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demonshauntingthedoves · 7 months

Text

Chapter 1

Perfedious : A disloyal and faithless person.

Pairing : Yandere!Seokjin x female reader (Mirae)

Summary : You had dreamt of a beautiful man who held a diamond ring in his hand for you and the dream had come true when you saw Seokjin holding the same diamond ring and he slipped it on - your sister's finger - not yours. Sometimes what you want happens in the worst way possible.

Warnings : Heavy Angst, Family Problems, Age gap, Dilf, Dub-Con, Infidelity, Affair, Toxic Behaviour, Eventual Yandere, Eventual Smut, Just wait for Seokjin's dark Pov [hehehe].

WordCount : 4200+

The bus engine roars to life and so does your heart, anticipating to be free from the weight it holds. As the vehicle pulls away from the curb, you sank deeper into your sit. You closed your eyes and drew out a sigh- surrendering and letting the bus drag you away from the sins you ploughed behind. Your weary eyes were fixated on the window, watching the cityscape fade away gradually. Slowly the streets grew smaller and blurrier.

You glimpsed at your reflection in the windowpane- hollow eyes tiredly fluttering. You saw the reminder of your pain decorating the red rims of your swollen eyes and that was enough to make your tears well up again. You clasped your lashes shut, guilty tears running down your pale cheeks.

In times when everything got too much. Too unbearable.

You'd done one and only one thing and that was runaway.

You'd go away.

Far away from home.

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Harsh remarks, biting sarcasm, belittling words, that was all your mother had for you. Maybe that was what came as second nature to all mothers. They often nagged and ranted to their children.You'd even asked your friend Ari, if her mother also shouted at her all the time.

"Yeah, she scolds me but she always hugs me and caresses me after that." You ten year old friend had told you.

But your mother never did the latter part. She'd just leave you all sad and sobbing alone.

No loving words, no soft caress and no motherly warmth. You never got that. Atleast not after your father left home untold. It was after that day, her resentment towards you and your sister grew like a dark creeper. You'd never known the reason until one day you did.

"Your father left me because I couldn't give him a son!! There was no other reason for him to leave!!" She had spat irrationally on your faces.

It had hurt a lot at the sprouting age of twelve when she called you and your sister a liability. Minsu was older by eight years. Despite getting the same harsh treatment as you, you'd always thought she was at least lucky to have spent more years in the presence of father when everything was well. Unlike you who got no parental love and care.

Your mother had nothing to give you except her indifference.

No love.

No warmth.

And at some point, you stopped craving and begging for it as a child.

As the irritable years went by, it became more and more unnerving. And you no longer wanted to live like a quiet and depressed child, so you rebelled. You'd throw back comments and on queue the whole house would fill with shouts and screams. You were a total of three ladies in the house but the volume of noises that were heard outside were ten folds.

Your mother didn't wavered by your teenage rebellion. She just got more chances to cause drama. Reasonless arguing and condescending words.

Even public humiliation, the one time she came to meet your homeroom teacher. Nothing was worse when Miss.Choi had awkwardly asked you if she was your stepmother because indeed she treated you like one.

It became so exhausting that you gave up on fights and found ways to escape.

You stayed extras in school, went for night camps and trips, you just ran away from home.

This kept you away from your mother's temper tantrums for days.

You'd sleep more peacefully under the open starry sky than the roof of your own home.

-----------------

You were seventeen, when you had quite fortunately stumbled into this good-looking young man.

That time your nose had almost flared in anger looking at the feets of the stranger who had made you fall down until you looked up to see a handsome face.

That was the very first time you saw Seokjin.

Your face had changed from a dark shade of red to light shade of pink as you awed beautiful man.You were literally ogling at him from your tumbled down position.He was in his creaseless suit and dress pants.You had pretended to not notice the buckle of your knees when you took in his appearance.

How could a person be so handsome?

Your next camping trip was filled with whispers and giggles about the handsome man you had encountered and quite obviously got a little crush on. Your friend Ari had teased you all along the trip.She'd winked and nudged you with mischievous eyes and playful smile whenever you both shared a task and left you flustered.

It was under the canvas tents, that Ari had filled your head with intriguing and exciting scenarios about the man while chattering like a gleeful cat who was happy for her best friend to find a man for herself. Though it was far from the truth.

That day a tender symphony had played faintly in your heart.

That night, you had dreamt about him out of your impending fascination and admiration. 'His broad back; adorned in a white tuxedo; facing you. And then he turned back slowly- you stared at his beutific face, then his styled hair, then his pillowy lips and then his pretty eyes which fluttered up to look at you. You saw the caves filled with gems and diamonds in his sparkling eyes. And then you saw the velvet box in his hand which extended towards you.The box opened to reveal a precious diamond ring glazing so brightly that you shut your eyes from its intensity.'

Only to open your eyes and see Ari's groggy face the next morning.

Just the reminder of the fantasy brought a blushing hue on your face and fluttery feeling in your stomach. When you told Ari, she had squealed so loud in the bus and grinned at you.

"Your eyes are literally shining since you saw him, you know that." Ari told you in excitement.

"In all honesty, we should really go find him and then why not give it a try!!" Ari suggested.

And you shushed her because the single thought of meeting him again gave you tingles everywhere.

You had seen many girls with teeny tiny crushes but never thought you'd be one.

But again

You knew you were being stupid to dream about a man who was probably twice your age.

But again

It wouldn't hurt to dream.

-------------------

In the drapes of spring blossom, your sister got married.

As the vows and kisses were exchanged beneath the flower beds, your heart too, like the petals, fell to the ground.

The diamond in her ring finger shined just like the coat of tears welling up in your eyes.

Happy tears and sad tears.

You feigned the biggest smile till your cheeks hurt.

You had never thought you'd be so upset from inside at your beloved sister's wedding but you couldn't help it.

It was worth a grimace how familiar her groom looked to the man in your dreams.

Because indeed it was him.

Kim Seokjin

What a laughable coincidence it was!

Everything had happened so abruptly.

On the day you returned from your trip, you saw Seokjin for the second time.

But the foolish grin on your face was wiped away the moment you saw him sitting on your couch with your sister.

Their hands were intertwined like lovers.

And you were more surprised to see your mother's pleased face, who soon after declared they could wed in the coming week. The little celebration was carried on with clinks of wine glasses and plates of special dishes.

And you sat there dumbfounded and baffled by the sudden decision.

Minsu hadn't said a single thing about this.

Your sad face never went unnoticed by her and she explained to you with a calm sigh,

" I know Rae, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you but I was unaware that he liked me just as much I liked him."

"And then he proposed to me all of a sudden and I didn't feel like there was a single reason to say no."

And then she smiled bashfully like a damsel.

"Fate is a wondrous thing, Rae. I'm so grateful to the scriptor above wrote him in my fate."

Damn the scriptor.

You stomach had churned when you asked her,

"Do you love him?"

She looked at your glassy eyes.

"Do you think I'll marry a man I don't love?"

"Ofcourse I love him. Who wouldn't?" You felt your breath sink from her last sentence. You had seen the love and sincerity in her eyes.

Then her gaze shifted with concern to you and she squeezed your shoulder lightly.

"You are happy, right?" She asked you.

Your eyes darted away. You couldn't do this to her. You would not crush over her man. You should not.

You pulled her in a tight hug and hid your face as hopeless tears ran down your cheeks. You didn't know why you were feeling this myriad of emotions all of a sudden.

You couldn't place your finger on what you were feeling. There were so many things at once.

"Ofcourse I'm happy for you. J-just don't forget about me. Don't leave me alone with that omen." You heard her chuckle as she patted your hair.

"I will never leave you Rae, I promise."

------------------

And that was how you stood beside her as her maid of honour. You stole a few glances at Seokjin who was so blissfully unaware about the way your heart and stomach felt tingles by looking at him.

You were so shameless to stare at him with intent just to see if he was really there and you weren't dreaming again.

You're not gonna lie but Seokjin looked so exquisite in his attire. So so beautiful that you almost got lost in watching him smile.

Seokjin wanted to have a small and uncrowded ceremony. He booked a hotel which was decorated like paradise. Interior graced with soft looking pink and white roses. And the garden was filled with cherry blossoms.

It was a wedding everyone dreamt of.

Under the trees, you sat with a pout and looked at the couple who were busy posing and capturing the memories of their wedding in the garden. Post wedding shoot.

Seokjin and Minsu,

They looked good together.

Now that you consider thinking, you were actually being childish and stupid to even have thought that you held any chance with him.

It was a stupid crush.

Little doration and little fascination, that was it all.

And it was plain stupid and dumb, to put so much strain and stress to your mind with whatever you were feeling.

Not only you but anyone would wish to have a man like him.

That's it.

One thing you knew was Minsu was dear to you and you'd do anything for.

So what you had to do now was let go of this stupid crush and the intrusive thoughts that came with it.

He was your brother in law now.

Avoid it or not.

And yet again you couldn't control the loud beating of your heart as he walked over to where you sat. Behind him, Minsu was still posing in her wedding gown.

You inhaled his expensive rosewood perfume as he sat down beside you.

Thank God your ears were covered by your hair or else he would have seen how red and hot they had turned.

"So, did you enjoy the wedding, Mirae?" He tried to strike a conversation with you.

You tried not to shy away from his gaze even if you were squealing inside just by hearing your name roll down his tongue.

" I-I did, it was gorgeous with all the flowers." You smiled and stared at the rose in his hand.

"And the food?"

" I didn't get to try the buffet yet because mother warned me to not eat before you both. I need to accompany you both."

Your voice grew smaller at the end thinking you spoke more than you needed to.

You heard his melodious chuckles looking at your frowning face.

"You don't need to worry about it, you can just go and have the food. Minsu had specially selected your favourite dishes."

Your eyes brightened at that and you looked up at him only to see him fondly smiling at you. He looked so princely. Your hands unintentionally squeezed the fabric of your baby pink dress.

You shook your head,

"No, I'll better wait for you both. And I guess Minsu's shoot is about to end."

You both looked at Minsu who was flaunting in her white gown ahead. Dangling a large bouquet of roses in her hand.

In your periphery, you saw him fiddling with a rose in his hand. He might have used it for the photoshoot.

You flinched when a blossom fell on you and he laughed at you. Your cheeks would have been dusted red by now.

"Why don't we go on a walk near the river until she gets back?"

He gestured towards the river at the other end of the garden. You gave a tiny nod and walked side by side.

The ceremony had ended by late noon and now the sun was dipping down the river. You had to crane your neck up just to look at his side face.

" I didn't get to ask this before but are you happy for your sister? "

You were stunned for a moment but put up a smile and replied,

"Yes, why would I not be? You both love each other and that's enough for me to be happy for her"

That's enough for me to let my chance go.

You were already getting tired to answer this same question again and again. Sick of convincing yourself that you were, happy.

You gulped when he observed your face for a few seconds, his eyes reflecting the golden sunset behind you and then he nodded.

Peering into his bourbon eyes was making your breath uneven. He was so so handsome, you had never witnessed a man like him. It was so hard for you to conceal the velvet fondness in your eyes.

You tried not to stare.

You tried not to show.

You were about to turn your face away to stare at the river on other side and also to hide your reddened face. But he tucked your elbow lightly,

"Wait"

His face was merely away from yours as he leaned down with furrowed brows. Your heart almost cried happily at his soft touch.

The symphony had come back and played in your heart again. Pellucid.

His leaned closer and his sweet wine-tinged breath hit you. Your legs were shaking under your frock. You were being skittish. If not for the light grasp he had on your hand, you would have staggered back and fell in the open river. Because your legs were out of control.

Like your heart.

Like your breath.

Like the ruby blood rushing to your full cheeks.

What were you feeling?

And what was he doing?

He plucked something from your lash and held the tiny piece of petal that had stuck in your lashes unknowingly.

"Uh, I saw this. It would have gone in your eye so I removed it."

He said simply as if he didnt just wrench your breath away and backed away.

You swiftly turned around to look at the shining ripples of water. Your eyes darted everywhere but at him.

You gasped when you saw something on the ground and crouched to pick it up.

Seokjin furrowed his eyebrows and leaned to look at the little leaf flat against your little palm, as you showed it to him.

A four-leaf clover

"You know it's so rare to find. Only the luckiest ones get the chance."

He was amused by hearing that and asked,

"So does it have more speciality?"

You nodded hurried and told him,

" Yes it does! The first three leaves are for hope, faith and love. And the fourth one which is rare to exist brings luck."

"Hmm..So aren't you the lucky one?"

You wanted to laugh and tell him that you were anything but.

It was ironic

To find a four clover on one your unluckiest days, if you put it out like that.

You grinned at him to hide your grimace and shrugged,

" I hope so I am."

" Ofcourse you are, now you got a brother-in-law at your side."

He said playfully and proudly.

Your insides winced at the mention of that awful term, you were already annoyed with that claim.

"But honestly, I will always love and protect Minsu, and hopefully take care of you too. I never thought I'd have such a little sister in law." He babbled his confession.

You had got so caught up with that 'take care of you too' that you didn't hear what he said next.

"I know how you two have been close and dealt with-with your mother, but I promise that- from now on I'll keep your sister happy."

You were melting at his words, at his need to constantly reassure you. That he found you important enough to assure it to. He was making you feel like the bigger person by saying those sugary words. And no one had ever taken that effort.

He even offered you the small pink rose in his hand to seal his promise.

And you took it with dreamy eyes, which you were sure won't get any sleep tonight.

--------------

The bus screeched to a halt. You stepped down clumsily, clutching your bag. The bus drove off and you spun to walk forward as strides of your heels hit the cobblestoned lane of the small town.

The memories of your childhood swirled around you, winding through the streets like fleeting chuckles. Lollipops. Paper windmills. Little balloons. Your father.

This was his hometown.

The breeze caressed your face as if reassuring you that everything will be alright. You reached the designated home and knocked on the wooden door, only to be greeted by your Grandma's mushy face which bloomed with a welcoming smile.

The haven of herbs and medicines greet you next. Your grandma was a traditional therapist. She was known around for her herbal therapy. Everyone came to her 'Healing Home' for cure.

And maybe you did too. You came here for a cure. To seek her healing water which would wash you off your sins. To seek a balm to treat the wounds of remorse.

And to seek a refugee to coop up your pathetic broken self in.

It came easy for you to conceal what's inside you- your feelings. Conceal. Hide. Obscure them. That was what you had done all your life.

So just like your feelings, you wanted to hide yourself to. Anywhere. Away from prying eyes. Distant the whispers of blame and shame in your head. Detach yourself from his lingering scent.

You wanted to hide away and curl and cry and sought and mend yourself. And nothing was better than your grandmother's mending shelter.

She offered you tea. Caramel evenings were spend with honey teas and baked cinnamon rolls. You talked to her and told her how you wanted to take a break away from the city. You lied to her that office work was stressing and making you sick. You needed time away from all that and find peace.

Away from home.

Away from him.

Next I Main Masterlist

A/N : This chapter is pretty much about female mc and how she starts to like Seokjin.The seed is just sown. NGL it was way to angsty. Seokjin is good and kind in this and will be in further chapters until the facade slips.

Hope you all like this. Also comment if you wanna get added in the tag list.

@themochiverse

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ahqkas · 2 years

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𝐨𝐨𝐨. CARELESS WHISPERS ; anakin skywalker

pairing! anakin skywalker x gn!reader

synopsis! sleeping with anakin was like coming home after a long day; his arms held a strange feeling of safety and made you feel at home. everything was peaceful until he learned about the fact that you tend to talk in your sleep

warnings! fluff, sleep talking which leads anakin to tease you ab it, anakin calls reader 'my love' and 'sweetheart', lmk if i missed smth !!

word count! 0.8k

notes! so apparently i sleep talk 🚶🏻‍♀️ and thats why this exists (the stuff i say doesn't even make sense like girl 'i need to drink' what do u need to drink 😟⁉️) I HAVE RLLY MIXED FEELINGS AB THIS WRITING so 👍🏻👍🏻 ,, liking, reblogging & commenting is deeply appreciated <3

He could hear those silent whispers of yours almost every night, yet he couldn't find himself to complain about it because some part of him enjoyed listening to them and your reactions to him exposing every single word you said to you in the morning was far too good to miss. You'd sit beside him and try to process the information because how could you say something that stupid didn't make sense to you and he just teased you more but both of you laughed at it at the end.

Anakin found himself in the situation again as he was laying down on a bed with you on top of him, hugging you close to his frame and watching you closely with sleepy eyes. He was getting pretty tired but your sweet whispering was worth the missed sleep if he got the chance to hear your voice just a little more that day.

His hand was resting on your jaw, his thumb brushing against the apple of your cheek affectionately, showing you the actions he wasn't allowed to do in public areas. And he hated it. Maker, how he despised the way he couldn't be with you freely as he wished. Holding your hand, walking around with you longer than it was required, even looking at you in a certain way was out of question if you were a Jedi. Which he was. And you were as well.

The corners of your lips tugged up and you nuzzled your face closer into the crook of his neck, which caused thoughts to enter his sleepless mind. You were probably dreaming about something nice right now, based on how your facial expression brightened and Anakin was happy that at least either one of you enjoyed the state of dreams without being interrupted by a sudden and uninvited nightmare. But there was a certain thing he was expecting tonight.

The sweet whispers of your thoughts left your sleeping form and carried themselves into the space of the silent room like a light wind on a sunny day and Anakin caught them without any trouble, trying to remember as much of them as he could so when there was a time he wouldn't see you, he could just simply rewind the voice in his head and listen to it again and again and never get tired of it.

Some nights you weren't making a sense at all with your 'I need more' and 'Place it right here' and confusing the man beside you to no end. What did you need? And why would you need more of it? Place it right there? Anakin's thoughts were running miles at the rate of his thinking. Tonight's night seemed to be one of those, when you would actually reply to him and he couldn't be happier at the discovery. Messing with you was fun.

"Ani," the whisper of his name got his attention from La la land back to you, the blue of his eyes resting on your face in a comfortable silence as he waited for more. "Anakin."

"Yes, my love?"

You shuffled around a bit in your sleep, a barely noticeable smile now grazed your lips. You were so beautiful to him, even in your sleep. "I need to tell you something."

Anakin let out a whisper of his own as his thumb continued on caressing your skin, the movement so gentle you could barely feel it. His way of showing some affection but still trying his hardest to not wake you up. "Go on, I'm listening."

"It's really important."

His lips pulled up a smile so big it caused his cheeks to throb from the not very familiar action. This type of smiles were reserved only around you and only for you, there wasn't really any other reason to show them around and you two unfortunately didn't spend a lot of free time together.

"Very important. But I trust you with my secrets. So I'm gonna tell you."

The Jedi waited with patience, his eyes glistening in the moonlight like the very same stars in the sky while he gazed down at you with a look you couldn't place a finger on. They were always full of determination, boldness and courage which were qualities he's grown to be proud of. But around you they've got the spark of passion, intimacy and fondness.

"I'm right here, you can tell me anything."

"I love you."

Anakin tensed under you, feeling the warmth of your breath fanning the side of his face a bit (which he didn't mind, it gave him some sort of comfort knowing you were sleeping next to him well). He expected everything, literally anything else than a love confession out of you. But it was nice and sweet and the man liked the feeling it came with so he hugged you close with his hand still holding your face and let out a whisper on his own once again. "I love you as well, sweetheart."

"But don't tell Anakin."

He could only chuckle quietly at this and finally let his mind rest.

#anakin skywalker x gn!reader #anakin skywalker x fem!reader #anakin skywalker x gender neutral reader #anakin skywalker x female reader #anakin skywalker x you #anakin skywalker x reader #anakin skywalker imagine #anakin skywalker one shot #anakin skywalker fic #anakin skywalker fanfiction #anakin skywalker fluff #anakin skywalker blurb #star wars anakin #anakin skywalker #star wars fluff #star wars imagine #star wars self insert #star wars x you #star wars x reader

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heeseungsnewwhore · 5 months

Text

Mercy🝮

:Part One:

Pairing: Sunghoon x Sunoo

Rating: 18+, mature scenes ahead

Genre: Angst, Hurt, Comfort

Warning Tags: Dacryphilia, SunSun, BxB, MxM, so it's gay, very gay, crying, lots of crying, Violence, possibly triggering content, mentioned abus!ve relationship, suggested, abus!ve relationship, JayWon established relationship

Summary: After years of pining, Sunghoon finally gets a chance to be with the man he claims as the love of his life. Freshly out of a very toxic relationship, Sunoo runs into the arms of the man he had always wanted to give his heart to. But as old faces and feelings from the past begin to re-emerge in their newly established relationship, the couple begin to question the timing of their hearts...

“I’m ready to go home…”

“Huh? But it hasn’t even been an hour?”

“Do we need to be here any longer..? Everyone is just staring at us…”

The shorter male chuckles. “Sunghoon-ah…It’s just because they don’t know you yet.” He says with a cheery grin before he’s wrapping himself around the others arm.

“Well no one has tried to talk to me Sunoo, they’re making me uncomfortable.” Sunghoon sighs before he’s letting Sunoo pull him into the crowd.

“Then we’ll go talk to them instead and if you still feel uncomfy, we’ll leave baby…Just try? For me?” Sunoo stops, now turning around to take the others hand in his, before he’s raising the other one up to caress his cheek.

Sunghoon sighs again, glancing about anxiously, the public display , as minuscule as it was, making him fidget as he felt eyes on them.

“Okay…For you.”

And there’s that smile.

Sunghoon loves that smile.

Sunoo always smiles at him like that…

“Thank you~” Sunoo cheers before giving him a quick peck on the lips and bounding off to a group of people that Sunghoon had only heard of, but never actually met yet.

“Yknow maybe if you weren’t lumbering around like an angry tree…”

Sunghoon rolls his eyes as he hears the familiar voice and looks over to see his friend Jay who approaches with a glass in hand. Watching as Sunoo cheerfully chatted up the group of people he was standing with before gesturing towards Sunghoon.

“Better learn how to smile-“

“Jongssaeng~, do you like your face?” Sunghoon plays in a mockingly cheery tone, Jay immediately looking around as if he heard something.

“Oh? What’s that-? Oh I think I hear Jungwon calling me-“ The younger male now veering off in some other direction as Sunghoon sighs once again before making his way towards Sunoo.

He puts on a smile, shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat as he approaches the crowd. Sunoo, like a magnet immediately coming back to his arm. The taller male tensing up a bit before glancing all about at the people in front of him.

“They think I was joking~ But I told them I wouldn’t joke about that kind of thing- My best friend is my boyfriend now.” Sunoo says so cheerfully and Sunghoon’s heart does a dangerous thing.

“Mmn, the man looks like he’s being held hostage Sunoo- Let him have some space!” One of Sunoo’s female friends chastised him but he only stuck his tongue out at her.

“Ah, he’s always been like this- He just gets really clingy when he drinks I don’t mind. At least he’s not wandering off.” Sunghoon says before he’s looking down at the other male who’s pouting up at him.

“Hey, I don’t wander off!”

“Well I’m not taking any chances now am I?” Sunghoon says before he’s ruffling the others hair gently.

The woman ahead of them chuckling before one of the males speak.

“So how did you end up dating? You must’ve been waiting for a chance right?”

“I-I…”

“Dude-“ The Woman nudges the man in the ribs.

“What!? I’m saying that it’s a good thing! Sunoo’s ex was garbage, I’m glad it’s a friend. You should be relieved too…” He says giving the woman a dirty look and she rolls her eyes before sipping on her drink again.

Sunghoon sighs. “Well, it was something like that I guess…Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. Don’t- let him go off anywhere?” Sunghoon says to Sunoo’s friends, before he’s off to the restrooms.

Sunoo of course trying to bicker at him that he didn’t need to be babysat, and the two friends of his bickering about how Sunghoon ended up uncomfortable.

But the man wasn’t wrong…Sunghoon took his chance.

About a month ago

Sunghoon was lazing about in his kitchen. Boredom taking over the atmosphere as he was finishing up the dishes with little enthusiasm. Jay had come over for dinner and to hang out for a little while, and had left only moments ago. Sunghoon was now cleaning up before he got ready for bed. They had had a few drinks so he was already sleepy enough.

But it’s suddenly that he’s hearing soft banging on his door. He pauses at the sink, listening again…And there it was. He leaned to have a view of his front door wondering who it could’ve been. Jay had a key, so no reason to be banging on his door.

There it was again, but this time much louder.

“Sunghoon-ah?! Sunghoon!? Please!”

Sunghoon knew that voice all too well, and quickly made his way to the door. Practically snatching it open, as he was now met with Sunoo. Soaking wet from the rain, hugging himself and sobbing. Sunoo doesn’t say anything , just throwing himself into the others arms. Sunghoon not hesitating at all in taking the other in his arms as he quickly begins to look him over.

“Sunoo!? What the Hell, what are you doing-? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Sunoo shakes his head as he sniffles, tears still running down his face as he looked up at his friend. He had been crying for a while. Eyes red and puffy, his nose was red. His hands gripping at the fabric of Sunghoon’s shirt for dear life and it’s in that moment, Sunghoon’s heart decides now is the time to start trying to catapult out of his chest.

“S-sunoo-“ Sunghoon cups The others cheeks. “Tell me what happened-“

“He kicked me out! He threw me out, and he wouldn’t let me get my things, he has my phone, my clothes everything!”

“Su-“

“I don’t want to go back! I just want my things! Don’t make me go back!” Sunoo is burying his face in the others chest again, sobbing into him.

“Sunoo- Did he hurt you?” Sunghoon asks and Sunoo takes too long to answer, the larger male pulling him away from his body and asking again. More stern this time.

“No! No he just locked me out…I-I couldn’t call because he has my phone, so I had to walk…”

Sunghoon couldn’t help but frown- That expression soon turning into a grimace.

“Let’s get you into some dry clothes, go find something of mine.” Sunghoon gestures towards his bedroom, before grabbing his coat, and his keys.

“W-wait where are you going?”

“To get your stuff.”

“Wait-!”

“I’m calling Jay he’ll be here in a few minutes, I’ll be back.” Sunghoon says quickly, going out the door, phone at his ear as he rushes to his car.

‘Hello..?’

“Can you swing by my place real quick?”

‘What-? What’s going on, are you okay?’

“I need you to sit with Sunoo until I get back okay? I gotta go get his things.”

‘What!? What are you-‘

Sunghoon hangs up before Jay can even finish speaking but he knows he’ll come through. Jay might have been on his ass for an explanation later, but if he could tell it was urgent, he knew to ask questions later. Sunghoon also DIDNT want to leave Sunoo alone and he was pretty sure the other male didn’t want to be alone.

It’s about a ten minute drive to the housing complex that Sunoo had lived in with his boyfriend. But with the way Sunghoon was driving, in the rain even, it took him about half the time. He parked across the way where he could see the house within walking distance. One car in the driveway, so obviously he was still home. Sunghoon turns his car off, shoves his keys in his pocket, and climbs out of his car. Practically storming for the front door.

Sunghoon knocks on the door, rather harshly, and there’s no response. He does it again, this time banging on the door. Constantly. Starting a whole rhythm under the pounding rain.

“I told you to-!”

The door suddenly swings open, the man’s words catching in his throat as he sees Sunghoon. Sunghoon not wasting any time as he barges in, inviting himself into the man’s home. Though it’s not as if Sunghoon hasn’t been here before.

“What the Hell are you doing!?”

“I’m here to get his things.”

Sunghoon says simply as he turns to face the man now. Watching a snide smirk play at his lips. Sunghoon really just wanted to punch it right off.

“Go get them, I don’t want any of it.” The man slurs, now shuffling over to throw himself onto his couch.

Sunghoon can’t help but glare. It’s then that he notices the state of the house. The alcohol, the stench of it. The living room was a mess, as was the kitchen. There’s no telling what the other rooms looked like. He then storms in the hallway, going into the bedroom, to see that it was trashed as well. Almost the entire house was a mess. It’s then that Sunghoon is balling his fist. He knows what he came for but the aftermath of whatever had happened didn’t look like things played out too well at all. The house was a mess yet Sunoo said that the man didn’t hit him or anything. After seeing the place Sunghoon found that to be less likely.

He tries to focus on the task at hand, going over to the closet and practically snatching it open. Seeing a couple of suitcases, he grabbed the biggest one, tossing it onto the bed. He starts gathering Sunoo’s clothes. He’s familiar with all the things that are his of course. His clothes, his jewelry, even his cologne and any trinkets that he was sure were Sunoo’s . It wasn’t a difficult task for him. The only thing that made it difficult is that most of these things weren’t where they were supposed to be. It only made it harder for him to contain the discomfort he was holding towards the other.

After he was done stuffing the suitcase, putting any other smaller objects in his pocket, he made his way out of the bedroom. He was almost out the door before he finally remembered something important.

Sunoo’s phone.

He puts the suitcase down by the door, now turning to the drunken male on the couch.

“Where’s his phone?” Sunghoon asks simply, and the man seems to have already passed out. Getting frustrated he walks over to the other, kicking at his feet. “Hey! Wake up! Asshole…” he mutters the curse as the man finally comes to.

“What, What..?”

“Sunoo’s phone? Where is it?”

The man shuffles around a bit on the couch, before he’s finally pulling Sunoo’s phone out of the sofa. Tossing it across the floor at the other. Sunghoon grimacing as he picks it up, now shoving it in his pocket. He then turns to go out the door…But doesn’t. Instead he goes back over to the couch, squatting to the man’s level. Grabbing a handful of his hair and forcing him to pay attention to him.

“Ow! Hey what the fuck!” He hissed, taking drunken swings at the other at Sunghoon can’t believe how pathetic the man ended up seemingly over a day.

“Shut up and listen- Because if I ever see you again. If you ever touch him again…You’ll regret it. Do you understand? Yeah?” Sunghoon forces the other man’s head to nod as he has a painful grip on his hair, the other repeating his words through a hiss of pain. “Good, good.”

With that, Sunghoon shoves the others head away from him as he lets go of his hair. Now making his way back to the door, and picking up the suitcase.

“Did he tell you why I threw him out? Huh?! Did you even ask!? Or did he play the victim? Tsh…Go ahead and keep him…You can deal with it now.”

