#thread : kate + open

[nxttheendxfthestxry]

“So... yeah, the reports of my death may have been greatly exaggerated.”

[romanphoenix]

——- The sudden shift caused roman to feel a bit confused, almost wondering if somehow he made up what happened — it was all in his head. it felt too real though and he also rather liked it. however it was nothing — surely nothing. who really would want more than a hook up with a charming actor ? yup — he was just lost in the moment, he convinced himself. while normally having a bit of an edge to him — just feeling he always needed to guard himself and do things for himself, he furrowed his brows some at kate.❝ has it been a bit before someone actually generally complimented you ? tried to make you feel good ? make you smile ? ❞ he questioned but when she stepped back to gaze out the window. he sat on the ground for a moment, let out a sigh and closing his hazel eyes for a moment — thinking that feeling he had passed through him was bittersweet and too good to be too, surely. how could it be more ? they still didn't know each other that well, but the british actor truly wanted to know her more if she'd let him that is. one think he knew for sure was to never push it. picking his head up at her words he opened his mouth to speak but not a word came out. blinking a couple times before slowly standing back up, putting his hands in his pockets and closing his eyes again. ❝ i'm not sure what you heard — but i've never lied or heard that's just an actor thing. i've felt ashamed, neglected, hurt and unwanted, but never lied. i didn't even want to be some actor, i wanted to do music as writing was always an escape from the life i had. ❞ roman explained, just speaking, not really sure why. opening his eyes once more to look at kate. ❝ there's many pretty girls and guys out there — but i see the beauty in you that you don't see, and i asked you, not them. you can say no — but, if you change your mind.. ❞ he trailed off, questioning what he was trying to do right now before instead saying. ❝ if you'd allow me — i'd love to get to know you. you seem great and like maybe - others don't appreciate you. i relate so, maybe it's caused some attraction. ❞

Kate thought for a moment, about his words, and how suddenly she wondered if they were true. Why did she care? She shouldn't. The softness of her smile begun to fade, as the facade she hid behind began to rise up in its place. A scoff left her lips, and she shook her head.

"A goddess? Pft. Please, you must be joking..." Their challenge had been thrown to the back of her mind, as she tried to comprehend this feeling she felt inside. She liked it... the compliments, but... she'd never had someone speak so generously about her before. It was a confusing notion to understand.

She took a step back, turning her head to look out of the glass barriers and out at the ocean.

"People don't take me out." It was true, she'd never been on anything considered a date before. It had never been her style - or maybe that was because she'd never been given the opportunity. "You're just lying. Isn't that what you actors are good at, lies?" She sounded out the last word with snark in her tone.

"There's loads of other pretty girls out there... you wouldn't want to be seen with me."

@romanphoenix

[prettymvgic]

closed starter for @grav3encovnters

she   had   teased   him   all   night   and   now   she   finally   had   him   in   his   bed   ;   and   handcuffed.   she   straddled   his   waist   for   a   moment   knowing   she   could   have   him   anyway   she   pleased   but   she   didn't   want   that   -   not   him,   she   wanted   his   money   &   she   knew   that   he   had   plenty   of   it.   with   a   wide   grin,   she   lowered   herself   down.   

"now,   don't   take   this   personal   but   ...   where's   the   safe?" 

[morethanweseem]

"I thought you were gonna remember where we parked."

[lcstloyalty]

( Kate ; open starter -- mutuals only )

        ❝ I haven't... uh, I haven't smiled like that in weeks- months, maybe. ❞ A small smile curled the corners of her lips, her eyes downcast. ❝ Thanks for that. Really. ❞

[savingthrcw]

@fantasywritten asked: ❛ can’t you see how much you hurt me? ❜ (Sawyer to Kate oof)

Kate's heart dropped, and she felt the usual feeling of wanting to crawl out of her own skin, to leave all the wrongness behind. She knew she was toxic, especially when she forgot to keep distance, because his presence alone brought up everything she wanted to forget about herself. "Yes." God, she didn't need this. She needed them to fight, she needed him to be a jerk, to be Sawyer, to make things easier for her - not this guy, not the one who looked at her like that, like he would actually play house with her after everything he had seen. Why did he keep trying? "It's what I do. You know that."

She should have left then, with that half accusation that he knew what he was getting into. Hand on the door handle, she should've gone back to Jack like he had said she would, to someone safer who wouldn't make her question everything. It's what I do. I run.She looked at the door, but didn't pull the handle. "I don't want to."

[ssahotchnerr]

Can you even imagine Hotch’s little girl grabbing his phone and sending random pics to the bau group chat LOL. And it’s all candid pics of reader 🥲🥲🥲🥲 but of course the team is like “oh so you’re WHIPPED” 🤭

a good morning

PLEASE cw; girl dad!aaron, set in s10, fluff <3

At promptly nine, Aaron entered the roundtable room. As he settled into his seat, Dave didn't hesitate to toss him an extremely amused, cheeky expression.

