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#Unnamed 10 AU
stephreynaart · 1 year
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Participated in the @gf10yearslaterzine
A few of my headcanons have change since I made this, but I still love how it came out. Super proud of all the amazing people who got together and made this Zine a possibility!
It’s been an amazing 10 years, and I’m so happy I wiggled my way into this fandom.
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sheeperzzz · 7 months
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Horror AU time babyyyy
Be warned of: Mentions of death, killing, rotting corpses, the undead and an image of rotting hand.
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So I've been feeling "horror" lately, so I offer a horror AU of sorts that's similar to Island of the Slaughtered. There's someone killing off the Ben 10 group, starting from the outside (Albedo as victim 1 because I don't even have a reason. Favorite character privilage ig/j). Those who fall victim to this killer end up returning as a sort of either vengeful spirit or a helpful ghost, trying to stop the rest of the group from being slaughtered. Idk if I'll ever expand, but I did make art of it.
CW for rotting hand
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This is like the first time I've ever rendered art too lol
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toast-com · 9 months
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Thinking about Diesel 10 and Lady being former teammates and now rivals who've never forgotten each other in my AU.
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yourfavoritefridge · 3 months
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Choose Violence Ask Game: Star Wars Edition
Feeling spicy today. Shoutout to @palfriendpatine66 and @sendpseuds for helping cause problems on purpose. Inspired by this game.
—————
1. Give me a compelling argument for why your fave would never top or bottom
2. What character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?
3. What’s the worst part of canon?
4. What’s the worst part of fanon?
5. Worst blorboficiation?
6. Opinion on canon and/or fanon use of the secret child trope? Discuss.
7. What is the weakest piece of canon writing?
8. There should be more of this type of fic/art…
9. You're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like...
10. What’s a ship you've unwillingly come around to?
11. What topic brings up the most rancid discourse?
12. Name a common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing.
13. Were the Jedi right or wrong to ban attachments? What constitutes an attachment?
14. What’s the most egregious example of fridging in canon?
15. Opinion on Anakin’s characterization discrepancies between Clone Wars and the prequels? [i.e., the broification of Anakin Skywalker]
16. Best written female character in Star Wars [it’s okay, you can say none]
17. What event is Anakin’s point of no return in his fall to the dark side?
18. Someone else has to play Obi-Wan, who do you cast?
19. Best canon example of good parenting in Star Wars
20. Could anyone have fixed Anakin?
21. Best canon example of a healthy relationship in Star Wars?
22. Why the actual fuck did Obi-Wan let Vader live on that unnamed moon and does that make him just as culpable for his atrocities?
23. Is it actually all Obi-Wan’s fault?
24. Fuck marry kill: Tarkin, Pre Viszla, Max Rebo
25. What’s your opinion on modern AUs? What makes a good one?
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brookiidookiii · 5 months
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ROTI contestants in the hunger games.. what if we did that huh
OKAY IM GONNA GO INTO A LOT OF RAMBLES AND RANTING UNDER HERE LMAOO I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS i need to get it out my system. ofc since theres only 13 contestants for ROTI, id have to include some pointless ocs that only serve the purpose of getting slaughtered but ehhh theyre not that important. for the districts-
district 1- lightning and dakota (altho dakota is more trained for the cameras than actual combat)
district 2 - brick and jo
district 3 - B and female tribute
district 5 - sam and staci (i have no clue where to put him since realistically theyd die first thing in the bloodbath. "yeah, did you know my great great great great great great half aunt susan invented the hunger games? ya, before them people just watched TLC")
district 7 - mike and zoey
district 8 - anne maria and male tribute (once again didnt know where to put her. maybe id switched mike and zoey to be district 8 since zoey can make clothes)
district 10 - dawn and male tribute
district 11 - scott and female tribute
district 12 - cameron and female tribute (maybe ill put him and staci together)
any unnamed districts or characters, just assume theyre filler characters . mikes alters are still here, except mal because i dont like mal and hes too OP. and for the winner??? im sticking to the elimination order in the show for this one to avoid any problems (also itd be fun to see how cameron could kill jo) so the finale comes down to brain vs brawn once again
cameron, zoey and mike all have their little alliance for a while (until scott kills of mike at the feast) and for a while it comes down to cameron feeling guilty and upset because he knows that if the three of them made it to the final 3 together, cam would be killed off immediately. brick jo and lightning and the other careers (minus dakota) all have a little alliance and until it comes down to just brick jo and lightning, jo and lightning are planning to kill off brick together. that is until brick sacrifices his life for jo (im thinking a collapsing cave?) and dies and jo feels guilty forever
dawn and scott have an alliance as well until dawn tries to poison his drink, but since scott is a farmer boy and would know a lot about how to recognize tainted water, he swaps his drink for hers, killing dawn with her own drink.
manitoba, svetlana, and vito are all mikes alters and theyre careers. chester is just chester he doesnt do much.
btw there wont be that much romance, only between mike and zoey (though a svetlana and anne maria mutual attraction isnt that bad..). ofc i also have my bias as a jock shipper too but thats all for now. ill probably make more with this au lets see
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haespoir · 9 months
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me after you: ldh.
⨯ pairing: general!haechan x princess!reader
⨯ word count:  6.2k
⨯ genre: historical au, secret relationship
⨯ summary: being a royal means that you don't have the luxury of marrying for love. but when your younger sister is set to marry your childhood friend turned secret lover, you have to do something.
⨯ content: a lot of angst, mentions of blood, mentions of suicide, character death, open ending
⨯ playlist: fine, taeyeon / lucid dream, aespa / forgetting you, davichi / if it is you, jung seung hwan / how can i love the heartbreak you’re the only one i love, akmu
⨯ a/n: this comes after watching scarlet heart in one sitting. please be kind, this is the longest thing i've written in a while! feedback is always welcome ♡ . . .
You’re barely 10 years old when you first see him. You’re crouched behind a tree as you watch your brother Jaemin from a distance, an unfamiliar male by his side. You have no idea what they’re speaking about, but frankly, you don’t care much. You just want to know more about the male next to Jaemin. 
You've heard numerous stories of love at first sight. You’ve always believed that your first love would come and sweep you off your feet, that they would come in and whisk you away from the palace. But that’s not what he does. Instead, he fills your mind with fantasies, scenarios you only wish you could pursue with him. You imagine nights under the stars with him, being wrapped in his arms would be a dream come true. All this and you don’t even know his name. 
Suddenly, your muse for art is at its all-time high. You stray away from the usual flowers and bright colors. Dark colors make an appearance, and an unnamed male becomes the star of your paintings. It’s odd how someone you’ve never had a full conversation with occupies your mind. 
There’s this odd hunger that makes a home in your heart. Something that can never be calmed. At least not by you. Not by anyone but your mystery man. 
It’s not until a few weeks later that you get a name to match the face. Lee Donghyuck, the son of Grand General Lee. You know right away that he is destined to do nothing but good in his life. A man who can save countless countries in your eyes. 
You finally formally exchange names with him. It’s a wonder really, the way just a few words have you flying on cloud nine. “Lee Donghyuck,” he had said, voice sweeter than honey. It was sad how quickly you became smitten. 
But it seems you are not the only one because it doesn’t take long for the two of you to click. You’ve got a routine going, a secret shared amongst yourselves. Late nights turn into adventures, hand in hand the two of you explore everything the night skies have to offer. 
Looking into the eyes of Donghyuck you swear that he holds your whole universe there. He is limitless. The stars are not confined to just his eyes; they float in his voice when he whispers sweet words to you, and they dance along from his skin to yours when you touch. They surround him with this celestial warmth that is blinding to you. 
It doesn’t take you long to realize it, but you’ve fallen in love with Lee Donghyuck, desperately in love; it stays that way for years to come. 
And then the letters are sent out.
. . .
You are invited to the royal wedding...
Your attendance is requested at the wedding celebration of PRINCESS YI MIYOUNG and GENERAL LEE DONGHYUCK on the evening of Saturday, the 5th of January in the year of 1540 of King Jaehyun’s rule. 
The celebration will be held in the estate gifted to the prince consort and the princess after the formal wedding ceremony in the royal palace. Guests are required to bring forth a gift that will be presented to the bride and groom as well as the original invitation, which is to be presented on entrance. This invitation is extended to the immediate members of the recipient’s household.
His Majesty, King Jaehyun
Father of the bride.
. . .
Anger is a foreign emotion to you. But soon, you’ll find it’s your best friend. 
The date of the wedding weighs down on your soul. It crushes any hope that you have. Like a harsh wind, it blows out the flickering light of hope you have, and it leaves you covered in a darkness that you are unfamiliar with. Sorrow courses through your veins, but its presence is barely acknowledged. There’s something else there that takes control.
Anger.
It clouds your senses until it's all you see. A white flash of rage. A single swipe of your arm leaves your tea cups broken on the floor. Tears of anger slip down your face, but it makes things worse. You’re weak, so weak. And you’re an emotional mess. 
You wish you could be angry at your father for allowing it to happen. At Donghyuck for making empty promises, or even Miyoung, for just being Miyoung. But you can’t. It’s impossible. Your anger is directed at one person only– yourself. 
You hate yourself. It becomes a cycle of self-loathing. You’re unable to be angry at anyone but yourself. You are too careless with your heart. How could you have been so foolish? You know better than anyone else that there’s no room for love when it comes to the royal family. 
You rip the decorative accessories from your hair and throw them with all the strength you can muster. Even so, they don’t make it far. They land in front of an unfinished painting, the image haunting you. A painting meant for Donghyuck. How could you bring yourself to finish it now? 
A piece of glass catches your attention. How easy would it be to end your suffering? A simple cut would be enough, would it not? You could be free of all the politics, free of the pain. The glass feels heavy in your hand and suddenly, you are weighing out your life options.
But the more you think about it, the more your anger manifests. How could you allow someone to have so much control over your life? You’ve given your heart away so easily, and you aren't sure if you’ll ever get it back. 
Without realizing it, your grip on the shard of glass tightens and soon you’re drawing blood. But with your emotions running so wild, you don't even feel the pain. Scarlet tears stain your clothing, but you don't mind. Not now. 
You’re tired, tired of being walked all over. You’re tired of not having a say in your life. But– at the same time– you’ve lost all care. Bitterness seeps into your heart, and you feel like giving up.
However, you refuse to be weak this time around. You’ve been kicked into the dirt once again, but you won’t allow yourself to be buried. You will grow this time, and this time with more resilience than before. 
You watch as another drop of blood falls from your hand. This time, you’ll care only for yourself. This time, you will only care for your own happiness. You’ll face everyone with a fake smile. You’ll congratulate the married couple. And you won’t reveal your sorrow.
. . .
It feels as if a weight has been lifted off Donghyuck’s chest. There had been a few hiccups, but he had survived greeting his future wife. It’s not like he really wanted to, but he knew he had a role to fill. Miyoung wasn’t at fault; it wasn’t as if she had approached her father and begged to allow her to marry him. 
No, it should have been you to do that. 
But he also knew that you were not in the proper position to make those demands. He sighs softly; what a truly frustrating experience this was. The meetings with Miyoung and the King had been draining, but it was clear that they were to be married for political reasons only. After all, Donghyuck came from a family of generals who were completely loyal to the crown. 
As if the sky was reflecting his exhausted nature, the sun had begun to set. The light was slowly dying, a beautiful pink hue painted across the sky. You would have loved to see this sunset; it was one of your favorite activities, just chatting away under the disappearing sun. 
Had he been more aware, he would have heard you approach him. Standing in front of him was a princess, and he would argue that she was his favorite one. 
His surroundings seemed to be muted in comparison to you. There was nothing as vibrant as his lover, if he dared still call you that. Almost instantly, his heart clenches; it hammers within his chest like the war drums sounding his army’s march. It was almost as if his heart was echoing its intent for you. 
“Princess…” Donghyuck catches himself, addressing you with your proper title before an affectionate nickname can slip past his lips. “I hope you are well.” He bows with a foreign eagerness to place as much distance between the two of you as possible.
As he gazes at you, he begins to wonder if betraying the crown is worth it. If it meant he could hold you in his arms he believes he would forsake the entire country for you. That thought alone is terrifying, and it goes against everything his father has taught him. 
So with as much courage as he can, and it’s not a lot, he speaks again: “I bid you farewell.”
There’s an undeniable feeling that pools in your stomach as you look at him. It’s an ache that squeezes your heart so tightly it’s hard to breathe. There’s no one else that you would want to spend your life with, yet he is the same person who is forbidden to you. 
In your bandaged hand is a piece of fabric, one that holds the love and affection you have for the male in front of you. Intricate stars are laced through the dark fabric, representing the countless nights the two of you had spent together. So many sleepless nights spent on something for a man you could no longer love. A man you could no longer call your own. 
“Donghyuck,” you say, almost choking on the tears that you refuse to let fall. There's a feeling of happiness that blinds your senses when you see him, yet you can also feel your heart break at his cautious nature. How could the affection that once laced his words be completely gone? The words that left his mouth felt foreign, and they left you feeling bitter. 
“Please accept this,” you whisper, nearly begging. You barely manage to grip his sleeve; it seems he is in a rush to leave you. That idea only has your heart hurting even more. Your nights amongst the stars seem so distant now. He seems so distant now.
The way you said his name hurt. Even if he had scars covering his body from war, none would hurt as much as it did hearing you call his name out like that. He did not want to do this, it would be so easy to leave and run away, but when a princess begs, it is in your best interest to act in favor of the princess. 
Duty before self. Crown before duty. Country before the crown. These were words that he was taught since he was just a young boy. It was these same words that now haunt his every decision. Duty to the crown– the king had decreed his partner for life. There should be no space within his heart for you. Yet, you occupy all.
With trembling hands, his heart overriding the screams of protest in his head, he takes the star-laced fabric. Quickly, his eyes dart around, checking to see if the two of you were truly alone. Once that’s confirmed, he doesn’t hold back. Calloused hands cup the delicate face of a princess, your beauty clouded by the tears gathering in his eyes.
“What are you expecting?” He asks.
Maybe hours later, when he’s regained control of his emotions and he’s alone, he’d probably berate himself for giving into his weakness. However, right now, the crown be damned. It nearly broke his heart to see you hurting, especially when he loved you so dearly. All because you wanted him to accept a gift, which he’s sure is a parting gift. Even if he wants to deny it. He could be heartless in his duty to the crown, however, this was too much. “I’m already promised to Miyoung,” he says softly, his thumb caressing your cheek. “You know the king’s decision is final, and I cannot love you. We cannot be seen like this.”
“Leave me.” He whispers, watching as the tears that had pooled in your eyes begin to fall. “And forget me.”
“Forgive me,” he thinks to himself. 
It’s a concept that is foreign to you; the fact that his words hurt more than any physical wound- you’ve never felt anything like this. His words are like needles, and your heart is their resting place. 
Like always, Donghyuck is able to take your breath away. But this time he’s left you with no air, and no words as well. You don’t know what you had expected to become of the two of you– after all, Donghyuck was always someone who chose his country and the crown over anything. 
“I can't accept it,” you sob. And even if you tried, you don’t know how to. There's no one else in the palace who you love as much as you love Donghyuck. And it’s so difficult for you to come to terms with. 
“I can’t leave you, and I can’t forget you,” you recited as if it was a mantra that had been playing in your mind for days. And you had. Your thoughts had been consumed with Donghyuck since you had met him. 
Donghyuck, without much thought, presses his lips to yours. As if it's the most natural thing for him to do, as if he wishes to ease the pain of your breaking hurt. And it works, if only briefly. 
You relish the feeling of his lips against yours, a feeling you find yourself not knowing you missed. You never realized how hungry you were for Donghyuck until you got a taste. Like a drug, you’re not sure if you’re able to give him up. Your grip on his sleeve tightens, unable to let go of him. 
But no matter how selfish you wish to be, you can’t.
An internal conflict impossible for you to escape. You pull away from him quickly, tears spilling from your eyes freely now. How could you do this to Miyoung? How could the king do this to you?
Donghyuck had lost to his own weakness; he had lost to his own emotions. Everything always came back to you. Your lips were just as he remembered. You were an addiction to him as well, and he wondered if he’d ever be able to quit. 
He knew you. He knew the meaning of those tears; he could see the conflict brewing within your eyes.
“You're thinking about Miyoung, aren’t you?” He says softly, his hands moving to curl stray hair behind your ear. “You’re unable to betray your sister, as I am unable to betray the king.” 
He’s once again brushing your tears away with his fingers. “So much for being a general,” he bitterly thinks to himself. He wishes he had the courage to ask you to run away with him, but he has a family to think about. He has to think about his duty to the crown and to his family. Unknowingly, tears had also begun to fall from his eyes. “The moment the King announced our marriage it was over. What did you expect coming to see me here?”
His words are once again stabbing at your heart.
“Of course, I'm thinking about your wife,” you say, “My sister. Your wife. A person who gets to spend their nights in your arms.” It hurts even more as you speak, the words leaving your lips in soft breaths. It’s official, Lee Donghyuck has broken you.
The feeling of his fingers on your face brings back nostalgic memories. Instinctively, you lean into his touch. There is nothing that you wouldn’t give up for Donghyuck– you were just that in love with him. But you were just a princess– a princess willing to give up their title and life just for some general. And while you want to say that you’re unsure if Donghyuck would do the same, you know his loyalty to the crown is undying. And that is what tears your heart apart. 
“Do you know how difficult it is?” There are so many nights where you find that sleep doesn’t welcome you with open arms anymore. Instead, it turns its back to you, ignoring your pleas as you spend the night tossing and turning. 
It’s hard for you to speak; you’re choking on tears. You don't know what you expect from Donghyuck anymore. Your situation has become so complicated. It's hard for you to even comprehend. 
“I can't expect the same love I once received, I know I can't,” you say weakly, hating how difficult it was for you to speak. “But I do. Donghyuck– I crave it. I miss you so much.”
“To-be. Wife to-be. We’re not married yet.” He states bitterly, doing his best to draw the line distinctively. “She will not spend her nights with me. I have not touched her hand, her lips, or her.” 
It’s like daggers are embedding themselves into his heart with each word. He does his best to defend himself and calm your anxieties as he speaks. “I will sleep in my own study even if we are wed.”
“To be or is, what difference does it make? You are no longer mine Donghyuck– why can’t I grasp it?” you speak with anger towards yourself now, each word produces a new cloud of darkness in your heart, a feeling you’re becoming used to unfortunately. 
You’ve come to a full circle of blaming yourself. You’re the one to blame, had you not fallen for Donghyuck that fateful day, this wouldn’t be happening. Had you begged the king to allow you to wed Donghyuck instead of Miyoung, maybe you would have gotten your happy ending. 
But it’s too late for that now. Even the thought of Donghyuck spending a night with Miyoung pains you. Though you want nothing best for your siblings– if Donghyuck is Miyoung’s best, you might find yourself changing your mind.
“You are always the last thought that I have before I close my eyes. You were my very last thought when I thought I was on the verge of dying.” His words are earnest as he speaks. “You are the one that kept me strong on the way back home, back to you. I thought about your crying face and fought the reapers who had come to claim me.” 
Donghyuck’s hands drop to your waist as he pulls you into him, holding you close. “The love you’ve once received is still here.” He takes your hand and places it over his chest. “You will always be in my heart until the day I breathe my last breath.”
You grip the fabric that separates your hand and his heart. “You plague my every waking thought, Donghyuck. And even when I think I can be free of you– you appear again. Countless nights I prayed for your safety. I prayed for you to come back. To come back to me.” But that’s not the reality you get. Your father had rewarded the man you loved for winning the war by giving him your younger sister’s hand in marriage. How cruel.
“It is torture to give a man your heart and soul only for it to be rejected because the crown and country are placed higher than you,” you say, hitting his chest with your balled-up fist. “It is truly torture having to hide away from your family because you’re ashamed. Ashamed to face your sister for loving her soon-to-be husband. Ashamed at the fact that I couldn't even be vocal about how much I loved you– how much I do love you.”
You move to cup his cheeks, your thumbs caressing his face in ways that you can only hope to express how much affection you still hold for him. “What are we to do? What am I to do?”
Donghyuck swears this is like a dead game of go, several stones are already stuck. Defeat is imminent. Perhaps he is going soft and becoming vulnerable. He had heard this is what love does to a person. He had warned those who learned from him that placing too much focus on one objective would be their downfall. Yet here he is, doing everything in his power to keep you safe and by his side. 
