#writing is a learning curve. learning to live with that writing is another learning curve
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âsweetheart, your tieâŚâÂ
levi grunted in frustration, still trying to settle his tie, clenching his jaw when it still looked a mess. damn these stupid garments. hearing your small chuckle, he looked over at you, hands and shoulders falling in defeat as he silently pleaded you to help him.Â
your gentle hands reached for his neck, undoing the poor excuse of his tie and smoothing it out before placing it over his neck again. you worked silently, nimble fingers working the fabric in a way that kept it neat and crisp as you folded it correctly.Â
levi sat up straight, carefully watching you work your magic through the mirror - noticing the way you had meticulously put up your hair, the way your shawl draped around your frame, the silk of your dress hanging around your curvesâŚÂ
âthere you are.âÂ
your gentle voice brought him out of his trance and his breath hitched as you buttoned his vest, completing the look. there was no way he could have done this on his own.Â
âdidnât you learn how to tie this when you were in the service?â you teased him, finally peeling your eyes away from his neck to look at him.Â
âbriefly,â he said simply. âi never used them thoughâŚâÂ
you looked down at his hands, the signature white ascot gently hanging from his fingers. you chuckled again, never knowing exactly what this garment meant to him but knowing it had a deep significance in his life. gently taking the ascot from his hands, you gently folded it into a makeshift handkerchief before tucking it neatly into the pocket of his blazer.Â
âthis way it can still be with you on this special day,â you whispered, patting the pocket with care.Â
levi sighed out a rare chuckle, taking your hands into his and bringing them up to his lips for a gentle peck.Â
âwhat would i do without you?â he whispered.Â
âa lot of things,â you responded with a smile. âyou did live a whole life before you met me.âÂ
levi shook his head, bringing your hands back to his lips, kissing them more desperately. it was true, he lived several decades on his own before he met you⌠but what mattered now was that his life had turned around once you came in - someone who loved him unconditionally despite his past and the obvious reminders of it.Â
ânot now,â he said. âi wouldnât be able to live this new life if you werenât in it- i donât want to live this new life if you arenât in it.â
you smiled, his rare vulnerability showing. gently maneuvering your hands, you switched positions and returned the gesture, bringing his war torn hands to your soft lips.Â
âyou donât have to,â you promised.Â
he looked at you, a newfound passion for life pulsing through his veins, grateful to the gods for giving him another chance. he held his gaze with you for another few moments before you reached out to cup his cheek.Â
âcome on,â you said. âweâll be late for the grand opening.âÂ
you stood up, walking behind him to wheel him out to the main lobby. any other day he would protest, assuring you he was fine doing it on his own, but you insisted that he spends today resting and enjoying himself. a tea shop was always in his dreams but never had he expected it to come to reality and you wanted him to fully enjoy the moment. another reason he was grateful for you as it was your insistence of him following that dream.Â
he smiled, repeating back to himself⌠what would he do without you?Â
a/n: a bunch of drabbles while i get myself back into writing! hope y'all enjoy hehe
#milki content#levi ackerman#levi ackerman x reader#aot x reader#attack on titan#attack on titan reader insert#reader insert#mdni
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i think maybe the only way out of this mindset is to change what i define as success. when i'm rereading the story i wrote two years ago or looking through the sketchbook i was obsessed with when i was 12 i have to just grit my teeth and acknowledge that it taught me something new. even if it's just not that good. what matters is i have made something in the first place. what matters is not that i've failed to make my magnum opus, but that i've lifted the foundations a little higher for the next attempt. it's just something i have to live with. if that gap between what it is and what it could be was any smaller, i wouldn't care about it so much. finding new ways my current abilities can be improved is what gives me a sense of success, but it can become bitter when i look back at something i'm no longer in a position to edit. because i thought it was done, right? i thought it was good enough. i was blind. but the success isn't that. the success is that i had fun. the success is that i'm free to do something else now. the success is that it exists at all in the first place.
do u ever look back on something you created that you were really passionate about, and it's like. not as brilliant as you thought? like, it isn't terrible, but you know that you have the potential to do better, and you don't want it to represent your ability to Do The Thing anymore. i know it's the nature of progress and that the whole point of practicing The Thing is to get better at The Thing by pushing past your previous limits, but i find it a bit sad sometimes that i can never be entirely proud of what i've made because the goalposts are always moving. i can pass the old standards but i'll never reach the new ones
#đ#writers on tumblr#artists on tumblr#this is why i have never shown my original work to anyone in my entire life except my ex best friend.#writing is a learning curve. learning to live with that writing is another learning curve#idk guys im having lots of weird thoughts today#i'm sort of physically incapable of enjoying anything i wrote in the 1-3 years ago time period. any older than that and it becomes amusing.#and younger and i'm still a little bit proud of it#i'm trying to get better though. i'm trying to remember that it's just how improving skills works#does this resonate with anyone? is it just me?#progress really feels like a catch 22 sometimes#i can never show anyone irl proof that i can write because everything i have to show is not up to my own standards#fanfic is easier because it's anonymous. and it's not connected to my soul in the way original fiction is#i guess i need to start taking myself less seriously#chill out bee. its just some silly words#i need to log off and go touch grass maybe#this whole internal debate is stupid#delete later
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đđđđđđ | General Acacius x reader x Emperor Geta
â masterlist | requests? | ao3 | update blog | fic rec | ko-fi
summary | living under emperor geta's rule was never supposed to be easy, but he aims to make it nearly impossible, even if he has become fond of you.
author's note | i never really intended for this to get another part, but since seeing the movie and wanting to expand on these characters and possibly writing for geta on his own, i thought i would turn this into a little passion project. i know there's a niche group of you that have asked for a second part to this, and as much as i crave chaos, i hope you enjoy where i took this and know that i am all for the crazed man that is emperor geta. (can be read as a standalone, but the first part can be read here)
content warning | 18+ mdni, DDDNE - heavy dubcon (due to sex work, ect), heavy themes of abuse under the rule of a vile emperor (mention of injury, slapping, ect), normalized degredation, exhibitionism and exchange of bodily fluids, smut galore (oral, unprotected piv, ect), choking tw, death tw, use of opium poppy, drugging tw (not against reader), named side character, marcus acacius being the real knight in shining armor. this is unbeta'd so i apologize for any spelling mishaps.
word count â 8k
You live within him, it feels.Â
Geta never let you stray farther than a touch, within arms distance.Â
You were no longer yourself, rather an extension of him.
He prefers you naked. But, he often dresses you up in gowns; modest sometimes, occasionally leaning toward more revealing fabricâsheer lace, high slits, deep-cut necklines that accentuate your breasts and hips, the soft but tight curve of your ass. Sometimes you wondered if he liked the clothes more accessible to his wandering hands, his fingers fluttering under your gown during public meetings, even.
The men never said a word, they wouldnât dare.
If you were given the opportunity to be away from him, it was always under the watchful gaze of his guards, and only to complete tasks he has ordered to youâfetching food when he was too lazy to leave his bed and when you were feigning the grimace in your face, itching to wander.
Your relationship is complicated in the beginning but easier to manage as you become accustomed to his personality and outbursts, learning what makes him tick. Heâs easier to manipulate with sex, something you have no issue taking full advantage of.
And he fancies an audience, usually. Other servants, less privileged women that trembled in his presence, fearful that his next move would be their last, somehow comforted by your confident and guiding touch. It made no sense to not enjoy what you could while you were imprisoned here, even if Geta and his brother did nothing to soothe the discomfort they left in their wake, making your skin crawl as his fingers drifted along your skin.
Caracalla could not touch either, his brother forbade it. An eager boy, riddled with a brain-eating sickness, he was dutiful to his brother but harmful in his own ways, fickle with thoughtful choices and often making important decisions on impulse.Â
They were destroying Rome, that much you knew to be true.
-
Getaâs hand guided up your stomach, his palm curling around your breasts as he squeezed, your own hand flat against his chest as you rode him with fervor in the early morning hours, dawn peeking over the warm, lilac sky.Â
In this light, he seemed almost normal. Eyes drifting shut in the silence of his quarters, just youâjust him, he often made the mistake of weakening his defenses like this. He growled, low and quiet as his hands traded your breasts for your hips, spinning you in an instant and pinning you beneath him, soon his hand like a vice grip on your neck as he thrusts into you with little care or regard, a string of spit connecting his parted lips as he laughed, an eerie cackle as he came inside of you, admiring the tremble in your lip as he released his grip on your throat, subtly intaking the breath you had been deprived of as he pulls away from you, falling against the mattress and pulling the silk bed sheet over himself.
You move to do the same, but he grips the sheet.
âMake yourself come,â He demands, a sneer across his face as he yanks the sheet away completely.Â
It was routine, now. You part your thighs without hesitation, leaning back on your elbow to allow him an unobstructed view, a tired but amused expression on his face as you play with your clit, fingers sliding through your folds, eyes drifting shut as they often did.Â
It was easier to picture him this way, brown curls buried between your thighs and the tanned-skin of his backside as he stretched out below you, rutting his cock into the sheets as he ate you like his final meal, eyes like warm honey as they peered up at you.
Acacius, sweet Acacius.Â
You were thankful you could remember his face, a memory you would pray to the gods to stick with you forever, a blissful crest of pleasure as your middle finger circles over your clit in a hurried manner, heels digging into the sheets as you feel itâfuck, itâs there, right thereâ
âLook at me,â He leers, his hand twisting into your hair at the crown of your head, a searing pain that makes you gasp, but your eyes fly open, mouth parted in a mix of pain and pleasure, âtell me how generous of an emperor I am to be so kind to a little whore like you.â
You nod shakily, swallowing as your mouth dries, âYou have given me everything, your highness. Everything. I may never be able to repay you such a debt,â It was a script, one youâve memorized and dare not forget, âMay Iââ Youâve learned to ramp up the dramatics when heâs lips part in anticipation, fingers itching as his thigh as they curled, his dick twitching beneath the fabric, âmay I come?â
So fucking full of himself.
Whether you did or not didnât matter anymore, but he allowed it. Insists. Your eyes never leave him.
â
Even as you dress, again, he hovers.Â
Youâve learned the proper customs and rules, always making sure you look perfect. Pristine. Scrubbing your body down so harsh and deep that it makes your skin feel raw, because if Geta noticed anythingâanything at all, it would mean punishment.Â
He liked lashings, but that was too exertive for him.
His handmaidens aided the swelling and cuts as well as they could, ice and creams, clever ways to cover the wounds to your face. You were starting to feel a numbness when the anger would rise and explode, only praying that he would remove his rings before doing so.
âHeâs visiting,â Geta speaks as though it was a secret, squeezing your chin between his fingers before they predictably fall to your neck, squeezing in the perfect spot to make you feel light, airy, and not in a good way, âI best not get a whiff of contempt, understood?â
âI am yours, Geta,â You knew he liked the more relaxed approach, his grip easing up, âhe is nothing, nothing compares to you.â
His nostrils flare, a half-hearted smirk crossing his face as he shrugs.
âI have a task for you,â Geta teases, before his finger trails toward your nose, thumb rubbing against the soft, bulbous curve and down your lips, pushing his fingertip inside, prying your lips apart, thumb tucking against the inside of your cheek as you mouth falls open, âbut, not in this moment. The timing must beâŚperfect.â
Your eyes squint slightlyâhe was up to no good, that much you could decipher.Â
â
He gave the other servants a look, shooing them away as you stayed on his heels, your dress flowing at your ankles, feet bare against the marble floor. He pulled faintly at your wrist as he took a seat, maneuvering you into his lap, his own legs outstretched, fingers traveling up the center of your chest before his hands curving around the back of your head, his thumb rubbing at your jawline.
âTry anything, I will kill him first. Then you.â
You smile, syrupy sweet, playing with a thin strand of his fiery locks underneath the lip of his crown.
âYou worry so much, Emperor,â Your own hand covers his, a bold touch as you stare him down, âIt does not suit you.â
Heâs emotionless for a moment too long, fearing you may have finally overstepped, before he breaks out into a laugh, one final squeeze before he relinquishes his hold.
The General and his entourage arrive soon after your conversation, Caracalla having joined shortly before the approach of many guestsâmost thanking their Emperors for no apparent reason other than because they enjoyed watching people kneel before them, confessing their undying loyalty.
It was pathetic, but what you were doingâforced or not, was no better. It was much like being stripped bare, the way the others' eyes prowled, watchful of Getaâs wandering touch.
âQuite the whore youâve acquired,â One embolden man comments, his slimy smirk coming moments later, before calling over his shoulder, âGeneral Acacius, you must tell me where you acquire suchâŚtoys. Such a generous gift you gave.â
You smiled with faked confidence, sat in his lap, one leg draped over his own, the other dragging along the floor where it rested through his split thighs, a kneading hand dragging along your inner thigh. Your fingers drag along his own, his tongue shoving into his bottom lip and over his teeth, a tick youâve learned meant no good, his eyes turning quickly to rage.
You could hear the deep timber of the general over your shoulder as he is called forward, your eyes never leaving Geta, even as he straightens in his throne, his palm flattening against the arm of the chair digging into your back. You slide a hand inside his robe, fingertips dragging along his collarbone, âHe knows I am yours now, Geta.â
âGeneral Acacius,â Geta greets with a poorly faked kindness, one that Acacius returns with a curt nod and the usual bow that one of higher ranking would offer, the traditions were different for townspeople, but it was still ridiculous in any manner, âI take you have good news to share.â
Otherwise, he would not be here.
âAustria will be conquered within the next fortnight, Emperor Geta,â He explains with a rigidness that oozed discomfort, ignoring the smarmy look of another nearby general, one of much lower important, but nonethelessâ
âAh, it must feel strange,â The man suddenly interjects, a finger circling the steel goblet in his hand, filled to the brim with wine, âtrading whores, doing businessârather messyâŚâ
Getaâs jaw tenses, his anger suddenly directed elsewhere.
But, as usual, Acacius knows how to defuse a tense situation.
âShe was a gift to the Emperor,â The general clarifies, âfor what he does with her is none of my business, I only knew her as a loyal servant,â not a whore, never had those words left his mouth.
Getaâs chest rumbles softly, his hand squeezing painfully tight at your thigh.
Your teeth clench to silence the pain, dreading his next words as they leave his mouth.
âCall her what she is, Acacius,â He goaded, âa whoreâand she excels.âÂ
His other hand slides through the open back of your dress, slipping one fold of fabric down your shoulder as he grins, all of the lower society bystanders having filtered out of the palace by now, leaving a large group of generals waiting for Geta's official dismissal.
âGive them a show,â He boasts, shoving you off of him rather abruptly, but you quickly plant your bare feet into the flooring, steadying yourself as you kneel before the Emperor, spreading out the spare fabric of your dress to act as a temporary comfort to your knees as you work at Getaâs robe, hesitant as you peer up at him briefly, he nods slightly, but taunting, âgo on.â
It wasnât the first time youâve performed for an audience, feeling eerily normal nowâbut in a room full of generals? Acacius? You could hear your heart pounding in your ears, deafening everything else around you as you split his robe apart and dragged your fingers up the inside of his thigh, his tongue peeling slightly through his lips as you wrapped your delicate fingers around his cock, watching as he hardened under your skilled touch, despite how incredibly awkward the air felt, some of the men murmuring around you quietly.
His fingers dig into your hair at the start of your scalp, unhappy with your pace as he grips, pulling you forward until you get the idea, your tongue licking slowly along the head of his cock, the reddened tip glistening with a small drop of precome. You circle around it, slow and tantalizing before you run down the length of his shaft, having memorized every ridge and vein by this point that it has become second nature to instinctively know what pulls him toward the edge faster, easier. But, he wasnât even looking at you. He was staring through you, behind you.
He was staring Acacius down, guiding you down his cock without much relief as your eyes flutter shut when his cock head nears the back of your throat, using practiced breathing as you focus. He didnât like it when you gagged, eventually allowing you up for air as you claw gently at his thigh, but the process is repeated over and over again until youâre tearing up, drool collecting down your neck and chest, hand still secured tightly at the root of your hair as he pulls you off suddenly, demanding a tense, âOpen, tongue out,â as he comes in short, but forceful spurts against your tongue, swallowing the heady taste of him without another thought.Â
He pats at your cheek lightly when you open your mouth, showing it empty.
âStand,â He ordered, adjusting your dress back up slightly to cover your breast, chuckling underneath his breath at how disheveled you looked otherwise, hair an absolute mess and your chest slick with spit, âohâwhy donât you give him a kiss? As a thank you for his generosity.â
Geta covers himself lazily, uncaring as if a dozen or so men hadnât just watched him come down your throat. You turn on your heels, approaching Acacius who was simmering with rage, it was subtle, but you could sense it as you came closer.
You smile softly, a silent apology as you touch him first, fingers curling around the side of his neck as you press your lips against his in a chaste kiss, knowing Geta would allow nothing more. And it doesnât surprise you how easy it feels to fall back into his touch, the polite press of Acacius hand at your hip catching you by surprise, feeling the faint adjustment of fabric, invisible to the naked eye, but you feel it.
Geta doesnât appreciate Acacius reciprocity, cutting the moment short.
But, Geta is more relaxed that night after Acacius departure than heâs ever been.
Heâd won.Â
At least, he thought so.
â
âAn entire limb seems harsh,â Geta thinks, twisting the rings on his finger as you dry from the bath he had ordered you take before lying in bed with him, always wanting you perfect and clean, âmaybe a few fingers would suffice as punishment.â
You keep your silence, letting him think aloud as you squeezed the water from your hair with the cloth, but eventually Getaâs hand wanders, pulling at the cloth covering your body, forcing it to drop to the ground, âWhat do you think?â
Your eyebrows raise in faint shock, that he was legitimately addressing you about a concern, a choice he would happily make himselfâso, why? Why was he asking?
Whatever, youâll bite.
âWhat did they do?â
âThe generalâfrom the other day, who had such choice words for your dear Acaciusââ
âGeta, I have told youââ
âDo not interrupt me,â He seethes, pulling at your wrist, forcing you to be done with your hair and climb over him in bed, âHe assaulted a maid of oursâor Caracallaâs specifically, we had caught him up in his room, trespassing, touching things that did not belong to himââ
People, he means. But, he would never be so generous.
âAnd, you think a few fingers? An arm? That taking away a limb would keep him from doing it again?â You clarify, rolling to your stomach as you crawl toward him, your face level with his own as you rest your head into your open palm.
âUnless, say, you suggest something different.â
âKill him,â You offer lightly, âIf you think one less appendage would teach him a lesson, your highness, I hate to speak out of term, butââ
Geta considers the thought, head tilting to the side before he slowly opens his mouth to speak, âNoâŚI do understand. But, he is a general. It would be something to discuss with a council.â
Your fingers slide across his chest, fingertips rubbing against the small patch of auburn hair at the center of his sternum, slowly crawling up his neck, idle movement that you didnât think about at all anymore.
âYou are an emperor. The people of Rome listen to you,â He and his brother were burning it to the ground, but that wasnât something you could stop alone, âyou are powerfulâand, forgive me, but watching you command a room,â It amazes you sometimes how easily it was to play into his weaknesses, a smile spreading across his face as you boosted his ego, ââit does things to a woman.â
His hand, like a magnet, attaches to your thigh to spread you out on top of him, straddling his groin, your bare pussy pressed tight against the cloth of his robe, your hands pressing into his naked chest.
âYou are smart,â Geta notices, âeducatedâa keen eye unlike I have seen on someone of your social status, I do not know much about you.â
âYou have never asked,â You reply honestly, âthough, it does not matter. I am here for one reason, to serve you.â His grip shifts your waist slightly, aiding the slow, but gentle rock of your hips against his hardening cock and if you closed your eyes long enough, you could enjoy it.
âYet, you may be of more use to me than I suspected,â Geta teases, his hands rising to massage at your breasts, casually nodding to the maid who had peeked her head inside after a quiet knock, nodding as he answered, ââyes, bring them in.â
A line of varying women filter into the room with somber faces.
And just like that, the moment was lost.
â
Geta was such a heavy sleeper, fortunately. Gently prying yourself away as he rolls onto his side, mumbling something unintelligible in his sleep as you quietly step toward the the attached room where you bathed, pulling at a loose tile in the floor where you had stowed away what Acacius had slipped into the fold of your dress, withholding for the right moment to peek.
It was a tiny scroll, rolled up with a thin string and no bigger than your thumb, your nails pulling at the slab until it pops free, quietly unfurling the curled up paper as you read what was carved onto the thin paper, an overuse of ink smudged in spots.
It listed a place, a monument he knew youâd remember and a promise that he would visit every night after the sun set for a small window in time, hoping to catch you.Â
He was still trying to reach you, to provide himself as a comfort in such a time.
You had to plan accordingly, find someone you trusted enough, and convince Geta of your undying loyaltyâthough, it seemed that you were breaking him down.Â
And luckily, you did have a maid you trusted, to a degreeâa young woman of similar age, meek but unsuspecting, she often sensed your displeasement and unease, didnât fit in like the rest of the women that bowed so loyal to the emperors. But, she was a gossip, a troublemaker like Caracalla who she served loyally. She tended to him more regularly, often dealing with his breakdowns and tantrums caused by Geta or, lately, anything. There was never a way to know when he would blow a fuse and cause more bloodshed, he was unruly.Â
There was only one hour of the day when you see herâmorning proceedings, food served to their royal highness, the two brothers chatting amongst themselves as everyone moved fluidly around them. Caracalla had requested fresh squeezed juice, a rather tedious task, but you sneak away with her as the opportunity arose, digging through the oranges without prying eyes.
âI must ask you a favor,â You begin in a hushed tone, rubbing your thumb over the skin of the orange, âand I will owe you immensely.â
She looks at you curious, but expectant.
âThe stuffâŚthat helps Caracalla sleep,â You hint at out of habit, paranoia getting the best of you, âI wouldâŚI require it, for Geta. He sleeps heavily, but I needâŚto be sure.â
âHe is insatiable as of late, that act in front of the generalsââ
âIrene, I am at my end, pleaseâdo you have any remaining?â
It was opium poppy, it had many forms but the one you knew most of was powder. Easy to slip into a drink, often undetectable. It was worth a shot, even if it meant your life.
âAt dusk, by dinner. Is that enough time?â She answers easily, a sigh of relief breathing past your lips as you nod, cradling a few oranges in the crook of your elbow.
You had only prayed Acacius hadnât given up hope, that he might still be lingering in the shadows in wait, hoping for a glimpse of you again.
-
As promised Irene delivers, dousing both of the boys inconspicuously as you kept watch, tainting their wine with the sleeping drug, watch as his eyes began to tire before you as you slipped a grape between his teeth, a sated and happy smile on his face.Â
You hate it, but he almost looks normal. Like he wasnât slaughtering people for entertainment and ruling like a madmanâhe was still young, just beyond his teenage years and into adulthood, like yourself. You wonder where things went wrong and why, that someone could be filled with such unrestrained rage and hate.
Caracalla beckons for Irene eventually, Dundus hopping from her shoulder to his as she trails alongside him to his quarters, suddenly feeling the nudging of a sharp nose into your neck, a faint sniff and a hum as Geta appreciates the flowery smell, a faint lavender on your skin.
âI need you,â He speaks against your skin, nearly sliding your dress down then, your hands grabbing at him quickly and his reaction is delayed, almost confused, âdid you not hear me?â
âLet us retire to your bed,â You suggest, dragging your thumb along his bottom lip, watching as his wine-stained tongue licks at the digit, âand you will have all night to ravish me as you please.â
Thankfully, it doesnât take much convincing. Though, heâs less coordinated than youâre anticipating, draping himself over you lazily as he kneads at your breasts, cupping your cunt over the fabric of your dress, the silk halfway down your body as you step beyond the threshold and Geta is on you without a moment to breath, peeling his clothes of layer by layer before heâs bare before you, a surprising gentleness to his movements.
He takes a seat on the side of his bed, at the edge as he pulls you into his lap, hands spread out against your spine, fingers digging into the skin and begging to make it ache, hurt, but he doesnât have the strength, his kisses become increasingly more lazy as the opium takes hold.
Eventually, his eyes flutter as you pull back, your lips barely brushing against his as he fights the exhaustion, but eventually succumbs, falling slack on the bed as you climb off of him, leaving him sprawled out in his bare state to your valiant amusement, given the amount of times heâs taken to shame you rather than show sympathy, it seemed fair.
Sneaking out of the palace is easier than you expect, having spent endless weeks being mindful, watchful of even the smallest of things. Paths, open windows, learning the schedules of staff and guards, it was almost too easy as your feet fell against the broken pavement, the quiet footfalls following in your quick departure, praying to whatever deity above that General Acacius believed in you enough that you would fight to see him.
â
When you show, it is quiet. Dark, not a soul in sight, tugging the cloak hastily over your shoulders, sending a chill up your spine against the bare skin underneath, a small inkling of doubt seeping into your thoughts as you stare around aimlessly, wondering if you were too late.
Your frame slumps against a nearby pillar, secluded in the shadows, the cold night biting at your feet, the faint sound of hooves off in the distance, realizing just how noisy the streets could be outside of the palaceâit was comforting, in a way.
âYou came,â The words come from your left, behind you as your head whips over your shoulder and heâs touching you before you have time to take him in, a gentle but firm press against your clothed arms, holding you still, âyou are here, dove.â
It was a tone of disbelief, like he had lost hope.
He wouldnât tell you that he almost didnât come tonight. It didnât matter, because you were here.
The visceral reaction you have at his endearing name for you is like a vice grip on your heart, mouth opening to speak but words falling short.
Eventually, the tears fell.
âI am sorry, General,â You speak with a shaky timber, âI amâthat act, his performance the other dayââ
The general soothes your worry, dragging his thumb along your cheekbone to catch a stray tear, âThat has no meaning to me, if anything, it was his mistake for allowing us so close. Otherwise, you would not be here with me now.â
You peer at him through tear-soaked lashes, feeling as if you would be snatched away at any moment, your fingers curling into his similar clothing, a cloak covering what you could assume to be a more relaxed attire, a toga that he would often where around his home, strolling barefoot through his atrium.Â
âWhy am I here, Acacius?â
âYou must trust me,â He urges, âthat when the time is right, I will come for you.â
âWe could go now,â You plead, âhe would never know, he does not care enough to go after me, I swearââ
âLittle dove, he cares for you much more than you know,â The general counters, âyou are valuable to him.â
âHe asked something of me the other night,â You speak absently, rubbing a fingertip along the frayed thread of his cloak at your eye line, âwhat a fitting punishment I thought would be of a man who assaulted a servantâI believe he was testing me.â
Acacius furrows his brow, âYou loyalty, it seems. You are getting under his skin, I see it. He knows of your value to me and that as much as he tries, you will not be tamed. But, he is trying.â
You chew at your bottom lip quietly, a nervous tick that Acacius picked up on long ago, both of his thumbs pulling your lip away from further mutilation.
âLittle one, what is on your mind?â
âI have to go back soon,â You say with an obvious bitterness to your tone, âthough, I do not wish to.â
His large hand curls around the side of your face, cradling your head as you lean into the touch, warmth spreading like fire over your skin, âYou will be with me again.â
He barely registers as your lips touch his, a blink and you were there, lips pressed so tightly against his own that they might bruise, leaning into him like he was the only thing keeping you upright, pulling at the fabric of his toga as his hand wanders beyond your cloak, in search of a touch.
âDove,â He breathes at the realization of skin, âyou are bare, your clothesââÂ
âI rushed,â You stare at him impishly, âI did not think, I know, but,â the general smiles, cheeks dimpling with the show of emotion as he shakes his head.
âYou have me wanting what I cannot have,â He sounds somber, his hand still lingering against your hip, âI know he does not cherish you the way he should.â
You laugh softly, your stomach fluttering at his wandering hand, drifting along your public bone before the full expanse of his hand was cupping your cunt, welcomed by warmth and the sticky wet sensation of arousal that heâs been longing for, like an addict.
âGeneral, would you like to know something?â
âWhat is it?â He inquires to your obvious amusement, his and cradling your head back, neck exposed slightly, thankful that the streets around you were empty.
âHe likes to watch me pleasure myself,â You admit, âmostly because he cannot achieve the feat himself, but as I close my eyes I picture those mornings when you snuck under the sheets and spread my legs open,â Acacius leans forward greedily, hot breath fanning over your face as he yearns for another kiss, moving away from him tauntingly as you finish your speech, âthat sweet look on your face as you taste me, thankful that you expertise was not contained to only battleââ
âCareful,â He warns, âI am not against a reminder if you continue.â
You peer over the broken set of stairs behind him, attached to an abandoned structure, eyebrows raising expectantly, âA parting gift, General?â
â
The discomfort was nothing compared to a general kneeling into the dirt and stone without a hesitation to please you, a whore, a servantâyour title no longer mattered, having carried so many.Â
Heâs still hooded, your legs hanging over his shoulders as he kneeled against the steps, forcing you down flat against the concrete as he licked a slow line through the seam of your cunt, again, again. A teasing trace over your clit as he pressed two thick fingers inside of you, lapping at you loudly.
âDid he bed you tonight?â Acacius inquires curiously.
âNearly,â You sigh, a high-pitched breathy noise as his pace quickens, knowing that you both were on a time limit, âheâhuhâwas far too tuckered to be fulfilled.â
His brows raise subtly at your choice of words.
âI drugged him,â You admit, an unexpected moan ripping from your throat as his tongue flicks over you sensitive clit, fingers digging into his cloak-covered shoulder, âseems the Emperor is not as untouchable as he thinks, and tricked by a whoreâhe would have a fit.â
His fingers dip into your thighs as you squeeze them together around his head, his tongue working quickly over your clit until youâre breathless and whining, feeling the rushing wave of your climax as it crashes into you, Acacius licking up the mess like a starved man.
It takes you a few moments to come back to earth, feeling a gentle tug at your hand as Acacius helps you up, readjusting your cloak over your naked body without much of a word, knowing your time with him was up.
âWait for the bells,â He tells you, âlight, delicateâlook for me, I will be near.âÂ
You begin to speak, but are silenced with a kiss.Â
A final goodbye.Â
âRemember what I told you?â
Live.
You nod.
âAt whatever cost, little dove.â
â
You go to great lengths to make it back to the palace before dawn, hiding behind every pillar, sneaking around corners, somehow managing to slip back into Getaâs bed without so much as a sound, his body still mostly laid out as you had left him, aside from a little rousing around.
When morning breaks, Geta wakes with an obvious grogginess to his tone, forcing his eyes to stay open.
âYou stuffed me full of wine,â Geta jokes, âI cannot remember anything from our night prior.â
Youâd tried to look particularly exhausted, hair slightly disheveled and the satin bed sheet askew, âIt was quite a night, your highness. Such a shame,â You reply mockingly, though thereâs a sweetness to your tone, almost teasing.
And if Geta suspects anything, he doesnât say it.
It takes a day, two, silently mulling over the events.
He wasnât a half-wit like his brother, his brain like mush beyond repair, useless by result of the infection in his loins. He was helpless, spiraling deeper into madness.
Geta had his wits about himâhis eyes drag along your body, the deep swooping fabric showing off your exposed back, the soft skin and gentle slope of your spine, a look shared between you and Caracallaâs most trusted maiden.
Along with the lightness in your tone, a revered outlook, a bounce in your step that most people wouldnât catch, but Getaâheâs just as much an observer as yourself.
He suspects, noâsenses, feels, the deceit in your challenging gazes, the additional touches with an air of confidence, too cocky for someone who has been nothing more than a whore and housemaiden.
Heâd always known you were particularly special; smart by means of General Acacius, knowing how to read and write and many other things that others of your station did not have the luxury to learn. And you were hard to break, though Geta had worked at it for weeks, heâd gotten you there.
Obedient, compliant, merciful.Â
At least, heâd thought so.
He knows he wonât get a word out of you.
So, he goes for Irene.
-
The guards corral you at dinner, sitting silently with Caracalla as Dundus perched on his shoulder, eating quietly. They arenât kind either, grabbing hard at your bicep as they drag you from your spot on the floor, Getaâs throne eerily empty.
Your stomach turns at the slow realization as youâre dragged down the hall, tossed beyond the threshold of Getaâs room as you stumble to the floor, groaning at the impact, head hitting the ground first as you roll over in pain, opening your eyes to an even more horrific sight.
Geta, hovered over Irene, lifeless eyes staring back as he dropped the thick cord from his hands, something he must have ripped from the curtain as one drooped down from its normal placeholder.Â
There was no blood, no mess, but the light in her eyes was gone, and Geta stumbled over, crawlingâhunching down to intersect your bleary eyesight as you slowly came to the realization of what was happening.
âYou have betrayed me,â He announces calmly, despite the eyes of a crazed man staring straight through you, face void of any emotion, âafter all I have given you.â
âGetaââ You plead, pushing up on your palms to sit up, his foot coming in contact with your shoulder as you roll into your back forcefully.
âI AM YOUR EMPEROR,â He seethes, spitting as the words left his mouth, âYOUâBETRAYEDâME!â
And left a mess in the process, unfortunately.
âIf you wouldâŚlet me explain,â He stalks closer, watching as you rise slowly before his hand is striking across your face, the sting almost immediate, âIâthinkâŚthat youââ
âYou do not think,â He spats through clenched teeth, shaking with rage as he kneels to your level again, like a rabid dog, âwhores do not think, they are fucked until thereâs nothing left and then they are tossed out. Like trash.â
In desperation, the words slip out.
âI love you,â You say softlyâit was a careful bundle of words that youâve never spoken before, not even to General Acacius, âwhatever she has told you, it is lies.â
His silence isnât an answer, but you took the opportunity, unsure if he was stunned or gearing to explode.
Convince him, at whatever cost.
âShe knowsâof my past with the general. She was jealous of me, you. She drugs your brother, you must know. And she tried it with you too, it is why I did not leave your side, why I insisted we come back to your room.â
âBut, you knewââ
You reach for him, a hand circling his wrist.
âNo, no,â You speak softly, âIt was small things. Your speech, it was slurring. You were drifting away, almost as if you were floating. I could see it. I have seen it before, with your brother. The nights when he is unruly, sheâŚcalms him.â
âHer story is entirely different,â He challenges, âyou see my issue, yes?â
âGeta,â You challenge him, reaching forward to cradle his face, surprised by his willingness to allow it, watching you carefully, âI am loyal to youâno one else. I do not know another way to show you, but I will. I will, you mustââ
âStrip,â He orders, ââon the bed,â
It makes your stomach twist, but you follow his orders.
His demeanor is unreadable as he watches, mirroring your movements before heâs climbing over you in bed.
He settles on his calves between your open legs, a blanket of silence falling over as he reaches for your hand, a surprisingly gentle touch as he brings your fingertips to his cock, slowly hardening at the sight of you.
Your fingers circle his shaft as you lean up on your elbows, ignoring his intense eye contact as you drag your palm along the velvety soft skin, feeling him grow to a stiff hardness within a few minutesâit should disgust you.
It does, to a degree. It wasnât that Geta was unattractive in a physical sense, but the mental picture was hard for you to overlook. But, for the moment, you could pretend like he wasnât the worst human being to walk the earth.
His fingertips brush against your cunt slightly, fortunately your body has adjusted to the pleasure of such a complicated predicament. Youâre sure if you tried hard enough, you could truly enjoy it. But, youâre thankful that your body connects with the severity of the situation, quivering slightly at his touch, mouth opening in a small gasp.
âAre you nervous?â Geta inquires.
You shake your head, âNoâit is only, we have neverâŚâ
âLet us try something new, hm?â He offers with a grin and you nod instinctively, feeling two thick digits dip inside of you with no warning, not so much grace as Acacius would have, but it isnât uncomfortable.
It seems Geta has his wits about him, fortunately, diminishing you to nothing but a whimpering mess after a while, some of it a little bolstered for his benefit, but the pleasure was real.Â
And god, did you crave that release.
Soon, his hand is gripping his shaft, sliding between the folds of your pussy as he coats himself, mouth twitching at the sight as he speaks, âI want you to watch.â
And you do, his cock pressing into you slowly, âIt is such a generous act, you see, feeding you my cock like this,â another slow push, âyou should feel special, little dove.â
The words are jarring, but you try not to react.Â
âIt is not everyday you are fucked by an emperor,â The dichotomy to his words almost makes you chuckle, as if he wasnât fucking you every day, sometimes even two or three times, âyou should be thankful.â
âI am.â You quickly appease.
âThen thank me,â His voice was tense again, his neck flexing with the tightness to his words.
âTâthank you, Emperor Geta.â
âFor?â
One last forceful push and heâs seated fully inside of you, your brow pulling together at the pressure, lips parting open, âFor your cock, for making me feel soâoh,â His thrusts are careful, calculated, your head falling back at the divine angle heâs found, âforâoh, godsâso good.â
You fist the sheets in desperation, back arching up slightly, watching his jaw tense at the way your breasts bounce, his eyes darkening over time, only a shell of himself as he thrusts into you, two firms hands on your hips slowly making their way upwards, wondering if he was following the path toward your breasts before they are bypassing and going straight for your neck, his hands encircling your throat.
It is merely a second too late before your brain catches up, too overloaded by pleasure that you donât see the definite switch, quickly going from gentle pressure to the type of force that makes your vision white out.
You choke, gasping for air as you try to speak his name, plead, anythingâhis eyes are locked on your face, a sick determination as your stronger, forceful blows to his chest quick become weaker, weaker, feeling yourself teetering on that edge before heâs releasing his hold, forcing you to gasp for air.
âDo you still love me?â Geta asks.
And despite yourself, you lie.
âYes, I love you, Geta.â
He was a sad boy, youâve come to realize, wanting love but also craving unyielding power. He did not want equals, he wanted subordinates, fans, people that would sacrifice everything in his name. But, underneath it all, Geta was just as broken as you suspected.
â
A parade of the gladiators wasnât a normal occasion, but it was quite the eventâa way of wealthy men showing off their new toys, dangerous murderous machines out for blood.
It was the entertainment before the big show, sitting in the expansive throne room underneath the colosseum as the rich drowned in wine and food, you and several other servants surrounding the two brothers, eagerly awaiting your next order.
At least, for you, it was being obedient.
It felt like a collar around your neck, his fingers tracing along the back of your spine and up, fingertips resting against your shoulder, his thumb rubbing against the column of your throat.
Geta spots him from a mile away, that trademark white against gold, gaudy armor fit so perfectly for a man like Acacius, you bow your head at Getaâs push, the footsteps approaching steadily.
Your throat ached still, eyes slightly bloodshot. He hid your face, the evidence, speaking to the line of approaching generals as they greeted the two men with high regard.
âI commend you, your highness,â A general speaks, faceless but you sneer at his tone, fists balling into the fabric of your dress, âshe is so well behaved, you must teach me your tricks.â
You bite down at the inside of your lip as Geta pets your head, tilting your head to the side slightly as you close your eyes, his thumb pressing against your cheekbone.
âThere is no trick,â He retorts, âmy little dove is loyal, a hard thing to find in a world full of deceit.â
It was laughable, coming from the emperor.Â
The moniker is an even lower blow, knowing that General Acacius was a few feet away, the white fabric of his traditional armor dragging along the ground.
âAh, Acacius,â Geta boasts, âI hope you have come to bring me good news.â
It best only be good news.
As he approaches, Getaâs grip tightens, curling around the side of your neck as a show of dominance as his finger digs into your skin, daring you to defy him.Â
The soreness is pertinent, causing you to grimace in pain at his actions, something that Acacius spots but does not acknowledge.