"You feeling alright there?"

"You had a good morning."

Aaron's eyebrows quirked at his statement, quickly recalling his day so far. Getting himself up, getting the kids up, heading out the door. Nothing out of the ordinary, other than the fact he actually had the time to sit down and eat breakfast. "I suppose I did, yeah."

Kate snorted a laugh. "You 'suppose?'"

Aaron's quizzical expression lingered, his gaze shooting to hers. She clarified further - her face just as smug as Dave's.

"Your texts."

Confused, Aaron pulled his phone from his pocket. He opened messages, taking notice of the time in the corner - the most recent activity in the group chat about an hour ago. He tapped it open.

"Oh," He chuckled, a soft smile forming on his face as he saw its contents. "Ellie had my phone."

He hadn't noticed she had been taking pictures. He remembered giving her his phone - in attempt to refrain her from throwing her Cheerios onto the floor. Her tiny hands had struggled to hold onto it, it thudding against the table a few times besides him, as he ran through a short multiplication practice with Jack - who had a test today. Evidently she must've secured a firm grasp, and took photos in the process.

"She sent those?"

Aaron nodded, the grin on his face growing slowly as he scrolled through the thread of pictures, his heart warming. They mainly consisted of you: smiling, placing a bowl of cereal in front of Jack, preparing your coffee at the counter; all candidly taken. His family in its most natural, loving state. "She must've."

"When'd she learn how to do that? Ellie's what, four?"

"Three." Aaron answered Derek, a chuckle shaking through his chest and he placed his phone back into his pocket. "And your guess is as good as mine. Jack probably, or from watching us. We don't allow her screen time."

"Well, you should take notes from her." JJ gave his shoulder a squeeze as she passed by, en route to her chair. "We don't nearly get enough of them."

[peachesofteal]

Through Me (The Flood) - secret baby fic Simon Riley/female reader - tw canon typical violence, mention of sex trafficking, torture.

The only sound in the hallway is Simon's breathing.

The carpet is soaked in blood, tan and yellow threads turned brown and red under the bodies bleeding out on top of them. He laid waste to everyone, to all of them, methodically picking his way through a sea of faces, unable to stop himself, basking in the carnage, indulging in his rage.

One of them begged. Pleaded for his life, cried about how he had a family, about how he didn't know anything, how he was innocent. He was a liar, of course, and they both knew, though it didn't stop him from trying. He had to have known it was futile, and with the cock of a gun, Simon leaned down, nose to nose, pressing the barrel to the man's temple.

"I'd kill your entire family to save mine." 

It was supposed to be a ransom after all. Horribly executed, botched from the start, your captors were a half rate group of mercenaries who were supposed to deliver you days ago for their own payment.

They decided to keep you instead, tried to negotiate a higher payout. Simon is grateful to them for being so stupid, in a way. If they hadn't tried to barter their way into a bigger payday, Kate may not have been able to find you as quickly. You might have slipped between their fingers, already hidden away, sold to a higher bidder.

That's what they wanted, the ones who initiated the plot. They were going to sell you, sell your body, until Simon exchanged himself for your life.

An old grudge rearing its head as a painful reminder.

He should have snatched you away and hide you the moment he saw you on that street. He should have followed his instincts.

But he refused, and now he's here. Slaughtering everyone in his sight, looking for the musty old hotel room where you're being held captive.

Price finds you first. His voice chirps in Simon's earpiece, calling out a floor and a number before instructing Gaz to radio the chopper.

Simon's never run so fast in his life, three stairs at a time, slamming into doors and hopping over dead men until he turns the landing and nearly runs into Price.

His captain grips him by the arm and gives him a little shake before stepping aside and calling over his shoulder. "Put him away, Simon. He's done his part, your wife needs you now."

You're tied to a chair. Arms and ankles bound, wrists cuffed, duct tape across your mouth. It shines with blood, the trickle seeping from a wound on your forehead, a fresh gash weeping.

It's hard to tell if you're breathing, and in that moment, he offers up a plea to something he's not sure exists.

Please. Please, don't take her.  

He's on his knees in front of you in a blink of an eye, Johnny on his left slicing through rope before fidgeting with the cuffs and cursing. "I'll find the key."

He taps your cheek gently, and you jerk away, eyes wide with fear, unfocused and terrified, trembling. He says your name as softly as he can manage, shaking hands peeling away the duct tape, blinking away the tears burning in his eyes.

He knows what you see, who you see. A killer covered in other men's blood.

Ghost in all his glory. In his element.

"Put him away, Simon. He's done his part, your wife needs you now."

