#wine cooler bag au

[jungkookslipring]

I Will Never Make You Lonely: Ch 6

Summary: When your life is falling apart, your 8 best friends are there to lift you up

TW: mentions of de&th, su!c!de, su!c!de tendencies, su!c!dal ideologies, depress!on, anxiety, crying. If this is in any way triggering I’d steer towards more of my happier works. 

If you or someone you love has thought of or acted on suicide, there is help and there is hope 

Call or text 988

Genre: angst, hurt/comfort, non-idol AU

PSA: this is no way represents the artists. While their birth names are used in this story, the story is fiction and this is in no way a reflection of the artist or artists in real life. This definitely a lighter and happier chapter! HUGE shoutout to @felixmainacc for helping co-write this chapter! Love you so much T!!

You tried not to appear too clingy, but the guys were already into skinship, so you received plenty of hugs and cuddles every day. Moreover, you get to cuddle with them at night. One morning, you woke up to find an empty bed. Since some of the guys were early risers, you figured it was bound to happen at some point. You got up, stretched your back, and made your way out into the living room. Everyone was running around, super excited about something.

“What are you guys up to?” you asked, chuckling nervously. Chris threw you a towel. 

“We’re going to Daecheon Beach for the day!” He said happily. Your eyes grew huge, it’s been a while since you’ve been to the beach. 

“We’ll have plenty of time but right after we’re done eating, we’ll head down there!” Jeongin said as he filled his hydro flask with ice water. 

“Pack any snacks you want for the ride and the beach! We’ll probably stop at the store as well!” Minho yelled as he and Han started raiding the cabinet. They knew how much you loved spontaneous trips, especially the beach, so this would be good for you. You were still in shock that it was happening; the guys had to have planned this late last night or something because they were all packed. Felix came up to you with a plate of French toast and strawberries.

“Eat first, then we can get you ready,” he said, all smiley and happy. You were relieved to see him looking better, considering what he and the guys experienced the other night. You thanked him and sat down to enjoy the sweet breakfast they prepared for you. You hadn't had much of an appetite lately, and they were happy to see you eating well. Once you finished eating, you went back to your room to pack a bag for the day. You packed some warmer clothes for later in the night, snacks, and a few wine coolers and seltzers in a duffel bag. Once you put on your swimsuit, you wear one of Chris’ t-shirts and a pair of running shorts. You suddenly had a burst of energy, and it felt good. Everyone got into two separate cars and headed to a store to buy more snacks. You ran to the ice cups and mixed bagged coffee with chocolate milk to make a delicious drink for everyone. Everyone split into teams and returned with a lot of food and drinks. You were sure there would be leftovers, but you remembered that you lived with eight boys. Once everyone checked out, you got into the car with Minho, Changin, Hyunjin, and Felix, and everyone immediately started fighting over the aux.

Once you all reached the beach, it was surprisingly empty. Given it was a weekday, it was super nice to have the beach to yourselves. Everyone unpacked what they could and made their way down to the sand. It was early enough in the day for the skyline to have that orange hue, it was almost romantic… almost.  The second everything was in its place Chris scooped you up and through you over his shoulder. You screeched as he took off running with you in his arms, running straight for the ocean. 

“CHRISTOPHER!” You screamed with laughter as you two jumped into the water. 7 more boys were hot on your heels and jumped in.

“I’ll save you Y/n!!!” Changbin yelled as he jumped towards you, essentially drowning you in the process. Once you came up you latched onto what you thought was Changbin, his strong arms holding you above the water as you held on for dear life.

“I got you,” he said sweetly, you raised your head from the side of his neck wiping away the water from your eyes, 

“Chris.” You say softly, making him smile even more. You squeezed him back before you both had to go under since a wave barreled right toward you all. Everyone was having an amazing time, and you had only been at the beach for 5 minutes. You hadn’t realized it quite yet but you were falling in love.

Walking out of the water Chris hurried to grab you a towel and a shirt. You began to notice the little things he does for you, especially during this surreal time in your life Chris has brought you so much comfort and support. His love for you has been unconditional and you couldn’t ask for a better man to support you. Chris began to realize his cavernous love for you. When you hurt he hurts, he hadn’t realized the true meaning of the warmth in his chest, but he did now. 

Chris looked over at you with love in his eyes. You were settled next to Felix sharing a laugh. He walked over to the two of you taking a seat next to you. “Hey darlin, you enjoying yourself?” Chris pulls your legs into his lap. 

“I’m having a blast, I couldn’t thank you guys enough. I didn’t realize how much I needed this break.”  You say sweetly. The sigh of relaxation causes Felix to lift his beer for a toast. 

“To Y/n being one of the strongest and most resilient people me know.” Cheers erupted from the group. 

Minho and Han take a break from their sandcastle to sip their beer, Changbin and Jeongin cheers each other, and the rest shout out taking sips of their beers. Felix takes an unexpectedly large sip and everyone erupts in laughter, you offered some of your Trulys to Felix cause the poor boy did not like the beer. 

“Don’t gaslight yourself into liking a drink it’s not worth it,” you laugh as you toss him one of your strawberry lemonade Trulys. He thanked you as he cracked it open, passing his beer off to Seungmin. You all ended up playing multiple games other than Han who wandered off looking for shells and sand dollars. 

“Okay he’s a 10…but he gives off middle child vibes,” Felix said, trying to hide his smile. Everyone thought about it for a second before Jeongin said “6”.

“I was talking about you,” Felix snickered as Jeongin’s eyes went huge.

“YOU'RE A MIDDLE CHILD TOO!” He stated with a look of betrayal.

“Not the type of middle child you were,” Hyunjin giggled. You scooted closer to him.

“Leave baby Jeongin alone!” You jokingly scold as you squish his face with one hand, laughing as he shouts out protests. 

“This is why y/n is my favorite,” Jeongin stated matter-of-factly.

“Rude!” Felix clutched his chest pretending to be offended. 

“Since when do you have favorites?!” Minho questioned.

“She’s not your Hyung.” Hyunjin sassed. 

“Doesn’t matter.” The youngest snapped back.

“He’s a 10 but chooses favorites,” Seungmin spoke slyly.

Fuck you.” Jeongin whispered. 

“LANGUAGE!” Chris scolded. 

“He’s a 10 but always tries to start a fight he won’t finish.” Seungmin threats. Everyone busts out laughing the quick-paced back-and-forth banter has everyone keeled over clutching their stomachs from laughing so hard.

“Where did Han go?” Seungmin asked while everyone looked confused.

“Getting sand dollars! I bet his ass got lost too.” You chuckled out. And you weren’t wrong either. 

“He’s a 10 but walks around naked” Minho dishes out a low blow to Chris.

“NOT FULLY NAKED!” Chris throws his hands up.

“He’s a 10 but gets mad when people don’t remember how many cats he has” Felix adds.

“THOSE ARE YOUR NEPHEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW!” The cat dad getting defensive. 

“He’s a 10 but watches horror movies for fun when he’s scared of roller coasters” You joke.

“Wait till we get home?!?!??” Changbin throws out at you with a glare in his eye.

“Watch it Bin, he’s a 10 but refuses to let me pay for anything” The attitude was evident.

“CAUSE I LOVE YOU CHRIS,” Felix says in his high-pitched voice.

“She’s a 10 but won’t watch horror movies with me.” Changbin frowns while slouching.

“Watching horror movies isn’t fun!” You stated.

“He’s a 10 but is a menace to society.” The dumpling adds.

“That could be anyone here though.” Jeongin chimes back into the conversation. “Are we talking about Minho?”

“I was talking about Seungmin actually.” Hyunjin corrected. 

“He's a 10 but he’s got lost and has been looking for us for 5 minutes!” Minho points behind the members at Han standing in the middle of the beach looking around confused where he was.

“SEUNGMIN PUT THAT ROCK DOWN!” You yelled as Hyunjin ducks behind Jeongin.

By the end of the game, everyone’s stomachs hurt from laughing so much. Time went by so fast, you hadn’t realized it was getting late and it was time to leave. Everyone got cozy in their respective cars extremely tired from the fun day. You were seated in the front seat of Chris’s car, his hand rested comfortably on top of yours. You were staring out the window watching the sunset when he gently grabbed a hold of your hand rubbing his thumb over yours.

“Did you have fun today?” He asked with his tired and deep voice. You nodded.

“So much fun…thank you,” you hummed contently. He smiled. You kept an eye on the sunset until the sun was out of sight. You don’t know when, but at some point you dozed off, sleeping peacefully next to your best friend. When you woke up, you were in the garage, with Chris gently shaking you and Felix awake. 

“Hey sleepy heads, we’re home,” he said. The two of you got up and joined the rest of the group outside of the apartments. Once everyone was inside, a good handful of you flopped on the floor or the couch, too tired to go wash up. Chris and Minho heard the sleepy kids off to their rooms to at least get into their PJs instead of their slightly damp swimsuits. When it was just the three of you, Minho began to speak up.

“So, did you have f-“ you cut him off by wrapping your arms around his and Chris’ neck. 

“Today was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. Thank you. Thank you both so much,” you said with so much sincerity in your voice. You were genuinely shocked you weren’t blubbering like a baby, you were just happy and a little tipsy. The two oldest hugged you back, grateful for the day they had with you. Once you retreated to your room, Minho nudged Chris’s shoulder.

“What’s up?” Chris chuckled, questioning the smirk painted on Minho’s face.

“You know what’s up,” he said with a kitten-like smile. Chris rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the small grin.

“I can’t…not now,” he said sincerely. Minho nodded, understanding how it might not be the best time. 

“I get it, Hyung, not saying it’s now or never but you never know until you do. The worst that can happen is she says no,” Minho shrugged.

“That is quite possibly the worst thing that could happen, Min,” Chris said matter-of-factly. 

“She could say “ew, gross no!” but I think she feels the same, Hyung, I genuinely think she always has;  it doesn’t hurt to try,” he said quietly, making sure you couldn’t hear their conversation. Chris looked back at your door. 

“One day, I’ll say it one day, but it’s late and she needs sleep, we all do,” Chris says, patting Minho’s back before they both go to their respective bedrooms. When you got in your bed, seconds away from falling asleep, you got up, sat at your desk, and opened up your laptop. You were finishing this paper.

EEEEEEE I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER! I’ve been sending drafts to T since day one and when she said “y/n needs a beach day and a truly” I realized how badly this story needed a super happy chapter. Thank you again T for helping cowrite this one! I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for Ch 7!

taglist: @felixmainacc @felixburneracc @myforevermelody143 @dunno-wut-to-do @itzsana-kiddingmenow @someone-who-loves-kpop-saranghae

[coziewozie]

Beach Headcanons!

✦ A/N: Huahhhh this one took me forever skkddkkdkd anyways I hope you enjoy, I spent a lot of time on this! Sorry if some characters don’t have as much content as others

✦ Contents: no reader pronouns mentioned, very very small mention of alcohol in Kaeya’s part, fluff, modern au, ~2.1k words

✦ Includes: Kaeya, Tartaglia, Wriothesley, Itto

✦ Kaeya:

when you brought up going to the beach he said yes pretty quickly

brings sunhats for the both of you so you don’t burn!

matching swimsuits/outfits

you both decide to have a beachside picnic

for the food think something along the lines of charcuterie boards, crustless sandwiches, fresh juicy fruits, etc.

the picnic food is super elegant and classy

he sneaks a bottle of wine in there for himself

Kaeya takes lots of pictures of the two of you when you get there

mainly selfies of both of you in it

likes to snap pictures of you on your own too though

especially when he finds an angle where you look SO ABSOLUTELY STUNNING AND ANGELIC and don’t say you aren’t bc he will be so devastated if you don’t view yourself the way he sees you

is actually such a good photographer

also the type to happily help you apply sunscreen on your back if you ask

anyways back to the picnic!

lunch is super chill, mostly just you guys eating and talking about whatever

you notice the alcohol he snuck in with him but decide to let it go for today

at the end though he wraps his arm around you and you rest your head on his shoulder while you two appreciate the afternoon ocean view

you guys are busy cleaning up the picnic when he looks over at you and compliments how nice you look for no reason

he means it tho ugh it’s so sweet my HEART

the both of you finally walk down to the water while holding hands

you and Kaeya stay in the shallow end of the water, mainly splashing each other playfully and looking in tidepools!

seems like the type to get pinched by a crab

will gladly swim if you want though

you guys stay until the evening and decide to get dinner from a nearby restaurant

he’ll hold your hand from across the table and give you the cutest smile

on the drive home he’ll have one hand on the wheel and the other on the armrest between your seats

you put your hand next to his and hold it

loves it when you do that

has a faint blush on his cheeks and smiles so giddily for the rest of the ride home it’s so cute

doesn’t say too much if he’s tired, but hums to whatever song is playing

looks at you, smirks, and goes

“I had a great time today. We should do this again soon. … Did I mention how pretty your eyes are?” that’s like the fifth time today he’s mentioned it

✦ Tartaglia:

on the way there he blasts both of your favorite songs in the car with the windows rolled down

wears sunglasses, an unbuttoned hawaiian beach shirt, swim trunks, and flip flops

100% brings water guns

when you first arrive you set up your spot

he stakes the umbrella down while you lay out the towels and cooler containing some drinks and your lunches

as soon as you're both done he throws his shirt and flip flops off and full on sprints to the water without warning

you run after him since you want to join him too!

once you get close enough to him he tackles you and you both fall in the water laughing

starts a splash fight with you

if you’re swimming together he’ll race you to see who can get back to the shore the fastest

also brings his surfboard!

goes on his own a few times but lets you ride with him too if you didn’t bring a board

and if you’re completely new to all this he’ll be super gentle so you don’t get scared

maybe you’ll both just sit on the board and float in the water or ride a baby wave

by the time you’re done with that it’s time for lunch!

nothing fancy, just some sandwiches in plastic bags that you packed

Tartaglia thinks it still tastes great though and appreciates that you made them!

you’re both eating and talking under the shade of your umbrella when some little kid comes up to you for no reason and says you look really nice and cool

both of your hearts melt

Tartaglia pulls you close and gives you a peck on the cheek and agrees

will play volleyball or have a water gun battle with you to see who’s better it’s just a friendly competition right? right???

you two are running up and down the beach screaming and spraying each other with the water guns while onlookers stare at you and chuckle as you pass by

volleyball gets super competitive

its just you two taking up a whole court and hitting the ball back and forth as hard as you absolutely can

you’re soooo close to winning..!

but he beats you

it’s okay it’s all for fun he’ll pat you on the head and smirk if you’re salty about it lol

the sun is setting but he still wants to do a little bit more

bike rides together along the beach!

casual chatter while you two enjoy the view

you ride until you guys encounter a little ice cream cart

he buys you your favorite flavor!

Tartaglia gets rocky road, cookie dough, or cookies and cream

has a really hard time deciding and takes forever

will happily share with you if you want some! takes a bite of yours when you aren’t looking

you two leave when you’re both ready

the drive home is mainly him chattering away and you in the passenger seat trying to not fall asleep after such an exhausting but fun! day how does he always have so much energy???

occasionally waves his hand in front of your face to see if you’re still awake

“Hey that reminds me, earlier I saw a— wait, hey! C’mon, don’t fall asleep yet! I still have so much to talk about!”

✦ Wriothesley:

prefers to go in the evening

less sun and less people and also the time he gets off of work on an early day

his mood improves so much and he lights up when he sees you after work

after a lot of persuasion you manage to convince him to wear a floral tropical print shirt that matches your clothes!

he keeps it buttoned up for now though

you also notice one of Sigewinne’s shark stickers on the collar of Wriothesley’s shirt how did that get there??

you find it cute so you don’t say anything about it

its close to dinnertime when you arrive so he takes you to a local, slightly formal restaurant that’s super close to the beach!

now you see why he didn’t want to wear that shirt

both of you feel just a tad bit out of place in your more casual beach attire but you don’t really care

besides, why should other people’s opinions stop you from having a good time?

while you’re waiting for your food the two of you will talk about how your day/week has been and anything else you can think of to bring up

will happily listen to you if you ramble

finds it so refreshing to hear your voice

purchases an iced tea with his meal bc he’s Wriothesley

the food is great! and at the end you both share a dessert like a little cake or ice cream

you guys leave and start walking side by side towards the beach

he’ll give you piggyback rides or let you sit on his shoulders if you ask! will be able to carry you, 100%, no problem AAAAHHAHA THE THOUGHT IS MAKING MY HEART EXPLODE

if he’s giving you a piggyback ride he loves when you rest your head on his shoulder, it makes his heart flutter when he feels your breath on his neck

if you’re sitting on his shoulders his favorite thing is when you run your fingers through his hair or give him a little head massage!

you two pass by a boba store while you’re walking and he’ll buy something for you if you want it! he’ll get something for himself too

if he doesn’t know what to get then he’ll buy the same thing you’re getting! he trusts your judgement :)

you guys finally get to the ocean and take a walk along the shore together

the sun is setting and the colors are reflecting off the waves and it’s soooo pretty

the two of you hold hands and point out strange little shells that wash up on the beach as the waves tickle your feet

you reach a pier and decide to continue walking there

at this point it’s almost all dark and the moon and stars are starting to peek out

you reach the end of the pier and lean on the railing with Wriothesley right next to you

you’re admiring the reflection of the stars on the water with him when all of a sudden you hear a loud BANG! and a flash of light

you both look up and realize that they’re doing a firework show tonight! wow what a coincidence yk im so shocked

you scoot closer to him and lean your head on his arm/shoulder while he wraps one arm around your waist

you think he whispers something about the fireworks and your beauty but you can’t really hear it

gives you a smooch on the top of your head once it’s over!

finally finds Sigewinne’s sticker on his shirt at the end of the night when you get home and he’s taking his clothes off and changing into pajamas

“…You’re saying this was on here the whole time and you didn’t tell me?”

✦ Itto:

he finally manages to shake Kuki off his back so he decides to take you to the beach! even though it’s the fact that you’re going with him that makes her comfortable enough to let him go

forgets most of the supplies so you’re the one packing snacks, drinks, towels, etc.

one thing he doesn’t forget is the toys!

brings water blasters, volleyballs, floaties, buckets and shovels that are meant for little kids, etc.

wears swim trunks, sandals, and sunglasses for dramatic effect and that’s it

wants to do anything and everything with you!

first thing he sees is some kids building a sand castle and wants to do the same with you

no matter how much effort the two of you put in you can’t seem to get it to look nice

Itto still likes it though and puts a little leaf at the top for a flag ugh so precious

he takes a picture of it for memories and you guys walk away from it some kid probably tramples it like five minutes later

digs a little trench for water from the ocean to flow into! doesn’t mean any harm by it just wants to satisfy his inner child

doesn’t realize it might turn into one of those giant rivers in like a month

will have a water gun fight with you in the water while you’re swimming!

not really sure how that’s supposed to work smoothly but that’s his attempt at killing two birds with one stone

will also blow up a giant floatie with his own breath and almost pass out and forget about it/not even use it

also wants to play volleyball with you

since it’s just you two he invites some kids that he met a few minutes ago over to play on teams with you!

prefers to be on a team with you

you find it cute when he pouts after the other team absolutely demolishes you

if/when your team finally wins he’ll give you a giant bear hug!

all those kids probably get nicknames lol

when you guys are hungry you don’t really sit down for a proper meal since you’re having so much fun playing, and instead just munch on chips, fruit, granola bars, etc.

if you’re craving something else though you guys will get something like nachos from a food cart across the street from the beach

also gives you piggyback rides but likes to run around instead of walking

always blushes a bit when you put your arms around his neck and your hands rest on his chest

you guys stay until nighttime!

you set up a campfire together and bust out the marshmallows and graham crackers and chocolate!

the smores are super tasty but he probably scorches half of the marshmallows or unintentionally sets them on fire good thing the ocean is right next to you

shares his best marshmallows with you!

(be prepared to be the one driving home later since he’s going to be knocked out from being so active and energetic all day! when he’s tired he has really cute little snores that slowly evolve into some kind of monster roar snore)

Itto tells his scary stories with a flashlight shining up at his face for dramatic effect

“Now prepare for the One and Oni Arataki Itto to blow you away with this electrifying horror story!!! … AUAAHHOWW-! What was that?!” some crab probably pinched him

✦ A/N: Had a lot of fun writing these! Might do a part two if people are interested/request it!

[rorywritesjunk]

(more modern Taron and Buggy. Every au needs a beach episode. Initially their part two was going to be angsty and stuff but it's pride month and we need a happy fluff fic. Only warning is that Taron acts like a penguin and gives Buggy pretty rocks)

🏳️‍🌈

"I'm not wearing these again."

"Sweetheart, you can't swim."

"I'm not going near the water!"

Taron pulled the cooler out of the back of the car, looking at their boyfriend in amusement as he crossed his arms and pouted at them. Taron had brought life jacket, water wings, and a cute floaty with a goldfish on it for him. They knew he'd say he wouldn't go near the water but they had a feeling that was a lie.

"Uh huh." Taron set the cooler down and pulled out another bag, holding it out to Buggy. "Let's get a spot and I'll put sunscreen on you. The others are probably right behind us."

Buggy took the bag, still pouting, but he reluctantly followed Taron down to the shore to find a spot. He didn't want to wear anything that would make him look ridiculous. He wanted to look cool in front of his partner on the beach. He had a nice looking bathing suit to wear, his hair was up in a high ponytail, and he was ready to build a sand castle but no, Taron wanted him to be safe and wear a life vest in case he went near the water.

Why the hell would he go into the water when he couldn't swim?!

They picked out a spot. Buggy laid down the two towels and Taron went back to the car for their umbrella. Once their spot was cozy, they worked on getting sunscreen on Buggy's arms and face while he kept pouting.

Though once Taron asked for his help getting it on, he was more than happy to oblige. They even thanked him with a kiss.

By the time they were done, Sunny found them, smiling big while Croc and Mihawk set up beside them. She has been the one to suggest it, just an outing for the five of them. Buggy wondered how she managed to convince those two to ever do anything other than work, but even though he knew the trio's relationship, he figured if he wanted to keep his job he wouldn't ask.

Sunny was the epitome of fun. She got two of them to race while she and Taron watched (Mihawk won and Buggy lost, Croc didn't participate), brought sand toys for them to dig (Crocodile was a master at sand sculptures and even drew an audience of other beach goers), and even brought a ball to play with (it was going fine until Buggy decided to show off and hit the ball too hard and popped it).

It was exhausting.

While Mihawk kept himself hidden under the umbrellas for a little social break, Crocodile and Sunny went for a walk along the shore. Buggy glanced at Taron. They seemed engrossed in the book they brought along. Maybe they'd want to go for a walk too? Was it romantic to do that?

"What's on your mind, Buggy?" They asked, not looking up as they turned a page.

He shrugged. Maybe they wouldn't want to.

They set their book down and looked at him. "Think we should go for a walk?"

He perked up. Yes, he did. He wanted to do what the other two did: stroll along the shore, holding hands and occasionally kissing. Why should Crocodile and Sunny get to do that cute couple stuff while Buggy hid under an umbrella? Taron stood up and held their hand out to him, which he took. They kissed him on the cheek before the two went in the opposite direction of the other couple.

Buggy kept glancing down at them as they walked. Should he be saying romantic stuff? They really weren't the type to want to listen to that. When the two of them had their first date and they met at a nearby cafe, Buggy had tried to impress them by pronouncing all the wines on the menu while they looked at him in amusement since he ended up pronouncing some of them incorrectly.

He also got a little drunk and listed all of the capitols in the country in alphabetical order, which was impressive.

He cleared his throat, ready to say something, but Taron pulled away and crouched down to pick up a shell.

"Aw, look, it's so shiny." They said as they held it up to him. "Here." They placed it in his hand and smiled. "It's like you."

"Shiny?"

"And pretty." They chuckled as they stood up and smiled at him. They gave his hand a squeeze before wading out into the water a few feet to look. Buggy stood at the shore for just a moment before following after then. He had no vest or water wings on, but a few feet out would be fine. Taron took ahold of his hand to keep him close as they kept bending down to pick up pretty shells and rocks for Buggy.

It was adorable but Buggy's pockets were starting to get full of them. They finally found one final rock, a pretty sea green color like Buggy's eyes, and held it up for him. Taron smiled and put it in his hand.

"Last one." They promised. "This one is the color of your eyes."

"Didn't know you were into this sorta stuff." Buggy mumbled as they put the rock in their pocket before turning to look at him. Their swim suit was wet from crouching in the water and their face was a little pink from the sun. They smiled and reached up to give Buggy a kiss. He hated how red he got from blushing when they did this. He wasn't one to be a prude about public displays of affection at all but he just... Wasn't used to it.

"Thank you for holding all the rocks and shells, sweetheart." They said as they smiled up at him. "I'm glad we did this today."

"Well, yea, I'm glad my swimsuit has pockets for that reason!" He told them, laughing at his terrible attempt at trying to impress them. "That's why I chose this, you know, gotta have pockets!"

Taron chuckled softly and gave him another kiss. "Of course. My pockets need to be empty for the walk back in case I find more, so I'm glad you're here to help, Buggy." They smiled and squeezed his hand. "We should head back. Maybe we can get some ice cream or something sweet next."

"Aren't I sweet enough for you, babe?" Buggy was trying to flirt but how Taron laughed maybe it wasn't working.

"Oh, you're plenty sweet." They assured him as they reached up to tug on his ponytail gently. "I'll make sure to have a taste when we get back to your place tonight."

Oh, well, Buggy was okay with that if those were the plans.

[hilarychuff]

Over the last hour, various members of the squad have flitted in and out of the tiny bathroom to check on her, bringing water and little bits of food they’ve managed to scavenge. She’s tried to choke it all down (after all, it’s practically like she never even drank those high-calorie wine coolers now), but a bag of soggy brown apple slices and the remains of Claire’s PB and J did little to soothe the churning in her tummy. It also wasn’t long before they came right back up. There’s nothing left in her by the time Jason finally comes knocking at the door, edging it open only enough so he can speak through the crack. “Hey, Chris,” he says softly. “Patrick and I ran out and got you this from the gas station. I’m ready to take you home whenever you feel up to it, OK?” His hand reaches through the gap as he sets a plastic bag in the sink, and then he’s pulling the door closed behind him. It takes effort to push herself up on her knees, high enough off the ground that she can snag a finger through one of the plastic loops without needing to get to her feet. When she drags the whole thing down into her lap, its contents thunking heavily against her thighs, she finds a water bottle inside, a little travel size toothbrush and toothpaste lying beneath it. Tears spring to her eyes, slip instantly down her cheeks, and she has to tear off a long strand of toilet paper to wipe them away, to scrub under her nose. When she manages to get to shaky feet, she washes her whole face, then brushes her teeth, resting heavily against the sink as she does. Only once she’s finished cleaning herself up does she ease the door open to find Jason leaning against the opposite wall. He stands up straight when he sees her, looks her from toe to head, and then he sighs and opens his arms. She lets herself fall into them. He gathers her up, one hand just below her ponytail, the other steady on her lower back, and she makes herself small against his chest. For a second, he just holds her, and then he sighs again. “C’mon, Chris,” he says, tucking her under just one arm. “Let’s get you home.”

all the best people see you (all the best people know), chapter 4, a pre-season 4 buckingham au

[jackrileycomau1]

wine cooler bag australia

Wine is an essential part of many celebrations, but the act of carrying the bottle can be cumbersome. Wine bags are affordable and made in a variety of sizes, so it is possible to find one that will fit all wine bottles.

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[jackrileysblog]

What is a cooler bag used for?wine cooler bag

Coolers are used to store food and drinks for a day or two. They are typically made of durable material that's able to withstand hot weather. These bags can store ice that will keep the food and drinks cold for hours at a time.

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#winebottlecooler #winebottle #giftwine #NewYear2022 #winecooler #winetasting

[angelinaheartshapedbox]

A Slapshot To The Heart

eren jaeger x gn!reader <3

college au/smau. hockey player eren<333. musician/dancer reader.

summary: y/n l/n is a sophomore at paradis university with a scholarship in music. while taking a necessary technology course to complete their major, they meet the infamous hockey player, eren jaeger. y/n does their best to avoid him, but their efforts fail as they continue to run into him everywhere. they soon find that eren isn't the douche bag every depicts him as, and grows very fond of his company.

WARNINGS: swearing, lower case intended, reader uses they/them pronouns, reader is attracted to all genders, eren is a huge himbo dork, any major trigger warnings will be given before each chapter.

this series is entirely sfw. mild suggestive themes, but nothing explicit.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆���☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

point three!

"you're really sweet."

wordcount: 2.1k

chapter tws: mentions of alcohol, drunk people, and smoking. all characters are of legal age. y/n is under the influence.

y/n's instagram story

dinner was amazing. jean paid the full bill, which was so awesome. we were now arriving at the party, and i was regretting everything. it's not like i don't like hanging out with people, i just don't want to right now. well, i'm here now, so it's too late. my only goal of the night is to go back to my own place, and keep my dinner in my stomach.

i can hear the music blasting from the front yard, there's a few people hanging around outside. connie opens the door for us, i let jean and sasha in before me. when i entered i immediately smelled alcohol, weed, and sweat. keeping my food down might be harder than expected.

my face scrunches up as i look at the sea of people. i notice the people in the backyard, too. i also noticed that almost everyone has a drink in hand. i'm gonna need one of those.

"try to have fun!" sasha yells over the music, shaking me.

"i'll try!" i shouted.

"okay! i'm gonna go find mikasa! go have a drink, or something!" she hugs me, and leaves.

"sasha, you give me a headache" i mumble to myself, making my way to the couch.

everyone in the living room is smoking. i don't mind, but i don't think i'm gonna smoke tonight. i'm anxious enough as it is, i don't need paranoia on top of that.

"hey" a voice says from behind me, really close to my ear.

i jump, spinning myself around, and eren is there. he's leaning downing with a stupid smile on his face, and a beer in his hand. i can't see the brand.

"jesus christ, you scared the shit outta me!" i take a deep breath as he laughs.

"sorry, i wasn't trying to. it was funny, though" he said with an even bigger smile than before.

"yeah, haha, very funny" i roll my eyes.

"c'mon, i'll make you a drink. like, uh, a peace offering" he stands up straight, gesturing for me to come with him.

i climb over the back of the couch, eren helps me not fall over. "let's go."

i follow eren through the crowd, he takes me to a door next to the kitchen. a big sign hangs over the door "DRINKS HERE" with a big arrow.

"sketchy" i comment as he turns the door knob.

"yeah, porco made the sign," eren replied, pushing the door open.

he opens the door, revealing an entire bar and bartender. there's shelves filled with liquor, wine coolers, and an ice chest with beer and seltzer.

"shit, you have a whole bar in here?" i say, my voice echoes through the garage.

"it was a house warming gift from my brother," he tells me, approaching the bartender, "your drink of choice?"

i turn to him, "oh, yeah, vodka cran, please."

he smiles, returning to the bartender, "a vodka cran, and just another one," he hold up his empty corona bottle, "thanks."

i stand next to eren with my arms crossed, watching the bartender intensively. he very carefully measures the vodka, and pours it into the iced glass of cranberry juice.

"do you stare like that all the time?" eren asks me.

"oh, i'm just really cautious about my drinks. being drugged was not in my plans tonight- thank you" the bartender slides my drink over, as well as eren's.

"i get that" eren chuckles, taking a sip from his drink.

i laugh too, but before i could get a sip my phone chimes.

i tuck my phone in my pocket with a grin on my face. i take my first sip of my drink, and fuck it's good.

"what's the smile for?" eren teases.

"that was jean," i began, "i should get outta here before he comes, and hits you or something."

"we could go to the basement" eren offers.

i raise an eyebrow. the last thing i want to do is go to some basement in a house i've never been to, with a guy i barely know. i think eren senses my suspicion.

"there's other people there. i think mikasa's down there, if that makes you feel better" he said with that awkward smile that he gave me in class.

i think about it for a second. before giving eren a solid, "alright," and heading back out.

as we're leaving the garage, we see jean talking to armin. eren puts his hand on my lower back, and pushes me forward. we run to the hallway where there's a door that he opens. i go down the stairs, eren follows.

he wasn't lying. there were people in the basement, including mikasa who was playing pool with sasha. annie sat on a bean bag chair in the corner, she was smoking something.

"hey, look who's here," annie announced, pointing at me.

sasha spun around, "y/n! i missed you!" she stumbled over, and threw her arms around me.

"hey, sash. how much have you had to drink?" i practically had to hold her up as i hugged her.

"too much," mikasa replied, walking over, "hey, love, how about we go lie down for a bit?"

"okay" sasha slurred, gripping onto mikasa. she took sasha to one of the other bean bag chairs.

i look at eren, "she's a lightweight."

"i can tell" he watched as mikasa struggled to get sasha to sit down. "do you wanna sit, or we could play pool, but i suck. we can do whatever you want-"

"we can sit down" i put an end to his blabbering, and flop onto the couch.

eren sits next to me, body facing me, and arm hanging off the back of the couch. i pulled my legs up, sitting sideways to look at him too. his eyes are really, really pretty. i've said that before, but i can't help but notice them now, too. even in the dull basement light, they're gorgeous.

"what do you play?," eren's voice stops my train of thought, "like, instrument wise."

"i play guitar for the band. i can play bass too, but we already have two bass players. i sing too. i was singing before i did guitar" i explain, i could feel my lips curling into a grin talking about it.

"that's so cool. i can't wait to hear you guys play" he says for the tenth time since i've met him.

i take a drink of my vodka cran before asking him, "how about your hockey stuff ? i know the season just started."

"oh, you know, it's what it is. some of the guys are being a little weird this season, but we're working hard" he shrugs, and takes a drink.

"acting weird?" i tilt my head in curiosity.

"just not super motivated, i guess. christian is suddenly really into bitcoin?," he had an annoyed expression, "most confusing and annoying shit ever."

"that is…," i start to laugh, "terribly hilarious."

eren laughs with me, "yeah, yeah, it is."

we share a fit of laughter as we make fun of his teammates. he describes them in the most frat boy way. eren does really seem to appreciate his teammates, though. everytime he says something bad about one of them he throws in something positive. even for jean.

"you're really sweet," i tell him through chuckles.

"yeah, i try" he replies.

i finish giggling to find eren staring at me. it's not a bad stare, he's just looking at me. directly at me, like, directly into my eyes.

"what?" i ask, nervously giggling.

"you have a pretty laugh" he says casually, and finishes off his beer.

"are you drunk?" i joke.

"i'm not drunk, i'm buzzed," he mumbles.

"mhm" i hum, looking at my phone, "it's late i should take "the kids" home." i point to sasha, who's throwing up in a garbage can.

i stand up, and eren does too. he gently grabs my arm, "please stay."

god damn it. what was i supposed to do? leave? i stood there, staring at his eyes, again. i examined his whole face. his light freckles against his tanned skin, his perfectly shaped nose and jaw, and the little strands of hair laying in front of his face. his brows knitted together as he pleaded with me to stay. and so, i did.

eren insisted on showing me his "epic beer pong skills", to which i said, "jean is really good at beer pong." i knew that would cause a competition, but i was bored, and it was funny.

eren ran up the stairs to find jean. he tapped on one of his friend's shoulders, telling him to stop the music. "everyone outside, kirstein and i are gonna play beer pong!" he yelled over the sea of people.

jean looks over at eren,"we need twenty solo cups, some beer, and two ping pong balls."

eren competitively smiles as everyone shoves through the sliding doors into the backyard. the hockey team got front row to watch "the show", along with me, my roommates, armin, and mikasa. i set up the cups in a triangle formation, and fill them with beer.

"rock, paper, scissors for who shoots first. best two out of three" i tell the boys. immediately, they're starting. eren picks rock, jean picks paper. eren pick scissors, jean picks paper. eren picks rock, jean picks scissors.

"yes!" eren does a victory fist,"ball, please."

armin puts the ball in eren's open palm. he prepares for his first shot, closing one eye, he's completely focused. he throws it, and it lands right in the middle cup. eren bites his bottom lip, high five-ing and fist bumping his teammates.

"drink up, kirstein" he taunts with the most shit eating grin on his face.

"fuck you," jean grumbled, downing the cup in seconds, "ball."

"a little nicer, please" i nagged.

"can i please have the ball, y/n?" he asked in a fake sweet tone.

i hand him the ping pong ball, "of course."

he shoots his ball, it bounces on the table, and eren swats it away.

"what the fuck?! you can't do that!" jean screams, pushing the table. the cups shake with the sudden movement.

armin interferes, "actually…"

"he can" mikasa finishes.

jean looks at me. "it's in the rules. if the ball bounces off a cup or table it can be hit" i explain to him.

"this is bullshit," he huffed.

"aw, don't be a sore loser" eren messes with him.

"i haven't lost," jean retorts.

"yet" connie says under his breath. jean shoots him a look.

mikasa gets everyone's attention, "before we move on, i'd like both of you to know there will be no redemption round. it's already really late."

with that information, the game begins. we spend the next forty-five minutes watching the two throw balls at beer filled cups. missing and making. making and missing. missing and missing. making and making. lots of yelling as well. eren looks mad, but he looks like that all the time. jean makes the ball into one of eren's cups, leaving one cup left on either side.

armin puts his hand on eren's shoulder, "make this last shot, and you win. you got this"

"i didn't realize how serious jocks are about beer pong," sasha mumbles, her head on my shoulder.

"me either, it's kinda pathetic" i whisper.

eren's shot misses, he exhales in frustration. jean face lights up as he shoots his shot, and then misses. these two men are very drunk from the nine cups of beer they've both had, and the drinks prior to the game. i'm not surprised that it's harder for them to aim now.

eren takes a deep breath, and switches his angle. he holds the ball at eye level, squinting. finally, he makes his shot.

"in your fucking face, kirstein!" eren hollers as the ball lands in jean's cup. he jumps up and down, dabbing up his teammates.

"motherfucker!" jean knocks the cup off of the table, "let's go home. this is stupid." he walks away, assumingly towards the car.

i put my arm around sasha to follow connie out. i definitely have to drive us back, all three of them are hammered.

"text me when you get home, will you?" mikasa stops me, "so i know that you and her are safe."

"of course" i smile i her, and drag sasha to the door.

"hey! tell kirstein he's gotta finish that beer" eren drunkenly shouts at us.

"goodnight, eren" i yell, shutting the door.

previous next

masterlist!

a/n: i had to google beer pong rules for this chapter KZAKZKSK. ik parties are such an overdone trope in fanfics but i just love me a good frat party. things should get more interesting from here i swear. thanks for reading! <3

character info! eren doesn't drink much bc he's an athlete and he just doesn't wanna risk it. he actively avoids smoking too, he'll cross the street if the person next to him is smoking. man is asthmatic and cares about his lungs<3 what a king.

[doubleleoenergy]

Cool for the Summer

Even if they judge, fuck it, I'll do the time. I just wanna have some fun with you.

Pairing: parentsbestfriend!Steve Rogers x fem!reader x parentsbestfriend!Natasha Romanoff

Warnings: 18+ ONLY, oral (male and female receiving), fingering, vaginal sex, use of pet names (princess), mommy kink, daddy kink, mentions of alcohol, y/n is 18, slight size kink, threesome.

Words: 2700 (I’m so sorry, I got carried away)

Summary: One pair of drunken kisses turned to much more. Now at the biggest pool party, y/n is ready for a hot girl summer.

Notes: This is my submission for @agentofbarnes​‘s The Agency’s Writing Challenge. I chose to write for dadsbestfriends/momsbestfriend au, secret relationship, and Steve Rogers + Natasha Romanoff. This is the type of sandwich I’d love to be between. I apologize for being such a whore with this.

“Y/N, can you please grab the two bags of ice from the ice chest in the garage? We need to fill up the other coolers before we add the drinks.”

“Yes mom!” Y/N cried out to her mother, tossing a large flamingo floatie into their pool before heading towards the garage. It was their annual Summer pool party, the biggest party of the season for y/n’s parents. Her parents invited all their friends and family, including everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D.

Y/N’s mother and father were both agents with S.H.I.E.L.D. and had been working with the Avengers team closely for years. She remembered visiting the tower when she was nine, a picture of her visit still hanging proudly in her bedroom. It had been years since she personally went to visit, but many of the team members visited her parents often. 

That included her super-secret lovers Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff. 

It happened by complete chance last July. Her parents were on a mission for three weeks, leaving y/n alone to take care of their two dogs and to watch over the house. Of course, her parents were nervous to leave their eighteen-year-old daughter home alone for that long, asking many of their colleagues to stop in occasionally to check in on her. The Friday of their second week gone, y/n had gotten wine drunk, having snuck a bottle of her parents' expensive chardonnay from their wine cellar.

