#we just finished chapter 3 and the sun is coming up and I am in emotional shambles rn

[justauthoring]

The is the Beginning [3/?]

Summary: You never thought you'd be able to escape Buggy, and yet, a boy with a straw hat, a man with three swords and a girl with orange hair somehow manage to free you. The journey that follows afterwards is your chance at freedom and maybe something more.

A One Piece Live Action Rewrite

Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four

Pairing: Live Action!Zoro Roronoa x F!Reader

TW for this chapter: canon typical violence, jealous!zoro, self-depricating talk, angst but fluff too! & Sanji content because I love him

Word Count: 10,710

A/N: I am so excited for this chapter. Literally so much happens in this chapter and AHHH I hope you all enjoy <3

Tag List: @emmaiscool22 - @bethleeham - @veryunoriginal - @sun-rae04 - @medievalfangirl

Chapter Three - Together

“Did you just call that guy grandpa?”

Mouth still left parted in shock, you stare at the back of Luffy’s head, waiting for him to answer Zoro’s question. Or, at the very least, clarify what exactly he meant by calling the Vice Admiral of the Marine Corps grandpa—because surely he was not actually related to your captain; your captain of a pirate crew.

Though, you’re at a loss to think of what else Luffy could have possibly meant.

Meeting Zoro’s gaze, the two of you stood directly behind Luffy, his expression matching your own.

“Hit the deck!”

You barely have time to register Usopp’s warning, only seeing something black and something very much like a cannon heading straight your way, before arms are grabbing you and pulling you down. You’re tucked into a chest, your own arms coming to protect yourself as you try to ignore the ache the sudden movement pulls on your stitches.

The rumble of the cannon hitting the ship fades, and slowly, you pull away, meeting Zoro’s gaze first, realizing then he’d been the one to pull you down (you don’t have time to think about how that makes you feel), before both of your gazes fall on the broken fence of your ship deck. 

Pressing a hand to your waist, you move to stand, Zoro shuffling back to give you room. He offers a hand, to which you take, letting him help pull you up to your own feet.

“Everybody okay?” Luffy calls, and your eye falls on him in front of you.

“I think so,” Nami calls back, breathless. Both her and Usopp were further back from the explosion, up on the helm deck.

“No,” Usopp cries, popping up beside her. “Not okay. Not even close to okay.”

You shake your head, trying to ignore your own panic that’s bubbling inside of you. “We need to do something,” you urge, facing back towards the marine ship. “They’re just gonna keep shooting at us until we sink.”

Meeting your gaze briefly, Luffy nods. “Usopp!” He calls, pointing directly at the marine ship and his grandpa. “Fire back at them!”

“Or how about we sail away as fast as we can?” Usopp offers.

Luffy turns to look at him, looking bewildered that he’d even offered the idea. But Nami only extends a hand towards Usopp, clearly in agreement.

“Run from the Marines?” Luffy breathes, “no. Never! Nami, trim the… the sail thing. Let’s sink their ship.”

Usopp, probably despite his own fear, comes to meet Luffy with the cannon ammo.

“You want to sink a marine ship?” You echo in disbelief. “That’s… insane.”

“Not to mention, we don’t have time!” Nami argues, “they’re stealing our wind. If they pull up alongside us, we’re finished.”

Luffy just ignores her. “You’re the navigator. Do something.”

Turning to her, she meets your gaze. You offer a helpless shrug.

Nami huffs. “Zoro,” she calls, shifting her gaze past you. “Sheet in and hard to port! Y/N, stay there and don’t get more hurt.”

Feeling useless, you huff, but listen to Nami regardless. You knew you’d only pay worse if you didn’t.

“You know how to load a cannon?” Luffy asks Usopp, who chuckles nonchalantly in return.

You seriously doubt that.

“Yeah, of course. I’ve loaded thousands of them.” Almost as soon as he says that, he hesitates with the cannon in hand. “Uh, this just must be a different model than I’m used to.”

Huffing, you shuffle forward. “Load the cannon in the barrel,” you explain, pointing at the barrel as he turns to look at you helplessly. “Light the fuse and then get out of the way.”

Nodding at you, he shuffles forward, moving to the front of the cannon. Only, before he can load the barrel, he drops all the cannons in his hands. 

“Usopp!”

Eyes widening, you rush forward to help, but Luffy holds a hand out to you, shaking his head as he moves to run after Usopp and the cannons which have gone down the stairs.

Pressing a hand to your forehead, you sigh.

“We’re so gonna die.”

-

Somehow, you don’t die.

After Luffy somehow manages to deflect a cannon with his belly, Nami quickly makes the five of you disappear into the thick of the fog. The second you’d gotten away, Luffy had crawled up to the bow and taken a seat. He hadn’t said a word since. 

Nami had taken to steering, and since she was probably the most qualified person, you’d left her to it. You instead decide to lean against the railing, letting your eyes stay focused on the back of Luffy.

It wasn’t like him to be quiet, and you had no doubt it had something to do with the fact that his grandpa had nearly just destroyed his ship and killed him and all his friends. With how Luffy was, you figured he probably hadn’t come to terms with that reality yet and he would probably continue to ignore it until forced to otherwise.

“How’s the ship looking?”

Inhaling sharply, you glance over your shoulder, eye falling on Zoro as he shakes his head at Nami. “Broken railing,” he answers, “minor damage. Could’ve been a lot worse.”

Nami rolls her eyes; “could’ve been better.”

“Can’t see the Marines anywhere,” Usopp assures.

“Can’t see anything in this soup,” Nami corrects. “What we need is a place to lay low, wait out any reinforcements they send after us. My charts are useless in this fog.”

Zoro nods. “What did Luffy say?”

You sigh; “he’s on the bow,” you point ahead of yourself. “He hasn’t said anything since we hightailed it. I’m…” Hesitating, you chance one glance at his back before turning back to the three. “I’m worried about him.”

“Somebody needs to talk to him,” Nami says. “About this and that other thing.”

Zoro frowns. “What other thing?”

“Oh gee, I wonder,” Nami says, obviously sarcastic.

The expression on Zoro’s face tells you he really doesn’t know what.

“The Vice-Admiral-of-the-Marines-is-my-grandfather-thing.” Nami explains, looking at you all like it’s obvious.

You offer a shrug; “I’m confused too… but it feels wrong to interrogate him about it. Especially after the guy tried to kill us.”

Nami just blinks over at you.

“Yeah…” Usopp drawls, “I don’t really know the guy that well, so…”

Zoro nods; “doesn’t seem like a big deal.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that it isn’t a big deal…” You say tentatively, wary of Nami’s reaction and unable to deny the curiosity you feel. It did beg questions and it was a little wrong that Luffy had chosen not to tell any of you. “I just don’t know…”

Nami hesitates a moment, before shaking her head, turning to Zoro. “You’re his first mate,” he reminds, “kind of seems like that falls under your job description, hmm?”

He glances at you and Usopp, probably hoping one of you will do it instead of him. Usopp sends him a sheepish smile, holding the straps of his overalls and rocking on his feet, making his answer clear. When Zoro meets your gaze, you press a hand to your waist and smile nervously; “I’m injured?”

You were worried, but you also had no idea how to breach a conversation like that with Luffy of all people.

It’s obviously an excuse, but Zoro doesn’t argue. With a blink, he turns; “fine.”

You watch him leave, before meeting Nami’s gaze.

“You’re aware that Zoro is probably the worst person to check in on Luffy, right?” You raise a brow, “no way he’s actually gonna find anything out.”

Sighing dramatically, Nami presses her forehead to the helm.

Sure enough, a minute later Zoro comes back, shrugging; “seems fine to me.”

“Did you even ask him?”

Before Zoro can respond, if he even was going to, Luffy suddenly stands; “hey!” Pausing, he sniffs, raising his finger. “You guys smell that?”

Your brows furrow. “Smell what?”

Luffy’s quiet for a moment, taking in the air, before he breathes out; “there’s something on the breeze.” Sniffing again, his eyes widen. “Smells like butter. Soy sauce. And meat.”

He grins back at the four of you.

“I can’t smell anything,” Usopp frowns, moving towards Luffy. He seems almost disappointed he can’t smell anything.

“Think he has brain damage?” Zoro asks you and Nami.

Nami huffs, crossing her arms; “I think that every day.”

You let out a nervous laugh.

“Look, Luffy,” Usopp scratches his head. “Playing follow the smell is fun and all, but we really got to get out of this fog.”

“I know,” he calls back, ���but I smell food, which means that there’s someone somewhere cooking.”

-

You’ll never doubt Luffy’s nose again.

Turns out what he was smelling was a whole restaurant, and without having anywhere else to go and needing food, you’d all decided to dock there and get something to eat. Luffy and Usopp had been roaring to go the second the ship docked, barely able to stand still, which made Nami eager to get off the boat just so she didn’t have to deal with two idiots. You’re pretty excited yourself, but just as the ship docked, you’d noticed a bit of red on your shirt. You very quickly deduced it was your wound and obviously, after the excitement of nearly being hit by a cannon, you’d aggravated your stitches.

“You sure you don’t need help?” Nami frowns, hesitating to follow Luffy and Usopp off the ship. Zoro was hanging by the plank too, you couldn’t help but notice. He wasn’t offering to stay, of course, but he seemed concerned.

Shaking your head from the thought, you smile at Nami. “Positive.” You assure, sending her a thumbs up. “I just gotta change the bandage and my shirt and I’ll meet you guys there. Just let the host know I’m coming.”

Hovering for only a moment longer, Nami nods. “You can borrow one of my shirts again,” she offers. “Remind me next time we’re on an island to get you some clothes. When we’re not being chased by Marines.”

You laugh, nodding at her and turning to head to your and Nami’s shared room. You pause, however, when your eye catches Zoros’ once again. He looks like he wants to say something, and for some reason you find you can’t offer anything in return. It takes Nami, who’d seen the rather obvious and embarrassing display, to grab Zoro by the arm and pull him with her to get either of you to move.

Cheeks burning, you rush down to the room, trying to ignore the flutter of your chest or the nerves flooding through your entire body.

Seriously, it was starting to get too much. Before, you’d at least be able to brush it off as being intimidated by Zoro since he was, well, a pretty intimidating guy. But since the whole Kuro incident and you getting hurt, every time Zoro’s eyes seemed to fall on you, that narrowed and heavy gaze lightened into something soft. It was hard to ignore or not let get to you when he’d already made you all hot and flustered before.

He was attentive in a way you hadn’t experienced or expected from him. Everyone had been worried when you’d gotten hurt. You distinctly remember being surprised by how bothered Nami had seemed by it and even Usopp, who you’d just met, had checked in on you. But Zoro? Zoro had been concerned in a whole other way. Rather than just asking you or checking in like Luffy had, he’d hovered. He stayed near when Kaya had cleaned and stitched your wound for you, helping you walk there and then back to the ship even when you assured you were fine.

You’d never had someone so worried about you, let alone a man you were clearly attracted to.

You didn’t know if Zoro had any idea of what he was doing to you, but he was killing you. Your heart was always racing when he was near, which was always, and he made you feel like a fumbling fool, mind short-circuiting to the point of silliness whenever his eyes fell on you.

You’d never forget what he’d said about your eye. How he’d made you feel about it. Luffy and Nami had been endearing too, you would never deny that, but Zoro had spoken up first. And the look on his face…

Pressing your hands to your cheeks, you try to cool the heat you feel and your racing mind. This was silly. You were being silly. Zoro was just being nice and he probably just saw what a helpless fool you were and felt pity. There was nothing more to it. 

Zoro was a strong swordsman, a renowned bounty hunter and Luffy’s first mate and you were… you.

Swallowing thickly, you sit down at the desk in your and Nami’s shared room, pulling up your shirt and glancing down. As expected, your wound has bled through your bandage. Momentarily, you worry that you’ve ripped your stitches, but the second you pull the bandage off, you’re assured that isn’t the case. You clearly just aggravated the wound and, pausing to clean the blood and apply the salve Kaya had given you, you place a new bandage on.

You take a moment more to find a shirt to wear, thankful Nami was being so generous with her clothing. You could tell the girl took her fashion seriously and you felt bad enough borrowing her clothes, but now you were ruining them with blood. You’d have to make it up to her somehow.

Cleaned with a new bandage on, you smile to yourself, feeling your stomach rumble almost as if reminding you.

Without a second more of hesitation, you make your way up and off the Going Merry. The Baratie is buzzing with people and you can’t help but let your gaze wander across the millions of different people going on with their lives, each in their own world. You continue to do so until you find the front entrance to the restaurant, and with a simple explanation to the host that you were here with friends and a small description of some friends, you’re led to the table.

You pause, however, when you realize the waiter is already taking your friends’ order.

The host leaves your side and with only a second more of hesitation, you make your way to the table, not having realized you’d taken so long.

“Do I still have time to place an order?”

Everyone's eyes fall on you at your question, and coming to a stop on the left of the waiter, right in front of Zoro. You frown when you notice the tense look on his face, concerned, but before you can ask, your captain is beaming at your arrival.

“Y/N!” Luffy calls, grinning. “You’re just in time! I ordered one of everything for us!”

You shouldn’t be surprised, but his words still pull a laugh from your lips. Of course Luffy would order the entire menu.

“I didn’t know I would be greeted by two beautiful maidens today. And one with such an infectious laugh.”

Freezing, it takes you a second to realize that the words had come from the waiter and that he was talking to you. Eyes widening, you turn to him, meeting his eyes with your left one, only to see him smiling at you. One hand is shoved into the pocket of his dress pants as he turns towards you with a certain suaveness.

Cheeks warming in embarrassment, your hands rise. “Oh, I—”

But before you can finish, the waiter is taking your left hand in his, pulling it up to his lips and pressing a kiss there. No longer just warm, your cheeks burn.

“Such beautiful eyes too, madam,” he grins, “I’ll never forget either of them.”

You’re hyper aware of the fact that your entire crew is watching this happen and that you’re standing there, gaping like a fish. You’ve never had anyone flirt with you, especially not someone so… persistent. 

The waiter continues to stare back at you, never once looking upset by your lack of response.

An achingly long minute passes.

“Y/N.”

You don’t even have time to turn to Zoro at him calling your name before you feel hands fall on your hips, tugging you forward. A small yelp leaves your lips in response, stunned stupid, as Zoro pulls you in front of him, practically on his lap for a brief second, your hand slipping from the waiter's grip. Zoro moves you so you’re sat next to him, in between him and Nami who sends you a knowing smirk as you try to ignore your racing heart and flaming cheeks.

“Oi,” the waiter calls before you can, again, say anything. “Don’t be so rough with her.”

Zoro glares right at him. “Don’t be so handsy,” he growls back, not missing a beat. “Y/N doesn’t even know you.”

“She can get to know me,” the waiter challenges, curling a brow at your swordsman before his eyes shift back to you. “I’m sorry our introduction got interrupted, my name is Sanji. It’s lovely to meet you, Y/N.”

You’re sure you look as stupid as you feel.

“N-Nice to meet you too, Sanji,” you echo back, voice small.

Sanji grins just as Zoro leans forward, cutting you off from view. “Shouldn’t you be getting our food and drinks? The ones we ordered, waiter?”

The smile on Sanji’s face tenses, but he holds back whatever he clearly wants to say to Zoro, side stepping to meet your eyes once again. “Certainly, but first… what would you like, madam? Water like your lovely friend or something else? A sweet wine, perhaps? I can recommend some to you.”

You meet Nami’s eyes who just scoffs, obviously having received similar attention as you were now.

“Water,” you squeak. “Like her.”

“Not sparkling? Mineral? Ice or no?”

“Just water,” you nod, noticing the tick in Zoro’s jaw.

“Coming right up, Y/N,” he winks at you, smirking, before he turns away.

Silence follows, thick and heavy.

“Don’t worry,” Nami is the first to break the ice, lightly nudging you. “He was the same with me.”

Usopp snickers next to her, meeting your eye; “looks like you and Nami have got a boyfriend.”

Rolling her eyes, Nami just laughs quietly to herself. “Yeah, well, I don’t think it’s me we should be worried about.” Her eyes shift to Zoro, as does everyones, even Luffy who looks a bit lost, and finally, you turn to look at him too.

Your cheeks are still warm with embarrassment, mainly from Sanji’s flirting, but also the way Zoro had grabbed you. It wasn’t that you minded, because really, you didn’t, but—what the hell was that?

Meeting her gaze, arms crossed over his chest, Zoro huffs; “I’m fine.”

“Sure,” Nami drawls, smirking. 

“I never seen you so angry, Zoro,” Usopp teases, grinning ear to ear. “Jealous?” He sings the word, wiggling his brows at the swordsman as you sink into your seat further.

“Of a waiter?” Zoro scoffs, careful not to glance your way. “Of course not.”

You don’t fail to notice the fact that he hadn’t denied he’d been jealous because of you.

With a little bit more laughter, the conversation drifts off as Luffy starts to ramble about the food. Once the attention is thoroughly off you and Zoro, you turn to him.

“Are you okay?” You ask in a soft voice, concerned and perhaps wanting to know more about why he’d done what he had.

Finally turning to look at you, you watch as Zoro swallows thickly. “Fine,” he says gruffly and you flinch, frowning. Seeing your reaction, Zoro sighs. “Just didn’t like the way he touched you…”

He says it with a grumble, and if you hadn’t been right next to him, you wouldn’t have heard it.

Lips parting, you blink; “oh.”

“No guy should touch you like that.” He adds.

You turn to him but he’s already looked away, clearly done with the conversation.

You can’t help but think to yourself, however, that he’d touched you like that.

And that you liked it.

- 

“So… how long do you think the owner will make Luffy work for him?”

You glance up at your friends at your own question, curious. Instead of mirrored curiosity staring back at you, you find blank faces instead.

Frowning, you huff. “Is no one concerned?” You ask, genuinely worried. “We all ate that food… and he’s the one working for it.”

“I didn’t eat,” Zoro shrugs, “I just drank some beer.”

You glower at him.

Turning to Usopp, you hope maybe he’ll say something. Of course, he doesn’t and instead, he continues to slurp up the fancy fruity cock-tail drink he’d ordered, promptly avoiding your eye. You already know that Nami won’t be any help since she seemed rather hurt by Luffy lying about his grandpa, and while you couldn’t fault her for being hurt, you were frustrated at all of their lack of concerns.

Sighing, you push yourself to a stand, taking a step forward. Zoro catches you by the wrist before you make it two full steps.

“Where are you going?”

You glance down at him. “To find Luffy,” you gesture forward, as if the answer should’ve been obvious. Which it should’ve. “I don’t feel like drinking or…” You let your eyes drag across the bustling crowd of the bar. “...dancing. Maybe I can talk the owner into going easy on him.”

You go to do that, except, Zoro still doesn’t let go of your wrist.

“We should probably stick together,” Zoro says, never taking his eyes off of you. “In case the Marines come.”

You shake your head, pulling at his grip. He lets go easy, but the frown on his face makes it clear he’s annoyed by your persistence. “I’ll be fine,” you brush off his concern. “The worst thing I’ll be doing is washing some dishes, I reckon.”

Zoro looks like he wants to argue, but it’s clear he isn’t sure how.

You just sigh; “stay and relax. I’ll be fine.”

And then you turn before he can say anything else.

Shifting your way past the crowd of the bar, you make your way back down the steps that lead out into the outdoor bar. It isn’t hard to get back into the restaurant, but you’re careful not to catch the attention of any of the chefs or staff. Instead, you carefully slink your way towards the employee section.

At the sight of a chef with blue hair coming towards you, you’re quick to duck behind a wall. You hesitate, hovering, trying to listen for his footsteps to grow distant. Except, your ears pick up on something else.

Luffy.

Turning in the direction of the noise, your gaze falls on the hallway in front of you, seeing a door at the far end. With one more glance behind you to make sure no one was there, you make your way down the hall, eyes brightening when you see the word ‘KITCHEN’ labelled at the top of the door. A glance through the small circular windows only confirms your suspicions, lips curling into a smile at the sight of Luffy.

You also make note of the waiter from before standing in front of him and… it looked like the two were talking to a man you didn’t recognize. Sanji is ushering the man out the back entrance of the kitchen, and you use that as your chance to sneak in.

Pushing open the door, you pop your head in.

“Luffy?”

He turns at the sound of your voice, face brightening at the sight of you.

“Y/N!”

You wince when he all but yells your name, confident you were definitely not supposed to be back here. With one last glance back, you slip inside, letting the doors swing shut behind you as you make your way over to your captain.

“What’re you doing here?” He grins, confused. “I thought you and the rest went up to the bar.”

“We did… but I left.” You explain, frowning slightly. Setting your hand on his arm, you glance up at him. “It was a little awkward, Luffy. Nami’s pretty upset about the grandpa thing.”

Luffy’s face wavers at that, the same way you noticed it had during dinner when Nami had brought it back up then. Frowning at the sight, you squeeze his arm reassuringly.

“But mainly I came because I was worried,” you smile. “I didn’t know how hard that owner guy was working you.”

Luffy instantly eases at that, and his lips curve into a genuine smile.

“I’m okay. He just has me doing dishes,” he juts his thumb behind him, and you eye the stack of dishes with a grimace. “Though, I think I found—”

“Y/N?”

Startled at the new voice, you glance over Luffy’s shoulder to see the waiter back from wherever he’d escorted that man you’d seen before. He seems baffled at the sight of you, while you freeze at the sight of him, worried he’ll be mad you snuck in.

“Hello, S-Sanji,” you greet, offering a small wave. “I know I’m not supposed to be here but I was worried about Luffy—”

“I’m not mad you’re here, love,” Sanji grins easily, making his way over to you and Luffy with a shake of his head. “I just hoped you were having fun upstairs in the bar.”

Still not used to his charm, you flush. “Oh, well…” Eye trailing, you turn to Luffy. “I was actually going to ask Luffy if he needed help with—”

“Absolutely not,” Sanji cuts you off for the third time, leaving your lips parted in bafflement. He’s crossing the distance in the kitchen over to you two in two seconds, and before you can even realize it, his hands are on your shoulders, gently turning you towards the door to the kitchen. The one you’d just come from. “A lady like yourself should not be getting her hands dirty at all.”

“B-But…” Words trailing in your bafflement, you glance back at Luffy who grins back at you, unbothered.

“The chore boy will be fine.”

“I should really…” You reach weakly towards Luffy who just raises his hand in an eager wave, completely unbothered by Sanji who is all but shoving you out of the kitchen.

Before you realize, the two of you are back out in the restaurant and Sanji, still with his hands on your shoulders, is easily maneuvering you up the stairs and out of the restaurant completely. In fact, he doesn’t stop until he’s outside the restaurant, far away from anyone.

When he lets go of you, you turn to him, nonplussed.

He grins down at you, sincere and wide.

“Do you always drag girls you just meet to secluded areas to get them alone?”

He seems momentarily stunned by your words, as if not even realizing where he’d lead you, before his face eases and he leans back against the wall of the restaurant. You watch as he reaches into the pocket of his dress pants, pulling out a pack of smokes. “Not usually, but I thought this was the perfect opportunity to get to know each other. Like I’d offered before.” He sends you a wink that has your cheeks warming, eye watching as he places a cigarette between his teeth, lighting it.

Crossing your arms over your chest, you curl a brow at him, ignoring your flush. “Very… forward of you.”

He just grins, taking a puff of his smoke. “You don’t seem to mind it.”

“Only because Luffy didn’t seem bothered by you leading me away like that,” you shrug, moving to lean against the wall next to him. “Anyone Luffy trusts, I do too.”

Sanji raises a brow. “You sure have faith in him.”

“He saved my life,” you explain, thinking back to that moment he’d offered you to join his crew. Even before that, in that pub… you had no idea then how much Luffy and the rest would change your mind. “They all have.”

Sanji’s smile turns more soft at that, and he turns his gaze up to the sky. “That’s sweet.” You turn to look at him, and sure enough, a moment later, he’s adding with a smirk; “just like you.”

You scoff. “It seems you can’t control yourself.”

“Not when I’m around you,” he laughs, taking another puff of his smoke.

“Sure,” you drawl, snorting.

A second of silence passes, before Sanji speaks up again. “So, what’s going on between you and that moss head?”

Almost instantly, the light flush you’d had before burns into something more intense, as you jump, facing Sanji as you wildly shake your hands in front of you. “No-Nothing!” You squeak, unable to control the pitch of your voice.

Sanji eyes you for a moment, then, he chuckles; “sure.” He drawls, matching your previous tone.

“Seriously,” you argue, trying to calm your voice to sound more sure. “There’s nothing going on between me and Zoro.”

“Beautiful, anyone who gets jealous like that over a little flirting doesn’t think there’s nothing going on.” Sanji shakes his head, nudging you lightly with his shoulder. “Or, he hasn’t man-upped enough to tell you the truth.”

You’re positive you’re on fire with how hot you are in embarrassment.

“Zoro does not like me.”

“Okay,” he pauses, “but do you like him?”

Lips left parted, you blink up at Sanji.

“I-I… It’s none of your business.”

Humming, Sanji takes another puff. “Seems like you want to get it off your chest, love.”

You pout. “You’re annoying.”

He leans towards you, smirking; “I’m right, beautiful.” 

Shoulders falling, you kick your leg out at a random pebble. “Fine,” you huff, glancing at your feet. “Maybe I like him… a little bit!”

You don’t see the way Sanji’s face softens down at you, and you almost think something’s wrong when he doesn’t say anything. But when you glance back up at him, he’s turned his gaze back up. “Shame,” he sighs, almost soulful. “You truly are enchanting.”

Eyes widening, you bite your lip. “Shut up.”

“It’s true,” he pushes, looking unbothered by your embarrassment. “You deserve far more than that moss head.”

“You don’t even know Zoro.”

He shrugs. “I can tell.”

“I—”

Whatever you’d been about to say falls silent on the tip of your tongue when you see a familiar Straw Hat run by in front of you. Stepping back Sanji, you glance past his shoulder, you watch as Luffy and Usopp run towards the Going Merry.

“Where’s Y/N?” You hear Luffy yell distantly.

“I thought she was with you!” Usopp calls back.

You frown.

“Something wrong?” Sanji asks, hand falling on your shoulder and your gaze turns up, realizing he’d seen the same thing.

“I don’t know…” You breathe, concerned. Stepping back from Sanji, you turn to him apologetically, lips parting to explain.

“Don’t worry about it, love,” he brushes your apology off. “You should go make sure everything’s okay.”

Face easing at his words, you smile; “thank you, Sanji.”

Cigarette in his lips, he glances at you out of the corner of his eye. You send him a genuine smile and a wave, before turning around to run off in the direction Usopp and Luffy had gone.

You’re quick to pick up the pace in your step, reaching the Going Merry in now time. You can hear the distinct voice of Nami and heart racing at how upset she sounds, you’re making your way down the stairs and towards them in seconds flat.

“But you are not better than him!”

Coming to a stop right at the bottom of the stairs, everyone’s eyes fall on you.

Nami instantly turns on you; “there you are!” Reaching you, she tugs you forward, and as she does, you see Usopp glance at you helplessly and Luffy softly smiling which gives you very mixed signals. 

Finally, you turn to Zoro, who is… getting his swords ready?

“What’s going on?” You ask, helpless.

Nami huffs next to you. “Will you talk some sense to him?”

Lips parting, you shake your head at Nami. “Sure… but for what?”

“He’s challenged Dracule Mihawk, one of the Seven Warlords, to a duel.”

It’s like you can hear your heart plummet to the pit of your stomach. Nami, who is too busy turning back to Zoro in frustration, doesn’t notice the way your eye shifts, something distant flooding in. Usopp and Luffy don’t see it either.

But Zoro, who’d chanced a glance up at you, nervous for your reaction, sees it. His face falls briefly, everything else fading as he watches you closely.

“Y/N,” Nami presses, voice pitching in distress. “Tell him how reckless he's being.”

Still stunned, your mind a reckless bout of realization and terror, your gaze finally shifts towards Zoro. He quickly turns away and the sight makes dread flood you. “Z-Zoro,” you breathe, feeling as if your voice sounds like an outside extension of yourself.

Distantly, you realize that you’re not helping Nami and most of all, acting suspiciously. Swallowing thickly, you lean forward on the table. “You cannot fight… h-him… fight Mihawk.”

“Yeah,” Nami nods. She looks relieved you agree with her and you figure, even in the midst of your racing mind, the boys hadn’t been much help. With a frown and a huff, she throws her hand in Zoro’s direction; “he wants to go through with it! Even though it’ll get him killed.”

Zoro turns to her, still avoiding your gaze, and asks bluntly; “why do you give a shit?”

Nami visibly blanches, head jerking back in hurt. Her lips part, twisting to say something, and then, blinking back the betrayal in her eyes, she breathes out; “because you’re my friend, you idiot.”

“You said it yourself. You don’t have any friends.”

You see it in her eyes. His words are harsh and even though you’re still reeling from the realization of what was happening and clearly having walked into the middle of something, you see as the walls she’d slowly let fall around you all come back up. Brick by brick.

She glances around the room, meeting your eye last and then, she leaves without another word.

All of you, except for Zoro, watch her leave.

No one says anything, and then, Usopp is following Nami out, meeting your eye with a nervous panic before slipping out. Luffy follows him a second later, patting your shoulder.

You stay standing there, as if glued to the spot. You can’t bring it in you to chase after Nami even if you were concerned, but you also can’t find the words to say something to Zoro. You want to tell him off for being cruel to Nami like that, you want to tell him he was being an idiot that was going to get himself killed and you want to tell him…—

It takes Zoro a minute to speak up. “Not going to try and convince me like Nami?”

Swallowing thickly, the lump in your throat remains despite. With your hands hanging helplessly at your sides, you try to blink back the tears that well in your eyes. It was all too much at once. Your heart was aching with this anchor that had been thrown at you and it was too much to bear.

Still, deep in your heart, you know; “it wouldn’t stop you,” you whisper, voice cracking at the end.

You could beg and plead, get on your hands and knees, and you know nothing could stop Zoro from doing this. The only thing that might… you weren’t sure if you were ready to admit.

Zoro pauses, hands hovering. Then, he agrees; “probably not.”

Your breath hitches. “You could die.”

He turns to look at you. You don’t meet his eyes. 

“He’s my goal.”

Fists clenching, you shake your head. “Zoro, please listen,” you cry, “you cannot fight Mihawk. He’s… He’s…”

But you can’t form the words.

“He’s what?” Zoro pushes, leaning towards you. “Say it, Y/N. I saw your face when Nami told you. Mihawk is what?”

You flinch, stepping back. You can’t look at him even as the guilt and panic tears you apart inside. You couldn’t.

Your mind races for something, something else, and then you remember your conversation with Sanji before. You remember your feelings. “W-What about me?”

“What about you?” Zoro’s tone is even, careful, but his blunt question hurts all the same.

Finally, you look up at him. His eyes are already on you, face flat and expressionless. 

You come to terms then it’s pointless. Zoro wasn’t going to cancel the duel and nothing you were willing to say would change his mind. Anything more, and you’d just get yourself hurt. You think once again, in that moment, back to your conversation with Sanji. 

You’d known of your feelings all along, just hadn’t been able to realize it. But you’d finally let yourself admit how you felt about Zoro. Finally let the truth out and the relief you’d felt in that moment, to a man you’d only met that day no less, had been imminent.

You’d gotten ahead of yourself then. Forgot that you were the only one who believed in Luffy’s wish to be a crew. Forgot that all the people you’d met had their own goals and you were someone just drifting alongside with them until it came time for them to leave.

You forgot that your life wasn’t just being a part of Luffy's crew.

You forgot that even if Zoro felt anything of what you felt for him, you were still just some girl he’d rescued from a pirate and nothing more than that. Zoro had his own goals and dreams, and you weren’t part of them.

What about you?

Answer made clear, you turn and walk without another word.

Zoro doesn’t see the way tears fall from your face the second you’re out of sight and you don’t see the way his leg kicks out in frustration at himself for being so stupid. 

-

It was clear Mihawk didn’t know who you were, despite being your father.

You couldn’t blame him, though. He’d never met you. He didn’t even know that the random woman he met that one day eighteen years ago and spent the night with, had ever gotten pregnant. It wasn’t like Dracule Mihawk to stick around places for long, after all.

And the only reason you even knew he was your father was because your mother had told you the day she died. In her deathbed, with your hand clutching hers, she’d whispered his name and told you if you ever needed help, to go to him.

