#was so happy to happen to pass by this place on a boat and to be able to walk around it

[gealachros]

After playing Signalis, walking through an Italian island cemetery was a religious experience

[itneverendshere]

LOVED YOU AT YOUR WORST - r.c series - TWO

pairings: ex!sweethearts; rafe x thornton!reader; rafe x sofia. chapter warnings: mentions of possible pregnancy, of abortion, of pregnancy risks & death. self-loathing. chapter one ┆ chapter three ┆ chapter four

You lied.

You didn’t take the tests the next day.

Or the next. You couldn’t. Every time you picked up one of the stupid boxes, your heart would drop to the pits of hell and your hands would start sweating. You’d shove it back in the drawer like it could disappear if you just ignored it hard enough.

Once you knew, you knew. 

There was no more pretending as if nothing happened.

No more pretending like you didn't care that Rafe moved on like he didn’t just dump you, with no real closure and ran to the next girl he found. 

Fuck, why did he have to look so happy that night? He got to be carefree, living his perfect little life with her, and you were there, sitting on the bathroom floor, too scared to even pee on a stick.

What if it was positive? Then what? The thought of seeing his name pop up on your phone after you blocked him, or worse, hearing her voice if she picked up...you’d rather die. He didn't deserve to know.

He didn't deserve anything from you anymore.

You started googling abortion clinics before you even touched the tests. You could afford it. That wasn’t even the issue.

You had more money than you knew what to do with. Your inheritance was just sitting there. You could book a flight tomorrow, pay for whatever procedure, whatever it took—fly out of state, out of the country, if you had to. 

But that wasn’t the point. It has never been about the money. It was the overwhelming shame. The fear. The realization that Rafe might have left you, but he was still there, stuck in your head, in your body, in your fucking life. Even when he wasn’t.  

He didn’t have to worry about any of this. He was most likely out on the boat, not even thinking about you. Not thinking about what he did to you. 

And you— you were left with this. Sitting on a bathroom floor for hours a day, trying to figure out how you were supposed to make a decision that changed everything.

You started looking up clinics again, scrolling through the options, but your mind was barely even there. It was legal in North Carolina for now, but you read something about the 12-week ban they passed in June, and suddenly you were spiraling one more time, wondering how much time you even had. 

Could you wait? Could you put it off like you’d been putting off the tests, like if you waited long enough, maybe the problem would just... disappear? Shit, wouldn’t that be easier?

You heard that voice in your head, the one that sounded like your mom, at least what you remembered from watching old videos.

It was depressing how life didn’t let you hold tightly to your memories sometimes. She always reminded you of the kind of person you were supposed to be. The type of girl who had her shit together. The type of girl who didn’t get herself into situations like this, in the first place.

But instead, you were the girl who lost everything—the life you were supposed to have—and somehow, you’d still found a way to screw up what was left.

You kept scrolling like you couldn’t stop.

One page led to another, and soon you weren’t just looking up clinics—you were looking up everything. 

What happened during the procedure, how long it took, the side effects, the complications. You read horror stories about infections, about women who thought it was over and then bled for weeks, about people who changed their minds too late.

You even looked up what could happen if you didn’t get an abortion—what pregnancy could do to your body. And that was a whole other rabbit hole you didn’t need to go down. Your body changing, your hormones going insane. You thought about your boobs getting sore, your stomach stretching, the possibility of throwing up every morning, and it felt like your body was already betraying you. And then you read the serious stuff—gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, all these words you didn’t even know existed before that night. There was a minefield of things that could go wrong, things that would go wrong.

Complications. Risks. Dangers.

You read about women who almost died in labor. About miscarriages and stillbirths and the trauma of carrying a baby for months, only to lose it. You never even thought about that, how pregnancy wasn’t just this smooth, magical process people make it out to be. It was brutal. But you’d been the little sister, you never saw your mother go through it, or anyone for that matter.

Your younger cousin, Topper the bitching backstabber, had been born and raised in Los Angeles before he moved to Figure 8 when he was five. 

You were terrified—not just of being pregnant, but of what it meant to stay pregnant. Would your body even handle it? You’d always lived off coffee and takeout half the time. An unreasonable amount of parties. Too many drinks some nights.

You weren’t exactly the picture of health. What if you weren’t strong enough? What if something went wrong, and you ended up in a hospital bed, alone, because Rafe sure as fuck wouldn’t be there. It was just you.

For a second there, you thought you might pass out.

You’d thrown your phone across the room, it hit the wall with a thud, but it didn’t help. The anxiety was still there, vibrating under your skin, making you want to scream. You glanced at the bathroom drawer again, where the pregnancy tests were hidden like some cursed thing.

Maybe you should’ve just taken one.

Rip off the bandaid.

The stupid phone rang, like was having fun pissing you off, vibrating on the floor where you’d thrown it. You stared at it for a second, debating if you should even pick it up. You didn’t feel like dealing with anyone, especially not whoever was about to ask something from you.

But it kept ringing, and of course, it was a number you recognized—Lily, one of the coordinators from your dad’s foundation. Shit. You forgot about the gala. Again. The one that was happening in two freaking days, the one you haven’t even thought about preparing for.

You swiped to answer, “Yeah?”

“Hey, I didn’t want to bother you, but we need to go over the final details for the gala,” She greeted you, sounding way too perky for how you were feeling. “I really need your input on the seating arrangements, and the auction items, and—”

It hit you just how ironic this was. You were sitting here, freaking out about being possibly pregnant, scrolling through nightmare stories about abortion and pregnancy complications, while Lily was talking about a fundraiser for children’s health. Kids. It felt like some twisted repulsive joke the universe was playing on you.

You blinked back into the conversation, realizing she still talking, and you hadn’t said a word. “Uh, yeah, sorry. I’ve been busy. Can you just handle it?” you muttered, feeling guilty but not enough to actually deal with any of it.

“I’ve already taken care of most things,” she said carefully, “but we really need your approval on the final guest list and the speech. You’re the face of the foundation, after all.”

The face of the foundation. The legacy your dad left you. It was supposed to be this huge responsibility. And it was. You’d always taken it seriously. The one thing in your life you never ruined. But this year, you hadn’t written the speech yet. Jesus, you forgot it was even happening. And the guest list? No clue.

You rubbed your forehead, “I’ll look at it later. Just send it over.”

Lily hesitated again, probably sensing that something was off, you'd always been a control freak. “Okay, I’ll email it to you. Just let me know by tomorrow, alright?”

“Yeah, sure.”

You hung up before she could add anything else, staring at the ceiling. One more thing. One more responsibility piled on top of everything else. You were drowning in all these expectations—being the good daughter to dead parents, the responsible one, the perfect kook girl who was supposed to have everything. You were supposed to be the girl who had the trust fund, the perfect life, the foundation that helped kids in need.

You earned to be her.

Your phone buzzed again, this time with an email notification. You rolled your eyes, already knowing it was from Lily. She’d sent over the guest list, and you groaned, thinking you’d skim it, give it a half-assed glance, and send it back. But as you scrolled down the names, you stopped.

Rafe Cameron.

Of course, he was going to be there. Why wouldn’t he? His family had been involved in your dad’s foundation for years. It was like you couldn’t escape him.

The fucking nerve. To your gala. Your blood boiled instantly, your fingers gripping the phone so tight you almost cracked the screen.

Fuck him. 

If he thought he could just show up and rub his new life in your face, he had another thing coming. Without thinking twice, you deleted his name, erasing him like he didn’t even exist. And then, without checking another name, you sent the list back to Lily.

You didn’t give a shit if it was petty. You didn’t care if it wasn’t professional.

If Rafe wanted to play games, you’d ruin his life if you had to. He thought he could fuck you over, leave you with all this—leave you with nothing? No. You weren’t going to let him have that power.

Not over this. Not over you.

You were shaking now, but it almost felt good. Even if it was just a stupid guest list. Let him find out when he got there and there was no table for him. No seat. No fucking room. 

You still sat there staring at the screen with that stupid blinking cursor. The email from Lily sat open in front of you, and somewhere buried in the list of attachments was the speech. Blank.

Your speech—the one you were supposed to read at the gala in two days. The one you hadn’t even started writing.

This was always the hardest part. Writing it. Saying it. You used to cry every time. Standing in front of all those people, talking about your dad, your family, how the foundation was this beautiful way of keeping their memory alive. It was never just a speech—it was like ripping your heart out of your chest and letting everyone see it, year after year. It never got easier.

But Rafe, used to be there with you.

Every year. He’d sit with you while you struggled through every word, telling you it was okay to take your time, reminding you that you didn’t have to do it if you didn’t want to. And when the gala came, he was always by your side, standing just off stage, waiting for you after the speech was done. You’d run into his arms, and he’d whisper that you 'did great baby', holding you until the room stopped spinning so much.

You could still hear his voice in your head sometimes, 'you’re stronger than you think'.

That’s what he always said, even when you didn’t believe it. He’d hold you, kiss your forehead, and make you feel like it was true, like you really could get through it. He was always so sure of you. But this year? He wasn’t going to be there. He’d stop believing the lies he fed you. You were angry. You were seething. You were utterly alone.

You’d been avoiding this moment—writing.

This time around, it wasn’t just about the speech. It was about the fact that when you walked out of that stage, you wouldn’t have him waiting for you.

You’d step down into nothingness, with no one to catch you.

Your fingers hovered over the screen, but they wouldn’t move. What were you even supposed to say this year? How were you supposed to stand up in front of all those people and talk about love and family and legacy when yours was shattered?

You hated looking at yourself in the mirror, feeling like you’d lost every single piece of who you used to be.

Fuck the speech. Fuck the gala. Fuck Rafe Cameron and his stupid lies, his stupid smile, his stupid promises that he never kept.  

If he thought you were weak, if he thought he could break you, if he thought you were the same girl who used to cling to him like he was the only thing keeping you together—he was wrong.

You were going to do this without him.

You were going to stand up there and give that speech, no matter how much it hurt. And if it killed you, so be it. You’d still do it.

Because unlike him, you didn’t just walk away from the things that mattered. Even if it tore you apart. Even if it was killing you to keep pretending like you were fine. You weren’t fine. But you’d fake it. You’d fake it until the whole world believed it. 

You’d barely hit send on the email when your phone rang again, and this time it wasn’t Lily.

It was Topper. You hadn’t talked to him since that night—the night. The party where you’d found out, where you’d seen Rafe and Sofia together for the first time. Where you realized that everyone knew.

How he’d called Rafe over, like you needed him to fix it, like he was still yours to rely on.

“What?”

“Hey…” Topper’s voice was cautious, “I, uh, I wanted to call and apologize for the other night.”

You snorted, leaning your head back against the wall. “Yeah? For what part? For calling Rafe like his little bitch or for getting in front of my car when I was trying to leave?”

“I didn’t mean to fuck things up. I was just trying to stop you from doing something stupid.”

“Like what?” you snapped. “Leaving the party? Getting out of there before I had to watch him with her for one more second? Yeah, Top, real dumb of me.”

“You almost ran me over,” Topper shot back, his voice rising just a little, like he was offended you hadn’t mentioned that part. “Kinda felt like maybe you weren’t thinking straight.”

“You jumped in front of the car you fucking idiot. What the hell did you expect me to do? Slam on the brakes and listen to whatever bullshit you and Rafe had to say? Because trust me, ’m all out of patience for either of you.”

There was a sigh on the other end, the sound of him trying to not to lose his patentience, like he was the one in the right here. Typical Topper. Always wanting to smooth things over, play peacemaker between you and Rafe, like this was just another fight you’d get over.

He never really got it.

“Look,” Your cousin started, calmer this time, “I didn’t mean to call him. I just thought—”

“You always think calling him will fix things,” you cut in, “Like he’s the answer to every problem I have. He’s not. Not anymore.”

“I get that,” He added quickly, like he was afraid you’d hang up. “But I didn’t know what else to do! You were upset, and I thought maybe—”

“Maybe what? That he could swoop in and save the day?” You let out a bitter laugh. “He’s not your golden boy, Top. He doesn’t fix anything. He ruins things.”

Topper went quiet for a second, probably trying to figure out how to respond without setting you off on an angry rant again. “I get it,” he said finally, “You’re pissed at him. You have every right to be. But I didn’t call him to hurt you, okay? I was worried about you.”

You hated how genuine he sounded, hated that he meant well. He was a nuisance half of the time, sure, but he wasn’t malicious. He never was. He just had terrible judgment. 

“Next time, don’t,” you muttered, rubbing a hand over your face. “I don’t need you playing little brother and calling him when things go wrong."

“I wasn’t trying to clean anything up,” Topper explained, a little defensive now. “I just didn’t want you driving like that. You were upset.”

You rolled your eyes. “Upset doesn’t mean I need you or Rafe deciding what’s best for me. I’m not a kid.”

“You’re not,” he agreed, “But you weren’t exactly in a great headspace, so yeah, I stopped you. I wasn’t gonna let you leave like that and end up in a ditch somewhere.”

It hurt like a bitch, because deep down, you knew Topper had a point.

You were having a meltdown, and he’d stepped in, like he always did when you went off the rails. That was the problem with him—he cared, even when you didn’t want him to. He was family, the only family you had left, and he was too loyal for his own good.

“You could’ve told me,” you confessed what had been upsetting you, your voice losing some of its initial attitude. “About them. Instead of letting me walk into that party blind.”

Topper sighed again, “I should’ve,” he admitted. “I didn’t want you to find out like that. But it wasn’t my place to say anything. And I didn’t want to make things worse.”

Your hand instinctively moved to cup your stomach. You didn’t even realize you were doing it at first, but the second your fingers touched your shirt, the earlier panic welled up inside you again. If he only knew how bad things were. How bad they could get. You yanked your hand away like you’d been burned, heart hammering against your ribs most painfully. There was no way you could even begin to explain what was going on inside your head—or your body.

Not to Topper. Not to anyone. If he knew, he’d freak and you didn’t need that right now.

You clenched your jaw, pushing yourself to focus on the conversation, on Topper still yammering on about apologies and guilt You shook your head, a bitter smile tugging at your lips. 

“Are you even listening?”

“Unfortunately,” You sounded apathetic even to yourself, fingers tapping against the phone, agitated. “Look, Top, I don’t have time for this right now. I’m busy.”

He sighed. “I know you’re pissed, okay? I get it. But the gala’s in, like, two days. You... you still going, right?”

“Of course I’m going,” you scowled, barely able to hide the bitterness in your voice. “I have to. It’s not like I can just dip out and pretend it’s not happening.”

Unlike some people, you thought, but you bit your tongue.

“Good, because I’ll be there too. And I—”

“Oh, joy,” you interrupted, “Another chance for you to babysit me and make sure I don’t make a scene? Can’t wait.”

“Jesus, I’m just trying to help!” Topper groaned. “I didn’t want to make things worse the other night. I—”

“Yeah. Whatever, I’ll see you at the gala.”

You hung up. You didn’t have the patience to deal with him right now. 

The day of the gala came faster than you thought it would.

It was like you blinked, and suddenly, you were standing in the middle of the venue, walking through final checks with Lily, nodding along as she rattled off details you barely absorbed.

The room was all glitz and glamour, with chandeliers dripping from the ceiling, and everything draped in the foundation’s signature gold and white. 

Crisp tablecloths. Flowers in perfect, elegant arrangements. Waiters in black-tie uniforms were circulating, making sure everything looked flawless. Flawless.

That word made you want to gag.

You moved through the space like a ghost, smiling at the right moments, giving half-hearted approvals when needed.  You didn’t care. People were running around, asking for your opinion on this or that. You���d stayed at the venue longer than planned, making sure everything was in order, but your mind was stuck in that floating-place. You wanted to burn the whole thing down, if you were being honest.

You should’ve called your doctor. Days ago. Hell, maybe weeks ago.

Making smart choices wasn’t your thing lately, was it?

When you finally slipped into the room where they’d set up your glam team, you just wanted to sleep. The room itself was a suite off to the side of the venue, a private space meant to make you feel like royalty.

A massive mirror ran across one wall, surrounded by soft, glowing lights. A table was set up with everything—hair tools, makeup brushes, palettes, serums. Bottles of champagne sat chilled in the corner, the condensation dripping down the glass, untouched. It was the kind of place you were supposed to feel special in.

Normally you did. But this year you were numb.

The stylist worked quietly on your hair, soft curls falling into place as she tugged and pinned each section with meticulous care. The makeup artist was dabbing foundation onto your skin, blending and contouring until you didn’t even recognize yourself in the mirror. The dress hung behind you, a shimmering white gown, custom-designed by Versace for the occasion.

You looked like you were stepping into one of those perfect, glamorous lives. But on the inside, you felt like you were going to lose it at any second. You nodded along, giving tight-lipped smiles when they complimented you, and then they finally left.

The room was dead silent now, just you and your reflection. You stood in front of the mirror, staring at yourself, the perfect curls, the glowy skin, the gown waiting behind you. It all felt wrong. It felt fake. You didn’t bear a resemblance to yourself.

You looked like the version of you that the world expected—the untouchable girl. A doll.

Your rifled through your bag for your phone, but instead, your fingers brushed something else. Cold, hard. 

You hadn’t even realized it was in there.

One of the pregnancy tests. You must’ve thrown it in without thinking earlier that morning when you were rushing out the door. You hadn’t even noticed it until now.

What the fuck were you doing?

You had a gala to host in less than an hour. People were going to be looking at you, waiting for you to give the speech, expecting you to hold everything together like always. And there you were, standing in a private dressing room, about to do something so monumentally stupid. Maybe it was the pressure of tonight, or maybe it was the anger you’d been shoving down for weeks, but suddenly, you didn’t care.

You were going to do it.

Without even thinking, you stormed into the bathroom. You were so fucking tired of avoiding this. Tired of pretending like everything was fine, like you were fine.

What the hell was fine about any of this? You tore open the box, hands trembling as you pulled out the test. The room was so quiet, you could hear every little sound—your breath still uneven, the rustle of your dress against the tiles, the click of the test cap as you flicked it off.

You sat down, staring at the stick in your hand. This was insane. You were insane. Who the fuck took a pregnancy test ten minutes before they’re supposed to host a charity gala? 

You couldn’t get a proper breath out as you waited, heart pounding so hard it felt like it might rip your chest open. You leaned against the sink, gripping the edge. Your stomach churned, the nausea rising again, and you had to close your eyes to stop the floor from spinning.

What if it was positive? What if it wasn’t?

You stared at the test, willing the result to appear, but it didn’t. Not yet. The little window stayed blank, as if taunting you, making you feel like you were losing your mind. You knew you had to wait longer. You weren’t stupid. You’d read those instructions a million times by now, but you hated waiting.

Hated not knowing.

You couldn’t take your eyes off the stupid little piece of plastic. Just one line or two. That was all it came down to. One fucking line or two, and your entire life would either fall apart or what? Be fine?

You glanced at the mirror, catching another glimpse of yourself, and it almost startled you—your eyes were wild. Desperate. They were the eyes of someone who was just about ready to do anything to get this over with. 

You tried to picture telling him again, but the idea alone made you sick. You thought of Sofia, of her perfect smile next to his, and bile rose in your throat. Your hands never stopped shaking. You wanted to run. You wanted to throw that thing in the garbage can and never stare at it again.

Your thoughts spun in circles, going nowhere, just making everything worse. The clock on your phone ticked louder and louder, and you knew—somewhere out there, everyone was getting ready. Guests were arriving. The gala would start soon, and they’d all be waiting for you. Watching you. Expecting you to be the poised, perfect version of yourself you’d spent your whole life pretending to be.

And you were in here, trying not to lose your fucking mind.

You peeked back at it. Still nothing.

No line. No answer.

It felt like you were suspended in time. You closed your eyes, gripping the sink harder, praying for it to end—something to happen, anything.

Then finally, you felt it in your chest—a heavy, sinking feeling, like the moment before a fall.

You opened your eyes. 

There it was.

TAGLIST: @maybankslover @october-baby25 @haruvalentine4321 @hopelesslydevoted2paige @rafebb @rafesbbyy @whytheylosttheirminds

@zyafics @astarlights @bruher @nosebeers @carrerascameron @serrendiipty @sunny1616

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@stoned-writer @justafangirls-blog-deactivated2

@starkeygirlposts @enjoymyloves @ijustwanttoreadlols @icaqttt

[ahgasegotarmy116]

Faking It | Jeon Jungkook | Chapter One

Summary: Being divorced by the time you're thirty isn't the best feeling in the world but what happens when your parents find someone from your past that's in a similar boat? Pairing: f!reader (30) x Single Dad Jungkook (33) (Arranged Marriage Slow Burn?) Word Count: 11.3k (oh man holy shit) Warnings: Troubles with conceiving/seeing pregnancies to full term, Jungkook's first wife passed away in childbirth. (These themes will be spoken about throughout the fic and I will add extra warnings when need be in future chapters) a/n: Okay this one is gonna be a long one (in terms of chapter length, idk how many parts there will be) I'm really really in love with this story line so I hope you'll come along this cute, silly, awkward, heartwarming and heartbreaking journey with me 🥰 p.s. I've been brainstorming with @kkusadmirer (ofc 🤭) about this fic for a while now and I've just fallen in love with these characters too much that I had to get at least one part out. Okay okay enough from me. I hope you enjoy! (barely edited per usual I'm sry 😅)

"You should start dating again" my mom says to me, a dinner with a table for two this time since she said she wanted to talk to me about something important. If I would've known it was to nag me about something like this again I would've declined the invitation.

"Mom I already told you, I just got divo-" "You got divorced last year" she cuts me off and I sigh, knowing I'll probably get no where with this argument but continue on nevertheless.

"Point being, it hasn't been that long since Robert and I got divorced. I need time and space to figure out what I want out of life. I'm not interested in rushing into another marriage just for it to fail again" I explain and she simply downs the rest of her champagne in response, polishing it off in record time.

"You don't want to end up an old maid who didn't give me any grandchildren do you?" she says, repeating the same old argument again. "Mom I'm thirty, not forty five. I still have plenty of time to worry about babies and getting married again" I argue and she rolls her eyes before asking for another glass when the waiter passes by.

"You should at least try. Don't you like going out on dates?" she asks and I sigh, hating having this conversation over and over again.

"Dating was fun in my twenties but now that I'm more interested in finding someone to settle down with, it seems like all the guys that are remotely my age and happen to be decent human beings are already married" I explain and watch how she immediately takes her glass of champagne off the table once it's placed in front of her.

I'm glad she's drinking because having this conversation with her when she's sober is even more painful.

"You're exaggerating honey. I'm sure there is a fine young man just waiting for you around the corner" but before I'm able to respond to her, her eyes suddenly light up and she quickly gets out of her seat.

"Is it really you?" she says and another woman around her age that I've never seen before comes up to greet her. "How are you? It's been so long!" the mystery woman says and they quickly share an embrace before she turns to face me.

"And who is this beautiful young woman here with you?" she asks, making me shy away from them. "Oh this is my daughter y/n. Y/n this is Mrs. Jeon" she introduces us and tells me all about how they used to go to college together.

"Oh wow I think I remember my mom mentioning you before. You used to come over when I was little right?" I question, now remembering seeing her face in some of the pictures in my baby album.

"That's right! Little Jungkook and I used to come visit you all the time when you were just a teeny tiny little thing. You were the easiest baby I've ever come across, always sleeping and when you woke up you were as happy as can be" she rambles and I get a warm feeling in my chest, loving to have met someone who clearly cared so deeply for my mother and I.

"Who's Jungkook" I ask, looking back and forth between the two of them. "Jungkook is my son, he's just a few years older than you. I remember he was so fascinated by you, always wanting to come over and would watch over you as you slept, never causing a fuss as long as you were around" she says and I blush at the fact that her son would care about me just as much if not more than she does.

"How is he? Is he doing alright?" my mother asks and Mrs. Jeon gets a somber look on her face eyes fluttering to the floor before responding.

"Actually, he lost his wife a few years ago. She passed away after she gave birth to their daughter" she mumbles and I feel my chest tighten up at the thought of someone so young losing their life to something that is supposed to be so beautiful.

"My condolences to you all" I say, my eyes going glossy and she smiles in return, the memory bringing a tear to her eye as well. "Thank you love, that's very kind of you" she says, placing a hand on my shoulder before she clears her throat and blinks back her tears, wanting to put on a brave face in public.

