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la-fille-en-aiguilles · 4 years

Text

Señorita

Billy Russo x Female Reader

Warnings: S.M.U.T., language.

Synopsis: You finally get out of the city to spend a week in a beachside paradise - you’re entitled to a little getaway, you think, with your birthday coming up. When a handsome stranger hits on you at the bar, along with your birthday, some other things might come as well. A/N: This was random? Came out of nowhere. Enjoy & let me know what you think x

Gif not mine

Timid waves crushed softly against the shoreline, white sand turning concrete gray at their touch. The warm breeze carried around a song you thought you recognised, but couldn’t remember from where. The beach-side bar basked in a gentle blush glow, so typical for the evenings here at Mallorca… You’d only arrived a couple of days ago, but already you couldn’t picture yourself anywhere else - just sitting here, at the bar by the turquoise sea, sipping on your Pina Colada in the shadow of the palm-branched roof. The wind brushed through your salt-stained hair from the entire day spent rolling around on the beach; mindful sun caressing your thighs, peaking from behind the slit in your deep emerald dress.

Tonight was relatively calm, you thought, twirling the straw in your cocktail absentmindedly. Ever since the English rugby team packed up their balls and other attributes and set out to sea, the place became peaceful.

You were glad. The entire point of this trip was to get out of the busy city for a while, enjoy the calm. If you wanted a testosterone-filled party for your birthday, you would have stayed in New York - Karen would throw a rave that would make Coachella look like a kindergarten gathering.

But that is exactly what drove you out of America and into this seaside paradise. If there was one thing you had trouble doing, it was working a crowd of people you barely saw in your everyday life, who only came for booze and dancing. Karen said she understood, and that the party would have been a small yet tasteful affair… you still fled.

Here’s to hoping that Karen wasn’t pissed at you for bailing, you silently prayed, throwing the straw on the bar and taking a gulp directly from the glass. Judging from the text Karen sent you earlier today, saying something about getting together for a celebratory meal when you got back to the city, you figured she wasn’t mad. She did say something about introducing her to a friend of Frank’s again, and having thrown the Karen plan for the party out of the window, you had to budge.

It’d been so long it had become a running joke between you two - Karen wanting to introduce you to that “handsome hunk”, with whom Frank had served. She was especially lyrical about his manners, his big heart and his beautiful smile.

If you didn’t know better, you’d think Karen was head over heels for the guy.

Every time Karen made plans for a Sunday brunch or Saturday night drinks at Castle’s place with the sole purpose of introducing you to the Hunk, you always found an excuse to ditch. Sometimes it was an urgency at work, sometimes it was about something funny you ate the night before… You must have been dodging these “introductory date” attempts for at least five months now - and it all looked like after this get-away vacation, you’d have to face the music.

Well, it was worth it. A week of doing nothing, reading sappy novels and drinking high-end cocktails, that was what you craved for, and if you had to pretend to be interested in some nonsense a guy was trying to charm you with for a couple of hours, it was a small price to pay. With that thought, you finished off your Pina Colada and motioned for the sunburnt brown bartender to get you another one.

“Hola señorita.”

The voice was unexpected. Low, with an agreeable trace of huskiness and with a hint of power.

“Disculpe, ¿este asiento está ocupado?”

Slightly frowning, you turned your head to the right.

Ever since the English rugby team settled in one of the villas, the women in the hotel found themselves outnumbered. It just so happened - what a coincidence - that you turned out to be their neighbour, your villa closest to theirs. Everytime you’d walk out of your temporary home to hit the bar or the beach, you’d spot at least three young men hanging outside of their quarters, their faces illuminating the minute they saw you. You’d give them a cursory smile back - you weren’t that cruel - but everytime one of them tried to approach you, you shot him down - often with a look, rarely with a verbal warning. Ever since they left, you was relishing the feeling of tranquillity - until he decided to burst your happy little bubble.

The first thing you noticed about him is that he wasn’t Spanish, despite the lack of accent. He had beautiful dark, almost black eyes, the colour of a freshly brewed espresso, that myriad of black and chocolate tones swirling in a whirlpool of tender curiosity. They held your depreciating stare well. The sun obviously loved him - those razor-sharp cheekbones glowed bronze as he tilted his head to the side a little bit. The wind caressed his dark hair, playing with the longer strands at the top.

Something about him was so familiar. Maybe you’d seen him on the beach before? You did stay at the same hotel after all…

Not in a slightest bit confused at your lack of answer, the man smiled.

His smile held a sort of a gentle surprise in it, like a summer day in a middle of October.

It was absolutely breathtaking.

“Je suis désolée,” you finally uttered, forcing your eyes to focus on his eyes again instead of his lips. “Je ne parle pas espagnol”.

His smile grew wider, much to your surprise. Instead of getting red in the face, stammering out some random apology as you expected him to, he nodded and motioned to the chair next to you with one hand, sliding the other one across the surface of the bar.

Despite your better judgement and against your utter dislike of aimless flirting, you found herself shrugging as you accepted her second drink from the bartender.

“A whiskey on the rocks, please.”

Ah-ha. He’s from New York.

You sipped on your cocktail directly from the glass, ignoring the brand-new straw the bartender supplied you with in order to hide your smirk. As the man held two aristocratic, impossibly long fingers in the air, making his order, you took the time to study him.

He was tall, much taller than you. The plain white t-shirt that he wore betrayed the solid stomach muscles hidden under the cotton - the short sleeves strained as he gripped the back of the chair and slowly lowered himself onto it.

“Thank you,” he finally said to the bartender with a nod, gripping his glass with those downright pornographic fingers. Slightly pursuing his lips, the man turned his full attention back to you. When you arched an eyebrow at his antics, he flashed you a mischievous yet understanding look. “Ça tombe bien. Je me sens plus à l’aise en parlant français”.

That cheeky bastard.

Your first reaction was that of a sincere surprise. You were pretty sure that for a second there, your eyebrows almost reached your hairline. Upon catching the satisfied glint in these already all too familiar eyes, you wanted to feel irritated at the nerve of him, at the fact that he just happened to beat you at your own game. But you didn’t.

Biting hard on your bottom lip in order not to laugh, you took your glass and sipped, hard.

“While I’d love to know how many more languages the lady speaks, I would much rather learn her name”, he dropped nonchalantly, whirling his whiskey gently, the ice cubes cluttering against the glass.

The first comeback that crossed your mind was so filthy you couldn’t possibly go with it. The second one, however, was efficient and succinct.

“Diana, here’s a lady’s name.”

With a low chuckle, he let his head drop down for a moment. When he raised his eyes to face you again, your chest felt a little too tight and a little too fragile under his poignant stare - that of amusement, want and a clean cut awe.

His eyes had told you that this was more than a drifting attraction, that he was interested in so much more than your name…

You saw it, and for some nonsensical reason, chose to believe it.

“I don’t care about names,” there was such a determination to your voice that it surprised you. It didn’t startle him, though - he caught your every word as his eyes travelled from your fluttering eyelashes to the soft curve of your lips. “When there are so many more interesting things to talk about. Don’t you agree?”

As you turned away from him and took another sip of your drink, you heard him chuckle yet again, and saw him press a hesitant finger against his lips.

This was obviously new to him. This small treacherous gesture led you to believe that maybe he wasn’t one to pick women at bars, that, just like you, he felt that thrill of surrendering to the strange sort of attraction encircling you both.

“In fact, enough talking. Let’s focus on doing.”

What was it so special about him that made you decide? It’s not like there’s been no men before him, very much willing to break through your iron-clad facade, wanting you to take a leap of faith. Some of them had the potential to make you feel good, you were aware of that. Still, you didn’t want them.

What made him so different? A certain familiarity of his voice, his features, maybe? Or maybe you should just slow down, cut down on the alcohol, drink a glass of water and go back to your villa, alone.

The way his eyes skimmed your naked shoulders, a barely there sigh leaving his half-open lips sealed the deal.

You didn’t want to slow down.

Not with him.

“Here’s to doing then”, his Adam apple bobbed as he gulped down, his eyes darkening. He raised his glass towards you - a figurative shake of hands on the deal they just made.

“Here’s to doing”, you agreed, clinking your glass to his.

His villa was located at the outskirts of the hotel beach, backed by the rocks. It was a ten-minute walk from the bar, feet in the warm sand, the star-sprangled night sky over your heads.

Despite the silence surrounding you, save for the occasional gust of breeze carrying on the sound of music from the bar you just left, you didn’t feel awkward. A soft smile ghosted over your lips as you felt his careful touch at the small of your back - those fingers sliding down to the base of your spine, feather-like. He strode forward, adapting his pace so you could keep up - you weren’t even sure he was aware of that, the change in him so spontaneous, as if it were a force of habit. Like this wasn’t the first time you walked side by side.

You would blame it on the booze, but you drank a total of two cocktails.

He only had one whiskey before they took off.

The villa he chose to stay in was slightly more spacious than yours, and provided a lot more privacy - this told you a lot about the man you were about to sleep with. He was most certainly well off, for starters. He also came here to get his share of peace and quiet, much like yourself.

Guiding you through the doors, he turned the lights on behind you, his other hand never leaving your back.

The best way to describe the interior would be neat or crisp, with a large, perfectly made bed in the center of the space, surrounded by a bar, a hanging chair, a shuttered armoire, and a desk, that could be used both as a kitchen table and a bureau. It smelled faintly of vanilla and musk, with a sea-salt aftertaste.

“Make yourself at home”, he murmured into your ear, still standing behind you, his hand gripping your hip hard for a fleeting second. When the realization of his touch had settled in, and you were finally able to react, he was already at the bar, serving himself a whiskey.

“Would you like something to drink?”

He busied himself with the bottle for a moment; then he produced another glass from behind the bar, waiting on your answer. When you didn’t speak, he turned to face you again.

You did as you were told - kicking off your shoes, you stepped onto the soft wool rug. With your back to him, you slowly made your way to his bed. One you reached it, you couldn’t resist trailing your fingertips along its surface - the sheets were creamy and silk, smooth to the touch.

You stopped short of the head of the bed, throwing a look over your shoulder. He caught your gaze, frozen in place, wetting his bottom lip with the tip of his tongue.

“Why don’t you choose for me?” you offered, slowly lowering yourself on the bed, crossing your legs. “What do you usually serve them?”

The way his eyes narrowed at you ever so slightly almost made you smile. It looked like you’d struck a nerve.

Good.

“I wouldn’t know how to answer that question”, he said, his voice levelled, his stare unblinking. “I’ve never had an urge like that before”.

Well, fuck.

How many more times this man was going to run counter to your expectations?

And on top of everything, damn, he was good. A quick-thinker or a natural good-talker? Would you remain clear-headed for long enough to find out?

“What else would you like to know?” his voice grew huskier as he pushed the glass away from himself. He left it at the bar as he started your way, his pupils blown to hell.

“That all I’ve been thinking about ever since I saw you at the bar is how soft your breasts would feel pressed against my chest? That I’ve been hard ever since you opened that sassy mouth of yours? Or that I would have jerked off to the memory of you for weeks if you hadn’t come here with me?”

God.

The tightness that had long since made home in your chest moved lower, lower, lower, until it sank into the pit of your stomach. At his words, involuntary, your thighs clenched together, restless energy buzzing in between your legs, your toes curling.

“Stand up”.

When your eyes focused back on your surroundings, you saw him standing a couple of steps away, his strong jaw clenching as he gazed at you, his arms folded on his chest. Breath catching in your throat, you pushed off the bed. Feeling dizzy all of the sudden, you squeezed your eyes shut.

“Don’t close your eyes. Look at me, beautiful.”

Again, you did as you were told - you met his gaze head-on, and almost instantly regretted it. He was staring down at you with those black bottomless eyes, raw emotion flowing through him, filling the air around them, charging it to the brim. His hands fell down his sides now - so tense, the veins budged on his forearms.

It’s like he was pacing himself, keeping himself from touching you.

“Take off your dress,” he requested after a moment, watching you like a hawk.

Slowly, squeezing your thighs harder, harder still, you brought your hands to the spaghetti straps on your shoulders, before pushing them off completely.

The dress landed in a heap on the floor, leaving you in nothing but lacy panties - almost utterly naked under his stare.

You heard the softest groan escape his mouth as his hand snaked across his thighs and up to that bulge in his pants. When he squeezed his hand around it, his abdominal muscles flexing as he exhaled, you felt the moisture spread down your inner thighs.

With your heart pounding in your throat, you made a step towards him with your hand stretched out. Almost immediately you heard a low strangled noise, and saw the nah shining bright in his dark eyes.

“Not yet, beautiful,” he growled, taking his t-shirt off in one elegant motion. He then undid the belt on his pants, his eyes savouring every inch of your naked skin. “Play with your tits for me. With both hands.”

Your own touch burned as you carefully squeezed your nipples with your fingers. Throwing your head back, you moaned loud, unwillingly pushing your hips forward.

“That’s it, beautiful, just like that.”

His words seemed to lift some sort of barrier, as you started to tug and pull harder at the nipples, alternating the movements with firm grasps around the swell of your breasts.

You were going to come.

You were going to come and he hadn’t even touched you yet.

“Now slide one of those hands down those panties. Rub that pretty pussy. Tell me how wet you are”.

You made peace with the fact that he was a talker - but now he had surely sat out to break her. His voice washed all over your body, sending goosebumps down your spine as you slid one of your hands under the underwear.

“I’m so fucking wet”, you gasped, staring at him. “Fucking dripping”.

His moan made your thighs tremble, your fingers slowly circling around your clit. Before you let your eyes roll to the back of your head, you saw him with one of his hands hidden in his pants, slowly jerking himself off, with slow, aborted motions.

“That’s it, caress that pussy for me. But go slow - tease it”.

You nearly growled at that. You knew you were close - there was a bundle of sensation, like a ball of electricity, building inside of you - two quick flicks of your index finger, and you’d be done for.

“Jesus, please”, you stuttered out before you could realize you were actually begging. “I’m so fucking close, please…”

You rubbed slowly over the nerves, your fingers wet and slippery. Panting, you realized his name would have come in handy just now - if he had some sort of a praise kink, you could maybe easily get the release you yearned for.

“You are so beautiful, fucking yourself like that. Wish those were my hands. Or my mouth”.

Something flared at the very end of your clit, softly spreading all over her pussy. You moaned loud and unapologetic, your fingers moving faster as you tried to chase that sensation. You needed to grasp it, to ride it out, you fucking needed it!…

“Put a finger inside, beautiful”.

You didn’t need to be told twice. Pumping fast and hard, you could feel your knees bending, your flesh begging for release.

“Come for me. Now.”

As if by command, the orgasm finally hit you - everywhere at once. It made your entire body shake as you screamed out, pussy clenching around your fingers. You barely registered you were falling down on your knees, when strong hands caught you at your hipbones, pushing you upright.

He was on you before you could come down from your high. His mouth hot and bruising against yours, you moaned, instinctively jumping onto him and wrapping your legs around his feverish body.

His scent assaulted you - a clean, musky scent made your inside muscles clench, so you wiggled against him, wanting more.

He was so painfully hard against your core, you whimpered, pushing your hips against his, needing more friction, like an addict craving for a dose.

Sensing your need, feeling you, he grabbed your ass with his large hands and stepped onto the bed, setting you down on that same wooden headboard of the bed you’d almost stroke with your fingers.

Pushing your legs apart, he settled in between them. Before you knew it, his tongue lapped at your wetness, sliding up the length of your slit. Whimpering and moaning, you arched your back, burying your fingers in his hair, tugging hard. That made him growl, adding a slight vibration as he sucked on the bundle of nerves. He slammed his fingers - those fucking fingers - into you, and it took exactly two pumps for your second orgasm to roll over you. With your eyes squeezed shut, you moaned into the ceiling with everything you had.

Helping you slide down onto the bed with his hands guiding your hips, he gave you a piercing stare. The one that made you whimper, even though your eye-side was still fuzzy at the edges.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, before he distanced himself from you - to take off his pants.

“I’m going to fuck you now - I’ll be gentle next time, right now… Right now I just need to bury myself in that pretty pussy of yours”.

“Fuck”, you moaned, propping yourself on the elbows, closing your eyes as you threw your head back. You didn’t know if you could handle more, but Jesus, did you want it. His cock stretching you wide.

You would not have been able to tell where he took a condom from - you didn’t even have time to contemplate on it. All you registered was a slight discomfort in between your legs before his huge cock pushed inside of you, inch by glorious inch. The stretch was almost too much, and you coughed out half a breath, half a moan as you tried to adjust to his size. Whatever sound you were about to let out next, as he slid out of you and pushed back in, to the hilt this time, it got lost in between your lips, as he captured your mouth in a bruising kiss.

Your nails scratched on his ripped back as he fucked into you shallowly, your teeth biting into the skin on his neck. As if not getting enough of you, he grabbed one of your thighs, flexing it, so he could thrust deeper.

The change of the angle had you swearing under your breath, and his mouth was there to silence you again, his teeth biting down on your bottom lip.

The third orgasm snuck up on you out of nowhere - there was no gradual built, no buzzing feeling in your lower stomach - it crashed on you like a bucket full of ice, having you arching your back, clenching around his cock so fiercely, it snatched an orgasm out of him, as well.

“Fuuuuuck”, he breathed out, his hips slamming sloppily into yours. “So fucking good, fucking…”

Before he could continue, you rolled forward and put your mouth on him, swallowing his words. With his palm cupping your cheek, he deepened the kiss as his cock drained itself into the latex.

The kiss grew soft, your noses touching ever so slightly as you both slowed down, a mess of tangled limbs. Smearing his wet mouth against your nipples, he pushed up from you, sliding his cock out.

“I’d take that drink now if you don’t mind”, you told him, a lazy smile illuminating your features.

A low chuckle he let out echoed in your lower stomach.

“Sure, beautiful. How does a whiskey sound?” he offered, standing up in all his naked glory.

You hummed in approval as you leaned higher against the headboard. Biting your lip, you checked out his ass unashamedly, as he made his way to the bar, throwing the used condom into the garbage bin.

“I know there are some things that we’ve agreed on, but I’d much appreciate calling you by your name instead of beautiful when going down on you next time. What do you say?”

You heard whiskey splash against the walls of your soon-to-be glass. Your inner muscles clenched at the sight of him, naked, serving you a drink.

“It’s Y/N”, you said with a small smile.

“Billy”, he responded, making his way to you. As you reached out to take your glass of whiskey from him, he pulled his hands backwards, using your position to land his lips on yours in a stinging kiss instead. You responded hungrily, grabbing his head with both of your hands.

The night was still young, after all.

“Okay, so would you rather spent your life partying with rich assholes you barely know, still seeing your family and friends, or get stuck on a desert island with no opportunity to see anyone at all?”

You turned your head ever so slightly, feeling his muscles clench as Billy huffed out a breath.

You both laid naked on his bed, him propped against the headboard, you - with your head settled comfortably on his stomach. A half empty bottle of whiskey was getting warm against your bare thigh, both of your glasses laying empty next to it.

You had lost count of the times you came with his name a word of ecstasy on your lips. You were surely going to sport some hickeys on your neck tomorrow, but you didn’t care.

You had never felt so at ease with a man before. Granted, no man had ever managed to make you come three times in a row, but that wasn’t the point. Billy made you question your “no dating” rule, and not just because he fucked like his life depended on it. He just got you - whether it was your discomfort in big crowds, fear of subway, weird addiction to macarons or love-hate relationship with Paris. You just clicked - it was hard to believe you met mere hours ago.

Or maybe the fact that you only just met was the reason why you clicked. It certainly wouldn’t be the same in the long run. The rose-goggles period only lasted so long. When routine kicked in, it tended to crash everything in its wake.

“That’s a tough one”, he said, biting on the inside of his cheeks. “If I could invite people on my desert island, I’d definitely go with the second option.”

“Well, you can’t”, you smirked at him, and then stared back into the ceiling. “It’s either being constantly surrounded, or seeing no one at all”.

He hummed, considering the options.

“I can’t imagine being alone 24/7, even though you might have guessed already, I love being alone sometimes”, his fingers slowly caressed the soft skin under your breasts, as he voiced his thoughts out loud. “It’s funny how your mind works though”, you could hear a smile in his tone now. “With you, it’s either all or nothing.”

You thought for a moment, interlacing your fingers with his. Then you shrugged:

“Sometimes, I just want to get away, you know? See no one, speak to no one… I sometimes push people away, thinking it would do me good. But it doesn’t always have that desirable effect.”

When you stole a glance at Billy again, you saw him nod.

“I know what you mean”, he spoke quietly. “And I’m glad you didn’t push me away tonight”.

“Oh, I tried,” you assured him with a smirk. “You’re hard to shake off”, you let go of his fingers and pushed yourself up on your hands, so that your eyes were on the same level.

Billy chuckled, his lips stretching in that warm and wonderful smile.

“Keep looking at me like that, and I’ll be hard. Again. Point blank.”

You laughed quietly, dropping your gaze, your eyes traveling down his stomach and to that massive cock between his legs.

He was getting hard again alright.

“What time is it?” you suddenly remembered, snapping your gaze around, searching for a clock.

“Quarter to four, why would you ask?” he told you, after checking his wristwatch.

You closed her eyes.

“It’s my birthday”, you said before you blinked at him in surprise.

In between all that dirty sex and orgasms, you lost track of time and completely forgot. Were you coming when the clock struck midnight? The thought made you giggle.

“Really?” Billy stared at you in disbelief before his dark cocoa eyes softened, and his voice dropped an octave. “Come here”.

Warmth spread all over your body at his words, your core the center of the growing tingling sensation. Billy used his hot hands to pull you closer, help you settle in his lap, your legs on each side of his hips. With his left hand he reached for the bedside table, pulling out yet another condom out.

“Would you like to put it on?” He whispered against the skin behind your ear, making your pussy tense. Not trusting your voice, you nodded, taking the foil packet from his hand. Tearing it up with your teeth, you slid the latex onto his throbbing cock, pumping him a couple of times for a good mesure. The noises Billy made were downright pornographic. You licked your lips.

With both of your hands on his naked shoulders, you slowly lowered yourself all the way down onto him, the sensation making you both moan this time.

“Just like that, beautiful”, he whispered softly in your ear, thrusting up into you.

You rode him slowly, arching your back, leveraging yourself on his shoulders. The position was so damn intense, and not only because that way Billy could thrust deeper, up to his balls. There was a strange sort of intimacy as he gripped your hips, helping you bounce slowly on his rock-hard cock - his cocoa eyes held a sort of intensity as he fucked into you. It made your heart ache.

“I fucking can’t get enough of you”, he confessed hoarsely. “Of that tight, wet, perfect pussy. Of your beautiful, smart mouth. All of you. Every fucking inch of you.”

His revelation combined with his soft, yet methodic thrusts was what toppled you over the edge. You came hard, your body protesting against all those orgasms Billy’s cock had already wrestled out of it. Speaking of him, he wasn’t too far behind either, gripping your hips and holding you down as he came.

His lips seemed to hold some kind of a promise as he kissed you gently.

“Happy Birthday, beautiful”, he whispered against your lips, his hot and ragged breath fanning over your skin.

You managed a tired smile, surging up to kiss him again, relishing the feeling of him inside of you still….

Surprisingly, New York welcomed you back with cloudless sky. It was still as busy as you remembered it, but something had changed. People seemed friendlier, streets - sunnier, summer - hotter. You caught yourself enjoying the city again now that you had come back well-rested from your week-long vacation.

Well-rested might have been a wrong word for it. More like satisfied. And taken care of.

After that night, you spent the two remaining days of her getaway at Billy’s villa - no strings attached. You two barely left the place. Never had you enjoyed a man’s company this much. You cooked together, swam together, made love together… Until it was over and done, and you had to go back to the real life again, tiptoeing on your way out so he wouldn’t wake up.

You stopped cold for a moment, a plat of appetisers freezing in your hands.

Did you just think made love? Well that was a slip of epic proportions…

“Daydreaming about your boy-toy again?” Karen teased her with a smirk, walking into the kitchen. “He must have been quite something”.

Oh that, he was. You couldn’t help but sigh as you put the plate on the table.

How many people Karen was expecting for the dinner exactly? It looked like Frank and her had cooked enough for the entire goddamn naval infantry.

“It’s been a week,” you said, shaking your head as if trying to make the thoughts about him fall out. “I guess I need some time to turn that page”.

“Who said that page needs turning?” Karen reasoned, putting two bottles of champagne on the table. “Didn’t you say he was from New York? You could keep on seeing each other?”

You didn’t even take a moment to think it over.

“Nah,” you shook your head, tugging at your silk top. “We didn’t talk much about our respective jobs, but he made it obvious he travels a lot, so…”

Catching Karen’s sceptic stare, you threw both of your hands into the air, waving them.

“I’ll see him when I’ll see him, and if I don’t…” you shrugged. “Guess it wasn’t meant to be then”.

You turned to face Karen again only to find out that her expression hadn’t changed.

“Uh huh,” the noise she made was her other way of saying bullshit. “Well, you do what you gotta do, but please play nice with Russo. I swear he is a perfect guy for you”.

You let out a chuckle.

“You know, I heard it so many times I’m actually starting to believe it”, you said.

As if on cue, you heard men’s voices in the corridor.

“So how was your getaway, then?” Frank asked casually, stepping first into the kitchen. “Wow, that looks amazing, ladies,” he commented on the table, winking at Karen.

Page blushed in response, making you roll your eyes.

You was about to make a side comment to your best friend, when your mind suddenly went blank upon hearing the stranger’s voice.

“It was great, perfect actually…”

A designer-shoes-clad foot appeared in the room.

“I just feel like I left a part of me there, I’m going to need some time to rea…”

…djust, your mind supplied as you stared at Billy, her Billy, standing across the room from you - fully dressed this time.

“Oh my God,” you barely whispered, your eyes big in your face, your chest feeling like it was going to collapse on itself.

Billy’s lips slowly parted in the widest smile you’d ever seen - he just stood there, like a man on whom the greatest happiness had been bestowed, and it rendered him speechless.

Karen looked at them both in confusion, until…

Until realisation dawned on her, and she chortled, squeezing her eyes shut and covering her mouth.

“What’s… What’s going on?” Frank frowned, looking back and forth between Billy and you. “You guys know each other?”

“Hell yeah,” Billy finally spoke, his eyes never quitting yours as he closed the distance between you in four decisive strides.

Before you could even speak, he gripped your cheeks and dropped his lips on yours, as hot and burning as the sun back in Mallorca.

You moaned like you didn’t have a care in the world, pushing onto your toes, throwing your arms around his shoulders.

“I missed you, beautiful”, Billy uttered between the kisses, his forehead pressed to yours. “You ain’t getting away so easily this time”.

You let out a soft laugh, inhaling his scent, and moved to kiss his lips again.

#billy russo #billy russo x you #billy russo x reader #billy russo imagine #billy russo smut #the punisher imagine #ben barnes #ben barnes oneshot #billy russo oneshot #ben barnes smut #the punisher story

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ererokii · 4 years

Text

Water Me || Denki Kaminari

Denki Kaminari x Fem! Reader

Warnings: none

Word Count: 2842

Synopsis: It’s a hot day during spring break and your friends know a good way to cool down.

Taglist (message to be added): @shoutodoki @shoutosteakettle @saltie @kingtamakimurder @fryingpanitachi @sugacookiies

➺ Note: This is for @bnhabookclub’s bingo event! The prompt is Water Balloon Fight.

Bingo Masterlist

“You idiot. If you fill-up the pieces of shit all the way, they’ll pop! Are you that fucking stupid?” Bakugou growled, snatching the colorful piece of rubber from Kaminari’s hands.

“Hey man, I forgot!” Kaminari whined, reaching for another water balloon from the bag. He immediately retracted his hand when Bakugou’s lifted in the air, threatening to hit him.

“Of course, you forgot, your brain is the size of a goddamn atom.”

“Uh speaking of popping...” Kirishima’s nervous laughter filled the ash blond’s ears as he stood next to his friend, who had an equally shy smile.

Bakugou and Kaminari both turned around, the latter’s eyes bulging out of his sockets when he noticed the pieces of tape covering the rubber. “What the hell did you guys do?!”

“It wasn’t on purpose! I accidentally turned on my quirk when tying the knot!”

“For each fucking one?!” Bakugou yelled, small explosions going off in the palms of his hands.

Sero scoffed and waved it off, his nervous smile being replaced with a carefree one. “Relax, man! They’re all fixed! As long as they’re in one piece, does it matter?”

From the other side of the yard, you and Ashido were filling up your water balloons, listening to the raging from Bakugou and the begging from Kirishima and Sero. “What’s so hard about filling up water balloons?” you sighed as you carefully tied a knot on one of them, placing it gently into the cooler along with other ones.

“Nothing. They’re just too dumb for it.” Ashido grinned, quickly tying the knot and tossing it into the cooler. The moment the water-filled material hit the cooler's side, it popped, sending water everywhere, splattering both of you.

“Mina!” you huffed, wiping the droplets of water off of your face. “I guess they aren’t the only ones that are dumb, huh?”

“That’s not true! It was an accident!”

“Uh-huh,” you teased, shifting from a position on your knees to sitting crisscrossed, your back hunching forward.

You felt the hot rays of the sun beating down on your back, causing the current task at hand more miserable than it should have been. The white sleeveless top you were wearing did not do justice in keeping you cool from the torture. You could feel your black running shorts sticking to your legs like glue. Your hand came up closer to your face, fanning yourself, which only sent more hot air into your face.

School was out of session since spring break began, and unfortunately, this week was hot as hell. Staying in the dorms with fans blowing cold air in the room, as everyone hovered over the same one was not to your fancy. Although at the moment, you were contemplating it.

“Looks like someone is in need of cooling down,” a voice said from behind you. Two hands were placed on your shoulders, the body of the person looming over you as their lips were placed on your cheek for a sweet kiss. A sigh of relief left your lips as you leaned onto your boyfriend’s body. Kaminari shielded you from the burning sun that was sure to leave you sunburnt in the end.

“Yes, I’m in desperate need of it. We both are! While you guys are messing around, we got ours done!”

“Hey, who said anything about us not doing our job?”

“Those fucked up ones!” You pointed to a balloon in Kirishima’s hands, currently being taped up by Sero as an angry Bakugou yelled at them for not being careful enough.

“Oh, like I had something to do with that.” He rolled his eyes, fully standing up as he peered down at you. Your eyes squinted as you shielded your eyes from the sun to the best of your ability.

“Do you want some water, baby?”

“Yes, please,” you replied, before glancing over at Ashido. She was practically sweating buckets. “And one for Mina as well.”

“Oh, Kaminari, you’re a lifesaver! Put extra ice in my cup!” She groaned, letting gravity take its course as she fell backward, her back hitting the soft grass.

“I’ll go with you. I can’t stand to be out here in this awful heat,” you muttered, hoisting yourself off the ground with the help of Kaminari. “Do you guys want water or anything?!” you yelled to the others, wiping the dirt from your ass.

“Water!” all three of them yelled in unison.

“Water it is. Come on.” You and Kaminari walked off in the direction of the dorms, his hand resting on the small of your back, inching closer and closer to your ass.

“Watch where your hand is going,” you huffed, but did not attempt to stop the energetic blond beside you. He wore a goofy grin, his hand now resting on the curve itself.

“Can you blame me? It’s beautiful.”

You scoffed at him as you walked inside, the sudden wave of fresh air hitting your skin with relief. “Ah, this feels good,” you whispered, standing in one place as the fan swivels back and forth, sending cool air across your skin that left goosebumps.

“Yeah, well, we came for the water, baby. So the faster we get it, the faster we can go back outside.”

“Yeah, but now I don’t wanna!” you whined, flopping on the couch that was right next to the fan. You reached out and messed with the settings, making the cool air fan you only. “It’s much cooler here, and I might just stay here instead. But if you want, you can go out there!” A lazy grin curled at the corner of your lips as your head hit the armrest of the couch, your eyes closing in a state of bliss.

Kaminari pursed his lips as he sat beside you on the couch, wrapping a sweaty arm around your form that pulled you into his chest. His muscles flexed as he squeezed your shoulder, pressing kisses on your jawline.

A pleased hum escaped you as you let him, basking in the moment with him. “What are you trying to plan, hm?”

“Nothing, babe. I’m just sitting here with my hot ass girlfriend. Is that a crime?”

You shook your head playfully, looking up at him. “Nope, it’s not.”

“Yeah, I thought so,” he whispered. His fingers curled behind your neck, bringing your face closer to his. His forehead rested against yours as he gazed into your eyes like he was staring into your soul. Your cheeks heated up as you closed the distance, kissing him rather roughly. Your lips moved vigorously against each other; the hand around your shoulder was now on the curve of your ass. Your fingers curled around the material of his white shirt.

His fingers dug into your plush skin, making a small groan leave your lips. He led you to sit on his lap, his hand rubbing small circles on your hip, underneath the shirt you wore. His touch sent you mad, desperate to feel more of him. It was a light feathery touch that somehow weighed more than anything, leaving goosebumps in its wake as warmth filled your veins.

“I know we fucking asked for water and not some fucking show,” Bakugou’s voice boomed through the common room, his feet pounding against the carpeted rug with each step he took. You jolted away from Denki as your cheeks flushed in embarrassment at getting caught by none other than Bakugou.

“Can’t you learn how to knock?” Denki muttered, missing the feeling of your lips against his as he tried leaning in for another kiss, a whine emitting from him when you got off him.

“Knock?! This place is for everyone, you damn idiot!” the spiky blond sneered, grabbing four water bottles from one of the refrigerators. “When you guys decide you wanna stop being gross, come outside!”

The door slammed shut after his departure, hot air that had filled up the room was now overcome by the coolness of the fan.

A moment of silence passed between the two of you as he rested his hands on your hips, rubbing soothing circles. “Where were we?”

“After that? No way!” you cried out, slapping his hands off of you. “Come on! Everyone is probably waiting for us!”

“Well, why can’t we have snuggle kissy time?!”

“Because we just did, now come on!”

☽✧ ✦ ✧☾

After practically dragging Kaminari’s whiny ass out of the dorm, the six of you finalized everything. The rules were simple. Whichever team who was the most soaked lost, simple rules for everyone to follow. Everyone stood around the black cooler that held your weapons: water balloons.

“So who is going to be with who?” you asked, your question lingering in the air as everyone glanced at each other.

“Well, Y/N, we’re a package, so we just need one of those idiots to join us!” Mina chirped, slinging one of her arms around your shoulder, bringing you closer to her body, a proud smile displayed on her face.

“Tch. Whatever, we don’t need you guys anyway.”

“Huh?!” both of you yelled, your eyes widening. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”

“I’ll join them.” Kirishima shrugged since it wasn’t a big deal. That made the two teams. You, Mina and Kirishima versus Bakugou, Sero, and Kaminari.

“Have fun losing, you extras!”

“Can it man, it’s not supposed to be like that!” Kaminari sighed, his hand reaching for a water balloon. Each team member was only allowed to start with one, and they would have to come back to the middle to grab more. Sero and Kaminari called it the ‘Warzone.’

“This should be easy, right? We can beat those losers!” you cheered, a skip in your step as your team walked to the other side of the yard, Bakugou and his team walking in the opposite direction.

“Yeah, we can! We have to be careful of Bakugou because he will totally use his quirk and might accidentally explode us!”

“Uh, Ashido… I don’t think he would do that.”

You placed a hand on Kirishima’s shoulder that had the redhead looking over at you. You shook your head, disapprovingly. “He would. You know that.”

He opened his mouth to say something, but you beat him to it, placing a finger to his lips. “No, no, no talking. We have a team to beat.”

You guys got in position as you stretched your arms before the chaos started. “Just remember, if we lose, we have nothing.”

“Y/N, you’re starting to sound a bit like Bakugou but less angry,” Mina commented.

“Pfft, nah!” you scoffed, throwing a hand wave. “Impossible.”

“START!”

Kirishima ran first, as he always did in the heat of the moment. You and Mina stared at each other for a second before following him, your number one goal; beating them.

Your tongue peeked out of your mouth slightly as you threw the balloon at full speed, aiming at Bakugou’s head. It seemed to happen in slow motion, his vermillion eyes widening as he dodged it, the balloon splattering behind him that sent some droplets on him.

“She went straight for him… That’s my girl!” Denki laughed, leaving himself an open target that Mina hit him dead on, water splashing on his chest.

“You idiot! Pay attention to those around you!” Bakugou snapped, quickly grabbing two water balloons as he immediately chucked them your way. You jumped over one that was aiming for your feet and ducked right after, feeling the air of the balloon pass right by your ear.

“Hah, you suck!” you pointed a finger at Bakugou, then froze, tensing up when water splattered on you from behind, the trickles of water running down your back.

“Who?!” you yelled, arm ready to throw it at anyone. You were met with a cackle of laughter from behind you. ‘Sero,’ you thought, your eyes narrowed as you turned abruptly on your heel and threw both of your balloons at him, hitting him square in the face.

A surprised gasp left him as he fell backward, his body hitting the ground with a thud.

“Y/N! Watch out!” Kirishima yelled, running towards you. You stared at him, puzzled for a second before his body collided with yours, tackling you to the floor. A loud dammit came from Kaminari, who felt a pang of emotion run through his veins when he saw Kirishima holding you.

“K-Kiri!” you squeaked, placing your hands on his biceps. With the closeness, your cheeks heated up as you averted your gaze somewhere.

“D-Denki was going to hit you,” he whispered breathlessly, gulping evidently as he kept his eyes on your face only.

“Get off pal, that’s too long!” Denki yelled, throwing a water balloon that hit him on the side of his face, the water splattering and hitting you in the process, drenching your face.

“It was an accident!” the redhead blurted out, getting off of you and sticking his hand out for you to take. You wiped the excess off of your face with the back of your hand as you used his to hoist yourself up.

“Thanks, guys!” Mina cried out in agony. She was dripping head to toe. Her usually curly hair was sticking to her face, her clothes plastered to her skin like glue.

Before you could open your mouth, a piece of rubber roughly hit your face, the piece exploding on impact, drowning you in water. You cried in pain as you clutched your face, hiding behind your hands.

“Take that!” Bakugou cheered, throwing a balloon onto the ground in victory.

Noticing your shaking form, Denki walked over to you, concern written all over his face. “Babe?”

A choked sob left your lips as you shook your head, taking a step away from him. He quickly wrapped his arms around you, his hand cradling the back of your head to hold you close. “Hey, what’s wrong?” his words came out muffled as he kissed the crown of your head. “Did he hit you too hard?”

Refusing to say anything, your arms encircling his body only tighten, your hands moving upward to his shoulders. A small smile made its way to your lip as you kept your head hidden in his chest. “Ow..that hurt...”

“What did, babe?”

“This!” you yelled and smashed the water balloon on the top of his head, standing on your tiptoes to do it. You laughed as you pulled away from him, enjoying his shocked face.

“She’s a fake!” Sero yelled, pointing an accusing finger towards you. “That’s cheating!”

“Oh yeah?!” you challenged, placing your hands on your hips. “Who said?!”

“I did!”

“Your word doesn’t count!”

“Y/N, how could you..?” Denki whispered, his hands twitching by his sides. His head was lowered as his hair partially covered his face. “You traitor!” he cried out, picking you off the ground, hoisting you over his shoulder.

“D-Denki put me down!” you shrieked, your fingers digging into his back to keep yourself upright as the world was now upside down. His arm was wrapped around your backside, right under the curve of your ass. Your cheeks heated up as you eyed his ass, a hand reaching down to pat it.

“This is what traitors get!” he laughed, popping a balloon right above you. You squealed from the coldness of the water as the fight now turned for a one for all instead of war.

Laughs filled the yard as everyone had their childish fun. You engraved the scene into your memory. Moments like this made high school years memorable. When the chaos died, you all took shelter underneath the big tree in the middle of the yard.

Your head was resting on Denki’s shoulder, your fingers laced together. It was quiet, which was rare. Everyone was too tired to speak or ruin the moment, and not even a peep came out from Bakugou’s mouth. Your eyelids felt heavier by the second as you yawned quietly, scooting closer to feel the warmth radiating off your boyfriend’s body.

Kirishima and Sero had their heads resting against the tree's bark, Mina’s head lazily resting on the redhead’s shoulders while Bakugou entirely laid down on the grass, his arms behind his head as his eyes were closed.

A small hum left your lips as you squeezed Denki’s hand. He returned the gesture, his lips lingering on your forehead. “Did you have fun?” he mumbled, inhaling the shampoo's scent that you used the night before. You weakly nodded at his question, feeling sleep slowly take over your body.

Moments like this made you want to live in it forever. It was serene, not the chaos everyone in the outside world had to endure. If you could ever time travel from the future, you would come back to this moment. Everything about today made it that much special. Just you and your friends having fun on a day off. Even though it was simple, it had more meaning than anything. With your boyfriend by your side and your close friends, you guys could conquer anything together.

#bnhabookclub #denki kaminari #kaminari x reader #denki x reader #mha #bnha #myheroacademia #bokonoheroacademia #mha x reader #bnha x reader #fic #my fic #bingo event

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xjoonchildx · 4 years

Text

airplane, pt. 2 | jjk x reader chapter one: ICN --> LAX

pairing: jungkook/reader word count: 6.4K rating: 18+

genre: smut | silly smut | nonsensical smut

warnings: criminal!jungkook, koreanamerican!jungkook, highly improbable condom placement, unrealistic use of available sex space, reality has left the chat, plausibility has left the chat

Chapter 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06

artwork by the shmexy @ppersonna who’s smut is even better than her art

*************************

One day it works out too well, then the next day I’m completely screwed (I still) Who should I live as today, Kim Namjoon or RM? 25, I still don’t know how to live well So, today as well, we just go -- Airplane, Pt. 2 BTS

**************************

Jungkook Jeon is basically your Carmen Sandiego.

You stare down at the photocopy of the state of California driver’s license in your hand, into the face of the brash little fucker you’ve been chasing across the globe for the better part of a year.

He looks barely old enough to drive.

Of course, this picture was taken years ago when he was a sophomore at Stanford. Back before he dropped out of school despite being in the top of his class. Back before he broke the law by taking six million dollars of someone else’s money, then broke his parents’ hearts by disappearing without a trace.

You should already have him in custody — and If he were like any of the other greedy assholes you usually chase, he would be. But instead, Jungkook Jeon has managed to deflect and dodge and avoid you at every turn for months.

It’s driving you fucking insane.

One time, you’d been so certain about cornering him in Argentina that you’d boarded a plane with a pair of thick-necked US Marshals and flown south. You’d had to head back to the States empty-handed and sunburnt and pissed.

The real kicker was when you’d gotten home and opened a one-line email – encrypted to hell and back – with a picture of your FBI Academy graduation headshot attached.

you’re so hot i almost want to get caught. almost.

That had hurt.

So you’d had to lick your wounds, bide your time and wait for a man who apparently didn’t make mistakes to make a mistake. And for a while, he didn’t.

Until he did.

**************************************

Agent Kim Namjoon is definitely not the pencil pusher you imagined him to be during your many phone calls and other interactions.

No, the man who meets you and your team at Incheon International Airport is what the kids these days call a snack. He is tall and broad and wears a pair of dark thick-rimmed glasses that should make him look like a giant nerd but somehow don’t.

Very, very cute.

“Welcome to Korea,” he says with an easy smile. You smile back, then clear your throat and remind yourself you’re not here to flirt with your contact with Korea’s National Intelligence Service.

Seriously.

Agent Kim’s English is immaculate – this you already knew since you’ve exchanged more than a few calls in recent weeks. He’s got his own team ready for briefing at his headquarters. After a quick drive, you’re all in one room going over the plan.

His guys have tracked Jeon to a high-end restaurant in Seoul where he’s been working for a few months. They already have a rough sketch of the area. You’re going to block off every exit, cover every angle, and make sure there’s no way he’s getting out of that restaurant without coming through one of you.

This should go off without a hitch – but then you remember Argentina and frown.