Even if he meant betraying his loyalty. 
It would be simple; avoid the engagement and wedding as long as he could. Then, when your brother Jaemin takes the throne, he could annul the engagement. It would have to work; it was the only way. For this to work, the King must die.
He could do it in five years, maybe even four. An illness, or a coup. Something like that could work, right? The thought alone makes his heart race. Someone with an undying loyalty to the crown, thinking such treasonous thoughts.  
He looked at you, the love of his life. He could see the pain that flickered in your eyes. Were you worth committing high treason for? To go against the crown and country? To go against everything he had ever known?
The answer was blatantly yes. 
Would your love survive if he was the one to end the life of your father? Even if it was a perfect crime, would his own soul survive dealing with the guilt?
“I love you.” He whispered, pulling you into him once again. Donghyuck closed his eyes, willing away the demons forming in his mind. When someone you love more than life is in pain, it is a very simple decision to make on the spot. 
Donghyuck lies.
“It will all be fine,” he says. “I will find a way for us. Can you wait?”
One look into his eyes, and you know he’s planning something. You can hear the cogwheels turning in his brain. Like a true General, or to-be Grand General– you know he wastes no time in making plans. You know him too well, after all, he was once your Donghyuck. 
Being in his arms was where you belonged, where you would happily spend the rest of your days. But that was not so easy anymore. You could no longer hold the affection you once held for him. 
Logically, it’s not right. You know it’s not. It's your loyalty to your sister that reminds you of this every single day. Miyoung was a princess, and you would not allow your sister’s reputation to be tarnished. There were just some things that were above you. Anyone with a brain knows that this is not just some easy mistake to be fixed. 
But you have always followed your heart. 
So you allow yourself to fall into Donghyuck once more. “I love you as well,” you breathe out, your voice barely above a whisper. You can hear his steady heartbeat as you place your head on his chest; it calms your aching soul. Donghyuck is your sun, your moon, and all your stars. You know that he is someone you’re willing to fight for. 
“I will wait for you until the end of time, you know that.” The words slip past your lips effortlessly, a white lie in its purest form. You know that Donghyuck will always be in your heart, but you also know how the world works. It works in cruel and unfortunate ways. 
A princess as soft-spoken as you will never get what you want. You are a pawn to others. You know soon enough that you will be married off– just as your sister was. And when the time comes, will you still be able to put Donghyuck above all else? 
“But are you able to wait for me?”
He leans away from you to look at your face, his hands not leaving your waist. “I fought death for you,” he thinks to himself, feeling his heart swell at the image of you. 
“Is this doubt I hear?” He gazes at you with false anger, a playful smirk decorating his features. “You dare doubt the hero, the Grand General Lee Donghyuck?”
“I will wait for you until the end of time,” He says, leaning in and stealing several small kisses between each word. You allow yourself to be showered in his love, and you enjoy the feeling wholeheartedly. You carve the feeling of his lips against your skin into your mind. You won’t ever allow yourself to forget it; you won’t allow yourself to forget your love. Separating himself from you, Donghyuck takes a step backward, his hands gently holding both of yours.
“I’m not good with words,” he begins, looking down at your intertwined hands. “But since I’ve already broken my own vow to stay away from you, I might as well speak freely now. I had prepared for months to say this, hoping that I would get to say it when I received your hand from the King.”
He takes a breath, his gaze meeting yours. 
“Once, as a young boy, my father told me to never stare at royalty. We should keep our heads bowed. And I took that to heart until you. How could I not look at the most beautiful person in the palace? For the first time in my life, I took a gamble. I asked Jaemin to introduce me to you. I was just his sparring partner then, and I thought I would have been executed for that.” 
Donghyuck thinks back to that day, smiling fondly at the reactions he remembered receiving from Jaemin. Why was his sparring partner interested in his sister? It hadn’t made sense to Jaemin then, and a part of Donghyuck almost wishes he never asked. 
“Jaemin introduced us, and when you smiled at me… I was never able to look away. If not for you, I don’t think I would have ever known a love so deeply in my life. I fell in love with you when I was ten, just a young boy,” he smiles, giving your hands a gentle squeeze. 
“I’m twenty-three now, and I’ve been loving you more and more each and every day since I was ten. I regret not a second of it.”
You know that your end is coming soon. 
But with every word, Donghyuck makes it so much harder for you to give him up. His words cause your mind to run; it runs to a place where the two of you are free to love each other.
However, that place is not here.
You two are but a small chapter in the novel of this country, a small insignificant chapter. And you realize that now.
Yet your heart still races at his words. You know that you are Donghyuck’s weakness. So it leaves you no choice but to be the strong one in your situation. 
“Every second I've spent with you, there is not a single regret that plagues them. You have given me the love I never knew I needed.” You raise your intertwined hands, placing a gentle on the back of his hand.
“And for that, I thank you. The first time I laid my eyes on you, I knew you would be more than just a man to me. I've given you my whole heart, and I can only hope you keep it safe.” Your words pain you. You know this is your goodbye, the last time you will ever see Donghyuck with these feelings of love dancing in your heart. 
So you press one last soft kiss against his lips before you speak again: “I should head back to my quarters, as should you. It's quite late. Be safe.” 
With these last words, you let go of your first love and quickly turn for your room. The farther you get, the more tears fall. You wonder if it’s really better this way.
. . .
It is a good thing that Donghyuck had not spoken of his treasonous thoughts to you because they fall through so quickly. 
The silence in the air becomes a newfound friend to you. Something you once detested before now brings you endless comfort. The day is coming sooner than you hoped. You must congratulate your sister. You must congratulate the love of your life, Lee Donghyuck, for getting married to your dear sister.
It hurts. It hurts like hell. There are so many things you wish you would have done differently. You wish that you didn’t meet Lee Donghyuck– that you never fell in love with him. You shouldn’t have given everything away so easily. Because now, you’ve become a fool, a pawn in this game of chess. All of you have.
You’ll be okay. It's a mantra that repeats in your head like a broken record. He's not worth it. Nobody should have control over your life like Donghyuck does. It’s time for you to let go. 
And so you try.
The moon supplies no light in the dark garden. Yet, you are there. Your canvas is set– Donghyuck’s unfinished painting there. The dark sky is displayed on the once white canvas, small stars littered sparsely amongst the space. Two figures bask in the glow provided by the white paint. Figures that were once Donghyuck and you have been completely remade into Donghyuck and Miyoung.
It ignites anger in your faint heart once again. But the healing scar on the palm of your hand reminds you to never take the anger out on yourself, never again.
So you take your anger out on the painting.
With a heavy grip, you stab your paintbrush into the canvas. Before your eyes, the painting becomes two pieces. Something you wish their marriage would become.
But it hurts you to even think these ill thoughts. You care for your sister so much. And you care for Donghyuck even more. Yet there’s this new evil that rests in your heart. Suddenly, becoming bitter seems easier than letting go. And it definitely looks more attractive with every second that passes.
It takes a few days of peaceful meditation, but you find yourself in the garden again. Your muse this time, a budding flower. A representation of the new relationship that will bud between the two. A representation of the new take on life you have.
The color blue stains your fingers. A color for freedom and peace. This painting is made with Donghyuck in mind. The words “I forgive you," are woven throughout the flower. And you only hope that Donghyuck is able to understand it.
The nights following your breakdown instilled a resolve that you could have never found yourself following. A path laced thoroughly with bitterness and hatred. A path completely unfamiliar to you. But it’s a path you will now call your own. For you have learned that those with a faint heart can’t survive. They won’t survive. And now you will do whatever it takes to survive.
You spend the night before the wedding in the garden again. It is foolish for you to hope that Donghyuck will arrive. You know that it is wishful thinking. As you walk the path engraved in the ground made by the two of you, you know it is the last time.
. . .
The morning brings signs of your new beginning. A new you. This is your chance at a new life. You will create a new path for yourself, a path you will now travel alone. You no longer need Donghyuck. All you need is yourself.
Your resilience is stronger than ever before. But you know that your weakness rests in your heart; you would be foolish to lie to yourself and say it doesn’t. You have always been someone who loves wholeheartedly. From a young age, you gave everything you had to offer to those you love. You had given your heart to Lee Donghyuck, and now you had to give him to your sister. 
You arrive at the wedding on time. But the happiness in the air has no effect on your mood. You’re sad and heartbroken– it’s inevitable. But you don't let it show. 
Sitting through the ceremony hurts. It’s expected, but you begin your healing process quickly. You lower your expectations for Donghyuck. You no longer expect anything from him. Not even a glance.
And so, your eyes stray from him. They only stay on Miyoung. Your heart hurts for the younger princess. You know that she wants nothing more than to not be married to Donghyuck. You know that someone else resides in the heart of your sister. Yet you hope she is able to find happiness. You don't wish for darkness to form in her sister’s heart.
. . .
“Your Highness, your sister comes bearing gifts.”
You stand tall, a soft smile on your lips. “For her highness, an embroidered scroll.” The scroll your maid hands over tells the tale of sorrow you feel for your younger sister. An arrangement of flowers decorates the fabric, a single daisy being the star of the show. A flower to represent hope and innocence. You pray that Miyoung is able to keep her hope throughout this marriage and that her innocence never fades.
“And a painting for you, General Lee.” The bitterness that dances on your tongue makes it hard for you to keep your composure, but you do your best. The blue carnation decorating the canvas is not something that you have ever laid your eyes upon. Rather something you have created for Donghyuck himself. The last thing you will ever create for him.
“I wish you both a prosperous marriage.'' Those are your final words as you bow. Your eyes avoid Donghyuck's as you leave, disappearing from his sight once the door is closed. You only wish that all involved can find happiness. For this is the last time you will allow yourself to be heartbroken like this. 
. . .
King Jaehyun gathers everyone’s attention with a clear voice that rings out clearly in the chilly night air. He motions to the tables set around a fire that blazes in the middle to warm the guests against a biting winter breeze. 
Daughters sit with fathers, quietly gazing away from the king out of politeness. Sons sit with their mothers, quiet and attentive, ready to hang upon the King’s every word.  Here marks the start of a toast: from a father wishing the best to his daughter in her married life, from a king looking proudly on his son in law who’s already achieved so much in such a short amount of time. There is a moment when the mantle of the king is laid down and instead, the wishes of a father ring out into the night.
It's obvious that the princess is unhappy sitting next to her now husband. It's obvious that her husband looks as if he wants to be anywhere else, beaten down already as he is by the rumors and the whispers about his wife and their marriage bed. 
The King can see it all clearly, but to them, he wishes them lifelong happiness. He hopes that in the end, they’ll find it. And he expects that they will. 
No one notices the looks that are shared slyly behind his back between certain members of the court. Everyone is far too interested in the married couple at the head of their table, seated close to the King. They’re far too invested in the King’s words, and the gleam of pride in his eyes when he looks over at the married couple as he is ready to put the cup to his lips. It’s a signal for everyone else to do the same, and so they do.  
It's a shame, really, that no one notices. This all could have been avoided if they had.
The toast ends with a sip of alcohol in the King’s presence, all members of the party turning away from him to drink from their cups. It doesn’t start right away– people put down their cups, and there’s once again a dull chatter that bubbles through the crowd. After all, no one is expecting a red wedding.
It takes a few minutes to settle in the system. Most poisons do. First, it’s the princess who coughs up blood, staining her hanbok a dark shade of crimson. That’s when the panic begins, her coughing not stopping; she continues to cough and bleed, unable to breathe from the poison that’s boiling hot in her system.
It's not just the princess though.
Several members of the court are clutching at their robes, heaving and clawing in fevered desperation to cling to their lives. The poison is fast acting. And it leaves the princess, the Minister of Defense, and a General as cold as the night air.
In the blink of an eye, two sons become the head of their family, forced to take on the mantle of their dead fathers. In the blink of an eye, a princess is stolen from the world. And in the blink of an eye, three families are torn apart and heartbroken. For a long moment, there’s silence. The King is pale. 
And then all you can hear is the wailing of the groom.
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the-boy-meets-evil · 7 months
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can't run away | vernon
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summary: running is the only life you've ever known. running away from your home planet, running away from anyone that gets too close, running away from officials, running from other smugglers. it's not easy but it's better than the pain that comes with staying in place and definitely better than getting caught. everyone has heard of you but nobody actually knows you. the last thing you want is to take on a passenger, especially when that passenger is a robot from one of the most popular groups in the universe. why would you let him stay when nobody else ever has? pairing: ai!vernon x smuggler!afab!reader word count: 15.6k genre: sci-fi au, angst, fluff (?) warnings/content: vernon is an automaton, reader is a smuggler (across the galaxy), references to injury (when vernon escapes, to reader as well), questionable methods of finishing a job (reader), suggestions/implications of sex/hook-ups (reader x unnamed characters), questionable legality on the jobs, exploring emotions for automatons, fights, open/ambiguous ending rating: mature (this is SFW but i prefer only people 18+ interacting with my blog) a/n: thank you so much to @idyllic-ghost for this incredible collab and this banner. i don't think i would've written a sci-fi fic otherwise and it's been so much fun. check out all the other amazing fics here! also thank you to the loml @hot-soop for *volunteering* to read through this fic. you're an angel. finally, thank you to @strawberryya for letting me use your brain and your planet.
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“100 years ago it was thought that the Earth, as we know it, would disintegrate. That the sun would implode and leave everything in darkness. Miraculously, it didn’t. Due to some external force, human scientists still haven’t agreed upon what it exactly was, none of the planets in our former solar system were ever destroyed. The Earth, along with the other planets, were pushed away from each other, and ended up in different parts of the universe. Earth just happened to come to a solar system with alien life. At first, we were cautious, and people were prepared to fight. However, the aliens were welcoming of our planet. Those of us who didn’t die from ‘The Great Journey’ or from trying to fight the aliens, were welcomed into the new solar system. Soon enough, we had integrated completely, and we received materials and assistance from our sister-planets in exchange for human labor. What humans knew of technology was very limited, but with the resources of the aliens we created artificial life forms. We named these robots Automaton, and they served as workers when humans couldn’t. Eventually, there was no need for human labor at all. To pay back for the help the aliens gave us, we used Automatons. With the extensive development of these robots, we eventually managed to create artificial sentient life. These Automatons were human-like in looks and had human consciousness, but they could not bleed and were stronger than we ever could be. At the present time, there are even different levels of Automatons. Level 3 robots are the workers, level 2 robots are the caretakers, and level 1 robots are the celebrities. The Automaton music group 53V3NT33N (SEVENTEEN) is made up of 13 members, all very talented, and all representing two human states of mind.”
*+:★:+━━━+:★:+━━━+:★:+*
“Chirron,” you call and wait for his hum to let you know he’s listening, “we have to go. Like 10 minutes ago.”
“Why don’t you try something helpful?” he shoots back at you. 
“The last time I got near the controls, you slapped my hands and shrieked,” you answer.
“I did not, it was not a shriek,” he hisses. He’s not really offended, it’s just how the two of you are. You’ve run hundreds of jobs together at this point and there’s nobody else you’d trust. And certainly nobody that’s better at getting your ship in the air and away from trouble. “And it was for a good reason. You’re a menace to society and to the controls, specifically.”
“Every button looks the same,” you huff.
“Will you just shut it for 2 seconds so I get us off this awful planet?” Chirron asks.
“Hey, this is my home planet!” you protest. You’re not sure why you’re distracting him like this when you want to leave just as badly as he does. Need to for the sake of your job.
“I swear to…” he says and stops to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Just a minute, I’m begging you.”
There’s a retort about begging on the tip of your tongue, something you know will get under Chirron’s skin. Something you know better to say and are going to say anyway. Really, what’s the worst he could do? Except just as you’re about to say it, someone comes rushing in through the open door of your ship.
Chirron seems to register the newcomer, but says nothing. In fact, he goes back to working on one of the control panels that’s currently preventing you from leaving the planet. That leaves you to deal with this new person. Or…no, could he be an automaton? There’s something familiar about him that you can’t quite place. There’s also something that doesn’t scream human about him. Maybe the blue hair or the way he moves through expressions. He looks relieved now even though you’re a complete stranger. 
“Please, help me,” he rushes out, already moving from relief into something else. He reaches out to take your hands in his and you barely have time to register it. “I’m begging you, I’ll do anything.”
Your first instinct is to flatly tell him that you won’t help him, that you can’t. After all, you’re not exactly the type anyone looks to when they need help. A fact Chirron is always quick to point out. But, you also see that this could present an interesting opportunity for someone such as you. And maybe now you can make some begging jokes without getting your head bitten off.
“And just what are you willing to do?” you ask, arch an eyebrow as you watch the expressions cross his face. 
“Oh, well I can…you know, I could…” he sputters along and you laugh. 
Just as you’re about to take pity on him, you see a rush of guards coming through the spaceport. It’s the last thing you want to see. Your papers are solid and you’ve already made the very real excuse of needing to fix one of your systems before leaving the planet. Then again, you’ve had enough close calls for a lifetime and you’re not really looking to add another one to that list.
As you watch, the guards talk to some other people milling about in the spaceport. The man who rudely burst onto your ship seems to catch that you’re watching something and immediately ducks down. If you weren’t a little nervous about the guards coming aboard, it would be comical. He’s literally not even hiding behind anything.
“They lookin’ for you?” you ask quietly and clock the answer in his eyes before he even opens his mouth.
“I think so,” he says. 
You sigh and ignore Chirron looking back at you. “Back that way, there’s a door in the wall on your left. Nobody ever knows it’s a door, but run your hand on the wall, you’ll feel it.”
“What?” he asks.
“Go,” you hiss and walk towards the open door.
It’s perfecting timing, too, because two of the guards are approaching. One of them, thankfully, is one you’ve dealt with before. And it’s mostly been positive. At least you know he can’t seem to stay away when you breeze in and out of this part of the planet. With any luck, he’s in a good mood. 
“Thought that was your ship,” he says with a smirk, ignoring the look from the other guard. 
“Guilty,” you smile. “Always nice to see you, Kyun.”
“You two know each other?” the other guard asks skeptically. 
“Sure, she runs cargo,” Changkyun says. You can’t fully fight the smile because you know it means you’re safe after all. The two of you have spent enough time in his bed, post hook-up, for him to know that’s not the whole story.
“And I would be gone already because we’re behind schedule, but we had a little mechanical trouble,” you say, laying on the act a little thick. 
“Need a hand?” Changkyun offers. 
“We’re supposed to be asking about someone,” the other guard reminds him. 
“It’s fine, we’ve got it handled anyway,” you say and send Changkyun a flirty smile before turning to his partner. “Ask away.”
“Have you seen an automaton running through here? Blue hair, about this tall, wearing a plain white shirt,” he asks and you pretend to think for a second. 
“There’s been a lot of people coming through,” you offer apologetically. “I think I did see someone with bright hair rushing off in that direction. Could’ve been blue.”
“You’re sure about the hair color?” the other guard asks. 
“Not really, it happened fast. But it could’ve been blue,” you shrug and then look like you’ve realized something. “Wait, there isn’t a reward is there?”
“Last I heard, you were doing fine,” Changkyun says and you smile as his partner walks off to share your info with a group of guards. 
“Can’t blame a girl for trying,” you say with a wink. 
“Make sure you come by next time you’re here,” Changkyun says with that look you’ve seen before. 
“I will, promise,” you say. 
“Have a safe flight!” he calls. He’s already heading off to join his partner. 
When he looks back, you wave. For good measure, you look over your shoulder like Chirron said something and nod. You’re closing the hatch with a last wave to Changkyun. Once you’ve also made sure the shields to protect anyone from seeing in are activated, you head back to find your new friend. 
“Seems like people are looking for you,” you say when you open the door.
You don’t bother waiting to see if he’s going to follow you when you walk back towards Chirron at the front of the ship. The blue haired man, who still hasn’t introduced himself, follows you instantly and then ducks when he sees the windshield in front of him.
“They can’t see you,” Chirron says in a bored voice. Mostly likely unimpressed by a decision you don’t actually remember making.
“You almost done?” you ask again.
“Yes, actually, that little disruption got you to leave me alone long enough to fix it,” he says with a glare at you. “Now be quiet again.”
“So rude,” you say quietly without any bite.
“Control, Vega Three requesting clearance for take off,” Chirron states over the communication system.
“Clearance granted,” comes an immediate response. 
“Finally,” you say and take your seat next to Chirron. You twist over your shoulder to look at your unexpected guest. “I’d buckle in if I were you, sweetheart.” 