He rips the mask from his face and ducks into your line of sight, stroking his thumb over your temple. It takes you too long to recognize him, and when Johnny bursts back through the door, you flinch, slamming your eyes shut, shirking away. He has to coax them back open, holding you steady as the cuffs click open and your arms go slack, your whimpers fracturing his already broken heart, the small sounds crackling into a dry sob. "I'm here, you're safe. It's me, it's me. I've got you." You slump forward, face crashing into his shoulder, too warm to the touch. Festering wounds turned to fever, illness quickly through your veins.

Your left hand twitches in the corner of his vision, covered in blood, and Johnny smothers a hiss.

It no longer has a ring finger. It's been cut away below the knuckle, raw and bloody, bone visible beneath the swollen and infected flesh.

The sapphire nowhere in sight.

"Simon." You slur, and he cradles the back of your head.

"I'm here, 'm right here mama." The waver in his voice betrays him.

"Hurts."

"I know honey, I know. We're gonna fix it, okay?" You're limp, no strength left in your bones, your muscle, and he cradles your belly, desperate to feel any movement, any sign that the baby is still there. Your sobs are a knife in his chest. "Shhh, I've got you. You're safe."

[naturally-recklessly]

⇢ ˗ˏˋ  y u l e ’ s   t a g   d u m p .

[sixbillicnsouls]

( ❛ ╾  OPEN && KATE )

     “Tell me who I am, guess I don’t have a choice.”

starters inspired by sp.otify w.rapped; cause i liked a boy

[nxttheendxfthestxry]

"Really, I don't care how I'm viewed. I know who I am, and that's good enough."

[fans4wga]

'Why creatives are seeking residuals' - thread by Stefanie Williams

[Tweet thread by Stefanie Williams @/StefWilliams25

TRANSCRIPT:

Why creatives are seeking residuals vs. "do you pay the mattress maker every time you sleep on a mattress?" A thread. I keep hearing over and over again that writers/actors/creatives don't deserve residuals for the work they create. "If I build a bathroom in a house, I don't get paid every time someone uses the toilet."

TRUE! However, your bathroom build has a set market value. Art does not. No one knows what makes one TV show an overnight success, and another a flop. No one knows what makes one song a hit, and the other a dud. If they did, trust me when I say record companies would be churning out Taylor Swifts over and over again. Studios would be making nothing but Stranger Things.

But that isn't the case. No one could predict Stranger Things would be a massive, billion dollar hit. No one could predict Taylor Swift was going to be a world wide phenomenon who literally could record herself reading Aesop's Fables and make millions of dollars. Which is why residuals are important. The pay structure protects both the creators and the publishers/distributors.

The easiest way to explain it is by referencing an author writing a book. Sure, an author might get a very modest up front fee, but the author is banking on royalties to really make money on the book — for every book sold, the author gets a piece of the pie. This protects both the author and the publisher—because if the book is a flop, the publisher doesn't go broke on a financial promise they made to the author that didn't pan out, and if the book is a mega-hit, the author didn't give away a massive, million-dollar book for 20k.

It's a sliding scale that is required for a product that has no set market value. What makes an actor's work on a hit show more valuable than an actor's work on a show that gets canned after five episodes? The market value for art almost always comes after the fact, so residuals account for that reality. They make sure the creator get compensated at a fair market rate. A person who builds a bathroom knows, upfront, what the market rate for a bathroom is. That bathroom won't suddenly be worth 1000 times more than you built it for in six months. It doesn't have the potential to be built for 20k and generate 20 million.

Residuals are a pay structure that simply account for an unsure market value. Trust me, we all wish we could quantify art in terms of dollars. But art is unpredictable. So studios and streamers -- which literally REQUIRE content to stay viable -- have to account for that unpredictability. And for studios (or record labels, or book publishers) it's always trial and error. The only way to get a hit, is to go through a few flops.

For every Whitney Houston, there was a singer you never heard of. For every Sopranos, there was a show that got scrapped mid season. For every Titanic, there was a movie that bombed. For every Twilight, there was a book about vampires that went nowhere. Residuals are kind of a reverse market valuation. They pay a fair wage for a product than can only have a set value once it's been created and effectively consumed.

And even then, shit changes. Anyone think Kate Bush would spend weeks on the top of the charts in 2022? Residuals account for unpredictable markets. And in order to have accurate residuals, streamers and studios need to be transparent and open about their data, which is one of the MANY things the WGA and SAG are both fighting for.

[romanphoenix]

——- Roman looked around some then back at kate, letting out a slight breath sounding more like a little chuckle. a soft grin crossed his lips as he giving a nod at her words — finding it a bit lack luster in some means. though he wasn't sure he was completely lost in it yet — which was a relief. ❝  um — yeah, i believe so. i remember how to get out fro the way i came in, even if i haven't found the proper way out yet. ❞ he shared, as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. hearing her words, a smirk crossed his lips briefly as he moved a bit closer to her just to whisper. ❝  being offed out of how lack luster this is — might not be too bad. ❞ with that he stepped back and glanced around where they stood. ❝  this directions seems promising — you're welcome to come along if you want. unless you want to stick around a bit longer. ❞ roman uttered, fighting every urge to nervously twist his finger, instead keeping his focus on the task at hand — getting out of the bloody maze.