"Why don't you come visit us at our home tomorrow evening? I would love to catch up and it would be good if the kids got reacquainted again" my mother suggests and I glare at her, knowing exactly what she's doing but also knowing there's no way I could stop her. 

"I would love that! Our husbands might enjoy catching up too since they used to get along so well" Mrs. Jeon points out. "Then it's settled! How would you feel about making it a dinner instead?" my mother questions, digging us deeper into this evening we'll all be spending together. "I think that sounds perfect!" she agrees and I tune out the rest of the conversation, already trying to mentally prepare myself for the scheming I know my mother has planned.

~~~~

Kicking off my shoes and walking into my apartment I'm greeted by the serene sound of silence. 

My black tuxedo cat meows as he jumps down from his cat tower and stretches for a second before coming over to greet me. "Hi Salem" I say, scooping him up and carrying him with me into my bedroom where I plop him down in the middle of my bed. "Mom only invited me to dinner because she wanted to tell me to start dating again" I relay to him, while I walk around my room, grabbing all the things I'll need to get ready for bed.

"I should've known she was up to something when she decided to invite me out on a random Wednesday night to go to my favorite restaurant. If the previous glances I had of the totals on those receipts didn't clue me in enough I don't know what would" I say in disbelief, having convinced myself hours earlier that it might've been about something good instead of another chance to nag me about something.

"I don't know why I even bother sometimes. She just has this worst case scenario mindset that I'm going to die alone and not leave a legacy. I understand that I'm their only child but with the way she talks, you would think I was well into my forties already" I say, verbally processing to him while he curls up into a ball, his eyes watch me walk back and forth until I walk into the en-suite bathroom to turn on the shower.

"Thanks for always listening to me Salem" I say, walking back over to him and scratching his head, "Don't know what I would do without you" I mumble before walking back over to the bathroom and closing the door.

Looking in the mirror I study my features, my hair styled just how I like it, my brows perfectly shaped but when I get to my eyes I notice it. I notice why my mother has gotten so worried about me.

It's as if the light's gone out of them. It's more than just 'Hey it's been a long day and I'm tired' no it's 'I don't even know what I'm doing here anymore' and for the first time, I admit to myself that I truly feel that way.

I reach for my cleanser and quickly wash off the little makeup that I still have on, lips completely plain and gone back to their natural color and some how my cheeks don't seem to be as rosy anymore after I had made sure to put on some more blush today to bring some color back to my face. Maybe it's not the makeup that's been washing me out, but the way that I've been living.

I will admit my days consist of going to work and coming home and doing that same thing over and over again. I don't really go out much and I only have a few friends but ever since I got divorced I just end up politely declining any sort of invitation I get from them. Doesn't matter if it's dinner or drinks or clubbing or even just a shopping trip.

I just can't get myself wanting to do anything anymore.

I step into the shower and I flinch slightly at the burning sensation the hot water brings to me but adjust it and step further under the stream once it's just to my liking. While going though my shower routine mindlessly I start trying to get to the bottom of what has got me living like this.

Robert wasn't the best husband in the world, mainly because he cheated on me but before that things were good between us. He made me laugh and was a perfect gentleman that always made me feel special and when we got married I swear I thought I couldn't be happier. 

It felt like my life was falling into place, our life.

Until it wasn't.

I'm knocked out of my train of thought when I hear Salem pawing at the door and remember now that in my whirl winded state of mind I forgot to feed him. "Sorry Salem I'll be right out!" I call out for him and he meows in response. I swear that cat is more intelligent than I am most days.

I finish up my uninteresting night as I always do, turning out the lights and cuddling up with Salem until I eventually fall asleep but it took a little longer tonight. Thoughts full of what my future might look like if I don't start living instead of just existing. 

As the 'what ifs' plague my mind they eventually drown themselves out as that same welcoming feeling of calm finally lulls me to sleep. 

~~~~~~

"Hurry up they're almost here" my mother says, yanking me inside the house before I even have a chance to knock on the front door. "Nice to see you too mom" I say under my breath and she's wound up so tight it doesn't even phase her. I can tell she's been working hard to make sure everything is perfect once the Jeons arrive.

"Did you get that wine I told you to get?" she questions, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the wine bottle carrier in my hand, quickly taking it and rushing into the kitchen. "Yeah no problem mom you're welcome" I say, talking to the air in front of me still waiting for her to show any sign of gratitude.

"Go place your things in your old room so they're out of the way" she call out, leaving me sighing and trudging off to do as she says.

Once I retrace my steps and walk past the door to go to join her in the kitchen I'm stopped in my tracks when the doorbell rings.

"Oh honey can you get that? My hands are tied here" my mom yells and I take a deep breath in and out before doing just that.

"Hello y/n! It's so nice to see you again" Mrs. Jeon greets me as I step aside and let them in, soon after her is her husband who holds out his hand in greeting. "It's been quiet a long time hasn't it? I remember when you use to be-" "Grandpa! Grandpa! I wanna meet the pretty lady too!" a little girl no older than five years old says, walking around her grandfather's legs to get to me, greeting me with the most adorable bunny smile.

"And now who might this be?" I ask, already melting into a puddle from seeing how absolutely adorable she is. "I'm Juni" she laughs when I go down to her level. "Well it's very nice to meet you Juni and how old are you?" I ask and she lights up when I continue taking an interest in her. "I'm four! Well Daddy says I'm turning five soon but it feels like it's taking forever. Right Daddy?" she says and looks back towards the man now left standing in the doorway.

"That's right Juni" he responds and the deep tenor of his voice sends a slight shiver down my spine, so full of love and admiration that is obvious to anyone who might come across the pair. "Oh!" I say, quickly straightening back up to meet this mysterious Jungkook and my throat goes dry once I've laid eyes on him.

Tall, strong build, dark brown hair that's well taken care of and styled perfectly, strong jawline accompanied by the contrast of the softest look in his brown almost black galaxy eyes that are still focused on his beautiful daughter.

"I'm sorry" I say but he shakes his head before he turns his head in my direction, taking in the sight of me as well before speaking. "That's alright, Juni kind of grabs everyone's attention right away" he says giving me a soft smile. "I'm Jungkook" he says, holding his hand out to me. "Y/n" I say shyly and shake it, his hands being much larger than mine is comforting in a way.

"My mom told me we used to come see you when we still lived here" he says once we let go, Juni now quietly watching our exchange. "Used to?" I question, curious to know more about why our mothers had lost touch. "We went back to our hometown for a while and then moved back to the city soon after Juni was born" he says and I nod my head, accepting that as an answer for now but wanting to know more.

"Sounds like I was just an infant though so I don't really have any memory of it" I admit while rocking back and forth on my heels, a nervous habit I've picked up over the years. "It's alright, I didn't expect you to remember" he chuckles, "I was only three so I don't remember much of it either" we laugh at his returned confession and a more comfortable air settles between us.

"Well it's nice to finally meet you" I say and he nods his head. "Likewise" he replies and we stand there for a moment, not really knowing where to go from here then, thankfully Juni breaks the silence.

"Daddy I wanna talk to the pretty lady" she says and grabs my hand and pulls me away from him. "Be nice Juni" he warns and she pouts, leaving me crouching down to her level and tilting my head to meet her gaze. "There's enough of me to go around little one. Don't worry" I say, booping her on the nose and making her giggle again.

Jungkook walks in a bit more and closes the door behind him, watching our little exchange before my mother comes out to check on us.

"Y/n why don't you take Jungkook and..." she says trailing off, not having learned his daughter's name yet. "Juni" Jungkook says and my mother smiles at the sound of the adorable name. "Jungkook and Juni outside. I'm sure she'd love to run around a little bit before dinner is ready" she suggests and I agree while Juni starts jumping up and down, excited to explore an unfamiliar place.

Jungkook follows closely behind as I lead the way but I ultimately end up getting dragged along by Juni who is surprisingly perceptive and has already mapped out the door that we'll be going through. "Come on Daddy keep up!" she calls after him once we've reached the door, looking back and seeing that he's fallen behind.

"I'm right behind you Juni" Jungkook chuckles and once we step outside Juni lets go and runs back and forth all around the yard, looking at anything and everything she can find.

"Be careful!" I say, worried that she could hurt herself but Jungkook comes over and stands next to me and reassures me she'll be fine.

"It's alright, if she gets hurt it'll be a little reminder to pay attention to what she's doing next time. That's the only way kids really learn right?" he says turning towards me, granting me with a soft smile, almost as if he's looking for validation on his parenting choice.

"Of course," I respond, returning the smile, "even some adults need to crash and burn before they learn their lesson sometimes" I point out and it makes him relax a bit more, thankful to see that he's right in his dealings with situations like this.

"She's a good kid" I say after leading him over to the patio set we have out here so we can sit down and watch her. "Thanks, it's been difficult raising her on my own so I'm never really sure if I'm doing a good job or not" he admits and I nod my head, taking a second to think about my response since it's a sensitive subject.

"I can tell that you love her very much so I have no doubt in my mind that you'll always do right by her" and I can tell that my words bring him a sense of comfort. Being a single parent can be extremely difficult especially when you lose the love of your life as soon as you become a father. 

I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone.

"Y/n?" I hear him call out and realize that my mind had drifted off for a second. "I'm sorry what did you say?" I say, my cheeks heating up from having been caught daydreaming. "I asked if you had any children of your own" he chuckles and I again try to figure out the best way to word this but figure the best way to go about it is to be honest. 

I've got no reason to hide from him.

"No, I got divorced last year and my ex husband and I were never able to have children" I say, looking down at my lap, embarrassed to have admitted it but also feeling a certain weight lifted off my shoulders.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know" he trails off and I panic, realizing I might've made him feel uncomfortable, telling him something so personal so soon. "No don't be, I honestly dodged a bullet with that one" I chuckle, hoping to lighten the situation a bit which thankfully it does as I see his body relax a bit.

"Our relationship had been on the rocks soon after we got married and I don't think we were a good match for each other so I think it was the universe's way of doing me a favor in making us somewhat biologically incompatible" I chuckle and he softly does the same.

"Biologically incompatible" he questions, a deeper meaning obviously hidden behind those words. "We both got checked out and everything looked completely fine but I guess it wasn't meant to be, thank God" I sigh, sincerely thanking whoever might've been in charge of making that executive decision for us.

"I'm not exactly sure what to say to that but I'm glad it worked out?" he states almost as if it was a question and I laugh, in response hoping I can recover this incredibly awkward conversation. "I'm sorry, that was a huge overshare that I probably should've kept to myself" I say, clearing my throat in hopes it would aid in clearing the peculiar air that had settled between us.

"You have nothing to apologize for, I asked and I feel honored that you felt comfortable enough to be so transparent with your answer" he says, the warmth in his tone giving me an ache in my chest. How could someone be so kind to someone they've just met? It's as if I could tell him anything and he would listen to me as if I was the only person in the world.

"Daddy!" 'Well me and Juni', I say to myself and watch as his attention now shifts to his daughter who is running up behind me. "Daddy look!" Juni says, holding out her hands that are now thoroughly caked in mud but hold a rock that is almost a perfectly shaped heart in the center of her palm. "Oh Juni" Jungkook chuckles, the ends of her dress now matching the state of her hands and neither Jungkook nor I can hold in our laughter.

"That's a very beautiful rock Juni! You're so clever" I say and I can see a sense of pride straighten her posture a little bit. "Juni your beautiful dress" Jungkook chuckles, clearly not minding but also trying to figure out what to do. "I'm sorry Daddy" she say, that pride slowly dwindling after seeing the mess she's made of herself.

"Hey Juni" I say, turning her attention back to me and I can see her spirits lift a little. "Would you like to see some of the clothes that I used to wear when I was your age?" I ask and her eyes light up at the thought. "Did you wear pretty dresses too?" she asks, clearly excited about seeing more new things. Her childlike wonderment makes my heart ache. Must run in the family.

"I did, but none of them were as pretty as yours. If you like, you can borrow one of mine while we wash this one" I suggest and the way her head nods up and down so fast makes me chuckle.

"Let's go to my room then! Hopefully we can find something you'll like" I say, standing up and straightening my dress while Jungkook reaches out for Juni's foot.

"Let's take your shoes off before we go back inside baby. We wouldn't want to track any mud into the pretty lady's house right?" Jungkook says, flashing a soft smile at me before looking back down to complete his intended task and Juni complies right away. 

My breath hitches as he purposefully uses the nickname Juni had given me and I quickly walk past them and open the door to go inside, trying to clear my head for a second, willing myself to keep it together.  

"Are you coming with us?" Juni asks and he nods his head, "I gotta go clean your shoes off first though" he says and I walk all three of us over to the bathroom so Jungkook can do just that as well as wash Juni's hands off.

"Wow!" is the first word that comes out of her mouth when we walk into the butterfly themed bedroom, mesmerizing her from the first glance. "Your room is so pretty!" she says, quickly running around here and there, being careful not to get too close since we haven't gotten a chance to change her dress yet.

"You like it?" I question and she's quick to nod her head again. "I wish my room looked like this" she says, spying all of the little butterfly details from the dainty embroidering on the bedspread to the knobs on the dresser, all of them working in harmony.

"We can go look for some butterfly stuff next time we go to the store if you'd like" Jungkook says while he walks into the room and right up to her while she stares up at the ceiling where there are a couple scattered across it. Nothing is too over the top but there is clearly a theme going on that she is captivated by.

"Really?" she asks, confirmation of what he's said being important to make sure she's hear him right. "Promise" he says holding out his pinky that she quickly wraps her's around as best as she can with her little ones being so tiny in comparison to his. She looks at the two of us before beckoning Jungkook to come closer so she can whisper something in his ear.

"Can the pretty lady come with us too?" she 'whispers' in his ear almost as loud as her speaking voice and I try to hold back my laughter, pretending like I didn't hear a thing. "Why don't you ask her?" he whispers and when he leans back she looks him in the eyes and he nods to further encourage her.

"Um, would you like to go shopping with us to get butterflies for my room too?" she asks, walking up to me shyly. Jungkook looks at me with a soft smile and I notice how the tips of his ears have almost gotten a little pink, his expression soft and charming but his body still showing tell tale signs of nervousness.

"Sure Juni, I'd love to go shopping with you" I say and she giggles in response while running back to her Daddy. "Can we go right now?" she asks jumping up and down. "We'll go another time don't worry baby, we've gotta set up a time so the pretty lady can go with us too right?" he reminds her and although she's sad she has to wait she nods in agreement. "Good, now let's get you out of this so we can make you all nice and clean again" he says, unzipping the back of her dress and revealing the cute little white tank top and tights that she wore under it.

I focus my attention on opening up the closet and grabbing a couple of dresses out for her to choose from. "These ones should fit. Which one would you like to wear Juni?" I say and her eyes flitter back and forth between all of them before giving her a Daddy a devious smile and hugging them to her chest. "I want all of them" she giggles and my heart melts, thinking about how fun it would be if I had a daughter just like her.

"Pick one Juni" Jungkook chuckles and she pulls back flipping through the selection I've made before her eyes light up and find the one she's dying to wear. "This one, this one!" she says, lightly holding onto the skirt and jumping up and down. I shift my grasp on them and hold out the one she chose for Jungkook to take and once he does there a static jolt of electricity that shocks us leaving the both of us pulling away slightly.

"Sorry it's probably from all the fabric of the dresses" I explain and he smiles in response. "Don't worry about it. A little spark never hurt anyone" he says and it's almost as if his voice had dropped a bit with that remark, leaving me widening my eyes a bit before turning back around and placing the dresses back in the closet. 

Why does he make me so nervous?

"Lady, lady look!" I hear from behind, and watch as Juni turns this way and that once Jungkook has finished putting the dress on her. "My goodness Juni don't you look adorable!" I say and she runs up to the the mirror in the corner of the room, watching the skirt swish this way and that. "Say thank you Ms y/n" Jungkook says, correcting Juni and finally telling her my name. She sounded too cute calling me 'the pretty lady' I just didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise.

"Thank you Ms y/n!" she says, running up to me and wrapping her arms around my legs since she is still  too small to reach anywhere else. "You're welcome Juni" I say, smiling down at her and smoothing her hair down. "Remember Juni, we're just borrowing it so we can wash your dress. We have to give it back to Ms. y/n before we leave" Jungkook says and I can see her excitement dwindle a bit but is no less thankful for being able to wear it tonight.

"Thank you for letting me borrow it Ms. y/n!" she says and I smile again, falling more and more in love with this adorable little girl with every smile she graces me with. "You're welcome" I say and she lets go of me and twirls around in it before stopping.

"Oh! I promise to be really careful and keep this one clean" she says holding out her pinky to do just as she had done with her father moments ago and I kneel down to her level and do just that before booping her on the nose causing another fit of giggles to spill out of her.

"Y/n, dinner is ready" my mother says while poking her head around the corner and I can tell she is completely satisfied by the scene that she's walked in on. "Oh Juni what a beautiful dress!" my mother says, noticing it right away, remembering it was one of my favorites. "Ms y/n gave it to me!" she says, swishing around in it again before doing a full twirl for us.

"Well aren't you the most darling little girl I've ever seen! Are you ready to eat? I heard that mashed potatoes are one of your favorite foods right?" my mom says, holding out her hand for Juni to take and she gladly does.

"Did my grandma tell you that?" she asks, clearly surprised that this complete stranger already knew something about her. "Yes she did. I hope you like them!" my mom says and Juni rushes down the hallway dragging my mom behind her. "Juni be careful!" Jungkook calls out to her but my mom just laughs it off.

"Why don't you show Jungkook where the laundry room is so you can put her dress in the washer" my mom offers up and I nod my head and look up at him. "That's okay I can just wash it when we get home" he says, politely declining the offer. "It's alright, it's best to wash it right away so it doesn't stain" I say, holding out my hand for the dress and he smiles before handing it to me and following my lead.

"You have a lovely home" he says shyly, looking this way and that taking notice of the small details just as Juni did. 'Like father like daughter' I think to myself. "It was my childhood home as you could probably tell from my old room" I say and he hums in response as I stop at the door to the laundry room.

"I know Juni is never going to stop talking about it" he chuckles and I smile at the loving tone that is always present in his voice whenever he speaks about her. We stand there in silence for a bit while I gather the various cleaning products I'll need.

"If you like, I can show you how to get stains like this out? If there was ever a day when I was her age that I didn't get some sort of dirt, mud or grass stains on my clothes my mother would write that down as a national holiday" I say and he laughs at that before accepting the offer.

"Sure, I'd like that" for some reason I can't seem to find the right words so I simply turn around and rinse off the mud in the little sink we have in here. "Do you think you could get that one for me?" I ask, nodding toward one of the stain removers. He wordlessly does as I ask and helps apply a drop or two of it to each of the areas I point out.

"I could've done that" he says now realizing how he's just standing there watching me clean his daughter's dress. "No, that's okay I offered!" I say, reassuring him that I don't mind. I wordlessly ask for the next stain remover before rubbing it in and ringing out the excess water. He opens up the washer lid for me and I toss it in and look this way and that for the laundry detergent.

"Looking for this?" he asks, pulling it off the shelf above the washer. "See, that's a perk of living on my own now. I don't have to worry about things being up too high for me anymore" I chuckle and quickly scoop in the appropriate amount and start the washer.

"Well let me know if you ever need anyone to get something that's out of your reach, it's one of the perks of being tall" he jokes and I laugh but almost shy away from the fact that he expects to see me again. "So I've heard" I say and try to put the detergent back on my own but it soon tips back over and is close to crashing down until he catches it, which in turn ends with him trapping me between him and the washer.

He slides the detergent back in it's spot and takes half a step back, giving me the smallest bit of space. "Why didn't you let me help you? I was standing right here?" he asks, tilting his head at me. "I don't know, I guess I'm just used to doing things on my own now" I chuckle awkwardly. "Well hopefully you'll get used to letting me help you soon" he says, finally taking another step back and giving me a bit more space to breathe.

"Sorry about that" I apologize awkwardly, leaning my back against the washer now with him leaning up against the wall directly in front of me and giving me a crooked smile. "Don't apologize, there's nothing wrong with being independent" he says and quickly scans my body but he does it so fast that if I would've blinked I would've missed it.

"Daddy it's time for dinner" Juni says, her soft steps not having been heard by either of us over the sound of the washer, breaking us out of the little moment that we had been having. "Okay Juni we're coming" he chuckles and holds out his hand for her to take but she giggles and dodges it, reaching for mine instead.

I squeeze past Jungkook as this little room is only wide enough for one person to walk through and the front of our bodies brush up against each other only for a moment until she's tugged me halfway out the door. "Let's be a train Daddy! Grab onto Ms. y/n's hand so you can be the caboose!" she says, turning this trip down the hallway into a game.

"Oh that's okay sweetie why don't you-" he starts but I hold out my hand for him to take, him only having refused for my sake, not wanting to make me uncomfortable with any unwanted skinship. "Grab on Daddy!" Juni giggles and I look up at him and see that he's looking down at me. He chuckles before grabbing onto my hand and the both of us are soon trailing behind Juni as she drags us to the dining room.

Once we get to the dinner table Juni lets go of my hand and runs back to where Jungkook's mom is so she can continue to help her eat her mashed potatoes. 

When everyone notices that Jungkook and I have arrived, we're greeted with four sets of eyes, all of them extremely happy to see us. It's then when I realize that we were still holding hands so I gently slide mine out of his, almost wishing I didn't have to.

He looks down at where our hands had been connected when I do and I can almost see that he's also disappointed that I let go but his expression is quickly replaced by an awkward smile aimed at our parents. 

When I look at the table I see that Jungkook and I are meant to sit directly across from each other. Which I'm sure is another one of my mother's ploys to get us to keep glancing up at each other, this time though I don't really mind.

When I go to walk to one side to sit down next to Mr. Jeon, Jungkook follows right behind me. 

"Oh did you want to sit on this side?" I ask him and he shakes his head, "No, I just wanted to pull your chair out for you" he says and I feel butterflies in my stomach. "Oh, okay" I say quietly and watch as he does just that and slides the chair in behind me once I've sat down. "Thank you" I reply, smiling up at him and he does so in return before rounding the table to take a seat in his place.

"So y/n, your mother told us that you work in photography, is that right?" she asks and I take a drink of water before responding. "Well not really, I've done a few freelance jobs here and there. Enough to keep me afloat so to say but I hope to do it full time soon!" I say and I see Jungkook perk up at that.

"Jungkook has always loved photography as well! He's always been tinkering away with cameras since he was just a few years older than Juni" his mother says while Jungkook cleans off Juni's face as it seems like she's gotten more food on her face than in her mouth.

"What subject do you usually shoot?" I ask, curious to see where his interests lie. "Mostly editorial, but I tend to enjoy the shoots a lot more when they have to do with nature. I believe beauty can be found in almost anything so I tend to just capture whatever inspires me at the moment" he says, his answer being very similar to mine.

"I feel the same way" I respond simply before shying away from the topic as I feel our parents are studying our interaction.

Once they notice the silence they decide to pick up the conversation just throwing facts about Jungkook and I back and forth, pretty much doing the getting to know you game for us without giving us much room to get a word in edgewise. Which leaves the both of us to just follow the conversation and occasionally making eye contact when either side makes a slightly embarrassing comment.

"Hey Dad" Jungkook calls out to his father over the never ending conversation they're having about us. "How's that new project at work going?" he says and I can already tell that it's one of those kinds of topics that once you get him started on it he won't stop and that's just the case as we now watch the conversation take a turn that is thankfully so far off from the two of us.

As time ticks by and the subjects change a few more times I notice that Jungkook has started to get up and clear the table to which I jump up in response to help him.

"Oh Jungkook don't worry about that I can do it later" my mother says but he shakes his head. "It's the least I could do after you've provided this wonderful dinner for my family and I" he says and I can almost see my mother swooning from his response. "Well thank you very much, sweetie can you show him where to place them, just next to the sink is fine" she says to me and I nod, looking up at him and nodding my head towards the direction of the kitchen.

Once we've gone there and back from the table a few times I decide to just start loading up the dishwasher, trying to escape that mortifying conversation for as long as I can. "I brought your glass for you. Wasn't sure if you were planning to finish it or not" he says, walking over and placing my wine glass on the counter next to me. "Thanks" I say quietly, neither of us having said a word to each other since the very beginning of that dinner.