Something told you he wouldn’t be helping you here.

You watch him best Zoro in every single one of his attacks. He dodges his attacks without even having to lift a finger. It’s a fight unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, and the reality of watching Zoro unable to land any attacks is cruel and unforgiving.

Everything about this is cruel.

With your heart racing and your palms sweaty, you visibly flinch when Mihawk stabs Zoro with the tiny sword he told Zoro was the best match for their duel. It hits him directly in the chest, and you watch the flicker of pain in Zoro’s eyes as he stares his goal down.

And as you listen to Zoro refuse to give up, you can feel your heart tear into two.

Mihawk brings out Yoru. You watch as he unsheathes it from his back, heart plummeting. And you watch as Zoro places the Wado Ichimonji in his mouth, bringing the two black-handle katanas into either of his hands. This is it, you realize. This is the final attack.

After watching Zoro be unable to land one hit, you know this final one won’t be different.

There’s a moment of stilled silence, no one moves. And then, Zoro is running forward and Mihawk watches his pace. They clash, the sound of metal hitting metal reverberates in your mind, rattling your insides.

Zoro slides on his knees across the deck in front of Baratie, stopping just a few feet in front of you. He’s breathless, silent, and you feel your friends around you as you all watch with bated breath.

The two black-handle swords shatter into pieces.

The sob that wretches from your throat is beyond your control. It rips out of you, body shuddering in the reality you’re forced to face, watching as Zoro stands to his feet and turns to face Mihawk.

“You’re defeated,” Mihawk shakes his head. “Why do you persist?”

Sheathing the Wado Ichimonji, Zoro says without hesitation; “wounds on the back are a swordsman’s greatest shame.” Raising his arms in defeat, he holds them to his sides, waiting for Mihawk to make his final move.

“Magnificent.”

Tears welling in your eyes, you feel a hand slip into your own.

Glancing down first and then following the arm, you find Nami’s similarly tearful eyes staring back at you, squeezing your hand. You don’t know if it’s to comfort you or herself, but you appreciate it nonetheless. You turn to your other friends, seeing that Nami is holding Usopp’s hand too and he’s looking at you with concern. The final person you turn to is Luffy.

He meets your eye, and your whole body trembles.

You turn your head back in Zoro’s direction, and the second Mihawk’s arm swings to attack Zoro, you turn away again.

Your head tucks into Nami who startles at your movement, but her hand slips from your own to wrap her arm around you. You can’t see, but you hear the slice of skin and the sound of Zoro’s body hit the ground a minute later. You feel Nami’s body jerk in response.

“Zoro!”

-

Hugging your knees to your chest, you stare at Zoro. You let your eye drag across his sleeping figure, every curve of his face, the dip of his nose, all the way down to his chest, where his wound is tightly bandaged.

It was thanks to Sanji and the Baratie owner, Zeff, that Zoro’s wounds had been cleaned, stitched and dressed. It was thanks to them that Zoro even had a chance of surviving.

Talk to him. That’s what Zeff had said. The only thing any of you could do for Zoro now was talk to him and hope that that was enough to pull him from the purgatory between life and death. 

You’d offered the first watch and no one had argued. Everyone was worried about Zoro in their own way, but the tears streaming down your cheeks and the visible mess you were in left no one willing to argue with you. One by one, everyone had left the room, with Luffy only glancing back at you one last time, before it was just you and Zoro.

You hadn’t moved from the spot since then.

That had been hours ago. Nami had come in at one point and asked if she could read to Zoro. you’d nodded without a word, sitting back but never leaving the room. Nami didn’t say anything and even if she had, you would’ve refused to leave. Luffy had followed her in shortly after and that had turned sour quickly when it was apparent that Nami felt Luffy held some responsibility for not telling Zoro to back out of the duel. You watched them argue, not saying a word. Then, Nami left.

“You should eat,” Luffy had said a minute after she walked out the door.

Never taking your eye off Zoro, you’d shaken your head. “I will when he wakes up.”

“Y/N, you—”

“When he wakes up.” The words had come out sharper than you intended and instantly, you’d felt guilt when you’d seen Luffy jerk at the sound. But you didn’t get up nor did you say anything else, and a minute later, Luffy left too.

That had been an hour ago. No one else had come in since.

You’d moved back to the chair next to Zoro, and let your hand slip into his and you hadn’t moved since.

Talk to him. How were you supposed to talk to him? What could you possibly say to him after everything that happened? 

Head falling, you let out a shaky sigh.

“This is all my fault,” you whisper, barely even registering you’d said the words aloud. And as you breathe the words into existion, you realize that that was the only thing you could say. 

Raising your head, you glance at Zoro’s face.

“I’m so sorry,” you say, squeezing his hand. “I should’ve… I should’ve told you the truth.”

Your chest feels tight, your body heavy. You know what you want to say, but you don’t know if you have the courage to speak the words. Mihawk was your father, it was true, but he meant nothing to you. That isn’t what made it hard to say. Not even seeing him in person for the first time today could make the feeling of indifference toward him fade. Mihawk didn’t even know who you were and he never would.

Today would’ve been your chance to tell him and it hadn’t even crossed your mind.

What you found hard to admit was that you’d been too scared to tell Zoro the truth and that cowardness is what got him hurt. If you had just been honest with him, maybe none of this wouldn’t have happened. Zoro wouldn’t have gotten hurt and nobody on the crew would be upset.

Why couldn’t you have just been honest?

“I was scared,” you tell Zoro. “Scared because there’s so much about my life I don’t know and the only thing I do know is so unimportant.” Breathing in sharply, you force the words out. “So what if Mihawk is my father? It hadn’t mattered before. But it mattered last night and I should’ve told you… If I told you, you wouldn’t be hurt and the crew wouldn’t have to be worried about you not waking up.”

Pressing your free hand to your forehead, you shake your head. “I’m so sorry, Zoro,” you sob, feeling your eyes water as curl into yourself. “I’m so sorry because you’re hurt and because I think I may love you… and my life is so utterly unimportant that you deserve better than someone like me… Someone who will just ruin your life.”

Your hand leaves his, pressing against your lips as you let yourself cry. You let yourself cry out the anguish in your chest that weighs you down and hurts. You cry and cry, stifling your sobs behind your hand, letting it all out.

Until, eventually, you fall asleep from the exhaustion.

The exhaustion of not sleeping the night before, of being tense and terrified for Zoro, for the guilt that feels like it might eat you alive.

You stay like that for a while, until soft hands gently shake you awake.

“Come on, love. Wake up.”

Letting out a soft groan, your eyes flutter at the voice, hands moving instinctively to rub at your eyes. It takes you a second to wake yourself up, confused as you slowly straighten out. You first see Zoro before your head turns, and your eye falls on Sanji who’s standing behind you.

“Sanji?”

“You need to eat,” Sanji says, ushering you. “Come on.”

You turn back to Zoro, licking your dry lips. “I shouldn’t leave him.”

Your eyes are puffy and your eyelids ache. The last thing you remember is crying, and it occurs to you you’d fallen asleep in the midst of your break down. 

“Luffy can watch him,” Sanji offers, gesturing behind him.

Turning towards the door, Luffy smiles at you warmly.

“I’ll watch Zoro for you, Y/N. I promise I’ll take good care of him.”

Dazed and still a little sleepy, you let Sanji pull you to your feet, not fighting his grip as he guides you towards the door. You glance back at Zoro one last time, feeling that crushing guilt stab at you, just as Luffy squeezes your shoulder.

“He’ll wake up, Y/N,” Luffy grins at you. “I promise.”

You nod at him, finding his words reassuring and comforting despite the doubt festering inside you.

“I’ll whip you up something tasty, Y/N.” Sanji smiles softly down at you, “okay?”

He’s incredibly gentle the entire time. You relish in it.

-

���Can I have a moment alone with him?”

Meeting Nami’s eyes, you nod, moving to stand. She sends you a smile, though it seems off, as you walk past her.

Letting the door fall shut behind you, you make your way into the kitchen. You bite your lip, trying to ignore the nerves rattling your body. After Nami had come running into the kitchen where you and Sanji were, you eating after he’d made you a meal like he promised, it was instantly clear something was wrong. She had been going on about some pirate named Arlong, calling for Luffy in between explaining to you. Most importantly, she looked terrified.

Turns out Arlong was attacking Baratie looking for Luffy and the Grand Line map.

Nami’s attempt at getting Luffy to take the Going Merry and run had been fruitless and he, Sanji and Usopp had gone to confront Arlong. Luffy had told Nami to stay behind to protect the map, before turning to you and telling you to watch over Zoro for him. When you’d tried to argue and say you could help, he’d just shaken his head and said you were still healing from your last fight and Zoro was more important.

So, for the last twenty or so minutes, you and Nami were in the Going Merry. She’d disappeared elsewhere on the ship the second the three left, so you assigned yourself back next to Zoro, opting to read to him like Nami had before in the hopes that maybe that’d get him to wake up. 

You had, at least, until Nami had popped her head into the room.

You hoped everything was going well. Honestly, you did want to go out and check on them, but you knew Luffy was right. Even if he hadn’t said it in that way, it was clear he didn’t want you coming because you didn’t know how to fight. You’d be more of a hindrance than any help and that reality left a sour taste in your mouth.

Hearing footsteps approach, you turn, face easing when you see Nami coming out of the room.

“Everything okay?” You ask, despite knowing in fact nothing was okay.

She nods, stepping out of the room and you smile at her as you walk past her, squeezing her shoulder in an attempt to comfort both her and yourself. You think nothing of the look on her face, chalking it up to everything that had and is happening just making her a little off.

At least, until you hear the door slam shut behind you.

Stilling right next to Zoro, your head snaps towards the door. You hesitate for a moment, baffled, before your feet instinctively carry you towards it, hand falling on the knob. Maybe she’d shut it by accident? Or maybe she wanted to give you privacy as you had for her?

Except, the door won’t open when you turn it.

“N-Nami?”

You know she’s by the door. You can see her shadow through the small opening at the bottom. You can hear her heavy breathing.

“Nami,” you call again, voice louder. “Why is the door locked?”

There’s a moment that passes before she answers.

“Sorry, Y/N. I can’t let you out.”

“What?” You breathe, bewildered. There’s something awful twisting in your chest. You try the door again, it doesn’t open. “Nami, what the hell is going on? What are you doing?”

“I’m doing what I always planned to do.”

Her voice is muffled through the door, but the low tone scares you all the same.

Using your left hand, you slam it against the door. “Let me out, Nami. Now.”

“You’ll be safe in there.”

You hear her take a step toward and your heart lurches, yanking on the door as you start to pound against it more aggressively. “Nami?”

“I’m sorry.”

You see her shadow disappear and soon, her footsteps are gone too. You stand there, stunned, before you start to yank on the door again. You pull at it, trying to twist it. But it’s clearly jammed shut.

Nami had made sure you weren’t going to be able to get out.

Minutes pass of you banging on the door, with no luck, until eventually you tire yourself out. 

Head hanging in your hands, you try to ignore the shake of your body as you sit there, forced to wait.

At the first sound of footsteps, you jump to your feet.

“Hey!” You call, banging on the door. “Luffy? Usopp?”

“Y/N?”

It’s Usopp.

Yanking on the door, you call out to him; “let me out!”

It takes him no more than a few seconds to open the door, yanking it open as you meet his eyes with relief.

“Usopp,” you breathe, “you have to listen to me. It’s Nami. She—”

You move to ramble out what had happened, but fall silent the second you see the look on Usopp’s face.

“Usopp?” You question, voice quiet. “Why are you…?”

Just then Sanji comes stumbling down the stairs of the kitchen, with Luffy in his arms, the latter looking beat up and hurt. Both of them are sopping wet.

Your eyes widen.

“Nami, she…” Usopp speaks up, looking nervous. “She betrayed us.”

-

“Y/N, seriously!”

Shaking your head, you stumble behind Usopp. “Seriously what, Usopp?”

You’re mildly annoyed, but you figure he has a good reason—whatever that reason is. He hasn’t elected to tell you yet. 

You’d been getting some sleep after Luffy had practically forced you to, letting you sleep in his and the rest of the guys’ cabin since Zoro was currently occupying yours and… Nami’s. After everything that has happened, it was clear you all needed some time to digest and recoup. Even though you’d been reluctant to leave Zoro’s side, you also knew you needed some sleep or you were going to make yourself sick.

And a twenty minute sob-induced cat nap hunched over a bed didn’t count.

Only, your sleep had been cut short but Usopp all but ran into your room, yelling your name with a wide grin on his face. You couldn’t even possibly begin to think what he could be smiling about given that everything was the worst it could be, but you didn’t get the chance to ask either before he was yanking you to your feet and dragging you with him.

“Usopp—”

Whatever you’d been about to say falls silent, however, when you realize where Usopp is leading you. Body freezing, you turn to him, him already grinning at you, letting the two of you come to a stop. You glance at him, then the room, and then realize you hear a very familiar voice speaking.

Your feet move before you can stop yourself.

All chatter stops the second you come running into the room, and sure enough, still on the bed, Zoro stares back at you, but awake.

“Y/N, look, Zoro’s—!”

You don’t let Luffy finish. You don’t even really hear him speak. You run over to the other side of the bed in seconds and practically fall onto Zoro. In your excitement, you forget about his wounds, to which Zoro groans in response to your hug. Your eyes widen, your first word to him about to be ‘sorry’, as you scramble to pull back. 

His arm falls around your waist before you can.

Stilling in his hold, and now careful to not let your weight fall on him, he holds you for a moment, the entire room distinctly quiet.

Then, his arm leaves and you pull back, staring down at him.

“Hey,” you breathe, unable to stop the curl of your lips. Despite everything, that short greeting is what feels right.

It’s all you can manage.

His lips curve into a soft smile; “hey.”

-

Raising your hand, you softly knock on the door.

Zoro’s head snaps towards you, easing when he realizes it’s you.

You step into the room with a gentle smile, and nod at him; “let me.” You offer, gesturing loosely to the bandages surrounding him. “I got pretty good at it after…” You let your voice trail, and Zoro huffs.

“I’d bet. You never let anyone help you.”

Sitting next to him, you shrug. “I could do it on my own.” Laughing quietly, you pick up the bandages that are wildly thrown about the bed. “Unlike you.”

Zoro scoffs but he doesn’t stop you as you start to unwrap the bandages he’d loosely wrapped around himself, redoing it.

Silence echoes for a moment, before Zoro speaks up.

“I can’t believe the waiter is joining us.”

Huffing a laugh, you roll your eye. “Sanji is nice,” you defend. “And a good fighter I hear from Luffy.”

Zoro frowns. “He’s a waiter.”

You just shake your head, snorting to yourself.

Then, you hesitate, hands hovering. You can't help but ask, since it’s been weighing on you since she’d left. “You think Nami meant it all? That she never actually cared about us?”

“Don’t know,” he shrugs. “Maybe.”

Biting your lip, you frown. You don’t want that to be the truth.

“Y/N.”

His voice is serious as he calls for you, and it makes you freeze.

“I heard you.”

Your muscles tense, and you refuse to let your gaze wander from your hands, fiddling with your fingers.

Zoro doesn’t let you. In the next second, his hand is falling over your own, pulling them away from what you’d been doing. Your lips part as he does, heart fluttering as he shifts his hand so his fingers threads through yours instead of just being wrapped around your wrist.

Your cheeks warm instantly.

“Y/N. Look at me.”

His voice is raspy from being asleep for so long. It sends shivers down your spine.

Still, you listen, raising your head and meeting his eyes.

“I didn’t think you could hear me,” you whisper.

“I could,” he nods. “About your father and…” His voice trails.

Swallowing thickly, you choose to focus on the first thing first. “I… Does it bother you?”

Zoro’s lips part, stunned at your forwardness and you realize your mistake.

“About… Mihawk.”

“Oh,” he breathes. “No.”

It’s not what you’re expecting. He says it so bluntly, so sure of himself.

“It… doesn’t?”

“You have your reasons,” he shrugs, still holding your hand. “And it wouldn’t have changed my mind. Defeating Mihawk is my goal, that won’t change.”

His words hurt you, but you also know that you have no right to argue otherwise.

“I’m still sorry you got hurt.”

Zoro shakes his head. “It wasn’t your fault.” Then, when you don’t respond, he squeezes your hand. “It wasn’t.” 

His voice is sharp and leaves no room for argument.

You nod. “Thank you,” you say, “I’m… so relieved you’re okay.”

Zoro breathes in sharply, and then he lowers his hand, taking yours with him.

There’s a beat of silence, then; “I think I love you too.”

It seems that Zoro is just full of surprises at that moment.

Body turning rigid, you blink at him.

His cheeks have a light flush and he’s now the one turned away. “I… You were wrong… I don’t deserve someone better than you. I… I want you.”

“Zoro…”

He turns back to you, quickly, as if the words are both hard to speak but leaving him before he can stop himself. “But I… I don’t know how to be… I don't know how to be with you,” he explains, the words awkward and forced. You can tell he’s trying, words stumbling off the tip of his tongue. “I’ve only had one friend in my life and she’s dead. Before you guys, I had no one. I don’t know how to be someone you can depend on.”

You let his words sink in and you take in the look on his face. He’s embarrassed, you can tell, but he’s waiting for you to respond, patiently. You realize he’s leaving the decision up to you.

You think of, once again, your conversation with Sanji. You think of how you felt when Zoro had been unconscious in that bed. You think of everything that’s happened.

“I…” You start, voice soft. “I don’t know how to either,” you explain, shoulders dropping with the weight of your confession. “I’ve been alone for so long too, Zoro. And at first I wasn’t going to say anything. I didn’t understand my feelings so I was just going to ignore them. But then… seeing you fight like that and get hurt… waiting for you to wake up… I know that it can happen again. To either of us. I know that neither of us will ever be completely safe. I know you will never give up on your goal.”

Zoro frowns, and there’s a flicker of disappointment in his gaze.

It’s you who squeezes his hand this time, pulling his attention back on you.

“But I don’t want to do any of that without you,” you finish. “I… want to do this all with you. I want to save Nami with you. I want to explore the Grand Line with you. I want to help you complete your goal. Not just as your friend but more.”

The second you finish, breathless, Zoro is pulling you towards him. His actions speak louder than words and it seems his instincts allow him to act without any fluster of embarrassment. It pulls a gasp from your lips but you don’t stop him, hands falling on his shoulders as you lean into his touch. You’re careful of his wounds as he tugs you into his lap, his hands settling on your hips as his forehead falls against yours, breathing heavily.

“Fuck,” he inhales sharply, before shuddering a breath. “Can I kiss you?”

You smile at his response, thinking it’s so very Zoro, and nod. “Please.”

His lips are on yours instantly, pulling you close to him as you cup his cheeks, letting your hands thread through his hair. Your stomach flutters at the kiss, feeling your insides turn to jelly at the sensation. His hands on your skin feel like fire in the best way possible, molding your lips against his as he tugs you closer and closer even when there’s nowhere else for you to go.

You let your nails drag across his scalp, his lips warm and soft against your own.

And then, just as your lips part to allow his tongue to slip inside, a voice calls out;

“Zoro!”

You both pull back, startled. Zoro groans softly as he twists his body wrong, agitating his wound while your head snaps round to see Luffy.

He pauses, hovering at the door, at the sight of you two, you on Zoro’s lap with the both of you looking thoroughly flushed. 

Luffy looks confused.

“Luffy,” Zoro huffs, pressing his hand to his forehead, one still gripping your hip, as you laugh quietly to yourself. “Leave.”

Oblivious as always, Luffy just nods; “sure thing, Zoro.”

You’re positive you’ll be getting an earful from Usopp later.

His footsteps fade and you turn back to Zoro, giggling.

“He never knocks,” Zoro groans, pulling at his hair.

You pull his hand away, moving instead to hold it. Zoro flushes at the action.

“That’s okay,” you shrug. “I imagine it’ll be like that a lot.”

Zoro only groans further at the thought, but he knows you’re right.

You move to stand, slipping off his lap and panicking when you realize you didn’t finish bandaging him properly. Zoro laughs as you fuss over him, moving when you tell him to and watching you with amused eyes.

Just as you sit down next to him, though, he whispers out;

“Together, then.”

You blink at his words, cheeks still a light flush, before you remember your earlier words. 

You smile; “together.”

-

End of Chapter Note: I know that I’ve made the reader Mihawk’s daughter who is canonically light-skinned. I have left the readers mother open to try and be as ambiguous and inclusive as possible. Apologies to anyone that finds this detail stops them from being able to “insert” themselves into the story.

[ariestrxsh]

dealer!chris x dealer!reader

💸 content warning: smut/angst (in later chapters; this one's mostly just suggestive), mentions of hard drugs and guns, enemies to lovers, slow burn

💸 summary: you and chris spend the night hanging out on his roof after your first day of making sales together.

there will be several parts to this story, and they will contain sex, drugs, violence, use of weapons, and a lot of things that could be triggering if you've ever been apart of the drug world or loved someone with an addiction. i don't mean to glorify drug use, selling, or anything like that, but i wanted this story to be realistic, so it does appear like a somewhat "glamorous" lifestyle to chris and the reader in the first few parts. i want to make it very clear that when you get involved in the drug world in real life, you usually end up in one of two places: the ground or prison.

dividers by @/kimjiho1

WHEN SPARKS FLY

chapters: | intro | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

The sun sank slowly below the skyline, and the evening turned to nightfall as you and Chris finished up your last deal of the day. You'd been showing him all the stops, introducing him to your customers, and teaching him the way you did everything.

He got into your passenger seat and sighed as his head fell against the headrest, really wishing he had a joint right about now. "Damn, ma. I can't believe how much money we made today," Chris mumbled, slouching down into his seat. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the wad of cash he'd made for the day.

"I know, and we're only a third of the way through the product," you smiled back, doing the math in your head about the potential profit. "I could never work a 9 to 5," Chris sighed, sifting through the $100 bills. "Can't believe I just made in a day what it would take some sucker to make in two weeks at some office job."

You fastened your seatbelt and turned the key in the ignition, admiring Chris, who brought his fingers to his lips and slowly licked them as he separated the crisp hundreds. "What are you thinking about, ma? My tongue or my fingers?" Chris flirted, catching you staring out of the corner of his eye and giving you a seductive smirk as he ran his tongue along the pads of his fingers again, flitting through his money.

You squeezed your thighs together as you bit down on your lip. For a moment, you were thinking about both at the same time. You hated the effect he had on you, the way he knew how to get inside your head, intrude on your thoughts, and invade your sexual fantasies. "You're fucking gross, Chris," you replied, rolling your eyes and trying to hide how turned on you were.

He responded with a chuckle, knowing that he was getting to you even if you wanted to deny it. "So, am I dropping you off at your girlfriend's house?" You asked, reminding him that he had one. "Nah, can you drop me off at my place? I'm staying home tonight," Chris requested. "I can do that. Just tell me where to go," you replied, your eyes darting around between the road in front of you, your side mirrors, and your rearview.

"So, have you told Daisy yet?" You asked, your gaze flickering over at Chris, who was shaking his head. "I'll tell her, ma, when I'm ready," Chris grumbled. He knew you were right. He knew he had some things to work out, like telling his girlfriend the real way he made his money or dealing with the fact that he was finding himself sexually attracted to his new business partner. He stole another glance at you from your passenger seat as the fantasy he'd had the night before flashed through his mind, praying you wouldn't notice the tent forming in his jeans.

When you pulled into Chris' driveway, he thanked you again for the ride. "I can't believe I've been sober for eight hours," Chris mentioned, bouncing his leg as you parked. "No wonder you've been so uptight today," you teased him. "Maybe you should come smoke with me since you're always uptight," Chris smirked, nudging you in the arm with his elbow, but his offer was genuine.

You gave him an annoyed look, but you couldn't hold back the smile that spread across your lips. "I don't smoke weed, Chris. I haven't since I was a teenager," you replied, fidgeting with the material of your black steering wheel cover. "Why not?" Chris wondered, surprised by your admission. "I like being clear-headed. I don't like feeling out of control," you shrugged.

"We're on a floating rock in space, ma. The idea that you have control over anything is an illusion," Chris laughed, reaching for his door handle. "C'mon. Come inside. Do you drink? I've got a beer with your name on it if you wanna hang out with me for a little."

You were quiet for a second. It wasn't often that people invited you to hang out or just do something fun with them, and for a moment, you thought maybe you could use it. "I could stay for one beer," you responded hesitantly, nervously rubbing the back of your neck. "That's what I'm talking about, ma. Let your hair down once in a while," Chris replied, beaming with a smile.

You trailed behind him, staring down at your shoes as you followed the pattern of the stepping stones that led to his front door. "Oh, shit. I forgot my house key at Daisy's place," he sighed, running his finger through his hair. You rolled your eyes and crossed your arms over your chest. "Do you need me to take you to Daisy's place after all?" You huffed, slightly annoyed at the situation.

"Nah, it wouldn't do any good anyways. She's at work. Plus, this won't take long," Chris said, pulling a pin out of his pocket and fiddling with the lock. You nervously looked around, worried someone was going to see him picking his lock and call the cops or something, but in a matter of seconds, you heard a click, and you watched as he turned the knob. His door creaked open, and he glanced back at you with a mischevious smile.

"Okay, now you're just showing off," you replied, raising an eyebrow. "What can I say, ma? I'm good with my hands. Gotta show you my skillset somehow," Chris playfully winked at you. You scoffed, biting back a smile. A part of you liked the way he couldn't keep himself from making sexual innuendos and flirting with you.

"If you need me to pick a lock on a deal, though, you're splitting the money 50/50 with me," Chris told you, stepping into his living room. "What kind of shady shit do you think I'm up to, Chris? I'm just selling coke. Not robbing people," you joked, following him in. "You never know," Chris peeked back at you over his shoulder with a smirk on his face.

"This is it," he announced, raising his arms to present his place to you. It was a dimly-lit, relatively small place, but it had a safe, cozy vibe to it. "I like it," you told him, your eyes scanning them room. You noticed his sprouting marijuana plants in the corner sitting beneath his grow lights and an old shelf beside it that was littered with comic books and novels you'd never heard of.

His house faintly smelled of weed and sandalwood, like how Chris always smelled, and you found the familiar scent comforting as it wafted through the air. He directed you over towards his couch and motioned for you to sit. You sat down, awkwardly perching at the edge of the couch cushion.

"C'mon, ma. You can relax. Kick your feet up," he told you, heading over towards his fridge to give you that beer he promised you. You exhaled and slowly leaned back into his sofa that was much softer than you imagined it would be. Chris twisted the cap off the bottle and handed it to you. The red and white label that read Stella Artois stared back at you, and you hesitantly reached out and took it.

Chris plopped down on the couch beside you, and you watched as he sprinkled a bit of ground weed into his rolling paper. You peered down at his rings and his fingers at the way they skillfully handled the joint, tucking the paper in and folding it in on itself.

His gaze flickered up at you as his tongue darted out, and he licked a long, slow stripe across the edge of the joint. His lips curled into a suggestive smile as he noticed you watching him, but you acted unamused, pulling your eyes away from his. You held the bottle up to your lips, taking a small, refreshing sip, the bubbles fizzing against your tongue as you relaxed further into the comfy couch.

You peered down the hall to an open door at the end. The room was dark, but you imagined it was probably Chris' bedroom. You found yourself wondering what it looked like, how comfortable his bed was, and how hard it would be for you to keep your hands off of him if you ever found yourself alone with him in there.

"You coming?" Chris asked, pulling you out of your thoughts and standing to his feet as soon as you'd gotten comfortable. "Coming where?" You wondered, giving him a perplexed look. "To the roof. The view's great up there," Chris responded, making his way towards the back door.

You hesitantly followed him back out into the cool air of the backyard where he had a ladder propped up against the side of his house. "C'mon, ma. I'll hold your beer. You start climbing the ladder," Chris told you, extending his arm to take your bottle from you. "Yep. Just smoking and drinking on a roof. What could possibly go wrong?" You muttered under your breath as you wrapped your fingers around the cold, metal rungs.

"Don't worry, ma. I'll be right behind you, so if you fall, I'll catch you," Chris' breath tickled your neck as he pressed his warm body into yours. Your heart skipped a beat, and you felt your breath hitch in your throat. It was the closest you'd ever been to him. You were just glad you were faced away from him, so he couldn't see the unmistakable look of desire written in your expression as heat radiated off his skin.

You cleared your throat and regained your composure. "Is that your gun, or are you just happy to see me?" You snarked at him, peering over your shoulder in an attempt to take control of the situation again. Chris chuckled, but he didn't answer you, leaving it up for interpretation. You started to hesitantly climb the ladder, and Chris followed closely behind, keeping his promise to not let you fall as he held your beer in one hand and the unlit joint between his lips.

The two of you made it to the roof, and Chris handed you your beer once the two of you got settled. The star-filled sky hung overhead as you looked out at the horizon. You saw the tops of the other houses, the city lights scattered across the skyline, and the waves crashing on the beach shore off in the far distance. You brought your bottle of Stella Artois up to your lips and took another sip as you took in the view. There was something about this perspective that made your problems feel smaller and less pressing.

"Pretty cool, isn't it, ma?" Chris asked beside you as you heard the flick of his lighter sound as he held the flame up to the end of his joint. You quietly nodded, surprised by how much you could see from Chris' roof. "So, ma. What do you say we get to know each other better and play your favorite game, twenty questions?" Chris smiled over at you with the lit joint pinched between his two fingers.

You rolled your eyes, but you didn't have an excuse this time. There was no work to be done, and there was nowhere to go to avoid his questioning, so you took a deep breath and another swig of your drink. "Okay, fine. Hit me," you finally replied after a moment of hesitancy.

"Where do you go to clear your mind?" Chris wondered, his gaze locked on you. "The beach. I like the waves. The sounds of the seagulls. Feeling the sand between my toes. It's peaceful," you shrugged. Even though the question wasn't a very personal one, you felt vulnerable answering.

"What about you, Chris?" You wondered aloud. "You're looking at it," Chris said with his joint tucked between his lips. He didn't need to explain anything further. You could tell why this was the place he went to sort out his thoughts.

"Alright. What kind of music do you listen to?" You blurted out, not sure of what to ask him next. "Anything, really. But I prefer indie over everything else," he told you. "Okay, play me your favorite song," you told him, gesturing towards his phone he had sitting beside him. He picked it up, staring back at you as he thought about it for a moment. "Alright," he responded, scrolling through the saved albums on his phone until he came across AM by Arctic Monkeys. No. 1 Party Anthem started playing through the speaker of his phone, and you nodded in approval as the melody filled the space between you.

"If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would you choose?" Chris asked, turning off his phone screen and letting the song play softly in the background of your conversation. You thought about it for a moment. "See, I wanna say Pablo Escobar or something, but I think I'd want to have dinner with one of those druglords who flew under the radar so well that we don't even know their names," you replied. "Damn, ma. That's a good answer," Chris mumbled with the joint hanging from his lips.

He glanced up at you as if silently reminding you it was your turn to ask a question. "What did you think of me when you first met me?" You wondered aloud. You gave him a look like he should be careful about how answered this question. He cracked a smile, remembering the first time you'd approached him and threatened him for selling his weed on your block and trying to steal your customers. "I thought you were tough. Not the kind of woman you want to mess with. I also thought you were super hot," Chris admitted. You blushed, hoping Chris couldn't tell in the glow of the moon.

"What's one thing you don't leave the house without?" Chris asked you, pulling a long drag from his joint. "My keys," you sharply responded, subtly teasing him for having to break into his own place earlier. He let out a laugh. "And my gun," you told him. You sipped on your bubbly drink, noting that the song had changed.

Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High started to play as you glanced back over at the blue-eyed man beside you. "If you could change one thing about yourself, what would you change?" You asked, peeling the label off your beer bottle. "Nothing," Chris smirked over at you. "Nothing?" You reiterated, furrowing your brow. "Nothing," he repeated. "You're a little cocky, aren't you?" You shot back. "I prefer confident," Chris chuckled before he pulled from the joint again.

"What do you think the most important quality in a friend or partner is?" Chris asked after a few seconds of silence. "Honesty and loyalty," you said without hesitation, and Chris nodded in agreement. "You?" You asked. "Probably just someone who isn't going to bail when things get hard," Chris sincerely responded.