Kate raised her shoulders, giving a small shrug. "I mean... it's a little boring." She said, because she was hopelessly, completely lost. "What about you? Do you know which way you're going?" Her question had underlying intentions, the prominent one being that she would follow him wherever he went, in hopes that he would save her from the embarassment of having to admit she was clueless.

"I'm just taking a pit stop here... nobody's passed for awhile, so I was just thinking about how secluded and quiet these corn stalks are. I bet..." Her voice turned into a whisper. "Nobody could hear you scream."

@romanphoenix

[hotjaneaustenmenpoll]

Semi-Final Two

Propaganda...

Mr Knightley (2009):

Johnny Lee Miller as Knightley is JUST SO. I mean the way he says "if I loved you less I might be able to talk about it more" IS JUUUST. The dance scene. The tentative shy smiles. The fact you can see in his eyes the entire time " I am completely in love with this woman. She'll never love me back BUT I DO NOT CARE I'LL LOVE HER FROM A DISTANCE ANYWAY" IS JUUUUUUST

We need to appreciate Mr Knightley more for both his snark and for those soft eyes just so full of love for Emma

GIF by dearemma

I was just going to send in the actual dance but the little panic he has when Emma says she knows his secret is just soo charming. There was some thread on twitter a few years ago about how a romcom man's most important quality is knowing how to look at a woman and JLM is just the master of it in this Emma

I really feel like the pictures say it all. He stands there, head tilted to one side. He is listening to you. His posture is relaxed. His gaze open, frank, candid. He's not trying at all. He just is.And that's why he is Knightley.

GIF by night-unfurls-its-splendour

Some propaganda, not just for Jonny Lee Miller, but the general interpretation of 09 Knightley. I have some excerpts here from my review of the 09 adaptation:

What I really think is great about the 2009 interpretation of Mr. Knightley is what an easy and comforting presence he is, without being apologetic when he scolds Emma. I think this is communicated especially well by how often we are actually shown Mr. Knightley taking his almost-daily walks to Hartfield, how smoothly he comes and goes, and how happy Emma is every time she sees him coming up the path (usually, just at the perfect moment when she needs something to put her back to rights.)

Here is Emma, feeling lonely after Miss Taylor's wedding. And in the background, walking up to Hartfield--there's Knightley. He's always been there for her, and he always will be.

And also this Mr. Knightley is as understated as ever, but I wanna highlight this outfit and why I love it: This is Knightley’s first appearance in the series and it’s the perfect establishing shot that shows the viewer everything they need to know about Emma and Knightley’s relationship and how it has always been. He sort of materializes, out of focus in the background, but Emma immediately knows he’s there. And to accentuate how much Knightley is part of her home and scenery, his clothes (similar shades of pale tan, white and minty green to the wall behind him) almost camouflage him and make him seem at one with the moulding of her home.

Additionally, Jonny Lee Miller captures Knightley’s playful qualities, and his exasperation is so endearing

GIF by christophernolan

GIF by sashajames

GIF by christophernolan

I can’t be the only one tickled by this Knightley’s frustration with Emma! JLM FTW!

Jonny Lee Miller is mesmerizing in any role he inhabits. It’s 2009 Knightly all the way.

no but can you actually go vote for mr knightley he was FOUNDATIONAL for 16 year old me my favourite portrayal of my favourite austen man cannot fall at this hurdle!!!

He is my ultimate Austen Dream Man, I'm with him until the end. Honestly this adaptation is my very favorite of them all (P&P 1995 is a VERY close second) because it made me fall in love with Emma as a story? Honestly no other adaptation or indeed even my reading of the book made me love it quite as much. My crush on JLM goes back to 1995 and I do think he is one of the better actors of his generation - his range alone is just impeccable. The fact that he can go from Sick Boy to Mr. Knightley to Sherlock to Jordan Chase is really something. Of all the actors I know, his range is the most impressive. But i love how bright and sunny this adaptation is. The colors, it is as vibrant as Emma should be! The Kate Beckinsale Emma is dark and terrifying to me, not at all suitable an adaptation. I like the Paltrow Emma a lot, but it's got the same issue the 2005 P&P has for me -- it's just too short. This is tonally just right, and the casting is lovely, and JLM is just at his dashing best. His face is so expressive, he is so capable of communicating so much without saying a word. His open jealousy of Frank Churchill is delightful to watch. His face when Emma tells him his secret is out at the ball! JLM is maybe the most underrated actor of his generation and I LOVE that he has been multiple Austen heroes. I maintain that in a future adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, an older JLM would make an EXCELLENT Mr. Bennet. He would convey the right amount of grumpy but fond beautifully.

