#y'all this took like 3 months of working on and off to finish- you will clap and cheer. this is a threat /j

[tea-cat-arts]

My fe3h and pokemon brainworms came back with a vengeance so I come baring more of this AU (trainer cards coming eventually)

[levandright]

And oh, how I'd love to go Paris again

pairing : jake x f!reader ୨ৎ content / warning(s) : non-idol au, love at first sight, fluff, strangers to friends to lovers(not stated but heavily implied), tension, they're in love your honor, fate reference/mention, can be read as either hs or uni au its up to you ୨ৎ word count : 5.9k

synopsis. you're overwhelmed with your school finals close by, while you are taking a short break from your studying, you couldn't help but reminisce about your precious memories in the city of love when a song that reminds you of your time in paris play. ୨ৎ lev notes : the class trip may not be 100% accurate but its for the plot okay... i had to make it inspired by the 1975 cause i love them too much not to do so + it fits with how i literally have them as my top artist this year :3 (i started writing this days earlier before spotify wrapped lol) also i literally had paris on loop for like 7 hours in total while writing this... anyways hope y'all like this cause it took a lot of brain power to write it, trust i will post what the heart wants as soon as i finish a surprise fic im working on rn ꒰⠀for @sugarikiz event 'ʏᴏᴜʀ ℰ𝓎ℯ𝓈 ᴏɴʟʏ ☁︎.𖥔 ' ꒱

you're at your school's library, cramming for your upcoming finals. with a little over a week to prepare for months' worth of lessons across multiple subjects, the pressure is taking quite a toll on you. two cups of coffee sit beside your laptop, one already empty. even though you've been studying for less than 40 minutes, you already feel the urge to down all the caffeine left in front of you just to keep from dozing off again.

sigh, 'just gotta finish this whole powerpoint. then, i can finally relax for a bit' you silently hype yourself out. with the reward of a break for an hour of studying, you quickly go through the entire lesson in a flash.

grabbing the not empty cup of coffee, you take a much needed sip to keep yourself awake for more hours of studying.

a while later, you're stretching in your seat after having finished with that specific powerpoint. 'finally i can take a break' you think to yourself

as you sit, and stare at your laptop's screen. contimplating on what to do to pass time, you decide to play music to relax yourself.

clicking the shuffle button on your playlist. you put your headphones on and rest your head on your arms, as the familiar tune of paris by the 1975 play.

the music pulls you into a memory, that unforgettable class trip to paris.

꒰ and oh, how i'd love to go paris again ꒱

you’re on the bus, the city outside the window slowly coming to life. everyone in your class is chatting excitedly, pointing out landmarks and planning what to do when you finally get off. the eiffel tower is getting closer, its towering frame making your heart race with excitement.

“can you believe we’re actually here?” keeho says, leaning over to nudge your shoulder. his energy is infectious, and you can’t help but smile.

hyunjin, sitting across the aisle, snaps a quick photo through the window. “this already feels unreal,” he says, grinning. “i’m going to fill my camera roll today.”

the bus comes to a stop, and your teacher announces a short break to explore the area. the three of you quickly stick together as everyone spills out onto the cobblestone street. paris feels alive—the air smells like fresh bread and coffee, and the chatter of locals blends with the hum of passing cars.

“we need food. let’s find a café!” keeho declares, already marching toward a row of cozy-looking places with outdoor seating.

you follow, laughing as hyunjin drags you by the wrist to keep up. he’s scanning every building, taking quick snapshots of anything that catches his eye. “wait, stand here,” he says suddenly, pulling out his phone to snap a candid photo of you and keeho in front of a flower shop.

“are you going to take pictures the whole trip?” you tease.

“obviously,” hyunjin replies, unbothered. “someone has to document how good we look in paris.”

eventually, the three of you settle at a small café. the waiter brings over menus, and you all take a moment to soak it all in. keeho orders a slice of cake, hyunjin gets a croissant and coffee, and you decide on a simple baguette sandwich.

“okay, this is officially the best food i’ve ever had,” keeho says after his first bite.

“it’s just cake,” hyunjin says, rolling his eyes but stealing a forkful anyway.

you laugh as they bicker, feeling a warmth settle in your chest. sitting there with your best friends, surrounded by the magic of paris, everything feels perfect.

after finishing your meals, you and your friends head back to the bus to regroup with your class. the energy is buzzing as everyone talks about their plans for the rest of the day. your teacher announces that the next stop is a famous museum nearby.

the museum is grand, with high ceilings and beautiful architecture that makes you feel small in the best way. inside, it’s quieter, with your classmates dispersing into smaller groups.

hyunjin immediately pulls out his camera again. “this lighting is perfect,” he mutters, snapping a photo of a sculpture in the corner.

keeho rolls his eyes with a smirk. “he’s gonna be like this the whole time.”

“he’s consistent, at least,” you joke, earning a laugh from keeho as the two of you start wandering through the exhibits together.

the artwork is stunning—paintings that feel alive, sculptures that seem to breathe. you and keeho take your time strolling through the halls, sharing your thoughts on each piece.

“i don’t get this one,” keeho says, staring at an abstract painting.

“it’s open to interpretation,” you reply.

“so… the artist spilled paint everywhere?”

you nudge his arm. “be serious!”

keeho grins but then glances around. “hey, i’m gonna find the bathroom real quick. don’t get lost.”

“sure, sure,” you say, waving him off.

as he walks away, you wander aimlessly, letting your feet carry you through the museum’s winding halls. you stop to admire a large painting of a serene countryside when, out of nowhere, you bump into someone.

“oh, i’m so sorry!” you blurt out, taking a step back.

the stranger turns to you, and your words catch in your throat. he’s tall, with warm eyes and a gentle smile. his presence feels calm, yet somehow magnetic.

“no worries,” he says, his voice warm and calm, with a hint of an australian accent you catch right away. “are you okay?”

you nod quickly, feeling your cheeks heat up. “y-yeah, i wasn’t looking where i was going.”

he chuckles lightly, brushing it off. “happens to the best of us.”

he pauses for a moment, as if waiting to see if you’ll say anything else. you manage a small smile. “thanks for being so nice about it. i’m—uh…” before you can finish, keeho’s voice rings out from somewhere nearby.

“hey, y/n! where’d you go?”

the spell is broken, and you glance over your shoulder to see keeho waving at you. turning back to the stranger, you offer an apologetic smile. “that’s my friend. i should go.”

“of course,” he says, still smiling. “take care.”

you hurry off toward keeho, your heart still racing. as you rejoin your friends, you glance back briefly to see the stranger walking away. something about the moment lingers, a small spark you can’t quite explain.

after regrouping with keeho and hyunjin, the three of you continue exploring the museum. hyunjin has finally tucked his camera away, much to keeho’s relief.

“didn’t think i’d ever see the day you’d stop taking pictures,” keeho teases.

“i’m just saving space for later,” hyunjin retorts, grinning. “besides, i want to actually enjoy this.”

the three of you move through the museum, pausing at different exhibits. keeho offers more of his hilarious “critiques,” while hyunjin points out details you might’ve missed. for a while, it feels like time doesn’t exist, just the three of you soaking in the beauty of parisian art.

after some time, you excuse yourself to find the restroom. as you leave, keeho calls after you, “don’t get lost again!”

“i won’t!” you call back with a laugh, shaking your head.

once you step out of the restroom, you turn a corner and nearly bump into someone again.

“oh—sorry!” you start, looking up. and there he is.

the boy from earlier.

“you again,” he says with a warm smile, his eyes lighting up with recognition.

“yeah, me again,” you reply, feeling your face heat up.

“i guess we’re just destined to keep running into each other,” he jokes, his tone light and teasing.

you laugh softly. “seems like it. i never got your name earlier.”

“jake,” he says, extending his hand. “and you?”

“y/n,” you say, shaking his hand. his grip is gentle but firm, and you feel your heart skip a beat.

“nice to officially meet you, y/n,” jake says, his smile widening.

the two of you start chatting, the conversation flowing easily. he tells you he’s here with his own group, visiting from another school all the way from australia, and you share a little about your own trip. his voice is calm and steady, and his subtle humor keeps making you giggle.

at one point, he gestures toward a nearby painting. “what do you think of this one? please don’t say the artist spilled paint everywhere.”

you burst into laughter, shaking your head. “no, no, that’s keeho’s specialty. i actually think it’s kind of beautiful, in a chaotic way.”

“good answer,” jake says, grinning.

before you know it, the sound of footsteps and familiar voices echo down the hall. “y/n! where are you?” keeho calls, his voice unmistakable.

you glance in the direction of the sound, then back at jake, your smile faltering slightly. “that’s my friends. i should go.”

jake nods, his expression soft. “of course. it was nice talking to you, y/n.”

“you too, jake,” you say, stepping away reluctantly. as you walk toward your friends, you can’t help but glance back once. jake is still standing there, giving you a small wave.

you rejoin keeho and hyunjin, who immediately start teasing you for taking so long. but as the three of you continue exploring the museum, you can’t stop thinking about jake. and though you don’t say it out loud, you quietly hope that fate will bring you together again.

it’s been a day since the museum, but your thoughts keep circling back to jake. his kind smile, the way he made you laugh, and that unmistakable australian accent—it’s all stuck in your head.

after dinner with your classmates at the hotel, the buzz of chatter feels overwhelming. you decide to step outside for some fresh air, hoping a quiet walk will help clear your mind.

the streets of paris are calmer at this hour, bathed in a soft, golden glow from the streetlights. a small park just down the road catches your eye, and you wander toward it, settling onto a bench beneath a tree.

you sit there for a while, letting your thoughts drift. the cool breeze carries the faint scent of flowers, and the distant hum of city life feels oddly soothing.

suddenly, you feel someone sit down beside you. you glance over, and your heart skips a beat.

it’s him.

jake.

the boy you couldn’t stop thinking about.

he notices your surprise and gives you that same warm smile. “hey,” he says casually. “fancy seeing you here.”

you blink, struggling to process the coincidence. “jake? what are you doing here?”

“could ask you the same thing,” he says with a light chuckle, leaning back against the bench. “i was out for a walk, saw this park, and thought i’d sit for a bit. didn’t expect to run into you again.”

you laugh softly, shaking your head. “paris must be smaller than we think.”

“or fate has a funny way of working,” he says, his tone teasing but his eyes sincere.

the conversation flows naturally from there. he asks about your class trip, and you tell him about your visit to the museum and all the places your group plans to see next. he shares stories about his own class, laughing about his friends’ antics and the moments that make the trip memorable.

“you’re telling me someone actually fell asleep in front of the mona lisa?” you ask, barely holding back laughter.

“yup. full-on snoring,” jake replies, grinning. “the security guard didn’t know whether to wake him or leave him there.”

the two of you laugh together, the sound blending into the quiet of the park.

after a while, jake stands up. “wait here,” he says, his tone playful but mysterious.

“where are you going?” you ask, watching him walk toward a nearby food stand.

“you’ll see,” he calls back over his shoulder.

a few minutes later, he returns, holding two neatly wrapped chocolate crepes. he hands one to you with a grin. “figured this would make the moment even better.”

you take it, smiling at his thoughtfulness. “thanks, jake. this is perfect.”

as you both sit there, enjoying the crepes and chatting under the parisian sky, you can’t help but feel like this moment is something straight out of a dream.

the days in paris pass like a blur, filled with sightseeing, laughter, and the magic of simply being in the city. but the most unexpected highlight of your trip that osn’t on the schedule—is jake.

you can’t quite explain it, but somehow, you keep running into him. these little moments have become the thing you secretly look forward to the most.

────୨ৎ────

you’re standing at the counter of a small café, debating between ordering a croissant or a pain au chocolat. the decision feels monumental, and you’re entirely lost in thought when a voice interrupts you.

“go for the pain au chocolat,” jake says, appearing beside you with an easy smile.

you blink, startled at first, before breaking into a grin. “jake? what are you doing here?”

“getting breakfast,” he says, holding up a cup of coffee and a bag. “didn’t think i’d see you again so soon.”

“neither did i,” you reply, chuckling. “are you always this lucky, or is paris just this small?”

“maybe both,” he teases. “need help deciding?”

“i was leaning toward the croissant, but now i feel like i have to trust your judgment.”

“always trust the chocolate,” he says, nodding sagely.

you laugh and order the pain au chocolat. as you wait, the two of you chat, his humor making the simple café feel like the best spot in paris.

────୨ৎ────

a couple of days later, you’re wandering through a mall with keeho and hyunjin, trying to find souvenirs to take back home. keeho is busy debating between two scarves for his mom, and hyunjin is glued to his phone, looking up recommendations.

you drift toward a small kiosk filled with handmade trinkets, running your fingers over delicate keychains.

“don’t tell me you’re buying one of those cheesy eiffel tower keychains,” a familiar voice says behind you.

you spin around, your heart skipping a beat. “jake!”

he’s holding a bag of his own, filled with souvenirs. “fancy meeting you here.”

“again,” you add with a laugh.

keeho spots jake and gives you a knowing look, while hyunjin just raises an eyebrow before wandering off. you try to ignore them and focus on jake instead.

“what’s in the bag?” you ask, nodding toward his purchases.

“just some stuff for my family,” he says. “and maybe a keychain or two.”

you laugh. “i thought you were against cheesy keychains.”

“only when other people buy them,” he says, his grin mischievous.

────୨ৎ────

the park has become your little escape, a quiet place to think and reflect. you’re sitting on the same bench as before, lost in thought, when you hear footsteps approach.

“do you have a permanent spot here, or are you waiting for me?” jake’s voice breaks through your daydream.

you turn, smiling as he sits down beside you. “maybe both.”

“lucky me, then,” he says, leaning back and looking up at the sky. “so, what’s on your mind today?”

you hesitate for a moment, then decide to be honest. “just… thinking about how much i’ve enjoyed this trip. and how strange it’ll feel to leave.”

jake nods, his expression softening. “yeah, i get that. it’s been a lot, hasn’t it?”

“yeah,” you say quietly, and for a moment, the two of you sit in comfortable silence.

that evening. your teacher gathers the entire class in the lobby of the hotel to deliver the news.

“you’ve got two days left to enjoy paris before we head back home,” she says. “make sure you start packing your things and grab any last-minute souvenirs.”

the room fills with murmurs of excitement and relief. most of your classmates are thrilled to return to canada, and part of you is, too. but as you head back to your room, a bittersweet feeling settles in your chest.

two more days. that’s all the time you have left before you have to say goodbye to jake.

you don’t know why the thought stings so much, but it does. and now, more than ever, you hope for one more chance to see him.

────୨ৎ────

the second-to-last day in paris feels like a blur of excitement and nostalgia. you, keeho, and hyunjin make it a mission to visit as many places as possible, squeezing every last drop out of your remaining time in the city.

as the three of you step into the vintage store, you're greeted by the faint smell of aged leather and a mix of retro music playing softly in the background. the shop is packed with everything from old records to racks of vintage clothes and shelves lined with random knick-knacks.

“okay,” keeho announces, clapping his hands together. “this is the place to find hidden gems.”

hyunjin raises an eyebrow. “hidden gems or overpriced junk?”

“you just don’t have the vision,” keeho shoots back, already digging through a rack of jackets.

you wander toward a glass display case near the counter, something catching your eye—a vintage digicam. it’s small, sleek, and looks like it’s been well cared for. you kneel to get a closer look, curiosity piqued.

“hey, what’d you find?” keeho asks, appearing beside you with a leopard-print scarf draped around his neck.

you point to the camera. “a digicam. looks pretty cool, doesn’t it?”

keeho leans in, inspecting it. “very cool. are you gonna get it?”

you hesitate. “i don’t know… do you think it still works?”

“only one way to find out,” hyunjin says, suddenly appearing on your other side. he gestures to the shop owner, a kind-looking older man, who unlocks the case and hands you the camera.

you examine it closely, turning it over in your hands. the lens looks clean, and the buttons feel intact.

“how much?” you ask the shop owner.

“twenty euros,” he replies with a smile.

keeho gasps dramatically. “a steal! you have to get it.”

“yeah, before someone else does,” hyunjin agrees, casually flipping through a rack of shirts.

you laugh at their enthusiasm and decide to go for it. “alright, fine. i’m buying it.”

as you hand over the cash, keeho strikes another pose with the scarf. “what do you think? parisian chic, or should i stick to my usual?”

“stick to your usual,” hyunjin says without looking up.

keeho sighs, draping the scarf back onto the rack. “you two have no appreciation for drama.”

you test out the digicam, snapping a quick photo of keeho mid-pout. the image pops up on the tiny screen, surprisingly crisp for something so old.

“perfect,” you say, showing him the photo.

keeho grins. “okay, maybe you do have an eye for the dramatic.”

hyunjin wanders over with an oversized sweater, holding it up against himself. “thoughts?”

keeho wrinkles his nose. “are you auditioning for a grandpa role?”

“i like it,” you say, defending hyunjin’s choice.

“thank you,” hyunjin replies, smugly tossing the sweater over his arm.

the three of you spend a bit longer in the shop, goofing around and trying on random hats, sunglasses, and jackets. you snap more photos with your new camera—keeho wearing an old captain’s hat, hyunjin attempting to look cool in aviator sunglasses, and a candid shot of the two of them laughing together.

by the time you leave, the bag with your new camera swings lightly at your side, and your heart feels full. the memory of this moment—just you and your friends being unapologetically yourselves—already feels like a keepsake all its own.

at a small crêperie, hyunjin’s crêpe is covered in whipped cream and chocolate drizzle.

“how are you even holding that without it falling apart?” you ask, staring at the overloaded treat in wonder.

hyunjin shrugs. “skill,” he says simply before taking an enormous bite.

keeho watches in horror. “that’s going to end up all over your shirt, and i am not letting you borrow mine.”

“you sound like my mom,” hyunjin says through a mouthful of crêpe.

by the seine river, you take turns with the digicam, capturing moments that feel like they belong in a movie. keeho makes exaggerated poses on the bridge, while hyunjin tries (and fails) to look mysterious.

when it’s your turn to hold the camera, you take a candid shot of the two of them mid-laugh. it’s perfect—pure and genuine, a reminder of how much these moments mean to you.

“alright, photographer extraordinaire,” keeho says, pointing dramatically at the eiffel tower in the distance. “get my good side.”

“you don’t have one,” hyunjin jokes, earning a glare from keeho.

as the day winds down, you find yourself lingering outside the hotel while keeho and hyunjin head inside.

“we’ll be in the lobby if you need us,” keeho calls over his shoulder, giving you a knowing look.

once they’re gone, you make your way to the park. the same bench, the same tree, and this time, jake is already there, waiting.

he stands when he sees you, his smile soft but bright. “hey.”

“hey,” you reply, walking up to him. “beat me here this time, huh?”

“had a feeling you’d come,” he says, shrugging.

you sit down beside him, the quiet of the park wrapping around you like a blanket.

“you’ve been busy,” jake comments. “i saw you earlier near the seine with your friends. looked like fun.”

“it was,” you say, smiling at the memory. “trying to cram everything into one day, you know? time feels so short now.”

jake’s expression shifts, just slightly, and you know he understands what you mean.

“speaking of time…” you begin, hesitating. “we’re leaving tomorrow. my class is flying back home.”

jake nods slowly, his gaze dropping to his hands. “i figured it was coming. my group leaves the day after.”

there’s a pause, the kind that feels heavy but not uncomfortable.

“do you think we’ll meet again?” you ask softly, not daring to look at him.

“i hope we do,” he replies, his voice quiet but firm.

the weight of his words lingers between you, saying everything that neither of you can.

you pull out your digicam, breaking the tension with a small smile. “can i take some pictures? you know, to remember this?”

jake’s face brightens slightly. “of course.”

you snap a few shots—some posed, some candid. jake laughing at something you said, jake looking off into the distance, and finally, one of the two of you together, taken with his help.

as the night deepens, you know it’s time to go. you stand, reluctantly. “i should get back before my friends come looking for me.”

jake nods but doesn’t move. instead, he reaches out, gently taking your wrist.

“wait.”

you turn, surprised, as he pulls something from his jacket pocket—a pair of silver rings, simple and elegant.

“for you,” he says softly, slipping the smaller one onto your right hand’s ring finger. the fit is perfect.

your heart races, words failing you as he looks at you, his gaze full of unspoken meaning. then, he leans forward, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead.

“goodbye, y/n,” he murmurs, stepping back.

it takes you a moment to find your voice. “goodbye, jake.”

as you walk back to the hotel, your mind replays the moment over and over, the cool metal of the ring on your finger grounding you in the surrealness of it all. that night, lying in bed, you can’t help but wonder if the universe will bring you and jake together again someday.

꒰ paris again, and again, and again, and again, and again ꒱

a tap on your shoulder pulls you out of your thoughts, and you lift your head groggily. you blink, trying to focus on the person standing in front of you. it’s keeho, grinning mischievously, while hyunjin stands behind him, sipping his americano with a slightly amused expression.

“y/n, what are you doing?” keeho asks, leaning in and waving his hand in front of your face.

you yawn, rubbing your eyes. “i’m taking a break. i can’t even keep my eyes open for more than a minute.”

hyunjin raises an eyebrow. “yeah, we can tell. you’re practically sleeping at your desk.” he leans against the back of your chair, his voice cool but teasing. “how about you stop pretending to study and actually join us for once?”

keeho’s grin widens as he jumps into the conversation. “we’re heading to a café to study, and you’re coming with us. you need a change of scenery.”

you groan, feeling your body resist the idea of leaving the comforting quiet of the library, but deep down, you know you’ve been at it for too long. a change of pace might be exactly what you need.

“come on, y/n,” keeho insists, his voice full of that playful energy you can’t ignore. “we’ll make it more fun. you can’t study like this. plus, you’ll probably get more done with us around.”

you hesitate for a moment, your mind torn between the need for a proper break and the looming pressure of your exams. still, you can’t deny how much you need a little distraction. “fine,” you sigh, finally giving in. “but if we end up just talking the entire time, i’m leaving.”

hyunjin chuckles, giving you a knowing look. “i think you’ll be okay. we’ll actually study this time. promise.”

keeho grabs your arm, pulling you up from your seat with a playful tug. “good, because you need us to keep you sane. now, let’s get out of here.”

as the three of you leave the library, you let out one last sigh, knowing that even though you might not get as much studying done as you hope, you could definitely use the company.

the café is warm and inviting, the soft hum of background chatter mixing with the aroma of fresh coffee and baked goods. it’s a stark contrast to the quiet, studious atmosphere of the library, and you find yourself breathing a little easier as you step inside.

you find a small corner table and set your laptop down, letting out a contented sigh as you settle in. keeho and hyunjin head to the counter to order, leaving you to fidget with your feet, trying to shake off the weight of the past few hours spent studying.

your eyes flicker to the window, watching people pass by as you idly tap your fingers against your coffee cup. eventually, you stop, catching sight of the ring on your right hand.

you pause, fingers tracing the smooth metal, your mind drifting back to paris. “it’s been three years since that time in paris,” you think to yourself, a wave of nostalgia washing over you. the memory feels distant now, like a dream you’re not quite sure was real.

you wonder if jake still remembers you, if he thinks about you at all. you’d been so wrapped up in the magic of those moments, so caught up in the fleeting connection between the two of you, that you’d completely forgotten to exchange socials, to keep in touch.

a soft laugh escapes you, tinged with frustration. you can still picture your past self—so carefree, so caught up in the magic of the moment, never once thinking about the things you should have done. and now, years later, it stings.

the photos you took back then are all you have left—memories frozen in time, but still, you find yourself wishing you had more. a way to bridge the gap between then and now, something more than a ring on your finger that’s become a quiet reminder of what you left behind.

a soft laugh from keeho breaks you from your thoughts, and you glance up to see him and hyunjin walking toward the table, their arms full of coffee cups and pastries. keeho places your cup down in front of you, his expression softening when he notices the faraway look in your eyes.

“you okay?” he asks, settling into his chair across from you.

you smile faintly. “yeah, just… thinking about paris.”

hyunjin raises an eyebrow but doesn’t push. he simply places a croissant in front of you and nods. “we’ll make it through these finals. paris will still be there when you’re done.”

you nod, but the bittersweet smile remains on your face, the question still lingering in the back of your mind. will you ever see jake again?

you manage to get some work done, but there’s plenty of laughter and light-hearted banter between you guys. hyunjin and keeho constantly bicker over the most ridiculous things—whether iced coffee is better than hot coffee, or if studying with background music is productive.

“you’re seriously telling me you don’t like the classics?” keeho says, shaking his head dramatically. “what kind of music do you even listen to, hyunjin?”