âYes, our army is nearly ready, Emperor Geta,â He nods before acknowledging his brother, âEmperor Caracalla,â but Geta is not amiss to the way his eyes drag toward you for a brief moment.
âCareful,â He warns, âdoves areâŚso sacred, yes?â
Your sideways gaze peeks through as his eyes bore into Acacius, the subtle glimpse of broken capillaries and a plea for help as you lock eyes with Acacius is all he needs.
It would be tonightâit had to be tonight.
â
Heâs a horrid mess, drunk off his ass as he drags you back toward the room. His brother and he were always more rowdy after gladiator games, riding the high of an entertaining act of violence, slaughter for mere amusement. Geta nearly topples over you as he opens the door, pointing hastily toward the bed with a slurred speech, âNaked, on the bed.â
Heâs heading for more alcohol, a table tucked away in the corner of the room with a plethora of choices, pouring lazily as he stumbles, the utensils from an earlier meal falling to the floor as he bumps into it, looking displeased at your state of dress. He grimaces, nose scrunching as he reaches for the knife that had clattered to the floor, twisting it in his hand to point it at you.
âYou dareâyou dare to defy me?âÂ
Your eyes squint, narrow as he jabs at you sloppily, dodging the action with ease.
âYou cannot even see straight, your grace,â You jeer, watching as he gulped down the crimson liquid, remnants trailing down the side of his mouth as he threw the glass away carelessly, the glass shattering against the floor as he charged at you, pressing the tip of the knife under your chin as he backed you into the wall, his eyes capturing the similar essence of rage when you knew there was no saving him, determined to cause bloodshed no matter the consequence.
You can hear the soft lilt of bells in the distance, the sky as black as the darkened state of Getaâs eyesâif he had any humanity in him, it was gone.
âYou areâŚbroken,â You speak to him, accepting the consequence, even if Acacius failed to save you, âA poor, poor boy with no one to love himâyour confidence, it will be your demise.â
The knife knicks your skin, a subtle sting.
âAre you unaware of Caracallaâs plans?â You inquire, privy to Caracallaâs incoherent babbling, often feeling like Getaâs scapegoat, the constant source of blame. It was true, Geta had never accepted responsibility for anything in his life, âYou should be careful, Geta. He has a slippery hand and a temper. If given the opportunity, I am sure he would do away with you. I cannot say I blame himâyou are a disgrace of an emperor, ruling Rome like it is a playgroundââ
His eye twitches, the slight hesitation. It gives you enough time to react, twisting his arm away from your neck and on himself, âUnfortunate that you cannot do that as a dead man,â You bite, pushing against the force of the knife, knowing that Geta had no instinct of survival, a feeble man raised in a glass house for the entirety of his life.
The blood quickly pooled in his mouth, pouring out as his body slumped.Â
You had prayed it would be slow and painful, that the misery would last.
The rustling near the window pulls your attention, the city quiet and unsuspecting of the violence having just taken place, Acacius' frame obscuring the view of the stars as he climbs through the window.
âOh, dove,â Acacius sighs, taking in the sight of the slowly dying emperor, his fingers weakly grabbing for you as he choked on his own blood, âyou have made a mess.â
âI could not survive him any longer,â You admit, feeling his arm encircling your waist as he tugged you away, ââwhatâwhat is to happen now?â
âIt is a fate he would have met eventually, if not at the end of my own blade,â Acacius admits, âââcome, we must go. We only have a few moments, my lady.â
Your breath catches at the words, nodding in agreement as you allow him to tug you along, met with a few men on the other side of the wall, catching you as you dropped, draping you in a thick cloak.
âGeneral,â You breathe, sensing his overpowering frame behind you as he grabs the reins of the horse in front of you, assisting you in climbing on the creature, âwhere are we going?â
âAway,â He promises, âsomewhere we can both be free.â
âBut, your statusâdoes it mean nothing?â
It never did, not since the minute Geta had stolen you away.
You peer over your shoulder, his eyes soft.
âI love you,â He utters, answering your question without direct confirmation.
And for the first time, you say it as you mean it, feeling the tug at your heart, âI love you, too.â
#emperor geta#marcus acacius#general acacius#emperor geta x reader#emperor geta x you#emperor geta x y/n#emperor geta x female reader#marcus acacias x reader#marcus acacius x you#general acacius x reader#marcus acacius x y/n#joseph quinn#pedro pascal#gladiator ii fic#geta x reader#gladiator ii#pedro pascal smut#joseph quinn smut#my writing
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Please write about curvy reader with her 3 inches dick husband, Konig is reader's neighbor then helps her what's real sex feel like with his 10 inches cockđŠ
Can you imagine to differenceđŽâđ¨ I'd want to cuck my husbandđ¤đ¤đŠˇđŠˇ
Let Me Love You Right (fem)
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Master List
>cw: fem/afab, oral, p in v, cheating
2.9k word count
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Youâve been married to Chris for eight years now, you both got married young and heâs your first and only. To say sex has been lack-luster⌠would be kind. You both waited for marriage, Chrisâs idea. That meant you fell in love with him FOR him. You try to remind yourself that every day since finding out Chris only has a 3-inch cock.
Every time you have sex, you lie there looking at the ceiling while Chris moans loudly and gets off in six minutes. He doesnât know where the clit is either and his finger game is weak. He just isnât good in bed. The fact you catch him staring at a very slender woman online adds to it all, youâre a thick and curvy woman. He makes you feel rejected so itâs hard to enjoy anything with him. At some point you began to question if maybe youâre truly asexual because you became so turned off to sex and to him.
Then one day, your new neighbor moved in. You were sitting on your couch sipping coffee as you watched a moving truck pull in. You thought nothing of it and went on with your day. Your husband left for work so you decided to go outside and water your garden. You havenât worked the last three years; you both have been trying for a baby, but nothing has happened yet. Youâve learned how to fill your time with small hobbies.
You got dressed in comfortable clothes and went outside. You turned the water on and began to pull the hose. As you pulled, it got stuck. Assuming you were outside alone, you began to curse the water hose, bending over to fix it and struggling. Just then you heard the sexiest Austrian accent from behind you.
KĂśnig was about to go on a walk when he saw you leave your house, wearing tight black biker shorts and a tight white t-shirt. Your body wasâŚperfection. He stood watching your breast bounce slightly with every step you take. Your hips sway so gracefully side to side. He picked the right house to move into. Hearing your struggle snapped him out of his lustful day dreams and began to approach you.
âDo you need help? Miss?â
He looked down at you, his eyes traveling over the curve of your plump ass. Imagining how soft it would feel to squeeze. When you turned to face him, his eyes dropped to your breast. Again, his mind went to imagining his hands squeezing them. Heâs a man with big hands, and your breasts look like the perfect size to fill them.
As you turn your eyes meet the most beautiful sleepy pale blue eyes youâve ever seen. The man towered over you as if you were a tiny ant. His body is massive and solid looking. His blonde hair was shining in the bright morning sun. His face is handsome, rugged, with some scarring. You felt yourself get turned on for the first time in years.
âN- no, Iâve got it. Thank you.â You caught his eyes wandering over your body.
âIâm KĂśnig, I just moved in next door.â He held his hand out for you to shake.
âIâm y/n.â You put your hand in his, it looked so small. âThe accent, are you German?â
âAustrian.â His thin lips pulled into a small smirk.
âOh, sorry.â You chuckled from embracement.
âItâs okay, the accents sound similar.â He chuckled as well.
You both stood there for a while just letting your eyes drink the other in. You could cut the tension with a knife. His blue eyes returned to yours and he gave you a small smile. The rest was history. Everyday after your husband leaves for work, youâd see each other. Drink coffee together, heâd help you garden, just talking about your personal lives. Nothing sexual. That was until today.
Sitting at his kitchen table with him as you sip your coffee and chat just like you both always seemed to do. Today was different though, you both being more outwardly flirty with one another.
âYour husband is a lucky man Maus, Iâd love a curvy housewife.â His eyes travel down to your cleavage before back up to your eyes.
His comment makes you blush, you playfully nudge his arm. âYeah right.â
âNo really, I bet he is all over you.â
âNot really,â you tap your nails on the mug in your hands.
âNo?â KĂśnig tilts his head, heâs aware that heâs prying but he canât fathom a man having you and not being obsessed.
âNopeâŚâ You look into his eyes. You debate on whether or not you want to disclose all of your marital issues to him or keep it light.
âMay I ask why?â His eyes drop to your fingers tapping. He reaches his hand out and grabs your off the mug, caressing your soft skin with his thumb. âYou can talk to me.â
âPromise you wonât judge or laugh?â
âPromise, Maus. You have my word.â
âSo, when we dated, we never did anything sexual past kissing. Like traditional and all.â
KĂśnig nods his head along, listening to your words as he sips on his own mug of coffee. His eyes follow your lips as you speak.
âWhen we actually⌠you knowâŚfucked,â You and KĂśnig chuckle, âHe pulled it out and was incredibly small.â
KĂśnig raises his eyebrow with curiosity, âSmall?â
âSmall,â you nod, âlike three inches small.â
KĂśnig sat with his jaw dropped looking at you in disbelief. Three inches? Heâs bigger than that when soft. No way three inches can get past how thick you areâŚ
âAnd how was that?â His hand squeezes yours slightly.
âTerrible. I didnât feel anything. Iâm pretty sure Iâm still a virgin because it barely went inâŚâ You chuckle slightly at how embarrassing this is. âWeâve been trying for a baby for YEARS now and nothing because I just have no sex drive. On top of all of this, I catch him gawking at skinny women constantly. Women that look nothing like me.â
You take a deep breath, feeling like youâve been ranting. KĂśnig still caresses your hand with his thumb.
âI think youâre beautiful. Perfect just the way you are.â He says in a soft and tender voice. âI also think itâs a shame he doesnât please you sexually.â
You give him a warm smile before your eyes move to your hand in his. You look at the drastic size difference between both of your hands before looking back up to him.
âWhy donât you leave? Find someone new? Someone compatible?â KĂśnig means himself.
âHeâs all Iâve ever known.â
âDonât you think you deserve romance? Passion?â
You can feel your face getting hot as he asks you this. You do want it. He is the reason the spark of desire was reignited in your life to begin with, but you canât just tell him this. You canât just have sex with your neighbor.
All the while you are inside your head, KĂśnig looks at you. He takes in your features, the way you rest your head in your palm, how soft your lips look.
âMaus?â
âHm?â You look up after being lost in thought. âOh, I guess. I actually had a period of thinking I was asexual because I just didnât have that desire or drive.â
âDo you still feel this way?â
âNo,â you look back down at your hand in his.
A short period of time passes before KĂśnig speaks up, âDo you find me attractive?â
Your eyes shot up to his shocked he was so forward. You hesitate for a while because youâre still married. Saying the truth might open up pandora's box, but you feel stuck, stagnant.
âI doâŚâ you respond meekly.
âI think youâre attractive too.â KĂśnig lets that linger in the air before continuing. âI desire you, and I think you feel the same.â
KĂśnig tightened his hand around yours. He reached out with his other hand and caressed your face. You both look at each other for a while before you speak up.
âI do.â You lean into his hand that caresses your face.
âI donât mean to cross lines, but I think I could love you better than your husband. I could appreciate your body better. I could fuck you better.â
His hand moves from your face to the back of your head, his fingers combing through your hair and grasp firmly. He tilts your head back slightly as his eyes roam down the curves of your jawline and neck. You felt a heat rush over your body.
KĂśnig stands and walks closer to you, leaning in and kissing your neck tenderly. The warm sensation of his lips sends a chill down your spine. You donât stop him even though you know you should. This would break your husband, but you donât care.
Kissing up your neck to your ear he whispers, âLet me worship you, bitte.â
âWhat if I donât like it?â
Youâre still worried that itâs a you problem. What if you just donât like sexual encounters?
KĂśnig chuckled, âI can make you cum. Donât worry.â
Your cheeks go hot as you laugh nervously. He pulls away and gently pulls you by your hand, âKomm mit mirâ
You stand and follow him through his house to his bedroom, his bed a massive king size bed. The bedsheets are a dark gray color with a black comforter. He gently guides you to the room and lays you on the bed. Leaning over you, his lips find yours as you share a deep passionate kiss. His lips made yours actually tingle; youâve never felt that before. His hands begin to trace the curve of your waist to your hip before moving up to your breast and squeezing.
KĂśnig breaks the kiss and moves off of the bed. He gently takes your shoes off your feet and places them neatly by the bed. His eyes traveled over your body before pulling his shirt off to expose his physique to you. He can see the desire in your eyes, causing him to smile.
As he went to reach for the waistband of your leggings, you stopped him.
âWhat if you donât like how I look?â
âIâll love it, trust me.â He reassures you in a low soft tone.
Nodding your head, you let go of his hands and let him take them off. His eyes glide over your juicy thighs and the light blue cotton panties youâre wearing. Your legs are a little stubbly, you werenât expecting to do this. You feel slightly embarrassed by the hair, but KĂśnig doesnât seem to mind as he glides his hands up your legs once theyâre bare. His lips kissing from your calf up to your soft thighs; once there he begins to nibble on the soft flesh.
âMien Gott, youâre so soft.â He whispers as he rests his kisses on your thighs more.
âIâm sorry I didnât shave-â
âItâs natural. I donât mind hair Maus.â He smirks.
You relax back on the bed as his hands go up to the elastic band of your underwear and pull it off. His eyes falling on the small bush between your legs as he smiles. He canât wait to bury his face in it.
âAre you okay?â KĂśnig asks as his eyes meet yours.
âYeah,â You look down at him as he begins to spread your legs apart. Your heart beat is pounding and, in this moment, you begin to think about the life you wanted to build with Chris but then, oh god. You drop your head back on the bed.
KĂśnig sticks his tongue out and begins to lightly flick over your clit. Instantly your legs begin to tremble and you moan loudly. Your hands find his hair and comb your fingers through it. You canât believe oral sex can be this good. KĂśnig stops licking your clit to suck it.
âNo, no, please lick it.â You look down again, begging in a pathetic voice.
KĂśnig nods and goes back to flicking his tongue rapidly over your clit. You had a long morning of sweating so your natural musk is strong and KĂśnig is savoring the smell. Listening to your loud moans he slowly moves his finger to your pussy and teases the entrance. Slowly slipping his finger in your gasp. He loves the reactions youâre giving. Itâs insane to think youâve gone your whole life without feeling this pleasure.
âKĂśnig,â you moan out loudly as he begins to pump his finger in and out of you quickly, your back arching. A new sensation consumes you as you scream out, your body trembling. KĂśnig closed his eyes, smirking, and enjoying hearing you orgasm.
He pulls back and moves his finger once you relax. You prop yourself on your elbows and look at him, wondering why he stopped.
âTake your shirt off, Liebling.â KĂśnigâs voice dripping with lust.
You sit up and pull your shirt over your head before reaching behind you to take your bra off. KĂśnig watches eagerly to see your breast for the first time. Watching them full and heavy, come out from your bra makes his mouth water even more. He canât believe how perfect you are.
KĂśnig begins to pull down his jeans and you watch, jaw dropping once you see the outline of his erection. He pulles his boxer briefs down completely and you see his hard cock full for the first time. Not only is it thick but it's long. You canât help but to stare and KĂśnig notices.
âDonât be scared, Iâll make sure it doesnât hurt.â
âHowâŚhow big are you?â
âUh, ten inches, I think. A little over. But donât worry, I wonât push you.â
âTen?â
KĂśnig laughs and walks to the bed and lays beside you. He moves his body so that youâre resting close to him while he is on his side. He leans down and kisses your breast, slowly making his way to your nipple to suck on it while he is lifting your leg up with one hand, and moving his cock to rub your pussy with the other.
âAre you ready?â
âI am.â Your voice is weak with pleasure of him touching you.
Moving his mouth from your nipple he begins to kiss your lips. He rests your leg over his body to keep your legs spread as he wraps that arm underneath the back of your head. He breaks the kiss to look at you as the other hand still on his cock slowly pushes into your slick tight cunt. KĂśnigâs breath goes shaky from the pleasure itâs giving him. He slides his hand up your leg and holds it up for a better angle.
You look back at him and your hands grasp whatever they can find, his pillow and his forearm. Your eyebrows knit together as you moan out his name. His cock pushing deep inside of you like youâve never felt before. Your walls clench tightly around his fat cock as you feel stuffed for the first time ever.
KĂśnig begins to thrust into you quickly, his eyes traveling to watch your breast bounce with the motion. Panting hard as his body begins to glisten with sweat. Your sweet moans and sopping wet cunt driving him to his breaking point.
âY/n,â KĂśnig moans as he leans down to kiss your lips.
You move your hand from his forearm to his jaw eagerly pressing his lips into yours harder. Moaning into his mouth as his tongue pushes past your lips and begins to circle around every corner of your mouth.
You feel the same overwhelming feeling of pleasure, you know youâre about to cum. You try to turn your head to let out moans but KĂśnig moves his hand from your leg to your face to keep you kissing him, his tongue dancing with yours as you begin to orgasm.
Without warning KĂśnig pulls out and steps off the bed. Your body is still trying to calm down. You look at him as he grabs your legs and drags you to the edge of the bed. He rests your legs over his shoulders as his hands grasp your hips. He slips his cock back into your needy pussy and begins to thrust as hard as he can.
Your back arches and you reach out grabbing the bed sheets as you loudly moan KĂśnigâs name. KĂśnig has sweat dripping from his forehead as he looks down at you not being able to handle his cock.
âYou can take it, Maus, Iâm going to cum.â
âPlease, cum. Please fuck your cock is so- big.â You moan now looking up at him. Your face contorted from the pleasure.
âBeg for it more.â
âPlease cum, please cum in my tight little pussy.â
âOh, fuck ja, mehr!â
âPlease cum in me.â You whimper out as his thrust picks up even more, the sound of his hips slamming into your ass fills the room.
KĂśnig listens to you beg, watching your eyes glaze over with a lustful look. He nods his head as you beg him to fill your precious little pussy full of his cum. He does.
âY/n! Fuck!â KĂśnig moans out, dropping his head back as his cock throbs deep inside of you.
.
.
âHey sweetie, did you have a good day today?â Chris asks as he walks to you and kisses your cheek.
âYeah, I did.â You sit still thinking about KĂśnig, excited for tomorrow.
âDid you do something different with your skincare routine? You look like youâre glowing.â
âYeah, I did.â
âWell, whatever it is, you should keep doing it.â
âOh, I will.â You smile, holding your secret.
#konig#konig x reader#konig x y/n#kĂśnig#konig cod#kĂśnig x reader#konig smut#kĂśnig smut#kĂśnig cod#kĂśnig mw2#konig x reader smut#cod konig#kĂśnig call of duty#kĂśnig x you#kĂśnig x y/n#cod smut#kĂśnig x reader smut#smut#konig x female reader#konig x you#kĂśnig x curvy reader#konig x curvy reader
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Just to Ruin Me
Summary: âYou donât have to tell me any of this right now,â you said. âA lot has changed in the past few hours and thereâs no rush in sharing these things with me. I know how hard it was to talk about your past the first time.â âIt was necessary, though,â Astarion looked over at you, his expression determined. âYou needed to know what we might be up against. And you might need to know this too.â âIf you want to tell me, then Iâm happy to listen, but please donât force yourself for my sake.â Astarion released a puff of air from his nose. âYou keep doing that.â âDoing what?â âAsking me what I want. Letting me choose.â OR The morning after you spend the night with Astarion, you learn another thing or two.
Pairing: Astarion x f!reader Rating: 18+ Word count: 12.5k CW: smut, reader is new to sex, piv sex, vaginal fingering, dry humping, mentions of Astarion's past trauma, blood drinking, mild angst, soft Astarion, porn with feelings, reader is an idiot (and a bard), so is Astarion (not a bard, just an idiot), the other companions are also idiots, but don't piss of Shadowheart Spoilers: Minor spoilers for Act 1 (in-game dialogue, plot points, etc.), as well as Astarion's plotline Also posted to: AO3 FAIR WARNING: This is PART 2 in my series, "Beauty and the Bard." Find Part 1 here. Find the masterlist here.
a/n: Thanks to everyone who read Part 1!!! Your kind comments and encouragement spurred me to write Part 2 and I hope it's a sequel that lives up to expectations!! I know the summary is a little angsty, but I promise there's more banter to be had. Everyone is still a goof, after all. Please enjoy :) (Thank you to @kermitwazowski for beta reading!) As a reminder, the last part ended with the following few lines: âFor now, you were content to sleep under the stars in Astarionâs arms. It was the best sleep youâd ever had.â
Taglist: @a66-1 @khaleesiofthewolves @khywren @lollipopsandlandmines @minestrones
Okay, so maybe it wasnât the best sleep youâd ever had.
Though youâd grown accustomed to roughing it in the last few weeks since the nautiloid crash, waking up in the forest was still a shock. It had its charms, sure, like the fresh air and the breeze blowing in off the mountains, but the appeal was starting to wane. Especially after one too many nights of having to take a dip in the frigid lake next to camp to rid yourself of gnoll blood.Â
This morning however, you found yourself surrounded by blankets and pillows from your camp in the middle of a clearing surrounded by large pine trees, all of which had been thoughtfully arranged by the figure trancing beside you. Your own sleeping figure sighed comfortably, unbothered by the lack of a mattress or a hot bath, just a nice deep sleep-
Astarion whacked you in the face.
Your eyes shot open.
âOW?â You scrunched your nose and blinked a few times to get your bearings.Â
It was still dark. The forest around you was painted a delicate shade of periwinkle. Youâd hazard a guess that it was just a little before dawn.Â
At some point in the night, youâd rolled onto your back, away from Astarion, who was now curled to your right, his back facing you. He must have just rolled over, explaining the harsh wake up from his forearm. You smiled softly and instinctively brought your hand to rub your forehead where heâd made the unfortunate contact.Â
Blinking a little more, your eyes were beginning to adjust. From this angle, you had a clear line of sight to the large scar that overran a majority of his back. You squinted in the dark to try and get a clearer view of the terrible thing, but came up short due to the shadows of tree branches being cast from above. Still just a mandala of jagged lines and brutal curves. When you got your hands on Cazador, youâdâŚ
No.
No, that wasnât your fight.Â
But youâd be gods damned if you wouldnât be there for every bloody moment Astarion faced him, giving support however you could. Though you had to admit that it would be so gratifying to corner the bastard and cast a quick little Ottoâs Irresistible Dance⌠Assuming youâd be strong enough to cast it by then⌠Gods, heâd look so fucking stupid just before Astarion plunged a knife through his heart-
Enough. Battle strategies and sick, twisted (but satisfying) revenge fantasies later. Right now you noticed that the shifting of the shadows on his back wasnât from a breeze shaking the branches above you, but because Astarion himself was trembling.Â
Your first instinct was to reach out and touch him, but you quickly retracted your hand. Based on the short whimpers he was letting out, it seemed like he was having a nightmare.
How was one supposed to wake someone from a nightmare again? With Astarion youâd have to be extra careful; you wouldnât be surprised if heâd stowed a knife somewhere within these blankets that he might reach for in a surge of waking fear.Â
That⌠would not be pleasant.Â
You shifted to sit up and look around.
Ow.
A dull throbbing made itself known between your legs.
No, that was great. Spectacular, in fact. Youâd have to stop and assess later.
Gingerly, you got onto your knees and peered around at your surroundings. Astarion had done a decent job of cleaning up the clearing to make room for this blanket nest, so there wasnât a poking stick to be seen within reaching distance.
Not that you were going to poke him with a stick⌠but the thought had crossed your mind. You were still tired! Youâd been fucked for the first time last night! There was a lot going on!Â
You shook your head to clear the stupid overlapping thoughts and set to looking around for a wayward pillow. You spotted one in the far corner and made your way over to it carefully but with some haste to end Astarionâs unconscious suffering.Â
You crawled back over to him. And then backed up a little. Just in case.
âAstarion,â you sang quietly.Â
Astarion continued trembling, but you heard him inhale sharply. A good sign?
You raised your voice a little, but kept the same musical cadence. âAstaaaarioooon.â
Nothing.
Okay fine.Â
âSorry,â you said quietly, then threw the pillow at Astarion, hitting him squarely on the back of the head. You leaned forward to grab your own pillow as a protective shield as he gasped and shot up.
âWhat the hells? Whatâs happening?â Astarion rolled onto his back and frantically looked around until his eyes landed on you.Â
You smiled sheepishly and waved at him lamely from behind your pillow. âHi.â
Astarion narrowed his eyes, confused. He shook his head, then lifted a hand to the back of his head where the pillow had hit him. âWhat did you do?â
âYou were having a nightmare.â
âOh, I know what I was doing,â his tone was sarcastic. âWhat were you doing?â
You looked down at your lap, guilty. âI couldnât remember how to wake someone up from a nightmare.â
âSo you assaulted me?â
âI didnât know if you had a knife!â
âWhy would I have a knife? What is happening?!â He sat up fully and brought a hand to his forehead as if he were in pain.Â
âAre you okay?â
âThankfully, Iâll live,â he opened his eyes and looked at you, his hand still on his forehead.Â
You huffed. âI meant with the nightmare.â
Astarion sighed and closed his eyes again. âItâs far too early to discuss this.â He tilted his head up towards the sky, which was getting brighter with every passing moment. A practiced smirk appeared on his face and he looked at you once more. âIâd much rather know if youâre okay, darling.â
You narrowed your eyes at him.Â
âWe had a lot of fun last night, didnât we?â
âSeeing as how Iâm always a lot of fun, I donât understand why youâre posing this question.â You looked down your nose at him.Â
He hung his head and sighed exasperatedly. âWill you simply allow me to work my charms on you?â
You tutted. âIs that what you were trying to do just now?â
âAttempting to, yes.â Astarion crossed his arms. âIâm usually irresistible.â
You snorted. âOkay,â you said, a small smile appearing on your face. âIâm going to ignore your lack of an answer about your nightmare and will elect to wait until youâre ready to tell me about it yourself.â
Astarion pursed his lips.
âBut go ahead,â you rearranged your legs, wincing mildly as you moved to sit cross legged, âcharm me.â
A look of worry flashed over Astarionâs face when he saw you wince, but the concern was quickly overtaken by an all too self-satisfied grin. âFeeling it this morning, are we?â
You rolled your eyes. âI knew youâd be happy about this.â
âPositively delighted, my sweet.â He leaned forward and kissed you gently, bringing a hand up to your cheek. You brought your own hand up to lay against his. He pulled away and appraised your face smugly. âI was completely enamored by your performance last night.â You were about to open your mouth to say something, but Astarion interrupted. âDonât even think about mentioning that youâre a bard and that of course youâre good at performing, or something like that.â
You closed your mouth. You were going to say something like that. Instead you said, âYou were pretty good yourself.â
He brought his hands up to make air quotes. âIâve âruined you,â from what I recall.â
You groaned. âI just said that to make you cum.â
âWhatever you need to tell yourself, my dear.â His face was still smug, but he motioned for you to come closer. You scooted forward and he lifted you slightly to sit on his lap.Â
He leaned up and kissed you deeply, his tongue swiping your bottom lip for entrance. You moaned in response and opened your mouth for him. Though the rest of his body was cold, his mouth was warm and inviting, and you leaned in further to try and get closer. You wrapped your arms around his neck and tilted your head slightly to get a better angle. Youâd been mildly distracted last night; had he always smelled this good?
When Astarion pulled back suddenly, you couldnât help the whine that escaped at the loss. He hummed in satisfaction, and his voice was low and seductive when he spoke.
âEvery part of your perfect body whispers temptations-â
You giggled. âWhat?â
âShush dear, Iâm charming you.â He cleared his throat, â-itâs as if the gods made you just to ruin me.â
âSo now Iâve ruined you?â You raised your eyebrows teasingly.
âWait, no-â
You leaned your forehead onto his and laughed. âAnd that one usually works?â
He blew out a puff of air. âYouâre an unusual one, Iâll give you that.âÂ
You shrugged, pleased with yourself.
âBut yes,â Astarion continued, âIâve made plenty of previous lovers swoon with that particular line.â
âShow me what else youâve got, then,â you challenged.
Astarion tilted his head in thought. âLetâs see⌠I canât use the âcried from your lipsâ line because I used that one last nightâŚâ You scoffed joyfully, mockingly scandalized that heâd already used a line on you. He met your eye and smirked. âHow about this one: When Iâm with you, I feel practically alive, yet I crave only to die again, with you.â
The sultry tone of his voice did send a pang of want through your body, reminding you that you were only wearing Astarionâs shirt and nothing else. You shifted uncomfortably.Â
âHow romantic,â you said, trying to keep your voice nonchalant. âI didnât think you liked dying the first time.â
Astarion narrowed his eyes, sensing your deflection and smirked, looking down at where you sat on his lap. He rolled his hips, which made you inhale sharply. âI see that one did do something for you,â he leaned forward and kissed your neck.Â
You exhaled slowly, âI blame that stupid sexy voice of yours.â
Astarion growled against your throat and you shivered, bringing your hands up to his back.Â
âAstarion,â you sighed and he hummed in response, licking over the twin wounds heâd left the night before. You sat up a little straighter. âWait.â
He immediately pulled back and looked at you with concern. âWhat is it?â
âI just thought of something,â you said.
Astarion raised his eyebrows and nodded, wanting you to continue.
âCan I borrow your fangs?â
âMy-?â His tongue instinctively flicked over his teeth.
âBecause I want to leave a lasting impression on you,â you tilted your head at him to show off the marks heâd left on your throat. You shimmied your shoulders a little for good measure.Â
âIâm leaving,â Astarion made to get up with you still on his lap and you laughed loudly.
âNo! No! Iâm sorry! Iâm sorry! I wanted to try a dumb line on you, too!â You threw your arms around his neck and hid your face in his shoulder. You felt him kiss your hair.
âYouâre lucky I donât travel with you for your personality,â he joked.Â
âIâd say âIâm a lot of funâ again but I think youâd actually stop talking to me.â You pulled back to look at him.
âAnd youâd be right.â He kissed you chastely and then adjusted you on his lap. You winced a little again and he looked genuinely sympathetic. âI might have a way to ease the pain from last night,â he said. âDo you trust me?â
You smiled at him. âYes.â
He smiled back. âGood.â He positioned your arms over his shoulders. âHang on, my love.â You crossed your arms where they hung behind him and waited to see what he would do.Â
Without warning, you felt one of his cold fingers slide through your folds. You hissed at the sensation and looked at Astarion.Â
âSupposedly, massaging the area can help,â he was trying to sound knowledgeable, but the look in his eyes was one full of lust. Then he tutted, looking down. âYou could be wetter, darling.â His thumb began to circle your clit.
Your eyes rolled back at the sensation, and you leaned forward again to rest your forehead on his shoulder.Â
âDo you want my cock again, love? You took me so well last night, I was so proud of you,â heâd moved his mouth next to your ear and was speaking with the same sultry tone that he had a minute ago. You whimpered at his praise and rolled your hips to get his thumb to press you harder. Astarion let out a low groan. âThatâs it, youâre getting so wet for me, youâre so good.â
After a few more tight circles, you practically sobbed when you felt him take his thumb away from your clit.
âShh, shh, I know,â he cooed, âbut we want you to feel better, remember?â
You let out a frustrated sound. âI already was feeling better.â
Astarion chuckled. âTrust me, would you? Impatient.â His tone was nothing but fond.
His other fingers began massaging the area around your entrance. You winced and bit your lip.Â
âAre you okay?â he asked.
âFine,â you confirmed. âI assume this will get better?â
âThatâs the idea,â he kissed your ear and you nodded against his shoulder.Â
You rolled your hips, attempting to get friction where you needed it.Â
âJust a little longer,â Astarion said, moving his fingers gently around your cunt.
You hummed an acknowledgement and kept rolling your hips, trying to combat this weird form of edging that was happening.Â
Finally, Astarion ceased his massaging and brought his thumb back to your clit. You let out a long shuddering breath and squeezed your eyes tight, adjusting your hips to roll against his thigh.Â
âThere you go, my love,â Astarion said, voice still in your ear. âIâll make you cum for behaving so well.â
You whined loudly as his thumb picked up the pace. You began rolling your hips at an equally fast pace. âMore,â you whined, willing your climax to approach faster.
âNot right now, darling. Letâs give you a break there, shall we?â Astarion used his free hand to pet your hair.Â
âBut you asked if I wanted your cock again,â you whined.
âAnd while Iâm pleased to hear that youâd like it again, letâs relax and get you off like this for now, okay?âÂ
You groaned but nodded, squeezing your eyes shut again and focusing on the pleasure Astarion was currently providing. âHarder,â you instructed.
Astarion pressed down harder on your clit with his thumb. He swept his index and middle finger through your folds, coating them in your slick. He quickly swapped those fingers with his thumb, changing the sensation by swapping one finger for two and adding more of your arousal to the mix.Â
You keened and gripped his bicep. âHarder!â You instructed again, desperate and approaching the edge. You could feel the coil in your stomach preparing to let go.
Astarion pushed again and brought his lips to your ear once more.Â
âI just thought of something, precious thing,â he murmured.
You blinked at him, your eyes unfocused and half lidded.
âMore of a question, really,â he clarified.
You squeezed your eyes tight, nodding. You were on the precipice of your orgasm and could feel it fastly approaching. You slammed your hips against Astarionâs thigh as he continued to rub your clit brutally.Â
âDo you believe in love at first bite?â He leaned forward and kissed your throat, then began to suck a new mark into the flesh there. Contrary to his pun, he wouldnât drink from you without your expressed permission first.
It did, however, send you crashing over the edge. You moaned loudly, Astarionâs name tumbling repeatedly out of your mouth. The vision behind your eyelids was white and you reached out blindly to grip Astarionâs shoulders. His lips detached themselves from your throat and found your own. His tongue was immediately in your mouth, swallowing your moans and shouts of his name.
When you came down, you disconnected from the kiss and opened your eyes, a lopsided grin on your face.Â
âThank you,â you said. âI do feel better.â
Astarion smirked. âI knew you would.â He brought his fingers, still coated in your essence, up to his mouth and sucked them clean. You watched, mesmerized by the way his cheeks hollowed and his eyes fluttered shut. He pulled them out with a lewd pop. âDelicious.â
You felt your face flush, embarrassed by his display, despite just cumming in his lap.Â
âYou shouldnât feel embarrassed about this,â Astarion said, reading your expression immediately. âWhat you should feel embarrassed about is the fact that you came because I told a joke.â
âI did not!â You protested.
âYou absolutely did,â Astarion said. âAnd it was a particularly bad one, too.â He clicked his tongue. âYou must feel so ashamed.â
You groaned. âI came because you started kissing my neck!â
Astarion raised his eyebrows, clearly not believing you. âItâs okay, darling, no one here was under the impression that you arenât incredibly lame.â He gave you a pitying look, then kissed your nose and you laughed. He pulled back and looked at you fondly, a dopey half smile on his face. Then he looked up at the sky.
The periwinkle youâd awoken to was now vibrant shades of orange and pink.Â
âAre you okay if I move you?â Astarion asked.
âUm⌠sure?â You werenât sure why he was asking, and helped to move yourself off of him. You did feel a bit less sore thanks to his help.Â
He stood up and stretched his arms over his head, then bent to pick up a rag to wipe off his pants.Â
âSorry,â you said.
Astarion shook his head. âComes with the territory.â You were about to make a joke but he held up a finger and gave you a warning look. âDonât.â
You held up your hands innocently.Â
He tossed you the rag after and then your pants and underthings.
âClean up,â he instructed, âthen get dressed.â
You furrowed your brows, your stomach dropping suddenly. He didnât expect you to leave right now, did he? He hadnât fucked you last night, then brought you more pleasure this morning, only for him to send you back to camp like it hadnât happened, right?
Astarion snorted. He was watching you as he slipped on his shoes. âRelax, darling, I see that face. I just want to show you something.â He held out a hand to help you up.
âOkay,â you smiled, soothed by the pleasant look on his face. âDo you want your shirt back?â You made to lift it over your head.
âKeep it for now, dear,â Astarion said. âI rather like that on you, truthfully.â The collar was slipping off your shoulder as you pulled on your pants, and you made no move to adjust it, opting not to put your bra back on yet.
âDo you want to wear my shirt?â you teased.
âTempting, but I fear Iâd look better in it than you do.â
âExcellent point, donât do that.â You adjusted the ruffles on Astarionâs shirt and felt a light breeze on your cleavage through the lacey opening at the collar.Â
âGods, youâre beautiful,â he said. You looked up and caught Astarion staring at your chest.
You laughed as he cleared his throat, then gestured deeper into the woods with his head. âThis way.â He held out a tentative hand and you took it eagerly, bringing the back of his palm up to your face to leave a gentle kiss. Astarion squeezed your hand slightly at the contact, and began heading further into the forest, away from camp. A pleasant silence hung between the two of you and you rubbed your thumb absently along the back of his hand.
It wasnât long before the trees started to thin and you heard the sound of rushing water somewhere close by. You emerged from the trees to find a cliff overlooking a ravine below. On the other side of the ravine was more forest, and beyond that, you could faintly see the Sea of Swords. The sun peeked out over the horizon, bright reddish orange in the distance. Its glow was a welcome sight and you found yourself in awe of the view.
Astarion let go of your hand and sat, dangling his feet over the edge of the cliff. You hesitantly stepped forward and sat beside him, opting instead to sit with one knee up, the other leg crossed beneath it. Astarion sat back on his arms. The sun reflected off his skin in the most beautiful golden and magenta hues. His hair, somehow still perfect despite your night together, was being jostled lightly by the breeze. Heâd closed his eyes and tipped his head up, basking. You couldnât help watching him as you rested your cheek on your bent knee.Â
He didnât open his eyes when he said, âI try to come out here every morning.âÂ
You sat in silence, continuing to watch him as you prepared to listen to whatever heâd say next.Â
âAfter two hundred years in darkness, you forget how lovely the sunrise is,â he said. âI donât ever want to miss another.â
âI canât even begin to imagine what that must have been like,â you said softly.Â
Astarion hummed in acknowledgment and opened his eyes. âIâd catch glimpses while lurking around the city for too long before dawn, hopping from shadow to shadow until I made it back to Cazadorâs manor.â His eyes didnât waver from the sun in the distance. âBut there were moments where Iâd catch a glimpse of it over the Chionthar.â His tone became sardonic. âThe promise of a new day emerging! Something that I would never get to participate in.â He sighed. âIâd linger as long as I could in those moments.âÂ
You nodded, picturing a hopeful Astarion hiding behind buildings and in alleys, trying to get a fleeting look at a phenomenon that occurred every day, one that you took for granted. Your heart ached for him.Â
He continued. âI never quite told you what Cazador made his spawn do for him.â
You tried to recall what Astarion had said to you before. Only that heâd been made to go out into the city and bring back âthe most beautiful soulsâ he could find. Then Cazador would make him either drink from a disgusting dead rat, or abuse him for refusing. The thought made you visibly shudder.Â
âI know that you had to bring people back to-â you lowered your voice, as if saying his name might summon him, â-Cazador, against your will. And that heâd kill them.âÂ
Astarion nodded his head once, remorsefully. âI never told you how we lured them.â
You could see pain etched into his features. You reached out a hand and placed it on his shoulder. He flinched a bit at the contact, but settled when he looked over at you.