Look. Do people realize JLM hates wearing period clothing AND hates dancing? And yet in Emma he's sashaying around in pink jackets looking amazing and is THAT convincing? That's called BRILLIANT ACTING!!

A tiny bit of Mr Knightley 2009 propaganda but I love that they put in that bit from the book where he looks like he's going to kiss Emma's hand when he's saying goodbye but then he hesitates and doesn't and I just...it's such a tiny detail but conveys so much!

GIF by myforeverworldofmovie

It’s the only Emma adaptation that really hits the romance notes well. Knightley’s crowning moment of awesome really feels like it (when he rescues Harriet from humiliation) and his subsequent dancing with Emma does make you feel a shift in their relations. Love this adaptation. - This Knightley and Emma in particular are equals. They quarrel, not because he’s telling her off, but because they can have an argument because they know each other, trust each other and care about each others opinions, and there is never a sense of domination of one over the other. This adds so much fire to the romance, and it’s so unusual for a romance of that era (or even one written today!!). - Emma is rich, clever and beautiful and as powerful as a woman of her age and situation could be at the time and she married Knightley for no other reason but because he’s her best friend and his company for the rest of her life will enrich her. - He even leaves his house to move in with her!

Captain Wentworth (1995):

Ciaran Hinds has that perfect ruggedness yet friendliness to his face that makes him the perfect charming Wentworth. And all of the longing that he manages to convey in his eyes is so hot.

Wentworth may be angry/resentful with Anne but in general he is charming and the best friend you could ever have. Ciaran gets the pleasant parts of his character and brings them out, while keeping a guarded coolness (protective camouflage) with Anne.

GIF by molinaesque

I dunno if this counts as propaganda or not, but Ciaran Hinds has a face that looks like it was jackhammered out of a shale cliff.

If a line like 'I am half agony...half hope' comes out of a face like that you know that man has a soul for poetry.

I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in

F. W.

I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow your party, as soon as possible. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your father's house this evening or never.  

This is propaganda for the next round because I need my boy to be a finalist! But this letter is all the persuasion I need to know that he is a winner

Ciarán Hinds in this is a whole other level of "a good man" He makes Anne's decision at the end so much more perfect.

[milf-murdock]

Well, I’m about to hop out of the bath, and unfortunately I did have to stop just before things got ~juicy 😔 but here’s a lil WIP to hold ya over

Kate Laswell x Wife!Reader

Warnings: gross men being creepy, but Laswell comes to your rescue 😘 canonical swearing, and just a lil nsfw (I might keep writing if there’s an audience for it lol) I do owe you some Top Laswell, anon

Truth be told, you hated coming to base. It was all so rough and rugged, a veritable Good Ole Boys Club that smelled like cigars and gunpowder. You keep your head held high as your step across the gravelly terrain, the small heel of your shoes adding a slight wobble to your step. You catch the eye of a couple of soldiers and ignore their thirsty gazes as they stop to gawk. Picking up the pace, you hurry to your destination: the bar. Just past the far edges of the base, it was obvious the foul-smelling, secluded establishment was less intended for civilian patrons and catered more to offering a place for military officials to take the edge off. You hated this place even more than you hated the base itself, but you know Kate loves a beer right after a job, and John had texted you to meet them here, which could only mean one thing—Kate was back.

The pungent smell of stale beer and cigarettes floods your nostrils as you open the heavy door. It takes a second for your eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, but you find your way to the bar. Once again, you keep your head held high, pointedly ignoring the men who don’t even try to pretend they’re not checking you out.

You adjust the hem of your skirt as you take a seat on the bar stool, anything to keep your hands busy. It’s only a matter of moments before a slurred voice comes from behind you, and your shoulders stiffen.

“Well what’s a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this?”

Despite your better judgement, you glance over your shoulder to see a tall, older man in uniform. You can smell the beer on his breath, and you don’t even bother to hide your grimace.

“I’m waiting for someone,” you respond curtly, turning back around.

“Hey now, don’t be like that. Just give me a smile and I’ll be on my way.”

You ignore him, busying your hands with a stray thread at the edge of your skirt, tugging to pull it loose.

You hear a scoff from behind you before you feel a rough hand on your shoulder. “I’m talking to you, bitch,” he growls.

Your breath catches in your throat, completely frozen under his touch.

And in the next second, you hear another voice—a female voice, low and full of a threatening malice.

“I suggest you take your fucking hand off my wife.”

Relief floods your body, your eyes fluttering close as the weight lifts from your shoulder.

“Shit, I- I didn’t—“ the man stammers, hands raised as he takes a step back.