“He’s there. My guys are ready to go,” Agent Kim says, after taking a quick call on his cell phone.

It’s decided, then.

You load into black vans and take off for the west end of the city. Agent Kim drives and you have the chance to look out the window at the streets. It’s a beautiful place, you think. Agent Kim seems to read your mind.

“You should come back sometime,” he says. “When you’re not here on business.”

Sigh. You’re going to have to flirt with this man, aren’t you?

“I would like that. Maybe you could show me around some time,” you reply.

His eyes stay on the road – his hands locked at 10 and 2 – but you see the ghost of a smile pass over his lips. You smile to yourself and look back out the window.

Minutes later you’re parked outside an industrial-looking brick building. Gleaming glass-and-stone condos and perfectly manicured greenscaping confirm you are in a high-dollar neighborhood. It’s a Saturday night in a ritzy part of Seoul and you’re probably about to ruin someone’s date night.

Or maybe rescue it, depending on the date.

You stare out at the restaurant and imagine Jungkook Jeon inside, going about his life without realizing you’re here to throw a wrench into all his plans. You get a little thrill when you imagine the look on his face when he realizes the gig is up. Victory is so close you can taste it.

Agent Kim gets a call from his point man, everyone is in place.

Showtime.

******************************

“Is that consommé? It looks like consommé. What do you think, Agent Kim?”

Jungkook Jeon looks shaken for a moment when you step in front of the table where’s he’s just laid out a picture-perfect pair of starters. His guests, a nicely-dressed older couple, also look shaken as they glance nervously between you, Agent Kim, and their now permanently off-duty server.

He straightens to his full height.

The youthful roundness of the face you’ve stared at so long in that driver’s license picture is gone. You have no idea what this guy’s been eating for the past few years, but in place of that baby-faced kid is a man, tall and broad and muscular. Tattoos you can’t make out run across his hands, up his arms, and disappear into the white dress shirt he has rolled to the elbows. His hair is on the long side, pulled back, giving you an unobstructed view of what can only be described as a perfect face. Serious, literal perfection.

Good grief.

Somehow the little shit recovers from his shock in an instant. He smirks, despite his clear disadvantage.

“I gotta say, you look even better in person.”

Oh yeah? So do you.

You ignore his opening line.

“It’s time to come home, Mr. Jeon. Pay the piper and all that.”

He has the nerve to roll his eyes and your hand itches with the desire to punch him in his stupid fucking perfect face.

“Teamed up with some Korean suits, huh?” He gives Agent Kim the once-over and apparently finds him lacking.

“Mr. Jeon,” you feign a scandalized tone. “Just how do you think I was raised? It would be downright rude to barge into a sovereign country without an invitation. Besides, Agent Kim here has been an absolute pleasure.”

You could hear a pin drop inside this restaurant right now. Every knife and fork and glass has come to rest on the fine white linen on these tables. The guests are frozen in place, taking in the strange scene.

Dinner and a show tonight, guys.

Jungkook doesn’t move an inch. You’d half expected him to just walk up, accept his cuffs and get this show on the road. But no, apparently he’s in a talking mood.

“Tell me how you found me.”

You sigh. You’re not a pair of girlfriends catching up over coffee. You open your mouth to say just that, but Agent Kim speaks up.

“We had a source come through with some very specific information on you.”

“Oh, I think Agent Kim is being far too kind,” you counter. “What he means to say is that your Korean sucks. You see, Mr. Jeon, you may look like them,” you gesture at the restaurant full of guests, “but you sound like us. Let’s just say you stick out like a sore thumb here.”

The corners of his eyes crinkle in amusement at the jab.

“I hated Korean school, you know.”

“It shows.”

He laughs.

Agent Kim clears his throat as if to remind you both that you’re not alone.

“Well this isn’t a social call, and I’m sure all these fine people would love to get back to their meals. So why don’t we finish this chat on the way back to the United States, Mr. Jeon?” you say, getting back to the task at hand.

Agent Kim signals his guys and they swoop in to put him in cuffs. He doesn’t resist, just holds out his hands and shoots you his most flirtatious smile.

“I’m going to hold you to that, Agent.”

On your way out the door, you glance over at the consommé and hope it’s supposed to be served cold.

**********************************

“What is a man who stole six million dollars doing waiting tables at a restaurant?” you muse out loud.

Jungkook Jeon is in the backseat of Agent Kim’s black SUV, looking out the window.

“I had to have some kind of story, right? Besides, I kind of liked it.”

“You didn’t get to spend the money,” you say.

“Not really,” he admits. “It’s much easier to fantasize about blowing millions of dollars than it is to actually do it.”

“Tsk, tsk, Mr. Jeon. What a shame.”

He leans forward in the backseat, hands cuffed in front of him.

“You know what would really be a shame, Agent? If I don’t get the chance to fuck you before you lock me up.”

A muscle twitches in Agent Kim’s jaw.

“Watch your mouth,” he warns, glaring into the rearview mirror. You immediately decide you like him a little stern. It’s pretty hot.

“Mr. Jeon, you and your dick will be free to do whatever you’d both like in about twenty years. That’s how this whole grand larceny and evasion thing works,” you say, ignoring the sensation that spreads across the back of your neck at his crass words.

He whistles.

“I’m really going to waste my best-looking years in prison.”

No kidding.

“Oh, don’t be too disappointed,” you say sweetly. “I hear there are a few advantages to having such a pretty face behind bars.”

You hear the clink of his cuffs and look into your rearview just in time to see him give you the finger.

*********************************

The government can be so cheap sometimes.

You’d have loved to pull right up to the tarmac at Incheon International, walk right onto a chartered plane like the Feds do in the movies. But alas, private flights are definitely not in the budget.

Instead, you have to settle for regular seats on a Korean Air flight. You’d been in touch with the airline ahead of time and they’d offered you and your team privacy in the back rows of the plane – complete with a curtain separator. You really couldn’t blame them for not wanting passengers to be greeted by a handcuffed man and his gun-toting babysitters.

Smart move all around.

Seating arrangements are decided, you and Jungkook on one side of the aisle, your two Marshals on the other. They’re both smart men, highly-skilled and boring as hell. You’d already had to suffer through their small talk on the fourteen-hour long flight here, and you’d be damned if you had to do it again on the way back.

“Are you going to let me have a drink?” Jungkook asks, as soon as you’re settled into your seats.

“Of course,” you reply, scrolling through a few emails on your phone. “What’s your favorite kind of juice?”

He snorts.

“It’s gonna be a long flight unless you play nice,” he warns.

“Mr. Jeon,” you sigh. “Shut up.”

He shakes his handcuffs.

“You could at least take these off,” he grumbles. “Not like I can walk off of a moving plane.”

“Nope,” you reply, affecting your best bored tone. You grab a magazine out of the seatback and pretend to leaf through it.

“So you want me to sit here – no phone, no headphones, no nothing – for fourteen hours?”

“Better to practice that ‘bored out of your mind’ routine sooner rather than later. I’m sure it’s gonna come in handy.”

You don’t look his way, but you can feel the glare he’s fixed on you and you have to fight the urge to smile.

******************************

The flight attendant who rolls a giant drink cart into your quiet section of this plane looks like a doll. Porcelain skin, huge eyes and the whitest smile you have ever seen.

Jungkook straightens in his seat immediately. He’s been pouting for the last hour but now he sees this dazzling young woman and his game face is back on.

“Hello,” he says, flashing her a smile.

Then he stops — seems to remember his audience — and resumes the exchange in Korean. You stare at him as he makes eyes at the flight attendant, working her with the confidence of a man who is not wearing handcuffs right now.

She blushes deeply at something he says before turning back to her cart to pour a Jack and Coke.

“Are you serious, Jeon?”

He smiles.

“You don’t hate me, right? Like, obviously I’ve pissed you off, but you don’t hate me. Because only a person who hated me would stop me from having a drink on my way to federal prison.”

You open your mouth to protest, but instead decide that he’s right. He’s a thief – not a killer for pete’s sake.

A super-hot, ridiculously charming, complete asshole of a thief who is definitely not getting under your skin by flirting with the flight attendant right now.

The porcelain doll turns back and hands him his cocktail and Jungkook winks at her. This man just accepted his drink with his hands in fucking handcuffs and this woman is blushing at him like he just asked for her number in a nightclub.

“Are you done?” you hiss.

“With what?” he asks innocently, cuffs clinking as he lifts the drink to his mouth.

“Eye-fucking the flight attendant.”

He feigns shock. “Are you – are you…jealous?”

You scoff and turn your attention back to your magazine.

He leans close.

“Don’t be jealous,” he says, blowing whiskey-scented breath into your ear. “I wanted you first. I’m only flirting with her because you’re really mean to me.”

He leans back and takes another sip of his drink.

There is something about this mischievous boy-man with the chiseled body and the smart mouth. He certainly has a charm. You’re certain he’s been able to use that charm to get out of more than a few sticky situations over the years.

“I wasn’t kidding you know,” he says. “About wanting to fuck you.”

He shakes the ice in his glass to show off that he’s already drained it and gives you another one of those self-assured smiles that’s really starting to piss you off. You drop your gaze back to your magazine.

“I’m not going to fuck you,” you state simply, pretending to have a deep interest in some blurb about face masks.

“No? Are you sure about that?”

“You are mind-bogglingly arrogant for a man who is headed to prison for the next two decades,” you reply dryly.

“Probably headed to prison,” he corrects. “Innocent until proven guilty, due process and all that. Unless things have changed? I realize it’s been a while since I’ve been home.”

You snort.

“Okay fine, you’re right. I’m headed to prison for the next twenty years which is why it’s imperative that you fuck me now. Immediately. Anything else would be,” he gives a dramatic shake of his head, “Inhumane.”

This time you can’t help but laugh and one of the Marshals across the aisle gives you a disapproving look, like he’s been forced to chaperone a pair of giggling teenagers.

You clear your throat and look back down at your magazine, force the smile off your face.

“Argentina,” you say. “How did you get out of there before I got to you?”.

The flight attendant returns with another drink and another smile for him.

“You want something, I want something,” he says, taking a long sip. “Maybe we could work something out?”

“I’m not going to fuck you for information, Jeon. All of that will soon come out in the wash,” you sigh.

“Then fuck me for charity. For good will. Fuck me because it’s the least you can do since you’re blowing up my entire life right now.”

You roll your eyes.

“You blew up your life, you idiot. You’re the one who intercepted a wire transfer and stole six million bucks. You’ve already been fucked. You fucked yourself.”

He smiles wistfully for a moment.

“Yeah, you’ve got a point there.”

*******************************

You stop him at three drinks.

His eyes have taken on a soft quality and his entire energy is a bit more relaxed with some booze in his system. It’s hard, it’s really hard to ignore how hot this man is without even trying.

But when he tries? Then it’s damned near impossible.

You check your watch. You still have seven hours to go on this flight.

“Luck,” he says, suddenly.

“Excuse me?” you say, looking up from your magazine.

“You wanted to know how I got out of Argentina in time. I was gonna make up some fancy story about how I’d figured out you were on to me and beat the clock to get away but the truth is, I was just lucky. I’d already been there too long and I was getting restless. I was ready to go.”

Hmm. So the booze has made him talkative.

“Your landlord said we’d missed you by one day,” you counter.

“Yup,” he laughs, closing his eyes momentarily as if reliving the thrill of the chase. “I used to have a lot of luck, actually. Before I ran into you.”

“Sorry about that.”

“No you’re not.”

“Fair enough,” you say and the two of you share a laugh. You open a bag of pretzels and offer him one. He begrudgingly accepts.

“Why did you take the money?”

He chews thoughtfully for a moment.

“Because I wanted to know if I could. I didn’t think I was gonna pull it off, but again, it was my luck. Once I figured out how to do it, I just did.”

“How remarkably stupid,” you breathe, a smile on your face. He smiles, too.

“Yeah, well. I said I was lucky, not smart.”

“Oh, but you are smart, Mr. Jeon, and don’t think you’ve convinced me otherwise. Your transcript from Stanford tells a very interesting story. What did your parents say when you dropped out at the top of your class and went to work at a gas station?”

The sarcastic back-and-forth screeches to a halt. For the first time, you see darkness pass over his face.

“Don’t ask me about my parents,” he says curtly. “I’ll tell you whatever else you want to know, but that shit is none of your business.”

“I’m sorry,” you say, and this time you mean it.

He shifts to his side, away from you, and looks out the window.

You sit quiet, thinking for a minute – but after a while you both fall asleep.

********************************************

You wake to Jungkook nudging you.

“Get up,” he says urgently. “I have to piss.”

You groan, trying to clear the fog from your brain and glance at your watch. Still four more hours to go on this flight.

“Like now,” he says, bouncing one leg to ward off the sensation.

You get up, stretch out, and wait for him to stand but then realize he’s waiting for you to help him since it’s an awkward fit in the seats with his handcuffs. Instead of making a snarky comment, you just offer your hand and a slight smile.

Very unlike you.

“Thanks,” he says, straightening out, stretching his legs. One of the Marshals raises an eyebrow at you.

“He has to use the bathroom,” you say, stilling the man with a raised hand when he makes to stand. “It’s alright, I need to stretch, too. I’ll walk him down there.”

The Marshal looks skeptically from Jungkook to you and back.

“It’s fine, Agent,” you say, a little annoyed. “It’s not like he can go anywhere, right?”

“Right,” Jungkook says, still bouncing that leg.

The Marshal gives you a look that makes clear he doesn’t approve, but he’s not going to stop you.

You walk behind Jungkook as he makes his way past the curtain, down the aisle and towards the bathroom. It’s a half-empty flight, and you’re glad for it when you see people staring at his handcuffs. You don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you can’t help but feel a little embarrassed on his behalf when you hear them whispering in Korean. At least you don’t know what they’re saying.

The firm set of Jungkook’s mouth makes you think he wishes that were the case for him, too.

“Just uh, give me a minute,” he says, when you reach the bathroom.

It turns out to be a lot longer than a minute.

You’re half tempted to bang on the door and demand to know why he’s taking so long. Maybe the Marshal was right to be suspicious of Jungkook. Maybe he figured out a way off this plane through the toilet.

You’re bouncing your own leg impatiently when he finally reappears.

“What took you so long?” you ask, annoyed.

“You ever try to take your pants and underwear off while handcuffed?” he asks. “You know what — never mind, don’t answer that. You’ll start giving me ideas.”

Ah. He’s back, then.

Part of you is a little relieved to hear his smart-ass mouth again. You feel a hell of a lot less guilty around this version of him.

“Listen, I did a little recon and it’s a tight fit, but there’s definitely enough room for us to fuck,” he says, face comically serious. “And we’re running out of time for you to pull the trigger, so what’s it going to be?”

“Ugh. You’re foul,” you say, pulling a face.

“But you kind of like it,” he shoots back.

He’s right, though. You kind of do.

***********************

Clearly you’ve lost your mind.

Pheromones have short-circuited all the portions of your brain that control logic, reason, and risk. That’s the only plausible explanation for why you are slumped into your seat right now, legs pressed together tight, imagining fucking Jungkook Jeon in an airplane bathroom.

Sympathy and curiosity and more than a little horniness are making for a strange mix. You reason to yourself — as if you are actually entertaining this madness — that he’s not a convicted felon, just an accused one. There’s gotta be a loophole in the FBI handbook somewhere.

“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” Jungkook asks, leaning close — a smile playing over his lips.

“Shut up.”

“You are,” he whispers in a scandalized tone. “I mean with these on, I’m not going to be able to do my best work, obviously, but I’ve done more with less. Unless you want to take them off,” he says, rolling his wrists in the handcuffs.

“I already told you, I’m not taking those off,” you say sharply.

“Alright, alright. Keep it kinky. I can roll with that.”

”Shut up, Jeon.”

He gestures across his mouth like he’s zipping it shut and throwing away the key and you fight the urge to laugh.

“If I decided to fuck you, and I’m not saying I would,” you hiss, “I would have to stuff a sock into that smart mouth of yours just to not have to hear it.”

He laughs and his face looks so young and relaxed it takes your breath away a little.

“Make it your underwear and we have a deal,” he winks.

You pick up another magazine and get back to actively trying to ignore him and that annoying pulse between your legs.

*************************

Two hours left to Los Angeles.

You glance over at your guard dogs, who’ve both knocked out after a snack. One has a newspaper draped fully over his face, grandpa style.

You should have ordered a drink. You should have ordered six. That way, if you’re ever called to the carpet about the decision you’re about to make, you can blame it on alcohol-induced psychosis. Because the Marshals are asleep and you feel bad for Jungkook Jeon and he’s so hot you can barely think straight at this point. You take a deep breath and make a decision.

Fuck it.

You stand quietly, motioning to Jungkook with a finger over your lips. For a moment, his brows knit together in confusion but that look passes almost as quickly as it came. Then his entire face breaks out into a wide grin.

“Yeah?” he whispers.

“Shut up,” you whisper back, through gritted teeth.

You hold out your hand to help him to stand and when he grips it, he rubs his the pad of his thumb across your wrist. You try to ignore the sizzle of arousal he manages to drum up with that brief touch.

Quietly, you both walk past the curtain, past sleeping passengers and back to the clean but cramped bathroom where you are about to do the dumbest shit you have ever done.

You glance around at the passengers nearby and notice only one older man, eyes wide on the two of you. You shoot an excuse-me-sir-this-is-official-government-business look at him before following Jungkook into the tiny space.

You lock the door and turn to face him.

“Glad you finally came around,” he says, immediately backing you into the door. His mouth goes right for your neck and he pushes his entire body into yours in this tiny space. He is large and warm and he smells way better than he should after working a restaurant shift, being arrested, and then being jammed into a plane seat for hours.

His lips work up the column of your throat and his hands, still secured in front of him, push uselessly into the front of your lightweight wool dress. Shame, really, that you couldn’t take him out of these. You’d love to feel those hands right about now.

“I wasn’t kidding about keeping your mouth shut,” you manage to say, breathless at the feel of his mouth on your skin. “Don’t make me change my mind.”

The vibration of his laughter tickles the shell of your ear.

“I’ll be a good boy, I promise,” he says. “I just need to get my face under this dress.”

Your brain stutters for a moment, hung up on the mental image. He drops to his knees in front of you, lifts his hands to try and push up the front of the almost-too-tight garment but his handcuffs make it impossible. You graciously help him out, hiking the hem up your thighs. You’re about to work your underwear down, but he’s impatient, burying his face directly into the wet satin and inhaling deeply.

“Fuck, you smell amazing,” he groans, nosing the aching nub between your thighs. You’re glad he can’t see the way your mouth drops open when he licks out at the damp material, teasing you with the barest hint of friction.

“Help me out here,” he moans, and you do just that, sliding your panties down as best you can with the amount of space you’ve got.

At this angle, you can only get them down to your knees, but Jungkook doesn’t seem to care. He pushes his entire face into you, lips and teeth and tongue driving into you, working you with a fervor that makes your knees start to wobble. You grab a handful of his hair to steady yourself but it’s no use. Absently, you realize the tremors running up and down your body are rattling the door.

“Nice to know that mouth is good for more than just trash talk,” you tease on deep exhale. He laughs.

“Maybe some day you’ll get the chance to enjoy the full-service experience.”

“Probably not, Jeon,” you moan. “This is just a one-time favor, got it?”

All the blood in your brain has taken a dive into parts lower south and you marvel at how quickly your impending orgasm is coming on. But then, you’ve basically had about ten hours of foreplay up to this point, so maybe it’s not that surprising.

That damned door keeps rattling and you just know the little old man on the other side is probably staring it down. You’re not sure what it says about you that you think that’s kind of hilarious.

Your body jolts when Jungkook wraps his lips around your clit and sucks so hard you see stars. “You’re the one about to come on my face in an airplane bathroom,” he groans, licking obscenely between words. “So who’s doling out favors right now?”

Well, that does it.

The second he brings his lips and tongue back to your clit, you fall apart, gripping his hair so hard you’re certain it has to hurt. You pour all your energy into not screaming as your orgasm steamrolls you, and whatever energy you have left goes into trying to stay upright. Jungkook stays face-first in your heat, lapping up your release until the last tremors shake you and that goddamned door.

“Shit,” your voice is shaky, chest heaving when you finally make a sound.

“You are very, very fucking hot,” Jungkook says, breathless from where he sits on the floor. “Way too hot to be a Fed.”

You laugh.

“Well you are definitely too hot to be a criminal, but here we are, huh?”

Your eyes slide down to his glinting handcuffs, but they aren’t what’s catching your attention. Instead, your gaze heads right to the giant bulge straining against the front of his jeans. Turnabout is fair play, and you’re suddenly very eager to return the favor.

You help him stand and immediately seal your mouth to his, tasting yourself on his lips. Your fingers fumble past his restraints, underneath to where you can feel the button of his jeans and you undo it as fast as you can. He stops kissing you long enough to groan into your mouth when your hands slip into his boxers and your fingers wrap around his cock. He is hot and thick and hard in your hand. You squeeze around him, enjoying the way his hips jerk in response.

“Don’t tease,” he whines. “I’m gonna have to fantasize about this blowjob for the next twenty years.”

“I’d better make it memorable then,” you say, sinking down to your knees in the cramped space. You shove his jeans off his hips and look up at him as you gently push his boxers down and over his straining cock. His body is rock hard, lean muscle and defined lines running from his shapely legs up to his cuffed wrists and underneath that white shirt you’d love to peel off but can’t.

His head falls back the second your lips touch his swollen head. You tease it for a moment with a few quick licks, but decide this is really not the time to be dragging this out. The strangled “fuck” he whispers when you take him down fully is the sweetest and dirtiest thing you’ve heard in a while.

You manage to catch his gaze for a moment as you maintain a steady rhythm on his cock with your hands. His eyes are glassy with drinks and arousal, and you nearly have to slip a hand between your legs when his tongue slips out of his mouth to wet his lips.

He lifts and drops his handcuffs a couple of times before growling his frustration at not being able to put his fingers in your hair. You feel a faint throb of sympathy for him for a moment before reminding yourself that you literally have your mouth around his cock so frankly, things could be a lot worse for him than they are right now.

“You gotta stop,” he says, after a few minutes of the slow, wet torture. You release him with a soft pop and a confused expression.

“It’s your last blowjob for twenty years, Jeon. You want me to stop?”

“No, no,” he says quickly. “I have to fuck you. Please let me fuck you. It’s all I can think about,” he whines.

“You can’t,” you say firmly. “No condoms.”

He blows out a heavy breath like he’s thinking for a moment and there you are, on your knees in this tiny bathroom, confused as to what your next step should be.

“Look around,” he says suddenly.

“What?”

“Look – people fuck in airplane bathrooms all the time, right? It’s a thing. Maybe someone out there pulled some hero shit and is looking out for the next person.”

“This bathroom,” you say skeptically, “is the size of a goddamned shoebox, Jeon. You think we’re going to magically scrounge up a condom?”

“Just look,” he implores through gritted teeth.

“Fine,” you huff, leaning over to pop the cabinet under the sink open. You put one searching hand inside and pull out three sanitary pads that look like they were packaged in the 1970s.

He groans, frustrated.

“Hang on,” you say, jamming your hand back inside. Your fingertips brush up against something smooth and you fish it out, eyes wide with utter disbelief.

“Oh, you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” you say, more to yourself than to him.

You hold the condom packet up for him to inspect.

“Holy shit,” he breathes, cock jerking at the sight of it, like it knows he’s just hit the jackpot.

He laughs so hard for a moment you fear this entire encounter has gone entirely off track.

“My luck is back,” he declares triumphantly, finally. “Now, please hurry up and get on my dick.”

You’re shaking your head in disbelief the entire time you’re ripping the packet open, rolling it down Jungkook’s impossibly still-hard cock. He’s breathing hard, body tense with anticipation when you slide your heels off to take your underwear off completely.

“The heels,” he groans, watching as you slip your panties over your ankles. “Can you — you know…keep ‘em on?”

“Ugh, you are such a pervert,” you scold, slipping your feet back into the shoes and leaning back to line him up with your entrance. He surges forward and you moan at the stretch as he fills you entirely in one thrust.

“Fuck,” he murmurs, dropping his head into the crook of your neck, already rolling his hips frantically against you. “Shit, that’s incredible.”

And truthfully, it is. The ledge of the sink is biting into your ass with every thrust and you’re having to do most of the work given his handcuff situation but you really don’t even care because he still feels amazing like this.

He mouths uselessly at the wool covering your breasts because there’s no way to get to them. You nearly admonish him because he’ll leave crude wet spots on the fine material, but you decide against it.

“Oh, I bet you have amazing tits,” he groans, hips maintaining a steady rhythm. “Giving me something to look forward to for next time.”

“There won’t be a next time, Jeon. And there won’t be a this time if you don’t hurry up already,” you shoot back.

He laughs, a little breathless from exertion. “I’m close, I promise. Fuck, you feel so good.”

You squeeze tighter around him, push harder back against him, angle your hips a bit more to ensure he’s going to the hilt with every thrust. The guttural sound he makes in response sends a shiver up your back.

“I’m gonna come,” he gasps after a moment, mouth covering yours as his hips begin to stutter at the first ebbs of his release. Your ass is numb from the sink ledge at this point, legs tired from supporting your weight and his.

“So come then,” you tease, biting gently on the sensitive skin at his pulse point. He groans from deep inside his chest as he lets go – hips jerking as he pumps himself through it.

“Shit,” he groans, leaning on you with his full weight.

“You are crushing me Jeon,” you complain, pushing at his chest with both hands. He chuckles. “Yeah, sorry about that. Balance is a little off at the moment.”

You open your mouth to shoot another sarcastic comment his way, but there is something about the way he is looking at you right now that stops you short.

You clear your throat, uncomfortable with the tiny glimpse into whatever that was.

“Well, as much as I’d love to ruminate on how good this was,” you say, shifting your dress back down and making a beeline for your underwear, “We’ve been in here an insane amount of time already. There’s probably a line outside the door.”

“Yeah,” he agrees, a little too quiet for your liking.

So you put yourself back together and help put him back together, too.

And strangely, when you open the door to leave there is no line. But that little old man is still watching, a look of astonishment on his face as you both walk past.

***********************************

“Listen, are you sitting down right now?”

You frown at the phone display in your office because any conversation that starts with an opening line like that is headed south.

“Uh…yeah. Why?”

“Hang on, I’m coming to your office.”

Seconds later, Agent Novak bursts through the door.

“So you haven’t seen it,” he says, rushing up to your desk.

“Seen what, Novak? Spit it out,” you say, frustrated already.

“Check your email,” he says, arms crossed over his chest. He looks fit to burst with some kind of excitement and your chest already feels a little tight at whatever it is he’s dying to show you.

You click into your email to find an urgent bulletin that you’d missed because you were working on a stack of papers on your desk, not your computer. The subject line makes your heart hammer.

URGENT MEMO: Fugitive Search, Jungkook Jeon

ATTACHED VIDEO FILE

“The guy just walked out of a federal courthouse like he was on an afternoon stroll. Had on a suit and everything,” Novak says, a note of awe in his voice. “Check out the video.”

Your mouth is already hanging open before you even click on the attached CCTV footage. A camera inside the courthouse shows Jungkook Jeon walk out of a bathroom in the front lobby, dressed like an attorney, not a defendant. His long hair is cut into a more professional style, his suit covers his tattoos and he looks entirely in place.

Novak is right – he walks so casually past the guards and other visitors that no one even thinks to stop him.

“Word is, court was on a lunch break and it looks like he had everything ready to go. Walked into a waiting Uber and vanished like smoke.”

You haven’t said a word since Novak walked in with this bombshell.

You just watch the CCTV footage over and over again in a loop, willing your brain to accept what your eyes can see clear as day.

This motherfucker.

Guess his luck really is back.

***************************

#jungkooksmut #jungkook fic #jungkook x reader #jungkook x read #btssmut #bts fanfic #bts fic

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fiddlepickdouglas · 3 years

Text

Viva Las Vegas, Pt. 12 - Willie Alone

Summary: Sunset Curve AU, Willex, will he make it?, 5.2k

@trevor-wilson-covington is the bestie who makes these lovely edits, we stan supportive friends

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11

Day one down with no Caleb. Purple began to border the horizon. Hours of skating broken up with brief rests had Willie pretty tired. Sheldon seemed to be holding up pretty alright, even if he was stuck in the funny makeshift carrier Willie had made from a t-shirt to wrap around himself. Whatever town he’d stopped in was a little ways from the interstate, but it was nice being in a smaller place than a city for once. He actually couldn’t remember if he’d ever been to one.

Willie skated up to a cafe that doubled as an ice cream parlor and let Sheldon down on the ground. He hooked a leash to the cat’s collar but let it drag along the ground, knowing he would be followed. Entering the cafe, he sat at a table and leaned on its surface in exhaustion.

The night before already felt like so long ago. He’d spent all day debating whether it was smart to skate along the highway because it was an easier route to follow, or if he should take some back roads because they had less traffic and likely no cops. Seeing that shed light up was unforgettable. Willie hadn’t watched too many movies since he’d lost his memories, but it was a moment that had definitely felt like he was in one. Did he count as a fugitive now? He sort of liked the flavor of mystery and adventure that came with it.

Sheldon was up on his hind legs, pawing at Willie’s knees to let him climb up. Sitting back so his cat could leap into his lap, Willie cradled him with one arm. He thought about getting some ice cream and realized that he already missed the chamoy candy from Escobar’s bodega. It would’ve been nice to have a few more snacks on him. He’d get something in a little bit - standing up was going to make him feel sore.

He wondered how Alex was doing. He’d chosen to go to L.A. in the hopes of at least finding him and the rest of his friends. That sense of closeness and familiarity that Willie had felt when they were at the Pearl had become everything to him. Even Julie and Flynn would be great to meet again - in fact, he wished he could give them something in return for allowing him the second chance he’d needed to find Alex. Then he could figure out where to go from there.

Finally getting up from his seat, he approached the counter for some ice cream, leaving Sheldon held down by putting a chair leg through the leash handle. A girl who looked too young to be working there came to serve him.

“Hi, what can I get for you?” she said politely.

Willie looked down at all the flavors underneath the glass. What he wanted to do was climb inside and get the cool-off he really needed.

“Uhhh...how about the - ” his eyes narrowed to be sure he was getting it right. “ - the swass?” As far as he could see it claimed to be a white chocolate flavor with cayenne pepper in it. He’d never heard of a spicy ice cream before.

The girl giggled behind the glass.

“How many scoops?” she asked, barely containing laughter.

“Two scoops, in a waffle cone,” he said, watching as she got it prepared. “What’s so funny?”

They traded hands as she gave him the cone and he gave her cash.

“Swass is short for sweaty ass. It’s a summer special.”

Willie snorted and laughed along with her.

“Nice!” he said, pointing a finger to accentuate the word. She held a handful of coins out to him. “Don’t worry about it, keep the change.”

Mood now lifted by his ‘swass’ ice cream (which was surprisingly delicious once he began licking it), he went back to the table. Sheldon kept watching him, eyes hungry for the unfamiliar substance. Willie watched in mild entertainment for a moment as he continued eating. Then he got the idea to move the ice cream around, seeing Sheldon’s eyes follow wherever it went. It made him giggle.

Holding the cone within reach of Sheldon’s face, he let the cat sniff at it for a moment before daring to take a lick. After a few more licks, Sheldon sat back with his mouth wide open in shock, and Willie felt bad for laughing.

“Did you get a brain freeze, buddy?”

Sheldon looked betrayed, and crawled underneath the chair and began cleaning his face. Some noise caught Willie’s attention and he looked up to see a small TV set up in a corner of the cafe. The news was on, and while he couldn’t clearly make out what was being said, he saw footage of a building in flames while a fire department was trying to put it out. Fear clenched in his chest as he recognized it. Lifting Sheldon’s leash, he immediately got up from his chair and headed out the door.

So avoiding public places was going to be the plan from now on. He didn’t know what was being told on that news story but considering that was definitely the shed from behind Caleb’s place...arson had awful consequences, and Willie didn’t like his odds. It certainly put a wedge in his plan to find shelter, but he could get creative.

Grabbing his board, Willie skated through the streets and checked out his best options while finishing his ice cream. It was getting late, and businesses were closing quickly. He didn’t fancy staying anywhere outside, mostly for the safety of his cat. After getting a good look around the town (or most of it at least), Willie had to pick between the movie theater or the laundromat.

He thought of trying the theater. The seats would be perfect to sleep in, and the dark stillness of an empty theater at night sounded so relaxing. But there was the question of getting in without having to buy a ticket or being kicked out after a movie was finished. That was likely to cause enough fuss with the employees for them to identify him. Scratch that off the list.

Willie made his way to the laundromat, albeit unwillingly. It was the only place open for twenty-four hours with no one to bother him about why he was there. As he went inside with Sheldon, he peered up at the yellow lights. There had to be a dark corner somewhere. A handful of loads were going, and they were all spread out so that the noise would bother him no matter what. However, a door toward the back caught his attention and he checked to see if it was locked.

To his surprise, it opened to reveal an empty office. He flipped on the light to get a better look. There was only a desk, chair, and empty bookshelves, as if whatever it was used for had been decommissioned or moved elsewhere. Dragging a finger over the desk, a layer of dust came off. The room didn’t look like anyone would check for a person in there, so Willie decided it was where he’d make camp.

Luckily enough, there was a lost and found area with the laundry of people who’d somehow forgotten to pick up their loads. Finding a blanket in the pile, Willie made sure Sheldon was inside the office with him before turning the light out and shutting the door. It blocked out the noise of the machines well enough. Using his backpack as a pillow, he laid down and pulled the blanket over him as best he could and sighed.

Thinking back to earlier when he’d celebrated being a fugitive...well, it certainly had its cons. As Sheldon nestled on top of his legs, Willie chuckled softly and tried to focus on falling asleep. The backwards dream was bound to happen again, and he wondered if anything about it would change now that he knew what it was really about. Aside from his memories of Alex and his dad, it was the best motivator he had now. He closed his eyes and let the sound of purring lull him to sleep.

Day three without Caleb. Note to self: never underestimate the amount of sunscreen, food and water needed on a trip, and bring a map. Packing light was a mistake. Willie was avoiding the highway now, but had taken a wrong turn somewhere after passing through that small town and thought he’d found somewhere to get back on track, but only ended up more turned around than ever. Now he was skating for miles on some back road with no cars or civilization in sight and was getting worried. He was rationing the water between him and Sheldon, and now that it was high afternoon and the July sun was beating down, he was worried. The food he had packed for himself was already gone, and he was pretty sunburnt.

He’d originally decided not to hitchhike because he didn’t want to be recognized and turned in, but now he was considering it was safer than wherever he was right then. If the laundromat had been rough, rest stops were much less desirable to sleep in.

Slowing his board down, he moved to the side of the road for a minute and set Sheldon down on the ground so they could both stretch their legs. These past few days had been hard, but he was determined to never go back to Caleb. He felt more like himself and a new person all at once, more than he had ever felt since he’d lost his memories. Even with desperation creeping under his skin, he didn’t regret it one bit. Sheldon rubbed against his legs and Willie opened his backpack and dug for some food.

“Here you go, buddy,” he murmured, laying the food down and massaging the back of the cat’s neck. “You sure are handling this better than me.”

All he got in response was content purring. Willie was grateful he wasn’t entirely alone. It wasn’t a usual thing for cats to travel, right? He wondered what made Sheldon so special.

Pulling out his water bottle, Willie saw that it was down to a mere gulp. As if to punctuate his disappointment, his stomach growled loudly. This was beginning to feel like more than a low point. The pain and fatigue started increasing as he sat in the dust, the notion of how lost he was settling in uncomfortably. Shaking the water bottle, Sheldon perked up and watched him pour some into his hand before licking it up.

Finishing the last of it, Willie was hardly satisfied. It was better than nothing. The heat was getting unbearable, though, and with how tired he felt it was a hard debate whether he should take a nap or keep trying to find shelter.

Stubbornly trying not to imagine the worst, Willie reminded himself of his goal. Find Alex, find somewhere to stay, and play it by ear from there. He even teased the thought of finding out if he still had a family. That didn’t sound likely, especially with the amnesia factored in, but this was the first time he could dare to dream bigger than the small life he’d had back in Vegas. If he did make it, it was all worth the strain he was feeling right now.

If - such a laconic, dooming word.

His legs felt too much like jelly to attempt riding again, though, and he pulled Sheldon into his lap. The cat made a few funny chirping noises at him.

“Sorry, buddy, I’m too tired,” he apologized. All the rubs against his shirt couldn’t renew his strength fast enough. Willie felt tears well up in his eyes and he couldn’t tell if they were from fear or exhaustion. Only a couple fell and immediately dried on his face.

He tried summoning the memory of Alex’s eyes, letting the ocean waves bring hope in a dire attempt to fight everything else. Their rhythm and focus remained preserved so well in his mind. If the world was made of hard, painful, unbearable things, Alex was the softness of respite. From bandaging his hand to running his fingers through his hair in comfort, there was a gentleness that made Willie believe in something greater than one day in Sin City. The waves grew and he dreamed of being washed clean and refreshed and like he could leave his soul at the shore forever and never be hurt.

They crashed over him again and again, like a lullaby. The sensation dulled the pain until he was numb. Nothing remained but the beautiful sea of green before him.

Willie didn’t know when he passed out or for how long, but he was jolted awake by feeling his body hitch up and down, like he’d gone over a bump. He heard the running of an engine and opened his eyes. A window beside him was down, and he looked directly into his own reflection in the rearview mirror of a truck. Turning to his left, he saw a person at the steering wheel through bleary eyes.

“Dad?” he muttered thoughtlessly.

“Sorry,” the voice of an older woman spoke. “Not your dad.”

Willie only blinked as he tried to orient himself. The woman had salt and pepper hair styled in a mullet and looked coarse from years of hard work.

“Pardon me for being blunt, but what the hell were you doing out there?” she rebuked. “With a cat!”

He immediately sat up in alarm, looking for Sheldon.

“He’s fine,” she assured. Willie nodded as he saw the cat sitting on top of a blanket in the back seat next to his skateboard.

“It’s a complicated story,” he told her.

“I bet it’s complicated,” she muttered in slight consternation.

There was a few minutes of silence as Willie’s mind tried to understand where he was.

“Don’t try to thank me,” the woman began speaking again. “It was only so easy to put you up in my truck after I saw you had no water, no food, nothing but a few changes of clothes and a wad of cash.”

“Thank you,” Willie said, embarrassed he hadn’t said it quicker.

“I said don’t thank me; I could’ve taken all your cash.”

He looked at her anxiously until her lip curled.

“Don’t worry, you’ve still got all of it.”

This lady was abrasive, but at least she was kind.

“I’m Bessie,” she said. “And if the name is right in your wallet, you’re William. Bet you go by Willie though.”

“How did you guess?”

“You don’t look like a William kind a’ kid.”

It was amazing how she could hold his attention so well without taking her eyes away from the road. Her intelligence was effective. It kind of made him smile.

“You hungry?” she asked. Her head nodded in the direction of a bag sitting between them. He smelled chicken and he hesitated for a moment, eyes darting between the food and her. “Go on, you can have some. I can eat more when we get to Roy’s.”

“Who’s Roy?” Willie asked, carefully pulling out a chicken wing and biting into it.

“It’s a motel. Me and my husband own it. And it looks like you’ll be our only guest tonight.”

“Oh,” he said through a mouthful of food.

“I apologize, but you need a shower,” she told him, wrinkling her nose. Willie only continued to chew in silence and bowed his head. He’d forgotten about that while he’d been focused on skating his way to freedom.

“So where is this motel at?” he asked after a few moments.

“It’s in Amboy. We’re a little ghost town out here. There’s only five of us, the rest are tourists. Sometimes we get Harrison Ford coming through.”

Willie raised his eyebrows, guessing it was impressive trivia. There were numerous names people used that he seemed to be expected to know, but unfortunately most of them he couldn’t keep track of. He silently ate his chicken, relishing in the taste.

“We’re almost there, so just sit tight and keep eating,” Bessie said.

He noticed she hadn’t mentioned anything about recent news, and while it was possible she knew about it, Willie didn’t think she would hold back her commentary if she did. He decided not to bring it up.

Not even ten minutes later they pulled up to the retro motel. Movement was agony, every bit of his exposed skin on fire. Sheldon lifted his head and meowed in curiosity as Willie opened the back door to get his things. Pulling his backpack over his shoulder, he scooped up Sheldon with one arm and grabbed his board with the other. He felt nervous claws immediately dig into his shoulder and he tried to soothe his cat the best he could.

“Shhh, buddy, it’s okay,” he whispered. It was a good thing he had a leash on.

“I have never seen a cat travelling with a skater before,” Bessie said as he followed her into Roy’s. “The things you get in this little town.”

She took him up to the main desk and pulled out a reservation book, licking her finger to turn the pages.

“Alright, let’s get you a room,” she murmured.

“I can pay to stay here,” Willie said shakily. She’d practically saved his life, and he hadn’t exactly counted how much he took from Caleb, but added onto his own money it was quite a stash. Bessie looked at him thoughtfully.

“If you insist,” she surrendered without argument.

Sheldon was sniffing everything and peering around, obviously wanting to explore.

“You can put him down for a minute, I’ll keep an eye on him,” Bessie told Willie, handing him a key and a bottled substance after he let Sheldon go. “You get yourself washed up and put this aloe on. I suggest you stay for a few days at least so those burns don’t get worse.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Willie heard himself say. Too late, he reconsidered the use of ‘ma’am’ but Bessie only smirked and shook her head. He wondered how often she picked up strangers and set them up at her motel, because she was so well prepared. Glancing at his cat, who was content to swat at some flies that had made their way inside, he went toward the room that matched the number on the key.

Showering hurt, even with cold water, but Willie tried to bear it as best he could. At least applying the aloe wasn’t too bad. He was glad he hadn’t skated with his shirt off because it wouldn’t have been any fun to try reaching certain parts of his back. Looking out the window of his room as he got dressed, the sunset was in its late stages. For a while, he simply sat on his bed and hugged his knees to his chest, watching it go down.

Now that he had time to slow down, Willie felt a huge weight finally lift off of his shoulders. He hadn’t been allowing himself to think about it as much since he was so focused on being on the move and trying to stay safe while he had Sheldon with him. Actually, he didn’t even remember when he’d crossed state lines. But he felt a little safer now. Caleb didn’t care enough to come after him all the way out here, he didn’t think. Burning down the shed had been a little dramatic, he admitted, but once people forgot the news it was probably miniscule in Caleb’s eyes compared to everything Willie had lost.

For a minute, a ball of anger grew inside his chest and Willie closed his eyes and breathed deeply in an attempt to cool it down. It was probably a good idea to take Bessie’s advice and stay a while since he was being given the opportunity. He got up and went back out to see how Sheldon was.

The cafe was quiet except for Bessie speaking on the phone with someone. Sheldon was near the cafe counter where someone had set out a bowl of water and a can of tuna. Willie went over to him and knelt down to pet him. Any motion was still a pain, but he made himself ignore it. Footsteps sounded from behind the counter and Willie looked up to see a large man with a mustache peering down at them. He appeared to be from somewhere in the Pacific Islands.

“You’ve got a nice cat,” the man said.

“Thanks,” Willie replied with a small smile as he continued running his hand from head to tail.

“Can I get you some water?”

“Oh...uh, yeah, thanks.” It was going to take a while to get used to people being kind. As the man left briefly and returned with a glass, Willie graciously took it and sat at a table. Like that, the man had disappeared and he almost questioned whether he’d actually been there.

He saw the napkins on the table and pulled one out of the dispenser. The only thing he’d actually learned how to make with origami was those little frogs, and he never seemed to use a proper piece of paper when he got the urge. Now, he didn’t have anyone to gift it to if he did make one. He sure wasn’t going to hand one to Bessie.

Just as he thought that, she came over to sit across from him.

“So what’s the plan, kid?” she asked, folding her hands casually.