“Are you…are we taking off?” he asks, seemingly unable to sit still.
“Unless you had a different idea when you tried to sneak onto a ship,” you respond. 
“But you don’t…” he begins.
“You’ve got your reasons for wanting to get off this planet, and we’ve got ours, best to discuss those once we’re actually off the planet. So, strap in,” you instruct.
The stranger in question doesn’t need to be told a third time, thankfully. He slides into the seat behind Chirron and buckles himself in. With a sideways glance at you to confirm he’s clear, Chirron uses the recently repaired controls to get you going and safely off this planet. Even though it’s your home planet, and you definitely can linger, this job is a little sensitive. You really can’t afford to be late on the delivery, though your reputation with this buyer is spotless. It only stays spotless as long as you finish your jobs as quickly and discreetly as possible. 
If you expect the stranger to say something as Chirron navigates you out of the spaceport and into the air, you’re left wanting. When you look back, you find him relaxed back into the chair. It’s like he’s completely at ease. Or maybe just feeling a lot of relief that you let him stay on board. Or even relief that you lied to the guards. Something you do often, though he doesn’t know that. His eyes close as Chirron types in the course to autopilot until you get close to your destination. 
While the stranger rests, something kind of surprising to you given that he doesn’t know you at all, you briefly wonder if it’s sleep or just a sort of recharging. Chirron claims your attention and you quietly discuss your plans for once you get to your destination. Salax is known for…discretion. People don’t tend to ask that many questions there because of the types of humans and aliens alike that follow their desires there. But, since it’s a place for your deepest desires, people are also wary of suspicious behavior. You’ve spent plenty of time there, both for your own pleasure or, like now, for a job. 
The downside to this planet, though? It’s the type of place no robot would ever be seen. Certainly not a Level 1. They’re far too pure for that. And judging by the number of guards employed, and the fact that you were on Earth, you’re willing to bet your new passenger is a Level 1. So that’s going to add its own unique set of challenges. Something that has you buzzing with adrenaline, but has Chirron looking sterner than usual. 
“We need to know who he is,” Chirron repeats quietly.
“And we will,” you answer easily.
“If he’s a Level 1…” Chirron starts before trailing off.
“What? You’ll turn me over for the reward you asked about?” the stranger asks. You’re a little startled because you didn’t realize he had woken up. Or stopped resting, whatever.
Chirron scoffs as he takes in your amusement. “No.”
“It’s not a ridiculous question,” he insists.
“It is if you know her,” Chirron says and nods in your direction. 
“Why? You’re wondering if I’m a Level 1 so you know how high the reward is,” he insists and you finally take pity on him.
“No, I have no intention to collect some reward for you, if one even exists,” you confirm. 
“But why?” he asks. He’s fidgeting in his seat like he can’t sit still. It’s interesting to see when he was resting so peacefully without moving.
“Because,” Chirron interjects, clearly intent to take away any fun, “she prefers not to deal in things as meaningless as currency or credits.” 
“How do you live?” he asks, genuine curiosity coloring his face. 
“I’ve got enough credits to keep us going for years,” you answer vaguely.
“What else is there to work for?” the stranger wonders. 
You turn your seat fully so it’s facing him and lean forward, dropping your voice a little. “So many things, sweetheart. Favors, information, gossip…secrets.” 
His eyes go wide, like it’s something he’s never considered before. And he probably hasn’t. If he’s a Level 1, and you’d bet your ship that he is at this point, then this is so wildly out of normality for him. The Level 1s are pristine, like the celebrities of the galaxy living in luxury with someone to help keep them functioning at the highest levels. They’ll never see the types of jobs that Level 3s see, those jobs that nobody else wants to do. They’ll never work the way that Level 2s do, or have to work for humans in that way. Which isn’t to say their lives are perfect. It’s just not the kind of life where they see the dirty types of jobs that you and Chirron are used to. 
“Why don’t you give me a name, sweetheart? Unless you prefer the pet name, which is fine by me,” you say.
He hesitates, before saying, “Vernon.”
You and Chirron look at each other, like you’re both wondering why this automaton seems familiar and why everyone is looking for him.
“Well, V3RN0N actually, from 53V3NT33N,” Vernon adds.
And that makes everything fall into place. Not that you pay much attention to groups of performers like that, it’s kind of hard when you’re constantly on the move, but everyone in the galaxy knows them. Everyone in the galaxy also knows that the members just…disappeared. There isn’t much information, at least not from reputable sources, about what happened. Thankfully for you, you don’t really deal in reputable sources. So you’ve heard your fair share about the escapes, each tale sounding a little wilder than the last. You at least know someone is desperate to find all 13 of the automatons, given how popular the group is. Or maybe it’s because they’ve resorted to asking in places they’d normally never be caught to find information.
When you assure Vernon that your previous statement still stands, that you’re far more interested in your form of currency than any reward you’d get from turning him in, he relaxes a bit again. He’s worried, still, that he admitted to complete strangers who he really is, but you give him your real names. You tell him what you actually do, despite Chirron’s protests. That’s when he starts telling you all about the escape. The way that he got away, the way he doesn’t know what happened to his other members, the way he hopes they’re all okay too. 
It’s a little depressing and a lot too close to home for you to hear what life was actually like for Vernon and the other Automatons in his group. Not that you’ve ever been famous or had people across the galaxy expecting you to perform, but you know a thing or two about someone else making your decisions. Chirron knows it too, knows your story intimately, so he probably also sees where this is going before you do. 
It’s difficult, you think, to listen to Vernon talk about his experiences and why he chose to run. Humans and aliens had worked together to create these new beings. Perfected them until they were indistinguishable from humans and even gave them emotions. Yet beings like Vernon and his group are expected to just perform. To essentially serve at the wishes of the public for entertainment value. Have to uphold the highest standards and can’t ever do something that would look bad. Have to remain pure, whatever that means. 
From there, you come up with a plan. One that will at least give you time to come up with some next steps on Salax. Vernon is restless again when you share your destination. Of course he’s never been there, but he knows all about it. It’s hard to tell if he’s just nervous that he’ll look out of place or if he’s curious about what actually happens there. In either case, you need to make sure he’s prepared for the stop. There isn’t much choice anyway, you’re on a schedule and he’s just an unexpected passenger. Before he can continue protesting, you send him to the back of the ship to look through the clothes and accessories. Anything to hide who he is.
“He’s not you, you know,” Chirron offers.
“I know that,” you answer.
“Do you?” From anyone else, the question might sound accusatory. From Chirron, it only sounds concerned. 
You sigh. “I do, but what they put him through is awful.”
“He’s an Automaton,” Chirron reminds you.
“I’m well aware,” you say with a slight snap to your words. “You heard him, though. And you’ve seen the Automatons we’ve come across. It’s different.”
“Does he know what you’re going to tell them when we get to Salax?” Chirron asks, switching tactics. 
“Do you?” you ask back.
“An overly sheltered Automaton on Salax?” Chirron raises an eyebrow at you. “You’re going to bring him along as your ‘date’ who’s just testing the waters to see if it’s his thing.”
“I am not that predictable,” you retort. But you don’t disagree because you can’t.
“What else would you say?” Chirron asks.
“I don’t know, I just hope it works,” you say.
“Luckily for him, you’re a frequent visitor,” Chirron says with a shrug.
You decide to let that comment lie. Partly because you don’t want to argue with Chirron too loudly and draw Vernon’s attention. Partly because he’s not entirely wrong. You do like to spend time on Salax, looking for things that you can’t find when you’re constantly on the move. Looking for people that don’t expect you to be there when they need you. That’s something you can’t do. Chirron would ask ‘can’t or won’t’, but the difference hardly matters.
After another minute you go and check on Vernon because you really do need to get going. For a number of reasons. He’s dressed and looking like he’ll at least moderately fit in at the club you’re taking him to. It’s clear he still wants to stay on the ship, or to go with Chirron, but you remind him that won’t work. Chirron is leaving the ship to get supplies for after your errands and to make sure you’re ready to leave the planet. Even without Vernon, you don’t want to linger. Not this time. Going with Chirron to run errands would be even more suspicious. He so rarely has anyone around when he’s anywhere, let alone Salax. He keeps to himself so the appearance of a beautiful stranger would be out of character. No, it’s much easier to have Vernon with you. You’re much more likely to have someone around on this planet. And you’re certainly had enough beautiful strangers with you on Salax to blend in. You ignore the way Vernon reacts each time you call him beautiful because, really, it’s just a fact.
Vernon tags along a half step behind you when you leave the ship. You’re considering telling him to walk beside you when you think you might as well sell it. If you’re going to be telling people that he’s your pet, just someone you picked up for the time being, then it makes sense that he wouldn’t walk quite beside you. 
This club is so familiar to you. Once you’re inside, you make your way to one of the back rooms, the same room you always meet your client in every time she hires you. Nobody asks questions as it is, but certainly not of her when she books private rooms. You know she’ll be seeing someone else before or after you. Or both, knowing her. 
Thankfully, Vernon keeps his head down like you told him to while you’re winding your way through. You offer the occasional smile or nod as you see people that you know, people you’ve worked with professionally and people you know personally. Some look at your companion, but nobody says anything. Both you and Chirron were right. Though this puts Vernon in contact with more people, it’s far less conspicuous. Besides, with his hat and clothing, nobody would guess he was a Level 1. 
Circe is waiting in her back room, sprawled out on her lounger when you enter, surprisingly alone. Then again, she probably got word when you landed and then again when you entered the club. As usual, she looks completely stunning in her figure hugging outfit. It’s enough to send anyone’s mind into overdrive.
“My, my, darling,” she says as she takes in both you and your companion. “I would scold you for keeping me waiting, but you’ve brought company.”
“You know I’d never dream of keeping you waiting,” you say with a smile at her. “We were…held up a bit. Had some ship trouble.”
“And picked up a new toy,” she comments. “Please, sit.”
“Ah yes, well he’s…curious about expanding his horizons,” you say with a glance at him. The two of you sit in front of her.
“Maybe we can share,” Circe offers and you chuckle.
“Circe, love, he’s nowhere near ready for that,” you answer.
“Always keeping your prettiest toys from me,” Circe pouts.
“Now you know that’s not true,” you chastise. “The last time I was here for fun rather than work…”
“Was very fun, that’s true,” Circe concedes. “Should I assume you’re not staying around this time, then?”
“I’m afraid not,” you say and inject as much sincerity as you can.
“Would that happen to be because he’s one of those escaped Automatons?” Circe plays it off like idle curiosity and you only smile fondly.
“If he were, what kind of fool would I be to bring him here?” you wonder.
“The kind that does trust me despite your insistence that you trust nobody other than yourself and Chirron,” she answers without missing a beat.
“Well,” you shrug.
“I thought…” Vernon says quietly to you.
“Relax, whoever you are is no concern of mine. She knows I won’t blow your secret because I know that there’s nobody better in the galaxy than her at what she does,” Circe says softly.
“You flatter me,” you say. This time the sincerity comes in earnest.
Circe waves it off like it’s nothing. You also know she means what she said. “I assume you have what I sent you off for?”
“Of course,” you respond and reach into your bag.
“This is why I protect her,” Circe says, leaning forward like she’s sharing a secret with Vernon. “I’ve never met anyone that can do a sensitive job for me like she can.”
“And have you met a lot of people?” Vernon asks.
Circe’s eyes sparkle. “You may be one of the only ones who can understand when I say thousands, probably.”
You watch the interaction for a moment because it’s so mundane, so simple. Shaking your head to clear the scene, you hand over a small device. Circe takes it and examines it for a second, looking over the markings on the side. Her smile is almost instant.
“This looks full,” she comments.
“It is,” you answer.
“How sensitive is the material?” Circe asks. 
You hesitate and look over at Vernon. “I wouldn’t watch it with just anyone. There’s…well I don’t have to tell you that people get more honest when they’re in compromising situations.” 
This seems to amuse Circe as she watches you form your words. It’s different from how you usually are and it’s entertaining. “Are you in it?” 
“No,” you answer with a little laugh. “Someone owed me a very big favor. Well owes me several favors, actually. He’s not off the hook yet.”
“I’ve known you for years and I still don’t think I understand the extent of your network,” Circe observes. 
“Probably not,” you acknowledge.
“And what about you, my little mystery, what do you owe her?” Circe asks Vernon.
“I’m…” he starts, looks over at you for guidance. “I’m not sure yet.” 
“That’s dangerous,” Circe adds. 
“We haven’t really figured…” Vernon begins, still very nervous. “She got me off Earth.”
“That’s actually part of what I needed to talk to you about. I need to get him an introduction to someone,” you say. Circe’s eyes turn back to you.
“To whom, darling?” she asks.
“I’m not sure,” you admit. “I need a recommendation. Someone that you trust that can help him disappear. Help him reappear as someone new.” 
Circe regards the pair of you for a moment. Probably a moment too long for Vernon’s comfort. “I can’t help you.”
Your frustration gets the better of you before you even consider the why. “Can’t or won’t?” 
“Pumpkin,” Circe says, full of affection and patience that you’re not sure you deserve. “I know the kind of favors you’re offering for something like this. I’d be stupid to turn it down if I could help you, but unfortunately I like you too much to pull the wool over on you.”
“Why can’t you help?” This, at least, comes out calm.
“I’m not sure where to turn, not now at least. There are too many people looking for him,” Circe admits.
You sigh heavily at that. In the seven years that you’ve known Circe, this is a first. It’s the first time you’ve ever presented her with a problem that she couldn’t solve. It leaves you feeling a little helpless, a feeling that you really don’t enjoy. Maybe she takes a little bit of pity on you because she does tell you to see one of her workers before you leave. He can help Vernon look a little different, at least. That’s all she can do, though, and she knows she’s still going to owe you after this. 
So you’re going to have to take Vernon with you, at least for now. You feel some amount of responsibility, even though he jumped onto your ship. But he’s far too sheltered for this life, too innocent, too naive. He isn’t hard around the edges like you, doesn’t know that he can’t trust anyone, hasn’t been hurt by people he depended on. 
You finish up the conversation with Circe and say your goodbyes. It completely slips your notice that Vernon isn’t right behind you when you head out the door.
“Wait a moment,” Circe says, lightly grabbing Vernon’s arm.
He looks down at the place her hand touches his arm before meeting her eyes again. The confusion on his face must be clear.
“Be careful with her,” Circe says. Vernon’s eyebrows only knit further in confusion. “I love her dearly, but it always comes at a price. She’s the kind of girl you’d name one of those hurricanes after back on Earth.”
“I’m not sure…” Vernon tries to begin. Circe waves a hand to quiet him.
“She’s wild and wonderful,” Circe says with a soft smile that only lingers a second. “But she will destroy everything in her path.”
Vernon is about to say something when you pop your head back through the door. “There you are, come on. We should really get going.”
Vernon looks back at Circe, tries to make some kind of sense of what she said. It’s pointless, though, and instead he just follows you out without a word.
If Vernon is expecting you to head straight back to the ship, he’s mistaken. You wind through the hallways like you’ve been through a hundred times before. Which is entirely possible, it’s not like Vernon knows much about you or your history. He just knows he couldn’t navigate back out if he got lost, so he stays close. It’s not that has a bad memory, it’s just that his brain is currently on overdrive. He’s thinking about what Circe said about you. But he’s also just taking in all the things he never even knew existed.
It doesn’t seem like you’re heading anywhere, even when you stop. The room is empty except for a large desk in the center. Vernon wants to ask what it is you’re doing. One look at your face tells him not to. You quickly reach into one of the drawers, like it’s the most normal thing, and pull out another device that looks like the one you gave to Circe. You stow the device in a pocket that Vernon hadn’t even noticed and make your way back out without another word.
In fact, you don’t speak again until you’re back on the ship. Vernon has a second to note that Chirron is missing before you head to the control panel and start pressing buttons. The door closes and something seems to shift with the windshields. It’s like the ship is going into some sort of shut down. You walk back past Vernon to a table and slide into one side of the booth. Vernon takes the cue and slides in across from you.
“So that didn’t exactly go as planned,” you observe. 
“You were expecting her to help,” Vernon says and you nod. 
“Circe knows everyone, has eyes and ears everywhere, so it’s…well I don’t want to scare you, but it’s concerning that she can’t help hide you,” you say.
“Maybe I should just go back,” Vernon wonders out loud.
“Look, you ran away for a reason and I know the kind of desperation it takes to just…run onto some random ship,” you let him know. “I’m not really sure why I’m helping, but I’m going to help. There’s just one rule.”
“What is it?” Vernon asks. He already knows he’s going to agree.
“Whatever I say, you have to follow,” you say. It sounds so simple, Vernon is sure there’s some kind of catch when you continue. “If I say run, you run. If I say hide, you hide. If I say leave me behind, you have to.”
“But…” Vernon starts and you shake your head.
“I’m going to try to find a solution, but I have to keep working too. And this isn’t exactly a safe line of work,” you tell him.
“I’d gathered,” he says before he can stop himself. You chuckle.
“At least you’re observant,” you say.
Since Chirron isn’t back yet, you send off a quick message to him that you’re going off the ship for one more quick stop. That you’ll be back within the hour and ready to go if he is. With that out of the way, you take Vernon to see Circe’s friend about blending in a little better. You’re just hoping that this isn’t going to be a waste. And also hoping that nobody recognizes him in the meantime because the last thing you need is for your name to be plastered next to his.
*+:★:+━━━+:★:+━━━+:★:+*
Two hours later, you’re all back on the ship and taking off. With a quick message to Circe, you thank her and request that she keep you updated if she hears anything interesting. Thankfully, she seems to know what that means and there’s nobody better to keep an eye out. Vernon looks different, too. His hair is a different color and style, his eyes are no longer the same shade, his clothing is entirely different, even some of the shape of his face is different. Despite his protests, you also got him a face mask and sunglasses to wear. Although he thinks that it’ll make him stand out, you insist that in your line of work, it’s standard.
Although you know you need to talk, you tell Vernon that it’s time for you all to get at least a little sleep. Chirron put it on the slow track to allow everyone a chance to rest before getting to their next stop. It’s standard practice for the two of you, but entirely foreign to Vernon. 
Once you wake up again, it’s time to talk. “We need a story.” 
You, Chirron, and Vernon are sitting at the table in the main part of the ship. The ship itself is on autopilot to your next stop, which Chirron says will take at least 3 more hours.
“Better late than never, I guess,” Chirron says.
“Would you stop being grumpy?” you fire back.
“No,” Chirron answers without hesitation.
“Uh, a story for what?” Vernon interrupts.
“Who you are and why we’ve let you join our missions.” Chirron gives the straightforward answer before you can be a smartass. 
“Does there need to be a story?” Vernon asks, causing Chirron to sigh.
“Yes, there does,” is all Chirron says.
You shoot him a look. “Our entire livelihood depends on us staying off the wrong radars, which we’ve been good at. But it also depends on our current…clients continuing to trust us. You’re new. And while our reputation is excellent, we tend to deal with a lot of people who value privacy and secrecy over everything.”
“So she can’t just tell them we’ve picked up a rogue celebrity on the run and just go with it,” Chirron says.
“Maybe I should just…” Vernon starts.
“What? Get off the ship and try to hide on your own?” you wonder. 
“I don’t know,” Vernon says.
“Remember what I said when you got on the ship? The one rule is to do what I say?” Vernon nods at your question. “That’s still in effect, sweetheart.”
“So what’s the plan?” Chirron asks you.
“What are you good at? Besides singing and dancing?” You direct this question at Vernon.
“Rapping, not singing,” Vernon corrects quietly. “What?” you ask.
“I rapped, I didn’t sing,” Vernon tells you. “And I produced some of our tracks. In my free time, when I actually got it, I played a lot of games.” 
You’re looking at Vernon like he just handed you the easiest line and he doesn’t realize it. His head is down, he’s not confident about anything he said. But you know better. You know that he just handed you the perfect solution.
“You any good with tech, then?” You try to throw out the question casually. 
Chirron actually approaches a smile then. He knows where this is going and enjoys the way Vernon’s head pops up. It’s almost endearing the way his eyes go wide and he looks innocent again.
“Uh, yeah, I’m decent with it. I, well I used to try and practice any time I could get my hands on any tech. I had to use all the programs to produce the songs, so I got pretty good at it,” Vernon says.
“Chirron, I’d like you to meet our new tech specialist,” you announce and Chirron chuckles. 