Sunghoon shakes his head with a sigh. He couldn’t begin to be the least amount of worried about whatever the man was babbling on about and makes his way out the door. Putting the suitcase in the trunk and driving right back to his house. He couldn’t help but continue seething on the short drive. His phone was going off, buzzing from worried messages filling his phone from Jay. But he could tell that some of the messages were from Sunoo himself. It wasn’t long before he was walking back into his own home, dragging the suitcase along behind him. As he drags himself in, he sees Jay on the couch comforting a still teary eyed Sunoo- both of their eyes now on him.

“Hey…” He says simply as Sunoo is now running over to the other and wrapping his arms around him. Sunghoon of course hugs him back. “I grabbed everything I could…The place was a mess but…I tried…”

“You didn’t even have to do all of that…Thank you Sunghoon.” Sunoo looks up to the other with a teary smile, and even then, in that moment, Sunghoon really wished he could have kissed him. But it’s then that Sunghoon notices the little bandage on the others cheek. Now raising a thumb to gently rub over it.

“What the hell is this?” Sunghoon asks, looking right up at Jay who is now getting up from the couch.

“Sunghoon-” Sunoo starts and the taller gives him such a stern look, Sunoo can only pout, knowing better than to make another excuse.

“Apparently, he was throwing things around. Via the mess you saw and- Theres some bruises on his back too.” Jay answers and Sunoo is burying his face into Sunghoon’s chest to cry again.

“I didn’t want you to worry Sunghoon I’m sorry,,, He was just throwing things everywhere and I just wanted to get out…I-I just didn't move fast enough-”

“Sunoo, none of this is your fault, okay?” Jay gently places his hand on the youngers shoulder. “Just stop- Everytime you open your mouth, you’re defending him somehow. Just don’t.”

“Jay is right- And Please, if there’s anything else, you need to tell us…Tell us what happened.”

It’s after that, and another flood of tears that Sunoo sits down between the two and tries his best to explain everything that had happened. Apparently Sunoo’s boyfriend had gotten it into his head that he was cheating. But it was Sunoo himself that found out otherwise. Sunoo’s boyfriend only saying that he cheated because he assumed Sunoo was already cheating- Which was false. What had convinced Sunoo’s boyfriend that Sunoo was cheating, was a drinking party he had gone to. The people that were present there were some mutual friends, as well as Sunoo’s therapist…To which Sunoo had talked alot to about another ‘person’. Another ‘man’...And the way these things were coming from the drunken mouth of Sunoo’s therapist only made things worse for him when his lover- former lover- got home.

Sunghoon sighs as he is balling and unballing his fists and Jay has his head in his hands in a frustrated manner.

“So…He got really mad at me and…That’s when everything else happened.” Sunoo swallows through his broken sobs. “I-I didn’t know where else to go…I-I’m sorry.”

“Don’t…Don’t apologize you could’ve come to either of us.” Jay says as he tried to rub along the others back soothingly, but stops as the younger winces. “S-Sorry.”

It’s then that Jay’s phone begins to buzz and he pulls out only to let out a string of curses under his breath.

Sunoo turns with a sniffle, wiping his eyes with his sleeves as he ponders whats wrong. “What’s wrong?”

“Well- I gotta get back. Jungwon’s awake and he’s worried now.” Jay says with a sigh as he sees all the messages from the other, going to text him back before the other is now calling.

“Hello? Babe- Baby-! It was an emergency! It was- Baby, I’m getting in the car right now. Yes, I’m right down the street. Honey…”

Jay wasn’t exactly yelling at the other over the phone, but more so trying to calm the other down enough to reassure him that he was fine and coming home. He was giving the others silent goodbyes and waving to them as he quickly made his way out of the house, now making way to his car.

Leaving Sunoo and Sunghoon to the silence…

"I'm sorry.." Sunoo's expression has completely fallen again, his eyes beginning to fill with more tears.

Looking up to the other as he tries to force a smile. "He's such an asshole..He shouldn't have to be your problem"

"Sunoo-“ Sunghoon shifts on the couch some, turning his body more towards the other. "If he's making you cry like this, he was going to be my problem anyway-…You're not going back there, okay?"

"I just feel so stupid, I thought things would get better after we moved in and it just got worse, and I have nowhere else to go and I wanna stop crying and I can't and I feel so ugly-“

"I think you're pretty."

Sunoo swallows, looking over to the other man now with a streak of confusion. A mortified look on Sunghoon's face as he realizes what he just said.

"S-Sunghoon.?" He practically hiccups his friends name.

"I'm- That was-" He raises a hand up to drag it down his face in a frustrated manner. Giving a defeated sigh, he's carefully moving his own hands. Taking Sunoo’s in his. Hesitant, at first, almost as if Sunoo's hands were the most delicate things he could hold.

"I think you're pretty when you cry…You're never ugly- Just sucks that this is why you have to cry."

"y-You think that..?" The younger male sniffs, blinking through his tears, bottom lip still quivering slightly. Sunghoon opens his mouth to speak but quickly slams it shut.

Sunghoon can't even bring himself to look at the other anymore. It was already bad enough that he had the most obvious crush on his friend- Jay making a daily reminder to him about it on a regular basis, for whatever annoying fucking reason. But tonight after hearing Sunoo slip up about his therapist and their sessions…It didn’t take much for Jay and even himself, to realize that the other man Sunoo had been mentioning during his session’s…Was Sunghoon himself. Jay having given Sunghoon a certain look during the discussion- Almost as if he had known there was something between them in the first place. But Sunoo was taken. Long spoken for. What could Sunghoon have done?

But now Sunoo was sitting here, on his couch, tear stained, in one of his shirts that fit him just a little too big…Sunghoon didn't know who was more vulnerable in that moment between the two of them and he's only just a man. His mind is reeling on how Sunoo is technically single now and how he just called him pretty, how swollen his lips are, how red and puffy his eyes have gotten, how there's so many stars in his eyes when he's crying, how his hands are really soft, how gorgeous his legs are-

"Sunghoon-ah!?"

Sunghoon jumps being snatched out of his thoughts, Sunoo practically yelling his name.

"S-Sunghoon, are you okay, have you been drinking or something.?"

Sunoo asks and honestly, though he has had a drink or two, those words hurt his feelings. Sunghoon didn't need to be drunk to tell Sunoo how he felt- He just needed time. An opportunity. This was as good as any...The selfish thought of Sunoo getting over his ex and going to someone else gnawing at him. He doesn't want Sunoo to go anywhere else. He wants him here. Like this. These soft hands. Those swollen lips. Even his broken smile. He wants everything that there is and anything he can fix.

"I'm not drunk Sunoo, and I meant it. You're always pretty...always."

He's rubbing his thumb along the back of the others hands now.

Looking down to the delicate fingers for a moment before their eyes finally meet again. "And when your cry, it's just…” Sunghoon let's out another sigh, watching as another tear runs down flushed cheeks and he can't shake the thought away anymore.

He couldn't ask for it.

He didn't even really think about it.

His body moved on its own.

Cupping the others face in both hands now, he closes in the space between them with a kiss. Catching the poor man off guard as he steals his lips. Chasing after the shy, plump folds that slowly started to reciprocate. Sunoo's hands coming up to brace on the others wrists.

Sunoo is Kissing him back.

He's really kissing him.

And Sunghoon can feel the fireworks going off in his chest. Deepening the kiss much further as he glides his tongue past the others lips with such ease and the little noise that comes from him makes his heart turn flips. Sunoo is trying to say something- His name. Muffling it out into the kiss before Sunghoon is finally pulling away to let him catch his breath.

"Just go out with me instead…”

"Wh-what?"

"Move in with me even-"

"Sunghoon!?"

"Your things are already here! Just stay the night...Think about it…..Give me a chance...I'd even beg." His last words are almost a whisper, but Sunoo hears them.

He moves his hands to cup the others cheeks, now bringing his forehead to rest against his. Closing his eyes, before there’s finally a faint smile at his lips.

“Why couldn’t you come out with it before..?”

“Huh..?”

There’s a weak chuckle coming from Sunoo before he’s tilting his head bit, now bringing himself closer to the other. Much closer. So much that Sunghoon is now cradling the other in his lap. Sunoo now comfortably nuzzling himself down into the others embrace. Already, he felt so safe. Warm.

“This is going to sound really bad, Sunghoon…Please don’t judge.” The younger whispers. Head now resting on Sunghoon’s shoulder, a hand playing in the man’s hair.

“I won’t judge you. I promise…What’s wrong?”

“Well…” Sunoo sighs. “I always knew you kinda liked me…Always.” He starts and he can see the defeated look in the others expression an he chuckles. Sniffling before he speaks again. “I liked you too, though…But- whenever I tried…You always seemed to pull away…Like you didn’t want me.”

Sunghoon can hear the others words waver a little at the end. Holding him even tighter as he now turns his head to pepper soft kisses at the youngers jaw. “I’m sorry Sunoo…I didn’t want to ruin what we had…As friends…It was stupid…”

Sunoo shakes his head slightly as he sniffles. “It hurt a little…I should’ve just come out and said something to you…But I was afraid of you turning me down…So I thought maybe if I made it obvious enough…He'll come to me.”

“I’m sorry-”

“No-No don’t be.” Sunoo is now moving to cup the other’s cheeks, holding his face so that the two are now peering into each other's eyes. “I have you now…Right…? I-If I stay for a bit…C-Can we try? I mean- give it a little time? See what happens?”

It was just from those words that Sunghoon couldn’t help the smile that graced his lips. Just the thought of a chance between them and he was beyond happy. It’s seeing that smile though, that Sunoo had his answer, and he was meeting the other in a sweet kiss…

The moment their lips had touched in the first place, they both had their minds made up.

Present Day…

Splashing some more water on his face before peering into the mirror, Sunghoon regains his grip back on reality. Pulling himself from thoughts of the past, and back to the present. He was sure he had already taken too long in the bathroom and needed to get back to the crowd. But ever since he had arrived to the party, things had felt, uneasy.

He just had a feeling…

A feeling like he shouldn’t be there.

He just wanted to take Sunoo and go home.

But he promised the other he would come…After a month of sorting themselves out, they decided to call things official, and all of his friends were more than excited to meet the Sunghoon that they had always heard so much about. Apparently Sunghoon had been the topic of many conversations even long before they were dating.

But he shakes it off. Letting out another sigh before returning to the crowd. He sees Sunoo is right where he left him. With his little crowd of friends.

“Hoon! There you are, I thought you fell down the drain!” Sunoo teases, almost in a tone as if scolding the other for taking too long. But he brightens the other up with a smile almost immediately after, before he’s hugging his arm again.

“Hey man- If what I said earlier was weird, or out of line, I’m sorry. I’ve just had a lot to drink tonight.” The male admits and Sunghoon shakes his head, signaling it’s okay.

“You weren’t wrong. It just wasn’t the opportunity I would’ve wanted. I could’ve waited longer if it had meant for things to go differently…I think about it going differently all the time but- Well we’re here now and that’s all that matters.” Sunghoon suddenly admits and Sunoo is looking up to the other with the most awestruck expression.

“I didn’t know you still thought about it so much…It feels so long ago to me now. Would you really have been waiting for me, Sunghoon?” The younger one has drunken stars in his eyes and Sunghoon smiles, forgetting about the couple of friends in front of them for a moment.

“Of course I would…This is something I’ve wanted for a long time.”

Sunoo can feel happy little tears stinging his eyes, and he hides them as he pulls the other down into a kiss. Sunghoon’s hands coming to the other's waist, as Sunoo’s smaller ones are now cupping his face. Just a sweet trading of lips. A brief little moment that said so much more. The two slowly pull away with soft smiles, a slight flush at Sunoo’s cheeks.

“Oh! Oh my!”

It’s then hearing the female in front of them that Sunghoon scolds himself and Sunoo can only giggle.

“No, no! You two are so cute! Ugh, Sunoo he’s perfect, you should’ve started dating your friends a long time ago!” She chimes. A tearful smile on her face before she fans at the man that was with her, now shoving past him. “Move I have to go fix my makeup! Oh gosh you two-!”

“I’m gonna make sure she wanders into the right bathroom this time.” The man laughs as he now follows after the girl. Giving Sughoon a proper goodbye in case they didn’t see each other for the rest of the night.

After that, the two mean were practically inseparable. Sunoo was happily hanging off of Sunghoon in front of all of his friends, and it even put Jungwon in a romantic mood. Prompting him to be just as clingy with Jay. Not that he already wasn’t, but he was more drunk off the atmosphere rather than the alcohol. Whispering little promises and taunts in Jay’s ear all night just to tug at his composure. Meanwhile Sunoo and Sunghoon had seemed like the sweetest couple at the party tonight.

“Y’know, I’ve never seen anyone actually dance here…” Jay sighs as he’s pour another shot for himself, and the other three men.

“It is good dance music, just going to waste.” Jungwon sighs, fiddling with the small glass before bringing it to his lips.

Sunoo hums as Jay pushes his glass over to him. Sunghoon and his friend downing their shots together. “It doesn’t have to be a waste.” The younger says before hopping up from his seat.

The three watch him wondering where he could possibly be running off to- And then they realize- He’s sauntered straight over to Heeseung. Who was glued to the couch with a girl on either side of him, both of the females seemingly contesting for his lap.

“Heeseeeeung~ Can I have your phone?” Sunoo sings, Heeseung too engrossed in his conversation with the girls, doesn’t even bother to ask what he wants it for, and hands it over.

Sunoo now having complete control over the playlist. Changing the vibe, ande the volume, and it’s noticeable. Especially with the way he begins dancing through the crowd, tugging at a few others clothes, pulling them to the center with him. Eventually bumping into his female friend who was more than happy to join him. The younger male making his way all the way back to Sunghoon and his friends, the biggest smile on his face.

“We can dance now!” He cheers, clapping for himself.

“You literally just grinded on half the household…” Jay says with a dumbfounded look on his face, Sunghoon having covered his eyes.

“Is it safe to look yet?” The older whines and Sunoo playfully slaps his boyfriends arm in response.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I'm going to dance.” Jungwon says with an innocent smile before Jay looks him up and down.

“If you’re dancing, then I’m dancing? Duh.”

Jungwon can't help but laugh at the way his boyfriend responds, before Jay is taking his hand himself, and guiding them out onto the floor. Now there’s just Sunghoon. Sunoo’s pleading eyes gazing up at the other, as he bites his lip. Taking the larger hands in his and slowly stepping back into the dancing crowd. Slowly but surely, Sunghoon follows him in. If the two hadn’t appeared inseparable already, they definitely were that way now. Sunoo kept his body as close as he possibly could to the others. His arms around the taller’s shoulders, Sunghoon’s around his waist in response. Their foreheads touching, and if you had to look twice you’d say they were kissing. A few times they were. Until it inevitably turned into nothing but an entire makeout session in the drunken crowd of their friends.

And from there, the night carried on…The atmosphere had shifted to a much more lively setting for the next handful of hours, and Jay and Sunghoon were making sure to keep an eye on Jungwon and Sunoo who wanted to have a few more drinks before going home. No more for themselves of course, because they were the ones that would be driving them home.

“Mmmmmm I had so much fun let’s do it again tomorrow…” Sunoo groans, body completely limp against Sunghoon’s as the four of them were piled on the couch. Sunoo and Jungwon sitting between him and Jay. The two younger males obviously needing to be tucked in.

“Hey guys! Sorry I was- Well…”

They look up to see Heeseung jogging down his stairs, in the process of throwing his shirt back on and a sheepish smile on his lips.

“Wow, never seen him blush like that before. They must've been fun?” Jay says with a suggestive smile, before giving him the eyebrows as well. Heeseung silently mouthing an ‘oh yeah’ before squeezing himself onto the couch next to him. Only way that ended up working out was Jay shuffling over and having to surrender his lap to Jungwon.

“Everyone else is already going home, but we didn’t want to leave without saying bye.” Jungwon admits with a sleepy smile as he readjusts in Jay’ s lap. Turning himself a bit more so that he can face Heeseung.

A few of the boys had work in the morning but not all of them. Of course that had included Heeseung so he more or less had to make sure that the house was clear of anymore guests, before seeing his friends out. Heeseung had lived in a pretty nice condominium so it took some time and a bit of elevator sharing for everyone to make their way down to the parking lot. Of course as they got there, one of the males realized he still had something on him that didn’t quite belong to him…

“Oh no! Awh, man…” Sunoo whined as he looks down to the phone in his hands. Sunghoon stopping, gently taking ahold of the others shoulders, trying to figure what’s wrong.

“Hm? Baby, what is it? Sunoo?”

Sunoo laughs nervously before slapping himself in the forehead. “I still have Heeseung’s phone! And he’s all the way back up theeeeere!”

Sunoo is now looking up at Sunghoon with those eyes. Those starry brown hues that he just can’t deny. With a soft sigh and smile, Sunghoon takes the phone from the younger.

“I’ll take it up to him. You just go to the car and warm up.” He then slides his keys into Sunoo’s pocket as he leans in to steal a kiss, before jogginh his way back into the lobby.

Sunoo smiles as he watches the other head off, now looking down to the keys in his hand. It’s then that he hears a car horn and looks up to see Jay and Jungwon waving to him before getting into their car. He wavded them of as well before finally starting to Sunghoon’s car. But his short walk across the lot was soon interrupted…

He looks around as he hears his name.

But he’s not sure where it’s coming from…

Then he hears his name again and his eyes finally land on a familiar man.

No…Not a man he wants to see at all.

But as the man sees he has Sunoo's attention, he’s smiling and jogging in his direction.

“No…No, no, no, no-” Sunoo turns quickly and begins to chant as he moves quicker. Everytime he hears his name from the man’s voice he tries to move faster but his feet fail him.

That and there was a hand gripping his wrist, tugging him back slightly to stop him from going forward anymore.

“Sunoo, wait-“ As the man grabs the younger’s arm now, Sunoo is automatically flinching. The older male seeing the effect his grip had on him, he loosens it and takes a step away. “I-I’m sorry…I just want to talk…I want to…Apologize. That’s all. If you’ll-“

Before the man could finish speaking, there was a larger figure emerging between the two. A fist coming through to put the other man on the ground. Sunoo gasping as he took a few steps back, now to see Sunghoon.

“I told you if you ever touched him again…You’d regret it.” He says glaring down at the man, who’s still holding his jaw. Looking up bewildered at the other before looking to Sunoo in shock. “Don’t look at him. Fuck off.”

The man is quickly scurrying up off the ground before quickly running back to his car. Sunghoon simply turning around, grabbing Sunoo by the wrist and leading them back in the direction of his car.

“What was that?!” Sunoo exclaims, following along as Sunghoon drags him.

“A punch.”

“He wasn’t hurting me! Sunghoon! Sunghoon!” Sunoo suddenly stops, tugging against the other. Finally snatching from his grasps causing the male to whip around.

“What-? Are you mad? Are you mad that I hit him?”

Sunoo raises his arms only to drop them at his sides again. “I’m upset that you did something so reckless!”

“Everyone saw him grab you.”

“Yeah and then everyone saw you punch him! You punched him!”

“If you’re so worried about what I did to him now, then you’d be terrified at what I would’ve done back then…” Sunghoon is suddenly in the others face. “Do you know what it was like? Walking into that house? The images in my head, Sunoo?”

“S-Sung…”

“You worry about him every time we see him around…” There’s a look in Sunghoon’s eyes. A mix of anger, pain, and confusion and it reflects in Sunoo’s. The smaller beginning to tear up as silent drops cascade down his cheeks. “And I have to see him around now, happy, healthy, untouched after what he did to you. How can you be concerned!? How can you care what I do to him!? He’s garbage, Sunoo! I finally, FINALLY do something to make sure he never comes near you again, and you’re upset!? He’s going to keep chasing you until you talk to him!”

“I-I just don’t want you to get in trouble…” His voice is barely there and it’s when Sunghoon sees it…The hint of fear in the others eyes. “I-I don’t want you to fight…I don’t want to see you all beat up and angry like that…That’s not my Sunghoon…” Sunoo shakes his head as his voice begins to waver and even more tears start to fall.

He’s crying.

Really crying now.

Sobbing.

“Don’t be like him! Don’t get so angry that you end up doing stupid things like he did! So angry that you just hurt people because you’re mad! You have me now, okay? I love you now. I loved him once but...Some people just don't fit…S-Sunghoon- I’m yours...Okay?” Sunoo’s shaky hands are now holding Sunghoon’s and the taller man can’t help but notice the eyes around them. Not only that, but Jay and Jungwon dashing across the parking lot to the two of them.

“You guys alright?!”

“What the Hell is going on?!”

“Sunghoon punched my ex.” Sunoo sniffles, now bringing his hands back to wipe his own tears.

“You punched him?” Jungwon says in disbelief as he glances between the two of them.

“About fucking time…” Jays says under his breath but is immediately getting a look from Jungwon.

“Jay- Don’t.”

“He came up and grabbed Sunoo…He didn’t need to touch him, he had no business touching him.” Sunghoon defends himself and Sunoo gives him another wounded look.

“And you didn’t have to touch him, you could’ve just grabbed me and we could’ve left! Now look-”

“Look at what? All your friends that were just watching? Did I embarrass you? Well I’m sorry Sunoo, next time I won’t interrupt. You must’ve felt so safe just now then, right? Before I came?”

“Sunghoon!” Jungwon is now stepping between the two of them, shoving the older male back some. “Lay off, listen to yourself…He panicked okay, it’s not his fault! Especially when you just come out of nowhere swinging like that…”

“I’m fine. I just wanna go home.”

In tears, Sunoo is shoving past them, moving quickly through the parking lot as he makes his way to Sunghoon’s car. Jungwon giving Sunghoon a worried look before following after Sunoo. Calling the younger’s name but getting no response or acknowledgement. Leaving Jay and Sunghoon to themselves. Jay gave his friend a look of disbelief before rolling his eyes and waving to the other to follow him to his car so they could talk. Sunghoon huffs. Taking his hands through his hair in a frustrated manner before following after Jay.

“Sunghoon…” Jay starts. He’s now sitting behind the wheel of his car and Sunghoon in the passenger seat. From where they were parked, they could see Sunoo and Jungwon’s figures. Having their own conversation a ways from them. “You know you can’t yell at him like that, right..?”

Sunghoon is staring down into his hands. He felt bad for raising his voice at Sunoo like that, yes. He felt bad that he made him cry. But at the same time, he was angry. He was angry that his ex was able to even lay a hand on Sunoo. He felt like he had failed. Like he had broken his promise. He was disgusted. He was angry he couldn’t hit him more. Sunoo was the one that came to his house covered in bruises and yet that man had nothing coming to him? Sunghoon regrets not beating him up that night.

“Sunghoon-”

“I know.” Sunghoon finally huffs out. Now resting his head against the window as he stares out at nothing really. “I know and I’m sorry…”

“Yeah well, I’m not the one you should be apologizing too…That night was horrible for him. I still don't’ think we know everything that was going on between them…That relationship went bad a long time ago but Sunoo was trying so hard…”

“I know…” Sunghoon sighs again, but this time his voice is weaker. “I’d never hurt Sunoo. Never on purpose…I just wanted to protect him. I told him he’d never have to see that guy again, that I’d never let him lay another finger on him…”

Jay could hear the defeated tone in his friends words. The pain even. Sunghoon had waited so long for this moment. The relationship with Sunoo that he had thought would always be a fantasy…It was actually the entire reason his last relationship failed.

“Y’know…When we broke up. I lied.” Jay suddenly speaks. Sunghoon’s brows coming together.

“Pardon?”

Jay can’t help but laugh a bit then. Sunghoon’s head now coming off the window to face his friend.

He sighs. “When I broke up with you Sunghoon…It wasn’t because of Jungwon.” Jay clears his throat again. Finding it difficult to find the next words.

“Jay…”

“No- No, I need to say this.” He takes his hands through his hair. “That lie was totally unfair to you. To make you feel like I left you for someone else.” His own voice is growing a little weaker now. Eyes stinging. “God, I didn’t think I’d be crying over this again.”

“You? Crying over us? Jay- I- Whatever it is, just tell me.”

“I broke up with you-” He starts, silent tears falling from his eyes anyway. “Because I knew you didn’t love me.”

“Th-that’s not true-”

“NOT in that way. I know you love me, I KNEW you loved me then, but not like a lover. When I was with you Sunghoon, all I saw was how much you wanted him. The longing. All of it.” Jay nods, now fiddling with his hands in his lap. “I know how long you’ve been waiting…Years. Years to get to love him, right?” Jay finally looks over to his friend.

It’s then that the two realize the tears in each others eyes and can’t help but laugh at each other.

Just a way to cope.

“Ugh, this is so weird.” Jay groans now roughly wiping the tears from his face. Sunghoon does the same as he hums in agreement.

“We never really talked about it before, wow.” Sunghoon is now looking out to see Jungwon giving Sunoo a comforting hug. The younger still appeared to be crying…

“Yeah…But you get what I’m saying right?” Jay looks to the other again. “I know how much you love him. Maybe more than anyone. But if you hold onto him too tight, he’s gonna slip right through your fingers…You see the way he walked away from you…? He didn’t even storm off on his ex like that…That scared me. It scared ME, Sunghoon…Don’t make yourself the one he has to harden his heart to. He’s been through shit. Don’t drag ‘em through more.”

Sunghoon nods slightly. Gaze still set out on the two figures ahead of them.

Silence filling the car between the two of them…

Until-

“I’m sorry…I’m sorry I did that to you.” More tears are falling from Sunghoon’s eyes.

He couldn’t help but think about all the time he had Jay going through that pain. A whole year. An entire year and even though it all had Sunghoon been that obvious? So much that he blindly went as far as to hurt his friend? He didn’t mean for Jay to be a bandaid or anything of the like. They sorted themselves out…Gave it a chance. Hell, Sunghoon was the one that initiated it…One drunk sleepover turned into a not so one night stand later and the two were happily claiming each other as lovers. But it wasn’t as happily as Sunghoon thought…

“Mm-mm” Jay shakes his head. “Don’t do that. I messed up to- I thought I could replace Sunoo. Dumped you and told you there was someone else…I could’ve been honest. Could’ve done better. We both made a mess.”

“Still-”

“No. I lied.” Jay is wiping his eyes again. “I lied to you Sunghoon. To protect myself. If I told you the truth then, you would’ve been seeing me alot like you’re seeing Sunoo right now.”

Sunghoon slams his head back against the seat with a groan. “How am I NOT supposed to apologize?”

“Because- You made up for it by being my friend, always being my friend. Being there for me, for Jungwon, for both of us? All while having to- Deal with watching Sunoo with…Y’know other guys and not you...”

“I still feel guilty…”

“I know…Back then I would’ve wanted you to.”

“I deserve it.”

“Sunghoon, dude-”

“Jungwon is coming back.”

It’s then that Jay looks up to see that Sunoo is getting into Sunghoon’s car, and Jungwon is coming around to Sunghoon’s door. Opening it up as he reaches the car.

“He’s ready to go home, Hoon. You two should go on and head in, sleep this off.” Jungwon suggests, but it’s then…He notices the state of the other two, giving Jay a questionable look.

“We had the talk- The talk you told me I needed to have? That ‘we’- Needed to have?” Jay admits and Sunghoon is suddenly wearing an alarmed expression aimed at a sighing Jungwon.

“Come talk to me for a minute, Sunghoon…”

As Jungwon steps aside, Sunghoon piles out of the car, shutting the door behind him. Now looking down to the younger male.

“I- Kind of forgave you a long time ago for Jay. He told me why he really broke up with you before we started really dating…And y'know, I hated you for a little bit.”

Sunghoon’s eyes grow wide…Before his gaze falls to the ground. He doesn’t know what to say. He doesn’t even know if there’s anything for him to say.

“But you and Sunoo have always been something Jay has wanted. He wanted to see you happy still- And we all had to watch you break a little more every time Sunoo went to someone else…But you have him now- Don’t mess it up, okay?” Jungwon is now moving, tilting his head in a way where he’s forcing himself to be under the others' gaze. “Mm? Yeah?” He says offering the other a smile and Sunghoon finally raises his gaze.

“Yeah…Don’t hold on too tight, Jay mentioned that too…”

“We shouldn’t have to tell you this…But he really loves you. Alot. He’s loved you and been waiting for this for a long time too…But he’s– He’s hurting. Still- alot- So you can’t talk to him like that, okay?” Jungwon is shaking his head, tears stinging his eyes. “Don’t, talk to him like that.”

But seeing the tears in Jungwon’s eyes suddenly had Sunghoon confused. Everyone was having their fair share of tears tonight…But what had he and Sunoo talked about? Did Sunoo tell him something that he didn’t know yet?

Sunoo was still hurting?

At that moment, Sunghoon began to feel ashamed. To feel wrong for suddenly assuming that since Sunoo was with him now, all his pain was gone. That wasn’t how Sunoo was feeling at all. That’s how Sunghoon was feeling. Had he really been so selfish all this time?

“Take him home now, Hoon.” Jungwon says before climbing into the passenger seat. Exchanging soft goodbyes with the older before Sunghoon watches the two disappear from the parking lot. He looks ahead now to see Sunoo sitting in his car waiting for him.

Sunghoon was hesitant at first. Shoving his hands in his coat pocket as he takes his time moving across the parking lot. Carrying himself to his car. Sunoo is sitting in the passenger seat. Sniffling, Fiddling with the ends of his sleeves. Shivering. Sunghoon doesn't hesitate at all in blasting the heat after he gets the car started.

“Thank you…” The younger mutters.

“Of course.” Sunghoon’s words are soft. Tone a lot different than what it had been earlier.

Sunoo had noticed the change in his demeanor, now stealing a few glances of the other. It was then that he noticed that Sunghoon had been crying too. He couldn’t help but pout. Did Sunghoon cry because of him? Was he that angry with him? Did what happened hurt Sunghoon that much? Sunoo couldn’t help but begin to guilt trip himself over what could have possibly made Sunghoon cry. It wasn’t often if at all that he’d ever seen Sunghoon cry…Regardless…The drive home was silent.

#enha sunghoon #enha sunoo #enhypen sunghoon #enhypen sunoo #SunSun #SunSun angst #SunSun fluff #JayWon #JayWon enha #MxM #BxB #GayGayGAy #future smut #Enhypen fanfiction #Enha fanfiction

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yesloulou · 2 months

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Hi friend.

Actually just today, my friend and I was talking about Daniel after the race. He’s been watching F1 for way longer then me. I expressed my concern over the last two weeks even though this is only the beginning of the szn. He said and I summerised, currently DR can only be in midfield teams is cus while he dose have the skills, he’s too unserious for like SF or MER, but his unseriousness brings great publicity for midfield teams.

