Tumgik
#ITS A WIN THREE FOLD
Note
So many questions on how shattered glass sentinel prime would be. On one hand, some media portray him as a good guy, but dead. But in the other hand, I like the interpretations where he’s a jerk or fully evil. I just really like arty hobbitses interpretation of sentinel as this narcissist who mentored Optimus and saw him as a perfect son.
Would he even be alive in your interpretation?
Does he have a legacy of being a patriotic savior who’s actually a slaver/mass killer?
Okay so here's what I'm thinking.
The structure of prewar Cybertron would be kinda similar to the American government, as in they have the Senate and the Prime.
The Prime is SUPPOSED to be chosen by the matrix, but in reality, the Senate has been choosing Primes for as long as they've been in power.
Cause, the Prime is about the only person who can call them out on their BS, and they don't want that.
So, by controlling the Prime, not only do they give themselves complete executive power, but they also gain the social backing of what is basically divine right. So, if you want to be Prime, you either need to be very cowardly, or very stupid. Or both
Sentinel Prime, however, is neither. He's plenty cunning, and he's not afraid of doing whatever it takes to achieve his goals. As a highborn noble, he's been groomed since birth to become Prime. He knows exactly what the Senate wants to see, and he has no problem showing it to them.
Beneath the Primely surface however, he isn't too keen on the figurehead nature of his position, so he starts to sow the seeds of dissent against the Senate. Perhaps by funding a certain anti-functionalist rebel group? (Not to say that he plans on supporting them long term. They're far too egalitarian for his tastes. But, once the Senate has been... eliminated, what better way to assure the populous of his supreme power than annihilating a dangerous terrorist organization? It's a win two fold!) All anonymously, of course. Like I said, he's smart. He covers his tracks well.
But not well enough.
And when the Senate catches wind of his plan to usurp them, well.
He's been Prime for quite long enough.
So they kill him. Plain and simple. And wouldn't you know it, there just so happens to be an easily manipulated, wided eyed traditionalist sat on the right hand side of the Deception's leader. Destabilizing rebel forces, as well as eliminating traitors? (More on that plot here)
....It's a win two fold.
I don't think Sentinel would ever have a chance to one on one interact with Optimus, since he goes from middle class enforcer to Decepticon leader pretty fast. But, Optimus is definitely enamored with him. Major hero worship. It's one of the main points of contension between him and Megatron, who can see the Primacy for the absolutist autocracy that it is. I love love love that evil dad headcanon of him, but I just don't think I could fit it in with the circumstances of the AU already.
5 notes · View notes
ramp-it-up · 1 year
Text
Try a Little Tenderness
Tumblr media
Paring: Mob Boss! Steve Rogers x Reader
Word count: 3.7 K
Summary: Steve can’t win you with presents. He’s got to try a little tenderness.
Warnings: 18+ As always, MINORS DNI, SMUT, Lil bit of ANGST. Not Beta’d. All mistakes my own. Pining, flirting, organized crime, implied ice skating, teasing, former jerky boyfiend, inexperienced reader, nipple play, oral (both receiving) p in v, unprotected sex (wrap it up!) breeding kink, size kink, crying during sex, violence (due to mob world).
A/N: This is for #DJ’sAllIWant4KChristmas and based on this ask.
I no longer operate a taglist. Follow @rampitupandread to be notified when I post.
I Do NOT consent to my work being reposted, translated or presented on any other blog or site other than by myself.
Tumblr media
“Good morning, Steve!”
You were stocking onions, but you looked up and smiled as the tall blond entered the store, setting off the bell. He was well built and handsome and wearing a fine wool coat with a red scarf. It was a cool December, but New York had not yet had its first big snowfall.
“Mornin’, Ambrosia,” came his gruff response. 
You kind of liked his early morning voice. And the nickname. The first time he came in, he’d picked up an apple, already biting into it but also already paying. He handed you a twenty and said, “Mmmmm, Name?”, pointing to you with the apple. Flustered, you replied with the name of the apple instead of your name and the rest was history. 
This morning, Steve smiled at you and his blue eyes were sparkling. They always sparkled when he looked at you. He seemed very sweet.
“The usual.”
You laughed and went behind the counter to wash your hands.
“Of course, already had the fixin’s set up for you.”
You started the water for the espresso and got out the fresh everything bagels you’d put aside for him. Steve was one of your best customers, coming in every morning, and several evenings. He’d been coming in for about four months now.
Steve settled at the counter and watched you prepare his food. He looked at his watch: 7:42 am. He knew you'd been at work almost two hours now and that you were working very hard. One of your braids had come undone from your bun, and he wanted to put it back, but he didn’t touch you. You wore no makeup, yet your skin always glowed, and when you looked up at him, his heart nearly stopped. 
You were naturally beautiful. And your apron did not hide your curves. Or the fact that you were wearing the same pants that you’d worn three days ago. Steve figured that you didn’t have many clothes. He had the urge to take you shopping on Madison Avenue and let you go crazy. But somehow he knew you would never blow a load of cash on clothing. And that’s part of why he was so far gone on you.
He watched you battle your espresso machine with bemusement.
“Why haven’t you set up your new machine yet?”
You stopped and put your hands on your hips, looking so cute that Steve restrained himself from jumping over the counter.
“Is that from you?” You shook your head. “I suspected it.” 
Steve had unexpectedly given you many gifts, the espresso machine, a cash register. He’d even tried to have a new walk in cooler installed. You refused and sent back everything he’d sent. It wasn’t right. He barely knew you. 
You wondered what he did for a living, always dressed in the finest and able to afford multiple thousand dollar gifts. You figured that he was one of those Angel investors. Well, he wasn’t very good at being anonymous.
You watched as Steve gave you a lopsided grin, then leaned over the counter toward him. 
“Listen. Steve. Mr. Rogers.” 
You looked from his eyes, to his perfect lips, to his golden St. Christopher’s medal. He smelled so damn good. You bit your lip and Steve smiled, warmed by your proximity. This was his chance.
“Yeah, Ambrosia?”
“I’m not taking your gifts.”
You straightened up abruptly, handed him his drinks and finished his order. You gave him two folded newspapers.
“One Daily News for your friend and one News Day for you.” 
“Have you thought about it yet?”
You raised your eyebrow at him.
“About what?”
You thought he was finally going to ask you on a date. You knew the main reason he came in was to check you out. But you weren’t about to be bought.
“About the possibility of getting The Times in here? Alright, the Sunday Times at least.”
“Sorry Steve, it doesn’t sell. If it doesn’t sell, I don’t order. Can’t afford a non starter. But I do subscribe to the Sunday Times myself for the crossword. You can borrow mine any time.”
You winked at him. Something about Steve brought out your inner flirt.
Steve wanted to say something about sharing the Sunday Times in bed, but he thought better of it. Any other girl, and he would have been able to spit all kinds of game. But with you, he was tongue tied.
Steve sipped his coffee and shook his head as you gave him his bag.
“You are the most stubborn person I have ever met.”
You waved at him as he stood up.
“Have a great day!”
Steve chuckled at your dismissal as he walked out of the door. Bucky was waiting by the car. Steve handed him his cup and sandwich. 
“Send Sam to pick up the espresso machine.”
“Still a tough nut, eh?”
“Yeah. She’s still refusing gifts…”
Steve got in the passenger seat while Bucky sat behind the wheel.
“Instead of giving her all of this expensive shit, why don’t you just be nice to her?Ask her out ice skating or something.”
Steve scoffed. He didn’t know how to ask a girl out anymore. He felt like that scrawny kid running around with Bucky back in the day. Now, women were always clawing at each other to get to him. And they always wanted something. 
Steve didn’t respond to Bucky, just asked about his calendar.
“What’s on the agenda for today, Buck?”
“We gotta meet with the truckers today. They don’t want to bend to our terms.” Steve put on his sunglasses. 
“We know what to do to make ‘em bend, don't we Buck?”
“Sure do, buddy.” 
Tumblr media
You were in your walk up apartment above the store halfway listening to the 10 o’clock news. They were doing a story about an explosion at the Eatern Tri-State Trucking hub in Bay Ridge as you put your body oil on after your shower. The reporter indicated that authorities thought that the Valkyrie crime organization was behind it. You were zoning out looking forward to the next day.
You were glad that Janie and Nate would be back at work tomorrow. Nate had just taken a week off, and Janie had recovered from the flu.  You were going to take the next afternoon off. You could have taken the entire day, but you wanted to open up for some reason.
Running an organic bodega in Brooklyn was a tough job, but the business was growing, but it was even tougher when your help was not there. You deserved a bit of a break.
The next morning, you were humming an Otis Redding song when Steve came in. You looked over your shoulder and caught him looking at your ass.
“Good morning, Mr. Rogers.”
“Mornin’ Ambrosia.”
“The usual?”
Steve wanted to say no, I want to ask you to marry me, but that might be a little too forward.
“Yeah.”
He sat down at the counter and noticed that you had on something brand new. When you turned around, he gestured to your outfit.
“What’s the occasion?”
You looked down and then grinned. 
“This outfit is my Christmas present to myself. I’m taking the afternoon off and I’m going into the city to go to the Central Public Library.”
Steve tried to respect your glee. But he had to do it.
“How thrilling.”
“You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch, “ you quipped.
Steve laughed at you. He thought about what Bucky said the day before.
“Grinch hunh. Well, would a Grinch offer to take you ice skating instead?”
You turned around and leaned on the counter. Steve leaned toward you.
“I don’t know. Are you offering, Mr. Grinch?”
You loved teasing him. Steve groaned.
“C’mon. I’m trying here. Ambrosia. Do you want to go ice skating with me in the city this afternoon? And to dinner afterward.”
“Are you asking me on a date?”
Steve was very close to you now, staring at your lips.
“Yes.”
You stood up and put your hands on your hips.
“It’s about time. Sure!”
Steve laughed at how easy it was. You shoved his order into his hands.
“Pick me up at 1.”
Steve was grinning like an idiot out at the car, and didn't know how he got there.
“So you finally asked her out, hunh?”
Steve snapped out of it as he got in the passenger seat.
“Move the talks up to 10. I’m taking the afternoon off.”
“Rumlow is stalling. I can handle it this evening.”
“You sure?”
Bucky looked at his best friend.
“Sure as shootin’.”
Tumblr media
You and Steve had a great afternoon, and Steve thought that ice skating was genius. He had to thank Bucky. You had to hold hands to stay steady, and when he pulled you in close, you didn’t pull back so you could stay warm. He didn’t know that you were thinking the same things.
Steve got to treat you to Via Carota and you two walked right in. The food was great, the wine was amazing, and you even stole a kiss in your corner booth. The night was perfect.
He drove you back to your place and you sat in the car for a minute. He’d been a perfect gentleman, and you were the one to make the first move with the kiss. You looked at him quizzicaly.
“Can I ask you something, Steve?”
“Yes, Ambrosia, anything.”
“After today, this afternoon and tonight. Do you still like me?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course. Why do you ask?”
You looked down. 
“Well, you’ve been such a gentleman. I see how you look at me, all hungry all the time. And the gifts. I don’t know. I just thought you’d be. You know. More…”
“Aggressive?” Steve responded.
“Well. yeah. I just thought.”
You looked back up and saw that Steve’s eyes had darkened.
“I am not a gentle man in my everyday life, Ambrosia. And I know that I can come on strong. But you make me want to be tender with you. I want to cherish you.”
“Oh.”
And Steve pulled you in for a sweet, but sexy kiss.
“So, yes, I still like you. And I have very aggressive thoughts about you. Want to ruin you in fact. But I want to do it carefully. Make you feel it. And make you glad you did.”
“Oh. No one has ever…damn, Steve.”
He recognized that you had been hurt.
“Here’s an aggressive question. What kind of an asshole would make you feel that way about yourself? His name is all I need.”
You laughed.
“Do you want to come up for the answer?” You cocked your head at him as he chuckled and nodded.
“Yes.”
Tumblr media
When you got up to your place, you were settled with a glass of wine on your couch.
“I’m not going to give you his name, but I will tell you that we were together for a few months, and we only did it a few times. He’s the only one I’ve ever been with.”
The way you looked as him made Steve’s heart soft, but other things hard.
“It…It didn’t feel good. He said I was frigid and too small. I… I went to the doctor and everything. She said I was fine physically. So I figured it must have been in my mind and I haven’t been able to get out of my head after that. He broke it off and then I just decided to focus on work.”
You peered at Steve to see his reaction.
Steve’s eyes flashed with anger, then cooled.
“That joker is a fucking idiot.” 
His eyes traced your body.
“He didn’t know what to do with all this?”
Steve reached for you and kissed you, this time with undeniable passion. You broke away and stood up, offering him your hand.
“Show me, Steve.”
He stood up and followed you to your bedroom.
You stood at the foot of the bed and reached up to kiss Steve, and he picked you up and sat down, sitting you down with both of your legs over his. You made out like this, Steve’s hands still in neutral places until you whined and scooted closer to him.
Then, he went under your sweater, finding your nipple in your bra and brushing it with his thumb. He was exhibiting intense will power, but he couldn’t hold it all back as you responded to his passionate kisses.
Steve lifted your sweater off and your tank top, which was underneath, with it. Your bra contained your breasts, but your nipples were erect and straining against the material. He brought your body towards his for a kiss, his thick fingers pressing and playing with your sensitive buttons. He had you squirming on his lap as he reached around and expertly unfastened your bra.
He looked down at you and then back up, eyes hungry. You’d been yearning for that look.
“I’m gonna cherish this moment, get you ready for me, Baby. You’re gonna feel so good.”
He was weighing and kneading your breast and tenderly flicking your nipple, then he leaned down and kissed you, moving down your neck and collarbone, descending your chest and kissing all around your areolas, teasing your stiff nipples.
He had you moaning and writhing, wanting some friction for your cunt.
“Patience, Baby. You’re gonna get everything you deserve. Including this.”
Steve moved your hand to the hard member in his pants, which you tried to grip in vain through his slacks. You whimpered in frustration.
“I know. I know. I want to do so many things with you.” 
Steve’s fingers were in your leggings, through our panties and tracing your wet pussy lips gently as he finally started sucking your nipples. You pulled his hair wantonly as he teased you.
“Mmmmm. Who’s got you all wet, Ambrosia?” he asked, as he pulled his fingers out and put them in his mouth.
“Y-you, Steve… unhhhhh.”
The sight of him relishing your taste made you even wetter. And he found out, because his hand was right back down your pants. 
His lips were at your ear and he was breathing hard.
“Can I…”
His thick finger parted your lips and the rough pads of two fingers slid over your clit into your wetness. You arched your back in anticipation.
“...Can I eat you out, my sweet Ambrosia?”
His voice and the request sent you on a tailspin. You nodded vigorously as Steve pulled his hand out to your whine of desperation at the loss of contact.
You quickly stood up as Steve captured your hips to stand still in front of him. His eyes raked up and down your form as he took hold of the waistband of your pants, and slowly pulled them and your panties down your legs. You stepped out of them and Steve’s hands ran back up your form as you looked down at him. He grabbed the backs of your thighs as he pulled you near him.
Steve put one knee over his shoulder and stared at your most intimate part. 
“She’s a sweet little flower. So pretty and tight.”
His fingers were parting your folds so he could see even more.
“But she will be ready for my thick cock, I know she will, Ambrosia.”
He pulled you forward and held you up as he licked through you, almost causing a near stroke as far as you could tell. 
“Mmmmmm,” Steve’s eyes rolled back into his head.  “You are so sweet. I could eat you all night.”
You almost cried as he dove back in, grabbing his hair for purchase. He grabbed your bottom and stood to place you on the bed. He kneeled on the floor and held you down and open with his huge hands.
Steve started his feast, gently licking at first, then made you build to a crescendo as he started tongue fucking you. He made sure to stimulate your nipples, and when he felt your hard little nub vibrate, he sucked your clit hard as you came.
“Was that good?”
“Oh my stars, that was good.”
You both laughed.
“You’re so fucking cute, Ambrosia, but there’s levels to this.”
You sat up and watched as  he took off his shirt. You were sure that your eyes were sparkling now.
“It’s just going to get better and better.”
He was just clad in his black boxer briefs, a huge bulge leading the charge. He reached in and you were certain that he was going to pull out an entire pack of socks, but instead, he showed you the largest, thickest dick you’d ever seen. Your eyes were like saucers. You were a little afraid, but your legs fell open out of reflex. 
“See what you do to me?”
You bit your lip and nodded, reaching out and touching it tentatively.
“I’ve never seen one that big.”
You looked up at him and his heart melted simultaneously as his cock jumped. Your trembling fingers around him made him almost bathe your hand in his spend.
“Oh, Baby.. So sweet.”
“You are too, Steve. I want to taste you.”
You looked up at him through your lashes and Steve groaned, trembling with the effort to hold back.
“Christ… I’m…I…. Whatever you want, Baby.”
You stared at his cock for what seemed like forever. Then, you tentatively reached out and kitten licked his tip, causing him to groan as he palmed the back of your head.
“You’re killing me here, Ambrosia.”
“Hmmm.” You smiled. “Lay down for me, Steve.”
He did as he was told and put his arm behind his head to watch you. The way his muscles bulged inspired you anew. He reached down and roamed his fingers over your body as you hovered over him. You stroked him a couple of times and then played with his balls, Steve putty in your hands.
“B-babyyyy.”
You smiled in triumph that you had him whining as you spread your lips over the thick mushroom cap and sucked it into your mouth vigorously, causing him to moan and buck his hips up. You took the cue and drew him into your mouth, making him hit the back of your throat and gag.
“Holyyyyyy sssssshit. Stop. StopStopStopStop.”
Steve pulled you off his dick, which made you release him with a plop. He sat up and stared at you, disbelief in his eyes. 
“Did I do it wrong?”
“Did you do it wrong. Fuck, you almost made me…. C’mere.”
You giggled as you ended up with your back on the bed again, Steve eating you out, this time one finger inside you as you came. You were in shambles as he looked up at you and inserted another finger inside as his opposite thumb stroked your still-quivering clit.
“Gotta get you up to three. Hold on.”
You did, and when he crooked his fingers this time, you let out a wail that caused dogs to bark down the street.
After your fourth orgasm, Steve looked up, smiling ear to ear.
“Still want this dick?”
You scowled at him.
“If you don’t…”
He laughed as he kneeled between your legs, stroking the magnificent beast. You opened your legs even wider and stared down at it.
“No. look at me, look at me. You’re ready. I got you Baby.”
Steve supported himself with one arm as he got nearer to you and started swiping his head between your folds. You keened as he entered you.
“Ow. Steveeeee.”
Your face looked so adorable as you struggled to take him.
“Holy shit, you’re, fuck you’re so….”
Steve kissed you through your moan of shock and pleasure as he slid all the way home. You gripped his bicep, your fingernails leaving marks. Steve pecked your lips as you pounded together, waiting for you to get used to him.
“You ok? You good?”
Steve checked to make sure you were okay. You nodded at him with tears in your eyes.
“I- I- think it feels good. You’re so big, Steveee. But.. but I like it….”
You started moving, a little at first, and then more wantonly. Steve looked down to where you were impaled upon his dick.
“There’s nothing wrong with you. You are perfect. Just so.. Fucking… tiny…. But made for me…Shit.”
You felt Steve’s cock jumping inside you when he said those words, and you clasped your hands behind his back and uttered, “More!”
And that’s when you began to get fucked. Tenderly yet filthily. It was the best Steve had ever had, trying to be gentle and knowing that he wanted to put the bed under the ground. It was such a turn on. The ragged moans that you gave him with each stroke was a gift from god, and he started cumming before he could think.
“Shit! I didn’t use a condom…Fuck. But why does that just motivate me to keep going?” 
Steve laughed into your ear as he kept stroking for dear life. He was usually so careful, knowing that most women wanted his kid. But with you he didn’t care. You wrapped your legs around him, taking the pounding he was giving you now.
“Hmmmmmm. You want me to put a baby inside you? Pump you so full of cum that you get all round and full with my seed?”
“Hnnnnghhh. Steve… I…”
“Tell me. Do you want it? You want me to get you pregnant?”
“Ohhhh shitttttttt! Steeeveeeeee!”
You detonated around him and Steve cursed, finally pulling out and jacking hard onto your stomach as three fingers on the other hand continued to fuck you through your orgasm. His pearly spend looked beautiful on your skin.
“So gorgeous. There’s time for that yet, but we gotta get you to a doctor, because I don’t want to do this too many more times. And fucking you with condoms is no longer an option.”
You were fucked out, absentmindedly playing in his cum, causing him to spurt one last rope onto your fingers. When you brought them to your mouth was when he shivered. He collapsed beside you.
“I can’t even explain how good that was.”
You just smiled at him, lips shiny with gloss that he made.
“You are an angel. A Christmas angel.”
Steve sighed as you smiled at him. He got up and went to your bathroom to clean up and get a warm towel.
“I’m hungry.”
“Anything you want, Babe. I’ll get it for you.”
You grabbed the remote and  turned on the tv, catching the tail end of the news.
“Shootout in DUMBO tonight between the Rumlow and Valkyrie crime organizations. Several high-ranking officers dead or injured, including Brock Rumlow and James Bucky Barnes. More news when we have it.”
“Steve? Bucky? What’s going on? Valkyrie?”
Steve was up and grabbing for his clothes, an inscrutable look on his face.
“I didn’t want you to find out like this, but I gotta go.” 
He gave you a quick kiss. 
“Don’t leave. Sam will come back with some food for you and he will stay with you. Don’t open the store tomorrow.”
“But Steve!”
“No buts! I will call.”
And then Steve disappeared into the night, leaving you with so many questions.
Tumblr media
Knock that reblog button off the block fa me. 😉
Read part two, All I Want.
Tumblr media
5K notes · View notes
tealgoat · 3 months
Text
Tumblr media
Writing from @felikatze !!!
The Favor Tree. Not something uniquely Vaugardian, mind you. Plenty of powerful trees are strewn about Ka Bue as well, but this one *is* Vaugardian, and so you'd like to wish on one at least once, for completion's sake.