“Bout time I didn’t have to stumble my way through reprogramming shit,” Chirron says.
“I don’t know,” Vernon says.
“Look, I’ve got plenty of old tech on the ship that you can practice on. After the next job, we’d planned a break anyway. So, for real, I won’t pick up anything new…” you start to outline.
“Thank fuck,” Chirron whispers, silenced by your look.
“And we can lay low at our place while you figure out if you’re really our new tech guy,” you say. 
“Your place?” Vernon asks.
“Yeah, I mean we’re not always on the move,” you say with a shrug. 
“Okay, might as well try, I guess,” Vernon says.
“That’s the spirit,” you encourage.
Vernon shits in his seat and winces. It’s the first time that you’re actually looking at the way his body moves. You hadn’t even looked when he changed or when he had his appearance worked on, hadn’t checked for injuries or done any of that. You’re not used to having someone new around. For all yours and Chirron’s faults, both of you trust the other and know well enough to admit if you’ve been hurt. This new addition doesn’t.
He winces again and runs a hand over his chest, something he clearly hopes you don’t notice. You do, though. His eyes meet yours and he looks scared, like he’s still not sure if he can trust you. Like he’s still on edge with every move.
“Are you okay?” you ask, voice gentle so you don’t scare him.
“This is all a bit weird to get used to,” Vernon answers.
“That’s not what I meant,” you level. 
“It’s nothing,” he insists. 
“Vernon, if we’re all gonna be in this, then you have to tell us what’s going on,” you say with as much care as you can muster. Certainly more care than Chirron is used to.
“It’s not that bad, it could be a lot worse, it’s just…well it’s the communication device that I used to have. My manager, he had to stay behind, he’d been loosening it for weeks so it wasn’t as painful when it came out but I had to run before he could finish. And I almost got caught trying to have someone fix it for me,” Vernon says. 
“You’re going to need to let us see,” Chirron says. Vernon looks between the two of you before he lifts his shirt over his head. Beneath it, he’s wearing a bandage that wraps around his body. You lean forward to start unwinding the wrapping, needing to get a look. It’s weird, you think, to brush your fingers against his skin and have it feel so much like your own. Weirder still is seeing the partial hole leftover in his chest. You can see where some of the edges need to be smoothed and where he needs to keep it covered. Vernon doesn’t seem nervous under your touch, which reminds you that he’s not actually human, despite how much his upper body seems like he would be. 
“Chirron, can you go get me my toolkit?” you ask.
“What are you going to do?” Vernon asks suspiciously. 
“I’m going to do everything I can to make it more comfortable while we’re on the ship and then we can figure out next moves once we land,” you say.
“You don’t know what you’re doing,” Vernon protests and you just raise an eyebrow. 
Chirron reappears with a box and stifles a chuckle at the scene. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”
“How do you know what to do?” Vernon tries a different question.
“She worked as a Automaton mechanic for almost a year,” Chirron answers, taking your fun of torturing him away.
“I thought you were a criminal,” Vernon admits and this does make Chirron laugh. You join in. 
“I’m a lot of things, sweetheart, I’ve lived a very full life,” you say and don’t offer any further explanations. 
*+:★:+━━━+:★:+━━━+:★:+*
Back home, you get settled and suggest you all get some rest before you decide on next moves. You know that Vernon doesn’t actually sleep now, but you also know he has to recharge. Which is all sleep is anyway, so you send him off to his own area to recharge. Once you’re all awake again, Chirron helps you come up with a more permanent solution to the whole where Vernon’s communication device used to be. It’s painful, you know that it’s painful for him and you wish you could help. But you can’t. All you can do is help him through it and know that when you’re done, he shouldn’t be in pain anymore. He takes even longer to recharge after you’re done. When he emerges, though, he does feel a lot better and he’s incredibly thankful.
It’s been just over three weeks since Vernon ran onto your ship without looking back. Just about three weeks since you finished the last job after leaving Salax. Chirron has loved every minute of getting to take the break. In fact, you’ve gone entire days without seeing him while he takes time for himself. It’s one of the longer breaks you’ve taken and he’s actually enjoying it. 
You, on the other hand, don’t like to be still. Don’t like to be stationary. It gives you entirely too much time to think and to remember all the reasons you’re in this position now. For the first few days, you tried to give Vernon his space like Chirron. He had more tech and gadgets than he’d seen in his entire existence, which is good. It seemed like he was enjoying getting to work on them and learn as he went. Annoyingly, he took to it almost immediately.
But then he seemed to realize that you didn’t like to be left to your own devices. That you’re the opposite of Chirron and would probably never stop moving if you had the choice. So he asks if you would be willing to keep him company while he works through things, insists that he doesn’t need silence in order to work. Actually, he thinks that he’s gotten a good handle on it and it would be better having you around. Even though you look skeptical, you take him up on the offer. 
While Vernon works (and occasionally curses at something, using a swear word he learned from you), he asks about your life. Usually you keep all of that to yourself. It’s not really comfortable for you to share the parts of your past. But this isn’t a normal situation. Meeting someone like Vernon isn’t an everyday occurrence. So you find yourself telling him things that it took you months or years to tell Chirron without giving it a second thought. Everything just feels…easy. There’s no other word. Vernon has experienced things you couldn’t ever imagine, but he’s still so new at people and interactions. There’s no fear of judgment with him. It’s almost refreshing. 
Vernon listens intently as you talk about your childhood and how you got to where you are now. It’s hard for him to really imagine having parents like yours that loved you and cared for you. That’s not an experience or relationship he’s had, even as close as he is to his other members. When you start to talk about things getting harder, you pick up a communication device to start fidgeting with it. Something you may not even realize but Vernon has learned enough of human emotion to know you’re uncomfortable. Not so uncomfortable that you stop talking, just unused to talking about this part of your past. The emotion is clear on your face when you talk about losing your parents, even for Vernon to pick out. Although you insist they weren’t perfect, they were all you had and you were way too young to try and make it on your own. Yet that’s exactly what you had to do. Exactly what landed you here. 
It surprises Vernon when you’re equally as interested in hearing about his experiences up until this point. About how others interacted with him, about what his emotions are like, about just generally how he feels. Which catches him off guard. He can’t remember a time in his existence where someone has actually wanted to know how he was doing in that way. Sure, people cared that he was performing at the top level and there were plenty across the galaxy that claimed to care about him. But Vernon could not recall someone asking him how he felt about any of it like he had a choice to feel anything at all. Not until you, that is. 
So that made Vernon want to talk. He started at the easiest place to tell you about performing and about his members. Even with the space and distance from them, he thinks he did genuinely care for them, genuinely enjoy being around them. He realizes that he enjoyed the performing aspect of it too. What he found he didn’t enjoy was the control and the treatment behind the scenes. He was always a commodity, always expected to do as he was told. Never permitted to see other parts of the world, interact with others the way he might want to. None of his time was ever truly free, his every move was watched. It was fine, at the beginning of Vernon’s consciousness, to live that way. 
However, as Vernon became more aware of the universe around him, he began to feel that he was missing something. He wanted to see more, know more, experience more. It made him restless. Sure, he’s not human, or even alien, and he can’t bleed or die the way others can. But he was given consciousness, given the ability to think and move freely, the ability to form bonds with others, the ability to question. With that had come the thought of something more than he currently had. All of that had led him to this moment. 
It’s hard, hearing about the life Vernon led. But you can also see how talking about his feelings with someone that cares changes him. He’s able to sort through feelings that he never considered before. It’s really nice to be able to offer that to him, to be able to support him in such a human way. Whatever else is true about the Automatons, they clearly have enough consciousness that they deserve to be treated far differently. 
It also naturally flows into you sharing what work actually looks like for you and Chirron. And Vernon now that he’s joining the team. You outline the jobs you take, the types of clients you have, the methods that you use to get a job done. Vernon seems a little wide-eyed at some of the jobs you take or how you get them done. But that’s when you remind him that getting a job done by any means necessary is kind of your whole motto. He doesn’t have to worry, you’ll never put him or Chirron in a compromising situation and never ask either of them to do something they’re not comfortable with. If it’s something…compromising, you’ll always do that yourself or call in a favor from your network. Although Vernon doesn’t look like he likes the answer, he accepts it.
Neither you or Vernon notice the moment when your days shift. What started as the two of you going about your days separately before ending up chatting about something turned into being together throughout the day, not even really tracking the last time Chirron had been by. Although you assured Vernon it wasn’t really an issue, both you and Chirron wore bracelets with trackers in them so you’d always know where the other was. That’s a relief, because honestly Vernon likes this comfort between you and him. He does ask if he should get a bracelet too and you say that you’ll get him one as well. 
Finally, though, all good things must come to an end. You manage to call Chirron back so that you can move forward with your plan. Everyone is still looking for Vernon and his other members, but it seems that nobody has reported any sightings. At least not of Vernon. 
“Are you ready to move back out?” you ask Chirron over dinner.
“If we must,” he sighs. Then he turns to Vernon. “Though I should thank you, actually, she’s never stayed still for this long.”
“Not like she’s stayed still while we’ve been here,” Vernon offers. 
“Hey,” you protest. 
“You haven’t,” Vernon doubles down. He’s different now, much more comfortable pushing back against you like an equal rather than someone who just needs to be saved. 
“This is still unprecedented for her,” Chirron says. “I was sure we’d be back on a job within the first week.” 
“Okay, okay,” you interrupt. 
“Do you have a job lined up for us?” Chirron asks.
“Several, just deciding the right one. I’m going to reach out to Circe first, though, on the unsecured line just to plant the first seeds,” you say.
This is part of the plan. You trust Circe, despite your insistence that you don’t trust anyone, but you can never be too careful. So you have two ways to talk. One is the most secure, locked down communicator in the galaxy and it’s strictly for sensitive jobs or when you can’t drop in to see her in person. It’s how she’s been keeping you updated on any rumblings about Vernon. The other is for things that wouldn’t matter so much if someone else saw it. 
You: hey love, just wanted to let you know that we finally expanded the crew beyond chirron and myself Circe: about time, who’s the new addition? You: he goes by sol, caught the fucker trying to hack one of my comms and offered him a job on the spot Circe: only you Circe: so you finally have a tech specialist? You: looks like it Circe: well stop by the next time you’re in the area, first round’s on me
Vernon offered up that he was also called Hansol as an actual name. Though he preferred to keep going by Vernon, Sol would make for a good name to resurface under. Nobody would be able to put those two together, so it seemed safe while still ringing at least partly true. You taught him that the best cover stories or lies had a little bit of truth to them. It made it easier to navigate. 
Predictably, after reaching out to Circe, you got several more job requests. Each one came with a message that they’d heard about the new addition to your team and were looking forward to hiring you even more. Which is exactly what you wanted. Although the other two had initially been skeptical, they had come around. There was undeniable logic in the idea of Vernon hiding in almost plain sight. Nobody in their right mind would go looking for a missing Automaton on a ship of questionable legality that made frequent stops on a planet like Salax. Everything in his programming should have stopped that.
Which just leaves picking a job to start with, something you do all the time. Vernon can tell you’re a bit nervous, and he is too honestly, but it’s going to be okay. It has to be okay.
“I’m just gonna remind you before we head out,” you start, allowing Chirron to go ahead onto the ship, “you can leave any time you want. After the first two jobs, that is.” 
“But you’re still gonna be doing this, right?” Vernon asked.
“Yeah,” you answer quickly.
Vernon shrugs. “I’m with you then.” 
“Vern,” you caution. He only shakes his head.
“I wanna stick by you, you’re the first person that’s ever given a shit about me,” he says. 
That makes your heart skip a beat, which you don’t really have time to consider since you’re supposed to be taking off any minute now. In fact, if you don’t follow Vernon onto the ship, you’re sure that Chirron is going to come storming off to yell at you for holding them up. There are certain windows that you need to operate in. So you file the feeling away to be dealt with later, like so many other things in your life, and get on the ship. You still have a team to run. 
*+:★:+━━━+:★:+━━━+:★:+*
Everything goes fine with Vernon on the team. At least for a while. That’s the good thing about the type of work you do. Nobody really asks that many questions about your team or your backgrounds or where you were before. Nobody really cares, honestly, when your reputation is spotless and you’ve never missed a job. Honestly, you think that this whole situation is pretty perfect. Even Chirron, ever the pessimist, seems satisfied. 
Which is why you don’t see the issue coming. You should, you know it’s your job to see every possible outcome and calculate the likelihood of success, but you don’t see this one. Don’t anticipate something going wrong because of Vernon nearly blowing your cover. Don’t even consider that he might have an issue now, when it’s been weeks, with your methods for getting something done. Don’t think that you have to remind him that the number one rule when it comes to jobs is by any means necessary. 
Yet that’s what happens. He turns remarkably human, even with the restlessness that you’ve come to expect, when the three of you are sitting with an unsuspecting mark. Another human that doesn’t realize you’re on a job rather than just enjoying some drinks on a night out. You’re getting ready to take the mark to a backroom so that you can get the information you need and Vernon seems like he wants to stop you. Actively tries to delay you, actually.
“Baby, it’s getting a little crowded in here, why don’t you go ahead and see about a room reservation,” you say, offering your most seductive smile. The mark hesitates for a moment, thrown off by Vernon’s last comments.
“I would hate to get in the way…” he begins and your hand is on his arm immediately.
“I assure you, you’re not,” you say with eyes only for him. “I promise, I’ll meet you at the desk in just a minute.”
“How can I say no to that?” he asks, enamored with you again. Like too many before him.
The second he’s out of earshot, Vernon exhales and opens his mouth to say something. You’re quick to plaster on the same smile. 
“Chirron, take him back to the ship and wait for me there,” you say quietly, making sure nobody can hear you and nobody realizes you’re unhappy.
“Look, I’m sorry, I just…” Vernon starts.
“Not here,” you respond quickly, keeping the smile in place.
“Okay, but…” Vernon tries again, but Chirron is nudging him out of the booth.
“Let’s get something to eat, I’m starving,” he says without bothering to be quiet. He knows your moves well enough to play along.
“All you think about is food,” you jibe affectionately.
“Don’t take too long, we’ve still got work to do,” Chirron calls over his shoulder as he leads Vernon away.
You watch the two of them disappear into the crowd before you join the mark. Thankfully, he seems so taken by your flirting that he accepts your excuses of your friends being hungry. Everyone gets a little cranky, he sympathizes. The desk attendant offers you the key to one of the private rooms and you lead the way, feeling the mark following you without needing to check. 
*+:★:+━━━+:★:+━━━+:★:+*
It takes a little longer than normal and definitely longer than you’d like before you’re also headed back to the ship. This mark needed a little more foreplay before he was ready to spill the secrets that you need. Or maybe you’re a little off your game from the near issue that Vernon created. You know you’re good, you’ve done this enough times to know that you can be irresistible, but you don’t like unexpected interference. You definitely don’t ever expect that to come from your own team. And you don’t like having to resort to different plans, like you did tonight. Normally, you don’t take it that far. No matter. You got what you needed.
Once you’re heading back to the ship, you fire off a quick message to Chirron to ask if he’s got any food leftover on the ship. He knows it’s code. You’re asking if he actually went to get something to eat or if they went straight back to the ship. His answer comes immediately. They do have food, he lists off what the leftovers are, but you took too long and it might be cold. A suggestion to get your own food if you’re hungry. And also a suggestion to take an extra beat if you need it before you come back to the situation on the ship. So you take heed and pick up some food from your favorite stand before returning to the ship.
Both Chirron and Vernon are sitting in the booth as soon as you turn around from closing the hatch. Chirron looks tired, like he’s run an entire marathon in the time since you parted ways. Vernon looks restless, like he’s barely able to stay seated. Maybe that’s why Chirron looks so worn out.
“What the fuck, Vernon?” you ask as soon as you’re sitting down and setting out your food.
“What do you mean?” he asks as if it’s a completely unreasonable question.
“You nearly blew our cover!” you retort. 
“Because you were going to…you were taking him, you were going to…” he stutters out.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, I was going to fuck him,” you cut over him.
He blanches at the bluntness of your statement. Even after all the time he’s been around you, he’s still surprised. “Well that’s just…you shouldn’t have to do that.”
Your eyes flick to Chirron, as if you’re asking what he’s been doing the last two hours that you were indisposed. 
“He doesn’t want to hear what I have to say,” Chirron says. Vernon glances between the two of you. It’s still foreign to him that you can communicate without using any words.
“No, I don’t,” Vernon agrees. 
“Well, you should,” you say flatly. “Chirron is just as much in charge as I am. Whatever he says, also goes.”
“Not when it comes to you doing…that,” Vernon says.
“No, that was my choice,” you agree. 
“And you shouldn’t have done it,” Vernon argues.
“According to who, Vern?” you ask. 
“You just shouldn’t have to…use your body like that,” he says and looks down. He’s embarrassed, but you’re not sure why.
“Sweetheart, you knew the game. I told you that jobs get done by whatever means necessary. I told you that I’d never ask you or Chirron to do what I did, but that if it came to it, I would do it,” you explain.
“I didn’t think you were serious,” he says quietly.
“So, what? You thought you’d come in like some Knight to protect my honor and risk blowing the job?” You’re a little incredulous at that.
“I don’t know, I just didn’t like the idea of you and that guy…” Vernon starts and stops. Chirron, thankfully on the edge of the booth, gets up then.
“We need some supplies before we leave here. I’ll go grab them,” he says and leaves before either you or Vernon can object. 
“What was the first rule, Vernon?” you ask when the silence gets too deafening.
“That we finish jobs by any means necessary, I know,” he huffs out.
“No, the real first rule. When I agreed to help you,” you prompt, voice soft. He finally looks up at you. He knows and doesn’t want to say. “That, no matter what, you had to listen to what I told you.”
“I know,” he answers like a defeated man.
“Then why didn’t you?” you press.
“I don’t know,” he admits. “I just…I knew you were about to go into that back room with that guy and I knew how far you’d be willing to go to get what we need and it just…it made me mad.”
“Mad?” you ask. “Why are you mad?” 
Vernon is frustrated, you recognize it immediately. Not because of what you did, or not entirely, at least. He’s frustrated because he’s feeling an emotion that he doesn’t understand and doesn’t know how to describe. This isn’t the first time you’ll have to walk him through sorting it out. But it is the first time you’re not sure if you can. You’re nervous about what he’s feeling and why.  Nervous about what he’s going to say. Nervous about what he’s actually feeling. 
“I don’t know,” he admits. He’s frustrated. He doesn’t like not understanding how he’s feeling. “I just, I had this feeling in my stomach when you started making plans with that guy and I didn’t like it.”
“That’s understandable,” you offer.
“Is it?” His question comes quickly. “I wanted to, I don’t know, I wanted to tell him to get lost or just tell us what we needed to know but stop looking at you like you’re a meal. Or like you’re something to win. You’re not a thing, you’re a person.”
You’re relieved, mostly, because you think you can identify this emotion in a way that doesn’t complicate an already overly complicated situation. Your smile at him is soft, sofer than he’s seen on you since you left the break between jobs. Softer than you give to anyone on jobs and far more genuine. “Yeah, it is understandable. It just means you care, you’re protective over me.”
Vernon seems to consider this for a second like he’s not entirely sure that’s it. Seems to want to say something else. “I do care about you.”
“I know you do,” you say.
“I don’t like feeling like this, like I want to protect you and I know that I can’t,” he admits. 
“It’s tough,” you agree and then decide to admit something. “I feel that way about you, too.”
“You do?” Vernon looks hopeful, like you understand.
“Course I do,” you say easily. “I feel, I’m not sure, responsible for you, I guess. Like I threw you into this life without much choice and I worry that I’m putting you in more danger than when you ran onto the ship in the first place.”
“You’re not.” He’s quick to reassure you. “Life in the last month or two with you has been better than my entire existence up to meeting you.”
That shouldn’t warm your heart, shouldn’t make it beat irregularly, shouldn’t make you feel something more than just the care you mentioned. It does, though. It’s making you feel a lot of things that you really don’t need to be feeling.
In contrast, Vernon seems much lighter. It seems like he’s relieved by understanding the care he feels for you is normal and relieved he could let you know how good things have been since he met you. It doesn’t go deeper for him, at least not now. Not when you gave him a simple name for the emotion. You don’t think he realizes that you’re in your head about the entire conversation and what this means for the two of you going forward. You don’t think he realizes that there’s another emotional explanation for his reaction and you’re not going to tell him. 
