#tonight on 'rook thinks too much about silly things'

[schoenpepper]

Intro: You choose to wear...all of them?!

Warnings: bad writing, awful grammar, proofread by quillbot, a swear word or three, if you squint it's suggestive, google translated French

A/N: Wow reader, you're quite, er, assertive? It'll be a mess, but it'll be your mess, so I hope you like what you're getting into.

Masterlist

Huh? Are you sure? They'll clash, you know? The jewelry.

Stubborn little human.

You want to make sure that none of your friends are upset. So, instead of making a choice, you decide to make the choice and just wear all of them at the same time! So smart.

You don't feel too smart when everyone's eyes are on you at the ball. Their gazes hurt almost as much as their judging whispers, and you hear a few awful words about you scatter through the venue. You wish they'd understand that you just did it because you care about all your friends, and so you're willing to be the sacrificial lamb and be all their dates. At the same time.

No, I am actually about to throw up, but to be honest, I cannot imagine any other line of thinking in which this scenario would be reasonable.

Malleus is the first to come to you, curiosity in his eyes as he comments on your choice of accessories. "Child of Man, I was under the impression that wearing a gift to this occasion meant you were open to courting the sender." And his words send a shock through you so hard that your expression is downright horrified, your palms are sweaty and shaking, and you seem to feel the jewelry downright burning your skin. Did you just choose the harem ending?

"Oh, ma merveilleuse beauté! You look so wonderful tonight. I would be delighted to have you, even if it does mean sharing."

Oh. You did.

Congratulations?

Rook's words float in your mind, and you shake your head, red in the face. "No, senpai, I thought these were like friendship invitations! No one said anything about them being courting gifts!" Unfortunately for you, before you can act to fix this silly little mistake of yours, the rest of your seniors crowd around you like sharks smelling blood spilled in the water. There's a hand on your shoulder, and you feel a slight relief when you see that it's Trey. He's mature, he's reasonable, and he'll understand your original intentions—his hand slides down to the small of your back as he leans in closer to you. "Is that it, Y/N? I can't say I mind sharing either."

Holy mother of all things holy shit-

"I don't share." Leona growls lowly, meeting Malleus' gaze aggressively.

"Neither do I." Vil has a small frown on his gorgeous face, his arms crossed in displeasure. "But if you want the potato, as I do, you can learn to play nice."

"What is all this commotion about?" Maybe Riddle is your savior! You turn to him with newly rekindled hope that he can take you away from this grave you'd dug for yourself. "If Y/N has chosen all of us, then it is only correct that we begin by drawing up a schedule in which we can split their time equally amongst ourselves."

And your hope is dead once again.

14 boyfriends, huh? Good luck!

Try Again?

[yuri-is-online]

congrats on 500 followers, you deserve it!! ^_^ i adore your writing! for the masquerade event, may i request prompt 11 with trey, jamil and rook? thank you so much!

11. There is a really lovely moon outside tonight that you find yourself admiring, but if you would just turn around you would find someone admiring you.

Annon my lovely annon how does it feel to have such a wonderful beautiful brain, this is perhaps the most perfect line up of characters for this prompt. I'm happy you like my writing and really hope you like this.

notes: they/them used for Yuu, I can't speak French so none of that for Rook, sorry I do not trust google translate. So many references to music in this one... the other event quests can be found on my masterlist.

Trey

If Trey had to pick something about himself he liked he would probably pick his height. It made certain things easier, like walking through crowds and looking at things in the far off distance. It makes these little emotions he has when he sees you easier to deal with, he can always excuse himself and observe from afar. Trey prides himself on being realistic about these sorts of things, prides himself on his restraint and ability to keep things calm.

But it's hard to deny the truth. Painful even. He can feel the ache even before he sees you, his hand even twitches with the desire to reach out and break your reverie. But he can't, you aren't exactly alone, you walked out on to the balcony with Ace and Deuce close at your heels. They're joking with you, distracting you from the moon and stars he thinks you wanted to observe, but you can't seem to bring yourself to be annoyed with them. That's fine, Trey can be annoyed enough for you both. He would never call himself "massive" but he is certainly blessed with a broad set of shoulders.

And an exceptionally creepy (Rook had insisted it was fancy, très magnifique) bird mask that sends the dynamic duo fleeing back to the ballroom "abandoning" you to your fate. He would be tempted to laugh but he does not want to talk to you just yet. You shake your head in amused affection, relaxing onto the railing and letting some of the night's tension roll off your shoulders. He does the same, trying to give you space but not avoiding you when you move closer.

"The moon is beautiful tonight." Trey says after he's let you have your moment, surprised when you turn to him with a flustered look on your face. "That's what you came here to look at, right?" You cough, not helping his certainty but the shy smile that flickers onto your face suggests he has not made a misstep, not exactly anyway.

"It's a nice night." You say. "Stay with me, won't you?" There's emotion to the request he's tempted to read into. Tempted to classify as the same longing he feels and barely swallows when he looks into your eyes.

"I'll stay as long as you like." He says softly, and tries not to smile too much when you lean your head onto his shoulder.

Jamil

He is in love. You look like a ridiculous child and he is in love, Jamil is smiling at every move you make like he is actually happy for once. It's all he can do to pull himself away from his hiding place out to the courtyard you have decided to to stargaze in, as much as he wants to continue admiring you he would rather no one else see him in this horrifying mood.

"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie~" You are dancing, he thinks, but it looks more like you are jumping trying to catch the moon in your hands, the rest of your silly song devolving into fits of giggles as you twirl, obsessing over the way the fabric of your costume follows you as you twirl. "Jamil!" You notice him the second he joins you, your hands immediately reach out for his. He lets you take him, lets you guide him in a jerky series of movements he knows aren't real dance moves. You're happy, and seeing him has made you happier.

"Just what are you doing?" He's almost laughing himself now, letting you guide him through your made up dance. "Wouldn't you rather be back in the ballroom?" You hum and shake your head.

"It's too busy in there, I wanted to look at the moon." Your dance slows to a gentle sway, Jamil takes advantage of the lull to take control of the flow, guiding you into a more structured dance. The silver light seems to kiss you, as if the moon is happy you came to look at her. Too bad, Jamil doesn't intend to let your attention wander back her way.

"You know, the view of the moon from Scarabia is especially beautiful, perhaps you would like a change of scenery when you're ready to leave." Jamil helps you twirl your costume, doing his best to guide you back towards the ballroom. He might have been spending his time hiding among the furniture of the ballroom, but he had a plan for tonight. One that involved you wrapped around his finger and waltzing well into the hours of the morning, and while he is not exactly picky about where-

He would very much like everyone to see just where you are ending your night.

Rook

The music in the ballroom drowns the tiny hymn that comes from the balcony. Even if anyone else had been looking for it, they would have found it impossible to hear, but Rook is no casual observer. To the casual observer, Rook is merely standing near the windows and their curtains, the Prefect's strange tune barely recognizable even there.

But then recognizable is not the right word. Rook highly doubts anyone in this world other than him had heard this song.

Initially you had walked onto this balcony because Grim had mentioned seeing a piano there earlier and that had struck you as odd. Why stick a piano out on a balcony if there was going to be a ball with live music inside the actual ballroom why stick an instrument out in the cold? You had thought it would look lonely, but the moon has decided to make it look romantic. Seeing no one around you settle yourself at the keys. And begin to try and play along with the tune in your head.

Rook holds himself back from going to you, telling himself to wait until you look his way, but you don't. You are content to sit and pluck at the piano, seeking the keys that match the memory of another world, another moon. He waits and waits, but still you only idly glance up at the night sky, and never his direction.

"What sweet torture," he murmurs into his mask "to be so ignored by such a perfect sight." As the music finds a stride you still hum, to his great relief. The pitch and quality of the melody matters little when observing someone's most private reflections. What matters is the far away look in their eye, the pride with which they rest their finished fingers on the keys and think aloud some words unlikely to be theirs but fitting all the same.

"Their song interweaves melancholy with moonlight, quiet moonlight so sad and lovely that it makes birds dream in their trees, while fountains sob in ecstasy..."* Your eyes finally turn his way and you startle. He pries his mask free from his face to reassure you of your safety; to you, it is like he has appeared from thin air, but you know him well enough that your surprised smile is more a courtesy than genuine surprise.

"Just how long have you been here Rook?" Your fingers twitch with embarrassment at the keys.

"I was lured here the moment you began to sing my lovely trickster." He bows, mask placed over his heart in genuine devotion. "Truly the power the your soul's voice has to command my steps is frightening." You sigh, embarrassment twinged with joy as you move yourself to make room for him by your side.

"Well then why don't you sit next to me and listen to just how badly I can butcher this piece." He very much doubts you could do such a thing, but who is he to deny your every request?

"My Trickster, I would love nothing more save you."

*Clair de Lune, Paul Verlaine 1869, translated by John Argo 2017. As a note to the interested reader, the linked song is named after the poem. I'm rather fond of it as I once owned a music box that played it.

[roukabi]

I've been thinking about the Moulin Rouge musical and I can't help but think about how much cooler the Chandelier sequence would be if they had used Vide Noir by Lord Huron for Christian's solo.

I mean, first of all, the lyrics check out:

Many nights have I heard her voice

whisper my name without making a noise,

calling out from a pure, black void.

Tears of sorrow or tears of joy,

drops in my cup as my mind is destroyed,

staring into a pure, black void

In the context of the Chandelier scene, the first verse definitely sounds like the Green Fairy/Satine. And the line "drops in my cup as my mind is destroyed"?? Sums up the whole absinthe spiel.

Second, the vibe is there:

[Image Description: a screenshot of what seems to be a 1960's or 70's infomercial. A small, crystal, potion-like vessel sits on a diamond, and the only colors are shades of neon green and black. A blurry crystal background, also green, is present. A phone number at the bottom of the image says '1-877-VIDE NOIR'. In the upper right corner, white text shows the vessel's price: $9.99. On the opposite corner, more white text reads 'VIDE NOIR by Lord Huron'. At the bottom left corner, a small blue telephone symbol sits over blue letters: LHSC. End description.]

Neon green? Hallucination-inducing drugs? Oh yeah. Fits right in.

And thirdly, the song is a bop. A real good'un. An Experience. The album released on 4/20. It's a real trip.

The references to Chandelier in the 'Roxanne' sequence (Christian sings "help me, i'm holding on for dear life!") Could just. Not exist. They didn’t in the og Roxanne and don’t have to exist in the musical. Plus, Vide Noir doesn't exactly have the same beat as Roxanne and imo they'd sound a little weird together. But Vide Noir references in other times in the show?? Absolutely. They could play that little string melody (idk how to describe it but you'd know it if you listened to the song) as Christian gradually recovers throughout the rest of the show.

I'm convinced the only reason Vide Noir wasn't in the musical is bc it's not pop and it's not mainstream and that infuriates me

In short: Vide Noir deserved to be in MR! and I will die on this hill

[lizzy-williams]

𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞

🎄Warnings: Smut, threesome, alcohol, drug use, language, mature themes, a tiny bit of dubcon but not much, mega age gap.

🎄Masterlist

🎄Summary: After one of Colson Baker’s infamous adult Christmas parties, you decide to stay a little longer than everyone else and end up getting snowed in. One drink after another, things get interesting with one of LA’s hottest couples. 

🎄Theme: Jawbreaker, Machine Gun Kelly

🎄A/N: Sorry I had to sin during the season of your birthday, Jesus. (No I’m not.)

“And that’s how we met.”

Megan had finished her story, the people that remained at the party all gathered around, sharing spiked eggnog in cozy sweaters and blankets, swapping stories. 

Colson held her close, and secretly, [ y / n ]’s heart would clench every time she would see them together. Because the fact of the matter was, was that she had fallen. For both of them.

But she knew that nothing would ever come of it. Because all you were to them was Rook’s 18 year old, alcohol-drinking, weed smoking cousin. A face that they would see everywhere, but never cared to meet or start a conversation with. Her infatuation with the two of them only grew, and she had always felt guilty for it. 

Rightfully so, because she was crushing on two people that were taken by each other. If that wasn’t guilt inducing, nothing else was. 

But nonetheless, she sat and listened, hanging on to every word they spoke, and she swore she could feel her heart skip a beat whenever one of them, or both of them, would look at her as they spoke. 

After a few more stories, the guest numbers started to dwindle. Soon there were only 8 people left, the rest of the party-goers not wanting to stick around and help clean up. 

Slim, Kells, Megan, Rook, Dub, Mod, Travis, and [ y / n ] were the only ones who were left, and it seemed as if Travis and [ y / n ] were the only ones sober enough to even start cleaning up. 

Everyone was in the living room, listening to music and doing their own thing, Kells, Rook, Slim, and Mod starting a game of pool while Megan hung on Kells like an ornament does a Christmas tree, cheering him on and helping him out, Mr. Baker drunk as all hell. 

When [ y / n ] and Travis were done cleaning up, Mod had already left, Rook and Slim already stumbling to their rooms, most likely passed the fuck out by now. [ y / n ] had to say, her cousin knew how to hold his liquor. How could he not with Colson as a friend?

Travis soon spoke up, “I think I’m gonna head out, there’s supposed to be a pretty bad snow storm. Dunno if you wanna get caught in that, [ y / n ].”

She gave a chaste nod in response, giving him a hug and wishing him farewell, before slipping into the kitchen. From the counter she stood at, she could hear the couple saying their goodbye to Travis, soon hearing the front door open and close, a chilly breeze sweeping through the house. 

[ y / n ] had already poured herself a drink, and usually she was a cocktail kinda girl. But after having to spend the whole night watching Colson and Megan literally being on top of each other, she needed something stronger. 

“Scotch on the rocks, huh?” 

[ y / n ]’s eyes flickered up, only to be met with Megan’s eyes as she leaned on the counter, looking at [ y / n ]’s drink as the young girl put the bottle of alcohol back into a cupboard. 

She flashed a friendly smile as she made her way back, “Yeah, just thought it would be nice to change it up a little bit.”

“I have to say that your cocktails are pretty good though,” Megan slumped in her position, looking at her with puppy-dog eyes, (obviously drunk), and [ y / n ] already knew what it meant. 

A Sex on the Beach was her favorite, and she knew by the compliment, she wanted the young woman to make one for her, and [ y / n ] let out a sigh, and Megan gave a pouty face in response. But [ y / n ] could never say no to her. 

Soon enough, she found herself with the needed ingredients in front of her, an orange-hued cocktail glass to add a little... pazazz if you will. 

Megan looked on in intoxicated wonder, watching as the other woman poured the cocktail, without even measuring anything. And after [ y / n ] garnished it with a cherry. 

Megan let out a sigh as she felt Colson slip up behind her, his arms around her waist, causing [ y / n ] to look up, looking right back down at the counter when she noticed the display of affection that just made her nauseous. It’s not that she found it gross. But more-so wishing that she was in both positions. 

“Ah, thanks for the drink,” Colson smirked, taking advantage of the whisky that sat there on the counter. 

[ y / n ] wanted to make a sound of protest, but when she caught sight of his fingers wrapped around the glass, the noise stopped half-way up her throat. 

God, his fingers are so sexy, fuck, I wonder with they could reach my cervix when he does it up to the knuckles- Wait, stop, [ y / n ], you’re being weird, stop. 

.”You know, you somehow even make a whiskey on the rocks somehow taste better. Dunno how you do it, you can’t even drink yet,” Colson praised, [ y / n ] wincing at the fact that he mentioned her age. 

It was true, she was the baby of the group. At only age 18, the boys were very protective of her, and it always made her self conscious, alway being treated like a baby. She liked to think of herself as a girl who’s mind was beyond her years, hating that she was born at the wrong time. 

She mumbled out a quick ‘thanks’ before sliding Ms. Fox her drink, a smile spreading across her face as she got giddy, squealing as she took a sip, a face of almost pleasure crossing her expression. 

“Holy shit, [ y / n ]. You’re the fucking best, fuck,” she admired, taking a long sip this time, Colson making childish grabby hands at the drink, the woman making a big show of presenting it to him, which of course included him rubbing her ass right against hit groin, making him let out a low groan, his head dropping in her neck. 

“You know, [ y / n ], we would love it if you stayed the night. Besides, there’s a really bad storm, we wouldn’t want you out on the road,” looking at Colson, nudging him as queue to agree. 

All she got was a nod. 

“Thanks, I think I’ll just crash on the couch or something,” [ y / n ]’s voice was barely audible, the pda in front of her making her slightly uncomfortable. 

“Nahhhh, you d-don’t need to, [ y / n / n ],” Colson was now slurring, “You can just sleep in our bed,”

[ y / n ] let out a small laugh, amused by his drunk offer. But after a few serious looks being thrown in her direction, she realized they were serious.

“Oh, y-you mean it, I couldn’t possibly-”

“Come oooon,” Megan wiggled out of Cols’ grasp, walking to the other side of the counter, grabbing [ y / n ]’s hands and guiding her away, dragging her up the stairs, Colson slowly finding his way behind them. 

When they finally made it to the master bedroom, Megan looked at [ y / n ] with a smirk, “Come on, you can’t sleep in that, you can borrow some of my things, just for tonight.”

“Are you sure, that’s not necessary, I-”

Megan shushed her, “Shh, it’s fine, it’s the least I can to. Besides, it’s Christmas Eve, ‘tis the season of giving,”

She suddenly pulled her in the bathroom, the closet connected in the back, but not before Colson suggested he slipped in the bathroom with them. [ y / n ] both scoffed and rolled their eyes, closing the door behind them. 

“Strip,” Megan said. 

[ y / n ] blinked, “h-huh?” 

“For the clothes, silly, you aren’t gonna put it over your clothes,”

Megan patted to the closet, rustling around, soon coming out with a shirt and some shorts.

“Here, go ahead ‘n get dressed,”

“What, like right here?” [ y / n ] asked, anxiety obviously shooting up. 

Megan let her hands rub over [ y / n ]’s shoulders, “Don’t sweat it, we’re both girls, we all have the same parts,”

[ y / n ] nodded shyly, taking off her dress-up shirt, then slipping off her pants, left in nothing but a bra and panties on. Megan then spoke up from behind her, making eye contact with [ y / n ] in the mirror, “You have a really beautiful body,”

[ y / n ] dismissed it as a drunk comment, and was about to slip the donated shirt on, but Megan stopped her before a second arm slipped into it. 

“Aren’t you going to take off your bra? Heard it can cause bad stuff for your chest. Besides, that bra is too pretty to ruin.”

She nodded slowly, now avoiding Megan’s prying eyes, getting behind her and unclasping her bra for her. Megan watched it was it dropped, starring at her breasts. 

The young woman cleared her throat, trying to get her tempting thoughts out of her head, slipping the rest of the clothes on, and was about to walk out of the door, before Megan once again stopped her.

“Hey,” she started, “You’re beautiful,” Megan then leaned over, leaving a soft kiss on [ y / n ]’s forehead, and if she wasn't red before, she was definitely red now. 

It was all so random. Coming out of nowhere.

Opening the door, [ y / n ] tried her hardest to forget what just happened, but it was all she could think about.

Colson already seemed like he was on the brink of sleep, the light from the TV being the only thing illuminating the room. But when his attention focused on the two women walking towards him, getting ready to slip into bed with him, he was wide awake. 

[ y / n ] paused for a second, stopping in her tracks, she wasn’t really sure what she was supposed to do next, let alone what she was about to do. What the fuck even was this? A drunken idea that will be discarded in the morning, the two of them dismissing it because they were too drunk to remember?

Or did this mean something? Was this a sign? What if they both-

“Come on, [ y / n ], I don’t bite, Colson smiled, patting the spot right next to him, Megan nodding in confirmation.

“Y-Yeah, sure, okay,” her words came out faster than anticipated, making her sound like she was babbling like a toddler. 

Before she could embarrass herself anymore than she already did, she did as she was told, [ y / n ] slipping into the covers as she made room for Megan on the king-sized bed. 

