#you gotta be comfortable giving me your e-mail

[chradi]

Any canadian want free hellofresh boxes?

[yes-asil]

Hey I was looking at ur commission stuff, I want to start doing commissions as well but I’m not big on any social media platform. But besides the point could you perhaps give me some tips in starting commissions, if you’re comfortable, please and thank you. :)

Oh, I'm not that long in the business either!

I kind of just built a following by making fanart and original stuff I'm passionate about, then people stuck around. I'm sure you can do that as well! As for tips:

Make sure to be clear about the paying method, paypal is in personal experience the best option.

Ask for payment first, at least half, so people won't back out. (If they commissioned you multiple times you can drop that part, most people are super nice.)

Ask for more money than you think your art is worth. Confidence! (And also paypal takes money for the transfer and you get less anyway, don't forget about that.)

Be also clear about the way you send the commission. If over e-mail or tumblr chat etc.

Only send the picture after you were fully paid and draw over the sketches so they aren't useable. Like watermarks or a fat red "commission" across the page at 70 percent opacity.

Communicate! Tell the person where you are at, send sketches to confirm things, tell when you are in a rut and will take longer to draw. Just let people know, that's always good.

Don't take more than 3 at a time, you will get overwhelmed. Let a person know if you have works in the back burner.

And also ask for dead lines! That's helpful in organizing. Most just want it done whenever, but some would like it as a gift for some other. So check for that!

Write e-mails, paying method, name of the blog, what type of picture and character it is, any type of information really, down. You gotta keep overview of your projects.

I give myself a deadline of 2 weeks, the first week needs the sketch done. People wait patiently so you don't want to keep them waiting too long.

If life gets in the way, TELL! Sometimes you gotta drop something, don't be ashamed to.

Always thank people and be respectful, no matter how much of a jerk someone can be. Some people are more demanding but it's good honest money they give you instead of food.

On that note, again, if a person is too much, drop the picture, send the money back (or the unfinished picture and the amount of money that was too much for the picture). But respectfully, we are better than that

Lastly, have fun!! You're drawing for another person, that's sick! You might even learn new characters to obsess over, which is always neat.

[innocent-chris-evans-slut]

The Assistant - Part One

My Masterlist ✨

Series: Personal Assistant - Part One

Summary: Y/N is Ransom Dysdale’s assistant. She’s the closest person to him and spends everyday with him at his house. Usually she gets in at nine o’clock and makes sure everything is perfect. One day he doesn’t want to get up and Y/N goes in his room. She finds a surprise.

Type (in this part): smut, soft anger

Words count: 2,5k

Warning(s): male masturbation, fingering, denied orgasm

“Ransom…fuck” and then a long scream.

A fake scream lead only to faking an orgasm.

Ransom’s house was an open-space and, even though his bedroom’s door was closed, everyone in there could hear -and imagine- what was going on in that room.

Another normal morning in Hugh Ransom Drysdale’s mansion. You drove there from your little apartment in the city center at nine o’clock, once there, you opened the door with the key he gave you and waited for him, and his company, comfortably sat on the couch in the living room.

You openly laughed, careful enough not to let them hear you. When the door opened, you took the papers from the coffee table in front of you and handed then to the girl, without even looking at her.

“What’s this?”

You rolled your eyes, even though she couldn’t see you doing it, and stand up turning around the counter. Once in front of her you took a moment to look at her: blondish, blue eyes, perfect white-teeth smile and perfectly tall.

Yet she faked an orgasm.

“A non-disclosure contract”, you motioned her to sit down at the table and gave her a pen, then you pointed at her where she had to sign, “Thank you”.

“I’ll have bacon and scrambled eggs.”

You had to let a couple seconds pass before answering to her: “I’m not the maid”, then you had to recollect all your killing instincts and put on a fake smile, “Mr. Drysdale won’t be happy to find you here”.

“Why on Earth?” she rested her chin on her fist, “Tonight I rode his cock three time. I made he cum three times. I think I earned the right to have breakfast”.

Once again you had to breathe in and out, “Don’t do that”.

“What?”

“Don’t think you’re the best. ‘Cause you clearly aren’t”, every girl would have left, without even saying goodbye, yet she was there and she clearly didn’t want to leave. “Stay here if you want. Anyway, I’m not the maid, you gotta ask her for your breakfast”, you left the room and entered Ransom’s office. You sat down to your desk and switched on the computer, starting working.

Two hours later you still hadn’t seen Ransom, so you decided to head upstairs and check on your boss.

You hated him since the first moment; his being bossy and sloppy bothered you in every possible way. The way he treated his employees, as well as his family and his friends, and you, it was unbearable. Yet you needed that job, otherwise you didn’t know how to pay your studies. Every morning, in front of the mirror you repeated to yourself: another couple of months. By the end of April, you would have finished your studies at University and, after paying all the tuition fees, you would have been free from the Thrombeys, and Ransom Drysdale. You kept telling yourself that working for them was temporary and sooner or later -preferably soon- you would have dropped the job and not seen them for a long time -hopefully forever.

While making your way to Ransom’s bedroom, you kept texting to your best friend -the only one who knew where you were working- and she had been asking you to join her, and your other friends, to that night’s bonfire.

Y/N 11:26 – I’ll do my best. No promises.

You smiled at the possibility of hanging out with your friends after a long time; with that thought in your head you locked your phone and shoved it in the back pocket of your jeans once you had reached the door of Ransom’s bedroom. Your hand already felt the cold of the grip, when you heard a groan coming from inside.

Was there another woman with him?

You waited before announcing yourself, not understanding what was going on in-there. You knew you could just bend down and peek from the keyhole -being his bed clearly visible from the door.

And you did it.

Yet you weren’t ready for what expected you.

Ransom was laying on his bed -his back against the mattress- and he was naked. Completely naked. You let your eyes wander on his toned chest. As much as you could hate him, there was a little part of you that was inevitably attracted by Ransom Drysdale. Maybe it was his being always self-sure and self-centered that charmed you. As much as you kept saying he was an horrible human being, you just couldn’t ignore the fact that every time he lowered his voice, every time he looked at you, anger on his face, every single part of your body trembled, your heart increased its pace and your brain pulsated in your skull.

You couldn’t.

And it all became bigger when, that morning, you saw him holding his cock in one of his hands, and his phone in the other hand. His fingers were softly, yet firmly, wrapped up all over his long and thick member and they moved slowly, gradually increasing their speed, until his cum spurt out. It was everywhere; on his fingers, on his wrist, on his abdomen and a few drops fell on his toned legs too.

You were frozen in your place. You didn’t know what to do. Should you have entered the room and scold him? For what then? For sexually please himself in his own bedroom? In his house?

You shouldn’t have been there. You should have been in the office, replying to the working e-mails he got and the thousands of texts the many girls he had slept with were sending him -some of those were very inappropriate.

You felt hot and sweaty, your heart-pace had increased, and your hands were slightly shaking. Your legs were about to give up and you could have collapsed from one moment to another, yet you made it downstairs -after having taken off your heels. Once in the office you put them one again. For the rest of the day you tried not to think about what you had seen, but you failed miserably. Every time you closed your eyes, you saw him. Every time you breathe in and out, pretending it never happened. Indeed, it did, and you knew that image would persecute you forever.

“Where’s my sandwich?” Ransom shouted from the couch in the living room. The Patriots’ game was almost done, and he still hadn’t eaten. He snapped his fingers insistently and his personal chef entered the room with a dish and a beer in his hands.

“Here it is, Sir”, he placed the Monte Cristo sandwich on the coffee table in front of the huge plasma-screen TV and handed the beer to him.

Ransom didn’t bother to thank him as he made his way back into the kitchen. He neither took his eyes off of the screen. He was so focused on the game that he didn’t heard your footsteps coming closer.

After a whole day in the office, you finally managed to get all the work done and, pleased with yourself and the job you did, you approached Ransom in the living room. You glanced at the score on the bottom of the screen and saw that the Patriots were losing the game. It certainly had an implication on your boss’s mood, yet you hoped he wasn’t on a bad mood.

“Where are you going?”

You were so deep in your thoughts that you didn’t realized the second quarter had ended and Ransom’s attention was now all on you. You didn’t know when he got up and approached you; he was now a few inches from you -closer than usual.

“Ehm…I wanted to ask if I can go home before, today. I’ll hang out wi-“

“I don’t care what you do”, he said taking one last drink from his beer, “The work is done?” he watched you as you silently nodded in his direction and he caught you lowering your eyes, as if you didn’t want to meet his gaze, “Then, you can go”.

You mumbled a “thank you” very quickly and tied your fingers over the shoulder strap of your white leather bag. You hurried your way to the front door and, as you put your hand on its grip, you heard Ransom’s voice again.

“You liked it?”

You looked around you, confused by his words and asked: “What?”

The smirk you hated showed up on his face and he folded his arms over his chest, coming closer to you, “I asked if you liked what you saw before”.

“And my question is: what have I seen?” you tried to avoid his gaze, yet it was impossible. Ransom cupped your chin and forced your eyes into his. Your mouth dried out seeing his blue eyes becoming darker as they laid on your body. His hand reached your hips and laid there longer than you’d expected.

“Come with me”, he suddenly took a step back and motioned you to follow him upstairs. Then, you realized what was he talking about.

Did he see you that morning? You had been careful enough not to let him see you. Again, you didn’t understand why he wanted you upstairs.

“I-I should go-“

“Last time I checked you get off at nine”, he paused and gave a quick glance at the clock on the wall. Then he put his eyes on you again, “And it is a quarter to nine now”.

You knew he wouldn’t let you go before thirty minutes; so, you placed your bag and took off your coat, before following with him.

Your loud snort made Ransom turn his head towards you and send you one if his angry looks. You apologized and kept yourself a few inches behind from him. You eventually stopped when he stopped, in front of the door of his room, -avoiding banging onto his built body.

He turned to you again and you swallowed hard at the glimmer in his eyes. The situation, the silence and the glance Ransom’s was throwing at you were stressing you out.

“Get in”, he gestured you to enter the room.

You didn’t know if you should it or not? What he even wanted from you?

“I really shouldn’t be her-“ you tried to say, but Ransoms, being a complete dick, pushed you inside and tells you to lay down on his bed, “Hugh, I’m not your personal whore”.

“Can you shut up and do as I say?” he saw you close your mouth and slowly walk up to the bed; you took off your shoes and climbed on, resting your head on the pillows.

As you moved, you smelt his strong scent -a mix of whiskey and musk. You breathed in as much as you can, it swarmed you nose and your head, too.

“Y/N, are you still with me?” As he heard you groaning on his bed, he half-closed the door, “Look at me. What do you see?”

You turned your head towards him and answered: “You?” It came out as a question, though you weren’t asking. You were stating the obvious: you could clearly see him, even if the door was almost closed. You could see his hateful smirk on his pink lips, his eyes fixed on you and his arms crossed over his chest. He was oddly silent, as if he was waiting for you to tell smoothing else.

The you realized.

You could see him.

Perfectly.

“Oh”, you sat up and kept your eyes on him, as he kicked the door open and he was now walking to you.

“Yes, oh”, he stayed there, at the edge of the bed, looking at you -motionless in front of him, “I didn’t know you were a voyeur?”

“What- I’m not a voyeur!” you tried to slip away, but you couldn’t.

Ransom was shamelessly staring at you, wanting to make you uncomfortable with his smirk -which had never left his face since he had brought you in his room- and his inquiring eyes, his hands at his hips and his gold family ring around his little finger.

“Indeed”, Ransom came closer to you, his knee sinking into the soft mattress, “You were so watching me. Your eyes were glued at me. At my cock. You liked it. You liked watching me jerking off”, he touched slightly your cheek as you tried not to let him understand how you were feeling. His touch was so gentle and soft against your skin and his hot breath crushed against your neck, “I gues- no, I know you were hot. You could have gone away, but you didn’t want to. I know what your thought are. I know your pussy was soaked”, without you realizing it, his index and middle finger had undone the buttons of your jeans, unzipped the zip and they were making their way to your panties.

“Wha-“ a moan escaped your lips as his hand cupped your clothed sex. You couldn’t talk anymore; the only thing you could do was moaning as he skillfully touched you through your panties.

“You’re already so wet”, Ransom whispered really close to your ear. He slipped two fingers under the thin piece of cloth and didn’t stop there, “Do you come to work wearing lace?” he let go of the elastic band of your underwear and it hit your skin, “How many times do you dream of riding me? Riding my cock?” Ransom started leaving a trail of wet kisses at the base of your neck, slowly going up, “Did you like what you’d seen?”

You weren’t able to answer his question, guilty the pleasure he was giving to you. His fingers were caressing your folds -more than wet at that point- and his main purposed seemed to be making you admit you’d liked it.

He quickly moved all his weight to his knees and grabbed you by your throat; he chocked you pleasantly, “I want an answer, baby girl”, and he pushed two fingers into your pussy.

Feeling his long and thick fingers inside you, you couldn’t help but shut your eyes and let your mouth fall open. You felt them against your walls, moving around and finding your g-spot -then, you wide-opened your eyes and let out one long moan, “Y-yes”.

“’Yes’ who?”

“Yes, d-daddy.”

Hearing you calling him in that way did nothing by made his cock twitching in his pants, “Good girl”, he didn’t stop. His fingers still in the most intimate parts of your body, now his thumb was rubbing your clit.

You felt the knot in your stomach grow more and more as his fingers worked faster on you. In a matter of seconds, you were about to explode, you would have reached your climax and you would have come all over his fingers. As you were about to cum, Ransom pulled out his fingers from your jeans and sat down at the edge of the bed. He twisted his hand, the two fingers, which had been inside you, were wet. Your juices drizzling from them.

You froze in your place when he brought them to his mouth and licked them -cleaning them up. “It’s nine o’clock. You should go.”

Tag List -open-: 

@sinner-as-saint​

@andreasworlsboring101​

[lannisterdaddyissues]

Aaand for the tv show asks: 2, 4, 5, 8, 19, 30, 46 🍿📺

ILY YOU ARE GIVING ME SO MUCH HAPPY FUEL TONIGHT <3 THANK U!!!!

2. if you could have saved one TV show from cancellation, which one would it be?

almost human. i don’t even care about any other show i will never let go of the rage that fills me whenever i remember they cancelled it bc it had the potential to be something glorious

4. are there any shows you wish could just be cancelled already?

bridgerton is hot garbage and i wish it never existed. knowing there are people out there who liked it causes me physical and emotional pain.

5. what’s your comfort show?

pride and prejudice (1995) :) i’ve watched it at least a million times, i could never tire of it. definitely my go-to feelsgood show :)

8. do you prefer week-to-week content, or just binging all in one go?

week-to-week because how would i live otherwise lol

19. are there any shows on your “to watch” list right now?

oh yeah for sure! i still gotta watch succession, yellowstone, and the great to name a few. there are probably some others but i can’t remember atm

30. what’s one show you could probably write a 2,000 word essay on, and what would be your topic?

i did write a 1750-word essay on alfred from the last kingdom 🙃 and i got a 0 on it because i turned it in late after misreading the deadline in an e-mail 🙃 it was worth at least a third of my final grade 🙃 i wrote it all in one sitting because i’d had to take all my exams late for the past two weeks after my grandfather passed away 🙃 that 0 dropped my gpa from a 3.92 to a 3.71 🙃 i’ll never forgive that professor for that 🙃 and she knew how much that essay meant to me because i infodumped to her about my favorite shows one day in class 🙃 anyway i’m not salty wdym—

46. do you prefer to watch TV alone or with friends?

i watch lots of tv with my family, except for anime really which i mainly watch alone but i’ve made some friends who watch anime now so i’ve started watching with them sometimes which is really fun!

[nahimjustfeelingit-writes]

Imagine:

Erik and reader getting involved only to find out that he’s really crazy. “Boy next door” I’m obsessed with you type of crazy.

Cingulomania

(Sing-gyoo-Loh-may-nee-uh)

A strong desire to hold a person in your arms.

Ineffable;

(a.) too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.

Lacuna

(n.) a blank space, a missing part.

——————

He was perceived as familiar, approachable, and dependable, typically in the context of a romantic relationship. He didn’t try to stand out in a crowd or be the center of attention but he still shined. But then...he was orphic; mysterious and entrancing; beyond ordinary understanding.

Y/N first met Erik at a poetry reading. She came with her friends and he came alone. Although it was their first time meeting, she could have sworn she’s seen him before. Maybe, they crossed paths on the train home, or maybe they lived within the same area. Sitting alone at that table, eyes focused on the person who recites their poetry, Y/N couldn’t help but to stare at him, hoping that he would notice. After a round of snaps from everyone, she looked back over at him, his eyes connecting with hers like a magnet. She gave him a faint smile before turning away.

Y/N didn’t understand the way the simple interaction ignited his soul. He’d been wanting her to do that for a long time. Ever since he first saw her on the train, the smell of blueberries in her hair and cocoa butter on her skin. Erik would position himself behind her every train ride so that he could discreetly smell her or feel her warmth against his. He was obsessed with a woman he didn’t even know personally. So obsessed that he even figured out where she lived. Park Slope, Brooklyn. The outside of her apartment painted a brick red. She lived on the second level providing a spot on view for him to admire her. This was his regular thing after work, standing across the street for hours just watching her.

It was as if his fate was set. He had to approach her now that she finally looked at him with interest. Finally, she was going to be his and only his. He could claim her properly, smell her any chance he got, touch and kiss all over her beautiful frame. What surprised him after the poetry event was that she approached him first. At the bar, she walked up to him, Erik trying his best to act natural.

“You come to these often? I’ve never seen you here before.”

She sounded like heaven itself.

“First time. Figured I’d come and support since there are a lot of talented black people here tonight.”

“Did you come alone?”

You know I did, he thought to himself.

“Yes,” he looked down at her, “didn’t have anybody to go with.”

She had this mesmerizing look in her eyes. The same look he would give her and she didn’t even know the effect she had on him. Y/N drove him crazy.

“I’m Y/N,” she says, reaching out to shake his hand. Erik takes it, feeling nothing but the soft smooth skin of her palm. His eyes trailed from the gold tennis bracelet around her wrist and up her arm where a small tattoo of a famous poetry quote resides. He memorized those words already. That’s how much he’d paid close attention to her.

“Figured I should introduce myself just in case you wanted to come with me to one of these things instead of by yourself.”

“What makes you think I would want to?” He teased.

“I’m not convinced by that at all. I have a feeling you would.”

You don’t know the half of it, girl, he thought.

“Oh, I would...” he leans in towards her face, his lips mere centimeters away from hers. The Cupid’s bow of her upper lip and the way her bottom lip pouts always drove him wild.

“And I’m Erik.” He gave her a lopsided grin.

“Erik...” she spoke in a honeyed tone, “I like the way that rolled off my tongue.”

He didn’t need that thought. It only made him think about fucking her with his name rolling off her tongue in between moans. She was very lucky that he had complete control at the moment over his actions. If he didn’t, he would have ripped off that little black dress and spread her legs over that bar stool she was currently seated on.

“You’ll like it even more if you let me take you home.”

————————

Present Day:

Erik: Y/N? Where are you?

Erik: why aren’t you answering your phone?

Erik: I called you like five times. You know I don’t like it when you ignore me.

She stared at her phone from her desk. This was becoming ridiculous... and scary. He was becoming suffocating to the point of death. She couldn’t even go to work without calling her phone, sending her pictures of his naked body, and nasty texts. Now, he was pissed off because she was busy that she ignored his advances. It wasn’t her fault that her job had a no phone policy put in place now because client emails were being ignored.

Her phone vibrated loudly against the surface of her cubical desk. She sighed with frustration, excusing herself to go to the employee bathroom. She chose the one where only one person could occupy it, locking the door and turning on the sink. Y/N picks up the phone.

“Erik you know I am at work why are you blowing up my phone! I told you I can’t be on my phone at work! You want me to loose my job?”

“Hello to you too, beautiful,” he says with a spiteful tone, “and don’t fucking raise your voice at me! You remember what happened the last time?”

She couldn’t forget. The sex was psychotic. Y/N woke up with scratches and bite marks all over her.

“You are taking things too seriously, Erik. You can’t act like this I have a life too.”

“But you don’t need to work. I can support you. That’s why I need you to move in with me.”

Y/N couldn’t begin to describe how pressed Erik was for her to move in with him. She loved him but right now they had some things to work out before their relationship ended.

“Hello?” He spoke.

“I don’t know about that, Erik.”

“Why? Don’t you love me?”

She couldn’t stand when he did that.

“Of course I do, but..”

“But what?!! There shouldn’t be a but if you love me Y/N. I love you. I love you so much it hurts.”

She looked around the restroom, a nervous feeling circulated her belly.

“Maybe we should talk about this later, okay? I got some work that needs to be finished. Dinner? My place?”

“Nah, lets do it at mine this time around.”

She blanched.

“Erik, we always do it at your place...”

“You don’t want to be there or something?”

He could go from sweet to evil in a matter of seconds. No, she honestly didn’t want to be at his place. If she did, he would beg her to stay or MAKE her stay and then she would never go back home. She couldn’t even breath in her own skin. Y/N couldn’t even remember what she smelled like because everything that surrounded her reminded her of Erik. It was as if he was non verbally telling her that she was his and only his.

“I just have things to do around the house that’s all.”

He went silent, Y/N chewing on her bottom lip.

“...fine. We can do your place.”

She quietly let out a sigh of relief.

“Great, I can cook for you and we can have movie night.”

“Can you wear that little black slip dress you wore when we first met eachother? You know how much I love that on you, Y/N.”

“Erik, you always make me wear that,” she complained.

“So? It’s my favorite. I want you to wear it...no panties...no bra...just the dress.”

A knock came to the bathroom door, startling her.

“E, I gotta go, okay? I’ll see you later.”

“OKay, see you soon babe.” He gave her a round of kiss through the phone before hanging up.

—————

She figured she could make some Cajun shrimp pasta since she had all the ingredients at home. Entering her building, she checked her mail slot, finding it empty. It used to have flowers almost every Wednesday from Erik but he stopped doing that once she explained to him that she didn’t have enough vases to hold all the roses and gardenias. Taking out her key, Y/N opens her door, the vision of Erik standing before her with his hands in his jeans pockets. Before she could even express how she felt about him being at her place before the scheduled time AND unannounced, he scoops her up, twirling her and kissing her with a whole lot of tongue. She leans away from him, trying her best not to appear annoyed with him.

“I thought dinner would be this evening?”

He didn’t even bother responding. He had his face buried in her neck, smelling her with loud sniffs and squeezing her waist tightly. Y/N looked worried, bringing her hands up to cradle his face, making him look at her.

“You smell so...good...”

“...thank you. Erik,”

“I wanted to suprise you.”

She gave him a perplexed look, “how did you get a key?”

Erik bit down on his lower lip, taking his thumb to stroke her cheek, “I got one made for me to use whenever I needed it. Figured since your mines I can come and go as I please, you agree?”

No, she didn’t. Y/N slips out of his hold, walking to her living room to remove her heels. Erik brushes up against her, startling her. She could feel him unzipping her skirt.

“Babe, I just got home,” she whines.

“And I haven’t seen you all day...I need you. I need what’s mines.”

“Right this minute?” She questioned with annoyance, “I’m tired and I expected to take a nap before you got here.”

“You can still take one, and I can watch you sleep.”

All of these signs made her believe he was greatly obsessed with her. Overly needy and a damn psycho when he didn’t get his way.

“We need to talk...” she turns to him.

“About you moving in with me? Yeah, let’s talk about that.”

Erik pulls her down and over his lap. She straddled him but that position wasn’t right for the topic of conversation. How dare he look at her with those brown eyes.

“We should take a break.”

The brown in his eyes fogged with an eerie black. Even though his eyes looked enraged, the stroke of his finger tips on her back was comforting.

“You wanna break up with me?”

“No-no, just take a little time away from eachother. I can see my friends and family,”

“But you have me. I’m enough to be all that for you.”

“Babe, are you hearing yourself?”

“Loud and fucking clear,” he clenched his jaw, “Are you...are you sick of me or something?”

“I just think that we need some time apart. You’re... I just don’t want you to get so overworked because of me.”

It didn’t matter how sweet she sounded. She wanted a break from him for however long that would be. His resolve slipped and the palpable attraction he had to her couldn’t be ignored for days and days.

“You know what breaks lead to, right?”

She sat very still over his lap.

“It means you get used to me not being around, and then you start enjoying that...a little too much.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,”

“Shut up while I’m talking!!!!!”

He scared her with just his tone alone. His face softens, eye brows knitted together with worry while his hands grabbed her hips. Y/N swallows spit, waiting for him to say something.

“You want a break to do what? See other people? You are mines, Y/N. I knew that the very first time I laid eyes on you.”

Erik didn’t know if Y/N had other men trying to talk to her. He had such a close watch on her like he was a damn P.I that he was certain she wasn’t cheating or other men were begging to be with her. Guys would look though, that didn’t bother him too much because he knew the effect his woman could have on people. Women and men. Look at him, he was head over heels and ready to kill for her. There was the guy who lived above her but as far as Erik knew he was gay. Then, there was an ex of hers who didn’t get the memo everytime he texted her phone. In the beginning when that happened, Erik made sure to link Y/N’s texts and email notifications through his phone to keep a secret eye on her. Sure enough, they were having conversations, nothing sexual just too friendly. That was her fucking ex. She wasn’t allowed to talk to her ex. Erik took care of it, she hadn’t heard from him in about two months now.

“Not every break means go and see other people, Erik.” She rolled her eyes at him. Erik grabs her chin hard, making her look at him. She glared down into those now black eyes.

“But when they don’t see you on my arm, then they want something. C’mere, let me show you something to remind you,”

Erik lifts her up, carrying her to her bedroom. Opening the door, he walks in dropping Y/N on the bed.

“This is another reason why I came early. Look up,”

She does, a look of pure shook on her face. Their was a huge black and white photo of them both having sex, framed and all, positioned on her ceiling. The position he had her in...this was the first time they had sex. Erik wanted to use a camera to record the memorabilia and she agreed. Back then, she was all for this affection and admiration from him. Now, it was like she’d been buried alive. Lungs filling up with dirt.

“Something to remember.” He smiles wide, this longing look on his face, “I can remember that night in detail Y/N.”

“Erik, please, stop.”

She couldn’t look at him without seeing that damn photo.

“Weed after sex.” He closed his eyes, most likely remembering the chill moment under his covers while the both of them talked about anything.

“I licked it, so it’s mines. You’re especially gorgeous when I look up from between your legs.”

It was as if he were created to seduce and destroy. This wasn’t some demonic contract where she signed over the rights to her soul.

“That’s enough, just stop it,” she lifts from the bed, ready to run away from this. It was maddening.

“Where are you going?!!!!”

He beat her to the door, slamming it shut. She backs away, fear on her face and eyes watering.

