#today it started swelling while i was driving like i could actually see the difference between my knees

[spiritinflight]

had to wear a fucking knee brace today just to go to the movies 💔

[derelictlovefool]

❝​🇩​​🇺​​🇱​​🇨​​🇮​​🇸​—⦂❝

— 𝐀 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐬, 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭; 𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞.

Notes: Check out Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five! We made it to the final part, huzzah! Thanks for comin' along on this ride with me, hope you had fun, I sure did! 😊💜

Warning/s: Canon Typical behaviour, explicit language, mending relationships, gross abomination of a burger

Words: 4k

Despite all the progress, all the steps in the right direction and the confidence from what Wade said today—you were scared. You didn't want to be torn apart again on the off chance you had put on a different pair of rose coloured glasses and were making it all up in your head. You wanted to trust Wade, you wanted him back in the apartment, you wanted to wake up to him and kiss him and make breakfast while he sang along to whatever pop song was on the radio. You wanted Wade. You wanted him so badly you could barely focus at work, when he stopped by it was like the moon eclipsing the sun and he was all you could see and hear and smell and—Fuck.

You loved him so damn much.

And you couldn't even try to say he didn't love you, it wasn't six months ago where you were on the tail end of that nasty breakup and everything had finally started levelling out now. You couldn't hide behind insecure, angry hypotheticals. Wade loved you, he wouldn't be standing beside you in normal clothes without his safety net on underneath if he didn't. Wouldn't be showing up to every session an hour early and still bringing you groceries when you could perfectly well buy your own.

There was a free fall ahead of you, a deep dive you needed to commit to for this to be a two way street of really trying. Wade had put all of himself on the table and now it was your turn. You just had to jump.

"Are you hungry? I'm starving." Wade, seemingly growing itchy from the growing silence in the long elevator ride, mused out into the air, "Lenny's got a new burger, apparently Weasel got to design it so it should be fuckin' terrible." He grinned and you snorted, a warmth filling you as you finally got to know and understand those names completely. You'd been able to step into that side of his world and meet a whole lot of people who had been nothing but blurry shapes, names and stories before. Lenny was an ex-merc now running a burger-bar joint and it was actually damn good.

And Weasel was what Wade could call a friend, as close as he was getting in his line of work—you'd met him a couple of times now and he wasn't all that bad. Kinda rude, a little lame; perfect fit for Wade.

"I could go for a burger." You hummed, stepping out of the elevator when you reached the ground floor. Wade fell into step beside you and for a moment you could feel his hand hover at the small of your back; there had been so many almost touches now it was driving you crazy. You almost wanted to stop so you'd fall into his hand, feel his bare palm through the fabric of your clothes. But you kept going and tried not to be disappointed when his hand ended up in his pocket again. Time, you just needed time.

Wade stepped ahead of you when you got to the door, making a show of pulling it open for you and bowing playfully. Your heart swelled and you rolled your eyes, walking past and thanking him as your feet made contact with the concrete walkway. The street bustled before you and something felt different about the air, maybe it was just you. Everything felt a bit lighter now, even more so than before. Who knew being open and honest felt so damn freeing.

Wade led you down a few main streets then into the usual back streets you'd slowly gotten accustomed to; it had gotten easier going past alleyways. Despite every shadow or movement causing you to stiffen, you had Wade there to remind you nothing was going to touch you with him by your side. He was back to being your unfriendly, neighbourhood shadow and you'd be lying if you said it didn't make you feel a whole lot safer. And a whole lot less lonely.

"Lenny, two of the Weasel specials, my good slime!" Wade called out as you two entered the small tucked away bar, the industrial interior and neon lights setting a cosy yet sleazy atmosphere. Lenny turned to greet you, ignoring Wade completely as he wiped down the bar.

"Nice to see you back, how ya been?" He smiled and Wade gripped the back of a chair with a haughty huff; pulling it out for you. Just a Wade thing he did no matter where you were. He'd tried to pull the couch out for you once or twice, being on it as he pushed it back had always led to a burst of giggles from the both of you. You missed how extra he was about everything, even when you were alone. It was always just for you, all for you.

"You too Len, been doin' pretty damn good honestly, you?" You sit down with an easy smile, leaning back and noting the way Wade's fingers skirted against your shoulders.

"Len? Since when is it fuckin' Len?" Wade muttered, pushing you in and pulling the other seat right up to your side, sitting in a smooth motion and tucking his chair even closer still. Your knees knocked together, neither of you moved them. Your eyes met, you glanced down at the table, his blue eyes doing far too much to your poor heart right now.

"Had better days, got Weasel's burger on the menu for one thing."

"It's a good fuckin' burger, the people love it!" Another voice joins the ring and you all turn to the bathroom door as it slams open, Weasel marching out and strutting to the bar with a quick greeting and pleasant smile shot your way. It was nice, feeling so welcome in a place Wade probably felt more at home in than anywhere you'd take him usually. The bar's patrons were a mix of mutants and humans, mercenaries and people with work more aligned with your realm of reality. It was crazy how normal it felt and how nicely you found yourself fitting in.

Lenny waves Weasel off and walks back into the kitchen, shouting to give him a bit and your burgers would be out in no time.

"I gotta say the customer service leaves a lot to be desired, hopefully the burger doesn't kill us." Wade holds his hand up and leans over to you, a conspiratorial tone wasted by the fact he didn't lower his voice any. You feel yourself leaning in closer anyway, pulled in by his gravity like you always had been. A stray planet somehow caught in the tide of a supernova, skirting on the edges of something so beautifully dangerous and not knowing what would happen if you let yourself get fully pulled in.

"It's a—"

"Good burger, heard you before Wease." Wade waved him off dismissively, hand falling to the table between the both of you.

You snorted and Wade's attention was back on you, blue eyes crinkling with a smile and knee bumping into yours again. You let your hand fall, your fingertips brushing against his knuckles and palm resting against the top of his hand. You felt him tense, saw his shoulders go rigid before he eased into it; melting under your touch.

"You know if the burgers shit I can probably make an even better frankenburger with all your favourites."

"That would probably be just as gross Wade," you grin, curling your fingers around his, "I'll take you up on that though. If it's that bad." You mused and you could see the moment his eyes lit up, glee shining back at you.

"It's Weasel. It's gonna be ass."

"Man, I'm right here."

"Don't care, talking to the love of my life, go back to your toilet dwelling or something." Wade tried to shoo the brunette away and you quickly slapped his other hand down.

"Oh my god, Wade,"

"What, he never gets this many lines," Wade grumbled, but his gaze fell to your hands now both resting on top of his, losing interest in the previous topic quickly.

"Okay well how about we just stop shitting on his burger and talk about something else." You suggest, trying to save some of Weasel's feelings as you rested your elbow on the table, tucking your cheek onto your palm as you watch Wade's eyes which seem to follow your hand as if hypnotised.

"Fine." He paused, seemingly thinking it over in his head, "Al put leeches in my bed yesterday."

"What did you do?"

"I forgot—Honestly it felt kinda nice, so I was just gonna let 'em hang around, but they dropped off after a while. The milkshake of cancer and whatever else is in my bloodstream didn't vibe with their lil stomachs." Wade shook his head as he recounted the tale, pinching his index finger and thumb together to emphasise the size difference.

"That is so gross and so sad," You tried your best not to laugh as Wade nodded somewhat solemnly. Wade sighed and looked up at the ceiling above you.

"I held a toilet funeral for them, it was very moving." He held his free hand to his chest and you wholeheartedly believed him. If anyone would hold a funeral for leaches it would be Wade.

You couldn't keep it in, you laughed, your head falling forward to meet Wade's shoulder as your own shook. The mental image of him on his knees in front of the toilet, saying a few words for each leech as he flushed them was too much. Wade giggled along with you and when you looked up at him you felt your heart drumming like a racehorse's hooves against the race track. You took in a breath and tried to keep a clear head but it was near impossible.

A thought fluttered by like a stray butterfly, enticing you to follow it as it swirled around Wade's head.

"I was thinking," you muttered, voice quieter than you meant and you almost lost your nerve as he leant in to hear you, "maybe, uhm." You felt a lump in your throat at the mere thought of what you wanted to say. Which was the concept of him moving back in. Al had let you know she was not happy with the current arrangement and kept asking when you were taking him back and you'd been putting it off. You didn't want anything messing up the progress you two were making and didn't want any chance of falling into old habits.

But damn, did you want him back home.

"You got me on the edge of my seat here babe, cliffhangers are for books and marvel movies." Wade tried to coax the words out of you and you found yourself leaning back, shaking your head with a small chuckle.

"Maybe you and Al need a mediator, those pranks are getting outta hand."

"Right," He stares at you for a moment before leaning closer, "is that really what you were gonna sa—"

"Order up love birds, the Weasel special." Lenny interrupted just in time to help you avoid the reality that no, it wasn't what you were going to say and you were too chicken shit to face it right now. Wade scowled up at the other man, who just offered a confused, disgruntled glare back.

The burgers were a good distraction, they looked entirely inedible. Three layers of beef patty, orange oozing cheese and tofu, a thick layer of pickles right on top with beetroot, lettuce, onions, chives, bacon, a thick slice of pineapple and some mysterious white sauce with other ingredients you couldn't quite make out sitting between two thick buns. You had no idea how you were getting your mouth around even a chunk of it.

"First you put pineapple on pizza and now this." Wade tossed an accusing finger at Weasel who simply shot him the finger in return.

"You try and tell me if it's good, fuck his opinion." Weasel turned to you, expectantly waiting as Wade scoffed and took the burger in his hands. Somehow in his large hands it almost looked like a normal sized burger, you on the other hand couldn't even figure out how to pick it up. You shrugged and did your best, tucking your fingers around it the best you could and getting it an inch off the plate. Wade took the messiest bite you'd ever seen, half the burger exploding out onto the plate and sauce covering the bottom of his face. You held in your laughter and attempted to take your own bite. You got some patty, cheese, pickle and lettuce.

That alone tasted like a pretty normal burger. When the rest of it came together in your next bite however it was a whole lot of tastes competing in your mouth and you weren't sure if it was good, fine or downright nasty. You glanced at Wade, seeing he was already looking back at you; both of your mouths stuffed full and expressions mirroring each other. It was bad. You swallowed and Wade did the same, however while you paused he shrugged and went in for another bite. You didn't know how he did it.

"So?" Weasel pressed and you rolled your lips into a tight line. You could tell the truth or you could do the easier thing and lie through your teeth. You mulled it over for a second, before slowly nodding to yourself.

"It tastes like… When you first move out on your own and have to cook for yourself for the first time with like—three groceries and some leftovers."

Wade choked on the food in his mouth as a laugh tried to fight its way out of his throat and Lenny snorted from behind the bar. You smiled apologetically at Weasel as he pouted, sinking into his seat dejectedly. You could have been way more harsh, especially as the after-taste hit your taste buds. You tensed your jaw and rolled your lips into a straight line, setting the burger down and wiping your hands on a napkin. You figured it'd be a waste to ditch the whole burger so you picked off the worst offenders and left a mostly normal burger on your plate.

It was huge even still and you made it through half of it before you had to call it quits. Lenny brought you over a takeaway container and muttered something about Weasel making him waste product, you couldn't see the Weasel special lasting much longer. Wade finished off his burger and messily wiped the sauce off his face with a bunch of napkins, still managing to miss some on the edge of his jaw. Your hand moved before you even process it, your thumb swiping it off of his skin and moving back to your own mouth. It wasn't until you'd licked it off did you actually realise what you did—that and Wade staring back at you with a look in his eye that was familiar and foreign all at once.

You'd felt it plenty. It was another thing to see it.

"Uhm—sorry," You laughed and it seemed to break Wade's trance and he shook his head.

"Did'ja get it all?" He made a show of turning his head and you made an equal show and inspecting every inch of his face.

"Mhm, sauce free. You're good." You make an 'okay' sign with your hand and he grins, bowing playfully in his seat.

"Why thank you, wouldn't want to walk down the street with kids pointing and calling me Mr.Mustard." He tosses the napkins down onto his plate, making a bold assumption any percent of that sauce was mustard.

"Yeah that would suck—for you, I think that'd be funny as hell." You grin, enjoying the feeling of being able to joke around with him again. It felt different but in a good way, you weren't afraid one of your jokes would maybe hit an invisible nerve you had no warning of. No fear of him throwing any nasty ones back in defense. It was wierd, being past that, knowing it most likely wouldn't come back again at least not for a while and not without a lot of genuine apologies afterwards.

"Oh, I see how it is—I'll remember that buddy."

It was nice to see him grin and welcome it, knowing he was probably thinking the same thing as you.

You sat in the bar for about a half an hour, Wade intermittently teasing Weasel about his burger while Lenny tried to get you to design a burger of your own. He'd name it after you and everything. You could just feel Wade getting huffy anytime Lenny was talking to you, he wasn't one for jealousy but possessiveness had always been something he struggled with. You were surprised and proud however, he wasn't insulting Lenny or threatening him for his pleasant banter with you or anything. Just resting his arm over the back of your chair and leaning closer to make sure everyone saw who you were there with and maybe remind himself too.

And just for extra measure you leant back into him to remind him you were there for him, no one else. He'd smiled and you'd felt him relax against you, his chest heaving out a breath and his eyes skirting across your face with a gentle look in his eye.

After a while you relented to design a burger, your favourite with some home-brew flare that made Lenny pause before shrugging—Couldn't be worse than Weasel's abomination is all he said. At that Wade shifted and you glanced up at him, he rested his chin on your shoulder and you felt so tempted to twist around and kiss his temple, his jaw, his cheek—his lips. But you didn't.

"Can I walk you home?" He asked and you blinked, trying to listen to the question while wishes and wants danced behind your eyes.

"You'd follow me anyway so why not," You tossed out, smiling as he looked at you with wide, fake innocent eyes.

"Don't know what you're talking about sweetness, but cool. You ready to bounce?" You rolled your eyes at the choice of pet name but nodded, leaning away and pushing your chair out. Wade followed suit, shooting the fellas a lazy goodbye as he walked to the door. They offered their own goodbyes, mainly in your direction as you waved back at them. Wade held the door open for you again and this time as you walked out his hand rested against the small of your back.

It felt right.

You made your way back the way you came, taking a left instead of a right at the main street in the direction of your place. Your hands brushed past each other multiple times as you walked, and after a block you got fed up and just grabbed his. He giggled at the look on your face when you did it and you tried to fight your own smile as you told him to shut it. When you made it to your building you both slowed to a stop.

"So."

"So." You both laughed, an unusual awkwardness between you as you stagnated outside your building. You wanted to invite him in, you wanted to do so many things. Looking at him made you think he was holding back a few things of his own.

"I saw there's this new shitty movie that came out the other week, it looks like a trainwreck," Wade scratched the back of his neck idly as he pretended to inspect the architecture of the building beside you, "Thought maybe we could watch it together." He suggested, gaze flicking back to you. You nodded, not even needing the title or the plot—it didn't matter.

"Yeah i'd love to, is it like, a theatre kinda movie or a couch movie?" You asked and Wade seemed to pause, mulling it over as he watched you.

"Couch movie. Definitely gonna need snacks and popcorn to throw at the TV." He wagged his finger in the air and you rolled your eyes with a chuckle.

"Naturally," You took a step closer to the front doors before turning back to him. It was as good an excuse as any and you really didn't want to say goodbye just yet.

"We could do that now if you're free?" You barely finished your sentence before he was right next to you again, hand back in yours and leading you inside the building at breakneck speed.

"For you? I'm always free." Wade dragged you to the elevator, waving to Rich as you passed by reception. The other man offered an awkward wave back and you didn't have time to think about it as Wade bundled you inside the elevator, you laughed at his eagerness and how giddy he seemed to be pressing the button up to your floor. He told you a bit about the movie as you felt yourself going up, some kind of comedy horror that was filled with B-list actors and the trailers promised terrible writing and innuendoes. It sounded awful and you were looking forward to making fun of it for an hour.

You got into your apartment, stopping to watch as Wade strode in and started prepping. He knew where everything was, he picked out your movie blanket, got the popcorn and snacks from the snack drawer. Watching him take up space so easily and glide around the apartment made you feel fuzzy and melancholic. You missed just watching his large form dwarf your things and now getting to see more than just a red and black suit—It really felt like he was fully here with you. Present and not hiding or pretending in any way.

It was just Wade and it was just you.

It felt good.

You decided to whip up some drinks as Wade found the movie, finishing up once he'd slipped into the kitchenette with you excitedly announcing it was ready to go. He was right behind you and had planted his hands on the counter on either side of you, heat radiating off of his chest as you bumped back into him. He didn't move and he was inspecting the drinks as you turned halfway to face him, his mask, hat and hood all gone and leaving his face completely out in the open. Your eyes traced every inch, your fingertips wanted to run along his jaw—wanted to touch him in any way you could.

When he looked back at you, you felt yourself giving way under his gaze. This was so ridiculous.

"I think—Do you want to move back in?"

The words tumbled out before you could stop yourself and frankly, you didn't want to. It'd had been damn long enough and you wanted him back home.

"My answer is my bags are packed, let's get some celebration pizza, fuck yes, but—and this is the counsellor talking—are you sure? Are we… Are we good?" Wade didn't miss a beat and he looked ready to knock you over in excitement. The shining in his eyes and unrest of his body as he tried to keep himself a respectable distance was incredibly endearing in the moment. Normally he'd just sweep you off your feet and not think about it, he heard what he wanted and typically that'd be all he needed. But he was asking you, checking in, caring about what you were ready for.

It just made you all the more sure it was time.

"I think we're almost there, I think this is the next step. I'm ready if you are." You reach out and Wade's hands find yours instantly, wrapping around them and pulling you forward. Your foreheads knocked together and you both laugh, giddy and excited about what this meant. Wade's eyes flickered down and you really wanted him to kiss you, but you weren't gonna push it. You'd both get there again in no time, every torn seam was slowly threading back into place and the hurt was so low down you could barely focus on it past this feeling right now. The closeness with the one man that had truly gotten under your skin in the best and worst ways, the one who had made you feel a million different things.

The man you loved.

Wade's expression softened into that serene, gentle appreciation and one of his hands slid up to cup your cheek. His thumb traced your cheekbone and you melted against his hand, closing your eyes to just enjoy the moment. You felt Wade's lips press against your forehead, bumps and divots of his skin comforting and electrifying all at once.

"I can take the couch for a while,"

You looked up at him, shaking your head before he even finished his words.

"No you—I want you back in Wade. All the way in." You lift your hands, running them around his waist and diving into his chest to hug him tightly. He doesn't miss a beat, engulfing you in his arms and shielding you from everything around you. You'd missed being held by him like this, you felt like you were in your own bubble and nothing could touch you; nothing else mattered. Home hadn't felt like home in a while for you and this, right here—this felt like home.

Wade was home.

And like hell he was leaving again.

End notes: Sorry for missing last week, my work load has piled up and I didn't want to post a half-assed final part. I might end up writing an epilogue but I'm not making any promises! Thank you again for reading and leaving comments, the support was super appreciated! <3

[helianskies]

reflecting on my 2023 in this fandom, i wanted to share some observations, reflections and projections for 2024. it's a little mix of positive and negative stuff so, and as this will be something mostly only mutuals will read (if at all), i just wanted to give you that heads up. i have some bits to get off my chest.

so, to start with, some little observations about myself as a writer:

i tag it 'nationverse' because i don't tend to write nationverse (the odd bit of historical, but not consistently), and i think it's useful to signpost to my readers 'oh btw they are actually nations in this one, in case that's not what you want to read today'. that is okay.

i will always call it 'engspa' to distinguish it from 'spuk' because i have a preferred dynamic for them and i grew up in a fandom space that tagged things as such to help readers know what they were getting into. that is okay.

i prefer having a ficlet collection to posting small works separately because it helps me manage my fics, see what i have and haven't done, navigate my profile, keep the request fics in one place, and maintain my drive to write small things compared to posting them all separately. that is okay.

i block people in order to curate my online enviroment, to avoid topics or content i'm not interested in or that i don't want to be in my happy space, and to manage my own emotions - and i am allowed to do so. that is okay.

i don't like every ship under the sun and so won't fulfil every request or suggestion i receive into my inbox, no matter how many times i am asked to. that is okay.

i just feel a need to address these things that have cropped up in my year. at a few points i've felt like a 'bad writer' for doing certain things or have been made to feel like a 'bad writer' for... essentially having preferences. at various points i lost confidence and contemplated throwing the towel.

thing is, we all do things differently, and we all have our own systems, preferences, and needs. i wish we'd stop putting each other down for that.

while i don't doubt my insecurities won't shift much next year, in 2024, i'll be in my eighth year writing. that feels like an achievement i ought to be celebrating. and it reminds me how important writing is in my life - because that's a third of my lifetime i will have been writing for. and mostly for this fandom, haha...

.°˖✧

looking on the fics i've written and finished this year, if i had to pick my favourite three, they'd probably be...

'Let Me Go' - i'm still patting myself on the back for this one. it's my favourite piece of nationverse i've written to date, and i could do so much with it...

'Want' - begging myself to write a sequel that i probably won't, but i can dream!

'Smokescreen' - ...it felt good to be bad, just for a little bit!

if i then think about my favourite aus in general from this year, then it's got to be:

the zoo au, from 'Lovebirds' because it's just CUTE, okay?

the RNLI au, from 'Swell', in which Arthur and Antonio are lifeboat volunteers (10/10 would write more)

the dragons au, from 'Scales' because worldbuilding is fun but also,, Rhys, my boy! :D

the school au, from 'The Note', for the memories it brings back and the reminder that i can write fluff, dammit!

and if only you guys knew the aus happening in my messages with maiva,, we are so smart we are so cool we are constantly drowning in cats :)

to conclude these little reflections on my year in fandom, things i'm a bit sad about:

i've given up on 'Bound' as a series - i just haven't been able to get anywhere with the plans or drafts i have, and i've lost my love for it, so it's officially parked.

'Hopeful Waters' will also definitely not continue - i will, however, not delete it as i have stopped myself from doing a million times this year. i may write snippets of 'what would have been' but my relationship with the fic is... largely negative, so i make no promise.

hetaween fics slipped through my darn fingers this year and i didn't write as much as i wanted. next year, i will return with vengeance... ùwú

and things i'm happy about or proud of from this year:

romespa ✨everything✨

i've written now well over a million words on ao3 which feels,, just surreal, honestly. 16 year old helia would never

i finally cleared out my ao3 inbox and stopped hoarding comments for months and i'm keeping on top of it!

i've continued to write dialogue prompt lists! it always makes me happy when i see others using them as well <3

.°˖✧

and so, looking at 2024...

next year, what i'm hoping above all else is that 'For Me?' reaches its conclusion. it's been slow-going this year with updates, and it's nearly two years old (ouch), but i'm now finally getting the plot back on track and i know my direction. i hope the wait will be worth it! i'm excited about what's to come for Antonio, Arthur, and the others :)

i also hope 'Bitter Teeth' keeps going strong. i hope i let myself take breaks without feeling so guilty. i hope i get more into historical hetalia again. i really want to explore the implications of the events of 'Let Me Go'. i hope i learn to love my unfinished works or abandoned wips. i hope i start sharing more of my ideas. i hope i learn it's okay to not always want to write the same characters over and over, even if they are my favourites.

really, i just want to keep moving forward. i want to keep writing. i want to keep loving writing. i want to keep exploring. i want to not succumb to negativity as much. i want to indulge even more in what i want and what i feel like.

oh, and i want more cat aus. sorry maiva. we're not finished.

.°˖✧

to finish, i just wanted to leave a little thanks to the friends i have here who read my stuff, who encourage me, and who give me the confidence to continue forwards. i treasure you. i hope you know who you are. and i offer you cookies, hugs, and well wishes for the year ahead 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂

thank you guys for everything <3

[sashaisready]

Chapter Eight

Lee Bodecker (The Devil All The Time) x Femme Reader

A year after the sudden death of your husband you find yourself at a loose end, unsure what to do next. You're also learning about your sexuality - your hidden desires and fantasies creeping out now you're no longer playing the role of the good wife. A certain Sheriff in town could be the one to awaken something in you.

Series Masterlist

Chapter 9

WARNING: Huge TW for sexual assault/implied rape by secondary character in this chapter. It's not described with details but please skip if you need to

Your eyes flew open and you took a moment to gather your bearings. You were feeling much warmer than you usually were in bed, it was only then that you noticed the firm arm wrapped around you.

Lee.

You rolled over to face him. You must've drifted off as you were still clad in your lingerie. It felt wrong to be wearing it so early in the morning. You could feel your gusset was sticky with the spend from last night's venture. Lee must've put his arm around you at some point in the night which made you feel warm inside.

He was still in a deep sleep, snoring lightly. He looked so innocent while he slept, a far cry from the slightly scary man in his Sheriff uniform. His features were so much softer like this, his eyelashes long, his cheeks chubby. You couldn't resist running a finger under his jaw, desperate to touch him.

Lee stirred, turning to you as he woke. He smiled.

"Well ain't you a sight for sore eyes". His voice was lower than usual and croaky with sleep. You liked it.

"Good morning Lee" you sang, pressing a small kiss to his cheek.

He hummed contentedly, pulling you closer and nuzzling into your hair. It all so was comfortable, relaxed – you could get used to this.

"Have you gotta be up for work or should I fix you some breakfast?" you asked sleepily, his heated embrace making you drowsy again.

"Ain't gotta be in 'til eleven thirty today so breakfast sounds swell".

You made a noise of recognition and sat up to go get started on some eggs, but a strong hand tugged you back down into the mattress.

"Not so fast. I'm in the mood for a different kinda breakfast first" he teased as you shrieked and surrendered to his touch, melting into him.

🌼

Breakfast was nice. After going another round in the bedroom, you had made eggs and coffee for you both while Lee read the morning paper. You plated up at the table while Lee absent-mindedly ran a finger up your arm without looking up. It all felt very natural, very easy.

You talked for a while as you ate, the longest you had gone without kissing or touching since this whole thing had started. You were surprised to find you actually had things in common, the conversation flowed easily between you both.

Lee was feeling content. A beautiful woman hadn't made him breakfast in a long time, and the truth was he liked being with you. He liked having sex with you. He liked talking to you. He was content to see where it went.

He had even stopped driving out to Tecumseh to visit the working girls. He didn't need to now he had you. And funnily enough, despite their occupation, you were actually dirtier and more adventurous then most of them put together. Probably better for the Sheriff campaigns, too.

It was clear you still had some baggage and hang ups from your husband but that was to be expected. A year wasn't that long, after all. So he understood you might be feeling guilty or unsure. He'd certainly moved on from his ex-wife, but being a widow was a bit different to divorce.

What he couldn't wrap his head around was your husband's reluctance to fuck you, or thinking of you as a whore for wanting it. What kind of man doesn't want to have sex with his pretty wife? His pretty wife who is eager to explore all that sex has to offer, who is so keen to experiment and embrace pleasure that she reads dirty books in bed and touches herself before she goes to sleep?

A foolish man, he thought.

Still, the husband's loss was his gain. He was reaping all the rewards of your forced celibacy, and he was more than happy to help out. The great thing was you were just as attracted to him as he was to you. You didn't merely tolerate him, but enjoyed him – desiring every inch him, love handles and all.

"So, when you gonna let me take you out on a real date then?" Lee asked suddenly.

You choked on a mouthful of coffee, swallowing it down quickly. "W-what?" you asked.

Lee was unfazed. "You heard me. We could go somewhere nice. Get dressed up. And we wouldn't have t'sneak around no more".

You thought for a moment, "I'd like that...but what would they say?"

Lee shrugged. "Who cares what they fuckin' say?"

You chewed your lip as you mulled it over. It would be nice to go out on a real date with Lee, and you couldn't pretend you hadn't thought about dating him and doing more than just sleeping together. Part of you had a niggling fear that something wasn't right about him. But what could dating hurt? You could always break it off if it didn't work out.