But when Colson pulled her in, her head now on his chest, she could feel her heart beating a million miles a minute. And at first, she thought that Megan would disapprove. This was her boyfriend we were talking about. 

But when she hopped into bed, she objected for a different reason than expected. 

“Hey, don’t hog her, I want some cuddles too,” she whined, latching onto [ y / n ] by wrapping her arms around her waist and nuzzling her face in the back of the girl’s neck.

But Megan could sense [ y / n ]’s heartbeat, and she almost smirked to herself because she was part of the reason. 

“Come on, [ y / n ], it’s just us,” she soothed, hoping it would help with nerves. 

Colson himself gave a small squeeze of reassurance, then reaching over to his bedside table and pulling out a joint, lighting it. 

“You want first hit?” he passed it to [ y / n ] and she nodded. If anything were to calm her down, it would be this. At least relieve some tension. 

Soon enough, the joint was burned up to the filter, the room smelling like weed as the three of them relaxed, watching the movie that was on the screen. Colson was now sobered up a little bit. But he wouldn’t dare change the situation that he was in. Not for a hundred bucks. Not even for a million. 

[ y / n ] was nuzzled deeply into his chest now, Megan playing with her hair as she gave a look to Colson. 

As soon as the movie ended, Colson looked over to [ y / n ] who was sleeping peacefully, she soft breaths enough to make the couple fall asleep. Megan let out a small ‘aw’ before gently kissing her forehead just like she did in the bathroom. 

“Goodnight [ y / n ],”

Colson imitated her action, doing the same as she whispered Megan’s exact message, before pretending to fall asleep. 

But both of them weren’t sleeping. They were just hoping that the other one wasn’t going to find out about what they were about to do. They couldn’t resist. [ y / n ] was right there, and the both of them had a connection to the girl, so how could they not?

Colson made the first move. He let his free hand reach over his body, letting his hand drift gently over her thighs, making her shift just the slightest in her sleep. Soon enough it reached her calfs, then right where he wanted it, her covered clit his next target, pressing lightly on it, knowing the pressure would get to her, maybe even enough to wake her up. 

But she was sleeping like a rock, and all he was getting was whimpers and mutters of profanity in her sleep. 

It wasn’t until he felt another hand down there that he stopped and froze in his tracks. He suddenly looked over and whisper yelled.

“Megan??” 

She had the same response, “Colson??”

They both had the same goal. But it was somewhat relieving. Because the other couldn’t blame the feelings they had for the 18 year old. And Megan thought that she was the only one who had the sinful thought of touching her and making her make sultry noises in her sleep, feeling the gratification that she, in fact, made them happen. 

But now things changed. Now she didn’t feel so indifferent about her displays of affection for the girl, and neither did Colson. Because there were always the intentional touches every now and again. Always having the excuse to reach over [ y / n ], his hand touching her lower waist, which also made her turn a shade of dark pink, goosebumps erupting in it’s wake.

Now things had changed. 

Megan switched on the lamp on her side, giving a knowing look to Colson, knowing what they wanted to do next. They just prayed that [ y / n ] would want to do it too. 

Megan leaned over, leaving kisses across [ y / n ]’s neck as she let her hands slip up her shirt, dragging her nails across her stomach. Once Colson saw that [ y / n ]’s eyes were fluttering open, he suddenly grabbed her, making her squeak, pulling her into his lap as the kissed her on her lips. 

It may have been the sleepy haze, or maybe the weed, but [ y / n ] found herself kissing back as he held her close, now shifting herself to straddle his waist, their tongues poking and playing with each other while Megan let out a huff of disapproval, for Colson, once again hogging the girl. 

Megan ended up leaning up to her neck once again, her hands drifting everywhere she pleased, [ y / n ] letting out soft noises. 

Suddenly, Colson flipped her on the bed, before stripping her almost completely, except for her shirt. 

“That’s my shirt, you know,” he smirked, knowing Megan might have done that on purpose. 

This time, Megan’s hand sliding farther up, touching her beasts, lifting up the shirt just above them, bringing her mouth to the nipples, sucking them. Colson slipped his clothes off, trying to match the girl in front of him, Megan soon following suit, deciding to take off Colson’s shirt, leaving [ y / n ] completely in the nude. 

Their hands were all over her, making her squirm, getting self conscious. She was in front of the two most beautiful people she knew, and somehow they wanted her, my some miracle. But yet, she was relived, because she didn’t need to hide such dangerous feelings. Here, she thought her thoughts would split the couple apart. But what was about to happen was going to strengthen their bond for all three of them. 

Colson waisted no time getting between [ y / n ] legs, making contact with her clit as she let out a whimper. So many times, she had pictured this. Every time she touched herself, she pictured him doing it and not her hand, and it was finally happening. 

[ y / n ] then decided to make a daring move, reaching her hand down to Megan’s clit, rubbing soft circles around the bud, making her feel perfect. Sure, Colson could make her cum. But [ y / n ] was a woman. She knew what a woman’s body wants. What a woman’s body needs, and soon enough, the two women were about to fall off the edge. 

And they did, and Colson didn’t know which one to focus his attention on. It was beautiful to watch both of the women who were closest to him reach a state of nirvana. Especially at the same time. 

He then kissed up [ y / n ]’s stomach as she was just then coming down to Earth, then hovering over her, kissing her passionately. She could taste herself on his tongue, and it was the hottest thing she thought she could experience that night. 

But Christ, was she wrong. 

“Let me have a taste, Cols,” Megan muttered, Colson eagerly complying, slipping his hand down to [ y / n ]’s clit to rub soft circles as he kissed his girlfriend, the afterglow of her orgasm somehow making her more beautiful. 

[ y / n ] turned her head, muffling her moans against the crook of Megan’s neck, her heavy breaths making the older woman squirm at the warm sensation. 

When the couple broke the kiss, Colson suddenly positioning himself at [ y / n ]’s entrance, kissing her neck, sucking dark marks all over her soft spots. But a wave of anxiety crashed over her as she pushed him back, stopping both him and Megan in their tracks, automatically concerned. 

“W-Wait, I’ve never... I haven’t-” she struggled to get her words out, Colson filling in the blanks. 

“You’re a virgin?” Megan suddenly cut in. 

“How are you even related to Rook- Ow-” Colson got a smack on the chest from Megan, giving him a look. 

“What better way to loose your virginity than to share it with more than one person?” Megan suggested. 

“I just... can you hold my hand?” she asked Megan like a child, and she automatically obliged, intertwining their fingers and placing a soft kiss on her nose. 

“Anything for you.”

“Are you okay to keep going?” Colson asked sensitively, and [ y / n ] gave a small nod before taking a deep but shaky breath. 

As she let a breath out, he began to insert the tip, making [ y / n ] gasp, a new discomfort in her cunt she had never felt before. And fuck he was big. But if there was one thing that was known about [ y / n ], it was that she wasn’t a quitter. She had made it this far. 

After a few seconds of whispered praises from the both of them, [ y / n ] bit down on her lip as she began to push in farther, the girl squeezing Megan’s hand like it was the last thing she would ever do. 

Soon enough, we was bottomed out inside her, giving her time to adjust, Colson kissing her collarbone as Megan kissed her jaw. After several minutes of cock-warming, [ y / n ] saw it fit to move, almost letting out a sigh of relief. 

Slowly, he started to move, trying his best to be as gentle as possible. Soon he began to go faster, and the ache in [ y / n ]’s core began to dissolve into pleasure as she felt every ridge and every vein as be slipped in and out of her. 

“Holy fuck, you’re so fucking tight, shit,” he cursed, beginning to go faster and faster, [ y / n ] feeling the coil inside her tighten. 

“m’gonna cum, can I please cum?” she asked desperately, Megan bringing their intertwined hands up to her lips, giving [ y / n ]’s hand a kiss.

“Of course you can, sweet girl, unravel on his cock,” her words leaving Colson speechless, her fingers slipping down to her clit, [ y / n ] letting out a yelp of pleasure. 

Soon enough, the coil inside her snapping like a twig as a mind-numbing orgasm, making her black out, passing out in pure euphoria, Colson pulling out and Megan suddenly lurching forward, her mouth on his tip, taking his cum in her mouth, swallowing everything he gave him. 

Tucking her under the covers, Colson smirked, letting it sink in that he was his first time, almost feeling as if she saved herself for this exact moment. 

And as [ y / n ]  finally slipped into peaceful sleep, Colson then went to his girlfriend, getting ready to give her a perfectly earned orgasm.

[safertokiss]

Hate the Game, Love the Player

A/N: Let the fun times ensue! I really liked this prompt and a story kinda just wrote itself in my chaotic brain so here we are. I relate to this prompt greatly, I will admit, so it was extremely easy to channel. Anyways, thanks for reading and life’s a party.

Prompt: "spence i fucking hate chess. i just like spending time with you." (Anonymous)

Pairing: SPENCER x READER

Category: Fluff and SMUT

Word Count: 4k

ENJOY:)

~~~

MASTERLIST

~~~

Spencer Reid. Spencer Fucking Reid. What a man.

You had been pretty much in love with the resident genius since the second you stepped foot into the BAU for your first day over a year ago. You could remember your first meeting plain as day, the way he stuttered out an introduction while a bright blush covered his entire figure, the way he fiddled with his hands to stay grounded in the moment. You had found the whole interaction very adorable and had decided in that moment that your heart belonged to him.

You guys had hit it off almost immediately, surprising absolutely no one on the team, and a beautiful friendship quickly bloomed between the two of you. While you certainly loved being his best friend and colleague, you were stuck.

 As more and more time passed with Spencer at your side, you couldn't stop the feelings you harbored for him from dramatically increasing. You had always read those stupid, sappy romance books that, more often than not, revolved around a close friendship being troubled by one half of the duo catching feelings for the other. Even worse were the stories where they didn’t end up together. You hoped that that wasn’t going to be the case for you and the doctor.

Of course the feelings weren’t just one-sided. It was blatantly obvious to pretty much everyone on the team, yourself included, that he felt the same exact way about you, and while the knowledge of his affection was encouraging, it didn’t amount to much because you knew he wasn’t the type to admit his feelings outright, especially to a female. Since there was no way in hell he was going to make the first move, you had been trying your hardest to make your advances as obvious and clear as humanly possible, hoping that at least one of them would finally lead to more. You had reached a point where you were so desperate you were willing to do the unspeakable for him. It was time to do the completely unimaginable.

“Hey Spence!” You watched his body jump slightly before swirling around in his chair to make eye contact with you, giving you a perfect view of his figure. He looked especially good today for some reason and you suspected that had something to do with your sudden willingness to go through with the one thing you had hoped you would never have to do. “Yeah?”

Oh boy here we go, now or never. “I was wondering if you’d be willing to maybe teach me how to play chess sometime? I’ve been meaning to learn how for quite a while now.” You certainly didn’t miss the way his face lit up with excitement at your question, quickly confirming that you had had the right idea and made the right decision asking.

“R-really? You’d actually want to do that? Oh wow, I’d love to teach you sometime! Maybe uh, if you want of course, you could come over tonight after work and we could start then. I’ll even um-I’ll even try not to win so you could have some fun! Oh um-uh not that you wouldn’t be able to win on your own, it’s just that-” 

“Spence, slow down”, you said with a chuckle, unable to contain the smile that covered your lips. “Tonight sounds great. I’ll meet you at your place after we get out of here, ok?” The stupid childlike grin that spread across his face was intoxicating and made you somehow fall even deeper in love with him. It was honestly baffling that someone as seemingly perfect as him could actually exist. God, how you hoped the two of you would at last grow some balls tonight and do something, finally putting that built-up tension to rest. Well, hopefully not to rest. You certainly wouldn’t mind it sticking around forever, as long as he was by your side to ease the borderline torture whenever it reared it’s ugly head.

“Ok uh-yeah that sounds awesome! S-see you tonight then. Oh and don’t forget to bring earplugs for when you inevitably get tired of hearing me explain the complexities of the game for the thousandth time”, he shyly added at the end. You didn’t even attempt to stop the lighthearted snort that escaped at his words. Like you could ever possibly grow tired of listening to him? That’s a big, fat negative. Giving you one last wide grin, he spun back around and began working on his files again, leaving you vulnerable to the not exactly innocent thoughts swirling around in your head.

You were going over his house tonight, the two of you would be all alone. Sure, you had been over there plenty of times before for various reasons, but this felt significantly different for some reason. Maybe that was down to the fact that you fully intended on making some kind of move tonight, in turn, hopefully, making your intentions completely clear to him. You had no definite way of knowing how far things would end up going later, but you certainly had a preference of where you wanted things to end up. Too many days had been spent pining over the young doctor, and at this point it was the only thing you could think of that would satisfy your desires.

Would he even want to though? As close as the two of you were, the topic of sex or anything even remotely sexual never seemed to breech into your conversations, as much as that disappointed you. It wasn’t exactly that you were worried about him not being into that kind of stuff, it was more of a deep rooted insecurity that often made you question whether or not he would ever want to do something of the sort with you. You quickly pushed the thought out of your head, deciding that the only way you were ever going to know for sure was if you worked up the courage to make some sort of significant advance in his direction tonight. 