“You’re not leaving me, Y/N. You’re frustrated baby? Let’s work that shit out. Take all that sexual frustration out on me, please...and thank you.”

“It’s not sexual, Erik, it’s literal frustration. I am suffocating!!!!”

“No you’re not.” He wasn’t convinced. It was as if his brain was wired to believe that it wasn’t.

“You are driving me insane!!!” She wanted to throw something at him.

“Why are you talking to me like this?” He looked defeated. He started bringing his hands to his chest, shaking his head while stepping closer. The back of her legs hit the side of the bed.

“I thought you loved me? I thought what we had was special and you...”

He was between her legs now, reaching out to grab her up against him. He brought his face close to hers, his lips pressed into her cheek.

“You give me the craziest urges,” he laughs, but the laugh wasn’t him...

“Urges?” To do what exactly?

“Wanting a break from me is only gonna make me want you more and more.”

This was a never ending loop. She thought about hiding out at her families but she was certain Erik knew where they lived.

“Urges to do WHAT?”

He played with the hem of her skirt.

“Like...kill for you.”

Y/N suddenly thought about her ex. She hadn’t heard a word from him in a while and just yesterday his sister had called her asking about him. Y/N was still close with his family. Her ex used to say that he would die for her and kill for her too but the way Erik said it...he said it like he was used to this type of thing. Like it was a regular thing to just kill someone.

“Erik...what did you do?”

He froze, looking up at her with a glint in his eyes.

“What wouldn’t I do for you?”

@tgigoldie​ @soufcakmistress​ @chefjessypooh​ @chaneajoyyy​ @pananegra​ @theblulife​ @becincere​ @blaqwidow91​ @fish-outta-watah​ @moonlight-night-sky​ @eyeknowmywrites​  @crowngold​ @njadakillthiscookie​ @blktinkerbell​ @luvanxi​ @sheisexcellent1​ @chocolatedippedinhoney​  @brandithecrystalgem​ @dababydababydababydababy​ @soulfulbeauty19​ @btitannaaa​ @sunkissedebony97​ @youngblackndgifted​ @harleycativy​ @rbhp​ @thee-germanpeach​ @thadelightfulone​ @bugngiz​

[boundinshallows]

Peaky Rare Pair Bingo Mid-Fest Round-Up

We started the Peaky Blinders Rare Pair Bingo Challenge back in July and still have a few weeks left. However, I thought it would be a great time to do a mid-fest round-up to catch folks up on what’s been written so far. 

Rare Pairs are tricky things. They’re rare because they don’t get a lot of fanworks produced about them. And in turn, sometimes the authors don’t get a lot of love on their fics because the audiences are limited. It becomes a vicious cycle, and in the end, fandom suffers because there's an overrepresentation of just a few pairings, but many amazing characters to love and explore. 

I would like to invite you all to take a look at some truly incredible pieces of fic for some much undervalued pairings in Peaky Blinders. If you have a moment, please leave the authors a comment to keep fueling their creativity, even if it’s brief, especially if you like the ship. Kudos are wonderful too, but comments really help writers know there’s an audience out there looking for rare pair content. 

Cheers! 

++++++++++

 Chester Campbell / Tommy Shelby

Shameless by AbusiveLittleBun || [ E ] Tommy has his usual meeting with Campbell in a café but decides to spice it a bit up.

Tatiana Petrovna / Alfie Solomons

Solnishko by Valkrist || [ E ] There was something lovely about all the movements, about kneading the dough, while listening to some radio shows, shaking one’s hand and laughing about the people and music the whole time. As stupid as it could be, Alfie didn’t like to be interrupted during this process. There was only one exception, only one person that could call him or come in without having to deal with his grumpiness.

Vivid by Strawberriez8800 || [ E ] In which Alfie dreams about getting fucked by Tatiana, and asks Tommy a question.

Dazzle Me Blind by Strawberriez8800 || [ T ] Tatiana glances back at Alfie over her shoulder. “Have you ever been fucked by a princess?” “Can’t say I have, no.” “Good,” she says, voice like molten gold. “I like to be the first at everything I do.”

Singular by Strawberriez8800 || [ E ] Alfie tugs on Tatiana's silver chain, pulls her down towards him. “Something you should know, princess,” he says, mouth brushing against the shell of her ear, “I’m not in the habit of sharing, am I now.” She grins a feral grin. “Not even with Tommy Shelby?”

Barney Thompson / Tommy Shelby

Play Pretend by Valkrist || [ T ] It shouldn’t feel this way, should it? He shouldn’t be that afraid, feel more comfortable. Enjoy all the moments, blossom and feel all this happiness, but he didn’t. Why was he sad? Why didn’t he experience the same things others were talking about?

Peaches, Roses, Sandalwood by Valkrist || [ E ] There was something fascinating about all the oils, vials and equipment standing on the table. Small glasses, various colors, paste, scrapers, everything one could imagine. Different scents filled the room - and in the middle of it all there was one filled, slightly violet flacon.

Always Landing on Their Feet by Valkrist || [ G ] Tommy had always been torn between doing business properly and giving Charlie enough love and attention. Never really knew how to do it well enough, how to make his childhood fulfilled enough, but he had thought that it was okay, that he did his best giving Charlie good education and lovely father-son evenings. Had even dared to think that his boy didn’t have any secrets and behaved nice when he had to go to London for some days. Well, this was until he got one particular fateful e-mail.

Indulge a Desire by Valkrist || [ E ] There were many things that helped Barney forget about all his duties for a while, but the low lighting was the best one, after all.

Been Reading Books of Old, the Legends and the Myths by Valkrist || [M] Remember the last time we wrote each other letters? I don’t, but well, maybe it’s a good idea. Kinda funny to send all this words, knowing that you won’t read them immediately. But I won’t write them too often, still gotta pay for my living, you know.

Tu as tué la peur qui là dans mes bras by Valkrist || [ T ] Tommy chuckled. It was always funny to listen to Barney, even if he couldn’t understand how the latter managed to stay that calm. It seemed as if Ollie made nothing but mistakes, but Barney was patient, so terribly patient. Repeated the words again and again, encouraged Ollie to go on and not to send it all to hell.

Thoughts of You Consume by Valkrist || [ E ] Barney had already known what was about to come at the races. Going there hadn’t really been his preferable option for the day, but there was no harm in doing it - just being on Tommy’s side, looking at the majestic horses and seeing the other man’s lips curling into a smile when everything went the way it should. Barney didn’t understand much of this sort of business, but it was alright as long as Tommy knew what he was doing.

May Carleton / Tommy Shelby

When You Walk in Smelling Like Her Perfume by Valkrist || [ T ] May had never thought this necklace would mean so much to her one day. It hadn’t been much more than a lovely gesture back then, a little present, a joke. Something that looked lovely and united them. Even the telepathy coming with it didn’t seem intimate back then, being a lovely side effect. Oh, how easy it had been back then…

Between This Heartbeat and the Next by Strawberriez8800 || [ G ] Tommy is looking at her like he’s finally living their moments rather than stealing them. What a sight it makes.

Off the Beaten Path by Strawberriez8800 || [ G ] Thomas is waiting for someone; May is not so conceited as to assume it is her, yet when she takes the seat beside him and orders herself a drink, with the way he looks at her, it would be asinine to conclude the case is anything else. 

The One Who Got Away by Boundinshallows || [ M ] Tommy and May go on an overnight trip to purchase a horse.

James / Tommy Shelby

This was Nothing by AbusiveLittleBun || [ E ] Tommy is frustrated after another meeting with Alfie and he needs an outlet. Luckily it finds him first.

Salt and Mint by AbusiveLittleBun || [ E ] Tommy was forced to remain for dinner at Ada's, in fear of James revealing their little secret, and makes a deal with the boy for his good behavior... things escalate very quickly.

Like Thunder, Like Lightning by AbusiveLittleBun || [ E ] Tommy feels torn after his hasty departure from Ada's, and a surprising phone call might, or might not help him move forward...

R U Mine? by AbusiveLittleBun || [ E ] Tommy goes back to James, but it also comes with more consequences than he imagined... (Direct sequel to Like Thunder, Like Lightning!)

Jessie Eden / Ada Shelby

Dress by Keine_angst || [ G ] Now that she's made peace with her feelings towards Jessie Eden, there was only one obstacle left. The dress. 

Hungry for (Your) Love by Keine_angst || [ G ] “Tommy, sweetheart, how can you expect me to agree to do something for you if you don’t explain what do you need from me?” she pointed out the obvious, because really, it wouldn’t be safe to just say yes and take the pot luck, not when Thomas Shelby was in charge. Ada agrees to help her brother out, but things get out of hand.

Billy Grade / Finn Shelby

Beyond Redemption (Just a Pawn) by Valkrist || [ M ] Finn was angry, fucking angry. Should’ve probably known that it all would come this way. Done something against it. Then again, what could he have done? Tommy hadn’t told him that much, trying to keep him away from this bad kind of business. Football bets were alright, but nothing more. Didn’t need to ship cocaine or opium or whatever this was about. Bets like in the good old times, having Billy to write everything down.

Gina Gray / Oswald Mosley

White Swan by Valkrist || [ M ] It was funny how they all hadn’t noticed it at all, Mosley thought. Such blind people. Didn’t see it, maybe simply didn’t want to, who was to say that. He hadn’t been truly interested in joining this dance - an evening with a bunch of fucking Gypsies wasn’t exactly his idea of a well spent time - but apparently there were some good things about occasions of that kind. Well, as long as he ignored the opium, cocaine and brandy. Really didn’t seem to know the rules, this silly people.

Lizzie Stark / Tommy Shelby

Again by Emjen_Enla || [ T ] Tommy rolled over. Again. Or Tommy and Lizzie mostly fail at this sharing a bed thing.

Bonnie Gold / Goliath

Raise the Boxing Gloves by Valkrist || [ M ] Poor boy didn’t know what dreamless nights were anymore. Always had something to think about, adventures happening, a combination of all the things he had experienced. Sometimes bad, sometimes good, sometimes it was simply unclear. But Goliath could beat it all out of him if he wasn’t careful enough. Made him forget with ease, his senses focussing on some little, often rather unimportant details. An impressive and talented young man.

Ollie / Alfie Solomons

Our Bones May Turn to Stone but Hearts like Ours Don’t Rust by Valkrist || [ T ] The dunes, the water, the sand, it was all calming. Ollie simply couldn’t get used to it after having spend so much time in London, knowing all the dirt of Camden. Muddy shoes, blood, he had seen it all, even though it was way better than Birmingham, if Alfie was to be believed.

Luca Changretta / Tommy Shelby

Now and Forever by AbusiveLittleBun || [ E ] Luca is enchanted with the beautiful blue-eyed boy that attends the school he helps his mother at, little does he know Tommy Shelby feels the same way towards him...

Boysenberry Tie, with Periwinkle Eyes by WTSL_Writer_of_Things || [ G ] The bow was strange and new, the colour hard to come by and find. It wasn't often people managed to dye a bow that colour, so he snatched it up and bright it home to his blue eyes doll. Years go by and he finds that colour again, this time as a tie, and he gets the tie for his new Periwinkle eyed lover, who he practically drops to the floor for. So he gets a boysenberry tie, for the Periwinkle eyes of his strange lover.

Oswald Mosley / Tommy Shelby

Coat Wrapped Around His Shoulders by Valkrist || [ M ] It was a miracle, a fucking miracle.Tommy still didn’t know how Barney had stayed alive, but he had. Could have shot Mosley marvelously if it weren’t for this horrible interruption. A life for a life, except both people had stayed alive this time. And this was the other side of the coin. Mosley was still alive. A wonderful plan, all for nothing. So much effort put into it, all for nothing. But at least they hadn’t caught them, so Tommy could still keep his cover. Could enter the hospital without people suspecting him, ready to figure it all out.

[overdrivels]

@romancedeldiablo just reminded me the entire cybersecurity/information security industry is having the greatest field days ever since this whole Covid-19 triggered a mass work from home exodus.

I have so much to say about it and all the security issues that are occurring. This mostly pertains to the US. This isn’t meant to scare anyone, they’re just food for thought and a bit of explanation about my industry.

PSA: Not all hackers are bad, just a reminder. There are very legitimate reasons for hacking such as compliance and research. When I talk about hackers here, I’m talking about the bad ones who are exploiting without permission and for malicious reasons.

The main thing about this whole working from home thing is that most organizations don’t have the infrastructure to support their entire workforce. Not every company uses Google Drive or OneDrive or DropBox.

This means that companies with on-premise servers, isolated servers or networks are screwed. Imagine trying to connect to your friend’s computer who lives on the other side of the world and controlling their mouse. Can’t do it. Gotta download something on both ends to do it. Now imagine that for 500 people at home who are trying to connect to a single server. You’d need to open that server/network up to the internet. That has its own risks because without controlling WHO can access the server, you’re basically allowing anyone (hackers especially) to go in and take all your data.

But then you ask, “Isn’t that what passwords are for?” BITCH look at your own passwords. Do you really think 500 people will have passwords strong enough to withstand a rainbow table attack or that the server won’t shit itself when receiving 500 connections from unknown locations by means of a not-often used method? Hackers only need to exploit one password (for the most part) while the company needs to ensure ALL 500 are protected. That’s difficult as all hell and if it were that easy, I wouldn’t have a job.

Then there’s shit like Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and RADIUS servers that’ll secure the network connection so it can’t be hijacked and do authentication respectively. Here’s the problem. VPN solutions need to be downloaded on the client system (your computer). When your organization has very technically illiterate people, that becomes a nightmare. ‘Cause you have to set up their accounts on the VPN system and set the permissions for each of them so they can only access what they’re allowed to access otherwise Bob from sales now has access to the HR system with everyone’s social security numbers. It’s very time consuming and can get very complicated. Even worse is that VPNs often require licenses. When you only have 50 licenses and suddenly 500 people want access, you’re screwed. But you can always purchase more licenses, no problem. Here’s the rub. Suddenly, this VPN tunnel needs to accept connections from 500 people. This tunnel is only strong enough to accept 50 concurrent sessions. When 10x that amount get on, guess what? The tunnel shits itself and basically the company has DoS’d itself. Now no one can get any work done until IT figures out how to get 500 people on a system that’s only capable of supporting 50.

Fuck, almost forgot about RADIUS. There’s DIAMETER, too, but shut up about it. It’s an authentication system but depending on how it’s set up, you’ll have to also set up the users. That’s an extra step and it’s a pain in the ass if RADIUS somehow isn’t connected to AD and the user has different passwords and shit.

Not to mention hackers suddenly gaining access to all this information because they’ve already infected people’s home computers and routers prior to the work from home stuff. There’s very limited way for IT to control what happens on a personal computer, so these personal computers can have no anti-virus or security software. This means all data is in danger because someone decided Windows Defender is annoying. (Windows Defender is pretty great, btw.)

Physical robberies are occurring a little more because there’s no one to protect the stores and such. Physical security is taking a hell of a beating.

There’s been an increase in phishing scams around COVID-19. Unemployment sites are probably being (and probably already have been) hacked and the data is being stolen. I think there were some people who were creating fake unemployment sites to steal PII. There are e-mails going out to people saying stuff like, “Your computer has been infected with the CORONAVIRUS. Click here to clean it up.” And you’re wondering, “What sort of morons…?” Don’t. It’s very easy to give in to your panic. Hackers don’t hack computers solely. They hack into human emotion, into the psyche. Anyone can fall for their shit.

The thing with Zoom? Basically they’re so insecure, people are hacking them without issue. How? Because people are silly and put out links, chat logs are saved onto insecure machines that have already been hacked, there are a bunch of exploits available for Zoom, etc.

Healthcare organizations. Oh boy. So, we all know healthcare organizations are working their damnedest to save people suffering from COVID-19. Every second counts and any delay in that process could mean life or death. They work hard. Here’s the thing. There has always been a delicate balance between security and usability. Too secure and it’ll make it difficult for the end user to do their job. Usable without security just makes it easier for an attacker to do their job. Why am I talking about this?

Healthcare organizations usually hold sensitive information. Health information. Social security numbers. Birth dates. Addresses. Insurance information. Family member information. So much stuff. They are a beautiful target for hackers because all that shit is right there and it’s accessible. Healthcare organizations, by and large, do not put a lot of emphasis on security. That’s changing a bit, but for the most part, the don’t care about security. They do the bare minimum because guess what? Every additional control can add time to a doctor or healthcare worker’s routine. Computer lockscreen every 5 minutes? Now the doctor has to re-logon every 5 minutes. This adds about 15 seconds to their rountine. Multiply that several times over for every patient that comes in assuming a doctor will need to log in at least 3 times during a single visit. That can clock in at at least an hour throughout the day. A hour that they could’ve spent doing something else. So imagine more controls. Password needs to be reset. Need to badge in. Log into this extra program to access this file. Call IT because this thing locked them out. Each one of these normal controls now feel insanely restrictive. The ease of use isn’t there and so organizations might look at reversing these security controls, potentially making things even less secure than before in the name of efficiency.

Don’t @ me about HIPAA. I will start rants about how non-prescriptive and ineffective it is to actually get proper security implemented.

LOL @ internet service providers. Internet speeds are dropping due to the amount of traffic they’re getting. Commercial internet really wasn’t prepared for this. Those poor bastards.

Some organizations outsource their IT teams. Those people (Managed Service Providers aka MSPs) are not prepared for this nonsense. It’s popular now to go after these guys for hacking. An MSP usually works for multiple organizations. So, why try going after 50 organizations individually when you have just one organization with poor security controls managing everything from one place? You’d logically go after the one rather than 50. It’s easier.

MSPs are now overworked because they also have to work from home to connect to systems that can’t support so many people connecting to it on personal computers that the MSP can’t log into like they normally would to fix any issues. This makes them tired. What happens when you’re tired? You make more mistakes. And that’s exactly what hackers go after. Once they’re in the MSP’s system, the hacker can now potentially gain access to the 50 clients’ systems. Easy win.

Shadow IT and alternate solutions. This is another doozy. Imagine all your files and shit are on your company’s network. No one is able to access it because there isn’t any VPN or remote sharing system or FTP server set up for this stuff, but you still need to do your job. So, what do you do? Obviously, you start making stuff on your own computer using whatever you’re comfortable with. Google Drive. Dropbox. Box. Slack. That shitty PDF reader you downloaded three years ago and didn’t update.

Now imagine sharing it through things like your personal e-mail which may or may not have been hacked without your knowledge. Or maybe the recipient’s been hacked without anyone’s knowledge. Maybe your files are normally encrypted if they’re on the company network. Now you’re off of it and nothing’s encrypted. Maybe you forget it delete a file or 80 off of your system which has been infected. Or maybe you pasted shit on pastebin or github and it’s available to the public because that’s just easier. Now anyone searching can find it. This is how database dumps are found sometimes and they’re really entertaining.

Shadow IT putting in alternate solutions without the company’s knowledge is always a fucking nightmare. I get that people need to do their jobs and want to do things a certain way, but can you not be selfish and put everyone at risk because you decided your way or the high way?

That sounds awfully familiar…it feels like a situation that we’re going through right now…hey, wait a minute…

Long story short, this whole working from home thing opens up a lot of security issues. Most companies are ill-equipped to handle IT issues, let alone cybersecurity/information security/IT security issues, but because of that, we’re seeing a lot of interesting things happening. Such as finding out New Jersey’s unemployment system runs on a 60+ year old programming language.

Holy shit I can talk about this all day. I’ve definitely glossed over a lot of stuff and oversimplified it. If anyone wants me to talk about any specific topic related to this or cybersecurity or information security in general, drop an ask. I’m always, always more than happy to talk about it.

[ruthoakenshield]

The Lady in Black Leather (chapter 4)

The Lacy in Black Leather (chapter 3)

You flip your hood up as it is raining again, and head East towards the restaurants Todd said were a few blocks away.

As you walk, you text Scarlett that you got a job, and the owner is a retired cop, who is the twin brother to the Officer Sand you met last night.

You ask her not to tell anyone, not even Aiden, where you are working, yet. You tell her your boss knows some nice apartment owners nearby and has offered to take you to meet them and to look at some apartments.

She replies back that she is happy you found a job and that she is sorry to hear you won’t be staying in the apartment with them.

You text back that the apartment is too far away from your job and you don’t want to have to get rides back and forth from work or have to take public transportation. You prefer walking to and from work.

You ask her how things are going and what all they did this morning. She tells you she got to meet a bunch of famous actors who are friends with Aiden, and that Richard was asking about you. She tells you he wants to see you again and was worried whether or not you got home ok. She tells you Aiden told him about what happened, and Richard was upset, but calmed down when Aiden told him you were safe now and that the ex was in police custody.

She asked if you were going to be needing a ride back to the apartment, and you told her you weren’t sure. It depended on how things went with the apartment hunting.

She texted to let her know and they’d come get you when you were ready if you needed them to.

 You arrived at the intersection of the block and your jaw dropped. To the left and the right was all kinds of little shops with different themed restaurants. Chinese, Taiwanese, Burger joints, Pizza joints, Sushi, chicken, ice cream, tacos, steak, all kinds of different tastes.

Your mouth began to water. You wanted a cheese burger and fries, so you headed to the closest burger joint and got a cheese burger meal to go with a chocolate shake. You looked at Todd’s order and he wanted Chinese, so you head there next and order his food to go. You hand the cashier the $20 and she gives you the change, stowing it and your phone in your inner pocket of the trench. You take the food and head out into the rain and walk quickly towards the shop.

You aren’t paying much attention to your surroundings, when you hear people ahead of you talking and you keep your head down. You hear someone give a cat call, which you ignore and keep walking as they pass you talking and laughing in the rain.

You look up when you hear a familiar voice behind you and you glance back and see Graham looking back at you. He gives you a wink and turns back to talking with the group of people he was with. The one next to him you think might have been Richard, who was engrossed in a conversation with someone next to him. You see Graham elbow him and say something and you quickly turn and keep walking.

You hear footsteps behind you, getting closer and you feel someone put a hand on your shoulder gently stopping you. When you turn and look to see who it is, Richard is standing there, holding an umbrella and looks down at you. You look up and see him smiling at you. “Hi!” he says.

“Didn’t think I’d see you so soon. I realized after you left last night, that I didn’t get your name or phone number. I was wondering if you’d like to go out for coffee or tea or something sometime. I had a good time with you last night.” He said nervously.

You smiled. “I had fun too, Richard.” You reply and smile when you see his face brighten at you remembering his name. “I’m Harley.” You tell him.

His eyes get huge. “You’re the Harley that Aiden and Scarlett were talking about?!?” he asks surprised.

You duck your head and nod. “Yeah. Though, I don’t know what all they said about me.” You say quietly.

Richard turns to face you and gently lifts your chin to look at him. “They said your ex attacked you last night and you had to call the cops and stay at Aiden’s with him and Scarlett.” He tells you and sees you cringe and nod.

“I’m sorry you got attacked, Sweetheart. That’s why I wanted to take you home. I was worried about you for the rest of the evening after you left, wondering if you got home okay.” He tells you.

You blush and look down, but he keeps his hand under your chin. “If you need a place to stay till this works out, I have a flat close by. You’re welcome to stay there. I know Aiden lives quite a ways away from here.” He tells you.

“Thanks, Richard, but I’m looking at some apartments tonight with my boss. He’s a retired cop and knows some people who own apartments nearby.” You tell him. “His brother is handling my case with my ex.”

Richard nods, and hands you one of his cards with his name, phone number and personal e-mail. “If you need anything or want some help moving, let me know, ok?” he tells you. “Or if you get lonely and just want to talk or hang out.” He says with a grin. “I gotta get going and get some lunch now, we’re on our break from filming.” He informs you. “Good luck with the apartment hunting.” He says as he gives your arm a gentle squeeze, then takes a step away and looks down at you.

You look at the card and then back up at him. “Thanks Richard.” you tell him and put the card in your coat pocket. He nods and hurries to catch up with his friends, who had stopped to wait for him.

You kept walking and before you turned to the coffee shop, you glanced back to make sure they were not able to see you turn in. They had gone around the corner and were no longer in sight, so you entered the bookstore/coffee shop with lunch for you and Todd.

 You stood in the doorway for a moment to let the water run off your jacket. Todd looked up when the bell rang and came over to get the food from you. He chuckled when he saw the bag with your burger and fries. “well that’s gonna make for an interesting smell with the Chinese!” he teases, making you giggle.

You took your coat off and carefully shook off the water, hanging it up behind the cabinet after you came into the kitchen area.

Your phone started ringing and you look at Todd questioningly. He replies, “Go ahead and answer it, Sweetheart.”

You answer it and it is Alex. He tells you the judge approved the Restraining order and he has the paperwork for you. He also informs you that someone anonymously posted bail for your ex and that he is on the loose again. He tells you to NOT go back to your old apartment.

You gasp when Alex tells you your ex is free from Jail and your knees buckle. You drop to the floor and sit there stunned. Tod comes running over and helps you up and sits you on the chair at his desk.

He asks what is the matter, and you just hand him the phone. He says, “Hello? Oh, Hi Alex! Yeah, she is here… yeah, I hired her… thanks for sending her here… What?!? Oh no!!! Yea, bring it here. We were gonna go look at the apartments the O’Malleys own after work…Ok. See you in a few.” He replies and hangs up.

You’re sitting on the chair trembling. “How could they just let him go like that after what he did?!?” you ask as he hands the phone back to you. He sighs and squats down, his knees popping.

“If someone posted bail for him, Sweetheart, they had no choice but to release him. However, he is required to show up for his court hearing or they will put a warrant out for his arrest. You have the restraining order, so he is not to come near you no matter where you are.” He tells you.

You put your head in your hands and cry. “A piece of paper like that means nothing to him. If he finds me, he will attack me and rape me like he threatened to. To him, I’m nothing more than a fuck toy, now that I can’t have babies.” You say as you cry.

He tries to comfort you and hears the bell at the door. “Stay here, Sweetheart, I gotta go get this.” He tells you and heads to the front to see who came in.

A minute later, Alex is coming back and finds you with your head in your hands crying quietly.

He squats down, and rubs your back. “I know, Sweetheart, those of us who were there to arrest him last night are not too happy about this. The judge didn’t make the bail high enough for us to keep him in custody.” He tells you.

“I need to get my stuff out of my apartment. How am I going to do that now? He will be somewhere near the apartment now, waiting till he sees me and then will follow me to find out where I’m staying!” you cry.

“I’ll tell you what, Sweetheart, let me check with the guys who were with me that night, maybe we can go and pack up your place for you and take it to a secured storage facility until you get a new place, then we’ll help you move into it.” He tells you. “That way your ex won’t see you and won’t be able to follow you at least from that point. And since you’re now on the other end of town and employed by an ex-cop, you’ll be safer than if you were on your own.” He says.

“The O’Malleys are a great Irish couple who worked with us on the beat. Mr. O’Malley was a detective for our precinct, and will keep an eye on your ex and you if we tell him what is going on. Ok? They live right on site and their buildings are secure and quiet.” He tells you.