She was halfway through the bottle when they came, Steve and Natasha. They found her dancing to some pop song in the living room, her right hand holding up the bottle of wine to her lips. Steve and Natasha had grabbed the bottle from her hand, but not before she kissed them both; Steve first for a rough kiss and Nat last for a soft one.

Y/N didn’t remember anything the next day, but Steve and Nat showed up again to remind her. About 30 minutes after they had explained what happened the night before Y/N ended up with Nat’s head between her thighs and Steve’s cock in her mouth.

They had spent the next week before her parents came home together. Then afterwards, Steve and Nat told y/n that they had to keep what they had a secret, that no one would understand. They had all hung out a few times before y/n went off to college and then a few times during her college years when she was home on break.

The last time y/n saw Nat and Steve was during her Spring Break, two months ago, and she couldn’t wait to see them at the party. She had worn her skimpiest pink striped bikini for the occasion, ready to show off her hot-girl-summer body.

Y/N lifted one bag of ice on each shoulder, carrying it into the backyard and starting to fill the coolers while her father packed them with an assortment of beer, seltzers, soda, and water. “Honey, are you excited to see everyone now that you’re back from summer break?” Her father asked, wiping a few beads of sweat off his brow.

“Yeah, some more than others.” She muttered, shrugging her shoulders. After fixing up the coolers with her father, y/n helped her parents set out the snacks, decorate the backyard, and bring out the large speakers to play music.

It was already one o’clock when guests started to arrive, parking along their circle drive as well as up and down their street. Y/N was instructed by her father to wait by the back gate and greet the guests as they came in, giving each guest a cheap lei that her mom had ordered from Party City. 

Guest after guest, dozens of lei’s later, she spotted them. Nat and Steve drove together, of course, and they looked as striking as always. Nat was dressed in a blood red string bikini top, her cutoff shorts hanging off her hips as she walked. Steve looked incredibly toned in a white t-shirt that clung to his muscles, a pair of red board shorts hugging his thighs to match Nat’s bikini top.

Y/N’s eyes met both their gazes, her figure standing up straighter to accentuate her breasts. Nat and Steve’s eyes trailed up and down her body, Steve’s cock stirring in his shorts.

“Aloha Captain Rogers and Agent Romanoff.” She purred; her voice sickly sweet like candy.

“It’s nice to see you again, y/n.” Steve mentioned casually, a large grin spreading across his features. The pair bent forward to receive their lei’s, y/n’s fingers trailing a little longer on each of their neck’s, her nails sending shivers down their spines.

“There’s plenty of drinks and food, and the pool is perfectly chilled. I might take a dip myself.” Y/N gave them a seductive wink before gesturing them in the gate so that she could continue to greet the guests.

Two hours in and the pool party was raging. Y/N’s parents mingled about with the guests, hopping from group to group. As the party continued, Steve and Nat’s eyes followed y/n as she spoke with guests, handed out drinks, and refilled the snacks on the picnic table. They watched the way her ass bounced in her bikini bottoms, how her hips swayed to the music as she danced with a group of friends, and the way her body looked soaking wet as she stepped out of the pool.

She knew what she was doing, trying to rile them up so they’d crack during the party. There were so many guests, what were the chances of anyone even noticing them if they went missing for a while? Y/N needed Steve and Natasha, bad, and she was willing to do whatever it took to get them.

Her body was still dripping wet from the pool, her hair caressing her face. She sauntered across the backyard to one of the coolers, digging her nimble fingers under the ice until she found what she was looking for. Pulling off the wrapper she revealed a red, white, and blue bomb pop, how fitting. Y/N met Steve’s gaze, sashaying her hips back and forth as she stalked towards them.

“Hi Captain, enjoying the view?” She questioned, tilting her head to look up at him. He had about a foot or more on her, making her crane her neck to meet his ocean blue eyes.

“I know I have. What about you, Nat?” He tilted his head to the left, eyes landing on Natasha.

“Definitely. What’cha got there, pretty girl?”

“Just a bomb pop. It’s so hot out, I needed to cool off.” Her lips finally meet the popsicle, engulfing the tip and swirling her tongue around it, a devilish look flashing in her eyes. Natasha clenches her thighs together, thinking of how good it would feel to have the woman’s lips between them.

Y/N teases the popsicle against her lips, pushing it deeper until she gags lightly, her gaze locked with Steve’s own as she does. The same noise she usually made around his cock, he almost pushed her to her knees right then and there. She pulled the popsicle out of her mouth, a string of saliva connecting her lips to the tip.

“You sure you don’t want some?” That was the last straw for Natasha, pulling the stick out of y/n’s hands before tossing the popsicle into the grass beside them. Natasha leans in close, her breath tickling y/n’s ear.

“Go to your room and wait on the bed. Now.” She commanded, pulling away from y/n and changing her expression as to not draw any attention to the throuple. Y/N nodded her head, her own expression flashing with excitement as she moved across the lawn and headed inside her home.

Her bedroom was up on the second floor, away from all the chaos downstairs. Only a few of the guests lingered inside, walking in and out of the first-floor bathroom, some leaning against the kitchen counter in conversation.

Y/N slipped silently up the steps, tiptoeing to her bedroom and shutting the door behind her. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest, stealing a quick glance at herself in the mirror. Her hair was slightly wild from her dip in the pool, her body glistening with a mix of sweat and pool water. Y/N walked over to the bed, her head resting against a pillow, her legs bent and open, waiting for her lovers to arrive.

Steve and Natasha made their way into the house ten minutes later, conversing politely with the few guests who still lingered inside, waiting until they walked out towards the rest of the attendees before making their way up the wooden staircase. Steve is the first to make it to the door, opening it and smiling at the sight of y/n splayed out before them.

“My my, princess. You sure know how to rile us both up. Couldn’t even behave until the end of the party you’re that desperate?” Steve tosses his shirt to the floor after Nat shuts and locks the door behind them, the redhead following suit as she started to undress as well.

“She just loves to tease, but she’ll pay for it now.” Nat stalked over to the bed, getting on her knees beside the edge and gesturing y/n with her fingers to join her. Steve stepped out of his board shorts last, his thick cock bouncing against his chest as he moved over to where Natasha was kneeling beside the bed, y/n getting on her knees beside her, still dressed in her bikini.

“Nat, baby, how about you help our princess undress while she keeps her mouth busy on my cock.” He commanded, stroking his length in his right hand. Natasha nodded her head, moving behind y/n and pulling at the string of her bikini top, letting it unravel and slide forward off her chest. 

Steve stepped forward, his cock slapping gently against y/n’s cheek. “Go on princess.” Y/N swallows thickly, the size of his cock always surprising her, no matter how many times she saw it. Her hand reached up to stroke his length, her tongue swirling around the tip, eliciting a groan from Steve’s lips.

Natasha busied herself by reaching over y/n’s back to knead and pinch at her perky breasts, y/n’s eyes fluttering shut as she took Steve’s cock into her mouth, her hand moving down to fondle with his balls. She bobbed her head back and forth, grinding her still clothed core against her carpet.

“Aw Steve look, our princess is getting needy.” Nat took a fistful of y/n’s hair into her hand, ripping her off Steve’s cock and tilting her back to make eye contact with her. “You know what to do, a pretty princess like you has to ask for what she wants.”

Y/N whined, bucking her hips up to draw attention to her bikini bottoms. “Please mommy, please touch my pussy.”

Nat hummed in response, releasing her hand from y/n’s hair, pushing her in the direction towards Steve’s cock once again. Y/N wastes no time, opening her mouth and looking up at Steve, her long eyelashes batting coyly. “Daddy, will you fuck my mouth while mommy plays with my pussy?” She asked sweetly.

Steve almost came immediately from her statement, his thumb sweeping lovingly across her lips before his hand moved to grip at her hair, looping it around his hand to lock her in place before sliding her mouth forward and back onto his cock.

Steve started to fuck her face slowly while Natasha moved her hand down to undo the strings of y/n’s bottoms, pulling them out from underneath her before she tossed them across the room. Her hands caress y/n’s hips as Steve moves in and out of her mouth, faster this time. Y/N’s saliva dripped from her mouth and onto the carpet as Natasha snaked her hand down to y/n’s folds, her fingers immediately covered in her slick.

Nat dipped one of her perfectly manicured fingers into her heat, y/n humming around Steve’s cock in response. She continued to work her finger in and out before adding another finger, Natasha’s lips trailing wet kisses down her neck.

“So wet, princess. You want your daddy to fuck your tight cunt?” Nat purred, adding a third finger into her soaking hole. Y/N couldn’t answer, her mouth stuffed full of Steve’s cock, her nose touching his pelvic bone. He held her down, y/n sputtering as tears welled in her eyes, watching her face turn red before he pulled her off abruptly, her body collapsing back against Natasha’s.

Y/N gasped for air, her saliva dripping from her mouth down her chin and bare breasts. Natasha’s fingers sped up inside y/n, her orgasm building fast. “Mommy, may I cum please?” She mewled, looking up at her with pleading eyes.

“Yes princess, cum now. Daddy’s waiting to fuck you.” Her orgasm ripped through her, her walls tightening around Natasha’s fingers as she fucked her through the pleasure. Slowly, her breathing slowed down again, and Natasha removed her fingers from her core. Nat opened her pouty lips, licking y/n’s slick off her fingers happily. “You taste so good, our pretty girl. Now I want you to get on the bed on all fours for daddy.”

Y/N followed the instructions, crawling up onto the bed and getting on her hands and knees, arching her back and sticking up her plump ass. Steve’s hand was soft against her ass cheek, fondling it in his hand as he rubbed his cock against her folds with his other hand. He braced one hand against her back, sliding his cock in slowly, savoring the feeling of her tight cunt swallowing him.

“Always so tight, princess. The prettiest cunt I’ve ever seen. Isn’t that right, mommy?” Steve moved his cock slowly back out of her pussy before slamming in fast, causing y/n to fall forward as she cried out in pleasure.

“It is the prettiest.” Nat agreed, moving onto the bed until her thighs opened, her pussy on full display. She scooted her body until her thighs were on either side of y/n’s head, gripping her chin and pulling her head up to look at her. “Put that pretty mouth to use and make mommy cum.” She instructed, y/n’s tongue sticking out to lick a strip up to Natasha’s clit.

Natasha rested her weight on her elbows, watching y/n swirl her tongue around her clit, moaning at the sight. Steve continued to fuck into y/n, pushing her face deeper into Natasha’s pussy. His cock rocked fast into her, y/n humming with her face against Nat’s cunt.

“That’s it, princess. Let daddy fuck you into mommy’s pussy. You keep that up and you’re going to make me cum on your pretty tongue.” Natasha’s eyes met Steve. “You look so good daddy, so hot when you’re fucking our princess.”

Steve’s breathing was ragged, his hips slapping rapidly against y/n. “Cum on her tongue, mommy. Give our princess your sweet nectar.” Natasha bucked her pussy against her face, hitting her orgasm as y/n licked up all of Nat’s juices that flowed from her. Y/N continued to lap at Natasha, working her through her orgasm as she came on Steve’s cock, her walls clenching around him.

“Fuck, that’s it princess, make a mess on daddy’s cock. Gonna fill this pussy up princess, you deserve it for how happy you made mommy.” Steve thrust twice more before his hips stilled against her ass, groaning as he coated her walls with his cum. He stayed glued to her, pressing soft kisses to her spine as he relaxed his body, finally pulling out of her. His cock was wet with y/n’s cum, her pussy dripping their mixed cum onto the sheets.

“Did so good princess, let’s let mommy clean this up.” On cue, Natasha moved to take Steve’s place behind her, licking at her cunt to indulge in their mixed juices. Y/N’s body relaxed into the bed, letting Natasha clean her up.

Eventually, Natasha finished licking, pulling off to collapse next to y/n, her body spent as well from their escapades. Steve moved beside y/n, laying his head back against the pillow. 

“My beautiful girls, I love you both so much. Best pool party I’ve ever attended.”

[biggest-stupidhead]

more modern au levi x reader!! is it okay where reader makes petra jealous???

Just a reminder: WE DO NOT CONDONE PETRA SLANDER IN THIS HOUSE!!!

with that said, I will write this heavily focused on Petra to make it a lil angsty, hope you enjoy!

Summary: Petra watches her ex fall for another

Word Count: 1.7K

__ 

It had been two long years since Petra and Levi ended things. It wasn’t messy but it was painful, she had seen it coming from a mile away. He had grown just as distant as he had been when they first met. Staying late at work, texting her dryly, and using terrible excuses. Although she had known it was coming, she still was a wreck when he actually ended things. She spent the months following the break up drinking wine and crashing at Oluo’s place regularly. After two years she was finally feeling better, dare she say, ready to get back into the dating scene? Or at least that’s what she thought, she was scrolling through her instagram feed when she stumbled across Hange’s page. It was someone’s birthday, someone she wasn’t familiar with. 

A woman with bight eyes and an even brighter smile was in the center of the group photo. On her right was Levi, who had an arm thrown casually over her shoulder, the faintest trace of a smile on his lips. Petra pinched the screen to zoom into Levi’s side, where she saw a feminine hand on his waist. She stared stupidly at the image. She shouldn’t feel jealous, she had no right. It had been two long years since the break up. But the picture only dredged up old memories of times when she would hold Levi that same way. When that smile was directed to her. She then turned her attention to the caption, which read: 

Happy Birthday (Y/n)! 24 never looked so good!

She then scrolled through the comments, many of them consisted of birthday wishes and support. She lost interest when she didn’t see Levi’s username and instead went back to the collection of photos, three of them in all. The group one that she assumed had just been taken, the second one was a picture of Hange and you on the beach, Petra felt a involuntary wave of self consciousness wash over her at the site of you in a swim suite. The final picture was the one that hurt the most though, it seemed to be a very old picture of you, maybe from your early years in college? You were sitting on a couch with younger versions of Hange, Erwin, Levi, and Moblit. Levi’s arm was casually thrown over your shoulders. Why had he never mentioned you before? Were you the reason that they broke up? No Levi had assured her that it wasn’t like that, said he wasn’t seeing anyone else. She tried to stop herself from going down that rabbit hole, but she couldn’t seem to. Before she really knew what she was doing, she had clicked on your profile which she was almost disappointed to find as public. This meant that there was nothing stopping her from judging every perfect image that was posted, and to her pleasant surprise, there was only one photo of you and Levi. The photo was posted the week prior, the two of you were hiking in the mountains, the dusty trial behind you. Your face was flushed from the exertion of the climb, Levi seemed cool as a cucumber, his face blank and void of emotion. She scrolled through the post and found a video, the sound of your shoes crunching and Levi talking behind you were clear as day. 

“I mean come on, who uses fucking Lipton? Have some god damn class.” Levi spat, as you snorted in amusement. Petra found herself chuckling along with you at Levi’s little rant. She felt a rogue tear slide down her cheek when you showed the phone to Levi, who’s face fell from being mildly animated to apathetic once more. You cackled as he swiped the phone and the video ended abruptly. It was so innocent, it was clear from the rest of your page that you were a private person, much like Levi. With little indication that you were dating him, it left her wanting to know more. More about the girl that had taken her place, had managed to worm her way into Levi’s heart of stone and make herself comfortable. As soon as these thoughts crowded into her head, she deleted instagram all together and powered her phone down, determined to wipe her memory of the images she had seen. 

__

The music was a nice distraction from the awkwardness that hung in the air. You had arrived uncharacteristically early to Hange’s party, and consequently meeting a whole group of people that you had never met before. The new people were about your age, three young men and one stunning young woman. It was early fall and Hange’s annual bonfire bash as you all had dubbed the event. Basically you lit a massive fire, when you were younger it was your past assignments from your pervious school year, then it became just regular old wood. You tapped your finger against the cool beer bottle as you leaned up against the counter, the men were laughing obnoxiously as they dropped the alcohol that they’d brought into one of the many coolers. The woman was looking at you almost nervously, she seemed extremely on edge, shifting her weight back and forth, eyes wandering around the room in a jittery manner. You frowned, wondering what was bothering her, but ultimately deciding that it was not really your business. Erwin shimmied behind you, his hands on your shoulders as he slide past you into the kitchen. You caught his arm, clinging to his familiar presence. 

“Erwin.” you hissed as he stooped to reach your level. 

“Who are these people?” you asked as you held his bicep firmly in your grasp. He pulled away and looked at you with a confused expression. 

“You mean Levi didn’t tell you?” He said slowly, clearly he was unsure if it was his place to speak on the relationship between Levi and these people. 

“No....” You said carefully, not wanting to make Erwin uncomfortable. 

“Oh well they used to work in the same department before Levi switched.” He said, he looked over to the men and motioned for them to come over, they ambled over with curious expressions. 

“What’s up Erwin?” the dark haired man asked as he looked between the two of you. 

“Just thought I’d ought to introduce you to (Y/n) here, she’s an old friend of ours from high school.” Erwin explained, his hand still comfortingly placed on your mid back. You waved shyly and smiled at all of them, including the girl. 

“Pleasure to meet you.” The blonde with a ponytail said, outstretching his hand to shake yours. 

“I’m Eld, this is Gunther, Oluo, and that fine young lady over there is Petra.” He said, pointing at all of them respectively. 

“It’s so nice to meet you guys!” you said sweetly as you struck up a conversation with Oluo about what they thought about the department that they worked in. It didn’t go unnoticed that Petra remained nearly silent, her amber eyes wide and a bit fearful. When the interns arrived, the men were quick to go help them carry in the alcohol that they brought, leaving you and Petra alone in the kitchen. You cocked your head at her as you poured some pretzels into a large bowl. The warm glow of the setting sun cast a halo over her head and you couldn’t help but voice your admiration for her. 

“You’re really pretty.” you gushed as she blushed at your words and turned to look at you with wide eyes. 

“So are you...” She returned the compliment and you smiled, feeling more at ease now that the two of you were alone. 

“So how long have you known Hange?” You asked conversationally as you crumpled up the bag and tossed it into the trash. 

“Hm let’s see...about four years now?” She responded with a bit of a wistful tone. 

“Really? I’m surprised we haven’t met sooner!” you chuckled as the two of you opened a bottle of wine and poured it into two large glasses. The two of you strolled out into the bark yard, where Hange and Moblit were chucking large pallets of wood onto the fire pit. You and Petra sat down in two lawn chairs watching as Hange and Moblit bickered over if it was safe enough to light the fire with gasoline. 

“I am too, you seem....like a really nice girl.” Petra said a bit downcast as she looked deeply into her wine. 

“So do you! We should grab breakfast ooo or maybe even brunch sometime!” You said excitedly and Petra sat there in awe, wondering if there was even a mean bone in your body. Or if you had any clue that she had dated Levi. 

“Yeah...this is kind of random but...are you dating Levi?” She blurted out, her face turning to look at you with a flushed expression. You nodded nonchalantly and took another sip of your wine. 

“Yeah we just started dating about a year ago.” You said with a shrug, Petra inhaled, readying herself for the next words that would either make or break the future relationship between the two of you. 

“Did...you know we dated?” she said, cringing when the words left her mouth. She sounded crazy and she knew it, but she felt obligated to clear the air between you before it got bad. 

“Hm I think he mentioned it once or twice, and Hange told me about you when you first started dating.” You said looking up thoughtfully, your tone held no malice or any sign of ill will. 

“You’re not...” 

“Insecure? Nah, and don’t take that like I’m being cocky! I just mean that...” 

“No, no let’s just not do this. I’m sorry for bringing it up. God I’m such a bitch.” Petra went to stand and you followed her, catching her wrist. 

“It’s alright really, I don’t care about what happened between you and Levi. It’s frankly none of my business, I just...wanna be friends with you.” you smiled at her sheepishly as she looked at you with wide eyes. 

“Oh” She managed to say dumbly. 

“That is if you want to be friends.” You said, letting go of her hand and giving her some space. 

“Yeah...I think that I’d like that very much.” Petra said with a bright smile. 

__

In honor of Women’s History month, I couldn’t bare to write something that was a stereotypical jealous ex, so I did the next best thing and wrote this more geared towards the reader and Petra bringing each other up instead of tearing one another down. As someone who was apart of the fandom back in like 2014 I am way too familiar with writers turning Petra into a psycho bitch, and I don’t like that. SO I hope that this is good enough to fit the prompt! 

[starcrossedkaiju]

Kingslayer AU: Chapter One

Finally! I’m sorry this took so long, I’m a nervous wreck.

Notes: this was originally a warmup for character interactions/setting. It is very dialogue heavy.

\\ Warnings: alcohol //

A single tumbleweed was all that crossed Scott’s path when he arrived in the Red Desert. It was rather comical, he stood and watched it roll away until he couldn’t see it through the sheets of sand blowing over the ground.

In the distance, the only mountain located in the desert biome loomed over the horizon. Imposingly backlit by the red, swirling, tendrils of the world border. Most residents kept away from the thing, as it was meant to give off an unsettling aura. Although Scott never minded it. The wall of his room was almost right up against it after all.

On top of the mountain was a barely visible “castle”, which looked as if it was built by someone wearing a blindfold. The inhabitants of the castle, and the aptly named “Monopoly Mountain” could be accurately described as menaces.

Clumsy when it came to forward thinking, and leaving hidden traps around so frequently that traveling through any wooded area required either a very long stick, or someone willing to take the business end of a TNT trap for the team.

They also happened to be Scott’s nearest allies. It hadn’t always been pleasant between them, but circumstance led to circumstance, and now Scott was making his semi-weekly visit to Monopoly Mountain to shoot the breeze.

Typically the only person at the base would be Grian. Scar liked to make himself elusive by causing problems elsewhere and returning late into the evening with a story to tell over dinner.

The base of the mountain was void of a bubble-elevator. To reach the top one must climb an absurd amount of stairs. Scott huffed and resigned himself to the task in front of him.

As his perspective grew higher and higher the rest of the map revealed itself. The roof of Joel’s house peeked over a swathe of trees, and the tall barricades of Dogwarts stood out as a stark silhouette against the sky. Scott took a few minutes to regain his purchase, shielding his eyes from the whipping wind.

The season was gradually descending into winter. Made obvious by the deciduous trees’ leaves choking out the last of their green pigment for fiery shades of red and orange. The weather was far less pleasant to endure. Everywhere outside of the Red Desert had to deal with bitterly cold conditions, although there hadn’t been snow yet, the sky churned with a constant overcast. Threatening to storm at the drop of a coin.

Scott rubbed his arms to fight off the oncoming chill and continued his ascent, hoping someone had installed a fireplace since the last time he visited.

Finally he rounded the last of the stairs and gazed up at the tall, thin roof of the Sand Castle. The Red Desert flag strung on the tallest rooftop flapped around in the wind. Pizza, the pet lama, grunted in Scott’s direction when he approached the front door. He hesitantly reached out to pet her (she bit him once and he’d never fully gotten over it) from over the fence of her pen, and she let him rub her fluffy bangs.

Scott knocked on the door three times and gave Pizza one last pat, anticipating someone to open the door. It would be a shame if he’d hiked all the way out only for nobody to be home.

Thankfully, the door swung open with a welcoming screech of it’s hinges.

“Hey dude,” Grian welcomed him from the front steps.

“Hey,” Scott greeted in return, “may I come in?” he asked.

“Of course! It’s freezing out here,” Grian replied and stepped away from the door, which slammed with a squeak behind the two of them.

Scott closed his eyes and waved to the resident enderman, who greeted him with a friendly, distorted “hello”. A furnace was running to warm the living room.

Scott took his coat and hat off. He draped them over the arm of the couch before swatting a layer of sand from the cushion and sitting down, observing the scene in front of him. There was always something going on in there.

This time, a myriad of blueprints were strewn across the floor. Each of them depicting heavily annotated structures and what looked like plans for redstone. Grian had planted himself on the floor with a pencil, and was furiously erasing a line of text.

“What’s that?” Scott pointed over his shoulder.

“These,” Grian held one of the outlines up to the other’s face, “are the blueprints for our secret bunker,” he explained.

“You hear that? Secret Bunker, so don’t go telling anyone about it m’kay?” He tapped the paper with the end of his pencil.

“Okay, fair enough. Is that redstone?” Scott slid another sheet of paper towards them with his shoe.

“Yup. I’m gonna equip it with a lava trap,” Grian said proudly.

“And this one will work?” Scott teased.

“Hilarious,” Grian pushed the other’s shoulder, “yes it will work, it’s going to be my best yet,” he assured.

“Oh good! That’s not a very high standard to meet then,” Scott congratulated.

“Blah, blah, blah,” Grian mocked back, “you better be careful what you say with twenty five reputation points,” he said.

Scott threw his hands up in surrender, still laughing at how the other man’s ears turned red.

The house fell into a comfortable silence after that. The sound of scribbling and wind served as a calming ambience. Scott intermittently shared a few words with the enderman, who seemed to understand more of what Scott said to him than the other way around.

“Hey, Grian?” Scott turned over on the couch to face his friend.

“Yeah?” The other said without looking away from his work.

“Do you think you would have still been friends with Scar if he hadn’t died from that creeper?” Scott asked.

There was a pregnant pause, then Grian said, “I don’t know. I never thought about it,” he doodled absently on the margin of his paper.

“Hm,” Scott replied halfheartedly. He mainly asked because whenever he visited Grian was alone. If they were even home at all. Other than that him and Scar were always attached at the hip.

“Why?” Grian asked in return.

“I don’t know, forget it,” Scott waved him off. Not wanting to get into it.

“When’s he gonna be back?” he asked instead.

Grian sat up and stretched his back, “uh, I don’t know actually. He said he went to gather resources but you can never really count on him doing what he says he will,” he explained.

“You didn’t go with him?” Scott asked.

“I don’t want to babysit him anymore. If he gets in trouble that’s not my problem,” Grian said. He stood up and wandered over the the kitchen, carefully avoiding the blueprints on the floor.

“Ha! I would drink to that one, Jimmy is the same way sometimes,” Scott replied and watched as Grian contemplated the contents of their cooler, reaching in and pulling out a bottle of red wine.

“Well then, let’s drink to it,” he held the bottle up with a grin.

“Where did you get that?” Scott vacated the couch and made his way over to his friend, taking the bottle and studying it, “I haven’t seen the fruit of the vine in years!” he recalled.

The bottle had clearly been tapped into before, although not much was absent from its contents.

“I have my ways,” Grian rummaged around in a cabinet and pulled out two glasses.

“I would say it’s too early for this, but for once, it’s five o’clock somewhere,” Scott uncorked the bottle with a satisfying pop and poured each glass a third of the way.

Grian cleared his throat, “To the safety of our stupid partners,” he raised his glass.

Scott nodded in return and connected their drinks with a polite clink, then they drank to the sentiment.

The conversation traveled to the dining table, which was more of a booth. Talking points ranged from preparing for winter to future plans to expand their bases.

“I’m not going to get anything done with the weather coming on,” Scott complained over his drink, “I don’t handle the cold very well,” he downed the last of it.

“Well you can always move in with us for the season, the attic is vacant,” Grian offered.

“Never in a million years. I’d rather be sick at home than spend a week living with barbarians,” Scott refused the offer.

Grian rolled his eyes, “it is not that bad,” he defended himself.

Scott raised an eyebrow and shoved his hand in between the cushions of the booth. Pulling up a handful of sand, which he deposited on the table.

“We live in a desert! What do you want us to do about it, of course there’s some sand in here,” Grian threw his hands up.

“Some?” Scott repeated.

“Okay,” Grian glanced under the table and shuffled his foot around, which scraped across a layer of sand, “a lot of sand,” he corrected himself.

“Get a vacuum. For the hundredth time, get a vacuum,” Scott demanded.

“We have a broom that works perfectly fine,” Grian stood up and opened a linen closet to reveal a single broom leaned up against the wall.

Scott didn’t comment on it, but he had a feeling that broom never left the closet.

The conversation was effectively halted when the front door screeched open, letting in a gust of wind and sand. It blew a few papers off the floor and scattered them around the living area.

“Hey,” Grian called out, “Scar? You back?” he asked.

“Yeah,” came from the front of the Sand Castle.

“Okay! We have company by the way,” Grian prefaced.

Scar’s head poked around the doorframe, he waved at Scott who returned the gesture.

“What have you guys been up to?” He inquired at the sight of the wine on the counter.

“Just hanging out. It gets a bit lonely up here you know,” Grian closed the linen closet and took Scar’s backpack from him. He opened it and looked at the contents.

“Oh, you actually did what you went out to do,” Grian revealed a bundle of wood from the bag.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Scar crossed his arms.

“Never mind, go wash up. I assume you’re hungry,” Grian opened a pantry and took some spices out, “are you staying for dinner Scott?” he asked.

Scott leaned out of the booth to check the time on the clock above the door, “mmm, yeah why not. I’m already here,” he decided.

“Let me just page Jimmy and tell him I’m gonna be home late,” Scott patted all his pockets but found no sign of his communication device.

“Hey Grian? Can I use your pager?” he requested.

Grian fished around in his back pockets and pulled out his pager, tossing it towards the other who caught it with both hands. Scott thanked him and flipped the screen up, selected the address he needed to contact, and typed out a short message. Making sure to say it was from him and not Grian before sending it to Jimmy.

“What’re we making?” Scott asked once he finished, intent on trying to help in the kitchen.

“Well, it’s Spaghetti Friday,” Grian declared and revealed a bag of Rigatoni pasta.

“That’s a thing?” Scott inquired, taking the bag and examining the packaging. It was pretty simple, mostly cardboard with a plastic window. Presumably from the village on the other side of the map.

“We’ve gotta have some fun around here, come on now Scott,” Grian said.

“You’re right, how can I help?” Scott said. Grian side eyed him.

“You can add the salt when I say you can add the salt,” he offered. Scott crossed his arms.

He wasn’t that bad at cooking. He’d only burned a few things, smoked the house out for three days once, and set scrambled eggs on fire.

“That one time was just a rookie mistake,” Scott retorted. It’s not like he did it on purpose.

“A rookie mistake that almost burned your flower forest down. I wouldn’t let you near the kitchen if I was Jimmy either,” Grian set a pot down on the stove.

Scar came back in the kitchen then, and was pulled into it almost immediately.

“A man can’t even sit down in his own house without his culinary skills being put up for debate?”

Grian laughed at him, sliding the pot under the water pump.

“That’s not an answer at all! Can you or can’t you?” Scott demanded to know, holding a salt shaker.

“I can cook,” Scar’s gaze wandered into thought, he started counting on his fingers, “pasta, assorted vegetables, mac and cheese, cornbread, mashed potatoes, and I can bake a half decent carrot cake,” he recited.

“I worked in a supermarket before the borders. We made some of our own stuff for the bakery and the buffet,” Scar said. It was the first mention he made of what he did back when things were normal. At least to Scott.

Scott was pleasantly surprised. He nodded, seeing as he’d been given a satisfying answer.

The spaghetti went off without a hitch, Grian was surprisingly good at making it. Scott had the sense that he’d done it many times before.

“Remember, you can put the salt in but you can’t take it out. Here taste the sauce and tell me if it’s alright,” Grian fished a spoon from a drawer and handed it to Scott.

“Hmm,” the other pondered after trying a spoonful, “maybe a bit more salt?” he suggested.

A window was propped open to let the steam and heat out. It was getting dark now, and the world border stood out against the purple hues of night falling over the server. The brightest stars made themselves known to the east as the sun set to the west. It was peaceful, the wind had died down. Scott wondered if anyone else was watching.

Personally, he enjoyed stargazing a lot more. His servermates knew next to nothing about the cosmos, which made him wonder who was teaching them about the greater universe. Clearly they’d never been out there.

“Yo,” Scar called him out of his trance. He handed the other a ceramic bowl.

“Thank you,” Scott said and waited to serve himself.

The spaghetti was pretty good. Decent meals were hard to come by, especially with the limited resources outside of villages.

Over the course of dinner, Scar explained his excursion of the day. He had been gathering wood to stockpile for the winter months (no wood in the desert, better to have a source available and not have to hike out and get more constantly) when he came upon Etho’s base.

“It’s entirely made of wool,” he recounted.

Grian raised an eyebrow in confusion, “All of it? Why?” he mused.

“Dunno. There was nobody around,” Scar replied.

“You didn’t steal from them did you?” Scott interjected.

“Not this time,” he said, which earned him a jab in the ribs from Grian.

The three laughed it off and switched the subject to current server affairs. Who had the best gear, everyone’s respective allies, the phantom problem, and the pros and cons of a vacuum.

“Well, I would say this is a fine work of spaghetti,” Scar complimented when he was finished.

“Indeed, couldn’t have done it without Scott. The best salt dispenser among us,” Grian agreed.

Scott tried to look offended but couldn’t repress a smile. He stood up, about to take his bowl to the sink; but Scar insisted that he was the guest, so he handed over his dish and sat back down. Preparing his “i’m out of here” pleasantries.

He settled on, “Well, I’m out of here,” after a few more minutes of banter.

“Okay! Thanks for keeping me company dude,” Grian gave Scott a hug as thanks.

“My pleasure,” Scott replied.

Scar offered to accompany Scott back to the Hobbit territory, but he refused.

“No need Scar, you’ve been out all day. I’ll be fine,” he assured as he adjusted his hat and jacket for the chilly walk home.

“Alright then, let me walk you out,” Scar proposed instead.

Final waves and good wishes were exchanged and Scott started back down all those stairs. It was quiet, save for the gentle buzz of the world border which sat right against the Red Desert.

Lost in thought for most of the journey, Scott traveled into the dark canopy of leaves. There weren’t many mobs out due to the moon being in its Waning Crescent phase. Scott rubbed his hands together and shoved them in his pockets, wishing he’d brought his mittens.

As he crossed over a clearing, an arrow whizzed over his shoulder. Scott ducked down in surprise, turning around and expecting to see a skeleton, but there was nothing there except a dreadfully dark bank of trees and a vacant plot of land.

Scott squinted into the darkness.

Then the handle of a weapon was brought down on the side of his face, and all the lights went out.

[chubbybuckydumpling]

A Valentine's Miracle

@endlessbucky you got a gift! I hope you like this and you’re left satisfied <3 This is my entry for the @marvelxreaderfanfictionfest Bucky Barnes Valentine Exchange! My prompt was: Best friends to lovers, Bucky and reader being cute and in love. This was my first secret santa experience and it was really fun! Thank you for having me :)

words: 2.8k

pairing: Bucky Barnes x female Reader

warnings: swearing, fluff, kissing, making out, a little embarrassment, modern AU, canon divergent, implied smut, friends to lovers, clichée

My Masterlist

You were viciously knocking on the sturdy wooden door of Bucky’s apartment, a bottle of red children’s sparkling wine in your unoccupied hand. Your coat is heavy on your shoulders, but the harsh cold and cutting wind forced you to put on the extra warm clothes. On your way here it even began to snow, some flakes still clinging to your hair. Your fingers feel numb and you mentally scold yourself for not wearing gloves.

Suddenly the door swings open and a grinning Bucky beams at you, “Finally you’re here doll. I thought I’d be starved by the time you’d arrive” Rolling your eyes, you step into the flat, “Stop being so dramatic, it’s two in the afternoon and I know for a fact you ate a burrito for lunch”. The man clutches his chest in mock pain and groans, “You wound me, Y/n”, he whimpers, the smirk never leaving his lips. “Wait, how did you know I had a burrito?” You throw him a playful glare, “You posted it on Snapchat”.

Bucky’s eyes widen in panic and he pulls his phone out of his pocket to check his Snapchat for any unwanted posts. “No, I didn’t”, he finally states and averts his gaze back to you so he can show you how unamused he is. A giggle slips past your lips as you carefully remove your jacket, “Oopsies, it must be the fact that you have been having burritos on Valentine’s Day for as long as I can remember. Weird how things sometimes slip your mind”.

Reluctantly, Bucky holds out his hand for you to place your coat into. The gentle warmth of his apartment envelopes you and makes you sigh in content. “Did you light a fire?”, you ask your best friend while you take off your shoes. “Oven’s lit, just for you, you chilblain”, his deep voice rumbles and calms you even further. “Ha, ha, you’re so funny James”

Upon hearing his real name, the man scrunches up his face in distaste, “Ew, you sound like my mother”. You chuckle and finally wrestle yourself free from your footwear, falling into Bucky’s big arms. His familiar scent fills your nose, the undertones of cedar wood and butterscotch making you grin. “I missed you doll”, he mumbles into your head. “It’s been 3 days”, you grunt as you nuzzle yourself further into his warmth. “I missed you too”, you admit after a moment

He slowly pulls out of the embrace and smiles at you. Suddenly you remember the bottle in your hand and gasp excitedly, “Look what I found!”, you yell and hold up the bottle. A huge smile forms on Bucky’s face and he takes the Robby Bubble out of your hand. He stares at it and chuckles, “I can’t believe they still make this: Where did you even find this treasure?”. “Some small shop near the old bakery. It was pure coincidence, but once I saw it, I couldn't’ not buy it”

The man looks at the bottle in astonishment, “I haven’t had this since we were, what? 14?” Giddily, you shuffle forwards and push down his arm until he looks at you, “Are you going to pour us some or are you going to make me stand here all day?” Something seems to snap inside him and he nods, “Yes, please come in. Take a seat”

Carelessly, you throw yourself on Bucky’s grey couch and cuddle up into one of his fluffy blankets. The fireplace is cackling as the flames lick the air greedily. The man comes back quickly, two champagne flutes in his hands. Gently, he places one into your palm as the sweet smell fills you with nostalgia. You nod at your childhood best friend before you both take a sip of the drink. “It tastes…”, you start carefully, “horrible”, Bucky finishes.  

His eyes twinkle with an emotion you can’t pinpoint, but it’s gone soon enough as the two of you break into loud laughter. He throws his head back in joy, the dark soft hair framing his face beautifully. The air is stuck in your throat as your eyes linger on him, lips forming into a fond smile. Bucky’s voice has always been able to make you smile and your cheeks heat up. 

Soon the man calms down and grins at you. His eyes bore into yours intently as he slowly raises his glass again. In a heartbeat, he gulps down the entire red liquid and lets out a loud sigh once he is done. “You’re so dramatic”, you roll your eyes, but a warm feeling spreads through your chest at his antics. Bucky smirks playfully, “You love me”. He’s not wrong about that.

“So”, he begins, “I’ve got nachos, gummy worms and chocolate”. “No popcorn?”, you ask, giving him puppy eyes. “How could I ever forget the popcorn? You hurt me doll. Why don’t you put on a movie and I bring out the snacks?” You nod at him, “Romance or horror?”, you yell at his retreating figure. “Whatever you want, doll. I’m fine with either!” 

When Bucky returns with a huge tray of snacks the opening of Tarzan is playing on the huge TV on his wall. “Tarzan? Really?”, he hears himself say as he carefully places the tray on the couch table and sits down next to you. “Only a couple more months until you’ve got the look down, Buck”, you point at his hair, grin and cuddle up to him. His big arm stretches over your shoulders and you lean into his side, warmth immediately seeping into you as your stomach vibrates with butterflies.

You never meant to fall in love with your best friend, really. But then it just kind of happened. One day you looked at him, his arms suddenly bigger, his figure towering over you, the deep voice rattling your body and you were a goner. All the girls were salivating over him and you were no exception, but with all the people he was dating you doubted you had any chances. So you did what you knew best, being James Buchanan Barnes’s best friend.

You smiled with him, played with him, went out with him and studied with him. You were a different person when you were around him, more careful and joyous, happy and lighthearted. He just made you forget about all your troubles and fears with just a smile or a wink. 

And while you pretend you don’t enjoy them, you love your annual Valentine’s Day celebrations. Since you can remember, you and Bucky spent the day together eating all kinds of shit and drinking the overly sweet children’s sparkling wine. Nothing in the world would ever make you miss out on one, but a sparkle of hope inside you was hoping that one day the two of you would spend the day as a couple.

The end credits begin to roll two bowls of popcorn, a bag of gummy worms, too many crisps and a lot of nchos and tears later (which Bucky would of course deny, he doesn’t cry over kids’ movies) and you wipe the wetness from your cheeks. During the movie the man has tucked you tight against his side, so close that you’re almost sitting on his lap and let his fingers comb through your hair, gently scratching your scalp. If you were a cat you’d be purring by now.

