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javierpena-inatacvest · 8 months

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Chapter 10, Pt. 2- Happy Birthday, Javi

Summary: Javi is convinced that after the perfect morning you've given him, his birthday can't get any better. Little does he know, his birthday still has a few more surprises left.

Word Count: 11.7K (Told you it'd be 20K if i put these two parts together)

Warnings: SMUT (18+), unprotected p in v sex (pls be safe), semi-public sex (and kind of getting caught?), vaginal fingering, creampie, praise kink, breeding kink (are we surprised, cause I'm sure not), mentions of death/loss (but it's really sweet), mentions of alcohol and drinking, mentions of food, Steve Murphy not letting Javi have a moment of peace, Javi holding a baby (please don't mind as I scream into the abyss), if you've made it this far, you already know the sickening amount of fluff there's gonna be (hehehehe)

A/N: Our favorite birthday boy is back!!! I'm excited for this one cause it's CUTE. But when are these two idiots not like, the most adorable couple alive. Enjoy the rest of our sweet Javi's birthday!! Also please someone understand my self indulgent Foo Fighters/Blink-182 references

Series Masterlist Next Chapter Previous Chapter

“So you’re telling me I don’t get to know anything about the rest of the day? Coming from the person who hates surprises more than anyone I know?” Javi chuckled to himself, wrapping his towel around his waist as he stepped out of the shower, handing you yours as you followed behind him.

“Okay, just because I hate being on the receiving end of a surprise doesn’t mean I don’t like to be a part of planning a surprise. So no, you don’t get to know. Although, I will say what happened this morning and the way you just pressed me against the wall and fucked me in the shower are two surprises I’m not upset about at all.” You smirked at Javi as you watched him run a towel over the damp curls of his hair, seeing his satisfied grin from underneath the fabric. “Now go get ready, birthday boy, you’ve got a big day ahead of you.” Javi pressed a gentle kiss onto your bare shoulder as you organized your things on the bathroom counter, rolling your eyes as you watched him look you up and down in the mirror.

“If we didn’t have places to be, I’d bend you over this counter and fuck you right here.” The kiss on your shoulder being replaced by a nip, making you giggle and swat at his broad body standing behind you.

“Javier Peña, you are a goddamn menace to society, go change!” The two of you laughed as Javi gave you a wink and a quick smack on the ass as he left you in the bathroom to start getting ready.

A menace to society in-fucking-deed.

You made sure to get ready as quickly as you could, wanting to make sure that you stayed on time for the rest of Javi’s birthday festivities. You had plenty planned to keep him busy until 4:00, the time you told Chucho you’d arrive at the ranch, giving your guests an hour to show up beforehand without ruining the surprise. After changing into a new, cute peachy dress with little white flowers, you met Javi in the living room, sitting on the couch watching TV, looking handsome as ever in the dark wash jeans and cream colored short sleeved button down.

“The watch looks good with your outfit.” You teased, noticing that Javi was already wearing one of his birthday gifts that he had insisted on giving you a hard time about after finding out about its cost.

“I love it, Osita. I’ll wear it every fucking day. And it actually tells time, which is helpful.” He laughed before turning his head around over the top of the couch to see you in your dress, jaw going slack as he watched you move about the kitchen, gathering things for the next part of your day. “Fuck me. Is that new?” he asked, taking an extra moment to appreciate how well the peach colored fabric hugged your body in all the right places, particularly as you bent down to pick something up out of the fridge.

“Mmmhhmmm.” You hummed, trying your best to hide the pozole de pollo you had made for Javi the day before in your travel sized cooler. “Same shopping trip as this morning’s outfit.” You looked up at Javi, giggling, as he ran a hand through his hair, knowing he was using every ounce of self control in his body to let you keep working on whatever you were doing. “Alright, I think everything is packed and should be good to go. You ready, roomie?” You smiled, grabbing the bag you had packed in preparation for the next part of your birthday plans. That one made Javi grin from ear to ear, still processing the fact that you had asked him to move in with you. He had practically already been living there, but something about knowing you wanted him to be the first thing you saw in the morning, and the last thing you saw before you fell asleep at night every damn day filled his heart in a way he didn’t know was possible.

“Ready. Sure I don’t get to know where we’re going?” He chuckled to himself as he got up, putting on his shoes and grabbing his keys, including the newest one to your shared apartment that he had already slipped onto the key ring while you were getting ready.

“You’re starting to sound like me. C’mon, let’s go.”

Walking down the stairs of your apartment, you grabbed Javi’s hand, knowing that he was going to lead you to his truck. Before he could lead you any further across the parking lot, you tugged him in the opposite direction, leading you towards your car. “Nope, I’m driving today. How were you supposed to drive if you didn’t know where we were going?”

“You could still drive my truck, if you wanted. You’re always complaining about how shitty your car is.”

He wasn’t wrong. After getting stationed in Oregon after his deployment, your oldest brother, Charlie, had offered to let you have his 1985 Jeep Wrangler. In reality, the car was only a decade-ish old, but the way he had treated it before he gave it to you had it barely hanging on by a thread. After your drive to Texas, Woodstock (the name you had given the car, given its obnoxious bright yellow color) was in rough shape, but, like most things in life, you were too stubborn to give it up and get a new one until you ran it into the ground.

“Every ounce of feminism in my body evaporates if I even think about driving that truck. It’s huge, and I’m terrified I’m gonna crash into something, and at least one of us needs a car that isn’t an absolute piece of shit.” You sighed, throwing your bag in the trunk before hopping into the driver’s seat, Javi taking his spot next to you as a passenger. “Please, please, please.” You mumbled to yourself, twisting the key back and forth in the ignition before turning the car over, praying it would start. “Yes! She lives to see another day.” You nodded your head in satisfaction as Woodstock’s engine rumbled. Javi shook his head, laughing to himself at your antics you had convinced him were the key to getting your car to start. “Alright,” You said, backing out of your spot and pulling on to the road, “you’re in charge of music today. Sorry I don’t have the Grease soundtrack in my car, but I do have some ABBA which I feel like could be a good replacement if that’s what you’re in the mood for.”

Javi rolled his eyes at you as he reached up to pull down the visor in front of him, lined with the CD’s in its sleeve. Since the two of you normally didn’t drive in your car, Javi wasn’t used to your music selection. Flipping through the discs, he found some overlaps, Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors”, Queen’s Greatest Hits, AC/DC’s “High Voltage”, along with some CD mixes that your brothers had probably given you, but he was surprised to find a few CD’s of bands that he had never even heard of before. “Blink-182?” He asked, holding up the disc with a picture of a bull with the band’s logo branded into its ass.

“David really likes them. They’re okay, there’s a few songs on there that I like, but some of them are really weird. I’m pretty sure there’s a song on there called “Dick Lips”.” You snickered, peeking over at the other CD’s Javi was shuffling through. “Oh, oh, that album is amazing.” You pointed at the dark blue disc Javi was now reaching up to grab. “David and Charlie both love these guys. You know the band Nirvana? The guy who was the drummer for them made his own band after Kurt Cobain died. I’ve been listening to this album every time I drive.”

“I don’t think I’ve heard you play it around the apartment. The Foo Fighters? Literally never heard of ‘em.” He shrugged, pressing the disc into your car radio.

“I think you’d probably would’ve remembered if I played them around the house.” You huffed under your breath sheepishly. “They’re a little more… intense than what I normally listen to at home, so no judgment, okay? Skip to the second song, it’s the best one.”

“Now I’m intrigued.” Javi responded, placing his hand on your leg after skipping to track 2, his face scrunching in surprise at the intensity of the guitar and drums now blaring through your speakers. It didn’t take long for you to start drumming against your steering wheel, nodding your head to the beat, as you sang along to the words.

“Don’t wanna be your monkey wrench. One more indecent accident. I’d rather leave than suffer this. I’ll never be your monkey wrench.”

Javi watched as you lost yourself in the song, belting the lyrics as you banged against the steering wheel, practically out of breath as the CD moved on to the next track from singing. Javi always loved watching you sing along to whatever music you had playing, but something about watching you now was different, like there was intention behind every word that you sang along to, like you were letting something out that had been weighing on your chest with every thud of your palm against the steering wheel.

“Sorry.” You sighed, lowering the volume of the next track as you caught your breath. “It’s a great song, but this is my angry screaming in the car song if I’ve had a shitty day.” You tried to play off your comment jokingly, Javi sensing that you had more you wanted to say, but you weren’t telling him.

“What’s the song called?” Javi asked, trying to pry more out of you.

“Monkey Wrench.”

“Like the tool?” He laughed, making sure he understood you correctly.

“Yes, like the tool.” You half smiled back. “The song’s not actually about the tool… Well, I guess it kind of is. It’s about someone who gets pushed around and used because they’ve always tried to be flexible and adjust to make someone else happy, but eventually they realize they can’t take it anymore, and are done putting up with that person’s shit before it breaks them. You finally come to terms with what a fucking waste of time it was being with someone who couldn’t have gave a shit about you.”

You sat there in silence for a moment, embarrassed by your last sentence, realizing your comment had definitely become a lot more personal than you had intended it to be. “Sorry, I don’t- I don’t know why I’m talking to you about this, I shouldn’t have said anything about the CD, this is supposed to be fun, it’s your birthday, and now I’m ruining it and-” You stopped to look down as you felt Javi squeeze your leg, like he was trying to stop the apology that was flowing from your mouth with his grasp around your thigh. “Sorry.” You whispered, your voice shaky as you tried to hold back the tears welling in your eyes. “I know I always joke about Paul being an asshole and try to play it off like it’s not a big deal, but I think it fucked with me a lot more than I’d like to admit.” You took a long breath in before exhaling, shaking your head to clear your thoughts. “Okay, that’s all I have to say about that dickhead. He doesn’t even deserve the time of day to take up any space in my head. He’s a piece of shit, and I have you, and that’s all that matters. He can go… He can go… eat… rocks.” The both of you snorted at your terrible attempt at comeback, easing the tension in the car.

“You’re not ruining anything, Osita. I promise. I can understand why the song makes you mad. Makes me fucking pissed for you. I swear, if I ever meet that motherfucker, I’ll kick him in the dick ‘till he can’t fucking walk.” Javi snarled, the idea of someone treating you like how your ex did practically making his blood boil.

“I’d pay money to see that. Okay, no more Foo Fighters. Pick whatever you want and don’t listen to any of my suggestions because I am 0 for 1 today on birthday music.”

Shuffling through the rest of the CD’s ejected the Foo Fighters album to replace it with one he knew would make you smile. As soon as the keyboard riff to “Rich Girl'' by Hall and Oats started, your mood instantly shifted, wondering how Javi always knew exactly how to make you feel better. “Listen, Javi, you don’t have to use the song, you can just tell me that you’re in this relationship for the enormous salary I’m raking in from teaching, it’s okay.” Javi reached down to grab your hand as you giggled, giving it a gentle squeeze as he watched you sing along, dancing in your seat, with a smile on your face. Truth be told, Javier Peña was a simple man, and knowing you were happy with him was the best birthday gift he could ask for.

“Okay, we’re here!” You beamed, pulling up to the first stop of your surprise destinations for the day. Javi had lived in Laredo his entire life- he knew the city like the back of his own hand. That’s why when you pulled up to the small park entrance, Javi was perplexed as to where he was, or why you had taken him there.

“Have I had it wrong this whole time, Osita? Are you the one that’s really the serial killer and you’re taking me out to some park I’ve never heard of to get rid of me?” Javi mocked as you playfully punched him before the two of you got out of the Jeep, grabbing the bag you had stored in the trunk.

“Oh, shut up. Believe it or not, your dad is actually the one who told me about this place. C’mon, let’s go.” You hoisted the bag up onto your shoulder, making your way down the gravel path through the trees that lined the trail. Javi followed behind you, interlocking his hand with yours as you led him through the brush. The path opened up, revealing a small area overlooking Lake Casa Blanca, tucked away in its own corner, surrounded by trees and tall grass that swayed in the gentle summer breeze. It took Javi a moment to realize where you were, having been to the lake every summer since he could remember, but never once had he been here, shocked to find how quiet and peaceful the secluded patch by the water was.

“Lake Casa Blanca?” He asked softly as you started pulling things out of your bag, laying down a big blanket, followed by a variety of containers and thermoses.

“Mmmhmmm.” You nodded, fixing the edges of the blanket as you sat down, Javi joining you as you rustled around for the bowls and spoons at the bottom of the tote. “Your dad said you used to love coming here as a kid. So much that you would cry every time you had to leave. But he said there was a secret place hidden away on the opposite side of the lake where he always used to take your mom when they first started dating. They would be all cute and watch the sunset together before he had to take her home for the night. I know it’s not the sunset, and I know it’s definitely not your mom’s but um, I wanted to try and make you something for your birthday. I got her recipe from your dad. I know it’ll never be the same as hers, but your dad told me how much you loved it, and I-I hope that’s okay.” Carefully, you poured the pozole into one of the bowls, grateful that it still looked hot before you grabbed some of the garnishes out of the plastic containers and sprinkled them on top of the stew.

“Is this… Is this her pozole?” He looked down at the bowl in shock, like he couldn’t even comprehend that the dish was really in front of him. He hadn’t seen the sight of his mom’s pozole de pollo in over a decade. He refused to eat anyone else’s, knowing it could never compare to his mamá’s. The memory of his mother lovingly feeding him bowls of the stew filled him with a comfort and heartache he wasn’t quite sure how to describe. He had never even bothered to ask his dad to make it, figuring like most of the things that brought him pain, it was easier just to avoid it all together. But then, there was you. How had you figured out this was his favorite? You must have gone out of your way to ask his dad? You made this just for him? You cared about him that much? He picked up the bowl and one of the spoons, realizing how nervous you looked as he scooped some up, bringing the spoonful of vegetables, chicken and broth to his mouth.

You were practically holding your breath as he took a bite, praying to whatever higher power there was that he just didn’t hate it, or worse, that he was upset with you for even trying to attempt it in the first place. You watched hesitantly, over-analyzing every twitch of his face as he chewed and swallowed, looking up at you, tears welling behind his eyes.

“Baby…” He paused for a moment, setting the pozole down.

Fuck, was it so bad that you made him cry? Oh please, God, please not let it be terrible.

He brought his hand to your cheek, caressing your jaw, his lips drawn in a soft sweet smile. His voice trembled, barley above a whisper. “It tastes just like hers. I-I never thought I’d get to taste that again. Thank you, Osita. You- You have no idea how much this means to me. It means everything. Thank you. Thank you so much.” A tear gently rolled down his cheek as he pulled you into his chest, cradling the back of your head as he brought you closer to him. He sat there for a moment, looking out at the lake then back down at you as he held you in his arms, the sweet scent of the pozole lingering in the peaceful silence. He wasn’t quite sure how you did it, but he swore he fell more and more in love with you by the second.

“So, it’s okay? You’re not mad?”

“Mad? Baby, how could I possibly be mad? I couldn’t be fucking happier. I love you so much.” He pressed a soft kiss on the top of your head, savoring the sweet scent of you as he buried his nose in your hair.

“Well if it was really awful, it would be very fair if you were upset.” You let out a small huff of laughter, relief washing over your body, feeling like you could finally breathe again. “Like I said, I know it can never replace your mom’s, but it’s your birthday, and you deserve everything in the world- today and every other day. I love you too, Javi.”

You were glad you had made as much pozole as you did, watching Javi practically inhale every last drop you had made. When you told him that there was still more in the fridge at home, his face lit up like a little boy on Christmas day. He was equally excited for the cupcakes you had made him, gobbling several of them down almost as quickly as the pozole. You sat at the edge of the water after finishing your food, listening to Javi tell you stories of his favorite memories at the lake, particularly enjoying the one where his older cousin had convinced him that you were allowed to take fish from the lake home as pets, and somehow managed to bring a full bucket back to the car with him before his parents found out.

“Did you ever have any real pets as a kid?” You asked, finishing the last bite of your cupcake, still giggling from Javi’s story.

“Besides all the cows and sheep and horses?” He laughed, face palming yourself for forgetting that Javi had literally grown up on a farm. “Yes in that sense, but never anything that lived in the house, besides that bucket of fish I almost got away with if my cousin wouldn’t have ratted me out.”

“My house was a goddamn zoo growing up. I think by the time I was born, my parents already knew it was going to be chaos, so they figured, what were a few more animals going to do? I’m pretty sure at one point we had 3 dogs, a cat, Charlie had a rat and a snake which did not end well, and one day, Patrick and David came home from the pet store with an iguana, which only lived in the house for one day before escaping out the bedroom window at night, never to be seen again. Rumor is, that iguana is still roaming through the suburbs of Chicago to this day.” The both of you laughed, Javi raising an eyebrow, picturing you with all your brothers and animals running around the house. “After all of that, I am more than happy with just a dog, singular, not plural. I was close to adopting one when I moved down here, Paul hated animals- another red flag, despite how much I told him I wanted one, but it wouldn’t have been fair with me living in the apartment. I wanted to get a house when I moved down here so I could have a yard, but again, the giant teacher salary wasn’t doing me any favors, unless I wanted to live in a box by the side of the highway.”

“I’ve always wanted a dog. I’d love to have one when we get a house.”

We. When we get a house. That one put butterflies in your stomach.

“When we get a house, huh?” You put a little emphasis on the word, the both of you blushing, quietly laughing to yourselves.

“I mean, I love your apartment. I couldn’t be more fucking excited to live with you. But I mean- I don’t know, correct me if I’m wrong, I’m guessing you don’t wanna live there forever?” He traced his fingers along the small of you back as he sat propped up next to you.

“I mean no, but again, not really rolling in cash over here in the money department, Jav.” You rolled your eyes, a part of you feeling guilty that your career choice always made you feel like a financial burden, despite how good you were with saving your money.

“Listen…I don’t wanna sound like an asshole. I already know how much you hate the “I’m a man so I have to provide for you” stereotype, believe me. I’ve got a good amount of money saved up, and my job now pays better than the DEA even did. I just- I don’t want you to worry about it. I know how much you love teaching, and it’s un-fucking-fair how little teachers make, but I don’t ever want you to think you’re a burden because of it. I’d support you if you wanted to have 6 jobs, because if there’s anyone who could do it, it would fucking be you. But, I- I know you said that you wanted kids, and- and if you ever wanted to not work and stay at home with them, I’d support that too. I just want you to be happy, Osita. You deserve the world and I’d fucking give it to you if I could.”

Those sweet chocolate eyes went straight to your heart. The way he looked at you made you feel like you were the only person on the face of this earth. He was right, you loathed the idea of a man telling how to live your life because he was the breadwinner, but you knew that’s not what Javi wanted. He cared about you. He cared about you so fucking much that almost hurt. He wanted to look after you because you were the only person in the world he ever wanted to treat this way. All he cared about was your happiness. And God, would more than gladly spend the rest of your life doing the same for him.

“You trying to tell me you want me to stay at home and run the Peña household zoo while you’re at work?” You teased, giving him a little nudge as you smiled at him.

“If that’s what you want, it’s what I want too. Although I may have to draw the line at having a fucking iguana in our house.” The two of you snorted, resting your head on Javi’s shoulder as he leaned down to kiss your head, placing a soft peck on your temple.

“No iguanas is fine by me. Like I said, A dog is plenty. Maybe less kids than 4, but I could also be jaded from the 3 older brothers. But I mean- I guess, have you thought about how many kids you’d want?” You should have been embarrassed by how easily the question slipped out. There are lots of things you should have felt uncomfortable bringing up as you talked about your future together at this point in your relationship. You should of, but both of you seemed to agree that those should of’s flew out the window a long time ago.

“Osita…” He paused, laughing to himself, shaking his head as he and those puppy dog eyes glanced over at you. “Baby, I’ll give you however many kids you want. I’ll give you a fucking football team if that’s what makes you happy.” Fuck, he’d give you a baby today if that’s what you wanted- but that’s one he still had enough willpower to keep as a should of, for now. Little did he know, you would have had as many babies as Javi wanted to give you right this very second. But that was a should of you could keep to yourself a little longer too.

The two of you spent a little more time enjoying the warm Texas sun by the edge of the water, Javi bruising your competitive pride in your rock skipping competition, as you tried to persuade him that you only let him win because it was his birthday. Glad that Javi had decided to wear his new watch, you were able to keep a close eye on the time, gathering your things and ushering him to your last pit stop before the Peña ranch.

“Alright, stop number two!” You smiled as you pulled up to Eva’s Dairy Barn. “Wouldn’t be a good birthday if I didn’t take you for ice cream.”

“I was hoping this would be part of the surprise.” He grinned at you as the two of you exited your car, grabbing your hand as you stood in line.

“Of course, Mr. Sweet Tooth. What’s today’s choice? They have a flavor that’s called birthday cake! Or does that not have enough sprinkles for you?” You stuck your tongue out at him as he wrapped you in a bear hug, shaking you as you both laughed.

“Even on my birthday, you’re not gonna let me have a moment of peace, are you?”

“Never. Where’s the fun in that?”

You had never been more thankful for Javi’s incredibly fast eating skills, the impressive speed that he consumed his ice cream at keeping you on time for his last surprise.

“You sure my dad really wants to see me that badly? I told him I was spending the day with you and that we could celebrate a different time.” Javi asked as the two of you got in your car to begin your journey to the Peña ranch.

“Uh, yeah, he called the other day while you were at work, and said that he had something at the house he really wanted to give you today since it’s your actual birthday.” You replied, trying your best to make your lie as convincing as possible. It wasn’t until just now that you began to feel the nerves building in your belly. The day had already been so perfect, you hadn’t stopped to think about the surprise party until now. What if Javi hated it? What if he was mad at you for inviting all of these people? What if you had ruined what had already been such an amazing birthday for him? Javi could clearly sense that your mood had shifted, noticing how tightly you were now gripping the steering wheel of your car as you drove.

“You okay, Hermosa?” He questioned, looking over at you with concern.

C’mon, pull it together, you literally have like 20 more minutes, don’t ruin it now.

“Me? Oh yeah, I’m fine, my head just kind of hurts. Probably didn’t drink enough water today.” You shrugged, turning up the radio volume, your answer seeming to satisfy Javi enough to keep him from pressing anymore. You tried your best to keep your cool for the rest of the trip, singing along to one of the Rolling Stones albums Javi had found tucked behind one of your other CD’s. By the time you were pulling down the driveway, you could feel how sweaty your palms were, relieved to see that Javi hadn’t noticed any of the guests’ cars peeking out from behind the other side of the barn as you approached the house. He reached over the center console to give you a quick kiss before the two of you exited, taking a few deep breaths and frantically wiping your clammy hands on your dress before Javi interlaced his fingers with yours to walk up to the house.

“Hey Pops, we’re here!” Javi announced, opening the door for the both of you. He stepped a little further into the living room, a concerned look now growing across his face at the lack of response. “Dad?” He called out again to the sound of silence. Javi wandered a little deeper into the home, peeking his head into the kitchen and down the hallway as he looked back at you in confusion. “That’s weird, he’s normally done working by now.” He looked around, placing his hands on his hips before looking down at you, crossing your arms and biting your lip.

“You promise you love me and you’re not gonna be mad at me?” You asked, scrunching your brow.

“Baby, what is going on?” His face now even more puzzled.

“You promise?”

“Of course I promise, Osita, what is happening, why are you being so weird?” He now mirrored your stance, crossing his arms over his chest, trying his best not to panic. You grabbed his hand, leading him towards the door of the backyard patio, letting out one last little gulp before you spoke.

“I love you more than anything in the world, Jav. I know you said you don’t think that anyone cares about you or your birthday, but there are so many people who love you, me included, who think that you deserve to have the most amazing day ever. I know you don’t believe it, but I do, and so does everyone else.” You pressed up on your toes to give him one last kiss before opening the sliding glass door, watching him walk out to the back porch. He looked around to see the balloons, streamers and string lights hanging from the deck as you stood behind him, giving a thumbs up to Chucho, who had all of the party guests hidden on the side of the house. He turned back around to face towards you, completely bewildered.

“Osita, what’s going-”

“SURPRISE!”

Javi spun around to see not one, not ten, but a crowd of people now standing at the bottom of the deck, smiles stretched across their faces as they looked up at him. At first, he thought it was a joke. He looked back at you, nodding your head in reassurance, like you could read his mind.

Yes, these people are all really here for you, pendejo.

He looked back out into the sea of people standing in the backyard, now realizing just how many people had shown up just to celebrate him. His whole family- Aunts, uncles, cousins, and their children, his family friends, your 3rd grade co-workers, Carter and Miller, fucking Steve Murphy? And Connie? He turned around to face you one more time, tears welling in his eyes, truly in disbelief. “Baby… Did you… Did you do this all for me?” He cupped your face, cradling your cheek.

“Yes, well me and your dad. Just about killed me to try and keep it a secret this long, I think I was gonna spontaneously combust if I had to tell you another lie.” Your gaze was soft and tender as you stared up at him, letting out a little laugh at the state of disbelief Javi was still in. “Happy Birthday, Javi. Te amo.”

Taking his hands and grasping both sides of your face, Javi pulled you in closer, his mouth meeting yours with a passion that made your heart flutter, his kiss was deep and intense. It was almost enough to drown out the hooting and hollering of the crowd you forgot was watching you from the yard, Javi pulling away in laughter as he heard, who he assumed to be Steve’s loud “OW OWWWWW!” as the two of you found yourselves dangerously close to making out in front of Javi’s friends and family. Chucho joined you on the deck, his grunt from each step of the stairs giving away his presence as you ran over to give him a hug.

“Lo hicimos, Chucho. Buen trabajo, Chiflado.” (We did it, Chucho. Nice work, crazy.)

“Lo hicimos, Mija. Ven aquí, Javier. (We did it, mija. Come here, Javier).” Chucho held out his arm, motioning for Javi to join them in their group hug.

