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#T SHIRT WEATHER IN THE WOODS!!!!
gayvillains · 1 month
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it's so good outside. have you guys seen outside? it;s so good
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i hate spring i hate summer when will the pain end
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carolmunson · 3 months
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domestic relationship with eddie lovers come get y’all juice.
“I’m so sick of this,” he huffs when he comes through the door of your studio apartment. You jump in the corner of the couch, half a handful of pop corn in your mouth.
“Jesus H—I knew I shouldn’t’ve given you a key,” you breathe, leaning forward to put the bowl on the coffee table. You stand up, blanket around your shoulders like a cape, already snuggly in your after work PJs, “What’re you sick of?”
He unlaces his boots on your welcome mat, winter coat covered in flakes that melt on your wood tile floor. The swishy fabric gets laid haphazardly with his wet wool scarf over the chair by your tiny kitchen table. You kiss him before he can answer. His lips are cold like the tip of his nose.
“This weather,” he sighs into your mouth like you’re a hot shower, “This month.”
“Poor baby,” you whisper, stealing another kiss. He pulls his hair back, cracking his neck soon after. Eddie talks through his day, going to your dresser to rifle through ‘his drawer’. Extra pants, boxers, t-shirts.
“And like, the new floor manager for the guys in Clifton is such a fucking asshole. I can’t wait for his training to be over so he can get the fuck out of my garage,” he snaps.
“It’s not your garage, babe,” you shrug, back in your seat on the couch.
“Might as well be,” he grumbles. Eddie’s clothes always end up in the same corner near your bed and you always end up bringing them with you for wash day. Once he’s changed and washed his hands and had a sip of water you know he’s done with his after work rampage. His frame slides in close to yours, curling himself up so that he can lay his head somewhere between your chest and your thighs.
“Do the thing,” he murmurs while the TV catches his attention. You take the elastic out of his hair, running a hand through the top of his curls.
“Braids?”
“Braids and then take them out and redo them again,” he turns and looks at you, eyes soft, “Please.”
“Okay,” you nod back, another kiss that feels like the sun is out.
“I’ll rub your back after,” he whispers.
“You don’t have to bargain with me, I already said I would do it,” you giggle.
“I know, but you said your back was bothering you when you called me during lunch so,” he shrugs, eyes fluttering closed when you part his hair, “If I can stay awake, I’ll rub your back.”
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morallyinept · 3 months
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Yours And Mine, Mine And Yours - A Joel Miller One Shot
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Summary: Joel's fixin' up your new home, darlin'. A little fic written for @iamasaddie 's writing challenge, based on the moodboard she created for me above.
Pairing: No Outbreak!Joel Miller x F!Reader (No name or physical description of reader. It’s you, bub.)
Word Count: 1.2k
Scoville Smut Rating:🌶️ “It's the emergence of.”
Check out my Scoville Smut Ratings here.
Warnings/Triggers: Joel gets handsy with you. Some wandering fingers and hands.
NSFW. MINORS DNI! OVER 18’s ONLY. YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT YOU READ.☝🏻Don’t come at me; you’ve been plenty warned.
I write for me, and I share with you. If this story isn't to your taste, that's fine. Just slip quietly out the back door. No need to make a fuss. It's just a work of fiction.
Author’s Note: Probably the quickest thing I've ever written. This was such a fun challenge! 🤗
MAIN MASTERLIST | JOEL MILLER MASTERLIST
Enjoy! 🖤
Joel wipes the sweat from his brow with the back of his calloused hand, squinting against the relentless Texan sun beating down on the dried-out yard.
The air hangs heavy with the scent of sun-baked soil and the distant hum of cicadas. His t-shirt clings to his broad body, a makeshift sponge for the beads of perspiration rolling down his neck.
The dilapidated shack looms behind him, a wonky testament to the daunting task ahead of him. As Joel swings the sledgehammer, the metallic clang echoes through the neighbourhood, punctuating through the quietude.
Dust stirs in the stifling air, settling on his damp skin and lips, and mingling with the aroma of decay from the timeworn wood.
The house stands weathered and weary, bearing the scars of time like a rugged survivor put through its paces in the landscape. Its sun-bleached siding has long surrendered to the elements, leaving behind a patchwork quilt of peeling paint.
The porch sags, burdened by the weight of years of neglect. Windows with grubby glass stare blankly with mottled panes and dried out vines framing them. The front door, stubbornly resistant to opening, squeaks, setting his teeth on edge.
He makes a mental note to get some supplies to lubricate the hinges tomorrow at the hardware store in town.
Yet, amidst the decay, a glimmer of potential lingers in the foundations, which upon inspection, are solid - a promise of revival in the echoes of hammers and the scrape of paint brushes against the tired surfaces.
The clatter of tools, occasional grunts, and the distant rumble of a passing truck marks the soundtrack of his sweaty endeavours throughout the day.
It’s a project that Joel is determined to see through, to make this wreck of a house a home. Yours and his. His and yours.
And it was a steal too, one that you could both comfortably afford, despite the dire renovations needed to stop it blowing over in a strong gust.
But Joel would see to it, those working hands fixing up the place himself in between jobs to save on labour costs and cowboy conmen of the trade sniffing round.
When he’s finally done for the day, and yearning for a cool shower to soothe his burning skin, the creaking porch protests under his stacked weight; each scrape of his boots accompanied by the groaning of ancient nails he’ll have to replace, burnt a shade of umber in their rust.
Joel, aching from the day's labour, enters the house with a trail of dry yard dust in his wake flaking from his boots as he kicks them off. The creaky door clatters shut behind him, and he navigates the dimly lit hallway toward the sound of running water.
The bathroom door stands slightly ajar, revealing a slice of warm light spilling onto the scuffed tiled floor.
Inside, you’re standing sans jeans and barefoot at the sink, hands submerged in cool water, washing away your own grime of the day and paint from under your fingernails.
He wraps his thick arms around you, not with urgency, but with a tired understanding born from the shared toil.
Joel nestles his face into the crook of your neck, the fading scent of soap mingling with the earthiness of your day's work fills his nostrils as he inhales.
"Ya look exhausted, darlin’," he murmurs against your ear, his voice as gravelly as the driveway.
You are tired, you feel it weighing your bones, but a genuine smile plays on your lips as he nuzzles into you.
"You caught the sun.”
He glances his face in the mirror to see a faint burn streaking pink across his hawkish nose and forehead.
“Nice cool shower will fix that.”
“Mm, been fermenting all day, too. We also need to get the air conditioner to work.” You groan in delight at the thought of ruminating in an igloo.
“I’ll take a look at it tomorrow.” Joel says.
You feel his hands sliding down your back to settle on your hips. You’re standing there in just your panties and an oversized shirt that drapes over your thighs with the baggy sleeves bunched and rolled up.
On closer inspection it’s speckled with paint.
Joel steps away, one hand still attached at your hip, the other reaching into the shower to switch it on. Whilst the water runs he cuddles up behind you again, this time his hands undo the buttons on your shirt slowly as he looks at you through the mirror.
“Look at you all pretty in m’shirt.” He hums, slowly revealing the skin from the centre of your chest. “Gone n’ got paint all down it.”
“You don’t wear it anymore.” You turn off the faucet, and the sound of running water ceases.
“That’s because ya take it before I get a chance to.”
“What's yours is mine, Joel.” You smirk with a casual shrug.
“Mmhm.” He grizzles into your skin. “And what's yours is mine, too.”
His hands come up to your breasts, sliding inside the now open shirt and giving you a soft grope; fingers tweezing around your swollen nipples as he pulls on them gently making you hiss and shudder. They're so sensitive and he knows it as he rolls them, pinching a little.
You hear him grunt in your ear as you moan out, head lolling back on his shoulder.
You watch keenly in the mirror as his palm slides down your sternum and settles on the small swell of your belly, stroking over it gently. You feel the heat of his giant hand emanating through your skin.
“Ya better not be over-exertin’ yourself painting up this place. I can do it.”
“I’m pregnant Joel, not useless.” You smile. “I’m doing a pretty good job, I'll have you know. Kitchen's almost done.”
“Well, ya leave the high walls to me. Won’t have ya climbin’ up any ladders.”
“Yes, boss.” You grin.
He nips on your ear playfully and smirks as he ruts his hips into your behind making you feel that bulge that you’re unable to ignore.
“Ya look so fuckin’ sexy like this.” He drawls. Those rough calloused hands of his roam your skin, pulling the shirt down off your shoulder so he can kiss you on it.
Joel’s other hand slips down past your belly and cups over your cunt; warm and dampening panties are felt inside his palm.
He runs his finger up and down the seam of you, the material sinking into your wet folds as he does it. You flinch when he knocks against the engorged bump of your clit, and you bite down on your lip as you feel that heavy ache pulse through it.
He lifts up the back hem of the shirt and slips his hand inside your panties stroking and squeezing at your ass.
“What’s yours is mine, right?” He says, when he catches you grinning at him through the mirror.
Joel kisses your neck as he slowly pulls your panties down and you step out of them. Turning, you lift off his t-shirt revelling in his bronzed chest as he unbuckles his belt, watching as you plant kisses on his salt-brined collarbone.
You let the shirt slide off onto the floor as he takes off his jeans and socks and his cock, swollen and sticky, bobs out at you. You take him in your hand, stroking him slowly to full hardness as he whines into your eyelashes.
His fingers swipe into your folds, teasing your clit as he licks into your mouth. You can already feel your thighs shaking as he circles over the slickness of it as you start to pant.
"Let’s get ya in the shower, darlin’. Wanna fuck ya up against the tiles." Joel husks.
Groaning, you catch his lips in yours, your cheek gliding against his scruff before he picks you up in his arms and steps in with you under the cool spray.
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Thank you so much for reading. If you enjoyed what you just read, please consider re-blogging, I'd really appreciate it. 🥰 Thank you so much @iamasaddie for creating this fun challenge! 🖤
MAIN MASTERLIST | JOEL MILLER MASTERLIST
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smileysuh · 8 months
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the alpha's right hand
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🌙 staring. Mingyu x afab!Reader
🔮 preview. Mingyu had thought he’d lost you - if even for a moment - and he’s not willing to lose you ever again. He doesn’t want you running into the woods anymore when you’re having emotions, he wants you running to him, and he kisses you as if to say ‘please, never leave.’ He had always thought Seungcheol would be his alpha, but you’d shown up and flipped his world upside down. Mingyu doesn’t care about appeasing his friend anymore- all he cares about is appeasing you- pleasuring you, giving you everything you could ever possibly want, everything you could ever need.
tw/cw. a/b/o au & power structures, mentions of a bad pack past, one mention of child death, blood/childbirth, exhibitionism/outside sex, clothed dry humping, fingering, mutual masturbation, hand job, big dick!Mingyu, pussy stretching, unprotected sex, pullout method, groping, overstimulation, praise, dirty talk, needy!Mingyu, hair pulling, orgasm control, small noncon/impreg thoughts, etc… I pet names: (hers) alpha. (his) Big guy, puppy.
👹 rating.18+ explicit I wc. 14.4k
🍭 aus. a/b/o au, werewolf au, alpha!reader, beta!Mingyu, etc…
☀️ mlist + an. this fic is in the Blood Moon universe, if I end up writing another fic for this au, it will get a masterlist, but until then read cheol here
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Mingyu loves thunder storms. There’s something almost therapeutic about the percussion of the sky, the flashes of light and the smell of rain in the air. It’s been a dry summer, and the water is a much-needed reprieve. 
The beta wolf sits on his sheltered wrap-around cabin porch, a mug of tea in his hand while he watches the sky. Some of his packmates have called him crazy, but Mingyu doesn’t care. They can bundle up inside, but a summer storm is just what he needs to clear his head.
Whats the point of being a wild thing if you don’t appreciate the weather? Mingyu knows he shouldn’t question alphas, but Soonyoung and Jihoon are particularly prissy about rain. Seungcheol, however, doesn’t have a care in the world. He’s out chopping wood, a white t-shirt sticking tight to his muscles while he swings the ax down on a log.
Mingyu had asked if he needed any help, but Seungcheol had refused. The beta thinks his alpha must be bulking up in preparation for his child on the way, and Mingyu doesn’t blame him.
No one would be crazy enough to challenge Seungcheol as head alpha, but in the dark corners of Mingyu’s mind, he supposes there’s always a chance. And with a new baby, Seungcheol is at least partially exposed. Mingyu admires his alpha for taking extra precautions like this.
Seungcheol stops cutting wood, straightening and looking out toward the trees. Mingyu is on high alert immediately, putting his tea down and standing, sniffing at the wind. 
The cedar and newly moist dry earth are predominantly the scents that overwhelm him, but there’s something else too,something underneath the natural pleasantries-
Then Mingyu hears the snapping of twigs, as if something large is coming through the brush a few hundred feet away. Mingyu knows immediately that it’s not a bear, no bears come through their property, they’d be stupid to try- no, the scent is a much more familiar one; wet wolf. But as far as Mingyu knows, the whole pack is inside their cabins-
Seungcheol squares his shoulders as he stairs out at the trees, and Mingyu bounds down the steps to join his alpha, staying a few feet back. The ax in Seungcheol’s hand glints in the grey light. 
“Cheol?” Mingyu asks, looking for guidance. 
“Shh,” the alpha tuts, grip tightening on the wooden ax handle. 
Something large stumbles through the tree line. A huge, amber-coloured wolf. You’re much too big to be a regular canine, and Mingyu knows immediately that the animal in front of them is no animal at all, you’re a person- and his suspicion is confirmed when you shiver, slowly beginning the transformation back into your regular form.
Watching a werewolf shift is always a unique experience, and Mingyu’s breath catches during the three seconds it takes for the wolf to become a girl. You crumble against the grass, naked and breathing heavily.
Mingyu can’t help himself, he immediately tugs off his flannel, running toward you to cover your modesty. “Oh my god-” he whispers. “Are you okay?!”
You nod weakly, letting out a soft groan, and his heart races when you curl up against his thigh, fingers tugging at the denim of his jeans.
“Mingyu, step back from her,” Seungcheol commands, and for the first time in a long time, Mingyu questions his alpha’s judgment.
“But-”
“Just do it,” the alpha growls, eyes flashing red as he bares his teeth at Mingyu. 
Mingyu lets out a breath, but he does as he’s told, retreating from you on the ground to go join Seungcheol.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” Seungcheol says to you. “Where’s your pack?”
“I don’t have a pack,” you respond, fingers grabbing at the grass as you lift your head to look at them. 
“I find that hard to believe,” Seungcheol muses. “Alpha females are rare, they always have a pack.”
“Not me,” you shake your head and Mingyu is doing his best to get this whole situation straight. You? A female alpha? There aren’t many of those- not pure blood ones anyways- usually female alphas become alpha when they mate with a male alpha, but you- “I ran away.”
“You ran away?” Mingyu asks in shock.
The life of a loner wolf can be deadly, let alone for a female-
“They tried-” you sit up, wrapping the flannel around your body, “They tried to marry me off to an alpha twice my age. I refused. And then I ran.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Seungcheol says after a brief pause. “But I still don’t see how you ended up here.”
“I heard you’re a pack with three alphas- I thought… I thought if anyone would take me in it would be you.” There’s a vulnerability in your eyes, and a sincerity in the shaking of your voice. 
Mingyu can see that you’re desperate, and it feels as if maybe their pack truly is your only hope- the rain beats down harder, and Seungcheol has a staring match with you while you sit in the mud.
“We wouldn’t know what to do with a female alpha,” he says finally.
“You don’t have to do anything,” you insist. “Just give me a place to stay, a home, a family- and I promise I won’t challenge you. I’ll be loyal, I’ll back you up, I promise. I never wanted to be a pack leader- I never wanted the responsibility, please- I have nowhere else to go- everyone else would marry me off to another alpha-”
“Seungcheol?” a pretty female voice calls through the storm, and both wolves snap their heads towards the sound. Seungcheol’s glowing new bride is standing on the deck of her cabin, one hand wrapped protectively around her large baby bump.
“Go back inside!” Seungcheol shouts, and his wife does so without a second thought. She’s very submissive in this last trimester, and she trusts Seungcheol to make decisions for her best interest above all things.
“You have females here,” you say quietly.
“Not female alphas,” Seungcheol states.
“Still- maybe you need a midwife- birthing alphas can be a rough situation-”
Seungcheol adjusts his grip on the ax. “Are you familiar with midwifery?” 
“Oh yes,” you nod. “I had four younger brothers, I was there during all their births.”
“If you have four younger brothers, why aren’t they with you?”
“I had four younger brothers,” you repeat. Even from a few feet away, Mingyu can see your eyes glistening with emotion, and it’s not the rain. “My eldest brother- he- well, he didn’t want to be challenged.”
“You’re from the Arcadia Pack,” Seungcheol says suddenly, and things click in Mingyu’s head a moment after the words slip from his alpha’s mouth.
The Arcadia pack is a nomadic pack, very off-grid, known for their archaic practices- Mingyu had even heard a horror story about one alpha eating his own male offspring, although, Mingyu had always thought that was just a spin on the Greek/Roman myths, made to scare betas about the dangers of being an alpha. 
You nod, looking down at the ground.
A muscle in Seungcheol’s jaw feathers. “You can stay,” he says gruffly. “Mingyu,” the beta steps forward, “we don’t have any extra cabins, and I don’t trust anyone other than you to take care of her. You can do this for me, right?”
“Of course,” Mingyu nods, already running through his mind what possible things he could cook to warm you up. 
Seungcheol begins to head back to his own home, but then he stops, looking back. “If Wonwoo has a problem with sharing his cabin, tell him to move in with Hansol and Seungkwan until I sort out sleeping arrangements. Shouldn’t take more than a couple of days.”
“Got it,” Mingyu nods enthusiastically, watching his alpha depart.
As soon as Seungcheol’s cabin door is closed, Mingyu’s body kicks into high gear. He wants to rush to you, but at the same time, he wants to warm you up, so he opts for running to his deck, grabbing his discarded tea before jogging back to you.
“Here,” he says, kneeling down to hand the mug to you. “It’s hot, drink it, and I’ll help you inside.”
You accept the cup with shaky fingers.
Mingyu gives you a moment to take a sip, then he reaches for you, grabbing your forearm and pulling you to your feet-
The flannel covering your naked body slips off your shoulder, and Mingyu catches a slight glimpse of your breasts before you’re tugging the fabric back around yourself. The beta can feel his skin heating, and he looks away, swallowing thickly. “Come on,” he says again, “I don’t want you to catch a cold.”
“Sweet beta,” you laugh, leaning on him. “Don’t you know us alphas don’t get sick so easily?”
It’s so odd for him to be around a female alpha. He’s used to taking care of women- his beta little sisters who he’d grown up with, his alpha’s beta wife- he doesn’t know to handle you, not really, and he has no clue what to say as he helps you toward the cabin.
The door opens before you even get to the steps, and Mingyu’s cabin mate, Wonwoo, is leaning in the door frame. 
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” he states.
“Well, you heard what Cheol said,” Mingyu insists, helping you up the stairs. “If you don’t like it, you can move in with Hansol and Seungkwan.” 
“Where’s she even going to sleep?” Wonwoo asks, moving to the side so you and Mingyu can pass.
“My room,” Mingyu states. “She can have my room.”
“You? On the couch?” Wonwoo scoffs. “Good luck with that.”
“What’s your problem?” you say finally, looking Wonwoo up and down. 
He meets your gaze. “In my opinion, we already have two too many alphas in this pack.”
“Well It’s not up to you,” you insist.
“You’re right about that, but it doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it,” Wonwoo growls darkly, narrowing his eyes. 
“Wonwoo, please-” Mingyu groans, reaching out to grab his friend’s forearm. “Can you go grab her some clothes from my room, I have to start making some food for her, she’s cold-”
“She’s fine,” Wonwoo rolls his eyes.
“Wonwoo, please,” Mingyu repeats, and the other wolf finally lumbers off. “Look,” he says, turning to you again, “the bathroom is through that door right there. The water isn’t that hot, but it will be enough to warm you up while I get some ramen going-”
“I’m used to cold water,” you cut him off, handing your mug of tea to him. “I’m sure even warm would be better than I’ve had recently.”
Mingyu blinks at you. He doesn’t know what to say as you walk away from him, entering the bathroom and closing the door behind you. The sound of water thrums to life a moment later and Mingyu finally shakes himself out of his daze. 
Wonwoo returns holding a pair of sweats and a hoodie, he places them on the floor outside the bathroom door before joining Mingyu in the kitchen.
“This isn’t a good idea,” Wonwoo says quietly.
“She needs our help.”
“It shouldn’t be us,” Wonwoo points out. “It should be Jihoon or Soonyoung.”
“You sound like you’re trying to marry her off to one of them-” Mingyu’s nose scrunches with distaste. “Besides, if we did that, and they did get together, that would be a double alpha pairing and it would be very dangerous for Seungcheol.”
“So dangerous, in fact, Seungcheol might kick them out, or we might be forced to put them down. Two birds, one stone.”
Mingyu freezes, heart thumping wildly in his chest. He slowly turns to his best friend. “Wonwoo… I think you should leave.”
“You want me to leave?” Wonwoo asks in shock.
“I don’t think it’s good for you to be here right now.” Mingyu can’t believe he’s saying any of this- Wonwoo is his best friend- but… Wonwoo’s never acted this way before. Swallowing thickly, Mingyu squares his chest, straightening to his full height while he looks down at his friend. “Yeah, I think you should go to Hansol and Seungkwan’s cabin until we get this housing arrangement sorted out.”
“Seriously?” Wonwoo scoffs, but Mingyu doesn’t back down, doesn’t adjust his stance an inch. He stays steady, and after a few seconds, Wonwoo crumbles. “Fine. have it your way. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you when this whole thing ends badly.”
Wonwoo doesn’t even bother packing a bag, he simply grabs his jacket off the couch and heads to the door, slamming it loudly behind him. 
Mingyu finally lets out a breath, deflating, and then, he goes back to getting water boiled for ramen.
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You listen in on the argument in the kitchen. These beta wolves don’t seem to be aware of how good a female alpha’s senses can be. You’re even more sensitive than males, it’s a natural adaptation to help mothers be better suited to take care of their young, and here you are, using it to eavesdrop on two stupid betas.
Well, the big one doesn’t seem so stupid. He seems kind of nice actually. But his friend? A dickhead.
You smile when you hear the front door slam, and you listen to the wolf lumber down the stairs, then the crunch of gravel as he walks away. 
This will be a much easier living arrangement for you. Having one beta male around and in your space is going to be odd, but to have two would have been nearly too much for you. Their scent is everywhere, and when you get out of the shower, you find yourself staring down two towels. 
You opt for the one that smells like the bigger wolf, and use it to dry off, trying to get used to his scent. 
You’d heard one of them set clothes down outside the bathroom door, and you unlock it, opening it a sliver to peer out. You can hear the big wolf whistling in the kitchen while he cooks, and you quickly snatch the clothing into the bathroom, locking the door again.
Your pack has stayed in a few structures before, but many of them were hand built cabins deep in the wilderness. Running water - especially hot running water - is a luxury you’re not used to. When you wipe the steam off the mirror, assessing yourself through the reflective glass, you’re almost shocked to see how good you look.
You’d washed the dirt off your body- it’s been so long since you looked in a proper mirror, and you realize you even look pretty. 
You shrug the hoodie and sweatpants on, marveling at how large they are on your much smaller form. They smell like the large wolf, everything does. 
Standing in the bathroom, you do your best to psych yourself up. You’re an alpha for goodness sake- you don’t need to be afraid. Especially not when the wolf in the other room seems to be a complete softy- you can’t believe he’d given you tea and even his flannel- yeah, he seems nice, but you’ve not met many nice men in your life.
You exit the bathroom, tiptoeing to the kitchen. The wolf must be very preoccupied with his cooking because he doesn’t even look up. He’s focused on the ginger he’s grating, and the smell of the root mixes with the minced garlic already frying in a pot. It’s the first scent that’s not wolfish, and it makes your mouth begin to water as you watch.
“Hi,” you say finally.
The six-foot-two man jumps in shock.
He might just be the cutest thing you’ve ever seen, he even clutches his chest.
“Hi,” he sighs.
“I’m y/n.”
He studies you. “Mingyu,” and then, he reaches out a hand.
You look down at his hand, and after a moment, you give it a small shake. 
“Uh…” he licks his lips, “welcome to the pack I guess.”
“Thank you,” you nod, moving closer to look down at the garlic he’s cooking. You find there’s also green onions, and he adds the ginger while you watch. “Are you the pack chef?”
“Something like that,” Mingyu laughs. “I’m Seungcheol’s right-hand man. I do anything he needs, including cooking for new pack members it seems.”
“He didn’t tell you to do this,” you note.
“Okay, maybe I wanted to do this. Seungcheol has too much on his plate, he would have reminded me to cook for you if it had crossed his mind.”
You nod. “His mate is very pregnant. Must be hard for him.” 
“Do you really have midwife skills?” Mingyu asks.
You nod again. “I live deep in the forest, it’s important for all the women to be part of the birthing process, including alphas.”
“Luckily we have a hospital half an hour away.”
“You can’t always make it to a hospital,” you point out. “Alpha deliveries can be sudden, and dangerous. If I was making suggestions to your alpha, I’d tell him to ask any and all female pack relatives to come and stay for a little while. If he has a mother, or sisters, or aunts, or cousins-”
“You really think that’s necessary?” Mingyu blinks at you, stirring the pot of golden aromatics while adding boiling water.
“I do,” you admit. “I’ve heard you’re an all male pack, except for the alpha’s mate, and I’d hoped there would be a few more women around-”
“A few of us have had girlfriends in the past, but nothing that stuck. It can be hard for them to deal with a pack that has three alphas,” Mingyu tells you, frowning.
“Four,” you correct. “It might be easier now that I’m here. I’ve always had good relationships with female pack members. I wouldn’t have been able to escape my last pack without them.”
“If you could help us find some female wolves to join, I’m sure all the guys here would be really grateful.”
“Including that buddy of yours?” you almost laugh. “What is it he said? He wants me to get with another alpha so you can take me out and kill two birds with one stone?”
“He didn’t-” Mingyu stammers.
“Tell me, of your two other alphas, which one do you have more issues with?” you ask, looking Mingyu up and down.
The large wolf sighs. “Soonyoung has been causing trouble lately.”
“Yeah? How’s that?” 
“He was sort of hitting on Seungcheol’s mate for a while- looking at her a lot and stuff-” Mingyu adds the ramen to the pot, and you note how uncomfortable this is making him. He must not like confrontation.
Who would have thought, an alpha’s right-hand muscle man who doesn’t like fights.
“Are they going to have problems with me being here?” you ask, cocking your head to the side.
“I mean- if anything, uh…” Mingyu swallows thickly, and you watch his adam’s apple bob with effort, “they might hit on you.”
“But as you said to that other guy earlier, if I don’t want to be a danger to Seungcheol, it would be wise for me to stay away from them.” You look down at the boiling ramen. “That was a smart observation from you.”
“Thanks?” He rubs the back of his neck. 
“After dinner, I’ll need to sleep,” you tell him. “I ran all day to get here. But I can’t rest in your friend’s room.”
“You can have my room,” Mingyu is quick to assure you. “It’s cleaner than his anyways.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.” The wolf opens a cabinet, pulling out a bowl. He spoons it full of ramen and hands it to you.
“Aren’t you eating?” you ask.
“No,” he shakes his head, “this is for you. Something tells me you’ll want to eat all of it, and I had dinner an hour ago.”
He’s right. Ten minutes later you’ve eaten all the ramen. 
Your body is warm, for the first time in what feels like ages. When you head into Mingyu’s bedroom, and slowly lay down on his soft bed, the mattress makes you groan. You’ve been sleeping on hides on the forest floor for months now- 
Before you know it, you’re drifting off to sleep.
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You wake up to sunlight streaming through the window, and for the first time in a long time, you simply allow yourself to bask in it. You curl up against Mingyu’s pillow, breathing in his scent. The big beta obviously wears cologne, something spicy, but you can smell cedar and notes of pine too. He’s a woodsy guy, and it’s familiar to you.
Sitting up, you stretch your arms above your head, groaning softly at the feeling in your muscles. This is what freedom is, and you can’t believe you’ve finally found it.
Making your way to Mingyu’s closet, you find a red and black flannel, and you slip it on, enjoying the softness of it. Then, you grab a pair of boxers. 
When you’d left your pack, you hadn’t been able to take anything, and in wolf form, not even clothes made the journey here with you. All you have right now is mens underwear, and they’re large around your hips, but they’ll do better than walking around with nothing.