“i listen to music that doesn’t make my brain want to shut down,” hyunjin replies with a smirk, taking a sip from his americano. “but hey, if you need classical music to study, you do you.”

you laugh at their back-and-forth, shaking your head at their silly rivalry. the sound of their bickering is strangely comforting, distracting you from the pressure building up inside your mind. you feel a little lighter, even if it’s just for a moment.

after a while, you excuse yourself and head to the bathroom inside the café, needing a quick break from the endless cycle of notes and coffee. the place is busy, but the hum of quiet conversations and the scent of freshly brewed coffee make it feel comforting.

you take your time, refreshing yourself and letting your thoughts wander for a few moments. when you finally finish and head back out, you’re not paying attention to where you’re going, still lost in your thoughts.

and then—bam.

you collide with someone, the force making you stumble slightly. your reflexes kick in, and you immediately start bowing in apology, your words rushing out in a flurry of embarrassment.

“i’m so sorry! i didn’t mean—”

but before you can finish, you hear a familiar voice, soft and warm, with that unmistakable australian accent.

“y/n?”

you freeze, and the world seems to stop for a moment. you slowly lift your head, and there, standing in front of you, is none other than jake. in the flesh.

for a split second, all your words get caught in your throat. your heart races, and your brain scrambles to process the unexpected reunion. this can’t be real. is this a dream?

jake’s brows furrow slightly as he looks at you with concern, his voice softening. “are you okay?” he asks, stepping a little closer to you, clearly worried about your sudden silence.

you blink, feeling your heart thumping louder in your chest as you try to find your words, but they’re nowhere to be found. you stand there, staring at him, completely at a loss for what to say.

he leans in slightly, just enough to make sure you’re okay, his face showing that familiar concern. “y/n?” he gently says your name, and your body snaps back to reality.

“i—uh… sorry, i just—didn’t expect to see you.” you feel the heat rush to your cheeks, embarrassment flushing your face. "i thought… i thought i was imagining things."

jake chuckles softly, his expression softening with a smile that makes your heart flutter. “i didn’t expect to run into you here either.” his tone is light, playful, but there’s something in his eyes—something that makes the air feel a little thicker.

you both stand there for a moment, awkward silence hanging between you. the familiarity of this moment feels surreal, but there’s no denying the warmth that spreads through you at the sight of him.

“so, uh,” you start, finally finding your voice, “what are you doing here? i didn’t expect to run into you… again.”

jake’s lips curl into that familiar, soft smile. he shrugs nonchalantly, but there’s a glint in his eyes, something unspoken. “guess it’s just fate.” he says, his tone playful but there’s a layer of sincerity underneath it, one you can’t quite ignore.

you chuckle lightly, but the tension between you both is palpable now, thickening the air around you. there’s an undeniable pull between you, something that neither of you have fully acknowledged, but it’s there, lingering in the space between your words. you feel the heat of his gaze, and the sudden awareness of how close you both are makes your heart beat just a little faster.

“so… how’ve you been?” you ask, needing to break the moment but also curious, wanting to know everything about him since that last time you saw him.

jake rubs the back of his neck with a small, shy smile, a gesture you remember well. “i’ve been good… just been busy, you know. but i’ve been thinking about our time in paris a lot.” his voice is casual, but his eyes hold something deeper, a hint of vulnerability that you weren’t expecting.

you nod, understanding exactly what he means. you’ve been thinking about paris too. every memory feels like a treasure, something you’ve carefully tucked away, not wanting to forget any part of it. you wish you had more time to ask him about the things he’s been up to, to know if he’s felt the same pull that you have, the connection that neither of you can explain.

you glance down at your hand absentmindedly, and that’s when you see it—the ring he gave you in the park, so simple yet so meaningful. the silver band glints in the soft café lighting, and your heart does a little flip.

jake notices too, his gaze dropping to your hand. his smile softens, almost imperceptibly, but you notice it. there’s a quiet understanding between you two that you don’t need to speak aloud.

“i see you’re still wearing it,” he murmurs, his voice low, almost tender.

you look up at him, meeting his eyes, and for a moment, everything else fades away. you feel like you’re back in paris, standing in that park, with everything still ahead of you, full of hope and possibility.

“i didn’t want to take it off,” you say quietly, your voice barely above a whisper.

jake doesn’t say anything at first, his eyes locked on yours. then, without warning, he reaches out slowly, his fingers brushing lightly over your hand, and he gently presses a kiss to your right hand, right where the ring rests. the simple gesture feels like it speaks volumes, and you can’t help but feel a surge of warmth spread through you.

“i’m glad,” he says softly, his voice just above a murmur. “i’m glad you kept it.”

for a moment, neither of you speaks. the world feels like it’s holding its breath. the space between you feels charged, but neither of you is in a rush to break the silence. it’s as if this moment, this small, quiet exchange, is enough.

you blink, still a little stunned by the gesture, your heart racing, but a smile tugs at the corners of your lips. you can’t help but feel the warmth in your chest, the way his simple action makes you feel seen, valued, even though you never really said all the things you wanted to say.

when you finally speak, your voice is soft but steady. “i didn’t think i’d see you again.”

jake takes a deep breath, his eyes never leaving yours. “i didn’t either, but i’m glad i did.”

enha perm taglist. @dazzlingjaeyun @honeychocos @manaah02 @kozumesphone

©levandright

[billiegabbysyd]

with benefits (g!p amber freeman x reader x g!p tara carpenter)

chapter 3: i forgive you

chapter 1

chapter 2

chapter 4

chapter 5

cw: possessive behavior and sex, blowjob (a receiving), and orgasm denial

the only thing that you can think about is how things ended with amber.

now you have to focus on making things right with her.

you had deep feelings for her but you weren’t sure about how she felt about you.

the both of you never talked about romantic feelings with each other really.

it seem to be that your relationship with amber was purely psychical.

with tara it was completely different.

you really liked tara and the way she made you feel.

she’s a real romantic.

always buying you things, leaving you little notes, and giving you flowers.

tara did this without you having to ask.

amber didn’t really do romance.

so her reaction about tara didn’t really make sense.

you and tara had been seeing each other for 3 months after you hooked up at a frat party.

all this while you were still fucking amber.

you liked what you had with tara.

but secretly you loved what you had with amber.

you loved how possessive she was.

when y’all fucked she had she had complete control of you.

it was what you loved.

you were hers and nobody else's.

you also had romantic feelings for her.

but you also felt those feelings for tara.

however, amber’s dominance was everything to you.

she was like that in and out of the bedroom.

she took charge when y’all are together and it wasn’t a problem.

whenever you were with amber.

your brain turned off.

you were so submissive for her.

you gave her all the power to do what she wanted.

you loved it.

being a little whore for amber.

you didn’t have anything else in mind, other than pleasing her.

it was different with tara, she was gentler.

when y’all had sex, she would always ask you if something was ok before doing it.

that was more than ok.

sometimes you wished she would just rip your clothes off and fuck you into oblivion.

when fucking tara, she gave you all the power.

tara basically did whatever you wanted.

you tried to talk to her about being more dominant in your relationship.

at least in bed.

she always says she’ll try, but never delivers.

that’s the one thing you really don’t like about her.

you had to do a lot of work when it came to sex.

sometimes she'd even call you mommy during sex.

which wasn’t your favorite thing.

aside from that, tara was nice and good for you.

that’s what you believed.

she didn't know about you and amber though.

at least that not to your knowledge.

which is something that you were not ready to tell her.

tara knew that you were seeing someone and that's why y'all weren't exclusive yet.

you shake out your thoughts to get finished getting ready for classes.

you were hoping to see amber since y'all had a few classes together.

you had grabbed your bag getting ready to head out.

but heard a knock at your room door.

you walk towards it.

opening it to see tara with a smile on her face and a coffee in her hand.

"hey babe, good morning."

she says giving you a kiss on lips.

you smile kissing her back.

hey t, good morning!"

"i got this for you! do you have time to talk?

she ask handing you the coffee.

"thanks! i'm kind of in a hurry. can we talk later?

you say accepting the coffee from her.

she nods yes.

"ok! i’ll text you later!"

she kisses your cheek before leaving.

you shut the door behind her

then you pull out your phone to text amber

'hey, can we talk soon?'

you send the message and wait for a reply.

not even a minute later she reads the message but doesn't reply.

you sigh putting your phone in your bag.

you open your door to find nobody other than amber.

a smile on her face as she towers over you.

"hi baby girl."

she says in a way too casual tone.

you furrow your eyebrows as a confused look comes across your face.

"amber? hi, what are you doing here? i thought you mad at me."

she laughs and slightly pushes past you to sit on your bed.

"i could never stay mad at you for long, princess ."

amber says with a smirk on her face.

you core tingles at that pet name.

that name turns you on more than anything.

especially when amber calls you it.

you shake off your thoughts before walking to amber.

you stand between her legs as you take her hands in yours.

both of you stare at each other before you speak

i'm sorry i didn't tell you about t, i should've-"

she cuts you off by pulling you into her lap

then tucks a piece of your hair behind your ear.

her hand grazes your cheek

you feel a tingle between your legs.

"it’s ok princess, i'm not mad anymore."

she says with a smile.

"really?"

you say surprised.

she nods yes before pulling you close to whisper in your ear.

" plus you and i both know tara can't give you what i can”

her hand starts massaging your inner thigh.

you jump at the feeling of her cold hand on your bare skin.

she lets out a low chuckle.

you blush feeling yourself get wet because you know she's right.

you love amber's touch; it was addicting, and you needed her.

"am, please!" you said in a breathy tone.

you didn’t care about anything right now but amber.

“please what? pretty girl.”

she moves her hand higher up on your thigh, going up under your skirt.

“please touch me, daddy!”

you open your legs to give her more access.

she laughs and gives you playfully shocked look before saying.

"there's my little slut. just wanting to be fucked. what about your little girlfriend?”

you had completely forgotten about tara, but you really wanted Amber.

a ping of guilt hits you, but you quickly dismiss it.

“please daddy, just want you!"

you start humping amber's leg.

you start panting.

you feeling the friction from her jeans on your panty covered pussy.

she lets you do it for like 30 seconds before smacking your thigh.

you whimper and stop.

you are more soaked than ever.

you can feel the wet spot left on amber’s jeans.

she grabs your chin.

“you are such a pathetic whore. what am i going to do with you?”

she tilts her head to the side. staring you with a lustful gaze.

you pout, looking up at her with pleading eyes.

“anything you want, please just touch me here!

you guide her hand to between your thighs.

her fingertips graze your underwear.

sending a jolt of energy through your body.

she snatches her hand away.

using one hand to yank your hair, so your head goes back.

you gasp.

“don’t be a brat, you do what i say!”

”yes daddy, i’m sorry.” you groan.

she laughs and lets go of your hair.

she pulls your shirt and bra off.

before pushing you off her lap.

you land on the floor.

she looks down at you and tells you to get on your knees.

you do as told. she smiles and spreads her legs.

“come here baby girl, you’re going to suck me off. then, maybe you’ll get a reward.”

amber’s hard-on is visible.

you unzip her pants and she lifts up so you can pull down her jeans and underwear.

her hard dick springs up.

all eight inches of it, throbbing and oozing with pre-cum.

you bite your bottom lip seductively.

before casting you eyes towards her erect cock.

still amazed at the size of amber’s member.

you take it in one of your hands

feeling it twitch as you pump it slowly.

amber allowed you to do this.

before slowly raising her hand to place it on the top of your head.

applying a little bit of force that pushed you more down on your knees.

you found yourself at eye level with amber’s cock.

"fuck…you look so pretty on your knees baby”

she places both hands on each side of you head.

shoving her cock into your mouth.

"mhmm"

you mumble from your full mouth, taken by surprise.

you soon became adjusted and begin to bob your head eagerly.

amber just looked at you.

a pretty girl with a her dick in your mouth

as you sucked amber’s cock.

your hand goes half way down her penis. so you can stroke it.

still bobbing you head up up and down

managing to fit more than half of amber’s cock in your mouth.

her hand supporting the back of your head with her hand.

as she moaned.

you finally come up for air.

gasping loudly and smiling as strings of saliva dripped from your mouth.

and the head of amber cock.

you smile you use as both hands to pump at the spit covered member.

before taking it in your mouth once again.

this time you attempt to fit as much of her dick into your mouth as possible.

amber saw you struggling and decided to help.

she roughly grabs your hair and shoves her cock down your throat.

you gag a bit, but get use to the feeling quickly.

seeing that this has happened before with amber.

saliva drips down into your cleavage.

u loved when she used your mouth like this.

she fucked your face for a bit.

before tapping her cock on your tongue repeatedly.

shooting her precum down your throat.

“fuck that mouth is so good” she says through pants.

amber moans as she starts moving her hips again.

“i’m so close baby.”

she lifts you up off her dick.

“bounce on my dick, princess” she moans.

you waste no time standing up

moving your panties to the side .

you straddle yourself on amber’s lap. She pushes you down on her cock

you moan, feeling her stretch you out.

you start bouncing up and down on amber’s shaft.

feeling your ass slapping against her lap as you ride her cock.

you grip onto her shoulder for support as her hands squeezes your ass.

“princess don’t stop bouncing on that dick, i’m close.”

you feel your juices squirting on her cock as she begins to throb in you.

one last bounce as she pulls you close to her chest.

before cumming into you, grabbing both of your boobs.

amber groans releasing your breasts, not before slapping one of them.

you yelp.

“baby girl, you’re so good.”

you start to move hips on her cock again, needing a release of your own.

but she grips your hips and lifts you up off her.

some of her semen spills out of you as she places you on the bed.

“i didn’t get to cum! what the hell!”

amber laughs as she pulls her underwear and pants up.

“you don’t get to, that’s your punishment for not telling me about tara.”

she says while buttoning her jeans.

“i thought you weren’t mad!”

she shrugs.

“not mad but disappointed and i thought you were done fucking me.”

you didn’t reply.

” that’s what I thought. i get that you want to be with tara or whatever but come on princess. we both know who you belong to.”

she laughs before heading for the door.

she kisses you on the cheek

“by the way, i forgive you.”

she winks at you before leaving out the door.

[cringe--is--dead]

𝖀𝖒𝖊𝖒𝖎𝖞𝖆 𝕳𝖆𝖏𝖎𝖒𝖊 𝖝 𝕽𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗; 𝕬𝖗𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖉 𝕸𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖆𝖌𝖊 𝕻𝖙. 3

𝕻𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝕺𝖓𝖊

𝕻𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝕿𝖜𝖔

𝓐/𝓝: again, I go into writing these as blind as y'all reading them so I'm so sorry if this is rushed! >.< Also! It's been a hot second! So sorry! I had a bit of... a mental health crisis, got myself put under a bit of a 72-hour hold... but I'm here! And back! Kind of. I'm not super proud of this chapter, I'm so sorry!

It had been a few days since your arrival, since your official first meeting with the man who was to be your husband. Yet, though you assured him and Kotoha you were well rested now, that's all he remained. The man who would be your husband.

It was almost... frustrating to deal with. Your first meeting with your oldest brother's wife was at their wedding; she was beautiful, quiet in her white, lacey, dress. It was quick, you were scolded when you fidgeted in your dress, and your brother and his wife took off not long into the reception. The same thing happened when your second and third brother got married, and it wasn't until you turned thirteen you had learned what happened after a wedding such as those.

Your sister's wedding had been different, the man she had married was kind with both his words and his actions. He allowed your sister to mingle with her family, mainly you and your mother, before he introduced her to people he knew; those he did business with, his own family that had managed to show up and, looking back on it you realized now, a handful of his concubines.

Though she hadn't been taken to bed right then, the wedding was still a quick affair, and you were beginning to question why Umemiya was prolonging yours.

"You seem upset by something."

You thanked the years of etiquette practice that you didn't jump and drop your spoon, merely turning your gaze towards Kotoha who was sending an almost pitying look your way. You placed the spoon down, hands falling to your lap.

"I'm just thinking, I suppose."

Cherry meowed quietly, upset that Kotoha had stopped petting her. Your future sister-in-law continued to pamper her, studying your figure, "Is something the matter?"

"I'm just..." You bit your tongue.

You were allowed to speak freely here, so far. But you were worried that there was a line you'd accidently cross.

"Go on," Her voice was kind, reminding you, in a way, of your own mother.

"It's been about a week since I arrived here, and well," You twisted the fabric of your outfit in your hands, the clothe more comfortable to move around than the ones you grew up in, "There's been no discussion of when I shall be married to Umemiya officially. Have I... done something to offend him since arriving?"

You can only imagine how angry your father's letters will be once they begin arriving. At this rate, you had been gone for months, and he hadn't received one word of your wedding. You wouldn't be surprised if he appeared on one of his ships, demanding answers.

“No, you haven’t done anything,” Kotoha leaned towards you, gently placing her hand atop of yours, the warmth comforting, “I promise you. He’s just… working on finishing a few things.”

“And those things happen to be completed!” Umemiya’s voice was loud and boisterous, having the two of your startle where you were, turning to see him walking towards you, a large smile on his face.

“Kotoha, if I can borrow my fiancé for a moment?”

You felt your cheeks warm at the title given to you. Yes, you knew logically since you two were to be married you were his fiancé, but he said the word with so much warmth.

She looked from him to you, before nodding, telling you she’d find you later, and leaving you two alone. You weren't entirely sure what to say; he must have known you were growing rather antsy to wait, not that you would have disclosed that to his face.

If he was anything like the men you grew up with he would have exploded at you by now, reminding you that your opinions and your annoyance was of no importance to him, to know your place. Instead he smiled at you, and it was as warm and welcoming as it was the first time you ever saw him.

"I know you must hate waiting as long as you have been," He began, gently taking your hand in his and tugging you to follow him down the hall, leading you towards the entrance to the estate, "But I promise you, I think it will have been worth it."

You merely nodded, unsure of what it was he was planning. Maybe he had more business to attend to before becoming a married man? Granted, there was really only one type of business you could think of that would be affected direly due to his marital status, and though you may not know him all too well, you felt as if that wasn't within his character.

Outside the estate was an older woman, much shorter than you, accompanied by a man a few years older than you both. He was holding some type of clothe cover, allowing the older lady to gently fuss over whatever it held.

"Granny!" Umemiya paused, and you followed suit, nodding your head politely while he bowed towards her.

She turned, a serine smile on her face when she saw the pair of you, "Oh goodness! Umemiya-kun wasn't lying, you're quite beautiful young lady."

"Oh," You felt your heart skip a beat in your chest, cheeks ablaze as you thanked her, glancing towards your fiancé who didn't look ashamed at the statement.

"I know our traditions regarding weddings are rather different," He turned towards you quickly, and you felt a bit confused as to what the point he was going to make was, "So I had Kotoha and Tsubaki find different styles and ideas that were closest to Western wear that they could, and we commissioned this for you."

The lady began gently unwrapping the cloth her son, or grandson, was holding. Your knowledge of Japanese wedding kimonos was rather limited, but you knew immediately that the dress before you was not one. It was beautiful, to say the least.

It was far less showy than the dresses you had seen at all your siblings' weddings, but that was fine with you. The fabric appeared rather light, swaying in the gentle breezes that danced past. It wasn't too thick, no extra padding or extra fabric that would make your skin itch and crawl.

"It's beautiful," Was all you could muster to say, eyes wide as you stared at the dress-- at your wedding dress.

"I'm glad you like it, my dear," She quickly wrapped it back up, ushering her son to take it inside, "It was quite fun to make, I made sure the fabric was softer than the poor examples Tsubaki-chan brought me. The dresses your father sent with you were rather uncomfortable, I do hope you'll let me make more clothes for you in the future. Your children, too."

"C-Children?"

"Alright, granny!" Umemiya cut in, pointedly, but not unkindly, all while the older lady giggled rather mischievously, "We've got one more place to go to, thank you for the gown."

She waved you two off as he led you two out, hand on the small of your back as he ushered you out. The estate wasn't quite as large as the one you grew up in, but it was large none-the-less, and you two were quickly eloped in a comfortable silence. He had yet to move his hand from your back, and the touch was burning, in an unfamiliar way.

It was rather... nice.

"Thank you. For the gown. It really is beautiful."

He smiled, eyes crinkling as he chuckled, "It's your wedding as well, I wanted to incorporate some things from your culture as well."

"You didn't have to."

He shrugged in response, "But I wanted to."

He wanted to. For you. Your heart fluttered once more, your chest squeezing uncomfortably, and you quickly looked away from him, studying the cherry petals that danced in the afternoon breeze.

"I know that this marriage isn't something you had asked for," It was startling how quiet he had become, his voice lacking the boy like charm or the energy it had contained before.

"But I promise you I will do everything I can to be the best husband for you, I'll make sure your needs are always met, that you're never left unhappy or wanting." He had stopped walking at this point, and, in turn, you had stopped as well, facing him with wide eyes.

"You will have freedom here, to study and learn whatever your heart desires. You'll be able to help with decisions for the town if you so choose, your opinions and voice matter her," Your hands were in his, and you dropped your gaze to them.

They were much larger than yours, and you could feel the callouses on the palms of his hands. He worked hard, he held power over his town, but he worked with them as well as for them. You'd seen first hand these past few days how many people felt comfortable and safe coming to him with problems, requesting aid or help, and how quickly he was to ensure they received that help.

"I- I don't doubt it," Despite how certain he always seemed, you could hear the vulnerability in his voice, the desire to make sure you believed the words he was saying to you, "You... have been far kinder than most men in my life before now."

He nodded, and you glanced up, noting that, while that seemed to assure him, the sentence seemed to make him deflate a tiny bit. The melancholy look was quickly replaced, movement seeming to catch his attention. He nodded over to where he was looking, and after a moment of confusion, you looked over, curious as to what he was trying to show you.

"It's rather beautiful here," You felt your mouth open, a gasp much louder than intended falling from your lips, "Seems a rather nice place to settle down."

You were taking off down the pavement before you realized it, warm tears budding in your eyes as you ran. For how quickly you made your way to your destination, your sister had managed to drop the bag she had been holding, uncaring as it fell into the grass. You all but fell into her arms, sobs of-- what? Happiness? Sadness?

Whatever you were feeling, you were sobbing in your big sister's arms, her holding you as close as she had when you were a mere child. Her hands were combing through your hair, and you felt a few warm tears of her own fall onto your head.

"You look beautiful in your kimono, darling," You laughed, squeezing her tighter.

Some part of you was vaguely aware of Umemiya walking to join you all, greeting her husband, the pair of them allowing you two your moment as they directed where the bags should be sent to.

Finally, you pulled back, sure your face was blotchy and red in all the wrong places, "What are you doing here?"

Her hands cupped your cheeks, thumbing under your eyes as she rid you of the few tears still falling. She smiled, looking as radiant and beautiful as she always did to you.

"I'm here for your wedding, silly goose," She placed a gentle kiss on your forehead, "Your fiancé sent us letters as soon as you departed from father's, we would have been here sooner but we ran into a minor storm on the way here."

Before you could panic over that idea she shushed you, "It's all fine now. We just may have to stay a bit longer now," She winked, "Just to ensure our ship is in top shape."

"You all are welcome to stay as long as you please," Umemiya spoke, and you turned to him; he was smiling, a true smile, large and happy and warm and everything you were feeling in that moment, "We have enough room."

Your sister stepped back, thanking him, her husband moving to pick up her bag, smiling softly at you, "It's nice to see you again."

You nodded, rubbing at your nose, "You as well."

Umemiya shifted to stand a bit closer, "I hope the waiting seems worth it, I was hoping things could have worked out perfectly, but I'm not one who can control the weather. Nor do I understand making clothes, Tsubaki scolded me every time I went to check on your dress--"

You threw yourself towards him, wrapping your arms around his shoulders, having to stand on your tiptoes as you pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much." You felt as if you sounded borderline hysteric, but you couldn't bring yourself to care.

He wrapped his arms back around you, the weight on your waist oddly comforting, grounding.

"Anything for you," You pulled back after a moment, flat on your feet as you looked up to him, "I mean it."

A/N: part four will (should be) the wedding! and maybe more!

[shigaraki-housewife]

top megumi x bottm male reader pleasee you can throw ur own spin on it and you can choose the setting but please include overstim love ya

I am truly sorry that it took months to write this for you Anon. But I do hope that I did you justice after months of waiting. <3

Please Note that everyone is 18+

Megumi x M!Reader

Over stimulation, praising, mirror sex, dacryphilia and Oral.

The way Megumi hands roam all over your body, as his body pressed up against you on the dance floor. The music is loud and it smells like sweat as people brush against you both.

Turning around you wrap your arms around Megumi's neck as you grind against him. The way your guy's body moves as one, the way his hands are holding your waist close to him, leaving no room between you two. Leaning in close to your ear, Megumi whispered in your ear "Let's go home." Megumi's hot breath hit your ear making you shiver just a little. Nodding your head you grabbed your boyfriend's hand, leading him off the dance floor and to the exit.