“Feliz cumpleaños!” (Happy birthday!) you both beamed up at Javi, wrapping your arms around him. At that moment, Javi didn’t care how tough of a man he thought he was. He didn’t care that he was in front of almost everyone he knew. He didn’t care what anyone thought. The sight of the two of you wrapped around his waist, laughing and smiling together as you held him brought him to tears. You were the two people he cared about more than anything in this world, and the fact that you both cared about him just as much made him weak in the knees. For a very long time, Javi had convinced himself that he wasn’t worth caring for. Sure, people would say they cared, but words were really nothing but- They were just words. But then there was you. Your words, your actions, your kindness, your sweet heart. You. Everything about you. You cared about him. You loved him. For the first time in a very long time, Javier Peña could feel himself finally starting to believe that maybe, just maybe, he really was worth caring for.

Chucho grabbed his son by the arm, giving him a firm grasp, as he too, wiped the tears rolling down his cheeks. “Te amo, hijo. Me enorgullece el hombre que eres. Yo se tu madre estaría tambien. Feliz cumpleaños, Javier.” (I love you, son. I am so proud of the man you've become. I know your mother would be, too. Happy birthday, Javier). You watched as the two of them embraced, Chucho patting Javi on the back, squeezing him tightly before pulling away and pointing at you. “She’s a good one. You better marry this girl, Javier. And not just because I want my nietos (grandkids).” That one had both your faces turning an embarrassing shade of red as Chucho pulled you both back in for a hug before letting you go to address the crowd.

“Vamos de fiesta!” (Let’s party!)

As the upbeat music began to play in the background, Javi grabbed you by the hand, leading you down the deck into the crowd below. It was no surprise to either of you that the first voice that greeted you was one you hadn’t heard since the beginning of june.

“MIJAAAAAAAAA!” Maria screeched as she wrapped her arms around the two of you, squeezing you in for a hug before pulling away with a staunch frown on her face. “Why have neither of you called?! Apparently you two are in love and I have to hear it from Chucho?! Dios Mio, I cannot believe it!” You and Javi laughed as she swatted at the both of you, the two of you grimacing between your giggles.

“Sorry, Maria.” Javi replied, leaning back down to kiss her on the cheek, easing some of her theatrics.

“Fine, I will forgive you. Only because it is your birthday. As long as I am invited to the wedding, I won’t complain.” She pointed a finger at Javi as he pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath.

“Maria… Please?” He looked down at her, giving your hand a little squeeze as you quickly caught him smirk in your direction.

“Oh, pshhhhhh.” She waved her hand at him again, rolling her eyes. “I already know it will happen, so just keep me on the guest list. I really am glad to see you both so happy. Feliz cumpleaños, Javier.” This time, she ended her sentence with a genuine smile, bringing you back for one last hug before giving a wave and heading back into the crowd.

“Well… This school year’s gonna be fun.” You raised an eyebrow at Javi, the both of you knowing Maria was about to be a relentless investigator in your relationship once September rolled around. “I’m gonna go check on something inside really quick, are you gonna be okay if I leave you to fend for yourself?” You smiled at him, telling that as thankful as he was, Javi was still feeling a little overwhelmed by all the attention. He nodded, giving you a quick kiss on the head as you disappeared to make sure everything had made it to its proper place before the party kicked into full swing.

Javi took a deep breath, relieved to find his dad approaching him, already holding out a beer in his hand for his son to take. “Figured you might need a little liquid courage.” Chucho chuckled, patting Javi on the back. Javi quickly took the can, cracking it open and holding it up to cheers with his dad, taking an extra long sip before holding it by his side.

“She really planned all this?” Javi grinned at his dad in disbelief, looking out at the crowd around him.

“Sure did, hijo. She’s been planning it for weeks, been over here more times than I can count while you’ve been at work. She wanted to make sure everything was perfect for you. That girl loves you so much, Javier. I hope you know how lucky you are.”

Javi watched as you made your way back down from the deck, awestruck by every inch of you as you made your way back to him. Looking at you was like looking at a fucking dream. He was the luckiest man on the face of the earth. He knew that for damn sure. Before Javi could respond to his dad, he felt two hands grab him by the shoulders and shake him from behind, already knowing exactly who it was from the moment he heard his voice.

“Happy birthday, you grumpy old bastard.”

Never in his life did Javi think that he would be so excited to see Steve Murphy.

“Hey, Murph.” Javi chuckled, grabbing Steve in a tight embrace, the two patting each other's backs before pulling away.

“Fuck, you look old. What’d ya turn this year, 76?”

“Fuck off, Murphy. Could say the same for you.” It had been years since the two had seen each other, but the way Javi and Steve picked right back up where they had left off made it feel like not even a day had passed between them.

“Havin’ kids will do that to ya. Sure it won’t be long ‘till you find that out. Speakin’ of which, where’s the girlfriend?” Steve winked, taking a sip of his beer as Javi took an over exaggerated sigh, raising his own beer up to his mouth, relieved to find you walking up to the two of them.

“Oh, you already got a drink? Okay, two for me then, I guess.” You shrugged, setting one of your beers down in the grass as Javi wrapped his hand around your hip, planting a kiss on your temple. “You must be Steve?” You asked, outstretching your hand toward his tall, lanky frame.

“You must be the girlfriend?” He replied mischievously.

“I wish. He’s just paying me to walk around with him all night to make him look good. Felt bad for the guy with it being his birthday and everything. What’d you say your name was again? Julio?” You snorted as you looked up at Javi, shaking his head as you nudged his side.

“Fuck, she’s funny. I like her, Jav.” Steve grinned at Javi, raising an eyebrow.

“You two are both the biggest pain in my ass I think I’ve ever met.” Javi retorted, smirking at you as he gave you a little nudge back.

“Well, at least he’s got a type.” You held up your drink up to Steve’s, the both of you laughing as a petite blonde haired woman approached with 2 little girls behind her and one in her arms.

“Hi Javi.” She smiled warmly, passing the baby off to Steve as she gave Javi a hug. “It’s so good to see you. Hope Steve isn’t already giving you too much of a hard time.”

“Thanks, Connie. Good to see you too. Con, this is my girlfr-”

“Girlfriend? I had a feeling. Steve told me all about you. It’s really nice to meet you.” Connie reached her arms out towards you, pulling you in for a hug.

“It’s really nice to meet you too, thank you so much for coming.” You smiled at her, looking over at the two girls behind her. “Are these your daughters?”

“Oh yes, this is Olivia and Abby, and the little one is Madison. Can you say hi, girls? Javi used to work with your dad a long time ago!” Connie cooed at the girls, playing with each other behind their mom.

“Hi!” The girls waved shyly before darting behind Connie’s legs, giggling to one another.

You and Javi both waved back as you crouched down on your knees to talk with them. “So Olivia and Abby, how old are you?”

“10!” Olivia responded, trying to pull her sister away from Connie to get a better look at you. “Abby’s 6 but she’s really shy.”

“I am not!” Abby demanded, stomping her foot at her sister. “I’m almost 7, so I won’t be 6 for much longer.”

“Well it looks like we have two birthdays to celebrate!” You smiled as Abby peeked a little further from out behind her mom. “So let me guess, you girls are going into 5th grade and 1st grade? I teach 3rd grade, so I’m right in between you two!” The girls' faces lit up instantly as you told them about your profession.

“I wanna be a teacher when I’m a grown up!” Olivia beamed, tugging at Connie’s sleeve. “Mommy, do you think she’ll play unicorns with us?” Abby now bouncing up and down in excitement next to her.

“Oh sweetie, I don’t-”

“No it’s okay!” You interjected, cutting off Connie. “Of course I can play. Just for a little bit though. I’m sure playing with you is way more fun than talking with grownups, but I promised Javi I’d spend time with him tonight because it’s his birthday, okay?” You stood up, now facing Javi looking like he hadn’t heard a single word you had just said. “Jav?”

“Uh yeah, sorry, what’d you say?” He shook his head, trying to clear the strangely comforting feeling he had growing in his chest with how sweetly you had talked to the girls.

“You okay if I go hang with these two cuties for a little while? Unless you’re also dying to go play unicorns, in which case I'm sure the girls will let you join since it’s your birthday.” You gestured back over to Olivia and Abby, laughing as you watched them already pretending to gallop around the backyard.

“I’m good on the unicorns, thanks Osita.” He chuckled as you pressed up on your tiptoes to give him a kiss before heading off to join the girls.

“THERE’S NO KISSING IN UNICORNS!” Olivia shouted from across the yard making you, Connie, Steve and Javi burst out into hysterics, holding up your arms like you had been caught, turning around to point at Javi and give him a playful stank face as you walked away.

“Goddamn, Jav. When you puttin’ a ring on that girl’s finger?” Steve and Connie both smirked as he passed baby Madison back over to her, Connie carrying her over to watch where the girls were playing.

“Murph, c’mon-” Javi tried to stop him from getting any further before he knew how much shit Steve was about to throw his way, regardless of what his answer was.

“I’m bein’ serious, Javi. She’s a fuckin’ catch. Happiest I’ve ever seen you, that’s for sure. What the hell you waitin’ for, man?” Javi could tell Steve was being genuinely serious, something that didn’t happen often. Javi took another sip of his near empty drink as he rested his hands on his hips, staring back at Steve’s impatient glare.

“I don’t know, Steve. I- She’s perfect. Fuck, I don’t know, it’s only been 3 months, I don’t wanna rush things or scare her off, I- I didn’t know you could love someone this much, Murph. I’m scared I’m gonna fuck it up somehow.” Javi’s gaze shot down to the ground, running his hands through the dark curls of his hair before setting his can down in the grass.

“Listen, I’ll say one more thing and then I’ll shut up about it, I promise.” Steve held his hands up in defense as Javi nodded, waiting for what Steve had to say. “I dated someone before Con for 3 fuckin’ years and it blew up in my face because it just wasn’t it. I met Connie two weeks later, and I knew from the moment I met her I wanted to spend the rest of my fuckin’ life with her. Got married 10 months later. When ya know, ya know, Jav. And if there’s one thing I can tell for certain is that you’re fuckin’ lovesick fool for her, and she sure as hell loves you too. You won’t mess anything up, Peña. Now c’mon, I got a lotta birthday whiskey I need to give you.”

Looking over Steve’s shoulder, Javi watched as you ran around with Olivia and Abby, that bright beautiful smile stretched across your face, his heart bursting as he watched you laugh and giggle with the girls in the grass. He hated to admit that Steve was right about anything, but there wasn’t a doubt in Javi’s mind that he wasn’t. He’d marry you tomorrow. He would have married you yesterday. Fuck, he would have married you 2 months ago. God, the only thing stopping him at this point was not wanting to hear the 10 pounds of shit Steve was going to give him during the best man speech at his wedding.

Despite getting roped into playing Unicorns for a little longer than you had intended, the party seemed to be going off without a hitch. People were having fun, the food Chucho had grilled was delicious, and more important than anything else, Javi was happy. Genuinely happy. You were worried that with the amount of people who had come, Javi would be overwhelmed by the attention, counting down the minutes until the night was over. It had shocked you how many times Javi had thanked you not only for everything you had done for him that day, but for inviting so many people that he had barely seen since his mom had passed. He was so excited to introduce you to the rest of his family that you hadn’t met yet, and found himself on the brink of tears as you tried to converse with them in Spanish, finding out that part of the reason you had spent so much time with Chucho was to learn more so you could talk to the people he cared about the most in their native language. It made him burst with pride how each friend and family member he introduced you to couldn't express enough how much they loved you, and how happy they were for him. Truth be told, the only thing that Javi had to even try to complain about was the fact that you still made everyone sing him Happy Birthday and blow out the candles on the cake you had made. Even when he told you that you were mad about it, Javi knew that you could see right through him, and that he couldn’t have been more thankful for every single thing you had done for him that day.

Long after the sun had set below the horizon of the Peña ranch, the party was still in full swing, the string lights you and Chucho had hung along the deck now lighting up the boisterous dance floor the patio had become. Despite his genuine happiness, you were more than convinced that Steve’s birthday whiskey definitely had something to do with the fact that Javi asked you to go dance with him, but wasn’t quite enough liquid courage to keep him on the dance floor as you tried to drag him back out to do the Macarena with you and his tías. After a few of his cousins had dragged him inside for another beer, Javi found himself sitting at the kitchen table, still getting a good view of you on the porch as you sang and danced away. Javi took a sip of his drink, letting out a content sigh as he leaned back in the chair and watched Steve fumble his way into the kitchen, holding Madison with a desperate look in his eyes.

“Thank God, there you are. Can you watch her, please?” Steve outstretched the baby girl out to Javi, panting like he had sprinted to come find him.

“Steve, what? Are you sure that-?” Javi looked back at Steve suspiciously, leaving Madison dangling between the two of them as Steve practically set her in Javi’s lap.

“Listen, I got two little girls out in the backyard fightin’ over who the hell gets to be the purple mermaid, Con’s out at the car tryin’ to get the girl’s pajamas, so either you take the baby, or go help Olivia and Abby decide who the goddamn purple mermaid is cause I can’t do both.” Sensing the desperation in his tone, Javi took Madison in his arms as Steve went as quickly as he came through the kitchen. “Word of advice, Jav?” Steve yelled across the room as he moved towards the door.

“Yeah, Murph?”

“Don’t let the kids outnumber you.”

Javi chuckled to himself as he looked down at the baby now sitting in his lap. “Guess it’s just you and me, huh?” Javi shrugged as Maidson as he bounced her in his lap. Javi had never really understood why people were so obsessed with babies, considering that they didn’t really do much. But as Javi listened to Madison babble and squeal as he rocked her up and down, he found himself with a grin stretched across his face that he was definitely not expecting. Now on a mission to get another cute reaction out of her, Javi held Madison in his arms, making goofy faces at her as her happy shrieks and coos continued.

Realizing that Javi had been gone for a good amount of time, you looked around the yard, finding that Javi was nowhere in sight. Chucho mentioned something to you about seeing Javi head into the house with his primos (cousins) not too long ago, so you decided to make your way through the crowd to see if you could find him.

“Oh hey, there you are, Hermosa!” you heard Javi’s voice greet you, your back still turned to him as you closed the door behind you.

“Hi, birthday boy! I was looking for-”

Oh.

Oh, dear lord.

The sight you had stumbled upon was nothing that you could have mentally prepared yourself for. It hadn’t helped that for some reason, Javi seemed to be a kid magnet- every child at the party wanting to come up and talk to him or wish him happy birthday. That in itself would have been fine. But what really sent you over the edge was the fact that he was so goddam sweet with every single one of them. Like when you had watched as he crouched down to talk with one of his youngest cousins, listening intently as he told Javi all about his soccer team, or hug one of Estelle’s granddaughters who had made him a birthday card, Javi thanking her in that same sweet voice you had heard him use with animals. It practically melted to the ground as you watched him wrap his arms around her, telling her “Que hermosa! Muchos gracias! (So pretty! Thank you so much!) As she handed him the card. That alone was enough to turn you into a puddle. But now, here you were, looking at Javier Peña, making the sweetest silly faces to the baby he had sitting on his lap. You were ready to run home and toss your birth control out the fucking window.

“You okay, Osita?” Javi asked, waiting for you to finish the rest of your sentence.

“Yup. I am great. I am doing perfectly fine. I am feeling SUUUUPER normal about what’s happening right now.” You gestured to Javi, now propping Madison against his shoulder as he stood up.

Oh my GOD, is he broad. That man could easily fit 3 more babies in his arms. I’m about to get him to put 3 more babies in- NO. STOP. STOP THIS RIGHT NOW. You aren’t even close to being engaged yet, let alone married, you idiot. You cannot have this man’s babies right now. Well, I meannnnn, I guess I- NO. Self control. Pull it together, you hormonal monster. Jesus Christ.

Javi shook his head as he laughed to himself, almost as if he could hear the internal monologue going on in your head as you watched him carry Madison over to you. “What?” He smirked at you, bouncing the baby girl in his arms.

“Don’t you what me, Javier Jesús Peña. You expect me to walk in on you holding a baby and just be normal about it? Here, let me hold her before I look at you any longer and my ovaries burst.” You reached up as Javi passed Madison over to you, holding her only for a brief moment before Steve came rushing back in, snatching her out of your arms.

“If Connie asks, I had her the whole time and the girls didn’t have two extra pieces of cake to stop the mermaid argument.”

Before either of you could say another word, Steve was back out of the kitchen, rushing through the patio door. His swift entrance and exit left you and Javi alone, standing dangerously close to one another, the sexual tension between the two of you so thick, a chainsaw wouldn’t have been able to cut through it. You were using any and all self control you had to not pounce on Javi after watching him hold that baby, but he clearly seemed to have even less restraint than you.

“C’mere.” Javi rasped, his mouth moving faster than his brain as he grabbed your wrist to pull you down the hallway into his room, frantically closing and locking the door behind him. In seconds, your lips crashed into each other, moans escaping from your mouths in between each breath, as your hands grasped at tight fistfuls of the other’s clothing. Javi’s tongue swept into your mouth, kissing you like his life depended on it, the both of you becoming so needy and desperate in each other's arms. Javi’s hands hiked up the hem of your dress, sliding against your thighs before wrapping his arms under your legs, hoisting you up and carrying you into the ensuite attached to his room, using his back to push open the door. He set you down on the counter, quickly pressing the lock to the bathroom before he was back to nipping at your neck, the palms of his hands pressing against every inch of your body as he slid the straps of your dress off your shoulders.

“Javiiii…” You whined in between his frantic kisses. “Javi, we can’t do this here, all your friends and family are outside, this is a bad idea.” Your words were less convincing than ever as you ran your hands through Javi’s hair, tugging at the ends of his thick, brown locks, wrapping your legs around the small of his back to pull him closer to you.

“I don’t care. Fuck, I need you right now.” He planted hot, wet kisses along your neck and chest, pushing down the top of your dress, leaving your breasts exposed, your nipples pebbling against the cool air and Javi’s touch. He swiped his tongue against each, flicking and swirling them in his mouth as he dug his fingers into your hips, making it harder and harder to keep your moans quiet.

“Javi, we can’t. What if someone finds us? I want your family to like me, and I’m pretty sure one of them walking in on us isn’t gonna help my case very much.” You couldn’t even bother trying to convince yourself at this point. You could already feel how wet the fabric of your underwear was, slick pooling along your thighs as you and Javi practically clawed at each other, feverishly desperate and worked up.

Javi smirked, shaking his head as hooked his fingers around the waistband of your panties, letting them fall to the floor as they slid down your legs. “You don’t have to worry about that, baby. They fucking love you. You know what everyone keeps asking me, huh?” He took his hand, placing it under your chin, forcing your gaze to meet with the dark, lustful pools of his eyes, the other sliding up your bare thigh, his fingers sliding through your wet folds, collecting the arousal already dripping from them. “They keep asking me when I’m gonna marry you.”

He pushed his thick fingers into your heat, making you shutter as your hands white knuckled the edge of the marbled countertop. “Couldn’t stop thinking about it all fucking day. How fucking perfect you are, what good wife you’d be.” The calloused pad of his thumb pressed against your clit, the motion of him rubbing back and forth and his fingers pulsing in and out of you making you scrunch your face, your jaw hinged open, trying everything you could to keep quiet.

Javi would have loved to do nothing more than spend the rest of the night making you cum over and over again, but the both of you knew now wasn’t the time or place to keep things drawn out. He pulled his fingers out of you, making you bite down on your tongue to keep from whimpering as Javi worked at his belt, hearing the buckle clink as he pushed his pants and boxers down his thighs. His cock sprang free as it flung out from under the waistband of his underwear, already throbbing and leaking precum from its tip. Javi spitting on his hand to stroke himself before collecting the slick around your entrance and pushing deep inside your heat. Javi held his hand up over your mouth, trying to keep from screaming into his palm as the sweet stretch of his length felt like it was splitting you open. “Shhhhh, I know baby.” He mewled, reaching his free hand down to once again rub against your throbbing bundle of nerves. “Gotta be a good girl and keep quiet for me, okay?” You nodded frantically as he took his hand off your mouth, biting down on your lip as his thrusts became quicker, pounding into you with a desperate intensity. “Jesus you’re so fucking wet. Does it turn you on, Osita? Thinking about me being your husband?” The way Javi punched against your walls had you writhing, squeezing your legs tighter around his waist and burying your face in the crook of his neck, toes curling with each satisfying thrust. You were practically incoherent- the way his hips snapped ferociously against you, fingers circling against your clit, talking about being his fucking wife? You let your words babble from your brain straight to your mouth, unfiltered, as they fell from your lips.

“Fuck- oh my god - Yes, fuck, it turns me on so much. I think about it all the time. Fuck, I wanna marry you so bad, have your kids, I want all of it Javi. I want- Oh shit- I want all of it.” You could feel the tingle creeping from the base of your spine into your belly, digging your fingertips into the shirt stretched across the muscles of Javi’s broad back, crying out silently into his shoulder. The sounds that filled the air between you were wanton, hearing how wet you were as Javi slid in and out of you, his grunts strained against his gritted teeth, thrusting deeper and harder as he felt your pussy begin to flutter around him.

“Jesus- fuck me - Makes me so fucking hard thinking about it. Making you my fucking wife, putting a ring on your finger, fucking a baby into you. I’ll give it all to you, Osita.” You balled your fists around the fabric of his shirt, nearly ripping it off his back as you sobbed into his neck feeling how close you were. His free hand reached back up against your face, cupping over your mouth to muffle your moans, feeling you clench tighter and tighter around his cock. “That’s it baby. Let go. Soak my dick before I fuck you full of me.” The coil in your belly snapped as you whimpered into his palm, your orgasm overtaking you, body erupting with pleasure.

Hi Javi’s thrusts became sloppy and sporadic, frantically chasing his own high, desperate to fuck every last drop of himself into you. “Fuck, Hermosa, you’re so good to me, giving me the best fucking birthday- mierda - you’re fucking perfect. All fucking mine. Oh shit, fuck, baby, I’m- ahhhhhh.” With one last pulse, his seed spilled against the heat of your walls, his cock throbbing inside you, pushing every last drop of himself into your cunt. He slumped his forehead against your shoulder, feeling the sweaty curls of his hair stick to your skin as your chests rose and fell in sync. Javi hissed as he pulled out, feeling the mixture of the two of you drip down your legs. Running his two fingers along the inside of your still trembling thighs, he collected your spend, bringing it back to your entrance before pushing his thick digits back into your heat, making you gasp. “Gonna keep you full of me all fucking night, pretty girl.” He leaned down to kiss along the trail he had swiped up before traveling his lips up your body, stopping at your mouth. He reached down to grab your panties, pulling them back over your legs as he helped you down off of the counter, shuffling them over your ass as he gave it a quick smack before pulling your dress back down to its rightful position. You leaned against the counter as Javi brought his pants and boxers back around his waist, fastening his belt buckle, looking up to see you grinning at him.

“Did you mean what you said? About- about all that stuff?” You asked, biting down on your lip, heat building in your face as your heart pounded in your chest.

“Every fucking word, baby.” He cradled your cheek, running his thumb along your jaw, his face radiating with joy and content. “Osita, this has been the best fucking birthday I’ve ever had. Never in a million fucking years did I think someone would even care enough to remember my birthday, let alone do all this shit for me. I never wanna have another goddamn birthday without you. Today has been perfect. I’m ready to go and take you home to our apartment. Tú y yo, Osita. Para el restoro de mi vida (Me and you, Osita. For the rest of my life.) I love you so much.”

Before Javi could lean down to kiss you again, your bodies both froze in fear as you heard the doorknob to the bedroom rattling. “Fuck…” Javi muttered to himself. “Wait right here, okay? I promise I’ll make sure no one finds out you’re in here. Fuck, I’m so sorry.” He gave you a quick kiss on the head before carefully closing the ensuite door, trying his best to fix his hair and shirt as he heard knocking on the other end.

“Jav! It’s Steve. I know you’re in there, you sneaky son of a bitch.”

Javi groaned as he opened the door, stepping out of his room to find Steve smirking as he crossed his arms against his chest. “Whatchya doin’ in there, buddy?”

“Fuck off, Murphy, I just- I had to go get something really quick.” Javi’s eyes darted up and down the hallway to make sure no one else was around.

“Whatever ya say man. Hey listen, all the girls are cashed out in the car so we’re gonna hit the road. I just wanted to say it was so good to see you, Peña. The two of you need to come by sometime now that we’re close. I know I’ve given you a lot of shit over the years, but I mean it when I say I’m really fucking happy for you. Happy birthday, ya grumpy old bastard.” Steve pulled in Javi for a hug, giving him one last pat on the back before pulling away. “And Jav?”

“Yeah, Murph?”

“Your fly’s undone.”

“Oh, fuck…” Javi muttered, quickly reaching down to zip up his pants while Steve was trying to keep himself from cackling.

You snuck out of the bathroom to press against the doorway, trying to figure out who had almost caught you and Javi. Not realizing that Javi hadn’t closed the door all the way, you leaned just a little too hard, forcing it open as you sheepishly peeked your head out behind Javi.

“Bye, sweetheart.” Steve winked at you before heading down the hallway and disappearing around the corner, your face beet red knowing you had completely blown your cover.

“Bye Steve.” You muffled through the hand now completely covering your face in embarrassment before looking back up at Javi. “Better him than your dad, I guess? Or God forbid, Maria?” You both grimaced, the idea of either of those two finding you in the state Steve had making you shutter.

“Jesus, I can’t even think about that.” You both laughed as Javi snaked his hand around your waist, pulling you flush with his chest. “Whaddya say we head home, roomie?” The name making you grin as you hugged your arms around his hips, laying his head against the soft fabric of his shirt.

“Sounds good to me, birthday boy.”

The two of you made your way back out to the party, the number of guests dwindling from the late hours of the night the party had extended to. You said your goodbyes to the friends and family still lingering, making sure to give an extra long hug to Chucho, thanking him again for everything he had done to help make sure the party had gone perfectly.