"What's your biggest fear?" You asked him, the questions getting deeper and deeper. "Losing the people I love," he answered, staring down at the build-up of ash on the cherry before flicking it off. "How about you, ma?" He returned the question. "Trusting the wrong person and getting hurt," you responded almost immediately. "I get that," Chris answered, his gaze still fixed on you.

"What's your guilty pleasure?" Chris asked you, his luscious lips curling into a smile as he awaited your response. "Probably those dumb reality shows," you admitted, your cheeks growing warm. "Really? Never took you for a girl who likes trash TV," Chris teasingly nudged your arm. "Daisy loves that shit, too."

"What's one of your guilty pleasures?" You asked Chris. He bit down on his lip as he looked you up and down. He knew what he wanted to say, but he knew it would be crossing the line of just playful flirting and venturing into uncharted territory, so he came up with something on the spot.

"Watching the trash TV with her. I'm always making fun of her for watching The Bacholorette and shit like that, but then I find myself watching it with her and getting all invested," Chris confessed.

"I totally get it. Like, I started watching it as a joke at first, and then you get to know the people. Then you start wanting them to end up together," you said, glancing up at him, and his eyes met yours. The song changed again, and you listened as the lyrics came through:

🎶 If you like your coffee hot, let me be your coffee pot. You call the shots, babe. I just wanna be yours. 🎶

The two of you stared at each other in a comfortable silence for a moment, Chris taking a puff of his weed as you took a swig of beer. "So, what does Daisy think you're out doing all day when you're working?" You wondered, raising an eyebrow at him. "As far as she knows, I work in sales, which isn't totally a lie. She just doesn't know about the drugs," Chris shrugged. "Yeah, she doesn't know about the most important detail," you scoffed, tapping on the glass of your bottle.

"Why are you always judging me for that, ma? I've got my reasons. Why are you so pressed about it?" He asked, sounding a bit defensive. "I had an ex who kept things from me, like how much money he owed certain people. He put me in a lot of dangerous situations. Don't want to watch you do the same shit to Daisy," you murmured, letting Chris in more than you had up until this point. "I didn't know, ma," Chris said, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder and relaxing his jaw. "You know, I'd never intentionally hurt her. Or you."

"It doesn't matter, Chris. You can be the most well-intentioned person in the world and still hurt the people around you," you responded. He was quiet for a few minutes, mulling over what you said.

"Your ex? Alex?" Chris wondered, blowing out a cloud of smoke against the night sky as he recalled Joe using that name earlier. "Yeah. My dumb fuck ex. He got himself killed because he owed the wrong people money," you said in a dry tone. "Holy shit. Ma, I'm so sorry," Chris whispered. "Don't be. He deserved it," you muttered under your breath.

"Hey, I have a question. Why do you always call me ma?" You chimed in. "It's just a sign of respect. That's all," he shrugged. "Why? Does it bother you?"

"No. It's fine. I don't care what you call me. You gotta stop looking at me like that, though. Looking like you're gonna kiss me or some shit," you accused him, following his gaze that danced between your eyes and your lips as you took another drink of your beer. The song changed again.

🎶 How many secrets can you keep? 'Cause there's this tune I found that makes me think of you somehow, and I play it on repeat until I fall asleep. 🎶

"I'm not looking at you any type of way! Maybe you're projecting because you wanna kiss me," he shot back. The sexual tension between the two of you was thick, and for a moment, you each thought about it. The temptation was there, and it was strong. You wanted to pull him as close as you could, passionately press your lips against his, and tangle your fingers in his soft, brown hair, but you didn't want to ruin your business relationship with him.

Chris thought the same, wondering what it would be like to kiss you, but he didn't want to screw up what he had with Daisy, and he didn't want to give you the wrong impression. He diverted his eyes, glancing down at his joint that had burned down to the roach, and he put it out. "Get enough of the view, ma? I'm getting kind of tired," Chris chimed in as you admired his profile in the moonlight.

For a moment, you forgot he was talking about the scape of the city from the roof. "Oh, right. Yeah, of course. I should probably go," you said, fiddling with the empty bottle in your hand. "You can stay the night if you need to," Chris motioned towards the alcoholic beverage you'd finished off, but he knew he was playing with fire the moment the words left his mouth, inviting you to stay the night.

🎶 Do I wanna know if this feeling flows both ways? Sad to see you go, was sort of hoping that you'd stay. 🎶

The two of you exchanged a look like you both knew it wouldn't be a good idea. Even with you both sleeping in separate rooms, you each knew deep down that a closed door wouldn't be enough to deter you two from the temptation. "It's cool, Chris. It was just one beer. I'll just grab a glass of water, sit on your couch for twenty minutes, and I'll be fine to drive," you told him. Chris picked up his phone and paused the song. "I got you, ma. I'll help you down."

You felt elated once you were finally sitting back down on Chris' couch, sobering up. You weren't sure if it was a buzz from the alcohol, an adrenaline rush from being on the roof, or just the way you were starting to feel around Chris.

Chris gave you some crackers to help "absorb the alcohol," because he had "heard somewhere that it does," and even though you'd only had one beer, it was sweet that he cared enough. You also both just knew that you had to sober up, because staying the night wasn't an option unless you were both prepared to give into the force that was pulling the two of you together and end up doing something that could hurt Daisy or hurt your business relationship.

So you were munching away on Ritz crackers on Chris' couch after your single beer, and once you felt like the effects of the alcohol had worn off, you made a comment about how late it was getting and about how you should probably get going.

You left, following the same stepping stones you'd used when you walked up. When you approached your car, you reached into your empty pocket for your keys just to remember you'd left them on Chris' coffee table. "Shit," you whispered, realizing you were going to have to do a walk of shame back up to his front door after giving him shit for forgetting his keys earlier.

Chris had already started to get ready for bed, shedding his layers and slipping into a pair of flannel pajama pants when a soft knock sounded at his front door. He peeked through the peephole to make sure it was you, his heart racing and secretly wondering if you'd come back to kiss him or confess your feelings for him, his mind swirling with half a dozen possibilities.

He turned the doorknob, and when you saw him, your eyes were immediately drawn to the fact that he was shirtless. "Uh, sorry. I forgot my keys," you told him, unable to conceal your smile at the irony of the situation. "Oh, you mean, the keys you don't go anywhere without?" Chris asked, leaning against the door frame and indulging in the fact that you were doing nothing to hide the fact that you were checking him out.

"Yeah. Those ones," you smirked, biting down on your lip. "I'll go get 'em, ma," Chris chuckled at you as he turned to retrieve your keys. You found yourself holding your breath as your gaze danced over the definition of his back muscles in the soft lighting of his living room.

He handed them to you, and as you took them from him, his hand brushed against yours. You both exchanged a look that was heavy with the words unspoken between you, but you also both silently agreed it was for the best. "Okay, goodnight," you said, unconsciously batting your eyelashes at him. "Goodnight," Chris smirked, eyeing you up and down as you turned to walk away before closing his door again.

As soon as you made it to your car, you reflected on the way you acted and how stupid you must have sounded, silently kicking yourself. You didn't harp on it for long, though. Your embarrassment was quickly overshadowed by the intoxication and bliss you felt from being around such an attractive man who was beginning to make you smile more than he made you roll your eyes.

click to read chapter 6 ✨️

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[mistyshane30]

You Were Never Mine to Lose (Chapter 3)

Synopsis: After the tense night at the Resto bar, the group spends the day at the beach, trying to shake off the lingering tension. But even with the sun and the ocean, some things remain unsettled. 

Word count: 3.3k

Warnings: Lingering tension, Unresolved emotions, Mentions of alcohol consumption, Subtle angst

The next morning arrived with a dull, persistent ache behind your eyes. The kind of hangover that wasn’t entirely unbearable but made every little sound feel like a personal attack. You groaned, shifting onto your side, face half-buried in the plush pillow as you tried to will yourself back to sleep. 

But sleep wasn’t coming. Not with the weight in your chest. 

Last night played on a loop in your mind—your voice, sharp and cutting; Agatha’s stare, unreadable; the way she had simply walked away instead of fighting back. It left a bitter taste in your mouth, more potent than the whiskey you’d downed. You regretted it. 

Or maybe you didn’t. 

Because it wasn’t like you lied. You had just stated the truth—cold and unfiltered. Agatha made her choices, and you had never been one to sugarcoat reality. If she couldn’t handle it, that was her problem. Right? 

Still, the tension sat heavy on your shoulders as you finally dragged yourself out of bed. 

The villa’s floor was cool against your bare feet as you shuffled to the bathroom. A shower helped shake off some of the grogginess, though the headache lingered. You caught your reflection in the mirror—eyes slightly puffy, a faint crease on your cheek from where you had pressed against the pillow. You looked as exhausted as you felt. 

By the time you made it to the kitchen, the smell of freshly brewed coffee was already working its magic. You settled at the counter, a plate of toast and fruit in front of you, the silence of the morning almost peaceful—until your phone vibrated against the marble surface. 

You reached for it lazily, squinting at the screen. 

Coven Group Chat 

Jennifer: Beach day, girls! 11 AM. Let’s gooo! 

Alice: Do we have to? 

Wanda: You’re in Malibu. Yes, you have to. 

Jennifer: We’re doing a whole aesthetic thing. If you have a two-piece, wear it. Uniform purposes. 

Alice: Of course you’d say that. 

Jennifer: Photos, Alice. Duh. 

You huffed a quiet laugh, shaking your head as you took a sip of coffee. Of course, Jennifer would turn a simple beach day into a full-blown production. You weren’t surprised. 

Another message popped up. 

Jennifer: Y/N? You alive? 

You rolled your eyes but typed back. 

You: Barely. 

Wanda: Hangover? 

You: What do you think? 

Jennifer: Good. That means you had fun. 

Fun. 

You weren’t sure that was the word you’d use. 

But instead of unpacking that thought, you finished your breakfast and leaned back in your chair, exhaling slowly. 

A beach day. 

Maybe a little sun and ocean air would clear your head. 

After eating the last bite of your breakfast, you shook off the remnants of your hangover and got up to prepare for the day. 

You changed into a red two-piece bikini, the bold color standing out against your skin. Over it, you draped a sheer black kimono, the delicate fabric flowing around you as you moved. A pair of oversized sunglasses and a wide-brimmed beach hat completed the look—effortless, striking. The kind of look that made heads turn. 

By the time you arrived at the beach, the rest of the group was already there, lounging under umbrellas or stretching out on beach chairs. The sun was high, casting a golden glow over the sand and water. Laughter and conversation filled the air as your friends settled in, sipping cold drinks and adjusting their towels. But one person was noticeably missing. 

“She’s not here,” Lilia commented, looking around. “Guess we all know why.” 

Alice nodded, sipping on her mimosa. “I mean… after last night? Makes sense.” 

Jennifer sighed, adjusting her sunhat. “I was hoping she’d let it go. It’s not like her to avoid us.” 

You rolled your eyes, adjusting your sunglasses. “Don’t be dramatic. She’s probably just late.” 

The group exchanged glances but didn’t argue. Still, as the minutes ticked by, Agatha remained absent. 

Ten minutes. 

Fifteen. 

Thirty. 

Jennifer checked her phone, frowning. “She’s not answering my texts.” 

Alice tried calling, holding her phone to her ear. After a few seconds, she pulled it away with a shake of her head. “Straight to voicemail.” 

Wanda sighed, stretching her legs out in the sand. “Okay, now I’m actually a little worried.” 

Lilia crossed her arms. “You sure she’s not just ignoring us?” 

“She wouldn’t,” Jennifer said firmly. “Not completely.” 

You stared at your phone, scrolling through your own messages. The last time you and Agatha had exchanged words in a chat was—well, years ago. A half-hearted, cutting banter neither of you had bothered to follow up on. You never greeted each other on birthdays, never texted just to check in. When her birthday came around, you sent a gift with a simple card. She did the same. No messages, no conversations. Just the obligatory gestures of two people who once knew each other too well. 

And despite yourself, despite every reason you had to just brush it off, a small, nagging concern settled in your chest. 

It wasn’t like Agatha to just disappear. Not without a word. 

Not from all of you. 

By the afternoon, concern had fully settled over the group. Jennifer stood up, brushing the sand off her legs. “That’s it. I’m checking on her.” 

Alice immediately nodded. “Yeah, I’m coming too.” 

Lilia and Wanda exchanged looks before shrugging. “We should all go,” Wanda said. “Just in case.” 

You didn’t move from your spot, still reclined in your beach chair, twirling your sunglasses in one hand. “You guys are being ridiculous.” 

Jennifer narrowed her eyes at you. “And you’re pretending you don’t care.” 

You raised an eyebrow. “I don’t.” 

Alice sighed, grabbing her bag. “Whatever. You stay here, then. We’ll let you know if she’s dead in a ditch somewhere.” 

Jennifer shot you one last look before turning on her heel, leading the others away from the beach toward Agatha’s villa. 

You exhaled slowly, watching them go, then tilted your head back against the chair, eyes shutting behind your sunglasses. 

You weren’t worried. 

At least, that’s what you kept telling yourself. 

That evening, the villa was eerily quiet. No plans, no group chat buzzing with excitement. Just silence. 

You sat on the patio of your villa, legs stretched out on the lounge chair, a glass of whiskey in hand. The warm Malibu air did little to cool the thoughts circling your mind. You acted like you didn’t care. You acted like you weren’t thinking about Agatha at all. 

A knock at your door pulled you from your thoughts. You sighed, already knowing who it was. 

Wanda stood there, arms crossed, giving you that look—the one she saved for moments when you were being insufferable. 

"Are you just going to drink your guilt away?" she asked, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. 

You gave her a look. "Did I say come in?" 

"Nope." She plopped onto the couch, making herself comfortable. "But I knew you’d let me anyway." 

Rolling your eyes, you sat across from her, arms crossed. "What, you come to lecture me?" 

Wanda sighed. "Not a lecture. A talk. A much-needed one." 

You leaned back, feigning disinterest. "I already know what you’re gonna say." 

"Oh, do you?" She tilted her head. "Alright then, let’s hear it. What am I gonna say?" 

You put on a mocking tone. "‘Y/N, you were too harsh. Agatha has feelings, too. Maybe you should apologize.’ Blah, blah, blah." 

Wanda just looked at you, unimpressed. "Wow. That’s actually not bad. Add a little more concern and disappointment, and it’s spot on." 

You scoffed, taking another sip of whiskey. "Look, I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true. She married an idiot. I just reminded her of that. If she can’t handle the truth, that’s not my problem." 

Wanda sighed, watching you closely. "You went too far, Y/N. You know you did." 

You lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "She’ll get over it." 

"Will she?" Wanda countered. "Because she didn’t look like she was just ‘getting over it’ when she walked out last night." 

You didn’t answer, pretending to be more focused on your drink than the conversation. 

Wanda’s voice softened. "You care, Y/N. You wouldn’t be this defensive if you didn’t." 

A humorless chuckle left your lips. "I don’t care." 

"Sure," Wanda said, deadpan. "That’s why you’ve been thinking about her all day. That’s why you’re pretending not to be worried right now. That’s why you keep checking your phone, waiting for some kind of update." 

You froze for half a second, then rolled your eyes. "You think you know everything, huh?" 

"I know you," Wanda replied simply. "And I know that for all your sharp words, you don’t actually want to hurt her." 

Before you could reply, her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen, then back at you. "Speaking of Agatha…" 

You waited, your fingers tightening around your glass. 

Wanda read the message, her face giving nothing away at first. Then she exhaled. "She’s fine." 

You blinked. "Of course she is," you said, forcing indifference into your voice. 

But you felt it—the quiet, undeniable relief settling in your chest. 

Wanda smirked knowingly. "See? You care." 

You scoffed. "Shut up." 

Wanda chuckled but didn’t push further. Instead, she leaned back against the couch. "You know, tomorrow’s gonna be interesting." 

You arched a brow. "Why?" 

"Because you and Agatha have to be in the same space again. Brunch. Wine tasting. Comedy club." 

You took a slow sip of your whiskey. "Great. Can’t wait." 

Wanda grinned, standing up and stretching. "I’m sure you can’t." 

She headed for the door, then paused, looking over her shoulder. "Try not to be an ass tomorrow, yeah?" 

You waved her off. "No promises." 

Wanda rolled her eyes but smiled before walking out. And for the first time that night, the villa felt quiet again. 

The morning sun filtered through the sheer curtains of your villa, painting golden streaks across the walls. The soft hum of your phone vibrating against the nightstand pulled you from the last remnants of sleep. Groggily, you reached for it, squinting at the bright screen. A new message from the group chat,  

Coven Group Chat 

Jennifer: Brunch & wine tasting is happening outside Celeste Resort. We’ll meet at the main entrance at 1pm. Don’t be late. 

You ran a hand through your hair, exhaling. An event outside the resort meant more time together, more forced civility, and more chances for awkward interactions. You could already feel the weight of last night pressing against your skull—a dull headache lingering from the whiskey and the tension with Agatha. 

Shaking it off, you slipped out of bed and moved into your walk-in closet. If you were going to endure a long day of drinking and small talk, you might as well look flawless doing it. 

An Off Shoulder Sheer Mesh Dress—elegant yet understated. A Prada Small Black Saffiano Leather Trim Nylon Satchel, perfectly structured. A pair of black patent leather Gucci Signoria slingback heels that elongated your legs effortlessly. And to top it off, VLOGO SIGN Cat-Eye Titanium Frame shades, adding just the right amount of mystery. Your makeup was meticulously done—soft, glowing, the kind of look that took effort to appear effortless. A "Victoria’s Secret Angel" aesthetic, timeless and expensive. Everything about you screamed money, power, control. 

And control was what you needed most today. 

Satisfied, you grabbed your bag and stepped outside. The air was warm, carrying the scent of salt and distant citrus from the resort gardens. The main entrance of Celeste Resort wasn’t far, and as you arrived, you spotted Jennifer and Wanda standing near the valet, chatting idly. 

Wanda was the first to notice you. Her eyes flickered over your outfit, her lips twitching into an approving smirk. "Well, damn. Someone decided to make an entrance." 

Jennifer let out a low whistle. "That’s wealth right there. I feel poor just looking at you." 

You scoffed, adjusting your bag on your shoulder. "Please. You act like I don’t always dress like this." 

"True," Jennifer admitted. "But I can tell today’s a statement." 

You didn’t respond, only pushing your sunglasses further up your nose as you leaned against one of the stone pillars. The three of you stood in comfortable silence, waiting for the others to arrive. 

A few minutes later, Alice and Lilia showed up together, deep in conversation. Lilia waved in greeting while Alice gave you an approving once-over. "I need to start taking notes from you. Teach me how to casually flex like that." 

"Step one," you replied smoothly. "Make sure people know you could buy the whole place if you wanted to." 

Alice laughed, nudging Lilia playfully. "See? This is why I keep her around." 

But your amusement didn’t last long. Because then, Agatha arrived. 

She walked toward the group, her strides confident and unhurried, her dark sunglasses hiding whatever emotion her eyes might have betrayed. Her outfit was effortlessly chic—a soft linen shirt tucked into high-waisted trousers, a designer belt cinching at the waist, and low heels that clicked against the pavement as she approached. 

Your breath hitched, but you masked it well. 

Wanda, ever the perceptive one, caught it. She leaned slightly toward you, voice low. "Behave." 

You exhaled slowly and shot her a sidelong glance, giving her an I’ll try look. 

As Agatha reached the group, there was a beat of hesitation. A silent question hanging in the air—would she acknowledge you? Would she pretend her disappearance yesterday never happened?? 

She chose the latter. 

"Morning," Agatha said to the group, her tone perfectly neutral. 

Jennifer clapped her hands together, breaking whatever tension had settled. "Alright, let’s go. The sooner we start drinking, the better." 

With that, the group moved toward the waiting van. You followed, your steps measured, controlled. Because if there was one thing you refused to let slip today, it was just how much Agatha’s presence still got to you. 

The six of you climbed into the van, the seating arrangement dictated by unspoken dynamics. Alice, Lilia, and Wanda took the back row, falling into quiet chatter. Jennifer took a seat in the middle row, and without hesitation, Agatha slid in beside her. That left just one remaining seat—directly next to Agatha, an arrangement that felt almost deliberate. 

You hesitated for half a second before settling into it, careful to keep as much space between you as the van allowed. You turned your gaze to the window immediately, fixing your attention on the passing scenery, determined not to acknowledge the way Agatha’s presence pressed against your senses. 

Agatha, for her part, didn’t spare you a glance. She was fully engaged in conversation with Jennifer, her voice light, casual—like last night hadn’t happened. Like you weren’t even there. 

Fifteen minutes. That’s how long the drive was. And for those fifteen minutes, you sat in silence, jaw tight, staring at the blur of palm trees and ocean waves. You didn’t hear a single word of Jennifer and Agatha’s conversation, but you could hear Agatha’s voice, her laughter at something Jennifer said. It shouldn’t have affected you. But it did. 

Wanda, from her spot in the back, sent you a knowing glance. You ignored it. You ignored everything except the sound of the van’s engine and the distant hum of the ocean beyond the glass. 

By the time you pulled up to the winery, you had perfected the art of pretending none of it mattered. 

As you stepped out of the van, your heel caught slightly on the step, and you stumbled forward—right into Agatha. She caught you instinctively, her hands gripping your arms to steady you. The group immediately noticed. 

"Whoa, you okay?" Alice asked, raising a brow. 

You quickly straightened up, stepping back from Agatha. "Yeah, just a misstep." 

Agatha shrugged, dropping her hands and moving on without a word. You muttered a quiet, "Thanks, sorry," but she barely acknowledged it. 

You fell into step beside Wanda, who shot you a knowing look. You glared at her in return, silently telling her to drop it. 

Inside the winery, rustic elegance prevailed, with exposed wooden beams and polished hardwood floors creating a warm ambiance. Vintage wine barrels and local artwork adorned the walls, while large windows offered sweeping views of the vineyards outside. A central bar showcased an array of glistening bottles under pendant lights, and a cozy lounge area with plush sofas and a stone fireplace added to the inviting atmosphere. 

After a guided tour of the vineyard and wine-making process, the group moved on to the tasting. Each of you sampled different wines, debating your favorites, but ultimately, Jennifer made the final decision for her wedding selection. 

Brunch followed, filled with casual conversation about life and upcoming plans. Jennifer talked about the final wedding preparations, Alice and Lilia shared stories about their latest travels, and Wanda—always observant—took every opportunity to tease you about Agatha. 

"You’ve been awfully quiet," Wanda noted, swirling her wine in her glass before taking a sip. "Thinking about something? Or should I say—someone?" 

You shot her a flat look. "I’m thinking about how much wine it’ll take to tune you out." 

Lilia chuckled. "Good luck with that. Wanda’s persistent." 

"Exactly," Wanda smirked. "Especially when I know I’m right." 

You sighed, taking a slow sip of your own drink, refusing to give her any satisfaction. Across the table, Agatha sat engaged in a conversation with Jennifer, acting as if you didn’t exist. It shouldn’t have bothered you. But it did. 

Wanda leaned in slightly, her voice dipping into a knowing whisper. "You do realize you've been sneaking glances at her all afternoon, right?" 

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," you muttered, setting your glass down a little too firmly. 

"Uh-huh," Wanda said, clearly unconvinced. She nudged your arm playfully. "Just admit it. You still care." 

You gave her a look that said drop it, but Wanda simply grinned and took another sip of her wine. You refused to engage any further, instead focusing on your meal, while Agatha continued to act indifferent. And for the rest of the afternoon, you tried not to let it bother you. 

Agatha, still clearly irritated with you, acted completely indifferent. And for the rest of the afternoon, you tried not to let it bother you. 

After brunch, they left the winery and headed to a comedy bar in Beverly Hills, arriving around 5 PM. The drive took an hour, and as they climbed back into the van, you silently hoped for a different seating arrangement. 

Fate had other plans. You ended up next to Agatha once again. 

Sighing internally, you took out your earbuds, scrolling through your playlist before settling on something mellow. You pressed play, letting the music drown out everything else as you leaned against the window, determined to ignore the woman beside you. 

Jennifer and Agatha chatted briefly, their voices a low hum in the background, but soon their conversation faded. Then, to your surprise, Agatha shifted, adjusting her position before letting out a small sigh. Moments later, she leaned slightly—her head coming to rest against your shoulder. 

You stiffened. 

A rush of warmth spread through you at the unexpected contact. You turned your head just enough to confirm what you already felt—Agatha, fast asleep against you. The soft rise and fall of her breath, the way her body had unconsciously sought out comfort. 

A small, involuntary smile tugged at the corner of your lips. 

For once, she wasn’t guarded. Wasn’t tense. Wasn’t holding you at arm’s length. 

You could have woken her up. Shifted away. But you didn’t. Instead, you let her rest, let the van rock both of you gently as the city blurred past the windows. 

The others were too occupied to notice—Alice and Lilia were engrossed in a discussion about wedding details, Wanda was scrolling through her phone, and Jennifer was lost in thought. No one saw the way you exhaled, how you let yourself enjoy this one fleeting moment. 

Just for a little while. 

Taglist: @6stolenangel9 @charlottelinlin1 @milflovers4 @claramelooo @loveshineslikethesky @kaymariesworld @marcelinaceciliarose @misskassycollins @greyella @theothersideofthescreen @whitelotus00 @agathaallalongg @psychickryptonitebouquet

[fluffyprettykitty]

My sweet selene, my darling, I have missed your writing so very much. So here I am asking that you bring this conversation we once had to life.

How do we feel about book store date with Billy, followed by cockwarming, and he make her read one of the books to him. And she can't come until she finishes a chapter. The extent of the smut and other kinks is your choice, I trust you with my heart.

Besitos

Pairing: Billy Russo x female reader (no other specifications!)

Word Count: ~500 words

Warnings: cockwarming, teasing

Author’s Note: hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii lia ilysm, we can still pretend it's spring and i did these on time hello! i'll write the rest too i promise <3

PS: dividers & banners by @/saradika

Main Masterlist ・❥・Billy Russo Masterlist

Billy was always the determined type so when he picked you up from work and took you to the bookstore to pick whatever you wanted you knew that a simple gift wasn't enough for him.

You browsed through the sections and ended up lingering on the classics sections. He instructed you to pick five books and so you did. You placed them in his hands and waited outside by the car for him. Once out he took you to a restaurant for some late lunch/early dinner and then you were off to his place.

He lived in a luxury apartment in upstate New York and one of your favourite things to do was just to stare outside at the big city skylines. He seemed to be doing some work while you were sitting on the couch freshly showered wearing one of his t-shirts and reading one of the books you picked.

He came by with a smirk on his face as he watched you. The tall man observed you for a bit before he came closer and instructed you on his lap cuddling you, soon enough the cuddling turned to more, Billy not really keeping his hands to himself.

Next thing you know he has you rubbing yourself against his clothed hard-on while he's listening to your reading aloud. He fumbles with his belt and pants until he frees his cock and pushes your panties to the side sliding it right in. The sun had long been set as he looked up at you with a smile.

"Read for me..." He whispered, his lips digging into your neck, struggling to hold on to your book.

"Billy...." You breathed out feeling him occupying your walls so deliciously, you hadn't seen him for three days and you were getting needy yourself.

"Read." He said again before biting your neck. You groaned as you placed the book against the back of the couch and continued reading aloud.

He continued kissing and teasing your neck, loving and feeling the vibrations of your voice chords as he wrapped his hands tightly on your waist not allowing you to go anywhere.

You came to a halt as the pleasure was getting a little too much for you but he only tilted his head to scold you.

"Don't stop until you finish your chapter."

"There are no chapters in this book!" You protested cursing the days you chose this particular book.

"Sucks for you." He chuckled and kissed you again on your neck possesively. "I wanna know how this plays out." You groaned louder as you continued reading aloud.

You were in for a long night.

A very long night.

If you want to be notified about my future stories please follow my library blog @fluffyprettykittylibrary and turn on notifications!

[roses-for-rosalyn]

Cowboys

Ellie x reader

Part 1

Part 3

Summary: a trip to the local saloon? With a man?!

Wc: 2.1 k (shorter ik sorry)

For the ao3 girlies

Cw: cowboy! Ellie x fem! reader, drinking, reader gets drunk, Jesse (just a little side character), mentions of domestic violence, reader has trauma!, reader has scars, lesbian touching and yearning, lots of talking

Minors DNI (fr)

Seriously there’s some descriptions of abuse here y’all I tried to keep it vague, but it’s important I promise! I am not the kind of author who gives the reader trauma for literally no reason. That being said if this isn’t your cup of tea I’ll see you in another chapter or different fic!

LINKS TO HELP PALESTINE | DAILY CLICK

You wake up with the sun. The warm light forced its way through your eyelids, refusing to be ignored. You got up and attempted to get dressed as quietly as possible. You use the reflection of a steel pan to pin your hair back.

You liked the mornings, normally you were very alone, but even with company, it was a peaceful time. Golden light filters through your windows, everything and everyone is still beginning to wake up. It’s quiet.

A face appears behind yours in the reflection of the pan.

“Mornin.” Her voice was a bit low and gravelly.

“Mornin, where are you off to today?” You finish flattening out the last little stubborn hairs and turn towards her. Her eyes were still heavy with sleep, and bruises had begun to form on her face, but with the way she carried herself, you would never know what happened last night.

“Was thinking of going to the next town over, I have a few people to talk to.” You grab your boots from the floor and sit in the same wooden chair Ellie had last night. You try not to think about how close you were or how warm she felt against your fingertips as you lace up your shoes.

“You’re lucky you have that bandana.” You stand up and grab the hem of the fabric. “You’re a bit of a mess.” You pinch her chin between your thumb and forefinger and force her to turn to the side, and for some reason she lets you. You turn her the other way, inspecting the intensity of the bruises. “These’ll be gone in a week.” You brush your finger over a particularly deep purple bruise on her jaw, she flinches a bit even at your featherlight touch. “This one maybe two.”

“Whatever you say doc,” she replies with a laugh. You let go of her chin and head towards the door.

“I have to go, but you’ll be back before dark right?” Ellie just nods and you leave, hoping that she does actually come back.

** **

Today when you’re locking up the schoolhouse you hear a different voice, “Hi there, sunshine!”

You turn around and see Jesse. You usually didn’t see him at this time of day. He walks towards you like he has something to say.

“What’re you up to today?” He asks with a charming smile on his face.

“I was just going to head home and have dinner. How about you?” You really didn’t care to hear his plans for the day, but you had to be polite.

“I was hopin’ you might accompany me to a show at Buckhorn tonight?” His eyes are hopeful, he reminded you of a little boy, he hadn’t had the same life you did. You had really hoped you wouldn’t have to deal with him asking to court you, not completely sure you could manage to say no. You didn’t have a good reason for refusing, and who knows what he would say about you if you denied him.

“Um, alright, I suppose I could go. I can’t stay too late though, I don’t like ridin’ in the dark.” You manage a smile. Jesse looks like he is just barely keeping himself from jumping up and down in celebration.

He nods, “I will make sure you get home safe and sound darlin’. Suppose we should head on over then.” You untie your horse and take her by the lead, walking beside Jesse to the saloon.

You didn’t have much to talk about, the conversation was mostly small talk. You let him ramble on about his journeys to Santa Fe, the Apaches he’s encountered, hostile cowboys, thieves. No one ever actually threatened him, just passed by, but with the way he told the stories you would think he would be covered in scars and bruises.

You finally make it to the saloon, Jesse orders you both whiskey. You down it like a shot and Jesse seems surprised, but not appalled like you would have expected. “You want another?” he asks with raised eyebrows and a laugh.

“Yes please.” You smile up at him, a little more genuine. Maybe you could have fun, with enough liquor in your system you could get along with anyone. Drunk you was charming, magnetic, bubbly, men usually tolerated that a little better. Plus the drinks were free.

The band starts playing and you pull Jesse out on the wooden dancefloor. The music pulls at your limbs. As you dance with him you feel smooth as water, the more you drink the smoother you feel. Soon enough you’re leaning into his chest, swaying to the music. The night went by in a blur. You are at the bar getting another round of drinks when you see a familiar set of eyes appear at the entrance.

She makes a beeline towards you, shouldering people out of the way as she approaches. Her eyes look angry, but all she does is brush her hand down your arm like she was making sure you were real.

“I couldn’t find you.” She says, and you swear everything and everyone else melts away as she speaks.