Reluctantly, Bucky stretches his arms, causing you to immediately miss the warmth he provided. “Can’t believe you ate so much crap, doll! Aren’t they feeding you enough over there in Manhattan?” You roll your eyes, “You ate just as much of this as I did, James. And just because you’re salty that I have a cooler place than you doesn’t mean you can disrespect me like that”

“Oh, it doesn’t?” he asks in mock wonder. You narrow your eyes and before you can think twice you jump out of your position and tackle Bucky to the couch, fingers running over his sides and tummy, tickling beautiful laughs out of his mouth. “Stop, please!”, he gasps out between desperate attempts to stop his giggles. “Apologise!”, you demand. “Never!”

All of a sudden he flips you over, his hands holding onto your wrists. A high pitched screech leaves your mouth and you immediately begin to squirm under him, desperate to escape from any potential tickles. Of course you couldn’t win against his massive strength, but once his fingers skim over your sides and helpless laughs fall out of your mouths you find a new wave of deterination flooding over you. Quickly, you wrap your legs around Bucky’s waist and somehow manage to make him lose his balance, so his heavy body fall onto your chest.

A puff of air leaves your lungs and you look up, ready to make a stupid remark, when you see how close he is to your face, lips just mere inches away. Blood rushes to your cheeks, heating them up, and you can feel your heart pounding quickly. Bucky’s blue eyes bore into your, his mouth opening slightly. “Bucky?”, you whisper, eyes trailing to his lips.

Suddenly his cheeks turn a dark shade of red and he pushes himself up, “Uhm, I think I need to use the toilet”, he explains, not looking into your eyes. “Yeah, makes sense. I’ll be waiting here”, you answer, the tension thickening the air. The sound of his retreating steps makes you relax and you finally sit up.

“Shit”, you whisper to yourself, hands balling up into fists, “Way to go, Y/n”. The fire is warming up the room, flames licking at the air, but a shiver runs down your spine, a cold sensation gripping onto you. Time seems to slow down, seconds turning into minutes, but when Bucky returns, it’s still too early.

“So, doll, do you want to seize the last bits of daylight?”, he asks, his voice completely calm. If he’s pretending, so are you. “Yeah, totally. You might have to unfreeze me when we get back here though. Walking here once already turned me into an icicle”, you chide in, a smile on your lips which you figure Bucky must know is fake. If he does, he isn’t showing it.

“I’ll warm you up, I promise. Do you want one of my sweaters?”, he asks, a grin decorating his lips. A hopeful shimmer flimmers in your eyes, “Please?” 

Soon you find yourself bundled up in one of Bucky’s gigantic sweaters, your coat and a snapback (“Relly, Buck? This won’t protect me from the cold at all!”, but the puppy look in his eyes made you agree) and he looks just as ridiculous, but you can’t find it in you to care. 

Outside, the sky relentlessly releases snowflakes, the paths already covered in thick layers of white. The cold air makes your breath visible and the sound of the snow crunching under your feet makes a genuine grin appear. The two of you walk along the streets in close proximity, quietly listening to the sounds of the occasional car that passes by or the pigeons that search for leftover crumbs.

Once the nearby park is in sight, Bucky has an idea. “Last one at the entrance is a slowpoke”, he yells and starts running. “Not fair!”, you shout, taking chase. Carefully you jump over big lumps of snow, but there’s no chance that you’ll catch up in time. The man already stands at the entrance when you arrive, a proud smirk on his face, “Took you long enough, doll. I was beginning to freeze to the ground”. You huff out a breath, but still manage to roll your eyes.

“Hardy, har, Bucky. You’re so funny, how will I ever survive this humiliation?”, dramatically you walk past your friend and follow the line of the trees. The view is very pretty, especially when everything is coated in white, a sense of innocence in this harsh world. “Wait, doll”, he yells after you and comes barreling towards your figure. You turn around just in time to see his panicked face, arms paddling through the air helplessly as his body crashes into yours.

A scream leaves your mouth and you manage to desperately clutch onto Bucky’s jacket before you hit the ground, the air leaving your lungs. Luckily the snow feathers your fall and only a slight pain spreads through your back, but the weight of Bucky’s torso presses your shoulders into the ground. So you find yourself underneath your best friend, again, panting heavily. 

“I’m sorry, doll, let me-”, he begins, but when his eyes find yours he stops, breath hitching. His tongue darts out to wet his lips, a mesmerizing sight to watch. Out of the corner of his eye you can see more snowflakes coming down, making the whole scene seem like a winter wonderland. “Bucky?”, you question him, your voice unrecognizably soft, as his face comes closer to yours.

“If you don’t want this to happen, doll, then stop me, but shit, it’d be a lie if I said I didn’t want to do this for years”, he whispers back, his tone matching yours. One of your hands reaches out to cup his cheek, a cold thumb stroking over his defined cheekbone. The butterflies in your tummy are going crazy, but you find yourself feeling calm. This is your Bucky, you’ve known him for years, this will be fine. Everything is fine with Bucky. Always.

You can feel his breath fan over your lips and you whimper, “Bucky, please”. His head moves closer and then, finally, his lips meet yours. They are slightly chapped from the cold, but still warm and tender. It’s perfect. Your hand runs behind his head and you play with the frizzy hair at his neck, pulling him further into you. 

When he pulls away his cheeks are red, both from the cold and the blood that rushes into his cheeks steadily. You open your eyes and then you see his face, beautifully coloured and sculpted and tears shoot into your eyes. “Hey, doll, what’s wrong? “,  he sounds concerned. “It’s just”, you sigh, “I wanted this for a really, really long time. These are happy tears”. A relieved sparkle flits over his eyes, “So you wouldn’t mind if I..?”, he raises an eyebrow and quickly presses his lips to yours again.

“No, love, not at all”, you grin, “But I wouldn’t mind getting out of the snow”. His blue eyes widen, almost comically, and you can’t stop the fit of giggles. Quickly he jumps up and holds out his big, strong hand for you to take. The muscles in his arm tense as he pulls you up and right into his chest. You wrap your arms around his neck and grin, his hands finding your waist.

You bite onto your lower lip, smirking at his groan, “I swear doll, you’ll kill me one day. Especially when you wear my clothes”. “What, you like?”,you retort, a teasing tone coating your voice. A growls ripples through his chest, “So fucking much” and before you know he pushes his lips onto yours again and his hands tighten around your body, pulling you this much closer.

This time he is greedier, more forward, his mouth pushes harder against yours, almost hungrily. His eagerness makes a fluttery feeling awaken in your tummy, a dull want and you push yourself closer to him, your own lips copying his need. Slowly his tongue drags over your swollen mouth, asking for entrance which you grant him. Bucky pulls you impossibly close as if he wants every part of your body to touch his.

He explores you, intertwining his tongue with yours, letting them dance together to steps only th two of you know. He tastes like candy, but not quite, something that is very distinctively Bucky. It’s perfect. A moan escapes your mouth and you close your arms around him tighter, greedily consuming more of him. His scent fills your nose, evoking a warm feeling in your chest. The knot in your tummy grows stronger with need. 

He seems to notice your distress and his hands wander down to your behind, grabbing onto the plump cheeks and pushing you onto the growing bulge in his trousers. A moan leaves his lips as you whimper, needy and filled with lust. Bucky pulls away from the kiss, heavily panting, and rests his forehead against yours. He’s even more beautiful up close. “Shit, doll”, he whispers. His lips are red and slightly swollen. He looks delicious.

Suddenly a shiver runs down your spine and you realise that you’re still standing in the snow. “Bucky”, you whimper, “I’m cold. Can we go home?” He seems to snap out of his trance, eyes flicking to the side. “Yeah, the sun is getting low. We should…”, he helplessly points in the direction you came from. You nod, a smirk playing over your lips, “You know, you did promise to warm me up”

Safe to say he kept his promise.

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[jaskierswolf]

Flaming Desires

Summary: In a world where soulmates are connected through their kinks and sexual desires, Geralt and Jaskier decide to try out something new in the bedroom. Luckily for both of them, Geralt is a firefighter.

Rating: E

CW: No sex but lots of sexual content, wax play, dom/sub vibes, general hoey vibes, mentions of sex work.

Part three in this AU, part two written by @geraltrogerericduhautebellegarde. Your turn babe 😘

Also shout out to @kuripon for beta-ing

________

Dreams; they were going to be Geralt’s downfall. On the menu this week was wax play, something that hadn’t even realised he was into, but he just couldn’t stop dreaming about it. Jaskier had taken the week off filming for his OnlyFans page, so it wasn’t a video, and yet Geralt couldn’t see an ordinary tea light without getting hard. Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem but Jaskier had arranged a date that evening so the two of them were sat in Jaskier’s kitchen with the lights down low, and a tacky christmas candle holder sat in the middle of the table.

And Geralt couldn’t stop watching the flame, the tiny pool of molten wax at the base of the wick. It was ridiculous but he had to sit on his hand to stop himself from reaching for the candle and dipping his fingers into the wax. He’d never had this problem before. He was a firefighter for god’s sake, fire wasn’t sexy.

“Jask?”

“Yes, darling?” Jaskier cocked his head, a coy smile playing on his lips.

“Are the candles a you thing?” Geralt asked, groaning as he tried to ignore his erection and eat his food but it was persistent and he was feeling particularly horny.

His soulmate just chuckled, never breaking eye contact as his lips wrapped around his fork. The bastard then had the audacity to moan softly, licking his lips in a way that was unfairly seductive, and Geralt was about two seconds from clearing the table and having his way with Jaskier right then and there.

“Don’t even think about it,” Jaskier purred in a low voice. “I have plans tonight, and I will not have you ruin them by being a brute.”

“Fuck you.”

“Spoilers,” the musician trilled, winking as he sipped his wine. The liquid stained his lips red which only made him look even more irresistible.

“I regret introducing you to Doctor Who,” Geralt groaned.

“No you don’t, you love me,” Jaskier giggled.

“You never answered the question,” Geralt reminded him gently, “Candles?”

His soulmate hummed, tongue swiping across his lips, as he tilted his head. Long fingers danced along the rim of his wine glass, and his blue eyes twinkled in the candlelight. All in all, Jaskier looked ethereal, something out of a painting, a fairytale. He even had the name to match, Jaskier, Buttercup, Dandelion. Geralt’s beautiful flower; gorgeous and deadly.

And completely insatiable.

“I thought they were a you thing?” Jaskier asked slowly.

Maybe they were, or maybe they’d ended up in some weird kinky loop through the soulbond… which Geralt had finally admitted existed. There was just no way it was some kind of coincidence. When he was feeling intolerably horny, there was Jaskier lying on his bed at the end of work, dressed in the prettiest stockings and Dandelion’s make-up. When he was feeling in the mood for just a good nature documentary and cuddles, Jaskier would turn up at his door with two onesies and a bag of takeout. They were just in sync, almost every day.

Geralt had never had someone in his life that had understood him like this before and it was completely exhilarating-- terrifying, but exhilarating. His brothers teased him about it relentlessly, and they were both careful about telling people how they really met, but Geralt had never been happier.

Even if he was discovering kinks he never knew he had.

Wax play… really?

“Well, fuck.”

Jaskier frowned, scratching absentmindedly at the scruff that was beginning to grow. He preferred to stay clean shaven for Dandelion, but in between videos he got lazy, and Geralt would be the first to admit it was a good look on his boyfriend. “Did you want to?”

“Yes,” Geralt said, probably far too quickly. “Yes,” he repeated more slowly as he felt his cheeks heat up, “but I don’t know how.”

Jaskier’s hand cupped his cheek, fingers caressing his jaw as they fell away. “I’ve done research. Do you trust me?”

“Always.”

“Well, that’s a lie. You wouldn’t even let me chop the vegetables,” Jaskier teased.

The memory of Jaskier’s cack-handed attempts at prepping the veg made Geralt shudder. The knives had been blunt and Jaskier had narrowly avoided a trip to A&E. “I trust you,” Geralt said again, grinning at his boyfriend, “just not with things that could kill you.”

“Fire kills,” Jaskier reminded him, “or didn’t my insanely pretty firefighter boyfriend forget?”

“I won’t let the house burn down, Jask.”

His soulmate giggled. “Can you imagine that phone call? ‘Hey, Eskel, It’s Geralt. We almost burnt Jaskier’s flat down playing with candles in the bedroom.’” Jaskier’s tone took on a gruff growl as he mimicked Geralt’s voice.

And that was it. Geralt stood up and pulled his soulmate into a kiss before he could protest, the taste of shitty red wine still on his lips. Jaskier moaned into the kiss, his fingers digging into Geralt’s hips and they both stumbled to the bedroom, dinner promptly forgotten.

In Jaskier’s bedroom were a few candles, plain looking, and yet Geralt felt a whole new wave of arousal. They were actually doing this, and Jaskier had apparently prepared. He was pleased to see a small bucket of water in the corner of the room and the fire blanket from the kitchen. There were times that he forgot that Jaskier and Dandelion the sex worker were the same person. Jaskier was a professional, and he took everything they did very seriously… and Geralt fucking loved him for it. He felt safe when they played like this, and it even gave him the confidence to submit to his soulmate. That hadn’t happened very often before Jaskier.

Geralt squeezed Jaskier’s hand as he pulled him over to the bed, cupping his cheeks as they kissed lazily, neither in any real rush, until Jaskier pulled away. He was smiling softly at Geralt in a way that made his heart flutter, as if there was any doubt how much Geralt loved him.

“Take off your shirt, love,” Jaskier told him, pressing a final kiss to Geralt’s cheek before getting up to fetch the candles. “I ordered a soy candle, it’s meant to be good for beginners. Cooler burn rate, but you will let me know if it hurts too much? We can stop at any time, just say your word,” Jaskier started to ramble, a nervous habit that Geralt found so endearing.

He pulled off his shirt before crossing the room to press his lips to the nape of Jaskier’s neck and his arms wrapped around his boyfriend’s middle. “Stop worrying, Julek.”

“Oh,” Jaskier hummed.

“I trust you,” Geralt reminded him.

“Hmm, I love you,” Jaskier murmured, spinning in Geralt’s arms and capturing his lips in a kiss. “Okay, right, on the bed.”

“Back or front?” Geralt asked, but he already knew the answer. He always seemed to know, but Jaskier liked to verbalise it so Geralt let him, especially as this was a new kind of play for them.

“Front please. Thank you, darling,” Jaskier smiled warmly as he struck a match, the soft golden glow from the flame lighting up his face beautiful, before he lit one of the candles.

Geralt did as he was told, propping himself up on his arms whilst he waited for his soulmate. He closed his eyes and let his mind drift, focusing on the soft melody that Jaskier was humming under his breath. There was a tingle of heat itching under his skin, and he was pretty sure his boxers were a mess in his trousers from the way his cock was aching. He had no doubt he was already leaking, but he did his best to stay still, resisting the urge to rut against the mattress. Jaskier would tell him if he were allowed to do so.

“Oh look at you, absolutely perfect, pretty as a picture,” Jaskier cooed.

His cheeks burnt, and he had to bury his face in his arms. Geralt loved the praise, but he was easily overwhelmed by it, in a good way, mostly. He still struggled to believe that Dandelion, his crush for so long, was now his boyfriend - no - his soulmate, that the videos were and always had been practically made for before either of them knew.

Jaskier pressed a kiss to his shoulder, and he hummed, letting his boyfriend know he was okay, and then Jaskier’s fingers were in his hair, scraping against his scalp. The sensation was nearly too much and he moaned, the sound muffled by his arms. Jaskier chuckled as he pulled Geralt’s hair into what felt like a ribbon, and then Geralt felt his boyfriend’s hands run down the length of his spine.

“Fuck,” he groaned.

They’d barely started and already he felt like his entire body was on fire. He felt heady with arousal and his cock was aching to be touched.

“Ready?” Jaskier asked, his voice sounding as wrecked as Geralt felt.

Geralt just grunted, and then, at Jaskier’s stern silence, mumbled a ‘yes’. He shivered as he felt Jaskier’s breath against his skin, gasping as Jaskier swatted his arse. The room was silent apart from the soft singing of his soulmate, and Geralt could do nothing but wait patiently, or rather impatiently.

Until…

“Cock!” Jaskier spluttered, his words swiftly followed by a resounding thud.

“What the fuck?”

He bolted upright, still feeling a little spaced, but he recognised the smell of carpet burning and it was enough to cut through the fog in his mind. Jaskier was sitting on the floor, legs sprawled and the candle had fallen onto the rug, catching on the synthetic fibres.

“Jaskier!” he growled, snapping his boyfriend from his shock.

“Oh- oh fuck!” Jaskier scrambled for the water bucket.

The fire didn’t last long but the mood was killed. They both just stared at each other across the singed rug, until Jaskier cracked a smile and they burst into laughter. Jaskier couldn’t stop apologising in between fits of giggles, pressing his face into Geralt’s neck to hide his embarrassment. Despite the almost torturous week of wet dreams prior, Geralt could only chuckle as he held his boyfriend close.

They would just have to try again another day.

[dreamescapeswriting]

The First Punch ~ JJK, PJM [Request]

WORD COUNT: 1.9K

GENRE: Non idol AU, Soulmate AU, fluffy

PAIRING: Jungkook x GN!Reader x Jimin

A/N: I hope this is okay for you sweetie! I tried to make it a little different from most soulmate AU’s! Also I’m sorry it’s not spicy!!!😬🥺

Around you was nothing but darkness, the only thing that was lighting up the small area you were sitting in were some candles that Jungkook had brought along and your phone torches, that were leaning on the picnic basket. The idea had been good in thought but practically tonight wasn't working out all too well, but despite that, you weren't going to ruin the evening. The entire park was empty except for Jimin, yourself and Jungkook was you enjoyed your four-year anniversary evening together, of course, the park was empty though since it was almost 1 am. No one in their right minds would be out in a park in the middle of the night...No one except you three that was anyway. 

Jimin chuckled softly to himself as he began pouring the bubbling liquid into the three glasses that were sitting on a small piece of wood on the picnic blanket. Frowning you looked at him wondering what was so funny about pouring some wine into a glass,

"What's so funny?" You questioned as you slipped the first glass of wine from him and handed it to Jungkook beside you who was also starting to chuckle softly to himself as well, you felt as though you were missing the entire joke. 

"What?" You whined out, scrunching your eyes together as your focus kept shifting between each of them. Both of them only began to laugh harder as they thought back on what this park meant to all three of you.

"This is why I hate having two soulmates, you both laugh about me all the time, and bully me." This caused them to laugh harder, Jungkook snorting as he thought about the way you began pouting your lips out at them folding your arms over your chest like you were a child. Jimin tried to stop himself from laughing but as soon as he looked at you he started up again.

"You don't hate having two of us and you know it," Jungkook whispered in your ear kissing softly as Jimin put the bottle of wine back into the cooler, his shoulders shaking up and down as he tried to contain his laughter. 

"This park where it all started," Jimin explained as he held up his glass as he began to try and give a small speech about it but you were still pouting at him waiting to hear what was so funny from them.

"I know this is where it all started, I'm still not seeing the funny side to this," Jungkook moved closer to you, wrapping his arms around your shoulder as he tried to get you to calm down a little bit.

"I'm getting to the funny part, this is why we're sitting in the park at almost 1 am Y/n," Jimin told you as he nodded to your glass, waiting for you to join him and Jungkook in raising a toast. Rolling your eyes and scoffing to yourself you held your glass up waiting for some kind of story to come from him when an alarm went off on Jungkook's phone. Giant smiles took over their faces as they seemed to relax a little more looking at you.

"Now! It was exactly five years ago today, right here, right this second that we met..." They said in unison together before sipping on their drinks, you stared down into your glass as a smile began to form on the corners of your lips. Looking back on it now you could laugh at how you had come to meet your soulmates but back then it never seemed funny to you. Never in a million years would you have thought you could have two soulmates, then how you met them was even weirder to you. 

Everyone in the world on their 16th birthday would have a dark blue mark develop on their skin where their soulmate would touch them or come into contact with them, everyone got this and there were no exceptions to it. Most people had them in fairly normal places like the top of their arms or where a simple handshake could happen but when you reached 16 you had two marks. One on the palm of your dominant hand and then the same mark along your knuckles on the same hand so you assumed it was because of how clumsy you were. You thought you'd trip and fall into your soulmate but you couldn't have been more wrong about it if you'd tried. 

"Come on, you have to laugh about it..." Jungkook clicked your glasses together as he leant down to kiss your cheek while your mind went back to that night. 

You were running late home from work but what was new, you'd spent your entire night cramped up in a small office with your two idiot co-workers who weren't attempting to help you with any of the reports. The benefits of sleeping with the boss you guessed. 

"Fucking piece of shit," You mumbled as you dropped your bag onto the floor spilling the contents of everything inside onto the floor, the part was the only shortcut that would get you home faster and be the safest route. There was another one down a bunch of back lanes but your choice to keep your chances with life and stay in at least some public view. At least this way if you went missing someone would have caught it on cameras, or at least that was what your roommate told you.

"Want some help?" You looked up to see a blonde guy covered in tattoos walking towards you with a dark blue mark on his cheek, he stopped walking when he saw how uncomfortable you looked and he held his hands up to show he meant no harm to you. He smiled softly as he tried to make himself seem friendly.

"I'm Jungkook." He introduced himself before nodding behind you to let you know that there was someone coming up behind you, 

"That's Jimin...We were just walking home." He knew how this must have looked to someone who was alone in a park in the middle of the night so he wanted to make sure you felt as comfortable as possible. 

"Thanks. I can pick up my own stuff. I'm not drunk." You told him as you picked up the keys and smiled at him, you knew that this was a route most of the drunks took to get home.

"Oh. Why are you in the park at 12:56 pm?" Jimin asked from behind you, walking around to stand beside Jungkook in front of you, you laughed at his questioning. 

"I could ask you the same thing..." You challenged, raising your eyebrows as you waited for some kind of response from either of them but they stayed silent until Jungkook realised you were serious. 

"Shortcut, your turn." Jungkook copied your eyebrow action and you nodded in agreement with him, 

"Shortcut to my apartment building." You nodded in the direction you were heading and the boys nodded at you, pointing behind you in the direction of their apartment building. 

"Alright then. I'm gonna go." You began walking towards the park gates exit when you heard footsteps coming up behind you with some speed. The panic inside of you took over and without a second thought, you turned around slapping Jungkook across the face and then punching Jimin in the side both of them grunting loudly as they curled over sitting down on the floor in shock. You let out a groan as you held your hand when your eyes widened,

"What the fuck!?" You called out as you looked down at your hand, the palm and knuckle print changing into a bunch of different colours before it finally disappeared from your skin. The one thing everyone had in common when their soulmates finally came into their lives, the marks would vanish.

"Soulmates then?" Jungkook grunted as he looked up at you, his cheek mark just fading away as you looked at him. Jimin sat up from the floor rolling up his shirt to show the fading of a knuckle prunt on his rib cage. 

"Shit...I-I'm sorry, I thought you were trying to grab me and kidnap me or something." You laughed softly trying to make it seem lighthearted but you didn't find it funny. It was scary thinking that something was going to happen to you, you looked at them both nervously wondering what they had been doing walking up behind you. 

"You dropped this-" Jimin held up your purse that had fallen from your bag when you dropped it and you felt the heat raise up around your body from embarrassed, your head sunk down to your shoulders and you scratched the back of your head, 

"I didn't mean to punch you and s-slap you," You mumbled to them as you felt bad for hurting them but they were already starting to laugh softly about it as they exchanged looks. 

"I mean, it was meant to be since it was both of our marks and yours," Jimin said as he got up from the floor to look at you shaking his head as he thought about how well the stories would be in the future.

"I'll buy you a drink, there's an all-night cafe down the road. Let me make it up to you?" They both nodded at you and you smiled in relief taking them down to the cafe you knew all too well. Spending the night getting to know one another on a deeper level.

"Sometimes I swear I can still feel your punch," Jimin joked as he held onto his rib making you shake your head at him, he was serious though. Whenever he missed you at work or you were busy with your job his rib where the mark had been would tingle or hurt a little something a lot of other soulmates found happened when they were apart. In the start, the relationship had been a little strange since you were their soulmates but they weren't each other's but you managed to make it work. Not that many people had two soulmates, there were some rare cases but mostly everyone only had one person. Some people around you thought it was odd that you had two soulmates but whenever you felt down about it Jungkook and Jimin would do whatever they could in their power to make you feel better about it. There'd been the day you had to introduce them to your family as both of your soulmates and your family was less than inviting to the idea of you having two boyfriends at the same time but after getting to know the boys. Hearing the story on how you met they began to warm up to it all.

"Trust me, sometimes I feel it in my fist and hand," You told them as you rubbed your fingers into the palm of your hand. Jungkook worked away from home a lot so whenever he was too far or away for too long you would get the palm in the palm of your hand. The same went for your knuckles whenever you'd work too late at work you would feel the pain where you missed Jimin back home. You shifted a little on the blanket so that you could lay your head on Jimin's shoulder giving him a kiss on his skin as you smiled to yourself. Linking your hand with Jungkook as you just enjoyed being in their company all of you just sitting there and thinking back happily on the last four years together nad many more in the future.

Tagline: @jikooksgirl19 @lyoongx @mitzwinchester @kneel-begyourpardon @fan-ati--c @taestannie​ @rjsmochii​ @bisexualmess007​ @sw33tnight​ @sweeneyblue1​ @jin-from-the-block​

[kazoo5480]

Killian shut the door of the shop, and the garage locking it, the cooler summer nights giving warning that soon Fall would arrive in Storybrooke. Emma would be home from work soon, she had been gone for two days and he just wanted her home in their bed.

He knew her job would be like this, and now that her car was up and running again, he knew that her world was starting to settle, he just needed to get his feelings under control. They had been together nearing 4 months now, and he just missed her so much when she was gone.

The loft too quiet, her shoes not laying in piles, her books neatly stacked, unread. He didn’t like the feeling of being alone anymore. He went out for drinks once in a while when she was gone, and sometimes when she was home, but he didn’t like coming home to an empty house anymore.

He also hoped that she would like the present he finally found time to make for her.

He made sure the flowers on the counter for her were all neatly arranged, still, and lifted the lid on the slow cooker. When she called to tell him yesterday, she was going to be one more day, he didn’t get mad at her, he understood. But it also meant Killian ate all the dinner by himself and as lunch today.

He slipped the recipe card in his mother’s box back in and checked the chicken. It was perfect, and it gave him enough time to do a once over on the loft, vacuuming quickly to make sure everything looked neat.  

Killian dialed her cell, and it went straight to voicemail. He sat on the bed disappointed, again. He hoped she would be here soon and before he could have another thought he heard the loft door slam shut.

“Killian?” Emma’s voice called out, and he practically sprinted to the door.

His eyes lit up when he saw her slipping her shoes off, and she ran into his arms jumping on him with a squeal. Killian wrapped his arms around her waist, and her legs locked around him. She leaned back and kissed him, “Hi Jones. Miss me?” she said nudging his nose with hers and he kissed her again.

Emma unlocked her legs sliding to the floor and smiled up at him. “Hi,” he said cupping her jaw and kissing her again. Missing the feel of her lips against his, he just wanted more.

“Yes, I missed you, our beds too bloody big without you in it,” he said giving her another hug and looking her over. “Spin around please” he motioned smirking, and Emma smirked twirling slowly.

“No bumps or bruises?” he asked her, just as he always did every time she came home. She shook her head smiling at him, eyes sparkling in amusement. God, she loved being loved by him, it was an amazing feeling.

“I am fine. I know you aren’t used to this, or me being gone, but this is what its like, not usually days and overnights, but I am ok” she said and removed his hands as she walked past him to grab a bottle of wine out of the fridge pouring a glass.

“Do you want any?” she asked him, and he nodded, and she filled a glass for him, handing it to him. “That smells good, What’cha making?” she said lifting the lid sniffing at the steam.

“Coq au vin,” he said, and Emma’s eyebrows raised at him.

“Ooh fancy pants” she teased, and he hugged her again from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist, and burying his face in her neck, smelling her hair.

“I just missed you, Swan, that’s all,” he said as an explanation, his voice muffled by her skin, and she squeezed his hands around her waist.  Killian released her and stepped over to the cabinet pulling out a platter, and Emma perched herself on the island sipping her wine as he plated dinner.

“Did you catch him?” he asked as he searched for his gravy boat.

“Yep,” she said. “He made me run like 3 blocks and hop a fence, but he got stuck on it, and I cuffed him before I cut him loose,” she said laughing. Killian turned and smiled at her, shaking his head.

Emma hopped to the floor and grabbed plates and silverware, setting them on the island, and topped both their glasses off with more wine.

“Sit,” he said, and Emma sat on her stool while he carried everything over, and Emma smiled noticing the flowers.

“Aww, for me?” she asked smiling as she inhaled the aroma of the lavender roses.

“Of course, who else would I be buying flowers for besides my girlfriend?” he said teasingly, and she shrugged.

“Maybe your secret girlfriend” she smiled, and he sat beside her kissing her again.

“Just the one is enough for me, more than happy with just you,” he said grinning and began loading their plates with the meal he made for her.

Emma was always amazed at how well Killian could cook; it came so naturally to him. Last week she surprised him when a cookbook showed up and she made dinner, like an actual meal from scratch.  She took a bite, and a moan escaped her lips. It tasted amazing, and Killian chuckled a little at her response.

“Hey, don’t laugh. I have eaten fast food for the last two days, I missed real food” she said elbowing him playfully.

“Do I need to start packing your lunches and healthy snacks for these stakeout trips?” He asked her, and she laughed at him.

“With a brown paper bag covered in stickers. Will you write my name on it too?” she laughed her green eyes sparkling, as she teased him.

His arm went around her waist, and she leaned into him, and he kissed her hair. “If that is what it takes love, to keep you from diners and fast food then I will make you sack lunches. I will even draw cartoons on it myself” he said kissing her temple and released her to finish her dinner.

They bantered a little more, and Emma hopped up rinsing their dishes and putting them away, and Killian wrapped the meal up, placing it in the fridge for their lunch tomorrow. Emma grabbed her bag heading to the bedroom and went to turn the shower on and something caught her by surprise.

Killian walked in already taking off his clothes dropping them in the hamper. He smirked at Emma who was rolling her jeans off and grinning at him. He walked towards her and dragged her into the shower.

“For me?” she asked, and he nodded kissing her.

“You have been a busy boy” she teased and sucked on his lower lip.

Killian turned and sat down on the newly constructed shower bench, the cool tile shocking his skin, and tugged her into his lap, her legs on either side of him. Emma’s hands dug into his hair, her nails grazing his scalp as his hands groped, and rubbed every expanse of skin he could reach. She knelt up, and he gripped his cock angling it just the right way for her, and she slid down on him.

Emma moaned at the invasion, latching onto his neck, and her nails digging into his shoulders. Killian groaned at the feeling of being whole again, she wrapped around him, his love was home.

“It was too long” he breathed out, as he kissed down her chest, tasting her skin as she rose and fell on top of him, her ass settling on his thighs each time. He gripped her ass tightly, and she cried out softly at the pressure, “wrap your legs around me love” he said almost desperate, and she did as he asked.

Killian stood and Emma’s back hit the tiled wall, the warm water running over them as Killian held her tightly and used the slick wall as leverage to move her light frame up and down with ease.  Every time she slid down, she was impaled by Killian, she clawed at him, pulling him tighter, squeezing her thighs tighter around him, as he moaned out her name.

“I missed you” she cried out, and Killian fused his lips to hers, his tongue battling hers, each of them desperate to be closer to each other, trying to erase any space between them.

He began rubbing her clit as he pushed her up the wall again, and Emma cried out, “Killian, I can’t, I…” and he bit down at the juncture of her neck and shoulder, white lights exploding through her as he growled and released into her, his fingers gripping her hips hard enough to leave marks.

Emma held on to him tightly, riding the wave as her orgasm as his hot spurts caused it to ebb and flow, continuing. They were panting and he shifted on unsteady legs sighing as he pulled out of her, and just held her under the spray.  Emma nuzzled into his chest, her arms around his waist as she waited for her heart to steady. She leaned back grabbing her shampoo and began scrubbing her hair and his, and he smiled at her as she made his hair into a mohawk.

Killian grinned, and twirled the soapy mass on top of her head into a point, “you look like a who from Dr. Seuss” he laughed as he scrubbed at his skin, and she smiled. He took the showerhead off its cradle, and she turned, letting him rinse the suds out her hair and combed conditioner through it while he rinsed himself and stepped out.

Emma made use of her present by using it to sit on while she shaved her legs and pampered herself. It was half the size of the one in Boston, but it made her heart so happy that he did this, built this for her. He missed her and spent his free time making her something to feel like this was her home too. God, she was crazy about him.

She finished her shower and brushed her teeth, her phone chirping. She looked at the texts, one from Ruby, asking them to go out to celebrate her birthday this weekend, and one from her boss, letting her know she had the weekend off. She smiled, well that was unexpected, she hadn’t had many days off since she started but she would take it.

She blew her hair out and didn’t even bother with pajamas. Killian was laying back on the sheets under the comforter looking up at the ceiling. She would bet he didn’t bother with pajamas either, and his attention turned to her as she climbed into bed, snuggling into him as he laid on his side, arms waiting for her.

“I missed you,” she said nuzzling into his chest, and he kissed her forehead.

“I don’t like the overnights is all,” he said, and she nodded.

“I know, I am sorry” and he leaned back.

“Don’t apologize, love, it’s your job. Unless you don’t want to do it, I am not asking you to quit. I just don’t like the overnights, plus August has been texting me like crazy, what are you doing, is Emma ok, do you want me to visit. Your brother is a mother hen” he laughed, and Emma chuckled.

“He means well, but he cares about you. So, take it as love” she said.

“He asked me to go on a road trip with him,” he said almost in disbelief.

Emma leaned up, “to where?” she asked him grinning.

Killian shrugged, “He never said because I chose not to respond to that” and Emma scoffed slapping his chest.

“You can’t just ignore him entirely Jones!” she chastised and nestled back into her cocoon in his arms.

“When you are gone again, I will let him know that he can visit, or I will go visit, so that I am not so lonely, aye?” he asked her, and she nodded kissing the underside of his jaw.

“Oh, Ruby’s birthday is this weekend, she wants to go out, and I just saw that I have the whole weekend off,” she said.

“The whole weekend, like Friday, Saturday, and Sunday?” he asked, and she nodded.

“Bloody Ruby, can we miss her party? Take off, go somewhere alone just us?” he asked as he nuzzled against her neck, his hands wandering over her skin.

She pushed him back. “It’s her birthday, we have to go Jones” and pulled his lips to hers. “I put in for a week next month though, we can go away then” and he looked at her. “Seriously? A whole week? He asked again.

She nodded and reached over to grab her phone. She bit her lip and pulled up a website and handed it to him. “What do you think?” she asked.

“What do I think of a weeklong vacation not here, with the woman I love with, completely uninterrupted in Vermont? I would be a bloody idiot to say no to that Swan” he barked out a laugh. “We could go someplace warmer though, or someplace else. London, Paris, Mexico, your heart’s desire Swan” he said nudging her nose with his as he kissed her lightly.

Killian pushed her onto her back, nudging her legs apart so he could crawl between them, placing delicate kisses up her neck, over her soft pillowy lips, and trailed his hand up her soft leg, squeezing as he got higher and higher.

Emma’s arm went around his neck, and she sighed as he kissed all her sensitive spots, every single one that he worked diligently to find. His large palm splayed out over her hip, and she tried dragging him closer to her, but he had other ideas entirely.

Killian placed open-mouthed kisses down her sternum, and her belly working towards the one place he wanted to be. He felt Emma tugging at him and he shook his head giving her a raised eyebrow.

“Patience love, it’s been days” and she bit her lip as he spread her legs further to let him have a look at her.

Killian groaned She was gloriously wet, glistening in the moonlight through their windows, and he brushed his fingertip lightly against her opening. “Love, I want you to look at me, look how good you taste.”

He licked into her core deeply, nuzzling at her mound, breathing in the scent that he missed for days.

“Oh, you taste bloody perfect”, and he slipped two fingers inside her, making her cry for more, her back arching, and he felt the remnants of his cum deep inside of her from the shower, coaxing it out of her, and it washed down his throat.

“Killian please” Emma begged softly, and he suddenly he felt crazed for her. The days apart too long, too alone, he needed her just as badly as she needed him.

Emma’s nipples puckered in arousal, and his gaze dropped to them. He leaned down to her chest and sucked one peak across his tongue, massaging and plucking at the other, he continued to lick and bite each one making them both glisten dark pink.

He leaned up and licked into her mouth, both of them incoherent, hands gripping whichever part they could touch, tongues and teeth scarping and nipping. With the soft gleam in her eyes, Emma grasped his cock, guiding him deep inside her, bucking against the onslaught of sensations she felt as he pushed deeper.

Emma felt a sheen of sweat coat her, her clit feeling that delicious bite of pain of accommodating him after not having him for days. She sighed as she felt the relief wash over, and Killian could see how it was much more than sex, arousal, it was need, she needed him, just as badly as he needed her.

He buried himself over and over again, pushing her up the bed until she splayed her hands above her against the headboard, feeling him thrust to the hilt, each thrust deeper and harder bottoming out inside of her, his rhythm faster with each pace chasing his release.

Emma clawed at his shoulder with one hand trying to hold on, but he drove her faster towards her orgasm. Killian swallowed each moan escaping her lips as she cried his name, her cunt gripping him tightly, she was going to crash.

Killian had sweat running down his forehead, and he took in the look on Emma’s face, knowing she was close. He gave her a slow and steady push, the tip of his cock rubbing over that spot deep inside of her, grinding deeply over it over and over again until she screamed his name.

Emma’s orgasm rippled through her, setting her veins alight, and in that instant, Killian’s lips were on hers, swallowing her gasps and cries.

He felt her clenching down on him, and he was so close to falling with her. He brushed soft kisses all across her face, occasionally lingering on her lips, messily, needing her as he chased his finish.

His head dipped down to capture the sweet spot between her neck and earlobe, and he pistoned inside of her, her legs wrapped tight around, heels digging into his ass pulling him deeper and he let it tear through him.

He cried her name, his voice cracking as he spurted hot jets deep inside her, feeling every inch of her filled gloriously by him. His arms gave out, collapsing on top of her, his head resting on her sternum as he gasped for air. Emma ran her hands lightly up and down his spine, kissing the top of his head.

Killian gave himself a moment, and disentangled himself from her, slipping out wetly. He sat up, and strode on shaky legs to the bathroom grabbing a towel, and cleaned her gently, Emma moaning slightly as he brushed over her folds.

Wiping himself off, he tossed the towel in the hamper, he climbed back in beside her, hauling her into his arms, stroking her soft hair, untangling it with his fingers.

“I should go out of town more often,” she said smiling against his chest, her fingers lazily running through his chest hair. Killian heaved a laugh out and kissed her forehead. His heart still pounding.

“Absolutely not love. I don’t think we could handle the separation, and the reunions may give us a heart attack” he joked. Emma snuggled in closer, her legs tangling with his, her cold feet between his calves as they fell asleep.

Emma woke up in the morning, and it was early. She looked outside and noticed it was raining and gray out, the drizzle splashing the pavement. She turned on her laptop and booted up her rainy-day playlist and Jack Johnson crooned out of the speakers. She grabbed the pancake mix out of the pantry and started bacon in a pan.

Killian woke, and his arm laid empty over Emma’s spot on the bed which lay cold now. He smelled bacon, and he heard music low coming from the kitchen.

He smiled and sat up pulling on his sweatpants going to brush his teeth. He leaned against the doorframe and saw Emma looking out the window above the sink watching the rain as she stirred the batter for the pancakes.

He noticed the gray sky and the morning light shining off her long curls, she looked beautiful, and he snapped a photo of her lost in thought.  He was thankful that his phone was silenced, the shutter not announcing his presence yet. He did this a lot, his phone filled with photos of her, reading, eating, smiling, he never wanted to miss a single moment.

He walked towards her, sliding his arms around her waist, and set the bowl on the counter. He spun her and swayed with her to the music, Banana Pancakes a perfect choice for this drizzly morning.

Emma wrapped her arm around his neck, and nuzzled her nose with his, earning her a soft smile from him. She loved his tousled hair, his blue eyes clear in this early light, and she tucked her head under his chin as his arm around her waist held her, their other hand intertwined as he swayed them around the island.

When the song ended, he kissed her, and grabbed the bowl from the counter, and heated a pan. Emma poured them each a cup of coffee and sat watching him continuing to sway, and softly sing along as he flipped pancakes for each of them onto plates.  She had never felt so lucky in he whole life, and when it should terrify her that her happiness was so wrapped in one person, she felt no anxiety at all.

Killian set down their plates and joined her at the island taking a sip of his coffee.

“Hi,” he said smiling at her, as he chewed a bite of his pancake.

