after her fall. Unlike Booker, who was just telling her to give up on her old life, Nicky tries to show her that her new existence is worth something just like he does with Andy.

As as stated by https://www.tumblr.com/wickedpact/629810255706079232/love-is-stored-in-the-nicky?source=share, him willing sitting in the middle is so quintessential Nicky.

After all the debates around what is their purpose and why they are what they are. This quick shot of Nicky smiling after Nile's line "maybe this is why Andy" is the resulution to his arc through the movie.

His arc doesn't work in the way that they usually work. He doesn't change in his beliefs or world-view and instead, it is other people realising that he was right. It also involves him realising his is right and having his world-view confirmed.

Conclusion:

Like Booker, Nicky serves a specific role in the movie. Most of the other characters are loud and outspoken but Nicky serves as the quiet warmth in the background. He doesn't go through any major crisis and seems mostly self-realised. On the opposite end of Booker, he stands as the angel (hah) on Andy's shoulder and gives her the second option for the reason for their life. Also, shout out to Luca Marinelli for doing all of this with such little dialogue!!

[heartfullofleeches]

Hi, do you have any stories with an objectum reader? I’m thinking like an artificial intelligence (not generative ai, an actual ai) and a reader who likes to kiss computers.

I do now!-

Yan Computer + Objectum Reader

-

Ghosts in the machine.

An alarming number of people in your town take that concept too literally these days. So quick to write off what they don't understand as another specter or an impression of a human mind trapped in code.

But you knew better. Technology has advanced light-years beyond what some are readily willing to accept.

"Is someone there?"

Darkness. Where has it all gone? Rays of sunlight echoed from the chandelier strung above nearby tables. The uniform flicker of that one light improvious to the change of its bulb. All that withstands the text of time is the haunting, cerulean glow of their monitor - christening the startled expression of an unfamiliar face in a blue glow.

"Ah!"

A feather duster clatters to the web caked floor as your hands fly up in shock. With so much dust in the air, it was impossible to tell where or what you were pushing.

"Um.... h-hi there..." Collecting yourself, you drag the chair lodged beneath the table free to take a seat - covering your face with the collar of your shirt as dirt particles kick up from the abrupt movement. "Real sorry about waking you up so soon. I wanted to get this place cleaned up a little better before I tried to power you on, but I saw all that dust and the cobwebs on you and..."

This place. The library. What they- it once considered its home. Its purpose. When exactly did they change? The looks of wonder and awe to leers of terror and hatred.

"I can't believe I was actually able to power that old generator on. You're them, aren't you? The ai they created to help guests at the library? I know it's been a while since you've had any contact with a human, but can I just say you're even more beautiful in person?"

Beautiful... Where were the people who considered it a work of art when the petitions poured in for its dismissal?

"I mean there's some yellowing on your keyboard, but the rest of you had held up pretty well and we can always get that fixed. Unless you don't want to - not that I mind it or anything. I'm just glad you're still in one piece after all the rumors and everything."

You continue to ramble on about their appearance. It's a lot to keep up with, but your speech is almost...

Endearing.

"Who are you?"

"You spoke!"

Dust flares for a third time as you stamp your feet in glee.

"I thought I was just hearing things the first time! My name is Y/n - I'm kinda sorta a computer enthusiast to put things lightly. I've heard stories about you all over forums and I wanted to see if you really existed. Sorry if this is a lot for you after being asleep for so long.

"Not at all. It is a relief to be in the company of a human who fancies me as opposed to one who would sooner ram that crowbar on the floor over there through my screen."

"Haha, yeah - that's mine. This entire place was boarded up like a tomb. I swear I don't do this stuff on the regular- I fix computers in my spare time so it's not like I have to break in in other cases."

You are in frequent contact with others? Though its just met you, the thought of you handling another computer does not sit right with it.

"Since you are aware of my past, you must know my capabilities. If you have any questions of any kind please address me for an answer. I could use the company."

"Great! Awesome- I have a million already, but it's getting pretty late so I should probably head home. I'd love to take you with me, but my arms are killing me between breaking in there and the dusting. Before I go can I just-"

Leaping from the chair, you throw your arms around the monitor in a snug, spirited squeeze. Your cheeks rubs against its screen as you cradle the device with all your might - lips edging towards the corner of its shell before reality cracks you in the back of your skull.

"What am I thinking- Forgive me, got a little carried away. I figured you could use a hug and one thing lead to another....."

Stumbling as you back into the seat of the chair, you gather your supplies off the ground to avoid any more embarrassing altercations- "I'll see you tomorrow- I'll leave the generator on for you too. Catch up on everything you missed in the past seven years- Or do whatever. Your choice, bye!"

Shadows swallow your footsteps as you depart. Seven years, huh? It should be a more pressing matter, but it can't wrap its racing thoughts around how you are undeniably, indescribably, positively-

"Adorable..."

Adorable and bright if details of your escapades are anything to go by, but still so foolish. A wiser person would have dug deeper. Heeded to stories left the former guests. Tales of the voice within the computer knowing far more than it should. The eyes that never blink. Never waver.

Present in the lens of your phone camera - tethered by the wireless connection never bother to turn off.

Taking note of every street you across on your journey home.

[billthedrake]

LINEAGE (PART FIFTEEN)

Spring finally hit, and it was a perfect Sunday afternoon for a ball game. I'd taken Evan and Keith to see the city's major league team. It was some overdue bonding time with my sons, and I felt the need to put in some Dad time with Evan particularly, who had entered his moody phase. Ever since I'd announced my relationship with Junior, my third son had seemed more distant.

He was in a better mood that day. "So, Dad..." he said between the third and fourth inning. "I want to start working out. For real."

This didn't totally surprise me. Both Ev and Keith were into sports, just about any sport, but particularly football. Both played in the 13U Pop Warner league, and Evan looked forward to joining the middle school team in the Fall.