“I can come over tomorrow if you need help cleaning up okay? Don’t need you complaining about your knees anymore than you already are.” You smiled, Chucho pulling you in for one last squeeze.

“Cabrón. Mis viejas rodillas están bien. (Asshole. My old knees are just fine). But if you wanted to come over tomorrow morning to help, I wouldn’t complain. I’m sure this one wants to come get the rest of his things and get out his old man’s hair once and for all.” He chuckled as he grinned at Javi, shaking his head at the two of you.

“Sounds good, we’ll see you tomorrow, Chucho. Thank you again. You’re the best. You ready, Jav?” You squeezed his hand, giving him a little nudge.

“Yeah, I just gotta ask Pops something real quick, I’ll meet you out by the car, okay?” He replied, giving you a kiss on the head as you gave Chucho one last wave before making your way back to the driveway.

“Qu�� necesitas, hijo?” (What do you need, son?). Chucho raised an eyebrow at Javi, watching his son fidget with his fingers, leg bouncing anxiously. Making sure you had disappeared from his sight, Javi looked around the crowd one more time before taking a shaky breath.

“I uh- I don’t need it now, but, I mean I’m still gonna give it some time- I um, I just wanted to know if, fuck, if um, I could- I could have mom’s ring?”

Chucho’s eye’s glistened, beaming at Javi as he wrapped his arm around his son. “Javier. That ring has been sitting on my nightstand since I got home from Maria’s party all those months ago. I’m just glad you finally asked and I didn’t have to put it in your pocket for you.”

Taglist: @cool-iguana @rhoorl @whyjuliaaa @bbiophiliaa @pertinentpostmortem @angelofsmalldeath-codeine @pedrobaby @fatima-marisa @beboldbebravethings @poodlebae @kittenlittle24 @3sriracha @jungchloee @perennialdoll247 @prettyinpunk85 @partyofone3413 @harriedandharassed

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stickthisbig · 1 year

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I've started conducting job interviews at work now? It's terrifying but it turns out I'm really good at it? So if interviewing is daunting, here is my advice from the other side of the table. It turned out to be very long, so here's a cut.

When you apply:

Oh my god please spell check your resume, I beg of you.

Gimmicks absolutely will not help you. You will get so much farther with a resume that is neatly formatted and a cover letter that is straight to the point.

Make sure you count all your experience!! Internships and fellowships count as experience!! The computer system will reject you and I'll never see it in the first place!!

After you've gotten the interview:

If you're trying to get a job in a field you've never worked in (as most of the people I interview are), break down your former employment or experience into the skills you used and keep that information at hand. You used to work in food service? You have experience in delivering an experience at a high quality with basically no margin for error, and you work well under pressure. You were a telemarketer? You have experience at following a workflow and deescalating conflict.

We and every other job WILL be asking you about a. conflict management and deescalation (have examples for how you resolve conflict with coworkers, clients, and bosses) b. personal time management (how you stay organized and on schedule) c. what you do when you realize you can't handle a problem by yourself d. your strengths and weaknesses (see below) Just go on and have an answer ready. You will be asked. There will be questions you're not prepared for. Be prepared for these.

Do a little googling about the company/organization. What will become extremely clear to you immediately is whether they're going to care about you caring about the mission. Some businesses don't. Every non-profit and every government agency does. If they seem like they care, you should pretend to care.

Ask all your questions of the person who is scheduling the interview. I don't recommend trying to figure out who will be your boss and contacting them. Everybody's very busy all the time, none of us are hiring specialists, and we're using the HR staff to act as our buffer. You will look like a nuisance, not a go-getter.

Do look at a map and figure out where you're going. It's vastly preferable to call an hour ahead and say you're unsure where to go than call ten minutes late and say you're lost.

When you walk into the office:

I personally don't give a fast fuck if you come empty handed, but some interviewers HATE that, so definitely bring a notebook and a pen. It's no longer necessary to bring paper copies of your resume. If you're going to interview a lot, may I recommend dropping five or ten bucks on a sketchbook at Michaels or similar? It looks polished and also you can actually use it for things. If you need to write notes to help you remember anything from above, it's okay to write them down. Anybody who would ding you for that isn't someone you need to work for.

If you don't know what to wear: black or khaki pants, nice shirt. Preferably a blazer, but that's optional at entry level imho. Lately I'm finding that the men's sections in thrift stores have better selections? If you've got big hips, you can slit the sides of a men's dress shirt up to your waistline and tuck it in. If you have to come in jeans, wear a belt. If you only have a t-shirt, make sure it's clean and tuck it in. You don't have to prove to me you have money to get this job; you just have to prove to me that you are taking this opportunity seriously by presenting yourself neatly, because you will be expected to be dressed neatly at work.

My sibling in Christ beloved child of God, be polite to every fucking person you see. Oh my god I cannot stress to you how polite you need to be. I cannot believe that this is a thing I have to say, but I sure do! If it's close between you and another person, that snippy comment you made on the elevator WILL lose you that job. Ditto for if they walk you around to meet people. Just be THE politest motherfucker.

When you walk into the room:

When you sit down, what you are looking at is one person who is running the interview, twoish people who are related to your job, and sometimes also someone from HR, unless HR does all the interviewing. One of these people wants to be your hype man. If it's my office, it's me, I'm hype man. I want to have a dialogue with you to see how prepared you are and how good of a communicator you are. I want this interview to go fast and seamless. I'm in your corner. Don't play to the guy who's actively staring off into space. Focus on the interviewer who's most focused on you.

NEVER downplay your own experience. Getting a job you're underqualified for is a problem for future you. If you only have internships, or you only have retail, or you only have food service, or you only have work study, fuck it. You walk in there and act like you've been the goddamn president. The question of your qualifications and the question of your experience are separate. Never act like your experience doesn't count because it's in a "lesser" field.

EVERY. TIME. you are asked about your weaknesses, explain how you have used them for growth. Do not wait to be asked, just slap it in there. One of my biggest weaknesses is giving up control, so I've made a conscious effort to involve other people earlier in the process. If you're not fuckin working on your weaknesses, just try to imagine what would be a good idea. Or maybe work on them? I'm not your dad.

What I am looking for is your ability to answer my questions in a complete and concise way. If you can't give me a specific example, I want you to be able to reflect on your previous work and say "When it comes to X, my experience doing Y is relevant in this way." I am asking you for a synthesis. Most of what I need you to do in this position, I know you've never done. If there is something where I specifically need you to have done X as a professional qualification, there is nothing else you could say that would be right, so you have nothing to lose.

Keep some question in your back pocket for when they ask "do you have any questions for us." It is a hundred percent okay for this to be a softball question, but it's also okay to ask something more probing. You can ask how they handle training, town and gown relations, what the possibilities for employee development are, whether they've done any diversity initiatives, if there's a good work-life balance, what the previous person in the position is doing now, what their strategic planning is like, whatever, just something to prove you're engaged. Do not ask about leave, and do not ask a gimmicky question you saw on the internet. If you can't think of anything, just fuckin ask them how they like working there. That's perfectly fine.

This isn't the time to bring up ADA accommodations. The person who can approve that for you is almost certainly not in the room, and you put us in a super weird position. I am saying this as a person who receives ADA accommodations from my employer and did not disclose my disability when I was hired, as is my legal right. Don't bring it up until you think it would actively prevent you from fulfilling a job requirement or accessing the office. In the before times I had a dude once who called me asking if the building was accessible, because he just wasn't going to interview if it wasn't, and I was just like "...that's fair, my man, but you can come on down."

After the interview:

I fully don't care about a thank you note; I'm unlikely to see it anyway. Some people do. You may send one (1) and ONLY ONE thank you note; generally it should just go to the person who scheduled your interview. Do not, and this is so important, do not email again. I know it is the fucking worst how employers get away with ghosting people but my friend you and I cannot change that. (We do send notices to people who get interviews but don't get the job; people who don't get interviews are informed by the computer system.)

It's gonna be okay. I'm not trying to trick you; I want this to go smoothly, and I want you to demonstrate that you understand how you would use what you've already done to do what I need you to do. I don't want this to be awkward any more than you do. Actually, I want this not to be awkward more than you do, because I have to do this several more times.

#work advice #interviewing #I'm interviewing my new intern in like a week and a half aaaaaaa

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kays-artstuff · 2 months

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My take on a revived clover AU

I like to think that monsters preserved the human children as a sort of remembrance using similar magic to their food since it doesn’t expire, but since humans have more physical matter it only delays rotting rather than completely stopping it, and since clover had died being much less harmed because they gave up their soul rather than getting murdered they get to be the first to come back with minor changes since they didn’t rot that much and their internal organs stayed in tact.

Also in this au flowey kinda goes MIA on frisk and doesn’t wanna be friends/isn't ready to talk to them juuuuust yet, clover’s kind of an exception though :D which also means frisk doesn't reaaallly know about clover til weeks later cause clover isn't ready to face martlet starlo or anyone else until they feel ready, dying and choosing to be alone as a 12 year old can be not great for the brain

Flowey is technically clovers guide through the underground but is still trying to get the other humans to wake up so he’s kinda busy but will know if clover is near a save like in game.

I might give this clover figerless gloves to hide the more human-lookin' skin

Clover is actually essentially sneaking around places like waterfall and snowdin town, staying places that have small shops and less people that would be able to recognize them

The tumblr user howlonomy gave me so much brainrot in their au so look at it!!! Their clover is such a creaturr!!!! /pos

#art #sorry for the tags #drawing #uty fanart #clover uty #uty clover #ut yellow #undertale yellow #undertale yellow au #I might make more stuff when my laptop is fixed #howlonomy seems very cool but also I'm not @-ing them because jesus christ social interactions are terrifying and the concept of being #percieved also scared the heck outta me #Ap bio makes me want to explain magic in a microscopic sense y'know? like explain how magic turns into chemical energy which when you eat #goes through your bloodstream or by electrical signals and makes you heal fast #also like #debating whether the stasis they were in would be either because it stopped the cells from majorly decaying and deviding or whether it #continues the cell cycle but prevents dna from being damaged in this statis preventing things like illness or cancer while in a sort of #living stasis?#I'll think abt it some more #if you can't tell I really like science and art.#“Lucky” Clover Au

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henrioo · 10 months

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Hello! May I ask for an Ace X S/O scenario where Ace wants cuddles but his lover is busy on the ship. He’s been trying to get an opportunity alone with them but has failed each time! This goes on for the day, leading him to sulk in a corner. Finally, he gets a chance to snatch his love away from work and they cuddle, he voices out his love/needs and S/O comforts and repeats “I love you” while giving him many kisses on his face.

Thank you! ❤️

✦ ── LITTLE TRICK: PORTGAS D. ACE

Relationships: Ace x Gn! Reader

Synopsis: Ace was missing you, but you were too busy with your work on the ship... So he had to take drastic measures

Warnings: Gn! Reader, Canonical universe, Mentions of office work, Mentions of overworked people, Relationship Distancing, Mentions of Injury (False), Mentions of Blood (False)

Word Count: 1,2k

Notes: Here it is! Our boy can't stay away from you and that's why he went looking for the solution, don't be mad at him, okay? Hope you like it and thanks for ordering with me

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ• ────── ✦ ────── •

Being a pirate and having a relationship wasn't one of the easiest activities in his routine. Of course it could be much worse, after all you and Ace were very lucky to be both pirates and also on the same crew. Just being able to see each other every day, sleep in the same bed and be in the same environment for most days was something many pirates envied and wished for in their own relationships.

But that didn't make the job any easier, you were a pirate busy being… Well, you had a secretary's job actually. You basically took care of the paperwork and helped all the commanders, going from the top down to make sure that all problems were solved and that no one was lost. It was really tiring, but knowing that you were an essential part of the Whitebeard Pirates, plus of course everyone's thanks, made all the hard work worthwhile.

The thing was, you weren't the only one busy, Ace as second in command had an entire section of men and women to command and organize in taking care of duties across the ship and beyond. Besides, he loved adventures, so it wasn't hard for Pops to put him on missions that required him to go to other islands, whether it was to make sure everything was ok, hunt someone, receive something, anything that was off the ship, Ace was the first option to go solve.

This ended up affecting your relationship a lot, it was not uncommon for the two of you to arrive in the bedroom when the other was already asleep, often even leaving so early before the loved one woke up. There were few moments that you could really enjoy together and alone, since in addition to your duties, you also had other moments to enjoy with your family or taking care of needs, such as buying personal items on the islands.

You initially didn't seem bothered, of course, you were missing your boyfriend so much. Lie down with him on the beach and just enjoy it for a while, but there was so much work to do! Your head was lost among the obligations you didn't even see as you were letting go of your boyfriend, you couldn't even remember. You woke up, busied yourself with work until the evening, and then passed out in bed ready to do it all over again the next day.

But Ace… Ah, poor boy, everyone had noticed how terrible his mood had been these past few days. It's been a while since he woke up without you by his side and he didn't even see you during the days on the ship, you were so busy that it's unfair! You were lovers! You guys should spend time together! He walked up and down doing his duties with an annoyed face and no one had the audacity to anger the commander.

After days of playing chairs, where you two missed each other all the time, he got tired! Ace threw it all in the air and was more than determined to have some time with you, no matter what the consequences!

After winding up all his subordinates, he walked discreetly through the ship's corridors looking for where you were, it didn't take long for him to find you in Marco's office, organizing some folders. Smirking he got ready, just got some sauce and spread it over his abdomen and then the party would begin!

"Y/n! Y/n!" He yelled whimpering as he threw himself against Marco's door. He held his red-stained abdomen and expressed a face of genuine suffering.

"Ace?!" You screamed, dropping the folders on the floor and running to your boyfriend.

"Shit, I… I ended up dropping some stuff in the weapons warehouse… It hurts" he moaned in pain and clung to you.

"I need to take you to Marco now" you prepared to run in search of the doctor but you were stopped by Ace.

"No… Too far" he said tiredly, suffering "Your room is closer… I just need to lie down"

"Sure, come on, I'll take you there!" Ace had to hold back his smile so as not to spoil his plan, you were so willing to help that you didn't even notice the fact that the infirmary was much closer than your room.

Walking with a limp and groaning in pain, Ace did his best in acting, luckily the halls were empty and he could only thank the gods for helping with his plan. It wasn't bad at all, he just needed a few kisses from his lover and then he'd give him back for the hard work he had.

Arriving in the room, the man closed the door and you took him to his bed, carefully placing him on the bed.

"Oh my god, calm down, I, I'll go" you said, nervous and lost, looking around trying to figure out what to do to help.

"Here… Closer" he said breathlessly, you quickly approached ready to help your injured lover.

That's when he got you! Like a little rabbit in a hunter's trap! He wrapped his arms around his body and flipped you around, throwing you onto the bed and climbing on top of you. Making you totally pinned against him and the mattress, he quickly relaxed, throwing his weight on you, and hugging you extremely tight. Ready to kill the longing.

"Ace!?" You screamed nervously and tried to break free "Your wound!"

You struggled for a few more seconds until you heard your boyfriend's laugh, he was rubbing his face in your neck and now he was laughing uncontrollably.

"You… worm! You tricked me! You nearly scared me to death!" You screamed and started hitting him on the back, you almost fainted from fright seeing him with blood and it was all a prank?!

"Sorry" he drawled, you knew he didn't feel a thing, it was obvious from the huge smile plastered across his face.

"What's your problem?! You almost killed me!" You continued thrashing with rage.

"Did I kill you?! You've been killing me for weeks! Don't you remember you have a boyfriend?!" He yelled angrily staring at you, his face was red and he had a pout on his lips.

"You… You almost gave me a heart attack because you missed me?" You said finally calming down, you relaxed against him and let him hold you.

"You didn't give me any other choice" he apologized sadly "You're always so responsible with your work… I knew you wouldn't stop just to pay attention to me…" he lay back against her chest.

"I don't… Well…" you've finally realized that in the last few weeks you may have been neglecting your boyfriend. "Sorry love… I think I got too mad with work" you admitted your guilt, after all you should have been more careful with that.

"Fine, I'm willing to think about forgiving you," he teased.

"Oh yeah? And what do I need to do to receive your forgiveness, my chocolate cake?" You teased by stroking the man's hair.

"First, don't talk about food that makes me hungry, second, you have to hold me the rest of the day and keep telling me that you love and adore me and that I'm your perfect boyfriend" he said between laughs.

"Oh sure, that's the least my perfect boyfriend deserves," you laughed.

"I missed you…" he admitted.

"Me too, I promise I'll see Pops to work a little less, I'll make it up to you"

"Great…" he closed his eyes in satisfaction.

"Wait, you smeared tomato sauce on me?!" You said and Ace knew there was still a lot of fun to come.

#one piece #one piece x reader #one piece x you #onepiece #anime imagines #one piece imagine #imagines #anime and manga #portgas ace x reader #portgas d ace #portgas ace x you #portgas d ace x reader

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yuyuswrld · 5 months

Text

O Captain, My Captain || 1

series intro here, or read chapter 2

characters: reiner x reader (this chapter), various aot boys x reader.

notes: this is an 18+ series, please don’t interact if you’re a minor! reader is referred to with she/they pronouns.

content warnings: explicit smut, fingering, reiner eating pussy like a god!!, alcohol consumption, degradation, mild slut shaming (?), mentions of marijuana at the end

“Has he always been a bitch?” You question Marco, inhaling bites of your ramen. He shrugs, “We’ve both been on the team since freshman year and I’ve never had a problem with him. Maybe you’re the problem?” He meets with dead silence as you stare up at him from your bowl.

“Funny, Bott. I’m just not looking forward to spending so much time with him, if he behaves like that, anyway.” Exasperation visible, you slump in your chair to think. “It’s not like he’s on the sidelines. He’s the damn captain, which means I have to talk to him a lot.”

Marco shrugs. “You’re being dramatic. He’s a pain sometimes, but he’s not that bad. Just try to be nice to him, please. Eren won’t get any nicer if you’re mean. Plus,” He stops to take a bite of his food, “we don’t have the time for fighting. We’re expected to go to nationals this year, and that’s not happening if you two scare each other off.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Bott. I’ll see you at practice later.” Uncrossing your arms and brushing off your legs as you get up from your seat. Okay, sure, Eren has yet to be anything except slightly dismissive and maybe just a little shit. He hasn’t actually done anything to you. You toss your bag over your shoulder before thanking Marco for the meal and dismissing yourself.

As the time for practice draws closer, you collect your thoughts as you stand outside the cold metal doors of the university’s second largest gym. Sure, you went to a school notorious for its D-1 volleyball, but the gym’s size was excessive. The high rise bleachers felt as if they would swallow you alive and the walls would collapse in. They had before. You remember the bile pool in your throat as the sports cameras flashes ate at your failure and spat you back out. Like a gazelle running from its predator, your body craves to run away from the glorified arena ahead of you.

“The fuck are you standing in the doorway for? Are you going in, or what?” Is it wrong to want to choose violence? Couldn’t he just say excuse me or ask if something’s wrong like a normal person?

Ugh, you should choose peace and not mess up a good opportunity. Just think about the money and all the nice things you can buy.

“I’m obviously just trying to get in your way.” You push the door open and walk into the gymnasium, not bothering with holding it open for Eren. In fact– hopefully it hits him!

You hear the door fly open again behind you and a bag hits the ground with a loud thud. Eyes landing on the congregation of men in jerseys surrounding a smaller man, you beeline over to them. As you near, the smaller man, who you assume to be Coach Levi, locks his gaze with you. Is he… angry? Concerned? It’s impossible to determine what he’s thinking as he continues to stare.

“You’re not pregnant, are you?”

Your jaw drops. You’ve met more people in your life than you can count and never did a single person start a conversation in such a way.

“Not as far as I’m aware of…?”

“Okay, if you do what Hanna did, I will rip that baby out of your-”

A blond kid speaks up, “Um, Coach, you probably shouldn’t be threatening them on the first day. I just don’t think it’s a good idea to do that when we really need someone to organize our itinerary and keep practice stats. We’re nothing if we don’t have those numbers.”

“Fine, Arlelt. You and Braun stay here, explain how game statistics work and start having her do one-on-ones after. Performance evaluations for all of you.” You watch as Coach Levi’s eyes hover over Eren, who looks less than pleased. You’re not sure what’s going on there, but also can’t bring yourself to care. “Rest of you can go practice.”

As you glance over at the two boys who stayed, it throws you off that you’ve seen both of them before. The little blond one, you’re pretty sure his name is Armin. You’ve seen him walking around with Eren before, but he always looked so out of place in how gentle he is. You’re pretty sure you watched him bump into a trash can and apologize.

The other, however, you don’t think you’ve ever seen a man with such a commanding presence. He’s well-built. You’re pretty sure even a Greek god couldn’t hold up in comparison. You scoff internally, ‘it’s always the fucking volleyball players.’ But there’s something that lingers on your tongue, a conversation revolving around him. Then it hits you, Petra’s gossipped about him before!

“There are some really cute guys on our volleyball team. Did you know that?”

“Not this again, Petra. We’re supposed to be doing our biology homework.”

“Bitch, please. Let me speak. Anyway, there’s this guy on the team, his name is Reiner and oh my god- that is one fine ass man. He’s built like a tank engine. Not only that,” she says, a little giggle follows. “I’ve only heard this from two girls. He says he doesn’t like to hook up a lot, but his head game is insane. Like cum in a minute insane.”

You stare, “I’m pretty sure that’s impossible, Petra.”

“I don’t know! Hook up with him yourself and you can give me all the juicy details afterwards.” You can only sigh in response, disturbed by your best friend’s inability to study.

But, here he was in the flesh, all 6’2 farmers tan of him. You couldn’t possibly do something so scandalous on your first day, could you? You shake the thought out of your mind as Armin talks.

“Volleyball stats are relatively easy to get the hang of. You just need to watch pretty closely. Even if you do miss something, we record them and you’ll go back through with Eren to make sure everything is recorded properly. Then, you’ll want to convert the numbers of each hit, serve, and pass into percentages compared to how many times it occurred per set.”

Reiner laughs, just a small one, but lord it’s like music to your ears. “Armin, you’re dumping too much info on them at once. It’d probably just be best to just show them the ropes visually and they can go from there. C’mon, let’s have coach set up the camera and record the three-on-three’s that they’re doing now. We’ll watch the game, I’ll have you watch me record it, and then we’ll go back over it while watching the tape later.”

You nod, feeling just a hint of warmth across your face. Is this even possible, to have a school-girl crush in university? Those days were supposed to be behind you, but you can’t help but have the smallest bit of a smile as you follow him and Armin to speak with Coach Levi.

As you watch Reiner and Armin record the stats, your mind spins with utter confusion. You’re beyond lost, unsure how they’re even keeping up with the sheer amount of movement the players are doing. Dig? Write it down. Set? Write it down. You want to groan, or maybe even just go get dinner as you feel your stomach rumble.

As practice wraps up, your stomach rumbles in pain once again as it craves its next coddling. Reiner glances over from where you two stand, finishing up showing Coach Levi the statistics and getting a dismissive, “make sure it’s right,” instead of an appreciative response. He smiles at you, looking down.

“Gettin’ hungry?” He asks.

“Beyond hungry,” you say, shoulders dropping in defeat. “I’m being tortured. I haven’t eaten since noon. It’s 7 now! It’s criminal that you guys would starve me for so long.” You tease Reiner. He only responds by glancing at the gym door where most of the boys say their goodbyes before tapping out for the night.

“Y’know, I’ve heard I make a mean rice bowl.”

It didn’t take much convincing for you to follow him back to his dorm room as practice winds down. Upon sitting across from each other at his make-shift dinner table, you learn Reiner is one of the middle blockers, coming at no surprise to you when taking in consideration to his stature. Although, you also learn he was from the countryside and this scholarship was his way out.

“Y’know, I always kinda dreamt of moving to the big city and being able to do what I love. But it’s crazy, man, I still can’t believe I’m here sometimes playing for the top university on the island.”

Hearing the passion in his voice, you question if it’s right for you to intrude as a manager. Is it okay for you to be in charge of the livelihood of the men who’ve come so far and done so much for their passion? The men who could very well play on Paradis’ Olympic Team in the future? The concern is quickly shoved into your mental locker to be returned to as Reiner asks about watching a movie over some post-dinner snacks and beer. A much needed chance to relax after endless studying, you agree chipperly and move over to his plush couch.

As you two get halfway through Inglourious Basterds, you feel his arm wrap around you and his head turn in your direction. The alcohol running through your system has you heating up just from the skin contact. You blush as Petra’s words return to the forefront of your mind. You turn your head to face him, eyes interlocking with each other. His eyes signal a look of need, not want. You’re not sure if anyone’s ever looked at you like that before. Like a hunter who’ll starve without the meat of the deer he’s trailing.

“You’re so fucking hot” He mutters, you’re surprised a man of his stature can be so quiet. “I don’t think I’ll last with you as our manager.” Reiner closes the gap between the two of you. There’s a slight metallic tinge on his lips, but it’s addicting in the worst of ways and only deepens the experience. You two continue, allowing yourselves to sink into the couch, your body hitting the arm rest. His kiss moves from your lips to your neck, hands beginning to roam until they find purchase underneath your shirt. First, he plays with your bra before making his way under. Reiner moves his lips from your neck gently, almost like he’s scared of making a mistake. He helps you pull your shirt over your head and follows by removing your bra, his delicate touch unhooking the backing.

“You don’t have to be gentle,” you coo to him, lust-filled gazes connecting. “Please, I like it a bit rough, I swear.” He groans into the valley of your breasts.

“Don’t say that shit, I might break you.”

You can only laugh at his words, unfazed by the prospect, if not even more turned on by it.