Emma smiled back, “hi”.

He laughed and his hand cupped her head dragging her lips to his in a soft kiss.

“I like when you are home,” he said, and she nodded. “Working today?” he asked beginning to chew again.

Emma swallowed her coffee, “just paperwork, nothing important” she said. “I do need to go find Ruby a present, so I was going to see M’s for that. Do you need me to do anything downstairs?” she asked, and he shook his head continuing to chew.

The last few weeks Emma had been slowly updating his financial records and got the shop on a new program that could order, and total parts up. He didn’t need it, but she wanted to so he let her.

He watched her take a bite of her bacon and smiled as she noticed him watching her. “What?” she asked laughing.

He shook his head, “nothing. Just in love with you is all” and she rolled her eyes and leaned in kissing him. “I love you too,” she said toying with the hair at the nape of his neck.

“You also need a haircut,” she said and he nodded in agreement.

She got up and took her plate to the sink, rinsing it. “Leave yours here, I will do them in a few minutes” she called as she walked toward their room.

He opened up the internet on her laptop and checked the weather, it was going to rain for a few days, and the temps were only going to continue decreasing.

“Em,” he called out.

“What?” she said walking toward him buttoning up her shirt and smiled at him.

“Do you have a winter coat? Boots? Rain boots?” and she laughed at him.

“I have coats” was her response, “and plenty of boots,” she said heading back to the room. Killian followed her hot on her heels and walked into the closet.

He looked around, “where?” he asked and Emma rolled her eyes pulling out a few wool coats.

Killian rolled his eyes, “love I said winter coats, not dress coats. What about boots?” he asked, and she bent down pointing to all her leather boots lined up.

“Jones, I can live in Boston during winters, and I did just fine she said rolling her eyes, as she slipped the pearl earrings he got her in.

Killian frowned, “nope. None of this will do. I will be nursing you all winter if you don’t have a solid coat and proper shoes, not leather boots,” he said, looking at her stuff again.

“What about hats and scarfs, mittens, or are you a glove person?” he asked absentmindedly and Emma laughed shaking him out of his daze.

“Killian! What is wrong with you?” she asked and he looked at her.

“Nothing” he scratched behind his ear unsure of how to say it. Emma raised an eyebrow at him.

“It’s just your first winter season here, I am sure this stuff was fine in Boston, but it won’t be here. There are days when we get four feet in a day, lose power, blisteringly cold being so close to the water. That reminds me I need to get plastic for the windows” and Emma was silently shaking with laughter.

“What?” he asked looking at her.

She let her giggles out, “nothing Jones” and got up kissing his head. “I am heading to M’s, I will be back” and he heard her laughing as she walked out the front door.

“Let’s see how funny she finds it when she is frozen” he grumbled pulling up the LL bean website, ordering a few things she would need. He double-checked her shoe size, ordering a pretty emerald down coat, duck boots for the rain, and a hat and mitten set in black, lined with cream fleece.

Then he got on Sorel and ordered her some solid snow boots. She would thank him later, but honestly, he was just concerned her car would break down on the side of the road, and she would be wearing a flimsy wool coat, and leather boots, and get sick. She would understand he rationalized to himself, should they get her an SUV?

He knew that was a choice he couldn’t make for her, but the bug in Maine winters, she couldn’t take his tow truck to Portland or on stakeouts. He pulled up some SUVs looking at options, an explorer, maybe they should just get an expedition. They, he kept saying they.

Killian called the one person he could ask. “Jones?” Augusts’ voice rang out.

Emma walked into the boutique quietly and the bell rang above the door. M’s came out of the backroom, her hair a little disheveled.

“Emma! Hey!” she called. Emma heard a crash in the back room.

“Morning M,” she said moving a little slow, “is now a bad time?” she asked the brunette whose cheeks had turned Scarlet.

Dave walked out, “Oh, Emma, hey,” he said and was tucking his shirt into the back of his jeans, looking anywhere but her face. Emma laughed out loud.

“You two are so busted, but don’t worry I won’t tell anyone,” she said smirking at them both.

Dave nodded and kissed M’s cheek, I’ll see you tonight” and he walked towards Emma and nodded at her.

Emma eyed M’s and started laughing all over again. Her friend blushed and shook her head. “How long?” Emma asked.

“A few months, I don’t know,” she said, and Emma smoothed the one side of her hair down for her.

“Does Red know?” Emma asked her, and M’s eyes grew wide, “No!” she said quickly.

Emma nodded, “well if she doesn’t know yet, she will Saturday. There is no way the two of you can keep your hands off one another all night, she will sniff it from her bedroom at Granny’s” Emma laughed, and M covered her mouth stifling her laugh nodding.

“That’s what I am here for, I need to get her a birthday present,” Emma said, and M’s led her to the storeroom.

“I earmarked these for her, so buy any of this,” she said as she hastily picked up papers off the floor and righted the desk.

Emma gave her friend a reprieve and took a few things out to the counter and looked around for herself. She saw a Soft cream turtleneck sweater, and M’s came up beside her.

“I ordered that with you in mind,” she said smiling. “Come on, I have a few things” and showed Emma a box she hadn’t opened yet, and sure enough, were jeans and sweaters all in styles Emma would wear. She laughed and shook her head.

She had never had so many people trying to put her first, putting thought into things for her, she was still getting used to it.

“Jones?” August asked.

“Uh, hey August, I need to ask you something,” Killian said nervously pacing their room.

“You want to marry Emma and are asking my permission? You know I am her brother, not her dad, right?” He said sounding amused.

“No, that’s not why I am calling. Good to know, but no. I think Emma needs a new car, and it would be completely high-handed of me to buy her a car, or lease her an SUV more suitable for Northeastern Winters, right?” he said quickly.

“I mean I see where you are coming from Killian, I do. But if you go and get Emma a car, she is going to get pissed. She won’t part with that horrible bug, but I see your point” he said.

Killian nodded. “What if I got an SUV? That she just happened to use all the time in the winter?” he said trying to convince himself.

August burst out laughing, “You mean you want to buy Emma an SUV? What, you are going to tell her you need it? You have a bike, a car, and a tow truck man. You will set all of her alarms off if you flat out lie to her and buy her a car, and even I won’t help you then” he laughed.

“August, I need your help here man. It isn’t fucking safe here in the winters. This isn’t Boston, local roads aren’t cleared for days sometimes. What if she broke down on her way to Portland? How would you feel then?” he asked irritated.

August cleared his throat, “Alright man. You are right. I will even go half on it; it can be her birthday present” and Killian laughed at him.

“You are joking. Happy birthday, we bought you a car” Killian mocked, and August got quiet.

“She is going to throw a fit. This is something we need to do in person, but no man, you are right. She can’t drive that bug in the snow there. I will come, I will take her” August said.

“No! I mean, I want to do this with her. For us, ya know?” Killian said, and August mmhmm’d him in response. “It’s just something that I want to do for her, ya know? You did everything for her, with her. I wanted to do this together is all” Killian stammered out as he scratched behind his ear.

“Alright, well what if I head down next weekend, you can just toss the idea out and I will be there to back you up?” he offered.

“What about this weekend? Ruby’s birthday is Saturday, you and Scott could come, crash here if you like” he offered.

August told him to hang on, “Scott, come here, no she is fine, it’s Jones. Yah, come here. Killian I am putting you on speaker,” he said.

“Hello, Killian” Scotts deep voice rang out.

“Hi, Scott,” he said. “I was inviting you and August here this weekend, it’s Red’s birthday, and I thought maybe you guys might like to come, you can crash here, or I can get you guys a room at Granny’s,” he said.

“And” August sing-songed.

“And I want to buy Emma an SUV, and I need August here to back me up when she flips out,” he said.

Scott laughed, “you want me to be witness to an Emma meltdown? A complicit, willing party to Emma Swan being told she has to get a new car?” he asked seriously.

Killian knew his cheeks and ears were aflame, “yeah that about sums it up.”

Scott laughed, a deep booming laugh. “Auggie, you agree with Killian?” he asked his boyfriend.

“I do, we all know that it is impractical for her to be driving that horrible car in Maine winters every week, stakeouts, Jones has a solid point. It’s about Emma’s safety without limiting her, or asking her to give up her job” he said practically.

“When’s the party?” Scott asked.

“Saturday” and Scott hummed.

“We could go, babe, we could take off early and get there, and take off Sunday night,” Scott said supportively.

“Really?” Both Killian and August said at the same time.

“Yeah, alright Jones, but you’re getting us a room. I don’t want to sleep under the same roof as you two unless we have to. I will text Ruby, and accept her invitation to her party, say the schedule cleared up, that way it’s the truth when I tell Emma” August said.

“I appreciate it, I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t need to,” Killian said.

“I know man, you’re right. I won’t probably say that ever again, but it still stands- what I said earlier. I am not her dad” he said.

“I know,” Killian said, pushing that thought away for now.

“I will text Red, then Emma, later” and the line clicked.

Killian heard the shop door open and slam. He pulled on his jumpsuit heading toward the front door opening it, surprising Emma as she looked down at her phone.

“Hey!” she said surprised, and Killian took the bag from her.

“Found her a gift I take it?” he asked, and she nodded, and her phone buzzed.

“Hey, August and Scott are coming for Ruby’s party, I didn’t know she asked him. That was nice of her, but yay!” She said excitedly, and Killian made a mental note to call Granny’s for a room.

“Alright, I am getting to work, I have a few oil changes” and he kissed her cheek heading down the steps.

Emma wrapped Ruby’s presents and popped open her laptop carrying it down to the shop. She set it on Killian’s desk and took calls and jotted them down in the appointment book she got him to keep better track. She blocked off the week the following month for their trip, and she checked her emails catching up on the paperwork she needed to do.

Around lunchtime, she saw Dr. Hopper come by with his large umbrella and pick up his car. Killian popped in and checked on her, and said he was going to make some BLT’s with the bacon from breakfast and Emma said she would be up in a minute.

Killian quickly called Granny’s and she put August down for a room on his tab, that was settled. He made their sandwiches and Emma came in, setting her laptop on the coffee table. He wondered if he should just mention the car to Emma, the idea. That way she wouldn’t be caught totally off guard. He learned his lesson to not lie to her, to hold it in.

He carried the plates over and they sat on the couch, watching the rain. “Em?” he asked.

She looked over, eyes wide, “Hmm?” she said chewing.

“I had a thought, it affects me and you, but I thought perhaps we could talk about it together,” he said.

“Ok. What’s up?” she asked, wiping her mouth, and swallowed some water.

Emma turned toward him, giving him her full attention. Killian scratched behind his ear and looked nervous.

“Killian what is it?” she nudged him with her foot.

He pulled out his phone and handed it to her. “I was thinking of getting one,” he said.

Emma looked down, scrolling. “Why do you need a new car? You have the tow, and yours” she said looking at them.

“Eh, it would be more for you, but ours,” he said his cheeks flaming.

Emma handed him the phone back, “I don’t want a new car” she said taking her plate to the kitchen.

“Swan, please, I just wanted to talk about it, as a couple,” he said knowing that one word made Emma pause sometimes when her temper flared.

“Why?” she asked petulantly.

“Love, can you come to sit, hear me out?” and she stalked over dropping on the couch letting him speak uninterrupted. “I know you gave up Boston for me, came here for us. You took a job here, for us. I know you say that you will be fine here, and I don’t doubt that. But I do doubt your car’s capability of surviving four feet of snow, or blistering cold nights on stakeouts, I would feel much more comfortable if you had a reliable car with four-wheel drive. You can keep the bug, I will store it in the front, that way it won’t have any damage through the winter, I will keep it tuned up and everything, but just consider it” he said.

Emma looked up at the ceiling, she should hate the bug, but it was hers. She bought it, she would be lying if this exact thought hadn’t crossed her mind, that her boss had not already said something about it to her, but she wasn’t ready to be pushed on it yet. She had time before the snow came, and she just wasn’t ready.

Killian came back from the kitchen and sat beside her and looked at her.

“I will think about it ok? I am not saying yes, and I am not saying no. I am just not ready to talk about it yet, ok?” she said, and Killian nodded. She sat up and kissed his cheek grabbing her laptop and headed toward their room.

Killian sat there a little surprised, she took that marginally better than expected. Maybe he shouldn’t have called August. No, no he needed August in case her stubbornness won out. He definitely wasn’t telling her about the boots, or coat. He would give them to her as birthday presents and hide the boxes until then.

He shot August a text- “I initiated it, she said she wasn’t ready to talk about it.”

No response, so he went back to work, checking the book Emma kept and saw he had a tune-up getting dropped off any minute. He popped back in their bedroom and dropped a kiss on her head,

“I love you,” he said, and she nodded at him as he walked out.

Emma sat there, she tried to be mad, but she just couldn’t find it in her to be. Killian was protective, possessive even to a point, but never over her free will. He always tried to give her a choice, respecting her past hurts, and triggers of being thrown away by everyone but August, and now him, and this whole town apparently.

Killian always had what he thought was best for her at the forefront of his thoughts, she could never think otherwise when he had demonstrated his devotion and love to her every day since they met.

Emma laid there thinking, of the first time they met. She replayed the scenes out over and over in her head. Even that first day when she was upset over the car repair, a stranger promised to help her, even then he had shown his kindness and devotion to her. Emma pulled up the website for a dealership in Portland. She began perusing SUVs, small ones, large ones, she pulled up Craigslist to see if anyone local was selling anything but kept coming back to the dealership page.

She knew Killian would never ask for her to junk the bug, regardless of if he had to keep it together with duct tape, he would because it would make her happy. She smiled at the thought of Killian taping her car together like a child’s art project and laughed.  She would consider the SUV, he was right, she knew he was. Maine wasn’t Boston, they lived a block from the water, and he knew better than she did how brutal winter would be. She didn’t need to be broken down on the side of the road in her bug, possibly hours from Killian stuck in the snow.

She liked the Explorer, she might have sat there customizing it with the things she would like, pricing it out, and saving it in her bookmarks, but she wasn’t ready to tell him yet.  She also suspected August’s unplanned attendance at Ruby’s party was some sort of counterattack. Killian and August trying to strong-arm her into deciding because they only had their best interest at heart, and each other against Emma.

She smiled, she was just happy August and Scott were coming either way. She was going to say yes, but she would have her fun for now and drag it out, driving Killian a little crazy.

Killian finished up and was lighting a smoke as he was about to shut down for the day when he saw Graham’s jeep roll in. His friend hopped out strolling toward him, Killian waved and exhaled.

“What’s up, Sherriff?” Killian asked.

Graham nodded, “you really should quit Jonesy,” he said, and Killian laughed and shrugged.

“Old habits,” he said. “So, what brings you here, you certainly didn’t come to lecture me on my smoking habits, and I just tuned the Jeep up mate” and Graham nodded looking around.

“Is Emma here by chance?” he asked, and Killian eyed him, nodding.

“She is upstairs, why?” Killian asked.

“I came to talk to you, came to talk to her, but I will talk to you first,” Graham said, and Killian nodded.

“Alright mate, talk.”

Graham swallowed, “I want to ask Ruby out.” Killian barked out a laugh and shook with laughter.

“What’s so funny” Graham demanded.

Killian nodded, “You. You have had a thing for Red since High School. You never had the balls to ask her out, and now you want to date her? You don’t just date a girl like Ruby. You are either in, or you’re not” Killian said.

Graham nodded, “I know the thing with us, Emma, it’s long done, and honestly, It took me a while to sort it out, but it had nothing to do with Emma actually at all.” Killian sat on a stool and continued smoking while he listened.

“I was jealous of you, of you and her, not because it is Emma, but because you had found someone, something real out of nowhere. I was jealous because I feel alone all the time and the only person who has ever known me, really been my friend is Red. I didn’t ever consider pursuing her because of that friendship, but I can’t keep my bloody eyes off of her” Graham said exasperatedly.

Killian turned his friend’s words over in his head and was pleased he finally sorted it out, but he worried for Ruby, and always would.

“I suggest you buy Red a very nice birthday present and offer to escort her to the party, turn on some of that Irish charm you have, but be serious, make sure you make your intentions clear. It’s why you struck out so much mate, you can be so wishy-washy with the lasses, so just offer it up, see if she bites” he said.

Graham looked at him, “what if she says no, or asks why?” he asked Killian.

“Then just be honest with her, she might surprise you,” he said back.

Killian knew full well that Ruby had been pining for Graham for a while, he had always given Emma and her privacy when they wanted to have girls' nights or movie nights in at the loft, and he almost always made himself scarce or went out so that they could have it. But he had overheard Ruby telling Emma a few times that the Sherriff needed to make a move, her heart fully past Billy. Killian wouldn’t deceive Ruby, or Emma though, and tell Graham this.

“Alright. Can we go talk to Emma now? And don’t mention my love life for the love of Christ, please Jones” he said, and Killian flicked his cigarette into the lot and nodded.

“Pull down the bay for me” and he closed the shop door, turning off the stereo, and led Graham upstairs.

Emma and Graham had made their peace, Emma joining him and the guys for nights out sometimes, or sweeping them at poker, whatever he was here to ask Emma about he had no problem with.  Emma looked up at the door from the couch when Killian came in and smiled at him and was surprised to see Graham behind him.

Hey” she said to them, and Killian turned and smiled.

Graham came to sit on the other end of the couch across from her, “Hey Em, I wanted to talk to you about something” he said, and she nodded at him to continue.

“I never filled the deputy position, I seriously can’t find anyone to do it, but I had an idea,” he said.

Emma glared at him. “I don’t want to be a deputy Graham, plus I would never wear one of those uniforms if my life depended on it” she laughed, and he smiled at her.

“I know, I know. But I was wondering, what about a contract type of job. I hire you, pay you a set salary, health care if you want it, and you work as a contract worker for the city doing deputy a few times a week.” Emma’s eyes widened at his words.

“Graham, I just said no” she protested throwing a pillow at him.

He laughed, “just hear me out, the rest of it. Ok?” he pleaded, and Emma nodded.

“What I need is someone who can break up a bar fight, if something is happening at the docks, you’re tough enough to break up a fight there. I can’t do it alone anymore. I need someone I don’t have to worry about, and I know you have your own thing in Portland, and you aren’t always around, hence the contract part. You can make your hours, part-time, whatever, but you are dependable, and I need someone I can count on” he said gauging her response.

Emma thought it over, “So you want to hire me as a bouncer of sorts? Give me healthcare, a steady side income, and let me make my hours?” she asked, and he nodded.

“You are getting the shit end of the deal, Humbert,” she said laughing.

He smiled at her and nodded. “I know, but lately we have had newer boats coming into the harbor, a few of the locals don’t like it, and I cant keep an eye on them all the time and make sure everything else is running, I need help Em,” he said practically begging.

Emma chewed her lip and looked to Killian who was in the kitchen drinking a beer at the island watching them. His face impassive, but she could tell he was surprised by this too.

“I will think about it ok. I will let you know next week” she said, and his blue eyes crinkled as he smiled.

“I will even buy you bear claws,” he said and shook her ankle.

Emma rolled her eyes, “I will think about it, but doughnuts have to be in the contract, and cocoa too. IF I choose to help your sorry ass out” she said smiling.

“Alright, done. But just please consider it” he said standing up. “I’ll see you guys Saturday at the party?” he asked, and they nodded at him.

“See you later,” Killian said closing the door behind him and he came to sit by Emma who was shaking in laughter. Killian grinned at her reaction and laughed too.

“Love, you don’t have to say yes,” he said.

Emma nodded, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes. “I know, I know. But he begged, and donuts Jones” she said like it was an explanation.

Killian leaned back, “You don’t have to do it Em. We have plenty of money, you like your job love,” he said.

Emma nodded, “I do like my job, but he is our friend, and he does need the help. I broke up a fight last week at the bar anyways, I could get paid for it,” she said laughing again.

Killian pulled her ankles toward him, and Emma laid flat on her back as he hovered over her, leaning down to kiss her neck. “I can say the sheriff’s station is one place I haven’t had you yet love, handcuffs could be fun,” he said nipping her skin, causing Emma to giggle.

“I’ll think about it, but not now” and grabbed his head to sear his lips in a kiss.

Killian nudged her nose with his, “you all done working for the day?” he asked, and she nodded.

“Good,” he said, and she beamed up at him right before he scooped her up and dragged her into the bathroom to make use of their new bench.

Emma was rushing to Ingrid’s bakery; M’s had asked for her help so she stuck Emma on cake duty and decorations. She grabbed the cake and headed towards Aesop’s where Mary Margaret was perched on a stool hanging decorations, Dave holding the other end of the streamers helping her.

Emma set the large sheet cake box down on the bar. “Hey guys, you guys are going all out huh?” she asked smiling.

M’s smiled, “Did the cake look, ok?” she asked, and Emma nodded at her friend.

“What can I help with?” Emma asked, and Dave nodded toward the pool table area, “go help Jonesy.”  Emma was surprised when she looked overseeing Killian blowing balloons up, Will was tying red ribbons around them.

She shrugged her coat off and walked up kissing Killian and saying hi to Will. “How many bloody balloons does one need?” Killian said gruffly as he tied the knot and shoved it at Will to string.

Emma giggled, “August is on his way, they should be here soon,” she said.

Killian nodded, looking at the clock. “We should get home; I want to shower before they get here,” he said.

Emma took the balloon from him, “Head home, I will be there in a bit, I will help here” she said, and he smiled at her.

“Love you” and kissed her cheek and Will shook his head at them.

“You two” Will muttered in mock disgust.

Killian headed home and pulled the card out of his pocket as he walked dialing the number as he cleared the gate and waved to Billy as he headed up to the loft.

“Hello?” a voice rang out of his speaker.

“Hi, Marco? This is Killian Jones; I don’t know if you remember” and the man cut him off.

“Killian my boy, I was wondering if I would be getting a call from you,” he said sounding amused.

“Hi, yes, uh I have a question for you. I know I looked at the ring when I was there, but August had a photo of one Emma had picked out a long time ago. If I sent it to you, could you custom make one, or is that something I have to go to a different place for?” he asked nervously.

“I can make anything; will you be coming in to discuss it?” he asked Killian.

“I am in Maine, at home. Is there a way I could email it to you, and then I will work on being able to come down in person somehow?” he asked.

“Of course, on the back of the card is my email. Send the photo, and the price range you are working with. I will track it down and see what I can do, then we can talk. Alright?” he asked, and Killian smiled.

“Yes, of course, that is terrific. I won’t be needing it until June, so we have some time, but I didn’t know how long something like this takes” he said.

“Depends on the intricacy, send the photo and I will email you back some information” Marco replied.

“Thank you, Marco, I just, I will be in touch,” he said.

“Emma is very lucky Mr. Jones. I shall see you soon” the man said hanging up.

Killian shook his head, he looked around the loft, they would need a bigger house, hopefully. He needed to talk to Emma about this kind of thing, but not today, and not while August was here. He quickly shot the photo off to Marco and he felt the anxiety in his stomach relax.

He called Granny’s, made sure their room was all set, hopped into the shower, and tidied up the loft until Emma came home.

Emma came in, looking tired. “you, ok?” he asked her, and she nodded.

“100 balloons Jones, my fingers hurt,” she said as she padded off toward their room. He heard the shower turn on, and called a pizza in, which arrived shortly after Emma got home.

“You got food?” She asked brushing her hair out, and he nodded as he chewed.

“I was hungry, and drinking later, I figured we needed sustenance,” he said his mouth full, and Emma laughed grabbing a slice and heading to the bathroom to blow out her hair.

August texted them to let them know he and Scott were checking in at Granny’s and would be by in an hour.

“August's here Em,” he said, and she didn’t respond.

Emma put the finishing touches on her makeup seeing August’s text in their family group thread. She smiled and was surprised when he made them a thread including Scott and Killian in it. Their family was growing, and she definitely didn’t hate it one bit.

She went into the closet pulling out the black leather dress she wore in Boston, and her favorite thigh-high suede boots. She nodded at her appearance and noticed Killian standing in the doorway, mouth hanging open.

“Bloody hell, you’ll be the death of me,” he said and moved towards her and Emma smirked at him.

“Hands off buddy, August and Scott will be here any minute” and he swallowed just staring, running his hands over her thin waist, gripping her hips tightly. All the blood in his body ran south and before he could take it further Emma removed his hands and smiled.

Emma kissed him chastely, “later” she murmured and walked down the hall away from him. Killian groaned as her short dress flounced a few inches below her gorgeous ass, he wondered what treasures she had beneath it this time, the last time nearly killed him.

He shook his head walking into the bathroom locking the door. He wanted to jerk off so badly, he wouldn’t make it all night if he didn’t take the edge off.  Turning the shower on colder than usual, he decided that he would refrain, and attack Emma the moment he got the opportunity. Jerking off was reserved only for when she was out of town, or she wanted to watch, there was no other reason to but tonight he was weak.

He was thinking of the last time she wore that dress, and it made him wonder what she had on beneath it tonight. “Fuck” he growled, resting his forehead against the cool tile, his fingers itching to take himself in his hand, cock straining, red and angry. He had just wrapped his hand around his shaft, and he heard a bang on the door.

“Hey Jones” August’s voice rang out, and his boner literally deflated.

“I will be right out” he shouted, and hurried up, dressing quickly.

Emma loved Scott and was so happy to see them. She loved how happy August looked, and Scott was a great guy. Killian came out in a dark paisley shirt, and a vest over it, his dark jeans tight, and his boots, she was going to be just as tortured as he was, that chest hair teasing her through his unbuttoned shirt.

She swallowed, and Killian caught her eye and winked at her. Damnit, he knew exactly what she was thinking. They all headed down and Killian helped her slip on her coat.

August and Emma trailed behind whispering behind Scott and himself the whole way. He couldn’t overhear them, but August shot him a smile as he walked past him into the bar.

Emma looked around but Ruby hadn’t arrived yet, Dave had beers and shots lined up though at the bar and threw them all a smile as they made their way to the bar.

“Ruby is coming in a minute” M’s shouted, and everyone lined up to welcome her, cell phones out to capture her face when she walked in.

What they weren’t expecting was Ruby to stroll in holding hands with Graham, and her genuine surprise and glee at seeing all her friends together made her smile wider. August and Scott went forward to hug her, and hand her a gift, and pretty soon they had a whole table for her piled with gifts, and champagne was being passed around.

Someone started the music and Ruby pulled her friends toward an open area, to dance. Killian grabbed Emma’s hand as Scott and August danced nearby and he twirled her until a slow song began, and their bodies were practically glued together. Emma felt Killian’s hands tightening on her waist, and his pupils blown wide.

They had all had a little more than normal to drink, and it was making it hard for Emma to keep her hands to herself. She waited until the song was nearing its end and wrapped her arms around Killian’s neck.

To anyone else it looked like a hug, what they didn’t see she hoped, was her teeth wrapped around his earlobe. He groaned and released her.

Emma made her way down the darkened hallway toward the back entrance. She saw Killian following and slipped out into the alley behind the bar. He slipped out, the door shutting and he was on her in seconds. Suddenly her legs were up around his waist, the brick digging into her back as he lifted her, bruising her lips in a searing kiss.

“You’re playing with fire Swan,” he said nipping and sucking on her lower lip.

Emma could feel how hard he was rubbing against her, and when his hands slid up the hem of her dress, he pulled back looking at her, feeling just a tiny lace thong there he could feel how soaked she was through the flimsy material.

“You bloody minx,” he said growling as he released her to the ground. “hardly wearing underwear, Jesus Christ. You are testing my patience love” he said menacingly, and Emma leaned up licking the seam of his lips.

Her eyes sparkling mischievously, “I know” and Killian reached under her dress moving the lace aside, and plunged two fingers into her, and Emma cried out softly.

“You’re so bloody wet, gods help me,” he said and began pumping his fingers into her core, hard and fast. Emma’s fingers gripping the leather of his coat, and he growled. He carefully released her sinking to his knees and lifted her dress over his head, disappearing between her thighs.

Killian ran his nose along her panties, licking her through the lace earning him a moan from Emma. He smirked and lifted her thigh over his shoulder as he dove in, and ate at her voraciously. Emma bucked into his face, urging him closer, and he fucked her with his tongue, his hands splaying her folds wide open.

He was rewarded when a gush of arousal rushed over his tongue, he swallowed it down, Emma clenching hard around his tongue and fingers, mewling softly and he kept her hips pinned to the wall, his fingers fucking her at a punishing pace.

“I’m so close baby,” she cried out, and he kept thrusting into her with his tongue and fingers, wringing every drop out of her until she cried his name, her clit pulsing around him.

He stood and looked at her, righting the hem of her dress, her arousal glistening on his chin, and Emma spun him so his back hit the brick. She unbuckled his pants quickly and she pulled his cock free from his pants, dropping quickly to her knees.

Killian’s head lolled, his eyes rolled back as the heat of her mouth enveloped him, and he tangled his fingers in her hair.  “Fucking Christ Em, just like that. Oh, gods” he cried out and looked around ensuring the privacy of this impromptu tryst.

Emma greedily sucked at him, stroking his sac and he bucked into her mouth, plunging himself deep into her throat until she hummed, and the vibration set off his own release, and he spurted hotly down her throat. Emma cleaned him with her tongue, and tucked him back into his pants, kissing him.

Killian's patience was bordering on dangerous as he tasted their mixed releases on her tongue, and Emma pulled her lips from his quickly. He cupped her jaw with both hands and kissed her once more. “I love you more than anything,” he said desperate for her, and she smirked.

“I’m going to the ladies’ room” and trailed her fingers across his chest heading inside, and he righted his clothes heading into the men’s room to wash his face and hands.

Making his way back into the bar, he didn’t spot Emma, but he did snag another beer off the bar and headed toward the dartboards where August seemed to be beating Dave and Graham.

Graham eyed him stroll up, “where have you been?” he asked Killian, and Killian winked in response and Graham shook his head in disbelief.

He spotted a mane of gold curls appear, she was dancing with Ruby and M’s, and Scott was there dancing with all of them. He smiled watching the happy smile on her face, the laughter she openly shared with his friends and Augusts’ partner. She made him so happy. He made the right call today, he knew she was it, that he wanted her, all of her for the rest of his life.

August bumped his shoulder watching them all dancing, “Hey where’d you two run off to?” he smirked at Killian knowingly.

“Nowhere in particular,” he said swigging his beer as August eyed him.

“You’re lucky I like you Jones, or I’d punch you for public indecency with my sister,” he said laughing and Killian grinned.

“I always treat Emma like a lady,” he said smirking and August shook his head watching the people dance.

“Breakfast dance party at your place, I am going to grab Scott and get us out of here before he needs me to carry him home,” August said and hugged Killian, waving by to the other men.

Killian waved goodbye to the two men, and stepped onto the floor, grasping Emma’s waist, dancing along with their group for a few more songs before Emma whispered, “You ready to head home Jones?” and licked the shell of his ear.

He groaned, his cock at full attention. Killian released her waist and dragged her by the hand toward the bar where Graham and Dave were standing.

“You got Ruby?” Killian asked Graham and he smiled nodding.

“Bye guys” Emma waved, and went to hug and kiss Ruby goodbye, and Killian grabbed her coat throwing some cash on the bar for the tab.

They walked home quickly, and her little touches and grazes drove him mad. As soon as they cleared the door to the shop Killian lifted her, her legs wrapping around his waist and he rushed up the stairs toward their room, Emma’s mouth worrying a mark onto his neck, and he had to hurry.  He released her, tugging the zipper of her dress down. He took in the sight of Emma splayed out in their bed, clad only a black lace thong, and just the thigh-high boots. His brain was unable to make coherent sentences.

He dragged two pillows under her head and backed up to undress. He grabbed his phone, opening the camera.  “Fucking Christ,” he said and pushed her back toward their bed until she fell backward and raised the phone toward Emma, seeking her permission.

Emma looked at him, the phone in his hand asking for her consent, and she nodded. Killian stepped forward, his cock hard and bobbing between his legs, so hard it was curved toward his stomach muscles. He nudged her legs apart.

“I want you to touch yourself, can you do that for me, love,” he said darkly and leaned down to lick her nipples before backing away, his eyes practically glowing in their darkened room.

Emma swallowed, this was new, but she trusted him, and she felt a rush of arousal stir inside of her. She nodded in consent and watched him retreat backward.  

Killian leaned against the dresser for support. He turned the recorder on his camera, and fisted his cock, avoiding the head, he wanted to watch this and began slowly pumping his cock.

Emma ran her hands over her breasts, cupping them, squeezing them, pulling her nipples and she moaned. Watching Killian jerking off while he watched her touch herself was so fucking hot. She trailed her fingers over her belly, up her neck, and back to her breasts.

She knew what he wanted to see, so she slowly moved her hand under the lace of her thong with one hand, gasping as she grazed her clit.

Killian’s eyes were glued to her hand, watching her touch herself, the thong hiding what he wanted to see desperately, and he waited patiently, slowing his strokes, his balls tightening. Emma gasped as he watched her hand dance across her clit beneath the barrier, and he swallowed thickly and stopped stroking himself.

Emma leaned up and slid the thong down, knowing he wanted her to keep the boots on. She leaned back and spread herself wide open to his view, her fingers parting her folds she curled a finger inside herself bucking her hips, and moaning at the sensation.

Killian watched her folds, shining with her arousal as she lazily fucked herself on her hand. He set the camera down on the dresser, leaning it against the mirror, and stalked towards her. Emma was lost in her own touch, and he spun her sideways on the bed.

She looked up at him, offering him her fingers, coated in her arousal which he sucked in greedily, lapping every drop off of them.  Emma stroked her fingers down his stomach, his muscles quivering at her touch. He grabbed her ankles and flipped her onto her belly, pulling her so that her ass was in the air, legs on the floor, she was presented to him like it was Christmas morning.

Killian knelt behind her, his nose running up and down the backs of her thighs as he kneaded her ass, placing open-mouth kisses on each soft cheek.

His tongue shot out, and he lapped at her clit, earning a moan out of Emma as she pushed her ass higher toward him. Killian tucked two fingers inside of her, earning him a euphoric cry from her, and he dragged the arousal back over her puckered hole.

Emma was lost in the pleasure she felt, so turned on she felt his finger graze over her ass. She moaned as she felt the head of his cock rub against her clit, he ran it back and forth readying her for him, and he plunged inside of her.  She screamed his name out, her throat hoarse, and felt his finger gently circling her ass. He retreated and plunged in deeper again, his finger on her ass driving her wild.

Killian began a steady rhythm and he inched his index finger into her ass.

Emma’s hands gripped the sheets, her heels putting her at the perfect angle and he plunged in deeply, grinding his pelvis against her ass, and his finger slid in her ass with ease. Her back arched, her neck thrown back as she called out his name, and he went to town.

He fucked her hard and deep, his finger plunging in the soft, tight heat of her ass, the tip of his cock rubbing that deep ridge inside of her, and her cunt was so hot, her walls beginning to clench, her ass squeezing his finger.  The pleasure of being inside her overwhelming his senses, thoughts running wild. He fucked her wildly, possessively gripping her hip as he rammed into her over, and over again, pulling those cries and moans from her, that only spurred him on.

Emma cried out, “Killian, I can’t, I am going to come, babe, I need you” she screamed, and he kept going, harder, deeper, his finger continued plunging into her ass and she shuddered as her orgasm tore through her.

Killian had edged himself long enough, ensuring she got hers, and when he bit his lip so hard he tasted blood, he growled loudly and ground himself in as far as he could, feeling the bottom of her womb and let his release shoot through him.  He was panting, their sweat-soaked bodies, and he took a moment to kiss her spine as he placed his forehead against her skin just trying to breathe.

Killian gently removed his finger and his cock slipped out her wetly. He could hardly stand, but washed his hands, and grabbed a towel. He knelt behind Emma kissing each of her cheeks, and being unable to resist, licked his release that was dripping down her folds.

Emma moaned, and cleaned her gently with the cloth, unzipping her boots and removing them.

He helped her stand and opened the sheets and she crawled into bed. He remembered the phone and turned it off.

That is something he would look at with her together tomorrow, something for him when she left him alone for days at a time. He smiled and was partly surprised she allowed it. He hoped she wouldn't be mad when she realized he taped the whole thing but would delete it if she was.

Crawling behind her he smoothed her curls, and curled around her, clutching her tightly. “I love you” she whispered, and he kissed her shoulder, murmuring his reply into her hair. They passed out, dead to the world.

@holdingoutforapiratehero  @hookedmom @xsajx @kymbersmith-90 @kmomof4 @katie-dub @ohmightydevviepuu @lassluna @pirateherokillian @teamhook @stahlop @elizabeethan @whimsicallyenchantedrose @resident-of-storybrooke @therooksshiningknight @jennjenn615 @lfh1226-linda @ilovemesomekillianjones @killianswannn @stories-enchanted @eleveneitherway @girl-in-a-tiny-box @withheartfulloflove @kday426 @lyssapup27 @swanlovato @kaoslikesstuff @djlbg @kristi555 @laschatzi @xarandomdreamx @lkles08 @wyntereyez @bubblegum1425 @xhookswenchx @yasbio2015 @tiganasummertree @winterbaby89 @wefoundloveunderthelight @hollyethecurious @let-it-raines @jonesfandomfanatic @searchingwardrobes @dreamingdreamsalways @oncechicagolove @andiirivera @vvbooklady1256 @gingerchangeling @everything-person @klynn-stormz @qualitycoffeethings @vampcoffeegyrl23 @enchanted-swans @cassy1511 @ohmakemeahercules @donteattheappleshook @bluewildcatfanatic @the-darkdragonfly @demisexualemmaswan @lavenderbudd @grimmswan @spartanguard @flslp87 @ultraluckycatnd @sarahpaq08 @thisonesatellite @captainswan21 @zaharadessert @mariakov81 @snowbellewells @xouatxcs @kiwistreetswan @batana54 @nadine200179 @probalicious17 @courtorderedcake @julesep3026 @jackieorioncat @whatthehell102082 @xemmaloveskillianx @jarienn972 @sthonour @linda8084 @carpedzem @pirateprincesslena @daxx04 @winterbythesea @artistic-writer @scientificapricot @cocohook38 @wisfan3000 @chrisilybrooke @pcrcabcth @captainswan4life85 @molly958 @kingofmyheart14 @badwolfreturns @itsfridaysomewhere @mcakers @chamomileandmint @fallingforthecaptain @lovethelifeyoulive1106 @onceratheart18 @strangestarlighttree @omgmarvelous @justanother-unluckysoul @anothersworld @purplehawkcaptain @jennjenn615 @sailtoafarawayland @superchocovian​

[akitokihojo]

Cruel Summer

A couple notes before you read:

Did I really just write a 33,805 word, 61 page fic and post it all in it’s entirety? Yes, I did.

Could I have broken it into parts? Probably. Should I have? No. I firmly believe this story is stronger in one. With that being said, take snack breaks if necessary. Don’t forget to stay hydrated.

This is a soulmate au.

While this fic has got it all, please heed the title. You're in for some fluff, smut, and a healthy dosage of angst. Because, would I really be me without my infamous flare for dramatics?

Alright, that’s all. See you on the flip side.

----------

She’d never been a fan of summer. Heat waves, sunburns, uncomfortable nights, sweat, bugs, and you could only strip so much before it was deemed inappropriate. If she had her way, Kagome would be sitting in front of the air conditioner of her apartment, marking off day five of August to continue the countdown to Autumn.

But, no.

Her best friend coerced her to take a trip - and by coerced, she literally emptied her underwear drawer and hid every pair of panties she owned while Kagome was in the shower, and the only way she’d give them back was if Kagome agreed to immediately go on this month-long outing to her family’s vacation home at the beach with a couple other friends. She’d been against it. She was about to start her final year of college, and she wanted to rest before the most stressful year of her life, but the promise of margaritas, the view of the ocean, a break from the norm, and the return of her undergarments was persuasive enough to get her to fold.

Three hours later, and here they were, the call of seagulls acting as their cliche welcome to, as Ayame deemed it, the summer of their dreams. 

“God dammit!” Sango bellowed, kicking her suitcase, and Kagome immediately beamed, hopping over the bed they’d agreed to share and running for cover. She’d been watching her best friend search her bag for a few solid minutes, waiting for her to blow her top. “Kagome, where the hell is my underwear!?”

“I told you, you were playing a dangerous game!” She laughed, using the island counter as a guard between them, Sango hot on her trail chasing after.

“Where are they!?”

“Don’t know!” She squealed, running to use their friend, Miroku, as a cover. “They’re definitely not in the cooler, though!”

“You -“ Sango stopped in her tracks, her jaw dropping wide. “You put -“ Her head swiftly turned to look at the cooler of drinks. “You put my - my panties in ice!?”