“Here is the restraining order for you. Keep it with you at all times.” He tells you.

You nod. “Thanks.”

Alex sighs, “I gotta get going, Harley, but my big bro will be here with you, so you have nothing to worry about, ok?”

You nod again. He gives your shoulder a squeeze. “I’ll keep in touch with you and let you know what my co-workers say about helping you with the move. See you later.” He tells you and heads out to the front.

You hear him talk with Todd and then you hear the bell ding when he leaves.

Suddenly you aren’t hungry for your burger. You take it and put it in the fridge for later. You take out the fries from the bag and open the top of the shake. You absentmindedly dip your fries in the chocolate shake and munch on them. Then you text Scarlett and tell her what happened.

She replies “OH NO!!! Now what are you going to do!?!”

You reply, “Officer Sand is going to see if his co-workers will help him go to the apartment and pack up all the rest of my stuff. They said they’d put it in a secure storage facility and will move them into my new apartment when I find one.”

She texts back, “Are you still going to look at the apartments tonight with your boss?”

You reply, “Yeah, apparently the owner is a former detective that worked with Officer Sand and his brother. They say I will be safe there. He is Irish and they said they will inform him on what’s going on and what to look out for. Apparently, the owners live on site and keep the apartment secured pretty well.”

Scarlett replies, “Ok, keep me posted. Richard says his offer still stands, by the way.”

You reply, “Will keep you posted. Tell Richard, thanks.”

 Todd comes back after a couple minutes to see how you’re doing. He finds you dunking french fries into your chocolate shake and chuckles.

“You ok, Harley?” he asks as he sits down next to you.

You shrug, “Just kind of shocked, I guess. And very scared now.”

He sighs, “Yeah, these judges just don’t understand the emotions and fear they cause when they release these guys to such a low bail. If it was their daughter being attacked, the guy would never see the light of day, but since it’s some person with no face to put to the name, they seem to care less.” He tells you.

“We arrest them, the judges give em a low bail amount, they make bail and are back out on the streets, often in the same night they were arrested! A day or two later, we’re arresting them for the same damn thing again!” he tells you, frustrated.

“It’s one of the reasons I asked to retire. Got tired of working in a broken system.” He tells you. “We’ll do our best to keep you safe, kiddo. You’re gonna need to learn to be mindful of your surroundings, though. Do you know any kind of self defense?” he asks.

You shake your head, “All I have is this…” you tell him, pulling your knife out of your corset’s underside.

He chuckles, “After work one of these evenings, let me and Alex show you how to defend yourself with this so your ex doesn’t end up using it on you. Though, I’m glad you have this. It’s more than what most women carry these days.”

 You finished eating your fries and shake and then clocked in. Todd showed you how to check in and out the books and how to sell them when people wanted to buy them, and how to do trades, when someone brought in a book to trade for a different one.

He let you run the front while he took his lunch break. You only needed his help a couple times, which impressed him.

After he clocked back in, the two of you talked and you made another sweep of the bookshop looking for dirty dishes left behind by customers.

You brought them back and washed them then set them on the drying rack to dry. You came up to the front and wiped off the tables and chairs to have something to do. You straightened the books and magazines on the tables and swept the floor.

Todd talked with you while you tidied up.

A group of actors from the studio came in just as you were finishing and one gave the same cat call as before, and you recognized a familiar voice. You froze with your back to them and looked at Todd, who noticed your reaction.

“Can I help you gentlemen?” he asked.

You moved behind the counter, keeping your back to them and went to empty out the dustpan.

You snuck out the back and into the bookshop. You took a damp rag with you to wipe up some spills you noticed. You could feel a pair of eyes following you and you tried to ignore it.

You had just finished wiping up a spill on one of the tables in a nook of the bookstore when you heard a warm Scottish accent right behind you. You stood and turned, seeing Graham with a book in hand and a cup of coffee. He grinned and gave you a wink.

“You work here, Lass?” he asked.

“No, I just enjoy cleaning up in various businesses.” You say sarcastically, making him laugh.

“Yer a little spitfire, aren’t ya!” he teased.

You just smirked. “You have no idea.” You thought.

He chuckled again and set his coffee and book down on the table you just had wiped down.

“Are ya doin ok, Lass?” He asked. “Aiden told us what happened the other night.” he said as he gently held your arm.

You shook your head. “I was doing all right till after lunch. Officer Sand called to tell me he got my restraining order against my ex signed off, which he delivered to me a little while ago, but he also told me my ex made bail, and is back out on the streets again.” You said with a shaky voice.

“Aww, Lass, I’m sorry!” he said as he rubbed your upper arm. “Is there anything we can do for you?” he asked.

You shook your head. “Not really. Officer Sand is going to see if his fellow officers are willing to go with him to my old apartment to pack up what I left behind. They are going to put it in a secure storage facility until I find a new apartment. My boss is a retired cop, and he knows some apartment owners who are Irish and were detectives for the precinct that Officer Sand works for. He said they will keep an eye out for my ex and will keep me safe at my apartment if I choose to live there. We are going to go look at it after work tonight.” You tell Graham.

“I’m afraid to go anywhere now. If my ex sees me, he will follow me and wait for the perfect opportunity to attack and rape me. A piece of paper telling him to stay away from me means nothing to him. It will do no real good other than give the cops another reason to arrest him. It will do nothing to protect me.”

Graham frowned. “Sounds like you need a body guard or a guard dog to protect ya, Lass.” He tells you.

You laugh, “Do I look like I have funds to afford that, Graham?” you reply.

He chuckles, “You may not, but others do.” He says with a wink.

You roll your eyes, “I have to get back to work.” You tell him. “Please don’t say anything to anyone that I’m working here. At least not yet.” You ask.

He looks at you funny for a moment, then nods. “Okay, Lass. But You can’t evade him forever. He likes ya and is worried about yer safety. I know you’ve had a rough time with men according to Scarlett, but give Rich a chance. He is a great guy and will treat ya well.”

You look at him surprised. Then duck your head. “I’m just not ready for anything like that yet. I know he likes his privacy and my life is such a mess right now, I don’t want to drag him into it. He doesn’t need that right now.” you say quietly.

Graham gently grabs your face and tilts it up to look at him. “Let him decide if he wants to enter the mess, sweetheart. Sometimes it makes it easier to clean up if you are not doing it alone.” He says and raises an eyebrow.

You sigh and nod.

“Go look at your apartment, but give him a call. Even if it’s just to talk, ok?” he suggests.

“Ok, Graham.” You reply.

“Now go get back to work, so I can read my book.” He teases and lets your face go.

 You head back to the front and see Todd. You hold up the rag and he nods.

You come around and help take orders while he fills them. By 7pm, you both have everything cleaned up, have shooed all the customers out, and are locking the doors.

Todd leads you to the back entrance and you grab your jacket and backpack. You put them on since it’s raining again, and he grabs his jacket and you both run for his truck after he locks the back door and sets the alarm.

He drives you about a mile away and pulls up in front of a nice apartment building. He gets out and comes around to help you out of the truck. He leads you up to the apartment building and buzzes the O’Malley’s buzzer.

Mrs. O’Malley answers and he tells her it’s him. She squeals and tells him to come on in and up to the apartment.

Todd leads you up one floor and rings the doorbell. A short, raven-haired woman answers the door with a strong Irish accent, and she invites you both in. She gives Todd a hug and he introduces you to her.

“Meg, this is Harley, she is the one Alex called and talked to you about.” He tells her.

“Oh!!! Yes, I remember! Had a rough patch with an ex?” she asked. You nodded.

“Well, you’ll be safe here, Sweetie! Everyone in the building knows not to let anyone in who is not their guest. If they do, they run the risk of being fined and held responsible for any outcome, or damage the person inflicts or causes.” She tells you.

You nod.

“Jack went to take care of a plumbing issue in apartment 5 so I’ll show you the apartment. It’s right across from us.” she tells you.

The three of you head out the door and across the hallway. She unlocks the door and opens it to reveal a lovely one bedroom unit. It has a bright open floor plan for the living/dining/kitchen area and it faces south and west. The bedroom and bathroom are off to the west side and are bigger than you thought they would be.

You like it immediately. The bathroom is a retro one from the 1950’s and has a powder blue bathtub, sink and toilet. The tub and sink are really deep and you could easily dunk your head into the sink to wash your hair if you wanted.

You came back out and looked around again, trying to think of the furniture you left behind. Picturing where each piece would go. You nod.

“Mrs O’Malley, do you allow pets here?” you ask.

“Well, it depends on the pet, why?” she asks.

“A friend of mine suggested I get a dog that is trained to be a body guard / protection for me since my ex is out on bail and I’m positive he won’t abide by the restraining order. It sounded like my friend knew someone who wanted me to have the dog and wasn’t going to take no for an answer when it comes to my safety. I would make sure the dog is quiet and doesn’t bother anyone and I would clean up after it, so no one is stepping in dog poo.” You assure her. “It would be coming with me when I go places, so it won’t be left home alone.”

“Well considering the circumstances I would be fine with that, but will need to run it by my husband first. Would you be all right with paying a pet deposit just in case there are any pet related damage?” she asks.

“If it is what you require, I guess that’s reasonable.” You reply.

She nods. “Do you have a vehicle? Your unit comes with a garage.” She tells you.

“No, I don’t have a vehicle. I walk most places that I go, unless I’m with my friends, they all have cars.” You reply.

“Well, the garage is yours to use for storage then if you need it.” She tells you. You nod.

 “Well, what do you think, Harley, is this someplace you’d like to live in?” Todd asks.

You look around again and nod. “It’s lovely. How much is the rent and what all is included?”

She tells you how much the rent is and that all you have to pay is electricity, cable, internet, and phone.

You frown. “That’s a bit more than I was paying. I’m gonna need to sit down and figure out my expenses before I make a decision.” You tell her.

“That’s fine, Sweetheart.” She tells you. “This time ‘o year, apartments aren’t in much demand. Just let us know soon.” She replies.

You thank her and head out with Todd. “You need a ride back to wherever you’re stayin?” he asks.

You sigh. “No, Scarlett said she’d come get me.” You tell him. “We can just go back to the shop, if that’s ok.” You reply. Todd nods. “Ok.” He replies.

 You text Scarlett to come get you. She replies “UM, WHERE?”

You laugh. You tell her to meet you at the corner by the studio’s gate.

“Todd, can you drop me off on the corner by the studio?” you ask.

He raises an eyebrow, but nods.

“Tomorrow, we’re closed since it’s Sunday. So, I’ll see you on Monday at 7am?” he asks. You nod.

“Let me give you my cell number. If you decide to get that apartment from the O’Malley’s let me know right away and I will call and tell her and we can set up a time to get you there to sign the lease and stuff.” He tells you.

He tells you his phone number as he is driving, and you plug it into your phone with his name. When you reach the corner by the studio gate, you see a car already waiting. You hop out of Todd’s truck and thank him for everything. He grins and tells you he’ll be in touch and to have a good weekend.

@fizzyxcustard @queenofmankind @dumbassunderthemountain @thetherianthropydaily @daisy-picking-lady @spookybunny @emrfangirl @midnight-reader-morning-sleeper

[chaewonrk]

starlight.

       word count: 1,817. 20starbright2 : nova entertainment callback.            performing move by little mix (00:29 - 01:29) - dancing / singing / charisma.            outfit: top, shorts, shoes.

chaewon couldn’t hear any yells of her name from jie’s room, so she could only assume that whatever this star bright e-mail was, that jie wasn’t sent one. skeptically, prepared for the worst as usual, chaewon tapped on the notification without reading any more of the preview information. good or bad, she’d rip off whatever they wanted to tell her like a band aid. 

nova entertainment was interested in her. it wasn’t kt or royal like she’d hoped, but she supposed she had listed and*roma as one of her musical influences. that was basically as good as putting down nova as her third choice. she was in half a mind to turn them down. maybe she would have, if it weren’t for the voice in her that sounded suspiciously like yuzu once again reminding chaewon of her own advice -- take the opportunity you’ve been given. what’s the worst that could happen? they tell her no? it wasn’t much, but it was still scary. if they turned her down, would her confidence survive it? chaewon was only just picking herself back up from her last bit of a wobble. 

but on the other hand, maybe they’d say yes. 

the possibility was enough to have her jumping off her bed to burst into jie’s room and tell her about the news, and ask if she had any of her own. either way, at least one of them was going to need a new outfit for her audition. 

nova was famous for their dancers. she’d mentioned in her form and interview that she studied ballet. was that what piqued their interest? or was it her other dance experience? but, maybe they wanted to see her guitar skills, her more out of the box skillset. after a couple of nights of tossing and turning, watching back recordings of her dance classes from back at soundbox, and her routines and guitar covers that she’d posted to her youtube channel over the years, chaewon decided to dance for her audition. she assumed that her knowledge of an instrument would be something fun to break out for a special stage some time if she ever debuted. as an idol hopeful, they’d probably be more interested in her dancing. jinsoul’s suggestion that she go dressed as a princess to play them taylor swift’s love story was tempting though. if dancing failed, she could always break out her guitar next time. or ... it could be a good back up idea, maybe, if she really couldn’t settle on a choreography to perform. one of the outfits she and jie got was a really princessy floral dress. 

she was currently leaning more towards one of the shorts combos though. something bright and energetic, perfect for the summer. she wanted her performance to give off that kind of vibe too. after going through all of the routines she’d taught at her soundbox class last year, chaewon eventually settled on move by little mix. it was fun, bouncy and she could demonstrate her fluency in english alongside her dancing and singing. she also, after a few runthroughs, found that she was able to decently sing it while she was dancing. there wasn’t any point in choosing a routine that she couldn’t catch her breath to sing with. her voice wasn’t anywhere near as jazzy as perrie’s in the pre-chorus, but she could sing it in her own way. the rest of what she had to sing was no problem. chaewon spent the rest of her days in preparation rehearsing, and when she wasn’t, she was still singing the pre-chorus as she walked around the apartment, practicing putting more power behind her voice. 

she wouldn’t stand for doing anything less than her best. she knew she wasn’t the best out of everyone, and for that reason, she wasn’t sure that being the best park chaewon would be enough. by the time callback day came around, chaewon only felt bad for jie and their neighbours, who had to put up with her singing the same lines over and over again. she’d put herself through having to do this, so how could she have felt bad for herself?

chaewon promised she wouldn’t feel bad about it, regardless of what the outcome ended up being.

on her relatively short journey from seodaemun-gu to hongdae, chaewon listened to move on repeat, practicing in her head every step she was ideally going to take in the audition room -- from the moment she walked in, to the moment she walked out. it ended up being very good that she left a little bit early, because chaewon managed to walk past the nova entertainment building three times before she realized that she was just looking in the wrong direction. she never was very good at reading maps. once she got to the door, a sudden sense of anxiety pulled at her, forcing her to take a step back. chaewon looked to her side, hoping she could will one of her friends into magically appearing next to her. no such luck. just plain old park chaewon shuffling from foot to foot outside nova entertainment’s front door.

with a deep breath and with all of the advice she’d given her friends playing in her mind, chaewon stepped pulled open the door, stepped through, and let it close behind her before she had the chance to change her mind. she didn’t want to be on file as the girl who didn’t even show up for her callback with nova after she accepted it. instilled with a new surge of determination, chaewon marched herself up to the reception desk, proudly presenting herself to the member of staff who guided her to a corridor outside of what she could only assume was a practice studio of some kind. her suspicions were proven correct, when she managed to slyly catch a glimpse of the room behind the door as a guy left, presumably having just wrapped his own audition. there was a panel in there, which chaewon knew there would be. she felt less nervous having seen them for just a second. they were just like any other audience at the end of the day.

finally, it was her turn. having fully warmed up while waiting, chaewon tossed her hair back, rolled her shoulders a couple of extra times for good measure, and entered the audition room. she smiled warmly at the panel as she entered and took her place at the center of the room, taking an extra second to give a gracious nod to hyun bin himself.

“hello!” chaewon bowed to the panel, and as she came up she framed her chin with her hands like a flower. “i’m park chaewon! i’m twenty-one years old. i’m excited to perform for you today! i’ve prepared a song and a dance.” the panel’s silence was intimidating and slightly disconcerting, but chaewon kept on smiling. she turned to the staff member she’d given her audio to and gave them the nod that she was ready for her minute to start. one minute. one minute was all she had, so it would have to be all she needed.

you know that i've been waiting for you don't leave me standing all by myself cause i ain't looking at no one else

chaewon’s voice rang out crisply, singing voice as chirpy and bright as ever. she started off with a bouncy little spin, hair whipping around while she turned, leg kicking up behind her and one hand forming a finger gun as she sent the judging panel a wink on the word you. as she transitioned from her freestyle section into the real choreography, chaewon thanked herself for picking a song like move, where the challenging vocal part for her was at the start, so she didn’t have to deal with it later, when she’d inevitably be more out of breath. even though she was singing at the top of her range, chaewon kept wearing a smile. she’d practiced so hard for that very reason -- if she just got through the pre-chorus, it was all plain sailing from there on. chaewon was doing her best to show them that the lyrics were no coincidence. she had been waiting for a chance like this. she’d been waiting for them.

hey, get your back off the wall don't you get comfortable looking so hot i think that i might fall feeling like it's my birthday like christmas day came early just what i want so when we move you move

once the vocals got easier, chaewon took the opportunity to really turn on her charm, as if the panel could actually be tempted to get out of their seats and move with her. with her flirty smile and the cock of her head at think that i might fall when she came back to face the panel after her twirl, chaewon couldn’t deny that she was actually feeling herself. she’d always been a big believer that practice meant perfect, and she’d spent the week practicing nonstop. the pay off in the performance felt immensely satisfying.

get your back off the wall don't you get comfortable looking so hot i think that i might fall feeling like it's my birthday like christmas day came early just what i want so when we move you move

the hey! in the background track, when chaewon skipped forward, hands in the air, signaled her cue to take the energy up another notch. she’d been at a solid eight before, but in that moment, she took it to a nine. as nervous as she had been when first stepping into the nova entertainment building, the nerves had almost completely converted into adrenaline and buzz for the performance while she warmed up outside the audition room -- now, chaewon was able to put her best foot forward, and show the judges the realest version of park chaewon, a girl whose best self came out when she was on stage. with a grin and a cute ‘come hither’ motion, chaewon dropped low to the ground, coming back up and capturing the mix of cutie-sexy that she wanted to show off, hairography and all. 

i know that you wanna but you can't cause you gotta stay cool in the corner when the truth is that you wanna move so move

it was time to turn it up to ten. come on, hyun bin, come on, panel. when she snapped back up from her bend and snap moment, chaewon gave a smile especially to the ceo-man himself.

i know that you wanna but you can't cause you gotta stay cool in the corner when the truth is that you wanna move so move

she wanted the lyrics to be true. even if she had only had a minute, no matter how much she wished she’d had only thirty more seconds to show them her choreography in full, chaewon hoped more than anything that even though the panel had to stay silent, had to stay cool, that she’d inspired them to want to move too. heart beating fast as she lowered herself into her final position, chaewon finished up by tossing her hair back and holding up a finger heart to the judges. cheeks flushed pink, chaewon popped up quickly once the music cut and gave the camera and the panel another, deeper bow. 

“thank you so much for the opportunity.” she almost thanked them in english rather than korean, still slightly stuck in the world of the song. with one last smile, hands coming together in an act of gratitude, chaewon made her exit.

she didn’t know what they thought, or how she would react to the results, but for the time being, chaewon was proud of the fact that she’d practiced her hardest and performed her best.

[doedreamss]

Some Real Cowboy Shit

You can all thank @vonschweetz​ for this one because after the bte episode she suggested adam getting a reply back from the swingers e-mail sounded like the perfect set-up for a naughty fic and I took the bait hook, line, and sinker.  Happily, of course.

Ship: Hangman Adam Page x Fawna Rose (FOC)

Summary: Directly following the events in episode 181 of Being the Elite; Adam responds to a reply he gets from that accidental e-mail he sent when he meant to ask Private Party to do a bit on BTE with him, drunk off the booze he snatched from them and desperate to get back on his cowboy shit.

Rating: Explicit 

Warnings: Alcohol use, mentions of cuckolding/swinging, gratuitous smut, little bit of edging/orgasm denial, unprotected sex

Length: 6,762 words

Available below the cut 

“He’s gonna have a lit night tonight.”

The words followed his back and Adam didn’t pause to consider or rethink his actions.  He grimaced against the burn in his throat and blinked, reaching to press his thumb and forefinger over his low brows. That definitely wasn’t water. He opened his eyes and the long cement brick hallways veered in an odd direction in front of him, throwing him slightly off balance.  One large hand jerked outward, fingers spread, and his palm caught his body weight on a rolling case with wheels which were thankfully locked.  The case caught the bulk of his weight and kept him standing upright.

“Heh,” a breathless chuckle, amused at how just two glasses had already made him sway.  His eyes darted down to the bottle he was holding, tilting it, letting the remaining liquor slosh around in its contents. “Those boys know how to party,” he said to only himself, mouth open with another amused laugh.  “This is a Private Party!”  He sang gently under his breath and laughed again.

His brows jerked, and he shook his head, fluffy, blond curls slightly disturbed by the motion.

“Gotta get back on my cowboy shit,” he muttered, remembering, and stood upright again.

Wasn’t he already trying that?  Wasn’t stepping away from the Elite, riding solo, supposed to help him finally make a damn name for himself?  Hadn’t his performance in the 12-man Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale proved just what in the hell he’d meant?  A small noise of frustration in his throat and he tried to give those thoughts a mental shove.  He was going to do exactly what he’d just said.  He was going to do what the fuck he promised he was going to do.  Every damn person in every damn crowd was going to make the walls of the arena’s vibrate with their “cowboy shit” chants when he came out to the ring.

He wasn’t going to be buried.  Forgotten. Left behind.  He was done with that.  He was done licking his goddamn wounds.

Adam stormed into the little room where his luggage case was packed and waiting.  The show wasn’t over – walls still reverberating with the cheers of thousands of fans watching the matches – but why stick around?  His thick fingers wrapped around the plastic handle and rolled the case.  He looked back down at the bottle in hand, twisted the cap off and took another hard swallow.  Another grimace chased the burn.

“Woo!”  He hollered and shook his head, laughing again.  The sound bounced empty around the walls and died shortly after.  Drinking was a gamble, and when you were doing it alone…

Grumbling under his breath, he fished his phone out of his pocket, transferring the bottle of liquor to the hand rolling his luggage case beside him.  He’d order a ride and head out.  No point sticking around after the show… not anymore.  He hadn’t really managed to make any new friends and the longer he hung out backstage the more likely he was to run into one of the Elite.

Although, the idea of the lonely hotel room waiting for him didn’t sound any better.

A new notification for an e-mail caught his eye.  He blinked a few times, trying to bring the glowing screen into focus and stopped walking (swaying) altogether so he could hold it closer to his face and make out the reply.

“Oh shit,” he muttered, blue eyes going a little wide.  He glanced around him as if he was going to get caught but was still practically on his own.  A few crewmembers were down the way, but they hadn’t paid him much mind.

The reply was from the e-mail he’d accidentally sent, thinking he was discussing a possible “bit” with Private Party.  Unfortunately, he’d sent it to the wrong address and whoever held that e-mail address had replied.

Hi Adam,

I would absolutely love to do a bit with you… Are you a solo party?  I’ve attached a picture for your viewing pleasure, so you’d know what you could be getting yourself into… hope to hear back from you soon. - XOXO Fawna Rose

He swallowed and glanced at the attachments, slowly moving his thumb over the screen and clicking them open.  What he saw made his mouth go dry, hung gently open in a gap, and the blood rush between his legs.  She was beautiful – the girl who’d replied – with thick curves his fingers suddenly itched to latch onto and hold.  His tongue swept the inside of his lip, and he envisioned himself blemishing her skin with red marks as he sucked his way down her body.  Her eyes were amber-brown, rich, and they reminded him of autumn in the country.  Her lips were full, perfectly kissable, and he found himself aching for what little sound she’d make when he caught her thick bottom lip between his teeth and pinched it tight.  She was scantily dressed in baby pink lace lingerie with matching thigh-high pink fishnet stockings attached by garter belts.  He wanted to slowly peel the little bits of material from her body like he was unwrapping a gift.  He blinked and realized he could see the peekaboo of her nipples through the sheer material.

His head was spinning.

Lost to good judgement a swig or two ago, Adam set the bottle on top of his luggage case and let his thumbs do the talking for him.  A quick e-mail reply was shot back, and he made sure not to mention the entire thing had been a mistake.  When he said he wanted to do a “bit” with Private Party he’d meant something else entirely...  

Hello Fawna,

You’re… wow… uh.. I guess I’d be a solo party… not really sure what I’m getting myself into here lol mind helping a guy out? - Adam

What the hell was he doing? His heart was pounding so hard and fast in his chest he felt as if he might be sick.  Adam swallowed, closing the e-mail application and stuffing his phone into his pocket, grunting at the strain of his half-hard cock bulging against the confines of the clothing he was wearing.

Waving off anyone who tried to talk to him, including a few backstage production members who were concerned when he swayed and stumbled a bit (he took two more gulps from the bottle on his way out), Adam drew in a deep breath of fresh air and pulled out his phone to order a ride.  He’d shaken off whatever stupidity had prompted him to reply to that e-mail and decided he’d just go back to his room, drink the rest of whatever this was he’d taken from Private Party, pass out and get up to catch his afternoon flight back home the next day.  He pushed away the melancholy that chased reality.  He was used to doing that these days.

And he was done with it anyways.  Those feelings.  Defeat. Emptiness.  Feeling lonely even when he was in a room crowded with people who were supposed to be his closest, most trusted friends.  He’d won the damn dynamite dozen battle royale, hadn’t he? And he’d win the diamond ring next week. Everyone would see he meant business.

Closing the app for the ride service, Adam’s finger hovered over the screen lock button on his phone when a little red dot appeared beside the mail application icon.  One unread message.  He grinned and clicked it open.  An e-mail reply from Fawna.

Why don’t you call me, and we’ll talk about this a little more?

Her number followed. He drew a breath and remembered that picture of her in lingerie.  Good sense tried beating at the door of his buzzed mind, but he wouldn’t let it in. The boys had been right.  He needed to get back on his high horse again. He needed to get back on his cowboy shit.

Adam clicked to dial her number and held the phone to his ear.

“Hello?”  Her voice was sweet as honey.

“Hello, is this Fawna? It’s Hangman – er, I mean – Adam.” His brow furrowed as his words stumbled around themselves.  What proof was that alcohol anyways?  He glanced back at the bottle and tried to read the fine print, but everything was blurring together, and his brain wouldn’t stay focused for long.  Especially not with that pretty little thing on the other side of the phone and his insides burning for a complete and total win.

