#HAVE SUCH GRATITUDE in his heart!!! like honey no. yes if it were a normal situation i’d consider that a blessing too. but being burdened—

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

[CN] Victor’s R&S: Between Silence (Eng Translation)

“Every choice he makes inevitably leads to the right path.”

⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for a R&S, 无声之间, that is yet to be released on the global server. ⌚

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•  

[Subbed Video: Fully Voiced]

This R&S accompanies Victor’s S2 CH 41-44 karma.

Victor’s dialogue’s will be in bold and italics, and the others’ dialogues will be only in bold.

【Chapter 1】

The events of the first three chapters took place when Victor was around 22-23 years old. They elaborate on the beginning of Victor and Ronan’s friendship.

A small recap for those unaware: Ronan is one of Victor’s closest friends. He was a young director looking for opportunities to start his career, and young Victor was just building up LFG back then. After proper evaluation, Victor invested in Ronan’s project. Ronan’s project later won several international awards, and with that, the still learning to walk LFG also got its first base for spreading its wings. Ronan later became a world-renowned director (the CANNES winner apparently), LFG became “LFG,” and Victor became “Victor.”

Ronan appeared in Victor’s Taste of Life MQ, Garden Date, and 5th Birthday Story, and was mentioned by Victor in the R&S Finally, We Meet Again. Victor and MC also discuss “Ronan x Victor” friendship in the S2 CH 41-44 call~

—

Victor’s gaze was indifferently fixed on the only source of light in the dimly lit study room–– the movie playing on the computer screen. His face was partly illuminated by the flickering light, and he seemed a little lost in thoughts.

A few days ago, when Victor returned from a business trip to a neighboring city, he was stopped by a young man as soon as he stepped out of the taxi. He enthusiastically helped Victor retrieve his luggage from the trunk and immediately began “confronting” him in a familiar manner as if they had already known each other for a long time.

“CEO Victor, your company is not that large. Why do you still use an appointment system? It seems frivolous.”

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

Victor bowed slightly and took the suitcase back into his hands, not intending to pay much attention to the stranger’s rudeness. Although it hadn’t yet been three years since LFG was founded, it had already gained a reputation for its sharp and cutting-edge investment strategy. This visitor was not the first young person to show up uninvited.

“Moreover, I couldn’t find any way to book an appointment online. So I had no other option but to wait here patiently. It’s been five days already, but luckily, I finally managed to secure an appointment.”

Victor’s gaze toward him was crystal clear, indicating, “Let’s talk business.” But the young man seemed to be oblivious to the implied meaning.

“Ah… I understand. There must always be sales promoters swarming at your door, and that’s why you guys have this regulation, right?”

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

The space between Victor’s eyebrows knitted into a frown,

“Your behavior has served as a good example of the necessity of this regulation.”

Seeing that Victor was about to leave, the young man blocked his path with a grin on his face,

“Sorry about that. I tend to think in a scattered manner. Please don’t take offense, CEO Victor.”

Following this, he extended his hand toward Victor,

“Let me formally introduce myself. My name is Ronan, and I’m a film director. I have a feature-length movie script that I’ve been polishing for a long time, and I hope that LFG can invest in producing the film.”

Victor didn’t lift his gaze and simply dropped one word in a concise manner,

“Reason.”

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

“Although I don’t understand business, LFG is different from other companies. They have already shown their ambition to venture into other industries even in their early stages, which aligns with my aspirations.”

Victor detected a hint of arrogance in Ronan’s words that seemed to come from nowhere, and his brows furrowed slightly, 

“What I’m asking is, why should LFG invest?”

Seeing the youth frozen in place, Victor walked around him and continued on toward the company. However, he had only taken a few steps when he suddenly heard a voice calling out to him from behind, “Wait a minute!” The young man ran up to him again, rummaged through his belongings, and finally handed a hard disk to Victor,

“My answer is in there.”

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

The hard disk contained nearly 20 short film works that Ronan had shot previously as practice pieces. 

As the end credits of the last short film were displayed on the screen, a flicker of keen interest emerged on Victor’s previously impassive face. The short films, though, had some roughness and immaturity, but they couldn’t overshadow the unique talent of the creator. He got up and walked to the window, pulling open the heavy curtains. The gentle morning light filtered through the gauzy curtains and poured into the study. It turned out that without even realizing it, he had actually stayed up all night watching those clips.

Victor took out his phone and dialed a number,

“Prepare a report on the development of the film industry in the past five years.”

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

In the afternoon of that day, an investment decision meeting was held in the conference room of LFG.

“Although there haven’t been any mistakes in CEO Victor’s decisions so far, the profits of the high-speed railway industry have only just begun to show. Given LFG’s current circumstances, it won’t be appropriate to hastily jump into a new industry.”

“A film production cycle is time-consuming, and even aside from the question of whether or not the investment will be profitable, it will take a long time for the money to flow back in. With LFG’s current financial situation, we likely won’t be able to afford this gamble.”

“While the policies may have become more favorable recently, it would still be unwise to stake our all in the investment of a single movie.”

….

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

This investment decision was seeing the most unified opposition since LFG was founded. However, everything that was happening now was well within Victor’s expectations. After listening to all the opposing views, he responded to everyone’s concerns with perfect composure.

“Currently, there is indeed not sufficient data to support this investment decision. The sole convincing factor is that every investment decision made by LFG in the past has yielded good returns. And I believe that this time will be no exception, although the process may be relatively long.”

“Aside from the budget sheet displayed on the big screen, I’ve already asked Goldman to send the script of this project and the director’s past works to everyone’s email. Perhaps the works will be more persuasive than my empty talk.”

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

“Rather than whether or not this movie will bring financial gains to LFG, I’d rather see LFG seize the right opportunity to set foot in the film industry. The film industry will soon enter a period of rapid development, and by grasping the current opportunity, LFG can establish a mutually beneficial relationship with the entire industry.”

Victor’s tone was unhurried and measured. But as it fell into the ears of the investors, it was akin to an indisputable judgment.

A few days later, the investment resolution for Ronan’s film project was approved by LFG.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•  

—

【Chapter 2】

Ronan’s first movie stirred a small sensation after its release, and after gaining recognition from many industry veterans, he grew rapidly at a breakneck pace. With the constant flow of inspiration, he created two more films in quick succession, while LFG continued to firmly occupy the top spot as the producer of his films since the beginning. When he was almost wrapping up the shooting for his third film, Victor received multiple invitations from Ronan to visit the set under the guise of “guiding the work.”

A faint sense of misgiving arose in Victor’s heart. Although Ronan had an unconventional personal style, as a director, he had always maintained enough professionalism and aesthetic sense and would not be swayed by the opinions of the investors. At that time, he happened to be on a business trip near the filming location and drove to the set on the outskirts of the city.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

However, he wasn’t expecting to be greeted with the sight of Ronan exploding on the props team as soon as he stepped onto the set. 

“The precondition of all you guys’ work here is to respect the film! Respect the audience! Your small mistake has directly caused five scenes to be re-shot, not to mention going over budget. Now the entire crew is spending extra time and effort to mend your error!”

Signs of anger loomed on Ronan’s face as if he was trying his best to restrain himself from smashing the script in his hand onto the other person’s head.

The Ronan in front of him was a far cry from the unconventional and unruly image he had in his memory, causing Victor to inevitably be a little flabbergasted. He stood there waiting on the side for quite a while until Ronan came rushing over.

“Ahh... sorry for making you wait! Would you like to have something to drink?”

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

“Water.”

Ronan wiped off his sweat and took Victor to the RV, where the director’s crew took a break. However, upon opening the freezer cabinet, nothing else was inside except cans of beer packed to the brim.

“Will this do?”

“...I drove here.”

As if oblivious to Victor’s speechless expression, Ronan put the beer back into the freezer and sat down opposite him in a carefree manner, gesturing animatedly with his hands.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

“I had originally calculated the exact time and wanted you to witness the grand finale. But you also saw the situation just now. Things don’t always go according to the plans.”

“How do you plan to handle this situation?”

“We have no choice but to reshoot. But don’t worry, I’ll ensure we do it in the most cost-effective method possible. Rest assured, it won’t  go over budget.”

Ronan shrugged his shoulders in feigned nonchalance, but Victor’s keen perception picked up on the subtle traces of putting on an act in his tone.

“If the method you’re talking about is to film it all in one take using a long shot, then I suggest you ask for a budget increase from me.”

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

Hearing Victor’s words, Ronan was a bit taken aback and stared with widened eyes,

“Have you been taking film courses? How do you even know about cost-effective filming methods?”

“How much budget do you need for the reshoot?”

Seeing Victor’s serious expression, Ronan cupped his fist in the other hand, an expression of gratitude written across his whole face,

“About 3 million yuan. Thank you so much in advance, CEO Victor. You are the godparent of this film! I’ll definitely put your name at the top of the director’s acknowledgments!”

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

Victor remained stone-faced in the face of his teasing:

“No need. You may have misunderstood. For me, achieving the expected goal takes precedence over everything. Economizing the cost is only a small number, but compromising the quality of the film would affect the expected return on investment.”

Probably aiming to appease Victor’s concerns, Ronan gave him his sincere assurance,

“Don‘t worry. I won’t be careless with any of the shots.”

Not receiving a response from Victor, he took a brief pause and jokingly said,

“Hehe, do I need to win a major international award for you to have faith in me?”

Victor didn’t continue that conversation and left with the parting remark, “Make sure to not just talk the talk. Let me see your capability with the finished project.” But Ronan knew that Victor had faith in him.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

Victor was just about to start the car when he heard a knock on the car’s right window. He turned to the source of the sound and saw Ronan outside the car, panting heavily, holding a bottle of water as if he had just run a great distance to reach him.

“Thanks.”

Victor took the water after opening the window,

“By the way, your acting skills are really poor. It’s best if you just stick to being a director.”

Despite being called out, Ronan remained unperturbed and smiled instead, resting his hand on the window frame,

“I’ve been dedicated to being a director all along. Earlier, when I mentioned winning an award, I was dead serious. So if that day ever comes, how about treating me to a drink at a bar, CEO Victor?”

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•  

—

【Chapter 3】

The film that Ronan had placed great expectations upon encountered a strong setback in the local theaters even before receiving the results of its entry into the international film festival. Due to the mismanagement in scheduling by the theaters, the film was forced to release earlier than planned. The marketing and promotion team was caught off guard, having no time to prepare, and many people were unaware that it had already been released. As a result, the film suffered from poor box office performance and received a lackluster public reception, which was not surprising considering the circumstances.

The following day, Victor was reviewing the box office prediction trend chart as he prepared in advance for LFG’s next weekly investment meeting. After the weekend drew its curtain, the film’s already disappointing performance experienced a sudden and drastic decline, reminiscent of a fall from the cliff. It seemed that the film’s box office failure had become inevitable. Recalling Ronan’s spirited demeanor when talking about his aspiration for the film winning awards, Victor decided to go and watch the movie to experience it firsthand.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

Due to a scarce number of screenings, Victor could only manage to buy a ticket for a late-night show. By the time he walked out of the theater, it was already dawn, and he found himself to be the sole audience member in the entire screening in the empty cinema hall without the sight of any other viewers. Coincidentally, as Victor entered the elevator, the projectionist in charge of the screening happened to be getting off work and shared the elevator with him.

“Ah, the movie has a high level of artistic quality. It’s the best one he has directed yet. It’s a pity that it’s not commercial enough to make money.”

In response to the projectionist’s remark, Victor nodded politely and replied:

“Mm, it’s indeed remarkable. As for whether it’s a pity or not, each film has its track suitable for only itself.”

With a “ding” sound, the brief conversation came to an end as the elevator doors opened.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

Just as he stepped out of the elevator, Victor’s phone in his pocket vibrated. He received an MMS from Ronan, containing a screenshot of an email confirming his film’s selection for the CANNES Film Festival. The message was accompanied by a grinning face emoji.

Just as Victor’s “congratulations” message was successfully sent, Ronan couldn’t contain his excitement and immediately called him,

“Reporters are all waiting in line to interview me. But I wanted to call you first. Isn’t that very thoughtful of me?”

Without waiting for Victor to respond, Ronan carried on excitedly,

“I’m actually booking my plane ticket right now. After the film festival wraps up, it’d be the perfect opportunity to reward myself with a long vacation! I’m planning to visit Île Saint-Honorat near Cannes. Ahh, the sunshine! The beach! The sea! I already can’t wait to melt away in the Mediterranean sea breeze!”

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

His irrepressible excitement flowed from the rising inflection of his voice.

“If I remember correctly, that e-mail was just to notify you that you’ve been nominated.”

“Being nominated is the first step to actually winning the award. When I get back, you better be ready to take out for a drink. I’m gonna need at least a whole case of beer.”

Ronan continued in a dissatisfied tone before Victor could respond,

“Come on? You’ve invested millions in me, yet it’s so difficult for you to treat me to a simple drink? Forget it, I’ll just…”

“Sure, we can have a drink. But since I’m the one treating, I’ll choose where we go.”

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

After hanging up the phone, Victor found several new emails expressing their interest in collaboration in his inbox, all from astute film and TV companies.

“It seems that tomorrow’s investment meeting will go smoothly,”-- Victor thought to himself. Although he didn’t hesitate when making the decision initially, he could not help but feel a sense of joy as the dust settled and everything fell in the right direction in the end.

As these thoughts circled his mind, Victor walked towards the vending machine outside the movie theater. He inserted a few coins, and moments later, a chilled can of beer dropped from the dispensing slot.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•  

—

【Chapter 4】

Chapters 4 & 5 of the R&S cover the events between S2 CH 38-39. It begins with the scene after he had replaced the twelve main gods of BS, and the ending scene of the R&S, yes, is the “Stop time for me, Victor” scene of S2 CH 39 after clearing all split routes; the most crucial junction~

—

The waning moon sinks into the dense clouds, and the night sky is bathed in a blurred, pale luminescence.

The comet remains suspended midair, framing the entire Loveland City in a treacherous and enchanting ambiance. The city has lapsed into a state of deathly stillness.

In the depths of the BS Hall, the cascading dark red curtains appear eerie and terrifying under the reflection of the thick, dark night. The central seat in the hall remains unoccupied. Numerous figures stand scattered throughout the hall, engaged in discussions. The sound of conversation fills the air, giving the impression that the main gods seem to be working intensely. Despite so, there’s an underlying current of restlessness and turmoil in the air.

As Victor descends the stairs, his composed footsteps draw the attention of the crowd, causing their gazes to converge on him in unison.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

Victor walks towards Poseidon and asks,

“How is the progress?”

“We haven’t been able to reach Helios yet.”

Victor’s gaze sweeps across the faint golden arc of light beneath the hall’s dome. A thin layer of frost seems to settle on his face as he says,

“I hope I don’t have to emphasize once again how tight the time is.”

Poseidon nods and exits the hall. Another tall, short-haired youth swiftly walks up to Victor and says,

“BOSS, multiple calculations have consistently proven that our estimated countdown time is indeed relatively accurate, with an error margin that can be kept within 2 minutes.”

“It’s not enough. It needs to be precise down to the second.”

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

“Understood.”

The young man nimbly turns around and returns to the side of the woman wearing glasses. In front of them, a massive depiction of the development history of civilizations on Earth is displayed. Each key milestone of the birth and extinction of civilizations is illuminated, shining brightly. The two people close their eyes, and countless lines weave through the points of light. They interconnect in an orderly and systematic pattern, and gradually, numerical values representing units of time emerge on the line segments.

As the main gods return to their tasks, everything appears to be the same as it was earlier. However, with Victor’s presence, the restlessness that was lingering in the air before has unknowingly melted away, vanishing into thin air.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

The mechanical sound of a violin suddenly resounds, piercingly echoing throughout the hall. Standing by the door is an unexpected guest. Victor looks up and, upon recognizing the visitor’s face, dismisses the twelve main gods, leaving only the two of them in the spacious hall. 

“Zero, I believe we’ve made our point very clear already.”

The other party seems oblivious to the implied urgency in the words and remains unperturbed as he says,

“We have observed new omens appearing along the world-lines.”

Victor raises his eyebrows, indicating for him to go on.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

“There might be different potential futures for this world. It remains uncertain which path the new future will follow, and perhaps it could be even worse than the current situation.”

Victor’s eyes are filled with indifference as he responds,

“Time is precious. You can just state your purpose in coming directly.”

Zero pauses and looks straight into Victor’s eyes, speaking slowly,

“The SpaceTime Bureau welcomes powers formidable enough to confront and observe the unknown. Therefore, my invitation to you still stands. You and I both know that venturing into the unknown is not the optimal option.”

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

“Whether an option is the best has never been the basis for my decision-making. For me, the one and only valid prerequisite is whether or not I desire to make that choice.”

Victor speaks in an indifferent tone, yet every word carries the confidence of having victory within his grasp,

“And once I make a choice, I will ensure it becomes the most correct one.”

Zero chooses not to persuade any further, and as he departs, the gates of BS close behind him. Even though Victor has never had any regrets about his decisions, he cannot, however, escape the realization that even the right choice sometimes comes with an unbearable price. For instance, there is one such image that remains etched into his memory and which he still refuses to recall to this very day––

The utility room of the cruise ship. The bewilderment and perplexity in her gaze as she looked at him.

[Tidbits]: Reference to [S2 CH 31]

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

Even if her forgetting him had lasted for only a brief moment, the shock it brought to Victor’s heart might outlast even the longevity of his own life.

The sound of bells chiming outside the building reaches Victor’s ears and brings him back to reality, jolting him out of his tangled thoughts. He walks towards the window and pushes open the heavy panes, allowing the chilly wind to fill his nostrils. Gradually, he regains his composure.

He takes a deep breath and directs his gaze toward the bell tower of the church. The hoarse tolling of the bells startles a flock of crows into sudden flight. They circle above the church for a while, adding another layer of desolation to this already lifeless city. The church spire blends into the profound darkness of the night. The entire city seems to be silently awaiting the arrival of doomsday.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

But in the next second, from a distance, Victor spots a familiar figure breaking through the night, running towards his location vigorously.

The darkness of the night intensifies,  and a cluster of blazing flames has already flared into existence in the silent void.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•  

—

【Chapter 5】

Victor is not surprised by the scene unfolding before him, and a small smile forms at the corner of his lips.

The church bells continue reverberating, but by the time the sound travels to Victor’s ears, it carries a much brisker tone.

Unbeknownst to him, a gauzy layer of starlight has cascaded upon the church’s stained glass windows at some point. The soft halo of pale light gently dances, casting swirling and elusive shadows that can be seen even with eyes closed.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

The running girl closes the distance more and more, with her long hair casually flowing down in loose waves, drawing a beautiful arc in the air. Despite there still being a considerable distance between them, Victor feels as though he can see the girl’s face clearly. He is certain that her eyes now are sparkling with a resolute glimmer, powerful enough to pierce through the darkness of the night. With this thought, a wave of fervent sensation surges up from deep within his heart.

Suddenly, Victor feels as if he has been blessed.

It’s not about whether every decision he makes ultimately leads to the perfect outcome, but rather the fact that he has always been granted the opportunity to make choices.

It’s as if, at this moment, he can cast aside all social roles and simply be “Victor,” allowing himself to be there for the girl wherever she needed him and creating a space where she could find him at any time.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

The feeling of being needed by her, of being able to help her–– these aspects bring Victor a profound sense of happiness. It seems that this happiness is enough to make the long days ahead, in which he may be forgotten by her, a little less painful to endure.

Victor nods slightly in the direction of the church, solemnly expressing his gratitude for this blessing within his heart.

Victor turns around and ascends the steps, summoning all the main gods to take their positions,

“Suspend all matters at hand.”

A murmuring commotion rises among the main gods, as they are puzzled about why BOSS has chosen to halt their activities during such a crucial moment when the end of the night is just about to descend.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

Before those impatient inquiries can escape their lips, though, Victor’s cold and commanding demeanor instantly silences them.

His gaze sweeps over the crowd, ensuring that every main god is present, before finally settling on the entrance not far away. The main gods, following his line of sight, turn their heads toward the entrance as well.

A few seconds later, the BS door is pushed open with a resounding sound.

The girl appears at the far end of Victor’s unwavering gaze, gasping for breath. He, with a stern and proud expression, leads the main gods toward her until she can see him. It’s only when the girl has a clear view of him does Victor halt his steps.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

As those bright, sparkling eyes gaze at him from afar, and their eyes interlock, Victor’s heart is flooded with a myriad of complex and indescribable emotions. There is a sense of relief that the situation has unfolded according to his expectation, a deep sense of gratitude that she is standing before him at this moment, and a profound pride for her that emanates from the depths of his being… just as these emotions are about to pour out of his heart sincerely, he casts his gaze downward. He leads the main gods to step aside in the shadows, creating the path for the girl to ascend the platform.

As he watches her walk step by step toward the long-unoccupied seat, Victor knows that regardless of what she might ask for, he has already prepared himself to do all that he can and give his everything for her.

—

#??? he was actually tearing up when she was walking up to him!!! was saying last night too - that scene still sends shivers down my spine. #i honestly can’t recall for the life of me?? how can a person who is willingly on the brink of sacrificing himself for millonth time— #HAVE SUCH GRATITUDE in his heart!!! like honey no. yes if it were a normal situation i’d consider that a blessing too. but being burdened— #with the responsibilities you never asked for and having a sword hanging up your head and asking you to choose – IS NOT A BLESSING #cause you’re gonna be killed either way!!! BAOBEI COULD YOU FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE BE NOT SO GOOD? SO SELFLESS?? #i have so much to say and there’s so much to unpack!!! gonna keep it for after being done with exams LOL #also!! RONAN!! OMG HE IS PRACTICALLY MC HAHAHA. i absolutely love that we got to know more about him and such precious friendship 🥺❤️ #mlqc victor #mlqc li zeyan #mlqc #mr love victor #mr love queen's choice #恋与制作人 #李泽言 #love and producer #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc translations

[enterenews]

Park Soo-hong's perfect newlywed meal table revealed!

Park Soo-hong and Kim Da-ye made a sincere confession in 'Pyeon Restaurant'.

On KBS 2TV's 'New Release Fun-Staurant', which aired on the 30th, the honeymoon of Park Soo-hong and Kim Da-ye was revealed.

On this day, Park Soo-hong cooked seafood pot rice and sea urchin seaweed soup with fresh seafood for his wife. Her wife Kim Da-ye also prepared her side dishes for her husband with all her heart. Exclamations of congratulations and envy echoed through the studio at the sight of the couple literally pouring sesame seeds. Lee Chan-won said, “The two of them have a good laugh. They said that if you love you, you resemble each other… He once again applauded congratulations.

After a delicious meal, the two went out. Watching his wife Daye Kim sitting in the driver’s seat, Park Soo-hong said, “I love driving and I’m good at it.”

Then, a sincere conversation between the couple began. Park Soo-hong recalled the day he visited the nursery school he had been sponsoring for nearly 20 years with his wife Da-ye Kim. Park Soo-hong, who went to meet her children with his wife before marriage, said, “Her wife is very fond of the children, and her children also really like her wife. So she got better. She looked prettier,” he confessed.

Kim Da-ye also confessed, "I wasn't a person who normally did volunteer work until I met Honey (Park Soo-hong)," adding, "I learned and gained a lot after meeting Honey (Park Soo-hong). thanks. I am sincere,” she said, expressing her gratitude. Park Soo-hong said, “It was really nice to be together. Being a couple is like meeting my perfect side.”

Seeing the two promise to go again soon, the 'Pyeon Restaurant' family cheered for the two people who had similar hearts and were doing good things together, saying, "There seem to be many similarities in addition to appearances."

On the other hand, , which is famous in the entertainment industry, reveals a menu that is a waste to eat alone by stars who know the taste well. It is a new concept convenience store survival program.

#먹튀검증사이트 #먹튀검증

[l-artemisia-del-secolo]

Taste of a memory

Yelena belova x reader, one shot, mentions of missions during the red room, hopeful ending as usual, what is a pryanik

"Babe, what are you hiding there?"

When you came into the kitchen Yelena frantically hid something in a brown paper bag.

"How was your day, princess?" She tried to change the subject while weirdly holding the bag behind her back.

"You're distracting me?" You laughed and held out a hand, "Come on, babe."

"It's... it's nothing." She shook her head.

You couldn't help but be completely enamoured by this woman. Usually so fierce and strong, protective and confident. Almost a grown up. But now she was like a helpless kid, covering something she was, judging by the eyes... ashamed of.

"Are you sure?" You sounded softer. And your hand that was still hanging in the air gently landed on her shoulder. "Whatever it is, it's fine."

Yelana nodded. You sounded reassuring, you sounded familiar and cozy. And she immediately wanted to lean in your touch.

"It's fine." She echoed.

"You want to spend some time alone?"

Of course you didn't want to let her go. But it's how it worked with Yelena. Sometimes you had to let her reflect on the situation and make her own conclusions. You were the same. Of course later you would talk. Except once. You never talked about her sister's death. With this she wasn't ready to open up yet.

You let her leave the room. But before that made sure to touch the bare skin of her arm. Burn it, remind her she wasn't alone.

She was quiet for the rest of the day and the next day and the day after. You were there for her. Surrounding with attention, hugging with love, reassuring with affection.

You remembered how you sucked at it at first. Being in a relationship. In fact you both sucked. But she needed you more and in time you found that in yourself. You were the one who showed her how to resolve conflicts and stop when needed. But Yelena was the one who had to work harder, overcoming her insecurities.

You were ready for her reaction to whatever happened between you two, but you didn't want to, you hoped that those days were long gone.

In a week Yelena came to you herself. You had a stressful day with the marketing report you had to present. And when you came home you just poured yourself some whiskey and mindlessly were watching something on hbo max. It didn't help that you had a headache.

She sat near you and took your glass. "One of those days, princess?"

"Unfortunately."

She moved closer. She was ready. You placed your head on her lap and allowed her to massage your temples.

You were hesitant, you couldn't relax.

"Something's wrong?" Of course she noticed that you still were tense. Usually it took you just a few minutes to let go of everything.

"No, migraine is just stronger this time."

"You're an awful liar, princess".

You squinted. "Is it a bad thing?"

"No," She sighed. "Not really. I appreciate that we're being honest with each other. It's about what happened in the kitchen?"

"Babe, if you don't want to talk, I understand." You tried to stand up but Yelena didn't let you.

"I know. Tomorrow. I promise." She kissed your forehead.

You didn't sleep well that night. Subconsciously trying to get closer to your woman. Yelena didn't sleep at all.

When you woke up she was already gone. But when you returned from work she was at home.

You saw the same brown paper back on the kitchen table.

"Привет (hey)." Yelena greeted you. But she sounded different. Colder. "How's your migraine?"

"Thanks, it's a..." You couldn't stop staring at the bag. "It's fine."

"Curious?"

"Nope, if you think I shouldn't be." Weak attempt at a joke. But Yelena appreciated that. It was hard to keep her distance with you if you were trying to break the ice.

"Come here." You obliged. Once you were within her reach, she caught in a hug. "Promise me, nothing between us will change."

"Promise, babe."

Yelena looked right into your eyes. You weren't lying. You simply couldn't. You didn't know how to. She let you sit while she remained standing.

"I told you about my upbringing. Мои корни (my roots). My purpose." She heard your sigh and corrected herself. "My previous purpose. Previous life."

"Yes."

"Well, I never told you about my first mission. When I was 12. I had to go undercover to gather intelligence."

"Who could you possibly be when you're only 12."

"I was supposed to get certain documents from an engineer. And his wife often helped homeless children. It was just 10 years after the Soviet Union collapsed. And in Russia itself not everything was alright. Especially in further regions. For example in Tula."

"You were supposed to be one of the homeless kids god knows where?" You heard stories like this before from her. But when you're only 12? You couldn't believe it.

"Yeah. I had to take advantage of a good hearted woman. Get into her house. And steal the documents. Standard operation for a widow this age." She stopped for a second recalling details of that assignment. Her torn clothes, smell of dirt she had in her face, hunger in the eyes of the other kids. "But during those missions a certain approach had to be used. Chemical control had to be reduced for a child to have a more authentic behaviour. On such cases the Res room relied on propaganda they still were using on young agents."

You tried to remain stoic. But your eyes were already tearful.