âYou donât have to tell me any of this right now,â you said. âA lot has changed in the past few hours and thereâs no rush in sharing these things with me. I know how hard it was to talk about your past the first time.â
âIt was necessary, though,â Astarion looked over at you, his expression determined. âYou needed to know what we might be up against. And you might need to know this too.â
âIf you want to tell me, then Iâm happy to listen, but please donât force yourself for my sake.â
Astarion released a puff of air from his nose. âYou keep doing that.â
âDoing what?â
âAsking me what I want. Letting me choose.âÂ
You cocked your head sympathetically. âAnd I take it two hundred years as a slave hasnât really afforded you any choice.â
âCorrect,â he sighed. âAs a spawn, your vampiric master has complete control over your body and your actions. Even in moments where I wanted to defy or fight back, I was powerless to do anything.âÂ
Your heart jumped into your throat. You hadnât realized that was how it worked. Having no control over yourself or your actions sounded like a complete nightmare and you were glad that youâd hopefully never have to experience it. Knowing that that had been Astarionâs entire existence for the past two centuries made you sick to your stomach.Â
âIâm sorry,â you said, just as youâd said the last few times heâd shared glimpses of his past.
Astarionâs eyes were closed once again as he inhaled deeply, then exhaled. He continued to bask in the rising sun for a few silent moments and you watched as it slowly rose higher into the sky.Â
âThat nightmare I had,â he said, his voice coming out quiet, âIâve had it before.â
Again, you said nothing and waited for him to continue.
âI actually had the same one the night you let me drink your blood for the first time.â
âOh, please donât tell me that drinking my blood was some sort of revenge plot against me for haunting your nightmares.â
Astarion smiled a little. âNo, it wasnât about you. It was about Cazador.â
âYou know, Iâm really starting to dislike this guy,â you said, knowing how difficult this was for him and trying to keep his mood up with another little joke.Â
âYou and me both,â he sounded tired. âIn the dream, Iâm in the forest. Cazador appears and recites the rules of being his vampire spawn.â He held up his hand and recounted them on his fingers: ââFirst, thou shalt not drink the blood of thinking creatures. Second, thou shall obey me in all things. Third, thou shalt not leave my side, unless directed. Fourth, thou shalt know that thou art mine.ââÂ
You listened patiently as Astarion recited each rule almost mechanically. You scrunched your nose with each passing instruction and rolled your eyes dramatically when Astarion finished.
âWhat a prick.â
He smiled again. âWith an archaic speech pattern.â
âI was going to mention his archaic speech pattern.â
The smile faded slowly as Astarion returned to his thoughts. âThe dream ends with Cazador telling me Iâm his forever. That I can never escape.âÂ
You let the words hang in the air for a moment. âAnd yet, here you are.â
âHere I am,â he said humorlessly. He laid down fully on his back, the sun high enough to bathe him completely in its glow. He rested his arms behind his head and angled himself to look at you. âI realized, if I could walk in the sun, what other vampiric laws could I break?â
You looked down at him, admiring the light glinting off his bare chest. âSo you decided to test your theory on me? Iâm touched.â You held a hand to your chest, pretending to be deeply moved.
âIn all honesty, I thought you were the least likely to kill me if I got caught.â He smirked at you. âAnd it would seem I was right.â
âI wouldnât have let any of the others kill you,â you said firmly.
Astarion chuckled. âHow sweet. My brave little protector.â He reached over to pinch your cheek.
You swatted him away. âHey, who saved your ass from a bugbear yesterday?â
He shrugged. âI would have been fine.â
You leaned forward and shoved him lightly, making him laugh and throw his arm forward as a shield.Â
When his laughter died down, his face grew a touch more serious again. âWhen you so graciously assaulted me this morning, heâd just finished telling me rule number three; that I canât leave him unless he tells me to.â
You thought for a moment. âWhich begs the question,â Astarion looked over at you expectantly, âhow did you end up out here? From what I recall, the sun was still out when the nautiloid reached the Gate. You didnât have the tadpole yet, so howâd you escape?â
âI wouldnât say it was much of an escape.â His eyes shifted up to the sky, his expression thoughtful. âI was looking for new victims for Cazador. It was dusk and I had just been given the order to go out and hunt. I was weaving through shadows, avoiding the setting sun, but thereâs only so many places one can hide from a giant tentacle that wonât burn you to a crisp. One of the tentacles caught me when I attempted to flee down an alleyway. A complete accident.â
âIf it helps, I tripped while running away.â
âOf course you did.â He sighed. âFigures it would take an alien invasion to finally free me from his clutches. Not some,â he waved his hands in the air, gesturing to nothing in particular, âheroic figure sent by the gods to save me and smite that horrible man down to somewhere further and more vile than the Nine Hells.â His hands fell ungracefully to his sides.
He wasnât wrong. How could any god worth their salt claim to be holier than thou when such suffering was occuring right under their noses? And you were pretty sure, based on tales youâd heard of Mystra and Shar from Gale and Shadowheart, that the gods hadnât planned for the nautiloids or the rise of the Absolute. Yet if it werenât for any of that, Astarion would still be trapped in Baldurâs Gate and your adventure thus far would have looked very different.
âIf Iâd known, I would have done something,â you said, knowing it was more complicated than that, but still wanting to help somehow.Â
âDarling, if Iâd met you in Baldurâs Gate, I would not have hesitated to take you to Cazador.â
That hurt.Â
You said as much. âOuch.â
âWell,â he sounded angry, though he directed it up towards the sky and not at you, âI wouldnât have had a choice! Sure, it would have been a little novel, given how inexperienced you are, but regardless, I would have handed you off to him as soon as Iâd made you finish.â
Ah. So that was how he lured people. It made sense, now that you put the pieces together; Astarion was so experienced because he had to be. Of course unsuspecting victims would fall prey to the allure of an eternally beautiful vampire, especially the one laying next to you. Of course the promise of pleasure from someone that sexy would be the obvious thing to agree to. It was a wonder your paths had never crossed before the nautiloid.Â
âOnce,â Astarion broke the silence that had fallen between you, his tone distant, âin the first decade of my slavery, I found a darling boy who I couldnât bear to bring back to him.â He finally looked over at you, his eyes full of sadness. âSo I ran, instead of hurting that sweet man.â
You reached for his hand, then thought better of it. All his snide âdonât touch meâsâ on the road now held a new, terrible weight.
âAfter Cazador caught me, the bastard sealed me, starving, inside a dusty tomb, all on my own, for an entire year. A year of silenceâ
A hand flew to your mouth. âAstarionâŚâ you felt your eyes begin to prick with tears and did your best to will them away, fearing that they might make Astarion stop sharing.
He went on. âMonths of scratching my hands raw, trying to carve my way out, more months of not moving at all. Months wishing only for death.â He took a deep breath, then blew it out shakily. âSo no, I wouldnât have hesitated, had we crossed paths.â
You opened and closed your mouth several times, attempting to find words that could possibly compose an appropriate response to the horrors you currently refused to picture. âI have no words,â is what you finally settled on, followed by an, âIâm sorry.â
âNothing can make up for that,â he said quietly. âNot even Cazadorâs death.â He paused. âWell, it would help a little, but the coward deserves a fate worse than death.â
âCan I hug you?â you blurted, unable to stop yourself.
Astarion blinked a few times, then sat up. âWhat?â
âI just⌠youâve been through such hell and I want to hug you, but I donât want to touch you without your permission.â
He looked you up and down and saw the sincerity evident on your face. âI⌠suppose.â He pulled his legs up from where they were still dangling above the ravine and turned to face you head on.Â
âThank you,â you said, still attempting to keep your tears at bay.
You leaned forward and weaved your arms beneath Astarionâs, hooking your arms up and placing your hands on his shoulder blades. You settled your face between his neck and shoulder and could feel that his arms were frozen rigidly in place in front of him. You took a shaky breath and stayed still, allowing Astarion to move at his own pace.Â
His arms finally settled around you and he bent his head so his cheek rested against your hair.Â
The two of you stayed like that for a while, relishing in the otherâs closeness. You moved your hands back and forth across his back absently. When you caught yourself, you pulled back to look at him and asked, âIs it okay that Iâm touching your back?â
Astarion chuckled softly. âYes, my dear. Itâs rather nice, actually.â
You smiled and nuzzled your nose into the crook of his neck. Seriously, did he always smell this good?
Despite the pleasant distraction, something was nagging at your thoughts.
âCan I ask you something?â you murmured into his skin.
Astarion sighed dramatically. âIf it has anything to do with my fangs, Iâll rip your throat out.â
You snickered to yourself. âNo, not another dumb joke, I promise.â
âThen by all means.â
You pulled back once more to look at him in the face. His eyes widened when he saw your nervous expression. You avoided holding his gaze, feeling a little small.Â
âDo you⌠want to be with me?â
Astarion looked taken aback. âWhat?â
âI mean⌠wellâŚâ You were having trouble sorting through your thoughts. Who were you to make this moment about yourself when Astarion had just been so open with you? And why couldnât you trust him in what he had told you last night? Still, you had to know. Youâd made it clear how much you cared for him and how much sleeping with him had meant to you.Â
Given his past experiences, it made sense why heâd sleep with you, but you wanted to hear him say it. If this was all some ploy to manipulate you into doing what he wanted, even without Cazadorâs instruction, you needed to know now.Â
âWas I⌠just another conquest?â you asked, your tears reemerging. âBecause if thatâs the case, then I think we should end whatever this is.â
Astarionâs face was now inches away from yours. He moved a hand from your back and shifted it up to wipe a wayward tear that had escaped. He said your name softly.
âNo, my sweet,â his other hand started rubbing soothing circles into your back. He pulled back a little. âWell, yes.â
You scoffed, another tear rolling down your cheek.Â
Astarion was quick to correct. âNo, no! I mean, at first, yes, it was my plan to seduce you and sleep with you.â
You let out a small whimpering noise and he tried to catch your eye. You kept your gaze glued on something in the distance, unseeing.
Astarion cleared his throat. âYou- Youâre valuable; someone willing to feed me, someone who advocated for me to stay with you all, even though you knew vampires were dangerous, someone who would protect me in battle, even if it meant sacrificing something important to you.â
Try as he might to get your attention back on him, your face remained blank as you stared into the distance.
âI wanted your continued protection.â He shrugged. âHabits from two hundred years of charming people kicked in and I thought I could secure that with sex.â
That got you to look at him, a sour expression on your face. âHave you met me?â
Astarion chuckled. âYes, I have. And thatâs what threw me for such a loop.â
You humphed.
âWhen I realized youâd be more of a challenge, I modified my plan.â
âI donât love the direction this is headed.â
âStay with me, darlingâ he said, âI promise Iâm going somewhere with this.â
You exhaled and nodded for him to continue.Â
âI did want to give you a good first experience, that much was true, but I will admit that I was still planning on using you.â
You narrowed your eyes. âYou realize how bad this sounds, right?â
âWill you-â he sighed. âLet me finish, damn you,â he brought his forehead to yours briefly, then pulled back. âSo imagine how stupid I felt when I realized I genuinely felt something for you.â
That made you smile softly.Â
He groaned. âAnd yes, it is because I find you to be⌠a lot of fun.â The last phrase sounded like it hurt coming out.Â
Your soft smile transformed into one of smug satisfaction. âAnd when did you come to this conclusion?â
âWell first of all, look at you.â He smiled slyly and you playfully pushed his face away from yours, just as you had last night. After a moment, Astarion looked up, as if searching through his thoughts. âI suppose Iâve always found you to be amusing. You were so easy to fool in the beginning. I mean, the very first day we met, you thought I had one of those brain things cornered.â
âI had no reason not to believe you! And then you held a knife to my throat!â âAh, memories,â he sighed wistfully. âBut then we started traveling together, and I donât think Iâve ever laughed more. Killing those goblins outside the Grove, fooling those trolls into working for us, taking out those Paladins of Tyr⌠you always had a sarcastic comment to contend with my sarcastic comments. Which is saying something.â
You snorted. âAs if I wouldnât have something to say.â
Astarion nodded. âYou do talk a lot.âÂ
You chuckled softly, feeling better. Your arms were still wrapped around Astarion.
âIt was when I kissed you.â His tone was thoughtful.
âHmm?â
âWhen I really kissed you for the first time, there was something different about it.â His eyes flicked down to your lips momentarily. âSuddenly everything weâd been through came rushing back to my mind and there was this⌠pleasure I hadnât felt. In an awfully long time.â
You smiled like a dope, bringing your forehead to his.
âI realized you werenât going anywhere. And that you genuinely cared about what I thought and what I wanted.â He looked at you almost shyly. âNo one in the past two hundred years has stayed.â Astarion pulled back and his inflection became flamboyant and playful: âNot that they had much of a choice, but it was a somewhat shocking revelation.â His tone then returned to one of sincerity: âAnd no one has cared for me as you have.â
You looked away, embarrassed by the kind words.âWhat can I say, Iâm incredible.â
Astarion blew out a cool puff of air that tickled your face. âAnnoyingly, you are.â
You looked back at him and smirked. âFor me, it was when you asked me how Iâd want to die.â
Astarion snorted. âPardon?â
âWhen you asked me how I wanted to die on one of our first nights at camp. I genuinely had the thought, âNow hereâs a guy who knows how to have a good time.ââ
Astarion laughed brightly. You mirrored his grin.
âYou said you wanted to be decapitated.âÂ
âHow romantic of me,â he said, raising a seductive eyebrow.Â
âWell it did spark the crush Iâve been harboring this whole time,â you felt your face heat up at the admission. âThat, and your stupid beautiful face.â
Astarion sniffed mockingly. âThank you, not enough people mention that.â Then he looked at you fondly. âBut that long, eh? How adorable.â He rubbed his nose against yours teasingly. âAnd here you thought nothing would come of it.â
âNothing usually does!â you exclaimed.
He laughed and leaned forward to kiss you once. âNot so loud.â
You lifted an eyebrow and gestured to the empty landscape around you. Astarion shrugged. You lowered your voice despite the lack of other people to bother.
âI am glad something came of it this time.â You settled your forehead onto his shoulder.
âAs am I, my love,â he kissed your hair. âThough I have something else to admit.â
You pulled back and looked at him curiously.
Out of nowhere, he presented you with a knife.
âI did have a knife.â
You scoffed incredulously and whacked his arm. âI KNEW YOU HAD A KNIFE, YOU BASTARD!â You laughed loudly and pushed him backwards.Â
He fell back onto his arms, laughing with you as you crawled on top and kissed him deeply.Â
âCareful darling,â he murmured against your lips, âdonât move.â
You paused your movements, your lips still pressed firmly against his own. Astarion turned his head slightly to look over to his left at the treeline youâd emerged from not too long ago. You pressed a kiss to the side of his mouth and felt him grin. Then you felt his right arm come up and jerk slightly, followed by a âTHUNKâ sound off to your right.Â
You waited a moment before you asked, âCan I move?â Your mouth was smushed against his face and your voice came out muffled.
He chuckled. âYes, you can move now.âÂ
You sat up and looked to your right, the knife Astarion had pulled was now wedged deeply into the trunk of a nearby tree. You raised your eyebrows at him.
He stretched out like a cat in a sunbeam, his voice straining as he went. âImpressed?â
âHonestly? Yes.â You leaned back down and kissed him again.Â
He hummed and his mouth moved against yours at a leisurely pace, his hands coming up to tangle in your hair. You kissed down his jaw and throat before coming to his collarbone and stopping.
âYouâre sure you donât want to fuck me again?â Your words came out a little shy and Astarion laughed.Â
He twirled the ends of your hair around his finger. âDelicious as you were, my sweet, I think Iâd prefer to take my time with you.âÂ
You pursed your lips, disappointed.Â
âThatâs not to say I donât want to, darling, butâŚâ His fingers stopped twirling your hair as he thought. âLike you said earlier, so much has changed in the last few hours. Iâve only just discovered that I can sleep with somebody because I actually want to.â His hand moved from your hair to your cheek. âI think I need some time to adjust to that.â
You nodded and bent to kiss him. âIâll wait as long as you need me to.â
He smiled up at you. âThank you.â
You spent a few moments just looking at him, admiring how his eyes sparkled in the sun like rubies. You sighed noticeably.Â
âWhat is it, love?â
You shook your head. âItâs nothing.â
âDarlingâŚâ He raised his eyebrows at you.Â
âNo, itâs inappropriate right now.â You looked away.
You felt his hand in your hair, and his voice was conspiratory, âI love when you talk dirty.â
You sighed again and looked him in the eye. âOne of these days, when youâre ready, Iâm going to look into your gorgeous eyes as I make you come.â
Astarion sputtered out a surprised laugh. âEasy there, lover,â he gave you a sultry look, âI may just take you up on that.â
You sat up and spread your hands over his chest. âI want to make you feel good, too.â
He brought both hands up to his face and groaned loudly before dragging them back down his face and looking at you. âCome lay in the sun with me, will you?â
You pouted but rolled off of him and curled into his side.Â
âThere now,â he said, arching his chest upwards towards the sky where the sun had now risen for the day, âisnât this nice?â
You inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the trees and the sounds of the ravine below. You exhaled and closed your eyes, warmed by the sun and comforted by the presence of Astarion beside you. He himself had his eyes closed and looked peacefully content. You nuzzled further into his side, enjoying how his cool skin contrasted with the warmth coming from above.
Before you could even register that you were still tired from your early wakeup call this morning, youâd drifted back into a comfortable sleep.
~~~~~
You were awoken some time later by a lick to the face.Â
You shut your eyes tighter and groaned. âGross, Astarion, Iâm trying to sleep.â You threw an arm over your eyes, the sun now directly overhead.Â
âDid you find them, boy?â A voice shouted from the distance.
Your eyes shot open and found Scratch panting above you, wagging his tail excitedly.Â
You sat up quickly and immediately leaned over to shake Astarion who appeared to be trancing soundly.Â
âAstarion,â you shook him anxiously.Â
He scowled, his eyes still closed. He groaned lowly.
âAstarion, my dear, my sweet, my beloved,â you shook him harder and his eyes opened immediately. He sat up, fast as lightning.
âWhatâs happening? Whereâs my knife?â He looked around frantically until his eyes landed on you. âAh,â he said, calming, âdĂŠjĂ vu.âÂ
âTheyâre coming,â you hissed.
âWho?â Astarion narrowed his eyes, thoughts still foggy from his trance.Â
âNo FUCKING way!â Came Karlachâs voice from the treeline.Â
You looked over and found her with an elated grin on her face and her hands on her knees. She started laughing loudly and you hid your face in your hands.Â
âYou guys did NOT,â she wheezed.Â
âHello Karlach,â Astarionâs voice sounded nonchalant beside you. âWhat brings you out to ruin our beauty sleep?âÂ
âDid you find them?â Shadowheart soon emerged from the forest and stopped in her tracks. She surveyed the area and pinched the bridge of her nose. âAstarion, tell me you didnât.â
âDid what, darling?â He sounded smug and you looked over at him. His expression matched his tone. âYouâll have to be more specific.â He rested his chin on your shoulder.
âI fucking knew this would happen,â Karlach said, coming down from her laughing fit. âSoldierâs had her eye on you for a while now, Fangs.â
âKarlach!â You whisper-shouted.
âOh, Iâm aware,â you felt Astarion turn his head to look at you.Â
Suddenly Gale, Laeâzel, and Wyll joined the fray. Scratch ran to them and happily weaved between them as they emerged.Â
âWe heard a commotion, did you find them?â Gale halted when he saw you and Astarion sitting together on the ground, him shirtless, you wearing his shirt. âNo,â he said, shaking his head.
âYes,â Astarion said, tilting his head against yours. You gave him a dirty look.Â
âChk! Was that filthy nest of our blankets your doing?â Laeâzel asked, cradling her greatsword proudly.Â
You groaned and hid your face in your hands again.Â
âIt would appear so,â Wyll confirmed awkwardly.Â
âYou vampires have a disgusting way of mating if that nest was any indication,â Laeâzel narrowed her eyes and lifted her nose in the air judgmentally. âFar too soft.â
Astarion scoffed and pulled back from you. âIâll have you know that vampires mate in the most satisfying- well, we donât mate, necessarily, weâre not dogs, but we, well at least I, am always an exemplary lover.â
Shadowheart ignored him and walked forward, crouching down and resting a hand on your shoulder. You looked at her. âAre you okay?â
âWhat?â you laughed in disbelief. âYes, Iâm fine.â
âHe didnât⌠coerce you into something, did he?â
âExcuse me?â Astarion sounded insulted. âI always ask permission first, darling.â
âYour charms can be quite overwhelming at times, Astarion,â Gale said.Â
âAnd wouldnât you like having my charms turned on you, wizard,â Astarion sneered.Â
âWell, letâs not jump to any conclusions,â Wyll held up his hands, gesturing for the others to relax.
âEveryone!â You raised your voice. All eyes settled on you. âNothing happened between us that I didnât expressly and happily agree to.â
Karlach started chuckling again. âGood for you, Soldier.â
âThank you, Karlach,â said Astarion.Â
You narrowed your eyes at him.Â
He shrugged. âWhat?â
You groaned and stood up, wiping grass and forest debris off your clothes. You adjusted Astarionâs shirt on your shoulders, making sure you werenât showing off too much to your companions.Â
âIs there a reason you all came out here? Or was it just to mortify me? Because mission accomplished!â
âItâs midday,â informed Wyll. âWe grew worried when the two of you seemingly vanished and didnât return.â
âHalsin and the tieflings are coming to camp tonight to celebrate our victory against the goblins,â Shadowheart crossed her arms.Â
âYes, and it wouldnât be a great look if our leader and the gangly one were missing,â Gale said.
âGangly?!â Astarion exclaimed, very clearly not gangly.Â
âYouâre- okay, well, I hadnât seen you shirtless before now,â Gale amended.Â
âLike what you see?â Astarion teased.Â
âAstarion,â you scolded.Â
He sighed and got up, wrapping an arm around you and resting a hand on your hip.Â
You went red as you watched your companions track his hand.Â
âListen, people,â Astarion said, sounding serious.Â
You saw your companionsâ eyes shift to the vampire.Â
âDonât give her a hard time. This was my doing.â Shadowheart was about to say something but Astarion raised his voice a bit. âWhile yes, she gave permission in everything that we did, this wouldnât have happened if I hadnât suggested it in the first place.â
âI could have suggested something much better, surely,â Laeâzel huffed.
âI mean, did you-?â Karlach thrust her hips in the air with her fists at her sides.
âOh my gods,â you groaned.
âI donât kiss and tell, darling,â Astarion said, squeezing your hip slightly.Â
Karlach smirked smugly and winked at you both.Â
You shook your head and looked up, silently begging any god that was listening to kill you and to do it quickly.Â
âWe should get back to camp,â Wyll suggested diplomatically. âLet these two collect themselves.âÂ
âSo what does this mean?â Shadowheart asked, ignoring Wyll.Â
âShadowheart,â Wyll warned but she waved him off.
âWhat do you mean?â You asked.
âAre you only going to sleep with the pathetic vampire moving forward?â Laeâzel stated bluntly.
You and Astarion looked at each other. You saw the slightest flash of uncertainty in his eyes and smiled. âIf heâll let me,â you said.Â
A small smile appeared on his face in return.
Laeâzel groaned. âK'chakhi. Your loss.â She turned and walked back into the forest, slinging her greatsword over her back.
You bit your lip, feeling guilty about Laeâzelâs feelings, but Karlach soon slid into your vision. âCongrats, you crazy kids,â she laughed and pretended to punch your arm, then followed on Laeâzelâs heels, Scratch bounding close behind her.
Gale walked over, his face stoic. He stood in front of Astarion and held out his hand.Â
Astarion scowled. âWhat is this, do you want some sort of handout?âÂ
âI want to shake your hand, you buffoon,â Gale sounded frustrated.Â
âGaleâŚâ you said sorrowfully.Â
âNo no, think nothing of it,â he waved you off. âThe right man won out in the end.â
Astarion took his hand and shook it. âBetter luck next time,â he jeered.Â
âAstarion,â you scolded again. âYou both know Iâm not something to win, right?â
âOf course youâre not,â Gale nodded. âApologies, I misspoke. Iâll see you both at camp. Lunch is bread and cheese to save room for tonightâs festivities.â He stiffly turned and walked back towards the trees. Wyll gave him a sympathetic look, then caught your eye. He nodded somewhat sadly and followed after Gale.Â
âWell that certainly doesnât feel good,â you said, holding a hand to your chest and breathing deeply.
âNot quite finished yet, love,â Astarion nodded over towards Shadowheart who lingered nearby.Â
She approached slowly, holding her hands behind her back. Astarion released your hip and moved away, sensing what Shadowheart aimed to do. You looked at him curiously, but your attention was drawn back to Shadowheart as she threw her arms around your neck.Â
âYouâre happy?â She asked softly.
âShadowheartâŚâ you smiled into her hair. âYes, Iâm happy. Thank you.â
She pulled back to look at you in the eyes, double checking your expression. When she saw that you were genuine, she nodded. She cleared her throat and looked over at Astarion.Â
She pointed an accusatory finger at him. âHurt her, and you will never know a happy day again.â
Astarion held up his hands defensively. âI wonât-â
âYou have never known the pain of Lady Sharâs wrath, and youâd be smart to keep it that way, so help me gods, Astarion.â
âI got it,â he said flatly.Â
âOur Lady of Loss would not hesitate to strike you where you stand-â
âI think he gets it,â you said, placing a hand on her shoulder. âThank you, Shadowheart.â
Shadowheart narrowed her eyes at Astarion before she looked back at you. âIâll see you at camp. Donât dally.â She looked pointedly at Astarion who shrugged helplessly.Â
When she headed back into the forest, you and Astarion were finally alone.Â
You let out a heavy sigh.
âThat was a lot,â Astarion joined you at your side.
âWait, did you know those people?â you smirked at him.
âVaguely,â he smirked back and caught you in a kiss. âAt least I donât have to hold back from doing that at camp now.â He held you close in his arms.
You sighed again and laid your head on his shoulder. âYou were right. I didnât realize so many of them felt something for me.â
âThat seems to be because you block out the advances of others.â
You shoved him playfully. âHow dare you turn my pitiful backstory against me.â
He smiled and held out his hand. âCome on, letâs go dismantle that âdisgustingâ nest.â He did his best to impersonate Laeâzel on âdisgusting.âÂ
It made you laugh. âOkay.â
You took his hand and let him lead you through the trees back to the blankets and pillows that youâd spent the night on.Â
When you arrived, you picked up your shirt and bra, feeling mild embarrassment that the others had probably seen them and drawn (correct) conclusions. You removed Astarionâs shirt and threw it back at him, hitting him in the face and quickly covered your chest with your forearm.Â
Astarion laughed as his shirt fell into his awaiting hands. âDarling, you donât have to hide from me,â he narrowed his eyes seductively. âIâve already seen it all.â He tossed the shirt aside and made his way over to you.
âFeels different in the light of day,â you admitted self-consciously. âWorse, I guess.â
âNow, now,â he said, gently pulling your arm away from your chest, âlet me see you in the daylight.â You allowed him to move your arm but didnât look at him. âLovely,â he breathed, and kissed you hard.Â
You inhaled in surprise, but immediately gave in and slipped your tongue into his mouth and your arms over his shoulders. His hand came up and began massaging your left breast, his icy touch sending a shock wave through you and making you moan.Â
Instantly, you pulled away and took a step back. âCareful,â you said as Astarion stared at you wide-eyed, his hand frozen in the air where heâd been palming your breast, âI thought you wanted to take things slow?â
He made a sound somewhere between a groan and a dry heave. âStop being so nice to me,â he avoided your gaze. âIt makes me want to⌠be nice back.â
âGods forbid,â you laughed, and bent to pick up your bra which had fallen back amongst the pillows.Â
All of a sudden, you found yourself face down in the blankets, the wind knocked out of you and Astarionâs body weight pressed firmly on top of you.
âAstarion,â you wheezed, âwhat are you doing?â
His voice was sultry in your ear, âIf youâll remember, I said I wanted to take my time with you.â
Sexy as that was, you couldnât breathe. You reached behind yourself and smacked Astarionâs back with your palm. âLiving creatures need to breathe, idiot!â
âOh,â he realized his error and rolled off of you. You had no time to adjust yourself before he flipped you over and hovered above you on his hands and knees.Â
You blew some hair out of your face, irritated. âDid you just tackle me like I was some sort of prey?â
âMy dear, I would never,â he bowed his head and kissed your neck.
âAnd yet I find myself on the ground, even though I didnât put myself here,â you tangled your hands in his hair, your voice wobbly.Â
âYouâve always been rather clumsy,â he murmured teasingly.Â
You took a deep breath and pushed him away. His lips were still puckered, making you giggle. âShadowheart told us not to dally,â you reminded him. âAnd she threatened to kill you, what? Three times?â
âYou forget that Iâm already dead,â he smiled. âWhatâs another little death?â He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
You snorted. âBad.â
âI thought that was rather clever, actually.â
You rolled your eyes affectionately. âWe should really head back.â
Astarion whined and hung his head. âLet me have you again, woman!â
âBut you said-â
âI know what I said!â He lifted his head and looked you in the eye. âAnd while I appreciate your concern, right now, I very much want to be inside of you again.â
You smiled cautiously. âAre you sure?â
He rolled his eyes and kissed you, lowering his body to roll his hips against yours and making his erection very obviously. You jolted at the unexpected sensation and he pulled back.
âUnless this is too much for you,â he searched your face for hesitancy. âYouâre probably still sore and we donât have to rush anything-â
You gripped the back of his head and tightened your fist into his curls. âPlease,â you whispered, âfuck me again.â
A wicked grin bloomed on Astarionâs face and he kissed you passionately, rolling his hips against yours for friction. You moaned into his mouth, but he broke the kiss after only a few moments. âLike I said, love, I want to take my time with you.â
He rose up onto his knees and began untying the laces of your pants. You watched him intently and bit your lip as he removed them fully from your legs. He made quick work of his own and crawled back on top of you. His thumb hooked under your panties and his eyes met yours. You nodded and he pulled them down gently and discarded them close by. He then laid beside you, his eyes heavy with lust.
âCome here, precious thing,â he purred and you inched yourself closer to him. âTurn around,â he instructed. You gave him a confused half smile but did what he asked. He reached forward and pulled your hips back, causing you to feel his still-clothed cock against your ass.
âWhat are you doing?â you asked nervously.Â
Astarion chuckled. âNot that, fear not.â He kissed your shoulder as he slid his left arm under you and settled his hand on your lower stomach. A chill ran through you as he nuzzled his head onto your shoulder. âFair warning,â you could hear the mischief in his voice as his right hand made itself known in front of your face. He wiggled his fingers in a delicate wave, then brought it down between your thighs.Â
A gasp escaped your throat when you felt his fingers swipe through your folds.
Astarion tilted his head and kissed your throat. âSo wet already, darling.â
âYouâre handsome,â you said by way of explanation.
He hummed against your shoulder and began to rub your clit. A shuddering breath left your mouth and your eyes fluttered shut. Astarion paused for a moment to lift your leg and hike it back over his. âThis will feel good,â he said against your skin and dragged his fingers through your folds again before inserting a digit into your cunt.Â
You threw your head back in surprised pleasure, which made Astarion turn and nip at your ear. He began pumping and curling his finger slowly inside of you. Your breath caught when his thumb resumed its spot on your clit and whined when his finger inside of you hit a particularly sensitive spot. He adjusted his angle to hit it repeatedly.Â
âAstarion,â you moaned, your head clouded with nothing but ecstasy.Â
âYes, my sweet, youâre gripping me so tight,â his voice was sensual in your ear. âDo you think you can take a little more?â
You nodded, your eyes shut tight.Â
âWords, darling.â
âAnotherâŚâ you said breathily.
âAnother what?â
Your voice was sing-songy. âAstarion, if you donât put another finger in me right now, Iâm leaving you.â
He laughed loudly before moving his mouth close to your ear again. âYou like me too much.â Then he leaned up a little to catch your eye, his finger still pumping between your thighs. âRight?â
You smiled sympathetically, seeing your words had spooked him a little. You reached a hand up to cup his cheek. âIâm not going anywhere,â you clarified. âBut I might kill you.â
âGot it,â Astarion dragged his index finger through your folds, then carefully added it to your cunt alongside his middle finger.Â
You exhaled, moving your hand down from his cheek to his hand resting on your stomach. You laced your fingers together and squeezed when he hit a particularly good spot, getting you to moan out an, âOh, gods.â
âLike that?â He asked cockily, reaching and curling to hit the spot again.Â
âYes, my love,â you sighed, grinning upwards with your eyes closed.Â
Behind you, you felt Astarionâs cock twitch.
Your eyes opened and you looked back at him.Â
He smiled back at you sheepishly. âIt does that sometimes, darling. When something is particularly arousing.â
Your breaths were coming out short and keeping in time with the pumping of his fingers. âWas it⌠âmy love?ââ
Astarion let out a low moan and hid his face in your shoulder before reemerging and nodding. âComing from you while youâre in the throes of passion with me is really⌠something.â
You laughed between whimpers. âMy⌠loooooove,â you sang, squeezing his hand again. âYour fingers feel heavenly, my looooove.â
âFuck this,â Astarion said, pulling his fingers out of you unceremoniously and curling you forward with his body so he could shimmy out of his underwear.Â
âWhat are you doing,â you winced and whined childishly, âI was so close!â
âUnfortunately, darling, if Iâm not inside you within a matter of seconds, Iâm going to lose it completely.â
âWouldnât want that,â you said, half dazed and still coming down from your almost climax.Â
You felt his hand bump your ass as he pumped his cock and you instantly went stiff. âYouâre not going toâŚ?â
Astarion let out a breathy laugh. âOh, my sweet, youâre not nearly ready for something like that yet.â
A relieved sigh escaped you.Â
âWe could always work our way up-â
âNo, thatâs okay,â you said quickly.Â
âThereâs nothing wrong with-â
âNo, of course not-â
âBut we can-â
âLetâs not talk about this now,â you patted Astarionâs cheek.
âUnderstood,â he nodded and resumed pumping his cock. âHook your leg back over mine, darling.â When you followed his instruction, he kissed your shoulder once more. You felt the head of his cock glide through your folds until it prodded at your entrance and you let out a shaky exhale. âDonât be scared,â he muttered, squeezing your hand. âAre you ready?â
You inhaled. âYes.â
Just as he had last night, Astarion was slow to enter you. This time you heard him whimpering with his mouth so close to your ear.Â
âFuck,â he murmured, dragging his fangs from your shoulder to your neck, âstill so tight.â
âObviously,â you said, squeezing your eyes shut, but not feeling nearly as uncomfortable as you had the first time heâd entered you. You let out a satisfied exhale when his hips bumped your ass.Â
âLet me know what I can move,â Astarion said against your skin, his words barely recognizable.Â
âYou can move,â you said almost immediately, reaching a hand up behind you and twisting it into Astarionâs hair. You moved it over a little to play with the tip of his ear.
He let out a loud groan and snapped his hips forward, probably with more force than he meant to. âApologies,â he whispered, âthat felt heavenly.â
âKeep going, my love,â you encouraged and he caught your eye with a seductive smile.Â
He continued to pump his cock into your dripping hole and brought his right hand down to your clit. He licked a stripe from your neck up to your ear. âYou know, I really did intend to take my time with you just now,â he spoke lowly from the back of his throat. As if to illustrate his point, he slowed his hips to take long, languid strokes out, and then moved back into you at an equally slow pace. His thumb on your clit slowed as he disconnected his left hand from yours and brought it up to fondle your breast. He kissed up your shoulder to your neck sloppily and sucked on the fading bite marks from last night.Â
You moaned loudly, hooking your foot around his calf and tightening your fist in his hair. âWeâd really be dallying, then,â you commented.
He made a frustrated noise. âDonât even allude to the cleric right now,â he pulled away from your neck. âUnless itâs to tell me Iâm a much better lover than her.â He snapped his hips into you, hard.Â
âI donât have much of a reference, genius,â you responded breathlessly.Â
âRight,â he said, and picked up speed at your clit. His mouth returned to sucking on your throat.Â
âOohhh,â you sighed. You let out a gasp when Astarionâs left hand pinched your nipple.
âYou feel wonderful, my darling,â spit connected him to your neck.
âSo do you,â you brought your hand up to cover Astarionâs that was kneading your breast. âYou can bite me, if you want.â
He groaned loudly and bumped his nose against your jaw. âWell,â he said between thrusts, âif you insist.âÂ
He kissed your throat before biting down, his hips instantly picking up speed.Â
The ice that shot into your veins was a shock as always, but melted into a fuzzy pleasure that had your eyes drooping in ecstasy.Â
Astarion took long pulls of your blood as he continued thrusting, circling your clit, and needing your breast. How he was keeping track of everything at once was beyond you in this pleasant, foggy state.Â
âDarling,â he pulled away suddenly, swallowing loudly and seemingly out of breath. âMay I taste you as you come?â
Your tongue lolled to the side, but his voice snapped you out of it. You nodded up at him. âYes, please.â
âWhat do you need?â He licked the wounds on your neck.Â
âAs much as Iâm enjoying you taking your time,â you said, âharder and faster.â
âEasy,â a cocky grin graced his face as a drop of your blood dripped down his chin.Â
His hips picked up a brutal pace that nearly had you reaching your peak, and he pressed further onto your clit, his tight circles picking up speed as well.Â
âOh, Astarion,â you moaned loudly, reaching back again to grip his hair.
âCome for me, dearest,â he spoke softly against your throat, but loud enough that you could hear, âI want to hear you sing again. I want to taste how sweet your blood is when I make you cum on my cock.â He continued leaving sloppy kisses against your neck.
âIâm close,â you confirmed, your eyes shut tight and your body tensing.Â
âGo ahead, love, Iâve got you,â his hard thrusts were becoming uneven, but ever the professional, his voice remained mostly even. âYouâre so tight and warm, thank you for letting me taste you.â He kissed your mouth. âDarling.â Another kiss. âBeloved.â One more. âMine.â
You cried out as you fell over the edge, your cunt squeezing his cock repeatedly, only to cry out again as you felt Astarionâs fangs enter your neck once more.Â
âAstarion!â You shouted, squeezing his hand and pulling his hair and wrapping your shaking leg around his. Almost simultaneously, you felt Astarion spill inside you as he moaned your name loudly into your neck, his hips pulsing clumsily against you.Â
The sensation of him drawing your blood was still pleasantly fuzzy, but you could feel yourself becoming light headed. You tapped his arm twice, your signal for him to stop, and he pulled away, leaning his forehead against your temple and breathing heavily.Â
âStill cumming,â he groaned and clenched his teeth, his hips faltering in their rhythm.Â
After another moment, his body finally relaxed and he pulled you closer into his chest, catching his breath. âThat was⌠amazing,â he sighed happily, leaning forward to lick the remaining blood from your neck. âIf I knew blood could taste that good-â His voice trailed off. âWell, Iâm sure Iâd do something about it if I could.â He seemed pleased with his own answer and hummed contentedly behind you.
âIâm glad it was to your liking,â you said, looking back at him with a smile. He bent forward and kissed you happily. âIâm like a fine vintage,â you teased.
Astarion pursed his lips. âYouâre far from vintage, darling, youâll have to work on your wine related japes.âÂ
You laughed and a comfortable silence fell between you. Astarion rested both of his hands on your stomach. Which growled suddenly.