She was looking for you.

“I was here.” You say with a drunk smile, relieved to see her. “With Jesse.” you point over to him. She doesn’t even bother to look. You lean in towards her to whisper, “He’s pretty boring, but he gave me free drinks.” you hold up a glass of whiskey as proof, slightly swaying with the movement.

“I’m gonna take you home.” She says gently.

“That would be very nice, I’m sure Jesse wouldn’t want to take me all the way out there. Just let me go tell him.” You haven’t stopped smiling since you saw her.

“Alright,” she nods, “I’ll be waitin’ for ya by the door.”

You stumble over to him, “Jesse, I gotta head home.”

“Ok let me go get my-”

“No need, my bodyguard over there is takin’ me home.” You point to the masked cowgirl by the door. Jesse looks at you, confused.

“I’ll explain it to you another time, I promise I’m safe with him.” You pat him on the shoulder for reassurance.

“Can I at least talk to him? So I can know you’re safe.” Well at least he seemed to actually care about you, not just the concept of you.

“I don’t see why not,” you grab his hand, it’s large and rough, his palm felt like sandpaper against yours, “follow me.” You lead him towards the cowgirl. She’s standing with her arms crossed, observing the drunkards surrounding her.

“Hi,” her head snaps towards the sound of your voice, her eyes soften.

“Hello darlin’,” she runs her hand alongside your arm again. Goosebumps rise in the wake of her touch. She looks behind you at the man you’ve brought over to her. “Who’s this?”

“This is Jesse,” you pull him so he’s standing alongside you causing him to stumble a bit. You giggle. “He wanted to make sure you were gettin’ me home safe. Said he wanted to talk to you.”

Ellie reaches out her hand to shake his, “M’ Joel,” she says in a gruff voice. Jesse’s eyes widen a bit. You hadn’t heard her man voice yet, it was a little silly. “Why don’t you go wait by my horse darlin’? I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Um, alright.” You didn’t love being booted from a conversation like that, but you were starting to get tired and your feet were starting to ache.

You walked out of the saloon to Ellie’s horse. You feel light and heavy at the same time. Then you remember you brought your own horse here. Your thoughts were so jumbled.

You walk over to grab her, untying her lead after a bit of a struggle. Figuring you would pony her over to the house. You would not ride horseback drunk. Again.

By the time you get back to Ellie’s horse she’s waiting for you. She grabs the lead from your hands and helps you up onto the horse. You were going to try like hell to remember the feeling of her hands on your hips.

“Thank you good sir,” you say with a giggle. She just shakes her head and mounts the horse, grabbing your horses lead before her horse begins to trot away from the saloon towards the quiet desert.

You probably couldn’t help the way you leaned against her back, pressing your body to hers. She was so warm. Your hands wrapped nice and tight around her waist and she hadn’t said anything, hadn’t even moved. She stayed sitting right up staring straight ahead. You couldn’t bring yourself to remember why you shouldn’t be doing this. You only knew that you wanted to and that’s what mattered right now.

“Who’s Joel?” You asked, cheek pressed against her leather coat.

“He’s- he was a friend.” She can barely disguise the sorrow in her voice.

“Was he your husband or somethin’?” Questions tend to just pour out of you in this state with no regard for the person you’re asking.

“No, no he was a good friend.”

“Mm, you’re lucky you never had a husband.”

“Why?”

“Well I don’t know if all husbands are like how mine was, but I wouldn’t try it again, just in case.”

“What happened?” You let the sound of the horses hooves hitting the dirt path fill the silence for a moment. You hadn’t really told anyone what happened in your house on the edge of town, where no one could hear you or see you.

“Well, I’ll start at the beginning I suppose. My daddy got sick, real sick and he wanted me to have a man to take care of me after he was gone. So I married a man he chose for me. I didn’t know him, I barely saw him before we got married. But I wanted to make sure my daddy could die knowing I’d be taken care of, so I did it. I still regret going through with it.” You nuzzle your cheek into her back, trying to get impossibly closer. “I still don’t like to think about our wedding night.”

“I’m sorry darlin’ you don’t have to-”

“No I want to, I haven’t said anything to anyone about this before. Kinda feels nice, I feel lighter. Anyways, we moved into that tiny house. It didn’t take long for him to get mean, real mean. Since we lived so far away, no one could hear the screamin’ and yellin’. I still have some scars from that him, that’s why I had that medical kit for you when you got hurt. I’ve had to clean myself up more times than I’d like to admit.” You let out an empty laugh.

“Where is he now?” Ellie’s voice has an anger in it that was terrifying, the type that was calm and sure. She knew exactly how she would remedy it.

“Well, every time he would hurt me I would threaten to shoot ‘em. He would laugh in my face like I had told some sort of fucked up joke. Here let me show you somethin’.” You hike up your dress, exposing the large scar on your thigh. You grab Ellie’s hand from the reins and place it on the Scar, her fingertips run gently across it, like she would hurt you if she pressed too hard. She traces around the jagged raised skin, it was like she was trying to put a picture of it together in her head. “The night he did that I shot him right in the chest. He was an evil, evil man. No one missed him. He’s buried about 500 feet from the house, his grave is unmarked.”

You feel Ellie’s body relax a bit. “That’s good. You did good.” She’s still absentmindedly running her hand along your thigh. The feeling made your breath hitch. Your whole body grows hot. You hadn’t ever felt anything like that. “He deserved it, I hope you know that.”

“Still doesn’t feel good though, didn’t make me feel any better when he was dead. The only thing that changed was that I was safe again.” You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding when her hand slowly leaves your thigh, pulling your dress back down for you.

“Yeah, I suppose that makes sense. Sometimes it feels like the only solution though.”

“Yeah it does.”

** **

You’re half asleep by the time the horse stops in front of your house. You barely manage to lift your head up, but somehow you get off the horse.

“Go on inside, I’ll get the horses settled.” She didn’t have to tell you twice.

You were halfway to the house when you remembered, “Ellie,”

“Yes?”

“Come and sleep inside tonight.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Taglist: @elliewilliamgfooc @bready101 @sakiigami @wishbones999 @a-little-bit-of-everybody @ellabssweetheart @lily-fics-11

If ur name is crossed out it wouldn’t let me tag u

Lmk what yall think! Notes, comments and reposts always appreciated! Thank you for all the support!

Ch. 3

[diminuel]

Crocodad analysis~

I've finished my reread of Impel Down and Marineford and spent most of today typing up this Crocodile analysis applying Crocodad theory ;3

Under the cut I went through Iva's threats, what info we have on when they met and what Iva might have done for him, then I go on to track Crocodile across the battlefield of Marineford. It's just text, no images, but it does have the chapters mentioned so you can go check it out.

I tried to structure these 3000 words a bit but don’t expect a clean essay.

Also, there is nothing new under the sun, I'm sure all of his has been said before by Crocodad scholars, I'm just sorting through it for myself.

(Disclaimer: I read an English scanlation so there’s a chance that there is a mistranslation or missing nuance.)

Iva’s powers

I'm generally someone who likes to work within the parameters provided by canon. But in terms of Iva's power I have been letting fandom (which displays an interest in a more real world depiction of transitioning) guide me more than canon. But Iva’s powers are not a reflection of the real world (other than maybe wishes that it could be so easy), neither do they even try to be.

Iva says that they can rework a person from the "inside out" (chapter 538) and there doesn't seem to be much of a limit to what they can do to someone’s body, apart from the cost of the healing powers.

If we go with the idea that Iva used their powers on Crocodile, it's likely that it would have been an instant effect. Therefore, the potential switch from female to male would have been complete and it would have been a one time application of Iva’s powers. Since we know what Crocodile looked like as a child, we know that they did not completely change his appearance.

The blackmail

When Luffy protests the suggestion that they free Crocodile, Iva says that they knew Crocodile “a little (…) back when you could still call him a rookie” (chapter 540) and that they are aware of one of Crocodile’s weaknesses which they will use against him/ reveal if he betrays them. Let’s first look at this secret weakness.

Since I have seen it mentioned before, I checked out the vivre card information that has been provided by thelibraryofohara (https://thelibraryofohara.com/2019/01/12/vivre-card-databook-vol-5-all-the-new-information/) in the January 2019 card releases. I quote:

“[Crocodile]’s got a “weakness” when it comes to his past that he can’t oppose. He definitely owes something that Ivankov gave him.”

I don’t know if the word choice is a matter of translation but it is rather ambiguous. That weakness is in quotation implies that it is most likely not an actual physical weakness like his weakness to water. Instead, it might be comparable to how Dragon calls Luffy his weakness. Additionally, what does “oppose” mean in the context of a weakness? Does it mean that if Iva revealed it, he would have no chance to refute it. Does it mean that the weakness is of such a nature that Crocodile would do what he can to avoid Iva from saying it? Maybe both? Considering the context the threat was uttered in, this would mean that he will not betray Iva and Luffy’s interests. (Which he doesn’t. When he goes off to attack WB and Luffy stops him, he calmly states that they had an arrangement (chapter 557). While Luffy forbids him from touching WB, Iva doesn’t threaten him into obedience, so Crocodile does pursue his attack on WB once Luffy is gone.)

Continuing with the vivre card quote, there’s also the fact that Crocodile owes something that Iva gave him – which can either mean that Iva gave him something that he’ll have to give back or that Crocodile has something that he only has thanks to Iva. I assume it’s the latter. What could Iva possibly have to give to Crocodile more than 20 years ago that Crocodile doesn’t want to be known (and can expect not to be known unless Iva shares it)? And, maybe more importantly, is it something that Iva can take back?

I am going to say yes, a reveal of the secret might as well come with Iva taking back what he has given Crocodile. Considering that Crocodile in prison has pretty much nothing but his hook, we can assume that what Iva gave this young pirate just starting out, was something to do with their powers. A change to his body in one way or another which of course means that Iva can undo it, revealing things about Crocodile that he doesn’t want to be known.

Considering what we’ve seen Iva’s power do, it does not take a big stretch of the imagination to wonder if he might have been a girl in the past. There’s of course the option that Crocodile has always been a boy, aware of his transness from the beginning. But even if that wasn’t the case, there are other reasons to want to change. The seas of One Piece are tricky to navigate and while there are successful female pirates, we have also been shown certain limitations and prejudices. How was it nearly 30 years ago, when Crocodile was just starting out? When there were pirates such as WB who would not have women on his crew? What did other men’s limited faith in a girl’s capabilities do to a teenager who wanted to chase her dreams? But that’s another layer of speculation. Let’s just assume that Iva gave Crocodile the body he now has.

Timeline

The complete female to male switch makes sense with Iva’s skills as I’ve mentioned above, but the timing is arguably tricky for Crocodad purposes. To repeat: Iva knew Crocodile “a little (…) back when you could still call him a rookie” (chapter 540). It’s unclear to me whether Iva’s comment that they know Crocodile “a little” is meant to be taken as an understatement and they do know each other well or if we should take it at face value. But even the offered time “when you could still call him a rookie” is very vague.

If they only knew each other when Crocodile was a rookie, then Iva would most likely have used their powers on Crocodile back then, turning him before he had properly ended up on the marine’s radar and before he could have had Luffy. What exactly counts as Crocodile’s rookie years isn’t particularly clear. At this point in the manga we do not know anything about Crocodile – his age, how long he’s been a Warlord, when he used to be a rookie, etc. However, we do know now that he became a Warlord in his 20s and challenged Whitebeard and lost to him shortly after (SBS, Volume 78). So his rookie years must refer to the time before that where “similar to Luffy (…) Crocodile's name spread across the seas with incredible momentum.” (SBS, Volume 78) It’s possible that at that time, due to the vastness of the ocean and the slower spread of news, people in general did not know what he looked like (even 30 years on it took a while for all the Strawhat crewmembers to get recognizable bounty posters). Due to that it’s possible that the meeting with Iva could have taken place during the time that he was gaining fame, but before he really got on he marine’s radar enough to make him a Warlord in his early 20s.

Interestingly (for me), around the same time as Crocodile’s was starting out, Iva and Dragon gained notoriety with their Freedom Fighter group (according to the Wiki’s timeline, it became the Revolutionary Army after the Ohara Incident, when Crocodile was 24), so it is likely that when Iva and Crocodile knew each other, Crocodile also met Dragon. (He might even have been part of the Freedom Fighters, but I think if his name was spread across the sea in connection to the Freedom Fighters, a link between Crocodile, Iva and Dragon would have been mentioned or taken into consideration by Sengoku. Sengoku did know of the history between Crocodile and WB and thought it would work in their favor. If he knew about a potential connection between Crocodile and Luffy – via Iva and Dragon – he would have been more wary I assume.)

As an aside, how did they even meet? Did Crocodile hear about Iva’s powers and seek them out? Was their meeting purely by chance and Crocodile seized the moment?

Long story short, if Iva only knew Crocodile while he was still a rookie and used their powers on him then, it would have been years before Luffy was conceived.

However! One could argue that Iva did not have the same control over their powers 20 years ago as they do now, so that the change was mostly external, affecting how Crocodile presented without changing him “inside out.” Which would still have meant that he could get pregnant if Dragon and Crocodile continued seeing each other (or at least saw each other one more time, 19 years ago.)

Now, since Crocodile at Marineford is somewhat of a part 2 of the Crocodile theories, I kept my Crocodad goggles on.

A look of Crocodile’s movement across the battlefield

One of the main arguments for Crocodad are his actions on the battlefield. Judged by the reactions of the other characters, all of Crocodile’s actions on the battle field of Marineford apart from his attack on WB are surprising.

The reason we are given by Crocodile for joining the prison break is that he wants to take Whitebeard’s head. (Crocodile could have escaped from the holding prison, but chose to go to Impel Down instead. However, Iva claims in chapter 538 that Crocodile isn’t too happy about ending up in level six.)

We know from the above mentioned SBS that Crocodile challenged WB shortly after he received his Warlord title. During this battle Crocodile was “completely and utterly crushed by him.” Whether that defeat is the main motivation to challenge him is unclear.

Just like he announced, the first thing that Crocodile does after posing for a group shot, is to go straight for Whitebeard’s head.

So far so predictable.

What are often seen as hints for Crocodad is a series of events that go like this: Dragon is revealed to be Luffy’s father (chapter 558). Everybody and their pet clown gets to have a reaction shot to that, but Crocodile does not. Crocodile is one of the first after Luffy to charge into the plaza after they’ve got the siege walls up and stops Ace’s execution (chapter 566.) He orders Daz to protect Luffy and one Daz is down he himself stops Mihawk from attacking Luffy (chapter 570). After Ace’s death he steps in between Akainu and Jinbei, making Luffy’s escape possible (chapter 578). He eventually joins a line of Whitebeard pirates to protect Luffy.

Now, Crocodile’s change of plans doesn’t present as an instant switch the moment Sengoku announces who Luffy’s father is. While he might have had an off-screen “oh shit, that’s my baby” reaction, it didn’t immediately make him drop everything to protect him.

I do of course believe that Luffy IS his baby because I find joy in that, but I generally see Crocodile as a pragmatic character. On one hand there is Luffy, a reckless but resilient kid that shares his blood (that he spilled and Luffy used against him) that is charging across a battlefield with a group of people protecting him. On the other hand here is Whitebeard right in front of him and other than the baby that has slipped out of his fingers, he held on to that grudge for 20 years.

Tracking Crocodile across the battlefield leaves plenty of gaps, but it still offers insights into why he changes direction. I’m presenting it here and then we can think if this hurts or helps the Crocodad agenda.

Tracking Crocodile

As mentioned the first thing we see him do on the battle field is to go for Whitebeard who is on the ship next to them. Luffy stops him and then he is approached by Whitebeard pirates, their weapons drawn. Luffy then leaves and takes the point of view away with him. When we see Crocodile again, two chapters after the reveal that Luffy is Dragon’s son, he is on the ice in front of Whitebeard’s ship. He must have been pushed back or retreated to join up with Daz, as they are fighting off masses of WB pirates, trying to get closer to the man himself. After he sends a lot of them flying with a sandstorm he is stopped by Yozu. The force of the attack makes him fly back (he is injured and loses his cigar) where he lands right next to Doflamingo. The man is of course not passing up the opportunity to be chaotic – he stops Yozu and asks Crocodile to join up with him which Crocodile rejects (chapter 560 – 561). When we next see him he is fighting off some invisible force (most likely more WB pirates) but at least he has a new cigar.

When WB is stabbed in chapter 563 he is still on the ice in front of WB’s ship. He has an agitated reaction, revealing that he has lost to Whitebeard in the past (“I didn’t lose to such a weak man!!!”)

Even though Sengoku tries to get the other fleets under WB’s command to turn against him, WB proves his integrity and power. And he also gives a speech about how even if he is attacked by his son, he still loves him and he also explains that the son does not bear the sins of the father. It is either this absolute display of love and appreciation of his sons no matter whose blood they have and what they do OR it is his display of power and integrity that Crocodile reacts to, visibly distressed, but no longer showing the explosive shock and anger of his previous outburst (I’m not horrible at reading facial expressions but I’m not great at describing them. Look for yourselves in chapter 563). Also, following right after the panel showing Crocodile’s face we get Whitebeard thinking to himself: “A “weak man,” am I…? What an insolent man… I’m only one man, with one heart… And you’re the same… They call me a demon and a monster… But I won’t always be the “strongest” out there…!!! If I can bring one young life into the future, isn’t that enough…!?” And then he joins the battle.

He now focuses on bringing that young life into the future (saving Ace) and this is the point where Crocodile’s unusual actions start. After a talk about unconditional love for his sons and the statement that protecting a son is worth much more than being the strongest. Could Crocodile too have decided that protecting Luffy (his son?) and Luffy’s interests is more important than his grudge against Whitebeard?

The answer seems to be yes, because in chapter 566 he is the first one to follow Luffy across the siege wall and into the plaza where Ace’s execution was supposed to happen. And he stops it after Luffy is pushed back by the Admirals. The reason he gives to Sengoku for his unexpected action is that he “wants to wipe the smile from your faces.” After Doflamingo chops off Crocodile’s head they engage in a fight.

It is after Luffy uses conqueror’s Haki, which again seems to confirm his relation to Dragon, WB gives the order for everyone to support Luffy in chapter 570. Whether Crocodile has chosen to follow Whitebeard’s lead or if he is acting for himself, he gave Daz the order to protect Luffy. Daz stops Mihawk’s attack and once Mihawk cuts him down and goes for Luffy again, Crocodile is there to stop him and allow Luffy to continue one. He must have shaken off Doflamingo in the meantime.

And then Ace and Whitebeard die (chapters 574 and 576 respectively).

And while the battlefield descends into further chaos and Luffy is unable to protect himself, we get a panel of Crocodile (chapter 577), apparently standing still in the chaos that is around him. He does not seem to face the same way as the retreating WB forces or the Warlords and Pacifista in pursuit of the retreating pirates. Maybe he is looking at Whitebeard one last time.

And then he’s off, apparently crossing the entire battlefield in an instant to stop Akainu from dealing Luffy the killing blow. And after that he gets physically between Akainu and Jinbei and Luffy before he sends them flying out of reach with his sands (chapter 578.) He yells the order for someone to grab them and get them to a ship, followed by one of my favourite lines directed at Jinbei who has tasked himself with protecting Luffy: “If you want to protect something, do it right!!!” Since we generally speculate that Luffy’s parents (or Dragon at least) chose to sacrifice their chance of raising Luffy in order to protect him from exactly what is happening on this battlefield, that line suits the Crocodad theory well. Whether Crocodile left behind his child to protect it from being punished for the sins of his fathers or if he left him behind because a child would get in the way of his ambitions, right in this moment protecting Luffy is all that matters.

He then joins a group of Whitebeard pirates, forming a protective barrier against Akainu. Akainu taunts them that all of them are willing to give their lives for Luffy. Marco repeats what Whitebeard thought earlier: they will see this boy off into the new age.

All of these actions could also simply point towards Crocodile maybe having been part of Whitebeards crew at one time, but the timeline has some difficulties. It does not seem like anyone who is on the crew now treats him like they knew him or at one point cared about him like a brother. We have also not seen Crocodile or someone who looked like him in the Wano flashbacks. Teach, who joined when he was 12 (and Crocodile would have been 18) doesn’t seem to know him as a crewmate either. If he ever was on WB’s crew, he would have left as a young teenager. (And as a sidenote, WB was an old-fashioned guy, he did not want any women on his crew apart from medical staff. This would not have been a good environment for Crocodile if he had been a girl before meeting Iva. And he clearly was making a name for himself as a rookie without being attached to WB’s crew.)

It could also symbolize how great of a pirate Whitebeard was that even Crocodile, bearing a grudge against him, shows him respect by following his orders. But that seems a little bit boring to me.

That said, I do think a Crocodad reading of his actions is rewarding.

After this battle we also get to see Crocodile read about Luffy’s actions so he clearly is interested in him now. And there’s this great exchange between Daz and Crocodile in chapter 593 where Daz comments that Luffy’s scars take a while to fade which Crocodile takes as a comment on his own (old) wounds. Crocodile insists that his scars are “fully healed” and that he’s ready to return to the New World now. He has put the old wounds of his youth to rest, he is ready to return to tackle the New World once again.

And maybe any wounds and scars left on him regarding Luffy’s birth have started to heal too. The kid will be fine.

If you read through all of this you have my respect X’D

And if you have comments, additions and objections let me know~

[snugglebug-mj]

The eldest daughter who wasn't wanted

The sully family x oldest daughter reader

Chapter 3 ~ family ~

(I am rewriting this story)

(Y/n and her adopted family

Grandmother Leyra

Mother zo'ile

Father nawmrui

Older brother At'ok

Younger brothers Tayätsi and Tsu'ti (15 years old twins)

And baby brother kä'ey (8 years old)

Plus Mo'at

They will be introduced in this part ))

The sun has risen starting a new day and y/n had just slowly gotten out of bed when a small force rammed into her making her fall back into her bed. Y/n groaned in surprise before looking down to see a young na'vi boy smiling up at her

"Tsìltsan rewon tsawl tsmuke! (Good morning big sister!)" The young one said excitedly

Y/n smiled before hugging the young na'vi

"Kä'ey ma Hì'i tsmukan tsìltsan rewon! (my little brother good morning!)" Y/n said with a smile.

"Sa'nok (mother) said you were sad last night, so I've come this morning to see if you're feeling better!" Kä'ey said as he got out of his sister's arms and sat beside her.

Y/n gently patted her baby brothers head " thank you kä'ey. I feel a little better now" y/n said as she stood up making kä'ey follow beside her.

"Come let's go get breakfast with Sa'nok (mother) and grandmother" y/n said as her baby brother grabbed her hand.

"Today is the day that Sempul ulte tsawl tsmukan (father and big brothers) come back from training with the Elsweyr clan!" Kä'ey said excitedly y/n nodded

"Yes it is! I can't wait to see Sempul ulte tsmukans (father and brothers)! But we won't be able to celebrate much because we have visitors waiting to talk to Sempul (father)" y/n said as they got closer to their Sa'noks tent

Kä'ey nodded before running in.

"Tsìltsan rewon my prrnens (Good morning my babies)" zo'ile said with a smile as she sat with Leyra , making the elder chuckle

"Tsìltsan rewon Sa'nok(good morning mother), grandmother Leyra" y/n said as kä'ey dragged her to sit beside him.

"Grandmother Leyra, where is grandmother Mo'at?" Y/n asked looking up at her grandmother who was drinking.

Leyra sighed before putting her cup down

"She is speaking to our guest, hopefully she can knock some sense into them before your Sempul (father) gets here. That Jake Sully is a really stubborn Skxawng (idiot). He kept asking for you to come stay in their hut last night, tried to fight a guard to get into your hut, then tried again this morning before Mo'at smacked him" Leyra said rubbing her forehead.

Y/n reached over and gently grabbed her grandmothers hand "I am sorry for bringing them grandmother-" before y/n could finish speaking Leyra chuckled

"My granddaughter you've done nothing wrong. They needed help and you brought them here to be helped" Leyra said with a proud smile.

~After eating~

Kä'ey had ran off with Leyra as y/n stayed to help zo'ile clean up

"So your Sempul ulte tsmukans (father and brothers) should be back sometime today, listen out for the horns ok" zo'ile said as her and y/n got done putting everything away y/n nodded

"Oh I will I'm excited! I get to tell Sempul ulte tsmukans (father and brothers) what they missed, the past few weeks!" Y/n said excitedly making Zo'ile smile

"Do you think your mate will be with them?" Zo'ile asked with a teasing smile as they stepped out of the hut y/ns ears turned pink a few elders walking past aldo have a teasing smile and chuckles

"SA'NOK! We're just friends!" Y/n yelled in embarrassment

As the few elders and zo'ile laughed lightly to the flushed girl as she hid her face from everyone neytiri watched from a far, jealousy filled her chest.

She was your mother not zo'ile,

she should have a close bond with you not zo'ile,

She should be called Sa'nok not zo'ile

*Great mother what did we do to deserve this? My own daughter doesn't see me as her mother, she doesn't like me or my Jake. What did we do to deserve this?* Neytiri thought to herself.

Mo'at walked up beside her daughter to see her glaring at zo'ile teasing a very pink y/n.

"You and Jake made your decision by giving her up, don't be upset that she doesn't see you as her mother" Mo'at said shaking her head and walking away from her daughter.

Neytiri sighed they will prove that you belong with them not here.

~a little while later~

The sully children and spider where sitting together under a tree talking to each other, when y/n and kä'ey walked past them.

"Hi Tsawl tsmuke (big sister) y/n!" Tuk yelled making the sullys and spider look to where Tuk yelled, to see the tan na'vi with a little na'vi boy standing beside her.

Y/n and kä'ey walked towards the Sully's "hello" y/n said with a small smile. Kä'ey tugged on y/ns arm making her lean down and pick him up.

"Who is that?" Lo'ak asked pointing at the child who glared at the group from his older sisters shoulder.

"This is my Prrnen tsmukan (baby brother) Kä'ey" y/n said with a smile everyone froze

"Prrnen tsmukan? (Baby brother?)" The group asked before looking at each other.

"But y/n we're your siblings Sa'nok and Sempul (mother and father) are your parents" tuk said, y/n shock her head

"Yes we share blood but after Jake and neytiri gave birth to me they gave me away. They didn't want me because I was not normal. My parents took me in just like how neytiri and Jake took in kiri, I do not consider Jake and neytiri my family. I will try to have a relationship with you all but that will be all. Am I clear?" Y/n said bluntly making the group nodded.

Jake and Norm had walked over to the group "Ahh it's nice to see my family finally together." Jake said as he placed a hand on y/ns shoulder,

Making y/n, Kä'ey and a few guards hiss at him making him quickly retract his hand and put them up in defense as the guards raised their spears at him, Kä'ey hugged y/n tighter

"Again I am not YOUR daughter! You may have helped give me life but you are nothing to me" y/n hissed making Jakes ears flatten.

"Now listen here little lady-" Jake was cut off by a loud horn.

Y/n turned around to see a ship slowly docking at the end of the docs by by the swamp water area

"Sempul ulte tsmukans (Father and brothers!) are home!" Y/n and kä'ey said excitedly. Kä'ey jumped out of y/ns arms before taking off y/n following behind him.

As the two ran to the ship they saw everyone unloading before seeing a larger figure talking to some hunters

"SEMPUL!!!!" Y/N and kä'ey yelled making the larger Na'vis ears perk up, before turning towards the voices

"HAHA! Ma youngest itan ulte ma 'ite!!! (My youngest son and my daughter!!!)" Nawmrui yelled before getting down on one knee and opening his arms wide.

Kä'ey and y/n crashed full force into their father's awaiting arms, knocking him down onto his back.

The Eyktan (leader/Chief) laughed as he held two of his five children with a huge smile on his face.

"Aw we don't get a hug Tsawl tsmuke (big sister) Prrnen tsmukan (baby brother)?" A voice asked y/n looked up from her father to see her younger brothers Tsu'ti and Tayätsi crouching looking down at them

"Tsu'ti, Tayätsi!!" Y/n said happily as she got out of her father's grip and hugged the twins making them laugh and hugged their older sister back.

A thud was heard behind the group and when y/n turned around she saw her oldest brother At'ok who had placed a box down and helped their father back to his feet.

Y/n smiled before letting the twins go and turning towards her older brother they smiled and hugged each other.

"I see your here and well. How was your trip into the woods" At'ok asked y/n sighed but before she could speak kä'ey spoke

"Sempul ulte tsmukans (father and brothers brothers) the Sully's are here and they made Tsawl tsmuke upset. They also said they are her family" kä'ey said as he looked down at his father from his shoulders.

Everyone around the family froze before looking at y/n. Nawmrui eyes widden before looking down at his small daughter whos ears flattened a little

"Sempul they came for help and they were hurt, I just wanted to help. Sa'nok let them stay the night and heal, and she left judgement for you" y/n said rubbing her arm.

Nawmrui took a breath before gently patting his daughter's head

"It's ok ma daughter." He said with a smile before telling everyone to continue unloading everything before he made his way to the healers tent.

~Later~

The sullys and their human friends sat in the Eyktan hut in front of the large leader. Nawmrui glared at Jake with hatred. Nawmrui children and Mo'at sat beside him, as the sully children sat beside their parents.

"Tell me why have you come here," nawmrui growled but calmed down when his mate Zo'ile gently pat his leg.

"Eyktan Nawmrui we've come seeking help, shelter, and to be near our daughter." Jake said said with a bow neytiri bow beside him

At'ok laughed before standing up glaring at the Sully's

"Your daughter? YOUR DAUGHTER?! you and your mate gave her up a week after birth because she was different! My parents, my grandmother, Mo'at, and our clan raised her! Not you!" At'ok hissed.

"We had no choice boy." Jake hissed

"Silence!" Nawmrui yelled making everyone freeze.

"Sullys we will help you but you will realize that y/n and Mo'at are part of our family and clan. Y/n will not answer to you" Nawmrui said calmly. Before standing up

"Everyone but Jake out" nawmrui said dismissing everyone for the night.

Everyone left and went to their own huts, leaving nawmrui towering over the Sully's.

(Brought to you by princess diaries)

"We will help your family and friends but

If you hurt my girl, you will answer directly to me, and whatever crimes I commit against you, remember, I have diplomatic immunity in 46 clans, including the fire and ash clan." Nawmrui growled,

Jake stood up straighter " Sir, you will find that the word "fear" is not in my vocabulary!" Jake tried to look unfazed.

Nawmrui chuckled "Perhaps... but it's in your eyes. Now get out" nawmrui pointed towards the door.

Jake quickly left, and nawmrui sighed before going to find his family. When he walked into his daughter's huts he sees y/n being hugged protectively by Leyra, zo'ile, At'ok, Tsu'ti, Tayätsi, and Kä'ey. Nawmrui smiled "make room for Sempul" nawmrui said walking into the hut.

[sxnnimoon]

Collision || Can’t Be Tamed 1

Bucky Barnes x Ex!Widow!Reader

Author Note: Chapter one!!! I’m still so upset the last half of this deleted and I had to re-write it but alas she’s finished !! I am not following a set timeline for this so I apologize now if it gets confusing.

Masterlist

“Did you hate me that much? You were always within my reach..”

Collision- implies the coming together of two or more things with such force that both or all are damaged or their progress is severely impeded.

..I crave you, I want you, I need you. But where are you now…?

It always starts the same,

You’d find yourself looking out the window, watching the party goers roaming the streets, stumbling, falling on their asses only to laugh it off. Baring left the time reads 3:35am. You didn’t realize how much time had passed. The moonlight being the only source of light, you watched as it danced enticingly along the figure laying in the bed you had once occupied, their body a blurry haze making it hard to see their face. Visions replay in your mind of the activities you shared with the other. Fingers came to your lips, the feeling of his still danced along them. You could still feel the way his hands roamed and gripped your thighs as your bodies collided. You smiled for a split second, soon dropping it as a wave of emotions hit you. Was it regret clouding your mind? Hatred? Shame or remorse? Pushing away whatever it was you were feeling, you would quietly gather your things and book it. You’d always find yourself looking back once more. It was always the same emotion taking over, guilt. You wanted to stay, you wanted to lay back down but you couldn’t. It's as if your body was on autopilot and it forbids you from returning almost as if it would hurt too much. But why, though?