"Oh, princess." Yelena brushed them away with her thumbs. "No need for that. It was such a long time ago. Don't weep for my past. Anyway, I succeeded, she noticed me. Every day I was with the kids, but every night I was back at the base. It wasn't that bad. And in time that compassionate woman let me into her house. She allowed me to eat there and get warm. She learned my name, my backstory. And with the mind controlling not being there I felt something for her. Then I didn't know what it was. But now I know it was love and gratitude."

Yelena stared for a few minutes blankly. Feeling those sensations long forgotten. Feeling the hope she had to stay in that family.

"But I was programmed. I was serving. I had no other choice. And in a few months I found the documents. When the family wasn't at home, I broke into the apartment and stole them. But on my way to the car, that woman saw me. She saw their folder. She understood. And that was the first time I've seen the exact moment I've destroyed a person. Not physically, sure. But she thought of me as a daughter, as a member of the family. But that's not all."

She leaned to you for a kiss. Cold, detached, calculated.

"I fucked up on my first mission. Of course I was punished. But I didn't care. With the chemical I only cared about the less than stellar result. And in a few years I accidently discovered that the red room killed her, because she saw my face. I... of course now I repent. But what's the use of that. She is just one of many."

"It was never your fault."

"It's complicated. You know that better than anyone. And that feeling that I understand now, it even had a taste and a smell then. Cause Людмила (Lyudmila) was giving me a certain thing that Tula was famous for." She gestured to the bag. "Пряник (pryanik)"

You opened it. And there it was. Made from flour and honey. Sweet and aromatic.

"I buy myself one once a year. To..." She shrugged. "I don't even know why. Maybe to get that childish feeling of hope back. Is it weird?"

"No, of course not."

"Yeah, I guess." She muttered to herself.

"It is not weird. I understand. I mean. I think I do. It's normal to try to relive memories.' You stood up and poured yourself some water.

"Very bitter sweet ones. But you know. Now it's easier for me. With you and Fanny....'' Yelena almost had a shadow of a smile. "Try it."

"Sure." You took a bite of this pryanik. "Well, it's really sweet."

"It's supposed to be, princess." She sounded playfully annoyed. "Appreciate it."

"I do. And you know, I guess I can cook it for you." You said carefully.

"Well, that definitely makes the sensation far less bitter. Promise?"

"Promise."

Of course it wasn't the end of the conversation. You were returning to this topic time and time again. Working it through, searching for an answer. At times it was ugly, at times it was tearful, at times annoying. But you were ready for that,both of you. Oh, and you kept your promise. You learned to bake for her.

#black widow 2021 #black widow fic #marvel self insert #yelena belova #yelena belova fanfiction #yelena belova imagine #yelena belova x reader #yelena belova x you

[foli-vora]

i’ve got you

A/N: This fic is dedicated to @rise-my-angel and anyone else who has been stuck in a bad place mentally as of late, and is in need of a little bit of comfort & love. Frankie’s got you ❤️ I hope you enjoy. Love you, angels.

Another comforting Frankie fic if you need here.

Pairing: Francisco ‘Catfish’ Morales x gn!reader

Word count: 1.8k

Warnings: insecurities, anxiety, depression, panic attack

+

You wipe at your face, desperate to rid the evidence of your sadness before Frankie comes home from dropping Mena off at Santiago’s. It’s happening again, you can feel it. The shadow hanging in the back of your mind is growing, slowly eating away at everything in its path and you feel it now, scratching away at the back of your throat, desperate to get out. Push it down, push it away. You’re fine. Everything’s fine.

Tears return to your eyes and spill out before you can even think, cascading down your cheeks and leaving heated trails across your skin that chill instantly from the frigid air of the bathroom. Your chest tightens, and your hand flies to your chest, rubbing away at your skin like you could somehow rub the horrible constriction you feel wrapping around your lungs.

It’s not worth it. You’re not worth it.

No, you know that’s not true.

But what if it is?

No. Frankie loves you.

Does he?

Breathing becomes harder, as if the oxygen in the room has vanished, leaving you standing at the sink gasping, fighting to fill your lungs with something that will keep you going. The porcelain is ice under your hands as you clutch it, curling over the sink to remain steady and keep from falling to the floor.

Your eyes flicker up and meet your reflection in the mirror, and shock rattles through you. That’s not you. It can’t be. You feel your face crumble and tear your eyes away from your reflection, unable to watch the wave of anguish flood your face.

Legs shaking, you slowly lower to the cool tiled floor and succumb completely to the feeling clawing at your insides, harsh sobs wracking your frame as you feel the last of your steeled composure fade. And once it starts, it doesn’t stop.

The tears come in vast, unforgiving waves; your lungs struggling to keep up with the strength at which your cries tear through your body.

It was scarily overwhelming. Soon your surroundings blurred into nothing, your eyes unable to focus on any single thing around you.

You’re vaguely aware of something dropping to the floor and clattering against the tiles behind you – the sound of it only just breaking through the overwhelming fog drowning your senses. Strong arms wrap tightly around your torso and then your back is meeting a firm chest. Your hands fly to the legs spreading out beside you, skin rubbing along the rough fabric and fingers digging into the muscle beneath.

A voice is echoing in your ears but you can’t hear what they’re saying, you can’t focus on their voice. The ringing’s too loud. There’s too much static, too much blood rushing through your ears. It hurts. Everything hurts. Why can’t it just stop? When will it stop?

“Breathe with me,” someone murmurs in your ear, breath fanning your skin. Frankie. Your Frankie. He’s home, he’s here. He moves your hand, resting it softly on your chest before he covers it with his own. Your heart is erratic under your touch, chest jolting uneasily with the intensity of your gasps.

“I’m here. I’ve got you. Breathe – nice and steady.”

You try to listen, try to let his deep voice soothe away the all-consuming panic you feel coursing through your system. He pulls you tighter against his frame, exaggerating his deep breathing so you could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest against your back.

It’s taking too long. You’re going to chase him away. He won’t want to be with someone with a screwed-up head – why are you the way you are? Why can’t you just be normal? He deserves someone better, someone who won’t have an attack in the middle of his bathroom.

This is his house. His house he shares with his daughter, and you’re ruining the warm loving atmosphere they created together with your stupid, stupid brain. You should leave. You shouldn’t be here. You don’t deserve to be here, in a place full of such love –

You don’t realise your breathing’s getting worse until he’s talking again; his words, by some miracle, melting through the dread pulling your body to the floor.

“I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere.”

He’s not? But why? He deserves better –

“I’m here.”

He’s here?

Yes, he is.

He’s here. With you.

You’re not alone.

“That’s it, baby. I’m here.”

He’s here, and he’s got you.

“You’re safe. I’ve got you. Keep breathing.”

You’re safe? Safe.

He’s got you.

Oxygen floods your lungs as you try to match the movement on him breathing behind you, and though it calms your mind somewhat to have someone speak so soothingly to you, it takes a while longer for your breathing to steady. He doesn’t move, keeping his arms locked firmly around you.

“I think we need to see someone about this, honey.” He mutters quietly, carefully; thumb rubbing along your cheek soothingly. “There’s no shame in it, okay? I want you to know that. There’s no shame in seeing someone about this.”

You sniffle as you nod, eyes scrunching closed as the last of the gasps settle into something a little less harsh and finally, finally, your body releases the last of its rigidity and you melt into his embrace, exhaustion weighing your movements.

“What do you need, baby? Let me help you.”

“You.” You whimper, turning further into his hold and inhaling his familiar scent. “I just need you.”

He loosens his hold for only a moment, leaning to hook a hand under your ankles and then he’s bringing you across his lap to tuck you deeper into his arms. Heat seeps through your clothes and pierces through the chill covering your body as warm hands slowly, soothingly, rub up and down your back.

You stay like for what feels like hours, cuddled tightly and comfortingly in his embrace. You’re not too sure when you fall asleep, exhausted from your episode and wrapped tightly in Frankie’s arms, but it’s not until you feel a slight movement under you that has your eyes are blinking open, taking in the familiar surrounds of Frankie’s bathroom.

Your head moves from its resting place on Frankie’s firm chest, the arms wrapped around you relaxing as you shift. It’s dark beyond the bathroom window, and a quick check of your watch shows you’ve been in here for just shy of two hours.

“Morning sunshine,” he murmurs light-heartedly, eyes blinking tiredly at you as you sit up. He winces as he moves, the aftermath of sitting in one position so long on an unforgiving surface now rearing its ugly head. But he’d do it again in a heartbeat, over and over. For you, only for you. “How do you feel?”

“Tired,” you admit quietly, eyes downcast and unable to meet his. You were ashamed. He shouldn’t have had to see that. You should’ve been able to bury it. You were weak –

His reassuring touch has that thought being shoved to the back of your mind as he helps you up from the floor, hands guiding your sides as you stand on unsteady feet. Fingers pinch your chin and gently tilt your face up, his gaze flickering across your face.

“Do I look ugly?” You deadpan, eyes feeling incredibly raw and swollen. You definitely look like a mess – no doubt about it. How could you not, after something like that?

His smile grows, fingers moving, trailing across your cheekbones and along your jaw tenderly. “Never.”

You smile before you can help it, the stretch of it pulling at your tight cheeks. His heart warms as you grin shyly.

“Shall we have dinner? Watch a movie? Whatever you want…”

“That sounds good.” You agree quietly, unable to keep the smile from falling as he pecks your nose playfully.

He stays close, standing right by you as you wash your face, the cool water shocking to your skin but surprisingly pleasant, and cleansing away the leftover mess of dried tears. He’s ready with a soft towel when you straighten, dabbing it gently over your face before he’s whisking you away and leading you downstairs. His hand doesn’t leave yours until you’re both in the kitchen.

Automatically you move for the cooking utensils and start to prepare, but are stopped in place when he steps in front of you, a small frown of disapproval pinching his brows.

“No.” He takes the chopping board from your hands and nods to the counter, raising his brows when you don’t move. “I’m cooking, and you’re staying there. Now up.” His hands fly to your waist, helping you slide onto the surface and then he’s moving about the kitchen, turning the oven on and grabbing ingredients from the fridge.

You watch him fondly, chest tightening every now and then when he would catch your eyes and send you a little smile.

“I love you, Frankie.” You say softly, watching him pause and gaze at you, your chest so full of gratitude and love you feel it could burst at any moment.

He drops what’s in his hands and comes to stand in front of you, slotting himself between your legs and cupping his hands gently below your jaw. His warm brown eyes burn directly into your soul, your heart picking up as he leans in to kiss you gently.

“I love you.” He mutters against your lips, sealing his tenderly spoken promise with one more sweet press of his lips. You melt into him, lashes fluttering as he pulls back. “Forever. Do you hear me?” He watches a smile curl at your lips, stomach turning pleasantly as it brightens your features. “No matter what that says–” he pokes a gentle finger against your forehead, “–I love you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

You don’t shy away from the tears that build in your eyes this time, instead thankful they came from a place of love rather than pain. His thumb smooths the one lone tear that had escaped away, and kisses where it had fallen on your cheek.

“Go and pick something to watch while I plate up.”

You do as instructed, picking a random movie from Netflix before snuggling under a blanket and smiling when Frankie comes in soon after balancing two plates in his hands. Everything’s quiet as the movie starts in the background, Frankie snuggling close to your side as you both half pay attention to the screen while you eat.

Once finished, the plates are moved to the small coffee table and you both wind around each other under the blanket, arms and legs intertwining, and Frankie’s fingers always somewhere on your body tracing soothing circles or lightly tickling any skin that peaks out from between your clothes and relishing in your quiet giggles.

It’s when the movie finishes, the room plunging into darkness, and when Frankie’s breathing deepens to an almost snore, that you finally feel the remaining fog lurking at the back of your mind dissolve. You stay awake, long after Frankie dozes off, basking in the love and affection that still pours from him even when sleeping.

Things would get better.

It would take time, of course, but the storm would clear.

Everything would be alright, especially with Frankie by your side.

+

Tags: @anu-simps​ @seasonschange-butpeopledont​ @withasideofmeg​ @you-got-me-starry-eyed​

#frankie morales x reader #frankie morales x you #frankie morales x gn!reader #francisco morales x reader #francisco morales x you #francisco morales x gn!reader #frankie morales #francisco morales #triple frontier #triple frontier fic #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal

[theodora3022]

Companion Headcanons for Fairy

The original fic can be found here

The sequal hcs can be found here

Summary: You are now Overhaul’s posession. Just like Eri, he have big plans for you. 

Warning: Yandere, implied NSFW, forced aphrodisiac use, non con(not graphic), mentions of forced pregancy, loss of virginity

Kai feeds you healthy food and perform weekly checkups. No way you are getting sick under his watch.

He never refers you by your real name, always calling you “my fairy”.

Gives you a large room to live in, he knows you have claustrophobia, he doesn’t want cabin fever to get to you.

He would fill your cell room with books, to occupy your time while he is gone.

With the quirk cancelling handcuffs on, you cannot escape the heavily guarded Yakuza base.

However it also frustrates Kai because he wants to see you flying around like the fairy you are

So he lets you use your quirk under his supervision. He would take you for flights in the backyards wearing those acrylic wings, you comply to his wishes, terrified of the alternative: He took so much already, not your quirk too. After two or three laps he would take you back to your room and disappear behind the door.

You soon find out he just wants to admire you from a distance. He never touched you unless necessary. When you ask him why, he says he get rashes. Which is such a relief.

Quirk-cancelling cuffs is quickly replaced with a pair of thin silver bracelets. While they have the same effects, you are able to move around more freely. It is a reward of being docile towards Kai. He is happy that his threats work, as you seldom scream.

You learn about Eri when you overheard one of his subordinates come to inform him about her situation.

“Eri? Who is that?” When he sees those sparkles in your eyes once more, Kai felt so weak.

“The granddaughter of my mentor.” “Can I see her?”

He told you tomorrow you will. It is probably good for both of you and Eri. It can lift your spirits, and maybe you can calm down the little girl. You are trapped here, there is no need to worry about leaking info.

When Eri saw you the next day, she was not sure what to do. So you crotched down and smiled at her. It has probably been a long time since the little girl received any genuine affections, so it will not take long for her to warm up to you, the only kind person here.

Soon you began to look forwards to these little playdates. Kai would allow you an hour with her everyday after your daily flight, while he sits on sofa in the corner, watching the two of you. At first Eri seems to be intimidated by his presence, but she soon understands Kai won’t hurt her as long you’re in the same room.

Seeing you attending Eri’s tea party with her stuffed animals, brushing her pale hair, how Eri is able to make you laugh like you used to, gives him a strange sensation. Eri likes to call you “Sister”, which you would respond with a warm “Yes, Eri~” every time. Is that...jealousy? You never spoke his name with such warmth before. You were not even referring him by his first name. Just a cold, business-like “Chisaki”.

When you are back to your cell you expect him to leave, but this time he did not.

“Call me Kai, with that sweet tone.”

You are confused…Which tone?

“Do it now.”

“Kai.” You tried your best to apply honey onyour shaky voice, and it seems to work.

Then you felt a pat on your head. “Good girl.” He is talking to you like you are some domestic pet.

You sighed with relief once the door shuts him out.

Thanks you Eri, Kai now can hear your gleeful laughter again. He shows his gratitude by taking shallow, less hurtful cuts.

You are surprised to find Eri calling you “Mommy” two weeks after your initial encounter. “What happened to sister?” When you start to question why, she just buried her head between her knees, whispers: “Sir Overhaul.”

You are confused. What is the meaning of this? Being a woman in her twenties, you guess it is normal for a toddler like Eri to call you mother. So you pay that no more attention.

Until Kai starts to touch you whenever he can. It started with the lingering finger when he took your blood sample, to brushing his knuckles against your cheek. From gloved hands to bare. It is not hard to see he is trying to get more comfortable with touching you, it terrified you immensely. You don’t even give him rashes like he once said. That is when you planned your escape. You are going to break these bracelets, grab Eri, and get the hell out of this damp basement before the Yakuza boss violates your flesh.

Kai needs a successor to his grand plan, since he knows he is not going to accomplish it during his limited time. And you are going to provide him a healthy son. A child can also bond you to him forever and give you something to do during the day. He aleady knows how a caring mother you can be by watching you play with Eri.

You do not have much information about the base structure, but you need to try. The only route you remember is how to get to Eri’s room from your cell. You could have a better understanding if Kai has not blindfolded you every time you have to take your daily flight.

When Kai “accidentally” left your door unlocked, you took the chance without hesitation.

You do not know he needs an excuse to punish you. Escaping sounds legitimate.

You decided to worry about those bracelets later, when you are back into the sunlight, far from Overhaul.

Your heart sank when you see Chrono’s white figure in front of Eri’s door. You cannot see his face with that mask, but you swear he is smiling when he injected you something from his pocketed syringe.

You woke up in a room that greatly resembles an operation room, tied to a chair beside the operating table. Kai stood silently in the doorway.

This is your first time seeing his face without masks, although you had been here nearly a month. If he were not your captor, you would call him handsome.

“Do you know why you’re here, fairy?” Putting both of his hands on your shoulders from behind, Kai said in an awfully calm tone. You expected him to mad; this coolness is much more unsettling.

“Because you tried to leave me.” Without waiting for your answer, he untied your ropes. “Go lie down on the operating table.”

You comply, shivering.

Suddenly you feel you are burning, and there is this itch in your heart. You would start to pant, while Kai look down you with amuse in his gold eyes.

You might be a virgin, but you are no saint. You recognized this sensation well, and you immediately figured what was in Chrono’s syringe.

“You bastard! You gave me aphrodisiac?”

This is the first time you act like your former bold self. Usually you are too scared to even maintain eye contact with Kai.

You kept on telling yourself that you need to maintain composure, as you turned to the other side to ignore him.

It has been thirty minutes and Kai is impressed by your resilience. So those hero training did do some good after all. Chrono had injected you a large dose, enough for creatures twice your size, yet all you is clenching your teeth. So strong willed. He expects you to be begging for him now.

Too bad you will not remember how you lost your virginity, he thought as he put you out with chloroform.  

You woke up alone in your bed the next morning, in pyjamas. Your back feels sour, like you just did three hundred sit-ups. You are also littered with bruises. Great, just great. Kai took just about everything you had. You were not sure if he used a condom or not, you prayed the germaphobe had. The last thing you want is carrying that jerk’s child.

Kai took your hand in his when he come to collect you for your daily flights. His expression is still stoic, as if nothing had happened the previous day.

At your playdate with Eri after, instead of sitting in the corner couch as usual, he decides to sit on the ground, just inches away from Eri and you. She screams and run into your arms, trembling. You never know why Eri is so afraid of Kai (the bandages on her limbs let you know it’s nothing good) , so you pat her back gently. “It’s okay, dear Eri.”

“Eri, would you like a little sibling? Would you like to be a big sister?”

The trembling seized; those watery eyes looks up to yours. Now you understand why he made Eri call you “Mommy”: to prep you for the real deal. Recalling the incidents yesterday, you feel violated and used.

“Yes! Sir Overhaul!” Eri squeals. The trembling resumed. All you can do is glare at him with anger as you soothe the shacking girl in your embrace. You read Eri a story to distract her. Kai’s lips curl upwards under his mask: Look at you, you already know how to be a good mother! As you hugged Eri goodbye, he pulled you out of the room rather roughly.

You expect him to lock you back to your room, but he took you to his office instead.

“Sit.” Taking off his gloves, he pats his thighs lightly after taking a seat behind the desk.

Once you are secured on his lap, he pulled you close to his chest and starts doing paperwork.

This situation lasted for hours. Your legs are turning numb.

“Chisaki?” “You know what to call me.” “K-kai. Did you wear a condom...yesterday?” Although you are already aware of the terrifying answer, you need to be absolutely sure.

“How can you give me an heir if I do? I thought you are wiser than this, my fairy.” Playing with your hair, Kai enjoys your horrid expression. Putting the pen down, he strokes your abdomen with the free hand. “If we’re lucky, I can meet the little one in nine months.”

You feel like his personal incubator, but there’s nothing you can do about it.

#bnha x reader #bnha #bnha overhaul #bnha overhaul x reader #yandere overhaul x reader #yandere overhaul #yandere bnha

[noctualilith]

And there was only one shower

Here is a fic that got inspired by a certain tiktok (this one: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJVHQx9q/) shared in the Hazelnoots discord server and the discussion in the saucy channel thereafter. It’s my first solo fic *eek* I wrote this directly live on the server over three days nights, coming up to a surprising 6k+ words in the end, cheered on by a lovely live audience THANK YOU you know who you are! <3 Now it’s ready for the wilderness of the Internet, thanks to the rad queen of semicolons and the best beta @bkfstclubmember. All credit and gratitude to @lumosinlove for creating such an amazing universe and these lovable characters!

Soo, let’s imagine a slightly different timeline where Finn and Leo don’t kiss on their balcony and don’t get together that night, but maybe a little later. I am not thinking about the logistics too hard here because when I start to do that it will run away from me but let's say a roadie somewhere where Leo's family has relatives or a house so they can stay there, and he usually rooms with Finn so he invited him along. 

Also: That is a real shower gel and description, I kid you not. I did research.

CW for smut, angst, panic attack in a shower

"There is actually only one shower, but it has like, two showerheads, so we can use that one." 

A look, slightly longer-than-usual eye contact, and then Leo turned on his heel and headed up the stairs to the said shower. Finn was suddenly glad he declined the food, because his stomach dropped when he realized the implications. Was that...? It couldn't have been. But then again, why not? 

He pushed all the air out of his lungs in a huge exhale, hands gripping the edges of the kitchen island where he was sitting just moments before, content to look but not touch. Never touch. Never let it be known that he liked to watch Leo cook, or read, or laugh at tiktok videos on his phone, or do anything that required his full focus for a moment and thus gave Finn a cover so it was safe to look and not be seen looking. He felt seen now. Did Leo notice? Has he noticed all along? Shit. Only one way to find out. 

Finn started towards the stairs; the thudding of his steps almost drowned out by his heart beating out of his ribcage, so loud Finn was sure it was audible all the way to that cursed, blessed bathroom with only one shower.

"Are you coming? I got a towel for you. It's straight down the hall, last door on the left!" He heard Leo's voice coming closer and then he almost stumbled on the last step, his eyes taking in the miles of pale skin and long long legs, clad only in "...are those--Star Wars boxers?" 

Leo looked down and then back up with a wry smile. "It's a trap?" he quipped with a raise of his eyebrows and Finn could swear he saw a challenge in his eyes. 

A head tilt was his only warning before a towel hit him in the chest and Leo was retreating again, calling over his shoulder "You might wanna get naked, I heard showering in your clothes isn't nearly as effective!" followed by those same Star Wars boxers flying through the air in his direction.

"Oookay, let's do this," Finn muttered to himself and pulled off his hoodie together with the t-shirt underneath while walking down the hall and left it on the floor because nothing made sense anymore and there was a boy he really liked telling him to get naked. 

Finn really really hoped this was what it looked like and at the same time it terrified him beyond imagination. Not that he hadn't imagined. He had imagined a number of things, but this actually happening? Not one of them. So far it had always been himself alone in the shower, eyes closed, trailing a hand down his own chest and imagining Leo's long fingers instead, oh god those fingers, his memory of Leo's grip on his mug of hot chocolate serving as a good enough reference for how he could grip other things and oh-- and... he might have a problem even before stepping into the bathroom if he didn't stop those thoughts now. After all, the improbable has suddenly become possible and was waiting for him on the other side of that door where the sound of running water was now beckoning him closer. 

Finn pushed the door open, a cloud of steam greeting him and obscuring his vision for a moment. When it cleared, he could just about make out Leo's silhouette behind the glass partition running from wall to wall on the far end of the bathroom. The glass was now fogged up from the steam and blurred everything behind it, except for the shower door left open like an invitation. Leo's head turned towards him and Finn felt his skin heat up in response, helpless to stop the blush rising in his cheeks and willing his body to behave under Leo's gaze, at least until he had a confirmation that his longing wasn't one-sided. Until then, two could play this game, Finn thought as he stepped into the bathroom fully, letting the door close with a click and hooking his thumb in the waistband of his jeans. He could give Leo a show and see how he liked the tables turned.

Popping the button open and pulling the zipper down, Finn turned slightly so the arch of his back was in full view and threw a quick look over to Leo who stilled completely and was definitely watching him. Good, watch this, Finn thought as he slowly pushed the jeans together with his underwear down over his hips and thighs, drawing a sharp breath when his cock sprang free, thankfully still not visibly interested thanks to Finn internally freaking out even as he was leaning into the performance. He could swear that his gasp was echoed from inside the shower, but it might also just have been his imagination because the water was still running, and his thoughts were sprinting, the simple act of undressing suddenly taking forever and at the same time not nearly long enough. 

They have been naked around each other plenty of times in the locker room, the showers at the rink, and then there was that one memorable time at the sauna during the team spa day... but this was different. This was deliberate. This was putting himself out there and meeting the challenge that rang clear in the room, as loud as Leo's silence and Finn's blood rushing in his ears, making him dizzy and bold at the same time. 

He made sure his ass was on display as he bowed down to push his jeans over his calves, getting his socks and finally stepping out of the clothes. This time the gasp definitely wasn't just in his imagination and a satisfied smirk found its way to his lips. Still turned away from the eyes that he could now feel on his back, he straightened again, flexing just so, the way he knew made his shoulder blades look especially awesome. Reaching to grab the towel Leo threw at him earlier, he turned back to the shower and padded towards the glass door. Now or never. And never was not an option anymore.

"Took you long enough," Leo quipped after a pause as Finn stepped into the pocket of humid air in the, frankly, huge shower, sliding the glass door closed and turning the other showerhead on. Leo's voice sounded a little higher that usual and Finn couldn't guess if his cheeks were so rosy from the hot water or from his own little performance. It was a lovely look on him either way and this time Finn looked his fill, suppressing the urge to look away when the cornflower-blue eyes met his gaze and held it. Then Leo took a step towards him, and another, and another until he was right in front of Finn, still holding his gaze, their noses just shy of touching. 

Finn couldn't help but take a stumbling half-step back, lips parting on a gasp, not knowing if the next sound out of his mouth would come out as a question or a plea. His eyes flicked to Leo's lips and back up, and from the corner of his eye he registered Leo's hand raising slowly and reaching towards his shoulder to-- "Use whatever you like, the shampoo and shower gel stuff is all on that shelf right there behind you. I personally like the honey and milk one the best, it smells so delicious." Leo's voice was normal again, conversational even, as he reached to grab a shampoo bottle off the shelf on the wall behind Finn's back and stepped away towards his own half of the shower.

Finn swayed after Leo's retreating figure unconsciously, his words only half-registering through the daze of suddenly having had Leo so close, naked and wet and right there-- 

"Harz?" 

"...huh? Uhm, yea, yes. Shower gel, ah-- thanks." 

Finn shook his head and ran his hand through his hair, now damp and sticking to his forehead and neck. He pressed one hand to the wall under the shelf and stared at it as if it had offended him while focusing on the coolness of the tiles to steady his still wobbly knees. Damn you, you win this one. 

Turning his mind to the game they were now apparently playing, he took stock of the bottles on the shelf and spotted a winner. 

"Honey and milk, you say? I personally would go for a Dark Temptation myself. A subtle, sweet fragrance with a hint of spice and hot chocolate," he read out loud from the label on the bottle before squeezing a generous amount into his palm, putting it back on the shelf and turning to face Leo again fully, drawing himself up to his full height and knowing what Leo will see when he chooses to look. Finn's cock was half-hard, not getting the memo that the moment was over before it really began, courtesy of Leo being a dirty player. Finn was eager to even the score. 

"What do you say, Knutty. Is that something you would like?"

Leo was busying himself with his own bottle of shower gel, but Finn was sure he was paying attention because as soon as he turned towards him, Leo's eyes were on him. An edge of amusement played at the corner of his mouth and a hint of a challenge was visible in his posture, relaxed but ready to return the serve at the most opportune moment. 

Finn shifted his weight mostly to one leg, cocking his hip playfully as Leo gave him a thorough once-over, his gaze slowly roving down Finn's body. He knew the second his plan worked by Leo's eyes widening and his shower gel bottle hitting the floor a beat later, the sound loud in the spacious shower. The hand that was holding the bottle was left grasping at air, fingers clenching on nothing and Finn noted with smug satisfaction that Leo's cock was now taking interest in the game too. If they could still call it a game. Finn wasn't backing down now; it was time to raise the stakes. 