*+:★:+━━━+:★:+━━━+:★:+*
Vernon thinks about that conversation with you a lot over the next several weeks of missions. He thinks about how he felt watching you make plans to go somewhere private with a person that you called a mark. He thinks about the feelings that boiled up inside of him that he described as anger when they felt like much more. He thinks of the way you react to him almost ruining a mission and how you reacted to him after you got back. He tries not to think about what you did while he waited in too much silence on the ship with Chirron. 
He spends the most time thinking about what you didn’t say. Even though he’s not sure what it was, he knows there’s something. Your face can be really expressive when your guard is down, as it usually is around him and Chirron. Part of him wants to think he reacted the way he did only because he cares about you in the same way that Chirron does. That you’re a team, some kind of weird version of a family that protects each other. But then he remembers how you went quiet after he accepted, with relief, the idea that it was only caring about you. Too many times, he finds himself wanting to ask what you didn’t say.
The three of you all agree that he should stay on the ship more during those kinds of missions. There’s really no reason for you all to be off the ship, anyway. You’re usually the only one that interacts with people like that, the only one that seems comfortable putting yourself out there like that. Vernon hates that you feel like you have to take those jobs, hates that you’re willing to go to those lengths. Although you tell him a lot, he doesn’t know that you don’t mind that part of it. That you don’t see yourself as someone that forms actual romantic attachments, that sex is just sex for you. Just another part of life. 
It’s another mission where you think you may need to get close to a mark, another mission where you think you may need a back room without prying eyes. Whatever that means. This time, Chirron offers to stay on the ship with Vernon. He says it’s because there’s some things he needs to work on, but Vernon sees it for what it is. He doesn’t want to leave the newest team member alone. Chirron is much more perceptive than anyone gives him credit for.
“You know, I never asked you,” Chirron starts, causing Vernon to look up from the transponder he’s fiddling with. “What were you hoping for when you ran onto our ship?”
Vernon considers this for a moment. It feels like a lifetime ago, yet also feels like it was just yesterday. “I’m not sure. I think I just hoped that I could catch my breath long enough to figure out my next move.”
“Not join a team that takes on illegal jobs across the galaxy?” Chirron asks, that dry humor surfacing again.
“No,” Vernon agrees with a small chuckle.
“Why do you stay?” Chirron wonders.
“Trying to get rid of me?” Vernon asks in response.
“No,” Chirron answers immediately. “No, having you around has been good for her. For both of us, really. I’m just curious about why you stay when you don’t have to. Is it just because you don’t have anywhere else to go?”
Vernon, thankfully, is used to Chirron’s way of speaking. So he knows there’s nothing malicious behind the question, only curiosity. 
“No, it’s not that. Not that I have some idea of where to go beyond that one sanctuary planet I’ve heard of,” Vernon says. “I like being around both of you. It feels like I belong? I haven’t felt like this before. It’s nice. Kind of like a feeling of being warm all over.”
“I’m glad,” Chirron says genuinely. 
“I don’t like this part though,” Vernon says and shifts in his seat again.
“The waiting?” Chirron wonders, but there’s something on his face that Vernon can’t place. Thankfully, he carries on. “Or the waiting when you know what she’s doing?” 
Vernon frowns at that. He’s still not sure he has the right name for this feeling. “Why does she put herself in positions like this?”
Chirron shrugs. “Don’t know. I’ve tried to tell her that some jobs aren’t worth it, but it’s like she has to prove something. To who, I’m not sure.”
“You don’t stop her, though,” Vernon observes.
“No, I don’t,” he agrees. 
“Why?” Vernon presses.
“Because, as you saw on that mission a few weeks ago when she sent us away, she’s going to do it anyway. I know the difference between when something is actually dangerous and when it’s just not what I would do. So I let her go unless it’s actually dangerous,” Chirron says. 
“It still doesn’t feel good,” Vernon admits. 
“No, because you care about her,” Chirron says like it’s the simplest thing in the world.
“Of course I do, I care about both of you,” Vernon says. “You care about her too.”
“I do,” Chirron agrees and that look is back, “but not the same way as you do, I don’t think.”
“Are there multiple ways to care for someone?” Vernon asks. 
Chirron chuckles, a low, comforting sound. “Of course. There’s the way her and I care about each other, like family. Like someone that could drive you absolutely insane, but you still love them and you’d still be there for them in a friendly way.”
“And what’s the other way?” Vernon wonders.
“Caring about them like you have feelings for them. Like they’re the first one on your mind when you wake up or the last one on your mind before you go to sleep. Like you just want to be around them and feel a little empty when you’re not. Like you’re not entirely sure what you’d do if one day they just weren’t there anymore,” Chirron explains.
“Oh,” is all Vernon can say. 
“I don’t know how you feel, or how she feels, but it doesn’t seem like just the kind of caring like it is between her and I,” Chirron says. “I love her and I’d do anything to protect her, but I don’t have feelings for her.”
“Do I?” Vernon asks quietly.
“I don’t know, only you can figure that out,” Chirron says. 
Feelings are difficult, Vernon thinks as he contemplates Chirron’s explanation. Every time he thinks that he’s got a handle on them, something else comes up to throw him for a loop. His body almost relaxes to help the fact that his mind is going entirely too fast. Chirron, seeming to sense that he gave Vernon a lot to think about, goes back to what he was working on before the conversation. 
It’s easy to be around Chirron, something Vernon has known since the beginning. But now he realizes that it’s easy in an entirely different way than being around you. With Chirron, there’s a comfort and a familiarity and definitely a care. Just like he describes feeling about you. With you, it’s entirely different. Vernon finds himself wondering about your past, wanting to know every detail even though you’ve shared a lot. He wants to know what you think, especially when you go silent. What thoughts are you keeping to yourself and why don’t you want to share them? 
The worst, though, is easily the way Vernon feels when you’re off on your own like this. He’s not sure how to put it into words or how to even Chirron about it. Or if he even wants to ask Chirron about it. He just knows that he doesn’t like it, that it makes him feel unsteady and unfocused. That he makes mistakes on whatever he’s working on when he thinks of this aspect of the jobs. It’s like he wants to lash out at the marks or the clients that hire them in the first place. He wants to let these people know that you’re not actually interested in them. That it’s only for work. But is that true? 
“Chirron, can I ask you something?” Vernon finally asks.
“Sure,” Chirron says. He’s much more relaxed around Vernon, probably because he doesn’t try to rile Chirron up.
“I’ve got this feeling that I’m not sure about, it pops up when we’re on missions like these,” Vernon begins before outlining just how he feels when he thinks about what you’re doing.
Chirron is quiet, thoughtful as he listens, giving Vernon his full attention. He lets Vernon finish uninterrupted before he’s quiet for a second. “Well, it sounds like jealousy.”
“Jealous of who? Of her?” Vernon asks. He knows what jealousy is, just like every other emotion, because it’s simply knowledge of the existence of emotions. He doesn’t know how it feels though, not really. Like every other emotion, it’s something he’s had to learn as he goes.
“Of the people she’s with,” Chirron answers, amused.
“Why would I be jealous of them?” Vernon asks. 
“I can’t tell you the why, Vernon, you know that,” Chirron says without any hint of frustration. “I can just say what it sounds like. Which is that you’re jealous she’s behind closed doors with someone other than you.”
“You think I want…to do that, I don’t even know…I’m not sure how something like that would even work,” Vernon splutters, tripping over his words worse than he’s done in a while. 
Chirron takes pity on him and only gives him a sympathetic look. It allows Vernon to gather his thoughts before he says anything else. A blessing, actually, because a minute later, the door opens to allow you back onto the ship. You look a little like you’ve been up to something that Vernon doesn’t really want to consider. Like you tried to straighten yourself out again, but couldn’t quite get everything. Thankfully, you don’t seem to notice the tension in the air and just immediately go to pull out something to eat. Life moves on for you like nothing else happened.
Thankfully, Vernon can pretend he’s working on reprogramming a communicator, something he needs to do for a job anyway, and stay back away from the cockpit of the ship. He also knows that you’ll eat up there with Chirron to talk about how things went. To talk through the finer details of the information you were able to extract. You don’t talk to Vernon about those details and he doesn’t stop to think about why. He’s just glad you don’t. Not that you go into explicit detail with Chirron. It’s just…well maybe Chirron is right. Maybe Vernon is jealous because he’s got deeper feelings for you. 
*+:★:+━━━+:★:+━━━+:★:+*
It’s supposed to be easy. That’s what you say. You don’t take on jobs that would put the team at too much of a risk and you don’t ask them to do anything they don’t want to do. You haven’t even taken on a job recently where you’d have to leave Vernon and Chirron on the ship while you entertained a mark. This is an exception, you say, too good of a job to pass up given that it should be simple. So simple.
Vernon makes it back to the ship before Chirron does, which makes sense. All Vernon had to do was meet with one of your contacts to swap out some tech he’d been using. After all this time, Vernon isn’t entirely sure what Chirron does when he’s off the ship. He asked once and didn’t get a straight answer. You shrugged it off and said that Chirron does a lot of things, some of which you don’t even know or understand. When you didn’t seem concerned, Vernon let it go as well.
Once Chirron gets back, Vernon pays more attention to the feeling in his stomach since you agreed to this mission. Something just feels…off. Not right. He’s trying not to dwell too much on it because he’s very aware it might be, at least in part, due to his feelings for you. Feelings that he now very much recognizes are real. Whatever that means for him. He hates watching you walk away when he thinks about what you’ll be doing. And he agrees it’s best for him to stay on the ship rather than risk blowing the mission. 
Except…well now he’s actually getting worried. It’s been too long since you left the ship, longer than usual. Long enough that even Chirron doesn’t shoot Vernon down when he brings up his concern. Which only serves to concern Vernon more because Chirron is almost always level. Even now, only his eyes give anything away when Vernon mentions just how long it’s been since you left the ship. After several minutes of back and forth, Chirron agrees that it should be Vernon that leaves the ship to try and find anything out about you. As much as Chirron tries to stay in the shadows, he’s been working with you for years now and people automatically associate him with you. 
So Vernon enters the building, manages to figure out where you had gone without raising any suspicions. After all, your reputation for chasing after pleasure proceeds you. Something Vernon is cursing himself for even considering. The thought flies out as soon as he’s in the room and he sees you lying on the couch, covered in cuts and bruises, only half-dressed. He’s beside you in what feels like a second, checking to make sure he feels a pulse. But, up close he can hear your slightly labored breaths. It could be worse, he reminds himself, as he gets you dressed and wraps you up. He doesn’t want it to be obvious just how beaten up you are before he’s had time to think. Or to consider what you’d do in this situation. Everything in him shuts down apart from the need to get you out a back door and onto the ship as quickly as possible.
Back on the ship, Vernon collapses into the booth while Chirron takes over and takes you into the sleeping cabin. Thankfully, Chirron knows enough basic First Aid that he’ll be able to patch you up before taking you to see a professional. Someone that you and Chirron trust enough to take you there. But, for now, he’s cleaning your wounds and wrapping you up as best he can. Vernon knows he should be helping, knows that an extra set of hands would help. He just…can’t. Can’t seem to find the strength to see you in this condition. He’s just amazed he got you back to the ship without losing it or without anyone seeing you. And thankful, so very thankful, that Chirron is keeping it together. 
Without a word, Chirron emerges from the sleep cabin and heads straight for the front of the ship. Vernon’s barely even sat down in your usual seat before the ship takes off. Chirron doesn’t fly too high, he’s just going to a different part of the planet. That’s what he said when he said that you and him knew someone that could help. It both feels like an eternity and no time at all when the ship lands again. Vernon expects to help you off the ship. Instead, Chirron tells him to stay put, that he’ll be back. 
Doc, that’s what Chirron calls him, looks like a man that’s aged beyond his actual years. He looks like he’s seen more than most people would over several lifetimes. Yet, he seems kind. Seems like he could be anyone’s father or uncle. This time, Vernon does actually follow them back to the sleep cabin, careful to stay out of the way. Doc starts taking stock of you and attaching a number of devices to various parts of your body. They start beeping and it should calm Vernon, because at least something is happening. They don’t, though. All he can think is that you shouldn’t have been in this position in the first place. This was the wrong job to take. 
Vernon’s learned a lot about emotions during the time with you and Chirron, a lot more than he learned in all his time before. He knows, now more than ever, that he cares about you far beyond just being friends. He knows that he’s never felt this kind of fear. Knows that he can’t be still, even for a second. It’s always been like this, Vernon has always suffered from restlessness. It’s a million times worse now. And it’s getting in the way of your care. Somewhere in his pacing and mumbling, something he doesn’t even realize he’s doing, Chirron sends him away. Doc gives him a sympathetic look, like he understands, before turning back to you. 
It’s not any easier to be outside of the sleep cabin because Vernon can still hear everything that’s happening. The entire ship is silent except for the work Doc is doing. Not seeing what’s happening is even worse and Vernon’s restlessness turns into something more like anxiety. He can’t imagine going on without you. Not that anyone has said that would be a possibility. In fact, Doc seems to think you’ll be fine in no time. Most of the injuries are merely surface level. Chirron comes back out with a list of things that they need and tells Vernon to go take care of it. It’ll help you and help him in the process. He’s not doing anyone any good in the state he’s in now. 
*+:★:+━━━+:★:+━━━+:★:+*
It takes a few days, but you’re mostly back to your normal self. The worst part, for you, is that you fractured one of your ribs. So that means rest, Doc’s orders. Vernon was happy to hear it because it meant that you had no choice but to take a break. Chirron seemed pleased as well, saying once Doc was off the ship, he’d take you back to the homebase. 
You, however, wake up back home and seem irritated. Remind both Vernon and Chirron that you still have a job to do. Can’t seem to wrap your head around your injuries or the severity of the situation. That’s the first time that Vernon sees Chirron raise his voice with you. It’s the first time he sees the usually calm force standing firm in his position. You’re on bedrest for now so that you can actually heal. Together, you can all figure out what to tell the client. But your health is most important or it’ll be a lot longer than a matter of weeks that you’re out of commission. 
Vernon doesn’t get to listen in on the conversation about what happened. It’s Chirron’s decision, saying that he thinks it’ll just be easier. So Vernon doesn’t know what happened, not really. Sure, he can guess and probably paint at least a picture. Does he really want to know, though? He’s not sure. He doesn’t want the details of just how you were going to get the information, so maybe it’s better like this. What he does need, though, is to talk to you. Chirron gives him that chance as soon as he can, which Vernon is thankful for.
“You look better,” Vernon says after a light knock on your door frame. 
You laugh lightly and Vernon worries for a second, but you seem fine. “Wow, you really know how to butter a girl up.”
“I was worried about you,” Vernon says as he crosses to sit in the chair next to your bed.
“It takes a lot more than that guy to take me down for real, sweetheart,” you offer. 
Vernon’s jaw clenches. “Still.” 
“Hey,” you say and reach out to take his hand. “I’m really okay. I’ve had worse than this, I promise.” 
“You think that makes me feel better?” Vernon wonders with a shake of his head. 
“This is a dangerous line of work,” you say.
“I’m aware of that,” Vernon answers. 
“What’s really on your mind? Chirron’s worried about you,” you admit. 
“We could have lost you,” Vernon says, barely more than a whisper. “I could have lost you.” 
“But you didn’t,” you say gently.
“But I could have and it’s like,” Vernon presses, pausing to think of the right word. “It’s like you don’t even care. Like it’s all a joke.”
“Of course I care, Nonie,” you say. Vernon tries, and fails, to stop his heart from skipping over the nickname that falls so easily from your lips. “This is the job, I know you and Chirron were worried about what was going to happen to me…”
“This isn’t about Chirron,” Vernon snaps and you pull your hand away from his. 
“What is it about?” you ask, guard up. 
“It’s about me almost losing you. About me feeling something that I didn’t even think I was capable of feeling and then worrying I’d lose you before I ever got to tell you,” Vernon says. 
“Vernon, I don’t think…” you start again, only to fall silent at whatever look you see in his eyes. 
“I know it sounds crazy, I know what I am,” Vernon says without meeting your gaze. “We were never supposed to be more than robots. I’ve heard it all. Nobody ever could have predicted that we’d get a consciousness. Nobody seems to know what that even means or what it is. I just know that I ran from the only other beings that I’ve ever known straight onto your ship. And I thought it’d be scary or I’d regret it, but I don’t. You taught me and guided me without making me feel less than. I was teetering on the edge of way too much…whatever this restlessness is. You were like a balm for that.” “I’m glad,” you say, voice just as quiet. “It’s easy to be around you, Vernon. I’m glad you feel at ease here.”
“I don’t understand how…feelings work or what they mean, not when it comes to what I feel for you,” Vernon says. He looks at you, so hopeful. “Maybe we can figure it out together.”
“Vernon, I’m not…I don’t think I’m built for something like that,” you say, pleading for him to understand.
“You don’t care about me?” Vernon wonders.
“No, of course I do,” you disagree. “I just…I don’t know what I really feel either. I just know relationships, they’ve never been what I sought out. They get too complicated in this line of work where anything can happen.”
“So leave,” Vernon offers, like it’s so easy.
“Leave?” you question.
“Yes, quit doing this kind of work. Leave and start a new life away from all of this,” Vernon pleads.
“And what? Just abandon Chirron?” you ask angrily.
“Of course not,” Vernon retorts. “You and I both know that he only stays because you’re family to him. He doesn’t want to do this forever.”
“Is that what you and him talk about when I’m off the ship getting information?” You’re angry now, but Vernon thinks he’s a little annoyed too.
“No,” Vernon says. “The only time we’ve talked about you is when he helped me process what I was feeling. I just, it doesn’t take some kind of genius to see he stays because he cares about you.” 
“This is the only life I’ve ever known,” you say, anger subsiding to be replaced by you looking smaller than ever before.
“No it’s not,” Vernon disagrees. “You told me about your family.”
“Don’t bring them up,” you caution.
“It doesn’t have to be like this, surely you see that,” Vernon pleads again.
“If I say no, will you stay? Or are you asking me to choose between you and this entire network I’ve built over years?” As soon as you say it, Vernon knows he’s lost. Knows that you’ve already made up your mind.
“I’m not asking you to choose anything,” Vernon says. “But I’m not going to continue to watch someone that I care this deeply about put herself in so much danger. So you don’t have to leave this life. I’m done, though.”
“What?” You look like you’ve been smacked.
“I’m done,” Vernon repeats. “I can’t go on like this. I can’t feel the way I do every time you leave the ship. I can’t keep wondering if I’m going to find you in an even worse position. So, I’m leaving. I’d love for you to come with me, but you’ve made your position clear.”
“So, that’s it?” you ask.
“That’s it,” Vernon confirms.
He leaves the room for long enough to say his goodbyes to Chirron, who doesn’t seem surprised that it’s going like this. He’s sad, for sure. Vernon knows what he said was true, Chirron would leave if he could, but he won’t leave you alone. The two of you are family and Vernon’s thankful that you’ll still have someone to depend on. 
There’s nothing left to say to you, nothing but all the things left unsaid. Things that he wishes he could say and things he knows you want to say. Things neither of you will say to the other. Which is fine. It has to be. Vernon has gotten a crash course in humanity, so he tries to squash down the disappointment when he says goodbye to Chirron and you don’t even bother trying to stop him. Barely registers Chirron asking where he’s going. Truthfully, he doesn’t have a plan, so he blurts out the first thing to come to mind. He’s heard of another planet, he thinks it’s called Lumen, that’s something of a sanctuary planet. He’s going to need time to get things together before he can depart. This isn’t something he’d really thought would happen. For the time being, he’s going to stay with another of your contacts that he’s worked closely with since joining the team. One of the only other beings that he trusts apart from you and Chirron.
Just like that, he’s out the door without a backward glance to see that you got as far as your door. Without seeing the way your face falls at him leaving. Without seeing the way Chirron shakes his head at the situation. But you don’t call out, don’t try to stop him. You just let him go like there aren’t any other options. 
*+:★:+━━━+:★:+━━━+:★:+*
It takes a couple weeks to arrange the transport (and Chirron helping Vernon out by sending credits and outstanding favors to cash in along without you knowing) to Lumen. He stays with a contact he met while working with you that knows someone named San. That’s where the idea of Lumen comes up. It seems like there’s a chance Vernon’s other members are there. And if Vernon has a chance to see them again, he has to take it. Even though he wants to see them all, he really hopes Seungcheol is there. If not for the leader, none of them would have been able to escape.