"Okay" you smiled at him, "You're on. Where you taking me?"

Lee smiled back, taking a final sip of coffee and getting to his feet. "There's a new restaurant a few towns over we could try. Wednesday night maybe?"

You nod enthusiastically, trying to hide your excitement so you don't seem too keen. "I'm working the afternoon shift at the diner but if you don't mind a late dinner I can be home and ready for eight?"

Lee put his jacket on. "Great. I gotta get goin' so I can clean up and change before my shift. But I'll see you Wednesday night".

"It's a date" you replied.

Lee rounded the table and gave you a kiss as he headed to the front door. "Thanks for breakfast, sweetness. And for last night".

You smiled to yourself as he left, already wondering what you should wear for Wednesday night.

🌼

Wednesday came around quickly and you were even more excited about your date with Lee as your shift had been a nightmare. Demanding customers, burnt food courtesy of the cook you suspected had snuck a joint in his break, small tips and the cash register was inexplicably down $7.50 which of course you were blamed for. You needed a palate cleanse from this terrible day.

You had stayed late to lock up as your co-workers scattered. On Wednesdays the diner always closed early. Something to do with the old owner doing it years ago because of his church group meetings, and the current owner adopting that tradition just because. Classic small town routine and ritual. It was amazing how quiet everything was past 7pm – all the businesses closed up and there was no sign of any life except the bar on the edge of town. It was dark, eerie. But you checked your watch, still plenty of time to get home and get ready in time for Lee.

You got into your car ready to shoot off back to your house but the damn thing wouldn't start. Of course it wouldn't! The cherry on the shit sundae of today. You kept turning your key over and over trying to get it to run but no joy, it sounded like the engine had flooded as it stuttered and spat.

You groaned in frustration. Yours was the only car left in the lot, everyone else had gone home. You got out the car and had a look around to see if there were any cars nearby or locals who could help you out but there was nobody to be seen. It was as if the town had been evacuated suddenly without you noticing.

You realised your only course of action was to unlock the diner, go back inside and call Lee to tell him what had happened. You could kick yourself for your bad luck.

As you wrestled the diner keys back out of your purse and started on the locks, you noticed the sheen of headlights approaching. It was a police cruiser.

You gasped, was this Lee saving the day? What were the odds! Maybe he'd decided to pick you up from the diner instead. You flagged the cruiser down excitedly.

As the car drew a stop outside the diner you realised it wasn't Lee, but a much appreciated face all the same.

"Deputy Davey!" you exclaimed. Thank goodness. You felt the relief wash over you as you relaxed.

Davey rolled down the window and rested his elbow on the car door. "You okay here, ma'am?"

"Deputy, thank goodness" you told him breathlessly as you rushed towards him. "My car ain't starting and I need to get home. Any chance I could trouble you for a lift?"

Davey smiled wobbly at you. You couldn't put your finger on it but something seemed...off about him.

"Sure thing, little lady. Hop on in".

Was he...slurring?

Surely not. Not Davey. He was the most professional cop on the force. He had been there for you when Arthur died. He was married to Julie. Kind Julie who held your hand in the grocery store.

You grinned at him and slipped into the back of the cruiser, relieved that you wouldn't be late for Lee.

"Thanks for this, you've really saved me!" you told Davey as he set off.

Davey smiled crookedly, watching you in the mirror. "You're welc-hic-welcome" he stumbled.

"You got a case of the hiccups huh?" you laughed, slightly nervously. Something wasn't right here. You felt dread settling in.

"Fine. Allfine, don'tchoworry about me...honey".

You were right. He was slurring.

You managed to laugh breezily, trying not to show him that you were nervous.

"Uh...busy night tonight Davey?" you asked casually.

He grinned at you sloppily in the mirror reflection. "Mmmm. Just responded t'call out at the bar. Y'know how it is".

You nodded. "Did you uh...stop to have a drink there too?"

He laughed. "Just a coupla beers, honey. Nothin' t'worry 'bout".

It was clearly more than just a few beers. You could smell the whiskey permeating through the suffocating air of the car. You felt the dread settling in the pit of your stomach. But you were nearly home now. Just a teeny bit longer and you'd be home. And Lee would be there, and all would be alright.

Until he sped past the exit for your street.

"Uh...Davey. That was my turn off..." you exclaimed, the nerves starting to show.

Davey said nothing, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Davey?" you asked again.

Still no response.

"Look, if you let me out right here that's fine. I'll walk the rest of the way. Thanks again for the ride".

You rattled the passenger door handle, but of course you can't open police cars from the inside if you're in the backseat.

"Fuck" you muttered. You were now really scared. You could feel the hairs on your arms standing on end.

"I can think o'a few ways you can thank me for the ride" mumbled Davey.

You looked up to the mirror to find his eyes staring back at you. They looked dead, dark. Like the eyes of a shark.

"Just let me out the fucking car Davey and nobody has to know about this" you spat, trying to sound authoritative but coming off more pleading.

"I've seen the way you look at me" he garbled.

"What?" you spat.

"I've seen it. You're always smilin' at me. I know you want me..."

"You're drunk. You don't know what you're talking about. Just pull over, now". Your heart was beating painfully in your chest. Every sense felt heightened.

"Don't play hard to get" he mumbled.

"This is ridiculous, stop! What about Julie?" you shouted. Desperately trying the door again to no avail.

"What she don't know won't hurt her".

He pulled over abruptly onto a dirt road. Before you knew it he was climbing over the seats towards you, his eyes blazing with lust and anger. You began to scream, doing your best to fight him off. You managed to land a few blows but he overpowered you, flipping you over and tearing at your clothes, pummelling you.

You let your mind go blank, switching yourself off and closing your eyes. It was as if you left your body. You were no longer in the cruiser, you were home safe with Lee. Everything was okay.

Lee.

Your heart hurt as you thought about him, he was going to think you'd stood him up. That you didn't want to go on the date with him. But you did want to go. It's all you wanted.

But instead you had willingly stepped into the mouth of a wolf.

Arthur would probably say you had deserved this. How silly of you to act the way you had. Parading around town having sex with men you didn't know.

You're not sure exactly when Davey had finished but you eventually realised the car was moving again. He had returned to the front seat and was driving in silence. You slowly pulled your torn dress back over your head, wincing at the soreness which had enveloped your body.

He drove up to your front door and got out, stepping around to the back passenger side and opening it for you wordlessly. You slumped out into the cold air, refusing to look at him or acknowledge him as you sloped up to your house.

"One more thing, buttercup" Davey called out behind you. You didn't turn to face him, but stopped in your tracks. "Don't forget...nobody would believe you".

And you knew he was right.

[demonsanddemogorgons]

Sunny in Philadelphia - A Joseph Quinn Story (Chapter 8)

Chapter 8 - Surprise!

The week went by slowly, as you expected, but Joe kept his promise of calling every night. You would send him selfies periodically to keep him missing you, to which he would always respond with a heart-eyes or a kiss emoji, and the occasional video message with a quick “beautiful, love” and a smile so you could miss him, too. By Friday, you were really beginning to feel the effects of being away from him, especially when photo ops from Fan Expo Dallas started surfacing on social media. He looked like an angel in his white t-shirt and jeans with the yellow backdrop, his brown curls laying freely over his head in all directions. Those curls. Running your hands through them would have been very nice right about then. Only a few more days.

Your heart was swelling from seeing all the Friday convention photos. You decided to make use of them. You began texting Joe. The convention had ended for the night, so you were hoping he was free to answer.

Joe, you’re making being away from you really difficult for me right now.

Oh? Why is that, love?

You sent him a photo op photo of himself from earlier that day.

Look at you!

It’s just me, love.

Just Joe? JUST JOE? He had to be kidding. This man looked good in any outfit, any color. It was pleasantly stomach-turning, and you were kind of jealous of it, if you were being honest.

JUST YOU?! You look adorable. The white?! I can’t cope.

Well, thank you, darling. You won’t have to cope much longer.

Is that supposed to make me feel better, Joe?

I suppose not. But I think I can help put some ice on it for a bit, hold you over until Monday.

Oh?

Just then, your phone started ringing, Joe’s name showing up on the screen, but it was different. A grin grew on your face as you realized it was a FaceTime call instead of just a phone call. You have never swiped to answer so quickly.

“Hello, love.”

“Hi, Joe,” you said, cheeks burning as you saw he was in his white t-shirt, and he still had his readers on.

“You liked my outfit so much, I thought it might make you feel better to let you actually see it.”

You smiled at him as he stretched his arm out to show a full-body view to the camera.

“You definitely know what you’re doing, Quinn,” you said, smirking. He chuckled in response.

“Did it work? Do you feel better?”

“Yes, thank you,” you giggled. “It’s so good to see your face. Your outfit was just a bonus.”

“Aw, bless you, love.”

“Oh, I’m blessed, alright,” you chuckled at him with a wink. His lightly freckled cheeks slowly faded to red and he let a close-lipped smile sneak onto his face.

“Someone is feisty today.”

“I’m feisty every day. You sure you can handle it?” you smirk at him.

“I’m sure going to try.” His smile grew into a wide one. “You’re different today. You were so timid when we first met.”

“Well, what can I say? You’re pulling me out of my shell.”

“Well, good. I like it,” he snickers, winking.

The two of you continued your normal nightly phone call for a little while longer, until you had to go to work. 3 days. You could make it 3 days. Hopefully.

When Monday evening rolled around, you could hardly sit still in the car as you were driving. You had decided to surprise Joe by picking him up at the Pittsburgh airport and spending the night exploring the city before going back home. He had no idea you were going to be waiting for him at the terminal when he landed. You pulled into the airport parking lot and made your way inside, shaking from a combination of nerves and adrenaline. You were so excited to see him after a week, but you were nervous because you hadn’t touched him in a week. Would your knees go weak? Would you faint? All kinds of questions wandered through your mind as you walked. He was landing at 5:15 and you got there extra early to be careful not to miss him.

You were waiting outside the terminal, twiddling your thumbs anxiously. He was due to land in 5 minutes, the slowest 5 minutes of your life. You looked at the time on your phone about 20 too many times. After what felt like hours, the flight tracker app you were using said that Joe’s flight from Dallas to Pittsburgh had landed. You stood up, your eyes not leaving the terminal. Eventually you saw a head of brown curls covered by a hat making way through the crowd. His head was down, typing on his phone. Yours vibrated and you looked at it quickly, knowing it was from him.

I’ve landed, darling. I’ll see you in a few hours.

He still had no idea you were feet from him. It was so exhilarating, surprising him, anticipating how happy he was about to become, all because of you. You started towards him, moving faster the closer you got to him. Once you were about 3 feet away, he looked up from his phone. His eyes met yours, widening in disbelief with a jaw drop. He dropped his bags and wrapped you in a hug, lifting you off the ground and squeezing like it was the last time he would ever hold you, ensuring him that you weren't a figment of his imagination.

“Baby, what are you doing here?!” he said eagerly into your hair. Your heart jumped in your chest. It was the first time he had ever called you that, and you hoped to yourself that it wouldn’t be the last.

“I decided to surprise you,” you said, pulling back and looking into his eyes lovingly.

“Well, you definitely did. Thank you!” he answered, pulling you into another hug.

“The surprise isn’t over yet,” you said, flashing your eyebrows with a smile. He looked at you with flirtatious suspicion.

“What do you have up your sleeve, love?”

“Well, I know you enjoy the city, and you’ve never been to Pittsburgh before, so I thought we could have a date night here and head back home tomorrow.”

His eyes widened along with his smile.

“Darling, that’s so thoughtful. Thank you.” He pulled you in for a tender kiss. Every part of you that he was touching tingled. It felt like Heaven after a week of being separated, and you feared you were beginning to develop an addiction for this man. You pulled away and grabbed his hand.

“Now let’s go! I’m taking you to dinner. Hope you’re hungry!”

“Always.” He smiled at you, grabbing his bags with his free hand and running through the airport alongside you like a love-sick puppy.

Story Master List

[penmansparadise]

Robin Buckley ~ The Drive-In

*I DON’T OWN THIS GIF* *CREDIT TO GIF OWNER*

Pairing: Robin Buckley x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: None

a/n: This was requested from my Wattpad.  I just want to thank everyone for reading, liking, and reblogging on my stuff.  I am happy to say that the next post I make will be, insert dramatic drumroll, part two to The Adventurer and the Dungeon Master!!!!!  I know how much you all have been wanting me to write this, and I know you've been waiting.  I'll start outlining it tonight and hopefully have it up in the next couple of days!  As usual, my requests are still open, but it will take me a while to get to any new ones.  If you don't mind the wait, go ahead and send them in!  Thanks again for all the support.  You all are so amazing!!

§

You shoved your hands into your pockets as you walked up to the Family Video. This had become your new hangout, and it was not because Steve Harrington worked there. It was because Robin Buckley did. Even though you never admitted it aloud to anybody, you had a huge crush on her. It started years ago as a little thing but grew until your feelings for her were untamable. At first, you tried to avoid her, afraid of exposing yourself. But that didn’t last long. Soon you were attending high school sporting events just to see her in her little band uniform. Then she got a job at Scoops Ahoy, and you went to the ice cream parlor every day. In the summer of 1985, you probably had more ice cream than actual food. When she started working at Family Video, you started showing up there. You were slowly making your way through each genre of movie, ensuring that you always had a reason to visit her at work.

Today was no different as you approached the door. She and Steve Harrington were standing at the counter in the center of the store when you entered. The little bell above the door signaled your entrance, and their conversation immediately stopped. You gave a little nod and waved as you made your way toward the Sci-Fi section of the store. Your fingers slid across the VHS tapes, but you weren’t paying attention to what you were touching. Instead, your eyes were fixed on Robin and the way her bangs bounced over her forehead when she moved to wipe down the counter. You grabbed a tape, pretending to be interested in the movie, when you heard Steve start talking.

“Why don’t you just ask her out?” His voice was low, but you could still pick up what he was saying.

“Because,” Robin said, “what if she’s not, you know, into me?”

You put the tape you had in your hands back and grabbed another, feigning fascination. Steve let out a dry laugh.

“Are you blind? She’s not coming in here for the movies, Robin.”

Your eyes shot up at his comment. You surveyed the store to make sure you were the only person there, and your heart swelled when you realized it was only the three of you.

“Just ask her to go out tonight,” Steve said, earning a squeak from Robin.

“Tonight!? Are you nuts?”

“There’s a drive-in going on at Lincoln Park tonight. Take her.”

You put the tape back and slowly started moving toward the counter.

“I don’t have a car, Steve.”

“But I do,” you said as you came to a halt in front of them.

The two of them stood, frozen in place, clearly not thinking you had been listening. You looked at Robin, whose cheeks turned crimson at having been caught. A small smile pulled at your lips as you stared at her.

“And I’d love to go. What time is it at?”

“Eight,” Steve said, “and they’re playing The Goonies. It’s a classic. You’ll love it.”

Robin gave Steve a look, and he just shrugged. You chuckled.

“Great. I’ll pick you up…” you trailed off in question. Robin didn’t answer until Steve gave her arm a nudge.

“Here,” she said a little too loudly, “you can pick me up here.”

You could feel the butterflies in your stomach dancing in excitement, but you bit back the squeal that wanted to claw its way out of you.

“Okay, I’ll see you tonight then,” you said before turning and showing yourself out.

The rest of the afternoon crawled by. It felt like it had been days when it had only been hours. Then, finally, you were sitting at your dinner table with your parents. Your parents weren’t usually concerned about your whereabouts, but since teenagers started dropping dead, they were increasingly becoming stricter. You looked at them as you pushed food around on your plate.

“Hey,” you said, coughing a little, “so, there’s this drive-in tonight, and I was wondering if maybe I could go.”

You had high hopes. Maybe your parents hadn’t been watching the news as much as you suspected. But when your mother nearly choked on her food, you knew what the answer was going to be.

“What!?” She asked, then started shaking her head, “Absolutely not! Teenagers are being murdered left and right, and you want to go out after dark? No.”

“But-”

“I said no.”

Your mother gave you a stern look, and you dropped the subject, finishing your meal.

After helping clean up, you retired to your room. The minutes were ticking by, and you knew you had to make a decision quick. You were pacing your room, hands wringing. Then, as you did a lap around your furniture, your eyes fell on your window, and you stopped knowing exactly what needed to happen. If your parents wouldn’t let you go willingly, you’d just sneak out.

You checked the clock and had about fifteen minutes before the movie was supposed to start. So, you walked out to the living room where your parents were sitting on the couch. As soon as they could see you, you rubbed your eyes and then stretched your arms over your head.

“Well,” you said through a fake yawn, “I’m actually really tired, so I’m just gonna go lie down for the night. Good night!”

You gave them each a hug, then hustled back to your room, locking the door behind you just in case. As you approached your window, your heart felt like it was about to explode. This was a first for you. Usually, you never defied your parents, but there was no way you were going to miss a date with Robin. Not after you had waited years to even get this far. A couple of murders were not going to stop you now. You grabbed your bag, lifted the pane of glass with shaky hands, and stepped out onto the dewy grass.

As you walked up to your car in the driveway, you could see the light of the flickering TV in your living room. You quickly unlocked the car door and turned on the car before releasing the parking brake and putting it into neutral. The vehicle started silently rolling down the driveway. You turned the wheel enough to maneuver the car onto the road, then turned the ignition and drove off. Once you were far enough away, you flipped on your lights and headed toward Family Video.

By the time you rolled up in front of the store, Robin was already standing there bouncing on the balls of her feet. You unlocked the door, and she hopped in. You couldn’t help the way your breath hitched in your throat. She looked beautiful. The moonlight cast shadows on her face making her look like an angel. Every time she blinked, the shine from the streetlight glistened in her long lashes. You could have sat there all night and stared at her. Forget the movie. She was the only thing you wanted to watch, even if she wasn’t doing anything. But after a minute of staring, you cleared your throat and looked away.

“Sorry, I’m late. I had to, uh, sneak out.”

Robin let out a scoff.

“You too?”

You turned to face her again and were taken back. Even after all these years, you had never gotten a good look at her eyes until that moment. Blue as the sky and soft like a blanket. You wanted to kick yourself for denying yourself the pleasure of looking into the most captivating pair of eyes you had ever seen. You let out a little laugh, finally gathering yourself to respond to her question.

“Yeah,” you said, a smile forming on your lips, “me too.”

Robin held your gaze for a beat, then turned to look out the window as you began driving toward Lincoln Park.

The drive from Family Video to the park was not long, but the awkward silence filling the car made it feel like hours before you finally arrived and pulled into a spot. You turned the car off and looked over at Robin, whose leg was bouncing uncontrollably. She refused to look at you, and you could see her heavy breathing. You gulped down your own nerves as you placed a hand on her leg, her bouncing ceasing immediately as she turned to face you.

“You don’t have to be nervous,” you said before pulling your hand back. But as soon as your hand was gone, her leg started hopping again.

“Sorry,” she said, with a nervous giggle, “it’s just been a while since I’ve been on a date.” Her eyes grew wide at her statement.

“Did I say date? That’s not what I meant. I mean, unless this is a date. You never specified.” She shook her head.

“Sorry, am I rambling? I do that when I’m around someone I find really pretty.” Her face scrunched up, and she let out a breath.

“I’m just gonna stop talking now.”

You could feel the heat burning on your cheeks. Robin thought you were pretty. And what’s better, she thought you were so pretty that she was a nervous wreck around you. You stared at her, and your heart overflowed with joy. She was cute fumbling and bumbling over her words in the passenger seat of your car. You swallowed down your excitement.

“You think I’m pretty?”

Robin looked at you again, and you could see the war raging in her mind at the question. But she finally let out a sigh and nodded.

“Uh…y-yes, I do.”

A wide grin took over your face, and a giggle you couldn’t suppress bubbled out.

“I think you’re pretty too, Robin.”

You could see the storm clear in her eyes, and a small smile pulled at her lips before she turned back to the movie.

Silence fell over the two of you again as you tried to focus on the movie. But you couldn’t seem to keep yourself from sneaking glances at the girl next to you. Even without looking at her, you were so aware of her being there. Both of you had your arms resting on the center console, and you could feel the warmth radiating from her. Your hands were so close, and every part of you itched to reach out and touch her, but you resisted. That was until you felt Robin’s fingertips grazed over the top of your hand. Your heart skipped as you slowly turned your hand over and allowed her slender fingers to interlock with yours. For the remainder of the movie, you couldn’t do anything but focus on the way Robin’s hand felt in yours. You didn’t even care that you paid to get into the drive-in. You could watch The Goonies another time. The only thing that mattered at that moment was finding a way to memorize Robin’s touch.

When the movie finally ended, you pulled out of the drive-in, never letting go of Robin’s hand. You drove back to Family Video and put the car in park. At first, neither of you said anything. You just sat there in the comfortable silence until you turned to Robin.

“Thanks for taking me tonight.”

Robin chuckled.

“Thanks for picking me up.”

You let out a little laugh before staring down at your intertwined fingers. You rubbed your thumb on the back of her hand.

“You know,” you said, “Steve wasn’t wrong earlier.”

Robin’s eyebrows furrowed.

“What? About the movie? I don’t know. I wouldn’t consider it a classic, but it wasn’t bad.”

“No,” you said between bouts of laughter, “about me. I don’t go to the store for the movies, and I’m definitely not going for Steve.”

Robin’s mouth was open just slightly, her lips forming a perfect ‘o,’ sending shivers down your spine. You felt like you were shaking from how nervous you were, but you pressed on, giving her hand a light squeeze and locking your stare on her.

“I go for you.”

The comfortable silence was replaced with tension so thick you could almost grab it out of the air. Neither of you looked away or let go of the other’s hand as you sat there. You could feel your heart beating rapidly in your chest, but it was like you were possessed by some other confident person. On any normal day, you would never make the first move, but you couldn’t help yourself. You leaned forward and used your free hand to brush Robin’s hair behind her ear before slowly bringing your lips to hers. It was a soft kiss. Slow and unhurried. Neither of you were in a rush to have the moment end. Your head was exploding, and you felt tingles all over your body. When you finally pulled back, you could see the red tint on Robin’s cheeks, and you smiled.

“I’ve been waiting to do that for a very long time,” you said.

Robin brought her fingers to her lips and nodded.

“Yeah, me too. Can I do it again?”

“You don’t have to ask.”

Robin shook her head.

“Sorry, I thought it was good dating etiquette to ask.” Her eyes widened before she smacked her forehead with her hand.

“I said date again, didn’t I? Sorry, we still haven’t clarified. But I’d really like it to be one. But no pressure, you know? Don’t feel like obligated now. I’m rambling again.”

You started laughing as you placed your forefinger over her lips and started shushing her. You moved your hand to grab the back of her head and pulled her into another kiss. It was shorter than you wanted, but you knew that if you didn’t stop yourself, you would spend the rest of the night kissing her from head to toe. Robin let out a sigh.

“I should probably go.”

“Okay,” you said, “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“I have to work.”

You nodded.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Robin chuckled at your certainty before exiting your car. You watched her walk down the street until you couldn’t see her anymore. Even after she was gone, you still waited another minute before driving back home. The sensation of Robin’s lips on yours was burned in your memory. You were high on the feeling of Robin’s fingers curling around yours. You didn’t even care if your parents found out you snuck out because you knew any punishment would be worth it. And you would sneak out a hundred times over if it meant you’d get to share a moment with Robin again.  

Taglist: @violetrainbow412-blog​

[keijislove]

Hi babe! I was wondering if I could request a Tony Stark x daughter reader? With lots of angst and her being locked in her room because she’s being bullied for her darker skin

(I understand if you’re not comfortable with this)

Safe Place: Tony Stark X Daughter!Reader

I think this turned out a bit longer than I expected.

Sorry :(

I hope you like this, I don’t really have a lot of experience with this matter, so I hope I captured the emotions right!

I AM APOLOGISING IN ADVANCE, THE HURTFUL COMMENTS MENTIONED HERE ARE NOT ONES I WOULD EVER USE IN MY LIFETIME.

GIRL, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL JUST THE WAY YOU ARE – YOU DON’T NEED DIMWITS LIKE RACISTS TO DEFINE BEAUTY. YOU WANT THE DEFINITION OF BEAUTY, GO LOOK IN THE MIRROR.

PUT A STOP TO RACISM.

WARNINGS: Slight EXTREMELY racial comments, mentions of death, toxic relationship, angst, Tony being a little... well, Tony.

Being Tony Stark’s daughter was nearly everyone’s dream. Well, everyone you’d come across at school, anyway. It seemed rational from their point of view – big house, big bedroom, expensive branded clothing, basically an overall exquisite lifestyle coupled with fame of being his daughter which was sure to earn popularity points anywhere and everywhere. A man rolling in that amount of money would make a great dad... right?

You thought differently. Which was one of the main reasons you did not tell anyone who your father really was and your teachers understood your predicament and played along to your story of being an ordinary girl with no scope for coolness whatsoever.

Your mother had met your father a long, long time ago – when Tony was still in university. Of course, he’d left her before he even knew she was pregnant, and they never saw each other again. You didn’t exactly love your life as his daughter. In fact, from what your mother had told you, he was (in your vision) a complete monster whom your mother had the sad misfortune to meet.

It was her untimely death that had forced you to go live with the man who was the reason you were born and the man who ruthlessly left your mother to fend for herself and a baby. You had tried for foster care, but the agents told you that your father was still alive and more than capable of taking care of you – being the famous Tony Stark and all.

So it would suffice to say that Tony was lowkey shocked when you turned up at his doorstep one day with a grudging expression and declarations of being his daughter. He actually didn’t believe you at first and asked you to piss off which confirmed your earlier assumptions about his character – asshole. After you’d snapped at him and showed him all the legal documentations stating that you two were blood-related as father-daughter after all, Tony was even more shocked than earlier.

Though he would rather die than admit it, he felt sad after seeing your fourteen-year-old self standing at his doorstep. He’d missed your birth, your first steps, your first words, he even missed helping you with homework in preschool – basically all precious moments you enjoy with a child. But you made it pretty clear that you didn’t want to be here – something that made Tony’s already overlarge pride swell like a bullfrog and stopped him from ever getting close to you. While you were busy thinking he didn’t want you, you overlooked a small detail – he took you in.

If anyone had the power to bribe an adoption agency to get rid of their kid, it was Anthony Stark, yet he never gave you away. The simple explanation (that he would never, in a million years, admit it to you) was that he didn’t want to lose you – around the only blood-related family he had left.

And so began your life as Y/N Stark. It functioned surprisingly well for your expectations. Pepper was really nice to you and those few occasions when the Avengers came over, you were able to talk to Natasha about ‘girl things’, her presence reminding you of the mother you had lost only too young. You sometimes even asked Bruce for help with homework, too proud yourself to go to Tony. Overall, you stayed out of his way while he stayed out of yours – an arrangement you were both satisfied with.

The worst part was that you never talked. Ever. You would wake up and walk to school, refusing Jarvis’ continued protests of letting you use the self-driving car, came home the same way where you did your homework and grabbed a snack before you ‘father’ came back upstairs from his little man cave in the basement and a small ‘good-evening’ passed between you two as you went your separate ways. This cycle repeated itself every day. Recently, your life at school hadn’t been going great.

You’d known that your skin tone was a notch darker than the others at your school – something you had gotten from your mother – and this was not something you really cared about. That’s when they started coming – the comments. What were originally small, snide retorts of ‘wash your face, ew!’ (A/N: I AM SO SORRY) had now escalated to them calling you obscene names you’d never heard before and asking you to leave ‘their’ school

Which was why, instead of being at school today, you were locked in your bedroom, sobbing into your pillow.

It had started out as a very unusual morning. After getting comments hurled at you left right and centre the previous day, you’d had enough. You’d woken up and declared to Jarvis that you were skipping school and he was to, under no circumstances, notify your father about this. After that you tried to eat some cereal, but the bubbling dread in your stomach made it taste like dry carpet, so you gave up and stomped into your room, locking the door before flinging yourself onto the bed and crying your heart out.