He walked towards Leo, stopping when he reached the dropped bottle which was now helplessly spinning in the water vortex flowing down the drain. Without acknowledging Leo's situation, he dropped into a crouch, retrieved the bottle and slowly looked up at Leo from under his eyelashes, now darker and clumped together with the wetness, framing his eyes prettily. He used to be insecure about it, no boy wants to be called pretty. Now, he used it to his full advantage, holding Leo's gaze as he held the bottle out to him, using every ounce of his will to stop his eyes from straying to Leo's hardening cock just inches from his face. 

"You dropped something."

The little broken whimper that escaped Leo's throat almost made him break too, but Finn managed to swallow the answering sound that was building in his chest and held Leo's gaze unflinchingly, daring him to give up. To give in. Please give in. 

He honestly couldn't anticipate where their next dance step would lead, but he was ready for any direction except backwards. They had passed the point of no return somewhere between the honey-scented soap suds coating Leo's strong shoulders and the background music of the water hitting the tiled floor and washing away all the pretenses. However, it still caught him unprepared when Leo dropped to his knees in front of him, ducking his head so that they were face to face and swallowing hard. His chest was heaving with gulping breaths as if he only now came up for air after being submerged underwater for too long. His eyes were flicking between Finn's searchingly, almost desperately, all playfulness from the moment before gone. Finn could drown in those blue eyes and go happily. He'd give up solid ground forever, willingly, if only Leo asked him to. 

"Ask me," Finn breathed into the space between them. 

Leo whimpered again, the sound like a static shock raising goosebumps on Finn's skin. Leo's hands fluttered up to Finn's face, wanting to touch but not daring for the question yet unspoken. The condensating humid air left droplets of water running like sweetwater tears down both their cheeks. 

"Baby," Finn whispered again, "ask me."

Leo's whole body trembled at the endearment and his hand finally found its place cradling Finn's jaw, so careful and reverent as if he was handling a soap bubble, expecting it to burst at any second now, but trying to keep it intact for as long as possible. That is why you don't touch those, Finn's mind supplied. You look, but you don't touch. Oh. 

"Oh, Leo," Finn suddenly saw that they had both been dancing to this particular tune for much longer than he realized. That for every time he had watched Leo from a distance, Leo had been yearning for him to come closer. For every locked bathroom door, there had been a too-loud music playing from Leo's room at the same time. For every late-night mug of hot chocolate Finn had brought to the boy sitting on their little balcony gazing up at the night sky, there had been a breakfast ready for him when he stumbled from his bedroom in the morning. Leo had been right there with him, neither of them brave enough to risk popping the bubble of I wonder and maybe and find that it only held air and apologies. 

He covered Leo's hand on his cheek with his own, intertwining their fingers and turning his head to press a soft kiss to his palm, eyes closed for a long while, just holding this precious moment in his heart, writing it into his memories. This was the very edge of a waterfall and they were holding hands, ready to jump, high on the possibility of flight and aware of the inevitability of falling. 

He heard Leo suck in a breath and felt his fingers twitch in his hold. Willing every ounce of the bravery he felt all the way to his bone marrow to pour into Leo through their joined hands, he kept his eyes closed and waited.

With the white noise of water still beating down around them and the sense of sight temporarily surrendered, he clung to Leo's pulse under his fingertips driving his own beating heart, anchoring him to the simple, undeniable fact that he wanted this with all his being. He felt the soft exhale that carried Leo's words before he heard them, his voice being the clearest sound of them all. 

"Finn-- will you have me?" 

Finn's yes was already on the way to meet the question the second it left Leo's lips, an affirmation of every cell in his body straining in Leo's direction. 

"Yes, baby, yes, yes --if you'll have me." 

He opened his eyes and was met by the most radiant smile making a home on Leo's face. I'm staring at the sun, Finn thought unbidden, his own laughter bubbling from deep within his belly, as Leo closed the distance between them, bringing their lips together. By a sheer feat of heroism, Finn kept perfectly still, letting Leo come to him, so ready to be kissed, finally-- only for Leo to stop a hair's breadth away before their lips met. 

You little shit, Finn thought as Leo hovered painfully close, his whole body buzzing with the need to cross that line, and I'm so in love with you which wasn't even the most surprising event of the day if he was honest with himself. One last dance, before they collected the prize, he could give him that. One last exhale before the gravitational pull inevitably led them to crash together. Only now Finn was going to win either way, on the tail end of a second that seemed to teeter on the edge of eternity.

In the end it was a tie, with both of them leaning in at the same time and slotting together seamlessly. Something inside of Finn clicked into place as he felt Leo's soft lips on his, pressing the first close-mouthed kiss into him with the weight of his whole body behind it. They swayed in their crouched position, Finn's arm shooting out to catch himself as Leo lost his balance and landed against his chest with an oomph, his knees bracketing Finn's thigh. 

The skin-on-slippery-skin contact was delicious and Finn found himself wanting more, sneaking an arm around Leo's waist and pulling him even closer, causing the other boy to burst into giggles as he squirmed away from the fingers brushing over his side. 

"Leo," Finn sighed as he lifted his eyes from the collarbone in his view which he was contemplating biting down onto later, "kiss me?" 

A nod, another giggle and then those soft lips were back on his again. Finn tightened his arm around Leo's back in response and was rewarded by those lips parting with a moan as Leo practically straddled his thigh, his cock trapped between their bodies. Finn didn't waste the opportunity and licked into his mouth, matched with a push for every pull. Finn was dizzy with it, a low buzz getting progressively louder underneath his skin, demanding more. 

"Please," he gasped out, not knowing what exactly he was asking for, only that he wanted. Each sensation was amplified by the newness of everything, a series of firsts and oh they had so many to cross off. 

Leo shifted forward with purpose then, lifting up slightly and pressing his thigh into Finn's crotch and yes, Finn wanted that first too. 

"Yeah?" Leo's low purr against his temple made Finn's skin break out in goosebumps, a cascade of shivers from the crown of his head all the way to his toes. Finn let his response be in kind, meeting each roll of Leo's hips with his own, bruised knees be damned.

Finn felt like melting in the overheated air, Leo's breath hitching in his ear with each insistent grind of  their hips, the steam rising from the hot water swirling around them. Leo's hands were warm, slipping for purchase on the wet skin of his chest, traveling upwards and finally landing in his hair on the nape of his neck. 

But nothing burned as much as the spark at his center, feeding off their closeness and eagerness, roaring into a blaze with a particularly delicious slide of their bodies. Gasps were chased by groans, half-formed words followed by unbidden pleas as they drove each other closer to the edge. 

The fingers in Finn's hair tightened and pulled, tilting his head up and then Leo was watching him attentively, with so much emotion and desire in his eyes that it stole Finn's breath. It felt like when he would miss a step and just barely caught himself before falling, elation mixed with terror, only now he was unable to stop the inevitable fall. He hoped Leo would be there to catch him. 

As if he could read his thoughts, Leo licked his lips and the word that he offered next was like gasoline to Finn's fire. "Come." 

He felt the blaze at his core erupt at the command and consume him wholly in a blinding flash of bliss, dripping like melted lava between them. Leo held him through it, eyes never leaving his face, even when his own orgasm took him half by surprise, Finn's name leaving him on the end of a cry. 

They clutched at each other and Finn lost all his bearings for the endless moment it took him to float back into himself. He found it almost poetic, something about a phoenix metaphor nudging his thoughts in the haze that enveloped them. Remade in the arms of the boy I've been carrying a flame for. 

The thought left as soon as it came, replaced by the hesitant kiss to the bridge of his nose. Another two on his eyelids, soft like butterfly wings, left and then right and he realized his eyes were closed. Then the world filtered back in an unwelcome rush of splashing water as Leo pulled back from their embrace, ripping a sound of protest from Finn's lungs. No no no don't go. Not this. Not again. Not with Leo too, please oh god. 

He knew the routine by heart and this felt awfully familiar all of a sudden. Kiss, come, never speak of it out loud. His mind, ever so helpful, conjured the beloved pair of green eyes and the half-smirk tinged with sadness, the soft dark curls under an ever-present snapback. Logan. 

Finn felt frozen cold all of a sudden, doubt creeping like ice over his skin and making his empty hands shake. The horrifying possibility of this being another impossible situation was like a physical weight on his shoulders, pushing his aching knees into the tiles underneath, mind spinning. 

He didn't dare to look at Leo and at the same time he needed to see him, needed to know. Even if the knowledge could shatter him like a sheet of ice. Damn his tender heart, and damn his own refusal to guard it better. Damn this fucking shower, too.

The sound of falling water got louder and then Leo was in front of him again, holding one of the showerheads in his hand. Finn's shoulders were drawn up and tensing more and more with each second, his gaze fixed on the water running down the drain and his hands now clenched on top of his thighs where they fell when Leo left the circle of his arms. 

Finn's next breath sounded too much like a sob and he heard an answering rush of exhale from Leo. Squeezing his eyes tightly shut again, desperate to stop the hot well of tears behind his eyelids, he waited for the words he was sure were coming, too raw and open at the moment to brace himself against the storm of emotions that gripped him, old and new. Maybe the water would hide the tears if he was lucky. Maybe he'd compose himself enough to cover the sobs tearing at his chest with a laugh when he finally managed to leave the floor and clean himself up. They were in a shower after all. Wasn't he lucky. 

He heard shuffling, and a thud of what was probably Leo setting the showerhead down on the floor as he crouched in front of him again. Finn's vision was blurry when he gathered the courage to lift his head and open his eyes again, but he could make out the worried expression on Leo's face, eyebrows drawn together and eyes wide, taking in Finn's state. He opened his mouth to speak and Finn gritted his teeth in a last effort to hold himself together, expecting to know the words already, words that would find every soft part of his bruised heart and hurt it anew. 

"Sweetheart," Leo murmured instead, "what's wrong?"

“Wha--?" Finn couldn't comprehend the softly spoken words, Leo's concern a stark contrast to the expectation of rejection still tearing at his insides, making his head spin and Leo's voice sound far away against the hurricane of emotions roaring in his chest. 

"Harz," Leo tried again, "you have to breathe. What can I--" His hands came up of their own accord, reaching for Finn but not daring to close the distance all the way. "Can I touch you?" 

Finn swallowed, his throat clogged with the bitter taste of the desperate, familiar plea to please stay please talk to me that he was so used to forcing back down every time. Every time with Logan. This was not Logan. This was not Logan and it broke Finn's heart in a new way. He loved Logan. He was falling in love with Leo. He was dying here, naked and kneeling on the floor of this fucking shower and wasn't that poetic. What am I even doing? 

"You're hyperventilating and making me really worried, please tell me what to do." Leo was still reaching for him, watching him intently and biting his lip, waiting for his response. Finn realized he must have said that last part out loud.

He forced his clenched hands to relax, feeling the sting of the indents his nails must have left in his palms. Lifting his arm felt like an impossible task, his body tense and aching, all his muscles protesting at being forced into the uncomfortable position and frozen in panic for too long, fine tremors running down his back and a dull ache spreading from his knees. His fingers wrapped around Leo's wrist, his grasp too weak for how much he needed the contact, and then Leo was there, gathering him in his arms and tucking his head under his chin, talking softly against his temple. 

"You're okay. We're okay. I promise. I don't know what happened and you don't have to tell me, but I've got you. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. We'll stay here as long as you need. When you're ready, I'll help you up and we'll shower, and then we'll go to my room and cuddle up under a mountain of blankets. You can have my hoodie, the one that keeps ending up in your room, I packed it as an extra, you're in luck today, huh? There is a tea in the kitchen I think you'll like, but we don't have to make it if you'd rather just go to bed right away. We have time for everything." 

Leo was rambling, the cadence of his voice grounding Finn and bringing him back to here and now, his heart not trying to beat out of his chest as much anymore. Leo was holding him close, was staying, was talking to him and Finn's next exhale was an echo of a question.

"What was that, sweetheart?" 

Finn wasn't sure what sound he made that caused Leo to prompt him to talk; he wasn't even sure what he was asking, but getting an answer was suddenly the most important thing in the world. However, trying to order his still racing thoughts felt like a Sisyphean task just then, so he focused on the sensations first. 

The dampness of Leo's skin where his neck met his shoulder and where Finn's head currently rested, hiding his face from the glaring lights for a little bit longer. The unyielding strength of Leo's embrace, both arms wound around him like a safety net. The ache radiating from his joints and the answering pain stabbing just below his ribs with every breath, an adamant reminder of all that transpired just minutes prior - the astounding and the awful. The undeniable fact that Leo was still there and willing to listen which led Finn to hope he would also be willing to talk. 

There was no changing what had already happened, but Finn could learn from his past regrets and write a different story this time. He felt the slowly returning clarity of his resolve like a solid ground beneath his feet, trusting himself to stand under his own power again. The lump in his throat gave way to a question that had been growing like a vine around his spine, straining towards the light. Towards the sun. 

In a flash, Finn remembered Leo's blinding smile when they both finally gave voice to their desire. He needed that voice to banish the darkness now, and the only way to do that was to speak it.

"Leo, you--" the words came out as little more than a croak, and he cleared his throat in order to be heard. He needed to be heard. "You want me? Like, all of me? After this?" 

Leo tightened his arms in answer and his voice was firm but gentle when he replied immediately, like he didn't have to think about it for even a second, because "I've wanted you for months, mon dieu, you have no idea, do you? I want it all with you. This, yes, and that from before, too, and also all that will come after. I like you Harzy, so much, merde, I'm half in love with you already." 

Finn was tempted to pinch himself just to make sure he heard right. Leo laughed into his hair, breathless like he couldn't believe it himself, and then he took a breath to continue, now in a hushed tone, as if the next words out of his mouth would shatter at impact otherwise. 

"I really really hope you want all of me too."

Finn almost dislodged their hold onto each other as he nodded vigorously, unable to form words but desperate to make sure Leo understood that yes, he wanted this too. 

Lifting his head, he reached up blindly, his hand landing on the side of Leo's neck and then he was pulling him in for a sloppy kiss that was more laughing into each other's mouth than anything else, relief pouring off both of them in waves. Finn was dizzy with it and he never wanted it to end. 

His body had a different idea though, the rollercoaster of emotions leaving him exhausted and shaky as he tried to support his own weight, Leo pulling him up and towards the still running shower, walking backwards and pressing quick kisses to his lips every two steps. 

"Let's clean up and then we can lie down, hm? Sounds good?" 

Finn went where he was led in a trance, his eyes following Leo's every move and cataloguing everything anew, like the delicate curve of the shell of his ear and the curl of the blond hair dark with water sticking to his temple. He felt so overjoyed he was almost numb with it. A part of him was still terrified that if he leaned into it too much, it would burst like those soap bubbles and he'll be by himself again, hollow chest and empty hands. 

"Fish, hey," Leo's face filled his vision and there was a warm fluffy towel being wrapped around his shoulders, and another one around his waist, "do you want to eat something? I really think you should eat something. Come on, let's get dressed and then I'll make us something." 

Leo started towards the bathroom door, one hand intertwined with his and a sudden impulse made Finn pull on that hand and reel Leo back in, their chests bumping and a surprised smile blooming on his face. 

"What--?" 

"Tell me again," Finn whispered into the space between them. The surprise was replaced with understanding and Leo freed his hand to cradle Finn's face in both his palms, large and warm and safe. 

"I want you, Finn O'Hara. I'll want you after we eat, too. Come on."

Leo really did pack the hoodie that Finn would steal from the dryer and then deny the knowledge of when Leo couldn't find it. It was soft from wear and wash, the hem falling past his hips and the sleeves too long, going past his fingertips. Finn used to wish it smelled like Leo, too, but he had to contend himself with the clean scent of freshly washed laundry. The risk of getting caught stealing it from Leo's room was just too much. 

Now he was handed that same hoodie and when he pulled it on, Leo was watching him with a soft smile. 

"It suits you." 

"I'm sorry for stealing it. I just-- I don't know. Wanted to have something of yours, I guess." 

Leo shook his head, plucking at the frayed strings hanging from the collar and leaning closer, nudging their noses together. 

"It's okay. You can steal it anytime, okay? Now, you stay here and I'll be back in a minute." 

A kiss, a rustle of sheets and Leo was gone, replaced by the sound of his steps on the stairs and then the clatter of cabinet doors opening and closing in the kitchen. 

Finn clamped down on the feeling of panic beginning to rise to the surface again, trying to unmoor him as soon as Leo wasn't near and anchoring him anymore with his sure hands and quiet confidence. Finn decided there and then to believe him, so tired of being thrown around at the mercy of the hurricane that was always raging in his hopeful heart, always ready to throw him for a spin and the most inopportune moments. (And it had a name, too, a cry against the howling winds, Logan, Logan.) Here was an offering of a safe harbor and he was accepting it.

He hadn't heard Leo come up the stairs again, and the creak of the door startled him from his reverie. Leo padded to the bed and set a tray with two steaming mugs and a plate of sandwiches onto the bedside table. 

He then sat on the bed cross-legged, facing Finn and regarded him for a moment, his gaze contemplative, like he was debating something with himself. Seemingly coming to a conclusion, he nodded to himself and let a slow breath out through his nose. 

"Finn, I'm gonna ask you something and I want you to know that whatever you reply, it won't change my answer, or my feelings toward you, okay?" 

He waited for Finn to indicate that he understood, and when he got the hesitant nod, he continued. "What's the story with you and Logan? I heard you say his name just now. I've noticed you two, the looks you give each other. I also know you were at Harvard together. And after what happened in the shower after we... I'd just like to know what to expect." 

Finn felt his empty stomach lurch and swallowed the faint nausea starting to creep up his throat. He never talked about Logan to anyone. Logan never wanted to talk, never wanted anyone to know. What was their story? It came down to the single, painful truth of it all. 

"I love him." 

Finn heard his own voice ring in the silence of the bedroom like a gunshot at an execution. He's been dying from the wound for eight years and his heart wasn't close to running out of blood anytime soon. He wasn't sure if he'd ever said it out loud before though and saying it now made him brave. 

He saw Leo blink once, twice, and before he could say something, Finn rushed in with a confession in a steady voice that surprised even himself. 

"I meant all of what I said, what I did earlier. I don't know how this can even happen, but I do want you. I think I've been falling in love with you since the day you stood on my doorstep introducing yourself and didn't know what to do with your hands. I want you, Leo. And-- I want him, too. Logan. But he doesn't--"

Finn had to pause, drawing in a shuddering breath, the enormity of the yet unspoken words compressing his ribs and making it difficult to fill his lungs. Leo was looking at him with sad eyes and nodding, wordlessly encouraging him to keep going. Still there. Still listening. Not leaving. You miracle, Finn thought. How are you real?

He plowed on with determination now, committed to get it all out and do it right. "We were both so scared of what it meant. Of people finding out. Never really talked about it. And when I tried to, he just--  I can't lose him and if that means loving him from a distance, I'm okay with that."

"You're obviously not okay with that," Leo jumped in, not able to stop himself from speaking and immediately recoiling when he realized what he said. "Merde, sorry, that wasn't-- that didn't come out right. Sorry." 

He placed his hands on top of the blanket between them, palms upwards in a silent invitation and Finn complied eagerly, craving the contact. Eyes fixed on their joined hands, he nodded. 

"You're right. I'm not okay but I don't have any other option. And this is not going away. Are you sure you're okay with that? Isn't that too weird?" 

Leo hummed and ducked his head to meet his eyes, still cast downwards as he waited for the verdict. "What if I told you that I understand?" 

That was not what he expected, and he looked up at Leo sharply, eyebrows furrowed. 

"What if I told you I liked Logan, too? And that-- he almost kissed me not that long ago? Still too weird?" 

Finn gaped at Leo's admission, seeing his own apprehension mirrored in the boy in front of him and not knowing what to do about it in the moment. 

He took stock of his heart and his head then and found nothing but a golden joy slowly spreading and filling his veins, all the way to the tiniest capillaries that until then housed the tar-like fear of all his what-ifs. 

He wasn't scared now. He wasn't jealous either and there was a thought he'd contemplate later. Right now he was holding hands with Leo and talking about Logan and for once, it didn't hurt. It felt like a new chapter. He wanted to write a different story, after all. Only this one wouldn't end with a kiss; it would start with one. 

"How are you real?" he gasped out, incredulous, pulling Leo close by his shoulders and kissing him deeply, pouring all that golden joy into the kiss in hope that it would speak for him, that Leo could taste it on his lips.

They didn't talk anymore that night, except to hand out mugs of tea and share sandwiches and pick sides on the bed. Finn was bone tired by the time their kisses grew sleepy and the soft regular puffs of Leo's breath against the hollow of his throat lulled him to sleep too, their legs tangled together. 

He breathed in the scent of Leo's freshly washed hair, hearing his voice in his mind, honey and milk and I want you, Finn O'Hara replaying in a loop as he was pulled under, the hurricane quieted for now into soft waves rocking him gently, ocean blue and deep sea green and full of promise.

FIN 

#and there was only one shower #lumosinlove #inspired by Coast To Coast and Sweather Weather #LionFish #Finn O'Hara #Leo Knut #fanfic #Coast to Coast fanfic

[octania]

Obi Akitaru x Reader (NSFW,18+)

This is a commission I did for the sweet @super-spooder​. I appreciate her support in this way greatly and I was so happy that she liked it and she gave me her permission to redo the fic in a “Reader” version. I hope you enjoy it. :)

Word count: 6.7k

Warnings: coworkers falling in love,public sex, dirty talk, creampie,

Short description: You are company’s 8 doctor, and you set your eyes for your captain. You tried to run from your feelings but did not know that the same problem is shattering Captain’s Akitaru heart, who will not stop until he has you in his arms.

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The light shone softly along her irises. I had never seen them up close like this before, because if I had, I wouldn't have stepped away. Nothing divided us anymore, there was nothing between us, not even the air, because I could no longer restrain myself. I will take the opportunity to the end, because maybe I will never get a chance like this again. She spoke once more, I would swear I heard the same thing the first time, but it seemed so unreal, I had to hear it once more. 

“I don’t care about nothing but you. I will risk everything, I am sure of it, just to be with you. ”- the words came from (Y/N) soft lips, that seemed sweet like honey. Now I will finally be able to taste them, she gave me her permission, my feelings did not travel down a one-way road after all.

Obi gasped closer to her lovely face, his hands desperately grabbing at her waist as lungs grabbed the air. At last the facade of false denial cracked and he could set free what he had tried in vain to bury within himself. But the image of (Y/N)’s angelic face began to crack, blurring like turbulent water, letting an unpleasant light cover his vision.

He blinked. Once, twice, absorbing the feeling of rough sheets beneath his half-naked body. The faded wall once again replaced the reflection of his deepest desires, he once more became a slave to his dreams and awoke in the shackles of reality. His jaw clenched, he pulled the covers timidly, turning angrily on his stomach. His eyes were accustomed to the dark and awkward picture of reality, but his heart raced at the thought of returning to a world without her. That is, even worse, the world with her close but  he cannot reach for her, he must not…

His fingers ached from the convulsive grip with which he held the sheets. He reached for her, little by little, ignoring the obstacles that clearly stood there, but something was shutting  him down. She? He could have sworn the blush on her face streaked across her cheeks every time he gave her a restrained lovely word or praise, but why then run away from him after every time she gave him a smile? Why does her voice crack or stutter every time he is close to her or talks to her a little longer? If the truth is so fatal and she does not see him as he sees her?

 In the night when she gets lonely, I wonder does she ever think about me?

The need to be her consolation, her support and the only body touching hers rose in his chest like a powerful storm. Anger and need, longing and pain mingled. It was his weakness from the moment she walked through the door of Company 8. If he had known how much his heart would be devoured by the cold teeth of loneliness, he would have forwarded her employment papers to Company 1. Maybe then he could finally approach her at the level of a human being and not a superior, he would not be burdened by a business relationship, and he would not have to choose what is appropriate and what is not.

 Like it matters?

 As if that would stop him if he only knew she shared his longing.It didn't stop him now, because he had been trying for months. It started innocent at first, from the first day he saw her through the window, approaching their company. How the wind played with the strands of her  hair, how the light shines on the color of her eyes, how she holds herself proudly but still with two feet on the ground. He remembers staring longingly at the young woman. Surprise and adrenaline rushed through his veins as she turned off the street toward the main gate of their building. Just a few seconds later, a couple of light bangs echoed through the hallway as she knocked. He couldn't move, he was mesmerized and confused. He couldn't even get himself to stand when she appeared before his eyes again. Maki cheerfully escorted her to his office.“Here she is! Captain Akitaru, this is our new doctor! ” - she said excitedly, smiling in a welcoming manner to the young woman who had arrived.Her steps were graceful. A dark gray tunic fell over her hips, while her long legs barely gave Obi the opportunity to unglue his eyes from them. She held out her small hand, speaking in a voice that dwells in his most intimate dreams to this day . "My name is (Y/N), it is a pleasure to meet you captain Akitaru." No, he was wrong. He knew from the first moment how much her presence would cost him, but he would not trade his suffering for anything, he would never send her away.     

                       *                       *                         * 

"I will not tell you again lieutenant Hinawa, your eating habits have to change." – (Y/N) anxiously measured lieutenant’s pressure, while at the same time her eyes shifted along the result papers she had just received.

“The food you are consuming has a low fiber and vitamin value, and you push your body to the extreme limits on the missions and working overtime as well. It affects your health, and from your blood results I can clearly see you lack magnesium which explains your migraines, thiamine which is to blame for your sore muscles, and biotin which raises your cholesterol!”-  her voice rose for a few octaves as she read the blood results.

She dropped the pressure gauge on the table unsatisfactorily, forcing Lieutenant Hinawa, who is otherwise known for his icy gaze and stony expression, to be ashamed of his actions. She took a deep breath, her voice now sounding more worried like mother's.

 "I know you work a lot, but you have to take care of yourself. I will prescribe you a couple of vitamins in tablets to improve your state a bit, but you must urgently include the list of foods that I will compile for you in your diet. I don't want your condition to get worse. ”- the devotion she felt for the members of the company could be compared to the mother's instinct when defending her young. She took their health not only seriously, not only as an obligation, but as her purpose, and she only attributed every omission to herself as a mistake. Hinawa lowered his head and squeezed his knees with his hands, making a slight bow as a sign of respect and agreement.

 “Yes doctor (Y/N). I apologize.” - He said humbly like a scolded child. "Hay, you don't have to apologize to me, I just want you to take care of yourself… because if you don't, I will have you force fed carrots and apples, washing it down with orange juice." - she giggled, handing him the prescription. A restrained smile of gratitude appeared on the lieutenant's face as he picked up the prescription, rising from his chair, bowing once more deeply before heading for the door. In the solitude of her office, (Y/N) arched her back against the plastic chair and tilted her head back, closing her eyes. She massaged her tired eyelids with her fingers, thinking how hypocritical it is to scold others about caring for their own health when she is much worse than them. This was her third night that she barely slept, because she was overworking herself.

For breakfast, she had two large cups of coffee with a ton of sugar and a couple of dry crackers, which really wouldn’t even have been a part of her meal if her stomach hadn’t rustled sadly and betrayed her condition.

“So, how is our lieutenant doing? I saw his list of recommended fruits and vegetables, and it really goes forever. ”- a deep male voice made (Y/N) jump out of her chair, almost having a heart attack. She opened her eyes in wonder as she scanned the room for the source of the voice, squeezing her T-shirt on her chest from shock. Her already jumpy heart from the surprise, only pounded even harder against her rib cage when she saw two delicate irises, colored like the whiskey through which the sunlight is shining.

 “Captain Akitaru! I didn’t hear you coming in. ” - she leaned on her legs, nervously fixing the white lab coat on her hips. He shrugged his broad shoulders as he watched her with a calm expression on his face, a gentle smile flickering on his lips. She could feel her cheeks begin to fire up, the air escaping from her lungs and making her breathe faster. She wrapped one arm around her waist, repeating endlessly in her head to calm down. This was happening more and more often.