"Your parents are really sweet" he says, breaking the ice and clearly acknowledging how obvious they all were about their motives. "Yours too. I'm sorry about tonight" I say and his brows furrow, clearly not understanding why I would need to apologize. "I knew my mom would end up doing something like this but once her mind is made up there's no stopping her" I admit and he gives me a crooked smile in response.

"Don't worry, I knew what all of them were up to too. My mother was praising you so much and telling me how beautiful and smart and respectful you are so I had an inkling that this was their plan all along" he says and I turn away from him, trying to hide my flustered expression.

"She's right you know" he says, coming around to stand next to me, leaning against the counter while I face it, cleaning up the inside of the sink and grabbing the towel next to me to dry my hands.

"Right about what?" I question, now turning to face him and noticing just how close he's gotten. "About how beautiful you are" he says and I have to blink a few times, trying to figure out why this incredibly handsome man in my kitchen is flirting with me.

I just wanna thank past me because whatever I did in my last life must've been incredible if I'm being offered up a man as remarkable as he is.

"I-" I start but am soon interrupted by my mom walking in on us. "Y/n could you- oh! I'm sorry, as you were" she says, taking small backward steps out of the kitchen, keeping hers eyes on the two of us before turning around to walk back to the living room that they had moved to.

"I'm sorry about her" I say, taking a drink of my wine but he laughs it off. "It's alright, I don't mind" he says watching me with curious eyes as I polish off the rest of it. "Juni has taken a real liking to you" he says and my heart melts at the sound of her name.

"Really? She's probably the happiest child I've ever seen. I really like her too" I say and he smiles, no doubts memories over the years flashing through his head.

"You've done a really good job raising her Jungkook" I say, and his eyes flutter back to mine, this time being the first time I've spoken his name and it looks as if just that alone brought him so much satisfaction. "Thank you y/n" he says, and I feel my heart flutter, the deep baritone of his voice sending a shiver down my spine.

"Daddy can I have some cake?" we hear as Juni walks into the kitchen, "Can I have some cake..." Jungkook says, trailing off and waiting for those magic words. "Please?" she says, realizing what he had been getting at.

"Sure baby, Ms. y/n and I will bring it out in a second okay?" he says making her smile as she runs out of the kitchen "Thank you" she calls out over her shoulder leaving the two of us laughing at her enthusiasm.

"That's probably what my mom was coming in to ask us for" I say and he nods in agreement, helping me carry everything out so we can all have a slice of the small cake my mom had gotten for tonight. "How much you want to bet that they sent Juni looking for us earlier too?" he whispers to me as we make our way over to where everyone else has gathered. "You might be right about that one" I whisper back, quickly catching onto all of their little games.

After setting the cake and all of the plates and forks down on the coffee table my mom takes on the task of cutting it up and serving it, with the very first piece going to little Miss Juni. "Thank you!" she says, eyes wide as saucers leaving all of us cooing at her. "Eat slow Juni" Jungkook reminds her, no doubt having troubles with her eating her desserts too quickly.

I take on the task of helping my mother hand out the slices and once I give one to Jungkook I finally notice that the only empty seat is right next to him and he looks down at it before looking back up at me in a silent invitation to sit down and I take it cautiously.

The couch that we're sitting on is kind of a love seat ironically, seeing as the whole theme of tonight is trying to set us up with each other.

Once I've sat down I realize that I've sat right next to him to the point of where my shoulder ended up bumping into his. "Oh! I'm sorry" I say, scooting away from him but with the size of the couch I don't really end up moving all that much. "It's okay I don't mind" he says, before taking a bite of his cake and turning to face the rest of the group.

The seven of us continue talking and talking until we notice that Juni has fallen asleep in her grandma's lap. "Here mom let me take her" Jungkook says, standing up but both my mom and his stand up and wave him off. "That's okay, we're just gonna go put her down in y/n's room" my mom says and before he's able to say otherwise they've disappeared down the hallway.

"Does she have school tomorrow?" I ask once he's settled back down. "No, she's on spring break right now until next Monday" he relays and I nod my head. "And what about you? Do you work tomorrow?" I ask and he gives me a shy smile before responding. "I had a shoot scheduled in the morning but we went ahead and pushed it to the afternoon so I don't have to worry about going home anytime soon" he says and my heart skips a beat.

"No, I mean, well I don't want to keep you for too long. You probably have other things you'd like to get done tonight?" I ask and he shakes his head. "No, this is the only thing I have planned for the night so I guess you're stuck with me" he chuckles. "I didn't mean to make you feel like I wanted you to leave I just-"

"It's okay I know what you meant" he laughs and I now take notice that we're the only ones left in the room. "Oh! Where did my dad go?" I ask, my eyes darting this way and that, not even being able to hear his voice.

"I think I heard something about them setting up the fire pit? I'm not sure but he's outside with my dad right now" he says and I spy both of them looking through the glass door before quickly ducking out of view once they realize they've been spotted.

"Maybe we should head out there" I say but he cuts off that thought by asking me a question that keeps me frozen on the spot. 

"Is there a reason why you don't want to be alone with me?" he asks, arm now having been draped around the back of the couch a while ago, completely unknown to me making this all seem a lot more intimate than before.

"Who said that?" I chuckle nervously, clearing my throat before sinking back into my seat. "You just did" he says, nodding towards me and I feel like I want to crawl in a hole and die. I thought I could escape this night without being awkward like this but I guess not.

"You trying to get rid of me?" he teases and I shake my head right away, "No I'm sorry I just-" "It's okay, I'm only joking" he says and I laugh nervously. "So why don't you tell me about yourself?" he says, giving me the most open ended question ever and I scramble to find something but I just can't seem to come up with anything interesting enough to mention.

"Well, my parents pretty much said everything there is to know about me over dinner earlier" I say and he shakes his head. "I want to hear something about you from you. Like what are some of your hope, your dreams, something you're passionate about" he says, being a little more specific this time.

"My dreams?" I trail off, thinking for a second and he watches me as I wrack my brain for something notable. "It's kind of silly" I admit once I've settled on something. "Good thing I've got a sense of humor" he replies, trying to encourage me to continue. 

"Well, I've always wanted one of my photos to be on the cover of TIME magazine" I admit and see his eyes light up. "I have a similar dream" he says and my eyes widen in surprise turning my body to face him, wordlessly asking him to share his too. 

"I'd like one of mine to end up on the cover of National Geographic" he relays and I smile in turn. "That would be perfect for you! Well, since the subject you love to capture the most is nature I could definitely see your work fitting right in!" I say, excited to see someone else who's trying to aim as high as I am.

"And I could see yours being a shoe in for TIME as well" he says, and I shy away from his praise. "Okay and what's something you're passionate about, and don't say photography" he says, interrupting me causing me to slump down, having to take another second to come up with an answer. 

He chuckles a bit at my reaction and I glare at him causing him to smile at me even more so look up to the celling as if it had the answers to something interesting about me. 

"Well, I really love reading. I know it might not seem like a passion but when I read a really good book and I find someone who has read it or will at least let me talk about it it's as if I gain a boost of energy and can't contain my excitement. That's definitely the nerdy side of me showing but that's all I can really think of at the moment" I say honestly and when I look back at him it's as if he thought I was the most fascinating thing he's ever seen. 

"Sorry, I think I got a little carried away there" I say, getting shy from being looked at like that, his soft gaze an expression I'm not used to, especially from someone I just met. "Um, your turn" I say, hoping to get some of the spotlight off of me. 

"I know this might be cheating but I do enjoy taking video and editing them. Even if it were as simple as filming Juni for an afternoon, it's something that if given the chance, would be something I could be extremely passionate about" he says and although it is cheating since it's somewhat similar to photography, I'll let it slide. 

"Have you thought about switching up your profession to include video as well as pictures?" I ask and he nods before answering. "I have but I haven't taken enough time to seriously consider it. Juni is still young and I want to make sure I have a stable income in order to take care of her and if I'm being honest I feel almost as if a career change could jeopardize that" he says and I watch him with the same intent that he had given me and he too seems to shy away from it. 

"It's silly since it would probably be a seamless transition but I can't help but feel reservations towards it" he says and I place my hand on top of his that's in his lap. 

"It's normal for a parent to worry about providing for their child. I don't think it's silly at all and it shows how much you truly care about Juni and her well being. She's lucky to have you as her father" I say and he cringes only for a moment before his expression goes back to a softer one. I want to ask what would've warranted a reaction like that but I leave it alone. 

"Okay your turn, what is something you hope for?" he asks and I already know the answer to it but I'm hesitant to say. I take a second to try and figure out how to formulate it properly but decide to just go for it. 

"I hope to be a mother and have children of my own someday. Doesn't matter if it's naturally or through adoption, I just hope to have someone I can love and care for unconditionally and watch them as they grow and change and pray I'll receive that love and care back from them" I say and he gives me a wary expression and I quickly try to backtrack, not knowing if I've messed up or not. 

"I'm sorry that was probably extremely insensitive of me" I say, pulling away my hand but he holds onto it and gives me a sad smile before responding. "I think you would be a wonderful mother. If you were to give your children even half the time and attention you've given to Juni today they would still be incredibly lucky to call you their mother" he says, reassuring me that it's okay to talk about these topics around him. 

"Last one?" I question, seeing if he's up to telling me something he's hopeful for. "I just hope that no matter what my family and friends stay happy and healthy. It might be simple but I enjoy the simple things in life" he says and I smile, seeing how truly kind and compassionate he is just from his simple answer. "That's a good answer" I say and we both chuckle a bit before we're broken out of yet again another moment by the sound of our mothers stumbling into the room. 

"Oh don't let us bother you we're just going to head outside with your father" Jungkook's mom says to him and I can see now from the warm glow shining through the glass door that they've finally started up the fire pit. 

"Oh we'll come outside too!" I say and try to get up off the loveseat. I'm able to stand but immediately lose my balance and feel a strong set of hands on my hips and end up falling into Jungkook's lap. "I-" I start, turning towards him and trying to get out an apology but stop short when I see how close his face is to mine, our noses almost touching. 

I hear our mothers head outside quickly and close the door but neither of us pay any mind, both focused on each other to the point where neither of us move for what feels like forever but was only a matter of seconds. When I do try to get up I feel his grip on me tighten. 

"I'm s-sorry, this couch is always difficult to get off of" I explain and he smiles. "Like I said before, you have nothing to apologize for" he says, his voice a bit deeper than before and it takes every fiber of my being to stop myself from looking at his lips but when I see his flutter down to mine I can't help but do the same. 

"Daddy, why is Ms. y/n sitting on your lap?" we hear Juni say and I immediately get off of him and throw my face in my hands, trying to hide the embarrassment written all over me but Jungkook handles it like a champ. 

"Ms. y/n just fell down Juni and I caught her. You know how I catch you sometimes before you fall?" he offers and she walks over to us, rubbing her eyes and immediately climbing onto Jungkook's lap. "Oh okay" she says, yawning again after Jungkook places a kiss on the crown of her head. 

"Do you wanna go see the fire that grandpa and Ms. y/n's dad made?" he asks and she hums in approval, still half asleep but wanting to go outside with everyone. "Okay let's go" he says, standing up with Juni in one arm and holding his hand out to help me up. I glare up at him and he smiles, knowing he's added to my embarrassment but I take his hand anyways and he makes no moves to let go once I'm up on my feet, walking us all towards the back door. 

Once we're outside though that's when he lets go so he can hold Juni properly while he walks down the patio steps so we can get to the fire pit. 

"Juni woke up?" his mother asks and Jungkook nods. "Yeah she wanted to come outside with everyone even though she is still very very sleepy" he says, talking in a silly sweet voice that makes Juni pout although her eyes are still closed. "I'm not sleepy" she says mid yawn causing me to coo at her and when she realizes I'm still close by she sits up off of Jungkook's chest and reaches towards me. 

I look between her and Jungkook for a second and he nods his head in approval and hands her to me, grabbing a chair afterwards for me to sit on and pulling up another one next to mine and looks over at Juni to see she's practically sound asleep again. "Are you okay with her?" he asks and I hum in approval leaving him placing another kiss on Juni's head before leaning back in his chair. 

"So Jungkook, what do you think of my daughter?" my mother asks and Jungkook chokes on air, not expecting the straightforward question. "Mom!" I scold and she chuckles, "What? It's a simple question. No need to give a complex answer, unless he wants to" she teases and I swear I can even hear Jungkook's dad chuckling at my mother's antics. 

They couldn't make it more obvious that they're trying to set us up even if they tried. 

My dad luckily somewhat comes to Jungkook's aide and hands him a bottle of water to hopefully help him stop coughing which it does thankfully.

He takes a second to clear his throat and I would be lying if I said I wasn't on edge, waiting to hear what his answer might be. "I think she is a very kind hearted and very intelligent young woman" he says simply and the echos of him calling me beautiful earlier on tonight attach to the end of that. 

"And would you like to see her again?" she continues and he then looks over at me, giving me a soft smile and glancing down at Juni before looking me in the eyes again. "We've already planned to see each other again" he says, memories of Juni's invitation to the butterfly shopping trip fluttering through my mind again. 

"Did you hear that? Jungkook has already asked to see her again" my mom says, calling over to Jungkook's mom as if she hadn't been listening the whole time. "Well technically Juni asked if I could go shopping with them" I explain and Jungkook chuckles. "Juni is a very smart girl" my mother compliments and Jungkook and I can't help but laugh. 

The rest of the night flies by and before I know it we're already standing in the doorway saying goodbye. "It's was so nice seeing you again y/n! I hope to be seeing you again soon" Jungkook mom says, winking at me. "Oh come on honey leave the girl alone" Jungkook's dad says, coming to my aide and saying his goodbyes as well. 

Jungkook's parents say a quick goodbye to Jungkook and Juni as well since they came in separate cars and I notice after that my dad pulls Jungkook aside and says something that I regretfully can't make out. Luckily he doesn't seem bothered by it as they smile and shake hands before my dad pats him on the back, sending him off with I can only assume is well wishes. 

Jungkook says goodbye to my mother and I can tell how much she's praising him, he thanks her for everything and makes his way over to me a few moments later and it's almost as if it was a ghost town with only Jungkook and I in the entryway now, with him holding a still very sleepy Juni in his arms. 

"Thank you for coming, I know this was probably a lot for you" I say, rocking back and forth on my heels and he smiles before answering. "I had fun, and I know Juni did too" he says and I can feel my heart skip a beat, "I did too" I reply shyly. He reaches into his pocket and unlocks his phone before handing it to me.

"Do you think I could have your number? You know, so we can set up that shopping day soon? I know Juni won't be able to stop talking about it until we go" he says, turning into what I could only describe as a shy teenage boy, asking his crush for her number. "Sure" I say, putting it in and calling my number so I have his too. 

"Let me know when you get home safe" I say and place my hand on Juni's back and whisper a quick goodbye which regrettably stirs her awake and I mouth a quite sorry to Jungkook but he smiles in response. 

"Wanna say goodbye to Ms. y/n?" Jungkook asks and she nods her head before opening her eyes and leaning towards me to give me a kiss on the cheek leaving me speechless. "Goodnight pretty lady" she mumbles before laying back down on Jungkook's chest. He chuckles after seeing my reaction and gives Juni a kiss on her head in response. 

"Goodnight y/n" he whispers to me and I send him the same sentiment, walking him to the door and watching as he walks over to his car while he puts Juni in her carseat. He looks back to see if I'm still watching and smiles at me again before getting in his car and driving off. 

"So should I schedule an appointment with the caterers tomorrow or...?" I hear my mother say behind me, making me jump before taking a few steps back into the house and closing the door. "Very funny mom" I say, walking over to the living room and plopping down on the couch Jungkook and I had been sharing a couple hours ago. 

"What's wrong? He's a nice man isn't he? Plus his daughter seems like she loves you! Why don't you give it a shot?" she asks and I sigh, sinking further back into the couch. "I don't know, I just don't want to get my hopes up" I mumble and she sits next to me, placing a comforting hand on my thigh. "What makes you say that?" she asks curiously.

"It's almost as if he's too perfect. He's handsome, charming, charismatic, a great dad and I don't know, he just seems too good to be true" I admit and she nods her head, understanding my hesitation. "Everyone puts their best foot forward when they're meeting someone for the first time. Just go out with him and Juni in a few days and keep an open mind. It's not the fact that he has Juni that's holding you back right?" she questions, trying to figure out what exactly has got me doubting. 

"No not at all! If anything Juni is an added bonus" I say truthfully and she smiles at me. "Good, because I think she's already become very attached to you" she says and I nod my head. "Yeah I think I have too" I mumble and she claps her hands, jolting me out of my train of thought. 

"Now all we have to do is get a ring attached to that finger and the three of you can live happily ever after" she says, getting up to clean up the cake plates that sit on the coffee table in front of us. 

"Mom" I groan and she laughs, "I want some beautiful grandchildren and if that handsome young man can't help you give them to me then I don't know who could" she continues leaving me sighing, not bothering to argue back since she is definitely right about that one. 

I hear my phone chime in my purse moments later after I walk into my bedroom to gather up my things to go back home and see a message from an unknown number but check my call log and see that the numbers match up from when I called myself off Jungkook's phone. 

I quickly add him to my contacts before opening up our chat and see a short but sweet message from him. 

'Home safe and sound. Thanks for having us tonight. Hope to see you soon?' he sends with a question mark at the end, clearly still wanting to double check on if I'll actually want to see them again. I wait a few seconds, my thumbs hovering over the keyboard before finally composing a message and hitting send before I chicken out. 

'See you soon Jungkook. I really enjoyed getting to know you and Juni. Looking forward to shopping for butterflies together!' I say and cringe once I reread it. 'Ugh could I possibly sound more desperate?' I say to myself and toss my phone on the bed, sitting down at the computer chair across from it. 

A minute later I hear another message come in and I practically lunge for the phone, praying I didn't weird him out but moments later I feel heat rushing to my cheeks and have to will myself into not squealing.

'We're counting down the minutes until we can see you again. Let's talk tomorrow and set up a date and time'  he says and I rush to respond. 

'Sounds great! Goodnight Jungkook'  I say, ending the conversation before I end up embarrassing myself even more but before I can even lock my phone his message pops up. 

'Goodnight y/n, sweet dreams' the message is so simple but it still makes me smile. 

"Is that Jungkook texting you?" my mom asks, poking her head into the room and I quickly lock my phone and grab my purse. "Yes it is, goodnight mom" I say, walking past her and straight to the front door with her trailing after me. "Oh come on sweetie you know I'm just teasing you. I really think he's going to be a good match for you" she says and I turn to face her before I leave. 