Eventually ignoring your raging inner thoughts and returning to the task at hand, you couldn’t help but check the clock every few minutes, anxiously counting the minutes until you were able to leave this place and get to his. 

~~~

You had all but sprinted out of the office earlier once your shift had come to an end, rushing to get to your car so you could leave. 

The excitement that had been pumping through your veins was intoxicating and made you question all the seemingly silly nerves you had felt building up throughout the day. What was there to be nervous about? It was just chess. However, as you pulled into his apartment complex’s lot, you realized that it was so much more than just chess and the nerves came rushing back through you like a fucking tsunami.

You didn’t even want to discuss the way you felt right now, perched directly outside of his apartment, dazedly staring at the wooden door. Was it too late to just turn around, go home and forget that this whole damn thing ever even happened. A lucid fever dream, that’s what this could be if you just left. 

No. You wanted and needed this. Here’s hoping Spencer did too.

You cautiously raised your fist before gently knocking on the rough surface a couple of times. You were able to hear some slight movement from inside and just as you were taking a deep breath to try and calm yourself down a bit more, the door swung open, an equally nervous and excited looking Spencer now standing opposite you. God he was so pretty.

“Hi”, he quietly spoke, his eyes absentmindedly sweeping across your frame. You were easily able to detect the anticipation that radiated off of him in waves, the same feeling emanating from deep within you as well. “Hey Spence”, you breathily whispered, a shy smile gracing your lips.

After a brief moment of just silently staring at each other, Spencer snapped out of his apparent stupor and awkwardly angled his body to the side so you could come inside, gently shutting the door behind you. Immediately after entering his apartment your eyes drifted to the kitchen, noticing that he had somehow managed to cook dinner for the two of you in the very short time since you guys had gotten out of work, him leaving the office slightly earlier than you did. The kind gesture made you feel warm inside, the situation as a whole feeling amazingly domestic. 

“Oh my god. Spence, you really didn’t have to do all this. It smells amazing!” You watched the young doctor ripen into a tomato at your words, feeling your desire for him deepen even further. He blindly followed you as you made your way towards the kitchen to investigate his hard work, passing by the fancy, little chess board you had always ignored before on the way. “It’s no problem at all Y/n, can’t have you learning on an empty stomach right?”, he teased as you let out a light giggle at his thought process. “I suppose you are the doctor here”, you answered with a joking tone. “Shall we then?” Suddenly feeling much more comfortable in each other’s presence, the two of you quickly ate, Spencer’s cooking completely blowing your mind.

“Ok as amazing as that was Spence, I believe it’s chess learning time!” You succeeded in portraying genuine excitement at your statement, simply opting to instead think about all the possibilities of what could happen, rather than the game itself. The evident excitement that exuded from his slim figure was more than enough encouragement for you to get the ball rolling and waltz over to the mahogany table, promptly assuming your position across from him. “All you Reid, I’m completely at your mercy.” You saw him swallow hard at your choice of words and found yourself slyly smirking at his reaction. Quickly clearing his throat, he jumped right into things.

“O-ok so basically to start off there’s um-six classes or ranks for the pieces. You have the pawns, the rooks, the knights, bishops, kings and queens and uh-each different rank has their own move set or “abilities”, if you will. Before every game there’s a specific order that they…”

You tried. You really, really tried to focus on what he was saying, but there was no stopping your mind from wandering to more pressing matters. For example: how unbelievably hot he looked rambling excitedly about one of the most boring things on the planet. He made you actually look forward to playing. In all honesty, you already knew how to play the dreadful game, thanks to years and years of mandatory family bonding time with your dad when you were younger. Spencer didn’t need to know that though. 

Eventually his instructional spiel had come to an end, the two of you now having moved on to a couple practice rounds to get the hang of things. You hated fibbing to him about your previous experience with the game, but it was well worth it to see the way his face lit up with every word that fell from his lips. After engaging in several “practice” games, Spencer had deemed you suitable for the real deal, offering to still help you along the way if you needed it, for which you thanked him.

The first few trial games that you guys played through went by pretty smoothly and while you were nowhere near beating him, you were able to hold your own weight fairly well. Sure, you had had previous experience from your childhood, but it had been so long you found your skills were kind of rusty and they presented themselves as such. The longer you both played the more you remembered, reaching the point where you were actually rivalling him and giving him some sort of competition. You could see how impressed he was with you, but there also seemed to be some layer of pride boiling underneath the surface. While you loved his reactions to your “newly” acquired skills, things were going much too slow for your liking and you knew exactly what to do.

“How about we up the stakes a little bit, hmmm?” He looked up at your words, a curious look crossing over his features.

“What did you have in mind?” You watched him visibly gulp at the suggestive smirk that slowly adorned your face. Momentarily ignoring his question, you began to reset the board, the clinking of game pieces being the only sound filling the apartment, that and Spencer’s bated breath as he waited for a response. 

“Ok, I’m sure you’ve heard of strip poker before?” You watched him hesitantly nod his head in agreement before continuing. “Well how about we play some strip chess, make things a bit more exciting, yeah?” The speed at which a blush overtook his features would’ve been alarming to anyone else on the planet, except for you of course, who found it utterly adorable.

“I uhh-I y-yeah, sure. Sure! We can do that. It sounds kind of...fun? What um-how would that work exactly?” You gave him a bright smile at the evident eagerness laced within his words before explaining your thought process on specific rules for the game. 

“Well I’m thinking that we don’t have enough layers on to remove something everytime we capture an opponent’s piece...soooo..maybe every two pieces captured by the other person you have to take something off? Yeah that sounds like it should work. Good?” You watched him seem to mull over things quickly in his head before nodding with slightly more confidence than he had exuded before. “Yeah, let’s do it.”

Around twenty minutes later, the two of you were stripped down to the bare minimum, you in just your panties and bra, him in his boxers, both of you finally seeming to understand the weight of the current situation you were in. You certainly hadn’t expected to give Spencer this big of a run for his money, but you were glad you were able to best him at least a few times. However, depending on the next few moves, you guys were so close to crossing a line that neither of you could possibly come back from. 

Unfortunately, while you were too busy worrying about what was about to happen, Spencer had cornered one of your pieces and captured it, making it his second piece of yours captured since the last article of your clothing had come off. His head jerked up towards you as he realized what his small victory meant. Shit. Were you really about to expose yourself to him, willingly at that?

Yes. Yes you were.

Spencer watched with wide eyes and labored breathing as you slowly reached behind your back to undo the clasps on your bra, the material falling forward slightly, until you removed the straps making the lacy garment come off completely, sending a shy smile in his direction. You swear you saw his eyes darken as they widened even further at your bold movement, his Adam's apple bobbing at the sight of your bare chest right there in front of him. Unable to think about it too long and suddenly emboldened by his reactions, you quickly made your next move while he was basically hypnotized by your tits. Maybe this could work to your advantage after all. 

Realizing that the boy genius wasn’t planning on moving anytime soon, seemingly too invested in his personal peepshow, you snapped your fingers in front of his face to grab his attention. His eyes immediately snapped up to meet yours, embarrassment coating his face as he cleared his throat. “Oh I-um-sorry. I was a bit d-distracted”, he nervously chuckled, aware he had been caught ogling your body like a horny teenager, not that you minded in the slightest.

You could easily tell how frazzled the young doctor still was as he took his turn, making a move that there was no way in hell Spencer would have ever made with a clear mind. An excited smirk graced your face as you registered what he had just done. And based on the way his eyebrows furrowed, it seemed as though he had too. No fucking way. 

“I uhh-uhh...shit. I-I um…”

Making sure to maintain steady eye contact with him, you slowly leaned over the table, your breasts pushing together perfectly to compliment the show you were putting on, and confidently made your final move.

“Checkmate.”

As the two of you sat there just staring at each other, you noticed his breathing becoming more and more labored, his eyes completely black with desire, yours probably looking the same.

Fuck it, let’s go.

The speed at which you shoved the board clean off the table and climbed across it into his lap was astounding, immediately smashing your lips together as you successfully straddled him. He moaned into your mouth at your eagerness and it only egged you on further, roughly tugging on his hair as your lips moved in synchronicity. Reluctantly prying your lips away from his, you stared directly into his black orbs, your chest heaving.

“I want you.” You watched his pupils dilate at your words, a low groan leaving his lips.

“I want you”, he reciprocated with sincerity in his tone. Moaning at his agreement and admission you desperately reunited your mouths as he swifty lifted you onto the mahogany table, stepping in between your welcoming legs so your bodies were as close as possible. 

You both needed this. Badly. It was inevitable that at some point the two of you would finally snap, mutually ravaging each other in the most animalistic of ways. It was like a switch flipped inside the two of you, totally disregarding the way you normally acted on a day to day basis. Honestly you had no idea Spencer had it in him, this feral, primal side of him. But you fucking loved it.

As soon as he stepped between your legs and reconnected your lips, his large hands pawed at your chest, squeezing the pillowy flesh like it was his favorite hobby. The moans pouring from your lips only fueled him further, his grip becoming noticeably stronger. Letting his hands roam wherever they pleased on your body, you raked your own up and down his chest, bright red streaks left behind in their wake, making him groan uncontrollably. 

“God Y/n, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this. Since the moment you walked in I haven’t been able to control myself around you. You drive me fucking insane.” His words only increased the veracity behind your moans as you reached down to palm him through his boxers, which weren’t doing much to hide his rather large excitement. He threw his head back with a groan, his mussed hair protruding in every direction possible. “Spencer pleaseee!”, you begged, desperate for him to touch you and give you more. You needed more.

Seemingly getting the hint, he immediately ripped your panties off before roughly thrusting his fingers into you, exploring your heat eagerly, moaning at the overwhelming warmth and wetness surrounding them. You cried out at the intrusion, instantly latching onto him, your nails digging into his back as your body arched into him. Your reactions drove him insane, his digits consistently pumping in and out of you, making your whole body tremble as you felt your release speedily approaching. 

“That’s it baby, let go.” As soon as the words left his mouth, you felt yourself completely tense up before releasing all of the tension in a blissful moment, a high-pitched whine escaping your lips. “Spencer!” He watched with hooded eyes as he pushed you over the edge, evident pride rushing through his veins. The fire inside of you came rushing back, reigniting every inch of your body, craving for more.

You tugged on the hem of his boxers, trying to convey your desires, watching him get the hint fairly quickly and hastily remove them before stepping back between your legs. Surging forward you latched your lips onto his and wrapped your legs around his waist, effectively tethering himself to you and urging him to continue. You could feel him hot and heavy against the inside of your thigh, but it simply wasn’t enough, him seemingly thinking the same thing, soon feeling him position himself against your throbbing core.

Both panting with anticipation and desire, he looked up into your eyes, searching for any kind of sign that this was for sure what you wanted. You frantically nodded your head, a desperate gleam in your eyes. “Please Spence! I need you!”

Seemingly satisfied with your response, the young doctor let out a feral growl before thrusting his entire length into you on the first stroke. You both whined out at the feeling, latching on to each other like your lives depended on it. “Holy shit, Y/n. You feel so fucking good.” His words triggered an unnecessarily loud moan to escape your throat, feeling yourself unwillingly tighten around his cock. The pace he set was brutal as he pounded you into the table over and over again. 

That stupid chess table. You could confidently say that this was worlds better than any of the many games you had both played earlier in the night. If things worked out your way the two of you would be doing this a lot more often instead of playing chess.

Even though the two of you had only been going at it for a fairly short time, you could already feel your climax speedily approaching and, based on the way he kept scrunching up his face, you’d guess he wasn’t very far behind. 

“Spencer please! I’m so close, baby please!”

The guttural groan that escaped him was sinful and ignited your insides with a fire that you didn’t even know existed within you. As he roughly thrusted into you, your body slamming against the hard surface below you, you felt yourself quickly tumble over the edge, your vision going spotty at the intensity of your orgasm. The way you screamed out his name and clenched around his cock was too much for Spencer to handle, him following you closely behind and filling you up completely with his seed. 

The two of you held onto each other desperately as you waited for your bated breaths to return to normal, a light sheen of sweat covering both of your bodies. Giving you a soft smile, drastically different from the man who had been inside you moments ago, he carefully removed himself from you before walking to the kitchen to get some towels. After cleaning the two of you up, he gently picked you up and carried you to his bedroom, both of you settling immediately under the sheets, clinging to each other.

As Spencer softly played with your hair in the comfortable silence, you could feel the two of you giving into the slumber that was calling out to you. However before you gave in, you needed him to know how you truly felt.

“Hey Spence?”

“Yeah baby?”

“I fucking hate chess. I just like spending time with you.” He chuckled softly before responding.

“I like spending time with you too.”

Taglist: @hopebaker @pastathighs @psychedellic-phase @gloryekaterina @sleepysnapesnake @racharr @etherealgubler @furiouspartyrebelhoagie @andiebeaword @liaabsurd @cielo1984 @starkeybaby @victomizedbyreginageorge @rainsong01 @moonlight-jukebox @gretaamyk @httpnxtt @rachelxwayne @watermelonstyl @goldnratio @cheyxminds

[yandere-daydreams]

God please can I get anything with Rook hunting down his escaped darling? This man has a thing for chasing you down you cannot convince mo otherwise

I’ve been meaning to write a special headcanon/scenario post about Pomefiore to celebrate the release of Chapter Five, but,,, this’ll have to do, for now. I’m doing a disservice to the best dorm, but hopefully, some Rook content will delay by inevitable shame.

Title: The Hunt.

TW: Violence, Kidnapping, Strong Predator/Prey Themes, Implied Stalking, and Mentions of Death.

~

You really used to think Rook was just on the extravagant side.

That’s how it’d seemed when he first introduced himself, dropping to one knee and pressing his hand to his chest, declaring something loud enough and incoherent enough to draw the eye of every onlooker within earshot. Some of his actions were questionable, his gaze often leaning towards the unnerving side, but you’d never thought he was villainous, he hadn’t seemed to want to do harm. He meant mischief, as far as you could tell. He didn’t try to hide the way he watched the more particular members of the student body, but he never took anything beyond a picture. He never made a secret of his fondness for you, but his affection was a fleeting thing - he’d said as much himself a dozen different times. You figured Rook would move long as soon as something newer and shinier came along. You thought he was just having fun.

You supposed you weren’t wrong. He had been having fun. He was still having fun.

It just wasn’t fun for you, anymore.

“Mon cœur,” Rook called, the familiar term of endearment stretching into something twisted, something perverse as it echoed through the lifeless woods. The forest surrounding the Pomefiore dormitory was always dark, always daze-like, always horrid, but tonight, it felt especially misleading, as if the trees themselves were uprooting and rearranging to guide you in any direction but the one that’d lead you away from your hunter. That’s what he was now, really, your hunter. Rook had a way of making his prey feel like pets, of making you feel like a partner rather than another trophy for him to decapitate and mount on his wall, but all of those blissful lies and domestic fantasies had dissolved into thin air the moment you slipped out of your chains and threw yourself out of that elegant, stained-glass window of his. It’d been a stupid move, in hindsight, you were only doing damage to yourself and giving him a blood-trail to follow, but a lifetime of picking crystalline shards out of your skin would be less agonizing than another minute spent in his captivity. You just wished his footsteps hadn’t fallen in-tempo with yours so quickly.

“You really should come out, (Y/n).” His voice was calm, projected with the all the tranquil serenity of a man who already knew he’d won. It wasn’t close, it wasn’t deafening, but the fact that you could hear him at all was damning. It meant he’d be able to hear you, too, even if you had no plans to announce yourself so blatantly. “I know you love your games, and I do want to play with you, but staying up so late is bad for your skin, no? And you must be so tired, dear. If you put an end to this silly show of defiance now, I may even let you sleep in my bed, rather than the cage where you belong.”

You didn’t respond  - you wouldn’t have, even if you hadn’t been hiding. Pushing forward, you drove yourself to run faster, to escape both his cage and his bed. There was a clearing in your path, a spot where the leaf-canopy broke apart and the ground grew barren, harsh moonlight seeping in like an unwanted thought, but you skirted around it, following its borders until you found the spot where the foliage was at its thickest. You didn’t think as you forced yourself into the narrow space between branches and trunks and vines with so many thorns, you had to wonder if you’d die of blood loss before Rook got a chance to wring your neck himself, only pressing a hand over your mouth and doing your best to control your panting. You just had to stay put for a minute. You just had to give him time to move on. Then, you’d be able to circle back and beat on every door in Pomefiore until someone recognized you as the student who’d gone missing weeks ago. Then, you’d be safe.

Rook, on the other hand, had no reason to tuck himself away. He stepped into the large clearing without hesitation, letting out a long, labored sigh as he idly glanced towards his surroundings. He must’ve begun his chase as soon as he noticed you’d gotten out, his intricate wardrobe cut down to little more than a black shirt and an insulated, camouflage jacket, both doing leagues more to block out the biting cold than the simple button-down shirt you’d been given to wear. He hadn’t had time to choose a proper weapon, either. Rook preferred traditional bows, the kind without cogs or cables to alleviate the tension of the draw, but he was carrying a simplistic compound bow tonight, made for efficiency and speed rather than enjoyment. Made for maiming his target, rather than indulging them in their rebellion, an arrow already knocked and ready to be drawn back at the first hint of an opening. “Perhaps I should call you mon ange, instead, considering you’re so eager to fly away.” Another sigh, this one accompanied by a graceful turn on his heel and a smooth survey of the forest. His eyesight was good, but it couldn’t be that good. You could barely see your hand in front of your face, where the shadows were their deepest. “Wouldn’t it be easier to come out on your own? You know how much I hate having to drag you home.”

Liar. That dirty, filthy liar. He’d already dragged you away from Night Raven, he’d already dragged you away from your classmates and your family and your friends, and all because he was under some deluded, pathetic notion that he’d only be able to love you - truly love you - if he nailed you to the ground, first. His gaze wandered, he was the one who couldn’t be trusted to keep his promises. He’d just wanted to ensure you’d still be there, waiting for him with open arms, when he got back from all his many expeditions. He’d imprisoned you, and he’d delighted in it, reveled in the joy that came with a source of companionship he’d be able to bleed dry. He was only unamused now that you’d refused to let him cut you open.

You could feel your cheeks begin to flush in anger, your nails curling into your palms, but that did little to stop Rook from going on. Always going on, never stopping. You hadn’t realized how much you hated the sound of his voice until you’d been forced to listen. “I’ll admit, I’ve been busy, lately. Have I been neglecting you?” He laughed, the sound airy, non-commital. As if it suddenly didn’t matter if you came out, as if he suddenly didn’t care. “This is childish, is it not? I mean, I never thought you would stoop so low just to buy for my attention.”

It was so little, it was nothing, just a shift of your weight in the barest hint of a reaction, but dried leaves and twigs seemed to crack under your feet as if you’d thrown your biggest tantrum yet. You reacted immediately, scrambling to free yourself from your constrictive hiding place, but Rook was so fast, he was so ready. It was all you could do to catch a glimpse of his bow as he took aim, your efforts to escape from his line of fire turning out all-but futile. You pressed yourself against the nearest trunk, but in the end, he was the one who faltered, his arrow barely grazing your bicep, cutting through your sleeve but only leaving a thin, red line in your skin, the shallowest wound he’d ever inflicted. You allowed yourself to smile, you allowed yourself to laugh, but Rook didn’t move to fire again, only slinging his bow over his shoulder, slotting it into place as if he wouldn’t need to use it again. Not on you, anyway.

“You really should come out,” He said, one more time. “These kinds of things tend to get rather ugly when they’re not given the proper treatment.”

For a moment, you didn’t know what he meant, but before you could gather up the confidence to ask, something sharp and frigid pounded through your injured arm, stretching from your fingertips to your shoulders, and out of reflex, you glanced towards the cut. A pale, lilac fluid was smeared across your skin, dripping from the small wound, the color so faint, you hadn’t noticed it before. The same shade of purple that coated his arrowhead, even after it’d buried itself in the ground.

Oh.

That made sense. For Rook, at least.