Her anxiety would come to the surface every time Obi was next to her. Previously, she had managed to cover the corners of her lips, which without her permission automatically curled into a shy smile every time he looked at her. She would bite her lip, clear her throat, and look away. But now, a fleeting smile was the least of the problems. The treacherous red colors constantly painted her face, her pulse exceeded the limits of normal, her tongue twisted and she stammered if she had to talk to him for too long. Shame flooded the inside of her chest as the thought she so desperately wanted to bury pierced the surface, like a flower in growth and spread its petals of truth.

She liked him. She liked him more then she could ever admit or allow to herself.

When she first felt that her devotion and sympathy for the captain transcended the boundaries of respect and turned into something more intimate and personal, for the first time she took a day off. She felt guilty, caged inside something where there was no real way out to freedom, she could only hide along with her secret. All day she pondered the events that had brought her to the brink and pushed her into the abyss of these hidden feelings. She was convinced that the captain's affection for everyone was the same, and when he brought her coffee, asked her about her day, was always there to help her, it was the same thing he would do for anyone else in their company circle, and then she allowed herself to distort his intentions and began to view him as something more than a superior. Like a man. A handsome man with a heart of gold, a look that made her knees shake, shoulders as wide as if he carried the whole weight of the world on them, and a courage that could only be seen in sci-fi superhero movies. From that point on, she began to avoid him, as smoothly and painlessly as she could. She couldn't look him in the eye, she couldn't allow herself to see his gestures as anything more than mere decency.

How blind she really was.

She came to work earlier than anyone, just to keep the hallways empty so she could sneak like a ghost to her office. She went home last, doing the impossible jobs that made her sleepy head fall to the table and force her to sleep for an hour from exhaustion. But somehow that didn't work either. She began to see him in the craziest hours of the morning, while dawn was barely breaking through the dark clouds, sitting in his office from which the door was always open, a gesture showing that anyone could always come in for help or advice, greeting her warmly, beginning even an innocent conversation with her, but she would hastily answer a few words and disappear down the hall. As she went home at a time when the big yellow moon was already standing proudly in the starry sky, she could see his tired face under the lamp of a desk scanning papers or worse, hear the pounding of iron bars coming from their private gym that was literally placed in front of her office. She had to go that way, she had to, there was no other way out. At least she thought so until she tried to sneak out of her office on tiptoe, tapping her black shoes as softly as she could, praying to Sol that her dark clothes would blend in with the shadows in the hallway. But she was wrong.

 Obi’s eyes were like hawks, patiently waiting for the prey to make a move. He had been working out tirelessly for two hours, staying after everyone but her. He knew she would come out last, and that would give him a chance to catch her alone. Maybe that changes something. Maybe if they are alone, something will be different after all.

“(Y/N) I thought you left. ”- an innocent lie. His strong arms lowering the weights next to the bench. Drops of sweat ran down his broad neck over his back. His undershirt clung to his pronounced muscles as if he had just come out of the water. Abs like carved from the stone, moving in waves as he caught his breath.

“C-captain Ak-guitar, I-I..I was just leaving. I am sorry if I disturbed you. ” - as if hypnotized, she followed his wide torso as he approached. His gasps intoxicated her innocent ears, reminding her of the way men breathe when they fuc…..

She couldn't even finish the thought, her lips trembled, there was a hurricane in her head, when her legs rushed down the hall. She could hear his voice echoing down the walls of the hallway, calling to her and asking if everything was okay, but she couldn't stop, she couldn't look at him. Her eyes filled with tears at her weakness. It was the last day she thought the only way out through the door was possible.

 She wanted to make her escape possible at all costs, so the idea of ​​going out or coming in through the window no longer seemed insane at all. She was sneaking behind the building in the early morning, coming to her office window on the ground floor, which she had left open last night, when she ran home through it in the same way as a thief would in the late hours of the night. But even that solution didn't last long, when she made a mistake and didn't look at which cars were packed in the driveway of Company 8. Truth be told, she didn't even blame herself, fatigue squeezed her like a parasite, and her concentration in the morning was zero. She was already halfway up the window, barely dragging her gear with one hand behind her, when she heard a familiar voice.

“Doctor? What in the Sol’s name are you doing? ” - Vulcan watched with his emerald eyes in amazement as (Y/N) barely held on to the window frame, almost falling down on her head when Vulcan called to her.

“Vulcan! Oh I..I .. ”- she turned her head in panic, her cheeks red as a ripe apple.

“I forgot my keys! Yes. I forgot my keys and I didn’t know that there was someone here. ” - she awkwardly shifted inside the building, accidentally dropping equipment that fell under the window.

"Oh. Well you should have knocked, Captain Obi was already in, he could have let you in.”- said Vulcan collecting (Y/N)’s things and slowly adding them to her. 

Of course he is there… ..that is why I am here, making a fool out of myself…

 "Silly me, I guess I need some rest after all." - she scratched the back of her head nervously, bowing to the young man out of gratitude, trying to close the window as soon as possible.

“But..how come the window is open? Is it broken? ” -Vulcan said before (Y/N) closed the window.

 “No! Um..I guess I forgot the close it the night before. ”- she delved deeper into her excuses, realizing more and more how big a problem she is struggling with.

"Don't worry, I'll tell Shinra and Arthur to check every window from now on to make sure they're closed when we leave." - he said with a hearty smile, turning and waving goodbye. She followed him with her eyes for a bit with a sad look of defeat. This was her last idea of ​​how to sneak in and out of the building, and it is now a thing of the past. She would have to face the captain again. A crystal tear danced in the corner of her eye as a rush of emotion passed through her being. She felt cornered, and the only thought that just crossed her mind didn't help. Her heart craved solace, and her brain created the only scenario that could provide it, and that was Obi’s long arms wrapped around her fragile shoulders, hugging her and whispering in her ear that everything was fine and that he was there now. She shook her head as if trying to push that scene as far as she could, opening her eyes. 

No… no… this is not right..I can’t… 

After that day, she decided to deal with her problem head on. Well, at least in some way. She sucked in the raging waves of her desire and tried to keep the encounters with Obi brief, more professional than usual, and above all, public. Always to be around people. She even started to leave her door wide open when there was no patient in, so if she sees him, someone would always pass in the hallways shortly after, and she would give her best to indulge in a conversation with that person, making them to join the two of them. But now, Obi was in her office alone, and he closed the door behind him.

 He did not say anything, he just kept walking in her direction slowly, his eyes the color of dark honey staring in hers, making her take a few steps back when she bumped in the table behind her.

 "H-hinawa will be ok if he follows the list I made him." - she answered nervously, trying not to stutter, exhaling gratefully when Obi stopped a meter away from her.

“I agree, good nutrition is very important. I would like to hear you professional opinion and advice on it. Maybe..you could show me how to properly eat over a dinner. ” - his voice exuded self-confidence, but he could hear the buzzing in his ears from the pressure as blood flowed rapidly through his body as his heart quickly pumped it.

 She can’t misinterpret this.

He thought as he clenched his fists impatiently inside the pockets of his orange fire pants. But he was wrong. She didn’t have to misinterpreted it, she only has to go back to her endless denial and dodge the bullet.

 Dinner… ..? Did he say… .d..dinner?

She could barely stand on her feet when she realized what he had asked her. She lowered her gaze, her hair covered her face as her teeth sank into her bottom lip. 

Is it possible he wants the same thing as I do? Not! Impossible! Even if he wants to, we can't,… we can't… He is my captain, and I am the doctor of this company.

Her heart was now skipping a beat as the panic attack clawed its way up to her very core. She knew if she looked him in the eyes and tried to speak, her voice would break and her tears would fall. She had to run. She had to get out of here. Without even looking up, she slipped between the chair and the table, dodging Obi in a full circle, not turning back, wanting to reach the door quickly. When she grabbed the doorknob, she could feel a glimmer of relief as she deftly directed an answer to Obi, who stood quietly behind her.

“Of course! That is a great idea! I can show everyone tonight at the party we are having! ”- how she managed to forget about it, about one golden ticket that was now in her hands, party where all the members of Company 8 will be, and they will have dinner together. She didn't let him answer, but flew out of the room as if the devils were chasing her. And she was haunted, the darkest demons of her forbidden desires who were now fed with his inappropriate question.

                                     *                     *                    * 

This warm summer night in the company garden was different than usual. It was decorated with shiny little lights in various colors, hanging from the high tree branches, balloons being glued to the doors and some of them lying on the floor on top of the glittery confetti. They dragged two wide tables from the conference room, filling them with paper glasses, hard plastic dishware, various appetizers they ordered from the catering a few blocks away, a cake server sinking into an untouched cake, a big bowl of punch, a few beers, sodas, and a box filled with ice mixed with energy drinks.

From all this choices, (Y/N)’s hand instantly reached for the cooled can of energy drink. She snapped the metal opener, bringing the bubbly liquid to her glossy lips. She hummed when she tasted the beverage, enjoying the waking up sensation it brought to her senses. She turned, viewing all of the company members enjoying their time together. This was her first time celebrating the company’s anniversary with them, and she loved it already.

Arthur and Shinra playing like two little kids, throwing balloons at each other screaming in playful rage, Hinawa picking the vegetables from the metal plates filled with food, honoring his word to the doctor, the girls giggling and commenting how Vulcan is trying his best to tie his tie but keeps falling, blushing and turning so they can’t see, but they just keep fallowing the poor guy around and innocently teasing him. Only one person was missing. She felt a cold sting of panic traveling along her spine. Pushing down the unpleasant feeling, she closed her eyes and counted to ten, trying to convince herself that everything will be just fine. She practiced this at home, for the love of Sol, for hours. After this morning and her talk with Obi, she made her best move in denial yet. Deciding that over thinking it as always will only bring more harm, so she decided to brush it off as a misunderstanding. He must have thought the same thing, the dinner party tonight. That was all she allowed herself to conclude, exhaling slowly and feeling the relaxation take over. But then she opened her eyes, and her heart started racing once more.

 Wearing his official captain’s uniform which consisted of a blue jacket with his medals, a white shirt and a dark blue tie underneath the jacket, and neatly ironed pants with a matching color. His broad shoulders looked even bigger under this fancy clothing, his biceps that did not appreciate being covered stretching the materiel to its limits, and his muscular chest standing even more out under that white shirt.

(Y/N) knew her cheeks were rosy already, as she swallowed the saliva that accumulated in her mouth, trying to calm her hands from shaking and greet the captain properly. She tried to bow, but a warm feeling on her shoulder that was exposed because of her strapless cocktail dress and a firm but gentile pressure made her stand back up straight. Obi’s palm was now resting on her delicate skin, not moving it even after he made his point about No need to bow thing.

 “(Y/N)..you look..lovely.”- he said every word slowly, carefully, like he himself is trying to get accustomed to them. He wanted to say so much more, but even with his new born bravery and dedication of accepting how he feels about her, he knew they were not alone and from what he gathered, (Y/N) only got more agitated when he tried to approach her in front other members. When they are alone, she runs, but when others are around, she is clearly upset. He pulled his hand back, hating the feeling of removing his skin from hers.

“Thank you Captain.”- she said restrainedly, again lowering her gaze, searching for the coverage of her hair falling over her face. She was trying to think of a way to end this conversation fast, excuse herself and go away to find safety by talking to someone else, but before she could muster any good ideas, Obi’s body got closer, almost towering over her. She rose her eyes quickly, widening them in shock as her eyes were locked on his, his face now inches away. Everything happened almost in slow motion, in her head this lasted for hours, when it was only for a brief moment, when he leaned, brushing his chest on her arm, reaching for a cup of punch on the table behind her. She did not even notice what he was actually doing, the closeness was too much for her. Her anxiety was through the roof, her breath shallow, and her mind blank when his enchanting perfume intoxicated her senses. All alarms in her head started screaming and echoing in her head, her feet shivering as she choked on her own whines. How weak he made her, how insanely fragile to his presence. She could not bear it, this fight in a ring can only be won by one and it is always him. She needed to escape once again, as her eyes filled with tears.

“Excuse me.”- a muffled sound escaped her lips as she rushed past him, dodging the gaze of everyone in the garden and walking as fast as she could to the bathroom. 

 She splashed cold water on her flustered face. The pea-sized drops rushed down her cheek to her neck, as (Y/N) shivered under the icy feeling.  Her hands gripped the edge of the sink, as the salty tears now combined with water on her skin, mildly covering her real state. This got out of hand, she knew it from the moment she started to giggle and feel butterflies in her stomach every time he spoke to her. She should have dealt with it right then and there, not let it go so far that she can’t stand being around him no more. Nothing stings harder than forbidden love, and at least now she can admit it to herself, speak plainly in her own mind. She will have to quit, leave this place and these people she already considered family behind just to spare them of her unprofessional behavior and her betrayal, falling for a man that is her commander.   

This is how it is meant to be…there is nothing I can do about it no more…it is written in the stars..

She could swear in that moment her heart broke in half. She could feel the meat of the muscle that gives you life slowly splitting in the middle. 

“Why do you always run away?”- a deep whisper echoed the on the bathroom tiles.  In that voice pain was hearable, deepness of the emotion that was buried somewhere for too long. (Y/N) turned just to face him once again, but this time she had no strength for pretending, she just turned her head to hide her tears and said in a whiny voice:

“Please Captain, I want to be alone.”- seeing her like this made Obi almost lose the ground under his feet. His protective instinct made him rush to her, but just before his reaching hand touched her, he stopped, realizing that his sudden movements made this to happen. He tried but never actually said it out load, to be clear. He took a deep breath, fighting the need to wrap his hands around her fragile body and hold her tight until the first morning light comes, shows her how he wants to be the one who protect her from harm, not the one causing it. 

“The truth is, I am not feeling well lately..so I need your help.” – hearing this words from him made something in (Y/N) to snap.  Her doctor side drilled its way up to the surface and concern for his well being took the lead. She turned, facing him with her cheeks painted with dark stains of her mascara.

“What happened? Are you in pain? When did it start?”- she started to check him with her eyes, looking for some kind of a injury, but there was nothing.

“You can’t see it from outside..It started 10 months ago, one morning, and I’ve been worse ever since. I’ve been distracted, and I can’t do it no more.”- he said clenching his fists. Her vision got blurry from the tears still being in there, but they did not fall. She listened, squeezing her lips in a straight line. 

“I am in love with you, (Y/N). From the moment you took a turn on the street and walked in our company.” – his tensed muscles suddenly relaxed, like a huge weight have been lifted of his shoulders.

 “I need to know do you feel the same, because I can’t stand to see you dodging me with any chance you got. Don’t think I did not notice. If you don’t want me, I will sto…”

“It is not that I don’t want it! I just..We..we can’t..”- her voice shattering like glass, barely managing to finish her sentences.

 “Why?! Why do you think we can’t?”- Obi tried to stay calm, but being unable to hold her close, and hearing that she feels the same way but is denying it , got him close to the edge.

 “Because you are my captain, and I am your subordinate! It is unethical! No one would understand!”- she screamed, unleashing the suffering she held inside, the opinion that tortured her, the fear of the judgment from others.

 “So?! That are only useless titles! Worthless positions!”- he took one step closer unnoticed, slowly  narrowing the space between them.

 “No one would approve…I am not the one for you.”- she sniffled, trying to wipe away the rolling tears with a shaking hand, again crumbling under the feeling of a breaking heart.

“Because you are the one for me, I am willing to risk everything else. I don’t care if I have to resign, I don’t care what people would say…only thing I do care about it you.”- this time he knew it was not a dream, and there is nothing that could hold him back now. His hands landed on her thin waist, pulling her on him. She gasped as she crashed on his chest, feeling so small and fragile under him. 

“Capt..”- her words have been shushed when his lips crashed on hers. The hungry mouth kissed her like she was his food and water and he was walking starved in the desert for decades. (Y/N) had her eyes half opened, looking how angelic face holds the expression of relief and happiness, the feelings that now consumed him when he finally tasted his forbidden fruit. His soft lips shifted on hers, opening them slowly as his tongue started to explore her mouth, finding hers and traveling along its surface, starting an erotic dance between their mouths. She let herself go, feeling how her feet became numb, her body screaming for him and wants to pull his huge one closer like a magnet. His wide palms shifted along her waist, squeezing it, exploring her shape along her back and down to her hips, sinking his fingers in the tender flesh.

“O-obi.”- she moaned between kisses, sinking her nails in his chest, feeling how adrenaline flows through her, giving herself to him to the fullest. His hands sifted a bit more, cupping her ass and lifting her up on the sink, opening her legs with his knee and shattering the space between them once more and he pushed himself on her.

“I want you (Y/N). I need you.” – he whispered, kissing her jaw, licking his way down to her collarbone. She moaned his name wrapping her thighs around him. His fingers found their way to the zipper of her dress along her ribs, pushing it down slowly. But before he lowered it, he tilted his head up, gazing at her, looking for permission. She blinked with her dark lashes, as she nodded , biting her lip. He gripped her with more force, barely controlling his wild desire. He bit the materiel of her cocktail dress, pulling it down from her bust. A dark lace bra without stripes held her tits with little force, making them almost fall out without him even touching them, but he did not plan to wait for that to happen. He unbuckled the buckle in the middle, releasing her breasts.

 Seeing her big soft flesh bare in front of him made his hardened member swell a bit more. He placed her delicate nipple between his teeth ,pulling slowly then mending it with his kiss and tongue, while the other breast was squeezed with his hand. He played with the doughy flesh, making his fingers skin deep in and his grip got harder, placing the nipple between his fingers and pinching it, making (Y/N) to cry out his name while he was working both of her nipples with his talent.

She tasted good as she smelled. The minty scent  filled his nostrils, making him inhale more deeply to catch every bit of it. The sensitive nipples were somehow sweet, brushing against the smooth surface of his tongue. He sucked harder, lifting the other one he had in his hand and pulling the delicate spot in the same time as he bit the other nipple. (Y/N) felt her juices soaking her black thong, how her fingers intertwined with his dark brown hair , pulling him closer, wanting him to devour her more. But he was hungry for something else. Still massaging her breast, he lowered his head down, kissing along her belly while pulling her dress down off her with his free hand. The lower he got, the wider did (Y/N) spread her legs.

Her sexual instinct made her open up for him like a flower bud, giving him access to her most intimate parts. He waste no time, removing the panties to the side, letting the heat of her soaked hole hit his face. He licked his lips on the sight ahead, slowly gathering the icing from her folds with the tip of his tongue. When she felt his tender muscles playing around her pussy, she cried out louder, giving her best to stay at least a bit quiet, but he did not make that job easy. He stuck his tongue deeper between her folds, licking her slit up and down, growling quietly from the satisfaction.

 “You are delicious…much better than how I dreamed you would be..”- he murmured before shoving his tongue inside her, pumping it in as deep as he could reach, while teasing her clit with his index finger, pushing the nerve button tenderly as he fucked her with his tongue, while the juices smeared around his lips.

“D-Don’t say such things…”- she said biting on her knuckles, trying to suppress the lewd sounds coming from her mouth.

 “But you are (Y/N). Your little pussy taste so good. I want to eat it whole.”- he whispered, as his voice sent vibrations along her delicate flesh, making her legs shiver. She could feel the tension building in her stomach, the feeling of sweet release coming closer. He sucked in her pussy lips along with her clit before shoving his tongue back between her velvety walls, returning both of his hand to her tits, pinching her nipples and pulling them hard. Her climax kicked in and she covered her mouth to hide the whiny sound of her orgasm, but Obi was quicker, grabbing her wrists and pulling them off her mouth.

“No. I want to hear you cum (Y/N).”-he twisted her nipple lightly, grabbing the whole breast with it and massaging it in fast motions while he licked her clit, making the electric feeling take over her body as she came and screamed his name as loud as she could. Her head started falling down, but Obi was ready to catch her, picking her up once more and carrying her to the wall. He pinned her bare back on the cold tiles, as the icy feeling against her skin get her a bit more concentrated after that wild orgasm.

 “I will fuck you now baby.”- he pressed his lips on her, as she heard a sound of him unzipping his pants. She did  not even have the chance to see what was coming, when she felt a light sting between her legs. She tried to relax her muscles to make the huge thing come in smoothly, but even that and her juices did not help. Obi’s rock hard length stretched her like nothing before, barely managing to fit in. She buried her head in his muscular shoulder as he continued to slowly push it.

“You are so tight baby..Fuck..”- he forced his way in, enjoying the clenching of her inner walls around his throbbing cock.

 “O-obi …it is too big.”-she gasped for air, feeling overly opened.

  “You are doing great baby..”- he whispered before jerking his hips upward, filling her to the end with his dick. His base hit her folds, as he stand still for a moment to let her get used to his size, then he started moving. Rocking his hips back and forth, harder, making (Y/N) to scratch his back under his shit while she moaned uncontrolably. 

“Damn…you are perfect…you have no idea how many times I imagined this..how long  I waited..”- he gasped his words, hitting hard between her shaky legs, as her lower back slammed on the tiles. He grabbed her ass cheeks and slammed her on his dick while he still drilled his way in, in the same time, lowering his head and starting sucking on her tits, leaving reddish marks all over her bust, sucking the flesh with passion, making his way down to her nipple, just to suck on it as he did on  now swollen places before. 

His thrust became shallow, faster, as he chased his orgasm. His fast hits just made her already overly stimulated clit to send more electric waves along her spine, filling her with another adrenaline rush, going back down to her lower parts and she felt she will cum one more time. The tone of her voice became higher, as she pulled him closer with her thighs. His stone hard biceps tensing as he murmured her name in her ear.

“Fuck..I will..I will cum (Y/N).”- he murmured around her nipple as he slammed wildly in her cunt, making the last hit harder than any before, nailing her to the wall as he filled her with his cum. She felt the warm feeling in the lower part of her belly, knowing how he is pumping her womb with his sperm. He pulled out gently, still holding her on the wall. His seductive smile and gentile eyes now focused on her, brushing his nose on hers.

“Please, never run away from me again. “- he asked, voice filled with emotions.

 “I won’t.”- she said with teary eyes. His soft lips once again found hers, locking this promise and rewriting the faith written in the stars. 

#Fire force #Obi akitaru #enen no shouboutai #obi akitaru x reader #fire force #obi akitaru

[i-dont-want-your-hysteria]

When It’s Love- Joe x Reader

(One day in August of 2020 my favorite Van Halen song came on the radio and suddenly I was harassed by this idea so badly I screamed. True story. Anyway, here’s some more extremely reflective internal conflict romantic flash Joe fic. I put a LOT of work into this whole post ((including the first illustration)) so I really hope you like it! I had a lot of fun writing this bc of the imagery and descriptions of everything. You’ll see...)

(illustration(s) by @paper-sxn​ and myself)

Words: 2,798

Prompt: nah just read it and find out ^-^

-----

August 26th, 1988. Dublin, Ireland

The door on the rooftop of the restaurant opened, and a tall, anxious-looking man in a red suit walked out alone. He ran a hand through his dirty-blonded mullet, and shut the door behind him. Blowing out a breath, he walked up to the bar to order a single brandy. The bartender wouldn't have noticed it, but the casual, quiet tone the man used wasn't normal for him. It wasn't a facade, either; it was nothing but genuine.

He took the drink with much gratitude, slipped the bartender a bill, and told her to keep the change. She thanked him sweetly before turning up the volume on her small radio behind the counter.

The song that played proceeded to strike the man right in the heart.

"Of course," he thought with an exhausted and amused grin, "Perfect timing."

When he turned around with his glass, he was met with a glorious sunset of the late summer. Nothing but warm, soon-to-be-gold light engulfed him. He took notice of how it passed through his glass and the liquid inside of it. He gazed at the liquor for a moment, but he did not drink it.

Meanwhile, the small radio behind the bar was sounding off with a bit of static, "Everybody's looking for something, something to fill in the holes..."

Joe walked in a straight line. His left hand slipped into his pocket to anxiously fidget with whatever contents were inside of his famed red suit.

He'd only dressed up to this current degree just to make sure his outfit would be pleasing to you tonight. It was everything to him; this loudly colored look always held a place in his heart- and in yours. Hell, your relationship had begun partially because of it. The suit itself still held up in its style after all this time. Joe knew it was tacky enough, yet dapper enough for a date. It turned on his gentleman mode, which is what he suspected he needed the most right now.

He was your gentleman, after all. Just the thought of being yours made the edges of his mouth curl upwards into a bashful smile.

The singer, who was on break from tour for a short while, chose to focus this smile at the horizon before him. The slow and leisurely steps he took made him reach the edge of the rooftop where there was a ledge for him to put his drink down.

He smoothed his increasingly trembling hands over the cold cement of this ledge. He tapped all of his fingers against it. He crossed his arms on top of it.

He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes when he let it rush out.

The smile on his lips remained as he did this, pondering on what you were probably doing back downstairs at your table. Dinner had recently ended, so you were probably tapping your fingers as Joe was currently doing, looking around for him, and looking around in your purse.

Joe also pondered on what you could've been thinking about, too. He didn't have any guesses, but he knew without a single doubt in his mind that you were not thinking of the same thing he was.

He was thinking of time, and how he could not waste it.

This Leppard- shrouded in his red cloth- knew he couldn't spend more than a few minutes up here. Yet, he wanted to get one last look around before returning to you.

Picturing his return made him silently chuckle to himself. He had never felt so happy to be thinking of you- never in his whole life.

"We think a lot, but don't talk much about it..."

He picked up the brandy, and took a small sip of it. The sweetness of it spread over his tongue as he immediately associated the flavor with a memory of you. It was tranquilizing almost immediately.

Nerves were a tricky thing to deal with. Luckily, Joe knew there was a less tricky solution for this.

Joe also knew he was currently on the wagon for the duration of this tour. It was for his own good- and the tour's own good- but he needed to make a quick exception for himself. Despite whatever guilt he may have felt while sipping his drink, he knew damn well that it was an essential exception he had to make.

"Til things get out of control..."

The only other occupants of the rooftop lounge- a couple sitting and chatting at a table some yards away- subtly captured Joe's attention. He turned his head to look at them, and again, he smiled to himself. Again, you overwhelmed his mind. Seeing this couple be a match together- a duo, a pair- it only reminded him more of how head over heels he was in his own way.

He also lingered on how much he loved the sight and feeling of being in a duo of his own, too. He could only imagine if you two looked as good as these strangers did from afar.

"Oh! How do I know when it's love? I can't tell you, but it lasts forever..."

Chills suddenly trickled down his spine, and Joe shivered. Something different was in the air.

"Oh! How does it feel when it's love? It's just something you feel together, when it's love..."

He felt his head jerk back towards the sunset, and an intense wave of nostalgia washed over him. The heart within his ruby suit plunged deep into his stomach, but was resurrected instantly.

The soft green eyes of the singer were frozen- fixed on the premature descent of the sun. His clean-shaven jaw fell slightly open at the sensation running through his veins.

"This is it..." Joe whispered.

He now found himself unable to move with goosebumps forming underneath the layers he wore. This was strange to him, since he had been close to overheated for the whole meal with you.

Slowly, he felt his hand go back into his pocket. He closed his fingers around the small shape inside, and he removed it with more caution than if he were handling a grenade.

"You look at every face in a crowd, some shine and some keep you guessing..."

Without looking at it, he rubbed his thumb over the soft covering and placed it inches from his drink.

"Waiting for someone to come into focus..."

With the same carefulness, Joe lowered his eyes to observe the layout before him. Just like that, all minuscule details of what he saw jumped out at him without warning. Every spec of concrete on the ledge was suddenly visible, every single ray of light the glass refracted was defined, every single line of his skin was ingrained into his retinas, and every microscopic hair on the small surface of the object was magnified. It was as if he were now looking at an iconic still life in a museum. If he were to frame this sight right then and there, he was sure it would be priceless.

For as long as he lived, Joe knew he would never forget this exact moment. The temperature, the wind, the colors, and the air; he'd forever be able to instantly recall them. Every detail was priceless.

"Teach you your final love lesson."

Joe took a photograph of the moment with his vision when he felt tears of joy begin to sting behind his eyes.

"No-" Joe said to himself as he frantically clasped his eyes into a squint and pinched the bridge of his nose, "No, not now... c'mon..."

A faint reverberation of your voice rang through his head like a clear, concise ring of a bell, "Yeah, c'mon sweetie. Not now..."