“Hangman?”  She repeated, and he could hear the amusement in her tone.  He realized he had a dumb smile smeared across his mouth that he couldn’t stop if he tried.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s… a whole… thing…”  He blinked. “Hey uh… what exactly did I get myself into, e-mailing you?”

Her laughter was as sweet as the rest of her seemed to be, and it didn’t mock him.  It encouraged his shoulders to relax, and for him to smile too.

“Well, my husband and I have particular interests… have you ever done any swinging before?”

“No, I haven’t,” he was beat red and decided he needed more alcohol.

“Since you’re a solo party… if you’d be interested, we’d meet up, see if we have chemistry and everyone feels safe and comfortable with each other and then find a hotel room to go to and have a little adult fun.”  

He had to bite back the groan.  How long had it been for him?  Fuck… he’d needed all of this more than he realized.

“Normally if you’d have someone who’d like to switch, we do partner-swapping… but… well, my husband also enjoys watching while I have fun with a sturdy, handsome bull… and judging by the sound of your voice…”  Her tone dipped sultry and it made a shiver crawl down his spine until he had to give himself a quick shake and blink a few times, trying to snap back into focus.  A woman like her was a dangerous one.  “I’d say you’re one hell of a specimen.”

“Heh, you could say that,” his country drawl dipped low and liquor-won confidence, the high off the crowd chanting his slogan, made him feel like a different man entirely.  A buzz from his phone showed him a message that his ride had arrived.  “Listen, I’m staying at a hotel already, why don’t I send you the information and we’ll meet in an hour or so?”

“Sounds good, Hangman.”  She playfully purred his ring-name and made his breath hitch and his head spin. “Can’t wait to see you,” were her last words before the call ended and he found he couldn’t scramble fast enough to send the hotel address her way.  Little warning bells tried their hardest to shriek in his mind, somewhere where he’d locked the sober, sensible part of himself away.  Meeting up with a stranger for kinky sex?  Drunk?  What the hell was he doing?

“I’m getting my cowboy shit, that’s what.”  He ground out through clenched teeth and took a breath that swelled up his muscled, barrel chest.

By the time the hour had passed, Adam had drunk the rest of the liquor he’d snatched from Private Party’s hand, sent a jumble of text messages to a few people who were checking in and making sure he was alright (he was confident he’d eventually been able to tell them he was fine, just wanted time to himself at the hotel), showered and changed back into his “cowboy shit” t-shirt (appropriate, for what he was reaching for), jeans, boots, and the belt with the big, silver buckle.  He grinned at himself in the full-length mirror.

“Yeah,” he said approvingly at his reflection, nodding his head, drunk out of his mind and unaware of how dumb he looked doing it.  The proof on that liquor was a hell of a lot stronger than the beer he usually drank. “Yeah…” His fingers pinched the buckle and he leaned, turning and running his inebriated gaze up and down his body.  He curled his fist and bent his arm, flexing the muscles of his bicep.  He thought about the picture Fawna had sent him – that pretty pink lingerie – and her voice as they’d talked.  His sloshed mind reeled, and he grinned as he stepped out into the hotel hall and made his way down to the lobby.

The first thing he thought was: Wow.

The second thing he thought was: Thank God this wasn’t some sort of catfish situation.

Fawna Rose was exactly as her picture showed, only she was wearing a tight-fitting black dress that accentuated every curve he was hungry to watch jerk with each thrust he bucked inside her.  He wondered if she was wearing anything lacey and see-through underneath.  When she looked at him he saw those brown eyes go dark, and he licked his lips as he closed the distance between them.

“Adam?”  She asked, and he grinned wide at how hopeful she sounded. She was into him.

‘Course she was.  Gone were apprehensions or the nerves he felt, always in his head and convinced he wasn’t good enough.  He was coming off a high, winning that dynamite dozen, and had enough liquor in him that he could only have a good time.

“Yeah,” he said, his eyes dropping down her curves and back to her pretty face.  “You look even better in person.”  Adam stepped forward, his palm sliding on the curve of her hip, adding gentle pressure at her lower back before he dipped, laying a warm, soft kiss on either side of her cheek.  He wasn’t sure why he’d done it, he never greeted anyone like that, but maybe it was so he could steal a sniff of her perfume… or maybe it was so he could watch her get a little flustered by him.

They’d just met, but Adam decided he liked getting her worked up.  Her rosy cheeks held a blush that hadn’t been applied, and her pupils were dilated, making that amber-brown of her eyes a sliver of a ring around them. She wanted him, and it was the confidence boost he needed.

“My husband is over here,” she said, and Adam nodded and followed in step.  He’d been so wrapped up in how attracted he was to her he’d forgotten she was married to begin with.

The man at the table was big, which was saying something to Adam’s six-foot height and two-hundred and thirty-pound weight.  He was at least five inches taller, maybe twenty pounds heavier, all muscle.  He had blue eyes that cut in a way that Adam’s never had, but maybe the dark black of his long hair and close-shaved beard was what made them stand out more.  He looked like he could be a violent man if it called for it, and again those little warning bells tried chiming off in Adam’s head, trying to tell him this situation was too out-of-left-field for him to get involved with.

“You must be Adam,” the man said with a thick, but warm Scottish accent.  He didn’t look particularly murderous.  In fact, he even smiled.  He’d stood at the table and extended a hand for Adam to shake.  Fawna glanced between them both and pinched her thick bottom lip between her teeth, a little spark of something in her eyes that Adam was too curious not to pick up on.

“You look like you’re up to trouble,” Adam said to her, hand still clasped in her husbands.

“She always is,” Fawna’s husband said with amusement, and Adam’s eyes swung back to him, remembering he was there at all.  It seemed strange that he could completely forget the existence of a six-foot-five-inch Scotsman who even managed to make his hand feel a little small… but god, there was something about her… or maybe it was the entire situation.  Maybe it was because he was drunk.  Maybe he wouldn’t remember any of this in the morning.

God willing, he hoped he did.

“Yeah, I’m Adam.”  He remembered to say, gave her husband’s hand a firmer shake, and then slipped his away.  They all sat down at the table, Fawna and her husband across from him.

“Andrew.”  Her husband said his name finally, extending one hand around Fawna and rubbing his fingertips up and down her bare shoulder. “Fawna says you’re new to swinging,” Andrew said, one thick, dark brow arching inquisitively.

“Yeah,” Adam blinked, knowing if he was sober there was no way in hell he’d be able to have this kind of conversation.  Then again, the pair of them spoke so casually about it, Adam felt like he’d be the weird one if he mentioned how strange it all seemed to him.

Andrew saw right through him and, judging by the grin Fawna had on her mouth, she did too.

“You have some questions then, right?”

“I uh,” Adam blinked, pulling his eyes away from Fawna – god she was gorgeous, he couldn’t wait to see what cute little expression she was going to make when he pushed his cock inside her – and to her husband.  Shit… was that okay, to have those kinds of thoughts when her husband was just inches away from him? Well… they were swingers, and Fawna had said Andrew liked watching her get intimate with another man…

The alcohol once again reminded him that complex thought or worrying about consequences was a dumb idea. It was easier to just… go with the flow.

“Not really, I mean… if this is what y’all enjoy, who am I to be any kind of judge?  I’m the one that e-mailed you, so clearly I knew at least a little of what I was getting into, even if I didn’t know the whole… thing.” He lied, still too embarrassed to admit he’d messed that up and hadn’t meant to find himself in the situation he was now in.

Andrew’s eyes narrowed slightly, but Fawna smiled and reached across the table, lying her hand atop Adam’s.  Her fingertips brushed across his skin and electricity rushed up his veins and all over his body.  He couldn’t think past how damn beautiful he thought she was and all the things he wanted to do to her…

“If it makes you nervous, having Andrew in the room… he doesn’t mind leaving us alone, either.”

Adam’s eyes swung away from her (which was nearly an impossible feat to get his drunken mind to do) and to her husband who was looking at her with much of the same, hungry expression Adam had earlier.

“You don’t?”

Andrew pulled his attention from his wife and smiled at Adam.

“No.” He gently rubbed Fawna’s shoulder, and she leaned subtly forward, giving Adam ample view of her cleavage.  He tried to keep watching Andrew, but his mind zeroed in and there was no helping the way he hungrily watched that line between her breasts, or how his mouth went dry with the want to bite and suckle that sweet, soft flesh.

“It’s as much for me as it is for her.  I like to watch, but I don’t have to.”  Andrew dipped and gently kissed her temple.  His next words were a whispered growl but said loud enough that Adam would hear them too.  “I’ll just make her tell me how much she loved getting fucked by you later,” he laid his lips against the curve of her neck, just below her jaw.  Fawna sucked in a sharp breath and her hungry eyes landed firm on Adam.

“What do you say, cowboy?” She asked, voice tight as her husband littered her neck with kisses.

“I want you.  Only you.”  He’d never been so direct, but it felt good.  It felt damn good to say what he wanted and not bend to everyone else for once.  It felt even better when she gently pushed her palm on her husband’s chest, moving him away from her before she slipped out of her seat and extended an open hand toward Adam.  Even though all parties agreed, there was something… exciting… about another man’s wife choosing him to sleep with, right in front of her husband, too.

Adam led them to the elevator, and that’s where they parted from Andrew.  Fawna gave him a little kiss before she stepped in after Adam.  When the doors to the elevator slid closed, she offered no reprieve.  She pressed the firm length of her body against him and, like it was instinctual, Adam’s wide palms ran down her figure without hesitation.  She littered hot kisses along his neck, making a sound somewhere between a moan and a groan strangle itself in his tight throat.  Her hand fell between them and she stroked the shape of his cock, making him dizzier by the second.  Adam’s palms scooped into the fat of her ass, pinching and squeezing tight enough to elicit a gentle yelp from her mouth that made him grin.

She’d worked him into a frenzy by the time the elevator dinged, and the doors slipped open.  An elderly couple waiting in the lobby looked at them with wide, shocked eyes, but Fawna only giggled and, hand wrapped around his, tugged him after her.  With a laugh in his mouth he followed, giddy and drunk and needy.

He struggled to get the keycard through the slot at the right time, distracted by her hands on his body, slipping up under his shirt as she pressed her nails and gently raked up his back.

“Mmm,” she moaned, and the little green light finally clicked on the door, the lock slid back and he wrenched the damn handle open.

With his hands on her hips, he pushed her into the wall and chased with his body.  His hips dug up against hers, sliding the bulge of his trapped hard-on between her legs.  He moaned in her ear and kissed her skin, getting more and more drunk with every taste of her coating his tongue.  She made the sweetest sounds, little whines and moans, fingers like spiders scurrying hungrily down his body.  She tugged at his shirt and he only paused his feast long enough to lean back and tug it off, letting it fall in a pile on the floor.

“Fuck,” she whispered through kiss-swollen lips, eyes appraising his thick torso and chest. Her fingers pressed up his body, nails skimming his nipples and making him clench his teeth, fighting his eyes as they wanted to roll.

“You like what you see, darlin’?”  His low, rough voice was demanding an answer.  He was someone else entirely tonight.  Someone… someone who’d always been there inside him, but he’d never had the confidence to grab.  He was the Hangman, and he was here to collect his dues.  Next week he’d worry about the ring and about facing MJF. Tonight… tonight he had her.

“Mhm,” she nodded her head and looked up at him.

“C’mere.”  He gripped her wrist – so small, he could easily fit both in one hand – and tugged her gently toward the bed.

Adam didn’t sit her on it. Instead he lowered himself to settle on the edge of the mattress and made her stand in front of him.  

“Take off your dress,” he commanded.  “I want to see you.”

Fawna turned and pulled her soft brown hair aside so he could help unzip her dress.  He watched the peekaboo of soft skin revealed between her shoulder blades and didn’t deny himself from leaning forward and laying a firm kiss there.  His lips lingered on her skin as he tasted her.  Fawna arched her back and hovered a moment as if wanting more.  Adam left her zipper halfway down and gave her ass a little, teasing smack, grinning as she jumped and squealed in playful surprise.

“Take it off,” he said again, both palms flat on the plush comforter as he leaned back to watch her strip for him.

She bit at that full bottom lip again and he clenched, fighting the need to kiss those lips until he bruised them.  Fawna reached up, peeling the top of the sleeveless dress slowly down, tormenting him in the best way possible as she revealed inch after inch of smooth skin.  She wasn’t wearing the lingerie she’d had on in the picture, but he wasn’t complaining.

Fawna stood in front of him in a matching pink satin bra and panty set, with cream lace trim and matching cream pinstripes.  When she turned, Adam’s cock twitched, eyes fallen on the sight of her round, juicy peach of an ass barely caught in those cheeky panties.  It was all too easy for him to lean forward, reach and grab her wrist, tugging her into his lap and giving her no time to breathe before he was kissing her and shoving his tongue along hers.  His fingers skimmed her stomach, curved into the fat of her thighs, and then pressed between her legs.  He stroked her over the material of her panties, just teasing the touch he’d give her, winding her up until she squirmed and whined in his mouth.

They broke apart with a gasp of needed air and he breathed heavy across her face.  The pad of his thumb skimmed that sweet, sensitive little button and made her suck in a shaky, gasped breath.  He teased her, slowly winding her up as he bent and kissed down her neck, her shoulder, over the tops of her breasts.  He latched on to the fat and suckled, rolling the skin between his teeth and pinching gently.  With her mouth free, Fawna moaned needy into the room, and drove him to rub her a little harder, but not enough that he’d deliver satisfaction so early.

Adam pulled his hand away and pushed her upwards, so the weight of her ass settled on one of his thick, sturdy thighs and she was sitting up, looking down at him.

“You’re a needy little thing, aren’t you?”  He asked, gently taking her chin in his fingers and turning her face as if appraising her beauty.  A smile slipped across his mouth.  “Have you been waiting for someone like me to come along?”

“Mhmmm,” she said, eyes pleading with him to put his hands on her again.

“Use your words, darlin’.”

“Yes… I’ve been waiting for you, Adam.”

His thumb and forefinger squeezed her chin a little tighter, and he dropped her gaze, so it could be pinned by his.

“Then show me how badly you want me.”  He said, and let her chin go.  He gently lifted her leg and guided her to straddle the thick thigh he’d previously sat her on.

Fawna rocked her hips, dragging her panties along the stiff denim of his jeans, gasping and moaning when a particular sweep hit the right mark and sent shivers of pleasure through her thighs.  Adam watched, his chest tight and mind buzzing.  It was as torturous as it was pleasurable to watch her ride his thigh, her legs shaking at either side of his, the pace growing subtly quicker. His still-trapped cock was thick and hard, twitching and leaking under his clothes.  It was almost too much to bear, this tease, but he liked watching her work herself into a frenzy on him.

He liked being the man she wanted to get off on.  He liked the confidence it gave him.  He liked what it did to him.  Who she made him.

Adam’s fingers found her warm hips, and he guided her a little faster, a little faster, enjoying the expressions pleasure made on her cute, round face.

“Don’t cum until I say so,” he said, suddenly firm.

Fawna’s eyelashes fluttered and she bit that lip again, whining.

“Please, Adam,” she drug herself along his hard, muscled thigh and made a soft, desperate little sound.

“Nu-uh,” he whispered, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

“But I’m so close,” her brows pinched tight together, her mouth hung open.

“Too bad,” he whispered playfully and, just when it seemed she was going to lose it on the next grind, Adam moved.  He pinched her waist and stood up, upsetting their weight and making her stumble off his thigh.  He’d brought her right to the edge and snatched her away before she reached nirvana. Frustration pinched her otherwise adorable features, but Adam found he thought she was even cuter all riled up like that.

He’d never let himself have this much fun before and he wasn’t sure if it was the booze still singing in his veins, the pep talk that’d reminded him to get back on his cowboy shit, or Fawna herself.  Maybe it was a combination of all three.

He stood up and grimaced as the tight denim of his jeans stretched around his erection.  

“Take the rest off and lay back for me, darlin’.”

Adam watched as Fawna climbed onto the bed, purposefully sinking slow into the soft plush mattress, giving him ample view of her ass tucked in those pink, lace-trim cheeky panties. The groan he stifled vibrated in his throat, and he reached down to yank his damn buckle out of the belt’s clasp, letting the leather hang open on either side as he pinched the button of his jeans.  He’d just yanked the zipper down when, her sultry brown eyes on his, Fawna peeled the bra from her breasts like she was undoing the gold foil wrapping around some extravagant and far too expensive treat.  He ate up the sight of her breasts gently resting, free, and how pretty and inviting her pink nipples were.  His mouth went dry and ached, wanting to latch around and suckle her skin until he left pretty little blue bruises.

Hooking his thumb into the denim, he gave it a sharp tug down his thick, blond-hair dusted thighs and stepped out of them, his boots, and his socks.  His hard cock was an impressive bulge against the material of his boxers, and he watched her eyes drop to it, just as she had begun to slip her panties down those legs he so badly wanted to taste.  A cocksure grin pushed higher into one side of his cheek than the other.  He liked her looking at him like that, like only he could make her feel the way she was feeling right now.  

Adam liked thinking he was the only man on her mind, even while her own husband had been with them just a little bit ago.  Maybe he was enjoying this “swingers” thing more than he thought he would…

She slipped her panties off and dropped them off the side of the bed, laying herself back on the plain white comforter, a vision as she bent her legs and propped herself up on the pillows. Adam took a few seconds to eat the sight of her up, eyes running down her body and letting her see how he watched her and how his body reacted to him watching her.  His cock throbbed, painfully filled with blood, the tip leaking pre-cum enough to gently dampen the dark dyed cotton material of his boxers. He pinched the elastic and slid them off, leaving him as nude as she was.

Fawna’s teeth caught her lip – a habit, he was noticing – and her eyes were dark as a new moon night out in the country, away from city lights.  She let those eyes fall over every inch of him, and Adam stood a little taller.  A little surer of himself.

“You like what you see, baby girl?”  He asked and watched her closely to catch every expression she made as she answered. Her eyes flew back up to his.

“Yes,” the word came out in a needy, breathy sigh, and Adam decided he’d had enough teasing.

His weight sank into the bed as he crawled up its length and fell a hungry shadow over her.  Her thighs fell apart like the gates to paradise were opening for him, and he was the ravaged soul that needed its heavenly comforts.  Adam’s hips rolled hers up, pushing her knees into the air.  The tip of his cock – bare, neither of them seemed worried about the lack of protection – sank a mere inch or two into her warm, wet slit.  The muscles in his arms trembled, and he wrapped them around her back, curling her into him before he thrust forward and shoved the length of his thick, throbbing cock inside her.

A groan poured hot from his mouth and washed over her face.  She answered with a whine of her own, and a small utterance of his name that sounded like a plead.  As if she were begging him, convinced he was the only man capable of offering her salvation. One hand stayed wrapped around her and the other slid up her body, palm squeezing her breast, pinching her nipple and rolling it between his fingers before he drew a small yelp that was chased by a moan.  That hand traveled on, grabbing each one of her wrists, wrapping his fingers around them – his hand was big enough to catch both – and raising them up over her head. He pinned her and left her unable to touch him, unable to do anything but lay a willing victim to thrust after thrust as he shoved his hips up toward hers, balls slapping the wet slick that covered her ass and his thighs.

A low growl out of his mouth, and his eyes rolled.  When they rolled back, he thrust harder.  Faster. It didn’t even feel better to rip it up inside her, but it felt good to feel like he had the control, like he had some ungodly strength and power, and he’d leave her bruised and thinking about him well into the next day.

Finally, sweat dripping down the line in the middle of his chest and sticking their skin together, Adam slowed his pace.  His breaths fell in hard, heavy waves over her.  The muscles in his thighs and ass ached as he gently relaxed them and slipped his hands away from her wrists.  He’d pinched them so tight his fingers left soft white marks in her skin.  He glanced down at her and caught her deliriously pleasured gaze.  It made him smile and laugh on a weak exhale.  

“You like that, don’t you darlin’?”  He asked her gently, like one would talk to a cute little kitten.

“Yes,” she panted back, and her lips pressed into a smile that made his grow.

“You’re a wild little filly,” he said, playful edge dipping his country drawl deep, “and I’ve got a mind to tame you.”

“That so, cowboy?” She asked, her voice still tight and breathless.  She was trying to tease, but he’d affected her and she was struggling to come out of the fog of gratification.  It satisfied him to see it.

Adam shifted, lifting his torso off her body and kneeling between her legs, still halfway thrust inside her, never once pulling out.  He glanced down where they were joined, saw the fat veins running along his girthy erection, and how he glistened with wet from how messy she’d been thus far.  One eyebrow arched with a jump as his eyes slid from that sight, up her naked body, and to her face.  A smile hung lazy on his mouth as his big hands grabbed her legs at either side of his body, lifting them and setting her ankles on his broad shoulders.  Bringing her legs up helped him push deeper when he slowly leaned forward, sinking the few extra inches and doing it slowly, letting her cunt adjust to what it felt like to be strained by him.

Then, as he started to thrust, Adam’s palm clapped with a spank against her ass.  She yelped, and he smacked her again.  The fat of her ass rippled, and he clenched his jaw, smacking her again.  Harder. There was a red print in the shape of his hand across her pale ass.  It made him hungrier.  His thrusts came in shorter, harder bursts.  He slapped her again.

“Adam!”  She screamed his name.

“That’s right darlin’,” he barely managed to squeeze it through the gaps in his teeth, and it was chased by a long groan as a particular thrust sent a shiver through the tip of his head, down his shaft and down his balls.  They were sucked up tight to the base of his cock.   “Scream my name, let them know – Nnnggghhfuck – let them know who’s the man,” his mind felt fuzzy, drunk on pleasure plunging into her was giving him.

She cried out, moaning as he thrust forward, sinking his hips against hers.  He smacked her ass and squeezed hard into the flesh, drawing a cute little yelp out of her lips again.  Adam drew his hips back and sank deep inside.

He knew she was close.

“Cum,” he commanded, barely managing to get the word out of his tight throat.

“Adam!  Fuck!!!”  

She came, her thighs clamping together and her pink painted toes curling on either side of his head. She quivered and twitched and made little sounds of undeniable gratification.  The warm, wet muscles of her cunt squeezed and pulled at his already on-the-verge cock.  He couldn’t hold off anymore.

With a long moan that started as her name and quickly was lost to sensible words, Adam collapsed forward on her, decorating her insides with ribbons of warm cum.  His moan was a long breath over her, and he was victim to do nothing but hold her still as the sensation passed.  He became nothing more than a beast, lost to reasonable sense. He was his pleasure.  He was the nirvana at finally seizing what he wanted in life and coming out victorious because of it.  He was everything Fawna had given to him.

Then, he breathed.  He came back down to earth and slowly pushed his body off hers, his arms feeling alienlike in how weak they were.  There was a different sort of exhaustion after particularly good sex, like a good cry or an unstoppable laugh that nearly robs you of all air.  Cathartic.

Adam smiled down at her and gingerly helped rearrange their limbs to a more comfortable position.  He kept himself tucked inside her – just for a moment longer as he slowly softened – and laid down behind her.  Fawna happily obliged, curling into his body, seemingly not ready to let him go just yet.  His lips pressed a kiss into her temple, and she turned her head to smile up at him.

“You are something else, cowboy.”  Her pleasure-exhausted voice was soft, just barely spoken above a whisper.  

Adam chuckled behind closed lips and reached to tuck a strand of her brown hair behind her ear, then fell into cradling her face.  His thumb skimmed across her soft, round cheek.  He stretched, leaning up (and trying not to grunt as his still sensitive cock was shoved a little bit up inside her again) and placed his lips against hers in a sweet, satiated kiss.  When he pulled away, he was smiling, and she was too.

“You’re not too bad yourself.”  A pause, and he decided to tell her.  “Hey, did you know I e-mailed you by mistake?”  His grin stretched with amusement.

“Oh, yeah. Absolutely.”  She laughed.

“What?!  You did?”

“You were so sweet in your e-mail… and, if I’m being honest…”  She bit at her lip and Adam was surprised to find that despite being sexually drained in the best way, seeing the sight of it made him hungry all over again.  God… he wished he could go at her again.  She peered up through her lashes at him.

“What is it darlin’?”

“I didn’t actually expect to get an answer back to my reply to you.  I figured you’d tell me it was a mistake and that’d be that.  Plus… I may or may not kind of know who you are.”  She flashed an innocent smile at him, but it was all too clear it hid the mischief of an imp underneath.

Adam’s blond brows rose up on his forehead.

“You do?”

“I put two-and-two together from your name and then when you introduced yourself as Hangman…well, I just considered myself a lucky girl.”  That playful little smile again.  It made his palm itch to slap that welted curve of her ass.  The little tease… she had to know the effect she had on him.

“And just so you know,” she glanced down their still-joined bodies.  “What just happened right now?  That was some real cowboy shit.”

[senorshawn]

Best Mistake- AU Part 3

Warnings: none

A/N: Did I mention this is going to be a slow burn fic? this is just kind of a filler part since i’ve been away FOREVER

*not my gif*

The unusual warmth radiating on to your body enveloped you under the blankets persuading you to stay and curl up tighter to your pillow that was gently rising up and down in a rhythmic pattern. You scrunch your eyebrows as you slowly trickled out of your slumber, and began to register to the hum of a beat beneath your ear. Opening your eyes, you gazed down to find a bare, toned chest where your head was laying. You quickly grew confused but remained calm when you saw it was Shawn lying peacefully asleep underneath you. Could’ve done worse, you thought to yourself.

You blinked at him a few times as your mind began to race, trying to remember the events of last night, and how Shawn ended up in bed with you. Did I get naked with Shawn? Did we have sex? Did I make a fool of myself? You jumped out from the sheets, pulling them off of Shawn, startling him awake. Looking down to your attire, you were relieved when you found a pair of shorts and baggy shirt hanging on your frame. Shawn groan as he blindly grabbed for the sheets through squinted eyes,

“Get up!” you said to him, hands balled into fists by your sides.

 He simply ignored you and flipped around, hugging his torso to create some warmth. You stood there for a moment, his defined shoulders and back muscles making your train if thought hazy.

You stomped around the bed to face him, and stood waiting for him to acknowledge you. Growing tired of waiting, you fired the questions to him, “What happened last night, and why are you in my bed?” 

He sighed, accepting the fact that you weren’t going to let him get anymore sleep, and cracked open one eye, “Did you and I..?” You paused pointing a finger between the both of you.

Shawn didn’t register to what you were indicating at first, but then a sly smirk slid it’s way over his features that reflected his thoughts, “Oh yes,” he spoke mischievously. 

Your eyes widened and heart began to beat rapidly, “What?”

“Oh yes, we had a wild night. You were all over me, moaning my name. I thought the neighbors were going to come over and ask if you were alright,” 

Having no clear recollection of what really happened, you believed him automatically, “No we didn’t,” you whispered more to yourself than to Shawn.