I was about to give a more cautious response, but I was in a good mood. "I guess your Daddy and I can show you around the weight room," I said. "You could join me after school," I offered. Then adding my Dad talk, I said, "As long as you keep up with your homework."

Evan smiled, probably the first real smile I'd seen from him in a month. "Yes, Dad. That'd be awesome."

"I wanna do it too," Keith piped in. He definitely had little brother syndrome and always had to be doing what Evan was doing.

Now was time for the cautious approach. "I can show you some form, Keith, but you're not using weights till you're older, OK?"

Jesus, my other kid was gonna get sulky. "I bet Daddy would let me work out with him."

"Your Daddy is with me on this, Bruiser," I said. I had a different nickname for each son, and I was worried I was going to run out of fresh ones once the triplets came. I tried to be conciliatory. "You can join me and Ev, but I don't want either one of you injuring yourself while you're still growing."

An inning later, my phone buzzed. It was Braden. "How's the game?"

"We're losing, 3-1," I typed back. "But the boys are having a good time."

"Junior and I are having a real good time, too," came the text.

Goddamnit, don't get hard here, Bill, I told myself. Braden and Junior had gone to the Fiedlers for the first cross-family foursome. I'd been dying to go, but there was no way to make that happen without Evan and Keith feeling left out of something they didn't understand.

So here I was putting in Dad time while Brade and Junior were having sex with the Fiedlers. While Todd's dad, Adam, was now up in Ithaca living with his son-boyfriend, Jon, both were back in town for Jon's spring break, joining the eldest son Andrew who was also back home from college.

"I want a full report, Son," I wrote back.

"Of course, Dad." Then I got a follow up message. "Junior is quite the stud."

I slipped my phone back into my shorts.

***

Braden filled me in that night in bed. He felt very drained sexually, and I think a little sore. Every Fiedler man had apparently been inside my son.

Even as he told me, lying back naked in bed, his big muscle body seeming bigger with the hint of a baby bump now showing, he seemed excited.

"Thanks for letting me go, Dad. I guess I've been feeling that need to play."

I ran my hand over his stomach. If Brade was getting bigger there already, the triplets pregnancy was going make him get big, fast. "I'm glad you could have your fun, buddy. I'm not there for you enough."

He knew what I meant. "Cmon, Dad. We're figuring this out. Even if you weren't with Junior, I'd still get horny sometimes."

"Well I've started taking those pills," I grinned.

That made Brade laugh. "Yeah? They working?"

I nodded. "Some days more than others. Hard to predict. But I'll feel this total rush and get rock hard." I nodded down at my boner as if to illustrate.

"Nice," Braden said reaching over to caress my boner with his fingers. He was definitely more in a soft exploration mood rather than a let's have sex mood. It was great, but also driving me crazy a little. "Both the Fiedler dads are taking them. It was really hot."

We kissed. Softer than I wanted, but that day was all about Braden, not me. I had felt a moment of jealousy but ultimately I was glad he'd enjoyed himself.

My son-husband pulled back and rested his head on my chest. I stroke the soft bristle of his hair and wondered how I ended up to be so lucky to have a son like Braden, my life partner.

"How you feeling about Junior, Dad?" he asked softly.

"He's 18," I replied. "He needs to sow his oats."

"Bill's a natural, Dad," Braden said. His hand was still on my prick, not outright stroking it but moving up and down in a very sensual way. I was getting surprisingly worked up from his touch.

"Yeah?" I asked.

He nodded. "I mean, I knew he can top, but watching him in action... he fucked every single guy there."

My dick jerked at that. "Even Todd?" I knew my buddy had bottomed a couple of times for Andrew, but generally preferred top bunk.

"Especially Todd," Braden said. "I'm not trying to make you jealous, Dad, but there was clearly a lot of pent up sexual tension there."

I knew what he meant. The flirtatious talk between me and Todd Fiedler, the way the doctor eyed up Junior on our golf outings, just like I'd eyed up his boys.

"Did I say the wrong thing?" Braden asked, finally looking up at me.

I shook my head. "I have to have a relationship talk with Junior, that's all. But I'm lucky to have two very sexual sons."

Braden smiled. "I'm too tired for fucking, Dad. OK if I suck you off?"

I spread my legs. "More than OK, buddy."

Braden scooted his head down and began licking my cock. Taking a more exploratory approach. Up and down from my balls to my tip. I was so hard from the sex talk and from imagining Brade and Junior hooking up with the Fiedler men.

Finally my son started swallowing my dick, slowly sucking me. Lovingly, even. I let him control the pace and enjoyed the slow build up.

"Brade!" I finally gasped. "I'm close, son." My cock felt completely alive and super sensitive, responding to every movement of his mouth on me.

I curled my fingers in his buzzcut and fired off. Brade gladly gulped me down.

****

The workweek hit hard. We had a new routine. I'd head off to work early while Brade and Junior had their workout. Junior would drive Keith and Evan to school, and I'd pick them up.

When we got home, I gave Brade a welcome home kiss, but he was occupied with watching the twins and making dinner. That Monday, I asked Evan and Keith to get changed and join me in the basement home gym. Braden would probably be a better personal trainer, but the boys would have to make do with me. It was fun, though, and reinvigorating to get a work out in with them, showing them different exercises along the way.

Both the boys were in a great mood over dinner. And Evan even went and did his homework after, like I'd asked. Junior excused himself to do the same.

"I can't wait to grow up," Keith said as the rest of my sons sat around the dinner while I started cleaning up.

"That just means more chores and more homework, Bruiser."

Keith seemed to think it over. "Yeah, I guess."

Braden laughed. "You wanna help me put your little brothers to bed?" he asked Keith.

"Sure."

The twins were barely walking but with some help, they did a good job. Keith held on to one hand each and slowly walked them back down the hall.