“Holy shit, please do,”

“In that case,” He says, voice lower as if weighing his options internally. “Don’t blame me if you limp to practice tomorrow.” Reiner helps you remove your pants before his fingers begin to dance over your body again. The touches are soft as they ghost the outline of your skin, your heart beating as you wait for him to soothe the ache between your legs. You attempt to rub them together for a semblance of friction but his arms find their way to keep them split. His gaze shifts up to you, eyes narrow as if disapproving of your behavior. Reiner’s face then begins to move lower, tongue licking a stripe up the inside of your thigh as his fingers begin to dance over your clit. He moves his face over to meet his fingers, tongue flattening against your clit, which draws a moan of approval from you. It seems evident that it spurs him on further as he begins to speed up his tongue, then switching to sucking your bud and having his fingers delve lower to your hole. Reiner holds eye contact with you as he begins to press one of his monstrous fingers inside of you.

You can only make a noise of approval as he pushes it further in, approving of how well even one of them feels inside. It heightens your pleasure as he thrusts it forward, keeping his tongue dancing and sucking against your clit in a flurry of movements that have you questioning if Reiner is really a man and not a god in disguise. As he pushes a second large finger in, you cry out much louder than you should be in the dorms. You bite down on your lip to withhold any further noises, but Reiner puts a complete pause on what he’s doing.

“Keep moaning, baby. Let them hear how well you’re getting finger-fucked right now. This is what Armin wanted to be doing to you right now, did you know that?” He lets out a deep laugh, lips and face glistening in the dim lighting of his tv. “Bet you’d like that, though, huh?” His fingers move again and you gasp. “Yeah, you’d fucking love it if I bent you over and fingered you from behind to show off the entire team what a good little pocket pussy you are.”

That’s what tipped you over the edge. In fact, it’s probably disrespectful to feminism that you allow yourself to be finger-fucked while getting off to the disgusting words spewing out of the blond’s mouth. But social constructs be damned if this man didn’t stick his dick in you soon. You clench around his fingers as they continue to move, despite your cum gushing over his fingers.

“You’re fuckin’ nasty. But you’re still not ready for me.”

His face returns to its original spot, blowing hot air on it first as you wriggle at the stimulation. Reiner only adds another finger in response, allowing the three large digits to stretch you out before moving them once again. It feels as if you’re melting around his fingers as your back arches to the stretch. Despite slight discomfort, it’s overwhelmingly pleasurable to feel the expertise in his ways.

It’s not long after he adds another finger that you feel the coil in your stomach once again. As his tongue laps at your clit with a technique unknown to you, you’re about to unravel against his touch once again.

“‘M gonna cum,” you pant out desperately.

“Do it, cum on my fuckin’ tongue.” He replies approvingly, allowing you to take the time you need to ride out the rush to your body. For a second, you feel as if you’re floating in the way your back arches off the couch and your head spins in pure ecstasy. You glance over at Reiner, eyes fixated, as he removes his pants and reveals the thing you’ve been so curious to see. It matches his stature in almost every way, which makes you cringe at the thought of him fitting it in.

“You said you like it rough?” It’s a trap, that much you’re sure of. You glance back down to examine how large he is before you reconfirm, but before you know it, the condom has slipped on and he’s making his way back to you. He asserts his way on top, arms on either side of your head as he leans in to give you a quick kiss. It catches you a bit off guard, the earlier metallic taste has changed into the taste of your own cum and there’s a slight wince as you taste it. You can’t tell if this man is slightly depraved or hot as hell.

“I asked you a question. It’s not nice to ignore me.”

A loud smack to your clit resounds as you let out a sharp, pleasure-filled gasp.

“Yes, please,” you whine. It’s slightly pathetic, how you’re behaving for this man, but god be damned if anything were to impede your moment.

He only grunts in response, lining himself up with your entrance. As he sinks in, you bite your lip to fight the stretch. You attempt to lie back and relax in his touch to allow him in, but he’s just so large. Reiner bottoms out, tip just ghosting against your cervix. He only grants you a few moments to adjust to his size before he’s pounding into you, your cries of pleasure nothing but music to his ears. The tip kissing your cervix is making your brain fuzz beyond anything you’ve felt before, and your walls hug him in intoxicating ways. Reiner grips both of your legs, bringing them onto his shoulders to push in further which earns you a grunt of approval from the larger man.

He fucks you like he hates you. Every so often, his head falls back, and he lets out grunts of pleasure. His body moves like an artist painting their long-lost lover from only a distant memory, hips ferocious in their assault of your cunt. Reiner flips you over onto your hands and knees after an indiscernible amount of time, your sweat-covered body cringing at the chilly breeze it causes. His pace is still unrelenting from the back, cock feeling as if it’s touching every inch it can inside of you.

“Holy shit,” He cries out. “I’m gonna cum. I wish I could cum inside this pretty little pussy of yours.”

Without another word, except for your moan of approval, Reiner finishes and delicately slides out of you, removing the condom and disposing of it. He arrives back a couple minutes later, towel in one hand and a glass of water in the other.

“So, round two?”

“I’m pretty sure you started my period just now.”

#aot #aot x reader #aot fanfiction #attack on titan #eren x reader #reiner braun #reiner x reader #reiner smut #attack on titan smut

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everythingmp3 · 2 months

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⎯ ୨ 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩୧ ⎯

𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐬 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

after your fathers death, you need to push through the grief very quickly to continue his work as one of the most prominent smugglers around. still, the pain of your situation makes you fall further into unhealthy habits and despair, which nobody notices, nobody except for one of your fathers old friends: Tess. she senses that something is off with you and suddenly becomes a surprisingly strong presence in your life. eventually, your feelings for her push you towards letting your guard down.

warnings: minors dni. mentions of drug use and addiction, grief/death of a loved one, smut (reader receiving)

disclaimer: this one is long. Anna Torv got me good, I couldn’t stop thinking about her in the show. I never played the game, so accuracy was not the goal here, I just wanted to write something for the Tess we see in the show! I put a lot of thought and heart into this, so I really hope I can make some Tess girlies out there happy <3 or anyone else who is in the mood for a longer fic!

wordcount: 13k

It would have been absurd to call anyone during or after the outbreak “lucky”, considering the state of the world, but you knew in your heart that your fate had definitely been of the luckier kind.

up until the outbreak, you and your father had been living as a duo for as long as you could remember. he had raised you as a single father in a small town where he´d worked as a professor, and your life had mostly been a content and peaceful one.

you´d been old enough during the day of the outbreak to understand what was happening, but not old enough to remember much of it as an adult, the memories were all hazy, one big blur of panic. all you knew was that you two had left in your car in the middle of the night, never looking back once you were on the road, until you somehow got to be two of the first people inhabiting the Boston QZ.

the first few years were anything but easy. the “schools” you went to were a joke, the structures in place were authoritative and soul crushing, everyone was traumatized and trying to cope one way or another. it was bleak, a sinister chaos, but at night when you sat around the table together, you couldn´t help but feel a sliver of gratitude, you´d both stayed alive, which was nothing short of a miracle.

for about a year post-outbreak, your father just worked whatever jobs were assigned to him, like everyone else. it was routine work, boring, dull, but it kept you two afloat. still, he got restless, a man who´d been used to hours and hours of mental stimulation and human connection, he couldn´t stay in the shadows by himself like that forever, he was itching for more.

he had an air that granted him respect, so one day he received a proposal: his first contact to the smuggling business. at first, he was hesitant, but it was too tempting in the end, so he accepted, and it worked, better than he expected. it wasn´t exactly a natural progression, his former job in academia to that one, he saw the irony, but both jobs required people skills and he always told you: 90 percent of that kind of work is mental.

everyone was so lost during those early days, that a competent man like him, a mentor, attracted others, especially younger smugglers, like moths to a flame. his responsibilities quickly became more and more serious, people kept pushing him and a few others around his age to do the important organizing, the work that required more brain, not just intimidation and brute force, so about a year into that lifestyle, he slowly but surely became one of the top dogs in the smuggling business.

he kept his private life and business separate, always. he made sure you were safe at home while he was out, but the one thing he did right from the start, was that he told you everything about what he was doing. he knew it would not help you to stay naive and innocent, not in a world like that. he also knew you were smart and bored out of your mind, so what he did, each night, was that he told you every little detail about everyone he came into contact with, every trick he'd learned, every piece of valuable information.

he trusted you, and he knew he wouldn´t be around to protect you forever, he wanted you to have valuable insight in your hands once you´d have to fend for yourself. so by the time you were 15, you knew pretty much everyone he worked with by name, their secrets, their ways of working, all of it. what he did not know, was that you also had a good amount of secrets of your own: what you did in your spare time, how you managed all those hours on your own.

as a teenager you´d started seeing various bottles of pills he was holding onto for deals laying around the apartment, and you were slick enough to take a few each time without him noticing. you were dealing with something, call it depression, PTSD, anxiety, or a mix of all three, but regardless of terminology: you were going through it and refused to burden him with it. it was far from ideal but taking sedatives helped, mostly Ambien but you weren´t too picky, they just had to be strong. you kept it in check, nobody noticed, not once.

then, when you were in your early twenties, he fell ill. it was gradual but the hard life had worn him down, his heart was giving out, and all you could do, was to try to spend the rest of his days by his side, which you did. people were devastated, everyone knew him or of him, so some of them even came by your apartment to say their goodbyes, including one of his closest allies: Tess.

you knew about all of his business partners, and Tess had been one that he really valued, spoke of very highly, always. you´d seen her around a few times and he´d told you a few stories about her, but she was a woman who kept to herself, so he was discreet, never spilling anything about her personal life.

still, she always stuck out to you among the others. even though you´d never even spoken to her, something about her seemed different to you, you could see why he´d worked with her for over a decade by that point, there was a magnetism to her that got to you. sometimes, you caught glimpses of her from afar, and wondered what it was about her, that always made you think of her for the rest of the day.

the day she came to say her goodbyes to him, you couldn´t help it: you stayed just outside of the room to listen. others had cried, been very sentimental, but she just sat there in silence for a good while with him. you swore you could hear her sniffle, but once she stepped out of the room, after you'd quickly hurried down the hall to not be caught, she looked as strong and composed as ever, giving you a small nod as she walked by, nothing more, but in her expression, you could tell she was signaling something to you, that she felt for you. something in her gaze went straight to your heart.

as his death approached, you knew you had a choice to make. either, you could take over his business, or you could watch some random person attempt to fill the spot he´d leave vacant. early on, you knew, you´d have to take over. there was no way you´d let some psychotic power hungry tyrant swoop in and pick up all the work he´d leave up for grabs.

it was not a dream of yours to become his successor in that world, but dreams were a luxury few could afford those days, and you knew your fate could have been much worse. the decision meant that you´d have to deal with the impending grief in a way that wouldn´t leave you weak and bedbound, so you made a deal with yourself: one day. once he´d die, you´d give yourself one day to fall apart, to fall as deeply into despair as possible. and then, you´d have to get to work and forget all about it.

even though a few of them had told him that they´d look out for you, you knew smugglers well enough to not trust their patience, their promises. if you´d stay inside grief stricken for weeks, they´d lose respect, they´d forget about you, someone else would catch their attention. besides, you had no interest in pity, in being handled like some precious little thing at risk of falling apart on her own. so, things played out exactly how you planned.

the day he died, you were inconsolable. it was darkness beyond imagination, loneliness unlike you´d ever felt it, your one guardian, one confidant: gone. the tears left your face swollen red, your body exhausted, so at night, you knocked yourself out really well with an extra high dose, knowing you´d have to step out the next day looking normal, respectable, hard to intimidate.

at first, there were some nerves, but the second you started talking to people, discussing plans, handling deals, you realized you could almost do all of it on auto-pilot because you´d spent years and years absorbing all of his ideas, his language and mannerisms. you were basically inhabiting his ghost as you started making it known that you were taking over, for good, and nobody seemed to question it, even though you were barely above twenty. something about you gave them the vibe of do not mess with her.

you were convincing in your new position and it helped that they were glad to cling to you, as a biological extension of his legacy. it worked, people respected you, you made sure his previous connections were properly taken over.

still, you felt absolutely horrible. deep down you were eaten up by grief, you were lonely, exhausted, but you simply couldn´t let it show, ever. your habit with the pills became much worse immediately. you used a pretty high dosage to sleep through entire evenings and nights, then you somehow got up and went out to do what you had to do, and repeated that cycle every day, not leaving yourself even one moment of just sitting around and thinking, because you knew once you´d let yourself do that: you´d break.

what you didn´t know, was that Tess had told people to report to her how you were doing.

she knew about you, she knew his death would leave you to your own devices, and at first she was convinced you´d be uninterested in taking over, but once she heard that you were doing it, she was alerted. she thought you´d fall flat on your face. a grieving daughter taking all that on? no way. but soon after, she heard back from people that you were working as if nothing had happened, and it puzzled her, that you were shouldering all of it seemingly without trouble. something in her told her: go have a look at that girl, something seems off there.

Tess remembered your kind face the day she´d seen your father for the last time, the look of something so fragile, so soft in there, it just did not mix with the things she was hearing about you the weeks after his passing.

so, about three weeks after he died, she made her way to your apartment, knocking around 8 pm. the second you opened the door, you knew of course who the intimidating looking woman in front of you was, but you just looked at her until she said “hey, could I come in for a second?”, her voice low and admittedly kind of alluring, you nodded, waving her in.

she was the first person who´d had the guts to just come over unannounced, nobody had bothered to come and check on you, which you were mostly glad about, but you couldn´t deny the fact that it felt nice to have someone there for once.

she walked into the nearest room, the kitchen, with a confidence as if the apartment was hers. you followed, watching her sit down a chair that she pulled away from the dining table, while you stood across the room, leaning against the wall. she cleared her throat, looking at you, her piercing eyes almost making you nervous then.

“okay listen. your father might have told you this, but just in case he didn´t: i don´t do bullshit. i don´t like to waste time, not mine, not other people´s, so i´m gonna get straight to the point here, okay?” you stared at her, the way she was resting her hands on her knees, leaning forward to emphasize what she was saying, her eyes unyielding.

you couldn´t help but feel a sense of admiration, her strength practically radiating off of her, you nodded, “sure go ahead”.

Tess looked at you with something disbelief, “what the fuck is going on?” she asked, quiet, stern. you were not unaffected by the tone, but you were unsure what precisely she was referring to, “what do you mean?”. she shook her head, “save the coy act with me. you know what I mean. the person you have lived with your whole life dies and then two fucking days later you´re out there taking over his business like nothing ever happened? come on. tell me what´s going on here”. you felt caught for a second but then you realized she was only suspecting, she had nothing in her hands to prove that anything was wrong with you, so you did what you did best: deny it.

“I mean… I see how that could seem a bit strange but what good would it do to just weep and mope around all day? I can´t change what happened. I don´t need to cry all day, I can work, I can function, it´s fine.” you almost believed yourself, you were a good liar, but not good enough to fool Tess, hardly anyone could lie to her without being caught. she could tell that beneath the convincing way of putting it that way, you weren´t telling the truth. it was hard to pinpoint how exactly she could tell, because your voice was no giveaway, neither was your demeanor, but something told her immediately that you were a person who knew how to hide things well, partially because she had the same talent herself.

“that sounds great on paper, really, but the way your father described you, it just doesn´t make sense, sorry, I don´t buy it.”

you were a little defensive then. “oh yeah, what did he say?” she grinned for a moment, relieved you were at least in a state that allowed you to push back.

“well, he liked to brag. he often told me how sweet you were, how you remained kind and thoughtful even during the end of the fucking world, with him doing shady business and no mother around to look after you. i recall the word “angel” being used a few times. I don´t see a girl like that being all unaffected and tough mere days after her dad´s death, not without finding some strange ways to cope. so I am concerned.”

you took in the words, almost emotional then, but keeping it together, struck by the word concern. nobody had clocked it, that you weren´t truly doing that great, but here Tess came, unwilling to just take the lie and leave you be. part of you felt relief at being seen for once, by her of all people, the one regularly described as “cold. hardass. not to go to with puppy eyes asking for forgiveness after fucking a job up”. there she was, inquiring about a stranger´s well being. still, you couldn´t get yourself to give her the answer she wanted.

“concerned? you hardly know me” you deflected, and she scoffed then, throwing her hands up, “yeah sure. you´re only the freshly orphaned daughter of a man I knew for about 15 years, why should i give a fuck, right?”. you couldn´t argue with that, realizing that she was also just trying her best to do the right thing.

“sorry, I didn´t mean it like that. it´s just, i am doing everything right. why do i have to justify that?”. you were defensive because you knew, if you allowed yourself to open up to her, it would end with you in tears, and you weren´t up for it. still, it hurt, to be offered some solace and refuse it.

she insisted, “yes but that´s exactly what strikes me as odd. now would be the moment to do it all wrong, to be weak, to mess up, yet here you are, walking those damn streets like you´re the new sheriff in town. and hey, i´ll give it to you, you´re doing a good job, but something is off, and i want to understand.”

“I am just doing what has to be done” you said, a defeated tone to it, which she didn´t love hearing. she was losing her patience, “listen to me. you should be taking a break right now. this is about the hardest thing to go through, you should not be pushing yourself the way you are, not right now, not like this”.

you were quiet, looking at her, your eyes not obviously soft but something was in there, she saw a glimpse of vulnerability, but then it escaped her again. you were stubborn, a few more moments of your wordlessness made her realize that you wouldn´t talk. Tess knew she was onto something but you wouldn´t let her in, so she leaned back and exhaled, looking up at the ceiling, her shirt lifting up a little, a glimpse of her skin, it burned in your vision for a split second.

“okay, you don´t wanna talk, that´s fine. but trust me, I know grief and I know denial. I´ve been around long enough to have seen it many times, what repression of all that shit can do to someone. so, I guess, this is my way of saying: be careful. and I might not be the one for big speeches or touchy feely shit, but I do care. so, keep that in mind if you ever need… well, help.” she got up then, straightening out her clothes, running her hands through her long slightly gray hair, looking a little worn out from the day, but still, extremely striking. she was a sight that stirred something deep inside of you, you couldn´t deny it, even while being confronted by her, you couldn´t stop feel a pull in her direction.

she walked towards the door but stopped for a moment when she was close to where you were standing, looking at you for second, a hint of a smile:

“well, i´ll give it to him, he raised no fool, that´s for sure”, you cracked a small smile too then, not rewarding her with a lot of words though, “thanks, Tess. I´ll keep all that in mind”, that was the first time you ever used her name to address her and it hit a nerve in her, like a wave of electricity running through her at the sound, but she didn´t let it show, instead she briefly patted your shoulder, saying “take care”, and left.

the second she was out on the street again, Tess realized that it was a good idea for her to leave your apartment, because the idea of you being all on your own there, spending entire nights in that dark, empty place, did not leave her cold, at all, and she had no interest in growing too emotionally involved. there was something about you that she had not expected and it was messing with her, it was making her mind spin.

whenever your dad had talked about you, she had pictured someone more like a teenager, but you were anything but that. you were a grown woman, young but clearly marked by the tough life you´d lived, someone she couldn´t just crack with one stern look. you had an air of nonchalance that was hard won; she knew you´d paid a prize to keep up a facade like that.

a pretty facade, she had to admit, you were undeniably beautiful. Tess was not one for crushes, but she knew an attractive woman when she saw one. you did not dress much differently than the other women she knew, but still, you were so different, your face had a distinct look that got to her: your eyes, your expression, the way you´d looked at her, it all stuck with her, that image of you, sitting there at the kitchen table, backlit by the setting sun: burned into her mind.

she knew there was no way around it, she´d keep thinking of you, wondering what you were actually thinking, feeling, what you did during those hours at night all on your own, how you managed to work the way you did, what you were hiding, how you managed your grief, whether you cried or not, what you were afraid of, what you did to seem as unafraid as you did.

most of her days were spent talking to people she didn´t care about one bit, often even actively resented, so sensing the potential of actually caring about a person, and even better, being challenged by their cleverness, it made it impossible for her not to wonder how she might find an excuse to talk to you again. Tess was not heartless, she might have been perceived that way, but she knew, deep down, that it was only a matter of time until she´d give up the i don´t give a fuck attitude for someone who needed her to. and something was telling her, you might be that person.

as she left your apartment, a voice inside her was telling her:

keep an eye on that girl. she might need someone one of these days, and the others don´t see it.

it was also telling her:

don´t you dare fall for your dead friend´s daughter.

the weeks leading up to that night, you´d done your best to remain numb, nothing had really gotten to you, you´d kept yourself busy or knocked out, but then, one brief visit from Tess and you were shaken up, moved, affected. within ten minutes she´d managed to reach some part of you that you´d kept shut off. something about her presence was both comforting and thrilling. you´d had crushes before, but it was different with her, the word almost too mild and cute to describe the visceral nature of it. once she left your apartment you just sat in your kitchen for about half an hour, quiet, thinking, unable to process what you were feeling.

that night you dreamed for the first time in ages. you couldn´t recall the details the next morning, but you knew it was about her, and your body was warm in your bed even though the apartment was freezing cold.

you knew you couldn´t just go to her without a reason, you had too much pride to just admit to her that you wanted more of her company, so you tried to ignore it, but the following week you thought of Tess a lot, so much so that you found yourself perking up whenever anyone around you mentioned her. then, one day, someone came up to you as you were busy dealing with something and told you she´d asked for you, for you to come to her the next morning, something about a job she was involved in.

you wondered why she would ask for you specifically, but regardless of her reasoning, you were just excited to be able to see her again without even having to initiate it. so, the next morning you made your way to the address you´d been given. you knew your way around, you knew that it was the bottom floor of this abandoned warehouse that people in your line of work often used to meet discretely.

the second you stepped inside, you saw two women you recognized, two guys, and Tess, sitting around a make shift table out of boxes, various maps and papers spread out over it. Tess locked eyes with you immediately and got up, waving you over to step aside with her for a moment, knowing you´d probably have questions.

she looked at you, a smile, “thanks for coming” you nodded, “sure no problem. so, what is this?” you asked, crossing your arms, she realized she owed you an explanation, “well. there´s something rather big we have to plan. and what I´ve been hearing from people tells me that you´re one of the brighter ones around”, a grin as she said this, “so, I thought why not ask you to join? couldn´t hurt to have your input”. you were listening, eyes on her face, and something told you that she wasn´t telling the whole truth.

part of you felt like she might be testing you, wanting to see if everyone was just cutting you some slack and exaggerating your skillset, but you were up for it, “sure, I´ll do what I can”. “alright then” she pulled you by the arm, the brief touch making you feel more than you hoped it would, but even a small squeeze from her hand did something to you. you tried to forget about it as you sat down next to her.

they quickly filled you in. getting people across city limits was nothing new, but it was gonna be about 5 people, which was a lot. the plan needed to be perfect, you needed to make sure that it was all ideal; the time of day, the routes they would take, possible quick escape routes too if trouble came their way, calculating possible run ins with law enforcement, mapping out where they usually stood guard, every detail had to be considered.

you let the others do most of the talking, only chiming in when you had a correction to make, a better suggestion, or needed to explain why certain things wouldn´t work. you observed most of the time, but the few remarks you made were precise and helpful, you could tell they were glad to have you around, even Tess, who was not easily impressed, nodded in approval multiple times when you said something. at times you could feel her looking at you from the side, even when you weren´t talking and you wondered why; was she concerned? curious? or, maybe, just maybe, did she also find you intriguing?

similarly you also found yourself staring at her kind of in awe whenever she talked, resting your face on your hand, just looking, her voice almost soothing you to a point of spacing out. you tried your best to listen to the words being said, but it wasn´t easy, with her sitting so close to you, her body somehow waking yours up after weeks up feeling dead.

before you knew it, you´d spent almost the entire day just sitting there, talking, planning, at times stepping away to drink something or stretch your limbs. by the time it got dark, you were done. as the others stood around talking for a while, you already stepped out, catching some air, leaning against the wall of the house, clearing your head for a moment before going home. after a few minutes, you saw the others leaving, waving goodbye, Tess following shortly after, making her way over to you, taking up the empty space next to you.

at first neither of you talked, both just staring ahead, tired from the day, but then she spoke up, “you were good today”, her voice lower and raspier than at the beginning of the day, getting under skin. you knew that counted as high praise from her, so you smiled, looking at her, “thanks. I guess I passed your test then, huh?” she stared at you, her eyes giving away that you´d caught her off guard with that, it amused you, so you went on “it´s fine, I get it, I wasn´t counting on any nepotism treatment”, she raised her eyebrows then, “smart AND funny, huh?” laced with obvious irony. you shook your head, looking back at the street, she smiled to herself, realizing more and more that she shouldn´t underestimate you, since you kept surprising her, but it was a challenge she was eager to accept: figuring you out.