“Yeah, she did.” Miroku laughed, giving her a mock cheers with the beer he held in his hand.

“Kagome!” She guffawed, mostly of shock.

“You threatened to give a pair of mine to Hojo, even after I agreed to come! It was fair!” Kagome doubled over laughing, her best friend throwing the top of the cooler open and digging out the ziplock baggy of her underwear, sighing in relief when she realized they weren’t sopping wet in ice cold water.

“We’re even now, right?” She asked, hitting Kagome in the arm with her baggy.

“We’re even! We’re even!” Kagome laughed, holding her hands up defensively.

“Okay, then get ready!”

“Tonight, we party!” Their red-headed friend cheered, her cheeks already pink from the harsh rays of sun.

Kagome rolled her eyes humorously, dragging her feet back to their room to get dolled up for their planned night of barhopping - which usually meant Ayame was going to attempt to be ambitious, but they were all going to settle for the first place they landed at. She wasn’t the least bit surprised that they were itching to go out on the first day, and quite frankly, she’d grown to be excited, herself. It had been a long time since Kagome had let loose and allowed herself to just have fun.

She emptied the clothes from her suitcase, quickly following Sango’s lead and putting them away as neatly as possible before shifting through dresses to decide on one to wear for the night. It was between a dark blue one with straps across the back, or a glittery, black one that was low-cut in the front.

“Straps.” Sango chimed, waggling her brows.

“Oh my god, guys!” Ayame cried, running in their room with a teddy bear in her arms, squishing it tightly to her chest. “Look what Koga slipped into my bag! Isn’t he the cutest!?”

“Oh, no.” Sango groaned, looking at Kagome with the same, apprehensive grimace she wore. 

“What?”

“You guys are gonna have FaceTime sex, aren’t you?”

“And, miss the opportunity to pretend we’re in a long distance relationship?” Ayame scoffed.

“Ew!” Kagome wined.

“Are you in the furthest room!?” Sango asked, laughing. “You better be in the furthest room from us!”

“Listen, if you hear some moaning, mind ya business!” The red head teased, rolling her eyes with extra sass. 

“Awe, man! She’s in the room next to me!” Miroku complained, stomping through the common area noisily. Kagome and Sango both laughed loudly, showing no remorse for the only guy brave enough to go on a long trip with the three of them.

Sango kicked the door shut as Ayame left, stripping off her tank top and unbuttoning her shorts in preparation of changing into her chosen dress for the evening. A form-fitting, little cocktail that she usually saved for a third date with a guy - her third date dress, if you will. She smoothed it over her body, pulling it lower down her thighs and swiveling on the heels of her feet to get a full look at herself in the lengthy mirror on the wall. “Shit.” She hissed.

Kagome glanced over, her shirt already removed and hanging from her wrist, waiting for Sango to explain her vexation. 

“It’s been so long since I’ve been on a date, I forgot you can’t wear underwear with this dress.”

“Good thing they’re all frozen, anyway.” Kagome joked, throwing up a finger gun with a click of her tongue.

There was a loud, inarticulate groan from Miroku in the living room, just outside their wall, and Kagome stifled her laugh with her shirt when Sango turned bright red, not realizing how loud they’d spoken.

“In what world!? In what world would we ever happen!?” Sango shouted at him, giggling when all he did was groan loudly again.

“This world.” Kagome teased, keeping her voice hushed as she slipped her dress over her head.

“No, way.”

“Oh, please! You and I both know you’ve got the hots, and you’ve only been resisting because you’re mad at yourself for liking him.” Sango pursed her lips, fighting off the smile that would give her ruse away. “I’m willing to bet, by the end of this trip -“

“Don’t say it! You’ll jinx me!” Sango silenced her best friend, rummaging through her makeup bag in a feeble attempt to blow off the topic.

—

The music was loud, the dance floor was packed, and Ayame was lost in the crowd somewhere with Miroku. Kagome and Sango sat at a table they’d managed to snag, sipping their margaritas as a waitress walked over, smiling, placing two shots of tequila on the table. Sango laughed as Kagome shook her head, staring at her like she was crazy, but still, she took the little glass that Sango happily handed over to her, Sango holding her own up to say something to cheers to.

“Final year of college is about to begin! We deserve this time, okay! I don’t want to hear a single word about buying books for the next twenty-eight days, do you hear me!?”

“To not buying books!” Kagome laughed, gently tapping her glass to her best friend’s and taking the shot, scrunching her face, but always proud of herself for never needing a chaser while Sango took a bite of the strawberry on the rim of her margarita glass to drown the harsh taste of her alcohol.

“So,” A guy crouched next to their small table, bracing his forearm on the edge of the fake wood to balance himself. The two girls looked over to the man, a little surprised but giggling when they stole a little peek at each other. He was handsome. Ungodly handsome. His hair was short, tousled, and a light shade of silver that had Kagome’s initial attention, transferring to the dog ears atop his head that seemed to fit him better than she suspected normal, human ears would have. He wore a charming, crooked grin that fit him too well, and his golden eyes glowed richly, the lights from the bar, or club, or whatever Ayame had dragged them to, bouncing off of his irises and only shading them slightly. “I usually start off with something corny, like a pickup line, to flatter the both of you before I make any sort of ballsy moves, but I have a feeling that wouldn’t work on two ladies that look the way you do.”

Kagome couldn’t resist her light laugh, turning her head away from him so he wouldn’t receive the satisfaction of making her smile. One sentence in, and she could already tell the guy was good at smooth talking.

“Depends,” Sango started, leaning forward with a flirtatious grin. “Which one of us are you here for?”

The man pointed his thumb at Kagome, keeping his eyes on Sango all the while. Kagome smiled, rolling her eyes and propping her chin in her palm, her elbow supported on the surface of the table. 

“But, I know when two friends, such as yourselves, are with each other, neglecting one will only dock you points. Nor, would I ever want to make a pretty girl like you feel put out.”

She smirked, colored impressed. “Yeah, see, you’re not wrong. On any account. My friend, Kagome,” Sango emphasized her best friend’s name so the handsome man would be sure to remember it. “Hates pickup lines. Thinks they’re the worst. Me, on the other hand? Boy, you could spend all night buttering me up and calling me pretty, and I’ll be putty in your hands.”

“Noted.” He grinned, rightfully shifting his attention back to the girl he favored. She was giving him an expecting and amused expression, tapping a finger along her cheek, and cocking a brow as she waited for him to say something. “I’m just gonna cut to the chase. That good with you?”

“Go for it.” She said, and it almost seemed like a challenge.

“I’m gonna buy you two a drink.”

“No, thanks. We’ve already got one.” Kagome couldn’t help but giggle.

“Well, the cool thing about drinks is if you drink them, they empty, and then you can drink another.”

“And, you’re hoping for…?” It was an open-ended question, meant to put him on the spot.

“For you to drink them.” His crooked smirk kept, amber eyes never leaving her face, though she half expected if she looked away, they’d travel down to the bold amount of leg she was showing.

“But, you haven’t told me what you get out of it.”

“Ah,” He chuckled, sparing her best friend a side glance as she watched them go back and forth, entertainment painted in the red on her lips. “Would it be difficult to believe that I literally just want to spend my money on you?”

“Yes.”

“Thought so.” He chuckled again. Even through the loud music, the people chatting, the generally boisterous atmosphere, Kagome enjoyed the deep sound of his voice. “Look, I’m not gonna ask if I can sit with you, I’m not gonna ask if I can see you later, and I’m not gonna ask for your number. I wasn’t even going to ask for your name, though I do have to thank your pretty friend here for that bit of knowledge.”  He gave a smile in Sango’s direction, and she sat back in her chair, fanning her face with her hand, her brows raised in surprise. “I just want to buy you a drink.”

Kagome debated, giving him the moment to relish in her contemplation. He was good. He knew he was good. But, good didn’t do it for her. “I’d say yes, but I’d only be giving you false hope. You’re wasting your time. We’re not from here.” 

“See, you missed the part where I told you I was happy leaving empty-handed.” He leaned a little closer, still minding her personal space but wanting her to hear the rumble in his tone. “I’m not here to bother you, and I don’t expect anything out of this.”

“Strawberry margarita!” Sango said, slapping her hand against the table as if she’d sold something.

He laughed, nodding, then turned back to Kagome. She was recovering from the audacious glare she gave her friend, looking back at him, her brown eyes challenging him all over again. “I’m not from around here either.” He added.

“So, you’re further proving my point.”

“No. Not at all. You stated an irrelevant fact, so I returned the gesture.”

Kagome’s jaw dropped, surprised but laughing from the jab. 

“Look, my friends and I are about to leave. I didn’t want to shut my tab until I offered to get you two something.” He said, politely waving his finger to an approaching waitress. “I’ll leave without saying another word if you let me buy you a shot on top of it, because it was pretty impressive watching you take that shit straight.”

“Well, aren’t you persistent?” Kagome teased, licking her bottom lip before taking it between her teeth.

“Yes.” He smirked.

“You’re also unbelievable.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“Fine. Not another word.”

The man sealed his lips, the crooked smile that he began with taking over and taunting Kagome better than his voice did. As the waitress came over, he silently pointed to both margarita glasses and both empty shot glasses, confirming that he wanted her to bring doubles on his tab when she asked. And, he got up, gave her best friend a wink, and walked away.

“I think I had an orgasm.” Sango said as soon as he’d left, straight-faced, slightly perplexed as she stared at Kagome. 

Kagome laughed, thankful the lights in the place would thoroughly hide her blush. He was insanely charming, good looking, and holy hell, she’d never met someone that left looking so satisfied when he literally got nothing out of a conversation but her name. Maybe it was the alcohol she’d already consumed, but just that increased his attraction factor exponentially.

The waitress returned just minutes later, two blended margaritas and two shots of tequila sitting on her wet tray, and she kindly set the drinks before the girls. Kagome looked around after thanking her, seeing if the guy had already left or if he was sitting somewhere nearby. At the far end of the bar, she spotted him leaning against the edging, his light hair a dead giveaway, and his attention swung from the friends talking in front of him to her, as if he felt her eyes on him. She cocked her shot glass an inch higher in his direction, taking the swig and turning away when her nose crinkled.

God, his smile was going to be her undoing.

His friends began to head out the door, and he gave her another glance before heading out with them. She didn’t know what had come over her. It had to be the alcohol; she didn’t exactly have the highest tolerance level. Truthfully, she felt like she was giving him something he’d wanted, but she couldn’t help herself. Kagome watched him as he walked out, and as she’d hoped, he spared her one last glance. And, when he did, she waved him back over. He didn’t hesitate, separating from his peers and walking back towards the two girls, skillfully dodging people like he knew his way around the joint. When he leaned against the side of the table, he didn’t say anything, keeping his earlier promise not to talk.

“I didn’t get your name. I can’t properly thank you without your name.” She said, her tone unintentionally on the sultry side.

“It’s Inuyasha.” He said, leaning a little closer.

Just his name shouldn’t have had any sort of sensations flooding through her stomach, or warmth spreading over the surface of her skin, but it did. It made her drag in a breath and hold it, it made her eyes shy down to the dip in his shirt where she could see the very edges of his collarbones, the hollow of his throat, the even tone of his flesh, it made her force herself to remember she was supposed to actually say something now. Kagome smiled, looking down at the placement of his hands on the table, the tips of the fingers of one very close to hers, then she glanced back up to him, meeting his amber eyes.

“Thank you for the drinks, Inuyasha.”

“Don’t mention it.” He grinned, leaning even closer. His tone was husky, thick and deep and heavenly to Kagome’s ears as he spoke once more. “By the way, I lied. I just got exactly what I wanted.”

“And, what was that?” She asked, furrowing her brows speculatively.

“For you to be so interested that you wanted to know something about me. We both know you didn’t need my name to say thank you. You just wanted the excuse to ask. Because, I bet you’ll be thinking of me tonight almost as much as I’ll be thinking of you. Isn’t that right, Kagome?”

She didn’t answer. He didn’t give her a moment to. He tapped his hand against the table in a simple gesture of goodbye, turning on his heel and heading out. Kagome met Sango’s wide, brown eyes, the straw hanging loosely from her lips, blinking away the tension.

“Oh, yeah. Bad day to not wear underwear.” Sango remarked, sighing heatedly before she sucked down a huge gulp of her fresh margarita.

“What just happened?” Kagome murmured, and she was surprised her best friend had even heard her in order to reply.

“I think you just fell under a spell.”

“Holy shit.” She breathed, taken aback by the way his intense gaze had burned into her immediate memory, golden eyes blinking at her behind thick lashes, telling her a story where words weren’t necessary for description. She was enticed. Curious. And, he was completely right. There was no way he wouldn’t be stuck in her head tonight.

“Need some water?” Her friend laughed. “Some fresh air? You gonna be okay?”

Kagome buried her fiery blush behind her hands, laughing at how ridiculous she must have appeared and then grabbed her gifted beverage, taking little sips in the hopes that she could wash her embarrassment away.

—

Kagome awoke abruptly. It took a moment, a solid, deafeningly quiet moment, for her to hone in on her surroundings, where she was, what day it was, what time of day it was. It was bright, unlike the room she’d just dreamt she was in. The strong aroma of the ocean wafted through the vacation house, soft voices fluttering through the walls, helping to ground Kagome in present time.

“Hey, good morning.” Sango greeted, entering their bedroom just as Kagome peeled herself from the sheets, sitting up and brushing the messy bangs from her head. “I was getting a little worried about you.”

“Why?” Kagome asked.

“Well, it’s passed eleven. You’re a pretty early riser. I even tried waking you up for breakfast earlier, but you wouldn’t budge.”

“It’s passed eleven?” She quirked, reaching for her cell phone on the nightstand to double check the claim. 

“You feeling okay? You hardly drank last night, so you’re not hungover or anything, are you?” Sango asked, closing the door as she walked further in, fishing through the top drawer of the dresser.

“No, I feel fine. Must have just been tired.” Kagome brushed off, clearing her social media notifications. That dream always did this to her. She was held captive by the reoccurring illusion, and lately, as the dreams had begun coming to her more and more frequently, only loud noises could startle her out of them or else she’d be stuck riding it out until the very end. They left her dazed, confused, lost, and slightly lonely. The person behind the blurred veil was someone she was supposed to know, or was supposed to find, she knew this, but she couldn’t see his face and the only identifiable feature was the birthmark that stood out more vividly than any other part of the vision. A faded spot on his chest. She could hear him speaking, but his words were muffled, like she was submerged in a bubble, the walls of which so unforgivably thick that even his voice couldn’t be recognizable. 

A notable dream, the meaning well-known to anyone who’s had them. Who’s heard of them, even.

That was her soulmate.

There was no telling when you’d meet, or where in the world they even were. Additionally, there were never guarantees that you’d find each other. It was just fate’s way of letting you know you’ve got an inexplicable bond shared with a person somewhere, and here’s an unclear indicator of who they are - an insignificant marking of some sort or another somewhere on their body, never the same for two people. It was cruel and unusual to most. Kagome did her best to dismiss it. If it was actually meant to be, as some insisted, then they’d appear before you someday. Until then, she wasn’t going to put her life on hold if the guy she was interested in at any point in time didn’t share the same mark. It wasn’t a healthy way to live. Not with the billions of people inhabiting this planet. It just didn’t make sense to wait, and wait, and wait, and wait for a moment that may never come. So, she never spoke of the dreams or got remotely excited whenever they happened. She didn’t want to focus on the tan, uneven circle on the man’s left pectoral, and otherwise unblemished skin of his toned torso. And, she tried so hard not to check on the partners she’d had in the past. But, she always did. She always, always, grazed her fingers over their clear chest, hoping one day it’d appear.

And, that was the harsh reality of the dream. You knew your person was out there, and every time you laid with someone and realized it wasn’t them, the most difficult part was pushing through the heavy disappointment to enjoy what you’ve, instead, found.

“Good. I made pancakes this morning, and saved a couple for you. Eat and get ready to go. We’re hitting the little shops today before the beach.”

“You cooked?” Kagome teased, climbing off the king-sized mattress.

“Ha-ha! Yes, I cooked! I figured after a few days of being here, I should do my share in the kitchen.”

“And, pancakes are Miroku’s favorite?”

Sango narrowed a playful glare at her best friend, punching into her open hand to wordlessly say she was gonna hit Kagome if she didn’t stop, and Kagome laughed, not threatened in the least as she picked out a bikini from her own drawer.

“Can we stop for coffee?” Kagome asked, heading to the master bathroom they shared to change. “I think I’ll keel over if we don’t.”

“All that sleep and you’re still tired?”

“There’s such a thing as too much sleep.”

“Not to college students.”

“Coffee!” “Okay! Coffee!”

Truthfully, no one would ever have an objection for stopping for coffee. They were all caffeine addicts, but somehow, their first morning there, Miroku had brewed the worst pot in existence, making the four of them swear off of home brew for a while. He swore it was a malfunction with the machine, which very well could have been true, but the girls were perfectly fine blaming him for the thick, murky concoction all of them refused to even sip after watching his own face go green.

The little shop was busy, chiming with the soft rumble of conversation mixed with the light jazz music coming from the speakers. Her friends had ordered first and were all sitting off to the side at a small table, waiting for their drinks to be called. Kagome ordered her usual drink she’d get while out and about, opting for iced instead of hot, given the weather.

“Add a medium black coffee to that, please.” He stood close, but still minded a respectable distance where Kagome didn’t feel it was necessary to back herself away in her subtle surprise. In his extended hand that hovered near her face, he held out his card for the barista to charge, his amber eyes focused on the woman at the register, but the smile on his face was for her, and Kagome knew it. The barista happily complied, swiping his debit card and kindly handing it back. 

“You.”

“You.” Inuyasha echoed, notching his head to the side so she’d follow him out of line and towards the end counter where they’d receive their drinks.

“Is this gonna be a normal thing; you randomly appearing to buy me a drink?” She chuckled, slightly teasingly.

“If I have my way.” He replied, shrugging his brows. “Unless you have any opposition.”

“A simple hello will do, you know.”

“What if I’m not just trying to say hello?”

“What else could you possibly be trying to say by paying for my coffee?” Kagome asked skeptically, crossing her arms over her chest.

“A multitude of things, like ‘you should always have your drinks paid for,’ ‘you look gorgeous in that dress,’ even though I’m pretty sure you’ll dismiss it as a loose summer one you’ve had in your closet for years - but you deserve to know it’s something special on you - ‘I’m happy I stumbled into the same coffee shop you just so happened to be in,” is another, and ‘for some reason, ‘hello’ seemed like a drab way to greet you but I needed an excuse to talk to you, and a two dollar coffee was well worth it.’ But, mostly I was going for the surprise factor here. I like your face when you’re taken off guard. It’s cute. If it makes you happy, though, hello. It’s nice to see you again, Kagome.” Inuyasha grinned crookedly.

Her face had heated considerably, and she hoped her skin was still rosy from their recent walk in the sun so that her flush was concealed beneath the one that hadn’t been caused by him. Kagome wasn’t the type that fell for flattery and flirtatious quips. For some reason, in this case, she honestly couldn’t tell if Inuyasha was being genuine or if he was just a professional sweet-talker. Either way, she surprisingly liked it. A lot.

It was crazy that she was entertaining any thoughts of flirting with a guy right now considering the circumstances. She was on vacation, she lived hours away in a shared apartment at her university, and this guy, this incredibly attractive guy, was a stranger. It wasn’t the safest scenario, but god, why did she want it so bad? 

It was as if an unnatural force was creating this aura around him, causing him to stand out warmly in a crowd of people. No one’s smile affected her like his did. No one’s. She could easily dismiss it as the summer heat playing with her head, but she wondered, if he kept showing up out of the blue, how much more would she have to make up an excuse for? It was unreal how she kept thinking that the longer they stood by each other, the tighter a knot began to form between them. Absolutely unreal. Illogical. She needed coffee to think straight, because clearly she wasn’t doing so well without. 

Because of this, because of the two interactions they’d had so far, she already felt like the moment he disappeared through those coffee shop doors, she’d begin to constantly search her surroundings to hope she’d spot his short, silver hair. She’d begin to hope he’d pop up and say hi, he’d grin at her, he’d say her name. 

Yikes, when Sango forced her to come out here, not a single part of her had prepared to have a Grease moment. Yet, here she was, knowing she should probably thank him and walk away, but not a single part of her body, heart, or brain intended on doing so. Suddenly, she felt adventurous. She wasn’t so weary about the obvious lack of rationality behind something so silly or potentially reckless. If he was into it, why couldn’t she be?

“That’s a lot to say with a coffee.” Kagome said, softly nibbling her bottom lip.

“Imagine what I could say with an entire meal.”

Yeah. There was no use even hoping her blush was hidden now. She had to look away at the suggestion, smiling.

“So, I recognize your friend over there, but who’s the guy next to her giving me a dirty look?” Inuyasha asked, inching his chin up in gesture of their direction. Kagome turned around, noticing her three current housemates watching she and Inuyasha intently, Sango and Ayame looking rather pleased.

“Oh, that’s Miroku. You should be careful, he’s very protective of us girls.”

“Ah. Is he your…?”

“Ew, oh god no. He’s into Sango.” Kagome grimaced sourly. 

“And, which one is Sango?” She couldn’t help but notice his expression seemed to relax a smidge.

“The one you met.” Kagome said, realizing he’d never gotten her name at the bar. “Here, come meet the others.” She turned on her heel, guiding the hanyou to her small table of friends. Kagome gestured to the red head on the left, the girl enthusiastically bouncing up to her feet to shake Inuyasha’s hand. “This is Ayame. That’s Miroku. And, you remember Sango.”

“That’s right. How’s it going, beautiful?” Inuyasha smiled, wanting to offer his hand in a polite shake but unable to as Ayame actively refused to let it go, still shaking as if her own greeting wasn’t yet over.

“Hey, choose a girl and stick with her, dude.” Miroku spread his hands in a what the fuck manner, giving a small gesture between Kagome and Sango.

“Sorry.” Inuyasha pinched his lips together, trying not to chuckle, especially as Sango’s face twisted in displeasure toward the man beside her.

Kagome locked eyes with her best friend, hoping she’d miraculously learned to read her mind by now. She even subtly flickered her eyes in Inuyasha’s direction to indirectly communicate, adding a tiny nod for assurance. Sango, understanding, gave an eager approval, and as Miroku got up to get the drinks that had been called for the girls, Kagome took her opportunity to ask without their “protectors” disdain glaring Inuyasha down.

“So, what are you doing tonight?” She started. His golden stare landed on her, completely and charmingly unbothered by the fact that her friend was still holding his hand.

“What should I be doing tonight?” Inuyasha countered.

“Well, we’re having a little party - if you can even call it that. There’s fireworks tonight, and Sango’s vacation home has a beachside view, so we don’t even have to go anywhere to see the show. It’s just gonna be the few of us, music, drinks, and we’ve got a jacuzzi. Oh, and Ayame’s boyfriend is coming into town to join in because apparently they have separation issues.” Kagome said, slapping the red head’s hand so she’d finally let him go. Her expression fell from adoring to bummed out, dropping her hand and plopping back down to her seat as she mumbled a “dammit” beneath her breath. “You’re more than welcome to come if you’d like.”

“I’d love to. What should I bring?”

“Just your pretty-little-self.” Sango chimed, pulling a receipt out of the chest pocket of her overall shorts to write on the back of, and fishing her pen out of her purse. “Here’s our address.”

Kagome bent over the table, taking the pen from Sango as she finished and quickly scribbled her phone number beneath. She folded up the receipt, standing tall and sliding it into the front pocket of his gray, button up shirt. “In case you get lost.”

Inuyasha smiled, his attention being stolen for a millisecond as his and Kagome’s drinks were called and Miroku rejoined the table with his, Ayame’s, and Sango’s. “What time?”

“Six or seven.”

“Or, whenever you’d like, let’s be real.” Ayame added, pursing her lips before taking her straw into her mouth to silence herself with a large gulp of coffee.

“I’ll see you later.” Inuyasha said to Kagome’s friends, chuckling. He gave Kagome a notch of his head as he headed back to the counter, and she followed, gratefully taking her drink as he handed it to her. “See, now I’m really glad I stumbled into the same coffee shop as you.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Tell me why I wouldn’t be after getting to see you again.”

Kagome smiled shyly, trying not to bite her lip. “Thank you for the drink. Again.”

“Anytime. I’ve gotta get going, gorgeous. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way.” He gave her the smallest, humblest smile, taking his own drink from the counter and heading out the door. 

And, so her madness began.

“Is that the guy you met at the bar?” Miroku asked as she rejoined the group.

“Yeah, that’s him. Inuyasha.” She confirmed, taking a deep breath as she tried to regain her bearings. 

“And, you invited him over?”

“You bet.” Sango answered.

“Are you stupid?” He questioned, crossing his arms as they all rose to leave and giving Kagome a stare of disapproval. “Do you know anything about him besides his first name?”

“Isn’t this how you get to know people?” She countered.

“Yeah, in public settings. You don’t give people your address. The guy probably just wants to get into your pants, Kagome.”

“I’d let him.” Sango plainly agreed.

“Oh, yeah, me too.” Ayame nodded. 

“I promise, I’ll learn his favorite color before I let him hump me. Happy?” She joked, sipping her iced coffee as they walked out.

“This. This is why I didn’t let you guys come alone.” He griped, rolling his eyes at how the girls completely disregarded him.

“You’re one to talk! You’re the guy who sleeps with any girl who will spread her legs. If anything, it’s you who we shouldn’t trust here.” Sango laughed, swerving around Kagome to hide from him as he threatened to flick her.

“Okay, but hear me out,” Ayame started, walking backward down the street as they headed to their first shop. "This is literally the safest environment for Kagome to get to know the guy in! We’re all gonna be there, watching -“

“Ogling.” Sango added.

“- and if anything bad goes down, you’ll have Koga here to help kick his ass.”

“God, now I feel like you guys are chaperoning me on a date.” Kagome grimace.

“It’s not a date.” Miroku rebutted.

“It’s kind of a date.” Sango said.

“No, it’s not a date!” Kagome agreed. “It’s definitely not a date. He’s just coming over to hang out. Therefore, don’t hover.” She directed that comment toward Miroku, narrowing her stare in warning. He rolled his eyes in return, the tiniest shakes of his head only noticeable when the ends of his shaggy hair wiggled back and forth, and she quickly pinched the back of his arm, causing him to jump away from her.

—

The sun was setting, and their little vacation spot was lively. The television was on with some sport or another playing, but the sound was muted - and would have been drowned out by the music and everyone talking, anyway. Even more so as a Taylor Swift song began and the three girls started dancing as dramatically as their favorite pop star, making the two guys groan from their spot on the couch, heads rolling back as they slumped further. Naturally, they weren’t a fan and always begged the girls to skip, but that only prodded them to annoy them further by turning it up louder and ignoring their complaining. In all fairness, it was a random playlist on a music streaming site. And, as Sango had said, they didn’t choose the music, the music chose them.

“I will give you each five dollars to at least turn it down.” Koga pleaded, fishing his wallet out of his pocket.

“Deal!” The three girls concurrently beamed, all of which holding their hands out to accept their bribe.

Ayame twisted the volume nob down a tad, the music now at a tolerable level, though Miroku still looked as miserable as ever. Kagome resumed her place in the kitchen, checking that the water was boiling before dumping two boxes of macaroni and cheese noodles into the pot, and Sango hopped in behind her to finish throwing the ingredients into the blender that she’d momentarily interrupted herself to dance for, popped on the lid, and pressed the button to run it. Just as she turned it off, they heard the doorbell ring, and Kagome looked over, shocked. She was still in the dress from earlier, but she was currently wearing it indecently. Much like with how Sango had unlatched her overalls and allowed the top portion to hang freely down her body, trusting the shorts to stick snuggly to her hips, Kagome had pulled the halter top strap of her dress over her neck to hang loose, the skirt portion bunched enough to not fall from her hips and her chest only covered with her bathing suit top. She hadn’t realized he’d get here so quickly after texting he was on his way.

“Not yet, not yet, not yet!” She called, sprinting from the kitchen, across the living room, and to the master bedroom she shared with Sango, slamming the door and trusting one of the others to let Inuyasha in.

Sango stifled her laugh, the noise coming out as more of a snort as she headed toward the front and opened the door. “Hi! Welcome to my parents’ humble abode!” She greeted, immediately allowing him entry. 

“Thanks.” Inuyasha grinned, walking in and presenting a bottle of Patron. “I know you told me not to bring anything, but I figured you guys might be low on the good stuff by now. And, if not, you’ve got extra.”

“Boy, you are an angel! We’ve been stuck using the cheap rum Koga brought because no one wants to go to the store!” Sango playfully directed her loud jab toward the living room where the guys were congregated, listening to the beautiful sound of their droned and synchronized groans again. “Come on in, Kagome will be right out. She had to take a phone call.”

Inuyasha followed the girl inside, taking note of the familiar red head sitting on the lap of, what was probably safe to assume was, her boyfriend. The guy who’d stared him down earlier sat on the far side of the couch from them, a beer in his right hand that was mostly empty, and he notched his chin up toward him in an informal hello. Honestly, Inuyasha understood his dissent completely; he’d be like that with any of his female friends, too. Probably even harsher; he wasn’t exactly known for being kind to anyone he didn’t necessarily like. It was good that Kagome had people looking out for her, but he meant no harm. She was interesting, she was stunning, he could already tell she was sassy, which he fucking loved in a woman, and he couldn’t help but want to see what, exactly, it was about her that called to him in the first place. And, who didn’t seek a little thrill when they were in an unfamiliar place for a limited amount of time? 

It was a really lax environment, and although it was awkward as the newcomer and stranger, he felt it wouldn’t take long to ease in, especially when Kagome would emerge. It was like his presence didn’t dampen anything or cause anyone to stiffen, the friend group continuing to bicker lightly as if that was the normal way they communicated. Which, very well could have been true.

Ayame stood to greet him, and Miroku immediately started laughing boisterously, swinging her attention back to him as she swiveled on her heel to see what his deal was.

“Ayame, how? We were on the beach for, like, an hour! How did you get a sunburn that bad!?” Miroku pointed, bringing Ayame to visibly pout, knowing he was referencing the redness of her back that showed through the rear of her cropped tank top. Even her boyfriend leaned to see the evidence, covering his mouth with his fist to prevent himself from laughing and embarrassing her. “You’re a demon, I thought shit like this never happened.”

“Yes, I am a demon, but I’m also -“ Ayame lifted her foot to sit on top of the coffee table before the couch, presenting her leg that was hardly covered by the pair of shorts she donned. Her voice held a mocking tone, and she cocked her head with attitude. “Pale.”

“It’ll fade by tomorrow.” Koga assured.

“Does it hurt?” Miroku asked.

“I don’t know, touch me and see.” She dared.

“Oh, do it! I want to see what happens.” Kagome encouraged, leaning her shoulder on the frame of the bedroom door she’d finally appeared from. She was now donned in jeans - her favorite jeans that worked wonders for her butt - and a loose top that hung off her shoulders; nothing too dressy that gave away that she was trying to impress, still looking casual while flattering her figure in a modest way. She turned her attention to Inuyasha who was already looking at her, amber eyes glowing with the hues of the sunset that shined through the glass that made up the back wall of the house.

“Hi, you.” She greeted, sauntering over to him.

“Hi.” He grinned.

“He brought tequila!” Sango announced, framing the bottle with her hands from the side of the island counter, next to the blender.

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that! Thank you so much!” Kagome smiled elatedly, gently grabbing his hand to lead him into the kitchen so he’d stick by her. She gave the macaroni noodles a stir so they wouldn’t stick, before heading to the fridge, leaving him by the stove. “Water, beer, or something blended?”

“Beer.” He said, accepting the bottle appreciatively after she popped the top for him.

Sango’s phone started ringing, and she snagged it, looking at the unknown number and then giving an apprehensive yet excited expression to Kagome before bolting from the room and locking herself in the bedroom. Stealing a peek, Kagome peered over the island, watching Miroku’s lips set disappointedly, his indigo eyes on the closed door before he hid it all behind the beer bottle he took a swig from.

“What’s wrong with him?” Inuyasha whispered, leaning closely next to her.

“He always assumes when she does that she’s on the phone with a guy. Really, she’s been waiting to hear back from a specific company for an internship. She’s gotten other offers, but she’s weighing her options first, and I don’t know how many times I have to explain that to him.” She replied, matching his low tone.

“Aren’t they together?”

“No, he wishes.” She shook her head, ducking down into the cupboards to fish out the colander. As she stood straight and set it up in the sink to strain her noodles, Koga appeared on the outer side of the island counter.

“Hey.” He said to Inuyasha.

“Hey.” Ayame smoothly curved over, propping her forearms on the counter, her voice taking a flirtatious hint.

“Hey!” Koga pushed her face away, causing the girl to stumble backward and giggle. He sighed, rolling his blue eyes before glancing back at the newcomer. “Nice to meet you. Apparently, you’re a god of some sort?”

“What?” Inuyasha blinked, chuckling out of surprise.

“Oh my god,” Kagome grieved, humiliated by every single one of her friends’ lack of tact. “Inuyasha, this is Koga. Koga, Inuyasha.”

They shook hands, and Koga once more playfully pushed his girlfriend away, even though she was only reaching to pour the drinks from the blender. Miroku joined them then, an even stare given to the hanyou as he propped his upper body on the counter, ignoring the abundance of steam that rose as Kagome poured the boiling pot of noodles into the colander.

“You a rapist?” Miroku carelessly asked.

“Miroku!” Kagome reacted, shocked.

“No.” Inuyasha answered, meeting her protective friend’s eyes as honestly as possible.

“A serial killer?”

“No.”

“You got a wife?”

“No.”

“Kids?”

“No.”

“A girlfriend?”

“No.”

“You think Kagome’s cute?”

“Very.”

“How many questions can I ask until you get annoyed?”

“Probably three more.”

“Alright, he’s chill.” Miroku held out his fist to bump with Inuyasha’s, then finished off the beer he had in his hand before making his way around to the fridge to grab another. “So, I’ve gotta ask, man. What’s your secret?”

“What do you mean?” Inuyasha asked in return, flinching out of the way as Kagome chucked a Hawaiian roll at Miroku.

“Hey, I was done!” He defended, holding his wounded side before picking up the small roll of bread from the floor and carelessly taking a bite. “Watch out for her, she’s got a hell of an arm. Anyway, I mean what’s your trick? What’s the line you use to get a girl interested in you so quickly?”

Kagome blushed furiously, ducking her face as she dumped the strained noodles back into the pot.

“I don’t have a line.” Inuyasha smirked, trying to hide his amusement.

“Bull.” Koga attested from the side. “Even I had to use a line to get this chick.”

“Ew, don’t say it like that!” Ayame smacked his arm, pushing Miroku aside from the island counter so she could pour the blended drinks into three cups, meant for the girls who didn’t even like beer.

“I really don’t have a line.”

“Kagome?” Miroku called, wanting her side of it.

“He didn’t use a line on me. In fact, he said he could have but he didn’t want to.”

Miroku and Koga both looked at each other, dumbstruck, their jaws dropping dramatically as Inuyasha took a huge swig of his beer to stifle his laugh.

“That’s the line, you idiot!” They both shouted. “Oh my god!”

“It’s not a line, I swear!” Inuyasha said to her. “It’s an anti-line!”

“An anti-line is still a line, and holy fuck, that’s genius!” Miroku applauded, ignoring Kagome’s worsening blush as she stirred the butter into the noodles.

“You guys are making me look really bad.” Inuyasha grumbled.

“You look like a hero to us.” Koga raised his beer in praise.

“I hate you all.” Kagome stated simply, pursing her lips and going back to the food.

“Drink up, Kagome, you’ll get over it in a second.” Ayame slid a glass for Kagome to catch, reaching far over the bar and the guys to clink her cup to Kagome’s before backing up to tuck herself into her boyfriend’s arms.

“Tell us more. Enlighten us with your ways.” Miroku urged with a wave of his hand, as if beckoning him forward.

Inuyasha chuckled, slightly embarrassed. “In case you guys haven’t noticed, I don’t technically have the girl yet. And, my chances are lessening the more we talk about it. If you’re asking for specific advice for yourself, though…” He trailed off his sentence, glancing over to Kagome to see if she was okay with it.

She swallowed the large sip of the blended drink she had sitting in her mouth, her nose wrinkling at the over abundance of alcohol Sango had mixed in. “Oh, go for it. Miroku needs all the help he can get.”

“Um, rude.” Her friend said, laughing. “I’m not that bad.”

“Right.” She stated sarcastically. “And, Sango is talking to who?”

“Alright, yeah, help me.” He grimaced, swiftly changing his mind, turning back to Inuyasha.

“Does she know you want her?” Inuyasha asked.

“Oh, yeah!” Everyone boasted, a little too earnestly.

“Ah, so you come off too strong.”

“I wouldn’t say too strong. I mean, I’d sooner say you came off too strong on Kagome in order to get her to invite you over after only meeting two times.”

“Actually, I let her call the shots. Women don’t like having shit shoved in their face. Nobody likes that. I was a bit persistent in buying her a drink at the bar, sure, but I never forced her. The option was always hers. If she gave me an adamant no, then I would have left her alone.”

“It’s true.” Kagome nodded. “He was mild at best.”

“I’m going to assume you’ve known Sango for a while and that you’ve wanted her for a while. She knows. So, don’t repeat yourself. What you need to focus on is making her want what you have to offer in return. First way to do that is to intrigue her. Don’t put it all on the table at once, it’s overwhelming. Subtly do something genuine or sweet, then give her space. Walk away. Leave her curious for more. And, most importantly, do not touch her unless she invites you to. It’s the quickest way to deter her.”

“You mean to tell me you haven’t once touched Kagome?” Miroku asked skeptically, cocking a brow as he took a sip of his cold beer.

Inuyasha shook his head with a prideful, little smirk.

“Oh my god.” Kagome murmured, her brows furrowing in realization. “He hasn’t; I touched him.”

“You grade A slut.” Koga joked, chuckling. 

“Were you, like, a woman in a past life? How do you know what we like so well?” Ayame inquired.

“I was raised by a single mom. And, I listen.” He chuckled.

“That’s hot.” She nodded, sipping her drink.

“What are we talking about?” Sango asked, emerging from the bedroom. 

“Just learning a little about Kagome’s new friend here.” Ayame covered. “He’s very respectful of women.”

Sango nodded approvingly, even a little impressed, holding up the okay sign with her fingers as she rejoined the group. 

Kagome began to mix the little packages of cheese into the macaroni, noticing Inuyasha’s nonchalant nod toward Miroku to try something out, and Kagome had to bite her lip to remain appearing as nonchalant as possible. As Sango approached the counter, Miroku scooted her awaiting beverage toward her, sparing her a small glance. She gave him the smallest of smiles, more in thanks for handing her the glass and shifted her attention to Kagome and the almost-done food.

Miroku stood from the island, walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, sauntering back her way and gently placing it before her.

“You’re looking a little flushed from the sun. Drink some water before the alcohol, okay? I don’t want you dehydrating.”

And, then he walked away, taking his beer and sitting on the couch to watch the muted sports program.

Sango’s brown eyes stayed glued to his back as he walked, then flashed to the water bottle in front of her, then back to him in the most inconspicuous of manners before she tapped her fingernail along the countertop. She opened the bottle of water and took a small sip while she pretended to listen to the small talk between Koga and Ayame for a meager moment until it seemed suitable to get up, following Miroku over to the couch and sitting a foot or two away.

Both Kagome and Ayame had to cover their mouths to prevent themselves from laughing, Ayame tucking her face into Koga’s chest to play it off. Kagome looked at Inuyasha who was only grinning crookedly at her, shrugging his brows.

“I’m not sure if I should actually be impressed that you’re so good with women.” Kagome mentioned, reaching up to grab six bowls from the cupboard.

“Don’t think of it that way.” He said, helping her. “I meant what I said back at the bar. I expected nothing then, and I expect nothing now. I didn’t buy you a drink and bank on it helping me to score or anything like that. I just wanted to buy you a drink.”

“And, make me want to know something about you.” She giggled.

“Where’s the harm in that?”

There was none. Kagome could do nothing in response but grab a bowl and scoop a serving into it, offering it to him with a smile. 

Night had set in and Koga, Sango, and Ayame made home in the jacuzzi - despite her sunburn and the discomfort she initially hissed from upon entering - waiting for the fireworks to begin. Miroku leaned on the fence railing that separated the back patio from their private pathway to the beach, and Kagome, having just shrugged on a sweater, pulled Inuyasha to the side.