"I really hope so. Say goodnight to dad for me" I say giving her a kiss on the cheek and getting in my car to drive home. 

~~~~

Once I walk in I'm greeted again by Salem and he walks up, waiting for me to pick him up. "You're such a little baby you know that?" I chuckle and he meows in response. 

I follow the same routine as I always do, carrying him with me into my room and rambling off to him about my day before hopping in the shower but this time I have a lot more to say, leaving me wasting half the hot water and causing me to have to finish up the last bit of my shower in a freezing cold stream. 

After finishing up and finally settling into bed I lay down and Salem curls up next to me. "Things might be changing around here boy. I only hope they're for the better, what do you think?" I ask after having told him everything and I'm met with the feeling of him purring and if that isn't a good sign then I don't know what is. 

"I hope he likes cats" I say, giving him one last pet before turning off the light and for the first time in a very long time I can finally say I've gone to sleep feeling content. The last thought that runs through my head is one that helps me fall asleep with a soft smile on my face. 

I can't wait to see him again...

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[rafey-baby]

hidden 3

c/w: hostage/stockholm syndrome situation, outlaw!rafe being his usual self, mentions of murder, pogue!reader having some sexual awakenings & some backstory on rafe, 18+ mdni!

wc: 2.3k

hope u enjoy xx

part 1 part 2 & part 4 part 5

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  

The following morning, her eyes groggily open in her own bed— covers tucked over her shoulders and head comfortably propped up by her pillow.

She finds herself perplexed, doesn’t know how she ended up here since her last coherent memory from last night is sitting on the passenger seat of Rafe’s truck and letting her heavy lids close for what was originally supposed to be a few minutes.   

Her sock-clad feet pad over to the living room where Rafe is rummaging through some of his papers and whatnot; appearing as busy as ever.   

“Why don’t I remember coming home last night?” she stops to stand next to him.  

“Cause you sleep like a fuckin’ rock. Had to carry you to your room,” he sounds disinterested, not even bothering to lift his head from the piece of paper he’s pinching between his fingers.

Upon closer inspection, it appears to be some sort of a contract—letters unfortunately too tiny for her to be able to read from where she’s standing.  

“Oh. Thanks?”  

Instead of leaving her passed out in his car like she would’ve assumed, he tucked her into bed? Maybe he owns a heart, after all.   

“It’s whatever,” he dismisses her while reading something over; seemingly deep in thought.   

“Do you— do you need help with that?”  

“Nah, I’m good,” his hand lifts up to scratch at the back of his head before scribbling something down. 

“Right…” she trails off, apparently rooted in her spot and unable to move.   

“Did you want something or what?” his tone is suddenly exasperated, eyes finally flickering up to peer into hers along with his brows raising expectantly.   

“No, I just…are we going somewhere today?” she can’t help but feel a little out of place in her own home with him there; almost as if she’s waiting for his next command to know what to do. It makes something peculiar swim in the pits of her stomach.   

“Nah, just have to go over these. Can you, I dunno, go to your room or something? You’re botherin’ me with your staring,” he grumbles and shifts into a more comfortable position on the couch; not sparing her another ounce of attention.   

“Sorry,” she mumbles, a frown taking over her visage.   

Honestly, she’s not entirely sure what she’s supposed to do now. Normally, she’d go to work at the surf shop near the beach but since Rafe so kindly took her phone and texted everyone in her contacts about a family emergency that would take some days to sort through, she can’t exactly do that.

And besides work…well, she doesn’t really have much else going on in her life. It’s sad, really, how a literal criminal forcing his way into her house is the most exciting thing to happen to her in the past few years.   

All things considered though, she doesn’t mind living a quiet life in the Cut, just sometimes wishes she didn’t feel so…lonely. And don’t get her wrong, she has friends, she just sometimes yearns for something deeper than fun boat adventures or getting high with her feet dangling over the dock while a tangerine-colored sunset paints over the horizon.   

She’s always had this dream of traveling around the world or simply just somewhere that wasn’t the Outer Banks but her parents never had the money for it. Therefore, she settled and learned to earn a living by herself in order to keep a roof over her head.   

And she’s been content with her simple life, even considers herself to be happy but then she sat on Rafe’s lap and at the realization of him getting hard from her unconscious rubbing against him felt butterflies in her belly, maybe for the first time in her life. It was something she thought only happened in movies yet there they were; their fluttering wings poking at her core like some vicious reminder that she hadn’t let someone make her feel good in ages.   

Truth be told, she grew tired of guys not being able to make her come because they didn’t understand her needs; didn’t even bother to find them out which is why she sort of lost hope for the whole thing altogether. But then Rafe steps inside her home uninvited and is nothing but mean to her and suddenly she... 

It's wrong.  

It doesn't make any sense yet she still can't help but feel a certain pull towards him whenever he's close. And she doesn't like it one bit; wants to forget about it as quickly as the thought breaches her mind.  

It's far too complex for her perplexed mind to grasp onto, which is why she confuses it for insanity; simply decides that she’s going crazy. And maybe she is, because why else would she suddenly care for Rafe? Why is a hidden part of her heart beginning to harbor gooey, fond feelings for a killer who’s technically holding her hostage?  

She’s sure her muddled brain is going to explode if she thinks about the matter any longer; instead opting to take a long, scalding shower due to the clothes she’s been wearing since yesterday starting to stick to her sweaty skin and making her feel even filthier than she already does.  

Unfortunately, the steaming water doesn't quite wash away the ache between her thighs.  

She’s in the middle of pulling a shirt over the damp strands of her hair when harsh knuckles rap against her bedroom door and Rafe enters a second later; not even bothering to wait for a response.   

“Change of plans—” his words die down on his tongue when he notices her current state.   

“Rafe, what the fuck?” she quickly adjusts the hem over her waist, painfully aware of the fact that she’s not wearing any pants and his eyes are now fixed on the lace of her panties practically on show for him.  

“Why are you just barging into my room like that? I could’ve been naked!” she complains before snatching a pair of shorts off her floor; tugging them over her hips.   

“Shit, wouldn’t have minded if you were. Got a nice ass for a Pogue,” he shrugs while sporting an irritating smirk that makes her glare at him.   

“And you’ve got no manners for a Kook. Except, I’m not surprised,” she rolls her eyes when he feigns shock; exaggeratedly dropping his jaw.  

“Puppy’s getting angry, huh? Where’s this attitude coming from? Thought you were still scared of me?” he belittles her with a condescending tinge in his laugh.  

And she’s about to respond when out of the blue the ring of her doorbell reverberates around the house.   

They both tense.   

“You’re expecting someone?” his tone turns bleak, frigid; inducing shivers to litter across her arms as her head turns towards the source of the sound.   

“N— no. I’m not,” she stutters because truthfully, she doesn’t have a clue as to who could be at her door in the middle of an ordinary Tuesday.   

“Did you fucking call someone?” he takes a threatening step towards her and she panics.    

“No! I promise, I didn’t. I don’t even— you literally have my phone, remember?” she tries to fruitlessly defend herself.   

“I swear, if you’re lying right now—”   

“I’m not, okay? I didn’t call anyone!” She reassures once more, although it seems like he’s not even listening anymore. Therefore, she tries to be logical. ”I should— I should go and see who it is, right?”  

The icebound water in his eyes bores into her as he weighs out his options.  

“Right, right. Yeah, you should do that," he finally settles on. "But if you even consider telling them anything, I swear I’m gonna fucking find you, you understand?” He grits out into her face and she flinches when she can feel his harsh breaths hit her mouth with each syllable.   

She quickly nods before teetering towards the entrance of her home and twisting the lock with precarious fingers.  

Soon, she’s standing in front of two men wearing police uniforms.  

“Oh, sorry for the wait. Was um…in the bathroom. How can I— uh, help you?” she tries to appear unfazed; inhaling slowly and doing everything she can in order to not look as guilty as she feels.  

“We apologize for the inconvenience but we’ve been assigned to ask around the island in order to locate a criminal who’s potentially a threat to our entire community,” one of them says and she thinks his jaded eyes are peering into her soul and seeing right through her rickety facade.  

“Have you seen this man recently?” the other guy dangles a picture of Rafe in the air. She takes a moment to properly look at the photo as to not answer too quickly.   

“N— no, sorry. Can’t say I have. Why? Who is that?” she bats her lashes in confusion as her poor heart thuds in her ribcage. She wonders if they can hear it.  

“This is Rafe Cameron. You might’ve heard about Cameron Development? He became the owner after his father’s death a few years back. And now we have reason to believe that he’s the main suspect for the murder of a fellow officer,” he states with a serious expression.  

“Oh, that’s…that’s terrible,” her eyes widen in shock because she had no idea Rafe was a Cameron. Of course, she’d heard everyone talking about what had happened with Ward Cameron and the rumors surrounding the gold but she’d never cared enough to dig through for more information about the rest of his family.   

“Seems like the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree considering what Ward did to Sheriff Peterkin,” the one with the piercing stare snickers and her brows furrow because she doesn’t think the topic is all that hilarious.   

“I remember watching that in the news when it was all happening. Didn’t you guys also arrest an innocent Pogue with no actual proof?” her question is sharp because the whole case still itches her in the wrong way.  

“That was— listen, I wasn’t even here back then, it was all very tragic. But the investigation on this case is still ongoing and we have a reliable witness claiming they saw Rafe dragging something heavy near the ocean the night before we found the body washed up on the shore. And according to multiple sources Rafe was the last person seen with our coworker at the island club a few hours prior to his death,” the guy explains and she momentarily wonders if they’re even allowed to share this much classified information with her.   

“Right. Well, I really wish I could help you but I unfortunately haven’t seen him,” her teeth sink into the inside of her cheek and she wonders if they can tell that she’s lying.  

“At this point, it seems like no one has. We’re suspecting that he might’ve fled the country. Anyway, we’ve got orders to search every house but honestly, we don’t think he’d be on this side of the island. So, we’re not gonna waste our time on that. Call this number if you notice anything out of the ordinary, though?”   

“Yes, of course. I really wish there was more I could do to help. Hope you guys find him soon,” she offers them a tight smile.   

“We’ll do our best,” they assure her before the door finally closes.   

Her back slides down against the wood as her labored breathing begins to slow down. She closes her eyes in a moment of relief until she feels Rafe’s presence interfering with her peace.   

“Who knew you were such a good liar? Shouldn’t believe everything you say too easily then, should I?” his gaze travels down her form and he genuinely seems impressed.   

“You killed a cop?” she decides to ignore his teasing.  

“Relax. He was a sleazy bastard who was helping me with some side business and became too greedy. What can I say? Don’t like being used. But believe me, he was not a good person,” he answers her question, maybe for the first time ever.  

“Right, right,” she tries her very best to understand where he’s coming from but she doesn’t think she’s ever going to be able to justify ending someone’s life with such indifference. In her opinion, he doesn’t have the right to decide whether someone gets to live or not; no matter how good or bad of a person they are.  

“Listen, I didn’t mean to do it, it just…happened, okay?” he tries to explain himself and he almost sounds vulnerable. She nearly feels bad for him.   

“You know, I could go to jail for helping you!” she snaps when frustration bubbles to the surface instead.   

“Calm down, Pup. You’re not going to jail, alright? And watch that fucking tone, yeah?” his hands rest on his head as he begins to pace around the hallway.   

“I just— cops don’t care about Pogues. If they find out I lied to them they’re gonna put me behind bars cause unlike you, I don’t have the money to bail myself out,” she tries to pointlessly reason with him.   

“Already told you, nothing’s gonna happen to you, okay? Now can you shut the fuck up so I can think?” he demands, halting his movements.   

“Did they, uh, tell you anything?” he speaks up again and she tells him everything she remembers from the brief conversation while he mulls over his situation.  

“Right, right. So, they don’t actually have any real proof about me killing the guy? Just speculation,” he confirms.   

“I guess, yeah? But I don’t know if they even know all the details about the case,” she offers in response and can practically hear the wheels turning in his head.   

“They didn’t happen to mention who the witness was?”   

“N— no, why?” her voice wavers as she swallows around the question.  

He lifts his head to inspect her reaction when he seems to have finally conjured up some sort of a plan to clear his name.   

“Think I’m gonna have to pay him a little visit. And you’re gonna help, aren’t ya?” 

She would very much like to find out whatever sin she committed in a past life that weighed so heavily that it made her end up in a position as wretched as this one. 

[dexlexia]

how to deal with 3 warlords (while pregnant) - cross guild x reader

pairing: dracule mihawk x buggy the clown x reader x crocdile rating: 18+ summary: Three warlords, three of the most vicious men in all of the world. And somehow, someway they are at your beck and call. What started out as an arrangement with Sir Crocodile turned into a liaison with Mihawk and somewhere along the way you ended up in bed with the clown. tags: long fic (over 5k), polyam!cross guild, smut, pwp, table sex, couch sex, lingerie, slight possessive behaviour, good ol' time, fingering, outdoor sex, clothed sex, cowgirl position.

join me on discord! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Three warlords, three of the most vicious men in all of the world. And somehow,someway they are at your beck and call. What started out as an arrangement with Sir Crocodile turned into a liaison with Mihawk and somewhere along the way you ended up in bed with the clown. 

Now you were living quite well in a large manor on some island in the southeast. You spent most of your days reading, you had even taken up a little gardening. Anything you wanted the Cross Guild got for you. Not many people were living like you on the Grand Line. 

Then it happened. You ended up pregnant by one of the idiots. One of the three men was the father of your child. You expected to be on the next boat off the island, but none of the men were willing to send you off. They wanted to make sure their little lady was taken care of. While they bicker over who the father was, they each made sure you were taken care of. 

  ”Can't you hurt now.“ Crocodile told you as he brushed his fingers through your hair, ”If it isn't my brat this time, it will be next time.“ And he almost smiled around the cigar in his mouth.

So that was how you became the lovely wife to three of the most dangerous men on the high seas. And sometimes you wished their boat would sink. 

At six months pregnant it wasn't easy to get around, you spent most days rubbing the sore spot in your back and hobbling around the manor. Most of the time the men kept to themselves and allowed you freedom to roam around the place. 

There was something about the manor you quite enjoyed, even if the men barely got along they still cared deeply for you. You had the pleasure of being called more beautiful than any treasure. But it was Buggy who told you that and then he promptly passed out from too much liquor. So the compliment only went so far. 

It was a home, even with three fearsome men, you still were happy. You thought of it as a way to keep the men in check. You were like the glue that held them together or prevented them from killing one another. It wasn't easy work but it was your work. 

-

You rubbed your achy lower back and huffed, ”You better come out easy, or we're going to have a problem.“ You then poked your swollen middle. Your current wardrobe was clothing that belonged to the men. You hadn't had much time to find cuter clothes so you often were dressed like a mob boss or a gothic swordsman or a fucking clown. But none of them men minded, to be fair they'd preferred if you were naked. You however refused to give them the satisfaction.

You weren't a toy to be ogled at, and if any of them treated you like an object they'd be out on the yard before they could finish their sentence. You refused to raise a child to believe that a woman would be under a man. Even if their father was a warlord you'd teach them compassion and kindness in an unforgiving world. 

It was the least you could do. So even with the aches and pains you were happy to carry such a precious gift. You gave your belly and soft pat, ”I'm not mad at you“ You said, ”I just want everything to go smoothly, I'm excited to meet you. And the boys will love you too. They might be a bit much but you'll always have a home.“ 

  ”Talking to the baby again, I see.“ You heard.

  ”Crocodile.“ You responded as you looked up from your swollen middle. Hand on your lower back once more, ”I thought you were busy, Mihawk told me that.“  

You'd say out of the three of them, Crocodile was the most ”attentive“, there was a charm to him that you couldn't deny. You understood why he was able to charm his way through Alabasta. But anything you needed he got for you without question. He often enjoyed your pregnant state, the idea that he bred you so well left him excited. Such a good girl carrying his spawn, and if it happened that the baby belonged to the swordsman or the clown, he'd make sure that next time he finished the job. 

  ”I'm never too busy for you. Where are you going anyway?“ He asked,“If you need something, I will get it fo you.” He approached you and leaned down to caress your bump, “You will need for nothing. You should be resting.“

  ”I have to move sometimes, Crocodile. Even with the pains in my lower back.“ You huffed as you rubbed the sore spot, ”Can't be bed bound forever.“ 

He chuckled and kissed the top of your head, ”If you wanted a back rub you should've come to my office. Mihawk is too rough with you and the clown is an idiot. So why don't we get what you need and head to the bedroom.“ He leaned further down and kissed you on the lips.

You cupped his face and looked at him, ”If you can get me the ice pop from the freezer in the kitchen I'll happily accept your offer.“ And gave him the biggest puppy dog eyes you could muster. 

He chuckled, ”You always know how to get your way.“ Then took you by the hand, ”Why don't get go before the clown takes all of them.“ Then he started to slowly walk to the kitchen on the lower level.

The warlord had a soft spot for you, he was enamoured by you. You were so small compared to him yet you held your own. The kind of woman who would bear his young. 

Soon you were seated at the massive dinner table happily enjoying the blue ice pop that was in the freezer with your back turned to Crocodile. His hand was on your back slowly massaging the aches and pains on your lower back. You could tell he was getting aroused by the closeness to you. You smiled to yourself as he rubbed at your back. 

  ”How's the child doing?” He asked as the hooked hand reached around you and carefully rubbed your bump, “Is he behaving?”

You chuckled, “We don't know the gender of the baby.” And took another bite of the cold treat, “You better not be disappointed if they're a girl."

He chuckled and pressed at a sore spot on your back, ”I could never, not with you.“ Then pulled away, "You're still a marvellous sight, even this far in. You're a beauty to behold, little one.“ Then leaned in to get a good feeling on the tenseness of your lower back, ”You're a good girl, right?“

You turned your head to look at him, ”You're not just being nice for sex are you?“ You reached over and stroked his face, ”Right?“

He moved back a little, “No, of course, I'd only have sex with you, with you permission.” He swallowed. Only the warlord would get nervous around you.

You chuckled and patted him on the cheek, “Why don't you finish this up for me.” You placed the ice pop in his mouth and moved off the chair. You hiked up the shirt that looked like a dress as you hoisted yourself onto the lavish dining table with a huff. It's hard to be sexy when you're so pregnant. 

  “Oh?” He said, “And here I thought you wanted a massage. But if there's something you desire, I'm happy to provide.” He smirked at you as he got up from the other chair.  He stood in front of you and admired you, such a beautiful woman in his eyes. 

Crocodile was such a fearsome man but here he was in front of you, with a glint in his eye as he watched you unbutton the shirt you wore and soon revealed your almost naked form. He had noticed that your breasts had gotten a bit bigger during the time you were pregnant so far, and that only made the man smirk. 

  “Let's get you out of those." He remarked as he helped you out of your underwear, you held onto his broad shoulders as he slipped them off of you. He placed your bum back down on the table and carefully spread your legs. His hook grazed at the soft flesh of your inner thigh and he carefully licked his hip lip.

  ”Don't stare at me like I'm meat, Crocodile.“ You remarked as you held onto the front of his shirt, all three of the men admired you but you had to warn them sometimes not to view you like a slab of meat for sale. They were yours as much as you were theirs, there would be a level of respect you demanded. 

You didn't think it was too much to ask considering you were carrying one of their children, you weren't a broodmare goddamnit! 

He reached over and patted you on the head, his face got closer to yours as he smiled at you, ”Don't you worry, baby. I would never. You're less like meat and more like the finest gold in all of the blue.“ His broad hand reached to your cheek and rubbed it, ”The others should be lucky I even let you in the same room as them.“ Then kissed you on the forehead. He carefully held your legs open for him, he exhaled deeply as he admired your sweet sex, ”Now let's get the show on the road before the others find us.“ Then with a little help from you, he slid his cock into you. 

Taking him was like a punch in the gut sometimes, even when he was being slow. He was just so BIG. It was hard to take him all at once. But he took his time, he didn't want to leave you too sore. His hand was on your waist as he started to thrust into you. The hook on his other hand held onto the side of the table for support. He leaned down and kissed at your neck, ”That's it.“ He said almost breathless against your neck, ”There we go. Such a good girl.“ 

The table made small noises as it was pushed ever so slightly across the carpeted floor. But you didn't pay much mind to it, you were too concerned with the feeling of euphoria that came over you. It was a great feeling, even with the minor stretch you were in good hands with the warlord. 

  ”Crocodile.“ You said softly, ”Fuck.“ 

He chuckled, his warm skin was pressed up against you, ”I know, you like when we have sex. I wouldn't have it with anyone else, those other idiots should be lucky that they get to have a taste of you.“ His voice was low, there was a possessive edge to it that sent a shiver up your spine. While the agreement worked you knew that Crocodile would rather have you all to yourself.

The sex was quiet and secretive. Hot breathing and soft moans filled the air of the lavish dining room. Crocodile's larger body stayed around you as he thrusted up into you. But even the warlord couldn't keep his composure for long.

  ”I want you to finish at the same time as me, baby.“ He said hotly into your ear, ”I want to feel you get very tight around me when you finish. Can you do that for me?“ His breathing was rapid and his shirt was sticking to his muscular back as he thrusted up into you. 

You squeezed your eyes shut for a moment as you felt the wave of pleasure over your body, ”I can do that.“ You panted. Your body jolted with the thrusts, your pregnant belly and heavy breasts moved with each thrust of his hips. 

He pulled you into a deep kiss, he even explored your mouth with his tongue while the intense feeling of climax took hold. It wasn't long before you were clinging onto him for dear life, you belly pressed against him. Then with one last thrust of his cock, you moaned into his mouth and climaxed at the same time as him. You let out a sharp squeak before a primal groan as you felt the wash of pleasure through your system. It made you go lightheaded. 

Soon Crocodile pulled away and patted you on the cheek. He looked over at the half melted popsicle beside you. Between his breaths he said, “Let me get you another one.” then leaned in for one last kiss. The thrill of pleasure still coursed through his body. He cleared his throat and asked, “Blue, right?”

You giggled, your head still a haze and replied, “Or we could go again?” And spread your legs a little further. And what kind of husband would Crocodile be if he didn't give in to his wife's request?

-

It had been about a week since your encounter with Crocodile. And while you were achy for days later, it wouldn't be the last time you'd have sex. Mihawk had just come back from a trip abroad and while he brought nothing for the other men, he was more than happy to show you what he got you. 

You were now almost seven months and the baby in you was feeling a lot more active, which made you out of breath a lot of the time. But you were determined to see what the swordsman got you. One of the gifts was a lovely dress made for someone as far along as you and while it was a little tight around the belly, you were happy Mihawk even thought of you. 

But there was still more he wanted to show you. The other men were out of the manor, so you went looking for Mihawk. You were occupied all morning with prepping for dinner, between the three warlords not a single one of them knew how to properly cook. They were as clueless in the kitchen as they were competent in combat. So it was just easier for you to cook, there was less of a chance that a fire would break out. 

 “Mihawk!” You called out as you climbed the long staircase upstairs. You peeked into the rooms until you found the man in his study. You let yourself in.

  “You know you can't just- oh, I didn't hear you, my love.” He got up from his chair at the desk, “You shouldn't be putting so much strain on yourself. Come.” He guided you to the old style leather couch at the other end of the room, “You should be resting.” 

  “Well I heard that someone bought me presents while away, and I want my presents.” You smiled at him as you tried to get comfortable on the chair, “Can you blame me?”

 “I'm sorry, I should've found you sooner.” he replied, “Let me get them for you.“ He quickly left the room only to swiftly return with delicately wrapped gifts in hand. He put them on the table in front of you then sat beside you. He watched you with careful eyes as you grabbed the first one. His lips were close to your ear as he said, “Open it.”

It was a floral patterned wrapping paper and underneath was a black box with a white ribbon tied around it, there was a note attached to it that read, ”Forever yours, Mihawk.“ You turned to look at him and he softly kissed you. You then went back to opening the box. It wasn't long until you discovered the contents of the gift. Inside in a bed of tissue paper was burgundy lingerie. 

You turned to look at Mihawk who had his eyes on you. You said to him, ”You shouldn't have.“

He tilted his head to the side, ”What I paid for is nothing compared to how much you're worth. It should fit you.“ His hand played with your hair gently, ”Will you try it on for me?“ And smiled when you slowly stood up, he even carefully supported you while you moved. 

You responded, “Of course.”  With gentle hands you pulled the bra and matching panties out. Your heart skipped a beat when you saw how little fabric there was. You guessed he was right, it would fit if there was nothing to put on. You felt his eyes on you as he got up and started to undress you.

His hands found your swollen middle and he sighed contently, “You've been taking care of him while I've been gone. Good girl.” 

You turned around to him and started to take the dress off, “You men are so possessive. I'm your wife, not a broodmare.” You reminded him.

He leaned in for a kiss and before he did it, he replied, “Of course, I could never remember you as anything but my wife. I am just glad that the others weren't too rough with you. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you.” 