I think in some aspects this may be true. But It’s just, like, idk, thought of this hits me. I know this jester aura (?) often surrounded him and people saying it’s great for marketing and stuff, but isn’t that a bit unfair tho? Maybe DR is always DR, way before F1 he is DR, and now all of a sudden his a publicity stun.

(feel sad for millionaires)

Idk what will happen after this szn but I really hope he keeps racing.

You know when you look at someone and look at what they do, you just go like, yeah for sure that’s what they do? I look at Daniel and I have this feeling. He’s a racer, always have been and always will, maybe he’ll go to Indy or some other competitions if this doesn’t work out, but in heart he’s a racer, he belongs to the track and the speed.

That’s just how I feel, and don’t really know who I can say this to, so thank you for letting me vent.

Wish him all the best for home race.

this is so sweet (the way you worry for daniel's prospects) and '(feel sad for millionaires)' got me irl lol 😭 your friend sounds like he's watched f1 for a long time but i would disagree with his conclusion. i provide that:

allegedly ferrari decided to not go for daniel after seeing him dance with daniil kvyat in the pit lane to entertain fans during rain delay at usgp 2015. the situation first of all was fortunately and unfortunately more nuanced than daniel being "unserious". the ferrari at the time was also run by arrivabene during bernie ecclestone's f1 reign. the ferrari today, two team principles later and after liberty media's f1 takeover, has changed in many ways. for example, in 2022 they had charles and carlos do this tiktok trend which definitely, definitely flirted with "the boundaries" (whatever that means) way more. so no, even tho daniel doesn't drive for ferrari, i wouldn't say he is "too unserious" for them.

merc is considered a more "corporate" environment in f1, example is valtteri's change in public image after leaving mercedes. however given that at the end of 2022 toto went as far as literally wearing daniel's merch in an attempt to reserve him for mercedes, i'd say obviously they don't consider daniel "too unserious" either.

publicity in f1 just generally cannot be a bad thing. more people interested in watching a driver means more sponsors willing to pay $$$$ to put their names and logos onto their livery. and more $$$$ means better chances at making a faster car, which is a goal of every team's. one can argue that a successful and financially secure team like red bull or ferrari might not be attracted to the benefit of a driver's popularity as much. but again, sports rely on viewership to sell broadcasting rights and ad spots, and publicity just generally can't be a bad thing.

i know the first two races were not great but this season literally just started. nothing is real yet. and daniel at least ended this week on a positive note so even more reasons to look ahead. the thing about f1 is that there is one winner and nineteen others. so as long as you're watching you're basically guaranteed more bad days than good ones. we can't all be watching bc we all believe our blorbos will be wdc, right? we watch and hope that something good might just happen. like if you think about it even though daniel has been out here causing us stress all these years he still manages to pull off minor to major miracles every year or two. this hopefulness is very precious so i say we watch it for that.

anyways. i hope this made you feel better and more excited about the season ❤️❤️❤️

#season that we’re gonna watch together so worry not!!!!!#asks #*#daniel ricciardo #txt

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taylortruther · 2 months

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I've been following the discourse on The Alcott, which I love, and I couldn't resist chiming in (long-time reader, first time sending an ask hehe). I agree a lot with everything that has been said, and even though The Alcott is canonically about Matt and his wife, I do think aspects of Taylor's dynamic with Joe towards the end inevitably bled into it.

In the song, The Alcott is a place sacred to the lovers bc it's where one of them runs off after a fight and the other one chases after them, and in the Alcott (could be a bar or cafe), they manage to reconcile. To me, "I get myself twisted in threads to meet you at The Alcott" is the charcater saying that he will do whatever is neccessary to meet his lover at this place of reconciliation in order to fix things after a fight, no matter how hard it might be, but in a way it's also the character saying that he will pick fights over silly things, as in having to do mental gymnastics ("get twisted in threads") to find something to fight over just to get the chance to meet her at the Alcott, bc even if the rs is going through a horrible rough patch where they're emotionally distanced from each other, causing a fight would force them to at least feel something towards the other and talk, and that is better than feeling nothing, even if the emotion is anger. He knows exactly where she will be bc that's where she retreats to when they fight ("I'd go to the corner in the back, where you'd always be"), and seeing her there reassures him that that's where she (and him) will continue to run to in the future: not away from each other, but to this place of reconciliation. She's "writing something about someone that used to be me [him]", which could be a way of saying that she's now writing about someone else that she might be falling in love with as she's falling out of love with him. However, to me it feels more like a reference to how in the last couple of years (see the Joe songs on Midnights) Taylor reverted to writing about the beginning of their rs, back when things were good and joyful, bc at the present things were very bad and she desperately wanted to get back to how good it once was; hence why she's writing about it. I agree that "the last thing you wanted" and "the first thing I do" is referring to saying "I love you"; the reason why it's the last thing she wants could be bc that's how he usually tries to fix his wrongs in an easy way and she's tired of him saying that but not actually making an effort with his actions, which I do think Joe was guilty of towards the end. Or, alternatively, it could be bc the charcater has fallen out of love with him and therefore doesn't want him to say "I love you" bc she can't truthfully say it back. "I tell you my problems, you tell me the truth" could also be in this context: he tries to apologize by telling her his issues, she tells him that the truth is she no longer loves him. In the context of Joever, however, imo it refers to Joe telling her all the problems he has with her excessive fame and the public attention on them that it implies etc, and Taylor being honest about how songwriting and performing are an essential part of who she is, and giving it up forever would be devastating to her. But that she would do it for him if it could save them.

The fact that he waits for her to look up makes me think that he's cautious bc she might still be angry and/or that he doesn't have the courage to initiate the apology, and instead waits for her to do it or tries figure out what to say that will earn her forgiveness. "How many times will I do this and you'll still believe?" shows that he knows he screwed up badly and has done so repeatedly, yet she still always forgives him bc that's how much she believes in their love and wants to fight for it. How long can the relationship withstand and survive his repeated offenses again and again though? (which goes back to "how long could we be a sad song till we were too far gone to bring back to life?").

"Tell me which side are you on" is very interesting in reference to the "you fire off missiles cos you hate yourself" in Renegade and the "I tried to be your bravest soldier, fighting in only your army, frontlines don't you ignore me" in YLM. She's saying "why are you fighting against me, when we're supposed to be fighting together? I'm not the enemy, I'm always on your side and fighting for you", yet he still (consciously or subconsciously) treated her like the enemy, blaming her for things that were completely out of her control and all the outside stuff that they thought was the cause of their rs problems, instead of being on her side and fighting for her too. He left her all alone on the frontlines and not only ignored her efforts but also contributed to the missiles fired her way. Will be very interesting if she further develops the Archer metaphor in TTPD, under the theme of "I had only arrows as defense from your angry missiles and your love bombs" or something akin.

"Have I become one of your problems?" seems like her conclusion to him telling her his problems: apparently, they all have to do with her/her career. Yet, she's clearly exhausted and drained by their fights, and desperately wants it to be easy for once, so she puts the blame on herself ("everything that's mine is a landmine"), knowing that her continued forgiveness and desire to love him could redeem and heal him but it could also very much enable him to keep hurting her ("did my love aid and abet you?").

Then, as the lovers sing "I'll ruin it all over for you" together, they're both accepting the blame for the fight equally, which is the ideal conflict resolution (but sadly, not at all how I think it went with Taylor and Joe towards the end).

The back and forth in the last chorus is particularly gut wrenching to me. In a way, it echos the desperate begging and pleading in the bridge of YLM, but in this case it's softer, more hopeful perhaps, and as you and anon said, it alludes to pain and pleasure (both emotional and sexual): she's telling him "go ahead, shit on my art and my job, rip it off me, set the terms and conditions you want ("read my sentence out loud"); anything to save our love" but there's also a darkness to this, where she would rather he use her for his own physical pleasure even when still mad at her bc that way he at least feels something for her, which is very 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 but it goes to back to how in the beginning of the song he says he will pick fights in order to at least make her feel something (anger/rage) towards him, instead of remaining in the coldness and disconnect in which they were before. Florence + The Machine's song "Dream Girl Evil" describes this type of dynamic very well imo (which is even more😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫), where sex is used as both a weapon during conflict and as a means of resolution. I do think this was the case with Taylor and Joe after their honeymoon phase (False God, Afterglow) and also towards the very end, hence the TTPD cover. During folkmore it seems like they had a couple of years where they learned to use their words to resolve arguments instead of resorting to sex, but unfortunately went back to that dynamic when the rs started to fall apart.

In this way, the metaphorical Alcott for Taylor and Joe was the bedroom ("you had turned my bed into a sacred oasis"): it became their sacred place of reconciliation. Their love, once a blessing, is now a curse, but a curse that she loves and cherishes bc it's theirs, it keeps them together, within this home (both physical and metaphorical) they have built together over the years; she sees no other option but loving him (as we know, Taylor thought she would die if she lost him). All of this is emulated in the beautiful yet vulnerable and almost sad way in which Taylor sings the last "back in love with you": in The Alcott, sacred place for the lovers, they reconcile and fall back in love with each other.

I didn't mean for this to turn into an essay but oh well 😅 those are my two (or twenty) cents. Would love to hear what you and the anons think! Also, I love reading your blog, your takes are brilliant :)

i don't have much to add, because i like just letting this interpretation just sit on its own! but i do love that your interpretation of the alcott being the bedroom fits in perfectly with the discussions we've been having the last 2-3 days.

other things i really liked here:

Will be very interesting if she further develops the Archer metaphor in TTPD, under the theme of "I had only arrows as defense from your angry missiles and your love bombs" or something akin.

me too!!! how will the combat theme she discusses so often evolve in ttpd?

also intrigued by this:

"Tell me which side are you on" is very interesting [...] She's saying "why are you fighting against me, when we're supposed to be fighting together? I'm not the enemy, I'm always on your side and fighting for you",

and:

Or, alternatively, it could be bc the charcater has fallen out of love with him and therefore doesn't want him to say "I love you" bc she can't truthfully say it back. "I tell you my problems, you tell me the truth" could also be in this context: he tries to apologize by telling her his issues, she tells him that the truth is she no longer loves him

this was my first take!

but what i've noticed is that everyone has a different opinion on which role taylor is occupying (the one going to the alcott and confessing, or the one receiving the confession.)

also, i feel the need to address this for the readers: no, we do not know which parts specifically that taylor wrote, and she did write this from the pov of matt berninger's wife. acknowledged!

#the alcott #ttpd #*combat #false god #afterglow #florence #*intimacy #*miscommunication

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babytarttdoodoo · 9 months

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Omg I’m obsessed with your fics! Your writing is so good! Can I request some hurt\comfort Roy / Jamie where Jamie just needs some cuddles?

And now for something completely different! Back to the regularly scheduled short and sweet prompts, I jumped at the chance to do some fluff after my brief descent into madness.

(It wasn’t that brief and I doubt that it’s over.)

Roy/Jamie, set maybe two years after canon.

Song rec: Better Together

(Prompt Fill Masterpost)

—

Giving Jamie a key to his house had been an easy decision for Roy, regardless of how short the length of their ‘official’ relationship had technically been. Despite working together on a daily basis, their schedules could be vastly different and demanding.

Jamie had professional commitments outside of Richmond, split between brand partnerships and public appearances, on top of the time he religiously kept aside to spend with the team or on trips to Manchester. Roy was increasingly (frustratingly) involved in the day-to-day running of the club and spent at least two of the nights in a week that he wasn’t trapped in his office with Phoebe running circles around him after school.

Basically, dedicated ‘alone time’ was hard to come by and it was actually really fucking nice to come home some nights and find Jamie already sorting dinner in the kitchen, or to be surprised by an unplanned visit whenever he found himself at a loose end.

It was nice that Jamie clearly felt at home enough in his space to use it.

That said, this evening he was confronted with a lot more slamming of doors and aggressive muttering than he had typically come to expect when Jamie let himself in.

“In here.” Roy answered from his space on the couch when Jamie did eventually call out and confirm he wasn’t a bad-tempered burglar. He paused the film he’d been half-watching and scowled at his boyfriend when he poked his head into the living room. “What the fuck did my front door do to you?”

Jamie winced slightly and shrugged before all but collapsing over the back of the settee, 170 pounds of muscle immediately reduced to a floppy ragdoll. Roy made appropriately irritated sounds at being jostled, while simultaneously holding his arms agreeably up out of the way so Jamie could squirm around into a comfortable position. His head found its way to Roy’s lap and he tucked his legs up to avoid dangling off the arm.

“Sorry.” he said, smiling sheepishly once he was settled. “Long fucking day.”

“Yeah?” Roy’s hands automatically sought out more contact, one resting on Jamie’s chest, the other beginning to card through his hair.

He had let his natural colour grow back in this season. At this length, it had started forming a mop of soft curls on top of his head that Roy found unbearably attractive. Even with whatever overpriced products it had been saturated in for the day, it only took a few runs through of Roy’s fingers to set the strands loose again.

He suppressed a laugh at the way Jamie pressed into the touch with a contented sound, acting for all the world like an affection-starved cat.

“Yeah,” he sighed, eyes drifting shut. “The bloke running the shoot was a right dickhead. Whole thing dragged on way longer than it had to.”

Roy frowned. Jamie had been looking forward to working with this company - some fashion line Keeley had secured a contract for. It would be a fucking shame if the whole thing was a miserable cock up.

“Need me to knock some skulls together?”

Jamie huffed a laugh, lips twitching up, but the pinch in his brow didn’t smooth over like Roy had hoped it would. He was clearly upset by whatever happened.

“Nah. Not sure they’ll invite me back, to be honest. Keeley’s gonna go through me tomorrow.”

That was a straight up alarming concept. The list of things that would push Keeley to be genuinely angry at Jamie was incredibly short. “What happened?”

“Told him where to stick it, didn’t I?” Jamie groused, turning his face to nuzzle into Roy’s stomach. “Got sick of him yelling at me for just doing what he said. Prick.”

“Hey.” Roy waited until he saw Jamie’s eyes open and peer up at him. “He shouted at you?”

“A bit.”

“Where does he live?”

Jamie snorted and lightly smacked Roy’s arm. “Shut up.”

“No, seriously, Jamie.” The hand that had been petting his hair moved to cup his cheek instead. “Keeley is not going to be mad at you for telling off some idiot giving you a hard time. You don’t need to put up with that shit.”

Jamie hummed, not looking entirely convinced, but the tightness in his shoulders did ease up a little.

“It were a big deal, this shoot.” he said quietly. “Supposed to do a couple more with ‘em next month. They won’t if they decide I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“You’ve done more modelling in the last two years than I did in my entire fucking playing career.” Roy pointed out. “If it went wrong, I doubt it was because of something you did.”

A thoughtful look overtook Jamie’s expression and, with a small grunt of effort as the only warning, he surged up to capture Roy’s lips in a sweet, warm kiss. He used the hand not propping himself up to grasp the back of Roy’s neck, pulling him in as close as he could at the awkward angle.

Roy was definitely not complaining but couldn’t help his surprise, blinking in confusion when they broke apart. “What was that for?”

“It’s sexy when you make sense.” Jamie told him, a welcome flicker of amusement in his expression. “And when you try to get me out me head. Sorry I’m being a grumpy bastard.”

“Oh, yeah, you’ve never had to put up with that from me.” Roy deadpanned, eyebrows raised. Jamie rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop the grin taking over his face. Fair play. “Tell me why you’re so upset over this. You know Keeley won’t give two shits about one bad day.”

Jamie’s face screwed up for a moment then he huffed and shifted around to sit properly beside Roy, still pressed up to his side but occupying his hands with spinning one of the few rings he had on that day.

Roy didn’t rush him, knowing he'd find the words in his own time.

“I don’t like being called ‘stupid’.” Jamie finally admitted, like letting that bother him was something to be fucking ashamed of.

The hot spike of anger that shot through Roy’s gut seized up his joints in a vice of coiled tension. Ten years ago, he’d let loose that energy by charging at the source and whoever else happened to be in his path. Now, with only Jamie there to take it out on, he forced himself to relax at least a fraction before trusting his voice wouldn’t come out sharply.

“What the fuck did he say to you?”

Jamie nudged him gently, no doubt reading the protective fury in every line of his body and appreciating the effort to rein it in.

“Dunno, exactly. I’m hardly fluent in Spanish but I’ve seen enough of Dani’s Twitter replies to know when I’m being insulted.” He shrugged. “After the third or fourth ‘móngolo’ and ‘apestar’ I told him to go fuck himself and stormed off.”

Jamie groaned and scrubbed his hands over his face, ears going pink like they did when he was embarrassed or stressed.

“In my defence, he were pissing off everyone on the shoot. The photographer found me later to say he were five minutes away from doing the same. And he kept getting on at the makeup girl ‘cause me abs weren’t ‘defined enough’.” He put air quotes around the words and Roy gritted his teeth so hard he thought he heard one of the back ones crack.

“Right.” he ground out and took another deep breath when even he could hear the homicidal rage in his tone. “First off, that’s the most moronic fucking thing I’ve ever heard. You’re in the best shape of your bloody life and your torso looks like you’ve airbrushed it on every morning.”

Jamie snorted, clearly appreciating the compliment, despite everything else.

“He’s just a prick they paid way too much money to fly in from Barcelona.” he said, leaning his head on Roy’s shoulder and sounding like he was trying to convince himself as much as anything. “Keeley already told them that if they were gonna insist on doing the shoot during the season, there’s no way I would be getting dehydrated before it.”

Roy sharing his opinions on that fun part of modelling, whether on season or off, was not going to help matters. He made the magnanimous decision to let it go and was very proud of himself.

“Second.” He continued instead, putting an arm around Jamie to tug him in and press a kiss to his temple. “You are not fucking stupid. Or whatever else he said. Like to see that bastard fend for himself in the kind of tactical nightmares you find a way around.”

“Footie genius.” Jamie agreed lightly, nodding like he was humouring Roy.

“Fucking brilliant, on or off the pitch.” Roy corrected and squeezed Jamie to emphasise the point. “I’ve never seen anyone read people the way you do. Or remember so much shit. You knew what that fucker was saying about you because you pay attention to everything. I don’t know how you do it.”

Jamie buried his face into Roy’s shoulder, ears definitely pink now.

“Alright, alright, I get it. Freaky when you give me this many compliments, you old weirdo.”

Roy chuckled and kissed Jamie’s hair again. “You know I mean it?”

“Yeah.” Jamie sniffed and Roy couldn’t tell if he was just clearing the air or something else. “You’re a shit liar.”

“Glad to hear it. Did you eat yet?”

“Meant to order in on the way back. Forgot.”

“Fuck that. I’ve got a pot of spag bol that Phoebe and me barely made a dent in. Let’s get you fed.”

Jamie propped his chin up on Roy’s shoulder, eyes big and soft with a smile playing around his mouth. He leaned in again and kissed Roy some more, unbearably gentle and intense about it all at the same time.

“Alright. Let’s see what damage I can do to these abs, then.”

#spanish cursing #not a tag I ever thought I'd use but there you go #jamie tartt #roy kent #jamie x roy #ted lasso #fic prompts #my fic

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clumsy-jiminie · 2 months

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ɪɴᴇᴠɪᴛᴀʙʟʏ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱ | ᴘᴊᴍ | ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜰɪᴠᴇ

❝ ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜꜱʏ ʜᴜʀᴛꜱ ❞

↣ summary :: Kiara Smith had dreamed of true love for as long as she could remember. from being obsessed with the Disney princesses who found affection in the strangest situations to dressing up as a bride from kindergarten to fourth grade. it was the only thing she ever truly desired, so much so that a pleasant smile and kind eyes could have her smitten in seconds. right when she thought she found the one, a chance encounter with Park Jimin—the city’s famously perfect fuck boy with a smile so warm and a heart of ice—has her feeling quite the opposite. he knocks her off her axis and derails her life as she knows it, yet the universe seems to have another plan for the two.

↣ rating :: 18+

↣ genre :: fluff, angst, smut, e2l, slow burn

↣ pairing :: business owner!jimin x fem!artist!oc ft. taehyung

↣ word count :: 3.8k

↣ chapter warnings :: mature language, public displays of affection, angst with resolve, mentions of anxiety, ⚠️ verbal abuse - light but still not ok ⚠️

↣ next :: previous :: series m.list ↢

if you have any questions, comments, or concerns PLEASE don't hesitate to message me or send me an ask! my inbox is always open. 💖

"yeah, I got issues, and one of them is how bad I need you."

- ɪꜱꜱᴜᴇꜱ, ᴊᴜʟɪᴀ ᴍɪᴄʜᴀᴇʟꜱ -

It only took a few days before everything returned to normal between the couple. No apology was issued, but they continued as if the argument had never happened. That's how things typically were with the two. Arguments would always fade away without them talking any further about it. It wasn't something Kiara particularly enjoyed, but after trying to talk things out, it would only result in restarting the cycle; she settled for his method instead. It kept them both happy in the end, anyway. At least, that's what she thought. The conversation would always sit with her a bit longer than him. So, while he was normal, touching her and smiling, she had to force herself to keep up the facade. It was tiring but a better outcome than arguing all over again.

Kiara stared at her phone while slowly pushing the shopping cart through the aisle. Her arms rested against the cart's bar, leaning against it comfortably as she looked through the notes on her phone. It was chore day, and chore day also meant grocery shopping day. Usually, she would love to take her time through the store and hopefully find some exciting snacks, but she couldn't wait to get home. She was in the middle of her last piece for her latest collection. The blush pinks, baby blues, and teals were so pretty to her, reminding her of babies and how she wanted a family of her own one day. Three bundles of joy and absolute chaos running around made her excited. She sighed softly, straightening out her spine before feeling gentle resistance. Her brows drew together before she felt slight pressure against her backside.

"Taehyung," she sighed despite the small smile forming on her lips. His hand, placed firmly on her hip, kept her in place as they walked.

"Mm, what?" He responded lazily, eyes fixated on the view of her golden skin peeking out from under her cropped hoodie. The black leggings she wore were no help either. The fabric became so thin when she bent over, stretching to accommodate her round ass. He could almost see the outline of her thong.

"What are you doing?"

"Appreciating my girlfriend. What did you think?"

"Oh, I don't know...." She stopped suddenly, halting Taehyung as well. His hips pressed into hers, causing him to bite down on his lower lip briefly. "Someone may think you're trying to start something in public." Taehyung hummed as his mind was far from his current reality, somewhere in a realm where public indecency wouldn't get you fined. He returned back to Earth when Kiara decided to turn around and face him. She tilted her head back, looking up at him as she bit back the smirk that desperately wanted to spread on her lips. "You do know we're in public, right?" The sass that fell from her lips only made Taehyung wish to play more. He rested both of his hands on the cart behind her, essentially caging her in.

If there was one thing she could do all day, it was look at Taehyung. He was so gorgeous. Model worthy. Even as he had his round-framed silver glasses resting on his straight nose, she wanted nothing more than his lips on her.

"Nope," he grinned.

"Dangerous."

"You love it." He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, causing her to inhale deeply. Her hands rested on his chest before sliding up to meet behind his neck. Warmth spread through Kiara's system despite them being in the freezer aisle. One of his hands left the cart to rest against her back, pulling her in closer.

"Uh, we're gonna need a clean-up on aisle 14." A familiar voice suddenly rang through Kiara's ears, causing her to pull away from her boyfriend. She glanced around before meeting with the owner of the voice, a smile forming on her lips. "It looks like someone wet themselves," Momo teased the girl with a playful smirk.

"You're so lame!" Hoseok heckled while he reached into the freezer, chuckling softly.

"You knew this, and you're still choosing to marry me," Momo stuck her tongue out at the man, who did the same to her. Afterward, she directed her attention to Kiara. "But seriously, you should really get a room." She placed her hand on her chest as she leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "There are children around!"

"Fuck them kids," Taehyung quickly said as he wrapped his arms around Kiara. He leaned down to rest his chin on her shoulder. "They gotta learn about the birds and the bees somehow."

"Taehyung, you disgust me," Momo scowled. The man winked at her, and Momo recoiled as if he had reached out to touch her. Hoseok then returned, tossing some frozen fruit pops into the cart.

Kiara's eyebrows furrowed as she scanned over the couple's cart. There were some colorful party plates, cups, hats, and napkins. There were also a few bags of chips and liters of various sodas. "You guys having a party or something?" She asked while resting her hands on Taehyung's arms.

"One of our students is turning eight today!" Hoseok beamed as if it was his child.

"She's the absolute cutest, and she's going to go far. Right, Hobi?" Momo added, gleaming as well.

Hoseok quickly nodded. "Yep, AIM has itself its first prodigy."

Taehyung furrowed his brows as he stood up. "AIM? Is that...."

"Art In Motion! The dance studio we work at!" Momo answered. Taehyung made a small o with his mouth, slowly nodding his head.

"It's not like they don't talk about it all the time," Kiara teased, earning a squeeze from him.

"You guys should come in sometime!" Momo said before walking over to one of the freezers. "We teach duets on some days."

Kiara quickly shook her head. "You know damn well I don't dance."

"I know you don't dance sober," Momo side-eyed her, causing the girl to roll her eyes.

"Yeah, I was about to say; I know a certain dance you do, but it's only when you come back from bottomless mimosas," Taehyung grinned, earning an elbow to his rib. "Don't hurt me because I'm right!" The group laughed together before bidding their farewells. Kiara grabbed the cart once more to continue on their shopping adventure.

"So, Tae...," Kiara drawled as she trailed behind the man. He hummed while looking at an item on the shelves, encouraging her to continue. "I was looking at houses out here, which are really expensive. Do we have to move out this year?"

"Do you want that ring?" He responded as he tossed the item into the cart. Her eyes went wide as her heart sunk into her chest. She assumed that was why she wasn't engaged yet, but to have him say it so casually. To have him say it as if it was something she had to earn. She could hear her best friends yelling at her to leave him, to turn around and not look back.

But she loved him.

"Taehyung!" A man suddenly called out, ripping his attention away from Kiara. Both of them turned to look at the interruption. A smile formed on Taehyung's lips while Kiara's eyes narrowed. Directly ahead of them was none other than Jimin. Kiara huffed, trying to pry her eyes away from the man, but she couldn't for some reason, maybe because it was the first time she'd seen him dressed down—sporting a dark purple hoodie with a denim jacket over it and a pair of black sweatpants that slimmed to a cuff around his ankle. His hair looked messy despite him trying to hide it under his hood—fluffy blonde strands sticking out like he had just rolled out of bed and decided not to style it. How could one look just as good dressed down?

"You stalking me, Jimin?" The brunette teased as he went in to hug the man.

"For fucks sake," Kiara sighed before her eyes went wide. Taehyung shot her a warning glare, making her muscles stiffen as she looked down at the linoleum floor. She was usually good at keeping her thoughts to herself.

Jimin looked at Kiara for the first time today, and his eyebrows piqued in interest. Was it wrong to be lusting over a man's girlfriend right in front of him, especially when you're trying to rekindle a relationship with said man? Yes, yes it was. He possessed enough self-control not to react physically but couldn't deny that she looked good. She had an impeccable style. Even when she dressed down, she stole the room. Instead, he feigned an eye roll. He wanted to do nothing but push those buttons of hers and watch her eyes be set ablaze with fire. But he wouldn't be able to handle that switch to fondness whenever she eventually looked at Taehyung, at least not today. He peeled his eyes away from the girl to look at the brunette, a warm smile forming on his lips. "Isn't it funny how small the world becomes after bumping into each other once?"

"Oh, it's hilarious," Kiara mumbled quietly this time, sarcasm dripping from her words. Boy, she wasn't making it easy for Jimin. He had a thousand and one remarks for her sassy little quip, but he'll save those for another day.

The two men proceeded to catch up while Kiara focused on anything besides the blonde before her. Honestly, what were the odds? There are a million different grocery stores on Long Island alone, and this is the one he chooses? It hasn't even been a week since their little dinner encounter. The universe wanted to see some drama in her life as if she didn't have enough. What the universe needed to do was send signs to the tall blockhead so she could get proposed to before selling her soul for a house.

As much as she loved that Taehyung was reconnecting and making new friends, she didn't want to spend another second in this vicinity. Jimin's aura was sickeningly addictive. He oozed charisma, and it pissed her off that she wanted to have a conversation with him, to be included. She stared at the back of Taehyung's head, eyes sensing daggers in hopes he turned around. Instead, her amber eyes locked with the blonde's. His eyes flickered up and down subtly before a mischievous smirk tugged at the corner of his plump lips. He looked away, assumingly giving Taehyung his full attention once again. Kiara's brows furrowed. What was that look for? Did he think he had a one-up on her?

Enough was enough.

Kiara stepped forward, nudging Taehyung with the cart. He suddenly stopped talking, pausing momentarily before looking at her. "Babe, can we go? I'm getting a little tired." She lied through her teeth, her voice as sweet as candy. She had to pull out all the cards to pull Taehyung away from this so-called friend. What if Jimin was using Taehyung now to get some sick inside scoop on her? She couldn't have that.

"In a minute, I just want to smooth out these details for the next guys night." His voice was colder than the freezer aisle they were just in. He turned back around, fully facing Jimin again.

She sighed in defeat. She knew Taehyung meant no harm, but each second near Jimin felt like an hour. Kiara had no idea what this man was capable of, and that devilish, slick tongue only made things worse. She quickly glanced away, hoping to find anything she could fiddle with as a minor distraction. Touching random food items seemed too obvious, so she opted for her cell phone. She pulled it out, sending a quick text to the group chat.

Kiara: guess who just pulled up to your local grocery store Kiara: it's your favorite person kookie Jeongguk: JUSTIN BIEBER??? Jeongguk: drop the address NOW Samira: you're an idiot

Kiara pressed her lips in a line, holding back a smile.

Kiara: no it's the blonde from the coffee shop Kiara: I hate it here Jeongguk: do me a favor and throw your shoe at him Jeongguk: specifically the left one Jeongguk: the right one won't do Samira: I second Samira: why the left one tho Jeongguk: so he'll be surprised when I get him with this right hook

Kiara burst into a quiet fit of laughter, using her hand to cover her mouth. She loved her best friends dearly. While she giggled, Taehyung's and Jimin's ears perked up like a dog hearing the word walk, although both for different reasons.