The wood floorboards creek as you tiptoe to the door, opening it to peer into the room beyond. 
You can hear Mingyu’s soft snores coming from his friend’s room. When you make your way to the front door, it squeaks on its hinges, and the soft sleeping sounds come to halt. Then, there are footfalls, and Mingyu peers out of his friend’s room, blinking at you as he rubs his eyes with one hand.
“You’re awake,” he says.
“Early riser,” you nod, taking in his bare chest and the pair of sweatpants that are hanging dangerously low on his hips. “I was going to go look around.”
“Okay,” Mingyu sighs, stretching his arms above his head and letting out a groan. “Give me a second and I’ll come with you.”
“You can go back to sleep,” you suggest.
“Nah, you shouldn’t be walking around alone.”
“I’m not in any danger.” You know how to deal with male alphas if you come across either of the two that are bound to be lurking around outside.
“I’m not worried about you,” Mingyu says, disappearing into his friend’s room. “Worried about the other guys.”
You crack a smile. “Yeah? And why’s that?”
“Because flannels look good on you,” Mingyu returns, torso covered in a black vneck, “and I doubt many of the pack know there’s a new alpha yet. Not sure how they’ll react.”
You suppose he has a point, and you stay quiet as he approaches you, slipping his feet into a pair of shoes by the door. Then he looks down. “Give me a sec, I’m pretty sure Cheol’s mate has a similar size foot to you, I’ll grab you some flip flops.”
“I can go barefoot,” you insist.
“You are a wild thing, aren’t you?” Mingyu chuckles, running a hand through his messy hair. “Just wait here, please.” 
He shifts past you, exiting the cabin. Instead of staying inside, you follow, stopping on the deck while he jogs to the small house a hundred feet away. You watch him as he kneels, shifting through some shoes before finding a pair, and then he walks back to you, squinting in the morning sun. 
“Here,” he says, holding them out, “give these a try.” 
You slip the flip-flops on, nodding. “They work.”
“Good,” Mingyu yawns. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”
You follow him down the steps, enjoying his lumbering walk. He’s so big- and his strides are longer than yours, but he’s moving slowly, which makes it easy for you to keep up. 
“So this is our pack compound,” he explains, still sounding a bit groggy. “Seungcheol and his mate live in that cabin, and then you’ve met me and Wonwoo-” so his bitchy friend does have a name. “There are seven cabins in total and I’ll walk you through them, we can see who’s awake.”
“Your pack doesn’t wake up at dawn?” 
“Nah, we’ve got a lot of guys who sleep in,” Mingyu says, and from the way he’s still yawning, you can tell he’s not used to being up this early. 
You’ve always liked mornings. Your pack is the type to be up and bustling about, but you think you could get used to the quiet of this place. Birds are singing in the trees, and the dew on the grass from last night’s rain is tickling past your feet as you walk through the area.
“This cabin belongs to Hansol and Seungkwan,” Mingyu explains, pointing at the next lodging you walk past. “They’re good guys, Hansol especially. When we joined all three packs, Hansol and Wonwoo were with me and Cheol.”
“So you’re very close then,” you nod, taking in the cabin with its dark windows. It’s clear the inhabitants are still asleep.
“Yeah, Hansol’s a friend,” Mingyu nods. “He’ll like you.”
“You think so?”
“Hansol gets along with everyone,” Mingyu says factually. 
The next cabin is a short distance away, but unlike the last one, this one has signs of life. There’s even a man sitting on the front steps, and he stands as you approach. 
He’s small in stature, but with the downwind sending his scent your way, you can tell immediately that he must be one of the other two alphas. He certainly holds himself like a man in charge, and you meet his gaze straight on. 
“Jihoon,” Mingyu greets, coming to a stop a few feet in front of the stairs leading to the alpha. 
“What’s going on?” Jihoon asks, scanning your form.
“We got a new member of the pack yesterday,” Mingyu explains. “This is y/n.”
The man scrunches his nose, eyes narrowing. “She’s an alpha.”
“From the Arcadia pack,” Mingyu nods, and a flash of recognition flutters over Jihoon’s features.
“Seungcheol is okay with this?” Jihoon asks.
“I wouldn’t be showing her around if he wasn’t,” Mingyu says, and there’s a firmness in his voice. “She’s going to help with midwife stuff.”
“Oh,” Jihoon’s head cocks to the side slightly. “That’s good to hear.”
“Is Seokmin awake?” Mingyu questions, and you both look past the alpha to see if his roommate is up.
“He’s never awake this early,” Jihoon scoffs.
“Well,” Mingyu turns to you, “guess you’ll meet him later.”
“Are you giving her a full tour?” Jihoon asks, eyes still lingering on your form.
“Uh huh,” Mingyu runs a hand through his hair, yawning loudly. 
“Why isn’t Seungcheol doing it?”
Mingyu lets out a small laugh. “We both know Seungcheol has bigger things on his plate.”
“Bigger than introducing a new alpha female to the pack?” Jihoon cracks a smile. “I find that hard to believe.”
“You don’t have to believe it,” Mingyu sighs. 
It’s interesting how he’s interacting with the alpha in front of him. You’d wondered what the dynamic might be like- but it appears that Mingyu truly only has loyalty to Seungcheol. As the head alpha, this is the way it should be.
Jihoon doesn’t say anything else, and Mingyu’s gentle touch on the small of your back prompts you to continue your tour.
“He’s cranky in the morning,” Mingyu tells you under his breath.
“And he can probably hear you,” you note, looking over your shoulder at the scowling alpha.
“My bad,” Mingyu says, but from the smile on his face, you know he doesn’t really care. 
The cabins are all spaced nicely, giving earshot privacy but still mostly visible to each other as you continue down the dirt path that connects them. 
The next cabin has not one, but two wolves sitting on its front porch, and they both stand like Jihoon had, looking at you curiously.
“What did you bring for us today, Gyu?” one of them asks while the other practically eye fucks you over his bowl of cereal.
“This is y/n, she’s joining the pack,” Mingyu explains. 
“Really?” The prettier of the two bounds down the stairs, grinning. “Since when?”
“Last night.”
“I’m Jeonghan,” the wolf holds out a hand to you. “It’s lovely to finally meet an alpha female, especially one as gorgeous as you.”
The man still standing on the stairs lets out a loud scoff, and then he’s setting down his cereal to approach. “Don’t pay attention to him,” he says, “Jeonghan’s a flirt.”
“As if you’re any better, Joshua,” Jeonghan rolls his eyes.
“I am better,” Joshua grins, holding out his own hand to you. “In every way.”
You don’t enjoy the way he looks you up and down again, eyes taking their time to assess your outfit. You’re very aware of the fact you’re not wearing a bra, and when Joshua releases your hand, you’re quick to cross your arms over your chest.
“Where’s she staying?” Jeonghan asks, addressing Mingyu.
“With me for now, but Cheol’s gonna work out a sleeping arrangement.” Mingyu’s hand finds the small of your back, his touch as light as a feather. “We should keep going with the tour.”
“Need company?” Joshua questions.
“We’re good,” you say firmly. 
With a nod goodbye, Mingyu and you head off again. 
“Are they all like this?” you ask.
“What do you mean?”
You let out a small laugh. “Horrible with women?” 
“It’s a pack trait,” Mingyu jokes.
“You’re not so bad,” you tell him, and when you sneak a glance at the beta, you notice his skin is flushed.
He’s so cute you want to just eat him up.
“I uh…” Mingyu coughs, “that’s debatable.”
“I’m telling you you’re not bad with women, and I’m an alpha, which means you have to listen to me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Mingyu chuckles.
“Not ma’am,” you correct him. “Yes, alpha.” 
“Yes, alpha,” he says, not missing a beat. 
“That wasn’t so hard, was it, big guy?”
He lets out a small “shit” under his breath, and you realize you enjoy toying with him. 
“So anyways,” he clears his throat, “this next cabin is Minghao and Jun, but they’re asleep-”
“Over half the compound is asleep,” you note. “Who’s protecting your boundaries?”
“No one?” Mingyu looks around. “I’m not sure what you’re used to from your last pack, but closer to the city, boundaries rarely get encroached on.”
“Oh, so I pulled a big no-no by just showing up, huh?”
“It was unusual, that’s for sure,” Mingyu smiles. 
“My bad.”
The beta at your side only grins as you walk past another dark cabin. You don’t mind not talking, as it gives you a chance to listen to the sounds of the compound. More birds are singing now, and trees rustle with small wildlife. You watch two squirrels chasing each other, and the familiar sight makes you smile.
Yeah, despite the gang of clueless men, you could definitely get used to this place.
“So this last cabin belongs to Soonyoung and Dino-” Mingyu begins to say, and as the words leave his mouth, the lodging’s front door is thrown open.
A white-haired alpha struts out, his gaze fixed on you. 
You stop in your tracks assessing his form for signs of aggression-
While he holds his head high, and walks like an alpha, the man in front of you is at least attempting open body language. He smiles, flashing his canines. “I knew I smelt something sweet,” he says loudly, thudding down the front steps and approaching.
So this must be the Soonyoung that Mingyu had mentioned. The alpha causing trouble.
He definitely looks like a bit of a flirt, and his eyes scan you up and down as the other wolves had. “Let me guess,” Soonyoung says, “Arcadia pack.”
“How did you-”
“Sweetheart, there aren’t many alpha females around these parts. It’s not rocket science.” Soonyoung comes to a stop in front of you. “The real question is, why are you here?”
“She left her old pack,” Mingyu answers for you. “She’s with us now.”
“Trouble in wilderness paradise, huh?” Soonyoung’s grin widens. “Their loss, our gain.”
“What are you doing awake this early?” Mingyu asks, and you see him stiffening beside you.
“I told you, I smelt something sweet.” The alpha is yet to take his eyes off of you, and you meet his gaze straight on, like a challenge. 
“And I smell dog, but I’m guessing that’s you,” you say calmly.
Soonyoung lets out a bark of a laugh. “Damn, baby, you’ve got a mouth on you.”
“Enough of the babys and sweethearts,” you tell him. “My name is y/n.”
“Cute name,” Soonyoung says, but the compliment does nothing for you.
“Mingyu, I think my tour is done,” you sigh, looking to the beta at your side. 
“What? But you just started.” Soonyoung whines, and the tone of his voice grinds your nerves. 
“I’ve seen enough,” you say smoothly. 
“Princess, you haven’t seen anything yet,” Soonyoung assures you. 
A growl bubbles up in your throat, and you turn your icy gaze back to the alpha. “Nothing impressive, that’s for sure. And I doubt you have anything to show me that could change my mind.”
Soonyoung only smiles wider. “I like your fire.”
“Good for you.” You reach out, grabbing Mingyu’s forearm. “We’re leaving.”
“Aw, don’t be like that,” the alpha clicks his tongue. “You’re part of the pack now, it’s time to make friends.”
“Something tells me you’re not looking for any more friends,” you say coldly. “If you’re really that bored, go bug your housemate.”
“Dino’s not anywhere near as pretty as you, and he doesn’t talk back, so it’s not as fun.”
“I’m not here to entertain you.” You’re getting tired of this alpha already.
“Shame,” Soonyoung tilts his head to the side. “Something tells me you’ll be very entertaining.”
“She said we’re leaving,” Mingyu states, and it’s as stern as you’ve heard him be with anyone, let alone an alpha. 
“Well,” Soonyoung sighs, “I guess I’ll be seeing you around.”
You feel the need to give him a snarky response, but you don’t want to give him the satisfaction, so instead, you turn on your heel, heading back the way you came with Mingyu scrambling to follow.
You can feel Soonyoung’s eyes on you, and it sets your teeth on edge. If there’s one thing you hate in this world, it’s presumptuous alphas.
“Sorry about him,” Mingyu apologizes quietly.
“It’s not your fault,” you assure Mingyu, knowing that he has no say over Soonyoung’s behaviour.
“I want to make it up to you,” the beta insists.
“Yeah?” you laugh. “And how are you going to do that?”
“You need clothes,” Mingyu says. “Let me take you to the city, and we can get you something to wear.”
“You know what?” you take a deep breath. “I think that might be the best idea you’ve had all day.”
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Mingyu tries his best not to stare at you. He keeps his gaze fixed on the road the entire drive to town, even as you stick your head out the window and let out a soft sigh as you enjoy the air moving over your skin. He fights the need to ask you questions about yourself, about the life you had in the Arcadia pack, but there’s so much he wants to know.
He tries to be nonchalant as you head into an underwear store, but he can feel his ears burning as he lumbers through the thongs and bras. “I should really wait outside,” he says meekly, but you ignore him, grabbing his hand to tug him along as you pick out panties.
“I need your opinion,” you tell him, holding up two thongs, “Silk or lace?”
Mingyu lets out a deep sigh, eyes shifting to the simple seamless set. They’re more practical for the life the pack lives, and less devastating if they get tort to shreds during an impromptu wolf transformation.
“Really?” you ask, reading his gaze. You hold the red thong up, assessing it. “You really are a simple kind of guy, aren’t you?”
“Are you calling me stupid?”
“No,” you grin. “I just don’t know what I expected from a guy who wears flannel and jeans.”
“You should get what you want,” Mingyu says softly. “You’re the alpha, I’m just a beta. How should I know what you want?”
“Maybe I’ll have to try them all on,” you suggest. 
He feels his throat constrict, and he swallows thickly, giving a quick nod. “Yeah, okay.”
You fill a whole basket with undergarments, and Mingyu feels his heart thundering louder in his chest as you make your way to the change room.
“Oh,” the worker there says when you approach, looking Mingyu up and down, “Men aren’t allowed in the changeroom.”
“How am I supposed to know what he likes if he can’t come in?” you counter.
“I’m sorry ma’am-” the poor worker looks as uncomfortable as Mingyu feels.
“It’s okay,” he assures you. “I’ll just wait out here. In fact, I have an errand to run. You can try all this stuff on and I’ll be back in ten or fifteen.”
He hates the way you frown at the suggestion, but you give in with a sigh. 
Mingyu watches you disappear into the changeroom, and the moment you’re gone, he all but bolts from the store. 
Once outside, he takes a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. He has to keep his hormones in check- but there’s a need growing in the pit of his stomach, and he’s not sure he can ignore it, especially not if you give him a whole modeling show of underwear-
God, he’s in big trouble.
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“You were gone for twenty minutes,” you say when Mingyu shows up at the lingerie store.
“Yeah, well, it took longer than I thought it would,” the beta sighs, not meeting your eyes.
“What were you even doing?” you press.
“Had to get you a phone,” Mingyu explains, pulling the device out of his pocket. “But it wasn’t just the phone, the sales guy had to talk to me about data plans, and coverage and I-” He shakes his head. “Here, just take it.” 
You look down at the cell, then back up to him. “Why do I need a phone?”
“So you can call people?” he suggests. 
You cock your head to the side. When you’d lived in the wilderness, there was never a need for a phone, let alone the service to make one useful. “Who am I going to call?” 
“Me?” Mingyu coughs awkwardly. “The pack?”
“Fine, I’ll take it,” you concede, grabbing the phone and holding it to your chest. “But only because you’ll have my number. I’m not giving it to the others.”
“Cheol will need it,” Mingyu points out.
“Fine, he can have it too,” you sigh. 
“Did you find some stuff to buy?” the beta asks, looking down at the basket slung over your arm.
“Yup,” you hold up a few pairs of panties. You’d mostly chosen the simple ones, but there are a few racier designs too. “Should we go to the checkout?”
“Yeah,” Mingyu nods, following you to the till. 
When the worker checks all your items through, the cost is pretty high, and you blink in shock at how expensive things like this can be. Mingyu pulls out a card, and pays without a second thought.
He even takes the bag of items, holding it tightly in a hand as you head out of the store.
“Tell Cheol thank you for buying all of this,” you say, immediately assuming Mingyu’s using a pack credit card. Your last living arrangement had had a similar setup, and it’s all you know.
“Oh, uh… Cheol didn’t pay for this,” Mingyu says awkwardly. “I did.”
“You did?” you blink. “The head alpha doesn’t control all the money?”
“No,” Mingyu shakes his head. “We all have jobs and our own banking situations.”
“You have jobs?” 
“Well, Cheol comes from money, so he’s connected to a family business, but most of us do labour, construction, that sort of thing,” Mingyu explains.
“Do I have to get a job?” you ask.
“Sometime down the line,” Mingyu responds. “But for now, I think you should just get used to not being in the forest all the time. You don’t have to pay rent or anything to live on the compound, but if you want to go into town or buy clothes, you’ll probably have to get a job to finance that.”
“Are you sure you can’t just buy things for me?” you tease, poking at Mingyu’s side.
You enjoy the way he swallows, and looks to actually be considering your request. “For now I can,” he says finally.
“I’ll find a job,” you assure him. “I’ve got no references or past experience, but I have things I can do.”
“Yeah? Like what?”
“Well, I’m pretty good at building things,” you tell him. “My old pack moved around a lot, but when we found places we liked, we could build pretty good cabins out of what was available. They’re not like the cabins you have, but… they’re something.”
“For some reason, I can’t picture you building yourself a cabin.”
“Well,” you consider it for a moment, “let me talk to Cheol, and maybe you’ll get to see me in action yourself.”
Mingyu lets out a laugh. “Now that’s something I’d definitely like to watch.”
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It’s the evening of your second day with the pack when Seungcheol arrives at your cabin door. “Can I talk to you for a sec?” he asks.
“Of course.” You set down the bowl of soup Mingyu had cooked for you, grabbing one of Mingyu’s flannels to put on as you follow the alpha outside. 
He takes you into the field, and the two of you turn to look back at the cabins. “So, I talked to my mom earlier,” Seungcheol says. “She agrees with you about having a few more females come through the compound to help with the birth.”
“That’s good news,” you nod.
“She’s been trying to talk me into it for a while, but, when you showed up and said the same thing- I guess it convinced me,” Seungcheol sighs. “Anyways, a handful of my relatives will be arriving tomorrow. We don’t have cabins for them, so they’ll be bringing RV’s, parking in this field and staying until my mate has our baby. Should be any day now, she’s been having pains recently.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your wife,” you nod sympathetically. You’d watched your own mother go through rough final trimesters, and you can’t imagine what it’s like for a woman without other females around. 
Seungcheol seems like a put together guy, but men with ego can sometimes forget that women can provide things for each other that they can’t. 
“Anyways,” Seungcheol looks at you, “there will be an extra bed or two in some of the RV’s. it’s not a long term solution, but I was thinking you might prefer that over staying with Mingyu.”
“Mingyu’s not so bad.”
“Wonwoo wants his bed back,” Seungcheol smiles. 
“Oh, right,” you nod, gaze shifting to the grass at your feet. “Yeah, I can stay in an RV.”
“I was thinking of asking my mom if we could borrow one, or maybe even buy one. The compound needs more cabins, but those take time, and an RV feels like an easy option in the meantime… Mingyu mentioned you have some experience building structures?”
“I do,” you confirm. 
“How would you feel about being part of the build process?” Seungcheol asks.
“I’d love that,” you say honestly. 
“Usually builds are a pack project,” he explains. “A few of the guys can get a cabin up in month or two- you’d be working with them. Think you can take orders?”
“Depends who’s ordering.”
“Mingyu and Jeonghan usually take care of project plans and direction.” 
“That sounds doable.” 
“Good, then it’s settled.” Seungcheol nods to himself. “The cabin designs we use are for two bedrooms, so you wouldn’t have one to yourself. We’ve been thinking of pack expansion for a while, and with you here, it might be easier to get a female beta to join.”
“I’m really surprised your mate is the only female here,” you admit. “With thirteen male wolves, I would have thought at least a few would have partners.”
“What can I say?” Seungcheol shrugs. “Our pack is a boys club.”
“That’s an understatement.” 
“I heard Soonyoung was giving you trouble.”
You laugh. “Mingyu tells you everything, doesn’t he?” 
“He’s loyal,” Seungcheol nods. “He said you put Soonyoung in his place.”
“I tried, but something tells me Soonyoung didn’t get the message,” you sigh. The alpha has tried to talk to you repeatedly in the short time you’ve been here, and it’s led to you putting yourself practically under cabin house arrest in a bid to avoid him. 
“You still mean what you said about backing me up right? I shouldn’t be worried about you making an alliance with Jihoon or Soonyoung?”
“I’m with you, a hundred percent,” you tell him firmly. 
“That’s good to hear,” Seungcheol admits. “It’s nice to have you in my corner.”
“It’s nice to be in a good alpha’s corner. From what I’ve seen of you, you seem like the kind of guy to follow.”
The alpha rubs the back of his neck, letting out a small laugh. “I appreciate that. Maybe you can convince a few of my cousins to join in when they come, they’ve been pretty adamant about not wanting to have anything to do with me.”
“Well, they’re coming to help your wife give birth, so that’s a step in the right direction,” you point out. 
“I wish I could be as optimistic as you,” Seungcheol sighs. “Anyways, thanks for the chat. I’m glad you found your way to us.”
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It feels nice to have some estrogen amongst all the testosterone in the compound. When the women arrive in their RV’s it’s the first time you feel like you can join the pack for lunch. Picnic tables are pulled up into the field, and fold up chairs are placed around a fire where Seungcheol’s mother roasts meat. 
She wasn’t a born alpha, but she’s an alpha now, and there’s a calm peace that comes with having a matriarch around.
With her, are two of Seungcheol’s aunts, and four cousins. When these seven women combine with you and Seungcheol’s mate, that means there are now nine women puttering about. You’re still outnumbered with men by four, but it feels much closer to even. 
One of Seungcheol’s cousins is very focused on his wife, and she goes into his cabin and doesn’t come out. Two of the others seem to be getting to know Joshua and Jeonghan, which feels like an interesting choice to you. The last cousin, however, is clear that her intentions are set on Mingyu. She follows him around like a lost puppy, and the sight makes you sick to your stomach while you gnaw on your food.
“Look at those two,” Soonyoung says, falling into the chair next to yours. “They’re cute, don’t you think?” 
“Sure, cute.” Your voice is near a growl.
“She’s been into him for years, you know.” The alpha taps his fingers on the armrest of his chair. “Wanted to move here and everything.”
“Then why didn’t she?” You can’t believe you’re humouring him by entertaining this conversation, but you itch to know the gossip he has. Although, you’re not entirely sure you can trust a word coming out of his mouth.
“She was younger then, but now she’s grown.” 
She’s definitely grown, and her low neckline shirt shows just how well she’s grown. 
“Seungcheol would love for her to join the pack,” Soonyoung continues.
“Then maybe she should,” you spit, standing. You’re tired of this, tired of watching little miss Choi Seona hang onto Mingyu’s every word, standing as close to him as possible.
“Where are you going?” the alpha asks.
“For a run,” you say, already tearing off your hoodie.
“Oooh, need company?” 
“No,” you respond firmly. “Don’t you dare follow me.”
If he does, he’ll get a full view of you stripping naked in the field behind your cabin before you take off, and if Soonyoung sees you nude, you might just have to kill him.
Luckily, no one follows you, and you’re able to slip out of your clothes unnoticed, your skin tearing as you transform into a wolf and bolt into the trees.
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You only arrive back at the compound after the sun has set, and instead of heading to the RV, you push through Mingyu’s cabin door. 
Wonwoo is sitting on the couch, and he blinks at you. “What are you doing here?”
“Need to use your shower,” you grumble, hardly looking at Mingyu who is standing in the kitchen stirring a pot of ramen.
“The RV has a shower,” Wonwoo says, and you know he’s not really trying to be helpful. 
“I’m using your shower,” you say, firmly this time, and when you reach the bathroom, you slam the door behind you, locking it.
It’s bad enough that you have to stay in an RV with three of Seungcheol’s cousins, sharing a shower with them might be too much. You hope that by the time you get there, the girls are going to sleep, and you can skip any talks about the day. You have nothing to say to Seona.
The hot shower gives you peace. Your mind has been reeling all day, and it’s nice to finally just relax, letting the water wash over you. For some stupid reason, you hadn’t considered the idea that one of the women coming to the compound would like Mingyu, and you realize now that it had been a major oversight on your part.
Of course at least one of the girls likes Mingyu- what’s not to like? 
He’s big and handsome and kind and caring- 
To make matters worse, the two of them have a history, or so Soonyoung says. 
You wonder if Mingyu has feelings for Seona. You wonder how deep the feelings are.
Pushing the thought from your mind, you finish your shower, taking your time to dry off and slip on your clothes. You’d chosen the panties Mingyu liked in the hopes that one day he might see them- but now, you think that day might not ever come… not of Seona has anything to say about it.
When you exit the bathroom, Mingyu is standing there waiting for you, and Wonwoo is nowhere to be seen.
“Hey, you okay?” he asks, looking at you with concern.
“Of course,” you say curtly. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“It’s just… you disappeared at lunch, and you just got back- it’s been hours-”
“Aw, did you miss me, big guy?” you tease, forcing a smile. “That’s cute.”
“I was worried about our deer population,” Mingyu says, and when the side of his mouth quirks up slightly, you realize he’s joking.
“I didn’t kill anything,” you admit. “Just needed to stretch my legs.”
“Do they feel good now?” He looks down at your thighs, bare in the shorts you’re wearing.
“Uh huh,” you nod. “I’m ready to pass out.”
“First night in the RV,” Mingyu muses. “Excited for girl time?”
“No.” 
He laughs. “I didn’t think you would be.”
“Do I not seem like a girls girl kind of girl?” 
“Not really,” he cocks his head. “The good news is they won’t be staying long. Seungcheol’s mom said his mate is really close to giving birth. It’s lucky they arrived when they did. Lucky you convinced Cheol to let them come.”
“I guess we’re all just lucky this week,” you sigh. 
“Yeah…” he looks at you awkwardly, “we are. Or at least… I’ve been feeling lucky lately.”
“Must be nice having a handful of available females around,” you snap, “gives you your pick of the litter.”
“That’s not-” Mingyu’s voice catches. “That’s not what I mean.”
“Sure it wasn’t. Look, I’m tired, I should go.”
“You can take the couch if you want- or my bed, I could have the couch-”
“Wonwoo would hate me more than he already does if I did that,” you sigh. “But thanks for the offer.” 
Mingyu sends you a small smile, and watches you go. As you exit the cabin, he calls out “Goodnight,” and you can’t bring yourself to say it back.
You stomp toward the RV. As you approach, you hear giggles, and you stop, listening by the window. 
“I don’t know guys,” Seona’s voice makes you scowl, “I just think Mingyu is really sweet.”
“He was with you all day,” one of her cousins agrees. “And wasn’t he your first kiss?”
“Shhh! We’re not supposed to talk about that!” Seona whispers, but you can tell the answer is affirmative.
So there is something between Seona and Mingyu. 
Soonyoung hadn’t been lying. 
“I bet he likes you too,” the third cousin muses. 
“He acts like he does,” the other agrees.
You’ve heard enough. 
You can’t stay in the RV with them. Turning, you head back into the woods.
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Mingyu wakes up with excitement coursing through his veins, and it takes a moment for him to remember you’re not in the other room. The morning sun is shining through his window as he pulls on his clothes- it’s funny how only a few days with you has reset his internal clock.
He exits his cabin quietly, not wanting to wake Wonwoo, who has been particularly grumpy since you arrived. Mingyu can’t imagine why though- it’s not like his friend has given you a chance, and he thinks Wonwoo will like you once he puts some effort into getting to know you, the way he has. 
With his hands in his pockets, Mingyu heads to the RV, and he’s pleased to find the door open. He can hear a feminine hustle and bustle, and the smell of coffee makes him smile. “Knock, knock,” he calls softly, peaking his head into the living space.
“Mingyu!” Seona exclaims, rushing over. “How did you sleep?”
“I slept alright,” he nods, scanning the interior in search of you.
“Can I grab you some coffee? I just made a fresh batch, and I make the best in the whole pack.”
“Uh… no thanks,” Mingyu offers her a small smile. “Is y/n around?”
“Nope,” Seona shakes her head. “She never came in last night. We all assumed she was sleeping in one of the cabins.” 
“One of the cabins?” Mingyu’s confused already. “Well she wasn’t with me…”
“Why would she be with you, silly? You’re not an alpha.” 
The smile on Seona’s face tells Mingyu she hadn’t meant it as an insult, but her words still sting. “Well she’s not with Jihoon or Soonyoung, I can tell you that much,” he states.
His words make Seona’s expression fall, and Mingyu also hadn’t meant to be rude, but he can’t help himself. The idea of you spending the night with any of his packmates rubs him the wrong way, and he needs to be certain that the girls visiting don’t think you’re here to find an alpha mate.