âWhatâs that like?â He teased, licking a wayward drop of blood from the side of his mouth.Â
Your body tensed. âOh gods, bread and cheese!â
Astarion blinked at you. âAre those some sort of new deities Iâm not aware of, or-?â
âNo, thatâs what Gale said weâre having for lunch.â
âAnd thatâs important because-?â
âBecause we DALLIED and thereâs a PARTY tonight and now Shadowheart is going to KILL us.â
âI see.â Astarion remained still, fixed in place. Then suddenly he was pulling out of you at a breakneck speed and reaching for his clothes.Â
You winced a little at the sensation but scrambled for your own clothes, wiping yourself down with the cloth Astarion provided again and got dressed in what was probably record time.Â
Incredibly, you both looked presentable.Â
âWe do make a gorgeous pair,â Astarion cocked his hip and smirked at you, going in for a kiss.
You swatted him away. âEnough flirting, loverboy, we can talk about us later!â You started reaching for blankets and pillows.Â
âUs,â Astarion stood on the sidelines, testing out the word on his tongue. âI do so like the sound of that.â
âHelp me, would you?â You threw a pile of blankets at him, hitting him in the face and blowing his hair back.Â
He groaned. âIt should be a crime to rush after youâve just made love to the most amazing woman.â He came up behind you and smacked your butt teasingly.Â
You stood up straight and tried to look angry. âWe are going to die if we donât head back right now.â Astarion wasnât buying your anger, so you turned bashful. âYou made loooove to me?â You clasped your hands together by your face. âYou think Iâm amaaaazing?â You twirled some of your hair for good measure.
Astarion sighed. âBe serious, woman, weâre going to die!â His voice was exasperated but he smirked at you. He bent to pick up more blankets and pillows and you did the same until you both had piles you could barely see over and nothing was left behind.
âUgh, Iâm going to have to do so much laundry,â you muttered. âSeriously, how did you manage bringing all this out here?â
âWell first, everything was folded neatly.â
âWe donât have time.â
âAnd second, multiple trips, darling.â
âWe canât afford to leave camp EVER again.â
Try as you might to rush back to camp, you still had to maneuver through a forest and be careful where you stepped. The pair of you moved as quickly as you could, which wasnât as fast as was probably necessary to avoid Shadowheartâs ire.Â
âSooooâŚâ You broke the silence after a few moments.Â
âGods,â Astarion rolled his eyes, âwhat?â
ââMy love,â huh?â You waggled your eyebrows at him.
âWhat about it?â
âYou liiiiiiked it,â you teased.Â
âI-â You could see that he thought about arguing but decided not to. âIâm not used to the pet names turned on me. Itâs⌠nice.â
âYouâre cute,â you said, looking over at him affectionately and nearly tripping over a tree root as a result.
Astarion snickered, then made his face serious. âIâm the furthest thing from cute. Iâm a horrifying monster.â He lowered his voice as if that would back him up.
âYeah, but you like being mushy.âÂ
âI do not.â
âYou do!â You moved closer to him and bumped his hip with your own. âYou were so sweet to me yesterday. And just now.âÂ
âItâs different with you,â he said quietly.
âOh?â You raised your eyebrows.
âItâs⌠um⌠This is stupid, I hate it.â He tried to walk ahead of you but you caught up easily.
âNo, no! Please.â You gave him a reassuring look. âI, of all people, will not judge you.â
He sighed. âItâs just⌠nice to feel like something is mine.â He was quick to correct, âNot that I own you but⌠I donât know. Youâre not a victim. Not a target. Not just⌠one night itâs better to forget. Youâre something entirely new.â
You smiled over at him. âI like you too, weirdo.â
Astarion humphed. âWhatever.â He moved closer and bumped your hip with his own. The two of you shared a fond look, then turned back to the path ahead.
If Shadowheart was going to kill you, at least youâd die together.Â
You both quickened your pace to try and avoid that fate, but it was a lovely thought.
Soon, you began to make out the bright colors of your tents through the trees and the sound of your companions chatting by the fire.Â
You turned to Astarion. âSee you on the other side.â
He nodded, determined. âItâs been a pleasure servicing you, darling.â
âI hope she kills you first.â
You shared a laugh before you took a calming breath.Â
And stepped into camp.Â
#astarion#astarion ancunin#baldur's gate 3#bg3#astarion x reader#astarion x you#astarion x female reader#astarion x f!reader#astarion x bard!reader#astarion x inexperienced!reader#astarion x tav#astarion smut#astarion fanfic#soft astarion#baldur's gate 3 fanfic#bg3 fanfic#my writing#mine#beauty and the bard#apologies if i missed any tags/content warnings#:)#WOMP WOMP#WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN?!#(i haven't written it yet)#(i don't know)#but yeah thank you to everyone who read part 1!#and everyone who left a comment!#i really hope that this is a good followup and that you're excited for more!#also my beta and i kept affectionately referring to this as#'the squeakual'
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777.
ln x fem!reader
in which lando has a wild week in vegas
on a bit of a roll whoops! had to write something slutty for vegas week/landoâs birthday so here it is! enjoy my loves and please please pleeeeease tell me what you think! đ˛đ have literally been thinking about this since vegas was announced and i couldnât stop listening to silk sonic lol
posting this with the @lavenderlando seal of approval đŤĄđ¤
inspired loosely by 777 by silk sonic
warnings: 18+ minors dni i am so serious!! listen itâs smut. itâs a lot lot lot of smut. alcohol, swearing, fuckboy!lando, one night stand vibes, choking, unprotected sex, general sex acts, some kinky shit, fluff, minor angst bc lando is a moody little shit
5k words
lando had gotten used to the taste of champagne.
the golden bubbles had grown on him over the course of the season, they tasted like success. so, he didnât protest when several magnums showed up at the round table, some ridiculous happy birthday remix being blasted over the casino speakers.
it was the night of his 24th birthday, and the drinks hadnât stopped flowing. he was surrounded by his friends, max and ash joining him, as well as the drivers that had arrived in vegas. the crisp white sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows by now, midnight fast approaching, the material half unbuttoned.
theyâd started the night in a bar, drowning in a river of alcohol, and now they were in a casino, one of many on the strip. it was all a bit predictable, kitschy decor everywhere he looked since heâd arrived in las vegas, but thatâs what made it iconic. the tackiness seemed to mesh well with the old money vibe, and lando knew this would be a birthday to remember. â¨
everything was mahogany, gold or red. nothing didnât twinkle in the lights. his suit jacket was slung over his shoulder, curls messy already from the light breeze of november in the desert. his cheeks were champagne rosy, the alcohol going straight to his head and he felt so fucking good.
everyone toasted to the birthday boy, slot machines rattling in the background. lando didnât usually enjoy this sort of environment, but he was too drunk to care, deciding to embrace the insanity of his life and live on the edge for one night.
he found himself hunched over a gaming table, fingers drumming against the green felt. his eyes scanned the embroidery, taking in the game that was being played. blackjack, he assumed. this really wasnât his type of place.
by then, as if by some sort of divine intervention, it was.
a flash of red. a swish of hair. manicured nails on a martini glass.
suddenly blackjack seemed like the best fucking game in the world.
lando couldnât look away from you.
you were stood right opposite him, drink in hand, red satin draping over every curve of your frame. the dress seemed to cover everything, and nothing at all, perfect for the environment you were in. it was daring, enticing, and lando sure liked being enticed.
from the very second he laid eyes on you, he was picturing what youâd look like against a clean, white bedspread, how his name would sound rolling off your tongue in the form of a desperate whimper. it was a crude thought, but heâd become a crude man.
things had changed a lot since his last breakup. he was messy, leaving a trail of clothes and kisses across every country he stepped foot in. he didnât get off on the number of people heâd slept with, he got off on the rush of someone new, and he knew before heâd even touched down in vegas, a week earlier than he needed to, that this would probably be the messiest week of his life.
but then he saw you, and it felt weird. he didnât just want to learn your name and bend you over the nearest surface, gone from your bed before the sun was even in the sky. he was addicted at first sight; he had to take you home, at the very least.
his fixation on you was broken by the dealers voice; it seemed like you were up to play next and you needed at least another player. landoâs eyes flitted back to you, wondering if he even knew how to play blackjack before he offered himself up to you on a glaring shiny platter. you took the decision away from him, because this time, you were staring right back at him.
internally, he was choking on air. externally, he was mentally undressing you with a filthy smirk on his face.
âwanna play, birthday boy?â you smiled coyly, an eyebrow quirked seductively. he could have fallen right to his knees at just the sound of your voice. sweet and spicy.
lando realised that youâd seen the embarrassing display the boys had put on for him. maybe you even knew who he was. he definitely wanted to know who you were, and thatâs why he decided to give in to your electric stare.
âyouâre on.â
he lost.
every. single. game.
numbers were never landoâs thing.
it was hard to care, though, when he had you sprawled out on the desk of his hotel room, his lips all over your neck.
the walk from the casino up to his room had been short, a bottle of champagne in his left hand and the curve of your ass in his right. thereâd been very little small talk, very little convincing needed to seduce you, not with the way youâd been eye-fucking from opposite sides of the table, cards laid bare before you both.
heâd kissed you in the elevator, sloppy and desperate, pressed you against the door to his suite, and quickly pinned you to the other side of it once you were finally inside. you tasted like fruit liquor and cigarettes, your dress slowly bunching at your hips as his hands roamed the silky material. lando was restless, craving everything you had to offer, so he picked you up effortlessly, spreading his palms across the back of your thighs.
it had been a short walk to the desk from the door, and he placed you down carefully. lando slid the dress up your thighs, his finger grazing your calf as he did. you were arching into him, pushing his jacket off his frame and frantically tugging at the buttons of his dress shirt until it was hanging undone off his shoulders.
the look in your eyes sent his blood rushing, frenzied and desperate for him as much as he was for you. taking your jaw in his hand, he tilted your chin towards him until you were looking up at him through your lashes. lando tucked your hair behind your ear, continuing to graze down your neck until he reached the flimsy strap of your dress.
âare you gonna let me have you?â his grip on your jaw tightened and he studied your face.
he gulped when your lips twisted into a smile, conniving, dangerous, red lipstick smudged deliciously. you hadnât caved into his touch, fallen into submission, and suddenly lando was swimming way out of his depth.
it seemed heâd finally met his match.
you pushed him away, giggling as he stumbled backwards towards the bed, and stood from your place on the desk. slowly, you made your way towards him, until youâd backed him up all the way to the foot of the bed, at which point he collapsed. he scrambled up onto his elbows, smirking up at you.
your eyes raked over his frame, swollen lip caught between your teeth. he looked disheveled in the best way, shirt framing lean sun kissed skin.
slowly, you unzipped your dress, letting it fall off your frame. the material pooled at your feet and you stepped out of it carefully, kicking it away. lando had moved up the bed so that he was sitting against the headboard, watching you hungrily. you were left bare, aside from a lacy thong and red stilettos. lando could have cried tears of joy.
happy fucking birthday.
landoâs eyes lit up like 777 had spun onto a slot machine. he may have lost at blackjack but heâd definitely hit the jackpot.
you crawled onto the bed towards him, not stopping until you were sat on his lap. his hands scaled your thighs, stroking up and down the soft skin. you rolled your hips, experimenting, toying with him, and he groaned, low and loud.
âdoes this answer your your question?â you whispered, leaning into him so that you could loop your arms around his neck.
lando kissed you, slow and sloppy, sitting up even further just to feel you closer. he could feel your nipples brushing against his bare chest, low whines breaking through the kiss your shared every time you felt too sensitive. your bodies were rolling together in unison, friction building nicely between your legs.
he was growing impatient, itching to get rid of the remaining barriers between you. lando held you still, tight, flipping you both over so that he was hovering over you. his lips worked your neck, hickeys littered down your neck and over your collarbone, while his hands moved down your body. he toyed with the band of your thong, snapping the material against your waist.
lando left you there, keening for his touch, while he peeled his shirt off. his trousers went next, along with his boxers, and then he was right back where heâd left off. your panties disappeared in a flash, his kisses punctuated by a splotchy purple mark sucked below your left breast.
and then he was buried between your legs, licking stripes into you like he was starving. he moaned into your pussy when he felt the first pull on his hair, spurring him on. he applied more pressure, taking it slow, revelling in the way you tugged harder and harder with every swipe. lando slid two fingers through your folds, coating them in your slick.
when he slid the digits inside of you, his mouth latched onto your clit, flicking against it relentlessly. he found the perfect rhythm, balance, everything he was doing made you see stars behind your eyelids. you were thrashing, helpless, and he was getting off on it.
you jaw went slack when you raised yourself onto your elbows just to find him grinding against the mattress, groaning into your cunt at the sensation, his eyes squeezed tightly shut. you couldnât even hold yourself up then, dropping into the mattress as you fell apart beneath him.
lando resurfaced a few moments later, a glint in his eyes, his mouth glistening in the dim light. your vision was hazy, body shattered, but you ached for more of him. the feeling only intensified, your legs tightening around his waist, when he raised his coated fingers to his lips, lapping up every last drop of you. his tongue swirled around his digits lewdly, and you shuddered.
lando didnât mind at all when you pushed him onto his back, clambering on top of him. you looked wild, animalistic even, as you guided the tip of his cock through your folds, and he folded his arms behind his head to enjoy the view. once youâd slicked him up, not that he really needed it, you sunk down on him.
fingerprints stained your hips; his grip on you increased tenfold as you adjusted around him, your walls throbbing around his swollen cock. lando sucked in a harsh breath through his teeth, holding you down on him. your movements were stuttering, trying to hold yourself together and ignore the way he fit inside you so damn perfectly. you tested the waters, rolling your hips a few times, and his eyes rolled back in his skull.
you felt heavenly, like velvet and butterflies.
he lost all sense of control, every fibre keeping him from wrecking you. his grip didnât loosen when he fucked up into you, bending his knees for any extra leverage he could get. your nails scraped down his chest, his abs, dripping at the way he tensed under your touch. you tried your best to keep up with him, to meet his thrusts, holding your own for longer than you thought you would.
and then you were folding, melting into his chest, one of his hands pulling both of your behind your back, holding you down as he fucked you into your orgasm. your whines were panted right into his ear, sending him hurtling towards his own high.
lando couldnât help himself, spilling into you, your body pressed helplessly into his. you were exhausted, wrecked, grinning lazily against the thrumming of his heartbeat.
with your hands held behind your back, you couldnât stop him from planting you on your back, snaking down your body, burying his tongue deep inside you. the room was filled with the sound of sex, his tongue dragging over you like you were the last meal on earth and he was ravenous. he cleaned up the mess heâd made quickly, sounds that would make the population of sin city blush bouncing off the walls.
your vision was white, maybe your were screaming, it was hard to know what was going on when he had you about ready to ascend. when you fell over the edge, you were boneless, at one with the bed. you watched as he licked his lips, flopping onto the bed beside you.
he stroked your hair and you hummed, content and satiated.
lando didnât dare look away from you while you came down.
apparently, it was rare to wake up after a wild night in vegas and remember the events of the night before.
lando remembered everything.
the exact shade of your eyes, the feel of red satin and black lace, the way you tasted.
your lips on his skin, hips in his hands, the way you moulded pliantly to his touch.
the way you gave as good as you got.
he was smiling before heâd even opened his eyes, reaching blinding across the bed, ready to propose round⌠four? five? lando had lost count.
warm hands met cold sheets and suddenly he was wide awake.
lando sat up dead straight, searching for a sign of life in the room. there was none. no shoes on the floor, no dress to match, no thong hanging from the door handle. a pit formed in his stomach.
is this how he made people feel?
waking up alone after the best sex of his life and no trace of the most beautiful woman heâd ever laid eyes on was quite miserable.
he thudded back into the mattress, hands shielding his eyes from the burn of daylight. he felt like shit, that was undeniable. when heâd fallen asleep, naked and with you nestled into his side, he couldnât wait to wake up, perhaps arrogantly thinking that youâd be waking up with him. what was that saying, again?
hope breeds eternal misery.
his brain was wracked with the image of you and him, champagne flowing right before heâd taken you again, bent over the desk. and then again in the shower, a harmless attempt to clean yourselves up ending up with you on your knees before your cheek was pressed against the shower screen.
lando tried to fathom why youâd leave after the night youâd shared. there was something about it, something more intimate in the desperation youâd shared, that left him senseless as to why you were gone before the sun was in the sky.
just like he usually was.
it dawned on him, quite quickly, that the habits heâd made of quick fucks and fast getaways was not good form. it was reckless and casually cruel, and he felt guilt for the first time since his string of one night stands had begun. perspective was a crazy thing.
when he sluggishly made his way out of bed, he felt even worse.
-
âwhereâd you get to last night? we lost you after that terrible game of blackjack.â max teased, sipping his coffee.
lando found himself at the breakfast table, head rested on his hand and hoodie pulled tight. he wasnât in the mood to talk, but max was like a dog with a bone; there was no avoiding this conversation.
âmet a girl.â lando mumbled, aimlessly stirring the tea he knew he wasnât going to drink.
âah, understood.â max said, grinning knowingly. but then, as if landoâs bad mood finally clicked, he continued. âwait, why are you in a mood then?â
âtired.â lando replied, monotonously. he wasnât quite sure how to unpack this one.
âbullshit.â
âwoke up alone.â
âoh.â
âshe was- i donât know. just thought it would be different, thatâs all.â lando couldnât disguise the deflated tone of his voice.
âdonât tell me you caught feelings from a shag.â max rolled his eyes, chomping away at his toast. lando could barely stomach the sight of food.
âshut up, iâm not saying i fell in love. just liked something about her.â
âwell, anything can happen in vegas. you never know, mate. she might find her way back to you.â
lando was getting ready for the netflix cup before he knew it. heâd managed to shake off max, escaping to the darkness of his room, the curtains drawn and the lights off.
he pretended it was the hangover that had him laying face down on his bed.
the last thing he wanted was to go and play corporate circus on the golfing green, but he figured some fresh air wouldnât hurt. and so, he was in the backseat of a car well on his way to the tournament.
carlos couldnât distract him, neither could alex or pierre. rickie fowler was much less interesting that he hoped, or maybe he wasnât and lando just wasnât interested enough. not even zakâs mclaren printed trousers could cheer him up.
lando was leaning into his golf club, starting mindlessly into the crowd, waiting for this garish event to begin when he caught a glimpse of someone he recognised. in a sea of influencers and obnoxious businessmen, there you were.
there you fucking were, in your knee high boots and a mini skirt, sunglasses perched on your nose, skintight top under an oversized blazer and hair shining under the warm sunlight. he lost his balance, the golf club slipping from underneath him, and the only thing that kept him upright was the burning urge to keep his eyes on you.
just who were you?
lando didnât need to clarify whether or not you were looking at him, too. no, you made it abundantly clear by the way you winked at him, before pushing your sunglasses back up the bridge of your nose.
you fucking winked.
he took a step in your direction, shaky legs ready to carry him all the way over to you. he only had your first name and he craved your second, your phone number, anything really. heâd just take the small talk, to be completely honest.
but then the klaxon screeched, knocking him out of his trance and he whipped round to discover that they were ready to tee off. lando cursed under his breath, rapidly turning to search for your face but you were nowhere to be seen.
had he imagined you? had he imagined all of it?
every golf ball hit was hit with frustrated vengeance.
the week disappeared in a bittersweet blur.
lando had achieved multiple hangovers and about zero dollars in winnings, but heâd successfully managed to take his mind off of you.
okay, so that was a bare faced lie, but if lando didnât lie to himself, he wouldnât be able to lie to anyone else.
he wouldnât be able to lie to max that he was no longer moping. he wouldnât be able to lie to the media when they asked him if he was oh so excited about the race. he wouldnât be able to lie to his team when they asked him if he was still suffering the consequences of his week long hangover.
lando had been rushing around all day, after a solid p4 in qualifying the night before. the entire day had been horrendous, sequins and bright lights being shone in his eyes. all he wanted to do was hide, get in the car and then go to bed.
fate had other plans.
lando was rushing to the front of the grid for the national anthem, certain that whatever display that was about to occur would make him nauseous. he was derailed on his journey, caught by rachel brookes in the pitlane, and then accosted by martin brundle once heâd made his was onto the grid.
âgood qualifying yesterday and good luck today!â martin called to lando, turning to wrestle another insufferable celebrity.
as lando was making his getaway, ready to jog through the masses of people to his place at the front, he went barrelling into another body, putting his hands out to steady himself and the poor person that had become his collateral damage. as he regained his balance, he must have looked like a cartoon character, eyes bulging out of his head.
âare you stalking me?â was all he could choke out when his eyes met yours.
what the actual fuck were you doing here?
lando had given up on the possibility of ever seeing you again, and yet, here you were, stood under the bright floodlights on the grid, his office. this was the last place heâd expected you to show up, paddock pass swinging from your neck. again, what the actual fuck were you doing here?
âmight as well be, at this point.â you teased. âhopefully youâll do better today than you did at golf on tuesday.â you smiled coyly up at him, tucking your hair behind your ear.
lando was on quite the time crunch, glancing at the time on the clock at the front of the grid. he had a minute to spare, if he was lucky, but he had to talk to you, before you inevitably disappeared again.
âthought iâd get at least your phone number before you left.â
âfrom what i hear, you donât usually stick around long enough for those.â you smirked.
well, his reputation certainly proceeded him. he couldnât really argue with that.
âmaybe iâm trying to change that.â lando attempted to flirt but really, he sounded desperate. you didnât seem to mind.
âiâll make you a deal,â you proposed, leaning in just a little bit closer. landoâs breath hitched in his throat. âget on that podium, and iâll be waiting in your hotel lobby.â
âand if i donât?â landoâs mouth was dry.
âmaybe iâll see you next year.â
lando watched you walk away, your hips swaying tantalisingly, wondering if the hefty fine he would be bollocked with would be worth it if he didnât move his ass for the national anthem.
this would be the drive of his fucking life.
lando couldnât recall a time heâd left a track faster in his life.
media duties were rushed, so was the shower he had before he fled. it was lucky he was already on the strip, so the walk to his hotel was blissfully short.
he entered the lobby with a shit eating grin and a comically large bottle of champagne in hand.
a string of second places had gotten rather frustrating, but this one felt particularly good. a podium was a podium, fair and square, and assuming youâd kept to your end of the bargain, he was in for the best celebration of his life.
sitting pretty at the bar that stretched through the lobby, you were waiting for him, heels swinging from the stool you rested on. denim clung to your hips, a dark corset style top moulding to your curves. he wondered if love at first sight was real; lust at first sight certainly was.
landoâs eyes beckoned to towards him, and you slipped inconspicuously into the elevator together, not wanting to draw too much attention to your rendezvous. it was a futile attempt, frankly, because he had you backed into the mirror before the doors had even fully shut.
kisses on your neck had your eyes fluttering closed, one of his knees slotting comfortably between your thighs. one of his hands was clasped tight around the neck of the neck of the bottle, giving lando the fantastic idea to find your neck with his free one. he held you firmly, forcing you to look at him.
âiâm gonna make you wish you never left.â
-
hours on the mattress pulling countless orgasms from one another left you both weak, exhausted, a little bit clingy.
lando felt electric. no other person had ever left him so feral, so euphoric.
heâd had you first against the door, pulling your jeans off and pinning you against it, your thighs in his firm grasp as he fucked you into the wooden panel. then, heâd taken you to bed, your knuckles turning white from your brutal grip on the headboard when heâd planted you down on his mouth. two orgasms later, you were face down in the sheets, ass in the air for him while he slammed into you like his life depended on it, pulling you into his chest by your hair when you reached your climaxes.
all that hard work called for a bath, where you both found yourselves now. it had started off quite innocently, sat at opposite ends of the extravagantly large bathtub amongst the bubbles. but then youâd given him those eyes, and then your back was pressed against his chest, your body draped over his. his head was nestled into the crook of your neck, one arm slung over your waist. his other hand brought the bottle of champagne to his lips, the liquid going down smoothly. lando pressed the bottle to your pursed lips too, trading backwards and forwards while your bodies relaxed into the hot water.
landoâs hand on your waist was getting restless, fingers drumming over your abdomen, up, up, up, until he found your breast. he circled your nipple with his finger, not quite touching the bud yet, but he could feel it hardening from his scarce touch. your hips rolled backwards into his, feeling him hardening once again against your lower back. lando cupped your breast, massaging it in his hands before he switched, flitting between your tits.
you slumped somehow even further into him, not a millimetre of space between your bodies. he was winding you up beautifully, heat burning between your legs once more. you didnât know how you did it, how you could be so ready for each other after the eventful evening youâd already shared.
lando was flicking your nipples between his finger, switching back and fourth until you were moaning quietly. you took charge, the sensitivity building too quickly, and so you rolled over in his arms, clambering into his lap.
the bath water splashed around you, moving in small waves across the tub as you situated yourself on top of him, grinding down on him until he was buried deep within your walls. he found that spot, rolling your hips against his, and then you were rocking up and down on him, nice and slow. he touched parts of you that never had been before, the pace and the angle intensifying every little sensation. your head was thrown back, hands clawing at his shoulders for something to hold onto, just for the feel of him.
lando reached over the edge of the bathtub, blindly searching for the bottle heâd discarded while youâd been switching positions. he felt the green glass grazing his fingertips and brought it back to his lips, eyes trailing over your body in sheer awe.
he couldnât help himself, taking a sip before tilting it towards you, pouring the golden bubbles over your clavicle, jaw tightening - just like your cunt did at the sensation - as he watched the sticky alcohol drip down over the curve of your bouncing breasts.
you quivered when you felt his tongue lap over your nipple, then the other, dragging over your sodden flesh until he reached the junction between your neck and your shoulder. he bit down, hard, eyes rolling back at the taste in his mouth and the way you clamped down around him, whimpering out between breathless pants.
lando felt you let go, stuttering on his cock and sinking down on top of him, the water - now lukewarm - soothing your tired limbs. he held you close, basking in the intimacy of the moment, his hearing honing in on the dull hum of ecstasy you expelled.
the bath grew colder and colder as you sat there, comfortable silence filling the air along with the quiet rush of water that came with any movements made. when the time came, lando held you up as you got off of him and stepped onto the plush rug, quickly following suit. you were eyeing the shower when he turned to hand you a towel.
âi think i need a shower, as much as i enjoyed the bath.â you spoke, opening the screen and stepping in to adjust the knobs.
lando weighed up his options, agonising over joining you or doing his back in. he couldnât exactly tell his trainer that his back gave out from too much sex.
âam i invited?â lando asked, stepping in behind you, hands on your waist.
âseems like youâve already invited yourself.â you teased, looking at him over your shoulder.
âno funny business, you.â lando rested his head on your shoulder.
âfrom me? youâre just as bad.â you quipped, letting the hot warm stream all over your flushed bodies.
lando stayed as he was for a second, but then you turned your head again, looking at him from the corner of your eye and he needed to kiss you. he couldnât help but, and so he twisted you round to face him and leaned in. you were more than receptive, fingers raking through his wet curls.
the hot water rained down on you while you stood there, holding each other close. lando couldnât put his finger on it, why he didnât want to let you go. he couldnât even begin to process the idea of having anyone else in his arms like this. it was absurd, really, but he was too caught up in the moment to care.
when you were both clean and dry, you laid down in bed, gazing mindlessly at one another. his eyes followed the lines of your face, the curve of your lips. he learned a lot about you, a formula 1 fan with who ran her own business and took herself on holiday to vegas. the conversation flowed like the champagne had and you were laughing at all his stupid jokes. in turn he grinned like a fool at your quick wit, the sound of your laughter.
âso what are you doing next? back to work?â lando asked, an idea forming in his mind like a tornado.
ânope,â you popped the p. âgiving myself some well deserved time off.â
âhave you ever been to abu dhabi?â lando asked, lips quirking mischievously.
-
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⢠james potter x fem!reader
⢠summary: modern restaurant au; it's your first day on the job and james is your trainer . Ýâ âš . ÝË . Ý 2.4k
⢠warnings/tags: is profanity a tw pls lmk actually, coworker!james, coworker!marauders, accidentally wrote an anxious!reader, trying out that headcannon where remus is a bit of a hothead, only lightly grammar checking this series bc i just wanna have fun w it
⢠the new hire masterlist ⥠main masterlist
note: here, bc i gotta chill and write something light for once. i think this will be an ongoing fic. also im not beating the mentioning tea in ever fic allegations anytime soon how does this always happen.
âWelcome in! How many in your party?â
âOh! No, Iâm Y/N. Itâs my first day.â Your fingers pitter patter nervously on the host stand.
âYouâre the new waitress!â the bubbly hostess exclaims, âIâm Mary! Itâs so nice to meet you. Stay right there, Iâll go get the manager.â
She disappears into the busy restaurant, leaving you rocking back and forth on your heels nervously.
Mary, you repeat the name in your mind, recalling what she looked like so that you wouldnât forget who the name belongs to. You had a thing with learning namesâyou just hated forgetting them. It felt so humiliating to have to ask someone to remind you of their name. One time, you worked with someone for months and their name lived on the tip of your tongue the entire time. Luckily, they quit before it ever came up.
âThere she is! Ready for day one?â The manager, Nate, greeted as he followed Mary back to the host stand.
Not in the slightest. You always hated first days, with all the pressure to make a good impression. Not to mention itâs only the start to the slow climb over the learning curve. You hold out hope that everyone will be as nice as Mary seemed, it would make today a lot easier.
âReady as Iâll ever be,â you say, straightening out your black shirt. The dress code for this job was essentially the color black from head to toe. You used the lack of a formal uniform to your advantage, expressing your personal style as much as you could within the confines of business casual.
Nate clapped his hand together, âRight, first up is a tour and introductions. I have all your paperwork already, right? So, after that weâll get you in an apron and find someone for you to shadow.â
âSounds good,â you try sounding cheery and excited, only for you to start worrying about whether or not you sound too eager.
âSo, front of house is up first. Youâve already met Mary, our lovely hostessââ
Marry wiggles her fingers at you as a playful wave while she takes a phone call, âYes, we do takeout!â
âYou donât need to worry about the host stand, but Iâll show you the book so you can get a feel for the sections and how we operate. Weâll only give you a small group of tables at firstâŚâ
You try to commit everything Nate says to memory, wanting to do well here. You really need this job. Rent isnât cheap, especially without roommates. And you really donât want a roommate. Plus this place pays their servers well, so you want to be good at it. You really really need to listen to Nate if youâre gonna be good at this.
But, jeez, Nate seems like he loves to talk. Heâs going on and on and on and youâre fighting back a yawn when Mary swoops in like a hero, telling Nate she needs the book back to make a reservation.
âSure, I think youâve got the idea of it anyway, right?â Nate asks.
You blink, âOh, yeah. Sure do!â
Shit, you think. You totally zoned out.
âGreat, let me show you to the bar,â Nate says, already walking away.
Another reason why you really want to work here was for the ambiance. Itâs a contemporary place with a grungy interior, all while remaining slightly upscale for restaurants in this area. Another upside was the live music. If youâre gonna be working, at least let it be somewhere nice with good music.
âSirius! New serverâs here,â Nate interrupts the bartender whoâs in the process of mixing up a cocktail. You introduce yourself with a shy smile as you study him, trying to make a permanent link between his name and face in your mind.
Sirius the bartenderâmischievous gray eyes and long black hair. He wears half of it tied up in the back of his head, surly to avoid having it fall in his face while he mixes drinks.
He puts the shaker down and rolls up the sleeves of his satin black dress shirt, âHey there, doll, yâalright? Natey not being too boring for ya?â
âAlright, back to work, Sirius.â Nate says, sounding snappy.
You follow Nate to the back of the restaurant.
âThis is the kitchenââ
âWho the fuck rang in scallops? Weâve been 86 scallops all fucking day.â
âDonât look at me! Was probably James, the bloody dolt.â
âThis seems like a bad time,â Nate spins on his heels and ushers you out of the kitchen quickly, âWhoever trains you will get you acclimated to the kitchen later. Thatâs Remus, just so you know, head chef.â
You nod, not having anything else to say as you begin to worry everyone wonât be as nice as Mary.
You want to take a moment to commit Remusâ name to memory like you had Sirius and Maryâs, but you only caught a glimpse of him. Still, you were sure you wouldnât forget who the name belonged to now that youâve had such a lovely first impression.
Next, Nate takes you down a hall, past the bathrooms, to show you his office and the staff area complete with a rickety table for breaks and some lockers. In the corner are two plastic bins with fading sharpie scrawled across the front of them: CLEAN and DIRTY. Nate reaches into the âcleanâ bin and picks out a slate gray apron.
He hands it to you, and you try to tie it the way the server in the kitchen had it. Nate starts leading you back out into the dining room as you continue to fiddle with the ties.
As you dart around the restaurant, the âfast-paced environmentâ detail from the job listing is really starting to materialize, and this was only the tour.
âRight, now where are my bloody servers.â Nate mutters under his breath, âSlacking off by the host stand, of course.â
Thereâs two servers at the host stand: a girl with red hair hanging in two braids on either side of her face and a tall boy with glasses. Theyâre huddled with Mary, looking like theyâre sharing hot gossip.
You and Nate make it to the host stand at the same time as the other server from the kitchen.
âHey, team!â Nate says, but it falls on deaf ears.
âChefâs fuckinâ pissed at you,â she says to Glasses.
âWhat I do!?â He asks, whipping his body out of the huddle. Mary and the red-haired girl keep talking without him.
âThinks you rang in some scallops,â she shrugs, blowing a strand of blonde hair out of her face.
âWhy would I do that? Weâre 86.â
âYeah, but I forgot,â she says nonchalantly, leaning her back against the host stand.
âAnd you let him think it was me!?â
âOh yeah, obviously. Anyway, I should probably go tell my table theyâre not getting their scallops.â
âServers!â Nate interrupts loudly, finally making your four new coworkers quiet down. You feel all eyes suddenly train on you. You smile through the uncomfortable sensation of your stomach lurching.
âWe have a new member joining our team today. Please give a warm welcome to Y/N.â
âHi,â you flash a smile to the new faces in front of you.
âWelcome!â The red-haired girl returns a bright smile of her own, âIâm Lily, I love your earrings.â
âMarlene,â the blonde says plainly.
And finallyâ
âHiya, Love. Iâm James,â the one with glasses says coolly as he rests an elbow on the host stand. He exudes confidence, and it makes you want to shrink into yourself.
You try to study the three of them to commit names to faces.
Lilyâfiery red hair, kind eyes, and a fair complexion with a sprinkling of freckles.
Marleneâyou like the way her blonde hair is cut into a shag. She also kind of intimidates you, so you really want to remember her name.
Jamesâglasses, tousled dark hair, very attractive. That last part probably wasnât a necessary attribute to help you remember his name, but it was true. He has a tall, toned frame that wouldâve made him seem intimidating if not for the way his eyes transformed into the physical embodiment of sunshine when he smiled. Were your hands getting sweaty?
âAlright, great. Introductions are done, now I need someone to be a trainer.â Nate claps his hands together, waiting for a volunteer.
âI have to go give a table bad news, so-â
Nate cuts Marlene off before she can hastily run away, âWasnât gonna ask you anyway.â
James is eyeing you, sizing you up it seems, when he pipes up, âIâll do it.â
Marlene snorts. âWerenât you saying an hour ago that Nate better not dump the-â
âI have no idea what youâre talking about, Marls,â James says through clenched teeth, glaring sideways at her.
You felt like quitting on the spot, thinking that you were obviously a burden on these people. Being a burden to James, specifically, felt particularly embarrassing. It had your face heating up.
âGreat! Thanks James,â Nate says, âY/N, youâre in good hands. Iâll be in the office if you need anything. The rest of you, get back to work!â
With a reluctant groan from Marlene and a ânice to meet youâ from Lily, the small crowd disperses. All except for you and James.
âIâm sorry you got saddled with training me.â
âAw man, no! Marlene was just-â James cuts himself off with a sigh, âFine, I didnât think Iâd want to train today. But I changed my mind, so donât feel like youâre a burden or something, alright?â
James seems pretty genuine, so you digress. Not without a joke first, though.
âJust remember you asked for it later when you get tired of me.â
âI have a feeling thatâs not gonna happen,â James says, a certain playfulness dancing in his eyes.
As a new party walks into the restaurant, James leads you toward a nearby order station so that youâll be out of the way.
âSo, youâre gonna wanna forget everything Nate told you,â he says as you walk, âIâm gonna show you how we actually run this place.â He shoots a boyish smirk over his shoulder.
âThat shouldnât be very hard, I donât think I was awake for any of it,â you admit with a chuckle.
âOoh, Iâm gonna like you!â James swings his body around when you reach the order station, âWe love Nate slander here. Behind his back of course.â
âThatâs worrisome,â you say, trying to find a comfortable way to lean against the terminal. You end up just standing up straight, âHe seemed kind of nice.â
âYou ever work in a restaurant before?â James leans toward you, looking coy, and you do your best not to shrink away from him.
âYeah, I was a hostess.â
âYou ever been friends with any of your old managers?â
You think about it for a minute, âNo.â
âExactly,â James leans back and you feel your shoulders relax at once. âHeâs alright, but heâs still the boss. Plus, itâs good for server morale to have a common enemy.â
James earns a laugh from you, and he smiles brightly as if itâs the biggest honor.
âSo, when do you get off?â
âIâm closing, I think.â
âNate has you closing on your first shift? Diiiiick move.â
âHe asked first and I told him I could handle it.â
âHe shouldnât have asked.â James insists, then he waves it off as if deciding whatâs done is done, âThatâs alright, youâll be able to stick with me. But in light of that, Iâll make today easy for you. You can watch while I take orders, and Iâll show you how I ring them all in here,â James pats the POS terminal, âAnd you can help me get bread and refills out to tables mostly. I wonât make you take orders today âcoz itâs a bit rowdy in here, but maybe if weâre sat with an easy table weâll see how youâre feeling.â
You nod along, not having anything to say, not that you had the chance. James is a fast talker and youâre beginning to notice how full of energy he is. Itâs a tad amusing, and itâs beginning to show on your face.
âWhat?â James asks, eyes flicking down to your growing smile.
With a slight shake of your head, you say, âYou a big coffee drinker?â
âYâknow, I get that a lot,â James reaches into the underside of the order station, and pulls out a canned beverage, âBut Iâm partial to these.â
Your face scrunches up as James takes a sip of what you like to call battery acid in a can.
James makes a big show of acting refreshed, emitting a long sigh when the can leaves his lips, âNot your cup of tea, I take it?â James raises an eyebrow.
âMy cup of tea would be actual tea. Or coffee-â
âCoffeeâs any better?â
âA million times, yes.â
âI beg to differ.â
âYou canât be serious.â
Jamesâ eyes light up like youâve just handed him a prize, âYouâre right, thatâs the bartender. âAve you met him?â
It takes you a moment to register what he means, and then youâre rolling your eyes, âOh, Iâm gonna hear that joke a lot from you arenât I?â
âYouâre gonna hear that joke all day from everyone, Love, itâs a house favorite.â
As youâre about to quip back, Lily squeezes between you two to ring in some food.
âJames, enough flirting. Some of your tables are starting to look pissed,â she says, tapping on the screen quickly to get the order in.
âIâm not flirting,â James protests, but the wink he shoots you begs to differ.