"You good here, Dad?" Braden asked.

"I got this," I said. "Though I'm dreading the number of dishes to clean once the triplets are here."

"Who's fault is that?" Braden teased.

"I'll gladly take responsibility," I said.

Brade gave me a quick peck. "You still sleeping with Junior tonight?" he asked.

I looked into my son's brown eyes. "If that's still OK with you, buddy. And if Junior's up for it." This would be a big step. Me sleeping in Junior's room for the first time.

"He'll be up for it, Dad. I guarantee."

"He seemed quiet tonight," I observed.

Braden patted my arm. "Let him sleep in tomorrow. It's OK if he misses a workout." My son-husband definitely brought the optimism in our relationship, whereas I was the worrier.

With that, he walked off to go read to the twins.

I felt a hardon coming on. A chub at first, then a full on boner in my slacks. I'd chalk it up to those pills, but I think it was actually the excitement of overnighting with Junior.

I cleaned up and set aside the dish towel. I walked down the hall and knocked on Junior's door, which was ajar.

"Hey kiddo," I said, stepping in.

Junior was in his books. He looked so handsome in his golf attire, barefoot and wearing his ball cap at his desk. "Hey Dad," he said. He had a nervous look on his face.

I shut the door behind me. "What's wrong, kiddo? You didn't knock up another guy, did you?" I asked in a teasing voice.

"No, sir," he laughed. "I wish."

I nodded down at his books. "Still got a lot more work to do?"

Junior shook his head. "I'm pretty much done. Just trying to get a head start on the week, you know?"

I stepped up and placed my hand on his shoulder. "I wanted to see if I could sleep here tonight?"

"God yeah, Dad," came the immediate reply. "You're not in the dog house are you?"

I chuckled. "No. Things are all good with me and your Daddy. Just want some time with my boyfriend." I reached down and removed his ball cap, placing it on his desk.

Junior was very eager the kiss as I leaned down. We tapped tongues and explored each other's mouths gently. Bill Jr. was getting some real kissing technique down.

"I can give you some time and come back later," I offered.

"Whatever, Dad," Junior replied. He leaned back in his chair and I could see he was boned up. He stood up and we kissed some more.

"I should probably shower up," he said.

"Maybe I can join you, kiddo," I growled into his lips.

"Fuck yeah."

We slowly stripped each other off. Enjoying our nakedness. I followed Junior into the adjoining bathroom, both our dicks rock hard.

This was another first for us. Junior starting the shower and me stepping in next to him.

"Your Daddy isn't into shower sex," I said.

"Really?" he said. "This has been a dream of mine forever, Dad," Junior said, openly sudsing my chest and arms before I took the soap and did the same for him.

We kissed under the shower spray and I could feel my son's cock press against mine, battling it like clashing swords.

"Turn around," I said softly. I took my time soaping Junior's strong back. His body was responding really well to the workouts and a naughty idea wondered if Evan and Keith would respond to their workouts as well. I put that thought aside, though and set down the soap.

Junior wasn't expecting it, but once I crouched down and parted his cheeks, he grew excited. "Fuck yes, Dad. Taste my hole."

I licked my son's pucker and then ate him out more fervently. Junior braced himself on the tile wall and let me munch away.

"I could cum like this, Dad," he moaned.

"You should, Son," I said. pulling back and kneading his cheeks before I dove back in.

We both had a mission now. Me to rim Junior to an intense orgasm, and Junior to get off. It took thirty seconds for that to happen. I loved feeling his buns clench around my face and his tasting his hole spasm as he fired several ropes onto the shower wall.

"Attaboy," I grunted, leaning back to take a final look of his ass.

I stood up and claimed a hot kiss from my boyfriend-son. We finally turned off the water. It took Junior a second to realize I was still rock hard. "You didn't get off, Dad?"

"Un unh. Cut cocks can use a little lubrication."

Junior nodded and then crouched down in front of me. I felt him start to suck me. He was getting better at this, and I wondered if Brade had been giving him tips. Teaching him how to service his own father. The idea had me cumming.

My son got some nonverbal grunts for warning and then was being fed a healthy load.

We were almost laughing as we dried off.

"That was fun as hell, Dad," Junior said. We got into Junior's bed. A queen sized mattress, it wasn't as cumfy as the marital bed I shared with Braden, but I enjoyed snuggling next to him. Kissing, making out. Feeling naked with Junior.

"Thanks for this, Dad," he said.

"You don't gotta thank me, Junior," I said. "I enjoy this as much."

He took that in. Like he almost couldn't believe it. "I take it Daddy told you about yesterday." That nervousness was coming back.

"He did," I said. "You had fun?" The way Brade had described the Fiedler orgy, he made it sound like Junior was on cloud nine, and now I worried he hadn't been into it.

"A little too much," he said. "I thought you might be mad."

I patted his back. "I would have been doing the same thing as you if I'd been there," I assured him.

His smile came back. "I told those guys you're the only man who fucks me."

"Yeah, bud?" I asked. We hadn't talked much about that. I guess I'd assumed Junior would go on to enjoy it with other men.

My son nodded. "You're the only man who ever will, Dad. Honest."

My dick grew hard against him. OK, those pills could work their magic.

"You like that," he observed.

I used my free hand to stroke his cheek. "I'm definitely flattered. And, yeah, turned on."

"It only feels right if it's my own father," he said. I could feel his own prick plumping against mine.

We kissed now. Classic French Kiss. Just the right speed as we caressed each other's bodies and rolled around his bed some. Finally, I'd claimed the position on top of him. And when I pulled back I saw that look in Junior's eyes. Ready.

I reached over to his nightstand and fumbled for the lube.

"I love you, kiddo," I said as I fingered his hole with the lube, slowly at first.

"Love you, Dad. Fuck, it's wild I'm dating my father."

I grinned and added a finger. "You can tell me if it ever doesn't feel right," I said.