“Like I said,” Seona sighs, “she never came in last night.”
“Okay, well, I better go look for her,” Mingyu nods, turning to go.
“But-” Seona starts, however Mingyu’s already walking away, sniffing at the air in the hopes he can catch your scent.
There’d been no rain last night, and no heavy winds, so as he walks into the field, it’s not difficult to catch your smell clinging to the grass. Mingyu guesses he shouldn’t be surprised to find your trail leading into the forest, but at the same time, it makes his stomach twist into knots.
When you’d left at lunch yesterday, there’d been a very real fear in the back of his mind that he wouldn’t see you again, and that fear has returned.
His pace quickens as he reaches the tree line. It’s harder to track you with the forest smells, but Mingyu does his best, stopping at a few points to take deep breaths. You have a note of citrus in your scent, and Mingyu’s come to enjoy the taste of it on his tongue.
But then, the smell stops, and Mingyu finds himself at the foot of a tree. For the life of him, he can’t figure out which way you’ve gone, and he cusses loudly, kicking the pine.
“What the fuck?” 
Your groggy voice causes Mingyu’s head to snap up, and he peers through the branches- locking eyes with you.
“Alpha?” he calls.
“Mingyu?”
He watches you rub your eyes, sitting up on the branch you must have been laying on. “What are you doing up there?” he asks, relief flooding his system.
“Trying to get a decent sleep until someone kicked my bed- why are you out here attacking trees?” you retort. 
“I thought I’d lost your scent-” he tries to explain, which causes you to laugh.
“You were looking for me?” you ask, beginning to climb down.
“Well.. yeah. You weren’t in the RV.”
“Couldn’t spend a night with those girls,” you respond, jumping the last meter and landing on your feet in front of him. “They gossip too much.”
“Really?” Mingyu cocks his head as he looks at you. “Gossiping about what?”
“First kisses, boys, that sort of thing.” You won’t meet his gaze, and Mingyu realizes immediately what you’re talking about.
“Oh,” he says softly.
“Yeah, oh.” You tug your flannel tighter around your body and Mingyu wants to take you in his arms-
“Wait… alpha, are you jealous?”
“No,” you snap. 
“It looks like you’re jealous,” Mingyu points out.
“If you wanna get with Seona then you should get with Seona, why would I care?”
“I don’t want to get with Seona.”
You finally look at him. “You don’t?”
He shakes his head. “It was one kiss, we were both young. It happened years ago.”
“The girls said you were being attentive to her yesterday.”
“As attentive as I can be to Seungcheol’s cousin,” Mingyu explains. “It’s not like I’m going to be rude to her, or any of them.”
“Sometimes I forget you’re just a nice guy,” you sigh, running a hand through your hair and taking a deep breath. Your next words are quiet, “I guess when you were being nice to me, I thought maybe it was more than that.”
He swallows, reaching out to grab your hand. “It was more than that,” Mingyu assures you. 
“Really?” You look up at him and he’s never seen you so vulnerable, so beautiful-
“I don’t just go around buying girls underwear,” he says, which causes you both to laugh. “In case you were wondering.”
“So you’re saying…” you step closer to him, and Mingyu’s body tingles at the proximity. “You like me?”
“That’s probably an understatement,” Mingyu admits.
“Good… I understatedly like you too.” You're still holding his hand, and you give it a small squeeze.
“But-” he blinks at you. “I’m not an alpha or anything-”
“I know you’re not, Gyu,” you laugh. “I think that’s part of why I like you so much. You don’t try to tell me what to do. You don’t try to control me. You just… exist with me. I’m not used to that.”
“I-” Mingyu’s brain is blank. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Maybe you don’t have to say anything,” you suggest, leaning closer. Your gaze dips to his lips, and Mingyu’s tongue darts out to wet them-
You’re about to kiss him, he knows it, and his whole body feels on fire as you close the distance between your chests. 
You let go of his hand, wrapping your arms around the back of his neck. “Do you want to kiss me, Gyu?”
The word ‘yes’ doesn’t even cut it, so instead, he simply presses his lips to your own. It’s not a sweet kiss. It’s not soft, or tentative- it’s hungry, and Mingyu’s hands grab at your hips, tugging you closer. 
Your tongue glides over his own and Mingyu groans loudly, fingers digging into your flannel. He’s not sure what’s come over him, but he simply can’t help himself. He leans down, grabbing at your ass and lifting you off the ground.
Your legs instinctively wrap around his hips, a mewl escaping you as Mingyu presses you back against the tree, pinning you there while he continues to kiss you like he’s never kissed anyone in his whole life.
You feel perfect in his arms, and he could get drunk from your lips. Mingyu can already feel his cock straining against his jeans, a need surging through him like never before.
Mingyu had thought he’d lost you - if even for a moment - and he’s not willing to lose you ever again. He doesn’t want you running into the woods anymore when you’re having emotions, he wants you running to him, and he kisses you as if to say ‘please, never leave.’
He had always thought Seungcheol would be his alpha, but you’d shown up and flipped his world upside down. Mingyu doesn’t care about appeasing his friend anymore- all he cares about is appeasing you- pleasuring you, giving you everything you could ever possibly want, everything you could ever need. 
Nothing in Mingyu’s life has ever felt this right before, and he gets lost in the feeling of you as you claw at his shoulders, kissing him harder and taking his breath away.
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You can’t believe this is happening. Can’t believe Mingyu has you pressed to a tree, his mouth hot against your own- 
After so many conflicting emotions in the past twenty four hours, this turn of events has you reeling- or maybe that’s just Mingyu. No one has ever kissed you like this before- like you’re the very air they need to breathe. 
He’s intoxicating, and you need more. 
“Gyu,” you gasp against his lips.
He hums, moving his mouth to your throat, peppering your skin in wet kisses that have you groaning.
“Put me down,” you say, voice shaky.
He doesn’t question you, setting you onto the forest floor-
And then you’re pushing at his chest. “Get on the ground,” you command him.
His pupils are blown with lust and he takes a haggard breath, then he does what you’ve asked of him. He stumbles back, landing in the grassy dirt. 
You’re on him not a moment later, straddling his hips and cupping his face, grinding down against his lap while your need for him grows between your legs. You’ve soaked through your panties, but you can’t bring yourself to care-
He feels like heaven below you, seated upright, hands grabbing at your waist and the small of your back, holding you firm to him while you swivel your hips. 
Your kisses move to his throat, teeth grazing by his jugular, and the beta below you shivers. “Alpha-” 
God, it feels so good to have him addressing you properly, to be giving himself to you like this-
“I wanna fuck you,” you tell him. “I wanna fuck you so bad-”
“Please,” he practically whimpers, and the sound has you moaning loudly. 
You apply pressure to his shoulders again, and he falls flat to the ground, looking up at you while trying to catch his breath. 
He doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t need to say anything. 
It’s just you and him, nothing else matters-
A scream cuts through the trees, and your head whips in the direction of the sound. “Did you hear that?” you ask, freezing, your hips coming to a stop while you sit on top of the beta.
“I didn’t hear anything,” Mingyu groans, fingers digging into your skin, urging you to pick up your motions again.
The noise rings again, clearer this time, and you realize immediately what it is. “Shit!” you gasp, jumping to your feet. “The baby is coming!” 
“Now?!” Mingyu sits up abruptly.
“Now,” you confirm. “I have to go.” You lean down to kiss him one last time. “We’ll continue this later,” you promise, and then you’re running through the woods back to the compound. 
Your heart is racing in your chest. You’ve never run this hard before, and your muscles scream at you, but you push on, knowing that you need to get to Cheol’s mate. You need to be there for the birth- it will solidify you as part of the pack, and Hell, lives could be at risk.
You push out of the tree line, eyes zoning in on Seungcheol’s cabin. Women are running around, and a few of the men too. Seungcheol looks wild as you approach, darting up the stairs two at a time-
His hand stops you before you can go through the door. “You smell like Mingyu,” he says.
“Are we really doing this now?!” you ask, breathless. “I need to go help your wife!”
He lets go of your arm, and you enter the cabin, knowing that the next few hours are going to be crucial for not only you, but the entire pack.
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Four hours after arriving to the delivery cabin, you exit it, looking around at the male pack outside. You’d thought it best to leave Seungcheol’s wife with his own family, and after the difficult labour, you need an estrogen break. You also need to let everyone know how things went, especially Cheol, who hadn’t been allowed inside due to the small space already being full of female wolves intent on keeping things as calm as possible.
One look at Seungcheol tells you he’s the furthest thing from calm- and you offer him a small smile. “Congratulations, you have a son,” you tell him softly.
“Is everything okay?” he asks, taking in your blood soaked flannel.
“The baby had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, but luckily for you, two of my brothers were born that way too. We sorted it out. Your mate, and your son, are both looking perfectly healthy.”
There are tears in Seungcheol’s eyes, and he moves to go past you, to enter the cabin, but then he stops, grabbing your arm. “We’ll have to talk about you and Mingyu later,” he warns, voice low.
“I expected nothing less,” you nod.
The alpha releases your arm, entering the cabin and shutting the door behind him.
Mingyu’s the next person in front of you, taking in your clothes. “I-” he reaches out and wipes some blood off your face. “I don’t-”
“You don’t have to say anything,” you assure him. You can tell by the way his gaze dips to your lips that he wants to kiss you, but you’re much too dirty for that, covered in all sorts of fluids you have no wish to spread across Mingyu’s pretty features.
“You need a shower,” he tells you. “And new clothes.”
“Not a shower,” you state. “I need a nature cleanse after all of this.”
“I know a river nearby,” Mingyu nods.
“Let’s go,” you say softly, ignoring the rest of the pack as you follow Mingyu down the stairs.
An unexpected hand reaches out and pats you on the shoulder, and you turn to see Jihoon nodding at you. “Good job.”
Another hand reaches out, then two more- they’re all avoiding the blood on the front of your shirt, going for back rubs, and you’re shocked to find that the touch isn’t unwelcome.
It feels like acceptance. Like you’re truly part of the pack now.
Even Soonyoung offers you a small smile as you walk past, and your skin feels alive with emotion as you head with Mingyu to the tree line.
The beta doesn’t say anything as he leads you through the forest, and you prefer it that way. You’ve just had to listen to a woman scream and cry and give birth for hours- the silence makes way for the noises of the forest, and they wash over you, relaxing your tense muscles.
Five minutes of quiet bliss go by, and then Mingyu tells you you’re close to the river. You can hear it over the sound of wind brushing through the trees, and the smell of running water hits your nose.
Your pace quickens, and soon, you reach a small alcove. The river has cut a chunk out of the hillside, and the water is still in comparison to the rush beyond. It looks clean, clear, and welcoming. 
Without a second thought, you strip your shirt and bra off, tossing them onto the rocks. Your pants come next, and soon, you’re completely naked, stepping into the cool alcove.
When you look over your shoulder, you find Mingyu gawking at you, still completely dressed.
“Aren’t you going to join me?” you ask, ignoring the icy water as you wade to your hips. 
The beta tears his flannel off, and you turn away, reaching down to cup the water and wash it over your skin. The liquid tints a soft red colour as you brush away the blood, working your hands over yourself until you’re clean. 
You can hear the lapping of water as Mingyu approaches you, and then his large, warm body is wrapping around your back, pulling you tight to his chest.
“You’re amazing,” he breathes, pressing a kiss to your shoulder.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” you retort, turning in his embrace and encircling your arms around the back of his neck. Your breasts press against his bare chest, and he looks down at you with eyes full of wonder.
His hand comes up to cup your cheek, and then he’s kissing you softly. 
You melt against him, letting out a groan- 
You’d been in midwife mode, but the feelings of what had taken place just before hearing the initial scream come back quickly. The need you have for Mingyu returns with full force and you deepen the kiss, gliding your tongue against his bottom lip. 
He stifles a moan, reaching down to grab your hips, pulling you flush to his body. You can feel his hard length trapped between you, and your pussy flutters at the realization that his cock is as big as the rest of him.
Before you can reach for him, Mingyu’s hand is slipping between you, his fingers seeking out your clit, and you moan loudly in his mouth. “I wanna-” he swallows, breaking the kiss to look down at you. “I wanna say you’re wet, but we’re in a river.” 
“I’m wet,” you confirm, digging your nails into his broad shoulders. “You feel so good-”
His lips move down to your neck, and he finds your sweet spot much too fast. You gasp loudly, tangling your fingers in his hair while you grind down against his hand, his digits rubbing harder on your clit.
“No, you feel so good,” he grumbles, breath hot on your throat, making you twitch.
His touch rubs lower, teasing your opening, and you whimper in his embrace. Your eyes close and you lean toward him, resting your forehead on his shoulder while he presses a digit into your core. 
“Shit, alpha,” Mingyu gasps. “You’re so tight-”
“Guess… guess you better work me open if I’m going to take you properly,” you tell him, tugging gently on his hair.
“Yes, alpha,” Mingyu pants, moving his finger in and out of your pussy, “I can do that.”
When you open your eyes and look down, you’re enthralled by his pretty cock, bobbing just below the water. You let go of his hair in favour of wrapping your hand around his length and Mingyu groans loudly by your ear. 
“You’re so big,” you whisper, marveling at how your fingers can’t even touch as you slowly move up and down his shaft. “My big, sweet, beta.”
Mingyu moans again, pressing fevered kisses against your throat and your under jaw. He likes praise, and luckily for you both, you like praising him. 
“Such a good beta for me,” you continue, gasping when he fucks his digit into your harder, palming your clit. “Stretching me so good- add another finger Gyu, I need it.”
You groan when he follows through, your pussy fluttering to accommodate the second intrusion. 
The cold water is lapping at your sides, his forearm flexing with effort while he finger fucks you closer and closer to the edge. Your own hand is still wrapped around him, and you tease your thumb over the slit, making him gasp loudly.
“You like that, big guy?” You smile, pressing a kiss to his collarbone. 
“Yes, alpha,” he nods, sucking on your earlobe. 
“But you’re not going to cum until you’re inside me, right?” you question.
“No, I can-” he lets out a strangled sound when you pump him harder, “I can wait.”
“Good puppy.” 
He whimpers at the pet name, licking your throat while his fingers continue inside of you. 
You swivel your hips, grinding down against his palm, driving his digits deeper into your pussy while moans slip past your lips.
“Gyu,” you whisper, “I’m gonna cum.”
“Please, cum, alpha. Please cum for me,” he begs, sounding as needy as you’ve ever heard him.
Your pussy flutters at his words, and he continues to edge you on, moaning “please” softly in your ear until you’re on the cusp of pleasure. 
“Gyu,” you groan, closing your eyes as your body tenses-
“Come on, alpha,” he encourages you. “Cum on my fingers.” 
Your brain short circuits as your pussy clamps down on him, waves of ecstasy rolling through you, making you shudder in his embrace. 
“You sound so good,” he praises you, sucking on your throat while his fingers continue inside of you, helping you through your orgasm until you’re gasping and clawing at his shoulder, tightening your grip on his cock. “Fuck, alpha-” he groans. 
“Need you inside of me,” you tell him, letting go of his length to steady your hands on his shoulders. 
He pulls his fingers out of your core, grabbing your ass to lift you up. Your legs wrap around his hips and one of his hands lines his cock with your pussy. His eyes look into yours, as if he’s asking permission, and you nod, bracing yourself for the stretch that comes a moment later.
“Fuck-” you groan, burying your face against his throat as he begins to fill you up.
Two digits were big, but his cock is bigger, and your inner walls work to accommodate him as he pushes in inch by inch.
You’re trembling by the time he’s fully inside of you, your hips pressed together. His lips press kisses to your hair, and his fingers dig against your hips. 
“You feel like Heaven,” he breathes.
“But you better fuck me like Hell,” you retort, swallowing thickly as you get used to his size. 
“You got it, alpha,” Mingyu nods.
Something tells you even if you weren’t in the river alcove, Mingyu could fuck you like a beast carrying you in this position, but the water makes it even easier for him to maneuver your body. It almost feels effortless, if it weren’t for his large biceps bulging as he begins to rut into you.
God, he’s so fucking pretty-
His cock hits all your spots, filling you just right. 
If you’d been lost in his kisses, you’re practically brain dead from his cock. You’re clinging to his shoulders, eyes closed in bliss as he pleasures you, rutting into you faster and harder, making the water lap loudly at your sides.
Mingyu’s groaning in your ear, and the sound makes your pussy flutter around him, which only makes him louder. “Alpha-” he cries desperately, grip digging into your ass.
“That’s it, puppy,” you coo, threading your fingers through his hair. “You’re doing so good for me-”
He’s panting now, and you realize he must be close. You suppose that’s what happens when he gets to finger fuck you to an orgasm but you make him wait after stroking him off.
You hadn’t thought about what do to with his cum when you’d entered the water, and now, you’re realizing you’re going to have to make him pull out.
After just helping Seungcheol’s mate give birth, you’ve discovered you don’t want kids anytime soon, and Mingyu cumming inside of you could pose a bit of a problem to your future plans.
You’re going to hate to do this to him- even though you know he won’t protest.
In the dark corners of your mind, part of you plays with the idea of him refusing to pull out. Of him going full alpha and negating your wishes, of him filling you to the brim with his cum and forcing you to feel all of him. 
But you don’t want an alpha. You want him. And it feels like freedom to be fucking a beta who is going to listen to your every word.
“Gyu,” you whisper, threading your fingers through his hair.
He grunts.
“You can’t cum inside of me,” you tell him.
“Fuck, right- yeah,” he nods, swallowing thickly. “I can pull out.”
“But you’ll make me cum first, right?” you question.
God, it might just kill him to fuck you while you cum and hold off his own orgasm, only to pull out of you and jack off into the stupid river-
“Yes alpha, I’ll make you cum,” he promises, fucking you harder. “Please, I’m close- I need you to cum-”
“I’m close too,” you assure him, closing your eyes and focusing on the feeling of his massive cock stretching out your pussy. You can feel a vein running along the underside of his length, that’s how big he is, and it makes your toes curl. “Shit, puppy-”
“Please,” he whimpers, and you realize he’s nearly overstimulated. 
Having Mingyu completely undone while he fucks you is the cherry on top of your pleasure, and you let out a choked gasp, holding onto him tightly while your second orgasm slams into you.
Your pussy clamps down on his cock and Mingyu lets out a loud moan, fingers digging into your hips roughly. He’s panting hard, cussing all sorts of swear words into your ear while he fucks you through your high, taking care of you until you’re done.
The moment you push at his shoulders, he pulls out of you, letting you onto your feet while he wraps a hand around his cock-
“No, let me,” you insist, pushing his fingers out of the way so you can grab his aching length with both fists. 
You press your lips to his neck, kissing him and licking at his sensitive skin while you jack him off, and a second later he’s letting out a deep moan in the back of his throat. It’s something near a growl, and it’s one of the sexiest sounds you’ve ever heard.
“That’s it, puppy,” you praise. “Cum for me. Cum for me, big guy, just like that-”
“Alpha,” he whimpers, body jerking as your touch overstimulates him, and when he’s done, he pushes your hands away from his throbbing cock, struggling to catch his breath. 
He leans down, resting his forehead against yours while you both stand there panting. 
“Fuck,” Mingyu groans, wrapping both arms around you and pulling you tight to his chest. His heart is racing wildly, and you smile against his skin, pressing soft kisses there. “That was so good,” he tells you. “You’re so good-”
“You did all the work,” you whisper, holding him tighter.
“No, I just did what alpha asked me too,” he argues. 
You decide to let him win this one, and you melt against his warm chest, snuggling closer. 
You’re not sure how long you stand like that, but when Mingyu finally lets you go, he cups your jaw, bringing your lips to his.
“I love you,” he murmurs, and it makes your body tense. “Fuck, I shouldn’t have said it-”
“No,” you assure him, pressing your hand on his chest. “I love you too.”
“You do?” Mingyu blinks down at you.
You nod. “In fact… I would have marked you, made you mine, but… I have to talk to Seungcheol first.”
“Right,” Mingyu swallows, “Seungcheol.” 
“You remember your other alpha, right, big guy?” you laugh.
“Yeah.” The beta runs a hand through his hair, gaze shifting to the rocky shore. “We should probably head back.”
“That might be a good idea,” you concede. “Seungcheol probably needs you right now.”
Mingyu nods, grabbing your hand and leading you back to the water’s edge. 
He lets you out first, and you have the suspicion he’s staring at your ass.
“Take my flannel,” Mingyu tells you. “Your clothes are ruined.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” you grin, reaching down for the long shirt that acts like a dress as you wrap it around your naked form. 
Mingyu tugs on his jeans, and you fish your panties out of your clothes, slipping them on. 
“You know, I got these so you could see me in them,” you admit, showing him your ass, “But you hardly got to enjoy them before we got in the water.”
“I have time to enjoy them,” he assures you, pulling you in for a kiss.
He smiles against your lips, and you laugh, looking up at him. “What?”
“I’m just thinking… thinking about the day you arrived here. How I gave you my shirt then, and now here we are, with you in another flannel.”
“You were my knight in shining armour,” you tell him, heart swelling at the memory.
“I can’t explain it,” Mingyu says, “but part of me knew even then- I knew that you were going to change everything. I’m so happy you came to us.”
You beam up at your new mate. “Me too.”
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You’re not surprised to find Seungcheol waiting for you when you arrive back at the cabins. He’s on his porch, holding a tiny bundle of blankets, and he stands when you and Mingyu exit the forest.
“I’m going to go talk to him,” you tell Mingyu.
“Do you want me to come with you?” he asks.
“I think this is something he’ll want to discuss alone, you know, alpha business.” You gently elbow Mingyu’s side and he flashes you a smile.
“Whatever you say,” he agrees, breaking off from you to head toward his own cabin while you approach the alpha watching you. 
“Hi,” you greet Seungcheol, stopping at the steps. 
“Hi,” he responds, gaze following Mingyu. 
“That’s a cute baby you’ve got there,” you offer, hoping to break some of the tension you’re feeling.
“He wouldn’t be here without you,” Seungcheol nods. “My mother said you pulled your weight today, and I wanted to thank you.”
“No need,” you assure him. “I was happy to help… is your mate asleep?”
“Yeah, she needs rest.” Seungcheol starts down the stairs. “Come walk with me.”
The two of you head out into the field, and you wait for Seungcheol to start the conversation you know you’re about to have.
The alpha stops in the middle of the open space, looking back at the cabins. “Is it real?” he asks finally.
“Hmm?”
“You and Mingyu,” Seungcheol clarifies, gently rocking the baby in his arms. “Is it real.”
“Yeah,” you nod, licking at the grass and everting your eyes. “I felt something the moment I saw him.”
“He’s a good guy,” Seungcheol sighs. “An even better beta, and the best right-hand man I could have ever asked for.”
“You’re lucky to have him,” you agree. “And he knows how lucky he is to have you as an alpha.”
“And that’s how it’s always going to be,” Seungcheol breathes. “I’m his alpha. I can’t have him torn between us if disagreements ever arise. I could manage if someone else was loyal to you, but not him.”
“He’s still loyal to you,” you insist. “As I said when we met, I’m not looking to be a leader. He can be your right-hand man, and I can be your… left-hand woman.” You both chuckle at the notion. “No one will challenge you with me and Mingyu at your side.”
“I guess there’s truth in that,” Seungcheol admits. 
“I admire you,” you continue. “Not only did you not choose an omega as a mate, you chose a human, and you made her into a beta. I don’t know many alphas that can say that. I think… I think if you get to choose your mate, I should be able to as well.”
“Is that an alpha suggestion, or your personal opinion?”
“Just an opinion,” you say softly. 
There are a few beats of silence, and you listen to the wind rustling through the trees. It’s shocking how much has changed in just a few days. New life in the pack, both the baby and you. New love too.
“I don’t know you that well yet,” Seungcheol says, choosing his words carefully. “But if Mingyu trusts you, then I guess I do too.”
“Really?” you look at the alpha, eyes widening.
Seungcheol doesn’t meet your gaze, he continues looking out at the cabins, but he gives a curt nod. “If you both like each other as much as you obviously do, who am I to come between that?”
“Well, you’re the alpha, so the decision is really up to you-”
“No,” Seungcheol shakes his head. “This isn’t the sort of thing I want to be a deciding authority on. And… if it’s any consolation, the two of you have my blessing.”
Your breath catches, and your throat feels dry. “Thank you,” you say, voice cracking. “I uh… Thank you.”
“No need,” Seungcheol smiles, repeating the words you’d said to him only a minute ago. “Just…” he turns to face you, “don’t break his heart, yeah?”
“Alpha,” you laugh, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Good,” Seungcheol nods. “Welcome to the pack.”
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🔮 preview. “You’re so pretty,” your mate groans, one of his large hands sneaking up to cup your breast. His thumb brushes over your nipple and you whimper at the feeling. Mingyu sits up suddenly, adjusting a palm to the floor so he can keep himself up while his lips seek out your breasts. He starts by sucking a mark into your skin, letting out a deep sound of pleasure while pressing his face between your boobs. You place your hands on his shoulders, using him as leverage to fuck him harder. The sound of your thrusts fills the small room, and you can hear how wet you are with each bounce. You bet Jeonghan and Joshua can hear it too.
cw/ tw. Protected sex, vouyerism (sex while others listen), slight exhibitionism (sex in an unfinished cabin), size kink, boob worship, mentions of claim marks, big dick Mingyu, praise, dirty talk, mutual orgasm, blow job, deep throating,  etc… I pet names: (hers) alpha. (his) big guy, puppy.
👹 rating. 18+ explicit I wc. 3.1k I teaser wc. 400
🌙 staring. Mingyu x afab!Reader
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bonus
It’s not that working on building cabins out in the forest had been easy, but nothing compares to the difficulties of trying to focus on a build while Mingyu walks around shirtless, skin glistening in the sun with sweat. His scent perfumes the locations he’s working on, and it’s been three straight weeks of you trying desperately to ignore the wet of your panties sticking to your core.
The structure is definitely coming together though, and each day brings you closer to having a place you can call your own. Fucking Mingyu in the RV has been… interesting to say the least. He’s just so big- he doesn’t fit in the tiny bunk bed, so he’s taken to fucking you against the walls, the whole wheeled home rocking-
In fact, a few of your new packmates have come up with the saying, ‘When the RV’s a’ rockin’ don’t come a knockin'. You’re much too used to fogged up windows and biting into a pillow to stop screams from escaping the badly insulated vehicle, and the idea that soon you’ll have a cabin to fuck him in is making you all the more eager to get the project complete.
“When do you think we’ll get this done?” you ask, looking over Jeonghan’s shoulder at the project plans as you finish up for the day.
“Two weeks?” he suggests. “We’ve been making good time on this. Our window guys is set to come in a few days and then after that we just have to set up plumbing and electrical, then furnishings-” Jeonghan lets out a deep breath, considering all the moving parts. “Yeah, I could see you and Mingyu moving in here pretty soon.”
“Mingyu’s not moving in with me,” you insist.
Jeonghan flashes you a knowing smile. “Sure he isn’t.” The wolf rolls up the cabin plans, looking around the space. “You know, even though the windows aren’t in yet, I’m pretty sure if you and Mingyu wanted to christen the place, it’s far enough from everyone else that you could get away with it without Seungcheol knowing and getting mad.”
“That’s not a bad idea, actually,” you smirk.
“That’s me, I’m just full of good ideas,” Jeonghan returns your grin. “But at the same time… if you wanted us to hear you two, if you wanted to be loud, I don’t think any of us would mind.”
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momolady · 3 months
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Art the Orc
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If you live in a small town, maybe you'll know this place. It's a little art store run by the same family for ages. It's not changed in all that time either. Picture it, feel it, you know it's the only place that sells that one supply you like. Now, imagine an orc behind the counter. Female Reader x Male Monster
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The visage of the old place looked like it had once been a gas station. There was one of those big metal awnings and signs that gas pumps had once been outside. But everything else looked like the art supply store it was. The window was painted, done up with flowers and a flourishing font, but it hadn’t been touched in ages and was chipping and weathering away.
The old place had seen better days, you could tell. But you were excited to tackle such a special project with your own two hands.
Inside the place had a familiar smell of paint thinner, book pages, and coffee. You looked around the front as the bells on the door chimed. The old floor had seen better days and was worn out where you stood, even the welcome mat was hard to read.
“Welcome to Greengold Creative Station,” the deep voice came from behind the front desk where there was an open door. ‘I’ll be out with you in just a moment.”