Lily takes a break from noting modifications for a sandwich order to look at you, âJames is always flirting, youâll learn to ignore him.â
James is looking at you over her shoulder, shaking his head and swirling his index finger by the side of hers, mouthing âsheâs crazy.â
As Lily resumes removing tomatoes from the order, she catches James in the act and swats his hand away, âSeriously, James, theyâre starting to flag me down because they havenât seen you in ages.â
James clutches his hand close to his chest. His eyes flit between you and Lily, a mock-horrified look on his face that communicates âsee, I told you sheâs crazy!â
âWho?â he asks.
âYour tables, you dunce,â Lily hisses, but there are notes of humor in her voice.
James bares his teeth as grimaces and checks his wrist for a watch that doesnât exist, âBollocks, look at the time. Come Y/N, Iâll show you how to turn an angry table into a happy one.â
You have to stifle a laugh as you follow James to his tables, mentally adding him to the list of reasons why you really want to work here.
#james potter fluff#james potter#james potter imagine#james potter x reader#james potter x fem!reader#james potter x anxious!reader#coworker!james potter#server!james potter#waiter!james potter#coworker!james potter x reader#coworker!marauders#james potter fanfic#marauders imagine#remus lupin#hothead!remus lupin#lily evans#mary macdonald#marlene mckinnon#marauders x reader#marauders fanfic#marauders era#hp imagine#hp fanfic#fluff#restaurant au#coworkers au#sirius black#bartender!sirius black#chef!remus#marauders
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where you came from đđ s.r
ۜৠin which you receive a letter detailing the death of your grandfather, head back to your hometown, and wonder if you ever should have left.
katcember
who? spencer reid x bau!reader when? s8 category: angst to fluff (comfort) content warnings: proofed! not much sad angst (more sad angst if that makes any sense), death of a family member/funeral, reader's hometown is in Europe (purely for aesthetic), more plot than spencer (kind of idk) reid with warmth word count: 11.2k a/n: this was my one of my first ideas when first posting on tumblr so i really do hope you enjoy it! there are a few words not in english, but sometimes when writing in english it's easier to say something in another language because english can be really...corny sometimes...anyway ily cari !!
The loops and curves connecting the words in that elegant font you grew up learning stuck in the back of your mind like a non-removable tumor. You could feel it. You had a time limitâbut not to live. Two days. In two days you would go back to Europe, back to a continent you had thought youâd left behind years ago, a place you had thought you held no attachment to⌠no emotion.
Maybe, though, it was the fact that you had been gone so long, had not once gone to visit in all your time in America, and nowânow your time had run outâor rather, another, no longer invisible hourglass had lost the last of its sand and someone had flipped it again, setting a new timeline in motion.
Your grandpa, your beloved nonno*âoh how you just couldnât believe it.Â
It had hit you so suddenly, your mother normally sent you letters, you didnât mind her old ways, she was raised by the man who taught you cursive and calligraphyâwith craft you thought ancient, and technology was still rather new, and she wasnât one to conform to change.
You sighed, shifting in your seat as Hotch and the rest of the team gave the profile. The lights were too bright; you stared at the floor, one leg crossed over the other, and your arms folded. You tried keeping your focus. Yes, you were dealing with your own problems, and yes, you had just gotten the letter yesterday, but these children needed you nowâand if you couldnât be at your best with a personal issue weighing on your shoulders, could you even call yourself an FBI agent?
Emily had just left the team a month ago and her replacement wasnât bad, but she wasnât Emily. You desperately needed your friend right now, your soul sister. She could tell you what to do and how to handle things like this, sheâs been doing this a lot longer than you, has more experienceâand she understood you, at least where family matters were concerned.
âYou okay?â Spencer whispered as the officers went back to their desks or collected in groupsâsome even leavingâprobably to talk about the best course of action. This guy was going to strike again, every indication of it was there on the board.
âYeah,â you sighed, feeling your stomach growl.
He furrowed his brows, âwhenâs the last time you ate?â
âUhm,â you stood, rubbing your wrist, âIâm not sure, but Iâm fine, really,â you gave him a tight smile walking over to the board, âWe know heâs targeting school busses on their drop off, heâs insecure about something, his physical strength? Thatâs the only reason heâd subdue the bus driver in a blitz attack.â
Spencer called your nameâalmost as a whineâand you paused. âLook,â he said, âI donât think the rest of the teamâs noticed, so if you eat, I wonât say anythingâŚâ
You frowned, rubbing an eye, âfine.â
Youâd think a look of triumph came over him, but youâd be wrong. He looked resigned, but not indifferent, it was more of a soft relief. Spencer had no idea what you were going through, you hadnât told anyoneâand you werenât really planning on it. You liked to keep your personal life separate from work as much as possible, thatâs one of the reasons you and Emily had clicked so wellâyou were nearly identical in that department, and, well, you both could agree Clyde was a little bit of an ass. Youâd never worked directly with her during her Interpol days, but when she left, Clyde became your team lead, andâwell, actually, thatâs, pretty self-explanatory.
A few years in, you were able to transfer to the BAU, youâd performed considerably well and Clyde had recommended and vouched for you andâwell, Emily knew Clyde, okay perhaps your connections helped a little, but was it really your connections or your skill because without your skill, you wouldnât have been recommended now would you have?
Regardless, you had known how massive the opportunity was, which is why youâd said yes without a second thought. You joined the team two years ago, when Emily had shown no sign of leaving. You sighed, rubbing your hands together, they were sweaty and you felt sick, maybe you should try eating something.
âAlright,â you affirmed again, âcome on youâre driving.â
You threw the keys that had been lying on the table next to the board at Spencer, heâd been close to Emily too, you assumed they still spoke sometimes when they got the chance as you did with her. Your mutual bond was probablyâat least you considered it the most probableâreason for why you grew so close in such a short amount of time.
You were close in age, too, which you assumed added to the comfort.
Spencer took you to the closest fast food and you ate in the car devouring each bite. He asked for coffee and ârealâ sugar on the side, and then he sat there and watched you eat, and when you were finished he drove you back to the police station.Â
The case took you to Santa Monica, California. Penelope had ushered you all into the room as soon as youâd got into the office this morning, honestly, you were expecting it, and with the hurriedness she had, you knew it couldnât be anywhere near goodâthough you considered none of the cases you received âgoodâ, this one involved children, and it seemed they were the prime target, but what you couldnât figure out was why.
He didnât kill all the childrenâin fact, in both cases, the unsub only killed three kids; it seemed as if he was targeting specific children, but they all came from relatively different backgrounds, and both schoolsâwhen considering the environment and looking at it from a geographical perspectiveâwerenât at all in near-to-similar neighborhoods. Even the two kids that were killed on the same bus had no connection, they werenât friends, the witnesses said the boys stayed away from each other unintentionally, they just never seemed to cross paths and it just did not make sense.
You wantedâno neededâto figure this out, for the next potential victimsâbut the team had no clue as to which school heâd hit next. For this reason, Penelope was emailing schools at the masses to keep them on high alert.
âHeâs targeting school buses,â you said, taking a sip of your water. âNot schoolsâŚâ Spencer nodded and you asked, âWhy?â
âPerhaps something happened to him on a school bus?â
âItâs important,â you agreed, âbut wouldnât that make himâlikeâfifteen?â
âNo,â Spencer shook his head, âa fifteen-year-old wouldnât have this much time, heâd have been caught by now.â
âThe survivors say he wore a mask, he called the students by nameââ
âBut not their nameâmaybe heâs living in a delusion?â Spencerâs speaking sped up, âmaybe heâs not fifteen but heâs reliving his teenage days. Maybe he was bullied and now he wants revenge?â
âOkay, but that doesnât explain going after high school kids now. Why not just go after the people his anger is directed toward?â
âBecause he canât? Maybe theyâre substitutes?â
âWe need to tell the others.â
Spencer nodded, you rushed out of the car and into the police station, catching Morgan, Hotch, and JJ leaning over a phone, talking to Penelope. You explained your theory and funnily enough, Penelope had just found school records that supported it. Each victim had been suspended within the past year, accused of bullying or inflicting some type of physical or mental pain on another student.
Complaints about the victims were filed by students, so now you knew your unsub had access to all this information, the question was what title did someone need in order to garner this details.
âThat has to be how heâs choosing his victims,â Morgan said.
Hotch thought for a second, then nodded, âAll alright, call Rossi and Blake, tell them to get here, Penelope, are you still on?â
âRunning and ready, sir,â she confirmed, âAll alright, give me a list of the next potential targets, all kids who have been suspended or complained about in the last year due to bullying, narrow the search to males, fifteen older.â
âSir, do you want me to narrow the search between the two schools?â
âNo,â Hotch sighed, looking each of you in your eyes, âI want the entire cityââ
âHotchââÂ
Spencerâs eyes narrowed in confusion, but Hotch cut him off, âyou really want to sit around waiting for another body?â
Everyone went silent and Spencerâs eyes flitted to you for a moment, almost as in reassurance.
âHeâs right, Hotch,â you stepped forward, trying to push away all thoughts of what was to be expected of you in two days.
âYou,â Hotch narrowed his eyes as if just now suspecting something was up with you.Â
A silent staring contest ensued, though it was quickly broken when an officer burst into your makeshift bullpen. âAnother body was discovered.â Your heart sunk and you glanced to Spencer for comfort, his eyes drifting to yours for the same thing.
It always just seemed a little bit more painful when children were involved. Your stomach lurched and you felt sick, wanting to throw up the food youâd just eaten. You just wanted this all to be over so you could focus on your family issues. It might have been selfish, but wasnât that your right? You couldnât think about this right now, you needed to find this guy before he murdered another innocent kid.
âGive Garcia the geographical point and have her narrow the search.â
Hotch directed at Spencer, turning to JJ, âStay here, help him and Rossi figure out what career our unsub might have. Morgan go Blake to check out the new crime scene, and,â he turned to you, âCome with me.â
You turned to Spencer one last time, not wanting to leave him. You were always together, working together, that is. Hotch never split you up so you thought there must be a reason for it now, but why, well, you couldnât know for certain. You shook your head and followed him out the door. He seemed to wait for you with pause, his expression unreadable, almost like he was analyzing you. You tilted your head in warning and he finally relented.
âLetâs go.â
From that point forward, there wasnât really much of a struggle, it just sucked you had been called in so late, and that another kid had died before you caught the guy. Four kids in total, three crime scenes. The ride back on the jet was tense.
Everyone seemed to need their own space whenever you dealt with a case like this, you, well, youâd play with Spencerâs hair, if you were really tired, heâd let you lean against his shoulder or use his lap as a pillow and sleep. This time, though, you were restless and you couldnât find the need to sleep anywhere. You knew you probably should,butâŚit was just too much.
You couldnât stay seated, you paced back and forth, your mind fleeting from the case to the letter youâd received yesterday. Youâd brought it with you and you hesitated only for a second before pulling it from your bag and sitting in one of the empty rows. You could feel eyes on you, though they were trying to pretend they werenât looking.
You wanted to say you could see them, say you werenât in need of monitoring, but you were the youngest on the team, and despite your closeness, with Emily particularly, they all cared for you, which is why when JJ slid into the seat across from you you resisted rolling your eyes.
âAre you okay? Youâve been kind of⌠not yourself.â
âIâm fine, JJ, thanks.â You returned your eyes to your motherâs letter.
âYou sure?â she asked, âis it your mother? Has something happened?â
She motioned toward the letter. Theyâd gotten accustomed to seeing you read over the renaissance looking artifacts throughout the day. That wasnât the unusual part, no JJ was talking about how you werenât attached to Spencerâs hip, how you avoided them all almost the entire day, and how you had been so focused on the case as if you were trying to make something else dissappear.
âWeâre all here for you, you know.â She reached her hand out, rubbing her thumb over it.
âYeah,â Morgan motioned for JJ to scoot over, âweâre a family, you know.â
âAww, I wish I was there,â Penelope said from the other side of Morganâs phone. You wanted to scoff, but a sad smile pressed to your mouth instead. They were cornering you as if theyâd planned it.
Your eyes flitter over toward Rossi and Hotch who were pretending not to listen and Blake, who was evidently really not, then they landed on Spencerâs who stood suddenly from his normal spot in the front of the jet and began walking toward you. âSee, even pretty boyâs upset.â
âI am not upset,â Spencer scoffed, sliding into the seat next to you. But then he held your gaze as if trying to communicate with his eyes, âbut we are here for you, you know Iâm always here, andâŚIâm sure if you called, Emily would be too.â
You took a breath, and when it came out it was shuddering, and that was the first time crying had crossed your mind. So, you saidâfirst in general, âMy grandfather just passed, Iâm supposed to leave in two days for his funeral.â You let them take it in, then, âI need time off, Hotch.â
A snort came from Rossi and the team frowned at him, but you smiled, why was he so unserious all the time? You rolled your eyes, but then Penelope spoke up from the phone in Morganâs pocket, âif you need someone to go with you, Iâd be willing.â
Your eyes swelled at her offer and you opened your mouth to say âReally?â but Spencer said, âIâd go tooâyou know, if you wanted that is,â before you could open your mouth.
âThank you,â you nodded, âIâd like thatâŚand you knowâŚit wouldnât hurt if the rest of you came as well,â your admission scared you, what were you doing? This is the exactly the opposite response Emily would have given, but maybe you werenât as strong as Emily, and maybeâŚmaybe that was okay.
âWhen are we leaving again?â Rossi sighed, pulling out his phone, âIâll have to check my schedule.â And with that you let loose a snort, appreciating the kindness of your team.
âJack, Will, and Henry are welcome to come as well.â You said, âAnd that girlfriend of yours, Hotch,â you added, âI think Iâd be able to brave my family again if I had the Guardians of the Galaxy with me.â
âWhat about Strauss?â JJ suddenly asked, âWhat are we gonna tell her?â
âOh you let me worry about her,â Blake smiled, though you had been sure she wasnât even listening.
âYouâre from Europe right?â
You huffed a sigh, âYes, Rossi, Iâm sure weâre not cousins.â
A few chuckled as Rossi responded with a nod and a smug grin, âJust checking.â
You claimed the window seat, forcing Spencer to sit in the middle, though you had to climb over him multiple times to use the bathroom, you didnât care, and neither did heâŚmuch. You thought youâd be able to sleep, but just like on the jet, you found yourself restless, and Spencer, well, he couldnât help but ask.
The first question was simple, âhow do you feel about going home?â
You laughed, a bitter expression framing your face, âI donât know.â You were lying, though he wasnât sure if you knew that fact yourself as you seemed genuine. The only way he knew for sure your response wasnât what your subconscious truly thought was was by the way your lips pressed together right before you spoke, that was your tell.
He didn't know if you knew you did it, but heâd caught on to it pretty quickly when youâd first met, it had been something small, but he remembered it as clearly as if it were playing out right now in front of him. It had to do with your favorite food. Morgan had said heâd overheard you talking to Emily about how you wanted a certain order from this new restaurant because it tasted like the one you had back home, and to surprise you, he had brought it in one day and set it on your desk, brimming with energy to see your reaction.
You were confused at first, but when you saw him, youâd grinned, prying to box open, then your eyebrows had shot up and heâd asked you if it was your favorite food. Youâd pressed your lips together and nodded, grimacing with the first bite, âI love it, thank you.â
Later on, heâd smacked Morgan for the first time upside the head, running away quickly after, Morgan had chased him for some time until Hotch had told them to stop acting like, âidiots,â and thst, âJack acthas better self control than you two most days.â
âDo you have any pets at home?â He asked, watching you stretch out your arms above your head, deflating against your seat.
You smiled, âI used to have a dog, but she died before I left for university.â
âIâm sorry,â he frowned.
âDonât be, she wasnât really mine, but my sisterâs.â
He nodded, it was early morning, everyone had gotten up way before theyâd wanted to, except him. He was ready to go a bit too early, and when heâd picked you up at your apartment, it seemed as if you hadnât slept much either.
âHey, Spencer?â You suddenly whispered.
âYeah?â He stared down at you as you began to move, causing him to shift until his body aligned with yours and your back hit his chest.
âDo you want to hear a boring story?â He quirked a brow, brushing a few strands of hair out of your face. To the normal eye, you seemed incredibly close, strangely closeâa couple kind of close, but to the team and between the two of you, it was more like the relationship Penelope and Dereck had, although instead of heaty words, it was comforting gestures like this, that, and you were always attached at the hip, you were partners with each other before anyone else, work partners that is.
âWhatâs a boring story?â He asked and you didnât know if he was trying to be poetic, but it brought a smile to your face.
âMy grandfather,â you focussed your eyes on the window, finding warmth in being pressed against him, his arms acting as a blanket that wrapped around you. âHe was old in age, I mean, I knew that even when I was a kid, but there were times,â you shook your head recalling the moments in your mind.
Spencer kept quiet, listening intently as he rubbed circles on the exposed inner corner of your elbow.
âHe would take me on adventures and back then, he seemed so young, so exceptionally immortal. It was otherworldly,â your voice got quieter as you continued, âI donât know how to face him,â you sighedâGod it seemed like all you could do for the past 45 hours was sigh.
âTell me,â he whispered, âtell me about the adventures.â
You paused, turning your head slightly to see him, youâd done this countless times, but for some reason, it seemed more pertinent now. MoreâŚ.significant, âmy grandad,â you murmured, âhe was my captain. That was the game. Weâd go to the pier sometimes, or the forest, and heâd always have these elaborate scavenger hunts set up in advance. He reallyââ you blinked and breathed, â...he was really good at things like that.â
âSetting up games?â Spencer asked incredulously, but you knew it was good-natured, meant to bring the smile that had so evidently fallen off back to your face.
âAt crafting and cultivating imagination.â
âAh,â Spencer nodded, âyeah how did I miss that?â
You smacked is chest playfully.
âHow do you feel about seeing your family, how long has it been?â
You gazed out the window again, there was low chatter around the plain, it was dark, the lights were off, and most people were asleep. You pondered briefly about why Spencer was still up and deigned to ask him when sunlight shone through the window, blinding you momentarily. It wasnât a lot nor was it as bright as you were used to, and it was quickly hidden behind the clouds once more, but you smiled at it anyway.
âA new beginning,â you raised your hand, blocking the slight sunlight that filtered in now and then, not really sure what you meant.
Spencer chuckled, reaching out to grab your wris. He held it, waving it around as if you were casting a non-verbal spell.
âWe donât have to talk about it now,â he whispered, âbut whenever youâre ready, Iâll be here.â
âI know you will,â you replied as easily as if you hadnât said anything at all. âYou always are.â
And again, for a moment, you pondered why that was, why Spencer always seemed to be the only personâother than Emilyâwho was always there for you when you needed someone, why he was the only person you wanted there when things went wrong.Â
It was a question that had bubbled up over the last month since Emily had left. Youâd begun to lean on him a lot more, yes, but you could very well just have as easily called Emily. Spencer wasnât lying, you knew she would pick up no matter what, but oddly, you found you didn't want to call her becauseâyou already had the person you needed with you. And he would always be there, even if you stopped working together, Spencer would always be there.
You were sure you could call him in the middle of the night and heâd come running. But why would you want to? You shook the dangerous thought away.Â
âItâs sunrise,â he said, pulling your attention back to the window. Slowly, he brought your hand to once again rest on your stomach.
âWe still have about 5 hours,â you sighed, noting the time.
He leaned back, shifting in his seat, âThen we better get comfortable.â
You wondered what youâd do first when you landed, would you have so much jet lag you wouldnât be able to see your family for some time? Would you be able to sleep? Finally? Where would your grandpa be? Probably at the funeral home. Would other family members be traveling into the city for the funeral? If they were theyâd have to stay at the main house, there wewould be no other space available in the others.
You were only staying three days, and if Stauss called you in early, youâd have no choice, but to leave before that. You were able to solve one more case before you left, though you had still strained for sleep, everyone else seemed to be a little overly excited. Blake stayed to help other teams, she was new and you werenât that close, though she didnât seem to mind.
She was like Rossi in that department, unable to take days away from work as she ran on catching these guys. But for you, and everyone else on the team, you were sure, you couldnât wait for your days off.
They were the closest thing you got to normalcy, that and time with Spencer outside of work, it was time in your world, one where bad guys didnât exist, one where you could escape into the realities of a Charlotte BontĂŤ novel, one your grandpa had gifted you before you could remember a life without it.
You wanted to thank Spencer, but you didnât know how. You wanted to thank everyone, really, but Spencer most of all, and instead of thinking about why, of letting it plague your thoughts, you leaned further into him, rubbed your face into his soft sweater vest, and closed your eyes.
Penelope threw her head back as she grabbed her suitcase, âwhere to now?â Spencer pushed her sunhat out of the way. She was in for a rude awakening, it was winter in Europe, and though most people were on holiday, that only meant the airports would be extra lively.
âFirst, letâs make sure we have everyone.â You began counting of heads, narrowing your eyes, âwhereâs Hotch?â
âWeâre here!â Jack came running, Hotch sprinting after him. It was not too odd a sight, for you to see Hotch in dad mode, he normally had that look on when Spencer did something stupid or Penelope said too much on speakerâbut this, oh this was gold.
Rossi snapped a photo with an old camera heâd brought along, chuckling when Hotch glared at him. âAlright,â you nodded, noting Hotchâs girlfriend slowly filling the space beside him. âNow, my immediate family isnât that big, but the rest of the family does live in the same town, so youâve all been assigned housemates.â
âHousemates?â JJ raised a brow.
âIâll,â you checked the time, âexplain on the train, come on.â
You were honestly surprised everyone had come, youâd invited them because you truly had thought them being here would lessen the pain, but to think that they all wanted to be here for you as well, even Rossi had comeâand he hated taking vacation time. Though, the most surprising had to be the fact that Blake had actually succeeded in getting Straus to let you all come.
You stayed together, it was easy for some, though others kept getting sidetracked. You stopped a few times to look at a few shops and monuments, though you kept explaining to Penelope sheâd have more than enough time later to go on her mini explorations.
You supposed it was normal though, that was how you were your first time in Americaâyour first time in any new country or state, really. Most everyone had never been to Europe, even for you it felt like stepping into a storybook. You hadnât been home in so long, it was like a lost memory.
Though afternoon, the day was getting dark already, and people were milling about, readying for Christmasâyour heart lurched, and though you tried not thinking about him too much, you couldnât help but wonder if your grandfather had been alone during his passing, what were his last words? His last thoughts? Rainclouds not only drew to the sky but your mind as well.
You felt more than guilty, that was the only way you could describe the horrid emotion twisting in your gut ever since youâd received the letter. You hadnât seen your parentsâyour sisterâface to face in a long time. It was part of the guilt of moving to America without giving them a heads up and for leaving when you knew they wanted you to stay.
Your older sister had stayed, why couldnât you have? There really was no explanation other than you just couldnât. It felt small, suffocating. You loved your hometown, but eventually, you knew there had to be something more out there, something more calling your name, and the longer you stayed, the more you buried that feeling, the less motivated to do anything you got.
So, you saved up during your uni days and took the first position in America youâd found, which is how you ended up at Interpol, climbing the ranks slowly but surely and eventually working with Clyde.
You reached the train station, the cool weather making everything around you a tint of blue. The benches that sat in front of the train tracks were taken up by Jack, Henry, and Will, whoâd been carrying a ton of baby supplies. You paused, checked your watch again, nodded, and turned your face toward everyone again, âAlright people, hereâs the plan. My family knows you're coming, one of the reasons they were okay with it is because we own a few properties and can house you all, hence your housemates, or if you prefer, hosts.â You glanced at JJ, âYou, Will, and Henry will be staying with my sister and her husband. She has two kids so sheâs used to the noise.â
You had thought about letting Hotch stay with your sister, but that would have just been too weird. No, instead youâd paired Hotch up with one of your cousins, who was married, but had no kids. Jack was older, no longer in diapers, and had a controlled temper, so it seemed perfect.
You relayed this information and moved on, âPenelope and Morgan, youâre staying with my aunt and uncle on my dadâs side, trust me, youâll be thanking meâand Rossi, youâre with my aunt an uncle on my momâs side Is that everyone then?â You looked around, nodding.
âHang on,â Rossi held up a hand, âI donât like the way you said that last part.â
âThatâs everyone then?â You ignored him, âAll alright, the train should be hereââ You cut off your sentence as the train pulled into the station, â...right on time.â
 Waiting your turn to step onto the train as people made their way off, you felt around in your pocket for the letter one last time, sighing in relief when you it was still there. You grabbed your suitcase and began pulling it aboard the train when Spencer grabbed your arm and held you back. You glanced at everyone else boarding the train, making sure you had time before turning back, âUhm,â he frowned, looking awkward, âwhere am I staying?â
âHmm?â Your eyebrows furrowed and you looked at your watch again, âwith me and my parents.â You said it so simply, as if it were an afterthoughtâas if it was so incredibly obvious that you didnât think you had to mention it.
âOh,â he didnât know how to feel, he was a little embarrassed, but there was something elseâŚsick? He didnât know, but it made him bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling.
âCome on,â you latched your hand onto his wrist and yanked him onto the train, âbefore it leaves without us.â
You honestly wanted to go straight to your parent's house, but you knew you had to introduce your co-workers/friends to your family so when you left it wasnât so weird, though the only one who complained was Rossi, you couldnât blame him, but at the same time you found it funny. He swore up and down you had put him in this position on purpose and he didnât find it funnyââNot one bit,â heâd said right before you left him in his room. âIâll get you back for this,â heâd warned.
Once youâd left JJ, Will, and Henry at your sistersâshe hadnât been home, thank God, as you didnât think you could face her just yetâyou and Spencer hailed a cab and had all but drifted off to sleep during the ride to your childhood home. Your mom had been the firstborn, so sheâd gotten the main house, though your grandparents never left. They had kind acted as your second parents growing up and you were incredibly close, especially you and your grandfatherâŚand now he was gone. You bit the inner corner of your cheek, feeling like you wanted to cry but just couldnât find the comfort to do so.
Spencer noticed, of course, that you were leaning on him, and had been the entire cab ride. When the it came to a stop in front of a large, three-story Victorian house, he hesitated before shaking you awake. He wouldnât have done it if he knew what to do, but this wasnât his house and this was the first time he was going to meet your parents, though it excited him, he couldnât pinpoint the exact reason why.
You were likeâhis platonic soulmate, nothing had ever happened between you two and just because you were going to be sleeping in the same house, probably a few feet apart, didnât mean anything was going to start now. Morgan slept at Penelopeâs all the time and though Spencer always suspected they were more, nothing had ever happened, which meant it was possible for a guy and a girl to just be friendsâand yet, here is was, palms sweating, mind running, mouth drying as he walked up the trail leading to the front door of your parentâs house.
A knock, and hushed whispers, and then the door opened, your mother standing in the doorway with a bright smile on her face. She called your name and wrapped her arms around you, pulling you into a hug. You wondered if your grandpa was at the funeral home still, if he was cold, which was a stupid thought, he couldnât feel anything, he was gone, no longer here roaming the earth, telling his outdated jokes and taking you on secret journeyâs, and you were no longer that little girl who laughed at his outdated jokes and believed in the magic of his secret journeys.
When you pulled away your mother, with her now thinning, grayed hair pulled into a tight ponytail and the wrinkles lining her frail faceâsaid, âOh, let me get a look at you.âÂ
She took a step back and thatâs when your father came into view, âDad,â you smiled, the feeling almost overwhelming.
He pulled you into another hug, and just when you didnât know if you could handle seeing one more relative you hadnât seen in ages, your grandmother shouted from somewhere on the first floor, âIs that her? Is she here?â
Your heart seized itself and you took a step back, unknowingly stepping into Spencerâs personal space. You turned to apologize, but your grandmother had already wobbled in on her two dainty legs, as quickly as she could have if in her prime. Her old crone eyes narrowed, ânice of you to grace us with your presence.â She sprinkled salt on the floor as she glowered.
âMom,â your mother groaned.
âWhat?â She crossed her arms and turned her head as if she had things better to do than welcome the granddaughterâwhoâd left everything behindâback into her life.
âItâs fine, Mom,â you reassured as your father went to close the door behind youâd walked in, Spencer gled to your back.
Your grandmother stomped out of the room in old lady fashion. âHow are you dear? Have you been getting my letters?â
You cringed, âYes,â though you never sent one back, you did always text a message, thanking your mom for writing you, sheâd only heart it, though, which left you wondering if maybe you shouldâve picked up a pen and paper. âI keep them all secure in a drawer.â
She nodded, a placid smile falling to her lips, âWell, you must be tired andââ she glanced at you, then at Spencer, then at your father and held his gaze for a moment before returning her eyes to you, âwhoâs yourâŚâ
âOh, this is Spencer,â you patted his chest as if that was explanation enough.
Your mother nodded, not really sure how to take it, she turned to Spencer, hoping heâd offer a little more information, âItâs nice to meet you.â
Spencer stared at her hand, contemplating and you were just about to say something about it when he reached out and shook it. Slack-jawed, you eyed him suspiciously, turning away in a huff. When youâd first met him, heâd refused to shake your hand, sure he had come a long way since then, but it still annoyed you for some reason.
âCome, let me show you your rooms.â
Your mother led you up the starcase than faded into a small stairwell, leading up to the second floor. The wood was old mahogany, though you werenât paying much attention to it. At the end of the left hall was another staircase that led to the third floor, but even half awake you knew it was probably locked. It always had been.Â
You recognized the wallpaper, a deep, forest green and you half wondered if the wallpaper in your bedroom had changed, if it had been converted into a guest bedroom. Your mother gave Spencer the guest room down the hall. You waved goonight to him before heading into your room. He paused his eyes taking in your childhood home.
It was so incredibly different from his, but it also feltâŚsmall. You were this giant, bubble of energy and a quiet town in Europe just dindât seem to add up to your personality. He sighed and pulled open the door, you werenât a few steps away like he had hoped, but you were close enough. He stopped himselfâthis was completely bizarre, even for him. This was more upâwell, he didnât know, but it wasnât up his alley.
Tired, youâd turned in for the night, though your eyes caught on all the things youâd left behind, you told yourself youâd look at it in the morning. You were glad everyone was here supporting you, you were especially glad to have Spencerâwere glad he came, but then of course he came, that was just the kind of person he was.
You turned off the lamp on the bedside table, burying your face in the sheets, finding yourself still unable to cry, but whispering, âYou would have liked him a lot, nonno*.â Which was madness, firstly, why did it matter if you grandfather would have liked Spencer or not. Secondly, your grandfather was gone, and the whole reason you were here was because of that fact. Maybe you just couldnât accept it yet and thatâs why you were thinking all these weird thoughts, why you couldn't cry.
You sighed, shutting your eyes, hoping you wouldnât dream; to face tomorrow, you would just need sleep. Sleep and a lot of quiet.
You cracked open one eye, light trickling in through the curtains though it wasnât bright. You left your door ajar as you headed toward the bathroom. There was soft chatter on the first floor, and you were sure your grandmother and parents were awake. The faint aroma of coffee wafted through the air and you wondered if Spencer was up too.
You didnât have to wait long to find out as he stepped out of the bathroom just as you went to open the door. His hair was wet and he was wearing a white collared shirt under a brown sweater vest. He smiled when he saw you, though your eyes were drawn to the water dripping down his forehead. He was holding a towel, you assumed to try and dry it, though it looked if he hadnât had much success.
âMorning.â You murmured.
âGood morning,â he echoed, stepping out of the way. âYouâre parents said I could,â he motioned behind him, pressing his lips together when you raised a brow. He nodded, âhurry? I am kind of nervous.â
You snorted and shook your head, âsure thing, piccolo*.â
You shut the bathroom door behind you, feeling an airy sensation float through your body as you began pulling your clothes off.
Half an hour later, you found Spencer in his room still trying to dry his hair. âYou should just let it air dry.â You voiced, tucking a lock of your own wet hair behind your ear.
He looked up when you opened the door, sighing, and setting the hand towel to the side. His hair was nearly dry, though he was trying to get the wet bits in the back.Â
You huffed, climbing on the bed and sitting behind him on your knees, âlet me see it.â You began massaging the now-damp towel into his hair, trying to use the little dry parts it still had left. He chuckled, jerking his head slightly when the towel rubbed a sensitive spot. You smirked, âthat tickle?â
He huffed another laugh, âstop,â he called your name in warning, âIâm serious.â
You laughed, running the towel teasingly up and down his neck. He jerked and eventually jumped up, pushing you backward on accident. He launched a tickle attack, fingers jabbing at your sides, your neck, under your arms, and when you thought he couldnât get any worse, he sought your feet, your sockless feet.
âOkay!â You snorted, âOkay, you win!â
âWhat?â He asked, staring down at you with triumph.
âOh, donât be an ass.âÂ
He grinned playfully, but relented, âAlright, come on, your parents probably want to see you.â
You huffed a sigh and threw your head back, the pillows coming to its rescue as you let your hands come to rest on your stomach, âdo we have to?â His grin eased into a gentle smile and you gave in, jumping up, âYeah, fine.âÂ
You headed downstairs, passing picture frames from past relatives. There were so many ancient trinkets that your generations had left behind, Spencer said it was like walking through time, and it honestly was. Not just because the house was built in the middle 1800s, but because everything from the wallpaper to the furniture, and right down to the people still living in itâhad that reminiscent aura about them.
âNice of you to join us.â Your grandmother said as you walked in, âAnd whoâs this, a boyfriend?â
Your mother sent hers a warning glare before turning back to you, âgood morning, please sit,â she motioned toward the breakfast table.
âItâs nice to meet you,â Spencer said taking the seat beside you, âagain.â
Your mother laughed and waved a hand, âThere is no need for formalities, but I do want to thank you for coming.â She glanced at you momentarily, but you avoided her eyes. You knew you would eventually have to speak to everyone again, but you werenât ready for that yet.
âSo, how long have you been dating my daughter?â Your father asked. You would have choked on the tea had you drunk any prior. Your eyes widened instead and you turned to Spencer apologetically, but he didnât seem at all fazed, âweâre just friends.â
His smile seemed content, but your grandmother scoffed. You turned to her, almost already fed up with the little attitude thatâd been present since your arrival. You knew she had always preferred the company of your sister, and she detested you for leaving without a wordânot to her, but to your grandfather.
You frowned, wanting to ask about it, but you couldnât find words that would bring the least amount of sadness to the room.Â
âAre you going out today?â Your father changed the subject, turning toward Spencer. He seemed to catch on to the fact that you were uncomfortable, so he directed all his questions at your beloved pretty boy.
Spencer answered them with easeâto which you knew youâd be in debt. An hour went by and Penelope was blowing up the team group chat, asking when you were meeting up. Eventually, you knew youâd have to take her around town and to be honest, you could use a little distraction from the looming presence of being around the rest of your family when they got in this afternoon.
âWhen will you be back?â Your mother asked
âNot sure,â you replied, more clipped than you meant for it to be.
âDonât worry, Iâll keep an eye on her,â Spencer reassured, trying to ease the tension.
âOh, Iâm sure you will,â your grandmother poked her head out of nowhere.
You shot her a glare and said, âIs this your way of seeing me off?â
Shocked by your reply, she tutted and jerked her head away, with closed eyes and crossed arms. You rolled your eyes, whispering, âsee you later,â in the softest voice you could manage.
âThat wasâŚâ
You huffed, wrapping your arms around yourself, âtell me about it.â
âSoâŚyour grandmotherâŚâ
âShe hates me because I left, deep down they all do.â You frowned, but no tears came, they seemed to evade you.
Spencer pressed his lips together, normally he had the perfect response for anything you said, but you never spoke about your family. You were always sure to draw a boundary, you were very much like Emily in that sense, or at least he thought so.
You took a cab to the pier, agreeing to meet at the beach seemed simple. There were a few people, mostly locals though, your hometown wasnât a place tourists normally visited. The main reason this town was able to survive was because a lot of the residents were wealthy, and that wealth stayed in the family andâwell, the families stayed here.
âWoah,â Penelope yelped at the fourth store you stopped in, âwe have to look around,â she said, eye-widening. Jack and Henry were milling about together, looking at little trinkets. You recognized the shop, it was an antique toy storeâyour grandfather had bought all your gifts over the years from this one in particular, some were secondhand, but they were sentimental to you and you had taken a few with you when youâd moved to America.Â
âBabygirl, calm down.â Morgan laughed, following her down an aisle.
âHowâs everyone settling in?â You asked, turning to Rossi when he huffed and muttered something under his breath. âWhat was that?â You leaned in, grinning.
Spencer pulled you back just as Rossi glared and called you a sadist. âWeâre doing fine, your sister is nice.â JJ smiled, âshe was asking about you,â she paused, waiting to see if it was an alright topic of conversation. When she realized you were waiting patiently for her to continue, she did, âshe said she was sorry for not being home when you dropped us off. She wanted to catch up.â
You took a breath, your cheeks seemingly hot in the cold weather. âI know itâs not my place,â Will started, catching your eyes, â...but IâŚI think you should talk to herâŚâ
You frowned at him, contemplating, then you nodded, sigh slipping past your lips, âYeah, youâre probably right.â
âOh!â Penelope shouted, âGelato, my phone says thereâs a gelato place right around the corner!âÂ
You noticed Morgan walking up behind her when a laughâthough it sounded more like a croakârang through your ears. âYour phone would be correct,â an old woman rounded the counter, short as could be. Her eyes bounced from face to face, settling on yours, âI told your old wench of a grandmother youâd come back. Were it for anything itâd be for him.â She sighed, âCome here, let me have a spin, my God how long has it been?â
You wanted to say eight years, but you neglected that subject and instead focussed your memory on figuring out who this woman was.Â
âHmm,â she hummed after a moment, taking a step back, her arms so incredibly bony they looked as if they might snap with the slightest pressure. Her pallor was somewhat tanned, and there were a few black spots up and down her exposed skin.
âYouâre nonnaâs old classmate.â It clicked, she was always stopping by the house in your earlier days, and sheâd sometimes sit on the wraparound porch, sipping wine with your grandmother.
âDid you forget me already capretta*?â She chuckled as if sheâd made a joke.
The rest of your group had deemed the conversation not thereâs to listen in on, so theyâd taken to wandering around the shop, the only one who stayedâpartially because he wanted to and partially because youâd grabbed his wrist when he had tried walking awayâwas Spencer.
âIâm not a little girl anymore,â you murmured, âyou shouldnât call me that.â
âOh, youâll always be capretta* to me, you and all the others.â She smiled, her beady eyes watching you for a moment, as if expecting you to do something brash. Eventually, she said, âhis funeral is tomorrow, yes?â
âYeah,â saying it brought out a wave of pain. Your mouth felt heavy and your stomach dropped to your feet.
She nodded, âhave you decided what youâre going to say?â
You shook your head, âI wonât be speaking.â
She paused, disappointment flashing across her face, âwell, Iâm sorry to hear that.â You pressed your lips together and began turning away, ready to get out of this uncomfortable situation, but she wasnât finished, âyou know, Iâm sure heâs happy youâre here.â
Spencer watched you close your eyes, take a deep, shuddering breath, and open them carefully. He watched them gloss over and without thinking about it, snaked a hand behind your back, as if holding you to this earth would help you in some way, unbeknownst to him, it did. His touch grounded you, and you thought, another debt to be owed.
âYouâre amante*,â she said right before you walked back outside.
âHeâs not myââ you waved your hands but your your words faltered as she shook a cloth at you, a knowing smile adorning her face.
âMaybe not yet, capretta*.â
You sighed, yanking Spencer outside. âWhat did she say?â He asked as if he couldnât use damned context clues.