Making it to Megumi's car, he opened the door for you to get in before shutting it and getting in the driver's side. During the drive home, you had a thought, unbuckling your seat belt you got in a comfortable position. Leaning over the seat holder, you made quick work with Megumi's belt and zipper. Megumi's hand gripped the stirring wheel tight as he knew what you were about to do.

Taking his cock out of his jeans you spit on his length before putting your mouth on his tip, hollowing your cheeks out, you slowly put more of his length in your mouth before going back up, leaving just the tip in your mouth. "Fuck." Megumi cursed under his breath as he feel you taking his whole length in your mouth before sucking.

Megumi took one of his hands off of the stirring wheel before weaving it in your hair. "You doing such an amazing job, sweetheart," he said breathlessly, making you bob your head faster wanting to please him more. humming around his cock, you pull your mouth all the off before licking his slit. Tasting his precum on your tongue, it took everything in you not to go back sucking his cock. Instead, you tuck him back in his pants before sitting back up and buckling back up.

"Why did you stop?" Your boyfriend asked breathlessly as he looked at you from the side. "Patient, That was just the per show." You winked.

****

Pulling into the driveway of your guy's place, both of yours quickly got out and made your way up the driveway as Megumi opened the door, particularly pulling you in the door before slamming the door closed and pushing you up against the door, you back hitting the door a little hard, but not caring as you were pulled into a heated kiss.

Breaking the kiss Megumi, started to bite and suck on your neck, pulling a moan from you. Dragging you to the bedroom, Megumi pulled both of y'all to your bedroom mirror. "Strip. Now" Megumi said as he started to remove his clothes. Standing next to the mirror, He patiently waited for you to finish removing the rest of your clothing. "Kneel." Doing as you are told, you kneel in front of him, your hands resting on your legs, as you wait for further instruction.

Megumi held his cock in one of his hands as he guide it to your mouth, quickly opening your mouth, you took the tip of his cock in his mouth as he slowly pushed his length into your warm hole.

Humming you took him all in your mouth as you started to bob your head at a steady pace. Letting out a small groan, Megumi Grabbed a fist full of hair as he looked down at you. The way your lips looked stretched around his cock, he don't think he can last long.

Pulling all the way out he helped you up off the floor, before, turning you around, so that you could face the mirror, lifting your hands you placed them against the sides of the mirror, as Megumi lined himself up being you before he slowly pushed in. Sighing you felt him bottom out before he pulled out beside the tip before pushing back in.

Megumi's hand held yours as he slammed inside of you at a fast pace, Looking down you gripped the mirror as Megumi kept hitting the soft spot inside of you "F-fuck, Megumi, Right there." You moaned out as your boyfriend picked up the pace, Letting go of one of your hands, he used his free hand to grab your neck just lightly so you could look at yourself in the mirror, Your eyes meeting his as your first orgasm washed over you.

Still not satisfied, Megumi, didn't let up the pace, as he continued to fuck you. "You feel so good, fuck." Megumi said as he leaned his head on your back and his hands found their way to your hips. "So good." You moaned out as you felt your second orgasm approaching you. You jolted as you felt Megumi's hand wrap around your length, as he moved his hand up and down at a fast but steady pace, as your second orgasm washed over you.

By your third orgasm, you started to feel tears in your eyes and you turned into a babbling mess not able to speak coherently. "One more time. Can you come one more time for me?" Megumi asked asked he slowed his pace down. Nodding your head you tried to speak. "Y-yes." You groan as you felt every vein and the curve of his cock inside of you.

"That's my good boy, you look so pretty when you cry," Megumi said as he grabbed your face and looked you in the eyes through the mirror. "Come for me," Megumi said as the knot in your stomach snapped and your came for the fourth time. You felt Megumi come inside of you as he fucked his cum into you making sure none of it will come out.

Pulling out Megumi kissed your shoulders, as he lightly rubbed your muscles. "Was I too rough?" he asked looking at you through the mirror, you leaned back against him and hummed in content, "No, you were perfect, like always." You said as you turned your head to kiss his cheek.

"Let's get clean up and go to sleep. Okay." Nodding you followed Megumi to the bathroom to clean up. After you both were cleaned and dressed, you made your way to the bed and lay down. "I love you." You said as you yawned cuddling up against Megumi who wrapped his arm around you "I love you too Y/N." He replied before kissing your head.

[honeyedmiller]

The Night Before // Pedro Pascal

warnings: implications of smut and sooooooo much fluff I could CRY. hope y'all enjoy <3

word count: 1.7k

-

synopsis: You and Pedro had been dating for awhile, and finally decided to give yourselves to each other. Now it's the morning after, and you can't get last night's events out of your head.

(p.s. omfg this gif makes me want to dramatically CRY UGH)

You stirred slightly, eyes slowly fluttering open. The sun's bright rays beamed through your lover's bedroom, the ivory curtains doing a poor job at keeping the light from your eyes.

You felt a pair of strong, muscular arms wrapped around your bare abdomen, bringing a sleepy smile to your glowing complexion. You could tell he was still asleep by the slow, even sounds of his breath that blew against the back of your neck.

Your eyes darted to the clock on the bedside table— 7:30 a.m. You were surprised you woke so early, considering how late you stayed up due to last night's events.

Oh, last nights events.

You'd been dating Pedro for a few months now, and he absolutely adored you. He'd show you off to the world whenever given the chance, proud to call you his. He made you feel so special, so loved, and never let a day pass by where you didn't feel the unwavering love he had for you.

You finally admitted last night that you loved each other, and that's when you two decided to give yourselves over to one another. Sure, you've had multiple occasions where everything got hot and heavy, but it never exceeded a certain point until last night.

The memories of last night coursed through your mind, imprinting themselves into your soul. You could still feel the way his hands roamed your body, making your skin feel like it was on fire. You could feel his lips against yours and various other parts of your body, making you blush once more. You could also recall his words, still very fresh in your mind, of him praising you and telling you how absolutely breathtaking you were.

He made you feel like a goddess— and to him, you absolutely were. You loved this man more than anything, and you made sure he knew that.

He took his time with you. He didn't rush a thing, and made sure you knew he was all in, and you were his end game. You were it for him, no one else. He'd found his soulmate, his forever, his life partner. The overwhelming feeling of it all washed over him last night all at once, nearly making him cry tears of absolute exultation.

At first, you'd always had a hard time expressing your feelings, and Pedro was hesitant to fully commit to a relationship in fear of getting hurt. It took so long to build that strong form of trust between you both, but the moment it happened, you both dove into it head first. Neither of you regretted the decision to do so.

Breaking from your daze, you turn your head to see a peaceful looking Pedro. A soft smile grazed your lips and you moved to kiss his forehead ever so tenderly. He didn't move an inch, which made you stifle a giggle. Slowly, you unwrap his arms from you, already missing the warm embrace as you slowly sneak out of bed.

You found his shirt from last night tossed onto the floor, so you swiftly picked it up and put it over your head, the soft jersey material falling over your bare body.

You tiptoed out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. You made your way downstairs and into the kitchen. You wanted to do something nice for Pedro since he made you feel so special the previous night, so you decided to make a nice breakfast.

You grabbed all the ingredients you needed, connected your phone to the bluetooth speaker he had in the vicinity, and got to work.

You started swaying your hips to the music as you diced up some potatoes, wincing slightly at the soreness between the apex of your thighs. It was a good soreness, though, and you remember your lover's presence there.

You'd just finished scrambling eggs and cooking up some seasoned potatoes, fixing to stir the waffle mix when flashbacks of the night before started to flood your head.

"You're so breathtaking, baby."

"I love you."

"You're all mine. I'm so lucky. All mine."

Pedro's words kept replaying in your head, making your eyes tear up in the slightest. You really loved that man with everything in your whole being, and were so lucky to've found such a wonderful person like him in this lifetime.

"Good morning, sweet girl." A low, groggy voice snapped you from your thoughts, startling you. His bare feet padded against the hardwood floor, stopping when he was entirely in the kitchen. You turn around, bowl full of waffle mix in one hand, whisk in the other.

You were doe-eyed as you faced Pedro, admiring how disheveled his hair was, how his tan skin glowed, and how low his gray sweatpants hung from his hips. You bit your lip as your eyes met his dark ones that were soft, sleep still prominent in them.

"Good morning, handsome," You set the bowl with the whisk down on the kitchen island, moving to your sleepy lover. You stopped in front of his tall frame, looking up at him. He lazily smiled down at you as he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you flush against his body. "How'd you sleep?"

A blush sprinkled across your cheeks from the proximity, but you beamed up at him as you trailed your hands up his chest and around the back of his neck. You linked your two hands together, letting them rest comfortable behind him.

"Best sleep I've gotten in a very long time." He rasps, moving his head down to kiss you softly. Your hands unlink from themselves, and you move one of them to the back of his head and through his soft, wavy hair.

You kissed him like your life depended on it. You'd never been so passionate with anyone until it came to Pedro, but he loved every ounce of love you were willing to pour into him.

Reluctantly, you pulled apart from him. He kissed your forehead before looking down at you once more, and your hand moved to his cheek to caress it.

"I'm making some breakfast," You state the obvious, "Hope you're hungry." You smile up at him before kissing the stubble on his chin before fully releasing him, but he doesn't let go of you just yet.

"Hmm," He hums, resting his forehead against yours. "Smells good." He grins at you, kissing your forehead one more time before releasing you from his grip.

"Waffles should be done in ten minutes." You turn back around to finish the mix, couldn't help but feel Pedro's eyes burning into you.

He leaned against the kitchen island, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched you mix the batter in the bowl, wearing his shirt. God, could you be more perfect? His eyes ran up and down your body, over every single curve that he had the privilege of kissing last night.

You started to shake your hips to the song that was playing, which put the biggest smile on Pedro's velvet lips. He wanted to reach out and touch you, but he knew better than to distract you from something that had your full, undivided attention.

As promised, the waffles were done in ten minutes. You served him a plate and he graciously thanked you, diving right in. He let out a satisfied groan, his eyes rolling back in a dramatic fashion. You laugh, lightly hitting his shoulder.

You both ate in peace, just simply enjoying each other's company. It was intimate moments like this that tugged at your heart strings. Moments like this you'd never take for granted.

You both finished fairly quickly, both seemingly hungry after such a worked-up appetite.

After you put your dishes in the sink, Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls played over the speaker. Pedro held his hand out to you, and you softly giggled as you took it without hesitation. He pulled you into his chest as one hand wrapped around your waist, the other holding yours in his.

You rested your head on his chest as you two swayed back and fourth to the beautiful love song, pure bliss coursing through your whole being. You don't know what you did in a past life to deserve such a man as Pedro, but you couldn't be happier. You were so in love with him, it could make others sick.

He twirled you around toward the end of the song, your giggle echoing through the kitchen. He hoisted you up by your waist and set you down on the kitchen island, so you two were now eye level. He parted your legs so he could stand between them, hands traveling up your thighs as he dipped his head to leave feathery light kisses against the hot skin of your neck.

You hummed in content, draping your arms over his shoulders. His hands kept traveling up until they reached the apex of your thighs, and his thumbs began to rub light circles into your skin. You pulled apart from him for a second, admiring the adoration in his eyes— which, you were one hundred percent sure your eyes reflected to him as well.

"I love you," You whisper, your index finger moving to trace a small pattern on his bare chest. "So much." You kiss him once, twice, a third time before running a hand through his hair.

"I love you too, my darling. So much." He nudges his nose against yours, leaving a soft, lingering kiss on your lips.

"C'mon, let's go get you cleaned up, mama." Pedro hoists you up from the counter, a playful squeal falling from your mouth. You wrap your legs around his waist and leave playful, wet kisses tracing along his neck and collarbone as he took you two back upstairs to his bedroom and into the bathroom.

He set you down, your feet planting themselves on the cold tile floor. You shivered at the feeling, looking up at Pedro. He went to turn on the shower to a temperature you both liked, then stood back in front of your frame.

He smiled as his hands grazed where the hem of his t-shirt on you and your thighs met, chills instantly covering your body. He slowly pushed the shirt up and over your head, admiring your bare body from head to toe.

"My beautiful, sweet girl. How perfect you are." His lips met yours once again, this kiss in particular filled with fervor and neediness. You slid the sweats right off of his body, and he wasted no time backing you into the shower, lips never breaking yours—

back to finish what was started the night before.

[blkkizzat]

Kaliiiiii. It's done. My manuscript is done (don't remember if I told you already) but as of this afternoon I am officially in first stage editing period aka proofreading!

Ya girl is an author. Period! Loving that for me. Feeling myself a little about it. Any whats. As of tomorrow, I'm officially in training for my GRE and writing my sample piece so one last night of horny on main

Modern day!Sukuna does not let his baby mama study. Y'all got a whole ass kid, and you had to take two years off after giving birth for bonding and shit. But it's Japan so the childcare is available. After baby is two you tell Sukuna that you're going back to classes and he's like "but why though? I take care of you" and your like.."Motherfucker cause I want to!?!?" You were half way through your masters!"

So you get enrolled, and you're doing well until a few weeks into your classes, Sukuna gets bored. He starts distracting you with neck kisses. And you're like "Baby stoooop" cause you can't focus. He does not. He gets worse. Progressively distracting you with sex every other day. And don't get me wrong, the sex is immaculate. Phenomenal but you are behind in three classes. Your professors are worried. Your next version of your thesis is due next week and you're on your back with your legs wrapped around your baby daddy's head cause he wanted to taste you.

It's not really a surprise to you when you end up pregnant again. And Ryomen Sukuna is too fucking proud of himself. Cause now you're gonna stop again right? Wrong. Your ass finishes (miraculously) in your eighth month of pregnancy. And while he was annoyed by how much of your time it took away from him, he is proud that his woman is that smart. And he's holding your now 3 year old on his shoulders as you walk across the stage.

Needing the encouragement- 🧠

AHHH CONGRATS 🧠 BABE!!! I'm proud of you and you should be proud of you too miss author!!!

oooh GRE! good luck!! i bought all these prep books for the GMAT to get into business school but then since I applied during covid they waved the GMAT for part-time applicants with enough relevant work experience so i got a wavier! i suck big time at standardized tests. any test really lmfao. but im a rockstar at a presentation or a paper.

ALSO OHHHH MY FUCKING GAWD!!! I SHED A TEARRRR (im def ovulating). That is so fucking cute i cant stand it!!! I just imagine reader waddling across stage and Sukuna and his hellspawn being extra loud that even if they are not very close to the stage you still manage to hear them loud and clear.

"but why though? I take care of you" and your like.."Motherfucker cause I want to!?!?" You were half way through your masters!"

PERIODDDDDDDDT OMFG YOU LET HIM KNOOOOWWWWW!!!!

ahhh i will miss ya~~~ tho!! 🥹💕

[winterbean177]

Zarck Fic WIP taster <3

Hi y'all! Small update for my fic which will eventually be put up on AO3...

I'm almost finished with the plot outline!

And I've started writing the actual thing... Here's the first couple paragraphs as a taster:

Prologue (status: incomplete)

The Commander was sick of waiting and watching in silence. 

Waiting on a solitary distant planet for upwards of five entire years, devoid of any other kind of social contact, had started to take its toll. Zarck had to give them at least a little bit of credit, as it took them years for that distress beacon to be activated, spewing out their signal to anyone who would listen and come to their aid. It definitely outlasted his prediction that his wayward team would barely last a year by themselves without getting killed, or even worse, tainting the Pupa’s evolution so severely that their mission would culminate in utter failure.

But he certainly hadn't expected the team to last that long. Yes, under the right care and proper attention, the Pupa should have only needed a year or two to mature and see the terraforming cycle to completion, but seeing as they hadn't wrecked it up in maybe six years he couldn't help but be intrigued by their pure dumb luck. That Korvo he had left "in charge" was truly never meant to be leader, Zarck often mused to pass the time, and if anything this utter failure even after so many years of denial (for surely it hadn't taken them all that time for the mission to fall apart, those stubborn, pigheaded adults must have put off sounding the alarm for a while), proved that Zarck had been exactly where he needed to be: in control.

The first two years of waiting had been his most difficult. He had waited, at first eagerly, to detect that distress beacon within the first six months, knowing very well the group did not have the skillset to take care of the Pupa without him-  he hated being put with the most clumsy, naive set of Shlorpians on the homeworld to work alongside, but there was no fighting those who had made the decision to pair the team in such a way. After the first few years, counted with pebbles, sticks and scratch marks littered all over his tiny escape pod, he had begun to assume the team had already perished, none of them around to even sound the alarm, but he paid those dark possibilities no heed. After all, it was merely a What-If situation. No matter what, with the right quantum entanglement technology, this make-believe reality would cease to exist upon the press of a button, and everything would be restored to how it was supposed to be. No questions. No arguments.

Korvo’s reckless stupidity would prove his inability to be team leader, and he would surrender the position instantly back to Zarck as soon as he realised it was not all that easy as it was made out to be by their Commander.

Oh, how he longed to see the look on that idiot's face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope you liked it! Please feel free to interact with this post to show your support <3 I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas and even any questions!

And as always, I hope you have a good day/night depending what time you're reading this at!

-WinterB

[loomiseater]

Fifty Shades

Hey everyone! This is a look at the first chapter of my new Christian Grey book! I just started writing yesterday so I'm only on chapter 3. I'll upload the book whenever I fully finish writing it. I plan on doing 3 books just like the films. I'll upload it daily to my Wattpad and Tumblr whenever I finish writing. ALSO! This is a Christian Grey x Black!fem!reader, but you can still ofc read this book if you're not Black. I've never seen any Christian Grey BWWM fics so I decided to write my own. I really hope you all enjoy this! Lmk what y'all think!!

🩶Y/n's Pov🩶

It was around 7:00 AM when I woke up. I was supposed to be job hunting since I recently dropped out of college, and since then, my parents stopped giving me money. I dropped out because I want to do something I love in life, which is acting of course. But I need to be realistic, I need a stable income since my parents weren't providing for me anymore, and I need the money for acting classes.

My parents weren't rich or anything, but their income was stable and they were well off. I'm the fourth kid out of five siblings. My oldest brother, Ryan, is 30 years old; he's in the Navy, currently on duty. I miss him, I haven't seen him for six months. My big sister, Nyla, is 28 years old. We're not on speaking terms right now. We haven't spoken in two months, two months ago I found out her husband was abusing her.

I confronted her about it and tried to offer her help but she didn't want it. You can't help someone who doesn't want help, and ever since, she hasn't spoken to me, I've tried reaching out but she just ignores me. Theres only so much I can do.

My other brother, Miles, 26 years old, is a firefighter. He's not around that much, not because of any drama or anything, but because being a first responder takes up a lot of your time. Then next of course is me. 19 years old and now a college drop out. After me is my baby sister, Aniyah, who's fourteen years old. She just started her freshman year of high school.

I totally forgot I was supposed to be taking a break from job hunting today, my best friend Aaliyah is currently sick so I'm supposed to be interviewing some man for her. Aaliyah works for our local journalists company. And I'm currently sharing a two bedroom apartment with her until I can afford to live on my own.

I stared at the wall for a couple of minutes until I finally got up and started my day. I brushed my teeth, then got in the shower and washed my face while I was in there, it's more convenient. I got out and dried myself off, now putting on some coconut oil, then going in with some vanilla lotion.

I wanted to go with a professional look today so whoever I was interviewing would take me seriously. Aaliyah would not tell me who the man was, she says I'll gasp when I see him though. I highly doubt it.

I decided to go with some basic colors for my outfit since this is a business setting. I may be a broke bitch right now, but my outfits are still gonna eat. I placed in some earrings, sprayed some perfume, and walked into the living room.

Aaliyah was sitting on the couch with some Ginger Ale and Saltine crackers.

"You feeling any better?" I asked as she threw her head back. "No! My stomach is killing me!" She groaned. "Aww, I'm sorry, babes." I frowned at her current mood. She's been like this for the past 2 days.

"Hey, take my car today." She offered but I kindly rejected. "Take it! I'm not gonna tell you again!" She stated. She sounds just like my mom. "Okay! I'll take it." I said as I took her keys off the table. I was at the door about to open it until she spoke up again. "Do you remember where to go, Y/n?" She asked as I rolled my eyes. "It's the 21st century, Aaliyah, I have a gps." I smartly said as she threw a cracker at me.

She missed as I laughed at her and headed out the door.

I pulled up to a building called "Grey House" it had a sleek modern design and was really tall. It looks expensive. I checked in with the woman at the front desk. I had to look at the paper that Aaliyah handed me for the name of the man I was interviewing. "Um- I'm supposed to be interviewing Christian Grey." I said as I looked at the name again making sure that it was right.

She smiled and kindly told me the room number and floor. When I made it to floor twenty, I was greeted by two women who offered to take my purse and was bringing me to Mr. Grey's office. I followed the blonde women down the hallway as I admired the look inside. The floor was white marble, their were glass doors and windows everywhere, along with paintings.

"Right this way." The blonde announced as we stood in front of two double doors. The doors were wide and long with two cylinder handles. I haven't even met this man yet but I for some reason feel nervous all ready. I opened the door, not even noticing the extra step. In result I tripped into the room. "Ounch!"

I fell on my wrists. As I looked up, I saw a man turned around looking out into the window with a gray suit on. His office was massive. I was still on the floor as he turned around and started walking towards me. "Ms. Robins." He stated. I guess he thought I was Aaliyah.

His long legs strutted over to me, he looks so powerful, and rich. "Are you alright?" His questioned with a look of concern as he helped me up. I nodded my head before shook my hand. I finally got a good look at him and thats when I realized who he was. I held in my gasp but my eyes widened. He was that billionaire. He's one of the richest men on earth.

I guess he took notice to my widened eyes. He chuckled a bit before greeting me. "Christian Grey."

"Y/n Walker." I greeted back.

I couldn't read his face, it was like a mix of amusement and curiosity. "Um, Ms. Robins has the flu, so she asked me to fill in." I say as I realize he was probably wondering who I was since I'm not Aaliyah. "So I see." He started off. "So, you're studying journalism as well?" He finished as I shook my head no.

"No- I-um recently dropped out of college." My voice was hesitant, to be honest I was kinda embarrassed. I quickly changed the subject back to Aaliyah. "I'm Aaliyah's friend, she's sick right now so I'll be taking over the interview."

Mr. Grey looked passed me and nodded his head before walking back to his desk. "As I said, I only have ten minutes." That was kind of rude. I rolled my eyes, thinking he didn't notice but he did. He tilted his head, amused at the fact that I would even do that.

I hurried and sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk. I began to look down at the journal, reading through some of the notes. I mentally picked one of the questions and turned on my recorder. I looked up and Mr. Grey had this cold look, he looked annoyed almost, like he didn't wanna be here. It was making me feel nervous and a bit self conscious.

It was silent for a bit until he stood up and walked over to me, handing me a pencil that had his name on it for some reason. He sighed before resting on the front of his desk. "Ready?" I asked with smile. "Whenever you are." He replied. I smiled again before looking down at the notebook.

"Um-okay. So this is for the special graduation issue on the student newspaper." I explained. "Yes, I'm giving the commencement address at this year's ceremony." He answered. I was actually surprised, this is a man who usually keeps to himself. "You are?" I asked just to make sure I heard right.

He looked liked he was offended by my question so I quickly back tracked. I was trying to look for words to say but I couldn't really think of any. "I mean, um..I know." I softly said. I then looked back down at my paper seeing what else I can ask him. The room was filled with awkward silence until I spoke up.

"You are very young to have amassed such an empire. To what do you owe-" before I could even finish reading the question, he cut me off. "-To what do I owe my success?" He said with an attitude. I looked back down at the paper before answering "Yep.." I awkwardly said.

"Seriously?" He scoffed.

"Yes.." I frowned. "Business is about people." He started off as he walked back to the other side of his desk. "And I've always been good at people. What motivates them, what incentivizes them, what inspires them." He finished. I gave him an apologetic look before speaking up. "No offense, sir, but maybe you're just lucky." I stated. "Excuse me?" I'm assuming no one has ever spoken to him like that.

For some reason he had a smile on his face. "I've always found that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." He said. He stared at me for a bit before he started talking again. "The key to my success has been in identifying talented individuals and harnessing their efforts."

"So you're a control freak." I mumbled lowly just enough for me to hear but apparently he heard it too. "Oh, I exercise control in all things, Ms. Walker." He smirked. I softly laughed at statement before looking back down at my paper. His smirk turned me on, my whole body started feeling hot.

"Do you have any interests outside of work?" I read. "I enjoy various physical pursuits." He said with that same exact smirk again. I licked my lips before looking back down at the paper. I wasn't even paying that much attention to the words, more so just saying them out loud.