As you near the door, you hesitate. Freezing in place, fingers grazing the door knob but why? As you turn the knob, you are hit with the cooling summer breeze. Goosebumps decorated your skin, the feeling felt nice against the exposed parts of skin. The night seemed so calm and still. Your mind began playing tricks again as you stopped dead in your tracks, just before your foot went past the door frame.

“Leaving so soon?” the faintness and grogginess of a male voice behind you. Your breath hitched. You knew that voice, all too well at that. You couldn’t see him as you turned, it was as if his face was blurred.

You’d cursed under your breath. Could it be him? Why would it be him? Turning back around to face the door you had a puzzled look on your face, the once summer night had faded and a warm bright light welcomed you. Take a small step out the door you stumbled, losing your footing as the light engulfed you only to wake up in a panic back in your bed.

“Just a dream…” Y/n would pant out, hand on her heart.

“Nothing more than just a dream..” you’d tell yourself each time to try and calm down.

But was that all it was, just a dream?

Present Day.

Name: Y/n Y/Ln

Age: ??

DOB: April 10th

Loc: Mykonos, Greece

“This..is… incredible.” Steve sighed, taking in the sight of clear blue waters and the sun shining down. He couldn’t believe the view, it showed the beauty of Mykonos and all it had to offer. “And you’re positive this is where she is?”

“Questioning my tracking abilities?” Nat raised a brow at Steve making him roll his eyes. “She lives for this lifestyle. The beach, parties that continue on til the morning. It practically writes itself. And you claim to know her well.”

“I’ve known her since we were kids,” he said. “It doesn’t seem like her..”

“Years don't make up for knowledge.” She sighed.

Steve kept quiet, “Maybe I didn’t know her as well as I thought, or as well as Buck did.”

“Maybe,” she turned to him then back to the view. “I should have gone with her.”

“And end up having to track you both down?” He turned to her. “Absolutely not.”

“Would only take you a few years.” she smirked as he rolled his eyes.

“Come on, we got some mingling to do.” Nat waved her arm for him to follow her towards the town. A moment of silence fell between them as they walked.

“You think she’ll agree?” Steve broke the silence.

“It’s Y/n, how do you think this is gonna go?” she replied, earning a nod from him. “Start down there by the shops, I'll head this way by the restaurants and shore.”

With a final nod they separated on their own to gather information.

Y/N Pov

The fading guitar chords and vocals of Rhiannon could be heard fading into The Sun as Y/n was focused on chopping up some last minute items for dinner, completely in her own world as she hummed, soon singing softly along. Her villa was nestled deep within the land. Having her own access to the water whenever she pleased, flowers and plants decorating the exterior. It was beautiful, something out of a movie. Peering at the watch that was adorn to her wrist the time read 6:30pm making her shake her head slightly as she tossed what was chopped into a bowl next to her as she continued to cut some more.

“Took you longer than expected.” she spoke to the presence she now gained, not once looking up or stopping the flow of her movements.

“You’re not exactly the easiest to find now are you?” Nat answered with a question.

“Was supposed to be like that.” she tossed more into the bowl, “No contact, no tracking, no loose ends, no way of finding me.”

“Loose ends?” Nat quirked a brow.

“Yet here we are.” Steve joined in.

“The answer’s no.” Y/n cut to the chase. “You’re just wasting your time coming here, you both can see yourselves out.”

Y/n pointed towards the door with her knife.

“I’m going anywhere.” She went back to chopping.

“Will you hear us out at the very least?” Steve asked.

“What’s there to hear?” She set the knife down. “You need me to help with what’s coming. Do you not?” her arms crossed against her chest. “You need me to figure out what’s coming because you don’t know where to begin with it all,” she paused. “It’s incredibly simple by the way. The information is at your disposal, Tony of all people should know.”

Steve stared at her, “You know what it is, don’t you.”

Y/n made a “took you long enough” look.

“I should have known.” he let out a chuckle.

“So you know the severity of it.” Nat spoke, “Why not inform us? You cou-”

She was cut off.

“Is dinner almost d..done?” the voice slowly fading as they came into the room. Nat and Steve staring wide eyed at the sight of light brown almost blonde hair coming into view, his eyes meeting theirs, one brown the other brown with blue green specks.

Y/n sighed, pulling the boy into her arms. “Just about, set up the table for me?” she smiled sweetly, the boy nodding as she felt small hands wedging their way in between them making her laugh as she lifted her into her arms. Dark hair now meeting the pair, familiar icy eyes peering at them.

“You can stay for dinner if you both would like.” y/n spoke softly. “It’s your choice.”

Nat nodded, coming closer to the pair. The little on Y/n’s hip slightly nuzzling into her mothers neck.

“No need to be scared, we’re family.” she smiled, earning a small giggle from the little one as she tickled her.

With Steve and Nat staying, dinner was silent for once. As the kids finished, the boy went off while the girl stuck around.

“You can ask now.” Y/n broke the silence, “I’m sure you have questions.”

“Is that..?” Steve began.

“JJ? Yes.” she smiled looking off towards the part of the house he was in. “Big isn’t he?”

Steve nodded, a sad smile on his face.

“And her?” Nat gestured to the sleepy girl in your lap.

“Becca? She’s his.” She gave a small smile.

“Becca…as in..” Steve looked up at the name.

“Rebecca? Mhm.” she caressed the girl's face, “Seemed.. right.”

“But how?” he asked.

She let out a small chuckle. “Let me put her down first.”

Y/n got up to walk Bec to her room, tucking her in as she moved the hair from her face before placing a kiss to her forehead and leaving back to the dining room rejoining them.

“Ready?” she asked, looking at them before taking a deep breath and began explaining. Neither one interrupts, taking in what you were saying.

“Now do you see why?” she looked at them, eyes scanning them. “If I lose them, if they lose me..I'd never forgive myself.”

Steve lets out a sigh before standing, Natasha following his move.

“Just, consider it? You want to protect them, consider the fact that there may not be a world to

save them for.” she gave a half smile of sympathy. “You know how secure things are. They’d be safe. Just think about it. We know it’s a lot.” Steve adds before heading for the door, Nat not too far behind.

“Think of Clint, Laura and the kids. They're as secure as ever.” Nat made an offer. “They can stay with them through it all, you know Laura. She’d love it.”

Y/n chuckled, “Go, don’t leave him hanging or he’ll be back in here.”

“I’m going. Just, call once in a while? I kinda miss my best friend.” Nat smiled before leaving.

You watched as the door shut and they walked down the road out of sight. Running a hand through her hair as she sighed, Y/n gathered everything from the dining table and made her way to the kitchen. As she rounded the corner once more to grab Becca’s high chair she gasped.

“Don’t do that!” hand on her chest as she looked to her son who was standing in the dining room.

“Sorry…” he apologized, rubbing his eyes.

“It’s alright.” she gave a small smile walking to him, a wary look on his face, “Everything alright?”

He shrugged, following her into the kitchen sitting on one of the stools.

“What’s going on?” she asked, starting to wash dishes.

He stayed silent for a bit, Y/n not pushing him to speak.

“I heard them.” he said, “About leaving here.”

She nodded, of course he’d heard he’s quiet but hears it all.

“I...” he paused.

“Hmm?” She set the dishes down.

“Maybe it is a good idea.” he looked up at her.

“Oh?” a look of shock on her face, “Why do you say that?”

“Because you’ve told me, “No matter the circumstance or obstacle you face it head on and even if it results in pain you carry that with you because it makes you stronger.” he finished.

You cursed under your breath, a smile cracking at him using your words against you.

“When did you become 22, I thought you were 12?” She raised a brow at him, making JJ laugh.

“Way to use my words against me.” Y/n shook her head.

“I know you are scared because you don’t want to face dad.” his face softened. “I don’t understand love that much but I can imagine it’s hard..”

It’d been hard since that day, it's been going on almost 3 years which to some isn’t a lot but to her it felt like a decade.

“In a way, yes. Yes, I'm scared to see him. But, it’s the fear of not seeing you both anymore. You both are all I have. I can’t lose you guys.” She walked around the island to sit next to him.

“I think I can trust you’ll be alright,” he pulled something from behind his back, hanging it to you. “I found these, Maybe it’ll help you decide.”

Y/n watched him walk away as she held on to a familiar box, fingers grazing the rough edges from the tape lifting. Opening it she was met with a picture, it was from before everything happened. They’d all been at one of Tony's parties and they all looked so happy, smiles everywhere. It warmed her heart a little.

“JJ,” she sighed and whispered while going through the pictures. “You always know how to make me come to my senses.”

They’d all been huddled around the common area discussing matters.

“So she denied?” Sam asked.

“Well..” Steve dragged out.

“We left the option open for her to think on.” Nat chimed in.

“Could be a lot for her.” Wanda added, making Tony roll his eyes.

Bucky stayed quiet on it all.

“The fate of the world is at stake and she’s debating on it as if she were picking out shoes for her next party.” he face palmed.

“No.” Steve started.

“It’s because she has-” Nat was interrupted.

“My kids.” Everyone turned around in defense of who was standing there. “Don’t look so shocked.”

She shifted in her spot as everyone stood frozen, “Everyone sit down, like any of you could take me on.”

she rolled her eyes, walking closer slowly.

“You thought about it.” Sam was the first to speak, making you nod.

“I may have had some convincing but yes I did.” she gave a small smile. “I was also promised a safe place courtesy of Nat on Clint’s behalf.”

A smirk on her face as she backed away disappeared for a moment.

“You bargained for the farm?!” Clint stood as he looked at Nat.

“In her defense, I think Laura wouldn’t mind.” you smiled as you walked back in with Bec and JJ, everyone’s eyes going wide.

“Is that..” Wanda began.

“He’s gotten so big.” Sam added.

“Holy shit.” Tony blurted, hand coming to his mouth earning a glare from you.

“And this little one?” Clint asked arms out to take her.

“Becca, she’ll be 3 in a few months.” you smiled as you watched her with Clint.

“Oh Laura is so gonna not wanna give her back.” he chucked at the toddler.

“I’ll make the arrangements, they’ll be safe there.” Tony spoke.

You nodded, eyes falling on him finally. Your heart just about jumped when you realized he was already looking at you. He looked different, good different from that. There was a hint of regret and sadness behind his face and eyes. You could describe it but it soon became forgotten as the pain began brewing, the knot in your stomach doing flips and twists making you feel sick. You knew it was to be hard but were you actually up for this?

[oddinary4bts]

Be With You | ch 5

☆summary: who knew that the hot guy you've been paired with for a class project is also a kind soul? Certainly not you, and you feel yourself falling even though you know you shouldn't. Will it be your demise, or will it all work out in the end?

☆pairing: Choi San x female!reader

☆rating: 18+ (minors DNI, this chapter contains mature content)

☆genre: slow burn strangers to lovers, college!au, smut, angst and fluff

☆warnings: alcohol, cursing, talks about oc's ex (name reveal oop), explicit content: talks about oral sex (female receiving), nipple play, dry humping/grinding, jerking off, hickeys, basically a hell of a lot of grinding tbh, cumshot

☆word count: 8.2k

☆series masterpost

☆add yourself to the taglist here

☆a/n: another chapter for y'all :) and thank you to @moonleeai for your amazing work as my beta reader, I love you and am forever thankful for you <3

☆☆☆☆☆

Cold snowflakes Withered down Until you bloom As a spring flower I'll be with you

Be With You, Ateez (english translation)

☆☆☆☆☆

Saturday, October 5th

The park is warm, the breeze reminiscing of summer long gone. Though the leaves have been changing colours, a myriad of different shades of yellow, orange, red and green adorning the branches, you almost feel like summer might be coming back.

But the cold lingering in the shade is a clear indication that winter is coming in just a few months.

Today doesn’t really hint at that though. The park is crowded, music playing from the speaker of a group somewhere on your left, and people are bathing in the sun, sharing snacks and drinks as they sit in the grass, or some of them on blankets. You’re sitting on such a blanket, your lips spread in a smile as you listen to Wooyoung and San’s bickering next to you.

They’ve been at it for what must be twenty minutes now. Something about a sports game you haven’t watched and don’t really care for, but they are enthusiastic, waving their hands around as they speak. Their friend Jongho and his girlfriend Lyla are also here, and Lyla keeps jumping in occasionally to share what she thinks of it all.

“It’s football, for fuck’s sake,” Wooyoung says. “Why would they even…”

He never finishes his sentence, San interrupting, and you just laugh along with Jongho and Lyla as Wooyoung just glares at San, his eyebrows almost touching over his eyes.

Your phone buzzes on the blanket next to you, and you take a look at it, noticing you’ve received a message from Sydney. She’s supposed to meet you soon, and you’re excited to ask her about how it went with Yunho last night.

You’ve heard that they spent quite some time together, and you’ve been hoping that it cleared the air between the two of them, if only so that you can all start to hang out again without awkwardness lingering in the air.

[2:37 pm] Syd: where the fuck are you?

You snort, quickly typing back your reply.

[2:38 pm] You: by the baseball field

Sydney shoots back the thumbs up emoji, and you put your phone aside as you zero back in on the conversation. Surprisingly, they have stopped talking about football, and you listen as they talk about the upcoming midterms. 

“Should we eat?” Wooyoung asks, glancing at the cooler Jongho brought with sandwiches for all of you, and two bottles of rosé wine to share.

“Syd’s almost here,” you inform him.

He sighs loudly, but then everyone is distracted as Hongjoong and Yeosang show up, greeting the group. They brought snacks and spiked lemonade cans with them, so you all settle on one of those as you wait for Sydney, who arrives five minutes later, grumbling about not being able to find you.

To Wooyoung’s luck, you eat then - Sydney even brought some cookies for dessert - your group sharing lively conversation as time goes by. The sun keeps you all warm, hot even, and you enjoy the last of the warm days like that, playing frisbee in the field once you’ve eaten. It’s filled with loud laughs and screams, and you end up going back to the blanket where Yeosang and Hongjoong lingered, sitting with them as Sydney plays with the others.

San glances your way, and you think he’s frowning in the distance. But then Wooyoung screams at him, effectively distracting him, and you sit on the blanket, reaching for the open bag of chips.

“Long night yesterday?” Hongjoong teases.

Your eyes widen, and you shoot him a look. “What?”

“You went home with San, didn’t you?”

Red creeps on your cheeks, and you look towards the mentioned man. He’s throwing the frisbee, and it does a perfect arc, Jongho catching it effortlessly. 

“Huh, yeah.”

You figure there’s no need to lie - they all saw you walking out and not coming back yesterday.

Hongjoong smiles wide, glancing at your friends playing frisbee. “Good for you.”

Yeosang snorts, glancing at Hongjoong. “What the fuck was that?”

“San’s hot now,” Hongjoong replies, shrugging his shoulders.

You’ve never really thought about Hongjoong’s sexuality before, and realization dawns as Yeosang nods. “Can’t deny he’s been working out a lot.”

“Don’t you go with him?” Hongjoong asks then.

You tune out the conversation as you see Sydney walking towards you while the others linger on the field, Wooyoung screaming as San chases him with the frisbee in his hand as if he’s about to knock it on his friend’s head. It’s a funny sight, almost comical, and you smile as Wooyoung drops to the ground, protecting his head.

“They are way too competitive for me,” Sydney deadpans as she stops next to you. She glances at Hongjoong and Yeosang, her cheeks turning pink, and then she meets your gaze again. “Do you want to go for a walk around the park?”

You know what the question means - she has something to tell you. Excitement bubbles in your chest, and you’re up on your feet a second later, waving Yeosang and Hongjoong goodbye. 

Sydney hooks her arm with yours as you walk, and you notice San glancing your way as you move away, walking down the dirt path on the side of the field where they’re playing. He smiles at you, and you instinctively smile back, your brain not tuning in for Sydney’s first words.

You only notice she’s spoken when she pulls on your arm, saying, “Are you even listening?”

You clear your throat, your cheeks burning as you look away from San, focusing on the squirrel darting across the path a little further down. “Sorry, come again?”

“I…” Sydney trails off, letting out a small, shy chuckle. “I was with Yunho last night.”

You throw her a quick look, only met with her profile as her gaze remains stubbornly locked in on the end of the path. “I know.”

“No,” Sydney says. “Well, I mean, yes, but… but like no.”

You can’t help the laugh that falls from your lips. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“He walked me home,” Sydney admits.

As if he hasn’t done so countless times before.

“Yeah?” you press.

“I, huh…” You think you hear her gulp. “I invited him in.”

Oh. Oh.

“Oh my God. Did you fuck my brother?”

Sydney slaps your arm. “Why do you have to be so crude?”

Yet her embarrassed tone reveals everything her words haven’t.

“You did. You so did.”

“It wasn’t…” She wets her lips, searching for words. “It wasn’t like that.”

You can tell she has more to say, but she remains silent for a moment. This time you don’t press her, knowing that she needs to collect her thoughts before speaking, and so you finish walking down the field, turning towards the right where a small pond is rippled with tiny waves from the breeze.

“At first, I just wanted us to talk things out,” Sydney explains. “But then… then we kissed, and…”

Her silence is so long you figure she won’t speak. “And you fucked.”

“It wasn’t like that,” she groans. “We made… love, I guess?”

You almost squeal in happiness, supressing the will to jump up and down. “Finally!”

“Finally?”

“It took you so, so fucking long, Syd.”

Sydney frowns. “What do you mean?”

“You guys have been in love since like middle school.”

Your best friend lets go of your arm as she folds hers on her chest. “No?”

“Yes?” You laugh, shaking your head. “I am so, so happy you’ve finally opened your eyes.”

At that Sydney smiles softly, her gaze dropping to the ground. She’s the perfect picture of the maidens that you read about in books, long gone for their knights, and you’d laugh at the sight if she wasn’t so cute.

If you weren’t that happy for her and your brother.

“I’m happy too,” she says gently, and she meets your gaze with a sparkle to her eyes that makes you think true love does exist. “I hope it’s not weird for you.”

“Nah,” you immediately reassure her. “I’ve been waiting for a really long time for you to realize your feelings for each other.” You chuckle, thinking of all the times you’d tried to push them together, hoping that something would come out of it. “I’ve been rooting for you forever.”

Sydney rolls her eyes, though the smile does not leave her lips. “Shut up.”

“Never.” You grin, and then you glance at the ducks on the lake. “I’ll be your officiant at your wedding.”

“Woah, who said anything about a wedding,” Sydney says with a laugh.

“Syd.” Your tone is almost scolding, like a reprimand is about to emerge from your lips. “We both know that you and Yunho will get married the second we’re out of college.”

She snorts, shaking her head. “Yeah, yeah.”

But the blush on her cheeks tells you that it’s a possibility she’s probably considered herself ever since yesterday. She’s always wanted to get married after all, unlike you.

Silence rises around the two of you, and you’re on your way back to the field when Sydney finally speaks up again.

“What about you?” she asks.

You think you can spy San in the distance when you answer, “What?”

“What happened with San last night?” she asks. 

You worry at your bottom lip, suddenly feeling nervous. You don’t quite know why - it’s not like San has given you any reason to be nervous when it comes to the two of you, even if you got jealous yesterday. But then again, you reckon the nervosity might be linked to someone else entirely, to a person that fucked your perspective of love so thoroughly that you thought you never wanted to let anyone in again after him.

Yet San… San’s been digging his way into your life, and you’re not sure if you’ll survive the vulnerability that it brings.

“We went to his,” you admit. Your eyes drop to the ground, and you look at some weed growing in the middle of the dirt path like it hasn’t been trampled countless times already.

It’s almost poetic, the way that it stands tall despite everything that’s happened to it.

“And we also talked,” you add. “He explained what was happening with Kate, and I apologized for getting jealous. He teased me about it…”

“Mmh,” Sydney lets out.

You cock an eyebrow. “What?”

“Is that good or bad?”

“Oh, it totally was good,” you reassure your friend. “It wasn’t mean, it was just… cute.” Sydney is smiling again when you look towards her. “What?”

“I just…” she trails off, slightly pursing your lips. “I’m relieved that you’re finally letting someone in again.”

Your throat dries out even though you had that exact thought just a few moments ago. “What do you mean?”

“After Jungkook,” Sydney starts, and you almost recoil at the sound of his name after so long. “Sorry,” your friend immediately apologizes.

“It’s okay.”

The words are bitter, but it is. It has to be okay, otherwise you’ll be back three years ago when you almost thought you would die.

“After him, I just didn’t think you’d be able to let someone in again. And it was hard to see how much you suffered from that.”

“I didn’t suffer from it,” you say defensively as a frown makes its way to your face. 

“Please don’t take this the wrong way. I really am just happy and proud of you.”

You stretch your lips in a tight line, falling silent. Sydney sighs next to you, but the mention of Jungkook just striked too deep for you to keep talking about this. Sydney’s your best friend for a reason though - she senses your unease, hooking her arm with yours again.

“Did you fuck San yesterday?”

The crude words falling from her mouth surprise you, dissipating the tension that was rising. You let out a small laugh, one Sydney seems far too relieved to hear, and then you say, “He ate me out. But he literally creamed his pants.”

“I did not need to know that,” Sydney grumbles.

“You’re the one that asked!” She just rolls her eyes as an answer, and you shake your head at her. “And you’re so worse, you literally fucked my brother.”

“Oh gosh, stop.” She groans, her cheeks flashing red. “I… I shouldn’t even have told you.”

“As if,” you let out, not taking offense with her statement even though it could have been perceived as rude. 

Sydney is just secretive, so you can’t blame her. You love her like that, and wouldn’t want her any other way anyway.

“Yeah, nah,” she says, and she joins you for a laugh. “I definitely wanted to tell you, but please, please do not make a big deal out of this. We’re slowly figuring it out.”

You nod, and you offer a small smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll let you guys figure it out at your own pace.” You fall silent, but then mischief sparks in your chest, and you add, “Even though it took you literal years to even get here.”

“You’re so annoying,” Sydney complains, and you just burst out laughing.

As you talked, you got closer to the group where they are gathered on the blankets, and you feel San’s heavy gaze on you. Your eyes find his, and for a moment, your earlier anxiety returns. But then he smiles and it fades away, and all you can hope for is that you’re not setting yourself up to get your barely healed heart broken again.

“What’s got you guys laughing?” San asks.

“Nothing,” Sydney quickly replies as she lets go of your arm, and then plops down on the blanket next to Lyla. “You guys opened the wine without us.”

“Y/n doesn’t drink,” Wooyoung points out as he takes a big sip from the red solo cup he’s holding. “So we figured it was fine.”

“What about me?” Sydney asks.

Lyla hands her a cup. “I got you, girl.”

Sydney beams as she takes a sip of the wine while you make your way towards San, sitting next to him.

“Hey,” he greets you as you’re adjusting yourself to be comfortable on the blanket.

You meet his gaze. His eyes are sparkling softly, like maybe the sun that’s sinking towards the horizon now is sinking into his eyes instead. “Hi.”

“You were gone for a while,” he says, just for you to hear, and you don’t miss the pouty tone to his voice.

“Missed me?” you tease.

He narrows his gaze, taking a sip from his solo cup. “Nah.”

You snort, nudging him with your elbow. “Yeah, yeah.”

He winks at you and then hands you the solo cup. “Do you want to taste?”

You think about it. You truly do, even if you haven’t tasted a drop of alcohol in years now. But then again San’s eyes are soft, his smile genuine, and you think why not?

“Just a tiny sip,” you agree, and his gaze widens in surprise. 

He hands you the cup, and you take it, electricity shooting up your fingers and along your arm as you graze his fingers. You bring the solo cup to your lips, tilting it just enough for your lip to dip in the rose liquid. The taste fills your mouth, and your nose scrunches up in reflex at the bitterness on your tongue.

“Ew,” you let out as you move the cup away from your lips, handing it back to San. 

He laughs at your expanse, taking a sip of his own. “It isn’t that bad.”

You cock an eyebrow. “It isn’t that good either.”

“Your loss.”

You widen your eyes before letting out a small disbelieving laugh. “You’re annoying.”

San leans in to speak in your ear. “That’s not what you were saying when I had my tongue in you yesterday.”

You choke on your saliva, coughing at San’s crude words. You pull away, cheeks burning, only for you to find him grinning at you crookedly. “San!” 

“Am I wrong?”

“Gosh, you so are.”

He leans in again, and this time you don’t turn your head to let him speak in your ear. Instead, you hold his gaze despite the close proximity, and your breath hitches in your throat.

“Maybe I should do it again tonight, mmh? To remind you how much you liked it?”

Your gaze drops to his lips. “If I remember correctly, you’re the one that creamed his pants, mmh?”

San winces as he laughs. “Touché. It was just…”

“What are you guys whispering about?” Wooyoung intervenes, and you instinctively pull away from San, cheeks red at being caught. You find yourself unable to reply as San just shrugs next to you, and Wooyoung narrows his gaze at you. “Alright then, keep your secrets.”

You share a look with San, and then you both burst out laughing.

The rest of the afternoon unfolds without a hitch, laughter and smiles and alcohol flowing amongst the friend group. San doesn’t drink too much - neither does Hongjoong, who admits he still feels hungover from the wine and cheese yesterday evening. The others don’t have that limit - it’s like they all are ready to party again, and you watch them from your corner of the blanket with San, who’s decided to use your lap as a pillow.

You only realize he’s fallen asleep while you card your fingers through his hair and Wooyoung looks at the two of you, fake-gagging. 

“He did not fall asleep,” Wooyoung deadpans.

You look down, and San’s serene expression makes you smile softly. “Leave him alone, he’s just tired.”

Wooyoung wiggles his eyebrows. “I wonder why.”

You roll your eyes as he bursts out laughing. San shifts on your lap, a frown creasing his brow, and you gently smooth it with the tip of your fingers. His lips spread in a tired smile, and it does something to your heart that you can’t explain, yet want to feel again.

It’s soft - San has a softness to him that can’t be described with words. It’s like the first sun rays in the morning, or the breeze of a summer afternoon. It’s like the brightness of the stars when the moon is away - twinkling gently, forever. Like the rise and fall of an infant’s chest as it rests peacefully. You’d go on and on trying to find comparisons, yet you’re unsure any of them would come close to explaining what San does to you.

The thought sticks with you until later that evening, when you all start parting ways. San wakes up slowly, wiping some drool on his chin as he blinks his eyes at you, gaze unfocused. It takes him a moment to understand where he is, and then he just smiles tiredly, sighing deeply.

“Good morning,” you tease him.

“Mmh.”

Wooyoung sneaks closer to you, pinching San’s side. San yelps, sitting up quickly as he curses Wooyoung, and your gaze widens as you watch them wrestling for a few seconds. But then you look up, meeting Sydney's gaze, and you both burst out laughing.

Boys will be boys, or whatever it is.

*****

“Are you sure?” San asks for the fifth time.

You’re standing outside of your building, and you’ve been trying to convince him to come in with you. It’s been getting chillier outside now that the sun has set, and though you’ve spent the whole day together, you don’t want him to go just yet.

“Yes, I am,” you insist, tugging on his hand, but he doesn’t budge.

“I don’t want to bother your brother.”

You roll your eyes. “Syd will take care of him.”

Sydney who’s standing by the door throws you a look at her name being called. She doesn’t say anything though, not when San smirks. “Oh, will she?”

Gosh.

“Come have dinner with us,” you say, and this time your voice holds finality, not giving him a choice. 

You turn around, pulling him behind you as Sydney waits with her cheeks tinted red from San’s words. You wink at her, and she chuckles as she opens the door, holding it for you as you walk in with San in tow. It doesn’t take you long before you’re in front of your own apartment, unlocking the door.

You find Yunho engrossed in some YouTube video he’s been watching on the TV, and there’s a moment of awkwardness as San walks in, standing by the door. Sydney saves you by heading to where Yunho is laying on the couch, and you kick off your shoes pulling San towards your bedroom.

“Hey, why don’t you guys come here?” Yunho asks.

You curse under your breath - not that you don’t want to spend time with your brother and Sydney, but you were kind of hoping you’d get to spend time alone with San.

You meet San’s gaze momentarily, and he just watches you with his mouth slightly open, as if he was caught doing something he shouldn’t be doing. Your heart fills with warmth like it’s been doing all day, and then you tug him towards the living room. You drop your tote bag against the wall in front of the door on the way, and then make your way to the living room.

“Sure,” you say as you catch sight of Yunho sitting now, with Sydney next to him. “Just don’t tear into him.”

“Why would I?” Yunho says. “We’re friends.”

Right. Though you’re not sure you would call them friends just because they have a friend in common.

“What’s up?” Yunho throws at San.

“Not much, just got dragged here by your sister,” San answers, shrugging his shoulders.

You narrow your eyes at him. “Don’t act like you didn’t want to come here.”

He winks at you. “It’s hard to tell you no.”

You just shake your head playfully, lips curving into an amused smile before you look towards Yunho again.

“Wow,” is all Yunho says.

“What?”

“Did I just see you smiling at a man?”

“What the fuck?” you burst out as Sydney pushes him.

“Shut up, Yunho,” she tells him.

“Yeah, listen to your girlfriend, dumbass.”

Sydney turns fifteen different shades of red as Yunho’s gaze brightens, though blush tints his cheeks too. You sit on the couch next to Sydney, and San moves next to you, slowly sitting down. There’s another awkward silence that lingers until Yunho asks how the afternoon was, and you tell him about the park.

You don’t mention the conversation you had with Sydney, though. You keep that to yourself, instead telling him about the frisbee, and the wine, and the weather that hinted at summer. It breaks the ice, and soon conversation starts flowing between the four of you, almost as if San was always part of your little group.

You end up ordering Korean fried chicken for dinner, and you all eat sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table as you watch a movie Sydney recommended. It’s a good movie, and from the corner of your eyes, you notice how Sydney is cuddling into Yunho’s side. You can’t help your smile at the sight, relieved that they have finally made it to each other.

You’ve been dreaming of it for so long after all.

“They’re adorable,” San whispers in your ear. 

You nod, eyes sparkling as you meet his gaze. “I’m really happy for them.”

San’s lips spread in a soft smile as he looks between your eyes, his gaze then dropping to your mouth. Your throat feels suddenly dry, the space between the two of you filling with electricity, and you become aware that he’s just a hair's breadth away, close enough that you could brush your lips against his if only you moved an inch forward.

Though the gravity of him is strong, you resist, instead sitting back in your spot with your back against the couch. He chuckles, and then focuses on the movie again. He spreads his legs, his thigh pressing against yours. You’d curse him for it if your brother and best friend weren’t right next to you.

But two can play that game, can’t they?

So you press your thigh into his, slightly shifting so that you can angle your body towards him. You catch him smirking from the corner of your eyes as if that was what he wanted you to do, and so you decide to go further, your hand falling to his leg. It lands right next to the spot where you’re touching, and you feel San slightly tensing.

Especially as you start tracing idle shapes on his skin through the fabric of his pants. He spreads his legs even more, chasing the sensation. It emboldens you, so you lay your head on his shoulder. It brings you so close to him that you feel it when he takes his next breath, and you press your lips together to refrain from smiling smugly.

But you keep your hand on his thigh, idle circles getting closer to his dick with every slow pass. You try to make it as subtle as you can, and San gulps.

Right before you’re about to actually touch his dick, San leans in to speak into your hair, his voice so low you can barely hear him. “You should stop this before your brother notices.”

There’s something husky about the way he speaks, and desire floods your system. But all you do is wet your lips, your idle circles inching away from him this time. He doesn’t seem like he likes it - he moves, wrapping his arm around your shoulders to pull you into his chest.

You blush. You blush even though the living room is dark except for the light coming from the TV, which is thankfully on a darker scene at the moment. But you blush as you’re keenly aware that Sydney shoots you a glance.

You’re not big on PDA. Have never been, yet you don’t shrug San off. Don’t try to move away. Not when his body is so warm and he moulds you into his side like you belong there. And for a fleeting moment, you allow yourself to think that you do.

That maybe you’re allowed to love again after your ex. It’s been years after all - it’s not like you believed you had to stay single for the rest of your life. You just never had a romantic interest for someone after Jungkook, especially not with how things ended. But San…

It’s just been so easy with him, even though it’s only been two weeks. Two weeks, yet you feel like a small eternity has passed. Maybe because of how natural it feels to be by his side.

The movie ends a little while later, with Sydney and Yunho cuddling on their side of the couch while you and San cuddle on yours. You move away from San first, stretching as Yunho turns off the movie at the beginning of the credits. Sydney imitates you a second later, though her stretch is accompanied by a yawn.