âNothing,â you responded, but Rossi raised an eyebrow, holding up his hands when you shot him a look, your eyes flashing in warning.Â
The otherâs finally joined you outside and you spent a few more hours acting as a tour guide. When you deemed it time to go home, you told everyone to be ready in formal attire around 8, the rest of your family would be coming in, staying at the main house as it was the last place that still had room, and a small party would ensue. Everyone only came together for weddings and funerals so they tended to make the most of it.
You werenât really looking forward to seeing the rest of your cousins, hell you could barely face your immediate family, extended seemed a little too much too soon.
You thought about hiding up in your room, you hadn't had much time to take it in yet and you thought it might help.
Relatives started arriving around 7:30. Spencer had wandered down to your room and knocked, though you could hear the hesitation in it. âCome in,â you said, sitting up.
He walked through, shutting the door softly behind him. âSo this is where I find all your secrets.â He chirped, an easy smile settling on his face as joined you on the bed, leaning back. âItâs pink,â he noted.
âHey,â you said, âthe wallpaper came with the room.â
He huffed a laugh, his eyes catching on a few blankets stacked neatly on a shelf linear your bed, âare those your baby blankets?â
âNo,â you laid back down, the lamp at your side dimming slightly. âI think I stole those from my sister.â
He smiled, âI wonder what itâs like to have a sibling.â
You smiled, recalling all the idiotic fights youâd get into, how your parents would send you two to your room until you, âlearned to love each otherâ. âSheâs older by a few years,â your voice carried through the silent room, though it was lively on the first floor. You suddenly remembered you had a third, but you couldnât recall a single memory of you being allowed there as is had always been locked.
âDo you want to talk about her?â He asked after a while.
You debated, on one hand, it might be good practice for when you spoke to her, on the other hand, what would you even say? You had no idea how sheâd been these past eight years, what her life was like. What could you say and so you said, âask me about her.â
He hummed for a moment, falling on, âwhyâd you steal the blankets?â
Your lips pressed together and you tried piecing together an accurate depiction of the event. âWell, sheâd got them on a trip with our grandmother. My grandfather and I had been on an adventure, I think we were in the forest, I canât remember,â you sat up and pushed yourself off the bed, walking over to the dresser and bending down to the shelf that held the blankets.
Spencer sat up, letting his eyes follow you, he felt warm, not anxious. Though his mind was working slowly, he found he didnât mind. You seemed to calm everything down for him, it was a sense of comfort he hadnât known heâd needed until you came into his life, and his headaches from before had slowly ceased the closer the two of you got.
âThis one,â you held up, âwas originally hers.â You brought it to him as he pushed himself to the edge of the bed, his feet sprawled around you. You didnât think twice before stepping in between him, but you had never done that before and it caught him off guard. You had never been in such proximity when you were both wide awake, and you certainly had never faced each other like this.
Nevertheless, he didnât mindâin fact, he was finding it increasingly obvious that he preferred you to be as close to him as possible. He ran a hand over the smooth ruffles of the white blanket. It was pleaded with light pink embroidery. âYou should give it to your daughter.â He heard himself say, though his throat went dry right after.Â
âYou think so?â You found yourself wanting to be closer to himâas if Iâm not close enough, you scolded yourself.
âYeah,â he looked up at you, and goshâit looked like he wanted you, and goshâyou felt your heartbeat speed up.
Your body moved on its own, stepping forward, loving the way his legs close together to entrap you. You wrapped your arms around his neck, dropping the blanket down beside him. You lifted your knees onto either side of his waist and sat in his lap, his arms snaking around your hips. âHi,â you murmured, a nervousâalmost hesitantâexpression falling over your features.
His eyes flitted between your lips and your eyes, but he managed to force out a, âhi.â
You bit your lip and it drew his gaze instantly, you could feel his heart palpitate in his chest, almost as fast as yours. His eye fluttered close and his head fell back when you ran your hands through his hair. You didnât know what you were doing, you told yourself multiple times, unsure of why this was happeningânow of all times, oh your sweet nonno! Forgive me, you pleaded.
You angled your head forward, ready to do the one thing youâd knew your subconscious had been wanting for God knew how long, but then a knock sounded on the door and Spencerâs eyes opened once again.
âWhoââ you cleared your throat, âwho is it?â
âUhm,â a nervous chuckle came from the other side of the door, âit..itâs me.â Your sister. You cursed, glanced at Spencer, then with an apologetic look, unraveled yourself from his embrace.
You walked toward the door, trying to fix your nettled clothing in the process. You took a breath and paused, then opened the door. Your sister stood there, tall, lean, and elegant, as you remembered her to be. âHi,â she smiled, tilting her head.
You smiled back, trying your best to not give away what had just been going onâwhat the actual hell was just going on? You wanted to contemplate it more, wanted to ask yourself what the hell you thought you were doingâbut refrained from doing so in the moment.
âCanâŚcan I come in?â
You tensed, your eyes darting behind you and Spencer stood, throwing you an understanding glance. Your sister took a step back as he left the room, eyes following him as he disappeared somewhere down the hall. You swallowed and shifted out of the doorway, âcome in.â
She raised an eyebrow but kept quiet upon you lifting a hand.Â
âHow have you been?â She asked once you shut the door.Â
You thought about your answer, settling for, âgood,â because you had been good, you had been very good, up until you got that letter.
âThatâs good,â she responded, looking around the room, smiling, âyou know, mom kept it just the way you had it when you left.â
You nodded, yes, you had noticed that, but you werenât sure how you felt about it just yet.
âWhatâs this?â She walked toward your bed, where Spencer had been not a minute ago. She picked up the dainty blanket and sat down, steering clear of the part that had been undoubltey rumpled by Spencer. âOh,â she said as if just recalling, âitâs the blanket I gave you.â
Your eyebrows scrunched together, you distinctly remember you stealing it from your room and hiding it when she had come asking if youâd seen it.
She laughed, apparently recalling the same thing, âI knew you had it back then,â which came as a surprise to you. She bit back a smile as she began folding it again, ânonna told me to let you keep it.â
Your eyes widened slightly, âdid she?â
âYep,â your sister popped the âpâ.
âHmm,â you hummed.
âWhat?â She asked, setting the blanket aside.
âSheâs become batty.â
Your sisterâs eyebrows rose, âhow do you mean?â
âSheâs been nothing but brutal to me,â you frowned, crossing your arms.
Your sisterâs eye crinkled like she was about to laugh, âwow,â she said instead, âyouâve been gone so long you must have forgotten.â
âForgotten what?â You scoffed.
âThatâs how sheâs always been,â your sister shook her head, mumbling your name and something else incoherent before turning to look back up at you, âI hope you visit again, that this isnât some one off thing.â
You pulled away, your walls instantly going back up and your sister sighed, clearly noting the mask of an expression. âYou always did that when you were a kid, you know.â
âDid what?â You furrowed your brows.
âFold into yourself,â she waved her hands, âI donât know how else to explain it.â She huffed, âyou know, we really miss you, everyone. My kids,â she started, tears thrreatening to break loose, âyou nieces and nephewsâthey donât even know you.â
You looked down and for a second you werenât sure what she was talking about, but then you remembered that yesâyou were a zia*, your sister had children, three of them, and you hadnât met them once.
Guilt wrapped itself around you like a veil, âIâm sorry,â you heard yourself saying, your face contorting as if you wanted to cry, wanted to express how remorseful you felt, but didnât know how to.
âYouâre just like her,â she threw her head back as a few tears ran down her cheek, âI think thatâs why you were closer to Nonno*. You and Nonna* are too alike, youâre both so damn stubborn.â She huffed a laugh and for a moment, a sliver of a smile tugged at the corner of your lips.
âI think love my best friend,â you found yourself admitting, maybe it was your way of trying to reach out, to tell your sister you were still you.
âThat guy that was just here?â She grinned at you, âyeah, the family has been talking about it, Nonna* said to expect a wedding within the next year.â
Your face fell, embarrassment taking over, âwhat? Why? That old bat!â You scoffed, standing, âI canât believe her, Iâve only been hereâwhat? Two days? If that? That crazy old woman,â you marched toward the door, âWell?â You called to your sister, âare you going to back me up or what?â
She stared at you for a moment and then slowly, but surely, an calm smile crept onto her face, but her eyes were ones of storybook villains,âyeah, sure.â
The day started gloomy, though when you met Spencer in the hall, it became just a little less than that. You werenât feeling like yourself, though you werenât actually sure what self you were referring to.Â
JJ had messaged the group chat that sheâd be late because Henry had an accident right before they set off to leave. You thought about messaging your sister, but it felt weird, you werenât used to initiating conversation with your family, so you didnât, although you did plan to speak before the funeral.
You wore simple black attire, as did everyone else and you caught yourself holding onto Spencerâs hand tighter than usual, almost as if heâd leave you too, and you couldnât have that. Your heart studded in your chest once you saw the coffin, it was closed, of course. It had been open for the hearing, but that had occured before youâd landed.
You couldnât move forward. You told the others to go on and after making sure you were okay, they did, âbut youâre not allowed to go,â youâd whispered, almost to yourself.
Spencer had squeezed your hand, whispering back, âIâm not going anywhere.â
Your family gathered around the casket and the sacerdote* stepped forward, reading off a few of the retellings your grandmother had no doubt written down with the help of your parents. You noted a few other, non-related spectators, probably friends.
A few of his favorite songs were played and then your mother said a few words, followed by your grandmother, and finally your sister. âAre you okay?â Spencer pulled you closer by your arm.
You pressed your lips together, watching the coffin being lowered into the grave. âI donât knowâŚâ and when you swallowed, you found your throat dry and for the first time since the letter, you not only found yourself wanting to cry, you found it was almost within reach.
The ceremony ended and relatives began dropping dirt into the grave, you thought to say one last prayer before leaving, but you didnât want anyone to see you. You turned to Spencer and let go of his hand, âI justâŚâ you turned away, pressing your lips together as you eyed the fresh grave.
He smiled sadly, but he nodded; he always seemed to be able to understand you no matter how silent or how loud you were. Maybe thatâs why you loved him, you couldnât be sure. There were so many things you loved about himâgosh you loved him. The revelation was like a wish from a birthday candle being answered.
You stepped away and Spencer watched as you pushed through the crowd. Hotch and the others surrounded him, questioning stares ever-present. âWe should give her some time,â he said after seeing you hesitate, then sit near the makeshift headstone.
âWhatâs she doing?â Penelope frowned, watching you shift in your spot on the wet grass.
âSaying goodbye,â Spencer was the only one to respondâhe was also the last one to retreat.
You didnât know how to begin, you hadnât spoken to him in eight years. You were scared that he was angry at you, but then again, you knew that couldnât be the case, yes you knew he was gone, but what if his spirit was still here? What if he couldnât move on because he had unfinished business and it was your fault?
You stopped yourself, since when did you believe in superstition? That was your parentsâŚand Rossi; not you.
You sighed, running your hand through the grass, deciding to start as if he were still there, trying not to sound too guilty.
Nonno, you began, IâIâm sorry, you shook your head, I know, I know I should have visited. I knowâ a single tear fell down your cheek and you paused to wipe it away, shocked by your own emotions. âForgive me,â you whispered.
âYou sound like a crazy person,â you jerked your head to the side, eyes landing on your grandmother.
You huffed, eyes narrowing as you sniffled and wiped another tear that had fallen. âYouâre one to talk.â
Your grandmother shifted, as if uncomfortable, and then she moved forward, more brittle than you had noticed the first time. âIâm not going to sit down,â she said after a moment, âdonât let my looks full you, Iâm not how I once was.â She grunted as she stood beside you.
âYeah, well, your looks arenât fooling anyone, so.â
âOuch,â she laughed, but it sounded like a wenches cackle. âOh nipotina*,â she clicked her tongue and shook her head, a complacent smile making its way onto her wrinkled face.
You sat in silence, comfortable or not, you were glad she had stopped talking, you didnât know what to say to her. In your opinion, you had never really gotten along with your grandmother, this wasnât reconnecting with your parents or sisters or even your zia* and zio*, this wasâŚnew territory altogether.
You frowned, âlisten, child,â and you did, you perked up, you could listen to her talk, that would be easy, you just hoped she didn't expect a response. âYour grandfather loved you, he never stopped talking about you.â You smiled, but then it faltered. You had abandoned him, hadnât even deigned to visit because of how guilty youâd feltâŚ
âHe knew,â you whispered, heart racing.Â
You heard your grandmother sigh. âI thought as much,â she frowned, staring at her husband's grave as if she could bring him back by will alone.Â
âYou did?â You hadnât left without saying goodbye, not to him at least, that was one thing everyone had gotten wrong, your grandmother knowing had never occurred to you because you were sure your grandfather kept it a secret. Why else would the entire family have blown up when theyâd realized you had left? When theyâd realized it was too late to stop or convince you otherwiseâbecause by the time everyone else had found out, you were halfway across the North Atlantic already.
âI always thought it was strange how he never said anything about it.â A grim smile tugged her at her red-painted lips.
âNonna*, did I make the right decision?â You asked, surprising even yourself.
She sighed and you thought she might say âI canât tell you if it was right or wrongâ or something a normal grandmother would say, but your grandmother wasnât normal, she was an old bat, probably the same one youâd turn into at her age and she said, âYouâre damned right you were wrong.â
Your mouth dropped, taken aback, and then you burst into laughter, throwing your head back as you tried wiping your tears, âoh youâre such an old bat,â you sighed.
âI knew you always called me that behind my back,â she harumphed, jerking her head away and crossing her arms like a child.
âOh come now, Nonna*,â you stood and reached out the touch her shoulder.
She huffed and dropped her arms, eyes darting around your face in what seemed to be concern. âYou were wrong for not telling the rest of us, you had your parents worried sick, and your sister too.â Her frown deepened, âeven me.â
You nodded, âI know, but nonna*,â you sighed, wanting to explain yourself, but she held up a hand. You raised a brow, almost saying huh, so thatâs where I get it from, out loud.
âYour grandfather always said you were meant for something greater, that your heart wouldnât allow you to stay in this town the way ours allowed the rest of us.
âNo, no nipotina*, you were not wrong for leaving. This town, this family? Yes, you come from here, but there,â she nodded her head toward your co-workers, (or friends, you were honestly still deciding), âwith them, that is where you belong now.â
You smiled, finding acceptance in her answer.
âAnd your friend,â she rolled her eyes when she said it, âwell, I expect the wedding to be here.â
You huffed a laugh before turning, catching Specnerâs eye, and when he waved your heart swelled. âWeâll see,â you started walking away.
Your grandmother trailed after you, throwing her hands up and shouting, âincovalato*! You insolent child!â
a/n: ahhh i can't wait to write my next fic because i already know waht it is. i don't want to give spoilers, but just know you're going to see dad!spencer !!
@darkmatilda @theylovemelody
#criminal minds#spencer reid#spencer reid x reader#criminal minds fanfic#spencer reid fanfic#spencer reid angst#criminal minds fanfiction#spencer reid hurt/comfort#spencer reid x you#spencer reid fanfiction#spencer reid fic#criminal minds fic#criminal minds angst#spencer reid x fem!reader#katcember#written by katherine#fluff#angst#angst to fluff#not much angst#where you came from
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michelle's buddie fic recs: week 3!
happy sunday! hope you all enjoy these wonderful fics <3 if you're looking for more recs, here's another rec list i made this week!
this is a mix of fics with all ratings, so some include NSFW content. please take a look at both the ratings and the fic tags before reading! some might also contain spoilers for season 8.
if you come across something you like in this list, remember to show some love to the author by leaving kudos and a comment!
a guide to playing matchmaker for your boyfriend | sammyunhinged/@sammyunhinged | 52.9k | M
When Ravi incidentally finds out that Buck is questioning his sexuality, he offers him support, being the only person in Buckâs life that understands the particular intricacies of realizing youâre bisexual. In the process, Ravi learns that Buck just wants to date a guy, some relationship where he could discover himself and get comfortable in sexuality. Something short-term and casual. Ravi thinks he might be the perfect option. i've been on a ravi kick this past week (started before anirudh's video so like i'm not saying i manifested it but i'm also not not saying that lmao) and this fic was one of the highlights for sure!! wonderful writing and such great characterisation of ravi, but also such fun buddie <3
all my atoms | extasiswings/@extasiswings | 3.9k | T
There are three things every child learns about daemons: Donât ask questions or talk about another personâs daemonâitâs rude. Donât put too much distance between yourself and your daemonâitâll hurt. Under no circumstances should you ever touch someone elseâs daemon. Simple. Straightforward. Easy to remember, easier to follow. Thatâs what Eddie thinks of the rules. buck and eddie's daemons are so lovely and i love how this fic weaves daemons into a canon compliant setting!!
buck buckley hours on the diaz couch | sunlight/@justonebigbee | 5.8k | T
âDid you see me come over the back of the couch earlier?â Eddie asks. Itâs such a non-sequitur that it makes Buck laugh a little. âYes, I did. Very cool, man.â Heâs only half-teasing. Eddie could make anything look cool. He just also happens to look silly most of the time too. Like now, for example. Lounging over top of Buck on his couch in this ridiculous get up. âIâll go get us a snack, andâand, Iâm probably going to do it again.â Eddie whispers the second part, like it's a big secret. i love this fic's combination of flirty buddie and non-sexual intimacy and the birthmarks and the couch!!
evan buckley and the art of crafts | beezethe/@evanpercy | 26.3k | T
Five times Buck gives Eddie a handmade gift out of love, and one time he actually means it. (or: the craft fic) crafty buck has my whole heart <3 this fic does such a good job capturing buck and his new projects and the firefam relationships!
he touched me, so i live to know | kejfeblintz/@kejfeblintz | 4.1k | T
5 times Buck and Eddie touched, and one time they really touched. so soft so cute so them <3 just a delight!!
life is just the way you hold me | allyasavedtheday/@littlespoonevan | 10.1k | T
Some people, when they go online shopping at night, buy things they donât need. Like a Fitbit or a novelty t-shirt. Eddie⌠Eddie buys a professional cuddler. this was a reread, and a lovely one at that <3 soft and cozy and just wonderful. the fic equivalent of a warm hug!
next to your heartbeat, where i should be | rainbow_nerds/@rainbow-nerdss | 11.4k | E
Eddieâs not a complete idiot. He knows this isnât normal. He stands in front of a mirror in his underwear, the tightest pair he owns, and he poses for a picture at an angle heâs learned flatters his ass and the curve of his thigh, to send to his best friend. ohh man something about buddie being Platonic Best Bros TM and engaging in decidedly non-Platonic Best Bro behaviour gets me every time. this is hot and fun and such a delightful read <3
rouge my neck | notathingtoseehere | 4.1k | M
Eddie is definitely not jealous at all, and has a completely normal reaction to strangers talking to Buck. they're idiots, they're in love, what more could a girl (me) want? nothing, the answer is nothing, because this fic is everything!!
take the bitter with the sweet | fruitsdoesnotknow/@fruitsdontknow | 5.2k | T
No one thought to brief Ravi on the Buckley-Diaz situation when he finally joins the 118. Spoiler: it goes about as well as a car crash. ravi struggling to figure out what on earth is going on with buddie is one of my favourite things in fics <3 this one also has brilliant firefam dynamics!!
the cost of doing business | pretentiousswanqueen/@hotcinnamonsunset | 5.4k | T
Ravi's landlord status makes him privy to some confidential information about the 118's finest. another one in a string of really lovely ravi fics <3 fluff and humour and such wonderful ravi narration!!
there's one thing (it's the weight of our wish) | atlasblue85/@atlasblue85 | 3.6k | GA
âI just donât get it,â he says to Buck over the phone one day in mid-February, a couple months into the relo. âLast time they were because I was dating someone I shouldnât have been dating. Iâve been single for nearly a year now, this shouldnât be happening.â Buck hums across the line and Eddie rolls his eyes, tracking a flock of birds heading west. âOkay, you clearly have thoughts. Out with it.â âItâs justâŚâ Buck starts. âIs that really why your panic attacks were happening? Because you were dating the wrong person?â the structure of this fic is so cool, and i love the buddie phone call at the start <3
TRUST! | pairofraggedclaws/@pairofraggedclaws | 7.8k | E
âI get used to it, I guess. Kind of. After a while,â Eddie says. Then, very quietly, âIâm just, uh, sensitive.â âOh,â Buck says. Eddie's just sensitive. Eddie, his best friend, who he has now seen when he comes. Who comes in under a minute if he isnât getting some on the regs. This is â this is â interesting. yeah buck interesting sure is a word you could use lmao. THIS FIC. this absolute gem of a fic <3 so hot and soft and just a delight!!
winner winner chicken dinner | lecornergirl/@clusterbuck | 1.9k | T
Heâd rolled his eyes when Linda had sent him the recipe, the brightly coloured letters at the top of the page spelling out MARRY ME CHICKEN. Sheâd told him to make it for Buck some time and heâd sent back every unimpressed emoji he could find, butâ It wasnât supposed to work. He hadnât made it because heâd thought it would do anything, only because the creamy chicken with sun-dried tomatoes actually sounded really good. sweet and funny and fluffy! this fic makes me crave chicken. i did in fact bookmark the recipe <3
worth it | tabbytabbytabby/@tabbytabbytabby | 1.6k | T
When Buck gets a cold, Eddie takes care of him. buddie taking care of each other, my absolute beloved <3 based on the tags, this is right up my alley, and the tags were right! one of my favourites for sure!
#slightly earlier post than usual cause i have evening plans :)#enjoy!!#buddie#buddie fic#buddie fic rec#911 abc#911 fic#911 fic rec#michelleâs recs#fic rec list
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Meditations in an Emergency Part 1
Reader/Simon "Ghost" Riley/John "Soap" MacTavish
âLike it feels so good to get and give a compliment and we should normalize doing it more often. Strangers reaching out across the great abyss for a moment of connection,â you say, leaning back and gesturing broadly. âShips passing in the night with naught but a toot-toot of mutual appreciation.â
âI donât think thatâs how the shipping industry works.â Or: How to live well and get railed through the power of compliments.
Part 1 of 3, 5,857 words, mature, cw: alcohol, cannabis
Read on A03 I Read part two
"I am the least difficult of men. All I want is boundless love. "
Frank O'Hara, "Meditations in an Emergency"
âI just think people should compliment each other more, thatâs all,â you declare, biting the cherry off plastic sword that Kat, the bartender, had stuck in your Dirty Shirley. âLike we think these things all the time. Her scarf is pretty, or that guyâs got a cool haircut or whatever. We notice them, we think about them, but so rarely do we say it, you know? Even though being complimented is the best,â you say emphatically, using the tiny sword to punctuate your words.
Kat nods and gives you a second cherry, because Kat is good people. Kat serves you doubles while charging for singles and listens to you ramble and lets you spread your notebooks and laptop on the bar when itâs slow, like tonight.
Itâs early on a Friday evening which means youâre supposed to be writing. You pay the bills as a ghostwriter during the week and you like it, you do. The flexibility to work strange hours typing late into the night, remote so you write wherever you want like coffee shops and cocktail bars and anywhere loud enough to drown out the more distracting of your thoughts.Â
The problem is you spend so much time devoted to other peopleâs work that youâd promised to set weekends aside for your own ideas. Easier said than done, when there isnât an irate publisher on the other end setting deadlines and demanding pages. The other problem with your ideas is that you just have so many of them; sometimes find it hard to devote yourself to one without getting distracted by another, your hard-drive a graveyard of drafts in various states of decomposition.
But routine helped, so there youâve sat every Friday night for almost two monthsâeven if youâve spent proportionally less time writing than people-watching and sweet-talking Kat into making you interesting drinks off-menu (âThis is a dive bar,â sheâs told you more than once. âWe donât even a menu to be off of.â)
Itâs not not part of your writing process, you reason. Youâre a firm believer that life is stranger than fiction, and many of your most delightful ideas have come from observations and unusual interactionsâthe very reason youâd been thinking about the importance of compliments.Â
âI just think we should be more intentional about finding joy in each other. For example, what would you say, darling Kat,â you begin, batting your eyes at her sweetly, âif I told you that you look fucking incredible now and always, youâre so hot it gives me hives if I look at you straight on, and more specifically that little curl thatâs coming out of your ponytail is particularly fetching and I like it a lot?â
Kat rolls her eyes, which is as good as a smile for her. âI would say you should slow down on the Shirleys.â
You wouldnât say the two of you were friends, not really, but there was a familiarity and ease in the relationship now that warmed you. Youâd met her your very first night while on your usual ramble to learn a new place, begin to make sense of its curves and corners and spirit. The neighborhood youâd found an apartment in wasnât the best, but it was furnished and month-to-month and good enough for you. Best of all, youâd only needed to wander in the snow a couple blocks before youâd struck gold: drawn like a moth where a plain, unmarked door had opened, spilling warm light and the sounds of overlapping laughter into the night.Â
Inside it really was a dive, all sticky floors and old dollar bills pinned to the ceiling, a jukebox that took dimes and a blonde bombshell behind the counter who served with a decided lack of smile. But a week of you showing up and chattering at her had cracked that icy shell enough to get a name and a few raised eyebrows instead of complete silence. By the time youâd earned your discount as a regular around the third week, sheâd occasionally comment on your more interesting trains of thought, offer some piercing observations and insights of her own if she was in a good mood.
A couple more weeks, and you know her well enough to bring a second iced coffee when you arrive for the evening, Kat pulling a bottle of Irish cream from the well as you remove the lids in a dance that has become comforting in its routine.
Yours is now slowly melting beside you, momentarily abandoned in favor of the syrupy-sweet mess that was waiting for you. Katâs sipping the last of her own as she considers her verdict on your compliment, hip propped against the side of the bar.
âI donât know if Iâd particularly appreciate a stranger saying that to me. Donât want strangers saying anything to me, really,â she frowns, âbut particularly the bit about the hives.â
âAlright, I might have gone too hard out the gate with that one,â you admit. âBut more importantly, I think you might be in the wrong profession for strangers not talking to you.â
She flips you the bird, heading to greet the two regulars that had slipped into place at the end of the bar. It was still early enough in the night that the place was mostly empty, only a few singles and two-tops stopping for an after-shift drink, giving you and Kat plenty of time to talk. Itâd get rowdy enough later on, the voices louder, the jukebox queue a little more violentâbut youâd found that among the chaos was often when you did your best writing.
âHives aside, you know what I mean though, right?â you continue when Kat returns. âLike it feels so good to get and give a compliment and we should normalize doing it more often. Strangers reaching out across the great abyss for a moment of connection,â you say, leaning back and gesturing broadly. âShips passing in the night with naught but a toot-toot of mutual appreciation.â
âI donât think thatâs how the shipping industry works.â
You ignore this, already imagining renting a sailboat somewhere sunny, tropical. âI always thought itâd be fun to be a sailor,â you say dreamily. âKerouac was a Merchant Marine, did you know?"
Kat makes a face.
âWhat, you didnât like the book?â Youâd loaned her a copy of The Dharma Bums the week before, slim and beloved enough that you carried it with you instead of borrowing from the local library, like you usually did. You had a collection of library cards now, rattling around in an old Altoid tinâthe only souvenirs you kept from all the various cities youâd visited in your travels.
âIt was fine. Good, even, if youâre into that sort of thing,â she say, swirling her coffee around. âHeâs just so fucking mopey. I wanted to shake him, like câmon man, you need to stop thinking about your life and actually fucking live it.â Katâs the most animated she ever gets. Which, admittedly, is just slightly more expressive than usual: eyes narrowed a little further, three degrees more derision in her tone.
Kat prefers nonfiction. History. Facts. Still reads everything you recommend, but rarely finishes one without getting frustrated with protagonists making dumb decisions and whining about their life choices. And while some of the books she recommends to you are a little dry at times, theyâre certainly illuminatingâand the last one about organ harvesting was surprisingly catalytic for story ideas.
You shrug, acknowledging the point. Sheâs not wrong, but you live most of your life in your own head and your own worlds, so it doesnât bother you in quite the same way. Although, now that she mentions itâŚ
âYou know, all of this is kind of to my earlier point. Giving someone a compliment is like the ultimate shortcut to living outside your head. Youâre not all wrapped up in your own issues and thoughts, but appreciating the world and the people around you. Even if you donât say itâwhich you shouldâit means youâre paying attention. Noticing.â
You drain the last of your Shirley, swapping it out for the iced coffee and swirling around the diluted ice. âProposal: we make a game of it, tonight. We notice.â It wouldnât be that different from what you and Kat normally did; share little observations on other patrons, trade theories on this personâs job or that personâs backstory. Theyâd just be a little moreâŚintentional about it. "Keep your eye out for any interesting hats or weird pins or extremely sexy noses and come and tell me. That way we can both enjoy it,â you entreat, clasping your hands together in anticipatory delight. You know better than to suggest Kat actually compliment anyone. Youâre optimistic, not delusional.   Â
âWhat constitutes an extremely sexy nose?â she asks, frowning at you.
âOh Kat, thatâs something you feel in your heart,â you say with a pitying shake of the head.
She rolls her eyes and heads to the other end of the bar, where a nicely-dressed couple sink onto the cracked vinyl stools. Looking around like they might be feeling just a wee bit out of place. You catch the eye of one the women and smile. âI love your dress,â you tell her, and feel the joy of her answering blush bubble sweet and bright in your veins.
âŚ
You pride yourself on having excellent ideas, but this is easily one of your best. You get a tremendous amount of writing done, unusually productive while riding the high of giving out compliments left and right. Not so many that it feels insincere and never any you donât mean. But BaaderâMeinhof is a real sonofabitch because itâs true that the more you look, the more you see to appreciate.Â
Like Bobby, the union electrician with his first name embroidered on the pocket of his work-shirt. It catches your eye because itâs not machine-printed but carefully done by hand, illuminated when he leans over to order a beer. His wifeâs work, he shares when you comment on it. âSheâs paid special for her embroidery but still makes time to do every last one of my shirts. So I can carry her love around all day,â he says proudly, unabashed even when his friends tease him good-naturedly.Â
Then thereâs the lady whose cheetah-print nails match her furry coat, who winks at you when she catches you looking admiringly from across the bar. Right after her is the burly biker who reveals an entire themed photoshoot of their toy poodle when you compliment the photo on their lockscreen. Others in between, some you speak to, some you donâtâbut all you appreciate in a way you vow to do more in the future.
Inevitably, little pieces of what you observe trickle onto the page, fleshing out bits of characters and sparking ideas you jot down in bursts of inspiration. You wonât know until later if youâll end up keeping any of it, but you like the thought that that youâll always have some part of this momentâthe people, the place, the timeâwoven into your writing. A little souvenir in-and-of-itself.
Though the night gets progressively busier, Kat swings by from time to time to share her observations: money fished from strange locations, custom bank cards, funny pins she read when customers leaned close to shout their orders over the musicâpartially your fault, after you compliment an old geezerâs song choice and spend twenty minutes with him combing through the catalogue and cackling as you feed dime after dime and queue enough dad-rock to last a fair few hours.
All told, youâre feeling fucking incredible as it nears midnight and the synth solo from Totoâs âRosanna,â has you wriggling in your seat. Youâve a few thousand words under your belt and the high off all those little moments of kinship is making you feel sparkling and happy and well, which, historically speaking, is sometimes a challenge for you.
You grin at Kat when she slumps next to you, enjoying a brief reprieve from new customers.
âWhatcha got for me, killer?â you ask, fishing in your bag for a granola bar. She takes it with a grateful look, shoving half of it in her mouth and talking as she chews.
âYouâre gonna fucking love this. A mohawk, dude. In 2024.â
You perk up, looking around the room. Itâs pretty packed now, but you canât believe you missed a cut that attention-getting. âLiberty spikes?â you ask hopefully. You adored the punks of your acquaintance; always had interesting thoughts and insider tips on the local music scene.
Kat shakes her head. âNah, it was cut short. Gym rat type, I think. Good tip, nice accent. Scottish,â she clarifies around the last of the granola bar. âTalked some shit about the ânatural superiority of whisky over bourbonâ when he ordered a Makerâs for his friend.â
You hum, still craning your head. âSee where they sat?â
She shakes her head. âAsked about smoking though, so probably on the patio.â
Calling it a patio was generousâa small bit of grass with a couple white lawn chairs and an ashtray, mostly. But there was a heat-lamp that worked roughly sixty percent of the time, which made the bar very popular with those in the know on cold nights like this.
âSpeaking of, âbout time to take your break?â
If it wasnât too busy Frank, the bouncer, would watch the bar while you and Kat split a joint in the back, sitting in companionable silence and pointing out shooting stars and passing satellitesâclear skies a benefit of the cityâs frigid nights. Kat knew a startling amount about astronomy but absolutely nothing about astrology; could tell you the history of the universe up to the surface of last scattering but blinked at you when youâd asked if she was a Scorpio or a Capricorn.
Kat checks the clock then whistles to get Frankâs attention. You shove your laptop into your bag but donât bother with a coatâyour cheeks are flushed from the warmth of the crowd and you donât mind the cold, not really.Â
The patio initially looks abandoned, silent but for the wet sound of car tires moving through the snow-choked alley. Not totally surprising; most balk at below-zero temps even with the lamp. Snow clumps heavy and wet on top of the plastic chairs and the overturned garbage pail that serves as a footrest, but the sky is clear, a thousand tiny pinpricks of light visible in the heavens. You breathe in until the night air fills your lungs and you feel fresh and clean and cracked open wide, just pouring out love into the world.
Movement in your periphery catches your eye and oh, Kat was right, not a punk at all.
Youâre not quite sure what to make of the two men standing half-shadowed near the lamp. Big is the first word that comes to mind and perhaps thatâs sufficient for now, since you canât seem to stop ogling the breadth of their shoulders and mouthwatering thighs long enough to notice anything else.
Kat had thought gym-rat but youâd put money on those bodies not just being for showâthereâs too much power, too much potential for carnage disguised in that plush softness that comes from muscles in repose.
âWhy hullo there, barkeep,â the one with the shaggy, soft-looking mohawk greets Kat jovially, his accent just as charming as promised. âAnd barkeepâs friend,â he adds, nodding to you as you come close enough to get a good look at his face. To latch on to details like the too-blue shade of his eyes and the too-sharp canines in his smile, the silvery-white starburst of a scar across his stubbled chin.
âChrist youâre pretty,â you hear yourself say. This happens sometimes, your mouth just venturing off on its own to get you into trouble.
Kat groans overlap with the manâs chuckle. âFunny, I was just thinking the same thing,â he purrs, propping the lit cigarette between his lips and sticking out a hand. His palm is warm and callused against your own as you properly introduce Kat and yourself.
âIâm Soap, this hereâs Ghost,â he offers in turn, nodding towards his friend who steps forward, murmurs a quiet greeting. Heâs enough in the light now to reveal dark eyes shadowed under a hood, skeleton gloves and a matching skull-print balaclava pushed up far enough to accommodate a lit cigarette.
âFuck me, thatâs cool as shit,â you grin at him, immediately charmed by the weirdness of it all.
âWell, since you asked so nicely,â the man says affably, his voice a rumble deep in his chest. He doesnât smile but thereâs a little twist of his mouth that could be amused, if you squint.
âJesus Christ,â Kat mutters, eyes shutting briefly in second-hand embarrassment. âSheâs on a mission about compliments tonight, noticing people,â she tells them with bemused emphasis, turning to clear off the chairs and kick snow off the garbage can.
âI just think itâs important to be more open with our affection, even with strangers. Especially with strangers,â you argue, dropping into one of the seats and pulling out the battered Altoid tin that holds your stash and a few pre-rolled joints. âWill this bother you?â you ask the men, holding up one.
They shake their heads, amused.
âGood, because itâs my fucking bar,â Kat snorts, grabbing it from your fingers and dropping into the chair next to you.
âWhat, you own this place?â you say, flabbergasted. âWhy didnât you tell me?â
Kat holds the joint in her mouth and cups a hand around her lighter flame, coaxing it to life despite the wind. She takes a deep drag, tilting her head up before releasing a thick cloud of smoke into the air.
It looks wicked cool right up until she folds in half, coughing desperately on the tail end of the exhale. You canât fucking blame her; youâd bought it off your teenage neighbor, a science prodigy who claimed to have developed the perfect strain. Ivy League, he called it, since it had paid for his entire college fund.
Kat straightens up, red face feigning composure as she passes you the joint. âYou never asked,â she finally says.
And that was justâŚwell, fair, actually.
âHuh,â you say brilliantly, struggling not to cough on your own exhale and bidding adieu to any dreams of looking cool in front of all the fucking fashion models around you. âYou know, I did wonder when youâd get in trouble with your boss about the free drinks thing. And the drinking on the job thing. And the this on the job thing,â you say, frowning as you contemplate the joint.
You offer it up to the men and Soap takes it, your hands brushing long enough to send a little fizz through your blood.
âYouâve known each other long, then?â he asks, taking a puff. Turning a vibrant shade of red as he heroicallyâand futilelyâtries to hold in a cough.
âOh, we go way back,â you say very sincerely. âI helped her bury the body of her ex-husband years ago, a mafioso named Jimmy the Janitor because he cleaned up, if you know what I mean.â
âI met you two months ago. And Iâm a lesbian,â Kat contradicts blandly.
âI didnât know that, either!â you exclaim, smacking her in the shoulder. âWhat the fuck, dude, I would have tried flirting with you ages ago.â
âYouâre not my type,â she says devastating, and Ghost snorts when you dramatically mime a dagger to the heart. The joint glows red between his full lips, crossed with scars that shine silvery in the moonlight and trail up beyond his mask. Exhales in one long, smooth breath and looks suitably smug about it, the fucker.
âI do seem to remember you saying something earlier about me being âso hot I give you hives.ââ Kat reminds you. âYou telling me that wasnât flirting?â
âNah, thatâs just being neighborly,â you beam at her.
âI shudder to think what your flirting does look like.â
âThatâs the appropriate response, honestly.â
Ghost barks out a laugh and you shoot him a cheeky wink before turning back to Kat. âAlright then killer, gimmie the goods. What is your type?â you prod, hooking your ankle around her own. âIs it a black cat, golden retriever thing? I can bark, babe, just say the word.â Â
Soap damn near chokes on his drink but Kat only sighs, more fond than exasperated. She takes the joint and leans in, bringing your faces only a few inches apart. You watch, riveted, as she brings it to her cherry-red lips and inhales deeply. Holds your gaze and leans ever so slightly closer, the moment stretching into eternity as she releases a slow, deliberate cloud of smoke directly into your face. You bring a hand to your mouth, think you might actually be drooling.
âMILFs,â she answers finally, devastatingly. She tucks the joint between your fingers before patting your hand and heading back insideâas good as a kiss on the mouth from anyone else.
âSteaminâ bloody Jesus,â Soap's voice is rough as the door closes behind her. Â
âYouâre telling me, pal,â you sink comically in your chair. âI think she broke me.â Youâd already been drunk off the nightâs joy but now you feel lightheaded with desire, literally dizzy with it.
This is not an uncommon response to Kat, you suppose. Nor, you expect, to the pretty lads that remain.
You summon your forces and sit back upright, kicking over the newly empty chair in offering. Ghost takes it, the plastic frame creaking under his bulk while Soap drops down on the garbage pail, resting his elbows on jean-clad knees. You pass around the rest of the joint in companionable silence, and itâs justâŚnice, all of it. The cold at your back and the heat of the lamp on your face, the fading alcohol buzz replaced by the sweeter, steadier high of the weed, always better at gentling your nerves and clearing your head. The easy camaraderie of smokers cast out into the cold, the same thing in almost every city and country youâd ever seen. You smile, thinking back on all those shared lighters and bummed cigarettes over the years. All those ships passing in the night.