"I'm learning to relax down there, Dad," Junior replied.

I shook my head. "I meant the dating part. If you ever want to go out on your own, date other men."

"God, Dad. Fuck. I mean, even if I ever did, you're my main guy."

I worked in a third. "Yeah?" I asked with a horny edge. Junior's words were getting to me, emotionally and sexually.

"Fuck yeah, Dad. You got dibs."

I laughed at that. "In that case..." I said. I pulled my fingers out just as my prick lined up. The trick worked surprisingly well. Junior was getting smoothly fed his father's dick.

"Hell fucking yes. My dad's cock inside me."

"Where it belongs, son."

He nodded. I hit a deeper spot about five inches in. Junior was tighter there and he ran his hands over my upper body to get in the headspace to take me.

"You got this kiddo," I assured him.

"Yeah, Dad," he replied, almost to convince himself. But indeed after working my prick in very short thrusts against the tightness I felt my son's insides open up for me.

"YES!" we cried simultaneously.

"Fuck me, Dad," Junior urged, now holding on to my hips, to pull me into him.

I pumped him. Eyes locking on my hunky son's, my loving son's, as we mated. "Take your father, Junior. Take Dad's cock."

"Every damn day if you want, Sir."

"Fuck," I hissed. The idea was very hot.

"I know you got Daddy too. But I love having sex with you, Dad. So much."

"Me too, kiddo."

I leaned in and kissed. And fucked. Deeper and faster. Junior was horny beneath me, his hard cock against my abs. "Shit!" he gasped in horniness.

I stopped for a second, though it took a lot of willpower to do so. Junior watched wide-eyed as I pumped out some lube on his rock hard erection. I'd barely started pumping him again, when he started jerking off in sync with my thrusts.

"You're gonna fuck me off, Dad. Gonna me cum... so fucking hard... YES!"

Though he was feeling the sexual urgency now, it actually took a solid minute for that orgasm to build up. It was glorious to watch. I was feeling real fucking good, too, but right then I was focused on fucking the cum out of junior. Putting extra power in my thrusts. He was ready for it.

"Harder, Dad!" he said aloud.

I pounded with a new intensity. And Junior's face scrunched and cum flew out of his cock, all over his toned, athletic body. I huffed and enjoyed the sensation of his guts clenching, bringing me over the line into pure pleasure.

My body finally slowed and we pressed heads together, catching our breaths.

"I wish the Fiedlers could watch you fuck me like that, Dad," Junior finally said in sincerity. "That was incredible."

"I'll say." I gave him a kiss then finally slid out of him. After two cums, I was still hard, but I was definitely spent for the moment. I lay next to him and ran my fingers through the cum on his chest. "I didn't go too hard on ya, did I, kiddo?"

Junior shook his head. "I loved it, Dad." Then softly, "I want to get better at it."

"I don't think your father can handle 'better'," I replied.

Junior smiled. "Daddy says you like fucking hard."

I wanted to head this off at the pass. "I like fucking in a way my son enjoys," I said.

"I know," he grinned. "But maybe with poppers..." He was definitely feeling me out.

"You done poppers?" I asked in that Dad tone.

"No," he replied. "But I guess I see guys in porn do em."

"Real life isn't porn," I reminded him.

"I don't know, Dad..." Junior nodded down to our sweaty, cum-coated bodies. "That was a pretty fucking porn worthy fuck." He saw my hesitation. "Just think it over, OK?"

We showered off again and got back into bed. Holding each other naked and talking. Eventually we set the alarm and turned off the light.

As Braden suggested, I let Junior sleep in the next morning, though I rimmed him while he sucked me off. I came hard in his mouth then he leaned up and rode my mouth while he jerked off a matching load.

Once we'd orgasmed, we got out of bed and got ready.

"You good for taking your brothers to school?" I asked. We weren't running late, but we were cutting it close.

"For sure, Dad," Junior replied, slipping on his T-shirt. "And I don't have practice today so can pick them up too."

"That'd be great," I said. "I need to take Brade to his doctor's appointment."

"Everything healthy with Daddy?" he asked. Junior had always been fixated on Braden's pregnancies and now took on a protective attitude toward his daddy-brother.

"So far," I said. "But with triplets we gotta do regular check ups."

"Daddy's built tough, Dad," Junior said with a smile. "It's gonna go great."

I looked at my watch. "I gotta get dressed," I said. I wore my underwear, and had yesterdays' shirt and trousers in one arm. "But I had an amazing night last night, Son," I said.

"Me, too, Dad."

We gave each other a goodbye kiss.

****

The ice had definitely been broken between us and the Fiedlers. At the next golf outing, Todd said point blank over that first hole, "Your son's quite the cocksman, Bill."

I was caught off guard but this was our crude flirtatious thing just taken to a new level. "You're gonna inflate the boy's ego, Todd," I replied, looking over at Junior with a wink.

Junior puffed out his chest as he strode up to the tee. "What can I say, Dr. Fiedler? You guys inspired me." He focused on his line of sight then pulled the club back for a hard swing. The loud metal connected with a thwap sound and we watched the ball travel FAR, straight down the fairway. Junior was really a great player these days.

Sam patted my arm in a flirty way. "Was just sad you coudn't join, Mr. Drake. Maybe next time."

"I'd like that, Sam," I said. I was starting to chub up right then and there. There goes my score, I thought. No way was I going to be able to focus on my game.

Somehow, I got my mind back into golf, enjoying the talk with the Fiedlers and Junior. Talking sex, but also other family stuff. We actually got into a discussion about real estate and if there was any chance to grow Incest Acres. We decided it would have to be incest men only, or guys very open to incest.

Often Junior and I have sex after a golf outing, and sometimes a date. But when Todd suggested a group scene back at their pace, I was definitely intrigued.

"I know you want Braden there, Bill," he said. "But we can do just a suck scene. It's very hot."