“Want to go for a walk?” She whispered, trying to keep the others out of her business, because she just knew some of them would hoot and howl inappropriately. 

“Absolutely.” He grinned, quietly following her out the side gate and down the path to the sand.

They kicked off their shoes as they reached the beach, peacefully walking side-by-side close to where the waves rode up, the night tide following the pull of the moon.

“What’s your favorite color?” Kagome innocently asked.

“Black, I guess.” He answered with a one-sided shrug.

“That’s a shade.”

He laughed lightly. “Red, then. No, blue. Blue’s better.”

“Blue is better.” She agreed, nodding.

“Is that yours?”

“Mhm. How old are you?”

“Twenty-five.”

“Ah. I’m twenty-two.”

“Is this the question game?” Inuyasha chuckled, his smile growing larger as she nodded again, grinning sheepishly. “Got it. Carry on.”

“Are you out here on vacation, too?”

“Nah, work. I’m stuck here for a couple months to monitor the transition of one of the new firms we acquired.” He answered, tugging her shirt his way to pull her out of the path of a wave that rode up higher than expected.

“That makes sense; you were a little dressed up this morning.”

“Eh. I’m supposed to do more than that to set an example, but I fucking hate putting on a suit. Since my brother’s not here to micromanage me while I micromanage others, I can get away with dressing down a bit.”

“So, you work with your brother?” She glanced at him, watching the small grimace he gave while facing forward.

“I work for my brother.” He politely corrected. “For now, at least. Still relatively new to the field. How long are you here for?”

“About three and a half more weeks.”

Inuyasha stopped walking, turning to her. The moonlight shined on her dark, wavy hair, emphasizing the mysterious, blue shading no one would ever be able to notice in the sun. The wind tousled her long locks, blowing strands she’d already tucked behind her ear around her jaw and the front of her neck. She was positively beautiful, radiant in this element, and he wondered if she knew. He wondered, if he told her, would she believe him? Kagome was something dangerous, her thick lashes hiding the brown shade of her eyes, her plush lips curved upward in curiosity, and he didn’t even bother to further question what had been coming over him since the moment he spotted her sitting at a table with her best friend. 

“Would it be okay if I wanted to see you again?” The hanyou asked, his voice taking on a husky note.

“You still want to see me?” She inquired honestly.

“Why the hell wouldn’t I?”

“Because, we have a time limit.”

“Maybe.” He bobbed his head to the side, agreeing. “But, personally, I’d like to use that time wisely. There’s something about you that has my undivided attention.”

“You don’t think it’s crazy?” Kagome asked, her tone dwindling slightly as her eyes dropped to his lips.

“I do, actually. It’s pretty crazy. But, is crazy always bad?”

Why was it, the first answer that popped into her mind was, not when it comes to you? Why was it, her inhale was shaky and tentative, and her chest filled with fluttering warmth instead of the nippy, ocean air? Why? Why was she so pulled to him, entranced by his eyes, willing to trust this man so easily after such an insignificant amount of time together? Maybe she was growing naive, because she wasn’t drunk nor was it hot anymore. Through it all, despite the lack of an answer to the riddle dancing in her mind, she shook her head in reply to him.

“If you say no, I’ll understand completely. You know that, right?” Inuyasha continued. 

And, for some reason, she did.

“But, if there’s a chance that you’re interested, I’d love to take you out one of these nights. Anywhere you want. That, or, if you’re feeling gutsy, you can come to my place and I’ll cook you dinner.”

“You can cook?” She asked, stepping in closer.

“Hell yeah, I can cook.” He smiled.

“I think I’m feeling gutsy.” Kagome said after a moment of consideration.

“Good. Friday night?”

“Friday night.” Her grin gleamed brightly, her skin glowing with the radiant colors that flashed overhead from the firework show beginning.

As she turned to face the booming explosions, her smile only seemed to grow larger, happier, delighted, and Inuyasha felt a hard and thunderous thump in his chest that threatened to bring him groveling to his knees. It could have been the fireworks, but he knew it was something else. Something inexplicable. Which was insane for him, because he wasn’t this type of guy. He didn’t do this shit. He didn’t believe in love at first sight, and he didn’t get wobbly on his feet just from seeing a beautiful woman. But, when he first spotted her, heard her laugh over the music and chatter, he was captivated, and for something mystical and powerful like that to take over him, he didn’t really want to put energy behind discovering the science of it. His energy belonged to figuring out who this girl was as quickly as he possibly could so he could evaluate just what he’d be missing when she left.

—

Despite the rampant butterflies in her stomach, Kagome managed to make it to her front door without crumbling. She took a moment to smooth her short, summer dress over her hips, hoping the light cardigan she donned over it made it look suitable for a first date. She’d packed for a vacation, not for wooing men, so she’d been stressing over what to wear for the last hour and a half. A good portion of her clothes smelled like sunblock already, the few skirts and dresses she packed for nights out with her friends were a little too skimpy for comfort, and the others were too casual for the evening. The happy medium was this white, flowy dress that dipped a little low in the front. The pink cardigan tied it together, and she spritzed a little body spray over herself to try and mask the scent of sunscreen.

Opening the door, she found Inuyasha standing on the other side, a charming grin appearing when their eyes met. He was donned in a black button up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the top couple of buttons sitting open and the hem remaining untucked from his jeans.

“Ready?” He asked, holding his hand out, and she quickly double checked that she had a spare key to the place, her wallet, and her cell phone in her purse before nodding eagerly and taking his hand.

“You look beautiful.” He mentioned as he opened the car door for her, and it took all of Kagome’s willpower not to stand there in utter bafflement at his gentleman-like behavior. He wasn’t a stranger to compliments, she was aware of that by now, but coming to the front door to get her instead of texting that he’d arrived? Opening the car door for her? Was he also the type of guy who asked a woman how her day was and stuck around for the detail? Because, if he was, she was damn near ready to offer him her body on the spot.

“Thank you.” Kagome smiled, blinking away her admiration as she smoothed her dress to cover her butt in the leather seat. When her legs were out of the way, Inuyasha shut the door for her, making his way around the front and into the driver’s side.

“Before we go anywhere,” He began, starting the engine of the vehicle. “You should share your location with your friends. That way they know where you are and don’t worry too much.”

There was no biting back the shock in her expression as her lips parted and her jaw hung slightly agape. Holy shit. She was fucking done for. 

Recovering as he glanced over at her, Kagome pulled her phone from her purse, opening her text messages with Sango. “My location’s already on, actually.” She said, showing him the proof.

“Good. Keep it that way.” He smiled, shifting the stick into gear as he drove off down the neighborhood.

Kagome wasn’t sure she’d ever been this attracted to a person. It was one thing to look the way he did, which was unfair on its own, but it was another to have a good personality to back it up. And, he could cook. Inuyasha was a living, breathing triple threat. Suddenly, she felt like anything she could say to spark conversation was stupid, or would come out stupid because there was no way she wouldn’t stammer thanks to how nervous she now was. All she could do was try to appear normal while literally chewing on her bottom lip, and hope he didn’t catch onto her current disposition.

“You know how to drive stick?” He spoke, peeking over at her after adjusting the gear shift.

Timidly, Kagome shook her head in answer. “I never learned.”

Inuyasha shifted it, then quickly reached for her hand, placing it on top of the stick.

“Wait, no, I don’t -“

“I got you.” He promised, resting his hand on top of hers and moving the stick to switch gears. He kept his palm there, doing all the necessary work but letting her feel the effects of it, the vibration, the heat from his hand, involvement. It was such a small act, but she smiled gleefully and he was struck by the comforting sound of her giggle.

“My turn for the question game.” He said, giving a little squeeze to her hand. He saw her look at him expectantly in his peripherals, keeping his eyes on the road. “What do you do for work?”

“I’m a full-time student in college. I’m going into my last year as soon as we get back, with an internship to balance out to boot.” Kagome answered, still a little nervous for the months ahead of her.

“Are you fucking kidding me? That’s awesome! You’re so close!” His tone, his expression, the way his grip tightened on her hand for a moment before he shifted gears again all seemed so genuine. He didn’t even know her, and his excitement for her was real. “I remember having to do that shit. Didn’t have time for anything outside of it.”

“Yeah, pretty much. And, I thought this last year was hectic. I know I’m in for a shock this coming year for sure. No extra time for anything fun; which is why it only took a little leg twisting to get me to agree to come out here.”

“I’m surprised it took any at all.” He remarked, chuckling.

“Keeping up with Ayame and Sango, and sometimes even Miroku, can be exhausting. I was planning on kicking back and binge watching Netflix series after Netflix series this summer, but then Sango said the magic words, so here I am.”

“Lucky me.” He said sincerely. “What were the magic words?”

“‘I’ll give you your underwear back.’”

Inuyasha blinked at her, safe to remove his sights from the road at the stop light they sat at. 

“She took them all. Hid them from me. Threatened to even give some away.”

“Ah, the leg-twister. Remind me to thank her later.” He laughed, getting back up to speed quickly once the light turned green. “Alright, what’s your favorite food?”

“Bread.” Kagome said, grinning.

“Bread?”

“Bread.”

“What’s your favorite food that’s not a carb?”

“Nonexistent.” Kagome finally answered, having to have thought it through.

“You’re that easy? I could just give you a loaf of garlic bread and you’d be happy?” Kagome groaned in ecstasy at the thought, slumping back into her seat, and Inuyasha laughed again. “So, yes.”

They pulled up to the curb, and the hanyou finally released her hand, shutting off the engine and unlatching his seatbelt. He’d noticed her brows furrow inquisitively while looking at the cottage-like home he currently resided in, but instead of responding to it, he chuckled and exited his car, meeting Kagome on her side as she’d just opened her door to get out.

“I thought you were only here for a small amount of time.” She said, stepping out of the way so he could shut the door and lock it.

“Yeah, two months. Less than that now, but still.” He replied, leading her through the small gate and up the two porch steps to the front door.

“Did you Airbnb this place?”

“Kind of. Something like that, I guess.” Inuyasha answered mindlessly, unlocking the door and letting her enter first. “Were you expecting a hotel room?”

“Not gonna lie, that’s exactly what I expected.” Kagome remarked, surprise etched into the expression of her face. 

“And, how am I supposed to even try to impress you in a hotel, Kagome?” He asked, shutting and locking the bolt. He guided her through the little entrance area, welcoming her into the comfortable and furnished living room, then to the open kitchen area.

“Impress me? After all this, you’re still trying to impress me?”

“What do you mean? I haven’t even done anything yet.”

“That’s a joke, right?” He didn’t answer, instead leaning forward on the opposite side of the counter, cocking a brow. “Oh my god, you’re not joking?”

“I literally have no clue what you’re talking about. All I did was pick you up, you dork. I can’t cook in a hotel room. In fact, I’m convinced you’d only be uncomfortable there.”

“So, did you get this place specifically so you could impress ladies?” She countered playfully, leaning toward him along the counter just as he was.

“My brother’s assistant booked it, so no.” Inuyasha smirked. “I would just never dream of trying to bring a girl back to a shoddy hotel. Especially, a girl like you.”

“A girl like me, huh? And, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Red or white?” He softly asked as he turned around and pulled two bottles of wine from the fridge, not disregarding her in the least.

“White, please.” Kagome answered happily.

“It means, you’re someone worth putting effort into.” Inuyasha answered, uncorking the bottle and pouring her wine into a glass he’d pulled from the cupboard. “You’re someone a guy should have to sweat to try and impress.”

“Why should I believe these aren’t just lines you’re serving?” Again, her tone was playful, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth as she smiled.

“Technically, they are.” He said, sliding her glass toward her as he finished pouring his own. “But, it’s also the truth. And, whether you believe that or not is all up to you, but the blush on your face tells me you already do.”

Quickly, Kagome ducked her face to the side, shielding herself with her palm. “You’re not supposed to point something like that out, you butt.”

He laughed, “Sorry.”

“Besides, you speak pretty boldly for someone who hardly knows me!” 

“Ah, and that’s what the question game is for, isn’t it?” Inuyasha pointed, sauntering back to the fridge to pull some vegetables out to chop. “You know how I know you’re worth the effort? This is part of the game, so don’t think I’m still flirting.”

“How?” She giggled.

“Because, when we first met, instead of giving in for the drink without thought, instead of just taking the courtesy, or even blowing me off, you challenged me. You looked me dead in the eye and made me work just to convince you to say yes. You basically told me right then and there that if I wanted any sort of response from you, I had to rise to the occasion. And, fuck, I loved it.”

“First of all -“

“How could you possibly have a counter for that!?” Inuyasha’s jaw dropped, clenching his laugh behind feigned shock.

“I’m argumentative, you’ll get used to it.” Kagome dismissed with a wave. “First of all, I don’t understand how me giving you a hard time made you see that there was more to me. Usually, I’m told I’m just being a little shit.”

“Maybe I’m into that kind of attitude.” The hanyou shrugged, pulling out a cutting board and a knife.

“Remember you said that if I ever frustrate you.”

“If we have enough time for you to piss me off, I’ll consider myself lucky.” He grinned, absentmindedly rinsing the bell peppers beneath the running faucet in the sink.

Kagome didn’t expect to be so taken aback by a single comment. Hearing him say that, seeing his smile, knowing he wanted whatever time he could get with her was flutter-inducing. All over, she felt warm, the budding sensation originating in her abdomen and expanding to cover every inch of her body. It was like he knew all the right things to say, and she dropped any ounce of skepticism she had remaining in her head. Because, doubting anything from this point on would only prevent her from enjoying this time that was proving to be valuable and already the best summer of her life. She’d met plenty of smooth talkers in her adult life, and while a couple may have scored, none of them ever made sure she felt safe and comfortable, seemed to put her first, and successfully made her feel some type of wonderful way. 

Skillfully, she hid her expression behind her wine glass, taking a small sip before continuing on. “Second of all, has any girl actually blown you off?”

“Oh, yeah!” He confirmed, bringing the now-clean vegetables back to the cutting board and laughing. “Plenty of times.”

“What!? No way! You!?”

“Don’t make me relive it, beautiful. I’m not everyone’s cup of tea.”

“Boy, you are iced tea coated in sugar. Yes, you are!” Kagome passionately and unthinkingly protested, brows pinching together and lips sealing shut as she realized what she’d spurted out. Inuyasha glanced up from the vegetable he’d just begun to cut, surprise, bewilderment, and amusement all painted onto his growing smile. Ducking behind her glass, Kagome took a large gulp to wash her embarrassment away. “Good wine.”

“Glad to know you feel that way.” Inuyasha said, tongue slowly sliding out to lick his bottom lip, his teeth lightly dragging over the moistened area as his tongue glided back inside.

“Next question.” Kagome urged.

“What are you majoring in?” He asked, the smug grin still on his face while he went back to chopping the veggies.

“Interior design with a minor in communication. Can I help?”

“Nope. What are your hobbies?”

“Binge watching shows and sleeping past six a.m.. Give me a bell pepper.”

“You can’t help me. It defeats the purpose of me cooking for you.”

“Don’t you think it would be better if we cooked together, though?” Kagome playfully argued.

“I don’t trust your cooking. You’re a college student. Your expertise lies in instant ramen.” Inuyasha joked.

“That’s not true; my expertise is in cereal, but that’s irrelevant. I think I can manage helping you out.”

“You literally just convinced me otherwise.” He laughed, moving the cutting board away from her as she reached across the counter. “I’ll let you help next time, so back off.”

“Oh, next time? Are you already asking me out on a second date, Inuyasha?” Her tone held the hint of flirtatiousness, and she propped her chin in her palm, her elbow braced on the counter.

Inuyasha couldn’t describe what he felt when he was with her. It was trivial. It was fucking thrilling. The glimmer in her brown eyes set him on edge and the natural pink of her lips had his undivided attention. Her voice was soothing, her hands fit perfectly in his, her scent was almost enough to hypnotize him, and what made it all so much sweeter was how natural everything seemed to flow between them. Sure, he was a bit nervous and she seemed shy at certain points, but that didn’t hinder anything. That didn’t turn off any switches or stiffen the atmosphere. It, instead, made it so much more pleasant; like, the air in the room became warm and comfortable as they talked and got to know one another with organic reactions, their muscles relaxing as they quickly grew more in tune.

With all that in mind, he couldn’t begin to explain what had suddenly come over him. It was like the answer to her question had to be an action. Like, he wanted to prove how crazy he already was for her. The way her lips shifted from a soft smile to a relaxed shape as she took a sip of her wine had him captivated. Inuyasha gently set his knife down, sauntering over to the sink to rinse his hands and dry them on the small rag on the counter. Then, he walked her way, slowly, stopping just inches from her body, and she turned to fully face him, receive him. Her cheeks flushed lightly, and he couldn’t resist the pull to touch her, tenderly brushing rogue strands of hair behind her ear.

“One last question,” Inuyasha said, his voice low. “May I kiss you?”

When her lips parted ever so slightly, and her lashes seemed to flutter from how she looked from his eyes to his mouth, he took his cue, leaning down to softly kiss her.

In that moment, there was a grip on her soul that tugged her closer to him. It was powerful yet calming, not the least bit unsettling, her mind blanking as she breathed him in. The kiss grew more heated, more curious, Inuyasha’s hands gliding into her hair as her own gripped at the sides of his shirt, her fists furling and bunching the fabric as she was completely enraptured by the moment. Lost in his kiss. Held hostage by his taste. A sensation climbed through her, something she’d never experienced before, her sigh coming out as unsteady as his. The hanyou backed her up, their bodies never breaking away from each other, nor their craving lips,  trapping her between himself and the counter.

With a wavering breath, Inuyasha continued to kiss her, his body firmly against hers, and still, Kagome found herself wishing he was closer. She was completely taken over by whatever unearthly power was at play, entranced by this force, by him, by everything. Her fingers trembled against him as they uncurled along his shirt, gliding up his sides to clutch again just to satiate her restless hands. When his mouth slowly pulled away, Kagome blinked her eyes open, focusing on the awe expression on Inuyasha’s face. Had he felt it, too?

And then, he took three steps back, almost seeming to try to appear composed, though his eyes spoke his truth. Maybe she should have done the same, but she was still held tight by what had just happened, and like a greedy devil, she wanted more. She never wanted it to end in the first place. What she felt was pure bliss. Invigoration blended fervently with a fierce desire to connect and stay connected, remain touching, never let go, never turn away. So, why had he? What was he thinking? What a stupid, stupid, stupid man. If he felt exactly what she had, he must contain the strongest willpower she’d ever encountered, because she was shaken to the core by the minor separation.

There was a bout of silence, the space filled by the soft sound of their slightly heavy exhales. For once, even he didn’t appear to have anything smooth to say. Good. If he spoke, Kagome would only shut him up. She wanted more. She needed it. That sensation hadn’t yet completely captivated her, made home in the center of her chest, and she wanted it to. Imagining this was the one time in her life that she’d be able to feel something so intense, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to soak every ounce of it up. And, she was fully convinced she’d only experience this with Inuyasha.

Rectifying the mistake he’d made, Kagome pushed off of the counter she leaned upon, stepping toward him without a trace of apprehension to reclaim his kiss. That seemed to be all the encouragement Inuyasha needed, as his hands, once more, were on her, in her hair, cradling her jaw, gliding down the sides of her neck to hold her solidly to him. Again, he backed her against the counter, but his fingers swiftly slid down to grasp her waist, bouncing her up to seat her against the counter’s surface. She felt so hot, that exciting sensation filling once more, like a hose left in a kiddy pool to fill to the brim, rocking her with shudders and trembling as the levels grew higher and higher, centimeter-by-centimeter, more and more. She’d spread her legs so Inuyasha could stand between them, his hands gripping her hips to pull her closer to the edge and solidly against him. His kiss was heated and hungry, a small reverberation rumbling through his chest and bringing Kagome’s uncontrollable fingers to grip the collar of his shirt to bring him impossibly closer, finding the noise utterly irresistible. 

One of his hands flew to the nape of her neck, gripping there as his hips gave a small grind between her thighs, and as she released the tiniest whimper, Inuyasha raked his fingers up through her hair, furling, clutching but not yet yanking, only asserting enough pressure that caused her to release the real heat of that noise while her hips gave a little roll of their own. He would have probably muttered a curse if he remembered how to speak, but no such luck. It was all he had not to have his way with her right then and there, especially as her fingers began fumbling against the buttons of his shirt, undoing them one-by-one, only pausing when he tightened his grip in her hair just an inkling and created the smallest of spaces between their mouths as he lightly dragged his lips over hers in a teasing motion. As if already well-versed with his ways, Kagome seemed to smile, waiting him out, letting him do as he pleased, and when he released his grip on her dark, thick locks, she closed the scant distance with a whispered but most melodic moan he’d ever had the pleasure of hearing, continuing her venture down the alley of buttons as if there was no inconvenience in the first place.

Just as she unlatched the final loop, Inuyasha pushed her hands away, refusing to let her immediately remove the garment as he clutched her thighs and picked her up, her legs instinctively hooking behind his back as he shifted an arm around her waist for further support. Carefully, he made his trek out of the kitchen and down the hall, pinning her against the wall along the way when she daringly stroked one of his ears. He’d never found himself weak for the sensation, but here he was damn near crumbling away when she did it, and her joyful giggle didn’t help any. Inuyasha ground against her, gripping into the plush skin of her thigh as he tasted her tongue, and when she gave a breathy gasp in response, her hands fell so her arms could circle around his neck, pulling herself closer to him.

He continued down the hall, his growing erection painful against his jeans, but simultaneously hot and wonderful. Not once had he ever been this turned on, this ready to make a woman his own, and no matter how badly he would no doubt end up aching from the anticipation, he was going to take his damn time with her.

As soon as they reached the doorway of the bedroom, he set her down, his hand gripping behind the back of her neck again to prevent her from separating from his kiss. Inuyasha tried to get the light switch but only ended up smacking the wall a few times before giving up, the room darkened by the blackout curtains that prevented the rays of setting sunlight from entering through. Fuck it, it didn’t even matter at this point. Their eyes would adjust, and he planned on feeling every inch of her to do all the seeing necessary, anyway.

Guiding their way toward the mattress, he utilized the space between to push the cardigan from her shoulders, allowing her to drop it to the floor as he reached for the hem of her dress and pulled it over her head, discarding the article of clothing entirely before reclaiming her soft lips with his own. Kagome finally pushed the opened shirt from his arms, her hands scaling over the toned ridges of his torso before landing on the button of his jeans.

She wasn’t quick enough to get the job done, though. They’d reached the side of the frame of the bed and Inuyasha pushed her down on top of it, taking off her strapped sandals and then quickly climbing over her as they both crawled further toward the center of the mattress. Kagome arched her back as his hand snaked beneath, his lips hovering over hers as she felt the smallest amount of pressure before her bra was snapped loose. She’d have shown her shock at his level of skill - or lack of a struggle, really - if she’d had it in her, but she was so enraptured by this man that his bewitching movements, his body weight, and the way he pulled the straps of her bra down her arms to throw to the floor only aroused her more. 

God, she wanted him so bad. She was nearly breathless just from the tantalizing way he kissed her, and now he was paying special attention to the curve of her neck, a palm of his skimming over her breast as the other supported the majority of his position on top of her. It was hard to speak, to make any noise, really, unless he, himself, brought it out of her. His body heat felt so comforting, yet teased her all the same as he pulled away to stand on his knees, placed perfectly between her thighs to unbutton his pants and pull them down a smidge so that it was cotton grinding on cotton, masterfully preventing the chaffing from his jeans when he leaned back over her to give her more. 

Inuyasha’s mouth was currently devoted to her clavicle, and Kagome felt as if she would melt, a whimpered sigh leaving her lips as he rolled his hips against her. Everything he was doing was so perfect. It was everything she’d discovered she loved and more. Like, he had a window into her cravings and was expertly utilizing all the information he had at his disposal, amping it up a little just to soften things back so the sensations didn’t become too much too fast.

“Condom?” Kagome finally forced out, her tone feeble and whispered.

“Don’t worry, baby.” He murmured against her skin, his own voice deep and vibrational. Just that, alone, made her moan, but he begrudgingly stopped.

Inuyasha breathed out slowly, bringing himself back up to hover above her lips. He dragged them over, not allowing her to kiss him as he traveled to her cheek, planting a sweet kiss there. One to her nose, her other cheek, then her jaw. It was like he was taking his time, his lips lingering against her skin as he skimmed downward, his hot tongue coming to play when he reached sensitive spots along her neck. Her collarbones were tended to delicately, then her chest was kissed before he made his way to her breasts, one hand taking residence over the right as his mouth made home on the left.

She was beginning to ache with how slow he was going, taunting her with languid kisses, avoiding her nipple as he gave the soft plush of her tits special attention that no one had ever taken the time to give before. He switched over to the right, his warm hand now squeezing the left, and once his lips landed on her nipple, kissing softly, Kagome reactively arched her back to feel more from him. Inuyasha chuckled, the sound damn near sending her reeling, and then took the perked bud into his mouth, sucking slightly before flicking it with his tongue. She shuddered, biting her lip to attempt to silence the whine that escaped, but as if he was determined to make her fold, he sucked a little harder, teasing her opposite nipple with the pad of his finger.

Inuyasha was diligent to make sure both breasts were treated equally, driving Kagome mad, and she especially found it insanely sexy when he could no longer bring himself to play with the tit in his hand, having to drive it between them to massage his hard cock for a moment, his knuckles rocking up and down along her pelvis. Still, despite his own grunts from the attention, he didn’t seem to be in any sort of hurry, his lips focused on her sternum, little parts of her ribcage, her stomach, the underside of her navel, then the hemline of her panties. As soon as his fingers curled within the garment at the sides of her hips, Kagome was swift to comply, lifting upward so he could drag the cotton down her legs to completely forget about once dropped.

He kissed along the front of her hips, his hands traveling up and down the outside of her thighs as he made himself comfortable between them. Kagome thought she couldn’t think straight before, but now she was completely captivated by him, her thought process muddled, useless, and debilitated. Hell, whatever this man wanted from her, he could have. He could take. He could have his way with her, and she’d fucking thank him at this point.

Inuyasha kissed her inner thighs, watching the way her chest heaved slightly. Something told him she’d never been worshipped before. It added fuel to his fire. He was dead set on personally showing her the treatment she deserved. Providing it was the true pleasure here. Her inner thighs seemed to be a sweet spot for her; he could tell by the way she clutched the blankets above her head in anticipation of each nip, kiss, and lick he served, switching from one leg to the other so she wouldn’t get too comfortable. Tempting her to make one of those gorgeous mewls, Inuyasha gently bit into the plush, witnessing the way her body contorted slightly, clearly out of her control, her chest rising higher, her hips leveraging away from him, the breathy sound from her mouth taunting him to reach for more. He held onto the outer sides of her thighs, making it impossible for her to squirm away as he did it again, sucking to apply the perfect amount of pressure, the keen she released in response music to his ears. Each time he bit into her, sucked on her inner thighs, squeezed his hands against her tensed legs, he inched his way toward her core, noticing how breathless she seemed to be. He debated slowing down even more, but figured that would only be cruel. He was king at teasing, but she was the queen that deserved all of the deliberate attention he could give. 

Tenderly, he kissed her lips, not wanting to shock her by diving right in, though he’d been dying to taste her. Another scant kiss and then he lightly dragged his tongue within her pussy, his hands shifting to hold her hips still instead of her thighs as she curved her spine for more. She tasted like a decadent desert, forcefully shoving him further into his trance. God, he wanted to hear her voice, hear how mad he was driving her, and he flattened his tongue, licking up to her clit in a way to beg her for the pleasure her satisfaction provided. Kagome’s hands flew into his silver hair, gently combing her nails through as she panted, her fingers slightly quaking along his scalp. He was working his way to build her up, lapping her up like the delicious treat she fucking was, his mind running absolutely wild, a groan leaving his own throat when he finally gave in to gift a mild suck on the bundle of nerves. Her hips bucked and Inuyasha tightened his grip, pinning her there, and she gave a shuddering moan, clutching his hair. He followed the cues from the noises she’d make, switching between licking her up to sucking her off, so fucking pleased by her stammering breaths, the way she’d inadvertently pull him closer by her grip on his hair, and the absolutely erotic way part of his name fell from her lips before she audaciously stroked his ear. As if she hadn’t learned her lesson from before. He fucking loved it; how she still attempted to give him attention while he ate her out like the goddess she was, how, even though she had a wonderful grip on his tousled hair, she was delicate with the appendage atop his head, how she managed to laugh a little while he moaned from how good it all felt, the reverberation no doubt tickling her pussy while she was simultaneously proud of herself for getting that reaction from him. The little, fucking vixen. Her giggle had been half joyful, half titillating, and like adding charcoal to a fire, he was fueled to drive her wild. Inuyasha dragged his tongue from her entrance to her clit multiple times, noticing how much she shook from his tedious and heavy attention. Then, he began to avoid her nerves at all costs, even exploring back to her thighs, biting, sucking, holding her still as she wriggled and whined. He went back to her pussy, evading her clit as he slowly lapped her up, then transferred his affection to her thigh, intent on giving her a hickey from how hard her couldn’t help but suck. Inuyasha trapped her wrists against her hips, multitasking in the way he made it impossible for her to do anything but accept what he gave. Kagome couldn’t beg from how her breath kept hitching, her whimpers clenched and strained as she obviously was close to climaxing. Eagerly, he gave her what she needed, licking the swollen bud and then finally sucking it into his mouth, listening intently to the way her breaths became short, shallow, laced with keens as her thighs tensed along the sides of his head. Inuyasha never stopped, and he would have fucking smiled from how heavenly this entire thing was if his mouth wasn’t preoccupied, focused entirely on her. He shifted his hold on her wrists to grasp her hands, entwining their fingers so she could shakily clutch him, her body progressively growing more and more taught. Only a little more and she quaked, squeezing his hands, her lungs hitching completely as she came.

Inuyasha slackened the intensity of his attention, little-by-little, not immediately pulling away so he could ride out her orgasm until her body decided it was done. When she began to breathe again, heavily at that, the hanyou released her, kissing her lips in finality and letting go of her hands. She was spent, her eyes closed as she regained some form of composure, her arms limp on her stomach, and if he hadn’t begun to crawl over her, he was sure her legs would have closed and fallen to the side. He gave her a moment, stroking her hair at the sides of her temples and behind her ears, treating her with the utmost amount of care until she came to.

Kagome fluttered her eyes open, landing on Inuyasha’s patient expression. His features were shadowed from the darkness, but still, with her adjusted sight she could appreciate how handsome he appeared in the low hues. Like, any form of lighting complimented him gorgeously. She licked her bottom lip, raking her teeth over the moistened area in the hopes that he’d catch the hint and kiss her, but instead he gifted her with one of his crooked grins, his fingers softly raking down the side of her neck to gently curl around her throat. There was no preventing her obvious joy from the motion, her sigh pleasurable as she notched her chin upward to give his large hand room to claim her, her heart like a force of thunder beneath her ribcage that she was positive he felt.

“Stay here.” He said huskily, and she had no choice but to oblige.

She missed his body heat as soon as he removed himself from the bed, and she noticed, as her knees fell together, no longer separated by his hips, that her thighs still shook minutely from her previous orgasm. She could hear the rustle of clothing as he removed his pants and boxers, hear a drawer opening, a tiny crinkle of a packet, then his weight administering back onto the mattress as he gently situated himself over her once more, guiding her knees open to welcome him back in. Kagome was quick to find him with her hands, his weight braced on his elbows as he laid over her, and she stroked up the sides of his waist, feeling each curve and edge of the sculpted muscles beneath his skin. She could feel the warmth radiating off of him, soaking into her, his chest pressed to hers as he gave a soft grind of his hips, no longer hindered by his clothing. Just wonderful, blissful, searing sensations as his cock glided along her core. Finally, he kissed her, his lips so sweet and tender, and she wanted him closer, arching her back to feel the way his chest hitched when he breathed her in, her hands roaming over his sides, his defined back that flexed as he rolled his hips again, up to his shoulders and then his arms, massaging the biceps that supported him. 

One of his arms slipped away from her as he slid it between them, positioning himself perfectly, and he broke apart from the kiss, just enough to hover an inch or two above her face while he pushed inside of her. Slowly. Kagome felt his abdominals tense as he glided deeper, his sigh hot as her body happily accepted him, but when he released a clenched groan, almost sounding like a meager whimper of his own making, her mind blanked and a flush trickled through each vein of her body, threatening to cause her to melt on the spot. It was the sexiest sound she’d heard from him yet, so small and so genuine, so pleased and erotic, more rewarding than anything she’d experienced up until then. 

There was no stopping her loss of control, because frankly, she wanted him to take it. Kagome whined for more, her hands fumbling as he barely bucked against her, gripping, releasing, and gripping his biceps again as they were both now back where they needed to be. Inuyasha shushed her sweetly, chuckling as he ducked close to her ear, applying more fervency into his thrusts.

“Calm down, baby, you’ll get it.” He whispered before dipping to kiss her neck, exploring until she pinched her nails into his skin, clearly locating the key spot and sucking tenderly. He retaliated against her eager fingers, laughing breathily against her flesh when he pulled from her grasp one arm at a time, capturing her wrists to pin above her head in the clutch of one of his hands. Her wrists were so small compared to his palm, it wasn’t even a chore to keep her captive, taking his time as he built his rhythm to drive her mad. He gave the reddened mark on her neck a little nip, loving the vibrations that came through her throat as she moaned. 

Steadily, he fucked her a little harder, the sound of skin slapping against skin filling the room, and it seemed to be almost exactly what she wanted as he watched her eyes flutter closed and her teeth drag along her bottom lip. Begrudgingly, he released her hands, opting for a grip over her throat, never hindering airflow. Inuyasha kissed her jaw, not failing to notice the way she opened herself up for him, how she kept her hands above her head for him, how she mewled seductively when he took a moment to push as deep as he could inside of her, rubbing his pelvis against her pussy to change up his rhythm, to tease her clit, to see just how much this woman could handle. Fuck, she was so alluring. He wanted more of her. He wanted all of her.

Kagome clenched her fists, enjoying the delightful sound of his heated breath in her ear, the way his pace slowed to an uneven grind. His fingers held her neck in such a perfect manner - not too tight but not too soft; enough to let her know he was there and could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. He grunted, muffling the sound as he ducked his face into her shoulder, his breath so hot and blissful. Wanting more, wanting to do something for him, wanting to please Inuyasha, she gave the edge of one of his shoulders a small shove, lifting her hips into him as he hastily complied, wrapped one of his arms behind her waist and rolled over, never separating from her.

The hanyou seemed almost breathless beneath her, especially as she pushed herself up to hover over his lips just as he’d done to her before. She smiled, taking a moment to stroke aside the silver strands of hair that stuck to his face, clinging from beads of sweat she also took the liberty of wiping away, taking particular care of the area around his eyes. His golden irises were so bright, they almost glowed in the darkness, bewitching her fully. Inuyasha reached for a kiss, and she would never refuse him, breathing him in as she deepened the motion. Her hips tediously rocked, and she couldn’t believe that the softest movement still brought a clenched groan out of him, one he’d intentionally tried to subdue, one that made her sigh in response. Kagome rose to sit straight, dragging her fingers down the center of his chest to his abdomen where she lightly braced her hands - more for balance than to utilize his frame to increase her tempo. She could do that all on her own. Inuyasha’s hands gripped the plush of her hips, squeezing slightly as he followed her grind, his head falling back into the comforter as his eyes closed in utter enjoyment. She increased her pace into a mild bounce, eating up the way he clutched her hips tighter, the way his own hips seemed to leverage higher so he’d hit deeper, the way he breathed and tensed beneath her. 

Inuyasha looked back at her, completely enthralled by the woman on top of him. He glided his hands to her thighs, feeling the way they flexed as they worked, then up to her waist to give attention to the beautiful curves, then to her bouncing breasts as he claimed them as his, massaging, needing, and observing how a sinful, little pout formed on her face when he tended to her nipples. That look, alone, could have potentially been his downfall, but instead it amped him further, determined to never forget the way she looked as she rode him perfectly.

She started going a little harder, his mind once more growing muddled as the sensations built. Kagome was so goddamn irresistible like this, but he wasn’t going to let her finish this on top. He let her have her fun. He let her have her way for a moment. Now, he was going to send her into the best sleep of her life.

Inuyasha reached behind her neck, pulling her to his chest so he could hold behind her back, quickly rolling her over and never ceasing the rhythm. He took over immediately, thrusting against her, harder and harder, her little body bouncing beneath him as he watched it all on his hands and knees. His pelvis slapped against hers, the sound so fucking erotic, mixed with her moans and whimpers that pushed him to a ledge. He knew she was spiraling closer, he could tell, he could read her language easily - as if he’d already had it memorized like the back of his hand. His own grunts and groans were growing louder, almost growls as he fucked her even harder, faster, and when he noticed her pussy clench against his cock when he actually did let out an accidental growl, and the way she made the most delightful mewl and practically rolled her eyes into the back of her head in absolute gratification, he was just about done in. Inuyasha  braced himself on an elbow, never faltered in his bucking, utilizing his free hand to tenderly stroke her neck, her cheek, and push the hair out of her face while growling lowly in her ear, coaxing her with gentle words in between to get her to cum for him. Oh god, her body grew incredibly taut, her voice muffled as he kissed her, riding her out harder than he should have as he tumbled into his own orgasm.

The afterglow was peaceful, and he was welcomed to lay on top of her for a sweet moment when, despite her shaking fingers, she softly stroked his sides, then his back, giggling as she had to wiggle one arm free so that she could rake the hair out of his face again, massaging his scalp with her nails as he came down. He got to listen to the sound of her heart pounding, focusing on the melody as it steadily calmed, soothing him.

Worried he was crushing her, Inuyasha rolled off, taking residence on his back next to her. He found her hand, manipulating his way beneath it so he could entwine their fingers, feeling the desire, no, the necessity to touch her in some meager manner.

“Still think it’s silly if I ask you out on a second date now?” Inuyasha asked. The two of them fell into a fit of laughter, happy and content and amused all the same.

It took almost too much effort to maneuver off of the bed, and maybe it shouldn’t have boosted his pride so, but seeing how much more she seemed to struggle than he, it was nothing short of a compliment. Kagome appeared almost groggy, hardly speaking aside from the soft, little thanks she gave when he helped her climb down from the mattress, and the tiny sound she made when she turned about aimlessly in search of the bathroom. He hastily disposed of the condom in the small trash bin by the nightstand, then took her hand, personally walking her to the bathroom to make sure her legs weren’t too unsteady. 

“If you touch that dress, I’m throwing it away.” He said jokingly as she reached for it after emerging from the bathroom, though it was also genuinely easy to take him seriously in that moment. She glanced up at him, perplexed but smiling, and he sauntered over to her from the dresser, now donned in a pair of sweats. Delicately, he leaned down and kissed her, simultaneously kicking the white summer dress away, swallowing her giggle. “Text Sango. Let her know you’re staying the night.”

Kagome blushed. After all that, she blushed. She didn’t want to argue, but even if she did, she purely didn’t have the energy for even a feigned attitude. To stay over with him, sleep with him, wake up to him, she didn’t know why but the idea made her happy. In a silent response, she waltzed over to his old, discarded shirt from before, picking it up from the floor and shoving her arms through the sleeves, so much looser on her than it appeared while it was on him. 

The hanyou gifted her with that crooked smile she loved so much, looking her up and down as she buttoned it up to her mid chest. “Good girl.” He whispered, and holy hell, that was just playing dirty. That, alone, made her knees damn near wobble, and she blinked at him, enchanted and in awe.

“Get back in bed, babe. I’ll be right back. The tv remotes are on the nightstand.” Inuyasha said, leaving the room.

She searched the floor for her panties, finally finding them in the dark before slipping them on and dropping her body facedown on the mattress, exhausted, ready to fall asleep right then and there before her favored hanyou came walking back in, chuckling at her lifeless form. She heard him set something on the surface of the bedside table before he sat next to her, leaning over to stroke her messy hair.

“What do you want on your pizza?” He asked softly.

“Cheese.” Kagome mumbled.

“Nothing else?”

“More cheese.”

“Got it. I brought you water. Drink it, okay?”

“There’s a twenty in my wallet in my purse. Put it towards the food.”

Inuyasha gave her butt a small spank. “Shut the fuck up.” He laughed, leaving the room again. “Where’s your phone?” He shouted from the kitchen.

“Purse.” She replied lazily, hoping he’d magically catch what she said because she sincerely didn’t have it in her to talk any louder. Surprisingly, he came back a brief moment later, playfully sliding her cell next to her face, picking her hand up, and planting it on top. 

