#whole conversation in a sense. and it’s just a lot of noise right now when it’s later at night and we’re supposed to be winding down more

[stevieschrodinger]

Part One Thirteen

NSFW

“You want to listen to it while we fuck?”

“Ah, no, honestly I’ve jerked off to that song so many times now I’ve Pavloved myself and I’ll come in three minutes and twenty four seconds exactly.”

Eddie laughs. He can’t help it, which is silly really, considering he has his hands down the back of Steve’s pants. He can’t stop laughing, face pressed against Steve's solid chest, shoulders shaking with laughter. Steve’s ass is meaty and solid in Eddie’s hands, and Steve just wraps his arms around Eddie and waits for him to get it out of his system.

Eddie thinks he’s done laughing, but when he finally looks up and sees how serious Steve’s face is, he cracks all over again. Steve’s laughing with him now though, finally losing it, his chest moving against Eddie’s cheek.

It finally tails off, Eddie sighing, letting himself relax into Steve’s arms. He gives Steve’s ass a little jiggle. It’s a good ass. He can feel Steve scenting at the top of his head, that’s followed by a very firm chin rub, right across the top of Eddie’s head, Steve’s throat rubbing across Eddie’s face.

If Steve was an Alpha, it would be a definite declaration. If Steve were an Alpha, Eddie might have even reflexively tried to stop it from happening. Steve’s not though, so it just leaves Eddie with his soft Beta scent in his nose, and a sense of loose calm spreading all the way to his fingertips.

It’s different, that scent. Completely sets itself apart from every experience Eddie’s ever had. There’s no cross over, nothing from sense memory to send him back anywhere unpleasant. Just a fresh start, right under his nose, literally and figuratively. It’s a sobering thought though, and it’s not anything they’ve ever spoken about before; suddenly it feels relevant, “I’ve been with a lot of people, you know that, right?”

“Can we not discuss it when you’ve got your hands down my pants?” Steve answers, but he’s smiling, light and unbothered.

“Actually, I feel like every single conversation we have from this point on should be conducted with my hands down your pants.”

Steve snorts a laugh, looking away for a second to gather himself, Eddie gives Steve’s ass a jiggle, and Steve sighs, but it’s mock put upon and Steve's still smiling, “I know you’ve been with a lot of people, but the past is the past...it doesn’t change anything now. We both have a past, and we’ve both done things we’re not proud of...but I don’t see why it should hurt either of us now. Not when we’ve both come so far, you know?”

“Yeah but...you’re not the one out of us that’s fucked, like, a thousand people. I’d understand if...that was a problem.”

Steve sniggers, “pretty sure you haven't fucked a thousand people...but. Since we’re talking about it,” Steve suddenly tilts his head, looking proud of himself, “you’re probably fondling the guy with the highest body count in his high school and college.”

Eddie can only shake his head fondly, “so you’re okay with it?”

“Yeah, I’m okay with it. It’ll be different because it’s us.”

“Pretty sure there’s a finite number of ways to fuck and I’ve already hit ‘em all, sorry.”

Steve huffs, “firstly, I didn’t mean that literally, and you know it...and secondly…” Steve leans forward, takes Eddie’s mouth slow, soft. Gentle touches of tongue until Eddie opens up and lets Steve in. Steve pulls back, leaving soft, pecking kisses on Eddie’s lips, he uses the waist of Eddie’s pants to pull Eddie closer, both of them hard and pressing together. He whispers against Eddie’s mouth, “so you’ve had someone hold your hand and look into your eyes the whole time while they fuck you deep and slow?”

Steve follows it with a harsh, dirty grind, pressing them together. Eddie makes a breathy noise that he will deny for the rest of his life, “no?” he finally manages, weak and whispery. No ones fucked Eddie, not ever. It’s probably the one thing he’s never done.

“It’ll be different then, won’t it?” Steve whispers.

“Jesus,” Eddie looks away. Can’t possibly keep looking at Steve or he might explode or something. He chooses to scent Steve instead, chooses to try and retake a little control by letting his Alpha out for a minute, being a little territorial. He rubs his scent thoroughly across Steve’s neck and shoulder. Steve just takes it, letting Eddie work it out of his system before he settles into Steve’s hold again. Just, standing there, holding one another.

“I kind of imagined this differently,” Eddie admits quietly. They’re rocking together now, no music, just swaying slowly in each others arms in the middle of the room.

“Yeah?”

“Uh hu...I, uhm, imagined making it really special.” When Steve wasn’t in the picture, Eddie just liked to imagine simple things. Liked to comfort himself with sad but easy imaginings of Steve kissing him goodnight. Now, since they’ve been together, Eddie’s been imagining much more explicit scenarios very regularly. It doesn’t help that Steve has made them ‘take it slow’ and Eddie could die of blue balls at literally any moment.

Steve grins down at him, “so eating our weight in snacks at Gareth’s isn’t your idea of romancing me? Honestly I’m glad, I was at least expecting dinner-”

Eddie huffs at him. They’ve had a nice day. Steve clicked with the guys straight away, and Eddie can’t really express how glad he is that they all get on. Eddie was pretty sure they would; the guys are easy going and Steve is...well, Steve about everything.

But still, even though Eddie got teased pretty relentlessly, he’s calling today a win. The guys knew who Steve was, kind of. Even with Eddie’s recovery going strong, they knew something was up. Something other than the whole dealing with alcoholism and drug addiction and figuring out how to move on with his life despite all of that. The guys still knew.

They knew Eddie was pining. And Eddie didn’t know really, how to explain that he’d kind of fallen in love with some guy he spent less than two weeks with. Some guy who, actually, was a total professional through the whole thing and just...shouldn’t have attracted that kind of attention.

Completely Eddie’s fault that he caught feelings.

A guy who had to distance himself from Eddie because of Eddie’s own stupid choices. And, if Eddie’s being honest, for Eddie’s own good.

Gareth and Jeff seemed to get it though, when Eddie explained. Even though Steve was a guy, and Steve was a Beta, Steve was still just...Steve. And Chrissy still didn’t seem to believe that Eddie’s feelings were really real, not for a while, at least. But months later, when Eddie was still missing Steve and ended up, one really, really fucking tough and lonely night, writing Boy Scout...she seemed to get it after that.

They all got it, once they heard Eddie sing it, playing his acoustic for the recording. Eddie had struggled through tears for the recording, made his voice sound even more rough, harsh and undeniably brimming with emotion. That's the recording that made it to the album though. That's the one they used.

They all knew then, how Eddie felt. And if record sales are anything to go by, a truly considerable number of people also know how Eddie feels about Steve. Even if they don’t know who Steve is.

Eddie’s going to do his best to keep it that way; but they know they can’t keep it a secret forever.

These things have a way of coming out.

He didn’t need the guys spending all day teasing him for mooning over Steve, though. Steve had absently linked their fingers together at one point. Steve had been mid conversation, and Eddie happened to be standing next to him..and Steve just, took his hand. Like a totally normal, affectionate boyfriend would. Eddie hadn’t known what to do with himself, not really, he’s still getting used to being treated this way, and for it to happen in front of the guys...well, Eddie’s sure he’d been blushing like a virgin.

And then Steve had lifted their joined hands, and pressed a soft kiss Eddie’s knuckles.

Again, no thought to it whatsoever, just easy affection. The guys had all clocked it, staring at them. Eddie’s pretty sure he’d gone red as a tomato, but, thankfully, despite all the knowing looks they’d thrown his way, the guys had been merciful and not said anything.

Probably because they all seemed to like Steve so much.

“No...when I was daydreaming about this I wanted to whisk you away to Italy.”

Steve goes still, holding Eddie tight but leaning back, a hand in Eddie’s hair pulling Eddie around to look at him, “tell me about it.”

Eddie immediately pulls free and goes back to hiding, resting on Steve’s shoulder now, “you know, usual daydream stuff. Private jet. Roses. Strawberries and champagne, that kind of thing. Well, not the champagne but you get the idea. Rent a villa for a week, somewhere really nice. Take you to see all the places you want. Naturally I’d let you do all the talking, and I’d be incredibly impressed.”

“Well I do my best for the green owl...and I am absolutely terrible at taking my PTO, and the gym is pretty kind with it’s time off, I’ve probably got loads.”

Eddie pulls back, “wait...you’d let me take you?”

Steve smiles, kissing Eddie’s nose, “just this once. I’m not waiting until we’re in Europe to have sex though, just to be clear.”

It’s not really the done thing, when there’s a Beta in the mix, and it’s selfish to ask. Steve isn’t built the same as Alpha and Omega, when Steve bites Eddie, Eddie’s going to feel mated. He’s going to feel good; he’s going to be so flooded with endorphins he’s probably going to have one of the best orgasms of his life.

All Steve is going to feel is pain.

But Eddie is selfish, and he can’t resist, and so when the need suddenly rises up inside him, he asks anyway, leaning back in so his nose is practically pressed to Steve’s barely there scent gland, “you going to bite me, one day? Let me...bite you?”

“Only if you let me put a ring on it.”

Eddie doesn’t even need to think, “deal.”

“I want to get married outside,” Steve tells him, bending down and dislodging Eddie’s hands, hooking him under the thighs and lifting.

Eddie is an Alpha, he should not get off on being manhandled. He finds himself getting off on being manhandled, since it’s Steve, “that doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.”

Steve walks them over to the bed, throwing Eddie bodily into the middle somewhere, Eddie bouncing a little on the mattress, “late spring? Early summer?”

“Just as long as it’s not too hot, I don’t mind. Whatever you want.”

“Robin will be my best man,” Steve says, pulling his shirt off over his head.

Eddie stares at Steve’s bare chest, “I don’t want to talk abut your best friend right this second, funnily enough,” but Steve’s grinning, stripping off, then crawling nude up the bed, grabbing Eddie’s pants and boxers and peeling everything off in one smooth move.

Eddie pulls his shirt off, and then he’s naked. And Steve’s naked, kneeling at the bottom of the bed. And...they’re staring at each other. Steve is like...a golden fucking Adonis. He’s toned in the way you only really get when you have an active job. His chest is hairy, his skin is golden, and he’s got more moles than Eddie could have predicted but Eddie wants to find and take note of every single one of them.

Eddie’s still a little on the skinny side, he’s pale and his muscle is ropy rather than strong like Steve but...he doesn’t look ill any more. Doesn’t look sickly like he did at his lowest point.

Steve seems to like what he sees, if his cock standing to attention is anything to go by.

“Lube? Condoms?”

“Yeah,” Eddie points vaguely at the bedside table.

Steve crawls over there, rummaging, and Eddie felt like he was aiming too high when he bought supplies. Kind of felt like he was tempting fate, that the moment they got delivered Eddie would somehow be immediately punished for wanting this.

Steve grins when he sees what’s in the drawer, pulling out both boxes. They’re both brand new and sealed, and Steve peels the cellophane off both, one box of Alpha condoms, one box of regular. “You want to try?” Steve asks, holding up the regular kind.

“We could.” Eddie’s thought about it a fair bit, since the very first time Steve mentioned it, and he figures if there’s one person he’d be willing to try this with, it’s Steve.

“We don’t have to, we don’t ever have to.”

“Do you like it?”

“I...do. But I could live without it,” Steve answers honestly, or at least, Eddie hopes it’s honest. He’s got no idea how this will go. But it’s best they give it a try...Eddie can’t imagine that Steve is the kind of guy who would end a relationship over it...but he doesn’t really want to risk Steve becoming unsatisfied because Eddie won’t ever let him top. It feels like a small sacrifice to make.

“Then lets try, I’m about as far from my rut as I can be, my cycle’s leveled out...so it’s probably the best time to try for the first time.”

Steve nods, crawling back over, leaving a single condom and the lube next to them, “you should probably be on top though, for this first one, just in case.”

“Okay,” Eddie might be familiar enough now with Steve and his scent that he’s fine with being pinned by him sometimes, but being pinned with a dick in him? Eddie has no idea how his Alpha will react.

“Plus I’m not up to much for a little while once I’ve taken a knot, so if you want round two later then I’d better go first.”

Eddie wants to focus on the ‘round two’ part of the statement, because honestly, that sounds awesome. What actually happens is Eddie’s instincts become concerned with Steve taking someone else’s knot, and he rumbles out a little warning growl instead.

Steve settles next to him, all beautiful and naked and unbroken lines of muscled perfection, and he’s grinning, “what was that?”

“Apparently I don’t like the idea of you taking someone else's knot.”

“Ooooh, possessive huh? That’s nice. Well, don’t worry, it was a long time ago when I was young and dumb and willing to do anything to get what I wanted.”

Well that...that is a lot. Another small part of Steve’s past that Eddie didn’t expect. They don’t talk about their past much, neither of them do, and Eddie doesn't know about Steve’s motivations for that but...he just hasn’t felt the need to volunteer anything. It’s done now. That’s not who he is any more, not really.

“Hey,” Steve thumbs away Eddie’s frown, “don’t do that, it’s fine. I was still enjoying myself, even if I wish I could go back and give myself a talking to. Nothing bad happened to me Eddie, not like that.”

“Okay.”

“Okay,” Steve smiles, “good,” and then he leans in for a kiss.

They have made out a lot over the last few weeks. Like, a lot a lot. Like horny teenagers with their first beau kind of a lot. But...this is the same but different. Still soft, still nice, still...a little bitey sometimes. But still Steve. Except now Eddie can roll Steve onto his back and slide a sweeping hand across Steve’s stomach and over a naked hip and thigh. The head of Steve's cock brushes Eddie’s forearm as he does it, leaving a hint of stickiness there.

“You want me to open you up?”

“Yeah,” Eddie answers, “never...you know.”

“I know,” but Steve's grinning like he’s won something. “Come on.”

Steve rearranges them both, sitting himself up a little on a comfy pile of Eddie’s collected bedding, pulling Eddie after him to straddle his thighs. Eddie goes where Steve sits him, watching avidly as Steve cracks the seal on the new lube and pumping a fair amount out onto his fingers. He rubs his fingers together, spreading it a little, before he seems to be satisfied and slips his hand down between Eddie’s thighs.

Steve’s fingers are warm enough, and slick, but still the first touch makes Eddie yip and lean away reflexively, gripping at Steve’s shoulders, “sorry. Ready this time.”

“Just tell me anytime you want to stop, okay?”

“I ain’t a quitter,” Eddie replies confidently.

Steve raises an eyebrow, and then Eddie realizes what he just said. It’s not funny, it isn’t, but they both laugh anyway. “Okay,” Steve goes in again, and this time, knowing what to expect, Eddie lets him touch softly, rubbing at Eddie asshole for a second before pressing in with one finger. Which goes pretty easily, actually. It goes all the way in, right until Steve’s hand is pressing against Eddie’s body, “okay?”

“Yeah, yeah that’s good,” doesn’t feel like much, just a weird wet little intrusion. The second finger should just feel like twice as much, but it definitely doesn’t. Eddie is suddenly very, very aware that he has Steve's fingers in his ass, and he breathes out slowly.

“Still good?”

“Yeah, yeah I think so,” Eddie’s found himself staring at Steve’s chest hair, but Steve’s angling his head down, seeking eye contact. Eddie makes himself give it, he didn’t realize just how hard he’d been concentrating.

“Kiss me then?”

Eddie does. He has to keep hold of Steve's shoulders and lean down, but he does, kissing Steve slow while Steve gently fucks him on two fingers. The palm of Steve’s hand is pressing up tight behind Eddie’s balls, and it feels so good that when Steve pulls his fingers out, Eddie whines a little and tries to chase it.

He has to watch while Steve pumps more lube onto his fingers, and Eddie knows three fingers is coming. He braces a little, but there’s no need. The pressure is slow and even, and Steve’s used enough lube that there's no sting, just a little burn as things stretch to accommodate Steve.

Feels good, even, and Eddie’s panting a little into Steve's mouth when he goes back for more kisses. Steve eventually speaks against Eddie’s mouth, “put the condom on me?” he asks quietly, slowly and carefully pulling his fingers free of Eddie’s body.

“Yeah,” Eddie knows what it can be like opening one of these things with slippy fingers, so he’s happy to do it for Steve, holding his cock upright with one hand as he carefully rests the condom on the exposed head of Steve’s cock, like a little hat. Eddie deftly squeezes the air out of the end before sliding his hand down, unrolling the condom with it.

Steve’s pumping more lube onto his fingers while Eddie works, and without either of them needing to speak, Eddie keeps hold of Steve’s cock, keeping it upright so that Steve can slick himself up.

It’s suddenly very real, what they’re about to do, now that Steve isn’t distracting Eddie with his hungry kisses. Eddie’s scent must signal something, because Steve’s eyes flick up to Eddie even as he’s still working slick over his cock. It’s a little obscene to watch, really.

Maybe Steve will jerk off sometime for Eddie. Put on a show.

“Come here baby,” Steve guides Eddie’s face to rest in the crook of his neck, where the scent is strongest. It’s soothing; relaxing. Comfort. It has changed a little; subtle. Eddie probably wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t been scenting Steve a lot for weeks now but...this must be what horny Steve scents like. A little brighter, something in the organic parts that give it a little zing, almost citrussy but too subtle to really identify as anything. It’s just...a little sharp. A little fresh.

Still nothing at all like an Alpha or an Omega. Totally different, new, fresh, safe.

Eddie’s gone a little soft through this, kind of sporting a half chub now, but Steve’s scent helps, the wet head leaving a sticky trail on Steve’s skin. The drag feels good.

Eddie takes a greedy lungful as Steve notches the head of his cock at Eddie’s hole. He stills then, nothing happening for long enough that Eddie’s gearing up to say anything, but then he realizes; Steve’s waiting on Eddie. Eddie has the control here, Steve’s giving Eddie the power.

Eddie just has to take the first step. It’s up to Eddie to choose to act. It’s so quintessentially Steve...Eddie gives a gentle nip to the side of Steve’s neck, and then sinks down just enough that the head of Steve’s cock pops inside him.

It feels...big. Like, it’s a lot. Eddie has to wait, just after that, to let himself acclimatize a little bit, “Jesus,” he breathes out low, “did your cock get ten times bigger while I wasn’t looking?”

Steve snorts, “you just got a tight little hole baby, that’s all.”

“Yeah because it ain’t designed for this,” Eddie replies grumpily.

Steve bites his lips together, holding in a laugh, but he doesn’t say anything. Probably the smart move, and Eddie shifts a little, Steve keeps rubbing comfortingly along Eddie’s thighs as Eddie lets himself sink down a little.

He’s not going to say how big Steve is again, he’s not. There’ll be no living with the smug fucker if he says it again.

Eddie breathes out slow, it’s a terrible moment to be reminded of all the stupid yoga breathing Steve’s been doing with him, but, hell, if it works it works. Steve’s cock feels like a fucking tree branch by the time Eddie is seated in Steve’s lap, and he’s dragging Steve’s scent across his tongue like his life depends on it but...he’s done it.

He lets himself have a moment to settle, Steve’s hands roving across Eddie’s back now, “you good?”

“Yeah. Yeah, just a couple of minutes.”

Steve kisses Eddie’s hair, and waits. It feels like it’s in Eddie’s lungs, and Eddie is...still kind of skeptical about this. But...he’s tried a lot of shit, and this isn’t any different. Plus he kind of loves Steve, so he’s going to give this a fair try.

The knowledge that Eddie’s never going to have sex with another person, all being well, ever again, prickles along Eddie’s skin. One final deep breath of Steve’s scent, and a tiny, possessive rumble on the exhale, and Eddie lifts himself up. Steve’s hands move with Eddie, sliding down to cup his ass. Not holding, not guiding, just following the movement.

Eddie slides down again and...oh. There’s a little zing of something, where Steve must have brushed against his prostate. Eddie lifts again, sitting up now so he can watch Steve’s face. He suddenly regrets hiding in the crook of Steve’s neck, because Steve looks wrecked. Eyes are totally blown, lips red and shiny like he’s been biting at them, mouth open a little, skin flushed and the hint of a prickle of sweat at his hair line.

Well if that isn’t going to encourage Eddie, nothing’s gonna’.

He sits down again sharply, and Steve can’t hold it in any more, he moans, eye’s sliding shut and then popping open again, like he doesn’t want to miss the show. And, well, if there’s one thing Eddie knows, it’s how to put on a show.

He shifts again, more confident now, tucking his shins closer to Steve’s thighs so he can move more comfortably, he rests one hand at the back of Steve’s neck, leaning in for the kiss and he lifts himself back up. There’s that zing again, that little pop of pleasure that has Eddie huffing a noise into Steve’s mouth.

Eddie’s rhythm is probably pretty slow, and he’s maybe working the end two thirds of Steve’s dick, but it’s just the right place to touch on his prostate on every pass. It’s just the right amount of slippy drag on his hole. The condom is smooth, but Eddie finds himself wanting it gone, he pulls back a tiny bit, watches as Steve licks his lips, Steve’s fingers tightening briefly on Eddie’s hips, “we're going to loose the condoms at some point, right?”

“Yup. Yeah. Lets do that. Get tested.”

Eddie hasn’t been with anyone since he was at the center, he hasn’t been with anyone since he was last tested for everything. But he doesn’t know about Steve, and quite frankly, he doesn’t want to ask if Steve’s been with anyone in that time.

It’s not his business, and it feels like the answers going to hurt either way. Eddie puts it out of his mind.

Eddie just crashes his mouth back against Steve’s instead. Steve’s fingers slip to Eddie’s dick; he’s grown hard again at some point, probably those little touches of pleasure he’s been feeling. Steve’s fingers go straight for the base, following the rise and fall of Eddie’s body easily, he massages at the sensitive skin Eddie’s knot will pop from, Steve’s sure fingers encouraging it.

Eddie might be exercising more, but the burn in his thighs is getting pretty real. He doesn’t stop though, taking panting breaths against Steve’s mouth since he doesn’t have the air for real kisses any more. The pleasure helps, gives him something to work for, the feeling of being full of Steve, that little wave of pleasure every time Eddie moves, Steve’s two fingers and thumb, gripping Eddie tight now at the base of his dick, pulsing pressure there right on Eddie’s growing knot.

Eddie looks down; the head of his cock is red, leaking precome all over Steve’s skin. Another fat drop pools in his slit for a second, before a squeeze from Steve’s fingers has his cock twitching and it slides off the end to splat on Steve’s stomach.

“I’m gonna’ come,” Eddie breathes, Steve just makes a noise in answer, and then keeps making it, huffing little noises of pleasure. His head is thrown back, long line of his throat completely exposed to Eddie as Eddie rides his pulsing cock. It’s different, there’s no intense wash of scent with a beta orgasm, no splash of slick or knot to go on. Just Steve, huffing through his orgasm.

Eddie’s knot pops in the tight band of Steve’s fingers and Eddie bites softly at Steve’s shoulder, because god he fucking needs something in his mouth. Needs the feel of Steve between his teeth, and it takes all of his control to keep it light.

Well, it might bruise a little.

Eddie’s orgasm is a pulsing, live thing, his body squeezing and clutching at Steve’s cock desperately. Steve hasn’t even touched the head of his dick, just keeps firm pressure on Eddie’s knot until the final, weak spurts of come drip off the head of his dick.

Eddie sighs, lapping at Steve’s shoulder, relaxing a little.

And then Steve squeezes. Eddie cries out, mouthful of Steve’s flesh, body clenching so hard it pushes Steve’s now softening cock out of his body, making him whine and wriggle on nothing. Another thick spurt of come splatters Steve’s already messy stomach, and Eddie’s left a panting mess in Steve's lap.

“Jesus,” he finally croaks out, body still twitching with the aftershocks of his orgasm, his cock resting in it’s own mess against Steve. It must be a little awkward, but Steve still hasn’t let up the even pressure on his knot, and Eddie settles into the feeling of connection, Steve’s salty sweat addictive on his tongue.

The nice thing about this having sex and being a couple and all that good stuff, is that now Steve is in the bath with Eddie while he washes his hair. Eddie’s glad he went for the silly sized bath really, Steve can comfortably sit behind him, Eddie cradled between Steve’s thick thighs.

Once he’s all washed and rinsed, he lies back, both of them spread out, Steve’s soft cock pressing against the small of Eddie’s back, “how did you know?”

Steve makes an inquiring noise. He sounds sleepy, and Eddie almost feels bad for disturbing him, but it feels important.

“How did you decide I was ready now?”

Steve yawns, “told you, I saw the interview.”

Eddie turns in the water, repositioning so he’s laid out on top of Steve, facing each other. Can’t really resist giving their cocks a little rub together while he’s there, making Steve huff, “yeah, but what about the interview?”

“Oh. Oh, you were helping people. That was...it was kind of the last conclusion I came to, when I was...you know, recovering. I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to stay okay if I didn’t...have purpose. If I didn’t do something that felt important. Helping people was...it got me through everything, at the end. Kept me...once I started helping, I knew I’d never go back. Not ever. I knew you’d released the album, and what it was for...obviously I bought a copy, so I was...thinking about it a lot then. Listened to the album a bunch of times...and then I saw you talking about it...and I just knew. I knew it would be okay if I tried.”

“What if I hadn’t called?”

Steve shrugs, “then you didn’t. I’d have...been sad about it, you know but...we’ve got to do the best thing for ourselves, and I had to trust you to know what that was. So I would have taken your answer, no matter what that was,” Steve kisses Eddie’s forehead, “I was just happy for you.”

Eddie nods. Pressing his cheek against the damp hair of Steve’s chest, Eddie rests.

[reiding-writing]

Congrats on 3k lovely!!! For your celebration may I request

1. ❛ how can you be so smart yet so dumb at the same time? ❜

2. them getting angry on ur behalf

3. Maybe boyband Spencer but honestly happy with any

This is such a fun idea!! Love your writing x

SERIOUSLY, SPENCER? /spencer reid/

“how can you be so smart yet so dumb at the same time?”

them getting angry on ur behalf.

s5! spencer x gn! reader 1.0k flangst event masterlist. main masterlist.

You’ve always admired Spencer’s intelligence. His mind is like a machine, constantly whirring, processing, analysing, and spitting out facts at a speed most people can’t keep up with. But for someone so brilliant, he can be completely oblivious.

And right now, it’s driving you insane.