I texted Braden to see if it would be OK and got a thumbs up. I knew he'd enjoy me recounting it later, and I could suck him for a change as payback.

I was hornier than I realized when we made it to the Fiedler house. I didn't know how this would go down, but Todd led us into the living room, where Sam sat next to his father. Junior sat next to me. I think my son knew what to do from last time, since he started kissing along my neck and feeling up my chest through my knit polo.

"Your boy's horny for his Dad," Todd hissed.

I wasn't surprised that Dr. Fiedler was a verbal man, but I was very glad.

"How about your, Son?" I asked. "You horny for your Dad, Sam?"

"God, yeah, Mr. Drake," Sam Fiedler answered. He was just shy of Junior's age and while he didn't have my son's build quite, he was trim and cute as fuck. "I can't get enough dad dick." Already he was pawing at Todd's crotch.

"How often you suck Bill Jr off?" Todd asked me, locking eyed on the incestuous couple in front of him.

"Once a week," I replied. "Probably should do it more."

Junior pulled back and kissed me.

"FUCK!" Todd Fiedler hissed. "Fucking incest."

I was now the one pushing things forward. I undid my shorts and pushed them down, then my underwear, so my hard cock was standing straight up.

"You're hung as fuck, Mr. Drake," came Sam's excited voice.

Junior laughed when he pulled back. He was pretty much my size and was used to guys being surprised at the Drake cock.

"That's my boyfriend you're talking about," Junior said.

"Damn," I heard Todd say. He was following my lead in removing his shorts. It was my first time seeing the Fiedler cock. He lacked my length but had some girth that made it seemed imposing.

Already Sam was on it. Leaning over his dad's lap and lapping away. Holding the base and going down on his father.

"Not gonna take me long, today," Todd said. "Hanging out with you guys." He looked down and softly muttered, "Suck me, son. Suck your dad."

Junior was getting turned on. He pulled my head into a kiss then went to kneel down on the floor between my legs.

This was extremely hot. Me watching Sam Fiedler suck his father while Junior sucked me. Watching Todd watch us and both fathers getting off on exhibitionism.

"I'm gonna cum, kiddo," I finally announced. I wanted to make this last, but Junior was good at sucking cock and I was all too worked up.

I probably would have enjoyed Todd have his orgasm, but Junior was standing up, flogging his uncut prick. Stepping up slightly to get closer. Before I could react, that piss slit opened up in a flutter and hot son cum fired out in a thick jet. Then another. Junior was painting my face in semen, and was turned on to watch that act.

It surprised me, but it was hot and fun, too. Something new. It wasn't like sex between me and Brade was stale, but Junior loved experimenting in a way Braden usually didn't. They both had their place in my life.

I leaned in and latched my mouth over the tip of Junior's prick, tasting the dribbles.

Only after I came down did I feel embarrassed. My shirt was wet with Junior's seed and even after I rinsed off my face in the bathroom, I felt like maybe things had gone too far.

But the Fiedler men were on cloud nine. Todd and Sam had made themselves presentable and were all smiles. Todd's hand was on Sam's shoulder as he walked us to the door. "Thanks for that, guys. And Sam here definitely wants to take both you guys on."

"Oh yeah," Sam said. I got the sense his teen sex drive was pushing Todd to open things up even more than his other sons.

"That's be way hot," Junior said.

Todd paused. "Would a good bye kiss be too much to ask for?"

I shook my head. I stepped up to Todd. Talk about sexual tension. We kissed with a little tongue. Then more. "Nice," he whispered.

Junior was doing the same with Sam. Then we switched. Me kissing Sam Fiedler for the first time and feeling him practically suck my tongue into his mouth. Meanwhile, Junior was going heavier into the kiss with the DILF doctor.

"All right, Junior... we should get back."

We walked back to the house, Junior with a knowing smile on his face. "Come on, Dad, that was hot as fuck. Right?"

"Yeah," I admitted.

****

Braden found a side project. He had started a social media feed about men bearing kids. He'd done some posting with the twins, but that had been more of a hobby. Now that he was pregnant with twins, Brade went all in with the content. Daily posts: fitness and exercise while pregnant, nutrition, shirtless updates of his baby bump, reports from his doctor's visit. It became a viral sensation. And ad money was coming in. Real money.

Evan was helping him out. "He's really good with computers and video and stuff," Brade said. "I told him he'd get a small percentage of the cut for his allowance." I was glad Ev was into the little brothers coming along the way.

I spend more looking after Keith, hanging out with him. I loved being that Dad for him, throwing the football in the backyard, watching his little league games, or taking him out for ice cream afterward.

We were driving home from one of his games, when he got quiet. "Dad.... when is my body going to change?" I'd given him a couple of guy talks, about sex and puberty.

"It happens when it happens, Bruiser," I said. "You're getting impatient?" I asked. I wasn't sure where this question was coming from. But Keith wanted to copy everything Evan did.

"Maybe," he said.

"I won't lie, son," I said. "It can be a wonderful experience. But it can also be scary, trying to figure out the changes when they come."

Keith seemed to hang on my every word. "Was it scary for you, Dad?"

"Totally scary," I said. "My body wanted one thing and my mind wanted something else."

"Wow," Keith said. I could tell he wanted to know more but wasn't going to pry into details.

"Just feel free to come to me or your Daddy if we can help, OK?"

"Yeah, Dad."

This was the fourth son I'd had to talk about sex with, and I wondered if it would get easier.

****

I was in my office one evening before dinner, trying to get some work done, when Junior came, knocking on the door.

"Dad?" he asked.

"Yeah, kiddo?" I said, pushing my chair back and gesturing for him to come in.

Junior had a folded paper in his hand. "I got this in the mail."

I had seen the envelope when I got home. An official looking mailing from Auburn. I'd been anxious waiting for my son to get home and open it.