"You're unmarried-oh, you were adopted at age four!" I said with shock. I was starting to become more interested.

"Thats a matter of public records." He coldly said. I immediately put my head down not wanting to be in his view, but he ended up sitting down next to me in the other chair. He tilted my chin up with his finger as he looked into my eyes. His icy blue eyes were so beautiful, just like the ocean.

"Why don't you ask me something that you want to know?" He asked before taking his hand away from my chin. My breathing was shallow from his touch, his fingers were smooth, yet rough. I cleared my throat before answering. "Earlier, you said that there are some people who know you well..but I get the feeling that, that's not true?" I sincerely asked.

The room went silent, he was thinking about what to say, no one has ever asked him that deep of a question. Most interviewers just ask him stuff like "How does it feel to be one of the richest men alive", "When are you getting married?", or "How much do you spend in a day?"

Before he could answer my question, the blonde from earlier poked into the room. "Mr. Grey, your next meeting is in the conference room." She announced. "Cancel, please. Me and Y/n are not finished here." He says, not even looking at her, his attention was fully focused on me. My heart started beating faster, that was all the questions I have for him. "Yes sir." The blonde responded.

"Oh- sir, thats all the que-" "I would like to know more about you." He stated. His eyes were filed with curiosity, waiting for me to answer. "There's really not much to know about me." I shyly said. And I was right. I'm only nineteen, I haven't really even been through life yet.

"You said you were a college drop out?" Even though he's correct, I did say that and it did happen, it still felt like a stab to the chest anytime someone says it out loud. "Yes." I pressed my lips together to stop myself from frowning. "Why?" He asked. I lifted my head back up at him to see his head tilted, waiting for me to answer. "What do you mean?"

"Why did you drop out? Money problems? You're parents?" He questioned. "I want to be an actress. It's my dream." I smiled. "What made you fall in love with film?" He asked as he leaned closer into me. I was starting to get nervous from how close he is but I nonetheless answered his question.

"When I was a little girl, my dad would take me to almost every new movie that came out." I started off, thinking about all those soft memories. "Film is something we bonded over, then middle school I joined drama, but I haven't done anything theater wise since senior year of high school." I smiled.

He look intrigued by my answer. "How old are you, Y/n?" He asked as he squinted his eyes. "I'm nineteen, sir. You?" He seemed surprised by my answer. "Why that face?" I asked as he shook his head. "Nothing, you just look really young." He answered. "Thank you?" I didn't know if it was a compliment or not. "You didn't my first question, how old are you, Mr. Grey?" I asked again. "Twenty-seven" he stated. I squeezed my legs, older men are just so much hotter for some reason. I guess he saw my legs squeeze together, he stared at my thighs for a while before speaking up.

"If you're looking to make some extra money, I have a personal assistant job opening." He offered. I softly laughed before speaking up. "I don't think I would be the right person for that job." "I think you'd be perfect for it." He said back as he rubbed my thigh some. I was officially turned on now. I stood up before things could go any further.

"Um- Thats all the questions I have for you." I said as I was now walking out the door. The blonde woman from earlier handed me my purse back as I thanked her. "I hope you got everything you needed." Mr. Grey said as we were now by the elevator. "I did. Thank you, Mr. Grey." I thanked as he shook his head. "Christian." I smiled and pressed the button for the elevator as he tuned me around by my waist.

"In case you rethink about the personal assistant position." He said before he handed me his business card. I took the card from him and thanked him whilst walking into the elevator.

"Goodbye, Christian."

"Goodbye, Y/n."

[3lkin]

Hey y'all. 2024's almost done, ain't that somethin. what a wild year.

(sappy stuff under the cut)

So. Here we are. December 24th, wowza.

Honestly, Imma just start out by saying thank you. Thank you to all the people who followed, or liked my work or reblogged, or even just saw it in passing and kept on scrolling. Thank you to anyone who saw any of my friend's work, or even just existed in the mcyt community. Y’all are my inspirations, and I don’t think I would be where I’m at right now without the incredible support I’ve gotten this past year, especially from my friends over on the Desert Life SMP <3

I wasn’t really sure if I actually wanted to post this over here originally. The art I tend to post are the pieces I’m the most proud of. I don’t like posting sketches or unfinished pieces because they feel messy, or like I didn’t try hard enough. But I also think it’s a valuable thing to show progress, and show where you came from as an artist, as short a timeline as 1 year might be.

Funnily enough, when 2024 first hit, I was the least involved in the mcyt community that I’d been since 2020. I hadn’t really watched Secret Life, I was sort of scooting away from the QSMP, and I was barely paying attention to Hermitcraft (dark times, I know). So what was I up to early 2024 in my art journey? Well, I was finishing up my first Outerwilds animatic (which, as of yesterday, just crossed 4k views WHAT THE FU-). It’s strange, because I remember when working on it, I made the choice not to show the main, player, characters face til the very end, which one may classify as stylistic, but nonono, I just really hated drawing humanoids lmao.

When I finally put that animatic to bed, I wanted to pick up a new project, and for some weird reason, even though I wasn’t really even paying attention to the mcyt community at that time, I drafted up a Life Series Winners animatic. And that’s basically the only thing I worked on, February, March, and April. Looking back on all that now, I’m still really proud of what I set out to make. At the time, I know how happy I was with that style, and how excited I’d been when I first figured out how to tween and started attempting a bit of animation. That animatic got me a place on my first MAP, where I met so many wonderful people, many of which are such large parts of my life now. And after that, the year just took off.

throughout June and July, I participated in Art Fight for the first time, and was exposed to so many incredible artists. I went back to using line art, relearned how to shade and utilize color. August hit, and I was convinced to jump on Tumblr. Was that a good decision? Um. Well it certainly fueled the Desert Duo brainrot I’ll tell ya that. In all truth tho, having the ability to show my work to the wider community was something I didn’t really have up until that point, and seeing how excited people were about Wild Life or other mcyt goings-ons was such a cool experience.

If someone walked up to January 2024 Elkin, and showed her the last three months of work I’ve done, I don’t think in her wildest dreams they would ever think it was them who was going to make it. I’m honestly so proud of where I’m at with my art right now, and how far I’ve come over just this past year. Whether it’s through colors, anatomy, composition, effects, I’ve learned so much from so many wonderful people, and I can’t thank them enough for being such large inspirations.

Damn this got long fast lmao, was meant to be only a couple paragraphs :/ If for some reason you’ve made it all the way down this post, thank you to you as well, for taking the time to be here and read this absolutely blabber. Hope all y’all have a wonderful holiday season, and a happy New Year. Here’s to 2025 :)

[mcrdvcks]

Down Bad - Chapter 24

Chapter Summary: Amina's body set's itself back on track, which gives Amellia the chance to give Amina surgery. While helping Omega for a school project, Amina and Hunter come across a rare flower.

Word Count: 13.1k+

Pairing: Hunter x fem!Jedi Original Character

Notes: hi again!!

i totally forgot when i was going to post this yesterday that it had a looong smut scene (all hail the mighty sex pollen trope!), so i wanted to review and edit it before posting it. please be kind, because it's my first time doing a sex pollen scene

so, if anyone has any requests they'd like to see for hunter, amina, or anyone else in the story, don't be afraid to comment! i'd love to hear y'all's ideas!

TW: periods, cramping, mention of blood, surgery, sex pollen, overstimulation, unprotected piv, mulitple orgasms

(also can we talk about this gif!?)

Series Masterlist - Chapter 23 → Chapter 25

AO3 Link For Chapter

Amina groaned, feeling the stabbing, pulsating pain in her lower body. She wanted nothing more than to stay in this uncomfortable bed on the starship, because getting up meant she’d have to deal with a whole other world of problems.

She curled up in bed, bringing her knees to her chest. A few moments later, her comm started dinging, so using the Force she brought it to her.

Anakin popped up in the hologram, “hey, Lucky. Just thought I would check in.”

“Hey.” Amina rasped.

She watched as Anakin furrowed his brows before speaking again, “it’s back? The Red Wave?”

Amina let out a small chuckle before wincing in pain, “it’s supposed to happen every month, you know. But I get lucky enough for it to happen so randomly it could happen every 4 months, or every 2 weeks.”

He kept his expression before looking around whatever room he was in, “I could come and help you. I’m sure Obi-Wan and our battalions can handle it.”

“Ani, you can’t keep leaving whatever mission you are doing just to help me.”

His eyes flashed with frustration before he masked it with a more controlled demeanor. “The Council isn’t going to let you have a day off. This is the best we can do. Ahsoka can come along with me.”

Amina sighed before giving in. She was in a lot of pain, and it would be a while before she would even stand up to go to the bathroom. “Okay. Fine.”

Anakin’s relief was visible, and he gave her a small smile. “We’ll be there soon. Just hang in there, Lucky.”

The hologram flickered off, and Amina let out a long breath. She hated feeling this way, so helpless and dependent on others. But Anakin always seemed to know when she needed him, even if she didn’t want to admit it.

---

Amina walked into the kitchen pouring herself a cup of caf as she leaned against the counter. Her stomach was hurting, and she felt like bantha fodder.

Hunter was out at work helping Shep, and Omega was at school. Amina grabbed three fruit pastries and sat on the couch.

Amina took a bite of one of the pastries, the sweet tang of fruit filling her mouth as she chewed. She glanced around the room, the familiar sights and sounds of their home offering a small measure of comfort in the midst of her physical turmoil.

After she finished eating the pastries and her caf, she quickly went to the bathroom coming across a harrowing discovery. Blood.

At first, she thought she was dying, but that thought lasted only a half a second. She had been on hormone therapy for 3 months now, been through the mood swings, lost appetite, and nausea.

But now, she entered her least favorite part of womanhood once again after over 2 years. She put on an absorption pad and washed her hands.

As she sank onto the couch, Amina couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of her stomach. She picked up one of the datapads lying on the coffee table, trying to distract herself from her racing thoughts.

But no matter how hard she tried to focus on the datapad, her mind kept wandering back to the pool of blood in the bathroom. She felt a knot forming in her stomach as she thought about what it could mean for her and Hunter's dreams of starting a family.

She wanted a baby, but a small part of her couldn’t help but feel scared for how Hunter would react. Would he act like the Council and be angry at her pain? Or would he be more like Anakin and actually care about her pain?

Amina knew it would be the latter, but a small part of her wouldn’t let her believe it.

Just then, the front door opened, and Hunter stepped inside with Omega, his expression tired but warm as he caught sight of Amina on the couch. "Hey, sweetheart," he greeted, crossing the room to wrap her in a gentle hug. "How was your day?"

“I’m gonna kill myself.” She mumbled into the pillow.

Amina's words hung heavy in the air, her voice muffled by the pillow pressed against her face. Hunter's heart clenched at the sight of his wife in distress, his concern evident in the furrow of his brow as he knelt down beside her.

"What's wrong, Amina?" Hunter's voice was soft, filled with worry as he reached out to gently brush her hair away from her face.

“The Red Wave.” She said, lifting her head from the pillow, “that’s what Anakin called it at least.”

Omega’s eyes widened in understanding as she nodded while Hunter looked from Amina to Omega.

Hunter's brow furrowed in concern as he took in the scene before him. He could see the distress etched on Amina's face, the lines of worry deepening with each passing moment. Without hesitation, he moved closer to her, kneeling down beside the couch to offer his support.

"What's the Red Wave?" Hunter asked, his voice gentle yet filled with urgency. He reached out to gently place a comforting hand on Amina's shoulder, his touch warm and reassuring.

Omega sighed, “maybe Amellia needs to give you a lesson too.” She told Hunter.

"Amina," Hunter began, his voice gentle yet filled with urgency, "what's going on? What's the Red Wave?"

Amina took a deep breath, her hands trembling slightly as she struggled to find the right words to explain. She glanced at Omega, silently pleading for her support as she prepared to share something deeply personal with Hunter.

"The Red Wave," Amina started, her voice soft yet tinged with sadness, "it's what Anakin used to call it. It's... it's my period."

Hunter's brow furrowed in confusion as he tried to process Amina's words. "Your period?" he repeated. “But… that’s good, isn’t it? The hormone treatment is working.”

Amina wanted to slap him, “no, I hate my period.”

Omega hummed in agreement, “I can get you a heating pad and some muja fruit.”

“No, not muja fruit. Haroun bread.” Amina said.

As Amina reclined on the couch, her discomfort palpable, Hunter's concern deepened. He couldn't fathom why his wife, whom he loved dearly, would despise something that indicated her health was improving. But he also knew better than to push her too hard. Instead, he opted for a more supportive approach.

"Alright, no muja fruit," Hunter conceded, his voice soft and understanding. "Haroun bread it is. Omega, could you fetch some for Amina?"

Omega nodded eagerly, her youthful energy propelling her off the couch and into the kitchen in a flash. She returned moments later with a warm loaf of Haroun bread, some pain killers, and a glass of water.

"Here you go, Amina," Omega said, offering her the bread with a gentle smile. "I hope this helps."

“Thank you, honey.” Amina replied, eating a piece of the bread before taking the painkillers.

As Amina sat on the couch, nibbling on a piece of Haroun bread and taking the painkillers Omega had brought her, Hunter couldn't shake the feeling of concern gnawing at him. He watched his wife closely, his heart heavy with worry as he saw the discomfort etched on her face.

"Feeling any better, sweetheart?" Hunter asked, his voice soft with concern as he reached out to gently squeeze Amina's hand.

Amina managed a weak smile, her eyes flickering with gratitude as she met Hunter's gaze. "A little," she admitted, her voice soft and tired.

“Are you in a lot of pain? Is that normal?” he asked worriedly.

“Yeah.” Amina stated.

Hunter thought she was going to continue but she didn’t. “Is there something else?”

Amina turned her head away from him, “it’s stupid.” She murmured.

"It's not stupid, Amina," Hunter said softly, his voice filled with reassurance as he reached out to gently cup her cheek, urging her to look at him. "Whatever it is, you can tell me. I'm here for you, always."

Amina's heart ached at the warmth and sincerity in Hunter's voice, the love and concern evident in his eyes. She knew she could trust him with anything, yet the fear of burdening him with her troubles still lingered in the back of her mind.

"It's just..." Amina began, her voice trailing off as she struggled to find the right words to convey her thoughts. "I don’t like having my period because it reminds me of before the war and during it.” She looked over at him as he nodded at her to continue.

“I always had painful periods, and before the war it was fine. Me and my Master would just stay on Coruscant and meditate. But when the war started it was hard for me during that time of the month. I was in pain and Anakin would come up with excuses on my he needed me to work with him on missions just so I could rest for a day instead of being yelled at by the Council.”

Amina looked down, “I guess… a part of me thought you would be mad at me too.” She whispered.

As Amina whispered her fears to Hunter, his heart ached with empathy. He reached out, gently brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek, his touch tender and reassuring.

"Amina, sweetheart," Hunter began, his voice soft and comforting. "I could never be mad at you for something like this. It’s a normal part of your life.”

Amina's eyes flickered with relief at Hunter's words, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She leaned into his touch, her heart swelling with gratitude for his unwavering support.

"I know it's silly," Amina admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I just... I didn't want you to think less of me because of it."

Hunter's heart clenched at the vulnerability in Amina's voice, the raw honesty of her words piercing through his defenses. He reached out, gently brushing away a stray tear that glistened in the corner of her eye.

"Amina, look at me," Hunter urged, his voice filled with tenderness as he locked eyes with her. "I could never think less of you, not in a million lifetimes. You are the strongest person I know, and I admire you more than words can express."

Amina's breath caught in her throat at Hunter's words, the warmth of his love washing over her like a soothing balm. She felt a sense of peace settle over her, the weight of her worries lifting ever so slightly in the presence of his unwavering support.

"Thank you, Hunter," Amina murmured, her voice choked with emotion as she reached out to clasp his hand in hers. "Thank you for always being there for me, for loving me despite my flaws."

Hunter's heart swelled with love as he squeezed Amina's hand gently, his eyes shining with adoration as he gazed at her.

"I will always be here for you, Amina," Hunter vowed, his voice filled with conviction. "No matter what challenges we face, no matter how dark the road ahead may seem, I will stand by your side, now and forever."

Amina felt her heart flutter at Hunter's words, the depth of his love washing over her like a tidal wave. She leaned in, pressing her forehead against his, their breaths mingling in the quiet intimacy of the moment.

"I love you, Hunter," Amina whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart. "More than words can say."

Hunter's heart swelled with love as he gazed into Amina's eyes, his own filled with a depth of emotion that words could never fully express.

"I love you too, Amina," Hunter replied, his voice a soft murmur that resonated with the echoes of their shared love.

---

After 3 days of Amina’s period, and only being able to curl up on the couch or the bed, Hunter told her they were going to see Amellia about it.

“Well, it’s a good thing that you have your period, since it means the hormone therapy worked, but there are a lot of cases where having scar tissue can make your period more painful than normal. But the good news is, now we can look at getting a Hysteroscopic surgery to remove the scar tissue," Amellia explained, her tone hopeful yet cautious. "It's a minimally invasive procedure that can help alleviate your symptoms and improve your chances of conceiving."

Amina's breath caught in her throat at the mention of surgery, her mind whirling with a mix of fear and hope. She glanced at Hunter, her eyes searching his for reassurance as she tried to process the news.

“When could we do it?” Amina asked.

“Well, I don’t have all the things I need here, so I’d need to order them off world. And I would prefer to perform the surgery when you are not on your period since it provides better visibility. Give me at least a week, I should have the materials and your cycle should be over by then.”

Amina sat on the chair, her mind buzzing with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation as she absorbed Amellia's words. The prospect of surgery was daunting, but if it meant finally finding relief from the debilitating pain of her periods and increasing her chances of starting a family with Hunter, it was a risk she was willing to take.

"Okay," Amina replied, her voice steady despite the uncertainty swirling inside her. "Let's do it."

Hunter squeezed Amina's hand in silent support, his eyes filled with a mixture of concern and determination. He knew how much this surgery meant to Amina, and he would do anything to ease her pain and help her achieve her dreams of motherhood.

Amellia nodded, a small smile of encouragement gracing her lips. "Alright then. I'll start gathering the necessary materials and prepare for the surgery. We'll schedule it for next week, once your cycle has ended."

Amina let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, a sense of relief washing over her at the thought of finally taking action to address her condition. She glanced at Hunter, her heart swelling with gratitude for his unwavering support.

"Thank you, Amellia," Amina said, her voice filled with genuine appreciation. "For everything."

Amellia waved off Amina's gratitude with a dismissive gesture, her focus already shifting to the task ahead. "Don't mention it," she replied, her tone brisk yet kind. "I'll see you both next week for the surgery."

Amellia stepped out of the room before poking her head back in, “actually, I’ll see you for dinner, right? The whole group? I’m going to make smoked kaadu ribs.”

Amina nodded with a smile. "Sounds great, Amellia," she replied, her voice warm with gratitude.

As Amellia left, Amina turned to Hunter, her heart fluttering with excitement at the prospect of spending time with their friends. "What do you think? Smoked kaadu ribs sound delicious, don't they?" she asked, her eyes shining with anticipation.

Hunter chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he nodded in agreement. "They do indeed. I can't wait to taste them," he replied, his voice filled with genuine enthusiasm.

---

They started to set the table while Hunter made a Berbersian crab salad. Amina handed Omega 6 cups to put on the table as she put down the plates.

“What’s Amellia bringing?” Omega asked Amina.

“She’s bringing smoked kaadu ribs. It’s kaadu meat with a sauce, cabbage slaw, and a berry muffin. It originated from Naboo.” Amina answered.

Omega grinned eagerly as she placed the last cup on the table, her youthful energy palpable in the air. "I can't wait to try those smoked kaadu ribs," she exclaimed, her eyes shining with anticipation.

Amina chuckled softly, "I'm sure they'll be amazing," she replied, her voice warm with reassurance. "Amellia is an excellent cook."

As they finished setting the table, the front door swung open, and Amellia stepped inside, a large tray of smoked kaadu ribs in hand. Her eyes lit up with a warm smile as she caught sight of Amina and Omega in the kitchen.

"Hey, everyone!" Amellia greeted, her voice bright with cheer as she made her way into the kitchen. "I brought the smoked kaadu ribs. They're all ready to go."

Amina smiled warmly at Amellia, her heart lifting at the sight of their friend. "Thanks, Amellia," she said, gratitude shining in her eyes. "They smell delicious."

Amellia beamed at the compliment, setting the tray of ribs down on the table with care. "I hope you all enjoy them," she replied, her tone sincere. She looked around the house, “where’s Crosshair and Wrecker?”

“I’ll go get them!” Omega said, as she walked out the front door.

Amina nudged Amellia with her shoulder, “have you talked to him again?”

Amellia blushed, “no. I’m not usually a nervous person but…”

“Maybe today will give you the little push you need to talk to Crosshair again.” Amina said.

"Yeah, maybe you're right," Amellia replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty. She glanced at Amina, her gaze searching for reassurance as she tried to gather her courage. "I'll talk to him tonight."

Amina smiled warmly at Amellia, her eyes shining with encouragement. "You've got this," she said, her voice filled with confidence. "And if you need backup, just let me know."

---

Amina finished her daily lesson with the children of the island as she walked over to Amellia who was waiting at the edge of the grassy field. “So?” She asked.

Amellia groaned, “I couldn’t do it. I have asked out so many guys, and out of the 6 guys I’ve dated, I was always the one who cut it off. But I can’t ask out one guy? Old age is getting to me.”

Amina chuckled, "you're 28, Ames. You've still got plenty of time."

Amellia sighed, her shoulders slumping with defeat. "I know, I know," she replied, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "But it's just... I don't know why I can't seem to do it."

Amina reached out and gently squeezed her friend's shoulder. "It's okay, Ames. Maybe you just haven't found the right moment yet."

Amellia nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Yeah, maybe you're right," she said, a glimmer of hope shining in her eyes. "Thanks, Amina."

Amina smiled warmly at her friend. "Anytime, Ames. You know I'm always here for you."

They walked over to their houses, Amellia’s right next to Amina and Hunter’s as Amellia glanced over at Amina, “you know- now, this may be weird of me to ask, but… is there any way you could ask Crosshair if he…”

“Likes you?”

“Or anyone.” Amellia said, raising her hands in a placating manner.

Amina hummed, “I don’t know if he would tell me that- ”

“Well, what about Hunter? He’s his brother. Or even Omega, Crosshair seems to do whatever Omega wants.”

“Are you talking about Crosshair?”

Amina and Amellia turned towards the voice, which was Omega standing behind them.

“Yeah- no, I mean no.” Amellia quickly said.

“He looks at you.” Omega spoke softly. “It kind of reminds me of how Hunter and Amina looked at each other before they got together.”

Amina narrowed her eyes at Omega, a hint of amusement flickering in her gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about," she repeated, her tone laced with playful defiance.

Omega raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin playing at the corners of her lips. "Sure, Amina," she said, her voice teasing. "Keep telling yourself that." She walked in between the two women as she turned her head upwards towards Amellia, “when we go on our morning walks, sometimes he looks up the mountain in the direction of your house.”

Amellia's cheeks flushed a light pink. "Really?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Omega nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! I've noticed it a few times. He tries to be subtle, but I'm pretty good at noticing things."

Amina chuckled softly, shaking her head at Omega’s perceptiveness. "Well, there you have it, Amellia. Straight from Omega’s observant eyes."

Amellia bit her lip, a mixture of hope and nervousness swirling within her. "Maybe...maybe I should talk to him," she said, almost as if trying to convince herself.

Amina placed a reassuring hand on her friend’s shoulder. "You should. You never know until you try."

Omega nodded in agreement, her youthful enthusiasm infectious. "Exactly! And if you need any help, you know where to find us."

Amellia smiled, feeling a bit more confident with her friends' support. "Thanks, you two. I’ll give it a shot."

They continued towards their houses, almost to Hunter and Amina’s house when they saw Hunter and Crosshair walking towards the house in front of them.

Omega gently pushed Amellia forward as Hunter ruffled Omega’s hair, “how was school?”

“It was good! I was going to ask Amellia to help me with some math homework.” Omega looked up at Amellia expectantly, trying to get her to go along with her story.

“Y- actually I have s- some papers that need signing.” Amellia said quickly, “good night.” She patted Amina’s arm before turning around and walking back to her house.

Hunter raised an eyebrow as he watched Amellia retreat back to her house, then turned his gaze to Amina, clearly seeking answers. Amina sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"It's complicated," she said finally, giving him a small smile.

“Complicated?” Crosshair asked, his toothpick in his hand.

Amina hummed, “yep, complicated.” She opened the door and looked back at Omega, “want some juice?”

Omega nodded eagerly. “Yes, please!”