Taehyung couldn't help but glance at his partner, seeing a wide grin on her lips as her fingers typed away on her phone. Something flared up inside of him, triggering him. It was the same feeling he had from the other night. He couldn't run away this time, so he had to sit with the heavy feeling in his chest and tensed muscles.

Jimin also looked, but he felt something in his chest from the sight. Something warm. Something that made him want to spread his lips and mimic that smile. He couldn't put his finger on it and didn't think he wanted to. He couldn't have that. It felt familiar, and familiarity needed to stay in a locked box in the deepest corner of his mind. Despite it, his eyes twinkled as a mischievous smirk played on his lips. He returned his gaze to Taehyung. "You know, one of my friends is having a game night later in the week. You should definitely come through."

Taehyung's met his eyes, and he pushed down whatever feeling was bubbling in his chest as he smiled at the man. "Definitely! That sounds like fun!"

Kiara was too busy giggling at the messages she received to pay attention to the plans that were made aloud. It wasn't until she felt eyes on her. It made her uneasy, a chill running down her spine as she looked up. Jimin's evil eyes met hers.

"You should bring Kiara along too," Jimin suggested while his eyes remained glued to the girl.

Kiara glared at the blonde. "I would rather jump off the Manhattan Bridge."

Taehyung's eyes went wide, shooting her a look. That look. Kiara couldn't help but cringe, feeling herself shrink into her shoes as she looked down at the ground.

"She'd love to come," Taehyung responded, returning his gaze to Jimin. "We'll be there."

Kiara's head shot up, sending daggers into the back of Taehyung's head. If looks could kill, both men would be casualties right now.

Jimin grinned at the other. "Great! I'll see you then!"

As they bid their farewells, Kiara subtly flipped the blonde off. All Jimin did was smirk playfully, winking at her in response. The girl shivered with disgust.

After he left, the couple was silent for the rest of their trip. Kiara couldn't understand why Taehyung would think she would want to attend any event with Jimin. She ranted to the man about their horrible first impression and how he ruined her favorite hoodie. Kiara didn't want to fake nice for hours on end; one, it was draining as hell, and two, that prick didn't deserve it. They paid and exited the grocery store. A cloak of silence wrapped around them dropped once they approached Kiara's car. She huffed quietly, almost shaking her head out of pure disbelief.

"I thought you couldn't stand him," she grumbled.

"I thought you wanted me to make more friends," he countered.

Kiara rolled her eyes, sighing softly as she regretted giving him that push. "I don't want to go to this thing, Tae," she admitted. "I don't even know why he invited me. He's your friend."

"Why can't he be our friend?" He asked while looking at the girl, meeting her eyes.

"I'm not friends with people who don't like me," she deadpanned. She started packing the groceries into the car, exceptionally cautiously placing the bags. She would hate if something got smushed or broken because she grew annoyed.

Taehyung watched as she did so, arms folding over his chest as he leaned against the car. "You don't know that."

"I'm pretty sure you don't call the people you like selfish."

Taehyung shrugged casually, "You got off on the wrong foot, so what? You don't think you could push past that or at least pretend to for me?"

Kiara froze briefly, pressing her lips together as she thought. It's for Taehyung. She would suffer a ten-hour flight full of crying babies for this man, but Jimin was just slightly more insufferable than that. She stopped loading the groceries to look at him. As she opened her mouth to answer, a text notification emitted from her pocket. She wasn't going to look at it, already knowing who it was, but she watched as Taehyung's demeanor changed. The corners of his lips pulled into a frown. He tensed as his eyes narrowed into slits. Before she could even process what was happening, he opened his mouth. All at once, he remembered why he fell silent earlier.

"Give me your phone."

"What?" She chuckled, completely bewildered. He had to be joking. Just two seconds ago, he asked her to play nice, and now this?

"I'm not gonna repeat myself." He held his large hand towards her, like a parent demanding something of their child.

She chuckled again, this time wholly filled with nerves. She instinctively gripped her phone in her hoodie pocket to protect him from the device. "Are you kidding? I'm not giving you my phone."

His eyes narrowed at the shorter girl, letting his hand fall back to his side. "Why? You got something to hide?" Kiara shook her head, opening her mouth to say something, but was promptly cut off. "I saw the way you were smiling at your phone earlier. You got some nasty shit from Jeongguk, huh?"

"What?" Her eyes widen for a moment before narrowing at her partner. "What the fuck are you on about?" Kiara tried keeping herself calm, paying close attention to the tone of her voice, but she thought the days when she had to defend the relationship with her best friend were over.

"Give me your fucking phone, Kiara!" He yelled. The bass in his voice startled her, depth moving straight to her heart and increasing the beat suddenly. She jerked as if someone hit her. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as her breathing quickened. It happened all in an instant. She pulled out her phone and handed it to him without a thought. It was like her body was suddenly on autopilot.

He snatched the device from her, unlocking it without an issue. "I swear to god I do so much for you, for this fucking relationship, just for you to go behind my back and—" As he went through the text history with Jeongguk, all he saw was various memes from inside jokes, opinions of art going back and forth, and the occasional double text. Taehyung's jaw hung loosely briefly before quickly biting his lower lip. He even checked their group chat, but there was nothing besides Samira asking for help with Momo's wedding and the conversation he assumed she was laughing about. No, he couldn't be wrong. He knew what he saw. That smile.... There's no way he could've been wrong. There had to be something, anything, to prove her infidelity.

But there was nothing.

Taehyung locked Kiara's phone as the silence sat on them like a bag of bricks. He slowly looked at the girl, seeing tears brimming in her warm eyes of amber. Shit, he thought to himself. She was shivering, and he was sure it wasn't from the cold weather. Her chest was heaving like she just finished running a marathon.

"Ki...," his voice softened, barely above a whisper.

"No," she whimpered right before her throat decided to shut. Tears fell from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. She turned from him, loading up the rest of the car with haste. She tried not to make a sound apart from the occasional whimper that slipped past her trembling lips.

Taehyung sighed quietly, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he watched her. "Kiara, please...," he pleaded as she stood upright. She ignored him, walking the cart back to its slot. When she returned, she had all intention of heading straight to the driver's side, but Taehyung's hand wrapping around her wrist stopped her.

She sniffled as she turned to face him. Kiara yanked her wrist from his hand, causing him to sigh. "When is this gonna stop?" She asked as she wiped her wet face with the sleeves of her hoodie. "When will you finally trust me enough to know I wouldn't ever step out on you?" Taehyung pressed his lips together, staring down at the girl. "I fucking love you, Tae, with every fiber of my being. I've loved you for years! But...," the girl trailed off, looking up at the night sky. She couldn't stop the tears, no matter how much she wanted to. Just thinking of the words hurt her.

Taehyung reached for her again, pulling her into his chest. He held her tightly in an embrace while she sobbed into his chest. "I'm sorry," he whispered as his hands rubbed her back soothingly. Kiara's cries slowed to a stop. "I'm so sorry. I..., I just get jealous sometimes. I think you'll leave me because I've never seen a bond like you and JK's. I feel like he's in love with you."

"He's my best friend," she mumbled before pulling away from the man. She wiped her nose as she stared down at the ground. "He does love me, but not in the way you love me." She rubbed her eyes once more before looking up at him. The whites of her eyes were now red. Taehyung couldn't help but frown, using his thumb to wipe the remaining tears. She flinched from his touch, looking away from him. "But that isn't an excuse to treat me like that." She took a step back from him. Her warmth left him with the winter cold. "So this jealousy stuff has to stop now."

Taehyung nodded his head quickly. "I'm sorry, I'll try harder." He reached out for her again, and she didn't pull away. He gently stroked her cheek with his thumb while Kiara inhaled deeply, leaning into his touch. "I will be better."

She let out a shaky breath before throwing herself into the man. She pressed her face into his chest, feeling the vibrations from his body as he chuckled. "So, about that game night...." She hummed, waiting for him to continue. "Will you try for me?"

She pulled away enough to look up at him, her warm eyes making his heart skip a beat. "I'll try."

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30 notes · View notes

apricotpopsicle · 2 years

Text

Sweet Talk

masterlist || requests || ao3

pairing: best friend!Eddie Munson x Reader

word count: 15.6k (oops lol)

warnings/tags: eddie is alive and graduating because i say so, Hawkins is fine too, fem+afab reader, "mean" reader (she's just bad at emotions), eddie and reader make fun of each other a lot! descriptions of light violence, dubious d&d knowledge (sorry), underage(?) drinking, eddie and reader both drink a little, mention of reader having hair, some angst because ofc, mentions of eddie almost dying, mentions of vomit (nondescriptive), insecurity, perceived unrequited feelings, SMUT, slight dom!eddie ig, fingering (f receiving), dirty talk, light choking, unprotected p in v (plz use protection y'all, this is just fantasy!), sort of semi-public sex/chance of being caught

description: based on this ask! i definitely did way more than you asked for nonnie my bad lol

Minors DNI!!!!!

---

Your relationship with Eddie Munson has always been unconventional, to say the least.

You've been unlikely friends longer than most people in your life remember. You, however, remember vividly how it happened- the first day of third grade, Mrs. Walcott's class, during lunch. He was what the teachers called a "trouble student," all fidgety limbs and mischievous smiles. You were a "pleasure to have in class," quiet, and mostly kept to yourself.

The day you met Eddie, one of his friends had dared him to yank on your braids in exchange for a twinkie. As soon as his hand released its grip from your hair, you turned around and punched him in the face.

The lunch room went dead silent when his butt hit the floor. You hadn't hit him hard enough to hurt, just enough to stun him. But you could see in his eyes how surprised he was that the shy, mousy girl could lay him out flat like that. You thought he would cry, yell, run to get a teacher. Instead, he opened his mouth wide and devolved into fits of laughter.

You both got in trouble. And in detention that afternoon, he offered you half the twinkie he earned. You thought about punching him again.

You've been inseparable ever since.

That moment defined your whole relationship. If a stranger saw you interacting, they easily could've mistaken you for a couple mortal enemies. You were both sarcastic and a touch combative, but it was all in good fun. He really was your best friend. Your dynamic held a strange kind of intimacy- it was the kind of relationship where you had virtually no secrets from each other.

Okay, maybe you were never exactly "vulnerable" with each other, but it was good. You kept each other grounded. Even when times got hard, when his dad went to prison, when your parents nearly lost the house, you were the only people who could cheer the other up. The only ones who could make each other feel normal. And you never made a dig harder than the other person could take.

When you graduated high school and started going to the local junior college, he was so proud of you. Mostly, he was over the moon you were staying in Hawkins. He didn't say that directly, of course, but you knew. He showed his gratitude by teasing you for not getting out of town, and you teased him for being a super senior. And then, a super super senior.

It was nice. Normal. It was enough for you.

Lately, though, things have been different. You've been so busy with classes and work, and Eddie's been just as preoccupied with running his D&D campaign, and finally snatching up his high school diploma (and apparently, saving the world). You haven't been calling or hanging out like you used to. You've both been weirdly distant. Especially you.

What's even weirder, is on the occasions you do hang out, he's almost... nice to you. Not lobbing insults as fast, not so quick to poke fun at you for stumbling over a word. Maybe it's the fact that he almost died, or that you're both getting older, or... maybe he just doesn't feel as close to you anymore. But you can't get mad at him for being nice. You're definitely not freaking out about it.

And most importantly, you're not freaking out because all the weirdness made you realize you've been in love with him for years.

Nope, not freaking out at all.

But you push those swirling thoughts out of your mind. Your feelings towards your best friends aren't important right now, because today is an important day. Eddie's and your absolute favorite day of the year- the Hellfire Alumni party. An annual tradition that started after the first graduating class of Hellfire club crashed a meeting with enough booze to tranquilize an elephant.

This is the day that every current and former club member can gather together, come home from college, from new cities and new lives to play a crazy, elaborate one-shot (then throw a crazy, elaborate party). This is the event of the year for the nerds, freaks, and outcasts of Hawkins.

And this year, with your parents serendipitously out of town for the week, it's your turn to play host.

You have a solid hour before everyone is set to arrive. The game would be ending soon, but you left early to set up. As per tradition, the afterparty's host was "tragically and without any coincidence at all" sent off on a side quest early in the game to allow for plenty of time to prep for guests.

You flit from living room, to kitchen, to back porch, affixing cheesy homemade D&D decor to the walls, setting up string lights and seats, laying out snacks on the tables, and making sure coolers are stocked and readily available. There's still so much to do if you want this party up to your impeccable standards. This might be too much for one person, and you curse yourself for being too stubborn to ask for an extra set of hands. With how much effort you were putting into the party, you haven't even had time to change out of your Hellfire shirt.

The one you helped Eddie design.

You pause your fussing on the streamer you're hanging up as soon as he crosses your mind.

You'd managed to avoid him completely at the meeting, having shown up late and left early. He was just making you... nervous. Ever since his near death experience in the Upside Down, and how nice he's treating you now, you just can't push down your emotions. Any time he's close to you, you can physically feel the words "I Like You, You Idiot" being pulled from your throat.

And god, it's so hard when he just looks so Goddamn good. Jesus, it's like you can't even control yourself around him anymore. Any time he laughs, or touches your arm, or stretches to reveal a sliver of skin riding above his jeans, the urge to jump him is nearly untamable. That stretch of skin lives in your head rent free, and you start to picture the fabric lifting up and off his body, imagining him in front of you bare and soft and so warm-

Fuck fuck fuck, you need to get it together. You can never let him know he's affecting you like this, or it's bye-bye best friendship and hello awkwardly bumping into each other at the supermarket until one of you moves away.

You've decided it's much better to just push him away until you get a handle on your feelings. Keep him at arm's length. That always works, right?

Luckily, you don't have too much time to dwell. The sound of the front door slamming open returns you to reality.

Right, you're on a step-ladder, hanging streamers. Don't fall off and break your neck because you can't stop thinking about how in love you are with your best friend. How embarrassing would that be?

"I'm coming in! Oh my god- it looks like a middle school dance in here," a deep voice calls from your front corridor.

Of fucking course. Who else would show up at the worst possible time?

"Well, speak of the devil," you call back over your shoulder, ignoring his jab about your awesome decorations and trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Jesus, don't call me that," Eddie's voice appears right behind you this time. You hurry yourself to look busy with the crepe paper you're hanging. Nothing's amiss, you're not avoiding him, nobody has a crush on their best friend. Keep it cool.

"Right, I forgot about the whole 'Eddie-Munson-is-Satan-Reincarnate' thing," you turn over your shoulder to flash a shit-eating grin and feel it falter momentarily. You whip back around quickly, hoping he didn't catch sight of your panic.

Fuck, he looks so good right now. Pale cheeks tinged pink from the excitement of the evening, Hellfire shirt stretched tight across his chest, his hair pulled back into a scraggly low bun with curly tendrils framing his face, neck extended upwards to look at you on the ladder, and God wouldn't it be so easy to reach out and just bite it-

"Wish everyone else could forget," he mumbles.

Right, touchy subject. Roll it back. You want to push him away gently, not to remind him of his recent trauma. Thankfully the feds had spun some story and greased plenty of palms to clear Eddie's name. Legally, he was free and clear, but the town is much slower to forget.

"Well, thank God for government hush money," you offer, glancing back with a smirk.

He chuckles lightly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

An awkward silence settles over the room. Why is he so quiet right now? It's not something you're used to with him. The silence makes your skin feel too tight, your face feel too hot. You feel exposed under his gaze, like an animal cornered.

It's been a while since you've been alone with him, and you can practically see his unasked question hanging in the air between you- are you avoiding me?

You really, really don't want to explain the answer to that question.

He moves forward slightly, his full lips parting around the beginning of your name, so you do the logical thing. You interrupt before he can say anything.

"Is the game over? I thought I had more time," you return to the red streamer billowing loosely above your head. You may have only interrupted Eddie to prevent him from questioning you, but your statement is true. There's plenty left to accomplish before your guests arrive, and you expected more time to complete everything.

Eddie readjusts himself, retreating from whatever he was about to say.

"Nah," he tilts his head, "I had Henderson take over. Wanted to help you set up."

This throws you for a loop. You carefully turn yourself around on the stepladder to face him.

"You, Edward James Munson, left the campaign you've been planning for the past three months to help me... hang streamers?"

That's entirely unexpected. Thoughtful. Sweet, even? Some unwelcome part of you swells at the mental image of Eddie leaving the drama room early, keys in hand, eager to see you. Telling everyone Sorry guys, go on without me, gotta help my girl set up the party!

God, he makes you sick.

"Yeah, figured you'd fuck it up," he says, grabbing an extra roll of streamers off the couch and lobbing them at you. "Couldn't let that happen, could I?"

You catch the roll against your stomach with an unattractive grunt, and the misty vision of Eddie calling you his girl fades away. Right, back to being rude. Good. That's good. Less confusing.

"Asshole," you mutter amicably.

"Only for you," he smiles. You feel your heart tug in your chest, so you throw the streamers at his head. He ducks it with a boyish laugh.

You point out all the tasks that still need attending to, and Eddie makes himself surprisingly useful. Almost everything was finished prior to his arrival, but you'd be lying if you said that his help was unwelcome.

He clears off the couch and finishes laying out all the snacks, and you deal with this fucking streamer that just won't stay up, God damnit.

You both work in silence for several minutes, Eddie moving from room to room just like you did before he arrived. Hopefully with all the prepping, he doesn't have a chance to grill you, and you don't have a chance to slip up and confess anything.

Perfect. Having a task will keep you from utterly embarrassing yourself.

Speaking of your task, this streamer is the worst piece of paper you've ever encountered in your life. This is your White Whale, your Mount Everest. The bright tail of it flutters in your face mockingly, refusing to be affixed to the corner of the room. You wipe a bead of sweat off your temple and clench your jaw on the thumbtack pinched between your teeth, refusing to let this goddamned children's decoration get the best of you.

Somewhere in your periphery, you sense Eddie finish what he was doing and come to a rest leaning against the doorframe. The tiny hairs on your neck raise from the feeling of his eyes on your back.

You're fighting for your life over here, and Eddie is just... holy shit, he's laughing at your very serious, momentous struggle with the streamers!

Whatever, just focus, you think, trying to ignore how shaky his gaze makes your hands, how his laugh makes your stomach flutter, This streamer is imperative to the party's well being.

The corner of the wall is just barely out of your reach, but you refuse to readjust the stepladder again. That's basically admitting defeat. Maybe if you just- just lean over completely to the right, keeping one hand on the ladder for support? Yes! If you fully extend that should work- one arm completely outstretched with the streamer in hand, the ladder squeaks ominously underneath your feet, but you ignore that, you've nearly got it-

The ladder starts to keel over, threatening to send you with it.

Your best friend peels himself off the wall, crossing the room swiftly. He steadies the ladder with both hands, putting its legs firmly back on the floor before you can topple over. His arms bracket you in, and you return to an upright position. Ok, maybe that wasn't the smartest idea you've ever had.

He shakes his head, exasperated.

"Here, Jesus, you're gonna hurt yourself, sweetheart."

Before you have a chance to process sweetheart, Eddie climbs the ladder behind you. He doesn't even tell you to get down first, he simply steps onto the rung underneath the one you perch on. The smell of him envelopes you, the faint scent of cigarettes and weed, of drug store cologne and no-tears apple shampoo. You can feel the heat from his body against your own, pressed behind you, and it's all too much. This is too domestic of him. He's rendered you completely dumb.

His hands snake around your front to pluck the offending decoration from your viselike grip. One strong, ring-clad hand grips your right shoulder for balance. His chest flexes against your back as he leans over with minimal effort to hold the end of the streamer against the wall.

Was it this hot in here before? It feels really hot in here all of a sudden.

"Ok, now give me..." He says absentmindedly, reaching towards your lips with his other hand to pluck the thumbtack from your mouth. Your brain short circuits at the feeling of his calloused fingers brushing your parted lips. It sends an embarrassing bolt of warmth through your stomach, and if he hadn't been basically holding you up, you would have fallen off the stepladder.

"And- got it!" Eddie stabs the thumbtack through the end of the streamer with a victorious flourish of his hand. He leans back in and rights himself behind you, moving his palms to grip your waist for balance.

Fuck. Fuck. He's too close. His hands feel way too good on your sides. He's holding you close, back to chest, and you're sure he can feel your heartbeat thumping wildly out of your ribcage.

This is not good for your "pushing him away" plan. This is, in fact, the exact opposite of pushing someone away.

Eddie slinks back down the ladder, his hands sliding gently down your sides, his breath ghosting down your back as he descends. You can feel your pulse in your teeth.

And of course, when you shakily turn around, he's offering his hand to help you get down like a total gentleman. Because of course he's doing that right now.

Stupid fucking chivalrous, crazy-hot Eddie Munson.

You need to put a stop to this. Stop letting him be nice to you before you ruin everything (and make sure he doesn't know you were ridiculously turned on by all that).

"Ok, you're being weird," you say, ignoring his outstretched hand. You step off the ladder without his help, and shove the last of the streamer roll against his chest. That puts a healthy amount of space between the two of you, and you can finally breathe again.

"I'm being weird?"

"Yes."

"I'm being weird?"

"Yes," you repeat, purposefully ignoring how he emphasizes the first word.

He pauses. You're not letting this go.

"Weirder than normal?" a lopsided smile appears on his face. You fight the urge to smile back. He's trying to joke it off, but you have to stay strong, set some boundaries. Cool the situation down before you do something you'll both regret.

"I'm serious," you cross your arms against your chest. If anyone asked you'd say they're crossed in annoyance, but it feels more like protecting your vital organs.

"Ok, I'll bite. How am I being weird?"

"You left the game early for me," you list off on your fingers, "You're helping me decorate. You haven't said one thing yet that makes me want to punch you!"

"So?" he drags a hand across his face.

"So! So, you're being... nice to me."

That sentence hangs in the air for what feels like an eternity. Yes, he's definitely the problem. Nice is definitely the problem. If he would just stop being nice, no more being in love with him! Problem solved.

An imperceptible emotion flashes across his eyes, but he recovers before you can name it.

"Aww," he coos mockingly, "I'm always nice to you, princess."

"Fuck off," you shove his shoulder gently. You hate that nickname, and he knows it. He gifted it to you in detention the day you met, with half a twinkie held out like a peace offering in his hand. You punch like a little princess, he told you, and it stuck. You hate it, and it helps to ground you further, having a taste of your normal back and forth.

You realize you haven't taken your hand off his shoulder. Withdrawing it quickly, you put another few inches of space between you, the back of your knees knocking into the stepladder.

"We're not nice to each other, Munson. Be mean to me."

"You want me," his head tilts curiously, "to be mean to you?"

"Yes!" you rapidly exclaim, much louder than you intended. He takes an unsteady step back at your outburst.

"... Ok?"

"Thank you," you breathe.

The two of you stand silent like that for a long time, you still cowering against the ladder, him still cradling the streamers to his chest, unspoken words hanging thick in the air.

Eddie swallows loudly. You feel like he's about to say something, and if he keeps looking at you with his stupid beautiful doe eyes you're either going to kick him out or tear his clothes off.

This time when you hear the front door swing open, you're desperately grateful for whomever is barging into your house unannounced.

Walking single file into the living room is the newest group of Eddie's friends/World saving partners- Steve, Robin, Nancy, and Jonathan. You thank God for the group's intrusion. Like, for real, you might give each and every one of them a kiss for rescuing you.

Steve is the first to spot the pair of you.

"Hey, Munsonnnnnn! Woah," Steve looks around, squinting as his eyes adjust to the room's sparkly adornments, "it looks like prom in here."

Eddie's back is to him, and he makes one more attempt at eye contact with you before turning to greet the newcomers. You avoid his gaze.

"Hey, pretty boy!" Eddie turns on his heels, shaking off the awkward fog between you and slipping back into his cool-guy persona, "Glad you could grace us lowly freaks with your presence!"

The pair meet in the middle of the room and do an awkward half handshake/half man-hug.

"Well, no idea how to play yD&D , but I do know how to party," Steve says, raising a six-pack high in the air.

You exchange quick hellos with Jonathan and Nancy. Robin waves at you before scanning her eyes around the room. Her expression drops when she realizes no one else has arrived.

"We're early? Oh my god, we're early! That is so lame," Robin grumbles, kicking Steve lightly in the ankle.

The group bickers and laughs, blissfully unaware of the strained tension between you and your best friend. Unaware of how, if you had taken Eddie's hand when he offered it earlier, you would have pulled him into you and kissed him right there.

You mumble something about needing to go get changed, slipping past the group and rocketing up the stairs. The boisterous conversation fades behind you, and you exhale a sigh of relief.

It's only one night. You can handle yourself for that long.

"Where's Henderson?" you faintly hear Steve ask.

This is exactly what you needed. All your fussing over the decor might have seemed ridiculous at the time, but looking out over the living room, at all your friends enjoying themselves under the fairy lights and streamers fills your heart to the brim.

You play the gracious host, grabbing everyone new drinks, directing your friends towards the bathroom, keeping the music going and the people happy. There's a lot more people than you expected, but it's a perfect scenario for you- with all this party tending, you have no time for Eddie to catch you alone.

Several hours in, with a light buzz going, you find yourself trapped on the couch, being regaled with the epic tale of how the campaign went down after your departure.

A very long, extremely thorough tale.

"- and then I rolled two nat 20s in a row," Mike informs you, absolutely beaming, "I swear, I was on fire tonight!"

"Mmmhmm," you mumble for the hundredth time in the past 15 minutes, head leaning on your fist. You definitely need more beer if you're going to indulge them in this much longer.

Dustin shoves his friend in the shoulder.

"Pants on fire, maybe," Dustin turns to you self-righteously, "It wasn't an honest roll. He totally bumped the table."

"Did not!" Mike scoffs.

"Uh, did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

The pair continues their back and forth for an embarrassingly long time. If this is the future of Hellfire, God help you all.

"Boys!" your eyes snap upwards when you hear Eddie's voice enter the circle, "Boys, boys, boys. Let's stop trying to look cool in front of the lady, shall we?"

Eddie towers over them, his features lit softly by the fairy lights above him. Donning what he believes is a menacing look, he takes on the role of the ever-annoyed parent. The boys turn to him and plead their argument, talking over each other, growing increasingly louder and more frantic. He silences them after a few moments with a dismissive wave of his arm.

"No one cares, kiddos," He tuts. They pout as he continues, gesturing to you with the cup in his hand, "And what do we say for dick-measuring in front of the nice lady?"

"Sorry," both the boys mumble to you at Eddie's behest.

Eddie shoos Mike from his spot on the couch next to you, encouraging him to find his little girlfriend. He plops down ceremoniously, two red solo cups in hand. He positioned himself close, his ripped denim-covered thigh brushing your own. The drag of his leg against yours is so intoxicating, it's hard to remember why being this close to him is a bad idea.

"Both those drinks for you, Munson? That's excessive," you tease.

"Yup," he pops the word theatrically, and brings both the cups to his mouth at the same time. He sips them both goofily and inefficiently, a dribble of cheap beer trickling from one of the cups down his smooth chin.

You pursue the drop with your eyes, and imagine following the trail with your tongue, licking a lazy stripe from his jaw up to his open mouth. You nearly have to stifle a moan picturing what it would taste like- the amber liquid mixing with clean skin and spit.

"You're an animal," you mutter, feigning disgust at his antics.

He growls playfully at you. The noise would have been weird and cringey if it didn't make you throb involuntarily between your legs. It takes all the strength you can muster to roll your eyes.

"Actually sweetheart," he wipes his mouth with the back of his tattooed forearm and passes you one of the cups, "I grabbed this one for you."

Almost in a trance, you grab the beer from him and hold it close to you. You should be making a snarky remark about not wanting to drink his backwash. But once again, the smallest morsel of affection he throws your way leaves you vulnerable and speechless.

Why is it such a bad idea again to give him a thank-you kiss on the cheek, to snuggle into his side, to praise him profusely for thinking of you?

Because, the rational part of your brain reminds you, you're going to ruin your friendship, stupid.

Right. That.

You shrug off your lovesick daze and level Eddie with an indignant look. Not wanting to rehash your previous conversation in the middle of the party, you reiterate your point silently.

What did I just say about being nice to me? you raise an eyebrow at Eddie.

He stares back, then looks off quickly, giving in to your silent demand.

Right, sorry, He throws his hands up in surrender, Won't happen again.

A derisive snort erupts from the boy on the floor across from you. Right, Henderson. You'd forgotten he was there. And unfortunately, he'd been watching the entire non-verbal exchange with your best friend. He's also annoyingly perceptive.

"Booooo," Dustin cups his hands around his mouth, "Get a room, lovebirds."

You feel your cheeks heat up, and Eddie scoffs.

"I can hardly stand being in a room with you now," he throws cheekily at you.

You breathe a sigh of relief. This is... good. This is safe ground, familiar ground. You honestly aren't sure how you'd react if he was nice to you again.

"I'd leave right now if this wasn't my house," you hide a smile on the edge of your solo cup.

Now it's Dustin's turn to scoff.

"Oh please, Eddie, you never shut up about her! It's getting really annoying. You two should do us all a favor and just do it already-"

Eddie sets his drink down and moves so quickly to put Dustin in a headlock, the kid doesn't even have a chance to react.

They wrestle childishly for a minute or two, rolling around carelessly, knocking into people and furniture alike. You watch on in fake annoyance, only interjecting to berate them for bumping into your parents favorite lamp.

Eddie releases Dustin with a huff, having successfully pinned the freshman, and throws his hands over his head victoriously.

"Congrats, Eds. You physically dominated a twelve year old. We're all so proud."

Dustin sputters incredulously, something along the lines of I'm fifteen, actually.

You giggle at that, and Eddie settles back into your side. This time, much to your displeasure and excitement, he throws his arm around your shoulders. He's touchy in general, and for all your catfighting, you're no stranger to being tucked into his side like this. But today, with your light buzz and fuzzy emotions, it feels more intimate. More dangerous.

His fingers trace absentminded circles on your upper arm, and you shudder lightly at his touch. You should throw his arm off of you, but can't bring yourself to. Not when it feels so right.

Dustin picks himself up off the floor and dusts himself off with a huff.

"Eddie's just mad because he knows I'm right. There's too much sexual tension," he says, his bruised ego shining through. Damn, that kid always sounds like such a know-it-all. It's just his tone.

Your best friend leans in close, his lips lightly brushing the shell of your ear, and your breath involuntarily catches in your throat.