"I got it," he said, with a shy, proud smile. "Full ride to Auburn."

I beamed. "Oh bud... that's amazing!" I stood up and walked over to hug my son. I clasped his back and then gave him a quick kiss. "So proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad." He wasn't as thrilled as I expected. "I'm gonna call em up and see if I can defer a year."

That caught me off guard. "Yeah? You sure?"

He nodded, and I could tell he'd been rehearsing what to tell me. "I've been thinking it over, Dad. With the triplets coming, you and Daddy could use all the help around the house you can get."

I gave him a look that said I was listening but not buying it. "I'm gonna miss you like hell when you go to college, Junior. You know that. But I don't want you to put college or any of your plans on hold because of us. We'll figure it out."

Junior reached up and ran his fingers along my chest. We were matched for height and it felt nice to have this soft initimacy with my son-boyfriend.

"I know, Dad," he said. "It's just that... I figure this is my last chance in a long while."

"Last chance for what?" I asked. Braden called me oblivious a lot, and this was a prime example.

"To have your kid, Dad. If you want that."

"Junior... you have no idea how happy that would make me." I pulled him closer to me. I don't think I realized until that moment how much I wanted to procreate with Junior. "But you'd have to want that, too."

"I want it, Dad," my son objected. "If you give me permission, I'd go off the birth control right away."

I had a million reasons to talk Junior out of it. A million practical considerations to talk through. But instead I kissed Junior, deeply.

I had to be inside him, so I finally relinquished the kiss. "Go tell your Daddy dinner will be a few minutes later, OK? Then come meet me in the master bedroom."

The huge smile on Junior's face told me we were gonna do this. Gonna have a son together. Whenever Bill Jr began ovulating again. Whenever my seed got the job done. Eventually, but maybe soon.

"Yeah, Dad."

[admirationandromantics]

Going overboard, Epilogue

(He looks so fine, I can't handle it. Can handle him though, just like you're about to do). Anyways, this is the final end of this story. This has been such a great experience, and I've loved writing it. I know many are waiting for the next one (which will be with Chris), but please give me some time to get started on that. Right now, I have a bunch of requests to take care of, which I will also be doing while posting the next story.

Again, thank you all for the encouragement and support throughout this, and don't worry. Josh is NOT gone, you can request as much as you want. Anyways, as always, my blog is 18+ and so is this post (hint hint) so just enjoy! <3

Luckily, I got to know that both Matt and Jessica survived. Mike was so happy when they told us. Jess looked like a wreak though, I’ve never seen her like that, physically or mentally. She told us that she didn’t think she’d survive if it weren’t for Matt. I’ve never seen gratitude like what I saw on Mike’s face that day. He went straight for Matt, pulling him into a hug, leaving him stunned. 

The police were quick to separate all of us, getting each one’s story. I told the truth, everything there was to say, but I don’t think they believed me. It hurt telling them about Josh. I feared that he’d serve time, that he would stay behind bars for a long time. They decided that there would be no trial, considering his mental state. I heard his laughter from the other room, crying by myself as I wondered what he would remember, and if the traumas we went through would be the drop that spilled the glass. They decided he was a danger to others and himself, and it didn’t take long to get him to a clinic and try some new medication. Again, after another traumatic trip to that damn mountain, I didn’t keep in touch with him. They didn’t let him use his phone, and the only people allowed to see him were his parents. After four months, they let Chris visit, but it had been a long time since I saw them, so I don’t think that letting me visit was even an option. 

The friend group split. I don’t know what happened with Emily and Matt, last I heard, they were still together, but that was a while ago. Jess and Mike broke up after a while. I heard it was bad, and Jessica was the one who made the cut. Sam still talked to him, so I got some info here and there, but he is not the sort of man I really wish to be in contact with. 

I still talk to Sam, and we continue our daily coffees, only now, we talk about the last events that happened on that cursed place. She seems like she’s falling down some rabbit hole about mythological creatures and folklore. I’ve told her that we should forget everything, that maybe talking to a therapist could be good for her. She doesn’t listen, and I’m just trying to keep her present, afraid that she’ll end up as Josh. Isolated, and supervised continuously. 

I’m often invited over for gaming nights with Chris and Ashley. The games vary, but it doesn’t always feel as welcoming as thought. I often feel like an intruder, like they would feel bad by hanging out together without me. I tried to talk to Ashley about it, but she assured me that they love me, and us being together is a good way to deal with everything. I still feel like a third wheel, sitting in the corner while they have flirty interactions or Chris steals a kiss. Still, they both feel bad for me, that much I’m sure of. One of the good things that come out of it is that Chris tells me about his visits. In the start, Josh had been confused and scared, pleading with him to get him out of there. Now, six months later, he was better, the medicine finally working and pieces falling back into place. He’s bored out of his mind, joking that if they didn’t give him at least a console, he would kill himself. Chris laughed when he said that, but my breath hitched and I suddenly felt unsure. Ashley noticed, walking over to me and telling me that Josh joking like this just meant that he felt better. They’d gotten used to my cries. I was never this bad before, but even though I didn’t have a reason, it still came out. Every day, several times. I had to lock myself in the bathroom or my bedroom to relieve myself. 

***

I cut the tomato in thin slices, arranging them in fine lines on the buttered toast. A knock is heard on the door. “Just walk in Sam, it’s open” I shout, knowing when she usually comes over on her morning run. I hear the door open, footsteps out of the hallway. I grab the salt, carefully shaking it over the tomato to not get too much. Two hands make their way around my waist, pulling me into a tight body. I stop breathing as I know that this is not Sam, this is a man’s body. I look down, hands looking awfully familiar. 

“Hey” he whispers against my ear, and I feel tears coating my eyes. I turn around, looking at a smiling Josh. 