The two of you are at a coffee shop near the BAU, grabbing a quick break between cases. It was your idea—Spencer has a bad habit of overworking himself, so you figured some fresh air and caffeine might help. The shop is warm, the scent of roasted coffee beans filling the air as you sip your drink. It should be relaxing. Should be.

But the barista, a guy with slicked-back hair and a condescending smirk, is ruining it.

He’s been making snide comments toward Spencer for the past five minutes, and your best friend doesn’t even seem to notice.

Spencer, of course, is just being his usual self—rambling about some obscure psychology study that somehow relates to the flavour profiles of different coffee beans. He’s excited, completely in his own world, but every time he speaks, the barista’s smirk grows.

“Oh wow,” the guy interrupts, voice dripping with mock interest. “That’s so fascinating. You must be, like, super fun at parties,”

Spencer, being Spencer, doesn’t pick up on the sarcasm. He simply nods. “Actually, I don’t go to many parties, statistically speaking—”

“Shocking,” the barista cuts in, rolling his eyes.

You tighten your grip on your cup, knuckles turning white. You glance at Spencer, waiting for him to realise what’s happening, to say something, but he just keeps going.

“Well, large social gatherings can be overwhelming due to the noise levels and the sheer number of unpredictable social interactions. It’s actually quite common for people with higher IQs to prefer smaller, more intimate settings—”

The barista snorts, shaking his head. “Right. Makes sense.” His eyes flick to you, and he smirks. “And you hang out with him?”

That’s it.

Slamming your cup down on the counter, you glare at the guy, your patience snapping like a rubber band stretched too thin.

“Okay, what the hell is your problem?”

Spencer blinks, finally looking up from his coffee. “What?”

You ignore him, stepping closer to the barista. “You’ve been making fun of him this whole time, and I don’t know if you think you’re being subtle, but news flash—you’re not. So why don’t you cut the crap?”

The barista puts his hands up, mock innocence plastered across his face. “Whoa, chill. I was just joking,”

“No, you were being an asshole.”

Spencer’s brows furrow. “Wait, he was?”

You whip around to face him, incredulous. “Are you serious?”

He looks genuinely confused. “I mean, he was engaging in some light teasing, but it didn’t seem particularly—”

“Oh my god.” You stare at him, frustration bubbling over. “Spencer, how can you be so smart yet so dumb at the same time?”

His mouth opens slightly, as if he’s about to say something, but for once, he doesn’t seem to have a response.

You turn back to the barista, levelling him with a glare that could melt steel. “Apologise.”

The guy scoffs. “For what?”

“For being a condescending jerk to someone who was just trying to have a conversation with you,” you snap. “You think it’s funny to make fun of people for being intelligent? That says a lot more about you than it does about him.”

The barista hesitates, eyes darting between you and Spencer. When he realises you’re not backing down, he mutters, “Sorry,”

You don’t even wait for a real apology before grabbing Spencer’s sleeve and tugging him toward the exit.

Outside, the cool air hits your face, and you take a deep breath, trying to calm yourself down. You can feel Spencer staring at you.

“That was… unexpected,”

You turn to him, still fuming. “Seriously, Spencer? You really didn’t notice?”

He hesitates. “I mean… I noticed his tone was a little off, but I assumed he was just—”

“Being a dick.” you finish.

Spencer shifts uncomfortably. “I guess I just don’t always pick up on that kind of thing,”

Your anger softens a little. You know he’s not stupid—far from it. But sometimes, when it comes to social interactions, he misses things that seem obvious to you.

You sigh. “Look, I know you like giving people the benefit of the doubt, but some people don’t deserve it,”

Spencer tilts his head, considering your words. “You… seem upset,”

You scoff. “I am upset. You’re my best friend, Spencer. I’m not gonna stand there and let some idiot talk down to you like that.”

He looks at you for a long moment, something unreadable in his expression. Then, unexpectedly, he smiles—a small, genuine smile that makes something in your chest tighten.

“Thank you,” he says softly.

You roll your eyes, bumping his shoulder. “Yeah, yeah. Just—next time, try to pick up on it a little faster, okay?”

“I’ll try,” he promises. Then, after a beat, he adds, “But I think I like it better when you notice for me,”

You shake your head, but you’re smiling too.

[resident-idiot-simp]

Thinking again about how heavy Logan is

Al who over the years has gotten used to moving Wades extremities out of the way when he's in the way, either intentionally or not.

Wade will be an ass and take up as much space as possible so she's gotten used to just maneuvering him around.

Logan doesn't do it to be an asshole he just something forgets it's not only him there. Not from lack of noise and hubbub but just from years of it being that way.

Al assumes she'll just treat Logan the same damn way because she knows he couldn't give a shit what she does. (And she appreciates him for that Lord knows she's at least got one of them that minds their own damn business)

So the first time she grabs his arm to move it out of her way she's shocked to realize it's fucking heavy. She knows immediately he's not being an asshole and locking it in place there's no strain after all. It's just heavy unnaturally so.

She's genuinely puzzled but luckily for her Logan realizes what's she's doing and moves his arm to give her room apologizing softly. That's something else she'd learned despite what she would have assumed at first, Logan is a genuinely good man which....maybe shouldn't have surprised her.

People thought Wade was bad but she knew better, It should be a little shock that the people he was close to were the same.

But even as she sits down the can't stop wondering about the weight.

Just a few days later she is nudging one of Logan's legs out of her way. Maybe she technically didn't need to do that, but sue her she was curious. Again the unnatural weight what he was having a hard time computing.

It made no sense to her he wasn't like Cable or Colossus. He was flesh and bone as far as she knew so what was the deal?

She goes out of her way to investigate (and not ask Wade who most certainly has the answers.) Anytime she touches Logan she tries to figure out what makes him the way he is.

She discovers and rediscovers he's a hairy mother fucker. In her experiments that Logan is oblivious to she has discovered his bones aren't right, they just aren't. While Logan may as well be a heater if she leans into him (especially in places like his arm that don't have a lot of skin covering the bones.) his bones seem cold.

An insane thing that makes her beyond confused but she's been alive long enough, and isn't stupid enough to no be able to draw conclusions. Metal it has to be metal she knows how replacements work and while that doesn't seem to be his deal...with You know the healing. She suspects it's a similar concept.

But she knows mental isn't that heavy sure there are some metals but It's almost laughably how heavy he is. Because now that she's paying attention she realizes that if he sits on the couch the whole thing creaks and groans like it's in pain.

If she's on there with him she feels it because the dip makes itself obvious. So she speculates and ponders even tunes in oh Logan and Wade's conversations (a harrowing thing considering the amount of flirting)

She learns that sometimes Logan's bones ache and Wade calls him an old decreed man. Logan tactfully reminds him that he is in fact over two centuries old, and that he has a right to bitch and moan about his damn bones all things considered.

Wade just mocks him but doesn't bother Logan as he lays on the pullout just gives him a beer. If she's being honest she still can't get over how old Logan is. One-off comets here and there are stark reminders.

And well maybe she should have put it together a bit earlier sue her but the claws. The claws that make an appearance at least once a day that announce themselves with a snicket.

Metal and so she wonders if that's his mutation. If he's metal as well but something about that doesn't sit right. Mutations work in weird ways and Colossus may be metal as well.

However due to one off comments and grumblings she thinks it's not the case. Not when Wade mentions finally having katana's to match.

(Not to mention Laura who had the same claws but not the weight of the father.)

She think she puts the pieces together when she's awoken one night to screaming, sadly not a rare occasion and she pities both men. They are wrecked with demons that haunt them relentlessly.

Tonight however when hears muttering of a horror she had yet to learn about. She doesn't pay too much attention always want to give them relative privacy especially in moments like this.

But she hears just enough, tales of a lab and boiling pain and a tank of water. Of coming back to hear how they wanted to erase his memory and make others just like him.

Al hates to imagine the information she doesn't know and desides it's something better left to more understanding ears. Wade after all is no stranger to being an experiment.

[gallavichsreddie1128]

Tied Up (John Walker)

Description: Y/N asks Yelena to tie John up for her after he tells her he’s never going to be submissive.

Warning: Smut

Word Count: 2,206

John laid in his bed on his phone while Y/N stared up at the ceiling, a lot on her mind. John was in a better place since The New Avengers became a thing and he got a beautiful girlfriend. Y/N struggled with something that she’s kept to herself for so long and wasn’t sure how to bring it up. She wanted to take their sex life to a whole different level but John was difficult with that. He liked to be dominant and wouldn’t even think to be submissive.

But a year back when Bucky had tied everyone up she remembered how hot she thought he looked tied up and needed to have it happen again. “Are you okay?” John asked her as she barely blinked. She looked over at him, “Yeah.” He shook his head and turned to her, “You’re lying I can tell.” He said and she rubbed her eyes. He would just laugh at her and tell her it’s funny. “I-“ but it was hard to get out. He was waiting and raised his eyebrows, “Baby just tell me.” He said and she turned to him, “over a year ago when Bucky tied us up, you remember that?” She asked and he nodded.

She looked down, “I thought seeing you tied up was hot.” She mumbled but he heard it. “Really?” He asked and she nodded. Her face was red and she was very embarrassed. “Good luck with that.” He said and she looked at him, “You won’t make it happen?” She asked and he shook his head. “I’ll tie you up but I’m not being tied up.” He told her. She knew that would happen, he didn’t like being submissive. 

“Yelena, do you think you could do me a favor?” Y/N asked her friend who was eating cereal the next morning. “What is it?” She asked, mouth full of cereal. “Can you tie John up for me?” Yelena nearly spit out her cereal at the question. “Why?” She asked. Y/N looked away from her friend, “You’re stronger than me.” “No I mean why do you want him tied up?” She asked and Y/N sat across from her. “Between us, he refuses to submit to me in the bedroom.” Y/N and Yelena had a good friendship so Y/N didn’t hide things from her.

Yelena wanted to laugh but that made sense. John seemed like he would hate being told what to do even if it was sexually. “So you want me to tie him up for you?” She pointed her spoon at Y/N, who nodded. “If that’s okay…” Y/N wanted to make sure that Yelena was comfortable doing that given the reason. She shrugged, “Why not?” Y/N was shocked, “Really?” Yelena nodded and stood up with her bowl. “Just keep the noise down, you guys are very loud.” Y/N’s face went red and she nodded. 

“What the fuck, Yelena?” John asked as she tied the super soldier up. “You tricked me!” He exclaimed as she tightened the rope some. “Your girlfriend asked me to do this. Who am I to say No?” He looked confused, Y/N asked her to do this? Why would she- but he remembered the conversation from a week ago where she admitted that she found it hot when he was tied up. He glared up at Yelena, “you have to let me go.” He said and she shook her head. “Will not be but please be quiet.” She said and left the room, John yelling her name.

“He’s all yours.” Yelena told Y/N as she walked by. Y/N entered the room to see John tied up and she really wanted to laugh. He looked so angry, so annoyed and so hot. He glared at her, “You really asked Yelena to tie me up for sex?” He was pissed. Y/N shrugged, “It was either her or Bucky. Which one would you rather me ask?” He groaned and threw his head back, “Y/N, are sex life is great, why try to change that?” She walked closer to him, “It has nothing to do with our sex life, it’s how hot you look.” In any other case, this would boost John’s ego but right now he was too pissed.

”I get to do whatever I want to you and you can’t do a thing about it.” She teased and ran her hand down his torso, causing him to hold his breath. “Is that really so bad? Me sucking your dick, pleasing you over and over again until you break. I want to see you cry, John.” She spoke as she got closer to his crotch. He was hard and that made her smirk as she cupped him, “So you are enjoying this?” She asked as she sank to her knees. He watched as she pulled down his pants and freed his dick.

Her mouth watered at the sight but she wanted to play with him, “I want you to beg me,John.” She made eye contact with him and wrapped her hand around him. He nearly bucked his hips into her hand. “N-No.” He stuttered out as she slowly jerked him off. Her hand was soft and felt amazing stroking him but he wasn’t going to beg. “John, you could have already had an orgasm if you would’ve just begged me.” She sighed, not feeling bad for him at all. Though her voice pitied him. “You just want me to be submissive.” He groaned as she sped up a little bit.

He wanted so bad to move his hips but anything he would do she would slow down her movements. “All you have to do is say please and my mouth will be on your cock.” She tells him as her hand slowly strokes him. He shook his head, he wasn’t going to give in. She made eye contact with him and leaned in, licking the tip of his dick. He sucked in a breath, not expecting her to do that. “Come on, Johnny.” She winked at him and gave his tip another lick. “Give in to me. Let me please you, baby.” She whispered and teased him.

He closed his eyes and sighed, was he really about to do this? “Please.” It wasn’t believable, it sounded like he was bored while saying it. She shook her head, “Not good enough.” She said and backed away from him. “What? What do you mean?” He asked, desperate for her touch. “You need to actually beg, John.” She told him and went to leave the room. “Wait please. Please touch me, baby.” She smirked as she turned around, there it was. He looked so needy, it was so hot.

She walked back up to him and got back on her knees. His eyes no longer held the dominance in them that he tried so hard to keep. “There you go.” She cooed and jerked him off a few times before giving him what he wanted. John usually wasn’t the loud one out of the two, sure he would let out grunts and groans but it was rare that he would moan or anything like that. Right now, he was a moaning mess. Her mouth worked on his cock, while her hand played with his balls, “Fuck.” He groaned and she hummed against him. His eyes nearly rolled and he was so close.

He would have felt embarrassed about how fast he was going to cum if it wasn’t for the fact that she was giving him the best head of his life. The only downside to this was that he couldn’t grab her hair or hold her there. She felt him twitch in her mouth so she pulled away, “What?” John asked, defeated that she wasn’t letting him cum. She stood up and removed her shorts, “I need you inside of me.” She told him and rid herself of her clothes. John’s eyes widened at her naked body, which he’s seen a million times by now. “Now am I gonna have to say it or do you already know?” She asked him. He already knew and at this point he’s lost all the self respect he’s had for himself. “Please Baby, I need to feel your pussy around me as I cum.” He was pathetic but that’s how she liked him.

She walked up to him and ran her hand through his hair, his head falling against it like a cat. “Such a pretty boy.” She hummed as he got needier and needier for her touch. “Please.” He whispered and she smirked. She straddled him and ran her hands down his chest, “I guess I can give you what you want.” She acted as if this wasn’t killing her as well. His jaw dropped as he felt her sinking on to him, her warmth closed around him as he tried not to moan. She saw this and shook her head, “I’ll get up if you try to hide those beautiful noises.” She warned and he nodded, not wanting to disobey her.

She bit her lip as she took his fat cock in her, for the first time on her own terms and it felt great. She let out a breath as she was fully sat on him, “Feels so good.” She whispers and he tries to thrust up but she stops him, grabbing his throat. His eyes widened but he felt more turned on than before, “I control the pace, understand Johnny?” He nodded, not having any words. “Good.” She smiled and slowly moved her hips. It was killing him, her pace and how she was tormenting him. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she stared him in the eyes as she bounced on his cock.

His face was red and sweaty as he was ready to cry for his release but he still wasn’t going to give her everything she wanted. Each bounce was a soft moan from them, “Fuck.” She moaned and she picked up the pace. He wished so badly that could grab her hips and slam her down onto his cock, even just to touch her would be nice. “Faster.” He begged without meaning to and she smirked. She was now fully riding him as fast as she could and yet somehow it wasn’t enough for him. It was hot to see her ride him but his super soldier strength could be used to make them cum so much faster. “You should let me-” but his voice trailed off, lost in the pleasure.

She waited for him to finish but he didn’t, causing her to stop. “No. Don’t stop. Please.” He nearly cried and that surprised her. “What were you gonna say?” She asked, ignoring him. “Let me fuck you, please! My super strength can help us.” He tried but she just rolled her eyes at him. “John, the whole point of this was so you don’t have any control or advantage.” She points out. He understood that but didn’t care, “You have had control, this entire time!” He whined and that made her fake pout. “Aww and you don’t like that very much, do you?” She teased as her hands ran through his hair.

His face dropped and his eyes went dark, “I can break through these ropes, I wouldn’t test me.” He warned her. She smirked, “Yeah right.” She tested but moved her hips. His hands aching to touch her. A part of her wanted him to try and break out, fully aware that he wasn’t bluffing but maybe she liked him in control more. She would never admit that to him like he wouldn’t admit that he was enjoying this. But good things must come to an end, he managed to break out of the ropes while she was riding him, causing her to gasp.

He stood up with her and slammed her against the nearest wall, “You’ve had your fun.” He growled and started thrusting hard. She couldn’t even argue with him as he was hitting her g spot. Her whines and cries of his name echoed off the walls as he grunted and groaned in her neck. He was right about his super soldier speed being able to help, it was a lot better. “Thinkin’ you can control me like your bitch? I’ll have news for you baby, I let you have your fun but that was it.” He groaned in her ear. “I fuck you so good and that’s why you’ll never even think about being dominant towards me again.” Everything he was saying was making her eyes roll. He was right, this was better than anything she was doing prior. “John.” She cried as she felt herself near the edge. “Yeah, scream my name baby. Let everyone know who’s the submissive one.” He chuckled and she did just that. 

Yelena stared at her friend across the table with her arms crossed, “You promised you’d be quiet.” She said and Y/N gave her a guilty look. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t supposed to go that way and he got out of the ropes.” Y/N tried to reason with her but she held up her hands, “Any excuse to get fucked in the gym right?” Y/N turned red. She did always appreciate when John would fuck her after training there.

[bijouxcarys]

Ain't Nobody's Business (Roman Reigns x fem!Reader)

WWE Masterlist

Description: Gionna's incessant teasing about your relationship with Joe comes to a head when you're pushed too far. On the bright side, it leads you to confess what you've been wanting to get off your chest for so long... **THIS IS THE SEQUEL TO "PROVE IT" **

Warnings: NSFW, MINORS DNI, fluff, smut, aftercare, hurt/comfort, oral sex (f and m receiving, 69, daddy kink, pet names, praise kink, mild spanking, comfort sex, cum marking, unprotected sex, idiots in love, multiple orgasms, fingering, spitting, dom/sub, lord forgive me, what am I talking about I'm a satanist <3

Word Count: 12.1k

Tags: @empressdede @thetribalqueen @heauxvibez @bigsimperika

@cyberdejos2 @keyaho @headoftheetable @jstarr86 @southerngirl41

@tshepisho @cry1nwhileimcumm1n @maeb99 @thedesireds @dzdndcnfsd

@expert-texpert @niknakbucks92 @sillyteecup @trentybenty @pittieprincess22

@electronicwitchsandwich @thefairywithboots @eringobragh420

(If you want to be tagged in any future Roman or Damian fics, let me know!)

The night sky over Belfast was clear, a welcome switch up from how chaotic everything was back inside the arena. The show had been electric, and it was just another reason to add to the list of why European tours were Y/N’s favourite live shows to take part of.

“Fans are always so loud over here,” she commented casually, eyeing her phone in her right hand as she adjusted the strap of her gear bag slung over her shoulder with her left. Her muscles were all tensed up and aching from her match with Trinity, but it was a familiar and welcoming sensation. This was what she signed up for, and it was never not worth the pain.

“What can I say? My people know how to make some noise,” Becky answered, a clear sense of pride in her voice.

“You can say that again,” Colby cackled with his tongue sticking out, wrapping an arm around Becky and pulling her in.

“Ew,” Gi scrunched her nose up, looking at Y/N with an exaggerated grimace. The two of them hung back slightly, behind Colby and Becky, and Gi had done nothing but eye her all night with that infuriatingly knowing look.

Ever since Miss Daddio over here had overhead that night in the hotel she’d been relentless with her teasing. And Y/N could just feel it coming again, the inevitable moment when Gi would start poking at her, trying to get a rise out of her.

“So,” Gi began casually as the four of them approached the car, “Who are you texting?”

Y/N didn’t look up from her phone, trying to keep her features neutral. “Nobody interesting.”

“Mmhmm,” Gi hummed, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “That’s why you’ve been glued to that thing since your match, right?”

The phone buzzed again with a new message just as she spoke. Y/N glanced down, a little flutter in her chest when she saw Joe’s name on the screen.

Joe: You on ur way back now?

Gionna leaned in, trying to catch a glimpse of the screen. “Is that who I think it is?”

Y/N quickly tilted the phone away, typing out a quick reply.

Y/N: Yeah, just leaving the arena now.

“You’re sooo bad at hiding it at this point, Y/N.”

“And you’re sooo good at getting on my nerves tonight, Gi.”

Joe: You good?

Becky and Colby were already in the front of the car, Colby behind the wheel and Becky beside him. Y/N and Gionna slid into the back, settling in for the ride back to the hotel. As they pulled out of the parking lot, the conversation in the front resumed. They were super amped about the rest of the tour, and more so about the fact that they’d actually be able to be together the whole time. And Y/N would be lying if she said it didn’t provoke a sort of envy from within her.

She just couldn’t help but wonder if she and Joe would ever be able to be like that.

“You hear from Charlotte since your match?” Colby asked Becky.

“No, I didn’t get a chance to,” she said, putting her phone on the dashboard whilst she tied her hair up. “Saw the doctor come out of medical, but I don’t know what happened.”

“Damn,” he shook his head. “I’m sure she’s good—even though that suplex was clean as fuck.”

“Yeah, but she wasn’t supposed to do a whole flip and land on her nose!”

“Ain’t your fault, you got them muscles, baby.”

“You’re so annoying.”

Y/N was trying to focus on the conversation up front, but Gionna wasn’t making it easy. She just kept nudging her, whispering little jabs that only she could hear. Whilst Y/N knew Gi wasn’t trying to piss her off, it had been a long fucking night, and all Y/N wanted to do was curl up in bed and enjoy the rest of the night before they had to head out again in the morning.

Joe: ???

“You gonna see him again?” Gi asked quietly.

Gritting her teeth, Y/N angled herself away from her, trying her best to keep her phone concealed. “Not now, Gi, please…”

“C’mon, you gotta give me something at this point…” she trailed off, widening her eyes and pursing out her lower lip. “You kinda owe me after subjecting me to such horrors.”

Y/N snorted a little, glancing at her friend, but kept scrolling through her phone.

“I mean, I’ve kept your secret this long, haven’t I?”

This earned her a glare from Y/N. “That’s because you don’t have a choice.”

Y/N: Liv’s being a pain in the ass…

“You know it’s only a matter of time before someone else figures this shit out.”

Before Y/N could respond, Colby’s voice cut through into the back. “What are you two whispering about back there?”

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Y/N said quickly, sending him a friendly smile as she caught his eye in the rearview mirror.

“Uh-huh,” Colby replied, not really buying it. “You sure about that?”

“Positive.”

Becky turned slightly in her seat, giving Y/N a curious look. She even narrowed her eyes a bit, as though it was going to make her crack. 

“What?”

The redhead just smirked a little, before returning to her normal position. 

Joe: She knows, doesn’t she?

Y/N looked down at the text message, a small rush of guilt washing over her. How was she supposed to tell him that not only did Gionna know about them, but she overheard Y/N being fingerbanged to death a metre and a half away from her? 

Y/N: …

Y/N: Don’t make me answer that😩

Joe: I ain’t mad baby

Joe: just wish you’d tell me

Joe: I don’t care that she knows

Y/N: You might not, but you’re not the one having to sit there and listen to her go on about it are youuuu ugh

Joe: 🤭

Y/N: It’s not funny!

Y/N: It’s pissing me off

Joe: Sorry sorry… i know it upsets you

Joe: Just got to the hotel. 217 if you wanna come see me

Y/N: Do you want me to?

Joe: I always want u to come see me baby girl

Joe: Can’t get enough of your fine ass

Y/N was in the process of swiping her keycard to the room she was sharing with Gi when she saw that last message. Even in message form, he never failed to get her all worked up. It was like she could hear him speaking the exact words to her.

Y/N: Lemme settle in first

Y/N: …and I’ll think about it ;)

Joe: Tease

She knew damn well she’d be paying that man a visit tonight.

Letting out a deep breath, she kicked off her shoes and dropped her gear bag by the door. The exhaustion from her match was starting to set in, and all she wanted really was a hot shower and some peace and quiet.

Gi was already sprawled out on her bed, flipping through the channels on the TV.

“Anything interesting on?” Y/N asked passively, covering her mouth as she yawned.

“Uh,” Gi hummed, chewing the inside of her cheek. “Ooh!”

Taking a glance at the TV, Y/N instantly recognised the familiar head of wet, dark hair, along with that familiar black vest. Of course, he had to be on the fucking television. Of course it’s that moment Gi happens to switch over to. Of fucking course.

“Oh, look, it’s your boyfriend.”

Y/N groaned internally. “Who?” she feigned innocence.

With a drawn out sigh, Gi pulled herself back up into a seated position and turned the TV down. “Come on, Y/N. Stop ignoring it and fess up. It’s not like people haven’t noticed you two practically eye-fucking each other, it’s just that I’m the only one who’ll say anything about it!”

“Pretty sure Trin would,” Y/N smirked, knowing full well that if people really were noticing such interactions, it would have gotten back to Trinity, and then to Jon. And then Josh. We all know what the fallout of that would be.

“Uh-huh…” Gi grinned, eyeing her friend up. “It’s seriously like you’re in your own little world whenever he’s within range.”

Y/N simply ignored the comment, heading to the bathroom and closing the door behind her. She leaned against the sink, staring at her reflection for a minute. Of course, Joe had been on her mind all night. He was always on her mind, but being able to watch him in front of thousands of people in his element… it just pushed her closer to the edge of letting everyone know—letting him know—that she loved that man with her entire being.

For a few blissful moments, Y/N managed to push everything out of her mind whilst taking a hot shower, steam filling up the small bathroom as she let the water wash away the sweat and stress of the night. Gionna’s teasing, the pressure of keeping things under wraps with Joe, even the thrill of the match. It was just her and the calming rush, and that was exactly what she needed.

But as soon as she stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around herself, she could hear Gi’s voice through the door.

“So, are you gonna tell me what’s really going on, or am I gonna have to drag it out of you?” she called playfully, but with an undertone of persistence.