"Not even in your wildest dreams, sweetheart," he whispers loudly, then leans back with a toothy grin.

You curse the way your stomach drops at his statement. His mixed signals are driving you crazy. He still has his arm wrapped around you, but he basically just rejected you, basically said he would never even think about you in that way.

But this, this is normal, isn't it? Exactly what you asked for? This is how you guys are, he's an asshole to you, you're an asshole to him, why should your feelings be hurt, you never let it hurt, you won't let yourself get hurt.

The boys wander to a different topic, something about how lame the graduation ceremony was this year, completely oblivious to the internal riot happening in your head.

Not even in your wildest dreams, sweetheart. What the fuck did he mean by that? It's not like you were banging down his door or anything, you never even thought- I mean, yeah, fuck, ok maybe you thought about fucking him all the time, any way he would have you, but it's not like he knows that, and God did he have to say it like you were so fucking unappealing, like even the thought of being with you was some big fucking joke-

You shake your head violently, willing the physical action to clear your mind. Like an etch-a-sketch, you think blearily.

Yeah, you're definitely done with alcohol for the night.

Eddie's eyes drift back over to you at the sudden movement. His dimples fade away, the lazily content look on his face morphing into one of genuine concern.

"Hey, you ok?" he asks so earnestly it makes hot tears prickle behind your eyes.

Now he's being too nice again, and you can't handle it. It's just all too fucking confusing, his arm around your shoulder suddenly feels too restricting, too mocking.

Jesus, you need to get yourself together before you respond. The phrase I'm fine dies on the tip of your tongue. Ok, just don't say anything revealing, don't say anything at all actually, just don't say anything-

"Am I really that repulsive?" you spit, not meaning to let so much vitriol drip into your words. The plastic cup creaks in your hand, and you release the tension in your fist. You didn't even realize you'd been squeezing it so hard. Fuck, chill out, you're both just kidding around, he didn't mean to poke the one raw nerve you've been hiding from him.

Confusion flashes across his face. You never react like this to his teasing.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Munson, you wanna fuck me so bad it makes you look stupid."

The party is still going strong, but you swear the whole world goes silent in that moment. Maybe it's all the blood rushing to your ears, or the lack of a standard sarcastic reply from your friend.

You must have said that much louder than you intended, because now everyone in the living room is trying very hard to pretend they're not listening to your conversation.

Your mind flashes back to that moment in third grade, right after Eddie hit the ground. That achingly long, silent moment after you'd knocked him down, when you were waiting for him to say something, anything, and then he started laughing.

C'mon, start laughing.

But this wasn't a childish squabble. There was venom in your words, a tidal wave of repressed emotions and raw anger and lust and hurt, feelings you didn't even have the words for- and Eddie felt it.

His face blushes a deep scarlet, and his arm retracts from your shoulder like it had burned him. You’re itching to pull him back in, to take it back, to apologize, to explain that you were just kidding, but you're frozen.

"'M gonna get some air," He stands up swiftly, not making eye contact with you.

"Eds, wait-" You reach out for him, trying to grab his arm. He slips easily from your grasp and shoves his way through the mass of partygoers, disappearing into the hallway.

Well, that could have gone better.

"Shit," you mutter, slumping back into the couch. This is exactly why you'd been avoiding him in the first place- so you wouldn't stick your foot in your mouth.

When you glance up from your wound-licking, everyone's eyes dart away from you, avoiding your gaze.

Real nice, guys.

Dustin must feel guilty for instigating your outburst, because he stands up from his spot on the floor and takes point on damage control.

"Alright, show's over everyone. Go get another drink or something," he announces to the room, waving everyone away. He plops down on the couch and awkwardly puts a comforting hand on your shoulder.

"Sorry about them. We're just not used to Mom and Dad fighting,"

You laugh bitterly at the epithet the freshmen class had dubbed you. While it normally makes you secretly giddy to hear the kids refer to you and Eddie as such, you're not ready to give up on wallowing in your own self-pity.

"We fight literally all the time."

"No, you don't," he says matter-of-factly, "You never really get mad at Eddie. And I can't even imagine him being mad at you. What you actually do," he pauses, "is convoluted flirting."

You let out a groan. Is it really that obvious to everyone how you feel about him? You must not have been hiding it as well as you thought. That's so humiliating. And if everyone knows... that means Eddie must know too. Despite what you just yelled at him, he's not a stupid guy.

He must have figured it out. No wonder he's been so weird to you the last few months. It must be what... pity?

Oh my God. He's been so nice lately because he feels bad for you.

That's almost worse than him not liking you back.

"Christ, Henderson," you try denying, a transparent last ditch effort to cover up your feelings, "you have no idea what you're talking-"

"Are you dicking me around? You're fully dicking me around right now," he states incredulously, "You. Are. Into him."

Denial isn't going to work on the kid. He's too goddamn observant for that.

Hearing your feelings out loud like that, even if it isn't you saying it, sends a shot of anxiety through your stomach. Normally you'd dissent and evade the topic, but that hasn't exactly been working out for you tonight. And if everyone knows already, fuck it.

You decide to give honesty a try.

"It doesn't matter, ok? Eddie doesn't... see me like that," you concede.

"Have you ever, I don't know, asked him?" He questions, his voice tipping right on the edge of condescending.

"... No."

Dustin pats your arm sympathetically, as if he's soothing a petulant child rather than someone five years older than him.

"Well, that seems like the place to start."

Still pouting, you shake your head.

"Why would I do that, Dustin? Just for him to reject me? It'll ruin what we have," you sulk and look down at your hands. The whole incident with Eddie sobered you up immediately, making the foamy cup of beer you're clutching look extremely appealing right about now. Moving the cup to your lips, you start to gulp it down. Dustin, clearly fed up with your self-indulgent wallowing, stands up and snatches the cup away from you.

"Hey!"

He holds the cup out of your clawing reach, and speaks at you loudly, in that sanctimonious tone he uses when he thinks he knows better than someone.

"You may be too stubborn to see it, but you're both so into each other it makes me sick!"

You're not even listening to him anymore. You're so frustrated at how this conversation is going, with how your whole night is going. Jesus Christ this kid is a total fucking headache! First he causes your fight with Eddie, then he totally embarrasses you by making you admit your crush, and now he's snatching shit from you? All of the misdirected irritation you've felt building since earlier balls up in your stomach, threatening to break out. Malicious words start to form in your mouth, preparing to absolutely rip him a new one. What a self righteous little-

Pause.

His sentence finally registers in your brain.

Both? You're both so into each other?

All the anger you felt dissipates in a split second. Both. Meaning, you and Eddie. Feeling the same way.

No, there's no way. It had to be a figure of speech, or a slip of the tongue. The part of you desperate to protect yourself retains there's no way that's what Dustin meant, but a cautiously hopeful warmth spreads through your chest all the same.

"He- when you say both- do you mean he also..."

Dustin cuts you off with an exasperated sigh of your name.

"Just go talk to him."

You've been doing laps around your house for nearly twenty minutes in search of your best friend. Everyone is 100% annoyed with you by now. You'd asked all your friends at least twice if they'd seen him, and only got back half-hearted shrugs and variations on "I don't know, we thought he was with you."

He has to still be here. His shoes are still by the door, and Gareth assured you that Eddie's van is still parked outside.

He wasn't on the back porch with the smokers, or in the kitchen, or in the basement with the other type of smokers. You tried checking your bedroom, but the door was locked, and from the outside you could hear multiple voices making some very emphatic sounds. Mental note- bleach literally everything in your room tomorrow.

Wouldn't it be a real cosmic gut-punch if that was Eddie in there with someone? a jealous voice in your head croons. You roughly push the thought down.

The only place left to check is the upstairs bathroom. When you reach the door you notice the light is on inside, yellow light leaking from the doorframe.

You move your hand up to knock, and waver momentarily. Your hand is still poised to rap on the door. Maybe it's not Eddie in there, you consider. Maybe it's just someone who had a few too many, and you're about to bother some poor soul hugging the toilet bowl.

Yeah, that's perfect. It won't be him. He definitely just left his van behind, walked home without shoes, and you can both take the night to cool off. You won't have to confess anything tonight. You'll call him tomorrow, apologize for being a dick, and pray he doesn't hang up on you. Everything will go back to normal.

Clinging to your false hope, you tentatively knock on the door.

"Ocupado," a muffled voice bleeds from the other side of the door.

Eddie.

Of course. You wouldn't be that lucky.

You steel yourself for whatever lies ahead, and turn the knob. Part of you prays it won't open, that he miraculously shed his bad habit of forgetting to lock bathroom doors. But the knob rotates without resistance.

No going back now. You swing the door open and shut it behind you swiftly. The sounds of music and laughter muffles abruptly as the door closes. Sitting hunched over on the edge of the tub is your best friend, his head sheltered in his hands.

"Holy shit, occupied!" He raises his head to rail at the intruder, "What part of- oh," he cuts himself off abruptly when his eyes land on you.

He stares at you intently, his jaw ticking from how hard he's clenching it. Both of you are waiting for the other to speak, neither one wanting to break the silence first. You squirm under his piercing gaze and lower your head to peer at the floor.

"The, uh, door was open," you mumble after a while.

"Jesus Christ, what if I was taking a shit or something?" he hisses.

Normally you'd wrinkle up your nose and call him gross, or admonish him for not locking the door, but you don't have the energy for that right now. You lean back against the door for support and cross your arms over your chest. He still refuses to break eye contact with you.

"... Sorry."

More silence.

"Well?" he asks pointedly. He looks pissed, more pissed than you've ever seen him, "What's so fucking important that you had to bust in here?"

His tone reignites the swell of anger in your stomach. Normally he's the funny kind of asshole, but right now he sounds like a total prick. You can't believe you were really coming in here to apologize and confess your feelings to him.

"I'll just go," you snap. You turn around to leave, gripping the door knob tightly, "This was a mistake."

You barely manage to crack the door open before Eddie appears behind you, reaching over your shoulder to close it firmly. He's boxing you against the door, his breath fanning over your neck. Against your better judgment, you register a dull throb between your legs at the position he has you in.

He reaches down to lock the door this time, still caging you in, a silent demand that you don't run away from this conversation. You swallow audibly.

He's not going to let you avoid him any longer.

Eddie lingers behind you a moment before retreating again, allowing you space to turn around and face him. His brown eyes, normally soft and jovial, are squinted in irritation. His broad shoulders shake lightly, with hurt or anger you can't be sure.

You take a deep breath and prepare to apologize for earlier, but he cuts you off before you even begin.

"What the hell is your problem tonight?"

He raises his eyebrow at you, impatiently waiting for your response.

Lie, the cowardly voice in your head says. Dustin was just jerking you around, you're going to ruin everything. Lie lie lie, you can't let him know how you really feel.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," you say coolly.

"Really?" he crosses his arms and pouts, mocking your closed off stance.

"I don't-"

Eddie cuts you off before you can double down.

"I'm nice to you, and you tell me to fuck off. I'm mean, and you lose your shit. I'm walking on goddamn eggshells over here, so pick one, because you can't have both."

He finishes his monologue, his breath coming out in short puffs.

Oh my God, you think, I must seem literally crazy right now.

It sucks to have your own behavior laid out so plainly like this, to be confronted with how your actions are hurting him.

You can't even get defensive, because the worst part is, he's right. You were mad at him for sending mixed signals, but you're the one who's been avoiding him for weeks and embarrassing him in the middle of a party. And now you're flipflopping so fast he can't even keep up.

In all your self-absorbed uncertainty, you never stopped to consider how confusing you must be to him right now.

You don't answer him fast enough.

"Just tell me what you want from me!" he begs.

"I just- I want-" you start and stop several different sentences, but can't find the end of any of them. You sigh raggedly and tilt your head up towards the ceiling, harshly blinking against the frustrated tears beginning to bead up in your eyes.

You can feel him inching closer to you. When he speaks, his voice comes out gentle, low, almost... hurt?

"Do you want me to be nice to you or not?" he implores, "I'll be mean if you want mean. Whatever you want, sweetheart, I'll do it. You just have to tell me."

"I... Both. Neither?"

He huffs at that, rolling his eyes to stare up at the ceiling.

You think you're confused, buddy? Try living inside my brain.

He's not getting anywhere with this line of questioning. He tries approaching from a different angle this time.

"You've been avoiding me," he states. It's not a question.

"... Yeah." you admit carefully.

He purses his mouth tight and nods. You'd only confirmed what he already knew, what you'd both been dancing around all night.

"Did I do something wrong?"

No, you shake your head tearfully.

"Do you want me to," he sighs, "give you some space, or whatever?"

"No!" you exclaim. The thought makes you panic, a single teardrop finally spilling over your lash line, "Fuck, God no, that's not- I mean, I thought I did but- that's not what this is about."

Eddie's curses under his breath, growing tired of playing twenty questions.

"Then what is it about?"

"I-" like you, you idiot, "It's just.. I can't- God! Fuck, I can't!" you groan dramatically and bury your head in your hands.

Why is it so hard to just say Munson, I want you? It's just Eddie. Drug-dealing, music-snobby, ridiculous, overdramatic, forgetful...

Caring, funny, thoughtful, loyal, beautiful Eddie Munson who you don't want to lose forever all because you have a stupid crush on him.

He crosses the chasm between you hesitantly. Grabbing both your wrists, he removes them from your face, replacing them with his own. He cradles your face tenderly, like you could shatter under the weight of his hands, and uses a thumb to swipe away the tear on your cheek.

He breathes your name gently, and you glance up at him through your lashes.

"Please, just... tell me what you want," he whispers. His face is so close to yours, every freckle and hair visible in perfect clarity. His eyes dart around your face intently for an answer.

What do you want? He wants you to choose what you want?

Fuck this, you choose. You choose fuck this- fuck how beautiful he looks right now, fuck how him touching you like this makes your heart flutter, fuck how badly you wish you could drop all the stupid pretense and tell him that I need you to be mean to me because otherwise, I'm gonna admit I like you!

"I like you," you blurt.

Fuck.

Eddie's eyebrows shoot up at your declaration. His hands fall from your face as he backs up a bit, and you want to scream. You actually might scream, he looks so freaked out.

"You... like me?"

Fuck.

"Yes," you repeat. You're fighting to seem confident, like that will quell the pit of fear in your stomach, will lessen the wave of humiliation threatening to drown you. His eyes open impossibly wider, an indiscernible expression on his face.

You backtrack quickly, "No. No! I'm so sorry, of course not! You know what? I take it back. I didn't mean it, I was just kidding! Just please, please forget I ever said anything, ok?"

He shakes his head and points a finger at you as you ramble.

"Nooooooo. You said," a mischievous smile spreads across his face, his voice sing-songy and teasing, "You like me. Like, like me like me. Like, you want me."

Of course he's letting this go to his head. You told him you like him and now he's laughing at you. The last thing you can handle right now is him making fun of you when you're at your most vulnerable.

"Well, if you're gonna be a fucking dick about it-" you shoot your hand out once more to reach for the door. Eddie blows out a sharp breath and pulls your arm towards him, maneuvering you to face him with your back pressed against the sink.

"Sorrysorrysorry, I’m sorry! Will you stop trying to run away from me? It's getting annoying," he says, not at all unkindly. He still has that wide smile on his face, the corners of his eyes crinkling up in amusement.

Your face is still radiating heat. Your breath comes out in sharp pants. One of Eddie's hands moves to your hip, the other attempting to lift your chin upwards. You move your head out of his grasp.

He says your name again, vying for your attention.

"Would you just look at me," he jostles your hip playfully, "Please? You don’t have to be embarrassed.”

You shake your head at the ground. Now he's trying to cheer you up when you totally just ruined your friendship? This is so fucking humiliating, you wish the ground would open up and swallow you whole.

His head rolls completely around, face-framing curls flopping in his face. His whole body tilts to the side in a dramatic display.

And in that moment, Eddie makes a decision- you just admitted something, and now it's his turn.

"Does it really make me look stupid?" he asks, tightening the grip on your hip, pulling you ever so slightly closer to him.

You finally raise your gaze to his.

"I- what?" you blink dumbly up at him.

He quickly drags you in even closer, until there’s no space between you at all. Your hands fly up for balance, landing squarely on his broad chest.

"You said earlier, it makes me look stupid," he swallows, "How badly I want to fuck you."

You must have passed out from sheer embarrassment. That’s the only explanation for what’s happening right now- you’d knocked yourself out in humiliation, and now you’re laying on the bathroom floor, dreaming. Because there’s no way Eddie actually just admitted to wanting you, no way he’s holding you this tightly against him, and no way he’s licking his lips as his eyes dart down to your mouth.

"What..." you repeat dazedly.

His head dips down at an aching crawl, like he’s giving you the chance to push him away.

"I thought it was kind of obvious,” he chuckles, “But I like you too, sweetheart. Always have,” a boyish, vulnerable smile flashes across his face.

Instantly a tidal wave of relief floods your body. Your sigh fans across his face, still so close to your own. You didn’t ruin anything. He likes you back.

Eddie likes you.

“We can talk about what this means later,” he murmurs intimately, one thumb stroking your hip, “But right now I really need to kiss you, so just… tell me to stop."

You don’t stop him. His plush lips brush yours briefly, chastely. Tingles spark where his mouth presses to yours, and now you know it’s not a dream. None of your dreams have ever felt this electric.

When he goes to pull away, you don’t let him. You grasp his face with both hands and pull him hungrily into you, kissing him again- harder this time, more insistent. His mouth parts under the pressure, and he swipes his tongue against your bottom lip. You give him entrance immediately, and you both let out a soft moan at the feeling of his tongue massaging against yours.

It’s unreal- absolutely unreal how good he is at this. When you used to hang out alone, he would always divulge the details of his latest hookup- which cheerleader is actually freaky, which Corroded Coffin groupie cornered him at a venue. You would laugh when he proclaimed himself a sex god (of course, you’d also be secretly jealous of whichever girl he was hooking up with). But you never thought he was actually as good as he claimed, you thought he was exaggerating out of male-pride. Now you can't believe you’d wasted so much time not kissing your best friend.

A giggle rumbles up from your chest.

Oh my God, you think giddily, I’m kissing Eddie. My best friend Eddie.

He pulls away reluctantly with a final quick peck, a string of spit connecting your mouth to his.

“What?” he smirks down at you, with an expression that can only be described as adoration, “What’s got you all giggly, baby?” his hands brush comfortingly up and down your arm.

You snort again at the pet name, your heart swelling and your head lighter than air.

“You,” you ball up his shirt in your grasp and yank him back down to you, “Just you.”

He reattaches himself to your lips, resuming his worship of your mouth. Your arms slide up from his chest to clasp around the back of his neck, and you kiss him harder. One hand reaches up into the curly hair tied up behind his head, and gives an experimental tug. He rewards you with a short gasp. His tongue swipes against the roof of your mouth, almost like he’s trying to tickle you, and you giggle again.

Kissing him is really, really hot. Ridiculously, leg shakingly, earth-shatteringly hot.

It’s also full of silly moments. You’re both teasing and prodding at the other, trying to get the other to laugh into the kiss. But you’re also both gasping and panting, holding onto each other with all your strength, growing more and more turned on.

“You know what’s weird?” he says into your mouth.

“Hmm?”

“This doesn’t feel weird. Like, at all,” he squeezes your hips. You give his hair another gentle tug in response.

He’s right- even when you imagined what this moment could be like, there was always the underlying fear that it wouldn’t work, that you and Eddie together would be too awkward. But this is so you- so perfect.

You kiss like that for what feels like forever, taking time to explore each other. Eddie paws at whatever he can reach, the curve of your ass, the plush of your thighs, the divots of your spine.

As the kiss grows more and more heated, the silly teasing dies down. The hands wandering your body grow rougher, more frantically grabbing at you. Your underwear starts to dampen uncomfortably. Something hard and warm presses against your stomach. You’re aching to find out what.

He disconnects from you again, and you pout.

“Hop up for me?” he taps twice at your hip bone.

With his help, you brace yourself on the counter and haul yourself backwards to sit on the edge of the sink.

“Good girl,” he praises, sharp canines flashing at you roguishly.

Your cheeks heat up at the endearment. Good girl. You’re his good girl. Fuck, that sounds so good coming out of his mouth. You cover your face with your hands and let out an embarrassed whine.

“Oh my God,” he snickers, “I so knew you’d be into that.”

“Shut up,” one hand shoots out to shove at his shoulder. He catches it and presses a mockingly apologetic smooch into your wrist. “Kiss me again.”

You don’t have to tell him twice. Two ring-clad hands grip your legs and spread them wide, an open invitation for Eddie to stand between them. He accepts graciously. Now that he has better access, he tilts your head backwards and leans down to mouth at the spot where your neck and shoulder meet.

Eddie works up and down your throat, pressing bruising kisses into the sensitive skin there. Your hands wander his body as he works, shakily pushing hair from his face, grasping his taut biceps, clutching his ass.

“So good for me,” he mumbles.

You gasp when he sucks and nips one spot particularly roughly, then soothes it with his tongue. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you register that you’ll have crazy hickeys blooming tomorrow, bruises that everyone else will definitely tease you for. But you can’t bring yourself to care, not when Eddie decorated you with them so lovingly.

His hips slowly start to grind into yours, stuttering against your warm, still clothed center.

“Just let me know if you want to slow down,” his words say one thing, but the desperate way he ruts in between your parted thighs says another.

“I’m good,” You shake your head vigorously. You’re burning to keep going. You’ve waited so long to have him touch you, love you, worship you like he’s doing right now. You’re ready for whatever he’s willing to give you, “I wanna keep going. Please.”

“Fuck. Yeah, ok,” he stifles a groan at the desperation in your voice. Lithe fingers slip beneath the hem of your shirt to splay against your stomach. His fingertips twirl intricate patterns on your skin, and you shiver at the temperature difference between his hands and the cool metal of his rings.

With your permission he tugs your shirt upwards and over your head, tossing it on the floor behind him. Silently, you thank your earlier self for putting on your cute bra today.

“Is this ok?” he checks in with you, keeping his hands to himself with great difficulty. His eyes rake over you hungrily.

In answer, you reach behind you to unclasp your bra, tossing it over Eddie’s shoulder.

You lean back on your palms, pushing your chest out as confidently as you can. His eyes bug out of his head the moment you’re half naked, and it’s a shot straight to your ego.

“Holy shit, babe,” he reaches out greedily to grasp at your chest, palming both, pushing them together and then letting them drop into his hands, “Did you know you’re really fuckin’ hot?” he tweaks both nipples in his hands, grinning as they perk up under his touch.

You squirm under his praise.

“Oh, you’re shy again, huh?” he smirks, and dips down to catch the peak of your breast in his mouth. One hand flies shakily to his hair as he nuzzles at you, cradling him tightly to your sternum.

He pulls away from you with a pop, then switches to the other side. His tongue slides over your nipple lasciviously, the tantalizingly wet sound of spit on skin reaches your ears. A soft moan leaves him as he rolls the sensitive bud between his lips.

The gentle scrape of his teeth is what breaks you.

“Fuck, Eds,” a sound embarrassingly close to a whine escapes your throat.

“Shit, baby, you sound even better than I imagined,” he mumbles against the skin of your chest.

You feel an impossible amount of wetness spreading between your thighs at his admission. He’s thought about this- the mental image of Eddie alone in his trailer, hand palming his cock roughly, getting himself off to the imagined sounds of you moaning- it’s almost too much for you to handle.

“You imagined this?” you ask breathlessly.

He looks up and scoffs, making a face that says, are you kidding me?

“Only every night since I hit puberty,” he ducks back down to suck a mark into your collar bone.

Your head is spinning. Eddie’s lips are on you, his hard cock is nuzzled against your thigh, his soft pants and curses are all because he’s touching you. This all feels unreal, and you’re desperate for more of his skin to be exposed to you.

“Your turn?” you hum, tugging at the bottom of his shirt.

He disconnects from your skin with a pop and grins wolfishly at you. He reaches behind his head and pulls off his t-shirt in one fluid motion, turning at the waist to toss it into the steadily growing pile of discarded clothes.

You should be focusing on his pale taut chest, the curve of his collarbone, his bare arms flexing underneath his tattoos, the sparse trail of hair on his stomach disappearing into the waistband of his boxers- but you can’t.

Your eyes fall to his ribs immediately, to the crisscross of bite marks and scar tissue lacing his sides. You knew he’d been injured saving the world, but you’d never seen how bad it was.

He rushes back into you, eager to reattach his lips to your skin, but you hold him at arm's length. You can’t take your eyes off his healed wounds.

You must look as concerned as you feel, because he's quick to brush you off.

"It looks worse than it is," he tells you humbly, grabbing one of your wrists and pressing it to his side, inviting you to gently brush against the battle-marred skin.

Fuck, it's so easy to forget how close you were to losing him. How he could've been gone, and you wouldn't have had the chance to tell him how you really feel. The last thing you said to him would have been some dumb, meaningless quip. The thought makes you lightheaded, your breath coming in short puffs.

"Hey," he lowers his head to your level, purposefully holding eye contact with you, "I'm okay. I’m not going anywhere, I promise."

You nod erratically, pressing your hands more firmly into his sides. His heart beat flutters through his ribs against your palms. Steady. A bit elevated.

Perseverant.

"Yeah, I know. I know, I was just thinking," you clear your throat against a voice crack, "That you look pretty metal."

“Yeah?” his face splits into a wide grin.

“Yeah. Metal as hell, Munson,” you lovingly caress the wounds on his side once more.

He pulls you into a heartbreaking kiss. Not as lustful as earlier, softer, yet more insistent. Full of heart and hope and love, and the unmistakable feeling of being alive.

The kiss quickly grows deeper and more desperate, his tongue dragging headily against the roof of your mouth. Your back arches into him when he bites at your lower lip. You both pant into each other's mouths, the press of your nipples against his chest sending shivers down your spine.

Your mouth reaches for his neck, and you mimic his earlier ministrations on you- licking a long wet stripe up his neck, suckling bruises into the hot spot right below his blushed ear. His hips give a weak stutter when your teeth catch his earlobe, and you swear his eyes cross.

“I so knew you’d be into that,” you repeat his tease from earlier, and nibble gently on the shell of his ear.

He presses into you impossibly closer, and what can only be described as a whimper falls from his lips when you leave a love bite on the crux of his jaw.

“Can I touch you now,” he sighs, “Please?”

Mmhmm, you nod eagerly. Equal parts of excitement, arousal and anxiety course through your veins- you’ve waited for this for so long, and now that it’s finally happening, it’s a tad nerve-wracking.

His hands fumble with the button of your jeans, and he glances quickly up at you with a look equally nervous and elated. You’re relieved to know he feels just as nervous as you do. It sets you at ease. Eddie always makes you feel better, even when he isn’t trying.

He pushes and paws at the fabric until it passes over the curve of your ass. You lift your hips off the counter, allowing him enough room to peel the denim off you and drop it to the floor. His eyes glaze over when he turns his gaze back to you.

You sit before him, lips kiss-swollen, chest heaving, completely naked except for a pair of tiny black of panties.

Eddie’s sanity has left the building.

“How are you even real,” he groans, more to himself than to you.

One shaking hand deposits itself on the crease between your thigh and your waiting center. You hum with need. The hand on your thigh peruses you lightly, testingly. You’d expected him to dive right in, to rip off your underwear and go to town, but he doesn’t. He draws it out, building up the anticipation.

His thumb brushes a line across your damp underwear with a smile.

“That’s cute,” he crinkles his nose when you jolt at the sensation of his thumb catching your clit. He goes back to touching everywhere but that electric spot, teasing and rubbing around it, his finger exploring you through the fabric.

“What is?” you shiver, fighting the urge to take his hand and push it back to where you ache for it most.

“How wet you are for me already,” His finger slides shallowly underneath the elastic, just barely ghosting across the sensitive skin. He raises the band of your underwear and lets it go with a snap. You jump slightly at the stinging sensation.

“Eddie!” you yelp, “Stop teasing, you’re being-”

“Mean?”

You huff a small laugh. At first, you think he’s joking. But a mischievous glimmer flashes across his eyes, and then he’s hardening his expression.

His thumb returns to your clit, and you nearly sob in gratitude until you feel how soft he’s being- just barely grazing the nub with each half circle.

“But I thought,” he leans down and gnaws a gentle bite into your pulse point, “You wanted me to be mean?”

You shake your head desperately.

"No? So what, sweetheart" he says in between nips at your neck, "You gonna let me be nice to you now?"

His thumb circles faster, still only applying the faintest hint of pressure through the soaked fabric. You attempt to grind your hips up into his hand, but he holds your hip down flush against the counter, only allowing you to take as much as he wants to give you.

"I get to say all the nice things I've wanted to say?" he whispers against the shell of your ear. You mumble under your breath, unable to form a proper response. Eddie stills his hand completely.

You let out an embarrassing whine.

“Yes, God, whatever you want, just please, please touch me,” desperation leaks into your voice.

Eddie smiles against the side of your throat and yanks your panties down to hang off one ankle.

“Well, because you asked so nicely,” he swipes two fingers through your folds without further delay.

Your breath catches in your throat as two of his fingers circle your entrance, collecting the wetness that pools there. Fireworks flash in your vision. He dips ever so slightly inside of you, then works his hand upwards towards your clit and gives a testing rub. You stutter through a moan.

“Right there?” he strokes more confidently this time.

“Yeah, that’s- yeah,” you sigh, throwing your head back.

“Fuck,” he drops his head to your shoulder, staring at the way his fingers work against you.

He lets you rock your hips into his hand for a while as he strokes you, chasing the growing sensation. It’s like he can read your mind. He knows exactly the amount of pressure and speed you require to be shaking under him. He’s hardly even touched you, but you can feel your orgasm building up, curling around your insides like tendrils of smoke.

You’ve never needed anything more than to touch him back. With unsteady hands, you reach out to unbuckle his belt, shoving his pants half-way down his thighs unceremoniously. Your hand wraps around his dick through his boxers and gives a few squeezes. He bucks into your hands with a moan, his rhythm on your clit faltering.

You whine when he bats your hands away reluctantly.

“Don’t worry about me, pretty girl,” he whispers, refocusing on you, swiping against your bud in a way that has your toes curling, “This one’s all you.”

His two fingers disappear momentarily, and he shushes you before you can whine again. He replaces it with his thumb, continuing the rhythm you liked before, and trails his index finger down to inch slowly into your waiting entrance. You gasp at the feeling. It’s just one finger, but it’s so long and thick that you can feel yourself stretch around it.