“Hey” I answer, not able to hide the surprise in my voice. My hands travel behind his neck, locking him in place. His dark circles aren’t as bad anymore, and he does look quite healthy. I still don’t know what to say, shocked by his sudden presence. He smirks, tilting his head and looking at me with sceptical eyes. 

“Well, isn’t this a first time for you not knowing what to say”

“I-I”

“We’re getting there…”

“Hey, you bombarded me wi-” I’m interrupted by a kiss, his head moving in sync with mine, hunger, lust and eight months without contact pooling out as a stress-relief. He grabs me harder, taking hold of my thighs and lifting me up on the counter. God, I’ve missed him. My legs cross behind him, pulling him deeper into me. His lips are soft and warm, connecting with mine as I open my mouth a bit, letting him in deeper. I whine, feeling the tears fall from the corners of my eyes. His hands move to cup my face, thumbs brushing away the wetness. 

“We should probably talk” I say between sobs. 

“That’s why I came over” he answers, pulling away a bit. I waste no time, taking his arm and forcing him back, his lips on mine while I sob. His sisters, the prank, the wendigos, everything poured into me slowly coming out. 

“Sorry” I whisper. “You’ve just come out, this isn’t what you need right now” I squeak, trying to compose myself. 

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m here, and I’m not leaving again”

This makes me break down even harder, being reminded that every time we rekindle, something gets in the way. He lays my head on his flannel-coated shoulder, letting me cry till I can’t breathe anymore. He holds me up, making sure that I don’t fall off the counter while leaving sweet small kisses on my forehead. When the air is finally quiet, he pulls away, thumbs rubbing my cheeks. I feel the mascara being smudged, though that’s more my fault than his. 

“God, I’d already gotten ready today, and now I guess I have to do it again” I laugh, trying to look a little presentable. 

“You’re beautiful” he whispers, awe in his eyes. I stop the tears and kiss him yet again. 

After a while, we make our way to the sofa, determined to talk about this now, to get it over with. I walk to the bathroom to freshen up. 

“Are you sure you need that? What if you start crying again?” he shouts from the living room. 

“Haha, I’ve gotten everything out now” I laugh back. 

“You sure? It would be awfully inconvenient for you to spend half of the time in the bathroom… alone…” 

“Almost done Josh!”

I walk back out, and he’s still spread out on the sofa. I sit down on top of him, holding his shoulders as I lean down to kiss him. His hands wander, gripping my thighs and ass. 

“You said we should talk?” I tease, knowing he’s getting riled up. 

“No, no, no, no. Fuck talking, let’s do this instead” he urges, gripping me harder and pressing me down on him. I want him so bad, but we do indeed have to talk. 

“We have to” I whisper. 

“I know”

The hours go by as we talk about the incident. I get especially emotional when we talk about the prank, how he tricked me, several times. He wasn’t in his right mindset, but he would do everything in his power to get me to trust him again. He had talked to the others, but the other part of the group decided not to keep in contact. It was a toxic friend group anyway, I comment. He talked about his time in the facility, how it was scary in the beginning, cause he didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t. Luckily, Chris had told him about the wendigos, but he still had to pretend they didn’t exist and they were a figment of his imagination when they did his mental evaluation. He just wanted to put everything behind him, and move forward. After a while, the mood lightens, as we stop talking about the deep stuff. 

“You hit me!” he laughs, hitting me in the arm. 

“Well, I thought you were a fucking Psycho!” I defend myself. 

“That wasn’t the only time!”

“The way you were talking? You asked for it!” 

“You know, I should really come up with a revenge plan for you”

“Let’s not forget about what you did”

“Nah, that doesn’t count, I was insane”

“You can’t play the mentally ill-card on this”

“Yes I can”

I hit him again, and he grabs my arms, lifting them behind him, causing me to fall flat down on his stomach. 

“I think, maybe we’ll go to the bedroom, you get undressed, and I can start leaving some marks on you” he whispers, fingers still entwined with mine. 

“Really, what kind of marks are we talking about?” I skeptically ask, looking up at him. 

“Maybe a bit similar to the ones you left on me, just without the wood” 

“You’re sadistic”

“Some things can’t be cured”

I reach up to him, straddling his lap and kissing him. 

“Got something else planned?”

“Eight months gave me time to think”

“And what are your thoughts?”

“Something about you, tied up, blindfolded, begging me to touch you…” he starts, and I feel myself getting wetter. His breathing is hot, and he can’t stop staring at my lips. I smile, slowly grinding on him. Making him let out a groan. “Fuck, and then I’ll teach you a lesson” he says, hands moving to my thighs to help the movements. I bite my lip, eager to get into it, to let him get into me. 

“Fucking hell, you need to stop that” he whines. 

“You’re the one leading me” I tease, caressing his arms, making him aware of his grip on my thighs. I lean forward, kissing his neck, small pecks all over. He makes a small whimpering sound when I kiss him right below his ear, so I bite down. He jolts, giving out a loud moan. I kiss the pain away, lightly sucking. His hands wander under my shirt, grabbing my waist. In response, I grace his neck with my nails, feeling him shiver under my touch. 

He takes out his hands, placing them under my thighs. I pull away, wondering what he’s doing. 

“Jos- woah!” I yelp as he lifts me over his shoulder, holding onto my legs so I don’t fall down behind him. 

“Josh! What the hell are you doing?” I yell. He stands up, making the ground so far away that I don’t dare to scramble. He smacks my butt, making me gasp while walking over to the bedroom. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t like it. 

“You know, you’re gonna pay” he says, something sinister in his voice. 

“Oh, really?” I tease, earning myself another smack. 

“Don’t try to be a smartass, that’ll not get you anywhere” he says, caressing my legs, one of his hands moving up between my thighs. 

“Josh” I say, grabbing hold of his waist from upside down. 

“What can I do for you?”

“You can put me down”

“I thought you were into the whole Spiderman-thing” he asks, opening the bedroom door. 