He looked back up at the sunset while blowing out a breath, and took another quick sip of his drink. Even in the most private of reflective moments, his conscience always had a habit of manifesting your reactions. You were always there to him; he couldn't live without you.

"You can't waste any more time up here..." your voice said more clearly, as if you were right next to him, "You know that."

"Can't waste any more time..." Joe said aloud to himself again with a shake of his head. He hastily hid the small item back in his pocket.

"How do I know when it's love? I can't tell you, but it lasts forever..."

Joe knew damn well he couldn't photograph this moment, despite how badly he wanted to. If only he could capture this new level of existence in some way...

He still couldn't see you, but he heard your voice, "Work with what you're given, Joey. Use your head. Use your hands..."

Joe's eyebrows perked up at the spontaneous idea 'you' gave him. Looking around, his eyes soon located a napkin on the table of the nearby couple. He knew he'd have to be quick, lest the real you suspected something of his absence. The imaginary scenario of your suspicion was enough to make him feel the same shiver of anxiety again.

Despite the nerves surrounding him, it was still the best thing he had ever felt.

A small voice of his conscience told him you were able to feel it, too. Perhaps, back down in the restaurant, you, too, were feeling a shiver down your spine.

"Oh! How does it feel when it's love? It's just something you feel together..."

Joe knew this internal voice; it was an emotion. He knew by pure intuition that everything it said was true. As it got closer to him, he felt his heart speed up. He knew the moment was getting even closer.

Your imaginary voice was back in his ears, "Don't worry, honey. I can feel it, too."

"Sweet Y/n," he whispered aloud as he shut his eyes against the setting sun, "Darling Y/n, don't you realize what's about to happen?"

No sound of you came closer. Instead, he felt your hand caress his face. When he opened his eyes, a vision of you was finally standing there with him.

You told him one word.

"Yes."

You vanished from Joe's conscience instantly with that syllable. It gave him enough confidence to set himself into motion.

Going through with his plan, the fidgety Leppard strode over to the sitting couple, asking if he could snag their spare napkin. They granted him permission, leading Joe to head back over to the bar counter.

After obtaining a pen from the bartender, he began to write.

He didn't write much, but he wrote what he felt he needed to. The vivid, mindful memory of the rooftop ledge was stored into every letter he scribbled down. If he couldn't take a picture of the feeling, he knew he'd have the next best thing.

The pen lifted from the napkin, and Joe fought to control his smile.

He took his napkin and drink back to the ledge after returning the pen. Holding up what he had written in front of him, he engraved the new sight of it into his memory instead.

"August 26th, 1988:" the cloth read, "Our lives are about to change forever."

He was immensely satisfied with it; the last object to be created in what would soon be his 'old' life.

"Oh, when it's love... you can feel it, yeah!"

Joe repeated his own written word, and the word the mirage of you had told him, "Forever... yes."

Lowering the napkin, Joe was face to face with the horizon. It was constantly changing color, but each transition was more and more radiant. The evening was perfect; nothing could've gone more correctly for him.

Well, maybe one more thing could still go correctly for him.

"Nothing's missing, yeah!"

A simple yet powerful guitar solo reached the far edge of the roof where he stood. It was rather funny to him. It reflected his plan a little too well; simple, yet powerful.

You both had always ended your meals at this restaurant by going up to the roof for a drink. No other place on earth screamed of you and Joe more than that rooftop did. Your dinner was over, so it was almost time to head up. It was routine, and it was unquestionable. It was simple; it was powerful.

There was a sudden burning in Joe's pocket- a burning sense of raw and extraordinary power. Joe quickly reached his hand back inside to pull out the object he'd placed on the ledge before.

“Yeah, you can feel it! Oh, when it’s love...”

He held it in front of him and fixed his eyes over its whole surface area. He found it hard to believe he was given control of such heavenly power, all delicately concealed within the case in his hand. It was the sword in the stone, but only you could wield it.

And that moment when you wielded it had to be perfect.

"Can't waste any more time," Joe gasped. His fingers clasped over the piece in his hand, he closed his eyes in reverence, and slowly touched it to his lips.

"When nothing's missing!"

Joe privately declared with his lips against the small, soft surface, "Nothing's missing."

"How do I know when it's love? I can't tell you, but it lasts forever..."

Joe re-filled his pockets without looking at any of the contents. The napkin and the soft-covered object both disappeared into the scarlet suit, and the remainder of his brandy disappeared into his mouth. Before he took the finishing sip, however, he raised his glass to the sunset in a private toast accompanied with a wink. Only one word was needed to make such a toast.

"Forever."

"Ooh, how does it feel when it's love? It's just something you feel together, hey!”

The glass was returned, and all things were finally in place.

“How do I know when it’s love? I can’t tell you, but it lasts forever- when it’s love...”

Just as Joe turned in the direction of the door he came from, he stopped dead and reached back into his pocket. There was one last thing he didn't take a final look at; one very small thing.

"Hey! It lasts forever...! When it's love..."

He pulled out the deep-colored item yet again. Only this time, instead of admiring its surface, he opened it.

The glorious star within was now admiring him.

"You and I, we're gonna feel the same together- when it's love..."

Each twinkle and every finest detail of it was, in every way, flawless. It matched the very twinkle in your eye Joe knew you'd bear once you finally witnessed it yourself.

"Ooh when it's love, baby..."

Joe believed it bittersweet that this would be his very last chance to gaze upon the raw, divine power before he decided to activate it.

"You can feel it, yeah!"

The second Joe would conceal the item again, he knew he would not be allowed to look at it anymore. There was a destiny for this particular object. It beheld a future so great, so magnificent, that Joe himself would not be able to look directly at it when the moment came. He wasn't chosen for an honor such as that.

The only person who was destined to see this divine piece in action... was you.

It was you, and only you; forever. And the greatest part- you did not suspect a single thing.

Sucking back the happy and nervous tears he felt coming on, Joe closed the small box and put it back into his pocket. His hand remained on top of it as he turned away from the sunset to go back downstairs. His fingers continued to rub over its surface, and he could feel the radiant force within it. It had the ability to permanently change your lives, and that's the exact power he was about to bestow upon you.

As he opened the door to head back down to you, his nerves threatened to make him freeze again. His heart vibrated in his chest as the magic of the item within the box engulfed him.

"We'll make it last forever!"

Joe's hand squeezed the edge of the door as he just barely glimpsed the now-radiant sunset. He was aware that the time had come.

It was, at long last, about to happen. Your lives were about to change forever. It was becoming real; it was becoming perfect.

Finally, after so long, Joe could say with complete confidence that he knew the name of the strongest feeling that had ever engrossed him.

Oddly enough, that feeling also shared your name.

"Ooh, it's love."

Joe squeezed the tiny, sublime box in his pocket. He whispered to himself just before he shut away the glory of the impending dusk:

"With this ring... I thee wed."

The end

(When It’s Love by Van Halen)

#*cue terra screaming bc i wrote a leppard fic written around a van halen song* #oh my G O D am i happy that this finally got posted #this has been the thorn in my side since august #i envisioned this so vividly that i blew a goddamn fuse at poor andy while she was trying to color the sky correctly #but i was so picky about how i envisioned this scene that i decided to say fuck it and i did the sky myselg #*myself #the bottom photo is the very first version that andy sent me #and i thought it suited the story as an epilogue better so I still included it :3 #def leppard #def leppard fanfic #def leppard fanfiction #joe elliott x reader #def leppard x reader #van halen #original content #joe elliott fanfic #joe elliott fanfiction #i SWEAR TO YOU the next fanfic post will be a rick fic #i know no one's complaining about the saturation of joe fics over the past *checks watch* ever #but i gotta break it up so there's variety to keep people interested in reading EVERYTHING i have to offer

[whyyoudothistomecavill]

Don't - Chapter 1

Hello everyone! This is my first time writing fanfiction. Chapter one is an introduction to the kind of relationship the characters have and, in future chapters I will fill in the gaps left in this part.

But first, let's see how this one goes.

Feedback is greatly appreciated.

I took the name from a song written by Jewel. Go and listen to it. Trust me, after the first verse, THAT person will pop in your head. Never fails.

Before we jump in, there's a few people I need to thank:

@littlefreya for helping me with the editing since I don't have a beta yet, for encouraging me knowing what a big deal this is for me, and for all the things you already know. I'll always be in your debt.

@mary-ann84 for making me feel welcome since day one and putting up with me and my annoying questions at any time of day. Girl, you deserve an award for patience.

@radaofrivia for taking the time to read my ramblings and giving me the reassurance I needed. For showing up out of nowhere when I was almost defeated by my lack of tumblr comprehension and explained everything to me with the patience of a kindergarten teacher. Greek god Henry sent you my way, I have no doubt.

There aren't words enough to express how big of an inspiration all of you are to me. To be able to call you my friends, fills my heart with extreme joy and gratitude. So again THANK YOU.

I took the liberty to tag some people, to some I asked for their permission, to others I didn't, so if this bothers you in any way, just message me and I'll fix it, there's absolutely no obligation and I won't be offended.

With that being said, let's get to the point.

Title: Don't

Pairing: Henry x female reader.

Word count: 1682

Warnings: Angst, fluff, and if you squint your eyes you might find a bit of smut.

Summary: Henry and reader are a couple living together for 1 year. Reader have struggled with self esteem issues and insecurities her whole life and when she met Henry, she thought she had left all that in the past, but certain events made her realize that her soul is far from being healed.

Disclaimer: This is an original work of fiction written by me. Please don't post it anywhere else without my permission. Reblogs here are welcomed of course. Thank you.

"Are you ok, darling?"

"Yes, honey"

"Are you sure? You don't seem ok"

"I'm ok, Hen," you smiled, "I'm just tired. I wanna get home, have a shower and then go to bed"

He didn't seem convinced but he didn't ask again. The rest of the ride home was silent, you looked out the window and prayed for the strength to act like everything was normal, while he concentrated on the road and hummed along to the radio.

But you knew better. You knew that this man, the most gorgeous man on earth, the man you called your boyfriend, the man every woman (and a lot of men too), thirsted for, was also the smartest, the most affectionate and that he paid attention to every single thing, especially you. He could notice the smallest change in your demeanor, he could tell when something was wrong and this time was no difference. He was just giving you time to process whatever it was upsetting you before you could talk to him, but in no way was he buying the "just tired" bs. And you knew it.

You entered the house and discarded your shoes and purse. Henry was taking Kal out of the car and into the house when you said "I'm gonna take a shower," and quickly rushed upstairs without waiting for an answer, you needed to be alone so desperately.

You got into the bathroom and took your clothes off without even glancing in the mirror, you didn't want to see anybody, much less yourself.

The hot water was bliss to your sore muscles, too bad it didn't make a difference to the pain in your heart. You rested your forehead into the tiled wall and felt the water gently massaging your back and legs. You were so immersed in your thoughts that you didn't hear the bathroom door being open. Henry was already behind you, his strong hands caressing your back as light as a feather and his mouth on your ear, "may I join you?"

You turned around and looked at him, at those eyes bluer than the sky itself, at those curls that did things to you just by looking at them, and that smile, the most perfect and genuine smile you had ever seen, it was literally impossible not to smile back at him, it was contagious.

He didn't wait for an answer, he lowered himself to put his arms around your waist as you put yours around his neck and kissed you deeply and tenderly. You knew he did that so you wouldn't have to be on your tiptoes to kiss him, he was so damn considerate and perfect it infuriated you sometimes.

So you closed your eyes and kissed him like there was no tomorrow, he sensed the heat in your kiss and grabbing your behind, lifted you up still kissing you, putting your back against the wall. You instinctively wrapped your legs around him and he broke the kiss to look at you, his hair was tousled all over from the water and your hands. His lips were swollen from the kissing and his eyes were dark with lust but also full of love. Oh,so much love.

"What do you want?" He said, "Tell me. What do you need? I'm here, I'm yours".

Something inside of you broke, it was too much. "I want you, Henry. I need you. Now. Inside of me. Please".

He didn't wait for you to ask again, maneuvering you as if you weighed nothing, he made you descend on his length without breaking eye contact, until you were completely full of him. He started to move, slowly and leisurely making you moan and clung to him for dear life.

He didn't know about the battle that was going on inside you. You wanted him to crawl within you and fill the emptiness eating your soul, you wanted to hold him and never let go, you wanted to stop time. Or maybe go back in time, or just disappear. But for the time being you were just grateful for the water running over both of you, not letting Henry notice that your tears were running as well.

Even if you were shattered inside, your body would always succumb to him, there was no point in resisting, and as he kept moving in and out of you, whispering sweet nonsenses in your ear, the orgasm hit you like a thunder lightning crying out his name, his release following moments later triggered by your loud moans.

He held you still between him and the wall while you both recovered your breath, filling your neck with open mouthed kisses.

He lowered you and you held him tightly, putting your head on his chest, listening to his heart beat. It always soothed you. You both stayed that way under the shower in silence, until you started to feel the boiling inside you rising again. "I'm gonna get the towels" you said, "I got it" said he and with a swift move of his long arms, he reached for the towels and started drying you, hair first, then your body, slowly, caressing every inch of it and leaving light kisses everywhere his hands would pass.

He was kneeling in front of you, drying your legs and slowly going up, your eyes were fixated on him and his movements, not saying a word. He looked up, saw you staring, and reaching up, caressed your face so softly it made you lean your head in his hand, closing your eyes. It was like time stopped and you were there alone just savoring that moment, keeping it in your memory forever and you couldn't help the single tear rolling down your cheek into his hand...

When you opened your eyes, you saw the look of concern on his face, "What is it baby? What's wrong?"

You needed to make a choice, so you chose the truth. At least the one truth that wouldn't hurt him: "I love you so much".

"And that makes you cry?"

You chuckled a little, "No, I sometimes get overwhelmed by all these feelings, I'm sorry for being so sensitive" you said, wiping your eyes and smiling through tears.

He stood up and crashed your lips with his, taking you by surprise and lifting you up, carrying you like a bride to your bed.

He got in too, cuddling you from behind and you intended to get up to find one of his t-shirts, your go-to pajamas since day one with him, but he stopped you with his arm around your waist and pulled you against him, your back on his chest, your naked bodies molding perfectly together under the sheets.

You clutched his hand in yours, closed your eyes and tried to ease your racing heart.

His voice took you back to reality:

"Look at me, love"

You turned around in his arms just enough to look him in the eyes, and it surprised you to see, his were a little watery too.

"I love you" he whispered. "I love you like I never thought it was possible to love someone. You have brought to my life the hope that my tired heart believed was lost. I want to spend every minute of every day with you and when my work keeps us apart, I can't wait to share with you every detail of my day. You know sometimes..." he paused, smiling and looking away, "sometimes I have to tell myself *get it together Cavill! You're a grown man acting like a teenager*, but that's what you do to me" he said looking at you again and caressing your lips with his thumb, "You're my fuel, my reason, you're my last thought when I go to sleep and my first one when I wake up, and I'm so grateful to have you that sometimes I'm scared to think that I don't express it enough for you to actually get a glimpse of how happy you make me. That's why I might seem a little clingy around you... I love you and I want you to know that you can talk to me about anything, that I'm always here for you, it doesn't matter if I'm working or doing anything else, you are my priority, ok?"

You were a crying mess by now and watching his red eyes trying so hard not to cry, wasn't helping.

"Ok?" he said again, clearly demanding an answer from you.

But your words wouldn't come out. How? How could you tell him? How on earth was he supposed to imagine that he had chosen the worst possible moment to tell you this?

So again you settled for the truth, the only indisputable truth you could give him, and nodding you took his face in your hands and kissed him, pulling him on top of you.

He engulfed you in his arms and broke the kiss to breathe, you covered his face with light kisses tasting the salt of his tears which only added more sorrow to your battered soul.

"Make love to me," you said against his lips. He looked at you through hooded eyes and went for the spot on your neck he knew drove you crazy.

This was the truth. The fact that when you were together you couldn't tell where each of you ended and the other began. The absolute certainty of loving him with every fiber of your being, knowing you could never love anyone else this much, not even in a thousand lives. You never hid it. It was impossible to...

A few hours later, you were watching him peacefully asleep, his features even more beautiful in the dim morning light. You carefully kissed him and placed your head on his chest, he held you tighter against him and said something that sounded like "I love you". "I love you too" you said, granting him again the truth you couldn't deny.

The unspoken truth however, the one he was about to learn, was that in fact, the one you didn't love... was yourself.

Tag list:

@mary-ann84 @littlefreya @radaofrivia @demivampirew @dancingwendigo @seb-owns-these-tatas​ @viking-raider​ @cruelfvkingsummer​ @cherry-acid​ @achaoticaugust​ @promptandpros​ @ladyreapermc​ @honeychicanawrites​ @yespolkadotkitty​ @chamomilebottom​ @deathonyourtongue​

#henry cavill #whyyoudothistomecavill #henry cavill imagine #henry cavill fandom #henry cavill fics #henry cavill fanfic

[sylvie-writes]

Can you do a part two of what you just posted of Chris announcing your pregnancy? And have it be of them announcing the birth of their baby? And him talking about how they waited so long (6-8 weeks maybe?) just to be able to enjoy being new parents without the media involved and have him do a huge photo dump of newborn photos with dodger and him and the reader? And then maybe add in some fan comments giving them nothing but all the love and support in the world?!

Side note: I’m literally sobbing because your writing is 12/10!

LIVESTREAM

a/n: sorry for the wait, lovely. and now i'm sobbing because of your very sweet note. while i go get some tissues, enjoy the story! 

Part 1, Big Brother Dodger, is on my masterlist! 

“Chris, honey, you ready?”

You were sitting on the couch, phone propped up on the coffee table, prepped and ready for a live stream. It had been a few weeks since your son was born and you and Chris were finally ready to share the news. For the time that you had him to yourselves, it was very much enjoyable and you were able to make many memories, but now was the time you’d share with the media and fans. When it came to anything related to your baby, the world normally went into a panic, but a positive one. You really did enjoy reading some of the kind words from Chris’s fans. 

Soon footsteps clobbered down the stairs and you saw Chris, hair a bit disheveled from running, but looking good nonetheless. In his arms, was your son who was dressed in a little patriots onesie that your husband insisted he wear for the livestream. You agreed as long as your son wore the matching hat, which surprisingly he didn’t fuss about. 

Taking a few more strides, Chris joined you on the couch, one arm around your shoulders, the other supporting your son. 

“Okay, we’re live in three, two, one.”

The camera started to stream and your face drew into a happy smile upon seeing hundreds of people gather into the livestream. As they entered, hundreds more of comments flew by, mostly talking about your son who squirmed in Chris’s arms, making his presence known.

After a few seconds, a couple hundred people were in and you began talking.

“Hi folks! I’m sure you’ve all been along this journey with Chris and I, so we’d like to proudly announce the arrival of our son, (your son’s name)!”

Chris lifted up the baby to sit in his lap, grabbing the child’s chubby arm and waving at the phone, a silly smile on his own face. 

“Today, my wife and I are going to try our best to answer your questions, so drop them!”

Squinting, you started to see and read more and more comments, catching a few. 

“First question! From Elise, she asked how old is our son? He looks a bit older than a newborn.”

You look to your husband, who takes the question.

“Nice detective work, Elise,” He laughs, “(your son’s name) is 8 weeks old. We kept him a little secret so we could get some time in with him, ya know?”

As Chris finished the question, a bunch of hearts and puppy dog eye emojis zoomed by. Soon, another question came onto the screen, this time your husband reading it to you.

“Scott Evans asks, will you share pics of the baby and dodger?”

Immediately, Chris burst into laughter seeing as his brother had weaseled into the comment section.

“My brother in law, ladies and gentlemen,” A few giggles slipped from your lips, “But yes Scott, we are going to share photos.”

For a good hour or so, you and Chris answered many comments from the fans, even receiving a few that were just compliments. One viewer was so kind and sent you the sweetest message, making your eyes water a bit. 

“Hi (y/n)! I just wanted to say, I really admire how you’ve been so open with us, as we know you and Chris had some trouble. You’ve been an inspiration to me, as my husband and I have had the same problem, but I wanted to say congrats on your bundle of joy! We love you so much! - Anna.”

You read the message and felt the tears prick at your eyes, without second thought you sent the woman your love. Chris noticed how emotional you were getting and leaned to kiss you on the temple.

“I have to agree with Anna.”

Looking up, your husband smiled down at you, and you both knew the viewers were eating up the moment. There was no doubt that you wouldn’t be on ET tonight.

When the livestream was over, Chris went to go place the baby down for a nap, as the little guy experienced a pretty long day. He soon returned, plopping down onto the couch beside you, where the phone was now in your hand, the media already posting about the events prior. In particular, you saw an article titled, “Why Chris Evans and (y/n) Evans is Hollywood’s best couple.” You read the article just for the thrill of it and came across the picture of Chris kissing you earlier. Feeling a bit flustered, you smiled to yourself, which made Chris sneak a peek at your phone. He saw the picture and decided to kiss you again. Gently, the man brushed a piece of hair behind your ear and kissed your neck, making you lean into his touch. His hand was resting on your shoulder, as you closed your eyes, leaning against said arm. You just sat there in bliss as your husband planted fluttering kisses to your neck, especially the sensitive spot that made you titter a bit. 

A few days later, Dodger was resting on the back porch with you, sitting on the outdoor sofa enjoying the nice weather. You decided to bring the baby and Dodge out for fresh air while Chris did a zoom interview. He was supposed to be out in an hour, giving you some nice downtime outside. Currently, Dodger was curled up on the couch beside you. Baby in your arms, you snaked a hand out to pet him. Suddenly, Dodger shifted and laid his head on your thigh, looking up at the baby. He looked so precious and was so great around your son, that you lowered the sleeping baby to Dodger’s level where he softly sniffed the boy’s tummy. You grinned at the sight of your two boys interacting and you wished you were able to get a picture.

Wish granted, your husband had sneaked out of the office early, and watched the whole thing go down. He thought to himself that this would be the cutest first picture of the many that would ensue. Discreetly, Chris took the picture and walked towards you, now gaining your attention. There was just one cushion left on the couch, large enough for the man to squeeze himself onto. Just as you were about to ask Chris to take a picture, he pulled out his phone, showing you the picture he’d taken and how he had posted it on instagram. 

@chrisevans- They are definitely Momma’s boys 

You laughed at his creative caption and turned to kiss his bearded cheek in gratitude. It had only been posted for 40 seconds, yet thousands of fans had commented. Chris was never one to comment and like the fan comments, but today he was feeling extra appreciative of their support. He did his best to like all of the lovely comments as you did the same. 

#chris evans x reader

[strawberrywritings]

Personal gratitude.

A/N: I am sorry about not posting, but I promise I’ll try to be more consistent!🙈 so let tell you how i wrote this: I was thinking about making a Bishop smut (long ovedue), but I had no plot… until @spookyboogyuniverse sent me a message. I changed a bit the relationship between the reader and Nestor+Miguel, but the main points of the plot are the same. Emily is nowhere to be seen because that’s how I like it lmao I really hope you guys like it! Xx🍓💖

Warning: mentions of violence, oral sex (female receiving), protected sexual intercourse, dirty talk, shitty plot and probably bad grammar i am so rusty

/ Masterlist

Summary: Alvarez gets kidnapped and you’re with Miguel and Nestor when they get the news: you offer your help, as Miguel calls the Mayans to join the search. After Marcus is found, everyone celebrates and the president has a unique way of showing his gratitude.

When shit went down, you immediately sensed it was something big, especially with the way Miguel and Nestor were looking. Being childhood friends with them, and not being a stranger to this life, you had waited for them to finish their meeting, and had offered to help.

/

“I know I may not have the same amount of connections you two have, but I know some people. I could call them and tell ‘em to keep an eye out”, you said, and Miguel looked at Nestor, not because he didn’t trust you, but he knew that this situation had to be handled with caution, so he wanted to make sure it would not compromise things even more.

When Nestor nodded, you stepped outside and started making calls, telling everyone only what they needed to know to make sure this whole thing ended quickly. You followed them with your car, making a few stops as Miguel alerted people.

“What the…”, you muttered to yourself as Miguel’s car, with Nestor driving, headed outside the city and towards the desert. You parked the car right behind them, hopping off and about to question what the hell you were doing in the middle of nowhere, but the sound of engines caught your attentions: quite a few bikes made their way to where you were standing, and you immediately recognized their kutte. Everyone knew who the Mayans were, but you had no idea Miguel worked with them. Eight men made their way towards Miguel, as you kept stading off to the side, your back leaned against your car while you waited for them to finish talking.

You might’ve been quiet, but your presence didn’t go unnoticed; you were focused on Miguel and Nestor explaining everything that happened to a man, who was standing a few steps ahead of the others, “probably the president”, you thought, and from the corner of your eye you could see people’s eyes on you, the exchanged whispers.

“What’s she doing here?”, a voice said, and Nestor looked at you as you narrowed your eyes at the tall man who had spoken. “She’s with me, you got a problem with that?”, Miguel said, never taking his eyes off the same man you were watching, and everyone was quick to say “no” and apologize.

/

Fast forward to the day after. Turns out, your contacts were able to actually help with Alvarez’s kidnapping, someone had seen the people responsible for it and, thanks to that, Nestor was able to track them down and now they were with Miguel in his church pew, he needed answer and he needed them fast. In less than 2 hours, not only did Miguel manage to find Marcus, but he also got everyone else involved in the kidnapping, and you didn’t have to ask what would happen to them. You might not have been completely involved in this kind of life, but you were no stranger to it. After Miguel had taken off his yellow raincoat and changed his suit, he came back home and joined you in the living room.

“I remember when we took that picture, I ate that awful soup she made because it was the only way she would let me go out and play”, he said, you could hear the smile in his face and you turned around, smiling, too. It was nice to be back to “normal” after the past few days, filled with worry, fear and rage.

“I remember how that soup tasted, I hated it, too”, you giggled, tracing your finger on the frame encasing the picture. Placing it back on the shelf, you smiled at him and got your purse from the sofa. “I think I should go, I am glad I was able to help, though”, you smiled, going over to him and hugging him, kissing his cheek. “Hey, there’s a party at that clubhouse, the Mayans. Marcus will be there and he asked me if you could come, he wants to thank you personally”, Miguel said, smiling at you as you nodded. “Sure, just text me the address”, he nodded and you both said goodbye, saying also goodbye to Nestor on your way out.

That night, you opted for a nice dress, still casual, since you knew where this clubhouse was and it was nothing compared to the parties Miguel usually attended, but it was nice to be celebrating something like this. After parking your car next to the bikes, you made your way inside. The Mayans sure knew how to throw a party. Alcohol and girls were everywhere, but you didn’t have time to make a tour of the place because Nestor got your attention.

“Hey – he greeted you by kissing both of your cheeks – come on, Marcus is eager to thank you”, he smiled, leading you to the man himself. Marcus didn’t look too bad, just a couple scratches on his face, and surely his body, but he was alive. You started talking, him saying how grateful he was that you helped Miguel.

“If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here”, he said, taking a sip from his beer. You chuckled and shook your head, “I doubt it, Miguel would’ve found you anyways, he’s very good at what he does… I just happened to make the right calls”, you said with a smile. You kept talking for a while, until you excused yourself to go get a drink.

Drink in hand, you leaned your back against the bar and looked around, until your eyes caught the ones of the president himself. Bishop was sitting with some of his men around a table, smoking a cigar. He had his eyes trained on you but from the way his lips moved you could tell he was still carrying on the conversation. Something in his eyes was drawing you in, but you quickly shoved your impure thoughts in the back of your mind and decided to explore the place, instead.

You took a stroll in the outside area, the actual scrapyard, the corridors of the dorms and then you ended up in Templo. You didn’t think nothing of it, examining the colorful door up close, and sitting in one of the chairs, finally some peace and quiet, which you had been craving for the past 72 hours.

“You wanna prospect?”, the voice almost gave you a heart attack, and you turned around to see Bishop staring down at you. “No…?”, you furrowed your brows. “Then unless you’re a patched Mayan, you can’t be in here”, he replied, walking slowly until he reached the bigger chair, right beside you, and he sat down. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know…”, you had no idea there were rules, and you were ashamed of having broken them, you should’ve known better. You made a move of getting up from your seat, but he his hand caught your wrist before you could turn away. Your eyes went from his hold on you to his eyes, his expression stoic.