Laswell steps closer. “And if you ever call my wife a bitch again, you will find yourself on the fucking street with nothing but a dishonorable discharge to your pathetic name. Is that understood?”

Without a word, the man turned to flee the bar, not even passing a glance to his group of encouragers, who all found themselves instantly fascinated by their pint glasses in hand.

“Katie!” You exclaim, leaping from the bar stool to throw your arms around her neck. Her laugh fills your ears, and it sounds like rays of pure sunshine.

“Hi, bun,” her voice is low in your ear as she holds you close. “Told you I’d be back before you know it.”

You squeeze her even tighter, standing on your tiptoes to match her height. “Every minute apart from you feels like an eternity, Kate.” You can’t stop the slight break in your voice as tears well up. “I’m so happy you’re home.”

Kate pulls back just enough to press a fierce kiss to your lips. Your mouth parts in surprise at the passion; typically Kate’s kisses are on the more reserved side in public. Kate uses your parted lips as an opportunity to slide her tongue into your mouth, immediately taking dominance. You melt like putty in her hands, falling into the kiss. All too soon, Kate breaks the kiss, leaving you breathless and your lips swollen.

She smiles down at you with a tenderness only reserved for her wife, one hand coming up to brush your cheek. “Let me take you home, bunny.”

You struggle to put together a coherent thought after that damned kiss. “But don’t you want—you usually like, uh,” you blink furiously, trying to think past the rising need taking over your body. “Beer?” You finish lamely, feeling the flush in your cheeks as your gaze bounces between Kate’s lips and her bedroom eyes.

Kate chuckles, leaning in close to whisper in your ear. “Fuck the beer, sweetheart. I have better plans.” A shiver races down your spine and you can feel the wetness pool between your legs.

Kate pulls back just a bit, her lips hovering above your own. “Does that sound ~good?” She’s teasing you, her sweet breath fans over your face, and you can’t help but imagine that breath elsewhere. Your cunt clenches, and you bite your bottom lip, holding back an audible moan as you nod your head eagerly.

Kate has you eating out of the palm of her hand. And she fucking loves it.

“After you, my love,” she coos as she steps aside and lets you lead the way back to the car. You stumble across the bar, looking for all intents and purposes like you were the one to overindulge, though you hadn’t had a sip of alcohol. But Kate knows how you get when she’s gone for long periods of time. She knows how you get when the need is absolutely eating you whole, that fire of desire coursing through your veins. It turns you into a puddle, nothing more than a weeping mess entirely at her mercy. Kate clenches just thinking about it as she watches your ass sway in that perfect fucking dress she knows you wore just for her.

[alittlerobin]

Elbert/Kate/Alfons

tags: nsfw; threesomes, m/m/f; dubious use of Alfons's power word count: 2.3k

Elbert rarely went on long missions, unless it was with Alfons—and now Kate—at his side. This time had been an exception, needing his status, but both Al and Kate were otherwise occupied. So he’d gone without them. 

Now, he walked down the castle halls to his bedroom, his steps at an unusually hurried pace. The whole time, he’d wanted to see them, wanted to go back home to them, wanted to be with them, wanted, wanted, wanted. He was used to his greed going unfulfilled, but not when it came to them. And going from being able to have them both to not having either… it had been driving him crazy. So much so he might’ve rushed the mission, simply so he could get back to them sooner. 

Finally, he placed his hand on the doorknob to his room, only to freeze. Because he heard them both inside. 

Except… 

“Ahhh… El. Elbie, p-please…” 

“Please what? I want to hear you say it.”

“Please, El… More, nghhh, I’m so close—”

Kate was moaning his name.

Was this what it’d sounded like to Alfons, months ago, when he’d walked in and finally joined them? But even so, why was she moaning his name now and not Al’s…?

He pushed open the door, slipping inside without a word, and took in the stunning sight awaiting him. Alfons and Kate were both in his bed, beautifully nude, their clothes scattered haphazardly along the floor. Kate’s back was flush against Alfons’s chest, his lips on the crook of her neck and his arms looped loosely around her waist. One of his hands was on her thigh, spreading her legs open as she rode his hard cock, while the other worked at her clit, his gloveless fingers slick with her nectar. 

“El, ahhh… ah, you’re so good, you feel so good…” 

Kate’s eyes were closed, but she kept moaning his name as she bounced herself on Alfons’s cock, her thighs quivering and her skin tinted a lovely pink. Elbert took one step forward, then paused when Alfons’s ash-grey gaze captured his own. “Did you…”

“She missed you, Elbie,” Alfons purred. He spread the fingers that’d been playing with Kate’s clit, parting her glistening folds to give Elbert even more of a show. “And you were gone for so long. Do forgive me for indulging her a little."  

So the reason she was moaning his name was because… right now, in her mind, it was him inside her and not Alfons. It was his cock filling her up, his mouth marking her skin, his fingers bringing her close to climax. 