It was in times like these that you felt the need for something – a gaping hole in your chest. It seemed foolish to even admit it to yourself, but you really wanted someone like a parent. Someone who listened to your problems and comforted you accordingly, someone who actually cared about you. And since Tony Stark filled neither of these requirements, you gave up the foolish dream and sunk, once again, into your self-fashioned depths of misery.

-------

Tony casually sipped on his wine, putting one last screw into place to make the latest piece he was testing out. As he powered the device on, it vibrated for a moment before the words ‘model failed’ appeared on the screen Tony was examining.

He swore loudly and shoved it ungracefully aside before running his hands through his hair. There had been many an occasion where Tony seriously considered going to your room to just say something to you that wasn’t a monotonous ‘good evening’ or ‘the milk’s finished’ or something else like that. He wanted to talk to you. To you.

He wanted to get to know the real Y/N – what you were like when you weren’t too busy being bold and refusing to appear vulnerable. As if reading his thoughts, Jarvis’ voice filled the room suddenly.

“Sir, I do believe that Ms Stark is currently locked inside her bedroom. She refused to go to school just this morning.”

“What?” Tony exclaimed, “Why, did she tell you anything else?”

“Just this, Sir, along with a few obscene warnings of not informing you about this occurrence. If I recall correctly, Ms Stark told me she would rip out my sockets with her bare hands had I come to you.”

Ignoring the small smirk that was growing on his lips at the thought of you behaving exactly as he would, Tony wiped his tired hands on a nearby cloth before sprinting out the door and up the stairs to your bedroom.

He knocked on the door.

“Go away Pepper, not in the mood,” came your muffled voice. It was weak and raw – evidently, you had been crying.

Ignoring the poking feeling of dread bubbling in his stomach, Tony knocked again.

“Open up, kid, it’s me,” he shouted.

“Definitely not in the mood, thanks.”

Tony sighed. This was exactly what he had tried so hard to avoid –turning out like his own father. Not knowing how to deal with a daughter properly, he just let you go about your business as you wanted, hoping that it would yield better results than what his childhood had been like. Now, looking back at how much he’d neglected you, he suddenly realised that he had done the exact thing he was afraid of – hurt you.

“Y/N Y/M/N Stark, open the door. Please.”

Perhaps it was the please at the end or the way he acknowledged you as his living, breathing daughter for the first time that made you stagger limply over to the door and push it open.

Your eyes were puffy, red and swollen from bawling nonstop and your brows were knitted into a disapproving frown. It broke Tony’s heart to see you like this.

“Listening,” you sniffed, crossing your arms.

“Okay, why don’t you sit down,” Tony frowned slightly.

You gave another hearty sniff and led him to your bed where you flopped down and watched as he took a seat beside you.

You both sat in a very painful, deafening silence for the next few minutes.

“You didn’t go to school today,” Tony casually remarked as you played with your pillow, refusing to meet his eyes.

“I did,” you said simply.

“Wanna tell me what’s going on?” Tony offered.

“I really don’t,” you admitted as he burst out laughing and you gave a grudging giggle despite yourself.

“Seriously, kid,” Tony said in an undertone, “You’ve gotta open up a bit more. I mean, it’s been like what, two years since you moved here and you never bother telling me what’s going on. And look where that got you – come on, tell me what’s going on. Is it school?”

“Partially,” you quietly said to which he cocked an eyebrow.

“Completely,” you amended, sighing, “Kids, you know, they’re just being – well, mean.”

“Okay,” Tony nodded slightly, “You want to talk about it?”

“They... they make fun of me,” you admitted, “About – about my skin colour and stuff. And I know I’m being stupid, getting upset over this –”

“It’s not stupid,” Tony broke in, “It’s not stupid at all. Nothing gives anyone a right to talk to you that way.”

“Try telling that to them!” you burst out, final letting go of the pent-up emotions you’d been holding for days, “What did I ever do to them – it’s not my fault I look like this, maybe if I could choose what to look like, I’d choose something they want! Just about everyone seems to have a problem – what the hell do they expect me to do? It’s unjust, unfair, unsettling and unkind, but of course they don’t care, do they?!”

Tony didn’t even flinch throughout your entire outburst until you broke down and tears began rapidly pouring out of your eyes once more.

“Hey, hey, stop, listen to me,” Tony sternly said, seizing your shoulders and turning you to face him.

“You’re a Stark,” he said, gazing you dead in the eyes, “You are beautiful, you’re smart and you’re kind. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

This was too much for you to handle and you started sobbing again – sobs of partial happiness and partial guilt that didn’t look like they would stop anytime soon.

“Come here, kid,” was all Tony could say as he pulled you into a hug, allowing you to sob into his shirt while he stroked your hair, trying to calm you down.

“I’m sorry if I’ve ever been mean to you,” you whispered finally.

“It’s okay, kid,” Tony murmured, pressing a kiss to your forehead, “I’m sorry I haven’t been a great father all this time.”

You two sat in a now comfortable silence, occasionally clearing your throats or sniffling a bit before Tony finally spoke.

“If anyone says that to you again, I will have them cut up and fed to the fish in my house in Malibu.”

“Thanks, dad.”

[robininthelabyrinth]

Polyphonic 

Chapter 3 ao3  (alt: tumblr pt 1, pt 2)

-

Lan Qiren wanted to speak to Wei Wuxian about everything they needed to do, but it would have to wait: the moment they arrived, they were immediately swept up into the political mess that Jin Zixun’s ill-fated ambush had caused.

Jin Guangshan was there in the blink of an eye, despite normally taking his time in seeing anyone, and Lan Qiren didn’t like the way he started making excuses for his nephew’s behavior from the very start. It was to a certain degree understandable, as everyone would first incline towards defending their family, but the haste with which Jin Guangshan sought to sweep it all under the rug was disconcerting, and Lan Qiren thought it was almost suggestive of some level of premeditation. Even more distasteful, however, was how he sought to twist the entire event into being yet another reason Wei Wuxian ought to surrender the Stygian Tiger Seal to the Jin sect: for his own good, of course, in order to avoid being made into a target on account of the disdain of the cultivation world –

“Sect Leader Jin, your words are in poor taste,” Lan Qiren said sharply.

He could hear Jiang Cheng, who ought to be defending Wei Wuxian and was trying his stuttering best to do so, starting to waver; the boy had a pleasant rippling melody by nature, forced into a fierce allegro by his parents’ endless disputes and his later tragedies, and the weak foundation meant that he was too easily buffeted by uncertainty and doubt, as Jin Guangshan undoubtedly knew.

“Let us not speak in abstraction,” he continued. “It was your sect, your nephew, who launched this particular ambush. You ought to be making a formal apology to Wei Wuxian and thinking of reparations to repair the injury to your sect’s reputation, not acting like a thief complaining to the magistrate that his victim failed to hand over his property quickly enough to prevent violence!”

Jin Guangshan’s eyes narrowed in irritation, though he fought to keep the expression off his face as if it could disguise the swell of bitter rotten music that accompanied him wherever he went. “Teacher Lan,” he said, striving for composed and charming but mostly coming off as stiff and wooden. “Come now, I must be misunderstanding you. Surely you are not accusing me of being a thief.”

Historically, as Jin Guangshan well knew, this was when Lan Qiren backed down, mindful of his position as interim sect leader – his sect granted him much of the responsibility but not the full measure of power that typically accorded with the title, and he was conscious, always, that his role was to ensure there was something preserved for his nephews to inherit.

Perhaps Jin Guangshan had forgotten that Lan Qiren was no longer interim sect leader.

“I am describing the facts as I see them,” he said icily, straightening his back and levelling his best teacher’s glare, refined by years of troublesome students. “And they are this: by the agreement of the cultivation world and through his own powers, Wei Wuxian was inviolate and unbothered as long as he remained in the Burial Mounds. Despite this, he willingly chose to emerge in response to an invitation issued by your sect, only to be attacked by your sect – and when he comes to you for justice, rather than grant it to him, you suggest that he hand over his most prized possession to prevent any similar attacks in the future. Unfamiliarity may require me to consult my sect’s texts to be sure, Sect Leader Jin, but only to determine if I should be calling it extortion, blackmail, or outright thievery!”

“Teacher Lan!” one of the smaller sect leaders gasped, even as Jin Guangshan went utterly florid with rage. “You’re not suggesting that Jin-gongzi was involved in the ambush!”

Lan Qiren had been Jin Zixuan’s teacher and knew him well – he had been a shy, introverted boy whose awkwardness came off as aloofness, and would never have done anything like this. Even less so would Lan Qiren suspect such a thing of the man who had been steadied by war and responsibility into an adult with a firm moral foundation.

“No,” he said, and met Jin Guangshan’s eyes directly. “I believe Jin-gongzi’s invitation to have been wholly sincere.”

For a moment, Lan Qiren thought Jin Guangshan was actually going to strike him, his aura lashing out violently like a clash of cymbals, discordant and biting, and he braced himself, but in the last moment etiquette prevailed and Jin Guangshan refrained, although his fists were clenched so tightly that his veins stood out from the backs of his hands.

That was when Wei Wuxian opened his mouth.

Lan Qiren silenced him with the muting spell before he could get out a single syllable.

Jiang Cheng sent him a thankful glance and cleared his throat. “This is a serious matter,” he said. “It requires a full investigation; we won’t be able to solve it all talking now. Both Wei Wuxian and Teacher Lan have traveled a long way – I have no doubt that they need some time to rest and refresh themselves.”

A convenient way to stop anyone from starting a fight, and implicitly excusing Lan Qiren’s rudeness as a mere symptom of exhaustion, resolving the whole thing without losing any more face for anyone. The Jiang sect’s boy was picking up this whole politics business quite well, the poor child.

“I concur,” Jin Guangshan said, recovering a little of his poise. “There are rooms ready for you both.”

Lan Qiren inclined his head as well. “An excellent idea,” he said, and then, because he could now, added, “We can discuss reparations for the ambush later.”

“And what about the curse?” Jin Zixun hissed, clearly done with holding his tongue the way everyone had been so obviously instructing him with their eyes. “Am I to simply suffer while that criminal walks free and unharmed?”

“When I said there would be an investigation, I meant it!” Jiang Cheng snapped. “I doubt your curse is so advanced that it can’t wait another day, and if it is, then you should have brought it up earlier!”

“Why you –“

“Sect Leader Jiang has spoken,” Jin Zixuan interrupted, his voice hard. “Zixun, don’t forget that you must also answer to me as to what you did to my guest in my name without my permission. I think it might benefit you to ‘rest and refresh’ as well. One of the servants can take you to see a doctor.”

Jin Guangshan seemed on the verge of objecting, but Jin Zixuan seemed not to get the hint, already turning his face away.

“In the meantime,” he said, saluting politely, “Sect Leader Jiang, Wei-gongzi, would you come with me? A-Li is waiting to see you both.”

Lan Qiren allowed himself to be whisked off in a different direction to settle down, which in all honesty he did need to do. He hadn’t flown such a distance in years, had been in better health when he’d done so, and he had been tired even before all this excitement; some rest would do wonders for him, even if it did make him feel a bit like he’d become a doddering old man or an invalid. Before he could settle down, though, he heard a sound approaching – a little uneven, sometimes too fast, sometimes too slow – and despite the fact that Jin Guangyao had never been anything but polite to him, he felt his back tense up at the reminder of why he was here in the first place.

“Honored teacher,” Jin Guangyao said, smiling and saluting deeply – more than he should, really, given that Lan Qiren was neither a sect leader nor had ever been his teacher. “Welcome to Jinlin Tower. I regret that your arrival was marred by such unpleasantness, and hope that the remainder of your visit is calmer.”

It’s not Jin Guangyao’s fault that Lan Xichen likes him, Lan Qiren reminded himself. Your suspicions, and your family’s terrible luck at love, are your own burdens to bear. They should not be put onto others.

He nodded to Jin Guangyao.

“It would be good to see a peaceable resolution to today’s events,” he said neutrally. “I appreciate that you have come to check on me personally. It is truly going above and beyond the call of duty.”

“Your nephew is my sworn brother, Teacher Lan. How could I fail to honor you as my elder?” Jin Guangyao said smoothly. “Let me know if there’s anything we can do to make you more comfortable.”

“A bath before dinner would be nice. Has my nephew arrived yet?” Lan Qiren privately hoped that he hadn’t, and was relieved when Jin Guangyao shook his head, confirming it. “Let me know when he does.”

“Of course,” Jin Guangyao said, and saluted again. “I’ll inform the servants; a bath will be made ready for you by afternoon.”

The moment Jin Guangyao left the room, Lan Qiren traced the pattern along the hem of his robes that shook off the dust of the road, returning them to being as clean and pristine as always – not a long-term solution to laundry, but very effective in the short-run, and one that he’d only refrained from doing earlier in order to drive home the point regarding how he had also been victimized by Jin Zixun’s ambush.

It was a profound relief to be clean again.

Once he could no longer hear Jin Guangyao’s familiar chords, he relaxed, which unfortunately these days meant coughing. He rubbed his chest when he was done, sighing, and settled down with his guqin to start playing a little, hoping to ease his nerves. Lan Xichen would be on his way already, he knew, and would probably move even faster once he got word regarding Lan Qiren’s presence. He’d made rather a lot of trouble for his nephew…

The door slammed open, and only years of experience with troublesome children, along with the warning echo of a song free and clear, full of shining righteousness, allowed Lan Qiren to remain unmoved by the cacophonous crash.

“So I have questions,” Wei Wuxian said. “Many, many questions, and I’m going to want answers to…uh, are you all right?”

Lan Qiren ignored Wei Wuxian’s rush, finishing the stanza he was playing and letting his hands still over the guqin. “Sit, and I will answer your questions to the best of my ability.”

Wei Wuxian closed the door behind him and put up a talisman for privacy, like the ones they used to use during the war, before coming to sit across the table from Lan Qiren. He was frowning. “Honored Teacher Lan, your lips are red,” he said cautiously. “Were you coughing up blood just now?”

“An old injury from the war,” Lan Qiren said, unable to resist recalling the memory of Wen Xu’s wild smirk as he’d deliberately smashed his ribs into pieces, grinding his palm against Lan Qiren’s chest to force the broken pieces to pierce his lungs. Nie Mingjue had executed Wen Xu only a few months later, a matter that had greatly eased his nightmares…truly Lan Qiren had to get to the bottom of this mystery as soon as possible; once Lan Xichen’s name was cleared, he could focus on trying to devise a solution to cleanse Nie Mingjue of the spiritual poison. “It can be aggravated by excess choler. Do not concern yourself about it.”

Wei Wuxian looked like he was concerning himself about it. “But you nearly –” Lan Qiren glared until he dropped the volume of his voice significantly. “You nearly got into a fight with dozens of cultivators back at the Qiongqi Path on my behalf! Wouldn’t that have aggravated it even worse than just getting angry?”

“Much worse,” Lan Qiren agreed peaceably. “My talents in battle are not especially notable, although better with the guqin than the sword. Regardless, the effort expended would almost certainly result in a severe backlash later.”

Wei Wuxian gaped at him. “Then why did you do it?”

“Was there an alternative?”

Wei Wuxian’s mouth opened and closed a few more times.

“How are your shijie and shizi?” Lan Qiren asked when it appeared that Wei Wuxian was not going to force any words out of his mouth any time soon. He folded his hands together in an appropriate manner – he, at least, knew his etiquette, and would continue to model it in the hope that Wei Wuxian might one day catch a hint. “Well, I trust?”

“Uh, yeah, they’re great. Jin Ling is perfect, shijie is wonderful, the peacock doesn’t deserve either of them, though he’s gotten better, I guess,” Wei Wuxian said, then shook his head as if to clear it. “And I wouldn’t have been able to see either of them if not for you.”

Personally, Lan Qiren didn’t think one Jin Zixun and any number of his friends would actually be able to stop Wei Wuxian, preplanned ambush or no, so he just hummed noncommittally. “You said you had questions?”

“Yeah, and now I have even more,” Wei Wuxian grumbled, but he seemed to settle down a little. “Let’s start with the fact that you said you needed help on a musical issue, but that it is also somehow an attempted murder. What’s that about?”

Lan Qiren grimaced. “Serve tea,” he instructed Wei Wuxian, and waited until he was midway through the process – and thus not staring straight at Lan Qiren – to start talking. “I have reason to believe that Nie Mingjue has been poisoned with spiritual poison.”

Wei Wuxian nearly spilled the tea, but managed to stop himself in time. “Chifeng-zun? Impossible!” Then he frowned. “I’d heard his temper was getting far worse, of late. Just mentions of it in passing…you think it’s because of that?”

“It may be. The Nie sect is prone to encountering qi deviations; a spiritual poison, especially one that specifically targets choleric feelings such as irritation and rage, would be particularly insidious when aimed against them. Should he die, everyone might be inclined to assume that the cause was hereditary rather than external.”

“A perfect murder. What type of poison?” Wei Wuxian’s eyebrows went up. “Wait – you think – musical poison?”

“My sect is renowned for using musical cultivation as healing techniques,” Lan Qiren pointed out, not sure why it seemed to come as such a shock to Wei Wuxian. “Antidotes grow alongside poisons, and all that can heal can also hurt – anyway, isn’t what you do a type of musical cultivation as well?”

“Good point,” Wei Wuxian said ruefully. “All right, that makes sense. That definitely seems like a real problem…but why do you need my help?”

“My health is poor, and I do not know what such an investigation will require,” Lan Qiren said. “And I cannot ask anyone in my sect to assist me.”

“Why not?”

“Because the primary suspect,” Lan Qiren said heavily, “is Xichen.”

Wei Wuxian stared.

“I’m sorry,” he said after a few long moments of blank gawping. “Please forgive me, honored teacher, but I think I misheard you. Are you saying that you think Zewu-jun is poisoning Chifeng-zun?”

“I hope dearly that he is not, of course,” Lan Qiren said. “In fact, part of the reason for my desire to investigate privately is to assist in clearing him of suspicion –”

“No, no, hold on, don’t move on just yet,” Wei Wuxian said, holding up his hands. “You think Zewu-jun – Lan Xichen! – might be capable of poisoning his sworn brother and, as far as I know, best friend? Your nephew?”

“Yes.”

“You really think he’s capable of something like that?”

“I have done my best to raise him to be the sort of man who would not be,” Lan Qiren said, and thought suddenly of his own brother – their father had treasured him, cared for him, valued him above all else. Would he have ever imagined that he would do what he had done and end up living out his life in seclusion, only to die pointlessly at the hands of the Wen sect? “And yet, who’s to say?”

“Uh, me? All the cultivation world? It’s Zewu-jun! He’s one of the most upright people I’ve ever met! You might as well suspect Lan Zhan – you don’t, do you?”

“No,” Lan Qiren said. He appreciated the righteous crescendo in Wei Wuxian’s voice, particularly when Lan Wangji was mentioned – unfortunate as it might be to find that Lan Wangji’s seemingly hopeless affection might actually be requited, since it remained a terrible idea – but it was a little inconvenient at the moment. “But equally I cannot burden him with the duty to suspect his brother. It would only hurt him.”

Wei Wuxian quieted down at that. “I can see that,” he said, grimacing. “But…why would you suspect Zewu-jun?”

“The evidence is – suggestive.” Lan Qiren shook his head. “To be clear, while I will of course value the truth above all else, I am not looking for evidence of Lan Xichen’s guilt. I am hoping to exculpate him.”

Wei Wuxian leaned forward, now frowning in earnest. “All right,” he said. “I still don’t really believe it, but other people might, and that’s bad enough. Even unfounded rumors can make for real trouble. Tell me what you know about it.”

“My nephew has been helping Nie Mingjue to ease the symptoms of his familial tendency towards qi deviations by playing him one of the strongest and most secret Lan sect healing songs,” Lan Qiren explained. “The spiritual poison I have observed in Nie Mingjue’s body is precisely a variation on that healing song – only instead of the pure version, which is designed to calm and heal disrupted qi, it is intermixed with another song that deliberately encourages spiritual turmoil.”

“All right. I suppose playing for Chifeng-zun gives Zewu-jun opportunity, but that doesn’t mean he’s the only one who could’ve applied the poison song.”

“The Song of Turmoil is a rare import, hidden away in one of sect’s forbidden books. Only very few people have access to that part of our collection.”

Wei Wuxian arched his eyebrows. “And yet you can immediately recognize it?”

“I enjoy studying obscure musical texts as an aid in composition,” Lan Qiren said, mild censure in his voice. “Would you dare claim you do not do the same?”

“…fine, fine, good point.” Wei Wuxian waved his hand. “Okay, fine…still, I’m not convinced. Even if the only source of the song is the Lan sect’s library, there was a lot of chaos these past few years. Someone else could have picked it up, couldn’t they?”

“It’s possible,” Lan Qiren admitted. “Unfortunately, the tune had the same starts and stops that are characteristic of Xichen’s playing.”

As a musical cultivator, even Wei Wuxian had to concede that the unique quirks of playing style were difficult, although not impossible, to replicate, and moreover that one would have to wonder why anyone else would bother doing so, especially in a spiritual poison they presumably hoped would go entirely undetected. He rubbed his forehead, clearly thinking it over. “So, wait, are you saying you heard this musical poison getting played? Were you affected by it? Why didn’t you interrupt in order to stop it or to find out who was responsible?”

Lan Qiren shook his head. “I did not hear the playing, only the effects.”

Wei Wuxian frowned. “I don’t understand. If you didn’t hear it get played, how do you know that the playing had Zewu-jun’s idiosyncratic characteristics?”

“I’m very familiar with how Xichen plays. How would I not notice it? Even if I only heard it intermixed with Nie Mingjue’s own base tone, the sound is distinctive enough to recognize.”

Wei Wuxian was staring at him, looking blank again. A moment later his brow furrowed as if he’d just had a thought that seemed strange to him. He said, “Honored teacher, a question. When I said I wasn’t the one who cast the curse on Jin Zixun, you said that the person who cast it played the guqin, not the flute. I’d been wondering…how did you know that?”

“The curse has the sound of a breaking guqin string, which does not accord with Jin Zixun’s own music,” Lan Qiren explained. “The person who cast it was moderately powerful and very well-trained, although this represents an overreach on their part. I think it is likely that they incurred a backlash due to the casting –”

“You just heard it?” Wei Wuxian interrupted. It was rather rude, but Lan Qiren supposed he’d signed up for that. “You just looked at him and heard the curse that had been placed on him?”

Lan Qiren nodded.

“You can hear what people’s spiritual energy sounds like?” Wei Wuxian was growing pale.

“Not spiritual energy directly,” Lan Qiren said, a little puzzled by what seemed like an outsized reaction. Not only was Wei Wuxian’s face pale, his fists clenched, but his song, normally so free and clear, had become suppressed, tense, tightly strung. “More in the nature of the sound of a person’s spirit itself. Your Ghost General, for instance; he has a very gentle melody, very soft, but the underlying base is harsh, jagged, thick with resentment, less playing than dying – he needs to learn to marry those two parts of his spirit together, or else he’ll have trouble finding peace. That’s why I offered to take him as a student.”

“What about me?” Wei Wuxian asked. He was almost vibrating with the need to know. “What about my music? Has it – changed?”

“It’s gotten a little more sober, which is not uncommon with tragedy,” Lan Qiren said, and felt as though he were on the edge of some terrible revelation. “But no, fundamentally you remain the same person you always were.”

Wei Wuxian exhaled, hard. A trill of relief.

“Something happened that made you think it would change,” Lan Qiren deduced, reaching up to stroke his beard thoughtfully. He watched as Wei Wuxian’s eyes flickered one way, then another. “Wei Wuxian.”

Wei Wuxian looked at him.

“Are you unwilling to return to orthodox cultivation – or unable?”

There was a world of difference between the two: one was arrogance, relentless and unrestrained, looking down at the truths the cultivators of the world and their ancestors had worked so hard to unearth, the other merely a depressing practicality – who wouldn’t choose to cultivate something if the alternative was nothing at all?

And yet…how could it be?

And why would Wei Wuxian be so terrified of letting others discover it?

“That’s none of your business,” Wei Wuxian said, teeth set in a bitter smile that was more of a grimace than anything else. “I agreed to help you, Honored Teacher, but my business is my own.”

“But –”

“Another question,” Wei Wuxian said. “Different subject: I know you don’t lie, and earlier you said…what you said. So tell me, what Lan sect girl has her heart so set on me that you decided to come tell me in person that I wasn’t allowed marry her?”

Lan Qiren blinked. “I only meant to advise you that it was a poor match for you both; it was not meant as an insult to you,” he objected, a little offended. “If you and Wangji insist, I will not stand in your way.”

He shook his head and sighed a little, regretful; he would not pursue the matter Wei Wuxian was hiding any further. He wanted to help, curiosity itching at him, but Wei Wuxian was right – it was none of his business.

“As long as your reliance on demonic cultivation does not impede your assistance in my investigation, I will not bring it up again,” he concluded. “How do you propose we begin?”

“…Lan Zhan?”

Lan Qiren frowned. “I already explained to you why I do not wish to involve Wangji, and that I do not suspect him. Why would we start with him?”

“Not for the investigation,” Wei Wuxian exclaimed, his face bright red. “About the – marriage!”

[writingonsaturn]

Better Unsaid

a/n okay this has been all over the place!! it was originally going to be a blurb and darker and closer to smutty (so keep your eyes out for that??? lol), but then I made it softer and the concept got away from me and it got soooo much longer than expected lmao and i still dont love where it ended so maybe part 2?? i have the idea i just dont know lol 

summary: Reader is a princess and Anakin has been her guard during the most public season for the past two years (not the most logical thing but just go with it lol, it gets explained better in the fic) and after a near death experience the two are conveniently forced into a....

ONE BED TROPE ONE BED TROPE *cough cough* ONE BED TROPE WITH ONE PERSON HAVING TO WAKE UP THE OTHER BC THEYRE HAVING A NIGHTMARE,, :)))))))

  --

His smugness is the only thing about him I can consider ‘ugly’. And because I am so desperate to not have feeling for Anakin, the Jedi who has been assigned to protect me through coronation season (which lasts for most of winter), for the last two coronation seasons, I hold onto my distaste for that side of him. Which is why I suppress my laugh as he waits for my reaction with that confident smile. 

“Come on, that was funny.” 

Rolling my eyes, I let myself sit on my bed. I can’t tell if he’s actually funny or if my evening has been so boring that his sense of humor has started to become appealing to me due to comparison. In short, the suitor I was forced to spend an entire evening with lacked personality so much I’m starting to find Anakin funny.

“You’re much more entertaining than this evening’s suitor.” 

Anakin’s expression shifts slightly, his assured grin dropping slightly. “Another miss?” 

“You have no idea.” I relax slightly, taking a moment to be glad that I completed my father’s request and now I can just enjoy the time I have with Anakin. “I know my father’s desperate to make sure my marriage is useful for our people and that he worries about this selection process because he always thought my mother would be here to help, but sometimes I wish he wouldn’t rush it so much. It feels like all he wants me for is to marry me off in exchange of finance or weaponry or something diplomatic.” 

“You’re more than that.” His response is so soft I think I might have missed it if I needed it less. I curse myself for feeling so validated by him. His words shouldn’t mean anything to me. After all, he could easily just be saying that because agreeing with my father will just make me more unpleasant to be around. 

I smile politely while avoiding his eyes. I keep my hands on either side of me, fighting the urge to fidget. “Thank you, Anakin.” My words sound weak in my own ears, so I’m sure he notices my shift in mood. “I’m tired today, I think I’m going to go to bed early.” Normally, I’d be able to shrug off these kinds of things, but the beginning of Coronation Season makes me irritable. The anniversary of my mother’s death hits me harder each year. 