Hunter chuckled, shaking his head as he followed Amina inside. Crosshair lingered for a moment, his gaze drifting in the direction of Amellia's house before he stepped in behind them.

As they settled inside, Amina poured juice for Omega and herself. She turned to Hunter with a warm smile. “Want some juice too?”

Hunter nodded, giving her a grateful smile. “Sure, thanks.”

As Hunter settled into his seat at the kitchen table, Amina joined him, placing a glass of juice in front of him with a gentle smile as Omega sat between them.

"So, what's on the agenda for tonight?" Hunter asked, breaking the silence that had settled over the room.

Amina glanced at him, her expression softening with affection. "I was thinking we could watch a holo-movie," she suggested, her voice warm with anticipation. "We haven't had a movie night in a while."

Hunter nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "That sounds good," he replied, reaching for his glass of juice. "Any preferences?"

Amina shrugged, a playful glint in her eyes. "Surprise me," she said, a hint of mischief dancing in her tone. "As long as it's not one of those sappy romance dramas."

Hunter chuckled, shaking his head. "Noted," he said, amusement coloring his voice. "I'll find something action-packed for us."

Omega perked up at the mention of a movie night, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "Can I pick the snacks?" she asked, her voice eager.

Amina and Hunter exchanged a knowing glance, both of them smiling at Omega's enthusiasm. "Of course, kiddo," Amina replied, her voice warm with affection. "Just try not to eat all the popcorn before the movie starts."

Omega grinned, her eyes shining with mischief. "No promises," she said, her tone teasing as she reached for her glass of juice.

Eventually, the time came for them to head to the living room and choose a movie. Omega eagerly led the way, her excitement palpable as she perused their collection of holo-movies, carefully selecting the perfect one for their movie night.

Once they were all settled on the couch, popcorn in hand and movie ready to play, Amina couldn't help but steal a glance at Hunter. Despite the challenges they had faced in recent months, she felt a deep sense of gratitude for the man sitting beside her, his presence a source of strength and comfort in her life.

Hunter caught her gaze and offered her a warm smile, his eyes soft with affection. In that moment, surrounded by the ones she loved most, Amina felt a sense of peace wash over her, the worries of the outside world fading into the background as they lost themselves in the holo-movie playing on the screen.

As the credits rolled and the movie came to an end, Amina stretched her arms above her head, feeling a sense of contentment settle over her. "That was fun," she said, her voice filled with satisfaction.

Hunter nodded in agreement, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Yeah, it was," he replied, his tone warm with affection. "Thanks for picking such a great movie, Omega."

Omega beamed at the praise, her eyes shining with happiness. "You're welcome!" she exclaimed, her excitement infectious as she glanced between Amina and Hunter. "Can we do this again tomorrow night?"

Amina chuckled softly, ruffling Omega's hair affectionately. "We'll see," she replied, her voice gentle. "But for now, I think it's time for bed."

Omega's expression fell slightly at the mention of bedtime, but she nodded in resignation. "Okay," she said, her voice tinged with disappointment. "Goodnight, Amina. Goodnight, Hunter."

"Goodnight, Omega," Amina replied, her voice warm with affection. "Sleep well."

---

One of the nurses at the medical center gave Amina anesthetic through her iv as Amellia walked in. “Alright, I’m going to let that settle into your system before performing the hysteroscopic surgery to remove your scar tissue.” Amellia said, looking up from her datapad.

Amellia smiled reassuringly at Amina, her expression gentle and comforting. "You're doing great, Amina," she said, her voice calm and soothing. "Just try to relax and let the medication do its job."

Amina nodded, her eyelids growing heavy as she fought against the urge to succumb to sleep. "I trust you, Amellia," she murmured, her words slurred slightly by the effects of the anesthesia.

Amellia's smile widened at Amina's words, a sense of pride swelling within her chest. "Thank you, Amina," she replied, her voice filled with gratitude. "I won't let you down."

With that, Amellia turned her attention back to her datapad, her focus shifting to the task at hand as she prepared for the hysteroscopic surgery. She double-checked her equipment and reviewed Amina's medical history, ensuring that everything was in order before proceeding.

Meanwhile, Hunter sat by Amina's side, his hand clasped firmly in hers as he watched over her with concern. Despite his outward calm, his mind was racing with worry for his wife, the thought of her undergoing surgery filling him with apprehension.

"You'll be okay, Amina," Hunter murmured, his voice low and reassuring. "I'm right here with you."

Amina squeezed his hand gently, her gaze meeting his with a look of gratitude and love. "I know, Hunter," she replied, her voice soft but filled with conviction. "I trust you."

Hunter smiled at her words, a sense of warmth spreading through his chest. He leaned in closer, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead before settling back into his seat, his presence a source of comfort and strength for Amina.

As the minutes passed, Amina could feel the effects of the anesthesia intensifying, her eyelids growing heavier with each passing moment. She fought against the urge to drift off to sleep, wanting to stay conscious for as long as possible before the surgery began.

Amellia glanced up from her datapad, noticing the change in Amina's demeanor. She walked over to her patient, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's time, Amina," she said gently, her voice calm and steady. "I'm going to start the procedure now."

Amina nodded, her eyelids fluttering as she struggled to keep them open. "Okay," she murmured, her words barely audible as she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness.

---

She blinked the fogginess away from her eyes before closing them due to the bright white lights above her.

“Amina?”

She looked to her side to see her brother, Ahsoka, and Blu standing by her bed. “Huh?”

Anakin grabbed her hand, “you scared me- all of us. Two pieces of metal to the gut?”

"To be fair, it wasn't my fault Separatists shot us down," Amina replied with a small smirk, her memories from the past flooding back as she spoke.

"You were supposed to wait for backup," Anakin chided gently.

"I was waiting for backup when we got shot down," Amina replied, her tone playful despite the seriousness of their situation. She remembered the chaos of the battlefield, the blaster fire raining down around them as they fought to survive.

Anakin squeezed her hand tightly, his expression filled with a mixture of relief and worry. "We're just glad you're alive," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you."

“Aw, come on Ani. You know that won’t happen. My middle name is Lucky.”

He chuckled, “only because I gave it to you.”

“Well, too late now. It’s permanent.” She flicked his nose playfully.

---

Hunter watched anxiously from his seat, his heart pounding in his chest as he waited for any sign of trouble. He trusted Amellia implicitly, but the thought of anything going wrong filled him with dread.

Minutes turned into hours as the surgery progressed, each moment feeling like an eternity to Hunter as he waited for news of Amina's condition. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Amellia emerged from the operating room, her expression weary but relieved.

"It went well," Amellia said, her voice soft but tinged with exhaustion. "I was able to remove the scar tissue without any complications."

Hunter let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders sagging with the weight of his anxiety. "Thank you, Amellia," he said, his voice filled with gratitude. "You've done a great job."

Amellia smiled tiredly at Hunter's words, a sense of satisfaction washing over her despite her fatigue. "It was my pleasure, Hunter," she replied, her voice warm with appreciation. "I'm just glad everything went smoothly."

With that, Amellia excused herself to update the medical records and check on her other patients, leaving Hunter alone with Amina as she began to stir from her anesthesia-induced slumber.

Amina blinked groggily, her gaze unfocused as she struggled to regain her bearings. She reached out for Hunter, her hand searching for his with a sense of urgency.

Hunter took her hand in his, squeezing it gently as he leaned in closer. "I'm here, Amina," he murmured, his voice filled with tenderness. "Everything's okay."

Amina let out a sigh of relief, her tense muscles relaxing as she felt the reassuring presence of her husband beside her. Hunter gently stroked her hand, his touch grounding her as she began to fully wake from the anesthesia.

"Hey," he said softly, his voice a comforting balm. "How are you feeling?"

Amina blinked a few times, her vision slowly clearing. "Groggy," she admitted, her voice hoarse. "But okay. How did it go?"

"It went well," Hunter replied, a smile tugging at his lips. "Amellia was able to remove the scar tissue without any complications. You're going to be just fine."

Amina managed a small smile, relief washing over her. "That's good to hear," she murmured, her eyes beginning to drift closed again.

Hunter squeezed her hand gently. "Get some rest," he said softly. "I'll be right here."

Amina nodded weakly, her exhaustion pulling her back into a light sleep. Hunter watched over her, his heart filled with a mix of relief and love.

---

The next morning, Amina woke to the soft light of dawn filtering through the windows. She stretched carefully, mindful of her still-healing body, and turned to see Hunter dozing in a chair beside her bed.

"Good morning," she said softly, her voice gentle.

Hunter stirred, blinking sleep from his eyes as he sat up. "Morning," he replied, a sleepy smile spreading across his face. "How are you feeling?"

"A little sore, but better," Amina said, giving him a reassuring smile.

Hunter reached out and took her hand, his thumb brushing lightly over her knuckles. "I'm glad to hear that," he said warmly. "Amellia will be in soon to check on you."

As if on cue, the door opened and Amellia stepped inside, her expression brightening when she saw Amina awake. "Good morning," she greeted, her tone cheerful. "How are you feeling today?"

"A bit sore, but better," Amina repeated, giving Amellia a smile.

"That's to be expected," Amellia replied, glancing at her datapad as she approached. "But everything looks good. You should be able to go home later today."

Amina nodded, feeling a sense of relief at the prospect of returning home. "Thank you, Amellia," she said sincerely. "For everything."

Amellia smiled warmly. "It's my job," she replied. "But I'm glad I could help."

Hunter stood and stretched, his muscles stiff from a night spent in the chair. "We'll take it easy today," he said, his tone firm. "No pushing yourself."

Amina rolled her eyes playfully. "I know, I know," she said, her voice light. "I'll take it easy."

Amellia chuckled, giving them both a knowing look. “Before I let you two get ready, I just need to go over your recovery. It’s normal to have light bleeding for up to two weeks after the procedure, as well as cramping pain for a few days. And I would advise you to not have sex for a week. If you develop a fever, you will need to come back to the medical center.”

Hunter nodded, his expression serious. “We’ll keep an eye on everything.”

Amina smiled, feeling reassured by Amellia’s thoroughness. “Thanks, Amellia. I appreciate it.”

Amellia gave them a warm smile. “You’re welcome. Now, take it easy and let me know if you need anything.”

As Amellia left the room, Hunter helped Amina get dressed, his movements gentle and careful. “You heard the doctor. We’re going to take it slow.”

Amina rolled her eyes playfully. “I know, Hunter. I’ll be good.”

Hunter chuckled, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “I’m just making sure. Let’s get you home.”

They made their way back to their house on Pabu, the warm sun and gentle breeze providing a comforting backdrop. Hunter kept a steady hand on Amina’s back, guiding her carefully.

Omega was waiting for them at the house, her face lighting up with relief when she saw Amina. “Amina! Are you okay?”

Amina smiled, hugging Omega gently. “I’m fine, Omega. The surgery went well.”

Omega sighed in relief. “I’m so glad. I was worried.”

Hunter ruffled Omega’s hair affectionately. “Amellia did a great job. Amina just needs to rest for a while.”

Omega nodded, her expression serious. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t do anything she’s not supposed to.”

Amina laughed softly. “Looks like I’ve got two people looking out for me.”

Hunter and Omega shared a look, both of them determined to ensure Amina’s recovery went smoothly. They spent the rest of the day relaxing, Hunter and Omega taking care of everything while Amina rested on the couch.

---

A few days later, Amina was feeling stronger, the initial soreness from the surgery beginning to fade. She was careful to follow Amellia’s instructions, taking it easy and allowing her body to heal.

One afternoon, while Hunter was out running errands, Amina and Omega were sitting on the porch, enjoying the warm Pabu weather. Omega was working on her homework, her brow furrowed in concentration.

“Need any help?” Amina asked, glancing over at Omega’s datapad.

Omega looked up, her expression relieved. “Actually, yes. I’m having trouble with this math problem.”

Amina scooted closer, looking at the problem. “Let’s see. Ah, okay. You need to use this formula here.”

They spent the next hour working through Omega’s math homework, Amina patiently explaining each step. Omega’s face lit up as she began to understand, her confidence growing.

“Thanks, Amina,” Omega said, her voice filled with gratitude. “You’re really good at explaining things.”

Amina smiled warmly. “I’m glad I could help. You’re a quick learner, Omega.”

Omega beamed at the compliment, her eyes shining with happiness. They continued to chat, their conversation light and easy.

Later, as the sun began to set, Hunter returned home, his arms laden with groceries. “I’m back,” he called, his voice carrying through the house.

Omega jumped up, rushing to help him. “Do you need any help?”

Hunter smiled, handing her a bag. “Thanks, Omega. How was your afternoon?”

“It was good! Amina helped me with my homework,” Omega replied, her tone cheerful.

Hunter glanced at Amina, his expression softening. “How are you feeling?”

Amina smiled, feeling a sense of warmth at his concern. “Better. Just taking it one day at a time.”

Hunter nodded, setting the groceries down. “Good. We’ll keep taking it slow.”

---

The next morning, Amina and Omega were up early, ready for their morning walk. Amina had been cautious about not overexerting herself, but the gentle walks had been a good way to keep moving without pushing too hard.

As they walked along the path, the island’s beauty surrounding them, Omega glanced up at Amina. “Do you think Amellia will talk to Crosshair today?”

Amina smiled, the memory of their conversation with Amellia coming to mind. “I hope so. She just needs a little push.”

Omega nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe we could help somehow?”

Amina chuckled. “I think we’ve done enough pushing for now. Let’s see if Amellia can find the courage on her own.”

They continued their walk, enjoying the peaceful morning. The island was a sanctuary, a place of healing and renewal, and Amina was grateful for every moment they had here.

When they returned home, Hunter was waiting for them, breakfast ready on the table. “Perfect timing,” he said, his smile warm and welcoming.

Amina returned Hunter's smile, feeling a rush of affection for her husband as she took in the sight of him standing in their cozy kitchen. It was moments like these, simple and mundane yet filled with love, that made her grateful for the life they had built together on Pabu.

Omega practically skipped over to the table, her enthusiasm contagious as she eagerly pulled out a chair and settled into her seat. "Thanks for making breakfast, Hunter," she chirped, her eyes shining with excitement.

Hunter chuckled, a fond look in his eyes as he ruffled Omega's hair affectionately. "You're welcome, kiddo," he replied, his voice warm with affection. "What's on the agenda for today?"

Amina took a seat beside Omega, feeling a sense of contentment wash over her as she looked around the kitchen. "Well, I need to tend to the garden in the front," she said, reaching for a slice of toast. "There’s some weeds that need to be pulled out.”

Hunter nodded, his eyes softening as he looked at Amina. "I'll help you with that after breakfast," he offered, his voice gentle. "We can get it done together."

Omega perked up at the idea. "Can I help too?" she asked eagerly, her youthful enthusiasm shining through.

Amina smiled warmly at Omega. "Of course, sweetie. The more, the merrier," she replied, her tone filled with affection.

As they finished their breakfast, the sense of togetherness and love filled the room, creating an atmosphere of warmth and comfort. Afterward, they all headed outside, ready to tackle the garden as a team.

The morning sunbathed the island in a golden glow, the air fresh and invigorating. Amina knelt by the flower beds, her hands moving methodically as she pulled out weeds and tended to the plants. Hunter worked alongside her, his strong presence a comforting constant. Omega darted between them, her laughter ringing out as she helped with smaller tasks.

It wasn't long before the garden looked tidy and well-maintained, the flowers standing tall and proud in their beds. Amina sat back on her heels, wiping a stray strand of hair from her forehead as she surveyed their work with satisfaction.

"Great job, everyone," she said, her voice filled with pride. "The garden looks beautiful."

Hunter straightened up, stretching his back as he smiled down at Amina. "We make a good team," he said, his tone warm and affectionate.

Omega beamed, her eyes shining with happiness. "It was fun," she said, her voice filled with excitement. "Can we do it again sometime?"

Amina chuckled softly. "Of course, Omega," she replied, her tone gentle. "There's always something to do in the garden."

They spent the rest of the morning relaxing on the porch, enjoying the peacefulness of the island. Hunter and Amina shared a quiet moment, their hands intertwined as they watched Omega play with Lyana and Jynna.

Even Wrecker ended up coming over, and him and the kids played with water guns on the grass.

---

A few weeks later, Amellia arrived at their house for a follow-up appointment. She greeted them with a warm smile, her expression bright and reassuring.

"How are you feeling, Amina?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine concern.

Amina smiled warmly at her friend. "Much better," she replied, her tone cheerful. "I've been taking it easy and following your instructions."

Amellia nodded, her eyes scanning Amina for any signs of discomfort. "That's good to hear," she said, her tone professional yet friendly. "Let's do a quick check-up to make sure everything is healing properly."

Amina nodded, feeling reassured by Amellia's presence. She knew she was in good hands with her friend and trusted her implicitly.

As Amellia conducted the check-up, Hunter stood by Amina's side, his presence a comforting constant. Omega watched with wide eyes, her curiosity evident.

"Everything looks great," Amellia said finally, her tone filled with satisfaction. "You're healing beautifully, Amina. I would say things could go back to normal, but continue to take your hormone medication.”

Amina sighed in relief, her heart swelling with gratitude. "Thank you, Amellia," she said sincerely. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything you've done."

Amellia smiled warmly at her friend's words, a sense of pride swelling within her. "It's my pleasure," she replied, her voice filled with genuine affection. "I'm just glad I could help."

As Amellia prepared to leave, Amina and Hunter walked her to the door, their hearts filled with gratitude for their friend's care and support.

"Thank you again, Amellia," Hunter said, his voice warm with appreciation. "We couldn't have done this without you."

Amellia smiled, her eyes shining with warmth. "You're welcome," she replied, her tone gentle. "And remember, I'm always here if you need anything."

With that, she left, leaving Amina and Hunter feeling a renewed sense of hope and gratitude.

---

Amina, Hunter, and Omega walked along the shore looking at the different plants. Omega had a school project where she had to choose one plant native to Pabu and write a short paper on it.

Since Tech was no longer around, they had to do it the hard way. Walking around the entire island.

“Is this one native?” Omega asked again, holding up a pink leaf as Hunter scanned it with his datapad.

“No.” He replied simply.

Omega groaned, “ugh, this is taking forever!”

"It's okay, Omega," Amina said, her tone gentle. "We'll find the right plant soon enough."

Omega sighed, her shoulders slumping with defeat. "I just want to finish this project already," she muttered, her frustration evident.

Hunter looked up from his datapad, a reassuring smile on his lips. "We'll get there, Omega," he said, his voice calm and steady. "We just need to keep looking."

With renewed determination, they continued their search along the shore, the warm sun overhead and the gentle sound of the waves lapping against the shore providing a soothing backdrop.

Omega stopped walking and turned around to face Amina and Hunter, “maybe we should split up?”

Hunter nodded, “alright, find some various plants and bring back leaves or petals and meet back here in 10.”

Omega ran off going South, before going up the mountainside as Hunter and Amina walked West before doing the same.

Amina would pick up leaves on the ground or pick petals off of flowers before handing them over to Hunter as he scanned them.

"I'm starting to think this assignment is a scam," Amina huffed, her voice tinged with exasperation as she picked up yet another leaf and held it out to Hunter.

"We already have tried that leaf," Hunter said calmly, his tone patient as he glanced at the leaf Amina was holding out to him. He could sense her frustration, but he also knew they couldn't afford to give up just yet.

Amina groaned in response, letting the leaf fall from her hand as she cast her gaze out over the shore. They continued walking up the mountainside as Hunter bent down and picked up a small leaf.

Amina walked a few paces away from him and bent down over a white flower with a gold center. She brushed her fingers on the gold center as some of the pollen flew into the air, as well as some on her finger.

Hunter bent down beside her, tearing the flower from its stem and holding it up to scan it. “Nope, still not native.” He said, as the wind blew some of the pollen into the air and Hunter dropped the flower. “Come on, Omega’s probably waiting for us.”

Amina placed her hand in Hunter’s as they went back to the spot where they split up to see Omega walking towards them with her hand full of various leaves and petals.

“I think I found 12 different ones. I hope one of them works.”

Amina smiled warmly at Omega, "I'm sure one of them will work perfectly," she said, her voice filled with reassurance.

Hunter nodded in agreement, a proud smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "You did a great job, Omega," he said, his voice warm with pride. "Let's see if one of them is native.”

Omega would hand Hunter one leaf or petal at a time as he scanned it. Once they got to the 9th one, Omega was hoping that this one, or the other 3 she had would be right.

He scanned it and looked at the information, “seems like this one is a native flower. It’s called a Cantri flower.”

Omega let out a squeal of delight, her excitement bubbling over. "Yes! I knew we could do it!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with happiness. She grabbed the petal from Hunter’s hand, dropping the other 11 leaves and petals. “Come on, let’s go home! I want something to eat.”

Amina and Hunter chuckled as Omega led the way back up the side of the mountain to their house. Amina pulled on her dress’ collar, billowing air into her chest.

It was suddenly uncomfortably hot outside to her, but everyone else seemed fine. Hunter pulled off his jacket, draping it over his arm that was holding the datapad as his other arm draped around her shoulder.

His touch was electric, and it heated her in a completely different way. But she couldn’t tell what was making her so uncomfortable.

Once they turned off the walkway of the mountain and down the brick walkway, Omega turned around to face them as her smile dropped. “Are you guys, okay? You seem kind of… off.”

Amina exchanged a quick glance with Hunter, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to suppress the discomfort coursing through her body. "Yeah, we're fine, Omega," she replied, forcing a smile onto her lips despite the unease swirling within her. "Just a little tired from all the walking, that's all."

Hunter nodded in agreement, his expression mirroring Amina's attempt at reassurance. "Exactly," he said, his voice steady but lacking its usual warmth. "We'll be back to our usual selves once we get some rest."

Omega studied them for a moment, her brow furrowing in concern before she finally nodded. "Alright, if you say so," she said, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "Let's get back home then."

As they continued down the path, Amina couldn't shake the feeling of discomfort that had settled in her stomach like a heavy stone. She stole a glance at Hunter, who walked beside her with his usual calm demeanor, but she could sense the tension thrumming beneath the surface.

They passed by Amellia’s house when she walked out, holding a small tote bag. “Oh, hey you guys! I was just about to go shopping at the market- Maker, why do you two look…” Amellia trailed off. She tsked before opening her door, “come in, come in.”

“We’re fine Amellia, just tired- ” Amina started as Amellia cut her off.

“In the house. Now.” Amellia stated, as Amina and Hunter shared a look and begrudgingly gave in, walking into Amellia’s house with Omega behind them. Amellia pulled out her datapad, “what symptoms are you feeling?”

“Hot, and… just off.” Hunter said as Amina nodded in agreement.

"Hmm," Amellia murmured, her brow furrowing in concern as she tapped away on her datapad. "Hot and feeling off... Those symptoms could indicate a variety of things." She glanced up at Amina and Hunter, her expression grave. "Given your recent history, Amina, I think it would be wise to run some tests, just to be safe."

Amina exchanged a worried glance with Hunter before nodding in agreement. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," she said, her voice tinged with apprehension. "Better to be safe than sorry."

Hunter placed a comforting hand on Amina's shoulder, his touch grounding her as they waited for Amellia to finish her assessment. He could sense Amina's anxiety, mirroring his own, but he knew they had to remain calm for Omega's sake.

“But it is weird that Hunter is also feeling this way. Have either of you come into contact with someone who was sick?”

“No.” Amina and Hunter replied at the same time.

“Okay…” Amellia tapped on her datapad, looking at a flower petal in Omega’s hand. “Oh, were you guys outside?”

“We were helping Omega find a plant native to Pabu.” Hunter answered.

Amellia hummed, “it could be dehydration or heat exhaustion, or you came into contact with a poisonous plant, or something bit the two of you. I’ll take some blood tests and me and Omega will go over to the medical center to process them.”

She grabbed the pen and grabbed a blood sample from the tops of their hands, “okay, go home and drink some water. If you feel any pain, maybe take low dose pain medication until I figure what’s wrong.”

Omega and Amellia walked out first as Hunter and Amina followed, walking a few seconds to their house and entering.

Once inside, Amina sank onto the couch, her thoughts a tumultuous whirlwind of worry and fear. She glanced over at Hunter, who was pacing back and forth across the living room, his brow furrowed in deep concentration.

It was hot, even hotter than before it seemed, and there was a burning sensation slowly building up in her body. And Hunter pacing around wasn’t making it much better, especially now that he was twirling his comm in his fingers.

She reached behind her and untied her dress’ strings, before pulling her arms out of the short puff sleeves. A short sense of relief washed over her before the discomfort came back.

Hunter, still pacing back and forth, glanced over at her, concern etched into his features. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.

Amina shook her head, a sigh escaping her lips as she sank further into the couch cushions. "Not really," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "If anything, it's getting worse."