With a forfeiting sigh, she clutched the device and rolled over to her back, sending her best friend a quick message saying she was staying over before pushing herself to a sitting position. Inuyasha sat next to her, handing over the bottle of water he’d brought her before gently stroking her leg.

“You okay?” He asked, warmheartedly.

“I’m perfect.” Kagome responded honestly, leaning in to give him a small kiss.

—

Kagome awoke the next morning, embraced in comfort and wonderful body heat. After eating pizza and getting three-quarters of the way through a movie, Kagome had cuddled up to Inuyasha, the both of them indulging in lazy conversation and affection throughout the night before they finally drifted off. Not once in her afterglow stupor did he tease her or complain. Inuyasha, in fact, was incredibly affectionate and caring. He massaged her scalp and combed her hair with his fingers, he stroked the skin of her thighs and her waist, he placed kisses to her forehead. She was on cloud nine, really. There was a point where, though exhausted, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other, and he’d unbuttoned her shirt, never stripping it off of her, but opening it up so he could touch and taste her at his leisure. She’d never experienced something so beautiful, where there were zero obligations, just two people in a trance, exploring slowly, sedately, soaking up the way muscles flinched when touched in certain manners, the way breathing increased in the peace of the night, the way it was so remarkably comfortable kissing someone, learning about someone until sleep overtook you.

He’d parted the blackout curtains a bit before crawling into bed with her to let the moonlight in, rays of sunshine filtering through now, painting the white walls in dull shades of yellow and orange. It was early. She could tell by the chill in the air and the way the colors weren’t blinding. Inuyasha’s breathing was deep and rhythmic, his arm draped over her as he was snuggled to the curve of her back. 

As if sensing she’d awoken, the man kissed the nape of her neck, pulling her a little closer to his chest as he littered the area with slow, sleepy kisses. His hand pushed within her shirt, parting the two sides so he could softly rub her tummy, grumbling a husky, “Good morning,” in her ear. Kagome hummed contentedly in response, feeling the shift as he began to adjust his position, pulling her to lay on her back as he lazily rolled over her, pushing the blankets off of them as he went. She was almost too pleased to comply, welcoming him in between her legs as his sweatpants lightly chaffed against her inner thighs. She could tell he still wasn’t completely awake, his lips dragging and lethargic, but his intention remained.

Inuyasha serenely sighed against her neck, sluggishly making his trek down her body and peppering her in kisses along the way. Kagome’s eyes were closed, savoring the affection he so willingly bequeathed. He made his way over her sternum, then traveled to her ribcage, kissing to her waist, then her stomach, then the opposite side of her ribs for evenness. He kissed above her bellybutton, below it, then again on each side of it before coming back up to take her lips as his, evidently a little more awake now. 

As he propped himself above her on one hand and further pushed her shirt open with the other, Kagome took an opportunity to soak in the visual of him, the way his short, messy hair fell downward with gravity, the way certain muscles in his arms were flexed from supporting his weight, the way the early rays of light complimented his skin tone. For a brief moment, as she usually allotted, she focused on his chest, her fingers painting over his toned muscles to fully appreciate him until her heart stilled. His chest. His left pec. There it was. The faded and tan, uneven and circular birthmark she’d envisioned. She was so focused on it, she’d hardly remembered to breathe, the pads of her fingers tracing the small blemish that linked her. Then, her attention shifted to Inuyasha’s stunned expression, and he looked almost fearful as he seemed to process what was going through her mind.

“No.” He spoke lowly. “No. No, no. Have you had the dream?” Inuyasha sat back on the mattress, staring at her with indiscernible concern as she rose to sit, as well.

“The… it’s you.” Kagome breathed. The small smile he gave, though still riddled with some sort of disturbance, was laced with a modest percentage of anguished relief as he tilted his head and reached to tenderly caress her cheek.

“Yeah. It’s me, Kagome.”

“Wait, did - did you know?”

“Since last night. I opened your shirt to see if what I’d dreamt was there. The small arrow tattoo on your ribs. And, the freckle beneath it.” Inuyasha admitted.

It was taking a moment to sink in. All of it. Kagome was in a state of stiffened shock and confusion. He’d known since last night, but she didn’t remember any sort of significant reaction coming from him; not a typical one you’d expect at least, much like the one she was giving now - though, now that she thought about it, she realized he had been paying fine attention to her tattoo. Truthfully, she’d gotten it for her eighteenth birthday and forgot it was there the majority of the time. It was a tiny and basic design. But, yet, it had been his indicator to find her. With the freckle beneath. Still, while he kissed it over and over in the moonlight of their romantic evening, nothing particularly tipped her off. Not a gasp, not a jolt of any sort, not a sign of hesitation. In fact, she’d never felt more adored in her life.

So, why did he not seem happy? This was supposed to be exciting, wasn’t it? A good thing? Wasn’t it?

“I-I don’t get it.”

“Kagome -“ He dropped his hand.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t know if you knew.” Inuyasha said.

“It doesn’t really seem like you wanted me to know, either.” She wasn’t defensive, she was just bemused.

“I didn’t. I didn’t want you to know. Not yet.” When she didn’t say anything, her brows furrowing further, and brown eyes unable to confidently stay on him, flickering away unsteadily, Inuyasha continued on. “Kagome, listen. It’s bad timing. Really fucking bad timing. We both knew this thing between you and I had an expiration date. I figured if I was the only one that knew, I could handle the weight of it on my own. I didn’t want you to have to deal with the pressure. I didn’t want you to have to deal with any of this. Not until we stood a chance.”

“But -“ Kagome felt a little tongue tied, having a difficult time trying to wrap her head around anything. She closed her shirt, fastening two buttons in the middle to keep her body remotely covered, scooting herself off the bed so she could pace the room in a meager attempt to process and focus. She pushed her disorderly, wavy hair away from her face at the sides, discovering the uneasy, prickling sensation expanding in the pit of her stomach was anxiety. Her heart was beginning to pound erratically, and she felt a diluted series of jitters coming over her. “You’re my soulmate?”

“Yes.” Inuyasha answered, turning his position on the mattress to face her, his expression still ringing of concern, but most likely due to her incapability to rationalize as quickly as he seemed to.

“I thought - I thought finding each other was supposed to be romantic and happy. So, why is this not?”

“Because, you have a full agenda, and it’s not fair to be forced to balance out a new relationship on top of it. You know that.”

“Yeah, I know, but -“

“No, Kagome, I’ve been there. Going into your final year of college is hard enough, let alone maintaining an internship schedule, finding a moment to eat something and do laundry, and managing to get all of your homework done while attempting to get more than four hours of sleep a night - if that! And, it’s not just as simple as throwing a new relationship you weren’t prepared for in the mix. It’s a long distance relationship. Once I’m done here, I’m going to Europe for god knows how long.”

“Europe!?” Kagome’s face twisted, surprised, completely unsuspecting of how much worse this could get.

Inuyasha heaved a tedious sigh, propping his elbows on his thighs and ducking his head into his hands to gain his bearings. She’d stopped pacing, but he could fully sense her apprehension and unsteadiness while she waited for him to respond. When he was ready, he dropped his hands, still leaning on his legs, looking at her with as much mercy as he could manage in the moment. “Yeah. My dad passed when I was a kid and left his company to my brother and I. And, as much as I hate working for my brother at the moment, I can’t find it in me to walk away from what my father created. It’s a good corporation. We help kids in the system, and little-by-little, we’re taking over shit places and turning them around completely to better care for children in foster homes. Europe’s the big step for me in becoming a partner, and believe you me, despite my attitude at times, I’m the one with the heart necessary to balance out my dad’s legacy. Sesshomaru’s the brains.”

“Oh.” Kagome breathed. There was nothing more to question; that was as solid a reason to not be able to commit to anything as her senior year was. In fact, to her, his situation carried greater validity.

Inuyasha stood from his seat, carefully crossing the room to her. “Look at me.” He quietly said, cradling her jaw in his palms and tilting her head back so she’d comply. “Be honest, okay? Logically thinking, did you ever expect anything from this after you went home?”

Kagome shook her head in his hands. “No. I was the one to say we had a time limit.”

“And, is there even a sane part of you that thinks you’d be able to find a healthy way to manage your schedule and a long distance relationship?”

“No.” She admitted, chuckling disbelievingly. She pulled herself out of his hold, having a better grasp on the situation, but still a question weighed on her. “What were your plans? If I hadn’t had the dream yet, and you were the only one aware that we were soulmates like you wanted, what was your next step?”

“I was just gonna take what I could in the time allotted.”

“And, then what?”

“Business, as usual.”

“That’s it?”

“What else could I do?” He inquired, perplexed.

“I don’t know.” Kagome slightly stammered. “Ghost me? Wouldn’t that be easier on you?”

“Wait, excuse me? You want me to ghost you?” His tone piqued skeptically, his expression twisting.

“No! Nobody wants that! But, given the situation, it’d be more than understandable! You’d be saving yourself a lot of stress!”

“Stress isn’t what I’d label it.” He remarked.

“Okay, whatever! But, why would you willingly put yourself through this? It doesn’t make sense!”

“Well, what would you do, Kagome!?” Inuyasha snapped, raising his voice. “Honestly! Tell me! What would you do if you knew a person was your soulmate and you were only given an insignificant amount of time with them!? Would you take it or run!?”

Her eyes widened, her cheeks flushing dully, bottom lip trembling from the unforgiving truthfulness before them before she pinched her lips together in a measly attempt to keep her emotions grounded. 

It was his turn to incredulously chuckle as he cocked a brow at her. “You’d run?”

“I - no! I don’t know! This is a lot!”

There was a moment of silence between them where Kagome’s eyes uncontrollably shifted from the floor to his birthmark and Inuyasha stared out the open part in the curtain. She heard him drag in a deep breath, his chest noticeably expanding before he gave in and looked back at her.

“I was scared. When I saw the tattoo on you, I was fucking terrified.” Inuyasha spoke, his tone surprisingly level. “Everything seemed to click, though. It all made sense; why I was so attracted to you, why I understood you, why I felt so connected to you, why I wanted to see you as much as possible no matter what came of it. Maybe I’m impulsive in quickly deciding to live it up, but can you blame me? It’s you. I fucking found you. I was up most of the night thinking it through, and the thought of ignoring the opportunity for something made me want to puke.”

Kagome’s heart sank deeper, unable to monitor her expression as she huffed, her fingers shaking from her spiking anxiety levels. “How cruel is this?” She cynically asked. “This is the biggest ‘fuck you’ fate’s ever served.”

“I know.” Inuyasha agreed. “I stand by it, though; what I said. I still want to be able to say I took the chance with you than say I missed it.”

Kagome nodded, not quite sure what she was acknowledging but still giving him the acknowledgment, nonetheless. She scoured the ground, searching for her clothes and found them on the arm of the corner chair where Inuyasha had neatly placed them, tracking over to them and scooping it all into her arms. “I’m - I’m gonna get dressed and call an Uber, okay?”

“What? No. If you want to go, I’ll take you.” He said, brows pinching together.

“No. Thank you, but no. I don’t think I can handle the awkward and silent car ride back to my place on top of all this.”

“Kagome, I brought you here. It’s my responsibility to get you home.” Inuyasha stated with steady resolve.

“Can you just - I need to digest this, Inuyasha. On my own.” Kagome argued, swiveling on her heel and heading straight to the bathroom to change.

When she came out, donned in her dress and cardigan from the night before, the bedroom was empty. The air in the place, though, was tense and heavy. She felt horrible. For the way she imagined Inuyasha was feeling right now, for the way everything was turning out, and for the way she figured she was only making everything worse by not spontaneously jumping into his arms to accept the terms and conditions of destiny’s bullshit. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand, and her sandals by the chair, slipping them on her feet and reaching behind to hook the strap around her ankle before leaving the room to seek out her purse. She’d prefer to call and wait for her ride home at the corner, anyway. That way, she could remove herself from the discomfort and begin to breathe somewhat easier again as she allowed the situation to sink through her skin.

Inuyasha was standing by the counter in the kitchen, a shirt now covering his torso. She could see the tribulation written on his face, but when he noticed her, he still attempted a small smile.

“I ordered you an Uber that’ll take you home.” He said, gesturing to the cellphone illuminated directly in front of him on the counter. “That way, I know you’ll get there safely since I can watch the trip, and you won’t have to text me or anything.”

The guilt felt like a dense liquid in her abdomen, overwhelming each organ one at a time. “Can I give you money for it?”

“No.” Inuyasha shook his head. “I don’t want your money. I just want you to think about what I said. Deal?”

“Deal.” She agreed, giving a meager nod. Like an invisible force pulling her forward, Kagome closed the space between him, hugging him and burying her face in his chest, and Inuyasha didn’t hesitate to hold her, kissing the top of her head. This wasn’t his fault, and she was scared the next words out of his mouth were going to be an apology. She could see it clearly in his ember eyes. And, all she wanted was to make it go away.

Being held by him was soothing, and it almost felt like he was soaking up as much of the disconcertment she was muddled with as he could. He really was willing to cope with this on his own, wasn’t he?

The app on his phone dinged with the common notification that the driver had arrived, and Inuyasha arched back slightly, cradling her jaw once more as comfortingly as possible, then leaned down to place a sweet kiss on her lips.

“It’s gonna be okay, alright? No matter what.” He stated confidently, pushing some hair behind her ear before releasing her and reaching for her purse to hand over. She nodded appreciatively, resting the strap over her shoulder and heading to the door as he walked her out to the car.

Kagome sighed heavily as she reentered her best friend’s vacation house. The living area was empty. Silent. The clock on the wall ticking away seconds as she, for the first time that morning, realized just how early it was. It was barely seven-thirty, still a little chilly from the ocean breeze as the summer sun steadily rose higher in the sky. Not wanting to wake Sango by entering the bedroom they shared, she decided to think things through on the back patio until people rose.

With how jumbled her mind was, Kagome only managed to make it to the kitchen counter, a glass of water in hand to sip, listening to the never ending ticks of the moving clock hands while everything she learned this morning replayed in her head. While she felt less jittery now, she was still disturbed, unable to determine what the right thing to do was. Her soulmate. It was him. It was Inuyasha. He was within reach, yet soon would be so far. Was all this worth it? Or should she protect herself?

Lethargic, shuffling feet came from down the hall, growing louder as her best friend appeared in a large shirt that didn’t belong to her. Kagome and Sango locked eyes, Sango looking like a deer in the headlights, probably not actually having heard Kagome come home. Her long, brown hair was a mess - normally pretty straight but wavy and unruly at the moment. The most peculiar part of it was, Sango had stumbled from the hallway that led to Miroku’s and Ayame’s rooms. Given Koga was here, it wasn’t hard to determine which room she’d settled in for the night.

“When did you get home?” Sango inquired as innocently as possible, her voice small. 

“Two minutes ago.” Kagome couldn’t stop the slow-spreading smile on her face. With a small notch of her head, she silently asked her best friend if she’d come from Miroku’s room.

Sango followed the motion of her gesture, grimacing slightly before answering with a bashful. “Yeah. Let’s go get coffee and talk about it there.”

Kagome laughed, following her into their bedroom so they could both change into fresh clothing before heading to a nearby coffee shop. 

“So, what’s up? You’re not the cheery, I-got-laid version of Kagome I expected to see this morning.” Sango mentioned, taking a seat at a round, empty table at the cafe as they waited for their iced coffees.

“Oh, um, you first. I want to hear your story before I tell mine.” Kagome deterred, not even bothering to put too much effort into a feigned, joyful tone, knowing her best friend would see right through it.

“Kagome, what happened?” There was a little more concern that time, Sango’s head cocking to the side.

“Nothing bad, I promise! It was a good night! But, more importantly, you came out of Miroku’s bedroom this morning wearing Miroku’s shirt. Care to explain?” She giggled, teasing her embarrassed friend. Her cheeks were a vibrant red, and she hid the side of her face behind a hand so passerby’s wouldn’t see.

“Take a wild guess.”

“Did you have sex!?” Kagome hissed, laughing.

“Oh, like you didn’t already know!” Sango reached over and slapped Kagome’s forearm, laughing from her own humiliation. “I don’t know what came over me, dude! Or, him! He’s been acting kind of different with me for the past few days, and I don’t know, I like it! So, we all went to a bar last night, okay?” She said, prepared to get into the story. They weren’t far from the counter at all, so when the barista called their names, she got up to retrieve their coffees, only pausing her retelling to thank the girl that prepared them, and waltzing back over to rejoin Kagome at the table. “It was a good time, we all had fun and got a little buzzed. Ayame and Koga went straight back to their room as soon as we got home, and Miroku and I stayed up talking for a little. Maybe it was the alcohol, which is a cheap excuse on my behalf, but he seemed so sweet and mindful. And, girl, I was weak. Seriously. I was the one that kissed him.”

“What?” Kagome inched forward, absolutely dumbfounded.

“Yup.” She shrugged her brows, nodding. “I made the move. Then, one thing led to another and here we are. I did not hear you come in this morning, and you caught me on my walk of shame back to our room.”

“Sorry.” Kagome laughed. “Your secret’s safe with me. Promise.”

“Alright, your turn. Spill. You were home way too early, so what gives?”

In preparation, Kagome took three large gulps of her iced coffee, hoping the caffeine would make her bolder in the admittance she was about to give. “Okay, look, um, just try to keep an open mind to what I’m about to say. It’s a bit extreme.”

“What, did you do anal or something?”

“Sango!”

“So, no. Sorry! Go on! Open minded!” Sango raised her hands at her sides defensively, her expression humorless and sincere.

“Promise?”

“Of course. It’s me.” Sango assured.

“Alright, so for a few years now, I’ve been having that dream.” Kagome emphasized the words in the hopes that Sango would immediately catch on to what she was talking about. While it was typically well-known, it wasn’t altogether common. Not everyone experienced this sort of connection, so when Sango didn’t clue in, Kagome wasn’t offended. “The soulmate dream.”

“Woah, what?” She seemed sort of astonished, leaning forward minutely. “You’ve got a soulmate? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because, what were the chances of me even meeting him?” Kagome answered with a disappointed shrug.

“Right. That’s right. It’s sort of a fickle thing, huh? Not really something people boast about nowadays.” Sango bit her lip unsurely, her shoulders sagging. “But, so, is he…” She trailed off, apprehensive about potentially pouring salt in Kagome’s evident wound, but all the while hoping Kagome would pick up on where she was going with her question.

“Yeah.” Kagome confirmed, with one steady nod. “He’s got a birthmark right here,” She grazed the general area on her chest with the pads of her fingers. “And, he dreamt of the arrow on my side.”

“Wait, okay, back up. Start from the beginning. I need some perspective, because you are far from happy. This isn’t what I pictured happening when someone found their person.”

“Right?” She giggled disbelievingly. “The date was nothing short of perfect. Thinking about it now, it’s kind of embarrassing, because we weren’t even together for an hour before he kissed me. Don’t laugh, but when he did it, it really felt like the whole cliche fireworks sort of thing. Which then turned into the best sex I’ve ever had in my life. I’ve never felt the way I did when I was with him. I was a bit preoccupied to notice his birthmark, though, so I didn’t see it until this morning. Cue the freakout.”

“Oh, no. Did he know?”

“Yeah, he knew before me. He saw my tattoo last night. He just didn’t say anything in case I wasn’t aware.”

“Wait. He was chill and you were the one that freaked? It wasn’t a mutual thing?”

Kagome groaned, taking another drink from her coffee. “Pretty much.”

“Why?” Sango pressed, completely invested in Kagome’s situation.

“Because, it’s complicated. This wasn’t supposed to be anything passed a fling.”

“And, you’re mad that it is?” She slowly asked, trying to gain an understanding on her point of view.

“No. Not at all. The circumstances are what get me. At first, I felt pretty safe when I realized who he was. Honestly, as crazy as it sounds, if there was someone that was going to be labeled my soulmate, I’m kind of happy it’s him. He’s a really good guy. But, then I saw how afraid he was at discovering I’d had the dream, too. He didn’t want me to know. Because, we can’t be together.”

“Why not?” Sango’s voice was small, like she, herself, felt the weight of the sadness.

“He’s out here for work, and once he’s done, he’s going to Europe. He doesn’t know when he’ll be back, but this is his father’s company, so I understand the importance of it and how busy he’ll be. With both of our workloads and the distance, it’s not fair or realistic for us to try to commit to anything or anyone else. And, neither of us should drop our lives and what we’ve worked for.”

“So, that’s it? It’s done?” She asked, her shoulders somehow managed to droop further. She wore a sympathetic frown, her brows raised as she reached across the table to gently stroke her best friend’s arm.

“I don’t know. That’s where it get’s dangerous. Inuyasha wants to take advantage of the time we have left so that we get something out of this, but don’t you think that’d be risky? I mean, I’ve already grown fond of him, imagine the attachment that’ll develop by the end of our stay.”

“So, what? Go for it.” Sango insisted supportively.

“Like it’s that easy.”

“Isn’t it?” She countered. “He’s your soulmate.”

“It’s only going to hurt him and I.” Kagome grieved. “I’m not sure it’s worth it.”

“I’m actually surprised that you don’t. He doesn’t seem to have a problem with it. Honestly, I think you’ll end up more heartbroken if you left it as it is. Imagine you didn’t see him again after today, and this was it. You’re so fucking close to each other, but you didn’t go after him. The moment we get home and the time is lost, how will you feel? How will you feel when you’re knee deep in homework and course information you’ll never use after this year, and your mind wanders back to the chance you didn’t take? And, when you graduate and you’re wondering if he’d still take you if you met again? Because, you’re out of your mind if you think it’ll be possible to never think about him after this. Come on, Kagome. Don’t do this to yourself. It’s bad enough life and fate are standing in your way. Are you going to let fear hold you back, too?”

It was as if clarity punched Kagome in the gut. She pictured a scale before her, the chance to experience a small window of time with her soulmate on one side, and hiding from it all on the other. By a long shot, the former won. Because, not only would Kagome be running from pain, which had a tendency to mute all other aspects of the scenario, but she’d be running from Inuyasha. Talking to Inuyasha. Kissing Inuyasha. Touching Inuyasha. Laying with Inuyasha. Anything with Inuyasha would be gone, and if she turned away from him now, she’d also be turning her back on fate. If she turned her back on fate just because the opportunity was inconvenient, how could she expect kindness from it in the future?

How could she expect to potentially find him again one day?

“You’re right.” Kagome gently admitted, worrying her bottom lip.

“Spend as much time with him as you can.” Sango said. “Don’t let him go until you absolutely have to.”

“But,” Kagome sighed, bowing her head in minor defeat. “You guys… the trip…”

“Babe, we’re the people you have to deal with until graduation - if not longer. Forget about it. If he tells you to come over, drop what you’re doing and go.”

“Miroku.” Kagome’s tone was uncomfortably stiff, nervous for the shit she’d get from her close  friend that was a little too protective for his own good. He was a skeptical one, so bringing up soulmates might only make him scoff and ridicule, and she didn’t need that right now.

“I’ll handle him.” Sango shook her head dismissively, as if she would take him down in an instant if he talked even a little crap. “I’ll explain it to them, and I can guarantee you won’t hear a thing. You’ve got enough to worry about, so let me deal with them, okay?”

—

She really should have texted or called him before showing up out of the blue, but Kagome had been so focused on maintaining her courage to do this in the first place that she’d completely forgotten about the entire, necessary communication aspect. 

It had been over twenty-four hours since it all happened, and soon after returning from coffee with Sango, she began to visualize what it would be like if she didn’t take her shot. Much like Inuyasha, she felt like she was going to vomit. She also felt like she could have broken down into an irrational fit of tears. Though she’d already decided to chase after him before it was too late, the envisioned, negative scenario solidified her move.

Getting back to his place wasn’t difficult in the least, but as she approached, she noticed his car wasn’t there. Despite that, her stomach was still in shambles. Not for a single moment had she stopped thinking about Inuyasha. All she wanted was to see him.

In case his car was in the shop, Kagome forced herself forward, entering through the gate and heading to the front door. With a deep breath, she gave two raps to the surface, waiting a moment until it was clear he really wasn’t home. Texting him earlier would have avoided this mess. He would have given her a time to come over, and she wouldn’t look like a doofus standing on his front porch.

She debated going for a walk and coming back later, but a pull in her gut made her not want to go far. The pull was so dominating, in fact, that it took less than sixty seconds to get her to resign the idea to leave at all, bringing her to remove her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and take a seat on the top step. Mindlessly, she scrolled through social media, trying to keep herself distracted while she waited. It was Sunday. Realistically, he was most likely out with some friends - like the ones he was with when she met him. Given he wasn’t from here, his friends were most likely coworkers or management he found cool. It was almost five, so it was too early to party. Most likely, he went out to dinner with them. Though, he could have started partying early. In a town like this, it’s anyone’s prerogative. 

Kagome decided she’d wait thirty minutes. An hour, tops. Any longer than that, and it’d officially be considered weird and desperate.

Lucky for her, it was only another ten minutes before the rumble of his car pulled up to the curb in front of the gate. Unlucky for her, a nearly-debilitating flurry ruptured in the center of her abdomen, inadvertently sending a series of goosebumps over her entire body. Her moment was now. Through the semi-tinted window, she saw him notice her before even shutting off the engine, though it wasn’t until he stepped out - sort of hurriedly, she observed - that she noticed his overtly concerned expression. Kagome stood as Inuyasha slammed his door in his haste to cross around the car to her, pushing through the gate and meeting her halfway up the small walkway.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” He asked before she could get a word out. The hanyou was dressed about as professionally as he was the day she ran into him at the coffee shop, the white button up tucked into his slacks and hugging his body comfortably.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I promise. I should have called first, I’m sorry.” Kagome said, slightly embarrassed for worrying him. For everything, really. “I just - I wanted to see you.” To her surprise, his cheeks tinted with a subtle pink.

“Were you waiting out here long?” Inuyasha inquired, attempting to seem as composed as usual.

“Not really.” Kagome shook her head, taking another slow, deep breath to back up her courage. “Look, it was important for me to tell you this in person. I want it, too. So, if you still feel the same, I’m all yours.”

Those words rooted into his heart quicker than a sponge absorbing water. Still, Inuyasha let them hang in the air for a moment until he physically felt the weight-decreasing effects of them before replying with, “I still feel the same.”

With a sigh of relief, Kagome smiled lightly. “I know you’ve got a pretty busy work schedule. Just let me know when you’re free or want me to come over, and I will.”

“I’m not going to keep you all to myself. It’s a two-way street; just like anything. You’re on vacation, so we can -”

“I want you to. To keep me all to yourself. I can see them whenever I want, but I can only see you…” Kagome’s sentence remained incomplete, the notion of where it was going obvious. “This is about you and I now.”

“Your friends are okay with that?” He had to physically keep himself from smiling, forcing his compassion to come forward before he showed how pleased he was.

“Yeah. They’re supportive.” She said, loving the way his grin steadily appeared. As if his happiness triggered her own, she smiled, biting her lip as an ounce of shyness fluttered in her chest, replacing the nerves that had her stomach a mess just mere moments ago. “So, yeah. That’s all I came to say. I’ll let you actually get inside now. I’ll see you later.” Kagome said, turning on her heel to head out the gate.

Before she could get far, Inuyasha snagged her wrist, gently yanking her back over to him. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“Home.” She giggled, stumbling into his chest. “I came over uninvited, and you might have had plans.”

“I don’t. I just came from work. Which means, I’m free, I want you, and because I got suckered into going today, I don’t have to go in tomorrow. So, you’re all mine. That’s how it goes, right?”

“Well, yeah, but I didn’t bring anything with me.” She laughed a little harder, seeing the cocky amusement in his golden eyes. “No toothbrush, no clothes -“

“Bold of you to assume you’ll need clothes, but come on.” He playfully grumbled, leading her by the hand to his car.

“Where are we going?”

“To get your shit. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

—

Kagome sighed out contentedly, re-syncing her breathing to the deep rhythm of Inuyasha’s. He laid on his side next to her, his eyes closed and expression lax, the most peaceful he’d ever appeared in the short time she’d known him. Placidly, the hanyou stroked his fingers up and down her bare back while she rested comfortably on her stomach, incorporating his nails here and there, and soothing away any tension she may carry. Their hips and below stayed covered by a light sheet, the warmth of the day still tarrying in the evening air.

They’d briefly discussed the minor terms of their arrangement on the car ride to and from her place. Inuyasha’s schedule was decided on by the way the prior day went. If there were issues, he’d head in early the next day to make sure management beneath his guidance properly followed instruction to rectify them. Sometimes, that involved late shifts, too. Rarely, he’d have to work late and then come in early the next day, but it has happened. On days such as those, he wouldn’t be able to steal time with Kagome. Which she more than understood. Additionally, since he wasn’t able to set his time as one would with basic employees, he promised to keep her updated as days went along. She didn’t ask him to make that commitment, nor had she expected it in the least. It was him. He’d said he didn’t want to keep her waiting, or leave her hanging. He’d said he was going to do his part to make sure their time together counted toward something.

Truthfully, it helped her forget the dull ache in her chest. The little throb that came whenever she reminded herself that this was temporary. That she couldn’t keep him. When he smiled, when he laughed, expressed joy in any manner, when he touched her - which he seemed to never stop doing, it was impossible to focus on the reality that was to come in a day over two weeks. And then what? That was her biggest question that he didn’t want to concentrate on just yet. Would they become penpals? Text buddies? Send emails every now and again until they slowed and dwindled to a stop because the romance died off? It scared her. All of this scared her, and while Inuyasha was good at concealing his feelings, she felt it was safe to assume he was scared, as well. If they kept up some sort of virtual communication, considering the circumstances and their irrevocable connection, it was almost as good as keeping up a relationship. Which would apply pressure for them to find moments in their incredibly busy days to come to respond, update, show the other that they’re still thinking of them. While the aspect of it all seemed so simple, realistically it held the potential to increase stress and tensions. Something they needed to avoid. So, then, what? What would happen to them? How would they find each other again? Was this really it? Come the day she headed back to her university, did all things Inuyasha and Kagome cease? It was hard to believe. Then again, so was the entire situation. Almost laughably so. How could she have a person she shared such an astounding bond with presented before her too soon? What was fate’s message? It was one thing to never find your person, but it was another to find them and have them ripped away because it wasn’t the right time. Yes, they had resources, but how could they responsibly use them without crossing boundaries or instigating expectations from the other? That was one way to demolish things before they really had a chance to start.

Kagome was up so late the night prior thinking about every little thing standing in their way. The fact of the matter was, a relationship just wasn’t doable. It just wasn’t. That was easy to accept; relatively speaking. If it was her own schedule that caused the conflict, there would be no question about it. Kagome would do whatever necessary to make things work with him. But, that wasn’t the case. He had a goal of his own. A very important, passionate goal. One she grew to respect on the spot, just as he had her own. What became the hard pill to swallow was that everything would just stop once they separated. That couldn’t be the case. It was impossible to believe that she couldn’t be with her soulmate one way or the other. With Inuyasha. There had to be a way. A way to support him from afar. They were already tied by a red knot before they even knew each other; proclaiming themselves as the other’s significant other was irrelevant in retrospect. No matter how stressful and terrifying it would no doubt end up to be without him for a large bout of time, even if they stuck to bi-weekly emails, she’d do it. No question about it, she’d do it. She’d do anything for him.

How insane. Maybe it was the romanticization of their particular and special predicament, but the moment she kissed him, she swore she fell harder than she’d ever had before. Was it just the idea of having him? Was she just on an out-of-her-mind level of smitten? Or was this part of having a soulmate? Did the moment you physically connect make you fall hopelessly in love? That was something a Google search definitely couldn’t tell you.

But, she was, wasn’t she? She was already in love with Inuyasha.

“I’m glad it’s you.” Kagome whispered ever so softly. His roaming fingers never stopped, and he didn’t even bother to open his eyes, though his brows scrunched just the slightest.

“You’re glad I’m what?” His tone was groggy, deep and gruff, and she loved it so much she giggled.

“You’re so sleepy. Why are you still awake?” Kagome kept her voice as a sweet whisper, not wanting to offend his sensitive ears or alert him to come out of his sedated reverie.

“I’m not sleepy.”

“Oh, yeah?” She teased.

“Shut up. I could do this all night.” He feebly argued, the gruffness still hanging heavily in his words.

“And, what if I do it to you? How fast do you think you’d fall asleep?”

“Touch me and die.”

“I’m so scared.” Kagome mocked, giggling again when amber eyes parted, looking at her with feigned annoyance. It didn’t last long, his lazy grin taking over as he scooted himself a little closer to make it impossible for her to proceed with her plan.

Inuyasha kissed her shoulder, one intentional kiss unintentionally turning into multiple, slow ones that made him never want to stop. It didn’t matter how tired he was, he never wanted to stop worshipping her in whatever matter he could manage in any moment he was lucky enough to have. Having her so close was a gift from the universe. It livened his nerve endings and made even the tiniest touches sensational. His heart would calm, and even he, a half demon, a supernatural creature with the born ability to protect, felt safe.

This was a side to himself that even he had never known before. One filled with overwhelming adoration. Hope, even. Hope that he could eventually love her forever.

Leveraging himself up, Inuyasha rolled over to prop his hands and knees on either side of Kagome, lowering himself as necessary to spread deliberate, lingering kisses over her back in sporadic places. Though her hair had already been pushed over her shoulder from his recent attention, he swept his fingers through rogue strands that dared to impede his path over her beautifully soft skin, pushing them away only to unconditionally be unable to resist the temptation to rake his fingers all the way through to her scalp, her black waves bunching in his hold as he gently gripped until he heard that smooth sigh he’d expected leave her lips, then released.

“What were you so glad about?” He rumbled, kissing down her spine. She hummed questioningly in response, clearly distracted. Forgivingly, he repeated the question, physically feeling the shudder that traveled through her body at the way the reverberation in his chest pleased her. “You said you were glad about something a minute ago. What was it?” 

Kagome smiled, enjoying the tickle of his lips as they skimmed over her low back so he could plant kisses over the little dimples there. His mouth was so warm, so wonderful on her naked flesh, organic and sweet, and more than deserving for her to echo her honest statement. “I’m glad it’s you. I’m glad you’re the one I dreamt about.”

He stopped, golden eyes flickering up to peer over the curves of her back, her expression hidden by the angle. But, he knew. He could hear it in her voice, laced with exquisite honey. Such an easy statement for her, and it was going to be the death of him.

Inuyasha made his trek back up her spine, a little more haste in his movements, but he continued to pepper kisses to her flesh. As he reached her head, he gave the softest of kisses to her cheek, her already-there grin growing wider while her brown eyes remained closed, absorbed in his affection.

“I’m glad too, baby.” He whispered blithely.

Every worry was gone after that, forced away by such ardency. They spent hours over coursing days learning about the other, completely enthralled in stories and reminiscence, joking and playing, touching, feeling, laughing and sighing tranquilly. Kagome was captivated by his smile, his history, his touch and how he didn’t only have one mode; how just a little motivation in subtle ways could make him go from tender to rough.

The best part of all of it, that absolutely topped the calming effects he brought whenever he was near, was how natural everything just continued to flow between them. Neither felt the imperative need to impress. Yes, they still worked toward each other, but their energies ultimately went toward just being. With their limited allowances, it was silently, yet unanimously decided that neither party needed to bother with such trivial advances. Their hill to climb came when they’d separate. Until then, the two’s efforts went toward making things as easy as possible.

After days, he finally let her cook for him - mostly because she brought the ingredients, herself, and refused to let him help. It was one of her mom’s recipes that had always stuck with her; pretty simple, but delicious. All the while, he tried to play around the kitchen to make it hard for her to get anything done; flicking water her way, gently shoving her aside while she stirred the food in the skillet, kissing her neck and nibbling the tickle spot at the curve of her shoulder to make her laugh. She’d fight back, of course. It wasn’t hard to locate his own spot that made him gasp and flinch away in retreat. But, after she served their plates and he poured their wine, and they sat down on the couch to eat and watch a movie, he took a bite, smiling as he swallowed, leaning over and giving her a kiss to thank her for the meal, and unpredictably, she fell deeper in love.

She awoke one afternoon, comfortable on the mattress but chilled by the lack of body heat she’d grown accustomed to. It was an extremely hot day, so Inuyasha had lowered the air conditioner, making it blissfully snug in the little home he rented. He was first to fall asleep for a nap, curled into her chest while she serenely stroked his ears, and after a while of feeling the rhythmic way his breathing filled his lungs, she succumbed to the pull of slumber. So, where the heck was he now?

It didn’t feel like she was out for too long, she wasn’t in that panicked state of confusion that normal happened after napping for two or more hours, and reaching for her phone to check the time, she discovered that it had barely been an hour since they’d initially laid down. Kagome pushed herself to sit up, blinking away her drowsiness in the darkened room, the blackout curtains really doing their part. The door was cracked, but she could still hear muffled voices coming from the living room, one of which belonging to her Inuyasha. Still in a vague stupor, she scooted herself off the bed, silently leaving the room to scout him out. She found him on the couch, his phone in hand and set to speaker as a deeper voice came through, relaying information that was easy to deduce was business related.

Ember eyes landed on her and his disgruntled expression shifted into a soft smile as he mouthed the word, “Sorry.” Kagome cocked her head to the side with a grin of her own, not at all bothered. She was seconds away from heading back to the room to give him privacy when he beckoned her over with three curls of his finger. Happily, she sauntered from the hallway to the far couch he resided on, following his cue to straddle his lap when he muted the mic of his phone and opened his arms for her.

“It’s my brother. Last minute conference call. Be quiet, okay? It shouldn’t be much longer.” He said as she adjusted the skirt of her dress so it wouldn’t get uncomfortably caught between them. 

She nodded compliantly, snuggling into his chest and tucking her face in the curve of his neck, and he unmuted himself at the perfect time to answer Sesshomaru’s question. With a mind of its own, Inuyasha’s free hand roamed over her back soothingly, paying close attention to the skin above the top hem of her dress. He mindlessly pushed the spaghetti straps off her shoulders so his palm had nothing standing in its way to massage the area, his girl taking the liberty to shift her hair aside. He knew she would, and he had to stifle his chuckle.

“No, I don’t think he’s fit for the job. We’ve gotta replace him.” Inuyasha said, and his brother hummed in obvious contemplation. Kagome hoped the meeting went on a little longer. She loved the absentminded attention and the rumble from Inuyasha’s chest as he spoke. In an effort to give him some attention of her own, she gave a tiny kiss to the area of his neck immediately before her, and like a trigger, he rested his phone on a cushion beside him so he could fully devote both hands to her. He stroked her lower back a little, shifting down to pull her closer by the ass. She was sure it was innocent. She was sure he was just being completely attentive to her. But, the devious side of her liked it.

“Your reasonings?”

“He’s a piece of shit.” Inuyasha replied, continuing his massage.

“Inuyasha.” His brother held a stern tone, almost coming off as a reprimand.

He rolled his eyes, not even bothering to hide his gruff sigh. “He’s got sloppy work ethics, he’s always reluctant to implement our changes, his management skills are worse than subpar - do I need to go on?”

“No. That’s enough. Is there someone at that location you think would be a better fit? Or should we bring someone in?”

“Not sure yet. Things are just starting to turn around in our favor. In the meantime, I’d say things would go smoother without him.”

Playfully, Kagome scooted her butt back to her original position, and she practically felt his smirk when he played along and pulled her back, his hands slipping beneath her sundress to caress her skin and keep her where he wanted. The conversation kept going between he and his brother, and Kagome pressed languid kiss after languid kiss to the length of his neck, silencing her giggle when he tensed. Honestly, she was waiting for her cue to stop, waiting to see how far he’d really allow her to go, but he elongated the area for her, giving her free rein.

She continued her venture, nipping his sensitive spots, sighing out hot breath over areas she was kind enough to suck and feeling his fingers flex over her ass in response. While this was enjoyable to him, she could tell he wanted to laugh, not at all blind to her little ruse. Which then, in turn, made her almost laugh, because she loved the feel of his abdomen clenching from having to stop himself.

In an attempt to let him know she was serious, Kagome traveled up to the crook of his jaw, a sweet spot for him, waiting for the perfect opportunity in the brothers’ conversation to sensually nip in the exact way he liked it. Carefully, she covered his mouth with her palm to reinforce his rule to remain quiet just as he tensed rigidly. And, when he was clear, she leaned back, smiling proudly when he glanced at her with adamant surprise on his face. She stuck out her tongue teasingly, allowing her hands to roam to the bottom hem of his shirt and drift beneath, returning to her ministrations along his neck. Her fingers playfully skimmed along his warm skin, pushing his shirt up as she pleased, but when she heard his brother ask a question and Inuyasha, too distracted, didn’t answer, she pulled a hand away and waved it in front of his face, pointing down to his phone. Inuyasha was quick to excuse himself, asking Sesshomaru to repeat the question because the line broke out momentarily, to which the guy huffed in annoyance.