“Y/n.” My name comes out so velvety I can’t find it in myself to interrupt him. “You are more than someone meant to be used as some kind of royal currency, and I mean that as more than just a...friend.” 

I let his last word linger. We’ve tried so many titles that never seem to fit right. He’s the chosen one, one of the most powerful Jedi to exist, and the Jedi assigned to protect me each Coronation Season because that’s when my mother was assassinated. He’s my guard, but we’ve spent too many nights laughing together and talking about everything and anything. And I guess now he’s my friend, even though sometimes when he looks at me in a certain way or sits too close to me or reaches for my hand to guide me somewhere I can’t breathe right. 

“Anakin, you know I love when you’re here, even though sometimes you drive me insane. And I appreciate your kindness, but your words can’t change the truth. That’s how my father sees me and he’s not exactly wrong. I’m not a son, I haven’t been raised to lead an army or lead much, and--” 

“I’ve seen you in meeting after meeting, convention after convention. I’ve witnessed the way you handle real problems and I know how you care about your people. You’d make a great leader, you don’t need a husband to be valuable.” 

My chest swells, feelings I never let myself think about mixing with thoughts of Anakin that I’ve spent so long trying to avoid. “That settles it, you’re my favorite person.” 

He grins, the look warm enough to melt the odd lump in my throat. I fight down a smile as he steps forward. “And I wasn’t before?” 

“I take it back--your head’s big enough without the additional praise.” 

Rolling my eyes, I lean back slightly in order to recreate the distance he so easily destroyed. “And I thought you had finally warmed up to me, princess.” 

The use of my title makes me skeptical. The last time Anakin used it was when he was trying to ease me so that I’d walk around the palace garden so he had an excuse to do the same. It was beyond late and I was half asleep, but he had os much energy he was desperate and just needed to do one more thing. I felt bad that his schedule revolved so heavily around mine (and when he softens his eyes and says please, I’m left incapable of saying the word ‘no’) so I agreed. 

“What do you want?” 

Anakin dramatically clutches a hand over his heart. He throws his head back slightly as if he’s just taken a fatal blow. “When did you turn so cynical? I’ve been back for three days and I’m starting to believe you’re a different person now.” 

Yeah...he’s definitely getting ready to ask for something that’s more trouble than it’s worth. Then again, everything with him seems to be worth it in some capacity. Even if it’s just that one smile he gets when he’s truly content and doesn’t think anyone’s looking. 

“Mhm,” I mumble, still fighting a grin, “so you’re not going to ask me anything?” 

His lips part slightly as he exhales. I watch the way his eyes narrow at my victorious expression. “I don’t have anything to ask of you, but I do have a small request. A request so small you won’t have to do anything but say yes.”

Suspicious. Too easy. “You’re unbelievable.” 

“You just said I was your favorite person. Remember that.” 

I’m too tired for his coyness. I’d rather him make his ridiculous request now so that I can be in bed within the hour. Though I can’t pretend I don’t normally feel better after letting him drag me along on whatever ‘adventure’ he just needed to complete while also not letting me out of his sight. I used to tell him that I wouldn’t tell anyone if I wasn’t under supervision for an hour or two a day, but he dismissed the idea immediately. That’s been the cornerstone of everything. 

“What is it?” 

He sighs once, tilting his head slightly. The way his eyes soften tells me he’s already won at least half the battle. “They still haven’t caught the attempted--” Anakin pauses, something behind his eyes darkening. I know what he’s remembering. Last night, an assassin had gotten closer than they ever had. I had almost been shot in the garden, Anakin had barely pushed me to the ground in time. A fact he’s been beating himself up for since, especially considering that no one has been able to find my attempted killer yet. “They were so close to you. They were within palace limits and they disappeared like they never existed. Who’s to say they don’t work here and are waiting for the next moment you’re exposed? Who’s to say they aren’t here tonight, waiting for me to retire for the night?” 

I didn’t realize how my near death experience had been so personal to him. He, like everyone else, was beyond frantic after it happened. But my father put an end to verbal worry before it could truly begin. He said the best thing we could do was act like everything was fine as the assailant was searched for. Anakin hadn’t been particularly cheery after my father instructed the guards to focus their search on known enemies instead of prioritizing venting the staff closest to me. I comforted him as best as I could, but he didn’t feel like speaking about it and I had to worry about the suitor meeting my father wouldn’t let me cancel. 

“Anakin, you’re right next door to me.” I have to fight the urge to reach for him. “I was fine because of you, and I will be fine because of you.” 

He sighs once, his expression not easing. “And if the person is silent? The attacker could easily work in the palace, but no one wanted to direct the search inwards.” His words are more strained than I’ve ever heard them be. “I think it’d be smart for me to stay in here. I know you’ve refused having a guard stay in your room or outside your door, but...” Anakin sighs. “Your safety would be more assured.” 

Him staying in my room? The only line I’ve ever been allowed to draw, and I’m actually considering letting that go. If he seemed even slightly less sad, I wouldn’t even consider it. It’s not a good idea. I’m already too attached to him. “Anakin--” 

“I’d feel more assured.” 

Damn him. Stupid, extremely sweet Anakin who makes saying no to him impossible. I stretch my arm forward, letting my hand squeezes his forearm gently. “There’s no reason to not feel assured.” He doesn’t ease, the cloudiness behind his eyes remains stubborn. “You’re still worried.” No reaction, the haze that’s taken him isn’t letting go. “Fine--but tell no one or my father is going to take to posting guards at my door every night.” 

...I guess there are worse ways to spend a night. Which is kind of a problem since I’m trying to...enjoy Anakin less. Ugh, I even sound dumb in my head. “I promise, princess.” 

Ugh, he’s adorable. “You’re intolerable.” I stand from he foot of my bed and pull back the covers on my bed. He doesn’t reply, something dark still playing for him. I watch him move to face the door. Wait--is he doing what I think he’s doing? “No, you’re not going to stand there all night. You need sleep.” He has the audacity to give me an annoyed look. “I already didn’t want to do this so now you have to listen to my conditions.” 

He raises an eyebrow, his lips pressing together oddly. He’s trying to gauge something from my expression, perhaps he’s looking for buttons to press to get his way. I guess I look as stubborn as I feel because instead of arguing he just sits on the floor. What? I watch him cautiously, trying to figure out if this is some weird argument trick. 

“What are you doing?” 

“What you asked.”

And just like that I’ve put myself in a position that I will no doubt regret terribly the second common sense returns to me. There’s no way to deny that Anakin and I are closer than we probably should be. We’ve felt like friends first since the day we first met. I can’t think of any reason to not offer to let him sleep in my bed except those stupid budding feelings I refuse to label. 

It’s not like I actually like him. I can’t--I’m going to be married to some nobleman and he’s prohibited from ever forming attachments. I’m not even sure if we’re allowed to be friends. Having actual feelings for him would be so, so pointless. It would just lead to heartache and the ruining of the one genuine relationship I have. I’m just a tiny bit confused right now because he’s objectively really attractive and he’s always there for me. Always there to make a joke after a particularly rough meeting. Always there to offer me a supportive smile. Always there to humble me when I teeter on acting like my father. 

Anyone’s heart would flutter at that, so it doesn’t mean anything. And if it does, I need to squash any budding feelings now before I mess things up. Which is why I should keep him at arm’s length until I get it together. But is that fair to him? And what if doing that is making things worse? What if it’s just reinforcing the idea of having feelings? 

This is ridiculous. I’m going to get over this if it kills me. It’s just a bed and it’s only sleeping. I’m meant to be able to lead an entire union and I can’t sleep next to someone and act normal?” “You don’t have to sleep on the floor.” 

The second the words leave my mouth I regret it all. What’s wrong with me? Did I seriously think I’d be okay?

I hear his soft exhale, “I’ll be fine. I’ve slept in worse places than on your marble floor.” 

His voice sounds so weighted I can’t help but feel bad for not noticing that he’s still bothered. Whether he’s upset about his near miss or the fact that my father didn’t take his advice, I don’t know. But something’s wrong. The easy thing to do would be to just let him sleep it off. The smart thing to do would be to leave him alone until tomorrow. 

I think of all the times that I’ve been upset and Anakin had refused to let me go to sleep angry or sad or overwhelmed.��“I know, but it’s really not a big deal. It’s not like we don’t know each other. I mean, last Coronation Season you buttoned me into more gowns than my handmaid. And I owe you for saving me from one of the worst suitors I’ve ever had.” 

“I’m starting to think we need to develop some kind of signal.” 

The tiny bit of lightness that’s returned to his voice makes all of my internal struggle feel worth it. “You always seem to know.” 

“That’s because when you’re reaching your limit, that one line appears between your eyebrows.”

I didn’t realize I had such a tell. I try to remember the way that the suitor drawled on and on about how amazing he was and how he couldn’t wait for the day he had a bride to bear his children and plan (tedious) social events. My hand moves to my forehead, trying to feel the crease Anakin mentioned. Can everyone tell when I’m growing tired? Am I that transparent? 

Anakin’s slight laugh steals my attention. He’s facing me again, his elbow holding his head up on the foot of my bed. “What are you doing?” 

“I don’t--I don’t think i get a crease between my eyebrows when I’m irritated.” 

I hear him stand. I don’t realize he’s approaching me until he’s so close I could touch him without even needing. to stretch. “No, when you’re irritated you raise your eyebrows slightly, because that’s when you’re at your most sarcastic.” 

“Really?” 

The corner of his mouth tugs upwards. “Just like that.” I force myself to keep my expression blank. “When you’re reaching your limit, your eyebrows crease here.” His finger taps the space between my brows so gently I almost don’t realize what he’s doing. “And when you’re trying not to laugh--which is often, because you refuse to admit that I’m funny--you press your lips together in a way that forms a dimple here.” The knuckle of his pointer finger brushes against the bottom of my cheek. 

I bite my tongue to fight the warmth spreading across my face. “I didn’t realize i was so transparent.”

“I can’t always tell what you’re thinking.” 

“I’ll take it.” Maybe if I was less tired, I’d argue a little more. “You know you’re not that difficult to read either.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes, I can tell when you’re just being stubborn for the sake of it. I can see it in your eyes and you’re doing it right now.” 

His expression harshens slightly before softening. “Y/n--” 

“I’m not wrong.” 

He sighs once, stepping back. I watch him pace around my bed before taking a seat on the edge of my other side of the bed. “Are you happy now?” 

“Happy that I won? Absolutely.” 

Anakin halfheartedly glares at me. “Careful, add a crown and a robe that trails down a throne and I’d feel like I was speaking to your father.” 

“Careful, another side comment like that and I’ll ‘accidentally’ kick you off the bed in the middle of the night.” 

“Not if I kick you off the bed first.” 

I trace a thoughtless pattern on the fabric of my bedsheets. “What are you? Twelve?” 

“I’m older than you.” 

“Barely.” I continue the thoughtless pattern tracing as I fight the sleep from my eyes. “Your comebacks are usually more creative than that.” 

He exhales, relaxing slightly as he rests his back against a pillow. “I’m tired, like you claimed to be.” His eyes flutter slightly, a bit of his exhaustion showing. “Go to sleep.” 

I should. I’m too old to think I can put off a tomorrow I don’t want by just staying up. This is stupid. I’m too old to think I can put off the anniversary of my mother’s death by going to bed. She had been taken from us on castle grounds, killed by a revolutionist who viewed my mother as a class traitor. I still remember the way she slumped to the ground, her blood staining the snow beneath her. I remember the way the guards were so busy chasing her killer no one thought to keep me away from the body. 

“Y/n?” 

I scratch the back of my arm in hopes of banishing my thoughts. “Yes?” 

“You’re being quiet.” 

“You said to go to sleep, that tends to be a quiet thing.” 

I can feel his eyes on me. “Since when do you listen to me?” Not trusting myself to actually reply, I only offer him a hum of acknowledgement. “I know you’re not half asleep.” 

Folding my hands on my lap, I avoid his gaze. “It’s tomorrow.” 

I don’t know why I trust him to understand my vague response, but I do. His silence stretches over us like a thin blanket on a cold night. Maybe he doesn’t understand what I’m implying. I can always correct him tomorrow, when my eyelids are no longer as heavy as my heart. The more seconds that pass in total silence, the more I think that maybe he’s fallen asleep. 

I wouldn’t be surprised, Anakin has seemed tired recently, like some additional weight he won’t share with anyone has been thrust onto his shoulders. A small part of me rolls in guilt. I need to be a better friend, just because I’m suddenly a little too aware of him doesn’t mean I can shrug him off and ignore him. 

My hand almost flinches away from the feeling of something surprisingly warm touching my pinky. When I realize that it’s just Anakin and that the contact was probably accidental, I force myself to ease. It’s not like we’ve never touched before, I don’t understand why I’m making it weird. Sitting in my bed in the dark doesn’t change anything. His hand turns slightly, pressing into mine a little more assuredly. Biting my tongue, I turn my hand slightly, exposing my palm. And just like that, our fingers intertwine. 

“She would have been proud of you.” His voice comes out so low I barely register the words. 

The words shouldn’t mean much to me--he never knew my mother and has no way to know what she wanted me to be.--and yet I find comfort in them. I smile, turning my head towards him. “You didn’t even know her.” 

He rolls his eyes slightly, relaxing further before squeezing my hand once. “Who wouldn’t be proud of you? You’re kind and smart and decent to be around when you’re not telling me what to do.” 

My heart swells in my chest so much I’m surprised it doesn’t burst. Could he be cuter? “Yeah...now I’m sure you’re my favorite person.” 

“Now you’re sure?” 

The smugness in his voice has me rolling my eyes. “Don’t make me regret saying that.” 

“Maybe in the morning,” he says easily, “now go to sleep. There’s nothing worse than escorting you from meeting to meeting while you’re tired.” 

“I’m not that bad.” Even in this darkness, I can make out the way he raises an eyebrow. “Shut up--I’m going to sleep, but not because of you.” 

He lets out a slight huff. “You’re impossible.” 

The desire to respond to his comment is not enough for me to win the fight against the weight of my eyelids. The moment my eyes shut, I feel powerless to anything that isn’t sleep. I let myself fall into a weightless sleep, my only tether being the Anakin’s fingers around mine. 

--

A distant noise yanks me from my sleep. I’m too drowsy to do anything but register the sound. I hear another similar...whine? cry? I can’t tell and I’m too asleep to figure it out. I almost fall asleep again, but a third distressed sound keeps me from it. I wipe my eyes lazily with the back of my hand as I try to sit up. 

Squinting, I make out a figure on my bed. It takes me a moment to remember Anakin and how I fell asleep. Our hands are still together and no light is peering through my window so it can’t be that long since I fell asleep. Another disgruntled sound carries itself throughout the room. I shift slightly, leaning over Anakin cautiously. 

Golden brown curls are beginning to stick to his forehead and his eyebrows are drawn together sharply. He’s having a nightmare.  I shift even further forward before cautiously placing a hand on his shoulder before squeezing him gently. 

“Anakin,” I whisper, “it’s not--it’s not real.” His eyebrows draw together even more harshly. I shake him a little more stubbornly. “Anakin, wake up--you’re having a ni--”

 My forearm is grabbed so suddenly I barely register it before I feel my back shoved into my mattress. I blink twice. His dark eyes are frantic and the look on his face is far from the gentle, easygoing expression I’m used to. He’s breathing deeply, his chest rising and falling from above me. I swallow a slight panic and something I don’t understand as I try to keep my eyes on his face and my thoughts away from how close he is. Anakin pries his fingers from my forearm one by one until only his palm is touching me. 

“Y/n, I--” 

“It’s okay.” Honestly, I’m more worried about his uneven breathing than the way he grabbed me. I can’t imagine everything he’s been through or how justified his nightmares are. Anakin moves his hand away from me. I don’t sit up until he’s off of me and sitting with his back against my headboard. “It’s okay--I just--you were having a nightmare and I thought I should wake you.” He doesn’t react. I turn my body further, keeping my back straight. Anakin doesn’t move, and the longer he stays still, the more I feel like I should say something else. “Do you want talk about it? Or do--do you want to talk about something else? Or go to sleep? Or get some water? Or--” The far off look behind his eyes silences me. I scoot forward slightly. “You’re okay, Anakin, I promise.” 

His head turns at that, his eyes searching mine for something I don’t understand. “I thought...” He cuts himself off by swallowing once. 

I shift a little more, trying to find anything normal in his expression. “Thought what?” 

Anakin’s hand is on my arm so quickly I don’t even register his movement. I let his fingers press into my skin. He’s holding onto me like I’m a figment of a dream and he’s beginning to wake up. “I thought I’d failed.” He exhales, the sound heavy. “Failed you and that you’d--I  thought I had lost you.” 

A lump rises in my throat, thick and unmoving. Cautiously, I place my hand over the one still gripping my shoulder like a lifeline. “You didn’t. Nothing happened, it was just a dream.” 

His gaze falls to the ground before he repeats the last of my words. “Just a dream.” There’s a hollowness to his voice I don’t understand. 

I exhale, carefully running my thumb over his knuckles. “Yes.” He doesn’t say anything but his expression hardens again. I let us sit there like that for a long minute. “I promise.” 

“You can’t promise things like that.”

I sigh, unsure of where to go from here. “Bad dreams are only bad dreams.” He doesn’t reply. “I think you should try to get some more sleep.” 

Anakin is unresponsive. I shift back, but before I can transition from almost being on top of him to just sitting next to him, he pulls on my arm to keep in place. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.” 

“Nothing’s going to happen to me.” 

“You almost died today, y/n. I was right there and if I had been a second later--” 

“But you weren’t.” He doesn’t ease. “You were there and I was fine. Don’t torment yourself over what could have been. You’ll drive yourself crazy.” 

“If anything ever happened to y--” 

“It’s not going to,” I whisper, ignoring the way his hold on my arm tightens even further, “Especially this time a year when I have a pretty good gau--” 

He tilts his head slightly, eyebrows drawing together and a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Pretty good? Really?” 

“Someone needs to watch your ego, chosen one.” This time when he tries for a smile, the look has some strength behind it. Relief pools in my stomach. “Now get some sleep, tomorrow’s a busy day and when you’re sleepy you’re beyond irritable.”  

Anakin lets me pull away enough to lay down, but he doesn’t follow. Not for a long second. When he does, his movements are impossibly rigid. I watch him out of the corner of my eye as carefully as I can manage. 

“Y/n?” 

I regret turning my head immediately. I didn’t realize how close he was. It would take no effort from me to make our lips meet. Wait--why am I thinking of that? I’m not allowed to think of stuff like that...especially not about him. 

“Yes?”

He lets out a breath before moving his hand. I don’t understand his hesitation until I feel his hand cupping my cheek gently. “What if next time I’m not enough? What if next time I lose you because I’m not strong enough?” 

I never thought my death would be such a personal thing to him. Sure, I knew that we had some kind of bond, some kind of friendship, and that my death would bring sadness. But I never imagined I’d matter enough to him that thoughts of my death would be frightening enough to slip into his subconscious and become a thing of nightmares. 

“You are enough. Nothing is going to happen to me and if it does it’s not going to be because of you.” Anakin’s lips press together in a way that implies serious uncertainty. His thumb brushes across my cheek so unexpectedly I almost ask him what he’s doing. The intensity behind his eyes is enough to burn me. “Was your dream really that bad?” 

He lets out an uncertain breath as his eyebrows draw together. I don’t miss the way his jaw clenches. “It’s more than the dream. I...y/n, princess,” he tacts on, a hint of humor returning to him, “you’re more than a mission to me.” 

The admission is so soft I can’t help but smile. “I know, Anakin, we’re--” 

“You’re more than a friend to me.” I don’t know if my blood freezes in my veins or if my lungs don’t contract when they should or if my heart literally skips a beat, but I know something in me completely stops at his words. “I--” 

“Don’t say it.” I don’t know how I managed to cut him off so sharply and I’m a little disappointed when I do, but it’s the right thing to do. Thought of the code that’s so important to him have clouded half the immense shock and joy swelling in my chest. “What you’re trying to say...I um, I want to say the same.” I try to drop my gaze but he tilts my head up slightly with his hand. “But we shouldn’t, you know that.” 

"You want to us to pretend that nothing’s different? You want me to escort you from meetings with one suitor to the next every Coronation Season until you’re married off?” 

“No, I’m not saying that. The point is that I’m not saying anything.” His eyebrows draw together in uncertainty. “Isn’t it enough for now, for both of us to just know? If we say it...that could mean bad things for you. And I don’t want to be a bad thing for you.” 

“You could never be.”

It’d be so easy to believe him. To believe him and to let him say what I never imagined I’d be able to hear and damn the consequences of tomorrow. “Can we just refrain from verbally saying anything until you’re sure?” 

“I’m sure right now. I’ve been sure since the first time we ever walked in the garden together. The night after the first Coronation Ball I escorted you to.” 

I remember that night well. The way he hadn’t scolded me for needing air or taking off my uncomfortably high heels to walk in the grass. “If you mean it, you won’t say it yet. I refuse to get in the way of what you’re meant for.”

His thumb runs my cheek entirely, stopping at the corner of my mouth. “Are you capable of not disagreeing with me?” 

Rolling my eyes slightly, I place my hand over his. “Probably not.” 

Anakin exhales, his playful irritation clear in the sound. “You’re impossible when you’re tired.” 

“I am not tired.” 

“I can see the sleep in your eyes.” 

“I can see it in yours too.” 

He pauses, eyebrows drawn together cautiously. “I’ll go to sleep if you do.”

He must be more tired than I thought if he’s compromising with me so quickly. “Deal.” 

Neither of us close our eyes for a long second, we just watch each other with wide eyes. It still doesn’t feel like he’s eased, but he’s come back to me so much more than he was earlier. I’ll make sure to check how he’s feeling in the morning. The first morning after we’ve...I don’t know. 

I’m trying really hard not to get excited because anything that’s been not said could be taken back so easily. That’s the point--but it’s hard not to let my heart get ahead of my rationality. I’ll just take the good for what it is for now and tomorrow we can figure out the rest. Even though he’s not allowed to form attachments and my father really wants to marry me off to foreign royalty.

Tomorrow. This can begin to be solved tomorrow. My eyes shut and I let myself roll fully onto my back. The second I’m comfortably settled, I feel Anakin shift against the bed. I’m too tired to open my eyes until I feel a weight placed against my chest. 

I open my eyes on instinct, less surprised than I should be when I see Anakin’s head resting against my chest. Before I can speak, I feel his arm rest against my side. “Anakin,” I breathe, my hand moving to smooth his hair out of his face the way I’ve wanted to for so long. “What did we just talk about?” 

“You said not to say anything,” he mumbles comfortably, “I’m not saying anything.” ...It is kind of the ideal compromise. Especially since I’m too tired to find reason and he feels so warm. “I can feel you overthinking. Go back to smoothing my hair before I have to rise and stand at your door so that your handmaid comes to wake you. Something tells me she’d be glad for the excuse to get rid of me.” 

That might be the most dramatic thing I’ve ever heard him say. Selma is the most patient woman in the palace. “Selma would never report anything involving me, I can’t believe you don’t like her. She’s the sweetest woman I’ve ever met.”  

“She’s the one that doesn’t like me,” he says, “she always watches me like she’s trying to figure out if I’m planning on stealing you away.” 

Too tired to fight my smile, I go back to smoothing his hair out with my fingers. After a moment, he lets out an exhale that relaxes his entire body. “Goodnight, princess.” 

“Goodnight.” The word is barely a mumble as I feel sleep tug against me for the second time tonight. 

It’s strange, but my excitement doesn’t diminish my tiredness, it just makes the prospect of rest feel so much fuller. Safer. Because there’s so much to sort out and grieve but it’s okay, because we have the time and everything feels okay because Anakin is here, right beneath my fingertips. 

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

Good Girl, Bad Boy (Pt. 06 of 15)

Pairing: Billy Hargrove X Reader

Word count: 2.4 K

Summary: You're the extreme opposite of Billy Hargrove. The good girl, with perfect grades, the child every mother wants to have. And you don't want to have nothing to do with his kind. Ignoring Billy – and his constant, lingering stare – became an habit. But after you're put together for a special school program, you'll have no choice but to get along with him. And soon enough you'll find out that Billy is so much more than just Hawkins' bad boy.

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{Stranger Things Masterlist}

{Dacre Montgomery Masterlist}

×

Change Of Heart

“C'mon, Nancy. Watch the game with me.” Walking against the crowd, you try to convince Nancy to stay. Billy has a basketball game today, and you'll have to wait anyway since he's driving you home, so you decided to watch. And why not having Nancy join you? “You don't have anything to do.”

Rolling her eyes, she finally nods. “Fine, (Y/N).”

Smiling, you run to the court, making your way to the middle of the bleachers. “We have to pick different teams.”

“You'll cheer for Billy, that's pretty obvious.”

“Well, I–” You're cut short by a whistle, and a few seconds later the boys come out of the locker room.

You didn't want to look for too long, just enough for him to know you're here. But something quickly gets your attention. “Oh, boy,” Nancy mutters, elbowing you. “Don't even try to convince me you didn't notice.”

Of course you noticed. How could you not notice he's shirtless. “Shut up, Nancy.” You manage to say, eyes still set on Billy. Once he finds you in the bleachers, he squints his eyes a little, a smirk coming to his lips.

“Alright...” She mumbles, and you finally manage to look away.

“What?”

“Nothing, nothing.” She sing-songs, laughing a little. “I'm just really excited for the day when you'll call me to talk about whatever is going on between you and Billy Hargrove.”

You nervously giggle, feeling heat spreading through your cheeks. Thankfully, the game starts so you have something else to pay attention to. “You know what's going on. We're studying.”

“You're studying.” She puts some emphasis on the ‘s’, making you roll your eyes. “Then explain me the heart eyes.”

“What heart eyes?”

“The heart eyes Billy makes at you. Like, all the time.”

Taking a deep breath, you lightly shake your head. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

“I'll be here when you're ready.”

“Shit, Nancy.” You burst out, eyes set on Billy. He looks at you every now and then, that smug smirk never leaving his face. You really wish you could pick on him after if all his staring was causing him to suck at the game. But Billy is amazing, and he's nailing it, making it look easy. The man doesn't even try, the jerk. “Things are... Complicated.”

“We have time. Spill it out.”

Running a hand through your hair, you sigh. “Billy... Billy said something about wanting to change. And he said he was trying because he found a girl–”

“And the girl is you.” She cuts you off, a hand on your knee, shaking it until you look at her. “Explain it, (Y/N). You've been a mystery since you and Billy started that program. Tell me what's going on because I know something is going on.”

“One day we were talking about relationships. And I told him I do believe he can change if he meets the right girl... And some time after he told me he found that girl and yes, it's me.” You lower your voice, making a pause just to see Billy making an amazing dunk. You can't help but yell, getting a smirk and a wink from him. He's absolutely amazing. “And I... I told him we're completely different but... That we could see how things play out.”

“So help me out here.” She mutters, looking at something behind you. When you give a quick look over your shoulder, you see Stacy and two of her friends coming to the bleachers. “You gave Billy Hargrove a chance.”

“No, I just... I just said we could see what happens. I mean...”

“(Y/N), be honest with me.” Nancy gets your attention again, and you forget the game for a while, turning your body towards her. You've been avoiding talking to her because you didn't want to think about it too much. But now you know you need to. “You're acting like it's nothing but I know you. I know there's something.”

“Nan, I'm really–”

“Hey, (Y/N),” Stacy says, right before settling down next to you.

Raising an eyebrow and exchanging a glance with Nancy, you look at her. “Hi. May I help you with something?”

“Oh, always so good, (Y/N).” She giggles. “But actually yes, you can help me. Stop monopolizing Billy.” Stacy finally looks at you, and she's mad. Angry even. “Ever since he was shoved into this stupid program and paired up with you, he hasn't had time for anything else. No parties, nothing. Not even on weekends.”

Taking a deep breath, you roll your eyes. “Billy can have time off whenever he wants. It's not my fault he doesn't want to go out with you anymore.”