You hardly tried to resist it, your body buckling under its own weight, crumbling until you were little more than a mass of stained clothes and writhing limbs, every part of you contorted in agony so vivid and bright, the darkness seemed to dissolve, kept at a faithful distance by an unmoving wall of white-hot pain. It was relentless, it was ruthless, and it only got worse as Rook’s calloused hands took hold of your tense form, lifting you off the ground and pulling you against his chest, cradling you as gently and as tortuously as he could. His hum was liked a needle to your ears, the click of his tongue as fatal as a dagger to the back of your neck, but even then, you knew it wouldn’t kill you. No, no, that’d ruin Rook’s fun. That’d be too merciful for him. That’d be too kind.

And to think, you’d almost forgotten the flare your hunter was capable of.

[ichoosechoasandbeingqueer]

Prom night

Thana Tennyson (OC) x Rook Blonko

Word count: 2982

No trigger warning

(I am Australian so I’m not 100% sure how prom works in America but in this instance, I’m basing it off of what we would call formal. The party/ceremony/prom we have once we graduate high school)

The Tennyson siblings never went to their school prom. It was a strange realization the group had come too, especially since the conversation had started out about Gwen’s new glasses. The red head and her osmosian boyfriend were back in town for a few weeks and they had decided to get together for lunch with the trio to catch up. It had started off well. Conversations about the latest gossip from collage or the Plumbers HQ were swapped with laughs and the group was having fun. Gossip soon turned to past adventures and then stated to reminisce on high school. That’s when the realization had occurred. Thana had graduated a year early and left Earth before they got the chance and Ben had dropped out of high school to focus on Plumber work. And of course, Rook not growing up on Earth meant he too had missed out on the experience. That’s why they were standing on the back deck of the Tennyson’s house, dressed up and watching Kevin hang the last of the fairy lights around the yard.

It was a rather pretty sight, like a scene out of a movie. The dim glow of the lights bounced around the yard reflecting off the small fish pond that their father had built and mimicking the way the stars lit up the night sky above them. A marquee had been set up with tables and chairs, and the decretive stone square that their mother had placed now served as a dance floor. It was a silly thing really, the Tennyson’s didn’t need to have a prom, but once the idea had been said, the concept to have their own prom was too tempting. Thana had spent the afternoon watching from the spare room window in delight as Gwen and their mother worked together to get the backyard decorated, roping poor Kevin and Rook in to reach the high places they couldn’t. Now, standing on the deck and looking out at the finished product, they felt almost moved.  

“So what do you think?” Their mother asked, nudging them slightly.

“Honestly? It’s pretty awesome. You and Gwen should team up and become professional party planners,”

She hummed in agreement, blue eyes scanning the yard in approval, “Maybe, but we might have to keep hiring out Rook to reach the roof,”

Thana let out a snort. It was a funny image, Rook reaching the roof without the help of a ladder as Sandra and Gwen watched on like ants beside him. Knowing Rook, he would be all too happy to help out where he could, he was this afternoon. “Speaking of, where is Rook and Ben? They went to get ready almost an hour ago,”

“Probably still up in Ben’s room. Last I heard, your father was trying to teach Rook how to tie a tie and Ben was complaining that his nail polish wouldn’t dry,”

“Of course he would leave it till the last minute. Half the guests are already here, they’re going to be late to their own prom party,”

“Hey,” Ben’s voice huffed from behind them, “It’s called being stylishly on time thank you very much, and it wasn’t me this time, it was Rook. He wanted to make sure he looked good tonight,”

Turning to huff at their brother they let out a laugh. Ben leant against the sliding glass door with a smug look on his face, an obnoxiously green jacket framing his body and grey painted nails to match his slacks. He strutted forwards, spinning around to show off his outfit and struck a pose.

“What do you think Thana? Do I look good or do I look good?”

“I think Gwen is going to kill you. Wasn’t her only instruction not to get a green tux?”

“Yes it was, but when do I ever listen to Gwen?”

Thana shook their head, “Fair enough dork. Where’s Rook?”

The teen stopped grinning and looked behind him. Noticing the lack of alien behind him he rolled his eyes and muttered something Thana couldn’t quite catch before heading back inside. There was a small thump, a passing of words and a curse before Ben returned dragging the Revonnahgander by the arm, presenting him with a ‘ta-da’.

Thana would have thought it adorable if they were able to think. But they couldn’t. Their brain had stopped all its functions the second Rook had emerged from the house. Fitted with a black tux that showed off his board shoulders and a grey waistcoat that fit his curved body perfectly, the human couldn’t help but to stare. Matching slacks covered his long legs and his crooked tie was a soft yellow, similar to the traditional wear of his people. It also managed to bring out his amber eyes, eye that were currently fixed on them with a nervous look.

Thana swallowed dryly and a sharp nudge to their ribs jolted them out of their daze. Ben was now by their side sending them a look. Slowly their brain kicked back into gear. The first few thoughts that came to mind made their face flush and they had to quickly push them away, trying to focus instead on getting their mouth to form words. It must have been minutes that they stood there gawking like an idiot at the cat like alien before they gave him a grin.  

Sandra swiftly appeared once again, smiling from behind a camera and oblivious to the situation, “Say cheese everyone!”.

Thankful for the distraction they did as they were told, smiling and trying not to blink as the flash went off. Ben wrapped his arm around Thana’s shoulders and pulled a face at the camera earning a scold from their mother and a laugh from a few of the guest watching. Abruptly, a large hand met their shoulder almost making them jump. Rook stood to the other side of them. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something but shut it again as another flash blinded them.

Sandra fused over the trio placing and posing them for a few rounds of photos. On their last pose, Thana was centered in the middle. Rook stood behind them with both his hands on their shoulders and Ben, who was supposed to be kneeling in front of Thana, had somehow ended up being held in their arms posing like he was a fish they had just caught. That pose summed up the group’s dynamic quite nicely and few more flashes went off until Sandra seemed satisfied. She smiled down at the camera.

“Oh, that one is nice,” she nodded to herself before wondering off to were the other guest stood around talking.

Ben was the first to move. “Well, I’m going to go find Kevin,” he remarked dramatically sending a look to his sibling and then to Rook, “I’ll see you two later, and Thana?” he lowered his voice to a whisper, “Try not to drool, it’ll ruin Rook’s tux,”

Thana’s heart fluttered in their chest and a blush rushed across their face. Ben snorted at their reaction and ducked under the light swing they sent his way as he ran off. Rook sent them a questioning look, obviously not hearing what was said, but they dismissed it with a chuckle. The two stood in silence for a moment just looking around.

“So what does one do at a prom?” the alien asked.

“I’m not entirely sure. I think its just like any other party really. You eat a bunch of junk food, talk to a bunch of people, have some fun, dance a little.”

“That does not sound so bad,” he nodded. He seemed nervous as he fidgeted with his hands. “You uh, you look quite ravishing tonight Thana,”

And with that, Thana’s blush was back and they cursed themselves for not having fur to cover it. They grinned up aimlessly at him. It was torturous how the man could send their body into a knee weak, blushing mess with a single word. They didn’t just look good, or great. No, he had said they look ravishing and god did they feel like it when it was coming from him. With no idea how to word ‘and you look like a god in the presence of mere mortals like me’ without sound like a lunatic, they settled with a simple, “You don’t look so bad yourself Blonko. Black and yellow suites you.”

“However…,” they lifted their fingers to his crooked tie and paused. Rook watched her with wide eyes but didn’t pull away, so they continued, loosening his tie, adjusting it and tightening it up straight. The Revonnahgander reached up and brushed his fingers against theirs, feeling the material knot.

“Ah, thank you. Your father did attempt to help but… ties are quite difficult it seems,”. He chuckled but Thana didn’t miss the way his ears twitch backwards, a sigh of embarrassment and unease from his species. Much more subtle than a human’s blush, but they knew Rook well enough to read his body language like an open book.

“Don’t worry, it takes some practice. If you can master a proto tool, you can master a tie any day,” they smiled smoothing out the front of his tuxedo. Taking his hand, Thana began to lead him towards the food tent. “Come on, I heard mum made Amber Ogia mocktails, we can grab a couple and find out how mad Gwen is about Ben’s green suit,”.

Rook perked up at that and gave a grin, “I did warn him. Perhaps we should find some popcorn too? It will be quite a show,”

“Good idea,”

After much experimentation with the strange tasting fruits of Revonnah, the human found if mixed with vanilla and cinnamon it become quite nice to eat, tasting similar to peaches rather than its original bitter and tar-like flavor. Rook had cringed the first time watching Thana mess with the fruit and refused to try it their way, but he did understand that their taste pallets varied and was delighted that they could enjoy it with them at last. In fact, it became a favorite in the Tennyson household.

With a glass of orange liquid each and a stern “Benjamin Kirby Tennyson” to guide them towards the drama, Rook and Thana took off with a laugh. As they predicted, Gwen was not happy with his wardrobe choices, but she couldn’t argue against the fact that, as it was his suit, it was ultimately his decision. She did however compare him to the Oncler from ‘the lorax’.

As the night went on, everyone began to loosen up and the two mingled with a few of the guests. Kevin and Argit had raced to the karaoke machine as soon as it was brought out and Ben had returned to Rook’s side with a sheepish grin and cake which he had stolen from somewhere. As it turns out, both Kevin and Argit were quite good rappers until they had a few too many alcoholic drinks and they started to sing (and Thana used that term lightly) love ballets to each other. Their performance of ‘Don’t go breaking my heart’ was Thana’s favorite by far.

After six songs straight, they were eventually kicked off the stage and replaced by Max and Patelliday who sung an old 80’s song no one had heard off. A few others joined in on the fun, even Ben and Thana at one stage, before the music was swapped to a playlist and people gathered on the dance floor.

A twinge of jealously ran through Thana as she watched Gwen and Kevin glide around the dance floor in each other’s arms. They looked so happy together, spinning and giggling with each other. They glanced over to the Revonnahgander. He sat with Ben, arguing about something in quiet whispers completely oblivious to Thana’s longing gaze. They had hoped tonight something would change between them. A moment? A kiss? It seemed they had let their imagination wonder off to far. Letting out a sigh, the human got to their feet and wondered off to get another drink. Completely absorbed in their own thoughts they missed Argit come up behind them.

“Hey Thana, how’s it hangin?” the smaller alien asked, snorting in laughter when they dropped the drink that was in their hand. Luckily, the table caught most of the spill.

“Christ Argit, the hell did you come from?”

“What do you mean where did I come from? You invited me. Did you miss my amazing singing before?”

It was Thana’s turn to laugh, “Of course not, I’m steeling that recording from Gwen tomorrow and making it my new ringtone for you,”

“Aww, I got me my own ringtone? Nice,”

It was beyond Thana how the small alien always knew what to say to make them feel better but they were grateful nevertheless. The two were actually quite close and he was the only other person besides Ben who knew about their crush on their partner. As the thought came to mind, they took another glance at Rook. He and Ben hadn’t even noticed they were gone.

Argit followed their line of sight, nodding to himself, “So how’s your Prom night going? Apart from my amazing performance of course, everything you hoped it to be?”

“It has been pretty amazing, the place looks stunning and it’s good to be able to just relax and have fun at a fancy party like this,”

“It’s cool to be invited to a fancy party. Not really my style, but still cool,” he grinned, “Hey, you wanna dance?”

Thana stared at him making sure she had heard him right. “You want to dance? With me?”

“Yeah, come on,” he took their hand and tugged them across the room.

Whatever Thana had in mind when he asked them to dance, this was not it. He had one hand intwined with theirs and his other on their waist gracefully leading them in a waltz. Thana was still rather short so it made the dance easy for the two and they couldn’t help but to grin at the happy feeling in their chest. Their friendship was one you could only describe as unique but it was strong, and in moments like these they were reminded just how strong. The song was slow and so was their movements, looking to anyone else that the two were sharing quite the romantic moment, even more so if they had heard the friendly but flirty banter between them. As they slowed to a stop, Argit smirked.

“What’s that smirk for mister?”

He faked an innocent look, “Oh nothing important. Just take a step to your left for me would ya?”

They were skeptical, but did as he asked, taking a step to their left and watching him gentlemanly kiss the back of their hand. He sent them a wink and took off without another word, leaving them behind confused and blushing.

A small tap on Thana’s shoulder made her jump.

Putting their hand over their heart to calm it down, they turn to face Rook who was standing behind them. He held a look of annoyance but it soon faded into a soft smile as he watched Thana.

“I was wondering where you had disappeared too,” he mused scratching the nape of his neck, “I believe I have completed all but one Prom tradition and I was hoping… Thana that you… would you like to dance with me?”  

He looked at them so gently it melted their heart. “I would love to Blonko,”

He took their hand in his and lead them back to the dance floor. The lights dimmed all around the yard and a slow song started to play over their heads. This was completely different to the playful dancing with Argit. It was more familiar, more intimate. More them. And Thana loved every second of it.

His soft fur brushed against the skin of their hands and his scent ensnared them as they moved together in harmony. His body was warm against theirs, his right hand caressing their lower back and guiding them as they danced. For a moment the world stood still and their footing faltered. They felt their body fall quickly backwards but Rook was quicker, catching them tight in his arms and drawing them into his chest with a spin. Embarrassment filled the human and they dug their face into Rooks shoulder. Even with their eyes squeezed shut they could feel his chest rumble as he chuckled down at them.

Taking a step back, the Revonnahgander twirled them with skill and drew them back with a loving smile. He brought his hand to their face, tracing their jawline and tilting their head up to look at him.

“Do not hide your face Thana,” he spoke softly, “no matter how many times you fall, always remember that I will be there to catch you,”

“Do you promise?”

“I give you my promise,” he nodded, “From the highest mountain or in the darkest of nights, I will be there as long as you need me to be,”

And with those words Thana felt nothing but love. No longer did they want a romantic confession or kiss like they had hoped would come from tonight, his mere words were enough. Enough to feel safe and carded for. It was a promise that meant everything to them.

In that moment, they could not deny how much they loved the man in front of them. And even if he didn’t love them the same way, they knew he did love them. He would be there for them always, and that’s what mattered. That was enough.

“Thank you,”. Their voice barley came out a whisper but they knew he had heard. His hand returned to theirs and they continued to sway to the music both holding on a little tighter than before.

[badwolf-in-the-impala]

~I Let You Down~

Gif found on google and it wouldn’t let me see who the original poster was. So credit to the original poster if this is your gif!

JP ‘Rook’ Cappelletty x Female!Reader

Word Count: 4,660

Prompt (also found on google): “I can’t keep kissing strangers and pretending they’re you!” 

3rd person POV x Lyric oneshot

Song: Clumsy by All Time Low

‘Some say it’s true, that true love never dies...Even when it’s five years later and you’re still dead set on trying to hate the person who broke your heart and left you behind to pick up the pieces.’

Authors note: It’s been ages since I’ve done a lyric inspired oneshot, or a oneshot, or any writing really for that fact lol But I’m trying to get back into the swing of things, so I hope you guys enjoy it! This is also my first time writing for and actually posting something for Rook. So I hope I did it justice. Let me know if you guys would be interested in reading more, or even possibly reading a part 2 if this one does well enough! 

Y/N (Your name) Y/F/N (Your full name)

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

‘I flew too close to the sun Fell back to Earth like a stone I got too high on myself Too young and stupid to tellI was bound to make a mess of things Mixin' fireworks and gasoline Never meant to make you fall with me’

The words blasted from the speakers of her old ‘68 Chevelle as she whipped into a parking spot beside her favorite Cafe. Taking a moment to extinguish what was left of her cigarette before cutting the engine and climbing out into the sweltering LA summer heat. Taking a moment to adjust her aviators and check that she had everything she needed before making her way inside, the door chimed softly as she stepped into the building's relaxing atmosphere, the air condition a welcome feeling as she made her way up to order a much needed coffee.  

The line was relatively long, congested by the usual late morning rush, but Y/N was happy to wait as long as it took. It was Friday, and she finally had a day off too herself for the first time in ages, and she would be damned if she let anything as trivial as waiting a few extra minutes in line ruin her good mood. So there she stood, patiently scrolling through some messages on her phone while she waited. Moving slowly with the flow of the line of customers, as she listened to the song that played from the shops speakers overhead; The same radio station she'd been listening to in her car.

‘I let you down I've been clumsy with your heart again I guess you figured me out Now here's a taste of my own medicine (I let you down)’ 

The door chiming softly behind her was nothing of significance. It had chimed at least four times prior to her arrival as more customers filtered in from the heat. Y/N unfazed by the sound at this point as she closed out an email from one of her clients managers. Making a mental note to herself to write a reply later when she arrived home before she stuffed her phone into her back pocket and looked up. A startled squeak escaping her lungs as she was suddenly rushed by a blur of curly hair. 

“Aunt Y/N!” 

A smile taking over Y/N’s face as she recognized the girl's voice. It was a voice that she’d recognize anywhere, even if Y/N hadn’t seen in her almost five years. “Hey, Casie.” Y/N smiled brightly as she hugged the girl a little tighter, happy to see such a familiar face.

“Dad! Look who I found!” Casie exclaimed excitedly, both her and Y/N turning at the same time to watch as Colson approached them through the small crowd that had formed inside the small Cafe. 

“Hoooooly shit!” Colson chuckled as he approached the pair who were still locked in a tight embrace. One that Colson was quick to join in on. “Now there’s a face I never thought I’d see again. How the hell have you been, Cash?” 

Y/N rolled her eyes at the silly nickname she had been given ages ago by the man before her himself. A nickname that she hadn’t heard in ages, something that tugged at her heart, sadly, as it brought forth a rush of memories she had long since kept buried...And for good reason.

“I’ve been doin’ alright.” Y/N chuckled softly as they finally broke away from the embrace to move up with the line. “How about you guys? It’s been ages -- When did she get so big?!” The words all came rushing out at once in a wave of excitement that overtook her, making Colson chuckle as he wrapped a long tattooed arm around his daughters shoulders, and pulled in for a tight side hug that had her squirming to escape before she punched his arm playful with a glare.

“I keep askin’ myself the same question.” He answered with a soft rumble of a laugh. Flinching a little as Casie punched his arm a little harder. “Ow.” Colson chuckled as he rubbed his arm lightly, moving to pull his wallet out of his back pocket before handing it to her as the line shortened once more. “Why don’t you grab us all somethin’, Princess, and we’ll grab a table--” 

“Already on it!” Casie said excitedly as she rushed off to take Y/N’s spot in line as Colson motioned towards an empty table near the windows. 

“I can’t believe how grown up she is...” Y/N admired as they took a seat, a hint of sadness in her eyes as she turned to watch Casie, who had finally reached the counter, place an order. “God, what was she, five, the last time I saw her?”

“Sounds about right.” Colson nodded. “Was right before you left Ohio for LA...”

“Yeah...” Y/N’s brows knit together tightly as she frowned, a wave of guilt crashing into her like a freight train. “Sorry I’ve been so shit at keeping in touch.” She apologized softly.

“Hey--” Colson reached out a hand to give her own a brief, reassuring squeeze. “Don’t do that to yourself. What happened, that wasn’t your fault and you know it. We were all young and stupid. Shit, even Rook knows that and how bad he fucked things up...You made your choice, and clearly it was the right one. I mean look at you--” Colson paused to lean back in his seat as he gestured at her proudly. “Ms. big time music producer over here.” 

“Oh stop it.” Y/N waved off the comment playfully with a roll of her eyes. “But really, I mean it Colson. I always meant to come back and see you guys, especially Casie...But I just...I don’t know. I guess I just feel guilty that I disappeared from her life like that with nothing more than a few short video chats here and there, ya’know?” 

“I get it.” Colson nodded. “Still not your fault. And if it’s any consolation, Rook still beats himself up for what happened.”

“Good!” Y/N replied harshly, her frown returning at the second mention of that name. “I hope it haunts the bastard for the rest of his life.” She muttered under her breath, though it was still loud enough that Colson heard it and gave a chuckle. About to say something in reply when Casie approached the table, drinks in hand, and took a seat beside Y/N, passing over her favorite drink --an iced chai latte-- before giving Colson his own coffee and returning his wallet. 

“I ordered some breakfast sandwiches too.” Casie smiled.

“God I’ve missed you!” Y/N beamed as she hugged her tightly for a moment before letting go. Having to stave off the tears that built in her eyes when Casie refused to let go from the embrace. Torn away only by a sudden idea as she shot up and looked at Colson excitedly.

“Can she come over for the party tonight?!” Casie rushed out, bouncing in her seat a little as she waited for Colson’s reply as he turned to look at Y/N, giving a small shrug. 

“I think I’ll leave that one up to Cash, Princess.” Colson chuckled softly as he took a sip of his coffee, thanking the waitress as their food was delivered.