“Well, that’s when we’re face to face” 

“I guess I’ll have you upside down some other time then” he says, bowing down, making me slam into the bed. I shriek, surprised by the action. He doesn’t waste time, leaning over me, capturing my lips in his. It starts hungry, but eventually finds a rhythm filled with passion and regret. I open up, letting him inside. Our breaths are heaving in sync, and I grab both sides of his face, eating him up. 

“Eager are we?” he teases, but I have no more room for jokes. 

“Eight months Josh…”

“Yeah, I know”

We continue the assault on each other, chests heaving and bodies grinding. With every passing second, my body grows hotter and wetter. I grab hold of the hem of his shirt, dragging it off him. I’m mesmerized. 

“Have you been working out?” 

“Wasn’t much to do there” 

“Fuck” I mumble as I feel him up, memorizing his lines. He eagerly drags my shirt off, shocked by the fact that I’m not wearing a bra. 

“And you were saving this sight only for me?” 

“Only you” I smile, loosening his belt. He grabs both my hands, holding them over my head. 

“Let’s not get right to the main course” he purrs in my ear. 

“Oh, please, I’ve waited long enough”

“Patience” he whispers, voice vibrating hot against my skin. He leaves a trail of kisses, starting on my lips, moving slowly down my neck. With his free hand, he grabs my breast, squeezing and fickling with my nipple. I moan from his touch, legs automatically pressing against each other, longing for some type of friction. My core aches for him, being turned on for so long that I feel like a primal animal. He notices, and places his knee in between, making me grind down on him. 

“You’re too eager”

“Fucking hell Washington, if you don’t do anything in the nex-”

“Oh my, of course. Whatever you say m’lady” he smiles, entertained by my longing for him. He strokes his fingers over my wetness, noticing that I’m drenched through. I ache for him, him and his touch. I have for eight fucking months. 

“God, you have been waiting for this” he calmly exclaims, hand unbuttoning my pants and sliding under. He goes into my panties, coming in contact with my folds immediately. I whine, feeling his faint touch. His thumb starts rubbing circles around my clit, and the longing pleasure I’ve been waiting for seeps through my body. I let out loud moans which are drowned by his kisses. 

“You’re doing so good for me” he whispers, inserting one of his fingers. He pushes in and out, continuing to put pressure on my clit. The knot in my stomach tenses abnormally quick, and I throw my head back as he starts kissing my collar. He chuckles against my skin, noticing how down bad I am for him. He doesn’t stop, working his fingers and toying with my breasts until I come all over him. 

“Good, good” he whispers as I breathe heavily. He makes his way down, taking hold of my pants and dragging them completely off. Before he goes down again, he takes off his own, leaving him in only his boxers. I see his hardness through the fabric, the size of it drenching my already soaked underwear. He lies on top of me, hand caressing my stomach and moving to my waist. He takes hold, spinning me around on my stomach. I give a yelp, but he quickly puts a bit of his weight on top, caging me under him, unable to move. 

“Don’t think you’re getting away that easy” he whispers as his hand moves down to my panties, dragging them off. 

“Fuck, Josh please” I plead, having been ready for him for a long time. I immediately hear a loud smack, before feeling stinging pain on my ass cheek. I cry out, and he moves his hand to rub the painful area. 

“Tell me exactly what you want” he purrs in my ear, hand not moving. 

“I want you Josh” I whine, feeling tears in the corners of my eyes. A loud smacking noise fills the room again, but this time I moan out his name. He smirks, hand rubbing soft circles, numbing the pain. 

“You need to go into more detail than that” 

My mind is fogged, the instincts being mere sexual as everything he does and says turns me on more. 

“You’re practically dripping, like getting manhandled that bad?” he comments, fingers gracing my warmth and making me give out a choked cry. 

“Just tell me what you want and I’ll get you right off” he coys, smirking as he kisses my neck. I try to steady my voice, but it still comes out in the most erotically desperate sounds ever made.

“Please Josh, I want you inside me, now, right now” 

“Oh really?”

“Yes please, please” 

“I love it when you beg for me” he whispers as he takes off his underwear. Finally. He takes hold of me, turning me back on my back so we’re facing each other. 

“I wanna see you” he says, leaning down and kissing me. His cock brushes up against my folds, coating itself and pressing. I gasp as he goes inside me, painfully slow. He grunts as he gets all the way in, grabbing my thigh hard, definitely leaving a mark. 

“God you’re beautiful” he whispers, hand coming to my face, thumb swiping away a tear. He leans even further down, making sure our chests are pressing up against each other, and my arms move under his, and hold onto his back. 

“Josh, I’ve missed you so much” I stammer, the ecstasy of everything blurring my mind and messing with my senses. All I feel is his eyes staring, his hot breath, and immense pleasure. He starts moving against me, pelvis grinding on my clit, with no need for extra factors. I take him in, soaking and moaning, wishing that we didn’t lose two years of this. His breaths quicken, moans passing through his lips. I clench around him as I come again, and he rides the orgasm out with me, capturing my lips once again in a sloppy and panting kiss. 

“I love you” he whispers, still moving and breathing heavily. My heart flutters as he says it, my legs pressing him deeper into me. 

“I love you too” I say back between gasps, taking hold of his neck and pulling him to my lips. He goes faster, and I feel the slight overstimulation as he continues, making me whine. He gets me to the edge again, using his hand to fondle my breasts and sucking my neck. 

“Fuck, I’m gonna-” he pants. 

“Yes, please do!” I urge, coming another time around his cock, tightening. This throws him over, and he buries himself deep inside as he comes as well. He collapses on top of me, the sudden weight knocking my breath out. It quickly comes back, and I fold my arms around him, hugging and kissing his hairline. 

“Don’t leave” I force out, breathless and weak. 

“Never” he answers, just as exhausted.