Willie looked at her for a moment, unsure what to explain.

“Come on, something’s gotta motivate you to be going cross country on a skateboard,” she pointed out.

“Well,” he sighed. “I’m trying to get to Los Angeles.”

“And the bus just didn’t do it for you?”

Willie sat back, dumbfounded. Part of him knew that there were bus routes across the states, but he just hadn’t remembered that.

“Yeah, so fun fact about me: I only have a year and a half of memory, and I forgot about busses.”

Bessie raised her eyebrows, and then furrowed them.

“I’ve seen some things, I’ve seen some things, and I have seen some things. You are not something I have seen yet. I won’t ask for what your whole story is, but I can only imagine the convoluted circumstances that got you in your position.”

Willie bowed his head, unsure how he should respond. It was clear that she truly wasn’t aware of the news, though.

“Do you even know what you’ll do when you get to LA?” she asked.

“Not much,” he said, shaking his head. “But I have a start.”

“Please tell me you don’t plan to skate the rest of your way out of here.”

“Well, do I have any other way to get there?”

Bessie pursed her lips as she considered his words.

“I’d have my husband drive you out, but he just went out of town to do some business. We’re actually trying to sell the town, so once he finishes up his deal this place will be out of our hands. I can’t keep you here for long.”

The news made Willie realize just how inconvenient it was for her to have pulled him from the side of the road, and more guilt rose in his chest. He couldn’t keep getting in everyone’s way just by showing up.

“How soon is he supposed to be back?”

“A couple days. And then we’ll spend the rest of this week cleaning up and heading out.”

Feeling something touch his leg, Willie saw Sheldon had finished his can of tuna and come over to him. Picking the cat up and holding him in his lap, he looked at Bessie.

“You’ve been really generous,” he said. “You practically saved my life. I don’t know how to thank you.”

She shrugged.

“Ain’t much you can do but say it, and that’s okay. And maybe just rest enough so you’re in good shape before you get back on the road. Can you do that?”

“Yeah.” Willie nodded emphatically.

“Alright. Well, I’m going to turn in, but you hang in here as late as you like, although I don’t know what you would do.”

Willie only smiled as she got up from the table. He did the same, carrying Sheldon with him to the room. It was going to be nice having a bed and not being on the move from the second he woke up. Even with his skin continually on fire, he was able to fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

The next day he woke up and it was already noon. Sheldon was meowing to be let out the door, intermittently coming up to Willie and nudging him with his head.

“Yeah, I get the hint,” Willie laughed.

He quickly got himself together before hooking the leash to Sheldon and heading into the cafe. There were two men he hadn’t seen the day before eating lunch. It was probably a good idea to eat, considering he had slept through breakfast. The large man with the mustache was at the cafe counter, and Willie was silently relieved he hadn’t hallucinated him. It appeared he had set out the bowls of water and food already for Sheldon, who immediately went to it.

“Hello, little man,” he said as Willie came toward him. “What can Big Bo get for you?”

“Are you Big Bo?” Willie immediately loved the name.

“Absolutely.”

“Well, I could eat anything, what do you recommend?”

Big Bo thought for a minute. And then he smiled.

“I’m gonna make you a nice burrito.”

Nodding and smiling, Willie watched him leave as he went to a table and immediately began folding napkins into frogs. After a while his face got itchy, and he realized his skin had begun peeling from the burns. That was going to be fun to handle. Big Bo brought his burrito over and then tried getting attention from Sheldon.

Most of the rest of the day was pretty boring. Willie rotated between doodling on napkins, playing card games with the deck Bessie pulled out from the motel office, and walking around with Sheldon. He was reminded to consistently use the aloe vera he’d been given. Boredom rose to the point where he helped Big Bo deep clean various appliances behind the counter in the cafe. By the time they had finished, it was just time to eat a late dinner and Willie was tired out from all the cleaning.

He took a shower and tried to lightly scrub off all of the dead skin. Sheldon curiously poked his head in and got a faceful of water, causing him to make a surprised noise and run off. Willie couldn’t help but laugh with a twinge of pity as he peeked out and saw his cat glaring at him from the bed. Honestly, he wouldn’t have managed to get this far without Sheldon. It felt good not to be alone, but also feel free to just be himself and still be followed out of sheer loyalty.

The bed was already so comfortable and inviting it made Willie sad that he couldn’t stay longer. Maybe in the future he could recreate something like this place - small and friendly, where he was always prepared to help poor strangers find shelter. There wasn’t much to do here, but he could play around with ideas for his own thing. He’d definitely add a skate park, though. A strange thought occurred where he remembered Caleb’s hotel being called the Desert Oasis - the irony of it all couldn’t have been more obvious.

For the first time in weeks, Willie had a peaceful sleep.

A couple days later, Bessie’s husband still wasn’t back in town. She didn’t seem too worried about it, but Willie could feel tensions building up for himself. He was slowly running out of ways to entertain himself while his burns were finally toning down into tan lines, and he was afraid he would wear out his welcome while she was waiting for the town to be sold. His backpack was already packed and ready to go, but it was mid-morning and he still felt unsure about when was a good time to leave. For now, he simply doodled over the top of the comics in the newspaper.

The door of the cafe opened. Willie didn’t bother looking up but he overheard the conversation.

“Well, I am surprised to see you here again,” Bessie was saying.

“Hello, Bess, how’s it been?” A man’s voice was heard speaking. Willie couldn’t tell where he recognized it from.

“Slow. Buster’s been out of town. I guess we oughta tell you we’re leasing the place so you’re not in for a surprise next time you want to fly out here.”

“Leasing the town? Well, that’s a shame.”

“Any day now.”

“Any day now? If I’d known this would be the last stop I make here, I would’ve planned better. I was just gonna go out to the salt flats for a bit and then hightail it back to LA.”

Willie peeked over his shoulder. He still couldn’t see the man’s face, but he felt his heart rate go up at the mention of Los Angeles. Not wanting to appear rude, though, he continued with his doodling and tried to tune out what they were talking about. Eventually the man left the cafe and it was difficult to tell if he was going to come back or not. If it took until later that evening, he was willing to wait to find out.

In the meantime, he let Big Bo teach him how to make his special dinner rolls. The man was very quiet but he clearly loved making food and it made the process more fun. Also, Willie enjoyed the way he got called “little man” because it came out sounding so laid back and welcoming. While they waited for the dough to set, Big Bo showed him some tattoos he had and explained the symbolism of each one.

“This represents Nāmaka, the Hawaiian goddess,” he said, pointing to a woman’s face surrounded by ocean waves on his bicep. “But to me she really represents the course of life. The tide goes in, and the tide goes out, and the good things and bad things do the same. What you and me do is just ride that wave wherever it takes us in life.”

Listening intently, Willie thought back to Alex’s eyes and the countless times he used the visual of ocean waves to bring him calm amid the turbulence. Big Bo had spoken a simple concept, but it was something more powerful than anything Caleb had ever said. Something in Willie’s heart felt like he could finally find a purpose outside of all of this chaos.

After they had finished making the rolls, Willie sat eating one while petting Sheldon when he heard the door to the cafe open again. Footsteps approached and suddenly, a man Willie recognized had put his leg up on the chair across from Willie and was leaning on his knee casually. Surprise seemed to slap him over the face when he realized who he was. Indiana Jones, Han Solo, the Fugitive himself looked down at him in a bomber jacket and jeans.

“So my friend Bessie tells me you’re in a rough spot, kid,” Harrison Ford said. Willie looked back in shock. “I’ve got my own plane out there right now. You want a ride?”

#julie and the phantoms #jatp #fanfic #jatp fanfic #willex #alive au #sunset curve #alex mercer #willie #luke patterson #reggie peters #bobby wilson #julie molina #caleb covington #sheldon the cat #harrison ford #viva las vegas #willie alone #fiddlepickdouglas

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kindness-bliss · 3 years

Text

New Beginnings Ch. 12

Timothy Thatcher x OC

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: none

One year later Tim looked at apartments with his fiance as they walked around, Emily was everything he could dream of. She had a good heart, educated, loved her job, was actually his age and extremely kind. It had started just days after that night at the club where she approached him at a coffee shop over the book he was reading, he was impressed that someone else could enjoy a George Orwell novel like him. From that day on it was non stop texting and late night phone calls which eventually turned into dates and then sleeping over at each others places and one day he just said fuck it and got a ring at a shop and proposed. It was nothing special truly, he didn’t even get down on one knee which he kind of regretted but not really. He liked her, he liked her a lot but part of him knew he didn’t love her. “Sweetheart, are you alright ?” Emily asked petting his cheek “you look out of it” Tim shook his head “Oh I’m fine, just thinking about what would be best is all. We looked at all the ones on our list and you seem to be keen on this area, this the one then ?”

Emily grinned and nodded “It’s perfect, it’s near both our jobs and it’s a 2 bedroom just in case after the wedding you know….” He sighed as he stepped back “Em, we’ve talked about this dozens of times already. I said I don’t want kids, I’m past that stage. Us together is enough for me and you said it was enough for you as well, remember ?”

“I did” she nodded “It’s just a maybe, like a what if situation kind of thing is all. I know where you stand on children and I totally respect plus we’re both 38, that’s a long shot honey”

Tim chuckled lightly, giving a nod “very true, but just maybe let’s leave it at that ?”. Nothing about moving in with her felt natural, nothing. He liked her a lot but he knew he had rushed things. Everyone had told him it was too soon and that he was only doing it to get over Maya but even they couldn’t stop him from proposing. The second he put the ring on her finger he knew it was a mistake.

“I just think it’s good to talk about it because though you know I wouldn’t ever create an oopsie situation, it can still be a what if” Emily explained “Plus you told me at the beginning of us that you wouldn’t mind one, just one”

“I said that almost a year ago, things and people change. Right now what matters to me is my career and your career and doing our own thing” he explains

“Wrestling won’t last forever Tim” she says softly “I know you plan on doing it for as long as you can which is great but we both know realistically it’s a good 5 years left before you have to call it quits for good. You should think about life beyond the ring, when it’s all done for good and you don’t have to put your body at risk every single day taking all those hits. I mean, do you ever think about that ?” “Clearly I do if we’re moving in together Emily '' he let out a little more dry than he had intended. It was one thing get on him about stupid shit like him leaving a plate out on the counter or leaving a damp towel on the sink but his job ? No way in hell he’d ever let anyone try to tell him what to do about his career.

Emily sighed “Tim, I didn’t mean it like that at all okay ? I just meant it in the sense that there’s life after wrestling, a chance-”

“I’ve heard enough” Tim said shortly “I um I gotta go, I’m late for some stuff down at the performance center. I’ll see you tonight” he leaned over and kissed her forehead leaving

He put his bag down in the locker room as he got ready and nodded at Oney “You look all sunburnt, were you at the beach ?”

“Maya’s” he answered, lacing up his shoes “She had a small get together yesterday on a boat to celebrate her 26th birthday. The sun got the best of us” Oney chuckled

“It was her birthday yesterday ?” Tim asked changing his tone

“Not yesterday exactly” Oney shook his head “It’s this Saturday but we celebrated it early since we’ve got that pay per view to get ready for , it was why I couldn’t go to dinner with you and Emily. I went to Marcel’s because he was surprising her with that and you know she’s grown to be like a sister to me, I couldn’t miss it” Tim simply nodded, how was it that already a year had passed by ? How was it that he didn’t even know her birthday ? “How is she ?” he finally asked

“She’s good, doing really well” Oney nodded “You know her and Marcel are just still boyfriend and girlfriend, not engaged or moved in like you and Emily. But I mean in a way you two are alike, you both just had your one year come up”

“She and Marcel aren’t like Emily and I” he shook his head. “That's comparing apples to oranges man, two totally different things. Why even bring that up ?

“Because it’s clear you still like her, do you ?”

“Yes.” Tim answered

Oney sighed, shaking his head “Then why are you engaged and moving in with this woman ? Why did you fuck up so badly ?” “I don’t know and I’ll never know” he shrugged as he left the room and stretched in the ring. All great questions he had no answers for. ****** Maya sat as she rubbed her forehead and sipped her water on the couch “Baby do you mind getting me some tylenol ?”

“Let me guess, once again didn’t eat anything but an iced coffee all day ?” he chuckled handing her two pills and sitting next to her

“Haha very funny” she rolled her eyes, taking them “Just feel tired, I’ve been working back to back and it’s getting to me is all”

Marcel shook his head and sighed “You’ve been so out of it lately, we went to dinner last week and you fell asleep on the ride there, I’m getting concerned Maya”

She held his hand and scooted onto his lap kissing him “I”m fine, just work is a lot lately. I just gotta get it together is all, schedule things out better. Plus, I still have energy for plenty of things you know. Loads of them actually…”

“I like that” he caressed her cheek leaning to kiss her and groaning as he heard the doorbell “That would be Johnny and Candice who you invited for a swim” “I know” she giggled as she got up “deal with your blue balls somewhere else while I show them around”. Maya got up and shook off the slight dizziness she had going to the door “Hey guys” she smiled “Come on in”

“Jesus you said house not mini mansion” Johnny said as he barged in and put the cupcakes on the table “Damn Maya, is this what taking off your clothes pays for, because I might just change careers”

Candice shook her head as she gave her a hug “You know how he is, thanks for having us over before the week gets a bit chaotic. I feel like I rarely get to see you because of how busy you are, how are things ?”

Maya grinned and took her to her backyard and sat with her “Things have been great truly, work is great and well as you can see things with Marcel are also still amazing. He’s here a lot but we don’t live together or anything like that” she admits taking a sip of her water “I see in your face you’ve got this look, like you wanna tell me something but you’re holding back”

She looked up and grinned as Johnny sat in the middle of them taking a piece of cheese from the charcuterie board and chewed “So did you hear Tim’s engaged to that one Emily chick ? I mean she’s pretty but she’s not as pretty as you and she has a boring job not cool like modeling. She’s a high school teacher ,math teacher or something dumb like that, and I heard from Eli that she’s his age so you know old and apparently they moved in-”

“Johnny !” Candice exclaimed with wide eyes as she moved her eyes in her direction

“Wh-what ?” Maya said softly “I-I had no idea, I haven’t seen him since um that night at EVE but it’s been a year, come on guys. There’s no need to tiptoe around things, that’s in the past and good for him. He deserves happiness as we all do, really Candice it’s not a big deal” Lies all fucking lies she thought to herself, nothing but lies. Yes it was a big fucking deal, how the hell wouldn’t it be ?. What in the absolute fuck did she miss out on in a whole year ? She was having success, her relationship with Marcel was perfect yet her heart still fluttered hearing Tim’s name. Not only was he dating someone but he was engaged, engaged. “Sorry” Johnny apologized as he put his drink down “I thought you knew since you seem to know everyone, I thought Oney had mentioned it or Alli” “It’s fine Johnny” she grinned weakly “Really it is, there’s nothing you need to say sorry for at all truly. People are allowed to move on, I mean we never even dated. It’s nothing at all, look Marcel’s on his way out let’s get in before the sun goes down” “I got you a little surprise” Marcel grinned, oblivious to what had just occurred. He smiled and put down the box in his arms “I know you said no gifts but I thought this one would be great for you” With a confused look Maya stood up and grinned , walking towards the box and opening it slowly, smiling wide as she pulled out a golden doodle puppy “OH MY GOD YOU REMEMBERED !” She quickly kissed the pup and jumped in his arms. For the last 6 months, she had been going on and on about how she was ready for a dog and wanted one so badly yet Marcel seemed off to the idea and kept saying how they were way too much work and not even all that cute. Now she understood why, and her heart swelled in size. “I searched and searched the entire state of Florida for this little guy” Marcel smiled. “He's about 8 weeks old, and when I saw him I knew he was perfect for you...for us. But he needs a name, any ideas ?” “Biggie” Maya smiled “As in Biggie Smalls ?” he laughed “Exactly that.” Marcel smiled as he put his arm around her and pulled her in for a side hug “You, me and Biggie”. He kissed her head as he pet their pup’s head and smiled, though far off and not entirely true it felt as if they were family already. Just them and their puppy, together and happy.

The rest of the night was enjoyable as she sat and listened to them talk about the big pay per view that was coming up, everyone going on and on about certain feuds and matches. She turned and looked at Marcel who was in mid conversation with Fabian, sending him a wink as she got up and headed inside using the excuse she needed to answer an important phone call. Like clockwork she heard the screen door lock shut and laughed “It’s that easy huh ?”

“You’re the one who gave me a wink” he answered with a crimson face “I-I assumed, I...I didn’t mean to” “You assumed right” she grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her as she took them into the guest bathroom “we have 10 minutes max before someone realizes we’re missing so make it last”

Without losing any time Marcel lifted her onto the sink and slid off her shorts, rubbing at her core as he licked his lips “fuck you feel so wet already” he whispered getting a moan in response from her

“You talk entirely too much” she kissed him ,leaning her head back against the cabinet mirror gripping the back of his neck with her hands as she bit her lip to keep quiet

“Fuck Maya” he mumbled as he began thrust in and out “you always feel so fucking good”

She whimpered in response “Baby….Baby please”

“You like that, I know you do” Marcel pumped into her with force, nuzzling his face in her neck as he did his best to keep his moans low, tightening his grip on her hips

“I...wow” Maya panted as they finished, him still inside of her as she looked into his eyes “You do things to me you know, lots of things”

“And I always will” Marcel grinned as he wiped his forehead and kissed her lips softly “as long as you let me” “You’re so corny, you go out first so no one assumes” she chuckled as she closed the door and fixed her makeup. She opened a drawer to look for a brush, sighing as she picked up her birth control packet that had fallen.“Every time” Maya muttered as she put it away, feeling it slightly heavier than usual and opening the pack. With a shaky breath she slipped the packet out of the sleeve and widened her eyes when she saw 7 days of pills still in their spot, she had missed a whole week of birth control in the last month ***** “Would you just tell me what’s going on ?” Tim asked as he sat on the couch with Emily “it’s been a week and you’ve been quiet, you even missed a day of work which you never do. What on earth can be going on that has you like this ?”

“Tim…” Emily spoke, her voice small and meek “Please don’t be mad at me, please. I...I went to the doctor for those headaches and fatigue and she-she had me to a blood and urine test and told me....she told me I’m pregnant. I told her it had to be a mistake, I have a patch and we use condoms, but she said it’s only 90% effective and there’s always a possibility especially since my ovaries release eggs during ovulation and well...I’m 9 weeks pregnant” she cried

His eyes widened as he leaned back into the couch, feeling the air leave his lungs as he tried his absolute hardest to stop from dry heaving. He sat, rubbing his palms on his thighs and nodded over and again trying to convince himself things would be okay.

“Then you’re pregnant and that’s that, accidents happen” he said softly as he scooted closer to her and held her hand in his sweaty one “Was this what we wanted ? No. But it’s what we’re dealing with and no matter what I’m here for you Em. I...I….I love you”

“I love you so so much” Emily hugged him as she sniffled “I never ever meant for this to happen Tim, I swear to you. I’m so scared” she sobbed into his shoulder Tim rubbed her back and sighed “It’s gonna be okay. We’re both adults here and this is something like the doctor said could always happen. I’m with you all this way, no matter what, but I must ask” he sits up and looks at her as he peels away from their hug “D-do you wanna keep this baby ?”

“I do” she whispered “I do, and you don’t need to stay with me. You don’t even need to help I can do this all on my own”

He gulped taking her words in as he looked in her eyes, begging for her to just push him away and say she wants him out of her life but she didn’t. She wanted to keep this child and no matter what he was gonna stick by her whether he loved her or not. *****

Maya looked up at Marcel as they waited at the doctors office, nerves eating up at her as she squeezed his hand in her lap. Immediately after everyone had left that day she sat him down and told him she had forgotten to take her birth control for a week and had reminded him they never used condoms. Just like she had assumed he was calm and collected and assured her he’d be with her no matter what and that he loved her. She broke down in tears that night on his lap crying until she passed out from exhaustion, when she woke up she found herself in bed with him. Now here they were one week later waiting to do some tests to get official answers, they had both agreed it’d be best to get answers from a doctor rather than a test at the pharmacy.

She stood up as her name was called and walked in with him, doing the usual routine with blood pressure and weight and finally getting her blood drawn and completing a urine test for them. The minutes seemed like hours as she sat in Marcel’s lap for comfort leaning her head over his.

“I’m scared” Maya whispered looking in his eyes ``What if I am and it ends like…like how it did when I was 20 ?” she finally says

“It’s different times” Marcel assured “6 years ago you were a kid with lots of stress that caused that to happen, now it’s different. And if you are, nothing bad is gonna happen. And if you aren’t, then we can go from there” he kissed her forehead. More than anything he wanted her to be okay, for them to be okay and just put that past life behind them completely.

Maya nodded and pressed her forehead to his, jumping up when she heard the door open and doctor come in

“A-am I pregnant ?” she whispered quickly

“No” the doctor said softly “You are not, your tests all came back negative, what you do have to look out for is your severe dehydration levels. Other than that you’re in great health, and to be safe I’d stay off sexual activity until you can start a new month of birth control, and please use protection” she grinned

“Oh my gosh” Maya let out a sigh of relief as she watched his face go back to its normal color “Thank you so so much”

“It’s your life and your choices miss” she grinned “No matter what, I’m here to guide advice for whatever you need health related.”

Maya let out a nervous laugh as she held hands with Marcel and walked out of the office, giggling when he spun her around in his arms

“I love kids and can’t wait to have the, but this just wasn’t the right time” Marcel said softly as he kissed her “But our time will come soon, really soon”

“Sooner than later” she smiled as he set her down and walked down the hall with him, pressing the elevator button. She hummed happily as it dinged, gulping as it opened revealing Tim hand in hand with who she supposed was Emily with a barely there baby bump. She was sure she was gonna pass out had it not been for Marcel’s hand on her back.

“Hi” Maya said softly, being the first to speak out of the 4 “Long time to no see”

Tim stood speechless as he stared at her, unintentionally slipping his hand out of Emily’s and putting it in his pants pocket. He could’ve sworn he saw stars at one point from how dazed he felt seeing her in person for the first time in over a year.

“Hey” he finally said in response “um hey, this-this is...this is-”

“Emily” she spoke up quietly

“Emily yes, yes” Tim nodded “Um this is Emily my fiance, Emily this Maya and Marcel my...my…”

“Friends” Marcel grinned “So nice to meet you” he shook her hand gently “and um congratulations of course, what a beautiful thing”

“Oh thank you” Emily smiled “Just here for our 14 week appointment, making sure all is well. You guys...are you guys expecting too ? Gosh that’s extremely invasive of me, I’m sorry I just assumed since this is the OBGYN side of the hospital and you two are together” she said softly turning red with embarrassment

“Nah you’re good” Maya shook her head “Just had a scare because I forgot to take my pill for a week and apparently the idea of condoms never came to my dumb ass brain that was too busy thinking about getting laid, but no babies in this uterus thank god” she tried to joke much to Tim and Emily’s wide eyes, Marcel being the only one laughing with her

“Alright tough crowd” she muttered to herself as she went through the middle of them into the elevator “But I wish you well, babies are super cute and stuff”

Emily grinned at her “You’re the sweetest, thank you ! Maya right ? Were you in a spread in Cosmo last month ? With the neon bikini in the pool for the safe sex while on vacation side ?

Maya chuckled darkly. She knew it was a dig, a sad attempt at one at least. “That’s me, that’s definitely me ! Got 20k for that spread, put a downpayment on a home with that shoot. I also did Maxim and got on the cover of that, I’m in Zara as well on a 10 foot poster right as you enter their store, and I just did a Victoria Secret ad that’s gonna be in every single mall in the states and that alone is probably gonna pay off my entire mortgage. You know, I did it once before in college and it paid off all my student loans too” she smiled “Now what is it that you do...M’am ?”

Tim’s eyes widened as he watched the verbal drag go on, part of him knew he should’ve stepped in but he was too in shock to do a thing. “She’s a teacher” he answered sternly “A high school math teacher”

“Still have those loans, but I love what I do” Emily nodded “It’s done for the love, not for the money” she hit back

“Aww” Maya put her hands to her heart “I remember when I used to say that too, I wanted to be a teacher so bad when I was teensy” she grinned “Then I realized how all teachers grew up to be nothing but bitter divorcees who thrive on making children’s lives miserable all whilst teaching pointless things like the Pythagorean theorem. Oh wait , that’s you ! My bad, my bad”

Marcel chuckled quietly as he bit the inside of his lip and moved his arm around her waist “We must go now, um congratulations on your child once again. Health and happiness for you both”. He smirked as he closed the elevator door and shook his head

“Too far ?” Maya asked

“Just enough to piss her off” he answered back with a grin Maya chuckled and looked down at her heels, trying to hide the disappointed in her face.

#timothy thatcher #timothy thatcher fic #timothy thatcher x oc #timothy thatcher imagine #marcel barthel #marcel barthel fic #marcel barthel imagine

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shhh-no-ones-home · 3 years

Text

party planning committee marcus moreno x reader

+++++++++

this is a story in four parts, youll see what i mean when you read it but i wasnt exactly sure how i wanted to do this at first and thats just sort of what i landed on. but i think it kind of works.

He asks for your help to plan missy's birthday party since he still really has no idea how to do the whole girl party thing

Song: island in the sun by weezer

tag list: @cynic-spirit

+++++++++

i moved to knock on the door when i heard a loud crashing sound, startling me. i knocked quickly and loudly after that, waiting for a moment before opening the door.

"marcus?!"

i yelled, looking around the living room.

"missy?"

i asked, stepping further into the house. when i made it to the kitchen i sighed in relief, my hand going to my chest as i saw marcus stood over the sink with a mixing bowl in his hand, a few other stainless steel appliances strewn about.

"marcus?"

i asked lightly and he jumped, looking to me and breathing deeply.

"jesus y/n, you scared me."

he said shaking his head. i walked closer to the counter.

"i knocked but i heard a loud noise and got worried. im just glad to see youre not hurt."

i stated, turning one of the bowls upright. he shook his head.

"well my pride is a little hurt but im glad youre looking out for me."

he said, looking from me to the paper sat on the counter. i furrowed my brows, looking over the island to see what it was. i laughed when i realized he was trying to make a cake.

"marcus what are you doing?"

i asked, picking it up and shaking the flower off of it. he sent me a bashful smile.

"well, i was trying to make a cake for missy's birthday but i guess that ship sailed a while ago."

he said, looking around to the mess he had worked so hard on. i shook my head, waving my hand in the air and everything picking itself back upright, the empty bowls stacking together and the powders on the counter making their way into a pile.

"here, let me help."

°°°°°°°°°

"Okay, now that the cake is done, what else did you need help with?"

I asked, wiping my hands on the kitchen towel and looking to him expectantly. He sighed.

"All of it actually."

He said, shaking his head and walking to the table. I raised a brow and followed him.

"Marcus you make it sound like you've never had a birthday party for missy before."

I said with a laugh and he sent me a look, turning his datapad on.

"I know but I never did any of this, it was always her mom. And last year be both just agreed on no party, just take time to be together instead."

I nodded as I sat beside him.

"I know how much you both miss her, hell I find myself missing her sometimes too. She really was the best part of the team, even without powers."

I lamented, looking to my hands now folded in front of me on the table.

"I just wish things were easier."

He said and I nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure they'll get there, one day at a time. But you gotta work at it, like today. You've already successfully made a cake."

I pointed out and he laughed.

"Yeah, and without your help that probably would've ended very badly."

I laughed too, shaking my head.

"Baking really isn't for everyone."

I said and he side nodded, opening a planning sheet in his tablet.

"You can say that again."

He mumbled, turning it to show me.

"This is what I have so far, and everything she wanted."

He said and I nodded, reading through it.

"This is her twelfth birthday, and she's finally made more friends, thanks to the heroics program. I just want this to be a special one for her."

He said and I sent him a small smile.

"So, did she give you this invite list, or did you make it yourself?"

I asked and he looked at me funny.

"Both?"

He asked and I laughed a little bit.

"Okay, that's good, I guess. Cause it's her party so you want to make sure you're inviting people she likes to talk to and hang out with."

He nodded in understanding.

"Right. I did run it by her but i sent the cards out already, time wasnt really on my side for this one."

He said bashfully and I nodded once.

"thats Okay, it looks like you at least have a theme done. That's good. List of essentials. Oh okay. now let's look at what you have planned."

I scrolled down and stopped, sending him a look. So far he just had 'sleepover?' he let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his neck.

"A sleepover?"

I asked and he shrugged, slouching a little defeated.

"Yeah I don't know. It just seemed like a good idea. She used to have them all the time. But again, I never really did any of that stuff."

I nodded, tapping the screen and deleting his idea.

"Here, how about this: a pool party. I know you're a master of the grill, you could invite all the heroic kids and their parents over and have a barbeque. The kids can swim. It'll be a good time."

I suggested and he nodded, a wide smile on his face.

"That actually sounds like a really good idea y/n."

He said and I sent him a knowing smile.

"we can run that by missy too, just to make sure, we only have a few days after all and we need time to notify the guests that weve changed things."

°°°°°°°°°

when the big day finally came i was awoken from my spot on the couch to missy jumping down the stairs excitedly, a wide smile across her face as she dug in the fridge for something for breakfast. i had spent the night to help marcus decorate and was definitely regretting staying up as late as we did.

"morning."

she said in a chipper tone and i offered her a smile as i sat up.

"morning."

i said a little groggy, looking back over to the stairs as marcus trudged down them too, a tired look on his face.

"morning."

he groaned, going straight to the coffee pot and pouring a cup. i laughed a little at him as i stood up, stretching out.

"ready to get cooking?"

i asked, pulling my sweater on. i hadnt expected to sleep over so i was still in the clothes i had worn over. he just sent me a look, missy eating at the table now and nodding quickly.

"why did we make this thing for one oclock again?"

he asked playfully and missy sent him a look.

"youre the one who agreed to the pool party."

she pointed out and he made an 'o' shape with his mouth, making missy and i both laugh as i joined her at the table.

"alright, let me go get dressed and then we will start cooking."

°°°°°°°°°

when the party was finally over and everything was cleaned up i looked to marcus, drying the last of the dishes and putting them away quietly.

"what ya thinking about?"

i asked, leaning into the island and watching him intently. he frowned at me for a second.

"do you think she really had fun today?"

he said, looking over to the couch. after all the guests had left missy had showered and changed, and after having aloe applied generously to her sunburnt face, fell into a deep sleep sitting on the couch. i smiled, remembering what she had said to me earlier when she came in to get a drink.

"well considering she thanked earlier for making her birthday a special one for both of you im gonna go with yes."

i said, him finally smiling back at me as he put the last dish away.

"she really said that?"

he asked and i nodded.

"it was mentioned."

he sent me a look.

"she had said that not only was she having fun, but she was just happy to see you enjoying yourself again too. all the heroics laughing and having a good time next to their kids also having a good time; you really made a difference today."

he shook his head.

"okay, and what about you?"

i raised a brow.

"what about me?"

"did you have a good time today?"

he asked pointedly and i sighed out a laugh.

"yes Marcus, i had a very good time today."

i confirmed and he nodded once.

"good, because i would feel so bad if you hadnt. youve helped me so much here lately, i think you deserve it the most out of all of us."

i shook my head at him amused.

"thanks, but i doubt that."

he swallowed hard, furrowing his brows.

"no no don't say that, you work twice as hard as the rest of us. i just wish you could see that."

i looked to the ceiling for a moment before standing up and stretching.

"well if thats true then i think i deserve some sleep. though it has been fun, it has been one long day."

he nodded once.

"want to stay the night again? you can sleep upstairs in my room tonight if you want, i think missy has kind of taken over your spot."

he said with a laugh.

"i probably shouldnt, i need to get home, i gotta get my mail water my plants, all that jazz."

he watched me with a light gaze as i gathered up my things.

"well, im glad you could come over. and if you want to come back tomorrow for lunch-"

"id love that marcus."

i said and he smiled at me, a small blush visibly rising to his face.

"its a date?"

he asked, walking to the door with me. i thought for a second and nodded.

"yeah, its a date."

i said, his smile getting wider as i stepped outside.

"ill text you what time ill be over."

"ill be waiting."

#wattpad #x reader #marcus moreno #we can be heros #heroics #imagines #one shots #319

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skullrock · 4 years

Text

the campers, chapter four - Steve x Reader

gif by @harringtown

chapter four: the routine

series summary: Steve gets a job as a camp counselor at Camp Know Where, intending on using the summer to discover himself. When things start to go wrong at camp, the only people that can help him are the Party, Hopper, and his mortal enemy - you. [Enemies to lovers, angst, fluff, hurt/comfort]

chapter summary: The first week of camp is in full swing, bringing a few surprises with it.

warnings: swearin’!

word count: 4k (hehe)

a/n: this chapter encompasses the time span of a week so it’s a lil long and has some stuff happening but I hope you enjoy! things are spicin’ up but not like you’d expect! you can catch up on the series here! (ps Hop didn’t die in s4 because I said so <3)

===

Camp Know Where buzzes with excitement as the new campers file in on Monday. This is Steve’s first ever orientation - well, besides the one he just went through. He’s never been in a position like this, and he’s nervous as he checks people in. But it’s an easy job.

Until the Party walks in.

Steve stares at them all, mouth agape. El, Mike, Max, Lucas, Will - they’re all here, all carrying bags. Mike takes the lead, glaring tensely at Steve, as usual. Steve avoids him and looks at El. “Are you allowed to be here?”

She nods. “Hop’s letting me.”

Steve shakes his head and finds their names on the roster. He should have known, should have seen their names, but it’s actually a nice surprise. Well, except for Mike. But he’s happy everyone else is here.

“Where’s Dustin?” Lucas asks.

“Helping with move in.” Steve looks up. “Does he know you’re here?”

“It’s a surprise,” Will says, beaming.

“That’s nice,” Steve says slowly. “Well, don’t be dickheads, okay? Don’t make my job harder for me.”

El shakes her head, but Mike scoffs, “You’re a counselor?”

Steve gestures to his shirt. “Did you think I just disappeared for the past two weeks?”

“I hoped so.”

Max hits his arm. “Come on, let’s go.”

They all step past the table, and Steve puts his head in his hands. They’re gonna kill me, he thinks. A part of him is really happy they’re here, though. He’s not sure if that means he really is fond of them, or if he’s just happy that he can keep them safe here. He straightens and continues helping others check in, directing them to their cabins.

You come up a while later, suppressing a smile as you approach him. He looks flustered, perfected hair now a mess. His cheeks are red and his brows are furrowed as he tries to figure out how many more kids are left to come in.

“How’s it going?” you ask.

He looks up and smiles softly. “So great.”

“It’s not all this boring,” you explain. “Or stressful. It’ll be fun soon, I promise.”

He rolls his eyes playfully. “You better not be lying to me.”

“What if I am?”

He thinks for a moment. “I’ll flip your kayak.”

You laugh - a loud, ringing laugh. Steve smiles, pleased to have earned it from you. He wants your friendship to go smoothly, he wants you to like him. After yesterday’s confrontation and subsequent confession of enjoyment, he was starting to think maybe it was going to work out. Maybe you both weren’t going to dislike each other.

You straighten, still smiling down at him. “I’d like to see you try, Steve.” You knock twice on the table he’s at. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

Steve nods, and you linger for just a second longer before heading off.

===

Steve continues to surprise you through the first week.

Though you still don’t get the appeal of him, you notice that many of the campers love going to see him for their intramurals. And he’s really good at teaching kids how to dodge a ball, or serve, or kayak. You’d never seen nerds so excited to interact with a jock, but they were, and it was actually heartwarming to see. You watched from the sidelines on your breaks as Steve helped teach kids tennis and soccer, his face red from the sun but beaming. He’d pause to wave at you before continuing, and you had a hard time prying yourself away from the scene. It was like it was in his nature to be a teacher, to care after others - and you’d never really seen that in a preppy jock before.

You also never expected a guy like Steve, known jerk, to be so good at interacting with kids.

You’re walking along the shore before dinner on Thursday when you hear shouts coming from the lake. You squint as you look out before seeing the source.

Steve had taught the kids a new game on the kayaks. They’d pass a ball with their paddles back and forth, and if they could get the ball into the seat of their opponent, they got a point. It was probably extremely dangerous, but the kids had fun, and so did he. He was soaked to the bone after every game, but his face hurt from laughing, and that was enough.

You watch from the shore as he and three other campers play, and you shake your head. Another counselor, Mia, comes up behind you and laughs. “He’s pretty popular, huh?”

“Always has been,” you say, turning to face her.

“He’s nice to watch, isn’t he?” She stands on her tiptoes to look past you. “I could watch that man’s arms for days.” You roll your eyes, and she frowns. “You don’t think so?”

You sigh. “He’s just… Steve. I don’t get the appeal.”

“You’re the only one, it seems,” she says, smiling again. “What is he, your villain origin story?”

It’s surprising how accurate the phrasing is. “It’s complicated.”

She shrugs. “You seem to get along well now, at least. Put in a good word for me, yeah?”

Your words catch in your throat as she walks away.

Part of you does like Steve. You find enjoyment in him - he’s goofy, he’s funny, he’s kind, and he’s smart. But he’s also the person who made you cry every summer. He’s your childhood bully - how could you enjoy his company? You confuse yourself with your own feelings. It’s like mental gymnastics, trying to hang on to your anger and resentment while equally wanting to like him.

You shake your thoughts out of your head and walk off the shore, away from Steve and his charm.

===

The week ends on Friday, leaving everyone exhausted. The Party kept Steve busy when he wasn’t leading intramurals, draining him fully of his energy. They were going to watch a movie with Suzie in one of the recreation rooms, leaving Steve by himself. He was worn and tired, sunburnt and hot. But he still jogged up to you when he sees you after dinner.

“Y/N!”

You whirl around to face him, a friendly smile crossing your face as he comes up.

“Hey,” he says. “Haven’t talked to you in a while.”

“Just since Monday.”

He shrugs. “Felt like a long time.”

There’s a silence before you clear your throat. “How was your week?”

A wide smile spreads over his face. “It was amazing!”

You let him gush, because you’re genuinely interested. He tells you about how easy it is for him to talk to the campers, how he created Kayak Ball (“still working on a better name”), and how he’d made some friends with other counselors. Which leads him to ask, “Are you going to the bonfire tonight?”

Shit.

The annual First Friday Bonfire was tonight, and you’d forgotten all about it. It was usually a very spiritual experience - people would write stories from their past, things that bother them, share it to the group, and then burn the paper in the flames. It was like a reawakening - fire is cleansing, after all. Just last year, you’d wrote about the Steve standing in front of you, hair disheveled and grinning dorkily. You burned the paper and went on with your life.

You never expected he’d be here. It’s a bit mind-boggling.

“Yeah,” you say. “Are you?”

“If you are,” he says, suddenly uncertain. “I don’t really know -”

“Steve, everyone here loves you. You’ve made friends.” You hope the bitterness you feel isn’t being translated into your tone. “You can hang out with these people. They like you.”

He nods, frowning. “I know. It’s just….” He sighs heavily. “I’ve never had people… like me before.”

Your stomach falls as you remember what he had told you about - how he hadn’t talked to Tommy since junior year. These were the first adults he had interacted with in years; he was bound to be nervous.

“I’ll be there.” You reach out and squeeze his shoulder. “But you don’t need me. Everyone here thinks you’re incredible.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re the only thing the girl counselor cabin talks about.”

You see a blush creep up his cheeks. “Really?”

You don’t want to indulge him - you shouldn’t indulge him - but you do. “Every girl here has the hots for you. Maybe even some of the boys.”

Steve’s breath catches. “Every girl?”

You stare at him awkwardly. “Well - n… no, not every girl, but - enough.” You feel embarrassment creeping hotly through your veins. “Not - not me, if you’re thinking -”

“No, no,” he says, just as awkwardly as you. “No, I know that.” He smiles slightly. “You hate me.”

A smile turns the corners of your lips. “Yeah. I hate you.”

“Right.”

A long and awkward silence ensues before he says, “Yeah - okay. I will see you tonight.”

===

Hours later, you saunter over to the counselor bonfire, located right off the shore of the lake. It’s a beautiful, clear night - a slight breeze rustles the trees and the fire licks the stars. You’re a bit late, and Steve’s nervous that you won’t show up. Despite this, he is literally surrounded by the female counselors, who are eagerly asking him about himself.

“Jesus Christ,” you mumble as you approach.

“Look who it is!” Josh shouts out as you near. “Y/N, we’ve been waiting for you.”

“You shouldn’t have,” you say dryly, entering the circle.

Steve pats the log beside him - he had saved you a seat. With all these girls surrounding him, he saved you a seat. He had to tell them, “hey, don’t sit there, it’s reserved,” while he waited for you to show up. It’s a sweet gesture, one that sends your heart beating a little too fast for your liking. You sit beside him, giving a tight lipped smile.

The girls all smile at you, as if it’s all some type of game. And you know why they’re so amused - you had dramatically cut them off each night when Steve would be brought up. You’d throw a pillow over your head and shout at them to just shut up already. They thought you weren’t immune to his charms, just as they weren't. You roll your eyes at them.

Josh hands you a piece of paper and a pencil. “We’re doing the burning ceremony in a few.”

You take the paper and pencil from him gently, sitting it on your lap. Beside you, Steve is clutching his paper tightly to his chest. You bite the inside of your cheek as you think about what to write down - you’d already metaphorically burned Steve last year. You simply write down my past with no elaboration, intending to feed everyone a fake story and then throw it into the fire.

Steve himself didn’t need to think very long about what to write down. His biggest regret was the way he had treated people. A nauseous jerk tugs at his stomach when he thinks about high school, when he thinks about Nancy and Jonathan, when he thinks about the mask he always hid behind. He’s reminded of it every single day here with you - memories that he can’t quite touch but that he knows are there. The feeling of guilt when he looks at you, at the way your brows furrow and eyes narrow at him. How, even now, the pleasantries hide behind past aggression.

He doesn’t blame you.

And maybe, perhaps, burning a piece of paper will make him feel better. It’s not much, but it’s more than he’s ever done.

You listen as everyone goes around and tells their story. Some talk about relationships, or mental health. Each story is met with support from the circle, almost like group therapy. When all comments are said, the paper is thrown in, and everyone claps and cheers as it burns. You can sense that Steve is getting more and more nervous as he gets closer to talking, and you wonder what’s on his paper.

When it’s your turn, you stand up. “I wrote down my past.” You clear your throat. “Uh - I’m not proud of who I used to be. I used to be so quiet and shy. But I’m happier now, and louder, and I’m not afraid of the space that I take up.”

Steve’s eyes burn a hole into your side as you tell your story. He remembers the girl you’re talking about. He remembers how quiet you were, always minding your own business. And his chest hurts when he realizes that he’s probably why you were that way.

It takes a lot of strength for you to not side-eye him.

Everyone tells you that they’re proud and you throw the paper into the fire, sitting back down and crossing your hands over your lap. There’s a tenseness between you and Steve, but no one realizes the connection.

Steve stands, his hands shaking. It takes him a second to find his voice.

“Um. Well, when I was younger - not younger, just a few years ago - I was a jerk.”

You tense up, staring intently into the fire.

“I was such a dick. I made the worst decisions and the worst friends. I used to follow the crowd, because I thought that’s what I had to do to make them like me.” He licks his lips and takes a deep breath. “And I knew it was wrong - I knew it was - but that’s not an excuse. I let it go on for too long, and I hurt a lot of people. And that really kills me each day.”

You squeeze your hands together.

“I’m trying so hard to not be that person anymore, and I’m glad that I’m not. I got away from those people and I found better friends. Friends who believe in me and like me for me.” He clears his throat and sniffles. “But I’m so worried that I’ll turn back into that person again. I know there are people who will always know me as that person, and that sucks.” His eyes land on the top of your head. “But not as much as it sucks for them, I’m sure.