Kate’s dark lashes lifted, fluttering open. Her eyes were glazed over, unfocused and filled with Alfons’s illusion. She blinked, furrowing her brows as she looked at him—the real him—and then back at Alfons.

With a chuckle, Alfons swept his fingers over the nape of her neck and the confusion visibly cleared. A second later, recognition flashed across her face, only for it to be immediately replaced by a gasping pleasure when Alfons snapped his hips, driving his cock deeper inside her. 

“El—ahhh, f-fuck, nghhh, A-Alfons…”

“See?” Alfons said with a smirk, dropping his hand to Kate’s breasts. He took hold of one, massaged it and pinched her perky pink nipple, eliciting another lewd moan from her lips. "It's you she wanted, my dear Elbie. Are you going to make her wait?" 

Elbert crossed the room faster than ever before, kicking off his boots and throwing aside his sword, before sliding into bed and hooking his arms under her legs. His mouth went straight to her wet cunt, greedily devouring the sweet nectar flowing from her. 

She gasped and grabbed his hair, fingers threading through almost painfully, but he hardly noticed. He ate her out with abandon, licking between the folds spread by Alfons’s cock, and sucked on her swollen clit. Her whole body convulsed, legs clenching around his face as she mewled and tried to push herself against his tongue, her juices gushing out of her as she came. 

“El, oh god, hhgnnn…”

Her nails scratched gently at his scalp as she quivered, her soft moans alternating between both of their names. And it just made him want more.

Aflons tried to thrust up but Elbert grabbed onto his thighs, digging his nails into Alfons’s flesh. He pinned Alfons’s legs to the mattress, holding him down with Kate still impaled on his hard cock. “No. You don’t move.”

“Oh? In that kind of mood, are you? I’m thrilled.”

The tone of Alfons’s voice was teasing, testing, like it always was. But Alfons always knew exactly what he wanted and strived to give it to him. So when Elbert dropped back between Kate’s beautifully soaked thighs, his “attendant” obeyed and kept his hips still.

“Elbie, w-wait, please, I just—ahhhh!”

His gaze swept up her body, watching the heaving movement of her chest and the enraptured expression painted across her gorgeous face. Her long hair fell messily behind her shoulders; Alfons’s normally neat raven locks similarly mussed. He’d watched them indulge in one another enough times to know exactly what it would’ve looked like without him there. The sweet gasps, the wanton touches, the breathless kisses, and the beautiful blushes that colored both their cheeks when they were ready to fall apart.

He wanted that again and wanted it now, but with him in the mix. His mouth sought out the spot where they joined, where Alfons’s cock sheathed inside her, tasting them both together. Alfons twitched, his muscles straining against the temptation to move. Instead, Kate moved for them both, arching up and then bringing herself back down. She ground on him, rolling her hips to push herself onto Alfons’s shaft and Elbert’s tongue. 

More. 

I want. 

Without pulling back, he pushed two of his fingers into her alongside Alfons, and smiled when her toes curled into the sheets. He fucked his fingers into her as his tongue lavished her clit, the rest of his hand curled around the base of Alfons’s cock, stimulating them both. She came twice more on his tongue, almost shouting—and the second time, Alfons’s cum seeped out of her as she finally pulled away. 

“H-hold on, please… I need a minute.” Kate gasped as she rolled off Alfons and away from Elbert’s incessant assault, collapsing onto the bed sheets beside them. The rise and fall of her chest was rapid, muscles in her thighs still twitching as spasms continued to run through her, and her full lips remained parted to breathe out the most beautiful little exhales. 

“If I may—”

Elbert didn’t give Alfons a chance to finish his sentence. He seized Alfons’s hair, grabbing a fistful at the back of his head, and slotted their bodies together. 

Alfons’s smile flickered for only a second, before spreading wider. He hooked one of his long legs around Elbert’s waist, hitching him even closer. "Oh my, what a welcome surprise." 

"You took advantage of her."

"Please, Elbie, you know us better than that. She wanted it. Asked for it.” Alfons’s devilish smirk was far too attractive to be anything but sinful. “Begged for it."

Elbert looked over at Kate, who nodded her head in confirmation. “I missed you…” she whispered. 

He’d missed them, too. But without them there, he didn’t have the privilege of abusing Alfons’s power to make himself believe they were with him. 

If Kate went away for a while, though, could Alfons do the same for him? Offer himself up as her substitution to satisfy his master’s unending need? If he asked… well, he was certain Alfons would simply laugh a little and then grant him exactly that. 

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Both of you…” Elbert muttered in confession, his heart flipping in his chest when they both smiled at him in response. “Al, I want…”

“We’re here, Elbie.” Alfons looped his arms around Elbert’s neck and danced his fingertips along his nape. “Whatever you want.”