“Honey, Billy goes from a girl to another, but he always comes back to me.” She puts a wicked, mean smirk on. “Because he knows I'm a hell of a good–”

“Shut up, Stacy.” Nancy cuts her off, raising her voice. “If the guy doesn't want to hang out with you anymore, just suck it up.” Your eyes go wide at Nancy's choice of words. She's changed a lot from last year, and now she stands up for herself a lot more, and for you too. “You said it yourself. He goes from one to another, so maybe your time is over.”

“And do you really think he'll pick her over me?” Stacy laughs, a finger on your face, and her two friends laugh as well. They both had Billy, you know it. “Tiny little thing, small tits, the perfect good girl who never lies, never disobey her mommy and daddy. Always have the perfect grades.” Nancy stands up and you do the same, being followed by Stacy and her stupid friends. “You think you're better than us because you never wear anything short, never show too much cleavage, never exposes yourself.”

“I never said–”

“You're a freaking prude.” She pushes your shoulder, taking her hand away as if you were dirty. “A stupid, little puritan who had the audacity of thinking you could hook up a man like Billy.”

Some guys from the team hear it, you can tell by how they hang around longer, eyes on you and the others. Nobody ever spoke to you like that, and you feel... Like your sinking. Cheeks burning and tears starting to pool in your eyes. But you're not stupid. You're not the type of girl who listens to this shit and lowers your head. “If I'm a prude, then you're a slut.” You burst out, crossing your arms. “Sleeping with a different guy every day and acting like you're all that when you're just a stupid–”

“Cow,” Nancy whispers in your ear.

“–cow.” You quickly add, shrugging your shoulders. “But I don't put my nose on your business so don't you put yours on mine.”

“You little bitch.” Stacy pushes you again, a lot harder this time, and you lose your balance, falling two steps down. Your leg gets stuck, and as you finally stop, you feel a sting on your knee. “Oh, I'm so sorry.” You hear her high-pitched voice, full of irony.

“(Y/N)!” Nancy is quick to reach you, helping you get up. “Are you alright?”

The game stopped, and you see through the corner of your eyes as the guys come closer. “I'm fine.” Your knee hurts, but still, you climb the two steps that separate you from Stacy, ignoring the pain on your leg and using all the anger you can gather to help you move, just to slap her right across the face. The hit is so strong it echoes through the gym and your palm burns. “You won't do that again.” You yell, only then letting Nancy pull you down, limping a little.

“(Y/N),” Billy calls, and the moment you turn to look at him, he picks you up, a hand on the small of your back and the other under your legs. “I'll take her to the infirmary.” He tells Nancy, clearly pissed.

“I can walk.” You mutter, glancing at Nancy. She nods and makes a gesture with her thumb and little finger, bringing them to her ear and mouth. But you won't just call her, you need to talk to her face to face.

“Even so.”

Billy is silent on the way to the infirmary, and when he leaves you on the hospital bed they have here, he excuses himself. Then you're left alone with a very curious school nurse. She makes a lot of questions you only give half answers to. But lucky for you, your knee is fine, you'll just need a bag of ice to prevent any swelling. She gives you one and tells you to get another when you get home.

“I'm not going back there, that's final.” You hear Billy talking to someone, and seconds later he comes into the infirmary. “How are you?”

“I'm fine. Just need to put some ice on it.” Billy is weird, keeping a certain distance. “Where did you go?”

“To speak with the Principal. Or else I'm sure you'd get suspended along with that bitch.”

“Thanks.”

“I'll wash the sweat away and drive you home.” And he leaves again.

As you wait, in the empty infirmary, you take the ice off your knee when it starts to burn. What's wrong with Billy? He was normal during the game, and now... A lot of possibilities go through your head. Maybe he realized this is stupid, the idea of you and him. Maybe he decided to go out with Stacy again because she gives him what you don't. But it just doesn't feel like it.

And the weird feeling in your chest gets you by surprise. It feels like a sting, a pressure. You have no idea why Billy acting distant suddenly makes you feel this way. As if you just lost something you don't even know how to get back.

“Let's go.” The voice snaps you out of your thoughts, and when you look at the clock, you see there's still half an hour of the game.

“Won't you get in trouble for leaving the game?”

“Don't worry about it.”

“D-do you think you can carry me?” The question comes out the moment he gestures for you to move. You don't know where it came from, but you just need to be closer to him. What Stacy said is still burning in your head, and part of you silently prays that this isn't the reason why Billy suddenly stepped back. So you just need to break through him, take down this wall he decided to build.

But to your relief, Billy's expression changes at your request. His face gets soft, and he nods before carefully picking you up. “I'm sorry.” He mutters, walking out of the infirmary.

“It wasn't your fault.”

“Of course it was.” He's avoiding your gaze, looking forward. It feels weird to be carried like that, and you wonder if you'll fall. But something tells you Billy wouldn't let go. His grip is firm, and he doesn't seem like he's in a hurry, since his pace is slow. “Stacy thinks she owns me because... Because what she said was true. Part of it, I mean.”

“Which part?” You softly ask, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“That I used to go back to her. In between a girl and another.” Billy's voice is heavy, and he sounds... Angry. At Stacy, maybe, or just at himself. “But it wasn't because she's good at something, it was because she was always easy. All that it took was a call, and everything I had to say was the time and place, and she would be there.”

It didn't go unnoticed that he's talking in the past, and it makes your heart beat a little faster. “And... All the rest?” Billy leaves the halls, reaching the parking lot and heading to his car.

“I don't think you're a prude.” When you get to his car, Billy puts you down and opens the door for you. “And I don't see anything wrong with the way you dress.” He pushes the door close, and your eyes follow him as he walks around the car, taking the driver's seat. “I'd comment on the part she calls you ‘small tits’ but I know you well enough not to, so...”

“Oh, shut up, B.” You giggle, running a hand through your hair.

“Buckle up, pretty girl.” He says, and that's what you do.

But the moment was just... A moment. Billy is back at being weird the entire ride, and he doesn't say anything as he carries you inside, putting you on the couch. You quickly tell your mother what happened, but you made it sound like an accident. There's no reason for her to know the rest. And when she goes upstairs, you call Billy to sit with you. But he doesn't, eyes on the floor as he stands by the coffee table.

“You could've broken your leg, you know that?” He says in a low voice, still not looking at you.

“But I didn't. And I don't understand–”

“That was on me. That was because I gave her reasons to think–”

“B, you can't blame yourself for what someone else does.” Cutting him off, you reach out your hand. “C'mon, I'm alright.”

“No.” Shaking his head, Billy finally looks up at you. “I can't do this. I can't be the reason why you get hurt.” And then, he walks away.

“Billy.” You call, but since doesn't stop, you push yourself up, limping to the door. But by the time you get there, Billy is already in his car. “Billy, don't go!” It comes out as a plead, as you feel a familiar lump in your throat. “Please...” You whisper as he drives away.

You don't know what just happened, you don't know if you did something. But there's one thing that just took you by surprise. An acknowledgment, a terrifying truth you don't want to think about.

You like Billy way more than you thought you did.

And as you push me the door close, leaning against the wall, a tear rolls down. There's a lot of things you don't understand about Billy, but you want to. You thought you were taking some walls down, growing closer to him, but now... Now you just don't know anymore.

×

@multific @clockworkballerina @tina1938 @graciehams @moatsnow @all-the-stars-on-your-skin @captain039 @rebelemilu @vivian-likes-frogs

[bts-teaspoonff]

Reward

Genre: Smut with slight plot, Polyamory

Pairing: Yoongi x reader, Hoseok x reader, Yoongi x Hoseok

Rating: 18+

Synopsis: A well-deserved break after weeks of stress from work. Your boyfriend decided to give you a reward. You didn't know that he was not the only one eager to give you a reward.

Warnings: NSFW, double penetration, double creampie, unprotected s*x (still do safe s*x, kids!), slight degradation, cum eating, oral (F receiving, M receiving), implied!sub Yoongi, implied!dom reader, role!switch Yoongi, role!switch reader, Dom!Hoseok, anal s*x, vaginal s*x, love biting, cheek slapping (but not intense), choking (y/n’s not abused, y'all), A VERY IMPATIENT Y/N

Word Count: 6.5k

A/N: This is actually inspired by their *chuckles* iconic japanese song, Otsukare. The closest translation in English would be “Thanks for your hard work”. Seriously, you guys need to watch their SOPE and OT7 performance of the song! You will laugh your ass off..

It’s been almost a month since you and your team have been burning blood, sweat and tears into this one specific medical case. Working as a medical intern with plentiful senior doctors piling every work on interns is brutal, however you just wade through everything since you did land an internship spot in the most prestigious hospital in the country. You do live in a decent apartment with a nice view you might say, but recently, you’ve been taking refuge in the intern’s lounge for almost a month already. All you want is to caress the soft material of your favorite linen and spend a week on your bed without getting out of it.

Today’s different. You and your fellow interns have cracked the case and have just finished presenting it to a panel of senior doctors. It’s also nice now that the patient in the said case can now breathe a lot easier since there is a higher chance of survival with our proposed medical management. You truly can’t wait to get home.

You also haven’t seen Yoongi, your boyfriend, for almost three weeks. Video calls and missed opportunities was your love story with him since you’ve handled the killer case.

He was very understanding of your situation, especially when you did try to visit him in his apartment one day. You were so drained but you still kept your promise to him for a ‘Movie and Taco Tuesday Night’. Just fifteen minutes into the movie, you were dead asleep on his couch. Sometimes, you even fell asleep while on a video call with him. You felt ashamed that you apologized to him non-stop for a week. He told you that he could compromise so he started visiting you in the hospital. Of course, that was also futile. Both of you would plan to eat lunch together but as soon as you were in each other’s company, beeps from your pager will end your short bout of joy.

You bombarded Yoongi with texts and voice messages that you’re finally free from the shackles of the said case. This weekend will the first whole break you’ve been rewarded with since last month. You receive a text from him asking if there’s any way you could spend the whole weekend with him in his apartment. You knew what he meant and you can’t deny that there’s a part of you expecting something to happen as well. Come on, you haven’t touched or caressed your boyfriend for almost a month. You’re too deprived and sexually frustrated. This is no time to be shy about it, not that both of you are shy with each other.

“But how about Hoseok? Won’t he be there?” Oh Hoseok. What a beautiful human. You’ve been together with Yoongi for almost a year already, and they’ve been roommates for the same amount of time. The three of you just clicked together ever since the start.

You met Yoongi through a common friend. Didn’t start officially dating one another until two months later. You would always tease him about it because he took so long to ask for a date just because he felt intimidated by you. You were more of a strong-independent and outgoing type of woman and he was quiet and reserved. It took a month before both of you started bringing each other to your respective apartments. There you met Hoseok. It didn’t take much and it felt natural to be friends with him. Maybe because it felt like the both of you were the same side of a coin.

You used to think that Yoongi and Hoseok were two poles opposite from each other, but you soon realize that’s the best thing about the two of them. That’s why you and Yoongi felt perfect for each other as well.

Although you love your boyfriend dearly, you can’t deny that a small bit of you has been attracted to his roommate. Apart from having a lot of similarities with each other, you do feel that sometimes you share the same mind waves as him. One day when Yoongi was so sick, the two of you left work for the day to stay and care for him. You were amazed that Hoseok knew what he was doing and was really frantic if what he was doing was enough. Seeing somebody else care and love your boyfriend this much warms your heart.

You do try to avoid letting your feelings for him grow any further since Yoongi is your soulmate. You could give the world to Yoongi, that’s how much you love him, and it swells your heart to know that he feels the same for you. You won’t do anything to hurt your precious boyfriend. Ruining their friendship is also the last thing on your mind. You just remind yourself to keep your small fire for Hoseok under control or put out, if possible.

“He said don’t worry about it. He’ll find a way to stay out of our way for the weekend.” Pleased with Yoongi’s reply, you can’t stop thinking of various ways to spend your night with your boyfriend.

With that, you arrive at his apartment that night. Yoongi opens the door, greeting you. You dropped the bags in your hands to the floor and jumped to embrace him, wrapping your arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around your body. He noticed the fresh smell of your strawberry shampoo, a scent he truly missed.

You start to slowly kiss his neck and soon, you felt his hands grip your waist tighter. “Ummm, kitten?” He does enjoy you pouncing on him as soon as you arrived at his apartment but someone from across the room is eyeing the two of you. Your hands start to comb through his hair when he slightly pushed you, stopping you from teasing Yoongi. “Hoseok is still here.” He turns his head to the direction of his roommate and you followed.

Hoseok sat quietly on the other side of the kitchen counter, sipping his water while staring at the two of you. You straighten out yourself, ashamed at being caught in the act by Hoseok. “Don’t mind me. It’s not like it’s my first time catching the two of you in the act.” He quietly laughs as he took another gulp, completely teasing you.

“Don’t tease her, Hoseok.” Yoongi pats your head as he sees you turn shy at Hoseok’s teasing.

“It’s cute that you let her pounce on you every time she thinks you two are finally alone. So hungry for Yoongi?” Hoseok giggles as you shot a hawkish gaze at him. He gets up and took his bag from the chair beside him as he walks towards the two of you, or rather the door. You glance at the darkness outside the window and at your watch.

“Isn’t it too late for a drive?” You ask Hoseok as he pat your boyfriend goodbye before turning to you.

“I’m fine. Why? You worried about me?” He leans down, eyes meeting yours. He pats your head teasingly and you jokily swat it off. “Besides, aren’t you glad you finally have some alone time? This is my reward to you, little girl.”

“Little girl? I may be smaller but I’m older than the two of you!” Yoongi and Hoseok, focused entirely on your face, watched as you apparently try to make your point.

“Yes, we know kitten, by one year… as you constantly try to remind us.” Yoongi hugs you from behind. “Get on with it. Drive safe!” He hits Hoseok by the arm and they did their handshake. Hoseok also lightly hits your arm before opening the door and walking out, leaving you and your boyfriend finally alone in the apartment.

You both swiftly turn to each other at the same time after the realization that you’re finally alone with each other, amusing the both of you. You let out a smile full of sweetness with eyes almost glistening with longingness for Yoongi.

“I missed you, Yoongi.”

“You don’t how much I missed you too, my kitten.”

That nickname. When was the last time you heard the sound of his voice call you like that? You love it. He apparently can call you that in 100 ways possible. Most of the time, you do love it when he’s screaming it while you overdose him with pleasure.

“Should we watch a movie or something?” You suggest as you turn back to get your bags, carefully grabbing the bag filled with food that you plan to cook for him until tomorrow.

“Pass. I think we should start putting that toy to good use.” Yoongi grumbled in a very low tone as he slowly walked to you, bent forward in front of him. It’s been too long since he had a taste of you. Just by smelling you when you arrived already made him so hard in his pants. He bent down to you letting his body fall on your back. You slowly felt his hands crawl from your shoulders down to your hands. “I’ll be taking that promise now.” His breath brushing past your ear made you wet, shivering from anticipation.

A week ago, you may have promised something to Yoongi. When you’re finally done with the case, you promised him that you’ll allow him to dom you. Usually, it’s been always you who’s taking charge in the bedroom and Yoongi being the sub. You absolutely love seeing your boyfriend submitting to you in the bedroom. Although Yoongi is not really a dedicated sub, he loves it when you tell him that it feels so good acting all your fantasies in the relationship. You were the kinkier and more insatiable one between the two of you so he lets you lead. Tonight, you’ll be giving all the reins to Yoongi so when he knew that you’ll be staying with him this weekend, he texted you the lists of toys to bring.

“What do you want me to do?” You stood up and turned to face him. Yoongi understood what you’re asking of him. You are now submitting to him. His chest starts to swell up inside at finally having the chance to reverse the roles between the two of you.

“Start by calling me Sir.” Yoongi grabbed your chin, lightly tapping your cheeks. You gaze at his hooded eyes, now filled with desire and hunger to dominate you, making you starved to get a taste of him. “Kneel.” He pushed you down by your shoulders as he zips open his pants.

His cock sprung out of his pants, hitting you on the cheek. The enticing smell overwhelmed you. You deeply breathed to inhale his musk as your nose hit the tip of his cock. He gulped at the sight of you hungry for his cock. Your hands wandered towards his member when you heard Yoongi click his tongue. You open your eyes and gazed above. “You’ll only do what I tell you to do, understood?” a more commanding tone vibrated out of Yoongi, slightly surprising you at how he exudes himself right now. He brushed his thumb along your lower lips. “Answer me, kitten.” He tightens his grasp on your chin.

“Yes, sir.” You dropped your hands beside you as you let Yoongi, with his cock in hand, brush himself on your lips.

“Good girl.” He continues to swipe the tip of his cock, smearing his pre-cum on your lips. You hold yourself back from licking him and swallowing him whole. Every fiber of your being is getting impatient and just wants to stuff his cock inside your mouth this instant but a promise is a promise. You just have to wait and let him lead. “Stick out your tongue.”

He relishes the sight of you kneeling down for him, tongue out waiting for his cock. He put both of his hands in front of him against the wall as he aligns his cock in the tip of your tongue. “Purple is our safe word. You understand?” He gazes down at you, nodding enthusiastically.

Not soon after, he starts thrusting his cock so deep inside your mouth. Your head is pushed against the wall along with the rhythm and force of each thrusts. Something about his cock just satisfies you perfectly. The length is just enough to gag you but the girth, oh the girth. It hurts your jaw every time you suck him and if you had too much, you know you’re gonna have a hard time chewing your food tomorrow.

Sloppy sounds from the two of you started to fill up the room. Yoongi continues to bury his cock in your throat. He did stay deep for a few seconds a few times, grinding himself on you as you find difficulty to gasp for air. Tears started welling up in your eyes and Yoongi got concerned. You felt him pull away slightly but you assured him quickly that you’re fine. You know yourself that you won’t use the safe word tonight. You never did get to use it ever with Yoongi.

He gripped your neck, ever so slightly choking you as he pulls you to stand and leads you to the living room couch. He pushed you back to crash down on the soft couch. Quickly and not a second more, he crashed his lips with yours. Overwhelmed by the burning contact that’s long overdue, both of you breathed deeply as you allow each other to get intoxicated. Your hands tightly gripped the coach at both sides, controlling yourself from disobeying Yoongi. His tongue starts to lap at your sweet soft lips and continue to coil its way to your tongue.

Yoongi started moaning as he closed the distance between his crotch and your thighs. You felt him grind himself on you and your thighs started squirming at the sight of Yoongi satisfying himself on you. “Open, kitten.” He pushed your mouth open once more with his thumb. “Look at how hungry my kitten is for me. You’re so good for me.” He spits, letting his spit travel down slowly to your mouth. He chuckles at the sight of you swallowing for him.

“Sir, I want your cock now please?” Your thighs squirmed some more, wiggling while tightly closed together.

Yoongi clicked his tongue once more. “You’ve always been impatient. Always skipping foreplay and straight to fucking.”

“But sir, I’m really hungry for your cock.” You beg and whine.

“Good girls get rewards. Am I right, kitten? I have to prepare you well for what’s in store for tonight.” He bends down as he spreads your legs. Your thighs pushed towards you. He groans when he lifts up your skirt, noticing that you chose to come here without any underwear. He glared at you remembering that if he did not control himself a while ago when you were kissing him when you arrived, he could have lifted your skirt right then with Hoseok still present in the room.

“See? I am always so wet for you Sir. I can take your cock right now.” Your pussy, glistening with juices, further inviting him to devour you. He licks his lips before kissing your inner thigh.

“My kitten. When was the last time you touched yourself?” His breathe tickled your clit just as he let his nose slightly touch your clit. Yoongi sees you attempting to grind yourself to his face, impatient for his touch. You bit your lip as you stare and wait for your boyfriend. “Answer me when I ask you a question.” You gasp at the sudden bite on your inner thigh, soon followed by a warm lick from his feverish wet tongue.

“I have not touched myself for three weeks, sir. I really need your cock now, sir. Please.” You whine as you try to hold back your tears.

“Such a hardworking girl. I see you deserve a big reward.” He pulls the lips of your pussy to the side, making it taut and your clit standing to attention. He quickly swiped his tongue up your slit, finally tasting your juices dripping out from your pussy. He could say all kinds of profanities just from tasting you. You scratched and gripped what was around you at the overwhelming sensation. Yoongi continues to flick his tongue swiftly against your clit, followed by slurping and sucking. You arch your back as your hands finds its place on Yoongi’s hair.

His fingers soon landed on the rim of your pussy. He thrusts two inside very deeply, curling it to find your g-spot. You try to cover your mouth to prevent yourself from screaming at the intense pleasure. You’ve been so deprived of any touch for three weeks that just his tongue is enough to make you cum in seconds. However, you try your best to hold it out.

Yoongi fondles your breast with his hand as he licks your clit, while his other hand never faltering from fucking you. Seeing you lose yourself from his touch is making him drunk. He never saw you this submissive with him. With this, he adds another finger in your pussy. He licks your clit furiously as he sees you desperate to scream louder but you bite your lips to hold back. “Do you want to come, kitten?”

You gaze at him, furiously nodding. Begging to be allowed to reach your high. You see him smirk as he continues to thrust his fingers inside you. A second after, he pulled it all out, leaving you surprised and craving for him to return his fingers inside you. “Not yet. We still have to use this.” He lifts up a metal anal plug. He hands out the toy to let it touch your lips. Your eyes stay glued to him as you let your mouth open, sucking the toy. You see him staring at your mouth, licking his lips at how dirty you look right now.

The metal felt cold as it hits your tongue and teeth. You swirled your tongue around the bulbed end and he pulled it out of your mouth. He quickly pushed it inside your pussy without falter. He pulls it in and out twice to lubricate the toy with your juices before stopping just on the entrance of your ass.

You squirm as you felt the toy slowly stretching your behind. The sensation and stretch is too much for your first time. He doesn’t push everything at once, but slowly pulling it in and out as he slowly lets you adjust. He sees you shaking once he did push the entire plug inside you.

He wiped a strand of hair clinging on your sweaty forehead. Despite looking so fucked out, you’re still the most beautiful person he ever saw. You exchange a few seconds of sweet gazes before he inserted three fingers inside your pussy again while his other hand pulls the plug in and out.

“Oh my fuck… Yoongi. I’m gonna..” You came undone as he increased his speed from fucking you after he sees you writhing in reaching your high. You felt washed over with pleasure, vision hazy and ears ringing.

Yoongi still continued to thrust his fingers and the plug as you slowly finish. A sounding pop came from his fingers pulling out of you. He puts his fingers in his mouth, savoring your sweet taste of ecstasy. He curses, eyes closed, as he relishes the familiar taste.

The plug still within your puckered ass, you crawled back to the couch as you try to chase your breathing. Yoongi proceeds to walk back to the bag you left just near the door and when he came back to you, he pulled out a blindfold and a huge 8 inch pink dildo from your bag and placing it on the table in front of you. Yoongi, now fully naked, stood tall as he beckons you to remove all your clothes. “Stand up and sit down on my cock.”

Yoongi grins as he sees you eagerly standing up and waits for him to sit down. As soon as he sat down, he pats his thigh to gesture you to finally have what you’ve been eagerly waiting for. You turn around and before you sat down, you try to pull out the plug. Yoongi sees this and smacks your ass, granting a whimper from you. “I thought I told you not to do anything unless you’re told to. Keep it in!”

He groans like a beast from behind you as he placed both his hand on your waist. He pulls you down and lets his cock claim your pussy not a moment long. You whimper at the violent stretch and even more so when Yoongi started furiously humping his hips off the couch to fuck you harder. You noodle out sensual and erotic moans as you place your hands behind you and on Yoongi’s chest. “You’re so fucking tight.” He squeezed your waist so hard that the ache lingered when his hands left your skin. “You’re milking me. I won’t last if you’re this tight.” He lets out a guttural groan while he inch closer to your body. He marks you intensely on the crook of your neck. His hands wandered in front of you and tightly squeezed your breasts.

It feels so nice and naughty as you submit to the bliss of your love making. The pain from his rough hands is so gentle yet very shameless as well. He felt like a lion starving for his prey, you, who is presented on a silver platter. Every thrust of his cock feels primal. This reversal of roles is new to both of you but you find yourself finely adjusting.

“Do you want me to fill your ass with my hot…and sticky cum?” He sensually whispers into your ears. You quickly turn intoxicated with his erotic voice, scorching hot inside your chest and seeping wet from your pussy at the thought of him equally fucking your hard from your ass.

“Yes, sir. I would love that.” You turn your face to the side, surprising him with a slow and succulent lick across his lips. You felt like a drug to Yoongi, being this submissive to his every whim and drunk on sex. Something good actually came out from having to part with you for three weeks.

He pushes you off and eyes the anal plug still attached to you. He did not expect you to suddenly shake and cum again after he pulled out the plug. You dropped down with legs buckling, but he caught you in time just before you hit the floor. “Are you okay? Is it too much?” He lets you support yourself, bending forward and hands on the table. He bent down with his chest on your back, cock still erect touching your pussy. You chase your breathing and took your time before you answered him.

“I’m okay baby. Just getting used to this new you.” You giggled as you kiss his cheeks. “I promise to use our safe word if it’s too much.” He laughs as he felt you wiggle your butt on his cock.

“Always hungry for me, kitten?” he lets his hands comb through your hair before pulling it all back. You straighten your back, presenting your ass to him. He holds his cock in his hand, aligning it with your tight puckered muscle. “Put the blindfold and get the dildo, sweet kitten.” He lets go of your hair and allows you to bend forward to get the items he asked. You strap the blindfold on and blindly let your hand wander on the table to get the dildo.

As you were about to stand up back to him, you sense a slow shapely pressure on your ass as Yoongi tries to enter you. The unfamiliar and new stretch had you delirious from the pain and pleasure. You both find yourself breath taken as you wander through uncharted waters. Your tightness from behind is nothing compared to your pussy. If you had known how intense and sweet this was, you would have said yes to Yoongi to try this months ago. Yoongi hesitates to push his entire length on you, still taking his sweet time to let you adjust. However, you're patience is nearing its limit with Yoongi’s pace.

You push yourself back on him towards the couch, letting the both of you crash down. You scream at the intense sudden pain of having his cock rapidly filling you up when you fell on his lap. You lean your head back on his shoulder as he allow your scream to die down.

“How many times have I told you to obey me?” He squeezes your cheek, stealing the dildo from your hands. “I’m in charge here, not you kitten.” Yoongi smacking the dildo on your clit has your squirming and closing your legs. You can’t see anything and every sense you have seems to have heightened. “Remember who’s in charge or else, you’ll be punished.”

He gathers the dildo on the entrance of your pussy, lathering your juices around. “Punish me, baby. I’ve been a very impatient and disobedient girl.” You’ve now adjusted well to his cock. Yoongi saw you grind yourself on him, whining for more.

You hear him deeply chuckle then the dildo swiftly entered you until you felt it hit your womb. You try to suppress your voice and Yoongi felt this so he hooked his two fingers in your mouth, playing with your tongue to allow you to let your moans out. The merciless plunge of his cock in your ass and the unrelenting force of the dildo overwhelmed you. It was insane being fucked full by your boyfriend. You were submitting but you never felt this strong and satisfied when you were the one taking charge. The pain, the pleasure and the raw savageness of helplessness made you feel alive.

You respond to his each thrust with untamed moans, hands wandering on his body. You felt completely exposed and unguarded. “Tell me, kitten…” you continue to yield and moan for him when he whispered erotically in your ear. “Are you imagining somebody else’s cock inside your pussy filling you right now instead of the dildo?”

Your moans disappeared as you try to comprehend your boyfriend’s question. However, he continues to thrust in your ass and pussy, making your mind a mush. “I…”

“I think you have someone in mind and it’s not me, kitten.” His erect cock delved deep inside your ass, frozen from thrusting inside you. Although, he continues to push the dildo in and out with a force so savage, you can feel it bruising the entrance of your womb. “I’ve seen how you look at him. Do you wish that his cock should be the one fucking your pussy full right now?”