  “Nothing will ever happen to me, I have the best protection on the planet.” You said as you stepped out of your dress. Soon your undergarments came off and he slowly put the pieces on you. 

You noticed right away that in the crotch area, there was an opening. You looked at him with a bit and shock and he got even closer to you. His bare chest was pushed against you and his hand dipped down between your legs. 

  “It's your gift. But under my conditions.” He remarked before he pushed two fingers inside of you. His skillful digits massaged the inside of your pussy and felt just right that you went on your tippy toes and clutched onto him. 

Your nipples grew hard from the sensation and them being practically exposed. Your cheeks grew warm and he went in for another kiss. You held onto him tightly as the pleasure raced through you. This felt amazing. 

Mihawk's favourite position was when he had you so close to his bigger form and fingered you. He prioritised your pleasure first, he wanted to see every expression you made when he pleasured you. He wanted to see and hear how good it was for you. And he was one to never disappoint. Those sharp gold eyes trained on you as he brought you into his lap with your legs open and facing the door. He kissed your neck while you panted and moaned. 

His other hand wandered your bump, “I want it to be mine, I want you to bear me a child who'll truly be the greatest. I have high hopes that it'll be mine.” Then left a deep bruise on your neck.

Your moans often got stuck in your throat from the immense pleasure that Mihawk was giving you. You hooked your hands under your knees to give him a better angle, with your back pressed against his chest.

The thrusts of his fingers were powerful and left your head spinning. This was euphoric. Soon his hand was on your breast and he skilfully fondled it as he continued to finger you at a punishing pace.

Your moans rung clear in the office while he pleasures you on the couch. At least your wetness can easily be cleaned off the leather. Your eyes rolled back as you gripped your thighs in a heightened pleasure.

  “So good for me.” He praised, “A beautiful woman I am able to give pleasure to, it's an honour.” He knew your heart was racing, he could probably feel it. He continued to kiss at your neck as his pace quickened even more. 

Your toes curled in the intense feeling and you moaned loudly as you rolled your hips in time with his movement which caused your breasts and belly to bounce. The knowledge of that made Mihawk's cock twitch in his pants. You really were a remarkable woman. 

He pinched at your nipple and your moans got louder. You pussy clenched around his fingers and he groaned into your flushed skin, ”So perfect.“ he thumb gazed at your clit and you practically jumped but you didn't get too far. He pulled you back in and you got louder as he pleasured you further.

You felt a grip around you as hot pleasure raced through your body. Your core felt on fire from the sensation. And Mihawk thought it was divine.  You looked angelic, especially when he hit just the right spot and you climaxed. 

He groaned into your skin as you tightened around his fingers. You tensed for a moment before you relaxed against him and tried to catch your breath. Yor head was spinning but you felt safe in Mihawk's arms. 

  ”How was that?“ He asked, ”You looked divine when I was pleasuring you. Do you want more?“

You exhaled deeply and slowly got up. You stood in front of him, ”Well.“ You said, ”Let's see how resilient this lace is?“ Then slowly he brought you back to the couch with the full intention of seeing what 'damage' he could do before the other men came home. 

-

Buggy was home the most, while the other two had matters to attend to off the island, Buggy was well Buggy. He was a fearsome clown but you spent the most time with him. You enjoyed his company, even when it was something as simple as watching over you while you gardened. 

It was the middle of summer and everyone was in their own little corner of the house. You were out in the garden behind the manor waddling around with a watering can in hand. You were tending to the roses portion of the garden before you moved on to the strawberries nearby. 

You didn't mind the alone time, it gave you time to think. You tried not to get too anxious about how your life is going to change once the baby is born. It felt so far away yet so close. Before the first autumn leaves you were going to be a mother! And at times it left you rather anxious. 

You shook off the thoughts while you poured the water over the roses. You heard the back door open and close. You turned to look over and saw Buggy. And when your eyes met, he broke out into a grin. 

  ”Well there you are, my peanut!“ Then made strides to get closer to you. You quickly noticed in his hand was your large sun hat. He approached and placed it on your head, ”I don't think now is the best time to get a sunburn. You know Crocodile will kill you.“ Then leaned in for a kiss. 

While the other two were mysterious, Buggy seemed normal in comparison. Well, for a clown pirate anyway. He had a very sweet spot for you and while you hadn't seen much of his feared nature, you enjoyed your time with him. He was an open book to you.

  ”You know one of us can do that, like you don't have to keep coming out here. Especially alone, what if you slip on some mud or like... A bird drops a rock on your head!" 

You laughed, ”Buggy, I think I have bigger things to worry about than a bird."

He shrugged before he took the watering can from you, “I'd hate to see anything happen to ya, so let's go. It's time for  a break!” Then placed it down before he guided you away from the garden and towards the shade under the largest tree on the property. 

He helped you down onto the grass and he went in for another kiss. He moaned against your lips as gloved hands cupped your face. It was almost romantic if not for the heat between your kisses. Your heart jumped.

  “You shouldn't be out here all alone, angel. What if someone hurt you? What if someone took you from me?“ He stared down at you.

You smiled back at him and reached out for him. You placed a hand on his cheek and assured him, ”No one would ever dare.“ Then went in for another kiss.You felt excitement race though you as he laid down in the grass with you on top of him. 

  ”Good, because you're mine, peanut. Just like that kid in your belly.“ He grinned at you and nodded. Soon with the help of his powers one of his hands reached down, detached from his body and lifted up your dress. He slipped his hand under and found the less than stylish maternity underwear you wore. 

  ”What do you think you're doing, clown?“ You asked, as you held his face, ”Did you come to check on me so you could fuck me?“ 

He laughed, ”Of course not, having sex with you is just a bonus!“ Then with another hand, pull down the underwear to the middle of your thigh, ”C'mon, then afterwards I'll even help ya water the garden. Seeing you all domestic has really turned me on.” Then he grabbed your ass. 

You moaned and he pulled you in for a searing kiss. He continued to gab at your ass as the kiss deepened. He pulled you dress up further to expose your bare ass to the afternoon air. 

  “You drive me crazy.“ He remarked before he created a bit of room between you two to get his cock out of his pants, ”So why don't you be a good girl and get me off.“ He beamed at you. 

You squeezed his nose between your thumb and pointer finger, ”And what do we say with that, Buggy?“

He frowned suddenly, ”Please. Please angel, sugar, honey, peanut, please, please!“ His cock was out of his pants and pressed into your swollen middle, ”I'd love to see that belly bounce while ya ride me.“  Then he attached both hands to his wrists and held onto your waist. ”I want you.“

You chuckled and held onto the bottom of your dress so a bit of your belly was exposed as you eated yourself onto him. You held his hand for support as you slowly seated yourself onto him. You exhaled deeply, “Yeah.“

  ”Doing alright there, peanut?“ He asked as he rubbed your hip with his free hand, ”That's it, good girl.“

You moaned as you started to roll your hips.  You held onto his hand and the bottom of your dress while you rolled your hips. You felt his cock nudge against the most sensitive spots. For a clown he was a good fuck.

Your eyes closed and your mouth slightly opened as you moved faster.  Buggy groaned and soon both hands were on your hips as he tried to meet your pace. “Shit.” You moaned as you felt pleasure spread through your body like warm butter on hot toast. Your cheeks were flushed as you continued to move your body. 

The two of you went at it, you kept the pace steady. It was getting quicker but the depths that he pushed against made you see stars behind your eyelids. Your heart raced as you moved against him. The feeling of overwhelming moments. Sex with Buggy left you breathless as it did with the other men. You were glad that your pussy could take a beating. The thought made you smirk for a second before you felt his thumb rub up against your clit. 

You jolted up but he used his other hand to keep you back down on his cock. He chuckled, “You're not getting away that easily, angel. I know I make you feel good, that's why the brat in ya is mine. His hand moved to your belly to feel around it while he played with your clit.

You felt moans bubble up in your throat as you rode him. You picked up the pace as the swirl of pleasure moved in the pit of your stomach. Your breathing was rapid as your belly moved with your movements. A sight the clown would never get out of his mind. His girl pregnant with his brat riding him on a sunny afternoon, he couldn't luck out more than this!

Soon the pleasure became an overwhelming feeling for both of you. He handed onto your belly with both hands as he pushed up deeper into you. Your coe felt soaked from the stimulation of his cock as you thrust your hips. Soon your hands were over his on your bump as you moved as fast as your pregnant body would allow.

Buggy's eyes rolled back as he gripped onto your belly, your dress fell back down over the bump as you two met each other's pace. Pleasure coursed through you and you tilted your head back in an attempt to catch your breath as you moved. 

You felt your dress cling to your sweaty back as the two of you made love under the sun. The feeling was euphoric. You reached down and grabbed him by the font of his shirt as you felt on the very tip of orgasm.

The moa got caught in your throat as you climaxed. You tightened around him and he soo finished off too inside of you. He painted your inside white as he let out a loud groan and went limp on the ground. 

You slid off of him, cum stained your inner thigh. You wiped the sweat from your forehead and said, ”C'mon now, Buggy. You have to help me water strawberries.“ But his hands, that were detached from his wrists, pulled your dress up once more.

Soon he was on top of you, squishing your belly as he said between ragged breaths, ”Not until I make you scream, peanut.“ With a wild grin on his face. 

[inconveniently-discorporated]

By some fantastical turn of events, it turns out that my daughter and I have the same favorite author. She's three. I'm mumblethirtysomethingmumble. She might even be a bigger fan than me.

(it's vastly important to note the shame is not from the age but because i keep losing count and so I'm considering just keeping track in decades from now on)

So, first let me say that it was a happy coincidence that the author of one of my favorite books as an adolescent (Coraline) turned out to be the author (one of the authors anyway) of one of my favorite books as an adult. I presume you can guess based on *gestures wildly at profile*.

But it was an entirely different not-coincidence-but-still-a-surprise situation that transpired whereupon this author became my daughter's favorite author.

I was perusing G - GAIMAN for some other books I'd been interested in reading to her -- the one about wolves and the other one about goldfish -- when I happened upon Pirate Stew. I bought it, and it looked like fun. I had no idea.

Now, children's books are my kryptonite. I can get by myself on digital purchases and the library, but my child? Absolutely not, I CANNOT say no to buying her books. It's literally -- no matter what my bank account claims -- impossible to pass up a book if I think she'll like it.

Nonetheless, she's three. She never remains on any one book for any particular length of time, even though she enjoys them and already uses them during parties to avoid eye contact and conversation with strangers. She takes after me, see.

But this book? She is absolutely ENAMORED with it. We went to a play place thing where they had a massive boat to play on and she ran around yelling about pirate stew with her mud pies. It's ALWAYS her one of two books she reads for bedtime. If it's not in her rotation of books, she'll ask for it specifically. More importantly, it's the only book she's loved enough to pretend to read to me, for the first time in her young little life.

I don't know what I'm trying to say here, I guess thanks @neil-gaiman for making the joy of reading accessible to all ages. Here's to many more years of reading -- and maybe someday she'll start writing, too. She's very fond of art, in all its forms, so no matter what I think she'll be inspired to partake in the creative process.

[totallynotcoffeeturtle]

Long(?) Distance Relationship

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Genshin masterlist || Scaramouche masterlist

Tags: fluff, gn!reader, pre-established relationship, mild crack ig Summary: is a long-distanced relationship even possible when your boyfriend can just travel on foot cross nations for you?

A/N: so uhhhh this kinda sucks but it's midnight here and i'm losing my marbles or however that saying goes. happy reading yall w/c: 1.3k

･˚‧･+‧₊‧.°.⋆.🫧 .•˚₊‧⋆:｡+.･ﾟ･˚‧･+‧₊‧.°.⋆.🫧 .•˚₊‧⋆:｡+.･ﾟ･˚‧･+‧₊‧.°.⋆.🫧 .•˚₊‧⋆:｡+.･ﾟ

You place your luggage down onto the wooden floor of the rental in Mondstadt city, sighing under your breath. The week-long boat trip from Sumeru to the docks and then another few days worth of slime balloon flight had not been easy on your body, especially since you mostly bury yourself in research upon research instead of strengthening your body.

A sense of peace wells up as you take in the bustling atmosphere of the people and the music carried by the wind through the window as you sit down onto the bed. It was the right choice to go to Mondstadt for your new project! You do miss Wanderer much more than you would ever admit after all the traveling though.

Quickly clearing up your mind, you put away your things and tidy up the room a little so that it is more livable than before. As you hang up the last of your clothes, a piece of paper falls down to the ground. You pick it up and freeze at the realization that it is the note you wanted to leave for Wanderer about leaving. A few moments pass and you give up on trying to think. Whatever will happen is for the future you to worry about!

Meanwhile, your poor boyfriend just returns to your shared abode after having to help the Dendro Archon out in the desert. Wanderer was expecting to see you excitedly rushing to greet him, or at least hear you in the living doing random things but is met with an empty home. His non-existent heart stops beating for a split second. Where did you go!? So the only reasonable action Wanderer can take is to rush out and grab the nearest familiar looking scholar for interrogation.

While questioning his victim, his brain is filled with the worst possibilities he knows, what if you finally realized that he is unsuitable for you, or you got kidnapped or- The poor scholar can barely answer him before getting thrown onto the ground and feeling a gust of wind rushing by, followed by a trail of dust. Wanderer breathes a sigh of relief knowing you are safe and sound. He thanks the Dendro Archon that you are simply on a work trip to Mondstadt of all places.

The anemo vision on his waist glows as he pushes the limit on speed before he inevitably is forced to go on foot once again. The puppet complains under his breath. He did not realize the way to Mondstadt is this long but at least this would be faster than to travel on any other transportation method. He also simply cannot believe that you would leave for your research now of all times. The puppet was away for two, t-w-o weeks(!) and you dare to leave without even informing him beforehand! Admittedly, he was released from his duties much earlier than expected but you could have left a note! (Even if technically you did, the results still matter more in this case)

Wanderer is immediately stopped at the gate of the city. The guards both looked at each other when they saw him rushing over at the speed of light and anger (?) practically radiating off him and swiftly concluded that he is, in fact, a danger. He stops when they block his entry because he is a law-abiding citizen! The scholar stands there in annoyance, one of his feet tapping the ground impatiently as his eyes flit over the two soldiers trying to do their jobs. Even if he would love to just go right over their heads, he can already hear Nahida nagging at him the moment he steps foot in the vicinity of Sumeru.

He zones out slowly at the mind-bogglingly boring questioning and profiling despite its necessity. The puppet wonders if you are doing fieldwork or writing out your plans at the moment. Wanderer is already planning how he would punish you for your lack of communication and- He snaps out of his thoughts at the guards handing back his identification papers with a polite apology for stopping him. He simply nods and walks in. Paperwork is always so tedious!

Meanwhile, you walk around the library of the Knights of Favonius, in awe at the sheer collection of books available and the crisp cleanliness somehow maintained despite everything. The librarian is an oddball but that is just how scholars are sometimes. Not the oddest one you have had the pleasure of meeting, at least. You run your fingers over the leather book spines as you hum along with the music selection from the gramophone. One book, and then another, and another one… They begin to stack up higher than you had expected. You stare at the pile in mild contemplation. How are you supposed to bring all of this back?

Lisa, ever the sweetheart, taps your shoulder and promises to help you reserve the books until your next visit. With that out of the way, you carry a comfortable amount in your (not) noodle arms back to your humble abode.

Wanderer walks into the bustling city while looking for your silhouette in the crowds. The guards said that there has been no scholar leaving the city for the last few days so you should still be around the place. He regrets not having planned this out better so he would not have to be walking around like a headless fly right now. He stops for a moment at the water fountain and allows himself to take a breather. You would tease the living hell out of him if you ever find out that he was in such a rush to see you again. Despite the way Wanderer acts, the corners of his mouth rise subconsciously at the thought of your surprised expression when meeting him. Maybe you would even be so happy that you hug him tightly and shower him with affection…

Instead he gets attacked right in the face with a thick encyclopedia on Mondstadt’s oral legends and a frantic scream that threatens to blow out his eardrums. Truly makes him wonder if he stepped out of the house with the wrong foot or something like that… Wanderer still catches the books flying at him, despite the urge to watch the world burn, and looks at the perpetrator in anger until he realizes it is you who did that. You know what, he can forgive you as long as you promise not to leave him without notice again.

You tumble, full Inazuman rom com novel style, sending you and your books flying at the fountain. A blood curdling scream makes its way out of your throat, effectively stunning everyone in the plaza. Honestly, for a moment, you wish that a hole would open up on the ground beneath you and swallow you up. You push yourself up from the ground, your knees still aching from the impact. You slowly look up at your victim and you rub your eyes vigorously at the sight that greets you. Isn’t Wanderer supposed to be in Sumeru right now? Are you somehow hallucinating in the middle of the day??

Regardless if this is an illusion whatever twisted god up in Celestia may be subjecting you to, you stand up and rush into your beloved boyfriend’s arms for a hug, deftly avoiding the books and the possibility of falling right into the water. As awkwardly as he is, Wanderer returns your affection. He pats your back lightly while maintaining a delicate balance with the books in his hand and you. Feeling your warmth against him is more than enough to make the trip here worth it.

The touching moment is cut short when you push him away. The puppet pouts a little but allows you to do so either way. “So uhh, how did you get here? Are you free from your deadlines yet?” He freezes up. Oh no.

･˚‧･+‧₊‧.°.⋆.🫧 .•˚₊‧⋆:｡+.･ﾟ･˚‧･+‧₊‧.°.⋆.🫧 .•˚₊‧⋆:｡+.･ﾟ･˚‧･+‧₊‧.°.⋆.🫧 .•˚₊‧⋆:｡+.･ﾟ

Taglist: @amyminhminh @xrmywaifxx @samyayaya

[vxntagedior]

the aftermath

summary | as the poe cup has come around, xavier finally finds the chance to tell you your feelings, but he expressed them at the wrong time

pairing | xavier thorpe x fem!reader

warning | fluff, angst, xavier is hopelessly in love and an idiot, miscommunications, yoko being the bestest friend, it's mentioned reader is a vampire

word count | 1.6k

You couldn’t feel like celebrating, the team gathered in yours and Yoko’s room, well except for Wednesday. 

Numbly sitting on your bed, you watched as Enid, Yoko and a few other girls from Ophelia came to celebrate, dancing around with the cup. 

“Aren’t you happy Y/n?” Enid turned to you. You finally came out of your head looking up at her. “You okay, you don’t look so good.”

Looking up at them, you sighed, “Xavier kissed me today.”

There was a moment of silence before all the girls cheered around, squealing. Yoko pulled you from the bed, hugging you tightly.

“See, I told you it was bound to happen.” They smiled, “He likes you back.”

“See, I told you it was bound to happen.” They smiled, “He likes you back.”

“Wait,” Divina interrupted, though not around the winning team, she came in support for Yoko, “when did it happen? You never went away from the group.”

“During the Poe Cup.”

“You all stay here, and watch over the boat!” You yelled to Yoko, Enid and Wednesday before running off into the forest. 

Ajax and Xavier had a head start of you but you were determined to make it ahead and finally win the cup this year. 

Looking back, you saw Bianca slowly coming in the background, whipping your head back around, bumping into someone.

“Woah watch where you’re going.” You felt them wrap their hands around your bicep to stabilize you before helping you stand up straight. 

“Xavier.” You sighed. As much as you wished for something to happen, you couldn’t let anything get in your way of getting that flag. 

“In such a rush?” There was a playful glimmer in his eyes, “I think we have it this year.”

“In your dreams.” You clipped back. 

“Oh, I do dream of you.” Your eyes soften slightly at the statement, before you remember where you are.

“Let me go!” You tried to wrestle out of his grip. Xavier was adamant of having you in his arms, and didn’t seem like he wasn’t going to let go anytime soon. 

“Leaving me so soon.” He smirked, “One more thing.”

You couldn’t even think after what happened. One second you could see the flag in your field of vision and the next, you felt being pushed against a tree, with Xavier’s lips on yours. 

His hands slowly trailed down your arms, wrapping them around your waist, your hands subconsciously placed on his chest. You couldn’t even register what was happening, dreaming of this moment. 

Kissing him back, your hands were wrapped around his neck, pulling him down closer to you. 

Feelings his hands dance around your torso, you heard the sound of footsteps coming closer and closer. 

“I got it!” Your eyes widened at the sound of Ajax’s voice, pulling away from Xavier, seeing Ajax behind him with the flag in his hand. 

Putting two and two together, you looked at Ajax then looking back at Xavier who had that cocky smirk on his face. 

“Good luck.” He whispered in your ear before running off. 

You felt embarrassed, angry, all whirlwinds of emotions. Swallowing it down, you ran to grab the flag before sprinting back to the boat. 

“What took you so long!” Enid practically screamed, pulling you back into your spot. Having the clear vision of you guys holding the Poe Cup, you couldn’t think of what had just happened, rowing even faster. 

The four of you started to row back, passing the AmontiLlado boat, seeing them starting to sink. You felt proud at the moment seeing Xavier’s face of defeat but turning back. 

You ran behind Enid and Wednesday ran towards the finish, you all cheering for your victory. 

“He kissed while I went to get the flag, and he-uh kissed me to distract me while Ajax was able to get their flag.” You confessed. 

“Oh honey.” Yoko cooed, wrapping their arms around you, leaning your head onto their shoulder. 

You didn’t want to cry, it was supposed to be a happy moment but nonetheless, you felt your eyes starting to water. Letting the tears cascade, you sobbed out loud. 

“I really liked him.” You cried, the rest of the girls all sat around you, consoling you. “And he used me!”

“He’s not worth it.” Enid said softly. 

On the other side of campus, Ajax sat at the edge of Xavier’s bed, watching him pace back and forth in his room. 

“Dude, you're giving me a headache.” Ajax said, “Can you say something.”

“God, I’m so stupid.” Xavier muttered for the hundredth time at night, pulling at the roots of his hair. 

“Anything but that.” Ajax sighed, he didn’t know how long he heard him muttering under his breath, “Just talk to her.”

“I can’t.” Xavier looked up at his friend, “You didn’t see her face, she looked heartbroken, it was like I betrayed her.” It wasn’t one of his best moments, but Xavier couldn’t hold it in anymore and kissing you while grabbing the flag wasn’t the time. 

He planned it all, after you or him won, he wanted to tell you how he felt, kiss you then. 

“Explain to her then.” Ajax offered, “You can’t avoid her forever.”

But you did. 

The following Monday, you walked through Nevermore with Yoko, ignoring Xavier like the plague, which was a pain because of the numerous classes you had with him. 

Walking into Mrs. Thornhill’s class, you started to make your way towards the back to sit with Yoko, but frowning when you saw Enid there. She sent you a sheepish smile before looking over your shoulder. Furrowing your eyebrows, you looked over your shoulder to see the station where Xavier was sitting, with an empty seat next to him. 

Turning around you looked back at Enid and Yoko, sighing and rolling your eyes behind your sunglasses. 

Setting your stuff down the table, you took the seat next to him. 

“Hey.” He whispered, turning towards you, “You’re wearing your sunglasses, you never do.”

It made you feel a little happy that he noticed things about you, but shaking it off. 

The sun never bothered your eyes that much, never really needing to wear sunglasses, but after spending most of the weekend crying, your eyes were red and puffy. 

“Alright class.” Mrs. Thornhill called, you thanked whoever saved you at that moment. 

Xavier was dying to talk to you, get your attention, anything. Looking out of the corner of your eye, you saw him scribbling on the back side of his paper, his eyebrows furrowed. 

Looking up at Thornhill, you saw something being slid by your books, you looked down, seeing the self portrait of yourself. It was from the Poe cup, the cat makeup on your face, and the ears that Enid made you wear. 

Your eyes soften slightly, seeing how beautiful the picture was. Collecting yourself, you pushed it back to Xavier, gathering your stuff before walking out of class. 

“Y/n, wait up!” Xavier called for you in the crowded hallway. You turned back, seeing how everyone had been looking at the two of you. You wanted to talk, but you didn’t need half the population of Nevermore listening in. 

“C’mon.” It was the first thing you had said to him in three days. Walking ahead of him, Xavier was on your heels, letting you take him anywhere. Arriving in front of the Poe statue, you look around the corridor before snapping twice. 

As the statue started to move back, you both walked down the stairs in the Nightshades library. 

Both of you stood in the middle of the room, both of you waiting for the other to talk. 

“I just want-” Xavier started. 

“Did you mean it?” You interrupted him. Your voice held no emotion, your body was stiff waiting for his answer. 

“What?” He asked. 

“Did you actually want to kiss me or was it to distract me?” You explained further. 

“No, of course not.” Xavier shook your head. 

You couldn’t help but start to ramble, “Because if it was, that was truly cruel, everyone knows how I feel about you and if you used my feelings to try to win, I don’t think I can be around you anymore and-”

Before you could finish, Xavier grabbed the side of your face, his hands on your cheek while his thumbs cradled your jaw, kissing you. You breath sucked in, your eyes wide, not even registering what was happening.

Your hands pushed against his chest, pulling him away from you. 

“You can’t do that.” Your voice faltered. “You can’t play with my feelings like that!”

Xavier’s hands were still on your face, moving away from your cheeks, pulling your sunglasses off your face. 

He saw the tears in your eyes, using the pad of his thumb, to wipe away the tears that started to cascade down your cheek. 

“I love you.” He said softly, his thumb caressing your cheek. “And I’m an idiot.”

“You are.” You laughed quietly. 

“Ajax told me I finally needed to tell you, and I had this whole plan, kissing you after the race, when we won.”

“When I win.” You corrected him. 

“Right.” He smiled, before continuing. “And what happened during the forest, I just couldn’t hold it in anymore, I was an idiot for leaving you like that, I should have explained myself afterwards.”