“I’m just ashamed,” he continues. “I wish I could change what I did. I wish I could make everyone believe that I’m not that guy anymore. I wish I wasn’t so scared. Most of all, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

Everyone’s silent. Steve asks, “Do - do I throw it in now?”

“No,” Josh says. “Uh - wow. I don’t even know where to start.”

Steve feels the shame creeping into his chest again and bows his head.

“First of all, man, you’re allowed to change. You can change, and it’s obvious that you did,” Josh says.

Steve looks up, shocked at the validation.

“Yeah,” Nico, Steve’s roommate, interjects. “Dude, you’re one of the nicest, goofiest people I’ve ever met.”

A few yeahs echo around the circle.

“And it’s a good sign that you regret what you’ve done,” another girl, Emily, says. “That shows growth.”

You sit tensely, feeling cold in front of the fire. You know he’s talking about you. And you know he means what he’s saying.

You interject a few moments later. “What matters is that you’re trying to change. That’s the best you can do.”

Steve looks down at you, brows furrowing, but it feels like a weight has lifted off of him, freeing him. Feels like his collar bones aren’t cracking under pressure. His eyes are soft and filled with tears - he wasn’t expecting any of this.

You swallow hard, feeling your own tears swelling in your eyes. “And I think that - I think that it’s obvious you aren’t like who you were before.”

Never in your life did you think you’d say that, and never in Steve’s life did he think he’d hear it.

A few people agree, reinforcing that it’s okay for him to be ashamed, but it’s okay for him to grow, too. It’s a bit much for Steve, who makes a strong effort to not burst out into sobs. You can’t meet his eyes yet, but when he sits down after throwing the paper in, you reach for his hand and squeeze it. It’s more than the truce at the breakfast table - it’s an understanding. It’s forgiveness. It’s comfort. It’s friendship. You decide to truly, finally swallow your past, let the flames do their job, and embrace the new Steve.

Your hand leaves after just a second, but he understands the message, and you both smile the rest of the night.

===

It’s Sunday night now, and you’re doing rounds. It’s a little after one in the morning. You check on every cabin to make sure kids are asleep and safe, then decide to sneak a dip in the lake. It was a cool night, but the water was calling. You approach the pier but stop when you see another body already sitting on the edge, shoulders slumped.

You can tell despite the distance that it’s Steve, and you can tell that something’s wrong.

You make your footsteps loud so he can hear you coming, and you take a seat on the wood beside him. The lake is bright from the moon, and it illuminates on Steve’s sullen face. “You okay?”

He nods softly. “I just wanted to take a walk,” he says, but his voice cracks.

You frown. “Is that all?”

He doesn’t answer for a long time, but you can see that his cheeks and eyes are red and swollen. Finally, he whispers, “I had a nightmare.”

Steve had awoken in a sweat, kicking his sheets off of him and gasping for breath. It was another dream about the Upside Down, and it hit him unexpectedly and hard. Nico had stood over his bed, worry etched onto his face, asking Steve if he was okay. Steve brushed it off and said he needed to go on a walk. When he slipped outside, he cried, hugging himself as he walked to the pier. It was the brightest spot at camp, the only place he felt safe. He had learned the lake like the back of his hand in three week’s time, had found a home in it, and he went there to pull himself together.

A nightmare was a bit of an understatement - it had felt so real. He went weeks without one, happily, assuming the distance from Hawkins was helping. It was disheartening to have one here. Embarrassing, too. He wonders if Dustin or any of the kids had been having them.

The anguish on his face and cheeks is apparent and you whisper, “Hey,” taking his hand and squeezing it again. “Do you want to talk about it?”

He shakes his head numbly. He would like to talk about it, but knows he can’t. “Just a stupid dream.”

You frown. “It’s not stupid to feel scared.”

Steve sniffles. “I know.”

“But do you know?”

Steve stills, eyebrows knitting together again. “I… it’s hard to feel like it’s not stupid.”

You nod. “I know how you feel. Well, at least a bit.”

“Do you have nightmares?”

“No,” you whisper. Your thumb absentmindedly rubs over his. “But I have anxiety. And I know how it feels to think it’s stupid to feel that way.”

Steve nods. “I just kind of… push it down. I try not to bother people with it.”

“You’re not bothering people who love you for talking about it. Have you told Dustin?”

“Yeah, but… he’s got his own problems.”

You nod in understanding. After a few moments of silence, you say, “You can talk to me.”

He laughs solemnly. He wishes he could talk to someone about it. Someone outside of the people who were there, or outside of the shrinks that Doc Owens had recommended. Anyone with a new perspective. But he can’t, because the person he’d confide in would die, and he really doesn’t need that on his conscience. That’s not something you could burn in a fire and forget about.

“I’m serious,” you say. “I can help.”

Steve kicks his feet back and forth in the water for a few minutes. Then he looks over at you. “How do you stop being anxious?”

“You don’t,” you say, laughing. “It just gets easier to hide. But having friends helps, and loving yourself helps.”

“I don’t have either.”

You elbow his side gently. “You have friends, Steve. And I’ll be damned if you don’t like yourself by the time you leave here.”

He’s quiet again, then says, “It’s really hard for me to think of people as friends. It’s hard to think that people actually want to hang out with me. Tommy and Carol used me for money and an empty house.” He shrugs lazily. “The attention just feels so… superficial now.”

And it makes your heart ache, because maybe that’s why he won’t give in to the girls here. He thinks they don’t like him for him - they only like him for his looks. Even if he wants them to like him, if he wants someone to love, it’s hard to accept it. The realization ignites an odd anger in you; he doesn’t deserve to feel like this.

“Maybe,” you whisper. “But at least you’re aware of it, right?”

He nods and shrugs again. “I guess.”

More silence.

“Your speech on Friday…,” you say softly. “It meant a lot.”

“It didn’t have to -”

“But it did.”

He swallows and turns to face you. “I’m so sorry.”

“I know,” you say, rubbing his thumb again. “I forgive you.” You smile. “For real this time.”

He smiles, too. “Apparently, since you can’t stop holding my hand.”

You retract it quickly, holding it to your chest. You didn’t realize how long you’d been holding it, and you blushed deeply. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

“You sure?” he grins. “Because someone told me every girl here likes me.”

You kick water towards him and he laughs, kicking back. You’re happy to see the light back in his eyes.

“So Kayak Ball, huh?”

“It’s the next big thing.” He seems proud of it.

You hum. “So I’ve heard.” You splash water towards him again. “You gonna teach me?”

Steve laughs incredulously. “You want to learn?”

“Yeah,” you smile, shrugging. “Maybe I can stop by tomorrow on my break.”

He smiles widely. “You’re gonna get your ass kicked.”

You push up and reach out for his hand, pulling him up with you. “Let me walk you back to your cabin, okay?”

“You don’t have to -”

“I don’t want you to get lost in the woods.”

You walk together in silence, but Steve feels comforted. Like maybe he could go back to sleep when he lays down instead of worrying about dying.

“Hey,” you say when you approach his cabin. “Um… Mia? She wanted me to put in a good word for her.”

“As in?”

“As in, you should sit with her at lunch.” You wink. “She’s one of those ‘every girls’ that likes you.”

His eyes widen and then he smiles, shaking his head. “You mean it?”

“No, it’s a prank.”

He laughs softly and shakes his head again. “Well, thanks for the tip.”

You smile and nod. When you turn to walk towards your cabin, you say, “Goodnight, Steve.”

He waves after you. “Goodnight.”

===

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#steve harrington #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington fic #steve harrington au #the campers #this chap is truly horrific but what can u do truly!

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gguksgalaxy · 5 years

Text

Champagne Popsicle | KTH | Bottoms Up

You’re not a fan of social gatherings, especially not the ones where you have to show up in a stupid dress that you didn’t pick while it’s a 100 degrees outside. However, a handsome stranger with a popsicle that matches his pink hair might be able to turn your frown upside down.

›› Bottoms Up Masterlist ›› Genre: Smut / Fluff ›› Rating: 18+ (sexual content) ›› Pairing: KTH x Reader ›› Word Count: 10.1k Warnings Include: Alcohol, fingering, handjob, cunnilingus, blowjob, mouth fucking, food play, ruined orgasm, multiple orgasms, slight dom!Taehyung, almost getting caught.

A soft breeze catches your hair and you’re forever grateful for it. The magenta dress you’re wearing sticks to your skin in the heat and cooling down seems almost impossible in the middle of the summer. The wedding below you is bustling, your friend dancing in her ivory dress with her husband. You’ve escaped to a higher floor — social gatherings aren’t your thing and neither is the hundred degree weather. This is way past your comfort zone.

You toe off your heels, stepping down onto the tile floor in the hope to cool down a bit. Your friend Sooji really had to put you in a skin-tight silk dress of one of the most hideous colours. The pink doesn’t suit you and it’s painfully obvious.

“I see I wasn’t the only person who decided to escape?” A voice sounds from behind you and when you whirl around you find the groom’s friend with the pink hair. The one Sooji definitely mentioned in regard to not wanting him at her wedding because he’s too wild.

His suit jacket has been discarded, the first few buttons open. The slight sheen of his skin makes it apparent that he is just as hot as you are. However, unlike you he has a refreshment. The popsicle in his hand is filled with fruits and your mouth waters at the sight. He catches you gawking and holds the treat out to you.

“Want a bite?” He smiles and it contrasts with his demeanour.

You remember how he had caught your eyes during the ceremony. He’s handsome, full lips with eyes that hold something you can’t quite define — intimidating is a word that rises to the surface. Yet, right now with his hair mussed up and smiling like that, he looks much more friendly.

“Uh…sure.”

He chuckles, stepping up beside you and handing it over to you. It’s cold against your lips, but you’re not prepared for the taste. You frown as you bite into it, ice cold and sickly sweet almost.

“Not good?” he asks.

You shake your head with a hand covering your mouth as it melts on your tongue. It’s odd but not in a bad way, and he laughs at the sight of you holding the way too big bite of fruit and ice in your mouth. “Hmm, what is this made with?”

“Champagne.”

True to your character, you almost choke on a large piece of peach, completely embarrassing yourself. “They’re made with champagne?”

He nods, taking the popsicle back. “Good, isn’t it?” He pops it back into his mouth and you catch yourself staring for a few seconds too long at the way his lips pucker. You avert your attention back to the people downstairs who are mingling and dancing. The heat doesn’t seem to bother them as much as it does you.

“So, what’s your excuse for escaping?” he muses, leaning on the balustrade beside you. The wind catches his pink hair, revealing the dark set of his brows.

You huff, the slight cool-down from the ice already subsiding and the warmth seeping back into your skin. “Too hot.”

“Too many people?”

“That too…”

A silence falls over the two of you — his mere presence alleviating your bad mood a little. He starts humming along to the music, a low and pleasant sound. You try to think of his name; you’re positive Sooji mentioned it to you when she was freaking out over him coming to her wedding. Like this, he doesn’t seem wild, but the feeling you’d gotten from him might be a hint at what she knows that you obviously do not. You’re pretty sure she referred to him as the blue-haired demon before. Though, right now it would be pink-haired.

His mouth is busy with the fruit, the red of the berries tainting his lips red just the slightest. It doesn’t make him look any less handsome — on the contrary, your mind easily drifts to the thought of kissing him. God, the heat must really be getting to you.

“Say,” you trail. “I can’t remember your name for the life of me.”

He chuckles again, something that comes from deep within his chest. “I’m hurt, I surely remember yours. How could I not? You looked stunning in that dress.” The fact that he has you blushing so easily without even looking at you — you need to get a grip.

You shake the feeling. “Thanks, but I’m entirely certain this dress is the ugliest thing I have ever worn. I mean,” you shiver your hands into the pockets, “it has pockets, which is a crime on it’s own for a dress this tight.”

The sight of you angrily stuffing your hands into the fabric sends him into a fit of laughter, almost dropping his popsicle in the process. “I mean, yeah this one’s pretty hideous. I’m sorry to say but pink is not your colour.” He takes the last bite off the stick. “I mean the summer dress you arrived in this morning. That one was gorgeous.”

Truly, he must be joking. This morning you ‘d been royally late to the venue and Sooji was ready to just kick you out of the wedding. Your hair had been barely combed, pulled up in a useless piece of a bun as you had dragged the dress from the previous night off the chair and slipped it on without much thought. A light piece of white fabric that hung off one shoulder. “I — Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, Y/N.” He emphasises your name and the way it rolls off his tongue holds implications you must be imagining.

You smile at him. “So, are you going to tell me your name?”

He takes a step closer to you, brushing his pink hair out of his face. “On one condition,” he says lowly with the slight raise of a brow. “Dance with me?”

“I —“ You damn your cheeks for being able to turn more red even in this heat. It must certainly be matching the colour of your dress by now. “Dance with you?” The second the words leave your mouth you regret them. It doesn’t at all sound like what you’d intended.

It doesn’t seem to faze him, he merely chuckles. “I mean, you don’t have to. But it’s a wedding and it’d be a shame if you’re going to be up here moping the entire time when there’s free food and drinks downstairs.” He has a point, and you’d take him upon his offer if it wasn’t for the sun beaming down your back. You might actually get sunburnt at this rate. “You know what,” he starts to walk away, “it’s your loss. I know where they’re hiding the popsicles.”

Now that is a good tradeoff. “Fine, you got me.”

He stops, looking at you over his shoulder with a wide smile. “Follow me, my lady.” Politely, he holds out his hand for you and you take it with a slight shake of your head. The skin of his hand is soft, surprisingly so. It completely envelops yours and the metal of the rings he wears contrast against the warmth of his palm.

You shouldn’t be this frazzled by holding a near stranger’s hand, yet he has an effect on you that you can’t explain. It’s as if you’ve met him before, like there’s history — a strange feeling settles in your chest as you look at him.

He is exuberant, laughing as you stumble down the stairs on bare feet. When you stop him to put your shoes back on he grabs them from you. “You don’t need those, the grass is much cooler.” Your shoes get hooked onto the umbrella stand as he drags you outside.

The grass is cool against your feet and you sigh at the feeling. There’s people around you, though not many are dancing to the soft music that is now playing. The man holding your hand however, doesn’t seem to have a care in the word as he twirls you around and catches you gently against his chest. You laugh, freely, and it feels so good.

His hands settle on your waist, warm, guiding, and you dance in close proximity with him — it’s cheesy but it almost feels like a movie. He’s even more gorgeous up close, thick eyelashes framing his eyes that light up when he smiles. The way he laughs when he dances with you is child-like and you wish you could be like that some more. He seems enamoured with the moment, purposely living the fairytale feeling almost.

“Say,” you hum, placing your hands on his shoulders. “How did you manage to get Sooji to agree to let you into the wedding after all?”

“Jin wasn’t joking when he said she didn’t want me here?”

Maybe it was a mistake to tell him this, but you doubt he’d actually be hurt by the notion. “Well, I don’t know your name, but I know of you. Sooji refers to you in many ways but that blue-haired demon was definitely one of her favourites.”

He laughs, throwing his head back at your words. The line of his jaw is sharp like this and he lowers his head again to look at you with a joking raise of his eyebrows, only to ask; “What do you think, am I a demon?”

The way he speaks, there’s a slight drop in his timbre. The lop-sided smile that lingers has you entranced. If he is a demon, he’s most certainly one in disguise. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen enough of you. I mean, I still don’t know your name.”

He grins and you swear you can feel it in your chest. “It’s Taehyung.” When he twirls you around you bump back into him, feeling his warmth. He is firm beneath your touch as your hands land on his chest.

“Well Taehyung,” you trail, looking at him grin. “How’d you manage to get into the wedding?”

He flicks his hair out of his face, a simple gesture. “Easy. Sooji made a comment about my blue hair clashing with the theme of her wedding. So I stole Jungkook’s tie and asked my hair dresser to match it. Blue looked better, but I don’t hate the pink.”

You snort, what an odd thing to do. It’s not something you would ever do but you can’t say that the colour doesn’t look nice on him. Blue however, that’s something you’d want to see. With his features you’re leaning towards taking his word for it, especially since pink already looks this good.

“What?” he asks.

“I mean, that’s certainly chaotic.”

Taehyung laughs and the sound makes your stomach tingle. The heat is long forgotten as you watch him dance with you. He’s tall and you spot a small mole on the tip of his nose. “Not demonic?”

You shake your head, playing with the collar of his shirt. “I wouldn’t say so, no.”

“Well,” he starts, grabbing your hand and turning you so your back is against his chest. His voice vibrates as he whispers in your ear. “How’s sneaking into the kitchen for some champagne-laced popsicles?”

“Sounds more like it.”

Taehyung’s hands are on your hips, holding you firmly against him. Every breath he takes pushes against you and you’re fearful he can notice your increasing nerves. It’s the first time a guy has gotten under you skin like this by merely…being. You shouldn’t be this affected.

Your breath hitches at his next utterance of words.

“There,” he points towards the entrance. “If you go through the double doors, straight past the lobby and third door on the left. Wait for me by the bathroom.” You can feel him look at you over your shoulder. “Go,” he ushers, pushing you forward.

You look back at him. He smiles and winks and you swear that for a second he looks younger. A true enigma.

Inside you grab your shoes from the stand, slipping them back on and wobbling to get your footing. High heels are not your favourite, but at least you’re aware that they make this hideous dress look a little better. The fact that Taehyung chose to approach you regardless of the ugly garment is luck on its own. You should thank your alarm clock for making you oversleep.

It’s not hard to find the bathrooms, you’re surprised that there’s nobody here right now. This back hallway is empty and you lean against the wall, waiting for him. Why didn’t he just follow you?

“There you are!” Sooji’s voice sounds from your left. She’s waddling over to you with the skirt of her dress gathered in her hands. “What are you doing?”

You look around, you could just lie right? You doubt you’re doing anything wrong by standing here. “I’m taking a breather, it’s hot outside.”

She rolls her eyes. “I know, you’ve complained about that enough. I mean what are you doing with Taehyung?”

“What?”

“You know, pink hair, the guy I’ve repeatedly told you to stay away from?” She ushers her words with haphazard gestures. “Do I need to tell you again?”

You frown at her. “Okay Sooji, sweetheart, it’s your wedding. You shouldn’t be worrying about me. Just have fun with Seokjin, that’s what today is about.” You do not understand why she’s so worried about you on her day. She doesn’t show this much concern for your hook-ups normally. Taehyung isn’t even that — he must’ve done something serious to piss her off this much.

She shakes her head at you, sighing deeply. “Do you really not remember what happened last time?”

What is she on about? Last time, what last time? You’re entirely sure you’ve never run into Taehyung before and he’s not someone you think you’d just forget. “I — Sooji listen, Taehyung’s just being nice and frankly,” you pause to take a deep breath, “if I want to flirt with him that is my decision.”

Sooji brushes stray strands of hair out of her face. “Y/N, listen. I’m going to take your word for it but…do you remember when you got really drunk at my engagement party?”

Oh do you remember. Or well, not remember is maybe a better way to say it. But you surely remember the raging headache you woke up with the next day, and the gap that is still left in your memory. It’s the one time you go so drunk that you just blanked out. None of it came back and — oh.

“Do you remember now?” she asks.

“No…” you trail off. Truly, you’re trying to but you cannot recall anything aside from the horrid taste of tequila.

“You don’t remember making out with a certain blue-haired person? In my bathroom, may I add.”

If there was one thing that could make you choke on air, that is it. “Excuse me?” Taehyung…and you…what? There’s no way. You’d remember that for sure — he doesn’t look like someone who’d let you forget.

Sooji sighs. “I’m not going to paint the picture for you, but let’s just say you were very drunk and swallowing him whole in my bathroom. I stopped him right before he could fuck you over the sink.”

Your cheeks heat up and your eyes widen in shock. “I — Please tell me you’re kidding?”

“No, I wish I was. I can’t believe he’d—“

“Wait,” you stop her. “You thought he was taking advantage of me?”

“You were drunk!”

“Both of us?”

“Yes!”

It’s not that you don’t get where she’s coming from. If you’d found her with a random guy while she was drunk you wouldn’t have just let him do that. The difference is that she knows Taehyung, he’s a close friend of her now-husband and you just don’t believe he was going to do something like that to you. Taehyung doesn’t seem to be anything but kind and the picture she’s painting seems a bit warped. You are her friend after all. Though, if Taehyung was as drunk as you were then you don’t see the need for her to act like this.

You sigh, rubbing your forehead. “Why did you never just tell me this?”

Sooji smooths down the material of her dress. “I thought you were lying when you said you didn’t remember, that you might’ve been ashamed or something.”

You try to weigh your words properly. “I appreciate that you’re trying to look out for me, but I’m an adult and I can make my own decisions. If me and Taehyung were both drunk then I get why you broke us up but you have no reason to treat him like a villain because of it. That said, we can have this conversation any other day that’s not your wedding. Until then I just want you to enjoy yourself and stop worrying about me.”

Sooji purses her lips, probably realising that you’re right. You doubt she wants to have this conversation today, the fact that she’s looking out for you on her own wedding says a lot about her as a friend. She has always been a great friend, and she has stopped you from making bad decisions. However, today is not the day, and this decision isn’t that bad. You hope she knows this.

Taehyung…you wonder if this is why he is flirting with you, if you even took it the right way. He probably remembers kissing you, nearly bending you over your friend’s sink — you blush at the thought. Simply looking at him has made your skin heat up, the heft of his gaze simply palpable. Yet, imagining kissing him seems foreign, out of your reach.

This is why you’re not surprised that you can feel him before you hear him as he walks up behind you. An undeniable presence. “Is everything okay?” Taehyung asks.

You look up at him and you can swear the corners of his mouth twitch when your eyes meet. “Yeah, Sooji just needed help with her dress.”

Taehyung puts a hand on your waist, pulling you a little more into his side as he looks at Sooji. Her eyes fall to where he touches you, something he’s doing so comfortably even you struggle to not let it faze you. His touch is like a constant static noise in your periphery as Sooji and him share looks. “Are you okay now Sooji? Jin is looking for you, he misses his wife.” Taehyung chuckles as he speaks and you note that he does this a lot. It’s as if he’s unaware of Sooji’s grudge. That, or he knows and doesn’t care — you hope he doesn’t.

Sooji’s face does perk up at the mention of her husband, and she gathers her dress in her hands again. “I should get going then, wife duty calls!”

Uncertainty floods your veins as soon as she leaves, giving Taehyung one last look over her shoulders. The way his fingers tighten around your hip is enough to tell you that he does remember. Even if that hadn’t been so, the way he leans down to whisper in your ear again speaks volumes.

“I got the key to the kitchen.” Taehyung’s voice is rough and you can feel it.

You glance at him from the corner of your eyes, aware of the proximity of his mouth. “Is lock-picking not part of your demonic abilities?”

He dangles the keys in front of your face. “Pickpocketing is.”

A gasps leaves your lips and you whirl around to face him. Something about it makes him laugh. “You what?!”

“I’m kidding,” he says, lowering his face to yours. A shiver runs up your spine despite the heat. Like his closeness, his gaze is heavy. You still can’t describe the air that rolls off him, but you’re entranced to say the least. “Though, persuasion might be in my skillset.”

Who would’ve thought? You seem at his mercy, even if you’ve barely touched him The thought of having kissing him — of kissing him now — remains at the forefront of your mind. Especially with his face so close to yours.

Taehyung’s lips are full, they look soft, and there’s a small mole dotted on the bottom one. It’s barely there but you can see it and — you’re staring.

Taehyung cocks his head to the side, lips pulling up in a lopsided smile. “Cat got your tongue?” He totally caught you.

“I — I,” you stammer.

It doesn’t help when he reaches for you, hand smoothing down your back to press you that much closer. You’re almost certain he’s going to kiss you, his intentions are clear from the way his gaze settles on your mouth. Yet, he stops mere inches from your lips. “Lets go get those popsicles, hmm?”

There’s no way he’s not playing with you, but you don’t know if he’s aware that you don’t remember him. Without a doubt you should tell him. If you really had a full on make-out session with him in Sooji’s bathroom that was borderline drunk-fucking, you should talk to him about it. The only thing that’s stopping you is the possibility of scaring him off. You want to remember. You want him to — you’re not sure what, but when he grabs your hand again and pulls you along you know that you want him.

His behaviour makes all the more sense knowing that you’ve had a previous interaction. How comfortable he is around you, reading between the lines now shows his flirting. It’s not obvious, because you’re already well past the initial flirting stage. No, he’s just being playful, and you want him to kiss you again. You want him to make you remember.

As much as you try to crunch your mind while he guides you into the kitchen, you can’t pull up the image from that night. The one thing that pops up is his blue hair, a bright azure hue framing dark eyebrows and playful eyes. The same eyes that spark now as he opens the door of the freezer and reveals to you what seems to be an abundance of popsicles.

He stands there, arm resting on the door, white shirt tucked into his black suit paints to frame narrow hips. The light frames him and you can just see the soft dip of his chest where his shirt is unbuttoned. “Come on,” he ushers with a smile. “Grab one.”

You shake yourself, reminded that you keep ogling him and it’s rude, even if he doesn’t seem to mind. The popsicle is cold in your hand, but the first bite is so soothing. You can taste the faint leftover fizz from the champagne, and the peaches and strawberries mix so well — they’re good. Taehyung grabs his own, closing the freezer and leaning against it as you haul yourself up on one of the tables.

The popsicle is cold and it takes only a few seconds for it to start melting over your hand. You find yourself licking the drip of champagne off your finger and the second you do you meet eyes with him. The change in his eyes is so visible a shiver runs up your spine. Your stomach lurches and you almost choke on a piece of apricot.

“Hey, hey,” he laughs. “Easy there. There’s plenty left over. Jin said that it’s too hot to put them outside so they’re waiting till later.”

You nod, treat between your lips, enjoying every bit of it as he eats his own. The silence that falls for a moment is not uncomfortable but it’s full. Full with the presence of him, and the history between you. Watching his lips move over the popsicle definitely isn’t helping.

Call you biased, but Taehyung might honestly be one of the most handsome men you’ve ever met. His features are so alluring, almost too perfect and you want to trace them.

“You’re so strangely silent.”

You blind at him, lips parted and popsicle by now long finished. “What do you mean?”

“Maybe I’m just weird but, I constantly feel like you’re going to say something and then you don’t. This kitchen is a judgment free zone. You can say whatever you want, do whatever you want.” When he turns away and opens the freezer again you sigh deeply. He grabs another popsicle for you, this one has more berries than peaches and you can’t help but realise that the hues match his hair. Especially when he gets close enough for you to see them side by side.

Your hand brushes his as you take it from him, but he doesn’t let go. Instead, he remains close to you, searching your eyes as the popsicle threatens to melt in your hands. From here, you spot the other moles on his face. One below his bottom lip, and another hidden in his lashline. Sitting on the table, his face is level with yours and you almost hold your breath.

“You don’t remember, do you?” he whispers.

The sinking of your heart hits hard, your hand trembling against his as you let out that breath you might’ve been holding. “Sooji told me.”

Out of all things, you do not expect him to laugh as a reaction to that. Yet, he doubles over, chest vibrating with laughter only to look at you with bright eyes. “You were really drunk.”

“What’s that even supposed to mean!” you squeal, pulling the stick from his grip. “You were drunk too!”

He shrugs. “True, but I remember everything. Did you actually black out?”

You puff out your cheeks in displeasure. “It’s not funny!”

“Oh, it’s a little funny. I can’t believe this. I thought you were playing with me, Seokjin told me you were so ashamed you were pretending to not remember. I didn’t think you actually didn’t. Oh my God.” Taehyung wipes a tear from the corner of his eye and you give him a shove with your foot in annoyance.

“Stop! Sooji legit thought I was pretending! I don’t remember, I don’t even know how that’s possible!”

He comes up, grabbing his popsicle from where he’d discarded it on the table beside you. “Well, let’s start over then.” He extends his hand to you. “Kim Taehyung, theatre major.”

You scowl as his hand, chewing a berry in annoyance. “Y/N, fool.”

“God,” he exclaims. “You really are cute.” Taehyung reaches for you again, brushing a stray strand of hair out of your face. “I can’t believe you don’t remember that you cited an entire scene from Hamlet to me back on the balcony at Jin’s place.”

“What?” You suckle on the popsicle as you think. There was more than you just making out?” “I thought that we…you know?”

“I suspected that Sooji would only tell you the nasty details. To be fair I’m not entirely proud of almost fucking you like that. Though, in my defense, were both drunk and I did have condoms.”

“Taehyung!” You push at his chest.

He shakes his head. “Anyway, we didn’t just haphazardly start making out like two horny teenagers. We hit on from the moment we got talking, or at least that’s how I felt. I know you don’t remember but, we spent the entire evening talking outside and I was so enamoured with you that I kissed you. Three tequila shots and some other nasty liquor later and we found ourselves in the bathroom.”

You stare at him, frowning with your mouth half open. On the edge of your memory you can feel him, a faint sense of familiarity. It’s the longing in your chest that you couldn’t place. The weight of his gaze as it fell on you time and time again. It has a purpose, as if your body remembered him but your mind didn’t.

“I’m so sorry,” you blurt out.

Taehyung smiles. “Don’t be sorry, happens to the best of us. I mean, I can’t believe you forgot about me, but no hard feelings. I just hope I can get another chance.”

He is too nice. That he sought you out after a forgotten make-out session in your friends’ bathroom was strange enough. Yet, if it is true that you had such a nice encounter before that, maybe it does make sense. He looks at you with questioning eyes, continuing to much on whatever fruit he last pulled from the popsicle. The pit of your stomach is lifted a little, and when your eyes land on his mouth again you know you want to kiss him. You want to relive him for the first time.

Taehyung reaches for the third batch of popsicles and you find the alcohol simmering in your blood just a little. His gesture is cheeky, as he holds it out of your reach and asks for you to close your eyes. You have other ideas.

It takes a hard tug on the fabric of his shirt to get him standing between your legs, almost nose-to-nose.

“Can I help you?” Taehyung muses. His breath smells of champagne and peaches and you want a taste of it.

“Kiss me,” you breathe. “Kiss me and make sure I won’t forget this time.”

He doesn’t, but he smirks. The narrowing of his eyes is dangerous as they zone in on your slightly parted lips. His are coated red, as must be yours. Slowly, he lifts the popsicle he was holding, tracing is over the seam of your lips and making you gasp. “Are you sure you know what you’re asking for?”

The way your body reacts to the drop of his voice is violent. You shiver, thighs clenching around his as he stands there. Your fingers are still curled into the fabric of his shirt and you swear you feel his heart race. The drawl of his voice is so deep and almost hollow, it settles in your chest and you can’t properly answer.

“I mean,” he starts, leaning in close enough to almost kiss you. The tip of his tongue traces your lips to have the slightest taste of the popsicle flavour. “You are asking to kiss a demon.”

A breath passes from your lips against his and he holds you to closely to him. His hand is hot on your lower back and your fingers tighten around his shoulders in certainty. “Did I stutter?”

His mouth captures yours before you can register it, a hand winding into the hair at the back of your head and pressing you so close there is nothing around you but him. Taehyung tastes like berries and peaches and champagne — divine. He smiles into the kiss, lips smoothing over yours teasingly as your hands slide down his arms. The groan that leaves his mouth is so low it sends little jolts through your body and your legs tighten around his waist.

This is kissing — you think — as Taehyung grazes his teeth over your bottom lip, pulling it lightly. His hands roam, chest brushing over yours as you gasp into his mouth. It’s delirious, addicting — kissing him is a push and pull motion. He guides you and lets you go only to catch you right before the fall and dips deeper.

When his tongue traces the seam of your lips you moan, and he halts at the sound. Your gazes meet, lips parted against each other. Both of you breath heavily in the warmth. The scent of his cologne hangs heavy in the air, something sharp and woody. You swim in it, as he lets out a breathy little sound before he reaches for the popsicle that laid melting on the table. What would he — oh.

He pops it into his mouth, eyes not leaving yours as he bites down hard. When he kisses you again your eyes fall closed on instinct. Taehyung cups the back of your head, tipping you back and parting your lips with his. The sensation of the ice cold piece of fruit passing from his lips to yours makes you moan. You grin, tasting the fruit as his tongue glides along yours. It melts quickly and when you part to swallow, Taehyung stares at you intently.

“More?”

You shake your head and pull him in again. The kiss is toe-curling, passionate — moans spill from both of you within seconds. It’s strange, the sense that you know him, that you’ve felt this before. The feeling of his chest warm against yours, his lips devouring you — you recognise it.

He is hot, firm, and you’re pliable in his grip as he kisses you like it’s all he’s ever wanted. The moans that fall from him come from so deep within his chest it only fuels your quickly growing arousal. “God,” you groan, throwing your head back as you part from him.

Taehyung wastes no time, full lips kissing down your jaw to your ear. “Do you remember me yet?”

“Maybe,” you whisper, holding onto him for dear life. You’re painfully aware of how far your dress has ridden up, and how close he is standing to the juncture between your legs. The only thing stopping you from grinding against him is how far you’re scooted up the table. “Gimme something more to go by.”

The glint in his eyes says it all, framed by thick lashes and slightly flushed cheeks. You yearn for more of him as you slide your hands down his clothed chest. His pants fit snugly around his hips but you manage to slip your fingers into the waistband to pull him closer.

Taehyung kisses you, hands finally slipping down to grip your ass and slide you closer. The breath is knocked out of your lungs as you’re forcefully pulled into him. He chuckles at the little whine you let out when he grinds into you. He’s hard and he’s purposely making you feel him. You lean over backwards, one of his hands holding you up as his mouth busies itself with yours. He absolutely has you spellbound, it’s wicked and you want nothing else but him.

His lips are soft but his sounds are rough. His hands are firm and steady where his tongue is languid. The movement of his hips against yours drives you insane. You can feel the outline of his dick clear as day and it’s nothing to be shy about. He is big.

Every sound you make he swallows, and by the time he’s done kissing you your world is spinning. You’re panting as you stare at him, trembling legs still. Your lipstick is smudged over his lips and his hair is messed up on all sides. Yet, he smiles so wickedly you can ’t help but burst into ecstatic laughter.

“Wow,” you gasp.

He laughs with you, a release of tension. “Yeah, wow.”

You lean back, hand sliding into something sticky and wet. “Wha — oh, ew.” Beside you, there’s a puddle of fruit and molten champagne. It clings to your fingers, stains them red and purple where you squished the berries.

Gently, Taehyung’s fingers circle your wrist and you stare as he lifts your fingers to his mouth.

“Tae—” you start, but you can’t find the rest of your words as he licks a stripe up your palm. He holds your gaze, steady and with a spark of mischief. You watch him wrap his lips around two of your fingers as he’d done with the popsicle earlier, and suck them clean. His tongue is rough against the pads of your fingers and the sensation sends a flood of wetness between your legs. He swirls his tongue between your digits. It’s obscene and all your inhibitions are thrown out the window as you moan at the sight. “Taehyung,” you try again.

He pulls off with a pop. “Time to find a room?”

Sexy, persuasive, witty, an amazing kisser, and a mind-reader? Maybe you should put demon back on the possible lists of explanations for his behaviour because it might be the only solid one. “I—“ you halt as he pulls you off the table, straightening out your ugly dress.

“Moving too fast?”

You shake your head. The fact that you want him stands, you can feel it in the way your underwear clings to you. Truth be told, you can’t think of anything else aside from fucking him right now. There’s nothing to worry about. “Let’s go.”

Taehyung grabs one last popsicle from the freezer before your leave. He haphazardly tries to get his hair back into shape in case anybody sees. You definitely don’t miss the way he adjusts his raging boner through the pocket of his pants. Both of you are covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and the hot air from outside does not aid you.

You find yourself standing by Taehyung at the front desk of the hotel. To others you must look like an absolute mess, even Taehyung still looks roughed up. All you can hope is that nobody from the wedding sees you. Or that nobody notices the wet stain on the side of your dress.

Speaking of, Taehyung hands his popsicle to you, and you pop it into your mouth to ease your nerves as he speaks to the woman behind the desk.

“Listen, the bride has an issue with her dress and she desperately needs to get into the bridal room but she lost her key.” Taehyung rushes his words, making gestures and running his hands through his hair.

She frowns at him. “Sir, we can’t just give you the—“

He points at you. “My girlfriend is not wearing that dress for her own enjoyment. We’re part of the wedding party and we need to get into the brides room!”

Girlfriend? You blush.

“Sir, listen, the br—“

He slaps his hand down on the desk. “Do you want to argue with a newly-wed woman whose dress just got ripped?”

The woman lets out a deep sigh, obviously annoyed with the situation but not ready to argue with Taehyung whose ravished state matches his act. “Fine,” she says, reaching behind her and pulling out the extra keycard. “We do need both keys back tomorrow or we will—“

“Yes, yes,” Taehyung brushes her off. “I know, thank you!”

You stare at him in awe, popsicle half eaten and having melted down your fingers again. He really is an enigma of talents and surprises. Though, you should’ve expected so from a theatre student.

His eyes fall on your hand, and you know what he’s thinking as you lick down your own fingers. You’re thinking about it too.

It takes too long for both of you to reach the suite and get inside. What doesn’t take long is for Taehyung to push you up against the wall and lift your dress enough so he can cup you through your underwear. “Fuck, you have no idea how often I’ve replayed kissing you in my head.” His voice is muffled into your skin as he nibbles at your earlobe. You find yourself grinding down into his palm, warm and unforgiving as he grinds it against you.

You let out a trembling sight, letting him work his palm into your mound, head falling back against the wall. His mouth trails down your neck, licking along your exposed collarbones, all the while he rubs you so close to the edge you almost scream.

“Taehyung,” you whine when he stops.

“I don’t want you to come yet.”

You pout, meeting eyes with him. “But I do.”

A curse falls from his lips as he stares at you twirling the popsicle in your mouth. He fixates, and you feel it — use it. You flatten your tongue, suck it deeper. Pushing it in and out, slowly, and you can almost see his eyes darkening upon the sight. The fingers of his free hand tighten around your hip but you don’t stop. You push deeper, the cold prickles against the back of your throat and his eyes widen when you don’t flinch.

“Fuck,” he growls, fingers snapping up to pull it from your mouth. “That’s enough, I want to fuck you. Now.”

You keen when he lifts you, wrapping both your legs around his waist. He’s still hard and like this you can feel the outline of his dick press against your dripping core. The feeling sends you reeling way past normalcy. You’re already so close to coming and he’s barely touched you. You haven’t even shed a single article of clothing. The idea of feeling him inside —

“Taehyung?” you mumble into his mouth as he sets you down by the bed. “Condoms.”

He stills, cursing as he realises the fault. “Fuck — Fate really isn’t with us.” Taehyung snags the popsicle from you, pursing his lips as he trails the wet tip of it down your neck. “Are you clean?”

You frown at him, fingers toying with the buttons on his shirt. “Yeah, but I’m not on the pill.” The first button slips free, you’re unable to help yourself.

“Okay, good, me too.” He’s hurried by arousal, an undeniable force that you feel too. Maybe it’s the sudden realisation that you’re in the bridal suite and anybody would literally walk in right now and see you. They’d see Taehyung licking the drips of champagne from your neck with your dress ridden up way past your ass. The idea excites you a little more than it should.

That it’s Taehyung out of all people who’s bringing this out in you isn’t surprising. Getting caught has always been something that makes you that little bit extra sensitive. You’re hot, burning, and the way he laps at your chest to clean wherever the popsicle had run doesn’t help.

Your surprised when he sinks down on his knees without a word, taking the zipper of your dress with him. He doesn’t ask for your permission, and he doesn’t need it. The view of him sitting on his knees in front of you is mouth-watering.

The dress falls from your body, breast springing free from their confines. His focus wavers, trailing the popsicle down the centre of your stomach and looking up at you daringly. It takes a small nod for him to slide your underwear down your legs. He kisses your skin, a trail of champagne running down your stomach and threatening to reach your now exposed folds. The drop is caught on his tongue, following it all the way up until he decides he’s had enough and discards the popsicle all together.

“Hold on,” he whispers into your thigh before lightly biting the soft skin. He soothes over the mark, looking up at you briefly.

You grapple for him as he slings one of your legs over his shoulder. There’s no lingering, no anticipation. No, his mouth is on you within seconds and you have to muffle your own screams with your hand.

He dives in as if he’s done this before, replacing the sweetness of the frozen treat with the hot taste of your juices. He licks up your folds, quickly finding your clit and zoning in on it so hard you teeter on the edge immediately.

“Tae.” His name comes from your mouth in a pathetic whine, and you can feel him smirk against you. Taehyung’s tongue is certainly twice as devilish as his lips. He flicks at your nub, circles it until your legs are shaking and you’re held up by him. He keeps going, but stops you right before the fall.

Then, he kisses your skin again, another small nip at your inner thigh to catch your attention. He tenderly kisses your pubic bone, a brief pause as he comes up for air. His hand slides between your legs, locking eyes with you as he starts to glide his fingers between your folds. It’s teasing, keeping you so close to your orgasm you’re sure you might go insane.

“Please,” you beg. “If you make me come I swear to God I will suck you off until you see stars.”

He nips at your thigh again, a third mark added as you squeal. “Are you that impatient?”

You whine. A needy little sound as you pull at the pink strands of his hair. He doesn’t listen to you, just keeps circling your entrance over and over again. You must be dripping down his fingers by now, you’re clenching and entirely certain you’re about to come from just the slightest of touches. He circles and circles and when you’re certain you feel your orgasm start to slip away from you, he plunges two fingers inside of your dripping core.

You cry out, tears stinging at the corners of your eyes at sheer pleasure. He shows you no mercy.

Your moans don’t stop falling. It’s no avail trying to hold them in. One of your hands is tangled in his hair as leverage, and the other is a fist between your teeth. He fingers you so quickly you see stars. The pit in your stomach builds, the squelching sounds from between your thighs only adding to it.

“Look at me,” Taehyung growls, a menacing sound.

You gaze down, watery eyes and flushed cheeks, your impending orgasm the only thing on your mind. He flattens his tongue against you without flinching, letting you rock down into his mouth and onto his fingers. The way he looks at you — darkly and so boldly — is enough to make you —

He stops all his movements, fingers stilling and tongue withdrawing as he grasps your hip and shoves you against the wall. You whine, clenching down hard on his digits. The edge of your peak sits there, you hover and you can’t feel anything but the ridges of his fingers against your walls. You tremble. He doesn’t move, but he doesn’t need to — to your own surprise you come.

Your thighs quiver as you let out a soft moan as it washes over you. The feeling is foreign, orgasm so unsatisfying but so good in a more way. It falls quickly, ebbing away and leaving you panting in his hold.

He stares up at you, waits for an answer as you try to grasp what just happened. All you know is that you want to come again. You came, and you barely felt it — it’s indescribable.

“Fuck,” you whisper, the only word you can form.

Taehyung kisses your thigh, tongue laving over the marks he left. Finally, he withdraws his fingers and the feeling sends a throb through your core. He sucks his fingers clean as he stands up carefully. “How’s that?”

You push at his shoulder and he chuckles. “Least you could’ve done is let me come properly.”

“Oh.” He brushes your sweaty hair away, cupping your cheeks and kissing you. The taste of yourself on his tongue isn’t unwelcome. “You said, make me come and you’ll suck me off.”

The roll of your eyes is half-hearted, matched by your fingers making quick work of his buttons while his mouth busies yours. His skin is smooth and sticky with sweat. It’s so nice to finally get to touch him. You pinch his nipple, and he moans weakly upon the touch. Something you’re going to save for another time.

You kiss down his tan chest, leaving his shirt hanging halfway off his arms as he watches you intently. The idea of a blindfold pops into your head. Would you buckle as easily if he wore one?

Another time. Right now, you busy yourself with undoing his belt as you scrape your teeth over his stomach. You’re so keen on tasting him that you don’t even pull his pants down. The sight of him straining against his underwear makes you pause, he really is big.

The way he hisses when you slip your fingers past the fabric of his boxers hint at how much he’s been holding back for you. “God, I want to feel your mouth.” He curses as you stroke him lightly.