Vernon gets a last message to Chirron to let him know that he’s leaving in two days. Somewhere in the back of his brain, Vernon hopes that Chirron will share the message with you and maybe you’ll say goodbye. You don’t. Even though Vernon wants to be upset, and he is, he’s still thankful that Chirron helped in the first place. He knows that without that help, he wouldn’t be able to get on a ship to Lumen. 
The journey itself is uneventful. Vernon’s spent enough time on your ship to be used to the travel, but he’s still worried initially that something will go wrong. It’s got him a bit on edge, to say the least. Until he realizes that this isn’t one of your jobs, this is just a regularly scheduled trip to Lumen that the ship was taking anyway. The only difference is one extra passenger. It’s not until they approach the planet’s atmosphere that he starts to get nervous again. The crew agreed that Lumen seems to be a sanctuary planet, and that’s great. It’s just, well Vernon hasn’t really considered what to do when they land. 
The planet is beautiful, like what it seems like Earth looked like before, at least from pictures he’s seen. There’s so much life and color everywhere that immediately puts him at ease. He’s still skeptical, how could he not be? But there’s also a sense of immediate relief that washes over him. WIthout even realizing it, he thinks that this is home. At the dock, he inquires about a place to stay, hesitantly admits that he’s a level 1 automaton, and says he doesn’t have many credits to barter with. What he’s not prepared for is the smiles that form instantly. Someone tells him about a house that he might be interested in and gives him directions. 
It’s not long before he’s approaching the large house, far bigger than he’s expecting it to be. This is definitely too much for him to stay in when he’s not sure how he’s going to afford anything. It’s then that he notices someone working in a garden, tending to plants. They look up and smile the second they see Vernon. He can’t quite hear what they say when they turn to look over their shoulder.
And that’s when Vernon’s entire world shifts. The very one he’d been hoping to see comes out from behind the house and erupts into a smile. They’re both moving towards each other, neither quite believing the sight before their eyes. 
“Vernon?” he asks.
“Seungcheol,” Vernon says with so much affection for his leader. 
“Welcome home,” Seungcheol says and hugs him. 
Home. This can be home. Maybe it’ll all be okay. Maybe this is where Vernon was meant to end up all along and maybe working with you and Chirron had just been a stop along the way. 
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i'm sorry for leaving it open like that at the end, but it's kind of what felt the most realistic for them. i hope you enjoyed it and check out all the amazing fics 💕
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jenchann · 6 months
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Paint 'em Red
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Pairing: afab dom! Reader x sub! Renjun
Genre: Office AU, Office banging, SMUT SMUT SMUT.
Warnings: Usage of Noona, Mommy, Renjun is unstable and needy, Slapping, Slapping on Dick, Begging, Name calling, Office banging, Jealousy, Degradation, Reader being mean, Pain kink, Use of unnamed/unidentified rituals, Fwb situation, Blood.
Lemme know if I missed anything guys
It would help me so much if you could reblog guys💞Tumblr works based on reblogs so do reblog🙏
"It's not like you could please me well anyways"
You felt rage first. Then felt insulted, a genuine insult that went to your heart . Finally came the urge to clutch his throat and choke it, to make him kneel and buckle in submission was raging inside you. You didn’t respond, not with the company’s 15th Anniversary celebration starting in 10 minutes you couldn’t argue back, unlike Renjun who thought it was a good time to annoy you now. You remained unresponsive and cold, never acknowledged him nor show any reaction to your fellow employee. Taking the coffee tray filled with coffee cups you moved away consciously, slowly away from him, already killing him enough in your mind while you joined your other fellow employees outside the break cabin room. It was a brief celebration before the actual big events that would happen on the grounds.
Renjun and you had been fuck buddies for some time now and few days back he seemed on the edge and started to nitpick things for no reason. You both weren’t considerably close before this so you couldn’t really make him slip the stuff after some expressions of concern. So you gave him space and time, you already attended a company meeting abroad in the mean time which lasted around ten days and baam! He had to say that today when facing each other after a whole week. The job was very demanding but you both could agree on taking each other’s needs and opinions in consideration cause you worked in the same company- you knew how things were and how it could get in your life. So you were giving him space and conversed today causally to lighten the mood today. But he seemed to have a sharp tongue and a bad mood. You almost sarcastically wanted to say "Someone's on their periods" just to shut him up.
"Yes, yes, now! The time has come to announce the outstanding employee of the year for our department" Yuta announced, gathering the attention of the employees.
"Anyone have any guesses??" An employee curiously questioned.
"Come on guys, it's very obviously from our Team"
"Your Team? It's from our Team and more like me obviously" another guy chided.
“Guys guys, everyone did a spectacular job this year and I am so proud each and everyone of you. Unfortunately I cannot give this to everyone so only one staff is eligible to receive this. It was one tough decision! There were a lot of contenders for the award!” Yuta raised his voice appeasing all his staffs. A collective sigh emitted from different employees at that.
"Now, a huge applause for the new Ace of our department. It's Y/N, Congratulations Ms.YL/N!!"
Renjun scoffed lowly, eyes rolling as he sluggishly removed his hands from his pockets to applaud you for the award, along with the employees. The cheers were quite loud that he even tilted his head away from his friend who deliberately clapped loudly near his ear. You received the award from Yuta, your Manager a.k.a The Department Head and briefly expressed your thankful feelings clutching your achievement with pride. You did work day and night for this after all, in no sleep and even in sickness.
The fun games commenced and you had to say, the arrangements weren’t that bad this time, fun but not boring and not too competitive. Time passed and you could feel someone hanging around your vicinity all along the celebrations like a shadow but you brushed it off, at first. But a creepy feeling crept up making you paranoid, like someone was watching you.
“Y/N” Jaehyun called, snapping you to reality. You both resumed to focus on the game of dumb charades. They did seem to give away gift coupons so you were not going to lose on some free high quality self care.
The icky feeling crept up your skin and you couldn’t take it anymore after an hour and turned around to stare long and hard from the direction you felt the weird energy, y’know just in case. Even after many times of trying to locate anything, you found no answers so you resumed to playing the fun activities as you participated in few of the games. You finally brushed off the feeling as fatigue from the travel, making you unease for no reason. It’s broad daylight and you were surrounded by people, you are safe.
“I’m pretty sure our department is gonna win the best department of the current year” Yuta’s eyes sparkled as he talked when all the department celebrations ended. Travel never seemed to affect him, no- nada. Only you were tired and jetlagged. He did love his work very much, sometimes you wished you loved it as much as him. Maybe after a promotion you could actually enjoy it.
“Yess, yes, you have said this a thousand times before” you borderline complained to Yuta. But that never stopped him at all. There was no way to stop him when he got all excited like that. Did I say he loved his work and loved loved Money? Loved money so much he actually got a good lump of it, being the Head of the department and all. That’s a deadly combo but you were sure hardwork would take you places. Even just being around people who got that luck.
“NO, don’t you know what this means?? We will be getting a bonus!! A Bonus!”
“Of course, money’s got you all giddy. I will rest in the Dance room, don’t bother about me even if we win the award alright?”
“Without the ace of the year? It’ll be no fun”
You rolled your eyes hard at him at that.
“Better not lock that door , I might come to drag you away to celebrate our victory when we win”
“I’d like to see you try” you gave a mock salute to your superior before you left the area. You nonchalantly moped along the path to the room and dropped your belongings the second your set foot in the room. You switched the lights off and lied down on the plush-y soft sofa comfortably. And it hit you, you didn’t lock the door. You did not want to get dragged along to the most boring part of the celebrations by Yuta.
Knock, Knock.
Speak of the devil you mused.
You heard two raps against the door. You skeptically let out “Yuta?” to be met with no response. You could hear them clutching the door handle a click of the door handle, you scrawned behind the sofa and clutched a drumstick from the drumming set near you.
There was no reason to be scared, you were still in the office in broad daylight yet the icky feeling you had few minutes before managed to creep in again.
“Noona?”
You pondered over the voice and wearily asked “Renjun?”
The handle clicked open, door opening ajar revealing Renjun himself. He did look cute and handsome in the suit today, that’s what you been thinking until he had to talk that pretty in the morning.
"What do you want?"
He looked apologetic at your tone but you were not going to get soft on him, he does not get to get off this that easily.
"I-im Sorry, just…let me in”
You moved aside, letting him in and peered out to check if no one saw. Clicking the door locked, you looked at Renjun unimpressed, a lot of people saw you come in to this room and he dares to follow you now?
“What?”
“Eh, About the thing in the morning….”
“It was a very pleasant greeting by the way!”
He didn’t reply and instead hung his head low.
“I don’t think there is any reason for us to meet or converse anything other than about work Mr.Huang” you were not going to let this slip and so you wanted to give the ending to what he started.
"What?! No!” he said in bewilderment.
“Pray tell what do we have to talk about anymore?”
“About today morning…” bunny teeth digged into his lower lips.
“What made you think you could say that to me?”
“I’m sorry Noona! I wasn’t thinking straight. I know I shouldn’t have said that, especially after a long week. You were gone…”
"Are you joking?"
At that he came forward and hugged you, so tight that you could not breath after few seconds.
“Can’t. Breathe.”
“Oh!” he released you immediately, looked at your face to see if you were alright and then hugged again now buying his face in your neck.
“I missed you so much” his muffled low voice sent shivers on your spine and you tightened your thighs unconsciously. You weren’t sure if he knew it affected you, but he took another deep inhale as if he was calming himself, hands draped over your back comfortably.
It actually felt cute but then…
“Are you fucking serious right now??!!” you pushed him away at his audacity.
He had his puppy eyes on, bottom lip tucked between his teeth he looked at your expectantly. That look might’ve worked before but not today.
So he came forward and clutched your hands to grab him through his pant as he shakily exhaled, visibly shaking in your hold. You looked up at him and snatched your hands away from his clutches, away from his semi-solid dick.
“Please”
"And...why are you saying this to me? I thought I didn’t please you well, as said by yourself! If I didn’t please you why are you missing me?”
His face fell and eyes watered "I'm sorry I was just frustrated"
"So you say mean stuff to me even when I take care of you the best I can? I mean... I can't read minds, can I? How would I know if you never found me satsifying, when all I remember was you fucked out and exhausted that you slept too well? Was that not being satisfied? And you say I’m not satisfying you?" You talked cold at him as you clutched his jaw forcing him to look at you.
"I'm sorry, I take it back" he eyes were positively watering now.
"I'm afraid I can do nothing for you Mr.Huang"
He hung his head low and whispered "It hurts"
"Did you not hear me now?" You walked towards the door and turned on the knob to leave the room.
"I said I'm sorry!! I didn't mean to! Please....Forgive me and I thought…." his voice sounded strained and you turned around. Something about the voice and the single shake of it, he’d never been like this before.
"Thought what?"
You sighed and locked the door again this time but he didn’t continue.
"Mommy" he was now kneeling down, voice completely different now. Your pussy coming alive at the familiar tone of his voice, all soft and warm.
His eyes all glossed, lips all wet and red from biting them in embarrassment while talking to you. Oh he's horny and wet af. And shameless.
You moved towards his body and did something unthinkable. You slapped him. His chest heaved as you could hear a low groan from him, cheeks blooming with your hand imprint. “Fuck” he cursed.
There was a weird tension between you two now, for the next step.
You could just walk away from him and leave him like that. Just like how he insulted you. Leave him vulnerable and needy. For you. Just leave him how he is now, to prove he lied through his teeth today morning. Why would he come back if he didn’t like the things you both did?
“Please mommy” he begged again as he pushed his hips forward crudely. He liked it?
“Such a whore” something surged in you and the need to humiliate and dominate him was much bigger now, stemming from you hurt, your anger. He seemed to not mind nevertheless.
"You never say those words to me again alright? You talk to me what you like and don’t like properly without acting like a pathetic little pussy”
"Yes...I'm sorry, please just, I didn't mean it at all..."He teared up now, face flushed pink and lips red and eyes glistened. Few other tears escaping as he tried to look at you clearly, lashes stuck together with excess tears.
Oh fuck.
“What do you want baby?” you caressed his face tracing the lines through his tears.
"Touch me, please” he said breathlessly.
He bit his lips again and undid himself as he stood up, the heavy shirt and pant fabric falling down in a thud. He stood there in his panties, now too tight with his excited dick.
“Lemme see what the fuss was all about, won’t you?” At your wish he gingerly removed the panties and his length sprung out, all red at the tip while the rest looked painfully stiff.
You glanced up at him and circled his tip slowly and he whimpered, more precum exiting the small slit. Already wet. So wet.
"Ah-hn-nng" his hips thrusted forward ever so slightly.
A slap landed right on the side of his leaking red tip, the owner's body jumping at the harsh contact, the never ending precum drenched his staff whole.
"Ahh-hn please" his soft fingers sneaked to base of his red cock, hands sloppily gripping and stroking them as his abdomen tensed.
"You think your deserve this from me?"
No response.
"You look like a pathetic slut right now, you know that? In broad daylight getting you dick wet? You still want me?! To help you? After the shit you spewed?"
"Please-"
"Then beg properly"
"Please touch my dick, please mommy. I’m so sorry, fuck me good please-Agh-hnng"
A sharp slap on his leaking dick again. And followed by another.
"Aahh-please! I'll be a good slut for you please, it’s too much please"
"Spread there" he looked in the direction you pointed and saw a table, cleaning up the table by placing the objects on the sofa nearby. The max you both had done in the office was a heated makeout session but nothing more. And today seemed to be the day you would break the limits.
And he mounted on it and spread looking at you.
"The other way, face away from me" you commanded "spread wide, on all fours”
The position you were directing him was so open and shameful, it was a sight to behold in the office space, all naked without a single bit of clothing.
"O-okay" he shakily replied. He pushed his hips out in front of you, silently asking you to do anything as he bent his torso down on the table as he spread his ass further on the air, legs moving away to accommodate the action, dick hanging between his thighs, red and swollen. You loved how pliant and needy he was today.
You smacked the soft globes of his ass watching the soft curve dipping towards the table as he pushed his hips out in reaction. You teased his rim with butterfly touches, but you knew he was already so sensitive and ready for you.
Your fingertips constantly circled the puckering hole, enticing moans from the owner which were a blessing to hear. Another sharp slap on the milky butt had him gripping the table, so you quickly took the chance of him relieving the pain to slip your saliva coated fingers in him.
A satisfied moan escaped his red lips “Mommy”
“Fuck yourself on me like a good boy, come on”
He obeyed  just like a good boy, rocked his hips gently back and forth with a sloppy pace, still getting used to you. You pushed his lower back down, curving his back to ensure the flexibility of his movements while you thrusted deep. Meanwhile your other hand fondled his balls.
“AH-That’s-“ he shimmied away from your ministrations helplessly which only made you lean forward and lick his seed sac.
“-too much-ah” and you felt him spill all over you left hand making a horrible mess everywhere.
“Already?” You concendingly taunted him, as you pumped his shaft top, riding him through the high.
“Tsk tsk tsk, what a mess! Look at the mess you’ve made baby! Never been the one to come this fast, what’s gotten into you?”
“It’s been a long time since we did anything…”
You paused. Even then… and it clicked.
“Renjun, did you edge yourself while I was away?”
He turned around , back facing you as his torso twisted to look at you, the best he can by adjusting the angles of his body. Fuck he looked so ravishing and enchanting like that. The soft window light creating a back cast but nevertheless his plump lips coated with saliva with all the biting were visible, abused ass hiding his cock but not the cum soiled all over the table.
“I..i missed you so much” you could swear his eyes were twinkling, lips glistening,  chest rising and waning softly as he looked at you-skin tinted pink and hair all messy. He looked inviting and ravishing.
“What do your want baby?” your voice sweet with want, just for him.
“Fuck me, please fuck me” You always loved how needy he got for you.
You straddled on his thighs, instructing him to hold on to the table so it doesn’t shake, you know just in case. You slowly bounced on him while you watched his shoulder and head fall down graceful from the table from the lack of space. Mouth open as silent pleasure coursed through him. His fingers fiddled with his hardened nipples, softly caressing and tugging them when you bottomed out on him again and again.
“Fuck, I’m gon-cum again” voice strained and incoherent from all the blood rushing to his brain-from both pleasure and gravity. But you didn’t stop, you were frustrated and you wanted to reach that high too. You grinded and bounced alternating while you leaned back against his legs.
“Fuck yeah-shh-Mommy- I”  you leaned forward and slapped him softly and he convulsed as his dick pivoted deeper into you, pulsing against your walls as he came.
“Come for me, yes, just like that”
He caught his breath for longer seconds and rolled over so you could lie down as well. His head on the crook of your neck, you played with his fluffy hair, sticking in all directions cause of sweat.
“Did you miss me that much?” you mumbled.
“Hmm?” Eyes hazy as he tried to focus on you, he blinked slowly.
“You were extra sensitive today, no?”
“Hmm…yes”he agreed as he purred under your care. “How was your trip?”
“The business trip? It was good, it was actually fun I never actually expected that” your eyes lit up as memories screened your mind.
“Really?” you looked at him at the question, he looked at you expectantly but you missed a grey glint in his eyes.
“Yes, it was so fun and everyone got along well. I was too knocked out to even rest properly with things happening everyday”
“Then let me take good care of you now” you heard him whisper, barely catching it.
You didn’t notice a metal clank against the table, not him slicing his palm open and fisted his dick to coat it with the fluid. Pumping himself hot and hard in few strokes, he positioned at your entrance, slowly pushing inside your cunt.
You groaned at the delicious intrusion, not noticing anything happening around you. All you know was both your moans hot and heavy on the room, tongue lazily sucking on each other open mouthed lewdly and him saying he wanted to keep fucking you all day, again and again even after having uncountable orgasms.
He ploughed in your pussy, against the warm juicy canal in a blissful rhythm and another orgasm was building up and he knew.
“Fuck, come with me, come with me please Y/N” He uttered staining his voice amidst the pleasure.
But your mind was too fixed on the orgasmic high you actually didn’t pay any mind to him. After a few seconds your felt weird in your stomach, not just the orgasm, like you felt you were floating away from your own body. You couldn’t feel your own body. As soon as you felt it, it was gone and you hit your orgasm and you while body spasm-ed, thighs clenching and unclenching around his waist rapidly with the vibrations.
“Oh, fuck”
You moaned his name so loud you were sure anyone outside would have heard it a hundred percent.
“Fuck yeah” a crazed glint you caught in his eyes as you stared up at him from your post orgasmic lidded eyes.
“Mine, all mine, MINE” he uttered lowly, not paying mind to you as he stared at where you both were connected.
“Renjun?”
He glanced up and the smile dropped. His eyes cleared up like he was taken out of a haze. The smile returned, now looking much more pleasant. Descending on your body he kissed you searingly. His hands cradled you helping your body up as you both kissed. You smiled at him between kisses but as you opened your eyes you saw dots of red on your peripheral vision. Red painted on both your lower body, bigger spots of it visibly trailing along both your abdomen.
“What…”
His hands, it was his hands slashed deep that the crimson bled thick every second. You couldn’t ignore another peripheral item that seemed to be dunked in red that also seemed to move. It was…
You looked down at yourself, the cum and blood mixed dripped from your cunt crudely, all around your thighs too. You eyes engorged in shock, you looked up at his innocent face, hair all fluffy framing like a halo. So in contrast with the action that transpired few seconds ago.
“What have you done?”
An eerie zoned out look passed Renjun' eyes again followed by an unsettling slow smile, baring teeth as much as possible with the skin scrunching up painfully full.
Taglist: @she-is-dreaming
"A Blood ritual"
But two knocks on the door interrupted your shock.
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klonnieshippersclub · 3 months
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Love Awaits
Happy New Year! This is my post for Day 3. Yes, I know it's a bit late and I'm very sorry for that. It's also not set in 1910 but in Marcel's youth. We have a bit of a "found family" coming together in this AU. This is a little longer than usual to make up for the delay.
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Randall was her responsibility. It was only a few years ago he was kicked out of their home. Randall was a Bennett and the Bennetts valued family but Randall was a boy and he didn't quite fit. Bonnie took on the responsibility of caring for him and abandoned the only home she knew. He was only a small child, but their bastard father saw Randall as useless. It was early in the year when they had lost their mother from magical overload in defeating a pack of rogue wolves that were terrorizing a nearby town.  Grief turned their father cruel. Bonnie and Randall left their small town Louisiana for the city. She was essentially a single mother at just fifteen with a five year old to take care of. It was hard but they made it work.