His smirk then broke into a smile and laugh, “Did you really believe me?” he continued without waiting for your response, “You were drunk, there was no way I’d take advantage,” 

“Well thanks, I guess. What did happen then?”

“Feed me breakfast and I’ll tell you,”

                          _____________________________________

“Why did we leave when Brayden showed up?”

Shawn shrugged at your question, and avoided your eyes, “Dunno, it was your idea,” 

You gazed at him confused, as he shoved another piece of pancake in his mouth, “Did he say something to you? Or me?” you asked,

“No, it was your idea.”

You dropped the Brayden subject, and picked at your own food, “How’d you end up staying the night?”

The question made him chuckle and his eyes twinkled with recollection. You sat waiting for his answer that never came. So you grabbed his plate and brought it over to your side of the table. Shawn was startled for a moment, but then shook his head, looking straight in to your eyes, “You wanted me,” he said.

The air grew dense around you, while processing Shawn’s words, “Elaborate,” you stated, sliding his plate back his way. He kept eye contact, “It’s the truth. You were all over me sweets, beckoning me to come in, trying to take my shirt off, telling me t-” 

“Alright okay, finish your damn breakfast,” you interrupted him,

“Don’t feel so bad hun, every girl wants me,”

“Well sucks to be you, ‘cause you and I are not happening,”

You grabbed your plate and began marching in to the kitchen but not without barely hearing him whisper, “Does suck,” 

Choosing to not respond to that comment, you did choose to repeat it in your head. Waking up next to Shawn felt different, out of place almost, he was just your friend. But the thought of being with him, sexually, body against his, pressing your lips down his ripped torso, excited you. 

Shawn softly padded into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms directly behind you. You felt his gaze on your back, making it itch. So you spun around to face him, catching his intense gaze and holding on to it. 

He stood his ground, staring into your y/c/e orbs, in comfortable silence. His cocky demeanor influencing you, daring to return his intensity. 

The ringtone of your phone pierced the air and made you jump. Checking the caller ID to see it was Brayden. You huffed and let it ring, “It’s Brayden,” you said, answering Shawn’s unspoken question, “You gonna answer it?” he asked. 

You continued staring down at the screen, till it went to voice mail,

“You don’t need him,” Shawn said smoothly, meaning every syllable he pronounced,

Chuckling slightly, you turned back around, “Who said I even wanted him,” you replied crossing your arms. 

Shawn licked his lips, suddenly more intrigued by your words. He stood up straight from his spot against the counter, and took his sweet time making his way to you,

“What do you want then?” he asked,

“Something more exciting,”

“Something,” He whispered, not breaking eye contact as he slipped a finger under your chin pointing it further up, “like this?”

You closed your eyes, feeling his plump lips tenderly catch yours. He hadn’t realized how much he wanted this until now. He always had the desire to taste your kiss and feel your skin. Now that he is, it didn’t feel real, like it was too good to be true, something that he shouldn’t have.

You broke away from his lips, slowly fluttering your eyelashes open, “Woah,” you whispered. He smiled a lop sided smile, before placing his lips back on yours, hungrily. 

You tugged at his soft hair on the nape of his neck, and he lifted you onto the cold counter. Your legs natural wrapped around Shawn’s waist and pulled him closer,, 

“Hello!”

You broke apart in a panic, breathing heavily from the heated moment. You heard the front door close, “Who’s here?” Shawn whispered quietly to you,

“y/n!” they called again,

“It’s Jaimie!” you hissed, shoving Shawn away to climb down from the counter, “Get in the closet!”

“What?” he asked baffled, as he stumbled backwards from your shoves against his chest, 

“Get in, and be quiet!” you said slamming the pantry door, “In here!”

Jaimie slugged around the corner, hood pulled over her head and large sunglasses sitting on the bridge of her nose with two ice coffees, each occupying a hand, “How are you not a zombie after last night?” she grumbled.

You caught your breathe and straightened out your shirt, trying to act as normal as possible, “I had- plenty of- water before bed,” you said fumbling over every word, 

“Speaking of beds, saw you leave with Shawn last night. Did he crawl in to yours after bringing you home?” she smirked.

This made you nervous. You’ve never been good at lying, and you weren’t ready to tell Jaimie about Shawn spending the night when you couldn’t even wrap your own head around it, “Uh, no he just dropped me off, said good night and left,” you fibbed, 

“I don’t believe that at all,”

A smug smirk bloomed on your face, as you remembered that Shawn was listening, and couldn’t contradict what you say next, “Okay, he drove me home, and stood on my doorstep like a lost puppy pleading to come in. I let him in and he tells me how jealous he is of Brayden hanging around me all the time,”

Shawn who has been anxiously waiting in the pantry, did not approve of your bullshit story and slipped out a quiet word of disbelief, “What?” he hissed,

“I knew it! I knew he hated that guy!” Jaimie exclaimed, throwing down her iced coffee,

“And he’s even been calling me non-stop all morning,”

A distinguishable thud was heard against the pantry door, by Shawn gently hitting his head off it, having enough of your story,

“What was that?” Jaimie asked,

“Probably, just the mouse. I’ve been meaning to set some traps,”

“Okay well I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you at work, and I expect to hear the rest of this crazy night of yours,” Jaimie winked and headed back for the front door.  

Once it was shut, Shawn wasted no time in letting the pantry door creak open. He stood calmly and composed, with a raised eyebrow and wild eyes, “First, you tease me, then you make me look pathetic to our friend?” he pressed coolly, taking slow strides towards you. 

You sighed, thinking back to how his lips felt dangerously good on yours. You knew in the back of your mind that it wouldn’t lead to anything good if you let yourself do it again. You had to be smart and consider the worse case scenarios, “Don’t expect us making out to be a regular thing,” you said, crossing your arms over your chest,

“What? Why not?” he pushed, reaching for your waist.

You stopped his hands and took them in yours, giving them a squeeze, “I have to go to work,” you whispered.

Shawn stood puzzled and cocked his head to the side, letting you walk out of the room to get ready for work. 

You fanned your neck, glistening with a thin layer of sweat built up from waiting on tables, “When are they going to fix the AC in here?” you asked Jaimie as she set down dirty dishes from her last table,

“When are you going to see Shawn again?” she quipped quickly, as if she’s been waiting all evening to say it.

Your heart rate spiked from the mention of Shawn and you could almost feel his warm lips against yours again, “I’ll see him the next time we all hangout,” you played off, not making a big deal out of it,

“But he spent the night-”

“And nothing happened,” Part of you felt guilty that you may be leading Shawn on by inviting him in to your place last night, and blowing him off this morning after kissing him, but you just weren’t up for the risk of giving him your trust and seeing what he’ll do with it. He’s reckless, and carefree, which are two opposite things you look for in a partner of any kind,

“If that’s the truth, then it looks like he’s back for something more,” Jaimie stated while nodding her head in the direction if the booths before walking away. 

You turned, confused by what she was implying, until you locked eyes with the man occupying all yours thought. He sat placidly with his arm over the back rest of the booth, looking like he had all the time in the world and wanted to give it all to you. 

Begrudgingly, you made your way to him, holding eye contact that made your knees quiver, “Hey, you ready to order?” you asked Shawn, taking out your notepad from your apron once you made it to his table.

He didn’t answer and instead continued to sit silently, eyeing your features. You gave him a chance to speak before telling him, “If you’re not getting anything to eat than you can’t sit here much longer,”

Shawn smirked up at you, “What I want to eat, isn’t on the menu, sweets” he spoke in a gruff tone, running his tongue over his lips, and sending you a wink.

You felt heat trickling up your cheeks, looking around quickly to see if anyone else had heard his sentence, partially because you thought it was just your imagination, “Shawn, what are you doing here?” you shot at him,

“I just told you, I’m here for you. You can’t just kiss someone the way you did and not do anything about it after,”

“What do you mean? I kissed you, the end. You and I can go back to being friends,”

He laughed in disbelief. Ready to walk away from the conversation, you rocked on your heels, but nearly jumped two feet in the air when you felt a warm, rough hand gently brushed against your exposed thigh,

“No, no sweets,” Shawn began, “You started something I intend to finish, in a very memorable manor,” as he spoke, his hand slowly traced further up your leg.

You barely had the strength to move back, out of his reach, and immediately yearned for his touch to return, and continue the sweet feeling building up inside you,

“Ca-can we talk after my shift?” you stuttered,

“Anything you want, I’ll be waiting,”

[secondhand-trash]

Christmas card exchange uwu

(Ok it’s not actually an exchange because it’s just me sending things out to y’all but I have no idea what else to call it so let’s settle with that)

I just placed an order to get the cards printed and I’m so excited! The design is, well, a bit crackhead-ish but it’s super cute and I’m excited to send those out!

(Just a tiny part of the card because gotta keep it a surprise uwu)

I think I have about 30 of these to send out so if you want a Christmas card:

Be following me because this is something I want to do with all my friends on here owo (I doubt that someone who isn’t would find this post but anyways)

Make sure that you’re ok with giving me your address/any address that you can receive mail from because it is a physical card

(If you want something but don’t feel comfortable with giving out your address, maybe I can do it in e-card form too?)

Comment in this post and I’ll dm you for the details!

And yeah, that’s it! I’ll cover the mailing fee and all that because I just really want to do something fun for the holidays and I miss writing cards. I hope that you’ll like this as much as I had fun with the design!

[she-is-tim]

I love hating you | Elu enemies to lovers AU | Ch. 5

Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4

Lucas is an angry, closeted and frustrated gay teenager, while Eliott is the handsome, smart and popular guy in school. They hate each other… but not forever.

Also yes, new header for the fic! Yay! Get ready for some disgusting fluff! And don’t forget to tell me your opinions on the chapter!

All I want is you

Lucas was sitting in the small kitchen, on the table, wearing only a black t-shirt that was too big for his body. He watched Eliott, this godly looking man making breakfast for them. He was wearing grey sweatpants and a blue shirt, he looked stunning. His hair almost looked blonde in the bright light that was coming through the kitchen window. Sometimes he glanced at Lucas, having a soft smile on his face, then he turned back to the pan, making sure that whatever he was making is not burning down. 

The small boy enjoyed this a lot, being in the kitchen, wearing Eliott’s clothes while he’s cooking for both of them. He could live like this forever, it was so wholesome and peaceful. They spent the whole saturday together, only getting out of bed to eat, drink or pee. It was nice, watching movies and talking about stuff, sometimes just kissing and cuddling. It was actually weird not being in the other’s arms, not feeling his skin on his own, but watching him was really satisfying. Eliott had a nice body, slim, his skin was really pale, his veins were popping through it, especially on his arms. He had small tattoos, on his ankle, his forearm, his knee, his chest. Lucas loved all of them, especially the one on the chest, he kissed that multiple times. 

When the food was ready, Eliott put it in one plate, which made the small boy giggle, he hopped off the table, sitting on one of the chairs, waiting patiently. Eliott put down the plate, holding a fork in his hand. His omlette seemed to be delicious, he even put some vegetables in it. He put some on his fork, navigating it towards Lucas’ lips. The boy opened his mouth, tasting the food slowly, smiling at Eliott. 

“Is there anything you aren’t good at?” he asked after a few minutes of eating, the tall boy laughed.

“I live alone, of course I know a lot of stuff.” he said softly, stroking the other’s face now. “It’s good to use my skills to impress you.” 

“Oh yeah?” Lucas mumbled, leaning his face into the soft touch, looking at the handsome boy with desire, begging for a kiss. 

“You’re driving me crazy, you know.” Eliott whispered, rubbing the boy’s lips with his thumb. “We gotta stay out of bed, go out a little.” 

“All I want is you.” he sighed, looking into the tall boy’s eyes. “Is that so bad?”

“It’s not bad.” he smiled, leaning forward, biting Lucas’ bottom lip, sucking on it before letting it go. “You know I feel the same... but we can’t stay indoors all weekend.” he said seriously, cupping the boy’s face now, giving him a gentle kiss.

“I like staying indoors... I don’t wanna go out...” the short boy was whining, looking at him with the biggest puppy eyes. Eliott sighed, touching their foreheads together. 

“I swear, you are killing me.” he whispered, Lucas started smiling now.

“My intentions are very different from that, Sir. I’d like to keep you alive for selfish reasons.” he said on a very seductive tone, slowly licking the other’s lips before kissing him passionately.

Late afternoon on sunday, Lucas had no choice but to go home. It was hard to leave Eliott, but he couldn’t go to school from his place, wearing his clothes. Thankfully his friday outfit was dry by now, so he put that on, already missing the comfort of the tall boy’s clothing. They were standing in the bus stop, a few steps away, being careful now. The small one didn’t wanted them to be affectionate in public and Eliott seemed to understand that. 

“I’m going to miss you.” Eliott said softly.

“It’s just a few hours, we will be seeing each other tomorrow.” the short boy smiled softly, but he felt the exact same thing. He so got used to laying in Eliott’s arms, kissing his neck, playing with his hair, sitting on his lap while they were eating or watching something. It was really hard to leave that behind. 

“Not like I can kiss you in school.” he said now, rolling his eyes, hands buried in the pockets of his jeans. Lucas could feel the tension and slight disappointment in his voice, it made him sad, but he really wasn’t ready to come out to the world, even if he had Eliott by his side.

“Okay, let’s have a deal.” Lucas said which seemed to catch the other one’s attention. “We can meet twice, in a safe place, where no one can see us. We can kiss there.” he offered with a playful smile on his face.

Eliott laughed, looking at his lovely hedgehog with so much fondness. He ran his fingers through his hair, probably to stop himself from touching Lucas. It wasn’t easy, but they can try, he can do that. It’s more than nothing and the younger boy wanted those kisses just as much as Eliott did. They were thirsting for each other. 

“Okay, little hedgehog. That’s a deal.” he said smiling which made Lucas’ face to light up. 

“Oh yeah?” 

“Yeah, we will do that... but I will not take resposibility for my actions. I might be a bit too thirsty in those moments.” Eliott said smirking, his words made Lucas’ heart beat faster. 

“It’s okay, I think I can deal with that.” the boy said, but he wasn’t really sure about it. Being with this beautiful person just made him do crazy things, like kissing him in the middle of the street on a friday night or ditching his friends and a party just to meet him. 

“You’re cute when you’re lying.” Eliott chuckled, leaning to the billboard next to him. He looked so different from friday, no more red eyes, dark circles and he looked less pale this time. They still didn’t talk about what happened with his family, Lucas was really curious, but Eliott didn’t brought it up, so he wasn’t pushing it. 

Lucas was about to say something when his bus arrived, he saw the unhappy look on Eliott’s face and felt the same. He waved with a soft smile and then got up before the driver could decide to leave him there. He sat down in the back, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He was looking at the few pictures he took during the weekend, he so wanted to use one as his lockscreen, but the boys would notice it right away. He couldn’t let that happen and all of this with him and Eliott was too fresh. 

He sighed when he saw all the missed calls and unread messages, the group chat with the boys was blowing up, Manon called him 5 times and left several texts and voice messages. He got a notification that his dad finally sent him the money for the rent, an e-mail from the nurse that was taking care of his mother, it was a weekly report, he used to read it right away, but he was just so done with social life. He wanted to turn back and stay with Eliott, lay in his arms, forgetting about school, his family stress, his problematic flatmates, his struggles with his sexuality. Everything. 

He startled to his phone buzzing in his hand, alarming him that he got another message. He let out a deep sigh, but couldn’t check it right away, cause he had to get off the bus. When he was on his way home, he looked at the screen, checking who was the sender and almost chocked on air. He quickly unlocked the phone, opening his instagram to see the message Eliott sent him. 

srodulv My bed still has your smell I miss u

Lucas’ heart skipped a beat, he had to stop, leaning to a tree by the walkway, smiling like an idiot. Eliott was the most romantic asshole he knew and he loved that more than anything. These soft messages meant him a lot. By these he could tell how much the tall boy was affected by him and not just the other way around.

lucallemant I have nothing that smells like you So I will miss you more

srodulv I wanna go after you, but that would be a bad idea

lucallemant It would be But it would fit your romantic style a lot

srodulv Are you criticizing me, Mr. Lallemant? 

Lucas chuckled, this guy was so impossible, but that was part of his charm. 

lucallemant Maybe :P

srodulv Bold move Considering I can make you moan With just my fingers

Lucas now blushed deeply, burying his face into his palm, trying to breathe properly. How can he be affected by even text messages. He spent so much time with Eliott he knew very well how he says things, how he reacts, how he moves... His teasing was bringing up memories from saturday. Sweet, soft and even erotic memories. They didn’t go far, since this was Lucas’ first time to even kiss a guy, but some things happened. Both of them are young, horny teens, craving for each other, of course they wanna explore things with one another. 

lucallemant Bite me, Demaury

srodulv I did At least 15 times just this morning I wonder if you’ve seen your neck...

Lucas gasped, turning on the front camera of his phone, looking at himself. He wanted to slap Eliott so badly when he spotted a bitemark on the spot where his neck meets his shoulder. He can cover it with a shirt that has a tighter neck, but still... Then his slight anger just turned into fondness, because now he had proof that the weekend with Eliott was real and that the boy wanted him, so badly that he had to mark Lucas. He moved his shirt up a little to cover the mark with it and continued walking home, leaving his handsome date on read for now. He deserve that for leaving marks without asking permission 

When he entered the flat, he immediately had to face with a really upset Manon. She looked adorable wearing grey sweatpants and a lumberjack shirt, hair loosely tied up. She had a mug in her hand, probably her usual cup of tea before going to sleep. Lucas sighed, guilt growing in his chest now seeing his friend looking at him like that. He didn’t mean to worry anyone, he just went after his heart, turning his brain off for nearly 3 days. Manon was like his big sister, he cared about her a lot, so it was hard to lie to her.

“Hey, Manon.” that was all he could push out on his lying mouth. He had no idea what to say. He can’t tell her he was at Yann’s since she was there at the party with the boys, and his best friend is probably pissed at him. He has all the reasons.

“Explanation.” she said seriously, hand gripping tighter around the mug.

“I was with someone.” he mumbled, trying to find the right words. “It’s... Something was going on with this person, I had to go and meet... Then I stayed for the whole weekend.” he mumbled, trying not to use him or he in his sentences. He was kinda suspecting that Manon knew about his sexuality, but it wasn’t easy to talk about it, especially not when his someone was Eliott Demaury. 

“Everyone was worried about you! I was worried, Lucas!” she raised her voice just enough to make the boy understand that he made a mistake. “You have that goddamn phone, use it! I called you several times. I texted. I was about to call the police, but Yann said you’ll be fine.” 

“Fuck, I’m so sorry.” Lucas said seriously, he wasn’t thinking that Manon will freak out like that. He was so damn lost in Eliott that he had no rational thoughts all weekend, his mind was filled with one handsome boy. He shook his head, trying to close those thoughts out for now. “I really fucked up, big time.” he started, being totally honest, which actually felt good. “The truth is that I am really into this person... things were happening, one after another, then it was sunday. I wasn’t really thinking about anything.” he said and sighed. He really felt guilty, but seeing Manon’s look softening made him smile. She put the mug on the kitchen counter and pulled him in a tight hug. Lucas wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her neck. 

“Don’t ever do this again, okay?” she whispered, clearly trying to hold back tears, which kinda made Lucas to tear up too. Fucking emotions.

“I promise.” 

“Okay then.” she said, pulling back now, wiping off some tears that stubbornly rolled down her cheeks with the sleeve of her shirt. “Let’s get you some food.”

“I had dinner actually, but it’s nice of you.” He said, feeling a bit awkward, especially as he remembers back that he ate his dinner as he was sitting on Eliott’s lap, facing him. He shivered. “I just gonna take a shower and sleep.” he said, and when Manon nodded, grabbig her mug to go into her room, Lucas let out a sigh.

He walked to his couch, turning it into a bed, trying not to think about how comfortable it was to sleep in a real bed, laying in Eliott’s arms. He missed it so much it basically hurt his body. He flopped down, searching for his phone. He had to answer the boys, but he wasn’t sure what to say. Telling the half-truth to Manon wasn’t hard, she knew when she had to stop asking questions, but with the gang... They would push him until he either tells the truth or snaps at them, none of that would be good. He needed the perfect excuse. 

He decided to roll through instagram first, collecting the bravery to go into the group chat. He saw that Eliott had an active instagram story, it kinda surprised him, though it wasn’t unsual, since Eliott basically lived half of his life on the app, even talking to Lucas through it. He tapped the little icon to see the story. It was a short video, zooming slowly on Eliott’s messy bed, while the song Shape of you from Ed Sheeran was playing. Lucas almost screamed, shoving his phone under the pillows, wheezing like he just ran a marathon. This guy is going to be the death of me, I swear. 

After long minutes of silent screams into his pillows, Lucas grabbed his phone, looking at instagram again. He closed the story for now, but he went to his DM’s, opening his conversation with Eliott. There was no new messages since the ones he left on read more than thirty minutes ago. He sighed, starting to type, needing serious self control to stay serious instead of being all lovey-dovey. 

lucallemant You can’t be serious

srodulv I am dead serious, can’t you see the marks on you? 

Lucas was confused for a half minute before he realized that they were talking about Eliott biting him before. He rolled his eyes, because he was sure that Eliott knew what he was talking about.

lucallemant Ed Sheeran, really? You are such a cliché

srodulv Oh that?  Since I can’t post cute pictures of you I had to improvise

lucallemant Why do you want to be so damn loud on social media

srodulv Because I am fucking lucky You are hot, and mine  I gotta share that with the world

lucallemant You are the worst

srodulv Oh, come on! I know you like it There’s probably two dozens of girls from our school being jealous of you And they don’t even know who you are Doesn’t that feel good? 

Lucas had to admit that it did feel good. He always felt like an outsider at school, he was sure that his sexuality would only make him even more of a stranger. Now that he had Eliott, this handsome, generous, awfully romantic guy, who wanted to post about them so bad on social media. Wanting to shout out to the world that he has Lucas by his side. They didn’t even talk about what is going on between them, but it was affecting the younger boy deeply. His feelings were real and so was Eliott. The thing between them wasn’t a mistake, at least he couldn’t think of it like that. 

lucallemant It does, of course it does

srodulv Now people know that I’m taken

lucallemant Are you really?

srodulv Are you serious right now? 

lucallemant We didn’t talk about what is this between us...

srodulv I don’t spend a whole weekend with a boy I don’t like Kissing him, touching him  Making him breakfast, dinner

lucallemant What do you call this then? 

srodulv Well, since we can’t be official...  Let’s settle with partners If that is okay to you

lucallemant More than okay I like being your partner

He was smiling like an idiot at his phone screen, the effect of Eliott being soft and lovely with him. It was just impossible not to smile at these messages. All of it seemed to be too good to be true, yet there was the proof in front of his eyes, written by his partner. Partner, wow. 

Since he got no response for now, he decided to take a shower. After that he put on underwear and a shirt, going to bed. He checked his phone again, but still no new messages, Eliott probably fell asleep. With a big smile on his face he closed his eyes, letting himself sink into the safety of his dreams. Seeing a handsome, tall boy in it.

School was noisy on this bright monday morning, everyone was glad that the weather got warmer. Lucas felt good too, for the longest time ever he finally felt happy that he could go to school. He stopped at his locker, sorting out the books he needs for his morning classes. Then out of the blue the boys appeared, Arthur slapping a hand on the locker doors, making Lucas startle to the sudden noise, almost dropping the books he was holding. The only thing that sucked with this warm weather was that he had to wear a shirt with tight neck,so people can’t see the bitemark on him. He looked at his friends with wide eyes, remembering just now that he forgot to text them last night. Shit, I’m in big trouble.

“Morning.” Lucas mumbled, holding the books tight to his chest. 

“Spill the fucking tea, Lallemant. Right now.” Arthur said without mercy, looking at him like he’s ready for murder. 

“I swear... shit happened so fast.” he started, lies coming out without warning and he lets them take over. “My mom needed me, she sent a text when I was on the bus, so I had to go. I spent the weekend with her, trying to make sure she’s fine.” he was almost jabbering, but hoped that the boys can pick up what he is talking about. Yann seemed to understand pretty quickly, just like Arthur, but Basile was ready to start arguing. He just said one word before the blonde boy slapped him on the chest, not too hard, but enough to make him shut his mouth.

“Is your mom okay?” Yann asked softly, clearly worrying. Lucas felt the guilt burning his throat, screaming at him for using his mother as an excuse. 

“If we can help somehow just let us know, okay?” Arthur continued, breaking down the small boy even more. He wanted to cry, his friends were so fucking nice and he still couldn’t bring himself to tell them the truth. I am such a horrible person. 

“Okay.” he mumbled, trying to hold back tears, his voice was shaky. Basile didn’t say anything, understanding the seriousness of the situation, but he grabbed his friend’s shoulder, squeezing it a little. 

And this was the exact moment Eliott decided to walk into school with Alex by his side. They were talking about something, laughing together. Then his eyes connected with Lucas’, tension sparkling between them, but Eliott’s smile quickly turned into something else. He probably saw the tears in Lucas’ eyes, because he barely could walk by them, needing Alex to snap his fingers in front of him, making him focus on his friend. Lucas was glad the boys were too busy stading around him like bodyguards, making sure he’s okay, so they didn’t witness that catastrophy. 

As Eliott was out of his sight, he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket, not just once, alarming Lucas that he has an incoming call. When he looked at the screen, he felt like throwing up. Of course it was Eliott, who the fuck would call him at 8:30 in the morning. He excused himself from the boys, walking a few meters away, picking up the call now. 

“The fuck happened? Are you okay?” Eliott’s voice sounded really upset and it was echoing. He probably went to the bathroom just to call Lucas, which made the short boy’s heart melt. This guy was really too good to be true. 

“Calm down. I am okay.” he said softly, smiling even. “I just got a bit too emotional. I hate lying to the guys.” he explained. In that exact minute he could hear a relieved sigh coming from Eliott, feeling a bit guilty for making him worry that much over nothing. 

“Fuck, you scared me.” 

“And you respected my request by not coming to me right away. I swear, you are just amazing me each and every time.” he said, voice full of fondness. He could hear a soft giggle on the other side of the line. 

“It was fucking hard... you looked like a scared animal, begging me for help with those big blue eyes. I was ready to fight anyone that hurt you.” he said playfully, but still on a serious tone. Lucas wanted to melt into his strong arms now, kissing him with passion. 

“No one hurt me, Eliott... Where are you now?” he asked after looking at the clock on the wall. They still had at least 10 minutes before class starts.

“Bathroom at the end of the hall.” Eliott said with excitement.

“Don’t move.” Lucas’ voice was serious, he hung up immediately, grabbing his bag after shoving the books into it and almost running to the bathroom. 

As he opened the door, Eliott was standing there, leaning to the wall, hands in his pockets. His hair was messy, more than before, probably because he ran his fingers through it several times. Lucas knew he tends to do that when he’s frustrated or excited. They smiled at each other, softly and fondly. Eliott stepped away from the wall, slowly walking towards the small boy until just one step was between them. Lucas took a deep breath. 