“I think I should go home for the night,” she says.

“Are you not sleeping over?” Yunho asks, and there’s a pout in his voice.

What a lovesick idiot.

“I don’t have my stuff,” she says, but you don’t miss the way she throws you and San a not-so subtle look.

Yunho misses it though. He frowns, looking towards you as if you’ll help. “You have a tooth brush here and you can use Y/n’s stuff for a shower.”

“Right,” Sydney lets out, and she glances at you with apology in her gaze.

You shrug your shoulders to reassure her, and then you glance at San. “Come.”

He cocks an eyebrow in question as you get up, hand extended for him to take. He glances at your hand, his fingers closing around yours just a heartbeat later. 

“Where are you bringing me, woman?”

His tone is teasing, and you just chuckle. “To my room… boy.”

“Hey, I’m not a boy!”

You laugh as he gets up. “Are you not? I didn’t think you were a girl.”

He rolls his eyes. “Gosh, you’re…” He trails off as if only then realizing that Yunho and Sydney are watching the two of you curiously. “A very nice lady,” he concludes, and you all burst out laughing.

“Good night, losers,” you tell Sydney and Yunho, and then you’re pulling San to your bedroom, with no interruption this time.

“Good night?” San repeats behind you. “We’re going to bed?”

“Unless you want to go home?” you say, though you don’t slow down, still tugging him towards your room, though you do stop on the way to grab your tote bag, still filled with everything you brought to San’s place yesterday night.

“I’m a little tired,” he says.

“Well then.” You open the door of your bedroom. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

He laughs, walking in before you. You follow him, turning on the lights - multiple strings of fairy lights with fake leaves intertwined hanging from the wall that your bed is pushed against. They work with an app on your phone, so you just turn them on that way, appreciating the soft glow that reigns on your room a second later.

You close the door as San scans your room. “This is small.”

“That’s all you have to say?” you let out, faking offense.

He chuckles. “I love it. Love the lights, and the plushie.”

Your eyes trail to your bed, on top of which rests the Winnie the Pooh plushie you got years ago when you went to Disney with your family.

“It’s adorable, isn’t it?”

San sits on your bed, grabbing the plushie. “Definitely.” He cuddles it to his chest, resting his chin on top of it. 

You smile, and dimples appear in his cheeks as you take a step closer to him. The sight of him in your bed, his eyes twinkling with barely concealed feelings you too have been feeling, is enough to make you pull on Winnie until he lets it go. You throw the plushie, making yourself at home between his legs as you cup his cheeks.

San gulps, tilting his head back to look you in the eyes as you lean in. You stop just an inch away from his mouth, looking between his two eyes repeatedly as if they host the answer to the Universe. 

And maybe they do. Maybe they hold the answers of the universe you live in. 

“I…” you whisper, and his gaze drops to your mouth.

“You?” he presses, voice breathy.

You don’t know. You don’t know what you wanted to say. So you continue with the only thing that makes sense, breathing out, “San.”

He says your name with the same reverence, and then you’re closing the distance between the two of you, pressing your lips on his. He sighs softly, moving to hold your waist as you gently brush his cheek with a thumb, your other hand shifting to the back of his head.

The kiss reveals an inner light in you that you thought had died with Jungkook. It reveals a land of endless possibilities, of vulnerability you don’t know if you’re ready to let in. Yet it’s knocking at your door, and when San swipes your bottom lip with his tongue, you know it’s too late to stop.

So you kiss him harder, deeper, meeting his tongue with yours until his grip tightens on you. Until your lungs run out of oxygen, and then you straddle his lap, never disconnecting your mouth from his. Because you don’t want to - tonight, Choi San is the oxygen in your lungs.

San caresses your back, one hand going up to hold the back of your neck as the other goes down, gripping at the meat of your ass. You let out a breathy sound that’s barely noticeable through the intensity of the moment, one you know will be repeated countless times tonight.

You don’t think you’ll be able to stop tonight. You want him - all of him, completely. 

You want to come undone, together with him.

You gently push him down until he’s lying on his back, your lips still dancing together, tongues mingling like you’re trying to drink his very essence. But then you sit back on him, breathing rapidly as your lungs seek for much needed oxygen. Just like him, whose chest is going up and down quickly as he watches you taking your shirt off, tossing it aside.

Your mouths collide with more intent then, passion taking over the two of you as San’s fingers aim for the clasp of your bra in your back. He fumbles with it for a few heartbeats until it comes undone, and then he gently slips your bra down your arms. You disconnect for a moment so that he can throw the piece of clothing to the floor, and then your lips are on his again.

It’s languid. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted - there’s danger in the speed at which you’re catching feelings, but it’s too late.

It’s too late, and you can’t bring yourself to care.

San’s large hands caress your sides, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind as you tease his bottom lip with your teeth. He lets out a small groan, and then his hands move forward, finding your breasts. He massages them, pushing them together, and then his deft fingers find your nipples, gently squeezing them.

You moan. A light sound, one meant just for his ears, and then you’re sitting back on him again, just so that you can circle your hips with your core against his growing erection. His eyebrows bunch together, his lips parted on a silent sound you so wish you had heard, but one you know should remain silent.

Indeed, you can hear Sydney and Yunho talking in the living room, and the last thing you’d want would be for them to hear you having sex with San.

San says your name, a whisper that wraps around your heart like the warm embrace of a lover - something you’re realizing San might become to you - and then he grinds his hips in yours, his length rubbing on your core through the clothes.

It’s sinful, passionate, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I want you,” you say, echoing the words you said last night. “I really want you, San.”

He wets his lips, grinding on you again. “Do you have condoms?”

You freeze. You don’t - you’ve finished the box you owned a couple of months ago with a one night stand you met at a bar at the beginning of the summer. And you’ve never thought to buy more because you weren’t actively seeking to have sex after that.

“I…” you let out, and then you chuckle awkwardly. “I don’t. Don’t you have one?”

San winces, and then his mouth falls open as you circle your hips on him again. “Fuck,” he curses under his breath. “Fuck, Y/n.”

It’s the way he says your name. It takes all of its meaning in his mouth, and you lean forward to kiss him again. He meets every swipe of your tongue with a languid swipe of his, and your core warms up to an uncomfortable level. You’re growing wet, soaking through your panties, and you know you won’t be able to stop tonight.

“I don’t,” San says a moment later - you can’t tell if it’s been a few seconds or an hour. 

Kissing him does that to your brain.

“Huh?”

San pecks your mouth once more, and you look down at his glistening, swollen lips as he repeats. “I don’t.”

“You don’t what?”

He breaks into a smile, a chuckle rumbling in his chest. “I don’t have a condom.”

You freeze for the second time in not too long, your heart skipping a beat in your chest.

Shit.

“Oh.”

“I…” he starts, though he seems at a loss for words for a few heartbeats. “I didn’t expect us to have sex tonight.” He wets his lips, attracting your gaze to his mouth. “I actually genuinely didn’t think I’d come here at all.” At the slight frown that appears on your features, San quickly adds, “I’m happy I did, though.”

You nod once, smiling softly. “I’m happy you did, too.”

You cup his cheek from where you’re sitting on his dick, and it twitches in his pants as your thumb teases his bottom lip. You feel powerful, like you’re sitting on a throne and not on his lap - it’s all thanks to him, and the way he’s looking at you like you’re the most important thing in the world.

“I gotta admit I really fucking want you too,” he says, his voice resembling a growl.

You’re barely surprised when he sits up to kiss your lips again. Indeed, you’re immediately kissing him back, tasting all of him until he’s the only thing in your mind.

Until you forget all about the world - all that’s left is Choi San, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

You let your hands explore his body, appreciating his hard muscles through the shirt he’s wearing. It’s a little on the thicker side - he’d put it on back at the park when it started getting chillier - yet you can still feel his hard-earned body. It emboldens you, turns you on even more, and you’re pulling on the hem of his shirt a second later, letting him know you want him to take it off.

He understands the cue, and he’s pulling away from the kiss just long enough to take his shirt off, revealing the t-shirt underneath. He’s about to kiss you again when you stop him with a hand on his chest.

You can feel his quick heartbeats on your palm, and he just looks at you with questions in his eyes.

“Take it off, too,” you say, motioning to his t-shirt.

He smirks, tilting his head to the side. “I guess it’s just fair, mmh?”

You don’t reply anything, too distracted by the body that’s revealed when he finally takes the t-shirt off. And though you saw his body yesterday, there’s just something about the strong planes of his chest that makes you roll your hips into his, and San’s hands shoot to your waist to guide your motions.

It’s hot, even if your panties are sticking to your pussy uncomfortably from how soaked they are.

  “You know what’s wild?” he says with a low, husky voice that sends shivers down your spine.

“What?” you breathe out.

“I deadass think you could make me come like this,” he admits with not even a single ounce of shame. “You turn me on so fucking much.”

You moan as he grinds up into you again. Even with all the clothes between you and him, you can still feel how hard he is, and your pussy clenches around nothing.

“Fuck, San.”

“I know,” he lets out, capturing your lips in a wet kiss. “I know, baby.”

“I need to feel you,” you purr. “I…”

You don’t finish your sentence, instead getting up. San watches you, leaning back on his hands, as you finish undressing, breathing a sigh of relief when your panties finally stop sticking to your pussy. You drop them to the floor, fully aware that San’s eyeing you up and down. It makes you feel hot, more attractive than you’ve ever felt - it helps that his bulge is so evident, protruding from his pants so much you think he might rip through them.

But it looks uncomfortable, and you want to relieve him. Want to feel him - will feel him. So you lean closer, fingers finding the button of his pants, and then you’re doing quick work of taking the rest of his clothes off, too. His boxers follow his pants right away, his dick slapping on his abdomen from how hard he already is. 

You haven’t seen him fully naked before. He’s always kept either his shirt or pants on, and you understand why. 

You think you would have gone insane if you’d seen him fully naked before. It’s just so sinful - he’s a Greek god sent down to Earth to whisk you away to Olympus. But in all honesty, you think you go a little insane anyway as you look at him now, watching the bead of precum that sits on his slit.

“Fuck.”

The word falls from your lips right in time with San’s dick twitching as you reach for it, running a finger along his length. San just surveys you as you’re doing so, so out of breath he looks like he’s just finished a marathon. 

Your finger stops at his slit, smearing the precum on his tip. San throws his head back, eyes shutting in time with his mouth falling open as you wrap your hand around him next, giving him a stroke up and down.

You’re dripping. Dripping between your legs, your juices rolling down the inside of your thighs. You doubt you’ve ever been so wet before, and you’d be embarrassed of it if San didn’t look so helpless from just your hand on him.

And maybe you’re wild for it, maybe you’re stupid, but you push him back down on the bed, straddling his lap again. The lack of fabric between the two of you when your pussy rubs on his dick from the motion makes the both of you moan, and you still with his tip nudging your clit, your mind swimming in ecstasy already.

“Holy shit,” San lets out. “Fuck, I…”

And then he’s moving, grinding against you, coating his length in your juices. You don’t move, almost hoping he’ll slip inside of you as he goes back and forth, the friction on your clit enough to make your vision blurry.

But you need more. Want more, need the friction to send you flying over the edge. So you lean forward, finding leverage on his shoulders as you start moving too, and San lets you take the lead, grunting under you as you rub your clit on his hard length.

He feels heavenly. He feels like you’re about to reach nirvana, and you genuinely think you might. It’s just too good, and his hands on your hips so gentle despite the actions you’re partaking in that you know you’ll be able to come in no time.

He murmurs your name, eyes still closed as he takes in the sensation of you on him, and you bend down until you can kiss him again. He takes over then, slowly pushing his dick harder into you as he rubs your clit. Your walls clench around nothing, and you’re so wet you know he might accidentally slip right in.

You don’t care - you want him to. You want to know what it would feel like to be impaled by his large dick, to feel him stretching your walls.

So do you slightly shift when he moves back? You do. Just enough for his tip to starts slipping inside of you, and San immediately pulls his hips back, even as you try to chase him. He wraps his arm around your waist, holding you in place, and then he delivers a light slap to your ass.

“Be nice, mmh?” he lets out.

Your head falls into the crook of his neck as he starts rubbing his dick on your clit once more. You moan in his ear, and then go straight to the skin of his neck, sucking on it just hard enough to leave a faint purple mark behind.

But then you’re sitting back, and this time with a goal. You need completion, need to come undone, so you add your motions to San’s, being careful not to push his dick inside of you again. It’s so good your eyes roll to the back of your head, and it doesn’t take long before you start feeling a knot forming in your lower stomach.

Your hand is on his chest as you grind on him, your free one moving to your breast so that you can pinch your nipple. San gets the message, and then he’s pushing your hand away from your breast, replacing it with his.

The second he squeezes your nipple between his thumb and index  you’re coming undone, your climax hitting almost out of nowhere.

It’s too good, far too good, and you go limp, falling into his chest as he keeps going, his rhythm accelerating for a few heartbeats until a warm liquid squirts all over your lower stomach, though it mostly falls on his. Even then San keeps moving, but he slows down, his motions sloppy until he entirely stops.

Your room is silent then except for your mingling breaths, and San holds you as you slowly come down from the high, your head resting on his chest. It takes a while for his heartbeat to slow down, and you only raise your head to meet his gaze once his heart does go back to a normal rhythm.

He’s already looking at you, eyes shining brightly like a star was born in their depths. You can’t help yourself - you kiss him, but this time it’s softer than a feather. It’s the perfect conclusion to the action that just unfolded, and you sigh in contentment, eyes still shut as you pull away from the kiss.

Your eyelids flutter open to see San with his eyes still closed. He sighs too, a lazy smile growing on his lips, and you chuckle at the sight.

“I can’t believe we just basically fucked without fucking,” you comment.

He snorts, and then you both burst out laughing.

“What are you doing to me, woman?” San asks, but it’s a rhetorical question. “You’re so…” His eyes flutter open. “You’re so fucking perfect, you know that, right?”

Pink dusts your cheeks. “Stop, I’m not.”

“To me, you are,” he insists as he shuts his eyes again with the same satisfied smile on his lips. “I’ve never come like this before. You really turn me on so much, you have no clue.”

“Then why don’t you carry a condom around, mmh?”

He chuckles. “You still came, didn’t you?”

You roll your eyes, pushing yourself up just enough so that you can look at the mess between the two of you. “Like you didn’t? You made a mess.”

He cracks an eye open to glare at you playfully. “It’s your fault. You’re the one that started grinding on me.”

“No regrets,” you tease, and you both laugh again.

When the laughter recedes, you reach for the box of tissue on your bedside table, putting it on the bed next to you. And then you grab some tissues, sitting back on San so that you can clean your lower stomach. He makes to reach for some tissues too, but you swat his hand away. He laughs softly, and then looks at you with those sparkling eyes of his as you clean him up too.

“You’re sleeping over, right?” you ask.

San smiles, tilting his head to the side. “I’m getting the feeling that you wouldn’t let me leave even if I wanted to.”

“You want to leave?” you say with a pout.

He props himself up on his elbows, and the muscles on his chest shift from the switch in position. It’s hot, almost enough to get you going again, so you quickly look away, meeting his gaze instead.

“Not at all,” he answers truthfully. “I just want to sleep with you.”

You cock an eyebrow, mischief in your gaze. “To sleep with me, mmh?”

He chuckles, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Yes, sleep. To sleep with you in my arms like we did yesterday.”

Butterflies take flight in your stomach, and you barely can hold your smile. San just looks at it for a few seconds, and then he sits up to kiss you softly as he loses one hand in your hair.

“We should probably take a shower first, though,” he says in the space between the two of you as he leans his forehead against yours.

You agree. You definitely should, yet you don’t want to leave the comfort of the safe haven that your room is. But you have to, so you force yourself to pull away from his forehead, turning your head to the side so that you can focus on the sounds in the apartment.

It’s dead silent, and though you wait a couple of seconds, Yunho and Sydney don’t make themselves heard at all.

“Do you think they went to bed?” you ask.

San ponders for a few seconds as he, too, listens to the apartment. “Seems like it.”

You nod once, and then you’re getting up. You grab San’s t-shirt, putting it on quickly before he can steal it from your hands. He just smiles at the sight as you hand him his pants. 

You put a pair of PJ shorts on while he gets dressed, and then you guide him to the bathroom so that you can take a shower together.

Later, when you’re finally tucked in bed with your head on his shoulder, his arm holding you close to him, you trace idle shapes on his stomach. San kisses the top of your head, bringing a smile to your lips, and you peck his jaw.

He kisses you a second later, and though it’s short, his heart is beating quicker in his chest when you lean your head against him once more after. It fills you with warmth, and you nuzzle your face in his neck, breathing in the distinct scent of him.

You fall asleep entwined with him, dreams of a park and a dimpled smile occupying your night.

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[tgmsunmontue]

Season to Taste - 42/42

Explicit Hangster - Celebrity Chef Bradley and Naval Aviator Jake Seresin who have a relationship spanning the globe before they realize how tightly bound they are to one another.

PROLOGUE/1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (interlude) 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 (interlude) 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 (interlude) 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 (interlude) 41

CHAPTER FORTYTWO

                “I don’t care about the weather ruining the day Maria. As long as Leo and I am married then I consider the day a success. Mission accomplished.”

                Jake is quite frankly sick of talking about nothing but the wedding. Reassuring his sisters, Silvia, and Vi that he doesn’t care if they end up getting married in a fucking barn. However, he guesses he should have listened and answered some of their questions more clearly, because it’s come back and bit him on the ass. Or come home to roost as Phoenix has gleefully pointed out.

                “I’m not spending the night before our wedding day apart. We spend too many of our days and nights apart as it it…”

                “It’s bad luck!”

                “It’s bullshit is what it is. We’re doing this together and this is just… making it very very public.”

                He doesn’t care about the photographers and cameras that will be there, he cares that Leo will be there, and as if summoned by mere thought he’s there and Jake reaches for him.

                “Come here…” Leo says, and he’s wrapping his arms around Jake’s waist, nuzzling into the crook of Jake’s neck and Jake knows exactly what he’s doing, which is distracting him and calming him down all at once. “Jake’s right, I already talked to Olivia and Nicola. We aren’t spending the night apart beforehand.”

                “Fine,” Maria huffs, and she stalks off and Jake lets himself slump again Leo a little, because of course his sisters will respect what Leo wants but try and browbeat Jake, despite it being his fucking wedding.

                “Just a couple more days and it’ll all be over and we’ll be on a beach lying in the sun…”

                “Yeah. You in nothing but a swimsuit for an entire two weeks. Definitely looking forward to that…”

                “Who says I need a swimsuit? It’s a private beach.”

                “Ugh. Killing me…”

                “What a way to go,” Leo says with a laugh and Jake laughs with him.

…            …            …

                The rehearsal and dinner go off without any problem, and it’s loud and chaotic and Jake is so glad his Italian is as good as it is, because he understands what everyone is saying. Mostly. Because he’s the asshole Jake knows and loves, Leo has taken to switching to French whenever he doesn’t want Jake to know what he’s talking about, which Vi, Leandro and Silvia all speak perfectly fluently as well.

                They’ve just finished practicing their first dance, led by Jake seeing as he actually had to learn when he was at USNA, and Jake shakes his head as Leo starts a rapid fire conversation in French and Jake pulls a face and rolls his eyes, catches Leo’s quick glance and pokes his tongue out. He gets a quick kiss pressed to his cheek, later murmured in his ear and he shakes his head and decides to go and annoy Leo’s other parental figures.

                Maverick is standing beside Admiral call me Tom Kazansky, and they’re both looking emotional, but then again it seems par for the course recently, everyone’s emotions close to the surface. They’re having the ceremony as early in the day as possible to allow for the hope that his mom will be less confused, but he’s also prepared himself for the scenario where she simply cannot attend.

                “Maverick. Admiral.”

                Admiral Kazansky lets out a tired sigh, he finally seems to have given up trying to get Jake to call him anything less formal, and Maverick also seems to get a kick out of it. He wonders when Admiral Kazansky will click that Jake is now doing it more to be a bit of an ass than anything else.

                “Hangman… you. The. Uh. The dance song. Did… you choose that?”

                “No. Leo wanted it.”

                “Oh…”

                “What?”

                “Did Bradley tell you why he wanted that song?”

                Jake hears Maverick’s voice crack, then the cough to clear it.

                “No. He didn’t…” he’s about to ask why it’s significant, but like Leo has pointed out, he’s smart about the important stuff. He knows without asking that this song was part of Leo’s parents’ wedding ceremony in some way, maybe their first dance song as well. Sneaky asshole.

                “Excuse me Mav, Admiral. I need to go and talk to someone…”

…            …            …

                Bradley wakes up with Jake pressed along his back. In deference to the fact that it was the night before their wedding they had let themselves be booked into a little boutique hotel. Vi told him in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t going to be cooking the morning of his wedding when he’d moaned about there not being a kitchen. He turns in the bed to face Jake, kisses him slowly and sweetly to wake him, grins against the answering smile he feels appear.

                “Morning.”

                “Morning.”

                They keep kissing, fingers trailing over bare skin and Bradley wonders if they’re going to have time for anything before they’re meant to be up. It’s still early though, and they’d definitely made time last night, leaving early despite the catcalls. Jake had seemed a little preoccupied but happy, and Bradley’s pretty sure he could have been described the same way.

                “Happy wedding day…”

                “Yeah… going to make it happier?”

                “Of course,” Bradley laughs, licking over Jake’s collar bone and inhaling deeply, smelling the peppermint-rosemary-green-tea of his own body wash that Jake now exclusively uses, regardless of whether he’s deployed or at home and it reminds him of what he got made. “Wait, wait… I got you something…”

                “You got me a present?” Jake asks, pulling back to judge him, one eyebrow going up and Bradley can’t help smirking, feeling smug. Because he has, but it’s not just for Jake. Neither is the other little surprise he has planned. “You… of course you did. What did you make me this time?”

                “I didn’t make anything. I had an idea and got in touch with the company and… well. Here. Open it.”

                He hands the bottle over. It’s the same brand of body wash that Bradley has been using for years; sent to him to try out for free years ago, and to feature on one of the shows. The particular scent of peppermint-rosemary-green-tea had touted itself as reducing stress, and Vi had told him he needed it. Now it reminds him of a lot more, so many moments with Jake. However he misses the citrus undertone of Jake’s old bodywash, smelling that sharp sweetness mixed with the mint and he watches as Jake flips the lid open.

                “It smells…” Jake frowns. “It’s like you’ve mixed your body wash with my old one…”

                “Yeah. Probably a bit more complicated than that, but that’s pretty much what I asked them to do,” Bradley says, and he goes back to placing a trail of kisses up Jake’s neck, the smell of the open bottle tickling his nose and he knows this moment is going to be a new scent memory and he breathes in deep.

                “You… got us a bespoke body wash?”

                “Yeah. Want to go try it out?” Bradley asks, pulling back to grin at him.

                “Oh… yeah. Fuck yeah.”

                They keep kissing as the shower warms up; he hasn’t had a chance to look at the time, but at least he and Jake don’t have hair and make-up to worry about. It feels early enough. Phoenix and Vi both had muttered about unreasonably early starts, and Jake’s sisters are also getting everything done. He’s glad he only has to worry about shaving and doing his hair, knows Vi will have opinions regardless. Does even when there is a team of makeup and hair artists working on him.

                Jake is grabbing supplies from his toiletry bag, grumbling under his breath about having to stay away from home the night before his own wedding and Bradley laughs, catching his mouth in a kiss as he takes the lube from Jake’s fingers, wants Jake’s hands on him instead. They don’t have infinite time; he knows Vi won’t hesitate in barging in if they don’t keep to the timeline she’d pressed into their hands two days ago. Fortunately, he’s pretty sure this won’t take long.

                After years together they know each other’s bodies intimately, how to get each other off as quickly as possible, and how to drag it out and make it really good. Jake has treated it like a job to learn all of Bradley’s little quirks, ones he himself didn’t know he had, and he loves Jake more every day for it. He pushes his ass against Jake’s cock, lets his head tip back so Jake can lick at his neck.

                “Can’t wait to marry you…” Jake murmurs, and his fingers are already slippery with lube, slipping between his ass cheeks and Bradley lets his eyes fall closed and just relax into the sensation. “Getting to call you my husband.” He’s still a little loose from last night, when he’d insisted on Jake fucking him just in case they slept in today or ran out of time. He should have known that wasn’t going to happen, not with how early Jake rises, but still.

                “Yeah…” Bradley murmurs, because it’s the same for him. They’ve had quiet conversations in the dark and feel the same about so many things, fingers tracing over ring fingers and pulse points. And right now pressing lube into him.

                “You want me to wear a condom? Or you want to have my come dripping out of you all day?”

                “Jesus Jake…”

                “Or I could just pull out and come all over your ass…”

                “Yeah. Yeah. That…” Bradley breathes, because he also doesn’t want Jake to leave him to go and hunt out a condom. He groans then, breath catching as Jake just slides into him. It’s tight, just the way he likes, the fine line between pleasure-pain as Jake presses into him, fingers of one hand digging into his hip, the other wrapped around Bradley’s cock, not yet doing anything other than hold him proprietarily. His mouth and teeth are on Bradley’s neck and shoulders, stubble scraping against skin already sensitive from last night.

                He braces his forearms against the wall, spreads his legs further apart and pushes back, a little gasp escaping as Jake pulls out a little and then fucks straight back into him sharply. Jake’s groans make his own cock jerk and that’s what get Jake’s hand moving, a rhythm he’s perfected while he fucks Bradley. He mixes it up depending on what he’s aiming for; and Bradley knows better than to reach down and touch himself. Jake will tell him if he’s allowed, has never failed to make it good for him. Sometimes turning him around and dropping to his knees and sucking Bradley down until he can’t take it anymore or dragging it out and edging him for fucking days; the resulting orgasm bringing him to tears and scream-sobs of pleasure.

                He can count the number of times he’s fucked Jake on one hand. Past the first time he’s never felt the urge, more than content to have Jake’s body covering him, holding him, pressing into him. The few times Jake has asked, and Bradley uses the term ask very loosely, it’s been intense, sure Jake was going to shake apart, certain he was going to halt Bradley in the act. The most recent time had been about ten weeks post mission, and Bradley is fairly certain Jake was trying to chase away the fact that he had almost died by reaffirming their own connection.

                “Leo… you with me?”

                The hand on his cock is tight, Jake grinding up against him and Bradley’s attention snaps back to the present, the realization that this is the last time they’re having sex as un-married men and he lets out a little half-hysterical breath and nods, his breath coming in hot hard pants, mixing with the steam from the water.

                “Jake… yeah… yeah… come on…”

                “Fuck I love you…”

                Bradley laughs again, because Jake sounds almost angry about it as his hips slap against Bradley’s ass, then he’s shifting slightly. Bradley swears under his breath, the head of Jake’s cock now incessantly pushing, dragging over Bradley’s prostate with every thrust of Jake’s hips. The hand on his cock has sped up and his entire body is lighting up with all-over shiver-tingles, nerve endings all alive and he groans, so close to coming, his gut and balls tight with anticipation. He’s repeating Jake’s name over and over like a mantra, then the fingers digging into his hip are gone, and he knows Jake is jerking himself off frantically. Feels the hot splatter of come on his lower back, Jake’s teeth in his shoulder, his groan vibrating against his back and he lets out a whine.

                Then Jake’s kissing what is undoubtedly going to be a bite mark, and there are fingers pressing back inside him, seeking with practiced precision and –

                “Jesus fucking Christ Jake…”

                “Yeah… come on. You can come for me now…”

                He shudders apart at the request-command, Jake’s hand working his cock and fingers inside him and he knows when his knees go from beneath him Jake will be there to catch him.

…            …            …

                “Oh for fucks sake… you’ve both got beard burn. This is why you should have spent the night apart…”

                “Pretty sure you don’t want us fucking each other in the aisle…”

                “You wouldn’t.”

                “You willing to risk it?” Jake asks and Bradley snorts in amusement.

                Vi rolls her eyes and scoffs, and she looks stunning in her burnt-orange off-the-shoulder dress, dark curls pinned artfully on top of her head.

                “You look beautiful…”

                “Grazie. Vorrei poter dire lo stesso…”

                “Fuck you too…” Bradley says with a laugh and Jake is laughing as well and he’s so glad that Jake can understand Italian now.

                “He’s plenty beautiful,” Jake murmurs, giving him a wink and Bradley knows he’s blushing, can’t hide how Jake makes him feel even if he wanted to.

                “Ugh. I can’t even with you two. Not on your wedding day. Here. I got you both something…”

                Then she’s shoving little boxes at them and Bradley takes it with curiosity.

                “You got us…”

                “Cufflinks… oh my god. It’s… are they F-18s?” Jake asks, and of course he’s already well ahead of Bradley, opened his and looking at them closely with a wide grin on his face. Bradley snaps his little box open and stares at the tiny golden whisk and knife crossed over each other.

                “Grazie Vi…”

                “Mmm. Now do something sappy like swap one with each other and there, you’ve got something new and something borrowed…”

                Jake mumbles under his breath about superstitious bullshit, but his fingers work effortlessly to remove Bradley’s plain cufflinks and replace them with one each of their new pairs, before he places a kiss on the side of face and he turns his head to capture his mouth in a proper kiss, although not a long one because he doesn’t trust Vi to not kick them both in the shin.

                “Right. You now both look… ready to get married. Jake, Javy is waiting for you downstairs. We’re doing the illusion of you seeing each other for the first time. Try and look like you’re in love… oh… huh. You won’t have a problem.”

                “I’d hope not.”

…            …            …

                It’s obviously not the first time he’s seen Leo today, but it is the first time they’ve locked eyes with the intention, knowing they’re walking toward each other. Their aisle song had been some song that both he and Leo had agreed on, from a list made by Maria, but played by a string quartet; it had sounded good. Fine. Neither of them had had an opinion. Until last night when he’d pivoted and likely caused Maria and the string quartet more stress. However this is better, an instrumental version of the same song that Bradley had asked for as their first dance song.

                As the music starts playing he pauses and waits, wonders if Leo will notice the change, and he does. Jake is watching him closely enough as they walk toward one another that he catches the falter in his step as he notices the tune, his mouth dropping open slightly as he registers. Then his lips go flat and Jake can see the trembling of Leo’s chin and fuck, he’s crying, but okay, no, he’s also smiling, a little shaky, but Jake knows he’s done a good job as they get closer.

                They’re both in dark blue, bespoke suits he has no idea when he’ll wear it again. However he doesn’t care, because Leo looks stunningly gorgeous and happy as he walks toward Jake. Then they’re standing face to face and he reaches for Leo’s hands, brings them up and presses a kiss to the knuckles of each hand.

                “You asshole…” Leo breathes and it just makes Jake grin wider, because his words might be saying one thing, but his eyes, the look on his face, they say something completely different.

                “You could have told me…” Jake says under his breath.

                “I… I didn’t want to say anything. How did you… Did someone tell you?”

                “I figured it out…”

                “Smart…”

                “Mmm. I mean. Maverick was sort of emotional about the song choice, so I did have a hint that maybe the song was more important than you let on…”

                “I didn’t want to make you have a song you didn’t like…”

                Jake rolls his eyes and shakes his head minutely, because they’ve gone over this before but he’s suddenly aware that they’re having this conversation in the aisle of their wedding and everyone is waiting on them, and Leo seems to have the same realization.

                “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

                “I love you. Ready to get hitched?”

                “More than ready.”

…            …            …

                Apart from the little stolen moments everything seems to blur, but he tries to set in amber the moments he wants to really remember. Seeing Leo for the first time, linking fingers as they turned to walk down the aisle together, the officiant welcoming everyone, Vi doing a reading and speaking about having a front row seat to their developing relationship.

                His mom as she sits beside his dad, it isn’t a good or great day for her, she’s a little confused but she knows what a wedding is and recognizes Leo; has had time to watch the small collection of videos so she knows she’s a guest of honor. It’s enough, and the fact that she’s here at all is something he’s grateful for, the earlier hour of the ceremony meaning she won’t be as tired, and then the lunch celebrations which are just going to roll into an all-night party.

                As they read their vows with shiny-wet eyes he knows that someone is translating them into Italian for over half the guests, little headphones pressed to ears so they can follow what is being said. Then he’s taking rings from Javy and holding Leo’s hand in his, the officiant looking between them.