“well, I know for a fact he couldn´t have taught you all that. I know enough smart guys whose kids can barely count to five so… it´s definitely not just a family thing”, you appreciated that, she continued, staring up at the sky, leaning her head back against the wall, “to be honest it´s kind of eerie at times, you at your age, talking like that” she admitted, you turned to her then, facing her more directly, “yeah? how so?”, she shrugged, breathing out, “I don´t know. I guess you´re so young, but already so..” you completed the sentence “jaded?”, she laughed then, the sound of it getting to you, “no, no, that´s not what I mean. it´s just, you should be.. more carefree I guess. as much as I hate dealing with stupid mistakes by youngsters, it does feel odd that you´re so fucking composed already”.

you considered it, you could tell there was genuine sympathy in there and she wasn´t wrong either, it was pretty clear you weren´t exactly out there being young and wild, “well, I guess spending most of my time only talking to and living with a middle aged man did that”.

she nodded, an understanding smile, “right. well, maybe it's time to change that sweetheart, huh?” you couldn´t tell if she was being genuine or fucking with you, you looked her, squinting your eyes, “you know I can´t exactly get in trouble, Tess. not even a little”.

she knew what you meant, “fun” for younger people those days mostly meant breaking into empty buildings, drinking or getting high there, attempting parties, but with your lifestyle, you knew run-ins with FEDRA were to be avoided at all costs, so nothing like that was on the table for you. besides, it wasn´t exactly your idea of fun, you´d rather find someone to spend time with one on one, but you weren´t gonna tell her all that, not in that moment.

she nodded, “yeah i know. still, there´s gotta be some way for you to have fun, hm?” it sounded slightly suggestive the way she said it, “sure, i´ll find a way, one day”, you kept it vague too, and she left it at that, since she saw that you were shivering from the cold, “come on, let´s go, you´re also headed down there, right?” pointing down the street you both had to take home, “yeah i am”. you followed her, walking close but not too close, wishing you could link arms, warm yourself up against her. for a second Tess almost offered you her jacket, but she realized how romantic that would´ve seemed, and let it go.

you were rarely scared, not even at night, but it did feel nice for a change, to have someone as intimidating and capable as her next to you, it felt good. she looked ahead, seemingly lost in thought, but she could tell you were looking at her from the side, and she almost felt frustrated by how nervous it made her. nothing made her blood rush anymore those days, not fear, not excitement, nothing; she was hardened, so feeling like she might actually flush from feeling you look at her almost irritated her for a moment, something so simple breaking her open, but she liked it, deep down she did.

you walked in silence for about a minute, and it was ironic that you had thought about feeling safe next to her, because out of nowhere a loud bang startled both of you. you stopped in your tracks, your minds racing: was it a gunshot? an explosion? a car crashing into something? it was too far to tell, but close enough to be alarmed. five seconds passed of you two standing there frozen, listening, before gunfire opened nearby. you could hear what sounded like a pretty large group of FEDRA assholes quickly stomping down the street, and within one second Tess had her own gun in her hand, yanking your arm with the other one, instructing with urgency “run!”, not letting go, pulling you down the street. from the look of it she had her eyes on some escape route and she did.

in that moment it became crystal clear that she had years and years of experience on you, while you were still thinking she had only needed a split second to do the right thing, to think of a way out. by the sound of it they were coming dangerously close, you could hear screaming, shots being fired, the darkness ruptured by car lights, you had very little distance between you and them, and Tess made you run faster than you´d run in ages, never letting go of your hand. she pulled you into a small alley, letting go once you reached a few metal trash cans that she immediately kicked to the side, revealing a small door that lead into the backside of the tall building it belonged to, ripping it open and pushing you inside, before following and banging the door shut behind you.

you were out of breath, trying to think. the room smelled ancient, damp and was completely dark, there was no way of seeing, but you could hear her breathing and cursing under her breath next to you. “jesus fucking christ” you said, “crack-downs usually only happen during the day what is their fucking problem??”. you were pissed, your lungs were stinging. “yeah, get used to it, lately it´s been all the fucking time” by the sound of it she was still hunched over and very out of breath, you couldn´t help but laugh then, “I take it running isn´t one of your hobbies, huh?”.

she couldn´t see, so she just guessed where you were standing and slapped in that direction, making contact with your stomach for a second, “just you wait til you´re old, see how funny this is then”. you were grinning, “old? Tess, you´re barely over 40”, she shook her head, calming down, resting against the wall then, “how about you quit the comedy and say: thank you Tess for saving me. I´m so grateful you weren´t a deer in headlights like me and dragged my ass to safety”. you mirrored her actions then, you arm hitting hers in the dark, “fuck off, you were just quick as hell”, she took it as a compliment, secretly enjoying the more familiar vibe that was suddenly in the air, “yeah I was, lucky for you”.

“so, what is this place?” you asked, “little thing I discovered back in the day. as you know this area isn´t exactly the greatest, they love targeting us here so yeah, saved my ass a few times, but it´s been a while”, “cozy.” you said, flatly, “hey, if you wanna go back out there and get your head blown off instead, be my guest” she snapped back, it was funny to you, how easy it was to rile her up.

“I think about an hour and we´ll be fine to leave. things usually die down within that time frame”, “an hour??” you exclaimed, clearly not happy. “yes, an hour. don´t act like you have anywhere else to be, I know you don´t”, “wow okay, rub it in, go ahead”, she smiled then, perhaps she´d exaggerated a little, maybe half an hour would have been fine, maybe she´d subconsciously bought herself more time with you.

“we don´t have to stand here by the way, there´s a ladder somewhere that leads to a hallway and room, go on feel around, it can´t be far”, you started searching for it in the dark, hands reaching into empty space until something would show up, “so I´ll just climb up in total darkness and crack my head open if I miss a step and fall?”, she shook her head “alright, drama queen. if anything I´ll crack my head, you´re going ahead of me, so worst case you´ll fall back onto me”, you smiled then, safe to do so because she couldn´t see, “still, not great”. you found it, “here, come”. you could feel her close behind you while stepping onto the ladder, a few steps up, you could feel her following, her hands on your back then, sending a shiver down your spine that you hoped she didn´t feel.

“go on, i got it” she reassured. it wasn´t far up, a few moments later you could feel a floor, your palms flat against it, pulling yourself up, letting out an audible groan as you tried to get up on your feet from that position, she laughed, “and you of all people had the audacity to make fun of my fitness”, “shut up” you whispered, as you could feel her standing up behind you, reaching for you to make sure you were both far away enough from the ledge, her fingers making your skin feel warmer.

“there´s a lightswitch somewhere here, wait” she slapped the stone wall in random places until a tiny lightbulb above you flickered on, your eyes adjusting for a second. once you could see again, you both realized you´d been holding onto each other´s arms pretty tightly and let go at the same time, seeing each other´s faces, a little flushed, and for a moment you just stared at each other, collecting yourselves, before she looked around, pointing down the small corridor, “come”. you followed, watching her adjust her shirt, her usual half up half down hairstyle somehow even better after it had come undone a little, you tried to snap out of it, but her physicality was drawing all of your attention in.

she pushed the door open, there was some resistance from the old wood but it was no struggle for her; Tess was strong, you knew that of course but actually seeing it like that was something you could get used to. the room was barely bigger than a broom closet but you could both sit on the floor. she slid down the wall, motioning for you to follow. you sat across from each other, knees almost touching.

“oh fuck” she grabbed your hand, you had no idea what was going on until you looked down: your knuckles were bleeding. you´d scraped them but couldn´t even remember how or where, which she took note of, the fact that your body seemed to be so numb that you didn´t even register an injury. “oh..” you said, unfazed, “hold on” Tess said, and before you could stop her she took the hem of her shirt in her hands and pretty violently ripped a part of it off, telling you to hold out your hand before quickly tying the soft fabric around, over your knuckles, the blood getting soaked up by it, “there you go”. you shook your head, “that really wasn´t necessary Tess, you fucked up your shirt for me”, she waved it off, “oh who cares, we can´t have open wounds here”. you looked down at where she´d bandaged you, a sting in your heart: how long had it been since someone had shown you care like that?

you put your head in your hands then, a sudden throbbing headache. you were usually already asleep in a drug induced haze at that hour and you knew your body was eager to shut down, but you forced yourself awake, rubbing your temples, sitting upright again.

she was observing you, quietly, just looking, “you okay there?”, “yeah yeah, just… long day, that´s all”, she nodded, slowly “right. you wanna stop lying to me any time soon, or no?”.

you met her gaze then, she held it, refusing to let it go, you shrugged “I don´t know what you want me to say, Tess”, whatever she was doing was working, you were not in a position to lie with her that close to you, that attentive, picking up on every little mannerism.

“how about you start by telling me how you´re actually doing. what you´re doing to cope. because i know it´s not fucking meditation or journaling”, a tired smile from you then, you briefly broke eye contact, thinking about how to put it, before looking back at her.

“I think the answer is so obvious that it flew over your head”, she was confused then, “how so?”, you cocked your head, “come on, Tess. in our business? what does literally everyone do to cope?”. her eyes went wide then, she shook her head, “no. I can tell you´re not on drugs, I know the look”.

“well, i don´t do it during the day…” she looked alarmed, “what the fuck are you telling me?” you felt vulnerable then, having actually put it out there. you were looking at her with pleading eyes, not wanting to say it word for word, hoping she´d catch on. she was louder then, “jesus fucking christ, what kind of drugs?” your voice was quiet, a little defensive, “well, I don´t drink and I don´t smoke. so you do the math.”

she pressed her hands together, looking at the floor for a moment, she seemed angry, “you´re hooked on pills, that's what you´re saying?”, you shrugged, “I don´t know if hooked is the word I´d use-” she interrupted, her tone hard, unforgiving “that´s exactly what someone who is hooked would say”, you threw your hands up, defeated, “right okay”.

she tried to calm down a little, “how much?”, you debated lying, but it was clear you were past that, there was no point, so you told her the average amount you took, and the shock on her face didn´t feel great. “are you fucking with me? that could knock out a horse!”, her voice echoed through the empty hall, a moment of silence after, you didn´t feel shame but something related to it, seeing her react that strongly mirrored back to you how serious your situation was. she shook her head for a while, processing, her hand on your knee then, firm as she spoke, “you´re gonna have to stop that. and I mean it. that shit could easily kill you if you don´t”. you didn´t have it in you to fight then, you just looked at her, no words were coming, “oh, so that´s fine with you, yeah?”, you got angry too then.

“hey I didn´t choose this fucking life okay? I did what I could to not go insane, and considering all the nut-jobs i´ve had to deal with, I´d say i´m not doing that bad of a job”, Tess realized then that it wouldn´t help to be accusatory, she let up a little, feeling sympathy for you as she watched you nervously fidget with your clothes.

“he had no clue, did he?” she asked, quietly, you shook your head “no, thank god. he had enough to worry about” she eyed you, something like respect mixed into the obvious concern, “you really know how to keep a secret, don´t you?” she knew it must´ve been years of that habit for it to sound as casual as it did, coming out of your mouth, and it mostly pained her to think of you as a teenager doing all that, but somehow it also impressed her: the fact that nobody ever caught on.

you didn´t smile then, but your expression became lighter, “yeah, you´re actually the only one who knows now”, that surprised her, touched her a little even, realizing that it must´ve been pretty vulnerable of you to tell her. “really?”, you nodded, “hm yeah. guess you should feel good about yourself, your intuition is still in-tact”, she almost laughed then, “right, that´s a huge consolation, that I was right about you having some fucked up secret”.

you looked at her with clear affection then, your walls had come down and she saw it, returning the look, glad she´d actually gotten somewhere with you. “well, I might have to drag you out at night, to stop all that”, you shook your head “that would not be pretty, I´d be a mess, you´d hate it”, “oh, I´d manage” she said, sounding convinced of it.

you smiled, “thank you, but no”. she got it, you were grown and had to deal with it on your own, still, she hated the idea of leaving you to your own devices. her soft spot for you had only grown softer all day; sitting next to you for hours, listening to your thoughts, your voice, the feeling of your hand as you both ran off, the feeling of you so close in that room, being trusted with something you hadn´t told anyone before. Tess was in deep, and she knew it, she tried hard to let it go, but it was a losing battle. seeing you there, your face half-lit by the weak lightbulb, your knees pulled to your chest, your eyes, tired but beautiful, it gave her the urge to reach out and touch you, make you feel better, but she kept it in, sat there stone-faced, mostly, but you saw something, it was there, her demeanor had shifted.

for few minutes you just sat there in silence, both lost in thought, resting against the walls, eyes closed. she realized that it might be a good idea to repay you for your honesty, to not let you sit alone in the uncomfortable feeling of having shared something personal, so she spoke up, “listen. I don´t usually talk about this stuff because it´s been ages and I don´t want pity or consolation, but I lost everyone I cared about during the outbreak, truly all of them, and for a good while I thought I´d never survive it. but, here I am. and I am not saying that it´s been easy, not at all, but I did survive it, so. keep that in mind when you feel like it´s all too much.”

you took in the words. it was rare, for her to speak of her past, you sensed that she might actually be trying to get closer to you, to bond, “I´m really sorry, that must´ve been awful. it probably still is. but you´re stronger than me, Tess, I can´t compare myself to you”.

she shook her head “no, I´ve just had time to polish the facade, trust me. you should´ve seen me about a decade ago, I was going through it, it was ugly”, you looked at her then, realizing that beneath her tough aura that seemed so effortless, so natural, there was also a lot of pain, a lot of hurt she´d pushed through, sensitivity she kept to herself.

it felt good, to share the feeling of being softer on the inside than either of you let on. you absentmindedly rested your head on her leg, your body clearly tired from the day, more prone to random acts of affection like that without thinking twice, you didn´t care in that moment, she didn´t either, patting your hand with hers a little, resting it there for a second.

“you´ll be fine” she declared, you locked eyes with her, “I´ll try”, her hand squeezing yours reassuringly. “trust me, I´ve seen lost causes, that´s not you”, you looked at her then, “yeah, what am I then?”, she smiled, “a salvageable cause” you laughed then, “I´ll take that”.

she was glad to see you loosening up again. it was soothing, the dark confined space, the quiet, the vibe that had settled between you and her, it felt like you were hidden from the world, like you´d been offered a brief moment of peace, without thinking you rested your head on your knees, closing your eyes for a second, Tess watched you, feeling protective over you, her hand resting on your leg that was propped up in her direction. after a while you felt her nudging you.

“I think we should be fine to go now” she said, and you tried to mask the disappointment, wishing you could stay there with her longer, which was a feeling you weren´t alone in.

she stood first and pulled you up, again, no struggle for her, her hand´s grip on yours too brief, you wished she´d have kept holding it like that. as you both stood there, face to face, a little raw from the personal discussion, something passed between you; the air was charged, both of you felt it, searching the other person´s eyes, your bodies barely an inch apart, but before it could lead anywhere, you both got scared of doing something you´d regret and looked away, acting casual, or at least trying to. you made your way down to the door, she tentatively opened it, not all the way, gauging the situation outside first, but it was all quiet, so she waved you out.

it was pitch black by then, freezing, a clear night, the full moon illuminating the streets. somehow there was a shared agreement between you and Tess, that what you´d said in that little room would stay in there, almost like a confession booth; the moment you were walking down the street, you were both your usual tough selves again.

the walk home was wordless, your house was the first you reached, and at first you just stood there, almost shy, both unsure how to say goodnight after spending the entire day together, both thinking things you wouldn´t say.

Tess broke the silence first, “so. I know you´re about as bad as me at accepting help, but I´ll say it one more time: I am here if there´s ever anything I can do for you. and maybe pick up smoking instead of.. you know” a genuine laugh from you then, “okay, good idea. and thank you. for-” you gestured around between you and her, trying to convey gratitude without specifying what exactly for, she got it, “don´t mention it, you´re by far not the worst person to be trapped in a room with” she said with a smug grin, before giving your shoulder a brief squeeze and saying goodnight. as she walked off your gaze fell down to your bandaged knuckles, and something in you told you she wouldn´t have done that for just anyone. at least you hoped so.

that night you didn´t consciously skip the drugs, her asking you to quit was not enough to kill that instinct; you simply forgot. the next morning you couldn´t even remember how you´d undressed, showered, and gotten into bed, you´d been so lost in your thoughts about Tess, that you´d somehow fallen asleep before you could reach for any self-medication.

you couldn´t help but see the irony, that she´d berated you for the habit and without knowing it actually succeeded in getting you to stop that day, not with her words, but with the deep attraction you felt to her, the way it took over your whole mind and body, no space left for worrying about anything other than when you´d see her again.

the next few days, nothing much changed. a whole week went by, then another, and nothing in particular was worse than the weeks before, but that was the issue; it was an endless cycle of living the same day. you felt like you were trapped doing the exact same things over and over, nothing to look forward to, nobody to talk to other than people you were involved with for work, it was just sleep and business and suppression of anything unpleasant you were feeling, every day, no moments of peace or laughter or joy, no light at the end of the tunnel.

one night about a month after you´d last seen Tess, except for a brief nod from across the street a few times, you couldn´t take it anymore. it was late, you were alone in your apartment and the silence was killing you, the loneliness, the same routine, all of it. you had to move and get up, so you stepped outside at 11 pm, knowing there was only one person you could go to.

you were counting on Tess still being awake at that hour. once you reached her apartment door you were nervous, the second you knocked you felt adrenaline rushing, because you realized you hadn´t even bothered to make up a lie as to why you were there. she opened the door and looked at you with a smile that said and who do we have here?.

the moment Tess laid eyes on you, she could tell you weren´t doing any better than the last time she´d seen you. the light in your eyes had dimmed even more, so she saved the jokes and the teasing, she didn´t demand an explanation, “come in”, relief washed over you as you stepped inside. you followed her down the dark hallway to the living room that was connected to an open kitchen, you took in the room and unsurprisingly it did not give much away about her; decorations were sparse, no posters on the wall, no sentimental photos, but a few candles were burning and the room seemed like a peaceful space.

“sorry, I know it´s late”, you said, slightly self-conscious, aware it might seem odd to just turn up like that, but she turned to look at you as she walked over the the kitchen, clearly unbothered, “oh no, don´t worry, I never sleep before midnight anyway”. it almost felt more humiliating, to be treated with kindness, somehow you didn´t feel deserving of it.

she saw you standing in the middle of the room, a little timid, so she gestured over to the couch emphatically, “sit.” it sounded more like an order than an invitation, which you liked, her brand of care that always had a subtle touch of dominance to it.

as you sat down, trying to position your body in a way that would look natural, she came over, bending down to hand you a glass of water, “here, drink”, her voice warm and strong.

she didn´t sit down next to you on the couch, but on the armchair next to it, you almost told her to come and join you but you knew how that would have sounded, so you drank up, set the glass down and faced her.

she had crossed her legs and was leaning her head on her hand by then, watching you, her hardened face somehow much softer in the candlelight, her eyes shimmering, her hair falling down her face in loose waves, the sight making all your unexpressed feelings for her bubble up. you tried not to just stare at her as she spoke up, “so. couldn´t sleep?”.

you shook your head, leaning back a little, exhaling shakily, looking over at her, “no. not at all”. “hmm” she waited a moment before asking “wanna tell me why?”. you knew you hadn´t come over to lie, so you nodded, “yeah. well, I stopped taking anything like three weeks ago”, she leaned forward then, “that´s good, I´m glad. did anything prompt that, or did you just stop because you wanted to?”.

she was onto something, and you felt the need to share it, “no, there was a moment. it was pretty dumb actually, one day I just fell, or collapsed I should say, out of nowhere. I know all the side effects but that one had never happened before, and I landed pretty fucking hard”. you were a little shy as you pulled up your shirt to reveal the left side of your ribs, the bruises were faded because it had been a few weeks but the outline was still very much there, faint yellow and green, the way bruises look towards the end of the healing process, the impact had spanned over multiple of your ribs.

Tess flinched for a second when she saw your skin, a mix of attraction and pain, “jesus…” she whispered, trying to suppress the urge walk over and see it up close, “I´m so sorry, that must´ve hurt like hell”, you nodded, letting your shirt down again, a little embarrassed by the story. she was clearly affected by it, her eyes giving it away, “and let me guess, you didn´t ask for help or stay in bed, did you?”, you just looked at her, wordlessly signaling that she was right of course.

she changed the way she was sitting then, relaxing her posture again, shaking her head a little, “what are we gonna do with you, hm?” a faint smile, eyeing you the way you eye someone who just fucked something up, but in a way that somehow makes you feel even more softly towards them.

you continued, nervously running your hand up and down your thigh, “Tess, it´s been awful. really, I can´t sleep anymore. I am awake all the fucking time, it´s horrible.”,

your voice tinged with a sense of hopelessness that alarmed her, she tried to frame it positively for you, “well, then it´s impressive I´d say, that you pushed through for a few weeks already. despite all that”. you considered it “right, yeah I guess. but I feel no better than before. I don´t know Tess, I´m -” your gaze was cast to the floor, you were clearly struggling to find the right words, she encouraged you, “what is it? tell me”, you looked back at her again, “it´s just… is this all there is?” you vaguely gestured around, she cocked her head, “you´ll have to be a little more specific than that, sweetheart”.

“I mean this life we´re living. of course I wasn´t naive when I was younger, it was obvious I wouldn´t get to live a dream, still, I did have hope for something. but now that I´m in it, it´s so bleak. it´s the same meaningless shit every single day, and I just can´t stomach the fact that this is gonna be my life forever. how in the world have you been doing this for so long? I don´t get it, Tess, it´s fucking killing me” your voice was different than usual, she knew your usual tone: composed, slow, unwavering, but in that moment it was flipped, you sounded panicked, and it hurt, it hurt her to see someone like you in that state, knowing how much it must´ve taken to break you down like that.

she waited for a moment, but she just couldn´t stay in her seat any longer, so she got up and sat down next to you, speaking quietly, softly, “listen. I get what you´re saying, and I won´t deny it, it gets dark times, it definitely does, but you´re in a particularly rough spot right now, and it will not be this level of awful forever. trust me, I´d know.”

you looked up at her then, adjusting your posture to face her properly. Tess was many things, but she was not a liar, so you tried your best to really absorb what she´d said, to internalize it. “okay. I do believe you” she nodded, glad you were receptive to her comfort, her gaze fell to your left hand then, a few leftover bruises from the fall were also visible there. instinctively, without thinking twice, she reached out, her fingers ever so lightly running over the discolored skin, the sudden tenderness almost made you cry, she kept looking at your hand, kept holding it, “why didn´t you come to me earlier?” a genuine question.

you were so focused on how good it felt to be touched by her that it took you a second to answer, “I don´t know. what could you have done?”, she almost laughed then, “use your imagination, the things anyone with half a heart would do for an injured person: be nice, make some tea, maybe if I was feeling really crazy even offer a hug” you smiled then, “right. that does sound good”, “yeah, too bad you´re so strict with that suffering in silence vow you took”, you regained some humor then, “well if I wasn´t, I might have shown up here like this many times already so. careful what you wish for” she grinned then, “and you think I would´ve found that horrible, yeah?” you shrugged, “I don´t know, you tell me”.

she shook her head, amused by your refusal to see that she would pretty much drop anything to help you at any given time, “I don´t do charity, sweetie. when I say I´m here for someone, I mean it” you squeezed her hand then, realizing she´d been holding onto yours for the past minute or so. you were both looking at each other, feeling each other´s leg because you were sitting so close, faces not far apart, not at all, and something shifted in a split second. it had been a while since either of you had been with someone, but in that moment it was like your bodies were simultaneously remembering what desire feels like, more intensely than ever before, and you both saw it in the other person, mirrored back.

Tess was the first to move, she put her hand to your cheek, her thumb almost brushing over your lips, her gaze wandering over every part of your face, your breathing heavier instantly, you looked at her with pleading eyes, but she had given you that physical cue to make the decision yours. you saw her waiting, hoping, and gave in, hand on the side of her face, fingers in her hair, pulling her in for a kiss, harder than you intended, impatient, your lips warm against hers, your body immediately leaning in as close as possible, it took Tess one second to react, but the moment she felt you kissing her with that deep eagerness, it hit her: oh. this girl really wants me.

so she grabbed you with both hands and deepened the kiss, letting you climb onto her, holding you in place as you both abandoned restraint and hungrily kissed each other over and over until you felt your tongue against hers and slowed it down a little to savor it, softly moaning into her mouth, hearing her sounds mix with yours, turning each other on even more, her hands going lower and lower on your body, stopping at your waist, your back, her grip on you almost as arousing as the kiss, your whole body melting into her touch, the tension thick and heavy, your bodies almost overheating. your movements were desperate, your sounds too, everything about it was, it truly seemed like no amount of closeness was close enough, like you were so starved you might actually devour each other.

she could feel you pushing up against her while you kissed, and as you both caught your breaths for a moment, she could tell you needed more from her, it was not the time for anything that would take too long, not in that moment, but she knew she could help you relax, release some tension, and as if you could read her mind she could hear you begging “please Tess”, your face close to hers, a shiver as she heard the neediness in your voice, luckily clothes were pretty loose, no need to fumble with a zipper or undress, she had no trouble just slipping her hand under the fabric, down to your underwear, she could hear you take a sharp breath in.

“I got you” she reassured, “let me make you feel good, okay?”, you leaned back into the couch as she pushed you back with one arm and moved herself to an angle that would work, your legs apart then, her hand grazing your cunt through the soaked fabric.

she breathed even heavier then, feeling the effect she had on you, her fingers cold against the heat of your core, the contrast making you dizzy for a moment, shaking slightly, already sighing just from that, she cooed at you “it´s okay” as her fingers made direct contact with your cunt, her fingers sliding between your aroused lips, a moan almost leaving her as she felt your juices covering her skin, slick with it within one second, hearing you whine a little as she moved her fingers up and down, not even thinking about your pleasure for a second but her own, the thrill of having a pretty girl claim her in that sense, covering her in wetness, already fantasizing about getting her whole face up in it, tasting you.

the thought pushed her to add more pressure to her movements, the passion taking her over, fully, moving her fingers to your clit then, sensing it was the right thing because you were louder then, shaking almost, clinging to her, “fuck…don´t stop, please” tumbled out of your mouth as she drew circles over the sensitive spot, she felt your hips pushing upwards, her eyes back on your face then, watching you come undone, her chest swelling with the pleasure of knowing it was her doing: your eyes shut, your lips parted. “you´re so fucking pretty” she whispered while feeling your cunt practically dripping onto her hand, the words pushing you towards your orgasm even faster, she could tell you were close, so she leaned down a little, facing you, pinning you to the couch as she kept teasing your clit.

the thing that got you more turned on than you ever remembered being, was the her movements were not erratic or too fast, but secure and skilled, hard but not aggressive, a slow sensuality to it that was so powerful that you whole body burned with the sensation, “fuck, I´m-” you couldn´t even from the whole sentence but she knew what you were trying to say, “just let go sweetie, cum for me”, encouraging you to cum against her hand, which you did, a violent shudder going through you as you arched up against her hand one last time, and what killed you then was the even as you came down from the climax, she was still watching you, still touching you, so drunk on the feeling of your cum all over her fingers that she just couldn´t let go before you were truly finished.

you slumped back against the couch as she got up from on top of you and sat down next to you, also a little spent, leaning back. once you were coherent again, you looked over at her, exhausted but face glowing, she turned to face you, pleased to see you smile, “god that felt good..” you said, still high on endorphins, resting your hand on her leg, she laced her fingers between yours, “yeah. it did”, making sure you knew that got just as much out of it.