What to wish for, though? You can wish for Vaugarde to be saved, of course. But, in all likelihood, everyone in Dormont already has, so what will your wish even accomplish, then? The logical part of you wants to make it a test. Something simple to see whether these wishes have any merit to them.
If they don't, you'll save Vaugarde by your own strength. If they do, a little help goes a long way.
Right, something simple it shall be. A coin flip. You'll wish to win your next coin flip.
You clasp your hands together like Mirabelle does, close your eyes, and
"That's not how you wish, Madam!"
"...Siffrin?"
With quick strides, Siffrin catches up to her. Hadn't they meant to go later? Oh, in her dwadling, Isabeau already left.
Siffrin smiles with curiosity next to you, and you untangle your hands. "What'd you wish for?" they ask.
Tumblr media
"Nothing yet. After someone so rudely interrupted me." You say it with a sarcastic tilt.
Siffrin mirrors you after a beat. He looks around. "So rude! We gotta find the culprit! Oh, maybe they're hiding up in the tree. It's pretty..."
You know what's coming.
"TREE-mendous, after all!"
Despite yourself, you snort.
"So, my brave hero, if that's not how you wish, how do you do it then?"
"Uh!" Siffrin startles. "Uh!" He bends to the ground and picks up... a leaf?
"Here!" They hold the leaf out to you. You try to grab it, but they snatch it back. "No! First, pick the leaf you like best. That best represents you."
You don't know anything about Siffrin's past. Or where they're from, at all. So if he's sharing this piece of tradition... it won't hurt to humor him.
Your knees seriously don't like bending down like that. Instead of grabbing the first leaf you see, you ponder them for a little bit. Eventually, you decide on one that's a little longer than the others, with an odd bend in its tip.
"This one." You push yourself off the ground. It is. A struggle. Siffrin offers you a hand. You take it without aknowledgement. "What next?"
Tumblr media
Siffrin puts a hand on his chin and squints, as he does when forgetting something. What, did they forget in the middle of showing her?
No, Siffrin proceeds by instinct. They bring the leaf up to their mouth and whisper far too softly for Odile's aging ears. Then, he folds the leaf and lets it go.
It drifts on the wind, higher and higher, until it disappears into the trees.
"There. Whisper your wish into it three times, fold it, and let it go."
"I've never seen a Vaugardian do that."
Siffrin seems lost. "It's not... It's..."
You drop the subject. "Why thrice?"
"That's just... the way to do it? You can also do six and nine, I think, and seven and thirteen."
"Multiples of three and prime numbers?"
"Prime numbers?"
"Forget it. Alright."
You hold the leaf to your face, curling it to speak into. A simple, logical wish, to test the Favor Tree. That'd seems rude now, after Siffrin shared part of his culture with you.
Something better. Something... genuine. And that's the hard part, isn't it? You have a reputation to uphold. It's easier that way. Like... like you don't care how much Siffrin's eye sparkles right now, waiting with bated breath.
It'll be easier to leave them again. Bonnie will go to their sister, Isabeau to the Defenders, Mirabelle to the House, and Siffrin...
Siffrin is a traveler too, is he not? Maybe the others won't go with you, but you could show them Ka Bue. Teach them how to pray at shrines, about all the different foods you ache for, all the culture you left to find something new. Despite it all, Ka Bue was your home, and... you'd like to share it with them, if you can.
Ah, you just want to stay with them.
You fold the leaf, and it leaves on the breeze.
"Hah."
"Madame?"
"You're rubbing off on me, Siffrin."
You pat them on the shoulder. Siffrin freezes. Until your hand leaves them again.
"My apologies, Siffrin."
It's quite silly to think they'd go with you after all.
466 notes · View notes
call-memissbrightside · 5 months
Text
Just finished watching f&f: Tokyo Drift and all I can think about it ex!racerBF Katsuki purposely following you around in his loud af car while your date walks you home. The breaks up was brutal and he didn’t want it to be over but you just couldn’t handle the illegal street racing scene anymore, you wanted to move past that but Katsuki just couldn’t leave behind his legacy of being be best racer in Tokyo.
So, he was all but cackling when he spots you wearing his favorite short skirt while walking to what he presumed to be back to your apartment, but scowls when he notices you’re not alone.
Pressing the breaks, other cars honk their annoyance but Katsuki doesn’t care.
Blowing smoke clouds, the screeching of his back tires telling you he saw you. You try to ignore him, to keep walking and move on but oh no, Katsuki just followed behind you, engine whining with every step.
You finally snap after three blocks of this nonsense.
“What do you want?!” You scream at him, and his smirk is prevalent through his rolled down window.
Your date tries to stand in between Katsuki’s car and you, pedestrians on both side of the street are now staring at the show. You ignore him, all attention on Katsuki because you just couldn’t believe the nerve this asshole had.
Katsuki doesn’t look at your date when he answers. “Get in, I’m winning a race and I want my prize to be there waiting for me at the finish line.”
“Hey man—,” Katsuki cuts off your date.
“She’s my lucky charm and I’m not leaving without her, now beat it punk.” Katsuki’s glowing glare was all that was needed to get your date to run away and you sighed in annoyance.
“Katsuki you can’t keep doing this!” You reluctantly get in the passenger seat, the seatbelt not even clicking in place before he speeds off.
“This is the third date you’ve scared off!” You continue to argue, arms folded across your chest.
Katsuki laughed, one hand on the steering wheel and the other taking its place on your thigh.
“Not my fault you go out with pussies.”
605 notes · View notes
verinarin · 5 months
Text
The mission and how it teaches him the slight difference between protectiveness and possessiveness
(Dr. Ratio x Partner Fem! Reader)
Tumblr media
Part One ( ̄^ ̄)ゞ - Part Three ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡
This would be a trilogy so expect one more part
This is mainly spicy fluff as I like to call it (fluff with sexual tension ψ(`∇´)ψ) The sum of this fic is… let’s watch Ratio lose his marbles over Reader gambling her life yet again !
comment what do you think about this part, it sorta motivates me lolololol (*⁰▿⁰*)
Support me on Ko-fi ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡
If someone could be an embodiment of both the path of erudition and nihility it would be you, because he couldn’t fathom how a person could be so strategic yet so careless at the same time
Your eyes glimmers with vexatious enthusiasm as the dealer distributes the cards, he shouldn’t have agreed to meet with the potential client in a casino of all places
“Don’t fool yourself, think before anything else,” he leans beside your ear, trying to at least guide you to not do anything heedless
“Veritas Ratio, don’t you worry we’re not here to gamble,” you smile as you glance at your cards
He audibly sighs as he leans back, his arms folded as he see your opponent in front of you, a well known casino owner in Penacony someone so powerful that the IPC would want in their pocket
You’re tasked to invest in said casino, no matter what choices you have to make in the future, you need to report back with satisfactory results
That’s something you never cease to succeed in, doubling the profits. While he is here to assure your safety while doing so and the legality of your methods, while the casino owner over there ogles all over your body, how disgusting…
“I’m here to extend my sincerest gratitude for setting the meeting for today,” you extend your hand for a handshake towards the man seating before you, which is reciprocated but you can’t help but to feel a little bit distraught over the firm handshake
“Now now it’s not a big deal really, so what does the IPC wants from me hmm?,” the man chuckles, his eyes glaring at you, like a predator stalking its prey
Ratio took notice of this, the man exudes a strange aura that he can’t seem to pinpoint, leering at you while seemingly unaware of him currently seating beside you
“Ah a man that gets right to the point, I like that ! Ratio if you don’t mind,” with that he nods as he took a briefcase filled with a hefty amount of credits
“We’re here to invest in your casino sir, to further aid us in widening our connections and intel pool,” Ratio opens the briefcase to reveal its contents for the casino owner to see and he doesn’t seem to be interested at the slightest
You study his micro-expressions and quickly state that everything is negotiable if credits doesn’t suit his taste, he smiles before revealing his true desire
“Well now I’m a casino owner and I have plenty of investments under my name, I need no more credits in my life, but well what I do need is a beauty like you,” hearing this a gear starts to move on your head, your eyes glints underneath the yellow light
Ratio on the other hand can’t believe in such fool existing, worse yet breathing in front of him with such mediocre want, if his sharp gaze could be considered blades, then this man already have his neck severed seconds ago
“A lady like me have a high price tag y’know ?,” you let out a small snicker as you fold your arms, a sudden soreness blooms on your thigh you struggle to keep your smile as you glance down to see Ratio’s hand digging itself into your thigh
You glance up to see his expression, it’s screaming ‘foolish girl are you seriously going to do what I think you’re going to do’
You forgot that Mr. Veritas Ratio over here also has a PhD in reading you, he knows very well you’re going to gamble away your life yet again
The casino owner notice quickly of the tension between you both and so he cuts straight towards his price “I’m willing to let you invest in my casino for 40% profit if you win sweetheart, but if you lose then you’re going to stay and be my personal doll,”
Before Ratio could even open his mouth to disapprove these moronic terms, you’re quick to give your own terms
“Now now as I say before I’m quite the expensive asset, if you want me to be your pretty little doll then I’m afraid you’re going to gamble more,” you pout your soft lips at the casino owner, successfully riling up both him and Ratio at the same time
“With a cute face like that, you’re making me want to gamble my life away,” he boisterously laugh
“Then please do !, if you win you’ll have me but if you lose you’re going to sell this casino of yours and the payment would be the amount of credits that’s inside that briefcase,” you quickly reply
The man scoffs before dimming the cigarette he was smoking “What makes a pretty little thing like you so confident about winning ?,”
“Let’s just say I have a winning streak these past days, now what do you say sir ?,” well that’s true to some extent Ratio needs to applaud your constant stream of luck but that doesn’t justify whatever this is
“I love that feisty attitude of yours, so let’s gamble !,” the casino owner seemed to be riled up by your confident nature
While Ratio is currently questioning how does his life leads to being stuck in here between two gambling maniacs with questionable intellect, his cover his face back with his alabaster head, not wanting to interact with this monstrosity of a situation
“Great !, Ratio please draft us a contract immediately, I can’t wait to start,” you turn your head to the side to reveal Ratio glaring at you, with that look of disapproval emanating from his person, well you can’t see his expression but you definitely feel it, like mentally and physically feel his disappointment…
“Of course excuse us sir, while we compose a fair contract,” Ratio took off his alabaster head before excusing himself outside the private room, dragging you with him
Before you could protest however, he shoves you towards the wall and pins you in place with his arms caging you in, holding you captive for as long as he deems fit to scold you
With one of his arm on top of your head and the other holding you in place by your waist you could hear his uneven breathing pattern accompanied by his rather intoxicating scent “Did I not make myself clear earlier, think before executing your task !,” he whispers beside your ear, his tone deep and demanding
At this point you wish for him to yell at you instead as per usual because being close to him like this makes your brain melt, especially after that incident an hour ago.
‘What’s with the sexual tension !!!?!’, you silently scream as you try to come out with an excuse, but your brain has failed to do so because it’s currently overheating
He’s grown impatient with the silence you gave, he uses his hand to gently force your face to look at him, forcing you to stop ignoring him. “I-i umm if I win this gamble y’know how profitable it’ll be right ahahaha,” you nervously mumble, your sentence was a bit jumbled because of him unnecessarily squeezing your whole face
His eyes stares dead into yours before asking one more question with that deep silky smooth voice he used earlier, “What if you fail to win ?, it’ll be a tremendous lost for the IPC and you’ll be gifting away yourself in a silver platter to a fool who doesn’t deserve you, not even worth your time,”
‘ASDHDJFHKSK,’ is the inaudible sound that internally plays inside your brain as you feel his thumb caressing your bottom lip. I mean sure the IPC would suffer quite the loss for losing one of its high rank employee but not tremendous loss and what’s with the last statement?!?, you feel like Ratio is threading on a thin line between being protective and possessive
“I live by ‘audaces fortuna iuvat’ and I’ll stick with it till the rest of my life Ratio, so please believe in my ability to win or at least try to be supportive of me,” you sternly reply
There it is, the fiery passion reflecting in your eyes that he oddly founds to be attractive
Well this whole ordeal goes against his way to conduct negotiations and he doesn’t like to admit that the stakes are pretty tolerable considering the reward. As much as he hates to admit it, you do have an unparalleled ability to gamble your way out of situations; scarily reminds him of a peculiar person back at the office
“It seems that you’re certain with your decision, once I draft this contract and send it to headquarters there’s no turning back and I can’t assist you in anyway,” he sighs as he puts both of his hand on your shoulder, insinuating the high pressure of this gamble
You already feel the pressure by his mere presence, but you won’t back down not when you already manage to lure that casino owner into a shitty gamble
“Draft the contract, I assure you by the end of this I’ll be taking the Casino’s land certificate,” you smile, with that he can’t help but to take a deep breath and sigh, that’s it there’s no going back now
“You can’t afford to lose, this is your freedom we’re talking about and you’re not a damn trophy he could flaunt,” he huffs as he now retracts his hands away
“Relax, if I don’t know you any better I might mistake this as you feeling a little bit too possessive over me,” you jokingly punch his arm
However his reply is no joke at all “Maybe I am, who knows it’s open to interpretation, but do note that I can’t afford to lose you too,”
“W-what for what possible reason?!?,” this man has a tendency to really keep you on your edge doesn’t he ?
“I have my own reasons and agenda, that I will not disclose at least not when you’re gambling your freedom away,” he sighs as he massage his temples
“Fine have it your way mister I’m soo morally ambiguous!,” you huff as you walk back towards the door, however he grabs your wrist and pulls you back towards his embrace,
“May fortune bless the bold,” he mumbles against the crown of your hair, his arm loops around your shoulder as, holding you close against his chest as he inhales your calming scent for the last time, you took this weirdly affectionate Ratio as a good sign of luck !
Since he usually hit your head with that ridiculously heavy codex instead-
“Stop worrying about this, you know that the chances of me winning is higher than that guy !,” you mutter against his broad chest before pushing him away and turn your heels toward the door
With a huge smile on your face you open the door to reveal decks of cards and poker chips waiting for you “Let’s gamble shall we ?,”
936 notes · View notes
victoria-daydreams · 10 days
Text
The Winner Takes It All||Challengers
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
AN: So, I finally I got to see Challengers yesterday and boy do I have thoughts that may or may not be weaved into the story, things still might be ooc or wrong. Also, I'm warning y'all now, I know absolutely nothing about tennis/college and partook in half ass research on how the sport functions.
Based this fic off the most gut wrenching ABBA song because it fits so well with the story. I hope you all enjoy this mini series, don't know if I did it justice from translating this from my head onto Tumblr, but we move. And hopefully there aren't any spelling or grammar errors, but if there are, we die like men.
A playlist for this series is coming soon!
Word Count: 3.5k
Trigger Warnings: mentions of colorism and racism
Taglist: @seriousaliysa @hopless-y @malscorner @miximora @urfavesim @mmmunson @jackierose902109 @youngestxhearts @blkdivinefeminine @kailkailz @lottiematthewsceo @lonnie2390147 @begoniaespresso @everydayimagineer @pnkstalli @softimgyu @amethystwonders11 @hazbinh0e @ysuftmikey
I tried to tag everyone who commented, but tumblr is being weird so I don't know if you'll get the notification.
Part One: Sugar & Spice
With her arms folded across her chest, Gianna's eyes were glued to the TV screen in front of her as two male sports analysts began to discuss their pick for match of the day.
"Oh man, this right here was my favorite today!" one analyst stated excitedly.
"For sure! It was the match to watch as the tennis world bore witness to the next up-and-coming tennis star," the other commentator agreed.
The camera cut away from the men and to the highlights of the mixed doubles championship match.
"Out the gate Gianna Langdon, ranked number five in girls singles, set the the tone for the day with a powerful ace to start the match,"
A clip of the opening minute of the match is put on the screen with Gianna throwing the ball high in the air for the first, and perfectly executed serve, followed by her pumping her fist in triumph with a grin.
"From there, she and her partner, Max Sullivan, kept their opponents, Roy Christians and Marie Riviera on the back foot for what seemed like the entire match,"
Gianna studied the way she nimbly moved around on the grass court, her swift volleys, sharp serves, and effortless backhands left no room for doubt that she was a force to be reckoned with.
"Play of the match goes to none other than Gianna Langdon, with this volley to put the nail in the coffin of this championship," the analyst reported, as the final moments of the match popped up on the screen.
With a powerful strike, the tennis ball was slammed back over the net by Roy onto Gianna's side of the court. Roy's hit lifted the ball high into the air forcing Gianna to reposition herself and backpedal to the spot to return it. Leaping up, Gianna smashed the ball down with force, out of reach from both Marie and Roy, the game winning hit. The clip replayed, but only this time in slow motion, so viewers at home could properly admire the athleticism on display. ESPN then did a jump cut of Gianna and Max both dropping their rackets simultaneously before rushing towards each other to embrace. Max even lifted up her a bit, twirling them around as they celebrated their victory.
The camera panned back to the two commentators who were wrapping up their coverage of the tournament.
"Honestly, Gianna Langdon just dominates the tennis field for her age group whether it's single or doubles," the commentator complimented, gathering his papers up in his hands and tapping it against the desk.
Gianna's lips lifted at the praise, its rare she gets her flowers as a tennis player.
"She's a force to be reckoned with, no doubt about that. If she keeps playing like she is now, she can easily break into the top three, but she's no Tashi Duncan," the other commentator corrected.
At this, her smile instantly fell off her face. Since freshman year of high school, Gianna has forever lived under the inescapable shadow of the phenomenal, powerhouse that is Tashi Duncan. Because Tashi wasn't just some athlete, she was the athlete. The next Serena Williams, as some people taken to calling her. Gianna might as well been chopped liver.
The girls have been thick as thieves since Gianna moved to the same school as Tashi and was paired up by their coach to be doubles partners. The duo were unstoppable on the court, as Gianna was a tennis prodigy in her own right, but often was relegated to just being known as Tashi Duncan's partner. A repeated slight which didn't go unnoticed by her two strongest supporters, her parents. They made it their mission to drill Gianna with an unshakable sense of self confidence in not only her skills with a tennis racket, but also her appearance.
"Don't you ever let the media or naysayers play in your face about your talents, Gianna," her father's words echoing in her head. "You already know, you have to work twice as hard to get half the recognition compared to others," he went on.
Gianna recalled the exact day, he gave her this speech. She was probably fifteen and won a match against some Eastern European girl, it was an upset, and boy did everyone make it a point to tell her so. It ranged from backhanded compliments to outright slurs lobbed at her.
"Oh, so when Tashi pulverizes her opponent on the court who's ranked higher than her it's admirable, but when I do it's a problem!" she complained.
"Competing against Tashi, you need to be prepared that narratives are going to be formed and pushed from factors beyond your control," her father warned. "She's lighter, you're darker. She's thin, you have curves. You're both confident, but only one of you is going to be labeled as arrogant," he listed.
"It's a shame we didn't get to see Duncan and Langdon compete together in girls doubles this year," the analyst said, snapping Gianna out her thoughts.
"Agreed, the best girl duo in juniors we've seen in years,"
Images of Gianna and Tashi materialized on the screen, some were from the last two Junior US Open Championships; both of the, proudly beaming and holding their trophies high above their heads and kissing each other's cheek. But, the one picture that stood out the most to Gianna was their cover on Tennis. Both of them had their arms folded and their game faces on with the headline emblazoned below them.
“Sugar & Spice”
~~~x~~~
Rounding the corner of the hallway, the doors where Tashi's party was being held outside came into Gianna's view. Music and the low murmur of voices floated out of the room, bouncing off the walls as she drew closer. From the corner of Gianna's eyes, she caught her reflection in the hallway mirror promoting her to stop. A pair of eyes, identical to color of rich, molasses stared back at her. Carefully, Gianna studied herself in the mirror from every angle. The healthy glow of her golden, deep brown skin made the light dusting of freckles decorating her upper cheeks and nose more prominent.
"She's no Tashi Duncan,"
It only took those four, little words to dampen Gianna's cheery demeanor and leave her brooding since the afternoon.
Lips pursed, she shook her head slightly, "No, no, no," she whispered to herself. "You're still a champion, Gianna. Fuck that ESPN analyst," she said lowly, smoothing out the pale yellow halter dress she wore.
Letting a lopsided grin grow on her lips, Gianna moved away from the mirror and entered into the ballroom where the party was in full swing. She weaved her way through the crowd to find Tashi, but found herself stopping repeatedly to smile and shake hands as people crowded round her to congratulate her on her match. Gianna couldn't help but feel smug. For once, people were basking in her presence and enjoying the chance to meet a future tennis star in person. It boosted Gianna's ego—a pure, bone-deep satisfaction that something in the air was beginning to shift.
She was starting to be seen as a standout player, not just an extension to Tashi.
Thanking her last well wisher, Gianna's eyes met Tashi's who was a few feet from where she stood. A flicker of recognition flittered across her face and she smiled a tiny smile. Tashi was not alone though, two boys were standing in front her and seemed to be having a very lively conversation.
"What's this I see?" Gianna wondered aloud, brushing past one of the boys. "I'm gone for a minute and you're already making new friends without me," she joked, dropping into the empty chair next to Tashi.
Across from her, both boys were slack jawed and unable to tear their eyes away Gianna. Pride simmered in her chest, Gianna already knew that she was beautiful, but it was nice to be reminded of that fact every now and then. Especially, when there's two boys ogling at her looks and treating her like a divine being.
"You boys gonna stop staring and introduce yourselves, or what?" Gianna questioned, her words flavored with a lulling Louisiana drawl and the boys snapped from their stupor.
"Let me, these two seem to be malfunctioning," Tashi cut in, with a smirk.
"They keep on drooling any longer, they'll catch flies," Gianna quipped, her nude colored lips curling upwards.
Tashi motioned to the dark haired boy with sharp features, "This is Patrick Zweig," she introduced, as Gianna's eyes met Patrick's gray ones, holding her stare and grinning widely. Confidence that bordered on cockiness practically radiated off him. "And this is Art Donaldson," Tashi continued, gesturing to the boy next to Patrick.
Art only allowed himself a small, shy, smile when her eyes shifted over to him. Unabashedly, Gianna let her eyes roam over Art's features. Those blond curls, those blue eyes.
God, they're both gorgeous.