Maybe, sometime in the future, they could try it… But right now, he wanted to savor the real thing. Still gripping Alfons’s hair, he crashed their mouths together, greedily drinking in the groan that rewarded him. With his other hand, he took fingers still dripping with the mix of Alfons’s cum and Kate’s nectar and slid it between Alfons’s legs, down past his cock. 

Beside them, Kate’s breath hitched and came followed by the sound of her fumbling with the bedside drawer. A moment later, she pushed a vial of oil into Elbert’s hand. Oh, she was absolutely perfect…

Fingers made slick with oil and with traces of them, Elbert pushed them in past the tight ring of muscle and fucked Alfons open on his hand. 

It was always stunning, watching Alfons come apart. He was usually so composed, so perfectly tailored to play the part of a well-bred gentleman. So when he let that all go, when the facade fell away to expose his true self, it was beautiful. 

The flush built along his fair skin, his cock filling out yet again as Elbert continued to drive his fingers in and out of him, stretching him. 

“Are you going to tease me for long, Elbie?” Alfons’s voice was breathy, betraying his put-on words. He dropped his hands, hooking his fingers into Elbert’s belt. He gave it a playful tug, then made quick work of discarding it so he could draw Elbert’s straining length out into the open. “Or are you going to fuck me properly, like you want to?”

He did want to. His eyes strayed for a moment, looking at Kate lying beside them. Her breathing had calmed and when he reached out to her, she shifted closer. “I’m here.” She leaned against Alfons’s side, her hair splayed over their pillows. “He wants you, El. Let him have you.”

Driven by her gaze, Elbert spilled more of the oil onto himself and slowly guided himself into Alfons. Kate watched them, her eyes focused on where they joined. As Elbert started on a slow pace, thrusting gently, her fingers slid down her body and slipped between her own legs. 

“Come on, Elbie. I won’t break. Give me more than that,” Alfons encouraged, only to visibly bite back a gasp when Elbert fucked all the way into him. “Y-yes, like that…”

Kate laughed softly beside him, touching a kiss to Alfons’s shoulder before reaching over and tipping his face toward hers. The sight of them kissing was always beautiful. More so now, after a week away from them and with Kate leading. Her delicate fingers caressed Alfons’s cheek as she moved her pretty lips against his, welcoming his tongue into her mouth. Elbert could watch them kiss forever, watch how Alfons drew her lower lip into his mouth and sucked on it, biting it gently. Except… he wanted it too. 

He snapped his hips, driving himself into Alfons so hard that he separated them. And before they could come together again, he swooped down, stealing deep kisses from them both. Kate tempted Elbert’s tongue into her mouth, meeting it with her own. Then a moment later, he was moaning into Alfons’s mouth as he chased his tongue, greedy for it. 

They never stopped him, never scolded him, or tried to limit him, not in bed like this. They welcomed him between them, taking turns kissing him breathless. When he finally pulled away, he saw that their hands had drifted to one another. Kate’s fingers were around Alfons’s cock, stroking him, and his were back at her slit, fucking into her at the same pace set by Elbert’s thrusts. 

Gorgeous, stunning… beautiful. 

He still doubted himself at times, but never when it came to them. 

Kate arched her spine, biting back a moan as Alfons rubbed her clit. Her own hand faltered, but then she circled her thumb over the tip of Al’s cock and smeared the precum beading there. And Elbert felt how Alfons clenched around him in response, tight and hot and maddening.

Alfons tried to fuck into Kate’s hand, bucking up, but Elbert grabbed hold of his hips with bruising strength and held him steady. Instead, he sought out Al’s mouth again as he drove his cock deep inside him, fueled by the muted moans spilling from Alfons and the pure ecstasy of his heat constricting around him. 

It didn’t take long for them all to reach the edge. Kate’s breathy pleas mixed in with Alfons’s swear as they found theirs together. Elbert gripped Alfons’s hips as he fucked the orgasm out of him, practically purring as Al came in spurts. He pulled out of Alfons’s spasming body, palming his own cock until his cum joined Al’s in painting his stomach. 

And then, the bedroom was still and quiet for a moment, as they all caught their breath together.

All the wonders in the world and there was nothing—nothing—that he wanted more than this: the three of them, together.

Kate spoke first, drawing Elbert into her and pecking his lips with a smile. “Welcome home.” 

Beside them, Alfons chuckled and then leaned over, starting the careful work of undressing Elbert. “Yes, Elbie. Welcome home.” 

When the first sliver of his skin was unveiled, Kate’s fingers found it immediately, her touch as sweet and as gentle as ever. And right beside hers came Al’s, firmer, more demanding, guiding them back onto the tangled bed sheets. 

Welcome home, indeed. 

Trapped between the two of them, he had never felt more satisfied.  

Dividers by @natimiles

Thanks for @judejazza for the event, been devouring fanfic and wanted to spread the sandwich agenda 💕