“Hey.” he muttered, voice quiet, full of emotions. He haven’t been this close to Eliott since like 13 hours and it was just so intense. 

“Hey.” the tall boy let a soft smile spread on his face, placing his hand on Lucas’ cheek, caressing it with his thumb. “How can you be so damn beautiful this early?” he whispered, eyes filled with the passion the younger boy knew so well. He saw that so many times during the weekend, mostly before they started to wildly make out. He swallowed, grabbing Eliott’s shirt, pulling him closer. 

“Are you gonna kiss me or what?” he mumbled, licking his lips in anticipation. 

“Let me just take in everything.” he sighed, leaning his forehead on Lucas’. This started to become their thing, touching their foreheads, looking into each other’s eyes as they talked before kissing. “Were you serious last night?” he asked suddenly, Lucas blinked a few times, not believeing his ears. 

“You mean the partner thing?”

“Yeah.”

“I thought you were a smart kid, but turns out you are actually just as dumb as I am, huh?” he said smirking, touching his nose to Eliott’s, rubbing on it softly. “I wouldn’t say such thing If I didn’t mean it. You know how your presence affects me... Fuck, I had the best weekend because I was with you.” 

“If you wouldn’t come... I don’t even wanna imagine how it would’ve been. I was struggling... So many shit happened last week and you just came to me, like a fucking hero in a romantic movie.” Eliott whispered, his breath was tickling Lucas’ lips. It was hard to focus on his words like this, but he tried to, hoping that his partner will finally tell him something. “I think that was when I decided to jump into this.” he added with a soft smile, lips slowly brushing over Lucas’. 

Their kiss was slow, exploring first. Lucas was holding onto Eliott’s shirt, pulling him as close as possible, while the tall boy had his hands on the other’s face, cupping it gently as he kissed him with more passion. They didn’t needed a whole minute to lose it, Lucas suddenly found himself pinned to the wall, one of his legs lifted by Eliott who pressed his body on him completely. He wrapped his arms around his neck, enjoying the wild, needy kiss. It was like they were drowning, gasping for the last drops of oxygen in each other. 

Lucas grabbed Eliott’s hair, pulling it just a little as he leant back into the kiss, making sure it’s him who leads. The tall boy let him do what he wanted, still holding up his leg by the thigh, fingers gripping into his flesh. Long minutes passed when they broke the kiss, wheezing, cheeks red, lips swollen, eyes sparkling with happiness and lust. They laughed, freely, carelessly. Eliott started playing gentle kisses on the younger one’s neck. 

“I hate this shirt.” he mumbled, pulling away the material from Lucas’ neck. “You should be wearing one that is more loose... especially around the neck area. That’s my favorite.” he whispered into his skin, making the boy shiver. 

“It’s your fault that I’m wearing this one... you shouldn’t be leaving marks on such obvious places.” Lucas mumbled, trying to hold into the last sane part of his mind. Eliott giggled, licking the boy’s jawline before placing a soft kiss on the lips. 

“I guess you have no idea what you got yourself into when you agreed on being with me.” he said smirking, stroking the other’s face gently. 

“Probably not.” Lucas mumbled, hands running up and down on the tall boy’s back. His heart was racing, he wanted more, but their classes will start soon. 

“We have one more meeting today.” Eliott said with a playful smile on his face. “How about lunch time?”

“I can’t... I gotta spend time with the boys.” the short boy whispered, still holding into Eliott’s shirt, not wanting to let him go. It was so nice to be back in his arms, enjoying his kisses, his smell. 

“Text me when you wanna meet up then.” he said softly, placing a quick, but gentle kiss on the other’s lips. “I will be free whenever you want me to be.”

“Stop being so cheesy.” Lucas said, gently pushing Eliott’s chest. The tall boy laughed, grabbing his wrist and pulling it up to his lips, kissing his knuckles one by one. Lucas gasped, not expecting this at all. 

“See you later, little hedgehog.” he said, winking at the short boy before leaving the bathroom. Lucas felt like he’s drowning in emotions. Eliott was like a huge ocean wave to his poor heart, pouring feelings over him then backing out flawlessly. He slowly slid down on the wall, trying to get his shit together before his class starts. 

It was wednesday, Lucas was chilling in the common room with the girls, trying to study for english class. He was sitting on the couch, crossed legs, frowning at the pages of his textbook. The girls were talking about something, he wasn’t really listening, since he tried to focus on the letters in front of his eyes, but his head perked up when he heard Eliott’s name. 

“So this girl said that she spent the saturday at Eliott’s, can you believe?” Daphné said with that enthusiastic tone she always used when they were on a good gossip. 

“Come on, you can’t just believe some random chick, Daphné.” Alexia said, rolling her eyes. She looked cute today, hair braided into two locks. “Eliott weren’t even in school last week, he probably had his girlfriend at his place.” 

“He has a girlfriend?” Emma asked, now being interested in the topic.

Lucas swallowed, trying to act like he’s still reading, but he was actually listening carefully to what the girls say. He was glad that they had no idea that Eliott was actually interested in boys too, or that the person he spent the weekend with was right there with them in the common room. 

“Can we just talk about something else?” Imane said suddenly, looking up from her chemistry book. She seemed to be really annoyed by this topic.

Lucas was clearly amused, he wouldn’t mind to listen to this silly talk for longer, but sadly the girls switched back to talking about vacations. The small boy sighed, trying to focus on his english studies when his phone lit up on the table in front of him with a little buzz. He got excited, thinking it is a new message from Eliott, but he was surprised to see a notification.

sofalaoui started following you

He raised a brow, clicking on the profile, it was actually private, but he noticed the familiar face on the profile picture. He smiled softly, remembering that he allowed Eliott to talk to his friends about them. He felt like since they were in a different school and also promised not to tell it to Imane, it was safe. Plus his soft and handsome partner was really happy about it, Lucas knew he needed someone to talk about them. He startled a little when the phone buzzed in his hand, he opened the message he got.

sofalaoui Hey, Lucas! It’s me, Sofiane I know this is really random, but you wanna come to the gym with me tomorrow?

lucallemant To the gym? 

sofalaoui It’s not an actual gym, more like a Youth Center, I work there

lucallemant Why don’t you ask Idriss to go with you? 

sofalaoui He has plans for tomorrow and I wanted to practice But I don’t like going alone

lucallemant Practice?

sofalaoui Yeah, I’m dancing, since 10 years now

lucallemant That’s pretty impressive

sofalaoui So you’re coming?  I’ll send you the address

lucallemant Yeah, sure I am free tomorrow afternoon, Eliott is busy with a project

sofalaoui Great! See you tomorrow then

lucallemant Yeah, see you

Lucas smiled, putting away his phone. It was weird, but also kinda flattering that Eliott’s friend wanted to spend time with him, like he was also part of their little group. He found it extra relaxing that Sofiane knew about him and Eliott, so he had a clue that Lucas is gay, and he still wanted to go to the gym with him. That was something the boy could never imagined happening. He was glad that Eliott had such accepting and kind friends. He wished he could be sure that the gang would be the same if they’d known. 

On Thursday Luas was both nervous and excited. He got a message from Sofiane, the address of the place where he was working. He got on the bus, holding onto the straps of his backpack the whole time. He packed shorts, a grey shirt and a pair of sport shoes. He wasn’t sure what they’re going to do, but he needed some exercise anyways. He only moved his body when he was in gym class and that wasn’t enough for such a young body. He was wondering if Eliott used to come here too. He didn’t really look like someone who’s been working out, he had a nice body, but not much muscles. Not like Lucas was so different, but he couldn’t picture his soft partner lifting weights or using a treadmill.

He got off the bus, walking to the address. The building looked nice, but it was really more of a Youth Center than an actual gym. Graffities on the walls, very artistic ones actually. He could imagine Eliott doing those with no doubt. Sofiane was waiting outside, being handsome and good looking as usual. He was wearing navy blue jeans and a grey hoodie. His face lit up as he noticed Lucas walking towards him, a beautiful smile spreading on it. He could kill people with that damn smile. 

“Hey!” he said excitedly and when the short boy got close enough he pulled him in a bone-crashing hug. Lucas gasped for air, patting the back of the other. 

“Hey! Wow, I wasn’t expecting this.” he mumbled honestly. Sofiane let him go and laughed.

“I’m sorry, the guys keep telling me to stop hugging people.” he said softly, smile brighter than the sun itself. Lucas was totally stunned by this guy, not just handsome, but also kind, gentle and the biggest dork he’s even seen. 

“It’s okay.” the small boy said, smile appearing on his face. It was hard not to smile when Sofiane was being so damn adorable. 

“Let’s go inside.” he said, walking towards the entrance. Lucas followed him without any questions. 

The building looked nice, lot’s of space, paintings and pictures on the walls. He could swear that one of the arts belonged to his lovely partner. Sofiane walked to a locker room with him, it was small with a bunch of lockers in it, one door leading to probably the showers. He put down his backpack on one of the benches next to the lockers. Lucas did the same, but he felt nervous now, since it seemed like he has to change clothes in front of this perfect looking guy. With Eliott he had no problem being just in underwear, but this case was a bit different. He took a deep breath which made Sofiane to look at him.

“Oh, damn. You want me to leave? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable or anything.” he said, basically reading the young boy’s mind. 

“That would be great.” he admitted with a shy smile.

“Okay, I’ll wait outside.” he smiled gently and walked out of the room, leaving there his backpack.

Lucas took a deep breath, taking out his “gym outfit” from his bag. He took off his clothes, changing into the more comfortable ones. He was already putting on his shoes when Sofiane knocked on the door, then peeking in a little, smiling still like the ball of sunshine he was. 

“Ready?”

“Yeah, you can come in.” Lucas said softly, being a little nervous in his stupid outfit, He wasn’t sure what he should be wearing, so he just ended up with the stuff he wore on gym class.

Sofiane walked inside and without any warning he started to take off his clothes, changing into more comfortable ones too. Lucas had to look away, it was really too much for him at once and he wasn’t sure that he can survive seeing this guy just in briefs. After a few minutes he turned back, seeing that now the boy was fully dressed, wearing grey sweatpants and a really tight blue tank top.

“We can go now.” he said smiling, leaning down to roll up his pant leg on the right side up to his knee. “Maybe start upstairs with a little exercise. Then I can show you some dance moves.” he said, Lucas choked on air.

“You want me to dance?” he asked, eyes widen in disbelief.

“Yeah, of course.” he said smirking, grabbing the boys wrist and pulling him upstairs where all the gym stuff was.

They spent an hour doing squats, jogging on the treadmill, lifting some weights and even doing pushups. Lucas was totally done by the end of the exercise, laying on the lifting bench under some lights weight Sofiane put on for him. His hair was wet, falling into his face, his body was shaking, but it kinda felt good. He haven’t thought that working out can be such an enjoyable thing, but it actually was, especially with such a sweet company as Sofiane. He was always there to help him, teasing him even. Lucas felt like they’ve been friends forever, it was so natural being around him, talking about school and stuff. 

“You okay?” Sofiane asked, leaning over him as he tried not to die on the spot. The boy still had that bright smile on his face, it looked like someone just glued it there.

“I’m gonna die.” Lucas mumbled, trying to control his heavy breathing. 

“Let’s take a short break then. You will need your energy for the dancing.” he said smirking, while Lucas let out a whimper. 

“I don’t wanna dance.” 

“It will be fine. I’m going to help you.” the older boy said softly, squeezing Lucas’ shoulder before he walked away, probably to get a drink. 

The short boy slowly sat up, taking a deep breath. He decided to go to the lockers, just to see if anyone called or texted him. They were so busy in this one hour that he totally forgot to bring his phone to the gym room with him. When he checked the screen he wanted to punch himself in the face. Three missed calls and five unread messages from Eliott. He totally forgot to tell him that he’s going to the Youth Center with Sofiane.

srodulv This project is killing me, my head hurts You have time to talk? Are you mad at me?  Why don’t you pick up your damn phone?  Lucas? 

He swallowed, feeling extra guilty for making Eliott worry about him again. He thought that he won’t have much time to talk anyways because of the project. Well he was really wrong. He should have known that this romantic bastard can’t last for thirty minutes without talking to Lucas. Which was actually super sweet.

lucallemant I’m so sorry. Don’t freak out I’m at the Youth Center with Sofiane And no, I am not mad, but I forgot my phone in the locker room 

srodulv What are you doing with Sofiane?!

lucallemant He texted me yesterday if I can come And I said yes

srodulv I’m going there

lucallemant What? No Why would you come here? 

srodulv Is there anyone else in the building? 

lucallemant No, it’s just me an Sofiane

srodulv Then I’m coming

lucallemant Eliott!!

Lucas walking up and down in the locker room waiting for a reply, but after five minutes he decided to look for Sofiane. He stepped out to the hall when he heard the music, bursting loud in the empty building. He followed the sound, finding himself at the doorstep of a dance room, one of the walls was covered in mirrors from the floor to the ceiling. Lucas recognized the song, it was Ghost Town by Adam Lambert. He wanted to roll his eyes, knowing that Eliott’s friends are just like him when it comes to cheesy music, but then he saw how Sofiane was dancing to the melody. 

His eyes widened seeing the flawless moves, not breaking the rythm for a second. Sofiane had full control over his body, knowing which part of it should he move in the following moments. He was totally impressed. When the boy said he’s dancing since 10 years he wasn’t expecting anything like this. When he thought about dancing it was either that silly jumping up and down he saw at parties or the slow dancing people did in balls and romantic movies. This was something different, modern and athletic. 

“Okay, that’s enough.” he suddenly heard a familiar voice and long fingers slid on his face, covering his eyes. A strong arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him to a warm chest he knew so well. He sighed, leaning his back to Eliott, smiling softly.

“Hey there.” he muttered with so much love in his voice it was basically disgusting. 

“I should be punishing you right now.” Eliott whispered into his ear, biting it softly, which made the boy let out a soft moan. The music was still going on the background, so Sofiane didn’t witness this. Good, because I would die of embarrassment. 

“But why?” he asked innocently, it was really flattering to know that Eliott was so jealous he came all the way here. 

“You know exactly why.” he kept whispering and even with the loud music playing, Lucas got goosebumps from it. “I don’t like that you are checking out another guy. You are mine.” he bit Lucas’ earlobe, sucking it a little before letting it go. He still had his left hand on the boy’s eyes, but Lucas had nothing to complain about, he loved to be pressed to Eliott, feeling his hands on him.

“I wasn’t checking him out, Eliott. He just have impressive skills.” he said, chuckling a little. This guy was so unbelieveable sometimes.

“Yeah, and also abs.” he could feel the bitterness in the tall boy’s voice which amused him even more. “Can you just not...” suddenly the music stopped and Lucas heard footsteps coming to their way. He slowly pulled Eliott’s hand away from his eyes which made the other boy letting out a grumpy sound. Sofiane was stading in front of them now, smiling brightly, like always.

“Eliott, I didn’t know you’re coming too.” he said excitedly. “I was about to find Lucas to teach him some dance moves.” he explained.

“Yeah, thanks, but I will take him home for now.” Eliott said, voice a bit sharp. Lucas squeezed his hand gently, intertwining their fingers. Calm down, I’m here with you. 

“You always ruin the fun.” Sofiane pouted, looking at the short boy, hoping that he will say that he wants to stay. Great, how did I end up in a situation where I have to choose between two hot guys? 

“I have no intentions to ruin anything... but Lucas is mine.” he said seriously, pulling the boy even closer to himself. Sofiane chuckled, rolling his eyes at his friend’s behavior. 

“You have nothing to be jealous about. You know that I like someone and that person is not your lovely boyfriend.” he said smiling, winking at Lucas. That is not helping, fuck. 

“I’m not jealous.” Eliott said, leaning his chin on Lucas’ shoulder, breathing slowly. “Fuck, I’m jealous.” 

Lucas and Sofiane chuckled. The short boy raised his hand that wasn’t holding Eliott’s and slid his fingers into the boy’s messy hair, playing with it. Sofiane watched them with happiness and amusement on his face. He seemed to be glad that his friend has someone that is being so caring and soft with him. Lucas couldn’t deny that with Eliott, he turned into a stupid, smiley idiot, heart fluttering in his chest. 

“Let’s go home then.” Lucas said softly, planting a gentle kiss on his big child of a partner. Eliott’s face was lighting up in seconds now, wide smirk spreading on it, catching the short boy’s lips for a longer, passionate kiss. 

“Okay, love birds, I’m going back to training. Just don’t have sex here, pretty please.” Sofiane said playfully, which made Eliott show him his middle finger while still kissing Lucas. 

Music started to play again and they finally break apart, smiling at each other fondly. Lucas put his hands on Eliott’s face, caressing it with his thumbs. He could never get enough of this guy, every kiss was like diving into the ocean of feelings then coming to the surface victoriously. Eliott leant down, biting on his bottom lip, pulling it a little, then letting go. He giggled, feeling his face heating up. This was so incredible, so special. 

“We should leave before I do something we both would regret.” Eliott mumbled in the short boy’s soft, swollen lips. Lucas looked into his eyes, only nodding, because he wasn’t able to form understandable words at the moment. 

Lucas managed to text Manon that he will be home late before he and Eliott got into the apartment, kissing wildly. They spent two hours on the couch, making out while listening to soft music in the background. Clothes were kept on just for safety. If any of them started to undress, they would’ve end up in bed, probably not leaving it until the morning and they had school tomorrow. 

It was hard to separate once again, but the thought of seeing each other the next day made things easier. Eliott only walked him out of the building, standing in the doorway with a soft smile. The short boy couldn’t resist, grabbing his shirt and pulling him into a gentle kiss before walking away, leaving Eliott behind with wet lips and a dazzled look on his face. He was smiling like an idiot on his way home. 

When he entered the flat, Lisa and Mika was sitting on the couch, watching some stupid tv show. Manon was probably sleeping in her room already. He tried really nicely ask his flatmates to go and fuck off of his couch. Since he couldn’t have his own room or bed, he had all the rights to take over his couch whenever he wanted. When Mika or Lisa tried to complain he kindly reminded them that they were the ones making him sleep here, so they can’t say shit. 

When he was finally alone in the living room, he switched channels to watch some criminal series. He kept his phone close to him and only left for a quick shower. He didn’t got any messages, but it was fine. Eliott was probably back to working on his project. All Lucas knew about it that he tried to get into cinematography, making movies in the future. He was amazed by the fact that he was dating such an ambitious and incredible human being. 

Friday went on really slow, Lucas got a message early in the morning from Eliott that he is not really feeling well. He got worried, asking if he should come over, but the boy said he’s going to be fine, just needs a little rest, that’s all. Of course that didn’t make the short one less worried. He had an english test just before lunch break and he barely could focus on the questions, his mind was going around Eliott all day. He really wanted to see how he was doing, making sure he’s eating and drinking enough. It was a terrible weather lately, so he probably catched some stupid sickness that is going around in the school. Lots of students disappeared this week, coughing, nose dripping, all of them got sick. It was just that time of the year that spared no one from this bullshit. 

After classes Daphné walked to him when he was packing out from his locker. She had her hair let down with a pink hairband in it, she was wearing her bordeaux coat, a light red scarf wrapped around her neck. She seemed to be really excited, kissing the boy on the cheeks as she greeted him. Lucas smiled at her softly. 

“What’s up, Daphy?” he asked.

“See, I was wondering... You remember that Eliott offered to repaint the mural, right?” she asked excitedly, which Lucas answered with a nod, not knowing where she is trying to go with this conversation. “So, I wanted to ask you to... maybe talk to him about it? You know that I get nervous around him and you are also a guy, so he won’t suspect anything...” she said, blushing a little. Lucas wanted to tell her the truth that Eliott is taken and that she should stop crushing on him, but he couldn’t destroy Daphy’s fantasies. 

“Listen, Daphy... You know I am not a fan of that guy. First of all you should stop crushing on him, you can find yourself a much better guy.” he said, softly squeezing the girl’s shoulders. “And second, I think he was just joking when he said that. The dude is not that generous to help us in the common room. He didn’t even come there since the very first meeting.” he continued, looking at her seriously. He tried to be convincing, though he had no idea if Eliott was lying or not about the mural. 

“Yeah... you must be right.” she sighed, trying to hide her disappointment. Lucas pulled her in a gentle hug, rubbing her back.

“Don’t be sad, Daphy. If you need help, I can gather up the boys and we can paint the damn mural, okay?” he offered softly which made the girl smile.

“Yeah, that sounds good. Thank you, Lucas.” she said, kissing him on the cheek again before walking away. 

He spent his friday afternoon and saturday morning worrying about Eliott. The boy didn’t reply to his messages, the last sign of him was an insta story, a screenshot of spotify. He was listening to Goner by Twenty One Pilots. He had no idea Eliott knew that band, he liked them a lot personally. But that was the only sign of him during the weekend. It was slowly killing him that he didn’t know what is going on with him. He wanted to make sure that Eliott eats, sleeps, drinks. He wanted to be next to him, cuddling as he falling asleep. 

It was getting late, almost 20:00 on saturday when Lucas just got sick of the radio silence. He told Manon that he goes on a walk, putting on his shoes and jacket, leaving the flat as quick as possible. He got on the bus, luckily catching one as he arrived to the stop. His legs were bouncing as he sat down, waiting to get to the right place. He needed to see Eliott, even if it’s just a glimpse. 

He walked towards the building with a weird pain in his chest, not knowing what to expect. Maybe Eliott will send him home, not wanting Lucas to catch whatever sickness he had, maybe he will let him in and they can spend the night together. He wasn’t sure. He was almost there, passing by a tree when he saw the door opening, for some reason he hid behind that tree, peeking out to see who is coming out. He gasped for air when he saw Eliott, wearing a black leather jacket over his hoodie, smiling. He was confused for a second but then another person followed him through the door. 

Lucas felt like he’s going to faint right then and there. It was a girl, around the same height as Eliott, wearing a long, grey coat over her short, black skirt and brown blouse. Her hair was short, barely touching her shoulders, with light curls in it. She barely wore any makeup, but she was stunningly beautiful. Eliott laughed when she said something and wrapped his hand around her shoulders, pulling her closer as they walked away to the opposite direction where Lucas was. 

He leant his back to the tree, looking away from them, trying to hold back his tears. He couldn’t believe Eliott lied to him. He lied so he could be with this girl... probably his actual partner. His girlfriend. The world around him seemed to fall apart, his vision was fading, getting blurry from the tears. He was gasping for air as he slid down to the ground, grabbing his hair. Then as a lightning struck, his phone started to buzz in his pocket. He didn’t wanted to check, but hoped that it can distract him from what was happening in his head now. He got a message from an unknown number, it was no text, just a photo. A photo of him kissing Eliott.

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of the Yiga | Chapter 8

Talon wasn’t around when Link and Aryll got to the ranch, but they made their way into the paddocks, anyway, each retrieving their favorite horse and bringing them into the barn. The old, battered farm truck pulled up in front of the barn as they brushed and saddled the horses. Talon stepped out, grunting and muttering under his breath as his stiff joints cracked. He stretched his arms over his head, then mosied toward them with his rifle in hand. He spat at the ground before entering the barn, acknowledging Link with a nod and tipping his straw hat to Aryll.

“It’s yer day off, Kid,” he said in a gruff voice. “Fact, shouldn’t she be in school?”

“We’re playing hooky,” Aryll said with a wide grin.

“You know,” Link started, “you’re not supposed to announce it to everyone you talk to.”

Aryll rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I’m telling my teachers.”

Talon smiled and nodded. “Right, then. So, yer cleaning dem stalls afta, hm?”

“Link said I could do it,” Aryll said, still grinning over her horse’s back.

“I dun care who does it,” he said. He thrust the rifle into Link’s arms. “Dem bears ‘ave been out ‘n about, yanno. Shoot ‘em ‘fore they get at my cuccos ‘gain.”

Link shrugged and secured the rifle onto the saddle. It wasn’t the first time he had to shoot a bear or two that had wandered onto the property. Link would have allowed them to take a cucco or two, mainly out of revenge, but it would have only made them come back more frequently, and then he’d never hear the end of it from Talon.

“You trust this idiot with a gun?” Aryll said, frowning.

“If ‘e can defeat the great Ganondorf with a sword, I think ‘e can handle a rifle.”

“He can’t shoot himself in the foot with a sword,” Aryll pointed out.

Talon grinned. “Would you ratha I give ‘im a sword, den?”

Aryll seemed to consider her options for a moment.

Talon slapped Link on the back with a wrinkled hand and tipped his hat at them once more. “‘Ave fun, now.” He shot an invisible rifle. “Shoot ‘em dead.”

“Poor bears,” Aryll said as Talon mosied back into his truck. “All they want is dinner.”

“They’ll eat you for dinner,” Link said.

“Beats peanut butter and banana sandwiches,” she said with a shrug.

They brought their horses out of the barn where they both climbed into their saddles. Aryll took a moment to coo to her horse, reaching down to scratch the gelding’s ears as Link and his steed started onward. Her gelding trotted to catch up to his companion, slowing to a walk as he reached his side. His ears and tail flicked happily as they walked.

They followed the path around the open pastures, along the tree line, and eventually into the woods, where they continued to follow various trails as they twisted this way and that. When the path widened and flattened, they broke into a gallop, racing one another. Most of the time, Link let Aryll slip passed him.

She stood in her stirrups, thrusting a fist in the air and whooping loudly in an attempt to rub her victory in Link’s face.

Before long, the trees thinned, and they eventually stepped out of the forest and into a clearing. Rolling hills stretched out into the countryside of Hyrule and to the horizon. To their right, the land sloped downwards toward a dirt road. Beyond the road lay a thick forest, and the mountain range seemed to spring up from the trees. To their left, the land stretched on until it met the edge of Lake Hylia. The lake was far too wide to see beyond it, but somewhere, the highway stretched over the lake, busy with passing motorists oblivious to the landscape that Aryll and Link enjoyed.

It was like a secret only she and her brother knew about, and it quickly became Aryll’s favorite place to escape to. They often rode out to it, letting their horses stretch their legs, galloping along the ridge of the hills, without a care in the world. It didn’t matter who won or lost; it wasn’t a race, but an escape from their own realities.

This time, however, they did not run away from their lives. Instead, they looked out over the landscape as the horses grazed quietly. A gentle breeze blew through their manes and tails and Aryll sighed. It felt like the first time in a long time where she felt relatively at peace. Despite all that had transpired, she and Link had both come out on top, and she was reminded that over the years, they always did. No matter what life threw at them, they always prevailed, and she felt comfort in that. Link would never let it be otherwise. And neither would she.

She turned to her brother, who was no longer enjoying the peace that came with the view, but instead had his nose in his phone, his fingers flying along the screen as he texted. Aryll took out her own phone, flipping through the filters on her camera until she settled on one with dog ears and a tongue. She held it out at arm’s length until Link was in the picture. He glanced up with an annoyed look on his face, and she snapped the picture.