Y/N rolled her eyes as she dried off and pulled on her cotton shorts and an old, oversized shirt—the kind of comfortable clothes she always wore to bed. She took a deep breath before opening the bathroom door, steeling herself for whatever Gionna was about to say.

“Please can we not do this right now?” she asked as she stepped back into the room, running a hand through her damp hair. She tossed her dirty clothes into the corner on top of her suitcase and climbed onto her bed, sitting cross-legged.

Gionna wasn’t having it. “Come on, Y/N! It’s been driving me nuts. You and Roman—you guys together together, or just se—”

Y/N groaned, flopping onto her back and staring up at the ceiling. “It’s nothing, Gi. We’re just… I don’t know. Figuring things out, I guess.”

Gi’s eyes lit up with excitement, and she bounced on her bed, leaning forward. “Figuring things out? That sounds like progress! Oh my God, Y/N, this is so exciting! I knew you two had something going on, you gotta tell me everything—how it started, what he’s like when it’s just the two of you, all the details!”

Bitch, you heard most of that shit.

But she didn’t let on, even though her patience was fraying at the edges. “There’s not much to tell.”

“Don’t give me that,” Gi shot back, grinning. “I’m your friend, Y/N. I can see it all over your face. You like each other a lot.”

Y/N closed her eyes. Gionna meant well, but she didn’t understand how complicated things were. “It’s not that simple, alright?”

“Why not?” Gi pressed, her voice full of genuine curiosity. “You’re both adults, you’re both single—what’s stopping you?” Suddenly, her face dropped. “Wait, he is single, right?”

“Yes, he’s single!” Y/N insisted. “Well… recently divorced—but he’s single, Gionna, that’s all you need to know.”

“But–”

“Stop!” Y/N finally broke, shooting up from the bed and staring down at Gionna. “Just stop. I don’t wanna talk about it, Gi, I’ve had enough for tonight. I’m tired, I’m hungry, and I’m stressed.” 

Gionna’s mouth fell open, eyes wide. “I-I’m sor–”

“No.” She didn’t want to wait for a response, she simply grabbed her keycard. “I’m going to Joe’s room. If you say anything about it to anyone, I will cut you out of my life.” And she left.

Y/N did feel bad for snapping at Gionna the way she did, but could anyone blame her?

She hovered outside of Joe’s hotel room for a moment, fingers hesitating as they curled into a fist to knock. What if he was just saying he wanted to see her out of the kindness of his heart? What if what they had really wasn’t that deep, it was just a pastime for him? What if—

This went on. Looping in her head. All the horrible what ifs that could be, instead of this is and we are. 

Through the door, she could hear the faint sound of commentary. Of course, he was watching his match back. Joe always did this. Rewatching every single bout, scrutinising each moment with the kind of intensity he usually reserved for the ring. She knew it was part of who he was, that drive to be better, to be perfect—but sometimes it felt like he was too hard on himself.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked softly before letting herself in. The door creaked open, revealing Joe sitting on the bed, his laptop sitting in front of him as one of his legs bent under him, the other with a foot planted firmly off the side. His thick, muscular frame dominated the space, even as he hunched forward, his focus locked on the screen. The muted light from the laptop bore shadows on his face, highlighting the sharp, bearded line of his jaw, his dark hair still damp from his own shower, draped effortlessly in front of his shoulders. 

He didn’t look up right away, too absorbed in the footage of his match against Baron Corbin from earlier in the night. She stepped inside, closing the door behind her quietly. For a second, she just stood there, watching him. Despite the rough night she’d had, the frustration from Gionna, there was something about seeing Joe like this—calm, focused—that made everything else seem distant, almost insignificant.

Finally, Joe’s gaze lifted, his dark eyes meeting hers, and the corner of his mouth quirked up in a subtle smile. “Hey,” he greeted her with a gentle gravel.

“Hi,” she replied, trying to smile back but failing to hide the pout that tugged at her lips. She made her way over to the bed, sitting down next to him with a soft sigh. Her cotton shorts rode up slightly as she tucked her legs beneath her, her t-shirt slipping a little off her shoulder. She was far from dressed up, but Joe didn’t mind. He rarely cared about stuff like that.

Joe glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, noticing the way her shoulders slumped and how she seemed to curl into herself, clearly upset. Without a word, he shifted, wrapping one arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. “What’s goin’ on?” His voice was warm, concerned, but still casual. He knew not to push too hard when she was in this kind of mood. He just had to coax it out of her gently.

Y/N sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder. “Gi,” she muttered. “Still won’t stop talking about us. I know she’s just excited, but I’m over it.”

Joe’s brow furrowed slightly, his eyes softening as he peered down at her. “She’s got no filter, huh?” He said it with a small smile, but there was an underlying severity to his tone.

“She means well,” she admitted, sighing as she leaned further into him. “It’s just hard, y’know? Keeping this thing with us under wraps. It feels… like I’m hiding something important. Like I’m keeping a secret about the best part of my life.”

Joe’s brows lifted sympathetically, his permanent smile seemingly dropping into something more serious. He tilted his head to nudge her gently, encouraging her to look at him. “Hey. Don’t let her or anyone else get in your head, alright? What we’ve got—it’s ours. Ain’t nobody else’s business.”

The way he said it, so firm yet so gentle, tightened that part of her chest only unlocked by him. Dark eyes holding hers with an intensity that made her feel seen. Safe.

“You’re too good at this.”

“Good at what?” he chuckled.

“Reassuring me. Being… you.”

Joe smirked, tilting his head toward his laptop. “You sure you’re not just mesmerised by my match?” he jested. “C’mon, tell me I look good out there.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, though her smile widened. “You always look good. You don’t need me to tell you that.”

“Mm-hmm,” he teased, adjusting the laptop so she could see the screen better. “Watch this part, though—when I start takin’ it to Corbin.”

She watched as the footage unfolded. Joe crouched in the corner of the ring, his body coiled like a spring, eyes locked on Corbin with a sharp intensity. The camera zoomed in on his face, catching every detail: the subtle twitch of his nose, the way his tongue darted out to wet his lips before curling into a sneer. It was pure dominance, calculated and commanding, and yet entirely effortless.

“I like when you do that,” Y/N said, just above a whisper.

“Do what?”

“That… thing with your nose,” she nodded down at the screen. “It’s…” She paused, cheeks warming as she tried to find the right word. “It’s hot, y’know?”

Joe’s laugh was warm and rich. “Oh, yeah? Gonna start takin’ notes on what moves work best for you, huh?”

Y/N groaned, burying her face against his shoulder. “Don’t make it weird, Joe.”

“I’m not makin’ it weird!” he protested, though his grin betrayed him. “You’re the one gettin’ all flustered talkin’ ‘bout my nose.”

“I’m never saying anything nice to you again,” she grumbled against his shoulder.

“Lies,” he said easily, sliding the laptop further down the bed. His arm around her tightened, pulling her closer against him. “You like me too much for that.”

It was that casual confidence, that playful ease, that made her stomach flutter. She was happiest when she was with him, but right now, the stress of the night still lingered, heavy in her chest. Joe must have noticed, because his free hand suddenly darted to her side, fingers brushing lightly against her ribs.

“Whatcu doin’ lookin’ so serious?” he asked, his tone teasing.

“Joe, don’t—” she started, but it was too late. His fingers pressed into her side again, this time with more intent, and a surprised laugh burst from her lips. “Stop it!”

“Stop what?” he asked innocently, even as he tickled her again, a grin spreading across his lips. “I don’t even know what you’re talkin’ about.”

“Joe!” she yelped, twisting in his grip, her laughter spilling out uncontrollably. “I’m serious! Stop!”

“Say you forgive me for bein’ so good-lookin’, and maybe I’ll think about it,” he said, his own laughter mixing with hers.

She tried to wriggle away, but he was far too strong, his hands relentless as they sought out every ticklish spot he could find. Finally, with a burst of determination, she pushed against his chest, sending him sprawling back onto the bed. She followed, straddling his waist to pin him down, her damp hair tumbling over her shoulders and curtaining their faces.

Both laughter faded as they settled into the mattress, freezing in position as the moment shifted. Coming down from their giggle fits, Joe held his hands lightly on her hips, staring up at her with those dark, smouldering eyes.

And for a moment, neither of them uttered a word; the warmth of his body beneath hers, and the steady rhythm of their breathing spoke more than words could say. Apart from—

“I love you,” she whispered, the words slipping out before she could second-guess herself.

Joe’s eyes softened, his expression melting into something tender, something unguarded. His hands strengthened on her hips a little, grounding her in place. “Say it again,” he murmured, almost reverently.

“I… love you,” she repeated, this time with an air of uncertainty.

His lips quirked up into the smallest, most genuine smile she’d ever seen. “Good,” he said softly, sliding his palms up to her waist. “‘Cause I was already there.” He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, thumb tenderly hovering over her cheek. “Now c’mere.”

Y/N didn’t move at first, her heart thundering in her chest as his words sank in. It was all suddenly so… intimate. Vulnerable. Slowly, she leaned down, her hands finding their place on his chest, fingers curling into the soft fabric of his shirt.

Their lips eventually met, tentative at first—a gentle brush, as though they’d never kissed before. Warm and soft, his lips moved against hers with an unhurried rhythm. Like he wanted to savour every second. She tilted her head, angling the kiss as she pressed closer, her body meshing with his. 

A soft hum tickled his lips as she felt the rough sensation of his beard brushing against her skin. He caught the sound, pulling back just enough to smile against her mouth. “Feelin’ good, baby?” he murmured. A firmer kiss came as a response, hands sliding up his broad chest to cup around his jaw. Fingertips brushing along the edge of his beard as she marveled at the coarse contrast between it and the smooth surface of his skin. 

His hands moved up her back, tracing over the curve of her spine as a groan rumbled against her lips. The steady rise and fall of his chest pushed and pulled against hers, the heat radiating from him like a furnace. One of his hands slipped into her hair, his fingers massaging over the roots as he tilted her head to deepen the kiss.

It wasn’t sweet anymore—not entirely. There was an edge of urgency now, a hunger that made her toes curl and her breath hitch. Joe’s lips parted against hers, his tongue brushing softly against her bottom lip in a silent question. Without hesitation, she answered, opening up to him and letting him in.

The kiss grew deeper, hotter, with less measured movements and more instinctive reactions. 

Joe’s hand found her chin, thumb brushing lightly over her jaw as he tilted her head back. His tongue dipped teasingly into her mouth, the motion unhurried but precise, the gentle swirl making her head spin. Like he had something to prove, drawing soft sighs from her. When he pulled back just slightly, his lips barely a breath away from hers, his eyes were dark, his voice a husky whisper. 

“You know,” he hummed, the pad of his thumb gently caressing her cheek now, “The way you moved your body in the ring tonight—damn, baby. It’s somethin’ else.”

Her cheeks flushed at his words, the heat almost too much to bear, but before she could even think about responding, he kissed her again. The way he moved his tongue… fuck, it spoke in whispers of how he’d use it elsewhere. How it would ripple and flutter between her thighs. 

And the smirk Joe stretched against her lips told her he knew exactly what he was doing. Cradling her jaw, he shifted under her, pulling her further down so she was almost completely laid out on top of him.

“I mean it,” he continued, kissing the corner of her mouth, trailing a path to her ear. “You’re somethin’ special in there. The way you had Trin locked up in that sequence? Beautiful. Smooth, confident… unstoppable.”

A combination of praise and delicate lips brushing over her skin, it had her heart pounding against her ribcage. “Joe,” she whispered, trembling ever so slightly as she gripped onto his shoulders.

“I watched every move you made,” he went on, grazing the sweet spot below her ear. His hand slipped to the back of her neck, holding her firmly in place. “That dropkick—clean as hell. And when you caught her with that suplex? Baby, you had me grinnin’ like an idiot. You’re so damn good, you don’t even see it.”

She couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh, her nerves melting away under the warmth of his voice. “You’re just saying that beca–”

“No, I’m sayin’ it because it’s the truth,” he interrupted, pulling back just enough to meet her eyes. “I see you, Y/N. Every little thing you do in there. The way you control the match, the way you keep the crowd on edge, the way you… command that respect. It’s sexy as hell, baby.” He punctuated his compliment with a small squeeze on her hip.

But this was the thing with Joe. He didn’t just compliment her; he broke her down piece by piece, making her feel seen in a way that no one else ever had.

“Sometimes,” he carried on, lips curving into a teasing smile, “I catch myself watchin’ you more than I’m watchin’ the actual match. You got that fire. Makes it fuckin’ impossible to look away.”

His lips were back on hers before she knew it, and she felt herself melting under his touch. She kissed him back with everything she had; he made her feel powerful and vulnerable, all at once, and she couldn’t get enough.

“I think about you sometimes,” he admitted clumsily as they continued to kiss, their noses bumping against each other. “What it would be like to face you myself…” He nipped at her bottom lip. “The way you’d push me, make me work for it. I’d let you get me in one of those holds, just to see what you’d do with it.”

She giggled airily, sighing contently as his perfectly bulky arms wrapped completely around her, almost as though demonstrating his own hold in his own fantasy.

“And then,” he brushed his lips against hers as he spoke. “I think about what happens after. How I’d bring you back here, just like this, and remind you…” He suddenly used his whole body strength to flip them over, almost like an impromptu, semi-scoop slam but onto a plush mattress rather than a rough canvas mat. “...Who’s really in charge.”

She steadied herself by holding onto his shoulders as he chuckled softly at the small yelp that sounded from her throat. His hips careened forward as if on instinct, causing her thighs to tighten around him to keep him there.

“You feel that?” he whispered, his hand sliding down to pull one of her legs up and over his waist just so she could feel the blatant bulge below. “It’s what your fine ass does to me,” he momentarily got up on his knees just to swiftly pull his tank up and over his body, throwing it behind him, “Every damn time.”

Y/N couldn’t find the words to respond, not when his lips were on hers again, kissing her like she was the only thing that mattered in the world. Joe Anoa’i wasn’t just good with his words; he was good with everything, and he knew it.

Joe’s lips began their descent from her mouth, lingering at the corner of her lips before tracing the line of her jaw. His beard scratched against her skin, the sensation both grounding and electric. His hands framed her face for a moment, his thumbs brushing her cheeks as if to memorise her expression and keep it locked away for moments he couldn’t have her.

“Don’t even realise how perfect you are, mama,” he murmured against her skin, finding the spot beneath her ear. Pressing a kiss that had her body trembling in response. Teasing down the curve of her neck, the tip of his tongue tasted her cocoa butter-layered skin, slowly and deliberately, leaving a trail of heat in its wake. When his mouth reached the junction of her collarbone, he paused.

“We don’t need to worry ‘bout nobody else, baby girl,” he whispered, inhaling her fresh scent, “I got you, you got me, we’re set.” He lifted his head, blinking down at her. “You understand me?”

Nibbling at her lips, she nodded, no longer suppressing the grin on her face. He made her so happy. She was like a school girl finally getting a chance with her crush; the butterflies never faded. They just came with him.

Joe shifted, accepting her wordless response as he found the edge of her shirt, tugging it up carefully. He paused, catching her gaze as he pushed the fabric away, his expression shifting tenderly, yet reverent all the same.

“Never get tired of seein’ this,” he teased, roaming his chocolate eyes over her newly exposed skin. Hands followed, calloused fingers tracing over her ribs in a feather-light touch. “Every inch of you is just… damn.”

Cupping the swells of her breasts, his thumbs brushed lightly over her hardening peaks, the barely-there touch pulling her back into an arch like a magnet.

“These,” he murmured, his voice rougher now, edged with hunger. “Perfect. Soft as hell, but strong. Just like you.” His mouth replaced one hand, his thick lips wrapping around her nipple as his tongue swirled in lazy circles. She gasped at the heat radiating from his mouth, and the way he teased and sucked at her with such fervour. His free hand moved to her other breast, pawing needily as he rolled her neglected nipple between his fingers, pinching gently before soothing the area with his mouth as he switched between the perfect mounds. The dual sensations were long awaited and long overdue, and she clutched at his shoulders as if to anchor herself.

Joe pulled back, his lips glistening as he looked up at her, a smirk playing on his face. “Love the way you react to me, baby…”

He continued his journey south, his lips pressing heated kisses down her torso as she liberally ran her fingers over and through his hair, each kiss accompanied by a whispered compliment.

“Your skin,” kiss, “soft as silk.” Another kiss. “This waist,” his hands gripped her sides, “drives me insane.” He paused just above the waistband of her shorts, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin there.

“Every part of you, baby. Perfect doesn’t even cover it.”

His hands travelled lazily over her bare thighs, his thumbs making slow circles; his eyes, dark and heavy-lidded, never left hers as he tugged at the waistband of her shorts, fingers hooked under the fabric.

“Been here before, huh?” he murmured with a small laugh. “But it never gets old, does it?”

She shook her head, tilting her head to the side as she watched him ease her shorts and panties down in one smooth motion, tossing them aside like they offended him. Even as he partook in something as simple, as trivial, as removing her clothes, she was sure she had never been so in love with anybody in her life.

“Damn, baby,” he almost groaned thickly, fingers ghosting back up her legs. “You already so wet for me.”

“Well, yeah, what did you expect?” she giggled softly, biting down on her lips as he spread her thighs wider, his thumb brushing lightly over her sensitive spot, eliciting a quiet gasp.

“That good, baby?” he coaxed lowly.

Her eyes were half-lidded as she nodded.

“I need words, sweetheart,” he drawled, leaning down to kiss the inside of her thigh. “Gotta tell me what you want.”

“You,” she sighed, reaching down to move some of his hair out of the way. “I want you, Joe.”

“Yeah?” He pressed a slow, open-mouthed kiss just below her navel, his beard brushing against her skin. “You want my mouth, my fingers, my–”

“Yes,” she interrupted, fingers now threading through his hair, tugging lightly.

His chuckle was deep and rough. “That’s my girl.”

Without further teasing, he lowered his head and settled it directly between her legs; his tongue flicked out in a steady, purposeful stroke. Her back arched off the bed almost immediately as he worked her, his hands gripping her thighs firmly to keep her in place.

“God, you taste good,” he murmured, his lips gliding against her with expert ease. He flattened his tongue, dragging it up before swirling it around her clit, the way he knew would drive her wild.

Her fingers tightened in his hair, and a soft moan escaped her lips. “Joe… fuck, yes...”

“Mm-hmm,” he hummed against her, the vibration causing her thighs to tremble under his hold. “Does it feel good, baby?”

“Yeah,” she nodded quickly, her chest rising up and down as goosebumps glittered her exposed skin. He gave her clit a quick, firm suck before flitting his tongue in a figure-eight pattern. “Feels so good, baby.”

Pleased with her answer, he continued, taking a deep breath through his nose as his tongue alternated between quick flicks and slow, languid circles. He even took it upon himself to move his head along with his tongue, tilting and angling himself to make sure she felt every bit of his passion. Whatever he could do to make this woman shake and quiver, he’d do it. Every motion was calculated, designed to bring her closer and closer to the edge.

“So damn responsive,” he said as he moved his head away only for a second, so he could lasciviously spit onto her pussy, just to watch as the combination of both their fluids ran down her swollen heat. “I could stay down here all fuckin’ night.”

“Please,” she whispered desperately.

“Please what, baby?” He kissed her clit, one of his hands releasing her leg so he could run his long, tepid fingers along her folds. “You want more?”

“Yes, Joe, please,” she begged, her hips bucking against his hand.

He fucking laughed, licking his lips. “Hold your leg up so Daddy can get all in that pussy…”

Shit.

She obliged immediately, holding onto the thigh he’d let go of, as he slid two of his fingers inside her, right down to the final knuckle so he could curl them up just at the right angle. Prodding at that rough spot deep inside. His mouth returned, swirling in tandem with the stroking of his fingers. The synchronisation had her crying out, her body tensing as he started to gently grind her hips upward toward his face.

“That’s it,” he growled, his voice barely audible. “Ride my fuckin’ face, mama…” He practically buried his face, feral flicks of his tongue and fast-paced pumps of his fingers hurling her toward a release.

“Oh shit,” she gasped, pulling at his hair and digging her nails into her own thigh. “Fuck, right there, right there… D-don’t stop,” she panted.

He didn’t answer, just maintained the earth-shattering pace in which he set, despite the muscles straining in his bicep, the unsteady breaths leaving his nose, and the stinging in the roots of his hair as she continued to pull at it.

“Fuck, I’m cumming…” she whined, as her body shuddered, wave after wave of pure ecstasy coursing through her. Still, Joe didn’t let up, and he intended to draw out every last tremor. “Joe… holy shit, yes… feels so fucking good,” she groaned, her back arching painfully and her eyes practically rolling to the back of her head. 

When she finally collapsed back onto the bed, breathless and spent, he pulled back, his face glistening with her arousal. He grinned, looking like he’d just won the most priceless championship around.

“Damn,” he sighed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “You’re a masterpiece.”

“And you’re… ridiculous,” she laughed softly, still catching her breath.

“Ridiculously good, you mean,” he teased, crawling back up to hover over her. His lips found hers in a heated, unhurried kiss, letting her taste herself on him. She traced the line of his jaw with her fingers, smiling subtly into the kiss as she took in the characteristic coarseness of his beard. 

Their noses bumped together as their tongues met, and her free hand wandered over his tattooed shoulder, before making its way down his defined back. Muscles moved and tensed under her touch as she reached his lower back, tucking her fingers into the waistband of his own shorts. She tugged at them, letting them snap back against his skin and making him groan softly into her mouth.

“You tryna tell me somethin’?” he murmured, pulling back just enough to meet her eyes, his lips curving into that signature smirk. “Or you just can’t keep your hands off me?”

“Maybe both,” she rallied, pushing gently on his shoulder to usher him to roll off of her. Instead of laying on his back, he leaned back against the headboard, his legs spread wide to accommodate the fully grown tent in his shorts.

She propped herself up on her hand, looking up at him, her lips brushing up his jaw and toward his ear. “You had your turn,” she whispered against him, letting her hand wander down his chest, tracing the hard ridges of muscle. “And now it’s my turn.”

Joe chuckled deeply, wrapping an arm around her midsection as she kissed along his cheek and toward his lips. All the while, her fingers were slipping down and under the elastic in the fabric of his shorts. His head tilted back against the headboard, peering down at her hand as she watched his reactions. His plump lower lip was sucked between his teeth, and it bounced back out deliciously when she had her hand wrapped around him, already warm, hard, and heavy in her grasp.

“Don’t waste no time, huh?” he muttered, turning his head to press a small kiss to her lips.

“Not when you look this fucking good,” she shot back, giving him a slow squeeze that made his hips lift off the bed slightly.

Joe laughed softly, but it quickly turned into a light hiss as she lowered her head and sank her teeth into where his broad shoulder met his thick neck. His other hand, previously resting on the bed next to him, came up to hold onto her arm, trailing his fingers down to where her hand was buried under his shorts.

“Lemme take these off, baby girl,” he hummed, giving her ass a tap with his other hand. She let him go, resting her palm on his toned stomach, spreading kisses of worship over his tribal tattoos as he pushed down and kicked off the intruding item of clothing from his legs. “There we go,” he drawled, cupping the side of her face and urging her to look at him. “Now I’m all yours, mama.”

“You’re always all mine, baby,” she smirked, slowly pecking his lips. But he didn’t let her go, easing her back into a deep and heated kiss.

“Can’t help myself,” he mumbled against her lips, “You’re just so fuckin’ sexy.”

Giggling, she forced them apart, as much as she would have loved to keep kissing him. “I promise you can kiss me all you want after I suck that dick, Daddy…”

Groaning, he sat back, one hand propped behind his head as he got comfortable. “Goddamn tease,” he muttered endearingly. “You gonna do more than tease, or you just gonna sit there lookin’ pretty?” he asked, his voice low and rough, taunting her just enough to make her smirk.

She rolled her eyes, but proceeded to move onto her knees, bending over him so she could kiss her way along his body. “You’re so annoying,” she whispered, pausing to trace the tip of her tongue across the defined lines all over him, years of hard work paying off in his build.

“Fuck,” Joe breathed, his hips shifting. “You already got me hard as hell, baby. You keep playin’, and I might forget how to be nice.”

“Maybe I don’t want you to be nice,” she teased, moving her hair from her face as she came face to face with his free cock laying against his abdomen, thick, long, and already glistening at the tip. She licked her lips at the sight, the corner of her mouth curling up into a sly grin. “You’re so full of yourself.”

“And your ass loves it,” he shot back, his hand brushing over her hair as she opted to stay beside him rather than moving around to lay between his legs. “C’mon, baby. Show Daddy somethin’ special.”

“Am I not special enough, Daddy?” she feigned naivety, flipping her hair off of her shoulder so he had the perfect view of her delicately taking a hold of his rigid length. Looking him in the eye as her tongue slithered out for a quick taste. The muscles in his thigh tensed notably.

He reached out, smoothing the thin wisps of baby hairs on her forehead with his thumb. “So special, baby girl.”

Once again, those school-girl butterflies fluttered deep in her gut.

She started slowly, her tongue tracing the vein along the underside of his cock, her lips trailing gentle kisses down to the base. Her hand remained wrapped around him, following her mouth as she worked her way back up, flicking against the sensitive ridge just below the head.

Joe let out a low groan, his hand moving to rest on the back of her head. He didn’t push—he never pushed, unless she wanted that—but the weight of his large hand encouraged her, his fingers tangling in her hair as she began to take him deeper into her mouth.

“That’s it, baby,” he muttered thickly. “You know exactly what you’re doin’, huh?”

She pulled back just enough to look up at him, her lips shiny. “I’ve had practice,” she said playfully, albeit sultrily.

“Yeah, with me,” he replied, his smirk returning. “Ain’t nobody else got you doin’ it like this.”

Instead of answering, she shifted her position, getting up on all fours beside him so she had more control over her movements. The new angle let her lean in closer, her chest pressing against his body as she wrapped her lips around him again.

Hissing through his teeth, his free hand snaked up her thigh, before grabbing a handful of her ass. “Shit, baby,” he grunted, his head falling back. “Makin’ me lose my damn mind.”