“Please Aunt Y/N?! Please, please, please?!” Casie all but begged, hands clasped together as she gave Y/N that all to familiar puppy face. The same one she used to use on her all those years away when she wanted something. Eyes sparking with a level of adorableness that she knew Y/N would never be able to say no to; No matter how badly she wanted to.

Y/N groaned softly, knowing what this would entail, and exactly who she would be faced with having to avoid. But knowing that it was almost Casie’s birthday, Y/N didn’t have it in her heart to refuse. “I suppose I can’t really say ‘no’ to that face, now can I?” 

“Yes! Oh my god, you’re the best Aunt Cash!” Casie exclaimed as she hugged Y/N tightly, melting what was left of her cold, icy heart a little as she hugged the girl back.

“Only cause it’s you.” Y/N chuckled softly with a smile. Even though she was a raging ball of anxiety on the inside now as every single worst case scenario suddenly played through her head as she thought about what the evening would hold in store.

~

‘Caught at the end of the lifeline The catch of a lifetime (I should've known, should've known, should've known) Oh we were destined for danger Familiar strangers (I should've known, should've known)’ 

The party had been well under way for more than an hour when the sound of a vehicle nobody recognized was heard pulling into the driveway at Colson’s. A black Chevelle that found it’s parking spot beside the row of motorcycles nearest the front door. Everyone exchanging a few confused glances as Casie made a beeline straight for the door, flinging it open before whoever it was even had the chance to knock...Rook’s heart dropping somewhere into the vicinity of his stomach as she stepped into view, just as Casie flew in for a hug. Almost knocking Y/N over in the process.

“You made it!” 

“Of course I made it.” Y/N chuckled softly, that all too familiar smile that haunted every single one of Rooks dreams, curving those beautiful lips of her upwards into a smile. A smile he never thought he could miss more than he did right at this very second. 

“Holy shit, is that Cash?” Slim exclaimed as he came around the corner and out of the kitchen, wrapping Y/N in a tight embrace. “I thought Casie was pulling my damn leg when she told us who was comin’.” 

“Surprise!” Y/N exclaimed with a nervous laugh as they broke away from the hug to extend the gift bag in her hand out towards Casie. “Happy Birthday, kiddo.” 

Casie all but squealed as she moved back in for another hug, barely giving Y/N an chance to wave a hello to everyone as she thanked her for the gift before dragging her through the house for a tour and to catch up. Rook frozen to the same spot, just staring after the two, completely oblivious to Colson’s presence as he leaned up against the counter beside him. 

“You alright?” 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Rook’s head snapped around like it was on a swivel as he faced Colson. His tone sharp, but not one of anger. In fact, it was filled more with hurt than anything. His eyes drifting back towards the stairs where Casie and Y/N had disappeared just moments before. Colson held up his hands in defense as he shook his head lightly.

“We ran into her this morning while we were getting coffee. Case was so stoked to see her, man -- She didn’t wanna risk ruining anything. So she made me swear not to say anything. But I mean look, if you’re not cool with it and wanna take off, I understand--” 

“No...It’s alright.” Rook cut Colson off as he shook his head. “It’s Casie’s day and I’m not gonna ruin that. We’re both adults.” He swallowed harshly as his mouth suddenly went dry. “It’ll be fine.” At least he hoped. Colson nodding, remaining silent as he watched Rook’s gaze wander once more as he sipped stiffly at the amber liquid in the glass he held. His grip on the glass was so tight that Colson thought it might shatter.

‘We were bound to make a mess of things Mixin' fireworks and gasoline Never meant to make you fall with me’ 

Time seemed to slow as the night drug on for what felt like an eternity. An eternity that was filled with awkward avoidance and sour glances that were periodically thrown in Rook’s direction whenever he was caught staring for just a fraction of a second too long. Midnight came and went. The whiskey was going down like water, and there wasn’t a joint strong enough to make this night any easier. The only thing keeping him from disappearing completely, was the constant reminder that this was for Casie, and he’d be damned if he was going to ruin that for her...Not that it made it any easier.

Left to watch from the side lines as Y/N joked and messed around with the rest of the guys, just like old times...Only this time around, Rook wasn’t a part of it. And knowing it was by his own wrong doings was like a dagger straight to the heart. A dagger that was slowly being twisted a little deeper into his chest with each passing hour that he was subject to someone dredging up a memory here and a memory there. 

A soft sigh fell from his lips as he rubbed a tired hand  over his face before standing, passing the joint he’d forgotten he’d been holding, back to Baze who had been eyeing him with a concerned look. “You alright, man?” 

“Fine.” Rook waved a dismissive hand as he headed for the backyard. “I just need some air.” He added quietly. But the change in his demeanor didn’t go unnoticed as Baze gave a sigh of his own as he stood. Watching as Rook pushed through the small crowd of people and disappeared out the back door. 

“Hey, Cash.” Baze waved her down as she came out of the kitchen with another beer, offering the joint he held out to her, which she gladly accepted. Taking a hit and holding it for a few seconds before she let the sweet trail from between her lips. “So now that you’ve had a decent hit, I’m gonna go ahead and say something, so don’t fuckin’ hit me, ok?” 

Y/N’s gaze narrowed as she stared up at Baze, already knowing where this conversation was about to head. “I don’t wanna hear it, Basil.” She held up a hand. “He made his bed a long time ago, he can fuckin’ lay in it.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Baze held up his hands as he shook his head, not wanting to start an argument. “I agree with you a hundred and ten percent. We all do, Y/N, but you have to understand something--”

“I don’t have to understand shit!” Y/N snapped before she took another puff from the joint she now held. She wanted nothing more than to walk away, yet for some reason, she felt compelled to hear what else Baze had to say.

“You’re right, you don’t.” Baze shrugged. “But Rook’s not the same person he was back then...None of us are; Not even you, Y/N. We were a bunch of stupid kids, despite the fact we were all fucking adults. And I can assure you, that not a day has gone by since then, where that kid hasn’t beat himself up over what happened. I’m not saying you have to forgive him, Cash...But at least let the guy have peace of mind enough to forgive himself.”

“Unlikely.” Y/N scoffed through the exhale of smoke she had been holding in, having finally heard enough as she moved to step around Baze. Pausing only to pass the joint she held back to him before she headed for the back door. “Thanks for the hit though.” 

‘I let you down I've been clumsy with your heart again I guess you figured me out Now here's a taste of my own medicine And for all this pain, that I can't explain There's a black flag wavin' tonight You know I let you down I've been clumsy with your heart again’ 

Y/N all but stumbled through the backdoor as that last hit from Baze’s joint hit her a lot sooner than she had anticipated it would --her tolerance wasn’t shit anymore-- and she suddenly felt like she should probably sit her ass down somewhere before she tipped the fuck over. Making sure that she paid extra close attention to where her feet were going as she made her way over to the edge of the pool and took a seat. Dipping her feet into the water immediately, having ditched her converse hours ago while dancing with Casie; Blissfully unaware of Rook’s presence as she kicked her feet back and forth gently, watching the ripples the movement created on the surface of the water. Rook watching her quietly, remembering how they used to sit and do that together at the hotels on tour. The memory caused the ache inside of his chest to worsen as he tried washing the feelings away with a sip from his drink as he hung his head in his free hand. 

The distinct ‘clink’ of ice against glass alerted Y/N that she wasn’t alone, as she tensed up. Turning slowly to glance over her shoulder, only to find Rook sitting no more than a few feet away. A frustrated sigh left her lips as she turned back to stare at the water. Her first instinct to get up and leave, and she wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the weed in her system, but she didn’t have it in her to move. She had been running away all night, whenever he would enter a room, Y/N was gone the second he’d notice her. It was tiresome. And truth be told, no matter how much she still wanted to hate him right now, her heart simply wouldn’t let her...And she hated that even more.

She hated the fact that she had never stopped loving him, no matter how hard she tried to deny it and move on with her life, or how many times she had swore up and down to herself that she could never even possibly think about forgiving him...It just simply wasn’t possible. Not too say that it didn’t still hurt after all these years, or that it didn’t mean she wasn’t still angry. Because she was angry, and with every passing second that she thought about it, that anger rose to the surface, bit by bit, until it was too much for her to handle anymore. Y/N pushing herself up to her feet, trying her hardest to maintain her composure as she swayed slightly from the head rush of being inebriated. Her conscious all but screaming at her to keep her mouth shut and not start shit, but it was already too late as the words came pouring out of her mouth like word vomit.

“So that’s it then?” She hiccuped slightly as she stalked over to stand in front of Rook, her arms crossed tightly across her chest in an attempt to make herself appear angrier than really was. “Five fucking years, and all I get is a bunch of stolen glances and some forlorn fucking pouting? You’re not even gonna try--” 

“Cash, please don’t...” Rook spoke softly as he tried to defuse the situation. 

“Don’t you fucking DARE ‘Cash’ me, JP Cappelletty!” Y/N snapped. “Five fucking years! Five.Fucking.Years, JP, and you never even once tried to reach out, never tried to apologize! You just -- You just let me fucking leave with no more than a shitty ass excuse as to why I caught you sucking face with some random fucking half naked slut--”

“What the hell do you want me to say, Y/N?!” Rook’s head snapped up as he made eye contact and stood. His gaze boring straight into her own as he continued, his voice steadily growing heated, but he never raised it to the point of yelling. Not even once. “You want me to fucking apologize? When you and I both know that sorry doesn’t even begin to fucking fix what I let happen?! I’m sorry! I’m fucking sorry, Y/N! I’m sorry I fucked up so bad! I’m sorry I was a stupid fucking kid who got so wrapped up in all of this,” He paused to gesture around them. “That I didn’t stop to think it would even fucking matter. That there wouldn’t be any fucking consequences to my actions? I fucked up, Y/N, I know that, and I have to live with it every goddamn day! Sorry doesn’t even begin to fucking cut it, but if that’s what you want to hear, then I’m fucking sorry!”

Y/N remained quiet, her arms falling away to her sides as she watched Rook turn away from her. His hands scrubbed over his face and into his hair out of frustration as he tried to reign in every last shred of emotion that was threatening to pour out. “I’m sorry that I lost you...I’m sorry for that everyday that I wake up and remember that you’re not a part of my life anymore.”

“JP, don’t--” Y/N’s voice was barely above a whisper now, Rook’s  back still to her as she spoke, but her words went unnoticed as he continued. Tipping his head back as he looked up at the night sky as the words continued to pour forth from whatever depths of his soul they had long been hidden away in.  

“I wish that I could take it back, Y/N, I really do, but I fucking can’t. I’m sorry, and I’m sorry that ‘I’m sorry’ is never gonna be good enough to fix it...But I can’t do this anymore, Y/N. I can’t keep kissing strangers and pretending they’re you!” Rook sighed as he bowed his head in defeat. The silence between them was heavy, even if only for a moment before it was interrupted by the broken sob that fell from Y/N’s lips, the sound catching Rook’s attention immediately as he turned, watching as her hands flew up to her mouth as she tried to muffle the sound of her own body betraying her, as another sob followed close behind; Tears streaming down her face as her body shook. 

“Y/N--” Rook was hesitant as he took a step forward and reached out, almost afraid that if he moved too quickly she might run; Or at the very least try and take a swing at him. Not that he didn’t deserve it. But as his outstretched fingers made contact with Y/N’s skin, it was all he could do to stay standing as she all but collapsed into his arms. Her face buried against his chest as she sobbed uncontrollably. “Hey, shh. It’s ok...I-I got you.” Rook murmured against her hair softly as he held her. Doing everything he could to blink back the tears that formed in his own eyes as every last ounce of pain and regret that flowed through her flowed through him as she cried.

“I-I’m s-sorry...” Y/N sobbed against Rook’s chest, causing him to glance down at her with a confused expression, as he was unsure why she felt the need to apologize, least of all to him. But before he could think to speak up and ask, Y/N continued. “I’m s-sorry that I’ve been a c-cold hearted, i-insufferable bitch! I’m sorry f-for how I’ve treated you. And not j-just in the past, b-but tonight to. I-I’m sorry for trying t-to force myself to h-hate you for the past f-five years--” Y/N paused, pulling away slightly as she tried to wipe away the tears that blurred her vision as she looked up at Rook. “I’m s-sorry that I never stopped loving you...But I’m not sorry for that as much as I try and hate you, that I’m still hopelessly in love with your dumbass!” 

Rook was left looking like a slack jawed fish as he opened and closed his mouth a few times, searching for the right words while simultaneously questioning if he had even heard her correctly to begin with. That she was in fact still in love with him. Reassurance came in the form of her lips crashing into his before he could say anything at all that might possibly ruin the moment, and for that, among other things, he was incredibly grateful for, as he moved his hands to gently caress her face. Her own hands drifted up his chest to find their way around his neck, one settling in his hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer, as he deepened the kiss. 

That familiar spark of electricity igniting between them once more, just as it had with the very kiss they had shared all those years ago. Neither one of them wanted to be the first to break away, but eventually, they had to come up for air, Rook pressing his lips against Y/N forehead gently as he pulled her closer, and made a promise. Afraid that if he let her go now, if he didn’t speak his truth, that he’d wake up from some sick dream and none of this will have been real.

“I swear to you, Y/F/N, I swear to you on my own goddamn life, that if you ever give you me another chance, even though I know I’ve done nothing to deserve it, I promise you that I will spend everyday making it up to you; Even if it’s the last thing I ever fucking do.” Rook’s voice trembled with emotion as he tilted Y/N’s chin so that she was looking up at him. “I love you, Cash. I loved you then, I love you now and I will love you for the rest of eternity; Even if you won’t have me. You will always be my girl, and I will do everything in my power to never let you down like that again. Not ever.”

Y/N pressed her lips back to Rook’s, not knowing how else to reply at that exact moment. Knowing this wasn’t something that could be as easily fixed as they both wanted it to be...But at least for tonight, they could pretend. Knowing that come morning, when they were both sober, this conversation would be a lot harder as they worked on figuring out how to try and make this work again. Rook’s lips were eager against her own in response as his hands drifted down her waist, stopping only when they reached the back of her thighs and he lifted her up as she wrapped her legs around his waist. 

“Get a room!” Colson hollarded with a chuckle from the back door as the rest of the guys joined in with cheers and whistles, the pair now fully away that they had an audience. Both reaching a hand out to flip them all the bird. Too wrapped up in the moment to be bothered to care. “I love you.” Rook panted out when they finally did manage to break apart sometime later. The love and adoration in his eyes as he gazed up at Y/N, was almost too much for her to handle as she placed her hands against his cheeks and pressed her forehead against his own.

“I love you too, JP.” She whispered, keeping the last part to herself. ‘More than you could ever know.’

~

‘Turn the desert all to glass Droppin' bombs on future's past Nothing left for us, shadows dancin' in the ash Turn the desert all to glass Droppin' bombs on future's past Nothing left 

I let you down I've been clumsy with your heart again I guess you figured me out Now here's a taste of my own medicine And for all this pain, that I can't explain There's a black flag wavin' tonight You know I let you down (let you down) I've been clumsy with your heart again 

 Turn the desert all to glass Droppin' bombs on future's past Nothing left for us, shadows dancin' in the ash Turn the desert all to glass Droppin' bombs on future's past Nothing left for us, shadows dancin' in the ash’

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

Tagging: @jacksonroseroth

If you would like to be added to any of my future Rook fics, please feel free to let me know! ^-^

[rosesinmars]

Someone You Loved|Rook + Colson x reader imagine

- Princess! — Rookie shouted, when he got home and saw you lying on the couch in the living room.

- Rookie! — you whimpered when he jumped on you remaining laid over your body.

You were literally doing nothing. The tv was off, and you were just listening to some music. Slim and Baze were both in their own rooms, and Rookie and Colson were out until now. Not that the last one mattered that much, or at least you tried to convinced yourself that way.

‘I'm going under and this time I fear there's no one to save me’

While you were trying to fight your own way out under Rook, Colson passed by you two straight to his bedroom, his new girlfriend right by his side. He didn't even cared to look at you for a second, and you would be lying if you said that doesn't hurt.

‘This all or nothing really got a way of driving me crazy’

- Blow him. — Rook said, noticing the look in your face. — He's being a totally jerk with you. Want me to kick is fine ass?

‘I need somebody to heal’

Colson, you and Rook were the perfect partners in crime since  you could ever remember. Both of them were your best friends, you had an amazing connection with both of the boys and you wouldn't trade it for anything in this world. But for what it seems, not everyone thinks the same way, or feel, as far as you could say.

Ever since Colson started to date with his new slut, your trio went down to two, and the blonde boy... well he wouldn't talk to you, actually he barely would land his eyes on your. It was like you became invisible to him, and that hurt like hell.

‘I let my guard down and then you pulled the rug. I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved’

Rookie otherwise got closer and closer to me. You were barely inseparable, and he himself had already confronted Colson about his attitudes towards you.

- What would I do without you, Rookie. — you gave him a little smile, and he pulled me into a bear hug, placing you on his lap.

‘I guess I kinda like the way you numb all the pain’

- Hey, wanna go to my room and watch some netflix and cuddle? — he proposed with a soft smile.

- Always. — you said and he carried you upstairs to his room.

You stayed there while Rook went to the kitchen to do some popcorns so you two could watch a movie properly. Meanwhile you were searching in his dresser for a t-shirt of him for you to dress and be more comfortable. When you finally found one, you took out your pants, and then your top, and you heard the bedroom's door open when you were half way dressing Rook's shirt.

- Rookie please tell me that you didn't burnt the popcorn agai- — you started but soon stoped as you saw that it wasn't Rook on the door but Colson.

His eyes ran you up and down watching you in Rook's clothes, and you couldn't exactly read the emotions on his face. Colson soon hurried himself to start to close the door and go away, but you shout.

- What the fuck Colson? What is wrong with you?

He stood there, in place, but his eyes far from yours.

- I guess that's going to be like that, right? No talk. I thought we were fucking friends Kells. — you said, using the nickname that not-so-close-people to him called him, and this way you got him to look at you with hurt all written on his face. — Don't fucking stare at me like I fucking hurt you Kells, you were the one placing the cards on the table, now deal with your own damned game! Go run to your new bitch, but don't you fucking dare to run back to me when you get bored of her or when she breaks your heart! — you shouted with tears already running from your eyes.

‘For now the day bleeds into nightfall, and you're not here to get me through it all’

Rook entered the room, passing through Colson and rushing to you, wrapping his harms around you as to try to protect you from the whole world, and you closed your eyes falling in his embrace.

‘And I tend to close my eyes when it hurts sometimes. I fall into your arms, I'll be safe in your sound 'til I come back around’

- Get out, Colson! — he demanded, and you had a last look at his broken expression before he left the room. — I'm here babe, forget about that prick.

- Rookie I don't want to get in between the friendship of you two. — you said, sobbing. — I don't want you to take a side, mainly if it's mine.

- Chill princess, I will deal with that bastard later. — the drummer said. — He doesn't deserve your love, he was no rights to treat my babe like this!

- Your babe? — you whispered. You had lost track of times that Rook had treated you with sweet nicknames, but joined it with 'his', that was something completely new.

- I mislead myself, it was a small mistake... I... — Rookie struggled with his words, and still in his harms, you cupped one of his cheeks and connected your lips with his, fearing how he would react.

For your own happiness, Rook instantly tightened his harms around you, losing his hands in your hair.

‘I guess I kinda like the way you help me escape’

- I hope that's still okay with you about the cuddle's session tonight. — you said when you two broke the kiss.

- More than okay, princess. — he answered with a silly smile, that you copied. — My princess.

And with that, he dragged you to the bed.

.°♫♫.°

It might sound weird that you and Rook became a couple who would be corny enough to be cooking pancakes together in the next morning, but honestly, you two were already so used to do so many stupid things together that the attempt to the "flour fight" and to burn the kitchen down wouldn't look so far from what you two were used to do as friends.

You two were now feeding each other with the pancakes you two managed to cook when Slim and Baze joined you in the kitchen.

- Why do you two look so corny today? — Slim asked, slightly confused, Baze looked the same way. — Like, even more than usually.

Both of the boys were used with you two being really really close but that morning the atmosphere around you two were different and it wasn't that hard to notice.

Both you and Rookie smiled at Slim's statement. You really were acting damn corny.

- I don't know... maybe Rook is just too adorable. — you said picking the tip of his nose, and he held your hand and kissed it.

- Am I that high or is my brain sending me weird tips saying that you two are more than friends? — Baze asked, looking at you two like you were both aliens.

- Would that be that weird? — Rook said and touched my nose with his, connecting our lips in a short kiss.

- That's disgustingly adorable. — Slim said smiling.

- But it was actually about time. — Baze stated, and you let your head rest in Rookie's shoulder.

- What is disgustingly adorable? — Colson asked and when he noticed me that close to Rook, he slightly frowned.

- We just saw y/n and Rook kissing. — Slim said. — But it was about time for this two to be together.