“Mipha says hi,” Link said dryly as he turned back to his phone.

Aryll glanced at him. “You’re texting her?”

“She called Saturday asking about you.”

She pinched her lips together. “Whatcha talkin’ about now?”

“How many kids we’re gonna have.”

Aryll frowned. “I know you’re being a jerk, but I’d be okay with that.” She watched as he snorted and otherwise ignored her comment, recalling the end of the conversation she overheard in the hospital. Link and Kit were talking about some kind of Yiga Clan. She hadn’t thought anything of it then, or the days that followed, but the more she recalled the moment, the more intrigued she became. It seemed a serious topic, or, at least at one point, but Link had blown it off completely.

“So,” she started, keeping her gaze on Link, hoping to catch a reaction from him when she continued. “What’s the Yiga Clan?”

Link’s fingers paused, but his gaze did not move off the screen. He continued the message after a moment, then slipped the phone back in his pocket. He turned his gaze to the horizon. “The Yiga Clan?”

“Yeah,” Aryll said carefully. “I heard you and Kit talking about it in the hospital.”

His brows furrowed. “You mean his crazy conspiracy theories?”

“I thought the Yiga Clan was real,” she said. “Dad mentioned them once or twice, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, the cult of losers, sure.”

Aryll hesitated. “You said they were rogue Sheikah.”

Link’s gaze met hers. He was angry and suspicious with her. After a moment, he turned away. “They’re nothing to worry about.”

“I don’t know,” Aryll said slowly. “Rogue Sheikah sound like a big problem. What do they want? To bring Ganondorf back or something?”

Link hesitated. “There’s nothing they can do to bring him back,” he said. “Not without breaking Zelda’s seal. And there’s no way to do that without…”

“Without?” Aryll pressed.

“Without the Master Sword,” he said simply. It was the truth, anyway. But he was sure that if it came down to it, they could do whatever they wanted if they had another piece of the Triforce to aid them.

“Oh.” Aryll turned her gaze away. She sensed her brother was hiding something more, but she didn’t press further. “Well, that’s good, then. I don’t want you to be a hero anymore.”

“It’s not exactly a job I can quit,” Link muttered.

“Well, if there’s no danger, then there’s no need for a hero, right?”

Link shrugged. “Sure.”

“You have no sword anymore, anyway,” she continued. “You’d be useless.”

“I don’t need a sword to be useful,” Link said.

Aryll glanced at the rifle on his saddle and bit her lip. “I guess,” she said. “Either way, you don’t stand a chance against a rogue Sheikah.”

“Nope,” he said with a sigh.

Aryll frowned. “Are you sure? That they’re not… a problem?”

Link glanced at her. “Don’t you think if we were in danger, I would have done something about it by now?”

“I guess.”

“Don’t listen to Kit’s shit,” Link said. “The war’s been over for ten years. Everything’s fine.”

Aryll nodded. Of course she was being ridiculous. She got herself nervous over nothing. If the world was in trouble, Link would know about it. And he would fix it.

It was just after noon when they returned to the barn. Once the horses were untacked and back grazing in their paddocks, Link and Aryll turned to the task of mucking stalls and otherwise cleaning the barn for Talon. Talon moseyed into the barn a couple hours later as they were finishing up, and he had his hands on his hips as he inspected the barn with a nod.

“Guess I gotta pay ya for the day,” he said gruffly. “Even though ya came in on yer day off.”

“Nah,” Aryll said with a grin. “I did all the work today.”

“So, I gotta pay you?”

Aryll put a hand on the old man’s shoulder and winked. “This one’s on me since I took your horse out.”

“Ah, he could use a lil’ work,” Talon said. “He’s been gettin’ fat out there on that grass all day.”

“Any time,” Aryll said as she dusted her hands together. “I can drive now. Link said I could take his car whenever I want.”

“The actual phrase was ‘over my dead body,’” he reminded her with a sly glare.

“We’re still working on it,” Aryll said with a nudge to Talon. “Someday.”

“Guess I’ll see ya this weekend?” Talon said, tipping his hat to them. “Don’t  work too hard there, Kid.”

Aryll let her brother drive on the way home, and Link opted to stop to treat them both to ice cream sundaes before making it home for the evening. Both of their sundaes were much larger than necessary, which made up for the fact that they hadn’t eaten lunch, and it seemed reasonable enough to label it as their dinner, too, as neither of them would feel hungry for the rest of the night.

When they got home, Aryll plopped herself down on the couch, letting her legs hang over one end as she lay against the couch on one side. While Link busied himself with the mail, Aryll flipped through the channels on the tv. After finding nothing of interest, she let it stay on a channel that had soap opera reruns playing and instead occupied herself with her phone.

Still, nothing on it caught her interest, and when Link finally sat beside her with a sigh, she took his phone and decided to flip through his apps.

“There’s nothing weird on here, right?” she asked carefully. She opened his social media apps, and finding nothing of interest, chose to send suggestive emojis to Revali insead. She then moved on to searching the internet, particularly searching for an obscene image to plaster on Link’s background. After saving to his phone a variety of images, from fat, naked men, to pink unicorns, She opened the gallery to select one to make as his new background. She scrolled through the albums in search for the images she downloaded, but a few particular albums caught her attention instead.

One album in particular seemed to have images from years ago. Some of them included Link and Mipha together, while others ranged from Link and Riju posing with laser guns and Revali flipping the camera both middle fingers. Among these were even a young Aryll, and a few of her and her father together. It seemed even then, she felt the need to steal her brother’s phone and put ridiculous pictures on it.

A particular video caught her attention, and she opened the file to play it. A six year old Aryll held the phone out in front of her, making faces at herself and giggling. It shifted and moved violently as she skipped about the room. Her face returned, and her tongue stuck out at the corner of her mouth as she concentrated. The image on the screen flipped to her father leaning against the counter. He looked up from his phone and grinned.

“Stop playing with my phone,” came Link’s voice from somewhere off screen. The camera turned to her older brother, standing in the doorway, his brows kit together in annoyance. Aryll giggled from behind the camera and the video jolted again as she hurried out of her brother’s grasp.

“Argh!” came Link’s voice once more. “What the hell? Stop it!”

The video spun around, revealing Link’s head in his father’s arms as Rusl proceeded to dig his knuckles into his son’s skull. Link squirmed in a desperate attempt to get out of his father’s grasp.

“You’re an immature weasel!” Link shouted.

“No evidence!” Rusl shouted, throwing his hand out in a playful attempt to block the camera. Link took advantage of his dropped stance and freed himself. He rubbed his head with his hand and frowned as Aryll giggled.

“I think he lost some brain cells,” Aryll’s voice said.

Rusl grinned. “How can he possibly lose any more? There’s nothing in there!”

The camera dropped and Aryll giggled as her father scooped her up, and the video ended. Aryll held her gaze on it for a moment with a smile, then closed the gallery, completely forgetting her mission to plaster ridiculous images all over her brother’s phone. She let it drop to the couch and sat up, pulling her knees to her chest.

“I’m glad you let me steal your phone all the time,” she said. “And you kept everything.”

Link had been watching her at the corner of his eyes. He turned his gaze back on the tv. “That’s not true,” Link said. “I deleted all the poop emoji pictures you downloaded.”

Aryll grinned. “I forgot I was obsessed with those.”

“You were a weird child,” Link said. “It was mildly concerning.”

Aryll threw a pillow at him. “That’s because I grew up in a weird family.”

“For the record, I was completely normal.”

“Yes, because having the spirit of a hero and a magic triangle on your hand is totally normal.” She rolled her eyes.

“And I still managed to barely skate by in high school,” he reminded her. “Totally normal.”

“Totally lazy.”

“I saved the world. How does that make me lazy?”

“Is that on your resume?”

“Right between barely passed high school and college dropout,” Link said dryly.

“Employers must have been throwing themselves at you.” She sighed and got to her feet. “Speaking of passing high school. I do have finals next week I need to study for.” She offered him a crooked smile. “Thanks for today.”

“Sure.” Link watched his sister leave the room. When she was gone, he trudged into the kitchen, pulling a beer from the fridge. He popped the top, tossed the bottle cap on the counter, and dropped back onto the couch to zone out in front of the tv.

*****

Kohga stood on the cliff just outside of the hidden base, overlooking the vast, empty desert. He had heard Dorian’s approach, but offered the Yiga soldier no greeting. Dorian stood a few yards away from the Yiga leader in silence, making no effort to move any closer, waiting for him to speak. And he did.

“The ward remains over the city,” Kohga said. “All these years it has held strong. But I’m not surprised. Even in her aging years, Impa has remarkable abilities.” He glanced over his shoulder at Dorian. “I would have preferred it if you had killed her when I asked, but I can’t say I didn’t understand your resilience. You’ve gathered a lot of intel from within the city walls. And it seems you were right, afterall. My patience has paid off.” He turned to look back out over the desert. “I knew it would be next to impossible to get my hands on Zelda, but it seems Link has finally come out from the shadows, just as I hoped he would. The ward is strongest inside the city. Every time he leaves those boundaries, it grew weaker around him. My men have found him at last. We can finally get our hands on the great Chosen Hero and his little piece of the Triforce.”

“Zelda will look for him,” Dorian confirmed with certainty. “I cannot promise she will be alone, however.”

“I am not concerned about those Champions,” Kohga said, blowing him off with a wave of his hand. He looked over his shoulder at Dorian once more and grinned. “Are you?”

“Of course not.”

“Good,” Kohga said with a nod. “I know you will be able to finish them just as you did Rusl. They will hardly be a hindrance in our plan. It’s only a matter of time before we have the Triforce in our possession. I am confident we will be able to use it to its full potential and revive Ganondorf once more. And I will have much pleasure in turning Hyrule’s Heroes against them.” He turned to face Dorian completely. “You have done well, Dorian. Keep up your appearances with Impa and Roham. Should anything more of note transpire, do be sure to let me know, hm?”

[ladynuwanda]

A Ride on the Other Side (Sub!Duncan ShepherdXDom!Female Reader)

A/N: (Thank you @alexcornerblog for trusting me again with your request, Babe! <3) Bored Dom!Duncan wants to try something new, and luckily he has his Bestie to teach him “the ways of the Force”.

Warnings: Smut. DomXSub play. Unprotected sex (as the Spice Girls would say, “be a little bit wiser, baby, put it on”). And, since I wrote this, get ready to watch some feelings being felt! ;)

Word Count: 4,5 K.

I had been friends with Duncan Shepherd for most of my adult life. We met at College, I noticed he was one of the brightest students in class, a real teacher’s favourite, and decided to get close to him. That’s how my competitive thinking works: keep your friends close and your enemies closer. If I wanted to be the best, I’d better join the best... instead of fighting them. There was nothing even remotely romantic about our relationship. Except for that one stupid night, in freshman year. But once we got the sexual tension out of the way, with disastrous results for everyone involved, we were free to be good friends.

After graduation we moved to DC together. Duncan had always felt a burning passion for politics, I was just in love with the city. We both got our internships during the same Summer, him at the Capitol, me at the Smithsonian. And all these years we’ve lived in Washington made us develop a few weekly rituals. One of my favourites was going to his apartment in the morning when we both had the day off. I’d take fresh brewed coffee with me, and some pastry for Duncan’s sugar cravings. We’d have breakfast together and then he’d let me enjoy the view from the balcony of his penthouse while I read a book. He was pleased to share the comforts his family’s money could buy with a friend, and I was glad to keep him company.

“‘Morning, Shepherd!”, the more hungover he looked the more I’d use an annoying sing-song tone to greet him.

“Really, tho? Are you sure it’s already morning?”, I had grown desensitised to Duncan’s attractiveness over the years, his baby-blue eyes and light scruff felt simply mundane to me.

“It’s almost afternoon, to be honest...”, I let myself in, while he sleepily rubbed his eyes, “they were out of cherry danish, so I got you cheese, I hope that’s ok.”

“Cheese is fine... please, come on in.”, that was his attempt at sarcasm, I was already halfway into the kitchen.

“For the love of God, drink your coffee, you’re grumpier than usual this morning... and that’s saying a lot!”

I’d never have to worry about walking in on him with company. He’d rarely take his hookups to his place, he preferred expansive hotels. That way he could show off his wealth, estabilishing dominance, but also “avoid giving off a false sense of intimacy”, as he said. “So who’s your date this morning? Fitzgerald? Yeats? Or are you back to your goth phase with that Poe compilation?”, he seemed instantly more alive after his first sip of coffee, he was almost smiling. “Shakespeare. I felt like revisiting Hamlet... sometimes you just gotta give your first love a second chance.”, I smiled showing him my old leather-bound copy of Tragedies by Shakespeare.

“But I’m expecting an e-mail from work... do you mind if I use your computer? I thought my phone was charging last night but it wasn’t, it’s dead as a doorknob...”, I was already walking towards his home office, without waiting for a reply.

“Sure...”, he mumbled while taking a cheese danish from the paper-bag I’d brought, “good morning, you beauty!”. “I’m gonna pretend I’m not offended that you’re greeting your breakfast with a lot more enthusiasm than you greeted me...”, I shouted towards the kitchen, while I was sitting on his desk and pulling the laptop open.

The computer was already on, it was just closed, and that was unusual for someone as highly organised as Duncan. “You forgot to turn it off last night, are you ok...”, I was saying when I heart a loud “OH SHIT” from the kitchen. I looked at the screen and “oh shit”, indeed. There was a cheap-looking porn video playing in full volume. I’ve always thought Duncan was a man of more refined tastes, but that was not the weirdest thing about it. The leather-clad couple onscreen was already going to town but it was the girl, wearing a stereotypical dominatrix outfit and a harness, that was thrusting mercilessly into a guy on all fours, with a ball gag in his mouth.

Duncan shot into the room, now fully awake. His eyes were wide and his mouth agape, looking more terrified than I’d ever seen him. He hastily shut the laptop again, not daring to look at me. I just sat there with a blank expression, looking at my old friend, waiting for an explanation. “I’m gonna lend you a chord, you can charge your phone and check your e-mails... ok?”, with the most awkward little grin he left the room, blushing bright-red. I followed him, still unable to speak.

The thing is, Duncan had always been a proud Dom. It was part of who he was, being an influential man, from a prominent family. He had a reputation. The girls who threw themselves at his feet were already expecting that from him. He had things done his way in absolutely every aspect of his life. Always. I think he actually got off on that power. It seemed impossible that the famous Duncan Shepherd would be fantasising about being pegged by a girl in what could only be described as a dominatrix costume. And we were both very similar in our tastes that way, and we’ve always respected each other too much to try and change one another. That was also part of what made us incompatible in the bedroom, and kept our friendship safe from any unwanted sexual tension all these years.

“Duncan, what... why... are you ok?”

“Can we just... never talk about it again, please?”

“Yes.”, I lowered my eyes in second-hand embarrassment.

“I’m just... I’m so tired!”, he ran his hands over his own face, and sat heavily down on the couch.

“Of what? Not having your ass split in half?”, I chuckled, he didn’t, “come on, Duncan... it’s me! You know I won’t judge... I just wanna understand.”, I sat on the couch by his side, and I though about putting a hand to his shoulder, but decided against it. For some reason it felt inappropriate to touch him now.

“It’s just... it’s always the same, y’know... all those girls, always willing to lick my boots on command, all of them so eager to please...”

“Poor you, Duncan! It must be a nightmare...”, he narrowed his eyes at me, “I’m sorry, go on.”

“You really are a pain in my ass, you know...”, he sighed deeply before continuing, “I’m just sick of standing up to other people’s expectations... I wanted to know what it’s like. The other side. To be free to just... enjoy the moment. Does that make sense?”, his clear blue eyes fell on me, full of honesty, in a way I knew he wouldn’t with anyone else.

“It does make sense. I just... I don’t understand why you wouldn’t talk to me about it, instead of resorting to cheap internet porn. That’s so tacky, Duncan...”

“You’ve always made it perfectly clear that you found me the most unappealing man on Earth... I saw no reason to.”

“I never said you’re unappealing... I said you can’t handle me.”

“Oh, I can handle you.”, he smirked trying to regain the upper hand.

“Oh, really, Mr. Three Minutes? I don’t think you can...”

“It was just that one time! I was very young... and I was drunk.”

“Finishing early was not the problem... but did you have to go and fall asleep right afterwards?”

“I was tired! It was exam week!”

“You’re always tired, grandpa! Were you too young, or too old... you gotta pick one!”

We just laughed it off, as we usually did. That’s how this conversation always ended, it was our way of not letting that incident get in the way of our relationship. And it also worked to ease the tension from what had just happened. We were ok, again. The awkwardness was gone.

“Anyway... that’s not something I wanted to discuss with the only girl who will never let me forget how completely unsatisfied she was the one time she shared my bed.”

“Or you could use this opportunity to clean your reputation...”

“What?”

“What?”

“Are you serious?”

“I could be.”

“My best friend is willing to... dom... me?”

It was just too cute, the way he called me his best friend! Duncan could be so precious when he thought no one was paying attention...

“Why not? We’ve known each other forever... We trust each other. You’re decent looking, if I squint my eyes and forget you’re a Republican. If you don’t find me completely repulsive, this could work!”

“I don’t find you repulsive at all.”, and at that, the bastard unleashed the full power of his gaze on me. And I realised that it wasn’t that I was desensitised to his charms, he’d simply stopped trying to seduce me. Until that moment.

“Ok.”, I took a deep breath, steadying myself, “how about I come back here tonight, and give you a tour on ‘the other side’, as you called it?”

“You would do that?”

“It doesn’t have to be such a big deal... we could just play a little, get you a taste of it... we don’t even need go as far as undressing, if it feels too awkward! I think I’ll survive without seeing those cute little buttocks... again.”

“Sounds like a plan...”, he nodded thoughtfully, a familiar crease between his eyebrows, the one he had when he was already thinking about a thousand future scenarios for something.

I got up from the couch, surprising even myself, “ok, so I’m gonna take off, now... I’ll come back later?”, he just nodded and I did the last thing I thought I would do when I entered his apartment this morning. I leaned over, running my fingers through his soft curls, still a little disheveled from sleep, and kissed him full on the mouth. His soft lips parted a little in surprise, and I pushed my tongue between them, massaging his. I tightened my grip on his hair, our tongues still pressing flat against each other, and heard a soft moan vibrating on his throat. I ended the kiss nibbling gently on his lower lip, and flashed him my brightest smile, “see you tonight, Big D.”

It was just so Duncan how he made a project out of it. If he was going to be a Sub for one night, then he was going to be the best Sub in the entire history of Subs. He spent most of the afternoon texting me, asking questions about the proper attire, music, lighting... he asked me if champagne was ok, or did I prefer something stronger. I felt tempted to reply “black Earl Grey tea”, just to mess with him. On his latest text he was asking if I thought scented candles were better than unscented ones. I texted him back saying he should buy the ones that melt at a bearable temperature. He could just go to the candle shop and bother someone else, I was beginning to feel a little nervous with all those texts, and that was not part of the plan.

I arrived at the building precisely at the arranged time. I wore a trench-coat over my black dress, and thigh-high black stockings under it. If he was into the stereotype, and judging by the video he’d been watching he was, I didn’t want to disappoint him from the get go. He opened the door and I wondered how I could’ve ever thought I was immune to this man. There was no other word to describe him, he looked perfect. The hair, the clothes, the expansive fragrance emanating from his body in just the right amount. And the gorgeous smile he greeted me with was just the cherry on top!

“You look very nice... the trench-coat was a nice touch!”, he took my hand after shutting the door and gave it a gentle kiss, his eyes fixed on mine. After a second of intense eye-contact, that felt like it lasted for at least a couple of weeks, he started leading me towards his bedroom by the hand he had never let go of. Duncan’s bedroom: the Final Frontier. I was about to boldly go where no girl has gone before. The room looked carefully arranged to be seductively comfortable. His attention to detail was truly remarkable. The candles, the cloud-soft bed linen, the fire crackling pleasantly in the fireplace, my favourite flowers everywhere and a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket. The butterflies in my stomach told me that maybe I should have chosen the “something stronger” option of beverage, after all.

He poured champagne in two crystal flutes as I left my handbag on an arm chair and began unbuttoning my trench-coat. “What’s in the bag?”, the deliberately cool tone he used suggested that he might have been feeling just a tad more nervous than he wanted me to know. “Stuff. You know. Things.”, I gave him a half-smile raising an eyebrow.

“A mysterious handbag... You’re like a naughty Mary Poppins!”, it was his time to look at me with an eyebrow raised.

“Whatever flies your kite... so to speak.”, I took the flute he offered me and was already about to down its content when I realised he wanted to make a toast.

“To the bonds of friendship... and new boundaries.”, he smirked lightly.

“To not limiting yourself.”, I added clinking the glasses.

I emptied the flute a little faster than what would be considered elegant for a young lady, and handed it back to him for a refill, “Safe word?” I asked taking the full flute back. He pondered the question for a moment, his face lighting up when he found an answer “Kite.”, he gave me a most devilish grin, before he began to drain his second flute of champagne as well.

“Should I call you by any particular name?”

“Sure. Call me Madam President.”

“What???”

“I’m kidding, Duncan, relax... Ma’am usually does it.”

Setting both empty flutes aside, I approached him. I pressed me whole body against his, and grabbing a fistful of his hair I kissed him again, I used my teeth this time and I sucked hard on his full lips, until they were red and slightly swollen. “Shoes and socks off. And be a darling and remove that overpriced shirt you’re wearing, dear.” I took my time walking around him, my fingertips barely brushing his naked chest and back. His skin was so smooth and slightly tanned. I stood behind him and left a wet kiss in the middle of his back, my fingers ghosting the length of his arms, and he shivered in a very satisfying way “Your belt.”

I tied the belt he handed me around his wrists, behind his back, and went to stand in front of him again. I slowly removed my lacy black panties and placed them inside his front pocket with a wink, then I took a candle in one hand and the bottle of champagne in the other. I blew the candle out slowly, watching the flame reflected in his eyes wavering and being extinguished “I hope for your own good that you got the right kind of candle”, and I let some of the wax drop on Duncan’s naked chest. He hissed and I poured some of the icy cold champagne over the wax, and licked the droplets of the cool drink off his nipples, suckling and biting ever so gently on the sensitive skin. Looking up I saw him biting onto his lower lip to try and muffle a moan. “Do you like it?”, he merely nodded in response, “you better start using your words, Shepherd.”, I dropped some more wax, on his shoulder this time, and poured a little more champagne over it, stopping the liquid from dripping down his arm with my tongue. “Yes, Ma’am. I like it.”

“So you like a little pain, hm? I always thought that was a healthy mindset...”, I picked a riding crop from inside my bag and, without a warning, his the back of Duncan’s thighs hard with it. He gasped loudly in shock. “Now, don’t be such a baby, that can’t possibly have hurt that bad. Not with your pants on.”, I hit him again, “Tell me: Did I hurt you?” - “No, Ma’am.”, I used the leather tip of the crop under his chin to make him look at me “Do you want me to?”. He looked in my eyes like he was seeing me for the first time, his cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink “I do. I wouldn’t want anyone else to.”, the way his eyes widened told me he wasn’t expecting this answer any more than I was.

I undid his pants and let them fall to his ankles “Step out of them and bend over the edge of the bed.”, I was sure the skin on the back of his thighs was stinging pretty bad, now, every blow of the crop was marking him in a vivid red. But Duncan took it like a soldier, barely whimpering at all. I was surprised to see that he was actually bucking his hips against the bed, trying to get whatever friction he could, between the hits. “Shepherd, are you really humping the bed? Like a dog?”, I did my best not to laugh at his embarrassed expression, “Maybe. Would that be... wrong?”, I had to actually bite on my own tongue to keep myself from laughing. “Kneel on the floor, Shepherd... Away from the bed!”

I kicked my stylettos off and went on my knees in front of him, running my fingernails over his inner thighs while kissing his neck. I deliberately avoided touching the hard bulge in his boxer briefs for now, and felt him softly nuzzling the curve of my neck, dragging his nose over my jawline, his lips desperately searching for mine, his chest heaving more with every breath. “Please”, he whimpered in my ear. “‘Please’, what?”, I pulled back to look at him. “Please... touch me. Ma’am.”, his voice was just a breathy whisper.

“Oh, I don’t think so.”, I got up from my knees and sat on the bed right in front of him slowly removing my stockings, my parted legs giving him the front row view as a touched myself, instead of him. He exhaled shakily, incapable of shutting his plump lips again, a feverish look in his eyes as he watched my fingers working. I took one finger from my core to his lips and he obediently sucked it clean. With one hand in his hair, I pulled his face towards one of my thighs. He left a trail of wet kisses as he went, the grazing of his stubble on my inner thighs almost enough to send me over the edge, before his lips connected to the wetness between my legs.

So Duncan Shepherd could eat pussy, after all. Who’d have thought? And he wasn’t bad at it, either! Lapping up my juices like a starved puppy, eagerly pushing his tongue between my folds... if he felt like hitting my cervix with his tongue, I wasn’t going to be the one to tell him he couldn’t. By all means, young man, try! But I had to use one of my feet against his chest to gently push him away, pulling on his hair to make him look at me “Will you stop dry-humping my leg like a mongrel, Shepherd?”, he just nodded his parted lips deliciously pink and wet, and I allowed him to go back to work.

With his soft lips closing around my clit, suckling hard, and his tongue giving hungry licks to the sensitive bundle, it wasn’t long before I was rocking my hips against his face, my entire body shaking in a toe-curling orgasm. I came back from my high to find a very satisfied-looking Duncan smirking at me from between my thighs “And you thought I couldn’t handle you”, he wiggled his eyebrows. I didn’t know if I wanted to slap his face or kiss him. So I did both.

Tasting myself on his lips and tongue, I helped him get rid of his boxer briefs, running my hands on his round butt-cheeks, letting my fingers slip between them and teasing his entrance. He jumped and broke the kiss, his eyes round “Whoa!! What the hell?!”, his voice an octave higher than usual “Are you serious?!”, he was staring at me in startled disbelief. “Duncan, I’m a Dom, not a rapist... I won’t force anything upon you.”

I made us both stand up and removed the belt from his wrists. I held him from behind, pressing my body on his back, running my hands over his chest and belly, feeling the muscles of his abdomen flex at my touch, while he ran his own hands over his bruised wrists. “I would never force you to do anything you don’t want to. But I am here to help you experiment things you would never allow yourself to try, otherwise... those who have experienced prostatic orgasm say it’s a most extremely intense sensation. It’s a powerful source of pleasure you know nothing about.”, I ran one hand over a soft butt-cheek again “Aren’t you... curious, Duncan?”, I asked in a whisper against his ear, letting my lips touch his earlobe, one finger brushing the crease on the curve where his butt met his thigh.