He gripped your chin with his other hand as you felt words stuck in your throat. You felt your chest tighten at the sudden confrontation. You don’t know if Yoongi is angry and punishing you right now because you can’t see him. He wouldn’t shame you like this normally so you don’t know if this is just the dirty talk or his true feelings. “Sir, I don’t…” you get caught up in your words as your blindfold is starting to get moist from your impending tears.

“I’m not angry kitten. I just want to hear what you truly feel. Whose cock, aside from mine, should be fucking you right now?”

It took you a while to get the knot out of your chest but you did. “I want Hoseok’s! Hoseok’s cock should be fucking me hard right now in the pussy while you destroy my ass!” You screamed. Yoongi slows the pace of the dildo in your pussy and pulls it out. You slumped on him, hungry for a reaction from your boyfriend. The blindfold is not helping the turmoil inside your chest. You want to face him and look straight at him to understand what kind of face he might be making right now.

“Good kitten.” He groaned from behind as he take the blindfold off you. You pry open your eyes, adjusting to the light. A naked figure stood in front of you as you rub your eyes to register the sight. Hoseok was standing tall in front of you and Yoongi, naked in all his glory and stroking his cock.

You jump slightly in your place but Yoongi pushes you back down, granting a sensual quiet moan from you since his cock is still deep in your ass. “Hoseok?!?....Why is he here?”

“This is your reward, little girl.” He continues to stroke his cock in front of you, smugly smirking to look at your boyfriend.

“It’s okay, kitten. I know you want this too.” Yoongi placed his chin on your shoulder as you’re still staring at Hoseok’s face. You turn to your boyfriend and you both stare at each other for a few seconds. You try to read his eyes, unsure if you’re really allowed to finally act on your feelings

“I don’t want to do this if you don’t, baby…” He sensed your panic so he cupped your cheeks to kiss you. A slow and sweet exchange of your lips made you understand that he really is letting you go ahead. He parts with your lips and sweetly gazed at you.

“I want this as well. Go ahead.” Yoongi nods his head to Hoseok, prompting you to allow yourself to submit to both of them. “This is okay. Take care of our girl, Hoseok. I trust you both.” You face Hoseok, who’s still furiously pumping himself to you. With the permission of his older roommate, Hoseok now shamelessly takes in your naked figure as he licks his lips.

He’s been wanting this for so long as well. He developed feelings for Yoongi first, when they became roommates. He’s been so good at hiding it not until Yoongi introduced you to him. At first, he was jealous and irritated whenever you would visit and stay at their apartment. The longer you spent time with Hoseok, he also found himself loving you. Hearing you come undone and screaming with Yoongi every night with just a wall separating him from the two of you was brutal. He loved you both, wanting to touch you and Yoongi as well. He was determined to keep it all a secret up until when Yoongi confronted him.

Yoongi suspected Hoseok has feelings for you with how he acted every time you were with the two of them. Of course, he felt something from you as well. Being quiet and reserved meant that he was very good at reading everybody else’s expressions and feelings. He was proven right when Hoseok confessed with his feelings towards you when he tried to confront him. He was taken by surprise though when Hoseok confessed to loving him as well. He didn’t expect it but also didn’t dislike it. Maybe something in him also feels something for his younger roommate. They did talk it out and came to a conclusion to talk to you about it. Yoongi was the one who initiated the surprise threesome. Hoseok wasn’t on board with it at first but now that you’re here, he’ll accept everything even if you reject him.

You let your lust and feelings take over you. You wait for either of them to command you. Hoseok sees your eyes change from reluctant to now willing to submit to him. He takes it as your acceptance of him. He groans as he walks closer to you, cock in your face. His cock smelled amazing. You take in the unfamiliar yet enticing smell as you sniff his shaft, granting a groan from the two males at the sight of you.

“Suck me now, little girl.” You opened your mouth to invite him in. Hoseok leans his head back as euphoria hits him from the satisfaction of having your warm and wet mouth capture his cock. His cock was different from Yoongi. He’s not as girthy as your boyfriend but the length is amazing. Your mouth is already full but there’s still enough left for your hand to play with. “Fuck, I can’t handle this. You feel amazing.” Hoseok wraps his hands on your hair as he started to furiously rock deep inside your mouth. You could feel him reach your throat. Your moans, now muffled by the huge cock occupying your mouth. Hoseok could come apart right there at the sight of your throat bulging from his cock and from the vibrations of your throat as you try to moan loudly, when Yoongi started tapping Hoseok’s hand away from your head.

“I said take care of her, not kill her.” Hoseok loses his hold on your head when he heard Yoongi as he pulled out of your mouth. You gagged and coughed but you swat your hands at them.

“Yoongi, I’m fine. I actually like it.” You swipe the drool off your lips and turned to face your boyfriend. “I’m not using my safe word, am I? So get on with it and fuck my ass full!” Yoongi and Hoseok, surprised at your outcry and commanding tone, just went quiet.

“I didn’t hear you calling him Sir, did I?” Hoseok grabbed your chin and lightly slapped you. “Did he allow you to take over? No! You’re our slut tonight so just obey us.” You were taken aback at Hoseok’s change in demeanor. You were a dom to Yoongi, but Hoseok felt different. You shiver in your place, unfamiliar with the feeling of fear from disobeying the sultry man in front of you. With Yoongi, you were willing to act as a sub tonight but it felt like you were really a sub to Hoseok.

All you do was agree as he slaps you once more in the cheek. It was not painful as you imagined. You know Hoseok still cared for you and wouldn’t really hurt you so you find yourself relaxing under Yoongi, waiting patiently for Hoseok to now command the two of you under him. “Fuck her hard, Yoongi, so that she knows her place. I’ll make sure to fill her pussy to the brim.” He licks his lips as both you and Yoongi stare at the dominant male.

Yoongi started to lunge his hips towards you, bouncing you on his lap. You scream at the pleasant sensation of being fucked in the ass. You see Hoseok smirking as he lines his cock at your pussy. Slowly, you felt him open up your walls as he continue to plunge his erect and long member. Hoseok gently bites and licks your shoulder as he tries his best not to come apart from the wonders of your pussy. It was heavenly. Filthy moans, your bodies tangled with each other, and sloppy sounds from their cocks entering you filled the room. You three were drunk from the pleasure, frenzy mushing your heads making you groggy.

You wrapped your hands around Hoseok’s back, pulling him towards you. Hoseok, surprised at the sudden proximity of his face with Yoongi, avoids eyes contact as he continue to fuck your pussy hard. Yoongi chuckled at the sight of his younger roommate getting shy despite being so commanding with you and him a while ago. He placed a peck on Hoseok’s forehead. Hoseok turned to Yoongi, now cheeks burning caused by the sweet kiss. They stared at each other, Yoongi sweetly smiling at him and Hoseok smiling at the feeling of being accepted by Yoongi as well.

You pull Hoseok’s face to yours, breaking their small moment. “I want to be filled, sir.” You gaze at him with eyes hooded. Hoseok realized that you’ve gone far off now and all he wants is to satisfy you.

“Little girl deserves her reward.” He looked at Yoongi and soon after, both of them pounded into you furiously. Overwhelming sensation from being full from both holes, Hoseok painfully fucking your pussy up up to the entrance of your womb, and Yoongi fully stretching your ass out. You scream as you let yourself in your bliss. You exploded from the ecstasy brought on by the two men you truly care and love. Yoongi and Hoseok moaned and squeezed their hands on you as they felt you squeeze down on them, milking them to reach their own orgasm.

You twist, still glued to them, as you felt their warm liquid fill you up from the front and behind. The three of you, panting, as all of you let your orgasm finish. Still twined with each other, you hugged Hoseok tightly before he parts from you.

“Are you okay? You came three times, you must be exhausted. I’ll prepare a bath for the both of you.” Hoseok quickly ran back to the bathroom, disappearing from the living room.

Yoongi lifts you up to stand, pulling his cock out your ass. He lets out another groan as he sees you leaking with both of their cum. You truly look filthy right now, but his heart won’t stop pounding in his chest as he take in your beautiful face. He swipes the leaking cum off your thigh and he pulls you back on the couch. He places his fingers coated with cum in your mouth. You willingly suck it clean, tasting the mixture of Yoongi and Hoseok on you. He examines you as you breathe deeply, trying to relax post-coitus.

“Wow. Baby. If I had known how fun it is to see you take charge, I would have let you do it occasionally. Also, that was awesome.” You hug Yoongi as you place your legs across his thighs.

“Are you okay? It was not too much, was it?” Yoongi wipes the sweat off your forehead.

“I’m fine, baby.” You placed your lips on him, intimately. You want him to feel your happiness and ultimately, your intense love for him. “So what does this mean? With Hoseok?”

“I know you love him and he does too. I’ve been suspecting it for a while now. I just waited for either of you to talk to me.” Yoongi tucks in your hair behind your ear.

“But I love you more. You’re the one I want the most.” You quickly rebut him, careful as not to hurt him with any of your words.

“I know, kitten. Trust me, I do love you both too and it makes me happy seeing the two of you together too.”

“But he’s your friend...”

“I love him too, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Hoseok suddenly appeared in the room. “I won’t force myself between the two of you. I’ll go wherever you want me to stay in this relationship. I’m happy with just the two of you knowing how I feel.” He stands straight at the edge of the living room, hesitant to walk further and respecting the current situation.

You turn to Yoongi and silently stared at each other. You quickly understood what this meant. Your heart felt huge and swollen at the amount of love you’re now receiving. You’re loved by Yoongi and Hoseok.

“Come here, Hobi.” You gesture him to come closer and he did, smiling enthusiastically as he knew that the both of you are now accepting him and willing to share each other.

“I love you both!” Hoseok crashed down on both of you, granting a loud giggle from you while Yoongi smiled silently.

No reward can ever top this one. Surely, the night is still young.

[shiraishi-mai]

Please Don't Say You Love Me - Gabrielle Aplin

“Toorruuuu,” you complained walking into your bedroom, “You’re getting my bed wet.”

“I’m still jet lagged,” his voice was muffled as he had flopped face down on your bed, hair still dripping wet from his shower.

Your friend from high school had flown in from Argentina a few days ago to spend Christmas in Japan. When he showed up at your door with the same twinkle in his eyes and a playful smile, you felt a familiar warmth blooming in your chest. You hadn’t seen him in years and were an out-of-sight out-of-mind person so you had forgotten how much you liked being around him.

You had gotten to know him in high school when you were placed in the same classes with him for all 3 years and somehow were assigned either seats next to each other or project partners a weirdly frequent amount of times.

“You’re freaking kidding me,” you stated in disbelief as you were paired up with him for the 5th time that year.

“y/n,” he pouted, “If you like me that much, you can just tell me instead of following me around.”

You fought the urge to cringe at the voice behind you.

“I don’t decide who is paired up,” you deadpanned, turning around. He just grinned in response.

“I think the teachers are trying to tell us something then,” he gave you what you guessed was a flirty smile.

“I’m pretty sure they’re trying to punish me.”

It wasn’t that you had disliked Oikawa when you first met him, he just wasn’t the type of person you would interact with unless you had to. He was too flirty and didn’t take much seriously. While flirting was fun, it was exhausting when most of your conversations were mostly that and it annoyed you when you were already tired. Plus you always cringed at guys with fangirls. It wasn’t like he was an idol or anything, he was just a good athlete and your school had a lot of those. It didn’t help that those girls frowned at you, some glaring, at the amount of time you spent with him in class and you had wanted to throw your hands up in exasperation.

It wasn’t until almost halfway into second-year that you got to be comfortable with him. The amount of times you two were paired together started to become a running joke and had begun to keep a tally. You even went to a few of his games and was shocked at how serious his face would get and how good he was. ‘He’s actually kind of cool,’ you thought.

By the time third year ended, you guys were close - you started walking around school and even eating lunch with him. Both of you also cleared your Saturdays every two weeks to get milkshakes and almost always ended up spending the day together.

“Come here,” you sighed, pulling out a chair from your desk. “I’ll dry your hair.” He got up quickly with a wide smile.

“y/n-chan you’re being so nice today.”

You rolled your eyes. “I missed you so I’m on my best behaviour.” You left to grab a towel, missing how his smile had turned taut.

He was humming when you came back and was looking down at his phone. “Iwa-chan got a dog,” he said pointing to his screen, “Come see the video.” You walked over to his side to see a video of an adorable, large dog running around.

“Cute!” You said and begun to move behind him but he grabbed your wrist and pulled you down on his lap, snaking his arms around you. You raised an eyebrow and he shrugged.

“Best behaviour right?”

You sighed and twisted to your left to place the towel on his head and began gently drying his hair. It was quiet at first, his gaze focused carefully on your face before he launched into some story about his experiences in Argentina. You ended up laughing so hard you stopped your motions and were still chuckling when you started again.

His eyes had never left your face and his lips were curved into a small smile as he watched you laugh.

“I should have asked you out back in high school.” he said suddenly.

“You did, remember?” you said, amused. He’d always playfully joked about dating you and you remembered his little pouts, saying he couldn’t believe you had the audacity to not go out with “the world’s most handsome guy”.

“That didn’t count.” His tone seemed more serious than usual and you finally looked at him to see the odd look in his eyes.

“What difference would it have made?”

He stared before finally looking away. “I don’t know. Maybe we would have made each other really happy. Maybe we could have really built something between us. Maybe we could have -”

“Toru.” You gently placed your hand on the side of his face. “Both of us are happy with where we are right now .” Despite that, you understood his sentiment and thought back to your last encounter.

It was your final Saturday before you left for university. The day had been filled with sunshine, walks in the park, and of course, milkshakes. It was getting dark when Oikawa walked you home and you both lingered in front of your gate. “I should go in,” you gave him a smile but found it harder to do than usual. “I had fun.”

He nodded, not knowing what to say for once. He wanted to say something charming and leave all nonchalantly but he found himself unable to turn away from you.

You looked up at his tall figure and his brown eyes that usually held such mirth were dimmer than usual. You both didn’t know when you'd see each other next and you had a feeling it would be a long time before you did. You had known for months that this day would come, yet you still felt a twinge in your chest.

He finally smiled back at you. “I’ll keep in touch.”

‘We’ll both be busy settling in,’ you thought but you nodded anyway. Stretching up on your toes, you gently pressed your lips to his cheek. “Bye Toru.” You finally turned away from his surprised face and started walking up to your door.

“It took three years for that to happen??” you heard his voice from behind you.

You giggled and turned around. “Be honoured that it happened at all.” You shot back and saw him give you a wink and a wave before finally walking away.

When you entered your house, your eyes were glossy and the twinge in your chest had turned into a dull ache. You had managed to restrain yourself from saying the three words that you so desperately wanted to say for the past few months. ‘It’s better this way’, you thought. You never confessed, knowing that both of you were always extremely busy and you were worried that you’d turn into a jealous, needy girlfriend, and that you guys weren’t likely to be near each other after graduation. Both of you took your professions seriously and you didn’t want to be a distraction or him to distract you.

“I wanted to kiss you back then,” he said lost in the same memory. “A proper kiss.”

Oikawa wasn’t sure when he fell in love with you but he did know when he realised it. You were too sick to come to school for a week and he had sulked the entire time. He kept thinking about you and it was driving him a little crazy. When you came back to school and flashed him a peace sign saying you were all recovered, something just clicked into place for him.

He should have been more serious about asking you out. He couldn’t help but dwell on the maybes. He should have tried harder to convince you that dating wasn’t scary and you guys would be able to figure things out together. He should have told you that your Saturdays together were precious to him. That seeing you cheer for him in the stands made his heart swell. That he was in love he was with you. Then there might have been a chance, no matter how tiny it was, and maybe -

“It still wouldn’t have changed anything,” you said softly and your eyes held a tender look in them.

He ignored the longing he still felt in his chest and pressed his face into your collarbone, closing his eyes.

“I know.”

[shirophantomvox]

Hold My Hand- Illumi x Reader

OMG thank you! My first international fan! Thank you for this wonderful prompt! This was requested by @illucilfer .

Summary: Today’s story takes place in a 1950s diner by a frequently used Interstate; Interstate 95. We know this dinner for its delicious hamburgers, hot dogs, milkshakes, and jukebox records, but every night one Patreon never returns home. A few men who were angry about your recent arrest have shot you both. As you both stare at each other exchanging mental signals, everyone around you tries to help you to the hospital. Y/N is narrating the story. I seem to have fewer grammar errors that way. FYI, Bold and italicized font will reference a thought or flashback.

Story Navigation

Let’s get started!

The leaves have turned bright yellow and orange, fluttering every second to the ground. I could hear little children a while away laughing and playing in the community park; throwing up the leaves, jumping into piles, and throwing them at each other. The smell of freshly baked donuts brightened everyone’s mood. All you had to do was take one bite and your face would brighten and crack a smile. Dining at Cupid’s Kitchen will always have your heart and interest.

Interstate 95 was always heavy with traffic during this time of year. The folks of Dallas celebrated mulch annually. The “Mulch Fest” was a street fair that stretched 1.5 miles to the east that contained music, drinks, farmer panels, homemaker Q&A, and other activities that southerners enjoy. Illumi and I are only here because of an unfinished assignment. We have worked night and day for countless days trying to catch Jack “Da Hamor” Gilberton, but he was nowhere to be found. Eventually, I allowed my anger to get the best of me and made the executive decision to take a day off. I barred Illumi from searching, tracking, or any form of hunting for our target. The life of a bounty hunter and an assassin can thrill, but it can drive you insane if you allow it.

Ironically, Illumi and I both enjoy fall. It is perfect for cuddling (although he acts as if he’s too good to cuddle), wearing creative hoodies, going to pumpkin patches, and attending apple orchids. I tend to “lose my cool” when we have dates there. When I was a child, my family did not go on trips like these because they were over an hour away from our home and I had 5 siblings. But once I made money for myself, I made it my mission to go to one at least 5 times out of the year. Illumi enjoys the different fudge, hot cider, and candy apples. He almost broke a tooth on one!

“Say cheese snag-a’-tooth!”

“Stop it. It’s not funny!”

“It is! Could you imagine if you lost your two front teeth? You’d look almost adorable as you did in the 1st grade!”

“How did you know about that?”

“Duh! It happens to everyone, but your mother showed me the pictures, of course.”

“Curses!”

Illumi’s sweet tooth is just like Killua’s; both have a weakness for chocolate. Except, Killua will admit defeat while his older brother keeps denying it.

Cupid’s Dinner has been in Dallas for over 55 years. A black woman established it in 1945 by the name of Mary-Lou Benson. Since then, Mary’s family has been running the shop, making sure all of her customers are happy with the service. During the turn of each season, Cupid’s Dinner gives its customer's food options based on the season. The fall options include donuts, candy apples, different flavored cider, fudge, and hot coffee specials. As much as everything looked appetizing, I could not order it all. Our server, Little Ben, placed our drinks in front of us and handed us the menu. I could tell he was happy with his line of work, just as I was to be with Illumi.

“You all take your time. I’ll be back in five.”

Ilumi glanced on both sides of the room, scanning for Jack Gilberton, already forgetting the agreement we established.

“Illumi, what are you doing?”

“Huh?”

“You keep looking around like you’ve seen Da Hamor. Eat your donut and relax, sweetheart.”

“I cannot relax. I must stay on alert.”

“If I can relax, so can you. It’s not that hard.”

“Fine. If I die, it’s on your head… literally.”

The jingling bell rang almost every second when a customer walked in. It was a joy to everyone's ears; the spirit of Mary Lou-Benson was alive and well. An overwhelming feeling of love seemed to have overtaken the diner. After examining the bistro for quite some time now, each customer had been using their cellphones at the table instead of chatting with their families. Many traditional families hated that about this generation but they should be open to new traditions forming. Illumi dislikes using cell phones or tablets at the table unless we use them for missions. He has emphasized how rude it is to be surfing the web about utter nonsense while someone is speaking. This is a pet peeve of his, something I’ll never step on his toe about. Although I think that is overdoing it, I respect it.

Little Ben served our table quickly, leaving us with two dishes of a classic chicken sandwich, kettle chips, one chocolate, and vanilla milkshake. Milkshakes were my weakness; I nearly foam at the mouth when I see one. When I found out that Illumi had NEVER had a milkshake, I almost fainted.

“No. I’ve never had a milkshake.”

“Huh? You’re missing out, pal.”

“What’s the big deal? Isn’t it frozen milk?”

“Not just frozen milk. You can add many flavors, toppings, and whip cream!”

“Well, then. You’ll have to show me sometime.”

We thanked Little Ben for his service as he clocked out for the day.

“I have to admit these sandwiches look very appetizing.”

“You can say that again!”

Before I nibbled on my sandwich, I wanted to take a moment and adore the man before me; Illumi Zoldyck. A man full of mysteries, professionalism, skill, and talent. His enormous eyes were immersed in the large pieces of chicken in between the sourdough bread. He licked his index finger vigorously; allowing the homemade honey mustard to drip enough from the bread to the plate in between licks. Just the sight of him actually relaxing for once has blown me away. For once, Illumi Zoldyck could be himself and I had the privilege to witness it.

“Um… why are you staring at me? Do I have food on my face,” he asked; violently wiping his mouth off with a provided cloth napkin.

“Oh! Ha, ha; no reason. I wanted to see your reaction after drinking your milkshake. That’s all.”

“Why? It’s just a drink.”

“Whatever you say, babe.”

“Babe? What happened to LuLu or Illumi-Lu?”

I gasped and pretended to be surprised… although I was a little.

“I did not know that you liked those pet names. I assumed it mortified you.”

“Who told you that? That never rolled off my tongue. “What I said was” — He bent closer to the table and to me; glancing both to the right and left to ensure no wandering ears were around — “I prefer Illumi-Lu to be said in the bedroom and LuLu when we’re alone, like how we are right now.”

“Aww…. ok,” I yelled in excitement.

“Don’t blow it out of proportion, alright?”

“Yes, sir.”

As we ate, Illumi hummed along to the tune that played a few times on the restaurant's jukebox. Illumi and I were born in the mid-90s, but listening to 50s music was a part of his aesthetic. I was told that he had an “old soul” which sounds romantic at first until you realize how men were during that era. His raging temper was a noticeable toxic trait, but it has drastically improved. Nonchalantly sipping on his milkshake and then eating more of his chips, he grazed the soft part of his left hand over mine as he continued to hum.

“What’s the name of this song? You seem to know it rather well.”

“Put your head on my shoulder, a famous song from the 60s. I heard my parents sing it once and since then, they have addicted me to it. Do you like it?”

“Yes, in fact, I love it. All of this is—”

“A surprise to you? Well, enjoy it while it lasts because once I find Jack Gilberton, this side of me will hide for a while.”

“Understood.”

Damn! I was just feeling connected to him again!

The music swelled; everyone seemed to be happy. Not an evil spirit insight to disrupt this beautiful moment. For once in my life, my raven-haired beauty actually held my hand tight, stole a few of my barbecue kettle chips, and gazed into my eyes harmlessly. His lips brushed against both of my hands, ever so lightly placing kisses on both sides of them. Illumi’s gentle smile warmed my heart as my lingering thoughts of hope stayed intact.

The welcoming bell jingled again. Two men in black leather jackets, stone-washed blue jeans, and tattooed all over their arms came into the diner. The men seemed to be bikers who had just left their own “spot” but one thing struck me as they continued to walk towards the staff. They both wore sunglasses when the sunset for the day. Not to mention that the lights were not dim in the diner and the moon was as bright as ever. The second man had his eyes glued in my direction. My heart beat faster as I wondered if Jack Gilberton had found us. Could you imagine?

Put your head on my shoulder

Hold me in your arms, baby

Squeeze me oh-so-tight

Show me you love me too

I am used to coming in contact with enemies on my hit list, but given Jack’s criminal history; I felt like I may not survive his attacks. Illumi will survive, but just barely. Both men approached the checkout, crowing over Little Ben’s sister. She was a short woman but full of might, and I could tell by the shakiness in her voice she was frightened. I wanted to step in so badly, but I didn't want to blow my cover just in case it was, in fact, Jack Gilberton. After I assume, ordering food, both men stood by the entrance, blocking it from others from entering and leaving. The sound of their old, beat up-lighters crackled as one lit a joint and the other lit a cigarette. This horrid smell ruined the atmosphere because they were not in a designated area and it drowned out the lovely aroma of the food being served.

“If you gentlemen would like to smoke, you need to go outside. There is no smoking in here.”

“What? You think you’re better than me because you don’t smoke?”

“Huh? I never said that, sir. I asked for you to go outside. Not all of our customers can deal with it.”

They did not move a muscle. The sound of their mucous laughter made everyone’s stomach turn. They laughed at the young girl and called her many slurs. Little Ben’s sister didn’t flinch, nor did she cry; she remained still, staring at the men. I had just enough of their obnoxious behavior.

“If you do not leave, I will call the police.”

“The hell you won’t.”

Put your lips next to mine, dear

Won't you kiss me once, baby?

He drew a gun from his left side. He aimed it at Little Ben’s sister and demanded that she emptied the drawer. She refused. Her stone, iron will reminded me of Illumi; no matter the circumstance, they remained intact, determined to fight until the end. Bravery is always encouraged, but too much will cause your life to be taken away. Little Ben’s sister grabbed a fake till that they kept under the real one and threw it at both men. Fake money fluttered everywhere in the small diner, mimicking confetti. Gunshots rang in all directions as the imbeciles recklessly shot, aiming for Little Ben’s sister. Everyone threw themselves on the ground to avoid being shot, but luck cannot spread itself throughout an entire room of people. A young child, an older man, and another worker were shot in their lower leg. Blood reflected from the ground as it continued to seep. Ignoring injured civilians is a jackass move and continuing to deny the fact would prove that the oath I pledge to meant nothing. Sure, bounty hunters must remain hidden, but if someone is injured, I must help them.

The child was lying lifeless on the polished marble floor. He would not respond to my shaking or my silent whispers. When I rolled him over, my heart broke into a million pieces. This child had no chance of survival; a few bullets struck his chest, one just inches away from his heart. A tear rolled down my cheek.

“Why must the good die young,” I whispered to myself.

“... Because snitches get stitches.”

Before I could gain sight of who stated this utterly corny response, I felt an overwhelming amount of pain in my lower back. It felt like a million tiny needles were jabbed so far through my skin that they entered my intestine. I could still hear, but my body would not move. I tried and tried, but my brain would not signal my legs.

Move! Move, damn it!

It’s odd; I could hear myself talk, but my body would not move at all. The sound of another thudding body made my mind jump. My heart had already been pounding enough to try to resuscitate my organs to move, but a familiar semi-blurring sight of none other than Mr. Illumi Zoldyck cleared my sight. My brain went wild. I didn’t know if Illumi died or if he became paralyzed, but one thing is for sure. We finally made eye contact that felt special; something I hadn’t felt since the day I met him. Our contact felt like magnets; an unbreakable bond. Suddenly, my icy hand felt warmth around my palm and fingers. Illumi simultaneously fell in a way that connected our hands. Our unbreakable bond, the warmth of his fingers laying on top of mine, and the gaze we shared somehow made me feel like it was just the two of us alone. I could hear his thoughts loud and clear; thoughts that came from the heart.

“Please help me. Before it’s too late, LuLu,” I cried, thinking I was going insane. “I don’t want to leave if it means leaving you behind.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Not without you.”

“Please! I want to live a life. Life as a bounty hunter, build a support system to our children, and a good lover is all I want to be.”

“You are a warrior and so am I. We have been through worse. This is nothing.”

Mere eye contact is all we need to exchange wandering conversations. The bond that we’ve created is something so strong that I haven’t realized it until now. The warmth emitted from his loose grasp seems to lose its effectiveness. It blurred my vision beyond recognition, leaving Illumi as a near figment of my imagination.