Tashi placed her hand on Gianna's knee, "Patrick and Art, this is my best friend—" she started.
"Gianna Langdon," Patrick and Art interjected simultaneously, causing a Cheshire grin to form on Gianna's lips.
"Well, well, my fan club only continues to grow this tournament," Gianna joked, playing with the curly ends of her pick and drop braids.
"Deservedly so, you were absolutely amazing this tournament," Art complimented, a breathy chuckle leaving him.
"That play when you landed a split after playing a return," Patrick mentioned, beaming at her. "And you still got the point, fucking incredible!" he praised, shaking his head.
She smiled, "Oh, so you two have been avidly watching my matches then?" Gianna questioned, playfulness in her voice while slightly leaning forward in her seat.
"Ashamedly, not initially," Art admitted, and Gianna quirked brow. "But after your storybook comeback in Round 4, we knew there was no way we couldn’t stop watching you," he added quickly.
"Singles or doubles," Patrick chimed in.
"Did you by chance watch any of our matches, Gianna?" Art asked timidly, staring at her with hopeful eyes.
She smirked, "Singles or doubles?" Gianna asked back, smoothly echoing Patrick's words.
"Either," Patrick responded, his eyes drinking her in.
They both seemed mesmerized. Leaning in closer, as if they were going to learn her with their close proximity. Gianna hummed thoughtfully, leaning back in her chair and raising a finger to her chin to mull over the question. She glanced over to Tashi, who was already watching her with an amused expression. Embarrassingly, Gianna kind of forgot her best friend was literally sitting next to her, she had become too engrossed in her conversation with the newcomers.
"No, can't say that I have," Gianna answered finally, with a shrug.
Art deflated, his face falling as the tips of his ears went fiery red, while Patrick's shoulders sagged a little.
"O-Oh," Art breathed.
There was a silence. Gianna looked off to her side again to see a ghost of a grin threatening to appear on Tashi's face. When the two girls' eyes connected with each other, they burst out laughing at the same time. Both boys looked at each other wordlessly, both speechless by this.
"Gia's just fucking with you two," Tashi explained, in between laughter.
Relief couldn't have been written across their faces more clearly.
"Yeah, I actually watched your championship match while I was in the recovery room," Gianna informed, her giggles subsiding. "Your between the legs shot was very inspired, Patrick," she remarked, with a smile.
At this, Patrick puffed out his chest a bit.
"You know, they're playing against each other tomorrow in the boys singles championship match," Tashi mentioned, her eyes bouncing between the boys.
"Are they now?" Gianna responded, an intrigued smirk gracing her face while crossing one leg over the other.
"We are!" Art blurted out, almost too eagerly.
"You both should come and watch," Patrick suggested.
Gianna cocked her head to the side, "Hmm, maybe," she answered, having a little fun toying with them.
Tashi rose from her chair, reaching her hand out for Gianna's.
"Come on, my dad is waving me over to come take pictures," Tashi informed.
"This is a group activity?" Gianna questioned, her brows furrowing.
"No, but the demand for Gianna Langdon is ever growing," she reminded, her eyes filled with mirth.
"It sure is," Gianna agreed, taking her hand as her friend helped her to her feet. Gianna looked over to Patrick and Art. "Well, ciao. It was nice meeting y'all," Gianna said, waving goodbye as Tashi led her away.
"Goodbye?" Patrick jokingly scoffed. "We'll be here all night!" he called out after her.
~~~x~~~
True to their word, Patrick and Art were in the same spot where Gianna and Tashi had left them earlier and they were more than willing to continue hanging out with the girls. Which is how the group of four found themselves on the beach, slowly treading along the sand, the dark blue sky and millions of stars above them. Naturally, Tashi had found herself in the middle of the group with Patrick flanking on her left and Art on her right.
Gianna was next to Art and as they walked, their arms would accidentally brush against each other every now and then. Both of them exchanging shy smiles at the fleeting contact that sent butterflies fluttering in Gianna's stomach. She secretly relished the contact from Art, he radiated warmth similar to that of a dryer-warm blanket; a nice contrast to the cool sand between her toes.
"You know earlier, Tashi asked us who was fire and who was ice," Patrick spoke, looking over to Gianna. "I figured I should return the favor, between the two of you, who's sugar and who's spice?" he asked, his eyes bouncing from Tashi to her.
"Tashi, is definitely 'spice'," Gianna answered, and Tashi rolled her eyes with a smile. "She's more fiery than me and has a more aggressive play style than I do," she explained.
"Making you 'sugar', of course," Art reasoned, the two staring at one another. "You are the perfect mix of deadly grace and effortless balance on the court," he described, going in an almost dreamlike trance.
"Why, thank you Art," Gianna said, bumping her arm into his.
"If Tashi is 'spice' and your 'sugar', why does the media switch it around?" Patrick wondered.
"Preconceived notions, methinks," Gianna replied, simply shrugging her shoulders.
They wandered along until they settled on a spot to hang out at. Art and Patrick both sat in deck chairs while Tashi and Gianna perched themselves on a large rock. Conversation flowed between all them on a myriad of topics ranging from college, life in general, and of course tennis.
"So Gianna," Patrick began, a small curious and mischievous glint in his eyes. "Your doubles partner Bryce—"
"It's Max," Gianna corrected flatly, with a laugh.
He smirked, "I was in the ballpark," Patrick argued, throwing his hands up. "Anyways, you and Max, you two a thing?" he asked curiously, before taking a drag of his cigarette.
"Eww, no!" Tashi exclaimed, her nose twisting in disgust. "You think Gia has such low standards?" she asked back, clearly offended on Gianna's behalf.
"Tashi, come on, Max is not that bad of a person," Gianna stated, lifting her hand up to tell her to calm down.
"Honestly, I don't know how she does it," Tashi went on. "It's a miracle she can still walk after carrying Max through this entire tournament," she sneered.
"Look, Max is not someone who I would consider as an ideal mixed doubles partner," Gianna conceded, her gaze meeting everyone's. "He's mediocre actually," she said bluntly, making Patrick and Art both snicker. "However, Max as an individual and not as an athlete, he's a wonderful guy," she said, with a slight shrug. "Us dating has never once crossed my mind," she finished, waving her hand dismissively.
"So it sounds like you'll be in need of a new partner soon," Patrick hinted, a hunger in his stare.
"Hmm, I guess I will," Gianna agreed, letting a coy smile grow on her lips. "You know anybody?" she asked, tilting her head a little.
"I can think of two people off the top of my head," Art responded, taking a drag of his own cigarette and blowing it out slowly.
"Oh, is that so? And who just—" Gianna started.
Suddenly, Gianna's phone began noisily vibrating in her lap, putting an end to the playful between the boys and Gianna. She picked up her phone and flipped it open before exhaling heavily, it was her dad texting her.
"Shit, fun's over guys," Gianna announced, with another sigh. "My dad wants me back in my room," she explained, unfolding her legs.
"Your won a championship today, and you're father won't let you stay up late to celebrate?" Patrick asked in disbelief, leaning forward in his chair.
"Obviously, you don't know my father if you think a single championship win is going to get him to loosen his reins on his regimented schedule for me," Gianna stated, grabbing her sandals and letting them dangle from her fingers.
"You're about to be off to Stanford, it's insane your dad is giving you a curfew," Art chimed in.
"Well, I'm not at Stanford yet," Gianna pointed out. "And also..." she trailed off, turning to Tashi who had a knowing look on her face. "His roof, his rules," they both said in unison, after hearing those words countlessly over the years.
Finally standing up from the rock, the boys followed suit. Both of their gazes traveled the length of Gianna yet again, as if they needed to commit her to memory.
"I can walk you back to the ferry and to your hotel," Art offered kindly.
"We both could," Patrick volunteered.
"As much as I am flattered that both of you want to walk me back, I can manage just fine," Gianna assured. "Plus, we're all going to be playing an unwanted game of 21 questions if my dad sees two, random white boys walking me to my room," she remarked, with a chuckle.
Tashi pushed herself up onto her feet, "I'll come with you, Gia,"
"No, no stay, Tashi," Gianna encouraged. "Don't end the fun on my account," she insisted. "Another time will come about for all of us to hang out again, right?" she questioned.
A toothy grin broke out on Patrick's face, "There's gonna be another time?" he asked
"I don't see why not," she answered, mirroring his expression. "The three of us are going to be at Stanford together, and I'm sure you come visit from time to time. It all works out so well!" Gianna said excitedly.
Art opened his mouth to speak, but the shrill ringing of Gianna's phone silenced him. Looking down at the phone, she grimaced slightly.
"Shit, I really have to go, my dad is calling now," Gianna stressed.
"Then get going," Tashi prompted, playfully swatting her bottom.
A surprised whoop escaped Gianna's lips before morphing into a giggle as she began to half-walk, half-jog away from the group. She spun around to face them, continuing to walk backwards.
"This was really fun y'all, we should do this again, yeah?" she yelled.
"I look forward to it!" Art yelled back.
"Me too!" Patrick shouted.
Laughing, Gianna spun around and jogged away, all too aware of the three pair of eyes boring into her back.
~~~x~~~
Propped up against the hotel bed headboard, Gianna was tucked underneath the blankets with a well-worn copy of Baking with Julia in her hands. If tennis was her first love, then baking was her second. There was nothing more relaxing than to Gianna than being able to slow down and just allowing herself to focus on precision, without any of the heightened stakes that came with tennis. Not to mention, beating eggs or whisking a cake were great ways to rid herself of any frustration she may be feeling.
A series of rhythmic knocks on her door pulled Gianna from her musings. She didn't even have to ask who it was, she could tell by the pattern of the familiar knock.
"Just use the card I gave you, Tashi," Gianna called, her voice just loud enough for her to hear.
There's a quiet click of the door unlocking before the door opened a crack and Tashi's head popped into her room, a shit eating grin on her face.
"Hurry up and get in here, before my dad sees!" Gianna ordered, with a laugh.
Closing the door behind her, Tashi pranced over to Gianna and sat beside her on the floor on the edge of her bed.
"Tell me everything! What happened after I left?" Gianna asked, a smile of her own on her face.
"They invited me to come up to their room,"
"And you went?"
"I did," Tashi answered, a smirk on her lips.
Gianna landed a playful hit on Tashi's arm, "No fucking way!" she whispered, her eyes wide. "You hooked up with both of them?"
"I didn't sleep with them," Tashi corrected. "We only made out, and then they made out," she added, smirking proudly.
Gianna raised an eyebrow, "They made out? Patrick and Art?" she questioned.
"Yep," Tashi grinned.
"On their own or did they have some help?" Gianna asked, arching a brow.
Wordlessly, Tashi plucked Gianna's book from her hands and she straddled her, resting each leg on either side of Gianna.
"They did most of the heavy lifting, I just gave them the push they needed," Tashi explained, looping her arms around her friend's neck.
"Now, I'm a little jealous. I missed out on all the fun," Gianna complained, sticking out her lower lip in a mock pout.
"Gia babe, don't worry, I did not forget about you," Tashi reassured, as Gianna hands came to rest on Tashi's thighs. "Remember their match tomorrow?" she reminded.
"Yeah,"
"Winner gets my number…." Tashi trailed off, removing her right arm from around Gianna's neck. "And yours," she finished, lightly tapping the tip of her nose.
A slow smile spread across Gianna's lips as Tashi's words sunk in. She knew exactly what her friend was up to, especially if it meant Tashi could watch some "real fuckin' tennis".
"Tashi Duncan, the girl that you are," Gianna praised, letting out a chuckle.
Leaning forward, Gianna planted a soft kiss on Tashi's lips. It was only meant to be a quick peck, but as Gianna went to pull away, Tashi held her face, keeping their lips connected.
Tashi withdrew herself from Gianna, "Tomorrow is gonna be so fucking good," she grinned, her eyes twinkling at the thought. "And guess what is the best part about all of this, Gia?" she questioned, their forehead resting against each others.
"What?'
"We already have them wrapped our fingers, without even trying," Tashi answered, sending the girls into a fit of giggles.
298 notes · View notes
verxsyon · 7 months
Text
·:*¨༺ ❝ 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐀 𝐁𝐄𝐓? ❞
wriothesley always wins his bets against you. for this round, the stakes are getting much higher. how long will it take for the captain of the gardes to admit their feelings to the duke? will this be the moment you’ll finally come out victorious, even though you have to pretend that your feelings toward him are in denial?
✧ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. wriothesley x gn!reader
✧ 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭. drabble ; 0.6k
✧ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞. coworkers to lovers au ; fluff
✧ 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚. no way, it's almost been a year since i wrote a drabble and for genshin too. wrote this during class today, so it looks pretty rushed lol. this man’s the death of me. he can choke slam me like he did with douchier dougier in his story quest. and no, i’m not sorry for saying that.
Tumblr media
A defeated sigh escapes your lips as your cards rain down from your fingers onto Wriothesley’s desk. “Unbelievable. A first-time TCG player beat me in all three rounds. So, what do you want your prize to be? A tea company from the surface?”
“Haha. Your suggestions are becoming more adventurous, captain.” Wriothesley kicks back on his chair with a great idea in mind from the smug smile on his face. “Meet me there at night. You’ll help me sneak in, and I’ll rob its entire collection.”
You narrow his eyes at his sarcasm, and he surrenders. “Alright. I'll settle with a tea cup set. The cups in my current one are broken and the teapot has some cracks, so it’ll be nice to have a new one.”
“Okay, I’ll place an order from the surface and ship it here.” You get up from your seat. “I must head back. The guards could be slacking off as we speak. Excuse me, your grace.” 
“Ah, actually.” You hear the chair scrape the floor and turn to face him, who’s now leaning against the front of his desk. “Before you go, there’s something I need you to investigate.”
“Of course. what is it?” He stops you from coming back to your seat by his hand on your shoulder, making you flinch. His expression’s gone rather ominous, and it stays that way when he leans closer to your ear.
“How long will it take for the captain of the gardes to admit their feelings for the duke?”
You cough violently and push yourself out of his hold. Despite his claims of not being omnipotent, his eyes and ears are everywhere within and beyond the fortress. But why are you still surprised that he’ll find out your feelings toward him eventually?
“Don’t tell me you believe those rumors, your grace?” You boldly deny, but deep inside you already know he totally won’t buy your facade based on your immediate reaction. “I’m assuming that’s what you want me to investigate, so again, please excuse me—”
“You didn’t answer my question, captain.” His fingers glide to your shoulder, akin to caressing it, and the temperature in your cheeks suddenly skyrockets. “So, how long will it take for the captain of the gardes to—?”
“I heard you the first time, your grace,” you say dismissively, screaming at him in your head to let you go back to your station and never talk about this matter ever again. “With all due respect, what’s the meaning of this?”
“Come on. Don’t tell me you already forgot,” he laughs as he goes back to his seat, hands folded on top of his desk. “Wanna bet?”
“This again?” you huff, more worn out from his ludicrous habits since you were stationed at the fortress as its security team. However, this could be an opportunity for you to finally win against him. If he decides to play the game this way, then might as well follow along to ensure your own victory. “Fine, I’ll say never.”
“Oh? No faith in the duke’s capabilities to charm them?” He seems confident with the answer he has come up with. “I’ll say within the next hour or two.”
“Ha! Overestimating the captain’s willpower to not fall for his charms, I see,” you counter, showing off your determination to win. “I’d like to see you try.”
“Alright then, it’s settled.” He shakes hands with you to solidify the agreement. “Oh, and captain? No need for your suggestions for this one. I know what I want as my prize.”
“Oh? And what would that be, your grace?”
Wriothesley just chuckles and tells you the most unpredictable thing that you never imagine being your fate as a loser. “How about a date with the captain themselves?”
505 notes · View notes
peachesofteal · 1 year
Text
Dead Disco / Chapter 4
Dead Disco Masterlist
Tumblr media
Ghost/Soap/female reader 3.3k words - AO3 18+ Minors DNI, no smut but mentions of sex, eating issues, feelings of anxiety, depression, sadness. Relationship issues. Established throuple. Conversations.
It’s possible you’ve had a stroke.
One minute, you’re alone in the hotel room, half asleep on crisp white sheets, and the next, you’re in the apartment, your small bag slung over your shoulder, Simon’s knuckles white around the handles of your suitcase, Johnny standing in front of you with a hand outstretched like you’re a deer he might startle. You must have had a stroke, because how else did that happen so fast? Maybe you’d been knocked unconscious or tripped and hit your head. Or you’re stuck in some sick nightmare that’s pretending to be dream, because-
“Darling?” Johnny pulls your attention easily, hand closing over yours, it’s warmth a safe and comforting thing that you thought you might really never feel again. He looks at you expectantly, and you take in the door frame that you’re standing just on the other side of, your body not quite across the threshold yet.
Were you really doing this? Going back? 
You wanted to leave… didn’t you? 
Did you? Did you truly want to leave? 
Or was it easier to leave, then be left. Was it easier to leave, so you could be found. 
When you look at them, something burns in your chest. They look exhausted, and an entire new layer of guilt lays upon you, knowing that they’ve already been back for hours, but haven’t been able to rest.
Simon says your name, quietly, but his voice carries the warning of a promise he made two hours ago, the assurance that no matter where you went, he’d always bring you back. That he and Johnny would never give up, they’d never let the ugly things that live inside your head win. That he’d remind you, again and again, until you don’t remember anything else. Until you only recognize the truth.
You want to fight them. A part of you, the desperate part, the violent sliver that blackens a piece of your heart, says you will. You want to scream and yell and throw something. Break something, damage something other than yourself. It’s not that easy, you want to tell them, you don’t understand. Your heart thumps wildly in your chest. What if you’re making a mistake? It was always them, and then you… wasn’t it? Wasn’t it? You gulp, and you know it’s audible, because Simon shifts his weight, tensing, like he’s preparing to dart out into the hall after you. Is it real? Could it really be, the three of you… and not them then you? 
Johnny’s thumb rubs a gentle pattern across your knuckles, and it draws you in, your body naturally seeking his, your feet moving on their own until your curling into his chest, face buried in his shirt, fingers clutched in the fabric like it’s your only lifeline. A bag drops, a door clicks shut, a trio of locks slide into place, and then Simon is on you both, heavy arms pressing your bodies together, a mouth mussing along your freshly washed hair.
“Let’s go to bed.” Simon suggests, stroking a pattern up and down your spine. “We can talk more when we’re up, how does that sound?” You murmur non-committal nonsense into Johnny, who turns you in the direction of the bedroom, and you walk one step in front of them until you’re folding onto the mattress, sinking into the too familiar comfort of the big bed. Tomorrow, you promise yourself sleepily, tomorrow you’ll get your head sorted out.
“I’m confused.” Your phone is squeezed between your ear and your shoulder while you probe a mango that looks awfully green, and Johnny sighs on the other end of the line. 
“Dinner. Dinnae tell me you’ve got plans?” 
“What? No… I don’t. Are you… are you inviting me over to like, eat dinner?” A meal? Like actual food? And not just you spread out on the dining table like last weekend? 
“Aye, love.” The mango flexes in your grasp, the soft points of its flesh surrendering under the pressure of your fingertips. 
“Tonight?” There’s a pause, swift silence and the phone goes dead quiet, like the line has been muted. A few seconds pass, and you discard the mango carelessly in frustration before he comes back on. 
“No, tomorrow?” 
“O-okay. Sure. Dinner, tomorrow.” Dinner. You’re going to have dinner with them. You steady your breathing to try to get a grip. It’s not like you haven’t shared meals before. The three of you have eaten takeaway in bed at least twice, and you’ve all eaten out together, or had breakfast in the morning together. 
But this sounded… it felt like something else. 
“Our place, nineteen hundred.” 
“What time is that?” 
“Seven. See you then, yeah?” 
“Um. Yeah.”
Your stomach is thrashing when you stand in front of their door the next day. Your confusion about the invite for dinner has blossomed into a full-fledged panic, and you’re mostly convinced that this is the goodbye dinner, that they’re going to cut you lose now, sever the connection that’s been brewing between the three of you without a second thought. 
These thoughts, this spiral has forced you into a new realization, a terrifying one, a truth that sits uncomfortably in your belly, its reality forcing you to swallow your nerves while your finger hovers over the doorbell. 
You like them. You don’t want them to cut you lose. You want to stay. You want… more. 
 You’ve already told yourself; you won’t beg them. You won’t plead, you won’t try to convince them to keep you. It’s pretty clear they’re happy together, your intermission in their life probably something they’ll wipe their hands of as soon as you’re out the door tonight. 
Still, something in you burns for them. Pulls you towards them, like they’ve got their claws in you and won’t let go. 
You smooth the front of your dress and ring the doorbell. You try not to fidget, try not to touch the black fabric that sits just a little snug, that outlines your body in all the right ways, and your fingers are wrapped around themselves when the door swings open wide to reveal Simon on the other side. He looks you up and down indulgently, and something flares in his eyes, a heat that you can practically feel while his jaw flexes behind the mask. 
“Hi.” You want it to sound confident, comfortable, but it comes out as a hoarse whisper. 
“Darling.”
It’s the heat that wakes you. Your body is pinned between them, the three of you easily falling into the usual sleeping position, you on your side, Simon at your back, Johnny half sprawled, your face on his diaphragm so he can stretch his arm above your head. Usually, he falls asleep scratching his nails into Simon’s scalp, and you fall asleep with your hips pressed back and a flat palm on Johnny’s rib cage.
Today, you’ve woken up exactly the same, except Simon’s cock is flush with the curve of your ass, and you can feel the heavy hardness of it when you shift. A delicious daydream forms in your mind, and you think about reaching behind you to free him from his briefs when Johnny grumbles, his eyes blinking open with a disgruntled mmph. He stuns you, still, with how beautiful he is. How perfect he is, how even when he’s just waking up, he still manages to look like something etched by a god. Your heart swells when you look at him, the overflowing feeling nearly smothering you beneath it's pressure, and you resist the urge to stroke your fingers along his jaw. Love. It's love, it's love, how could it ever have been anything other than love? 
“Good morning.” You whisper, even though you know it’s well into the afternoon. He rolls completely, tucking you into his body closer, and you feel his hand card over Simon’s side.
“How did you sleep?” He croons above your ear, accent still thick with sleep, and you shrug.