“Take your time,” you replied. You continued to look around, noting the mismatched shelving and thrown together renovations dotting the place.
A moment later, a large orc came from the back. He was wearing thick glasses and had on a corded cardigan that covered a paint splattered t-shirt.
“Can I help you find anything?” He asked as he adjusted his glasses.
You approached the front desk again, extending your hand to him. “Hi! You must be Mr. Greengold, I’m from Regency Renovations.”
There was a surprised look upon his face as he shook your hand. “You’re the renovator?”
You smiled, half expecting some reservation based on your appearance. “I specialize in business and storefront renovations. That is what you wanted, correct, Mr. Greengold?”
He fumbled with his words for a moment, stuttering, touching his glasses until he spoke. “Call me Art, please.”
You held it in, but he knew where your mind went.
“It’s short for Arthur, but it's also my dad’s name so my mom calls me Art. Yes, I know, ha ha, very fun. A man named Art runs the art store.”
“It’s an easy target.” You tried to squash your giggling but a few came out.
He sighed and shook his head. “So, you’ll be handling the whole store. I want it updated completely. It was fine for my parents, but I need to bring in a new generation of artists and online shopping is destroying us.”
“It’s a common issue, Art,” you didn’t look at him as you said his name. “I already have some ideas brewing and I would be happy to discuss your thoughts for the business with you.”
He sighed heavily, gazing out at a store that was once his family’s legacy. “I would say I would like to keep some of what my parents did to this place, but I don’t think any of it is salvageable.”
“Well recycling is a thing.” You replied. “Like some of these old shelves, the wood can be reused to create a rustic facade for the front desk here.” You patted the worn out formica top. “And the vintage signage out from can be reused and framed, hung just right behind you there.”
Art made a face. “You can do all that.”
You returned his face, adding a smug smile to it. “I can do lots of things, Art. My father was a carpenter and my mother was a viper. Be careful of what you inflict about me.” You patted your chest proudly. You knew you were small and chubby, not many people expected much out of you, but your work spoke for itself. And that was how you told people off.
“Sorry,” he sighed. “I have a lot riding on this so-”
“So you hired the best. That I can promise you. Now I know you said you didn’t have a lot of funds, but I already have my plans made for how to help you with that. I plan on doing most of the work on my own, but for heavy lifting and other things-”
“I don’t mind helping with that,” he said with a shake of his head.
You had planned to bring in your brother for help, he enjoyed the destruction part of your job and he worked for free food. “Well uh…if you’d like Art, I wouldn’t say no.”
“I wouldn’t want you getting hurt on the job. It would be best if I helped out,” he said.
You couldn’t tell if he was being kind or underestimating you again, so you brushed it off and continued. “I would also like to film the process of the renovation. Stuff like that will help reach your new audience.”
He frowned, and his thick brows pinched together. “You must be joking.”
“I am not. You’d be surprised what the kids these days are watching.” You smirked up at him. “I know what I am doing, Art. Have some faith.”
His face read: easier said than done.
Discussion and planning was always the hard bit. You had to convince your employer of what needed to be done. Art was hesitant about some things, after all it was a family business and a place he had grown up in. But for the most part he was willing to go along with some of your ideas.
Art started the clean up process by first putting away his stock and setting most of the mismatched shelves outside. Once that was taken care of you began ripping up the old carpet and ancient linoleum.
“I remember when my dad put that stuff down,” Art said from behind you.
You looked up, eyes covered by goggles and mouth surrounded by one of those thick industrial masks. “Oh really?”
Art gave you a look. “Is all that necessary?”
“You’d be surprised.” You stacked another chunk of the linoleum to the side. “Lots of debris and who-knows-what is under these old floors. Decades of dirty shoes, dust, skin, and life are stored here.”
Art’s grimace deepened. “Skin?”
“Oh yeah, we shed like mad,” you laughed. “If you have dust in your house you can be assured it came from you!”
Art looked perturbed by this revelation but he continued in moving stock to the back and other store property outside.
Once the flooring was removed, you accessed what was underneath. It wasn’t marble or granite, but it was some type of stony tile that had existed when it was a gas station.
“Mom said it was inhospitable.”
You used a dust cloth to clean off a bit of the flooring. “But it’s easy to clean, and it’ll make the whole place appear brighter and bigger.” You turned and looked back at him, taking off the goggles. “It’ll be so much better in the long run. Plus! You won’t have to buy anything new except maybe a rug or two if you wanted.”
Art’s pinched brow was becoming the norm to see, but you could tell it was because the gears behind it were working so hard to process everything going on.
Once the tiles were cleaned and all the old flooring was hauled off to the dump, you started working on the walls, taking down slapdash shelving, and anything else hanging up. The old paint job, or jobs really, were layered on so thick and hadn’t been properly done. They had painted over the trim and electrical outlets, all of which needed to be replaced. The holes in the walls needed fixing too, and there were a few dents and scrapes from the years.
“You’re not hiring a painter?” Art asked one day.
You zipped up your coveralls and turned around to face him. “Not unless you want to shell out twice the money. Besides, I’m a good painter. A great painter even! Maybe not Rembrandt or anything, but I can handle a roller better than most.”
Art looked over your paint supplies. After days of you working on freeing the electric sockets and scraping the excess from the trim you could finally start working. You were painting the wall white, but you had found cheap sticker tiles to create a great accent wall, which could then be used for photo opportunities and special displays. Then another wall would also be painted white and used to display local artists and projects from the art class that Art taught.
“Mom always wanted to put wallpaper up,” Art murmured. “But said it wouldn’t be practical with everything we needed to hang up.”
There was a melancholy to Art’s face and tone as he said this. “What kind?” You asked as you poured your paint into the tray. “We could always find something close to what she had in mind for the office.”
Art glanced over his shoulder then shook his head. “I doubt I could afford it. I tried looking already.”
You put the roller into the paint, sliding it back and forth until it wasn’t too soupy. “Was this place your mom’s idea?”
“Yeah,” he murmured, his gaze going all about the store. “I can’t believe how empty it is now.”
“It’ll be full again in no time.” You gave him a reassuring smile when his amber eyes returned to you. “Do you have any pictures of your mother you would want to hang up?” you asked. “I can plan a special place for it.”
He huffed, seeming put off by this suggestion. “Excuse me. The smell of this paint is giving me a headache.” He walked off, stomping his feet a little as he went.
Art came back by the time you were finished with the first coat of white. You were sitting in front of the checkout desk, leaned back against it so your foot propped the door open. He stepped over your leg and looked at your work.
“The white really makes this place look…different,” he murmured.
“Don’t worry, there will be some color back soon enough,” you sighed. “Is your headache gone?”
Art nodded, leaning against the desk. “Sorry if I’ve been…obstinate.”
You waved it off. “I’m used to you.”
He shook his head. “No. I’ve been questioning and judging everything, all because I never really wanted to do this.”
You tilted your head up to look at him. “Then why are you?”
He let out that heavy, burdened sigh again. “Because it was in her will.”
You clicked your tongue. “Oh.”
“She left me money, but only if I used a portion of it to renovate the old store. She said it was mine after all, it deserved to reflect the new generation. Even in death she was still hinting I get married.” He scoffed at this, but he still had a smile on his face.
“Sounds pretty motherly.” You stood up from the ground, standing beside him. Not feeling much taller than you did sitting beside his great size. You motioned to the front window. “Did she paint that?”
Art laughed. “No. I did. That’s why she kept it so long.”
Your smile beamed. “Really? That’s pretty adorable.”
He shook his head and rolled his eyes. “For years upon years I’ve looked at that painting and wished every day she would wash it off and do something different. But I suppose her sentimentality was far too deep for that.”
“It’s a good painting,” you offered.
“I never thought she’d keep it so I barely tried,” he grunted and crossed his arms against his chest. “Boy, was I wrong.”
“Would you like to paint the new display? I was planning on just hanging a new sign and leaving the window clean.”
“I don’t know,” he muttered.
You patted his arm, and his eyes darted down to your hand, his brows unpinching for that one moment.
“I’ll wait till you decide then.” You stepped away from him, but his eyes still lingered on where you had touched him.
A few days later, as you were working on putting the sticker tile onto the wall, Art came from the back and offered you a ticket.
“A friend of mine has a gallery showing tonight. He gave me two tickets so I thought-” He hesitated and cleared his throat.
“How fancy is the affair?” You asked.
“Nothing too fancy. I mean, dress up, but not like black tie event or anything.” He cleared his throat again. “I was going to get dinner at my favorite restaurant since it was close by if you wanted to come.”
It clicked and you looked up at him. Your cheeks flushed and your mouth started to go dry. “Oh. Sure.” You tucked your hair behind your ear. “If that’s the case, maybe we should go in together. You know? Save the earth and stuff.”
He nodded. “Yeah. Smart idea. How about I pick you up tonight. Say…around six? Since the gallery is at eight?”
You nodded, biting down on your lip. “Yeah. Perfect. That should give me enough time to get ready after work.”
Art turned awkwardly away then back towards you. “Oh I uh, I guess I should get your address.” You traded info and the rest of the day went by in a jerky, tense sort of way.
That evening you waited in your living room until you heard from Art. You were wearing your favorite dress, and had even gotten your next door neighbor to do your makeup. You got his message and went downstairs to meet him at the front door.
Art was dressed nice in a dark purple suit and he had his long hair slicked back and tied into a bun. He didn’t have on his glasses, which surprised you. His eyes lit up when he saw you.
“Wow, you look great!” He said, a touch breathless.
You blushed and smiled. “Thanks. You look pretty great too. I’m not used to seeing you without your glasses.”
“Yeah, contacts tonight,” he said shyly. He then took your hand and led you to his car.
The restaurant was nice, the two of you had a clumsy start to it, but eventually you both started having an in depth conversation about color. From there, you both laughed and joked around, having a good time with great food and even better wine.
From there you walked to the gallery, meeting his friend then roaming through the show. Her artwork was lovely, but you noticed Art’s pinch brow had returned.
“A lot more nudes than I expected,” he whispered.
“I think it’s nice,” you replied. “I can see what her intent with the motif is. How it’s classic, it's natural, but also subversive.” You turned to Art, noticing him fidgeting and adjusting himself.
“Yes. I understand what she is doing,” he muttered. “I must have had just a little too much wine I think.”
You smiled at him, chuckling as your cheeks grew warm.
The car windows were fogged over, and in the dark all you could do was touch. His kisses felt rough but intimate. His tusks brushed against your skin, making your shiver. Every so often the darkness was halted by the motion light of the parking lot turning on. You’d still for a moment, then continue on with your youthful antics.
“We should stop.”
“We should.”
“Why aren’t we?”
“It’s hard.”
“Very hard.”
You kissed Art and breathed, looking into his eyes while you clasped your hands around his face. Maybe it was the wine or the nudes on display, maybe it was weeks of working so close and holding back so long.
“It’s hard.”
“Very hard.”
You smiled at him, kissing him again while his hands moved below. Your panties were pushed aside, his zipper brushed against your thigh. Big. Oh my god it was big!
You gasped softly and he stilled, watching your expression. You eased over him, taking as much of Art as you could stand. You pressed your palms to the roof of the car for balance, his strong hands kneaded into your thick thighs.
“Aren’t we a bit too old for this?” he breathed.
“I guess we’ll find out, won’t we.” Your laughter turned into moaning. Maybe you were both a bit too old for this, but you’d never had so much fun before! He pressed deeply inside you, and his hands couldn’t stop touching your body. He roamed over the soft curves, and plump form, his desire seeming to grow the more he did.
The next morning you came into work, seeing Art standing in the middle of the room. You held your breath, wondering if it was all a wonderful dream. He turned and smiled, his thick glasses back in place.
“Hi” he said breathlessly.
Your smile bloomed. “Hi.”
Art motioned to the desk. “I brought coffee.”
“I see that.” You smiled and took a cup he offered.
He sighed then laughed and you laughed. “So uh…last night.”
“I liked your friend’s gallery. It was very nice. I also liked your favorite restaurant.” You took a sip of the coffee, testing it before you added anything.
Art nodded, his gaze drifted until it fell back onto you. “Is that all?”
You smiled over your coffee cup. “No. Just barely.” You looked into his eyes. “I wasn’t sure if it was an appropriate work topic.”
“Not exactly but uhm…I just wanted to check.” His eyes darted over you. “Were we really too old for that?”
You laughed and cupped your hand over your mouth. “A little. But I’m not too sore. Are you?”
“No. But I would prefer somewhere much comfier next time.” he leaned in close and you closed your eyes, accepting his kiss and the touch of his tusks against your cheeks.
“Yes, it would be nice.” You saw he had paints and brushes set on the front desk. “What’s this for?”
He sucked in a breath through his teeth. “I thought I’d paint the window. I got a bit of inspiration last night.” He grinned your way. “Plus, I think mom would like to see how I’ve improved.”
You grinned. “I’ll be very excited to see how you work. Outside a car at least.”
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grison-in-space · 7 months
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sitting out in the yard and reflecting to @kawuli that really, Minnesota has eight seasons:
Early Fall, when you wander around in t shirts and shorts and remark a lot about how nice it is not to be craving death from heat exhaustion
Late Fall, when you describe the weather with words like "brisk" and "jogging weather" and wear a lot of sweaters and sweatshirts
Early Winter, which is nice for winter sports and playing with snow, when you must have a coat but not necessarily one rated for the arctic tundra
Late Winter, when you question your sanity and start making desperate excuses not to go outside for any reason.
Lie Spring (Third Winter), which leaves you constantly on tenterhooks yearning for the warm hands of warm weather but constantly disappointed, and also everything not frozen is solid mud
Real Spring, when the snow actually melts and plants grow and everyone relaxes into the serene understanding that Winter has well and truly been conquered
Good Summer, when you have a lot of cookouts and take a lot of naps and take vacations to the woods so you can nap in new and exciting locations
and of course Bad Summer, beginning with the onset of ceaseless fireworks and transitioning to days and weeks so hot that you and everyone else wish you were dead rather than trying to limp through it
Anyway, Bad Summer is dead for the year! Long may she rot! Begin the festivities!
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percervall · 3 months
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till morning comes, let's tessellate
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Pairing: Mark Webber x fem!reader Words: 1219 Warnings: flirting, dirty talk, bratty behaviour, cockwarming
In which you're willing to play with fire
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It’s far too hot, is the only way you can describe the weather. Having grown up in Europe, it always messes with your brain a little whenever you and your husband spend the better part of January in his home country of Australia, where it’s very much summer instead of winter. Mark doesn’t mind; he will happily work out in the garden while you prefer to remain in the shade of the plum trees as you read a book in the hammock Mark had hung for you. Which is what you had been doing until watching your husband doing manual labour proved too much of a distraction. You can’t help but clench your thighs together as he walks back towards the house, wiping his brow with the shirt he had taken off already. There is no way you can continue reading now, not when Mark lifts one of the logs of a fallen tree up onto his shoulder to carry it into the shade. The threadbare fabric of the oversized t-shirt you found in the back of his closet rubs over your nipples and you can’t help but bite back the whimper that’s threatening to come out at the feeling. Fuck, you are so turned on already and all he’s done is carry wood. Mark looks up at you, giving you a knowing smirk.
“What’s a girl gotta do to get her husband to give her attention?” you pout, e-reader now forgotten in your lap. 
“You always have my attention, sweetheart,” Mark responds, dropping another log next to the ones already there. 
“Besides, you were reading,” he adds, an eyebrow raised. He has you there; the world could go up in flames without you even realising whenever you’re engrossed in a book. Whatever witty retort you might have come up with dies on your lips as he swings the axe and chops the fire wood for the pizza oven you had surprised him with for your anniversary. Your breath catches in your lungs and your clit throbs as you watch the muscles in his back move under his bronzed skin. 
“I’m sure Fernando would’ve,” you say instead once you’ve found your tongue. Mark just hums, amused at your sudden brattiness. 
“I wouldn’t bet on that, but sure darling,” he says, raising the axe again. Mark’s got a point, even if it pains you to admit that.
“Jenson definitely would,” you counter instead. At this point you might as well fully commit to riling him up.
“Sweetheart, you work with him and know just as well as I do, he would not give you the attention you need,” Mark replies. Damn this man, you think as you grow hot all over at the implication of his words. Jenson is just as much a tease as you can be, and while this makes for great TV as you wind each other up, you need a man who-.. Well, frankly you need a man who can put you in your place, sometimes literally. Just the memory of Mark throwing you onto the bed as if you weigh nothing has you clenching your thighs to alleviate the ache you feel. 
“That’s what I thought,” he muses as he watches you. You huff, folding your arms over your chest which causes the shirt to bunch up a little higher up your thighs. Mark’s eyes catch the way it shows off your legs, lust quickly replacing the bemusement in his eyes. Oh, you’ve got this man right where you want him. Trying not to show just how smug you’re feeling, you place your e-reader on the little side table as you sit up on your knees –which, given the fact that you’re in a hammock, is easier said than done.
“Maybe I should give Sebby a call. If all you’re gonna do is talk, I might as well have a little fun,” you taunt, shrugging a shoulder as you give him your most innocent look. You know you’re playing a dangerous game, bringing up his last teammate. Mark and Sebastian were competitive to a fault, and while you never even considered giving in to Sebastian’s advances on you, you know the fact they vied for your attention always brings out this possessive streak in your husband.
Mark drops the axe and saunters over to you.
“Is that so, sweetheart? What exactly do you think Seb can give you? Hm? Bees?” 
“Among other things,” you quip, anticipation swirling low in your belly as he towers over you. One hand comes to rest on your chin, lifting your face up so he can look you in the eyes. His thumb drags on your bottom lip, making your eyes flutter closed, and for a brief moment you think he will make you suck on it. Your eyes snap open as soon as you hear his chuckle.
“You always talk such a big game, but as soon as there’s even a possibility of me giving what you want, you fold so quickly. What happened to using your words, darling?” 
“‘S more fun this way,” you mumble, and you feel your cheeks heat up in embarrassment. 
“Getting punished for being a brat is your idea of fun?” Mark asks, eyebrow raised. You shrug once more. 
“You know how much I love it when you spank me,” you say as plainly as you can while you need to fight the urge to squeeze your thighs shut. One of Mark’s hands drags up your thigh and under the t-shirt. Biting your lip, you look at him waiting for the moment he will realise this t-shirt is the only thing you’re wearing. 
“You are incorrigible.” “Mm, that’s a big word for you, baby.” 
“It’s not the only thing that’s big, sweetheart,” Mark says with a grin that has your heart beat stuttering. His hands move to your ass and you have just enough awareness to wrap your arms around his neck before he lifts you up. In hindsight, it’s quite impressive how he manages to get in the hammock with you. 
“Wha- what are you doing?” you ask as he moves you into his lap, both your knees bracketing his hips.
“Oh sweetheart, wasn’t this your plan all along? So desperate for my cock that she forgot all her manners,” he coos, pulling his shorts down just far enough to free himself. 
“Oh, fuck,” you whisper as he drags it along your slit, rubbing over your clit with each pass. 
“Mm, thought so,” Mark muses, lifting you up slightly so he can align himself with your entrance. He slowly sinks you down onto him, and you can’t help but pant at the stretch when he bottoms out. 
“Mmhmm, that’s right sweetheart. You just wanted to be full, didn’t you?” 
“Uhu..” you whisper, unable to come up with any sort of comeback or sassy remark. Placing your hands on his pecs, you try to roll your hips to get some friction, but Mark halts your movements. 
“Mark,” you whine, “please, need you..” 
“Oh but you have me, sweetheart. Only good girls get fucked. Naughty girls will just have to make do with cockwarming.” 
“So mean,” you pout, earning you a kiss.
“Make you a deal, read your book like the good little girl I know you can be, and maybe I’ll let you come.” 
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written as part of @footballffbarbiex's kink bingo challenge
Well. There you have it. My descend into madness has lead me down a semi-smutty path. Y'all have @norrisleclercf1 to blame for the existence of this fic
Please let me know what you think! Your comments, tags, and likes mean the world to me 💜
401 notes · View notes
meatonfork · 1 year
Note
HELLO!! I've got an idea (idk if anybody request it already or u already wrote it). Can you write about grim stealing clothes from the 141? And their reaction? IT WOULD BE AMAZING I SWEAR! THX <3 P.S YOUR STUFF IS SO CUTE AND PERFECT. KEEP UP THE WORK💕🫂💕
A Thief
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pairings: platonic 141 x grim
warnings: none i believe
summary: grim gets caught read handed
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you’d always enjoyed winter. but, because of your small size, it was always harder for you get warm and stay that way.
the first time you’d ever stolen one of the task force’s articles of clothing was when you were stuck in the russian woods during winter.
you and ghost had been thrown into the field. alone. the mission actually went incredibly well considering it was tackled by a grumpy, closed off lieutenant, and a jittery, talkative, kid-sergeant.
the two of you were in and out- just like you’d been briefed to do so.
the issue? a giant fucking snowstorm that prevented evac.
the wind howled in your ear as you shouted over to ghost, “do you even know where you’re going?”
the wind pushed you back, but you prevailed. the cold nipped at your nose and cheeks. snow fell into your eyelashes, and your body was soaked from the wet.
“jus’ a bit further.” he was gruff, as usual, but even the loud wind couldn’t silence his chattering teeth.
you were severely underdressed for the weather. just a thermal shirt, your cargo pants, boots, a fleece quarter-zip, and your tac gear. ghost was no better off than you.
the small cabin came into view after roughly 20 more minutes of silence.
ghost rushed in, clearing it, before pulling you by your bicep.
the cabin wasn’t dirty, but it wasn’t exactly what you had hoped. luckily, there were two bedrooms. but, other than that, there wasn’t much. a kitchen, a bathroom, and a random couch.
“it’s not much, but it’ll do.”
the giant next you hummed in agreement, “go get in the shower. you’ll get hypothermia, kid.”
you almost argued, saying he could’ve gone first, but your body was shaking so badly you almost couldn’t stand.
you sighed with a nod and made your way to the bathroom. stripping yourself down to nothing and turning on the shower. the water was heavenly even if it wasn’t that warm. you stood there, letting it warm up your limbs. your red fingers finally gaining some feeling.
a knock on the door about 5 minutes later sounded through the room.
“yeah?”
“want me to take your clothes to dry them off? built a fire.”
“go for it!”
ten minutes later, you walked out with sweats and a t-shirt on. a towel bunched in your hands, with your head tilted to the side- drying your hair off. goosebumps raised on your skin as the steam rolled out of the bathroom behind you. looking around the small house, you found ghost crouched in front of the fire, warming up his hands.
“hey, big guy. bathroom’s all yours” you offered a small smile when his dark eyes met yours.
“thanks, grim.” he stood and made his way to shower before he paused right next to you.
you were about to ask him what was wrong before he stalked back the way he came, riffled through his pack, and tossed something at your face.
you squeaked as you caught it, dropping the towel.
you were about to scold him, but the soft material of a hoodie stopped you in your tracks. you offered your lieutenant a questioning look.
“you’re fucking shivering, grim. put it on.” his voice was gruff. and with that, he walked into the bathroom without a word.
later that night as you both sat in front of the fire, backs resting on the couch, ghost voiced out, “i’m not gettin’ that back, am i?”
“nope!” you curled up to him with a smile too big for your face.
———
since that mission, you’d taken it upon yourself to make yourself as cozy as possible.
ghost’s hoodies were just so much bigger than yours.
soap’s sweats were just so much comfier than yours.
gaz’s shirts just fit so much better than yours.
and price’s socks were socks, but you didn’t want him to feel left out.
this is how you found yourself being interrogated in the commons, surrounded by your team.
“why am i here, boys?” you almost sang out.
“grim. you have an issue. who’s clothes are you even wearing right now?” gaz was the first to break the ice.
“oh, a little bit of everyone’s i suppose.” you shrugged.
“kid. we need those back. you have your own clothes, for god’s sake!” price scolded you, arms crossed against his chest and head tilted to look you in the eye.
“but they’re comfier than mine! and, they keep me warmer! please?” you threw out your best puppy dog eyes, knowing it would hit them in the heart.
soap sighed out, a hand dragging down his face.
“let me tell you what, kid. keep what you have, but no more stealing them.” ghost’s voice was gruff from behind you.
you whirled around, “how about i switch them out when they don’t smell like you guys anymore? heh, variety!”
“whatever. meeting dismissed, i’m tired.”
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a/n: thank you for reading <33
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cowboydisaster · 4 months
Text
* ˚ ✦ Compass * ˚ ✦
chapter one: La Belle Fleur Sauvage
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pairing: arthur morgan x f! reader
word count: 7.9k
summary: modern au; Living out your dreams on a ranch in Colorado; Arthur finally proposes.
a/n: This is a little gift for @margowritesthings. I originally wrote this for you a year ago, but I've rewritten it for you for this christmas. xx
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Arthur is nervous, his palms clammy as he pulls a Carharrt t-shirt over his head. The dark hardwood floor is cold against his bare feet as he slowly pulls his clothes on, layering up to defend against the harsh weather. You sleep comfortably in his bed, unaware of Arthur's absence from your side. He slowly approaches, pressing a chaste kiss to your forehead. You smile in your sleep. 
"Gonna be a good day, darlin'.” He murmurs, pulling the white, fluffy blanket up over your shoulders before stepping out of the room, trying to keep his footsteps quiet.
The coffee machine beeps twice, notifying Arthur that the morning pick me up is finished. Two mugs sit by the machine, as always. But today Arthur doesn't grab his usual, opting instead for a travel mug. It's an old one. One that he'd gotten from some random bank event a while ago, "Strauss Financing" it read. 
He'd used that bank to get a loan for the house and the barn. God– nearly ten years ago now, Arthur realizes. 
The coffee is black and hot, steaming as it's poured into the mug. Arthur leaves the pot on for you before opening the door, and whistling in the direction of the bedroom. He can hear Copper jumping down off the bed, and then he rounds the corner, trotting towards Arthur and out the door. 
"Hey there boy!" Arthur laughs and gives Copper a few pats. He's had the old vizsla about as long as he's had the ranch. Copper follows Arthur outside, happily trotting after the man. Everything outside is coated in a dusting of white. It's the kind of snow that looks like diamonds, where ice clings to the trees and rooftops, but the sun shines down, making everything sparkle. 
When Arthur gets about a hundred feet from the house, with Copper circling around him, he stops and turns around. The log cabin stands proud before him, even after all these years. Arthur had built the place with his bare hands, just him and Copper. 
The Colorado mountains stand proud behind the house, hues of purple and blue painting  their cliffs, the morning rays of sunlight reflecting off of the snow on their peaks.  When he looks at the slowly aging wood of the house, and the warm glow of the porch lights he can't help but smile. It's not the house itself that he is so fond of, it is what you have made the house– a home. 
When the walls were bare, and the house was empty, save for the few pieces of furniture that Arthur could afford, it was incredibly lonely. He tended to the animals and worked on the ranch all day to avoid sitting alone in the house. He spent his evenings at the only bar in town, Pearson's Pub, drinking to forget and to ignore the empty house. 
Things got better once you moved to town, working as a bartender. You warmed the man's cold heart. You were like a breath of fresh air in this old town. You still are. You managed to take his frozen, barely beating heart and melt it in the grip of your soft hands. 
Arthur began to chat with you while you worked. After only a few interactions, he started coming in on the days he knew you would be there. 
Then, one day, he offered to cook you dinner, and you accepted. Now, you lie in his bed, cozy and happy while he plans for the future. Funny, how things work out like that. All those years when Arthur was young, he'd hoped for someone to love. As an adult, he was content with his solitude, until you came along, of course. Divine intervention, you are. 
Copper barks, stomping his paws in the snow, pulling Arthurs attention back to the present. The poor dog is probably cold. The nip in the air makes Arthur's cheeks and nose red, and his breath lingers in the air like a morning fog. 
The truck isn’t far, sitting halfway between the house and the barn. Arthur shoves his hands in his pockets, shaking some snow off of his hat as he makes his way towards the old rust bucket. Snow and ice fall from the door frame as Arthur swings it open, leaning in. 
He reaches across the steering wheel, jamming the key into the dash and turning it. He mutters a small prayer when the engine starts to stutter and hiss, but after a few seconds, it turns over. Once the engine is running, Arthur turns the heat the entire way up, setting the knob towards the windshield. 
“Should be right as rain, now, huh, boy?” Arthur smirks, stepping down from the truck, shutting the door. Copper barks, running into the wooden barn where Arthur is heading, stalking the chickens, as Arthur slides through the wooden door. 