Her movements became more deliberate once she felt his hand wandering all over her, her hand twisting as her tongue swirled around him. She used the flat of her tongue to press against the underside, her lips sliding down until she felt him at the back of her throat. Ignoring the pulsing and contracting as she swallowed him up.

“Damn,” he chuckled airily, his hand tightening in her hair. “You’re so fuckin’ good at this. Always takin’ care of me, makin’ me feel like a king.”

His praise sent a rush of heat through her, and she doubled down, letting her saliva roll down her chin and drip all over him, working him and making every movement slick and lewd. She knew he liked it when he could hear what she was doing, just as much as see it.

“You’re gonna kill me,” he muttered hoarsely. “The way you’re usin’ that mouth… fuck.”

She glanced up at him, her eyes sparkling with mischief once she noticed him eyeing her ass. “Good,” she said breathlessly. “I like seeing you like this.”

She arched her back tantalisingly, smiling to herself when he couldn’t resist slipping his hand back between her legs, a new sheen of nectar coating her centre.

“Fuck…” he sighed. “Get over here, baby, Daddy needs his pussy again.”

Without missing a beat, and without giving her a chance to comply herself, he used all his strength to shimmy down the bed and drag her over so she had no choice but to straddle his face. She barely registered him shoving his face back into her pussy, slurping and lapping at her again until a specific twitch in her clit woke her up, and she resumed her own movements on his cock.

She steadied herself by holding onto one of his thighs, her head bobbing up and down on his length hungrily, little moans and whimpers vibrating from within her throat as he matched her ferocity and confidence.

Wrapping his arms around her legs, he pawed at her ass, shutting his eyes as he enjoyed every second, every drop. Landing a few slaps, even losing an iota of control when his hips rocked up toward her mouth.

He growled, the sound deep and primal. “Yeah, baby,” he encouraged, sucking at her folds and kissing her clit. “Just like that…”

She didn’t. She let herself get lost in it, in his taste, his warmth, the essence that dripped in pearls from his tip. But she had to stop when she felt him twitch against her tongue, lifting her head and giving him one last squeeze. “Not yet,” she said.

“Maybe not for me,” he dismissed, yanking her further up. “Turn around.”

Already dishevelled, she did as she was told, now straddling his face in a way that allowed them both to see each other.

“Wanna make me cum again, Daddy?”

“You know it, baby girl.”

She eagerly rode his face, thanks to the encouragement from his hands on her hips, rocking and writhing her way to another orgasm he so desperately wanted to give her. And he looked so beautiful doing it; alternating between intense glares up her body and delicately shutting his eyes as he feasted. Both ways, she saw his cheeks moving and the growing layer of her essence glittering his facial hair.

Grabbing onto the headboard, arching her back, panting and crying out. Something about a second time was just so intense, so invigorating. And when it did finally come, she swore she saw stars.

He’d literally flipped her onto her back, without parting from her pussy. As if he were countering a pin attempt in the ring. Him, sat up with his arms fully enclosed around her centre as the only thing keeping her propped up on the bed was her upper back and her head.

Her entire body went limp in his hold as the aftershocks of her second orgasm shuddered through her. She even had to tap his arm to let him know he could stop.

Their chests heaved as he gently let her go, giving her room to shimmy back, but not too far that he couldn’t grab at her again. He shifted his position, sliding his legs over the edge of the bed and pulling her up with him. He planted her on his lap, her knees on either side of his hips, the heat between their bodies nearly unbearable. Hands resting firmly on her thighs, his thumbs curling her plush flesh.

“You good, baby?” he murmured with a gravelly lilt, dripping with affection and lust all at once.

She nodded, her hands bracing on his shoulders. “More than good.”

He grinned, the slight crinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening as he slid one hand around to cup the back of her neck. “That’s what I like to hear.”

He leaned in, grazing her lips in a gentle kiss before dropping to her throat, nipping at the sensitive skin there. Meanwhile, his other hand drifted down, his fingers finding her entrance, prodding softly and feeling the slick left behind.

“You’re so ready for me… fuckin’ drippin’ for me.”

Her whole body experienced a white-hot flush under his gaze, but she couldn’t bring herself to look away. He was so magnetic. Pulling her in. Making her feel like she was the only thing that mattered in the world.

She wasn’t quite prepared for how intense the stretch of his dick would be when he finally guided her down slowly onto him. It was overwhelming, and she let out a soft gasp, digging her fingers into his shoulders.

“Atta girl,” Joe coaxed, soothing her with his rumble. “Take your time, mama, I gotchu…”

Inch by inch, she sank into him, adjusting by the second to the fullness. His hands stroked over her thighs, and up to her hips, brushing comforting circles into her muscles.

“I-I always end up forgetting,” she breathed out, resting her forehead against his, “Just how… b-big you are.”

He hummed, kissing her nose and then her cheek. More than patient as she eased herself into a completely seated position, his length fully encased in her heat. They both paused, the stillness amplifying the intensity of the moment.

“Look at you,” he smiled, “Takin’ me so good.”

Her breath hitched, and she leaned in, capturing his lips in a steady kiss. As their mouths moved together, she began to roll her hips, gauging which angle had him stroking her just the right way. When they both groaned into the kiss, they knew they’d found the right rhythm.

“Yeah, just like that,” he sighed huskily, squeezing her hips and guiding her movements.

“Joe…” she moaned as he dropped his head to her shoulder, tilting his head to bury it in her neck. Sinewy arms clasped around her body, holding her flush against him as hot, wet kisses were planted on her flushed skin. Fingernails dug into her, gently, as she rocked and grinded against him.

“Fuck, I love you,” he grunted against her neck, his hold on her getting progressively tighter and tighter. Sliding his hands back down and under her thighs, he stood up from the bed with her in his arms, turning and planting her on her back, sliding out of her in the process.

Like a lovesick puppy, she reached out for him and whimpered at the loss of contact, but he was quick to shush her and guide her further onto the bed, crawling over her in the process.

“Leati Joseph Anoa’i, if you don’t—”

“Shh, I know,” he interrupted with a grin, leaning down over her to nip at her jaw. “So needy.” He shook his head with an amused smirk. “Got the full name treatment too, damn,” he muttered, shifting back onto his knees and pulling her hips up with him. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, but he shook his head again, the smirk remaining. 

“Nah,” he said, moving to hold onto the back of her knees. “I want these,” he started to guide her legs up, “Up here,” and he settled her calves on his shoulders.

Her breath stuttered as she complied, relaxing her legs over his broad frame. The position left her completely open to him, her body arched in a way that sent a deep, delicious ache through her core.

He leaned forward, folding her nearly in half, his body pressing hers into the mattress as his mouth found her neck. “You always look so perfect like this,” he murmured. “You just made for me, baby girl…”

Lowering his hand between them, he wrapped his hand around his girth, teasing the blunt head along her slick. She whimpered, careening her hips up the best she could in the position she was in, but to no avail.

“Joe,” she whispered desperately.

“What’s wrong, mama?” he cooed, tilting his head to the side. “You need somethin’?”

“You…” she whined, reaching up to grip his forearms. “I need you to fuck me… Please, baby, I need it so bad.”

“Yeah? That pussy need fillin’ up, huh?” he taunted, dragging the head of his cock downward towards her entrance, just barely pushing it in and feeling her tighten already. “Greedy ass pussy…”

With a low grunt, he finally pressed into her, filling her up inch by inch until he was settled deep inside with nowhere left to go. 

“You’re so fuckin’ tight, goddamn,” he sighed, bringing his hand up to rest it beside her head, propping himself up over her. His other hand stroked over her hair, cupping her face. “Feels like heaven every time.”

Lips parted, her nails lightly scratched up his arms as she took a deep breath, savouring the feeling of them intertwined. “S-So… full, Joe.”

“I know,” he mumbled, gyrating his hips to test the waters. Once he felt the familiar flutter and pulsing around his cock, he smiled crookedly, having to fight his eyes’ urge to fall shut.

“Don’t stop,” she begged, encouraging him to keep moving.

“Don’t worry, I ain’t goin’ anywhere, baby girl,” he promised, his voice rough with restraint. He pulled back almost completely before sliding back in, his pace slow but deep, each thrust hitting a spot deep inside that made her cry out.

Shifting his angle slightly, he adjusted his knees for leverage before leaning into her. “How’s that, huh?” he gruffly asked, rotating his hips. She inhaled sharply, his hot tip stroking her deepest spot and sending electric shockwaves of ecstasy from her core. “That where you want me?”

“Yes,” she moaned, her fingers tangling in his hair as she tugged him down for a kiss, despite the small stretch along the back of her legs as her knees got closer and closer to her shoulders.

Joe didn’t just kiss her—he devoured her, his tongue plunging into her mouth in time with his thrusts. Both hands now gripped her thighs, pulling her tighter against him, his movements growing more purposeful by the second. Skin on skin, lewd noises fuelling their desire.

“You take me so good,” he mumbled against her lips in admiration. “Every time, you take all of me.”

She could barely form a response, completely drunk on dick. The way her body responded to him felt almost primal. Hips rising as if he could get any deeper. Nails leaving red streaks across his shoulder. 

“Look at you,” Joe moaned, his tone dripping with pride. He pulled back a bit, his hands trailing down her legs before he unhooked them from his shoulders. “Come here.”

Before she could process his words, he flipped them again, pulling her back on top of him. She straddled his lap, her thighs spread wider over his hips as he looked up at her, his hands guiding her to sink down onto him again.

He groaned, his head falling back against the pillows. “You look fuckin’ perfect up there…”

Bracing her hands on his chest, her fingers curled against the hard planes of muscle as she started to rock her hips. The new position let her control the rhythm, her hips rolling in a way that had him gripping her thighs, his fingers digging into the plush flesh.

“So beautiful…” His hands slid up her sides, pawing at her breasts, his thumbs brushing over her stiffened peaks. “Drivin’ me fuckin’ crazy.”

She leaned forward, her hair falling around them as she kissed him, their bodies grinding and rippling together in tandem. 

His hands felt large and intimidating on her ass, pulling and pushing her, guiding her motions as he thrust up to meet her. But it seemed the more she rode him, the quicker her pace got, the more she whimpered and moaned into his mouth and against his lips, the control she had just moments ago slipped further and further away.

At this point, her movements were fruitless as he was set on throwing his hips into her from below. Each collision knocked the wind out of her, her moans strangled and reverberating in her chest.

“You like that, huh?” he growled. “Like when I fuck you like this?”

Her hands were still splayed over his chest for balance, even though she wasn’t sure how much longer that strength would last. “J-Joe—oh my god—”

“Nah, nah,” he interrupted, hands grabbing at her waist hard enough to make her gasp. “Don’t you lose it yet. Look at me.” His voice took on more of a commanding tone, with a rougher edge. A kind of energy that only came out during times like these… and in the ring.

She forced her head forward, meeting his smouldering gaze. His dark eyes locked on hers, and she saw the way his lips curved into a wicked grin, his ego swelling at the way she was falling apart above him.

“That’s it, sweetheart,” he praised, seductive and taunting. “Ride your Daddy… Show me what you got.”

Her hips stuttered at his words, nails raking down his chest in response. “J…” she tried to moan his name out of pure instinct, but a harsh slap to her ass shocked it out of her. Crazy of her to lose track of who he was when buried deep inside of her; how she must refer to him.

“Naw, baby, you been so good until now,” he mocked, raising an eyebrow. “You been talkin’ right, don’t stop that shit now.”

“I-I know,” she stuttered, nodding quickly as the sting from the slap melted into her skin, becoming a searing heat that encouraged her further. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”

“It’s okay, baby girl, just don’t upset Daddy like that again, ‘kay?” he smoothed a dangerous hand over the side of her head, fingers itching to grab at her harshly. 

“Yes, Daddy…”

What followed was a jarring thrust upward, so jarring in fact that it had eyes rolling back and her nails digging completely into his chest.

“That’s the spot,” he groaned, “Take it baby, don’t you dare close them pretty eyes, look at me.” With his order, he grabbed her face, angling it down so she had no choice but to look him in the eye as he drove up into her, meeting her hips with an unmatched vigour. “All mine…” he grumbled under his breath with clenched teeth. Digging his heels into the bed for further leverage. “Fuckin’ made for this dick…”

She whimpered, her body quaking under his control. “I am,” she breathed, her words spilling out between gasps. “Made for you.”

“Damn right, you are.”

Suddenly, he shifted, rolling them over again in one fluid motion. Back hitting the mattress, her legs spread wide as Joe hovered above her, his large frame looming, completely dominating.

“You wanna get fucked like a good girl, huh?” he growled with unbridled lust. “I’m gon’ give you everythin’, baby, you just gotta take it.”

“Yes,” she cried, high-pitched, desperate.

Without warning, he grabbed the backs of her thighs, pulling her hips up to meet him as he bucked into her, harder, deeper, each movement rougher than the last. Her yelps, cries, and moans filled the space of the hotel room, the sound of their bodies colliding echoing in the air.

“Fuckin’ tight as fuck,” he groaned, his head dropping to her neck as he nipped and kissed. “Grippin’ me like you don’t wanna let go.”

“Don’t stop,” she begged, her hands clawing at his back. “Don’t stop, Daddy.”

“You think I’m stoppin’?” he shot back, lifting her legs higher and pressing them completely into her shoulders. “Nah, this shit too good.”

The angle was deeper now, hitting areas she didn’t even know existed, or that could be hit. Crescent moon shapes were left along his skin, peppering his shoulders, arms, and all the way down his back—complimenting the long red lines of untamed energy she unleashed on him throughout the night.

“Yeah, that’s it,” he rasped, his pace relentless now. “Wanna hear that scream… Let the whole damn world know who owns you.”

She panted erratically, letting out moans and whines, whimpers and cries, punctuated by screams only heard when this man had his way. “Only you, Daddy, fuck yesss… right fucking there, baby.”

“That’s my girl,” he murmured, a hand sliding down to grab her ass, pulling her against him with each powerful thrust. “So fuckin’ perfect. This pussy—” He punctuated the word with a deep stroke that made her yelp loudly. “Mine. Say it.”

“Yours,” she nodded, her voice breaking. “This pussy’s all yours, Daddy.”

Joe’s lips found hers, swallowing her cries as his hand slid between their bodies. His calloused thumb found her hot, swollen clit, circling it in tight motions that had her spasming around his rock hard cock.

“I can feel you, baby, that tight lil pussy tryin’ to squeeze me…” he mumbled against her lips. “You’re gonna cum, huh? Gon’ give Daddy that nut?”

“Shit, yes,” she sighed, her thighs trembling and tears forming in her eyes. “I’m gonna cum, baby, you’re gonna make me cum again,” she continued to ramble, her hand firmly on the back of his head to keep him there. 

“Then let Daddy feel it, sweetheart, cum all over Daddy’s dick…”

She shuddered, every muscle in her body tensing as her ears started ringing. The knot in her abdomen was on the precipice of snapping.

“Oh God, it’s gonna be messy, Daddy,” she said through a deep, guttural groan, his forehead forcing her head down onto the pillow. 

“Good… I want that nut all over me…”

That was it.

The floodgates, literally, were open. And she swore she’d never had such an intense, mind-numbing, out-of-body, orgasm in her entire life. Her pussy spasmed and clenched around him, her clit throbbed at an almost worrying rate, and it seemed the entire room spun. Every time he pulled out, she gushed all over him, the effects amplifying with every careen back inside. 

“Damn,” he bit under his breath, trying to glance down at the mess she’d made as she cried and screamed. All because of him. He’d be a liar if he said it didn’t stroke his ego to an extreme degree. 

Once he knew she was on the tail end of her release, his movements returned to their primal state, his focus entirely on chasing his own. Her body, pliant and spent beneath him, was his to take. Watching her back arch and her body write, he held her firmly in place. The slick, heated connection between them was everything, and he let out a roar of sorts as he slammed into her, driven by nothing but need.

“Goddamn,” he growled, rising to his knees. His hands slid to her waist, pulling her into him as he fucked her weightless body. “Look at the fuckin’ mess you made… such a good girl f’me.”

She could barely feel anything at this point, other than immense satisfaction at seeing her man get off using her. 

“That’s it, Daddy,” she whispered softly, encouraging, despite her trembling form. “Take what you need… Use me. I love when you use me like this…”

Biting harshly onto his lips, he moaned deeply, the filthy edge in her voice sparking all the feral within his soul. “Yeah? Love bein’ Daddy’s good girl, huh?” he muttered roughly through exertion, loving the way she still jolted and twitched in her overstimulation. “Love being my little plaything?”

“Yes,” she moaned breathily. “I love it…”

Her eyes locked onto his, filled with exhaustion and yearning, and she reached for him, her hands skimming up his arms, his veins bulging and prominent under her touch as he grabbed her tightly. “Come on, Daddy,” she invited with a sultry lilt. “Wherever you want…”

The filthy promise in her voice made his stomach tighten, his body aching with the need to let go. Then, with a predatory gleam in his eye, he pulled out, crawling further up her body and planting one foot flat on the mattress, giving him some leverage. He wrapped a hand around his red hot cock, pumping himself as he hovered over her, eyeing every inch of her body.

“You want it, sweetheart?” he asked through a shaky huff. “You want this nut? Don’t worry, baby, imma give you it all…”

“Yes,” she moaned up at him, watching as his long fingers squeezed around the shiny tip, grunting as translucent pearls dripped down onto his hand. “Please, Joe… I need it, baby, I need you to cum for me.”

“Where, baby? You want it on these perfect fuckin’ tits, huh? Your pretty face? Tell me, Y/N, tell me where you need Daddy’s nut…”

“Wherever you want, Daddy, I just wanna feel it all over me.”

His jaw tightened as he pumped his hand faster, biceps straining, eyes locked on her breasts, her stomach, the curve of her thighs as she kept them apart, allowing him the gorgeous view of her swollen, used pussy. “You’re so fuckin’ perfect,” he groaned unsteadily. “Never lettin’ your ass go, you hear me? You’re mine.”

“Uh-huh,” she agreed, nodding her head as she slid her hands up to his sweat-sheened chest. “Always yours. Show me… mark me. Ruin me for everyone else.”

With a sharp, loud moan, his body tensed. “Fuck, here it is, baby…” And with a shudder, he spilled over, cock pulsing as spurts of his release coated her breasts, some landing on her torso. He leaned over, one hand on the pillow beside her head, his breath ragged, watching as his load glistened on her skin.

“Hmm…” he grumbled, lips caught between his teeth as he breathed out his nose. He gave his cock a final squeeze before reaching out to brush his fingers through the mess he’d made, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction as she pulled his wrist up so she could clean off his fingers with her tongue. “So goddamn beautiful.”

Her lips curled into a soft smile as he gazed up at him in adoration, her hands caressing his arms, fingertips stopping to massage small circles into the muscles. “And all yours,” she said quietly and steadily, despite the intensity between them.

Mirroring her smile, he leaned down to kiss her deeply, his hand cupping her face. “Damn right,” he mumbled. “All mine.”

Joe lingered over her, his thumb brushing her heated cheek as her chest rose and fell, still catching her breath. For a moment, neither of them really moved, their foreheads lightly touching as the afterglow settled over them like a warm blanket. Her hands slid up his arms to rest on his shoulders, her grip soft but steady, as though letting him go too soon might break the spell.

He kissed her forehead first, then the tip of her nose, before finally pressing his lips to hers again—slowly this time, not the all-consuming kind of kiss they’d been sharing, but something sweet, gentler, filled with quiet adoration. She smiled against his mouth, reluctant to let him pull away.

“I’ll be right back,” Joe murmured, his voice low and gravelly as he pecked her nose. “Stay here, baby. Lemme grab somethin’ to clean you up.”

She pouted, her arms tightening around his neck. “Don’t go yet,” she whispered breathily.

Joe chuckled softly, the sound rumbling in his chest. “You’re clingy now, huh? What happened to the girl who wanted me to use her?” he teased, arching a brow.

A playful glare crossed her face as she lightly smacked his shoulder. “I didn’t mean that literally,” she retorted, her lips twitching into a smile. “You’re the one who gets all… extra.”

“Extra?” Joe repeated, pretending to be offended as he leaned closer, their noses brushing again. “You love how extra I am.”

She giggled, her face warm as she tried to pull him back down. “Yeah, I do. So maybe stay here a little longer.”

Joe sighed dramatically, but the affection in his gaze betrayed him. “You lucky you cute,” he muttered, stealing another kiss before gently untangling himself from her. She made a sound of protest as he stood up, the bed dipping slightly as his weight shifted, but he gave her a quick wink. “Two seconds, gorgeous. Don’t go anywhere.”

She watched him walk toward the bathroom, her gaze lingering on the broad lines of his back and the way his shoulders flexed with every step.

As he disappeared into the bathroom, she sank back into the pillows, the cool sheets soothing her overheated skin. Her legs still felt like jelly, and a satisfied hum escaped her as she stretched out. The faint sound of water running reached her ears, and she smiled to herself, still basking in the sanctuary of the moment.

When he returned, towel in hand, the sight of him standing there—naked, hair tousled, a seemingly permanent little smile on his face—made her heart tumble in her chest. He was everything: a force of nature, her safe space, and somehow, her biggest weakness.

“Alright, spread ‘em,” he joked, holding up the towel like he was about to snap it like a gym coach. “Let’s get you sorted.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “You’re so annoying.”

“And yet, here you are,” he grinned, settling on the edge of the bed and gently wiping her down. His touch was grateful, almost reverent, as he cleaned her skin. Never rushing. Taking his time to make sure she was comfortable.

“You alright?” he asked softly, glancing up at her as he worked. “I didn’t go too hard, did I?”

“No,” she assured him. “You were perfect. As always.”

His lips twitched, and he leaned down to kiss her knee before tossing the towel aside. “Damn right,” he said. “But you’re not half bad yourself, baby.”

“Not half bad?” she repeated, rolling her eyes and shoving his shoulder. “That’s the best you’ve got?”

Grinning, he pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her. “Fine. You’re amazing. Incredible. The best thing that’s ever happened to me. Happy now?”

Getting there,” she teased, resting her head against his chest. “But keep going. I like hearing it.”

Joe chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Greedy,” he hummed affectionately. “But yeah, I’ll keep tellin’ you. ‘Cause it’s true.”

They stayed like that for a while, wrapped up in each other, the quiet hum of their breathing and the AC filling the room. But then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something missing from the bed and stifled a chuckle.

“Joe,” she said, half amused, half exasperated. “Your laptop.”

He frowned, glancing over his shoulder to see his laptop lying on its side by the bed. “Aw, hell,” he muttered, carefully shifting her off of him before reaching down to pick it up. “If this thing’s broken, I’m blaming you.”

She laughed, watching as he flipped it open and checked the screen. “It’s not my fault your balance sucks,” she pointed out. “Maybe you shouldn’t be throwing me around so much.”

He shot her a look, raising an eyebrow. “Your ass wasn't complainin’ fifteen minutes ago,” he said, smirking as he tested the keys. “And it’s fine. Indestructible, just like me.”

“Modest, too,” she said dryly, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

“Obviously,” he replied, setting the laptop on the nightstand before climbing back into bed. “Now, where were we?”

She snuggled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder. “We were talking about how amazing I am.”

Joe cackled lightly, wrapping an arm around her. “Nah, we were about to talk about how much trouble you’re gonna be when we go public.”

Her breath caught in her throat, and she lifted her head to look at him. “You… want to go public?” she asked, her nerves taking her voice.

Meeting her gaze, his eyelids dropped. Serious. But warm. “Baby, I don’t care who knows,” he sighed. “I meant it when I said it’s nobody else’s business, but if you’re ready to tell the world, then so am I. Let ‘em know you’re mine.”

Her heart swelled, and he leaned in to kiss him, her lips lingering against his. “I’m so fucking ready,” she murmured with intent. “I don’t care what anyone thinks anymore. I just… I want us to be real. Out in the open.”

He nodded, brushing hair from her forehead. “Then that’s what we’ll do,” he said simply.

She smiled, letting her weight go against him. “We’re gonna have to tell Vince, you know.”

Joe let out a quiet laugh. “Oh, I’m sure he’ll have a field day with that.”

“You think he’ll care?”

“Not as long as we’re professional,” he shrugged. “But if anyone’s got a problem with it, they’re gonna have to deal with me.”

“Big talk,” she teased, her lips curving into a playful grin.

“You know it,” he rallied. “Besides, who’s gonna mess with the Big Dog’s girl?”

“The Big Dog’s girl, huh?” She felt her body flushing all over again.

“Mmhmm,” he nodded, pulling her closer. “You’re mine, baby. And now, everyone’s gonna know it.”

She let out a content sigh against his chest, feeling a warmth spread through her that had nothing to do with the heat of his skin, and everything to do with how he made her feel—soul to soul.

As they settled under the sheets, he grabbed his laptop again, powering it on. “What do you wanna watch?”

Tilting her head to see his laptop screen, she nestled the side of her face into his pec. “Anything. As long as I don’t have to get up for the rest of the night.”

“Good answer.”

As he searched title after title on Netflix, she glanced up at him, her heart full. For the first time, Y/N felt completely at ease, knowing that they were going forward as one—no more hiding, no more pretending. 

Nowhere else she’d rather be.

And just everything she’d ever wanted.

[boochwe]

Dream About Me

Pairing: Vernon x Reader

Synopsis: There's a world you go to each night in your dreams, a reality between realities. That is where you find him. That is where you feel most at home.

She/Her pronouns used

Warnings: None that I can think of, this is pure fluff. Maybe just a small, small hint of angst but more melancholic in vibes than actually sad or upsetting.

Word Count: 784

Notes: First fic posted on a new blog. I wrote this a bit ago and never really thought about doing anything with it until now. No idea of what's to come from it, but I hope you guys enjoy. I listened to Anthems For A Seventeen Year Old-Girl by yeule on repeat while writing and half ass editing this.

“Do you dream of me?”

The question hung heavy in the air as Vernon turned his head to the side to look at her, brows furrowed as he pondered over her words. The answer was so obvious and yet she had him second guessing himself.

“Is that not what I’m doing right now? Dreaming of you?” He asked, wishing she’d turn her head so he could look her in the eye. She didn’t.