“I wanted to thank you”, he said, and it felt like he was shouting, the only sound was the chatter coming from the party. “For what?”. “Marcus es mi primo” Marcus is my cousin, he said, and you shrugged. “It’s no problem, really, I was glad I could help”, you gave him a small smile, but none of you talked more. His eyes were still locked with yours when he got up, his hand always around your wrist as he neared you, his body almost touching yours, almost. “Let me thank you properly”, his lips were centimeters away from yours, all you had to do was push yourself forward and your lips would meet. He didn’t move, letting you decide what to do… did you want this? Your eyes looked at his lips, plump and inviting, he smelled like nicotine and beer and something else and it was so manly. You couldn’t help but to give in, letting your body guide you into his, your lips finally connecting in a heated kiss. His hands immediately went to your hips, squeezing them in his hands and bringing you close to him. Everything happened in a blur, one second you were making out and the next you were laying on top of the big wooden table, your panties around your ankle and his head between your thighs, and damn, he was good.

“You sure you wanna keep going?”, you nodded, completely out of breath as he looked for his pants. “Condom?”, you asked him just as he took it out of his wallet, and he smiled at you even as he sat down on the president’s chair, putting on the condom and pumping himself. “Come take a ride, sweetheart”, his voice was like pure honey and you didn’t waist time, situating your legs on both sides of his hips before slowly starting to slide down onto him. Your mouth hung open as he filled you, and his hands returned to your hips, squeezing them to take him mind off the fact that he just wanted to fuck you senseless. You let out a high-pitched whine when he bottomed out, his balls pressing against your ass as he only had shoved his pants down enough to take out his dick. A smack to your right cheek brought you back to reality, “Move, cariño”, he said, his lips ghosting over your neck. You obeyed immediately, “Yes, sir”, you didn’t mean to call him that, it just slipped… this man was made to give orders and you would gladly obey, especially if it meant fucking him on top of his president’s  chair.

Your hips bounced on top of him, and you kept going even when your thighs started to ache from the strain: you were determined to cum, and between how good he felt inside you, his groans and moans, you knew it would not take long. One of his hands reached up and grabbed the side of your face, kissing you again before making a trail down your neck, your chest, and closing his lips around one of your exposed nipples. The sensation made you moan and clench around him, your hands now on his shoulder for leverage.

“Get on the table”, he spoke, biting gently on the skin of your breast, and you did as he told you. Spreading your legs wide with his hands, he spit directly onto your lips, spreading the moisture with the tip of his cock, before filling you up again and rolling his hips against yours. “Fuck, just like that”, you closed your eyes as one of your hands went to fondle your breasts, and he smirked. “Am I gonna make you cum?”, you nodded frantically as your moans got louder with every pump of his hips against yours. “Yes, please, please”, you mewled, and he slowed down, making you whine in protest. “Please what?”, he taunted, his eyes switching between your face and his dick disappearing inside you. “Please sir, please make me cum”, you shamelessly begged, your bruised hips rising up to meet his thrusts and your hand reaching your clit, touching yourself. “Así, tócate, touch yourself, cum all over my cock, nena”, his hands gripped your hips as he started to fuck you with wild abandon, not even bothering to try and keep quiet, both your moans echoing in the room.

When you reached your orgasm, it was like a hot flash, your eyes watered from the pleasure and you arched your back. Your pussy pulsated as it milked his dick, his growl ceasing once he was finished, taking a moment to breathe again. when he slid out of you, you let out a sight, you were sure his cock had you addicted and all you could think about was another round. Silence fell over you two as he tied the condom and zipped his pants back up; you had gotten down from the table, fixed your dress and your panties were back in their place.

“I should go”, you stated. “Don’t you wanna stay for the party?”, you chuckled and he smiled. “It’s okay, I already had as much fun as I could”, he smiled and opened the door of Templo for you. He watched as you made your way through the bodies cramped up in the small room, looking at him over your shoulder one last time before disappearing outside.

taglist @scuzmunkie @deeandbobbymcgee @i-love-scott-mccall @mayans-sauce @eternangels @rebelwrites @ifoundmyhappythought @my-rosegold-soul @peaches007 @starrynite7114 @everyhowlmarksthedead @justahopelessssromantic @chibsytelford @gemini0410 @samcrobae @sadeyesgf @woahitslucyylu @onmyspookysblock @angelreyesgirl @elcococruz @cocotheclown @losolvidad0s @enamoured-x @blessedboo @brattyfics @thickemadame @blackmissfrizzle @thesandbeneathmytoes @thewarriorprincessxo @brownsugarcoffy @mycupoffanfictionreads @enamouravecleslivresetlechocolat @sheeshgivemeabreak @danie1432 @noz4a2 @ly--canthrope @buttercup812 @krysiewithak @wrcn9fvlcver @-im-fantastic- @destynelseclipsa @marvelmaree​ @saturnsaree​ @cind-in-real-life​ @mrsjaxtellerfan​

#obispo losa x reader #obispo losa imagine #mayans imagine #my writing

[sweetestlamb]

Love Me Like You Do ( Guide To Getting Back Your Self-Respect)

Summary: Dae-sung just wants Sol-i to be happy, even if that’s not with him so he decides to bury his feelings while Sol-i realizes how much strength she gained from his constant unwavering support. She becomes to questions her feelings for Cha Heon. 

Author's note: For the Dae-sung appreciators and anyone who wants Sol-i to keep her self-respect. I finally watched the recent episodes and I saw Heon making an effort but honestly I am already over him and anyone with some self-respect would be too. So in this my girl gets her self-respect back, wins over Dae-sung and gets the love and unconditional support she deserves.  

He doesn't cry. Not there on the bench, in front of her lying his heart out. He'd never thought he'd have to lie to her always wanting to give her nothing but his genuine honesty and support, but her question had stunned him. It was ridiculously moronic of him to write something so.. revealing on the paper. He knew it was a possibility that she would see it. A small hopeful part of him wanted her to see it, to finally know his heart and how much she meant to him, she was like the sun on a gray stormy day and he was tired of carrying these feelings in his heart. 

But she was uncomfortable, that much was evident. He couldn't handle that, she was his first real friend and he couldn't imagine his life without her dimpled smile- didn't want to. So he lied. It made his stomach churn, bubbling up with bile until he felt nauseous and he had to escape from her relief, she was so relieved by his admission. It was apparent that his feelings were unwelcome, she would never look at him the way she looked at Heon. He needed to find a way to accept that. 

So he waits until he's in the pool to unleash the tsunami swirling in his eyes, sobs wrenched from his lungs as he breaks apart slapping at the water and wishing he could turn off his heart. He tried to stop this by calling her "brother" hoping he'd be able to trick his heart into truly seeing her as a brother. In the end it was all futile and every second he spent with her only heightened his infatuation, until it shifted from like and swung into dangerous territory.

It was good. This was good. It was better that he find out now, he needed to move on for the salvation of their friendship. He would do it. He could do anything for Sol-i. But he would let himself mourn today, mourn the loss of his feelings and any chance of her reciprocating. He would cry until his throat was hoarse. Roaring into the air before dunking his head under the chilling pool and submerging his feelings.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

It isn't easy but he stops doing the things that are natural to him: buying snacks he knows she likes, saving the best hand warmer for her, going out of his way to make her smile and when he sees her with Heon, he doesn't interrupt leaving Sol-i to shine brightly up at someone else. Too sad to even be jealous.

"Woo Dae-sung? Are you listening? Who have I been talking to this whole time?" Jin-Hwan sighs exasperatedly, knocking into his shoulder. He turns to smile in apology, lost in his thoughts staring out the window. It was the safest place to look with Sol-i right in his line of vision, it was difficult not to get lost in the way the sunlight hit her dark brown hair, setting the strands ablaze.

"Sorry. I was daydreaming. What were you saying?" He nods staring into the spectacled eyes of his friend, giving his full attention and he laughs and nods at all the correct moments as Jin-Hwan regals his newest plot to win over Ha-Young, his latest idea a flash mob. He laughs freely at the other boys antics as he flails to mimic the possible choreography, at least Ha-Young never seemed uncomfortable with his various love confessions. He'd even found the other girl looking at the vocally gifted boy when she thought no one was looking, an inquisitive look as if she were seeing him for the first time.

Despite his own rejection he would be elated for his friends, he wanted those he cared about to always be smiling even if he wasn't.

Before he realizes it's time to go to the pool, he has a competition very soon and his coach has been shorter than usual pushing him past his limit. He accepts the punishment, enjoying the sharp knife of the water on his skin using his heartbreak as fuel. He was in control in the pool, his domain and his first love that would never turn its back on him.

"I'll see you all later!" He calls out to his small group of friends, making sure not to let his eyes linger on Sol-i as he usually does instead sprinting out of the room. He will get over this and things will go back to normal again.

When coach praises him on his form and speed he realizes for once his mind is not filled with a certain pint-sized girl.

One day at a time.

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"Heon-ah! Wait let's go together!" She calls out to the retreating back of the boy who is always on her mind, her sweet honey Heon. Just his mere presence is enough to make her feel like she's on cloud nine. Huffing when he doesn't slow down at all, she starts to chase after him closing the gap between them. But being as clumsy as she is her feet get tangled up and she finds herself tripping over nothing, she closes her eyes waiting for the painful collision. It never comes.

Squinting one eye open she finds herself staring at the flecks of cobble in the ground, seemingly elevating above it. 

"Brother! Are you okay?" A familiar voice greets her and when she twists to look behind her, Dae-sung’s hands are latched onto the top handle of her backpack preventing her fall. She smiles in gratitude, Dae-sung is such a great friend he's always there when she needs him. She beams up at him dimples making an appearance.

He smiles back, tugging her back onto her feet.

"I'm okay. Thank you for saving me." She bows her head slightly before remembering that she'd been following Heon. She spins around only to find the boy in question already climbing into his bike, looking at them with passive eyes before riding away.

"You should hurry so he doesn't leave you. Be careful and get home safely."

She hums not looking back before running over to follow Heon, he doesn't talk to her the entire ride home fleeing before she can even wish him goodnight. She huffs but goes inside her house calling out to her parents before running to her room and diving into her bed. Tomorrow, she'll make Heon like her tomorrow.

Probably.

Hopefully.

She dozes off her head filled with the boy who owns her mind, body and soul.

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"Anyone know where Dae-sung is? Doesn't it feel like he's always in the pool, has he turned in a merman? Aquaman?" Ji-Hwan quips at the lunch table, looking around at them as he mimes swimming in a pool. Sol-i stops mid chew looking around, she hadn't noticed he was missing but it was so obvious, normally he'd be there handing out snacks and laughing at Ji-Hwan's bad jokes. Making everything brighter with his infectious smile. 

"He has that big swim meet coming up remember? Are we all going to cheer him on?" Ha-Young responds, asking in a tone that leaves little room for argument. She looks at Heon to see his answer, he doesn't look up from his sandwich chewing slowly as if he's eating alone.

"Heon-ah, are you going?" She grins at him, willing him to agree with her winning smile.

His face remains impassive but he shrugs and she takes it as a yes. Jumping in her seat and turning back to Ha-Young nodding her head at the question finally.

Her friend squints at her though, looking annoyed for some reason. But the bell rings signaling the end of lunch before she can inquire why that cold look was directed her way. She nervously picks up her tray trailing behind her friends, not remembering to wait for Heon.

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She almost slept through her alarm but she manages to drag herself out of bed and she dances when she sees that Heon is getting on his bicycle too, they can go together.

"Heon-ah! Good morning."

He turns to look at her nodding softly, "You actually woke up?"

She playfully glares at him, "If you were so worried about me, why didn't you call me?"

"Why would I call you? You have an alarm."

"Your voice is much better than an alarm though." She answers honestly, boldly staring into his eyes before he scoffs at her and grabs his bike riding off without a word.

She cries indignantly before racing off after him.

She wonders what it's like to be so good at something as she watches Dae-sung effortlessly swipe through the water, powerful strokes as he closes in on the wall reaching out a hand and screaming triumphantly when his name lights up, first place Woo Dae-sung.

They all jump up cheering, signs in their hands and they celebrate his win. Jin-Hwan starts the chant and soon every voice in the room has joined them, all cheering his name.

Woo Dae-sung! Woo Dae-sung! Woo Dae-sung!

They find him later, leaving the locker room in jeans and a hoodie now, hair still plastered to his head from the swim cap. They are cheer when they see him, his smile is blinding as he waves at them a slight blush rising on his cheeks.

"Dae-sung congratulations! You were amazing!" She proudly cries sticking two thumbs out at him.

He smiles back at her, "Thank you. Thanks for coming to cheer for me. You all really motivated me."

It's only right that they should have a celebratory meal, they stay close going to a tteokbokki place near by and easily getting a table. She sits down in the middle leaving two empty seats on either side of her, Ha-Young and Ji-Hwan sit on the opposite side. She turns to smile at Heon patting the seat next to her, he sits down immediately looking at the menu, barely sparing her a glance. She's momentarily surprised though when Dae-sung goes to sit on the other side as well, eyeing the empty seat right next to her that had been much closer.

But he's looking at the menu as well as if they didn't come here specifically to eat the spicy noodle. Weird.

Ji-Hwan carries the conversation praising Dae-sung again then telling them all about his new favorite song, crying out with Ha-Young slaps his hand when he tries to serenade her. Dae-sung laughs at them both but never starts a conversation with her, never looking over at her for too long. She tries and fails to engage Heon in a conversation, her own voice filling the void.

After a few minutes, a waitress comes to take their order.

"Hi, I'm your server-- excuse me are you Woo Dae-sung?" The girl who looks like she's not much older than them, she's short with deep brown hair in a high ponytail and a small round face. Very pretty.

They all still and look up at her question, turning to Dae-sung who looks confused but nods in confirmation.

"I'm sorry I'm a fan of yours. I've seen you around school but I couldn't bring myself to say hi. You were amazing today, that was your best time!" She gushes practically bouncing in her spot, eyes bright as she looks at the boy, who is scarlet under her gaze.

"Oh. Thank you! You don't need to be shy, you can say hi. I'm just a student like you. I'm nobody special."

"Don't say that! You're the youngest in your group and you have the best time. I really admire you."

They all sit in silence watching the interaction, ping-ponging back and forth with each exchange. Before the girl seems to recall that they're all there.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She bows low, "Do you know what you want to order?" She asks avoiding eye contact now and Ha-Young orders for them all and she tells them their food will be out soon. Bowing another time before stealing a gaze at Dae-sung and scurrying off.

"Maybe I should start swimming. I want fan girls too." Ha-Young slaps Jin-Hwan in the back of the head and he folds over in pain before crying out that his heart belongs to her, gaining another smack that he receives like it's a hug smiling through the gentle abuse.

In a few minutes the food arrives, steaming hot and delicious aroma wafting off and filling her nostril. The waitress asks them if they need anything else and it is not lost on Sol-i that her eyes never leave Dae-sung’s face. They all decline and she bows before retreating, looking reluctant to leave. Sol-i feels uneasy but she can’t decipher why. Her emotions twisting up in the pits of her stomach. 

Sol-i stealthy peeks over at Dae-sung to see if he's excited about having a fan girl but he's focused on eating, stuffing noodles into his cheeks before humming in pleasure, eyes closing as he enjoys the meal. Her stomach does a weird somersault. It must be indigestion. She grabs her glass of water, taking a big gulp. Choking a little when it goes down the wrong hole, Heon stares at her in the corner of his eye but then there's already a napkin in front of her face.

"Here. You should drink slower."

She takes the proffered napkin dabbing at her chin, "Thank you." Dae-sung smiles at her, but it looks different. Strained. Not quite reaching his eyes. Her stomach squeezes again.

What's wrong with me?

When it starts to get late they finally start to leave, Jin-Hwan slapping Dae-sung's wallet out of his hands when he tries to pay. They all chip in instead but he insists on leaving a tip and Jin- Hwan rolls his eyes but nods in agreement before a sly smile spreads across his face.

"Oh. I know why you want to leave the tip. Smooth." He throws a wink and smile the sputtering boy's way as he denies any ulterior motives. But their waitress is making her way back out and Jin-Hwan is already vibrating slapping Dae-sung on his back in encouragement. 

"I hope you enjoyed your meal and I didn't bother you too much. I'm sorry about earlier." She apologizes again and Dae-sung smiles brightly at her, a real smile that curves his eyes into half moons. Sol-i feels that same tinge in her stomach, when will her food finally digest?

"You don't need to be sorry! What's your name? Next time I see you at school I'll say hi." He sounds so friendly and Sol-i watches the other girl blush as she stares at Dae-sung, she finally turns away looking at Heon. This is where her focus should be, why she finding it so hard to focus? She likes Heon. She always has. 

"They look good together." Jin-Hwan claims shamelessly watching them talk through the window, Sol-i pointedly doesn't look. Telling herself she wants to respect his privacy.

Minutes pass by before Dae-sung rejoins them.

"Where did you all go?" He tilts his head and this time to her surprise, it's Ha-Young who teases him.

"We wanted to give you space. It seemed like she wanted to say something to you. Did you have a good talk? Did you learn her name?" She raises her eyebrows and smirks at him. 

Sol-i feels uneasy listening to them interrogate Dae-sung even more so when he looks down bashfully, running a hand across his head.

"It's Seong Mi-Ho. She um...she gave me her number."

Ji-Hwan cheers loudly jumping to put him in a headlock and Sol-i feels sick to her stomach now, like a someone is doing a drumline in her small intestine. 

She doesn't notice Heon nudging at her shoulder, until he calls her name. In a daze she turns to look at him.

"Sorry?"

"I asked if you were ready to go. I'm leaving."

She nods quietly before calling out to her friends, Ha-Young now has Jin-Hwan in a headlock as Dae-sung laughs watching them another real smile, it makes her feel small and jagged.

"We're leaving." The three stop to look at her before saying their goodbyes.

Impulsively she looks at Dae-sung and he meets her eyes for once. Maybe this had all been in her head. Her stupid imagination.

"Dae-sung, I'm so proud of you! Good night."

He stands frozen, unprepared for her exclamation before he nods smiling at her.

"Thank you brother. Get home safely."

Fake smile. This time the pain is in her chest.

When she's safely back in her room she stares at her ceiling, head of full of questions and worries. All about a certain swimmer. Void of another stoic boy. 

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

She wakes up late and dashes through the door, grabbing her bike and pedaling until her feet hurt but she makes it to school with two minutes to spare.

Waves good morning to her friends minus Dae-sung who isn't in his seat, she struggles to focus as she stares blankly at her notebook devoid of any notes. Head too full of thoughts to process any new information. She doesn't even notice Heon staring at her, confused that she isn't staring back.

Dae-sung doesn't show up until lunch and she lights up before realizing he isn't alone. The same girl from the tteokbokki shop is walking very close to him, their shoulders brushing with every step. Dae-sung waves happily when he sees them all before stopping to motion at the girl.

"Everyone this is Seong Mi-Ho, she's in the same lunch period as us! Is it okay if she sits with us?" He asks hopefully and Ha-Young scoots over giving her ample space and he smiles in gratitude. Dae-sung looks at the remaining seats hesitating before sitting next to her, directly across the other girl.

They eat comfortably, but she can't help sneaking glances at the other girl. She seems nice, laughing and asking them all questions but it's obvious her attention is mostly focused on Dae-sung, enraptured every time he speaks.

"Sol-i ah do you want to go to the bathroom with me?" Ha-Young's voice cuts through her contemplation and she jumps before answering, "Yes I'll come."

She bounds after her friend before walking straight into her back with a soft oomph.

Grabbing her forehead she looks up at Ha-Young in question.

"Sol-i, are you okay?"

She squirms under the penetrating stare, shifting from side to side before tugging at her hair.

"What do you mean?"

A thin eyebrow raises, "You haven't been staring at Heon at all today. Do you not like Seong Mi-Ho? You keep looking at her."

She rushes to immediately deny that speculation, "No! I mean yes! I mean..."

Ha-Young crosses her arms now, gaze getting harder as she struggles to find an answer.

"I.. Ha-Young ah....have you ever realized something when it was too late?"

The girl tilts her head accessing her with a sharp gaze.

"What are you talking about?"

She loses her nerve, feeling stupid in Ha-Young's no nonsense gaze. The last time they'd spoken she had adamantly told the other girl she had no interest in Dae-sung, how could she possibly say that she was faltering now? Plus he'd only been joking she'd gotten nervous for no reason, overwhelmed at the idea of someone liking her. Liking Heon was easier, she could do so without any expectation.

"Nothing. I'm just feeling tired I didn't get enough sleep last night." She lies walking towards the bathroom, desperate to keep her new feelings to herself.

It's better this way.

#a love so beautiful #a love so beautiful 2020 #shin sol i #dae sung #Cha Heon will barely speak or do anything just like the show #jeong jin-hwan #kang Ha-Young #part 1 #I think it'll be 3 parts #some angst and longing #then fluffy fluff #fix it #for the 3 people who said they wanted this

[notchesandbullets]

Ryokuryuu’s Lifeline

Part 4: Midnight Battle Plans

Smoke billowed from Captain Gi-gan's pipe as she stared off into the distance. The lively chatter of her crew faded into the background as her brow furrowed.

This battle was necessary.

But it wouldn't be easy to win, even with the recent additions.

She glanced over to her crew, smiles stretching wide across their faces as they taunted each other about who was going to end up with Yoon as their wife; the said pretty boy whacking them in the back of their heads with a wooden spoon.

"Captain Gi-gan," A delicate voice called, jostling her out of her thoughts. "Here's some food."

The captain turned out and was met with the sight of a certain red-haired princess extending a bowl of the stew Yoon made for her. The captain accepted it with sincere thanks and began to eat. Yona lit up at the sight of Captain Gi-gan enjoying the food, and the sentimental praise Yona expressed for her comrade wasn't lost on the captain.

The older woman conveyed her gratitude to Yona for retrieving the senjusou and the princess beamed at her words.

Captain Gi-gan sighed. "When this fight ends, I'll break up the pirate crew. I want them to return to their normal lives."

The princess stared at the captain in surprise, but her gaze was trained on you and Jae-ha as you both disappeared below deck.

"There's just one," The captain murmured, turned her attention back to Yona, "Who will be a challenge."

Red hair swayed as the princess tilted her head. "A challenge?"

Captain Gi-gan rested her arms against the rail, pipe held loosely in her hand, nodding. "It's Jae-ha. This boat is his home."

"So then when the pirates disband, he's got nowhere to go?" Yona guessed.

The captain chuckled, "You've come to take him, haven't you?" A knowing gleam in her eye.

"...I want to, but he said he didn't want to leave with me." Yona explained after a pause.

"That might have something to do with Y/N," Captain Gi-gan gave her a side glance. "If you convince her to come with you, then Jae-ha would follow."

The princess immediately shook her head. "I don't want to coerce them. If they want to come with me, then I want it so that it's by their own free will."

Yona's expression was filled with confusion as Captain Gi-gan's shoulders started to shake with laughter. Taking a puff of her pipe, she turned her head, exhaling the smoke out to sea. A smirk made its way onto the captain's face and realization dawned on the princess.

She must consider them very close and care about them a lot to test me like that... Yona thought to herself.

I think I understand why though, Her eyes drifted to Yoon, Shin-ah, and Kija until they finally landed on Hak, who had his head thrown back in laughter, eyes shining in amusement as the pirates argued over a flushed pretty boy and a protesting Hakuryuu, with Shin-ah watching the whole ordeal studiously. I would do it for them too...

She recalled your words from your conversation earlier.

"Yona, can you kill someone?"

At the time, she avoided the question. It was so similar to what Hak had asked her before he agreed to teach her archery at the start of her journey.

She didn't want to hurt anyone.

Her father never wanted her to touch a weapon.

He never wanted her to bear the pain that would inevitably come with it.

For them, my comrades, my friends, Yona thought fiercely, I will become strong enough to protect them, too.

Her eyes widened as she found Hak's cobalt eyes staring straight back at her. Yona yelped as she flailed backwards, startled, tripping over a notch in the wood beneath her.

She felt wind rush past her and strong arms snaked around her shoulder, steadying her.

"Easy there, Princess."

Yona flushed a deep red, rivaling the one from earlier when Hak had poured honey on her hands. Her bodyguard peered closely down at her.

Why does she look so red?

Nah, there's no way.

He helped her gather herself to her feet, taking notice of her bandaged hands for the first time. He frowned. He didn't like to see her hurt. It made him feel like killing anyone who dared to touch her.

Years of unrequited love put Hak in a sphere of doubt every time she blushed around him or showed an indication of returning his feelings for her. Yona herself wasn't faring much better.

When was the last time she told him how much he meant to her?

The night her father was murdered was the most heartbreaking, earth-shattering night of her life. The man she thought she loved betrayed her, and stole the throne from her.

Yona's eyes grew wide as it hit her.

Soo-won's betrayal cut her deep, to the very core. He was her cousin, her best friend, that she had known since they were very young. But it wasn't just them, Hak had always been there too, watching over them both from the sidelines even before he became her bodyguard.

How had she not seen it before?

What was Hak going through? How much did he push away his feelings of anger and hurt when Soo-won's betrayal struck him to keep her safe?

Hak was staring down at Yona curiously. She had a faraway look in her eyes that she only got when she was deep in thought. His eyes narrowed as droplets of water started to fall from her eyes.

"Princess?" The tears glistening in her eyes when she met his eyes made him tighten his hold on her, examining her in alarm. "What's wrong?"

Yona sobbed into her hands, her body violently shaking as she was overwhelmed with the flood of emotions.

Anguish.

Regret.

Pain.

Hope.

Love.

They had been through so much together. The numbness that had overtaken her when her father died was only shattered by Hak. He had been there for her, above all else. She couldn't imagine life without him by her side. Yona remembered when he had fallen off the cliff when they were still in Wind Tribe territory searching for the priest when they had been ambushed by Fire Tribe soldiers. She thought he was going to die. Then, he had gone searching for his spear in the middle of the night when he was still hurt and she remembered waking up, feeling panic overcome her all over again. She fled to the forest to look for him, but he had found her first instead. Yona remembered tearfully berating him as she told him that he had to stay by her side.

It was selfish.

She knew she was being selfish.

After all, he gave up his freedom to keep his promise to her father.

At least, that's what she always thought it was.

But Yona's earlier conversation with you echoed in her head. What if it was something deeper than that? Something more than just responsibility to her father? Dare she say, to her?

"Hak, I-"

The amount of concern in his eyes pierced her to the core, causing all the words she wanted to say die on the tip of her tongue.

"Yes, Princess?" He prompted when she failed to speak.

Yona jumped, "I-I-I," She stuttered.

Hak brought her closer to him, studying her intensely and Yona blushed at his proximity.

"Princess..." He whispered into her hair and she squeezed her eyes shut.

His voice, when had it started to sound so alluring?

He moved too pull away, but Yona caught his sleeve, gripping it tightly. Hak choked, staring at the princess whose eyes were covered by her hair.

She needed to ask him about these feelings.

She needed to tell him how she felt.

She needed to know if he could ever return it.

"Hak...I-"

Yona was cut off as Shin-ah's soft voice reached her ears.

"Boats...Boats have gathered at the harbor."

That caught the attention of Captain Gi-gan as she looked at the blue dragon in alarm. "How many?" She asked quickly.

"7..." Shin-ah responded quietly, still gazing out into the distance.

Yona covered her mouth with her hand in shock, "7 boats?!"

But Shin-ah wasn't done. "People with weapons are on board."

Captain Gi-gan's lips pulled back in a snarl. "That damn Kum-ji! Does he plan on intimidating us?" She tapped her pipe against her shoulder. "Gather the brats." She ordered.

As the crew made their way below deck with the captain in the lead, she suddenly remembered that you and Jae-ha were most likely asleep. Captain Gi-gan sighed, rubbing her temples.

This couldn't wait.

"Yona," She called out from over her shoulder, successfully gaining the princess and her bodyguard's attention. "Could you wake Y/N and Jae-ha for me?"

The princess smiled, nodding happily at the task. Captain Gi-gan chuckled at her excitement over something so trivial, but then again, Yona did seem to take pride in the things she was able to accomplish. For a princess who once knew nothing, she was turning into a formidable force to those who threatened her.