He shakes the snow off of his hat, boots clicking on the floor as he grabs a few scoops of feed and dumps them into each horse's trough. Arthur greets each one, scratching behind their ears, patting their necks. He feeds, avoiding stepping on loose hens, until he reaches Boadicea's stall. A warm smile graces Arthur's face at the sight of the old chestnut mare. She brightens up at the man's arrival, and not just because of the feed he carries. Her head tosses as she whinnies for him..
“There's my girl." Arthur hums, dumping the feed, soothed by the sound of her chewing. Arthur scratches the underside of Boadicea's jaw, earning a slight whinny from the older mare. 
"S’a big day today, y'know." Arthur releases a shaky breath as he strokes the mare's neck. Boadicea lips at Arthur's jacket, searching for treats that he doesn't have. 
"I'm gonna ask her to marry me."
He huffs through his nostrils then, smiling as he pats the mare one last time. 
"You're gonna be a part of it. I'm countin' on you, girl." 
He then looks to the black quarter horse in the stall beside Boadicea. The horse has a star on his forehead, and a thick dark forelock that covers his eyes. When Arthur had gifted you the gelding, you'd named him Whiskey. It was both an homage to the bar where you met Arthur, and your preferred poison. 
"Hey there boy. You better be good for the lady today, ya hear?" 
He pats the horse who is hungrily lapping up his grain and then brings his wrist up to check his watch. The watch ticks quietly, showing the time as being 6:17am. 
Arthur decides that the truck has had plenty long enough to heat up as he makes his way out of the barn, pulling his jacket tighter around himself. Copper has gone off, probably chasing birds in the woods, or attempting to play with the cattle. Once he's done playing he will come into the barn for shelter, at least until you wake up and let him back in. 
Arthur's hands are tinted pink with cold as he opens the truck door, sliding in and shutting the cold out. The heat from inside the cab is nothing short of cathartic as it begins to thaw his frozen features, slowly melting away the ice and causing his nose to turn pale again. 
Arthur turns the radio up a bit, driving down the long road towards the city. He tries to avoid Denver as much as possible. The tall, leering buildings are suffocating, reminding him of a very dark time in his life. 
When Arthur's ma and pa died, he was placed into foster care. When he was twelve, he fought with the other kids, even beat a few nasty boys that were older than him. Arthur learned quickly that anger and aggression were the best ways to protect himself. 
He ran from every foster home he was placed into, never having anywhere to go, just running. Arthur slept outside many nights, surrounded by vermin– both rats and people. He was spat on, cursed at, and kicked down by many of the people he encountered. It wasn't until he was fifteen that he found shelter- a home. 
— — —
Arthur's feet pound against the pavement as he runs. The door remains open, swinging, as Arthur barrels down the driveway without shoes. The blacktop is rough on Arthur's feet, scraping and cutting into his heels as he scrambles, but he pushes through, determined to get away from the outskirts of Denver. 
He follows the driveway until it meets gravel, avoiding it by running through the grass, into the forest. Tears stream down his cheeks, rough gasps for breath mixed with raspy sobs erupting from his chest. 
Arthur bolts from yet another foster home– another abuser. He can barely see as the street lights get farther away, but he pushes on faster at the sounds of sirens. Sticks and rocks dig into the soles of his feet, but he continues, terrified. 
In his hand, Arthur clutches a small bag, carrying the few things that remain of Arthur's childhood: his momma's ring, and a photo of her when she was young. His knuckles are white in their grip.
Horror trickles up his spine, sickness twisting his guts and making him sick. Tears prick at his eyes, threatening to send him to the ground 
Did he just kill a man? 
Disgust bubbles up in Arthur's throat as he searches around in the dark forest, looking for somewhere to hide for the night. Not far in the distance is a building with a light on outside, it appears to be a barn. Arthur tries not to think about anything as he stumbles towards the barn, feeling like he may collapse at any second. His arms are wrapped around himself, and he shivers as he parts the barn doors, stepping inside, sheltered from the cold winds.
A few animals grumble at the intrusion, but Arthur can barely hear them. His vision is blurry, breaths coming in quick pants as he trips. He makes it a few steps to a pile of hay, mind fuzzy and body cold. Arthur is exhausted and unable to breathe.
Suddenly his feet are falling away from him and he collapses. The impact is made softer by the pile of hay, but it still knocks the wind out of him. Arthur stares at his blood stained hands as they clutch his mother's things. 
— 
There is a shuffle. A door? Footsteps? They stop. 
"My, my… What on earth do we have here?" A man says, his timbre deep enough to rattle the barn walls. Arthur's eyes flutter but he is not able to open them. 
"Christ, Dutch– the poor boy's covered in blood, he can't be more than sixteen." A second voice chimes in. 
Then Arthur is being hoisted into the air. He tries to fight, but slowly begins to lose consciousness again. 
"Well take him inside, have Bessie and Annabelle fix him up… Once he's awake, we'll find out who he is, and.. what he needs."
— — —
Arthur thinks back on that time with distaste as his truck rumbles loudly through the crowded streets of Denver. Things got better after he found Dutch and Hosea. He stayed with them, working on their ranch for many, many years, and once he turned twenty-five the two gentlemen gifted him one hundred acres, enough to start a small ranch of his own. 
Arthur sits at a red light, not far from his targeted destination. His fingertips tap the steering wheel impatiently as he thinks of that bag, his mothers contents inside. His stomach twists with anxiety. He hasn't been down this street in fifteen years. Muscle memory tightens his lungs as he pulls his truck along the street parking, brakes squealing before he pushes it into park. 
Arthur sighs, eyes glancing up to the ornate, tall buildings before him. It makes his stomach turn. All this money poured into concrete structures when kids are starving in the streets. 
He gets out the truck, straightening his shirt and jacket out of habit, before approaching the golden gate outside of the apartment building. 
It's not long before he's in the elevator.
Arthur goes to knock on the ornate door, knuckles hesitating for a moment before rapping on the wood twice. It's the only barrier between him and the penthouse. 
Arthur plans to make the trip as quick as possible. He’d vowed not to come here ever since the verbal assault had been thrown at him during an expensive dinner. He’d left in shambles, still young and naive. Arthur places his hands behind his back and pushes his shoulders back out of habit when the door swings open.
"Mary." Arthur acknowledges. 
Her voice is soft, her southern accent spilling from her lips, "Arthur?” She seems worried, shocked. Her eyes scan him quickly, identifying that he's not hurt, “Is everything okay? Dutch? Hosea?"
"Yes Mary, everyone's fine." 
Arthur takes note that Mary's father mustn't be home, and he instantly relaxes. His shoulders come down and his hands rest at his sides. 
“Come in.” Mary says, opening the door, gesturing to the white couch in the middle of the living room.
Arthur hesitates at the door, but complies when she starts leading the way. Nothing has changed in all the years that he's avoided this place. The carpet feels the same as he walks across it.  The couch dips under Arthur as it used to when he sits. 
Mary sits on a chair across from him. The couch he's sitting on is far more comfortable than the one at home, but he prefers the quiet oak house compared to this busy modern apartment. 
She looks to Arthur, her eyes curious. He hesitates, eyes unsure where to land– dancing between Mary's eyes and the floor. 
"I-” He starts speaking and then stops a few times, before taking a breath, getting the words out, “I've met a woman…” 
A pang hits Mary right in the chest, but she hides it well. 
“Happened a few years ago." Arthur speaks low and quiet, his timbre is deep as he explains. Mary remains quiet and allows him to continue, eyes drifting towards the windows, mind caught up in memories that threatens to pull her under.
"She's a fine woman Mary, and… Well, I'm gonna ask her to marry me." 
Arthur looks up to Mary then, her dark eyes contrasting his own. She has a puzzled look on her face as she replies, 
"Arthur, I'm happy for you, but I’m afraid I don't understand…? Did you come all this way just to tell me–”
“Mary…” Arthur whispers, cutting off her snowballing thoughts, redirecting her to the point that he is trying to get across without being harsh. Without demanding. 
She stops in her tracks then, realization dawning upon her, “Oh. I see.” She smiles, bittersweet. Arthur can see the regret in her eyes. He is quick to ease the tension, leaning forward, trying to soothe the old wounds that Mary has yet to heal. 
"I'm sorry, Mary, I am– that things didn't work out between you and I, but– it means a lot to me, and there's no other-”
Arthur is stopped in his tracks as Mary raises her hand to stop him, “It belongs to you, Arthur. She should have it, really.” Mary smiles sincerely. 
She loves Arthur, though she'll never admit it. She loves him enough to let him go, to let him be loved by someone he deserves. Mary doesn't know you, but she knows that since he came here, for this– you must be deserving of his love.
Mary places her pale hand up, signaling Arthur to wait as she stands and disappears into the doorway towards her room.
Arthur fiddles with his hands, emotion bubbling up as he waits. This is the final obstacle. Once he has his this item back he will be able to give you what you deserve, and if you accept, Arthur will be the happiest man alive. 
Mary rounds the corner, her lips pulling into a bittersweet smile, a few tears dripping down her cheeks. There is a small black box in her hand, extended out to Arthur.
His green eyes transfix on the box. The one he hasn’t seen in almost fifteen years. Arthur places his hands on his knees to push himself off of the couch, staring in disbelief at the old thing. 
It is carefully placed in his hands, and he slowly creaks the lid open, staring. It's a gold band, with a ruby placed in the center, and intricately placed diamonds on either side of the gemstone. It’s the one thing he has that ties the man he is now, to the happy young boy he used to be- when he was good. It was his momma's. One of the only things he has left of her. Arthur closes the box, tucking it away into his pocket. 
“Best of luck to you, Arthur.” Mary whispers, a sad smile on her lips. 
“Thank you, Mary.”
The ride home is quiet, for the first half anyway. As soon as Arthur is out of the city, back on dirt roads, he switches the old truck stereo on. A familiar song is playing, one that's been bringing him quite a bit of comfort in the past weeks. 
“Now I know the only compass that I need”
He smiles. One of his hands rests on the steering wheel, the other rests on his jean pocket. He palms at the box as he drives, making sure it doesn’t slip away. 
“Oh, is the one that leads back to you”
His voice is deep, rumbling in his chest as he taps his left foot against the floorboards of his truck. He thinks of you, riding your horse, smiling, of your hair in a messy bun and you in his too-big t-shirts. He thinks of how you love him, with a passion and a fervor. 
“Now I know the only compass that I need Oh, is the one that leads back to you”
He thinks of when you met for the first time, your fates tying together in ways you never could have imagined.
— — —
Arthur enters the old bar, same as he does most every night. It's the same bar he's been going to for fifteen years now. Contrary to some of the other fools here, he doesn’t always drink when he comes here. Sometimes, he just sits at one of the tables, drawing the scenery.
Arthur comes here to drown out the silence of the house, to get away from the loneliness that he refuses to admit is swallowing him whole.
Tonight, he walks around the tables that adorn the small place, straight up to the bar, sitting down in his usual seat. The place is busy tonight. Arthur assumes there's a game being played, or a rodeo on the tv, but he doesn’t ask. Plenty of patrons sit around the bar, most with women or men in their clutches. Laughter and the sound of glasses being slammed on the bar fill the air, and a neon light flickers on the wall.
Arthur is all too aware of the familiar atmosphere around him, and yet somehow, he misses the new bartender serving tonight. Typically Pearson himself is behind the bar, but tonight someone else is handing out drinks. 
Arthur knocks on the bar once, eyes watching the TV in front of him, a bulldogging competition. Suddenly, a form slides in front of him, blocking his view of the television. He adverts his attention to the person blocking his view, and his eyes go wide. 
You stand in front of him, smiling and whipping a bar towel over your shoulder. 
“What can I get for you, mister?” You ask, wiping your hands against each other. 
Your eyes twinkle like they're among stars, and Arthur is sure that he’s never seen a smile so bright. He doesn’t respond for a few seconds, basking in your beauty. Your hair is not tied up, and it falls down, cascading over your shoulders.
Your black long sleeved shirt is tight, clinging to your figure, but Arthur is caught up in your eyes. He shakes his head lightly before responding. 
“Yeah, uh… Sorry– just get me the strongest drink ya got. Make it neat.”
Arthur's typical order is a bourbon on ice, or a beer, but tonight he's going to need something stronger. Everyone knows everyone in this small town, but you're a new face, and Arthur can already feel the singe of the hot brand, burning you into his memory.
“Coming right up.” You raise a curious eyebrow, wondering about this man’s choice of drink. With your interest piqued, you grab a rocks glass and a bottle of patrón, pouring a few fingers of golden liquid into the glass, sliding it across the bar. 
“Have one for ya’self too.” Arthur tosses a bundle of cash onto the bar. 
“Thank you, mister.” You smile, pouring yourself the same drink. 
You eye the mysterious cowboy curiously, noticing the softness hidden behind his rough features. He is attractive, very attractive, with dirty blonde hair, and a five o’clock shadow that exaggerates the scars on his lip and chin. His eyes are hidden from you by a dark cowboy hat, until he peers up and you are met with the most strikingly beautiful, bright, blue-green eyes you've ever seen. 
You have to look down to hide the blush that creeps up on your cheeks from being caught in the act of staring. If he notices your gaze, he doesn’t say anything. Both of your crystal glasses are set on the bar as you lean onto it with your elbows. 
“You ain't from around here, are ya?” Arthur asks. You smirk. The ruckus from the bar seems to die down in your ears. Even your busy mind quietens as you focus on the peculiar man before you. 
“Is it that obvious?” You laugh, “No, I'm not from here, just moved.”
Arthur hums, content. There's an amused sparkle in his eyes. 
“How'd you know?” You ask, wondering what gave it away. What's making you an outsider? You moved here to get away, to blend in. Anxiety curls in your stomach at the thought of being found. 
“Well, miss, you’re far kinder, n’ far prettier than anyone in this old town… Don't help that everyone knows everyone here. We don't come by new faces much.”
Your anxiety quells, cheeks blushing a deep crimson, and after a moment, you raise your glass slightly, angling it towards his. 
“Well thank you kindly, mister.” You hum. 
“Arthur.” He corrects, clinking his glass against yours, swallowing down a swig of the burning liquid. You cock your head, not tracking at first. 
“My name's Arthur. Arthur Morgan.” He reiterates, and you smile. 
“Pleasure to meet you, Arthur Morgan.”
— — —
Your eyes flutter open slowly. The first thing that meets your eyes is the vase of purple flowers on your bedside table. The morning light hits them beautifully, reflecting off of their vase, refracting on the deep purple petals. 
A wave of realization dawns over you.
Sunlight? What time is it?? 
You sit straight up in bed, eyes immediately seeking the alarm clock on Arthur’s nightstand. It reads 9:25am and your heart leaps into your throat.
“Shit!”  You curse, swinging your legs out of bed, body barely covered by your cotton shorts and cami.
You feed the horses at 6am every day. Today your alarm mustn't have gone off.  You feel terribly, knowing that the horses must be starving. You frown, hair messily falling around your shoulders as you hurry to your dresser. 
A piece of paper sits on the mahogany, and you hesitate in your rush, placing your pointer finger on the paper and reading its contents. 
Fed the horses so you could sleep in. I had to run into town real quick. Should be back before lunch. Call if ya need anything, Sweetheart. Coffee is hot in the pot for you and Copper is outside. - A
The panic leaves your chest, replaced with warmth as you pocket the note, pulling your slippers on as you move towards the kitchen. 
Arthur is always doing this for you, taking on little tasks to remove some weight from your shoulders. Doing anything he can to ease your troubles. He knows that you've been crazy busy with work lately, as horse training always picks up in the winter, and he's been doing everything he can to help. 
You hum a tune as you round the corner, hand trailing along the smooth oak wall. Your slippers are soft and quiet against the floor as you enter the kitchen, eyes trained to where the black coffee pot rests on the counter top. 
You grab your clay mug, the one you'd made back when you were taking pottery classes, and you fill it with black coffee and a splash of cream.
Wrapping one arm around your torso, you move to the glass french doors in the kitchen, overlooking the barn and the pastures. You sip at your coffee, eyes slipping closed as the coffee wakes you up, the warm liquid heating down your cold bones. Your eyes trail over your farm, the brown and black cattle, starkly contrasting the snow. Snowflakes flutter past the glass as you watch the sun peeking behind a few pine trees in the yard. 
Copper runs through one of the pastures, throwing a stick up into the air and then grabbing it in his maw. You can’t help the smile that graces your lips. 
You head back towards your room, pulling out a pair of jeans. They hug your hips and waist, but leave room for your boots to lay under your pants at the hem. You pull on a long sleeved black shirt and your beige ranch coat before leaving your room and pulling your boots over your socks. 
With one last swig, you finish the last sip of your coffee and set it in the otherwise empty sink before opening the glass door and stepping out into the elements. 
You expect the cold to wind-whip your face, but it doesn’t. Instead, the sun shines down, adding some resistance to the cold weather. It causes the snow and ice to sparkle like diamonds as your boots crunch through the snow. 
You push the barn door aside, heart humming at the warm sound of nickering horses. 
“Alright. Who's up first?” You hum, looking to the chalkboard on the wall. It's outlined with feeding schedules, medication times and dosages, and your training schedule.
You find the designated box for today, seeing that today you'll be getting your work cut out for you. You're working with Doob, a seal brown thoroughbred, off the track, with more energy than he knows what to do with. His owners had brought him in for a bucking problem, one that you're already beginning to curb. 
You make your way down the aisle until you find his stall, promptly grabbing his dark green halter and slipping it over his head. 
“C'mon, boy.” You whisper, petting behind his ears, “You're just a big sweetheart, aren't you?” You chuckle as he nuzzles your palm. Of all the client horses, he's definitely carved a home in your heart. He’s a funny little horse, a character. You'll be a bit sad to send him back when you’re finished, but you know his owners will treat him right. 
A short walk through the snow leads you both to the round pen. You leave him loose in the small pen, and he immediately starts running. 
“Yeah, here we go.” You hum, cold biting your nose. You grab a green lasso from the fence post, moving him up with it, pushing him forward as he runs around the pen.
“Good boy.” You call, “Easy does it.” 
Doob gets his energy out, running to his heart's content, wind flying through his long black mane. You just let him run, only correcting when he tosses a buck or kicks. After a long while of working, he eventually becomes tired out.
“That's a good boy, whoa now.” You cue, and he stops on a dime, turning towards you, walking into the center of the circle. Your head turns at the sound of a rumbling truck, and your eyes brighten at the familiar sight of Arthur coming down the lane. 
“Good job, Doob. That's all for today. You go on and play now.” You smile, handing a treat out to the thoroughbred. He takes it happily before you remove his halter, letting him out into the pasture with the other client horses. He'll surely run off more steam out there. 
A few snowflakes are stuck in your hair, and your nose is already turning red as Arthur steps down from his truck. You make your way to him, ignoring the chill in your bones, and leaning towards the warmth before you. 
“Hey, baby.” You smile as he turns to you, shutting the door to his truck. Arthur smiles back, his hands extending as he grabs your waist, pulling you in for a kiss. Your lips are cold compared to his, and he runs his hand up and down your arms to warm you up. 
“Shit darlin’, you’re froze. I was gonna ask if ya wanted to go for a ride but-” 
His eyes go wide as you jump a little, gripping at his coat with your cold hands, interrupting him.
“No, I wanna go for a ride! I'm not too cold, I've got more clothes in the barn.” 
He chuckles, his warm breath creating a fog in the air as he hugs you tightly. You've never turned down a trail ride, not in all the time you've known him. 
“Alright, why don’t you start tackin’ up the horses. I gotta run in the house quick. I'll grab some food too. We can have a picnic.” His deep voice rumbles against your ear as he holds you in his embrace. 
“Okay, I'll grab the horses. Oh- grab the chocolate, okay? The good kind. There's some in the cupboard above the sink.”  
Arthur chuckles, “Sure thing, darlin’.” 
You go to pull away from Arthur, but before you're fully released from his grasp, he gently pulls you back by the chin, catching you in another kiss. He hums against your lips, and you relax into him, allowing him into your mouth. He chases after the taste of you.
After a few seconds, another light peck– or two– you pull away from each other. When your eyes slowly flutter upwards, you see intense emotion in Arthur's eyes. Love. 
Arthur loves you, and he always makes sure to display it, but he's being extra affectionate today, which has your eyebrow raising in curiosity. 
“Why are you lookin’ at me like that?” you chuckle, hands resting on the thick blue fabric of his wool coat. You look up at him with those sparkling eyes, and he falls in love with you all over again. The snow has made your nose pink and cold, and Arthur leans down to kiss it.
“Cause I love you,” Arthur pulls away, “Now, go tack up those horses. I'll grab us a snack.” you peel away from him then, shaking your head. 
One whistle for Copper, and the orange flash is running down from the pasture. Then, he's at your feet, whining happily. The snow crunches and creaks against your boots as you lean to pet the dog, and you both look at Arthur’s back as he opens the door to the house. 
“Your daddy’s actin’ weird today.” You whisper, curiously eyeing the blue coat that moves through the door. Copper barks, as if he is trying to explain, but Arthur had sworn the dog to secrecy. 
You pet Copper before standing up and brushing the snow off of your knees. When you step into the barn,you’re immediately surrounded by the soothing smell of oats and hay. The warm scents envelop you, and wrap you up like the warmth of the barn. 
By the time you have both Boadicea and Whiskey fully tacked up, Arthur is walking through the front barn doors. He pushes the door open wide enough for your horses to step through. 
“So where are we ridin’ to today? Maybe we could trail down to the creek? It's beautiful this time of year.” You ask, pulling yourself up into the saddle. The cold leather sends a chill down your spine as you rub at your thigh in an attempt to make warmth.
Arthur shakes his head lightly as he climbs up into the saddle, “Actually I was thinkin’ we’d go on up to the overlook today…”  
The overlook? You hum. Typically you and Arthur only go to the overlook for special occasions. The last time you'd gone up there was about a year ago. It's a special place. 
You both had said your first admissions of love there, let the words pour down into the plains below. Your first kiss with Arthur was at the overlook. 
But the overlook doesn’t just house good memories. You and Arthur had split up, briefly, a few years ago. The separation took place there. It’s a place of much love and heartache, it's you and Arthur’s spot. 
“Okay, sure… It’s been quite a while since we’ve been up there.” You respond quietly, curiously. Anxiety swirls in your stomach, but you push it down. 
You and Arthur trot beside one another, carried by your mounts. The air is chilly, but your heart is toasty warm as you and Arthur chat, laughing and smiling as you go. The ride to Horseshoe Overlook is a long one, and you make the most of the time as you and Arthur ride through the bright snow. 
“I'll race ya cross’ this hill up here.” Arthur drawls, his lips ticking up in a smile as he looks at you from under the brim of his hat. 
You eye the hill in front of you. It's open, probably over one hundred yards. The snow isn’t deep over the grass and it doesn’t appear to be slippery. Adrenaline seeps through your veins as you eye it, swirling and pumping through your heart, flicking the hairs on your neck up like static electricity.
“Alright then…” You adjust yourself on Whiskey, preparing to run.
“Get ready…get set–” You are cut off as the wind whips your hair and Boadicea starts charging forward. Your jaw drops and you watch Arthur barrel ahead of you. Quickly, you spur Whiskey and kiss and cluck to move him forward. 
“You cheated!!” You scream loudly, trumping the sound of pounding hooves. 
Determination sets in your bones then, and you lean forward, spurring the horse forward with every ounce of might in your body. Whiskey shoots forward until he is running side by side with Arthur’s mare.
“I don't play dirty, mister!” You yell in Arthur’s direction. Hooves are pounding loudly against the snow. The two horses are breathing heavily, each determined to win their own races. You see Arthur laugh, but he stops when you spur Whiskey, charging forward. 
Arthur curses as you shoot ahead of him and Bo. Whiskey's hooves kick up snow as he passes, sending it flying into Arthur's face. It slows him down, giving you the advantage. 
You and Whiskey run hard until you reach the top of the hill, and Whiskey slides into a deep stop right before reaching the tree line. After ten seconds, Arthur and Boadicea are at the top as well, stopping hard and breathing heavily. 
“Dammit woman, you can ride, I'll give ya that.” Arthur pants, face wind-whipped as you ride up beside him and lean over your saddle to kiss him. 
His lips are cold, as are yours, but the kiss is still alight with warmth. You grip onto the collar of his shirt, not releasing when your lips pull away from one another. If anything, your grip tightens on his collar as you eye him.
“I know.” You smirk, winking at Arthur as you pull away and canter your horse away from him, and towards the entrance to the overhang.
He watches you canter on, shaking his head. 
“You are somethin’.” He jests, trotting after you.
When the trees break, you nearly gasp. Though you have been here a handful of times, it always steals your breath away. You can see the house and barn in the distance, separated from you by miles and miles of white snow. Evergreens stand tall, dusted white, with a few herds of elk at their trunks. You can see for miles, past the house and to the tall blue mountains far in the distance. 
“So beautiful.” You murmur, eyes bright with wonder. 
“Sure is…” Arthur whispers, eyes not on the landscape, but on you. 
You hop down from Whiskey, patting him for his good work, and offering him the same treats that you'd offered Doob earlier. You always keep a few extra in your pocket. 
You walk towards the cliff, keeping a safe distance from the drop. Your eyes flutter over the rolling hills and plains before you. Everything seems so quiet up here. Troubles seem so far away. Unique snowflakes slowly drop from the sky, dusting your hair and coat with white diamonds. 
Boots crunch in the snow behind you, stopping just a foot from your back. You smile, but don't turn around when Arthur's chest presses against your back. One of his hands wraps around your middle while the other, unbeknownst to you, rests on the small black box in his coat pocket. 
The serenity of the overlook envelopes your senses as you breathe in deeply. The cold air carries notes of pine and sap, familiar scents that comfort you.
“Love you, y'know.” Arthur hums, leaning down, pulling your hair away from your neck, kissing the soft skin under your ear. Blood rushes to your cheeks, and you turn in his embrace, chest to chest. 
“You’re actin’ strange, Arthur. Are you feelin’ okay?” You chuckle. 
Arthur exhales sharply, otherwise ignoring your question. Instead, he pulls you up onto your tiptoes, your boots on top of his as he kisses you. 
You melt under his touch, kissing Arthur feels like your muscles relaxing after a long day’s work, like rain after a drought. Kissing Arthur feels like coming home. He's been kissing you all day, unable to pull himself away from you. 
You pull away only for a quick breath before your lips meet again. You wrap your arms around the back of his neck, straining on your toes to remain in contact with his lips. Arthur pulls away with a bite to your lip, smiling when he sees how yours are plump and swollen. 
The wind brushes Arthur’s hair into his face as he backs up, pulling you by your hand. He has placed a thick wool blanket on the snow for you two to sit on. You plop down on the blanket beside Arthur, your head resting on his shoulder. Your head rests on his shoulder. Heat radiates from the man, and you are glad for the extra protection from the cold.
“So what snacks did you bring, baby?” you ask, curiously peaking into the bag that Arthur has laid on the blanket. 
“Alcohol.” He says plainly. You laugh, smacking Arthur in the arm as he chuckles. 
“And your chocolates.”
“Arthur!” You chide as he hands you a bottle of golden liquid. You peer at the label. 
It's patrón. You quirk a brow at the drink of choice. Arthur rarely buys the expensive tequila. Curiously, you pull the round cork out from the neck of the bottle and take a small swig. The alcohol burns its way down your throat, warming you from the inside. 
You don't mind the burn, watching as a pair of pronghorn bucks fight in the hills below you. Their hooves slip in the snow as they each attempt to win their battle. Your hands numbly grip the neck of the bottle as you pass it back to Arthur. 
You huff before you speak, “I can’t believe we’re here Arthur. After everything we’ve been through we can just… live now…” You pull your knees up, curling more into his chest. Your past hangs over you, haunting you like a dark cloud. Bit by bit, Arthur has been helping you to push it away, to heal and move on. Today is a good reminder of that progress. 
His hands place the tequila in yours, and you down a swig.
“S’ like your readin’ my mind, sweetheart.”
You smile up at Arthur then, placing your hand on his stubble.
“Y’know this is the first place you told me you loved me…” Arthur says, low and quiet. You smile, the good memories filling your heart as Arthur continues,
“Also the first place I kissed ya…  a lot ‘a memories up here.” 
Your stomach flutters at his words, your brain is flooded with warm memories of Arthur and you in the overlook. 
“C'mere.” Arthur whispers, smiling, taking a shaky breath. Your eyebrows furrow together. but as he stands and extends his hand, you take it. Arthur pulls you up, hands in his own. 