Instead, she leaned to fidget with the volume of the music they’d been listening to until it was adequately regarded as background noise for their conversation before returning to her original position. His fingers itched to pull her closer- to turn her head towards him so he could get a read on her- but he hesitated and let his hands stay by his sides, twitching with the need to touch her.

“I don’t think so. I think right now…right now we’re wide awake, and when we leave these moments- whatever they really are- that’s when we sleep. Does that make sense?” She asked though from the way her voice stayed quiet, barely audible over the music she’d already turned down, he knew that she wasn’t even sure if it made sense to herself.

Vernon let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding as he dragged a hand through his dark hair, needing something to keep them occupied or else he was sure he wouldn’t be able to keep them away from her much longer.

He’d been finding himself in that situation a lot since this whole thing started, unable to stop his hands from finding their way towards her- her hands, her hair, the hem of her shirt. He could almost feel the soft fabric between his fingertips when she shook him out of his own thoughts.

“It doesn’t make sense,” She muttered as she finally turned to look at him, eyes squinting to fully make out his features as only moonlight illuminated the room. “I can’t explain it any better than that. I just can’t imagine that the world I’m awake in isn’t this one. Where you’re here, and you’re tangible, and I can always find you. I can’t have you out there but every night I have you right here beside me. I don’t want to believe you’re just a dream.”

Her words rolled down his body like condensation on a glass, starting in his mind and dripping all the way to his toes until his whole body was chilled and warm all at once. He didn’t give a damn about holding back anymore as he turned to lay on his side, one hand coming to rest on her waist as his large fingers tangled around the fabric of her shirt until it inched up enough for him to slip his hand down against her bare skin. His touch was hot but so was her skin, as if the pair were flushed head to toe just with the weight of their affections.

“I’m not,” he said, cheeks burning at how simple his statement seemed compared to her confession. “A dream I mean. I’m not a dream. I’m real out there and I’m real right here. And so are you.”

“But how are you sure? How can you know?”

Her eyebrows scrunched together, some semblance of a pout settling on her lips. He considered kissing it away for a moment before he forced the thought away. There would be plenty of time to kiss her later, but now he had to talk, he had to reassure them both.

For a moment, he pursed his own lips as his eyes darted away from hers and tried to find the right words among the millions of reasons rushing through his mind. She always did this- overwhelmed his brain with so many thoughts and words and feelings. He hated how much he loved it.

“I just know. I know it when I hear your favorite songs or when I see certain things. I could never dream up something like you.”

This time, it was her turn to lose herself within her thoughts because several moments passed by with nothing but the steady beat of a song that he was sure he could have fallen asleep to under normal circumstances.

Finally, as one song came to an end and the next began, she spoke.

“I think I’m in love with you,” she said as she turned onto her side and shifted so their noses were brushing.

“I know I’m in love with you,” Vernon responded and he leaned in to brush his lips against hers. Not quite a kiss, but not quite less. “So yes. I do dream of you.”

[cheesecakeluver]

I STILL GET JEALOUS

hamzahthefantastic x reader

slight nsfw warning!

｡♪𖦹°⋆ When Hamzah, your roommate, comes home to your hookup finally leaving, he's decides to confront you about it, releasing his emotions and telling you what he feels.

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

As she pushed her fling out of her room, y/n waved to him, smirking. “Call me” she said, smiling as he made his way towards the door, freezing upon making eye contact with Hamzah, her roommate. She didn’t know he would be home this early, which was the main reason her fling was here.

Hamzah watched the two, pausing for a second as his eyes fixated on the half naked boy. Anger running through his body as he clenched his fists. Waiting for the man to get the hell of out his apartment so he could give y/n a piece of his mind. No. A whole damn lecture.

The man quickly made his way out the door, not before waving back to y/n with a cocky grin on his face. He quickly left once he saw Hamzah's intimidating expression, staring daggers at him.

All y/n could do was was stand in her doorway, her expression full of guilt as she shifted uncomfortably under Hamzah’s glare. She hasn't meant for him to see this. For him to see her, all flustered and messy.

Hamzah slowly walked in front of y/n, standing directly in front of her with his arms folded against his chest. There was a mix of jealousy and anger that had been building inside of him, now finally snapping. Yet, he tried to hold it together.

"So, who was he?" He spoke, trying to keep his voice at bay.

“He’s just a guy I know..” she muttered, avoiding eye contact as she fiddled with her hands, praying that this conversation would be over and done with swiftly.

Hamzah grabbed her chin, lifting her face up to look directly at him. His touch was firm and almost commanding her to look at him. "Just a guy?” He questioned, “Just a guy who left your room shirtless?” There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone now.

“Hamzah..” she muttered, pushing his hand away from her as her eyes darted up to his.

“You constantly bring girls to our apartment. What’s the deal if I bring a guy around a couple times?” She sighed, shaking her head.

Hamzah's eye twitched, a sense of irritation slowly building within him. He slowly took a step closer, forcing her to back into the wall behind her. Now mere inches away from her, his breath humid on her skin. His voice became stern. "That’s different. They never stay the night. I never go back for seconds." there was a hint of possessiveness in his tone for some reason.

“I’ve seen that.. that ‘guy’ here before. Sneaking in, staying the night, sneaking out again. I’m sick of waking up and seeing his smug face in my kitchen, eating my food, and drinking my fucking coffee.”

His body now pressed against hers, pinning her to the wall as he looked down at her. His expression hardened, yet he was internally cursing at himself for how he was acting.

“I don't know whether it's my head messing with me but he seemed a hell of a lot more than just a “guy you know" he mumbled.

“Whenever you bring your girls over, whether they stay the night or not, you make a hell of a lot of fucking noise Hamzah. Just because I bring a guy around a couple times, doesn’t excuse your actions either. I'm not the only guilty one here.” She retorted, her voice louder this time.

Hamzah gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing at her words. He hated the fact she had a point. It was a damn good one too, but he couldn’t admit that. Not right now anyway.

“It’s different.” He mumbled, repeating his response from earlier. He knew deep down it was hypocritical of him to act like this, but a part of him didn’t damn care. He was annoyed and wanted, no, needed to know more.

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head at his defiance. “Hamzah, no it isn’t.” She sighed. “Stop fucking saying that, when you know it isn’t true”

With him still pressed against her, he pushed a knee to part her legs. Slowly bringing his face closer to hers, a subtle growl in his throat. “Then tell me. Who is he? What does he do? How did you meet him?” He questioned. each question coming out coldly and sharply.

She shuddered, heat rising in her core as his knee pushed against her sensitively.

“He’s a guy I met at one night, when i was out with friends, not that it’s any of your fucking buisness. And he’s practicing to be dentist, if you must know.” She spoke, her voice wavering slightly, wondering why he was getting so worked up, when he did the exact same things that she did.

Hamzah paused momentarily, a silence hanging between them as his eyes scanned over her face. She had a point. He had no right to question her. But he still didn’t care. A pang of jealousy and annoyance still coursed through him, no matter how illogical it was.

He placed both hands either side of her hips, trapping her more as his expression darkened slightly. “Right.” He muttered lowly. “Practicing to be a dentist.” He repeated, a hint of sarcasm clear in his tone.

His fingers danced across y/n’s hips, nearly causing her to gasp as they fluttered over her. She needed to hold myself together, to stand her ground, even if her knees felt as though they were about to crumble beneath her. “Dentistry is a good career path, you know. The moneys great.” She said, her voice shaking a little.

“More than you make anyway” she muttered under her breath, her eyes on the floor beneath her. Y/n knew it was a low blow, and regretted it the second the words flew out of her mouth.

Hamzah’s jaw tightened as her words stung, a reminder that he only had YouTube and streaming to thank him for the career path he chose. But that didn’t mean it hurt any less.

He reached his hand up to grab her chin again, slowly but firmly bringing her face up to look at him. His gaze darkened as he pinned her more against the wall. “Watch it.” He threatened in a low tone. “Don’t bring my fucking career into this.”

“Then don’t be such an asshole to the guys I’m with, huh?” Y/n whispered, eyeing him up as she saw his jaw clenched, his knee pushing harder against her throbbing core.

He let out a low scoff, his jaw only clenching more as his knee pressed harder against her. A part of him enjoying the way he could rile her up. It excited him.

“You want me to sit back and watch you bring more guys home? You expect me to just go with it and accept it?” He questioned, his voice sharp once again.

“”I’ve come to terms with the fact you go through five girls a week Hamzah. Why can’t you accept that I’m an adult, and I need human touch sometimes!” She yelled, unaware of her voices volume as she became overwhelmed, this argument, her feelings, and Hamzah’s teasing getting to her.

His body slowly pressed more against hers, her voice only making him more frustrated and angry. His grip on her chin tightened slightly, his breaths becoming heavier as he leaned down to speak lowly in her ear.

“listen to me, don’t you dare yell at me.” He said firmly but quietly, making her shiver, as goosebumps coated her spine.

Hamzah’s grip around her waist tightened, his body now completely against hers. Her small frame pressed against his, the feel of her body making his breath hitch.

He moved his head closer to her ear, his breath fanning across her neck. He took a moment to choose his words, trying to keep his mind under his control.

“Do you any idea how jealous seeing you with other guys makes me?” He muttered lowly.

She paused, her eyes widening as realisation flooded her, her mind racing a hundred miles per hour.

He leaned back just enough to look down at her, his eyes flicking over her expression as his adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He noticed the slight shock as realisation took over her.

He was still pinned her against the wall, his body still pressed against hers. He expression was almost… vulnerable. And he hated how arousing it was to see her like this.

“I never knew” she whispered breathlessly, the heat radiating off of Hamzah, and onto her due to their proximity.

He raised an eyebrow, seeing how caught off guard she seemed. A flicker of satisfaction ran through him as he continued to hold her pinned against the wall.

“You’re telling me you never once noticed how annoyed I got when I watched you bring home guys?” he asked, his mouth now hovering just above her shoulder.

“I thought you didn’t like them taking up space. Using our commodities. Being too loud when we were..” she trailed off, thoughts overcoming her. How could she be so oblivious?

Hamzah almost chuckled at her words. The fact that she thought that’s what bothered him was almost hysterical. To think she never once thought he got jealous.

He let out a long sigh before looking back at her, a hint of annoyance still in him but for a different reason this time. “You really couldn’t notice that I cared a little bit more than that, huh?” He muttered.

“I was so wrapped up in.. well.. other things, that I wasn’t thinking about you, or you even liking me that way..” she muttered, embarrassed by the lack of care she had had for him.

Hamzah’s jaw clenched, hearing her say she didn’t think about him made something inside of him go crazy. He wasn’t used to being someone’s afterthought.

He suddenly grabbed both of her wrists, pinning them above her head against the wall. His body moved closer as his voice dropped to an almost possessive tone. “Other things like what?”

Y/n sighed, knowing she had to be truthful to him. “Other guys..” she softly spoke, her eyes darting away from his.

The truth stung him in the chest, causing his grip around her wrists to tighten slightly. Hearing her admit that the other guys she brought home meant more to her than he did, did not sit well with him at all.

He pressed himself more against her, his mind telling him to keep control. He gritted his teeth before speaking again. “Did any of those other guys ever make you feel good?”

Her eyes avoided him, and she quietly spoke. “Yes..”

Hearing she said “yes” was like daggers in his chest. He wasn’t used to being second best, no matter what the situation. Now it made sense why she never noticed he got jealous. Other guys took up all her time and attention.

A hint of annoyance mixed with jealousy flickered across his face as he pinned her against the wall even more. “How did they make you feel?” he asked lowly, his voice almost a growl.

“I think you could make me feel better” she whispered, feeling brave as her mind still reeled from his confession. She traced her arms to the back of his neck, softly playing with his curls. The whole situation was sinking into her, and she was left with a feeling of need for him, whether she realised it or not.

A small gasp escaped his mouth when her hands reached the back of his neck. He was not expecting that in the slightest. Suddenly her hands felt like fire against his skin as they ran through his curls, making him let out an involuntary sigh.

He leaned down, resting his forehead against hers as he let out a shaky breath. There was a battle going on in his mind between letting her be and claiming her as his own.

“What do you think, Hamzah..” she whispered in his ear, her lips brushing over his early softly, waiting for his approval.

He almost cursed at her touch. Her lips on the shell of his ear, her body pressed against his, her legs sandwiched between his. The fact he still had her wrists pinned above her head made it even more torturous.

He let out a low growl, biting back the words he was begging to spill. After a moment he looked down at her, taking in her flushed expression and breathless eyes before speaking. “Say you’re mine.”

She paused, thinking of the consequences of admitting this to him.

He could almost see the thoughts racing through her head, the uncertainty and doubt that hung in the air between them.

He squeezed her wrists, removing them from his neck, bringing his face closer to hers, his breath fanning across her cheek. “Say it then.” He demanded, his voice stern yet a hint of desperation clung to his tone.

“I’m yours, Hamzah”

A wave of satisfaction coursed through him at those words. She was his. Hearing her say it, just confirmed it even more.

He let out a deep hum before looking down at her, her wrists still trapped in his grip. “Good girl.” He muttered, a possessive growl in his tone. “I don't want you bringing any boys home again. You got that?”

“I don’t want you bringing any other girls home. If you want a girl, I’m here.” She bluntly put it, her tone possessive as she waited for his answer intently, her eyes glancing over his face, his eyes, his jaw. Anything she could land her eyes on.

He knew he should have expected that reply and for some reason, made her all the more attractive for it. He smirked at her, tilting his head slightly as his eyes darkened. “You’re going to keep me satisfied are you?” His hold on her wrists loosened, lowering them down slowly.

She smirked, nodding her head slowly as her eyes narrowed, and lips glistened as she ran her tongue over them.

He let out a low hum, keeping his smirk in place as he looked her up and down, taking in her flushed and breathless expression. She was all his now.

He brought his hands to her hips, pulling her close to him. Feeling her body against his, he almost groaned at how good it felt.

Bringing her hands to his face, she leaned in slowly, her neediness become clearer, and her core became wet, and urges became stronger.

Her on his face felt like a fire against his skin as he pulled her even closer to his body. He couldn’t help but notice her getting restless, needy even. He let out a low chuckle before leaning down to her ear. “So desperate for me, huh?” He whispered before pulling back, a smirk on his face.

“Stop teasing me, or maybe, I’ll call Hugh again” she threatened, smirking. Deep down, Y/n knew she would call that man again, not when she had Hamzah. But it was fun to get a reaction out of him. It turned her on.

Hamzah's smirk dropped instantly when she mentioned bringing Hugh back here again. He knew she was only trying to get a rise out of him, but damn it was working. He clenched his jaw, a frown on his face.

"You wouldn't dare call that bastard back again." He said through gritted teeth, his grip on her tightening ever so slightly.

"Then give me what i fucking deserve." She spoke boldly, her mouth releasing the words that danced across her mind without even realising it.

Her words, hearing her say "give me what I fucking deserve" made him snap. A mix of anger, possessiveness and impatience all coursing though his body now.

He grabbed her waist, practically pushing her back against the wall as his mouth attached to her neck.

Her back arched almost immediately, as he sucked and pulled at her sweet spot with his teeth. She groaned softly, his name and other curses flowing off her tongue.

Hearing his name falling from her lips, hearing her curse under her breath as sucked and bit at her neck and shoulder made his head spin. The way she reacted to him and his touch was driving him insane. He wanted to claim her.

He pushed his body against hers, pushing a thigh between her legs as he continued his onslaught on her skin.

He began kissing her jawline, and neck, and finally sank down to his knees, ready to give her what she deserved.

He kneeled in front of her, his hands trailing down her body, past her hips before stopping on her thighs. His hands gently pulled her light blue pj shorts down her smooth legs as he continued to kiss and suck at her skin. His mouth was almost as greedy as his eyes, wanting to touch and feel every inch of her.

He bit a mark on her thigh, hard enough to cause a slight pain but not enough to break the skin. He needed to claim her as his own.

Her body nearly bent over backwards at this, shuddering and shivering at the slightest touches.

Hearing the way her body reacted to him was like sweet ecstasy to his ears. It only made him want and need her more with each passing second.

He continued to run his lips and teeth across her thighs, leaving dark marks in his wake to make his claim known. He looked up through his lashes at her, her shaking body and flushed face only egging his on.

Looking up at her through his lashes, he let go of her thighs and paused, silently asking her for permission to continue.

he watched as her eyes darkened, pupils blown out as she looked back at him. Her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath. She looked almost wrecked already and they’d only just gotten started.

She nodded vigorously, her lips bruised due to biting them, as she waited patiently for him to begin his rampage.

He paused, his eyes scanning every part of her, as if he couldn't get enough of her. He shot up, onto his feet and off of his bruised knees, his arms trailing around her waist as she let out a huff, annoyed at the loss of touch. At the lost of connection between them.

He picked her up, his strong arms wrapping around her and slinging her over his shoulder with ease as she let out a squeal, her mind fogging over as thoughts of his arms doing other things to her flooded her, filling her with desire and desperation. She needed him, on her, in her, any way she could get him.

As the two made their way towards Hamzah's bedroom, sultry thoughts in their heads, they collectively knew that it wouldn't be the same after this. Something was happening, something that would change the course of their lives.

For better, or for worse, the two were becoming much, much more than just roommates.

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

The farmer is a pretty heavy sleeper if even a meteor landing on their farm won't get them up before 6am but what about their spouse? How would they all (sve included if you'd like) react to not only a whole space rock hitting the farm but the farmer reacting with nothin more than a sleepy "oh was probably just a meteor... I'll check that in the mornin."

I had a lot of fun with this scenario, really liked the idea itself. Thank you so much for the ask, and enjoy! 💕

_________________________________________

SDV/SVE bachelors:

Sam said quietly, "Oh, okay," and laid his head back on the pillow, falling asleep again. When morning came, the young guitarist would consider his vague recollection of this conversation a dream. What will be his surprise when he sees an actual meteorite lying not far from their house. "Babe, that could have ended badly..." "No worries, Sammy, but if you want, we'll check it out next time." ...Next time?????

"Did you hear that?!" "Relax, dear, it's just a meteorite..." "Ah, alright... It's a WHAT?!" And the slogan of this Harvey's headcanon: "A meteorite is the best alarm clock! You'll wake up right away!" Although in Farmer's case - they woke up to a fuss made by their worried husband. But you can understand the Pelican Town doctor, too - a bloody piece of cosmic rock fell right into your yard, it's hard to stay calm.

Elliott literally fell out of bed from such a loud sound outside the window, and Farmer continued to snore quietly??? The writer was so confused, he didn't know if he should wake up Farmer or not. "Mmmm... Did'a meteorit fal' again... I'll deal with it tmorrw... 💤" Farmer mumbled, leaving Elliott even more confused. Meteorite? Wha- again? They mean... it's happened before and it's going to happen again?! What is happening?!

"Hon, what the fuck." At first Shane's reaction to Farmer's words wasn't too violent, because he's still sleepy. But after a couple of seconds the meaning of the words reached him, the gyrus in his brain started working and he shrieked: "The coop! Charlie!" The realisation that the animals might have been hit by the meteorite instantly brought Farmer to their feet.

No matter how hard Alex tried - his spouse slept like a dead man, muttering that they would check the source of the noise tomorrow. What do they mean, tomorrow?! They need to check it now! Alex can't just leave it alone, so he goes to check it out, with or without Farmer. Whoa, a real meteorite... Erm, shouldn't they tell Lewis or someone about this?

Meteorite or not, Sebastian remained surprisingly calm. He gave up trying to wake Farmer and went to the window to see what was out there. They were right - it was in fact a meteorite, a real one. And there's light coming from it. So cool. "Sure you don't want to come with me, dear?" Farmer mumbled something incomprehensible in response, and the emo decided to go alone, to look at the cool sky rock. Because why not.

Lance sensed something was wrong before the meteorite touched the ground. Fortunately, the far-sighted gallant adventurer had put up a magical barrier that prevented the space rock from crashing into his and Farmer's house or barns. The meteorite had fallen, all was well. "I take it this phenomenon is not new to you?" He smiled as his spouse mumbled "tomorrow..." in their sleep. Well then, they both can look at the meteorite later.

"Razor!" Magnus jumped up sharply from the bed, casting the spell on automatic. The trajectory of the falling meteorite was reversed, and the celestial stone plummeted into the water, no longer posing a danger to the forest. "Farmer, meteorite." "Mhmm, five more minutes.... I'll look at the meteorite tomorrow...." Magnus wondered how his dearest spouse could even survive as an adventurer with no sense of self-preservation. It's a damn meteorite!

A whole palette of emotions was bubbling up inside Victor, awake from the noise. What was that! A meteorite? A real one! It's probably incredibly hot right now, he shouldn't go near it.... But it's a meteorite! It's so scary, and so interesting! Farmer, don't hide your head under the pillow, but get a flashlight. Victor's taking them out to see the space rock! Well, and make sure everything's okay and no animals are hurt, too.

SDV/SVE bachelorettes:

A meteorite?! A real rock of cosmic origin fell right on the farm? Maru immediately jumps out of bed and wakes up Farmer. It's unclear, however, whether this reaction of hers is simple worry about putting out the fire from the meteorite fall or that the young inventor is thrilled that she and her spouse will see the meteorite up close! Probably both. Either way, Farmer won't sleep well tonight...

"What makes you think it's a meteorite? Maybe it's aliens? Oh, that's so cool! Get up quick or we'll miss the whole thing! And grab a sword, just in case." The force with which Abigail was prancing poor Farmer made them realise at once that their wife was not going to let them finish their beauty sleep. Unlikely aliens in there, but they'd have to check anyway. Ugh...

Poor Penny is in complete shock at how calmly Farmer has reacted to everything. Don't they care what happens to the farm? What if what fell down caused a fire and everything could burn? There's a forest nearby, it would be a huge fire! Penny tearfully begged her sleepy spouse to check it out before it's too late. Farmer had to get up (they hate to see their lovely wife crying).

"Did you hear that, Farmer?" "Yep, meteorite hit again, I'll look tomorrow..." Leah can already see the fire that has travelled from the glowing space rock to the dry summer grass. Oh no, there's going to be a fire now... She wakes Farmer up with one mighty shove and shouts an emergency. And as much as Farmer grumbled over their interrupted sleep - the artist was right. A forest fire is a very dangerous.☝️

The sound of a meteorite falling may not have been able to wake Farmer, but the shriek of terror of their wife Haley sure knocked them out of dreamland. "Shh, Haley, it's only a meteorite..." JUST A METEORITE?! Is Farmer laughing at her? Oh no, they can't go back to the dream realm now - Haley wakes them up again and tells them to look at that fallen meteorite before something else happens. Haley's half asleep herself, but she's scared, so she'll insist on checking it out now.

Before going to bed, Emily read a daily horoscope in a magazine that she would soon "be given a big sign, so make your decision at once." Nowhere, however, did it say that this "sign" was a huge rock from the sky. But at least she made the decision right away, (and the right one) - getting Farmer out if bed, despite their protests, to make sure the falling meteorite didn't destroy anything. No "tomorrow", it had to be now. She hopes no animals were! Her heart couldn't take it...

Claire jumped up in bed, as if scalded by boiling water, at the rattling of window glass and the vibrations throughout the house. Something had fallen on the farm - and that 'something' is very big. She woke and woke her spouse to no avail, who only responded to the terrifying sound with a louder snore. How did they even manage not to wake up from such a noise? And how could they mumbling so calmly about the meteorite?!

Poor Sophia, frightened by a scary sound outside , immediately pressed herself against Farmer, trying to hide. Farmer kissed her gently and told her that it was just a meteorite, that everything was fine and they would protect her. After saying "it's okay" and "I will protect you" the panic inside Sophia was extinguished and she fell asleep again in the arms of her spouse. The meteorite in the morning would definitely be a shock to her (she thought she had dreamed the whole thing).

After that horrible sound, Olivia not only wakes Farmer up, but also gets almost half the town up, making one call to Lewis and claiming that something terrible has happened on her and Farmer's property. Farmer sleepily tried to convince Olivia that a fallen meteorite was no big deal, but she wasn't convinced. How is that - a huge, dangerous rock from outer space - and not dangerous!

[epwritten]

T a s t e ~ l.f

"Just look at me baby, day and night"

Description: You want what you're afraid of getting. You both play this game of want and desires, temptations, and limitations, secrecy, and need.

Word count: 8K. Hehehe. 😬

Author's note: I got into Stray Kids late summer last year, so there's a lot of performances I'm still getting into. But a week ago I saw Taste for the first time and...wow. When I first watched the Taste performance, everything was running through my mind at once. It was the perfect showcasing of temptation, where me -a usually by-the-rules person - had thoughts that were uncontrollable. I've never seen anything quite like that before, where in the moment I was so captivated. This concept came immediately after watching the video late hours into the night.

Additional notes: AU kind of...even though they're Danceracha, they're not members of Stray Kids. They're three college friends trying to make it by, making music.

Another note! This can be a little toxic, but the whole gist of this one shot is to showcase what temptations between people really look like, especially if you have one who grew up under strict conditions and now goes through inner conflict of whether or not they should throw away their restrictions for a chance. I don't want there to be anything that upsets anyone as they read this. It wasn't my intention honestly!

AND MOST IMPORTANT!

There's no smut in this. I'm not comfortable writing it. I know this one shot more ofc focuses on temptation and what that feels like, but I'm just not comfortable so please don't expect it and then get mad when you've reached the ending and there's nothing aha <3

Okay that's it! Happy reading! Hope you will enjoy <3

To lay it out in simple terms, you were drowning.

No, not literally. But it felt so much like it.The place had a way of heightening all of your five senses in one setting. You always found yourself playing the senses game with your dad when you were young. He may have forgotten about it, but you carried the habit with you, even if it was subconsciously. You always observed the five senses in a place and how that made you feel. Sometimes it was for safety measures, identifying what in an unknown room could be your shelter. Other times it was a reflection of happiness, if you were at the beach or somewhere that you could not count all your senses aligning in the best way.

But sometimes, on a night like tonight for instance, it was out of nerves.

Smell: The scent of expensive perfumes from those in the room lingering in the air.

Hear: The noises of conversations in and out of your ear through everybody else who was in the room.

Touch: Your pulse, right under your neck, a signal of nervousness when things got too overwhelming.