Years passed and they were happy. All they had was each other but that was enough. Randall even referred to Bonnie as his mother. At the age of 10, Randall found a slightly older boy unconscious by a pond. With his magic, he was able to send a message to his older sister. Luckily, she was not too far away and could provide medical aid to the unnamed boy with the knowledge she had from working as a nurse. Upon waking, the boy introduced himself as Marcel. Despite Marcel's insistence that he could walk home on the other side of the city, Bonnie and Randall brought him to their small home.
Hours passed and the boys lost time playing games (nothing too strenuous in consideration for Marcel's condition). Bonnie was making dinner when a belligerent knocking started at their door. When seeing the vampire snarling at her, Bonnie immediately sent him an aneurysm with her powers. She only stopped at Marcel crying out that this was his father. A vampire daddy was unheard of, but Bonnie believed the boy. With Marcel explaining the situation to his father (he was jumped by a rival to his father), the tension in the room disappeared. Bonnie made the sudden decision to invite the vampire inside if he provided his name. Klaus Mikaelson. From this point on, the families were close and the boys were basically inseparable.
It was a summer morning months later when Marcel dragged his father to the Bennett home. Klaus entered ready to greet Bonnie and Randall ran by with only one shoe to play outside with Marcel. Klaus called out to him, “Randall, get back here. You can't run off without your other shoe.”
The boy ran back inside the house to retrieve the shoe with Marcel following him. “I've been looking for it everywhere,” Randall said. Thanks, Pa.”
Bonnie appeared from the kitchen hearing their exchange with her hands on her hips. She voiced her confusion towards Randall. “Pa? He's not your father.”
“But Marcel said-”
“Shhhh,” interrupted Marcel while glaring at the younger boy.
Klaus raised a brow at his son and asked, “Marcellus, what did you tell him?”
“I only said it would be nice if we were a family.”
Randall continued, “And he said that mothers and fathers belong together.”
“Quiet!”
Bonnie could sense one of their childish arguments brewing. The arguments were never over anything serious but they tended to work out their problems physically and she didn't want them wrestling in the house. The last time they did so, they broke a vase of flowers. “Boys, we aren't together,” the Bennett witch remarked.
Marcel rolled his eyes at Bonnie's denial. “Are you sure?” he asked.
“Of course.”
“Then why is Pa so nice to you when he's mean to all the other ladies in covens?” Randall wondered aloud.
“He's not your Pa, Randall,” corrected his older sister/maternal figure.
Klaus and Bonnie were close but it wasn’t a relationship. “I respect Bonnie more than the arrogant witches of the city,” the Original justified.
Marcel joined in the questioning, “if you aren't together, why do you two always spend time together?”
Bonnie was surprised by the sudden interrogation and felt a bit defensive. The boys were together like glue. It shouldn't be so shocking that their guardians knew each other well. “We don't spend that much time together alone. You both are always with us.”
Randall was tired of their ridiculous excuses when he knew the truth. “Why did I see Klaus laying in bed with you?” he accused. “You were kissing!”
“Randall, what have I told you about spying?”
Instead of listening to the lecture he knew was coming, Randall took off with both shoes on his feet at lightning speed. He did not want to deal with his sister's wrath at him for violating her privacy. It didn't seem like a big deal to him anyway. He left immediately when he saw their lips touch. Marcel laughed as he went to catch Randall.
Klaus couldn’t help but to observe Bonnie and admire her beauty, even in her anger. “They think we’re in love,” Klaus said with a laugh.
Bonnie sighed, “it sounds silly and imaginative.” As much as her body desired his touch, they couldn't ever be romantically involved.
“We couldn’t ever be in love.” Feelings would complicate things. It would be a mistake for them to create a family together. Mortality would always separate them. As witches, they could never find happiness as vampires. Marcel could choose to turn when he got older, but Klaus could not expect that of Bonnie and Randall. “That’s a boundary that shouldn’t be crossed.”
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chuuyascumsock · 2 months
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Here’s a list of my WIPS [Writing and Art Projects]:
Writing WIPS:
• Lament Of A Bleeding Heart [Dazai Osamu/Reader/Nakahara Chuuya]. Genre Tags: Angst, Fluff, Smut, Love Rivalry, pretty much the whole shabang. Fic Size: Full Story/Novel. [Currently posted on Ao3, but being worked on and thought out more.]
• A Place Called Nostalgia In The Wisteria Gardens [Nakahara Chuuya/Reader]. Genre Tags: Angst, Fluff, Smut, Found Family. Fic Size: Full Story/Novel. [Posted but being completely reworked/rewritten.]
• #DickvorceLmao (Unnamed) [Nakahara Chuuya/Reader]. Genre Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Smut, Second Chance, Couple’s Therapy Yay!! Fic Size: Short Story (10 or less chapters). [Randomly found in my google docs from my 4AM self a couple days ago with the caption— “Doing what that bitch Colleen Hoover could never and wrote a book about finding out what a healthy relationship is.”]
• Chuuya Smut Week [Nakahara Chuuya/Reader]. Genre Tags: Literally just 7 smut stories with different AUs. Fic Size: Oneshots. [In my google docs, some are like 20% done to 30% done each.]
Art WIPS:
• Dazai Crochet Plushie [95% Completed]
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• BSD Oc/Author Insert Art Reference [10% Completed]
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I just thought I’d post what I’m focusing on rn, I really am trying to post more, I’m sorry for being gone for so long y’all 🥲
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welcometololaland · 3 months
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i didn't want to say 'goals' because you know, we're not putting pressure on ourselves to do anything other than create for love, but here are my general plans for 2024. feel free to send an ask or a message if any of these are up your alley, i have snippets for most of them and a lot of them are well on their way!
solo ventures:
1. 10 things i hate about you au (tarlos).
2. european adventure au (rwrb) - i vow to write this in 2024 even though it will probably destroy me emotionally. if anything is going to be longer than ALTA, it will be this.
3. product placement (tarlos).
4. the ring-in 2.0 (tarlos).
5. cause of action (hangster).
co-written magic:
1. (so far unnamed) pet store au with @strandnreyes (tarlos).
2. call me (by my name) with @rmd-writes (tarlos).
open tag if anyone would also like to share their wishlist 💜
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heavenhealy · 1 year
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genre: smut w a side of angst, afab!reader, boyfriends best friend!au
word count: 4.3k
summary: it’s wrong, you both know it, but how are you supposed to resist the pull of his hands, the ticklish strands of his hair on your neck, the whispered promises to fuck you better than his best friend can?
warnings: infidelity, alcohol consumption, swearing, unprotected sex, fingering (f receiving), oral (m receiving), degradation and praise, allusions to pain kink, spit, matty is a tease, marking, coming inside, slight overstimulation, dom!matty x sub!reader, public play (teasing but no sex), hair pulling, lemme know if I missed anything 
a/n: hiiiii, this is my first matty fic but def not my first fic, so I hope y'all like it! I have been harboring so much brain rot for him lately so I just wanted to share it with a likeminded audience. I purposely left readers boyfriend unnamed bc I honestly couldn’t be bothered, considering hes not thatttt important, but y'all are free to think of him as anyone. That being said, please do not go below the cut if you are 1) under 18 or 2) uncomfortable with the content. This is your final warning :)
ps. I didn’t edit or proofread so there may be typos!
The greasy bowl of popcorn has long been empty, but only now as the credits roll are you able to slip out from the weight of your boyfriends’ dozing frame to return it to the kitchen. You dump the bowl in the sink where it clatters against the rest of your unwashed dishes and you sigh. The last thing you want to do right now is wash dishes, but you turn the tap to warm and squat down to find the drying rack under the sink. 
Footsteps creak the wooden floor behind you, accompanied by a wave of cigarette scented air. Matty. Goosebumps rise along the back of your neck as you rise. Your heart hammers at an alarming rate and you try your best to act exceedingly normal even as he approaches you. Just as you drip some dish soap into the filling sink, his hands settle on your hips. You can feel the warmth of his palms and the calloused fingertips through the thin fabric of the t-shirt you've probably had since your freshman year of college. The tap continues to run, gushing water loudly into the sink basin. Despite the steam rising from the hot water you shiver as he presses his lean body into your back. A traitorous hand sneaks up to clear your hair away from the nape of your neck and your mind whirs to remember the last time you had felt quite so electric. A dark, bouncy curl strays across your ear so quickly you almost think you’re imagining it. 
“Lame ass boyfriend you’ve got out there, love.” His voice is silky, tinged with a hint of sleepiness that somehow only makes him more attractive. You can picture the way his mouth curves into a self satisfied smile as you automatically nod. It feels bad to admit, but you truly had been bored by your boyfriend lately. The spark between you had died long ago but you were simply afraid to admit it. 
But Matty certainly wasn’t. “Not even a quarter past 10 and he’s already asleep.” His breath ghosts into your ear, a whisper meant just for you even though you knew no one would catch you. The thrill makes you needy, keening against his body as he reaches around to turn off the tap. A sudden, deafening silence rushes in, and the apartment is so still you’re afraid that time has actually stopped. 
“He had a long day,” you amend as Matty’s teeth catch the shell of your ear, tugging playfully.
“Jesus, love. I had a long day too, and I’d still stay up all night if you asked me to.” You blush and resist the urge to squeeze your thighs together at his words. “Such a pretty thing shouldn’t have to go to waste.” Your head lolls against his shoulder and he knows he has you. His aura intoxicates you and you can’t help but think of all the time he existed in your peripherals: first as the eccentric best friend of the guy you just started talking to, then your boyfriend’s best friend and roommate, and then after one night where your boyfriend was away, your dirtiest little secret. 
A well-worked hand cups your breast through your shirt. Your nipple pebbles immediately at his touch and he laughs the snarky little laugh you would usually roll your eyes at. He knows, you both know, he could reach underneath the shirt and easily have his way with you, pinning you against his frame as his cock hardens and tweaking your nipples until you’re wailing. 
You allow your brain to run away with the fantasy; your boyfriend waking up to the sounds of your pleasure, dazed and confused until he stumbles into the kitchen to see Matty licking between your thighs like a man starved. 
But Matty likes the game. He takes a sick pleasure in the cat and mouse, in teasing you while you could get caught. He loves the deep blush that overtakes your face when he sends you a risky text or makes a point to clench his jaw when you catch his eye. 
He loves that whenever the three of you hang out, you often excuse yourself to the bathroom and send him photo evidence of the mess of slick he caused in your underwear. 
He rolls his hips against you, sure to press his cock firmly into the flesh of your ass. The counter underneath your fingers is your saving grace as he builds a torturous rhythm, nipping and pulling at your ear in a way that has no right to be so sexy. Every time a piece of his hair brushes against your neck you feel as if you’ve gone insane; like someone has attached all of your neurons to a jumper cable. A heady moan escapes your mouth before you can stop it, and Matty rewards you with an indulgent groan of his own. The push of his hips is intoxicating, and the persistent arousal gathering in your lower stomach makes you dizzy. With your eyes closed and his mouth at your neck, it’s easy to pretend that this is simply your life; that Matty is the one you met first, the boyfriend you share a bed and a history with, and that this little kitchen tryst is a sexy story you’ll remember when you miss him and not under struck with guilt. 
“Y/N?” It’s far away, the call of your name, but it distinctly belongs to your boyfriend. Ice fills your veins and you still, overly aware of the tight grip Matty keeps on you even as you try to wiggle away from him and reply. As much as you hate to admit it, you’re happy he doesn’t relinquish you so easily. 
“Y-yeah?” You call back, hoping your boyfriend chalks the shake in your voice up to anything other than his best friend’s hips grinding slowly against you. The couch creaks tellingly as he gets up, and your throat closes up in fear. You can hear his slow descent toward the kitchen, his sleepy shuffle giving Matty ample time to play around with you, and he does just that. His hand drops from your breast and his hips still, but his mouth stays sinfully close to your ear. 
“Good night, love. Come find me if you need someone to fuck you better.” Before your mind can even fully wrap around his statement he disappears, presumably to his bedroom. The absence of his body leaves you cold and frustrated, but the presence of your boyfriend forces you to pretend you’re okay. 
He looks rumpled and sleepy when he finds you in the kitchen, frowning at the time on the stove and the sink full of bubbles. 
“C’mon, dishes can wait until the morning.” He gives you an easy smile, one that would have made you giddy to kiss him a few months ago. Now you just nod and skirt away from his approaching figure, acutely aware of the fact that you would smell just like Matty if he got too close. 
“Go-go lay down, I need to use the bathroom first!” The excuse sounds lame even to your own ears, but he doesn't seem to have the energy to argue as he slips down the hallway, leaving you to purge the evidence before crawling into bed.
----
The restaurant was way fancier than you were expecting it to be, and even though you had pulled on a mid-length sleek black dress with pearled straps you felt out of place. The open planned room was bustling with diners and servers; but most of the noise comes from the exposed kitchen. You can see the slew of chefs as they work and the clashing of pots and pans makes it almost impossible to hear your boyfriend. Or Matty.
He wasn’t supposed to come, to be honest. The night was meant to be a celebration for just you and your boyfriend, who had recently wrapped up a project for a huge client. It’d been a long time since the two of you went to a fancy restaurant, and you had honestly been excited to get dressed up and spend the night with him. When you showed up to his apartment, you were stunned to see Matty, sprawled across the couch in his infinite glory, wearing a fancy black suit. 
“W-what?” You stuttered at the way his eyes pierced you, his hand resting casually on his stomach. 
“’M coming with you guys. Can’t let my best mate go on a celebratory dinner without me paying for some drinks, can I?” He flashes you a dazzling smile that disarms you just enough you can’t find it in you to be upset. 
So now you’re a party of three at the bustling restaurant, and Matty has already ordered a fancy bottle of wine for the table. You hate to admit just how much of your attention he’s stolen already, sitting so close to you that you can feel the heat radiating off of his thigh onto your own. Despite the interesting calamity of the kitchen and the murmurs of slightly-shouted conversations, all you can focus on is the curve of Matty’s lips, the way his eyes shimmer in the low-light. Your boyfriend seems more than happy to idly enjoy the scenery, pointing out the chefs and their specific techniques to you despite your waning interest. The wine goes down easy, and you pour yourself a second glass as Matty starts another inane conversation about whatever dish is getting pumped out of the open kitchen. 
The fuzzy feeling from the alcohol is welcoming, enveloping you in a warmth that helps distract you from the press of Matty’s thigh against your own. You smile gratefully at the waiter who brings you a pasta dish and dig in, thankful for the distraction. You’re careful not to move an inch, so you know it’s Matty who’s pushing further into your side, and you’re sure that the night is going sideways when you feel his pinky finger trace along the top of your thigh. You swallow hard, trying your best not to shudder at his touch. His wastes no time in grasping the meat of your thigh under his palm, squeezing just enough that a spark of pain morphs to pleasure. 
“Matty.” You hope there’s venom in your voice as you warn him against his fingers creeping closer to the inside of your thigh. He just smiles in your peripheral before taking a bite of his own food, disguising the movement of his hand underneath the table skillfully. Arousal runs through you, and you feel your panties soak as a long finger skims across the material. Under anyone but Matty’s touch you would be embarrassed at how fast you became a wreck, but the easy pleasure of his fingers dancing over your clit sends you into happy bliss. 
Matty’s fingers slow and simply press against you, building an internal pleasure that burns into your stomach. You let out a heavy breath and drain your glass of wine in one gulp. Matty laughs, and your boyfriend raises an eyebrow at your behavior. “Maybe you should pour her some more? Don’ let it go to waste.” Matty nods toward the bottle inches from your boyfriends plate. You see him hesitate, but he relents and grasps it, leaning forward to pour you a new glass. There’s a moment of anxiety as his point of view shifts and Matty makes no attempt to move his hand away from your center. In fact, his fingers stir back to life as soon as your boyfriend leans slightly forward to pour you a new glass. Matty slips his fingers under your panties as soon as your boyfriend is back in his seat. His fingers slip against your bare pussy and you close your thighs around his hand. 
“T-thanks,” you stutter, avoiding picking up the glass as a tremor wracks you. Matty takes another casual bite of his pasta and puts on his best confused face. His eyebrows furrow as he fakes a concerned look over you. 
“You aren’t gonna have any? Thought you liked it?” A dexterous finger circles your clit mind numbingly slowly. You glare at him and take another drink. Now that you’re well on the way to being drunk, every single sensation is heightened. A dark pit of arousal is consuming you and the desire to sink your teeth into the flesh of his neck is overwhelming despite the company. Desire makes you bold as you bat your eyes at Matty, biting into the flesh of your lip. 
“I love it.” You cant your hips forward into his hand, sure to emphasize just how wet he had gotten you. It’s debauched, and guilt begins to creep up the back of your neck, but Matty growls under his breath and pushes a finger inside of your walls and it melts away. 
Your boyfriend is blissfully unaware of the mess between your legs all night. He asks no questions about the way your face flushes (easily excused by the wine), the way Matty only eats his courses with one hand (he’s always doing some new eccentric shit), or the way neither of you are able to carry on a conversation for more than a few seconds (the restaurant is quite loud). 
----
The weather is ridiculously hot, and of course it’s the one day of the year you decide to clean and rearrange your apartment. To be fair, you had begun the process of emptying out old clothes and housewares at the beginning of the week, and you had skillfully ignored moving your big pieces of furniture up until today. Your apartment is hot despite the fans you’ve pulled out of storage, and the heavy wooden bed frame you had insisted on buying will not budge. No matter how hard you pushed or pulled on the frame, it stays stubbornly in place. So you call your boyfriend. 
And he can’t come, called into work on account of a picky client who demanded someone fix his renderings today. But Matty is miraculously free; and he’s on his way as soon as you text him. 
And of course, he looks sinful. A plain white t-shirt with a scoop neck affords a wonderful view of his collarbones and sun kissed skin. The urge to pull his stupid smirk into a kiss overtakes you, so for once you listen to the yearning and pull him against you. Matty breathes a chuckle against your lips before indulging you. His tongue slips easily into your mouth and you relish in pressing against the hard planes of his body. His chest rumbles in appreciation when he takes a handful of your ass, fingers hooking down dangerously close to your pussy. You feel alight, floating inside of an undefinable cloud of pleasure as he consumes you. 
You relish in the way his chest heaves with exertion once you part. “Need help moving a bed?” He wipes at his bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “Sounds like a shitty chat up line to me.” 
A frustrated groan passes your lips, and you ignore the bait he’s clearly dangling in front of you in favor of soaking up air from a fan. Between the heat of the day and the fire of arousal in your stomach, it’s needed. 
“Very funny. Now can you please help me?” You don’t wait for his answer as you walk to your bedroom. His socked footsteps quickly follow your own, and in seconds you’re both standing at the foot of your bed. It’s oddly domestic, with the rumpled blankets gathered at the foot and the delicate floral sheets you  got on a discount. 
“Cute,” Matty comments as he plops himself fully onto the bed, legs sprawled wide and inviting. You try to ignore the bulge tenting his sweatpants and put on a brave face. 
“I need you to help me move it, not lay on it.” You whine, reluctantly shuffling within his reach. Matty catches you easily around the waist and it takes no time for you to collapse into his embrace. He nuzzles into your neck and it’s startling how nicely he fits around you. 
Never one to delay, Matty licks a line of heat down your neck and you lose the last bit of your control. “You smell so good.” The simple sentiment sends liquid heat to your pussy. A sharp nip to your neck makes you squirm and you know that you’ll have a hickey to conceal in the morning. 
His breath puffs against your neck, and you have the urge to turn and face him, tired of looking at the wall instead of his face. As your hips shift he groans, pressing his hips forward until you can feel the twitch of his cock against you. 
“Something you need?” You know the innocent game drives him crazy but you use it anyway and he stalls, assessing the situation with that astonishing wit. The sharp tug of your hair brings you into a place of happy submission. Matty wraps the tendrils between his fingers and makes sure you aren’t going anywhere before cocking your head until you’re stuck staring at him. The chocolate brown of his eyes is nearly eaten up by lust. This close, you can smell the intoxicating mix of his woody cologne and the beginnings of sweat.
“Please,” the word leaves you before you can even guess at what you’re asking for. Luckily Matty has learned to read your body like his favorite guitar. A delicate, fluttering kiss to your nose is just enough to disarm you as he uses the corded strength of his arms to guide you down his chest until you’re faced with the tantalizing push of his cock against his sweatpants. His fingers untangle from your hair but don’t leave, just allowing you the room to work. Something clicks in your mind and the only thing you care about is getting him off- feeling the familiar weight of his cock in your mouth, or the way his fingernails leave untraceable evidence of your tryst on your scalp.