"Do you know where their quarters are?" Hak questioned the bouncing princess beside him.

She hummed, "I think I remember." Squinting her eyes as she tried to recall the path you led her on before reaching your room.

"You think?" Her bodyguard teased.

Yona puffed out her cheeks. "Hak~" She whined childishly before darting down below the deck.

He blinked in surprise as a memory popped up into his mind of her. Young and immature, worrying over unimportant things like her hair and clothes back when things were much easier.

She was so innocent back then.

Hak turned to Kija and Shin-ah before he got too caught up in his memories. Yoon had gotten swept up with the other pirates who had trailed behind the captain a few minutes ago.

"We'll meet you there."

"Alright." Kija acknowledged, and Shin-ah dipped his head, then the two dragons headed off to go find the captain.

It didn't take him long to find the princess. She was wandering blindly from door to door, hesitating. The hallways were lit up with a warm glow from the torches placed by the doors.

"You really don't remember which one it is, do you?" Hak smirked.

"Stop teasing me!" Yona demanded, the pout forming on her lips caused his heart to stutter.

Why is she so darn cute...

"Ah! I think it's this one!" Hak almost crashed into her as Yona suddenly stopped in front of the last door.

"Are you sure you're not just picking it because we passed all the other ones?" He teased her.

She brought up her fists defiantly, scowling, "I am not!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure Princess." He waved her off.

Despite the dynamic of their usual teasing, Yona could help but smile instead of yell at him. She had seen you and Jae-ha tease each other, and she was starting to see it as affectionate rather  than just irritating.

Hak stared at her suspiciously when Yona didn't shoot back a witty remark. He stepped closer to her, pressing her up against the door and as his tall frame leaned over her. Yona brought her hands up to clutch the front of his robes, not drawing him closer but not pushing him away either, refusing to look at his face as hers turned a familiar shade of red.

"Really... Just how much are you going to push me..." Yona opened her mouth in protest, but he came closer to her, pressing his body against hers. She was reminded of how he had done this before, when they were in the woods after Yoon had healed them and he had gone to fetch his spear.

What if he wasn't checking for her temperature for a fever that time?

What if...

He had meant to kiss her?

But Hak just knocked against the door above her, and her eyes shot open as her heart filled with disappointment.

Why did it hurt when he pulled away?

Yona finally acknowledged the answer.

The truth.

She wanted him to kiss her.

A sleepy Jae-ha answered the door, and Hak blinked, peering around the green dragon who was running a hand through his hair, to see your form nestled in the bed, an adorable frown on your features. Yona turned around to face him.

Gosh she felt shorter than usual with the both of them towering over her.

"Captain Gi-gan needs you two in her quarters. Shin-ah's spotted ships."

Jae-ha's eyes widened, all trace of exhaustion gone as he shifted back into ruthless pirate mode. "Got it, we'll be right there." He nodded tersely.

He flashed Yona a charming smile, recognizing her nervousness. "Don't worry, Yona dear, it'll all be alright." He said flirtatiously.

Yona felt Hak's chest vibrate as he let out a low growl, wrapping an arm around her shoulders protectively and she stumbled into his chest. Jae-ha smirked at the Thunder Beast's possessiveness.

"Just get Y/N up," Hak snapped curtly, "You're already late."

The green dragon held his hands up in surrender, a smug smirk on his face. He shot Yona a wink as Hak pulled her away from the troublesome dragon.

Jae-ha closed the door, but didn't shut it all the way, knowing that you didn't like light blinding you when you first woke up. He crouched beside the bed, eye-level with you. Your eyes were shut, breathing even. His eyes softened, he really didn't want to wake you up, but this took precedence and he didn't want anyone to see you sleeping, knowing you felt uncomfortable with that.

He shook your shoulder gently, trying to rouse you from your slumber. Your brow furrowed, sleepily batting away his hand. Jae-ha couldn't help it as the corners of his mouth pulled back in an adoring smile.

Cute...

He got up, leaning over to whisper in your ear, "Y/N," With his coaxing, you opened your eyes slowly. "Captain Gi-gan needs us. There's been a development."

You scrambled up to a sitting position, terrified eyes scanning for any signs of a threat and Jae-ha hushed you, pressing two fingers to your wrist quickly.

"Not like that," He apologized, nosing your hair as you relaxed slightly. "Apparently Shin-ah's spotted some ships."

You nodded, raising your arms up at him and gazing at him with puppy dog eyes. He laughed, the sound sending warmth flooding all over your body, and he obliged; picking you up easily, with an arm hooking under your knees and the other supporting your back. Your hands immediately wound around his neck, tucking your head into the crook of his neck.

Jae-ha tried to calm his racing heart as your breath hit his skin, lighting it on fire. He still wasn't used to it, but he certainly wasn't complaining. Soft, ambient lights lit up the hallway as he carried you to the opposite end of the ship, where Captain Gi-gan and the others most likely were.

Nudging the door open with his shoulder, both of your eyes flew wide open. The room was crowded, and everyone was looking at you. The pirates were scattered around the room, with Yona and her dragons plus Yoon taking up almost all of one side.

"You're late." The captain smirked, gaze regretful as she looked at you, but you smiled back reassuringly. She knew how hard of a time you had trying to fall asleep, but she wouldn't have called for you unless absolutely necessary.

Everyone turned their attention back to Captain Gi-gan as she began to speak. "Kum-ji is probably planning to go through with a large-scale trafficking deal soon." Jae-ha pushed through the crowd, making his way to an open spot on the floor beside Yona and the others. He sat down carefully, arranging you comfortably in his lap.

If you weren't so tired, you probably would have blushed.

"If shots are fired at the harbor, the people living in the area will end up getting hurt, so we will attack Kum-ji's boat instead." Captain Gi-gan stated.

Jae-ha held you tighter as he felt you tremble against him at the mention of the bastard's name. His heart thumped against his rib cage, soothing you as you pressed an ear against his chest, closing your eyes to block out everything else.

"The problem is, we don't know when it'll be carried out, and we don't know which boat the girls will be on." Jae-ha interjected, voice low, but clear enough to reach everyone in the room.

"That's right," Captain Gi-gan agreed, "Kum-ji will have people at the dealing that can be used as hostages. If we recklessly attack the boats, the people being sold will get mixed up in the fight."

She tapped a finger to her chin in contemplation. "On the other hand, the girls will be taken to the Kai Empire if we stand by and do nothing."

"Is there another way to ensure the safety of those women?" The captain addressed the crowd around her, opening up the floor to ideas.

One of the pirates pointed out that because it's such an important deal, there was a high chance of Kum-ji being there, and with their new allies, things should go much smoother than they were originally expecting. Jae-ha mindlessly ran a hand through your hair as he listened to the clamor. Your grip on the front of his robes tightened, and he dropped a soft kiss on top of your head.

"...We still need a little more information." The captain's determined voice rose above everyone else's. "We will restore freedom to this town."

The sound of steel splintering wood rang clear across the room as Captain Gi-gan stabbed the table with a dagger, eyes burning with resolve. "This time, I too will take up my blades. Follow me until the very end you brats!"

Jae-ha didn't notice the worried look exchanged between the girl in his arms and a particular red-haired princess.

#akatsukinoyona #yona of the dawn #fanfiction #anime #manga #jaeha #jaeha x reader #awa #pirates #captain gigan #yona of the dawn fanfiction #fluff #angst #ryokuryuu #green dragon #fourdragons #ryokuryuuslifeline #yona #yoon #hak #kija #shinah

[thespianbooks]

A Court of Nightmares and Starlight //Chapter 13//

Masterlist

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XXX

It didn't take much longer for Viviane and I to fully recover after Rhys and I arrived. The sentry who had led Rhys, and Kallias, to the lounging chamber had also informed his High Lord of our arrival. Thesan, always the gracious host at these summits, sent a handful of servants to attend Viviane and I—much to our mates' chagrin. The first time a maid had tried to bring us some tea, the males had bared their teeth and nearly sent the poor female running. Viviane and I quickly quelled their hostile mated instincts and after a full hour of rest, we were ready to join the other High Lords, as well as our allies in the Mortal Lands, in the meeting chamber.

Kallias and Viviane insisted they go ahead of us, instead of the four of us entering together; since Rhys and I had been the ones to call the summit early, they believed we should be the last to enter—so that we may announce our news, accept congratulations, and transition into the more solemn proceedings of our dispatch.

Rhys and I walked to the meeting chamber without the need of an escort; after a decade of summit's every spring, we knew our way around the High Lord of Dawn's palace. I chewed on my lip as we walked through the sun-stone halls, but as we grew closer Rhys stopped me in our path.

"You bow to no one." He reminded me, his violet eyes fierce as he adjusted the crown atop my head, and then cupped my face in his hands.

I nodded with a warm smile, taking a steadying breath as my hands came to rest on my stomach, covered by another maternity gown that Rhys had pulled from the collection his mother had made for me. This time it was made of multiple layers of a sparkling royal blue sheer voile fabric with capped lace sleeves, the skirts brushing along the floor delicately and a beautifully pleated sash resting just above the apex of my new rounded belly. There would certainly be no second guessing my condition, if my scent wasn't already indication enough.

After a couple more calming breaths, I threw my shoulders back and met Rhys's gaze, "I'm ready."

He grinned mischievously and placed a hand on the small of my back before leading me through the chamber doors, which was opened for us by sentries on the other side. I didn't falter as we entered the room, holding my chin up as everyone's eyes turned to me and Rhys. Before I could take in anyone's stare, I heard an excited gasp and turned to meet the striking blue eyes of Vassa, who rushed over to me and took my hands in hers.

"I knew it, I knew it!" She declared excitedly before moving a hand to my stomach, cooing at it happily.

I felt Rhys tense beside me, a low growl coming from deep in his throat, but the Mortal Queen didn't blunder. She had been around us long enough to learn that fae males were solicitous with their mates—in fact, being in a room surrounded by powerful beings had never intimidated her. She alone was just as powerful a being in her firebird form; a spell left unbroken, despite mine and Helion's best efforts.

"Oh congratulations! I'm so happy for you, and I can't believe it! There are two pregnant faeries in this room," she said proudly. "That is a rarity, isn't it?"

"Apparently not rare enough," came a gruff scoff.

It was then that I noticed Beron in the room, standing with his usual entourage of sons, and Eris off to the side—who quickly chided his father in the next breath.

"Certainly, you don't mean that Father. Afterall, Mother gave you plenty of sons." He said smoothly, serving Rhys and I a meaningful look as my mate moved closer to me.

He only scoffed again with a roll of his eyes, throwing back whatever drink he had in his hand.

"Well it looks like we all won this bet," came Helion's honeyed voice as he drifted over to Rhys and me.

I was grateful for the quick shift in conversation but had to send Rhys words of reassurance down the bond as his incensed gaze lingered on the High Lord of Autumn. He calmed as Helion approached his side, knowing that would be wiser than drawing up to his pregnant mate first.

"Though I'll admit, it wasn't much of a bet since no one offered any opposition," he said as he shook Rhys's hand in congratulations.

"I was on the fence for a bit, until Kallias and Viviane entered the room and informed us that you two would be along," Tarquin admitted, Cressida—his cousin and Princess of Adriata, trailing at his side as they met with the rest of us.

He shook Rhys's hand next and turned to me, nodding with a warm smile. "You have my congratulations," he said.

Cressida grinned as she chimed in. "A youngling is indeed a blessing, I'm so excited for you both." She threw her arms around me in an embrace, causing Rhys to stiffen again as he made room for her, but he easily relaxed a beat later.

"Thank you both," I said before pulling back and nodding in acknowledgement at Helion as well.

"Thank you too, Helion, though I can't believe you were the one to come up with the bet."

"It was Mor's idea," Cassian jumped in. He, Azriel, Mor and Nesta had silently made their way over to us during the brief exchange with Beron; all placing themselves at a safe distance, just in case.

"Only because Helion wouldn't stop prodding me for information," Mor said with a roll of her eyes.

I saw Helion waggle a mischievous brow at her. "To be fair, I tried asking our host first, but he wouldn't budge," he said, throwing a look at Thesan.

The High Lord of Dawn shrugged, "Rhysand wrote to me in confidence, and I was already providing a space for Viviane to recover as well."

"Thank you for that," Kallias said, his hand also placed on his mate's back. Though with her center of gravity skewed thanks to her enormous belly, it seemed he was helping hold her up.

"Yes, I haven't had the chance to thank you yet. I went unconscious after we got here, and Kallias had to carry me to the room," Viviane offered sheepishly.

"I heard you weren't the only one," Thesan said, glancing at me.

I shrugged, "Creating a life takes its toll."

"Indeed, it does, though I'm glad you two are both okay now." He said, more so looking for reassurance that we were in fact faring better than we had upon our initial arrival.

I nodded, but before I could thank him, Beron huffed in exasperation. We all turned our attention to him as he crossed his arms over his chest. I also took note of Tamlin standing with one of his sentries—Hart, I remembered, on the other end of the reflection pool in the center of the room.

"Let's drop the niceties, shall we, and get to the root of this meeting?" the older male scowled, his terse gaze fixed on me. Rhys, along with Azriel and Cassian, shifted on his feet.

"You called us all here to announce a pregnancy? Well let me be the first of the rest of these fools to offer my objection," Beron growled.

I put a hand on my stomach protectively, "What a relief that we aren't seeking anyone's approval, Beron." I interjected, returning his glare with my own.

"You should be, considering the child you bear has the potential to inherit a kernel of my power. Of all our powers," He snarled.

My blood ran cold as he voiced my exact fears; the anxiety that the other High Lords wouldn't welcome the news of my child once they realized a drop of their abilities could pass onto him. I couldn't look at their reaction as Rhys pulled me closer to his side; his hand returning to the small of my back, bolstering me.

"We have no way of knowing if our child will inherit Feyre's powers," Rhys said smoothly, though his violet eyes simmered with a cool rage—those stars that normally sparkled now smoldered.

"Just like I had no way of knowing I would pass any of my power over during her resurrection. I won't make that mistake again," Beron spat.

"May I remind you, again, that you offered that kernel of power? I didn't take it by force, they are mine, and if my child should inherit them, then I will teach him to wield them as I see fit." I said fiercely, my voice as unwavering as I hoped my eyes were.

Though the words were directed at the High Lord of Autumn, I made sure to emphasize them enough for the others, in case there were any doubts on their end as well.

"We've been through this before," Thesan said, coming to stand at my other side, "When we all agreed to fight alongside them in the war. Surely, you can get past the chance of a youngling inheriting some of your powers?"

I nodded gratefully at Thesan, who returned it and took another step forward as my heart pounded at the approval in his words.

"I certainly can," Tarquin offered, and I saw Cressida nod as well, both aligning themselves with where Thesan stood.

Helion casually strolled over, an apathetic shrug to his shoulders. "I would be impressed to see if the child inherits any healing abilities. Perhaps the youngling could be the one to break the Mortal Queen's curse, since its mother nor I can seem to," he said with a wink at me and then at Vassa, who had fallen in step beside Mor—flanked behind Rhysand and I, along with the others.

It was then that I realized they had formed a line in front of me, standing in the space between Beron and me. A show of their allegiance, and my heart swelled as my eyes burned in gratitude.

Like I said, my love, you are very well-liked. Perhaps even loved. Rhys said through the bond, squeezing my hip lightly.

Kallias moved to stand beside Rhys and me, holding onto Viviane's hand. "It would be interesting to see if our children would wield the same power. Perhaps there would be some healthy competition between them," he said.

Viviane smirked, "You mean a rivalry."

"You're all mad!" Beron snapped. He turned to Tamlin, who remained quiet, keeping his distance from the rest of us.

"You approve of all this?" he asked him.

I held my breath as Tamlin met my gaze, his eyes glancing between Rhys and me, then to my stomach. He was quiet for a few beats before turning back to Beron.

"I agreed to come and hear them out, not to hold some kind of debate over their child," He said simply.

Not necessarily a show of allegiance, but I was glad he wasn't snarling at me as he had when I confronted him at the Spring Court.

"I will not stand for it," Beron said, pure fury laced in his acrid tone. "It was one thing to agree to fight alongside one another in the war, but I never came to terms with you possessing my power," A sneer over at the other High Lords, "Nor will I. And neither will I accept some kind of Night Court abomination to-" his words were cut off as the tether that held back Azriel and Cassian snapped.

In a flash of wings, shadows and siphons flickering, the two Illyrians appeared before him—Cassian's fist landing on Beron's jaw as Azriel then caught him by his collar, snatching him up to meet his snarl.

"You will watch how you talk to my High Lady and how you refer to the youngling she carries, the heir to the Night Court." Azriel growled, his face inches from Beron's menacingly before he let go, causing the older male to land straight on his ass.

I squared my shoulders as Rhys's own preternatural darkness swirled in his shadows, our shadows, advancing a step forward while Beron shot back onto his feet—the other sons he brought along with him flanking at his sides. Eris then interjected, subtly moving between his father and Rhys.

"Father, we've had over a decade of peace since the war. Surely, we shouldn't break our alliance now over the chance that this youngling might inherit some of our courts power," He suggested.

"And what do you propose we do then, if he does inherit my power?" Beron snarled in reply.

Eris merely shrugged, eyes briefly glancing over to where Lucien stood before meeting his father again. "He wouldn't be the first one not of our bloodline to do so."

Before I could stop it, my jaw dropped, but I quickly covered my mouth—Rhys stiffened.

Did he just say what I think he said? Rhys asked through the bond.

How did he know? I questioned back, my eyes meeting his as the atmosphere in the room thickened.

Beron went rigid at his son's words, a confused look exchanged by his sons standing behind him.

"W-What...what are you talking about?" Lucien asked, breaking the silence that had befallen us.

My heart squeezed at Lucien's bewildered tone. He must have noticed Eris's look before he said the cursed words. I quickly scanned the room and noticed the Lady of the Autumn Court wasn't present—perhaps Eris's doing, and I wondered if he had actually planned to reveal his mother's centuries old secret. I hesitated as I turned my gaze over to the High Lord of Day and saw that the look on his face was that of confusion, though I saw the silent contention simmering in his eyes.

Don't say a word. Please. Rhys warned, subtly returning to my side—shielding me, and I saw Kallias do the same with Viviane. I wanted to protest, but with my condition hindering my powers, I knew there wasn't much I could do should things take a true turn for the worse.

"What are you talking about?" Lucien asked again, his voice brusque as he approached his eldest brother.

"Don't you say another word, Eris." Beron barked, finally snapping out of his shock.

Eris shrugged again, offering Lucien a half-hearted empathetic look. "Haven't you ever wondered why you stood apart from the rest of us?" He asked, unsympathetic.

"That's enough!" Beron growled again, drawing closer.

His movement caused Rhys and Kallias both to step in front of me and Viviane, their mated instincts calling them into action at the rising tension in the room. I stepped beside Viviane, who was far more vulnerable in her condition than my own.

Thesan cleared his throat, "Perhaps we should call it for the day and adjourn tomorrow morning," he offered.

"No," Beron spat, turning to Thesan and addressing the other High Lords, "If none of you will side with me, then perhaps I should take my power back on my own." He turned a vicious gaze to me, causing a feral and deep snarl from Rhysand's throat; his wings flaring wide as Cassian and Azriel appeared at his side—siphons glowing.

But it was Kallias who intervened on our behalf before Rhys could move. "Go back to the Autumn Court, Beron. If you're this adamantly opposed, then cut your ties and return to your homeland. While you still can," he said this with narrowed iced eyes.

"You dare threaten me?" Beron growled, baring his teeth.

Kallias's own menacing scowl matched the elder male, resolute. "You threaten our tenure of peace now and seeing as the rest of us will continue to ally with the Night Court, you are no longer welcome here."

Beron only continued to glare at the High Lord of Winter, unyielding as his eyes raked over the others. "You're all idiots. That child will be the very downfall of our courts, possessing each of our powers will only empower the Night Court," he threw a fervent snarl at me. "What's stopping them from using her and the child's power to their advantage? They could very well incite a new war, demolishing us-"

His speech was cut short as Azriel lunged once again. I saw truth-teller flash in his hands a second later and before I could open my mouth to protest, Beron froze as Cassian hauled him up—about to strike. Everyone turned to Rhysand, knowing he had a vice on the male's mind. His formidable gaze was honed on said male, violet eyes clouded as darkness seeped from his shadow and into the corners of the room.

I placed a gentle hand on his tense shoulder and saw the tightness in his jaw. I could see the struggle to hold himself back, fighting hard not to unleash himself on Beron. I caressed his mental shields, begging him to let me in—to soothe him and the instincts he wrestled with.

We're safe. I reminded him when he wouldn't let his guard down for me. No one is going to let him hurt me. You won't let him hurt me, or the baby. We're safe, Rhysand.

I saw the muscle in his jaw twitch as he eased whatever grip he held over Beron, though not entirely. The elder male gulped in air, breathing heavily as I realized Rhys had been choking the breath from within him. Cassian and Azriel each had an arm seized in their hands, waiting for a command from either me or Rhys.

"Let him go," I said.

They obeyed, but Rhys kept him detained. Eris cleared his throat, "I'll take my father and brothers back to the Autumn Court. If you'll still have me, I'll return alone tomorrow for the remainder of this summit. I've been attending these meetings for the last decade, and unlike my father," a grim glance at him, "I would like to uphold my end of the alliance."

I was initially surprised at his words, but a moment later I realized that this would be the start of his campaign to take over as High Lord of the Autumn Court.

We'll support it. We have to. Rhys said down the bond, and though his shoulders were still taut, and voice laced with anger, I knew he was right. I squeezed the hand I had on his shoulder in silent agreement.

I looked at the other High Lords, their entourages; at Vassa—with Jurian at her side, and at Lucien. All except him and Tamlin were poised at our sides, and it was then I realized they were waiting for our approval. This was our battle, and although they were ready to defend us; pounce if need be, they knew it was ultimately our decision.

I met Eris's amber eyes, narrowing mine as I stepped forward; standing opposite of him and looked over to where Beron stood, still fixed to his spot, his eyes raging.

"We'll allow it, but if you end up sharing your father's ideas, then the rest of us won't hesitate to convene and plot your downfall." I met Beron's stare again as I said the last of my sentence, making it clear who the threat was aimed at.

Rhys, Thesan, Tarquin, Helion, Kallias, and now even Tamlin stepped in behind me—Viviane and Cressida coming to stand at either side of me. All of us representing our courts, our commitment to one another.

"We are heralding in a new era, Beron," Viviane said as she faced the High Lord with me. "These younglings are being born into Prythian courts standing in alliance with one another, something that it hasn't been in centuries. We all urge you to reconsider."

My heart squeezed at her effort to appeal to Beron, knowing that he was already a pawn in the coup against our court. His actions thus far confirmed our earlier suspicions, but once he was gone then Rhys and I would be able to warn them all.

I felt Rhys's hand come to rest on my hip, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Kallias approach Viviane's side as well. The other High Lords, our mortal allies, and all of our entourages flanking behind us. I reached down to squeeze Rhys's hand, Viviane doing the same with Kallias, but I didn't get the chance to fully notice their exchange. In the second Rhys had released his hold on Beron's mind, I heard him mutter under his breath, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw that he shot out an arm—summoning a ball of fire directed straight for me and Viviane.

He was quick; too quick for anyone to register. All I could manage was a gasp, my eyes wide with terror as my surroundings seemed to slow, and that ball of fire hit an invisible force only inches away from our faces. It wasn't until after the last of the flames dissipated that I realized my hand had shot out in front of me as well—creating a shield of hardened air I hadn't summoned in years. My other hand trembled at my side, just shy of touching Viviane's large belly.

I was gasping for air, trembling and my ears roared with the sound of my blood rushing to my head. I barely noticed that the room around me had exploded into some kind of action as I dropped my guard. My ears continued ringing, my eyes stung, and the only thing I could hear was the muffled sound of my own panicked breathing—chaos continuing to erupt around me. I briefly saw wings, siphons, and Rhys's face before I noticed Beron hit the ground. No one had rushed to his aide.

He tried to kill me. Us. My baby. Viviane and her baby girl. My baby boy. My son.

I'm not safe.I'm not safe.I'm not safe.

I hadn't realized my eyes were closed until I felt gentle hands on either side of my face. Warm hands. Safe hands.

You are safe. You're okay, Feyre. Rhys pleaded with me, whether through the bond or aloud, or both.

Then, I heard the sound of sobbing, gulping breaths. My ears slowly stopped ringing and I realized it was my own panicked sobs I heard.

"Look at me, Feyre." A gentle command, Rhysand.

I finally opened my eyes, meeting the silver-lined violet eyes of my mate. Breathing became easier and I managed to stop whimpering; instead gripping his arms, his hands still holding either side of my face. I still couldn't register my surroundings, nor the others, but I heard their voices. The harsh timbre of the males seemed to be giving commands, checking in with one another; the females sounding more soothing as they did the same. Still, I never tore my eyes from Rhys's—not until I could breathe again.

Slowly, the room returned, and I dropped my head to Rhys's shoulder—overwhelmed and exhausted at the effort it took to summon my shield. I let him scoop me up as he crossed over to a lounge, but my eyes slipped shut as I allowed myself to fall unconscious in his arms.

#feysand #feysand babies #feyre x rhysand #feyre archeron #feyre cursebreaker #feyre darling #high lord rhysand #high lady Feyre #high lord of the night court #high lady of the night court #acotar #acotar fanfiction #acomaf #acowar #acofas #acofs #sjm fandom #a court of nightmares and starlight #aconas #cassian #nesta archeron #azriel #mor #amren acotar #high lords of prythian #high lord helion #high lord tarquin #high lord beron #high lord kallias #high lord tamlin

[forever-rogue]

Honey & Velvet - Part 5

Summary: Ruthless CEO Max Lord is about to meet his biggest match yet in another CEO such as cunning and biting as he can be.

A/N: Here ya go, Max whores (myself included). I hope you like this part ;) If you’d like to be tagged, please let me know, and as always, feedback and comments are always welcome! xx

Pairing: Maxwell Lord x Reader

Word Count: 4.5k

Warnings: mildest of smuts? idk, either way 18+ ;)

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 6 | PART 7 | PART 8 | PART 9 | PART 10

MASTERLIST

»»————-　♡　————-««

Glancing at the clock, you could see that it was nearing six o’clock. You pinned up a last few pieces of hair, completing the soft half updo you had created. Studying your face in the mirror, you decided you were happy with the result; simple makeup, leaving a fresh, glowing complexion, quickly finished off with the oxblood red you swiped on your lips. It was…elegant, seductive even. It was almost like the alter ego to the normally more crimson color you favored. 

Striding to your gilded full length mirror, you couldn’t help but crack a smile at the scandalous outfit you were wearing. The lingerie gifted to you from Max was still as shocking as the first time you had worn it, and almost caused a blush to rise up in your cheeks. There was something almost innocent and pure about the white lace and pearls, but you were well aware that it would lead to anything but purity. It was the type of garment created only to lead to the most sinful and carnal of acts. 

A wicked little smile crossed your face as you grabbed the black shift dress off of your bed and slipped over the lingerie. It completed the look, adding a layer of innocence, but leaving enough to the imagination. Twirling, you turned around and studied your backside, deciding that it looked just right.

The heels waited for you at the foot of the bed and you slipped them on, admiring the expensive shoes. They absolutely exuded sex and you couldn’t deny the powerful feeling they instilled deep within you. Checking your watch and seeing that it was just about six, you finished everything off with a few bursts of your newest perfume. You wondered, briefly, how Maxwell had scheduled this particular one; had a previous lover he was fond of loved it? Did he just have the perfume counter girl choose one? But no - he was much more calculated than that. He probably chose it himself for one reason or another. Whatever the reason was, you decided that you didn’t care, and let the soft mist douse you gently.

Just before the clock struck six, you grabbed the expensive bottle of champagne that you’d gotten for the occasion and stashed it in your purse before exiting your apartment. You were nervous, heart fluttering rapidly inside your chest, but something in you was determined to do this. 

»»————-　♡　————-««

Knocking on his door, a bolt of nervous energy ran through you with each rap of your knuckles against the well polished wood. Letting out a nervous breath of air, you wondered if this was a complete mistake and if you should just turn around and leave. Instead, you squared your shoulders and stood up straight, deciding you wouldn’t run away. After a few moments of tense silence, you heard a few footsteps coming towards the door, before the door was slowly unlocked and opened, emitting a loud creak, which served to make you more nervous. 