“Fine, I guess.” You trying to make the shush motion with a finger against your lips, but Johnny just smiles. A big hand, not Johnny’s, pats your hip.
“Breakfast?” Simon mumbles in your hair and you nod.
“Breakfast sounds good.”
Johnny makes pancakes. You assume it’s because he knows they’re your favorite, and because there are no fresh groceries in the apartment, no eggs or fruit or anything else.
“I could go down to the supermarket, if we want? Grab some-“
“No.” Simon pours a mug of black coffee and points to the counter stool. “Sit.” He’s still in his briefs and nothing else, the cut of his hips on display just above the waistband, and your eyes trace his form briefly. A magnet that's settled behind your heart springs alive, trying to pull you towards him, trying to push you right up against him. The feeling intensifies as you watch him, and your stomach flips. It's love, the thrall, the pull, the power of what you feel. The intoxication of your adoration, the connection you have with him. It threatens to end you, right there on the stool and you cast your eyes down to break the spell. He sets the coffee in front of you and turns to where Johnny stands at the stove, placing a kiss on his shoulder before getting himself his own cup and sitting down next to you, a thigh just barely touching yours. 
“How’re you feeling?” Johnny probes, and you gnaw on your bottom lip and look down into your lap. Get your shit together. Get your head together. 
“I’m okay.” You shrug, and Simon scoffs into his mug. Johnny stands with a hand on his hip across the countertop, looking back and forth between your plate of pancakes and your face expectantly. Just eat. Make him happy. You love pancakes. Discomfort settles your bones. The edge of the fork bites into the skin of your palm. “I am feeling a lot.” You disclose it cautiously, staring down at your plate, watching the syrup ooze around the contents of your breakfast.
“Will you tell us? What it is you’re feeling?” Simon persuades, his hand just hovering in your line of sight. Not touching you, but close enough. In case you need him. You draw a deep breath, filling your lungs with as much air as you can manage before letting it out in a whoosh.
“When you’re gone… and even sometimes when you’re here, it’s too easy to feel like this isn’t real. It feels like... you could never come back, because you don’t have to. It’s not like you need me.”
“What’s making you think that?” you notice the way Johnny’s gripping the countertop, fingers wrapped around the edge like he’s trying to snap the slab free, knuckles white, forearms tense. Tension runs through him from head to toe, and you feel the urge to reach out and comfort him, to mold your body into his, feel him against you. You’re hurting them. You’ve hurt them. Is this really what you wanted? 
“I don’t know how to explain it.”
“Yer not eating?” You swallow the dry fear in the back of your throat and try to give Johnny a smile. 
“I did.” He raises an eyebrow. “Eat some.” You clarify and shift nervously. “It was good, you did great as usual.” You give him a cheeky smile and he returns it, but it slips from his lips easily, and he returns to folding his hands in his lap. 
It’s something he does when he’s nervous, you’ve noticed. When he’s anticipating something. He’s been jumpy since you got here, and it’s done nothing to alleviate your fears and everything to confirm them. 
They’re giving you the boot. You can already tell. 
You try to keep it together, try to focus on having a good time and enjoying their company, but you can’t stomach the reality of the situation… or your food. It’s a bad habit, something you’ve picked up over the years, the eating thing. It’s not something you’re proud of, of but also something you can’t shake. It plagues you, and you-
“We want to discuss something with you.” Johnny says, and you give them both a polite smile, forcing yourself to not to stand up and bolt in that very second.
It’s going to be fine. It’s just like getting dumped, which you’re fairly good at. You can do this. 
“Okay.”
“We’ve really liked having you around,” Your mind strays, zoning out for a moment while you think about how much you’ll miss them. How it’ll be different, not waking up between them or spending long nights in their apartment with them. How you’ll miss the way Johnny rubs your back, the way Simon soothes you with a simple, gentle touch. How- “and we don’t want you to get the wrong idea about us, we-“ 
“What he means to say is…” Simon interrupts, and then pauses like he needs to collect his thoughts. “We’ve been spending a lot of time together, the three of us.” Your heart goes from fast to superspeed, it’s pulse thundering in your ears. You fight to steady yourself, your head, your heart, anything to get control of your own mind and not break down at the table. “And we enjoy it. Enjoy… you.” 
“Not just the sex.” Johnny cuts in, and you nod. 
“We’ve had a lot of fun.” You agree and Simon frowns, something like disappointment, or sadness, casting a shadow across his face before it clears and he’s reaching across the table for your hand. His touch calms you, and when you look up into his eyes, there’s something there that surprises you. Something tender, and soft. Something like adoration. 
“’S not just fun, darling. You’re precious to us.” Your head feels light, and you look at them both with wide eyes. They’re holding hands, and Johnny looks like he’s grasping onto Simon for dear life in this moment. 
“I don’t understand... you two are… in love. I thought, we were just… having sex?” your mouth feels like cotton, and you grope blindly across the table for your wine glass without taking your eyes from them. When you find it, you down the dark red liquid without a second thought, gulping loudly. 
“Aye, but… we want to spend more time with you. If you’d like that.” 
“More time…” 
“Dating.” Johnny smiles at you, his gorgeous, easy way of it settling a wild flare that’s gone off inside your heart. 
“You… want to date… me?” You nearly laugh at the absurdity, but hold it back, not wanting to insult them and the serious expressions they’re wearing. 
“You’ve given us something…” Simon trails off, lost somewhere before he comes back, eyes clear and focused on you. “You’ve given us something we didn’t know we could have. Didn’t think we had a capacity for, and now… we don’t want to be without you. We miss you when you’re not with us.” The room suddenly feels incredibly hot, like someone’s turned the heat on high, and even though you’ve just finished your wine, your mouth is completely dry. 
They want you. They don’t want to get rid of you… they actually want you. Something dark and sharp twists in your mind, something full of doubt and loathing, something that tells you to run away. They won’t want you anymore once they get to know you. Truly get to know you. They won’t keep you. Don’t get confused. 
Johnny politely clears his throat, and then drags his chair until he’s right next to you, soft gaze peering down with wonderment, like you’re some magical… unicorn.
“We wan’ be with you, love. The three of us, together.” 
The blackout curtains make the bedroom effectively dark, the only light a small one, and you bury your face in the pillow when you feel weight shifting, the heap of blankets you buried yourself under being tossed around until you feel the heat of a body next to yours. You reach for it instinctively, the ridges of scar tissue in very specific spots signifying who it is. You feel his lips above your ear, and then he’s pulling you into him, cradling your head with the back of his hand. He pulls the blankets back up overtop the two of you, enclosing you both underneath, shutting out the light. You had managed to slip away from breakfast unscathed, but it didn’t matter. They’d always find you.
“When I first fell in love with Johnny, I pushed him away, I hurt him intentionally in hopes he would grow to hate me.” Simon’s voice is low, nearly a whisper, and you close your eyes and fall into it. “I was… scared. Of him, of what he made me feel. I was afraid that once he knew me, knew who I was, he’d be gone.” He strokes a hand up and down your spine, and your fingers tighten in the blankets that you’re holding. “He made me feel out of control, and I was terrified of being abandoned by him. Every time he went out in the field, I convinced myself he wasn’t coming back. And then when he did, I treated him harshly.” Oh, Si. You bury yourself farther into him, placing a soft kiss where his neck meets his shoulder. Cool air slips in an opening and the mattress dips again, Johnny’s body molding to your back, his embrace pulling the three of you tighter together under the blankets.
“Simon…” you whisper, but he continues on.
“I had treated him poorly because I was enraged by my fear. My fear of losing him, my fear of being alone again, my fear of being abandoned by him.” He pauses, chest expanding with a deep breath. “I can’t tell you I know exactly how you’re feelin’ but I do know what it’s like to be afraid to lose. I know what it’s like to be a captive of your head, your own thoughts.”
“I…”
“Like I said last night, as long as you want us, we’ll never give up on you. We’ll drag you back to us every time. I know, we know, that deep down, you know the truth. You know we love you, darling. And even though you lose yourself sometimes, we will always take care of you. We will always be here for you.”
“You’re never on the outside with us, but I understand how you might feel that way sometimes.” Johnny offers, and you nod silently. “Simon and I spend a lot of time together when we’re away. I know it hasn’t been easy, being the one always left behind.” Tears roll down your face now, and a thumb wipes across your cheekbone. “But we miss you every second, think about you every second. It’s hard because we can’t call, can’t text, but when we’re not with you, we feel like we’re missing a piece of ourselves.”
“And maybe we haven’t done a good enough job, communicating that with you, making you feel safe and secure.” Simon murmurs, and you shake your head.
“No.” you choke. “N-no it’s not your fault. I- I’m supposed to tell you…when I feel bad.” How can you explain? “I don’t know how to explain it, I… just… ran away. Instead of talking to you.”
“You ran away because you thought you were being abandoned.” Simon kisses you gently on the forehead, and Johnny presses his lips to your shoulder. You try to say yes, say no, say you’re sorry, but nothing comes out but a choked sob.
“But… we need to know if you still want this, love. If you do, we’ll list the flat tomorrow and start looking for a new one together.” Johnny’s voice wavers, and you feel his grip tightening. “If you don’t think this… us, is something you want anymore, you have to tell us. You have to decide what you want.”
The room falls silent except for the sound of your lungs heaving, your breaths wet and syrupy from crying, your heart breaking wide open. Do you really want to be without them? Do you really want to be left feeling like you do when they’re gone? You love them, do you actually want to give them up? 
Do you want this?
989 notes · View notes
todayontumblr · 9 months
Text
Friday, August 31.
Not now Jack Nicholson
Ever take a mirror selfie with your daughter when internationally-renowned actor, filmmaker, and three-time Academy Award-winning Hollywood icon Jack Nicholson gets in the way? God dammit Jack, not again. That right there is the problem with actors: they are incapable of realizing that the world does not revolve around them.
Well, as it happens, around four years ago @cctinsleybaxter was wondering where’s that photo of kubrick getting a mirror selfie with his daughter and jack nicholson’s in the foreground because he thought they were taking a picture of him asdfghjkl, and, despite our collective irritation, we could not help but admire it one more time. It was high time, if you will.
Nicholon's out-of-focus folded arms, proud posture, and satisfied little smile—a smile that says this is my time to shine—Kubrick's mildly perturbed expression at having his picture with his daughter spoiled, and her look of dry amusement. It is, quite simply, a classic and thoroughly deserving of every last letter of its asdfghjkl. For this is an image that should hang in The Louvre; but only because it, too, was placed there by mistake. 
Tumblr media
473 notes · View notes
biteofcherry · 10 months
Text
Grain of Truth - part nine
Tumblr media
Soft!Dark Alpha Steve Rogers x Omega Reader
summary: You’re content with your quiet, peaceful life, but it suddenly becomes dangrously intense when an alpha, Steve Rogers, forces himself into it. You never believed nor seeked out the old fairytales of true mates, but Steve will make you admit there’s a grain of truth in every fairytale.
warnings for this chapter: fluff and feels; general cuteness and teasing; also some filth; oral; mild choking; few spanks here and there; oh and plants win!
word count: 4.6k
Main Masterlist
Grain of Truth Full Masterlist
Grain of Truth previous parts:   
 | Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight |
Tumblr media
You woke to a mouthwatering scent that had your stomach growling eagerly and to the feeling of a warm cocoon encasing you. With a sleepy hum, you blinked your eyes open. There wasn’t a single detail in your surroundings that you recognized, yet no sense of panic crept up your skin.
A faint, familiar scent was wrapped around you and it settled you down - your Alpha’s smell lingering on the blanket you were tucked under, as well on the large t-shirt he put on you after shower. 
As you let your eyes wander around the space, you realized you were no longer in Steve’s bedroom, but in the living room downstairs. The tv was on, the volume turned so low you barely heard the commentators on screen. Steve’s hearing was better than yours, he probably could make it out. 
Stretching, you slowly rolled onto your back and looked up at the ceiling. Flecks of light danced across the creamy surface. You didn’t hear Steve’s steps, so it surprised you when he suddenly appeared in your line of vision, looking down at you as he leaned over the back of a sofa you were resting on.
His hair was already dry and his light skin showed no pinkness - neither from the shower, nor from the exhaustive activities prior. As if Steve wasn’t even affected by a few days marathon of animalistic fucking. 
Damn Alphas, you thought enviously. Not only was their stamina greater, they also seemed to have a much better recuperation speed. Steve looked like he could go for another twenty four hours round, while you wondered if you would ever regain feeling in your poor numb pussy. 
You were certain your legs would still shake, if you tried to stand up and move on your own. 
You’ve had some experience in heat sex, even if most of the time you preferred to be alone with your toys. Those few times you had a partner during heat were an untiring, bland ordeals compared to the complete annihilation by your Alpha. 
“Did you rest well?” Steve asked, bracing his hands on the backrest of the sofa.
“Ask me in a week, or two,” you groaned, rubbing your face with both hands. 
Your glare at Steve’s laugh didn’t wipe away his broad grin. You considered smacking him with a pillow, but you still remembered what he threatened you with the last time you threw one at him. 
You really didn’t think you’d survive, if he was to make his promise come true. 
“Hungry?” Steve picked up the blanket, when you started tugging it off your body, and folded it neatly. 
“Very!” You nodded eagerly, your empty stomach growling its agreement. 
While during the heat you didn’t care about the food, not even a little bit, now you were famished. And it seemed nothing else was more tempting than stuffing yourself with food. Especially when the smell wafting from the kitchen was so delicious, you were ready to crawl there if needed. 
But you didn’t have to. Steve picked you up before you attempted to pull yourself up into a sitting position. He swiftly lifted you up and over the back of the sofa, cradling you against his chest in a bridal style. 
Wrapping both arms around Steve’s neck, you played with the strands of hair at the back of his neck.
It was an affectionate caress; something you did purposely, not only as a mindless gesture. A week ago you’d say it wasn’t intentional, that your post-orgasmic haze made you unaware of what you were doing. 
Though it was somewhat instinctive to do it now, too, you were also aware of the intimacy of it and that you chose to continue. 
You felt the reassuring calm seep through the one-way bond; Steve’s own affection for you a solid thing. It was deep and intense, a wide flame that seemed impossible to put down with any means. Perhaps it was why you felt safe falling into it; knowing it would be grounding for you, since it lacked chaos and blinding need, which would scare you off with fickle outbursts and immature recklessness.
That too was something you used to fear. The all consuming, escalated feelings of something unstable and somewhat toxic - similar to the way teenagers dramatically fell in love. 
But Steve’s love for you, this deep bond he was willing to create between you, was a seasoned, mature certainty. It spoke of awaiting growth and fulfillment, which held their own passionate thrill to it. 
Somehow you knew that everything with Steve would be so much more intense. Love. Sex. Arguments. Punishment. They wouldn’t be unstable, though, since they weren’t driven by childish fantasies.
“You’re going to keep carrying me?” You asked, with an unmasked, elated chirp in your tone.
“Until your legs stop shaking every time you try to put your weight on them,” Steve pinched your butt.
“So for about a month longer,” you deadpanned and Steve laughed.
The sound of it - deep and booming, rumbling in his chest - made you smile. 
You pressed a soft kiss to his neck, felt the big Alpha shudder at the simple, affectionate gesture. 
You wondered briefly, if it was because he was so open with the bond now, or maybe Steve always had this vulnerability with you, but you refused to see it; too stubbornly adamant on viewing him only as the pushy, possessive bastard who wouldn’t give you a choice.
He was pushy and possessive (you doubted that ever changes), but there was more to him than flaws you previously saw as his only trait.
“Maybe I should just keep you in bed, then?” Steve teased, placing you on the kitchen counter beside the sink. “A docile Omega, always naked and ready for her Alpha to take her.”
“I always knew you had a streak of a caveman,” you scrunched up your nose and wiggled your ass back to sit more comfortably, leaning your back against the kitchen window’s frame. 
“I never denied that.” Steve winked at you, squeezing your thigh before he stepped back. 
You watched him move over to the stove. There was something exceptionally hot and satisfying in the sight of this big, dominating Alpha in his half-naked state, preparing a meal for you. 
And he didn’t act as if it was something remarkable for which he should be praised. 
However, you thought the way his back muscle worked when he chopped and stirred was worthy of praise. Whistling even. 
Your gaze roamed over the wide span of Steve’s broad shoulders, appreciating that he still hadn’t put a shirt on. Then your eyes cast downwards, along his tapered waist and firm ass clad in low-hung, gray sweatpants. 
You were too hungry and too exhausted to follow with images that your mind supplied, but it was satisfying to remind yourself you could turn them into reality in a few days. Any day that you wished. 
Averting your eyes before Steve noticed you ogled him, you leaned more comfortably back and turned your head to peek outside the window. You saw the span of juicy green grass, trimmed, but kept tall enough your foot would sink into its softness if you walked barefoot.
You noticed a big, wooden construction right by this wall. Unfinished, with half-done floor; It looked to be built as an extension to the house. 
“Are you building a terrace?” You asked, though the tall roof of the wooden frame seemed unusual even for a roofed patio. 
Steve’s gaze flicked up to you, then followed your line of vision.  
“It’s a sunroom,” he replied, attention returning to the bubbling sauce in the pan. 
“For your plants.”
You turned your head swiftly, staring at Steve with wide eyes. He made it sound so casual, so simple, as if it wasn’t something that needed a further explanation. But his words sank deep, warming your chest from the inside. 
“For my plants?” Your voice was barely above a whisper; the question spoken hesitantly. “You- you’re building a sunroom for my plants? For me?”
Affection tugged at your heart. It struck strings that reverberated through your body with warmth and gratitude, threatening to elicit tears. The mushy wave of appreciation wasn’t for the sunroom itself, but for the fact that Steve did something so thoughtful.
It wasn’t just a gift to shower you with and win your graces, but something personally designed for you, suited for what you cared about the most. 
“When you move in with me, someday-” Steve sent you a pointed look that meant he wouldn’t welcome any argument regarding the matter, “I expect your jungle will move with you. You need a place to keep them in.” 
For now you didn’t comment on his assumptions about your living accommodation, since the controlling Alpha at least didn’t announce he expects you to move in right away. Which, honestly, you’d fight, regardless of your newfound fondness of Steve’s company. 
You were too enamored with his gesture to focus on anything that wasn’t a lovely image of lush greenery in a sun filled, glass room. 
“That’s-” your throat constricted with emotion- “too much. You didn’t have to.”
Steve looked at you, frowning. He put down the wooden spoon and turned off the oven. You swallowed hard when he nudged your legs apart and stepped between them. Both of his hands rested on your thighs, their heavy warmth somehow soothing your fluttering heart.
“Too much?” He sounded incredulous. “What kind of douchebags were you dating that you consider this too much?”
“Hey! They were nice.” you protested, scrunching up your nose. 
Maybe none of your exes was the love of your life and perhaps in some cases your ways parted with resentment, but you prided yourself on choosing good guys. With flaws, sure, but who didn’t have them. 
And occasionally they gifted you with lovely treats, flowers included. Cut flowers, bound in pristine bouquets that smelled dizzyingly (and died within days). The intent behind them mattered, you told yourself. But somehow it was more of an expected gesture than something done with genuine thought of your preferences.
Steve’s gift was grand. Not because of its size, but the fact it catered directly to what you loved. He understood how much you adored your plants and that you’d want them (and maybe more) wherever you moved. 
“Nice.” Steve jeered. “Doesn’t seem the right word to describe someone you’re in a relationship with.” 
“Is bossy asshole Alpha the right description?” You glared at him, mostly annoyed that he was right. Nice wasn’t a word that should be the first one to come to mind when you think of someone you’re supposedly in love with.
“Sure.” Steve’s fingers spread wide over your thighs as he leaned forward, tip of his nose almost touching yours. “It matches spanked hard bratty Omega.”
“Is spanking your solution to everything?” You huffed, trying to scoot back in case Steve was considering really getting his hands on your butt; but he held you in place. 
“Interchangeably with thoroughly fucked,” he teased his fingertips beneath the hemline of the t-shirt you were wearing. 
“And well fed,” he added with a grin and pulled away. 
“Alpha’s meaning of life.” At your snort and eyeroll, Steve chuckled. 
“And what’s yours?” He asked, moving back to the stove.
You watched him taste the sauce once more, then take out bowls from a cabinet. A brief thought that domestic contentment with a pushy Alpha may be the meaning of life passed your mind, but you couldn’t force it out of your mouth. 
“Growing?” You shrugged, appreciatively eyeing the huge portions that Steve plated for both of you. “Myself. And growing plants. Maybe some tiny people in the future.”
That slipped your lips, without you realizing you’ve said it. Only a second later you tensed as it downed on you. Terrified that you blurted it out, while you still didn’t exactly come to terms with the true mating, you tucked your chin down and peered at Steve from beneath your eyelashes.
He didn’t even stop in his motions, accepting the answer without much fuss. 
A part of you expected an overly eager reaction of a stereotypical alpha male wanting to breed his partner right away and strip them of any rights, beside the one to have his kids. The other part feared he’d be scared of the prospect and backpedal. 
“Sounds good.” Steve smiled softly, reaching out his hand to squeeze your calf reassuringly. 
He didn’t dwell on it, giving you a subtle hint that he’s on board with your needs, but not pushing to explore such a serious topic right at this moment. 
Then he handed you a bowl of delicious smelling pasta and leaned against the counter right next to you, with his own bowl. You weren’t sure why you’re eating like this - you sitting on the counter and Steve leaning his hip against it - while there’s a dining table nearby, with quite comfortably looking chairs. But there was something simply domestic about it. No forced formality that may stir awkwardness, but continued closeness.
As you ate, your eyes kept shifting toward the window and the tall wood construction outside. You couldn’t help it, but start picturing how it will look with windows installed and filled with greenery. You’ve had a large collection of plants, but the space called out for more.
Steve’s sigh drew your attention back. You looked at him confused, a single noodle of pasta hanging from your puckered lips until you slurped it in. 
“Come,” he set his bowl aside and took away yours. 
“You’re gonna break your neck trying to stare at the unfinished sunroom and fantasizing about running wild with it. We can sit in the backyard, you’ll get a better view.”