That, you can do. Your tongue laves over his tip and pulls a sound from him that so near a growl you shiver. With your hand wrapped around his cock you steady yourself at his hip. He braces himself against the wall, one hand gently winding into your hair.

“Fuck, just—“ He falters when you take him inside your mouth. “Yeah,” he sighs.

Like him, you don’t waste any time. You flatten your tongue, sucking on the tip as you slowly slide him deeper. It’s a feat, but by his moans he doesn’t seem to mind that you can’t take him all the way. After a few slow bobs up and down he hits the back of your throat — you moan when he grips your hair harder.

The ache in your jaw is delicious, and the vibrations of your moans cause him to twitch on your tongue. You hold him there, steady breaths in and out your nose as you tap his hand. He grunts, eyes falling open and meeting yours.

They almost roll out of his head as he sees you. There you sit, on your knees with his cock in your mouth, looking up at him with glassy eyes.

The way he pauses makes you pull off slowly — making him feel the slide of your tongue as you suck harshly. “Go on,” you whispers, voice hoarse as you kiss his tip. The taste of his precum collecting on your tastebuds is salty. “Not too fast.”

He nods eagerly, grabbing your hair and sliding himself back into your awaiting mouth. The lack of breath is so worth it once he starts shallowly thrusting. He does go slow, holding himself back for your sake. The way he moans, how he doubles over as he fucking himself in and out of your wet mouth. You find yourself closing your eyes, letting him use you. Your own fingers slip between your bare legs to touch yourself.

Taehyung stutters when he hits the back of your throat and you gag a little. You hum into him, sucking in your cheeks to tell him not to stop.

That’s when you hear voices outside. Taehyung pulls out immediately at the sound, looking at you with slight panic in his eyes. You’re about to get caught — you’re actually about to get caught sucking off a guy in your friend’s bridal suite.

“Up,” Taehyung says, voice absolutely wrecked from moaning. “Come on.” He grabs your arm half lifting you and half pulling you.

You stand on trembling legs, listening to the sound of the door knob jiggling. “Did you lock it?”

“Fuck, I didn’t.”

“Uh…”

“Grab your clothes,” he ushers, sprinting over to the closet with his dick still out. “Here.”

You rush, finding yourself pressed against him in the dark as the sounds of your friends’ voices reach your ears. It’s not Sooji, but a few of the other bridesmaids probably looking to refresh themselves in this heat.

Speaking of, Taehyung’s breath is hot as it fans against your face, both of you sweating profusely. The way you can feel his cock pressing against your hipbone does nothing to ease the lingering ache between your own legs.

“Tae—“ His hand flies over your mouth, shushing you as the girls move through the room beside you.

You want to listen to what they’re saying, but your ears are rushing with excitement. What comes over you, you don’t know, but you find yourself trailing a hand down his chest. He doesn’t protest, all he does is let out a heavy sigh when your fingers wrap around his shaft.

He’s still wet with spit and precum and you stroke him experimentally. From what you gathered when you sucked him off a few seconds ago, he likes it tight. As you twist a little his head falls onto your shoulder with the tiniest of sounds. He’s holding himself back, you feel it in the stutter of his hips as you keep gliding up and down his member.

You slide a fingers over the tip, dipping into the slit. His teeth sink into your shoulder, biting to stifle his own moan. Sharp pain pricks shoot through your shoulder and you hiss at the feeling — it’s so good.

Your objective is getting him off, uncertain of whether he’s as turned on by the possibility of getting caught as you are. He does seem more on edge, breathing heavily through his nose as you focus on twisting your hand just under the crown of his cock.

What you don’t expect is for him to part your legs and slide his fingers back to your cunt. “Is this okay?” he whispers softly, tracing a circle around your clit.

Hips bucking into his touch, you nod, letting out a quiet yes as you pause your movements on him. You can’t see whether he grins but you swear you can feel it as he starts drawing figure eights between your legs.

His movements are practiced, and it takes you a little to catch up to his rhythm. Falling into tandem, he rubs you while you stroke him. Almost silent, you’re muffled by the darkness and the closed doors. The voices of the people outside are apparent and loud enough to signal that they don’t hear you — the threat is so exciting. The hairs on your arm stand up, and Taehyung shivers.

Your eyes are closed even in the dark, focused on the feeling of his fingers between your legs and his dick in your hand. It’s wet, all of it, and the slick sounds are definitely amplified by the emptiness. Taehyung’s mouth remains on your shoulder, sucking, biting — that bruise is going to last. He lavishes over it with his tongue, fingers not ceasing their movements for even a second. Both your hands are moving on their own, minds blissed out.

His grunts become deeper, hips losing their rhythm and you know he’s close. He must be with how fast your stroking him. It matches the pace at which he abuses your clit. It’s delirious, senses heightened by the little pricks of fear in the back of your mind.

You strain your neck, trying to keep in your voice as he increases the pressure. His fingers slip around your mound so easily, you can feel your arousal start to drip down your thighs. He notices the strain in your silenced moans, hand coming up to cover your mouth again.

You’re back on the edge so quickly you don’t even feel it coming. You come so hard you find yourself biting down onto two of his fingers. It shatters through you, throat straining to stay as quiet as you can.

Taehyung comes with you, groaning into the crook of your neck as his dick twitches in your grasp. You feel his cum splatter on your stomach, hot and sticky. Both of you tremble in each other’s hold as you come down.

“Fuck,” he whispers.

He holds you, arms coming up around your waist in a very slippery embrace that you sigh into. You’re totally smearing his cum over his stomach and probably his shirt — he opts for sucking his fingers clean.

Taehyung has ruined you. He has utterly and totally ruined you. You came, twice, with people on the other side of the door no less. And it was hot. And you might want to do it again.

You hold in the laughter that bubbles up and you feel him smile once he kisses you. He tastes of you still and you’re certain he can also taste himself on your tongue as he seeks it out. His hands have slowed, tender as he soother over your naked body. It’s contrasting, goosebumps erupting all over your skin.

The door clicks, you’re alone again.

“Good lord,” you exclaim.

He throws open the door, shrouding the both of you in the bright light. You were right, his cum is smeared over your skin, and your dress lays crumpled on the closet floor.

“You might want to put on something else,” he chuckles, running a hand through his absolutely ruined hair. It’s soaked with sweat, sticking to his forehead in strands.

You sigh, slipping into the bathroom to clean yourself off and cover yourself. “Did we just…?”

“We totally did,” he grins, shirt off and standing by the open window. It’s the first chance you get to properly admire him. He’s tan, lightly toned, and his shoulders are broader than you thought. “And I hope you enjoyed it because I definitely want to do that again. And,” he walks over to you as you’re midway into pulling your underwear back on. “I still want to fuck you,” he growls as he kisses you.

You blush, suddenly uncertain. “I — not the closet thing.”

“Okay, maybe not the closet thing but fuck, I’d give a lot to come in that pretty mouth of yours.”

His words sound so casual but they’re not. You’re not entirely sure how to react to him.

“Too much?” he asks.

You shake your head. “I’m just…a little out of it.”

He nods, giving you a knowing smirk as you find your bag with your dress. “Understandable, I’m sorry if I—“

“No!” You stop yourself at the sound of your own voice. “No, Taehyung please. That was literally the hottest thing I’ve ever done and I definitely am up for doing it again. It’s just that you made me come twice, once ruined and once in a closet nonetheless. I’m also still semi-naked and am going to have to explain that I changed dresses.” You’re stressing out.

Taehyung chuckles, a sound that is already growing on you. “Well,” he says, twirling you when you’ve got your white dress on. You find yourself chest to chest, him kissing you a few times, just softly. “The story goes that I spilled wine on your dress and you had nothing else to change into but this. Oh, and you spilled your drink on my shirt too, so I’m going to phone Jimin to come help me out.”

Your eyes widen at the mention of his friends name. “You’re not going to tell him are you?!”

“What do you take me for?”

“You lied pretty convincingly to the lady at the front desk!”

“Oh stop,” he says, kissing you again. His lips are swollen, as are yours, but they’re soft and you keen into the gesture. “I don’t lie to the girl I like.”

He…what? He can't be serious right? You scoff, pulling away from his grasp and fishing a pin out of your bag to put up your messy hair. “The girl you like, sure Kim Taehyung. Do you fuck all girls you like in a closet?”

He scowls at you as you walk to the door. “I most definitely do not.”

“Well then, how does my makeup look?” you ask as you wipe under your eyes. Not that you had much makeup left to begin with.

Taehyung gives you a look, one that speaks volumes in a language you can’t discern. It’s not like before, it’s changed. There’s a small smile playing on his lips as he observes you — almost fondly. You must be imagining it. “You’re makeup looks fine.”

You smile. “Thanks, I’ll see you around.”

When you close the door behind you, you lean against it, thoughts falling over you. What you just did was so wrong but so good and the thought of doing it again is enough to excite you. Yet, you can’t just let yourself fall for Taehyung while you barely know him. Yes, you might click but what relationship is going to come of this now that you did that. Even if you’d want to — do you?

You ponder over it as you walk back down the stairs to where the party has started to come to an end.

The chime of your phone stops you mid-flight.

Unknown: You. Me. A week from Saturday. 7pm. Dinner. I’ll pick you up x Tae [18:43]

Your heart flutters as you see the sign off of his name at the end. Maybe he is serious about this. You realise that you can’t let him slip between your fingers. Technically, you already did once.

He isn’t like others guys, you shouldn’t treat him as such. Taehyung is mysterious and sweet, but also has an air of — maybe not danger but he's alluring. It asks for you to give him a chance.

But maybe, not too easily.

You: Okay, but you’re paying [18:45]

You: Wait, how did you get my number? [18:47]

Taehyung: Demonic powers ;) [18:48]

Taehyung: Wear that dress next week [18:48]

Special thanks to: @jeonkookd @lapysllazuly @btsaudge @bubypjm @sunshineangelhobi

LET ME KNOW IF YOU LIKED IT!! <3

@flowerymoonlight @mooniva @lunyua @jimini-chim @bts-reveries @pyschxdxlic-sugaaflower @mrcleanheichou @leavingthegroup @burgeoninggirl @taechnological @4dtaelien @multisong @shreya-pjm @queen-ofthe-lunar-dreams Sorry to those I couldn't tag!!

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parksbornfics · 4 years

Text

Blood and Coconut Water

So uhh... Vampire!Harry

TW: Blood

.oOo.oOo.oOo.

Summary: Harry gets bitten by a vampire and less than pleasant hijinks ensue.

Word Count: 16,236

Date of Completion: Wednesday, May 6th, 2020

.oOo.oOo.oOo.

Harry woke up with a vague remembering of what happened the night before along with an aching neck. He had been on an actual business trip to Pennsylvania for budgeting. The night before was his last night there so he thought why not tour around the streets. He had been walking for a while when a figure had attacked him in an alleyway. What exactly happened? He wasn’t really sure.

He felt fine other than the pain in his neck and his groggy memory. He actually felt better than fine, like he could take on a pro wrestler and win. His alarm went off, signaling that he had to get ready for his flight. He stood up and stretched. It was… weird. He felt so awake, so prepared for the day. He walked over towards the drawer and stopped at the sight of himself in the mirror. There were holes in his neck, like those traditional ‘bitten by a vampire’ holes. He examined them for a moment, feeling a rush of shock and confusion before he shook his head. He could worry about that later. He has a flight to catch.

.oOo.oOo.oOo.

As the plane landed he still felt surprisingly energized. He stepped out of the airport into the bright light, he felt the heat burn alarmingly hot. He immediately took a few steps backward back into the building, before looking at his arm which was now throbbing lightly. It looked like it was sunburnt. A sunburn in winter with the sun barely shining. He was sweating in the airplane and he was still feeling hot, but he as he tried again to step out into the sun again he felt the same burning.

“Fuck it. I’m sweating.” Harry mumbled to himself as he pulled his jacket back on. He walked out into the sun and felt his face heat up. Taking a breath, Harry made a dash to the car waiting for him.

Bernie got out and opened the door for Harry. He got in and thanked Bernie, who took his bags to the trunk. Harry sat in the middle, the sun streaming in slightly from all sides. He stared at it, feeling mild discomfort. “What the hell?” He muttered.

He rubbed his neck where the two holes were. They had healed over completely which almost confused him even more. He looked down at his phone and began typing, but stopped when he realized what he was looking up. “No way what the hell am I doing…” He looked at the search bar. He was half-way through typing, ‘are vampires real’.

He turned his phone off and rested his head in his hands when he heard the car door shut. He looked up to see Bernie. “Where would you like to go, Harry?” He asked.

“Home. I’m spent.” He replied, shaking his head. In truth, he wasn’t even tired, more so confused.

The car took off and Harry closed his eyes and tried to think of a logical explanation for what was going on. Vampires weren’t real so that couldn’t be it, even though it made so much sense. Maybe it was just something he ate that was bad.

He opened his phone again, deciding that it was worth a shot. As soon as he hit search a bunch of joke articles. Then there was one that looked sorta serious. It had a .gov thing so it had to hold some truth to it. He began reading it, taking in every detail and comparing, before feeling chills run down his back. “Fuck.” He whispered aloud.

In short, the document talked about a man named Dracula who was a real-life Vampire, and he was on SHIELD’s hit list. Guess where he resided. That’s right, Pennsylvania. The page strongly suggested not going out alone at night. Guess what Harry did.

The car stopped and Bernie happened the door and Harry took another breath before running to the shade of his looming building.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Bernie asked, handing Harry his bags.

“Yeah, just really tired,” Harry assured him. He took the bags and entered. He bee-lined to the elevator and hit his floor. He went back to check the article.

Natasha had written about the symptoms of what happens when one turns into a vampire, which was lucky for him. He read through them and felt his stomach drop even further with every similarity. Memory loss, two puncture wounds in the neck, intolerance to sunlight, enhanced healing. Then there were the ones he doesn't bear similarity too. Enhanced speed, enhanced strength, iris color changing to red, feeling cold, fangs, and the one that concerned him the most, bloodlust. He felt a chill run down his spine before he shook his head. "No, no fucking way, this can't be real." He began before stumbling back and taking a deep breath. I gotta do more research…

The elevator’s door opened and Harry stepped out. Immediately he made his way to his computer.

He spent hours upon hours researching what to do to cure his sickness. Killing the vampire that did this to him was out of the question. Without the memory of who did this, he didn’t want to go back to Pennsylvania and just start stabbing.

The other ways were mostly useful if he lived in a movie or book series. Maybe there was a scientific way that he could cure himself. If he could get in contact with Natasha then maybe she could help. But if he did, SHIELD could try to do something to him. Not that they’re known for experiments, but the only case they had of a vampire was Natasha.

At least he found out that coconut water would be able to hold him over. He just had to steer clear of blood at all times so that his instincts wouldn’t take over. He swallowed thickly and leaned back in the chair, his head throbbing. He stood up and began pacing as he ordered some coconut water and some English blood sausage. He couldn't just order straight blood, so foods that contain blood would be his next best option. He stared at his phone for a moment, not entirely sure what else to do, when he got a notification from Peter. He smiled fondly. It was a selfie of Peter on his bed, hair messy, eyes glowing bright green, and his retractable fangs out in a toothy smile. The caption read "just woke up and the pearly whites were out in my sleep". He chuckled fondly before replying with, "The flight got delayed a couple of days. I'll be back Wednesday." He felt guilty for lying. He hated lying to Peter, but he wanted to try to figure this out before he faced Peter. His phone dinged, with another selfie from Peter who was pouting, along with the caption, "You'll be back for Friday night date night right?"

Harry felt his blood run cold. He had forgotten about date night. Last Friday he'd had to cancel because of the conference. If he were to cancel again he’d feel like a huge jerk. He was already lying about being back so the least he could do was actually go through with the date night.

“Of course! I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Harry sent back. Now he had to figure this out before Friday night. Peter replied with a simple selfie of him smiling happily, and Harry screenshotted the image. He shut his phone off and looked at his computer. He was on a really tight schedule now. He sat down, his hands hovering over the keys for a moment, before getting to work.

.oOo.oOo.oOo.

The pass week Harry was able to get a good hold of his newfound strength and weaknesses. He was able to find a way to hide the most skin without looking sketchy and also that vampires have venom that turns people into vampires, so if he were to drink from a human then they wouldn’t turn into a vampire unless he really wanted them to. That and he learned how to properly cook a blood sausage by himself. Also, coconut water sucks ass.

His fangs had appeared two days after being bitten. Whenever he ate some meat or something hard they would sharpen and grow slightly.

He hadn’t even realized that Friday had come around until he got a text from Peter. “I’m so excited to see you tonight!” He flinched at the text before letting out a sad sigh. He refused to skip the date, but he still worried. He stood up and pulled a light blue sweater over his head. He watched and let out a silent sigh of relief that the date was happening at night. He smiled at the idea of seeing Peter face to face again. He pulled his shoes on and stepped over to the computer, searching for any last-minute cures he may have missed. He let out a sigh, knowing he wouldn't find anything. He bit his lip before sighing and shooting a text back. "Neither can I! It's been so long since I've seen you ❤"

He forced a smile on his face and decided he could last one night. It was Peter, after all, he could never hurt him.

He called Bernie while getting into the elevator, asking him to bring the car to the front. In the elevator, he took notice of how his reflection was somewhat faded. Another thing he’d have to avoid at Peter’s.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Harry stepped out and made his way to the glass door, seeing Bernie through them. Bernie saw him and went to open the glass doors for him.

“Good evening Harry, you feeling alright?” He asked as Harry stepped out into the evening air.

“Good evening, and yes I feel fine. Why do you ask?” Harry began walking to the car with Bernie by his side.

“You just look pale. I don’t want you kicking the can in the back while I drive.” This is why Harry likes Bernie, he was afraid to joke around with him.

Harry laughed while Bernie opened the car door. “I assure you I’m fine.”

Harry made himself comfortable in the back seat before pulling out his phone. They were planning on picking up Peter outside of his house and going to the restaurant from there. He was excited to see Peter, to say the least. It had been a full 10 days since he last saw Peter and he missed him a lot, but he was still worried about his newfound vampire powers. He hummed softly as he thought about his enhanced strength. When it first occurred he had broken 4 glasses by just holding them before realizing how much stronger his grip had become. He stopped when he realized Peter must’ve gone through something similar when he first gained his powers. Not to mention Peter didn’t have a website to learn what to expect. It all must’ve been new and alarming to him. He felt his stomach drop for a moment, before feeling the car came to a stop.

He looked up to realize they were in front of Peter’s house. He felt his smile grow as Bernie opened the door for him. “Thanks, Bernie.” He said as he dusted his shirt off.

Bernie smiled. “Go blow his socks off.”

Harry nodded and let out a nervous huff, before strutting up to the door. His hand hovered away from the wood for a moment before he took a deep breath and knocked. His heart pounded heavily in his chest. He felt almost as nervous as he did on their first date.

Almost immediately after the door, open Peter had tackled him in a hug, not enough to knock him over but enough to have him stumble back.

“Woah! What was that about?” Harry laughed, hugging Peter back. He did so carefully, knowing he could potentially accidentally snap him in half.

“I haven’t seen you in days!” Peter responded, looking up. “Plus, I felt like it.”

“We can talk more in the car, we don’t want to lose our seats.” Harry grabbed Peter’s hand and lead him to the car.

“Are we going to a fancy place?” Peter’s voice conveyed slight panic. Harry turned and got a good look at him, the only reason he’d be worried about a fancy place is if he wasn’t dressed nicely. In Harry’s opinion, Peter was never not dressed nicely. He was wearing one of Harry’s old sweaters. It was a little big on him but it looked really good on him.

“No, it’s just always packed. Heard it was really good.” Harry kissed Peter’s forehead before opening the car door for him.

Peter blushed and smiled, before sliding into the car. “Why thank you, Mr. Osborn.” He teased.

Harry laughed. “Anything for you, Mr. Parker.” He replied.

He walked to the other side and jumped in, smiling happily at Peter, who immediately leaned in for a kiss. Harry happily obliged, kissing him back and grabbing his hand. “I really missed you.”

Peter smiled. “I missed you too, Harry.”

Harry grinned and pulled Peter’s hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles. I light pink dusted his cheeks but he laughed and leaned over to kiss Harry’s cheek. “Dork.” He teased softly.

The car started up and took off. Bernie turned up the music enough so he couldn’t hear the two in the back talking. He fully accepted their relationship and all, but sometimes they seemed to forget someone else in the car.

“So how were those extra days in Pennsylvania?” Peter asked.

Harry took a moment to answer. “Boring. I was stuck in an uneventful area most of the time.”

Peter sighed. “Must’ve sucked, huh?” He asked gently.

“Oh, you can say that again.” Harry lied. He pulled his hand away so Peter couldn’t feel his pulse speed up.

Harry saw Peter’s face fall at the lack of contact and immediately felt a rush of guilt before grabbing both of his hands. “I love you.” He murmured.

Peter flushed bright red at that, before smiling. “I love you too.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Harry’s lips who happily kissed back.

Finally, after a few moments, he pulled away and gave him a look. “What the heck Harry you’re freezing.”

He stiffened, knowing he was probably unnaturally cold. “O-oh, I am?” He questioned, looking down.

Peter nodded. “This coming from the one who can’t thermoregulate, so that’s saying something. Are you okay?”

“I took an ice bath.” Harry blurted. Peter gave him a look. “I wanted to try it and I would never do it again.”

Peter slowly started laughing “That is probably as stupid as the hammock thing I did.”

Harry laughed, feeling some of the stress leave him. This was honestly going better than he thought. He thought for sure that Peter would have figured it out by now or half of it.

The car came to a stop in a busy parking lot. Bernie turned to the two love birds in the back. “You two have fun, not too much fun though. Last time I brought Peter home with a bruised neck I thought that Ms. Parker was going to kill me.”

Harry laughed. “We will Bernie,” Harry promised as he stepped out of the car.

He jogged to Peter’s side to meet him as he stepped out. Peter had a nervous look on his face at the restaurant. “This place looks pretty upper-class, Harry.” He mumbled worriedly.

Harry smiled and moved hair gently out of Peter’s face. “Don’t worry, Pete. You look amazing right now.” He promised gently.

Peter blushed slightly, before nodding. “I’ll take your word for it.” He sighed.

Harry began to lead Peter into the building, squeezing his hand carefully as to not use his newfound powers but to still show his affection.

They stepped in and Peter felt slightly out of place. The music was classical and the waiters looked like they had yachts. Harry gave him an assuring look before walking up to the waiter at the welcome table.

“I have a reservation under Osborn,” Harry said kindly. The waiter nodded after looking through a book. He led them to the far corner of the restaurant where there was barely anyone. Peter and Harry liked having peace on date nights.

“Jessica will be right with you.” The man said before walking back to his post.

Peter winced slightly. “This place feels reeeaaaallly upper class, Harry.” He mumbled worriedly.

Harry sighed and grabbed his hands. “Pete, it’s just us, alright? Nobody’s judging us.” He promised kindly.

Peter cast him a worried glance before nodding. “If you say so.” He mumbled.

Harry nodded. “Its okay hon.”

After a few moments of silence, a woman stepped over. “Hello, I’m Jessica.” She placed down two menus for them. “Can I get you two something to drink?”

Peter smiled. “I’ll take a sweet tea with lemon please if you have any.”

Harry winced before sighing. “Do you guys have coconut water?”

Jessica nodded. “Yep! Sweet tea with lemon, and coconut water. I’ll be back with your drinks in just a few minutes!” She chirped and left.

“Coconut water? Really Har?” Peter teased lightly.

Harry laughed. “H-Hey! It’s good!”

“Did your newfound love for coconut water form over in Pennsylvania?” Peter teased more.

“I said it was good, not that I loved it.” Harry smiles as Peter laughed slightly.

“Whatever you say, Coconut boy.” Peter then looked down at his menu. Harry did the same, desperately looking for something that had blood in the title. He didn’t know why but a sudden wave of hunger had come over him. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he was surrounded by people now. He did sorta isolate himself after he had figured out what was going on.

He bit his lip slightly when he realized that there were no blood-related options. He decided to go for the next best option, steak, and hoped that along with the coconut water, it would be enough to hold him over. He took a slow breath and leaned back. Peter seemed to notice his distress

when he looked up from his menu. “Hey, Har, are you okay? Did something happen in Pennsylvania?” He asked worriedly.

Harry smiled fondly. Peter always knew when something was wrong, but now wasn’t the best time for him to make the connection. “No hon, nothing happened. I’m fine.” He lied, hoping his airy laughter would be enough to settle Peter down.

Peter winced before sniffing lightly and leaning forward. “You know you can talk to me if anything happens, right?”

Harry smiled a reassuring look. “I know, bug. I’m okay, I promise.” He said.

“Okay.” Peter gave up on pushing for answers for now. Harry was as stubborn as him when it came secrets, Peter knew that. To have a fight about a secret now was pointless and against the rules. Date nights meant no fighting.

The waitress came back with the drinks. “Are you two ready to order?” She asked, her voice still chirpy.

Peter smiled and nodded. “Uh, Harry you order first, lemme look one more time real quick,”

Harry nodded. “Alright. I have the steak, rare please, and I’ll get a fruit salad.”

Jessica nodded and smiled, writing the order down. “And you?” She asked, turning to Peter.

“I’ll get the everything burger and some fish sticks please.” He asked.

Jessica smiled and looked up. “Do you want any tartar sauce for your fish sticks?”

Peter nodded. “Yes please.”

Jessica wrote down the orders and took the menus. “Your meals will be out shortly!” She replied cheerily.

“Thank you!” Peter called as she walked away.

Harry laughed fondly. “You’re adorable.”

Peter blushed slightly. “Shush.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “I’m just stating facts.”

Peter let out a whine that got Harry to laugh. They ended up having a back and forth of who was cuter or more attractive. That slowly just got them to talking about random stuff until their food arrived.

“Here’s steak with the fruit for you.” Jessica put the plate in front of Harry. “And the everything burger with the fish sticks.” She then placed the burger in front of Peter. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

Peter smiled. “We will!”

He was quick to attempt to take a bite when half of the burger fell out the other side. Harry began to laugh as Peter coughed. “Thank fuck they gave me a fork.” Peter murmured, grabbing it and stabbing at the fallen lettuce and tomato.

Harry chuckled as Peter shoveled it into his mouth. He took a sip of his tea before taking another bite as Harry began cutting into the steak. The two began eating in comfortable silence, feeling a rush of ease come over them. It was peaceful and quiet as they ate.

After thirty minutes of comfortable silence, Jessica came back with the check. She placed it in front of Harry and then left with a smile. Peter went to reach for it but Harry pulled it away fast.

“Nuh-uh.” Harry smiled. “She put it in front of me, I’m paying.” Instead of seeing Peter’s usual frown when he didn’t get to pay, Harry saw that he was surprised.

“That was fast.” Peter got out.

Harry realized how quickly he must’ve moved to obtain the check before Peter did. He put on a faux smile and replied, “I guess being a vigilante is improving my reaction time.”

Peter narrowed his eyes suspiciously and sniffed. Harry could tell that Peter knew something was up. He put on a gentle smile. “I’m okay, Pete.” He lied.

Peter nodded. His suspicious look still remained though. He stood up at watched carefully as Harry pulled out his wallet, signed the check, and left $50 in cash. “That’s a huge tip.” Peter snorted.

“It’s the usual 15% and I added some since she was nice,” Harry replied.

Peter laughed. “Alright then,” He watched quietly as Harry organized himself and drank what was left of the coconut water. Something was definitely wrong with him. Not only was he acting weird, but he smelled different. Your natural smell is not something you can change, and Peter knew Harry’s scent better than he knew his own.

“How about we continue date night at my house? A movie maybe?” Peter asked. He wanted to see if Harry was really was okay. Extra time with Harry was also a plus in all this.

Harry stiffen slightly. Was he really going to risk a night with Peter? If he did he could put Peter in danger the whole night. If he didn’t then he’d be giving Peter a reason to be suspicious.

“S-Sure!” Harry was barely able to hide his slight hesitation from Peter, but somehow he managed to.

Peter smiled happily and did a small fist pump. Harry laughed, his worry fading slightly. He could never hurt Peter. He stepped to the smaller boy and pressed a kiss to his temple. “Let’s go.” He sighed, pulling out his phone.

Peter nudged his hand away lightly. “Harry, we can take the subway. Let him have the night off.”

Harry hesitated slightly. The subway always put him on edge and god knows what it would do to him with his newfound vampire powers. “Alright.” He replied, pushing his anxiety aside.

Peter took Harry’s hand and walked out of the restaurant. The walk was quiet considering it was a New York street. Once they were underground Harry felt his anxiety coming back.

“It smells,” Harry commented.

“It always smells.” Peter retorted getting Harry to nod in response. The train came into the station and Harry and Peter stepped on.

Harry stiffened at the sight of an old man on the back of the subway, who was silently eating a jar of pickles. He mentally cringed as Peter pulled him away. “Don’t make eye contact, I’m willing to bet he's on drugs.”

Harry turned to Peter, feeling disgusted. “How often do you see shit like this?” He whispered.

Peter laughed. “On a daily basis. It's just like that on subways.”

Harry looked between them. “I don’t like that.”

Peter led Harry to the far end of the car, away from the pickle man. The ride was thankfully uneventful, the guy just stayed eating pickles on his side and Harry and Peter stayed in their side.

The train came to a slow stop and Peter stood. Harry stood up quickly with Peter, wanting to get off of the smelly train and just be at Peter’s house already. Peter laughed gently and touched his arm as he led Harry off the train. “Relax Har, I doubt he’d do anything. If he does, I can protect us.” He promised, kissing Harry’s jawline gently.

Harry shifted and nodded. “Hmm.. okay.” He mumbled.

He followed Peter quietly off the train and followed him out of the subway, into the cold winter air. He smiled as Peter squeezed his hand lightly and began swinging their arms. Harry smiled and squeezed his hand back. Peter made a face and chuckled lightly. “I really underestimate how much stronger you’ve gotten since you’ve become a vigilante.”

Harry glanced at him. “Huh?”

“Your grip, it's a lot stronger now,” Peter replied, a smile on his face.

Harry loosened his grip. “S-sorry.”

Peter raised an eyebrow. “That was a compliment, Har. It’s good that you’re getting stronger, you’ll be able to fight better.”

“Oh, uh, thanks.” Harry stuttered. He couldn’t hide that one.

“Are you sure that everything is okay?” Peter felt Harry’s forehead, still felt cold.

“I’m fine, just didn’t expect to be called strong today.” Harry smiled. It was a long shot but it seemed to work.

“You’re always strong, hon.” Peter rested his head on Harry’s shoulder and the two continued to walk.

The rest of the walk was silent, with Peter occasionally slowing to kiss Harry’s cheek. Finally, they got to Peter’s house. Peter fished the key from his pockets, before opening the door and letting Harry in. He closed the door carefully and locked it, turning to Harry with a grin. Harry smiled back before Peter looked around. “May?” He whisper-shouted, as he snuck out into the living room.

It was silent as he looked briefly, before turning to the kitchen. He entered, turning on the light, and looked around before seeing a note in red sharpie on the counter.

‘Peter, I got called to the hospital to work the night shift. I’ll be home at about 6 in the morning, you stay safe. Call me if you need anything. -May’

He smiled lightly at the note before turning to Harry. “Looks like we got the house to ourselves, Har!” Peter called.

Harry smiled as Peter stepped over to him, pressing a kiss to his lips. Peter rested his hands on Harry’s shoulders as Harry pulled him closer by the waist. Slowly the kiss began to heat up as it deepened. Peter wanted to try something new. He prodded his tongue against Harry’s lips. It was surprising for Harry, but who was he to not give it a try? Harry’s hands moved up to the back of Peter’s head and Peter moved his arms so that they were draped over Harry’s shoulders. Harry had a grip on Peter’s hair, pushing Peter into the kiss even more. Peter gasped slightly only for it to be hushed.

It was exciting. Well, that was until Harry accidentally bit Peter’s tongue. The taste of blood exploded in his mouth, but it wasn’t disgusting to him. Peter’s blood tasted better than the blood sausage or the coconut water. He couldn’t describe what was so wonderful about it but all he knew was that he wanted more. He needed more. He-

“Harry?” Peter’s voice was soft. He didn’t even realize that Peter had pulled away from his lips. Then Harry realized what he was thinking. He knew that he was wrong to think these things, but half of him was assuring him this was right. That he needed to get more of Peter’s blood.

“Was that too much?” Peter asked, trying to get Harry to speak to him. Peter noticed something in Harry’s eyes. Primal fighting against the usual confident yet soft look in them.

He knew the look too well, fighting against your own instincts, he’s seen it in Miles’ eyes, and he’d felt it himself in the past. He took a step back. “H-Harry?”

Harry took a step back and gasped, shaking and clutching his head. Harry straightened after a few seconds. Peter felt his eyes widen as Harry looked up. His eyes were darker than usual. Peter immediately turned to run when his spidey sense screamed, but Harry was already on top of him. He felt his heart pound in his chest as he felt Harry’s hot breath on his neck. He felt teeth dig into his neck and he let out a strangled and furious hiss as he began to attempt to kick Harry off. Peter immediately pushed on Harry’s chest, getting enough room to squeeze out.

Immediately after squeezing out, Peter got up and tried to get to the door. His neck stung and he could feel the blood flowing down, but right now he was on a survival high. Harry was on him again, this time slamming Peter to the wall.

“Harry, please! Get off!” Peter begged as he tried to push against Harry again. The scariest thing about this is how quiet Harry was.

Harry caught both of Peter’s arms and pinned them to the wall, his right arm higher than his left. Harry went down to his neck again. The blood covered the left side of his neck. It was too messy to see the original bite marks. Peter felt his tongue press against his neck and it moved up. He couldn’t help but gasp and shudder as Harry pressed fangs back into the original holes and Peter screamed. Unlike last time the fangs felt like they were serrated and had hooked into his throat.

His head began to spin as Harry kept him pinned. He kicked and hissed, but Harry was heavier than him and much stronger than usual, and even despite the circumstances, he didn’t want to hurt him. His head continued to spin as he struggled when dark spots appeared in his vision and he felt light-headed. He gave one more futile attempt to kick Harry off when he felt his limbs drop involuntarily, and he was out. Peter’s head fell to the side, giving Harry more room.

Harry kept drinking until he felt full. Even when he was full he almost continued, his blood tasted that good, until he realized what the hell he was doing. He gasped and let go of Peter as he took a step back. Peter slid down the wall. His head hung forward and his arms laid limply at his sides. Immediately a rush of panic overtook him when he saw Peter’s limp form. He ran forward, his hands hovering away from him. “Peter!? Peter- oh my god- Peter!”

He lifted Peter’s head to look at his face. His lips were parted slightly and his eyes were closed, way too relaxed. It looked like Peter was asleep or… He grabbed Peter’s arm in a panic and searched for a pulse. He nearly collapsed when he felt one. “Oh thank god-” He wheezed. He picked Peter up and carried him to his room, his heart rate never slowing down. He scrambled around the room, searching for the first aid kit Peter kept around for his rough patrols. He found it under his desk. He ran to the bathroom and grabbed a hand towel and wetted it, before returning to Peter’s room. He quickly began cleaning the blood which had poured down Peter’s neck and felt a rush of disgust when he realized how much he wanted to continue drinking. He threw the cloth aside to prevent himself from sticking it in his mouth, and wrapped Peter’s neck carefully, praying Peter’s powers would be able to keep him alive.

He felt his heart drop as he realized that he did this. He barely held back tears when he looked over Peter’s figure. The sweater he’d been wearing was now dark and bloodstained, his hands were covered in blood from when he tried covering his neck, the gauze on his neck had been turning red quickly but seemed to slow. He prayed silently that the wound was small enough for Peter’s body to take care of, as he pulled away.

As much as he thought it would be best if he left, he just couldn’t. Peter deserved to know what was going on after all of this. So he sat in Peter’s office chair and waited. He didn’t deserve to be in his room or anywhere near Peter, but he had to see him wake up.

While he waited, his brain brought him back to Peter’s blood and the bite. He hated that he was thinking about it and enjoying it. It was all fuzzy but he could hear Peter’s begs and screams. He could smell Peter’s blood and natural scent. He felt Peter go weak under him. And he wanted to do it again.

Why had this affected him so much? He had had blood sausage, shouldn’t that have stopped him from going nuts? Maybe it had to do with getting blood from a source that was still alive. Harry didn’t need an explanation to know that he was to blame for this. He should have been more controlled than this. Tears began to stream down his face as he realized what could've happened. What if he'd killed Peter? What if he lost control again? What if he killed someone else? Tears were cascading down his face as he curled into himself.

He didn't know how long he stayed like that, but soon, Peter began to stir. He shot up, and grabbed a water bottle, rushing to Peter's side. "Pete? Are you okay?" He whispered breathlessly.

Peter made a small noise as Harry handed him the water bottle. "Here."

Peter glanced at the water bottle, seeming almost confused, before opening it and gulping the entire thing down. He pulled away and coughed, shaking his head, before groaning softly. "Wha... What happened?" He mumbled out, looking up at Harry.

Harry took a breath to explain, when suddenly Peter's eyes changed, beginning to glow bright green as he hissed and moved backward, his hand flying to his throat. He pressed himself into the corner and wavered, his eyes squeezing shut as a wave of nausea came over him. He quickly recovered and hissed at Harry. "What the hell Harry!” He snarled.

“I lost control. That explains my actions but doesn’t excuse them.” Harry stated. “Something did happen in Pennsylvania, Peter. I know that I should have told you earlier but I didn’t think that you’d believe me. I got bit and became a-“

“Vampire.” Peter finished for him. “We’ve literally fought werewolves together, Harry. Were you starving yourself?”

“No. Well from actual blood yes.” Harry sighed. “I just didn’t know what to do.”

“You could have told me. The Avengers have a vampire protocol!” Peter yelled.

“Clearly I didn’t know that.” Harry snapped, his eyes darkening and teeth sharpening for a moment until he saw Peter’s scared face. Harry covered his mouth and took a few deep breaths. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” Harry gave his apology from behind his hand.

“You really don’t have any control over that, do you?” Peter asked, scooting a little closer.

Harry shook his head silently while frowning. A sad look crossed Peter's face before he straightened up slightly. "Can you hold yourself over for tonight?" Peter asked gently.

Harry thought quietly for a moment. Could he? After a few moments, he decidedly nodded. "Yeah."

Peter nodded before reaching down and grabbing the gauze and applying a second layer onto his neck. He stood up and changed his shirt, throwing the bloody sweater aside and pulled a clean one, also one of Harry’s, over his head, before taking off his jeans and pulling on sweatpants. Harry stared at the floor guiltily as Peter sat on the bed. There was a moment of silence before Peter sighed. "Come here."

Harry looked up. Peter had made a space for him on the bed and he had a soft smile on his face. Harry hesitated, before standing up and sitting on the bed. "Harry, get over here," Peter repeated, pulling Harry close.

He yelped slightly as Peter hugged him. He stayed still for a moment, before squeezing his eyes shut and moving closer to Peter. Peter felt him begin to shake. "I'm sorry Peter, I'm so sorry... I-I didn't mean to- I didn't want to- I didn't want to hurt you I just-"

“Ssssh, it’s okay. We just need to work on control.” Peter hushed, running his fingers through his hair. “If you need a drink again, ask.”

Harry pulled away to look at Peter. “Really?”

“Yeah, only on the arm though.” Peter gave an airy laugh. “I’ll be your human juice box until we get this fixed.”

Harry visibly cringed at that. "Don't call yourself that. I feel guilty enough." He mumbled.

Peter let out a weak laugh. "Alright. Could you go get me some water, god knows how much blood you got from me and I gotta stay hydrated if I'm caring for you too now."

Harry immediately nodded and ran downstairs. He grabbed the largest water bottle he could find and filled it up, before refilling the water purifier. His mind wandered for a moment as he put the container back into the fridge. He really didn't deserve Peter. After what he just put him through, he's willing to do this for him. It wasn't something he took for granted. He dropped a couple of ice cubes into the water before closing the top and taking it upstairs. "Here." He said, handing the bottle to Peter as soon as he entered the room.

Peter smiled and thanked him before chugging a bit more. After a moment, Peter laughed. "What?" Harry asked.

"I guess this is payback for all the times I've bitten you." He snorted.

Harry felt his face turn red before raising an eyebrow. "First of all, those were consensual. Second of all, I enjoyed those. Third of all, I did the same to you."

Peter snickered before bearing his own fangs. "Yeah but you've never had fangs before." He teased. "How's it feel?"

"Awful." Harry groaned. “They’re way too big and the sharpen randomly.”

Peter started laughing but interrupted himself with a gasp. “It’s Fanged Friday!” Peter laughed at the face Harry made. Slowly Harry found himself laughing at it.

“I guess it is.” Harry sighed. “Now drink, I don’t want you dehydrating on me.”

Peter rolled his eyes. "God I've just given you an unlimited juice box and you're already taking me for granted."

Peter watched as Harry violently cringed at that. "Stop."

Peter chuckled. "Harry I'm fine. I can only chug so much at once." He replied gently.

Harry hesitated for a moment, before taking a deep breath. “I don’t.” He finally said.

“Hm?” Peter questioned.

“I-I don’t take you for granted I mean. I love you so much and I’m sorry for hurting you.” He murmured.

Peter smiled. “It’s okay, Harry.” He replied gently. “I know you don’t.”

Harry let a small smile appear his face. “Are you tired?”

“Sorta, just let me finish this water and I’ll sleep,” Peter answered before taking another sip. “Are you tired?”

Harry focused on himself. He wasn’t tired, but he hadn’t really slept all week. He had tried taking a nap but it didn’t work. “No, not really.”

Peter hummed softly and took another sip, before closing the bottle. “I think that's about as much as I can get down for now.” He said, setting the bottle on his bedside table.

Harry nodded. “Okay, do you want anything to eat?” He asked.

Peter immediately perked up at the mention of food. “Under my bed, I’ve got a candy stash.” He chirped, leaning over the side and pulling out a shoebox.

Harry watched curiously as Peter opened it. He pulled out a few candy bars. “Do you still eat regular food?” Peter asked, giving him a curious look.

Harry shrugged. “I dunno.”

“What have you been surviving on?” People gave Harry a concerned look.

“Coconut water and English blood sausage,” Harry responded quickly. Peter shouldn’t have to worry anymore.

“Well do you want to try and eat something else?” Peter held out a granola bar. Harry hesitated in taking it, he wasn’t sure what could happen if he tried to eat it.

Shrugging, Harry took the granola bar and took a bite. After a few chews, it tasted like ash, and Harry gagged.

“Nope, nuh-uh.” Harry stood up quickly and ran to Peter’s trash can and spat it out.

Peter cringed lightly. “Sorry.” He mumbled, stuffing a Snickers bar into his mouth.

Harry smiled softly. “It’s okay.” He promised while wiping his mouth.

He walked over and sat down beside Peter, who smiled at him. Peter closed the box and tossed it haphazardly aside and yawned. Harry chuckled lightly and poked his nose. “You’re adorable.”

Peter smacked his hand away and rolled his eyes. “Hush. Naptime.” He decided aloud.

Harry nodded as Peter fell back and nestled under the covers. “Come on, Har.” He mumbled, getting comfortable.

Harry raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think-”

Peter grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down. “Even if you don’t need sleep, you should at least rest.”

Harry hesitated for a moment, before hesitantly wrapping his arms around Peter, who smiled gently. He placed his head on Harry’s chest. His heartbeat was slower than he thought it would be. Considering that Harry was now a vampire it shouldn’t have surprised him as much as it did, but it upset him slightly. Usually, Harry’s heartbeat would put him to sleep easily. With the new slower one it took longer.

Peter managed to fall asleep with his slower heartbeat. Harry stared quietly at Peter. He felt so small in his arms, and he couldn’t help but feel another rush of guilt. This was his fault. He should’ve just told Peter what had happened, not waited until he nearly killed him. He sniffed and tightened his grip on Peter. He needs to control himself better, which is something he’ll start to work on. He closed his eyes. He may not be able to fall asleep, but he can at least pretend and relax.