See: The lights dimmed in perfect blue, everything dark and rich in color that you may as well have been drowning with the wave of shade plastered and flashing shadows where the lights loomed.

Everything about this atmosphere was tempting, inviting, alluring. You could feel the vibration of the bass, on the floor right where your foot was planted, but also buzzing in your chest. You knew needed to breathe. But nothing was working with your senses anymore, almost as if they were too far gone, lost in this place of entrapment.

Why did you decide to come?

You were definitely out of place, you considered, as you craned your neck trying to look for something and nothing at the same time. People were chatting and laughing and you wondered if being social was a game of pretend that everyone aced at, or an actual skill. Nobody even looked bored before an event would start. It amazed you so. You on the other hand, always hated to be so early to places where you had no other choice but to socialize before the main events arrived. Yet for this specific night, you didn't dare arrive late. You didn't want to admit it out loud, but you didn't want to miss...him.

Great. Your mind was doing it again. Thinking about what you vowed not to think of. But there it was, a delicate subject you didn't want to tempt with thought and imagery, but it pulling you in.

Him, with his dark eyes, a stare that captivated you, and seemed to control all of you- your mind, your body, your soul. He was dangerous to what you thought held your convictions for so long, the definition of what you couldn't cross and somehow you did. Though not really. But still. The whole thing was rather...complicated.

Because it started with you, that night, three months ago. You didn't even know why you were there. Life was tough and you needed somewhere to escape to. Your friends always suggested a high scene that could make your feelings go numb for the evening, how the dopamine release would maybe even be good for you. You never considered it those days of your youth, but a few months back, you found yourself at a high scene of a nightclub under blaring lights.

~ 3 months ago ~

Even though you were in your early 20s, it was your first time, so of course you felt out of place. Did people actually enjoy this?

That night was a night of many firsts. A stranger sauntered over to you and asked to buy you a drink. You didn't realize that what happened in the movies you saw could actually take place in real life. People were making out in the back corner- full on, not caring if anyone else was looking, and not getting a room anytime soon. The music was loud. There were so many people, so many stories. But, you all were strangers to each other, and that was the pep talk you told yourself.

You were a stranger. Whether you were actually shy and timid or confident and sexy, no one would know the difference. It was one night in this nightclub. You could be anyone you wanted to.

You could also meet anyone you wanted. And that's what you did.

He was on the top floor when you first saw him, manspread on the purple lounge couch. There were two other guys with him, one with brown hair and the other with blue hair but you barely noticed. Even when they stopped talking to each other and eyed you as you got to the top of the staircase, searching for a place to sit, your eyes only zeroed in on one.

See: Jet black hair, dark eyes, pale skin, wearing all black. He was the most beautiful person you could ever see. His features were pretty, but his stance was dominant and you couldn't help but let your mind run with thoughts that normally didn't cloud your vision. But this night was meant to be different anyway, at least, that's what you were trying to tell yourself.

You swallowed before you spoke out. "Am I allowed to sit here?" You asked, because for some strange reason no one else was up in the balcony seats, just those three men.

The man in the middle of the couch smiled before he shifted in his seat, moving to the other side of the couch.

"Of course you are. Come sit."

Hear: His voice was lower than expected, a velvety tone with a certain accent, though he didn't say enough words for you to realize which one it was. Your heart churned deep in your chest as you slowly walked towards them. You sat down right where the middle man patted and immediately you were hit with the scent of his cologne.

Smell: A hint of springtime but spice of power.

When you sat by him, the two other guys that were there wandered off, leaving you and the middle man alone. They made no excuses and walked out like it was no big deal. You didn't want to disturb any of them, but they were out of your hair by the time you sat.

You couldn't help but sneak a glance at who was sitting right by you on the couch. The music was blaring, lights were dimmed but luminescent enough so you could see the sparkles around his eyeliner and the color tint on his lips. He looked incredibly unreal, just sitting there.

And then he looked at you.

It was strange. You would be the person who would look away instantly, blush constantly and find something to fidget with, causing so much of a distraction to reduce the heat on your cheeks and color on your face. But right there in that moment, you didn't look away, you stared right back.

You didn't know anything about him, but you remembered how when you first walked into the club you said to yourself that you wanted a change. That you could be whoever you wanted, and no one would know anything different. He wouldn't know anything of your shy nature, the innocent image that so many mocked you about, he wouldn't know.

"Can I get you a drink?" The man asked finally, his pupils looking so intensely at your soul you thought he was genuinely lost in them. He was attentive, that was noted.

You shook your head. You've never drank before. Even though tonight would be the night of promises to live young and not overthink everything, you were still nervous for the substances.

"I'm good. Thank you though." You answered.

He nodded understandably as he sat up straighter. "Ah, that's okay." He said.

"I've never seen you here before. Are you new to the city?" He continued.

It was when he said that your heart started beating a bit more. Australian, that's what it was. He was definitely Australian.

He angled his body on the couch so he could face you properly. Though you were shy among his gaze, and had trouble fully looking at him.

"I've been here, I just..." You paused. You didn't want to seem like such a fool if you were to say that you've never been in a nightclub before. The man looked around your age and it would be somewhat embarrassing.

So you lifted your eyes and looked at him.

"I just never got to actually talk to you before." You said.

The man blinked before he leaned forward, a hand brought his chin as he gazed at you. "You've seen me here, but you never talked to me?"

You swallowed but wanting to keep going with the act. You told yourself in your mind not to care. So what if you flirted a little bit? Anything that would comment for this man would be truthful anyway.

So you scanned him with your eyes, taking everything in before you spoke out.

"Well...you're the sexiest person I've ever laid eyes on, so it'd be difficult..." Your voice trailed off.

Oh goodness. Did you really just say that out loud?

The man raised an eyebrow, but his smirk said otherwise. "Sexy, yeah? That's what you think of me as?"

When he repeated your words back, it made you suddenly shy, looking away. How did people at clubs do this? Were they always that forward?

He looked like he was okay with it, but you couldn't keep this front and confident act much longer. But you wanted to. You so wanted to just forget about your worries and let the night take its course.

"Hey," He chuckled warmly. "Don't go shy on me now." He said, eyes never leaving your face.

So you didn't. You took a deep breath and looked back at him. "Yes, that's what I think of you. You're sexy."

Being forward left a weird taste in your mouth, but the way he looked at you said so much at the same time. It fed you, fed your emotions. Because you could see that your words were the ones to cause him to smile, despite the shyness wanting to creep up on you.

"Thank you." His voice was a low decibel of temptation. He let his eyes travel down past your eyes for a split second before centering back on your face again.

You blinked and took a shallow breath, trying to ease the thundering beat in your chest.

The man then smiled genuinely and you swore you never saw anything more unreal. He looked kissable. You wondered what kissing him would feel like.

Where did that thought come from?

"You're a little shy, aren't you?" He guessed, reading your like a book.

Touch: You crossed one leg over the other, accidentally brushing his leg with yours and you quickly drew it back. You were failing your confidence but the way he looked at you...there was really no chance.

He chuckled when you didn't respond. "Don't be, get comfortable. What's your name?" He asked.

You said it and he repeated your name to himself before he nodded. "It compliments you. You're just as beautiful if not more."

And there came the butterflies once more.

You turned to him, trying to come back to look into his brown eyes. "What's your name?" You threw the question back to him.

"Felix." He answered, giving you his hand to shake.

It wasn't the most unexpected name for this midnight prince of a man. If anything, it was pretty attractive.

Around you both the music still blared and you started to feel your mind drifting back to the scene around you with your senses. But you wanted to be present and looked back at Felix with a question in mind.

"So...why are you here tonight?" You asked, trying to attempt conversation.

Felix looked up at the ceiling and then around. "Honestly...I'm performing on that stage in a minute." He said, looking behind him.

You did a double take when you saw the stage. "On...the pole?"

Felix shook his head and laughed. "No, no. A couple of friends and I we dance and make music, and then we perform at clubs."

Your face flushed. "Oh."

That was it. You were done. Embarrassed. You would try to take a cab and leave and never return. Possibly leave the country. Never be seen again. Burried in a hole. Whatever worked.

You didn't realize you were actually spacing out and planning a disappearing act until you felt a strong but soft touch on your arm. You averted your gaze and saw Felix shooting a soft smile.

"Why are you here tonight?" He asked.

It was very much of a good question. You wanted to know yourself. Life was being a lot. You needed a change of scene. You wanted to check out the club. You wanted to not let your worries cloud your mind. You were a rigid person and you imagined what it would be like to, for one moment, live more freely.

But you weren't about to go into the details of it all. You still were assigned one task, and that was let go.

"Because...I want to see you perform." You answered softly.

Felix blinked in surprise before he smirked, his hand patting your leg.

"Good girl." He muttered.

Hear: The words "good girl", over and over in your head from now until morning. You didn't know what to do with yourself.

Felix suddenly stood up and you looked at him, your heart beat picking up in haste."Wait, where are you going?" You asked, confused.

Felix glanced at the stage and then back at you, his eyes daring. "Going to be the reason why you came here tonight, of course. You should watch the stage." He winked and then walked away, going down the stairs, not looking back once.

He was so mysteriously sexy, so captivating, that you didn't know if your mind was held straight. You were thinking a million thoughts, imagining instances that past you would never do. On and on were piles of debating in your head between the two. The familiar innocence you vowed to protect, or the risking image that didn't care who you were, allowing you to dive deep into someone else. Maybe someone you were all along.

You couldn't think much because soon the music died down and you walked to the rail of the balcony, looking down. You technically could've gone down, but there were so many people. You liked having the space to yourself. It made you observe.

And when Felix and his two friends were finally on stage and danced, you were absolutely stunned. The other two were passionate, of course. The one with the blue hair was like blazing fire and then other with brown hair like sharp ice. Yet Felix had a power to him, an aura that was unshaken. He moved effectively and gracefully at the same time.

Their small set ended, only a couple of songs before the three went back upstairs and joined you as the stage was getting ready for exotic dancers. You stood up, wanting to pull Felix aside. When Felix saw you, he smiled, sauntering over to you.

"What did you think?" He asked in a low tone, reaching you.

You looked at him, truly. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and his hair was slightly messier from the dancing. He was breathing hard, staring at you. It made you feel vulnerable of the true thoughts in your mind. You wondered just this once, how he would react if you were direct.

"I think you're a dangerous temptation." You finally answered bluntly, stepping into his space.

Felix raised an eyebrow. "Really? I'm a dangerous temptation, how so?" He asked, though his voice was smug.

He was taller than you but he crouched down, leaning forward so he could be at eye level with you.

You took a deep breath. "Because..." Your voice trailed off as you noticed a strand of hair covering his eye. You wanted to see his eyes. Without thinking you moved his escaping strand away, brushing it behind his ear. But it wasn't until you felt your fingertips reach the side of his face and saw him staring at you, not backing away either, gave you a weird longing.

What if tonight nothing mattered?

What if you could just be?

Felix stepped closer to your space, looking down at you. When he watched your hand slowly run through his hair, you caught him biting his lip subtly, but to you it was so hot.

He said your name then, eyes on you. When you looked at him, as the blue lights shone on his face, you could see a dark look in his eyes, it was calling you.

"Do you wanna get out of here?" You asked lowly.

A night of first experiences. It started with the drink offering, it continued with the flirtatious comments, and now it came to this point. You may have imagined the possibility of 'what if', but now it was your reality.

You just asked the hottest man in this whole club if he wanted to leave with you. That was something you never imagined yourself to do.

You looked to the side for a second, but the moment that you would want to second guess, a gaze of his would send darts to your heatt, causing it to beat rapidly in response to how he was looking at you. A wave of intensity and suddenly fear of regret if the night didn't happen, rushed through your soul.

"My place or yours?" Felix asked. His voice was even deeper if that made sense, filled with need.

"Yours." You said immediately.

~Present Day ~

You glanced on the watch on your arm, and then looked back to the stage. It was empty, the smoke machine clouding your vision. The playlist in the background was loud, the stero basically right in front of you. But what did you expect, you were front row.

You wondered where he was, maybe backstage with Hyunjin and Lee Know. You recalled when you first formally met the two, a few days after the first night you met Felix. It was a hang out, he called it, where a bunch of his friends and him were grabbing drinks and he wanted to see you again. He also wanted to talk to you. You didn't know why you said yes. He was supposed to be a stranger you'd know for one night, and then you both would leave each other and never see each other again. But of course, knowing your luck, it could never happen.

That night, the first one where after his set, you both left the venue not looking back, nothing actually happened. You were a virgin, you were raised strictly under rigid parental rules, you never drank or did drugs, you haven't had a first real kiss, you've never had any guy talk to you let alone bring you to their place, and you were scared regardless. But you wanted him. You didn't know why, but you wanted Felix so much.

~3 months ago~

Your foreheads pressed against each other. You felt his hands grab your face but you let your head stay around his. You could feel him all around, inhaling his scent. You were in his room, in his bed and yet...nothing. Sure there were touches here and there, kisses peppered down your neck, but you were so nervous. In the heat of the moment, being in the club with the blaring lights, electrifying music and sensual atmosphere it was easy to not think and let go. But right there in Felix's house, things were more difficult to navigate.

"I...don't know." You admitted softly.

Felix sighed, planting a kiss on your forehead once more. When he departed, he looked at you, and then ran his hands down your arm.

"If you don't want to do this, we don't have to." He said.

You glanced at the bed. It was soft, inviting, right there. And that was Felix was well. He was right there.

You looked down at your lap. "I want to, but...i- I don't know."

Felix remained quiet, nodding. When you saw his understanding you rested your arms around his neck, giving him some physical consolement. He breathed in deeply, eyes closed for a second before he leaned in once more and kissed the side of your chin. You hitched out a gasp.

"You want to but you don't know." Felix repeated your words against your skin.

He had a tendency of doing that, of throwing back the words you said so that you could hear echo in his voice. It was a shot of questioning if you were really sure. But it was so attractive coming from him.

Without even realizing it, you slightly tilted your head to the side, allowing him the access. His hands traveled down to your waist and as the kisses went deeper he found grip in your hips. A slow hand creeped, under your shirt to touch your bare skin. But as you felt his touch your eyes opened and you moved in your seat.

"Felix...I..."

You didn't want Felix to get annoyed. Every time you initiated something, he would respond to it, then you chickened out. You were sure that back in the club there were a lot of people who would want to spend the night with Felix.

You were the one that asked him, and now that it was happening you're nervous and indecisive?

You shook your head, feeling stressed out. It shouldn't be this stressful. Either you wanted it or not.

"I'm sorry." You apologized in a whisper.

Felix stared at you a little more. "What do you want from me, baby? What do you want me to do for you?"

~Present Day~

Two months and 13 days. It had been two months and 13 days since you've seen him. You were nervous as you craned your neck trying to look for something. You eyed the exit sign. You felt ridiculous. Surely you wanted to see this performance, but you were right up front, meaning Felix would see you.

He sent you an invitation, letting you know that he was going to be performing at an event. It wasn't even a bar or a club, it was an arts venue where people got the chance to display their talents and get scouted if they had the chance. You were proud of Felix, and Hyunjin and Lee Know. You knew that they were talented and worked hard.

You were curious for their song choice. Felix didn't say much when you asked him, just that it was written by the three of them inspired by true events. Then he told you it'd be special if you could make it, since it was inspired by you.

You never had a song inspired by you before.

You were going to go regardless. It wouldn't matter if they sang about bowling, whatever it was, you knew they would put on a show. But the fact that it was inspired by you...what part of you?

Would it be very direct and knowing? Did it include your name? Or was it slightly subtle, using certain words and symbolism that only made sense from the person that wrote it, and the muse.

Your heart beat at the thought. There was an anticipation growing in the air as the smoke machine from the stage traveled just about where you were. You breathed in deeply and closed your eyes. You were ready for whatever was to come.

~3 months ago~

It became on and off, like a tennis match.

Another night the guys performed at a bar. When their set was done, a lady with long brown hair and a sparkly black dress walked over to Felix and was talking to him across the room. She was smiling, using wild gestures and you're stomach flipped when you saw her hold on to his arm while laughing. Felix gave a smile and talked with her for a bit, nodding along to what she was saying.

You felt pathetic. Why did you think that you and Felix had something? There were rules and natures to the club scene. People weren't to be in contact with each other after a nightly exchange. So if you were the one Felix talked to that first night, that meant someone else would be the one the next time.

You got up from your seat abruptly, and Felix's eyes averted to you but you turned, picking up your purse, and then weaved your way through the crowd. You were done with the night. You needed to go back to your place and relax.

You left the bar and stood by the crossroad, waiting for the light to turn green so you could walk. As you looked up into the night sky, your eyes trying to adjust to the orange street lights in comparison to the darker theme shades in the bar, you heard footsteps behind you.

"She just wanted to say she liked our set. She works in the music industry."

It was Felix no doubt.

You shook your head and then shrugged. "Okay...? That's great."

"You don't have to be jealous about it, I'm not interested in her."

You weren't facing Felix, but you could hear the undertones of his voice and recognized the smug. He was enjoying this.

"I'm not jealous." You said.

Felix hummed. "You're not jealous, huh?" You could feel him walking closer to you.

"You must think so lowly of me." Felix's hand snaked around your waist and then pulled you closer with no effort.

"You left a whole bar, took all your stuff, just because I was talking to someone of the opposite sex. You don't think I know what's going through your brain right now, do you?"

You breathed in deeply, inhaling his scent once more. The close contact was driving you crazy but you kept your eyes to the signs, waiting for the signal for you to walk.

And then a kiss planted on the back of your neck. And another. And another.

"The way you look mirrors how I look at you. The way you think of me is what I think of you. How your body yearns for me is how my body yearns for you. You don't think I would know?" Felix's voiced out in a low purr in your ears, his breath fanning your skin.

Slow kisses peppered lightly on your neck and then traveled down to your shoulder.

"You're sexy when you get jealous. So innocent yet so possessive? It turns me on." Felix narrated, holding you up as you could feel tingles throughout the course of your body.

It should have been weird thinking that you were in the position outside for all the public to see as you waited at the crossroads, but you didn't mind. In a weird way it was almost thrilling? You wished that you could go home with him then and there.

But you couldn't. And just as Felix's left hand slid down your thigh, you took a step forwards moving away.

"Felix," You took a deep breath, and then faced him. "You know I can't." You said.

For the first time, he got quiet. There was a slight look on his face, a flash of something you couldn't depict before he looked at you.

"What do you want from me then?" Felix asked, once more, saying your name calmly.

"You undress me with your eyes but get all shy whenever I touch you. What are you leaving me with?" He asked.

You looked down. You figured you owed Felix the truth.

"I've never done...anything with anyone before." You admitted.

Felix nodded. "That's fine, I have no intention of taking something away from you if that's not what you want. But you've told me you wanted it. And you seduce me. You ask me to take you to my apartment. I can't think straight when I'm with you. And yet the moment we try, you're gone." Felix said, running fingers through his hair.

"You're confused." He added.

I blinked and then shook my head. "You're the one confusing me. I don't know what I want to do with you. I don't know what I want you to do to me. I imagine things and I want to experience it with you..." You let your voice trail off.

Felix brushed hair out of your eyes. "I want to do everything to you. But you're not helping me. And this innocent self of yours isn't innocent at all. You're a temptress." Felix kissed you once more right by your jaw, just where you felt your knees went weak.

But he left go before anything escalated. His eyes looked over your head and then he pointed. "If you really want to go, it's your walk now."

You turned and looked seeing that there was indeed the countdown for the street. Cars waited for you to cross, their gazes impatient. You looked back at Felix and then the light once more.

You may have been a 'temptress' but Felix was nothing more than a 'tempter' himself.

~Present Time ~

They were last. Of course they were last.

The event night had gone on, with amazing debuting artists and groups. You liked the music and enjoyed the varied dances. There were traditional styles, ballads sung, hip-hop numbers, rock...etc. It was a little bit of everything.

You almost forgot the main reason why you were here. You were enjoying the night way more than you had initially expected, but as the MC came on stage thanking everyone for coming, it was then you realized they were the showstoppers.

"We have one more group for you guys, they're performing an original never performed before, ladies and gentleman! You're the first to hear this so let's make sure it's extra special to them. Give it up for Danceracha!"

The audience cheered and your heart thundered as the room went dark, lights out for a second. You sat up straighter, your eyes never leaving the stage as you prepared for anything though you weren't sure for what to expect.

See: Blue lights. It was a deep hue, and with the visuals of bubbles on the screens surrounded the room as though the place was underwater. Three spotlights in light blue lines centered towards the three that move as soon as the song starts. Hyunjin to the left, Lee Know in the middle, and Felix on the right side. There were dancers around the stage in black, in a startup runners position but not moving.

Hear: The music started. F# minor. It sounded mysterious, alluring, matching the colors of the lights around. It's own kind of sexy but captivating in a way that would make anyone wonder what was to come.

The three danced with grace and flow, synchronizing with the beat. The intro played, your eyes looking to where he was.

And how could you not? He looked incredible in a deep indigo unbuttoned silk blazer atop a black tank top over black dress pants, accessorized in silver index rings for both his right and left hand, and a lock necklace over his chest. His black hair slightly growing a bit longer in the back, and fluffy front covering the sides of his face. He moved seriously, passionately, elegantly, and dangerously.

The backup dancers with them got up and the three starting walking to the center of the stage. Just as they started their formation, you heard the voice you unknowingly missed, the voice you craved.

Fake eyes open

또 속아버린 아픔

이참에 날 또

가지고 놀아줘

You took a deep breath. Even within the first lines you knew. You knew exactly what he was saying.

Lee know started singing next and you heard the softness of his tone.

Fake eyes open

또 속아버린 아픔

이참에 날 더

망가지게 놀아줘

Hyunjin came in third with the power of the song building up.

It's like bad red roses

향기에 미쳐 호흡이 가빠짐

아름다움에 가려진 짙고 두꺼운 가시

Don't care about it 알고 있잖아

베일에 싸인 눈동자

헷갈린다면 지금 이 순간을

Lee Know sang once more in a falsetto.

즐겨 baby baby don't test me oh no

Baby baby don't get me wrong

The next sequence had Lee Know and the dancers lower themselves, immediately drawing the spotlight now to Felix as he sang the next part. People around you cheered.

거짓은 안 해 감히

의미 부여한 이 밤의

정답은 you can get me

오로지 you can get me

The music played then, no words excepted Lee Know vocalizing and the smoothness of their dance. Almost like they were swimming. Almost like you were drowning.

They all got up, Felix singing once more.

Yeah make you feel my love la la la

지금 너 come and taste me now

Yeah you better watch out

You're gonna like ah

그래 난 속삭여 la la la la

Hyunjin came back to the center, carrying the last of the pre-chorus as the beat was building.

너와 나 둘 사이의 거릴 좁혀

잠깐의 호흡과 맞닿아 true up

이 스윗한 공간에 빨라진 ah

이 스윗한 공간에 달궈진

The music came to a sudden stop, only the faint sound of a chimy instrument playing as Felix graced the center of the stage, eyes turning to you as he pointed.

Just look....at...me

The beat of the chorus came back strong as the room erupted with cheers. The dance had intensified, filled with electrifying motion that made your heart soar. They were so in sync with each other and yet knowing that what they were saying was inspired by you...it made you sit up straighter and clear your throat.

And then your breath was held when you saw them in hypnotic rhythm going down to the floor.

Just look at me baby, day and night

A single touch. Even though part of the choreography, you weren't ready for Felix's hand that drifted up his leg as his back arched slightly, head rolled back as he sang that line.

What on earth was he doing to you and why was it working so much?

Lee Know started singing the next part again as the ground work was now on their knees.

Don't make me bad make me bad

I'm addicted to you

Hyunjin sang the next part in a beautiful falsetto.

이미 길들여진 내 맘을 자극해

They spun, getting out of the position and were now standing along with the dancers as Lee Know sang the same line again, the beat dropping.

Don't make me bad

Bad

Addicted to you

In synchronized movement, all the guys on stage leaned to the side. It was when looking at Felix and seeing his hand go up to his face did you realize it was him singing the same way Hyunjin just did in a heavenly falsetto, as if he wasn't the one with a low sultry voice for the duration of the song.

시작해 버린 이상 내 게 아님 안 돼

The music started to quiet down, back to the soft purr of seduction like the intro of the song. All of the guys' movements flowed like water, breathing heavily but graceful and poised in a swimming-like manner. It was just the keyboard pad and the chimed-like instrument playing as each person took a step back, and then another. And as the dancers dispersed to the sides of the stage, Felix, Lee Know and Hyunjin held their ending pose as the music came to an end, centered on the stage.

The lights went to black and everyone throughout the room cheered. You could see people around you giving standing ovations yet you stayed unmoved trying to still your beating heart and finding a way to process everything that just happened in the span of two minutes.

Desire. Need. Yearning. Passion. Sensual images and thoughts running in your head. Throughout the performance, though still professional, Felix managed to make a way of giving you his personal show. No one in the building would ever think anything of it, but the words, the dance, the eye contact, everything was what you understood.

It was something the two of you danced with yourselves. Wanting to give in, but being afraid. Yet so separately wanting to find out what would happen...if...

You sat back for a long time, an aftermath of conversations were playing as your background music even though the song was still in your head. Felix was engraved there. The way he looked, the way he sounded, the way he moved...it was everything to you.

The MC came back saying that the night was still young and there would be the chance for everyone to start partying and dancing the night away. The groups that would be scouted would be announced the following few days, but to throw all the worries aside the MC invited people go the dance floor.

You stayed for a little bit, and then got up. You needed to wash your face. You didn't know necessarily what that would do but you needed something to help you feel loose? You were feeling courageously needy, but for the first time, you didn't want the feeling to shoot down once activated.

When you took a minute to yourself- even though it didn't help much- rinsing cold water on your face, you looked at your reflection in the bathroom window. Replays of the performance ran once more through your head. You couldn't help but feel a bit of pride, considering the fact that there were many young and pretty people who had eyes and could definitely see Felix as attractive, and yet...you were the one he was singing to.

You had to find him.