                “Jake, repeat after me. I take you, Leonardo Bradley Bradshaw Gallo…”

                There’s a sob from the crowd and Jake turns, notes that Leo does as well. Sitting beside Admiral Kazansky and Maverick, Leandro has gone pale, is now crying along with Silvia and okay, Jake’s clearly not the only one in the dark with this little surprise and he turns to Leo and shakes his head a little. Asshole he mouths and he didn’t think Leo could look happier, but his grin widens, eyes glint with mischief and Jake’s entire life feels perfect.

                “I take you Leonardo Bradley Bradshaw Gallo,” he repeats dutifully.

                “To be my lawfully wedded husband.”

                “To be my lawfully wedded husband.”

…            …            …

                He doesn’t have a chance to bring it up, there are so many people. It’s family, and the Dagger squad, and Jake did not expect for there to be so many brass at his wedding. The fact that they’re there as Leo’s side of the family is wild, and he wonders if this is what it would be like marrying into some type of royalty. There’s so many photographers he knows he’s going to be so grateful for them capturing lots of moments he will either forget or simply won’t get to see. Lincoln dumping the rose petals in a single move by overturning the basket. Lincoln’s younger sister then sitting down and picking them all up and placing them back into her basket. Little anecdotes he’s heard from his sisters throughout the day.

                He never thought about his wedding day, but he can’t imagine it getting better than this. The small details don’t matter, it’s the big things, like the happiness and love he just feels surrounded by. The combination of English and Italian which all just blur together now.

                The food is of course plentiful and amazing, and Jake isn’t sure, but he thinks they may have shut the restaurants down for a week and pulled all the staff here. And because his husband loves him there are little bottles of sauce on every table; every single member of the Dagger squad finds him to give him shit about it personally, however they also congratulate him and Leo. The number of admirals who have congratulated him has started to make him sweat, a little panicky because while no one is in uniform they’re still admirals.

                Clearly Leo picks up on something because he drags Jake off to the house, has clearly given instructions that they’re not to be interrupted and Leo drops to his knees and sucks him off to distract him, not wasting any time and not wanting any type of reciprocation because he likes drawing out his own arousal. That’ll be fun for both of them later. He’s fucking perfect for him.

                “Fuck, getting too old for that. Need a cushion for my knees.”

                “Serves you right…” Jake mutters, although he already has plans for them to have a bath together later. Relax and sleep. First though, he has a bone to pick now that they have a moment alone and he’s not getting a blowjob. “You changed your name.”

                “Well, figured I’d be changing it anyway. So might as well go the whole way. Make it a five-barrel abomination…”

                “You ever thought of double-barreling the last name Gallo and Seresin?”

                “Uh… no.”

                “Well. Maybe we should talk about that. And if I had Gallo as well maybe Hangman would get a different meaning…”

                “Yeah? You’d want that?”

                “Well, pretty sure my reputation as a complete asshole is completely shot to hell after today…”

                “Yeah, it was definitely today that did it,” Leo says with a grin and Jake shoves him playfully, aware that he probably has a point. He’s always made it known that he had a soft spot for his family and boyfriend. Husband.

                “Come on, we’re meant to be the guests of honor.”

                “I wasn’t the one that needed to be distracted.”

                “I thought all that was because you can’t keep your hands off me.”

                “Mmm. True. Just a happy coincidence that it also distracted you then…”

                “So happy…” Jake says, and he knows Leo understands him without spelling it out any further.

…            …            …

                Despite their years together they’ve never managed to spend time in Italy together. It was something they had both agreed on immediately, a ten-day honeymoon in Italy. Private house, private beach. Big kitchen. Pool. No need to wear clothes, maybe just an apron when he’s cooking, which he knows Jake loves. It reminds him a little of their first chunk of time they spent together, when they’d both been circling around each other uncertain about what they were doing. He’s so glad he trusted his gut all those years ago.

                Right now Jake’s swimming laps, his wry comment about how if he’s going to be doing nothing but eat Bradley’s food for ten days he needs to ensure he’s still fit enough to work. Bradley had simply said it sounded like a him problem, that he’d be in the kitchen. He’s made fresh pasta for later, as well as some dough for bread rolls. He’s not meant to be working on a new book, but he finds himself scribbling down some ideas anyway, startles a little when he feels a much cooler body press up against his bare back.

                “Hey…”

                “Hi. Mmm. Smells good.”

                “I haven’t even made anything…”

                “Wasn’t talking about food…” Bradley laughs, twists around so he can get a proper kiss, feels Jake’s arm go around his waist. “Why do people write that?”

                “Write what?” Bradley asks, not quite sure what Jake is talking about, then sees Jake’s hand pressing his scrappy notebook open.

                “Season to taste… surely people are going to do that anyway right?”

                Bradley laughs, turns around so he can kiss him more easily.

                “Yeah. You’d think so. But some people are sticklers for following a recipe. So it’s like a little addendum. Season to taste… make it perfect for how you want it.”

                “Huh. So that’s what I’ve been doing all along with my ketchup then?”

                Bradley opens his mouth to argue, closes it again.

                Jake has a point.

                An annoying one.

                He’s lucky Bradley loves him.

                “Yeah. You’ve been making it perfect all along.”

--- THE END ---

Their aisle song - instrumental of their first dance song.

Thanks for coming on the journey with me. It's posting on AO3 if you want to go and bookmark it, or re-read it with chapters going up Mon-Wed-Thurs.

I've also got two one-shots planned, which is why I have made it a series on AO3, so feel free to subscribe to the series there if you want to be notified of those updates. 👌

🌻🌻🌻

[realityinsuspense]

one step closer | chapter 4: day off

--summary: "me and him? in one apartment? yeah, right. nothing is going to happen" ~~ two strangers living together. not talking and just going about each other's lives. that was your plan. that's how you've always done things, and you've gone far doing so. so when you have to suddenly move into a new apartment with your new roommate, you expect almost nothing. almost.

--pairing: mingi x fem!reader

--genre: strangers to lovers, fluff, a little angst #mingi is cold and standoffish, #eventual mutal pining

--a/n: oh. my. god. hello to anyone still out there reading and happy 2025! this chapter has been a loooong time coming. had lots of life stuff going on, holidays, writers block, and overall perfectionism held me back from updating any sooner. as i re-read and proofread my work, i get quite tangled up in characterization and how i want the story to flow, which then holds me back because i suddenly want my work to be 100% perfect. but that in itself also holds me back from improving in general. thank you for your patience, and i ask for your grace as i navigate and continue to grow as a writer. thank you, love you, mwah! enjoy!! <3 (and again, there is a taglist, just let me know ^-^)

words: 6.8k

~

chapter 4: day off

12 years ago

The late spring air began to cool as the sun set, a light breeze kissing your skin. Summer was approaching. It was your favorite time of the year, and you usually couldn’t contain your excitement: longer days, vacation trips, and even something as simple as getting ice cream at the convenience store with your friends. You guys would hang out at the park nearby, sitting at the benches—laughing, talking. This summer was supposed to be special—your last summer break together with your junior high class. It was the last year before the start of all your high school days.

As the dusk settled in, you took that seat at the same park bench next to your best friend. Like you guys always did. But this time you were not laughing.

“You’re moving away?” You whispered almost to yourself, your eyes focused on the unwrapped ice cream cone in front of you.

You could feel Jongho’s gaze, but you were suddenly afraid to meet it. For the first time in your life, you were afraid to look at him. You didn’t want the news to be real.

“Yeah,” He said, turning to look at his own ice cream cone as well.

“In the middle of the school year?” You ask. It’s pointless; he’s already explained it, but you still wanted to try. He only nodded in response.

“Well… when are you gonna come back?” You murmur.

Jongho sighed heavily. “I don’t know if I will, or… I don’t know.”

Jongho was moving away with his family back to his father’s hometown. He was going to transfer to another school, and you and him were not going to finish high school together like you guys said you would.

You felt selfish for wanting to say he betrayed you. It’s not his fault. It’s for family, and family is important. You knew that. But it felt like your heart sank to the bottom of the floor after hearing the news. You grew up together. Jongho was your next door neighbor. He was your first best friend. And even your first crush.

“I can’t believe this…” You say softly.

“It’s at the end of the summer though, y/n,” He tries to comfort you. “We can still hang out like usual.”

“But still!” You exclaim, finally turning to him. You feel your eyes well with tears, and poor Jongho has this worried expression on his face. “What am I gonna do when you leave?”

Jongho then pulls you into a hug, and that tugs at your heart strings. You let yourself cry into his shoulder.

“I’ll still be your best friend even when I’m gone, okay?” He whispers, his voice shaky. You wonder if you crying is causing him to feel bad. Or that maybe he wants to cry too. It’s not like you’ll be the only one who will be missing him. He’ll miss you too.

“Promise?” You finally pull away.

“I promise.” Jongho smiles gently, and your heart flutters once more.

present day

“Someone take that pitcher away from him,” You hear Yeosang mutter to your left. “One glass of beer and he’s already gone.”

You chuckle and glance over at the other end of the table where San is talking a bit too loudly with other coworkers. They’re all smiles and laughs.

It was a different Friday night—a company dinner. This meant free food and free drinks. You down the last of the golden liquid in your glass.

You don’t usually drink often, so you decided to take this opportunity to let loose. It’s been a long week. Just like any other week, you suppose. But you felt that you haven’t had a real chance to just relax and have fun ever since you moved. It’s been nonstop stress and work. So why not? And if it has to be at the work dinner, then so be it. You were at least with your friends.

“Hey! Pass the pitcher over here too, don’t be selfish!” You project from your end of the table. San’s blushed out face is all smiles when he walks over with the pitcher of beer.

“Another drink already y/n?” San teases as he pours more into your glass. He turns to Yeosang. “And you?”

Yeosang shakes his head. “I think I’ll stop for now.” You take a small sip at first, then take deep gulps, the bitter taste burning your throat.

“Guys, just imagine this, but even better during my birthday party!” San says happily, then scurries off to the karaoke stage where your other coworkers have gathered and started singing. The music rings loudly in your ears.

Yeosang waves him off. “He keeps bringing that up. At this point I’m not gonna show up.”

You laugh in response. “He really is the life of the party.”

“And what about you?” Yeosang raises an eyebrow at you and glances at the already half drunken glass of beer. “You usually don’t drink this much at the company dinners.”

“Oh you know,” You chuckle sheepishly, slightly embarrassed at Yeosang’s observations. If there was someone that had the potential to become a detective, you’d swear it’d be him. “Just-” ”Let me guess,” He interjects. “Work. Life. Your roommate. Hectic isn’t it?” Bingo.

“You’re right,” You nod and finish the rest of your drink. “Just for tonight.”

“It’s okay, I’m not judging. Just worried, you know?” He says. You smile at his thoughtfulness and concern.

“Yeah,” You say, starting to feel a little buzzed. “I’m sorry I keep bringing him up. I… I feel like it’s all I talk about these days.. I swear I’m still interesting!” He laughs. “Don’t be sorry. I know roommates can be complicated. And maybe…he’s actually good guy or something.” Yeosang shrugs then takes a bite of some meat and rice.

“Maybe,” You say to yourself before you follow suit and take a bite of your food. Yeosang reaches for an unopened soju bottle sitting across from you, opens it, and proceeds to pour some into two shot glasses. “Really?”

Yeosang smiles and nods. You both raise your glasses. “Yup. To good guys! Cheers!”

You and Yeosang carry on your conversation amidst the loud conversation and music playing the background. You also chatted with some of your other coworkers who also joined in on your side of the table. This is kind of fun, actually. You decided you didn’t need to overthink anything in this moment.

After lots more rounds of meat and rice, alongside more beer and soju, you were stuffed. And you were definitely feeling the full effects of the alcohol. You did it. You reached your goal. As the night progressed, more people gave toasts and slurred speeches, and then it was finally time to go home.

It was nearly one in the morning, but the flashing lights on the street indicated that people were still out and about. The places closed late here, you noticed. San was completely wasted—slumped over Yeosang’s shoulders, trying his best to prop him up with his much smaller frame. The smaller one carrying the bigger one—it was a sight that made you giggle. After loudly expressing each other’s concern, Yeosang assured you they were going to be fine going home and that he’s done this a bunch of times. You also assured him that you’d be able to get home after his offer of sharing a cab. This part of the city was generally safe. And you, too, have done this before.

“Are you sure y/n?” Yeosang pressed. “It’s getting late.”

“It’s okay!” You urged. “It’s totally okay, I’m closer than you guys. He needs to get home asap.” You poked San’s shoulder, and Yeosang chuckled.

“Okay fine, but let me know when you get home!” Yeosang is already dragging San into a cab they managed to hail.

“You too!” You called out happily.

But then again, it’s been a long time since you’ve felt like this.

Feeling drunk felt so freeing, vulnerable, and scary at the same time. Your head was pounding, and your eyes were desperate to close. You were tired, but still so full of energy. You were aware of everything still, just…lighter. And now you were standing out alone, drunk in the night’s cold. Of course, taxis were to come and go, so you just stood at the edge of the sidewalk waiting for one, with your arms wrapped around yourself. Everything felt so heavy, and you didn’t want to move. You swear you could feel your heart thumping violently against your chest. Where the hell are those taxis?

“y/n?” You hear a soft voice behind you. Your first instinct of fear runs through you and you turn around quickly. A couple of feet away, stands someone you swear you’ve met before.

Someone…

“y/n,” He breathes. “It is really you.”

You try your best to concentrate, but your drunken mind is betraying you. You want to go home suddenly.

“Hi…” You whisper out. It was him…

Choi Jongho.

Was it really?

Your old friend.

Is this a dream? What is he doing here? What’s happening? Am I this drunk? Is this really him? What’s he doing here?

Your head was spinning with all these questions, and it didn’t help that you were drunk. You didn’t know what to do—what to feel.

He approached you gingerly, and you unconsciously recoiled.

“I.. I..” I want to go home.

“Are you going home? Let’s get you a taxi.” Jongho says.

“What are you doing here?” You blurt out. You wanted to believe that this was just an illusion. How could he possibly be here right now? And to face you so upfront like this? After everything….

“It’s a long story,” He sighs locking eyes with you, and smiles weakly. “Are you okay?” His face turns into an expression of genuine concern.

You can feel them.

Tears.

They’re coming, and you feel that burning sensation building up in your throat whenever you start crying. But you suppress it and swallow hard.

You hear a few cars pass by, and you glance back to the street. Finally. You quickly gesture for it.

The taxi slowly approaches the edge of the sidewalk where you stand, and you mentally thank the driver for coming at such a perfect time. You wanted to go home. You needed to go home. Away from this.

“I have to go.” You whisper, unsure if he’d heard you or not. You swiftly step into the vehicle, give your address to the driver, and catch one last glance at Jongho’s concerned expression before driving away.

This isn’t real. He’s not actually here. I’m drunk.

I’m drunk.

The ride back home was quick, and you used your remaining energy to thank and pay the driver. Getting up into the elevator required some deep breaths, as you were getting dizzier and dizzier—and all the more nauseous. Great.

“Too…drunk…” You mumble to yourself as you stumble into your apartment. You instinctively drop your belongings onto the floor and quickly make your way to the bathroom. You felt horrible. Maybe this was why you haven’t drank in so long…

That nauseousness caught up to you once you finally reached it, where you crouched and hunched over the toilet bowl, letting it all out. I drank way too much.

Now sitting on the floor, you leaned back against the bathtub to catch your breath. In that brief moment of stillness, your mind tugged at you to move. You were suddenly hyper aware of your physicality and environment. You knew you had makeup to remove, teeth to brush, and pajamas to get into. You had to stand up and get into your bed. You needed to clean yourself up. And your brain managed to give you a lovely reminder that you didn’t live alone. Just the thought of Mingi seeing this entire mess made you fearful. But your body betrayed you. You couldn’t bring yourself to move.

Your head was still pounding so you just shut your eyes and decided to give yourself a few moments. 5 minutes. In 5 minutes, I’ll get up.

The image of seeing Jongho tonight popped into your mind once more. His voice rang in your ears.

Y/n, it is really you.

It’s a long story. Are you okay?

He looked the same, but different. More mature. Stronger. Still just as handsome…

Was that actually real? Maybe. Probably. You didn’t know. And maybe you didn’t want to know.

Suddenly, he felt so far away again.

I’m drunk. I’m drunk. I’m drunk…

—

You gently blink your eyes open to the sunlight streaming in from the windows. Instinctively, you yawn as well. Oh god. For a moment, you simply lay there as you let your thoughts slowly come over you like a wave. What time was it?

Thank goodness you had the day off. Anyhow, you probably would’ve been extremely late. But you were also glad you got the chance to sleep in, as it was quite the night last night. You gingerly sit up on your bed, shedding off the warmth of your duvet.

You feel a slight headache rush to your head again. Maybe I’ll take it easy next time, you think to yourself. It had been awhile since you drank that much after all. You then briefly ponder how San even does it, and wonder how he handles his hangovers. Your thoughts are interrupted by your grumbling stomach.

You notice your phone at the edge of your bed and grab it.

12:08pm **

You ignore all the text notifications from San and Yeosang for now, and decided to order takeout. You were too lazy to make anything in the state you were in—plus fried chicken sounded perfect right now. After putting in your order, you notice that you’re still in your clothes from last night.

Huh.

You could’ve sworn you’d changed and gotten into bed fine, but you could hardly remember. You did remember throwing up like crazy, however. You jumped out of bed and took a look in the mirror—your makeup was still on and your hair looked dangerously disheveled. This calls for a long shower.

After gathering your things and a fresh pair of pajamas, you crack open your bedroom door and peek outside around the apartment. Mingi cannot see me like this, was the first thought you had. The thought of him seeing you like a mess after ordering him around about being clean felt contradictory somehow. But more importantly, you were embarrassed. It’s not like he’d care, probably… But…Where was he anyway? Was he out?

The silence surrounding the apartment told you that the coast was clear, so you quietly rushed into the bathroom and proceeded to take your hot, much-needed, shower.

When you were finally finished, you headed back to your room and freshened up your bedding. You felt so much better already. Five minutes pass when your phone dings, notifying that your order is officially delivered. Excited and absolutely starved, you head for the front door excitedly when you suddenly stop in your tracks to see Mingi in standing by the door. He was holding the door open and grabbing your takeout off the floor. Your stomach grumbled once again.

“That’s mine,” You say. He turns around in response, his face unamused. Guess he was home after all…

He’s wearing his usual loungewear, and his glasses are framed above his head, pushing his hair back.

“No, it’s mine,” Mingi replied bluntly. “You ordered fried chicken?”

“Yes!” You exclaim, approaching him. You attempt to examine the bag.

“Well my name’s on it,” He argues. Mingi tugs the receipt off the bag and holds it up to your face. “See?”

“But the app just told me it was just delivered right now,” You hold up your phone to his face for proof. “Maybe they put both of the orders in there? Can I see?” You lean in to look inside the bag, but Mingi moves the bag away from you. Your sudden closeness made you more aware of your height difference all of a sudden. You take a step back.

“What did you order?” He glances inside the bag, then back at you.

“A six piece, soy garlic. With a side of rice,” You sigh. “And you?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Same… except it was a ten piece for me.” Mingi looks into the bag again, then proceeds to walk towards the kitchen in silence, ignoring you.

“What?!” You follow him into the kitchen.

“Why do they do that?” Mingi takes out both orders from the bag and places them on the dining table. “Is it easier for them to put two orders in one bag even though they’re different?”

“I think it’s because we live in the same place, maybe they thought it was meant to be ordered together…” You respond, staring at the food on the table. “And our orders aren’t even that different.”

“Whatever,” Mingi takes a seat and starts eating. You awkwardly stand there for a moment, unsure of what to do. *Uh…*You guys don’t ever eat at the dining table together. Does he expect you to leave? You suppose you could. You could take your food into your room for privacy, but then again it would just make the room smell like fried chicken…

“Are you not going to eat?” He asks, interrupting your thoughts. Your eyes widen at his bluntness, and you take your seat across from him. You don’t argue since you really were starving.

“I will,” You say and proceed. It was delicious, greasy, and filling—the perfect hangover cure. You guys eat in silence for a while. Luckily, you both distracted yourselves with your phones, so there was no space for small talk, thankfully. You wouldn’t be able to stand it. And he didn’t seem to want to talk to you anyways. What is there to even say honestly, you thought. This is how it should be.

You were in the middle of responding to Yeosang’s texts when you hear him place his phone back on the table.

“You’re welcome, by the way.” He says.

You look up, slightly confused. For letting you sit with him at lunch? For giving you your food? “For what?”

The corners of his lips tug up slightly, but then his expression returns to its neutral, indifferent state. “I think I went up to use the bathroom around two in the morning. Nearly had a heart attack seeing you on the floor. I didn’t know you went all out when you drink..”

Your eyes widen. Oh no…

“Wait, you…” Your words falter as your brain finally connects the dots. It was no wonder you were still in your same clothes and makeup. You usually had the strength to complete those tasks no matter how drunk you were—but I guess you hadn’t been that drunk. The memories of last night seem to gather once more, and you feel your face heat up.

“Yes,” Mingi says after swallowing a mouthful. He scans your face, and his eyes show a slight hint of amusement. “You wouldn’t budge, no matter how long or hard I shook you. I had to flush that disgusting toilet bowl, and carried you to your room.”

“Oh god,” You throw your face in your hands. “Oh my god. That is so embarrassing-”

“It’s fine, I know it was a Friday night just-” Mingi glances back down to his food. “Don’t do that next time.”

“That won’t happen again. I can usually handle myself. I don’t know- I guess last night was too much, I was-” You scramble to find the words, but decided not to put forth any excuses. You sigh heavily. “Thanks..”

Mingi simply nods and finishes up his food. After checking his phone one more time, he stands up.

“Well, now I think you owe me y/n,” He says and slides over his dirty dishes to you. “My dishes, for the next two weeks?”

“Huh?!” You scoff with your mouth half full of chicken. What the hell? You decided to challenge him with his own words. “What happened to keeping to ourselves and doing our own chores?” You did NOT want to involve yourself with another roommate related fiasco, yet here you were. It was as if these conflicts were inevitable, and you two kept clashing at the most random of times.

“Oh I know, but you didn’t. Drunk on the bathroom floor definitely crossed that line,” Mingi says matter-of-factly. It was true. You shivered at the reminder that he carried you into your room. What did he even think of you? You immediately pushed that thought away. **“But anyway… as roommates. I helped you, and now you have to help me. Right?”

Roommates.

“Fine, is that how it’s going to work now?” You sigh in defeat. “Two weeks, and that’s it.”

“Deal.” Mingi smiles a little, then leaves the kitchen.

What just happened?

~

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tags: @hwaskookies @chicksmoothie

[skzhocomments]

The Rising Empress - Bang Chan Stray Kids Fanfic (Masterlist)

Main Masterlist

Pairing: Bang Chan (of Stray Kids) x OC (name: Aristia)

Genre: non-idol AU, Royal AU, soft enemies to lovers, angst, romance, mature

Word Count: ~64k words divided in 17 chapters

Warnings: explicit, mature, swearing, feelings of hopelessness, angst, depression, crying, domestic violence, depression, anxiety, angst, etc.

This is just a story that doesn’t describe Stray Kids members' true characters in any way. It’s just a product of my imagination and should be treated as such.

This story is also on Wattpad (click here) and AO3 (click here)

A/N: As any other writer out there, I would appreciate reblogs and your comments on this story. Please let me know if you enjoyed it, and most importantly, have fun!

---

Summary:

“I guarantee you nothing will happen to you. I give you my word.” “How much does your word weigh, though?” Aristia scoffs. “You vowed during our wedding to love, cherish, and protect me no matter what. So far, none of your vows were respected. You said it yourself. You were never a husband to me.” “Neither were yours. In sickness and in health, I will stand by your side. With all that I am and all that I have, I pledge my loyalty and my love to you.” Chris scoffs as well. “You didn’t give me any chance to get close to you. You’ve put up your barriers and thought of me as your enemy since day one.” She comes closer to him. “I had no idea we shared an enemy instead, Aristia. Truly. I thought you were a spy.” “You didn’t even ask me anything. You dead bolted me.” “How could I have trusted you? You are the daughter of my enemy.” Chris frowns. “I don’t know. How can I trust you now, then? You are a man who hates me for simply being born as a princess of the enemy kingdom.” “… I assume you can’t.”

---

The Kingdom of the South and the Empire of the Sun forge an alliance at the expense of Princess Aristia - the daughter of a King who didn’t want her, sent over like a sacrificial lamb to his enemy, a man who doesn’t want her either, who won’t even cast a look at her. She decides she won’t look at him either. Two can play this game. --- Non-idol AU This story takes place in an alternate universe where Bang Chan is Emperor Mature content ahead. 18+ ©storminsidemycore

Hello!

Storm here!

The Rising Empress is a story I've started writing on 17/01/2024 and finished on 28.10.2024.

I've always been an avid Manga and Manhwa reader, so I've pretty much gotten inspiration from the hundreds of things I've read, which is how this story was born.

I hope you will enjoy it, as I'm extremely proud with how it turned out. It's safe to say that for me personally, this is one of my best, if not the best work.

The main character's name (Aristia) is inspired after the Manhwa The Abandoned Empress - which is where I found this name and its meaning. Apparently, "Aristia" means "Rising Empress", which I found quite fitting for this story.

---

The story and cover are original and my property. Any similarities to other stories are purely coincidental. Aristia, the protagonist, is a made-up character.

Stray Kids members or any other famous people mentioned along this story DO NOT represent their true character in any way, they are simply mentioned in order to provide a visual representation for the readers. Their personas obviously have nothing to do with their true personalities. They're just characters I've created for this story, so please don't take this too seriously.

Mature content ahead. Lots of trigger warnings apply, so please read carefully.

---

18+

©storminsidemycore

---

Chapter 1 - The Sacrificial Lamb - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 2 - The Wedding - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 3 - Mistreatment and the Loss of Self - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 4 - The Bearer of Bad News - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 5 - Dirt on the Marble Floors - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 6 - When You're on Your Own - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 7 - When the Emperor Takes Notice - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 8 - Envy and Power - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 9 - Yearning for More - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 10 - The Battlefield inside the Palace - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 11 - Setting the Plan in Motion - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 12 - Aristia's Letter - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 13 - Betraying the Emperor - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 14 - The Punishment - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 15 - A Way Out - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 16 - Slowly Building Trust - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 17 - The Rising Empress (Final Chapter) - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

---

Thank you so much for reading my story, and I'm looking forward to your thoughts!

[mama2bears]

Starting Over Again Chapter 8

Warnings: Sexual content - not too much detail, (ONLY FOR 18+), Talk of bruises/injury, sharing shower, nakedness

A/N: Sorry for the delay in updated. Been busy with work. Next chapter will be the last chapter. I already have it finished and just need to do some editing on it. Hopefully I will have it posted later today or tomorrow. Enjoy!

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7

Chapter 8

“So what is everyone doing today,” Tyler asked, taking a seat next to you at the table. Most of the team had already finished their breakfast.

“Dani and I have claimed the gaming system.” Boone stated, “but if anyone wants to join us..we can split into teams!”

“I want to send up the drone, get some shots of the area.” Lily said.

“I am going fishing!” Dexter added with a smile. “I see there's a pier a few miles down the road. Maybe I can bring some fish back for dinner.”

Everyone cheered at that idea and started clearing the table to go about their day.

“What about you?” Tyler looked at you with a soft smile, “What would you like to do today?”

“Stroll on the beach, collect seashells, play in the waves a little.” you smile.

“And build a sand castle.” Tyler added with a grin. “Let's do it!”

“Really?” you asked, “You don't think it's boring or stupid or anything?”

“Darling, I'd do anything with you, and to be honest, that sounds like the perfect day.”

“Hey, Y/N..come with me to the RV for a minute?” Lily asked.

“Sure.” you stand and place a hand on Tyler's shoulder and a light kiss on his cheek, “I'll be back in a minute.”

“Okay.” he squeezed your hand and watches as you walked away, lost in thought.

“Earth to Tyler...” Boone was saying.

“Huh? What?” Tyler looked at his friend.

“I said Dani and I are going to grill some burgers for lunch. Lily is coming back for lunch, but Dexter said he wants to grab a sandwich or something at the prier. I was asking what you and Y/N are doing for lunch so we know how many burgers to grill.” Boone grinned, “But you weren't paying any attention to me.”

“Sorry.” Tyler apologized. “We'll probably come back here for lunch. We are just going to be right down there.” he motioned to a stretch of beach that was just out the front door.

“So...I hear you and Tyler are spending the day at the beach,” Lily flashed a smile, leading you into the RV. She rummaged though some boxes and pulled out a bright red bikini. “Here, you can have this...go knock his socks off.”

“Oh..I don't..I don't know about that.” You blushed.

“Girl...go for it!” she winked. “You can even change in here and just completely surprise him once you are there.”

“Thank you.” You smile ducking into the tiny RV bathroom and replacing your bra and underwear with the bikini before slipping a dress back on.

A few minutes later you and Lily come back in the house laughing, causing Tyler to raise an eyebrow, “What's so funny?” he looked at you confused.

“You'll find out later.” you wink at him and Lily giggles.

As everyone parts ways to go about their day, Tyler collects a blanket and you got a few towels before heading down to the beach.

You loved the feeling of the shifting sand under your feet. You know as the sun rises and the temperature heats up the sand will soon become hot, but now, in the early morning hours, it was a just starting to warm up from the cool night air.

“You okay?” you asked, grabbing Tyler's hand as he stumbled and grabbed his leg.

“Yeah, I am fine. Just lost my footing a little.” he gave you a smile, not wanting to ruin this perfect day. Truth was, he would be okay once they got off of the shifting sand, but right now, it was hell on his leg.

You grab his hand and squeeze it tightly, “We can go back if you want.” you offer.

“Never.” he smiled, “I am looking forward to giving you the date you deserve.”

Gradually you both make your way down close to the water's edge and lay the blanket down, tucking the corners into the sand and laying the towels out.

“How are you feeling?” Tyler asks, gently placing a hand on your left side.

“Sore, but okay.” you give a smile, “How about you?”

“Nothing that a little time at the beach won't fix.” he pulls you into a kiss, then takes your hand, “How about we go for a little walk, look for those shells you wanted to find?” he asked, “I hear first thing in the morning is the best time.”

“Well, actually....the best time for shells is after a storm. More shells wash ashore during a storm...but morning would be second best.” you grin as you two walk along the shore line, the waves washing over your feet.

“Oh there's one!” you see a big conch shell rolling in the waves.

“I got it.” Tyler reached for the shell as the waves pulled it just out of his reach.

“Ah, you missed it!” You hurry and reach down to try and catch the shell, only to have the waves pull it out father.

“Oh, well...maybe we'll find another one.” you give in, a hint of disappointment in your voice.

“I'm getting you that shell.” Tyler chased the shell further out into deeper water and made another grab for it, losing his balance and falling into a wave, his head disappearing under the wave for a moment.

“TYLER!” You screamed, “you okay?”

“I got the shell!” He grinned, holding it up.

You push though the waves and run out to the waist deep water where he was and grabbed his arm, “Oh my God, Tyler, are you okay?” you practically were yelling at him.

“Yeah, I am okay. The wave gave me a softer landing.”

“You scared me to death.” you grab his hand and help him stand, “I was afraid you hurt your ribs again falling.”

“I am okay.” he confirmed handing you the shell, “for my beautiful lady.”

“Thank you.” you kiss him softly and hold his hand back to shore. Tyler stops at the blankets and slides his wet pants off, revealing a pair of dark blue swim trunks, then he tried to pull his shirt up over his head grimacing in pain. “What's wrong?” you ask concerned.

“I am trying to get this shirt off.” he sighed, “but it's wet and sticking.” he gasped.

“Here, let me help.” you help him pull the shirt over his head and your eyes immediately go to the bruises covering his back and chest. You carefully run your hand over his chest “I am so sorry.” you whisper.

“Darling, there's nothing to be sorry for. I would rather deal with this pain and these injuries then see you get hurt.” he leaned over and placed a tender kiss on your lips, “I owe you my life. You saved my life that night.” he whispered, “I'll never forget that.”

“You saved my life that night as well.” you whisper.

“And I'd do it all over again.” he leaned in closer to you and captured your lips in a long slow deep kiss.