He slid an arm under your thighs and then hoisted you up and over his shoulder. He laughed at your squeak of surprise and palmed your ass. Then carried you out into the backyard, where a small terrace was set beneath a partly overgrown pergola. 
Steve dumped you into a garden chair that gave you a direct view on the construction. You didn’t even glare at him, your happiness at seeing the whole magnificence of your future sunroom prevailing. 
When Steve brought your food, you ate almost mechanically, stuffing your cheeks full and staring at the bare wood as if willing it to become a finished product. 
Steve angled his chair, so he could drape your legs over his lap without ruining your cute sightseeing activity. 
A while later you put the empty bowls left on the table and sat in comfortable silence - your Alpha with his eyes closed, face tilted up into streaks of sunlight filtering through the grapevine, slowly caressing your calves; and you imagining yourself surrounded by plants in a heat filled room. 
It felt as if your body fell deeper into light-as-a-cloud bliss as you imagined shades of green in various sizes. Touching the leaves, dipping your fingers into the soil, it would soothe any strains of the day. 
Steve’s presence would, too.
A small smile curved your lips when you glanced his way and considered his reaction, if you asked him to carry water cans for you, or to sprinkle tops of tall plants which you couldn’t reach. 
You imagined he’d roll his eyes, say something teasing, but do it anyway. Somehow you had no doubt Steve would join you, if you asked him. While you often purposely kept your previous partners away from your plants, knowing they wouldn’t really want to do it with you. 
Being with Steve, thinking of building a relationship with him, filled you with surprising contentment. You had no doubt that it came from you, not only an echo of Steve’s emotions through the bond. 
Seeing how seriously he treated your supposed mating, without making it only about possessing you, but actually growing together; it slowly washed away your previous need to fight it with all your might. 
And when you stopped pushing against your own feelings regarding Steve, flutters of happiness bloomed. Hints of easy playfulness shyly peeked out, as well, sensing safety even if you’d push your Alpha too hard.
Biting your lower lip, you slowly moved your legs off of Steve’s lap. Which stirred him momentarily; his eyes opening and glancing your way. 
Before he had a chance to protest, you were climbing into his lap. Steve’s hands cupped your ass as you settled against him, his eyebrow arched in question when you touched his chest boldly out on your own volition.
“Thank you for the sunroom,” you traced his pectorals with your fingertips, allowing yourself amazement with his physique.
“And for all the suffering I will cause you when I make you help me with the plants,” your cheeky grin made Steve snort. 
But you saw it in his eyes - felt it through the bond, too - that he was proud and elated. 
Of the fact he made you happy, as well because you reached out for him on your own, following the pull you no longer resisted. 
And truly, it was hard resisting Steve. 
Especially when he was splayed beneath you, hard muscles and power thrumming beneath his skin. 
A jolt of hunger shot down your spine, similar in its intensity to the first signs of heat. But you were out of this madness, perhaps only faint remnants lingering and adding to your reaction. 
Most of it, however, was simply your natural response to the proximity of your Alpha. 
Your hand traveled down Steve’s abdomen, with your eyes you traced the path, aiming for the straining bulge growing in Steve’s sweatpants. 
Saliva pooled in your mouth when your fingertips dipped beneath the waistband of Steve’s sweats. His grip on your ass hardened, squeezing your still slightly burning flesh.
“You’re sore, sweetheart,” Steve reminded you, both melting and annoying you with his care for your wellbeing while you were getting hornier by the second. 
“I don’t care,” your huff of breath bordered on a whine.
It turned into a yelp when Steve slapped your ass. The smack also caused your hips to rock desperately against him, evoking his own hiss. 
“I care,” Steve growled, but he didn’t stop your hand from slipping further into his pants. 
“But I want you,” you looked at him, eyes pleading. 
As your fingers grasped Steve’s hardening cock, fingertips not even meeting around his girth, the memory of how he stretched you made you moan. Heat unfurled in your core, leaving a growing wet stain on Steve’s sweatpants where you rubbed yourself on his thigh. 
“Oh God, I need it, Steve,” it had to be the echo of the heat still pulsing faintly in you, because you didn’t think you ever sounded so desperate outside of it. 
No state of arousal made you crave a dick so bad. Never before Steve. 
“Please,” you slanted your lips against Steve’s mouth, whimpering between messy kisses you tried to rouse him with. “Please, I want your cock. At least in my mouth? Please? Please, fill my mouth and belly, Alpha.”
Another slap stung your ass, but your gasp was muffled by Steve’s demanding lips against your own. He tugged on your bottom lip with his teeth, then licked it lewdly. 
With heart-stopping (and hotly arousing) ease, Steve swiftly stood up and planted you on the table. The world spun as he maneuvered your body, so that you laid on your back with your head on the side where Steve stood. 
You tilted your head, gaze landing on the hardness bulging right above your eye level. Wetting your lips with your tongue, you stretched your arms above your head and gripped Steve’s hips. He let you tug his sweatpants down, while he yanked your t-shirt up, exposing your body to his hungry gaze. 
“Needy brat,” Steve growled when you dug your nails into his skin, urging him to come closer so you could taste his cock. 
He swatted your pussy, making you arch and close your thighs around his hand. 
“Open.” Steve’s demand was calm, but there was that firmness to it that annoyed you, yet turned your brain into mush. 
Despite knowing damn well he meant opening your legs, you parted your lips instead. Opening your mouth and sticking your tongue out. 
And clenching your thighs tighter. 
Steve didn’t even huff. He yanked your legs apart with ease. Then landed a stinging slap to your inner thigh. Another one on your sensitive pussy, as well. 
But he stepped forward, letting you run your tongue on the underside of his cock. Using his other hand, he guided the reddened tip into your mouth. 
Heavy drag of it against your tongue, stretching your lips the more he pushed inside, made you shudder. Your nipples stiffened into hard peaks and more slick trickled. 
You began understanding why Steve turned so aggressively hungry when he ate you out, if tasting you was anything similar to how his cock tasted for you. 
Steve’s fingers rubbing circles on your clit didn’t help, rushing you swiftly into the first orgasm. 
You moaned around his length, the sound’s vibration causing Steve’s dick to twitch. 
Drops of potent precum slipped down your throat, igniting a burning need in your core. 
Your grip on Steve’s hips tightened, fingers digging into his buttocks as you angled your head backwards to try swallowing more of him. 
Rationally you knew Steve’s cock is too big to take him whole, but your brain switched to a more primal mode that craved to choke on it. 
You vividly remembered how you sucked him in the botanical garden, how you couldn’t swallow everything and pitifully teared up as it became too much. Still, you wanted to do it. To please your Alpha, but also because of your own frenzied need. 
Rocking his hips steadily, Steve controlled the depth of his thrusts. His satisfied purr at your eagerness only spurred you on. 
Hollowing your cheeks, you tried to suck and slurp and moan as much as you could, to entice him to take it deeper. As scary the realization was, but you wanted your Alpha to push you further. 
For a while Steve seemed to be indifferent to your attempts at breaking his self-restraint, until you arched your back with a muffled whine, sticking your chest upwards, and tipped your head at an angle that caused his dick to poke the back of your throat.
Steve stilled for a moment. 
He looked down at his cock stretching your lips wide, drool starting to seep out and mess up your pretty face. His gaze slid over your exposed body: round breasts heaving in offering, nipples begging to be pinched; belly that was already full of his cum from previous days; legs bent at the knees and spread apart; and his hand atop your wet cunt. 
Curling fingers of his left hand around your neck, he bent his knees slightly then inched his cock deeper into your throat. 
You tensed, your eyes watering with tears as you fought the gag reflex. 
Then Steve’s right hand moved; thick digits slipping between your folds and into your opening. He pushed in two at once and your throat constricted on a cry, causing you to really choke on Steve’s dick. 
“That’s it,” Steve rasped, withdrawing both his fingers and his cock. 
“That’s what you wanted, huh?” He pushed back in, delighting in your garbled moan as you swallowed him. “Good Omega, wanting to take her Alpha’s cock deep into her tight throat, even though you know you couldn’t do it before.” 
“Wanted me to own it, too?” Steve kept a steady pace. “Just like you needed me to own your sweet pussy in a proper way, locking you on my knot, so your body recognized it can’t escape me.” 
You would glare at Steve at the whole owning insinuation, if he wasn’t partly right. 
Your body thrummed because he took it so well, so thoroughly. Because he owned it.
Perhaps it was also why you loved having him in your throat, despite gagging on it and tearing up - because he now owned it, but also because it meant you owned his cock, too. 
You could take him, all of him. So all of him belonged to you. 
“Such a good girl for me, sweet brat” Steve praised, withdrawing enough that you could take a ragged breath. 
Then he was thrusting in again. He drove his cock so deep his sack rested heavy against your nose. The lewd aspect of it shook you, more slick gushing out. Good that it did, because just as Steve choked you on his dick, he forced three of his fingers into your pussy; curling them to hit right against that spot that made you see stars.
And he stayed like that.
Keeping his cock in your throat, almost constricting all of your airways, while he rapidly pumped his fingers into you.
Ending supply of air and the onslaught on your clenching pussy overwhelmed you. You kicked your legs, heels tapping against the edge of the table. Your hands helplessly smacked against Steve’s hips, though you weren’t sure if it was to push him away, or to urge him more as you felt a maddening climax approaching.
“Shh, you can take it, sweetheart,” Steve cooed, “Come on, I want you to cum. Cum for your Alpha.” 
It wasn’t a command, yet that and a gentle swipe of his thumb over your clit were enough to tip you over the edge.
Your whole body seized as you leaked around Steve’s fingers. A long scream burned in your lungs, coming out only as a gurgled vibration around the big cock locked in your throat.
Coming back from that high seemed to take longer than ever before. Steve was adamant on drawing out every second of it, keeping you shaking and choking. Your vision was darkening around the edges when Steve finally eased back. 
He slipped out of your mouth too, leaving you coughing and gasping for breath. 
Licking his fingers clean, Steve gripped his throbbing cock with his other hand.
“You still want to swallow it, Omega?” His voice was husky and low as he gazed down at you. 
At your eager nod, he rolled you onto your belly. Your legs hung down over the edge of the table, wetness trickling down your thighs. 
“It’ll be easier for you to swallow in this position,” Steve explained, tilting your chin up with his forefinger. 
He tapped his cock against your wet cheek, gathering a mix of your tears and drool, then guided it between your parted lips. Keeping his fingers wrapped tightly around the base, Steve fed you enough of his dick that you didn’t choke this time. 
Placing his free hand on the back of your head, he fucked your mouth. 
As you looked up at him, your eyes locked with his dark, hungry gaze. It sent a jolt to the very tips of your fingers. 
You wrapped your fingers around Steve’s where he was gripping his cock, cupping his balls with your other hand. Steve’s loud groan of pleasure made you preen. 
As did the soft moans and purrs he made when you hollowed your cheeks and drank every last drop of his thick, warm cum. 
Steve’s fingers caressed your head and cheeks as his cock rested on our tongue, twitching out last spurts. 
In this blissful moment, when you were lax and satisfied and you felt your Alpha so pleased with you, you thought for a second that you understood fictional Omega heroines who seemed to live to please their Alphas.
It brought a sense of fulfillment. 
Or maybe it was everything that Steve did for you, all the care and thoughtfulness and protection, that made it worthy to service him with your compliant body. 
816 notes · View notes
clownd1ck · 2 months
Text
trouble, j. miller | chapter three
mob!joel miller x fem!reader
chapter summary: you meet your best friend’s girlfriend for the first time, and you’ve never seen someone shit their pants more. and joel is so fucking done with you.
chapter warnings: reader’s sole purpose is to be an agent of chaos, strong language, implication of violence from reader, abby anderson appears guys, javier encourages your behaviour and is so ACHEKUSG, google translated spanish (PLEASE correct me if it’s wrong), no beta again LOL, dare i say it soft!joel??
word count: 1817
{series masterlist}
Tumblr media
you’re sat waiting in a cafe, foot tapping against the tiled floor to its own rhythm. the cafe is about a fifteen minute walk away from your college campus, a place that you and georgia had made your second home. the coffee was cheap so that college students could afford it, and you had to admit, it was some of the best coffee you ever had. your favourite iced coffee had just been brought over to you, alongside a cookie that was warm and gooey.
as the door opens and the bell rings, you look up and lock eyes with georgia, sending a smile her way. you’re quick to notice the buff blonde behind her, dressed in a grey shirt and black cargos, her blonde hair in a braid. damn, you’d have to ask georgia for a threesome one day…
“hey, babe!” georgia exclaims, embracing you lightly before letting go as she turns to introduce you. “this is abby anderson.”
you give abby a once over, analysing her body language, her face, her placement in regards to georgia. she appeared intimidating, but her hand was locked with georgia’s. she stood behind your friend, her body relaxed and her breathing even. abby gave you a look that was welcoming, friendly, almost as if she knew who you were and was trying to make a good impression on you.
smart move.
“it’s nice to meet you, abby.” you hold out your hand for her to shake it, and she does so. you notice the slight sweat in her palm, clear anxiety over meeting georgia’s best friend who may or may not have tried to run her friend’s ex over with a car she’s not even legally allowed to drive.
“you…you too.” she stutters out, and they both take a seat as you take a sip out of your iced coffee once you released abby’s hand.
“so, abigail-”
“-abby.” georgia cuts you off, and you give her a look with a scary grin.
“what are your intentions with georgia?”
georgia sighs your name, and gives you a pleading look. “can we please not do this? abby’s been treating me good, better than anyone else i’ve ever dated. please.” her puppy dog eyes win you over.
“fuck, fine. but i just need you to know-” you turn to abby “-you should know this too. if any harm is done, i will be under your bed with a pocket knife ready to slit your ankles if anything happens to her.” you point at georgia. your tone is patronising, mocking abby and you feel like a beast the way you feast upon her fear as she eagerly nods her head.
“good, now that’s out of the way. what do you study?” splitting your cookie in half, your lips forming an ‘o’ shape at the gooey delight, you take a bite out of one of the halves, looking abby dead in the eye.
“m…medicine.” there comes that stutter again, and you have to stifle a laugh because you’re sure georgia has filled her with stories about your behaviour towards anyone who has ever wronged her, but has then cut her own story off with “but she’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet once she knows i’m safe with you!”
you do warm up to abby throughout the next hour and a half the three of you are sat in the cafe, and you can tell she feels the same. she’s less tense, her face relaxed and no more stuttering. you see how openly affectionate she is with georgia, how soft she speaks and the admiration in her eyes for georgia’s simple existence. abby anderson is good for her, you can feel it.
the three of you walk back up to your college campus, and you catch the sight of a familiar man and his sexy porsche. joel leans against the car, arms folded over his chest, scowl on his face as he beckons you over with that little movement of his fingers.
you’re starting to feel seduced by that movement.
when you walk over to him, his head meets your level. “i’ve been waitin’ here for an hour.”
your eyebrows furrow, eyes squinting and your lips purse a little. “did you tell me you were here?”
“no.”
your eyes widen, shaking your head “so how the fuck would i know you’ve been waiting for an hour?”
“get your ass in the car.” he commands, and his eyes travel past you and seem to focus on something. you turn your body to meet where he looks, and the only reason why you pick up on it is because him and abby are staring at each other.
“what, have you never seen lesbians before? god, joel, this is embarrassing.” you roll your eyes and get into the passenger seat of his car. you don’t see the nod he gives abby, or the one who she gives back to him, because the second joel is in the driver’s seat, he’s out of the parking lot and driving to the club.
“i told you to only text me with work related things.” he starts, turning a street corner and you lick your lips when his hands clench onto the wheel.
“i do only text you work related things.”
joel gives you a quick look, his face conveying every emotion possible. “askin’ me if i think you’d win in a fight against the shark from ‘jaws’ isn’t a work related question!”
“i don’t see the problem here.” you shrug.
“you asked me at four in the mornin’!”
“and yet you responded, so you can’t complain.” you stick your tongue out at him as you soon pull into the parking lot of apocalypse, and you both get out, with joel opening any and all doors for you.
when you get to the v.i.p. section, you spot javier, and you immediately shout his name. when he turns around, he grins. “mi amor, i missed you.”
“missed you too, honeybunch.” you smile, hopping onto the bar top. “do you think i could win a fight against the shark from ‘jaws’?”
he looks at you, finger tipping up your chin with a smirk. “in a heartbeat, cariño.” his eyes scan your face, flicking back and forth as he takes in your features, and he lets out a low chuckle when you giggle.
“see, javier thinks i could win!” you shout at joel and he grumbles as he makes his way over.
he points at javier. “stop encouraging her behaviour.” he turns to you. “an’ you need to go get ready.” he grabs your hand, helping you jump off the bar top and steadying you as your feet meet the floor.
“goodbye, beautiful!” you wave javier goodbye.
“adios, bonita.” he bids, grabbing your hand from its previous position and gently kissing it, and it suddenly comes to your attention that you would not mind being between joel and javier, one fucking into your cunt and the other with his cock down your th-
“move your ass.” joel’s hand is firm against the back of your neck, but there’s something gentle about the way he touches you, hesitant almost. he guides you to the room with all the dancers in, and you make yourself at home, saying hi to adele, lucy, chelsea, destiny, and the rest of the girls as you get ready for your shift.
____
“i was thinking-”
“that’s not good.” joel cuts you off. you had barged into his office, lying down on his sofa and talking to him like he was your therapist.
your head snaps towards him, mouth agape in shock. “rude!” you throw a decorative pillow at him which he swiftly dodges, even with his back turned to you as he sorts through paperwork. “as i was saying before i was interrupted, i was thinking that you order me pizza.”
joel’s chair swivels round to face you. “an’ why would i do that when i’ve got chefs here?”
you groan. “‘cause i want a real greasy pizza from the place down the street.”
“tough shit, now get to workin’.” you whine at his words, kicking your legs against the sofa like a spoiled toddler as you reluctantly get off of it and walk out of his office.
the rest of your shift goes by in a breeze. it’s not busy tonight, so you spend most of the time by the bar flirting with javier. he even pours you a shot and shows you the blind spot, pulling you close to him when you take the shot like a champ.
the guests tonight were easy. you had gained a lot of money in tips, and you, destiny, and lucy were sat counting your tips at the bar by the end of the night. you were stood behind the bar with javier, leaning your chest against it and you knew he was getting a good view of your ass because you had purposely put yourself in this position.
“mama’s done good tonight!” destiny cheers, throwing her hands up in the air, her knotless braids swinging as she does so.
“same here!” lucy squeals and you join too. you had to have javi recount your money just to make sure you’d done it right.
“feeling like a millionaire already.” the shout causes the girls to laugh, and javier shakes his head with a smile. he gently pats your ass, telling you to go change so you can sleep.
you do as he says, linking arms with destiny and lucy as you change into your original clothes once you get back to the dancer’s room. you’re sat with adele, your head resting on her shoulder like a child with her mother when joel’s voice baritones through the door demanding you.
you give a swift kiss to adele’s cheek, bidding your departure to the girls before stepping out of the room.
when you look at joel, you catch sight of something in his hands. a medium sized pizza box, the order written on the top. just a plain cheese. you feel a smile itching its way onto your face because he probably did it based off the basics but a cheese pizza was your favourite kind.
“i did this so you’d shut up for once in your damn life.”
“you love when i talk.” you grab the pizza box out of his hands. “thank you.”
his hands return to the back your neck, but this time you swear you feel his fingers gently stroke the skin but you don’t want to say anything, too scared he might strip you of your pizza privileges.
so you prevent the quip of your lips ready to perk up, swallowing down your happiness as you make your way to his car, and start to wonder if maybe you should annoy him more often if it meant you got free food.
yeah, maybe you should.
____
a/n: reader who does not give a fuck and says what she wants x joel who’s just trying to commit a life of crime but there’s a menace in his way (ft. javier peña seducing reader and reader flirting with him)
btw guys if u want to be added (or taken off) my taglist pls let me know!! and if ur name is in white it’s bc i couldn’t find ur blog :((
taglist:
@dugiioh @amyispxnk @skysmiller @alyhull @noisynightmarepoetry @elliaze @dendulinka6 @zliteraturehoe @atyourmerci @al33naaa @mermaidgirl30 @lulawantmula @nana90azevedo @endlessthxxghts @getitoutofmymind @you-taste-so-sweet @blazeflays @iveseenstrangerthings50 @regalwhovianbrowncoat774 @aquanatalie @katw474 @ludwigxii-blog @eloquentdreamer @kyloispunk @txmel @din-jarring @daddysmilf0123 @sofiparallel @dunkinzjm @runningmom94 @ashhlsstuff @moel-jiller @isimpforfictionalmen @drewharrisonwriter @stormseyer @rodriguez31 @elliesswearjar @vvitchesh3x @joeldjarin @untamedheart81 @ellishamae25 @pedropascalfan221 @mellymbee @pedritosgfreal @yassspose @casa-boiardi
168 notes · View notes
d6volution · 6 months
Note
Reader who is just as much of a jackass as Jax is. Both of you are competing for the “best prank” on the rest of the circus members. However, one day Jax decides to ask Caine for a “massager” claiming you complained about muscle aches. Jax gives it as a gift, the reader not knowing the outfit contains the toy. He wants you to wear on the next adventure and hopes to push your buttons. Whether the reader gets revenge is up to you.
i think i get it! hopefully this is okay 🫶🏽
tags: make shift vibrator, fingering, outdoors, cursing cause i didn't feel like censoring it.
more below the cut. | minors dni.
"You're kiddin' ... there's no way Zooble would sleep through that." Jax grinned, at you .. a hand on his hip as you both walked through the halls at a moderate pace.
"Mhm, wait til you see them." Was all you said, clearly confident of your own doings.
Like clockwork, Zooble appeared, "What are you two assholes staring at?" Zooble squinted.
Jax couldn't help it, a thunderous roar of laughter erupted from his mouth and held his stomach. Pointing at Zooble with the opposite hand.
"What the hell is so funny?" Zooble didn't notice , they were so used to switching and swapping parts on their body that they failed to notice the comically bouncing googly eye on their face, replacing their usual left eye.
"N—Nothing, Zoobs. You look great.." You giggled and yanked Jax away before he gave away the joke before it had its time to play out.