You’re only half surprised to find he has no underwear on but it only makes your job easier. As soon as your tongue makes contact with his cock he’s moaning, guiding your hair into a ponytail at the back of your head and controlling your pace. Spit leaks from the corners of your lips as you finally engulf the head of his cock, but the mess only sends both of you further into oblivion. 
“Fuck, you’re so good at taking my cock.” His voice drips with arousal and you squirm, bucking your hips against the bed as you continue to swallow him down. Matty head no problem taking the lead, pushing you down until your throat spasms. Eyes fluttering, you try your best to make eye contact with Matty as you wiggle your tongue along the throbbing vein. 
“Pretty girl.” His Adam’s apple bobs, and the melodic noises that spill from his lips only spur you on. 
As his hips twitch and his grip loosens you take it upon yourself to change the pace on him, intent on making him cum. His head tips back into your pillows and his cock twitches violently, the delicious cue to the end goal you’re always going for. 
“C’mon, off now,” Matty tugs at the roots of your hair, erupting pleasure that makes you moan around him listlessly. “Fuck, seriously, baby, ‘m not coming in your mouth.” With surprising restraint he pulls your head away and angles his hips out of your reach. Empty, your eyes water as you pout. Spit decorates your chin and Matty’s eyes glaze over before he wipes it away with his thumb. 
“You dirty little thing. Asked you to stop and you kept on like you couldn’t even hear me.” A telltale current of amusement intertwines with the chastising, and curls of arousal have you nodding stupidly. 
“Cock drunk.” He tuts and shucks his shirt over his head. A shit eating grin splits his face as you remove your own, shucking off your bra shortly after without any preamble. Matty makes an appreciative noise at the sight of your tits and surges forward to push you down against the bed. 
He’s on them near immediately, indulging in the newly revealed flesh. His tongue laves over one nipple as he pulls at the other with deft fingers. Your back bends as his teeth scrape across the mounds of flesh. 
“D-don’t leave a mark,” the idea of your boyfriend seeing the marks he surely didn't leave sends your mind reeling, but Matty just laughs evilly. 
“You seriously think he’s gonna be seein’ these tits?” His gaze hardens at the edges and you’re momentarily stunned. You know he’s right, and you hate how much arousal gushes out of you because of it. “Cause who do you belong to?” He’s challenging you now- he knows that you’re on the same page about the truth of your relationship. 
“Y-you, Matty.” 
He rewards you with a blossoming hickey at the swell of your breast which he instantly soothes with the flat of his tongue. In a rush he works your shorts and underwear off of you, exposing the heat of your pussy to the room. Wetness sticks to your thighs and you’re desperate to have him inside you finally. Matty settles over your lower stomach, tracing his fingers delicately across the skin there as your hips jump wildly. 
“Matty, please just fuck me, I can’t wait-” your words trail into a heady moan as he swipes two fingers down your slit, collecting your wetness with a happy hum. Your mind blanks at the touch that almost fills the empty feeling in your stomach, but you know his cock is the only thing that will satisfy you. 
He curls the fingers across your clit until tears spring into your eyes, and then he sticks them in his mouth. The lewd sound makes you blush, and the sight of his eyes rolling back in satisfaction is one you want to bottle and keep forever. His eyebrows knit together at your taste, and you feel like you might combust. 
“Matty!” You grasp his forearm and use all your remaining strength to pull him back towards you. “Please, please just fuck me already. Seriously, wanna feel you.” You push your bare hips into his own and a dangerous glint lights his eyes.  “Oh, love.” You know he’s relenting when you feel him steady his hand on the base of his cock and slide the head over your clit slowly. “You know how many nights I’ve heard you fuck him?” You shake your head dumbly even though you and your boyfriend had certainly been the butt of jokes the morning after, back when the relationship was new and exciting for you both. Matty’s hips flex forward and he pushes into you slowly. The stretch is pure pleasure, and your nerves set on fire at the intrusion.
“All those times,” his voice shakes as he presses into you, a stray curl ghosting over your forehead. “...you never begged him as hard as you beg for me. Tha’s how I know you really want it. Want me.” Before you know it he’s filling you and huffing praise into your ear. Your whole body shifts as he sets his pace and your nails run over his shoulders, surely leaving reddened marks in their wake. 
“Yeah, wan’ you.” Pleasant fuzziness engulfs your body, the ebb and flow of his hips sending you to a plane of pleasure only Matty can take you to. Two deft fingers swirl around your clit harshly. Your bodies slick with sweat and glide together intoxicatingly, and if human limitations didn't exist, you would stay like this forever; your bodies existing in a perfect tandem. 
“So fuckin’ hot, sweetest little pussy I’ve ever had.” Matty’s rambling makes you dizzy as your orgasm approaches rapidly. You don’t even have to warn him that you’re on the edge for him to know, increasing the movement of his fingers until your vision is spotting with black. Your walls clench tightly around him as you finally come, clawing at the plane of his back and chanting his name.
Matty comes shortly after, the warmth of his release filling your deepest, darkest desire. It’s sickly satisfying to feel his cock twitch and empty inside of you, to hear the deep moans that spill from Matty’s kiss bitten lips as he fills you to the brim. 
Still connected, Matty collapses to the side of you, capturing you in a sweet lilting kiss that nearly makes you dizzier than the orgasm. Your tongue burns with a sentence you know you aren’t allowed to say. Matty’s face morphs as he sees you choke on the words, and he smooths down your mussed hair with a heavy hand. 
“Okay?” He asks, a gentle check-in. 
“Yeah,” your voice is hoarse so you clear your throat and try again. “Yeah, it's just that...we still have to move this stupid bed.” 
As if his brain was on a delay from the sexual exertion, it takes a few seconds before his award winning laugh wracks his body. The bed shudders under him, and you can't help but laugh along with him, dumbstruck with love. You swallow the words again and pat his cheek lovingly. 
“Right, Matthew. Let’s get going. Believe it or not, I didn’t text you just to get you into my bed.” He pouts cutely and sighs with dramatic flair as you untangle yourself from him. 
“If we move the bed, can we...?” His teeth shine as he smiles at you, and if you didn’t know any better, you would think the glimmer in his eyes reflects something like the words you refuse to say. 
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burninlovebutler · 1 year
Text
Masterlist🦋💫
~🚧i know this is messy rn pls ignore it is under construction 🚧~
-> Welcome to my Blog Introduction
ao3 - BurninLove
Wattpad - FaultInMyCodes
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-> Worship (Secret Santa)* - Possessive-Obsessive!Austin x Fem!Reader
-> Candy Hearts ♡ (vday)* - Sub!Austin x DomFem!Reader
-> Camp Counselors - Pt. 1 + Pt. 2 - Austin x Fem!reader
-> Talkshow Host!Austin Headcanons
~Works in Progress~
-> White Wine* - Poly: Austin x fem!reader x fem!third
-> [Unnamed] - Genius Astrophysics Major!Austin x fem!reader (Austin heavily inspired by Spencer Reid)
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Bikeriders Asshole!Austin x Makeup Artist!Reader
-> Pt. 1 *
-> Pt. 2*
-> Pt. 3*
-> Pt. 4.1 *
**last updated; 04.30.23**
-> Pt. 4.2 [coming soon]
-> Pt. 5 [coming soon]
Just an Intern Spotify Playlist ⛓️🖤
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𝙸 𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚛𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚞𝚣𝚣𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝙻𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚑𝚎'𝚕𝚕 𝚍𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚐𝚘
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Themes: friends to lovers, SLOW burn, ANGST, eventual smut, Austin x fem!oc, midsize oc, sad boi/addict aus, fluffy, semi-AU (indie actor austin)
Summary/Intro: Best friends since college, Austin and Elsie are each other's safety nets. Austin has secrets only Elsie knows, and Elsie has too many closet skeletons for Austin to count.
Austin battles internal demons since the death of his father, which caused a switch to flip that would change him forever. His father’s death happened 4 years ago but it still haunts him – in his mind and in little pills.
Elsie has a weakness for wicked, vile, abusive men. Her boyfriend, Nox, is the latest culprit. And Austin can’t fucking stand him.  
Between trying to rescue each other and struggling to save themselves, is there something lying underneath?
18+ as this contains both smut & mature sensitive topics. Please check TWs for each chapter. General overarching warnings at the bottom of this post.
Since this is slow burn-ish so some themes/smut do not show up until later
Chapters containing smut that have * by their name
Forever Winter Spotify Playlist ❄️💞
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FW Chapters:
01 - Has He Texted You?
02 - Dependency
03 - The Close Call Clause
04 - Not The First Time
05 - Fix-It Pancakes
06 - Cold Showers
07 - Giving In
08 - Of Course I Do
09 - Thanksgiving Pt. 1
10 - Thanksgiving Pt. 2
11 - Winter Break
12 - Truth or Dare
13 - Dressing Room Games
14 - Hot or Cold? *
15 - No Touching **
16 - When The Night Ends
17 - Do Not Disturb
18 - Nothing There
19 - Not Even For A Second
20 - I Know You’re Lying
21 - Blue M&Ms
22 - Christmas - Pt. 1 - (ft. The Grinch)
23 - Christmas - Pt. 2 - Comeback Special**
24 - Ski Slopes**
25 - New Years Eve (Pt. 1) - Til You Come Back for More*
26 - New Years (Pt. 2) - Say It Again**
27 - The First Close Call
28 - Temporary Fix*
29 - Be My Mistake*
30 - It's Not Living (If It's Not With You)
31 - Mr. Percocet
32 - [TBA - coming soon]
**last updated 05.31.23**
[more chapters to be announced lol]
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Author’s Notes:
Each chapter will contain a related song suggestion and matching lyrics. I highly recommend listening to each song as they beautifully mesh with the themes of each individual chapter.
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Austin/Elvis yanked me from fanfic retirement so when I started writing FW, I fell in love with the characters & the storyline. I’m posting here so that maybe others can fall in love with them too.
I haven’t written in a while so sorry if it’s a little rusty, especially in the first couple chapters.
This post ended up being really long so sorry if it was a lot, thank you if you made it this far.
I hope you love it, please let me know if you do.
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tennessoui · 2 months
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hello miss kit! loving all your responses to the asks everyone got such interesting thoughts!! I know you love all your children equally but which gffa au do you love just a bit more than the others? (excluding counselling au lol)
what a hard ask oof
good thing i have a glass of wine and a lot of time on my hands! so i just rated all my fics set in the gffa
(i had a LOT of time on my hands)
a fish hook, an open eye: 7/10 - it's hardly set in the gffa at all tbh i love earnest evil puppy anakin & conniving obi-wan who gets more than he bargained for. needed more cody, tbh a more perfect union: 10/10 - i'm biased obviously cause i just finished this fic so it's fresh on my mind but it was so fun to write! i loved trying to balance the humor and the seriousness and the council scene (both of them!) was just so great amort & amor: 6/10 - i just think anakin would probably not be that cool about obi-wan getting another padawan lol but it's fluffy and cute and i'm glad i wrote it! bed warden, bed warmer: 8/10 - obi-wan would be the worst patient in the history of the world. he's such an asshole which i love writing but he's also so clearly very smitten with anakin. he's just going to be an asshole about it building a boat with no blueprints: 7/10 - i know yall dont know how it ends but i know how it ends ;) burn every bridge but please leave me a boat: 6/10 - my first attempt at reverse master&padawan au which is a dynamic i really love. i would rate this fic higher, but i wish i had started it in a different place and relied less on mental flashbacks but a number: 9/10 - happy almost one year to this fic! i had to get someone to cheer-read this fic for me because i was worried that i was being too hard on aging/obi-wan's body falling apart and anakin feeling old and tired at age 40 but then i saw a bunch of gifs of obi-wan jumping off stuff and i was like yeah his body probably does feel like it's falling apart foolproof, foolhardy: 10/10 - i literally have not has so much fun with a cliffhanger since i last updated time & tide. no notes, just stupid oblivious padawan obi-wan trying to seduce master skywalker into his bed, unaware that master skywalker would crawl over burning coals to kiss his hand. hand in unlovable hand: 6/10 - not my favorite adaptation from tumblr fic to ao3 fic - i used too much of the original ficlet and always feels clunky to me. i do like sith vader manipulating obi-wan into falling!! yes baby, you twist and ruin that jedi master and make him yours haunt me then: 8/10 - i love non-sequential storytelling and also padmé loving anakin so much that she sacrifices a child to bring him back only for him to come back solely to live and breathe for obi-wan hold me fast or kill me quick: 3/10 - would be a higher rating but this fic haunts me. i want to finish her someday and until i do i will not rest peacefully at night. get these stupid soulmates to communicate! i pray the same, but my gods have changed: 10/10 - i love writing this fic, i love watching the polls as you guys vote for what should happen next, i love catty sith obi-wan working to seduce senator skywalker because he's hot lol but it's the voting aspect that makes this fic a 10/10 for me if you love me, let it remain unnamed: 9/10 - it surprised me how much i loved writing set as an actual character. one day i want to explore the universe that set's in, where he meets his own kenobi and falls in love with him. i really liked the outsider perspective on how absolutely wild obi-wan and anakin are - especially since the main scenario is that they're having a threesome, and obi-wan and anakin have to?? share?? each other? with someone else? unlikely! let’s get your fingers tangled in my hair: 6/10 - i wrote this in a fever state; it was fun and i enjoy a king kenobi as much as the next gal! do i actually think anakin could last that long without talking? no not the way i usually write him lol like saints, like monsters: 8/10 - i love the way the chapters are set up, with them going back and forth between the actual plot and the worst parts and darkest moments of the recovery lost to a sea of troubles: 7/10 - it will never not be funny to me that this fic is in response to the prompt "knocking on the wrong door". it could have been anythinggg. it became this instead, featuring light stockholm syndrome and an obessive, evil obi-wan
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meowmeowriley · 2 months
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Rules: Post the names of all the files in your wip folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! Tag as many people as you have WIPS!
If you saw the original, no you didn't. Lol sorry, had to do some housekeeping here on my blog, and had to redo this post.
Right well, here's the thing, I have way more WIPs than I do moots 😅 butttttt I'll drop what I've got. Please please please ask me about any of them! I'm begging for interaction!
1) Little Meow Meow - my first fic, it's not abandoned, catboy!Ghost is also unkillable and emo.
2) Poké-Pandemonium - Pokémon and secrets. Here soon I aim to make people cry with it ❤ (soon as in within the next couple of chapters, whenever I put them out)
3) More Than Just Loose Ends - 09 Ghost has been watching over and mentoring 22 Ghost his whole life
4) Oh, Brother - my most popular fic, told through the eyes of Erin MacTavish (John's sister) and Tommy Riley. Baby's first realistic and in character AU.
5) I Don't Think We're in Space Anymore - Ghost is a shape-shifting alien and also chaotic as fuck. And horny. Whoops.
6) Was tHat thE BiTe oF 22 - FNAF but all the characters are replaced with COD characters. It's my little abomination.
7) Be Kind, Rewind - Ghost is suddenly 10 years younger. Young dumb and full of cum. Seriously, being 19 means he's got that teenager horndog thing goin on.
On to the ones that haven't been posted yet
8) Duo Fatui - Unus Annus, but make it Soap and Ghost
9) Is That Gonna be a Problem? - Ghost and Soap met before the events of MW2, and were secretly together during the game. This is the story of their relationship.
10) Cohabitation - ghost!Ghost and Zombie!Ghost share one body. They're the same person, so it's not difficult. They banter like siblings.
11) Lost a Bet - Ghost lost a bet with Gaz, so Gaz gets to design his next mask. Gaz designs a cat skull mask, and Ghost bonds with a bunch of stray cats on base.
12) Outlaw Outta Time - some of the COD boys get sent back in time and meet up with a certain outlaw. COD RDR2 crossover. It's a fix it for Arthur ❤
13) unnamed fic about trans Ghost dropping hints that he's trans and Soap who thought he was straight being really confused by the boners he gets around Ghost.
14) unnamed fic about Soap thinking Ghost has a girlfriend, that they're on their way to rescue, when it is in fact a dog. Ghost is fully aware of the miscommunication and thinks it's funny, so he doesn't clarify
15) unnamed fic about Ghost and Soap getting sucked into our world a la Supernatural's The French Mistake. They have to pretend to be Samuel and Neil until they figure out how to get home
WHOO BOY! I think that's all of them. And they're all Ghost/Soap except the FNAF one, because they're children.
Mooties who aren't already on this list, no pressure though! @myriadblvck @27potatochips @resident-idiot-simp @tacticaltaxonomist @ratpiss0
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<- Navigation × × × 2021 Masterlist ->
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House of Exiled Library '22
Multiple Characters Masterlist
𔓘Wise Men and Their Foolish Love (Sumeru Men story teasers for then-upcoming fics - ft. Cyno, Tighnari, Alhaitham) [MIXED]
𔓘Chase the Mirage Relationship Alphabet (Poly Relationship between Cyno, Tighnari and Adventurer!Reader) [MIXED]
𔓘What do you mean I'm the new Grand Sage?! (Appointed as the next grand sage by Nahida out of the blue, what do the Sumeru men think of you? - ft. Alhaitham, Cyno, Tighnari, Kaveh) [FLUFF/CRACK]
𔓘That Loud House (Poly Relationship between Kaveh, Alhaitham, and Reader all living in the same roof) [MOSTLY CRACK]
Specific Characters Masterlist
A L H A I T H A M
Scenarios : 10/09 10/11 𔓘10/27 10/28
𔓘Seeing Red (Cyno x Reader x Alhaitham drabble) [FLUFF/CRACK]
𔓘Tied Down (Alhaitham with an Unhinged Reader) [CRACK]
𔓘Flower Fall (After touching a flower gifted to you that paralyzed your body, Alhaitham made it his mission to join you in your road to recovery) [ANGST]
𔓘Finances (TLH scenario where Alhaitham tests you and Kaveh by saying you ran out of money) [CRACK]
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C Y N O
Scenarios : 10/15 (more in old masterlist)
𔓘Blood Blossom (An unsuspecting flower gifted to you turns out to be more harm than good, how does your boyfriend assist you after this attempt?) [ANGST]
𔓘Seeing Red (Cyno x Reader x Alhaitham drabble) [FLUFF/CRACK]
What The Heart Offers (The story of how Cyno, blinded by infatuation, received his wolf spirit in exchange of keeping you alive) [ANGST]
𔓘Fall Into Place (Instead of being afraid of him, somehow you ended up becoming closer to the General that almost threw you in jail twice now) [FLUFF]
𔓘Tied Down (Cyno with an Unhinged Reader) [CRACK]
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D O T T O R E
𔓘Tied Down (Dottore with an Unhinged Reader) [CRACK]
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K A V E H
Scenarios : 𔓘10/27
𔓘Finances (TLH scenario where Alhaitham tests you and Kaveh by saying you ran out of money) [CRACK]
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N I L O U
Universe Reversal Drabble (Reader as a Genshin Impact Game Character and how Modern!AU Nilou simps for you) [FLUFF]
Tighnari x Nilou headcanons (Set after the 3.2 archon quest) [FLUFF]
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S C A R A M O U C H E
Scenarios : 𔓘9/29
𔓘Unnamed Drabble
𔓘Kintsugi 𔓘Part 2 Extras (Being the first puppet and your journey together in a world that discarded you both) (Loosely based on the unnamed drabble) [ANGST]
Pagtingin (The Wanderer hesitating to confess to a reader who he met before gaining his memories) #2022gixrsecretsanta [FLUFF]
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T I G H N A R I
Scenarios : 10/19
Komorebi - the vague emotion, the innocence, the memory (Pining series of Tighnari with a Kshahrewar scholar Reader)
𔓘Tied Down (Tighnari with an Unhinged Reader) [CRACK]
Tighnari x Nilou headcanons (Set after the 3.2 archon quest) [FLUFF]
𔓘4 Stills of the one that can't keep his Heart Still (To think that the Kamera the Traveler gifted Tighnari would be filled with pictures of you) [FLUFF] #fluffvember 2022
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Do not use any of the headers in this post. Do not republish, translate, or steal my works. All works are gender neutral unless specified. XXVI.
bookworms : @ireallylikehamsters @maehemthemisfit
safeforworms: @chuusposts
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