“Oh no. I guess this is it.”

My vision darkened. Illumi was slipping away as my lingering thoughts almost made my heart give out from exhaustion. I was ready to accept my fate, but it seemed like fate had other plans. My vision was still darkening by the second, but my sense of touch remained there. Smooth fingers outline my arms, torso, and chest. I heard muffled voices yelling and screaming about calling for assistance, but I didn’t care if they came or not. I made peace with my life’s end. Bit by bit, my breathing slowed down, but my sense of touch remained heightened. I felt a rubber glove touch my face and neck, examining it for any damage.

The jukebox continued to play Illumi’s favorite song, Put Your Head on my Shoulder. I remembered the day I laid my head on his shoulder; boy, what an endearing moment that was. It was something I took for granted, something I should have savored, for I never knew that this moment would have happened. The song grew muffled by the second verse. That verse repeated every time I tried to force myself to take what felt like my last gaze at my raven-haired beauty.

Just a kiss goodnight, maybe

You and I will fall in love (you and I will fall in love)

-FIN.

A/N: Since you’ve made it to the end, I’ll say something. The reader did not die in the end. They were later revived at the hospital.

[depressedacadamia]

Drunken Dares

Prompt + paring: Tattoo Parlour au, ‘night’ + Solangelo 

A/N:  Hellooo- i had the choice between a tattoo parlour au or a flowershop au but I'm already writing a pjo flowershop au so I thought I'd spice it up with a tattoo parlour au! I kinda wanted there to be a part two becuase I wanted a bit of bonding between the two so maybe if i remember, that may happen? Anyway- enjoy  <3 from phi phi!

Read on A03         Writersmonth 2021       Masterlist

“Do I really have to do this?” Will groaned slightly. It was late at night and here Meg was, pushing him in a tattoo parlour.

“Yep!” She hummed as she pushed him forward.He tripped over his own foot as he flung through the double doors. He was about to continue reluctantly before realising the short minion who had forced him here was no longer by his side.

He turned around and frowned. “ Meg? Why aren’t you coming in?”

“I’m underage,” She hummed.

“You know you can just stand to the side?” Will asked, a slightly desperate undettone to his statement which Meg noticed. He was begging her not to leave him in the scary dark tattoo parlour which was full of buff, scary people.

“Sorry- but I must not break the law!”

“Last week you happily started trying to drive my car!” Will yelled at the glass doors. Alas, his yells were ignored as Meg blissfully ignored him as she continued her walk home, leaving William Andrew Solace in a tattoo parlour.

What was he meant to do?Walk up to the guy at the counter and tell him that he wanted a tattoo? He should have never gotten drunk and played truth or dare- he should have known that the first thing Leo would dare him would be to taint his beautiful freckled skin. The worst part ultimately was the fact that he had to get it on his chest.

Perhaps the gods above saw Will’s freak out or perhaps Leo was simply being extra nice when he saw Will in the middle of the parlour looking so out of place it was painful but either way, the next thing Will knew, he was being taken by the wrist towards the counter by none other than Leonidas Valdez; the very bastard who had gotten him into this mess.

“I’m surprised you actually came,” Leo commented.

“Meg forced me,” Will grunted.

“So,” Leo sighed as he tapped at the cigarette in between his fingers, “ Do you know what you’re getting?”

“Uhh… no, not really., How does this work? You tell them what you want and then they stab at your body with a needle?”

Leo let out a small scoff which had smoke billowing out of his lips and nose as if he was a chimney. “ No, darling- they shave, sanitise and then they stab at your body with a needle.”

“That made me feel so much better.”

Ignoring the evident sarcasm, Leo simply smiled. “ You’re welcome, blondie.”

Wil, ruffling at his hair, mumbled, “Shut up.”

Leo, who was significantly enjoying teasing Will, was cut off by Piper- one of the last people Will expected to see at the tattoo parlor. But on a second look, the tattoos on her abdomen spiraling up to her breasts and arms made Will wonder why he never noticed them.

“Oh Will- you’re actually here?” Piper's surprised voice rang out.

“Unfortunately.”

“Well the artist is ready for you,” Piper ushered him towards the dark room, only illuminated by the UV lights.

Will visibly gulped. Leo and Piper couldn’t help but interlock eyes and snort a little- after all, it was simply adorable at how nervous this newbire was.

Will took small steps and the second he passed the door, it slammed shut.

What the fuck- do the doors here have a mind of their own?

“Come in- take a seat,” A voice commanded. Will, who didn’t really have any choice but to listen to what he was being told, fumbled around, trying to figure out where he was meant to be going. It seemed that Will, in his internal chaos, did not notice the tattoo artist's leg propped up to the side and therefore, when Will finally did notice the leg- it had been the hard way.

He tripped and the next thing he knew, his wrist had made a new best friend. Bruised and swollen, Will’s wrist heavily ached- forcing him to let out a small groan of pain.

“Fuck, are you okay?” the voice rang out. Will heard a relative amount of fumbling and heavy footsteps and suddenly the room was flooded with light.

The face that he was met with was not one he was expecting. The boy had mid length hair- while it wasn’t really long, it was flowing over the nape of his neck slightly and it looked like it really got in the way of his eyes. He watched as the boy seperated the pieces of hair covering his eyes, creating an effortless look.

His face radiated an emotion that Will couldn’t describe- sadness? Or was it simply the face of someone who was content with little?

“Are you okay?” The man asked. Will watched- he had never seen such dynamic expressions and the way this man's face morphed into an expression of concern had him wrapt with all.

Will could only nod stupidly, his hand still clutching at his bruised wrist.

“Dya mind if I have a look at that anyway?” The artist insisted as he grabbed a med kit and sat on his spinning chair before wheeling himself towards Will who now sat on the chair that he was originally appointed.

He gently cradled Will’s wrist between his fingers, turning it round and round. His face contorted between emotion of worry and concern.

“It’s okay,” Will re-assured . “ It’s not sprained or broken, just a bit of bruising and swelling. Should be gone by tomorrow morning.”

“You sure?”

“I’m a doctor.”

“Ah,” He smiled slightly. “ I shouldn’t question you, Dr..?”

“Solace- but Will is fine. How about you?”

“Nico- Now let's have a look at what you want huh?” He closed the notebook he had been creating designs in before Will walked in and pulled out a collection of the most popular designs so far.

“These are the trending ones currently but I can always pull out something else if you want. Or if you have your own design that you wanted, I can try with it,” Nico offered. He pulled out a cigarette and flicked his lighter.- once, twice and a third time before grunting and pulling out a different one. Will watched, hypnotized, as Nico lit the cigarette.

Nico looked up and caught Will staring and shyly asked. “ You don’t mind do you?”

“No… but you should try and refrain from smoking. It’s really, really bad for you and I say this as a doctor.”

“You’re the 4th person today who has said that.”

“I’m alarmed that you managed to smoke that many times today,” Will said with concern.

Ignoring what Will had said, Nico continued. “Anyway, have you chosen anything yet?”

Will let out a heavy breath. “ Ah, no. My friends kinda forced me here but nothing here really matches… me.”

“What about this flower? Or the skull? “

Will shrugged. “ I don't think I’d want those on my skin permanently”

Nico nodded and continued smoking, while Will flipped through the latest designs. Nothing seemed to catch his eye as much as something he could have sworn he saw earlier. It was a stylised sun tatoo- nothing necessarily special but it reminded him of his mum- and his home.

“Excuse me,” Wil started, causing Nico to put his cigarette down in the ashtray, “ I was just wondering if the designs in that were available?”

Will pointed to the notebook That Nico had closed earlier. He watched as Nico hesitated. His face seemed to be stuck between wanting to let Will sneak a peek but it also seemed to want to tell him to stop.

However, his hand simply made up his mind and shoved the book across the table in Will’s direction.

Daintily, with the utmost care, Will opened the first page and his eyes almost watered at the immense detail and beauty poured into these designs. It looked like the heart and soul of the artist had been etched into every little petal, every small ray and eventually after gaping at each page he found the design he had spotted earlier.

The sun wasn’t special but it held Will’s eyes so much that Nico told him, “ Close your mouth. You’re practically drooling.”

“This one,” Will pointed to the stylised sun, “ I want this one.”

Nico scanned his eyes over it before humming and nodding. He put out his cigarette and got up.

“Where d'ya want it?”

“Chest- left side,” Will blurted out. He didn’t know why he wanted it there- perhaps because he wanted the thing that reminded him of his mother to be as close to his heart as possible.

Nico nodded as he prepared everything. Then he turned to Will. “ You realise you’ll need to take off your shirt?”

Will blushed and looked away as he started unbuttoning the top of his shirt. Meg had dragged him out of the hospital as soon as his shift had ended and thrown him into the tattoo parlour and therefore he was still wearing a crisp white shirt.

“Do I need to take off the whole thing?”

Nico took a quick look at Will. The sight that met his eyes was surprising- he used to seeing the chest of his clients but for some reason the sight of a very attractive and intelligent young man before him was very different. He seemed to be looking away as a blush graced his cheeks and ears. His shirt was unbuttoned just enough for Nico to see Will’s muscled chest.

How did a doctor have enough time to work out like that?

“Uh... just a bit more, I don’t want the needle to catch on the side of your shirt.” Nico reiterated, even though he was lying.

“Okay, so now, I'm just going to clean the area and then I’ll trace the sketch before tattooing it on. Do you want red or black?”

“Uh- you can choose,” Will sighed, desperate to get it done and over with.

Nico nodded. He slipped on some gloves and wiped at Will’s chest with an antiseptic. Will flinched at the cold wipe and the soft touch of the artist before him .

“Sorry,” Will murmured, “ It’s cold.”

Nico simply nodded as he began sketching the outline of the tattoo. Will tipped his head back, unable to meet the eyes of Nico ro even look at what was happening. He could feel the tickly touch of the pen on his skin and the soft brush of Nico’s glove on his skin every once in a while.

“All done. Now for the painful part. You may feel like you’re getting stung by a bee a lot,” Nico warned. “Try not move a lot, it will make it harder for me.”

Will, who couldn’t formulate words at this point, simply nodded. “I’d let you squeeze my hand, but unfortunately- I need both,” Nico smiled as reassurance.

He heard the buzzing of the gun and braced himself. The needle poked and prodded as he expected and at times he did wish he had stolen some morphine from the hospital beforehand but all in all, he managed to get the tattoo without bursting into tears and without ruining hids tattoo.

“All done,'' Nico said as he covered the tattoo.

“When do I get to see it?” Will asked, curiously, happier that it was over.

“In a few days- it just needs to sink in.”

Wil sat there, unsure of what to do next. He had paid and was now just sitting in an empty room with his tattoo artist. Was he meant to just say goodbye? Wasn't that kind of harsh?

But Will realised, had this been anybody else or any other appointment- he wouldn't want to be staying for any extra time. Did he want to be friends with this guy? Maybe it was that- yes, it would be that. As someone who was socially awkward, Will knew that he liked hanging out with people; he simply wasn't very good at it

Just as he was going to ask for his number, Nico passed him a slip of paper. “ Here’s my number. Call me when you’re free.”

With that and a wink, Will was left in the empty tattoo room.

[thran-duils]

Lost In Zero Gravity (P.5)

Title: Lost In Zero Gravity (Part Five) Summary:  Fem!Reader x Mob Boss!Tony Stark x Mob Boss!Steve Rogers.  Reader is a call girl who runs high end parties. She catches the attention of Tony Stark who invites her back to his room with his friend. She might have performed too well because she becomes their new favorite play toy and they don’t like to share. Words: 2,944 Warnings (for the fic in entirety): Smut, prostitution, infidelity, angst, domestic violence, stalking, possessive behavior Author's Note: I'm using the new post editor so I'm not sure if the tags are working??? Can someone let me know, thanks!

Part Four || Part Six || Masterpost (mobile) || Fanfic masterpost

After Steve had let you go, you had gone inside, ending your night abruptly. You locked yourself in the bedroom all night, planning to refuse to let them in if they asked. They surprisingly left you alone. You wondered where they had slept but surmised it was just another room because there were multiple in the house.

You laid awake in the morning for a long time, staring out the window at the waves, lost in your racing thoughts. If they were serious about either being here or in an apartment back in the city, you wondered if just staying here would be so bad. But then you thought of whenever they would need to come with their wives – this was a beach house after all for them. Where would you go during those times? Maybe Steve had just spoken out of anger and did not mean here.

Why did you constantly attract men like this?

But how surprised were you with men as wealthy and entitled as them?

You scowled for the umpteenth time thinking of how casually they had brought it into conversation and acted like you were being unreasonable at the idea of it. Men screwed you for awhile and then got bored. That is how it always went. In other circumstances though, you were able to pivot to someone else. You were not going to have that opportunity here. And it scared you.

You wished you could just call an Uber and go back home but there was no way to sneak out of the house without talking to them. And it was not like they did not know where you lived. But if they had some time to think, maybe they would realize how outlandish their proposal was from your point of view.

Grumbling, you rolled over away from the window. You were getting hungry though and you had to face them sooner or later.

As if they could read your thoughts, someone walked in without knocking and you listened to their footfalls coming towards the bed. They stopped on the side of the bed that you were facing away from. Peace was going to be broken.

The comforter was torn back, and you groaned, grabbing blindly for it. But it was too far down the bed. Rolling onto your back, you sighed tiredly.

Tony was staring down at you, wearing shorts and a button down with sunglasses hanging off his chest, looking as posh as ever.

“It’s almost 10am, Y/N.”

“Five more minutes,” you tried.

“No,” Tony returned firmly immediately. “Get up. We are going on the boat. Get you some fresh air. You can get some sun, relax on a towel while we work.”

Reluctantly, you sat up in bed, rubbing at your eyes. You got up and went over to your suitcase to dig through to find another swimsuit since you had made a mess of the other one with Steve last night on the dock. Tony had not left and you looked over your shoulder, seeing he had sat down in the wicker chair by the window and was peering out. He was making sure you got ready and in a timely fashion.

You made to go to the bathroom and Tony piped up from behind you, amusement lacing his tone, “Never thought I’d see you be shy about being naked.”

Stopping, you looked at him, “I need to use the restroom.”

“Ah,” Tony said before turning his head to look out the window again.

You turned back again and went into the restroom to get ready.

When you came back out, he was still waiting, scrolling through his phone. You snatched the cover up off the top of your suitcase and threw it over your head.

“Get some shoes on, we gotta drive to the marina.” You apparently did not mask your confusion because Tony explained, “The boat is in the marina down the road.”

“So… not the speedboat?”

Tony snorted loudly, “No. That’s for crabbing. We are going sailing.”

You could not imagine owning even one boat, no matter what it was.

Getting into the car, you saw Steve was already in there in the backseat where you were supposed to sit in the middle. Two of their men were in the front seats; probably who was going to be driving the boat today.

You gave him a weak smile, “Morning.”

“You slept in,” he commented dryly, scrolling through his phone, barely sparing you a glance.

He did not seem happy.

Tony slid into the seat beside you, and you were shifted closer to Steve which is the last thing you thought he wanted right now. But he made no move to shift away so maybe that was a good sign.

“I was tired,” you mumbled.

He merely made a noise of acknowledgment. You must have really bruised his ego. Sucking your teeth, you turned your attention back to Tony who seemed to want to engage with you.

A complete opposite from Steve. He was all smiles, his fingers intertwining with yours and pulling you close. You leaned towards him as he pointed out places along the waterfront that you all could go for lunch after boating. And all the gossip about people he recognized walking.

The boat was long, longer than you expected. And you accepted Tony’s help crossing the gap to get up onto it. He held you close as it took off, Steve still extremely engrossed in his phone across the way.

“You been on a boat before?” Tony asked curiously against your ear. You smiled from the sensation of his breath and shook your head, turning slightly to look at him. He smiled mischievously, his grip tightening. “Okay, well, if you get sick, let us know.”

A few minutes passed and he sighed.

“We are coming up on the inlet. It’s going to be a little rough but don’t worry. That’s normal. The ocean is meeting the calmer water in here.”

His arm came even tighter around you as the bow hit the waves, trying to hold you in place as well as he could. You leaned back into him and you felt him adjust to let you lean even further. His hand gripped your hip tighter, his thumb caressing. It was comforting and you let it be, relishing in the semblance of normalcy.

When you had hit calmer waters, Tony had encouraged you to get up and take a towel to the bow of the boat. There was a place to sunbathe. Him and Steve needed time to talk business. You did not argue, grabbing one of the towels. But you hesitated seeing what you needed to walk around.

“You need help?” Tony breathed against your ear and you laughed despite yourself. You hated how comfortable he made you feel.

“No, I’ll just hold onto the railing,” you said.

“Don’t go overboard now,” he teased before backing off.

You stepped up and went along the side of the boat, holding onto the railing. You felt his eyes on you and that is what you focused on; his attention, not the thought of you actually taking a header over the side of the boat into the waves.

<><><>

At first, you had started on your back, but you had flipped onto your stomach by now. The sun was comforting, and after time, you had gotten used to the swell of the waves. It was actually relaxing.

The wood creaked next to you and you could tell by the cologne that it was Tony. You cracked your eyes open, and he smiled, seeing you saw him as he laid down next to you. He had lost his shirt. You smiled in return before closing your eyes again.

Tony’s fingers ghosted down your back coming to rest on your ass.

“I thought you just wanted me to lay here and get sun,” you murmured, not opening your eyes.

Tony chuckled, “I do. I’m just appreciating you, sweetheart.”

His fingers dug in slightly and he let out an exhale, his fingers continuing to caress. You had been in this business long enough to read prodding body language.

You opened your eyes, peering up at him. “Do you want me to turn over?”

“Well…” Tony chuckled. “Since you’re offering.”

You did, and he was on you immediately. His kisses were soft and you welcomed it when his lips finally met yours after gracing your collarbone. He moaned softly against your mouth, his tongue slipping in. Your hands came up to grip the back of his head, wanting to make him happy.

He forced his hand underneath your back, and you arched your back to give him access. He undid your bikini top clumsily. It took him no time to tear the straps down your arms and toss them behind him back onto the deck.

Tony was gentle in caressing your breasts, taking it slow as he worked you up. You fell into his rhythm, forgetting everything else. His hand slipped down underneath your bottoms, his fingers pressing past your lips with gentle purpose. You smiled into his kiss.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“Nothing. I just like how gentle you’re being. It’s different,” you said.

“Mhm, that’s a compliment if I ever heard one,” he murmured, hooking his fingers beneath the strap of your bottoms. You let him pull them down your legs.

He crawled on top of you, and you kissed him back fervently. Tony pinned your hips down, slipping up into you. Your arms hooked around his neck, falling into the rhythm. Kissing him deeply as he thrusted up into you, you gasped against his lips.

His hand cradled your head, his kiss passionate as he emptied inside you.

When he rolled off of you, he exhaled deeply. He sat up slightly after a few moments, searching and located your sunscreen.

He sat up fully now and said, “Since you are going the no tan lines route now, let me do you back up.”

You accepted the reapplication gratefully, his hands touching every crevice, making sure you were completely covered. He gestured for you to sit up and you did, making sure he got your back.

When you laid back down, he finished with your face, his fingers moving delicately. You smirked and he said, “Sunburns are a serious thing, love. Just making sure you’re protected. I’ll let you get back to it, I got work to do. Peace and tranquility again for you up here, whatever that means.”

<><><>

Coming back to the cooler at the other end of the boat, Tony pulled out the bottle of bourbon. Steve was relaxing on a chair, dark sunglasses resting on his nose.

“Any update?” Tony asked, pouring himself a drink.

Steve nodded, “They found a couple options. I’ll send them to you. I personally like the third, but they are all close to the office, so it won’t take us long to get over to her.”

“Are they all—”

“Near the top of the buildings, yes. No easy access out a window.”

“Good,” Tony nodded approvingly, taking a sip of his drink.

“I’ve already contacted Tatiana. Told her what we are offering to pay out for the contract,” Steve went on, lying his hand down on his thigh to look away from his phone.

“She happy with it?”

“Of course she is. Money talks.”

Tony took another drink and said, “That’s good. I was going to get irritated by any hiccups.”

“Any morehiccups,” Steve corrected sounding sour.

Tony waved him off and said, “Y/N shows her teeth but she’s not going to bite. She’s a good girl. We can handle it. She’s just flustered. She’ll settle down.”

“How are you so calm about this, I’ll never know.”

“I’ve had mistresses’ before. Granted, I got tired of them pretty quick, but they were also super needy, wanting to be number one, which is never the goal of this situation. Y/N is the exact opposite of that,” Tony shrugged. “It’s giving me hope this could work out very well.”

“Well, the fact she’s not needy is the reason we need to keep her corralled.”

“Corralled for a while,” Tony corrected him now. “Not permanent. It won’t take her long. She’ll ease into being on her own and get over losing that cheap ass room she had at the brothel. People like comfort and she’ll have a lot of that when she realizes she likes being able to stretch out and have the whole place to herself. And she likes gifts, that’s not going to stop. She’ll be able to make her own meals, a luxury she has not had, especially in her own kitchen. She’ll have control over her environment. It’s simple, Steve. Comfort.”

Steve stared at Tony, taking that in. And Tony smiled, raising his glass. “You might be older than me year wise, but I’ve got more wisdom, Cap.”

<><><>

“I don’t want to do this,” you hissed at Tatiana.

You had cornered her the moment you had gotten back to the brothel. The last day, Steve had warmed up again. The subject of the apartment had not come up again and you were unsure if you should have brought it up again or maybe it was a settled manner that it was not going to happen.

But that theory had been destroyed when they dropped you off, telling you that they had found a place and it would be ready for you in a few days. You had kept it together, giving them the kisses on the cheek before getting out of the car. Upon seeing Tatiana though, who looked jubilant for you, you immediately stormed into her office. You noticed one of their guys had stayed behind to keep an eye on you and you huffed before closing the door in his face.

Tatiana was caught off guard and was at a loss for words for a few moments before she cleared her throat. “Y/N,” she said in a worried tone.

You came close and whispered desperately, “Please. Just distract the guy so I can slip out the back.”

“Where are you going to go?” she asked you in hushed tones, perplexed.

“Back home!” you said throwing your hands out. “It won’t be that bad. I’ll just get a normal job and bunk with people and just live some boring ass life.”

She exhaled slowly and you felt it coming; she was on their side and your heart sank. “Y/N. Listen to me. Do you understand the opportunity you have here?”

“There’s no—”

“No, shut it. There is. You are being given an apartment. You are being given income.”

“But they’re going to control everything!” you said pathetically.

“I thought you liked them.”

“I… did. I do. I hate I like them. But, then they just turned out like every other man that I’ve been with.”

“Did they?”

“Yes, it’s about controlling me,” you said, emotions overwhelming you. You wiped at your eyes and sniffled.

“I don’t think that’s all of it,” Tatiana said and you waited for her to go on. She shrugged, “I think they’re being forceful, yes. That’s how men like them are though. They are… intense. You have a debt to pay though and they get to choose how you’re going to pay it back. That’s how this works, that’s how it’s going to work. But, I think they killed the guy for a reason other than just to get you underneath their thumbs. Do you really think they don’t enjoy you?”

“They enjoy me plenty,” you muttered, wiping at your eyes again. “I… I just want to get to a place where I can just do what I want. Make enough money and make it on my own.”

Tatiana took your hands and made you look her in the eyes. “Stellina, I’m not going to help you escape. I am not going to willingly piss off two of the most powerful men in the city. I love you, dearly, but it is not something I can do. I can’t risk blowback and have it affect the other women. You understand that, right?”

“Maybe it won’t be so bad to have your own place,” Tatiana continued softly. “All the space just for you… peace and quiet. You can decorate it how you want. And what you’re saying about making it your own? I’ve just told you that you can make it your own.”

Swallowing thickly, you bit your cheeks to stop from crying again. You knew what she was saying was true. It would not serve anyone well here if she did what you were asking. And hell, who even knew if you could escape.

You forced yourself to nod. “Yeah… maybe.”

“You’ll be okay, Y/N.”

<><><>

You had never had an entire apartment to yourself, so walking in overwhelmed you a bit. Everything was so new, the windows large. You did not know if it had come furnished or if they had bought the furniture.

The walls in the hall were bare and you thought of what things you could buy to make it a little homier. The bedroom was bare as well except for the bed, nightstands, and your dresser. It was a nice bed which served to lift your spirits a little. You left your suitcase and bag at the end of the bed before crossing the hall to go to the bathroom. You almost breathed a sigh of relief seeing that laundry was in unit. Another huge perk.

They were waiting out in the living room, hands in their slack’s pockets, waiting for you to come back out apparently.

“Apparently there are barbeques up on the roof,” Tony commented. “Shared of course. But that might be good for a night.”

You had never lived in a building with a rooftop terrace either.

“Nice,” you said sounding happier than you felt.

Walking over to the fridge, you opened the door finding basic things.

“I set up a grocery delivery service for you. I wrote down all the logins you’re going to need for the WiFi, Netflix, Prime, etc on the counter over here,” Steve spoke, drawing your attention to a laminated sheet sitting on the island.

Your face scrunched in confusion. “I can get my own groceries. I saw a place not far from here.”

“Soon,” Steve said cryptically. “When you get the keys and are able to lock the door from the outside, that can become an option.”

“You have the keys,” you said slowly, having seen him with your own two eyes unlock the door to come in.

Steve ran his tongue across his lip, staring at you. He said simply after a few moments, “You don’t get the keys yet.”

“What?” you asked flabbergasted, shooting a look at Tony who was standing there stoically.

“Maybe after a while in here you’ll realize how good it is what you’re being offered,” Steve stated. “And we can trust you with the keys.”

Just when you thought maybe things would pan out.

“I realize it,” you said quickly to the two of them. “I… It was stupid of me to be upset about it. It’s fine. I’m over it.”

“We don’t believe you,” Tony said plainly, and your mouth fell open at his blunt reply. You did not like the look on his face or his tone. “So, for a while, you’re going to just stay in here. Earn our trust.”

“Stay… in here?” you asked slowly. “So, you’re going to lock me in here?”

Tony came up to you, and you nervously met his gaze. “It’s just temporary. It’s not forever.”

“You’ve got everything you need in here,” Steve chimed in. “There’s no need for you to get upset about it, Y/N, and have another outburst.”

Anger bubbled up and bubbled up quick.

“Fuck you,” you spat at him, seeing their faces fall into shock at your boldness. You turned on your heel and stormed off towards the bedroom.

You only made it halfway down the hall before you heard Tony sigh, “Steve, leave her alone” and a rough hand grabbed your arm, jolting you back. You collided with Steve’s chest and he pointed a finger directly in your face.

“I don’t let my wife talk to me like that and I sure as hell won’t stand for you to talk to me like that,” he snapped.

“Let me go,” you said worriedly trying to yank away from him.

His jaw set and he released you angrily, taking a step back. “Watch your damn attitude!” he snapped again, before turning and storming off towards the door. “I’ll be in the car.”

The door slammed behind him and Tony blew a raspberry.

“Y/N, take some time. You apparently need the space,” he said, his tone tight. You said nothing. “We’ve got a couple guys here. One will be on your hall and one is down in the lobby. Order your groceries. Watch some TV. I’ll check back in later. I gotta get back to work. Remember to lock the door behind me.”

With that, he left too, calmly unlike Steve. But you could tell he was irked that you had cursed at them.