You guys rounded the corner, "That puts me ahead three points, bunny boy." You said smugly.
"What? No way." He rolled his eyes, and the laughing fit quickly wore off.
"What do you mean, no way? Those were the rules !" You huffed, and relished in your frustration.
"The rules, of my game, dollface."
"Should've known you'd cheat.."
"Look, how about this, next adventure we go on. Double the points. Whoever comes out on top wins. Simple." He shrugs his shoulders.
"Hmp. Fine, you've got a deal." You were planning to get the one up on him. Even if it meant humiliating the other members in the process. There was nothing else to do in this digital world, so why not have some fun at the expense of others?
You two parted ways for the night, and unbeknownst to you Jax had a devious plan already cooked up.
"Hey, Caine."
The ringmaster was cleaning up the mess from the last adventure, "Oh , hello there Jax! What can I do for you?" His voice boomed like usual.
"You know, y/n said they've been havin' some trouble with... uh, back aches. real bad back aches. Needs, I dunno.. a massager or something. Got anything like that?" He gestured.
"Hmm.. I suppose I can cook something up!" He pretened to dig in his pocket, his arm disappearing all the way down to the forearm until he pulled out a make shift massager that had multiple vibrating parts.
Jax's grins grew wide, it was almost creepy how narrow his eyes got. "Thanks , Caine. You're the best." He caught the massager such Caine tossed to him. Jax waved and quickly went to his room. He spent the entire night carefully crafting an outfit for you, though right in the crotch the vibrator was hidden inside the cloth. The things you could make happen here we almost comical. But, Jax took whatever advantage he could get. No matter how ridiculous.
Now lastly. The remote. He'd be able to control whenever the "massager" turned on and off , plus fluctuate its intensity.
The next morning came in a flash, maybe because he was up throughout the night.. no matter. It's not like they get tired anyways.
He showed up at your door, outfit in hand. He knocked until you opened it.
"Jeez, Jax first thing in the morning and— ..... whats that..?" You pointed at the clothes folded in his hands, it was a one piece outfit but it cut off to make shorts at the bottom.
"For you, dummy." He teased and shoved it into your arms.
"You must be out of your mind if you think I'm wearing this Jax." You scoffed and held it up in front of you. It wasn't too provocative..  you just didnt trust him.
"C'mon doll, don't be a loser. Just wear it,— wear it and successfully pull one prank on a member and the winning title is all yours." He spiced up the deal, grinning at you.
You knew there had to be a catch, but if he thought you weren't going to take advantage of this he'd be wrong. "Fine. I'll win, and when I do. You have to anything I say for the entire day."
"Deal." He responded a little too quickly and you shut the door in his face. His smile remained and he hummed to himself as he went looking for the others while you changed.
It was odd how well this outfit fit you, snug but not too tight.. just when did he get your measurements..? Ugh, whatever. It was a little uncomfortable in certain areas , but what were you expecting? Jax to be some master tailor?
"I can't believe I'm doing this.." You muttered before exiting your room, meeting up with the rest of the lot just in time. Caine was explaining the ins and outs of todays adventure. Something about fishing at the digital lake. You weren't paying attention, trying to figure out a quick prank to pull on an unsuspecting member so you could get out of this outfit.
BUZZZZ.
You jumped and yelped, covering your mouth as you felt something vibrating against your clit. Your cheeks went red and you tried to keep still as a few eyes darted to you, but only for a moment. 'What the, fuck?' You thought, and immediately looked at Jax. Unfortunately he wasn't even looking at you.
"Alright, now go on my little superstars! Good luck!" Caine ended his speech and disappeared in puff of smoke.
You all exited the tent and headed towards the lake.. just then you fell another buzz and stumbled to a stop, Kinger and Gangle walked past you with concerning looks... followed by Jax. You walked with him , cheeks still red.
"Jax. I'm taking this stupid outfit off."
"Fine, you'll lose immediately though.. don't say I didn't warn ya." He said and seemed completely unbothered, clearly aware of how competitive you can be.
"Th.. That's not fair and you know it." You growled under your breath.
"Lighten up doll, maybe this is just what you need. A little fun and pleasure." He shrugged before the buzzing started again, and you let a whine slip past your lips before biting down on your bottom lip.
"Whoops.. hand slipped."
"You're going down you, little pervert."
You felt like steam was going to erupt from your ears. You pushed past him, flustered and frustrated. He just chuckled as you stormed off. Clearly pleased with himself.
The buzzing stopped and you breathed , you had to come up with something.. maybe you'd hook Gangle's fishing line to one of her ribbons so when she tries to cast it, it'll go all wrong and make her unravel.
The plan was nearly perfect .. except everytime you tried to distract gangle Jax pressed that damn button and the vibrator buzzed against your thobbing clit.
Every time you tried to initiate your plans , it was always interrupted. The buzzing didn't even stay on long enough for you to reach your climax so you were constantly being edged.. you had to take a break, you could feel your lewd jucies running down your inner thighs..
"I'm going to kill him.." You said, but the words left your mouth pathetically. You leaned against a tree, far from the others.. maybe if you came then you could .. function at least.
"Oh, wondered where you ran off to. Havin' some trouble there doll?"
"N.. No, Jax you'd better not—"
BUZZZZZ.
You almost crumpled to your knees but Jax was right in front of you, holding you against the tree. "Poor thing, can't even stand. How ya gonna win like this, huh?"
Your eyes were glassy, legs shaking. "Y.. You asshole.." Your legs were trembling and you could feel Jax's hand sliding up your torso.
"How about this, give up and I'll let ya cum dollface. No strings attached." He stared at your helpless form. Eyes clearly foggy with lust.
"N.. No way, hhck..!" The buzzing got more intense and you finally collapsed to the floor.
".. O..Okay , please..! please let me cum, Jax.." You whined, your cunt puffy and throbbing with need.
"Heh, that's what I thought.. good game, y/n." He croutched down in front of you. His body pretty much blocking yours fron any eyes that could possibly end up seeing you two.. he pushed aside the shorts and your panties and plunged two fingers inside of you without a second thought.
You yelped and instinctively scooted back but the tree kept you in place.
"Shh.. someone might hear ya, babe. Just cum on my fingers real quick yeah?" He whispered into your ear and your cunt convulsed around his fingers at the thought. You grabbed his arm but he didn't stop, still hammering his fingers in your squelching cunt.
"Fuck... you're so wet." He muttered and stared at your cunt as it swallowed up his fingers.
"Jax!" You yelped and your body jolted as you came on his fingers, panting a little.
"Ya good , doll?" He asked, slowly removing his fingers from your dripping snatch.
You nodded and helped you adjust your clothes, before assisting you to your feet. "How about you go get changed.. I'll make up an excuse if the others say something." He said in a more gentle voice now, his eyes were still wild with lust but he figured now may not be the time.
"R..  Right .. thanks, Jax." You still felt numb down there, your legs still a bit shaky.
"Oh, you still lost by the way. Heh."
Of course you did.
260 notes · View notes
ddarker-dreams · 1 year
Text
Hedonist.
Tumblr media
Yan Chrollo x F Reader x Yan Feitan. 
Continuation of Declawed.
Warnings: Not SFW, dubcon (Reader is under the influence of aphrodisiacs), yandere themes, unhealthy relationships, unbalanced power dynamics. Word count: 7.5k. 
Tumblr media
You are in a room with four walls.
How you got here does not matter. You know you may not leave.
Behind a closed set of drapes lies a window. 
In this room with no past or future, there is but one choice you can make.
Will you peer beyond the curtains or leave them drawn? 
For if you choose to look, there is no telling what you may see. 
… 
“... [First].” 
“Hm?” 
You’re someplace different than where your mind alleged. This is not your coveted room with four, blank walls, where no one can come or go. You’re sitting at a dining room table that tilts too far to the left. There’s an untouched meal in front of you, a cup of tea that’s gone cold, and a napkin folded over your lap just the way you prefer. 
A man sits across from you — Chrollo Lucilfer. He’s staring at you, his fingers steepled, and his body leaning forward. His meal has long been finished. You blink, feeling like a computer that’s booting back up. The fog covering your senses lifts too slowly for your liking. Eventually, a blueprint of your surroundings solidifies in your mind. 
There are three people in the surrounding area, excluding yourself. Two are a formidable threat. One is not. 
“You seem distracted,” Chrollo’s voice gives nothing away. His eyes do though, just a little bit. Concern? Intrigue? You cannot pinpoint where each ends and begins. “That’s unusual for you.” 
You hate when he’s right. “I’d pay more attention if you said anything worthwhile.” 
His lips quirk up. “Is your health not worthwhile?” 
He’s got you where he wants you.
“If you’re truly concerned about my health, then you’ll return my Hatsu,” you maintain unflinching eye contact. He exhales through his nose, belying slight exasperation. “The events of today should prove I’d do better with it from the onset.” 
“In emergencies, yes. And I did return it. Long enough for you to dispatch the threat… and to hurt Feitan’s feelings, evidently.” 
You ignore his last comment, seriously doubting its authenticity. 
“One of the threats, at least,” you make a show of looking him up and down. He sighs, probably heavier than he intended, the chaotic past twenty-four hours undoubtedly weighing him down. Sensing that this particular conversation is better off over, he reclines back into his chair. Instead of mirroring his posture, you cross your legs, fold your gloved hands together, and rest them on your lap. You’re doing everything within your power to give the impression nothing is amiss. 
Alas, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Something is very, very wrong with you. 
It all began with an ambush on the car ride to this safe house. Assassins are par for the course in your line of work, it wasn’t your first encounter and you doubt it’ll be the last. The main problem was that for the first time in your life, you were fighting without your Hatsu in a situation that would’ve strongly benefited from its use. The group focused their attention on you and the Manipulator must’ve met his conditions for his ability to activate. A strange sensation swept over and temporarily debilitated you. Chrollo was quick to notice how you staggered — truthfully, you played it close to the chest to see if he’d risk returning your Hatsu should you be in mortal peril — a gamble that did and didn’t pay off.
It felt like a piece of your soul had been returned to you. Your conjured sword sliced down your three pursuers, they were entirely caught off guard by its appearance. That left you without about a second to retaliate with your briefly returned arsenal until Chrollo realized what you were planning. Ideally, you would’ve preferred to attack Chrollo, since your win condition lay in either killing him or removing his ability to conjure Bandit’s Secret. He was aware of this and kept just enough distance for that very reason. 
It had been Feitan who risked getting the closest to prevent the assassins from doing you any major harm in light of your lackluster dodging. Both he and Chrollo must’ve recognized what you were trying to do and likely considered you more of a threat than the assassin trio. You tried not to be obvious about your intentions, but they’re too sharp. 
The second long window you had felt like more than enough to seriously injure Feitan. While your physical strength had been on the lower side compared to the other Troupe members, you were faster; far outclassing the others in that particular skill set. This boon came with its own share of disadvantages, such as your tendency to tire faster in a fight if it dragged on for hours. However, you were finally in a uniquely advantageous position. You had conserved your strength in case an opening presented itself, and although it almost landed you in hot water to not go all out against three opponents, it ultimately worked in your favor. 
You lunged forward at Feitan with what should’ve been a definitive strike. The speed was there, but the power was not; the Manipulator’s unknown ability weakened you far more than you’d anticipated. It was only recently that you realized his Nen must’ve strengthened in death. It felt mostly inconsequential when you first experienced it; you didn’t think to leave the Manipulator alive as a safeguard. 
Feitan withstood the hit with some minor injuries. Your Hatsu no longer heeded your call, proof that Chrollo had taken it back. You were subdued, Feitan being far rougher than necessary and grumbling under his breath. For the past few hours, you’ve refocused all your energy toward keeping whatever that Manipulator did to you under control without giving your captors a glimpse of your weakened state. This control is steadily waning. Meditation aided you for a time, but you can tell it's growing in intensity, hence your current predicament. 
Your body’s temperature is steadily rising. At first, you hypothesized the ability is supposed to make you mortally ill, but your gut tells you that isn’t the entire picture. Aside from feeling warm and not having all your strength, you don’t believe you’re knocking on death’s door. The symptoms don’t point toward anything that serious. It’s almost as if it made you want something — there’s this primal craving inside you, trying desperately to claw its way to the surface. 
Whatever you’re currently riddled with, it's excruciating. You don’t know how much more you can take or how to put a stop to it. 
There had been a fourth party whose tracking ability led the assassins to you in the first place. After watching his comrades get eviscerated, his Zetsu wavered, giving away his position. Feitan is playing with his new toy in the basement. It’s been in the back of your mind that this fourth man might know the Manipulator’s ability. That’s why you’ve been so desperate to keep the extent of your malaise under wraps, lest Feitan learns something imperative and keeps you in the dark about it. It’ll ultimately be Chrollo’s decision, but you know they’re both not happy with your little stunt earlier. If they learn it’s nothing too detrimental, they’ll let you suffer through it as a punishment. 
“May I be excused?” You inquire with the politest tone you can muster. 
Chrollo motions to your untouched plate. “You haven’t eaten.” 
You knew this would be a point of contention. Not due to any rampant concern on his part, you both know that you’re capable of surviving without food for long periods. He’s just using this as an opportunity to see what’s truly wrong with you — he has to have his suspicions by now. You glance down at your meal. Grilled chicken, leafy greens, and a scoop of rice. The ultra-healthy regiment that Chrollo knows you favor and Feitan complains about. You still remember the look the latter gave you when you wrote chickpeas on the grocery list. 
Lying is a useless endeavor when Chrollo’s involved, he can see past your poker face without issue. Telling the truth is your best bet. “I don’t have an appetite.” 
He makes a show of looking at his watch. “You always have dinner at this time of day.” 
“There’s nothing I can do if I don’t feel hungry now. I’ll eat it in the morning.” 
You know how he loathes food being wasted and try to redirect his attention toward that. This time, you phrase it as a statement rather than a question. Chrollo gives you a long, silent look. His gray eyes pick you apart without any subtlety. He parts his lips, preparing to say something, when his attention shifts elsewhere. 
A blur comes flying your way. From reflex alone, you catch it. A first aid kit? Feitan stands at the kitchen doorway where it must’ve been thrown, wearing a black sleeveless shirt. You stop yourself from frowning. You should’ve been able to sense his presence. Any other time, doing so comes as easy as breathing, but your senses are off-kilter. You can only hope that the ease with which you caught the first aid kit covered this blunder. 
Considering the weight of Chrollo’s stare, that might be a far-fetched dream. 
“Fix this,” Feitan nods at the untreated gash on his right arm, courtesy of your earlier attack. Cutting any synovial hinge joint would have proved helpful, especially against a swordsman like Feitan. Seeing the wound up close shows your aim was slightly off. The attack landed too low on his forearm. You can’t remember the last time you made a mistake like this — it must’ve been back when you were a child. If it weren’t for that Manipulator’s ability, you would be in a far better situation right now.
The chair scrapes against the floor when Feitan pulls it out. Not seeing the point in making his mood worse, you wordlessly take the steps to comply with his demand. You go to the kitchen sink, remove your leather gloves, and wash your hands. The cool water running over your skin feels heavenly. However, you notice a damning detail while you dry yourself off. 
Your hands are shaking. 
You don’t stare at the impending problem so as not to draw unwanted attention. Your body's homeostasis is deteriorating faster than you can manage it. Or, to be more accurate, the ability’s strength must be advancing over time. Any half-decent Nen user should be capable of controlling their body temperature, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and heart rate, or else your aura suffers. You’ll have to pick your poison here. If you focus mostly on your hands, you should be able to stop the shaking for a time. Consequently, that’ll leave your fever unchecked. 
You need to get this over with quickly. 
After putting on surgical gloves and a mask, you situate yourself next to Feitan. 
“Planning operation?” He asks, amusement in his voice. 
“This is far from a sterile environment. I’m taking the necessary precautions to prevent an infection,” you soak a gauze pad in saline solution then dab it against his wound. You’re glad the mask is covering half your face, since you’re unable to stop yourself from frowning. Beating yourself up over your past mistakes won’t do any good, yet you can’t help feeling mildly disappointed seeing your botched work up close. Who knows when you’ll get an opportunity like that again? 
You’re about to wrap it in a bandage when Feitan speaks up again. “Need stitches?” 
Your fingers twitch despite yourself. He’s intentionally trying to rile you up. You won’t let him. 
“... No.” 
He snickers, his eyebrows rising, adding to his air of condescension. “Why?”
“It’s too shallow of a cut.”
“Heh.” 
What a bastard. You momentarily consider the merits of stabbing him with one of the needles in the kit. The temporary satisfaction wouldn’t be worth the trouble it’d cause you later on, you decide. You’ve endured several torments from Feitan up until this point without ever acknowledging his efforts. Truthfully, you don’t understand what exactly it is Feitan wants from you. Chrollo is easier to understand in that one aspect. Your (former?) boss wants your relationship to return to what it was before — he said so outright using words sweet enough to make your teeth ache. 
Feitan has been far less forthcoming with his motivations. He barely talks to you aside from scathing remarks, doesn’t sleep in the same room as you and Chrollo, and frequently goes missing for days at a time. All you have to go off of is the conversation he had with Chrollo the night you gave up your Hatsu in return for Ash’s safe passage. He said he was ‘interested’ in you. It was Chrollo he told this, so you know he wouldn’t lie. He couldn’t have been vaguer if he tried. 
Did he mean ‘interested’ sexually? Romantically? It’s no secret that Feitan is a sadist, but he’s never made passes at you. You don’t think he’d be the type to beat around the bush if he wanted something like that. You’ve caught him staring a few times yet always chalked it up to him thinking you’re about to pull a stunt. Then again, you’re entirely ignorant to whatever agreement Chrollo and Feitan have over you. 
Outwardly, it looks the same as it’s always been. Chrollo gives orders and Feitan obeys them. 
So why is it that your instinct whispers there’s far more to the dynamic than Feitan being an uninterested third party? 
You secure a bandage around his forearm then turn away from him and Chrollo. It’d be nice if enduring the humiliation of tending to the subpar wound you inflicted is your entire punishment, but you somehow doubt that. You know your body well and your limits even better, loathe as you are to admit you have any. Exhaustion is nipping at your heels while the night is still young. The thought of lying down, even if it’s just for a few hours, sounds divine. 
“I’m finished,” you tell Feitan, sensing his eyes on your back while you throw the mask and gloves away. “Was there anything else you needed?” 
“Your hands. Show me.”
You stop turning the faucet on to spare him a glance over your shoulder. “May I ask why?” 
“You can. Doesn’t mean I’ll answer.” 
Your eyes flicker to Chrollo next, who has remained uncharacteristically quiet throughout this interaction. The closed-mouth smile he’s giving you promises nothing good. He knows you’re hiding something — they both know you are. They’re worse than sharks smelling blood in the water. You’ve been delaying the inevitable to the best of your abilities, but this game of cat-and-mouse can’t last forever.
Resigning yourself to your fate, you take a step forward, only for a bout of lightheadedness to come crashing down. You’re forced to grab the kitchen counter to steady yourself, the granite splintering beneath the intensity of your grip, crumbling to the ground in a noisy cascade. You swear you’re seeing double when you stare down at the ground, your heart rate accelerating and breathing turning erratic. Deep breaths are taken in an attempt to steady yourself.
Immediately, there’s a presence by your side, then a delightfully cold touch against your forehead. You try not to lean into it. 
“Burning up,” Feitan remarks. He moves his hand back, and you almost keen at the loss, a factor that is as mortifying as it is perplexing. You tell yourself it’s because your body wants to regain proper equilibrium by cooling itself off. There can be no other explanation. You’re coming down with a fever, you’ll rest, and this will be over. Simple as that. 
Chrollo makes his way over to you like he has all the time in the world, his countenance giving nothing away. “He was telling the truth, then?” 
“Guess so.” 
“What… what are you both talking about?” You inquire, all the while trying and failing to push yourself up. You, a person capable of wielding an ax that weighs 4,000 pounds with ease, can’t even stand up straight. It’s a miracle your legs haven’t given out beneath you yet. 
“Feitan has been interrogating the man in the basement,” Chrollo reaches into his back pocket to grab something, a napkin, by the looks of it. He holds it up at your eye level. You blink, having to strain so that the word scribbled on it can come into focus. The messy handwriting must belong to Feitan. “I wanted to wait and see it for myself before believing him.” 
You almost get sick when the word finally registers. 
Aphrodisiac.
Feitan must’ve scribbled this note down and handed it to Chrollo. You weren’t in a good position to be perceptive of your surroundings, otherwise, you would’ve surely noticed. 
Chrollo reaches out for you, his fingers settling beneath your chin and lifting it. Your eyelids flutter shut, the simple skin-to-skin contact exhilarating, made even better when his thumb brushes over your lower lip. He gives a content hum over your willingness to accept his touch for the first time in several months. It’s a surreal sensation — how your senses can be both heightened and capable of blocking out so much — your brain is unwilling to register anything aside from the men before you. You’re backed against the now broken countertop when Chrollo advances impossibly closer, his chest pressing against yours. 
“You must’ve been suppressing it through sheer willpower all this time. I’m impressed,” he sounds like it too. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, dear, but this won’t be going away on its own.”
Chrollo’s lips caress the shell of your ear, and his hands start creeping down your body while he speaks. “You need only say the word and we’ll satisfy you. Otherwise, it’ll progress to the point it’s unbearable. I don’t exactly enjoy watching you suffer, whether you believe me or not. So be a dear and—” 
However he intended to end that sentence will forever remain a mystery. It stokes something inside you, rekindling the dying embers of your pride. Bloodlust radiates off you in tangible waves, cracking the glass of a nearby window. The miasma surrounding you is thick and potent. Harnessing the remnants of your strength, you press your hands to Chrollo’s chest, shoving him away with all your might. He stumbles back yet quickly steadies himself. 
“Do not touch me,” you seethe, the words more of a growl than anything. 
Aura envelops Feitan, who must be anticipating further resistance. The flow stops as soon as it begins when Chrollo puts a hand up to stop him. Silence loudly resounds in the tight quarters you’re forced to share with them. You feel akin to a cornered cat, hackles raised and teeth bared. There’s nothing practical you can do — it’s maddening to acknowledge that. You’re entirely at their mercy. 