Hunter stopped pacing and approached her, kneeling down in front of her with a furrowed brow. "We'll figure this out, Amina," he said, his tone firm yet gentle. "Amellia will run some tests, and we'll know what's going on soon."

His hands on her knees didn’t add any comfort, in fact it made the burning sensation worse. She looked at his face, noticing sweat building up on his forehead as she brushed it away.

Hunter didn’t seem to be any better than her as he took his hands off her knees and slipped off his shirt, throwing it to the side.

As Hunter discarded his shirt, the air seemed to crackle with tension, the heat of the moment mirroring the rising temperature in the room. Amina's gaze lingered on him, the muscles of his chest rippling with every movement, and she felt the urge to trace the skeletal tattoo of his ribs with her fingers and tongue.

Amina swallowed hard, her throat dry as she struggled to find the words to break the suffocating silence that enveloped them. "Hunter," she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "I... I’m going to get us some water.”

As Amina spoke, her voice quivered with uncertainty, her thoughts tangled in a web of emotions she couldn't quite unravel. She rose from the couch, her movements slow and deliberate, as if weighed down by an invisible burden.

Amina made her way to the kitchen, her steps heavy with the weight of unspoken words and unaddressed fears. She filled a glass with water, her hands trembling slightly as she brought it to her lips and took a sip, the cool liquid offering a brief respite from the suffocating heat that seemed to engulf her.

But it didn’t help much. So, without thinking, she slipped completely out of her dress, leaving her in only her brassiere and underwear. Amina tossed her dress on the kitchen table behind her.

She grabbed another glass and filled it with water, walking into the living room where Hunter moved himself to sit on the couch. She placed her glass of water on the caf table and reached her other hand out with his glass.

Instead of taking the glass he grabbed her by the wrist, the cup falling to the floor, rolling underneath the table as water soaked the rug.

Hunter pulled her onto his lap, his rough hands slowly moving up her back as she let out a low breathy moan. His hands tangled in her hair at the base of her neck as he tilted her head downwards to face him. The heat between them was palpable, a magnetic force drawing them closer as Amina’s breathing grew heavier.

“Hunter...” Amina murmured, her voice a soft plea.

“Shh,” Hunter whispered, his lips brushing against her ear. “Just let it happen.”

His fingers traced the curve of her spine, eliciting a shiver from Amina despite the oppressive heat. She straddled him, feeling the hard muscles of his thighs beneath her. As his hands roamed over her body, the burning sensation inside her seemed to intensify, a fire that could only be quenched by his touch.

“You’re so beautiful,” Hunter said, his voice husky with desire. He slid his hands down to her hips, pulling her closer, pressing her against his growing erection. Amina gasped, the friction sending sparks of pleasure through her already overheated body.

“Hunter, I... I need...” Amina stammered, unable to form coherent thoughts. Her body moved on its own, grinding against him in a desperate attempt to alleviate the burning ache between her legs.

“I know,” Hunter replied, his grip on her tightening. “I’ve got you.”

His hand slipped between them, fingers finding the edge of her underwear. He pushed the fabric aside, his fingers sliding through her slick folds. Amina’s head fell back, a guttural moan escaping her lips as he began to stroke her, each movement sending waves of pleasure coursing through her.

“Kriff, you’re so wet,” Hunter groaned, his own arousal evident in his voice. He circled her clit with his thumb, teasing her until she was panting, her hips bucking against his hand.

“Please, Hunter,” Amina whimpered, her hands clutching at his shoulders. “I need more.”

“Patience,” he murmured, his voice a low growl. He slid two fingers inside her, her walls clenching around him as he began to pump them in and out, his thumb continuing to circle her clit. The sensation was overwhelming, a mix of pleasure and relief that made Amina’s head spin.

“Yes, just like that,” Hunter encouraged, his free hand gripping her hip to steady her as she rode his fingers. “You’re doing so good.”

Amina’s movements became more frantic, her breath coming in short gasps as she chased her release. Hunter’s fingers curled inside her, hitting that perfect spot that made her see stars. She was close, so close.

“Come for me,” Hunter commanded, his voice rough with need. “Let go, Amina.”

With a cry, Amina’s body tensed, her orgasm crashing over her like a tidal wave. Her walls pulsed around his fingers, her juices soaking his hand as she trembled in his arms. Hunter held her through it, his lips pressing gentle kisses to her neck.

“Good girl,” he whispered, his voice full of pride. “You did so well.”

Amina slumped against him, her body boneless from the intensity of her release. But the burning sensation inside her hadn’t completely abated; it was still there, a simmering heat that demanded more.

“Hunter,” she murmured, her voice hoarse. “I still... I need...”

“I know,” he said, his tone gentle yet firm. He shifted her off his lap, grabbing her thighs as he positioned her hips on the armrest of the couch. Amina’s heart raced as he stood, unbuttoning his cargo pants and pushing them down along with his boxers, freeing his erection.

Hunter’s eyes were dark with desire as he stepped between her legs, his hands gripping her hips. “Hold on,” he instructed, his voice a low rumble. “This might be rough.”

Amina braced herself, her hands gripping the couch cushions as Hunter lined himself up with her entrance. He pushed into her in one swift motion, a gasp escaping both their lips as he buried himself to the hilt inside her.

“Kriff,” Hunter groaned, his grip on her hips bruising. He pulled back slightly before thrusting into her again, setting a fast, punishing pace that had Amina crying out in pleasure.

“Yes, Hunter, yes,” she moaned, her nails digging into the fabric of the couch. The heat inside her was almost unbearable, but every thrust, every movement brought her closer to another climax.

“You feel so good,” Hunter panted, his thrusts becoming more erratic. “So kriffing good.”

Amina’s legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him deeper as she met his thrusts. The room was filled with the sound of their bodies slapping together, their breaths coming in ragged gasps.

“Hunter, I’m gonna... I’m gonna come,” Amina gasped, her body tensing as the coil inside her wound tighter and tighter.

“Do it,” Hunter growled, his thrusts becoming harder, faster. “Come for me, Amina. Let me feel you.”

With a scream, Amina’s orgasm hit her like a freight train, her walls clamping down around Hunter’s cock as her entire body convulsed with pleasure. Hunter followed her over the edge, a guttural roar escaping his lips as he emptied himself inside her, his hips jerking with each pulse of his release.

For a few moments, they stayed like that, Hunter still buried deep inside her as they both caught their breath. The heat between them had lessened slightly, but the burning sensation was still there, a lingering reminder of the mysterious flower’s effects.

Hunter gently pulled out of her, helping her sit up. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice full of concern despite the lingering haze of desire in his eyes.

Amina nodded, her body still trembling from the intensity of their coupling. “I’m okay,” she said softly, her voice a bit shaky. “But... I think…” She trailed off, as Hunter kneeled down and gripped her thighs, pulling her closer over the armrest.

She could feel his warm breath across her pussy, his hands making marks on her thighs. Hunter’s grip tightened as he spread her legs wider, positioning her legs over his shoulders. Amina’s breath hitched, anticipation coursing through her body.

“Hunter…” she murmured, her voice filled with both desire and uncertainty.

“Trust me,” he replied, his voice low and husky. His tongue flicked out, teasing her folds before delving deeper, lapping at her slickness. Amina gasped, her back arching as pleasure shot through her like a bolt of lightning.

His tongue moved expertly, alternating between slow, deliberate strokes and quick, teasing flicks. Amina’s hands gripped the couch cushions, her knuckles turning white as she struggled to maintain her composure. Hunter’s fingers dug into her thighs, holding her in place as he devoured her, his mouth relentless.

“Hunter, please…” she whimpered, her body trembling.

Hunter’s response was a low growl, his tongue plunging deeper, tasting every inch of her. He found her clit, circling it with his tongue before sucking on it gently, sending waves of pleasure crashing through her. Amina’s moans grew louder, her hips bucking against his mouth.

“You taste so perfect,” he murmured against her, his breath hot and tantalizing.

Amina’s response was a throaty moan, her body writhing with need. She could feel the tension building inside her, a coil winding tighter and tighter. Hunter’s hands moved from her thighs to her hips, pulling her even closer, his tongue driving her closer to the edge.

“Hunter, I’m going to…” she gasped, unable to finish the sentence.

“Do it,” he commanded, his voice rough with desire. “Come for me, Amina.”

With a cry, Amina’s orgasm ripped through her, her body convulsing as pleasure flooded her senses. Hunter didn’t stop, his tongue continuing to work her through her climax, drawing out every last shudder of pleasure. When she finally stilled, he pulled back, his lips glistening with her arousal.

“You’re incredible,” he said, his voice full of admiration.

Amina panted, her body still trembling from the intensity of her release. She barely had time to recover before Hunter stood, his eyes dark with need. He lifted her effortlessly, carrying her towards the bedroom. The urgency in his movements was palpable, a reflection of the burning desire they both felt.

Once in the bedroom, Hunter pressed her against the wall, his hands roaming over her body. He kissed her fiercely, his tongue claiming her mouth as his own. Amina moaned into the kiss, her hands tangling in his hair, pulling him closer.

“Turn around,” he commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Amina obeyed, turning to face the wall. Hunter’s hands were on her in an instant, pulling her underwear down and tossing it aside. He positioned himself behind her, his body pressing against hers, his erection hard against her ass.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his breath hot against her ear. “I can’t get enough of you.”

Amina shivered at his words, her body alight with desire. Hunter’s hands gripped her hips, lifting her left leg slightly as he positioned himself at her entrance. He pushed into her with one swift motion, a gasp escaping both their lips as he filled her completely.

“Kriff, you feel so good,” Hunter groaned, his grip on her hips tightening.

He set a brutal pace, each thrust hard and fast, driving them both towards the edge. Amina’s hands pressed against the wall for support, her body rocking with each powerful movement. The burning sensation inside her seemed to lessen with each thrust, replaced by waves of pleasure that had her crying out with every breath.

“Hunter, yes,” she moaned, her voice trembling. “Don’t stop.”

“I won’t,” he promised, his voice a low growl. “You feel so good.”

His hands moved to her breasts, squeezing them roughly as he continued to pound into her. Amina’s head fell back against his shoulder, her moans growing louder with each thrust. Hunter’s teeth grazed her neck, sending shivers down her spine.

“Come for me again,” he commanded, his voice full of authority. “I want to feel you come around me.”

Amina’s body responded to his words, the coil inside her winding tighter and tighter. She could feel her orgasm building, a tidal wave of pleasure ready to crash over her. Hunter’s thrusts became more erratic, his own release nearing.

“Yes, Hunter, yes,” she cried, her body tensing.

With a scream, Amina’s orgasm tore through her, her walls clenching around Hunter’s cock. The intensity of her release sent him over the edge, a guttural roar escaping his lips as he emptied himself inside her. They stayed like that for a moment, their bodies pressed together, trembling with the aftershocks of their climaxes.

Hunter slowly pulled out of her, turning her to face him. He kissed her gently, his hands cradling her face. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice soft.

Amina nodded, her body still tingling with the remnants of pleasure. “I’m okay,” she replied, her voice a bit shaky. “That was…”

“Amazing,” Hunter finished for her, a satisfied smile on his face.

Amina smiled back, leaning into his embrace. The burning sensation inside her had lessened considerably, though it wasn’t completely gone. She looked up at Hunter, her eyes full of love and desire.

“Hunter,” she whispered, her voice still husky from their earlier activities.

He looked down at her, concern mixed with the lingering heat of their passion. “Are you still feeling it?”

She nodded, biting her lip. “Not as bad, but it’s still there.”

Hunter’s hand caressed her cheek, his eyes searching hers. “Then we’ll keep going until it’s gone.”

Amina nodded, her hands sliding down his chest, tracing the lines of his muscles. She dropped to her knees in front of him, looking up at him with a mixture of desire and determination. Hunter’s breath hitched, his hand tangling in her hair as he watched her.

“You don’t have to,” he said, though his voice betrayed his need.

“I want to,” Amina replied, her hands moving to his hips. Hunter’s hand tightened in her hair as she wrapped her lips around the tip, her tongue swirling around the head.

“Kark, Amina,” Hunter groaned, his hips jerking forward involuntarily.

She took him deeper, her mouth working over him with fervor. Hunter’s other hand joined the first in her hair, guiding her movements. His control slipped as the pleasure built, his hips thrusting into her mouth.

“Look at me,” Hunter commanded, his voice rough.

Amina’s eyes met his, her gaze heated and full of want. Hunter’s grip tightened, his thrusts becoming more insistent. She gagged slightly, but the look of determination in her eyes only spurred him on.

“You’re doing so good, sweetheart,” he praised, his voice strained. “Such a good girl.”

Amina’s hands moved to his thighs, steadying herself as he fucked her mouth. Her eyes watered, but she didn’t pull away, her tongue working against him with each thrust. Hunter’s breathing grew ragged, his control slipping further.

“Fuck, Amina,” he groaned, his hips snapping forward. “I’m gonna…”

Before he could finish, his release hit him, his cock pulsing in her mouth. Amina swallowed as much as she could, the rest spilling from the corners of her lips. Hunter’s grip loosened, his body trembling with the force of his climax.

He pulled back, lifting her to her feet. “Are you okay?” he asked, wiping the remnants of his release from her lips as she sucked it off his thumb.

Amina nodded, feeling a rush of affection and desire for Hunter. "I'm okay," she replied, her voice soft but steady. She gazed up at him, her eyes still clouded with need. "But it's not gone yet."

Hunter's expression hardened with determination. "Then we keep going." He scooped her up effortlessly, carrying her to their bed and gently laid her down, his hands caressing her body. He could feel the heat radiating off her, the aphrodisiac flower still wreaking havoc on their systems.

He positioned a pillow under her hips, elevating her slightly. Amina's breath hitched as she felt his intentions, the anticipation building once again. Hunter kissed her deeply, his tongue exploring her mouth as his hands roamed her body, squeezing her breasts through the fabric of her brassiere.

“Hunter…” she moaned against his lips, her body arching towards him.

“Shh, I’ve got you,” he murmured, pulling back to look into her eyes. “You’re my good girl, right?”

She nodded eagerly. “Yes.”

“Good,” he growled, his hands slipping behind her to unclasp her brassiere. He ripped it off her, the sound of fabric tearing filling the room. “I want to see all of you.”

Amina gasped as the cool air hit her bare skin, her nipples hardening instantly. Hunter’s hands moved to her breasts, kneading them roughly before taking one nipple into his mouth, sucking and biting gently.

“Does that feel good, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice husky.

“Yes,” she moaned, her hands threading through his hair. “It feels so good.”

Hunter’s free hand trailed down her body, his fingers slipping between her folds once more. “You’re so wet,” he murmured, his thumb circling her clit. “You like having my come inside you, don’t you cyar’ika?”

Amina’s hips bucked against his hand, her body desperate for more. “Hunter, please…” She whined.

Hunter’s grip tightened on Amina’s hips, feeling her desperation as she moved against his hand. "Patience, sweetheart," he whispered, his breath hot against her ear. "I’ve got you."

Amina's response was another whimper, her body arching into his touch. "Hunter, I need you," she pleaded, her voice trembling.

Hunter’s fingers moved faster, his thumb pressing harder against her clit. "You like this, don’t you? My sweet girl needs more, doesn’t she?"

"Yes," Amina gasped, her nails digging into his shoulders. "Please, baby. I need you inside me."

Hunter groaned at her words, his own arousal surging. He shifted her, adjusting the pillow under her hips, elevating her just right. He lined himself up with her entrance, pausing to look into her eyes. "You ready for me, sweetheart?"

"Yes, Hunter," Amina replied, her voice breathless. "Please, I need you."

With one swift motion, Hunter thrust into her, a gasp escaping both their lips as he filled her completely. "Oh, Maker," he groaned, his hands gripping her hips.

Amina’s back arched, her body responding to the overwhelming sensation. "Hunter, yes," she moaned, her hands clutching at the sheets.

Hunter set a relentless pace, each thrust deep and powerful. "You feel so good, sweetheart," he murmured, his voice rough. “So good.”

Amina’s breaths came in short gasps, the intensity of their connection driving her wild. "Harder, Hunter," she begged, her hips meeting his thrusts.

Hunter’s grip tightened, his hands moving to pin her wrists above her head. "Like this?" he asked, his voice a low growl as he drove into her harder, his cock hitting deeper with each thrust.

"Yes," Amina cried out, her body trembling. "Oh Maker, Hunter, yes."

Hunter's eyes were dark with desire as he continued to thrust into her, his pace relentless. "You like that, sweetheart?" he growled, his voice rough. "Does that feel good?"

Amina could only nod, her breath coming in short gasps. "Yes, yes, it feels so good," she moaned, her fingers creating a fist as Hunter kept a steady grip on her wrists.

He leaned down, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke. "I want to hear you, Amina. Let me hear how much you need this."

Amina's moans grew louder, her body arching into his touch. "I need it so much, Hunter," she whimpered. "I need you."

Hunter's thrusts became harder, each movement driving him deeper inside her. "You're so perfect," he murmured, his voice full of admiration. "So perfect for me."

Amina's nails dug into her palms, her body quivering with each powerful thrust. "Hunter, I'm so close," she gasped, her eyes meeting his.

Hunter's eyes burned with intensity as his thrusts becoming more forceful. "Come for me, Amina," he commanded. "Let go for me."

With a scream, Amina's body convulsed, her orgasm crashing over her. Her walls clenched around Hunter, pulling him deeper as he continued to pound into her.

"That's it, sweetheart," Hunter growled, his grip on her wrists tightening. "Such a good girl."

He didn't slow down, his own release building as he drove into her over and over again. "You feel so good," he groaned, his voice strained. "So kriffing good."

Amina's body shook with the force of her climax, her moans filling the room. "Hunter, please," she begged, her voice hoarse. "I need more."

Hunter's eyes darkened with desire as let go of her wrists and pulled her closer, his hips slamming into hers. "You want more, sweetheart?" he growled. "I'll give you more."

His hands moved to her hips, lifting them slightly as he angled himself to hit deeper. Amina's breath hitched, the new angle sending waves of pleasure through her body.

"Yes, Hunter," she moaned, her fingers clenching around his biceps. "Just like that."

Hunter's pace was punishing, each thrust harder than the last. "You like it rough, don't you?" he growled, his eyes locked on hers. "You like when I take you like this."

Amina's response was a choked moan, her body trembling. "Yes, Hunter, I love it," she gasped. "I love it when you take me like this."

Hunter's hands moved to her thighs, spreading her legs wider as he drove into her. "You're so beautiful," he murmured, his voice full of admiration. "So kriffing beautiful."

Amina's eyes fluttered closed, her body overwhelmed by the intensity of their connection. "Hunter, I can't," she whimpered, her voice trembling.

"Yes, you can," Hunter growled, his hands gripping her thighs. "You're strong, sweetheart. You can take it."

Amina's body responded to his words, the coil inside her winding tighter and tighter. "Hunter, I'm going to," she gasped, her eyes squeezing shut.

"Do it," Hunter commanded, his voice rough. "Come for me again, Amina. I want to feel you."

With a cry, Amina's orgasm tore through her, her walls clenching around him. Hunter's grip tightened, his thrusts becoming more erratic as he followed her over the edge.

"Kriff, Amina," he groaned, his hips jerking as he emptied himself inside her. "You feel so good."

They stayed like that for a moment, their bodies pressed together, trembling with the aftershocks of their climaxes. Hunter slowly pulled out of her, his eyes searching hers.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice soft.

She nodded, letting out a soft sigh, “yeah, much better.”

Amina leaned her head against Hunter's chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her ear. She felt a sense of peace wash over her, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time. Despite the uncertainty of their situation, she found solace in the arms of the man she loved.

Hunter's fingers gently traced circles on her back, his touch comforting and reassuring. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, his lips lingering against her skin as he savored the moment. For him, there was no greater joy than being with Amina, sharing these intimate moments that bound them together in a way that nothing else could.

His head moved off the pillow as Amina got onto her elbows, “what is it?” She asked.

“Amellia is at the door.” He responded.

Amina hurriedly got off the bed and grabbed a pastel green nightgown and quickly slipped it on going to the front door. “Yes?”

“I ran your blood tests and I found out what is wrong. You probably ran into some sort of flower that contained a strong aphrodisiac, or in simpler terms, a sex pollen. The best course of action would be to- ” Amellia looked up from her datapad, finally looking at Amina and a few of clothes strewn about the living room.

“Oh. It seems you already figured out the antidote.” Amellia said, tucking hair behind her ear.

Amina adjusted her legs, the soreness from her and Hunter’s escapades settling in. “Seems so.”

“Well, that’s good. Because sometimes if you don’t do anything, it can actually lead to death.”

Amina blinked rapidly, sex pollen? It seemed like something out of a cheap holo-drama, not anything that would happen in real life. “W- wait. Sex pollen is real, and it can lead to death?”

“Yes.” Amellia stated, “and masturbation won’t work, you have to really exhaust yourself. It’s quite strenuous actual- ”

Amina cleared her throat, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she struggled to find the right words. "Um, yeah, okay, great. So... we're cured because we... well, you know," she stammered, her gaze flickering nervously to the scattered clothes strewn across the living room floor.

Amellia nodded, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Yes, it seems you've stumbled upon the antidote quite effectively," she said, her tone laced with amusement. "Sometimes, nature provides the most unexpected solutions."

Amina shifted uncomfortably, the weight of the situation settling heavily on her shoulders. The idea that something as innocuous as a flower could have such potent effects seemed almost surreal. Yet here they were, living out their own unexpected romance amidst the chaos of their daily lives.

"So, what now?" Amina asked, her voice hesitant. "Do we just... wait for the effects to wear off?"

Amellia nodded, her expression serious once more. "Yes, that's usually the best course of action," she replied, her tone professional. "But if you experience any lingering symptoms or discomfort, don't hesitate to come see me. I'll be here to help."

Amina offered a grateful smile, her heart still racing from the intensity of their encounter. "Thank you, Amellia," she said, her voice filled with genuine appreciation. "For everything."

Amellia returned the smile, her gaze warm with understanding. "Of course, Amina," she said, her tone gentle. "Just take care of yourselves, alright? I’ll have Omega stay overnight with me.”

With a final nod, Amellia bid them farewell, leaving Amina and Hunter alone once more in the quiet confines of their home. Amina turned to face Hunter, her heart fluttering in her chest as she took in the sight of him, shirtless and tousled from their earlier activities.

"I can't believe that actually happened," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hunter chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Yeah, me neither," he said, his tone light. "But I'm not complaining."

Amina's cheeks flushed with heat as she met his gaze, her stomach fluttering with a mixture of nerves and excitement. Despite the unexpected turn of events, she couldn't deny the rush of emotion that surged through her at the thought of being with Hunter, intimately and unreservedly.

"I guess we should probably clean up," she said, her voice tinged with reluctance as she glanced at the scattered clothes strewn across the floor.

Hunter nodded in agreement, a playful smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Yeah, probably," he said, his tone teasing. "But first, I think we should... take a shower."

Amina's cheeks flushed with heat at his suggestion, but she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, a shower sounds... good," she said, her voice breathless with anticipation.

y'all have no idea how excited i am for the next chapter!! that's where things start to get real interesting…

tags: @callsign-denmark

[compo67]

Finishing Wolfsong.

Just 2 hours left.

I had my in-person interview with the law firm on Friday. I was going to take the train. I woke up 5 minutes later than I wanted. My mom and I spoke for a while. I was late taking a shower. It was snowing and no one could drive. I pulled up to the station just as the train got there. Sigh.

So I drove. A solid hour. In stop and go traffic. Halfway through, I realized I had forgotten my wallet. So I had no drivers license and no way to pay for parking. Sigh.

I pulled over once I got into the city. Paid for parking online. $23. Sigh.

At least I hadn't forgotten my bag or my padfolio or my portfolio.

But then, in the parking garage, I noticed that my sister had tied my tie incorrectly. It was way too short. So I untied it and tried starting over. Didn't work. I went and sat in the garage lobby and watched a YouTube video until I made something resembling a knot (lol).

I walked a block in the snow to the building, then changed my shoes. Security asked for a license. Thank goodness they accepted the photo of it I have on my phone. I got to my floor with 5 minutes to spare. Sigh.

The rest, well, it went okay. I still have a rapport with the hr manager. We got along very well. The secretary coordinator was... tough. She asked difficult questions, some I had prepped for, some I hadn't. A recurring theme was how do you handle difficult personalities?

Like. Uh. Y'all know I've worked retail, right? And a 24/7 crisis line? Handling difficult personalities was 75% of my job. I know when to say, "That's out of my expertise." And I can diffuse most situations with the tone of my voice. But the fact that they kept asking different versions of that question was kind of a red flag. The HRM assured me that she and her assistant would be a team. But still.