This was the first time they had left you without expecting a kiss.

~~~

Forever tags: @coconutqueen21

Fic tags: @icant-hangout-imdrumming, @oceaniamaddness @multifandom-superlover @imsonick, @holl2712 @here4thefanfics

[shellbilee]

His Whole World

A Henry Cavill One Shot

Summary: A fluffy one shot based on a request I received from the lovely @thisisntmyrightera :

“Can i request something where the reader and Henry have a baby girl and all the pregnancy Kal was very protective and careful with his human mommy and now it's time to introduce him to his human baby sister, with tons of fluffy and sweetie things”

Apologies for the delay in posting this my dear. I don’t feel like I completely stuck to your request but I hope you still enjoy it all the same!

Pairing: Henry x You/Reader

Words: 6k

Warnings: Giving birth but nothing graphic. Mostly sweet Cavill fluff. Brace yourselves, it will make your teeth rot.

A/N: I don’t have enough words to thank you @alyxkbrl. You are my unofficial editor and my sanity savior when writing these brings me close to breaking point. So much love for you my darling!

Also, I listened to the Script’s ‘Never Seen Anything Quite Like You’ as I wrote this - I’d recommend playing it from the Henry’s POV part (I’ve made it bold!) while you read!

---

“How are you feeling sweetheart?” Henry asks, his voice deep and velvety smooth even over the phone. You smile and lean back into the couch, resting one hand on your swollen belly. “Big” you reply with a sigh, looking down at his gorgeous face on your phone. “Tired. Sore. Hungry. Honestly, I feel like I’m the size of a whale”. Henry offers an affectionate smile and shakes his head. “Then you're the most beautiful whale that I’ve ever seen darling ”. You roll your eyes playfully. “Oh shush. What time is the event tonight?” you ask softly, wanting to change the subject.

“7” Henry answers, glancing over to his left to where you can hear people talking nearby, “My tux is here ready to go so I’m going to start getting ready shortly”. You smile adoringly. “Make sure you send me a photo please, you know I love seeing you in a tux”. Henry smiles, “I will love. Are you going to be okay tonight? You know I don’t love the idea of you being home alone and eight months pregnant. Are you sure I can’t call mum and ask her to come over?”. 

You shake your head and offer your most reassuring smile to your apparently anxious husband. “Henry, relax baby. I’m going to be fine. I’ve got Ali on speed dial if anything happens and besides, I’ve got the best protector of all watching over me”. You turn the camera so that Kal appears in the frame, Henry’s expression softening when he sees Kal laying protectively by your side. 

“Good boy bear. You look after your mummy for me okay?”. Kal lets out a loud sigh and shifts to rest his head on your thigh at the sound of Henry’s voice. You smile down at Kal and pat his head lovingly, turning the phone back to you so Henry is looking at you again. You watch as he smiles and  reaches up to run his fingers through his curls, unable to help your smile at the sight. Even now, even after being with him for over a year, he still manages to make you swoon with the smallest of actions. 

“What are you going to do tonight my love?” Henry asks, looking over the phone towards someone calling his name before looking back to you, “Any plans?”. You laugh and shake your head, still stroking Kal with your free hand. “Ah, not much babe. Probably just sit and watch a movie or two” you reply with a small laugh, patting your stomach, “There’s not a whole lot I can do in---”. Your words trail off when you feel a sharp movement in your belly, a sudden pain in your left side as something is wedged under your ribs. You wince audibly and jolt forward, the breath knocking out of your lungs as Kal springs to attention at the sound of your pained gasp. “Sweetheart are you okay?” Henry asks quickly, his face flashing with alarm, “What happened?”. 

You hold your breath as you poke at your belly, exhaling loudly when you feel what feels like a foot dislodge a few moments later. “Ahh” you exclaim in relief, giving an alarmed Kal a reassuring pat and settling back on the couch, “I’m okay. Little one’s just been really active today” you say to Henry, flashing him what you hope is a comforting smile, “I’m fine baby”. “Do you want me to come home? I can leave right now”. You shake your head insistently, patting your belly gently. “Don’t be silly Henry. Tonight’s important for you. I’ll be more than fine”. 

Henry glances over at the sound of someone calling his name again, holding up a finger to them to signal that he’ll be a moment. He turns back to you and sighs, shaking his head as he smiles. “You’re so stubborn darling”. You chuckle and flash him a mischievous grin, tilting your head as you look at the screen, “That’s why you love me”. Henry laughs this time, deep and throaty, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair again. “Okay my love, I have to go and get ready. I love you okay? I’ll keep my phone on me at all times, I promise”. You nod and smile,  “Okay baby, I love you more. Have fun alright? And don’t forget my photo!”. Henry grins - the utterly handsome, devastatingly sexy smile that made you fall for him all those months ago, blowing a cheeky kiss to his phone and waving at you. “I won’t. I’ll see you later tonight sweetheart. I love you”. You smile and wave and in an instant he’s gone from the screen, Kal letting out a heavy sigh as he shifts beside you on the couch.

You drop your phone and look down at Kal, stroking his head lovingly as he looks up at you with his brown, liquid eyes. “Just you and me tonight hey bear?” you ask gently, watching as he blinks slowly and closes his eyes. You smile affectionately at the massive dog cuddled at your side, thinking about how protective he’d been all throughout your pregnancy. You were three months in when you’d first noticed him acting differently, following you from room to room every time you moved about the house, constantly sitting by you as if he was guarding you from some unknown threat. He’d even started to ignore Henry as if he had eyes only for you, even sleeping by your side of the bed instead of his mat in the corner of the bedroom. 

You’d heard about it - dogs becoming protective during pregnancy, but you hadn’t really believed it until you’d actually seen it. When you’d started to grow Kal’s behaviour had increased again, forever sniffing your belly or resting his head by it whenever you’d sat down. As if having an over protective, pedantic husband wasn’t enough, you now had a hundred and twenty pound bear shadow. You patted Kal’s head gently as you picked up the TV remote, flicking through the channels until you settled on a rerun episode of Sex and the City. You lounged with Kal on the couch for three episodes until the food cravings got too much, eventually hauling yourself off the sofa and making your way towards the kitchen with Kal in tow.

You set about making a bowl of mac and cheese - a food that apparently, you couldn’t get enough of with this pregnancy, pottering about the kitchen as Kal watches you closely from his spot on the floor. “Oh Kal” you breathe as you pop the bowl in the microwave and make your way over to the fridge for a piece of chocolate mud cake -  another food that you couldn’t get enough of, turning to the bear as you take a bite of cake. “When is this going to be over?”. Kal lets out a gentle ‘woo’ in response and you smile, chewing on your mouthful of cake as you look down at your enormous belly.

You weren’t due for another seventeen days but you knew that the baby could technically come at any time between now and then. Still, you felt big, fat and uncomfortable and after eight and a bit months you were more than ready to be rid of your beach ball stomach. Henry on the other hand, couldn’t have been more opposite, your husband apparently loving the changes that the pregnancy had brought to your body. The way your breasts had swelled and rounded, the way your hips had somehow become even curvier than they had been, the way your belly had grown. He’d put his hands on you whenever he got the chance, tenderly caressing every part of you as he’d whisper just how much he loved you and your body. He’d worship every inch of skin every time you’d have sex - which, with your sudden spike in sex drive had been several times per week, holding you close as he’d bring you to orgasm again and again and again.  

He’d been so loving and dutiful throughout your pregnancy that thinking about it almost made you tear up, the way he’d made it to every single ultrasound, every appointment and check up, every birthing class even when his ridiculous schedule made it seem impossible. So many times he’d caught red eye flights just to make it home to be at appointments with you, spending the night with his arms wrapped protectively around you only to be flying back out at dawn the next morning. When he was home he’d been nothing short of amazing, waiting on you hand and foot and catering to your every need whether it was rubbing your swollen feet or ducking out at three AM to get a can of whipped cream that you’d been craving. 

His paternal side had started to show too - something that made your heart flutter and your face soften every time you saw it. The way that he’d buried himself in baby research, finding out the ultimate do’s and don’ts, both for during your pregnancy and for when the baby finally came. The way he’d spoken to his parents and his brothers, taking in every single piece of fatherly advice that he possibly could. The way he’d speak to your belly, to your baby, reading stories and even sometimes his scripts, talking to your bump and sharing just how much he was looking forward to meeting them.

Henry was going to be an incredible dad, that much you were certain of, knowing that he’d do or be anything, for you and your baby. You remembered the way he’d looked when you’d first been shown the heartbeat on the monitor in the doctor’s office, the way his eyes had widened, the way his grip on your hand had tightened. In that sudden moment your whole world had just changed, and from looking at Henry’s face as he’d stared at the screen, you’d known that his had too. Everything else in the world no longer mattered. It was just you, him and the baby.

You smile at the memory and take another bite of cake in your hand, licking your sticky fingers when your phone suddenly begins to ring. You look down to see Ali, your best friend’s name glowing on the screen and you chuckle knowing that she was calling for the millionth time to check in on you. “Hey Ali” you exclaim as you answer the call and put the phone to your ear, “How’s things?”. “I should be asking you that don’t you think?” Ali replies brightly and you can tell just from her voice that there was a smile on her face. “How are you feeling?”. You laugh, “Big. Round. Fat. Oh Al, I’m so ready to be done with this pregnancy” you answer, looking down as Kal suddenly stands and moves over to you. Ali laughs, “I bet you are. But not long now, you’ve only got a few weeks left right?”. You nod, “2 and a half to be exact, though it feels more like 2 and a half months. To be honest I’m hoping it happens earlier”. 

You hear Ali giggle and you know she’s shaking her head. “How are you feeling about it all? About the birth?”. The microwave beeps and you bend to pull your mac and cheese out, frowning when Kal gets in the way and nudges your belly with his nose. “Kal stop” you scold, pushing him with your foot when he doesn’t move. “Um, how am I feeling?” you repeat as you pull the bowl out and set it on the counter. “Okay. Pretty scared actually. I mean, what if something goes wrong? What if I can’t do it?”. Ali scoffs loudly, “Come on Y/N, don’t think like that. You’re going to be fine babe. And besides, you’ll have me, and Henry right by your side the whole time”. You nod and grab a spoon, stirring through your snack, “I know. It’s just you know, it’s giving birth, it’s actually having it. It’s a big scary thing and so many things can go wrong”. “I know, but you can’t think like that. There’s no point in stressing yourself out for no reason. Speaking of, how is Henry about it all?”. 

You open your mouth to answer her when Kal pushes into your legs again, letting out a whine when you look down at him. “Is that Kal?” Ali asks, her voice in your ear as Kal paws at your legs. “Yeah” you answer, looking down at him with a frown, “He’s acting really strange. He keeps whining too. What is it bear?” you ask gently, watching as he begins to pace back and forth in front of you, letting out a low growl. “I can hear him. What’s he doing?” Ali asks as you watch him, your brows furrowed as you watch the furry bear. “He’s pacing now” you reply as you put down your spoon, bending down to kneel at his level to comfort him. 

You feel it as soon as your knee hits the floor, the small pop feeling and the sudden rush of fluid between your thighs. You gasp audibly, frozen in place as Kal whines and bounces from paw to paw, Ali’s voice in your ear asking if you’re okay. You let out a shaky breath, unable to answer, patting your legs and feeling the damp cotton beneath your fingertips. Oh God. It’s happening. “Y/N?” Ali asks again, her voice getting louder when you don’t answer her, “Y/N is everything okay? What happened?”. “Ali” you breathe, your voice shaky as you look from your legs to Kal and back again, your free hand coming around to clutch your belly protectively, “Ali my water just broke, the baby’s coming”.

---

Henry slams the taxi door shut and sprints up the steps towards the hospital, dashing through the doors and coming to a sharp halt at the reception desk. “My wife, she’s in labour. I need to get to her room now. Y/N Cavill” he states quickly, unable to think about anything but you as the nurse at the desk looks back at him, wide eyed and startled. He lets out a loud sigh as he watches the recognition cross her face, not in the mood for a starstruck fan as he taps his foot impatiently. Oh please not now. “Please, I just need the room number” he tries again, running his fingers through his hair exasperated as another nurse steps in to help, “My wife is having our baby. I need to be there”. “Y/N Cavill did you say?” the second nurse asks and Henry nods, practically bouncing on his feet as he watches her type into the computer. “Floor 5, room 36”.

He thanks her as he dashes away from the desk, barely registering the first nurse saying “Do you know who that was?” behind him as he finds the elevator and punches the up button rapidly. Miraculously it opens immediately and jumps in and hits the button for the 5th floor, hurriedly tapping the close doors button as he breathes loudly. Y/N. “I’m almost there baby” he whispers as the doors finally close, running his fingers through his hair again as he looks back at his reflection in the elevator doors.

He’s still in his tux, bow tie and all, his previously styled hair now slightly disheveled from having run his fingers through it so many times. He can’t believe he missed the call - the call that he’d promised to answer if it had happened, angry at himself for letting Mel, his assistant take his phone while he’d posed for photos. “Just a few pictures Henry. It will only take a minute or two” she’d said, taking his phone and instructing him to stand in front of the sea of cameras. That minute, as it turned out, had turned into several, photos quickly becoming questions and questions quickly becoming interviews. He’d turned to Mel after his second interview with a reporter whose publication he couldn’t even remember, her face pale and her eyes wide as she’d put her hand on his arm in guilt. “Henry, it’s Y/N. She’s in labour. She’s having the baby”. Four words, four little words that had sent him spiralling into a panic, disappearing from the awards night like smoke as he’d hailed down a cab and high tailed it to the hospital. 

The elevator dings as the doors opens in front of him, Henry reading the sign in front and dashing down the hallway to room 36. He can hear you yelling before he even reaches the door, his heart panging with guilt for not being there with you when it happened. Oh Y/N, my beautiful girl. He pushes through the door and instantly his eyes fall to you, your eyes wide and panicked as you lay on your back on the hospital bed, Ali beside you and holding your hand as you brace yourself for a coming contraction.

“Henry!” you breathe, your voice sounding almost defeated at the sight of him, his heart hammering at the sound,”Oh you’re here”. “I’m so sorry sweetheart” Henry gasps as he rushes towards you, bending to kiss your forehead and holding your free hand in his, “I’m so so sorry. I knew I shouldn’t have left you at home alone”. You open your mouth to respond but quickly close it as a contraction hits you, Henry feeling his heart break in his chest as he watches your face contort in pain. “It’s---it’s okay, Henry” you manage to say between breaths, letting out a heavy exhale of relief when the contraction settles several seconds later, “How were you supposed to know today would be the day? Luckily, I was on the phone to Ali when it happened and she came a few minutes later to bring me here”.

Henry looks up at Ali for the first time properly since he’d arrived, letting go of your hand to walk around the bed and pull her into an embrace. “Oh Ali, thank you so much. I can’t thank you enough for being there for Y/N”. Ali smiles as he pulls away, patting his arm reassuringly. “It’s no trouble at all Henry, I’m just glad you’re here now”. He turns back to you and feels his face soften at the sight of you, you, his angel, his perfect girl, your face red and flushed as you breathe heavily on the bed. He can’t believe this is it, that it’s finally happening, the thing he’d been waiting for, dreaming about for the longest time. A child, his baby, your baby. A family. A family just like he’d always wanted. 

“You didn’t send me a photo” you say to Henry as he drags a chair over to the side of the bed, smiling gently at you as he sits and takes your hand in his. “I know, I’m sorry” he replies softly, reaching over to tuck one side of your hair behind your ear before leaning back to kiss your hand. He smiles when you pout adorably. “The only reason I’m forgiving you is because you’re here now and I get to see the real thing in person” you reply with a soft smile that makes Henry melt inside, thinking once again just how beautiful you are as he looks at you, “And yes I really do love when you wear a tu---”. Your voice trails off when a fresh contraction hits you like a tidal wave, your face screwed up in pain as you grip Henry’s hand to manage your way through it. A loud whimper escapes your lips and Henry feels his stomach knot, feeling utterly helpless as he watches you brace your way through the pain. He can’t stand seeing you like this - he can’t even stand seeing you cry, and all of a sudden he can’t help but wonder how he’s going to be able to watch you do this without his heart breaking in two. “Breathe Y/N, you’ve got this” Ali encourages, holding your other hand as you squeeze your eyes shut and let out a cry of pain.

“Is this normal? Should we call the doctor?” Henry asks helplessly, looking at you and then over at Ali and back again, “Should we ask for pain relief or something?”. Henry sees you shake your head no as the contraction begins to subside seconds later, your breathing heavy as your grip on his hand loosens. “No” you breathe, the beginnings of sweat starting to form across your brow, “I want to do this naturally”. Henry frowns and looks back at Ali who looks almost as helpless as he does, shrugging her shoulders. “Sweetheart be reasonable”. You shake your head no again, eyes finally fluttering open, looking back at Henry with determined eyes. “No, I can do this. I want to do this” you say quietly, all three of you suddenly turning at the sound of people entering the room.

“Oh good, dad’s here” the tall blonde woman remarks as she walks into the room, pulling on a set of blue rubber gloves, “Mr Cavill I’m Dr Roberts. Pleasure to meet you” she says, smiling warmly at Henry as a nurse moves in to check your vitals. “Please call me Henry” he asks, letting go of your hand and shifting back to give the nurse room. The doctor smiles and turns to look down at you, offering you a reassuring smile. “Now, Y/N. How are we doing? Let’s have a little look shall we? See how things are progressing”.

Henry shrugs off his jacket as he watches the nurse drape a blanket over you, the doctor perching on a stool between your open legs to perform her check. He steps forward when he sees you reaching for his hand again, looking down at you with a reassuring smile as you wrap your fingers in his. “Okay, we’re not quite fully dilated yet but you’re not far off Y/N. You’re doing a great job honey. How’s your pain?”. You don’t have time to respond before another contraction is hitting you, Henry clutching your hand in both of his as he watches in dismay as you bear through the pain. He swallows thickly, fighting the urge to hold back an audible wince. Oh Y/N, my darling girl. “Breathe Y/N, in and out, that’s the way” the doctor encourages, Henry not taking his eyes off of you as you grit your teeth and let out an agonising groan. He wishes he could do something, anything, to help you through it, do something, anything to lessen the pain.

“Still a while apart” Dr Roberts notes to the nurse before turning to face you. “Are you wanting an epidural Y/N? Because if so, you need to say so right now” the doctor asks you when you finally open your eyes again, Henry chewing on the inside of his cheek when you shake your head no. “Are you sure?” the doctor asks again, giving you another chance to say yes, “There’s no shame in getting one honey, it’s still going to be you pushing, it just won’t hurt quite as much”. Henry can’t help but smile down at you when you still shake your head no, you, his stubborn, brave little angel, a warrior if he’d ever seen one. The doctor smiles warmly, nodding to the nurse beside her. “Okay, we’ll be back soon to check in on you again Y/N. You’re doing great love, just keep going”. She smiles at you and turns to Ali and Henry to offer the same, exiting the room and leaving the three of you alone again.

“You’re doing great sweetheart” Henry says, bending to kiss your knuckles and smiling gently, “I’m so proud of you”. You smile weakly at him and let out a sigh, reaching down to touch your belly. “Come on little one” you say in a gentle voice that makes Henry smile, “It’s time for you to come out now”.  Henry rubs his thumb over your knuckles and reaches out to put his hand over yours on your belly, unable to help his smile as he looks up at your tired face. He knows that you’re not even halfway there - that the hardest part is still to come, his heart breaking just that little bit more when he thinks about how tough it’s going to be for you. He opens his mouth to speak but is interrupted by another crashing contraction, this time a cry falling from your lips as you squeeze your eyes shut and grip harder on his hand. 

Several forehead kisses, words of encouragement from both he and Ali, and crippling contractions later, Dr Roberts returns for another check and announces that it’s time. It’s then that Henry feels like the entire world has slowed down around him, eyes only for you, his wife, his love, watching as you get ready for the biggest battle of your life. Your eyes meet his, wide and panicked and he knows you’re terrified, yet he can’t ignore the shine of determination he sees when you tighten your fingers around his and hold on for dear life.

He watches as you squeeze your eyes shut and bear down as you’re told, a yell of pain falling from your lips as your body performs it’s first push. It’s then that the first tears fall from your eyes, a stab of pain hitting Henry’s chest as he watches you push with every ounce of energy you have. He feels his own eyes well up as he watches you in front of him, unaware of anything else around him except you. He has both of his hands clasped around yours at this point, whispering words of encouragement and telling you how much he loves you as you push and push and push. A tear falls down his face when you let out another excruciating scream, your face flushed, sweaty and contorted in pain as you drop your head back into the pillow. You’re sobbing now, chest heavy with huge, body shaking sobs, your hand in Henry’s tighter than ever.

He can hear Ali’s voice telling you to keep going, the nurse and Dr Roberts telling you to push, though it’s all a muffled blur in his mind. All he can hear is your cries, the noise making his bones shake and his blood curl, his hands holding yours as he watches you turn to him. For a moment he feels panic, the defeated, exhausted look on your face telling him that you’re done, your eyes meeting his in a gaze that shares all emotions. He knows you’re exhausted, he knows you’re hurting, but you can do this. You, the love of his life, his warrior, his angel, the strongest woman he’s ever known. You can do this.

Henry stands and bends to press his lips to your sweaty forehead, his hand still in yours as he whispers that he loves you with his whole heart and that you’re his entire world. He knows that you’ve got this, that you can do this, that you’ve come this far and you’re almost there. He looks down to see your wide eyes looking back at him, huge and terrified yet strong and determined, the tears slipping down your face as you look back at each other with nothing but love and adoration. 

He watches as you suck in a breath and lift your head once again, squeezing your eyes shut and gritting your teeth as you get ready to push again. He’s in awe as he watches you, his wife, his goddess, bearing down with every push and using every single ounce of strength and energy you have to push through it all. Cry after cry leaves your lips and the tears continue to slip down your cheeks, your hands never leaving his or Ali’s as you give it everything you have. After what seems like hours Henry hears the doctor’s voice behind him, his eyes never leaving yours when he hears her say that you’re close, that you’re almost there, that you’ve almost done it. He grips your hand and bends so that he’s near your face once again, his heart hammering in his chest as he watches you sob and cry and squeeze your eyes shut for the final time. He holds your hand in his and bends to kiss your forehead, telling you once again just how much he loves you and just how proud he is of you, his wife, his superwoman. The love of his life, his everything, his whole, entire world.

All of a sudden the world is silent. Silent, except for the high pitched cry of a baby being brought into the world for the very first time. Silent, except for the sound of your newborn baby. It’s then that Henry feels the tears slip down his own cheeks, looking down at you beneath him, exhausted, spent and crying as he pushes your wet hair away from your face and kisses you. You’ve never looked more beautiful than you do right now, even with your hair a mess of sweat and tangles, even with your face red and tear stained, and that exact moment Henry knows that it’s a memory he’ll never forget. 

“You did it sweetheart" Henry whispers, pressing his lips to your forehead and brushing away your sweaty hair, “You did it”. He smiles gently when you let out an exhausted sob and muster a small, weak smile, the foreign sound of the newborn’s cries suddenly making you both look up. “Henry, Y/N” Dr Roberts exclaims warmly as she passes a swaddled bundle of baby to a smiling Ali, “Congratulations, you have a new baby girl”. 

And just like that, for the second time in less than a few hours, Henry’s entire world stops. Everything around him is a slow moving blur, his vision tunneled as it focuses only on the bundle in Ali’s arms. “Congratulations guys, she’s absolutely gorgeous” Ali whispers as she passes the baby to him, Henry watching wide eyed and wordless as he holds his child for the very first time. She’s completely perfect, rosy cheeked and adorable, tiny hands making fists as her face screws up at the new world around her. He’s never seen anything quite like her, the sight unlike anything he’s ever set his eyes on, his heart thumping in his chest in a way that he’s never felt before. Henry chokes back a sob as he holds her, her body tiny and fragile in his muscled arms, his eyes welling up with happy tears as he looks down at his precious baby girl. 

He bends and passes her to you, your face instantly collapsing into tears when you see her, your entire face crumpling with happy sobs as you take your daughter in your arms. Henry sits by the bed and looks down at his two girls, unable to speak as he takes in the sight in front of him. His heart thumps in his chest and he feels an overwhelming sense of warmth flood through him, feeling nothing but pure and utter love as he looks down at her in your arms. His baby, his child, his baby girl. He can’t believe he has a daughter, a tiny little princess, an angel just like her mother. 

His two perfect angels, his two beautiful girls, the two things in his life that have suddenly become his everything. He can’t help the tears that slip down his face as he watches you hold her against your chest, reaching out to caress her tiny cheek before wrapping your fingers in his. “Henry she’s perfect” you whisper in the softest of voices, eyes filled with love as you look down at your new baby girl. Henry smiles, “You both are, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you darling”. You flash Henry a loving smile and he squeezes your hand in his, the two of you looking up when you hear the snap of Ali’s phone camera. She smiles down at the three of you, her eyes threatening tears, the smile on her face growing even bigger when you motion for her to come towards you.

“Thank you Ali, for everything” you say softly, kissing Ali’s cheek when she bends to hug you and the baby, “You’re the most perfect best friend that a girl could ask for”. Henry watches as you smile lovingly up at Ali - the kind of smile that Henry knows only best friends can communicate through. “Have you decided on a name for her?” Ali asks as she bends to touch the baby’s hand, Henry smiling when she lets out a tiny squeak and wraps her tiny fingers around Ali’s pinky. 

The question makes you look at Henry and in an instant he knows exactly what you’re thinking, a decision you’d made together but had chosen not to share with anyone else. You nod at Henry, almost as if you’re giving him permission to say it, Henry feeling his heart swell once again as he looks down at his precious princess cuddled against her mother’s chest. He smiles and squeezes your fingers in his, letting out a breath as he lifts his head to look back up at Ali. “We have actually. Ali, meet Harper Rose”.

---

“Are you ready for this?” Henry asks as you hold a sleeping Harper to your chest, the both of you smiling down at her when she lets out a little cooing sound. “Of course I am. Kal has to meet his baby sister. Besides, I haven’t seen him days and I need to see my boy”. Henry chuckles and puts his key in the front door, the sound of paws against floor boards heard seconds later as Kal comes thundering down the hallway. “Easy Kal” Henry commands as he pushes open the door, an excited Kal bursting through and wagging his tail excitedly at the sight of his two humans.

You step through the door and pass Harper to Henry, dropping to your knees as the rambunctious bear jumps at you happily. “Hey bear!” you exclaim loudly as Kal tries to climb into your lap, his tail wagging a million miles an hour and making Henry laugh. “I missed you big boy!”. Eventually he calms and the four of you make it through to the living room, Kal soon noticing the bundle in Henry’s arms and trying his hardest to inspect her.

“Gentle bear” Henry says sternly as he passes Harper to you, moving to stand behind Kal and holding onto his collar firmly. “You ready?” you ask and Henry nods in response, watching closely as you slowly bend and kneel on the floor with Harper in your arms. Kal strains forward to smell her and Henry tightens his grip on Kal’s collar, allowing him just enough slack to sniff Harper’s feet. “Kal bubba, this is your new baby sister, Harper” you say gently, the sound of his daughter’s name in your voice making Henry smile. It was still so new to him, so foreign, the reality of having a child still not quite sunken into his mind.

Henry relaxes his grip on Kal when he only lays down at your knees, sniffing Harper gingerly as if he knew that she was only a baby. “Good boy bear” Henry praises, reaching forward and patting Kal’s head softly, “Good boy Kal”. “He’s doing so well” you whisper, lowering Harper even more so that Kal can sniff her further, “Look how gentle he’s being”. Henry doesn’t say anything, only smiles as he watches the interaction between the three of you, once again feeling the overwhelming sense of warmth and love that he’d felt the first time he’d seen Harper. You, Y/N, his superwoman, the love of his life. Harper, his tiny little princess, his adorable bundle of joy. And Kal, his mighty hound, the furry bear that had always been by his side. The three of you, together, a new little family.

Henry lets out a silent breath as he watches you pat Kal’s head affectionately, a proud smile on your face as you watch the bear meet his new baby sister. You laugh and look up to meet Henry’s eye, flashing him a gorgeous smile that instantly makes his heart swell and his insides stir. In that exact moment Henry knows that he could never love anything as much as he loves the three of you, realising that for the very first time in his life he finally has what he’s always dreamed of having. You, Harper and Kal, his everything, his whole world, his family.

---

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