You stayed in the bathroom for about a minute more and wiped at the cold droplets on the sides of your face before you took a deep breath and walked out, going back to the main room. You stopped right at the entrance of the door, scanning the crowd. Felix could be anywhere. Perhaps backstage, maybe talking to people, or maybe....

Wait.

It was timely how you recognized him. Insane, really, because all down the far side he was basically a shadow. But you saw him. You saw at the far corner someone sitting by the back corner. Drink in hand, manspread on the wooden chair. His blazer was off, revealing his black tank top.

He was ruining you without even doing anything.

Surrounding him was a couple of other guys. They had black T-shirts on so you figured it was the some of the backup dancers.

You took a deep breath and then started walking. You awkwardly weaved your way through the dancing train of people before you got to the back of the room. When you reached the table, everyone turned. You felt nervous seeing that you were looking right at Felix after all this time of no contact.

"Um...we're gonna go to the floor. I'm sure you two have some catching up to do." One of the dancers said. He gave a knowing look at you and you wondered if he knew who you were.

Felix shot a smile, giving him a crisp dap and then a salut. "Okay, have fun." He wished.

His voice. How you missed the sound of his voice.

Felix waited a few extra seconds to see each of them leave you both before he averted his eyes to you. There was a story twisted with an airing confidence in his eyes.

"Didn't think you'd show." He said, now planting his elbow on the table. He leaned back, shamelessly staring down your low v-neck shirt. But you were shamelessly staring at his arms, playing at this game as well.

You shrugged. "I had to. I know how much this night is important to you."

Felix nodded, taking a sip of his drink before setting the glass down. "So..." He pushed his hair back, combing his fingers through it before he leaned forward.

"Did you like what you saw?" He asked.

You didn't want to sugarcoat it. You couldn't anyway.

"You were incredible. And the song...it was...it made me think of things..." You answered shyly.

Felix didn't say anything for a few seconds but you saw the corner of his lip lift in a small smirk.

"Yeah? What kind of things?"

You looked down, feeling the heat on your cheeks as your mind went wild. Imagining having Felix touch you, to whisper sweet nothings in your ear with his deep voice, to be the one you could experiment with. He sold that image during the performance, and you wanted nothing more than for him to carry that persona with you, behind closed doors, no one watching.

"Talk to me, baby. What's on your mind? I wanna know." Felix said, his eyes looking up at you in a strange innocent doe way, as if he wasn't the one in charge for setting your soul on passionate fire.

You breathed deeply, taking slow steps towards him. He was right in front of you now, though he didn't stand up and you didn't sit. You were looking down at him and Felix was looking up at you.

"It made me think of...you doing whatever you want to me..." You said.

Felix didn't make any quick movements but somehow he sat closer. He reached forward and hooked his finger to your belt loops, slowly reeling you closer.

"Is that so?" He asked, looking up at you.

You took a sharp intake of air, trying to hold it together. It wasn't even much but this gesture made you feel in need, like a glimpse of what could happen tonight with his control.

But suddenly Felix let go of his grip, his hands in the air in a surrendering position.

You looked at him confusingly. Why would he stop right there? Right when you began to feel once more like pottery clay molding into his hands.

Felix looked at you dead in the eye. "I'm not going to touch you at all, if you don't want this. Okay?"

You nodded.

"No, love, I need words. You got it?" His voice was firm and clear. It seemed to you he was done with mixed signals. And you understood him, because you were done too.

"Yes." You answered in a small voice.

Felix nodded once, licking his lips as he took in all of you. But just as he said, he stuck to the rules, folding his arms instead. You knew in this moment you had to be the one to take the first leap.

So you did something you've seen in movies a couple of times. You stepped closest to Felix and then brought your hand down to his chest, slowly. Felix took in a sharp breath, but still looked at you, challenging a continuation by your command. When you felt confident in doing so, you withdrew your hand from his chest slowly. Locking eyes with his, you nodded.

"I do want this. I'm not going to be like a light switch and annoy you, I truly want this more than ever. I want you." You said.

Felix looked at you and then looked around the room, and back at you. "You're sure?"

"Yes." You repeated, your voice louder.

Felix flashed a smile as he stood up, towering over you. He wrapped an arm around your waist and just when you were right in front of him you could feel his kisses finding their way across your neck, a familiar feeling you didn't know how much you missed.

But you didn't want your first time to be in a crowd as loud as this, barely hearing as the pop and EDM fill your eardrums.

As though sensing that, Felix pulled away, but lifted your chin so you were at eye level with him.

"I'm going to take you to my place, okay? Do you have your stuff?" He asked lowly.

You were so caught up staring at him, so close to your face, that you almost forgot what he asked. But you nodded, looking down at your purse. "Yeah, it's all here."

Felix nodded and then smiled at you in such an endearing way you could almost kiss him first at the sight.

You were breathing heavily, heart beating. The moment would soon be yours and you wanted to savor everything, remembering the exact feelings you had to look back on.

Felix didn't waste time placing a hand on your knee as he drove, caressing you ever so softly but enough to make you shiver in your seat. It was a reminder that you very much so were in his car and was going back to the place you hadn't been in months. Only, there would be a different ending with this time.

And when you arrived, you let out a small noise when he didn't even bother warning you, didn't even bother opening the lights, but he led you through the dark, entering his room. You faced the bed, knowing that tonight would be when it all would happen.

"You haven't changed your mind, no?" Felix asked, leaning against the drawer as he eyed you.

Why was he so effortlessly hot?

You shook your head and looked at Felix. "No." You said.

When you thought back to the performance, the words Felix said, how he sang, the daunting look in his eyes, you would be a fool to not take this opportunity and truly let go for the first time. And you wanted it to be Felix who would have his way with you, however he wanted it. You couldn't see it any other way.

"You're shaking."

"Oh am I? I didn't notice." You replied sarcastically, which made Felix chuckle.

"I missed you." He admitted, which made your heart flip.

"I missed you too." You repeated.

Felix slowly walked over, wrapping his arms around your waist from behind.

"Close your eyes and relax for me?" He whispered in your ear.

Hear: His low voice penetrated your being. Sultry and soothing but charming and the very thing that made you at his service and obey.

You closed your eyes immediately and felt his lips nuzzle your ear. But you let out a small giggle, squirming a little. You could hear Felix laugh behind you.

"It tickles?"

You just giggled in reply. You still keep your eyes closed. For a few seconds there's nothing, but right after you felt his arms wrap around your chest, holding you tightly as he presses his sweet kisses on the back of your neck once again.

Smell: The scent of his cologne was intoxicating, beckoning and surrounded you at the same time. You wanted to bathe in it.

You sighed deeply.

"Remember to breathe, yeah?" Felix advised, his lips moving on your skin.

"Yeah." Your heart fluttered and you exhaled.

Felix hummed, his hand grazing down your chest. "You're so..." His voice trailed off.

You waited, hesitant but curious as to what Felix thought of you. But after long seconds of nothing as Felix started to kiss down your shoulder, you turned your neck slightly, opening your eyes.

"I'm so...? What? What am I?" You asked.

Felix took your waist, and gently moved you so that you were now turned around and facing him. Strands of hair fell in your face in the process of sudden movement, and Felix smiled, pushing the strands back behind your ear.

"When there's a better word than tempting I'll use it, but until then, that's all I'll say." He whispered.

"You're tempting me." You let out in a small voice.

"I'm tempting you." Felix repeated. You now concluded that when he repeated your words, it was the hottest thing ever.

Felix tilted his head upwards, looking at you with daring eyes. "Do something about it?" He dared.

Oh. My. Soul.

You took a deep breath, looking down. You were still scared, even though there was something that enveloped you. A feeling of want and need mixted together, as though the aftermath wouldn't even matter as long as Felix was right in front of you, staring with the same look of desire.

Touch: Your hands slowly grazed his chest, slowly and tentatively pulling the hem of his tank top.

Felix eyed you as he licked his lips, as though blinking would make him miss something.

Your heart beat continuously, mind pressing with thoughts as you, once more, noticed the scene heighten your five senses.

See: No other eyes but his, looking at no one else but you. The glow after dancing on stage, the beauty that was present with his dark features. The intoxicating look of thirst in his gaze.

Hear: Breathing. Faint but heavy. You couldn't even tell if it was coming from you or him, but you could hear the tension.

Smell: His cologne. The scent of springtime with a spice of power.

Touch: The fabric of the tank top. Cotton, perhaps? You didn't know. You didn't care. You suddenly wanted it off.

There was once more sense, but the intensity of the moment was making you experience a sort of amnesia. It made you frustrated, those leading up moments where they were careful and with care, but also dropped with tension that would wanted to cut. It was like a dam just moments before it would burst. But now this was driving you crazy because....

What was that last sense?

Felix's beautiful lips parted when you felt his abs through the shirt. He held your head with his hands, his eyes solely fixated on your lips.

"Kiss me or leave me." He whispered, the words powerful enough to send a wave through your core.

And that was when it clicked. His song. The last sense.

Taste.

The taste of his lips on yours, crashing, furiously enough let your head fall back. He groaned against your mouth, holding the back of your hair with the palm of his hand. He tasted like cinnamon but also a hint of peppermint as well. He fueled you in a way that was better than any of your imaginations.

So like tonight, and 3 months ago when you both first met, you were drowning in alluring waters under the surface of where you temptations washed over you. But unlike the game of tug-of-war to your body and heart where you would win, tonight you let the rope go with no regrets. You knew that this night was where finally, all of your senses aligned gloriously, and that there was no other person who could give it all to you but Felix.

[isfjmel-phleg]

The Secret Garden (1975), a BBC miniseries adaptation, isn't so strong on production values or snappy pacing, but it's among the better adaptations in terms of similarity to the text and inclusion of--even expansion upon--elements that are often either very downplayed or outright omitted in most other versions. I can't remember if I've commented on it before or not, but how about I give you some observations, episode by episode? I'm a bit critical, but don't take that for dislike at all. There's a lot that I like in this version and a lot about the story that it gets right where others don't.

To give an example of the pacing, there's the glacial introduction, which goes on for nearly a whole minute. The music, however, is lovely.

Opens with some of the Indian servants about to flee the Lennox bungaloo, with mourning cries in the background, then shifts to Mary in bed mid-conversation with a woman named Taina who is taking on the role of the late ayah and trying to convince Mary to leave with her. Mary refuses. We don't get much context for who Mary is in this moment, which wasn't in the book. It does serve as a sort of exposition, but it also introduces something that doesn't make sense. In the book, Mary is forgotten in the panic; here, she's given an opportunity to escape the house in the care of someone who has remembered her, but turns it down out of stubbornness. Very different scenario.

Unlike in the book, we never see her parents (the conversation between Mrs. Lennox and the young officer is omitted), which could have been a helpful exposition device as well as demonstrating Mary's (lack of a) relationship with them.

The creepy near-silence of the dining room as Mary enters it to scavenge (although it seems a bit odd that her bedroom would be directly off a dining room at which her parents hosted parties), with the only noise being a sound of birds, is striking.

However, there's not the most effective sense of drama/menace, which is at least in part due to the nature of this sort of production. In many ways, the BBC adapations of this era were more like filmed stage plays than the more cinematic TV shows we're used to now. This isn't necesarily a bad thing, but it does take a little getting used to.

I think this might be the only film version that includes her encounter with the snake.

The closest we get to context for Mary is exposition from the officers checking the house for survivors. Some of this is from the book's dialogue, but it might have been more effective to have seen some Lennox family dynamics rather than just hearing about them.

There seem to be photos in Mary's room that might be of her parents, but we don't see them very closely.

Sarah Hollis Andrews looks the part of Mary quite well, more so than most other actresses who have played the role. (Mary is blonde in the book but is almost always cast as a brunutte.) Her performance shows some inexperience--takes in which she stumbles over her lines really shouldn't have been left in--but he makes Mary stiff, cold, blunt, and explosive by turns, which is accurate. The glimpse of vulnerability when she asks a second time why no one has come for her and her anger becomes sadness for a moment--that was poignant.

This is the only version that includes the Crawford children (three of them, anyway).

Mr. Craven is introduced with a shot that focuses on his back, which the 1949 version did too (albeit with menace--this miniseries is matter-of-fact about it).

Mary’s relation to Mrs. Craven is mentioned but it's left unclear through which parent.

If you've seen the 90s Jeeves and Wooster series, you might recognize the actor playing Mr. Craven (John Woodnutt) as the same one who played Sir Watkyn Bassett (father of Madeline).

This production chose to cast an older Mr. Craven (the actor was in his early fifties), probably because the book vaguely suggests it? Medlock says that "he was a sour young man," implying that he is no longer young, and his hair is described as "streaked with white."

The costume that Medlock wears on the train is taken straight from the book's description!

You can tell she's trying really hard to make Misselthwaite and the moor sound appealing.

The manor is said to be four hundred years old, not six hundred, because Burton Constable Hall, where the miniseries was filmed, was built around the late 1500s--Elizabethan rather than medieval.

There's less subtlety about the hints of Colin's existence than in the book. Medlock's stopping herself before referring to Mr. Craven's having a son happens in the passing in the text, but here it's very obvious and Mary notices and asks questions.

Mary outright states that she isn't grieving her parents and mentions without a hint of emotion that her mother "was beautiful, but she didn't care." Medlock seems shocked; Mary is matter-of-fact about it all.

Misselthwaite Manor is big and grand but not ominous and gothic as in many other productions. It seems quite grounded in reality--an "ordinary" British country house.

Another seldom-adapted minor character, Mr. Pitcher, Mr. Craven's valet--who is quite cold. This version doesn't really tone down uncaring or unfriendly adults as some other adaptations and retelling do.

The extended sequence of Medlock walking Mary to her room seems to establish the scale of the house as vast.

John "the strong young footman" is a very minor character in the book who is only seen transporting Colin downstairs and into his chair and has maybe one line, but the miniseries expands his role into someone who, along with Martha, often waits on Mary and Colin. This seems to be mainly for exposition purposes, to give Martha someone on her level to talk with.

When Mary first notices the wind wuthering around the house, she gets upset and goes into a flashback to the earlier part of her conversation with Taina. We see a greater extent of Mary's rudeness and her speaking a little Hindi(?). I'm really not sure why this is placed here; featuring the entire conversation at the beginning would have better introduced Mary.

Instead of going to straight to bed on arrival as she does in the book, Mary wanders out of her room and sees Dr. Craven leaving the house. She has questions about why a doctor was visiting and is told that he is Mr. Craven's cousin and visits often. True enough.

Martha is introduced from her POV, peeking at Mary while she sleeps. Jacqueline Hoyle was seventeen when she played this part, and I think she pulls off the big sister role well. She strikes the right balance of warmth and not putting up with nonsense.

John's face as he listens outside Mary's door and realizes that they've acquired yet another difficult child is amusing.

There are actually twelve Sowerby siblings in this one!

Martha's speech about assuming Mary would be ethnically Indian is present but altered in its wording, which is for the better.

There's an emphasis on Martha's and John's POV and reactions--both of them were played by teenagers, and they give off a youthful readiness to be amused as a means of coping with an unpleasant job.

John's weaponizing Mary's "it was the custom" to get her to say please and thank you is hilarious.

It's made clear that there is someone living in the east wing (not the west wing, where Mr. Craven is said to stay) and Mary catches John carrying Colin's breakfast tray. Only episode one and it's already making it clear that there is someone else in this house, even if we don't know yet who is it. I think this is kind of spoiling the mystery with too much information too soon.

Outdoor shot finally! The emphasis is more on Mary than the grounds, though. At this point the scope of the outdoors is kept small to coincide with Mary's narrow perspective.

[marisol-000]

Okay this was supposed to be a reply to a comment @feuerscram gave on Speaking To You From Inside Your Mind but it go too long so now its a post lol

Edit: Speaking To You is my Jekyll & Hyde hearing aid au where J&H don't know each other until one day their hearing aids connect for no reason!!

There’s definitely a difference in the povs and atmosphere between chapter 1 & 2. Hyde’s pov is distinctly different from Jekyll’s, down to word choice/how they talk and think. My modern!Hyde is sooo fun to write XD. There's also a lot more action going on than last chapter.

Their environments were picked on purpose to kind of introduce the characters, or at least how they are right now. Jekyll is quiet and reserved and Hyde is loud and all over the place.

Technically both chapters happened during chapter one since they're the same conversation just from two different perspectives; so while writing ch 1 I really enjoyed the thought that there were two super different environments but Jekyll had no idea so the readers couldn’t tell either lol.

They have no idea what the other persons world is like, or how old they are or how they dress or their interests or anything, they don’t even know what the other person looks like.

That's partially why I haven't introduced them by name yet, even though it's a hassle to constantly write ‘the guy’ over and over again. The idea is they don’t know each other and have no intention of knowing each other. Subconsciously they haven't even bothered exchanging names because they want this to be over as soon as possible so they can never speak to each other again. Unfortunately for them that's not in the cards muhaha.

I have a TON of notes on character tics (my major was behavioral psychology for a while before I changed it) and really I just love character analysis. My idea of fun is writing full papers on how a single character behaves and why. Which is kinda what sandbox is but with more plot!

As for Hyde helping Jekyll get comfortable with people knowing he has aids, that’s the idea! They’re gonna change each other a lot, it’s kind of interesting to think about how their lives would have gone if this one in a million thing didn’t happen.

Jekyll and Hyde are *definitely* meeting. Probably chapter 4 or so though, not too soon but it's definitely happening.

So this is the real reason the reply got too long. I want to share basically a compilation of some of my notes straight from the Speaking To You doc! ⬇️

[My notes are kind of messy and spread out, I keep meaning to organize them better but it hasn’t become an issue yet sooo.]

Loose notes

The only reason these two could make it through this connection thing when no one else could is cause they're both Lonely

Secretly think everything is their fault

People see Hyde as narcissistic for believing he's at the center of everything

Jekyll thinks himself narcissistic for believing he's at the center of everything

Hyde likes all the contrasting senses w they synesthesia, can get overwhelming but he likes the edge to it

Jekyll doesn't have Synesthesia but may be a lil autistic

Has textures he does and doesn't like but denies himself the luxury of avoiding them

Also sounds and whatnot

I think if they ate together they'd fight the whole time

Neither could resist snapping back for even a minute

This ends up with Hyde talking through a mouthful of food and Jekyll not eating at all

May occasionally ask for someone to repeat themselves Jekyll probably won't, switching to noise reduction in crowded areas

There's a designated box for when you take it out or put it down, Hyde probably tosses it on his bedside table

Will position themselves to see speakers mouth

Contrasting lipstick helps him read lips (assigned by his synesthesia?)

They're also very expressive

He'll often respond more to them then other people in the room

Personality Hyde

Loud, confident, abrasive, its overwhelmingly obvious he’s unwilling to change a single thing about himself to be more palatable to others, and in fact exaggerates those aspect to an inauthentic degree as an attack/coping mechanism

Does a lot of things without thinking first, he wants to do whatever he wants whenever he wants, as fast as possible

Defensive/aggressive, will get in fights for little to no reason

The rest of the time he’s very laid back and lackadaisical. Anything he wants includes nothing at all, takes naps whenever regardless of time of day

Likes spontaneous plans, will drop anything the second he finds something more entertaining 

Personality Jekyll

Jekyll is sliiighlty internally-ableist but only towards himself

He didn't really worry about it until moving to London where it is frowned upon to exist. 

Doesn't mind talking about it with friends or even relaxed strangers, but Robert? No no no no he can't see me like this!! I need to make a good impression!!

What if he thinks less of me like the rich people do?(he doesn't)

He has none of the confidence or support system Hyde does

Reserved, keeps to himself. No one really knows him well not even R&R

Values his free/private time as its the only time he feels he can be himself

VERY frustrated when Hyde becomes an intrusion on that

Eventually he feels he can be himself with Hyde and vice versa

Private time:

Hunched over/slouching, drinks more coffee/tea than is really recommended

Random books/scraps of paper scattered around

Muttering aloud

Casual clothes, loose, soft, stained clothes that no ones supposed to see

Messy hair, whatnot

Sometimes sits on the floor, Zozi hangout time!

Even had a slight frustration when rooming w Lanyon in college as he was unable to have private/genuine time when he was constantly in the same room as the person who taught him to be a gentleman

Body language Hyde

Fidgets/taps/drums fingers&boots a lot

Likes to stretch out on any nearby horizontal surface

Doesn't like to stand still in the middle of a room not doing anything, he'll find something to do/touch/mess up

Mouth is always ready to switch between smiles and frowns

Eyebrows and nose are always twitching

Picks at his skin hair and accessories

Pulls on his face when bored like a kid

[This didn’t come up much cause he was mostly standing in the middle of the sidewalk for most of this chapter, it’ll be REAL obvious later when he’s sitting down/bored]

Jekyll doesn’t have a lot of body language besides ‘sits up straight’ and ‘smiles’

Friends/Acquaintances Hyde

Hyde has a lot of disabled/ lgbt/ neurodivergent friends

He has some chill friends but his party friends are all loud and wild and wear bright contrasting colors

His chiller friends include Rachel, who isn't a party girl but is cool and badass

Friends do big waves to get his attention, usually helps that they're wearing bright colorful clothing

Friends/acquaintances Jekyll

Likes to talk to women, their lipstick makes them easier to read

Teased for looking at lips? Rachel thinks he wants to try it and offers?

Fun scene where Jasper and Ito walk in on Rachel putting some on him lol

Coworkers and students: Most don't notice he wears hearing aids and he would never say, so he just has to do his best to keep up w conversations

People who know feel awkward doing big waves to get his attention

Maybe shoulder taps?

Signs with Rachel sometimes. He's confided how insecure he feels and she's offered to beat up anyone who treats him different

[Some notes for skate-rat Hyde ⬇️]

I was never gonna describe it in the fic but I took the time to design a detailed idea of his skateboard and stuff just cause it helps me visualize everything better, all the little details keep it interesting. Another thing is details often speak to the character of your characters.

Imagine a skateboard.

More than likely you're imagining a simple, normal skateboard that would probably pop up if you googled ‘skateboard clipart’ or something.

Now imagine a skateboard that’s battered and rusty, borderline held together with duct tape. Maybe some decorative spikes glued on. The screws are all loose and everything down to the wheels is dented. There's paint job on top of paint job, the layers peeling back to show earlier designs, mostly bright colors and spray paint.

Which one of the two would you think was Hyde’s?

I guess it would help to imagine you're picking a skateboard out of a line up, if there were a bunch of skateboards with different styles and attachments and stuff which one would your character pick/ which one is most likely to be theirs?

What you do is apply that idea to all of your characters' stuff even if you're not gonna use it. Cell phone cases, shoes, bags, cars, apartments, laptops, so on.

I learned it from this post (that I could have sworn was an image) by @jawbonemotif and it REALLY upped how I think about character design.

[This is a cluster of notes I put at the top of the page i was writing chapter 2 on, just some stuff I wanted to keep in mind ⬇️]

Hyde pov?

SYNESTHESIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SALT?????

Doesn't get visual/other reactions to sounds when hearing aids are off!!!

I want hyde to move a lot

Hyde has some hearing but not too clear, he can hear himself and sometimes loud music

I could elaborate on his aids being turned off but this is Edward Hyde I don’t have to tell you people shit

Intro card: Edward Hyde is a badass cool guy who everyone thinks is cool and anyone who doesnt is just jealous of him. He wears cool clothes and does cool things, he’s also super smart and is going to meet some smart friends at the cafe for lunch

He has spikes and ripped jeans and stuff

(mimics how J thinks of himself when people are around? like. affirmations sort of)

-

I have sections for Rachel & Robert but they're shorter since I won't be using their perspectives much if at all, and honestly J&H are just more interesting lol

I actually have a LOT of notes for Zozi but that's spoilers ;)

(Also I didn’t realize til now I talk in a weird formal/informal mix sort of way. weird)

[rafeygirly]

problem solved - rafe cameron au

It'd been maybe a month and a half since Rafe and you started dating and your car was already on his last nerve. Sure, he did have low patience in general, but this was particularly bothersome for him.

He could already tell it was a shitty car from the way it looked and he thought any girl that was dating him deserved better, especially you. Honestly, it was kind of an embarrassment to him that you were driving that thing when you had him; someone who wasn't exactly hard up.

Then, recently, you were on the couch at Tannyhill with him after just driving over and you started to complain about your car.

"Rafe." You say as you look up from your phone. He's also preoccupied on his own phone, specifically with a text conversation between Barry and him as he's trying to get some more coke- something you didn't know about at this point in your relationship.

He looks up from his phone, "Yeah?"

"My car's been being weird lately." You say.

"Oh, yeah? What's it been doin'?" Rafe asks, shutting his phone off.

"Like, I don't know how to describe it right but... like my brakes have been squeaky and I've been needing to put a lot of pressure on them for them to do anything, if that makes sense." You start. Okay, so you needed new brakes, Rafe thought. "But, also, I've been needing to put a lot of pressure into accelerating and when I do it makes like noise and my car like shakes and then it doesn't even go that fast. I don't know if that makes sense." You add. "It also does the shaking thing when I'm like at a light or something." You tell him.

He furrows his eyebrows, "How long has this been goin' on?" Rafe asks because with the way you were talking, this didn't seem like something new.

"Um, a few weeks." You tell him.

"And you didn't bother to mention it to me?" Rafe says, his voice a little firm. "You know I know stuff about cars."

"I'm sorry, Rafe. I just.. I don't know. I didn't think about it really until now with all this different stuff going on.." You honestly say.

Rafe just sighs, "Alright, I'll... I'll check it out sometime this week."

"Thank you." You smile a little as you cuddle up against him.

"Yeah, whatever." Rafe says, though he smiles a little.

Rafe did go and check out your car it ended up being that you needed brakes and a new catalytic converter. Sure, the catalytic converter was expensive but not for him and he would probably just change it for you if you had a car worth it but you didn't. He didn't like your car, he felt it was unreliable, which it kind of was, and that it wasn't good enough for you or for him.

He went back inside after checking it that day and let you know what was wrong with it but he knew you didn't know a thing about cars so he didn't expect you to really get it. All he said was that he'd take care of it.

Take care of it he did. Two weeks later, you were in his truck with him after he picked you up from your shift at your part-time job, and he was driving you back to your place. It was expected to be simply a normal day for you but that changed when you pulled into the driveway of your house and saw your dream car.