The overlook is beautiful in front of you, serene and perfect. A moment he'd capture with a camera if he had one with. Whiskey and Boadicea watch on from the treeline, ears perked up. They know what's about to happen. Arthur's been telling them about it every day for months. 
“I love you.” Arthur whispers, deep and serious. His eyes soften, and your heart begins to pump loudly in your ears. A delicious red flushes into your cheeks.
“I love you too, Arthur… but why are you.. what's going on?” Your voice is higher than usual, eyes sparkling bright with wonder, reflecting the sun and the white snow.
It isn’t unusual for Arthur to admit his feelings to you, but there are too many factors for this to be a coincidence. Arthur was ‘shopping in town’ all morning, but had come home empty handed. He brought you out to your special spot, bought you your favorite expensive tequila– and is treating you with such delicacy, and love, that butterflies flutter in your stomach. 
Arthur huffs, letting out a humorous chuckle and looking up to the sky, projecting a short prayer, before he holds your hands a little tighter and begins.
“I love you more than I ever thought possible.” He looks away from you for a split second, staring at the ground, before anchoring himself in your eyes again, and continuing, “I didn’t think my life was goin’ nowhere before I met you… I gave up in my twenties, said I wasn’t gettin’ attached to anyone.” Arthur admits, and you frown. You know about his past. You've talked about it, and now you're trying to show him how much he deserves to be loved. 
“I stood by that for a long time…” Arthur's lips crack into a beautiful smile, a chuckle falling over them, “And then you stumbled along.” A single tear drips down his cheek, and landing in the snow below. Your eyes are threatening to overflow with tears of your own.  
“Arthur…?” You whisper, voice cracking. He squeezes your hands reassuringly. 
“You showed me what it felt like to be loved. And love ain't somethin’ I've felt in many a years.” Arthur pauses, gathering his words. A few tears trail down your cheeks, and Arthur’s thumb wipes them away.
“You make me want so much more outta life. You make me wanna wake up every day and work on this ranch, take care of these animals. You make me want a family. I wanna wake up n’ watch our kids playin’ from the window.” 
“But what I want most in life? More than anything…?” A pause ensues, his loving, green eyes locked onto yours, “I want to be with you, every day, for the rest of my life.” 
Arthur thinks back to the song he had been listening to earlier on the way home from the city.
“As long as my compass keeps pointin’ to you, I’ll be where I belong… I’ll be home.”
Tears flow freely from your eyes, and you gasp as Arthur reaches into his pocket, kneeling down on one knee in the snow. 
He looks up at you, one hand still intertwined with yours, the other extending out the black box. Arthur snaps the ring box open, presenting a stunning gold ring to you. The band is adorned with a ruby, and several small diamonds decorate the sides of the gem. Your hands come up to your mouth, as Arthur looks up to you, smiling. 
“This was my Momma's…” Arthur explains, and your eyes flicker down to his, “You’ve already made me the happiest man alive… and I wanna spend the rest of my life with you… So, would you do me the honor–”  Arthur chokes up, “Would you marry me?” 
He looks into your teary eyes, holding the ring box a little higher as he asks the question. You wipe the tears away from your eyes, sight locking onto the scene, wishing you could etch it into your memory forever.
Your head frantically nods, tears flowing down your cheeks as you cry tears of joy, “Yes, Oh, Arthur–of course. Yes, yes!” 
Arthur smiles the brightest that you’ve ever seen, standing before you and slipping his mother’s ring onto your ring finger. The band fits you perfectly, and you marvel at it for a second before Arthur’s arms wrap around your waist. He lifts you up into the air, and you wrap your legs around his waist, laughing and crying, overcome with a happiness unlike any other. Your heart leaps with love and passion for the man in front of you.
His lips crash against your, wet tears dripping down your face as you kiss him. Your hands entangle into the hair at the back of Arthur’s neck as you both kiss, pulling apart only to breathe or to laugh. The kiss is deep, bodies singing with love, energy overflowing from the both of you. He keeps kissing you, over and over again, never wanting to leave the taste of your lips. 
You pull apart, foreheads pressing against eachother's, his hands on your thighs, keeping you off the ground. 
“I love you so much darlin’.”
“I love you too.” You whisper against him, the happiest you have ever been. 
The ring rests on your finger as you kiss Arthur again, senselessly. The band of rubies and diamonds holds promises of a future, of a marriage  and a life with him.
As the wind rustles through your hair, carrying your joy so far down the mountains that it can be felt radiating even miles away, you can’t think of anything you could ever want more than that promise.
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inkorganic · 5 months
Text
The Way Things Are
Summary
Featuring: Tomura Shigaraki x female reader cw: 18+ minors do not interact, smut, unprotected sex, reader has a quirk, messy, loss of virginity Word count: 4.5 k AO3
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The days unfolded more as they passed. Blending like watercolors, transforming into a jumble of warm mornings, hazy afternoons, and cold nights A month passed, and it was hard to believe; however, the calendar on your phone couldn’t be lying, or maybe it could. After all, you didn’t have a recollection of ever using your quirk in this exhausting way.
Maybe it could mess with the internal clocks of phones too. Concealing your presence was an easy job—a hum that surrounded your life, making you almost indestructible and undetectable.
A cozy blanket that kept you safe well into your early adulthood Concealing others was a different story, though, having to synchronize with their heartbeats and breaths. The unwelcome familiarity of discovering the patterns of the league. You were the newest member; a few weeks didn’t make a significant difference, but facts are facts.
They already had a well-established dynamic; it’s not that they didn’t attempt to incorporate you. Making friends was simply not on your list of reasons for joining this organization in the first place. Allies were required to accomplish your end goal; the plan was to keep them safe with your quirk, and they would assist you in exacting your revenge.
You have to stay inside the tiny cabin. No , you thought this was hardly a cabin. It’s a shed not meant for staying for more than a night or to be used as temporary shelter, but the times were rough and the money was cut off many weeks ago. Getting used to the pungent smell of rotting wood was still an active project.
The wood panels that acted as walls provided minimal protection from the weather; if it rained, you knew because the water formed poodles on the already-molding hardwood flooring.
This was better than staying outside , you told yourself as you checked your ratty sleeping bag for ticks and other unwanted companions. Getting a bug bite-transmitted disease would be the cherry on top of this disadvantageous situation.
That night, it was only you and Tomura in the room; the other members decided to flee for liberty. The only night the leader decided to take a real break and not only a few hours to rest
Even Spinner excused himself; you didn’t have anywhere else to go, and your head pounded painfully behind your eyes like a second heartbeat with the uninterrupted use of your quirk. You might as well take the chance and turn it off for once.
Being a loner, even in a group of other outcasts, was funny in a way. The night was setting, and soon Tomura would enter the room, nod at you, and ignore you for the rest of the night until the sun rose again.
The only change in the routine was that tonight he would sleep in, which made you nervous. You were used to the others being here, coming and going, murmuring greetings, and asking if suddenly food decided to manifest itself in the pantry.
You didn’t realize you had fallen asleep until the soft noises of Tomura setting his sleeping bag woke you up. You didn’t mean to pry into his nightly routine, but you couldn’t help it. The dim lighting provided by the sad portable light cast shadows on his face, making his dark undereyes more noticeable and deeper. The crazy rhythm he set for himself was starting to wear him down. Suddenly, he looked five years older in the span of a few weeks.
He was down to his t-shirt, but the night was so cold , you thought. Maybe it was your people-pleasing personality or the fact that you wanted to talk to someone about anything. You left the warm cocoon of your sleeping bag to go look into your things for a spare hoodie, sweater, or anything warm.
He lifted his eyes and did the usual thing he did: he nodded at you, and you nodded back in silent acknowledgment. This time, though, you offered him a hoodie.
“It’s cold” You haven’t used your voice in hours, so it came like a hoarse whisper. His gaze went from your face to the hand offering the garment.
“It doesn’t bother me.”
“Your hands are shaking.” You were talking in whispers, the same tone you would use when talking to a feral cat. “I’ll leave it here.” You crouched slowly. Again, he looked tired and easy to piss off, and he was already easy to provoke when he was in a good mood, so it was better not to poke at him.
“Whatever,” he sighed.
You stayed there a little. Listening to the sounds from outside the walls. Letting your hands grow colder so you can warm them up later inside your sack. Watching your nails turn purple with poor blood circulation and then returning to a healthy pink. Pretending you were on a camping excursion with friends and not on a terrorist mission with people you barely spoke to, your thoughts made you giggle. The absurdity of it all
“What’s so funny?” He sounded more annoyed than tired, so maybe he did want to talk.
“I’ve never been camping.” And with that, you got up and crawled back to your small personal space.
“Me neither,” he said after a long pause.
Just above a whisper from his mouth, it felt like a small win to get him to speak about other things that weren’t his plans for the league or video games. You let the moment go too far; the opportunity to converse was halted. Soon, his steady breathing told you he was asleep. Good for him; you knew he needed the sleep.
You couldn’t make yourself sleep tossing and turning for what you felt were hours. The cold claimed your body, and your breath was visible in front of you in wisps of steam. How much did the temperature drop? It was hard to know for sure, but the bites from the bitter cold were eating your fingers, leaving flushed cheeks, stiff toes, and clattering teeth behind for you to endure.
It never crossed your mind that you could miss having all the members of the league around to provide human heat, but here you were shivering inside a thin sleeping bag in the middle of nowhere.
You wondered if Tomura was doing better, so you tuned in to check on him. To see his half-lidded eyes already staring at you. You noticed he was wearing your hoodie—another win for your small record. No, like you were keeping a record.
“Y/n” He broke the silence, his voice husky and tired.
“Yeah?”
“Can you turn on your quirk?”
You were not expecting that at all. You sat slowly, warming your hands with your breath.
“The buzz sound—I got used to hearing it.”
You could accept his petition, but you could also get something from him—a mutual favor: he wanted the side effect of your quirk, and you wanted a source of heat.
“Sure, but can I move closer to you?” The words left your mouth, and they turned into ribbons wrapping themselves around your neck, too accustomed to never asking for anything from anyone. To want was to desire, and desire was why you ended up as a stray on the edges of society.
“You don’t need to be close.” He replied, stating the knowledge he had of the way your quirk worked. It tasted too much like rejection—the oily, sour aftertaste setting in the back of your throat.
“That is true.” You shrugged, letting your quirk wrap around him. His heartbeat joined the sounds inside your head, along with the palpitation of your headache. He was upset; probably his pulse was faster than it should be considering he was lying down.
“Is it easier to use if you’re close?”
“No.” You sighed, shaking your head. “I’m cold, that’s all.”
He kept his eyes on you, actually taking notice of your presence for the first time since you joined the league. You wanted to be out of this situation. A wave of stress settled on your shoulders, and the tightness of your chest made it harder to breathe. You didn’t like being noticed; it was easier to be in the background, taking little space.
“I smell!" Tomura snorted, almost chuckling. Almost. It's another win for the record.
“We all do.” You let a chunk of your stress be dissolved by a short laugh. “We all should bathe and soak there for a few hours”.
He chuckled this time. You joined him. It felt delicious. You felt normal for once in a while.
“You can move closer.” He whispered reluctantly, his rapid heartbeat hammering the back of your head. Maybe it was invasive to get a glimpse of a clue to how he felt without disclosing it, but no one asked, and you were not about to go. Hey, just letting you know that I can hear and feel your heartbeats inside my head. Sorry about that.
You rose, your steps muffled by your socks. He was already making space for you. You lay beside him on your side, facing him. The sleeping bag was slightly bigger than yours, but still, your knees were touching, and suddenly you gained awareness of all your limbs and their positions. The way you bent at uncomfortable angles to avoid touching him more than what was inevitably necessary. It was warmer and nicer too, even if you were never going to voice such a thought; your fingers were finally allowed to regain blood flow.
You wanted more. You wanted to take more; the ache for human contact was tingling at your fingertips, so close to another human yet so far. You longed to be the one who takes, not the one who stays empty-handed, and god, you were as empty as you could be; nothing belonged to you.
So in a moment of impulsivity, with his heartbeat driving you insane and his knees touching yours, you decided to press your mouth on his closed lips—a peck. You waited for him to push you away to try and turn you into dust for the audacity of daring to kiss him. But he didn’t; he remained still. A muffled sound coming from his throat was the only acknowledgment you got.
You pushed it more; it was addicting—the heat from his body and the way he tasted the musky smell from him—making you wish you could get inside his clothes. You parted your lips, trying to deepen the kiss. His hands found their way to your upper arms, squeezing them in a fourth-finger grip, not pushing you away, not pulling you in either, just keeping you there. The guilt made you draw back.
Your mind was racing as your stomach tangled into tight knots. But then you saw his face, eyes closed, and brows furrowed together.
“I can’t touch you.” He murmured, his breath tickling your mouth. Letting go of your arms, he set his hands into fists on his sides.
Now his gaze was on your eyes, his pupils engulfing the red of his irises. He wanted to give in to physical pleasure; he never really let himself explore before. His life had always been about controlling decay, and he didn’t particularly like the fact that your quirk could potentially make you immune to his.
He used to indulge in fantasies where he met someone who he could touch and who would not squirm away from him in fear or disgust. Then he met you, gentle-faced and not quite made for a villain’s life but with a useful quirk he was not going to turn down.
He decided later on that not having the power to get rid of you if needed was not something he was fond of, contrary to what he initially thought. Still, he wanted to dig his fingers into the plumpness of your hips, knowing that you would stay whole. He could not afford the distraction though, so keeping you at arm’s length was necessary.
Tomura didn’t imagine you were going to be the one to close the distance he so carefully crafted. Even more so, he would let you effortlessly do it too, giving in so easily to a gentle gesture, a tender kiss, and a kind caress.
“I don’t want to.” He ran his hand through his hair, the pale locks stealing highlights from the faint portable light. “I should not want to.” He spoke to himself, attempting to assure himself that he had no special interest in you.
One of his hands moved to your nape, drawing you closer. He didn’t allow you the chance to flee and hide in your sack; the hand on your neck brought you back to his mouth. This time, he was the one who started it. Too quick, too eager, too hungry—his kiss was clumsy and inexperienced. You bit him softly, trying not to break his chapped lips any further, just enough to make him stop for a second.
He was perplexed.
“I thought you wanted”— I thought you wanted me , left unsaid. He whispered, tilting his head to get a better view of yours. “You kissed me first.”
“I do,” you said, attempting but failing to conceal your hesitation. “I did”
You fell into an awkward silence, peering into one another’s eyes but not daring to break it again.
“Why? He inquired. His glance flew to your lips, then up to your eyes, expecting to find the answer he was seeking.
“I felt like it.” 
That was not what he was expecting, yet again. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to hear; for months, he had prevented his attention from wandering to you and your ridiculous quirk.
He was aware that he was not in love with you. That was not something he believed himself capable of; not even lust was something he frequently indulged in; usually, it concerned physical sensations, the twitch in his lower abdomen, and the slight relaxation that followed. That was a checkbox on the pyramid of needs that humans had to meet.
“Do it again?” He whispered, giving in. He could swear the buzzing of your quirk started to have a rapid heartbeat-like pattern.
The previous uncomfortable silence was preferable to this conversation. The consequences of your actions didn’t make themselves wait; they showed up barely minutes after kissing him.
“Do it again?” You echoed his words with an unsure voice.
“Don’t act like that now. I’m not the one who started this with the excuse of being cold.”
“It was not an excuse; I was cold,” you replied.
“Yeah, well. You certainly aren’t anymore." He trailed off, his gaze fixed on you. A frown formed on his brow.
“Should we talk about it?” You inquired shyly.
“What? Now you want to talk. You never say anything and have never actively participated in our missions! Now suddenly, you’re interested in discussing things? Acting like a damn NPC,” he retorted, his tone laced with skepticism.
“You never complained before.” You mumbled.
Successfully, you annoyed him in record time. He laughed wryly.
“Is this a fucking joke? Is this how you entertain yourself?” He leaned forward, his mouth close to your ear. The breath hitting your skin made you shiver. “You think that because I can’t use my quirk on you, you can just do anything you want to me without consequences?”
“Of course not. Look, I apologize for what I did. I’m leaving” You said to walk away like you often do when things become too difficult to handle. “Let’s pretend it never happened.”
You crawled out of his sleeping bag with all the dignity you could muster, shuddering when your calf accidentally brushed against his forearm. You didn’t get far; well, Tomura didn’t let you get far. He grabbed you by the ankle.
“You don’t get to just walk away from this.” He stated. “Not when we work together every day. And not after you just kissed me out of nowhere.”
The chill from the floor pierced your bare foot as your sock turned to dust. Your quirk buzzed around your body, repelling his.
“You thought you could get away with it? Just do whatever you want to me. It doesn’t work like that.”
“Then what do you want? I offered to talk, and you said no, but you also said no to me, leaving you alone. Yes, I shouldn’t have kissed you, but you kissed me back.” You huffed. “Just let it go.”
You were purposefully ignoring the fact that he did ask you to kiss him again, and you rejected him. It was terrifying to understand that the very first kiss was more than simply impulsiveness; perhaps you wished for a warm body to exchange body heat with, but not anyone you wanted his.
“You shouldn’t play with people’s feelings like that.” He definitely didn’t take it well. He yanked on your ankle, sending pain through your leg and forcing you to step forward. Your hands broke your fall; kicking him instinctively, your foot connected with his shoulder, causing him to hiss.
“What’s the matter with you? You yelled. He had already sat down when you turned your body to face him. “Why do you act like that over something as insignificant as a kiss?”
“It’s not about the kiss,” he said, sighing. Tiredness framed his face, and his skin was as irritated as ever. The faint sounds of nature outside flowed through the room as he sat there. This situation was entirely your own creation.
“Don’t kiss me and then reject me.” He mumbled. You knew that saying that cost him. “That’s cruel”
You gulped, drooling like an animal in captivity who had just been thrown a piece of meat after long weeks of starvation. Slowly, your finger brushed the shoulder that you were pretty sure you’d kicked.
He lifted his gaze, doubt written all over his face.
“So?”
He hesitated to answer. Licking his chapped lips before talking.
“Kiss me or leave.”
The bluntness of his statement left you frozen, but you couldn’t deny the pit of desire ignited in your body. The hand that was on his shoulder moved up to his face, cupping his cheek. His breath hitched, and you launched yourself forward, pressing your mouth to his lips.
Your tongue traced the outline of his scar. Tomura opened his mouth, capturing your tongue and licking it. He didn’t know where to put his hands; maybe you would not decay, but your clothes were another story. He settled for burying his hands in your hair.
Starting to feel lightheaded, you dropped your hand to his chest, not that you needed it to feel his heartbeat. You never retrieved your quirk effect from him; his pulse was hammering rapidly in your head, making you wonder where all that blood was traveling.
He quietly gasped, breaking the kiss. He glanced into your eyes, and that’s when he knew you were into this as much as he was. He kissed you on the neck, his breath caressing your sensitive skin and causing you to jolt when he nibbled the spot where your neck meets your shoulder, forcing a moan out of your mouth.
He stiffened; he could never have thought a little sound like that coming from your mouth could have such an effect on him as electricity rushing down to his groin, feeling himself grow harder. Self-conscious about the possibility of you noticing his erection, he pulled aside a little.
“What?” You muttered.
“Nothing,” he lied.
“Do you want to stop?” You asked.
“No”
“Can I touch you?” Your desire was palpable in your speech.
He nodded. And you ran away with the confirmation. You reached out to touch the rough lines that composed him, and as your hand went to his lap, he quickly wrapped his hand around your wrist, not with any real force.
“We can stop." You started, but he interrupted you.
“I already told you I don’t want to stop,” Tomura snarled. “I just need a moment.”
You chuckled under your breath.
“Why are you acting like a virgin? We are just making out!”
He looked dumbstruck, and his saliva-coated lips parted in an expression you didn’t think he was capable of. He coughed, wiping his face. The realization hit you like a fist to the nose. Of course, he didn’t have any experience in this department. It wasn’t even hard to guess.
You pushed the virgin too far. With a vice grip, he yanked your hair; the pain was registered later on by your nerves when he was already pushing you to the sleeping bag. He pinned your hands above your head, brutally stretching your shoulders, making you trash under him.
His narrowed eyes met yours. His lips were tugged down so deeply that you could see the specks of blood blooming from his chapped lips. Tomura was mad, tired, and aroused.
You inhaled deeply, allowing the air to fill your lungs. Hopefully, the newfound oxygen in your bloodstream could help you find a way out. Suddenly, he let go of your wrists, choosing to nuzzle your neck instead.
“I’m tired,” Tomura mumbled, sounding muffled and defeated.
On the other hand, you were restless. His hair was brushing your cheek, and his breath condensed on the skin of your neck, leaving a moist, warm feeling behind. You ran your hand through his hair; it was softer than you imagined, curling around your fingers.
He sighed, rolling off you to sit beside you, making the old wood flooring crack under him. The cold indignantly filtered through your body again, missing his body heat. Like a moth to a flame, you wrapped your arms around him and turned to bury your face in the crook of his neck. You could get used to his smell and the way his pulse quickens beneath your lips.
“Sorry.” He whispered.
“Just hug me back,” you replied.
He took advantage of the situation by slipping his hands under your sweater. Tomura's hands were warm, which was ironic given the destructive nature of his quirk. No one else was going to love the texture of his fingertips tracing lines on their backs except you.
There was no lust in his touch at the beginning, but that didn’t last long, with his contact growing hungry and desperate. You straddled him, his finger digging into the small of your waist and bringing you closer, encouraging you in. Tomura lifted his head to meet your eyes and opened his mouth, hesitating to speak.
There’s no need to speak, you thought. Kissing the corner of his mouth and licking the dry blood from his lips, the faint coppery taste only served to feed your desire for him. Your arousal would already be coating his lap if it weren't for the thick sweatpants you were wearing. You needed him to stop being so shy.
“Decay my clothes." Your speech was muffled against his mouth, but he heard every syllable, replaying it in his mind over and over.
“You’re insane,” he whispered back.
“Undress me then."
"Huh? I'm not going to strip you." For a split second, you assumed that meant he didn't want to go any further with you. You were gloriously incorrect. He gently pushed you on your back again, this time placing his palm on the back of your head to ensure you would not get hurt. “Not fully. You’re cold, remember?”
“Right” 
A hasty hand slid down your pants, his thumb hooked in the waistband. You arched your back to help him undress you with the combination of his warm hands and the cold room. He mostly kept his word, only setting one leg free from your pants and underwear.
As eager as he was, you battled with the button of his jeans. Pulling it until his erection sprang free, you wish the room were thoughtfully illuminated so you could see all of him. This time, he didn't wrap his hand around your wrist to stop you.
Instead, he sank his finger into the swell of your hip, stealing a gasp from your mouth, encouraging him to touch you more as he pleased. Without losing any more time, you stroke his cock, slowly caressing his flushed tip with your thumb, smearing the precum down his length.
He jerked forward, biting down a whiny moan.
Your mouth was on his neck, kissing and licking him, down to his collarbones, tasting his salty skin. Tomura was on cloud nine; your hand was warm and soft around him, and you were doing this willingly.
“Please Y/n” He was not used to asking for permission; he was raised with the encouragement to take whatever he desired when he wanted. For some reason, he wanted you to give yourself to him without having to force you.
“Let me help you." You whispered Tomura jolted when you guided his cock to your entrance, wrapping your legs around his bony hips. Tomura grabbed you by the waist, burying himself in the inviting wetness of your cunt.
You heard yourself cry out a moan at the sudden stretch. Just like the first kiss, he was sloppy and rhythmless. No, that he cared at that very moment. You felt so good clenching around his cock.
"Tomura." You breathed out his name.
He grabbed your plushy thighs, parting your legs further. He wanted to be inside you so deeply that you would feel like something was missing when he pulled out.
You pulled his hair, sending delicious tingles down his neck. Tomura pressed his mouth to yours forcing his tongue inside your mouth as he  began to set a pace sending waves of pleasure with each thrust
“I want you to cum with me. What should I do?” He asked, panting in a hoarse whisper.
“Touch my clit while you fuck me."
His thumb found the bundle of nerves, and a wave of pleasure invaded your body, making you breathless and gasping for air. You knew he was close when he started to moan in your ear. His hips rocked intensely. Tomura felt his abdomen clenching, and he gave in to your grip. The world stopped for a moment, and it was only him and you. Putting your hand behind his nape, you draw him closer, kissing him while you reach your peak.
Tomura plopped on top of you, still to the hilt inside you. The spasms, remnants of your orgasm, emptying him further inside you. Kissing your sweaty temple, he rolled off you.
You didn’t want to think you’d regret this so soon after it was over, occupying your mind with cleaning the mess before it dried in a sticky nightmare instead. You used your remaining sock to clean his cum that slid down your thighs.
After you fixed your clothes, you turned to see Tomura, who was already sleeping on his side, giving his back to you. Odd. Well, he did say he was tired. In one of many kind gestures, he wasn’t sure he hated or loved; you fixed his clothes by pulling his jeans back on.
He looked content with his usual scowl, relaxing to a neutral expression. Finally, you settled for letting him sleep alone in his sleeping bag; eventually, you’d have to talk with him; he owed you a pair of socks after all.
When you were seeking a shield from the cold in your sleeping bag, exhaustion had already claimed your body. You were drifting to dreamless sleep.
You will regret this.
∘₊✧─────────────✧₊∘
Chap 2.
208 notes · View notes
pixiemunsons · 2 years
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la petite mort (em)
you have two deep, dark secrets; you've never had an orgasm, and you're in love with your best friend. eddie thinks he can rectify them both.
la petite mort; the sensation of post orgasm as likened to death
(3.7 k words) soft sex, f!receiving oral, reader has nipple piercings and a praise kink, first orgasm, best friends to lovers, protected sex, reader really likes eddie’s rings and tattoos (same girl), no use of y/n or reader descriptions, weed and alcohol use, eddie and reader are in love w each other but also share a single braincell, reader is eighteen eddie is nineteen, no spoilers
this is a combo of two requests which i loved so thank u anons!!
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there was absolutely nothing to do in hawkins, indiana.
as you got older, you might reflect on your childhood and teen years and everything you overlooked while you were too busy hating your hometown. the woods that offered endless hours of exploring, the lake in which you swam most summers. the video shop. the arcade. even the shitty roller rink that played nothing but cheesy 70s love songs.
before then, though, right now, your free time was best spent doing exactly what you were doing right at that moment; smoking weed with your best friend.
and listening to him bitch about a girl who didn’t wanna fuck him.
‘i just don’t get what she doesn’t see in me! like, she said i was weird looking.’ his head was laying in your lap as you buried your fingers in his hair, playing with the surprisingly soft strands and weaving tiny braids. 
‘i mean, i think i’m pretty hot!’ you looked down to his chocolate brown eyes, and shivered slightly at the way he was already looking up at you. your crush on eddie had been building for years, nurtured by the loving nature of your relationship, and by the time you realised you thought he was cute at sixteen you were already halfway in love with him. and yet, for some reason, here you were. eighteen years old, still pining after the one guy you wanted but couldn’t have whilst he complained that other girls didn’t like him. great.
‘i don’t think you’re the problem, eddie, i think she’s a stuck up bitch.’ you explained, reaching over to grasp the joint from his fingers. you’d both smoked two each already and were pretty high, but he’d insisted on finishing off what he’d skimmed from his supply and well, who were you to say no to some of rick’s primo shit?
’i think she needs to have a orgasm.’ your eyes widened as you choked on the smoke in your lungs, drawing half-breaths. eddie seemed totally nonplussed, as if he’d mentioned the weather or asked about a class of yours. bringing his left hand up to play with the sleeve of your t-shirt, the cold silver of his rings brushed against your arm, and you shivered once more. when eddie had started wearing rings the year before, it had pushed your crush into a whole new realm. they featured in every single fantasy you had; cold rings brushing your lips as he stuck his fingers into your mouth, imprints left behind after he smacked your ass, pushing up against you as he thrust his fingers deep into your-
‘you’re probably right. ‘m sure she’d benefit greatly from one.’ you laughed it off, stubbing the joint out in the ashtray by his bed and trying to play off just how horny you felt. talking about sex was something you had always avoided; the few boys you’d slept with had gotten you nowhere but disappointed, and admitting that you were eighteen and had yet to make yourself cum, let alone anyone else make you, was not a fact you were all too willing to give up. you looked down and let out a shaky breath as your mind ran away; eddie’s shirt had ridden down as he’d turned his face in your lap, and you could see the very edges of ink inside his collar. it made you feel hot under yours. eddie suited this new look so well, and you indulged in staring at him for a little while. you wondered what he looked like without his shirt, when all of his tattoos were exposed. you could feel your mind going hazy, the weed finally taking effect, and you couldn’t help but giggle softly at your own thoughts.