He stayed like that for a long time. He heard Peter began to purr at some point that interrupted his thoughts for a moment.

At some point, Harry felt his face burning. He did his best to ignore it at first, but it began to hurt like hell. He opened his eyes and was immediately blinded by the sun. He began hissing and he pushed Peter off of him quickly and rolled off the bed to the shade.

“Harry?” Peter asked groggily, leaning over him.

“I’m okay, just the sun.” Harry groaned, rubbing his eyes and the slight burn.

Peter cursed and sat up, closing the blinds. “I’m sorry I should’ve closed them! Are you okay?” He asked, looking worried.

Harry looked at his reddened skin and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

Peter was at his side almost immediately, checking the burns carefully. “How do you feel?” He asked gently.

Harry shook his head. “Okay.” He murmured.

Peter watched quietly before sniffing him lightly. “Okay, don’t hurt yourself.” He mumbled.

Peter held his head until Harry could open his eyes. Harry blinked a few times before being able to keep his eyes open.

“You wouldn’t believe how many times that happened during this week.” He laughed lightly. Harry held his hand over one of Peter’s after catching his worried expression. “I’m fine. Just no sun.”

“Okay.” Peter relaxed and stood up. His neck stung slightly when he looked around. He didn’t say anything about it to Harry because he didn’t want to have him feel any more guilty.

He took a deep breath and began walking towards the door. “We should probably call the Avengers, they can help.” He said.

Harry nodded. “Will… will they…”

“They won’t hurt you, I’ll make sure of that,” Peter said firmly, a protective look crossing his face.

Harry smiled softly before he nodded. “Alright.”

He stood up, careful to avoid the light, and followed Peter downstairs. Peter closed the blinds and looked around carefully for a moment. “May should be home by now but since she had the night shift she’ll probably be asleep for a while. We have a couple of hours.”

Peter went into the kitchen and got himself a bowl of cereal. Harry waited for him in the doorway, not trusting the curtains in there to protect him. Peter came back out into the living room and sat on the couch with Harry following him like a lost puppy.

“Does it still hurt?” Harry asked, now looking at Peter’s neck.

“Eh, I’ve been through way worse pain than this. I’m fine, just sore.” Peter acted like that was a completely normal response. It was for him, but Harry still cringed, thinking about how much pain Peter has been through.

Peter turned on the TV. It already had an opening card for a movie. He had a habit of leaving discs in the DVR. Peter let the movie continue and began to eat his cereal happily. Harry laughed when he realized it was Back to the Future. “Why do you have Back to the Future on DVD?” He questioned playfully.

Peter shrugged. “Ask Aunt May. I found it yesterday and started watching it before you showed up.”

The two sat quietly, enjoying the movie when Peter stretched out over Harry. He looked down to see Peter lying comfortably on his stomach, his head in Harry’s lap. He was on his phone, presumably texting Kamala. Peter wrapped one arm around Harry’s back and supported his phone with it and had his other arm under his chin as he typed one-handed.

“So, she said that we could meet up at night.” Peter piped, shutting his phone off. “We don’t want them to see a crisp Harry Osborn now do we?”

Harry gave him a smile and patted his head. “That we do not. Are you really okay with me staying the whole day? I don’t have any coconut water.”

“I’m perfectly fine with you staying here, just tell me when you’re hungry,” Peter responded sweetly.

Harry smiled softly, before beginning to comb his fingers through Peter's hair. It was quiet as the movie played, with occasional laughter and small talk, but for the most part, the couple remained silent. As the movie ended, Peter glanced at the movie case. "What do you wanna watch now?" He asked, looking over the backs of the movies as he examined them.

Harry leaned forward. "What do you have?"

Peter shrugged. "A lot."

“Okay, I’ll look,” Harry said, trying to stand. Peter wrapped his arms around Harry’s waist as he stood up.

“I’m not letting go.” Peter looked up with a smug look.

“Well, I’m not stopping.” Harry then went to the DVR, Peter still wrapped around his waist. He had assumed Peter had gotten up and followed him.

“So what movie-“ Harry looked and saw that Peter was still halfway on the couch. “Peter.”

“What?” His voice was laced with a laugh.

Harry began laughing at the ridiculousness of his position. "Peter- Peter get off the couch."

Peter began laughing while trying to keep his arms firm around Harry's waist. "No."

Harry grabbed his face and pushed him gently. "Release me!" He shouted playfully, attempting to shove Peter off.

Peter screamed and clutched Harry's shirt. "NO!"

Peter kept his grip tight as Harry tried to pry the fingers off his shirt. “You’re going to fall.”

“I’ll fall when I say I will.” Peter laughed.

“You two are just the definition of clingy.” May laughed. She was already dressed in the scrubs.

Peter screamed, not having heard her enter, and his legs slipped off the couch. He squeezed Harry's abdomen, making Harry yelp. "Peter!" He shouted.

Peter still didn't release despite now laying on the floor. "Morning Aunt May." He called to her.

She laughed. "Hello boys, how was your date last night?" She asked happily.

Peter hesitated for a moment. "U-hmm it was good! Yeah, it went great!" He lied, his voice cracking slightly.

May didn't seem to pick up on it as she nodded. "I'm glad to hear that." She walked up to the front door and picked up her purse. “I got another shift so I’ll see you night around 1 am. Love ya.”

“Have fun! Love you too!” Peter called as May walked out the door.

“Please let go,” Harry asked.

“Why?” Peter questioned before he felt it. That led to a smile then a laugh. “Oh.”

“Shut it!” Harry snapped half-heartedly with a flushed face.

Peter released him, but still looked playful. "You know, we are home alone now, and we don't have anything to do until tonight." He replied with a grin.

Harry was flustered but sighed. "I don't want to accidentally hurt you." He mumbled. He looked slightly upset that he had to decline.

Peter rolled his eyes and stopped to think, as he approached the movie case. “What about a muzzle?”

“Peter!” Harry was so red that he looked like he was about to explode.

“Alright alright.” Peter surrendered, now pulling out some movies. "Hey, we got Twilight.”

“We are not watching that.” Harry gave Peter a playful glare. “It stupid.”

“Maybe we can learn more about vampires by-“

“I don’t glitter in the moonlight. I get hyperactive.” Harry stopped Peter, who was snickering.

“Okay, no Twilight.” Peter smiled.

He continued sifting through. “We have Harry Potter.” He offered.

Harry sighed. “It’s that or something stupid, isn’t it?”

Peter nodded. “Yeah pretty much.”

Harry huffed. “Alright let’s binge-watch them I guess.” He chuckled.

Peter places the first movie in and stood, lending Harry a hand to get up. Harry took it, not that he needed help up but because he wanted to hold his hand.

The two went and sat down on the couch. Peter pulled his legs onto the couch while Harry kept his on the floor. The movie screen card popped up and Peter pressed play. Halfway through the movie, Harry heard Peter hum a song. He looked down, recognizing the tune. He smiled and sang softly along.

“And if you have a minute, why don’t we go,

Talk about it somewhere only we know,

This could be the end of everything

So why don’t we go somewhere only we know”

Peter jumped at Harry’s voice when he began singing. “Shit you heard that?”

Harry laughed and nodded. “Yep, I got enhanced hearing too now hon.”

Peter visibly cringed backward. “Mmmm, don’t like that.”

“Why? Are there things you don’t want me to hear?” Harry asked, half teasingly and half concerned.

“I think I’ll just start snapping in your ear whenever I mumbled to myself,” Peter responded. He was dodging the question so that was a yes.

“You better not. I almost blew out my eardrum Wednesday.” Harry muttered the last part.

Peter snickered lightly. “Now you understand.”

“I didn’t realize earbuds would be so painful!”

Peter recoiled. “Yeah you learn to either A, have them at the lowest volume, or B, headphones at, again, a low volume.”

Harry nodded. “Yeah yeah I got the message. Don’t wear earbuds or keep the volume down.”

Peter chortled at Harry’s irritation, before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Don’t worry hon, you won’t have to deal with that for much longer.”

“Can’t wait for that.” Harry let out a long sigh.

They continued to finish up the first movie and Peter went to put in the second when something felt off. Harry had pulled away when Peter stood up instead of taking his revenge on Peter from earlier. He looked at Harry and saw that he was blocking his mouth with his hand. He could see Harry clenching his fist. Peter frowned and moved towards him. "Are you hungry?" He asked gently.

Harry shifted and avoided his gaze, but nodded. Peter sat beside him and grabbed his free hand hesitantly, before offering his arm up. Harry stopped and watched him with a worried gaze, still covering up his mouth.

“Are you sure?” Harry’s voice was muffled by his hand.

Peter nodded and gave him a reassuring smile. “I’m offering Harry.”

Harry looked down at Peter’s arm and sighed. “Stop me if I’m taking too much.” He said, taking his hand away from his mouth.

“I will.” Peter smiled. Harry took Peter’s arm into his free hand. After taking a deep breath, Harry lowered his head and Peter felt the familiar sting in his arm that he felt last night in his neck.

He winced and turned his head away. Harry was careful to drink slowly, so Peter would be able to tell him to stop if he took too much. The taste of Peter's blood was somehow the best and worst thing he's ever tasted. He knew that the only reason he was upset about the taste was because of how much he cared for Peter and it almost disgusted him how much he was enjoying the taste.

After a few minutes, Harry felt Peter squeeze his hand slightly harder. Harry pulled away and saw that Peter had dropped a few shades but he was still smiling at Harry.

“Are you feeling better?” Peter asked.

Harry released his arm. "Y- I'm sorry, are- are you okay?"

Peter swallowed. "Yeah I'm okay, I just need water."

Harry felt a slight rush of guilt. "Alright, okay yeah I'll go get some." He stood up quickly and made his way to the kitchen, careful to avoid the patches of sunlight, before reaching into the fridge and grabbing a water bottle and running back to Peter's side.

He gave Peter the bottle, who was quick to chug it. “Do you mind changing the movie?”

“Of course not, just a sec.” Harry quickly ran into his boyfriend’s room and picked up the first aid kit. He scaled back to Peter’s side immediately and started to clean up the blood.

Peter smiled fondly. “Harry, I’m okay.” He reassured gently, an amused look crossing his face.

Harry didn’t reply, focused on cleaning the blood and wrapping the wound that now graced Peter’s forearm. “I’m sorry.” He mumbled, still cleaning.

Peter rolled his eyes. “It’s okay Harry, I let you do this.” He promised.

Harry didn't reply but continued to clean the bite marks. Peter smiled fondly as Harry sealed the tape. "I love you." Peter murmured.

Harry smiled back. "I love you too, Peter.”

When he was satisfied with his bandaging job, Harry went to put the second movie in, kissing Peter’s forehead before doing so. He came back to Peter’s side quickly. Once he sat down Peter pressed into him.

Peter pressed play on the remote and the familiar music filled the room. He leaned comfortably into Harry and felt himself wander in and out of consciousness. Harry felt Peter begin to purr against his side as he began to drift asleep. Harry smiled and leaned down to press a kiss to Peter’s forehead. “Sleep tight, hon.” He murmured softly.