âGettinâ us a refill,â Soap finally says, standing up and snagging Ghostâs empty glass, hooking their pinkies together briefly in the action. You note it and immediately drop the thought, scalded. Know you will literally, actually combust if let your brain run-rabbit imagining the two of them together. All that muscle, all that strength, curved around each other, curved around youâŚ
âWhatâll it be, bonnie?â Soapâs warm voice snaps you out of your reverie and you flush, sure from his smirk that he can read the direction of your thoughts. You were legendarily bad at pokerâcouldnât keep a neutral expression if they paid you to.
âDealerâs choice, please and thank you,â you grin at him despite your embarrassment; turning down a free drink is against your moral code. Â
He gives you that shark-like smile and Ghost tsks as he heads inside. âYouâll probably regret that, birdie. Johnnyâs got atrocious taste.â
âAye can fucking hear you, you Manc twat,â Soap calls from the door, a little extra Scottish in his snark. Ghost chuckles lowly, stretching his feet out into your space.
âItâs Manchester then, our kid?â you tease, kicking your foot playfully against his boot. Leaving it there when he lets you. âWhose your fighter then, Liam or Noel?â
He considers for a moment. âLiam. I like his spunk.â
ââA man with a fork in a world of soup,ââ you quote, nodding approvingly. âI get that.â
You toy with the Altoids tin and debate lighting up another one.
Ghost fishes a pouch of rolling tobacco out of the kangaroo pocket of his hoodie and holds it up questioningly. âClever boy,â you praise, and he leans forward to pass it to you, big hands dwarfing your own. When he settles back in his chair, he tangles his feet with yours properly and you feel a little flutter low in your belly.
You prep the blunt in a practiced motion, balancing the tin on your knees as you sprinkle the peaty tobacco overtop the flower evenly. âIâve always been more of a Blur than Oasis fella, myself,â you finally offer to distract from the weight of his gaze. âDamon Alburn, the man you are,â you joke, putting a fervent hand to your heart.
âOi, we talking about the Gorillaz then?â Soap calls out, juggling glasses as the door shuts behind him, muffling the chatter from inside. âFucking choon after choon, them,â he declares, dropping back onto the pail.
He passes Ghost a rocks glass filled with an inch of amber that matches his own, his eyes tracking where your tongue runs across the filter paper, wetting it. He trades you the finished smoke for a glass with something alarmingly orange in it, another plastic sword stuck with three cherries laid across the top.
You sniff skeptically, all sweet and citrusy and strong. âThis must be off-menu.â
âDive bar innit, no menu to be off of,â Soap points out, and you smile at the familiar response.
You take a curious sip, looking up in surprise when you taste a bright splash of orange and vanilla across your tongue. âThatâs fucking incredible,â you say, eyes wide. âWhat is it and why havenât I been having it all night?â
Soap grins at you, looking suspiciously pleased with himself. âHad a feeling you were a lass thatâd enjoy a slow, comfortable screw against the wall.â
Ghost groans, and you squint skeptically at Soap. âWho doesnât, whatâs that got to do with my drink?â
Soap laughs, delighted. âThatâs the name of the drink, bonnie. A Slow Comfortable Screw Against The Wall,â he says with emphasis.
Ah. Well. Thatâsâoh, motherfucker. âDoes Kat know that?â Sheâs probably laughing her ass off inside, the sadist.
âOh, aye. She seemed amused. Though she made an unnerving amount of eye contact while stabbing the wee cherries,â he says, eying the garnish. âScariest fucking thing Iâve seen in a minute. Put me in mind of someone we know, actually,â he says, giving Ghost a wry look as he takes a sip and sets the glass down.
He pulls out his own lighter to coax the blunt to life, a battered Bic with SOAP scrawled in thick, Sharpied letters. He lets out a pleased sigh as the opaque smoke curls through the cold air, then leans forward to rest his elbows back on his knees.
âNow, as for why you werenât getting it slow, comfortable, or otherwise before now, I couldnât say,â he tells you, blue eyes glinting with mischief. âBut I think I speak for both of us when I say weâre more than happy to provide for the rest of the night. Isnât that right L.T.?â Â
âRight enough there, Johnny.â Ghostâs voice is closer to a growl, setting off a delightful curl of heat in your belly.
You nibble on your straw and pretend their attention isnât going straight to your head, twice as good as the drink or the drugs. âYou know what they say about variety and spice of life. Might get bored with just a screw against the wall. Got any thoughts on horizontal surfaces?â you tease, enjoying the way Ghost smirks around the blunt.
But oh, is that a dimple you suddenly see carving out of one scarred cheek? Before youâre even conscious of it youâre leaning in for a closer look, balancing with one hand on his thigh. âI adore your dimple,â you tell him sincerely, undoing any hope you had of appearing cool and hard-to-get. âIt is very cute.â
You give him a businesslike pat on the thigh and start to pull away, but he catches you gently before you get too far.
âOh, sweet girl,â he purrs, petting over the soft skin of your wrist with one gloved thumb. âWeâll keep you entertained, donât you worry. Bored is the last thing youâll be, right Johnny?â Ghost says, squeezing gently once before letting go. You try to play your delighted shiver off as one of chill, but you suspect your violent blush isnât selling it.
âOh, I fuckinâ swear to it, L.T.,â Soap answers, winking at Ghost before unfolding his big bulk from the garbage can. âWeâll give you what need, bonnie, promise. Starting with this.â Then his arm is around your waist and youâre in the fucking air andâ
Oh, thatâs not so bad, actually.
Soap sinks into the lawn chair and settles you across his lap, surrounding you with delicious warmth and a scent like whisky and salt air. Your brain goes a bit soft and cottony for a moment and you latch on to the gentle pressure of his arms. Manhandling has always been a shortcut to your most devastated self, the kind of stupid and sweet and sated that youâve only found once or twice through chemistry or luck or sheer fucking determination, and it bodes very well for the night to come.
Besides, for all he wears only a bomber jacket, the Scotsman is radiating heat like a furnace and itâs the perfect sensory foil to the plummeting temperatures, a few clouds coming to fleck the sky.
âSaw you shiver. Couldnât let our girl be cold now can I?â Soap says, chucking you under the chin like a kid. Should be stupid but you fucking like it, canât help but smile up at him. Canât remember the last time someone treated you so sweet, like you were something to protect. To indulge.
Ghostâs eyes are fond on the pair of you, reaching out to trap Soapâs feet the same way he had yours a few moments before. One of his hands reaches to splay possessively over your thigh, resting it there and turning your insides liquid.
Thereâs no reason it should be as easy as it is, getting all wrapped up in each other as the night stretches on and the clouds continue to gather, chatting quietly and smoking through the rest of the blunt and finishing your drinks just as the first fat, fluffy flakes of snow begin to fall.
You watch, delighted, as the storm kicks up in a sudden flurry; a magical, glimmering coat that turns the world into one whole thing. Untouched and perfect and silent except for the tides of your breath and the slight hum of the heat lamp, small sounds within a vast, quiet night.
You sigh in Soapâs arms, totally and unexpectedly content, luxuriating in the way your blood hums in anticipation of the nightâs inevitable conclusion. Â
People asked if you got lonely, sometimes, travelling the way you did. Never staying anywhere for more than a few months, only occasionally breezing through past towns for a few loved-up reunions before the wind starts pressing at your back. Â
And though itâs true youâve been seeking a place of your own, a place where you could belong, this, too, means something. To have these beautiful, fleeting moments of connection with once-strangers, to lose yourself completely in the headiness of such quick intimacies, no less passionate or kind or devastating for their brief duration. All those countless moments of connectionâromantic, sexual, platonicâcoalescing into a kind of soft sweetness to hold on to long after youâve forgotten a name or had a face grow fuzzy with memory.
All of that sweetness is swirling inside you as you nudge Soapâs chin with your head, drawing his attention from where heâd been conversing softly with Ghost, one hand petting absently at your waist.
âTake me home?â you ask softly, and his eyes melt at the question, his hand coming up to thumb a little desperately at your mouth.
âOh, the Capân would love that,â Ghost drawls. âFall arse-over-tits over a sweet thing like you walking through the door.â
âMy home,â you clarify, though youâre not opposedâespecially if their friend (captain?) looks anything like them. âI live like four blocks that way,â you chuck a thumb vaguely over your shoulder.
âWell why didnât you say so, bonnieâ,â Soap says, standing up and dumping you on your feet. Before you can be too offended, he grabs your chin and presses his mouth against yours, searing hot and leaving you breathless when he pulls away too soon. You look up at him a little dazed and he pets his thumb across your chin, grinning. âGhost is right. Too sweet for your own good, darlinâ. Tâwouldnât be right for us to let you walk home alone, sweet thing like you. Not in a neighborhood like this.â
âAu contraire mon frère, Iâm fast as shit,â you tell him, narrowing your eyes. This occasionally happened when you got crossfaded in particularly the right way, became possessed with the urge to tear off down a darkened street, drunk on the feeling of wind against your face and your heart hammering in your chest. Feeling like you could fucking fly. âNo bad guyâs gonna catch me, no way.â
âThat right, little rabbit?â Ghost moves as silent as his name, a sudden warmth at your back without you even noticing heâd left his chair. He curves that big body around you, nipping at the soft skin at your neck and caging you in against the firmness of Soapâs chest. âGonna let us chase you?â he near growls.
The thought sends goosebumps rising along your arms. To be wanted, to be chased. To be caught. Ghost groans when you lean back against him, tipping your head back to nip at his jaw in return. âHome. Now,â he commands lowly, pulling down his mask.
You canât help your shit-eating grin as you tug them through the door and the thinning crowd to collect your long-abandoned things from the bar.
Kat eyes the three of you suspiciously. âIf I find cum anywhere on that fucking patio I will have your balls in a bear trap,â she threatens.
âNo promises,â you wink at her, laughing when she flips you the bird. You shrug on your coat and pick up your bag, which Ghost immediately appropriates, slinging it over one shoulder. He ignores your amused tug on the strap, looking over your head to plot the swiftest exit.
âDonât wait up, babe!â you say, blowing a kiss to Kat as Ghost tows you and Soap toward the door.
âCall me if you need help burying the bodies,â Kat offers in response, and you cackle at the uncertain looks the late-night crowd shoots you both.
And then itâs just the three of you and the cold and the night, pressed together like youâre one body in the snow-crowned streets.Â
Read part two
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Whatâs up buttercups! đâ¨
Weâre slowing things down a bit for something more romanticâat least for a little while 𼰠Itâs time for another chapter of Sexy Christmas âď¸, and this one brings the festive heat with none other than our captain himself, Nico Hischier â¤ď¸đĽ
Writing this chapter was an absolute joy. Nicoâs charm, vulnerability, and sweet intensity shine in this holiday tale, and I hope it captures all the magic of the season with just the right sprinkle of spice đ
Wishing you all a warm and magical holiday filled with love, laughter, and just a bit of passion. đâ¨
Merry reading, my loves! đ
âźď˝Ąďž
Steamy Christmas Eve Confession - Nico Hischier
During a cosy Christmas Eve dinner, one of them confesses their long-hidden feelings. What starts as an innocent conversation turns into a passionate Christmas confession neither of them expected.
Tropes & warnings: 18+ smut, Nico Hischier x reader, fingering, protected sex (p in v), Christmas eve with Nico's family in the living room.
Word count: 2.3K
The smell of roasted pork and fondue chinoise filled the air, mingling with the soft sounds of Christmas music drifting from the living room. The Hischier home was a picture-perfect holiday scene, with fairy lights twinkling across the walls and a beautifully adorned tree standing proudly in the corner. It was warm, welcoming, and filled with the laughter and chatter of Nicoâs family.
This year, Christmas Eve felt differentâcharged with a quiet intensity that you couldnât quite place. Nico had invited you to join his family after learning youâd be spending the evening alone, and though youâd hesitated at first, the gentle way heâd taken your hand and said, âIt wouldnât be Christmas without you,â had left you unable to refuse.
Throughout the evening, Nico had barely left your side. His hand brushed yours as he passed you dishes, his laugh echoed warmly when you made a joke, and his eyes lingered on you in ways that left your cheeks flushed. The unspoken tension that had always simmered between you felt magnified, pulling you closer to him even amidst the festive chaos.
Dinner had been filled with stories and teasing, his familyâs warmth making you feel like one of them. But as the plates were cleared and everyone settled into the cosy comfort of the living room, Nico leaned toward you, his voice low and private as he said, âCan we talk for a minute?â
You nodded, your heart fluttering as he took your hand and led you down the hallway, away from the soft hum of his familyâs conversation. His bedroom was quiet and dimly lit, a sanctuary compared to the lively energy of the rest of the house. The door clicked softly behind you, and when you turned to face him, his expression had shiftedâhis usual easy confidence replaced by something more vulnerable, more serious.
âI didnât mean to steal you away,â Nico began, his hands fidgeting slightly at his sides, âbut thereâs something Iâve been wanting to say. And I didnât want to wait anymore.â
Your breath caught, the charged energy between you heightening as he took a step closer. âWhat is it?â you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.
He hesitated, running a hand through his dark hair, before meeting your gaze. âIâve been thinking about this for a whileâabout us. Youâre one of the most important people in my life, and Iâve been too scared to say this because I didnât want to lose what we have. But after tonight, I just canât keep it to myself anymore.â
Your pulse quickened, the weight of his words settling in your chest. âNicoâŚâ you started, but he shook his head gently, his lips curving into a soft, almost nervous smile.
âI like you,â he admitted, his voice steady but tinged with vulnerability. âMore than just a friend. And I have for a long time.â
The air in the room seemed to still, the only sound the faint murmur of Christmas music and laughter drifting down the hall. His gaze searched yours, his eyes filled with hope and a hint of fear as he waited for your response.
For a moment, you were too stunned to speak, your heart pounding as his confession replayed in your mind. Then, slowly, you stepped closer, your hand reaching out to rest on his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath your palm. âIâve liked you too,â you whispered, your voice trembling with the weight of your own feelings. âFor so long.â
Relief washed over his face, his smile widening as he closed the small gap between you. âYou mean it?â he asked, his tone soft and disbelieving.
You nodded, your breath hitching as his hands came up to cradle your face, his touch warm and grounding. âI mean it,â you said, and before you could say anything more, his lips were on yours.
The kiss was tentative at first, filled with the nervous energy of two people finally crossing a line theyâd both been tiptoeing around for years. But as you melted into him, his arms wrapping around you and pulling you flush against him, it deepened into something more. His lips moved with a certainty that made your knees weak, and when he pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against yours, his breath mingling with yours, he whispered, âSorry for waiting so long.â
The room felt warmer, the scent of pf Christmas roast and sweets more vibrant, as you leaned into him, smiling against his lips. âBetter late than never.â
The warmth of Nicoâs breath lingered against your lips as his forehead rested against yours. The soft glow of the fairy lights illuminated the raw emotion in his honey-brown eyes, and the steady beat of his heart echoed in the space between you. His hands, warm and steady, framed your face, his thumbs brushing gently along your cheekbones, as though grounding himself in the reality of the moment.
âIâve always wanted to touch you like this,â Nico murmured, his voice a low rasp that sent shivers down your spine. âTo feel you.â His gaze dropped to your lips, lingering for a moment before he leaned in, capturing them in a kiss that was slow and deliberate, but charged with unspoken longing.
Your hands rested around his neck as you pulled him closer. The kiss deepened, his tongue brushing against yours in a rhythm that made your knees weaken. His arms moved to circle your waist, pulling you flush against him, the heat of his body seeping into yours as the world outside his room seemed to fade away.
His lips left yours, trailing along your jawline until they found the sensitive spot just below your ear. âI want you to be mine,â he murmured, his breath warm against your skin, his hands sliding down to rest on your hips. His fingers gripped you firmly, his restraint barely holding as he fought the urge to give in completely.
The two of you knew the riskâhis family was just down the hall, immersed in holiday cheerâbut the pull between you was impossible to resist. This had been building for far too long, and there was no stopping it now. You needed this moment, this release, to finally give in to everything youâd both been holding back.
âNico⌠Iâm already yours,â you whispered, your voice trembling as your fingers deftly found the buttons of his shirt, eager to feel more of him.
You fumbled slightly in your haste, your need for him outweighing your coordination. He chuckled softly, his lips brushing against your ear as he murmured, âLet me help.â
With practiced ease, he undid the buttons, shrugging the shirt off and tossing it aside. Your hands roamed over his bare chest, tracing the hard planes of muscle and the soft warmth of his skin. The way his body responded to your touchâthe slight hitch in his breath, the way his hands tightened on your waistâsent a surge of confidence through you.
When his hands found the zipper at the back of your dress, he hesitated, his dark eyes meeting yours. âOkay?â he asked, his voice rough but tender.
âYes,â you whispered, the word barely audible as you nodded. The soft smile that curved his lips melted your heart as he gently pulled the zipper down, his hands steady as he slid the fabric from your shoulders. The dress pooled at your feet, leaving you standing before him in nothing but your lingerie.
His gaze roamed over you, the admiration in his eyes unmistakable. âCanât believe I waited this long,â he murmured, his voice thick with emotion as his hands returned to your waist, his thumbs brushing over the bare skin just above the lace of your underwear.
You reached for his belt, your fingers working quickly to unfasten it and push his jeans down over his hips. The bulge in his boxers pressed against you as he stepped closer, his hands sliding up your back to unhook your bra. The straps slipped from your shoulders, and the garment joined the growing pile of clothes on the floor.
Nicoâs hands covered your breasts, his touch reverent yet insistent as his thumbs brushed over your hardened nipples. The sensation sent a spark of pleasure through you, and you gasped softly, your body arching into his touch. His lips found yours again, the kiss deeper this time, hungrier, as though he couldnât get enough of you.
He guided you backward until the backs of your knees hit the bed, lowering you onto the soft mattress with a care that left you breathless. Crawling a bit backwards, Nicoâs body hovered over yours, his weight pressing into you just enough to make your heart race. His lips trailed down your neck, his teeth grazing your collarbone before continuing their path lower.
When his mouth closed over one of your breasts, his tongue circling your sensitive peak, a soft moan escaped you, your hands tangling in his hair as your body arched toward him. His free hand slid down your side, tracing the curve of your hip before slipping beneath the waistband of your underwear. The first brush of his fingers against your core made you gasp, your hips lifting instinctively toward his touch.
âYouâre so wet,â he murmured, his voice filled with awe as his fingers explored you, stroking with a precision that left you trembling. His lips returned to yours, swallowing your soft cries as his movements grew more deliberate, his thumb finding your clit and circling it with slow, deliberate pressure.
âNico⌠please,â you gasped, your body on fire as the tension built, coiling tighter with every touch.
He groaned at your plea, his hand leaving you only long enough to push your underwear down and toss it aside. His boxers followed, leaving him bare before you. When he settled between your thighs, the heat of his skin against yours sent a shiver racing down your spine. Every movement felt deliberate, charged with the weight of unspoken longing that had finally found its release.
âYouâre perfect,â Nico murmured, his voice a low rasp as his hand reached for the nightstand. He pulled out a condom, his movements steady and deliberate as he tore it open. His forehead rested against yours, the intimacy of the moment making your breath hitch as he rolled it on, his eyes never leaving yours.
Lining himself up with your entrance, his free hand settled on your hip, his thumb brushing soft circles over your skin. âTell me if itâs too much,â he said, his voice filled with both tenderness and restraint, his gaze searching yours for any hesitation.
Your heart raced, your body humming with anticipation as you shook your head. âItâs not too much,â you whispered, your voice trembling but sure. âItâs perfect.â
Nicoâs lips curved into a soft smile, the tension in his body palpable as he began to press into you, his movements slow and careful. The stretch was intense but exquisite, the sensation leaving you breathless as he filled you completely. His groan of pleasure mixed with your soft gasp, the connection between you both deep and electrifying.
He paused for a moment, his forehead still pressed to yours, his lips brushing lightly against your temple. His hands caressed your sides, his touch grounding you as he gave you a moment to adjust. âAre you okay?â he asked softly, his voice thick with emotion.
You nodded, your hands gripping his shoulders as you whispered, âMore than okay.â
Encouraged by your response, Nico began to move, his thrusts slow and deliberate, each one sending ripples of pleasure through your body. His hands clenched the sheets on either side of you, as he found a rhythm that felt as though it had always been meant for you. The sounds of your mingled breaths and soft moans filled the room, the intimacy between you magnified by the flickering glow of the Christmas lights outside the window.
The way he moved, the way his body fit perfectly against yours, made you feel completely consumed by him. Every thrust, every touch, every whispered word of affection deepened the connection between you, the years of unspoken feelings finally given the space to bloom.
When he leaned down to kiss you, it was slow and consuming, his lips capturing yours in a way that made the world outside the room fade into oblivion. The tension between you built steadily, the heat rising as your bodies moved together in perfect synchrony, each touch and shift bringing you closer to the edge. His hands gripped your hips, guiding you, his whispered praises mingling with your soft gasps.
âNicoâŚâ you breathed, your voice trembling as the wave of pleasure built inside you, sharp and unrelenting.
âMmm, yes⌠baby, yes,â he growled deeply, the sound vibrating through you, making your body arch instinctively into his.
It wasnât about anything deliberate; it was simply the way your bodies fit together, the way you responded to each other so naturally, so perfectly, that brought you closer and closer to the edge. The rhythm, the connectionâit was overwhelming.
âNico, Iâm gonnaââ The words barely escaped your lips before the crest hit, the perfect angle of his cock striking that sensitive spot repeatedly, sending a shockwave of pleasure through you. Your climax overtook you, leaving you trembling, your body clenching around him as you cried out his name.
The feeling of your release pulled him into his own, his hips stuttering as his thrusts grew more erratic. A deep, guttural groan escaped him as he followed you over the edge, his body pressing tighter against yours as he spilled into the condom, the intensity leaving him shaking.
For a moment, neither of you moved, your breaths heavy and uneven, mingling in the heated space between you. Nico buried his face in the crook of your neck, his arms wrapping tightly around you as though anchoring himself.
When he finally lifted his head, his eyes met yours, warm and filled with an emotion that made your chest ache. âMerry Christmas,â he whispered, his lips curving into a soft, boyish smile.
âMerry Christmas, Nico,â you replied, your own smile mirroring his as you brushed a strand of hair from his face, the moment feeling impossibly perfect.
#sexy christmas#18+ smut#nico hischier imagine#nico hischier x reader#new jersey devils imagine#nhl hockey imagine#nhl fanfiction#nhl imagine
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hybrid!bunny!f!reader x leon kennedy?
any genre u want :)
yes!! thank you so much for throwing me a bone! i'll write a quick one just for you, lovely anon (Ëśâžáˇ âťĚŤ âžáˇ
Ëľ)
again, sorry for such a long wait. i got my nails done and typing has been a bit of a learning curve.
Leon Kennedy x fem Bunny Hybrid! Reader
MDNI 18+
When Leon first adopted you from the shelter, he expected to have a quiet, innocent little bunny hopping around the house. At least, that's what everything online said about bunny hybrids. You were anything but, though you were fun.
It's become an almost daily thing, him coming home to you practically begging to be fucked. He'd catch you humping the arm of the couch or his pillow, usually holding one of his shirts up to your nose. Adorable, but you knew better. You were suppose to wait for him.
At this point he was sure you were just trying to get him riled up; always trying to hide that cheeky little grin of yours whenever he'd give you a stern look, crossing your arms, pouting, even thumping your foot with a loud thud whenever he told you off. Living true to the phrase 'fucking like rabbits', Leon made sure to give you the proper punishments and treatment for starting without him.
Bent over the side of the bed, he had your face pressed into the blankets with one hand, the other keeping a tight grip on your hip as he ruthlessly thrust into you. "Naughty.. You know better." Leon breathed out, letting out a loud groan as he buried himself to the hilt inside of you and held still. He leaned over your back, grabbing the base of your long, furry ears with one hand to pull your head back.
You involuntarily gasped at the sudden tug on your ears, watery eyes peeling open to look at the man hovering over you. "I-.. I'm sor-" You were cut off by another yank, lip quivering as his dark eyes looked into yours.
"No you aren't." He chuckled lowly, brow furrowed as he loosened his grip to run his fist up the length of your ears, "You always say you are, but how many times have I had to teach you the same lesson?"
Once his hand slipped away from your ears, it quicky found its way around the front of your neck to gently grip your throat, keeping your head up. He looked down at where he connected with you, sighing with a faint smile as your cute little cotton tail wiggled against his groin. Slow, shallow thrusts is all you got now and it wasn't enough.
"Ple-ase," You choked out brokenly, small tears running down your cheeks. "more, more.. please..."
Leon clicked his tongue, only continuing with the torturous pace. "Please what? You know you won't get anything from me unless you ask the right way, bunny girl." Even though your eyes had fallen back closed, you could hear the smirk in his tone.
Despite being a bit of a brat, this man always knew how to break you. You couldn't keep up the attitude with his cock deep in your pussy like this. ".. please, daddy..." You quietly pleaded with a whine.
He knew just as well that you weren't one to hold up this bratty little act of yours, but who could blame him for having a little extra fun with you?
"Louder, princess~.." Leon's grip tightened ever so slightly on your neck, halting his thrusts once more to force it out of you.
"ghh- p-please, daddy!" That sweet little cry from you was enough to have him pounding into your sloppy cunt again, balls wetly slapping against your clit as you'd been dripping around his cock for what felt like ages now.
"Ya make this so difficult, bun.." He leaned a tad closer to whisper into one of your ears, letting go of your hip to give your ass a loud slap before it reclaimed it's previous position. "All ya have to do is be patient, and yet we do this every. Single. Night.." He punctuated each word with a rough thrust, grinning to himself as moans were practically ripped out of you.
The wet slapping of skin resounded in the room, accompanied by your ever so precious noises and Leon's own moans, grunts, and the occasional chuckle while watching your ears flop back and forth with the force of his thrusts.
Coming close to his high, he stood back upright, hand moving off your neck to push your head down against the bed again, fisting his hand into your hair so he could turn your face to the side. He didn't want to muffle your moans, hell, he wanted everyone to hear just how good he treated you nightly.
"Ya gonna be good f'me? Hm?" Leon groaned with clenched teeth, sweat breaking out and dripping down his forehead. "Gonna let me cum you? Breed that pretty bunny pussy?" Always so mean to you.
You nodded as best as you could, drool dribbling from the corner of your mouth as he pounded into you harder. "Words. Say it." He growled, nails digging into the plush skin around your hip.
"Cum-ngh~.. cum in me, daddy..." You panted, "breed me, please. Need it.."
"Yeah you do. Want daddy to give ya a whole buncha baby bunnies, huh?" Your hands weakly grasped at the blankets surrounding you, body trembling with a cry as you came around his cock. Oh how you loved when he spoke to you like that.
Feeling your walls tighten and suck him in further was enough to push him over the edge only seconds later, keeping his hands firm on you until his dick softened inside of you.
You laid limp on the bed as you tried to catch your breath, legs having given out long ago. You let out a pitiful whine from oversensitivity as you felt Leon pull out, his cock suddenly replaced by his fingers prodding around your sore entrance before two of them entered you.
"I wanna keep ya nice and full, baby bun~." Leon's hot breath tickled your fuzzy ear as he whispered into it. Not long after, his fingers were removed in favor of putting your panties back on you, making sure to slot your round tail through the small hole in them. He repositioned you on the bed so you were now laying with your head on one of the pillows and your body under the covers.
It didn't take long for you to fall asleep, drifting off with a tired smile as you felt Leon brush your hair out of the way to plant a gentle kiss to your forehead.
#i love hybrid content#resident evil#leon kennedy x reader#leon kennedy#leon kennedy x you#leon s kennedy x reader#leon s kennedy x you#leon scott kennedy x reader#leon s kennedy#leon kennedy smut#leon s kennedy smut#resident evil leon#leon smut#leon s kennedy x fem!reader#leon scott kennedy#leon kennedy fic#leon kennedy fanfic#leon x fem reader#leon x reader#leon kennedy x fem reader#leon kennedy x reader smut#leon kennedy x y/n#resident evil smut#leon s kennedy x y/n
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2 | two for two
series m.list
what's the worst that could happen at a party?
Word Count: 6.5k
Warnings: swearing, kissing, drinking, attempted humour
A/N: thank you so much for reading! updates will come...when they come ;-; if you are curious to know, I listened to this song while writing this fic. This really helped me figure out jk and oc's dynamic sort of. Also, i do not own these photos, I got them off of pinterest lolđđźhappy reading this silly chapter weeee
°Ëâ§â(â°âżâ°)ââ§Ë°
The Jeon twins made for an odd pair.Â
While they lived up to their title in terms of mannerisms and speech patterns, physically, they were as different as can be.Â
If it werenât for the inky patterns that lined their arms and possibly other parts of their body, their matching set of doe eyes, and the sudden dips in each cheek that always appeared after the sight of a familiar face or a well-told joke, you could never have guessed that they were once womb-mates.
While Chaeyoung thrived in bright shades of pink and white, Jungkook opted for the brooding presence of blacks and anything else no brighter than navy blues. Where she was all softness and curves, he was a sketch-up of hard lines. On the days when Chaeyoung wore butterfly clips in her hair that complimented her flowy dress and Mary Jane heels, Jungkook styled his mullet, wore more silver jewellery than you could count, and stalked about in black stompers.
Just a few months into your new company of friends, you were quick to learn that the whole lot of them were party animals, almost always on the lookout for nights of alcohol-induced shenanigans, and shameless whoring, twerking, strutting and queefing around as Jimin had so eloquently put, while you were decidedly not.
âYouâll come wonât you,â Chae asked you as she grasped your upper arm and looked at you with puppy eyes.Â
âI wonât,â you answered with a sickeningly sweet smile.Â
It was on a Friday afternoon when you had been in the middle of your solo biweekly revision session that Chaeâs familiar cotton candy head had popped over the sea of silence that engulfed the library. Students glanced at her with annoyance as she noisily clacked her heels over the floor to where you were seated in a single booth towards the back corner. You were also quick to notice the quiet thud of a pair of stompers that followed her suit.Â
âTold you she wouldnât be into it,â Jungkook said dismissively with a blank expression and lazily leaned against the side of your booth. âOh câmon, you canât abandon me like this!â Chae whined and tightened her grip on your arm. It was starting to hurt honestly.Â
The girl sitting in the booth across from you sent an angry âShh!â in your trioâs direction.Â
You lowered your head in embarrassment and gestured to the twins to quiet down. âBabe, what do you mean, abandon you? I love you and everything and I truly appreciate our friendship and all, but we really havenât known each other long enough for this to be that deep,â you said with a look on your face that said you were joking. Jungkook snorted loudly at that.
Another âSHH!â landed on you again. Bitch.
âY/n! I canât handle another night of taking care of Jimin and Nayeonâs horny asses. Do you have any idea what the bullshit those idiots put me through?!â Chae cried. Her grip on your arm tightened even more.Â
Jesus fuck, does she work out?!?
âCâmon Chae, I told you she wouldnât be into it. You said youâd prove me wrong. You didnât. You owe me ice cream now. Letâs go,â Jungkook said monotonously and stood up as you hopelessly pried Chaeâs hands away from your arm.Â
âChae, please let go, youâre killing me here,â you whisper-scream, admittedly scared of the chick in front of you.
Luckily, the shrill ringtone of Chaeâs phone suddenly cuts through the air and leads her a short way away from your booth to answer the call, gorilla grip talons and all. Both Jungkook and you noticed the irritated look on the girl across and shared an awkward-embarrassed look with each other.
âWhat? Did you guys bet on me going to the party or something?â you redirected, looking between the twins. He shrugged. âAm I only worth some ice cream?â you joked mindlessly.Â
âIf you must know, itâs really cheap, grocery store ice creamâŚâ Jungkook said quietly, but not quiet enough to escape your earshot as you massaged your arm (which will probably bruise tomorrow).
Asshole.Â
âOh? Is that so? Everyone knows that cheap, grocery store ice cream tastes miles better though, compared to whatever premium coco-mocha-pumpkin-spiced-latte-ariana-grande ice cream Iâm sure the likes of you enjoy,â you banter.Â
At this, he stares at you, glides his eyes up and down your figure, and smirks.Â
âI mean⌠I didnât even say that thatâs my taste.â
âWhat is your taste then?â
âCheap, grocery store ice cream,â he says with a shy smile.
Is he flirting with you?
Jesus christ, that was a weird exchange, why in the world would your heart be thumping over that? (Because it was.)
Yes, the textbook incident did leave you upset with him for a long while. But your parents taught you that bygones should be bygones.Â
After all, he did get down on his knees for you.Â
The memory of Jungkook crouching before you haunted you for an embarrassingly long time after, especially given that all your friends witnessed it and never failed to tease the two of you about it, except for Taehyung who still curses the heavens to this day for punishing him with boring TA sessions on that day when he could have been there in person to see it.Â
You had claimed to have forgiven him then and there itself, not because you actually meant it, because it would take much more than that to get over how trashy Jungkookâs 50 dollars had made you feel, but just to get over the attention he was bringing to the two of you in the crowded cafeteria.Â
No, Jungkook getting down on his knees wasnât enough. But you didnât have to say that for him to know, because he saw right through you.
After two weeks of being forced to hang out thanks to your shared friend group and an infinite amount of awkwardly skirting around each other, Jungkook one day approached you alone in the library lugging a bag in his hand. When you looked up at him, he shifted his eyes away to the muddy textbook that lay open on the table and cleared his throat.Â
âHere,â heâd said and thrust the bag that weighed a tonne towards you. You wordlessly took it and gave him a curious look. In that moment, heâd reminded you of a child in kindergarten being forced to apologise to the classmate heâs made fun of, looking sheepish and awkward.
In the bag were brand new textbooks. Hardcovers at that. Sitting on top of them was a large pack of your favourite corn chips that you always had on you to munch on. You were surprised to say the least. Not only did you not expect him to be thoughtful enough to replace your textbooks, but you didnât pin him to be observant enough to know your favourite snack.
âSorry againâŚabout your books,â he mumbled out while rubbing the back of his neck. You were quiet for a moment, Jungkookâs actions once again leaving you too stunned to speak.Â
âApology accepted,â you quietly replied. And with that, the textbook incident was a chapter closed.
Ever since then, Jungkook and you had to find your footing around each other in your friend group, now on more amicable terms. For Jungkook, it meant getting comfortable around you, which you learnt meant that he would find ways to tease you and somehow always managed to find a way to get under your skin and rattle you. For you, it meant constantly getting annoyed at him and letting him know of that.
It was deeply unsettling how he constantly one-upped you with his comments. You figured youâd rather not engage with him at all in any way or form.
You let out a huff at him and say, âWhatever. This is a really dumb conversation. Hope you enjoy your ice cream, whichever one it is that you end up getting,â before turning back to your work so that he canât see your cheeks that were beginning to feel hot.
Jungkook was still looking at you, with what you suspected was hesitance.
You look back and raise a questioning brow at him.Â
Just as he opens his mouth, Chae saunters back over and unknowingly interrupts him. âHobiâs here,â she announces while looking around the library. All the focus you had on Jungkook is abandoned immediately as you whip your head around to look for the sight of a familiar sunny grin.
It doesnât take long for you to find it as its owner walks over to your group with a bickering Jimin and Taehyung in tow. Taehyungâs hands are flailing everywhere and heâs bouncing around with Jimin looking at him in ridicule while trying to get him to calm down.
âWhat are these idiots fighting about now,â Chae mutters under her breath.
âThey're not just friends, okay? Theyâre soulmates. Hollywood soulmates. Thereâs a difference," you hear Taehyung say passionately as the trio came within earshot, making Jimin burst out a screech while Hoseok chuckled. You sneak a glance at the girl across and youâre pretty sure you catch her shaking in anger or something. "Soulmates? Come on. Theyâve known each other since, what, middle school? Thatâs just a lifelong bromance," Jimin retorts.
âHey guys,â Hoseok threw at the twins and you. You were the only one who bothered to reply with one yourself. Chae was too invested in Taehyung and Jiminâs conversation to respond while Jungkook seemed to be in a mood all of a sudden, his eyes fixated on the way Hoseok walked over and leaned against the table facing you.Â
âWhat are they arguing about?â you ask Hoseok. Before he could answer, Jimin voices it out himself exasperatedly.Â
"A bromance doesnât survive Oscars, Batman vs. Bourne debates, and that time Ben got way too into Dunkinâ coffee. Thatâs a bond,"
âBut what does that have to do with why JLo and he arenât good together???âÂ
âIt has to do with everything!â
âEXCUSE ME, BUT CAN YOU PLEASE EITHER KEEP IT DOWN OR LEAVE THE LIBRARY?!â the girl from earlier finally explodes at your seemingly ever-growing gathering.
âJesus fuck, yes, yes! Weâre leaving,â you bellow out, annoyed and terrified, and start packing up your things.
âWeâre leaving?â Chae asks, finally tuning in back to you.
âWe are?â Taehyung asks.
âBut we just got here,â Jimin adds pitifully.Â
Itâs your turn to be exasperated as you say âShut up, please, all of you. Weâre getting out of here and going somewhere less quiet so that we donât seem too much like animals.â You finish packing up and head towards the exit, throwing a measly âsorryâ to the girl ahead of you without waiting for a response. The rest of the group moves over similarly like a school of fish.
While Jimin and Taehyung carry on their argument, this time with Jungkook joining in (his contribution being the Dunkinâ lore), Hoseok catches up to you and Chae.Â
âAre you sure youâre not gonna change your mind about coming to the party?â Chae tries again.
Hoseok cuts in before you could answer, âWhat, you mean the one happening tomorrow night?â She nods in confirmation. âShe doesnât want to go but I want her to,â Chae whines.Â
âThis is gonna hurt Chae, but frankly speaking, I donât care what you want,â you say curtly, making her huff and setting Hoseok off with laughter.Â
âShut the fuck up, that wasnât even that funny!â Chae whines at Hoseok. âNo, but itâs what your entitled ass deserves,â he throws at her, causing her to fume.
âWho are you calling entitled?!? Jungkook, did you hear what theyâre saying about me?â she screeches at her brother. Said brother turns to her and says, âI did and I agree, you are entitled and I also donât care about what you want.â Now the whole group is laughing along.Â
âThatâs it, Iâm calling Nayeon, you know⌠a real friend,â Chae huffs and gets distracted by her phone. Hoseok takes this as an opportunity to lean over and put his arm around you.Â
âI know weâre joking and all, but Iâd really like it if youâd change your mind about the party,â he says softly.Â
âOh, I donât know. Itâs not really my thing, yaâknow? Besides, I have Mr Byrnes class to study for. He keeps talking about a test that isnât even in the study plan and itâs making me paranoid that heâs going to surprise us with a pop quiz one of these days,â you ramble as he listens attentively.Â
âCâmon, itâs just one night. Just have some fun. And I promise that Iâll watch out for you, okay? Make sure things donât get out of hand or let anyone force you to do anything crazy,â he says.
âWhat do you say?â he asks, eyes hopeful and smiling as wide and bright as ever.
Of course, you said yes.Â
How could you refuse when he had asked so nicely?
So here you were, walking up to a large house set in the corner of an upper-class residential area that had college students pouring in and out of every entrance possible with Chae, Nayeon and Jimin. You honestly had no idea whose house this was, or who even organised this party. An act of stupidity on your part you realised, because now you had no choice but to lean on your friends for safety.Â
Oh well, Hoseok did promise to watch out for you, you thought as you secretly smiled to yourself.