“You have the prettiest pussy baby, Jesus,” he presses an adoring kiss to your shoulder and gawks at the way his fingers thrust inside you, glistening with your slick.

You can’t even bring yourself to be embarrassed.

Chattering voices pause outside the doorway, and you fight to still yourself, even as Eddie’s fingers work against you, inside you.

You’re suddenly very aware that he’s fingerfucking you in a bathroom, in the middle of a party, with all your friends just downstairs.

He adds another finger without warning, and you have to slap a hand over your mouth to stifle a moan. Eddie turns his ear towards the door, gauging the distance of the people outside, never pausing the rough drag of his fingers against your walls. His free hand raises to his lips, one finger against his smirking mouth in a hush gesture.

He pulls the tips of his fingers forward in a come-hither motion, rubbing deliciously against the spot inside you that you can never reach with your own hands. Luckily at the exact moment a loud whimper leaves you, whoever’s outside erupts into obnoxious laughter.

You both pause and turn to the door, waiting to make sure no one heard you moan. After what feels like an eternity, the voices in the hallway fade away, the sounds of footsteps thunder down the stairs.

Eddie drops his forehead to your shoulder once more, and redoubles his efforts, thrusting his fingers harder into you, the thumb circling your clit nearing on vicious.

“That was a close one, babe,” he teases, “almost got caught.”

You can feel your bottom half tightening, and your pussy starts to flutter around his hand. Eddie smiles and circles his thumb around, hitting from a new angle, and you’re about to combust.

"I ha-have a room, you know," you gasp through your fingers, your legs start to shake around him.

Eddie shakes his head vigorously into the crook of your neck.

"Nancy, Steve, an' Jonathan are using it."

Well, file that away to ask about later.

“Guess you have to try and keep quiet,” he leans up to kiss you, silencing your growing pants with his mouth.

You whimper against his lips, the hip held in his grip thrashes upwards into his hand, and he holds you steady through it. Your hole squeezes his fingers rhythmically, warning him of your impending orgasm.

“Shit baby, you gonna cum for me already?” he asks incredulously. Color stains high in his cheeks, and he looks so proud of himself, so proud of you.

You nod pathetically.

“Such a good girl,” he simpers.

The rubber band in your stomach tightens impossibly, threatening to snap. His fingers move inside you once, twice, and you’re gone.

“Eds- Eddie, I-” you lean back and come around his fingers with a broken moan.

It’s like a wildfire, ripping through your whole body without abandon.You don’t care how loud you are, because the only thing that exists right now is Eddie- his hands, his mouth, his panting. You clutch his arm roughly, your nails leaving half-moon impressions in his flesh. He works you through it gently, lovingly pumping his fingers inside you until you have to push his thumb off your clit, shivering from overstimulation.

You catch his lips again in a sloppy, sated kiss.

“That was… wow,” you lean back, resting your cheek against the cold bathroom mirror.

It was much more than “wow”. That was better than you ever dared to hope. If you knew this would happen tonight, that your feelings would be returned, that Eddie would be smiling down at you after giving you one of the best orgasms of your life, you would have walked in on him in the bathroom ages ago.

“Very wow,” He smiles slyly and slips his fingers wetly out of you.

The cool glass of the mirror against your cheek is a welcome contrast to the hot drag of his fingers leaving you. Your breath still comes out in heavy pants, recovering from your climax. Even as you come down, you still feel that spark inside your gut, that need for him.

Eddie leans across your naked torso to plant a kiss on your cheek, and he nuzzles his nose into your hair.

“Do you wanna stop?” he whispers into the side of your head.

Hmm? You murmur, your brain still fuzzy from the orgasm he just gave you.

“We can stop here, if you want,” he kisses your forehead, “Go back to the party, or just talk?”

You glance down at the erection clearly visible in his boxers- at some point when he was fingering you, he must have shoved off his ripped jeans completely. His chest is flushed completely, heaving silently, and you can tell how turned on he is. He’s straining against his waistband with arousal, and he’s still thinking about your comfort first.

“No!” you lean forward, and brush a finger across the front of his boxers. He shivers at the faint touch, “No, I wanna… wanna keep going.”

His hands tighten against the edge of the counter, his knuckles blanching from the pressure.

“Yeah?” his nearly growls, eyes darkening at the prospect.

“Yeah,” you smile coquettishly, “I want you to fuck me.”

His eyes roll back into his head and shut tight, almost as if he’s saying a quick prayer.

“I was really hoping you’d say that,” he kisses you again fervently, like he’s a man dying of thirst and you’re the last sip of cold water.

His hips slot between yours again, grinding intentionally this time. You exhale a moan as the tip of his cock nudges your oversensitive clit through the fabric. Your wetness spreads around the front of his boxers messily, and you’re about to tear them off him-

"Fuck, shit!" Eddie rips himself away from you without warning, leaving you cold and exposed on the counter, "Shit shit shit," he mumbles. A spike of anxiety rips through you.

"What? What's wrong?"

Eddie drops to his knees on the ground, grabbing his discarded jeans off the floor and digging through the pockets fervently. You nervously cross your arms over your bare chest, watching as he tosses the pants back down. He sighs heavily, not having found what he was looking for.

He rises up and moves to the cabinet above the toilet. Swinging the hinge open, he rifles through your toiletries, cursing under his breath the whole time. He's still in just his underwear. The sight would be comical if this display wasn't making you so nervous.

"Eds, what are you-"

"I don't have a condom. Shit!" he interrupts with his back to you, still shoving through your belongings frantically.

"Eddie-"

"You don't have some down there, do you?" he turns around, points to the cabinet underneath the sink and advances forward to squat in front of you. He grabs both your ankles with one hand and holds them to the side, placing a distracted kiss on your knee before reaching to rummage in the drawers under you.

"Do I keep condoms in the bathroom my mother cleans?" you snort, your legs flexing in his grip, "No."

"Fuck. How about plastic wrap?" he punctuates each suggestion with the slam of a drawer, "Ziploc bag?" slam, "A really thick sock?" slam.

"Eddie, stop," you giggle and grab his face between your hands, stilling his restless body. He stares up at you through his lashes, breathing hard, and trails his hands up from your ankles to grip your thighs.

"It's okay," you reassure him, "I'm on the pill. So, if you want to- I mean I really want you to- ya' know..." you trail off.

He exhales unsteadily.

"You want me to come inside you?"

Your chest tightens with slight embarrassment. Hopefully that doesn't freak him out, but yes. You can't think of anything besides Eddie fucking into you with no barrier, feeling every twitch, him spilling so deep inside you that you can feel it for days after.

You nod at him, tight lipped.

His forehead drops to your thigh and he lets out another shaky breath. You wiggle impatiently on your tailbone, waiting for him to respond. He settles his shoulders decisively, and you're almost worried he's about to turn you down. Instead he lunges up and catches your lips in a bruising kiss.

"This is my fuckin' wet dream, I swear," he yanks your hips to the very edge of the counter. He kisses you again, all tongues and teeth, and his underwear disappears in an instant.

You’re floored. Like, your jaw is dropped, absolutely flabbergasted- and that’s not a word you throw around lightly.

“Holy shit,” you pull away to stare at him, completely naked and aching before you.

“Impressive, right?” he waggles his eyebrows at you, “Do I live up to your imagination?”

Impressive is definitely the right word. You’d felt him earlier, just briefly, but nothing could have prepared you for the sight of him. He easily has the nicest dick you’ve ever seen. It’s fucking pretty- a trail of dark hair leading mouth-wateringly down, blushed as red as the rest of him, and leaking pearly drops of arousal at the tip.

It’s also way bigger than you anticipated. Like, I don’t know if it’ll fit bigger. Your eyes widen with slight anxiety.

I have no idea where the fuck you think you’re putting that, buddy.

“I mean, yeah. Better than imagination. But- uh…” you swallow. He has to know how intimidating this is.

“Hey, you’re gonna be fine, baby,” he drops the smug act and cups your face, “I’ll go slow, ok? Just let me know if I need to stop.”

With one final glance down at his throbbing cock, you give a sharp nod.

“Yeah, ok,” you steel yourself and brace against the counter as he grabs himself with one hand, giving a few short pumps before lining himself up with you.

The stretch you feel around just the tip of his cock is insane. He’d already worked you open with an orgasm around his thick fingers, and you’re drenching both your thighs with your arousal. You’re as prepared as you could possibly be, but this much of his cock inside you already makes you feel full.

“Oh my God,” he groans as he slowly breaches the ring of muscle at your entrance, “You’re so wet baby, Jesus.” You know from previous drunken conversations that Eddie has never had sex without a condom before. It must be taking all his willpower to go slow for your sake.

He moans your name brokenly, just barely inching himself inside you. You desperately want to hear that again.

You wiggle your hips gently and clench around him, anything you can do to get him to moan your name again. He has to shoot his hand to the countertop and grab it ferociously to stop himself from bucking his hips fully into you.

“Not nice, sweetheart,” he growls, “I don’t wanna hurt you. Play nice.”

Your pouting is cut off by a moan when he gently thrusts further into you.

“Fuck- how are you still so- ah- tight?” the hand gripping the counter comes up to clutch at your breast. His grip is just on the edge of painful, and he claws at you like he’s trying to distract himself, to calm himself down. You hope you’ll have finger shaped bruises to stare at in the morning.

You hum and pant, “I think you’re just really… really big.”

He huffs an uneven laugh at that.

He’s only halfway in when you hold him still with your thighs, clenching them tight around his waist and trembling with exertion. It’s not exactly painful, it’s just so much. You need a second before he continues.

You tremble for a few moments, then give him a quick nod, his cue to keep going.

“Good?” he swipes a hand down your arm affectionately.

“I’m good, I’m- I’m good,” to be honest, you could use a few more seconds. But you want him to just fuck you already so bad, you’re willing to endure a bit of pain.

He clicks his tongue in doubt. He’s always read you like a book, and he knows you’re fibbing a bit.

“Relax, sweetheart. Just relax for me, ok?” his hands drops down to your clit and starts to circle gently. You sigh and lean back against the mirror, giving Eddie ample space to bite at your exposed throat and chest.

The new angle, paired with Eddie’s mouth and fingers relaxing you, serves to open you up enough for him to bottom out completely. You both moan when he sinks fully into your heat.

His hand removes itself startlingly from yours. Your calf comes up to rub against his hip, and you attempt to kiss him, but he’s not looking at you anymore.

Eddie’s eyes are trained straight ahead into the mirror, his brows furrowed deep, his mouth clenched hard. His arms are braced next to your shivering form on the counter, and his whole body is statuesque with tension, except for a slight shake in his shoulders.

“Eddie,” you whisper, “It’s ok, you can move now-”

“No.”

He doesn’t even look at you when he says it. He keeps his eyes trained forward, his brows cinching impossibly tighter. It almost looks like he’s giving himself an internal pep talk in the mirror.

You scoff. It’s sweet that he’s trying not to hurt you, but you’re more than ready.

“Really, I’m ok,” you wiggle your hips around his thick cock, feeling victorious when he exhales sharply, “I want you to-”

His hands grab your hips fiercely, holding you down with all his strength so you can’t bounce down onto him. You pout at him, eager for him to do something, do anything.

“I know. I know, just… give me a second,” he grits out, “Or I’m gonna finish before we even get started.”

Oh.

You hide a proud smile. Your pussy is driving him so crazy he’s about to cum without even moving. It’s ridiculously hot. It’s also something you can tease him for later, but not right now. Right now you lean back on your hands and put space between your bodies, giving him room to calm himself down.

“‘M trying to think about baseball.” he huffs humorously, “But I don’t know anything about baseball.”

You start to grow fidgety as the seconds tick by, waiting for him to move.

You’re only getting wetter at the feeling of him unmoving inside you, filling you so completely, like he was made to fit right there.

“Eddie, please,” you whine, teasingly clenching around his length, “”S ok. Don’ wanna wait anymore, just please, please fuck me-

He tilts his hips back and then thrusts forward, and he’s finally, finally fucking you.

It's not comfortable. The counter digs into the flesh of your thighs, your panties hang garishly off one ankle, every thrust of Eddie's hips shoves your head into the mirror behind you.

It's not comfortable, but you hardly even notice because it feels so good.

He thrusts into you, and you lose track of time, lose track of anything besides the feel of him burying himself deeper than you thought possible.

“Oh my God,” you dig your hands into the curly hair at the base of his neck, his hair tie having long since been pulled out. His forehead is flush to yours, and he’s peppering your face with little kisses, a sweet gesture in stark contrast to the filthy way he fucks into you.

“You ha-have no idea how… fuck- long I’ve wanted to do this,” he moans at the feeling of your warmth dragging wetly against him.

“Me too,” you admit breathlessly, “‘S always been you, Eds.”

“Just for me, yeah?” he says with a sharp thrust, “This little pussy is all for me?”

If anyone else had spoken to you like this, you would be beyond embarrassed. But there’s something about the way Eddie spits filth so possessively, so passionately. It makes you burn with need.

“Yes, fuck, all for you, only for you,” you whisper.

You can already feel that tension growing in your stomach again. His hair forms a soft curtain around your face, and he’s the only person in the world right now. His tongue flicks out over his lips as he concentrates, and even as his thrusts grow more desperate, he flashes you the sweetest smile.

Perfect.

One of your hands reaches back down to your aching pussy, to the place where he splits you open. You gingerly caress the place where his cock meets his body and he stutters.

Your hand trails back up to your clit and you start to circle it, chasing the orgasm you can feel squeezing your insides.

He pulls your hand away and replaces it with his own, using his thumb to work toe-curling strokes into your clit in time with his thrusts. Your eyes roll to the ceiling at the sensation, and you’re so close.

Eddie’s close too, you can feel it. His pants and moans grow higher, breathier. The movement of his hips grows frantic and erratic, and he starts to shake. He loses the ability to form sentences, the only coherent words coming out as broken curses and stutters of your name.

The hand that isn’t circling your clit slides up your body and deposits itself over your collarbone.

“Can I…” he hovers his palm over your throat, asking for permission.

“Yes, ohmygod, please,” you lean your neck up into his waiting grasp. He gives a gentle squeeze, never harder than a soft grip. It isn’t about controlling your air. Instead it feels like Eddie having total possession of you- the willingness to place your most vulnerable pieces in his hands for safe keeping.

Eddie nearly cums on the spot when he catches sight of you with your eyes shut tight, moaning his name, with his rings glinting lowly around your throat.

Neither of you are going to last much longer. The hand circling your clit doubles down, and you nearly black out. Full body shivers wrack your body, and Eddie isn’t doing much better- he looks ready to snap.

“You gonna be a good girl and come for me again, baby?” he asks you, lightly squeezing at your throat and bearing down on your clit.

You nod and whine as his cock nudges against your plush walls, your pussy fluttering around his cock as you come hard.

“Fuckfuckfuck,” both his hands drop to your hips when he feels you coming around him, and he ruts up into the tightness. He gives a full body shake and a final broken little whimper, and then he’s spilling deep inside you.

You’re both panting, chests heaving with your release. You lean back so your shoulders rest against the (now foggy) mirror, and Eddie follows, draping himself over you, cuddling you as best he can in the cramped bathroom.

When he goes to slip out, you stop him with your thighs, keeping his cock still inside you. You’re not quite ready for him to leave your warmth yet. He chuckles lightly and drags you back up to a sitting position. You grumble, but allow him to manipulate you where he wants you. He pulls your arms up to rest around his neck, and his come down to wrap around your waist. You exchange soft breaths, both caught up in what just happened.

“Well, fuck me,” he mumbles after a minute or two, “I was always rooting for us crazy kids to get together,” he tickles lightly at your sides.

You giggle at that, and snort again when his whole body seizes up. Whenever you laugh, you clench around his now-softening, overstimulated length.

“Fuck. I gotta take it out now, sweetheart,” he warns. He slips wetly out of you and slots his mouth over yours to catch the moan falling from your lips. You feel intensely empty, but satiated. Although now, you’re not sure you’ll ever feel whole again without some part of him inside you.

Seconds later, his cum begins to drip out of you. Eddie notices as you stiffen up, eyes dropping to your naked center then back up to your face. Before you have a chance to deal with the mess, he’s dragging your panties from your ankle, up your legs, and hitching them to their rightful place over your ass. He flashes a dastardly smile, very aware that his cum will stay in your underwear, keeping the smeary mess between your thighs. Gross.

Hot.

He leans onto the counter and kisses you easily, lazily as you both come down from your highs.

After a while you part from each other. He offers a gentlemanly hand to help you down onto your shaky legs.

The pair of you begin to redress in silence. It’s just a tad awkward. Still nice, but the vibe is a bit delicate. You can feel a question lingering in the air- where do we go from here?

“Well, Henderson’s gonna be really smug about this,” Eddie smirks, pulling his underwear and pants up his legs in one easy motion.

You pause halfway into pulling on your shirt over your head, your arms extended upwards, your belly exposed to the muggy bathroom air.

“Dustin talked to you too?” your voice is muffled by the fabric. Eddie laughs at the sight.

“Yeah, he’s the one who convinced me to leave the meeting early tonight. He helped me work up the nerve to tell you how I feel,” he admits.

You finally wrestle your shirt down.

“Oh my God,” you cup the sides of your face in embarrassment, “That kid is a little fucking puppet master! He totally manipulated us into- not manipulated, sorry, that’s not the right word, that makes it seem like I didn’t want to- you know, but I really, really did, I promise,” you ramble on, growing increasingly more flustered, “Ugh, not the point! I’m totally gonna kick his ass!”

“Well, I’m gonna thank him,” Eddie drags you into him and plants a sweet kiss on your cheek, “And then I’m gonna kick his ass.”

You laugh gently at that. Silence settles back over you again, and you back up ever so slightly to cross your arms over your chest. One of Eddie’s hands grabs at his hair and pulls it in front of his face, hiding behind it.

“So, I-”

“Eds-”

You both speak over each other, and giggle again. This kind of awkwardness is new, and sweet, and something you’re excited to explore with him. Your palm slides down his arm and catches his hand in a loose hold.

“You first?” you offer.

He nods and takes a deep breath.

"I went through a lot a few months ago,” he taps the scars on his rib absently, “And maybe it would be easier if we were just friends.”

Your heart sinks at those words. You drop his hand and retreat further. Oh. Maybe you misread everything that just happened. Just… friends. Just friends who hook up? You don’t think you could handle that.

“No, hey, listen. That came out wrong,” he huffs, and grabs both your hands in his once more, “Almost dying from those stupid fucking bats, it made me realize... I don't want ‘easy' with you. I don’t want to be just friends. And I don’t want this to just be a hookup, either.”

You exhale shakily. You’re beyond relieved, but questions still niggle in the back of your mind. Was he worried about that? That you just wanted a hookup?

"This isn't just... I don't want you to think- fuck, why is this so hard?" you groan.

"Yeah, it was pretty hard, huh?" he waggles his eyebrows suggestively.

“Shut up,” you shove lightly at his shoulder, “I’m trying to be vulnerable here!”

He smirks down at you gently.

“Not exactly your forte, sweetheart.”

Once again, he reads you like a book. But if you want to make this work, you have to let him know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, how you feel about him.

Be vulnerable.

Your two index fingers hook into the loops of his belt and pull him into you flirtily. You push yourself up on your tiptoes and bring your face close to his, like you’re about to kiss him.

“I think you should spend the night,” you pull back slightly just before your lips touch his. His face sours jokingly, but he allows you to continue, “And then tomorrow you should take me on a date. And then, you can ask to be my… boyfriend, or whatever.” you make a silly face at the word boyfriend.

His doe-eyes light up, and his teeth bare in the most radiant smile you’ve ever seen.

“Boyfriend, huh? Very official. I like it,” he leans in slowly, achingly slowly, and his lips are just barely brushing yours-

Knock Knock Knock.

Both your heads whip around to the door at the sudden sound.

“Hey,” you recognize Dustin’s muffled voice, “Are you guys done having sex in there? I need to pee and Gareth’s totally throwing up in the other bathroom.”

You cover your mouth to hold in a raucous laugh. Yeah, you’re totally kicking that kid’s ass later. Eddie holds his hands up to you as you're about to respond, and gives you a shh gesture. He cups his hands around his mouth like a megaphone.

“AhAhAh! Fuck ohmygodfuck I’m gonna-,” Eddie loudly fake moans and whines in a high pitched voice at the door, aiming to scar the kid for life. You hit him lightly on the shoulder, holding in silent giggles the whole time.

“EW WHAT THE FUCK,” Dustin screams, and you hear him run off loudly in the opposite direction of the bathroom.

You turn to each other and burst into laughter. Eddie throws his arm around your shoulder as you unlock the door, opening it wide, ready to face whatever comes next together.

"You're such an asshole, Eddie," you roll your eyes. Your face feels like it’s going to split from how hard you’re grinning.

"Yeah,” he gives you a quick peck on the cheek, “Only for you, princess."

___

here's where that line is originally from!

crossposted to ao3

#eddie munson #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x afab!reader #eddie munson x fem!reader #stranger things x reader #stranger things x reader smut #stranger things x y/n #stranger things x you #stranger things #stranger things spoilers #st4 #st4 spoilers #stranger things 4 #stranger things 4 spoilers #my eddie stuff

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bonny-kookoo · 11 months

Note

I just imagined namjoon posting her reading/speech lessons on his ig along with her progress. That’s just so him! Buying children’s books that goes along with what she can understand and also reading to her. I know everyone would melt about it (I’m already a puddle just thinking)

It's simple black and white pictures.

You, sometimes together with him, other times by yourself, but almost always reading something. Easy and light books that you can understand somewhat without his help. Other times, you're sitting next to him in those posts, a pen in hand guided by his own over yours, carefully teaching you.

It's small but steady steps. Routine learning. Easy practice.

He doesn't force you to do any of it. Whenever you've got a bad day, be doesn't make you do anything- on those days, you'll go on walks and small trips together, just to exist and calm down again.

And the people love it.

It sets a great example for how hybrids should be treated. He's being praised left and right for giving you not only the opportunity to live a comfortable life, but for also giving you the chance to learn, even if it's considered late. You're not stupid, you're not a 'lost cause' just because you're no longer a child anymore. You can still catch up, you still deserve the chance to at least try.

He shares recommendations for exercises and books, and in return, fans recommend their own findings to him.

It's another thing that has happened.

The fanbase has become increasingly more involved with you- from actively demanding updates on you, to asking about if there will be social medias dedicated or even run by you. He has to deny that, as of now- but he doesn't hold back and hides the fact that that's not his or your decision. But otherwise, there's nothing but excitement whenever you're seen anywhere- from his own Instagram, to Jungkooks livestreams, or Jimins dance practice video back when he was promoting his solo.

And also, there's enough fan accounts dedicated to updates from you by now.

Even skinship and jungkooks very obvious affection towards you do not seem to upset the fans at all. If anything, they've begun trending a shipname for you and the maknae, or the other members as well. It's cute.

He's glad.

Most hybrid-fans have been very understanding of the human fans, explaining that you might just integrate yourself into the pack- and with that, comes a lot of skinship and affection. But even if it was more intimate than that, big relationships aren't at all uncommon amongst hybrids, after all.

And ever since you joined them, the boy band has started to fall back into their instincts- reminding the public softly that they're not human at the end of the day.

So even dating rumors are seen as nothing but speculation- most articles discussing potential romance between any member and you bombarded with comments that are either annoyed at how dramatic its being portrayed, or upset that those people seem so desperate to invade your privacy.

Things are changing.

And looking at you, all sleepy now after multiple chapters of your new book, he can't help but feel as if those changes are all good.

Because he's got you down the line.

There's nothing better than that.

#bts imagine #bts fanfic #bts fic #hybrid imagine #namjoon imagine #namjoon fanfic

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dumfanting · 5 months

Text

Same Heart ch 34: Upgrade

AO3 Link

Rating: E, explicit

Warnings: angst, handjobs, fingering, mutual oral sex (m and f receiving and giving)(69), exhibitionism/voyeurism, shouting, jealousy, public makeouts, punching, almost shooting someone | fem reader, second person pov, present tense

I know this one took a little longer; I’m well enough to go back to work and I’ve had little to no time to work on this. I had to do it one sentence at a time during my breaks and the less than two hours before I had to go to bed. It is absolutely worth the wait though, I’m very excited about it! Just one more chapter to go after this. This is another chapter that I debated heavily on how to end.

9,594 words

F! Reader/ Echo | F! Reader/ Crosshair

Echo talks to Crosshair, you talk to Anakin, and you both see Shalka for the last time.

Echo has been at the rooftop bar for a few hours, but he’s only had about half a drink. He keeps thinking about the way you ‘forced’ him and Crosshair apart. As an inexplicable chill runs through him, he finishes his drink in one gulp. After that, he decides that you and Crosshair have had more than enough time to tire each other out. He bids the waitress a good night, then takes the lift back down.

He’s a few doors away from the squad's cluster of rooms when he realizes that the only key he has is to the room you’re currently occupying with Crosshair. On the chance that you’re both still going at it, Echo doesn’t want to interrupt, but he doesn’t really have any other options, so he pauses outside of the door, listening. He doesn’t hear anything, which hopefully means you’re both asleep. He carefully slips inside and to his relief, all he finds upon entering is the two of you snoring softly, tangled up in one another.

He wants nothing more than to settle in on your other side and feel your warmth, your skin against his, but after seeing the way Crosshair had grabbed you and kissed you, Echo decided to give the two of you some space. So, he turns away and goes into the adjoining room and shuts the door. Despite how badly he wants to go back, he reluctantly climbs into bed and switches the light off. This room's bed is a size smaller, but it still feels too big and empty for one person.

As he stares up at the ceiling, he realizes it’s the first time he’s been alone like this since leaving Anaxes. Being in the medical wing there didn’t feel like this, though, and it takes Echo a solid minute to realize what the difference is, aside from the setting. For one, he’d been too exhausted to do much other than sleep before, and for another his chest didn’t ache the way it is now. Here though, wide awake, he finds that he’s lonely, possibly for the first time in his memory.

It never occurred to him before how he’d become so used to being surrounded by his brothers. As far back as he could remember, he at least had Fives with him. However, you’re right there on the other side of the wall, and hopefully you’ll never be further than that again. As he turns onto his side, he can’t help but think about the way you had run after Crosshair a few hours ago. Did you ever try to stop him like that? He has no real way of knowing, but that’s exactly why he needs to speak with Crosshair tomorrow.

In the morning, you wake to the feeling of warm, familiar lips traveling upwards along the column of your throat, and you barely stop the corners of your mouth from twitching upwards. There’s a husky chuckle in your ear.

“Good morning, kitten,” Crosshair says, holding the side of your head with one hand while the other rests over your heart. You pretend to sleep, not reacting to him, so he grasps you by the shoulders, and rolls the pair of you over until he’s above you and kissing you. His tongue swipes at your bottom lip and you drop the act by opening up for him. After a few seconds, or minutes, you can’t tell which, you break away for air.

“How’d you tell this time?” you ask him as you yawn.

“Your breathing changes,” he says, giving you no time to respond before crashing his lips to yours again. You both hum, content.

Crosshair wraps his arms around your ribs and rolls the two of you over a second time. With you on top now, he looks up at you with a soft expression and holds the side of your head again.

“How are you feeling, after last night?” he asks.

“I’m a little disappointed that I couldn’t do more for you,” you say, dragging your hand down his body. He surprises you when he grabs your hand and pulls it back up to his chest.

“I don’t doubt that, but you know that isn’t what I meant,” he says. You sigh and kiss him again, then speak when you pull away.

“It’s hard to say, to be honest. I do feel better now that you know everything, so I won’t ’have to’ lie again,” you say, your voice quiet. Crosshair kind of scans your face and barely shakes his head.

“But…?” he prompts.

“But… At the same time, I still feel like I shouldn’t have said anything. Part of me worries that was a mistake,” you say, meeting his eyes, though it’s difficult.

“Which isn’t to say that I don’t trust you, you know that, right?” you say, speaking quickly.

“I can’t say I understand the feeling, but I believe you,” he says.

“Even if you shouldn’t?” you whisper, guilt heavy in your voice as you look away from him.

“Stop. I don’t need to hear that,” he says. “And I don’t want to.”

You look back at him with a single tear threatening to slip from your eye. He cups your cheek with his hand, and once you relax into it, he sits up and pulls you close, resting his forehead against yours. You both take a moment to close your eyes and breathe each other in, and you can feel the comfort of his forgiving love.

“I don’t deserve you,” you say.

“Even if that were true, I still want you,” he says. “Besides,” he continues, his tone shifting as he smirks at you, “I can think of a few ways for you to make it up to me.” You roll your eyes, but laugh at him, the uncomfortable tension in the room having dissipated.

The two of you sit quietly and intertwined for some time, until you both hear the sound of the connecting door to the other room opening.

“Not interrupting you, am I?” Echo says, cautiously stepping into view.

You kiss Crosshair on the cheek and get out of bed. When you reach Echo. He wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you close.

“How’d you sleep?” you quietly ask him. He steps far away enough to rub at the back of his neck.

“Not well, tell you the truth,” he says. Crosshair, having heard this, gets up and says he’s going to take a shower. Once the refresher door shuts, you take Echo by the hand and sit back on the bed with him.

“You didn’t have to spend the night by yourself,” you say.

“I saw you both outside; I figured you’d want some time alone after all of that,” he says.

“I guess one of us will always be chasing after the other,” you say, then softly shake your head and chuckle. Echo doesn’t respond and you sense his self-doubt.

“I know, I shouldn’t have-,” he starts, but you stop him.

“I’m not mad at you, if that’s what you’re thinking,” you say, and you can see his relief. You peck his cheek, then go into your bag on the floor to find clothes for the day. As you kneel down and pick out a few things, you notice that something is missing.

“Hey Echo? Have you seen that stone you gave me? I can’t find it,” you say, double checking the bag’s pockets.

“No, not since we got here,” he says, answering a little too quickly. Obviously you notice this, but decide not to say anything.

“You think it’s on the ship?” you ask, standing back up.

“Probably. You can comm one of the guys and see if they found it,” he suggests.

“I won’t bother; I don’t really need it anymore anyway,” you say, stretching before turning around to find that Echo has moved to the edge of the mattress closest to you.