“You really love me.” Your hands were wrapped around his wrists.

“Of course I do.” He smiled. “And I’ll spend the rest of my life telling you.”

“Yoko’s gonna freak when I tell them.” You chuckled. 

“Really.” He started to smile, “I just told you I love you and all you’re thinking about is Yoko’s reaction.”

“Of course.” You smiled. “So are you gonna kiss me again?”

“For the rest of my life.”

fin.

[perfectlyoongi]

LONG-DISTANCE!JUNGKOOK who has breakfast on video call with you. as soon as he woke up, Jungkook didn’t have time to feel sleepy; leaving as quickly as possible, Jungkook showered and dressed almost at the same time, quickly making his bed, only to run to the kitchen at the end of it all. Jungkook would call you as soon as he was done and it was always with a wide smile that he greeted you. with bright eyes and outstretched arms, Jungkook beamed when he saw you, offering you a hug that couldn’t happen, showing the impact you had on Jungkook’s morning, on Jungkook’s life. “good morning, cupcake! today i had an incredible dream about you. we were on a boat on some beach in…”

LONG-DISTANCE!JUNGKOOK who reminds you every day why he waits for you. whether by call or message, there wasn’t a day that went by that Jungkook didn’t give you the poems that were written in his heart. the gods had blessed Jungkook with their voices, making Jungkook recite the oldest songs in the world. the stars had showered Jungkook with their light, making Jungkook whisper the most ambitious promises in the world. the universe had gifted Jungkook with your soul, making Jungkook love your most beautiful essence. it was only natural for him to proclaim all the thoughts that invaded his heart and made him completely desperate to love you. “it took me years to meet you, but when that day came, i understood why it took me so long. what i feel for you is too intense to be contained within me. the gods feared my love would break my heart, so they only gave me to you when they knew i could contain it. because now that i know you and know that you love me, i can keep all my feelings for you within myself and always hope that the day comes when i can break it free.”

LONG-DISTANCE!JUNGKOOK who watches romance movies with you and always says that you are the main couple. from silent films, to hollywood classics and ending with the most recent romantic ones, a variety of films and couples entertain you for hours, making you laugh with their adventures, making you dream with their love. and in every couple, Jungkook saw the two of you: walking on the beach, having dinner out, dancing in the rain, it was impossible for him not to imagine you in the actors’ place — and, oh, how he would give anything to take their places. “oh, oh, oh! he’s going to run to her. i’m sure. that’s what i would do to you, so he has to do it. he has to tell her he loves her!”

LONG-DISTANCE!JUNGKOOK who buys your favorite food brands just to make you happy when he taste them. whenever you text him that you’re going to try a new brand or food, Jungkook waits patiently for your review. always wanting to be close to you, it was in food that Jungkook found some comfort; so, in the brands you talked about the most, in the brands you ate the most, Jungkook bought them for himself too, getting lost in their delicious flavors, feeling a little closer to you until you could eat together. “i passed by the supermarket and saw your favorite brand of juice there. brought your favorite flavor to try. if i don’t like it, you have to pay for my therapy.”

LONG-DISTANCE!JUNGKOOK who calls you his moon. just like the moon, you were beautiful. you brought with you reflections of the sun that made you shine with the intensity of someone who conquers a life. just like the moon, you went through stages that slowly fed your soul to make it grow as strong as possible. just like the moon, you were constant, always there for Jungkook, always listening to all of his most morbid laments. just like the moon, you were magic. and Jungkook only managed to understand the fascination of the moon when you came into his life and became the owner of his moon. “the oldest love story is between the moon and the sun. the gods created these two lovers and forced them to live apart because their love was too much. and you are my moon. the only lover i want and the one who is far from me. but if the moon and the sun can meet five times a year, we will also be able to live our love.”

LONG-DISTANCE!JUNGKOOK who describes the sky to you whenever he was most needy. there were days when the distance hurt more, whole days when Jungkook just imagined himself by your side, resting by your side, living by your side. and on those loneliest days, where all the kilometers became entire eternities, Jungkook would call you, hoping that your voice would be enough to calm his heart. and when words were too complex to exchange, he would just look up at the sky and describe it to you, taking comfort in the fact that you were under the same stars as him. “the sky is blue today. a beautiful blue. that blue that makes you dream. a blue that fills you from the inside and takes you to travel in its white clouds. today the sky is really beautiful. you would like to see it with me.”

LONG-DISTANCE!JUNGKOOK who only said he loved you when he was with you for the first time. when the day came that the two of you were finally together, all the gods sang you songs and all the stars rained their magic down on you to bless your relationship with everlasting love. it was when the two of you were together for the first time that Jungkook allowed his heart to open and find refuge in your soul, welcoming your essence within him, sharing the same flame of passion with you. finally you were together. finally Jungkook could say everything he had kept to himself during these eternities. finally Jungkook said “i love you. i love you so much. but so, so much.”

[sigilslvt]

Love & Lies • Toji Fushiguro

☣︎ Summary: You were once a horseback rider that people would kill to have on their tracks knowing they'd make good money betting on you. Things change, however, when a certain assassin with a gambling problem comes into your life.

Pairing: Toji Fushiguro x Fem Reader

Tags: fem! reader, ex boyfriend! toji, light angst, mentions of gambling, mention of animal death, manipulation, smut, brief oral sex (f receiving), p in v, creampie

WC: 2.7k

Art: arokushisu_11 on Twitter!

A/N: I would genuinely let this man drain my bank account as long as he fucks me like this immediately after, I'm not sorry.

I can fix him.

You had always made fun of women that claimed they could fix toxic or abusive men. Until you became one of them. Five years you’ve been with Toji. Five years you’ve been dealing with his addiction. You’d be fine if he was addicted to porn or collectibles or something, but no… gambling is his vice.

At first, it wasn’t a big deal, you met him at a horse race, after all. Being a rider, you knew people liked to bet. You thought he was a casual gambler when he was chatting you up to give you some sort of confidence boost because he had placed his bet on you. When you won, he called you his lucky charm and you fell for it. Instantly.

It wasn’t long before you started dating and you winning became less about luck and more about him running you and your horse ragged to make sure that you’d win when he bet on you. You’re still not sure if he was doing it because he just wanted to make big bucks off you or if he just genuinely thought he was helping and giving you motivation when he had you and Shiloh on the track constantly practicing. He claimed to love you, so there’s no way you were just a tool to him, right? Wrong.

Because here you are, two years after quitting because Shiloh broke her leg and had to pass over the rainbow bridge, and your relationship has deteriorated entirely. You no longer spend time together outside of him coming to lay in you guys’ bed at night. It’s become a circle of lies, loss, anger, apologies, and makeup sex. It never fails. He tells you he’s going to change, then he leaves after taking a job only to come back with no money to show for it. Of course, he knows that you wait at the track whenever he’s away for jobs, so he’s switched up his methods. Started betting on boat races, car races, you name it. It makes no difference to him as long as there’s the thrill of the gamble.

Every time it would happen, you’d tell him you were done. You’d scream and shout while he apologized, pleaded, and begged for you to stay after claiming he’d get help from one of the numerous places you’d called for him. Used Megumi as a way to manipulate you into staying by telling you his son loves you oh so much. It’d soften your resolve enough for him to touch you in all the right ways that’d make you forget just how angry you’d been. Fuck you stupid enough to believe him when he’d say he’d change.

This time is different. This time, after getting the notification that thirty million yen had been taken from your personal bank account, you pack your bags instantly. You don’t wait for him to get home, you simply write a note for Megu and disappear after changing your bank, phone number, and social media. You can thank him for one thing after all of this and that’s teaching you how to scrub your existence entirely. You do it well.

⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺

It’s been three years since then and you’ve moved out of the city, to the countryside. You’ve managed to live a peaceful life after regaining your funds, buying a small farm and a few horses. You’re happy. You miss Megumi, still. So so much. It’s taken everything in you not to contact Toji just to hear Megumi’s sweet voice again. He’s eight now, old enough to know you’ve gone and likely won’t see him again. You wonder if he misses you. If you hurt him by leaving.

Your thoughts are interrupted by a knock on your door. You brush yourself off, pulling your shorts down so your ass is better covered, and prepare yourself for your horseback riding lesson appointment. It’s the way you’ve been making a living lately, which you’re grateful for, because you get to do what you love and watch others grow to love it, too.

When you walk to your door, you get an uneasy feeling. One that makes you feel like you’re on a rollercoaster about to drop. You push it down and open the door only to see exactly why you were feeling that way. Your breath escapes you and you look up to see none other than Toji. Thankfully, your body reacts before you can even think to and you start to close the door, but his large hand stops it and you know you won’t be able to physically stop him, so you don’t bother to try and force it.

“Please. Please don’t.” Is all you say and his expression contorts into one of regret and sadness. You look away, knowing he’s not going to do anything but try to break you down and you can’t let him. You won’t.

“Just hear me out, doll. I swear I’ll leave if you tell me to leave after, but I just need to… I have to… fuck, I had everythin’ rehearsed, but seein’ you lookin’ more beautiful than when you left, I lost it all. Just give me a few minutes, please?” He asks, fidgeting and shifting on his feet. You’ve never seen Toji like this before. He was always sure of himself, always ten steps ahead, always confident. But the way he’s acting now isn’t even how he would act when he was trying to get you to stay with him.

You can’t find it in you to speak, but you nod, moving away from your door frame so he can step in. When he does, you close the door behind you and lean against it, taking a moment to take a deep breath. Your feet carry you forward to walk in front of him, leading him to the kitchen and pulling a chair out for him. Instead of sitting, you lean against your counter with your arms crossed as if they’ll help your emotional defense. “What is it, To…? After all this time, what could you possibly have to say to me?”

“I… you left.” He says, rather plainly. As if he’s still shocked you did it. You nod, gesturing for him to continue. “You left and I didn’t get to say goodbye. Didn’t know if somethin’ happened to you, I-I thought someone with a grudge might’ve… I thought the worst, doll. It wasn’t till I saw the note you left Megumi under his pillow that I knew you left. I… why didn’t you at least leave me a note? Would that have killed you? Did our love not mean enough to you? I–”

“Stop. Don’t do that, don’t say that. Our love was everything to me. It wasn’t enough for you, though. Not enough for you to stop gambling so much that you drained even my money. I left without saying anything to you because I meant nothing more to you than being your lucky charm when I was racing for your wins. Don’t act like I did.” You spit, so enraged that you stand up and walk to him, bending down to get face to face with him.

There it is. That expression you were so used to seeing whenever he’d come home pissed from losing his money. “You think I didn’t fuckin’ love you? You think I was just, what? Keeping you around for shits and fuckin’ giggles? I love you so fuckin’ much. I tried to stop! I tried to live a straight life, I did! But every time I came home to see you so sad, so fuckin’ miserable, I broke down more and more. I didn’t know that I needed to do more than just fuckin’ quit. Didn’t know that there was more to a relationship than just providing. But, I know that now. I know that you and I can do this, I can make you happy, doll, just let me make you happy.” He pleads, the anger dissipating with every word he says, leaving only the look of a broken, desperate man.

“No. No, I won’t risk my happiness by allowing myself to fall for this shit again, Toji. I’m glad you figured out how to make a relationship work, I figured as much after seeing your girlfriend’s po–” You stop yourself, swallowing your words.

“You’ve been checkin’ in on me?” He asks and his voice is so hopeful that you feel a familiar crack in your resolve form. “Sh-she wasn’t my girl, she isn’t. I know what it looks like, but I haven’t committed, not since you, I-I can’t. Everytime I… no matter what whore I’m inside of, all I can see is YOU, doll. It’s always your fuckin’ face. It’s your name I moan, I… please. Please, baby, I’ll get help. I miss you, I need you, there’s no one else for me in this fucked up world. I know I took advantage of your patience and I know I don’t deserve you , but I’m askin’ anyway. One more chance. Just one.” He says, getting on his knees in front of you– something you’ve never seen him do during any of his episodes before.

You feel tears threatening to spill from your eyes and you look up, trying not to look at the man you can’t help but admit you still love. His hands find your thighs and his head rests against one, his arms snaking around you. “Please…” He lets the broken word out of his scarred lips before he begins to kiss your bare skin, smelling you in between kisses. “Please, doll… need you…” He keeps going when you don’t stop him, your legs beginning to tremble. His hands grip the back of your thighs tightly and he groans as his face lifts up to your clothed cunt, pressing a kiss to it and making your hips buck. “Tell me this ‘s okay, baby…” He says, emphasizing what he means by kissing you there again.

Your lip trembles and you shake your head, your fingers sliding into his hair and pulling his head away from you, making him look up at you. “You need to get help, To… that’s the only way this will-”

“You got it, babe.” He says before you can finish, immediately going back to your thighs, licking a strip up one of them. “M’gonna fuckin’ worship you like I should’ve.” He growls, wasting no time and hooking his fingers into the back of your shorts, pulling them down your legs roughly. You’re about to step out of them, but he stands up and picks you up, putting you on the table and spreading your legs for you.

You cover your face, not having been put on a display like this in so long, but he rips your hands from you immediately, slotting his lips onto yours. The texture of the scar on his lips was something you sorely missed and you nip at his bottom lip, his hips rutting against yours in response, his erection pressing painfully hard against your core. “Mmph, To…” You whimper out before he nods.

“Got you, princess. Lemme do my thing.” He chuckles, kissing down your jaw, then your neck, along your collarbone, and lastly over your chest before he grabs your tank top and pulls it down under your breasts, groaning when they spill out. His lips attach to one and fingers to the other, his slimy muscle working on your nipple within his mouth with a vengeance. Your back arches up off the table and your head falls off of it with a loud moan. He repeats the action on your other breast before moving to kiss below your navel and then your pelvis.

You roll your hips up, trying to get him to bury his head between your thighs already when a large hand pushes you back down on the table. “What’d I say, hmm?” He asks, making you groan and roll your eyes, needy for him. “Bad girl. Such a fuckin’ bad girl.” He hisses before he gives you an inkling of what you want, swiping his tongue between your clothed folds, making you jerk in response. He pulls your underwear to the side with one finger, smelling your slick, his eyes rolling back into his head as he does so.

“Tojiiii, stop!” You beg, embarrassed at how fucking nasty he can be with you. He doesn’t listen, of course, instead immediately plunging his tongue into your waiting hole, making sure to rub his nose against your clit as he moves his face side to side, moaning at your taste. You grip his hair again, your other hand grasping and massaging your breast like the added stimulation will help to alleviate the pressure he’s creating by teasing you. “Please… more…” You beg, breathing quickening as he continues to tongue fuck you.

“F’give me for wanting to enjoy you a bit more, princess. But, since you asked so cutely, I’ll give ya what ya want.” He hums, kissing your clit just once and standing. His hands immediately work to rid himself of his pants and boxers, gripping his fat cock and smacking it against your slippery folds. You look down at it and it looks angry, red and dripping precum from the tip. He smirks seeing your reaction, continuing to wet himself with your slick as he grunts. The second you give him what he wants– a needy whimper, he sheathes himself inside you.

Your pussy flutters and clamps down on his cock immediately, earning a long groan from him as he bottoms out. “Heh. She missed me, huh?” He asks, making you nod and blush. That’s enough of a response for him and he wastes no time flushing his body against yours, rutting into you with a force that only he’s capable of. His thick cock bullies your gummy walls, stretching you around him so deliciously that you can’t form any coherent thoughts or words, really. “Love you s’fuckin’ much, princess. Never letting you go again, n-ugh- never. All mine, y’r all fuckin’ mine.” He grunts out, fucking into you even harder, your table creaking beneath you.

“L-Love you, Toji! Love you s’much, s’deep! ‘M all yours!” You cry out, hands slithering up his shirt and raking your nails down his back violently, but you know he can take it. It only riles him up more. His hands move down to grab your thighs, folding your legs up so he can get in at an angle, kissing you as his tip turns your cervix to mush.

“Still as fuckin’ tight as the day you left, doll.” He growls between kisses and you feel your cunt clamp down harder on him, twitching. “Oh? Gonna cum?” He asks, sitting up, slowing down and rolling his hips against you roughly, purposely delaying your orgasm. “Tell me, princess… tell me you love me one more time and I’ll let you cum.” He hisses out, the slow, deep thrusts doing a number on him, too.

“Love you! Fuck, please!” You beg, trying to fuck yourself on his cock to get yourself all the way there.

“Mmm mm, you know what I wanna hear.” He delivers a punishing thrust into you once before continuing the slow and rough pace.

“I love you, T-Toji! I love you s’much, I’m all yours!” You moan out, earning a satisfied moan from him, his head falling back as he speeds up churning your gummy insides out with his cock like his life depends on it, the table now making concerning noises beneath you as he brings you to your peak and your orgasm washes away everything from your mind, your mouth falling open as you cry out and cum. A creamy ring forms at the base of his cock while your cunt clamps down so hard on him that he can barely continue to thrust, which pushes him over the edge.

“Nngh, fuck!” He groans, using all his strength to pull out and plunge back into you while he cums, the force of his thrust so hard that the table breaks beneath you and you both fall with it. He doesn’t bother to pull out, chuckling as he moves your hair from your face, kissing your forehead while you both try to catch your breath. “Missed you so much, doll.” He coos, his eyes so loving that you feel you’ll melt.

“I missed you, too, To… don’t let me down again. Please…” You breathe out and he nods.

“Never again. I promise.”

[obessedwithfictionalmen]

Training pt.2

Joe Rantz X Ulbrickson!Reader

Summary: After their date, Joe's distracted...

Warning: Swearing/ kissing/ angst/ sadness/ yelling.

Word count: 1.1k

After they got official, Y/n and Joe went on dates, one of them included a date at the dinner. Where Joe saw his dad again for the first time since he left, but Y/n didn’t know that. But she knew that the bathroom had a vent that made eavesdropping easier. She knew it wasn’t right, but she was just too curious. ‘’You left me when I was 14! And now your back and you didn’t tell me?’’ Joe said. It was his dad. What the hell? Now she felt bad about spying on him, so she went back to her seat. She played with her fingers while she waited for Joe to come back inside. When he did, he looked pissed, but tried to put on a smile for his girl. ‘’Sorry, it was, uh, that was my dad’’ he confessed. ‘’Are you okay?’’ she took his hand. ‘’It’s just a long story and I don’t want to ruin the mood’’ he says. ‘’It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me, just know that I’m there for you. And we have to get you to practice’’ Y/n says smiling. Joe was happy that he didn’t have to explain everything, but Y/n saw that it disturbed him. ‘’You’re right, let’s go.’’ He speaks. ‘’Say hi to Don and Bobby for me’’ she said. They told the team they were together; they were all happy for them.

‘’Rantz, where the hell is your mind?!’’ she heard her dad yell. She took her skirt in her hands and started to walk very fast to the deck. Don saw her coming. Her father was looking at Joe, who didn’t feel like talking at all. ‘’Do you want to be in that boat, Rantz’’ her father yelled again. ‘’Uh, dad, why not wait a little bit, they’re all tired, and uh, I need you to sign something’’ She stammered, trying to take his dad off Joe’s back. But, before her dad could say something, Joe decided to say something. ‘’I don’t care’’ he mumbled. She thought about telling him to shut up, but it would just upset him even more. Her dad took a deep breath, he was fuming. ‘’You don’t care? So, you won’t care if I replace you’’ he said to him. Y/n felt so bad for Joe. ‘’Dad, please I – ‘’ Her dad shushed her with his finger. She was starting to get angry, when he shushed her, she was angry. ‘’Coy, you’re taking Rantz’s place! Y/n don’t ever interrupt me like that again!’’ he yelled. She wanted to hit tell her dad a piece of her mind, but when Joe walked past her. Coy felt bad, he knew Joe was better than him, but he didn’t know what just happened. Y/n looked at her dad, cursing to him in her mind, then, took her skirt as she started to run after Joe, who was already inside.

‘’Joe, talk to me! I know that was because of your dad, can you stop walking. Joe talks to me!’’ she said. He wasn’t speaking to her, but he was still walking, she followed him into the boy’s locker room. ‘’Are you serious? Joe I’ve tried to help you and argh! Please talk, yell, kiss do anything but please don’t shut me out!’’ she said. He turned to look at her. ‘’Y/n, I just need to be alone!’’ he almost yelled as he stormed outside. ‘’What the hell?’’ she whispered. She replaced her hair, messy from the wind and sat on the bench.

When the team came in, they were all nervous to see what happened to the couple. ‘’Is she okay you think?’’ Bobby asked. ‘’Her dad was harsh on her.’’ Jim said. When she heard the guys coming in, she wipes the tears from her cheeks and got up. ‘’I’m sorry, I’ll go a-away’’ she stutters. Don sits next to her and put his hands on her shoulders. He wasn’t a very talkative person, and he was very reserved, so when he did this move, she started to cry again. ‘’Give him time, he’ll crawl back to you’’ Bobby said. Y/n smiled. ‘’Thanks guys, I’ll let you guys’ change. Goodnight, guys’’ she said as she got up. When she walked back to her dorm, she felt alone. Usually, Joe would kiss her goodnight.

3 days had passed since Joe was out of the team. They didn’t talk since, Y/n stayed in her room for 3 days. She eaten on leftovers she had. But today, her dad was bringing her to New York for the competition. So, when she got out of her room, with her luggage, she was surprised to see Joe standing outside her room with flowers in his hands. ‘’Y/n, I’m so sorry about the other day. I never should’ve been mean to you, I really like you and I’ve been dealing with stuff, and I know it’s not an excuse. But I need you and I’m really sorry’’ He blurted out. She blushed, seeing how desperate he was to get her back. ‘’I really like you too, Joe Rantz’’ she said, kissing him. She took the flowers in his hands and went to put them in a pot in her room. ‘’Come on, we have to take the train.’’ She said, taking his hands.

When they walked out of his dorm room, her dad and her mom were downstairs. ‘’I’m going to go talk to your dad. I’m getting my place back’’ he said, pressing a kiss on her cheek. Her mom came up the stairs, to meet her daughter. ‘’You guys look great together, he looks likes he makes you happy. I’m happy for you, my darling’’ she said hugging her. Joe came closer to Y/n’s dad and was fidgeting with his hands. ‘’Coach, I’m really sorry. This boat is all I have, please.’’ He begged. Y/n was watching her dad. He looked at his daughter’s eyes, they were filled with joy for her boyfriend. ‘’I want you to look at my daughter’s eyes. Look at them’’ he said. Joe looked at Y/n eye’s they were filled with love. Joe just realised how she looked at him. ‘’She looks at you with love and hope, you make my daughter happy. And I can tell rowing that makes you happy. So yes, you’ll have your seat back. And welcome to the family, kid’’ her dad said, looking at Joe. ‘’Thank you so much, Coach’’ Joe said. He turned back to look at his girlfriend. ‘’I’m back on the team!’’ he said, yelling and putting is hands up in the air. Y/n practically ran down the stairs to hug her boyfriend. Her mom came down and hugged her dad. ‘’Welcome to the family, Joe.’’ Her mom said. Y/n hugged her parents, then pulled her hand out to bring Joe in the hug. They were all a big family.

[apomaro-mellow]

idk how detailed of a prompt ur looking for but: Eddie thinks Steve's chest hair is hot for the bingo

im thinking of them going to the lake or something and Steve takes off his shirt and Eds nearly has a heatt attack bc yeah he'd seen Steve's chest before but he kinda repressed it? along with the whole upside down deal so he's like choking at the sight and at the newly found memory lol

but anything you come up with will be amazing im sure <3

every time i get a prompt i rub my lil raccoon hands together ehehehe

They weren't going to Lover's Lake. That had been the one thing everyone agreed on at first. Too much to unpack but it went without saying that no one wanted to relive the memory of what had happened in those waters. They all packed up and went about three hours away to a totally different town with a totally different lake.

"Summer time, a bunch of teens, a town where no one knows us", Eddie commented as they parked. "Did we just drive into another horror movie set up?"

"I think we can handle some random killer in the woods", Jonathan said.

Eddie couldn't argue. He knew for a fact that Steve had packed away his oh so trusty nail bat and that Nancy was strapped too. At a moment's notice, Robin looked ready to turn a beer into a makeshift molotov. But that was the last thought he wasted on the spring break from hell. Because the moment everything was set up, Steve pulled his shirt off like he was in a goddamn cologne ad.

That unnecessarily sexy way where he grabbed it off his back and pulled it of, shaking out his hair as if it would dare to fall out of place.

So here's the thing.

Eddie saw Steve shirtless that one time back in Hawkins. But it had been dark, and they were on a boat hunting an evil wizard and then in an underworld running from demon bats and there had been a lot going on, okay? He's ogled Steve plenty since then, now that he had time to, but he hadn't had an opportunity to see his naked chest again.

"Put on sunscreen!", Robin shouted, tossing it at Steve's head.

"Ow! Rude!" Steve picked it up and obeyed anyway, starting at his arms. Time seemed to slow. Or maybe Steve was purposely going slow, it was hard to tell. Then his eyes met Eddie and his next stroke up towards his neck seemed very intentional.

Eddie swallowed.

"Mind getting my back?", Steve asked.

Eddie didn't trust his mouth for once, so he just nodded, taking the tube of sunscreen and was definitely not thinking about squirting another kind of creamy white substance onto this beautifully dotted back. He tried to distract himself by looking at what the others were doing. Jonathan had already lit up a joint that he was now passing to Nancy. Robin was laid out in a chair, nose in a book.

Argyle was leading the kids down the shore to where they could rent out canoes. Or was it kayaks? All Eddie knew was that El was adamant on some sort of boating adventure.

"You okay back there?", Steve asked.

"Yep, yup, mhm. Almost done." He was done. The sunscreen was completely gone and he was just rubbing circles into his skin for no reason.

"You mind doing my chest too?"

"Wh-hat?", Eddie choked.

"I don't really like the feel of sunscreen on my hands", Steve justified and that was good enough for Eddie.