‘what’s s’ funny, peaches?’ he was peering up at you with an eyebrow arched, playing with the skin at the edge of your shirt sleeve, fingertips dangerously close to the curve of your chest.
‘nothin’, just thinking about what you said about her needing an orgasm.’
‘we could all benefit from one every now and again,’ he shrugged, and when you muttered an almost indecipherable ‘i bet,’ against your better judgement, you hoped he wouldn’t hear. but years of listening to shitty cassettes and teaching himself to play guitar from scratched records had given eddie an irritating superpower; he had fucking fantastic hearing.
‘what’d’you mean, “i bet?”,’ he sat up, making quote marks with his fingers around the last two words. 
your skin erupted in goosebumps, and you suddenly became very interested in the hangnail on your left thumb, pulling the skin between your teeth. eddie was transfixed on the way your teeth pulled, how your tongue darted out to swipe against the skin there, and he almost forgot that you’d been talking about until you spoke up again.
‘’s not a big deal,’ you whispered. ‘just never happened for me, ya know?’ you were looking hopefully up at him, and then it clicked.
‘you’re fuckin' kidding? no one’s ever made you cum?!’ he almost shouted the last words, and you buried your face in your hands. you could feel your skin getting hot and you knew you couldn’t look him in the eye as you spoke.
‘i-i’ve never done it with someone. or on my own, really, either. i just can’t let go enough to get there, it’s not a big deal.’
eddie wanted to reach out and take you in his hands, smooth your hair back and soothe your embarrassment.
‘it’s nothing to be ashamed of babe, but wow. i thought everyone had had an orgasm.’ you scowled up at his words.
‘way to make me feel better, eds.’ his eyes widened, apologising instantly.
‘i’m sorry babe, i didn’t mean it like that. look, i’m sorry, i’m just surprised is all. you’ve like… been with people, right?’
you frowned again. ‘yeah, a couple, but they’ve never got me there. they think they have, course, but i dunno… never seemed that important. i enjoy sex without it.’
eddie could feel himself going bright red, and he didn’t know what it was; the weed? talking about how much you enjoy sex? the knowledge you’d never had an orgasm? or the fact that you’d had enough sex with other people to know what you liked? he shook his head. of course you’d had sex, you were fucking gorgeous. anyone who you wanted to fuck was lucky. so lucky. so how had they had the audacity to not make you cum? that should be, like, a fucking crime. the more he thought about it, the more irritated he got, until finally, he snapped.
‘how about i make you cum?’
you had reached to take a sip of eddie’s beer, and at his words had spat it out all over yourself. your black shirt was soaked through and he really wished he hadn’t noticed how clingy it was, because it was making this a lot harder.
‘what- what the fuck did you just say?’ you sputtered, and eddie steeled himself, wiping his sweaty hands on his ripped jeans.
‘i mean, we don’t have to fuck. you don’t gotta do anything to me, you don’t even gotta do this. i just think we all deserve to have a really fucking good orgasm, and you said you can’t let loose enough to do it, and i thought maybe because we’re so close you’d trust me to-‘
you flung your arms around him, chests pressed together, and nuzzled your face into his chest. looking up at him with those doe eyes eddie couldn’t resist (he always said yes to you very quickly when you flashed them, mostly because they gave him a hard-on every time without fail) you fluttered your eyelashes, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth (it made him even harder whenever you did that) and sighing.
‘you’d really do that for me, eds?’ you spoke quietly, nervously. really, it was very sweet of him to offer. he wasn’t going to get much out of this - at least, he didn’t expect anything from it - and he’d asked so kindly, so sweetly…
‘of course i’d do that for you, baby,’ he brushed a piece of hair out of your eyes, cupping your face. a new tension had swept the room; you were both so excited the air was crackling. ‘are you gonna let me? need you to tell me you want this. also, i’ve caught you staring at the rings, i know you wanna know what they feel like.’
you hit his arm as he laughed, then leant forward to press your forehead to him. you heard him gulp, and you were glad for the weed you’d smoked, or you knew the two of you would’ve been too nervous to move on each other like this.
‘i’d like that very much, eds,’ you breathed, and that was enough for him.
he pushed you down gently by the shoulders, laying on top of you propped up on his elbows with his legs between yours.
‘you’re so goddamn beautiful,’ he whispered, and then his lips were on yours.
his lips were chapped but he tasted vaguely of the strawberry chapstick he had stolen borrowed from you months back. one of his hands was resting on your lower back, the other on your face as he guided you in the kiss. it was unlike any other kiss you’d had before; they’d always been rushed, tongue down your throat, sloppy. but eddie was taking his time with you, his lips moving languidly over yours, being careful to relax you into it. you almost wished he’d go faster, harder, but your mind was already cloudy from the weed and the feeling of his mouth on yours, and you wondered if it was always meant to feel like this with boys. his tongue probed at your lips carefully, not pushing, and when you finally let it in you felt the hand on your back slip to your hip, squeezing gently. you nipped gently at his bottom lip, and the moan that he pushed into your mouth in response sent you dizzy. suddenly, there was more; he was hitching your left thigh over his hip, creating delicious friction between you and he was tugging at your lip, tongue flicking over the back of your teeth. you couldn’t help the way your hips were moving of their own accord against him, it felt like you were floating above your own body.
eddie’s lips left yours to press against your neck, nipping and teasing down your throat, and you were sure you’d have marks tomorrow.
‘y’can leave marks, eds,’ you whimpered, tugging on his hair in response to a particularly hard bite, ‘can wear a turtleneck to school tomorrow, s’okay.’ he chuckled against your neck, moving his mouth up to a spot just below your ear.
‘don’t want you to hide ‘em, babe.’ before you could ask what he meant, he was sinking his teeth into the spot where his lips sat, a place you knew no jumper or jacket would hide, and you felt almost delirious at the idea of people seeing it tomorrow.
‘can i take your shirt off, baby?’ he asked, bringing you back to earth.
‘god, yeah,’ you sat up slightly to wriggle out of it, ‘take the bra too, shit,’ you moaned, and eddie started to laugh before he got your bra off and the laugh turned to a choke, then a cough, and he felt like he couldn’t get enough air in his lungs.
because you, his beautiful, kind, goody-two-shoes to everyone else, grade-a student best friend had your nipples pierced. and he was looking right at them.
‘fuckin’ hell babe, where’ve you been hiding these?’ he was practically drooling imagining how the silver bars would feel in his mouth, and if he hadn’t been fully hard before he was rock solid now.
‘got ‘em done a year ago, thought they’d look pretty.’ you were whimpering, squirming in the firm grasp he now held on your waist, and you cried out when he reached up to pinch one. ‘they’re real sensitive, fuck, feels like so much.’ eddie flicked out his tongue, bathing your left nipple in his spit before blowing cold air over it, making you tremble and moan out his name.
‘they’re very pretty, baby. i mean, i knew your tits were like, wow, but jesus christ i could spend every day the rest of my life playing with these.’ you laughed shakily, head thrown back for him to scatter kisses down your neck and chest.
‘anyone seen them before?’ he muttered, and you almost thought he didn’t want you to hear him.
‘no, just - shit eddie, i can’t concentrate when you’re playin’ with ‘em like that - just you, no one else.’ you swore you could see his eyes darken as he looked up at you, then latched onto your left nipple with a renewed vigour that had you arching your back, desperate for some friction. one big hand pushed your hips back down, sending a spark of electricity down your back as he manhandled you.
‘stop it, babe, gonna need you to wait there a minute, be a good girl f’me.’
what the fuck
what the fuck
what the FUCK
you couldn’t help the moan that escaped your lips, and your eyes widened instantly, clapping a hand over your mouth. eddie stilled his movements, raising his head so he was eye level with you, a mischievous glint in his eyes. he pulled your hand from your mouth, observing the way your eyes had widened and how your cheek felt hot under his hand.
‘did you like it when i called you a good girl?’ he cocked his head to the side, and from the way you looked up at him, with such desperation in your eyes, he knew he had his answer.
‘no one’s ever told you what a good job you do for them, have they?’ he cooed, smiling down at you as you shook your head.
‘tsk. well that just won’t do, will it baby? i think you deserve to be shown what a fantastic job you’re doing for me, how good you feel in my hands. want me to show you what a good girl you’re being, give you a present?’
you had died and gone to heaven. that’s the only answer to this. eddie was on top of you, feeding into your most desperate of fantasies, telling you he was about to reward you for being a good girl for him. either that or you were dreaming. because he was pulling your jeans down, kissing down your thighs and telling you how cute your panties were, how wet you were for him and oh-
oh
well, you definitely weren’t imagining that. because you hadn’t known what it felt like when someone put their tongue on you, when they licked a stripe from your hole up to your clit and lapped at you so messily you could hear it, but you did now, so surely you couldn’t be imagining that-
‘baby, you okay? you with me?’ eddie’s voice snapped you back to reality, and you looked down to see your best friend, cheeks pink and led between your legs with his shirt off and a slick on his face; you on his face, and you couldn’t help but reach down, wind your fingers into his hair and tug him back to where he had been.
‘eager, are we?’ you could almost hear the smile on his face, and you knew he was trying so hard to keep up the cocky act, but you could see the way his hips were making minuscule movements against the bed and his fingers were going to leave bruises on your thighs with how hard he was gripping them.
‘shut up, you’re loving it too,’ you gasped, and in retaliation he seemed to ramp it up. suddenly, he was two fingers deep in your sopping wet pussy, head thrown back once more as he pressed them into the plush of your inner walls, right against a spot that made your mouth dry and your thoughts spin.
‘eddie, fuck,’ you cried out, and his other hand rubbed your thigh reassuringly. you imagined he would’ve spoken to you in reassurance had his teeth not been wrapped around your clit, tugging just the right way.
‘eddie, think it’s comin’, you were slurring now, and to eddie’s delight, when he looked up at you, you were toying with one of your puffy nipples, bucking yourself up towards him. his fingers were cramping up and his jaw hurt but he wouldn’t, couldn’t stop now, not when you were half riding his face. he lifted up, using his left hand to rub circles on your clit as his other hand fucked into you.
‘relax, sweetheart, you’re doing so good for me, y’can do it baby, just need to let go for me, eddie’s got you, such a beautiful good girl f’me…’ eddie was talking away, bringing you closer and closer to the precipice until you fell over the edge of it, body turning to jelly. you couldn’t believe you’d been so happy to miss out on this all this time, so willing to do this to boys and not have them do it back. eddie was working you through it, kissing your cheeks and your nose and your eyelids and your mouth, letting you ride the aftershocks on his hand. 
if you’d been more with it you’d have noticed how he was looking at you; like you were the only woman on earth, like he could never get enough of this, like he’d never leave this bed if it meant he could make you do that over and over and over until you were crying, begging, putty in his hands. you felt like it was lasting forever, riding wave after wave, until finally your whole body relaxed, flopping down against eddie’s bed.
‘so, sweetheart, how was it?’ eddie asked, almost nervous now that the energy in the room had dissipated a little. you were still naked and panting, making no effort to cover yourself up, which he supposed was a good thing; you still felt comfortable around him, didn’t regret what you’d let him do to you. he had half-expected you to leave after, too much for you to do that with him, so when you rolled over and kissed him like your life depended on it? a welcome surprise. even more so when you reached for his painfully hard cock.
‘whoa, baby, you don’t gotta just because i did,’ he sputtered, and you brushed him off, leaning up so you were on all fours above him. you were pouting. fucking pouting.
‘but i wanna. don’t wanna suck you off, not this time at least, ‘m too tired,’ he almost asked what you meant by this time before you interrupted him once more.
‘want you to fuck me, though, eds. please.’ 
he really hadn’t been expecting to get anything out of tonight other than spank bank material. he was more than happy to get you off then never speak about it again, if that was what you wanted. of course, what he really wanted was to marry you and fuck at least two kids into you, buy a house and live in the suburbs. but for now he’d settle for making you cum on his tongue and maybe, when you weren’t looking, steal your panties. but eddie munson was never one to say no to you, especially not when you were naked and begging, so he pulled his pants and boxers down in one movement before rolling himself on top of you.
your hand went to his cock instantly, rubbing a thumb over the leaking tip.
‘christ, eds, were you just gonna deal with this later?’ you asked, eyebrows pulling together in a concerned expression. ‘you’d have exploded.’
he let out a laugh, kissing your neck as he fumbled about in his bedside drawer. he was naked except for the guitar pick necklace resting on his chest, and you leant up to kiss it, hand still sliding up and down his cock.
‘fuck babe, i was just gonna beat it when you’d gone home,’ he gasped, batting your hand away so that he could roll the condom he’d fished up on himself. he looked down into your eyes, kissing you gently. ‘i’m not gonna last long.’
‘don’t care, just need you.’ you mumbled back, pulling him down into another kiss as he slid into you.
it felt like he was made for you. no painful stretch, no disappointment. he fit in you so perfectly you could’ve sworn this was exactly how it was always supposed to be; you and eddie, eddie and you. every other time with every other boy felt so totally redundant you had no idea why you’d even bothered when you could’ve been doing this the whole time. and when eddie moved, it was more like lovemaking than fucking. his left hand was intertwined with your right on the pillow, his other holding your face as he looked into your eyes. yours was pressed against his hip, guiding him into you gently as you writhed under him.
‘i’ve wanted this a really long time, sweetheart,’ he spoke quietly, honestly, and it was a far cry from the cocky eddie you’d come to know over the years. he seemed genuine. vulnerable. you kissed him again then, trying to pour everything you wanted to say into it as his hips rocked faster against yours.
‘shh, i know eddie, i know,’ you kissed his chest again, his necklace dangling in your face, and you used it as leverage to pull his face back to yours.
‘come for me, baby, c’mon,’ you were whispering against his lips, pressing your hips up against him for the new angle, and he came with a gasp of your name, gripping the back of your neck and kissing you.
when he pulled out, snapping off the condom, he pulled you onto his chest without a word. he was red and sweaty, hair frizzy and lips swollen, and you had never been so in love in your whole life. you traced the tattoo on his chest, new to your eyes, and you hoped you’d get to see it every day.
‘you didn’t get to come again.’
‘that’s okay, sweetheart. you’ll get as many chances as you want.’
‘you mean it?’
‘always, when it comes to you.’
2K notes · View notes
vienssunshine · 8 months
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Obviously It's Cold in the Wintertime
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pairing: Josh Washington x gn reader sfw word count: 2.3k alternate universe: no Josh prank author’s comment: Until Dawn is the ideal choice for one of my favorite tropes: needing to be close for warmth/body heat.
The lodge is freezing.
You hold the quilt tight to your shivering body, trying to pull it closer than it already is, but the winter air is uncaring. It slips under your quilt and settles over you like an additional blanket, not one of comfort, but ice.
The only clothes you packed to face the harsh winter up on the mountain were ones you’d wear outside, like your puffer jacket or beanie. You didn’t think you’d need to prepare for the weather inside as well, and your choice of sleepwear—athletic shorts and a baggy t-shirt—reflects that.
You wish Josh had reminded you that despite his family’s profuse wealth, their lodge has no central heating. But, you can’t blame him for your mistake, and he's had a lot going on anyway. Regardless, you’ll still have to bother him about your situation because, despite your best efforts, it's impossible to fall asleep like this.  
Sitting up in your bed, you pull the quilt off your legs, removing the little warmth it provided. There’s a relief, though fleeting, from the pervasive cold when a tingle of excitement shoots down your spine from knowing you’re about to go see Josh, alone, and at night.  
Your hand reaches out into the dark to search the top of the nightstand for your phone, finding and turning it on after a few seconds of fumbling around. You click on the phone's flashlight—there’s no electricity in this place, either—and use it to find your slippers and the guest room door. 
The glow from your phone does little to demystify the dark, empty void staring back at you when you pull the door open. It’s an intimidating task, to navigate the endless twists, turns, and, according to Josh, secret passages of the lodge. Thankfully, the dusty glass of the windows allows the deep blue of the night sky to seep into the cabin and illuminate the general silhouette of things like the main staircase and the circular chandelier hanging above you. 
You make your way through the living room, using your phone to avoid obstacles like couches and tables, and head up the tall staircase. Your footsteps echo through the open air as you climb, but aren’t loud enough to wake anybody up. 
Keeping close to the handrail lining the hallway, you walk down to the last door, Josh’s door, and place a few soft knocks on it.
You hear his voice through the wood. “Yeah?” 
He's awake, perfect. You creak the door open and slip into the room. “Hey, it’s me.” 
“Oh, what a nice surprise,” Josh says, grinning. You return the smile.
You turn off your phone flashlight and walk into his room, having to squint to see where you’re going in the dim light. Josh is sitting on his bed, his back relaxed on a large pillow pressed against the headboard. He’s in pajamas too, a black sweatshirt and flannel pants. The only source of light in the room is a movie projected onto the wall by an old-timey camera set up by his side of the bed. He flicks a button on the top of the camera, pausing the movie, and turns to you. 
“So, what can I do for you?” he asks. 
“Hmm?”
Josh tilts his head, “There must be some reason you’re in my room at,” he glances at his phone, “two in the morning.” 
“Oh, right. I came to see if you had any extra blankets or something? It’s, uh, really cold in my room.”
A mischievous smile. “Y’know, I bet I could help warm you up. No blankets necessary.” 
“I’m serious, Josh,” you respond, rolling your eyes. Though you don’t betray it, his comment, cliché as it may be, sends a tingle similar to earlier up your back. 
“Okay, okay,” he surrenders, throwing his hands up, “I’ll be serious.” 
“Thank you,” you respond. It’s not that you would mind if he kept flirting with you, it’s just that you need to warm up, you're barely able to feel your fingers.
Josh runs his eyes over you. “Well, no matter what I do, you’re still gonna be cold in that,” he says, giving your PJs a disapproving look. 
You shift your weight under his gaze. “Yeah, well, I forgot there’s no heat up here,” you say.
“Rookie mistake,” Josh laughs, standing up from his bed and walking around it to reach the dresser made of dark wood on the other side. He pulls the middle drawer open by its antique handles and takes one of his sweatshirts out, bringing it over to you. “This should help.”
As he hands it to you, your fingers brush his. “Wow, you do feel cold,” he remarks. 
“What, did you think I was lying?” you tease, giving him a light push. “Thanks for the sweatshirt.” 
“Yeah, of course,” he says, watching you pull it over your head.
The extra layer was a good call, you aren’t shaking anymore. You note another benefit of the sweatshirt: it smells just like him.
“That’s so much better,” you say, and a pleased smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “And the extra blankets? Are there any?” you ask. 
He rubs his neck, “Right, about that…”
“Oh, are there none in the lodge?” you say, holding the edges of the hoodie to your face, trying to warm your ears. 
“Well, no…see…” Josh says, “I already gave the extra blankets to Mike.”
You frown. Mike. Your friend group isn’t full of angels, but you have a particular dislike for Mr. Class President.
With a huff, you say, “I don’t see why you did that, I’m sure he and Jess can keep plenty warm together.”
“Mike said he needed all the blankets to make his room a cozy, romantic love den. His words, not mine. My hands were tied, I had to help a bro out.”
Your brows furrow, still baffled by how Mike managed to convince Josh to give him every single blanket there was to spare. That conniving, silver-tongued little-
“But hey,” Josh says, “You can just take some of mine.” He steps back and gestures to the bed with his hand. 
“I’m not taking your blankets, Josh,” you answer, despite how persuasive the chilled air is being.
“C’mon, you’re freezing,” he insists, picking your hand up from your side, “Your fingers are as cold as ice.” 
Unlike yours, his hand is warm. You press your lips together, your heart in your throat from a simple touch that feels nicer than it should.
“I’ll be fine,” you lie, pulling your hand away. “Really. I don’t want to take your blankets from you.” 
He looks at the bed, then you, the bed, and then back at you. “Okay, we can share instead,” he says with a shrug, as if his suggestion were no big deal.
Your eyes widen. “Um…are you serious?” you ask. 
“Didn’t I promise I was going to be serious from now on?” he says. When you don’t move, he continues, “Really, I don’t mind. I’d actually love to have someone to watch this movie with.” He smirks before finishing with, “If it’s not too scary for you.”
You scoff, self-consciousness forgotten. “I’m not scared of some movie.” 
“I don’t believe you,” he teases, sitting down on the bed and moving over to make space.
“Really,” you insist, “I’m not.” 
“Then come join me,” he says, patting the spot next to him.
Your eyes run over the soft bedding with the same caution you’d have for a battlefield. Then, a step forward takes you to the edge of the bed, and you lower yourself down onto the mattress. Josh waits until you kick off your slippers and slide under his comforter before unpausing the movie, a small, victorious smile on his lips. You’d usually be more annoyed, hating to lose, but gratitude takes over as the gentle warmth of the blankets begins to ease the edge of the cold off you.
Josh’s bed is huge, so you’re able to sit a reasonable distance away from him. You doubt a similar thought crosses his mind because, unlike you, he doesn’t seem to think sharing a bed is anything to be worked up about: he’s spread out on his side of the mattress, back against the pillows, hands behind his head.
You steal glances at him, noticing how his broad chest rises and falls with his gentle breaths. He looks so comfortable; it makes you want to close the distance, to have your body pressed to his side and your head resting on his warm chest. Sudden heat singes your ears and you look away from him. As far as you know, this is platonic, just a friend helping a friend keep warm. 
A gargled roar emits from the speaker. Though the volume is down, it’s still enough to draw your eyes to the blob monster displayed on the flickering projection. It’s closing in, bubbling and gurgling towards a damsel whose dress is caught on a tree branch. Even with all that action, the movie does little to distract you from the fact that the guy you have a thing for is tucked under the same sheets as you, only an arm’s reach away. 
“I’m surprised you’re up this late,” you comment, launching yourself out of your thoughts. “And watching a movie that’s not scary at all.”
“Just wait, the worst part hasn’t even happened yet,” he says, leaning over to give you a playful nudge. His eyes remain fixed on the flickering screen as he finishes responding. “And yeah, I couldn’t really fall asleep, so I put something on.” 
“Too cold for you, too?” you ask.
“Nah, temperature’s fine. It’s just, y’know, being up here again…”
Of course. You should have known. 
You look down to your hands in your lap. “It’s probably a lot. I’m sorry, Josh. Really.” 
“I appreciate it,” he says, letting out a deep breath as if he’s trying to exhale the weight on his chest. “I’m glad you’re all with me, it’s easier dealing with what happened.”
“We’re here for you.” You move a hand from your lap to his shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. “I’m here for you. Anything, Josh.” 
“Thank you,” he says, his hand covering yours. “It means a lot to me that you’re saying that. I hope you know I’d do the same for you.” You nod, his kind words making your heart melt like candle wax. “Speaking of, are you feeling any warmer? Your hand, it still feels-” 
You drop your hand back down to the blanket, noticing that, though you haven’t shivered since you put on the sweatshirt, your fingertips still feel dull, unable to fully sense the softness of the cloth. “It’s a little better, but I’m still pretty cold,” you admit.
“Well, I can’t have you freezing to death,” he tells you. 
“That might ruin the trip,” you say with a small laugh.
“You’re right. I would get in so much trouble.” 
“Well, I wouldn’t want you getting in trouble because of me.” You tilt your head, a bashful smile spreading across your face. 
He takes a second to drink in everything the faint light of the movie reveals of your expression. “Good thing I have a solution to our problem.”
“Yeah?”
His response is one that diverges from his typical flirty comments as it comes out softer, a little hesitant, even. “You could come closer.”
You eye him, waiting for him to reveal his bluff. But his gaze remains steady, so you repeat his words back to him slowly as if you were trying to figure out which part he isn’t sincere about. “You want me to come closer?”
He chuckles. “Somebody’s nervous.” Josh lets his arms spread atop the row of pillows behind him, opening himself up to you. “C’mon, I don’t bite,” he grins, “hard.” 
“Alright, pack it up, cornball,” you say, lifting up the comforter and scooting closer to him, stopping just an inch or two before your thigh touches his.
“You know you love it,” he says.
“Shut it, I’m trying to watch the movie,” you shoot back, reclining until your back meets his arm and the pillows it lies atop of. The hard muscle of his bicep contrasts with the plushness of the pillows, but it doesn’t make you any less comfortable, in fact, you like this position more than how you were earlier.
Being close to him, nearly in his arms, feels better than you expected. The warmth of his body and the steadiness of his breath conjure up a calm haze that settles over you like a spell. You work hard to stay focused and upright, wanting to finish the movie and talk to him some more. But you're exhausted, so as he's explaining the foreshadowing from the first act of the movie, you end up leaning into him, your head falling onto his shoulder and your hand onto his chest. He doesn’t say anything, but his arm shifts behind your back, and then his hand is on your head, petting your hair. Your eyes flutter shut, everything around you fading out aside from the soothing feeling of his touch. 
“Sleepy?” he whispers down to you.
“Mhmm,” you mumble back. 
“Do you want to sleep in here tonight? It’s much warmer.”
“Can I?” you ask, nuzzling your cheek into his shoulder. He’s just so comfortable, it would be so terrible if you couldn’t stay. 
“Of course you can,” he responds. You can hear the smile in his voice and it sends a small wave of warmth through your body.
You move your head so it rests on his chest, your fingers sprawled out just a bit lower, mindlessly playing with the strings of his hoodie. Staying awake is getting harder and harder as the gentle strokes on your head coax you to sleep, and eventually, you give in.
When you wake up in the morning, you’re still curled up next to Josh, and he is still asleep. He has been going through a lot this past year, but as the light of dawn trickles through the window and onto his face, he looks the most peaceful you’ve ever seen him.
277 notes · View notes
heartthrobin · 7 months
Text
walk beside me, i feel you slipping away
eddie munson x female!reader
wc: 2.4k
warnings: henderson!reader, established relationship, worried girlfriend mode, secret relationship, idiots in love, smidge of angst
an: is another piece from my ao3 that's been sitting around forever. i re-read it today and thought "tumblr needs to see this"
summary: your stupid boyfriend has gone and gotten himself stuck in another dimension with a menagerie of blood-thirsty killers and no amount of knowledge of his little board game is going to help keep him alive. has it always been this hard to breath?
Late March, you wondered, it should still be cold now shouldn’t it?
The balmy wind closing around the bare strip of skin at your ankles begged otherwise. You toyed with the idea that maybe the Upside Down had an effect on the weather in Hawkins.
"Are you even listening!" Claudia Henderson’s voice cut through your moronic ideas on how other worldly demons affected the climate - it was desperate and thick with worry.
Your eyes snapped from where they'd fixated on a yellow lawn chair two houses over. Her face was shrouded in panic and your heart wrenched at the sight of her, if only she knew how much trouble they were truly in.
"Mom, I'm listening—" Liar. "I told you, they wanted to go take a look but I didn't want them to on their own, so I went with."
The chatter from inside was vibrating against the walls and the lights of the police cruiser still parked in the driveway flashed blue and red against the side of your mom's face.
"You let them go to the sight of a murder!" Claudia ran a shaky hand over her perfectly matted curls. "And— And this Eddie character? The police are saying that Dusty is a member of his satanic cult—"
You couldn't help the roll of your eyes. "Mom, it's not a cult."
The image was sharp in your mind, as if you were still standing at the edge of the water staring down at the dinghy.
Robin and Nancy were carefully squatted down near the front and Steve was steadying the boat from the shore.
Max, Lucas and your brother were lingering behind you, he was still sulking at being told he wouldn’t be joining the venture into the depths of the lake.
"Hey," Eddie's eyes pierced yours from where he was balanced up on the boat, he held a hand out for you to take - to step into the boat. Even in the darkness of the woods you'd felt the warmth of his gaze.
You'd glanced between him and the kids behind you, shaking your head. "I should ... I need to stay with them. Somebody has to."
Eddie had recoiled in surprise before leveling you with a panicked expression, "You don't have to, Steve is gonna stay with—"
You'd given him a wary glance, his response bordering on too suspicious for someone who wasn't supposed to know you that well.
"Eddie, it's fine. You guys go."
The boat had floated just a few feet before you'd called to them.
"Don't do anything stupid!" Your eyes locked with Eddie's who was perched at the back with the engine, "Please."
If Dustin had noticed anything, he hadn't said - and that offered at least small solace.
You and Eddie’s relationship was coming up on six months, yet somehow the pair of you had never really found the perfect moment to break it to your little brother that you were dating the captain of his little club and absolute teen idol. Or maybe you’d just gotten really good at avoiding the conversation.