Not secretive enough it seems as Chae tells you, âWith that look on your face, I hope youâre actually excited to go to this party for the sake of having fun.â
You reply with a simple âSure,â as your group turns into the neat little pathway leading up to the front door.
âWhether Y/nâs excited or not, I sure as hell am. God, I canât wait to get fucked up tonight. Itâs been too long,â Nayeon chirps next to you, much to Chae's chagrin.
âIâm begging you two,â Chase addresses both Nayeon and Jimin as she says, âdonât do anything youâll regret in the morning. Iâm sick of babysitting you two,â with a scoff. The perpetrators merely giggle at her as they spread out separately into the dancing crowd in the living room-turned-dancefloor.
âCâmon, letâs go out to the backyard. Itâs way too early to be partying this hard,â Chase says and leads you by your hand.Â
As soon as you step foot out of the house, youâre relieved to be able to breathe without the entailing smell of sweat and alcohol in the air. Towards the corner of the porch, leaning against the railing with red solo cups at hand are Jungkook and Taehyung talking with two other guys you donât recognise.Â
Theyâre both tall and attractive, youâre quick to notice. While one is more built all-around, the other has wide shoulders leading to a tapered waist.
âHey guys!â Chase chirps at them. âMeet Y/n. Y/n, this is Namjoon and this is Jin,â she gestures to the built one and the one with wide shoulders in order. You greet them pleasantly before stepping aside to stand next to Taehyung while Chae rants to them about Nayeon and Jimin.
Suddenly, you feel a poke of a finger in your side. âY/nâŚ.youâre at a college party without a drink. Tch, tch, tch,â Taehyung chastises you as he leans over. You can already smell the faint lingering of alcohol on his breath. âSorry, Iâm just really not looking to get shitfaced tonight,â you weakly say.Â
âShut up, one drink never hurt anyone!â he retorts with a laugh. âIâll be right back,â he says and before you could refuse, heâs already headed towards the kitchen indoors, presumably to get you a drink.Â
In his absence, you notice Jungkook quietly nursing his own drink next to you. You shift your attention away from him and start looking around the backyard.Â
Your eyes are searching, here, there and everywhere looking for a specific face. Whereâs Hoseok? You want to text him, asking him if heâs here already, but youâve never really texted him before. Would it be too obvious if you were to start now? In your train of overthinking, you fail to notice that the boy next to you has shifted to face you. Heâs studying you, your actions, but you fail to notice.Â
âMissing your loverboy?â the voice from next to you breaks you out of your reverie.
You look at Jungkook and dumbly say, âHuh?â
He chuckles and shakes his head, and you curse the heavens for making him as handsome as he looks when he does so. âI asked if youâre looking for Hoseok hyung,â he says.Â
âMaybe.â
âHmm, figured as much,â he shrugs. At this, you raise a curious brow at him.
âUhm, duh, you look like you lost your puppy or something. Huhu, whereâs my boyfie, huhu,â he mimics you in a high-pitched voice.Â
You look at him in disgust before saying, âUgh, I have never and will never use the word boyfie.â Itâs a weak attempt at a comeback, you already know. âAha, but you donât deny that youâre looking for Hoseok hyung!â he says with a grin.Â
You let out a scoff at that and say, âOkay, so what? Whatâs it to do with you? Ever heard of minding your own business?â Your tone is harsh, but you couldnât help the shy smile that crawled on your face.
He looks like he has more to say, probably to tease you, but is cut off by Taehyung crying out âChildren! Children! Please settle down, the partyâs only just started. I canât handle y'all bickering so soon.â You roll your eyes at Jungkook and turn away from him, making you miss out on the boyish grin he sends your way before he turns away himself to tune into Chaeâs conversation with Namjoon and Jin.Â
Taehyung waltzes up to you and flourishes a red solo cup to you with a proud look on his face. âTa-da! A drink for Her Highness,â he dramatically says with an even more dramatic bow.Â
You giggle as you accept the drink. âThank you, good sir,â you play along. Taehyung lets out a pleasant sigh and leans forward against the railing. His sudden silence hints to you that he might have something on his mind.
You donât bother asking yet though, comfortable with the lack of conversation between you, and instead listening to Namjoon and Jin telling Chae about their disastrous search for a roommate. Jungkook isnât in sight anymore so you assume heâs gone back into the house.
âYou guys donât understand the number of crazy people weâve met so far. We interviewed this one kid, a comp-sci student, who asked if weâd be okay if he were to use our storage room to keep all his blow-up âlife-sized sleep dollsâ. Like, what the fuck does that even mean?â Namjoon says exasperatedly. Jin shakes his head and takes a sip of his drink before saying, âI donât think any of us here want to know what that means,â making the whole group laugh.Â
âMaybe you guys should consider having him around. I want to start a wager that he has a doll of Danny Devito,â you giggle. Jin nearly chokes on his drink at that.
Namjoon is thoroughly entertained and says âYouâre right! And when Christmas rolls around, we wonât have to get a damn Christmas tree. We can just spice up Danny.â
âA Danny Devito Christmas Tree?â Chae asks with a grin.
âA Danny DeviTree.â
âIâll drink to that,â Jin says.
You all nod our heads in a silly agreement.
âTO DANNY DEVITREE!â we cheer together and take large gulps of our drinks.
âHey, didnât you say you wanted to find a different place to live? Somewhere closer to campus right?â Chae asks you with a nudge of her elbow.
âOh yeah, I almost forgot about that,â you reply. You turn to Namjoon and Jin to explain âThe place Iâm at now is too far away from campus, so Iâm thinking about moving somewhere closer so that I donât have to stress too much about the distance before leaving for classes.â
âWell hey, our place is less than a block from campus. If youâre interested, we can talk another day,â Jin says excitedly. âBut the DeviTree arrangement will have to wait, it seems,â Namjoon adds with a grin. Your eyes widen with excitement and you agree to meet another day to discuss it.
While youâre busy exchanging numbers with Namjoon, Chae suddenly notices Taehyungâs silence and asks him âWhatâs got you thinking so deeply? Looking so serious doesnât suit youâ she says poking her tongue out teasingly at him.Â
This brings Taehyung to stand straight and point at your chest area. âItâs weird you know,â he says.Â
Your tit?
âMy tit?â you ask aloud.
âHuh?â he asks back and realises what heâs pointing at. âWhat the - no! You idiot, not your tit. Your tit is fine. I meant you in general.âÂ
You and the others canât control your giggles as you prod him even more, âWhatâs so weird about me?â
âItâs weird how you canât seem to get along with Jungkook. Heâs literally the nicest out of all of us. And youâre nice too.â
This catches you off guard as the laughter suddenly lulls down.
âWhatâs that supposed to mean? Heâs always getting on my nerves on purpose. Heâs such an idiot,â you say along with a quick apology towards Chae. She smiles strangely at you while Namjoon and Jin watch the conversation play out in silence.
âSee thatâs the thing, heâs never trying to get on your nerves on purpose. You just seem to always get annoyed by him all on your own,â Taehyung refutes.
âHeâs right. Not to sound like Iâm trying to stand up for my brother too much, but it is weird how much you canât stand him. He doesnât hate you the way you hate him,â Chae says the last part with a strange tone in her voice. âBut itâs like you donât even want to give him a chance to be closer with you.â
You suddenly feel cornered by the duo. âOh, I donât know. Maybe weâre just wired into different frequencies or something. Somehow, everything he does annoys me so much. God help me if I knew why,â you try to brush it off and take a large gulp of your drink.Â
Are you getting a bit tipsy right now? Probably. Eh, whatever - you think as you chug the rest of the drink.
Of course in your heart, you feel struck by the accusation. Is it true? Have you been too harsh with Jungkook?
This time, you knew Chae and Taehyung werenât referring to the textbook incident. Nope, they were talking about your overall behaviour after that. You were always harsh and short-tempered around him, sometimes, oftentimes even, mean.Â
You were never usually mean, so much so that you could recognise when you were being so, especially with Jungkook. But could you blame yourself? He was practically asking for it.
âMaybe, itâs because you like-like him,â Taehyung says, making you choke on your drink.Â
Namjoon and Jin are chuckling into their cups when he says that while he stands there calmly with Chae waiting for you to finish your coughing fit.
âWhat the FUCK! Like-like him??â you let out an emotionless laugh and say âwhat are we, five? Like-like him, pfft! As if.â
Youâre desperate for this conversation to end now.Â
âWhy? Itâs not that ridiculous. It would be kind of nice if my baby brother and my best friend were to date,â Chae says with a smile and a shrug. âBesides, you know what they say - thereâs a thin line between love and hateâŚâ
Sometimes, the differences between the Jeon twins shone starkly like day and night. Jungkook who loved to spend his evenings cruising around town on his motorcycle; Chae who turned down getting her own car that their parents wanted to give her because of how traumatised she was from her experience at driverâs ed (nothing serious, it was just bad vibes with an instructor who fell asleep in the passenger seat while she was behind the wheel). Jungkook who always had a glint in his eye, craving for an adrenaline filled adventure like rock climbing or hiking. More extreme, skydiving and cliff jumping during summer breaks. And Chae, who enjoyed completely and entirely, simple hangouts with friends at a cafe or a club, and especially at home.Â
As different as they were, the Jeon twins were as inseparable as former womb mates ever could be.
Like that one time Chae and you had a sleepover at their place for a Barbie animated movie marathon before your group was set to go watch the new Barbie live-action movie in cinemas. Even though he had all the means to simply lock himself up in his room to save himself from the cheesy squeals and giggles he was promised to hear from the two of you for the rest of the night, Jungkook not only joined you two for the whole run, enthusiastically reacting along to the characters and funny lines, he even went out of the way to make the three of you hot cocoa drinks with marshmallows and volunteered to go out and buy more snacks once they had run out.Â
A memory that still makes you chuckle is how the entire group showed up to the movie dressed in theme to the nines (Jimin and Taehyung as the Diamond Castle dogs of course). And yes, Jungkook too. While Chae unsurprisingly dressed up as Bibble, Jungkook retired his punk jewellery to dress up as Aidan from The Magic of Pegasus.
Chae was none the wiser, fiercely caring for her brother. The memory of Jungkook and Taehyung once getting locked in a frat party closet once and noone being able to find them bcs their phones were with Nayeon, and the party was too loud to hear them shouting to be let out. Chae was worried sick around the 5 hour mark, contemplating calling the police and ranting and generally being out of sorts. Thank god Jimin needed to throw up and rushed to the nearest closet and forced it open. The gratification on the boysâ face at being freed didnât last long before Jimin got puke all over them.
Nonetheless, Chae was utterly relieved to see her brother alive and well, rushing to hug him regardless of the gunk covering his shirt.
For as darling as you found Chae and as insufferable as you found Jungkook, you sure did hang out with the two a lot; the most out of everyone in the group. It didnât go unnoticed how he was a whopping 5 '8 and was incredibly self-sufficient, perfectly able to say no to his sister's invitations if he wanted to.Â
The thing was, Chae brought him along everywhere, and he followed along anyway.
These are a few of the memories that youâve collected since getting to know Chae, and by default Jungkook too. The Jeon twins truly made for an odd pair, but they were made for each other like peanut butter and jelly.Â
Youâre reflecting on these memories in your tipsy haze as youâre almost touched for a moment that Chae just called you her best friend, given that youâve only known each other for a little over half a year now.
Almost.
âHah! No offence Chae, but there is no way I could ever like, or love, your brother.â
Of course, the universe is not on your side today (has it ever been?), because itâs at that exact moment that the man youâd been on the lookout for the whole night strides onto the patio towards you little group.Â
âOh shit, Y/n loves Jungkook? Then, Iâm out of here,â Hoseok says with a teasing lilt in his voice and the insinuation of what he says makes your hearts beat faster.Â
âNO! I said I donât like him. Or love him. Câmon Hoseok, I want to dance. Itâs getting stale out here,â you say as you giggle and drag him by his hand into the house through the swarm of bodies.Â
Youâre well able to notice your friendsâ teasing comments following you into the house, but not the pair of doe eyes that were fixated on you from the inner entrance to the porch area as you pass them.
Currently, you were bouncing along with Hoseok in the room full of bodies, barely able to decipher anything other than the music booming through the space. Oh, and his hands are on your hips.
Fuck, you think to yourself. That boy has got you wrapped around his pretty little finger, literally, and he doesnât even know it.
Or maybe he does? You donât know. You donât know anything right now. Youâre so out of it.Â
The full weight of the drink Taehyung had given earlier had finally hit you 20 minutes ago, and ever since then, youâve been daringly thrusting your hips and grinding against Hoseok in tune to the beat of the songs playing. Youâre not sure if heâs drunk himself since you didnât see him ingest anything since you met up with him on the porch, but the way heâs grinding back onto you, gripping your hips possessively and whispering sweet nothings into your ear suggest that he might be.Â
âY/nâŚâ he breathes out. âYou look so cute tonight. Sorry I didnât tell you earlier. I wanted to. I thought about it, but didnât say it.â
You let out a giggle and say âThatâs okay. Thanks. You look really good tonight too.â
A minute passes of you two continuing to dance when he suddenly stops and motions you to do the same. âCan I- Can I ask you something?â he starts. The suddenness of his actions sobers you a little and you merely nod at him. âWhat is it?â
He seems hesitant to continue and it looks like itâs really eating him up. âWhat is it? You can ask me anything,â you encourage him.
âOkay, uhm, well, is there- fuck, okay,â he says before clearing his throat and looking at you pointedly.Â
âIs there anything going on between you and Jungkook?â he asks.
âWhat the hell, no!â youâre quick to refute.
His eyes widened at your response. âNo? Are you sure? Are you 100% positive on that?âÂ
You canât help but let out a chuckle at that.
This is so ridiculous.Â
âNo, Hoseok, thereâs nothing going on between me and that brat Jeon Jungkook. Okay? The others were just joking around. Thereâs nothing happening between us. Is that what you wanted to know?âÂ
He visibly brightens up and says âWell yeah, because I wanted to know if what Iâm about to do next would land me a punch on the face or not,â with a laugh. He comes closer to you and wraps his arms around your waist with a grin forming on his face.
âWhat are you going to do?â you ask, your breath getting shallower. Your heart is pounding so fast you hear your heartbeat in your ears.
âIâm going to kiss you,â he says.
And when he leans down and brings his lips to yours in a searing kiss, youâre unable to think of anything else anymore. Fuck Jungkook. Fuck everything.
All you think about is him.
Hoseok.
Hoseok.
Hoseok.
Heâs such a great kisser, lips so soft and careful yet bold. While your tongues are having a passionate battle for dominance, with you losing quickly, he brings his arms to wrap tightly around your body. âY/nâŚâ he moans in between and you swear youâve never heard a sound more sweeter. Youâre moaning too as you bring your hands up to run through his hair and down the back of his neck.
The pair of you part after what feels like both forever and finite. âFuck, youâre something else,â he says breathlessly. You chuckle at that, out of breath yourself.Â
You take a moment to just stare at his face and your heart feels like itâs about to beat out of your chest. Heâs taking the time to look back at you too. You see his eyes dart around your face - to your eyes, nose, hair tucked behind your ear, your lips.Â
His face is lit up by the glare of the colourful lights decorating the ceiling and something else that is purely him.
Hoseok.
Sober-you would never find the balls to admit your feelings to him, but drunk-you could.Â
âHoseokâŚâ
âYes?â
âI-I like you.â
.
.
.
âI like you too.â
âReally?â
âYeah. How could I not?â he says with a chuckle before he closes the gaps between your lips again.
Just as you think youâre about to write a blurb on the bliss of Hoseokâs soft lips, a voice clears causing the two of you to break away. Jungkook appears by your side with a furrow on his face looking as uncomfortable as ever.
âJungkook? What are you doing here?â you ask, flustered and unable to mask your disappointment over his interruption. He isnât quick to reply, opting to glance at the close proximity between Hoseok and you first. âI need you to come with me,â he replies gruffly. When you donât move an inch he adds, âNow,â.
âUhm, well, Iâm kinda occupied at the moment so unless itâs important - HEY!â you exclaim as he grabs ahold of your hand and tries to drag you away from Hoseok. Hoseok steps in and tries to reason with Jungkook. âHey man, you heard her, she canât go and itâs not cool of you to drag herâ
âIt IS important!â Jungkook says. Heâs got a strong grip on you, and even though youâre not afraid of him at that moment, for you know heâs gentler than he seems, you are annoyed by him.
You smack on his hand thatâs encasing your arm and start yelling âJungkook, you big OAF, Iâm not going anywhere with YOU!â He ignores you and continues dragging you away from Hoseok. âYouâre not even telling me whatâs so goddamned IMPORTANT!âÂ
There truly are consequences to chugging down a drink that Taehyung, of all people made for you.
You are drunk. And what is it that drunk people infamously do? Stupid things.Â
You are drunk and irrational and Jungkook is still dragging you away. You do the only thing that your brain can comprehend doing in that moment.
You bring your stiletto boots covered leg up and bring it down hard on Jungkookâs heavy black stompers. You know, the ones that he stood in-line for 3 hours to buy on its release day that cost a whopping $800. The ones that he carefully polishes every week so that they look shiny and new always.
Well, from where youâre standing - yep, standing, not walking..because Jungkook has stopped walking - his shoes do look as good as new.
Except for the ugly 3 inch scratch that runs down the side of the right one where your stiletto just met it.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Youâve gone too far.
Is it possible to hear complete and utter silence in a room full of sweaty and drunk college kids with Gasolina blaring in the background? Because youâre experiencing it right this moment. Oh no wait, it just changed to You Broke Me First by Tate McCrae. Nice. In any other given scenario, youâd laugh at the irony of it.
But youâre not laughing now. Neither is Jungkook. Youâre holding your breath and Jungkook's wide set shoulders slowly turn around to look at you.Â
He peers down at his now ruined shoe before slowly dragging his eyes over your figure and meeting your eyes. His mouth, usually positioned as a lopsided grin, was now set straight and silent, his eyes hard with an illegible emotion.
It takes a couple of moments for you to snap back to your senses and youâre about to open your mouth to throw out apologies, but Jungkook beats you to it.
âChaeâs sick in the toilet. Go check up on her and let her know Iâm waiting for her outside,â he says lowly and releases his grip on your hand.Â
Youâre wide-eyed as you open your mouth to respond, âJungkook, Iâm so-â
âWhat the hell is wrong with you? Why is it so difficult for you to think about other people?â He cuts you off loudly. Youâre rendered speechless, his words striking you unexpectedly. In all your encounters of Jungkook irritating you, leaving you to retort harshly, never once has he raised his voice or gotten angry with you. But now he was.Â
Totally and utterly angry.
You see it in the way heâs actively trying, but failing, to control his tone and breathing, and the step that he takes away from you. This is new ground for your dynamic, you have no idea what to say to him other than to apologise.
âYou parade around feeling so entitled about everything, why donât you make yourself useful for once and go help Chae?
âBut Jungko-â
âSave it. Weâll call it even for your textbooks. Can you just go now?â
âWait please, Iâm sor-â
âJUST GO!â
He doesnât wait for your next response and turns to head out the door, roughly pushing off the drunk and sweaty crowd that got in his way. All thatâs left is for you to stare at his retreating back as you stomach the dread rising in you.
Congratulations, Miss Kim Y/n! You have officially pissed Jeon Jungkook off!
(âŠď˝-´)âââďž.*シ・ďž
#jungkook angst#jungkook fanfic#jungkook fluff#jungkook smut#jungkook x reader#bts fanfic#jungkook college au#bts#bts imagines#bts smut#jungkook soft hours
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omg i lived ur last judd x reader. could you do some hcs on judd being secretly soft and like someone in his family catches him being soft. you can decide what happens after that. love ur writing btw
Hello, thank you <3
I didn't really know if you wanted to have reader included so I did the reader thingy in a little bonus at the end. Hope you like it!
Big Mouth | Judd Birch (x reader) ~ "Soft with his family" (headcanon)
Diane has always had a radar for her childrenâs feelings, but she never expected to ever catch Judd in such a rare moment of softness again. One afternoon, she walks into the kitchen to find him sitting at the table with a plate of cookies, taking slow, exaggerated bites and sighing between each one like itâs the best thing heâs ever eaten. Heâs got a dreamy look on his face, his posture more relaxed than usual. âYou okay there, sweetheart?â Diane asks, arching an eyebrow. Judd blinks, caught in the act. âYeah, yeah, just⌠thinking,â he says quickly, but the way heâs holding the cookie so gently betrays him. Diane looks at the cookies. Then she looks at her son, whoâs clearly enjoying a simple pleasure like itâs the greatest thing on earth. âI see,â she says, her lips curving into a smile. âDid [Y/N] bake them for you?â Judd hums agreeing. âI donât⌠Just⌠these are really good cookies. You want one, Mum?â Diane grins, walking over to ruffle his hair, something she hasnât done in years. âUh-huh. No, I don't want edibles, but thank you Juddie.â Juddâs face turns a shade of red, and he mutters something under his breath about the cookies being too good, not just because of the weed, before shoving another bite into his mouth.
Elliotâs the next to notice. Itâs not that heâs unaware of Juddâs typical attitude or shenanigansâhis son always tries to play it cool, the tough guy who doesnât let anyone see his feelings. But one evening Elliot walks into the living room and catches Judd staring at a picture of the family on the mantle. Juddâs sitting on the couch, shoulders slumped, his bright red eyes glistening with something close to admiration. âGod, I miss Mom,â he mumbles, voice softer than Elliotâs ever heard it. Elliot, whoâs learned to read his son like an open book, raises an eyebrow and smiles. âYou know, you're just like me, Juddie,â he says, leaning against the doorframe. Judd jumps, trying to hide the emotion behind a tough glare. âWhat? You think Iâm gonna cry over this family?â Elliot chuckles, walking over and ruffling Juddâs hair in a way he only ever did when Judd was little. âNah, Juddie. I know you're too tough for that,â he says, his voice thick with affection. âBut Iâm proud of you.â Judd glares, cheeks a little flushed, and mutters under his breath, âI swear to God.â But his father just smiles knowingly, proud of his sonâsoftness and all.
Leahâs the most observant one between the Birch siblings, and she doesnât miss a thing. One afternoon, she walks into the living room to find Judd lying on the floor with his arms spread out like heâs just completely given up on life. âWhat are you doing?â she asks, her voice laced with amusement. Judd, a little too stoned to hide it, sighs dramatically. âJust thinking about how much I love you, okay? Youâre⌠the best little sister anyone could ask for.â Leah stares at him, eyes narrowing. âWait. What did you smoke?â Judd tilts his head, looking up at her with a goofy grin. âNothing. Just⌠cookies, okay?â Leah crosses her arms, smirking. âCookies, huh? Youâre such a sap when youâre stoned.â âIâm not a sap,â Judd mutters, but then he pulls her down into an awkward hug, and she can feel him squeezing just a little too tight. âBut I love you, okay? Donât go messing with that.â Leah laughs, pulling away, and shakes her head. âYeah, whatever, softie.â Judd glares at her, but thereâs no malice in it. Heâs already too mushy from the weed to hold a grudge.
Nickâs the youngest, and while he looks up to Judd, heâs also the one who is least intimidated by him. One day, Nick walks into Juddâs room, finding him lying on his bed, arms behind his head, with a glassy-eyed look on his face. Heâs clearly stoned, but instead of his usual aloofness, Juddâs voice is full of sweetness when he turns to Nick. âHey, Nicky, you ever think about how awesome Mom is?â he asks, his voice soft and a little wistful. Nick raises an eyebrow. ���Uh⌠no? Not really.â Judd sighs dramatically, closing his eyes as he stretches out on the bed. âMan, sheâs just⌠sheâs the best. You know that?â Nick, a little confused but amused, chuckles. âYouâre so weird when youâre stoned.â Judd shrugs with a lazy smile. âYeah, but sheâs awesome. Youâll get it when youâre older.â Nick just stares at him for a moment, shaking his head. âWhat are you on, Judd?â âCookies,â Judd says vaguely, already slipping back into his emotional state. âYouâre totally in love with Mom, huh?â âShut up, Nicky,â Judd mutters, but thereâs no real heat behind it, just a soft smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Itâs a quiet evening, and youâre sitting together on the couch after Judd has smoked a joint. Heâs more relaxed than usual, his arm draped over your shoulder as he leans in to kiss your forehead, murmuring something sweet you almost canât believe heâs saying. âYouâre the best thing in my life, yâknow that?â he whispers, his voice almost a little too soft for someone who prides himself on being tough. You smile, brushing your fingers through his hair, and Juddâs heart melts just a little more. Across the room, Elliot, who had been quietly watching from the doorway, canât help but smile. It's rare that his oldest lets loose like this, always so tough and edgy but he knows, that Judd is secretly the softest boy. It's just hidden under his usual persona. Elliot leans against the doorframe, watching the scene with pride. His Juddie, the son that was too hardened for tenderness, is letting it all out with the girl he loves. Elliot canât help but chuckle softly, his heart swelling with pride. âAh, young love,â he mutters, feeling a strange sense of joy in seeing his son like this, being realâfinally letting down his guard with someone he trusts completely. Judd doesnât notice his fatherâs gaze, too focused on you, but thereâs a soft, content smile on his face. Elliot's heart, already full of love for his son, grows even fuller in that moment. "Iâm so proud of you, Juddie," he thinks to himself, his voice filled with quiet affection.
#x reader#judd birch x reader#judd birch#judd#big mouth#big mouth headcanon#headcanon#judd birch headcanon
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ââsaneâ
aj x reader
tw ; nothing, just pure fluff
a/n ; hello my lovely, lovely angels !! this is my first ever write on here, so i hope u all enjoy this <3 this may or may not be a little sneakpeak to one of my fics that i'll be posting on ao3 or wattpad..
CITY VIEWS HAVE ALWAYS CALMED YOU. It mainly comes from the fact you were always sheltered as a child. Being able to look out the large windows of the flat you and AJ share and see the gorgeous, vast city of LA is comforting to you. It makes you feel as if you're not bound to a placeâthat you're free and not tied down or restricted from anything like in your childhood.
The view was the very first thing you always looked for when you and AJ were picking out your place. It's one of the many things you love about living here.Â
So, when today was rather hectic at your job, and you just needed some time to wind down, what better place to relax?
You let a small sigh escape from your lips as you lean back on the sofa you're lounging on. Your legs are propped up onto the couch while your arms are hugging them, staring out of the large, floor-to-ceiling windows that fill the walls of the living room.Â
Your eyes are gazing out the windows at the city lights. The living room is illuminated by them, the moonlight, and the dim lighting of the ceiling bulbs. While your eyes are focused outside the windows, you're more-so focused on the constant clattering happening in the kitchen.Â
"Shit!" You hear after a large clatter of noises.Â
You raise an eyebrow and lift your head off your knees, turning your head to the direction the kitchen is. "Everything okay in there?" You call out.Â
"Yeah! Yep! All a'ight, no need to come in here!" AJ calls back, a slightly rushed tone in his voice which makes you just want to go over there and see what's happening all the more.Â
Your brows furrow in slight confusion as you blink a few times, then shrugging it off. If he's burning the kitchen down, you'd rather be unaware of it than know.Â
After a couple seconds, you hear another loud crash coming from the kitchen, making you open one eye.Â
"Are you sure you don't want me to come in there?" You sigh, opening both your eyes now and letting your legs fall off the sofa. Right after your response, you hear another damn crash. Is he fucking rebuilding the kitchen?
"Nope! Just.. gettin' some things done!"Â
You roll your eyes and decide to leave it alone again. If there's one thing you've learned in all the years you've been dating him, it's that you honestly should always expect the unexpected from him. It's like you're reaching your hand into a surprise box every time you're with himâand not always in a good way, per se.Â
A few moments later, you hear his footsteps from behind you, walking into the living room. You turn your head over your shoulder to look at him and see the two glasses he's holding in his hands, your lips quirking up at the corners into a smile.Â
"I was tryin' to make some mojitos, but it.. didn't really work out in my favour." He says with a slightly sheepish smile, making you laugh as he sits down and hands you one of the glasses.Â
You've always loved his mojitos, or really any kind of drink he makes. They always turn out tasting amazing, even though the process he goes through to make them results in almost wrecking down the flat.Â
You take the glass from his hand and take a small sip, your eyes closing in content as your lips curve up moreâmaking a hum of approval.Â
AJ chuckles softly at your reaction and takes a sip himself, then places his on the glass coffee table. He leans back and throws his arm around your shoulder, tugging you closer to his side. "Alright. Are you gonna talk now?" He asks you.Â
You turn your head to the side to face him, raising an eyebrow questionably. "About what?" You respond, slightly widening your eyes in an attempt to try and play dumb. Yet that plan goes straight to hell when he narrows his eyes at you knowingly.Â
"I think we both know what I'm talking about, dollface." He retorts, making you press your lips into a line and sigh. He pats your shoulder encouragingly with his arm that's slung around them, while pulling you closer to him so you're nicely tucked underneath his arm and against his side. "You've been cranky since you stepped foot through the door. What's goin' on?"Â
You frown a bit, looking away from him while you lean your head on his shoulder. He moves his hand from your shoulder and into your hair, lightly massaging your scalp while he plays with your hair. The action makes your features relax a bit, your lids fluttering shut and leaning into him more.Â
After a bit more pestering from his end, and a couple more huffs from yours, you told him about what had been bothering you today. As you talked, he continued massaging your scalp, quietly listening to you and giving you assuring nods to keep going.
You nuzzle yourself more into his side when you finish talking, keeping your head on his shoulder and your eyes gazing out the windows.Â
A small exhale slips past your lips and you relax as he runs his fingers through your hair, kissing the top of your head softly. "At least we have this view to keep us sane, hm?" You joke, tilting your head up to look at him.Â
He tilted his own head down to look at you, his lips settling into a small, yet warm smile. He didn't say anything for a few moments as he looked into your eyes, his hand leaving your hair to cup the back of your neck.Â
You could feel your cheeks start to heat up slightly from his gazeâthe way he was so utterly focused on you, and how there was such an intensity and passion to it.Â
His hand moves to your cheek and his thumb starts to gently caress the soft skin, his eyes never once leaving yours. "You're what keeps me sane, sweetheart." He murmurs softly, brushing a strand of your hair behind your ear with his other hand.Â
Your heartbeat picked up a bit, and your cheeks definitely heating up now. He laughs a little at your flustered appearance and places his hand on the back of your head, capturing your lips in a small yet passionate kiss, before guiding your head to rest back on his shoulder.Â
"Now, enough of the sappy talk. How 'bout we just watch some shitty comedy movies to get your pretty little head out of all that chaos, hm?" He grins, looking down at you. The idea makes you smile again and nod your head, definitely not letting his offer pass by.Â
#aj takers#hayden christensen#anakin skywalker#star wars#hayden christensen imagines#hayden christensen x reader#star wars fanfiction#james kelly#anakin x reader#takers 2010#clay beresford#anakinca
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Such an Opportunist
This one was going be a rather sad and angsty one, but it quickly took a turn ...and hopefully, it was for the better. I'll surely write another fic for what I wanted this one to be, but nonetheless â I hope you enjoy this one!
Verse - Singer!Harry x Ceo!Y/n
Word Count - 1.7k
Warnings - Some new-parental-stress in the beginning.
Harry really needs to sleep, and Y/n is very shocked to learn that he's written songs she'd yet to hear. Also, Harry falls on some Lego bits and what better opportunity to ask for a back massage?
Please rb to share! | Masterlist
Harry was in the kitchen, making himself another cup of tea while chewing on some raisins. He could hear Amore playing with her toys around him somewhere and Y/n's humming voice was the only other sound travelling through the house -- apart from the whirring of the washing machine as well that Harry had thought he had broken on his first try.
Andre's wailing had quieted down, some sniffles being the only indication that he was still recovering from the fall. He had fallen from the couch onto the pillow that Y/n had laid on the floor just in case that very thing would happen -- and Harry and her both suspected that the little boy was just shocked.
"Hm, make me one too?" Y/n meekly requested on entering the kitchen, her fingers weaving through her hair to make a braid.
Harry turned back and automatically his first glance landed on Andre, feeling relief when he saw him playing with Amore on the carpeted floor -- and then, snaked his arms around Y/n's waist.
"Feelin' very sleepy today, thought another bedtime tea would surely be helpful" he chuckled hoarsely, before pecking her lips. "Don't know what I was thinking when I put the kettle on the stove," resting his head in the curve of her neck, he admitted.Â
Y/n only sighed in response, swaying the both of them as she wrapped her arms around his slouched frame. She could tell that the sleep deprivation was beginning to mess with him. "Been craving a lot of Earl Grey, recently, haven't you?" She huffed out a laugh, pressing a kiss somewhere on his ear lobe.
He hadn't gotten much sleep last night, considering that the pair of twins were teething at the same time, and he was on duty. He and Y/n did all that they could -- from gum massaging to freezing milk popsicles. The silicone teethers and other toys were great help, but only during the day. It was the nighttime, during which Harry and Y/n lived the actual nightmare.
On the night prior to the last one, it was Y/n's turn to look after the babies, and it was one of the worst nights ever. So much so, that Harry was unable to go to sleep because of the loud wails and the fact that his babies were helplessly hurting. So, he was up along with her, although he remained in bed and held onto Amore who had been whimpering with her head nuzzled in his chest â all while looking at Y/n pace around the nursery they'd built out of the room right next to theirs, with a sobbing Andre clung to her chest, bouncing herself in different motions to somehow get him to relax, in the baby monitor
So, it only made sense for him to be tired and sleepy out of his mind.
"I'm glad you came home early tonight. Was hoping you'd sleep in early," Y/n mumbled as she scratched his scalp, something that never failed to soothe him. "I'll take care of tonight. Got to peel some peas, too, you know?" Chuckling, she continued -- "It's been a while."
Harry hummed back, taking a deep breath before rising back to his height. He pressed a chaste kiss on her upper lip, and placed his hands on her love handles, already missing the warmth of her neck and Andre's baby scent that lingered there.
"Only had to do some composing today," he told her. "Pretty happy with the way the song's turning out," he smiled before he moved over to take the kettle off the stove.Â
It made Y/n smile, that they were finally talking about something that wasn't in regards to their children or about how tired they were. Because those two topics seemed to be the only thing that they ever talked about these past few days, and she was beginning to anticipate a fight brewing somewhere in a dark corner, away from sight.
Sliding her bottom on the kitchen island, she sat cross legged on it and -- "Oh really? I'm so happy!" She chirped. "Tell me more!"
She heard him laugh lightly, and she felt as if she were glowing because of how happy she'd gotten. "C'mon! I wanna know!" She urged him to hurry as he waited for the tea to leave its flavour in their cups.
Harry laughed again, as if her happiness was contagious.
"You know the song I told you about, the day before yesterday? The one which I described as silently and shyly explicit?" He asked her, turning around with a cup in each hand. He was holding the body of her cup so that she could hook her fingers through its handle and wouldn't burn herself with how hot the cup was, and Y/n's heart felt like it was merely a puddle in her chest cavity.
She hummed in response, motioning him to sit and giving him a look when he only leaned his bottom on the kitchen counter, and crossed his feet at the ankles in front of her.
"Well, I named it 'Keep Diving'," he gleamed. "I can't wait for you to hear it! I think we just have to give it some touch-ups tomorrow," slurping on his tea just to annoy her, he grinned proudly.
"So... am I going to hear it tomorrow, or when the whole album is ready?" She asked him with narrowed eyes, pointing a finger gun at him.
Harry laughed out loud and immediately held his cup a little farther from his chest so he wouldn't spill the tea on himself. "You've heard every song I've made so far! Music For A Sushi Restaurant, Late Night Talking, Satellite, As It Was, and Grapejuice," he recapped the song titles for her.
"And, Keep Driving, of course," he said. "Which I think I'll let you hear once the album is ready, along with a few other ones," a smirk pulled one corner of his lips upside and dug a dimple in his cheek. He was growing a stubble.
Y/n gasped loudly; mouth wide open and eyes stilled at him in shock. "There are multiple songs you're hiding from me?" She exclaimed, placing her cup beside her before she could drop it.
Harry pretended to run, looking anywhere but in her eyes. "You are the first person to listen to anything I write! I'm just planning to surprise you with ...a few," he accepted sheepishly.
Her eyes had now fallen in suspicious slits that glared at him. "How many?" She asked, swinging her legs off of the island.
"I mean, there are songs I still need to write but... I've got 3, I think, that you don't know about," he emphasised as if that'd save him from her hands that seemed to be ready to attack him with pinches and tickles. So, he quickly chugged the last few sips of his tea that had gone cold by now, and slid the cup on the counter before taking off from the kitchen.
He ran carefully so he wouldn't slip in his socks, but that wasn't helping because she was running after him without a care in the world. Although, it was when she began laughing and shrieking behind him that Harry couldn't help but turn to see what had caught her attention that was funnier to her than them being grown-up adults, running after each other like they were kids again.
And the sight amused Harry to the level that he had to stop to laugh at it, which caused Y/n to slam into him because she was looking behind her instead of looking ahead.
Hary went tumbling down on the Lego bits the kids had built and he cried out loudly in pain, the pieces digging into his back as Y/n fell over him. She was laughing at him but her eyes showed concern for him, and before she would've gotten up to help him, the two little bodies that were running behind her came and halted at her feet.
She sighed in relief, slightly proud that they already held that certain maturity but then Andre bent his knees, and made a big jump on her back as if she were playing horses with him and Amore followed soon behind him, crawling up Y/n's leg and stopping once she was sitting behind Andre.
"Oh my -- god," Harry gritted through his teeth, wrapping his arms around Y/n so the kids atop of her wouldn't fall in case his groaning body tilted to the side in pain.
"Oh my god," Y/n also hissed, mainly for Harry but also because of the attack on her poor back. Her face still showed amusement as she tried to reach for the kids' hands above her and get them off of her. "Get up, Andre, Amore â get up," she urged them and sighed when they did.
She exhaled in relief on her back, but then Harry groaned again beneath her.
"Get up, Y/n," Harry gritted once more and Y/n stilled in realisation before rolling over, onto the floor on her back, spewing apologies.
His eyes were tightly shut when Y/n got up and offered him her hand. âH, give me your hand,â she asked of him, feeling warm inside that the kids were each on his sides and pressing their little hands on his biceps, shaking him thinking he was asleep.
Harry took in a ragged breath before opening his eyes, wincing when the kids shouted in delightment that they had woken him up. But, nevertheless, he set a pointed look on Y/n at once.
âIâm not letting you get away with this so easily, woman.â He said in a strained voice. âYou better get you oils ready to rub âem in my back.â
That made Y/n gasp once again and she placed her hand on her hip while pointing a finger at him with the other one. âYouâre such an opportunist! Taking advantage of the situation!â She called him out with an accusatory tone to her voice, and only shook her head when he shrugged with a menacing smile on his mouth, grasping at her withheld hand.
#harry styles#harry styles fanfiction#harry styles fanfic#harry styles ff#harry styles fic#harry styles fluff#harry styles angst#harry styles one shot#harry styles blurb#harry styles x reader#harry styles x y/n#harry styles x fem!reader#harry styles x you#dadrry#dad!harry styles#dad!harry#dad harry#harry styles imagine#harry styles imagines#harry styles au#harry styles blurbs#harry styles concept
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