He turned around to face me very slowly. His eyes burning on mine. He simply let out a sigh and cupped my face in his hands, kissing me slow and deeply “Yes.”, he whispered against my lips. I could not believe this was actually happening. I was in a dazed dream-like state as I walked to my bag and picked up the strap-on, feeling slightly light-headed as I adjusted the harness around my hips. Duncan poured more champagne in the flutes and we drained three of them without a word. I pointed towards the bed with a tilt of my head and he laid himself on his stomach, obediently.

I applied a generous amount of lube to my rubber appendix and joined him on the bed. I couldn’t help saying “Now... let’s pop that cherry, shall we?” and giving him a light slap to his ass, to try and ease the tension that was building up inside me as well. Unsuccessfully, it only made me more nervous and I’m pretty sure it didn’t have a calming effect on him, either. I lifted his hips slightly towards me, and pushed the piece of rubber into him, as slow and gently as I could. He moaned very softly, but the knuckles of the hands that grabbed the sheets were already white. I pulled out a little and pushed back in a few times, before I felt his hips trembling under my hands and heard a louder moan escaping his lips, and I knew I was finally hitting that sweet spot inside him. Duncan turned his head around a little to look at me, a fire I had never seen before - not even on election night 2016 - burning in his eyes. With that piercing blue gaze staring into my soul, I heard his voice in a raspy tone that was completely new to me “Harder.”

I turned Duncan around to make him lie on his back, and lifted his hips, so I could keep fucking into him from between his legs, facing him. I wanted to look at him. I wanted to see his pleasure building up. To see the surprise in his eyes at the new sensation, the way he was biting onto the back of his hand to muffle his moans. I thrust hard and steady, watching the mighty Duncan Shepherd coming undone beneath me. Writhing his entire body in ecstasy, his eyes shut tight, his full lips curling up when an animalistic groan escaped him during his climax.

I pulled out and threw the strap away, laying myself by his side and kissing his lips, one gentle hand caressing his face. He looked completely fucked out and that was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. His hair was sticking a little to his sweaty forehead, his cheeks were adorably flushed. His eyes were glowing on mine and an awed grin was dancing on his lips. “That was amazing!!”, his voice came out a little louder than usual between sharp gasps, and I kissed him again. “You know, it doesn’t have to be over, yet...”, I ran my fingertips over his cock, still impossibly hard after his dry orgasm.

The look of surprised wonder on his face when I straddled his hips was just priceless! I pulled the little black dress out above my head and eased myself on him, letting Duncan fill me up for the first time since that one night, all those years ago, and I wondered what had taken us so long to get there. He sat up, one hand firm on the small of my back, the other entangled in my hair and looked into my eyes, for what felt like a very long time, before whispering “Finally”, one corner of his mouth going up. I felt tears stinging my eyes at the intense feeling that was held in that single word, and I heard myself whispering “Welcome home, Duncan” back at him.

He thrust his hips up, eyes still on mine, and buried his face on my breasts while I bounced on his lap, and I cupped his face in my hands and kissed his lips while I rocked my own hips against his. I felt myself clenching around him at the same time his throbbing cock released his warm load inside me. I could have screamed from pleasure, and I’m pretty sure I did. And so did Duncan. We held each other in our arms for a long time after I felt him go soft inside me. We just wouldn’t dare to move, we were too comfortable like that: Finally where we belonged. Running our fingertips over each others backs, giving each other soft kisses on shoulders, necks and lips. Just listening to our own breathing growing steadier in unison, and the gentle crackle of the fire.

I fell asleep in Duncan Shepherd’s warm embrace, something I would have said was absolutely impossible, if someone had asked me twelve hours before. We’d have to go out to get coffee and danishes together the next morning. But if this was to become our new weekly ritual, I thought I could live with that.

Taglist: @1-800-bitchcraft @antichristinq @are-you-lilith-or-eve @babydollcake @bbyduncan @ccodyfern @cocosfern @hellxblade @langdonsdemon @langdonsinferno @langdonsoceaneyes @lathraios @mega-combusken @michael-langdon-appreciation @sojournmichael @queencocoakimmie

[ofharrie]

last summer

“I’ll fly you out, love,” Harry responded, proceeding to lie down next to her. “Or just defer uni for a semester. Come on tour with me.”

“Don’t be silly!” She laughed, shaking her head at him. “I love you and all. But I don’t love you enough to put my education on hold for you.”

“Good,” He replied. “You shouldn’t ever change your plans just for some boy. Not even me.”

“But you’re not just some boy, Harry,” She argued, her voice almost inaudible. But again, Harry heard her. “You and I both know that.”

Y/N’s in love with Harry, but he doesn’t feel the same way.

Word Count: 4.8k Tags: fluff, angst, smut, friends to lovers

(A/N: feedback would be much appreciated <3) masterlist

The thousand-dollar ottoman that was covered in Italian leather where Y/N had propped her feet on and the sea of expensive Gucci pillows that swallowed her torso did nothing to make her feel comfortable. Her feet were aching even after having taken off her heels that she begrudgingly agreed to wear upon Harry’s request.

“You’ve gotta look nice, love,” Harry had told her earlier that night as he handed her the pair of Louboutin heels that he bought for her after his trip to Paris. He had seen her opting for a pair of worn out flats that Y/N wore to every single event they went to that required more than a casual attire. “Stop wearing those flats when I’ve bought you a pair of expensive shoes.”

“What’s wrong with my flats?” She asked, giving Harry a pout as he stood before her. “They’re cute and comfortable.”

Yet she put on the heels anyway. It was always like that with Harry; Y/N could never say no to her best friend and would do things for the sole purpose of making Harry happy. Like a month ago when she didn’t want to go ice skating because she’d rolled her ankle doing so back when she was eight. Or the other week when she wanted to sleep in but Harry woke her up so they can go to some fancy brunch place he made a reservation at on a whim. And more recently, he’s invited Y/N to a party with all his sophisticated friends and important music people, all of which she was introduced to but she had forgotten their name as soon as they shook hands.

Y/N hated the parties that Harry made her accompany him to. The music was always a tad too loud, the food was always too tiny (which would often lead to them stopping by at a fast food place to grab some proper feeds), the people were always too fake and Harry always took too long to finish flirting with everyone.

Which is why Y/N was stuck sitting on the couch, scrolling through her phone and waiting for Harry to tell her it was time to go.

“Sometimes I wish you wouldn’t drag me to your lame parties, H,” She said on the drive home, followed by a loud yawn and a soft chuckle from Harry.

“What do you mean ‘lame’?” Harry asked, feigning offence to what his best friend had just confessed. “Grimmy was there! James Corden was there briefly. And don’t you say you didn’t have fun when I saw you and Niall laughing together in the kitchen!”

“Niall and I only spoke for a bit!” She argued. “He was too caught up with this new girl he’s tuning. He’s proper smitten by her and everything. Had to sit by myself on the couch whilst I waited for you to work your way through everyone. Never had a more boring night than this one.”

“What can I do to make it up to you, then?” Harry laughed, momentarily taking his eyes off the empty road and glancing towards Y/N who had a small frown on her face.

“Take me to the beach,” She responded immediately.

“Alright. We’ll head there first thing tomorrow.”

“No,” She began to speak. “I meant now! Take me to the beach now!”

Without hesitation, Harry rerouted their trip and off to the nearest beach they went. The place was fairly dark considering it was a couple minutes past midnight, the sand and the water illuminated by a few nearby street lights and the full moon beaming down upon them. Y/N had lied down on the sand with Harry sat next to her, leaning back on his hands and admiring the calming sound of the crashing waves before them.

“I’m gonna miss you so much when you’re gone, H,” Y/N confessed shyly, her voice barely above a whisper but definitely reached Harry’s ears.

Y/N knew she was going to lose her best mate again for a good few months. He’s going back on tour and her life’s returning to its usual mundane state. No more parties, no more late night trips to get food, no more lying in Harry’s backyard and star gazing and pretending to know constellations. She would never say it to him out loud, but life without Harry was incredibly boring.

“I’ll fly you out, love,” Harry responded, proceeding to lie down next to her. “Or just defer uni for a semester. Come on tour with me.”

“Don’t be silly!” She laughed, shaking her head at him. “I love you and all. But I don’t love you enough to put my education on hold for you.”

“Good,” He replied. “You shouldn’t ever change your plans just for some boy. Not even me.”

“But you’re not just some boy, Harry,” She argued, her voice almost inaudible. But again, Harry heard her. “You and I both know that.”

And he did know that. Y/N made it very clear one night last summer. She and Harry were snuggled up on a bean bag, outside in his patio overlooking the twinkling stars and the tiny squares of light coming from other people’s windows. Her back was pressed against Harry’s chest, his arms wrapped around her middle and his chin sat atop her bare shoulder. It was a cool summer night, much cooler than the ones they’ve been having the past few weeks.

“Harry,” Y/N whispered. She didn’t want to start a conversation with him. Not because she didn’t want to talk to Harry, but because she was afraid of what might come out of her mouth if he inches his face any closer towards hers.

“Yeah?” He replied, his voice a bit muffled as he pressed a kiss on Y/N’s shoulder. It was a harmless, innocent gesture, just a thing he does out of habit. Just like kissing Y/N on the forehead before saying goodnight to her, or kissing her on the cheek after giving her a lift somewhere, or the accidental kisses placed on the corner of her mouth after she’s made Harry pancakes for breakfast.

But it wasn’t harmless nor innocent for Y/N. She loves Harry. It was the dizzying, nauseating, almost vomit-inducing kind of love. The type of love that’s difficult to fabricate or manufacture. Love that makes you want to scream into the abyss and lie in a field of daisies at the same time. The kind where it doesn’t matter if he snores too loud that it wakes you up, if he cries when watching rom-coms, if he groans a hundred times whilst writing a song and derails your train of thought, if he’s a tad late to your brunch date because he spent too long picking an outfit, or if he drags you to a party you didn’t want go to but you go with him anyway. Love that’s unconditional. I like you because, I love you despite.

“You…do you...” She stammers, trying to think of what to say and how to say it. She paused briefly. “Have you ever been in love?”

“’M not sure,” He answered. “Why’d you ask?”

“Because I think I have,” Y/N replied, quicker than she intended to. She shifted her body so that she was now facing Harry and his rosy pink lips could no longer distract her. “I am, mean. I think I might be in love now. I think. I don’t know. I’ve never been in love before so…”

“And who’s the lucky person?” He asked, cocking up an eyebrow. She thought of having Harry’s lips on her shoulder before was distracting. But now that she’s facing him, his floral print shirt unbuttoned and exposing the light patch of hair on his chest, his week-old scruff and his piercing green eyes all illuminated by the moonlight, she was even more distracted.

“C’mon,” Harry playfully nudged her after a moment of silence from her. “Tell me, Y/N. Do I know them?”

She was completely dumbfounded by the beautiful boy before her, asking who it was that held her heart. She didn’t know what to say. Do I tell him it’s him? Do I make up a name? Should I be cheeky and say it’s a secret? She ransacked her brain for what words to string together in order to form a reply. It proved to be a more difficult task with Harry smiling at her, waiting for her to answer.

“You know what? Nevermind,” Y/N dismissed, laughing it off and quickly getting up from her spot. “I think the heat’s made me go mad. I’m saying silly stuff, aren’t I? Yeah. Yeah, no. I am. I should go to bed, I reckon. G’night, Harry!”

But before she could open the glass sliding door that leads to the kitchen, Harry had stood up and grabbed her hand. He felt her stiffen. He dared to inch closer despite her back still facing towards him.

“Is it,” He began to speak, looking at her with desperate eyes. “Is it me, Y/N?”

“What?” She let out a shaky laugh, finally looking back at him. “N-no, I…you’re my best mate, H. I…”

“I’m always away, y’know?” He interrupted, watching Y/N slowly close her mouth. “A-and I just don’t have time for…I’m just so busy all the time. I barely even see my own mum and I’m always on the road and the time zones are confusing and…”

“Yeah, no,” Y/N dismissed, pursing her lips together and giving Harry a small nod. “It’s uh…it’s okay. I get it. Forget I said anything.” She slept that night in the guest room with a damp pillow and a heavy heart.

They began walking back to Harry’s car in complete silence, not wanting to further discuss the rehashing of the events that transpired during their last summer together. It was too painful, more so for Y/N who had embarrassed herself despite not directly telling her best friend that she was head over heels for him.

/

It’s been a week since Harry dropped Y/N home after their talk at the beach and he’s not heard one word from her. He’s tried messaging her, calling her, even emailed her at one point out of desperation despite knowing that she never checks her e-mails (“12,482 e-mails, Y/N? Seriously? Can you please open at least some of them? Your notifications are giving me a headache”). She didn’t respond to any of his attempts at contacting her. Y/N knew there was only a short amount of time left, thirty days to be exact until Harry leaves for another world tour and after that, she won’t be seeing him again for a long time. It didn’t sit right with her, just letting Harry leave without mending things between them because she knew she’d end up regretting it once he’s truly left the country.

But before she could make her way out of her house and to Harry’s apartment, she heard a knock on her front door. She hesitated, knowing exactly who it was on the other side of the door but at the same time, Y/N knew she should stop ignoring the poor boy.

“Hi,” Harry greeted when she opened the door. “Did you want to go out for dinner? Or get take-away and have dinner at my place? Or here? Just have dinner with me, please?”

The two of them found themselves at a fish and chip shop, sat in the corner booth next to the windows. It was back to normal for the both of them; they were laughing and joking around as per usual and there were no more echoes of what happened at the beach a few weeks back. Harry spoke about how excited he was to go back on tour and showed Y/N a few of the outfits he’s thinking of wearing, some of which received a laugh from her because of how over the top they were (“Really, Harry? Zebra print?” “Hey! It looks cool, alright!”).

After dinner, they decided to get ice cream and walk around town for a bit. Barely anyone was out seeing as it was a Tuesday night, but to Y/N it felt like it was only the two of them.

That was the thing with Harry. It was hard not to feel like you’re the only one in the world who matters whenever he’s talking to you. Whether it was from him always maintaining eye contact, his laughter at her lame jokes, the gentle and slow voice he talks in. Anyone who’s ever spoken to Harry, even if it was a brief encounter, can vouch for Harry Styles being a charming man.

What’s worse is he’s so smooth with his words. It’s like he always knows what to say to people no matter the situation. They’ve been friends for so long but there are still times where she feels like a fan swooning over Harry, hanging on to every syllable that comes out of his mouth and getting woozy from the entrancing accent he spoke with.

But what really gets her weak in the knees is Harry’s lips. Admittedly, she would sometimes ask him about topics he’s really passionate about and just subtly watch his lips move as he produces words out of his mouth. The way his lips part when he says the letter P, the way his lips move when he says her name or the way he pauses to lick his lips before speaking again. Any movement that Harry does with his lips captivates Y/N in a way that makes her heart beat a little faster.

“Are you even listening to me?” Harry laughed, waving his hand in front of Y/N to pull her out of her trance. She didn’t realise that she’d been staring at his lips again as he blabbed on about whatever it was he was talking about.

“Sorry,” She apologised sheepishly, quickly directing her gaze somewhere else.

“You do that a lot, you know?” Harry said, giving her a smirk.

“Do what?”

“That,” He replied vaguely. “I sometimes catch you spacing out and staring at my lips.”

She felt her cheeks heat up. “I-I don’t do that!” She said quickly in defence. “Not on purpose, anyway.”

Y/N didn’t notice how close they were until she gazed up at Harry, looking directly at his bright green eyes illuminated by the warm hue of the lamp post above them. She was finding it rather difficult to turn away, captivated yet again by the boy standing in front of her. And before she could say anything, Harry had gently placed his warm hand on her cheek. The second before he leaned in felt like an eternity; Y/N’s heart was racing and her hands had gone ice cold. She knew what Harry’s lips felt like. She’s felt them on her forehead, on her cheeks, on her nose, on her shoulders, on her hands and fingers. But never on her own lips.

His lips were cold from the ice cream and a tad chapped against hers, but Y/N did not mind one bit. She felt his other hand make its way on her lower back and pulled her closer towards him. Their lips moved together like they’ve already kissed a billion times. It felt so familiar yet so new and Y/N never wanted for the moment to end.

“Am I allowed to kiss you?” Harry breathed out before giving her another peck on the lips.

“You already did,” She laughed quietly, staring back at him.

“Can I continue kissing you?” He corrected himself with a big smile on his face and before Y/N could even reply, he couldn’t help himself and gave her another lingering kiss that made Y/N all sorts of dizzy.

“You don’t even have to ask.”

/

They didn’t talk about what happened. Y/N, especially, didn’t want to talk about it in fear of complicating things between them. She didn’t want to lose what they have, whatever it may be. But the kisses didn’t stop. It went from small pecks on the lips whenever Harry picks her up, to intense kisses in his living room with Y/N sat on his lap and his tongue exploring her mouth. Still, they had no discussion as to what these actions meant for their friendship.

They found themselves again in the same situation, only this time it was in Harry’s bedroom with Y/N on top of Harry, one of his hands behind her head and the other grabbing her panty-clad bum. It was a feverish kind of kiss, verging on the edge of needy as Harry gave her peachy bum a squeeze which earned him a moan that sent shivers down his spine and caused for him to buck his hips up to her. Another moan came out of Y/N. He proceeded to flip them over, hiking Y/N’s legs further up and rubbing his boxer-covered cock against her heat.

This was another dizzying thing that Harry did, Y/N decided. The way he moves his body in just the right way that sends shivers down her spine despite him not truly doing anything. It drove her crazy knowing the only thing separating them from each other were two thin pieces of fabric. She involuntarily tugged at Harry’s curls as he grinded his cock against her, making her even wetter than she was before.

“Wanna taste you,” He moaned followed by a trail of kisses on Y/N’s neck. “Wanna put my mouth on you.”

And if Y/N wasn’t already dripping, this really did it for her. All she could do was nod in response, not trusting herself to reply with anything else but a desperate and needy whimper.

“I want to hear you say it,” Harry demanded looking down at her. He was toying with the band of her panties, slipping his finger between the fabric and the skin of her hipbone, driving her even more insane. “Can I eat you out, pet?”

“Y-yes,” Y/N replied shakily, taking a deep breath afterward. “Please.”

Harry started to place kisses from her jawline, down to her neck, then the bit of skin exposed between her shirt and her undies. He continued teasing her, leaving sloppy kisses all over her inner thighs and Y/N was certain he could see a damp spot on her dusty pink panties.

“H-Harry, do something,” She begged, whining at how slow he was going. This earned a smug laugh from Harry.

“So impatient,” He replied as he pulled her panties down and tossed them somewhere on his timber floors.

Before she could let out another embarrassing whimper, Harry had his mouth on her. She thought he was going to keep teasing her but Harry began ravishing her like it was the last time he’ll ever eat her out. His tongue was pressed flat against her pussy, lapping up her wetness that Harry ultimately caused. He then proceeded to suck on her throbbing clit that made Y/N squeak and buck up against his mouth. She couldn’t help but grab at his curls as he practically fucked her with his tongue, exploring every crevice of her pussy until Y/N was moaning uncontrollably and her thighs shaking.

“Taste so fucking good,” Harry commented, looking up at the girl writhing underneath him. This earned him another loud moan. “Can do this for hours.”

Y/N was in total euphoria, she couldn’t think of anything that Harry can do to make the moment better. That was until he pressed a few sloppy kisses on her pussy before spitting on it.

“Fuck,” She moaned out, feeling his spit drip down her core. “Harry, please.” Harry went back to eating her out, alternating between sucking on her throbbing clit and lapping her up. She could feel her stomach tighten as Harry’s moans vibrated against her.

“’M gonna cum,” Y/N whined breathlessly, tugging on Harry’s hair as he continued to suckle on her clit that was slick with a mix of her arousal and Harry’s spit. She felt Harry inserting his fingers inside her warm cunt, sliding in and out easily because of how wet she was. “H-Harry! Gonna cum!” It was all too much, from the feeling of Harry sucking on her clit to his long fingers pressing against her spot, it was enough to make her cum accompanied by an embarrassingly loud moan.

“Such a sweet cunt,” Harry spoke hoarsely before giving Y/N’s clit a quick peck. “Want it on my mouth all the time.”

/

Again, they didn’t talk about what happened. Y/N would be lying if she said it didn’t bother her that neither Harry nor her have said a word about what’s going on or even hinted at wanting to discuss it. Especially now that Harry’s eaten her out a few more times since that day. But she chose to brush it all off just for the sake of keeping whatever it was the two of them had.

Then came the night before Harry was due to leave. Niall had thrown Harry a Going Away party despite his wishes to not have one. “Just wanna spend time with my family, Ni” was his reasoning. But Niall insisted and of course, Harry couldn’t say no when his mate’s already gone and planned the whole thing before consulting him.

“Now you know how I feel,” Y/N laughed as she blow dried Harry’s hair. “You’re always dragging me to parties I have no interest in attending so you’re gonna havta suck it up.”

So they did end up going, dressed in matching outfits and everything. Harry eventually stopped being a sook and socialised with everyone. He was being pulled left, right and centre by everyone trying to wish him good luck on his world tour and congratulating him on selling out a few dozen arenas. Y/N didn’t mind as much that her Harry was being kept occupied by other people because for once she had someone to talk to, albeit was Niall who was stuffing his face with tortilla chips and sour cream dip.

The party ended just before midnight with Harry apologising profusely to everyone but explaining that he’s got a flight to catch the next day (although he didn’t tell them it wasn’t until 7PM, he just really needed an excuse to get out of there). The drive home was fairly quiet apart from the music playing quietly from Harry’s car radio, the songs being interrupted half-way through as Y/N flicked through her playlists.

She could see that Harry was tense. He had a vice grip on the steering wheel and his jaw was clenched. He kept his gaze fixed on the road in front of him, not even bothering to glance towards Y/N who visibly kept looking at him, waiting for him to say something. She figured that maybe he was just annoyed at Niall for throwing him a party. Or Harry was just tired. But when she saw his chest rise and fall and his Adam’s apple bob, she knew there was something else going on.

“Harry,” She said quietly yet sternly. “What’s going on?”

He didn’t answer. Y/N felt the car come to a halt and she realised they were in front of her house.

“I thought I was sleeping over?”

“We have to end this,” Harry said all too quickly, still not meeting Y/N’s eyes.

“What?” She asked, confused as to what Harry meant.

“We have to end this,” He repeated himself. “Whatever it is that we have, it can’t go on any more. Especially now that I’m leaving for tour.”

“So I’m just some fling, then?” Y/N questioned, feeling tears well up in her eyes. “Just some girl you wanted to mess around with before you leave?”

He didn’t reply. Y/N’s breathing was staggered and her lips were pursed tightly. She couldn’t look at Harry. She knew that if she looked him in the eyes, she would start sobbing and that was something she didn’t want to do in front of the guy who’s now breaking her heart.

“You’re not gonna answer me, Harry?” She asked, crossing her arms in front of her. A few more moments passed and she couldn’t handle it any more. “Shouldn’t have let you kiss me.” She whispered, half hoping Harry would hear her. Y/N got out of the car, slamming the door behind her as she quickly walked up to her front door. She was struggling to put the key in her door from the tears cascading out of her eyes.

She heard the car door open and close followed by Harry’s footsteps that made the floorboards of her front porch creak.

“You’re not just some girl, Y/N,” Harry said, returning the words Y/N spoke to him that night at the beach. “Fuck. Of course, you’re not just some girl to me. I love you.”

Those three little words made Y/N freeze and stop fidgeting with her keys. She felt Harry’s hands wrapped around her torso, his forehead pressed against the crown of her head.

“Doesn’t seem like it,” She said dismissively, turning around to face Harry and push him away from her. “I told you I’m in love with you all those months ago and you made it very clear that you don’t feel the same way. You’re clearly just saying that to soften the blow.”

“But, I do love you,” Harry argued, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked down at Y/N. “I’m in love with you. Possibly more than you are with me.”

“Then why can’t we be together, Harry?” She questioned, raising her voice at him out of frustration of not getting any straight answers from the boy who’s breaking her heart. “Why don’t you wanna be with me-“

“Because I can’t do that to you!” Harry interrupted. He paused briefly before taking a deep breath and continuing. “I know I’m selfish when it comes to a lot of things. I drag you to parties you don’t want to go to. I always steal you away from your other friends. I don’t ever let you go places without me. But, I can’t be selfish with you, Y/N.”

“What the hell does that even mean?” Y/N asked. “What do you mean you can’t be selfish with me?”

“It means,” Harry said before letting out a sigh. “It means that I can’t let you date some boy who’s never around, okay? I’m not going to let you date a boy who can’t be there with you in a heartbeat. ‘M not always gonna be a phone call away, most of the time we’re going to be oceans apart and ‘m not going to be there for you to cry on when you’re upset, or take you out on dates, kiss you when you’re frustrated.”

Tears were starting to fall from his eyes, causing for Harry to pause and wipe them away.

“You deserve someone who’ll be there with you all the time,” He continued, averting his gaze towards the wooden floor. “Not some boy who’s always away and can’t be there for you when you need him.”

She didn’t respond. Instead, Y/N pulled Harry towards her, wrapping him in a tight hug as Harry did the same. She could feel his hot tears dampening her shoulder and Harry’s shaky hands against the small of her back.

“Who are you to tell me what kind of man I deserve?” Y/N fumed, shaking her head at Harry. “You don’t get to decide for me on who I should and shouldn’t date. You’re all I’ve ever wanted, Harry. And I’m not going to let you dictate my decisions any more.”

“I’m going to be such a bad boyfriend, though,” Harry rebutted, his face still pressed against her shoulder. “I’m always jumping from time zone to time zone, I won’t always have the time to call you and I’m gonna be away for months.”

“Don’t care,” She said as she pulled back and gave him a kiss on his tear-stained cheek. “As long as I’m the one you’re coming home to, I don’t care. We’ll make it work.”

“I don’t deserve you,” Harry said, shaking his head and giving her a smile. He cupped her cheek with his hand and pressed a lingering kiss on her lips, followed by a few pecks on her cheeks and one final kiss on her forehead.

“You really don’t,” She teased, emitting a small chuckle. “Better bring me back some great gifts if you want to keep me around.”

“Oh, I’ll shower you with gifts, alright,” Harry laughed. “The kind of gifts that’ll have you screaming my name.”

“Stop,” She giggled, lightly pushing him off her. “You’re making me regret convincing you.”

“’M just teasing, love,” Harry said before giving her another kiss.

It was a bittersweet fair well at the airport. Harry didn’t usually cry when saying goodbye, not even when he hugs his mum and sister before walking off to check in. But he was in tears again when his girlfriend walked over and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. She didn’t want to cause a scene, knowing that there might be paparazzi around taking pictures of her boyfriend.

“I’ll fly you out at some point, okay?” Harry said, to which his girlfriend nodded at. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, so much,” She returned, giving him a sweet smile. “We’re going to make it work.”