“did you call me pretty or did I imagine that?” you asked, smiling at her, she grinned, realizing that you were the type to really crave praise but not ask for it explicitly, “I´ll say it again, you´re very pretty”, her voice low and sultry, a satisfied look to you. she just said what she was thinking before she could change her mind, “do you wanna stay here tonight? you can sleep over if you want, it´s late” you sat upright then, moving over to her side of the couch, getting up in her space again, hand on her chest, “yeah I´d like that”, an enthusiasm to your expression that made her happy, “okay good. we´ll have to share a blanket though” she said, you laughed then, “I can handle that I think”.

you´d already showered and changed into comfortable clothes before you came over, so she told you to just get comfortable on whatever side of the bed you wanted, while she´d go freshen up. her bedroom was similar to her living room, minimal decor, but comfortable, warm, a few of her clothes over a chair in the corner, a wooden bedside table with a few books, a small lamp, a lighter, a candle, the bedspread a soft creme color, the window half concealed by dark curtains. it somehow smelled like her, slightly fresh, slightly woody, a hint of musk in there too. at first you didn´t even want to touch anything, feeling like a kind of intruder, but the second you sat down on the right side of the bed it was too soft and relaxing not to give in and get comfortable.

you were leaned against the headboard, still high on the feeling of her all over you, taking the room in, stretching your legs out, your hands running over the fabric of the sheets.

a few minutes later Tess she came into the room, her hair slightly damp, face fresh and glowing, dressed in a t-shirt and underwear. you were glad to see that she was already fine with you seeing her like that, even though you hadn´t seen her naked yet.

your gaze wandered to her strong thighs as she walked over to her wardrobe and got out a pair of sweatpants, she smiled to herself, feeling your attention even though she had her back turned to you, “you´re staring” she said, her voice giving away that she enjoyed it, “I know” you responded, which made her laugh and turn around to look at you.

you didn´t even bother to pretend, you were still clearly checking her out as she got dressed, “I think I deserve something in return for that” she said as she walked over to her side of the bed and got onto the covers with you, eyeing you from the side, “yeah like what?”, she smiled, pulling you closer in one swift motion, her hand finding the bare skin of your thighs under the fabric, squeezing a little, just taking in the feeling of your soft skin, you were face to face, and your grin gave away that she could do pretty much whatever she wanted to you, “if you want me to undress I can do that you know”, you teased, she shook her head, “no, this is good, I like having something to look forward to”, that was the charming way of putting it, Tess also could´ve said we can´t fuck right now because we´re both tired and I´ll need the first time of getting a taste of you to last as long as possible.

you blushed a little then, your hand in her hair, taking in the sight of her outside of her usual guarded physicality, all sweet and affectionate, relaxed, hand under her shirt, on her back, it was surprising to you, that nothing you did, no amount of touching her, seemed to be too much at all, even though she was not a hugger, not a person for handshakes even, so it made you feel free in your greediness for her.

you spent a short while just laying there, half entwined, the sleepiness adding to the slow tenderness of the moment, she seemed mesmerized as her hand wandered further up your body, pushing your shirt up a little to trace your side with her fingers, you leaned in to kiss her, pulling her closer by the neck, Tess pulling your lower side close hers with the grip she had on your waist. you were dizzy from the warm sensation of her lips, her skin, your leg over hers, the way she immediately kissed you back with a need she couldn´t hide, eliciting a few low sounds of pleasure from you, you only parted once you both needed air, “come on” she said, she motioned for you to get under the covers with her, the room a little too cold to stay like that for long.

the moment you were under the blanket a shyness returned, the intimacy of truly being in bed with her like that suddenly making you hesitant to move, which she saw, and it amused her, that this girl who had no issue firing a gun, beating people up if needed, dealing godless amounts of drugs, suddenly seemed unable to just take up the personal space of a woman who was very clearly into her. the contrast charmed her, made her realize that she had a good amount of power over you but the good kind, the kind that allowed her to make you feel safe, free to show your more vulnerable self for once.

she smiled at you, “so, you wanna stay on your side or?...”

you realized she was teasing a little, sensing your apprehension, it made you remember there was no need to be hesitant at all, so you shook your head, smiling back at her, “well come here then”. she opened her arms, gesturing for you to lay down on her however you wanted, which you did. you moved over and it felt so natural, to just lay your head on her chest and rest your arm on her stomach, everything about it felt like you´d done it before, the way Tess´s hand immediately found its way to your hair, running her fingers through it, softly, the repeated rhythm of it immediately putting you at ease, the feeling of your face against her chest reminding her how much she´d craved it all along, to feel useful, needed, to feel like her presence was actually making a difference to someone who deserved it.

“that feels nice” you whispered, your voice sleepy at that point, your body slack against hers, she ruffled your hair a little, feeling you lean into her hand, moving it down to caress your cheek, both of you slowly dozing off, so she reached over and switched off the small light that was still on, letting you stay on top of her, soothed by your weight on top of her. usually she had a hard time falling asleep, but it was impossible to stay awake any longer, you were both too comfortable.

when you woke up a few hours later in the dead of night, you realized that you´d moved over to your own side in your sleep, and when you realized that you were too awake to drift off again, you rolled over to watch Tess, who was sort of facing you in her sleep. she looked graceful, her mouth was closed, her cheeks were a little flushed, her hair spread out over the pillow, you just laid there admiring her.

she stirred a few moments later but you couldn´t be bothered to turn away and pretend you weren´t looking, so when she opened her eyes a little, you heard her say in a raspy quiet voice “are you watching me sleep?”, you smiled, “maybe”, she shook her head a little, clearly still half asleep, you added “you´re a pretty sleeper”, a sly grin on your face, “you don´t have to suck up to me, I already like you”, Tess uttered, witty even while she wasn´t fully conscious, you protested, “I mean it”, she had her eyes closed but spoke again, “that´s very charming but you should sleep instead”, “I tried” you said.

the liminal quality of that moment, the almost dreamlike air, made it easy for Tess to have no issue doing what she did next: she tapped you on the side of your body that was facing her “turn around”, telling you to get on your side and face away from her, “let´s try this”, she said, pulling you closer by wrapping her arm around you and getting into a big spoon type position, her chest pressed against your back then, her arm around your waist, and she was right to guess that it would help, her warmth immediately made your eyes feel heavy again, the sensation too good not to just melt into and lose yourself in. you put your hand over hers, and within about ten minutes you were both sound asleep again.

the next morning, it took you a moment to come to your senses and realize where you were, but the second you did, an unfamiliar thing happened: you were flooded with joy instead of dread. usually mornings were your least favorite part of the day, the things you had to do looming ahead of you, but as you saw the sun coming into Tess´s room, you felt at peace, content. the space next to you was empty and you could hear Tess moving around in the kitchen, so you got up, went to the bathroom to splash some water on your face, and walked to the kitchen. since you weren´t wearing shoes she didn´t hear you come in, so you just stood there watching her from across the room, smiling, until she turned around, “well, hello there” she said, unable to hide the obvious pure joy she felt at seeing you.

it had been a long time since Tess had dated or even hooked up with anyone, let alone let someone stay over, so every little detail of being with you gave her a rush, the sight of you leaning against the wall with your face still a little scrunched up from sleep was enough to make her feel warm all over, so she was almost scared of what it would feel like once you´d actually do something explicitly romantic for her. somehow you both knew it without saying, that you were about to spend a lot of time together, that you were both in need of much more than just one night. Tess wasn´t thinking as far as being your girlfriend yet, but part of her hoped, part of her did love the idea of finally being devoted to someone the way she always wanted to be.

she waved you over to where she was standing, setting a cup of coffee down on the counter, “perfect timing, I just got done with this” she put down some sugar too in case you wanted it. you approached her, almost a little shy, knowing she was seeing you in a rather personal light then, having barely been awake for more than five minutes, but she was clearly enamored by it. you gratefully took the cup and warmed your hands against it, taking a sip, leaning against over counter, looking at her, feeling her gaze on you the entire time. it was almost too good to be true, normally your entire day was spent in a haze where nobody could reach you, and there she was, disrupting it, again and again, making you come back to life just by being there.

“you could have woken me up, you know” you said, but she just shook her head, “no fucking way, I was glad you were sleeping so well” a grin that gave away she knew it was partly thanks to her, you nodded, your face muscles almost hurting from having been frozen in a permanent smile for the past few minutes, “yeah I do feel much better than yesterday. I wonder why that is” you said while taking her hand.

she tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear, eyeing you, “is there anything you need to do today?” she asked, praying the answer was no, you shook your head, “no, nothing until Monday. you?” hoping for the same answer, she thought for a moment “well, nothing I couldn´t put off for a day or two” a faint smile, you got up then, walking over to her, putting your arms around her neck,“put it off then” you said, before leaning in to tenderly kiss her cheek, her neck, whispering against her skin “please stay here Tess. please”, your voice dripping with sweetness, her breathing changed as she felt you all over her skin, she thought of course this girl is clever enough to know what begging does to me, her hands on your back then, under your shirt, “okay, I´m not going anywhere” she said, and of course she wouldn´t, she already knew that before your act of persuasion, but she liked seeing you try to convince her.

“I think we should go back to bed” you declared, staring at her, a boldness that came out of nowhere but felt exactly right, she grinned, her hands on your waist, pulling you close, “you think so, yeah?”, you just looked at her, words were unnecessary, your hunger for her apparent in your gaze, Tess felt her face growing hot. it was one thing that you´d wanted her when you were weak and exhausted and needed comfort, it was another that you also wanted her when you were well rested and fine and could´ve thought of other things to start your day with, but apparently still only had her on your mind. “let´s get you out of these then, hm” she said, tugging at your clothes, your eyes sparkling up at her before she took your hand and lead you back to her room.

as she pulled off your shirt and started kissing your chest, you had that same feeling again that you´d had years ago: despite all the pain, the darkness that had seeped into your life at times, you knew in that moment how lucky you were that someone like Tess had paid attention to you in exact right moment, that she did not just help you, but made you come alive again.

finally, you found yourself not wanting to escape your body anymore, finally you were happy to be fully present, trying your best to soak up every little detail, the feeling of the sun spilling in, of being undressed by Tess, being admired, held by her.

it seemed like divine intervention to you, that Tess had come into your life right when you needed her the most.

#tess servopoulos #tess servopoulos x reader #the last of us x reader #tlou #the last of us #the last of us fanfiction #anna torv #I’m thinking about also writing some shorter/smuttier stuff for her bc I have a few ideas for that #but for now heres this

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bcacstuff · 2 months

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Have you seen this tweet , would explain no pics of him actually competing. Hope she just made a mistake as that would be a rule infringement especially as his name and stats still appear on the results board .

https://x.com/elenacgg19/status/1764325898478551046?s=61&t=bKONqjAWo3C2lGx0FJnDkA

Yes, I saw that tweet, in answer to Tash (who graciously took the fan pic (which was actually a screenshot from a video) from my blog without any credit to where she found it or who's pic it actually was #justsaying)

I've silently watched the posts and the 'jumping to conclusions' yesterday (after I took the day to enjoy some sunshine and much needed vitamine D after all the rainy and dark days we had)

I looked things up, and at the same time enjoyed seeing the Dutch team NL being successful in Glasgow, which was a lot more fun to watch than all the shenanigans and narratives.

Anyway, here is what I saw and what I take into account on the different rumors:

The rules book and the terms and regulations show that a participant can change his/her registration up to one week before the event

From the FAQ

From the Terms and Conditions:

So yes, you can change the participant, but it should be no later than a week before the event, and no gender change.

As we found Sam's registration on 28 February in his name, no change could be done anymore. And we've all seen how the results have been posted in his name last Saturday.

So I informed myself by talking to people more familiar with rules and conditions for these sort of sports events, particular asked if it is allowed to let someone else compete in your name and slot. What I was told is with marathons it sometimes happens, but it's not really preferable as for the one who actually completes the race the result wouldn't show up on their record. Also took into account that for the Hyrox events, en overall ranking is kept in the records on someones name.

Another look at the rules and terms told me that upon check-in on the day of the event, a participant has to show his/her ID and registration confirmation

And you receive an timing chip and a wrist band for your start wave and category

So do I rule out he gave his slot and registration to someone else, and why didn't he post any pics, or was seen in any of the EDA guys who also were there (and tagged him)?

No I don't rule it out. In fact it might be an explanation (other than the ones trying so hard to make more of his connection to Sarah) why he was there and early on before his start wave. I keep the options open for now, and one of them is simply he could have gone there to ask the organization if they'd allow to let someone else compete on his slot. They might have agreed, though it would not be possible to make these changes online. Perhaps it's possible they show up later as changes, we've to wait and see. I mean, if he decided the day his condition wasn't good enough due to jetlag and one of his friends would like to compete instead of him, he surely would like to consult the organization and not bring his registration in jeopardy as it could bring him a penalty or even a ban from the events.

Sure, for people in the back, he stayed there and watch the races of other friends (Yes, there were friends from EDA who had their race earlier that day), including Sarah's. Though I do not think it was his voice in the video contrary to other opportunists. To me didn't sound like his accent. (but believe what you want).

More convincing to me is, he didn't hide his presence, took fan pics, and we've seen him in a video as well. No didn't look like he was in Sarah's section or solely there to support her. He's tagged in most of his friends footage they posted from the event. Valbo, Big Red, Tommy (who didn't compete but probably there as a spectator as well) and Valbo even tagged Big Red's and Tommy's wives. None of them tagged Sarah though, and Sarah followed none of them (something she would most certainly do when meeting them, she doesn't even follow Valbo). (let me just remind you the big deal people made of it how KE was followed by friends of Sam!)

Also, what this 'other blogger' doesn't tell you is the video Sarah posted, on her way to Hyrox Sunday in her car 14 miles from the venue as she competed in another race on Sunday. So romantici thinking about what or where she was on Saturday night, go figure... (people in the back his home isn't 14 miles from the venue) Nope, I already told you after (or during) GC, their mutual interest is fitness and both training apparently for Hyrox. And that is exactly what was shown Saturday, no more no less.

I feel disgusted though reading how this 'other blogger' is 'vetting' her source for her info on a romantic love story she wants to spin, who always miraculously turn up in her DMs after I posted the info (where were they before).... Oh yes she'll say I'm gnashing my teeth and am jealous... gosh if she only knew the real stories, I know who would be jealous. I'm just keeping a little more integrity and don't throw women under the bus like that. Even if I could so easily debunk her whole romantic notebook. But well, not necessary as it will debunk itself as usual.

The joke is on her, I wonder if anybody would have noticed him in the video during her race... or even the info about the villa they stayed in in GC, not to mention I'm quite sure she wouldn't have found it nor her minions (oops sorry 'team') who all so generously report to her what I post... I know where I find my info, where it comes from and what is true or not. I sometimes wonder what would be found if I don't post the reality out there to use as a base for all kind of narratives (on all sides tbh)

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cripplecharacters · 5 days

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Hi, I'm working on a character who has vitiligo, is there any more information concerning makeup and skincare you can give me to add in the story?

Hi!

Generally for "research questions" I recommend using good old Google! You can very quickly (or at least infinitely faster than by asking us) answer them by visiting sites like the Vitiligo Society. Most disabilities have some sort of organization that offers the basic information about the condition itself. We are here more to provide writing advice.

With that said:

Vitiligo is one of the disabilities that are often much more socially disabling than medically (doesn't mean it that doesn't cause physical issues, though). There's not that many things that you can do about it, but one that you should consider:

Sunblock. Non-pigmented skin is much more susceptible to sunburn, sunburn is a huge factor in skin cancer, etc. The character can also try staying out of the sun.

The type of vitiligo your character has will somewhat affect it, e.g. localized vitiligo will be easier to protect from the sun than the very rare universal vitiligo just based on the % of skin being affected. Also, vitiligo often appears in areas that are hidden, like armpits or the inside of the mouth. Not everyone will have vitiligo patches on their face.

Sometimes people will experience itching before a new vitiligo patch appears, but this will also depend on the type; some cause new patches to happen more frequently than others. If you know the specifics of your character's condition, research should be much easier.

I'm not sure what you exactly mean by makeup? I can tell you that you shouldn't use makeup to hide your character's vitiligo spots, but that's kinda it? Feel free to send more information if you have something specific on your mind.

If you're writing a character with vitiligo, I would also encourage you to look into comorbidities. As many as 30% of people with vitiligo are hard of hearing or d/Deaf, and they develop autoimmune conditions (especially thyroid ones) more often than people without vitiligo, with 15-25% having at least one.

If your character has their vitiligo on their face or other very visible body part, I recommend my guide on writing characters with facial differences (and the #face difference tag in general) as well.

I hope this helps!

mod Sasza

#mod sasza #theirisofmyeye #face difference #vitiligo representation

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karniss-bg3 · 3 months

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I would like to hear your thoughts about Larian giving Kar’niss female pedipalps?

Personally I feel like it was just another f you from Lolth

Alright so, this is a complicated and detail-heavy topic. For that reason I’ll be splitting this theory into two sections: Technical Aspects & Lore. There will be a TL;DR at the bottom.

Technical Aspects

Kar’niss is a complex model and I imagine the rigging on him was wild. To my understanding his walking animation was done by hand which makes sense. His torso could be motion captured but the arachnid portions needed to be moved in engine. The best time to witness the separation is if you play music for him as a bard. His torso will bob and sway the same as the rest of the NPCs but his legs stay perfectly stationary. I do get a kick out of the idea of the Larian devs trying to put a tiny motion capture suit on a spider but alas.

I bring this up because the pedipalps add an extra layer of complication that the devs didn’t really need. In fact the concept art for driders doesn’t include them at all which suggests they weren’t part of the original design. A lot changed from concept art to the final version it seems. He used to have extra arms, his legs were longer, and his facial features were more twisted. His skin was also darker but it was either changed because he is a Szarkai or because his skin tone blended too heavily with the color of the chitin.

This would align with a lot of the concept art from D&D. There are many examples of driders without pedipalps, both male and female.

All that said, when it comes to the technical aspects, I have a theory as to why the original and final designs were so vastly different: Time. Kar’niss is one of the more detailed models in the game and even the final version didn’t turn out perfect. If you look closely at where his torso attaches to the spider body you can see some model tearing when he turns at certain angels, as well as what I refer to as “tubing”. I’ve seen this in a few games and it’s where limbs or portions of a body thin out to an impossible degree and they look like a squeezed out tube of toothpaste. This could be due to improper skeleton models, broken seams or rigging but as I don’t work in the industry those are my best guesses.

When you have a strict budget and time limit sometimes a development team has to cut some fat. They didn’t have the time to add in the extra arms, super long limbs or highly detailed face model. Perhaps they looked at the final design and weren’t satisfied with the lack of monster features. Thus, the pedipalps were introduced. But since drider are canonically sexless they designed the palps in such a way that they were made for battle; hence the sharp barb present at the tip of each. They are located face level for most races which make them perfect eye gougers or maybe they use them to subdue prey. Palps are also used to “taste” in most spider species and he could likely use them to discern if prey is edible or not.

“Pedipalps contain sensitive chemical detectors and function as taste and smell organs, supplementing those on the legs”

As for why they are female in design the simplest answer I have is that it was an oversight. If they were already scrambling to finish the model then they were likely going for the path of least resistance. Male pedipalps would’ve required a bit more work and either they didn’t think that much about it or chose the easiest design to model. I know about the Kar’niss is trans theory and I’ll be touching on that in the next section.

Lore

Anyone who has followed me for a while knows I’ve discussed drider lore a lot here so I’ll try to be a bit more brief in this section. Drider are meant to be sexless as Lolth didn’t wish for them to reproduce and rise up against Her. If Larian’s design of the palps were with intent then I believe we’re looking at Jurassic Park situation here. Maybe Lolth’s manner of birth control was to make all spider bodies female regardless of the gender of the drow who is changed. It would also align with the Matriarchal society drow come from as well as Lolth choosing to make driders in “Her image”. So yes, a “fuck you” from Lolth would be accurate in this case. The issue I run into is that Kar’niss is the only drider model in-game and so I have nothing to compare him to. I don’t know if all driders in this universe look the same or if there would’ve been a difference between females and males. It leaves it all up to pure speculation, sad to say.

There is a theory that’s been around for a while now that Kar’niss is transgender. While I think it’s a perfectly fine theory I don’t necessarily agree with it. It’s not because I’d be against him being trans, it’s more that I can’t find enough evidence to support it. For starters if he is trans, is he a trans man or a trans woman? We’ve learned that Kar’niss is a female name according to drow naming conventions and of course his palps suggest a female body. The name can be explained as an act of defiance as it is stated that if a man takes on a womans name they are considered troublemakers. If he is a trans woman, why would he ever allow himself to be misgendered?

There are several NPCs that refer to him as “he” and Kar’niss never once barks at them. It’s not as if he’s shy and in fact he’s proven to have quite the temper. He no longer follows nor worships Lolth and he’s under the protection of the Absolute, a cult that allegedly loves and accepts him. Why hide himself as a trans woman under these conditions? Especially in a game that is very progressive in terms of character creation and pronoun usage.

If he is a trans man then the spider body becomes a moot point. Did he transition before the drider transformation or did Lolth change his sex but slap on the female spider body as a way to mock him? Is that why he was changed? I imagine in a drow society where being a woman is a big deal having one that wanted to become a male, a lesser, would be the talk of the Underdark. I’m sure it’s worse for men who want to be women as that could be seen as “rising above their station”. It’s hard to say as modern day gender identity isn’t really addressed in drow lore.

There is a trans woman in Baldur's Gate 3 that the player meets during Shadowheart’s storyline. It can be easy to miss as her past isn’t revealed unless Shadowheart consumes the noblestalk Tav picks up in the Underdark. This is an excerpt from Nocturne’s journal.

“I am Nocturne. I think as her. I see her when I look in the mirror. I can't remember the last time someone called me by the wrong name - Shadowheart has been swift to gently correct slips of the tongue, and even swifter in challenging those who'd use my forsworn name in malice. I'm lucky to have her as a friend. “

While it seems she had trouble in the beginning, those under Shar came to accept her in time as far as I can tell. With this we can at least say that Larian has no issues adding in trans characters but Kar’niss doesn’t receive this treatment. Another thing to note is that Nocturne is voiced by a trans woman, Abigail Thorn. Where as Kar’niss is voiced by, what I assume to be, a cisgender male. In my mind if Larian would take that much time and care for accuracy wouldn’t they do the same for Kar’niss?

With all of that said if people have the headcanon that Kar’niss is trans that is a-okay, I have no issues with that or any other character! It’s simply a theory I don’t personally subscribe to because the elements don’t line up well enough for me. But hey if they ever expand on his story and he is trans that’d be cool. I don’t know if there is a trans man elsewhere in-game so it’d be nice to see that representation there.

Phew, that was far longer than I anticipated but I hope I covered the topic well enough as it has been debated quite a bit in the fandom. Once again I want to express that I believe folks are allowed to write and draw these characters how they see fit. It’s fantasy fun folks, go wild and enjoy your faves as you desire.

TL;DR: I think the female pedipalps are a technical oversight and were only added in to give Kar’niss a more monstrous appearance or to round out his design. I don’t believe he is trans due to the lack of evidence to support the theory. If Lolth had any bearing on the spider body it was likely to prevent reproduction or in an effort to make driders in her image. Overall, the pedipalps are more up to interpretation than hard evidence.

#baldur's gate 3 #kar'niss #bg3 #drider #karniss #baldurs gate 3 #answered #drow #drow lore #theorycrafting #spider anatomy #pedipalps #long post

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lieforyou · 5 months

Text

Cake

Dazai, Chuuya, Fyodor, Nikolai, x fem!Reader // somewhat smut or lime

About: reader makes out/eats cake out of the characters mouth

( sorry if this is badly written:p) mentions of abuse relationships!

Enjoy:3

Dazai

Osamu you’re beloved boyfriend

Honestly you’re relationship was somewhat stable in a way( couldn’t say it was the healthiest but it was near ok

Only thing tho was his ex drive was crazy

He’s a tease ,loves keeping people on there toes

Doesn’t 10x more on you

Can never win him over it’s something about him that’s so unpredictable about his charm

He was always done to sometimes try new “things” when you guys would have sexual tension forms sometimes

So why not try something new? He wouldn’t mind right?

Scenario

Dazai was a bit busy with paperwork, he wasn’t always a lazy man he took his job seriously as-well.

Everyone was on their lunch break but some would stay to eat or talk to their coworkers.

You saw Dazai working on his computer and files he didn’t seem that stress but he doesn’t have enough time for you,usually tends to spend more time at home with you more occasionally .

Couldn’t think tho about a couple of days ago where he was teasing you’re body parts like some type of toy nearly almost fingering you.

He teased you but he didn’t actually do it.

You made up a plan it was lunch time and everyone was surprisingly gone to go out to eat or take a break from work.

You decide to leave and buy a cake a strawberry cake it was medium length with tiny strawberries on top within butter cream frosting

Looked so yummy!