Peter shifted in his sleep and let out a long, relaxed sigh. Harry couldn’t help but fawn over his tiny boyfriend.

~~~

“Peter? Peter?” Harry cooed, shaking the sleeping teen. Peter let out a whine and looked up. He was right on Harry’s chest.

“Hm?” Peter muttered softly, nuzzling his chin into his chest.

“We should start getting ready to leave,” Harry whispered, running his fingers through his hair.

Peter let out another pitiful whine before a shiver ran down his spine and he attempted to get up. Harry chuckled as the small boy wobbled his way to his feet. “You’re adorable.” He laughed playfully, as Peter stood.

Peter hissed lightly at him before wrapping his arms around his body. “God it’s cold.” He whimpered.

Harry stood up and approached him, touching his shoulder lightly, before Peter flinched back. “You’re cold too. No more cuddles until you are normal temperature.” He growled teasingly, before making his way upstairs, shivering lightly.

Harry laughed to himself, knowing full well that Peter would cave before him. He waited at the bottom of the stairs. He could hear Peter’s footsteps coming down.

“Are you putting on the mask?” Harry asked seeing Peter’s bag.

“Nah, they know and I was upset for two weeks.” Peter nudged Harry in a joking manner.

Harry nodded hesitantly before a more confident look crossed his face and he nodded. “Alright.” He replied.

Peter looked around, before grabbing a few granola bars and eating them casually. “The sun still needs a couple of minutes to fully set, but we can be off pretty soon.”

Harry nodded. “Alright.”

“Any last-minute requests? Are… are you hungry? You’ve only… eaten, once today.”

“No,” Harry replied quickly. “We don’t need you passed out on the subway.”

“Mmm, good point.” Peter smiled, heading to the door. “Don’t go starving yourself though.”

“I don’t want to drink any more blood.”

Peter nodded understandingly. “Alright, hon.”

Peter chugged a few more glasses of water, and scarfed down one more granola bar and a hard-boiled egg, before trotting towards the door. “Let’s go, it’s dark enough now.”

Harry nodded and followed Peter out of the door. Peter locked it and pocketed the key, before turning and walking towards the nearest bus stop.

Harry was next to him and Peter looked him up and down and started laughing slightly. He took Harry’s hand and pulled him down slightly. “Look down.”

Harry did so and realized that he was levitating an inch off the ground. As he realized he fell slightly down meeting the ground.

“Ooooo, flying Harry. Are you going to go to the moon?” Peter was doing his stupid voice.

“Please stop, I’m begging you.”

“Gonna go to the moon, space boy?” Peter's voice turned into a laugh.

“Hush!” He snapped playfully.

“Make me!” Peter threatened.

Harry leaned forward and kissed Peter on the lips, making the boy lean back slightly before the boy pulled away and ducked under Harry’s second attempt at kissing him. “Come at me!” He shouted, before turning and running down the walkway.

Harry began laughing and chasing after Peter quickly. Peter glanced over his shoulder to see Harry much closer than he anticipated. He let out a playful cry of alarm and sped up, running close to top speed with Harry keeping up well. He felt arms wrap around him and he screamed playfully as Harry tackled him, toppling them both in a ball of flailing laughter. Peter kicked Harry off of him and bared his fangs impishly, and Harry did so as well. Peter recoiled and hissed before the two began laughing softly.

They collected themselves before the bus came. The driver didn’t seem to give two shits about what was going on. A few other people were already on the bus, most on their phones.

Peter took a seat in the only open chair and scooched so that Harry had some room. Harry sat down next to him and the two made themselves comfortable. Peter pulled out his phone and two pairs of Bluetooth earbuds and handed one to Harry. “I got an idea.” He said.

Harry raised an eyebrow, but turned on the earbuds and connected to Peter’s phone. Peter began hiding what he was searching for as a devilish grin crossed his face. Harry narrowed his eyes at him before Peter began giggling, and he turned the phone to Harry. He had turned on Vampire Diaries.

“Why are you like this?” Harry glared at Peter.

“I’ve learned to joke about things.” Peter smiled.

“Can you turn it off?” Harry begged.

“No.” Peter gave Harry big innocent eyes. Harry let out a groan. “This isn’t even the first episode so you’ll never know what’s going on.”

“Torture.” Harry groaned again.

Peter laughed softly at his boyfriends’ distress, before turning to the phone and leaning into him. Despite Harry’s mock-hatred of the show, he leaned back into Peter and found himself enjoying the moment. Less so because of the show, but because he was here. Out and about with Peter. Just how he loves it. And despite the complaining, Harry became curious about the show and its plotline after a few minutes of watching Peter’s intense gaze on the phone. He hummed quietly, and that’s how it was in the ensuing 20 minutes before the bus came to a halt. “We’ll have to take the subway from here,” Peter replied.

“If there’s another guy eating pickles I will cry.” Harry and Peter stood and walked off the bus. The closest subway was another twenty minutes away.

“There probably will be.” Peter laughed as Harry’s face turned into disgust. “Or maybe a naked man.”

“What?” Harry blurted, caught off guard. Peter nodded. “Fuck.”

Harry cringed as Peter snorted. “You haven’t even seen the worst of it Harry. One time on the way to school there were literally people having sex, it was horrifying.”

Harry gagged at that. “Stop- stop it- Peter-”

Peter began laughing loudly. “Welcome to New York City, hon.”

Harry gagged again, his face changing to absolute horror. “Peter, if people are having sex, I will shamelessly end their life.”

Peter laughed loudly and shoved him lightly. “Stop that! I understand where you’re coming from but murder is a no!”

“Public indecency is a no too but they don’t seem to care so why should I?” Harry gave Peter a devilish smile as Peter shoved him lightly again.

“No. The cops can take care of both of those things.” Peter scolded lightly.

“Did you call the cops when it happened?” Peter stayed quiet. “Point proven. I’ll become the vigilante that subway needs.”

Peter laughed at the comment. “Alright, subway-man.” He teased before his eyes widened. “ALRIGHT JARRED-”

“STOP.”

Peter began laughing loudly and had to stop for a moment as Harry glared at him. “You are a bad person, Peter.” He scowled.

Peter only continued to laugh as they walked. Harry couldn’t stop the smile that crept onto his face. Peter’s laugh was just enough to do that, no matter how stupid the joke was or stressful the situation.

“You’re not going to drop this, are you?” Harry asked and Peter shook his head.

Harry shook his head, unable to force an angry face. “God- you!” He yelled playfully, before breaking off into laughter.

Peter snickered before burying his face in the crook of Harry’s neck. Harry sighed fondly and intertwined their fingers, before glaring at him playfully and continuing to walk in peaceful silence. The silence, however, was soon interrupted when Peter nudged him lightly. Harry looked down at him, and Peter kissed his cheek. “Look forward.” He murmured.

Harry obeyed curiously before Peter whispered quietly to him. “Someone’s following us- don’t turn around. They’ve been following us for the past three blocks.”

Harry looked over his shoulder and sure enough, there was someone there. Head down and hands in their pockets. He wrapped his arm around Peter and held him close.

“If they try anything, I’m going to bite,” Harry whispered.

Immediately, Peter glared at him. “Don’t kill him.” He warned.

Harry nodded and sped up lightly. After a moment, he felt Peter gasp beside him and his eyes widened as he turned to try and meet the man, who had quickly and suddenly rushed up behind him. Harry turned to attack, but the man had already grabbed Peter and was holding him in a tight headlock. Peter hissed and screamed loudly, attempting to throw the man off him, and Harry quickly rushed forward. He stopped when the man pulled out a knife and kept the blade pressed against Peter’s throat, the cold steel sending shivers down his spine. Harry was staring wide-eyed and angry as the man glared and in a raspy voice hissed, “Drop everything of value or I swear to god I will kill him right now.”

Harry reached into his pockets and pulled out his wallet, but kept his hand in his other pocket. Peter was watching them both carefully. He could easily throw this man off his rhythm by throwing him over his head, but the knife was pushed dangerously against his neck.

Harry held out his wallet and the guy went to take it. Harry’s other hand came out of his pocket and grabbed his arm. He pulled him away from Peter, who, luckily, was not cut. The man released the wallet and attempted to use his now free hand to attack Harry. He lunged forward and gripped onto his neck and Harry snarled loudly, crushing the man's wrist in his arm and pulling him towards him to bite him. The man yelped in alarm as Harry bit through his jacket sleeve. He didn’t release his grip but loosened it enough for Harry to shake his hand off his neck, and after he released his bite from him. The man, still not giving up, began attempting to overpower Harry again. He struggled against the man but was able to overcome him with his increased strength. The man stumbled as Harry tried pinning him when he switched the knife from one hand to another and stabbed at Harry frantically. Harry felt the cold steel pierce his skin and let out a cry of pain, when Peter lunged forward, tackling the man over, causing him to drop the knife in alarm. “HARRY! ARE YOU OKAY?!” Peter cried out in alarm.

Harry felt where the stab wound was. He wasn’t bleeding heavily but he sure of hell was angry. He looked back at the man and Peter. The guy was trying to grab his knife while Peter kept him down. That angered Harry even more for some reason.

Peter was surprised to be pushed off of the man by Harry. He hadn’t pushed him hard, but enough to startle him. Harry bared his fangs and grabbed the man by the collar, yanking him upwards. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” He snarled furiously in the man's face, a very dangerous calm to his voice.

The man trembled slightly before saying, “I was-” The fact that the man had the balls to even reply sent sparks of rage through Harry, and he could barely keep himself from killing the man right then and there. “I was looking for money for drugs.”

Harry hissed violently at him, his fangs sharpening. “You’re going to need a lot of those to forget this.” Harry went to bite his neck but was stopped by Peter’s hand which he bit.

“Harry, stop!”

He looked up, somewhat alarmed to see Peter staring at him worriedly. He quickly released Peter’s hand and stepped off the man, who immediately ran as soon as he was released. Harry stared after him furiously, before turning to Peter who was holding his bleeding hand. “Why did you stop me?” His voice was a mixture of fury and concern.

Peter looked at him. “You were going to kill him- what he did wasn’t okay but you can’t kill people!”

Harry felt his heart jump when he realized that Peter's eyes were watering. He looked just a moment or two away from crying. “You do realize that I could have killed you if I had kept going?”

“I knew you wouldn’t,” Peter responded before his face dropped. “You would have stopped, right?”

Harry gave Peter a slight glare and then shut his eyes, letting out a long sigh. “I don’t know.”

Peter shook his head. “Who are we kidding, it’s YOU, Harry. I know you would’ve stopped. Plus it’s not like I’m helpless, I could’ve thrown you off if I had to.”

Harry stared at him quietly, before murmuring, “That’s not the point, Peter.”

“The point is that I love you and I know you love me. I know you’d get control of yourself before you’d seriously hurt me. You did it before, and you’ve just done it now.”

“If I hadn’t realized it was you, I would have popped a major artery,” Harry mumbled. He was ashamed to admit that his mind was jumping with joy at the thought.

They stood in the alley in silence for a few minutes. To passersby, it could have looked like a drug deal going on. Finally, Peter took a deep breath and moved forward to hug him. He wrapped his arms around him and squeezed him tight. “But you did, and you stopped.” He murmured softly.

Harry felt his heart squeeze and he held back tears and wrapped his arms around Peter. A few stray tears slipped out of his eyes and he squeezed him back, sniffing lightly. Harry felt himself begin to shudder as he barely refrained from sobbing out.

“We’re going now, okay?” Peter hushed. Harry nodded, wanting all of this to be over. He also didn’t want to know what this feeling was that was coming over him.

They walked out back onto the street and continued to the subway. Once there they had to wait ten minutes for a train to pull up. They boarded the train, thankfully alone, and Peter held Harry close. He could see Harry's distress and didn't want to leave him without comfort. Harry was thankful for the contact, enjoying the feeling of Peter rubbing his back gently and quietly as he murmured soft sweet nothings as the train chugged along. "So we're gonna meet the Avengers at Avengers Tower and they'll have a cure ready for you. They said it might take an extra day or so for it to completely get rid of the vampirism and it won't be the most pleasant thing you've ever experienced, but it'll be a cure." Peter explained gently and quietly.

“Alright,” Harry mumbled. “I just want to get this all over with.”

“It will be over soon.” Peter cooed.

The train slowed down after 20 or so minutes and they got up and left. Only one person was in the subway station was wearing a hood over their face. Harry and Peter seemed to catch their attention.

“Hey!” She called, catching their attention. Peter looked over and smiled as Harry looked over confused.

“Escorting us there, Kamala?” He teased.

The person- Kamala, shushed him sharply. "Yes, now shut up! I'm undercover."

Peter put his hands up in surrender and felt Harry shift uncomfortably beside him. He leaned gently into Harry and murmured, "It's okay, I know her. She won't do anything."

Harry still seemed uncomfortable, as Kamala watched him curiously. "So you're the one with vampirism?" She asked, her voice lowering as she spoke.

Harry flinched but replied, "Yeah. Pete said you guys could fix this?"

“Yeah, hope you don’t mind injections.” Kamala began to walk up the stairs of the subway with Peter and Harry following behind her.

The streets were of course packed. It was a wonder how they were able to stay near them. As they passed people, Harry’s smelled increased and he began to hyperventilate. Peter intertwined their fingers gently, recognizing that Harry was beginning to have a sensory overload. "Harry, just take deep breaths. We're almost at Avengers Tower." He whispered, feeling Harry began to shake.

Harry nodded and the three began to speed up. "Kamala is there any less crowded way we could take?" Peter asked quickly.

Kamala turned and frowned. "Yeah, but it'll take longer to get there." She warned.

Peter turned to Harry. "Do you wanna take the less crowded way?" Peter asked.

“I think I’ll need to.” Harry nodded. His brain was telling him to hunt and he sure as hell didn’t want to hurt anyone around here.

“Alright, I’ll notify that we’ll be late.” Kamala sighed, pulling out her phone. After shooting a text to Bruce, she motioned for the boys to follow her.

She turned into a dimly lit alleyway, before leading them through a few more, and arriving at a much quieter road. Peter turned to Harry and frowned, seeing the pain and hunger in his eyes. "Harry, do you need to stop to eat?" He whispered gently.

Harry flinched at the idea. When he had bitten Peter's hand and got a taste of his blood, it had made him undoubtedly hungry, but he believed he could last. He shook his head. "I-I think I can manage." He mumbled.

Peter furrowed his eyebrows. "Harry if you need to stop to drink a little, I won't mind. I won't let you drink so much that I can't keep going but it'll be enough to hold you over."

“I’m fine, really.” Harry lied. Yes, he was thirsty, but he didn’t think he’d be able to stop once he started.

“Okay.” Peter sighed, knowing that Harry was lying but decided not to push.

“Are you sure you’re not just an old married couple?” Kamala questioned.

Peter blushed slightly and glared at her playfully. "Hardy har, am I not allowed to worry about my boyfriend?"

Kamala laughed. "You're acting like Tony and Steve after a battle. You're all over each other and worrying."

Peter rolled his eyes. "Oh shut up."

“I bet your spider friends say the same thing.” Kamala smiled. After bickering for a bit they made it to the back entrance of Avengers Tower. Kamala pressed her hand to the door. A few seconds later it beeped and she was able to push the door open.

“Come on.” She motioned them to follow.

The lobby was dark and empty as she led them towards the elevator. She smiled and looked up. "Hey JARVIS, could you take us to the infirmary to see Bruce?"

"Of course Ms. Marvel," The elevator replied.

Peter gasped and looked up. "Oh my god, I forgot Stark had an AI!"

Kamala laughed. "You can talk to him." She said grinning at him.

Peter went wide-eyed before he looked up. "Hi JARVIS!" He yelped excitedly.

"Hello Mr. Parker," JARVIS greeted.

Peter's eyes bulged and he gasped. "You know me?!"

Harry chuckled at Peter's wonder with the AI. “Of course I do.”

Harry watched as Peter’s eyes filled with wonder. If under different circumstances, Peter would be questioning JARVIS like his life depended on it.

“He’s like a child a Disneyland,” Kamala whispered as Peter started asking little questions to the AI.

“You should see him around Scat,” Harry whispered.

Kamala raised a curious eyebrow. “Who’s Scat? Isn’t that another word for… you know, poop?”

Harry chuckled softly. “Yeah, and Scat is his baby spider. He considers her his daughter and treats her as such.” He snorted. “Also wouldn’t call her a little shit. Almost lost my life the minute a brought that point into his view.”

Kamala stared at him. “He has a spider?”

“Duh.”

Kamala stared at him with a somewhat alarmed look before shrugging. “Seen weirder I guess.”

“I bet.” Harry smiled. The elevator door opened with a ding and the group stepped out. Kamala dimmed the lights, noticing Harry wince.

“Follow me.” Kamala waved them over. They walked across the tiled floor to Bruce Banner, who had tested tubes filled with a dark green liquid. He looked up from the desk and smiled.

“Hello there.” Banner stood up with his hand out for both of the boys to shake.

Peter excitedly shook his hands. “Uh- hello Dr. Banner!” He greeted ecstatically.

Banner chuckled as Harry approached and shook his hand as well. “U-um, it’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” Harry said.

Banner nodded at the two, “It’s a pleasure to meet you both as well. Now, which one of you got bit?” He asked.

Peter snorted. “Both of us.”

Harry smacked his stomach lightly and glared at him, a slight blush of embarrassment crossing his face. “Shut up, Peter.”

Peter chortled before pointing to Harry. “He did, sir.”

“Alright.” Bruce stood up and offered Harry his chair. “You’ll need to sit for the injection. I should warn you that you might pass out after.”

Harry nodded, taking a seat. “Please just get it over with.”

Bruce nodded as Peter moved to his side. “Wanna hold my hand?” He asked, only half teasing.

Harry glared at him. “No.” He said. It was a lie. He really did want to hold Peter’s hand, but his pride was getting in the way.

He watched as the needle went into his arm, Bruce looking up at him to make sure he was okay before the dark liquid was injected.

It felt tingly going in his arm. That feeling soon spread throughout his body and became intense. The only way to really describe it was being put to sleep for medical procedures. Harry felt his breaths become longer. His neck rolled back and he closed his eyes.

He felt like he was falling but didn’t meet with the cold, hard, tiled floor. Instead, he shot up in a hospital bed in a pitch-black room. He looked around as his eyes adjusted. He was still in Avengers Tower’s medical wing. Harry tried moving slightly only to have his leg hit something. Looking down he saw Peter passed out with his head on the bed with his arms shielded around him. He reached down and touched Peter’s head. He immediately jerked awake, making a small ‘mrr?’ sound. Harry practically felt his heart explode at that, as Peter looked up and smiled weakly. “Hhhhi Harry…” He slurred softly.

Harry smiled. “Hi, Pete.” He murmured gently, feeling woozy from the injection.

Peter grinned as Harry opened his arms. “Cuddles.” He mumbled.

Peter’s grin grew and climbed up onto Harry, wrapping his arms around Harry’s torso. He smiled and wrapped his arms around the smaller, exhausted boy and let out a deep sigh.

“Why did you have to be so dramatic when you fell?” Peter mumbled, nuzzling Harry.

“What do you mean?” Harry laid his head back onto the bed.

“One second you were fine, the next you death dropped.” Peter giggles a little at the end. “You just completely went ragdoll.”

Harry laughed softly. “Hush, you.” He growled playfully.

Peter took a deep breath and nestled into his chest, getting comfortable quickly. “Can we nap for a minute?” He asked softly.

Harry nodded. “Sure, yeah why not.” And the two dozed off.

.oOo.oOo.oOo.

Early the next day, Bruce opened the door to be met with the sight of Peter fast asleep on top of Harry, snoring softly. He carefully made his way over as to not wake Harry.

Once next to them, he shook Peter slightly. “Hey, Spidey.” He whispered.

Peter made a small noise unhappily, before looking up. He looked up to see Bruce looking at him, slightly amused. Peter mewled softly and adjusted so he could sit up without disturbing Harry under him. After a moment, he finally sat up and looked towards Bruce. “What’s up?” He asked softly, rubbing his face as his eyes adjusted to the light.

Bruce looked at Harry, then to Peter. “It’s noon right now and I didn’t think you’d want to sleep all day.” He said chuckling lightly.

“You wanna bet?” Peter said jokingly. Bruce smiled and let out a little laugh. Peter took his phone from his pocket and saw that he had multiple notifications from Miles. They were all asking where he was and why he was late. The last one stuck with Peter though.

‘Oh yeah, it was date night last night. Take your time recovering 😉’

He felt his face heat up as he nudged Harry softly. “Har, time to get up hon.”

Harry groaned softly and opened his eyes, looking tired as he sat up slowly. “Wha? What happened?”

“You’re not a vampire anymore,” Peter replied, leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to Harry’s forehead.

Harry made a small noise at the contact and leaned into Peter. “That’s good.” He said.

Peter smiled but felt his face heat again as Harry pressed a kiss to his cheek and began working down his jawline. He pushed him away gently. “Harry, Bruce is here.” He warned softly.

Harry blushed slightly. “Ask him to leave?”

“I think it’s our time to leave, Harry.” Peter smiled as he stood up.

Harry felt a rush of disappointment at the loss of Peter's warmth but still stood up and stretched. He felt his tight muscles become sore at the movement as he felt lightheaded from holding his breath for a moment too long. He grabbed onto Peter's shoulder, stabilizing himself, as Peter turned and smiled at him. "Do you wanna go to my house or should I walk you home?" He asked.

Harry cleared his throat and nodded. "I'd like to keep napping with you." He replied, smiling at the brunet.

Bruce laughed softly. "Let me run a few tests to make sure everything's out of your system. Don't want you going home under the assumption you're cured only to find you might not be."

Harry nodded. Bruce went to get the medical equipment of his desk. He came back with them and pulled out a needle. He looked between Harry and Peter. “Maybe you should hold his hand this time. It could calm you enough so that you don’t pass out again.”

Harry looked away embarrassed but did sneak Peter’s hand into his own. Peter smiled and squeezed Harry's hand back happily. Harry felt his smile grow as Peter leaned into him as Bruce drew the blood. Peter moved his head to face him, effectively averting his gaze away from the needle as he took a slow breath, drinking in Harry's returning natural scent. "What do you wanna do when we get home? Other than the obvious."

Harry blushed at the comment, knowing exactly what Peter meant. "Maybe I can take you out for lunch. Regular lunch this time."

“Before you go, let’s see how’d you react to the sun.” Bruce noted, “I mean you haven’t been hit with sunlight yet today.”

Bruce went to open the curtains but stopped until he got a nod from Harry. The sun bathed over Harry and he was glad that he didn’t feel like he wasn’t burning.

“How are you feeling?” Peter asked, “Kwispy?”

“No.” Harry smiled. "I actually feel pretty good."

Peter felt his heart skip for a moment as he watched Harry close his eyes and take a deep breath. He could tell he was enjoying the warmth and light. Peter chuckled softly before pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"I just have a couple more blood tests to run which should only take a few minutes then you should be on your way. Peter, you're free to remove the bandages on your arm and neck. I'm sure the wounds are healed now what with your enhanced healing."

Peter perked at the memory as he touched the scratchy gauze. "I honestly forgot I had these on."

Bruce laughed good-naturedly. "Do you two want anything to eat or drink before you head out?" He offered.

“Water.” The two said in unison. Bruce laughed lightly before leaving briefly the room.

He came back with the water, Peter had been able to take off the bandages and throw them away before he had gotten back.

Harry took the water and chugged it. Definitely way better than drinking blood and feeling bad about it.

Peter smiled as he took a sip of his own. He was glad that Harry was finally able to drink something other than blood. Of course, he was willing to give him his blood, he was just glad that he didn’t have to anymore.

Harry was thankful for a liquid that wasn't blood as he pulled the bottle away from his lips. "Oh my god water has never tasted so good."

Peter laughed at the statement as he grabbed one of Harry's hands. "Well if you enjoy water that much you're gonna love juice."

Harry stared at him wide-eyed before whispering, "Please tell me you guys have apple juice."

Peter laughed loudly before nodding. "Of course we do, hon. Come on, let's have Bruce finish these tests then we can head home."

"I just need another minute," Bruce reassured as he stepped over to a machine in which the blood was being tested.

Harry grinned and watched excitedly as the blood turned in the vial as Bruce tapped on a tablet. "Aaand, done. You're all clear." He said aloud.

Harry pumped his fist. "Yes! Peter, let's go!"

Peter laughed as Harry grabbed his arm and pulled him up from the bed. Harry got out of his bed quickly and dragged Peter to the elevator. “See you around Dr. Banner!”

“Goodbye Parker.” Banner waved as the door shut.

“I’m going to eat everything in your house,” Harry said casually.

“Hear me out. We go to an all you can eat place.” Peter smiled.

“You’re a genius and I love you.” Harry kisses the top of Peter’s head and smiled.

Peter laughed happily. "Let me change first. I'm still wearing, you know, a blood-covered sweatshirt."

Suddenly Peter stopped. "Oh my god, I STAINED YOUR SWEATSHIRT! THIS THING IS SO DRIED- IT'LL NEVER COME OUT!" He suddenly wailed, realizing the bloodstain from when Harry had been stabbed earlier and when he had bitten Peter’s hand.

Harry laughed. "Peter I have more sweatshirts,"

"THIS WAS MY FAVORITE ONE HARRY! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" He cried out again. “NOT TO MENTION THE ONE AT HOME!”

Harry grabbed Peter's face. "Peter look at me. I have so many sweatshirts. I can replace this one."

"But- but Harry-"

"No buts. I'll replace it."

Peter crosses his arms and pouted. Harry messed up his hair and got a playful smack.

“Come on, I wanna eat a place out of business.” Harry pecked Peter’s cheek as the elevator door opened.

Harry grabbed Peter’s arm again and ran out the back of Avengers Tower. He wasn’t a fast as he was last night but still fast.

“You’re acting like me after a long patrol.” Peter laughed.

Harry groaned. "Peter I haven't had regular food in ages. Let me eat myself into a food coma."

Peter rolled his eyes. "Still gotta take a detour to change!" He shouted.

The two got on a subway and waited impatiently to arrive at Peter's house. Both of them were admittedly hungry, but Peter wasn't keen on going to a buffet in bloody clothing. They got some strange looks from people as they exited the subway and made their way to the bus station, but Peter didn't mind. He didn't know them and he doubted anyone would call 911, as much as that partially upset him. As the bus screeched to a halt in front of the bus stop, Peter was quick to get off and begin jogging towards his place with Harry in tow.

"We have about 30 minutes until the next bus. If we're quick we both can sneak in a shower. I have an outfit of yours you left at my house." Peter called over his shoulder.

“Sounds good,” Harry called back as he followed. They reached Peter’s door and Harry had to catch his breath. He had vampire speed for so long he had forgotten what it felt like to actually put effort into running.

“Does my Harr-Bear need to get a workout schedule?” Peter teased.

“Oh hush.” Harry rolled his eyes and gave Peter a playful punch. Peter stuck his tongue out while opening the door.

“I’m going to take my shower now.” Peter decided. Before he could reach the stairs, Harry wrapped his arm around his shoulders.

“Or, and I’m just suggesting, take one together? Less time.” Harry noted.

Peter felt himself grin. “I like where you’re going with this. No funny business though, we have things to do, places to be.” He replied playfully.

Harry smirked. “Fine then.” He replied flirtatiously.

Peter rolled his eyes and ducked from under his arm, stepping up the stairs. “You get the hot water going!” He called down.

Harry nodded, quickly following and entering the bathroom at the end of the hall. He turned on the faucet and waited for warm water to begin flowing. In the meantime, he glanced around the bathroom he’d become so accustomed to. The walls were painted a light blue, with a white and green decorative shower curtain and a translucent blue plastic one inside the tub. He’d spent the night so often he had a spare toothbrush in the little red cup that was beside the sink. He turned on the fan and heard Peter step down the hallway with two piles of clothing and two towels. He watched as Peter entered the bathroom, one of his old dress shirts freshly washed along with a pair of his jeans and boxers. He raised an eyebrow. "Okay so how much of that did you steal and how much did I just leave here?"

“Only I will ever know that answer.” Peter smiled, putting down the clothes.

Harry laughed and straightened up, stripping himself as Peter closed and locked the bathroom door. Peter smirked at him and winked playfully as Harry rolled his eyes. “You said it yourself, no funny business.” Harry retorted as he quickly stepped into the shower.

“I may or may not have redacted that statement,” Peter replied as he quickly stripped himself and joined Harry.

Harry chortled as Peter moved in front of him and grabbed the shampoo, handing it to Harry with a small, embarrassed smile.

“Don’t use too much,” Peter warned, hinting at the last time he did. “We don’t need another hospital scare and May giving us the look.”

“I’m still blaming the bottle.” Harry hummed. He squeezed some into his hand and started with Peter’s hair.

Peter snorted. “Of course, blame the inanimate object.”

The two fell silent as Harry massaged the shampoo into Peter’s hair, smiling at the fresh smell and the suds, as Peter began washing his body. “We have two body washes, the blue and the yellow, which one do you want?”

“What do they smell like?”

“Blue is fruit, yellow is vanilla.”

“Yellow,”

Peter handed the pouf to him. “Could you scrub my back?”

“Hehe, short arms.” Harry giggled.

“Shut up and help me.” Peter rolled his eyes.

“Okay tiny baby arms.” Harry smiled as Peter swatted him.

“I’m starting to think another hospital scare would be worth it at this point.” Peter glared.

Harry sighed. “After I de-vampirize? Right before our date?! God, I thought you loved me.”

“Maybe so, maybe not.”

Harry scoffed. “I knew it, you’re just using me for my money.”

“Absolutely. Once we get married, I’m planning your mysterious disappearance.”

“Will there be an episode of cold cases about me?”

“Yep, in 50 years’ time.”

“Then it will be worth it.”

The two laughed playfully as Harry finished scrubbing him. “Alright, rinse off. Let’s switch places.”

Peter rinsed out his hair and the soap bubbles disappeared. After that they traded places, it was slightly awkward but meh, more awkward things have happened between them. Peter scrubbed Harry’s back as he washed his hair and fell into a comfortable silence. After they switched again so Harry could rinse, Peter turned off the water and grabbed the two towels. “Dry off before getting out, I don’t want to wash the carpets again.”

Harry nodded as he began drying his hair off. Peter went to use his towel before just shaking off like a dog. It was an urge that was harmless so why not. Harry covered himself with his towel to keep himself dry. After he dried off enough, he stepped out, Peter following close behind, and went to the counter. He pulled on the clothes Peter had brought, deciding to wait on the shirt until after he brushed his teeth, and waited for Peter to get dressed before opening the door to let a bit of the steam out.

“This room is like the when sims woohoo.” Peter hummed causally. Harry snorted.

“What?” Harry laughed.

“You know when they fuck- oh excuse me, when they woohoo the bed becomes steamy,” Peter said simply.

Harry laughed at that. “Ah yes, hot showers = sex.”

“Woohoo.”

“My mistake,”

Harry started brushing his teeth as Peter scooted in beside him. “Do you always brush your teeth shirtless or are you making an exception for me?”

“Why, you like me shirtless?” Harry knew the answer was yes.

“Nippley Titties.” Peter hummed, poking Harry’s peck. Harry snickered. “Just humongous boobs.”

“Okay, I have tits now?” Harry chuckled.

“Yep, gorgeous man boobs.”

Harry laughed. “I would kiss you but I have a mouthful of foamy toothpaste so let me finish then I’ll give you smooches.”

Peter sighed and reached for his toothbrush. “Woe is me, with my lack of smooches.”

“Oh if they mean so much to you.” Harry took the toothbrush out of his mouth and tried to give Peter a kiss on the forehead. Peter, of course, backed away but Harry was being persistent. “Let me show you my love Peter!”

“Get your rabies away from me!” Peter yelped.

“I’m foaming with love!” Harry replied.

“No gross! Cooties!” Peter cried.

Harry laughed and swooped to kiss him, only to be smacked in the face by Peter. He cupped his cheek and hunched over when he heard Peter cover his mouth and laugh. “Are you okay?”

He felt Peter touch his arm and immediately straightened, grabbing Peter’s arm, tugging him forward, and pressing a sloppy kiss to Peter’s cheek, all the while Peter was screeching.

“You tricked me!” Peter swatted at him then rubbed the foam off of his cheek.

“My love is no trick my dear, it’s all real,” Harry said slyly.

“Now I got cooties,” Peter whined.

“If we’re being technical, cooties are lice. If you have lice and didn’t tell me before cuddling, we’re breaking up.”

“Do you see this fluffy hair that you washed, Harold? If this hair was home to lice, I would be in bed and depressed. We would not have gone on a date, I would be crying.”

Harry laughed for a moment. He went to rinse out his mouth while Peter did something with the shirt he had brought for Harry. Peter then left with the shirt, the sleeves of Harry’s sweater over his hands.

“Hey, I need that!” Harry called.

“No, you don’t!” Peter called back.

He scoffed, “Unbelievable,” under his breath, before spitting out what was left of the toothpaste and chasing after Peter. “Hey, I need my shirt!”

He ran after Peter, who quickly barricaded himself in his room. “Peter!”

“No shirt,” Peter whined from behind the door.

“Why?” Harry asked, still trying the doorknob.

“Because I wanna see you sparkle.” Peter hummed.

Harry laughed. “Peter, I’m not a vampire anymore.”

“But… sparkle...”

“How about this, I’ll go outside with you shirtless, but before we go to the buffet I’m putting a shirt back on. We only have ten minutes until the bus gets here, Hon.”

“Mmm, fine.” Peter hummed, opening the door.

Harry smiled and took the shirt. “Thank you kindly.”

He pulled on his socks and shoes as Peter dressed. “Come on, we’ve only got a few minutes until the bus gets here.” He informed quickly as he made his way down the stairs.

Peter followed behind him excitedly, quietly chanting, “sparkle, sparkle, sparkle, sparkle,”

Harry walked out of the house. “See? No sparkles.”

“I can see you sparkling.” Peter smiled.

“What?” Harry was confused.

“Sparkle.” Peter smiled.

He looked down. “I’m not sparkling, Peter.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Peter, are you talking about the sun glistening on me?” Harry asked.

“Sparkly abs.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine, I sparkle, now give me my shirt,” He grumbled playfully, snatching it from his hands.

Peter whined loudly as Harry buttoned it down. “Come on, let’s go.”

Peter huffed softly but was quick to follow Harry down the road to the bus stop. They got there as the bus was pulling up to let an elderly man on, and they slipped in behind him happily. Harry patted his pants, confirming he had his wallet and phone. Once he was sure, he relaxed as Peter held his hand. “Now we can have a better date,” He hummed excitedly, leaning into Harry.

Harry wrapped his arm around Peter’s shoulders. “Thank god.” He mumbled, kissing his head lightly.

Peter giggled softly and kissed his jawline. Harry smiled fondly and sighed softly. “So where do you wanna eat?”

“Not anywhere up class.”

“Well, that really narrows it down.”

“There’s this one place called Buffet Buffet in Brooklyn.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah,”

Harry snorted softly. “Well, I guess we’re eating there.”

The two stayed close on the crowded bus as it pulled to a halt. Harry and Peter stepped out and Peter stopped to kiss his cheek. “Hey, Har.”

“Yeah?”

“I love you,”

“I love you too.”

#parksborn #parksborn fic #msm 2017 #msm2017 #peter parker #harry osborn #vampires #vampire!harry #bruce banner #kamala khan #tw: blood

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bcketts · 4 years

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TASK 09. GOODBYE ALLIE!

thank you.

it's bittersweet waking up the next morning. she doesn't bring much with her, most of her stuff is still at georgetown, but she remembers thinking of when she first arrived at gallagher; how scared she was, how much she wanted to leave. she looks back at the fortress and pretty much thinks the same things, and by the time the hour-long car ride to washington d.c. is done, gallagher already feels a bit like a dream. the only thing that makes it seem real at all is jack's old watch, heavy on her wrist and clunky. it's already got a few scratches from where she keeps banging it on things, throwing her hands up in the air or about, whacking it on doors and windows. but it's a sturdy thing.

dazed and confused.

they're all allowed to pick up their things, which have been packed haphazardly into boxes for them by residential life, but allie gets two boxes. there's not much she can do with them but decide to ship them home, so she takes an uber to the post office with two boxes of things, not caring enough to go through what's inside, but mostly scared that she might start bawling. it's a weird thing, getting her phone back, and she doesn't expect it to be so dang heavy! she also thought she'd have missed a lot more text messages, but she supposes that she traveled with all her best friends, so how could they have texted her? she gets chipotle in town with a few of her friends before heading to the airport, and it feels nice to sit with the other members of the club and do something normal, just for a little while.

bring it on home.

getting home is the hard part, because she hasn't seen her parents in months and she's worried they hate her, but the second she sees them near the baggage claim, tears spring to her eyes and she's running at them full-force into a big bear hug. they smell the same. she loves her mom's perfume and her family's detergent and the way her dad laughs with his belly. but it's obvious that there's something missing, they can all tell, and the presence of their daughter just hammers home the absence of their son. the group hug feels awkward with just three people, like she's not sure where to put her hands without jeremy around, and her parents keep finding themselves saying "you two" or referring to allie as a plural when she's really just one, a half of a whole.

that’s the way.

"i'm sorry about that phone call, while i was at school," allie says.

"that's alright, you were under a lot of stress."

"no, dad, i meant it. i don't believe the same things any more." and she expects to get yelled at, to get chewed out, but he just looks at her and nods and there's a moment of prolonged silence between them.

"sometimes, i'm not so sure myself. but what else is there?" and that makes allie very quiet, and she thinks she understands why her dad clings so hard to the things he believes in, and it's the exact same reasons why she can't keep clinging to them any longer.

over the hills and far away.

what allie doesn't do: visit her brother's grave and mope around her sad house. what she does do: says forget about it and takes off to the hamptons.

she gets one perfect week. that's what she keeps calling it – her perfect week. where she goes to visit levi in his home in the hamptons, flinging herself into his arms and covering him with tiny kisses just because she can. it's a whirlwind of a week where she gets very sunburnt, laughs all the time, and forgets for a while what it's like to be arkansas allie. she misses gallagher allie sometimes, and she wonders if she'll ever figure out how to be the perfect balance between the two, but right now, she's happy to spend many hours feeling someone else entirely: and that someone is rich! or at least as rich as levi madden is! and that someone has a lot of sex and spends a lot of time laughing and even though she's getting a college degree from an ivy league that could make her a whole lot of money someday, allie thinks that maybe being a trophy wife wouldn't be so bad. she loves the way he smiles, or the way he smiles at her, and she tries not to count the amount of times he does it like each one might be the last and she's got to save every single one of them.

she cries her eyes out when they say goodbye at the airport because she knows it's for real this time, and the thanks him for all the ways he made her feel sane, made her feel like herself again when personhood seemed like an impossible label to reclaim. but she also knows that despite all their pretending, that he's from a different world than she is. "don't let yourself be alone," she says, "just because you won't have a normal person life doesn't mean you shouldn't have people." because most of all, she's terrified that one day levi will be forty-something and he'll look like jack, packing his bags up with no one to go home to. "okay? and please write. you promised. or, i guess you could text me, if you want to be all twenty-first century about it." and she kisses him one last time but she's so caught up in her head about it being the last time that she can't really enjoy it, not properly.

what is and never should be.

allie goes home sunkissed and smiling, because it's sad but it's the final goodbye in the weirdest chapter of her life thus far. and then, summer resumes like normal. she's going to church on sundays with her parents, working the food drive and the bake sale, and facetiming imogen, marlowe, or luce, or...whoever will pick up the phone at any chance she can get.

on the fourth week, she develops a urinary tract infection. this is because she hates to go to the bathroom and she's always holding it, because she knows to get to the toilet, she's going to have to walk by jeremy's room and remember that he's not inside, and wonder what it looks like. so, she makes herself sick, from holding it all in. but it's sort of a wakeup call, a way too obvious metaphor – almost like it was created by a really uncreative writer. she's got to face things eventually.

since i’ve been loving you.

allie can't even open the door to jeremy's room at first, mainly because her parents have plopped his big box of stuff right in front of the door. everything else is exactly how he left it. there's gum wrappers in the trash can, socks strewn across the floor. she checks under the bed and that's how she knows her parents haven't been there – there's still that box of dirty magazines, which atty used to make fun of jeremy for having. "you do know there's the internet, right?" but jeremy was into it for the aesthetic, there was something so much more authentic to jerking off to something on print rather than pixelated. and atty would say it was pretentious. conversations like this used to make allie want to die, and they still do, because she kicks the box back and whispers, "euch." and his weed is still in the sock drawer, which is a remarkably boring place to have put it. he never used to smoke or do anything until he went to college, but allie blames atty's influence. a while ago, allie would've been a good sister and thrown it out, in case her parents ever did catch him for all the weird stuff hidden in different drawers, but instead, she puts one of his led zeppelin records on and lights up, but she has to facetime milena to figure out how to use the grinder, so perhaps it's not as poetic as it sounds.

and then she goes through the box of stuff from his dorm. there's a lot of pictures of imogen, of course, and that makes her heart hurt, because she can literally see where he used to keep them on his walls, the holes of old push pins. his violin, his skateboard, all the things he used to do to keep himself occupied. allie never knew someone so busy and so lazy at the same time. she sighs, lays down on his bed and looks up at the ceiling, knowing every crack and line by heart. it aches, everywhere, but she has to get up to skip stairway to heaven, since that's just too dang ironic.

ramble on.

allie visits his grave on the last day of summer, but it's nothing like his room. she goes with her parents and allie's a sympathetic crier, so when her mom cries, she cries too, but she can't help but think that this isn't where jeremy is. with all the dead people. he's in his room, with all the things that made him himself, or he's at georgetown, laughing with her and her friends in an amnesty international meeting. he's still around, in a way. he's just not here.

bring it on back.

it's the first time that she's ever traveled from pointsett to washington, d.c. alone, but by now it's late august and she's feeling alright, almost excited for the fresh start – to see steph, hudson, and matt again, to start dreaming again how they'll save the world. because it's always more exciting to conspire with friends than alone. but of course, thoughts of gallagher academy linger in the back of her mind, and as she moves to get her bag, she whacks the clunky watch on her wrist on the overhead compartment. she shakes her wrist out, but she smiles as she wheels her suitcase down the aisles and head to hail an uber, grateful for the small reminder that she's not alone, and that it wasn't a dream.

#gallagher:task #muse.#never thought led zeppelin would be the vibe to send allie off with but yk #it's just right

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spookidema · 4 years

Text

(Y/N)ie and The Ferocious Beast

Genre: This is kinda an Angsty boi Pairing(s): Park Seonghwa X Gender Neutral!Reader Summary: Sometimes when we grieve, we need someone to listen to our stories. Please read the bottom for a note.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "He's actually gone," was the first words Seonghwa heard from you all afternoon since you got the new that your grandfather had passed away. You had been held up in your shared bedroom for hours under your weighted blanket crying after you got off the phone with your grandmother, who was the bearer of bad new.

"Jagi," Seonghwa quietly called into the room standing close to the door just in case you sent him away," is it okay if I come in?"

He saw that you just shrugged your shoulders under the blanket and slowly started to approach the bedside and sit sown beside you.

"Can I touch you," Seonghwa asked making sure touching you wouldn't hurt you. He didn't want to send you into a panic attack because he touched you when you weren't ready.

Witnessing you nod your head, he slowly started to rub your upper arm back and forth. You started to sniffed as he did this letting him know you were slowly starting to stop crying, or was about to start again.

"Is there anything I can do," Seonghwa asked wanting to do at least something to help you.

You scooted backwards in the bed and lifted the blanket indicating that you wanted him to join you under it. Seonghwa smiled softly as he joined you. Wrapping his arm around you, you clung to his torso with your head resting on his chest listening to his heartbeat.

You two laid in silence for several minutes, for neither one of you wanted to break the silence before you were ready, as you listened to your favorite lullaby and Seonghwa ran his fingers through your hair and held the hand that sat on his chest.

"Hwa," you said hoarse from crying.

"Yes, my love," he answered.

"How much have I told you about my home," you asked as you rubbed your cheek on his shirt.

Seonghwa hummed as he thought about your question before he answered," you have told me some stories about your home town in Mississippi, some stories about you and your sister and brother in your childhood, some stories about your best friends."

"Did I tell you how close I was to my granddad," you clearifed.

Shaking his head had given you the answer you wanted.

"My granddad was one of the main world in the small solar system I keep, where I also keep you," you started. " He raised me and my siblings with my grandma while my mom worked all the time. Out of all my brother and sister, I was the one closest to him. He was more like a father to me than an grandfather."

"Where was your actual dad," Seonghwa question curious.

"Somewhere. I can't remeber where he went," you explained. " I don't remember much of him, but anyway Pops was a better dad than he was anyway."

"Pops and I were like two peas in a pod. You didn't see him without me and me without him. I was like his little shadow. We were so attached that my very first day at school that he is begged my Nan to go back and pick me up because I looked to small to face that big school by myself," you said as you laughed slightly as you remembered your grandmother telling you that story." He never like see me scared or sad. If I was scared or sad, I would climb into his recliner chair with him with a blanket and I would listen to him sing to the music he had playing on his radio or watch TV with him."

"He taught me almost everything I know. He taught me who to fish, to build, to cook, to basically survive. He and I used to always have a construction project going wither it be building a better porch for my Nan or a new dresser for sister to my brother's bed. You would always catch me with my little overalls that matched his with pockets full of whatever nails/screws we were using and shiny rocks that I would find as we worked. He rarely had to reprimand me because all he had to say was disappointed in me and I would straighten up my act very quickly."

"Sounds like he taught you a lot of useful trades," Seonghwa said as he pictured a young you wearing cute little overalls and a big hat to keep you from getting sunburnt.

"He did," you smiled. " He is one of the reasons that I was able to adapt to cooking here in Korea cause he taught me to try everything and learn from everything and everyone I can."

"How did he take you moving here to Seoul," Seonghwa questioned.

You sighed sorrowfully before you responded," He didn't take it very well. He hated that I wanted to go so far away. He even threatened to tie an anchor around me ankle to keep me there in Mississippi. He didn't want his youngin’ to go to a place where he couldn't get to them. It took my Nan two week to get my Pops to understand that I really needed to leave to become more of myself as a photographer after that I left with a promise to visit once every season and on his birthday and Christmas."

"He was very protective of you I see," Seonghwa smiled as he listened to you. "Me and him would have gotten along great then."

"You would have liked him. He was a cleaning maniac like you," you said. You looked up at Seonghwa and smiled, which told him that you were slowly getting better. " He loved cooking for the 6 of us in the house. He is the reason that I refuse to just cook for myself if the others are over. He never liked to leave anyone out or have anyone be hungry in his house. It actually took me living here in Seoul about a year and a half to lost some of the weight that I had put on during my teen aged years. The first time I saw him after losing that weight he jokingly asked me where his (Y/N)ie and the ferocious beast was because I look 'too skinny' to be me to him. Nan nearly peed herself after he asked me that."

"(Y/N)ie and the ferocious beast," Seonghwa asked confused.

"There was an American kids show that I was obsessed with as a child that was called 'Maggie and the Ferocious Beast' and the nickname just stuck through the years," you elaborated.

Seonghwa smiled as you continued to tell him these things from your early life. In the two year he had know you and the year and a half that you two had been dating, you never said much about your family other than the rare stories here and there. It wasn't because you hated your family or anything. It was because you were so close to your family and missed them so much. He could tell that even now that it hurt you to tell him these stories,but as you did your mood was started brighten.

"Thank you,Hwa," you thanked into his chest." Thank you for getting me to tell you about him. It makes me feel like I could at least tell you about his spirit since you weren't about to meet him in person. It felt like a weight came off my chest."

"You're welcome, and thank you for telling me about him, Jagi," Seonghwa said kissing your head. "You know you can tell me anything. Also if you need me to come with you to the funeral for support, I will."

"Not the prime way I wanted you to meet my family, Seongie," you chuckled sleepily,"but I will definitely need you if you can get time off."

"I will talk to my manager first thing in the morning," he said."Now I think its time for you to get some sleep, love. Today has been a long day for you."

"Okay," you agreed letting Seonghwa's shirt go so he could slid out of bed to change so he could join you.

As Seonghwa joined you back in bed, he held you tight to his chest as he wrapped your blanket around the both of you. He kissed your forehead as you wished each other good night.

"Hwa."

"Hmm."

"Please don't leave me."

"Not for a long long long time.”

"Thank you. I love you, Seongie."

"I love you, my (Y/N)ie."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Author's Note: Alrighty then. Story time. As y'all probably tell this isn't my normal genre/thing to write, but this needed to be written. This has been on my mind for about a week now for this is kinda triggered by my uncle passing last Friday and this is how I'm trying to cope. I hope y'all enjoyed. See you in the next one. Take care.

#ateez fanfic #park seonghwa #jung wooyoung #choi jongho #choi san #song mingi #kang yeosang #jeong yunho #kim hongjoong #ateez angst #Park Seonghwa Fanfic #park seonghwa angst

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burtlederp · 4 years

Text

BTHBingo Card Pt. 1

Writing Blurb 9! It’s finally here! Sorry about the wait. Introducing our new boy, James! He’s not a box boy, he’s from another world that still has slaves. We might see some more of him, we might now. Who knows! Anyways, this also counts as my first BTHBingo tile!! Only took me, what... A month to get started? Yeah. Well, better late than never!

Outlined means it’s been requested, colored in means it’s been done. Masterlist. @badthingshappenbingo

---

It was hot. Blistering, even. The air was thick with humidity, the moisture heated to boiling by the sun. Cicadas trilled, some determined butterflies fluttered over the field, but most life had seemingly taken shelter from the direct light. No birds were flying, nor singing, no life in sight.

Well, there was a man.

The man's name was James, and he was a slave to a master who had been absent for a week. The master of the house was his newest. His old master had died in his sleep, and all his slaves sold as swiftly as his property. James did not know his new master, Master Theobold, very well: he had been around for a day before leaving. For what reason, James did not know. He was a slave, he wasn’t privy to such information, his old master had made him learn that through a whip. But Master Theobold had left a ‘to-do’ list for the three slaves he owned. Though he had included no deadline, said nothing about getting it done before he returned, James assumed his master expected it to be done by the time he got back. It was a little frustrating to see the other two slaves did not feel the same.

The list had been long, and the week not long enough for it. While Nancy and Hearthom lounged about inside the house, escaping the heat, doing nothing, James was out here in the field, working. He had been the only one working for the past few days, and nights. He had fed the livestock every morning and every evening, bringing in the animals as dark came and letting them out to pasture when the sun rose. He had done the laundry, washed the outsides of all the windows on the house, painted the fence, mucked the barn stalls, tended to the gardens, and many more items that had been on that list his master left out on the counter in the kitchen. He had not read it, he couldn’t read, but Nancy could, and she read it to him whenever he needed. He had not slept or eaten in days, too busy to do so, and could not remember the last time he had had a drink of water. He wanted one, very badly, now. But the thought of resting, of not getting all the list finished, and being punished for it, terrified him. The old wounds on his back often still hurt him when he moved a certain way, reminders of the times he hadn’t finished his tasks in the time provided. The pain just made him work harder.

He was out in the field south of the house, beginning the tiring job of prepping it for the next growing season. It had been newly purchased after being left alone a long time. It was a meadow now, with tall grasses and wildflowers and all manner of weeds, all with roots that had burrowed deep into the earth. James punched the shovel into the dirt, overturning a clod of dirt, and did so over and over and over again. It did not always come easily. Often he ran into rocks, into taproots, into thick bundles of roots, and he would have to set down the shovel and get down on his hands and knees, attempting to dislodge the obstruction. Flies and gnats, the only other creatures besides the butterflies out here, pestered him incessantly, but he steeled himself to ignore them. They only slowed him down. He had worked harder jobs before, lifted heavier things, ran further distances, swung an axe more times than he used the shovel, but in the heat, he could not compare this task to anything.

His back was already sunburnt, he knew that well enough. It had been burned ever since the first row of upturned dirt across the field, and had steadily gotten worse. His sweat stung, dripping into his eyes, down his burnt back, into old wounds not quite healed over, and he was thankful it had ceased; he no longer was sweating. He was so hot. He was tired. His arms ached and shook, and every time he raised the shovel, it became harder. His knees were weak, like at any second they threatened to buckle. He was so, so tired. He wanted to lie down and fall asleep until night fell.

He paused, briefly, sticking the shovel into the dirt and leaning heavily on the staff. His breathing was ragged, his hair still slick with the not-quite evaporated sweat. His eyes stared down at the ground beneath his bare feet, all four of them. His vision was swimming, he was seeing double. He squeezed his eyes shut, wiping his brow on his arm, only to remember he wasn’t wearing a shirt. He only had robes from his waist down that he had long girded up. They were growing too hot as well, but he knew he could not shed them too; it would be indecent. Well, more indecent than he already was.

He pushed off the shovel handle, going to continue his work, and nearly fell over. The push had been weak, but enough to throw him off balance. He staggered sideways, and managed to catch himself, wheezing, and went back to his place. He lifted the shovel, squinting as he looked down at the ground, trying to aim his next move. But it was so difficult. His vision was blurry, the sun so terribly bright. He felt sick, his head throbbing. He distantly was aware of his arms dropping the shovel, his own stance wavering slightly. Gods, he was so tired. So tired. He just wanted to sleep. So tired. So hot. He had to keep working, though.

But he didn’t. When he had gone to lift the shovel, his body had not obeyed. Instead, his eyes rolled up into his head, his knees buckled, and his limp, overheated body collapsed into the turned dirt. The shovel staff fell, and rested against his heaving sides, his body struggling to get enough air in, to cool him down. Alas, it could not be done while the sun still shone overhead.

~*~

CJ wiped sweat off his brow, cursing. He was glad he was finally going to be home again, but why did the weather have to welcome him back with such intense heat? He felt dirty, no, grimey, with sweat and dust from the road and from the bugs he continually slapped and just stopped wiping off. He probably looked a sight. But then again, how could someone not on a day like today? It was too hot to do anything.

If the slaves aren’t doing anything when I get home, I don’t blame them. He thought, panting hard. As he came over the rise, he raised his head, and sighed in relief. There was his house, the large plantation mansion, a half mile away, past the fields, not too far now. Spurred on by the desire to be home (and in shade), his pace quickened, ever so slightly. Yes, he’d only been gone a week, but it had been a very long week. He hated leaving home.

So focused on his destination, he nearly missed the progress of the new field he’d bought a couple months prior. He stopped, doing a double-take. It had been a thick meadow before, not ideal for growing or grazing, and he had had plans to have the two male slaves start preparing it come Autumn. But here it was, a third of it upturned, bare dirt mingled with pale roots in the bright sun. But his attention didn’t dwell long on it. He was distracted by the limp form he saw lying on that dirt.

CJ swallowed. He shrugged his bag off his shoulder and onto the road, running and jumping the old wooden fence, sprinting across the field and dropping to his knees beside the man.

“Hey, hey! Are you alright?” CJ shouted, trying to shake the man awake, hands on his cheeks, but the man was unresponsive. CJ recognized him as the new slave he’d bought that past Sunday. What was his name? He couldn’t remember. It didn’t matter at the moment anyway. CJ tossed the shovel off of the slave, and scooped him up into his arms. The slave was a tall, thin, yet muscled fellow, and CJ was not tall, but he was strong. He tossed the poor man over his shoulder and moved quickly across the field, carefully over the fence, and towards the house, his bag forgotten in the lane.

“NANCY! Draw a bath, a cold one!” CJ bellowed as he kicked open the front door. “Do it now!” Nancy had been reclined on a chair in the living room, springing to life as her master entered, half from her obedience and half from having the daylights scared out of her.

“Y-yes master!” She answered, running as quickly as she could across the house to the master’s bathroom.

“HEARTH! GET SOME ICE FROM THE FREEZER, NOW!” CJ shouted, raising his voice even louder, unsure of where the other slave was.

“Yes master!” A voice called from the kitchen. CJ stormed towards his own bathroom, carrying his third slave, muttering curses. As he entered his bathroom, an inch of water was at the bottom of his enormous tub, the cold spigot spilling water. Nancy jumped as he entered.

“I-It’s going to take a minute to fill sir!” She stuttered, eyes wide.

“Fine, help me with him,” CJ growled, and Nancy quickly stepped forward, helping her master lower the slave off his shoulder and into the tub, the slaves' head lolling against the side.

“Go get ice and whatever else is in the freezer!” CJ ordered, and Nancy hurried away. CJ bent over, pulling his knife from his pocket and cutting off the slave’s garments, tossing them to the side as Hearthom’s large figure came through the door. In his hands was a large bucket of crushed pieces of ice that CJ tore from his grip. He held it under the spigot until water overflowed the sides of it, and he promptly dumped it over the unconscious slave. There was no response, and CJ pressed two fingers to the man’s neck. There was a pulse.

“More ice!” CJ demanded, turning to Hearthom, who flinched back, and rushed out the door, nearly running poor Nancy over, whose arms were full of bags of frozen food. She squeaked in alarm as Hearthom nimbly danced around her, just barely avoiding collision, then exited as Nancy darted into the bathroom.

“What was his name again?” CJ asked her sharply as he lowered the slave into the rising water level so his hair was getting wet. The water was turning brown already from the dirt and dust on his skin.

“Wh-who? Hearth--?” Nancy looked at him, confused, placing the bags of food in the tub.

“No, scab! I mean him!” CJ snapped, gesturing to the man whose forehead he was pressing a bag of frozen peas against.

“O-oh, I--Um--James, his name was James,” Nancy answered quickly, swallowing, recoiling.

“Help me, Nancy!” At her master’s harsh command, she leaned forward, holding the ice on the man’s neck while CJ arranged packs of frozen food around him. James’ breathing was ragged, his chest heaving, his lungs struggling, his pallor ashen. His tired, brown eyes fluttered, opening weakly.

“Ah, good, good, there we go, there you are,” CJ’s voice was soft, reaching up and putting a gentle hand on the slave’s cheek. “Perfect, perfect. James, can you hear me? James?” Brown eyes, glazed and distant, flickered to his master’s face. His brow furrowed.

“M-master…?” His voice was a hoarse whisper, his mouth so dry, it felt like his tongue was swollen, getting in the way. Was… was he lying down? In water? Ice water?

“Yeah, it’s me bud. Keep your eyes open for me, will you?” CJ smiled. “Nancy, get a glass for the poor man.” Nancy nodded and scurried away as Hearthom returned with more ice. The two men gently shifted James so he was sitting up a bit more, and carefully emptied the second bucket of ice onto the abdomen of the slave. James groaned softly, squeezing his eyes shut, fingers balling into a fist as his head lolled to the side.

“No, no James, come on, no sleeping, not yet,” CJ shifted James’ head, tipping up his chin so his tired brown eyes could meet his master’s green. Something cold pressed against James’ forehead and neck, feeling lovely. He was so hot, this felt so nice, but unreal. None of it felt real. It was all somehow warped to him, nothing still, every straight line wavering just slightly. He stared up at the ceiling, wishing it would stop bending in, falling slowly towards him.

Something pressed against his lips--water. He let it in, drinking greedily, too weak to lean forward or to raise his arms. They felt like lead, immovable. The hazy form of his master was in front of him, holding a glass to his mouth from which he drank.