“Do you need to go back to the house and change?” he asked.

You smile at him, stepping back a few paces, “No...I think I'll change here.” you slide your dress up over your head, revealing the red bikini and heard Tyler suck in a breath.

“Wow...” he whispers.

“You like?” you asked.

“No...” Tyler shook his head, “I don't like it.”

“Oh...” you look a bit taken back.

“I love it!” he grinned, pulling you towards him for a kiss.

You grimace and he pulls back, “Sorry...I didn't mean to hurt you.” he leans over to look at the stab wound, “Is it bothering you?” he asked, softly.

“Little..but not bad.”

Tyler carefully runs his hand down your side and then he notices all the bruises and scars running across your stomach and up your back. “My God, Y/N...I didn't know it was this bad.” anger flashed in his eyes. “He did all this to you?” he asked.

You nodded, “Yeah, but let's not talk about him, okay?”

“Alright, Darling.” he kissed her softly. “What shall we do next?”

“Take a mid morning nap on the beach?” you grin, sitting down on the blanket and stretching out. At least a little rest.

Your side was starting to bother you, and you were sure Tyler was in pain by the look on his face, even if he denied it.

“Sounds good to me.” you laid down next to you and wrapped his arms around you. As you were staring out across the ocean, he was looking at you with a grin.

“What?” you turn towards him with a smile, catching him staring at you out the corner of your eye.

“You're just so beautiful.” he whispered, kissing your lips softly, trailing his lips from your mouth, down your neck.

“Tyler...” you moan as he tenderly brushes his hand across your stomach and pausing at your bikini top.

“Want me to stop?” he asked, desire deep in his eyes.

“What if someone sees us?” you ask.

He glanced up towards the house, “We are far enough down the beach. They can't see us from the house and no one else is around. “Hold on.” he held you close to him and rolled off the blanket, laying directly on the sand and the blanket now covering you. “Better?”

You nod, “Yeah, but we shouldn't be doing this, not with your broken ribs.”

“My hands aren't broken.” he grins, pressing his lips firmly against yours in a long deep kiss. “If you want me to stop, tell me now.” he moaned, ducking his head under the blanket to remove the bikini top.

“Don't stop...”you moaned, feeling his lips and hands caressing your body.

* * * * *

“Hey Boone!” Dani called, looking at her phone.

“What's up?”

“I was just checking our YouTube feed. Someone posted videos and photos of us leaving the hotel and picking up Ty and Y/N at the hospital.”

“Yeah..we got about a million followers. They probably were interested in how T was doing. We never did update them.”

“Maybe...” Dani said thinking, “But they keep asking questions about our whereabouts. It just doesn't seem right to me. Our fans know we are chasing the storms, and if we aren't, that's our private time. They don't ask a lot about where we are if we aren't chasing. This person has posted several times a day.”

“You're right. That is suspicious.” Boone frowned. “Has anyone said anything about us being down here?”

“No. Everyone just assumes that we went back to Arkansas to rest up for a bit.” Dani informed him.

“Good.” Boone nodded.

“Should we tell Tyler?”

“No, that's just going to cause a lot of worry for no reason. As long as no one suspects we are here, then let's not worry them about it.”

Dani agreed, “I'll keep an eye on it and make sure no one discloses our whereabouts if they do see us.”

“Maybe I should do a quick video, give people a heads up?” Boone suggested.

“Yeah...good idea.”

Boone fixed his phone and made sure nothing was in the background to give away his whereabouts and then began, “Hey Hey fan base! I know we have been flying under the radar lately, but as you know, a lot has happened in a short amount of time. Listen, I need ya help. One of our team members has a crazy guy after them. It's personal business and I don't want to get into details, but we haven't had much luck with the police. That's why we've been laying low. Tyler and the team are all doing good, but listen, if you do happen to see us out and about anywhere, please don't disclose our location...for the sake of the team. We'll update you when this situation has been solved. Thank you fans! We love you!”

The sound of the door opening caused them to look up. Boone smiled, seeing Tyler and Y/N come though the door, hand in hand. Both of their hair was ruffled and they were covered in sand, breathing hard with their faces were flushed.

“Hey guys, I am just about to start the burgers.” Boone called, trying his best not to look at the couple. He wanted to say something smart, but he also didn't want to embarrass either of them.

“Yeah, I bet they've worked up an appetite.” Dani giggled.

“We are hungry.” Tyler shot them a look, “Thanks Boone. We're going to take a shower and then we'll be out.”

“Hmm hmm...no problem.” Boone held his laughter in until Tyler and Y/N had went into their room.

“Whoa boy, I bet they're going to have an active week.” he giggled and Dani playfully slapped his head, “Oh hush! What if they hear you!”

“I'll start the shower for us.” Tyler states, kissing you softly, “You wanna head back down to the beach or stay here?”

“Right now that bed is looking awfully inviting. I vote we stay here and watch a movie after lunch.” she said.

“That sounds like the perfect ending to a perfect day.”

You pull out your pajamas and a pair of shorts for Tyler before meeting him in the bathroom. He had already stripped down and was getting in the shower when he extended his hand towards you, “Join me?” he asks.

You let the bikini fall to the floor and enter the shower, where Tyler pulls you into another long slow kiss. He runs his hands slowly over your body, kissing every scar and every bruise as if he could kiss away the hurt.

“You're beautiful and I love you so much.” he muttered against your skin, moving his lips up to your neck and reclaiming your lips as his own.

Boone, Dani and Lily were already eating the burgers by the time you and Tyler finally emerged from the bedroom. All three of them passed knowing looks.

“Your burgers are over there by the grill. We did save you some.” Boone smiled.

“Oh, and don't worry about anything that might of happened on the beach today.” Lily grinned, “I didn't fly my drone over that way.”

“Oh my God, we didn't think of that!” you muttered into Tyler's ear and he laughed.

“So...um...how's the water?” Boone asked as you guys sat down with the burgers.

“Perfect.” you say.

“Well, it was a bit salty.” Tyler grinned.

“And there was a shark.” you grinned, looking over at Tyler.

“I bet that shark's name was Tyler, wasn't it?” Dani laughed and the rest of the team joined in.

“Yeah..it was...it was.” you blushed.

Once lunch was finished, Tyler stood and took your plate and his into the kitchen. “Y/N and I are going to lay down for a bit and watch a movie. When Dexter gets back, tell him we expect fish for dinner!”

“I'll help make something. Don't worry.” you tell Dani and Lily as Tyler leads you into the bedroom.

“What movie?” he asked.

“I don't care.” you crawl into bed and snuggle down into the warm covers and soft pillows.

“Okay.” Tyler flips on Pet Sematary.

You pull the covers up over your head and hide, “That's going to terrify me! The original scared me!”

“Nothing to be scared of when you got me here, Darling.” he crawls into bed next to you and holds you tight. “I think we need to put this day on repeat for the rest of the week,” he whispered, kissing you softly.

“I wouldn't complain about that.” you sigh, snuggling into his side a little closer as the movie began.

Chapter 9 (Final Chapter)

Tag List

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[yellowharrington]

jaded - chapter 4, carmy berzatto x reader

pairing + fandom: carmen “carmy” berzatto x fem!reader (she/her pronouns used), the bear fx

warnings: smoking mention, minors dni with this story please.

word count: 2k

a/n: ok literally i am the worst ever and i totally didn't finish this fic even tho i started it so im finally posting the last part literally MONTHS later!!! sorry besties but i couldn't have an unfinished fic out there in the world so... if u fuck w this story at all thank u for reading it and all the encouraging and nice things people have said, it literally made me want to complete this fic so thank u <3

summary: tying up loose ends.

and it's a fuckin' shame that it ended like that you broke your own heart, but you'd never say that we went to hell, but we never came back

masterlist | chapter 3

It all just feels numb.

Sun coming up over the horizon and a light snowfall onto the street below. Your home is quiet, no pans in the kitchen making French omelettes, no TV playing outside the bedroom door as you sleep. No toothbrushing in the bathroom or running shower water, warm and steamy, inviting you in.

It’s not that you weren’t expecting his answer. Or, lack thereof. It’s that he couldn’t make up his fucking mind. First, he’s cooking you an omelette in your favourite pan with a cup of coffee made exactly the way you like it. He’s spending every evening on the couch with you, your hands splayed out against his stomach, comfortable beneath the waistband of his sweats. You’re in his sweater, baking fresh warm cookies so he can have one before bed, smudges of chocolate against your lips as he pushes you up against the counter, hot skin on cold tile.

Next, he has that look on his face, where he’s somewhere else. Thinking of her, in a dreamland where he can make it right again, and it all feels like it comes crashing down. The sweet nothings don’t exist in this realm, there’s no happiness here.

And when you do have to face him on Monday, it’s back to cold shoulder, nothing different. Yes chef, no chef, thank you chef. 

Sydney tries to make conversation, and you feel bad because you won’t bitch about Carmy like you usually would. Richie’s having secret meetings with Natalie, probably more about Claire, but you don’t even think to join in. It hurts, it hurts so fucking much, and it’s hard enough to go outside and take a fucking break from it all, let alone be in the same cramped kitchen with him. There’s no solitude, just aching, just disappointment.

“Did you order me a new cake pan, chef?” It’s directed at Tina, who looks up at you with the same wistful softness as she always does, smiling before nodding in your direction. You don’t hear her slide over to you, but when she suddenly appears at your station, you can tell she just knows something’s wrong.

“What’s up with you?” she asks, clipboard finding it’s way to the counter beside you, where a piping bag lays. “You’re not yourself. Something… wrong. Don’t tell me a boy did this to you.” The tears prick at your eyes and you swallow it all before you can get out a word, because yeah, it all fucking aches and the hurt feels like it’s sitting right behind your eyes, in your throat, ready to come out.

“It’s nothing. It is a boy but, boys are stupid and I’m not gonna cry over one,” you sniffle, before untying your apron and letting it hang loose on your body. “Not worth it.”

“It’s him, isn’t it?”

Your blood runs cold when she gestures just outside to the bright light of the door, where Carmy sits, phone in one hand, cigarette in the other.

Luckily the kitchen is empty when you reply, only so she can hear, “how did you know?”

“I saw the way you looked at him this morning.”

“Does anyone else know?”

“Fuck no. Between you and me, chef.”

You sighed relief, letting your front hit the counter as the stress left your body. “Thank fuck. Yeah, I don’t know, we were-“

“Fuckin’?” Tina’s got a sly smile on her face that makes it impossible not to laugh with her.

“Yeah, I guess. It felt like more than that. But apparently he’s still hung up on Claire so, I guess that ends it.”

She exhales slowly, joining you in a lean against the counter. “Jeff makes mistakes, everyone knows that. He’s moody and sad and he’s got fuckin’ problems, that kid, I tell ya.” She pauses for a second, eyes meeting yours, sincere. “But he’s good. I just don’t think he can handle himself, is all.” She takes a beat, letting her soft hand lay over yours, “He doesn’t let himself have the good shit because it always gets ruined. But you’re good. He’s scared of you.”

“He should be scared of me. I’m gonna fucking kill him,” you mutter, letting your floured hand meet your forehead in annoyance. “I’m not responsible for fixing his shit.”

She nods, agreeing with you, a hand cupping yours on the counter. “No, you’re not. I’m just saying he could use someone like you to bring him back to Earth, is all.”

-

When Carmy does make it back inside, he’s thumbing through paperwork at the desk, hand through his hair stressfully pulling at the strands. He’s trying so hard not to stare at you from where he’s sitting, noticing your cold gaze, somewhere far away. He takes out his phone to scroll through it mindlessly, procrastinating, when he meanders his way to the text icon and opens up your thread. A few texts here and there, mostly just asking about plans to come over, the occasional sexy photo or recipe idea.

[sunday, 10:26] they don't have fresh sourdough. should we just make some this aft?

[saturday, 4:35] i hate when you go in on saturdays

[saturday, 4:36] Photo Recieved

[saturday 4:36] don't you wish you were home with me?

[tuesday, 12:22] is balsamic glaze overdone? lmk. miss u.

It feels a little too domestic, seeing the way he so effortlessly became comfortable with you, a warmth and excitement that was just never there with Claire. It’s raw and it’s guilty and he’ll beat himself up over it forever, but it was never going to be perfect with her, no matter how hard he tried.

“Boss?”

Richie appears in the office, leaning against the door frame before noticing Carmy’s disheveled look. “Yeah?”

“You look worse than usual.”

“Thanks. What do you need?”

“Well, I was gonna ask if you ordered more eggs.”

“I, uh, yeah. Yeah, I think Sydney did.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

It’s like Richie could see right through him.

“Nothin’. Stupid shit.”

Richie steps into the office, leaving the door only slightly ajar.

“Cousin.”

Richie can be sweet when he wants to be, and when he’s got a hand on Carmy’s shoulder and a somber look in his eyes it’s like he already knows how Carmy feels.

“Why do I suck so bad at being a fuckin’ normal person?”

Richie sits next to him, a look of surprise. “Is this about Claire bear?”

“Yes, well - yeah, and also no. Kinda. I don’t know.”

“Is it about Miss Buttercream out there?”

He gestures to you outside the door, zesting some orange on top of the cake you were finishing up. Carmy stifles a laugh.

“We all know you’re porkin’ her.”

“Don’t say that,” Carmy laughs, hand coming up to his face to rub his eyes. “It’s more than that. We’ve been kinda, dating, I guess? I still don’t know what counts as having a girlfriend.”

“So what did you do?”

He gnaws at the skin of his thumb and lets his eyes flicker up to Richie’s. “Fucked it. Last night, I, uh,-“ his hand finds his warm forehead. “I really like her, like a lot. But she asked about Claire and I said the wrong thing, like I always do and uh, she didn’t like it.”

“She’s good,” Richie starts, letting his hands find his aproned thighs as he sits at the corner of the desk. “Claire was good for you too. But she didn’t… get it. Not like she does,” he gestured vaguely to your station outside the door. “Claire was never gonna get the restaurant and the kitchen and the fuck of it all.”

Richie's hand extends to cup Carmy's shoulder.

“Look, do whatever you want, but there isn’t really someone who matches you like she does. Claire’s history now, drunk phone calls don’t mean she’s still in love with you. If that’s what you were thinking.”

Carmy sits back in the creaky chair. “Nah, not that. I just don’t know how to do it right.”

“It’s not about doing it right,” Richie’s got sincerity in his eyes. “It’s about fuckin’… trying shit. Just go and make a move and see.” Carmy watches you hang up your apron on the hook and grab a hoodie before fucking outside. “Yeah, yeah. Thanks Richie.”

“Good luck.”

- 

“I’m sorry.”

Carmy’s voice takes you out of your trance as you stare into the back alley of the restaurant. “Hi.”

“Can we talk?”

“You can talk, I’ll listen.”

The crackle of his lighter, orange flame against white snow. You can see his breath slipping from between his lips as he exhales out of the corner of your eye.

“I feel like a fuckin’ asshole,” he starts, plunging his other hand in his pocket. “I don’t know what to say.” A beat. “Can you look at me?” It’s gentle, a question, not a demand.

You turn to look at him. Cold blue eyes, darkened by the brightness around you. “You’re not second best to me. You’re it, this is it. I like this, I, I fuckin’,” he takes a breath, “I love… this. I want this.”

“You hurt my feelings, Carmen,” tears brimming your eyes and coating your lashes. “If you’re not done with Claire, I don’t… I don’t care. If I am your second choice, fine.” 

“You’re not.”

“Even if I was. But don’t fuck me around if you don’t want me.”

“I do.”

“Are you sure? You weren’t sure last night.”

“I get it if you don’t trust me. I get it. I haven’t given you a reason to.” He searches for the right words, but chooses to take a tentative step towards you. “I’ll beg for you,” he’s quiet, unlike Carmy. “Anything.”

Your eyes meet his briefly, a soft smile pulling at your lip. “I’m not saying yes, okay?” He nods. “But I am saying I would appreciate a ride home tonight. If you’re serious.”

“I’m serious.”

“Good.”

-

The walk up to your apartment is easy. His heavy steps behind your light ones, hands sliding up the bannister as you unlock your door. He’s on your heels, a little behind. When he steps in your apartment, it’s familiar. Browned butter, vanilla, laundry. 

“Do you want dinner?” He’s tentative, letting his shoes sit next to yours on the mat. His jacket goes up on the hooks by the door, together. 

“Are you offering?”

“Yes.”

Carmy shows love through food, that’s how he always is. You can tell he’s feeling particularly sorry about it all because he’s bringing out a big pasta pot and a saucepan, pulling the only fresh ingredients left in your place and putting them next to the stove top. Your t-shirt finds its way into the laundry basket, an old sweater thrown over your bare skin.

You hate how normal it all feels, because it’s scary. To think of a domestic life with him, where there’s another girl lingering in the background of his thoughts that he has unfinished business with. Insecurities of who is better, prettier, happier, warmer… if he had the chance, would he leave? Would he jump ship?

He sits next to you while you eat, thighs against thighs, and comfortable silence blanketing your small apartment. He hasn’t gotten into one of the many pairs of pyjamas he’s left at your place, or taken his usual after-work shower, or taken out the frozen cookie dough to thaw. You can tell he’s not sure if he’s welcome here for good, yet.

When your food is done, he pushes the plates away and takes a calloused hand to wrap around yours. There’s sharpie marks small knife cuts on his fingers. 

“Are you gonna stay the night?” You ask, still not meeting his gaze. 

“Am I welcome to?” He doesn’t sound like himself, and you can feel his warm breath near the top of your head as you turn towards him. Your body collapses a little then, folding slightly at the middle to have your head fall right into the centre of his chest.

“Yes, Carmen,” you nod, letting your eyes flicker up to meet his. “You can stay for as long as you want.”

His hand slipped from yours then, sliding around your side and up your back. He pulled you into his embrace, lips wrapped around yours in a soft capture. Your hands found their way under his t-shirt, only slightly, his warm skin against the palms of your hands, pulling him impossibly closer. 

And when you lay in bed with him that night, your face burrowed into the softness of his chest, you know the days of waking up alone are over. 

[ancha-aus]

RealAgeAU Drabble - Haven

I am back with my BS AGAIN :D @spotaus You know the drill friend come over :D I can not be stopped. I have grown too powerful!! (just played dnd. Checked the chapter to upload tomorrow for my main au and i wrote a bit on a new story. I AM POWERFUL!) <- says the woman who will probably crash in under an hour lmao.

First Drabble Prev Drabble Next Drabble

We got no beta and no editing as we just go! maybe that is why these drabbles for going so well. me just kinda going and not worrying too much about the in between bits or mistakes or grammar. I just write and say that is done.. huh... writing lesson i guess. ANYWAY! back to the family :3

*---------------------*

Cross hums as he finishes cutting another wood board in the right size. He puts it with the others on the pile before checking the list he made before hand.

Cross nods as he looks towards the house "Got them all ready for the downstairs!" Cross grins as he takes a moment to just look at the house. Their house!

When Horror had returned with the news their new acquaintances had secured them a house they had all been sceptic at best, Dust had been downright suspicious.

But it was the truth! aparently they had managed to build up a good enough reputation that they had been trying to figure out a solution. An empty and abandoned farm and ground? That was too small for most to do anything with? hidden mostly by a forest?

Perfect for them!

They had gone to check it out and it is amazing! It is secure and easily to defend! Sure it is an old building but Cross and Horror can fix up the house easily enough! Dust had handed Nightmare over to Killer and had started looking around the house to inspect it.

long story short? He thinks he can fix most things.

With a hopeful plan they spend the inspection day also cleaning. That had been yesterday.

today? They took most of the old construction wood Crop and Straw had stored away and they got to work. Dust is cleaning and fixing what he can while Horror and Cross himself did contruction work.

Killer is on Nightmare watching duty. Mostly because Killer doesn't have nay skills in construction. Neither of them mind as they had been exploring their new area and territory together. Hoenstly it was adorable to see Killer walk by with Nightmare on his shoulders.

Horror walks out of the house as he takes the planks "Thanks. Walls?"

Cross grins proudly "All of them. Including the walls and the new banisters for the roof."

Horror blinks before grinning "great. thanks Oreo." nad he chuckles as Cross sputters.

May be because horror isn't wearing a shirt. Which kinda makes sense! Becuase horror is pulling a lot of old wood away and rebuilding stuff. the chances of him ripping his few good shirts is rather high. Still Cross is trying very hard to just focus on his face and skull. it is fine! No one notices!

Cross turns back to the pile he still has. it has been reduced quickly which sucks. He looks through it with a frown.

Crop stops by him with a knowing smile "Hey Cross!" he grins wider "Getting heated?"

Cross glares at him "Well the late autumn sun is rather warm!" and he goes back to shifting through his pile.

Crop nods "It is it is..." then the grin falls and he frowns "You guys already that low?"

Cross shifts through it more "Yeah but it is okay! I can probably use this to make the cabinets for the kitchen still..." still they will need to get more materials for everything else.

Crop frowns and must have made the same conclusion "Hopefully Straw gets back soon with more stuff."

Cross rubs his neck "You guys really didn't need to help this much... we already own you big time..."

Crop shrugs "That is how a community works Cross. We all help each other. We will eventually pay it back with helping them back." he smiles "We are only a tiny town and only have ourselves to count on. You heard how the deal with the repair service from the big city went. People are quick to think off us as dumb or naive. We gotta stuck together."

Cross shoots him a grin "We will try to ffigure something out... eventually." he groans "we don't even know what type of farm to make yet!"

Crop shrugs "You guys will have to test some stuff. See what works for you and your land..." he grins again "I don't think a diary farm fits you guys though."

Cross glares at him "Not funny. I swear Betty knew she freaked me uot."

Crop nods "Oh absolutely! Cows are really smart."

Just makes them more terrifying in Cross's opinion and he has no doubt that thought is clear on his face.

Crop laughs but a honk of a car pulls them out of their conversation. and. That is a giant truck. much bigger than Straw and Crop's truck.

Crop blinks "Dani and Ellie?" he raises to his feet and waves.

The truck stops and Ellie leans out "Hello! Your lovely neighborhood lesbians have brought you." she puts ahand under her chin and wiggles her eye brows "the wood."

Dani chuckles as she jumps out "Straw told everyone around town. Most people are grabbing their stuff but this was all stuff we were planning on giving to the community anyway." she shrugs "tree farmers after all."

Ellie grins as she waves them over "Come! lets see what you need! We have all types of trunks with us. They will still need some work and treatment but Dani is amazing with her magic!"

Dani grins as she gives a thumbs up "figure out how to treat wood with magic instead of the slow treatment. Most still want the traditional work but i figured you guys would be okay with this help."

Cross is unsure how to react. People don't just help them. People hate them and what they do. Tehy hadn't expected this much help and it is overwhelming "I... I... I don't know how to... We don't have money?" he is lost.

Dani shrugs again as Ellie smiles "Hey. We have been where you guys have been... well not exactly but people werent'exactly welcoming of us either... as soon as we graduated we grbabed my old car and just left. we foudn thsi place and people were nice enough to take a chance on us." she grins "We now pay that forwards. We are doing this!" she grins and winks "Will just have to invite us over for a prime tour of the farm once you guys are all done!"

Dani nods as she starts untying the many trunks "What Ellie said. the Danielle's are at your service. Now what do you need?"

Cross is still lost when Horror joins them curiously. no doubt hearing all the noise. He pauses as he takes in the sight before tilting his skull "What?"

Cross just kidna waves at the two "We... euh.. got help? And thinks? Do you know what we need?" his mind is in shambles at the moment.

Hroror sees it and smiles as he walks past. patting his shoulder before going over to the dog and bunny and having a short conversation. Horror hears their whole speech and smiles. he thanks them and explains what they need for what. The two woman listen closely before nodding and starting to organise the brought materials with practised ease.

Horror joins his side again and grabs Cross's lists. He takes a pencil and writes some tree names by a few of the items before handing them back "They will help prepare the materials. They are nice." and he disappears back inside.

Welp!! If Horror says that that means they are nice and most likely trustworthy! They get over to him and Cross explains the system he had and what they had calculated to need for each area. The two monsters nod and ask if they should start on the porch while cross continues preparing stuff for horror. Which Cross thanks them and agrees wiht.

They are hard at work when Killer nad Nightmare return. Killer laughs "Criss Cross! you are not going to believe this! The like east area just has a tiny field at the edge of the forest and part of that forest is still in our little area! better yet that means some of the forest animals are like right there!" then he notices the guests and grows quiet "oh... hello." His hold on Nightmare's leg tightens.

Ngihtmare tilts his tiny skull at the two monsters "Dani and Ellie... right?"

Ellie coos as Dani grins "Good memory. I can't imagine remembering all the new faces you meet only once is easy." and she finishes her spell on a piece of wood which Ellie pulls over to cut.

Nightmare shrugs as he hugs Killer's skull "good memory..."

KIller nods as he glances at Cross "Sooooo... Hello Lovely ladies!" he grins "What brings you here?"

Dani raises a piece of wood "Neighborhoodly friendliness." and she continues with her task.

Killer stares at him and Cross grins "They brough over some wood" he ignores the eye brow wigglign "after they heard from STraw that we are getting the house fixed up. aparently it is a community thing that everyone helps everyone." he shrugs at the doubting look "Don't look at me. it is new for me too. Horror said it is fine though."

Killer blinks "I mean... if Horror said it is fine..." he looks at Nightmare "What do you think tiny boss?"

Nightamre shrugs and hugs his skull.

Killer nods "notion accepted. Got it." he grins at them "We are going to look at some of the other stuff Straw and Crop brought along. See what is in there."

Cross nods "Good idea!" and he watches Killer walk off with Nightmare.

Dani chuckles and looks over "Not good at construction?"

Cross groans loudly "Killer is good at a lot of things... not construction." he shrugs "It is fine. We don't want Nightmare near this stuff anyway." he is too small to lift everything and could too easily get hurt. it doesn't matter he is technically a god he is not going to have to work. They don't agree with child labor.

Dani nods "I get that. best to have a child safe corner for them to sit in." she turns back to the next trunk and gets to work as Ellie cuts pieces.

They work for a long time and the sun is well past midday when more people come by. They deliver some older looking furniture and more tools and items for them to use.

Most don't stay for long aside from dropping things off or asking if they needed anything specific. Some brought over some premade food for them and other snacks because aparently 'breaks are important!'.

Crop and Straw, when he returned, work on clearing the road betweent eh main road and the farm and getting some clear markers on where to go.

Dani and Ellie leave later in the afternoon and by the end of the day their group of skeletons looks back at their progress. They aren't done yet but it starts to look more like a house than an actual falling apart piece of junk.

Dust is covered in ashes and when they look at him he just says 'fireplace' which probably means he found a challenge of somekind. Then again Cross thinks he spotted Dust on the roof once or twice but each time he had looked back to check he hadn't been there.

They are packing up when Killer and Nightmare return. Killer looking very proud and Ngihtmare looking a bit more nervous as he fidgets.

Horror and him share alook as Horror looks at them, now once again fully dressed "yes?"

Killer grins "Remember how we were told most farms have a name?"

Cross give shim a look "We are aware. we also agreed we would take time to think about it."

Killer grins "True. But! Nightmare thought of one and I figured it was perfect and fine!" Ngihtmare shoots him a glare and crosses his tiny arms.

Dust tils his skull "fact. Waht is the name?"

Cross wants to disagree but also if nightamre wants to clal it something specific he is fine with it. Nightmare never complains about them deciding stuff so why would they complain about this.

Nightmare mutters something but when he sees everyone looking and waiting he speaks louder "It was just an idea... Killer got excited..." still staring and he rubs his arm looking embarresed "It is silly... I thought... I figured Haven would fit. Haven Farm."

Cross stares at Nightmare and feels a bit of tears try to form as the meaning sinks in and what it implies and means. He can't stop it as he picks nightmar eup and hugs him close. Purring much too loud as he speaks "I agree it is perfect!" their home. their safe place. their hide out. their haven.

Killer grins wider and nods "Which i agreed with. So!" he pulls out a board from behind his back.

It is a name plate. It spells Haven but the letters are a bit croaked and nailed to the backboard. it are all different sizes and different colours nad Cross fucking loves it!

Killer grins "We made it together." he rolls his eye lights "don't worry i did the cutting and nailed it all together. Ngihtmare was my supervisor."

Dust looks appeased as he nods "Seems good."

Horror nods as he takes the plate and puts it by the door, too hang later "Will need a bigger one for the gate at the enterance."

Cross grins as he feels ngihtamre relax at the approval and start to purr himself. Cros sjust nuzzles the babybones.

They still have a lot of work ahead of them but that is fine. It will be all so very much worth it once it is done and they have their house to finally just be them.

*--------------------*

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[skimmingmilk]

Hi! I was wondering if you maybe had a wip of an upcoming chapter/story you plan on sharing in the future? :0 I love all your work and am excited to see what you have coming up!

Thank you so much! I absolutely have a lot of wips I'd be happy to share, I know it's been a minute since I've been able to upload something to AO3. I've been plugging away at "When the World Breaks" for the past several weeks and it's been pretty slow going :') I've had a lot more going on in the beginning of the year than I expected, so that's derailed writing quite a bit, but progress is still being made! So I'll share a little of Shamar's chapter as a sneak peek since it's been so long in the making <3

“Hey, guys! Long time no see.” Sonic flashed them a grin as two of his friends rushed over to him. “I see ya got a head start without me!”

“We wanted to let you sleep in a bit!” Chip chirped, flying in excited, dizzying circles around Sonic’s head.

“So we thought we’d take Tails’s medal tracker out for a spin and see if we could speed the process along for you,” Amy added.

Sonic’s eyes dropped to the abaya draped over her arm. “Oh, yeah. I can see that,” he snickered.

Rolling her eyes with a “tch,” Amy placed one hand on her hip. “There was a medal in the market, you know. And Tails can confirm it, too. Right, Tails?” She looked to the two-tailed fox as he finally made his way over to them, eyes still glued to his tablet.

“Yeah. But the shopping was definitely a detour.”

“Besides, we’re already ahead of schedule!” Amy waved off, ignoring Tails entirely and prompting him to finally glance up at her with a bland look. “Professor Pickle and I already figured out the next temple is in Adabat before we left. After that, there’s just one more to go!”

“Adabat, huh?” Tails hummed, punching in generic coordinates in the Miles Electric. “Not exactly next door…”

“But not on the other side of the world, either!” Sonic held up a finger. “All things considered, Adabat’s not a bad stop.”

“So, since we wanted to let you get some more rest, Professor Pickle encouraged us to do some sightseeing.”

“He said we could take in some of the sights while searching for the medals. With the emphasis being on the medals and not, you know…” Tails gestured wordlessly to the market around them.

“Okay, fine. You’ve made your point,” Amy sighed. “I still think we should get some kind of refreshment before we keep looking. It’s easy to get dehydrated in heat like this!”

“Refreshments! Yeah!” Chip did a flip in the air, then flopped atop Sonic’s head. “Please, Sonic, I’m so thirsty. It’s so dry.”

Sonic laughed. “Sounds like a plan to me. Let’s get you something to drink—”

“And eat!”

“And eat,” Sonic tacked on, shaking his head fondly. 

“Perfect!” Amy clapped her hands together. “Let’s all get something to eat at a cute little cafe, then you three can go searching for more sun and moon medals while I finish up shopping! I want to pick up a little something for Cream and Vanilla while we’re here. I missed out on souvenirs while we were in Spagonia.”

Tails tucked his tablet under his arm. “I’ll meet up with you guys later. I only got to test my tracker for a little bit in Holoska, so I need more data to make sure its readings are accurate. And I want to see how much we can shave off the time we spend looking for them. The faster, the better, right?”

Sonic leaned his elbow against the top of Tails’s head. “Can’t argue that!”

Amy sighed. “You really are cut from the same cloth, aren’t you?”

“The coolest cloth around.” Sonic winked, then nudged Tails. “But how ‘bout we grab something to take with us on the go? Then we can get right back to our medal mission and that big brain of yours won’t get too dehydrated before the day’s out.”

The look Tails cast him was none too impressed, but he simply released a heavy sigh and pushed Sonic’s elbow out of his personal space. “Fine. As long as it’s a quick stop. We’ve only got so much daylight before we’re slowed down by the Dark Gaia creatures.”

“‘As long as it’s quick.’ Do you know who I am?” Sonic teased.