You walked towards the agency

You saw dazai sigh as he shut of his computer ready to live to either find you or meet up with atsushi or just go to grab a coffee or something

“Dazai~” you said as you grinned with the cake in youre hands

“Hm? Ah Donna! I’ve been looking everywhere for you where we’re you… also what’s with the cake? “

Dazai said coming towards you with a slight smile but along with a raised eyebrow

“ I wanna feed you!” As you said grinning with a childish attitude

“feed me don’t you think that’s a bit childish? I mean I take the offer Donna but really?” Dazai raised an eyebrow looking a bit questioned on what you meant

Soon he realized when you meant “feed” didn’t mean actually feeding you more like making out saliva cake gulping his tongue down with cake feeding

He moans as you sucked his tongue with cake all over his face including yours

He’s hard super hard he stained his pants already with pre cum type hard it made gif leak through his light brownish colored pants

You been doing this for the past 1 hour in half

“Mmm a…ah baby~ please I need it right now please fuck…” he groaned from you making out with him with saliva,smashed cake,tongue,everything as sloppy as ever!

“Mmm I told you where not done until I finish the Cake fully Osamu..”. You moan in his mouth as you can feel strawberry flavor tongued

Quite the event out going time on that day

Chuuya

Chuuya was such a sweetheart but he wasn’t the best boyfriend to be fair he had some issues that he couldn’t really handle

But he tried his best

his sex drive was somewhat high somewhat low

Depends

He never had time to touch you sense he was a big part of the port mafia

He tried spending time with you at least

Port mafias anniversary was tomorrow and you where so proud of you’re boyfriend rather less then the organization itself,why not reward him?.

Scenario

Chuuyas tie had completely be undone his expensive “suit” was covered in red velvet cake and saliva along with spit

His hair was a mess

room was aired with lust and love including moans and kissing sounds

You where on his lap sucking his tongue as you’re face was covered in cake to further to his

The cake dripped down to his neck as you licked it and gave him hickies making him grunt aswell as low moans came from him

“Fuck d-…..doll…Ngh~ …Ah~mmmmph” he was cut of by mouth kissing by you as his mouth tasted like red velvet cake and wine he been drinking earlier

He was hard to hard he wanted to fuck you so bad

You’re panties where wet really wet like a river

Lucky his pants where black you couldn’t see much as his length had already leaked out of his boxers.

How did you get him to this?

No idea

I guess he can’t say no to his pretty girl

Even tho he thought you where gonna share whine with cake and cuddle

He thought wrong

Not until you stuff cake like a pig in youre mouth sitting on him like you where about to ride him smashing you’re lips into his as you full on made out with him like a momma bird feeding her baby birds

Fyodor

Ah Demon Fyodor

How lovely

Ok so

Yeah so like

Fyodor is just Fyodor

Ok but all that aside you’re Relationship was not healthy

It’s the truth

He didn’t really try to change for you maybe he would consider it maybe he did time to actually put in the effort

But over all it was always the toxic situation over you and him

Love is love no matter what form right?(wrong)

Fyodor was always in his own world he didn’t really have time for you

First place why get in a relationship with him again?

you saw that it was his birthday soon

You missed you’re dear fedya so much you needed him so bad

He always hated the ideal of sex tho it wouldn’t benefit him he would hate the idea of it being sinful of such acts

But to be fair he’s done worse coming from a terroist like him

He had the day off so you decide to take you’re own good points and buy him a strawberry milk cake

You hear Fyodor opening the door to you’re apartment

“I’m home” the Russian man speakd his accent was always clearer when he yelled a bit

He walked putting his coat down on the coat hanger in the hallway

You look to see a pale skinny man with purple ish eyes with short black hair looking at you

“FEDYAA!” You say coming to his chest

“Hm hello любовь” he said rubbing his hands through you’re hair he rather seemed calm

“ it’s almost youre birthday feyda!”

You said walking towards the chair in the kitchen as he followed

“I’m well aware now what do you have in mind of celebrating?” He said raising an eyebrow as he saw the cake

Now he hates the idea of sex

Found it shameful for a man like him

But seeing his dear like this feeding him cake

Maybe that’s an expectation

You put you’re fingers into fyodors mouth as cake and fingers rolled around in his mouth as he sucked them off clean from the cake

“Frankly I would be the one feeding you dear but it seems like you’re enjoying yourself more then I am?” As you stuff you’re fingers more as he moans a bit and gags

You could feel you’re self getting wet

He dared to touch you tho

Or maybe he was in a good mood only within his fingers for you’re cunt

Nikolai

Ok what

Nikolai you’re beautiful jester boyfriend

not a healthy relationship at all

Hopefully you could catch up to his “I’m perfectly sane” mindset when in reality he wasn’t he was beyond from it

He doesn’t even hide it

Why again? Why are you in a relationship with a insane clown

Quite the abuse relationship

If you can handle it tho like a champ then it be impressing

But can you handle his sex drive

His sex drive is as high as ever

Even tho he’s naturally clingy no matter if he’s honry

I like to think he wouldn’t really be honry it just fakes it to tease you

He’s up to anything

Now the roles are switched

He loves feeding food into youre mouth

He loves making you gag on his cock

He loves anything you gag on as long as it brings you tears he’s all up for it

He had just came back from a mission that the DOA of had

Scenario

After that he bought a nice little fruit cake with mangos,strawberries, blueberries, peaches .

But then you where gaging on his fingers moaning and begging for him stop as you can feel his fingers tease you’re throat to shove fruit down and his fingers

He would suck you’re tongue to

He but you’re tongue sometimes aswell

Would spit in your mouth a lot

He sucked on you’re tongue so much you’re tongue was so numb

He kinda got bored so you gave him head after words

“Ah~ suck it beautiful such a good girl is my dick a-…….Ah…~ fuck,fuck f-uck..”

“Is it as sweet as the cake?” He moaned out in somewhat a pitched moan as he shivers from youre mouth

His dick tasted like cake sometimes sense the remains of cake taste in youre mouth

——————————————————————————

Hope you enjoyed:3!

#bungou stray dogs #bungo stray dogs x reader #dazai x reader #bsd smut #fyodor dostoevsky #x reader #reader x character #bungo stray dogs chuuya #chuuya nakahara

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sanjisboyfie · 5 months

Text

๑ keep safe : more in common than you'd think 彡 skypiea arc begins (21)

one piece x male reader

cause i'll be you and you'll be me

there's lots and lots for us to see

lots and lots for us to do

she's electric, can i be electric too?

『 prev 』

it took maybe an approximate 20 minutes before the crew began crying about how much they missed vivi. zoro and [name] were the only ones keeping some composure.

“don’t be whiny! if you wanted her to stay with us that bad, you should’ve just taken her by force!” zoro crudely remarked.

“you savage!”

“you’re the worst!”

“moss head.”

“three sword style!”

“hey, wait, luffy, three-sword style isn’t an insult,”

“four sword style,”

[name] laughed behind his hand, finding the annoyed expression on zoro’s face entertaining.

“what about you, [name]? aren’t you sad that we left her?” chopper asked, tears in his eyes, “or are you as heartless as zoro!”

“no, i’m sad,” [name] nodded, “but we’re gonna see her again so there’s no point in crying about it,”

“it’s a different kind of heartless!” usopp said in an accusatory tone, pointing a finger at [name].

“cursed orphan.”

“heartless [name].”

“you’re the second worst.”

“hey! wasn’t my take more optimistic than anything?!” he shouted at all of them, shaking his head as he saw that there was no use getting through their teary eyes.

“well, if anything, it looks like we finally made it off of that island,” a new voice spoke, not phasing the crew at first. but then [name] turned around and squinted his eyes at the new figure.

”wait…” he held his stare on her for a moment longer, lips pressing into a thin line as he began to hum in thought. her face was familiar…but he couldn’t remember from where he had seen her.

“enemy attack! enemy attack!” usopp began shouting, crocodile tears running down his eyes.

“here to avenge your organization, i’ll take you on!” zoro said in his usual aggressive tone.

“who is she?” [name] and chopper asked at the same time, much calmer than the others on board.

nami hid behind [name], usopp beside her before he took ahold of the sheathed sword that was resting on [name]’s back, “i’ll take care of you like i did last time! don’t come any closer, woman!”

“wait, who is she?” [name] repeated in confusion, smacking usopp on the head for touching the sword.

“who cares?! she’s that beautiful lady!” sanji answered, hearts in his eyes as he was rather excited about the situation.

the woman walked across the deck, using her devil fruit abilities to knock the weapons out of zoro and nami’s hand.

”i thought i asked you guys before to not point such dangerous things at me,” she said in a disappointed voice, “and you, how could you not remember our meeting when you were so passionate in killing me?”

“killing you…first meeting,” the crew watched as [name] mulled over his memories before he came to a conclusive: “don’t remember!”

“that doesn’t matter now! what matters is, how long have you been on this ship?” nami shouted at the woman, pointing a finger in her direction.

“all this time…”

“wait, you guys didn’t know she was on board?” [name] asked, looking at the rest of them.

they all whipped their heads around to look at him, eyes turning into angry slits as they shouted all in unison, “don’t tell me you knew she was here!”

[name] put his hands up in surrender, “well listen! i didn’t know it was her, but i knew someone else was on board with us! i thought she was someone luffy brought along with us…also i don’t even know who she is, so don’t get so mad at me!”

the crew couldn’t even begin to be that angry with [name] as they realized his reasoning wasn’t far off from reality. luffy was definitely a captain that’d drag new crew members onto the ship without telling anyone. so they all lowered their angry gazes from [name] and instead refocused on the woman.

“what’re you trying to do, baroque works?!”

the lady ignored nami and looked at luffy, “monkey d. luffy, you haven’t forgotten what you did to me, have you?”

“wait, can we at least get an introduction?” [name] pathetically asked, his request falling onto deaf ears.

“hey, you! don’t lie, i didn’t do anything to you!” luffy cried out, fighting against the grip sanji had on his collar. a childish whine was in his voice as he looked at the woman.

“yes, you did. what you did to me was unbearable. take responsibility,”

“you don’t make any sense! what do you want me to do?!”

“let me join your crew.”

everyone, minus zoro and m/n, shouted in surprise. well, sanji shouted in infatuation. everyone else was just baffled to hear such a forward request. [name] was still hung up on figuring out her identity, the piercing blue eyes she had were definitely memorable. but he could think of where he had seen them.

“you made me live when i wanted to die. that’s your crime.” she revealed, making sanji calm down and luffy hum in thought. “there’s no place for me to go or go back to. so let me stay on your ship,”

“oh! i see, then i guess we have no choice…okay!”

“good job, luffy, every life is valuable. you’re a good captain,” [name] praised, roughly patting the captain on the back.

“hold on a second, it can’t be that easy!” nami shouted at the duo in annoyance.

“don’t worry, she’s not a bad person!” luffy said in a confident tone, smiling so wide, but it didn’t ease the entire crew’s worries at all.

“if you say so!”

“and you! don’t be so willing to let this woman join us! don’t you remember?! she’s the one that wanted vivi dead!” nami reminded [name], shaking him back and forth. “she was crocodile’s right hand woman! you can’t trust her so easily,”

“what’s her name even?” [name] asked, allowing himself to be throttled back and forth by nami.

“nico robin,” the woman replied, eyes set on focusing on [name]. “you know, we have more in common than you’d think, [name]. i have a feeling we will get along just fine,”

“nico…robin,” he said her name slowly, looking at her with his eyebrows furrowed. nami stopped shaking him, seeing the gears turning in his head and praying that they were turning in favor for kicking her off of the boat.

”yeah, we will get along just fine,” [name] finalized after thinking to himself, “but if you try anything on this ship to endanger this crew, i’ll throw you over this ship and watch you drown to your death,”

“scary!” usopp shouted from behind the mast.

but [name]’s words only made robin laugh and say, “then, i look forward to it,”

“alright, well, this begs for a cup of coffee,” [name] gently pushed away from nami, promising that he’d come back with a cup for her as well.

[name] carefully brewed a cup of coffee for two, bringing it back on deck and blinking several times when he saw that there was debris falling from the sky. the ship began shaking as pieces fell in the ocean and the crew screamed in shock when a huge ship also fell right next to them.

he kept himself steadied on the deck, moving his arms with the motion of the ship so that the cups of coffee wouldn’t spill over. when the sea around them finally calmed down, he walked onto deck with everyone else.

”who did that?” he asked, sliding the cup over to nami who slapped his hand away.

”it’s not appropriate to drink coffee after such a terrifying experience!” she scolded, but [name] easily sipped the hot drink and hummed in delight.

“i’ll take it off your hands, cursed one,” robin’s voice spoke up from the side, making [name] chuckle.

“here, but drop that stupid name,” he handed it over to her without issues and watched in delight as she took the first sip, “how is it? i’m good, right?”

she nodded her head, taking another sip, “it does taste really good, i’m familiar with the beans you used. you took some from alabasta?”

he hummed in confirmation, looking to the rest of the crew as he sipped more of his favorite drink, “so what was all that?”

”does it look like we’d know?” zoro snarkily replied back, making [name] stick his tongue out to him.

“doesn’t hurt to ask, you negative swordsman,” [name] said in spite, not appreciating the attitude.

as the crew was trying to figure out why ship remains were all falling from the sky, nami had noticed that the log pose on her wrist was pointing straight upwards.

“what’re we gonna do?! our log pose is broken!” she announced, making everyone look at the compass-like device on her wrist. oddly, the needle was pointing directly upwards rather than in its usual horizontal way.

“that’s not it. it was updated by an island with a stronger magnetism,” robin corrected her, looking at the device, “if the log pose needle is pointing upwards, that means that there is a sky island it had locked onto.”

“sky island?!” [name] cried out, stars in his eyes as he imagined the scenary. “in the clouds?! are you serious, robin!?”

she chuckled at his excitement before continuing, “more precisely, there’s a sea that’s floating in the sky that so happens to have an island.”

once again, [name] cried out at the crazy idea, stars in his eyes as him and luffy began jumping in a circle. their shouts of excitement easily drowned out those of usopp and chopper, who were fearing for their lives.

“i’m getting more and more confused,” sanji sighed.

“what’s there to be confused about? robin explained it clearly, idiot cook!” [name] said in a very cheerful tone, his eyes turning to crescent, “island in the sea sky, island in the sea sky!”

“shut up!”

“yay! there’s a sea with an island in the sky, let’s go!!” luffy cheered, pointing up at the sky.

robin sighed and used her ability to cover luffy and [name]’s screaming mouths, so she could continue explaining in peace.

“to be honest, i’ve never seen the sky island, nor do i know much about it.”

“yeah! it’s impossible for an island or a sea to float in the air!” nami said, happy to hear a voice of reason over [name] and luffy’s childish babbling. “so the log pose must be broken!”

“our concern right now should not be the log pose, it should be how we get to the sky,” robin corrected once more, “no matter what weird situations this ship gets caught up in, or how panicked we get, we must not doubt the log pose. this is an iron clad rule!”

“so we are going to the sky island!” [name] said victoriously, finishing his cup of coffee and licking his lips, “nami, get us there!”

“stop ordering me around like you’re the captain!”

“nami, let’s go to the sky!!” luffy chimed in.

“idiot captain, we can’t just go to the sky!” sanji butted in, kicking down both [name] and luffy.

“well, let’s figure it out!” [name] walked over to the remains of a coffin on the deck, pulling on the skeletal figure out of the box, “can’t these guys give us some answers? maybe the ship over there too?”

“don’t just casually touch a dead person’s skull like that!” usopp and chopper cried out in fear, seeing [name] so nonchalantly prodding and poking at the bone.

“[name] has a point. we can dig some clues up from these remains, as well as the ship over there,” robin said, walking over and gingerly taking the skull from [name]’s hands.

“i call going to the ship,” [name] cheered, jumping over the railing without waiting for approval and swimming his way over to the wrecked ship.

“hey! no fair, [name]!! you’re hogging all the adventure to yourself!” luffy shouted from the deck, jumping up and down in annoyance.

“wait, i wanna see what’s over there too!!” usopp cried out in frustration. he grabbed ahold of luffy, who launched them over the side of the ship and to the wreckage.

“exploration!” the two shouted into the air, roughly landing on the wooden planks.

[name] was already on deck and going through old treasure chests with an unimpressed look on his face. most of the stuff was already emptied out or there was nothing worth while.

but finally, he hit the jackpot. he excitedly called out to luffy and usopp, holding up a piece of parchment with a proud grin.

“look! this just proves that it’s real! there is a real sky island and its called — skypiea!”

“amazing! let’s bring it back to the deck — oh, but i can’t move, i feel weak,” luffy suddenly collapsed into [name]’s arms and the cold rush of water hitting his legs made him realize that the ship they were on was beginning to sink.

“shit!” he cursed, bringing luffy to piggy back on his shoulder and grabbing usopp by his collar. he shot them forward very quickly, harshly landing on deck and spitting out some sea water he accidentally swallowed.

he weakly held up the parchment, grinning when he saw it was still in tact.

”see! see! it’s real!!!” luffy cheered, still collapsed on [name]’s back.

“alright, the sky island exists! it’s a dream island!” chopper and usopp began cheering together, creating a dance line in celebration.

“don’t get too carried away! this could be a fake, there are a ton of fake maps out there anyway,” nami chided the celebrating trio, making [name] face palm at her blunt attitude. she seemed to realize her mistake when she saw the absolutely horrified looks that luffy, chopper, and usopp were giving her.

“nami didn’t mean that, right nami?” [name] said, trying to calm the group’s depression.

“y-yeah! there’s definitely a possibility it’s real…”

luffy and nami began arguing back and forth with one another and [name] tried to block out the sound of their screaming. instead he opted in searching the sky, as if there were clues of the sky island right above them.

robin seemed to take note of his daydreaming and engaged him in conversation, “are you willing to go to the sky island, [name]?”

he looked at her with a smile and nodded his head, “wouldn’t that be so fun! no one would even believe us when we tell them,” he laughed to himself, thinking of being able to boast of going to skypiea. “they’ll all think we’re insane!!”

“well, this bunch already can accomplish that without even needing to go to an island in the sky,” robin mused, watching the scene unfold in front of them. the two were now sitting on the stairwell and conversing as if they were the only two on deck.

“i wanted to get the chance to talk to you alone,” [name] said suddenly, a serious look on his face, “nico robin, i’m sorry about what happened to you,”

the woman blinked, not showing her surprise in [name] knowing about her past. she didn’t expect him to know simply because he was a good amount of years younger than her. but with the amount of people on the crew, there was bound to be someone that was aware.

“were you the one that made it happen to me? then there are no need for apologies,” she spoke softly, smiling when she saw that he was still frowning.

“it’s just…no child deserves that,” he says after a couple of moments of silence, “children that have to suffer, tch, it makes my blood boil thinking about what they’ve done to you.”

robin waved her hand, “you weren’t there and we barely know each other, why the sudden cause for concern about this?”

[name] shrugged, “like i said, no child should have to go through that. no matter how old you are now, it doesn’t change the stuff you had to endure as a child,”

she felt a part of her heart thaw at his confession. [name] was being truly sincere with his words, she could tell. and it made her feel comforted that someone was being so nice to her amidst all the changes. but, she couldn’t indulge on this feeling for so long. so she simply smiled once more, gazing at him knowingly.

“i do suppose we share an experience in that aspect, huh?”

[name] spoke carefully, “more in common than you think - wasn't that what you said earlier?”

and not wanting to leave the man in such a saddened state, robin poked his side with a sprouted hand and laughed at his shocked expression, “well, it’s best not to dwell on things like that for so long,”

“of course, of course!” [name] cheerfully replied, his expression doing a complete shift and showing his usual optimistic side.

internally, robin wondered how [name] could be so carefree. she didn’t doubt that he shared some similar troubles. so it baffled her to see him so carefree and uncaring. but she decided that it could be a conversation for a later time, or not even a conversation at all.

[name] and robin’s intimate conversation coming to an end made them turn their attention back onto the rest of the crew. while they were temporarily in their own world, luffy, sanji, and zoro were sent down below the sea to “salvage” the ship. so when they looked back on deck, the only people of the straw hat crew were nami, usopp, and chopper.

then looking to his left he realized, there was an unknown huge ship that was next to them and it seemed that there was a monkey leading them.

“monkey.” he said simply, pointing a finger at the creature and looking at the rest of the crew in confusion, “hey, guys, who is that?”

“as if we’d know,” nami sighed in annoyance.

“did you just say i was very monkeyful?! hehe, thank you for taking note of my ruggedly good looks,” the creature said, making [name]’s eyes widen in shock.

“why can it speak?! it’s not going ooh-ooh-aah-aah!! lame!!”

“is that really what you should be focusing on right now? those guys could be trouble,” usopp came running over and hiding behind [name]’s figure, pointing a finger at the ship, “go on and sink them before they can get the chance to attack us,”

“what obscene power do you think i have?” [name] sweat dropped, feeling usopp’s legs shake behind him. “i can’t just do that to these people — they haven’t done anything to us!”

”not yet they haven’t!”

“what do you guys think you’re doing on our turf though?! even though you called me handsome just now doesn’t mean i’ll let this slide!”

“who called who handsome?” the crew said in unison, bored looks on their faces as they didn’t understand what the monkey was talking about at all.

“your turf?” robin called out, taking the initiative to get answers out of the monkey.

“yeah! everything in this turf is mine to salvage! it’s all mine! so explain to me why you were here, are you planning on taking my treasures?!”

nami and usopp looked nervous, beginning to shake and sweat where they stood.

“oh, if you’re gonna salvage it, could you show us?”

the scared duo looked at [name] as if he were out of his mind, turning their heads slowly to shout at him. but then they heard the monkey on board the other ship begin laughing to his heart’s content, as if [name] told a good joke.

“are you so flattered by my good looks you wish to accompany me in salvaging this ship, pursuing this career together for the rest of our lives?!”

the crews’ jaws dropped as they saw the flattered and blushing expression on the monkey’s face. [name] smiled, seeing that this was the perfect excuse to buy zoro, sanji, and luffy time — since they were the ones underwater and actually salvaging the ship.

“yes, yes, handsome man!! please! show me and i’ll consider sailing with you and joining your salvaging crew!”

“well, since you asked so nicely!!”

“i can’t believe that that worked!!” usopp and nami said in a hushed shout. “there’s no way this guy is that stupid!”

“hey! who knows, if he finds us some really great treasure, i’ll elope away with him!” [name] said jokingly, making the rest of the crew look at him with deadpan faces as if to say, “that’s not even a funny joke.”

the monkey on the other ship began to show off his abilities on salvaging, whatever that entailed. [name] was only pretending to pay attention. his eyes were scanning the water to try and see how close or far the three of their crewmates were.

he clicked his tongue in annoyance when he saw that he couldn’t even sense their presence, that’s how far down they were.

as the crew now had no other option but to watch the others salvage the ship, they just stood along the railing and made sure to keep an eye out for any of their three crewmates.

then suddenly, luffy shouted about something happening below water and the entire crew tensed up as his voice echoed on their end. there was a tube that connected them, auditorily, to sanji, zoro, and luffy underwater. this caught the attention of the salvaging pirates, who turned their heads at the unfamiliar voice.

usopp slapped his hand down onto the speaker and [name] took the reigns in distracting the monkey, “say what’s that monkey doing over there? does it do something cool, mr. monkey?” he was pointing at their ship's mascotted head, a big body of a monkey.

this was effective in making the monkey blush and direct his attention elsewhere, “please, simply call me masira, mr. monkey is too formal for future lovers! oh! and that monkey there, i’ll just show you what it can do!”

[name] grinned, high fiving nami behind him as he successfully got masira off of their backs. then masira started huffing air into some sort of tube and the crew began to piece everything together.

“ah, so they start filling it up with air to make it rise to the surface-”

“help!!! help! there’s someone on the ship!!” an unfamiliar voice echoed from below the water surface, making the crew get on guard again.

“i bet it was zoro’s dumbass that started attacking them,” [name] said to himself, easily blaming the swordsman. masira jumped under water and [name] eagerly waited for who would emerge from the water.

it took a long while before anything happened, but the next thing to shock them wasn’t even anyone from their crew coming back up from the water.

instead it was a giant turtle. and [name] felt stars in his eyes show as he saw its huge size.

“that’s so cool, can we use it as a boat instead?! say, robin, didn’t you use a turtle before, we can use one again!!”

robin chuckled, finding [name]’s childish nature amusing, “i don’t think this one would listen as well as mine back then — it’s too big to control,”

“hey! you two, don’t talk so casually when something as weird as that is in front of us!”

“but it’s just a big turtle,” [name] whined at nami’s scolding, then he grinned devilishly, “alright, it’s decided! scaley! your name is scaley!!”

“don’t go naming the giant turtle, idiot!” nami shouted once more. “aren’t you worried for your crewmates?! they just got eaten by that thing!!”

“huh? they did?”

”pay more attention, won’t you?!” usopp cried out, crocodile tears running down his face.

“oh, i’ll take care of it then,” [name] simply said with a shrug. just as he was about to get the rest of their crew back, the day light had suddenly turned dark. this made the entire crew stop and focus their attention on the switch.

“hey, who turned off the lights?” [name] asked no one in particular, looking around and seeing that everything around them was pitch black.

out of nowhere, a figure broke out form the water and crashed onto their deck. unfortunately, it was more like they crashed into [name] as he was standing right in the spot where it landed.

luffy, all wrapped up in some fabric, was laying on top of [name] and he wasn’t even conscious. soon following, sanji and zoro jumped onto deck.

”why did it have to be me?” [name] sighed, pushing luffy off him and coughing as he tried regaining his breath. nami came running over, slapping their captain several times over and demanding answers to questions he wasn’t even conscious to hear.

“set sail! let’s hurry and get out of here while we still can!” zoro huffed, a huge package resting on his back.

sanji, who had the same amount of loot behind him, added in, “he’s crazy — he must of been one of the sea animals.”

the two began finishing each others’ sentences in explaining what happened underwater. then just as they were about to set sail, the monkey from before had popped up out from underwater and demanded they give him back his treasure.

at the sight of his imposing figure so close, chopper ran away from the front and hid behind [name]’s leg. but [name] didn’t look at all intimidated. instead, he was too focused on the sky and what was making it so dark.

figures of enormous size were all standing on the horizon. his eyes were blown completely wide as he took in their sheer size and tried to stay calm when he saw that one of them began moving.