- It means a lot that you boys are okay with us. — you said, and Rook wrapped his arms around you from behind, and looked at Colson. The 'get your shit together and start to be nice with my girl or I will kick your ass' look in Rook's eyes, and Colson remained with his broken expression, the same he had last night.

You kissed Rook again and went upstairs to your room for a bit. Some time after, the door opened and the blonde boy entered the division. You avoid to look at him.

- You and Rook, seriously? — he asked. — Is that even a thing?

- Oh he talks now. — you cut the crap. — Let me guess, miss slut snores while she sleeps?

- Cut the fucking drama, y/n. Since when is this going on? — Colson said, now obviously wasted.

‘Now the day bleeds into nightfall, and you're not here to get me through it all’

- Since there's none of your business. — you snap. —What's about all that sudden interest in me? Since I can remember, yesterday you couldn't even look at my face. You didn't think I would just stay here forever waiting and crying because one of my best friends decided that I was better off his life just because of his new whore, did you Kells?

- Don't be so fucking dramatic y/n, it doesn't suit you. — Colson said.

- Dramatic?! You were like a brother to me, you fucking prick! — I shouted. — And suddenly you just cut me out of your fucking life, and now you're telling me to stop being dramatic?! Even if I was screaming my lungs out to express how much of a jerk you are, you wouldn't have the fucking right to tell me I was being dramatic.

- Yeah, yeah of course... — he cut it, with a sarcastic laught. — You are actually telling me that you seriously love Rook. — he kept the sarcastic tone.

- Yes, that's exactly what I am telling you. — you shouted, no doubt in your voice as you let the words out of your mouth. — I do love Rook. He's the best person that I have in my life, because he actually cares about me and he's the sweetest being on this world. And I'm really not interested in hide my feelings for him, and you know why Kells? Because I'm a fucking logical human being who rather be loved than pretend to be an asshole just because he's too afraid to be loved by someone else.

- Don't you fucking lie in my face y/n. — he said coming closer. — Don't you fucking think that I know that you love me?

Coming even more closer, Colson tried to kiss you, but you hurry in pushing him back roughly.

- What the fuck do you think you are?! — you shouted. — Look, if you're done being a fucking jerk get the hell out of my face, and do me a fucking favor and keep your bloody mouth shut next time you see me.

___okay this was a tough one, and I didn’t actually liked the way it ended, but wtv. hope you like it anyway. and yes i will totally change the end as soon as i came up with a better idea ___

12.Nov.19

[embarrassingsmartphonegame]

Moving In - Nik Ryder x f!MC

Summary: “You know, most people exchange phone numbers before they move in with together.” “Most people also haven’t been brought together by fighting a murderous bag of bones. Also you already have it...” “Wait what?!” Leah moves in with Nik officially after Chapter 5 of Anything. It goes exactly as expected.

All the links for Anything: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 (final chapter) | Scared To Live (interlude from Nik’s POV)

Warnings: two people who bicker almost as much as they love each other, some swear words, kissing, mention of trauma and alcohol, overall pretty light-hearted

“How-” Push. “Much-” Push. “Clothing-” Push. “Do you own?!”

Nik liked to think of himself as physically strong (and he would say he had the abs to prove it). But just how can one box of clothes be so heavy? He was huffing and puffing the entire walk from the moving truck and into the Graveyard Shift, especially when they had to go up a flight of stairs to get to his--no, their apartment.

“I own a normal amount of clothes. Maybe you just need to work out more,” Leah teased as she put down her own box effortlessly on the floor of the living room, stopping to stretch her arms over her head. She had to admit her Fae power of super strength came in handy sometimes and she was thankful that she was now able to summon it even when it wasn’t an emergency.

He snorted. “Chasing monsters keeps me plenty fit, thank you very much. But you sure do own a lot of clothes for someone who loses them like you do.”

Her cheeks burned at the memory of their reunion. “I had to prove it was me!”

“That was really your first instinct?!”

“You complaining about that?”

Nik chuckled and pulled her by the waist, nuzzling her neck. “You know I would never, darlin’.”

Leah rolled her eyes and pecked him on the lips. “I come back and agree to be with you and since then it’s been ‘rook’ or ‘babe’ or ‘sugar’ and now ‘darlin’’. Is that why you’re called Nik...because you’re a...nickname type of guy?”

“Shit, rook; was just tryin’ to be romantic here,” Nik groaned as she laughed a little too hard at her own joke. Any exasperation instantly dissipated once he heard her laugh; he missed it the past three months. She kissed him again, enjoying every moment.

“I know. I just love teasing you.”

“Lil’ shit.”

“Ah, another one, Mr. Nic--hey!” Leah shouted out as Nik suddenly wrapped her up in a bear hug, swinging her around. Her shouts soon turned into laughter, and soon the small apartment was filled with the sound of both of them laughing. 

Nik finally put her down on the counter with his hands still on her hips. She rested her forehead against his, still in slight disbelief that she was moving in with him. It was only one week before that she crash landed back into his life, and after they talked things out and survived yet another attempt on their lives (he owed her his life...again), she decided to move to New Orleans for good. 

The thought of it as their apartment still felt weird to them both; but it was his idea for her to move in with him. Nik remembered giving some half-assed excuse about them being both business and personal partners so it only made sense financially...he ignored that dark voice in his head irrationally sneering at him that if he took his eyes off her for even one second she would disappear again. Leah agreed with his staunch assessment, if only to curb the fear that this was all another weird (but wonderful) dream and she was actually alone in Wyoming. She frowned at the thought of her old life. Nik noticed the pensive look on her face.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

The corner of her right lip quirked upwards without amusement as she shrugged. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to move in? After I’ve been probably the biggest pain in the ass since we met a few months ago?”

“First of all, it was my idea for you to move in; no offense but we’re technically unemployed until a client hires us and I’m in a better position from whoever hired me to protect you,” Nik answered, actually hoping that his honesty wasn’t too offensive. “And second, you’re a pain in the ass...but you’re my pain in the ass and you had your reasons for everything. I love you just the same, okay? So no saying you can’t live here unless you really don’t wanna.”

“I do have student loans to pay off...” Leah grinned. “Gotta love your definition of romance, babe. This pain in the ass loves you too!”

Satisfied and sneaking in one last kiss, the woman jumped off the counter. She tied her hair and rolled her sleeves up. “Now let’s get unpacking!”

.

After a few hours of them unpacking Leah’s things, bickering, and randomly making out (“We’re never gonna get anything done like this, rook!”), the two Nighthunters stood in their now shared bedroom, about to finish up. Nik took out the last piece of clothing: a very familiar velvet, royal purple dress with a gold body chain to go with it. He held it up to her, brow quirked mischievously.

“Any chance I could see you in this again?”

Leah collapsed the last box and put it in the pile with all the others. Her eyes moved to the dress that cost more than half her wardrobe. “Still can’t believe you picked that one out. If we sneak into Persephone again, maybe...”

“How about on a date? A real one.”

“You asking me out, Ryder?”

“What’s it look like, Mendoza?”

She couldn’t help the silly grin on her face, as if she was suddenly a teenage girl talking to her crush for the first time. “I accept. Would this be technically our first date? Because I don’t know whether to count us running from the Bloodwraith...”

“Yes, a real date, rook. But no promises that monsters won’t try to attack us or anything, sorry,” Nik responded, hanging the dress up in their shared closet space. 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She smiled brightly and took a seat on the bed. “We’re really doing this backwards, huh? You know, most people exchange phone numbers before they move in together.”

“Most people also haven’t been brought together by fighting a murderous bag of bones.” Nik turned to her and sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “Also you already have it...”

“Wait what?!”

Nik took a deep breath before speaking again. “First, I wanna say I’m so sorry for this; I shouldn’t have contacted you when it was clear you didn’t wanna talk to me. Katherine offered me your number one night after I asked about you and I wanted to be selfish and take it.”

“So...you called me while I was gone?” Leah asked, her eyebrows coming together in confusion. “But I don’t remember you calling...I mean I had dreams you did a few times, but those weren’t real.”

“Well, one of them wasn’t a dream,” Nik went on. “It was nighttime and you picked up the phone slurrin’ drunk. I remember asking if you were safe, and you said you were home.”

Leah’s cheeks burned and she put her head in her hands. “Oh my God...I really don’t remember anything from that conversation. This is so embarrassing! You must’ve thought I was such an idiot!”

“No, you have nothing to be ashamed of, rook.” Nik cautiously sidled up beside her, resting a hand on the small of her back. “I’m so sorry I didn’t respect your wishes. I’m the wrong one here.”

Leah didn’t pull away, but she also couldn’t look at him. She tried to remember anything from the past three months that didn’t involve alcohol; she could count them all on one hand. “I...I really had a problem. I have a problem. I know that moving and being in a relationship won’t fix everything, but it’s hitting me that I need real help.”

“And I’m with you every step of the way.” He pulled her into a hug, letting her rest her face into his shoulder. “I meant it when I said that I’m with you...”

“To the bitter end,” Leah finished, her voice breaking at the last word. Nik tightened his hold on her, an aching in his chest as he remembered that he once kept that promise; but he never anticipated it to be her bitter end. He closed his eyes and relished in the warmth of her body against his, blocking out the memory of her cold, pale skin and still heart. Eventually he loosened his hold and tilted her chin up to look into her eyes.

“All the ragged parts of me...stitched back together when I’m with you,” he murmured only for her to hear. “I only want the same for you.”

Leah pulled him in for a warm, tender kiss. When they pulled away, a serene smile graced her features; Nik could swear there was something magical about her smile. 

“I love you, and I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings us,” she said, her voice strong and hopeful. Leah could feel her sunny disposition returning day by day, and it showed.

“I love you too, rook.” Nik pulled her to lie down beside him, their fingers intertwined. “What do you wanna do tonight? No jobs. We can go out or stay in, and I promise no snake tequila for either of us.”

Leah snorted and sprang up. “I say we stay in tonight in our apartment. Takeout?”

“You read my mind.”

“And there’s a reality show I’ve been meaning to catch up on...” Leah was already making her way to the living room while Nik followed. She babbled on about how it was a show where an American and a foreigner have to get married within 90 days for a special visa and that itself is, of course, where the drama begins and this season was especially dramatic and blah, blah, blah. Nik snorted at how invested she was in the show while they looked at food places. 

The two Nighthunters spent the entire night snuggled up on their couch, talking and eating and canoodling. Leah sighed in satisfaction as sleep eventually took over them, her head resting on Nik’s chest. She finally felt like her life was going somewhere, and all that mattered was that they were in it together.

================================================

A/N: I hope you like yet another fic of me refusing to let these two go onto the next installment just yet! Okay in reality I’ve been writing the first chapter of that and am almost done but med school got weird and my mental health took a dive and COVID-19 happened and blah, blah, blah. Bonus points if you know exactly what reality show Leah is talking about! Any and all comments are greatly appreciated, and I hope you’re all staying safe and healthy 💗

Permanent tag list: @furiouscloddonutpeanut​ @inlovewithrebels​ @mistressofspiesxenia​

Nightbound tag list: @saivilo​ 

Anything tag list: @samara-rani​ @god-save-the-keen​ @xxdangerouscapri15xx 

[propertyofnikkisthighs]

Sure Feels Right Ch. 5

I promise things will pick up. I just really want to lay the foundation for how these three come together

Taglist: @hllywdwhre, @xxkellsvixen19xx

Warnings: None really

2019

@LuxBeALady:Just wait till Kells drops this heat on y’all tonight 😈                                 \@machinggunkelly:They don’t want this smoke 😂😈

Colson was dropping “I Think I’m OKAY” tonight and Lux was excited to help promote it with him. It was one of her favorites off the new album and now she could publically boast about it. Getting to experience him making it with Yungblud had been a blast and she just had a feeling that this was gonna be the game changer for Colson. To top off her excitement, she was also getting a new tattoo tonight, but nobody else was aware of that. She had made up an excuse in order to get away from the boys saying she needed to run errands in the town they were in for the night. She loved them immensely, but their overbearing nature was making it difficult to get any alone time. She shook her head and sighed walking into the only shop she had been lucky enough to get into on short notice.

“Hello you must be Lux” The lady behind the counter said smiling and reaching to shake her hand. Lux took her hand and admired her features. She was cute with a pink flowy wig, steampunk goggles on her head, and a corset that pushed her chest into her throat.

“Yes I am. Thank you so much for fitting me in today” Lux smiled warmly.

“So let me show you what I have drawn up based on your description on the phone and we’ll go from there.” She lead her over to a table where she had drawn almost exactly what Lux had pictured in her head.

“Oh my gosh that’s perfect” Lux couldn’t believe she had gotten it right first try just from a phone conversation.

“Well awesome!” Let’s get you prepped and then we can get started on this sucker. My space is down the hall to the right.” She responded clasping her hands together clearly just as excited to have nailed the design.

“It’s gonna go on my left arm because I am right handed and I still need to be able to do things while it heals” Lux stated getting comfortable in the chair and resting her left arm palm up.

“Sounds good to me. Do you care if I play some music? I can’t stand the same 5 songs on the radio.” She asked plugging her phone into a little speaker.

“I would actually prefer that” Lux laughed and then laughed a little harder when the first song that played off the girl’s phone was “Hollywood Whore”. Lux couldn’t escape her boys even if she tried.

Colson was confused as to why he hadn’t seen or heard from Lux all damn day. He knew she said she had to go on a booze run for the bus and for backstage to pregame the concert with, but that usually didn’t take all day. He pulled out his phone to double check she hadn’t texted him and contemplated biting the bullet and texting her first. His mind must not have caught up with his hands because next thing he knew he was sending her a text message.

Colson: Where r u?

Lux: I ran away forever

Colson: Wait what!?

Lux: Chill. I’m kidding. Look

Lux sent a picture of her at the liquor store holding a bottle of Jameson kissing the label. Man was she cute. He couldn’t stop thinking about the night they had fallen asleep together out of his head. He was almost desperate to feel her embrace again. They would be staying at a hotel again tonight due to the fact that tomorrow was an off day and he hoped that she would stay in the hotel room with him again. He wanted to be able to hold her close against his chest this time and bury his face in her hair. Rubbing his hand down his face he groaned, he was so fucked.

Rook was drumming on his leg in anticipation, still after all these years of performing, he had pre-show anxiety. It disappeared the moment he would get on stage and normally Lux was there to help. She would distract him from the anxiety and he was sure she didn’t even know that she was doing it. Either by laying her head in his lap and forcing him to play with her hair, challenging him to a silly game of some sort, or just by talking to him about things that held her attention at the time. Rook hadn’t heard from her all day though and that was maybe increasing his anxiety a little bit. Colson and Ash said she had texted them at least once that day, but she hadn’t texted him?

“Hey whatcha thinking about?” Lux asked walking onto the bus with a few bags of alcohol and Colson trailing behind her with more bags.

“Uh nothing” His ears felt hot “Damn Lux this much alcohol should last us all tour.”

She fixed him with a devilish smile that he swears she learned from Colson. “You and I both know that that is not true”

“Hey what’s up with the bandage on your wrist?” Colson said going to grab her arm when she yanked it away from him.

“Nope no peeking until after the show” She scolded giving that same evil smirk.

“Wait is that for a tattoo?” Rook asked trying to get a peek

“I said after the show!” And that was that.

2017

“Come on it won’t be that bad!” Colson was trying to convince Lux to drink with him and the boys. She had only been working for Ash for 8 months and didn’t think it was appropriate. This was her first tour with them and she didn’t want to fuck it up.

“I can’t Kells. I gotta keep you guys in check” She sighed.

“What better way to keep a good eye on us than to party with us?” He was giving her the best puppy dog eyes that he could. Lux groaned and put her face in her hands. In the few months that she had worked for them she had learned that Kells had perfected the puppy dog eyes and he knew it.

“Fucking fine I will have a few drinks” She relented.

“Fuck yeah dude!” Kells and Rook high fived celebrating their small victory.

Lux was definitely not prepared for one of their parties. How did they fit so many women on a single bus? How were people navigating all of this? Why were Kells and Rook climbing the bus now? She was in way over her head here and was feeling slightly overwhelmed when she felt another shot being pressed into her hand by Slim, who was equally chaotic as the other boys just much more quiet. She eyed him suspiciously.

“Take the fucking shot pussy” Slim snickered and lifted his own shot into the air. Well while in Rome, Lux thought downing her own shot. Thank god she had the good sense to purchase extra tequila for tonight.

Lux was now feeling very warm despite there being less bodies on the bus in favor of going to party at a club. The tequila was making her giggly and outgoing laughing easily with the boys.

“You smoke?” Kells asked lighting what was probably at least his tenth joint in the last couple of hours.

“Uh yes, but not usually on the job” Lux slurred which caused her to frown. She needed to pull it together.

“Well tonight that changes” Kells smirked. “This is a drinking and smoking kind of job so you don’t need to act so responsible.”

“I would be stupid to turn down a joint from THE Machine Gun Kelly” Lux giggled thinking she was hilarious.

“Fucking yes!” Colson exclaimed “You’re EST fam now so get used to this shit.” Lux took the joint from him winking before taking a hit. She was feeling bold and confident with the liquid courage in her veins and did a perfect ghost. Kells was impressed by how well she did and how adorable she looked smoking his joint. He almost didn’t want to take it back and was kind of wishing they were the only two in the room.

“I have an idea.” Kells said taking the joint from her before taking a hit. Lux gave him a puzzled expression as he motioned for her to come closer. When she got in close enough distance he softly grabbed her chin and placed his mouth hovering over hers brushing their lips together. She opened her mouth and he released the smoke he was holding into hers as she inhaled. He leaned back and silently celebrated how red he had made her. Lux slowly exhaled the smoke afraid to let the moment pass too quickly.

“Thank you I think? For that?” Lux tried to joke and seem nonchalant, as if his mouth on her’s had not ignited a flame inside of her. She had something unreadable in her eyes that he wanted to know more about. He liked this girl and he was hoping that she wouldn’t be gone in a year’s time like all the other assistants that had come before her.

“Are you two going to stare at each other all fucking night? If so can you pass the joint so some of us can smoke it.” Rook said startling to two out of the staring contest they didn’t realize they had been having. Both faces turned red and Kells grumbled something under his breath before passing the joint to Rook.

Lux was stumbling through the bus trying to find her bunk again. She had woken up to pee, after being passed out for god knows how long, and everything was pitch black. She made her way from the bathroom and down the hall and felt the wall until she felt her bunk and climbed into her bed again. She must have forgotten how small these beds really were because she was barely in and already backed up against the wall. Not thinking twice about it she closed her eyes and was back asleep in no time.

Rook had been fucked up when he had gone to sleep, he knew that, but he was fairly certain that he had gone to bed by himself. He slowly cracked open his eyes to try to catch a glimpse of who was in bed with him wincing at the light shining into the bus. He saw a mess of dark hair across his pillow and he nearly had a heart attack. What was Lux doing in his bed? She rolled over and yawned before snuggling into his chest as he held his breath. Her eyelids snapped open and she looked up at Rook’s face. She gasped and jumped back so far she fell out of the bunk and landed on her butt. She was so fired she just knew it.

“What are you doing in my bunk? Oh god we didn’t fuck did we? I can not afford to lose this job” Lux was suddenly rambling still laying on the floor.

“First good morning. Second we did not fuck, I went to bed alone. And last, this is my bunk. Yours is across from mine” Rook laughed at her expense. She felt like such an idiot for fucking up that badly. She made a mental note that she would never party with the boys again.

[boneandfur]

Restless Farewell [N*FW][1/3]

Summary: Veronique goes to The City That Never Sleeps to recruit a thief, instead she meets a man with whom she can be ordinary with for just one night. But is he really who he seems? // Pairing: Niles Edison (Thief) x THM F!MC // Rating: EXPLICIT 18+ LEMON. By clicking on "read more", you are verifying that you are old enough to be reading this fic. // Words: 2935 // Notes: this is the precursor to the sneak peek I posted. It is canon-divergent in some places, although it sticks to the canon story-line as much as possible The first fic in this series takes place in NYC, the night before MC and Rye meet with Niles Edison aka Eddie Quick in Washington Square Park. I HC the MC to be in their 30s and Edison to be late 40s. It’s full of angst and smut. If you like those two things, proceed! Lyrics are from the song Restless Farewell by Bob Dylan.

Chapter One

New York City is full of ghosts. 

The first time Veronique, once known as Alaïs Dègas Lionheart, came to the City That Never Sleeps, she was just five years old. She dreams of it, sometimes: Times Square in winter, ice skates and hot chocolate, her mother dripping with rubies and diamonds, a sheik's ransom. The Nutcracker Ballet, sugar plums and chocolate mice, her father carrying her on his shoulders to the castle in Central Park, a fairy tale of turrets and stained glass windows.  

And there are other memories too, darker ones, the kind a child doesn't understand, the kind an adult pushes away. Suitcases of gold bouillon, walking in on her father throwing handfuls of cash in the air as her mother lies on the bed, her mother's bruised eyes and bloody mouth. I walked into a door, ma petit. It was very silly of me. 