As fate would have it, the three of you were thrown together to fight yet another monstrosity plaguing Hawkins - and while it was awkward - it didn’t happen to be the most pressing issue at hand.
"They have photos of Dusty wearing that club T-shirt—"
Claudia’s words were cut straight through by the slam of the screen door against the back wall and the parade of teenagers busting through it. Dustin raced towards you, gripping you by the arm and shoving the keys to your run-down station wagon into your palm: "We gotta go!"
It was pure instinct that drove your feet to kick off the ground after the four teenagers sprinting towards the end of the road. You didn't need to look back to know that a similar group of parents had to be trailing.
Your car was parked down the street, the faded red doors opening on every side as the kids clambered in and you threw yourself into the driver's seat simultaneously thrusting the keys into the ignition.
In your side mirror you watched your mother, Lucas and Mike's parents nearing the car. It took an exhausted groan from the engine before the car came alive, roaring down the street.
"Sorry mom!" You and Dustin yelled simultaneously out the window at your forlorn mother.
Only once they'd disappeared into tiny specks in your review could you turn to Dustin and his friends. "Where are we going?"
"Eddie's trailer." Lucas responded from the backseat.
Your stomach twisted and you turned to Dustin in the passenger seat, "Why are we going to Eddie's?"
Dustin gave a heavy sigh, "We think there's another gate there. The others went through Watergate and they're trapped in the Upside Down."
The car spluttered as it stalled loudly, your grip around the wheel loosening and your focus on driving the car deteriorating to almost none.
"W-What?" You were sure your face had turned a ghostly white and your heart had sunk down into the base of your stomach.
"Steve, Nancy, Robin and Eddie. They're down there!" Dustin clarified, watching you, both exasperated and confused at your behavior.
You could feel the stares of the teens heating up the back of your neck.
"A-Are they okay?" You stuttered, trying not to give away the terror gripping your throat.
"They're fine." It was Erica's turn, "Are you okay?"
You nodded wordlessly, turning your attention back to the steering wheel and restarting the car which had stalled all the way to a stop in the middle of the road less than two streets down from the Sinclair residence.
"Turn left here—"
"I know the way." You were so lost in your whirring thoughts that you hadn't bothered to worry about how that sounded.
There was a short confused silence before Dustin burst back into theories about the gates and Vecna's plan which before you might have made the effort to follow, but not right then.
Right then your stupid boyfriend had gone and gotten himself stuck in another dimension with a menagerie of blood-thirsty killers and no amount of knowledge of his little board game is going to help keep him alive.
Your heart thrummed against your chest with such force you were sure the rest of the car could hear it. If they could, they didn't mention it.
Picking up Dustin from his Hellfire Club meetings had been tedious, you generally arrived late when you worked closing shift at the diner: something you always melted with guilt over when you found him sitting on the curb outside the school with a tired look on his face.
Dustin was never alone though. On the curb next to him - leaning on his palms with his hair thrown back like Jon Bon Jovi - was always Eddie Munson.
Looking back, you were sure you'd loved him from the first fucking second he'd met your eyes. When he'd waltzed over to your window, leaning casually on it as Dustin climbed into the passenger seat.
"So this must be the other famous Henderson. Seems all the good looks were used up when it came to your turn, hey dweeb?"
Dustin had turned pink, you remember. "Don't hit on my sister, Eddie."
Parked under the afternoon sun in the school parking lot, it almost felt worlds away now. It wasn't long after that Eddie began to frequent your diner, somehow always managing to come in during your shifts - you only later found out that he'd bribed the busboy ten dollars to tell him what days you worked. Eddie would come in, flirt incessantly and order a chocolate milkshake. He came in every shift for two weeks before eventually asking:
"Do you wanna go out sometime?" You remember that dazzling grin, tilted down on the edges only by nervousness. "I know this really great diner we can go to, and the waitresses are really beautiful."
That was the beginning of the end. Your heart clenched tightly in your chest and another wave of nausea rushed over you when the image of Eddie stuck in the inky darkness of the Upside Down flashed across your mind again.
You thought then about how you never reminded him that you loved him before he climbed on that wretched little boat.
If Eddie died, you were going to kill him.
The trailer came into view of the car's headlights and you pulled to a park in front. None of the kids asked how you knew the way, but the question was plastered all over their faces.
You pretended you didn't notice and moved out the car.
The door was locked, but it only took a hard kick for the locks to buckle and the door to swing noisily open.
Someone gasped behind you, all five pairs of eyes staring up at the throbbing red opening in the middle of the living room ceiling.
"I told you ..." Dustin's voice trailed off in amazement.
Erica huffed loudly before striding into the kitchen where a broom was leaning against the counter. She grabbed it, "We should see whether it actually opens."
Dustin took the broom before lifting it to the hole. He prodded and thick red goo dripped from it onto the floor in front of them. Your face twisted in disgust and you heard Max mutter "ew" beside you.
It didn't take much nudging before the gate was a gaping hole in the ceiling. Everyone stepped beneath it to look up: on the other side you could see Steve, Nancy, Robin and Eddie.
The tightness in your chest eased only marginally and you sighed softly. He was smiling up at you.
"Are you guys okay?" You called and could hear the faint echoes of response.
"Yeah, we're okay!" Robin.
Dustin gathered a rope and you helped move Eddie's mattress just below the portal. Max's nose crinkled in disgust, motioning towards the stains littering the mattress and your cheeks grew hot, plagued by the knowledge of where more than a handful of the aforementioned stains had originated from. You avoided her eyes.
Robin was the first one through, she offered you a lopsided smile. Before she'd even stood straight up, you'd scooped her into your arms. "You guys just live to stress me out, you know that?"
She grinned over your shoulder, "Our life's purpose."
There was another thud of a second body hitting the mattress and warm relief flooded your veins when you turned to find your boyfriend beaming up at you. "That was fun."
He jumped up to his feet in front of you and had barely been offered the chance to straighten out when your hands shoved violently at his chest.
Eddie almost tumbled back down onto the mattress, then only really noticing the infuriated look on your face.
"You stupid—" Each word punctuated by another shove at the Hellfire Club logo splashed across his chest, "—idiot!"
His rings were cool when his hands closed over your wrists, "Princess, listen—"
"Eddie you could have been killed down there, by Vecna or the Mind Flayer or... or..." Your brain struggled for words and you only half registered the sound of your brothers confused question ("princess?") from somewhere behind you.
Suddenly it had grown harder to swallow around the growing lump in your throat, and in all honesty you couldn't tell whether you were more upset that he'd gone or more relieved that he had returned - his warm, apologetic eyes sinking into your own.
"Baby, baby," You'd stopped hitting him, his grasp sliding from your arms to your waist. "I'm fine, okay? We're all fine."
Your hands were shaking from the drawn out stress of the car ride over and the two tears that had been threatening to spill finally chased down your cheeks quietly.
"I'd wipe your tears..." Eddie was speaking quietly now, tucking a neat little cheeky grin into the corner of his mouth: "but my hands are covered in evil bat blood and I couldn't live with myself if I dirtied your pretty face."
You were halfway to scolding his impudence when Dustin beat you to the chase: "Can someone tell me what the fuck is going on!"
Like you'd both licked the end of a live wire, you and Eddie jolted back a foot, hands diving to your respective pockets.
"Isn't it obvious," Erica's voice was nonchalant and matter-of-fact, "they're dating."
Dustin's eyes widened, flickering between you and his beloved captain of the Hellfire Club. "No, they're not."
His voice dripped in uncertainty. You and Eddie didn't look at each other.
Dustin said your name into the awkward silence that had settled over the room, Robin was stifling down a giggle behind Max and Lucas. Thanks Robs.
"Tell Erica she's wrong." He pressed, but only weakly: like the reality had dawned on him. Like the puzzle pieces were sliding slowly into place.
Eddie was first to speak, "Look, buddy, there was never a great time to tell y—"
"Called it!" Erica's voice piped up triumphantly.
"You're dating my sister?" The volume in Dustin's voice had climbed significant decibels, "And you never told me!"
The giggle that escaped you was unintentional and you tried to choke it down under your words, "Dusty—"
"This isn't funny!" With each step you took forward, he took back.
Eventually you managed to manhandle him into a hug, "Dusty, I'm sorry. I'm sorry..."
Dustin didn't hug you back, but he didn't fight the arms around him. "I'm never forgiving you for this. Either of you."
You cut him loose and he glared a warm hole into your back as you retreated to the safety of Eddie's arms. Your forehead found solace at the cool leather against his collar bone. "If you ever abandon me to do something stupid like that again I'm breaking up with you."
"Well, I really don’t want that." His ring studded knuckle found your chin and turned your face towards his. Eddie's lips pressed gently against yours, holding it only for a few seconds before pulling back to pull you closer against his chest. "I'm sorry, princess."
Dustin's gagging noises were obnoxiously loud and Max muttered a quiet "ew" at the same time Lucas whispered a soft "aw".
"Oh shut up." You flipped the bird to your brother across the room. "It's not like you've never kissed your girlfriend before."
It suddenly occurred to you that his girlfriend lived halfway across the country, and he very well might have never kissed her.
You shrugged it off.
"Nancy! Nancy!"
All eyes turned up to the gate, beside you Eddie's fingers curled against yours. He squeezed your hand. "Here we go again."
239 notes · View notes
cheralith · 11 months
Text
a dedicated tenderness — 「 knives (nai) x reader 」
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content warnings ; none
contains ; college!au, modern!au, secret relationship, just plain fluff with hundred spoons, polygun being sillies
notes ; could be read as a continuation of the previous nai fic, could not! still has the same aspects of it tho :3
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You had met the Saverems when they moved across the street just barely diagonally from your house when you were just shy of six years old. Vash had caught you staring at their moving truck from behind the tall oak tree that provided a shaded sanctuary amidst the blazing summer heat. He remembers waving hello to the eyes that peeked out from the trunk of it before they flinched and ducked behind the sturdy wood again, slowly creeping back up to see if the pair of bright turquoise eyes were still staring at yours.
And when they were, Vash, being the more friendly and lively one of the two twins, decided to take it upon himself and drag his brother to go greet their new neighbor.
"Hi!" A sauntering young Vash had called cheerily to you, who was still hiding shyly behind the oak tree. "Are you our new neighbor? We just moved here!"
The young twins had managed to circle the trunk of the tree and before them stood a child around their age adorned in a colorful striped t-shirt and dirt-dusted overalls. Vash remembers you stepping back from the eager youngster, a less enthusiastic and distant version of him trailing not that far behind. You nodded, kicking at the dirt and not wanting to make eye contact with the sparkled-eye boy.
"My name is Valentinez, but you can call me Vash," he had said to you with a bright smile. He gestured to his lighter blonde and much more aloof counterpart. "This is Knives, you can call him Nai."
Your shy demeanor had suddenly faltered for a swift moment, your eyebrows getting all scrunched up in confusion at the odd names given to the two boys that little did you know, would set a place in your heart for the rest of your life. And it's returned back to the Saverem brothers. Your existence has stained each brother in such a unique way, and both Vash and Nai don't think they'll ever be able to forget you, not when your first words to them were,
"You guys kinda have weird names."
Such a sentence had lead a divide of two contrasting relationships involving the brothers—on one hand, Vash had taken it lightly to heart and merely laughed it off, easing himself into a breezy and steady friendship with you. On the other, Knives, or Nai as (only) you and Vash refer to him, had jutted out his lower lip in offense and insulted your dirty overalls, not taking into account that children still didn't have a filter before the age of ten. It forced you and him down a winding and tangling path, one that was devoid of flowery compliments and fresh smiles and laughs like the path of friendship you and Vash walked down together.
Oh no, the road you took with Nai was much more rocky, much more dwindling, and much more confusing. Insults jabbed at you and him like thorns as you'd trip over nonsensicality like sprouted tree roots waiting for you to stumble over them. The weather is never consisted as you travel down with him (never hand in hand, he'd so much as hiss out in faux pain whenever you'd brush against him). It could be stormy one day—the clouds heavy with misunderstandings, arguments and tears. It could be partly sunny—a ray of light peeking over the dismal clouds, similar to the nature of kindness that rarely shone through sometimes. Or it could just stay cloudy, as it has always been since the dawn of your "friend"ship with Nai.
Regardless of relationship status, there was certainly one thing that Vash had always knew of—that his brother had always had a quiet admiration for you. He just never seemed to act on it as much as other suitors of yours did. He isn't actually sure when Nai began to see you in a different light, but Vash can confirm that the longer he waits for something miraculous to happen, the more time will eat him alive.
He's seen it on his brother's face before. When you began your first relationship back in the more tender days of high school beginnings, Vash's eyes behind his glasses had flickered to a pair of similar ones across from him as you had introduced your then-boyfriend and he remembers the heaviness and ruddy ache that flittered across Nai's cavernous eyes. They contrasted your glowing ones, eyes filled with life and hope for the better future as you showed him off to everyone.
It was almost ritualistic, Vash thinks. Nai never seemed to care for romance unless it came to you. Vash thinks Nai would break all pairs of his glasses if he were to ever to say anything of a sort to his face, but he knew Nai was saving that blank space in his heart for you to fill, whether he realized it or not.
Nai Saverem is picky with people. He doesn't befriend those as easily as his younger brother, preferring to stay alone and distant with people that could easily take up his time so carelessly. It's why he shoos away any of his admirers with a cold glance that tells them they have zero chance with him and why there seems to be a certain thickness in the air whenever he's around that creates an invisible bubble around him. It's a thick barrier that refuses to let unknown others in and lets them know they won't be welcomed anytime soon. Introverted as he is, his energy is only so small, so there's a certain brand of people that wastes his time and therefore, he only uses his energy on people that he thinks are worth using it for.
And so Vash can't necessarily say he's too surprised like the others when Milly makes a separate groupchat that contains a series of images involving the two people excluded from it. The first is of Nai waiting outside the science building where your final class is held during Fridays. It was an odd place for him to be considering he only had one class on Fridays and would usually be home by mid-afternoon, so it was strange that Milly had caught him during the peeking hours of twilight still on campus.
The second is an image of you walking out the building and waving a hello to him, followed by the third of you and Nai's blurry figures connected via your hands in a sunset-inked sky making your way to Nai's car. The fourth of the photo sequence is a video. With a soft tenderness from Milly's hands, you get into the passenger seat with ease, the normal conversation of hostility and teasings between you and him seemingly devoid because there's no snooty faces or rolling of eyes. But it's when Nai properly starts the car that things take a turn. Its engines revving to life, he takes the time to pause and properly cradle the back of your head with his hand and properly give you a brief but soft kiss before pulling back with a dust of pink on his cheeks at the sight of your giddy, miniscule smile.
Behind the camera Milly gasps and drops her phone out of surprise on the concrete, and the video echoes the crack of the screen's phone before Milly's whine of "Oh no... it broke!" ends the video.
As buildings and nature of all arrays pass by, Vash replays the video over and over again in Wolfwood's car, examining it and the other images in full and wondering how Nai's daydreams finally came to life. Vash rubs his eyes behind his glasses, still attempting to process if what he’s seeing is real—that his icy older brother was truly thawing his resolve at the sight of you visibly and blooming a foreign affectionate that even Vash rarely sees nowadays.
Wolfwood groans when he hears the sound of the beginning of the video play again, grip tightening on the steering wheel as his knuckles whitening out of annoyance. "Would ya cut that out already! I get it, they're datin'!"
Vash flinches at his boyfriend's irritated tone. He tucks away his phone with a hasty laugh and apology. "Sorry, I'm just a little baffled that they're finally together after all these years."
The brunette makes a sort of scoffing noise. "I didn't lose all hope that your brother would never find love, but in all my years, I didn't expect it to be (Y/N) out of all people," he mutters, a cigarette dangling from his hand that sits on the edge of the window, its peppery scent lingering softly in the car. "How long do ya reckon they'll last?" he asks everyone in the car. "My bets on three months, their bickerin' is gonna put an end to it 'fore somethin' else does."
"That's mean, Wolfwood," Meryl scolds and flicks him on the back of his head, earning a yelp from him. "I'll admit myself I don't know how those two came to be, but I only wish them well and if they're happy with each other, that's all that matters."
Milly chimes in with a positive cheer. "Agreed! I'm just happy that Mr. Knives has finally found someone!" she chirps. "I really didn't want him to end up as a sad old grandpa alone."
"I wasn't insultin' them," Wolfwood huffs, "I was just merely statin' the reality. Y'all saw it earlier today too—both of 'em playin' musical chairs with the seat Knives stole in the lounge when (Y/N) got up to go get water."
Meryl shakes her head. "It's still really mean to assume their relationship won't last. I don't know about you guys, but I can see them—hey! You missed the turn!"
"Shit!"
Wolfwood swears aloud, hissing as he realizes he's passed the entrance to a vast park on the busy street. He makes a swift and hasty U-turn on the road that makes everyone grip onto the nearest object for dear life before zooming into an entrance that lead to a hidden field in the woods. The car slowly drives by it, where everyone can see a a lone picnic blanket atop a small hill with a laptop playing Miss Congeniality sits on a picnic basket. The back of two people face the parking lot, and it doesn't take long for everyone in the car to assume who they were.
On Fridays, it was a ritual to go to someone's house for a relaxing movie night and just wind down with everyone's presence for the evening. Today, however, you and Nai had excused yourselves from it with what seemed to be valid excuses until Milly's paparazzi work had jumbled in hours later.
“Can’t,” Nai droned, his eyes still glued on his laptop. “I’ve some papers to grade for one of my classes before the midterm ends.”
“And I’ve got a lab report to write up with my lab mates later,” you mentioned. “I can catch next week’s if that’s okay.”
It clicked to them that it was secretly code for you and Nai to actually attend a secret picnic movie date, which Wolfwood took mild offense to as Miss Congeniality was one of his favorite movies, disliking that it was being used for a date out of all things.
"They can't be serious," Wolfwood sneers as he pulls into a coveted shady area of the parking lot, safe from yours and Nai's view but still able to provide the gang with proper sights. "What screams romantic about Sandra Bullock having to attend a pageant? There's literally so much better romcoms out—"
"Shut up!" Everyone scolds.
"You'll give away our cover!" Meryl hisses. "The point is to be subtle and quiet, you idiot!"
Wolfwood snides and rolls his eyes, his hands throwing up in surrender.
On the other side of the hill, you gently press another strawberry to Nai's lips. His teeth gently bite into it, the juices of it slowly seeping out from the corner of his lips for your thumb to scrape away, a feather-like touch grazing his lips as it does so. You go to stare at the red-stained tint on them for a moment unconsciously, the natural gloss the fruit left off almost hypnotizing you.
It goes unnoticed by Nai, however.
"If you wanted a kiss, just say so," Nai says, plucking the greenery of the strawberry out your hand to put it into the trash pile.
You break out of your trance with a stunned shiver going up your spine at the sound of Nai's casualty. It was still somewhat unnerving for him to be saying such things, especially considering how he used to be before you two began dating. Words conveying such warmth were still unusual to hear, but it wasn't like you didn't like it.
A warmth creeps on your cheeks and you blink. "What? No, I was just simply... going to fix your collar, that's all!" you lie hastily. Your hand goes to fidget with an already-neat shirt collar before your wrist is grabbed by Nai's own. It pulls you into him and Nai's lisps peck your own quickly before his attention returns to the movie like nothing had ever happened.
You swear you can feel some steam coming out of your head. While you were usually the one that began the small touches of affections, it always felt different and much more intimate when Nai would return them or replicate them in his own fervor. Maybe it was due to the lack of intimacy he displayed to anyone else, or perhaps because they were from Nai himself that they felt more personal—the man who barely showed any emotion to anyone other than distaste and apathy—and so for such an individual to be sharing such liaison with you just felt more close to heart because he chose you to share it with.
"I thought you weren't one for PDA..." you mutter, fighting the urge the lick your lips as the acidity of the strawberry leftover lingers on them.
Nai shrugs. "We're the only ones around here, so the 'P' aspect of PDA doesn't necessarily apply right now."
"That's what you think," you interject. "There could be some weirdo prodding around the bushes as we speak, spying on us, y'know!"
He lets out a soft snort as the ending scene begins to play out, where Sandra Bullock begins to give her speech about friendship in the banquet hall starts to seal up the ending ropes of the movie. "And what weirdo would want to spend their time spying on two college students on a picnic?"
"A weirdo who tends to enjoy movies and real-life romance."
"Those people don't exist."
"To you they might not, but to me anything is possible."
"Shut up before I kiss you again."
You snort aloud, fighting the urge to react to his declaration like a schoolgirl. "You're acting as if I don't want th—"
Milly gasps loudly as she watches Nai dips his face to yours to once again, kiss you, but with more ardor than the last, this one lasting much more soundly than the previous one. She can sense there's true passion and dare she say, genuine love, in it and she melts at the sight of it fondly.
Vash himself watches the scene unfold with wide eyes, pausing his munching on his sandwich as he hogs the binoculars from a protesting Meryl. It takes all the fight in him to not proudly cheer aloud at his brother making a move and he gags on his sandwich when he witnesses Nai tuck a lock of hair behind your ear after the kiss. His lips still tell nothing of a sort, still a stiff downward line like they usually were, but the rest of his radiates a sort of fluster when you giggle softly at his antics. Confidence looks good on his brother, Vash thinks.
"Shit, they're on the move!" Wolfwood exclaims after a while of spying. Everyone hastily packs their things and duck as an ignorant you and Nai make your way down the hill and back into his creme white car, where Wolfwood's doesn't trail too far behind. The four of them spend the rest of the evening not watching a romantic movie as planned, but instead fending for the real life soap opera that enacts in front of them, tailing you and Nai as you travel around town and into various shops.
"Who do you think made the first move?" Meryl asks with her eyes peering behind the binoculars, peeking behind the window of the car that sits parallel on the same street a record shop was. "I'm placing bets that it was—oh no, everyone duck!" They shift under the seats when you two walk out with small bags in hand holding sorts of records and CDs, still talking aimlessly and the beat-up grey-black Camry still unnoticed in the background.
"Never really took Knives for a music-type of guy..." Wolfwood mutters. They slowly rise up from their spots and beginning to tail the car again.
Nai's eyes go to flicker to the rearview mirror. "Are they still following us?"
You give a chuckle and glance at the side mirror, where a familiar car of sorts drives only a car behind you. You had realized back at the ice cream parlor that four pairs of watchful eyes had their sights on you and Nai awhile back, but figured it'd be awkward to confront them and ruin the date. Instead, you let them have their fun being pretend James Bonds and went on with the date like usual, attempting to ignore them as much as possible (it was quite hard, however, when you could see Vash and Wolfwood almost start wrestling in the front seats for aux).
You knew that you and Nai had to come clean sooner or later, but he had admitted that he wasn't ready to state publicly that he was in a committed relationship. You still weren't sure whether it was because of his own pride of being frustratingly independent or it was nervousness of entering a new era that was holding him, but you respected his wishes and continued to play the part of a bickering old couple stuck in the bodies of college students like how you were beforehand. You think you were still just as nervous as you were in the first few weeks.
But when Nai's voice echoes the words he promised to you when he officially asked you out with sweaty palms and palpitating heartbeats, a warmth in your chest unfolds in comfort, reminding you to look on the brighter, warmer side of things, even if you weren't too confident.
"I... really want to make this work... so I promise to do all that I can if you'll do the same."
You give a soft smile at his promise he made awhile back to a particular no one. Nai raises a brow at your mysterious grinning.
"What are you smiling about?" he inquires as he leads you to the entrance of your apartment building.
"Oh, nothing..." you shrug off, leaving Nai in the dust of confusion.
Nai narrows his eyes for a bit in suspicion before sighing out aloud. His eyes go to hover on the sight of that dumb Camry again, its shaded windows concealing who its passengers was from view but Nai has seen it too many times to count to know whose car it was and only who could be inside of it. The smoke that wisps from behind the driver's window does nothing more that confirm his suspicions as he picks up the scent of familiar menthol cigarettes that doesn't take him long to guess who it belongs to.
"Do you think we should confront them?" you ask.
Nai shakes his head, "Just let them be for now. I'll deal with them later," he murmurs when he leads you safely into your apartment building. "Text me when you get up to your apartment," he directs before brushing his lips against your cheek as a goodbye.
You nod, affirmative. "I will, thank you for today, too," you praise fondly and give his hand one last squeeze before you let go. You watch as Nai makes his way back to the entrance before you call his name out again.
"Hey, Nai?"
His head turns back to you, raising a brow. You take this time to fully embody him before your own eyes, from the tufts of his hair to each freckle on his body.
Nai before your relationship and Nai in a relationship you think are two vastly different people, and you still can't place your finger on who the real one was. A part of you thinks he's putting up a front in the eye of the public for his own self-preservation, but another part tells you that he's merely just showing a newer, more refined side of him that you've never seen before—a more tender and protective version of Nai that you think only Vash has seen before a handful of times. Sometimes, you pride yourself in confirming that this side of Nai, whether it was real or not, was only shown to you as a sign of trust from his desolate self.
However, there were other times that made you think this honeymoon era might not last and you and him will go back to how things used to be, altering the fate of your relationship for the worst. A petal of guilt would bloom every time that thought crosses your mind due to the unsettling feeling that perhaps you didn't confide in Nai enough, that maybe you just didn't earn enough of him to lock your feelings into place.
But when he waits patiently for your response, blinking slowly, you realize that perhaps it was indeed the latter—a slow exposure to a new side of Nai Saverem—that was yours for the taking.
"I love you," you declare in the foyer, your voice echoing and forcing your message to repeat itself to him for a few seconds.
Your eyes scan for a reaction from him and you earn a flustered, non-verbal one as a response, one that makes his lips thin and makes him thickly swallow and cheeks flush. A grin teeters on the corners of your mouth as you watch him attempt to utter out a reply. It falls short on his tongue, however, and you're only given a nod and wave before Nai (almost hurriedly) exits the building, the tips of his ears pink.
A giggle slips its way out of you as you enter the elevator, fondly thinking on his lasting image. Baby steps, you think.
On the floors below, Nai groans and drags a hand down his face at the memory of your declaration to him. It's more difficult than he thought to ignore the loud thundering of his heartbeat, and he doesn't quite enjoy how it twists his chest so... tightly. He feels foolish for not even gathering up courage to just say a mere "Me too." back to you, but his embarrassment suddenly dissipates upon seeing the same car still in its place. Nai suddenly remembers the last errand he has to take care as his feet carry him to it, the scent of a cigarette growing stronger each step.
"Wolfwood, can you at least take that outside?" Meryl complains as the the black haired man lights up his fourth cigarette of the night. It's a miracle how his car seats don't reek from the stench.
He shakes his head, jutting it towards the building. "No can do, sweetheart. Our cover will be blown if Knives sees m—what the hell?!"
A loud bang rumbles through the car from the roof and the familiar figure of Nai Saverem looms over the car before he ducks his head down and gestures for a nervous Vash to roll down the window. Vash, fear-stricken, obeys his command almost automatically, leaving Nai to stare boredly back at everyone's pale faces. Wolfwood thinks Nai's fist had created an indent on the top of his car, but his words fail him when he goes to stare at Nai's icy face.
"So did you guys have fun spying on us?"
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a/n ; this was just kind of a fluff blurb to help me write something that was the next chapter of if the shoe fits because i kind of needed something fresh and new to work on. writer's block? i'm not too sure! i hope you enjoyed either way!
thank you for reading once more and as always, comments and reblogs are always appreciated <;3!
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xxgoblin-dumplingxx · 4 months
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We can have more EC!Reader please?
"What are you doing?" Jason asked groggily.
"It's cold. The weather is ass- it's chapstick," you explain. "It helps with the dry skin."
"It'd put it on for you if you wanted-"
"How can you still be half awake and still be a pervert." You roll your eyes and adjust your adjust your bra before pulling your t-shirt back on and putting your designated nipple chapstick back in its spot in the medicine cabinet.
Jason rumbled and stepped into the bathroom, burying his face in your neck. "It's not like I don't have the qualifications," he pouted. "I'd be very happy to help you any time."
"You just want me to get my titties out so you can get your mouth on 'em."
"I have a pulse," he snorted. "And morning wood that could cut glass right now. Do you gotta go?"
"Gotta get that bag, handsome," you tell him. "One of us has to have a legit job. Or the wolf pack is going to start hitting us up for weed and shit."
"Alpha was already here asking if you could get us coke from one of the guys that works the line."
"I mean I can but-"
"Please don't."
"It'd be so fucking funny to watch them try to run though."
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