“everyone start rowing, now!!” [name] shouted, being one of the first to snap out of their stupor. the rest of the crew that were capable of rowing got ahold of the oars and started frantically trying to get out of the giant’s sight. after their rowing efforts and [name] directing the currents beneath their boat vey minimally, they were able to get away - somehow.

“what the fuck was that?” [name] breathed, resting his hand on his chest to calm his racing heart. he was collapsed on the deck and the others were debriefing on what just happened.

after kicking out masira when they realized that he was still on board, the discussion turned into what they should do now that they had no clues as to where they were.

robin saved the day, though, when she presented an eternal pose of an island named “jaya.” after arguing back and forth, mainly between nami and luffy, they decided to start their journey to jaya, get as much information as quick as possible, and then go to sky island.

“thanks for the takoyaki, sanji!” [name] proudly proclaimed, showing off the octopus that he had stolen off from robin and nami’s plates.

before the chef could kick some sense into him, he jumped up the stairwell and hid behind zoro.

“don’t use me as some shield!” the swordsman grunted, but he didn’t move from his position in front of [name]. instead he challengingly stared down at the blonde chef, who was glaring at the both of them.

“if you’re gonna wanna get to me, sanji, you have to fight zoro!” [name] shouted, inciting a fight between the two almost instantly. the two began bickering and [name] was forgotten.

and he hummed in delight when he felt the food warm his once empty stomach.

“yummy!” he cried out, showing it off to robin so she could take one as well. she grinned, thanked him gently, and took one off of his plate. it was hers to begin with, but she wasn’t interested in eating it.

but seeing [name]’s childish grin staring her down as an invitation, she couldn’t help but indulge the man. and when she hummed in delight at the food, [name] grinned and nodded his head even faster, “so yummy, right? here, have the rest! i’m gonna steal some of luffy’s!!”

robin took the plate off of his hands and watched as the h/c haired man ran across the ship shouting for luffy to hand over his food. and now two fights were happening on deck, between sanji and zoro and then luffy and [name] wrestling one another.

it seemed that no matter what was going on, like escaping from giant mystery shadow figures, the merry was always bursting with life. robin sighed, taking another takoyaki into her mouth and wondering how the rest of her journey with the strawhats would play out.

『 prev 』 ˗ˏˋ꒰ 🌊 ꒱ 『 next 』

taglist (lmk if u want to be tagged ! <3 :

@skullr0se, @strawberrii-tea, @triangulartriangles, @anotherlovefool, @haratatsu, @sinmp, @3v37773, @taru-nami, @disc0dild0s, @boredwithlifeatthispoint, @kaulitzer, @notplutos, @cheetosins

#≡;- ꒰ ° keep safe series ꒱#ks #one piece x male reader #one piece x reader #x male reader #x reader #male reader #one piece male reader #one piece imagines #male reader imagines #anime male reader #one piece fanfiction #one piece fanfic #male reader fanfic #male reader fanfiction

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edenfenixblogs · 3 months

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I think that the user who made this post is lacking reading comprehension as to me it looks like Netanyahu is just saying that he wants security controls in place which if we go by the Wikipedia article for security controls, is just tighter security. The article in that post also doesn't include his full statement which adds context.

This article has his whole statement

what are your thoughts on this?

Idk what article or post you’re talking about.

I don’t like or trust Netanyahu. I do not believe anything he says. He’s Israel’s version of Trump. Idk what exactly he wants more control of but based solely on this post it seems like he’s offering to end the war by placing more security and checkpoints around Palestine.

My thoughts on that are that people not dying is better than people dying. But that’s too low a bar. Palestinians deserve better than just “not being under siege.” The steps must be in the direction of increasing freedom, not limiting it further.

This is what I’ve been talking about for months while people have been busy trying to compare me to a Nazi for saying I don’t want Jews to die or be expelled.

The only proper way to behave right now is to actively discuss what a future where both Israelis and Palestinians live together in peace should look like and then taking steps to ensure that future.

If we don’t do that, then Netanyahu will get his wish: tighter controls around Palestine, increased tension between Palestine and Israel, a guarantee that enough discontented Palestinians will look to organizations like Hamas for a solution to their oppression only to end up endangered between a terrorist organization and a hostile Likud-run government that stays in power by casting them as inherently vicious villains.

So, idk man. I can’t know for certain that I have any of this right. I’m just going off context clues cuz I refuse to look it up. Why do I refuse to look it up? Because I’d give myself an 85% chance of being right about what Netanyahu is proposing. Because he’s predictable and a bad person and a bad leader whose only goal is to weaponize both Jewish and Palestinian trauma to retain his own power.

This, even more than the personal attacks from antisemites, is what has bothered me most about western leftist “support” for Palestine during this most recent flair of the conflict. By focusing on attacking Jews around the world and stanning terrorist organizations and ignoring Jewish people and Israelis and even Muslims and Palestinians and Arabs who are and have been actively engaged in working towards peace and against Netanyahu for literal decades they have all but ensured that the most reasonable and informed voices have been effectively silenced. And you know who’s gonna fill that power vacuum? Netanyahu. Cuz it’s what he does.

And then the next time this happens, because it will, we will have to all live through this (or fault to live through it) again.

So, do I get a gold star friends? If I’m wrong I’ll delete this post. But man just the idea of Netanyahu proposing tighter security makes my blood boil. He knows what he’s doing. And it’s bad.

I hope I’m wrong. I hope I’ve misinterpreted something. And I will look it up further. But before I do, I genuinely want to know: is that asshole really that predictable? Did the entire western left literally just fall for his whole schtick and end up helping him to concentrate even more power? Did it work because it relied upon people hating Jews more than they trust Jews or love Palestinians? Cuz it feels like that’s what’s happening.

In the meantime, A Land for All is a solution worth actually discussing. Let’s all work toward that or another equally mutually beneficial solution to this conflict instead of helping Hamas gain adherents and helping Likud retain power:

https://www.alandforall.org/english/?d=ltr

#fuck netanyahu #antisemitism #leftist antisemitism #Jewish Palestinian solidarity #a land for all

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teambyler · 21 days

Text

"Byler Endgame, One Episode at a Time" - s5e1

Plot beats and scenes leading to a Byler endgame, one episode at a time, for Season 5 of Stranger Things. (This is just for fun! I have no insider knowledge!)

Also see Part 0, where I explain what I think a Byler Endgame has to address.

s5e1

Since we’re going back to s1 themes, a shadowy U.S. government organization is involved. It wants to contain and study the hellscape in Hawkins. People are ordered out of parts of Hawkins. The Byers don’t have a home in Hawkins. Joyce stays at Hopper’s, with Jonathan too probably (Ted wouldn’t let Nancy’s boyfriend sleep in the house. He’s perfectly fine with “Mike’s friend Will” though!)

When Will arrives, he asks to stay in Mike’s basement. Mike says it’s cold and uncomfortable and he doesn’t have to. Will says he’s fine, he prefers a quiet place to do art, he likes that it’s where they played D&D... “We get to play D&D again, yes?” “Of course!” Mike insists on putting a bed in there, etc. Will is fine with the couch. The whole time Will is trying to be cool, trying to get over loving his straight best friend.

Will walks into Mike’s room, to see that Mike has framed the D&D painting and is hanging it on the wall. Mike: “This is a really nice present you gave.” Will’s in shock… does he know? It becomes clear Mike just thinks Will and El talked about what to put in a gift they were both to give Mike, while things were still good between him and El. “It’s too bad things went south so quickly…” Mike shares that he and El aren’t seeing each other. Will looks at the painting, thoughts racing… Mike says he doesn’t know what’s going on with El because after the pizza shop he thought they were official again, but she’s still being cold toward him.

Will sleeps on the basement couch, remembering their "Crazy together" conversation. He cries quietly.

After coaxing Lucas who’s spending time at the hospital with Max, the Hellfire Club play D&D in Mike’s basement. Dustin is the dungeon master. It’s a very feel-good, “the party is back together” scene. Will’s so happy to be playing D&D with Mike and is sitting next to him. In the game, Will risks his life to cast prismatic spray and save the group. The spell fails. In the game, Mike risks his life to protect Will. Will is blushing and it feels kinda romantic.

“A PLOT” SHENANIGANS. Will is rubbing his neck a lot and this is a Will-focused season. (There’s a million ways the A plot can go down so I won’t even try!)

School was disrupted by the events of s4. Bullies with nothing better to do target the Hellfire Club members, blaming them for recent events. Bully #1 lost a loved one when the hellfire opened. The party has to split up to get away from them. Bully #1 corners Will and says he hopes he gets AIDS. Will is terrified and once he’s alone starts crying.

Jonathan senses Will is really down. He invites Robin over. She arrives and kisses Vickie goodbye in front of Will. Will is shocked. Jonathan leaves the room, and Robin and Will connect. Will asks what it’s like to come out. Robin says some people shunned her, but others like Steve and Jonathan didn’t. She found out who her real friends were: “I got to have friends who love me for being me.” Will cry-smiles and thinks about this. Robin says to tell the people you trust the most.

Joyce and El are at Hopper’s cabin. Will looks like he's ready to tell both of them. But he waits for El to step out. Will sits down next to mom and comes out to her. Will: “Do you still love me?” She goes into Mama Bear mode: “Of course I do!” She hugs him. She's heartbroken to think Will didn't know how she'd answer. “Look at me Will. I’ve GONE TO HELL AND BACK FOR YOU WILL. I’ll do it again! I will always, ALWAYS love you.” They have a big ugly-cry hug.

FOLLOW ME for the next part of “Byler Endgame, One Episode at a Time”!

Part 0 (what a Byler endgame needs to address) Next episode

(And read my blog! I say a lot about Byler!)

#byler #stranger things #speculation #st5 #byler theory #byler speculation #fanfic #byler endgame #one episode at a time

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fainthedcherry · 4 days

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SOOO I went "SCREW IT POSTING THIS DOODLE BC I FELT LIKE IT"... AFTER LIKE...YEARS OF NOT DOING A SPONTANEOUS DOODLE UPLOAD WOW,,

Alex + Mushu (OCs) ft. the 4 official 2012 torts!!!

I've been in turtle-fever as you can tell,,, I finished this last week actually!!! I was doodling Marco and Niraj this week instead. BUT ALAS...HAVE A POST!!! HOLY CRAP GUYS I'M NOT DEAD AND I'M POSTING FREQUENTLY THIS MONTH!! AND ACTUALLY EXPRESSING MY INTEREST IN FANDOMS FOR ONCE AGAIN!! I might post something TMNT related Tuesday again!! ;D

No srsly why tf is it so hard for me to draw official characters instead of only drawing OCs, it's a curse for me sefklsdlkg

JUST AN IDEA I HAD TO DRAW THIS...NOTHING REALLY SUPER COMPLEX CAME TO MIND. Instead, I accidentally made the doodle w/ Raph 3-VP perspective, had to fix a bunch of lines, gave up on others. THIS WAS DRAWN WO/ A RULER AND YOU CAN TELL. SO DON'T MIND CRAPPY PERSPECTIVE INCONSISTENCY. I swear I can actually draw perspectives like a professional, I just choose to spend as little time as possible on paper. I hate drawing traditionally on paper, but I still force myself to stay in-practice, bc I get more organic ideas through that way. References are more of a digital-art thing for me...AAaaa dsrgrgkloj

I'm REALLY proud of Mikey here!!! My fav boi looks rlly good here,,, 😭

This is only like the 3rd time I've ever drawn these boys in my life!! I think this is a not bad start toward my cringe-embracing era. xD

Hope you don't mind me adding tags of the boys!! I just,,, am so happy I'll be able to!!!!!!!!!! JUST. JUST FINALLY I'VE DRAWN THEM IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY I FINALLY DARED TAKE THE STEP

Also adding TMNT OC tags,, hope you don't mind, I'm not trying to shill I swear, I just really like tagging my art honestly. 😭

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ghostcathedrals · 5 months

Text

totally didnt write this after watching an initial d episode (i stop every now and then because it's weird for me)

// use of the adjective 'pretty', nsfw???

former street racer toji who's now encouraging his son, megumi, to join street races if he wants to. the car toji used before is an heirloom passed down to his soon. megumi's pretty new to the business, but he's already showing great potential, especially as someone who's already competing with people older than him. he's planning to rope his friends into racing.

you're just a passerby at the time, decided to stop by a shed with two vending machines somewhere where, well, everyone in the neighborhood knows is turned into a racing circuit for street racers. you know that the races are often at night for obvious reasons, and because this is a popular circuit due to its location, some racers go all the way to this place to compete.

all these racers and audience who love racing are engrossed in the atmosphere. despite being completely not into racing, you get sucked in their energy. you can tell some of them are not locals, but everyone knows them.

finest of the finest.

undefeated.

fastest and most up-to-date models.

to be honest, you don't even have a car to begin with. all their terminologies seem so alien to you. when you've finished your snacks, you pick up your bicycle and kick up side stand. as much as you want to camouflage behind the tall spectators, some of them notice you. you're not exactly popular in the city, but they happen to be the people you know. they call your name, causing attention to shift to you. fuck my life. you appreciate attention, but not when pairs of eyes dart at you.

one of them happens to be fushiguro megumi. you sort of know him. your brother works part-time at the high school where megumi is studying. you try to avoid the unwanted whispers and gazes as you walk up to him. he's leaning against the door of his car with his arms crossed under his chest. "hi, megumi. didn't know you race," you say, small smile plastered on your face. since he also knows you and your relation to his teacher, he bows in respect.

"hello," he greets you. "are you here to watch?"

you shake your head. "felt hungry on my way home so i stopped by at the shed over there." you cock your head to your left to gesture at the green-lit shed. "good luck, megumi." you pat his shoulder. he shows you a small smile as he bows, but his attention shifts to the men who aren't ashamed of talking about you, wondering who you might be, guessing if they've seen you somewhere because your resemblance to your brother can mistake you as twins.

"don't mind them," he tells you. "are you sure you can go home? your bike's front light is broken."

you peer down to look at your front light, then you set your eyes back to him. "streetlights. i'll stay as close to the sides—"

"no," he's gotten used to using honorifics in addressing you, and you already gave up on correcting him. "my dad's here. he can take you home. he brought his pickup, so you can put your—"

the race is about to start. they call megumi's name and he turns. "time's up for chitchats. and megumi, enough talking with that pretty person over there," the guy winks at you. stunned, you don't react. "i'll keep this pretty one company if you'd like—"

"no need," you wave it off. "good night."

as much as you've shown nonchalance and calmness (to which most of the marvel at and may have been more attracted to you), you can feel your organs shivering in your body.

the pickup megumi mentioned is hidden behind the crowd because of the wide distance between streetlights, not to mention how little their areas of illumination are. the warm light in the vehicle, however, lights up, and you see megumi's father, whom you've never actually seen in person. he's his father because of the uncanny resemblance. his eyes are boring holes in your head, like a predator eyeing his prey, or a hunter aiming his arrow at his target.

the lump in your throat is a heavy one and you struggle to gulp it down. not only is his stare intimidating, he's attractive. way too attractive. the scar slashed on the side of his lips is the cherry on top. your gut is burning, rendering your legs too heavy to move. you power through regardless, forcing yourself to walk past his car.

as you're about to hop on your bike, you hear the thud of a car door closing and nearly lose your balance as you turn behind you, other leg folded midair.

"careful." his voice isn't deep like a sound deep in the ocean, yet you feel the chill rise from your feet to your hair. the distance closes between you two, and that's the only time you process how tall he is. he leans against the open, elongated trunk, arm resting on the rubbered edge. "now i wonder why you'll ride your bike in a dark road and no front light."

if i don't call the gods to give me strength, i will fall down and die. he makes you weak and you barely know him.

you don't have enough brain power to answer considering the aura of this man beside you and your strong will to go home. just in time ⎯ the race starts, and it's loud as hell. both of you turn to look at them, and then back to each other. "race started. if you don't wanna get hit by a car and thrown into a ditch, you should stay here and wait for it to end."

a heavy sigh leaves your mouth as your shoulders sag. even when megumi's dad, fushiguro toji (your brother said), doesn't stop you from going further, you really won't make it home. now both of you are leaning against the car, looking at the uproar. "um," you want to say something, and the moment a sound leaves your throat, he instantly shifts his eyes to you, and that then adds pressure and hinders you from continuing. his eyebrows rise up, as if waiting for you to continue speaking.

"i hope it isn't going to be troublesome for you to drive me home⎯"

"it will be more troublesome if i let you go home by yourself. you'll get into an accident." then he diverts his eye contact from you again, arms crossing under his chest. "i'd be damned if i let you get into an accident and scar your pretty face." he says this with a confident grin, in contrast with your stunned expression and tomato-red cheeks. he chuckles when he sees your face. "just stay and watch the race. megumi won't disappoint you."

so you do.

you're hearing it ⎯ megumi's ahead, stunning everyone. toji's smirk doesn't leave his face, even as he occasionally looks at his wrist to check the time. the thing is, you're already quite tired before this, so you shift your weight to your right. you wince though, because the ball of your right feet already hurts. you crouch, avoiding the tire of the car. then he notices.

"get in." two words, but you don't need more to follow him. when you stand up and reach for the handle of the backseat's car door, his hand catches yours, moving it away. "passenger seat."

"why?"

"because you're pretty."

you're furrowing your eyebrows in confusion but it doesn't divert his attention from your blushing cheeks. "...okay?" he grins again, probably knowing the way his expression is attracting you to him.

it's loud outside but silent in the car. toji turns on the radio and an old r&b song plays, filling the silent area of the car. he doesn't shift in his position except for just putting his left hand ⎯ well, wrist, specifically ⎯ on the steering wheel, naturally used to just looking at out despite the scenery unchanging. from your peripheral vision, you stare at his features just to brush off the awkwardness and inner tension you feel. when he rolls down the window, slightly leaning over. because of this, you see the sharpness of his jawline. actually, no, it's a perfectly blend of soft and sharp, perhaps from age. peaking out from his round collar is a tattoo. it's probably not maintained as the black ink is not prominent anymore. he's wearing a long-sleeved shirt that's trying its best not to pop. his chest is not protruding intentionally, it's just that his chest is... big.

peripheral vision doesn't help you that much and you inadvertently turn your head to look (stare) at him. arms almost ripping the sleeve fabric apart, the big ass chest, and then down to his thighs. he's wearing sweatpants that matches his sweatshirt. his thighs are toned from working out, and the sculpt of it molds the fabric, thus making it visible. you honestly didn't know how attractive in all areas megumi's dad was, and if you did, you probably would've replaced your brother.

"you plan on just staring at me the whole time, pretty?"

you flush at this, despite knowing he would be able to tell if you're staring at him. you couldn't help it, and toji seems to not see this in vain. in fact, he's enjoying it. he doesn't care about attention, and doesn't even go to parent-teacher conferences anyway. your brother has already given up on making him go, but on your part, there has to be a way for him to even show up and make himself available for his son's academics and not just racing.

"i mean," you shrug, "you seem to like it."

one mere reply has drained every bit of confident you have left. you're surprised you even that much stored after this socially disastrous night. he turns his head, looking at you with a smirk (default expression? perhaps). eventually, he rolls up the window, but never moves his eyes away from you. "not seem, pretty. i do enjoy it when your eyes are only focused on me."

"you just met me and you're already flirt⎯"

he raises an eyebrow as if you're wrong. "you think? sometimes i pick up megumi while i'm parking at a fast food chain across his school. you walk him out sometimes along with his friends. i know who you are," then drawls the syllables of your name. as much as i'd like to say that's lowkey creepy, your gut says otherwise. "hmm, if it means i'll get to see you more often, i might to go to the PTCs after all."

your brother will be eternally grateful to you.

you can't control the grin on your face as you look away.

"aww, getting all bashful?" he teases you, then poking his finger in your waist, and when you jolt, he realizes that you have a tickle spot there. he laughs when you glare at him. "you're getting cuter," he says and you hate how you react to the way he says your name. "you really are so cute," he adds as your cheeks burn.

as if by instinct, his eyes go down to your thighs. pajamas yes, its flowy fabric doesn't show the figure of your thighs that much, but you can't really stop squeezing your hand in between your thighs. no seem ⎯ he's enjoying the way you react to him. but he doesn't have to say anything else. congratulations, you've regained your confidence! it does look like you won't be able to sleep when you get home. and don't worry about home ⎯ your brother is dead from all the papers on his desk and is probably asleep on the floor next to his swivel chair.

"where are you going with this flirting, mr. fushiguro? care to share it with the rest?"

oh, he loves it, especially when you slowly move your hand out of the friction between your thighs, then gripping the side of the cushioned seat.

"you really want to know, baby?"

you shrug, smiling confidently. "i'm quite eager to learn from you."

he pokes his tongue in his cheek in amusement. "sit on my lap then."

while that really catches you off guard, you follow him anyway. you carefully move to his lap, not wanting to accidentally move the shifting gear. you shift in your position as you try to saddle your legs in between him. already experienced with this, you hold onto his shoulder while adjusting yourself to fit perfectly on his lap. he makes raspy sound, instinctively and slightly bucking his hips from your movement. your body is scalding from the sexual tension and it's fogging your mind with all sorts of sexual fantasies, completely crushing your rationality.

neither of you say anything at all. you just dip into his scent and kiss. it's a sweet kiss at first, but as you both keep pressing yourself into each other, it gets sloppy. your mouths open to move your tongues, spit streaming down your chin. you let out a moan from the pleasure of being in his bubble, no privacy left between you. but you both move away, staring at each other, facial expressions unchanging. slowly, you pull up your shirt, as if telling him to play with your nipples as you make out. he obliges, one hand on your chest, the other on your lower back, beckoning you to move closer. from the action itself, you can feel something pocking your crotch. he only grins at you before you both kiss again.

"you've kissed a lot with those lips, haven't you?"

you innocently (wow!) smile at him. "yes, but i don't bother remembering their names." that gives him an idea.

"i'll make sure you won't ever forget this one," he says, cocksure. "that when you see me, you'll instantly remember this, and you'll think about it while you're mind is drifting somewhere else." you moan at his declaration, and the sound itself causes him to buck his hips again. "guess i'm quite attractive to you, aren't i, baby?"

you let your chest but pushed against his own when he moves his hands to your ass, letting you grind against his clothed erection, building more tension that both of you are struggling to handle. for leverage, you place one hand on the shoulder of his seat. he starts moaning into kiss as you start whimpering from the overwhelming pleasure. his lips then trail kisses until he reaches your neck. you arch your back to give him leverage, sucking on your skin, bruising it. he chuckles at his work, but it chokes in his throat when you grind too hard and his precum is already dampening his boxers too much.

to thank him for such a lovely mark on your neck, pepper his neck with your kisses as you grind, oh my god, he loves it so much. the sounds he makes motivate you to keep getting him on his high. you're doing too well with this that he's enjoying it so much. but then you start whimpering and whining and mewling against his neck as your nipples are too hard and sensitive. your inner thighs are just as sensitive, shaking from the increasing sensitivity.

"wait, toji, i⎯"

he then whispers into your ear, attempting to be soft but rasps his words instead. "you wanna take off your pants—"

"wait, i-i can't m-move."

"hm? how so?"

as much as your pride is telling you not to make it obvious that despite making out with people in the past, you've never fucked or got fucked. this is why this is too overwhelming for you, but toji is experienced to know that it's your first time. your sounds keep trailing after the other, so one of his hands move up to your waist as though he were guiding you. "what do you feel right now?"

"something's dripping but i can't⎯"

he grins. "too much for you, baby?"

you hum in response, burying your head in the juncture of his neck and shoulder. you're trying to catch your breath as your body fails to keep itself sane and together. "i-i don't know." toji's emotions are all over the place. he saw this one coming, but he didn't know how pleasing this would be. "g-gonna..."

"gonna what, baby?"

"c-cum."

"you want to come?" he's gotten soft especially as your grinds become consistent but lazy. "haven't even got my cock in your hole yet, pretty baby. you've got me too excited to find out how fucked out you'll look when you get the real thing."

"s-stop it, toji, i can't hold it back anymore."

"then say it," he grips your ass and waist harder. "tell me what you want to do and what you want me to do."

"let me come, toji, please."

"and your pajamas?" he laughs.

"and your sweatpants?" you giggle.

toji hums and bucks his hips again to tease you. you let out the most high-pitched, salacious moan as you finally throw your head back in overwhelming pleasure. your heart has forgotten how many beats it has to beat in a second. he moans, too, as a response, you both can feel the damp in each other's pants. you then realize that the strain in his voice meant he was trying to suppress his own declaration of pleasure just to surprise you. your pants are mixing together as you both try to catch your breath.

his hand moves up from your ass to your waist, intertwin his hands together against your back, forming an embrace. your shirt is pulled down now, and you're about to fall asleep (i thought you're not sleepy!) against his shoulder.

"wanna do it again, pretty baby?"

you hum in response.

"say it. i used my words, didn't !"

you gulp. "yes. i wanna do it again."

"good, my pretty baby. it'll be far better next time." you hum because you're really just tired already. "try to cycle more so you can keep up with the pace when i fuck you, 'kay?"

since he's just as sleepy, you both don't nice megumi walking up to the pickup. with his two cupped hands, he sees you and his dad in such a ridiculous position. he almost bangs the window, then realizes the door isn't even bothered to be locked. he opens the door and sees the ridiculous position clearer than earlier.

"what the actual fuck."

smut is so hard to write like how do i write about people fucking and they didn't even fuck other than clothed sex erm.... i'm so sorry megumi btw

#jujutsu kaisen #toji fushiguro #toji #toji x reader #fanfiction #fushiguro toji #toji headcanons #race au #racing au #street racing

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