He still wasn't prepared for when Steve turned around. Eddie sat between his legs and god this might've been the closest they've ever been. Especially with this little amount of clothes between them, both of them in their swimming trunks and nothing else. Eddie squeezed some sunscreen onto his hands first, rubbing them together and warming it before pressing them to Steve's chest.

Goddamn it felt so....would it get thicker as he got older? It went all the way up to his collarbone and there was just a hint of a happy trail now but maybe with some time...

"They do know we're still here, right?", Nancy asked after letting out a puff. True, they were some feet away but still.

"I've got a spray bottle in case they go below the waist", Robin said, shaking said bottle.

Steddie bingo under the cut

[french-unknown]

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒: luffy, zoro, nami, usopp, sanji, robin 𝐂/𝐖: toxic relationships (kidnapping, mentions of death, suicide blackmail) and there is no love in them 𝐖/𝐂: 3.5k +

| m a s t e r l i s t | - | p t . 2 |

You had just arrived on an island that you recognized immediately since one of your closest family friends lived there. Happy, you wanted to go see her immediately but you were stopped by Luffy who asked to accompany you. You laughed and, despite his pouting that he tried to convince you with, you refused. However, you placed a kiss on his lips before leaving.

Your parents' friend recognized you at first glance and you fell into each other's arms within seconds. You were happy to see her again after all this time, so you started talking for a few moments until she finally sighed.

"I’m sorry about your mom." she declared sadly. Not understanding what she meant, you raised your eyebrows. She continued. "For her illness? I know it must be hard for you. I'm surprised that you're not with them; have you already said goodbye to her?" A drop of sweat ran down the back of your neck and, confused, you explained to her that you didn't know what she was talking about. "Your mother is terminally ill." she elaborated. "They told me they sent you several letters about it, so I thought you knew." You shook your head in shock.

At the same moment, a commotion was heard on the other side of the store window. You saw a group of Marines running past while shouting that they had spotted the Straw Hat Captain on this street. Panicked, you picked up your things and greeted your parents' friend before running away since, if Luffy had been targeted, you weren't going to stay on the island.

When you arrived at the boat, without being noticed by anyone, you went directly to see the captain to explain your situation and that you would like to leave the ship for a few months to go and see your family. But, to your great astonishment, Luffy refused. You insisted and yet he remained intransigent: You will not leave the ship. You then insisted even more so that he understood your need to be with your loved ones but, as you turned your back and announced that you would leave anyway, the world went black.

You woke up in a cramped room while the rocking under your feet as well as the smell of wood and salt water confirmed to you that you were still on the Sunny. Suddenly, a ray of light passed into the room and you saw your captain smiling through a trapdoor in the only door. Behind him, you noticed the Soldier Docker System  with the doors to Franky and Usopp's workshops in the distance.

"Let me out, Luffy!" You ordered, confused but mostly annoyed. "Nah!" he responds with his characteristic smile. "You are not allowed to leave. Your captain forbids you!" You frowned in concern before speaking. "You can't do that, Luffy. I can leave whenever I want and you have no right to stop me." He laughed as if you had just told a joke. "Well I'm doing it anyway! You'll stay there until you promise me that you'll always stay by my side. And don't bother shouting for the others to come get you, I told them that you stayed on the ground with your friend. See you!"

And he closed the hatch, leaving you alone and in the dark again in the Sunny's hold. You didn't quite understand what had just happened to you but you felt in your gut that you weren't going to like it.

Since the Straw Hat Grand Fleet was formed, you have become very close to the other crews and, in particular, to a group from the Beautiful Pirates that you found very interesting. They had refined manners, their styles were fun with their wigs and mustaches and, above all, they had a lot of conversation. So you gradually started to spend more time with them to find out where they came from and what they had been through. As a result, it took up your time with your other friends from the Straw Hat Pirates even though the majority of them didn't pay much attention to it.

After a while, when the fleet began to run out of supplies, it was decided among the captains that you would stop at the next island to get them. About thirty members were designated among all the crews to go and recover the goods. Among them were, among other things, all your friends from the Beautiful Pirates as well as Zoro. You were not worried at all, so you wished them good luck before returning peacefully to your activities.

Unfortunately, not all of them returned.

Zoro returned to the boat first, some blood on him, announcing that they had been attacked in the mist by a brigand who had taken advantage of the lack of visibility. Seeing nothing, he therefore wanted to inform other pirate but he got lost. A wave of worry ran through the fleet as a feeling of revenge grew within the ranks. Finally, slowly, a few other members of the other crews came back and everyone explained the same version: they had been attacked by a brigand. Everyone looked terrified except Zoro. Only your friends did not return and you lost all hope when you saw Farul returning to the boat. The horse, panicked, began to neigh and rear as soon as he noticed the swordsman in your ranks. Crazy, it took a lot of effort for Cavendish to master it.

When the fog lifted, no bodies were found on the island and rumors began to grow among the pirates that they had been killed by a demon.

That evening, after your feelings had been numbed all day, you felt your walls crack before completely collapsing. You began to mourn the loss of your friends and their mysterious disappearance. Unable to believe this demon story, you began to imagine what had happened to their bodies or what they had been thinking during their last moments.

The crow's nest hatch opened and you saw a green head slipping through it. Zoro approached you as soon as he saw you and, when he was close enough, out of a cruel need for comfort, you took him in your arms. He nevertheless closed his arms around you despite the surprise and then rested his chin on top of your head. You were immediately reassured by his presence and surprised that he accepted your hug so well. However, you didn't complain and stayed in his arms, talking about your loss, while he continued to hold you against him and stroke your back.

From there, a routine settled down.

He came to join you every evening to take you in his arms before letting you evacuate your sadness. He was so supportive that after a few months, when he confessed, you thought it was the kind of support you needed in your life so you accepted.

You were upset. For several weeks, without knowing why, certain very specific memories of your adolescence had come back to your mind, like an afternoon of fishing with your father and his crew mates. Or a boarding with rival ships. You were experiencing these flashes in an abnormally precise way with the details, the smells, the exact conversations and the emotions associated with them.

All the members of the Straw Hats knew what was happening to you and supported you in their own way. Nami, above all, was a huge pillar for you. You had already gotten along very well with her when she joined the crew after you and Zoro, but now she was even more attentive. She listened to you talk about how much it unsettled you to have these outbursts of impromptu memories that you hadn't thought about in a long time. She helped you a lot to unload this emotional burden that was overwhelming you.

Once again, you were alone in the shade of the navigator's mandarin trees. You closed your eyes, exhausted, and the sound of the sea began to lull you. The waves passed and rolled under the hull of the ship or crashed against the wooden planks. Then others took over and it started again and again.

Suddenly, a cage of fear closed around your heart before crushing it and you were plunged into another memory. You were on your father's boat, lying in bed, but something was wrong. It took you a few seconds to untangle your thoughts and realize that you were tied hand and foot. Your wrists and ankles were burning from the uncomfortable friction of the bonds against your skin. A cloth gag also covered your mouth to stop you from screaming. Suddenly, a noise in front of you made you raise your head and you came face to face with a person you had never seen before. Unlike everything around you, this person's head was fuzzy. The only thing you noticed was that it was a girl around your age with orange hair. She abruptly sat down on your lap, making a faint citrus scent waft through your nostrils, before you felt something cold against your cheek. A ray of moonlight passed through your shutters and reflected against the blade placed under your eye.

"I finally catch you." the presence whispered with its face inches from yours. "You were so attractive on the last island that I couldn't help but get on your ship. You are so... these last few days I saw you laughing on the deck and talking to those dirty pirates, but you... you..." And you saw her face move closer to yours until you felt pressure against your lips through the gag.

At the same time, screams were heard from the other side of the door and footsteps echoed on the deck. The girl on your lap groaned before slowly getting up without taking her eyes off you. You saw her grab a large bag from near the door before you closed your eyes. The next day, when you opened them again, you rose unhindered—and without memories—from your bed to discover that your loot had been stolen during the night.

You came out of the memory with a start, your heart beating a thousand miles an hour. You were sweating as your breathing ran out quickly. Above you, the branches of the mandarin trees quivered.

"Slept well?" Nami asked happily.

The battle raged and you attacked as best you could despite the circumstances. Indeed, shortly after arriving on the island, you were found by the Marine who had launched the assault but you were not at your best because of relationship problems which prevented you from concentrating completely.

For several months now, you found that Usopp was becoming more and more restrictive: he no longer wanted you to go on dry land when you docked somewhere, he wanted you to spend less time training to spend more time with him, he preferred that you talk less to the other male members of the crew and the list went on a lot longer. And the worst thing is that he always had justifications! Either he reminded you that it was him who created your weapon and that he regretted it because it had replaced him or he confided in you in private how the other male members of the crew made him doubt his abilities and that the fact that you preferred to talk to them rather than to him meant that you made him insecure.

As the battle finally ended in your victory, a cry from Zoro alerted you. Running up to the swordsman, you saw Usopp's body at his feet. His rolled-back eyes shocked you, as did the pool of blood that was gradually forming around his body. A memory from the day before came back to you: "I want to take a break." You told him, and he replied, "I would rather die than live without you." You froze, your eyes locked on his broken body as Chopper came running in to examine him. Above him, Zoro was explaining that he had seen the sniper suddenly completely stop fighting in the middle of the fight. He had managed to reach him to protect him but Usopp had taken serious blows in the meantime.

The whole crew was tense. You heard the slight sniffles from Franky as Nami collapsed next to her friend, her shoulders shaking in fear. A worried frown also narrowed Zoro and Robin's gaze. Sanji, for his part, was nervously smoking his cigarette while Luffy, the most terrifying of all, was dead silent. After a while, Chopper ended up reassuring you that he was still alive but that he had to be transported back to Sunny immediately.

As soon as he was placed in the infirmary bed, the morbid wait began. For days, you took turns next to him so that you would be immediately informed if he woke up and, for days, you saw the faces of the crew deteriorate more and more. For your part, more than worry, it was guilt that burned your stomach like acid. Was it your fault he stopped fighting? Was he going to die because of you? How would the crew react if he died?

Finally, Usopp woke up much to everyone's relief. He reassured them by blaming it on fatigue and they ended up leaving both of you alone in the infirmary. Their relief made you feel even worse since you weren't relieved that he was alive; you were relieved that he didn’t die because of you. The sniper then asked you to join him in bed and wrapped his arms around you. He placed a soft kiss on your forehead.

"I was so scared when you told me you wanted to leave me." he started to whisper. "I wouldn't survive if you left me."

And, too terrified of what might happen if you broke up, you stayed.

While you were going to the bathhouse as Sanji had asked you, for a surprise, you met Nami. The navigator laughed slightly and admitted that she already knew what was waiting for you because Sanji had talked to her about it all day and asked for her help to prepare it.

"You're lucky to have him." the redhead kindly said. "It’s obvious that he loves you."

You blushed at the remark and you continued on your way. As soon as you knocked on the door, Sanji immediately opened it with a big smile before kissing you excitedly and pulling you into the room.

The bathroom had been completely redecorated. The main light was off and had been replaced by a myriad of candles that smeared the room and illuminated it with a soft, flickering and welcoming hue whose intimate atmosphere was accompanied by the rose petals deposited everywhere. On the furniture, the floor, where it formed a graceful path towards the bathtub, and finally in the latter where the flowers overhung the hot water covered with a white foam that looked like pieces of cloud in the half-light. A sweet smell of cotton and flowers evaporated from the hot water and perfumed the room. On the side of the bathtub, he had specially folded the towels so that they fit into a pyramid among the petals. Dazzled by the atmosphere and the efforts he had put into it, you didn't know what to say. Suddenly, you felt him press against your back before wrapping his arms around your waist and placing a kiss on your neck. His skillful hands, which he took so much care of, then began to undress you while he spoke in your ear.

However, as you took over and the excitement also rose on your side, you finally found yourself in your underwear in front of him and his charming face froze. You felt in your stomach that something had changed in the mood.

"You're not wearing the lingerie I gave you?" he asked, and though his voice was kind, you sensed something was wrong.

You looked down and looked at your lingerie set, which was very pretty but was indeed not one of those that Sanji had offered you.

"This one looked great on the mannequin." he continued in the same oddly amiable tone. "But I told you that I was preparing a surprise for you. You couldn't at least wear the ones I brought you?"

A feeling of shame intensified in your mind in the form of a huge lump that settled in your throat. Under his judgmental gaze, you felt the urge to cover yourself, ashamed of your body and the clothes you had chosen to cover it.

"I spent the afternoon preparing a surprise for you and you can't even do that for me. I've been collecting these damn candles and flowers for weeks on different layovers so you don't realize it. And you come like that?"

"I can go change if you want?" you asked, ashamed.

He then took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it with annoyance, then exhaled dryly the smoke which polluted the sweet smell in the room. He put the lighter back in his pocket and turned on his heel.

"It’s no use, you’ve already ruined everything." he huffed, irritated. "All those efforts were stupidly ruined, you're lucky I love you. I'm the only one dumb enough to do that."

And he left, leaving you alone in your underwear in the bathroom, which now smelled of cigarettes, next to this bathtub with the foam half gone, and surrounded by those thousand petals and candles that had lost their sparkle.

You were running but you didn't know where you were in the boat, you were totally confused and lost.

A long time ago, you didn't know exactly how much, you wanted to leave the ship to have a drink with a local with whom you had gotten along well. You had prepared yourself, ready to leave, but before you walked through the door, you had passed out. When you woke up, you were tied up somewhere in the dark. After a while Robin ended up finding you but, when you started begging her to free you, she told you that it was she who had locked you up.

From that moment on, the shock had finally dissipated and given way to fear. You had known her for years of sailing together and if there was one thing you knew about Robin, it was that she was the type of person to follow through on the things she cared about. She came almost every day into the room to talk to you or simply to look at you. Only that. But today, you don't know how, your ties have loosened enough for you to escape. You then waited for her to make her daily visit while praying that she would not notice the state of your restraints.

You then counted to one hundred as soon as she left before escaping.

So you found yourself running through the corridors that you guessed were the Thousand Sunny but, in your blind panic, you were unable to find your way. After a while, at the corner of a corridor, you saw a lighter spot on the wall a few meters away. You recognized the shape of an ear sticking out of the wall as you approached. You immediately stopped as quietly as possible near the wall and didn't move. You cover your mouth with your hand to stifle your wheezing. The ear moved a little but remained still. After a minute without any new movement, you felt your heart begin to slow down with relief. Suddenly, a small "boing" sounded in one of your ears and something soft touched your cheek. You turned your head to the wall beside you, where the noise was coming from, and fell face-to-face with a dull blue eye watching you. Horrified, you could only watch as the azure iris bore into your eyes.

You immediately started running again but it was too late.

You could only make a few steps before a hold on your ankle knocked you down. In the process, you felt a hundred arms and hands come to cover you and pin you to the ground. You felt them rest and press on your calves, your thighs, your back and even your neck and your head. Some encircled their palms around your ankles and wrists while others held you down with pressure. As you wanted to scream - lost for lost - you felt a hand grow on your shoulder and come crashing down on your mouth to drown out any noise you might make. Paralyzed, you could only let it happen when an arm blossomed between your shoulder blades so that a hand slipped into your hair to hold your head back. Now looking up, you saw Robin appear at the end of the corridor before quietly approaching you on her long legs. She walked over to you before kneeling down next to your head, keeping eye contact.

"Did you really think I wasn’t watching you?" she asked in her lifeless tone.

𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐘 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @iheartamora @bontensh0e @opchara @idsmash717 @lys-ada @xomingyu @parkyrr @yasmiinberkaa @dozcan123 @anotherproblemsos

[enchantedbarnes]

Uncle Buck • Part 4

Misterwives

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Single Aunt!Reader

Summary: Your nephew Benji overhears a conversation. Not liking what he's hearing, he takes matters into his own hands.

Word Count: 3.9k

Masterlist: One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven

A/N: Sheeeeeesh. This one's longer than the other parts. Take this as my Happy New Years! treat I guess haha. Pt 1 just passed 4k notes and my mind is absolutely blown.

Everybody thank @kilikina34512 for our latest Benji hijinx 😏 Enjoy! and thanks again for all the love 🫶🥰

Bucky joined both of you at "The Screamery" that following day. A themed ice cream shop you and Benji both love that is decked out in classic horror movies.

Benji ate what seemed like his weight in ice cream. You caved and bought him a banana split sundae which Dracula dropped off at your table in a sundae boat the size of Benji's head. Strawberry syrup was drizzled on top to look like blood and a fake candy eyeball took the place of the cherry on top. You knew it would be too much for him to eat all of it, but figured you can always bring the leftovers home.

Benji pointed out all the memorabilia around to Bucky, filling him in on both his personal favorites and yours.

After arriving back at the house, Bucky stuck around for a cup of coffee and this was the point where you royally fucked up.

It's now a few days after, reaching midweek.

"We've decided we're just going to be friends," you explained to Nora as you sat on your bed.

"What?? Why? Was this his decision or yours?" Nora stood in front of you with her hands on her hips.

"Well, both..? I think…"

"You think??"

"He didn't disagree."

"Y/N! Of course he didn't disagree if you decided you didn't want to be with him."

"It's not that I don't want to be with him. I do really like him. He has been nothing but super sweet and kind with our insanity."

"Yeah, it's always a real bummer when a super hot guy brings you flowers and enjoys hanging out with you and your family," Nora rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, I get it. I'm an idiot, okay?"

"Why are you self-destructing? I've seen the smile he gives you, are you kidding me? Smitten. Same goes for you."

"I don't know! I panicked. Holidays are coming up soon. I didn't want to drag him into more nonsense than we already have. We've probably been way over the top and too much for him to want to deal with. We practically kidnapped the guy over the weekend," you ramble on, "Plus what you said with the whole super hot thing. Like come on, how are those cheekbones and that jawline-"

"The eyes."

"The eyes! How is he even real? It's ridiculous."

"No, you're ridiculous. Please explain how the conversation happened, did he tell you this was too much?"

"Well, no…not exactly. We were just talking and my brain kind of went into this red alert mode and I started rambling like an idiot about how nice it has been hanging out and I vaguely remember saying something along the lines that we make a great couple of friends."

"Couple of friends?! Are you for real right now? Did you hit your head and not tell us? What the hell is wrong with you!"

"UGH!" you shout while slamming a pillow over your face.

Benji overhears the conversation from the hallway and shakes his head. Making sure both his mom and aunt were distracted with their conversation he grabs his hat and gloves, putting them on and then grabbing his jacket and tossing that on as well.

He does one more look back when he gets to the front door and quietly makes his way out, closing the door at a glacial speed so no noise would be detected.

Bucky was seated next to Sam at a local bar, beer in hand. Bucky explains what happened last with Y/n.

"I don't blame her for not being interested in me."

"C'mon man, that can't be it. You couldn't shut up about the great time you had bowling with her and how awesome her family and friends were. I was expecting a wedding invitation in the mail by now."

"Now you sound like the small one."

"Love that kid. He really is something else. I hope there's a video out there of him asking you to marry Y/n at that event. That was the best thing I've seen in years. Oh! Maybe I should give him my address so he knows where to mail my invitation," he grins, "We could also play the clip at your wedding."

Bucky glares over at him.

"Who am I kidding, your glare is right. He probably already knows my address. Y'think the kids gonna take this news of you just being friends well?" Sam asks.

Bucky's phone buzzes in his pocket. Pulling it out the screen lights up alerting a new call, listing an incoming call from NYPD.

What could the NYPD want? "Um, I'll be right back, I'm just gonna go-" he holds the phone up slightly and points towards the exit.

He answers as he walks to a quieter area, "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Sergeant Barnes?"

"Yes, is there something I can help with…?"

"We have a Benjamin Barnes here, he was found at Chestnut Park when he approached one of our officers. He said he got separated in a crowd and asked us to call you. Is this your nephew?"

"Yup," Bucky sighs, "That's my nephew, alright. Is his mom or aunt not with him?"

"No, sir. We checked the surrounding area but he wasn't able to spot them. Your phone number was the only one he could remember. Are you nearby to come collect him, or do you have an address we can bring him to? He wasn't sure what his address was either."

How convenient he didn't know his address or mom's phone number, but could probably rattle off all 50 states with their capitals if you asked him.

"I can come and get him."

"Officer Mills is with him now, they are near the east entrance of the park."

"Thanks." Bucky shook his head as he disconnected the call. Walking back over to the bar quickly to close his tab, "I gotta go," he tells Sam as he places cash on the bar.

"What's up? You need some help?"

"Small ones at it again, he must have heard something. Just got a call that my nephew, Benjamin Barnes, is at the park right now. He conveniently got separated from his mom and my phone number was the only one he knows," he answers with a knowing look.

"This kid deserves an award. Please can I come? I'm begging. I need to see this for myself."

"No." Bucky rolls his eyes, starting to walk out without another word. He holds his arm up to flag a cab.

Sam quickly tosses his own cash down and grabs his jacket, running to catch up with the super soldier.

"Are you going to call Y/n?" Sam asks as he finishes adjusting his jacket after he finally catches up.

"No, Sam. I thought I'd collect the kid and take him in as my own," he answers sarcastically, opening the door to the cab as it stopped in front of him.

"Well, he would probably be an excellent member of the team."

"We are not a team."

"Whatever you say, blue steel," Sam quickly opens the other side and slips in.

Once they're close enough Bucky spots Benji next to a hot dog vendor, chatting with the officer. Benji looks over and spots the two approaching through the crowd.

"Uncle Bucky!" He grins, looking over at the officer that was waiting with him, "My uncle is here, Officer Mills," he announces while pointing over at Bucky.

"Sorry for any trouble this might have caused. Thanks for having someone call and waiting with him," Bucky shakes the officer's hand.

"No problem, Sergeant Barnes. Glad to help. I was surprised when he said you were his uncle. Maybe you guys should start workin' on teachin' this guy his address and stickin' with his guardians in a crowd," Officer Mills instructs, looking down at Benji at the last part.

"Absolutely, I'm certain his parents will have a lot to say," Bucky answers, also giving Benji a pointed look.

After the officer walks away wishing them a good evening Bucky pulls out his phone.

"Alright, nephew, where is your mom?"

"She's at home…"

"And why are you not at home with her?"

"I thought it was a nice day for a walk…"

"Uh huh. Does she know you're out for a casual stroll on your own right now?"

"...Not so much…"

Bucky shakes his head and starts to open the contacts in his phone.

"Does anyone know you're out here?"

It was Benji's turn to shake his head.

Sam sits down against the ledge of the wall next to Benji. "You can't be out here walking by yourself, little man."

Bucky goes to tap on your contact, his eyebrow raising when he notices your name now seems to be under "Future Y/n Barnes 💌" with a photo of you laughing while eating ice cream he doesn't recall taking. He looks up at Benji with an eyebrow still raised.

Holding the phone up to his ear, it rings a few times before going to voicemail.

Bucky glares at the phone. He's about to start a text when the phone starts buzzing, "Future Y/n Barnes 💌" pops up on the screen with the ice cream shop photo on full display now.

"Hello, Y/n."

"Hey, Bucky…Sorry I just missed your call. What's up?"

"Do you happen to know where Benji is at the moment?"

"He's been in his room for a while, why do you ask?"

"You sure about that?" He questions while looking over at the roughly 4'2" boy in front of him that is currently in an animated conversation with Sam.

"Well, I was until you asked me that…his room has been blasting Party Rock Anthem for maybe half an hour now, but as far as I know he was in th-" Bucky hears loud music suddenly playing from your end and Y/n mutters a Benjamin under her breath, "Please tell me you have him."

"Well, not sure if he's achieved a cloning system, but I certainly have a close look-alike standing in front of me right now."

"That little punk... I'm so sorry, Bucky. Where are you? I'll come get him," he can hear you starting to rush around as the music shuts off.

"We can come to you, we're not far. We should be there in a few minutes."

"Thank you so much, Bucky. I really really appreciate it. I should probably go tell Nora her spawn escaped. Damnit, she's going to flip her lid… I'll see you soon."

"Tell her he's fine. Sam is with us too, we'll see you soon."