“Oh, why’s that?” he asks, mildly confused, making you chuckle. You reply by pushing Echo onto his back and quickly moving to straddle his hips.

With you in leggings and Echo in his blacks, there’s little to lessen the friction you both feel when you grind yourself against him. A look of understanding spreads on his face and he grabs your hip with his remaining hand while he presses his scomp against the small of your back. You gently rest your hand where the metal of the prosthetic meets his skin and smile at him. You bend at the waist and kiss him deeply, and his hand moves from your hip to tangle into your hair and pull you down closer. After a moment, you break away for air.

“I’ll take you over some shiny rock any day,” you say. “Fuck, Echo, I’m so glad you’re alive,” you continue, grinding your dampening crotch against his bulge. He groans your name, then suddenly sits up, draping his arms around your shoulders and kissing you feverishly.

You reposition yourself so that your legs are now wrapped around his hips and you continue to grind against him, your lips never leaving his. Echo breaks away with a groan and grabs your ass, making you arch your back as you bite your lip. He pulls you even closer and lifts you enough to take one of your nipples into his mouth and suck gently at it, making you whine and shiver. The sound is enough to make his hips automatically jerk forward into yours, and you both moan at the contact.

You reach down and palm his cock through his blacks, noting the small wet spot, but he goes a step further by slipping his hand into your leggings and against your hot, wet cunt. Your thighs close around his hand, trapping him right where you want him.

“Fuck, soaked already?” he says, growling into your skin, and you cry out as he slides a single digit inside you. You feel Echo’s cock twitch against your palm when you gasp his name, so you follow his lead by slipping your hand into his waistband. As your eyes meet, you both separate long enough for him to quickly free his cock while you slip out of your own clothes and throw them carelessly over your shoulder.

Seconds later, the obscene sound of his fingers slipping back into your drenched cunt is drowned out by the sound of your combined moans. After a few more seconds, you hear someone that definitely isn’t Echo groan loudly, about a foot from the edge of the bed behind you.

“It better just be you back there Cross,” you say, never shifting your focus away from Echo, who glances over your shoulder for just a second.

“It is. Should I tell him to fuck off?” he asks, focusing back on you.

Crosshair stumbles over his objections and you giggle at him.

“You had me all to yourself last night, hotshot,” you say with a laugh before kissing Echo again.

“Oh, so he can watch us but I can’t watch you?” Crosshair says, moving closer. You can hear the want in his voice, so you open your legs and angle yourself, putting everything Echo is doing to you on display. Crosshair curses again, a faint whine in his voice.

You break away, spit into your palm and start jerking Echo off. As he groans loudly into your ear, you finally turn your head to look at the sniper, and oh he’s a sight to see.

He’s standing with his knees against the bed, his chest still glistening from the shower, and the towel slung tantalizingly low on his hips is doing little to hide how hard his cock is. His breathing is heavy, his expression pure lust, and each time he reaches for you he quickly stops himself, clearly waiting for permission. You look up at him through your lashes and moan as Echo moves his thumb to start circling your clit.

“When did we say that? I won’t stop you,” Echo says, otherwise paying no attention to him as you nod in agreement. Crosshair groans and kneels heavily onto the mattress next to you, whipping the towel off and throwing it aside. When you see him reach for you while already pumping away at himself, you make an audible ‘nuh-uh’ sound and wave his hand away.

“Hands off,” you tease, and when he says your name in response the whine in his voice is much clearer.

“Meds,” he says, and Echo can’t help but smirk before he kisses his way up your neck and whispers something that Crosshair can’t hear.

Whatever it is, you nod with a wide smile, and Echo slips his fingers out of you. You grab his hand and suck them clean while keeping your eyes on Crosshair, who curses under his breath.

Once Echo is satisfied, you disentangle yourselves. He lies flat on his back while you kneel over his face. You bend at the waist and take his leaking cock as deeply into your mouth and throat as you can. Savoring his taste, you bob your head along his shaft, all the while never breaking eye contact with Crosshair. He groans again and his hand moves faster as he watches you.

Meanwhile, Echo grabs your hips and pulls your cunt closer to his face. He purses his lips around your clit and starts sucking at it. Your body shivers as you moan though the sound muffled by his cock in your throat. You continue to suck him off, humming and hollowing your cheeks in a way you knew would rocket him to the edge.

He pulls away from your cunt and curses loudly through clenched teeth. Just as his legs lock, you slip your mouth off of him and work his cock through his orgasm, angling everything so that Crosshair can watch as Echo paints your breasts with cum. Not a moment later, Crosshair also cums across your chest. As this happens, his restraint snaps, and he grabs the sides of your head before desperately pulling you into a deep, soulful kiss, clearly not giving a damn about what had just been in your mouth.

Echo, once his cock stops twitching, breaches your cunt with his tongue and loudly slurps up as much of your juices as he can. He grazes your clit just right as he licks up into you, and you pull back from Crosshair to whine Echo’s name as he expertly works a powerful orgasm out of you; he keeps this up until you bonelessly roll off of him and onto your back.

It takes a good few minutes before anyone is able to breathe normally enough to speak. You sit up and turn to face Crosshair.

“How’s that for a show, hotshot?” you say, still panting slightly as you giggle at him. Crosshair shakes his head before shakily getting to his feet. He takes your hands into his and pulls you upright before leading you into the refresher.

“I’ll say it again: You’re going to be the death of me, kitten,” he says, stopping at the door and grabbing your ass. After a brief kiss, he goes into his own room to get dressed.

Alone again, but far from lonely, Echo also gets dressed, then moves onto the balcony, where the mid morning sun is warm on his face as he reflects on the previous night. He doesn’t think any of you expected things to escalate that far, and the sudden strength of your Force usage was a shock to everyone. He realizes that you had separated him from Crosshair inadvertently during an outburst, and shifts uneasily on his feet. To think this all started with a shared dream. With that in mind his thoughts return to Fives.

Echo remembers you saying that Fives was desperate for you to listen to him in your last dream, and his unease deepens. Things seem okay now, but he has no idea what the future will bring.

“Kriff, I hope we don’t regret this,” he mumbles as he drags his remaining hand down his face. Almost immediately afterward he’s mildly startled by the sound of the glass door sliding open. He turns around, expecting to find you, but instead sees Crosshair standing there.

“Just you?” Echo asks.

“Yeah, why?” Crosshair says, cocking an eyebrow at him.

“Good. I need to talk to you,” Echo says, unconsciously tensing up. Crosshair, with his arms folded over his chest, doesn’t notice and takes a breath before coming outside.

“I figured,” the sniper says, sounding tired. “I’m sorry,” he adds, looking Echo in the eye. Echo barely holds back a scoff.

“You tell her that?” he says, crossing his arms and unconsciously quoting him.

“I did,” Crosshair says, though his voice is soft, and to Echo's surprise, he actually sounds remorseful.

“Then why are you telling me?” Echo says. Crosshair rubs at his right temple and turns to lean back against the half wall, slouching as he speaks.

“Last night, I…” he says, but stops himself, trying to find the right words. He sighs and continues. “I wasn’t thinking straight. I really wasn’t thinking at all. So much had just been dumped onto me, I-,” he stops when he sees Echo looking pointedly at him. Crosshair shuts his eyes and takes a breath, keeping himself calm.

“Look, my point is, I get it. Doesn’t make it right, but I understand you better,” he says, still maintaining eye contact.

Neither of them speak for a little while, until Echo breaks the tense silence.

“I still think you’re a fucking hypocrite,” he says. He turns around to rest his elbows on the half-wall, also slouching. He stares at his scomp while maneuvering it.

“But that’s not why I wanted to speak with you,” he says.

Back inside, you’re getting dressed. As you button up your top, you notice Echo and Crosshair outside speaking with their voices low and having what looks like an intense conversation. The door is open, but you try not to listen in on them. And you don’t, until Crosshair suddenly raises his voice.

“Oh for… Yes, every fucking time, and I would know! Who do you think was there for her and cleaned up your mess?” he says, almost shouting now.

“I know you know, that’s why I fucking asked you,” Echo spits.

You look over at them and see Echo leaning heavily on the half wall of the balcony, his back to you, while Crosshair starts to pace as he pinches the bridge of his nose. Without meaning to, you sense shame and frustration coming from them both respectively, but despite this, there’s no overt animosity. Echo straightens himself up and stares at Crosshair.

“Regardless, I’ve made my decision,” Echo says, his voice uncharacteristically firm, almost cold, and your heart crashes into your gut. Crosshair laughs without humor.

“I swear on the Maker, if you’ve ‘decided’ to run off on her again-,” he says, but Echo cuts him off.

“Of course not!” he snaps. Crosshair scoffs at him and turns to go back inside, but stops short when he sees you watching them.

“Well,” Crosshair says, not looking away from you, “looks like I’m not the only one listening now.”

Echo takes a few steps over to where Crosshair is, notices you, and glances back at him.

“No shit, you left the door open!” he says, pinching the bridge of his nose. You quickly zip your pants up and take a large step backwards.

“Okay, you two are clearly in the middle of something, so I’m going to go get a caf. Don’t kill each other.” you say before slipping on your shoes, grabbing your purse, and escaping into the hallway.

A few minutes later, you’re in the hotel lobby near the caf stand, sitting on the same bench that you and Tech had occupied without realizing it. You hold the drink you didn’t want in a shaking hand, your mind racing. The context for what Crosshair was saying is clear enough; obviously Echo had asked if you’d ever gone after him when he stormed off. You hold your free hand over your new scar and huff in irritation. After a moment, your hand automatically moves from your side to your upper chest and tries to fidget with the glowing stone that isn’t there, and you feel a knot of anxiety tighten in your gut. What kind of ‘decision’ did Echo make? What did it have to do with you?

You anxiously grip your caf tighter without noticing, which crushes the flimsi cup enough for the lid to pop off. The hot liquid inside spills onto the back of your hand and gives you a mild burn. You stand and throw it away with a hissed curse, then grab a handful of napkins from the caf stand and mop up the spill on the bench and floor.

You drop back onto the bench and quickly doctor yourself up with the small kit you keep in your bag, then hide your face behind your hands and exaggeratedly groan. Of course, this is when Crosshair and Echo catch up to you. Crosshair says something snarky about you sounding like an angry loth cat and you roll your eyes at him while you get to your feet.

Crosshair wraps his arm around your waist and continues walking. As you move alongside him, you glance back at Echo, who is trailing a few steps behind and appears to be deep in thought. Did the conversation with Crosshair go that badly after you left? You don’t sense any hostility between them, but you do get an almost undetectable breeze of… is that jealousy? It’s coming from Crosshair, but when he speaks, he doesn’t show it.

“Any other Jedi business?” he asks, keeping his voice down.

You meet his eyes and the abrupt memory of having to recount all of your lies to him makes your heart ache. It must be showing on your face, because once you’re both through the main doors, Crosshair steers you into a shaded space with nobody else around. He sits on the bricked edge of a flower bed and gently pulls you down next to him.

“Hey kitten,” Crosshair says, his voice low and expression concerned. He cups the side of your face and gently turns you to look at him, but you can’t meet his eyes.

“Meds, look at me,” he says, finally getting your attention. He moves his hands to your shoulders and continues speaking.

“I know what you’re doing, and you need to stop; I hate seeing you like this.” he says.

“But, Crosshair, I-,” you start to say, when he interrupts you with a soft kiss and brushes a tear away from your eye with his thumb. He pulls you tightly to his chest and you’re hit with that same comforting love you felt only a few hours ago.

“Stop. I forgive you,” he says, his voice soft but his tone firm. “Now do the same for yourself, please.”

You take a long, shuddering breath and step back enough to better see his face and his concern. You grab onto his shoulders and yank him close to you before kissing him deeply. He almost immediately reciprocates with just as much fervor, and by the time you break apart, you’re both out of breath.

Crosshair rests his forehead against yours and softly says your name. “I love you, so much,” he says, barely audible, and the ache in your heart evaporates.

You suddenly feel a gust of insecurity blow over you, and when you look around, you see Echo watching, but standing several feet away with a distant look in his eyes. Crosshair also sees this and softly pushes you in his direction. You squeeze Crosshair’s forearm twice in quick succession, then make your way to Echo, calling his name as you approach.

He blinks at you a few times, then shakes his head as if to clear it before closing the gap between you two. When you meet, you link your hands behind his neck and he immediately holds his hand and scomp to your waist. Before you can ask him anything, he’s pulling you close and kissing you with such intensity that when he breaks away, your head spins. Despite this, the insecurity you sensed doesn’t fade.

Crosshair makes his way over and loudly clears his throat. Echo steps back and sheepishly looks away from you both.

“You never really answered me,” Crosshair says, looking at you.

“I read through the last of what they had in the archives last night, so there’s no point in returning; I’ll be going to the mechanic’s today,” you say.

“You’re coming with me?” Echo says, surprised.

“Is that a problem?” you ask, confused.

“No, it’s fine,” he says, sounding distracted.

You glance over at Crosshair for some kind of explanation, but your confusion deepens when you find him watching Echo with an odd expression.

“I’ll be back on the ship if you need me,” Crosshair says, then gives you a quick kiss before heading down the sidewalk.

Watching him go, you’re now confused for a different reason. Tech has made modifications to the Marauder plenty of times before, but none of them have ever taken this long, and even then he’s usually able to do it on his own. What the hell are the guys up to?

You’re distracted by a sudden burst of pain from the back of your burned hand, and you reflexively yank it back with a hiss. Echo must have taken it to get your attention, if his startled expression is any indication.

“Uh, taxi?” he says, jerking his head towards the street and sounding cautious. You shake yourself and follow him into the enclosed speeder. Once you’ve given the driver, a green Twi’lek man, Shalka’s address and the cab moves into traffic, Echo speaks up again.

“The hell was that about?” he asks, confused. You raise your hand and show him the burn.

“Spilled the damn caf on myself,” you say, shaking your head in annoyance.

“I thought you hated the stuff?” he says, still confused.

“I do, but you two obviously didn’t want to be overhead and it was the first excuse I could think of to get out of there,” you say. “Although now it occurs to me that I didn’t have to actually buy the damn caf,” you say, and Echo chuckles at you.

“Taking this honesty thing very seriously I see,” he says. You roll your eyes at him. It’s quiet, and the air inside the cab grows tense. You know Echo is waiting for you to ask what he and Crosshair were talking about.

“Listen, whatever all that was, I only have one question,” you say, your voice low. You can almost feel his anxiety as he nervously meets your eyes, and your voice shakes when you speak.

“Why is it so difficult for you to believe that I love you?” you ask.

The driver, obviously listening, mutters something in a language you don’t recognize, but aside from that, it’s completely silent inside the speeder. A solid minute passes, and Echo hasn’t even looked at you. You barely hold back a growl of frustration.

“Is it Crosshair? Do I need to get shot again? For fucks sake Echo, what more do you want from me?” you ask, your voice getting louder and higher in pitch without you being aware of it. The driver says something else but you and Echo ignore him.

“Just tell me what to do, please,” you say, a few stray tears falling from your eyes.

When Echo finally looks at you, there’s an odd mix of guilt and panic on his face as he speaks.

“No, no, hey, you don’t have to do anything!” he says, speaking quickly. “It’s nothing about you, I swear!”

“Then what is it? I can’t keep doing this, please fucking talk to me!” you say, tears flowing freely now.

When he looks away and doesn’t answer you after another minute, you lean toward the driver. You’re about to tell him to pull over and let you out, but as soon as you open your mouth, you decide against it. All those times Echo had stormed away from you, all you ever wanted from him was a chance to explain yourself. You may be a lot of things, but you aren’t a hypocrite. You won’t take that opportunity from him, so instead you sit back in the bench seat and wait for him to say something.

Eventually he speaks, and when he does, his voice is shaking too.

“You don’t deserve this,” he says. “I never wanted you to feel like you aren’t enough. You’ve done so much for me since you found me, maybe even too much,” he says, gently pressing his scomp against your left side, clearly indicating the scar from your blast wound.

“I just don’t get it,” he continues, finally meeting your eyes, tears shining in his.

“Get what?” you say, confused.

“Why me?” he says.

“Echo-,” you start, but he interrupts.

“You’ve done everything for me. You went into fucking combat in memory of me and Fives. You risked your life on impossible odds of finding me. And after that on Anaxes, I said all those horrible things to you, I lied and put others at risk, but you still went after me, trusted me, took a goddamn shot for me. Hell, I know the only reason everyone’s on Coruscant is because you convinced them to be so I could get worked on,” he says. You don’t try to say anything else and give him space to speak.

“All I’ve done since you got me out of that damned stasis chamber is push you away and run off and make things harder for you. Half of me is fucking missing! It makes no sense, why do you keep coming back?” he says, finally pausing to breathe.

“Echo,” you say softly, turning your body towards him and holding his scomp with both of your hands. You say his name again, and only continue when he looks you in the eye.

“Yes, you ran off, but you came back, listened, and heard me out. You did lie and say some awful things, but you apologized and did what was right. You nearly broke down the fucking bunk door to get to me that night and you sat with me until I was okay again. Beyond all of that, you’re kind, you’re brave, you make me laugh,” you say.

“Sometimes on purpose,” he says, chuckling despite the situation.

“See, like that,” you say, cracking a smile. “Look, I firmly believe that the Force guided me to the squad so that I could get you back, and I cant have gone through everything I did for nothing. I’ll take a page from your book and repeat myself again and again if I have to: I don’t care what is or isn’t attached to you, it’s still you. Same heart, remember?” you say, moving a hand and resting it over his heart on his chest plate.

“I’ll follow you to the ends of the universe, Echo. All you have to do is ask,” you say. The two of you go silent again, and the cab driver has nothing to add either.

You lean towards him to rest your forehead against his, and when you do, you can sense his self-doubt starting to fade. He gently kisses you, then sits back and cups your face in his hand, and you feel the nervousness coming from him again. He quietly says your name.

“Yes, Echo?” you ask, just as quiet.

“I- I need to ask you something important,” he says.

Before he gets the chance, the cab pulls to a stop outside of Shalka’s place. The two of you huff in unison, annoyed by the interruption, then separate. Once you’ve paid the fare and stepped outside, with Echo following you closely, you stop just outside of the door, and he does the same.

“You were saying?” you ask, curious; he almost never stumbles over his words like that.

He looks like he’s going to speak, but the shrill sound of the repaired door chime stops him. You both look into the doorway and see Shalka standing inside, waiting for you.

“Oh, you fixed it?” you say. Distracted by this, you don’t see the relief on Echo’s face as he follows you. Shalka steps to the side and waves you both in.

“Nah, I still don’t know what the issue was. Your genius cohort managed to fix the fuckin’ thing. Where’s he and Jumpy been?” she says as everyone settles into their places around her workbench.

“Jumpy…?” you say, confused. Echo laughs and shakes his head.

“She means Crosshair. She managed to startle him about three or four times when he was here,” he says. You look skeptical, so Shalka recounts the day from her point of view. By the time she’s done, you’re smirking and already thinking of ways to tease him about it later.

“Anyway, Tech’s been working on the ship and the others have been helping him,” Echo says.

“Others? Kriff, how many of ya are there?” Shalka asks while swapping out his scomp for his finished arm.

“Just two more,” you say, “Hunter wouldn’t be able to deal with the noise and smells of this place, so I doubt he’ll ever come around.”

“And there’s Wrecker, though he’s so big he could sneeze and send everything crashing to the floor, so it’s probably better he stays away too,” Echo says.

“Well, with a name like that I wouldn’t be surprised,” Shalka says. “Anyone else?”

“Not unless you count Gonky,” you say.

“The hell’s a Gonky?” Shalka asks, confused.

“That's what they call the GNK droid,” Echo says, making her chuckle before the room falls into a comfortable quiet.

As Shalka works, she intermittently tells Echo to move a certain way and makes adjustments based on what she sees. You watch this while wondering, again, what the hell Tech is doing to the Marauder, but still notice that Echo and Shalka seem to be glancing between themselves and at you as if having a silent conversation. You check your reflection in your datapad screen, but don’t see anything in your teeth, so you try to ignore them.

You suddenly get a message from Anakin: he wants to know what you’ve found at the library. You send him a quick response asking if you can just comm him, and he responds in turn by calling you himself. Trying not to look too relieved, you quickly excuse yourself and step outside, leaving your bag behind. You settle into that same spot under the tattered awning from your first day here and answer the call.

“Yes, General?” you say.

“What did I say about that?” he says, though his tone is relaxed.

“Anakin, sorry. Habit,” you say. He brushes this off and jumps straight to the point.

“So, what did you find with Master Nu?” he eagerly asks.

“Well, I read everything that she could bring me about the Force,” you say.

“You read that much in just a few days? Anakin says, interrupting you in surprise.

“Eh… yes and no. I’ve always read quickly, but Master Nu could only get about eight data chips for me, and I didn’t find anything relevant that you hadn’t already told me,” you say.

“Damn,” he says, not bothering to mask his disappointment. “If she can’t find anything then I doubt anyone could. Although…” he continues, trailing off in thought.

“Is there somewhere else I can go?” you ask, though you're trying not to get your hopes up. When Anakin speaks, it’s with great reluctance, which takes you by surprise, and slightly worries you.

“The Sith,” he says quietly, and your worry quickly turns into trepidation. “These events with Fives, the closest thing I can come up with is that it’s Force-Ghost related, but he shouldn’t be able to do any of that to begin with,” Anakin says, deep in thought.

“But what do the Sith have to do with-?” you say, but he cuts you off again.

“I know they have access to information that we Jedi don’t, that’s all,” he says.

“Well, I’m sure as hell not getting wrapped up in any Sith business, even if they do have answers,” you say.

“Smart move. Now, I don’t think this has to do with the Dark Side, but we can’t rule out the possibility,” he says.

“Master Nu did tell me that it could have been a vision someone sent,” you say. “But I don’t remember sensing any Jedi, or whatever else, at the time.”

“I hadn’t thought of that. It does remind me of when something similar happened to Ah-,” he says, then abruptly stops himself.

It’s fairly well known, even amongst the troops, what had happened to Commander Tano; Rex himself had once told you it felt like losing a sister. Personally, you don’t blame Ahsoka at all for leaving the Order, but Anakin, as her master, clearly felt differently. After a few seconds, he clears his throat and starts talking again.

“You said you didn’t sense anyone else around who could do that?” he asks.

“Yeah, or I just couldn’t tell,” you say. You suddenly remember something. “Wait, can’t some people hide their Force signature? I think I saw a small thing about it while reading,” you say.

“It’s certainly possible. I didn’t think of that,” he says. “Though if someone is able to hide themselves and still send visions, they’d be incredibly powerful. Not to slight you, but I doubt anybody like that would be interested in you and Echo,” he continues.

“No offense taken, I was thinking the same thing,” you say, and he chuckles.

“Actually, speaking of Echo, how’s he holding up?” Anakin asks, steering the conversation elsewhere.

“Pretty good for the most part, though he seems off today. I think that’s just because of last night,” you say without thinking. You privately wonder if Echo is acting strangely because he regrets leaving you alone with Crosshair for so long. But that can’t be it, the jealousy you Sensed earlier had come from Crosshair, not Echo. You feel a headache forming at the back of your skull and huff without realizing it.

“Can I ask what happened?” Anakin says, though cautiously, as if testing the waters.

“Well…,” you say, thinking. He says you don’t have to tell him, but as he does, something suddenly strikes you. You had ‘pushed’ the two men apart the night before without meaning to, or even knowing that you could. You had sensed the faint fear in Crosshair, but you were so focused on him that you didn’t notice anything from Echo. Is Echo afraid of you now? Your heart drops to your feet.

“Hey,” Anakin says, reminding you that you’re still talking to him. “Is everything okay?”

“Something else happened with the Force,” you say. You tell him everything relevant, but skirt around the reason for Crosshair and Echo to be that close and angry in the first place. Thankfully Anakin doesn’t ask about it.

He’s quiet for a while, which seems to be the norm whenever you ask him about the Force, but when he does speak, there’s an odd tone in his voice that you can’t quite identify.

“And that was the first time you’d ever moved anything?” he says, and you confirm. “You’ve never even tried before?” he continues, and you confirm again. He’s quiet for some time, and it’s making you sick to your stomach.

“Was anyone hurt? What were you feeling?” he suddenly asks.

“No, nobody was hurt. We were all scared half to death, but otherwise okay. Why?” you ask, the hand not holding your comm device trembling.

“Were you angry?” he says, and you’re able to figure out his tone. He’s worried.

“Y-yes, I was,” you say. You hear him curse under his breath.

“General? Is something wrong?” you ask, slipping back into formality with him out of habit in the suddenly tense conversation.

“One of the key tenets that the Jedi follow is to never let our emotions guide our actions, particularly anger,” he says, and you interrupt him with a sound of understanding.

“Otherwise this can happen,” you say in a whisper.

“Or worse,” Anakin says darkly.

“Shit, what do I do?” you say, panic creeping up on you.

“Calm down and take a deep breath first, okay?” he says.

You do as instructed, and once your heart rate levels back down, he continues, asking if you can get back to the Library. You tell him that you’re busy with Echo today and shipping back out tomorrow. He curses under his breath again.

As this happens, a speeder bike comes to a sudden stop right in front of you. Someone orange with very broad shoulders and long white hair hops off of it and ignores you as they barge into Shalka’s place. You don’t sense anything troublesome about them, but sneak under the small window of the building anyway. You hear a strange whistling noise and carefully peek inside.

The biker is the one making the noise, but judging by the way Shalka is reacting, that’s simply how they speak. They hand her a small red box, then turn to Echo and whistle something at him while jerking their head toward the door. He reacts by sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck and nodding. Shalka must be translating for them.

Anakin’s voice suddenly rings out, asking if something had happened and reminding you once again that you were still in a call with him. In the split second before everyone inside turned toward the window, you duck back down and quickly dash to where you had been when the biker arrived.

“I’m fine; I thought there was about to be a situation,” you say, trying to even out your nervous breathing as you explain yourself. “Has Shalka Myrr ever had a small delivery while you’re there?” you ask.

“Oh,” Anakin says, caught off guard. “Every once in a while, yeah.” You express your relief, and Anakin gets you back on topic.

“Anyway, can you encrypt and decrypt files?” he asks.

“I have no idea how, but I know Tech does,” you say.

“Do you trust him?” he says.

“I do,” you say firmly.

“No hesitation,” he says, sounding impressed.

“None at all sir, I trust my entire squad with my life,” you say, unconsciously standing up straighter.

“So you’re going to tell them about all of this?” he says, surprised. You hesitate, and he notices. Before he can say anything about it, you speak back up.

“I’ve given it some serious thought,” you say. “I can’t hide it anymore; last night was a direct result of me being caught lying about it.”

“Ok, then I’m going to send you some files, Tech can decrypt them for you. I’m breaching serious protocol by doing this, so nobody outside of the pair of us and the squad, if necessary, can know about it,” Anakin says, and you’ve never heard him so intense. “Read everything and take it to heart, I don’t think I need to stress to you how important this information will be.”

“Of course. Thank you again, Anakin, you really don’t have to do all of this,” you say. He brushes this off with a simple ‘you’re welcome, be safe’ and ends the call.

You spend a few minutes mulling everything over, but at the forefront of your mind, the Force is continuing to make you feel like telling anyone else about this would be a mistake, and that you shouldn’t have said anything to anyone to begin with. With some focus, you’re able to squash the feeling down and think a little more clearly. You won’t keep your abilities a secret, but you’re not about to run back to the ship and announce it either. You’ll tell Tech, Wrecker, and Hunter when the time comes, or when they figure it out, which Tech certainly will.

You’re so deep in thought that when an unfamiliar hand suddenly touches your shoulder, you reflexively jerk away and take a hard swing at whoever it belongs to.

Echo, though startled, is able to move away fast enough that you don’t hit him, but he could feel the air moving around your fist as it passes. He curses, and the sound of his voice brings you back to your senses. You whip your head towards him and find that he’s backed off by a few feet with his hands held up, palms out, in front of his chest.

Wait, hands?

You blink a few times and it finally processes in your head that yes, Echo has two hands again. He had to have touched you with the cybernetic Shalka had just finished for him.

“God damn, what was that?” he says, more startled than you now.

“Kriff Echo, you can’t sneak up on me like that!” you say, shaking.

“Sorry, sorry,” he says, lowering his hands and cautiously moving closer to you.

“No no, i-it’s fine, you,” you say and pause for breath. “You didn’t know.” You take a deep breath and let out a long, shuddering exhale.

Echo keeps moving and eventually comes to a stop at your side. He hovers his cybernetic hand over your shoulder, and only touches you again when you meet his eyes and nod at him.

“What the hell have you been through?” he whispers, then pulls you close to his chest. You don’t answer, and he doesn’t expect you to. After a minute or so, your shakes have tapered down and he holds your upper arms and takes a step back to better see your face.

“You okay?” he asks, his golden brown eyes looking deeply into yours.

“Yeah, I’m alright,” you say.

Echo takes your hand into his organic one and gently walks you back to Shalka’s doorway.

“I have to ask,” he says before you go back inside, “who the hell taught you to throw a punch like that?”

“That would be Hunter. I was caught unaware during one of my first missions with them and it would have ended very badly if he didn’t have my back. We’ve sparred every now and then since,” you say. Echo doesn’t say anything else but seems to accept this explanation.

The door suddenly slides open and the biker stands aside to let you both in, then gets back onto their speederbike and takes off without looking back.

Inside, Shalka gets Echo’s attention and hands him a small cardboard box. In response to your curious expression, she says, “it’s the old scomp link, figgur’d Tech could do something with the parts.” She adds “that specialty thing Jyn made is in there too for when ya need it later,” and looks at Echo with a knowing expression. He rubs at the back of his neck again and stumbles over his thanks while you pretend not to notice.

“Are you absolutely positive that you don’t want me to pay you?” you ask, carefully tucking the box into your bag.

“I’m damn sure Sunshine,” she says sternly, but her face is relaxed. “Tell ya what though, I could do with some lunch. Think you could grab me a bite?” she continues.

“Oh, yeah, that sounds fine,” you say. “Where did you want to go?”

Shalka grabs a few things from her workbench and stuffs them into her many pockets before leading you both outside. As she locks up, she names the noodle place from which Fives brought you something to eat in the days after Echo’s ‘death’.

“They’re still open?” Echo says, surprised.