Yes, the city is full of ghosts tonight. 

Veronique walks down the city streets without really looking around, yet somehow her feet seem to know where they are going. She passes Times Square in a blur of color and light, Chinatown, with joss paper in the shop windows, botanicas in the Bronx full of colored saint's candles and Santa Muerte, until she is somewhere near Central Park, standing on the path to the castle.

The leaves whisper in the night, their music borne by the wind. Shhh, shhh. She can hear the song in her head that her father used to whistle as he counted stacks of cash, his blazing head bent in concentration. 

"Oh, all the money that in my whole life I did spend / Be it mine right or wrongfully / I let it slip gladly to friends / To tie up the time most forcefully..." 

"Daddy?" Veronique whispers, and only the leaves whisper back. Shhh, shhhh. 

She forgets she is a criminal mastermind, she forgets she is a thief. She forgets about heists in Monaco, and men with cold, flat eyes who stare at you as they kiss the mouths of their guns. She forgets about Rye, the man she loves like a brother, sleeping like a blameless man back at the hotel before their flight in the morning. There is only Alaïs, the Little Robber Princess, and a man's scratchy voice, singing a poet's song. 

"But the bottles are done / We've killed each one / And the table's full and overflowed / And the corner sign / Says it's closing time / So I'll bid farewell and be down the road... "

In the lamplight, the hair is fox-red, and Veronique runs. The man continues down the path, still singing softly. Her hand skims his shoulder, and he turns around. "Daddy?" But it is a stranger's face, craggy and rough and wrong, one eye sewn shut, the other blue as river glass. There is something cunning and strangely hungry in the man's eyes, under the lamplight they flicker for a moment, and Veronique realizes how far she is from the crowds, unable to disappear in plain sight. 

Veronique spins on her heel, and runs. Down the path, into the dark forest ramble, branches scraping her arms. She comes out on a well-lit path of cobblestones, with no sign of the man behind her. Despite her sigh of relief, she stills. She can feel someone, watching her from the dark. Waiting. A beat, and Veronique spins around, whipping her fists up, but the inky shadows remain still, seething with the secrets of the night. 

•••

Three city blocks later, she hasn't lost her tail. She wonders, for a moment, if it's one of the Rooks following her, but brushes the thought away almost as instantly as it comes. They wouldn't be so amateur. 

"Lionheart." That name, the name no one living should know. 

Veronique bolts down the nearest alleyway, and bursts out the other side, her lungs burning, just in time to see a black Lincoln with its lights turned off pull up to the curb. The window rolls down, and the long muzzle of a Berretta points straight at her. 

Time stills, and her mind goes blank. Lionheart. The last time she saw the two of them, it was snowing in the mountains, the sky a dusky purple from the ambient glow of the city. Her father had promised her a golden nightingale that would sing down the moon, and when her mother's lips brushed across her forehead, the little robber princess pretended to be fast asleep. 

"Get back!" Someone yanks Veronique by the wrist right back into the alleyway, hands braced on the brick wall over her head, body pressed up against hers, shielding her from harm. She is afraid to breathe, and all she can feel is his heart thundering against hers, under the cover of darkness. The Barretta aims, and fires, and Veronique bites back a scream as the bullet's impact rains down red brick dust on the pair of them. He grabs her hand, and whispers hoarsely, "Now!" 

Veronique doesn't look back, or up at the man pulling her through the shadows, until they are back in the well-lit streets of Times Square. She is shivering, she cannot seem to stop. Lionheart. That name. How could someone know it, after all these long lonely years? 

"Alright, luv?" The man turns around, looking down at her, and drops her hand in surprise. "Bloody hell, you're not who -- " he corrects himself "-- you're not what I was expecting." 

But who did you expect? Veronique finds herself staring up into the face of a handsome, distinguished older man with dark brown hair gone nearly gray and a trim beard, wearing a brown trench coat and a long dark red scarf. He whips off his glasses, rubbing them with his sleeve, and shoots her a charming smile. His eyes are malachite green behind his glasses, like the pendant she wears around her neck. 

There is something dangerous about this man, she thinks -- Something that could make or break an ordinary woman. He holds out his hand to shake. 

"The name's Eddie." 

She pushes a swath of golden hair behind one ear, and smiles. "Hey." 

•••

"You look as though you could use a proper drink. I know I could." Eddie shakes his head in disbelief. "You almost gave me a heart attack back there. Christ! I thought --" but he bites back whatever it is he was about to say. 

She's still shaking from adrenaline, her skin buzzing, and she realizes they are so close that they could touch, if they wanted. She wants him to touch her, she realizes. To just feel like an ordinary woman for one night, instead of one who can make or break a man. But she doesn't move away. "A drink sounds fantastic. I'm --" Alaïs. It's on the tip of her tongue, and she wonders, for a brief, unguarded moment, what it would be like to be herself with a stranger, just for one night. "Alaïs." 

He raises his brows, giving her an obvious once-over, eyes lingering in appreciation on her legs and breasts. "That's a lovely name -- Alaïs. She was the mistress of Henry the Second." He clears his throat, the distance between them fixed, neither making any move to go off and search for the promised drinks. And then his lips are on hers, the sound of the city falling away in his searing kiss. Her heart rate speeds up, adrenaline pumping through her veins as the kiss deepens, his tongue hot in her mouth as his hands encircle her hips, pulling her flush up against his broad chest. 

When they pull apart, Eddie smiles down at her, so softly that Veronique feels her insides fall apart. "How about that drink, then? I know a place..." 

•••

The hotel bar is well-appointed, with dark, heavy pre-war furnishings, a relic of a time gone by. They sit at the bar, their knees not quite touching, the air between them heady, thick with desire. Eddie levels a wink at her, and catches the eye of the bartender. 

"What'll you have?" Carter, his name tag reads, gold leaf on black plastic. He's blonde, good looking in that slick, clean cut way, and his smile is practiced, white and fake. 

"I'll take an Old Fashioned. And for the lady, a gin and tonic, I think. Make sure it's top shelf, proper gin, none of that shoddy Bombay." Eddie pushes a strand of hair behind her ear, dark green gaze locked on hers for a moment. "Did I get it right, then?" 

Veronique drops her eyes, then looks up at him from under her lashes. "Make it a gin fizzy." 

Eddie hums in approval. "A bird of refined tastes, you are." 

"Citrus Pay, sir, if you'd like to open a tab?" Carter returns with the drinks, bringing out a tablet, and Eddie recoils, a look of disgust crossing his features. 

"I don't go in for none of that bloody newfangled garbage. Cold hard cash, that's what we paid with back in my --" 

Carter rolls his eyes. "Very well, sir. Some of our older guests prefer to pay the old fashioned way, if that's what you prefer." He slides the Old Fashioned towards Eddie, mouth trembling as he tries to hide his amusement. "And for the lady, a Tanqueray gin fizzy, garnished with a fair-trade organic lime wedge, raw unrefined pink turbindo sugar on the rim, hand ground and imported from --" 

Eddie rolls his eyes. "You're not on the pull, mate, you're just serving the lady a drink. No need to slather it on." 

Carter rolls his eyes. "Very well, sir. Signal me if you need another, Old Fashioned." 

Veronique plucks at Eddie's sleeve before he can give the bartender a piece of his mind. She nods to a low-lit booth with a chessboard. "Care to place a wager?" 

Eddie's eyes light up in appreciation at the swing in her hips as she brushes past him, his eyes raking her up and down. "As long as it doesn't involve any of that bloody modern claptrap, I'm all in, luv." 

•••

"Lady's choice." Eddie sets up the board so fast that her head spins. His knees brush hers under the table, and her pulse speeds up erratically, craving each seemingly innocuous touch. "Black or white?" 

His hand lifts the hem of her skirt, caressing her just above the knee. Not so innocent after all. "Black." 

He raises a brow, sipping his drink thoughtfully. "A lady who likes to live dangerously, I see." Surveying the chess board, he moves a white pawn two spaces. "And I suppose this wager of yours is dangerous too?" 

Veronique takes a slow sip of her gin fizzy, seductively licking the foam off her lips, and watches as his pupils enlarge. "You'll have to play the game to find out." 

Eddie inhales sharply as she scoots to the very edge of the seat, parting her legs and moving his hand further up her thigh. "Oh, I intend to." His eyes are locked on hers as she mirrors his move, pawn before the king going two spaces forward. He moves another pawn two spaces forward. "So what brings you to New York, Alaïs -- business or pleasure?" His hand slides up her thigh. 

Alaïs. The name gives her heart a funny little twist, and she realizes she hasn't heard it spoken aloud by another person for almost thirty years. "I could ask you the same thing." Veronique plays with the malachite pendant around her neck, drawing his eyes to her cleavage. "But tonight... It's pleasure." 

Eddie is fighting back a smile. "Are all American birds these days as cheeky as you?" 

Veronique leans forward, long blonde hair brushing the chessboard, and asks in a husky whisper, "And just how long has it been since you've been in New York City?" 

He leans forward, their faces mere inches apart, his lips brushing against her ear, the sound of his English accent making her throb between the legs, like the beat of her heart, aching, wanting. "Too goddamned long enough." 

She turns her cheek, and his lips ghost across hers, the sensation of his stubble on her flesh causing her to inhale sharply, a tiny, yearning moan escaping her. "Eddie." 

He leans back, but his gaze never leaves hers. "You're not bloody cheeky, luv, you're downright dangerous." 

That I am. She thinks of the malachite pendant around her neck, sharpened to a point. 

All thieves live by a code of honor, my little robber princess, her father's voice whispers down the years. Never kill a man just to kill him, for it will always come back to haunt you. But if you need a friend, this stone is your best bet. Lick it and stick it, it'll work like a charm. Keep it close, and it may save your life. But I hope to hell that day never comes. 

Instead of answering, Veronique pulls Eddie's hand right to the apex of her thighs, hot and slick, craving his touch; and with her other hand, makes a move on the board, leaving her queen open. 

His fingers brush the thin strip of fabric, feeling how wet she is. He growls, his voice dark and rough. "What's the wager? We never said."

"That we both win tonight." She slides backwards in the booth, away from his hand, her heart hammering like mad. She must be crazy, she must be foolish, but she doesn't care, she wants -- "Eddie." 

"Right, then." He drains his drink and then throws some cash on the table, holding out a hand. "Shall we?" 

•••

They've barely stepped into the elevator when Eddie spins her around, pressing her up against the wall in a hard kiss. His hands glide up her thighs, cupping her ass, and she rocks against him, moaning as his fingers skim over the damp fabric of her underwear with the lightest pressure, teasing her clit. 

Eddie grunts as Veronique bites his shoulder, and all of a sudden the elevator dings. They break apart, disheveled and erect in all the wrong places. Eddie adjusts his trousers as a dark-haired man with an arrogant look steps into the elevator, followed by a pixie-haired blonde girl who looks as though she's smelled something bad. 

"The ground floor, bellhop," the dark haired man says to Eddie with a peevish air, and turns to the girl. "I didn't know the Waldorf-Astoria was hiring riff-raff these days. I'll have to have a talk with the owner." 

"Oh, Uncle Antoine, don't be such a snob," the girl says. "Like... Oh. Em. Gee!"

"This is your stop, mate," Eddie says with a grimace, slamming the emergency stop button. "'Fraid the elevator's closed for maintenance." He shoulder checks Antoine on his way out, and pushes him and his niece from the elevator into the hall, the pair of them spluttering with indignation. "Stairs are that way, guv." 

"I'm leaving a one star review on Yel--" Antoine is cut off as the elevator door slides shut, and Eddie turns back to Veronique, a smug grin on his face. "Now, where were we?" 

She can't be sure, but when she's sure, she's sure. Eddie has just picked both their pockets. A dangerous man, indeed. 

"Right... here." She tugs on his hand, and notices that there's a slight indent on one of his fingers, where a ring used to be. He can't be married, she frets in her head. But she can't be bothered to worry about it for long, because when Eddie kisses her, firmer than the first time, it feels more meaningful, more right. Like calls to like. It only makes sense that it would take a thief to make her come tonight. 

Eddie's mouth on hers is hot, her nipples are aching for his touch and as he begins rolling one nipple between his fingers, her brain short-circuits and goes blank. There is only this -- his slow, measured kiss, stretching out the pleasurable sensations happening elsewhere in her body. There's the way he tastes, like brandy and citron, and the sound of his deep growl as his hand slides between her legs again. 

It takes her nearly a full minute to realize she's no longer wearing underwear. He must have stolen them. A rush of heat throbs between her thighs, and the sound of his fingers slipping in and out of her slick, wet folds causes the coil of heat to tighten inside of her, harder and harder, biting her bottom lip as his mouth moves down her neck, sucking and nibbling a path to her nipples. The door starts to open, and Eddie slams on the floor button with his free hand. 

"I can't tell you how goddamned beautiful you are," he whispers into her ear. "Because words can't express it." 

Veronique is panting now, unable to catch her breath, and when he swirls his fingers rapidly over her clit, she comes hard and fierce, right then and there. 

"Eddie! Oh, fuck!" Veronique's hips buck uncontrollably, riding the intense wave of her orgasm. He sucks one nipple into his mouth and she screams his name, her legs nearly giving way as she collapses against him, his mouth claiming hers in a hard, possessive kiss. 

"Let's get you to bed, luv." Eddie strokes her cheek with the back of his hand. "Because I plan to shag you until you can't walk for a week." 

"Hurry," she moans.

She's never seen a man slam the elevator buttons so fast in her life. 

•••

Tag list will be in comments section since they seem to only work half the time.

[ellanainthetardis]

Hey after yesterday's prompt, I wonder if you would consider writing something where Finnick sees Effie in her underwear and how the situation would be totally different. Haymitch's reaction probably as well. :D

Here you go! Some steamy crack to start the week! [x]

Aphrodisiacs

Haymitch watched the boy movehis rook with a quiet sigh of despair. He had been trying to teach Finnick howto be a decent chess-player for two solid years now but the kid wasn’t anatural at it. Four’s victor wasn’t as hopeless at the game as his escort wasbut it was a close thing.

“Not good?” Finnick winced.

“Think it through.” Haymitchrebuked, making a grab for his glass only to realize it was empty. He hauledhimself off the couch and made his way to the liquor cart in the corner of thepenthouse’s living-room, sparing a quick glance for the city lights spillingfrom the bay window. Even in the middle of the night, the Capitol’s sky waspolluted by neon beams and flashing lights. “You’ve got to anticipate youropponent’s next move, boy.”

He poured himself some whiskey,not offering the eighteen year-old kid a refill because he didn’t really fancygetting scolded by Mags in the morning.

“I’m trying.” Finnick grumbled,taking his rook back to its original place to study the chessboard.

Haymitch rubbed his face andglanced at the clock, not surprised to find it was well past one in themorning. On the muted TV, the live feed of the arena was still going strong. Caesar’sface was in the bottom left corner as he commented the action, tangible proofin Haymitch’s opinion that they expected the Sixty-ninth Hunger Games to get avictor tonight. Caesar only appeared at night if the Gamemakers were suresomething interesting would happen. Two and Three still had all their tributesand the Career pack was currently hunting the boy from Six. Once they wouldhave taken him down, Haymitch figured it would be a second bloodbath, the kindof finale the Capitol loved.

The elevator chimed not longafter he had taken back his seat and Finnick had finally decided to move hisknight instead. Bold move. Stupid but bold. The trap was obvious and clumsy toHaymitch’s eyes but the fact that the kid was trying to set traps at all wasalready improvement.

“Haymitch?” Effie’s shrill voicecalled from the hallway, loud enough to wake the dead.

He rolled his eyes. What if hehad been asleep? Would she just have come storming in like a banshee and wokenhim up? Who was he kidding? Of course,she would have.

“Still kicking!” he shouted backbecause she had been reluctant to leave him to his own devices as if he were a child who needed a babysitter and nota grown man. “And what do you know! The Center’s still standing!”

He didn’t get an answer to thatvery clever retort. Finnick was watching him with a small grin, his green eyessparkling in amusement even as he tossed a few glances over his shoulder,waiting for Twelve’s escort to appear. She never did so Haymitch figured shehad gone to bed.

A whole night of partying withher silly friends for whoever’s birthday… She was probably exhausted.

He snorted.

Finnick lifted his eyebrows in asilent question that he waved away. With Effie Trinket, some things were betterleft unexplained.

They didn’t talk much during thenext minutes, Haymitch patiently lured Finnick in the web he had startedweaving since his very first move while avoiding his trap, making the boy sighin irritation. He was about to call checkmate when he heard the clicking ofheels in the corridor…

“Oh, Haymitch…” Effie sing-sang. “I have a surprise for you…”

He knew that tone and he guessed something terrible was about tohappen seconds before she appeared on the living-room’s threshold in all theglory of a pink and black corset bodice complete with ribbon suspenders,stockings and ridiculously high heels.

Finnick gaped.  And stared.

Haymitch bolted out of thearmchair and to her before he could think it through, confused by her own lackof reaction. She was just standing there, staring back, not making any move tocover herself or retreat to the safety of the corridor…

Now, let’s be honest, that wasthe kind of surprises he would have lovedif he had been alone.

The way the kid’s gaze wasroaming on her though? He didn’t love that so much. And he loved it even lessknowing Finnick had had a crush on her forever and that he would probably havevery wet dream that night.

“You mind?” he spat at the boy,trying to shield her with his body, shoving her back toward the corridor.

She was still strangely unresponsiveand it wasn’t until he took a good look at her that he realized why.

She was torched.

She reeked of tequila, her eyeswere glassy and she wasn’t so steady on her legs. She grabbed his arms with ahurt look on her face.

“Don’t you like my surprise?”she whined, her lips wobbling.

That was a drunk Effie for you.She went from complete happiness to total despair in the remarkable space oftwo seconds.

“You get that Finnick’s here,yeah?” he growled. “You remember I told you we were gonna play chess tonight?You need glasses or what?”

She blinked and peered over hisshoulder. “Oh… Yes, he is. How rude of me. Hello, Finnick, dear!”

Finnick was still speechless andcould only wave at her.

Haymitch spared him a glare.“You’re gonna pick that jaw off the floor any time soon, boy?”

Four’s victor blinked, clearedhis throat and finally realized whyhe shouldn’t be staring. The kid flushed bright red and looked around until hiseyes fell on the jacket Haymitch had discarded earlier. He grabbed it andcrossed the distance to hand it to Twelve’s victor. “Here.”

Haymitch snatched it from hishand and wrapped it around Effie’s body but it didn’t do much to hide… Well…Everything was pretty much on display. He supposed it was a small mercy she waswearing lingerie at all, she could have come barging in naked.

“You should pay attention tome.” Effie pouted, tossing her arms around his neck. “I want you to payattention to me.”

“Oh, I’m paying attention.” hescoffed. “Everyone’s paying attention.”

“Is Finnick leaving soon?” shepurred, nuzzling his check before playfully biting down on his earlobe. “I wantyou to play with me now. Not chessthough. Chess is boring. I want fun. I want…”

“Yeah.” he cut her off beforeshe could say something they would never be able to take back. He wasn’t surehow he was going to keep hearty denials that he wasn’t sleeping with her after that. The tips of his ears were red –and so was the back of his neck, he was pretty sure.

Finnick was equally crimson.“I’m going to go now.”

“She’s drunk.” he tried toargue. “She doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

“Sure.” the boy grinned but itturned to a small wince when Effie tangled a hand in Haymitch’s hair andforced  his head to the side to lick hisneck all the way up.

Haymitch almost choked because…“How many fucking bottles did youdrink?”

“A lot.” she hummed. “And there were those cocktails too… They aresupposed to get you… In the mood. Idrank a lot of those.”

“No kidding.” he deadpanned.

“Alright, I’m off.” Finnickinsisted, jamming the elevator button with his finger. He actually looked a bitspooked now, like he didn’t trust Effie not to have his way with Haymitch withhim standing right there and Haymitch wasn’t sure he was wrong to worry.

He waited until the boy was goneto push her away from him. She whined and immediately tried to sneak closeragain.

“Those cocktails… What the fuck are they?” he frowned.

“Aphrodisiacs.” she hummed. “Ididn’t really want them but Dawn kept buying them for me and it would have beenrude not to drink them. I liked the tequila shots better.”

“Dawn.” he repeated. “Who’sDawn?”

“A girl I used to hook up with.”she dismissed, shrugging off his jacket. And fuck but that corset bodice thing looked good on her. Now that Finnick was gone and he was finally able toappreciate it… His pants suddenly felt tight. “I think she really wanted meto go home with her.” she continued, her fingers traveling down his chest andthen back up. When she started toying with the buttons of his shirt, he didn’tstop her. “I really wanted you to fuck me though.”

“She drugged you?” he growled – because woman or not, there would behell to pay about that.

She stopped unbuttoning hisshirt to look up at him with a confused look, clearly trying to understand thequestion. “Do not be preposterous.” She slurred that last word slowly anduncertainly. “It is just a cocktail. Perfectly harmless. The tequila is thereal devil.”

She managed to get his shirtopen with a content sigh and pushed it off his shoulders, apparently not caringit remained stuck around his arms since he was still holding her at a safedistance. Well, probably not that safe given that her nails were scratching hisnipple.

“Effie.” he grumbled, trying tohold her further away but she whined and bit down on her bottom lip in aridiculously endearing pout. “You get you just made a pass at me in front of Finnick, yeah? You just stood therehalf-naked in front of the boy and you didn’t even care. Don’t tell me you’re in your right mind.”

She blinked and blinked again,looking upset now. “It is not myfault.”

“Didn’t say it was…” he cuthimself off and shook his head. “Okay. Bed. You need to sleep this off.”

“Bed, yes.” she beamed, suddenly happy again.

He hated when she was wasted.It was much easier being the one completely drunk than being the one takingcare of them.

“Your bed.” he clarified.

“Of course.” she chuckled andthen wrinkled her nose. “Your room is a mess.”

“I’m not fucking you when you’re like this.” he insisted. He stoppedfighting to keep her at bay but just because it was easier to steer her in thedirection of her bedroom when she was snuggled close against him.