I met with one of the lawyers on the recruiting committee. He was very weird and said some shit I would never say to a candidate, let alone a candidate for an HR position. He referred to himself as a fat white man. He said kids, even his own, are annoying. He said he works a lot and he's always tired. Yikes, but also, dude. Just. Dude.

My last meeting was with the HRM alone. We real talked. She shared she has RA. I shared that I do too, and EDS. She didn't look at my cane like it was a foreign object. She shared that an employee snuck a dog into the office for 3 weeks before she noticed. It's an ongoing issue now with the ADA and the building policy. I felt bad for the doggo.

My mom, the other day, had to speak to a gentleman at work about his clothing. There had been complaints about him. Whenever he sat down, his ass was hanging out. Full plumber butt. She approached the situation with tact so he wouldn't go off, but surprisingly, the man was so embarrassed and apologetic. It's weird sometimes, this hr stuff.

I asked for a salary range I think I deserve. It's close to what I was making at the crisis line. Maybe a little more.

I'm a fast learner. I'm motivated to help anyone I can and if I can't, then I can get them in the right direction. I'm just not sure this is enough. The president of the firm seems like he'll be the difficult personality. But he does like hockey. So maybe that's my in?

HRM said I'd hear back from her this week. I just now scheduled sent a thank you email.

I want to work for this HRM. But I'm a bit wary now. We'll see. I have 9 months to try and hold down a full time job without losing my SSDI benefits.

I got home Friday and collapsed onto my recliner. I ate an edible and took an Ativan, and promptly fell asleep. It felt so good to sleep after so many feelings.

I attended a feminist menopause workshop on Saturday morning. It was reassuring and I learned a few new things. Glad I went.

Today, I'm going to my dad's after doing his grocery shopping. Then headed to KPs. She quit her job at the crisis line. I'm so proud of her, but also worried about her. It's always tough quitting without something else lined up. But she did what was best for her.

Today, all I did was knit and watch movies with my mom and sister. It was great. I needed that.

Okay, sleep now. ❤️

[aemondslefteyeball]

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi (3)

Part 1 Part 2

[Modern!Aemond x Fem!reader]

[Warnings: Memorial service, death, human remains, child remains, substance use, reference to death by suicide]

[Summary: Garden party around the graveyard y'all]

(Hey guys! So I'm still figuring out a good pace to release this fanfiction. I'll probably stick to 2 chapters a week for now, but that could definitely change because I start a summer chem class soon yayyyyyy)

Word Count: 5.5K

Chapter 3

The sun shone through the dappled canopy, and the breeze was sweet as a kiss. It seemed an insult, you thought, that the world would look so beautiful on a day grim as this one. Sabitha pushed the sheet of metal into the soil with a sniffle, before standing and rejoining the circle gathered around. 

“Before we took off I heard Tanselle say that she was going to see Kim Petrys at the Oldstones next month,” You reached out to grip Baela’s hand, squeezing it as Sabitha spoke, her voice steady. “She was really excited. But she’s never gonna hear ‘Unholy’ again.” 

“Let’s join hands. We’ll pray for them.” Barba spoke up suddenly, her voice firmer than its usual timbre. The entire camp was somber, and you… well, you woke up feeling like you survived a plane crash. You were almost out of the woods, the rescue team would no doubt be here later in the day and the group would figure out exactly where to go from there. 

“Rohanne, you just started working in the labs a few months ago,” Barba said, as you squeezed Baela’s hand. It suddenly dawned on you how little you knew about some of these people. Upon finding out the plane seated twenty you had scrambled to fill the remaining fourteen seats. Inviting guests to bring a guest of their own, you figured that it would be a good opportunity for you to make new friends. Suddenly you were pulled out of your thoughts, “So we didn’t really know you.” Barba said, her voice wavering. 

“But in the lab, you never confused your Staphylococcus aureus and your Staphylococcus epidermidis.” You could tell your thoughts were reflected by others, the collective regret. “You seemed really smart.” Barba finished. 

“Anybody else?” It didn’t register as your own voice for a second, sounding detached. Foreign almost. 

“I saw her carry a flute case once.” Sabitha sputtered out, tears following immediately after. Shooting a sympathetic glance her way, some relief rising as Luke whispered something that calmed her. You dropped Baela’s hand for a brief moment, shooting her a look that said don’t worry before you placed a hand gently on Jace’s shoulder, removing it quickly after he flinched. 

“Old Gods and the new… and... Red God.” You didn’t miss Barba’s remark but didn’t worry about it. The worship of R’hllor was nigh unheard of in Westeros, and you knew it wasn’t from a place of malice. Besides, you were balls deep into the STEM field by now and had drifted from your religion. “Please accept Rohanne Westerling and Tanselle Yronwood into your arms. So that they may fill your kingdom with music” A fuse blew within you, and you gripped Baela’s hand harder. Unable to stop the tears that now flowed freely, you shook “Please accept Ser Laenor, and flight attendant Janys, pilot Robert, pilot Fred.” As the words flowed out. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” As soon as she started speaking, something came over Aly. Stepping back as if she had been electrocuted by Nettles’ and Myrielle’s hands. “I do not fear. The Gods are my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Gods are my strength.” Before Barba could finish, Aly swallowed hard. 

“I’m going for a walk.” Stated sharply, her usual staccato returned to Alysanne for a brief moment. You thought about going after her, but knew she wanted solitude whenever she was like this. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of a chair pulling out had Aemond snapping his good eye to the source. Emerson sat on the chair, looking like a zombie. The expression on her face told Aemond her mood was much worse than her appearance could ever show. She regarded him with an emotion he couldn’t quite identify, with a fury burning beneath it. 

“You don’t seem very concerned about her disappearance.” Aemond visibly bristled at her words. She wasn’t the one who had spent all night speaking to rescuers and all this morning checking his phone every other minute to see if anything, anybody had answers for him. Even Twitter. 

“I am.” He replied curtly, pouring his cup of coffee before he stood and watched the machine for a second. The kitchen felt strangely empty, and he realized it was missing the smell of your stupid coffee add-ons. “I spoke with rescuers well into the night.” As much ice as he could muster before fully awake was present, and he turned to watch that unidentified emotion shape into form. 

“Did you plan this?” She asked, Aemond noting that her phone was turned to face down. A departure from her usual behavior. She’s recording this, he thought suddenly. He knew he was cold to Y/N, but this? He felt genuine shock at it, the notion that he could harm a hair on her sweet, annoying head appalling. 

“No!” He yelled, perhaps the first time he had ever truly shown his full temper. An anger– sense of betrayal– arose within him as furiously as the weeks after he had lost his eye. “How could you say that?” He hoped she could feel the sincerity in his voice. Recording or not, there were some lines he would not cross. Not with innocent people, that was. 

“I think you’re a fucking liar.” She spat, eyes alight with a rage that radiated off her in waves. “You could get rid of the green card wife you resented,” The venom was so thick Aemond could practically cut it “And the nephews you hated.” She finished. “You’re a fucking wife killer.” She said with a shake of her head and a tremor in her voice. Finishing what she clearly came to start, She grabbed her coat and slammed the door on her way out. Wife killer, he thought. The grip on his mug tightened until the handle shattered. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nettles sat back on the log, holding Laenor’s foldable knife in her hand. You wanted to forget about looting the bodies of the dead. Happy to bury it with the memories of emergency water rafts uninflated and tossed over the corpses they couldn’t get out of the plane. They deserve better. A beautiful gravestone with a long life engraved into it. Instead it would say 2001-2023. Or 2002. You didn’t even know the birthdays of people that died because of your stupid vacation to the Eyrie. It’s my fault. You realized with a swallow, and palms that were suddenly sweaty. You all went around the campfire, had a little kumbaya moment, and talked about how you all crashed the plane. But these people… their parents would only ever have a body returned to them. Myrielle seemed to notice your change in expression, and reached a hand out to gently nudge you. “You okay?” She questioned, her hand squeezing your arm gently before rubbing it up and down. You met her gaze and nodded. Everybody here only had each other to rely on. We all need each other, I can’t waste time wallowing in self pity. You knew they would hate you when you were all rescued though, and that was okay. Because you would too. 

“This is all we have?” Nettles asked, a worried look on her face. A scanty pile of Swiss Rolls and other empty calories laid in front of the girls. 

“Yeah, we got to ration.” You answered. All the suitcases that could be salvaged had been stripped bare of anything useful. 

“Okay.” Floris nodded, turning to Nettles. “Cut them.” She commanded, opening a package and handing it to Nettles before preparing another. 

“Split this water.” Your voice sounded more sure now, and you were glad for it. They need you to at least pretend to keep your shit together. By tomorrow. 

“Careful.” Nettles said, “Don’t spill any.” You nodded and angled the bottle so it poured slower. Jacaerys approached suddenly, perpetually walking like an ornery bull. He leaned down and grabbed two packages of Swiss rolls off the top before walking away.

“Dude!” Sabitha exclaimed. “Jace, what are you doing?” She asked, throwing her arms up in exasperation. 

“Uh, maybe you didn’t notice, but we’re kinda in a situation here Strong.” you quipped, rolling your eyes immediately after. You understood his pain– the loss of a parent– more than he knew, and you wondered if you were this awful to others after your father died. Surely I couldn’t have been, but you weren’t sure if you were asking or reassuring yourself. 

Your best friend turned to you suddenly, a protective look on her face. “Don’t,” Baela warned, her expression grave. 

“I guess it’s fine if we go hungry as long as Jace’s feelings are okay.” You shot back before you could think. You felt for him, you really did. But you would all have time to grieve in a day when the rescue team got there. 

“We’re not gonna starve to death,” Sara interjected, and with a sudden burst of annoyance, you hadn’t gotten from her before. “When the rescue team gets he-” 

“If it gets here.” Sabitha quipped, her tone flat. Distant. 

Sara’s expression changed, concern falling over her face. “Don’t say that.” Her tone was calm, reassuring. You loved that about Sara, no matter how shitty you felt about your classes or workload she was there, perpetually optimistic. 

“Sara’s right,” Baela spoke, diffusing the staredown occurring between Sabitha and Sara. “There were way too many white people on that plane for them to not immediately notice.” She joked. Laughs rang out around the group, Nettles slapping Myrielle’s arm as she giggled. 

“Mr. President.” Nettles put on a serious facade, pantomiming and pressing an earpiece as she sat rigidly. “A plane carrying a bunch of rich white people crashed. Send the entire army right now!” She yelled out, voice raising to desolate treetops. 

“Where do you think we are?” Rhaena piped up suddenly. “Like, Winterfell maybe?” She explained, gesticulating as she did it. “Maybe that’s why it’s taking them a few days to find us.” Continued her voice, as you nodded in agreement. 

“There’s only pines as far as I can see.” You once again lamented the loss of Tanselle. She was a full-blown plant mom and would talk your head off about Monsteras at any opportunity given. You knew that if she was here she would be prattling off about how some of them were other types of trees you wouldn’t remember the names of thirty minutes later. “The soil is rocky. We’re in taiga, it has to be north of Winterfell.” Suddenly aware you were rambling the way Tanselle would, you got to the point. “I think we’re in the Northern Mountains.” You said finally. Multiple pairs of eyes looked out at the rolling forests. The wind sang through the valleys. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wife Killer. 

Wife killer. 

Emerson’s words rang through Aemond’s head as he sat down. His Mother had hovered around him, offering the mango juice he liked as a child. He appreciated her concern, but the only thing he felt was anxiety as she flitted about him. Apparently, she hadn’t yet heard that Emerson made multiple tweets suggesting he had something to do with your disappearance. Not plainly enough that it could be labeled as libel though. He had told Helaena from the beginning that the marriage wasn’t real. As old as they got, his older sister had always been his closest confidante. And given her nature, she wouldn’t turn and run her mouth to the vipers in the family. Viserys knew as well, having orchestrated the match for an old friend’s kid. As far as his Mom knew, he was still in shock from the terrible disappearance of his dear wife. Aemond knew he shouldn’t have been shocked at his Viserys’ apparent disinterest in finding you, yet was shocked when it brought forth a rage so extreme he had to excuse himself to the restroom. There he stood now, in front of the mirror. Wife killer echoed through his thoughts on a Sisyphean loop. He wasn’t sure he entirely felt the accusation yet. He was still in dumbfounded shock that you were most likely gone. His fists squeezed until his knuckles turned white, and he braced himself on the counter. Turning the faucet on and briefly splashing his face, he stared into the mirror before wiping his face and leaving the bathroom. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Guys!” Aly yelled as loud as she could. “Guys. There’s a lake.” She said, panting. “There’s a lake.” You perked up, “I saw it from that hill.” Alysanne pointed back in the direction she came from before turning back to the group. “It looks about four or five miles away.” She concluded. 

“Do you think we can hike it?” Floris spoke up, you nodding in agreement with her question and looking to Aly hopefully. 

“It’s pretty rocky, but yeah.” Aly responded, placing her hands on her hips and looking to Sabitha for reassurance she quickly granted. 

Sara stood up suddenly, a nervous smile pulled across her features. “Uh, we can’t.. We can’t just leave.” She asserted, while pulling her shoulders back with the confidence of a rooster. 

“We’ve got two days of water, tops.” Came the rebuttal, Aly’s reply condescending. “And then what?” She asked, spreading her arms. “Just sit around and die?” 

“What if the rescue team comes?” Sara asked, her tone letting more panic slip through. 

“Do you think they’re taking their time on purpose?” Aly clipped, her tone conveying a sense of hopelessness that had begun to ooze through the camp. “It’s been three days.” She said with a pointed stare at Baela. “If they knew where we were they would be here already.” Silence dawned after Aly finished, and you looked down at the thin soil ahead of you, digging the toe of your combat boot into it. 

Sara let it continue for another second, before raising her eyebrows. “You don’t know that,” Her voice almost came out as a coo. But the anxiety had already started to twist in your gut. Aly was right, and you all despaired knowing it. 

“What do you think, Ser Criston?” Aly asked pointedly, her eyes fixed on Sara. 

“I don’t,” Criston moved to grab the stump of his leg. “I don’t know.” He finally admitted. “Uh, I mean you’d have to leave me behind, I guess, but whatever.” He finished, a gloom cast over his handsome features. 

“We could make you a stretcher.” You interjected. You weren’t handy, but Alysanne was starting her MS in Aerospace Engineering in the fall. Sabitha would return to her job as an environmental engineer after rescue. There was no doubt in your mind that the two were up to much more complex tasks than this. 

Sara let out a laugh at your idea, and you couldn’t help but feel a pang of resentment. She hasn’t done anything to help rationing and now she’s going to act like the queen? You fiddled with the plastic friendship bracelet that sat on your left wrist.

“Seriously.” You argued. “If we take turns carrying it..” 

You didn’t even get to finish before Sara cut you off, shaking her head “No!” She half-yelled. Where have I heard this before? “This.” She gestured to Aly, earning a heated glare from Sabitha. “This is bullshit. I say no. Okay?” she crossed her arms. “No way.” 

“Let’s put it to a vote,” Aly stated, her eyes passing over the group while blatantly ignoring Sara. Her gaze landed on Sabitha for a brief second before a twitch of a smile came across her face. It’s good they have each other. A twinge of jealousy still ran through you, despite your overwhelming relief that Emerson’s asshole boss denied her PTO. He actually did her a really big favor. “All in favor of waiting here?” Sara immediately raised her hand, looking to Myrielle who hesitantly raised hers as well after the blonde’s gaze landed on her. Barba followed. No more hands raised. “All in favor of the lake?” Her hand was raised as she asked that, and Sabitha’s hand rose as soon as she finished the question. Jacaerys brought his hand up next, a tight expression pulled across his face. You raised your hand next, as did Baela’s. Rhaena, seeing her twin’s decision, voted in favor of the lake as well. Nettles and Luke followed her. You looked to Floris, who with a guilty expression, slowly raised her hand as well. You didn’t miss the look of betrayal on Sara’s face, astounded that her best friend would dare to have an opinion of her own. “Then it’s settled. Grab your shit.” 

You helped Sabitha yank the compass out of the cockpit. Angling the ax so that it pointed away, the two of you wrenched on the metal before it came free with a grating sound that made your skin crawl. Floris’ tall frame finished the last letter of the message as you returned with the ax slung over your shoulder. You backed up a few feet and looked at it. ‘SOS GONE TO LAKE’, it read. You hoped the lipstick would hold up to the elements. Sabitha and Aly led the way, and the rest of you followed, seemingly swatting mosquitoes off yourself every five fucking seconds. I’m not gonna miss this, you thought with another slap that resulted in a blood-laden mosquito popping over your forearm. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You know most people don’t believe it, right?” Helaena’s voice was as soft and dreamy as it always was. An almost ethereal edge to her every word. Aemond held his face in a grimace and said nothing in response. Helaena wouldn’t reach out to touch him, and he was glad for it. Every word, every gesture felt thousands of miles away from him. “Only conspiracy nuts think that you planned a plane crash that would include twenty people.” Insistence in her tone as she unsuccessfully attempted to make eye contact with him. “Or killed Y/N.” The weight of Aemond’s exhaustion weighed heavily on him. Especially since it yielded nothing. They hadn’t found you yet.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What’s that smell?” You immediately pinched your nostrils shut, trying to not reflexively gag from the stench of decomposition. “Holy shit.” The carcass of a bear lay there, trampled ferns underneath it. The skin was peeling back, and two vultures sat atop the oozing flesh, tearing off pieces with sharp beaks. Sharper eyes watched them as flies buzzed around the ruin. Various remarks came from the group, each one disgusted. 

“What could have done that?” Floris piped up from behind you, her voice curious. 

“A wolf, probably.” Ser Criston stated, dangling his arms over the side of the stretcher as if on a pool float. 

“They can kill a fucking bear?” Baela turned around suddenly to face Cole, you following in tandem. 

“Yeah.” Criston responded grimly. “Wolves can kill anything if the pack’s big enough.” You froze for a second, a sense of dread churning in your gut. Just like it had before the crash. You fiddled with your hands. 

“Let’s keep moving.” Baela urged, growing tired of everybody rubbernecking the bear’s festering body. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aemond had always regarded food with something akin to annoyance. He had no issues with it in and of itself, he simply resented that he had to take the time out of his day to eat. It didn’t help that Helaena wasn’t a very good cook, but he supposed that was the result of growing up with staff to handle all that. Today was no different in regard to his feelings about food, but he made sure to take bites whenever his sister glanced at him. He thought she had gotten way too good at that, a silent command with just a look. Motherhood had done a number on his socially impaired sister. She looked as if she wanted to say something for a few minutes before she lifted her wine glass to her lips. Setting it down, she broke the silence. 

“It’s okay if you’re upset that she’s missing.” His older sister offered him a reassuring smile. “I know you have Alys,” She continued, “But Y/N is still a part of your life.” She finished. 

“Mmm.” Came his only response, sitting rigidly as the words bounced off him. “I’m fine.” He insisted coolly.

Helaena, whether emboldened by the wine or the circumstances, shook her head. “You’re not fine, Aemond.” The words came as gentle as a lamb. “I’ve known you since birth. I can see how not-fine you are.” His seat scraped across the floor as he stood up, quickly moving to exit the room. “She’s alive.” His sister blurted out, her tone sure. Aemond whipped around, furious. Now was not the time for his sister’s woo shit. “I’ve seen it.” She insisted, her face calm. Aemond let out a wry laugh and left the room. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This shit’s way longer than four miles,” Baela whined, gripping the handles of her rucksack. “What if we missed it?” She asked with a smirk. 

“From the angle of the sun, it looked just left of due north.” Aly insisted, her tone revealing tiredness. Sara let out a wry chuckle in response to that.

“Oh, great!” She mocked, pantomiming confetti. “Left. That’s a precise way of doing it.” You felt annoyance stir in your gut. Sara could be pissy all she wanted but the group made a decision, and didn’t have time for her fits. 

“I’m not a fucking cartographer.” Aly retorted, and you could hear the roll in her eyes. 

“Or maybe you saw a mirage.” Sara insisted snidely. Seconds after Sara shot back, Sabitha gasped. 

“Oh, shit.” She said, moving to gently hit Aly’s arm in excitement. “Oh shit!” She exclaimed. “Oh hell yeah, bitches!” A wide grin split her face, and she started to run toward whatever she had seen. As you followed in her footsteps, you breathed out a sigh of relief. The steely lake rocked gently at the shore, your salvation. You ran across the clearing as fast as your bruised and abused legs would carry you, stripping off your shirt in the process. Upon reaching the shore you removed your boots and shorts in quick succession, tossing them carelessly down at the lakefront before running in. “Guys come in!” Sabitha splashed around in the water, “It feels fucking great!” she insisted. The cold water lapped at your legs but you found it to be a welcome relief for your aching muscles. 

“Well, at least we have a beach..” You remarked, ducking beneath the water before surfacing again. Exhaling the breath you held in, you leaned back, allowing yourself to float. The hot sun shone on all of you as you splashed each other. Games of chicken occurred, with you hopping on Floris’ shoulders and knocking Barba off Sabitha. You looked back to the shore, Jacaerys was undressing. Your gaze shifted to Aly, who stood with her hands on her hips and couldn’t look less disinterested in the man stripping before her. Her gaze landed across the water, and you followed it to Sabitha who she looked at with a beaming grin across her face. Baela and Jace splashed each other when he entered the water. You dove beneath the water and felt the closest thing to peace since the night before your trip. When you resurfaced, you flinched for a moment. A glare had obstructed your vision in the most uncomfortable way. Metal? Maybe a ranger station. 

“Guys!”  You yelled out, pointing in the direction of the glare. “Look!” You insisted, moving towards the shore to get out. 

“What is that?” Sara asked, putting a hand up to shield her eyes from the glare. 

“It looks like a reflection.” You kept moving towards the shore with a hurried pace. 

“Guys there’s something on the hill,” Sabitha’s voice boomed out. “Come on, let’s go!” She yelled. Tracking the source of the light proved to be harder until the dilapidated cabin came into view. As soon as it came into sight you reflexively crossed your arms over your chest, hairs prickling at the back of your neck. The inherent wrongness of the place shook you to the core, as did the eerie surroundings. You turned to survey the area around it and swallowed at the sight of that fucking symbol showing up again, carved into a tree. You hung back, uncrossing your arms to fiddle with the strap of your backpack. The rest of the group banged at the windows and doors, with combined shouts asking if anybody was there. When only silence answered, Sara and Floris pushed to open the door. A sense of foreboding entered you as you saw them enter the shack, shoving down your nerves before entering after them. 

“-It reeks in here” Came Sara’s voice, with you wondering if she was going to do anything but complain since the group voted against her decision. 

“Guys. Let’s check the pantry and see if there’s any food.” You spoke, turning to seek it out, Sara one step ahead of you. “Could somebody go around the cabin and get stuff we can use? Flashlights, first aid... You know.” You walked into the small space to see Sara grabbing a can and peeling back the tab. 

“What the fuck Sara, that’s not your personal buffet.” You snapped, recoiling at the smell of the spoiled…whatever that was in the can. 

Sara threw it down as if burned, cursed, and let out a huff in frustration. “See this is why we should’ve stayed in the plane!” She lashed out, and you steeled yourself in place as growing anger flared within you. 

“Well, the group voted not to!” You hadn’t raised your voice in years but found a sudden catharsis in it. “So you need to find a way to fucking live with that.” You threw a hand up in exasperation, before waving it dismissively. “I wouldn’t want to interrupt your tantrum with silly little concerns like our immediate survival.” A venom you didn’t recognize was laced into your tone, but it felt good to stand up to her. “And this is helping how, exactly?” 

“This is a fucking nightmare.” Sara ran outside, sounding near tears over a can of spoiled milk. You shook your head in disbelief before walking to the living room. 

“Well heelllooooo,” Sabitha exclaimed, slamming a pile on the creaky table. You grimaced at the dust it shook up before turning your gaze back to Sab. “Don’t worry guys. We might be stuck in the middle of nowhere. But, hey, at least there’s porn.” She said, smugly lifting a magazine with a busty brunette on the cover. You snickered under your breath as Sabitha opened the magazine and flipped through it. Choruses of anything from “sick” to “whoa” echoed out. 

“Hey this guy kind of looks like you, Strong,” Myrielle spoke up, tilting the magazine so Jace could see it with a smirk on her face.

“If only any of you looked like her.” He retorted, his expression moody. You briefly wondered if you were sentenced to be surrounded by emotionally incompetent men as a lifelong purgatory. 

“Okay, very funny,” Sabitha said defensively, with a roll of her eyes. “Do guys, like, actually jerk off to this stuff?” She said, waving it around like a wad of dirty paper towels. 

“Nah, we hate that shit.” He answered with a sarcastic tone. “You know, you can’t even tell what her favorite book is.”