It was so hard to prevent herself from giggling, especially as he gave a tiny swat to her butt for getting him in trouble. But, she knew he didn’t want her to stop. She knew she could do whatever she wanted to him.

Kagome pulled back, winking and holding a finger to her lips to tell him to keep silent. His shocked expression grew to one of humored disbelief as she crawled off his lap to kneel between his legs, pushing his shirt out of the way of his belt buckle while he adjusted himself for a better position. Slowly, she slid the end of the belt free, careful not to make the metal clink as she unlatched it and pulled it all the way out of the pant loops so it wouldn’t be in her way. Inuyasha had to arch his back to help, highly amused, his smile painted with his quiet laugh as he pressed the side of his fist to his mouth to make sure he didn’t make a sound, then skillfully answered Sesshomaru without a single hitch in his tone. When the belt was finally out and placed on the floor, Kagome took to undoing his button, pulling down the zipper, then Inuyasha muted his mic so the sound of rustling clothes wouldn’t be received as he leveraged himself up so she could pull his pants and boxers down as far as necessary.

She bit her bottom lip as she was presented with his erection, peeking up at him after he unmuted his mic with a short answer, clearly trying to wrap things up on that end. Having too much fun, Kagome wasn’t going to bother on waiting. She dragged her tongue up the length of his shaft, flicking away at the head, loving the effects she had on him. He’d dropped his head back to rest on the cushion, smiling still but totally weak for her. Knowing she couldn’t get too crazy with her teasing, she only licked up his shaft once more before implementing a hand and taking him into her mouth. 

The poor guy could hardly stifle his grunt, but thankfully his brother didn’t seem to detect it, continuing to discuss things that didn’t necessarily need to be discussed in that moment. Rushing him would only piss the stubborn bastard off, and hanging up on him just purely wasn’t an option. But, Kagome was so fucking good at this, and she wasn’t even doing her worst yet. The girl was just getting started, and he was already having a hard enough time keeping his breathing lax. When she got down to it, he was fucking screwed. Sesshomaru needed to end this call if he knew what was good for him.

She took a moment to spit a little on his cock, using the saliva as lubrication for her pumping hand, then went right back in to suck his dick delightfully. He threaded his fingers through her hair, doing his part to keep the thick, black waves out of her face. The bonus was feeling the motion of her head as she took him in, seemingly more and more each time.

“Inuyasha? That wasn’t rhetorical.”

Fuck. “Oh, my bad. You sounded like the teacher from Charlie Brown for a moment, so I tuned you out.”

“Dick.” His brother spoke dryly, repeated himself with more firmness. It was a struggle to focus on anything his stupid brother said, captivated by the vibration of Kagome’s giggle on his cock. Still, he forced himself to answer the question, figuring the end to the meeting was near.

He’d had to grip her hair to lessen her pace, the only way to properly control his own reactions to this perfect girl. That didn’t stop her from attempting to take him all the way into her mouth, his head lolling back, his entire abdomen tensing, and mouth pinching shut at the amazing feeling. Kagome pulled back, usually needing to catch her breath immediately after, and took over with her hand for the moment. Her lips were pink and plump, her cheeks were flushed wonderfully, and her smile was the most sinful he’d ever witnessed. Leaning forward, Inuyasha captured her mouth with his, eagerly stealing a lingering kiss from her before settling back into place and allowing her to absolutely wreck him.

Empowered by his kiss and his hand in her hair, and the fact that he’d just muted his mic once more, Kagome bobbed her head a little faster, her hand moving in perfect synchronicity to make sure his entire length was tended to. The grunts and heavy breaths he finally allowed himself to make only fueled her fire, coercing her to once more deep throat, grasping his thigh with her free hand at the sound of his torrid groan, then pulling away to gasp.

Inuyasha stopped her from continuing then, his amber eyes glowing heatedly as he bent forward and kissed her, one hand still in her hair while the other gently grasped her throat, pulling her up with him to a standing.

“Grab my phone. Careful not to unmute it.” He huskily instructed, and she smiled, obliging and holding it up at a perfect level while he kissed her, his tongue diving into her mouth to entice her further, leading her backwards. She’d assumed he was taking her down the hallway, but he swerved toward the kitchen, causing her to stumble slightly, and he chuckled at her before spinning her around and bending her over a kitchen counter.

Inuyasha lifted her dress over her ass to bunch on her low back, his girl a little too happy for her own good. Oh, but he’d be a fucking liar if he said he didn’t absolutely love that joyful, little moan she did with that gorgeous, sultry smile. Quickly, recognizing the tone his brother was taking, he snagged the phone from Kagome’s hand, unmuting it as he’d caught the tail end of the inquiry and pieced the rest together.

“No, Jaken cannot come out to this location. This is my project, and I don’t need him trying to tell me what to do.” He rolled his eyes, making sure to never halt his attentions to Kagome. He’d pushed her panties to the side, stroking her pussy with his fingers to test just how wet she was. Kagome practically melted in his palm, soaked, and while he spoke, he continued to lightly massage. “I don’t know why you hold him in such high regard. Even Myoga is more reputable than him.”

“He has more experience under his belt.”

“And more shit on his nose, the fucking ass kisser.”

“Inuyasha.”

“I said what I said. I don’t need help. Got anything else for me? I’ve got errands to run.”

“I’ve got a budget sheet for you. Five more minutes.”

“Hit me.” Inuyasha said levelly, muting his phone once more and placing it on the counter. Kagome was peeking at him over her shoulder, brown eyes large and doe-like. Giving in to the pleading stare, as if he had any will to resist, he quickly spit into his hand, rubbing the lubricant over his cock and pushing inside of her.

His beautiful girl sighed languidly, the edge rearing off into a breathy moan. He, himself, couldn’t bite back his own drawn out groan, her pussy hot and mind-rattling, engulfing all of his aching erection. He leaned forward, inadvertently pushing a little deeper as he whispered in her ear. “Not a noise, baby. Or, I’ll stop.”

Before she could nod in agreement, Inuyasha slid the phone directly in front of her face, tapping the mute button to release. Appalled, Kagome looked back at him, and the jerk winked, giving her a cheeky grin. He steadily rolled his hips against her, keeping the pace agonizingly slow, and while it was easier to maintain control over her voice, it was torturous. How did it still feel so incredible? Little-by-little, he increased his pace, but he never passed a certain point. He never fucked her. Whenever she’d think he was getting there, he’d slow down, progressively returning to his initial rhythm to build himself back up again. Nonetheless, Kagome found herself holding her breath, terrified that each time his brother paused it was because he’d heard any sort of hitch in her lungs. 

“I’m going to email this to you in a moment. Be sure to read it over. Understood?”

“If you were going to email it in the first place, why the hell did you have to sit here and read it to me?” Inuyasha retorted, leaning forward to cover Kagome’s mouth as he ground deeply into her, surprising even himself when he managed to keep his reaction to the mind numbing sensation in check. She’d arched her back, her hands planted on the counter surface, bending into his slight pull.

“Because, I can.”

“Prick.” He damn near grunted, having to stop all motion as he held his breath to regain composure. 

“Let me know who you want to fill in the role of manager. The sooner that’s decided on, the better.”

“Yeah. By the end of the week. Good?”

“Good.” 

Without a goodbye, the line beeped three times, signifying Sesshomaru had hung up, and Inuyasha wasted not even a second in sliding his fingers down from her mouth to her neck and thrusting into her. Hard. She moaned, the sensational noise laced with pent up aggravation from all she’d had to withhold the moment he’d taken her.

“What a good girl.” He taunted, now gliding his fingers through her messy hair to grip just the way she liked it. “He didn’t suspect a thing.”

“You’re so mean.” She whined, half smiling, half pouting from wanting more. “He could have heard me.”

“I knew you wouldn’t make a peep.” Inuyasha bit his bottom lip, the devilish grin doing something indescribable to her. “Besides, this is your fault. You did this to yourself. Didn’t you?”

“No.” Kagome coo’d.

“Didn’t you?” Inuyasha repeated, giving another deep thrust. The poor girl could only reply in a broken moan, and he released her hair, cautious of not pulling too hard, so he opted for a firm hold on her hips. With a couple more thrusts, she crumbled forward, her upper body sprawled over the counter as she took him in, her mouth hanging open and breathing erratic. 

Deciding to see how long he could get away with driving her mad, he lightened his touch, his tempo dragging, pushing the sundress further up her back so he had more skin play with. He could see it written all over her face and the way she raked her teeth over her lip, the way she tried to push back into him, and the way she still attempted to swallow her whines. He didn’t know how long he’d be able to keep this up thanks to the simple way she looked. He could feast on her for days, listen to her voice endlessly, making his mind whirl and his insides boil. Her messy hair was spread about, even somewhat covering parts of her beautiful face, and as she finally released her bottom lip to give a tantalizing whimper, he realized it was him that was being driven mad.

“You seemed to really like fucking around while I was on the phone.” He teased, bending over her slightly as he increased his rhythm a smidge. She sighed in response, and he knew his voice was doing something for her in that moment. She was tensing beneath him, trying to push back against his hips as a sign, but he pinned her still. “Maybe I should make another call.”

Swiftly, Kagome snagged his phone, still next to her head, sliding it clear across the counter where it was too far out of reach in a big fuck you. Inuyasha laughed, the move of hers completely unexpected, and when she reached back to playfully smack his arm, he reactively grabbed her wrist, bending her elbow and pinning her hand behind her back. She gave an airy gasp and without any further instigation, he grabbed her other wrist the same way, holding her captive and watching a beguiling and evocative smile grow on her face, her eyes coming alight.

Now, that was just unfair. He should have known she’d like something like this, but still. Who gave her the fucking right to be this goddamn jaw dropping? He’d stopped completely, taking every inch of her in, licking his lips at the delectable sight.

“Inuyasha?” Kagome breathed, barely peering over her shoulder.

“Yeah, baby?”

“Fuck me.”

Shit. How the hell could he say no to that? To her? “As you wish.” He grinned sinfully, using his grip on her arms as the perfect leverage to anchor himself while he built back up his momentum, done with his taunting as he finally surpassed his original stopping point. She felt so fucking good, sounded so fucking naughty, welcomed each buck and grind he had to offer with mindless and perfect reactions. Their skin clapped together, and he was gradually losing himself, clenching his grunts as he stirred her up.

He knew he was going to have to pull out soon. Kagome’s fingers quaked before him, furling and unfurling, her throat releasing melodic keens to how hard he fucked her. Inuyasha planned to go until he absolutely had to stop, his groans shifting to growls, shifting to husky gasps as it felt too fucking phenomenal. Harder. Quicker. He fucked her into the counter to the point where she held her breath, her jaw hanging agape and hands clenched shut, gratefully accepting the few sharp rolls of his hips before he pulled out, ready to jerk himself the rest of the way. Unsuspectingly, Kagome pushed off the counter and spun around, dropping to her knees and taking his cock into her mouth, pumping her head and hand back and forth. She’d caught him by surprise, bringing a feverish groan from his lips as he grasped her hair, cumming into her mouth.

His touch softened as he gradually came down, barely catching his breath while he watched her slide his dick out of her mouth, swallow, then glance up at him with a sweet smile. Inuyasha stroked back her disorderly bangs, leaning down some to cradle her jaw in his palms and guide her to stand before him, his lips immediately claiming hers in a well-deserved kiss. He pushed her back against the counter lining, swallowing her breathy gasp as his kiss intensified, one hand still holding her to him by the nape of her neck and the other lightly drifting over her shoulder, the straps still loose and fallen. She hadn’t finished; he wasn’t done with her yet.

Skillfully, Inuyasha grasped both sides of her waist, easily hoisting her up to sit on the countertop and pushing himself between her legs, stroking his fingers along her bare thighs as he went straight back to kissing her, his tongue gliding passed her lips to taste and lap her up. Kagome clung to him, her hands around his neck, not yet settling on placement as they dove into his short hair, grasped, skimmed down to his shoulders, his arms, his chest, clutching his shirt, then drove back to his neck. He shifted her dress higher up her legs as he slid beneath, teasing the flesh of her pelvis with a whisper of a graze and then fixing her panties to sit off to the side again. She couldn’t even get a sound out as he softly stroked his fingers within her folds, her body slightly tensing as she inhaled sharply. Her clit was swollen, and he gently rubbed it to see how sensitive she was. Kagome’s head lolled away from his kiss, exhaling dreamily, and the sound was so blissfully erotic. Inuyasha took to her neck, nipping and kissing, avoiding her sensitive spots completely to save them for last. Like her own personal expert, he massaged her, careful of his nails, shushing soothingly in her ear as she soon began to breathily whimper. His body was close, and he yet again held her at the back of her neck as he rubbed her clit, slowing here and there before increasing his attention slightly to help her build and build and build, and it was impossible for her to squirm too much, impossible for her to get away. She slurred a curse, one he’d never heard from her lips, and he took that as his cue, diving straight to the curve above her clavicle and sucking, licking, kissing. Kagome was beginning to shake, riding his hand where she could, her head falling back to accept all he offered and accidentally slamming against the cupboard door. She’d hardly reacted, unable to, but he laughed into his ministrations, adoring the way she couldn’t even jokingly smack his head to get him to shut up. A little harder, he rubbed her, pinned her to him, forcing her to take it all, biting slightly into her neck, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, breathing erratically, her whimpers hardly audible as her thighs clenched against his hips and her pussy convulsed beneath his touch. 

He chuckled as he was forced to stop riding out her orgasm, her clit clearly growing too sensitive too quickly when she jolted and squeaked. Letting her rest on him as she came down, catching her breath, Inuyasha softly kissed her head, raking his nails over her back to calm her.

“Better?” He murmured. She replied with a lazy hum, sitting straight and finally acknowledging the bump on the back of her head by rubbing her hand over it and scrunching her nose. Again, Inuyasha laughed, bringing her forward to inspect the area, himself. “You okay?”

Another hum of affirmation meshed with her own giggle, and he helped her down from the counter so she could stumble her way to the bathroom. And, when she emerged, he catered to her every want and need without decision, without thought; it all just came so naturally.

Because, truthfully, sadly, their end was drawing near. His goal was to not allow her to think about it as much as he did. He didn’t want her feeling any degree of stress while with him. He just wanted her happy. He desired her smile and laughter more than food and water. He wished for her tranquility more than he ever considered his own. If presented with an opportunity to shoulder the total weight, the hardships their separation was bound to bring, the sadness he feared, the anxiety, in exchange for her not feeling a morsel of it, he’d do it in a heartbeat. No questions asked, he’d do it.

But, that wasn’t possible, was it? He couldn’t take that away from her. He couldn’t protect her from this.

In the meantime, it was effortless to give her all of him. Like he was in a trance, wholly enraptured by Kagome, it was impossible to fight off any impulse to steal kisses or touch her soft skin. It was unacceptable to deny himself the simple pleasure of listening to her talk about little things that held her interest. Picking her up from her vacation spot was exciting, and taking her back always held the promise of later. When she ran to him from her own elation, jumping into his arms, he rapturously realized he was a sucker, and when she fell asleep beside him, sedated by his tender touch, he honestly felt like he couldn’t do this. How could he leave her? How could anything be more important than his soulmate?

Multiple nights in a row, Inuyasha had to rationalize with himself. He had to put together a mental list of why he had to do what he had to do. He was stuck in his own head, so much so he hadn’t even noticed Kagome’d awoken, notified only when she smoothed her finger over his crinkled brow as he stared intently at the ceiling. Immediately, he relaxed, glancing over at her, bemusement swiftly changing to a crooked grin. She laid on her side, continuing to lightly glide her fingers between his brow and over the bridge of his nose.

“What’s wrong?” She spoke softly, never ceasing her calming motion.

“Nothing. Go back to sleep.”

“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?”

“Course not.”

“Liar.”

“Kagome -“

“Talk to me.”

“No.” His tone was almost pleading, wavering slightly.

“Talk to me.” She remained level, comforting, a simple smile pushing her cheeks, and she shifted her hand to caress his cheek.

Observing the sincerity in her eyes, he eventually conceded, rolling to his side to allow her affection to engulf him. Inuyasha scooted a little closer, pressing his forehead against hers, resisting his unstable shudder while he pushed the sheets aside and pulled up the shirt she borrowed from him, tracing the backs of his knuckles over her warm skin.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, almost brokenly.

Physically feeling his sadness, Kagome’s heart grew heavy in her chest. She had no idea why he could possibly need to feel apologetic. “For what?”

“I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to fix this.”

“Baby -“

“I don’t know how to protect you, Kagome.”

“You don’t need to protect me from anything.” She shook her head against his, pushing softly into him to remind him she was right there.

“I don’t want you to be sad -“

“And, I don’t want you to be sad, either. But, think about it. What would it mean if I left with a smile? Being apart from you is going to be scary, and hard, and heartbreaking because being with you was more than I ever dreamt it would be. But, there isn’t a single part of me that believes this is the end for us. Do you?”

“No.” He breathed without an ounce of hesitation, the exhale alleviating some of the tightness in his chest. “No. Fuck, no. I could never let you go forever.”

“I hope not.” She smiled, ignoring the tears brimming in her eyes as she pressed a delicate kiss to his lips. “I understand, you know that right?”

He nodded, eyes closed, basking in her scent, the heat of her breath against his lips, his fingers tracing the exact spot he knew her tattoo was in thanks to the slightly raised lines from the heavy hand that’d inked her. “You know I’m not just going to drop you, right?” He countered. “I may not currently be able to commit to the amount of attentiveness in a relationship that you deserve, but I’m not going to leave you high and dry just to come back when I’m good and ready. I want updates from you. I want pictures. If I don’t respond, it’s only because I’m busy, but don’t ever think I’m ignoring you. Got it?”

Kagome nodded, smiling. “And, you’ll do the same for me?”

“Of course, I will. You’re as good as mine. Nothing’s gonna fucking change that. Literally nothing can.”

She hadn’t wanted to go to sleep after that. He could tell she was feeling it while covering her anxiety with a sleepy smile. He knew that no matter how much he swallowed so that she wouldn’t feel an ounce of disconcertment, she’d still wake up in the morning knowing it was her last, full day in town. And, he had to work through it.

He spent all hours of the night and early morning stroking her hair, caressing her skin, and she finally succumbed to sleep when she cuddled into his chest, right against his birthmark, and listened to his heartbeat until it lulled her away. Inuyasha remained awake, holding her, soaking her in as much as he could. No matter what she said, the promises they’d made, the question still repeated in his head to build torment in his chest: How could he leave her?

Inuyasha had turned off his alarm before it went off around six in the morning, slowly and gently rolling out of bed so as not to rouse the person who held his soul. His steps were silent as he crossed to the walk-in closet, and he hung in the doorway of it, leaning against the frame while he stared listlessly at the shadowed contents - not having bothered to turn on the light. He wasn’t sure just how long he’d stood there, the question so heavy in his gut that it threatened to make him sick. His fingers were unsteady, his throat felt like something thick had developed in the center, his chest ached, and then arms wrapped around his waist from behind, clearing his mind instantaneously.

He glanced over his shoulder, hardly able to see her from the way she hugged so close to his back. “You’re not supposed to be up yet.”

Kagome, still holding around his waist, maneuvered her way around him, and he lifted his arm out of her path so she could tuck her head into his chest. The pain he felt was gone, pushed aside by her angelic aura, and Inuyasha held her to him, kissing the top of her head.

“You okay?” He whispered. Kagome nodded, hugging him just a little tighter. He’d be a fool if he thought he’d be able to concentrate at work today, and an even bigger one if he let her go. He slipped a hand into the pocket of his sweats, pulling out his cell phone and calling the manager under his lead at this location. “Hey, I’ve got a pretty nasty case of food poisoning. Can you handle it on your own today?”

Kagome peeked up, surprised, ember eyes meeting hers contentedly.

“Good. I’ll check my emails here and there. Let me know if you have any questions.” And, he hung up the call, sliding his phone back into his pocket. He placed a sweet kiss to Kagome’s forehead, his fingers threading through her hair above her ears. “I’m all yours today, baby.”

Kagome smiled gratefully, her hands gliding to his waist where she gave him a little pull, getting him to guide her back to the bed. Their moments throughout were bittersweet, appreciated but anxiety-inducing as time ticked away, both of them content to make the best of what they had left. She’d never imagined she’d see Inuyasha look as wounded as he did, and never in her life did she ever want to see him have to mentally remind himself to smile again. Both of them were putting all they had into keeping composure, distracting the other from the obvious with playful remarks and endless love making.

She knew she was bound to cave soon. Bound to break. She just didn’t want it to be around him. His character would force him to want to make it better, and why should he try to take her pain away when she could hardly do the same for him?

Their sleep through the night was broken, pleasantly so. If one awoke, commonly due to their restless minds and straining hearts, they smoothed away their fears by kissing the other until they felt better, satiated for the moment. How could she leave him?

Come morning, as he drove her back, he’d offered to help her and her friends pack up, but she knew that would be the moment reality really set in. Her heart was pounding at the mere thought of seeing the house in the distance; she could only imagine what seeing the car packed up would do to her. Kindly, she declined, saying it wouldn’t take long and she’d come back to say goodbye before they hit the road. He seemed to understand, but still, the hitch in his tone caused her chest to throb.

“Promise?” Inuyasha asked, pulling up to the curb. Kagome unbuckled her seatbelt, leaning over the center column to kiss him, lingering, her sigh heated as she tried to solidify her assurance to him.

“I promise. I’ll let you know when we’re on our way, okay?” As she went to get out of the car, Inuyasha reached for her jaw, pulling her back to him as he deeply kissed her, stroking his thumb over her cheek as he felt her lean further into him. 

Each step toward the front door was heavy and forced, like the closer she got, the denser the invisible pool of sludge she wafted through became. With a deep breath, Kagome coerced herself inside, swallowing thickly to hide her troubles and sauntering through to the living area. Ayame, Sango, and Miroku all looked up at her, and though they attempted to appear casual, she could see the caution written all over their faces. 

“Where’s Koga?” She asked as normally as possible.

“Oh, uh, he had to head back a couple of days ago, remember? Football training is starting tomorrow, and he still needed to get a few things.” Ayame replied, smiling.

Kagome sighed, laughing lightly at herself. She’d forgotten. She’d even said goodbye to him, and she’d forgotten. “That’s right. What can I help with?”

“Well, we’ve got almost everything covered.” Sango mentioned softly. “I even started packing up your things a little bit for you. We can handle the rest.”

“Yeah, we’re almost ready to go.” Ayame added. Kagome froze, trying not to reveal her panic. She’d counted on spending at least a couple of hours getting things organized and strapped in the car, she’d counted on at least a couple of hours of cushion before she had to say goodbye.

She was reaching the end of her rope, her abdomen tensing as she struggled to seem put together in front of everyone, and she nodded with a forced smiling, saying she’d go get her things packed up before turning on her heel and heading to the bedroom. It was pretty clean, but she was so desperate for time, Kagome nearly debated on wrecking the room so she’d have no choice but to clean it up again. She wasn’t ready. She wasn’t ready.

Silencing her thoughts, Sango followed her into the bedroom, wearing a careful smile that she forced herself not to look at. “Hey, how’d it go?”

“We haven’t done it yet.” Kagome said, cursing herself for her inability to prevent her obviously wavering tone, lifting her suitcase onto the bed and throwing it open so she could empty the dresser of her clothes. “Is it okay if we stop at his house on the way?”

“Of course.” Sango firmly agreed with zero hesitation. She watched her friend’s unsettled movements, how her chin quivered, knowing she was hurting. She seemed antsy, shaky even, brown eyes bouncing unevenly from the dresser to her suitcase to the bathroom. “You want to talk about it?”

“I really, really don’t.” Kagome admitted, turning her head as her face scrunched with bottled anguish. She could see her best friend nod in her peripherals, taking a few steps back before heading out the opened door.

“I’ll be out here if you need anything, babe.” She offered, shutting it behind her.

“How is she?” Miroku asked, worried, stiff.

Sango shook her head, sighing, helplessly glancing to the floor, then to him. “Not good. She doesn’t want to talk.”

Ayame bit her bottom lip in concern, returning to the kitchen to continue packing up the leftover snacks. The tension in the house was sliceable, gloomy, all of them feeling sympathetic for the girl with the soulmate she couldn’t yet be with. Sango was about to begin putting the miscellaneous electronics they’d brought together, and as Miroku stood, catching her attention, she could tell by the look in his eye that his focus was glued to the person who definitely needed it most. He shook his head at her in a silent way to say not to stop him, and he made his way over to the closed room, walking through quietly.

Kagome could barely hold it in any longer, trying to blink away hot tears as she gathered the few bathroom things on the sink counter. Her features were crumbling as the ache in her chest increased more and more by each passing second, with each item she grabbed, with each step she took further away from him.

“Hey.”

She spun around, sniffling to clear away the immediate distress and sloppily wiping her hands over her cheeks. Miroku stood in front of the closed bedroom door, observing her with straight-laced empathy. She hadn’t even heard him enter. Still, she smiled weakly, about to veer the subject away from herself when he plainly shushed her, quickly closing the space between the to pull her into a hug.

Immediately, Kagome broke, wracked with sobs she couldn’t silence as she quaked against Miroku’s frame. His arms wrapped around her tight, supporting her, his chin propped atop her head as he let her cry, let her shatter with no pressure whatsoever to feign her equanimity. 

“It’s going to be okay, Kagome.” Miroku promised, never loosening his hold, and she, herself, tightened hers. “You’re soulmates; neither of you guys are going anywhere. Just as your time with him now was temporary, so will be your time apart.”

That seemed to calm her a bit, her breathing heavy and unsteady. Still, he didn’t let go, perfectly prepared and willing to stand with her as long as necessary.

“So many people are desperate to know their futures. They go to psychics, they read tarot, they spend money online for cheap, fraudulent readings only to walk away with virtual hope, but you don’t have that. You’re so fucking lucky, Kagome, because you know your future. You know where you’re going, and you know who you’ll end up with. Nothing’s for certain for most people, but for you, one thing is. One person is.”

Kagome was progressively stilling in his arms, sniffling but taking in every word he said. When she felt okay enough, she leaned back, glancing up at him, and her friend cradled her jaw compassionately.

“You guys have got your own things going right now, and that’s okay, but consider this: When he’s done and he comes back from Europe - or whatever the hell he’s doing - think of how much time he’ll have to devote to you. He seems smart. I mean, he knows how to pick ‘em.” Miroku smiled, cherishing his friend’s meek giggle. “That guy’s gonna sweep you off your feet and steal you away the moment he’s able to. You just have to be patient. And, that’s the hard part, I know. It’ll all work out, though.”

Kagome, though tears continued to fall, breathed in recovery, nodding in acknowledgment as she tucked herself back into his chest for another hug. She felt better, but weight still clung to her shoulders. The hardest part wasn’t over yet.

They locked up the house after several more walks through the place to make sure nothing was forgotten, and got themselves situated in the car; Sango and Ayame up front, and Miroku and Kagome in the back. With Kagome’s direction, she led them to Inuyasha’s place where Sango pulled up to the curb across the street, putting the gear in park, rolling down the windows, and then shutting off the engine. Ayame turned back to Kagome from the passenger seat, giving her a sympathetic smile.

“Take your time. Don’t rush anything.” She said, and Sango turned back to nod in agreement.

Kagome thanked them, jumping out of the car and safely crossing the street to enter his front gate, her heart throbbing with each step she took up the small walkway, up the two porch steps, and to the door where she knocked and waited. It was mere seconds before Inuyasha opened up, giving a friendly and subtle wave to her friends across the street and moving aside for Kagome to enter through.

He shut the door, a burning in his throat as everything became too real for comfort. She didn’t travel far at all, staying very close to his side in agonizing silence, her brown eyes not even able to meet his face. And, he didn’t fucking blame her. He knew this would be hard, but fucking shit, this was nothing short of brutal. 

Grabbing her hand, he guided her towards the living room so there was more room to breathe, though the thickness in his chest had made home for good. “Look, whatever you say, just don’t let it be ‘goodbye.’” He finally spoke, gruffly.

“I’m gonna miss you.” Kagome whispered, her bottom lip trembling. She began to fold, the pressure of her sadness robbing her of her breath and her stability. Inuyasha smoothed some hair behind her ear, seeming to attempt a meager smile, but he couldn’t. Still, his bright eyes met hers with honest sincerity, and his brow crinkled sorrowfully.

“You have no idea how much I’ll miss you.” He said. She began to cry, her cheeks flushing and her inhales broken. It hurt so much to see her like this. It hurt so much that in just a moment or two, he’d have to let her go. It hurt. It all hurt so fucking much, and his composure became increasingly rocky.

“We’ll still talk, right?”

“Of course, we will.” He reassured.

“And, you won’t forget about me?” Fuck, she sounded so fractured, it was killing him.

“What kind of a stupid question is that? Listen to me, Kagome.” Inuyasha started, pressing his forehead to hers. He softly wiped her tears away with his thumbs, cradling her face in his palms as she gripped the sides of his arms. “It’s going to be impossible to forget you. You are my soulmate. You’re my person. Distance isn’t going to change that. I promise, I’ll come back. I promise, we’ll make things work. We’ve just gotta get through this.”

“I know.” Kagome breathed, nodding against his head as she swallowed for some calmness. “I’m just scared to leave.”

“Why?”

“A part of me is terrified I’ll never see you again.” She cried, losing all sense of stillness as her body shook.

Inuyasha broke, because that’s exactly what he feared, too. He pulled her into a kiss, unable to stop himself from shaking against her body, his eyes burning as he shut them even tighter to prevent his own tears from spilling, but he failed. How could he leave her?

It was like she read his mind, shuddering and breaking apart from him, but never pulling passed an inch, her breath hot on his mouth. “You have to do this, though, and so do I. You have to become a partner at your father’s company, and I have to graduate from college.” She smiled, and though her cheeks were red and blustery, her cheeriness was still genuine. God, Inuyasha almost broke again. “When you come back and tell me you did it, I’m gonna be so proud of you! Just make sure you come back, okay? Come back. I’ll be waiting.”

“I’ll come back. I promise.”

“And, I’ll send you updates and pictures.”

“Good. That’s exactly what I want.” He chuckled, kissing her again as he pulled her impossibly closer. “You gotta be strong for me. This is gonna fucking suck, and we know it, but you don’t have to worry. You’ll see me again. I fucking swear it. I’ll send you pictures, too. We’ll video call when we can. I still have so much more to learn about you, you think I’m gonna pass that up?” Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head as he tucked her into his chest, soaking in her scent in the hopes that it’d never leave him. Kagome’s arms encircled his waist, clutching the back of his shirt desperately as she breathed deeply to try and stop crying.

“I’m gonna miss you.” She repeated waveringly.

“I know, baby.” He shushed, holding her tighter. “Me, too.”

When they were ready, and he’d cleaned the evidence of her tears from her face, taking his time to be as tender as possible, he walked her out to the car, holding her hand the entire way. Her friends were quiet, playing respectful by not staring directly at them as Inuyasha twisted Kagome around before her car door, placing a lingering kiss to her forehead.

“Eventually, my forever.” He whispered.

A ripple went through Kagome’s chest, challenging her steadiness as she glanced up at him, smiling, and poking him right where his birthmark was beneath his shirt, whispering in return, “Soulmate. Forever.”

Inuyasha grinned, opening the door for her so she could climb in, and once her legs were out of the way, he shut it. He braced a hand on the open window, grazing his knuckles of the other under her chin so she’d look fully at him.

“I love you.” Inuyasha said. She smiled, her faltering giggle showing how close she was to breaking down again.

“I love you.” Kagome stated, placing her hand on top of his.

“You ready?”

“No.” She shook her head, chin quivering as her face slightly crinkled from fighting the tears.

Placidly, Inuyasha waited, knowing not a single person was bothered, and uncaring if they would have been. “Will you text me when you get home so I know you’re safe?”

Kagome nodded, squeezing his hand.

“Take care of her.” Inuyasha said to Sango just as she’d looked at him from her window.

“I will.” She replied with a gentle tone.

Kagome leaned toward him for one last kiss, and her soulmate didn’t pause in giving her what she wanted. What she needed. Parting bittersweetly, he wiped her tears again, taking every bit of her in as she took a deep breath.

“Ready.” Kagome whispered.

“That’s my strong girl. I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Okay.” She smiled weakly.

Their hands separated slowly, and when he was no longer there to touch, backing away to cross to his side of the street, Kagome began to feel completely empty. Blindly, for support, she reached over to Miroku and he quickly took her hand, squeezing it tight. Sango started the car, and Kagome’s eyes never left Inuyasha’s. He looked sad. He looked broken. He smiled.

“Ready?” Sango asked, looking back at Kagome.

She trembled, crying, then held her breath, giving Inuyasha the sweetest smile she could muster as she waved. “Yeah.” She whispered, and Sango shifted to drive, pulling from the curb.

She began to sob, trying to keep it to herself but Miroku pulled her to him, stroking her hair for as much comfort as he could provide.

Inuyasha watched until their car disappeared in the distance, tormented, terrified, loathing the universe and the cruel card they’d been dealt. How quickly he’d fallen, how quickly he’d shattered. He forced himself back inside, the furnished house feeling empty and lonely, and he feared that’s what life would be without her. His heart had sunken deep, and giving in, unable to bite it back any longer, Inuyasha cursed loudly with a choked sob, grabbing the nearest glass in the kitchen and smashing it against the wall.

| Epilogue |

[gallivantingheart]

fruits and vegetables

who?: jun x (f)reader

word count: 1305

genre/s: fluff, humour, casual college au

warnings: none (underlying horanghae agenda)

synopsis: cheol is throwing a halloween party - costumes optional.

prompt from cwc’s fall fic fest: “You’re the only one in a costume.”

a/n: yes this is based a little bit off my halloween adventures last year (I did dress up as an avocado). yes everyone at the party still dressed up - it was non-negotiable, thankfully. also, how is jun always the perfect member for halloween fics???

When Seungcheol’s Facebook invite said “Halloween Party!! - costumes optional” you didn’t think everyone would take the optional part so seriously.

Meticulous planning began the two weeks before, trying to coerce anyone you knew was going into dressing up with you. Honestly, it was like pulling teeth, at least with how the year had gone. You thought at least Soonyoung could be persuaded!

You’re waiting at the bustling cafe across from the uni campus, the lifeline of students and lecturers alike. Rowdy and warm, you badger Soonyoung about Seungcheol’s party.

He screws his nose up as he passes you your caffeine-free chocolate frappe. “Not really feeling like it this year. I mean, I have that tiger stripe sweater?”

You pout around your straw. “Nawww, Soonie! Come on! Not even a pair of matching ears?”

“Nice try. I’m not getting hassled anymore than I already will be, thanks. Tiger agenda or not, I draw the line at getting called a furry in any capacity.”

That sounded way too fancy to be coming from his brain, even as smart as he was. You cross your arms at the traffic lights, leaning on the pedestrian button.

“Wonwoo already talked you out of it, didn’t he.” You say flatly.

Soonyoung screws his face up, guilty. “He said he was bringing that chilli craft beer from July. Promised me my own slab.”

You knock him as the two of you cross, almost bumping him into some fellow students. Bribery! You both sit yourselves down inside by the glass wall of the open study space, flooded with natural light. The echo of the tall foyer around the corner isn’t as much of a deterrent to you as it is to others, and you push your work out over the bright tomato red table.

“Fine then.” You grumble.

“Awww, don’t be like that!” He whines, eyes wide and shiny. “I’m sure someone will dress up with you. Next year?”

You hmph, but nod. “Next year.”

So, after going through everyone you thought you could persuade in your close friends’ list, you resolved to just do it anyway. Who cares if your friends had no Halloween spirit? You’d bring enough for the lot of them! Costume and all! And no, you would not be sharing your alcohol - this is not The Little Red Hen’s bread party.

Then you get swamped with work and classes and family. You forget to get your *talented, brilliant, incredible, show-stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique* costume together. So after all you hyping and nagging, you end up dressing as you normally would for one of Cheollie’s get-togethers, hooning off to a department store and buying a five-dollar sandwich board costume. You’re pretty disappointed in yourself, to be honest, as you glare in your rear-view mirror at the plastic bag holding your “costume”.

Pulling up down the street, you rummage around in the back, pulling the tag off and chucking it over your head. You giggle and smooth down the foam-filled fabric, jamming your phone in your back pocket and your drinks bag over your arm. A press of the doorbell has Seungcheol greeting you at the door in a striped button-up and jeans. No trace of spooky get-up anywhere. Not even fake fangs. You wilt a little.

“Hey! Y/N!”

You step in the doorway and squeeze him in a tight hug - he’s always very reciprocal to hugs and very good at them. The hallway is dim apart from a few electric tea candles and a plastic jack-o-lantern on the hall table from the dollar store.

“Cheollie! Uh, fridge?”

He tugs you along to the garage around the corner. “Put it in the one just in here. I think there’s still a free shelf.” As you pile your wine and spirits in, he shifts on his feet, his socks plain. “I, uh, what are you dressed as?”

The hesitation makes you pause to turn. He sits his hands in his pockets, hulking figure shrinking in the muted entry. You pat down the front.

“I, thought it was obvious? A fre sha voca do? Like the vine? An avocado?” Your voice gets higher and higher with nerves until you’re squeaking at him.

He smiles and nods. “Oh! That makes sense! But, um, Y/N. You’re the only one in a costume.”

You rush up to him, eyes wide despite your dark makeup. “Pardon? But the title said -” You sigh. “Everyone took the optional, didn’t they? Even you. Oh my god, I’m so embarrassed!”

You shuck off the avocado shaped fabric and roll it up into your cooler bag. At least you had the sense to dress better underneath.

He laughs, tucking you under his arm and against his side, walking with you out to the patio. “That’s okay! Thanks for trying though. Oh, Jihoon, anything but this song! ‘Kwan’s killed it as it is.”

Seungkwan whines from his perch on the edge of Seokmin’s chair, protesting loudly as Jihoon pics up his phone with his free hand, setting a shuffle of his playlist. You can’t believe Jihoon had the gall to show up in a tee and slides, as if this was another uni lecture and not a friendly drink-up.

Wonwoo, Soonyoung and Mingyu are crowded around the fire pit, so wedge yourself between Soon and Gyu, the resident warm bodies to catch up. You nurse your drinks, always have - which pisses Mingyu off to no end, seeing as he likes to cut to the chase and just damn well drink - so when the doorbell rings again, you’re only halfway through your first. There’s so many of you already, so who else could possibly be coming? You ask Wonwoo as much.

“Oh, just Jun and Minghao. ‘Hao was doing a drinks run.”

There is a cluster of frantic giggles and you swivel your head around eagerly at the familiar voice - Jun. A high shout of complaint reveals Minghao as well. Must have picked him up on the way, then.

“What the hell are you dressed as!” Cries out Chan between howling laughter.

You almost fall off your seat at the sight. Jun parades in with his six-pack of drinks, in bright orange. He grins, preening.

“I’m a carrot! Jihoon got it for me for my birthday.” He chirps, dumping his drinks on the outdoor table amongst everyone else’s and a stray ashtray.

“I didn’t think you’d actually wear it!” Jihoon cackles, flailing about and slapping anybody in the general vicinity.

It was obvious. Of course, Jun would be the only one of the boys with enough good humour to bother dressing up. He looks through the lot of you, searching for something. You think you’re imagining it when he lingers a little longer on you, his grin perking up as his gaze passes. Then the carrot droops.

“Am I the only one who bothered to dress up?” He mumbles. “The title said…”

Seungcheol opens his mouth at his other side, but you beat him to the mark, shooting up to stand.

“Wait! I-I -”

You dash off back to the garage, slinging your food-themed costume on and skidding back over the house’s wooden floors to bump into Jun’s side. He leans back to take you in, slowly perking up to beam down at you. There is another smattering of laughter from everyone as they take the two of you in.

“Y/N! An avocado!” He cries out, slinging his long arms around you to squeeze tight.

You giggle against his chest and nod. “Yeah. We kind of match.” The pretty young man tilts his head at you, his wide eyes dark against the warm firelight. “We’re both the only ones in costume.”

“So we are. Come on, partner.” He smirks as he twists his frame to walk beside yours, an arm slips beneath your costume to curl around your waist.