Bucky hangs up and joins the pair, "Alright, pal. We're dropping you back home. Your Aunt Y/n is expecting us now, and she's telling your mom about your Houdini act."

Benji's shoulders slump, "Do we have to?"

"Well, you kind of live there, and you're 8 years old. You can't be walking around by yourself. Especially without telling anyone. It's too dangerous out here by yourself, bud."

"I know, but I really needed to talk to you."

"What was so important you had to pull this stunt? You know my phone number," Bucky fixes another look at him while crossing his arms which sparks a small giggle from the boy.

"My tablet was charging and I didn't have a phone available.. I heard Aunt Y/n talking to my mom," he starts to explain looking ahead of them as they start their walk back.

"Okay?"

"Please don't give up on, Aunt Y/n."

"Not sure what you heard, pal? But we're still friends?"

"Friends is so lame! She didn't mean it. She said she panicked, but she really likes you. Even mentioned how um, handsome you were," he adjusts his answer with a side eye, "Also, she was worried we were too much for you. You don't think we're too much, do you?" He looks up at Bucky with a pout fully engaged.

"Well, Benjamin Barnes," he jokes, "I can't say you've been flying low under the radar here, pal. You certainly know how to make a statement," he ruffles his hair and puts his arm around his shoulders as they continue their walk.

Sam laughs and offers a fist bump to Benji.

Bucky continues, "But no, I wouldn't say you've all been too much. Just an adjustment. A nice one," he adds.

"You've managed to make robo-buck over here smile more than I've seen since I've known him," Sam comments. "Did you know when I met him, he ripped the steering wheel right out my car from my hands? Punched right through the windshield," Sam makes hand gestures to go along with the story. He and Bucky both glare at each other, Sam's has a smirk to his however.

"Whoa!" Benji shouts, "Can we try that with the car over there?! I wanna see!!"

Bucky huffs and pulls Benji along.

"Ignore everything Samuel says. Pretend he's not even here. I know I certainly do," Bucky mutters at the end.

"I was talking to.." Benji pauses, "Prudence.. about reincarnation. She says you knew Y/n in another life, but you never got together in that life, so your hearts are like puzzles with missing pieces and when you get together the puzzle will be complete. I know this because I'm younger and pure, so I'm more in touch with cosmic forces."

"Wait, puzzles, cosmic forces… Why does that sound familiar?" Sam asks, squinting ahead in thought.

"BENJAMIN DAVID RUSSELL!"

"Dang, full government name. Nice knowing you kid," Sam lets out a low whistle.

They were still about 5 houses back, the front steps to their destination visible up ahead. Nora stood outside their doorway with her arms crossed.

"Get your scrawny butt in here, right now!" Nora points to the door.

"Farewell fellas, it was nice knowin' ya," Benji sends a salute and a wave to the pair as he slowly walks the rest of the way ahead of them.

"Inside, let's go," Nora instructs, "Straight to your room. You'll notice your speakers are no longer in there and the door is left open, keep it that way."

"But mom!"

"Nope, I don't want to hear it right now. Inside, move it."

Benji disappears inside and up the stairs.

"Thank you so much for bringing him home," Nora greets Bucky with a tight hug.

"Hi, I'm Nora," she introduces herself to Sam, "Thank you so much, truly I appreciate it," she pulls Sam into a hug as well.

"Great meeting you, big fan of your kid. Probably not what you want to hear right now though."

"Ha. Yeah, never a dull moment around here. Please come in and join us for dinner. We have some lasagna that's about to come out of the oven. It's the absolute least I can do to thank you both. You can fill me in on what scheme he pulled this time."

"Oh, we wouldn'–"

Sam cuts Bucky off, "We would love to!" He slaps Bucky on the back and then gives him a slight shove forward towards the doorway.

Y/n hears more voices and walks into the living room from the kitchen to join them as they file in through the front door. Following the same steps Nora had done previously, you greet Bucky and Sam with a hug while thanking them.

"Food should be ready in about 10 minutes. You guys wanna grab a seat in the kitchen? I'll grab some drinks. Theo should be here any second, you can fill us in on the latest shenanigan," Nora sighs walking over towards the fridge.

"I need more stories on this kid. Has he always been like this? I'm a little offended he didn't ask me to be his uncle," Sam jokes following Nora into the kitchen.

Bucky looks over at you.

"Hi…" you offer a small wave.

"Hi," he smirks back.

"Should I be worried about what has come out of his mouth this time?"

His smirk stays as he places a quick kiss to your cheek and walks into the kitchen without further comment.

Your eyes widen, "Wait, where are you going?? Bucky! What did he say??"

The adults all sat at the kitchen table.

Theo arrived home right as Bucky started his explanation of getting a call from the NYPD to collect his nephew.

"I spoke to him quickly before I went to talk to Y/n earlier. I should have known something was up after the 5th Party Rock loop. It just kept going. I assumed he was working on a dance routine or something," Nora looked over to Theo.

"Never trust Party Rock Anthem," Theo shook his head solemnly.

"Party Rock was not in the house tonight," she answers with a deadpan tone.

"Everybody just wants a good time," Theo continues while standing up, "but he's definitely gon' make us lose our minds.."

"We just wanna see you - shake that," Nora points over at him.

"Ev'ry day I'm shuff-shufflin'." Theo dances over to the staircase, "Prisoner number 6-2-4, your gruel is ready!" He shouts up the stairway.

Benji speeds his way down, "Hiya Dad, how was your day? You're looking great today. New shirt?"

"Wow, only butt-kissing level 5? You've done better than that. Let's go, menace." He walks back into the kitchen

"It's wild here and I love it. Hey Buck, we could be brother-husbands! …Misterwives? Co-husbands??" Bucky glares at him, "We can workshop it later," Sam sends him a wink with a nudge.

Nora laughs while your cheeks heat up across from them.

"Can I show Bucky something upstairs?" Benji asks as everyone cleans up from dinner.

"In your room?" Nora asks, suspicious of more shenanigans.

"Uh, yeah…? Please! It'll be quick."

Benji grabs Bucky's hand and leads him up the stairs.

"This is my room," he points towards the open doorway leading to his room as they walk by, "but this is what I wanted to show you," he opens a door at the end of the hallway that leads to another set of stairs going up to the attic space.

"Ta-daaa!" Benji flips the switch at the top of the stairs, turning on the soft string lights set up around the room. A blanket fort with lights was set up surrounding the large plush sofa, various pillows and piles of soft and fluffy blankets scattered along both the sofa and the floor in front of it. Fake candles and lanterns dotted around the area. A large stack of movies rests on the floor next to an empty bowl labeled "popcorn" and a dusty bottle of wine.

A large projector screen was set up across from the sofa fort with lights also surrounding it, and in the middle was a projector on top of a tripod facing the screen.

"This is our movie hang out room. I made some additions to it. You and Aunt Y/n should have a movie night!" He grins up at the stunned brunette.

"Pal, this is… wow.. This is a really cool setup you have here..."

Two sets of footsteps joining them can be heard, "Benjamin if I come up here and you have Bucky locked up or something, I swear- whoa," you stop short and look around, "What's all this??"

"A movie night for you and Bucky!" Benji bounces up and down, arms out wide.

"What the shiiii-zz," Sam corrects himself in present company, "This is incredible. Now I'm really doubling down on misterwives. Does that popcorn machine over in the corner work??"

After a heavy back and forth debate, Benji somehow convinced Bucky to stay for a movie and Sam to come back another night for the next family movie marathon.

Benji had grabbed Sam's sleeve and tugged him to follow back downstairs.

"Will you sign my Captain America car Bucky got me? What's your favorite kind of car? Do you have a car or do you just use your wings? Can I see redwing next time??"

"Good luck, Sam!" You called down to him.

"Night lovebirds!"

You look over at Bucky, "I'm sorry for self-destructing the other night… I didn't want to overload you. There's been a lot of schemes by an 8 year old going on," you motion around you.

"Well, friend," he gives you a cheeky look, "with how hard Benji has been working on his schemes, your avoidance skills have been understandable. I don't blame you for not wanting to be with some well past his time grump like me that has a questionable history an-"

"That's not what I meant. I just wanted you to have your own choice in all of this. I know how persuasive that little punk can be. I feel bad we've essentially kidnapped you multiple times now."

"Not exactly kidnapping if I've been willingly showing up. I'll let you in on a secret though. When we walked out at the start of that event, I noticed both of you before Benji even walked up to ask his question. Benji was fidgeting, tugging at your sleeve and you- and your hair," he chuckles, tugging at a rogue brightly colored curl, "caught my attention almost immediately. Something was already pulling me to both of you before the schemes even began and I'm honored for whatever crazy reason it brought me here."

You hold your pinky up, "Promise you'll tell us if the crazy gets to be too much?"

He hooks his pinky around yours and tugs you in, his lips brushing against yours. You eagerly return his kiss, pushing up on your toes slightly to better reach.

Bucky pulls back and smirks, "Do your worst."

"Don't let him hear you say that," you laugh pulling him back in.

-

You both moved to the sofa as you looked over the stack of movies Benji set aside, "Of course…such a punk."

"What?" Bucky asks, trying to see the titles you were looking at.

"I really should have seen this one coming. There seems to be a theme going on here with his selections for us," you turn the stack towards him.

The Princess Bride,

Arsenic and Old Lace,

The Wedding Singer,

Corpse Bride,

My Big Fat Greek Wedding,

The Proposal,

Just Married,

The Wedding Planner,

27 Dresses,

Bride of Chucky,

and Shrek.

"Arsenic and Old Lace? Is this a wedding movie too?"

"Kind of? It starts with a couple from Brooklyn eloping at city hall. Mostly it's about two older aunts poisoning men and shoving them in their window seat…Fun times. The back says it's from 1944, have you heard of it?"

He shakes his head, "I shipped out in '43."

"Right. Well, one of my favorite lines from it is highly relatable. He goes I probably should have told you this before, but insanity runs in my family…it practically gallops. I should print that on a custom welcome mat for our front door," you laugh.

He holds up Shrek next, "and this one with the green guy…?"

"I actually think you'll enjoy the friendship between Shrek and Donkey in that one. Their banter reminds me of another pair you may know," you give him a side eye glance.

"He's friends with a donkey? What is the green guy supposed to be? He doesn't marry the donkey, right?"

"Yup, we're watching this one. Pass the popcorn bowl, pleease. I'll go fill it." You grin as you kiss his cheek.

(😉🧩❤️ did you catch the reference? ☝️)

If you have any diabolical ideas, my asks are open. If it sparks an idea you just might get lucky to see more 😏

Thanks again for your submission @kilikina34512 🥰

"I’m so in love already with Benji! I could see this boy somehow getting lost at the park and telling a police officer, “Can you call my Uncle instead of my mom? He’s the Winter Soldier!” and having Bucky come get him just to keep from getting in trouble with his mom! 😂"

Next: Part 5 Meddlingpunkitis

Taglist:

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[abbyfmc]

Under the water

Submechanophobia: Irrational fear of man-made things submerged in water, whether boats, canoes, cruise ships, submarines, animatronics, or other mostly metal objects.

That being said, I can imagine a yandere boy (boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, or whatever) next to you, in situations related to this interesting phobia.

TW: Well, submechanophobia, harassment, probable psychological damage and yandere behavior.

[Y🔧A🔧N🔧D🔧E🔧R🔧E A🔧N🔧D🔧R🔧O🔧I🔧D]

🔧1- It could have been like I said, an android, a robot or a mechanical attraction that:

1.1- It could have been aquatic: That is, it operated or continues to operate in water attractions, whether partially or completely submerged in water.

1.2- It was abandoned: It no longer operates because it had many continuous failures, malfunctioned or simply stopped being profitable and therefore, it ended up abandoned in a very humid place or under water.

1.3- Flood: The place where it operated was flooded in catastrophic and irreparable ways.

2. I'd like to think that you would be a worker, or the engineer who was in charge of maintaining it personally (and therefore, you spent a lot of time with it). You did constant maintenance as a daily job, and on a few occasions "emergency maintenance"; repairing possible faults on him.

3. Everything was going well until your attraction was "temporarily" closed for whatever reason, the android or yandere robot found out, he had faith in seeing you again.

4. --Well, maybe she's busy today.-- He said when a day went by without seeing you after his attraction closed.

5. --Well, maybe she's on vacation. I'm looking forward to seeing her so she can tell me everything during my maintenance.-- I would say after a few days or weeks. He still has hope of seeing you again, specifically you.

6. --My water is getting dirty and I haven't seen her for a long time. I don't like this at all; has something happened to her? -- It must have been many months or a year and by now the standing water is mouldy and very dirty; she hasn't seen you or any other worker for a year or two, so she can't ask anyone about you either.

7. He slowly realized that he was abandoned by his creator company, but he refused to believe that he was abandoned by you. He was hoping that you would come back, talk to him, and maintain him again. But the years passed and he only began to rust and rot more and more.

8. Fortunately for him, the company that owns the theme park called you and others to inspect the facilities in detail to determine the future of each area.

9. You decided to visit your old work area, not knowing that he is still there, alive and waiting for you.

10. Everything was bad. The paint was peeling, rusty and damp; some parts had fallen off; there was a lot of noise everywhere; it was damp due to the place being there; not to mention the terrible smell of mouldy, stagnant water that hasn't been changed for years. You and your team walked around the site, not imagining that you weren't alone, as your old friend noticed your presence and worse yet… he had seen you.

11. I was happy to see you, but I HATED seeing your teammates with you. I thought they were the ones responsible for taking you away from him, and there was no way I was going to let you go this time.

12. He would kill your team one by one, coming out of the water to drag them and drown them in the dirty water.

13. No, he won't accept you leaving him and abandoning him once again. He will play hide and seek with you and come out of the water to look for you. Once he finds you, you would see how the water and the passing of time affected him; he will come to you, pick you up and take you with him to be together once again, like in the past.

14. He would sense your terror at seeing him not only submerged, but at the fact that he has somehow come to life, remembers you, and is willing to drown you if it means you'll stay together until the end of your days.

-The End.

So, what do you think about it?

I've never seen any stories about yandere boys (especially androids or robots) related to this phobia, so I decided to take the risk and see how it goes. I'm not lying, I like the concept of a yandere android or robot that has been abandoned and when you return to the place, he's already waiting for you.

[obxone]

Everything

Edited-ish. ~2.5k words.

A broken sob fills the space as you rest your head on Kiara’s lap. Her fingers thread through your hair in soothing strokes. Your tears have dried on your cheeks now. The only sound coming from you are faint hiccups from how hard you have cried this afternoon.

Sarah frowns from her spot on the floor. Her sad brown eyes focus on you while her hand gently strokes your thigh. A heavy throw blanket is over your curled frame.

“What did you even see in him?” Kiara asks, her voice has a hateful edge to it. Rightfully so, after you called her in tears begging her to come home. She had shown up within minutes and had brought Sarah along too. Both of them had been concerned and are now venomous at your state. A hollow ache now fills you, and you wish it did not. He did not deserve another second of you.

You whisper, “Everything you didn’t.”

“Oh, Sweetheart.” Sarah frowns.

Her head jerks up when the remaining group stumbles into the room. Their laughter and conversation die between them as soon as all three pairs of eyes land on you.

“What happened?” JJ asks first, his face shifting from happy to concern in a millisecond. His eyebrows drawing together, blue eyes darkening with worry.

“Rafe broke up with her,” Kiara says, her gaze not leaving you.

“What the fuck?” JJ’s voice shows anger now. “Why?”

“Technically, I broke up with him,” you mumble and lift your head, ignoring the lines from Kiara’s shorts that are now imprinted on your face.

“What happened?” Pope asks, his shoulders dropping as he moves further into the room and takes a seat in the overstuffed chair opposite you.

JJ takes Kiara’s place after she tells you she is getting you water on her way to the kitchen. JJ smells warm and comforting, and you sink into his chest. Your eyes close, and you sigh, snuggling further into him.

“What happened?” He asks, his voice faint enough to give you some semblance of privacy.

You exhale, eyes shifting to the floor. “He was cheating on me.”

“I’m going to kill him,” John B spits out, not missing the conversation at all. Pope swears under his breath.

“She may have taken him down a few pegs already,” Sarah offers as her boyfriend takes a seat behind her.

“Did you?” JJ asks, tucking the blanket around your shoulders. A faint smile of pride tugs at his lips.

You nod, but Pope speaks before you can explain.

“Who with?” Pope leans forward, and you frown, looking at Kiara when she returns with a tall glass of cold water.

Your heart aches as the image and sounds flash through your head. “Another pogue.”

“I’m really going to kick his ass now,” JJ threatens.

John B stares at you, and you cannot take the burn of his gaze anymore, so you let your gaze shift to meet his. The concern is there, and you offer him a half smile.

“Did he hurt you?” He asks.

“Physically? No.”

He nods, looking down at the floor as his forearms rest on his knees.

“JB,” you lean over and ruffle his hair. “You’re a good guy.”

He smiles then, chin lifting to meet your gaze.

----

A week has passed, and you have pushed down the ache of your broken heart as you focus on day-to-day tasks. The local market bustles around you as you examine the fruit selection in your favorite vendor's booth. Mr. Walter grins at you as you select one of his personal favorites, strawberries.

“Picked yesterday,” he offers, and you flash a grin at him. “Mainland team got them on the last boat yesterday.”

“They are perfect,” you beam at him as you pass him a pint and then another. “I’ll take two.”

“Perfect, it’s BOGO. The second one is free.”

“Mr. Walter,” you chide, very aware that is not the case.

He waves you off before he starts to wrap the pints in cellophane to keep them protected on your bike ride back to the Chateau.

“Kildare’s best fruit vendor,” you compliment, and he winks at you before dropping them into your satchel with ease.

“Anything else?” He asks, looking over the selections with you. “I have a few seedless watermelons left.”

“One of those would be perfect. You are making my sister and our friends very happy.”

“I’ll get Alan to put it in your basket.”

“Thanks,” you grin and hand over a few bills. He takes them before passing back a five.

“I said BOGO.”

You roll your eyes and take the five back before moving down the aisle after a quick goodbye.

A few booths down, you spot a candle maker. A nice candle for your bath tonight sounds perfect. It would be a splurge, but a good one. You had the five dollar bill leftover from Mr. Walter’s booth along with a ten in cash still. Your cards are forgotten at home by mistake.

“Hey, Cheyenne!” You grin at the younger woman. Her eccentric nature is in full flourish today with her bohemian style dress.

“Hey!” She grins and leans over the table to give you a quick squeeze. “Are you getting a candle today?”

“I think so.”

She beams. “I have a new one. Want to smell it?”

“Yes, please.” You reach out for the candle as she spins the top of the jar off before offering it. You take it and bring it to your nose. A bright smile paints your lips as you take a deep inhale. “This is fabulous! Ooh, I’m in heaven.”

“Perfect! I thought you’d like it.” She smiles, taking it back and screwing the cap back on. “Should I wrap it up for you?”

“How much?”

“$20.”

“Oh,” you frown, before looking over the table. “My budget is $15. Do you have a smaller one?”

“Not in this scent, sold out already,” she frowns with you. “But I have plenty of the Summer Bliss that you like.”

“I’ll take that one.”

“She’ll take both,” Rafe’s voice comes from behind you, and you inhale sharply, body tightening at his voice before the heat of him pushes against your back. His arm extends over your shoulder to hand Chey a fifty. “The big ones.”

“Of course,” Chey smiles, oblivious to your reaction to his presence. As far as she knew you were both still together.

“That’s too much Rafe,” you start.

“Nonsense,” he murmurs, leaning against the tent pole. “Have you been through the market already?”

You nod. “This was my last stop.”

“Perfect,” he flashes a smile. “We’ll put your bike in the truck, and I’ll take you home.”

You start to shake your head but pause when you hear your name. You turn to see Alan moving through the crowd with a decent-sized watermelon in his arms.

“Where’s your bike?”

“Out by the parking lot. The pink one.”

“Great, rear basket okay to put it in?”

You nod a grateful smile on your face.

Rafe steps forward, his large body taking up the space between you and Alan. “I’ll take it. I’m taking her home.”

“Oh,” Alan murmurs. His green gaze flickering to you. “I didn’t know you guys had made up.”

“Well, we did,” Rafe mutters while taking the watermelon from Alan with ease. “Thanks, Alan.”

“Yeah, anytime,” he nods, and you frown, watching him go before you turn to Rafe. “Really?”

“He’s always had a thing for you.”

“Shouldn’t matter to you. We aren’t together.”

“Here you go!” Cheyenne’s cheery nature pops the tension bubble as she holds out a brown paper bag. You grasp it with a grateful smile in her direction. “Here’s your change.” She offers a ten back to Rafe.

“Keep it.”

“Oh,” she blushes, folding her fingers tightly around it. “Thanks.”

“Yep,” he responds while still staring at you. “Let’s go, Babe.”

You glare at him, but he ignores you and starts to steer you out of the mass of canopies for the different vendor's booths.

“We broke up, what do you think you are doing?”

He smirks, before tipping his head as he watches you. “We did not break up.”

“Yes, we did. I caught you cheating, Rafe.”

“She came onto me.”

“It takes two,” you mutter, getting to your bike as you drop the two bags into the front basket. You reach for the watermelon despite his protests. “Rafe…”

“It’s too heavy.”

“It’s not,” you argue and reach for it again, but he takes another step back. You groan loudly. “Fine! Keep it.”

You get on your bike, ignoring him as he tries to change your mind. You pedal away, ignoring his shouts of your name and pleas to come back. You ignore the sting of tears and the watchful gazes of both pogues and kooks alike.

----

You unloaded your items, tucking them away where they belonged. The house is silent with Kiara and the pogues out on the dock. You had promised them a quick lunch once you had everything put away.

Footsteps on the porch echo out as you open the bread bag after rinsing some of the fruit off.

“I’m just starting,” you say without looking up.

“I brought your watermelon.”

Your head snaps up as Rafe enters the house. The screen door slammed behind him as he stands there holding your watermelon. He looks so out of place in the living room. His pressed collared polo and oxford shorts are a stark contrast compared to the old paneled wooden walls and dusty outdated furniture.

“Kiara will be happy until she sees you are the one bringing it.”

He crosses the room silently before placing it on the counter. “Can we talk?”

“I have to get them fed. They won’t eat if I don’t.”

He frowns, reaching for you, but you move your hand away from his. The knife gripped tightly in your hand.

“Don’t touch me.”

“I want to talk.”

“No.”

He sighs, hand running through his hair. “Please.”

You stare at him, knife paused over slicing the sandwiches in half. He shrugs, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“What do you want to talk about?” You ask, turning your eyes back to your work. “Want me to hear all your practiced excuses.”

He frowns before shaking his head once. “No. I fucked up. I know I did. But she kissed me first. I did not pursue her.”

“No,” you huff, plating the sandwiches before rolling the melon onto your cutting board. “You just fucked her.”

He groans, before trying to reach for you again.

“Rafe, don’t!” You point the knife at him in a warning. “I scream, and they’ll come running, so don’t.”

He groans loudly and turns, pacing away. “I fucked up, okay! Yes, I fucked her, but it did not mean anything, okay?!”

You stare at him before shaking your head and going back to cutting. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“What do you want me to say? I’m admitting my fault.”

“You’re admitting you threw away our relationship for a meaningless fuck,” you clarify as you slice the half melon into quarters. “It meant nothing doesn’t help your case.” You start to work on cutting away the rind.

“Tell me what to do.”

“Leave.”

“No.”

You sigh and lift your head to meet his gaze. “Why not?”

“Because I can’t be without you.”

“You have to.”

“No.”

You groan with a shake of your head as you start to slice again. A sharp pain rips through your hand a moment later, and you gasp, jerking your left hand back to see a deep cut running across your index, pointer, and ring finger. Watery blood runs down your palm, and you wince immediately turning for the sink.

He is there, his body warm as he presses against you to help. His arms around you as he turns the water on.

“Rafe, I’ve got it.” You mutter.

“Just let me take a look.”

You huff but let him rinse the tips of your fingers before pulling your hand closer to his chest. His dark blue eyes focus on your fingers as he inspects the cuts. They were not deep but still pooled with blood.

“Does this place have a first aid kit?”

“Bathroom sink.”

“Here,” he folds a kitchen towel around your fingers. “Hold pressure.”

You watch him go before he is back with the red plastic case. He places it on the counter before turning to lift you with ease to be sitting next to it. You stare at him as his eyebrows knit together in concentration once he has the kit open. You stay silent, watching him work until the last bandage is on your finger.

“What do you want from me?” You whisper, his body still nestled between your knees.

“To be with me, to be my girl again.”

“I can’t do that anymore,” you lift your head to look at him. “I can’t be the girl who was hopelessly devoted to you again. You broke my heart.”

Rafe frowns, his hands plant on the counter on either side of your hips. His face inches from yours.

“The best I can be is your friend.”

“Friends then,” he agrees, retracting as he steps back. “Friends.”

The creak of the screen door has you both looking to see the pogues stepping inside. A shared confused look between them all aside from your sister, who is angry.

“He’s leaving. He brought the watermelon I forgot,” you offer and slip down to the ground. You push Rafe back to create distance. “You should go,” you say to him so only he hears.

He nods, squeezing your good hand before going without another word. You watch him go before turning back to the five pogues.

“Food is almost ready. I’ll finish prepping the food if someone wants to get drinks.”

“Got it,” Sarah moves forward, and you smile at her gratefully. The tension is thick, but no one says a word.

“What happened?” Kiara asks, pointing to the first aid kit. “Did he hurt you?”

“I cut myself slicing the watermelon,” you explain with a frown as you lift your bandaged fingers. “JJ?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you finish slicing it, please?”

“Sure!” He darts forward, shouldering past your sister to take over. Kie continues to watch you, reading you as you plate the food before taking everything to the kitchen table.

“Lunch is served,” you say, gesturing to the various plates. “John B?”

“Hmm?” He jerks his head to look at you now.

“Paper plates?”

“Pantry,” he goes to the little door and opens it before digging around and coming back with a small stack.

“Kie, eat,” you gesture, and she rolls her eyes but takes a plate and begins to grab her lunch. You squeeze her arm. “I’m fine, promise. He asked to get back together, and I said no.”

She nods, offering you a sympathetic smile before you peck her cheek.

“Relax, I’m the older one remember?”

She laughs and squeezes you in a tight hug before taking her plate and water outside. The others follow in her steps, and you are last as you let the screen door slam behind you. A sunny picnic lunch is just the ticket for you all.