And you know neither of them have any to give. 
Chrollo sighs, straightening the wrinkles on his shirt your outburst caused. “You’re making this needlessly difficult for yourself, [First].” 
“Just… knock me unconscious until it subsides, or something,” you grit out through clenched teeth. The ghosts of Feitan’s touch against your forehead and Chrollo’s fingers upon your lips haunt you. It’s as if all levels of higher thinking ceased the second they came into contact with you. “I can’t… I refuse…!” 
“Stubborn woman. Not normally this stupid,” Feitan clicks his tongue. “It’s Nen. Doesn’t work like that.” 
You grip your head with your hands. It hurts. It’s hot. Lascivious need wraps its tendrils around you and squeezes. Your body is no longer heeding the orders of your mind. You can smell Chrollo’s cologne — sandalwood, amber — as well as the metallic scent of blood clinging to Feitan. You shouldn’t have pushed him away. You should’ve let him touch you, please you, satiate this voracious appetite that won’t go away on its own. It’s been so long, far too long. He said it wouldn’t go away on its own, didn’t he? How much longer can you fight it off? 
More importantly, do you even want to fight anymore? 
You take an unsteady step forward, your head hanging long, allowing for a shadow to fall over your eyes. Your hand reaches for Chrollo’s belt yet never meets its destination. An undignified noise leaves your lips as you’re scooped up, your cheeks burning and eyes shooting wide open. Your instinct is to struggle, but when you feel a hand press beneath your thighs to steady you, your brain turns to mush. The touch isn’t anything special, though your body acts like it is. You can feel an unnatural amount of wetness staining your panties. Consequently, you rub your thighs together, hoping to alleviate some of the desperate need for friction. 
A deep, dark chuckle reverberates in Chrollo’s chest. “She’s precious, isn’t she, Fei?” 
Feitan doesn’t confirm or deny, though you can feel his eyes boring into you. “Not mad at her?” 
“That can wait for later. For now, though…” he trails off, his voice lowering in pitch and volume. “Aren’t you interested in savoring her to the fullest?” 
You don’t remember the trip to the bedroom. 
There’s the faint sound of rushed footsteps, creaky door hinges groaning, shoes being thrown aside, and the rustling of fabric. Your heartbeat rises to a crescendo when you’re placed on the bed, anticipation gnawing at you. The room is dripping with tension and a sick part of yourself relishes in it. You prop yourself up on your elbows only to find yourself getting pushed not so gently back down. 
Feitan is leering at you from above, his eyes like that of a madman. 
Not a word is uttered as you glare back up at him. Without his cowl, you can see every inch of his countenance, the cruel curve of his lips, and the upward incline of his eyebrows. There’s no time to dwell on the negative emotions such a feral stare instills, for you register movement coming from behind. Familiar toned arms wrap around your torso. Chrollo pulls you onto his lap, your back flush against his broad chest. His lips lovingly caress the shell of your ear, grazing the sensitive flesh with his teeth. 
“Are you ashamed, [First]?” He taunts, his voice taking on a husky tinge. “A woman of your status offering herself over so willingly to two depraved men… I can’t fathom how bruised your ego must be.” 
This compromising position must do something for him. You feel his hardened length poking at your ass, betraying his arousal. 
“Neither of you are capable of harming my ego.” 
You exhale sharply when he tugs your head back by your hair. 
“Casuistry is unbecoming of you, dear.” 
“Is that what that was…?” You trail off, trying not to show how good it feels when Chrollo latches his lips to your neck. “Are you so caught up in your own delusions that you fail to recognize this is about satisfying a biological function, not an expression of passion?” 
You’re grateful for your high pain tolerance when Chrollo sinks his teeth into your skin, hard enough to leave a mark for the days that’ll follow. He lavishes his tongue against it afterward, his chest vibrating from a quiet chuckle. 
“Talks too much,” Feitan grumbles. For a moment, you wonder if he's referring to you or Chrollo. “Gag?” 
“Unnecessary. We wouldn’t want to miss out on the sounds she’s going to make, would we?” 
This line of reasoning seems to satisfy Feitan. Unlike Chrollo, who treats undressing you as if it were a form of foreplay itself, Feitan is rough with your clothes. You’d almost think they offended him somehow. You wince at the sound of ripping. The black fabric covering your torso flutters to the side, revealing the swell of your cleavage. Perspiration clings to you in a thin sheen from your body’s meager attempts to cool down. You swear you hear Feitan’s breath shudder when his sallow fingers descend on your chest. 
He’s far from gentle with his exploration of the soft flesh. He kneads and pulls, giving little heed to what you find pleasurable. Then his pointer finger and thumb find your nipple, visible through your nude-colored bra. A special sadistic delight is taken in twisting the nub and observing the subsequent parting of your lips in a high-pitched gasp. 
“... Cute,” he comments. Your fingers twitch, indignation spurring you on to try and strike him, a rebellion Chrollo ends prematurely by holding your dominant arm in place. He uses enough pressure that you wouldn’t be surprised if the skin bruises in the shape of his hand. 
“Now now, there’s no need to resort to violence, is there?” Chrollo’s voice is akin to nails on a chalkboard. The irony of a mass-murdering thief preaching this platitude isn’t lost on you. 
Feitan quirks up an eyebrow when you jut your head to the side, your teeth clenching and cheeks burning. Damn them both. 
“Ego hurt yet?” Feitan croons. 
You recenter yourself to the best of your abilities, considering every cell in your body is screaming for a return to primal instinct. They’re both dead wrong if they think you’re going to roll over and take everything they dish out. Perhaps it’ll spell more trouble for you further down the line, but the logical side of your brain which normally dominates is waning. You wrench yourself forward with enough force that Chrollo has to lessen his grip on your arm, lest he dislocate it. Maybe there is some truth behind his earlier claim that he ‘doesn’t enjoy watching you suffer’, or maybe the lack of bloodlust clues him in that you aren’t up to anything nefarious. 
Whatever the case, this momentum and easing up of your restraints grants the freedom to do what you plan next. Your hands, marred with dark lines along the veins from Corruption’s improper usage many years prior, hold Feitan’s face in place. His shock is evident by the lack of movement on his part when your lips press against his. Your clammy skin derives satisfaction from how unnaturally cold his body is. 
This is the closest thing you’ve gotten to relieving the gnawing need that’s been threatening to devour you from the inside out. 
In the millisecond it takes for him to comprehend what’s happening, he secures back what little power you temporarily held over him. His kiss is rough, demanding, and clearly inexperienced. You’re too far gone to care. You make a show of kissing him with every ounce of languid affection you once bestowed upon the man behind you, your head tilting to the side and back arching to press further into him. Something between a groan and a grunt leaves Feitan when your hand seeks out his clothed length, palming at it until it fully hardens. 
This temporary rebalancing of power mixed with finally feeding the carnal hunger within you is invigorating, sending adrenaline through your veins. Feitan nips at your lower lip and you grant him access to your mouth. His tongue seeks out yours in a dance you never thought you’d willingly participate in. The world is fuzzy, an unintelligible string of blurred shapes and colors you can’t make any sense of. All that registers to you is an all-encompassing desire to succumb to lust’s bittersweet embrace. 
Is this what it’s like to be drunk? Stuck in a pleasant haze where the slightest stimulation feels far better than it should, potential consequences be damned?
When you part for air, a thin trail of saliva connects you. 
“Still wish to gag me?” You goad, unwilling to resist making a jab at his expense. He enjoyed that far too much for you not to sneak in a snide comment.
Feitan smirks. “Not with rag.” 
He then looks to Chrollo, as if silently asking permission for something. Evidently, he must receive it, for the rest of your outfit is torn from your person. What would’ve irritated you in any other circumstance comes as an immense relief now. The heat enveloping you is stupefying. Cognition is overshadowed by a primal need you never could’ve thought yourself capable of. You’ll do anything to offset this unique torture, the likes of which you’ve never been forced to endure.
You’re left in nothing but your sheer black tights and bra, your chest heaving in a desperate bid to get enough oxygen. Sweat trickles down your temple. 
Every inch of your body is so unusually sensitive, as if your nerve endings have multiplied. The science behind whatever the Manipulator’s ability did intrigues you. Did it decrease activity in your prefrontal cortex, making long-term planning near impossible? Excite the endocrine system in a way that encourages sexual arousal? Trick your brain into activating fight or flight if you’re not being stimulated? 
The relationship between science and Nen has always fascinated you. Regrettably, you’re not in the headspace to conduct research. It’s growing increasingly difficult to form so much as a coherent thought.
Behind you, Chrollo undoes the clasp of your bra, revealing your chest in its entirety to both men. If there was ever any doubt that Feitan’s interest in you is lascivious in nature, his current expression dispels it. He looks at you like one would a piece of tantalizing meat. You never would’ve thought Feitan was sexually attracted to you by the indifferent air he normally held. In retrospect, you wonder if that was his way of trying to keep his impulses under control until the timing was right. 
“Lift yourself up for me, dear,” Chrollo uses such gentle words, but his tone tells you this is an order. You do as he requests. From this angle, he’s able to help pull your tights down by the waistband. It’s a slow, tedious process; he acts as if he has all the time in the world, inching the delicate fabric down to reveal your thighs. You shiver when his fingernails scrape at your skin. It takes everything you have to hold back a sinful moan at the teasing contact. 
“I hadn’t realized tights were so sacred to you,” you say. He had no objections when Feitan tore at the rest of your custom-tailored outfit. 
You can hear the smile on his face when he replies, “There’s only this one pair, whereas we have other clothes for you. It’d be a shame to not see you in something that complements your features so well.” 
“How very considerate.” 
Feitan helps pull it off once it gets to your knees, using a degree of care you thought him incapable of. It must be because his boss willed the action. He spreads your legs without any resistance, his eyes fixating on your covered core. Evidence of your arousal seeps through. It’s a sight that causes Feitan to mutter something in his language that you suspect to be an expletive.
A silver streak soars through your vision. You go motionless, allowing Chrollo to slice through your panties with his Ben’s Knife. 
You glare at him from the corner of your eye. “Are you trying to kill me? What strange paraphilias you’ve developed since we’ve last been intimate.” 
“I was confident in your ability to stay still,” Chrollo’s fingers linger right above your clit, refusing to touch the one place you begrudgingly desire him most. “Besides, we both know a little poison wouldn’t put your life in serious danger. Give yourself more credit, sweetheart.” 
The audacity of this man is astounding. 
Chrollo spreads your folds for Feitan’s viewing pleasure. 
“Isn’t she just lovely?” Chrollo practically purrs, his baritone voice causing goosebumps to erupt over your skin, despite the internal heat afflicting you. “You can touch her, Fei. She won’t bite.” 
It’s an invitation he can’t turn down. 
Without warning, two fingers are thrust inside you. You tense at the unexpected intrusion and have to tell your muscles to relax. Fortunately, there’s enough natural lubrication that it doesn’t hurt as bad as it could’ve. You suppose it should come as no surprise that the man with an affinity for torture isn’t tender in bed. He cackles at your visceral reaction, but you have no chance to retaliate, for he pulls his fingers back out and slams them back in. Dull discomfort quickly transitions to a deep, satisfying feeling. Chrollo further enforces it by finally rubbing precise circles just the way you like on your clit. 
You squeeze your eyes shut and lull your head to the side. Digging deep into the recesses of your hazy mind, you try to block out who exactly is touching you like this, wanting to focus on the pleasure and nothing else. 
Chrollo must have a rough idea of what you’re trying to do. He sighs, as if disappointed, grabbing your jaw and forcing you to face downward. 
“Open your eyes, or we’ll stop,” he whispers. You bite down on your lower lip hard enough to almost bleed. “Oh, [First]. I know very well that you aren’t a prude. Come now. Don’t make me ask again.” 
Your eyelashes flutter open like butterfly wings. From the position he’s holding your head, you have nowhere to look but at Feitan’s fingers slipping in and out of you, a lewd sight that makes you whimper. Maybe you’ll berate yourself for your weakness when you’re in a lucid mindset. For now, however, you’re starting to lift your hips to meet his relentless assault. You feel no better than a vacuous animal, yet embarrassment is the furthest thing on your mind. The word has been wiped clean from your lexicon. 
With how sensitive your body is in this state, it doesn’t take long for that knot in your stomach to tighten. You’re panting, your head is thrown back, taking in each wave of overwhelming stimuli. Chrollo’s lips caressing your neck’s pulse, the friction on your clit, and Feitan’s fingers exploring your insides. It’s too much. The air is heady with the scent of sex, Chrollo’s cologne, and the metallic blood splattered on Feitan. 
You’re so close, your walls clenching and the muscles in your thighs going taut— 
—When they both abruptly stop. 
Breathlessly, you murmur ‘wretched sadists’ in your native tongue.
“Him more so than me,” Chrollo replies. In your frustration, you forgot he was making good progress in learning your country’s language. Soon you won’t even have that to keep for yourself. He’ll have invaded every inch of your life and claimed it for himself. 
Feitan brings his slick-covered pointer and middle finger close to your face. He parts them, observing the string of your arousal it forms with an amused expression. 
“Needy thing,” he snickers. 
He takes his fingers into his mouth, then gives a low hum, apparently enjoying your taste. When the digits slide back out, they’re coated in both his saliva and your essence. You grimace when he places them on your closed lips next, your obsession with hygiene temporarily triumphing over the aphrodisiac’s effects. Feitan frequently poked fun at how you wiped away blood and viscera should any have gotten on your person after a kill. You’ve never been partial to uncleanliness, although you could deal with it just fine when necessary. 
Knowing Feitan, he’s likely getting off on your discomfort. 
“Open,” he demands. You do with some reluctance, tasting yourself on your tongue. Your unusual obedience seems to please him. “Good girl.” 
You narrow your eyes into slits then, warmth flooding your face. He’s the last person you’d ever want to give you a compliment like that. Condescension is an area that both Chrollo and Feitan excel in. Chrollo’s is often more subtle, taking a moment’s consideration to fully comprehend, whereas Feitan is cruelly blunt. You can’t decide which is worse. 
The bed dips as Chrollo readjusts himself. Feitan moves to the side, giving Chrollo plenty of room to do whatever he wants with you next. Your former boss unbuttons his shirt and tosses it aside. His hands go to your shoulders, pushing in a silent communication for you to lay back. If it weren’t for the unfair condition you’re currently plagued with, you would’ve had some choice words at the ready. Especially when he strokes your cheekbone with the back of his knuckles, softly, as a lover would. You internally curse at how your traitorous body leans into his touch. 
The distinct sound of Chrollo undoing his belt catches your attention. 
After ridding himself of his remaining clothes, he lifts your left leg over his shoulder, an enigmatic gleam in his gray eyes. You feel his tip rub teasingly over your folds, gathering your abundant wetness. Proving to you just how desperately your body wants this — wants him. He’s trying to make a point. You imagine you must be quite the sight to him, all disheveled like this. Forcefully dragged out from your icy shell of propriety. Your hair which is normally styled in an updo is loose and forming twirls against the bed, your chest is rising and falling erratically, and your aura is a mess. 
In this moment, you’ve essentially been reduced to a civilian. 
You both let out content noises when he enters you. Your walls convulse around him, taking him in with ease, despite how long it’s been since you’ve had sex. It’s as if your body is telling you that it remembers him, no matter how hard you try to forget. In the dark of night, you sometimes wonder if Chrollo knows you better than you know yourself. He’s committed every little nuance about you to memory. Your preferences, likes and dislikes; he’s showcasing his mastery over you by providing the pleasure only he can. 
You shudder when he fully sheathes himself inside you. It makes the aphrodisiac swallowing you whole slightly more bearable, quelling the fire just enough that you no longer feel you’re being burned. 
Feitan lazily jerks himself off at your indecent expressions, breathing heavily as he pumps his reddened cock up and down. 
“You’re a cruel woman, depriving me of this for so long,” Chrollo takes both your wrists in one hand and pins them above you. “I’ve longed for your body terribly, love. It belongs here — underneath me.” 
By the way your face contorts, he must be able to tell that he won’t like whatever your reply will be, so he sets out to steal the air from your lungs. An undignified whimper leaves your lips at the rough pace he establishes from the onset. You’d almost think it was him under the influence of the aphrodisiac and not you. There’s no gradual, sensual buildup, just skin slapping against skin as he fucks you without mercy. You want to grab ahold of something, anything to steady yourself in the unforgiving onslaught of ecstasy, but his grip on you is unrelenting. Your limbs feel like jello, incapable of displaying your usual strength to break free from his hold. 
Sensing your intentions, as he almost always does, he coos, “If you want something, then be a dear and beg.” 
There’s a darkness in his voice that’s never been directed at you before. An underlying desperation. Chrollo craves you, longs for you, and you’ve denied him his greatest desire. He has no right to sigh and brood over your refusal to go back to how things were, before he betrayed your trust. You let him into your world. Granted him access to parts of yourself that have never seen the light of day, tentatively opened your heart bit by bit. 
Only that alone couldn’t satisfy him. He needed more than your heart. Your mind, your soul, your body; your very being. And you weren’t willing to give him that. Not then, not now, not ever. So you purse your lips, glaring up at him with all the defiance you can muster in this weakened state. 
He chuckles at the ferocity in your eyes, though it’s a humorless sound. Bitter, almost. 
“My stubborn girl,” Chrollo whispers in your native tongue. “Try as you might, you’ll never be rid of me. I won’t even let you go in death.” 
“I’ll— mm— have to test that theory.” 
Something passes over his face then. Is it exasperation? Dismay? Hurt? 
“Go ahead then,” he says. You’ve never seen this look in his eyes. “Do your worst.” 
An odd sensation sweeps over you then. You furrow your eyebrows together, trying to place it, all the while Chrollo increases his speed. This is a phenomenon you’ve experienced and recently at that. It’s akin to puzzle pieces fitting together, everything falling back into its proper place. Then it hits you, the realization causing your eyes to widen and your breath to catch in your throat. 
This bastard just returned your Hatsu. 
You try (and fail) to lift your head. You can barely think straight, much less properly harness your mess of an aura. Being condemned to an eternity of hunger and thirst with food and drink receding from your reach would be preferable to this. It’s wicked; it’s Chrollo making good on his surname. His cock twitches inside you at your futile struggle. He hits a spot in you that makes you keen, you ruined orgasm from earlier growing closer and closer. 
“What are you waiting for?” Chrollo challenges in between soft pants. “Have I rendered one of your country’s best fighters incapable of making a single strike? Hm?” 
“That isn’t—” your own mewl cuts you off, “This is… not fair…!"
He shakes the hair covering his eyes so nothing can obstruct his current view. “I can’t be, darling. Not with you.” 
If you didn’t know any better, you might think he sounds apologetic. 
This is quickly disproven when his fingers find your clit and rub it just right. 
When you come, it’s unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before. Your back arches into him, your lips part in a silent scream, and you manage to exert enough strength to free your hands from Chrollo’s grasp. You scratch your fingernails down his back, leaving angry red streaks in your wake. Chrollo curses under his breath in a rare instance, given his proclivity for formal speech. Your walls squeeze down on him like a vice. 
His hips stutter and his grip on you becomes bruising. He nuzzles his nose into your neck, quietly moaning your name as if you were a deity; and he, your most devout follower. 
Warmth floods your insides not long after, a seemingly endless stream of cum painting your walls white. Chrollo holds you in place, absentmindedly rubbing circles into the skin he just bruised, a satisfied smile on his lips. You feel him go soft inside you, yet he still makes no sign of pulling out. To add insult to injury, your Hatsu slips away like sand between your fingers, back into his wrongful possession.
Then thick ropes spurt across your tits, accompanied by something like a growl from Feitan. Seeing you come undone must’ve pushed him over the edge. He pumps himself to completion while you struggle to make sense of what just happened. What you just did. 
The aphrodisiac is still active in your system, you can feel it clouding your senses and diluting your judgment. However, it’s far less potent than it was earlier. At its peak, it threatened to fray your sanity. What a dreadful ability. You regret killing the one who used it on you. Had he still been breathing, you would’ve flayed him alive for doing this to you. 
Feitan must not be the pillow talk type. He’s quick to redress, slinking out of the room after giving you an additional once over. He smirks and then leaves you to the whims of his boss. 
Chrollo places the back of his hand against your forehead. “Your fever’s gone down.” 
You avert your eyes and he tilts his head. 
“Don’t tell me you’re upset,” he comments, while finally pulling out. You feel his release seeping out in thick globs. “You would’ve been far worse off had we not intervened. Our guest in the basement can attest to that.” 
When you stay stubbornly silent, he sighs your name. “I know your vocal cords are working just fine. Whatever it is you wish to say, say it.” 
Your head snaps back so you can properly stare him in the eye. There’s a trembling of your lower lip that takes him aback, although he smooths his expression to one of indifference almost immediately. You aren’t the crying type. If anything, he’s probably cried more than you have in the time you’ve known him. He goes to wipe at your lash line, but you smack his hand away. The hit barely has any force behind it. Unexpectedly, he stills, his gaze boring down. 
“I can’t believe I actually l—” you cut yourself off with a shake of your head. You’re exhausted, not thinking straight, and you probably won’t be able to move without help. Whatever lapse in judgment that almost caused you to admit an intimately held secret closes as soon as it opens. 
Chrollo studies you. Whatever he feels then is a mystery, though you hope it cut him deep. Through flesh and sinew, down to the bone. 
“Let’s get you cleaned up,” he eventually says. “I know you hate feeling dirty.” 
When he lifts you up, careful not to aggravate the bruise on your person, you mull over a single question. 
Did he change the subject for your sake, or for his? 
808 notes · View notes
akabaka-dev · 12 days
Note
Can I ask, what made you think of the "date to die for" thing.
I mean, what did you think when writing the story? (I love your games.)