“But I thought you would likeit.” she complained, looking down at herself and running her hand on thefabric.

“Oh, I like it” he muttered.“Bet the boy liked it too. The little shitcouldn’t take his eyes off you.”

“Language.” She clucked hertongue but she did sound a little put out. She wrapped her arms around his neckagain, making it hard for him to maneuver. He grabbed her waist and she justhopped on like it was perfectly fine for her to lock her legs around his hipson a whim. Her giggles were loud in his ear. “See? I knew you wanted me.”

“When don’t I?” he snorted,hoping she wouldn’t remember any of this in the morning. Not that he would lether forget the main events though. He would take great delight in making fun ofher and embarrassing her.

He managed to get to her roomand tried to drop her on the bed but she refused to let go of him. She was likean octopus and the things her mouth was doing to his neck shouldn’t have beenallowed because it made it really hard to think.Fuck, but she had him throbbing forher and she hadn’t even properly touched him yet.

“What’s in those aphrodisiaccocktails?” he grumbled.

“Ginger and ale and a lightrecreational drug.” she hummed. “It is all quiteharmless. They are pink with golden specks. Very pretty.”  

“Can’t believe you would bestupid enough to drink that.” he snapped,sitting down on the bed because it was the only way he could think of gettingher off him. She didn’t move out of his lap though. She seemed content to rubherself on him. He clenched his jaw but let her because… Well, fuck, he didn’t have a good reason. He knewshe wasn’t really herself and it was wrong but she was begging him and it wasn’t like they were strangers who had neverslept together before. Besides, she looked like she was in heat and he kind ofhoped if she got it out of her system she would be… a little less high. “Fuck, Effie…”

He groaned and dropped hisforehead on her shoulder because the rhythm she had going… It was good. He was going to come in his pantslike a teenager but it was all so good.

It clearly wasn’t working outthat well for her though because she sneaked a hand between their bodies.

She was touching herself, itwasn’t taking advantage if she was the one doing it… He kept telling himselfthat, not sure it was right, not sure it was okay… He was pretty sure theywould have an explanation the next day anyway so…

“I did not want to sleep withDawn.” she insisted, a little short of breath. “I am strictly into penisesthose days. Yours to be specific.” She laughed. “Isn’t it funny? I am Haymitchoriented…”

“Shit.” he spat and he just… He gave up.  He flopped on his back and he watched herhump him and get herself closer and closer to the climax she wanted, onlybatting her hands away when she tried to open his pants. She came with a sharplittle cry and he knew, just at the sound, that it wasn’t a good orgasm but shedropped on his chest anyway and nestled there like a content cat, leaving himto close his eyes and clench his jaw because of the hard-on nothing wasstimulating anymore. It took a very longtime before his erection disappeared and it wasn’t helped in anyway by thewoman napping on his body.

He found himself petting thepink wig, fighting off sleep. He tried to move her at some point but shestarted grumbling and holding him tighter and he decided it was safer to haveher asleep on top of him rather than in that sort of mood again so he just… drifted off.

He woke up to pained groans anda series of muttered obscenities he wasn’t aware she knew. Her familiar weightwas still on top of him but they had shifted at some point and now most of herlower body was framed by his spread legs – not his most glorious position. Shehad been using his stomach as a pillow and she had her face pressed against thescar on his side – not in a let me wake youup with sex way either.

“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” he teased.“Nasty headache?”

She groaned again and tried tocurl up which ended up with her knees propped on his right one and her torsoweighting down on parts of him that liked her to be pressed upon them. She was a little heavy for such a delicate area though and he pulled herup higher. She immediately hid her face in the crook of his neck and it tookhim a second to realize her problem was the light spilling from the windowbecause nobody had bothered pulling the curtains closed.

“Haymitch, there is an elephantpounding on my head.” she whined. “Make it stop.”

“Sorry, no can’t do. That’s whathappens to naughty girls who take drugs.” he mocked, not bothering to hide hisirritation.

“What are you on about?” shemuttered and then she winced. “Oh, the aphrodisiacs… They are perfectly…” Andthen she stopped and lifted her head, squinting at him because of the sunlight.“Did I truly walk around wearing…”

“Yeah.” he confirmed.

“In front of Finnick?” she insisted, lookingpanicked.

“Oh, yeah.” he shrugged.  “Lickedmy neck too.”

She shut her eyes tight andpressed her face against his shoulder with a disgruntled noise. “I am never drinking again.” She peeked up athim briefly. “Did I come on you?”

“Yeah.” he said but he was a bithesitant, not sure if she was going to be angry about that or not. She hadn’texactly been in any state to consent to anything and he didn’t want to be that asshole.

“You didn’t…” She let her sentence trail off.

“No.” he winced.

“Oh.” she breathed out and thennuzzled his shoulder. “I owe you one then but later if it is alright with you. Right now I feel like dying.”

“You’re not mad, then?” heasked, knowing he should have quitted while he was ahead.

“Mad?” she repeated. “Why wouldI be mad? You took care of me. If either of us should be mad, it shouldprobably be you.”

“I’m mad.” he scowled. “I don’t like you taking drugs. The state youwere in… Anyone could have done anything to you and you’d have probably thanked them too.”

She pursed her lips. “I was not that far gone. Just… uninhibited. My uninhibited self verymuch wants you as it turns out. Poor Dawn was very disappointed.”

“I bet.” he scoffed, coiling ahand around her nape. “Finnickwasn’t, let me tell you.”

“Oh dear.” she groaned againsthis skin. Then she grew very still and she bolted out of the bed and into thebathroom. The door slammed shut mere seconds before he heard the unmistakablesounds of retching.

“Hope you learn your lesson!” hetaunted, comfortable in his hypocrisy. “It’s never fun the next morning!”

[littleleighxo]

2/28/2021, Sunday Late Evening Thoughts 🌺

Happy Sunday Everyone!, How is everyone doing? Hope you all are doing ok & feeling good. Can you imagine, today is the last day of February!? Neither can I! Tomorrow will be March first, like my late grandma used to say “March goes in like a Lion & out like a lamb”. The ideal weather lore to describe March. On March 20th, is the first day of spring! Finally! Spring is one of my favorite seasons aside from autumn. March is Women’s History Month. Though every month, should be Women’s History Month. Having a strong female lead is SO important, Its somebody who you look up to & idolize. My strong female leads totally has to be Jacqueline Laurita, who is one of my greatest friends ever! For almost 5 years, this coming July. Plus Kamala Harris, who is our first ever female Vice President. 2021, is the year of the female, cause the future is definitely female. Loving this quote by the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg “Feminism … I think the simplest explanation, and one that captures the idea, is a song that Marlo Thomas sang, 'Free to be You and Me.' Free to be, if you were a girl—doctor, lawyer, Indian chief. Anything you want to be. And if you’re a boy, and you like teaching, you like nursing, you would like to have a doll, that’s OK too. That notion that we should each be free to develop our own talents, whatever they may be, and not be held back by artificial barriers—manmade barriers, certainly not heaven sent." If you follow me on Twitter & Instagram, I changed my biography again. Of course I had to say that I am a proud feminist, cause I am. Still waiting on my Future Is Female mug, ordered it on Etsy. It’s just a white mug w/black cursive type set. Once it comes, I will definitely take a picture of it to post on my Instagram & Twitter, compared to my Facebook. Earlier today, I ordered a new barbell for my rook piercing, it’s rose gold & three tiny diamond studs on top, from Etsy. Love Etsy & love supporting small businesses’ too. Especially in the time of need, like in present day 2021. Tonight my family & I had dinner out again, cause my mom forgot to go to the produce market to pick up dinner. Lol! SO we ordered Chinese food, from Mr.Tang. Which always been an avid favorite of my mine & my family, for 20+ years. I had the sweet, spicy & savory orange beef with white rice. For about 2.5 hours I watched The Golden Girls, which my aunt had on DVR. I do have to admit, it’s SO funny & silly! Though it’s kinda outdated with the jokes, style of the clothing & things that was popular in the 80s. Tonight I am sipping on a hot cup of chamomile tea, like I do every night. Lovin it! It’s one of those things, that helps me relax. Loving the Yogi brand, highly do recommend it & SO worth the price too. Will be picking more up in the near future. Was going to listen to music, as I do this blog, to make time go by faster. But Sparkle is lounging out on my hoodie, where my headphones is in the pocket. She is living her very best of the best life ever, from being an indoor cat. This morning, I went back on my indoor cycle, for my morning cardio. Also used my Fitbit Inspire second edition. I feel like working out in the morning is a perfect way to get your heart pumping & blood flowing. Ideal way to wake the body up too. Working out is a great way to start the day & great self care too for me. Plus a great stress reliever too. Always puts my mind at ease too. I do feel it in my legs, ass, tail bone & stomach after every work out. No pain, No gain! I do listen to music as I work out too, it feels like I have an indoor Soul Cycle Studio in my own home lol! Today I listened to the Spice Girls, definitely a blast from the past. Felt like I was reliving the 90s all over again. I used to love to listen to their music growing up, as seen in my last blog post. If I had to pick my favorite album from them, I would definitely say Spice World! Still looking online, for the movie Spice World, SO I can stream it. I defiantly feel like I wrote a lot, like I always say in every single entry of my blogs. Keep the faith, be kind & subscribe. Much love!! 💕

[jemmasimmons]

You Give Love a Bad Name

Hello @invaderhogtwopointohno! I’m your terrible Secret Valentine. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to post your fic on ao3 because it just kept failing on me, but I will make a new (much nicer) post once it’s updated on there. For now, I’ve included the first two chapters of your fic under the cut! 

I’m sorry it’s not done yet, but I promise I will have it finalized over the next week or two. My idea just totally got away from me, but I have a lot of fun things planned. I’m working on making it as good for you as possible, and I promise there’s a lot more interesting stuff to come. I hope you enjoy it! 

Summary: Jyn Erso, in desperate need of money, ropes her best friend and roommate, Bodhi Rook, into pretending to be her boyfriend for a psych study. Problems arise, however, when she clashes with Cassian Andor, the PhD student leading the study. As she and Cassian get to know one another better, can her ruse stand the test? Will she want it to?

Prologue

Bodhi let out a relieved sigh as he settled into his spot on the couch, comfortably stretching out and wrapping his fleece blanket around him. Inhaling the warm scent of his mac and cheese, he leaned back into the cushions and pulled his computer onto his lap.

He only had a few moments of solitude and quiet before Jyn burst through the door, in a total disarray as usual; but, her features bright with excitement, which was considerably more rare. He stiffened at the sight of that gleam in her eye and grasped his bowl just a little more tightly, watching as she hurriedly shed her jacket. That expression on her face never boded well for his peace of mind, and he was really looking forward to a quiet dinner and binging Netflix tonight.

Maybe she had an idea she was going to privately pursue, he thought to himself optimistically.

“You’ll never guess what I just found!” She exclaimed, and that’s when his gaze dropped to the bright orange flyer clutched in her hand.

“I feel we’ve discussed how pyramid schemes work, Jyn,” Bodhi said, getting more and more reluctant to hear about this flyer by the minute. He could already feel his food getting cold.

She didn’t even take the time to roll her eyes at him or wave her hand dismissively, instead striding over with exuberant energy—without taking her shoes off, Bodhi noted ruefully—and slamming the flyer down on the table in front of him.

Despite himself, he peered over to look at it, examining the text.

          PARTICIPATE IN A STUDY WITH YOUR ROMANTIC PARTNER!                                      ****** $50 FOR 75 MIN*******   You and your romantic partner must be able to attend weekly lab sessions for at least a semester on the Columbia University Morningside Campus together.                            You will be paid $50 each per session.

                                       FOR DETAILS, CONTACT                                      c.andor@psych.columbia.edu

Bodhi looked up at Jyn, still not really understanding why she was so excited about it. Jyn didn’t have a boyfriend. Or girlfriend. Or any being that could remotely be considered a romantic partner. Why would this be any use to her?

“Um, Jyn? I don’t get it,” he admitted.

“Look at the money!” Jyn continued enthusiastically. “Fifty dollars a pop for doing basically nothing.”

“Yeah, ok. But I feel like you’re missing a pretty important element for this study. Can you guess what I’m referring to?” he jabbed sarcastically. He knew she was in deeper than he expected when his comment didn’t even phase her.

“Am I, though?” she asked, staring at him, eyes twinkling.

It took him a second, but the moment it hit him he immediately shook his head vigorously. “Oh no.” He even moved back from the flyer as much as he could on the couch. “No, no, no. Gross!”

“Excuse you!” she huffed, straightening now and crossing her arms. “I’m not that repellant.”

“Yeah, but you’re like my sister,” Bodhi whined. “How the hell am I supposed to pretend to be your boyfriend? Besides, we’d be faking it. Pretty sure that’s not the point of a research study.”

“I don’t care,” Jyn said harshly, picking up the flyer. “I could use $50 a week. My job pays shit and I need it. You know I do,” she finished, her tone much more quiet and serious. “I’m sure you could use it too,” she added hastily.

Bodhi clenched his jaw, trying to relieve the pressure tightening his chest. Though she wasn’t saying it, he knew exactly what she was going to use the money for: hiring that private investigator that was here the other week when she thought he wasn’t home.

He knew it was a lost cause, trying to find her father. The last time Bodhi had seen Galen was a year or so before Jyn even tracked him down. Bodhi had tried to help her, but every trace of the man was gone. He clearly didn’t want to be found.

But, watching her stare at the flyer, her fingers twisting her necklace absent-mindedly as she did, he knew he couldn’t take the opportunity away from her. She was already barely making things work between her job and school. He knew Jyn barely had any hope as it was; it wouldn’t be right to tear that last shred away from her too.

“Ok, yeah, fine.” Bodhi sighed, wondering how much he was going to regret this later. “But, let’s make a plan. If we’re going to be rogues and rip off some unsuspecting psych student, I don’t want to be caught with my pants down.”

The way her face fell demonstrated that she had definitely not thought it through that far. Oh Jyn.

CHAPTER 1

 Jyn was sprinting up the steps out of the subway two at a time when her phone vibrated in her pocket.

don’t be late! It read. She could practically hear Bodhi’s irritation at her constant tardiness through the text. anyway, my intake went fine :) i stuck to our story. good luck!

Im not late!!! She replied, though she was already five minutes behind schedule. Im waiting in the room.

what does it look like?

Jyn practically growled as she began to text her indignant reply, sprinting across the Columbia University campus to the building. She would show him exactly what it looked like. Engrossed in her back and forth with Bodhi, she didn’t see some guy turning the corner, and she slammed into him headfirst.

Their bodies colliding painfully, and they both toppled to the ground, Jyn landing in a heap on top of him. A string of what she suspected were Spanish curses spilled out from underneath her. Turning her head towards the sound in her daze, she was suddenly face to face with a very irate—but very beautiful—man. Jyn flushed deeply, scrambling to her feet and offering him her hand to get up.

He didn’t take it, clambering up on his own. It was then, she noted with a wince, that she’d also upended his coffee all over his nice, white collar shirt.

“Won’t you watch where you’re going?” he demanded angrily, his accent thick.

Jyn, who’d been ready to apologize, became extremely agitated instead. Who the hell did he think he was?

“And you were clearly paying a lot of fucking attention to where you were going, asshole!” she fired back, one of her hands balling into a fist instinctively. “Nice little bit of hypocrisy there.”

His eyes were wide with shock and anger. He opened his mouth to retort something, but clearly thinking better of it, turned away from her and stalked off, muttering under his breath.

Jyn felt a pang of guilt, but didn’t let it linger for too long. If he hadn’t been a jerk about it, she would have been nicer. His fault.

It would have been too much to hope for if he had left and gone another way, but, of course, he’d gone for the same exact door she was going for. Jyn clenched her teeth at his loud sigh and looked down as she followed him in, trying to not let the awkwardness throw her off. She had something to do here. And she needed to focus on that.

Still, she couldn’t help but wait a few moments for him to round the corner and disappear out of sight, and only then she proceeded to search for the lab.

She was fifteen minutes late by the time the receptionist was coldly taking down her information. Jyn just hoped she’d have more luck with the actual session when she finally got there. She hadn’t been thrilled by the idea of doing separate intakes, but she supposed she had to deal with the procedure if they were going to pull this off. It just worried her because that always made it harder to keep a story straight. Especially when Bodhi wasn’t a very good liar. She supposed they’d formulated things to not have to lie too much, but still.

All of those worries evaporated the moment she entered the session room, as they were replaced by a much stronger feeling: humiliation. Sitting in the chair, waiting for her, was none other than the very attractive Spanish-speaking asshole who she had knocked to the ground, coffee stains down his shirt and all, and then proceeded to cuss out.

His slacked jaw showed that he was clearly not expecting her to be here either.

She froze instinctively, preparing for the worst. He was going to kick her out of the study now, that much was for sure.  She wondered if he had some access to her medical records now, and could wreak havoc on those also. Worst case scenarios ran through her head as she tried to calculate her way out of this miserable situation, when he suddenly said something she hadn’t prepared herself for at all.

“I’m sorry,” he started quietly. “I didn’t mean to react rudely earlier. I was just caught by surprise.”

Jyn didn’t move for a moment, unsure of how to react in this situation. That wasn’t something she was used to—people apologizing. Especially not in situations where, now that she looked at it, she was clearly the one who’d been the true asshole.

“I’m sorry too,” she mumbled, looking down at her feet, suddenly very aware of how dusty her boots were. “I can go-”

“No no,” he told her, waving for her to sit down. “I should have watched where I was going as well. Regardless, this won’t interfere with our session. So please, take a seat and we’ll begin.”

Jyn nodded, dropping her messenger bag and plopping into the chair he’d directed her towards. It would be silly to think that he truly was apologetic, she now realized. Perhaps he was simply very low on qualifying romantic couples. She filed that depressing thought away for another time as he began to speak again.

“My name is Cassian Andor. I will be in charge of you and Mr. Rook’s study. The reason for this visit is so that I can assess you and your partner individually, so that I can get a better sense of the route we’ll be taking in terms of compatibility exercises. As this study aims to examine the efficacy of preventative solutions for problems in romantic relationships, your honesty is paramount. Of course, the data we compile on you and your partner by the end of the study will be kept entirely confidential-”

“Wait,” Jyn interrupted him before she could help herself. “You’re studying how to keep people together?”

He shifted slightly, then nodded. “In the basics, yes.”

“Why?” Shit. She should just stop asking questions and play along.

“I beg your pardon?” he asked, though not unkindly. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, why study that? People are going to stay together or they aren’t. It’s an odds thing.”

“Do you really believe that?”

Jyn gulped, looking down to avoid his penetrating gaze. Not only was he distracting with his well-proportioned face, which she resented, but something about the way he looked at her made her feel incredibly vulnerable. This is why she hated psychologists.

“It’s not important,” she replied quietly. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. Could we go on to the questions you had?”

He nodded. “When was the last time you were in contact with your father?”

Jyn’s gaze snapped up to him in confusion and alarm. “What?!”

“On your entrance questionnaire,” Cassian said, “you indicated that your father was alive. But, you also noted that you had a foster father. Do you mind clarifying this all for me?”

Her face burned at the questions. She hadn’t wanted to involve either of them in this, but that’s what she got for wanting to participate in this. What shrink wasn’t going to bring up “daddy issues”? Jyn reached up unwittingly to find her necklace, twisting the crystal in her fingers.

“My father left when I was seven. My foster father left when I was fifteen. I’ve been on my own since then. I haven’t spoken to either since. I’m 22 now, you do the math.”

To her surprise and appreciation, Cassian didn’t look at her like she was a wounded baby deer. It was a look she knew too well. Every guy’s face got the expression down perfectly whenever he got some of her family history.

“What about your mother?” he simply followed up.

“She’s dead,” Jyn replied tersely.

Cassian nodded, jotting it down. When he finished he looked up. “I’m sorry,” he told her, his tone kind. He opened his mouth as if there was something he wanted to say next, but he shut it again.

After clearing his throat, he continued. “I appreciate your candor. Let’s move on to a few compatibility questions I had. Less difficult topics, hmm?” His lips quirked into a half-smile, clearly trying to make her feel better. A strange sensation in her stomach made her think that he probably shouldn’t be allowed to look that good while half-smirking, but she refocused her attention on his questions. He was still a shrink, and she still needed to be on alert and stick to what they agreed.

“Would you compromise your happiness for the success of the relationship?” he asked first.

Jyn raised her eyebrows. “That’s a weird question. Aren’t romantic relationships supposed to make you happy? So why would the success of the relationship be a compromise for your happiness?”

Cassian let out a frustrated exhale. “You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?” he asked.

She barely held back a smirk. Poor Cassian probably expected someone considerably more mild-mannered after doing an intake with Bodhi.

“Yeah, probably not,” she agreed with a shrug. If he hadn’t kicked her out for cussing him out earlier, he certainly wasn’t going to do it now.

He gave her a sharp look, then continued pointedly. “Well, let’s keep going, then. We only have 20 minutes left because of someone’s tardiness.” He glanced demonstratively at his papers. “Would you say that you value other people’s time?”

Jyn didn’t really believe that was an actual question he had, but humored him with a reply anyway. This was going to be a long semester, but she was going to make it through. She always did.