As soon as his warm eyes met yours, a small smile played on his features, despite how hard he tried to hide it. Shaking his head with a light sigh, he opened the door further and beckoned for you to come inside; part of you was surprised that he was even willing to let you in, but you shuffled in, not waiting for him to change his mind. Reaching inside your purse, you pulled out the bottle and held it out to him, as a sort of peace offering. 

He looked at curiously, one eyebrow raised in question, but he took it nonetheless, running his fingers over the label as he studied it. You slipped off your coat and laid it over the back of one of the bar stools at the counter, leaning against it to make sure he was able to get a proper look at you, “consider it a token of my gratitude…and to say I’m sorry.”

He let out a warm laugh, as he set the bottle on the counter, hands moving to his hips as he gave you the once over and studied you from head to toe; it wasn’t lost on you that his gaze lingered on your breasts, the lace visible from underneath your dress. Coming closer, he put a hand under your chin and tilted your face up to look directly into his, “and just what are you sorry for?”

“I think you’re well aware,” a dry laugh escaped your lips as his thumb traced the outline of your bottom lip, “Ben…I’m sorry about how things ended up. Just because things didn’t work out, doesn’t mean I should have treated you like that. So…I suppose I’m sorry. I should have been honest if you from the beginning.”

“I’ve never given a reason not to be, have I?” Ben let go of you before you walking into the kitchen to grab two flutes from the cabinet, “besides, if you had been honest with me from the start, it wouldn’t have mattered. You want to fuck, then we can fuck. No strings, nothing attached, but just be goddamn honest with me, Y/N.”

“I suppose that’s fair enough,” you admitted, grabbing the bottle and uncorking it with a loud pop, filling up the glasses he had set in front of you. Ben grabbed his and tapped it against yours, “cheers.”

“Cheers,” he repeated as he took a long drink from his, watched as you did the same, “now tell me…is this the only reason you came tonight?”

“Yes,” you answered honestly. The whole outfit was a more akin to get yourself pepped up and ready to do this, versus wanting to have sex with him. Hell, you’d contemplated going to Maxwell after this, making him wait for you, just to turn up at the last second and making a grand entrance. But now…you weren’t so sure. But you were glad that at least you could make somewhat of an amends with Benjamin. He didn’t have to be your best friend, he didn’t even have to be your friend, but for some reason…you just couldn’t leave it where it had been with him. He deserved honesty from you, at the very least.

“There it is,” Ben shot you a quick, “brutal honesty.”

“And just how can you tell?” you asked with a giggle as you sipped the on the bubbly, grabbing a fresh strawberry from the fruit bowl he grabbed out and popping into your mouth, relishing in the sweet juice and how perfectly it combined with the champagne.

“You have a tell,” he admitted, “it’s just this tone you adopt. I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s there. I’ve always noticed it anyway.”

“Perhaps I should be more careful,” you threw your head back with laughter, “can’t have people knowing everything about me. I suppose you can be my exception.”

“Don’t,” he said quietly, “it’s refreshing, honestly. No need to change yourself for others - remember that.”

“And here I was coming to say sorry, and yet I’m getting some life advice,” you sighed and hoped onto one of the bar stools, “what a strange twist of fate this past month has been.”

“Tell me,” Ben leaned across the counter and watched you intently, trying to figure out what was going on in your head. You were always so business oriented, so focused on things other than your personal life, that he found it odd that you were in this predicament, “come on, then. Tell me all about this Max that’s been on your mind.”

“Ben,” you sighed lightly as you downed the rest of the alcohol in your glass, reaching across the counter for the bottle; but Ben was faster and pulled the bottle just out of your reach, “oh come on! That’s not fair!”

“You can have more,” he promised, refilling his own flute first, “once you tell me what’s been going on. And don’t lie to me, there’s no reason to.”

“You’re a cruel man, Benjamin,” you signaled your reluctant agreement by pushing your empty glass towards him. He smirked but quickly refilled it, “where do I start with Maxwell Lord-”

“Wait…Max is Maxwell Lord?” Ben’s eyes widened as he set down his glass in surprise and you just shrugged innocently. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting…but he certainly hadn’t been expecting that, “like Lord Technologies, Maxwell Lord?”

“That one and only,” you agreed before meeting his eyes. You looked at each other for just a moment before bursting into laughter, “I…yeah…”

“How the fuck did you manage to do that?” he was incredulous, but leaned forward, eager to hear the story of how you made one man so weak, practically breaking him down without any effort.

“I have no clue,” you admitted with a heavy, “it all started at a board meeting we had when we signed a deal to work together and he was shamelessly staring at my tits.”

“They are something to marvel at,” Ben joked before you shot him a warning glare, “what! They are lovely…but go on…”

»»————-　♡　————-««

It was late by the time you left Ben’s house, far too late to make any sort of social call, so you opted to go back to your apartment, without so much as another thought towards Max. You could worry about him at another time. Right now you were just tired, with a happy buzz flowing through your bones from the bottle (and then some) of the champagne you had consumed. 

And surprisingly, you had stuck true to your word; nothing but friendly conversation had passed between you and Ben. Who would have thought? Maybe you were always destined to be friends, and nothing more. And for once…you were okay with that.

As you stumbled into your own apartment, you kicked the heels off by the door and stumbled towards your bedroom, not bothering to wash off your makeup, instead only slipping your dress off. You caught a glimpse of yourself in your mirror and laughed at the sight, which now seemed so ridiculous. But you didn’t bother to pull off the lingerie before flopping into the bed and crawling under the covers. 

»»————-　♡　————-««

By the time Monday rolled around, you were feeling wonderfully…refreshed, and reinvigorated. Your mind finally felt like it was so much more clear and focused than it had been in weeks, and an odd sense of peace washed over you. 

Walking into your office, you found Adina with a concerned look on her face. It was strange to see such an expression over her normally gentle exterior and even as you set down her morning coffee, she wouldn’t meet your eyes, “Adina? What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“No…” she answered after a few moments of silence. She grabbed her coffee and took a sip, swallowing the still scalding liquid without hesitation.

“Adina?”

“I just…there were a lot of blank messages this morning when I arrived. I tried to trace them, but couldn’t find out who left them,” she explained, “but I just…have an uneasy feeling. I don’t know, it’s like I can’t shake it, like something weird is going to happen.”

“You’re sure everything’s alright?” putting your hand on her shoulder, you gave it a tight squeeze as hoped you could reassure her, “if there’s something wrong, anything, you know you can come to me, right?”

“I know,” she grabbed your hand and managed a small smile, but the tension never left her face and the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, “I’m sure it’ll be fine. I just need to shake it off.”

“Right,” you remained unconvinced as you headed into your office, eyes still glued to the back of her head. Biting your bottom, you debated pressing the issue, but she clearly didn’t want to speak further about it, so you decided it was best to let it go. It still didn’t stop the light huff that escaped your lips as you walked into your office and shut the door behind you. 

But you had work to attend to, and couldn’t lose focus on something simply because you were distracted by…well, you weren’t quite sure what it was. You just hoped that if it was anything even remotely serious, she would come to you and let you know. 

Instead you buried yourself in paperwork outlining various deals and issues, getting so wrapped up in everything that you lost track of time. That was until you heard a slight commotion coming from the hall just outside your office. Tossing your pen down, you stood up and rushed to the door, trying to decipher what on earth could have been going on.

“Where is she?” the voice sounded angry…but also surprisingly calm. You recognized it immediately, and your heart plummeted to the bottom of your stomach. You’d expected you would hear from him...but not this soon. Not in your office, “where is she!?”

“She-she’s in her office, but she’s v-very busy,” poor Adina sounded as frightened as a child getting punished by a parent. You swallowed the lump in your throat before opening the door, “you’ll need to make an appointment with her before just coming over and -”

“Maxwell,” you tried to keep your voice firm and resolute as you stepped out, going so far as to put your hands on your hips to make yourself feel bigger. He turned his attention from Adina to you, his mouth curling into a grimace. It was not lost on you that he noticed you in the extravagant heels and the darker lipstick you sporting, “what the fuck do you think you’re doing here? You cannot just storm into my office and frighten my poor assistant.”

“There you are,” his words were cold, but calculated and spoken with purpose as he took a step closer to you, a dangerous look crossing his feature. For some reason it sent a delicious chill to run down your spine; what a time to get to turned on, “just the woman I wanted to see.”

Adina looked nervously between the two of you, unsure of what to do; luckily you just shook your head at her, signaling that you had the situation handled. Opening the door further and stepping aside, you motioned for Max to step inside. He cast Adina a small glance, almost disgustingly sweet as he stepped into your space. He’d never been here before, and took a moment to study everything as you closed the door behind you, locking it as you did so. You didn’t even know why you bothered to lock it, but a little voice in the back of your mind told you to do so.

“What the hell are you doing here, Maxwell?” you asked as you strode over to to him. He stared at you for all of about two seconds before grabbing your face with his large hand, his rings cool against your warm skin. His dark eyes stared into yours as you tried to swallow the nervous lump in your throat. A warm sensation started to flutter up in your belly as you tried to read his expression. 

“How dare you,” he said quietly, a dangerous edge to his voice as his chest rose and fell rapidly. You knew exactly what he was talking about; you had wondered if you’d hear from him again. You knew you would, deep down. It was foolish to think he would left something like that go, “how dare you insult me in such a manner, you foolish little girl. Do you have any idea who you’re messing with?”

“Maxwell,” you put your hand on his wrist and tried to pry his hand away from your face, but it was no use. His grip was iron, just like a vice as he seemed to try and invade all of your thoughts, “let go of me.”

He stared at you at you for a few more seconds before finally releasing you, and turning away, running a hand through his blonde locks, “I don’t know what little game you think you’re playing, but you had better watch it. I am not an enemy you want to make.”

“Oh? And just who initiated this so called game?” you tutted as you leaned against your desk, looking at his broad back and how wonderfully his suit fitted him. There was…something that flowed through you whenever he was around, creating a sense of bravado withing you; one that you normally didn’t possess, “don’t play the game if you can’t handle it.”

“Last I checked you were the one who called me and asked to see me,” he answered as he turned around to face you, “not the other way around. I wasn’t the one who stood up you and made you look like a fool.”

“Listen…I’m sorry about that,” you sighed and hopped onto the edge of your desk, giving him a half smile. You couldn’t believe you actually meant those words. Who would have thought? He raised an eyebrow at you, but remained silent as he waited for you to go on, “I had…intentions of coming, but ended up a little sidetracked.”

“Sidetracked,” he repeated the word with a certain disdain in his voice as he stepped closer to you, leaving very little room in between your bodies, “by what? Or should I say whom?”

“I don’t think that concerns you,” you insisted, raising your chin at him and pointedly looking away. He scoffed as he stopped right in front of you, put his arms on either side of you body and trapping you between him and the desk, “I said I’m sorry, Maxwell, and whether or not you believe it, I mean it. What more do you need?”

“Was it him again?” he asked softly, his face mere inches from yours, his warm breath fanning across your face. It was hard to focus on anything as you looked at his soft lips, his smell overwhelming your senses. Inadvertently licking your own lips, a cheeky grin appeared on his, “was it Ben Vasquez again?”

“It doesn’t matter,” you insisted weakly, feeling his arms getting closer and closer to your body, his heat radiating onto you. You could feel the need between your legs increasing with every passing second.

“Tell me,” he brought a hand to your face and ever so delicately brushed his fingers over your cheekbone, “what can he offer you that I cannot? He’s a mere boy playing at the big leagues. Surely an ex-lover isn’t someone you really want to turn to, is it? Surely, he can’t please you like a real man can.”

“And you think you can?” you sounded small, almost pathetic, but Maxwell just grinned at you, a glint sparkling in his eye.

“I know I can.”

You wanted to come up with a witty response, you really, really did. But your mind came up with a blank; instead all you could focus on was Max and how close he was to you, how good he smelled, how delicious he would taste. And in your moment of weakness, you couldn’t stop yourself - your body was buzzing with want, with desire.

And so you crashed your lips onto his, wrapping your arms around his neck and carding a hand through his hair as you kissed him with every fiber of your being. Max had seemed surprised for a mere moment before he responded with just as much fervor, his large hands settling on your waist as he kissed you until you were both breathless. 

It was a dizzying mixture of teeth and tongue as you finally were able to get out the repressed tension that had been building up for weeks. You didn’t even bother to try and hide the small moans that escaped your lips as you got so lost in him, so tangled up that it was hard to tell where you ended and he began. Taking charge, he pushed you back until you were flat on your desk, staring back up at him, chest rising and falling rapidly. 

Max loomed over you, running a hand down your side as he kissed you passionately, taking his time to work along your jaw, and neck. Once he heard a few soft mewls coming from you, he nipped at your delicate skin, making it a point to leave marks that would remain for days and be a burden to cover up. When something belonged to him, he wanted to Max sure the world knew.

“Max,” his name was a mere whisper as it fell off your lips, soft and delicate, almost like a prayer for his ears only. You could feel him smirking against your skin as he undid a few buttons of your blouse, your chest becoming more and more exposed to him with his passing second, his large hands exploring your body as he kissed along the valley of your breasts. You tried to pull him as close as possible to you, wanting to feel him fully and completely, “please.”

He remained silent as he continued to kiss you, and you rocked your hips against him, needing more. He brought a hand to your center, gently touching and tracing his fingers over your heat, through the fabric of your trousers. You needed them gone; you needed him to touch you, almost desperately so. He seemed amused as you tried to undo your pants, but grabbed your hands with his and held them above your head. He chuckled before planting a few kisses along your collarbone, “such a needy little thing.”

You were ready to beg, almost, and pleaded silently with him as you met his eyes. You could feel his erection pressing against you, but instead of doing anything to alleviate the problem, he simply let you go and straightened up, almost as if nothing had happened. You looked at him with wide as you sat up, a confused and dazed expression on your face, “what the hell?”

He didn’t say anything as he looked himself over in your mirror, straightening his tie back out and making sure his hair wasn’t too disheveled. When he felt your eyes glowering into his back, he smirked to himself as he wiped away a bit of your lipstick from his face. Turning back to you, he gave you the cheekiest of smiles before shrugging, “what?”

“How dare you-”

“How dare I?” he countered and you couldn’t contain your eye roll. You could still see the strain in his pants and realized it must have taken every once of will power for him not to ravish you and then and there on your chest, “I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about, Ms. L/N.”

“You can’t just come in here, do that, and act like nothing happened,” you abhorred how whiny you sounded as you started to button your blouse once again. You could already see faint blue and purple marks welling up on your breasts, “you’ve got some nerve, Maxwell Lord.”

“I suppose I’m learning from the best,” he gave you an easy grin and you weren’t sure if you wanted to slap it or kiss it off of his face, “consider us even after what happened, or rather what didn’t happen, this weekend.”

“I hate you, Maxwell Lord,” you sighed at him, narrowing your eyes for added emphasis, “I loathe you with every fiber of my being.”

“I’m quite sure that’s not true,” he insisted, easily calling your bluff, “if you really hated me, you wouldn’t be wearing that lipstick, or that perfume or those heels. Am I correct?”

Remaining silent, you crossed your arms over your chest as you glared at him, turning your head to look anywhere but at him. He headed for the door, a new bounce in his step, “I’ll see myself out. That lipstick really does look stunning on you. You are an exquisite woman, you know. Not just in your beauty. I’ll see you around…you know where to find me.”

“It’ll be a cold day in hell before you see me again,” you boasted.

“I’ll be sure to keep a coat with me,” he opened door and just before he stepped out gave you a final small glance, “I look forward to our next meeting. You always do know how to keep it interesting, it’s quite refreshing.”

“Get. Out.”

“Goodbye, Ms. L/N,” you sighed as he closed the door, leaving you alone in your office with just your thoughts. Walking over to the mirror, you took in your wild appearance; hair a mess, eyes wild, lipstick smudged, and a flush to your cheeks. While you were almost desperate to finish what he had started, or technically you had started, you couldn’t deny the effect he had on you. 

He made you feel…alive. Positively electric. 

Now you just had to figure out how to get him back. You weren’t about to let him just win this little game.

»»————-　♡　————-««

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#maxwell lord #maxwell lord x reader #reader insert #max lord x reader #max lord #pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #ww84 #ww84 fanfiction #wonder woman 1984

[mason-knight]

sometime before X (just after party & before Berlin)

“Do I even want to know where you had that stashed?” Mason asks, eyebrow raised when Ethan trails after him into the bedroom, a glittering bottle of Asari honey mead clutched in his hand.

“Not particularly,” Ethan says mildly then pops the top, reaching for the glass on the side table. The room is bathed in the purple and blue neon shades of the wards but it feels a bit like Flux has followed them home.

Mason swipes the bottle from Ethan’s hand before he can pour, ignoring the way Ethan’s eyebrow rises. “Rude.”

“I have a better idea.”

Mason takes a swig of the glowing amber liquid, swallowing some down to let the buzz flow through his system before reaching for Ethan and pulling him into his embrace. Mason kisses him with the mead still in his mouth, swirling his tongue as they kiss, enjoying the way Ethan makes a sound a little bit like a growl and grips Mason’s hips hard, dragging him closer.

“Mmm, yes, better,” Ethan says when they pull apart and Mason’s only answer is to smirk and shove Ethan back. The back of his thighs hit the edge of the mattress and he sits back. Mason advances, swinging his leg over to settle on Ethan’s his lap. Before Ethan can say anything more, Mason grips the back of Ethan’s neck with one hand and licks at the dribble of mead that escapes along his jaw. 

“Tastes better like this, but... fuck, too many clothes.”

Ethan’s laugh is a low chuckle as Mason strips him impatiently, ripping buttons and tearing material. Between greedy kisses, Ethan returns the favour until they’re both shirtless, sticky and wet and straining. More mead dribbles between their lips as they pass the bottle between them.

“Do you remember that op in Nos Astra?” Mason asks breathlessly. He grinds himself into Ethan, pleased when Ethan’s hand slips down the waistband of his pants and into the crease of his backside. Fuck, he can’t wait to get the rest of their clothes off and he plucks at the buckle of Ethan’s belt hungrily. He spares a moment to inch his fingers into Ethan’s perfect hair. Gold flickers in the eyes looking back at him. “With the rival crime lords we had to take out?”

“You’ve just described half our missions,” Ethan says dryly, teeth dragging lightly against Mason’s jaw. Mason shivers at the contact.

“You remember, when Ben nova’d the wrong wall and terrified that salarian half to death.” Mason presses his face into Ethan’s neck, sucks on a patch of skin just by his collarbone. “Felt sorta bad, their lifespans are short enough as it is. That fucking shitty intel,” he mutters after a moment, remembering the chaos of that mission.

“Are you still banging on about that? You were the squad leader, the buck stops with you.” “Your intel,” Mason gripes but there’s no heat and he doesn’t particularly care anyway. Ethan’s retort is quickly washed away when Mason sucks particularly hard on the hollow of his collarbone. 

Mason catches the sound of Ethan’s low groan at his actions and smiles against his skin. That wasn’t the part of the mission he was thinking about. No, it was after, when he and Ethan had found themselves a quiet space somewhere near the spaceport while Nico and Ben went hunting through the markets.

“Still… Nos Astra...”

“What about it?”

Mason tears his mouth away hooks his fingers into the back of Ethan’s hair, holding him in place. He drags his mouth along Ethan’s jaw until his lips are near his ear. “Remember what we did after?”

Mason waits for the recognition to flicker behind Ethan’s eyes before he continues. “... Let me do that again.”

And Ethan stills.

Mason holds his breath, waiting for his answer. A beat passes, then two. The fact that Ethan hasn’t immediately shoved him aside tells Mason that he’s considering it. He noses at the back of Ethan’s ear, sucking lightly on the skin there, a small amount of encouragement, a little bit of coaxing. He’s normally the one to bottom but sometimes he wants the chance to make Ethan his and tonight he’s a little drunk, a little high and his heart is full of things he wants to share without words.

He’s soon rewarded with a lowly rumbled, “Alright.”

Mason smiles against Ethan’s neck. “I’ll make it good for you,” he promises, although he doesn’t need to because Ethan already knows he will.

He drinks more of the mead and pushes Ethan back onto the sheets. On a whim, he allows some of the liquid to spill and he watches the way it pools against the valleys and ridges of Ethan’s abs. He takes great pleasure in lapping up each drop, gradually licking his way lower and peeling Ethan’s pants away as he goes. Ethan’s hand lands gently on the back of his neck, guiding him, encouraging him, until Mason pushes Ethan’s thighs up and plants his feet on the bed.

“Relax,” he murmurs, sensing the way Ethan tenses in a miniscule way at the new position when Mason looms over him. Ethan’s formidable erection has sagged slightly so Mason goes to work on waking him up. A gentle brush, damp fingers then his mouth work around Ethan’s cock as he slips the first digit in. He loves how Ethan does this to him, agonizingly slow until he’s a drooling mess of want and need and somewhere outside of his own body, but Ethan is more impatient. He doesn’t enjoy it like Mason does and Mason makes sure to pause and press his lips to Ethan’s skin in unspoken gratitude. Ethan makes a sound like a groan, strokes his hand over Mason’s head and when Mason hooks his fingers slightly in the inside, Ethan curses roughly under his breath and jerks. His thighs quiver and Mason rubs his free palm over his muscles, soothing him like an anxious racehorse. 

“I’ll make it good for you, Sabre.”

“Get on with it,” Ethan growls, and the words sound tight in his throat. Mason draws back, licks his way up Ethan’s body until sticky, sweet lips crash together. He likes the way Ethan holds his head in his wide hands, determined to eke out the kiss with Mason’s fingers still moving inside him. Mason glides them in and out slowly and props himself up when Ethan finally releases him and sags loosely against the sheets. He watches the play of his stretch across Ethan’s face, the slight furrow of his brow, the bite of his bottom lip and the hot pink flush that spreads across his skin. Ethan isn’t used to this, so Mason keeps it slow, dragging it out for long, agonising minutes no matter how urgently he aches to notch himself against Ethan’s hole and slide home so deep no one would be able to tell them apart.

“Feel good?” 

Ethan’s answer is a low groan. Mason finds Ethan’s nipple, sucking gently until he hears the man under him sigh his name. It’s a beautiful sound.

“Ready?” Mason finally murmurs. Ethan grunts his acquiesce, too blissed out to be able to form real words. Mason settles himself on his knees between Ethan’s thighs, lining himself up. He keeps a careful watch on Ethan’s face as he pushes inside, tortuously slow and sweet. He’s been wanting to do this for a while and now the moment is here, he wants to savor it.

“Relax, baby,” he tells the man under him. Ethan’s chest rises then falls then rises again. Mason waits until the next sigh, when Ethan finally allows himself to relax and go boneless before Mason slides home with a low groan ripped from his soul.

“Ethan,” he rasps, suddenly overwhelmed by the sensations and the slide and the spark along his spine. Ethan is hot and tight and fuck, Mason has to concentrate hard to stay in check as the heat swallows him whole.

For a moment, he simply stills in place, braced over Ethan’s chest and buried impossibly deep. He blinks once, catching Ethan’s gaze and lingering in the gold flecked shade of his eyes before Ethan grips him and hauls him into a hard kiss that has too much knocking on the doors inside him.  

He can’t take the stillness a moment longer and he finally starts to move, driving into the Ethan with a slow roll of his hips. He can’t see Ethan’s face as they kiss, but he can feel the way Ethan grips him, hands on his shoulders, his legs wrapped around Mason’s hips. Even like this, Ethan takes what he wants and Mason is forced to dig his fingers into the other man’s hips to yank him closer. Each glide has him drawing out then sliding back in, each movement a drag of heat that draws sweet little whimpered sounds from the both of them despite the greedy grasp of their mouths and bodies. Mason wants to chant Ethan’s name as he thrusts, but instead he wraps around him and kisses the air from his lungs. He doesn’t much believe in heaven or the afterlife, but he imagines sometimes, in rare moments, it would feel like this. 

“Fuck, Ethan, Ethan, I... fuck-” he hears himself groan and whisper into the space between their mouths and Ethan’s hands claw heavily at his back and ass as though trying to get closer.

Then Ethan’s hot breath is on his ear. “Harder.” 

Mason smiles against his jaw, peppering kisses as he slows his movement. “Are you sure,” he manages to say, a light tease to his tone. He catches another glimpse of gold and then Ethan drags his fingers along the side of his jaw. A thumb brushes over his lips and Mason greedily opens his mouth. 

Ethan’s eyes go impossibly dark as Mason sucks on his fingers. He curses something Mason doesn’t catch under his breath and dark lashes flutter against his cheek. When he opens his eyes, they’re tinted with blue and he withdraws his hand to once against hook it against the back of Mason’s neck.

“Harder,” Ethan snarls it now, and Mason pulls back just far enough to throw Ethan’s thighs against his chest, almost bending him in half.

“Like this?” he grunts, slamming his hips hard enough against Ethan’s body to make the bed shake and thud against the wall. Ethan shouts once and arches, throwing one hand back to grip the edge of the mattress. 

“Yeah,” he moans, slightly winded, the word pushed out of him by the slam of Mason’s body against his. The note falls out slow and rough and needy and it’s the most delicious sound Mason has ever heard. 

White sheets bunch under Ethan’s palm as Mason continues to pump into him. He feels so good and he looks fucking amazing, his perfect hair finally tousled and messy, lips swollen and eyes glazed. He’s completely undone and Mason drives him harder, eager to see how messy and weak he can make the famed Sabre become under him, messy and weak in a way Ethan would never let the world see.

Mason shifts slightly, leaning over to bracket Ethan’s head with his hands, digging fingers into the pale strands of Ethan’s hair to hold him in place. Mason picks up the pace, slams harder and deeper, striving for something he’s not sure he can ever each but wants desperately just the same. He wants to leave his imprint on this man, a claim to the unclaimable, he wants to make it so fucking good that somewhere in the back of Ethan’s mind that no one will be able to make him feel like this.

The heavy slap of their bodies is almost obscene in the quiet of their room. Still awash with neon, Mason uses their glow as his fingers trace line of Ethan’s jaw before gripping him tight. Heat is building at his spine and his skin tingles. An echo of Ethan’s humming biotics lies latent under his skin and Mason can feel the way his own reaches for it. Ethan palms himself as Mason fucks into him, hard and wild, and then Ethan’s hand is on his stomach, skimming over his torso and inching towards his throat. Mason leans forward eagerly as Ethan’s hand slides higher and curls. And squeezes.

It roars out of him, a starburst of blue around the edges of his ecstasy, dragging and pulling until he realizes the quiver over his skin doesn’t belong to him. It sizzles, but in a way that doesn’t quite burn but instead settles somewhere just on the inside of his rib cage and when he sags, he’s only dimly aware of the sticky heat between their bodies and the thump of Ethan’s heart under his ear.

He should pull out, he spares a barely coherent moment to think but he can’t seem to make himself move. Ethan’s hand is splayed possessively across his lower back, a subtle pressure despite being boneless almost everywhere else, as though he doesn’t want Mason to pull away just yet. It’s a fanciful thought on Mason’s behalf, allowing himself to skirt the edge of fantasy he doesn’t want to acknowledge. He sucks in a breath, wills his heartrate to settle and turns his face, pressing his lips to Ethan’s jaw lightly. Later, a part of him will wonder if that was the moment that gave him away... if, of all the touches – that’s the one that crossed whatever imaginary line in the sand they had and prompted Ethan to cut him lose.

He waits for the bliss to be over, for Ethan to shove at him unceremoniously to move so they can clean up. They’re still connected, and they’ll stay that way until one of them moves, Mason still hard in spite of his release. But instead... there’s the hesitant touch of Ethan’s fingers over his shoulder a heartbeat before they tangle into his hair and stroke gently. Under his ear, Ethan’s heart thumps in a steady beat, an equal tempo to the march inside his own chest.

He should really get up, Mason thinks somewhere distantly, but he’s comfortable where he is. Too comfortable.  

And that was the problem.

#i dont know if ethan will like this but it's what mason was desperate for #ethan sinclair #mason knight