“There we go, there we go, yeah, that’s good, good,” CJ said softly, not letting the delirious man drink too much too fast. When James emptied the glass, his master refilled it in the spigot as Nancy returned with more ice, Hearthom gone to do the same. The water level was high enough, and CJ turned it off.

“Hey, hey, James, can you look at me?” CJ asked, and slowly, James raised his eyes to rest on him, though he wasn’t sure if the slave was actually focusing on his figure or not. “Hey, James. We didn’t ever really get the chance to meet properly, did we? I’m CJ, I’m your new master.” James nodded slightly.

“I know,” James breathed. “I remember you.”

“Well, that is a very good thing. I would be worried if you didn’t.” CJ smiled gently. James didn’t. “Hey, what were you doing out there in that field? You weren’t working, were you?” His heart sank as James nodded again.

“Yessir.” His voice was so soft, so quiet, CJ was glad he’d turned off the water or else he wouldn’t have heard him. “I… I was trying to… To finish the list you left… before you came back.” CJ’s eyebrows knit together.

“The list…?” CJ puzzled, rubbing his chin. He remembered it, suddenly. The scrap of paper he had scribbled on before he’d left Sunday night, just trying to make sure and remember all the projects he wanted done eventually. Had James really thought he wanted all that done in a week? “Oh, the list.” CJ sighed. “How much did you get done?” He inquired haltingly. James closed his eyes, thinking, slowly raising an arm from the brown bathwater to hold a handful of ice to his neck.

“Half, I think… At least…. Five, six things… I’m sorry, Master.” James croaked, opening his eyes again, looking to his owner mournfully.

“I, heh, about what?” CJ scoffed. “James, I…” He studied his slave. He had already known he looked terrible, but CJ noticed how tired the poor man looked. “James, when was the last time you actually slept?”

“It’s… been a few days.” James responded. “I was trying to finish the list.” CJ closed his eyes, scoffing, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“James, I am so sorry… That… That wasn’t a to do list. Well, it was, but not like… I didn’t… It wasn’t things I wanted to get done before I got back, it’s things I want to get done by next planting season.” CJ explained. Nancy entered with another bucket as James processed this. A soft, gentle smile turned the corners of his mouth. He leaned his head back, closing his eyes.

“Oh.” He said softly, barely audible. CJ held the back of his hand to James’ neck. Still warm, he motioned for Nancy to dump the ice.

“I think that’s enough, thanks Nancy,” he said. She nodded, and left. CJ turned back to the quiet man in the tub. His smile had faded.

“I’m sorry.” CJ thought he had heard wrong for a second, but no, James had whispered the apology.

“Whatever for?” CJ frowned.

“I… I assumed--”

“Oh, hush James.” CJ shook his head, smiling. “You… You have done nothing wrong. Foolish? Yeah, you went out and did hard labor in a hundred-degree heat, nearly the same percentage humidity! But… Disobedient? Wrong? Nah. Nah. You’re fine.” CJ patted James’ cheek and got to his feet. “You saved you and Hearthom’s asses a lotta work come spring. Now take it easy. Get clean, get some new clothes, and rest. You’ve earned it.” CJ smiled, standing at the door of the bathroom, James watching him tiredly. CJ knocked once on the doorframe and left the man alone in the tub with his thoughts. His very, very tired thoughts.

Nancy, at some point, delivered a towel and a set of clean clothes, and left a bar of soap out for him. Eventually, James found the energy (from where, he had no idea) to get the soap and wash himself as best he could, continually jerking awake again. The water was cold, yes, but he was so fatigued. He was comfortable sitting down, with something to lean against, no hot sun beating down on him….

When he opened his eyes next, he wasn’t in the tub anymore. It was dark. He was clean, dressed, in a bed. Not his bed, no, not the comfortable pile of hay in the barn, but a bed. He knew he wasn't supposed to be here, in a bed. Beds aren't for slaves, his old master spat in his mind.

But James couldn't move. He was exhausted, and he had never felt anything so soft as the pillow beneath his head, the mattress under his body, the sheets, down comforter, and blanket on top of him. It was comfortably cold outside the covers. He didn't want to move. He closed his eyes, and let himself slip off to sleep.

#whump community #whump #heat stroke #hyperthermia #overheating #bthbingo #working themselves to exhaustion #remember kids #drink water #tw: slavery #slavery #slaves #au #burtlederp writes #writing blurb 9 #writing blurb

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dxmichelle · 4 years

Text

The 12 Days of Fic-Mas (Day 4): The Visit

Summary: Yugi travels to see an old friend.

The only one who knew he was going was his grandfather. If he told his friends, they would just insist on making the journey with him, and in any other situation? Sure, the more the merrier. But this time, he wanted to go alone. And if he had to see the disappointment on his friends’ faces, he would have given in out of guilt in a heartbeat.

He met the Ishtars at the airport, and held the strap of the bag on his shoulder a little tighter. They didn’t talk much on the long drive other than idly catching up with what everyone else was up to.

Yugi was surprised that they didn’t drive to the site of where the Millennium Items were laid to rest, though, he did remember the tomb entrance did collapse after Atem passed through the doors to the afterlife. Nor did they go to the place where he and the others, with Shadi’s help, entered the Millennium Puzzle to help Atem save the world. Again.

Instead, they stopped at the entrance to a nondescript tomb.

“Is this it?”

“It is,” said Ishizu. “Will you need a guide?”

Yugi shook his head. “I don’t think so. …In a way, I’ve been here before.”

Marik handed him a torch and stepped back. “We’ll wait here for you.”

“Oh,” said Yugi, “Well…I might be a while.”

“It’s fine,” said Ishizu. “Be careful, and take as long as you need.”

Yugi took a deep breath and started the journey down. It took less time than he initially thought to get through the first chamber, and was surprised at himself that despite not remembering where all of the floor traps were located, none of the giant serpent statues along the walls shot their poisoned needles.

Were all of the darts deployed by visitors in the past? By the tomb keepers that had come through recently? Was he just lucky?

Or…a fleeting thought passed through his mind. Was his presence detected, and he was allowed safe passage?

He waved the idea away. The magic was gone.

Wasn’t it?

Yugi continued onward, down the stairs and into the next chamber. The passage maze along the chasm was exactly as he remembered it, though the armed statues weren’t in the same places.

He stole a glance behind him. The spike wall was naturally reset. Knowing where the pressure switch was on the floor meant he could pass without activating it, alleviating the need to hurry across the pit.

Yugi looked down at his feet and then across the field before him. The first statue was about ten paces away. He hesitated a moment and then inched his right foot forward, drawing it back almost immediately once he saw the sword-raised arm of the first statue shift ever so slightly.

Any lingering idea that the traps would just let him pass instantly dashed.

Good to know, he said to himself. They still work.

It was a wonder the tomb keepers managed to get through that room at all, knowing the cargo they carried at the time.

Left foot forward, one step at a time, until he reached the other side, and onwards through the next room. Grandpa had mentioned how his guide through the tomb had betrayed him here along the bridge all those years ago, and somehow he was saved by the Pharaoh’s spirit, though he didn’t realize it at the time.

The far end of the chamber housed an empty pedestal, but Yugi’s focus was what sat just behind it.

Grandpa had made it sound like no one else had managed to get this far into Atem’s tomb before he did, so Yugi only had to wonder where this particular artifact was actually found. Was it earlier on in one of the smaller chambers? Or in another place entirely. Ishizu never made mention if tombs to any of the other members of the court were found.

Shifting the bag off of his shoulder, Yugi set it on the ground beside the pedestal and sat down on the floor of the room, staring up at the massive Tablet of Memories. He reached into the bag and pulled out the small golden box that once housed his Duel Monsters cards, and more importantly, the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle.

He placed it carefully in his lap and looked up at the carving of Atem on the tablet, forever poised in battle.

“Hi Atem,” Yugi began, “It’s…it’s been a while.”

He sighed. “I know that you can’t really hear me. That’s okay. I know that you’re out there, in your Afterlife. I just wanted to talk. Grandpa said he used to do this sometimes at his father’s gravesite. And, well, this is the closest I’ll have to doing the same thing…. I won’t stay too long – I know you’re finally at peace now, and don’t want to disturb, but I thought I’d just give you a quick update on things, in case you were interested…”

He ran a finger along some of the etchings on the golden box. “It’s been…two years now. Grandpa is doing okay. Moving a little slower, but at his age, I can’t blame him. He went off last year with Professor Hawkins to oversee a dig in South America. His last hoorah before he officially resigned his archaeology hat and settled down in the shop. We were all worried, of course. You remember the last time he went off, and we had to save him from that weird pyramid. But no, he came back safe and sound, and more than a little sunburnt.

“Joey is doing great! There’s something new starting soon. A dueling “Pro-League” and he’s almost got himself a sponsor. It’s not set in stone, not yet, but so far it looks promising. And he could use the break, with him out on his own now.

“Téa is off in New York studying dance. We weren’t able to go visit her, but she brought back a recording of the production she was in. She didn’t have a large part, not in this show, anyway, but it was really cool to see! It’s really exciting to see her living her dream!”

“Tristan’s been helping out at his dad’s factory. He’s saving up to open a garage soon. I think he takes more care of his bike than himself, if that makes sense. But at least he and Duke have stopped fighting over Serenity. …At least I think they have. We don’t see her around too much. She still lives with her mom, and they recently moved a little further out from Domino. She hasn’t come back to Domino since the Battle City tournament, but I know Joey took the train up to see her a few months ago.”

Yugi leaned back, his hands pressed against the cool floor, trying to think of who he hadn’t mentioned yet. “Oh! Kaiba and Mokuba have opened up their second Kaiba Land park! It’s just like the first one, just a little smaller. I made sure to get on the crazy coaster, just for you.” He smiled at the memory. Atem hated that ride. “The one where the Puzzle almost fell off while we were upside down. That one’s at the new park, and it goes faster. It’s great!”

Yugi shifted one hand back front to open the golden box, and then stopped. “I know you’re wondering – but no, Kaiba still hasn’t beaten me yet. I don’t know if he’s getting discouraged – ludicrous, I know – but he doesn’t take part in tournament duels all that much anymore. Téa thinks he’s too busy, and I have to agree with her. There’s a lot on his plate now. But if I had to guess, I think it’s because you’re gone. I mean, I’m still here, but you were his real challenge. I’ve noticed that if I’m not dueling, he’s not dueling.”

Yugi smiled up at the tablet. “I know you’re going to ask too – I’m fine. A bit lonely at times. You would think that wouldn’t be the case, if anything, we’ve all gotten closer over the years, even if some of us aren’t always at home. But…it’s like something’s missing. I can’t quite put my finger on it…”

He narrowed his gaze up at Atem’s profile. “Don’t go blaming yourself for leaving though! Your soul deserves to be at peace after all those years of being trapped in the Puzzle and having the weight of the world on your shoulders! I…I just got so used to you being here, that sometimes it still takes a little reminding that you’re not sharing thoughts anymore.”

Yugi waved his hand dismissively. “But enough about that. I have some exciting news for you. I don’t know if you remember, or if I was considering it before you left, but that strategy sphere game? I made a mockup of it. Mokuba was all over it, showed it to Kaiba, and there’s a real chance that he might put it into production. I’m heading to Kaiba Corp next week and the two of us are going to sit down and play it.”

He laughed. “It’ll be a bit weird, to be sitting around at a table with no cards or fancy dueling holograms. But it’ll be nice. I’m looking forward to it. I have a feeling he was going to move forward with it even without playing it himself, but sometimes he’s still hard to read.”

Yugi kept going, rattling off the news of anyone and everyone that they came across. How Mai was dueling again professionally, but still hadn’t returned to Domino yet, to Joey’s dismay. What Rebecca was up to now that she was just about finished with college. How Duke’s shop was faring, and that Mako managed to get his boat after years of saving from his job at the aquarium….

Finally, Yugi looked down on the golden box, and he frowned slightly. “…And with that…brings me to my visit. I don’t know if you were aware, I mean like truly aware, but ten years ago today, Grandpa gave me this box full of puzzle pieces…”

He leaned back against his hands again. “I think…if child-me knew just how much utter chaos we would get into by putting the Puzzle together, I’m sure I would have buried this box somewhere in the back of the shop where it would never get found. But then…I wouldn’t have met you. Joey and I wouldn’t be friends – maybe – and…well, you’d still be trapped.”

“Speaking of friends…” Yugi tilted his head, still focused on the box. “I’ve sought all sorts of advice about this…. Joey and Tristan – they think this is a mistake. Haven’t been able to talk much to Téa over it, but I was surprised Kaiba was on my side. We talked for a long time actually. You’d be surprised….”

He shrugged, and then hoisted himself up off the floor. He hesitated, a moment unsure, before carefully placing the golden box on the empty pedestal.

“We think it’s best that the Egyptian Gods remain here, watching over this place. I know that the Shadow Games are gone now, and so are the Millennium Items, but as the most powerful cards in existence, I don’t want anyone trying for them anymore. Too many people got hurt trying to collect them. And I don’t want to risk someone finding a way to bring all that magic back.”

Yugi folded his arms across his chest.

“I know, Pharaoh. This is a really big decision. I didn’t come to it lightly. And I know we always kept our cards in this box, but I think…giving the Gods their proper resting place in a way puts them at peace too….and I think, after all this time, they deserve it as well. And I don’t see a better place than here. They were yours to command, after all.”

Yugi removed the lid to the box and glanced inside. Four cards lay along the bottom.

“There’s something else…I told Pegasus what had happened. With the last Shadow Game, and how you moved on. I…also consulted him about what to do with the God Cards…and he was of the same mindset as Kaiba. Anyway…he made us something.”

He pulled the fourth card from the bottom. “I told him about your past, and about a week ago, he came to visit – I know, Grandpa nearly had a heart attack when he showed up at our door. But he had a special card for us. It’s made to work alongside Dark Magician, and I’ve put it in my deck. But he made another one, for you, so in a way we’ll still be connected, even though we can’t communicate anymore.”

Yugi cradled the card close to his chest and looked up at the tablet again, his heart heavy. The other reason for his visit...and it hurt to think about it.

“…I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to come back here. Marik said the tomb keepers who moved the tablet down think some parts of this place are a bit unstable…it may not be safe for much longer…”

He was honestly surprised that the Ishtars let him down in the first place.

“I was shocked then that they decided to put the tablet here, but I suppose, now that your mission is complete…there’s no need to keep it anywhere else. Pharaoh Set created it to bring you home, after all. Or so I think – that’s what Ishizu believed. And…a part of me was thinking…maybe it is best to let it all fade away.”

He sniffed suddenly, and wiped away the tear forming in his eye. “But, you know? Despite everything that’s happened since I finished the Puzzle? I’m grateful for the chance to have met you, and I’ll really cherish the time we had and the adventures we went on. Time will move on, memories may fade, but you will always be my dear friend.”

Yugi smiled, and looked down at the card in his hands. Palladium Oracle Mahad. He gently placed it back in the golden box and replaced the lid before turning back to the tablet, taking a long sweep over the entire thing, committing as much of it to memory as he possibly could. The Puzzle at the top with the Gods, the Blue Eyes and Dark Magician, Set and Atem…all the way down to the worn, jagged edges along the bottom and the cartouche where Atem’s name used to be.

“Good-bye Pharaoh…rest well.”

#12 days of ficmas #michelle writes fic #yugioh #ygo #yugi muto

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calucadu · 5 years

Text

The Camping Trip, a Boku no Hero Academia/My Hero Academia One Shot.

This is my piece for the @summerexplosionzine! I love going camping and I couldn’t this year so at least I still got the chance to experience it by writing this. I had so much fun writing it and I'm actually really proud and happy with the result! I hope you like it too ❤ It's a free zine full of incredible content and vibrant colours and I really recommend downloading it!

Summary: Kirishima, Bakugou and Uraraka go on a camping trip together!

Pairings: Bakugou Katsuki/Kirishima Eijirou/Uraraka Ochako, Bakugou Katsuki/Kirishima Eijirou, Kirishima Eijirou/Uraraka Ochako, Bakugou Katsuki/Uraraka Ochako

Characters: Bakugou Katsuki, Kirishima Eijirou, Uraraka Ochako.

Rating: Teen and up

Read on AO3

Or read below the cut

I feel like a little kid again as I kick my legs, enjoying being driven around. I’m in the back seat of Eijirou’s car, and he’s taking us to the campsite where we’re going to be spending the next day and night. We weren’t able to get more time off work, unfortunately, but I’m still looking forward to our small trip.

Since the redhead is driving, he has total control of the music being played. He brought a mixtape he’d made and is now blasting it at full volume while tapping his fingers against the steering wheel to the rhythm of the songs I know he picked for us. I know this because the first one that starts playing is Katsuki’s favourite.

The blond, who called shotgun weeks before our trip, gives an exasperated sigh as he looks at Eijirou before snorting and rolling his eyes. The redhead excitedly slaps his arm, trying to verbally encourage him to sing along with him. The other just looks away, hiding his mouth with his hand, which I know he’s doing because he’s trying to pretend he’s not actually smiling. I squeal, watching as his reflection blushes.

The next song that starts playing is a soft piano melody. The redhead adjusts his rear-view mirror to look at me cheekily before nudging Kat again.

“Hey, sing this one with me.”

“Hell no! This is one of those romantic slow ones. I ain’t singing shit.”

Ei chuckles, but clutches his heart dramatically, belting out the first few words of the lyrics. The blond groans audibly and shakes his head as he feigns having lost interest. The redhead persists, tilting his head towards Katsuki when traffic allows him to and singing romantically to our boyfriend.

“Shove off!” Comes his answer, pushing the other away gently.

Eijirou laughs just as the melody slows down again but continues intoning. “And you’re my sun and my moon, you’re my stars” I croon with it, since I know the song well. The redhead lifts his gaze and our eyes interlock through the reflection in the rear-view mirror. He smiles at me and I feel my heart swell in my chest.

The ballad ends with Katsuki threatening to go back home the moment we arrive if Eijirou plays another romantic song. The latter chuckles but puts another one of the blond’s favourites on to lighten the mood.

The rest of the drive goes by quickly enough. It’s not far anyway, and since it’s not a holiday there’s not much traffic. I spot the sign for the campsite when we’re still on the highway and I immediately start bouncing up and down in my seat excitedly. I’ve never been camping before, and if I recall correctly, neither has Eijirou. We both know Katsuki used to do it a lot with his parents when he was small, and when the redhead decided to surprise him with this nostalgia trip, neither of us missed the glint of happiness in the blond’s eyes. We knew just how important camping and hiking is for our little hothead, and how much he enjoys doing these sorts of things, so we planned this holiday for him. He helped us with the details of it, since he’s the one with experience, but now I’m as excited for the trip as he is. I know he worked hard on it so we could enjoy our first time and I’m very proud of him.

The campsite is gorgeous! The entrance is in the middle of the forest, but there’s a giant sign at the entryway, like in a film. I gape at the parked caravans in amazement as we drive by them. There are also cabins, but we drive past them as well, since we’re heading over to the area reserved for tents. They give you a spot in the middle of the woods and you can park your vehicle there. There are plenty of trees surrounding our section, isolating us from any potential neighbours – although they seem pretty far away so they won’t be much of a problem – and giving us a lot of shade.

The first thing Katsuki does when we arrive is set up his hammock. He lies on it as he watches us struggle to pitch the tent, smiling smugly and boasting about how easy his job was.

“You’re helping with this too!” Ei counters, going over the instructions again. He frowns as he reads. “After all, you’re supposed to be the one that’s good at this sort of thing.”

The canvas is a small four-person dome tent that was the Bakugous until their son decided to take off with it a couple years ago. It’s a bit battered and old because they used it a lot when Katsuki was younger and they took him on camping trips. It’s got a few holes here and there, but it still works perfectly. It’s not really visually appealing, since it’s a creamy sort of colour, but it’s supposed to be functional and practical, not pretty. It seems relatively easy to set up, even though both Eijirou and I are having trouble figuring it out.

Katsuki grumbles and hops off from the hammock, going over to us in two strides and extending his hand to ask for the instructions. The redhead clicks his tongue, frowning slightly as he gives them to him.

Turns out that even the blond finds setting the tent harder than he thought. He complains that it’s been a while since he last used it, and even then, he’d been a child and didn’t recall helping his parents, to which Eijirou remarks a low ‘what a surprise’ that Katsuki outright ignores. I manage to calm him down by pressing my lips lightly to his, and he immediately gets his act together, picking up the poles and instructing us on what to do.

We end up setting it up pretty quickly after that. It isn’t perfect – especially on my side, I don’t think I pulled the corner guyline as far as it could go, and I didn’t have enough force to put the pegs in properly – but it’ll do. Ei makes it steadier by hammering my loose pegs into the ground a bit better and then he smiles at me proudly.

“I knew we could do it!” He announces, tying the door flaps to the side neatly so the mesh entryway is open.

“Don’t do that, you’re going to let the bloody spiders in.” Katsuki scolds, coming over to quickly undo his knots.

Eijirou huffs, rolling his eyes lightly. “Whatever you say.”

“Of course it’s whatever I say. I’m the one with the experience.”

I stop their stupid bickering by asking them if they want to eat, which they gladly prefer to do. Lunch consists of the sandwiches we brought. We all made different types to share with each other, sort of like in a picnic. Katsuki eats his in his hammock, gently rocking himself in the shade. Ei tries to get him out of it – I suspect so he can have his turn – but the blond won’t budge. I eat my tuna fish, mayonnaise and sweetcorn sandwich sitting in the front seat of the car, fiddling with the radio while they’re distracted squabbling.

I feel so content just by listening to a low song play, the musical notes intermixing with the various sounds of nature. I can hear some insects buzzing in the background, and instead of finding it creepy or disgusting like always, I think it’s interesting. My eyes roam over the leaf shaped shades dancing on my legs as I dangle them out of the seat. Everything’s perfect.

We head out for our walk after lunch but not before Eijirou’s finished fussing about us. He always does this, and while I should probably be annoyed about it, it honestly makes my heart swell that he’s there to take care of us in his own way.

Kat and I are prone to getting sunburnt. Ei, on the other hand, easily tans. It’s only been half a day and he’s already a lovely brownish colour, his freckles showing thanks to the sun.

He’s overprotective of us, though, especially about this. He’s the one carrying the cream and applying coat after coat of it all over our skin, tenderly reminding us that it’s for our own good.

I don’t complain; it’s fun to watch Katsuki squirm as Eijirou rubs sun cream on his nose while saying “remember what happened last year?” until the blond finally gives in and stops struggling, crossing his arms stubbornly over his chest.

And he got us hats for this trip too. Mine’s a pretty pastel pink sunhat and Katsuki’s is a rather tacky looking black cap, a skeleton on it probably with the only purpose of satisfying the blond. Ei insists we wear them before going on our walk and puts them on both of our heads after applying a generous amount of sun cream on us. He puts on his own ugly red cap and beams at us.

The redhead offers me his hand, which I of course take. He smiles at me as we stroll, watching as Katsuki quickly overtakes us, grumbling at us to hurry up.

The chirping of the birds mixed with the slight breeze rustling the leaves in the trees makes the walk all the nicer. It’s comforting to hear my other boyfriend treading hard in front of me. Kind of makes me feel like I’m not alone, that he’ll be there in case I need him. I know it’s stupid to think that, especially when I’m walking hand in hand with Ei, but I just feel complete when I’m with them.

I find that the trail is pretty simple. It’s not a long or hard walk by any means, so it’s a nice opportunity for us to relax as we enjoy nature. I amble at a leisurely pace and stop from time to time to have a better look at interesting insects and pretty plants. Eijirou sticks with me, maintaining an engaging conversation as Katsuki marches off on his own, glaring at us from time to time and complaining about how slow we are. I laugh it off because I know he’ll never really leave us behind.

My feet are a little sore by the time we get back. It’s obvious I’m not used to my mountain boots, so it’s comes as a relief when the redhead suggests we play in the little stream near the campsite.

We change into our swimming gear quickly and head over there. Ei is wearing those ridiculous lime swim trunks he likes so much. They’re flashy and tacky, but at least it makes him easier to spot when at the beach. Kat’s are a dark red, a white pattern all over them; and I’m wearing the pink and purple bikini they got me as a present for my last birthday.

It isn’t a long walk to the river, but as we make our way towards it, we cross by friendly people who wave at us and wish as a pleasant day. Eijirou and I answer back cheerly while Katsuki mumbles out a curt hello when the redhead remembers to nudge him in the ribs.

The area we finally decide to relax at is mainly in the shade, and it’s littered with big rocks. We’re far away from the families with kids and couples being all affectionate in public, so we’re in a relatively peaceful spot. I make my way over to one of the boulders and sit myself on it, taking my flipflops off to soak my sore feet in the cool water. A relieved sigh escapes my lips as the cold temperature soothes them.

The stream is nice, and the water is so clear that I can see the little insects and fish that live there play around and do their things. Sadly, their peace is violently disturbed by Ei and Kat, who jump in and start splashing around.

I would normally be annoyed, but I care too much for them to find their shenanigans anything but adorable and charming. The redhead howls in laughter as he chases the other around, trying to get him wet, but the blond is agile even in water and manages to not get drenched.

He goes over to where I am and threatens to use me as a shield. I shriek, playing along, until I have to actually cover my face because the redhead has decided that I’m worth sacrificing for the greater good.

It’s cute how they have fun. I pretend I’m above their childish playing, but I indulge myself and splash them too, which spurs them on. The three of us end up turning it into a competition to see who can wet the others the most and we scream and giggle as we run around.

We play, splash and laugh for what seems like hours until we get tired and go back to sitting on a rock big enough for the three of us. Ei intertwines our hands together and kisses me on the cheek lovingly before rubbing our noses together cutely. Kat pretends to be jealous and starts splashing him again, but the redhead laughs and pecks me on my lips before asking us if we’ve had enough.

Since I can’t feel my feet because of how cold the water is and Kat seems to be getting tired, we get out of the river and dry ourselves before heading back to the campsite. Ei talks excitedly about how lovely the day’s been and how pretty the sun is now that it’s setting as we walk, towels wrapped around our necks.

Katsuki made our dinner at home, which is a relief since by the time we get to our car and tent, the sky’s already dark. When we’d been preparing the trip, we’d gone over the equipment we would need, and found his parent’s old camping stove. He had complained bitterly about how much of a safety hazard it seemed and had forbidden Ei from even coming close to him while he was using it, if he decided to use it. Instead he’d chosen to bring a nice pasta salad that we could enjoy cold.

We take turns to grab a plate and sit in a circle this time; the hammock completely forgotten at this point. The meal is really nice, and unlike Kat’s usual cooking, it isn’t spicy. We devour it quickly and in silence, tired from all the fun we’d had all day.

After we’ve eaten and we’ve cleared the plates up, Ei picks up his guitar and sits on the ground in front of the tent. He strums his instrument, humming lightly to himself. I turn my head to watch him just as his head drops back and his eyes glance at the sky, a smile forming on his lips. He agilely moves his fingers of his left hand to form the chords he needs for his song, and immediately starts playing. His voice starts off low as he glances nervously between me and Katsuki.

Surprisingly, the blond doesn’t even click his tongue. He sits down next to him, his eyes fixed on the ground as he starts to sing along with him. It’s a song I don’t recognise, but it sounds lovely. It’s not slow but it isn’t fast paced either; the rhythm is gentle and sweet.

There’s something about the melody that raises goose bumps all over my arms and legs. It’s not a sad song, but I feel myself being moved by it nonetheless. It looks like they’re both quite fond of it, too, especially since the blond is singing along. It feels powerful for some reason I don’t understand, and, for a moment, I feel left out.

Ei and Kat are glancing at each other. They share this song and whatever memories they formed while listening to it the first few times they did. I’ve never heard it before. I don’t know anything about it.

It’s true that they started dating before they included me in their special relationship, and, sometimes, more often than not, and despite how hard they try to not make me feel like this, I feel weird. I feel like a stranger in their love. Not because they don’t love me – they do, and I know, I can tell – but because of their history together. They did so many things before I arrived that it makes me feel insecure. Like I don’t belong with them, like they’re better off without me.

I try not to let the sadness overcome me as I sit myself on the redhead’s other side. Clenching my fists against my legs I force a smile on my face and wait until they’ve finished.

“Chako.” Ei mutters, his eyes never leaving his guitar. He’s still strumming it, his movements slower and less fluid than before. “That’s the song I wrote for Katsuki. I wanted to confess to him with it.”

“But you never did.” The blond whispers.

“But I never did.” He chuckles, but it sounds dejected and wrong, like he forced himself to do it.

“It’s only ‘cause I did it first, dummy. Don’t get all sad and nostalgic on us.” Katsuki berates him, but his voice lacks his usual gruff tone, and instead just seems tired.

“Yeah. He’s right. And I ended up singing it to him a lot anyway. I don’t want you to pull that face ever again, Chako.”

“Wh… what face?” I stammer, trying to laugh it off.

“I saw you. You looked sad. I’m going to play it again, so you can listen to the lyrics.”

“Ei…” Katsuki warns him, his voice softer than before.

“But it’s okay, I wrote a song for you too.” The redhead whispers, locking his eyes with mine. The melody starts again and they both start singing.

It is about Katsuki. It never says his name, but now that I know the meaning behind it, I can tell it’s about how brave and strong he is, how he looks like he’s hard and undefeated on the outside, but he’s actually as human as the rest of us are. It speaks of how soft he is with the people he loves and how he’ll do whatever he can to make them happy, in his own way. Every word in the lyrics is beautifully arranged to make the most perfect song to describe the most perfect blond I know. Speaking of, when I manage to peel my eyes off of Eijirou, I spot tears running down Katsuki’s cheeks. He wipes them away discreetly, but we’ve already noticed the song brings out an emotion he tries to keep locked away.

The song slowly dies down and the redhead clears his throat before he starts a new one. This new melody is much more upbeat, but the lyrics are no less deep. It’s about a pretty face that doesn’t try to deceive you, because she’s as sweet as she looks; cute, simple and strong in her own way. It tells a story of how she saved two boys and how she never knew just what she meant to them. It’s beautiful, too, far prettier than I expected anything sang for me could be. Tears are rolling down my cheeks by the time the song ends. Ei is looking at me expectantly while Kat is doing his best to avert his eyes.

“We kind of wrote it together.” The redhead mutters, a small smile on his face.

“He wrote it basically. It was also his idea. I just helped.”

“You called her pretty and insisted I added that into the song.” Ei teases him, nudgingly him gently in the ribs.

“Shut up!”

I can’t help myself and start laughing, closing my eyes to try and stop the emotions bubbling out of me. The tears can’t be halted at this point, but it’s okay, because I’m smiling despite them. Before I know it, I’m being pulled into a hug, and I feel overwhelmed by their warmth and love.

When I’ve finally calmed down enough, I ask them to let me go and they do, slowly releasing me from their embrace. Kat looks at me worriedly, but I reassure him that I’m fine with a sweet smile and he ruffles my hair lovingly. Ei picks the guitar again and positions himself once more to continue playing songs. This time he sings some classics and I try to keep up to him, but I can’t remember most of the lyrics, so I just hum along when I don’t. The blond sometimes sings too, but he prefers to look up at the sky and enjoy listening to us.

I mimic Katsuki and tilt my head up. The stars look lovely in the sky tonight. There’s just something in the atmosphere that makes me feel happy, blessed to be there with them and glad to be alive. The gentle music in the background, the lovely sparkling lights, the feeling of love and friendship and being with the people you can’t live without make me feel elated. I don’t want this to end.

“Do you think it’s going to be colder later tonight?” I ask a bit later, frowning as I gaze at the dark sky. I got lost in the songs and time flew by, and now it’s a little bit chilly.

Ei sets his guitar aside before moving closer to me and wrapping an arm over my shoulders. He pulls me in tightly, nuzzling me against his broad chest. “You’re not cold, are you?” He asks, worriedly.

I snuggle closer to him and shake my head. “I’m fine like this.”

“Good!” He hugs me closer to himself, and even invites Kat into the embrace as he whispers: “I’m having the best day!”

It doesn’t take us much longer to crawl into the tent. We’re tired and I can feel my own eyes closing. Once inside, we spread out our sleeping bags and mats, trying to decide how to lay them and where to sleep.

Katsu’s looking at his dark blue sleeping bag in disgust, pondering something. When he finally gives in to his thoughts, he sighs, letting it drop onto his lap.

“It’s going to be hot tonight. In the tent I mean.” He mutters, calmly.

Ei looks up at him, frowning. “So?”

“So, we won’t need these.” He answers back, sounding exasperated.

“What if it gets colder later on?” I ask, unzipping my red one.

The blond grumbles something under his breath before he picks his sleeping bag again and tosses it to me. I just look at him, watching as his eyebrows frown and his lip curls slightly.

“Just… fucking… understand me already or whatever.”

Ei laughs gently, crawling over to the other.

“You okay there, bud?”

“I… just… look. Let’s just sleep together.”

The redhead pulls away and looks at me with his ‘adoring Katsuki’ face. “He wants us to open the sleeping bags and use them like blankets.” He coos lovingly.

“Oh my god, that’s adorable! He’s so cute!”

“He is!”

“Shut up. I can hear you perfectly and it’s creepy.”

“You want to sleep with us so much, Katsuki?”

“Stop talking like that or I’ll change my mind!”

“Okay, okay!” I whisper, unzipping my sleeping bag completely and spreading it. “Let’s do it!”

“Alright!” Ei enthusiastically nearly yells as he forcefully unzips his. Kat does his very unenthusiastically, and still blushing. He avoids looking at us as he lies down next to me and spreads his sleeping bag over me.

“Wait.” I say, pulling his down a little bit and taking a closer look at it. “We could zip them together.”

“That’d be so cool! But is it possible with our sleeping bags?” Kiri asks, searching for his zipper.

It turns out it’s very possible and we link all of them together to form a blanket of sorts. Katsuki pushes me back so that I’m lying in the middle and tells Eijirou to hug me too. The redhead smiles and snuggles up to me, wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me towards him just slightly. The other grunts as I’m taken away from him but gets up just slightly to kiss me on the mouth and wish me a good night. He presses his lips to Eijirou’s too and turns the light off before going back to my side, where his arm goes to join the redhead’s at my waist.

Honestly, I’ve never been happier.

#bakugou katsuki #uraraka ochako #Kirishima Eijirou #the camping trip #summer explosion zine #summer explosion #bnha #my writing #my fanfiction #bnha fanfiction

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huesofthemorning · 6 years

Text

The Frog Kingdom

Words: 4800

Summary: The girls go fishing. Somehow, they’re actually successful. Who would have guessed? Meanwhile, Nana introduces monarchy to the frogs.

“This is possibly the worst idea we’ve ever had,” Junna said, “even worse than the Pool Noodle Massacre.”

“No way,” Claudine argued. “Nothing is worse than the Pool Noodle Massacre.”

Junna, who was already completely sunburnt, looked Claudine dead in the eyes and asked, “Are you sure about that?”

Claudine laughed, reeling in her fishing line. “I still can’t believe you burn faster than me. Didn’t you put on like seven layers of sunscreen?”

“Yes.” Junna pouted, arms crossed. She had stolen Nana’s sunhat, too, the wide brim casting a shadow over her red face. “What I can’t believe is that you actually know how to fish. Where did you learn that?”

“Oh, you know,” Claudine answered, throwing her line back into the lake.

“No, I really don’t.” Junna followed suit, her hook landing with a quiet splash. They were sitting on a big raft in the middle of a lake, legs dangling in the water. It was warm. The sun was shining, and only the barest breeze ruffled through the trees lining the shore. Somehow they had all agreed to a day of fishing, despite only three of them having any sort of experience. Futaba and Mahiru seemed confident in their skills, though Junna was starting to doubt Claudine’s claims. The rest of them were making it up as they went. Those of them that were actually trying, that was. Kaoruko was lying in the middle of the raft, parasol propped up to shade her face. Futaba and Nana were sitting nearby, discussing the best types of fish to eat, their poles sitting idly in their hands. Mahiru was on the other side of the raft, coaching an energetic Karen and a strangely awkward Maya. Junna had a feeling that Maya had never been this far from a city before in her life. She was going through a rough adjustment period.

Junna pulled in her line and grimaced at the clump of pondweed stuck to it. “Are there even any fish in this lake?”

“Does it really matter? You don’t go fishing for the fish. Come on, Jun, get with the program.”

“Then why are we actually here?”

“Cause we’re a bunch of gay losers with no better ideas?”

“....Fair enough.”

“Ah! I got one!” Karen shouted, jumping to her feet. She was holding her fishing rod like a baseball bat, trying to pull the fish out of the water. Mahiru hurried over to help, reeling in the line. The group watched with only mild interest. This was the fifth time Karen had called that out this hour, and each time it had been a disappointment. It was looking like there was finally a chance for success, though. Karen and Mahiru were fighting for their fish, pulling with all their might.

“We’re almost there!” Karen shouted.

Bubbles rose to the surface of the water, a dark shadow beneath them. The group leaned forward, holding their breath. Was it true? Did Karen do it?

“Alllllllllmooooooossssssttt!” Karen and Mahiru made one last, big push of effort. Something broke through the surface-- everyone gasped--

“Wait- Hikari-chan????”

Hikari looked up at Karen and Mahiru’s shocked faces, the hook stuck in her hair pin.

“I found this,” she said, handing Mahiru a purplish piece of seaweed. “It reminded me of you.”

With that she sank back underwater, swimming away. Everyone stared after her, open mouthed.

“I hate these group trips,” Junna finally said.

“What… do I do with this?” Mahiru asked, looking around at everyone, seaweed in her hand.

“Eat it, probably,” Kaoruko said, choking on her laughter. “What a catch, Karen-han!”

“You might just win biggest fish of the day!” Futaba called. They were keeping track, of course. They were too competitive a group not to. Junna had her notebook tucked inside her oversized shirt - another stolen item from Nana, who was delighted by the sight - and was ready to mark down the winners. Assuming any of them managed to catch a fish in the first place.

“I’m going to go look for frogs,” Nana declared a few minutes later. She slipped into the water, swam underneath the raft, then reappeared by Junna’s feet. “Wanna come with, Junna-chan?”

Nana’s usual banana hairstyle had fallen apart after their initial swim to the raft. She had retied it into a short ponytail, and combined with her eager smile, she was too adorable to dismiss. Junna sighed.

“I suppose.”

“Yay, Junna-chan!”

“You’re so whipped,” Claudine said.

“Shut up.”

Junna joined Nana in the water, careful not to splash her glasses as they swam over to shore.

“How interesting,” Kaoruko said, watching the pair go. “The parents have abandoned their children. Whatever are we supposed to do now?”

“Probably something that’s not whatever you’re thinking,” Claudine said.

“How boring. I’m sure Tendo-han would be interested in my idea.”

“What?” Maya looked up from the tangled mess of a fishing line she’d managed to create. Futaba winced at the sight of the giant knots.

“Tendo, how did you even do that?”

“I’m… not sure.” Maya frowned at the disaster sitting in her lap.

“You’re just useless when you’re not on stage, aren’t you,” Claudine said, rolling her eyes. Art and fishing, Tendo Maya’s apparent weaknesses.

“What if we make this a stage?” Kaoruko asked sweetly. Instantly everyone turned to her, a gleam in their eyes.

“Go on,” Claudine said.

“Wellllll, I was simply thinking that’s it been soooo long since we did any improv work…”

“Let’s pretend we’re on a boat!” Karen shouted, bouncing up and down, the raft rocking under her feet. “I’ll be captain!”

“Woah, why are you captain?” Futaba countered. “You’d strand us in the middle of the ocean!”

“We are in the middle of a lake…” Maya commented, looking thoughtful. She set her rod aside and got to her feet.

“I’m calling for mutiny,” Claudine decided, standing up as well. The rest of the group followed.

“W-wait!” Mahiru said, wrapping an arm around Karen. “Let’s not be hasty! I’m sure Karen-chan can get us out of here.”

“Thank you, First Mate Mahiru!” Karen said. She placed her hands on her hips, striking a confident pose. “I will get us out of here, absolutely!”

“You better!” Futaba placed her hands on Kaoruko’s shoulders, who instantly adopted a worried look. “My fiancee and I were supposed to get married on this ship! Not get lost at sea!”

“Yes!” Kaoruko chimed in with her perfect offended princess voice. “How dare you! I’m lodging a complaint!”

Claudine laughed. “You’re lodging a complaint? To who? The shark?”

“Shark!?” the group cried out. Hikari circled the raft, hands pointed above her head to mimic a shark fin. Karen sang the Jaws theme song under her breath for dramatic effect.

“Everyone, behind me!” Maya called, throwing an arm out. All her city girl awkwardness had disappeared under the shine of the stage. Her voice echoed with power.

“What if we sacrifice her?” Claudine whispered to Karen as she huddled with the rest of the group.

“I’m on it!” Karen rushed forward and flung herself at Maya.

“Ah!” The pair hit the deck, wrestling for control. “Captain Aijo! I demand-- be sensible!”

One moment Karen was on top, straddling Maya’s waist, the next Maya had flipped them over, trying to catch Karen’s wildly swinging arms. Claudine was laughing so hard she was crying.

“C-Captain Karen!” Mahiru called out. “Watch out--”

Karen and Maya rolled right off the edge of the raft and into the water. Immediately Hikari dove after them, teeth bared in a feral grin.

“Well,” Futaba gasped through her laughter, “I think that makes Mahiru the next captain?”

“Ummm. That’s okay. I’ll pass.”

“I’ll be captain!” Kaoruko announced, graciously stepping forward. “As the most beautiful person on this ship, the duty clearly falls to me.”

“Hold up,” Claudine said, eyes narrowed in challenge. “Most beautiful? Says who?”

“Says the fact that I’m the one getting married, of course!”

“Yeah? You’re just a fiancee right now, Hanayagi. I am a wife!”

The three girls still alive on the raft gasped dramatically, hands to their chest. Claudine smirked, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

“Never expected that, huh?”

“Objection!” Futaba said, pointing a finger at Claudine. “I’m engaged to Kaoruko, so you can’t be married to us. Mahiru was shocked by your announcement, so you can’t be married to her either. That leaves only Captain Aijo and Tendo, who have both been tragically killed.”

The group paused for a minute of silence, the memory of their comrades’ deaths still fresh in their minds.

“You’re forgetting someone,” Claudine said after the moment passed.

“Who?”

“I,” Claudine stated in her haughtiest voice, “am married to the shark.”

There was a beat of silence as everyone processed the words.

“EHHHH????????”

Hikari surfaced, leaning on the edge of the raft and flashing Claudine a grin.

“Good work, my beloved,” Claudine said, returning the smile. “Soon this entire ocean will be ours.”

Hikari winked and disappeared again.

“Isn’t my wife hot?” Claudine asked the rest of the crew. They mumbled their agreement, casting fearful looks between them.

“But, but…” Karen whispered, treading water a few feet away. “Hikari-chan is…”

“Hush. We’re dead, remember?” Maya pushed Karen’s head under the water.

“Now!” Claudine said, taking control of the ship. “I am your new captain, and I expect order! I want all three of you cleaning the decks. I want them spotless, you hear me?”

“Yes ma’am!” The three girls saluted and went to work, getting on their hands and knees and pretending to scrub the raft. Claudine oversaw them, commenting on Futaba’s and Mahiru’s work, while purposely ignoring the way Kaoruko scooted over to the edge.

“Hey, hot shark girl,” Kaoruko whispered, looking behind her to make sure Claudine wasn’t watching. Hikari raised her head out of the water.

“Yes?”

“You like your wife, right?”

“Of course.”

“You want to make her happy, right?”

“Ideally.”

Kaoruko grinned. “Good. Because I bet Claudine would be really, super happy if you decided to eat her. If you know what I mean.”

“Hmm.” Hikari dropped below the water again, keeping eye contact with Kaoruko the entire time, until she was deep enough to swim beneath the raft. Then she was gone.

“Hanayagi!” Claudine called. “That doesn’t look like work to me!”

“I’m very sorry,” Kaoruko said, lacing her voice with false sincerity. “It’s simply that I finished already.”

“Finished? That fast?”

“Oh, yes. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you come inspect it?”

Claudine thought about it for a moment. Futaba and Mahiru were watching out of the corner of their eyes, waiting to see what would happen. “Fine. I think I will.”

Claudine marched over to the edge of the raft, peering down at the wood. “Hmm. Looking at this, I don’t think you spent a single second working at all-- Ahh!!”

Hikari burst out of the water and wrapped her arms around Claudine’s legs, pulling her in. They disappeared in a cloud of bubbles. The trio left alive watched as Claudine’s bright hair faded away into the murky depths.

“Another one bites the dust,” Mahiru murmured.

“I’ve had enough of this shark!” Futaba declared. “It’s eaten three of our friends! It must be stopped!”

“Babe, no!” Kaoruko cried out as Futaba dove into the water after Hikari. More bubbles rose to the surface as they wrestled under the water. Kaoruko and Mahiru caught only flashes of movement.

The fight must have ended in a draw, for neither returned to the raft. Instead they joined Karen, Maya, and Claudine, treading water in the designated Dead Person Zone.

And then there were two.

“Well, I’m still planning to get married on this trip,” Kaoruko said, turning to Mahiru.

Mahiru took a step backwards. “Ummm. Well, we don’t have anyone to officiate anymore, so…”

“I think that’s fine,” Kaoruko said, taking a step closer to Mahiru. “If there’s no one to officiate, then there’s also no one to complain.”

Mahiru’s heels were at the edge of the raft. One more step and she’d tumble into the water. She had to do something - but what?

“I…. I have a confession to make!” she shouted. Kaoruko paused, eyebrows raised.

“Oh?”

“Yes!” Mahiru nodded seriously. “I will only marry someone who can beat me in a wrestling match!”

Kaoruko paled, fear flashing across her face. “Wait-”

Back on shore, Junna looked up from her frog hunting just in time to see Mahiru tackle Kaoruko across the raft, the two of them tumbling into the water, Kaoruko’s shriek piercing the air. Then all was still, almost picturesque, an empty raft floating quietly in a lake. Junna decided she didn’t want to know what had gone down in her absence.

“Nana, I’m never saying no to frog hunting again.”

“Great!” Nana beamed at her, holding out her newest catch, a small speckled toad. “What should we name this one?”

Junna frowned. “Isn’t that Shakespeare again?”

“No, no! Shakespeare was smaller.”

“I see,” Junna said, not seeing at all. How Nana managed to keep track of the dozen frogs she’d found so far, Junna didn’t know. “How about…. Anne Hathaway?”

“Isn’t that some American actress?”

“Yes. But it’s also the name of Shakespeare’s wife.”

“Oh! That’s great, Junna-chan! Let me find Shakespeare again, I have to introduce them!” Nana bounded off through the reeds, Anne Hathaway carefully cradled in her hands. Junna watched her go with a fond, if exasperated, smile.

“Alright,” she muttered to herself, standing up and looking across the water. “Time to make sure the rest of these idiots haven’t drowned themselves.”

Said idiots were all treading water in the middle of the lake, pondweed tangled in their hair and algae freckling their skin with green.

“I can’t believe you betrayed me like that!” Claudine complained, glaring at Hikari. “We were supposed to be powerful together!”

“Kaoruko told me to eat you.”

“And you listened!?”

Hikari shrugged.

“Speaking of listening to bad suggestions,” Maya said, frowning at Karen.

“You don’t say no to sacrifice!” Karen declared.

“Exactly!” Futaba agreed. “Especially when that sacrifice is heroic.”

“My hero,” Kaoruko said, swimming over to Futaba and clinging to her arm.

Mahiru sighed. “I’m going back to the raft.”

“I wouldn’t, if I were you,” Claudine said, nodding her head in that direction. The group turned to look, then immediately turned right back around.

“Maybe if we pretend we didn’t see her,” Karen whispered, “she won’t notice us.”

“No way, she has her glasses on this time, we’re done for,” Futaba moaned.

“I don’t know why you’re complaining, Futaba-han,” Kaoruko said, cowering behind her, “You’re not the one she gets mad at!”

Claudine hummed in thought. “You know, Karen, I’m thinking we should go the sacrifice route again.”

Maya nodded. “This time I agree.”

“Aye-aye, captain!”

“Wait! No!” Kaoruko cried out as Karen grabbed hold of her and began dragging her to the raft, where an expectant Junna was waiting with her hands on her hips.

“Ah, Karen-chan, maybe you shouldn’t…” Mahiru trailed off, wincing.

“No, this is good,” Hikari said. “We can sacrifice both of them now.”

“Karen! Hanayagi!” Junna said, her voice loud enough to carry to the rest of the group. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“It was Kaoruko-chan’s idea--”

“Karen-han tackled Tendo-han--”

“Stop, stop.” Junna rubbed the sides of her head, already feeling a headache form. “One at a time. And the rest of you, come over here too.”

“Yes, Dad,” Claudine muttered as they paddled over to the raft.

“I heard that.”

Claudine made a face, sticking her tongue out. Maya giggled. When the entire group was assembled on the raft again, Junna asked, “Okay. Who is going to explain what happened?”

The girls looked at each other, none willing to speak up. Finally Maya poked Karen in the back, whispering something about sacrifices.

“Right!” Karen said, jumping to her feet. “See, Kaoruko-chan said we should do an improv play. So I decided to be captain of our boat, but Futaba-chan got mad because I stranded everyone in the ocean and she wanted to get married to Kaoruko-chan, but then we realized that Hikari-chan was being a shark, so I tackled Maya-chan to sacrifice her, and we both got eaten!”

Kaoruko picked up the story next, after a pointed look from Futaba. “Our dear Kuro-han then told us she was married to Shark Hikari-han, so I told Hikari-han to eat her, as any proper wife should, and then Futaba-han bravely jumped in to fight her, and then Mahiru-han tried to propose to me by wrestling me, and then we both fell off the ship!”

Everyone looked at Junna with determined faces, ready to defend their play. Junna stared back at them, open mouthed. It took several moments for her to collect her thoughts.

“So… You’re telling me… That we go to the most prestigious theater academy in the country… and this is the best improv play you could come up with?”

Everyone turned away, making various awkward faces as they tried to avoid eye contact with their disappointed pseudo father figure.

“So,” Futaba said, attempting to give a normal, friendly smile that didn’t show her embarrassment, “how’d the frog hunting go?”

Junna let out a long sigh. “Nana found 13 different frogs and has started weaving grass into little hats for them to wear.”

“God. Nana is really just the cutest person in the world, isn’t she,” Claudine said, shaking her head.

“It’s certainly impressive,” Maya agreed. “She’s still planning on cooking dinner, yes?”

“That depends. Have you caught any fish yet?” Junna asked, the silence confirming the answer she already knew.

“Okay!” Mahiru decided, taking charge. “Let’s get back to it! Maya-chan, I’ll untangle your fishing rod. Hikari-chan, stay out of the water, okay?”

“But-”

“You’re probably scaring all the fish away! If you want to swim, do it somewhere else.”

Hikari pouted, taking a pole and moving to the edge of the raft. The rest of the group followed suit, Karen and Futaba joining her. Mahiru took Maya to the other side, getting to work on the tangled fishing line. Junna and Claudine returned to their original spot, Kaoruko flopping down beside them.

“You’re not going to help?” Claudine asked.

“Of course not! Futaba-han is the one who does the fishing. I’m the one who does the eating.”

“It’s always eating with you, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Speaking of which, Junna-han, I’ve always wondered, does Banana-han taste like bananas?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Junna said, voice surprisingly steady for her red face. “I’ve never eaten a banana in my life.”

Claudine snorted. “Don’t let Nana hear that. She’ll cry.”

“Ugh. You’re so boring today, Junna-han.”

“Alright, Maya-chan,” Mahiru said, handing Maya her detangled rod. “Just throw the hook into the water.”

“That’s all?” At Mahiru’s nod, Maya tossed the hook as best as she could. It landed with a sad plop a foot away from the raft.

“Try… throwing it a little harder than that,” Mahiru suggested. “Like a baseball!”

“A what?”

“A… baseball?”

Maya gave Mahiru a blank look. Mahiru was starting to get very concerned.

“How about… I’ll cast the line, and you can reel it in once we get a bite?”

Maya nodded, gladly relinquishing control.

“Hey! Hey! I got one!” Futaba shouted, a fish dangling from her line. “Look at that! Hey, Junna! You gotta measure it!”

Futaba bounded across the raft and shoved the fish in Junna’s face. Junna grimaced. “A little less enthusiasm, Isurugi, please.” Junna gingerly took the fish and pulled out her pocket ruler. “It’s about… six inches.”

“Six inches! Nice!”

Futaba ran over to their bucket and threw it the fish in, watching in awe as it started swimming around. Junna wrote down the exact measurement in her notebook, marking Futaba’s name with a star. She was the current winner. Claudine leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Do we tell Futaba that six inches is the smallest thing she can catch in this lake?”

“No,” Junna whispered back, “she’s already short enough. We don’t need to shrink her ego too.”

The fish started coming quick after that. Mahiru and Maya pulled in an eight inch one, topping the leaderboard for an hour. Karen was winning in terms of amounts, catching fish twice as fast as the rest of the group. There were whispers going around the raft that she was catching the same one, throwing it back in already on her hook. Their bucket kept filling up, though, two dozen small fish swimming in circles, scales flashing in the light.

“We should start cooking these,” Maya said, depositing her latest catch. “I’ll bring them over to Daiba-san.”

“Careful,” Claudine said, “she probably has a frog army at this point.”

“But they’re all wearing cute hats,” Mahiru reminded them. “So it’s okay.”

“Please make sure she hasn’t tried to become one with the frogs again,” Junna said, looking over at the shore with a frown on her face.

“Again?” Maya asked.

“Let’s not talk about it.”

Maya left for shore, bucket held above her head. She set it on the beach, next to their little grill, and headed off into the reeds to look for Nana. The croaking led Maya right to her.

Nana was crouched in a little clearing, several driftwood structures in front of her. It looked like a little village, complete with walkways and road signs. Frogs and toads of all kinds covered the ground. each one wearing a small grass hat. There must have been close to 50. Nana was moving them about, humming to herself. Maya took it all in wordlessly, then turned around and left. She’d come back to this later.

“You know,” Claudine said, “I’ve been thinking we should ban Nana from frogs. I think she’s too into them.”

“I think it’s kinda cute,” Junna said.

“Sure you would. But did you hear what she told me the other day? She told me the frogs watched over my dreams and then sang her songs to tell her what they learned. That’s terrifying.”

Junna paused for a moment. “Okay, maybe you have a point.”

“Yes! Catch number 13!” Karen held up her newest fish and twirled around. “Aijo Karen, the best fisher girl in the world!”

Mahiru clapped politely. Junna sighed.

"I think I’m done with this," she said, getting to her feet.

"What, annoyed that Karen is having more luck than you?" Claudine asked.

"Yes.” Despite her best efforts, Junna hadn’t managed to catch a single fish in the entire two hours. No matter. She didn’t need a fishing rod to fish. “Kagura?" Junna held out her hand. Seconds later and a knife was in her grasp. Junna slid into the water and took off for shore.

"What is she doing?" Futaba asked.

"Trying to stab the fish?" Hikari suggested.

"More importantly," Claudine said, watching the awkward doggy paddle Junna had to use to keep her glasses above water, "why didn’t she bring her contacts?"

“I don’t think JunJun owns contacts,” Karen says.

"What?"

"Yeah, she says they’re annoying."

Maya frowned. "Wasn’t she wearing contacts during Starlight?"

"Nope!"

"So you’re saying that she was essentially blind the entire time?"

"Probably!"

"Oh, man," Futaba laughed. "That’s hardcore!"

"That explains why she was so insistent that the set pieces were placed in the exact same spot every time," Mahiru realized. Futaba started laughing harder.

"And why she ran right into the stairs when we moved them 2 inches forward!"

"What a loser," Kaoruko said.

"No, I’d say that’s very impressive," Maya said

"Don’t tell me," Claudine guessed, "you’re going to start practicing with a blindfold now, aren’t you."

"I was thinking about it."

"Oh my god."

“Oh?” Kaoruko asked. “I thought you’d be into blindfolded practice, Kuro-han.”

“Kaoruko, I’m going to push you off this raft soon.”

“Um, Daiba-san,” Maya said, back on shore. “Are you busy?”

“Hmm?” Nana looked up from her frogs. The village had grown in the fifteen minutes Maya had been gone, and now included a little driftwood castle. As best as Maya could tell, Nana was roleplaying a princess rescue, one frog trapped high up on the castle with a little grass crown, the other hopping along the ground and fighting the guards with its little grass sword.

Maya had no idea how to react to this scenario. She’d rather go back to the raft and learn about baseball. “We were… thinking of cooking soon. Did you want to help?”

“Oh! Of course!” Nana put down the seven frogs she was holding and tapped them on their heads. “Be safe now, okay?” Maya breathed a sigh of relief, leading Nana back to the grill.

“Were you able to catch a lot fish?” Nana asked.

“Somehow we managed.”

“Great!” Nana inspected the bucket, letting the smallest ones go free and passing the larger ones to Maya. The two of them set about to cleaning and cooking the fish.

Back on the raft, Kaoruko was getting bored.

“Futaba-haaaaan,” she called out, rolling across the wood to where Futaba was sitting. “I’m done with fishing.”

“Have you even touched a fishing rod yet?”

“No. I’m a lesbian, I don’t do that.”

Futaba turned around to high five her. “If I let you sit in my lap, will you be patient?”

“Yes!” Kaoruko scooted over and gladly took up her favorite position, head resting on Futaba’s legs.

“Oh! Me too!” Karen said. She laid down in the middle of raft, head resting on Kaoruko’s stomach. “Ahh~ This is nice.”

Mahiru and Hikari looked at each other and shrugged, joining the pile, Mahiru in Karen’s lap and Hikari in hers. Claudine looked over at the cluster of people.

“Wow. We’re all just abandoning fishing now, are we?”

“Yeah,” Futaba said, setting her rod aside and falling backwards. She landed on Mahiru’s stomach, sharing the space with Hikari.

“Hmph. That’s fine. If there’s no one left in the competition, then I’m the automatic winner!” Claudine pulled in a medium sized fish and tossed it in the bucket.

“Nice one, Kuro,” Futaba said. “Where’d you learn to fish so well?”

“Oh, you know. Hey- Looks like Junna is finally coming back.”

“Is she… carrying a bunch of sticks?” Mahiru asked.

“Alright, I’m ready to fish,” Junna said as she reached the raft, pulling herself up. She was indeed carrying several sticks, each sharpened to a point, as well as a larger wooden creation.

“Did you… make yourself a bow?” Claudine asked, dumbfounded.

“Yes.” Junna dried the wood off with her shirt and tested the string, nodding proudly as it vibrated the way she wanted.

“But. How?”

“It’s not that hard. You just need a knife and the proper tree.”

“Junna, you’re a menace.”

“Are you going to shoot the fish?” Futaba asked, looking eager.

“Yes,” Junna answered again. The rest of the girls sat up, moving closer to watch Junna at work. Junna picked up one of her makeshift arrows and pulled the bowstring back. She’d have to be careful. Without feathers, the arrows would fly differently. There was refraction to take into account as well. That was fine. Junna had calculated harder angles. She spied her target, several feet below the surface, and let the arrow fly.

A fish floated to the surface.

“Incroyable!”

“That was amazing!”

“JunJun, you’re the best!”

“See?” Junna said, looking smug. “Who needs a fishing rod to fish?”

“Am I allowed to stab fish with a knife now?” Hikari asked Mahiru.

“No.”

Nana arrived a short while later, swimming over with Maya sitting gracefully on her back, carrying the tray of food. The smell reached the girls well before the food did, their stomachs growling. Pretending to fish all day was hungry work.

“Dinner time!” Nana called. “I’ve got nine hot plates of Banana Grilled Fish!”

“Yeah!” the group shouted, rushing to take their share. It was delicious, as was everything Nana cooked

“Mm, Banana, you’re the best,” Futaba mumbled around a mouthful of fish.

“Did you bring one of your frogs with you?” Junna asked, spying a patch of green on top of Nana’s head.

“Yes! I didn’t want Anne to be lonely.”

“What happened to Shakespeare?”

“She ate him.”

“...Ah.”

Claudine frowned at the pair. “Do I want to know what you two are talking about?”

“No,” Maya answered, thinking of the frog village, “you don’t.”

“Hey, JunJun! Who won the fishing contest?”

“Me, right?” Futaba asked. “My first one was pretty big.”

Junna flipped through her notebook, scanning through the numbers. “I won.”

“What?”

“I won.”

“You only caught two fish!” Claudine protested. “And you shot those with arrows!”

“And I aimed well!”

“Congrats, Junna-chan!” Nana gave a big smile.

“Yeah, congrats,” Claudine said, making eye contact with Karen. “And you know what they say: the winner is the sacrifice.”

“What?”

“I’m on it!”

“Karen!”

Karen tackled Junna right off the edge. They landed with a loud splash, quickly sinking below the surface as Junna tried desperately to fight off Karen. None of the girls reacted.

“Sacrifice?” Nana asked.

“Oh, you know,” Claudine answered.

#shoujo kageki revue starlight #revue starlight #my stuff #ro fic #junna actually has a good time in this one!#mostly #maybe like 80% of a good time #thats a solid start

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