You gasped, "Rafe..." You say as he pulls in and parks his car.

"You like it?" He asked, a proud smile on his face.

"Yes!" You squeal as you kiss his cheek before getting out of his truck and running over to the light blue Ford Bronco Sport. "Oh my gosh." You exclaim as he comes over and hands you the keys he'd had in his pocket the whole time.

You take them and open the car, hoping inside the drivers seat. It was so much nicer than your car you had now and you loved it. Rafe stood by where you sat since the door was open as you turned the car on so you can see all the features.

"It's even got Apple CarPlay and I know you really like that." Rafe added, since your old car didn't have it.

"Oh my gosh. Rafe. I can't believe you did this." You smile. "You're the best. I love you." You say, and maybe it was still kind of early in the relationship to say that but you both knew you loved each other.

Rafe leans in and kisses you, "I love you too, baby." He responds.

Sure, buying a car for someone only about two months into dating was kind of fast but most things in your relationship happened fast and at the end of the day, you got your dream car and you were beyond happy. Rafe, well he was happy you were happy but also, he finally could be done with that goddamn car he hated and you also finally had a car that fit not only you but him better.

𓇼 rafe cameron au masterlist

[themonochromaticcat]

Joost Klein HC’s

>Joost x Autistic!Gn!Reader

>genre- fluff / Headcanons / idk?

>warnings- ableism for one of the hc’s; idk man 😕

A/N uhmmm I haven’t wrote in ages, so this could possibly be a bit bad but after a while trust me- I’ll be better. The autism hc’s and hate are based off of my own experiences, so they might not be accurate for everyone!! And if you have requests just message me- they’re open for now <3 Hope you enjoy!

2nd A/N this is right before posting- but Joost is autistic??? What a coincidence 😭

He’d be really patient with you if you needed it- specially sensory issues! Like if anything got too much for you he’d probably have your noise cancelling headphones or something similar.

He’d gladly listen to you rant about your hyper fixations! Like he’d sit and indulge in the conversation with you and try learn about it so that he could talk to you about it ^_^

If someone was really rude about any special needs you had, he’d instantly defend you and scold (or educate) the person that was being rude.

He wouldn’t really be surprised when you revealed that you were autistic; though a lot of things would make more sense to him.

He’d definitely help you make your guys’ house a safe space (if you moved in together) and make sure that the whole process isn’t very overwhelming.

Whenever he has tours / concerts he tries to make the whole process really comfortable for you - like giving you a space in the vip area; noise cancelling headphones; etc, etc.

HAIII!!1!1!1!!! I hoped y’all liked this <33 this is my first official proper post so yippee!!1! Sorry that it’s a bit short though, I’m just getting used how to write on here :,( Any feedback will be appreciated as English isn’t my first language, anyways, have a good day/night.

🌿💐 Chroma.

[untildawnss]

tailspin - joshua washington (until dawn)

in which josh always felt like the odd one out in his family and group of friends.

yes, i like to hurt my own feelings, why do you ask?

definitely inspired by myself and a few songs: gasoline by halsey, work in progress by the dangerous summer, 100 bad days by ajr, yes i'm a mess by ajr, breakdown by you me at six, i wanna get better by the bleachers, overwhelmed by royal & the serpent, panic room by au/ra, young by girli, crawling by linkin park

cw: depression, suicidal ideation, angst, attempted suicide

wc: 2.8k

josh looked down at the half-empty cup that he was balancing between his knee and the thumb and index finger of his right hand, tilting it down and back up right before the drink spilled over. his left thumb touched the tip of his index finger, then his middle finger, ringfinger and pinkie and back again while he inhaled for four seconds, held that breath for four seconds, exhaled for four seconds and then paused for another four seconds. he was uncomfortably aware of his heartbeat. "hey, josh!" it took him a second to realise that someone was talking to him. "josh, we're up." the cup in his hand slipped slightly. "what?" josh looked up and there was chris, doing lunges and kicks and punching the air. "beerpong, bro! what's wrong with you?" everything. "nothing, just got really into planning my strategy." he drained the cup, forced his face into the well-practiced, toothy grin that he sported in every picture and whooped. "let's fucking go, bro! these suckers won't know what hit 'em."

the noise of the party was gone. josh could have called a cab or ordered an uber but he craved the fresh air and quiet that the walk home guaranteed. no driver trying to make conversation, no fastest route. he wasn't sure if he wanted to go home. sometimes it didn't feel like home. he felt out of place. his sisters had each other, their parents were barely involved anymore. and then there was him. josh. the oldest, the problem, the one that just didn't fit in. and he was going where his feet were taking him now. he'd had a lot to drink. he didn't feel like he made sense the way he was, just a bit off, like he was not entirely one single, whole person. just pieces of someone that were held together by the people around him. but there was no one around now and josh felt like he was crumbling, falling apart atom by atom. the darkness was suffocating and liberating at the same time and he stood still for a second or two. his hands were shaking and he didn't know why. now that he was alone he wished he wasn't. but he couldn't stand being around his friends either. because maybe they hated him as much as he hated himself.

josh's room was pitch black. even hannah and beth were already asleep when he finally snuck into the house. the buzz from the party had more than worn off at this point and his ears were ringing. it felt like someone was sitting on his chest, he definitely couldn't breathe right and his heart was beating faster. naturally, he'd made his way to the cabinet where his parents kept the booze to sneak another two or six big gulps of vodka or whiskey or whatever his hands could find in the dark corner of the room. just to calm down, to sleep. and here he was, throat burning and that ache in his chest still pulsing, pumping, stabbing. he could barely breathe. josh's eyes were stinging. he was tired now, away from everyone and everything. almost like a sensory deprivation chamber, if it wasn't for the creases in the sheets and the wrinkles in his shirts he felt against his back and thighs and calves. he hated it, being this aware of his own body. the old clock on the wall was ticking. he was trying to breathe in time with the ticking hand, four seconds, four seconds. but his lips were quavering and his eyes were stinging and he felt like he was choking. and then he was crying.

he'd fallen asleep at one point because someone was opening his curtains and the bright morning light stung in his still puffy eyes. someone sat down on the side of his bed. his body shifted with the dip in his mattress and his stomach lurched. another person plopped down on the other side of the bed. he heaved this time. "leave me alone," josh groaned. "mom and dad said to wake you up or we're not taking you to the beach." hannah and beth sounded excited. "don't wanna go to the beach. i'm not feeling well." josh pulled his blanket over his head. he felt his mattress shifting again, the twins' weight on his left and right vanishing. they left the door open. he heard someone else walk in and close the door. his mattress shifted again. a hand pulled the blanket off his face and gently stroked the side of his face. mom. he felt like crying again. "joshua, you're not feeling well?" she always used his given name when he wasn't well. "we can stay home." no, i'll ruin everything. "no, you can go. i'll call you if i need anything." she kissed his forehead. "are you sure?" no. he nodded. "okay." she closed the door when she walked out and he heard them, having fun, without him, as a family. they don't need me.

josh felt paralysed. some invisible, intangible force was trapping him in this bed, his bed. it had been a few hours since his family had left for the weekend trip to the beach. he had barely moved since then. the afternoon sun was reflecting off of the clock on his wall. it was still friday. he still had until sunday until his parents and sisters would get back. and he didn't belong. not really, anyway. hannah and beth were a few years younger and anything he'd never managed to achieve, they had. he was just the one that fell off the wagon years ago and had messed up the picture perfect family. there was a kind of disconnect, his body seemed to move without his input sometimes. he barely remembered getting in the shower or having breakfast, or maybe it was lunch at this point. josh could barely decide if he wanted to be alone or not before he had sent a text to the group chat with his friends asking them if they had any plans for tonight. it was too late now but he was barely convinced they liked him when he was at his best anyway, so what difference did it really make now?

they'd all agreed to come over to his place since his parents were out. they had invited more people, too. i should be fine. but he wasn't. there were so many people everywhere and he wished they would just leave. he should be fine, but he was not. he was anxious. he could barely move around his house without walking in on conversations or kisses or more. it was getting hard to breathe again. josh felt like someone was crushing his chest. but he was standing upright, just tipsy and dying to get out of this house, his house where everyone else wanted to stay and have fun. but something was happening to him and his breathing was getting shallower and he was stumbling, tumbling, falling up the stairs looking for a door that would keep him safe from whatever was going on down there. and then josh was in a bedroom, a guestroom that was barely ever used and he was clawing at his chest, at the heart that was beating the wrong way and making him gasp for air and everything was painful and he hit the floor, still clutching his chest. and josh wished he had never asked anyone for anything, not even their time. everyone was here and he was here and breaking down and the door was closed but it was barely anything between him fighting for his life and everyone else having fun. they don't need me. no one needs me. they didn't, they really didn't. he was living in the house with the fun stuff that rich people had. but if he just disappeared they'd still have hannah and beth. because everyone loved them. and he was just there.

josh had been in this room for a while. might've been minutes, might've been days. he didn't remember. maybe he was somewhere else. didn't matter, really. he was like a ship adrift, waves of consciousness crashing into him, bouncing him, left and right, port and starboard. faces flashed before his eyes, maybe friendly. and he was here, his back against a hard surface and two faces he knew in front of him. "sam, is he okay?" chris sounded panicked. there was something pressing against his neck. "he has a pulse. he's fine, he's alive, he's fine, chris." chris and sam. they were here. "what's up, guys?" he could barely hear himself. maybe he was slurring his words. he did drink a lot. "josh, you good?" chris was leaning in closer. josh gave him a thumbs up and tried grinning like he always did. "i'm good, cochise." he tried to aim the finger guns at chris. maybe he aimed them at sam. he wasn't sure. and before he knew it he was upright and there was sam on one side and chris on the other and he tried to walk where they were taking him but he was too drunk and so slow.

josh was in his bed again. there was still music downstairs. and he was tired but he wasn't. he wanted to scream, to tell everyone to shut up. but his body wouldn't move the way he wanted it to. he let his hands sweep around him to find his phone. there it was, neatly placed on his bedstand next to a glass of, probably, water. he was too far from coherent to understand the words on the screen the way he normally did. he had to bring the screen as close as possible and squint and finally his eye focused on the words. he tapped on chris' name. it took him a while, seeing as he was one handed and one eyed but josh finally managed to send a message to chris. who's still here? where are you? the words felt like heavy lifting, or maybe it was just the oncoming hangover that made him feel this way. we're getting everyone to go home. yeah, that was probably best. josh could barely type and send his response before he passed out again.

when josh woke up it was saturday. maybe midday or the afternoon. whatever. but there were no more people in his house and there was trash everywhere and a note from chris on the inside of the front door. we tried our best. and josh smiled because chris and sam could've left everything for him to clean up but they didn't. maybe they didn't hate him. he didn't dare debate this now that he was alone and had to clean the house. he preferred to believe that maybe they did like him. and so he turned on the music and turned it up to the point his parents would intervene because it would give him tinnitus.

josh started collecting all the disposable cups and pizza boxes he could find around the house and on the patio. chris and sam had probably done a lot already because there had been so many people last night, he still filled almost an antire bag. he craved a cigarette. no one knew he had started smoking. maybe chris, but he wouldn't say anything. i should be fine. he wasn't. he wasn't fine at all. josh spent the rest of the day trying to clean the house, just trying to make sure his parents wouldn't realise he'd had a party.

but when the night came he was restless again. and he couldn't resist. blades seemed so vulgar. he'd put his father's gun to his head before, once or twice, just to know how it felt. and now it was 4 in the morning and he just wanted to not exist. and the pills were right there. but josh wasn't sure. did he want to go out that way? he didn't actually know. but the music was playing and he there were the pieces of everyone he loved the most flashing before his eyes. there was beth. you can't wake up. there was hannah. this is not a dream. mom. you're part of a machine. dad. you are not a human being. chris. with your face all made up, living on a screen. sam. low on self-esteem, so you run on gasoline. josh. i think there's a flaw in my code. and he didn't know if this was real anymore. he knew he didn't fit in. i'm not scared. at least he tried not to be. but he was.

and josh tried, he really tried. but his pills were right there and he was just a disturbance in the perfect life his friends and family were living, right? they won't miss me. the thought was bouncing and bumping and jumping around and around in his head. he wanted to get better but he didn't know how, how, how. nothing helped and even drinking helped for a few hours at most. and they don't want me anyway. he was sure they didn't. they had hannah and beth and they got trophies and awards and everything he didn't. and sam liked hannah better anyway. and chris, chris would find a new friend. someone cooler than him.

he had deliberated, thought about this. there was really nothing else to do, nothing he could do, was there? but it was barely an hour until his family was supposed to be back. and he was panicking because he didn't want to see him like this but there was no other way. josh cried again. but because he had waited too long. and he was sitting on his bed, a glass of water and almost a month's supply of pills on his bedstand. oh death. and he begged for gods he didn't believe in to take him. and so he stuffed the pills in his mouth and it took him three, four, five, six gulps to swallow them all. and josh sat there and he was fine and he didn't want to be. he wanted to die and he took his pills, all at one,. and he was fine and he hated it. and then his vision blurred and his head started to hurt and then he could barely breathe and he got up and he was stumbling towards the door and he couldn't breathe and he opened his door but he was short of breath and he dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. and then he was aspirating and he heard someone call his name and pressure on his chest and he wasn't sure if it was heaven or hell but there were the faces of the people he loved. his parents. hannah. beth. and he wanted to live. he didn't want to die anymore. and he needed them to know. and he was fighting, trying to dig himself up because it felt like he was buried alive and he clawed and punched and gasped and breathed until he was surrounded by machines and white and a hospital room and was choking on a tube. and his parents and sisters were there and all of them looked like they were crying. a nurse pulled the breathing tube out of his throat and informed the room that he was breathing on his own again. and josh started crying. and hannah and beth were on him, clawing at him as if he was the only thing that mattered and their parents were crying and telling him that they were sorry. and josh was crying, returning the hug. "i didn't mean to. i didn't want to." and he was sobbing and grabbing at every part of his sisters he could reach. "i didn't want to die. i don- i don't want to die." hannah and beth had removed themselves from josh's figure in the hospital bed, already informing their friends that josh was alive. melinda washington had sat down on the side of his bed, her husband behind her, a hand on his shoulder, his face a carefully curated mask. "mommy, i didn't want to die. mommy, please, i didn't want to die." josh was crying, begging, pleading. melinda washington knew they'd technically made a decision but seeing her son like this was different. but her husband wouldn't budge. melinda beckoned her daughters closer to prepare them but wondered if there was really a preparation for not seeing your brother, your son for at least a few months. bob was more than prepared to have joshua committed. she really wasn't but knew that there was nothing she could to do help him. so she went along with his decisions. just a few weeks, maybe months until they could see josh again.

[bellysoupset]

Just a small Lukebell talk that I couldn't get out of my mind, not a sickfic. This happens before the fic "Max Meets The Gang"

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

"Hey handsome," Bella leaned against the doorway of their bedroom, opening a tired smile as her husband walked in, "you're home late, I was in bed already."

"Sorry," Lucas was pouting as he shut the door with his whole weight, undoing his tie, "the stupid dinner went on for forever."

She raised her eyebrows at his tone, Lucas never complained about work. He apologized for getting tied up, yes, but complain? Never, he loved it.

"Stupid dinner, yeah?" Bella walked closer, until she was in front of him and tiptoed, cupping his cheeks. He was warm and flushed, clearly a bit tipsy, "what's gotten your panties in a twist?"

He snorted at that, turning his face so he could press a kiss to the inside of her hand, "I don't know, I just wanted to be home like six hours ago and the thing wouldn't end..." he yawned, then opened a small smile, "I'm being a whiny baby, let's go to bed. You shouldn't be waiting me up."

"You know I don't sleep that early," Bella shrugged, but allowed him to throw an arm around her shoulders and pull her to his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist as they waddled to the bedroom, "was your boss on your ass?"

"Nah," Luke let go of her as they entered the bedroom, starting to strip his clothes and Bella crawled back in bed, falling on her side and watching him move around. He was in a shitty mood, because normally Lucas did not make that much noise in order to get ready for bed. He was a fairly thoughtful dude and it was around midnight, not that she was too sleepy.

With a heavy sigh, he got in bed as well, kicking off the blankets and rolling so he could press his cheek to her chest, a position that had his feet sticking out from the end of the bed and Bella shaking with a chuckle. She moved her arm from under him, sinking her fingers on his dark hair and started to pet it, opening a smile as he let out an appreciative noise.

"There was a cute baby there," Lucas mumbled after a couple minutes of silence and Bella raised her eyebrows at the comment, her husband was not the type to really pay attention to kids, that would be Vince or Jonah, "curly hair like yours. I want one."

Maybe more than a bit tipsy then.

She let out a chuckle, "oh yeah? They must've been the cutest thing ever to make you say that," she squirmed slightly and Luke rolled off of her, falling on his pillow and on his side. Bella turned on hers as well, so they were nose to nose.

"Not as cute as ours would be," he wrinkled his nose and Bella let out a snort, pushing a wavy hair back and way from his eyes.

"Where are you going to put this metaphorical baby of yours, uh? The living room? This house barely fits us both, you dork," she rolled her eyes and Luke let out a heavy sigh, bumping his nose with hers.

"Then we can move to a bigger place. It makes no sense for us to be here anyway, Bell, we can afford a bigger place. Have a dog or a cat or both," he said it softly, stroking her cheek, but that didn't stop the ginger from frowning.

"You want to move?" Bella pulled back in order to look at him firmly and he hesitated for a second, before nodding.

"We outgrew this place, baby," Lucas said calmly, "a while ago, if you ask me. You know Leo calls it us roleplaying at being poor?"

Bella scoffed at that, moving away from him and sitting up against the headboard, crossing her arms to her chest and looking around the room. Realistically speaking she knew he was right. Their teeny tiny one bedroom house was a cramped place for one person, let alone two, and they had been sharing it for over a year now.

Yet... There was a little voice in her head that sounded an awful lot like his father, repeating gold-digger over and over. She chewed on her lip and startled slightly when she felt Lucas taking her hands in his, "Isa?"

"What prompted this conversation?" She asked, trying not to melt as he called her Isa, "one of your work buddies brought up where we live? What's up?"

Lucas frowned now, sobering up and sitting up, "are you implying I'm embarrassed of us?"

"Are you?" She was openly picking a fight, Bella knew it, but she couldn't help it. Kit Howard was whispering in her ear that one day Luke was going to wake up and realized he wanted better than her, that their whole romance was a phase.

"Isabella, listen to yourself," Luke rolled his eyes, sounding offended, "if I was embarrassed of us or where we live, I'd bring people around? I'd be happily living here for over a year?" he raised his eyebrows, "we're adults and we can afford a bigger place, why wouldn't we get one?"

Bella curled up, until she could hug her knees and his eyes softened at the movement, clearly realizing how insecure this conversation made her.

"Bell?"

"Over Christmas last year, when you were sick," she lowered her eyes away from his face, nervously picking at the blanket and removing imaginary lint, "your dad, he- He.." her voice trailed off and Bella shut her mouth.

Next to her, Luke let out a distraught noise, "he what? Did he say something? Did he do something?" his voice got a chilling note at the end and Bella snapped her head, shaking it from side to side. Kit Howard was a major asshole and he could be intimidating, but he hadn't touched her.

"He said you'd wake up one day and realize you could do better..." Bella mumbled, hugging herself, "and I know your dad is a jackass, but I can't help but think-"

"No," Lucas glared at her, "no. Look at me, Bella," he grabbed her chin, forcing their eyes to meet, "there's no but. My dad is an asshole and what he said isn't true. Period. He's a serial cheater who neglected his wife during her illness and who capitalized on her death. He's a shitty father and the one time I let him get in my head, I lost you and that almost killed me, so no. I'm not letting him come between us ever again."

Bella nodded, quietly, "I don't wanna go back to the apartment," she almost whispered and Luke pulled her to him, kissing the top of her head.

"Then we won't," he rubbed her back, "I'll sell it, we can pick a place together... If you're alright with it?"

Instead of answering, Bella curled up closer to him, nodding, "you promise me you're never gonna turn into him? No matter how badly we fight, no matter what happens...?"

"I'll never be Kit Howard," Lucas vowed, falling back against the pillows, "doesn't matter how badly we fight."

She melted in his embrace, pressing her nose to his neck and closing her eyes, "let's start with a dog before we level up to a whole child," Bella whispered and heard Luke chuckle, squeezing her closer.

"Yeah, that's fine by me."

[irondadfics]

Hello! I was wondering if you could find me a/some fics that have a seriously injured or very sick Peter that also have him going to the hospital? Thank you!

here’s some for you! Some are unfinished but still worth checking out

Friendly Fire by JolinarJackson

Finding a careful truce with the government, the “rogue Avengers” are allowed to return to the Compound where they are put under house arrest. Peter coming to spend one week at the Compound during his summer break couldn’t have come at a more inconvenient time as the opportunity to bond a little more with his mentor is overshadowed by a conflict he doesn’t quite understand. When he starts to develop a mysterious medical condition, however, the former team is forced to work together – not just to protect Peter’s identity from the DODC, but also to find the cause for his illness before it’s too late. “He’s my kid,” Tony said, his voice hoarse. “He’s my kid and I failed him.” He covered his eyes and took a few deep, shuddering breaths. “All I ever do is fail him.” Natasha knelt down in front of him and cupped his face in her hands, waiting for him to meet her eyes before she said, “Right now, he doesn’t need you to fix this. He doesn’t need you down here. He needs you over there, in the medbay, by his side.” She thumbed tears from the corners of his eyes and ignored the ones running down her own face. “You haven’t failed him yet.”

A Pair of White Converse by orphan_account

The subway car was quiet. Almost too quiet. Peter’s senses buzzed in the silence. A familiar shiver ran down his spine, and his muscles clenched reflexively. There was danger, his spidey-sense told him that much. But where? Someone sneezed into a tissue before clearing their throat gruffly, and the noise grated in Peter’s over-sensitive ears. A woman in a business suit chattered away on her phone, her voice brusque and commanding. She reminded him of Pepper when she was in a meeting - poised, well-aware of the power she held. Somebody was tapping their nails against the hard plastic of the empty seat beside them in a steady rhythm, almost like a countdown. Tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap. ~~~ TRIGGER WARNING: if something about bombs or explosions on trains triggers you, then please don't read. Take care of yourself.

Happy Binky, the big-ass bunny by Bergen

Even Spider-Man had his limits. One of those limits was a fall from over a hundred feet, that left him with a cracked skull, a broken spine and a severely crushed left leg. Spider-Man is recovering and out of the running. But he gets no rest. Because now, Peter Parker is facing his greatest threat so far: his aunt’s new boyfriend, Happy. And everyone says Happy is a good guy. Happy is a good guy. So Peter isn’t sure why the whole thing makes him feel on edge.

That's why they call me mr. fahrenheit by SparrowFlight246

Peter’s on fire. He wakes up fast, and before he even gets the chance to feel the pain, the aches, the dizziness, he feels the heat. It’s all encompassing, a raging inferno blooming from within him and burning him up from the inside out, and god, it— —god, it hurts. - Peter gets whammied by a 24-hour superbug, and Tony’s left to keep him alive until tomorrow morning. It sounds a hell of a lot easier than it ends up being.

If You Should Die Before Me (Reserve Me A Place In Heaven) by Aurealis

Peter is locked in a flooding cave in and Tony tries to rescue him.

How They Perceive You by ephemeralstark

Peter couldn't finish as the doors to the room they were in flew open and a shaky “you can't go in there,” could be heard.  “Hey, Underoos, fancy meeting you in here!” Mr. Stark said cheerfully, although Peter could see the tenseness in his jaw and the hardness in his eyes that made him mentally groan.  “M-Mr. Star’.” Peter mumbled in greeting.  “Mr. Stark, you can't-”  “-be in here.” Mr. Stark said, interrupting Dr. Kat. “I know, they told me, but judging by what I can see here, it’s a good thing I ignored everyone. That won’t work on him.”  “It’s anaesthetic.”  “I know.” Mr. Stark said. “And it won’t work on him, he’s a funky thing, aren’t you Underoos?”  - Peter's lung spontaneously collapses and Happy does the only thing he can - takes Peter to a regular hospital.

Don't You Let Me Go Tonight by edgeofthegalaxy

In which Tony finds himself taking care of a very sick Peter Parker and things are quickly going downhill.

Peter Parker and Peppermint Don't Mix by spidermanstan

“The reaction seems to be in response to peppermint, boss.” Friday supplied. “Peppermint is known to repel spiders, and can be lethal in large quantities.”  Or In which Peter gives Tony and the gang a rather festive health scare on Christmas Eve

Cyanide? In My Shawarma? by losingmymindtonight

Pepper convinces Tony to bring Peter along on his first dinner with the Rogue Avengers since their pardoning. Poor Tony had thought the whole thing was a recipe for disaster before someone decided to shove some cyanide in his food.

Bohemian Rhapsody by Aurealis, orphan_account

It happened on the route to Avengers Compound for training. Now, Tony Stark lives in the fear of losing the one he would die protecting.

five and one by cinnamontoastcronch

Six times Peter Parker finds himself in a hospital.

A Twisted Upheaval by silentsaebyeok

“I’m afraid, Harrison, you’ve awakened a sleeping giant.” Wilson said. “Tony Stark will do anything and everything to protect those he loves. And with your carelessness, it is inevitable that my criminal empire will be brought to its knees. This is your last opportunity, your last chance to get this right. He is on our radar now.” -- The Kingpin runs the criminal underworld. He is the mastermind and the puppeteer. Tony Stark has been trying to find the elusive gangster for years, but with no luck. But then Peter Parker is kidnapped by an agent of the Kingpin’s, revealing the cracks in an otherwise unshakeable organization. Unlikely alliances form and friendships are made as the criminal underworld begins to unravel.

You always get back up (and I'll catch you when you fall) by SuperHeroTiger

Chapter 1: Day 1: Hanging

Peter Parker always gets back up. But sometimes, he falls, and it hurts, and he breaks. Thankfully Tony Stark is always there to help pull him back to his feet...