“Mmm. Ha ha.” Sabitha retorted with a roll of her eyes before following it with a middle finger. You stood around laughing at the bad porn with the group before the novelty wore off and you were once again uneasy. Leaving the cabin, you stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. That was where Aly found you a few hours later, worriedly scratching at your palms. 

“Fuck’s your deal?” She questioned. “Come inside.” 

You shook your head, arms crossed tightly over your chest. “I know it sounds crazy… I just have a bad feeling about this place.” You insisted as you pulled your arms tighter across your chest. 

“Well, yeah, because it stinks. And there are spiders that could eat your face.” Aly mused. “But hey, after that bear we saw today I’m not gonna let you sleep out here, okay?” You remained where you stood, and annoyance flicked across her face. “Are you kidding me? ‘A bad feeling’? I don’t believe in that shit, and you’re not going to either. Okay? So get your ass inside.” She moved to grab you by the arm, half leading and half pulling you into the cabin. 

Hours after everyone had gone to sleep, you stayed up. Despite your exhaustion, sleep could not find you. Your body simply refused to rest. You made your way to the attic, stepping as gingerly as you could. Making note of which boards creaked, you popped open the door and entered to confirm your fears. It still didn’t brace you for the skeletal state of the man in the chair. Your gaze lowered to the rifle that rested against his pelvis. The top of his skull blown off. That ended up being the least horrifying thing you found. Laid at the center of the massive symbol carved into the floor, two small skeletons sat precariously. You let out a gasp in shock and scrambled to the opposite corner. You sat and stared at the tiny skeletons just feet away from the man’s. That was where Aly found you for the second time that night. Her brown eyes met yours, and you stared blankly ahead of you. “Y/N?” 

“I told you.” You whispered, as she turned her head to the macabre scene and cried out. The moonlight lit up the triangular symbol that was carved into the wooden floor. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

When he returned home, Alys waited for him inside. Words of comfort that just felt cloying, and touch that brought him no peace. They sat in silence punctuated by occasional attempts at conversation by Alys. He sat appearing indifferent, growing more uncomfortable with her presence. “I think you should go.” He finally stated. Alys nodded and blinked for a second before she grabbed her bag and walked out of the door. His self-inflicted loneliness weighed heavily upon him, and he found himself searching the entire house for Vhagar. The ornery old cat had chosen a damn good hiding place wherever she was because he couldn’t draw her out of any spot. Finally, he came to the one part of the house he had been avoiding. Your room.

Wife killer. 

Did you plan this? 

The words tantalized him, drawing him to lows he had not felt in years. People had always assumed he was monstrous, and he had leaned into it after a while. Might as well, since it seemed people only ever waited for the other shoe to drop. Aemond took a deep breath before entering. The room smelled like you and told him a lot he had not known. Wife killer. He had always suspected you disliked the minimalist design of the house, and that was reflected by almost every inch of the exposed wall being covered. He also surveyed the room, his eyes passing over a Cramps tapestry and a poster for some horror film he didn’t recognize. He made a mental note to watch it later. Something gripped at him, as his eye finally came to rest on your bed. The duvet cover was lux, a soft cotton candy pink that fit with the rest of the room. There, on a massive ghost plushie, sat Vhagar. She blinked at him, and he felt a sense of judgment. He closed the gap between him and the bed and stared at it for a few seconds longer, running his hand over the smooth fabric. Wife killer. He balled his fist for the brief moment the thought popped into his mind, gripping the duvet tightly enough to tear it. Cursing, and feeling a roaring anger flow through him, he slammed his fist onto the bed and yelled out as loud as he could. When the scream stopped, tears began to flow from his sole eye. He turned to sit at the edge of the bed, his eyes landing on more of your decor. Clenching his fists again, and grateful for the emptiness of the house, he grabbed a pillow from the bed and squeezed it tightly. He inhaled the scent as deeply as he could, closing his eye and letting the scent give way to fractals of Y/N. Singing in the kitchen on a Sunday morning, stretching next to Vhagar’s cat tree and flexing your toes out of distance whenever the geriatric cat tried to bap them, knee deep in the garden and grinning with dirt smeared across your cheek. His chest shook with his soft cries, and he reached his hand out to stroke the other pillow wistfully. You were gone. Probably dead. If not, terrified and cursing his name. He wiped his eye off angrily as if trying to scrub away any evidence of his emotions. He missed you. 

Wife killer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taglist: @chainsawsangel

[chrononautintraining]

20 questions for fic writers

Thanks for the tag @lindirs-gaze!

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

78

2. what’s your total ao3 word count?

1,216,174

3. what fandoms do you write for?

My current hyperfixation is The Untamed/Modao Zushi, but I write for whatever. I've got a lot of one shots for properties I think are neat like Welcome to Nightvale or Parks and Rec.

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

A Passion for Mushrooms, Mountain Flowers, The Seedling, Family's Just Another Word for Something Left To Lose, and In Town for the Wedding. Four in Hobbit/LotR fandom and one Naruto.

5. do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I really try to. I appreciate feedback so much. When I'm in a funk it really brightens my mood, so I want to respond and build community with readers not just drop a story. And sometimes I go months without checking my inbox which makes me feel awkward about replying. It's a mix.

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Interestingly, Family's Just Another Word For Something Left To Lose, according to some readers. It's ambiguous at the end and *a lot* of people think Kakashi dies, which is not at all my intent. I was paralleling the same scene with Iruka in the anime, and Iruka survives. It did not occur to me that the ambiguity would be what so many people took away.

The one I wrote that's intentionally angsty at the end is all i hear is your gear, which has no happy intentions and is all just about Crowley being a demon in hell.

7. what’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

So much of my stuff is romance with a traditional HEA ending, but weirdly the ending I like most is A Spy in the Shire. It's a happy ending for this one oc dwarf, but in the broader context of the series I think it both emphasizes the Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies AU happiness as well as justifying the many sacrifices made in canon.

8. do you get hate on any fics?

yeah for sure. And I am sensitive about it. If it hits me when I'm already feeling low, I usually have to stay away from fandom spaces for a while and I often lose the motivation to write at all. It sucks. Some of it I can brush off more easily, like the Iruka/Kakashi shippers who come onto my fic to make fun of the way Mighty Guy looks and try to pick a fight. They are likely children and I just don't engage. But the people who criticize my writing or a specific story for reasons they are happy to detail can be harder to ignore.

This is of course a very different thing than the helpful folks who point out that I've once again mixed up desert and dessert. Y'all are lovely and I appreciate the help.

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

Yes, as the mood strikes. ...the kind I'm in the mood for? Almost always romantic stuff between a major pairing.

10. do you write crossovers? what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Listen. Ron Swanson and Wolverine would be very good friends, actually. My Parks and Rec / X-men crossover is not crazy.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! One of my Naruto fics is available in Chinese and two of my Modao Zushi stories can be read in Russian. As I speak neither language, I can only assume the translators did an awesome job of making my writing smarter, funnier, and sexier than it is in English.

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but I find the idea of collaborating interesting.

14. what’s your all time favorite ship?

This is not how my brain works. I pretty much constantly have a Current Obsession and then pairings I still enjoy. Right now, Wangxian invented love, but I'll always enjoy revisiting a certain romance involving Mister Spock or the Leverage Pretzels and Beer OT3.

15. what’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I desperately want to finish my Zombie Criminal Minds series, particularly because being able to revisit it will mark the end of my pandemic / outbreak related brain gremlins.

16. what are your writing strengths?

speling

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

I'd like to do more with humor. I feel like I frequently manage to provoke a sensible chuckle, but I've read fics that make me crack up. Someday, I'd like to write a really Terry Pratchett style laugh-a-minute story.

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Sometimes you gotta do it, because it's in keeping with the canon, but it's always best to do sparingly. If it's longer than a greeting or an honorific, I like to translate directly within the narrative or use a footnote.

19. first fandom you wrote for?

Slayers. Yes, I was that anime kid in high school.

20. favorite fic you’ve written?

My favorite child? Well, I've never really cared for Pit Stop...

I suppose, back against a wall, I enjoy the world building in None So Blind. We just don't spend enough time in dwarven spaces that aren't complete ruins in the canon. Coupled with thoughts on fantasy accessibility and the classic trope of tripping a romantic lead into a pile of literal pig shit, I just like it. Good work, 2018!me.

If you'd like to play, please pretend I tagged you! For the meme, I'll invite @youhideastar, @primtheamazing, and @sunshine304

[loveroftoomanyfandoms]

Salvation Chapter 3: Reader

Pairing: Matt Murdock x F!Reader

Summary: Reader is walking home one evening and gets attacked in an alleyway... until the Devil of Hell's Kitchen himself comes to her rescue. After passing out during the ordeal, she wakes up in the apartment of one Matthew Murdock, a kind and handsome lawyer who treats her injuries. As she and Matt get to know each other and grow closer, will someone from Reader's past tear their happiness apart?

Warnings/Tags: Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Sexual Assault, Past Domestic Violence, Stalking, Kidnapping (Y'all, seriously, please mind the tags)

Word Count: ~31k total

A/N: None.

Y/N hummed to herself as she bustled around her kitchen. 

She and Matt had been on several more dates over the past month that they had known each other -- attending a special performance of the NY Symphony in Central Park, taking in a poetry reading at a local bookstore, and having a quick breakfast together at one of the local diners before Matt had to go to work. After a particularly harrowing week for both of them -- Matt having just wrapped up a long and frustrating case and Y/N having had several deadlines on projects for different clients, one of whom was being difficult -- she had suggested that Matt come over for dinner and a quiet night in, to which he had readily agreed.  

She set the squash casserole she had made into the oven to bake and set the timer, then moved to her refrigerator to check on dessert. She knew that Matt liked cheesecake, so she had modified a no-bake recipe she had found online.

Luckily it appeared to be set, so she left it alone and proceeded to load the dishes she had used to mix her casserole together into the dishwasher.

She had just finished when there was a knock on her door. "Just a second!" she called out.

She wiped her hands on a dishtowel and walked to the front door. "Hey, Matt," she greeted as she opened it. "Come on in."

Matt stepped over the threshold and gave her a warm hug. "Hi, Y/N."

Y/N lingered in his embrace, tucking her face into his neck. After a few moments she stepped back and took his hand. "Here, let me give you the tour. You can leave your cane by the door if you want."

She had learned that Matt wasn't totally blind but instead saw 'a world on fire', as he had described it, and therefore was able to get acclimated to new surroundings fairly easily as long as he was able to figure out the layout of whatever space he was in. "Right here on the right is the bathroom, and down the hall here on the left is the living room. Kitchen and dining area are straight across from it to the right, and if you keep going straight you'll hit the staircase going upstairs to the 3rd floor, which are the bedrooms and my office."

Matt nodded. "Got it."

She led him into the living room. "Dinner should be ready in just a few minutes. Would you like something to drink while we wait? I've got beer, wine, water, juice, soda…"

Matt nodded. "Water is fine. Thanks."

"Okay. If you want to have a seat I'll go get it. You're right on the side of the sofa, just mind the coffee table."

Y/N walked into the kitchen and checked on the casserole, taking the aluminum foil off of the pan and switching the oven to broil to brown the top before grabbing two bottles of water from her refrigerator.

Matt looked over in her direction as she walked back into the living room. "Dinner smells amazing," he said with a smile.

"Thanks." Y/N handed Matt one of the bottles of water as she sat next to him on the sofa. "So, how was your week?"

"Long, but I'm glad we wrapped that case up. How was yours?"

"Same. Had a particularly difficult copywriting client, but I finally managed to finish up the project I was doing for them to their satisfaction." Y/N shrugged. "Won't be doing another one though, even if they asked me to."

She took a sip of her water. "So do you have to go to court often?"

Matt shook his head. "No, not unless we're working a criminal case or if civil negotiations break down, which really doesn't happen all that often. Most of the time people are happy to avoid having to go to trial, which is why all those big corporations are always so eager to settle."

Y/N nodded in understanding. "Congrats on the win, by the way."

"Thanks."

Y/N's oven timer beeped. "That'll be dinner."

Matt followed her into the kitchen. "Need help with anything?"

"Um, yeah, actually. The drawer right in front of you is where I keep my utensils. Can you grab a couple of forks then get the bottle of wine I have breathing on the counter behind you and to the right?"

Matt nodded. "Sure."

Y/N fixed them each a serving then set their plates down on the table and poured them each a glass of wine. "I'm glad we're getting to do this," she admitted as Matt sat across from her. "I've missed seeing you this week."

A broad smile spread on Matt's face. "I've missed you too."

They each took a bite of their food. "Wow, this is excellent," Matt said.

"It was my mom's recipe," Y/N explained. "I was a bit of a picky eater as a young kid, so it was her way of sneaking vegetables into my diet until I started eating them on their own." 

She laughed. "Imagine my surprise when I found out that my mom's 'baked rice dressing' frequently had squash or broccoli in it, or was made with cauliflower instead of rice altogether."

Matt grinned. "That's actually pretty clever."

They continued talking about their respective weeks while they ate, Matt filling Y/N in on the specifics he could share about his case and Y/N telling him more about the client from Hell.

"They wanted me to ghostwrite an article for a magazine publication," she explained as they finished eating, "which I usually just charge a flat rate for since something like that normally only takes me an hour or so, but they just gave me a broad topic to write about then proceeded to reject every version of the article I submitted because it 'wasn't what they asked for'."

She shook her head. "I finally asked them what it was exactly that they wanted, which turned out to be nowhere even near the original topic they gave me."

Matt grimaced. "Geez, I'm sorry about that."

"Yeah, and that's exactly why I won't be doing another job for them again." Y/N stood. "Anyway, enough about that. I made a no-bake cheesecake for dessert, so let me take care of these dishes and I'll get us each a piece."

Matt stood as well. "Here, I can help with those."

Y/N shook her head. "Oh, no, I've got them. I'm just putting them in the dishwasher. You can get the cheesecake out of the refrigerator and pour us another glass of wine though if you want. I have some Riesling in the door on the second shelf."

Matt nodded. "Okay."

Y/N set the plates in the dishwasher and gave their wine glasses a quick rinse while Matt got the wine and cheesecake out and set them on Y/N's kitchen island.

Y/N set the wine glasses in front of Matt before cutting them each a slice of cheesecake. "I was thinking that we could take these into the living room if you want."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, that sounds great. I'll bring the wine, you grab the cheesecake?"

"Yeah, sounds good." 

Y/N led him back to the living room and set the plates down before walking over to her record player. "How about some music?"

Matt set the wine bottle and glasses down on the coffee table and picked up one of the slices of cheesecake. "That sounds nice."

Y/N selected a record and put it on to softly play in the background.

Matt tilted his head. "What is that? It sounds vaguely familiar."

"It's the soundtrack to the 2005 film version of Pride and Prejudice ," Y/N replied as she took a seat next to Matt. 

Matt nodded. "I think Foggy had that movie playing one day while I was over there. He was trying to impress this librarian who was a huge Jane Austen fan so he read all of her books, then watched every film adaptation he could get his hands on so he could actually understand them."

Y/N laughed. "Let me guess… that didn't work."

Matt shook his head with a grin. "He wound up even more confused than ever and just gave up."

"Aww. So he never asked her out?"

"Oh no, he did. They went on a couple of dates but ultimately decided it wasn't going to work. I think she actually wound up moving to England or something shortly after." 

He grinned. "That wasn't the first time he'd done something like that to impress a girl though. He took Punjabi in college because the girl he was crushing on was also in the class."

Y/N laughed. "Have you ever done anything like that?"

Matt shook his head. "It's never really been necessary. Being blind has its own set of perks."

Y/N laughed. "Like what, getting to ask women to help you cross the street?"

"Things like that, or getting close so they can describe things to me like I'm also hard of hearing." A small smirk appeared on Matt's face. "Or having them hold my arm to guide me while I'm walking them home." 

Y/N grinned and shook her head. "Smooth, Murdock. Real smooth."

"It worked, didn't it?"

Y/N chuckled. "Yeah, I guess it did."

"Well, then." Matt took a bite of his cheesecake. "Oh, wow."

Y/N couldn't help but smile. "Is that a good 'wow' or a bad 'wow'? Because I hear that New Yorkers are serious about both their pizza and their cheesecake."

"Definitely a good wow." Matt took another bite. "Mmm."

Y/N took a bite of her own piece. It had definitely been a good idea to cut back on the sugar and substitute actual vanilla bean rather than use vanilla extract as the recipe had called for. "I kind of tweaked the recipe, so I wasn't 100% sure it was going to turn out okay. In hindsight I probably shouldn't have experimented since I was planning on actually serving it to someone, especially someone I actually like ."

"So…" Matt said, a small smirk appearing on his face. "You do like me."

Y/N laughed lightly even as her face heated. "Of course I like you, you dork. I wouldn't agree to keep seeing you if I didn't."

Matt grinned. "Good, because I like you too."

He paused. "This is probably going to sound really strange, but can I feel your face? It helps me more accurately picture what you look like."

"Oh, uh, yeah, sure." Y/N turned to face him. "What do you need me to do?"

"Just hold still and let me know if I'm making you feel uncomfortable. I have to get pretty close to you." Matt scooted closer and tentatively reached out towards her. "May I?"

Y/N nodded. "Yeah, go ahead."

Matt began with her forehead, trailing his fingertips over her hairline, then feeling his way down her temples and along her jawline. 

Y/N couldn't help but wonder if Matt would be as gentle tracing other parts of her. Heat flooded through her. Chill out, Y/N.

Matt paused, his head tilting to the side. "You're blushing. Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Y/N reassured him. "You can keep going."

"You sure?"

"Mmhmm. Yeah, I'm sure."

Matt continued mapping Y/N's face, swiping his thumbs across her cheeks, on the sides of and down the bridge of her nose, and eventually across her lips.

"You're beautiful," he breathed.

Y/N's face heated. "You know that just from tracing the contours of my face?"

Matt shook his head with a laugh. "I know this sounds like a line but I already knew it. This just helped me fill in the blanks." 

Y/N's face heated again. "And how did you know that?"

Matt looked adorably embarrassed. "The day you came into the office to return my coat… After you left I might have asked Foggy to describe what you look like."

Y/N grinned. "Wanted to know if you needed to make an excuse to cancel?"

Matt chuckled and shook his head again. "To me physical appearance is the least important trait in a woman -- for obvious reasons -- but Foggy said you were 'hot' so I have to admit I was curious."

"How do you know he didn't lie about what I look like?" Y/N laughed to herself and shook her head. "Oh wait, that's right. You're a good lawyer."

Matt grinned. "Now you've got it."

Y/N bit her lip. "Can I try something now? There's something I've been curious about."

Matt nodded. "Sure."

Y/N reached up and gently carded her fingers through the hair at Matt's temples, then grasped the sides of his glasses.

She paused, waiting to see if Matt would stop her, but when he didn't she removed his glasses from his face, revealing his chocolate brown eyes to her for the first time.

She sucked in a breath. "Your eyes are beautiful. Why do you hide them?"

Matt turned his head away. "The unfocused staring thing tends to freak people out."

"Not me."

Matt's brow furrowed as he turned his attention back to her. "It doesn't bother you?"

Y/N shook her head and smoothed Matt's eyebrows with her thumbs, keeping his gaze on her. "You never have to hide your eyes from me, Matt."

Matt's face filled with emotion. "Y/N…"

Y/N took a deep breath. "Can I… can I try something else?"

Matt nodded. "Anything ."

Y/N slid her hands down his face, cupping his cheeks in her palms before gently pressing her lips to his.

She leaned back slightly, Matt's breath still ghosting on her lips. "I've been wanting to do that since the first time you dropped me off at my doorstep," she confessed softly. 

"Me too," Matt whispered in reply. "I'd like to do it again, if you don't mind."

Y/N's heart fluttered. "Please."

Matt guided her lips back to his, kissing her more firmly.

Y/N melted into him, reaching up and tangling her fingers into his hair while his hands slid down to her waist. They kissed unhurriedly, taking their time exploring each other's mouths, eventually slowing the kiss down until they were barely pressing their lips together.

Matt nuzzled Y/N's nose with his and gave her one final kiss before leaning back.

Y/N let out a content sigh. "Wow."

Matt huffed out a laugh. "My thoughts exactly."

Y/N ran her fingers through Matt's hair, trying to fix it. "Sorry, I messed up your hair."

Matt shrugged. "It's okay, sweetheart. I don't mind."

Y/N grinned. "Sweetheart?"

Matt blushed. "Sorry, that just came out."

"No, it's okay, I don't mind. I like it."

Matt smiled. "So 'sweetheart' is an acceptable term of endearment?"

Y/N nodded. "Definitely." 

She took a deep breath. "Actually, you can pretty much call me anything you want, just please don't call me 'babe'. It's what Colin used to call me and it still makes my skin crawl."

Matt nodded in understanding. "Got it. What about 'baby' though?"

Y/N shrugged. "Yeah, that one's alright."

"'Honey'?"

"Yep, that one's good too."

Matt grinned. "'Pookie'?"

Y/N laughed at Matt's teasing tone. "Ok, that's stretching it a bit."

Matt took her hand in his, his expression once again becoming more serious. "What about 'my girlfriend'? Can I call you that?"

Y/N's heart fluttered. They hadn't been dating very long, but she definitely felt the spark between them and could see herself with Matt long-term. "Yeah, I think that's acceptable… As long as I can call you 'my boyfriend'."

Matt nodded, a beautiful smile on his handsome face. "Yeah, I'd like that a lot, actually."

Y/N's wall clock chimed with the time. 

Matt sighed. "I should get going though. It's getting late."

Y/N nodded. "Okay, let me walk you out."

She picked up Matt's glasses and handed them to him. "Here are your glasses back."

"Thanks."

They both stood and headed over to the front door. 

Matt put his glasses on and picked up his cane, then cupped Y/N's cheek in his hand and gave her a slow, sweet kiss. "I'll call you when I get home?" 

Y/N nodded, butterflies flitting around her stomach in the best possible way. "Okay."

"Good night, sweetheart."

Y/N smiled. "Good night, Matt."

She waited until he had gotten down the steps, smiling as she shut and locked the door behind him.

I could definitely get used to this.

[ageless-aislynn]

From @mrtobenamedlater

If you get this, answer w/ three random facts about yourself and send it to the last seven blogs in your notifs. anon or not, doesn’t matter, let’s get to know the person behind the blog! ☀️

How about 3 random Halo facts about me? 😎👍

There are so many characters that I know woefully almost nothing about ( and who several of my fellow Halo friends write about). If they come from the books, Halo 5 or Infinite, chances are that I'm seriously winging it on who they are. A couple of times I've had to look them up to see who is a canon character and who's an OC. On the plus side if you're a writer for any of them, you're obviously great at it because I can't tell the difference between your OCs and canon characters, lol! Good work, keep going! 😎👍

2. I'm legit not kidding that this is one of my proudest moments:

I have a bit of a tremor in my hands, sometimes worse than others, so I really didn't know if I'd be able to play well enough to even finish the first game on Easy. (I ought to record it sometime just so y'all can see what I mean as my reticle is BouNcINg aLL OvEr thE plAcE on a bad day while I'm trying to aim, lol.) But I figured out strategies based off of Youtube tutorials that helped me to mitigate it as much as possible, helped me figure out my strengths as a player and then sometimes I just devoted a lot of time to grinding it out, trying to get through. Halo 2's Regret boss battle took me about 2 weeks to get through on Legendary. Halo 3 ODST's Coastal Highway was almost a month. Learning how to get on the rooftops to avoid the Jackal snipers on Halo 2's Outskirts is a MUST, lol! (And they'll still sometimes snipe you from, like, the other side of town! 😧😜) Mastering grenade jumps made me so happy and I adore learning ways to break out of bounds!

3. I do love every Halo game in the MCC but the only one I routinely play from start to finish without skipping any missions is Reach. There's just something about it that makes it such a joy to me, I can't even explain it. Though it's not a joy if you're trying to do the Legendary speedrun achievement. I still haven't gotten even close to getting my total time under 3 hours. 😔

From just under 8 hours to under 6, so at least I'm getting better, though! (And look at Heroic, I took its Fastest Clear Time from over 11 HOURS 😱to under 3, so that made me happy!) So, hopefully one day! 🤞😣🤞

Bonus Halo fact: I really adore these games. They came into my life at a time when I desperately needed something to distract me, something I could learn, was ABLE to learn, something that lets you be creative, to challenge yourself, to play it easy, to play it hard. I will always be thankful to the MCC for that. I hope to one day be able to play 5 (currently is not available for the PC) and Infinite (borked up my previous computer, yikes) but even if I can't, the 6 beautiful games of the MCC will hopefully be with me for the rest of my life.🤗🤗🤗💖