So way back in 2021, SFL was first conceptualized as part of a game-jam style game collection (Dread X Collection 2), where the theme was adapting Lovecraftian lore. That version of the game you can play for free as Sucker for Love: Prelude on steam. After that iteration, our publisher signed Akabaka for a three game contract
The Sucker for Love story was loosely planned from the start as a 3 game narrative, with interconnected stories following different protagonists and their romantic encounters with the Outer Gods. The original plans were to first expand Sucker for Love: Prelude into a full, dating-sim game, with the protag, Darling, attempting to win a kiss from multiple detailed Eldritch ladies. Cthulu, the King in Yellow, and Nyarlathotep are 3 of the most recognizable lovecraftian gods with a lot of lore to pull from (along with Azathoth and the Black Goat of the Woods.) For SFL First Date, to keep the scope of the game smaller, Akabaka focused on just those three.
The second game was always planned to be a foil to the first game, where the player could go deep with a single Eldritch goddess instead of wide, so the player could get to spend a lot of time with their love interest. For SFL Date to Die For, the Black Goat of the Woods was a complex but interesting character to adapt from Lovecraft's writings. (That's a whole post on its own...) But for a series about "dating sexy versions of eldritch gods", the Black Goat of the Woods fit really well as a datable love interest, when stripped down to her core trait of being the all-mother with a powerful aura who drives everyone in her proximity to madness with desire.
Originally, the protagonist was planned to be a disaster lesbian, sort of a female version of Darling. But in the actual writing of the plot and dialouge, Aka kept hitting a major plot hole: if Rhok'zan has a powerful sex aura that make everyone go mad with lust, wouldn't Stardust basically get vaporized from her already next-level lust being magnified 1000 fold? The solution was surprisingly simple though- the only human who could survive Rhok'zan's aura even for a second would be an asexual person. (An aside: I think that's something really special about DTDF actually- Stardust truly is the only person that could have saved the day, BECAUSE of her asexuality- not in spite of it. Her asexuality is as central to her story as Darling's all-consuming lust is to his ☆)
Also as a foil to SFL First Date, the second game was planned from the start to have a heavier focus on the 'horror' aspect of the series, and a focus on cultists as a real, present danger. Main inspiration here was The Dunwich Horror, where the threat comes not from the Outer Gods, but from the rabid town of cultists who want all outsiders dead.
So with all of those aspects set, the rest of the narrative for Date to Die For came together from there :)
(As for the third game, the plot has been mostly set for a while, but yall will have to wait and see~)
78 notes · View notes
faithshouseofchaos · 8 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Theirs — werewolf!Charlos x reader
Smut rewrite 1169 words
Tagged— @80sloverry @wolfsbanesbite @toasttt11 @norrisleclercf1 @norizznorris @moss-is-a-tasty-snack @kaimoon128 @lollypop90907 @ironcowboycopnickel @norrisleclercf1
Theirs— werewolf!Charles x reader
If you thought having one werewolf boyfriend was hard try having two it was no walk in the park it had its challenges. Both of the boys were walking furnaces it’s great in the winter but in the summer it was exhausting, you couldn’t go out at night for a short walk without having one or both of your boyfriends following you whether it’s in human or wolf form, out with friends or celebrating one of their race wins one of the boys were with you glaring at anyone who tried to talk to you. Nonetheless, you loved them both even if they were being difficult but you couldn’t bring yourself to be mad with them. you loved them so much even if they were overprotective.
You were sitting on the couch reading your book when both of your boyfriends came up to you and took your book out of your hands.
“What’s gotten into you both?” You asked suspiciously as they were always up to something.
We want to try something new,” Carlos said as Charles kneaded your thigh and kissed up and down your neck.
“Try what Carlos?” You asked, trying to focus as Charles moved his hand from your thigh to the inside of your panties. His fingers ever so lightly pressed where you needed him, he was teasing and working you up for whatever the boys had in mind.
“Hide and seek, run and we’ll seek,” Charles said, pulling away from you. With a smug look on his face.
“If you win amour we’ll let you do whatever you want to us,” Carlos said
“And if you lose we’ll have ours with you” Charles.
You don’t know whose idea this was or why you agreed to it. You swear they got off on this. You were running through the woods trying not to let the boys find you hide and seek is what they said you were their prey for the night. They had worked you up before turning you loose giving you a much-needed head start not that it matters you knew they’d find you.
You thought you were doing pretty well, you went in all different directions trying to trick the boys, and you even ditched your jacket to throw them off. Key word you tried to trick them.
You hid behind a giant tree letting out a breath of relief, you looked around the tree swearing you heard footsteps not seeing anything you turned and came face to face with the smaller leaner wolf with chocolate brown fur and blue/green eyes it was Charles which meant Carlos was to far behind looking around for Carlos you didn’t see or hear him so you took off in the opposite direction away from Charles causing him to chase after you,
You didn’t get too far when a pair of arms lifted you off the ground, Carlos. “I got you” he whispered in your ear.
“No fair” you whined
“Don’t be like that, you did pretty good” Carlos said, trailing his lips down your neck. “What do you say? Let's find Charles and we’ll finish what he started earlier.
“I’m right here and I say that is a good idea,” Charles said walking towards you he had gone back for your jacket. “I like that idea” you hummed out.
Getting back to the house Carlos tossed you down on the bed. Carlos pulled your pants off, tossed them aside, and ran his fingers Through your folds feeling how wet you were. He growled at the feeling of his cock growing hard.
“Charles mate come here and feel this” Carlos said, instructing Charles over. Carlos grabbed Charles's hand and made Charles feel the slick wetness.
Charles whined when Carlos pulled his hand away from you.
“Please do something, I don't care what just anything” you moaned.
“aww mira a nuestra patética puta necessitate,” Carlos said with a smirk on his face he was always the more patient one of the three.
“You heard her Charles do something,” Carlos said as he went and sat in the chair in front of the bed watching.
Charles pulled your panties down your legs tossing them to the side. He then pulled you to the edge of the bed tossing a leg over each of his shoulders kneading, kissing, and nipping at the insides. You were positive that you’d find marks there later but you didn’t care. Charles licked a stripe up your folds, his nose brushing against your clit. Charles's tongue pushes in and out of you. you gripped his hair pulling on the strands and grinding against his face causing you to moan out.
You looked over at Carlos who had pulled out his cock and stroked it watching as his boyfriend ate out his girlfriend. You noticed how dark his eyes looked from across the room turned on as much as you and Charles were.
Charles pushed two of his fingers into you. His mouth sucking and lightly biting your clit all the stimulation you were experiencing pushing you over the edge cumming all over Charles's face.
Catching your breath you see Carlos walk over to the two of you. Curious of what he’ll do next you propped yourself on your elbows watching as he pulled Charles up off his knees kissing him and moaning at the taste of your and Charles's tongue.
Carlos pulled away from Charles running two of his fingers in your fold gathering up your slick and shoving them into your mouth which you sucked on cleaning them off. Once Carlos was satisfied he pulled his fingers out of your mouth.
“Turn around on your hands and knees,” he said, taking off his pants and boxes. Carlos stroked his cock a few times before running it against your folds sinking into you moaning at the feeling of you squeezing him. Carlos gripped your hips and moved in and out of you the feel of his cock in you had you moaning out loud. Charles took the opportunity and held his cock in front of your face, you took it, giving it a few good strokes before sucking on it.
Carlos snaked a hand underneath you finding your clit and applying pressure to it in a circular motion. The pleasure you were feeling had you moaning around Charles's cock causing him to buck his hips and making his cock go deeper into your mouth. You began to squeeze Carlos's cock making him twitch in you signaling that he was almost there Charles was close to and so were you.
Carlos leaned forward kissing, biting, and sucking your back neck, and shoulders which triggered your release the Carlos and Charles release. Carlos and you rode out your high while Charles got a cup of ice-cold water and a couple of warm rags to use to clean you up.
The three of you were lying in bed when you looked at them and said “we should do that more often.
225 notes · View notes
mollymauk-teafleak · 3 months
Text
when we begin again
I wanted to write something for my little huskerdust babies au! So here's some devastating angst!!
Huge thanks to @minky-for-short for being the first to indulge me in this madness and the general encouragement and huge thanks to @hangsters for putting up with me singing these songs on repeat whenever by brain goes into standby
Please reblog and leave a comment over on Ao3!
cw trans angel dust, male presenting pregnancy
-
“You have to deal with Angel Dust.”
Husk had been hearing that a lot lately. It made him happier than he’d be willing to admit to anyone with working ears. 
Well. Anyone apart from Angel Dust himself. 
But that surly voice didn’t belong to his man, it was Vaggie who had appeared against his bar, hands braced on it and interrupting the game of poker Husk had been playing against himself. There wasn’t much to do when you were a bartender who’d promised not to drink for the next six months, two weeks and three days. But who was counting? 
Husk didn’t look up, rolling the olives he used as chips from one pile to the other, blatantly cheating and willing himself not to notice, “Let me guess, he made Charlie cry again? Or was it Nifty this time? Ah fuck, did he piss off the radio demon…”
He’d rattled them off in order of likelihood but he wouldn’t put any of them past his spider demon lately. Angel Dust had always been an acquired taste with that sugared armor he put on and the sharp tongue underneath, the teasing smirk he faced the afterlife with. Hell, it had been a while before Husk broke under his charms and that was only after seeing them for what they were, pretty decoration on someone who’d been through a lot and chosen his weapons carefully. He was an asshole, smug and bitchy and vulgar, and Husk had learned to love it.
But for someone who’d actively chased chemical imbalance for years, the guy was not handling pregnancy well.
Tired, aching and hormonal, his time lately was mostly spent sulking on the couch, scowling at anyone who came near, firing off cutting remarks that weren’t so funny without the smile and wink to go along with them. There were very few people in the hotel he hadn’t upset, hitting every square on the bingo sheet, losing his shit over the smallest thing until he deserved some kind of special prize for acidity. He’d be sorry when he calmed down, continually brought to tears by his friends’ patience with him, all of them ready to play the whole scene out the next day.
Hence why Husk was asked to deal with him as often as he was, riding on his baby daddy pass. Being the spider demon’s keeper would lose its shine eventually but it hadn’t happened yet and he didn’t see it on the horizon either. 
“Well, no more than usual but…” Vaggie continued, her palm still over his winning hand. 
Husk sighed, “Look, I know he’s a lot to deal with right now but you can’t blame the guy. He was a bitch with booze, cigarettes and drugs mixed in, now he’s had to drop all three on short notice, topped off with two spider kittens using his organs as a trampoline and turning his brain into soup.” 
“No,” Vaggie’s voice shifted from surly to irritated with an edge of worry that shattered Husk’s warm feeling and pulled his eyes off his cards, “No, it’s not like that, Husk.”
“What’s up with him?” he felt his ears pick up, like if he strained enough, he could hear Angel somewhere upstairs. 
When he’d come back from the store, laden with sweet treats that made his teeth ache just looking at them and insane combinations Angel’s cravings had been demanding lately, he’d just assumed the sofa was empty because the spider was upstairs, sleeping. But Vaggie’s expression said something different. Guilt settled over Husk like a wet blanket. Why didn’t he go and check on him…
“That’s the thing, we don’t know,” the former angel folded her arms, “He was sitting in the lounge like usual, watching TV, me and Charlie were setting up for today’s lesson and suddenly he just got up and stormed off. Slammed the door and hasn’t left since. Snaps at anyone who comes knocking to go fuck themselves.” 
Husk felt the fur across his shoulders lift. Some of that was normal. Some of that gave him the concrete feeling of knowing the next card you turned would blow your hand or knowing that fist was sailing right for your nose. 
“Um…guys?” Charlie’s voice had a tremble that made it sound ready to break, “I think I know what upset him.”
The television was blaring when they ran over to where she sat in the lounge but that had a lot to do with the voice of Katie Killjoy, curdled nastily and accompanied by a dangerous lioness smile. 
And a grainy, lopsided paparazzi shot of Angel Dust, pupils wide as silver dollars and a grin so loose it was sliding right off his face, a poisonous looking martini in one of his hands, a rolled up note in another. 
“Ah fuck…” Husk groaned softly. 
“...with the frankly staggering revelation that the bumbling efforts over at the Hazbin Hotel actually work, somewhat, Hell is left with questions. How did such embarrassing methods actually produce results? Is this the first step on the road to ascension? Is this all an elaborate hoax by the Princess of Hell in a bid to sell us on her hotel? All valid questions in the wake of this news! But we here at Vox Media Productions have another to add to the list.”
The photo of Angel Dust was blown up, becoming footage, bleeding into clips from his more violent pornos. Husk doubted he had a heart anymore but something in his chest ached at the sight of a clear downward spiral. He used to watch Angel like this and tell himself he didn’t care, that the kid was none of his concern, an afterlife imploding to the same tune he’d heard a thousand times, living and dead. 
But he was long past lying to himself. Now he had no shield against the pain of watching the man he loved drown in front of him, knowing there was a version of himself just in the wings, too damn stubborn and too damn drunk to help him. 
“The well known sinner at the center of this shocking story is no stranger to scandal, though he’s far more used to making a profit from it. Angel Dust, star of many award winning pornographic films, is the supposed father-to-be but close, personal friends of the spider himself have raised their concerns.”
Husk could feel the growl running between his teeth like an electric current. He could take a guess at just who’d fed them this story. 
“Sinners, ask yourselves, is this really the person who should be in charge of Hell’s very first children? A known drug addict who makes his living from indecency? And, according to insider reports from Porn Studios, an unreliable, temperamental, unstable individual? There have been a lot of very worrying leaks about his on set behavior and, while we were all willing to turn a blind eye before, there are now young lives at stake. Can we really allow this to continue? Vox Media certainly doesn’t think so.”
A dagger flashed out and crashed through the screen, turning the chatter and flashing images into gurgling pops of static and then silence. Vaggie wrenched her weapon free, eyes flaring enough to burn holes in the wall. 
“Someone needs to crush that fucking bug,” she spat, “Pin him to a goddamn corkboard.”
“They said it’s their top story, they must have been talking about it all day…” Charlie flickered between forms, horns phasing in and out, tears welling in her eyes, “Angel must have seen it…”
“We knew Valentino would throw a bitch fit over you keeping the kids out of his hands,” Vaggie spun the dagger between her fingers like there might still be something to throw it at, “But getting Vox to do his dirty work? Fucking coward…”
“They can’t…they can’t actually take the babies from him right? Right?” Charlie shook herself, hands twisting in her hair, “No, no, of course not. Because we’ll do something about it! I’ll…I’ll get them to interview me! We’ll run our own piece! Start our own news station?”
“I’m going to talk to him.”
Husk’s voice, oddly calm and empty of anger, brought his friends up short, stalling their fury and their panic. He wrenched his claws out of the furrows he’d dug in the back of the sofa, keeping his breathing steady and even as he took the stairs two at a time. 
The more demonic part of him wanted to howl and break things, smash glass and break his claws against the wall. The part of him that had once been an Overlord wanted to track down Valentino and tear the wings off his back, grind him into the ground until he was as small as he’d ever made Angel feel. The human part of him wanted to find the nearest bottle and drain it dry, rob himself of all feeling, blunt the edges of this pain until he didn’t have to deal with it at all. 
But Husk ignored all of them. It took a moment but he managed it eventually, shoving them into the back of his mind where they couldn’t take control of his limbs. There was only one thing that he could let matter right now. 
Angel Dust wasn’t the only one who was struggling with the change in their afterlives.
The bedroom behind the door was still his own, technically, but he hadn’t thought of it that way in a while. They hadn’t been an item long before pink started bleeding into the otherwise lifeless space, bright clothes actually making use of the wardrobe, make-up left scattered in front of the mirror, Fat Nuggets snoring on Husk’s side of the bed more often than not. Angel Dust still had his room down the hall, Husk knew he got a lot of reassurance out of having his own space (and he had a lot more shit) but his paws brought him here first. 
He knocked lightly, pressing his forehead to the door, “Angel? Baby, it’s me.”
There was a very deliberate pause where Husk knew there was a good chance he’d be told to fuck off, a static weight where lightning might strike or it might not. He held his breath, tail whipping anxiously, not praying, he wasn’t fool enough for that, but hoping pretty damn hard. 
Eventually, he heard a soft murmur, the sound of fabric moving, “M’here.”
He took that as permission to gently ease the heavy door open. Their room was dark, almost completely, apart from the sickly blue light flooding out of the phone in Angel’s hands. The spider demon was slumped on the bed, angular limbs folded in like someone had taken a rolled up newspaper to him, the only part of him that moved was the thumb scrolling endlessly through some newsfeed. Husk could hear tinny versions of Angel’s exaggerated moans and squeals from any number of pornos, interspersed with canned commentary from the 666 News broadcast. It seemed like Vox wasn’t the only Vee helping Valentino play dirty. 
Husk sighed, closing the door behind him and gently clambering onto the bed, though he gave Angel plenty of room, “Baby, maybe you should stop listening to that…”
Angel’s voice was thin and rough, like it had come through a belt sander, “He’s sending me them. Val. Making sure I don’t miss any.”
Husk swallowed back acidic anger, “Block him. You can put it down, Angel, it’s okay…” 
“Used to tell yourself that at the roulette table, huh? Just put it down?” Angel flashed him a bitter look. 
Husk couldn’t help it, he flinched. Immediately his boyfriend’s anger cracked and collapsed, horror and shame underneath. The phone slipped from his fingers, landing face down and dropping them into darkness. But the pentagram moon showed Husk more than enough, the tears bleeding down Angel’s face, his mouth twisted miserably as it swallowed him under. 
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”
Husk sighed, holding out his hands, “I know you didn’t, baby, I know. Look, can I touch you? That okay?”
Angel’s two sets of arms seemed to be in disagreement. One set trembled closer to Husk’s, the other hovered over the phone, both pulling against the other and both terrified. Husk found himself doing it again, that thing that wasn’t praying, harder than he’d done over any green-felted table. 
The stalemate finally broke and, thank fuck, Husk was the winner. Angel Dust crashed into him with more force than you’d ever think was in that skinny body, clutching him tight enough to hurt, not that Husk could find it in him to care. He felt warm tears soak the fur at the curve of his neck, welcomed them, brought his wings around to shelter the two of them, purred loud and unashamedly, rocked him the way he’d never been rocked himself but it felt right. 
“I don’t get it,” the words came waterlogged and painful, “I didn’t ask for them. I didn’t ask for these kids but I’m doing my fucking best and now I have them, all everyone wants to do is take them away from me.”
For a moment, Husk was envious of his lover, two arms didn’t feel like enough to hold him, how was he supposed to compete when the hurt was this big?
“I know,” he rubbed his cheek against Angel’s hair, forgetting to be self conscious of his feline instincts, “It ain’t fair, baby. And…and I need you to know…if it’s too much, if you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to. You have a choice.”
Angel’s breath shuddered, two hands winding from around Husk’s middle, slipping down. He couldn’t see them but he knew where they were going, his own paws met them there. Demons glancing at him in the street would have no idea- well, they would now thanks to the fucking Vees- but Husk spent a good amount of his time staring at Angel Dust. He saw the gentle slope in his stomach, he knew where to press to feel it through the oversized sweatshirt he wore. He threaded his fingers through Angel’s so the two of them cradled it together, this little impossibility, this spark that had fallen through the cracks and somehow landed here in their afterlives. 
“I wanna do it,” Angel Dust rasped, “I know it’s dumb and selfish but I can’t help it. I got ditched by my family and this…they feel like a second chance. And I know I don’t deserve it but I can’t let go.”
Husk shook his head gently, shifting so he could rest his forehead against Angel’s, “Listen to me. I don’t know why this happened, I don’t know what asshole is up there above Heaven and Hell and all this mess deciding whose a sinner and whose a saint, whose spunk gets to work and whose don’t. I don’t know why these kids are here but I know there’s only one explanation that makes sense to me.” 
Angel sniffled softly, still looking down at their joined hands, “What?”
“You,” Husk breathed, running his thumb over that little knot low inside his lover, “You’re the only person I can think of, in heaven or hell or wherever the fuck else, who’s strong enough to do this. You’ve fought harder than anyone I know to be better than you were. And you’ll keep fighting for our kids, even when assholes like that bitch Val keep throwing punches. I think they’re here because you deserve that second chance, Angel.”
His slitted eyes had adjusted to the darkness, rewarding him with the sight of a small, trembling smile on Angel’s face. 
“Well…that means you do too, right?” he whispered. 
Husk chuckled softly, “Hell, I already knew I was on the path to redemption. I got you, didn’t I? Must be halfway to a fucking saint.”
Angel’s laugh was a shaky, broken thing but it was the sweetest sound Husk had heard in a long time, a prize he could never have imagined winning. To be trusted so much by someone who, by rights, should never have trusted anyone again, he wouldn’t have traded anything for that. 
Angel reached down, fumbling around in the blankets until he found his phone. He held the power button down until the screen went fully dark then tossed it over his shoulder, letting it land in some of the clothes scattered on the floor. He seemed to breathe a little easier after, glowing at the proud grin Husk gave him. 
“I love you, baby,” the words still left him quietly, like he was still unsure saying them, they were a trick he hadn’t mastered yet and was terrified to fumble, “You know that, right?”
Angel nods, plucking those words out of the air and clutching them so tight they were tattooed on his palm, “So you keep saying, Whiskers. Though I could stand to hear it a few more times…and I love you too. A whole fucking lot…” his eyes slid over his shoulder where he’d tossed the phone and it’s poisonous chatter,  “Enough that it drowns out all that bullshit on most days.”
Husk laid a paw against his cheek, brushing away the tear tracks on his face, “And on the days it doesn't, I’m right here. And soon we’ll have two little brats running around, I hear they’re pretty loud.”
Angel let Husk tumble him gently sideways, their bodies finding a way to comfortably fit together in their nest of blankets, “Not soon enough if you ask me. I could have been just enough of a spider to lay eggs and save myself the hassle but nah, I had to go and fall in love with a mammal…”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Husk smiled crookedly, purring so Angel would feel it as he pillowed his head on his chest, “I’ll make it up to you.”
“Too fucking right you will,” Angel’s gold tooth flashed as he yawned, the sadness draining away and leaving him empty, “Over and over again, in a wide variety of different positions…”
Husk could feel Angel Dust still shaking, even after he drifted asleep. It wasn’t the end of it, he knew that the tide had just gone out. The next months weren’t going to be easy and hell only knew what would happen after that. He’d certainly had better odds in his time. 
But Husk knew one thing for certain. He was all in. 
89 notes · View notes