“Hero, they got multiple spots,” Shalka says. “They’ve upgraded from that hole in the wall a good bit. C’mon, I’ll drive us,” she says, before walking around the corner of the building.

“I haven’t been there in ages,” you say, and Echo chuckles at you.

“Yeah, me neither,” he says with a smirk, and you roll your eyes at him. Still holding your hand, he then leads the way to where Shalka’s speeder is parked

None of you expected to stay in the restaurant until the sun began to set, so when you all step outside into the dimming light, you’re surprised by it. The three of you walk back to where Shalka has parked in a companionable quiet; you’d all been talking through most of the meal so there isn’t much else to say. Shalka reaches her vehicle and unlocks it, but just before she climbs in, you speak.

“We really can’t thank you enough Shalka,” you say, and Echo nods.

“Seriously, thank you,” he says.

“I told you, I haven’t had a good meal in weeks, we’re square in my book,” she says, brushing it off.

“If you say so,” Echo says, though still in disbelief.

“I do say so. Now, I’ve sent Tech copies of my notes and everything I’ve drawn up, so maintenance shouldn’t be an issue. That said, stop by whenever you’re planetside,” Shalka says.

“Wait, really?” you say.

“Yeah, really. I guarantee my work, but I actually like you both a lot. Besides, I gotta keep up with whatever our Hero’s doing next,” she says with a rare genuine smile while nudging Echo’s upper arm.

“You don’t- I’m not-,” Echo says, flustered and stumbling over his words.

“Yes, you are,” you and Shalka both say in unison, then you look at each other and laugh.

With that, Shalka shakes your hand, hers rough and calloused after years of work, then Echo’s. She calls you both by your real names, then says “be safe” to you and “good luck” to Echo, then hops into the speeder and takes off. As you watch her go, you wonder what Echo would need good luck for, maybe fully integrating into the squad? This gets you thinking about his odd behavior throughout the day, and you worry again that you scared him last night.

These thoughts are interrupted when the cool durasteel of his cybernetic hand brushes up against your warm skin. You interlace your fingers and note that it’ll be a good idea to get him a glove like Anakin’s. Echo softly tugs at you and leads you to a quiet, shaded area that’s noticeably less crowded. He stands alongside a wall, in front of you, now holding both your hands in both of his, and he softly says your name.

“Yes, Echo?” you respond, looking expectantly at him.

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to do since you got me out of that damn stasis pod, if I may,” he says, and the hint of nervousness that wafts off of him does not go unnoticed by you. Curious, you nod and tell him to go ahead.

Echo hesitates for a second, then takes a deep breath. He holds both sides of your face in his hands as he pulls you close and kisses you deeply, his lips crushing against yours and his fingers tangling into your hair as your mouths open and your tongues meet. You've never felt such heated passion from him. It’s easy to lose yourself in it, and the two of you forget that you’re still in public.

You’re abruptly reminded, however, when someone nearby shouts for you two to “get a room!”.

Echo breaks away, albeit reluctantly, and your head spins for the second time that day. Dizzy, you hold onto his chest plate for balance, and he chuckles at you. He dips his head roughly even with your neck, and the heat of his breath in your ear makes you shiver as he says “you know, that’s not a bad idea.”

You step back and meet his eyes. When you do, a mixed wave of love and arousal wash over you, triggering a familiar warmth in your chest and between your legs. You take your turn to grab his head and kiss him deeply. Once the two of you pull apart, panting, you tell him “fuck yes, let’s go.”

You both manage to find a taxi right away, and you’re back at the hotel by the time night has settled. You were able to control yourselves in the cab, but now that you can be alone, you rush to your room, fumbling with the door and key as you both paw at each other.

When the door makes an error sound for the second time, you huff and hold Echo at arms length from you while you try the key again, more aware of what you’re doing this time. The door refuses to open.

“Oh son of a bitch,” you groan. Echo tries the key a few times with the same result and also curses. On the verge of irritation, you both go back into the lobby and approach the front desk.

“Good evening, how may I help you tonight?” the young Chiss man seated behind the desk asks.

“Uh, yeah, hi,” you say, and give him your name. “We’re supposed to be in room-,” you start, but the receptionist takes over by saying your room number the same time you do.

“Yes ma’am, it says here that your room has been upgraded, were you unaware?” he asks. You and Echo glance at each other, confused. The young man continues: “Well, I suppose you know now! Your belongings have already been taken upstairs for you. Here, let me swap out your room keys,” he says. Once this is done, he tells you that your new room is a deluxe on the top floor with the best view of the city.

You’re completely bewildered, but thank him and make your way to the lift nearby. The ride up is silent as you both try to figure out what just happened. The lift stops, one floor above the bar, and the door slides open. You only have to move one door away from it to find your new room, and the key opens the door with no trouble. You and Echo exchange a glance, but go inside anyway.

Moving carefully in the dim light, you make your way to the farthest wall, which is made entirely of one-way glass. Beyond it, you can see miles and miles of Coruscant; Her bright, multicolored lights appear to sparkle like diamonds against the velvet black night sky. Echo stands beside you and takes your hand.

“Echo, did you-?” you ask, but he shakes his head before you get the entire question out. “Well I certainly didn’t, so who…?” you say, thinking out loud.

There’s the sudden sound of footsteps behind you, and you react by turning on your heel, grabbing your blaster from your bag, and pointing it with both hands in the direction of the noise.

“Don’t fucking move,” you growl, tightening your grip on the blaster.

“Ooh, kitten’s feisty tonight,” a familiar voice says as a lamp clicks on.

“Crosshair!” you say, lowering your weapon. “Dank ferrik, I nearly shot you, what the fuck are you doing here?” you say while carefully putting your blaster back in your bag and setting it on a nearby table. Crosshair approaches and holds your hips, chuckling at you.

“That's my girl,” he says, proud. “You did exactly what you were supposed to. Kill?”

“Stun, lucky for you,” you say, trying to cool down the adrenaline rush.

“Aside from target practice,” Echo says, also badly startled, “what the fuck are you doing here?”

“You were wondering who changed the room; I did. Well, we did,” he says. You and Echo look confused, so Crosshair steps back from you and explains.

“After our conversation this morning,” he says, looking briefly at Echo before returning his attention to you, “the guys and I managed to pull some credits together and upgrade the room. We’ll be sleeping on the ship tonight, so consider this a gift from the squad.”

“For what?” you ask, still confused. Crosshair says nothing, but you do catch the pointed look he gives Echo before he softly kisses you and leaves the room without a word.

After a moment, you just shrug and accept it, then duck into the refresher for a little while. When you return, you find Echo retrieving the small box Shalka had given him from your bag. He opens it up and stares at the contents, appearing deep in thought.

You slip past him and kick your shoes off before staring out of the wall-sized window. You wonder if you can see the hangar that the Marauder is docked in from here. You try to look for it, but at the same time you realize that you have no idea what to actually look for, Echo speaks and distracts you.

“So, before we went into Shalka’s, we were talking in the taxi, remember?” he says. You’re still looking out of the window, but nod and say yes to show that you are listening.

“I wanted to ask you something, but didn’t get the chance,” he says. You hear one of his legs creak and assume he’s sat down on the enormous bed nearby.

“Although, now is a much better time for it,” he says. You feel a gust of nervous excitement blow over you from his direction, and when you turn around you find him on one knee with the small box the biker had given Shalka open in his cybernetic hand.

Taglist: @madameminor @kaminocasey @jennamelinda12 @arctrooper69 @the-cantina @jedi-hawkins @zoeykallus @wolveria @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond @whore4rex @echo-is-worth-more-than-2000 @vanyaluxz1007 @jane8675

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#my fics #echo #cross

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mysteriouslover1516 · 1 year

Text

IMAGINE:

I took care of it.

The young hacker sighed as he sent the message, he hoped it would give MC at least a small sense of comfort. He had already noticed that she was being somewhat cyber bullied by strangers. Oh god, Lilly. What did you do? What a mess you created.

That's great

MC was safe for now, at least as safe as he could manage. He himself; however, that was another story. He needed to start packing, time was of the essence, it was time to go on the run again.

But you didn't threaten her, did you?

Jake paused, packing had to wait. There was no way he was going to leave while that awful thought was being entertained inside MC's head. Why would she even think that? Didn't she trust him? Didn't she know him, know that he would never do something like that?

What? No, of course not. I talked to her.

No, of course she didn't know. It was like he was pulling her in just enough so that he could ultimately push her away once more. It was an utter mess of confusion, of hidden feelings, vulnerability, secrets, and self-preservation; and he was the cause of it.

Please don't lie to me

"I'm not lying, MC." He muttered, one hand finding refuge in his black, wavy hair; slightly tugging on the strands in frustration.

That was way too fast

He sighed, what would he have to say to make her believe him? Despite his mistakes, he was a man of integrity, or at least he thought so, hoped so, knew so.

I am telling the truth MC. I filled her in on something. One day I am going to tell you too, I promise you that.

Yes, Lilly was now in possession of somewhat slightly incriminating evidence against him. Something that would thoroughly involve him in Hannah's disappearance. Something that would finally state the connection he had to the missing Donfort girl.....

I've been hearing that since forever.....Jake, please.

Jake groaned, Ugh, she was right. MC deserved to know the truth, He didn't know what would become of himself, what his fate held, whether he would ever get the chance to tell her in the future...it had to be now. Yes, MC was right, once again undeniably right. Damn.

MC, I am wanted by the government.

Probably not the most tactful way to start this conversation, but at least it was now out in the open. He felt the sudden urge to close his eyes, hesitating to read MC's response. What would she say?

You are WHAT?

Jake's fingers flew across the keyboard. He needed to reassure her, he couldn't lose her trust, he couldn't lose her, not now, not ever.

Yes. But I am one of the good guys. If you can call it that. I meddled in some things that were never supposed to get out into the public.

Why haven't you ever told me?

The hacker stopped, was she really asking him that? Wasn't it obvious? If he had started it off as "Hey, I'm considered a criminal that is wanted by the government, I need you to trust me" she would have literally flipped out. Come on, MC. You're smarter than this, I know you are, don't play dumb with me.

Because I was afraid that you would stop trusting me.

Yes, understandably so

Jake sighed, he was getting off topic, he needed to focus. Time was waning, he had no doubt that the FBI was already hot on his trail.

In any case, Lilly has published some serious information about me now. And any piece of information about me, no matter how small of a detail it is, Could help the people that are after me find out where I am.

That sounds awful

It was awful.......but to be honest.....he found himself no longer caring.

To be honest....Ever since I met you....I actually have hope again. And I thank you for that, MC.

MC made him comfortable, made him forget his present circumstances, made the trauma of his past fade out of view as the time and the conversations with her increased. He found himself falling, falling for her. And just as he was finally coming to the realization of that fact, it was too late to tell her, not now at least. They had more pressing matters to attend to, such as.....

As much as I regret it, I will now have to make some arrangements to ensure my safety first. I have to assume that the people hunting for me are hot on my heels by now. They may even be close to finding me. You might be on for you own for some time.

What, you are leaving me hanging?!

A small, dark chuckle escaped his lips. It certainly did seem like it, but no, he would never, besides.....he physically and mentally couldn't. There was no way in heck he was going to let her go.

No, of course I won't do that. If you really need me, I am going to be there for you. From now on you are going to have to take the lead.

Another sigh filled his ears, he hated this. He hated having to leave her like this. A while back he had told her he found it hard to pick up on emotions over text, but right now, he could sense it perfectly. MC was upset, fearful, perhaps even angry at Lilly, maybe even angry at him himself; but deep down he could tell she cared, deeply.

I know that I can always count on you. You've shown it to me more than once.

He paused, then once realizing she wasn't going to reply, he immediately started to type. He hoped his next message would make her laugh, at least smile a little bit, ease her sadness. He didn't want to have to leave her with a heavy heart; even though he knew that was an impossible wish to have.

And something good comes out of this whole thing: I won't be able to read your private chats anymore.

No response, damn. She was taking this hard, wasn't she? Ugh. He wished he could take more time to comfort her, to ease her nerves; if only he had the time........as it was right now he needed to flee, and the time to rewind back to about ten minutes ago.

My time is running out.

MC needed to focus, she needed to continue on in their investigation during his absence. She was the key to the puzzle, he needed to be able to depend on her.

Do you still remember, what our last lead was?

Yeah, I remember. The mysterious "Jennifer"

A faint smile flitted across his lips, in spite of all the chaos, she still remembered. Further proving to him that she could indeed keep a level head, despite the circumstances.

Right. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to look into it any further. But I think you are just as capable of doing it as I am.

For real?

Ahh, there was her sense of humor. That emojie.....what even was that? A sweaty grin? Ohhhh, wait, a nervous laugh.....yes, that was it.

Yes. Of course. You have five friends from Duskwood. Thomas, Cleo, Jessy, Richy, and Dan. I want you to choose one of them and then ask them about our mysterious Jennifer.

And you don't care who I choose?

Jake bit his lip, of course he cared. He hoped MC would choose someone who had been a resident there for years, perhaps even their whole childhood, someone who had lived there when the "terrible incident" took place ten years ago. But who would she choose? MC was very close to Jessy, did that mean she would probably ask her? Or would she ask Cleo? Richy maybe? God, he hoped she would refrain from asking Dan, what an idiot, ugh. And Thomas, hmmmm, Jake wouldn't choose him for sure if it was up to him....But it wasn't up to him, it was up to MC, he had placed the responsibility into her hands. And he trusted her, he whole-heartedly trusted her.

Let's just say, I trust your judgement. Just like you have to trust the person that you are going to choose.

It was time to say goodbye, damn. Usually goodbyes didn't faze him, because he would never allow himself to once again get close to someone, letting him avoid the painful, bittersweet goodbye. But ever since meeting MC, his world had shifted, she had pulled the rug from right underneath his feet. What had she done to him?

I have to go now. But I am going to contact you again as soon as I can.

Fingers paused over the keyboard, when would he be able to text her again? He hoped it would be soon.......he would make it be soon.

Hey, Jake?

Yes?

A small panic swarmed inside his head, he could feel his cheeks flush red. Was she going to say I love you? What would he say????

Thank you....for confiding in me despite all this

Phew. A relieved but somewhat disappointed sigh escaped his lips, god he was hormonal. He had never experienced such fast mood swings as he had ever since he met MC. Damn, he had it bad.

Thank you for never making me regret confiding in you.

Forcing himself to log off, he quickly set to work tearing his computer and work station down. Would he ever be able to rest without having to look over his shoulder? Would his life always be laced with risk and uncertainty? Was there a happily ever after in store for him? God he hoped so, he really REALLY hoped so.

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supernaturalgirl20 · 2 years

Text

The Way Back to You

Pairings: Frankie Morales x f!reader

Warnings: Eventual Smut 18+, explicit, unprotected sex, oral (both receiving), semi public sex, a lot of angst, fluff, cursing, infidelity.

Summary: You find yourself back in your hometown after almost ten years. The one place you swore you’d never come back to. Now, back for your brothers wedding, you have to face your past, along with the man whose always had your heart. Can you have a second chance at forever?

A/N: one of the two new series I’m working on. Gonna be a duel time zone fic, my first one 😬. Looking to update once a week with this. Hope you enjoy.

Comments and reblogs really appreciated 🥰

Life has a funny way of humbling you. Especially when you least expect it.

Suddenly finding yourself back in the place you tried so hard to get out of has humbled you and as you stood at the end of your parent’s driveway, an odd feeling settled in the pit of your stomach. I never thought I’d be back here again. With a deep breath you move one foot in front of the other as you slowly make your way to the front door, suitcase dragging along the ground behind you. A moment of hesitation sweeps over you as you have your hand raised towards the knocker. You can do this. The door suddenly opens, and Santiago stands staring, eyes wide.

“Y/N. You came,” he says as he pulls you into a tight hug. “I can’t believe it. Mom said you were coming but I didn’t believe her. I’m happy you did though. It’s been way too long.”

“I know and I’m sorry. I just – I couldn’t face it.” He pulls back and grabs the suitcase from you, and you follow him into the house. “You always wanted to escape this town.”

“Rich coming from you. Last I heard you’d gone to Australia after a woman.” He smiles at her, eyebrows raised. “True, but in my defence, I am marrying her now.”

“Is that my Y/N?” you hear your mother shout from the dining room, and you roll your eyes playfully at Santi before calling out to her. “Si mama.”

“I knew you would come. Didn’t I tell you Santiago?” Her eyes light up as she embraces you. Pulling back, she has a frown on her face. “You’ve lost weight.”

“I haven’t.” She eyes you suspiciously before waving you off. “Fine. Fine. You need to change though; we are having a small party tonight for Santiago and Amelia.”

Eyeing yourself you turn your head to Santi with a questioning look. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” You whisper. He just shrugs his shoulders laughing at the disgust on your face. “Nothing at all little sis but you’d do well to just go with it. You know what mom is like.” I’m not even home a minute and she’s at me. Just like old times.

***

The night was in full swing with most of your family having arrived an hour earlier along with most of Santi’s friends and some of Amelia’s. He still hasn’t arrived, and you feel a mixture of relief and disappointment. Maybe its for the best if he doesn’t come. Amelia had handed you another glass of champagne when you heard the commotion at the front door. “Fuck Fish what time do you call this?” Oh god. I can’t do this. I can’t face him. I can’t. For brief moment your eyes meet and panic sets in. God he’s so handsome. Standing up abruptly you don’t turn towards Santi as he calls your name, instead you quickly make your way out onto the deck.

Taking in a deep breath you hear the sliding door close, and a shiver runs through you in anticipation. “Hey Shortcake! Been a while.”

“Yeah – yeah it has,” you say as you turn to face him. The breath is stolen from your lungs as you take him in. Jesus, was he always this handsome? Of course he was, you idiot. He seems nervous as he stands with his hands in his front jeans’ pockets, rocking back and forth on his feet.

“You look good, Frankie,” you say softly as your eyes take him in. “Your hair is longer.” The corner of his mouth curves into a smile as he lifts off his cap and runs his fingers through his brown wavy hair. “Yeah. Kinda let it go. You look – you look amazing. City life has been good to you.”

“I don’t know about that,” you say shyly as you avert your gaze. A silence falls between you and the air is thick with tension. You remember a time when you both would spend hours out under the stars, talking about everything and nothing. The plans you had for the future, for a future together.

Something stirs inside you, an invisible string pulling you towards him and when you lift your eyes, you find him already staring at you. The way he’s looking at you; like you’re his whole world, has your heart racing. He moves. Slow, deliberate and each step he takes is filled with determination.

He stands right in front of you now, his hot breath – the faint smell of peppermint from the gum he’s chewing – fans over your face. You gulp loudly and you find yourself getting lost once again in the warmth of his hazel eyes. He lifts his hand slowly to move a stray piece of hair behind your ear. The feel of the rough skin of his fingers grazing your cheek sends a spark through you. His gaze is fixed on your lips and your breath catches.

“Frank, did you get me that beer?” A female voice calls from behind him and he pulls away quickly. Like he’s just been struck by lightening. “Uh, sorry I’ll get them now.” Frankie turns away from you and without a glance in your direction makes his way to the mystery woman. You don’t fail to notice the way he rests his hand on her lower back as he leads her inside. Your heart shatters at the sight and the small voice inside your head tells you that you don’t have the right to be jealous. You let him go. With a deep sigh you make your way back inside. This is gonna be a long night.

***

Avoiding the guys was no easy feat as you mingled with the guests, all asking how life in the city was treating you, about your high paying job. One you no longer have, but that was a tale for a different day.

“Well look what the cat dragged in. It’s been a while Garcia,” Benny practically shouts as he approaches you from the corner of the room. His arms circle around your waist lifting you into the air as he squeezes you tight. “Too…tight”, you breathe out and his hold on you relents, helping you stand before him. “Wow, well look at you all grown up. Pope will have to buy a shotgun now to keep the men away.”

“Oh, very funny, Benny. I can handle myself just fine.” He smiles brightly at you, a twinkle of mischief in his eye. “What are you up too?”

“Has Fish seen you yet?” Benny lifts his head up a little as he says this, his eyes roaming the crowd for his friend. “Yeah, he followed me outside earlier. Who’s the chick he’s with?” Benny shakes his head before taking a swig of his beer. “Nah, she’s no one important. He never said he saw you. Explains a lot though. He’s been acting weird all night.”

“What do you mean she’s not important? She’s his girlfriend, right? I’m happy he’s happy.” You down the rest of the beer in your hand and when you look at benny, his gaze is already set on you. A questioning look in his eyes. “Not his girlfriend, it’s… complicated. He went out after you, you know….” A hand pulls Benny by the neck, Will coming up beside him with a warm smile on his face. “Hey Y/N. You look great. How long has it been?” Your heart is almost bursting from your chest. What? “Hey, you, ok?” Both men look a little concerned as your face pales, but you quickly shake it off. “I’m fine, sorry. How’s Elaine?” Will shifts uncomfortably beside Benny ands his eyes are focused on his shoes. “She uh, we aren’t together anymore. It’s for the best. I wasn’t treating her right. She deserves better. Enough about me, how’s big city life? Any fella we need to beat up or threaten?” A warmth floods your veins, and you can’t help the smile that spreads across your face at the way they are being protective of you. Just like old times.

“Life is…good. And no, there’s no fella to beat up. Well, there was…but he eh…. he cheated on me with a co-worker. No big deal though, I didn’t really like him anyway.”

“Does Pope know? What’s his name? We can always have a word with him.” Shaking your head you smile at them both – one that doesn’t quite reach your eyes. “Honestly, it’s fine. Guess he just wasn’t the one for me.”

“No, because we all know the one for you is standing over in the corner with Pope.” Will nudges Benny in the ribs and he yelps a little, rubbing the spot as if he was in pain. “What?! It’s the truth.”

“Maybe you’re right. Doesn’t matter though because he’s with someone now so.”

“I told you she’s not his girlfriend. Can’t a guy just hook up casually without it being anything?”

“Not when he brings her to his friends house where is ex is and all her family.” Your tone was a little clipped and you could feel the room suffocating you. “I need to get some air. It was nice catching up. We need to go out for drinks now I’m back.” You push past them both and don’t turn when your mom calls out for you needing to clear your head.

“Y/N wait…”

***

Frankie could hear the blood pumping through his veins as his gaze landed on you. Your hair was shorter and you’d obviously dyed it but you were still the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. You look up at the sound of Santi saying his name your eyes meeting briefly and he swears that time stops.

It’s just you and him in this room - the noise from the party is drowned out and you’re all he sees. His whole world is right there in front of him. He can see the panic flashing through your eyes before you rush out the door to the patio. He steps around Santi and begins to make his way after you when a hand pulls on his arm.

“Hey, where are you going?” Sara says her eyebrow raised in question. Frankie resists the urge to roll his eyes as he pulled his arm out of he grip. This chic just wouldn’t take the hint. It was only supposed to be a one time thing but she’s so persistent. “Just gonna get some beers. Back in a tick.”

He needed to see you. To speak to you and see how you’ve been. He hopes life is good but a selfish part of him hopes your life has been awful without him. That you’ve missed him just as much as he’s missed you.

When he steps out onto the patio he knows you’ve heard him with the way your body tensed. “Hey Shortcake! Been a while.”

You turn around and he lets his eyes trail over your figure and he’s blown away by you. You we’re still so fucking beautiful. His eyes meet yours and he knows right then and there that your it for him. There’s no one else. Never was, never will be.

***

He can’t get it out of his head, that look of utter devistation you had on your face when Sara came out after him. He was so close to you he could feel your warmth permeate his skin. And fuck he wanted to kiss you so bad and all he had to do was just lean in a little bit more and then…Sara shows up ruining everything. He needed to put a stop to this tonight. To make it crystal clear that he didn’t want to be with her.

With a beer in hand he spots Will smacking Benny on the head and makes his way over to see what was going on. “Hey, what was that for?” He says with a smirk on his face. “This little shot right here nearly spilled the beans on you.”

“Jesus, it just slipped out. I don’t know why you are making a big deal about it, it’s been ten years for fuck sake.” Will scowls at his little brother before Benny raises his hands in the air and walks off. “Sorry Fish, he can be an idiot sometimes.”

Frankie nods his head in agreement, “It’s fine, I’m used to him by now. Besides, she’s gonna find out eventually right? I mean Santi was the one who drove me to her place that time. I’m surprised he hasn’t mentioned it.”

“Have you talked to her tonight or has she been avoiding you?”

“We talked a little then Sara interrupted us. I was trying to find her again all night but anytime I see her…I look again and she’s gone.” Will rests his hand on Frankie’s shoulder. “Well you missed her again, Fish. She left like five minutes ago. Said she needed to get some air and clear her head.”

“She head out back?” With a shake of his head Will points to the front door. “Nah, she went that way. I recon you know where’s at.”

Frankie doesn’t even have to think about it. He knows. He’s about to leave when he spots Sara making her way towards him but Will moves in front of him. “I’ve got it. You get your girl.”

“She’s not my…”

“Fish, Y/N has been your girl since high school. Everyone knows it. Just need you two to get on board now.”

“Thanks man.”

Part 2

Everything: @maievdenoir @amneris21 @hnt-escape @elegantduckturtle @harriedandharassed @jediknight122 @ayrusss @hayley-the-comet @sherala007 @alexxavicry @scorpio-marionette @donnaa @practicalghost @tanzthompson @beskarprincessjenny @littlemisspascal @icanbeyourjedi @thatpinkshirt @maryfanson @sunnshineeexoxo @misspearly1 @misspearlssideblog @athalien @its--fandom--darling @sara-alonso @doommommy @trickstersp8 @nembees @kaitieskidmore1 @mswarriorbabe80 @allthe-ships @tintinn16 @manuymesut @rosie-posie08

Frankie Morales: @paulalikestuff @vanemando15 @hb8301 @djarinslove @browneyes-issac @agingerindenial @afootnoteinyourhappiness @almaeunice @readsalot73 @marielovesstuff @a3trogirl @loonymagizoologist

#pedro pascal #frankie morales x female reader #pedro pascal x reader #frankie morales x f!reader #frankie morales x reader #pedro pascal x female reader #pedro pascal fanfiction #francisco morales

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fratboykate · 1 year

Note

Man, your bodyguard/celebrity AU have me hooked. Show us more of what it looked like earlier in the relationship.

Okay, this isn't exactly EARLY but it's early enough. They're not even engaged yet. It's 4k-ish words.

---

A firm knock booms through Kate's hotel room, signaling it's time to be whisked away to another whirlwind day of press events. As the door yanks her from her thoughts, she realizes she's momentarily forgotten which European country she's even in. Belgium, maybe? The constant disorientation from hopping from one place to the next is easily her least favorite part of being on the road.

This leg of the tour has been particularly wild ever since she and Yelena were thrust into the spotlight due to their relationship forcibly made public a week ago. Paparazzi seem to be lurking around every corner now, and every journalist she’s sat with since is fixated on prying into her personal life, leaving little room for discussions about her music or her upcoming television series.

But amidst the chaos, there's always a silver lining in the shape of a petite grumpy Russian. Every morning, it's Yelena who arrives at Kate’s suite to collect her. It's a small, stolen moment that Kate treasures, a chance to be alone with her love at the start of each day. It grounds her and sets the tone for anything the day might throw at her. While protocol dictates that security should wait outside her door and escort Kate down, ever since they started sleeping together, Yelena usually knocks once then enters using the spare key card Kate always makes sure she has.

Today, however, there's an unexpected second knock on the door.

"Baby, just come in.”

Kate calls out to the door as she hurriedly tosses the last of whatever she thinks she'll need for the day into her oversized purse. She pauses, expecting Yelena to enter the room. But seconds tick by, and still, there’s no sign of her. Huh?

"Yel, get in here! I need your help with this zipper thing. It's stuck...I think you pulled on it too hard last night."

A smirk tugs at the corner of Kate’s lips as memories of clothes being peeled off her body the night before jump to the forefront of her mind.

But still...nothing. The room remains silent, and confusion furrows Kate's brow. Kate briskly walks to the door and swings it open, only to be met with the unexpected sight of a tall, black man standing on the other side.

"Johnson?" Kate questions, her voice laced with surprise.

"Mornin', Miss Bishop. The car's ready for you downstairs." Johnson replies in a calm and professional tone.

"Where's Yelena?"

Johnson shifts uncomfortably on his feet, a hint of hesitation in his response.

"She's no longer on your detail."

A chuckle escapes Kate’s lips, assuming it’s a prank.

"Funny. Tell her to come up here. I need her."

However, Johnson's expression remains stoic as he reveals the truth.

"Miss Belova is no longer employed at Shield Security. I've been assigned to be your new Head of Security.”

Kate’s amusement evaporates. Offering no further comment, Kate abruptly turns away and unceremoniously closes the door in his face. She rushes to her bed and the phone that rests atop it. She dials Yelena. No answer. She calls again and leaves a voicemail this time.

"I'm really hoping you're running late and Johnson is in on the joke. Call me, please."

Growing anxious, Kate sends a text message as well. It reads: "Where are you?" Nothing. The silence only heightens her unease.

Kate rushes back to the entrance, nabbing her purse on the way. She opens the door.

"Take me to where you guys stay."

When they're not on duty, the permanent security team that travels with Kate usually lodges at a modest hotel, far from the lavish and ultra-expensive accommodations she gets in every city.

"Miss Bishop, we..."

"It wasn't a question. It was an order."

Johnson hesitates for a moment, but understanding the urgency in her tone, he acquiesces. Kate hovers by the door, allowing him to lead the way.

---

During the entire twenty-three-minute ride to the other hotel, Kate tirelessly taps away at her phone, sending one text after another to Yelena. Frustration mounts with every unanswered message, fueling both Kate’s vexation and her determination to find her. The car finally reaches the parking lot of the modest hotel, and Johnson promptly steps out, opening the door for Kate.

"What room is she in?"

"I don't have that information, ma'am."

"Find out for me then." Kate insists, her impatience palpable.

"I'll need a moment."

Johnson closes the door and steps away from the vehicle. Through the tinted window, Kate keeps a watchful eye on the man as he makes a phone call. The suspense builds. Moments later, he returns.

"Room 307, ma'am."

"Thank you." Kate mutters as she steps out of the car, her frustration evident.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kate sees Johnson trailing after her. She turns sharply and glares.

"Stay here." Kate asserts firmly.

"No problem, ma'am." Johnson responds, yielding to her command.

---

Kate climbs up the weathered stairs, each step creaking beneath her weight, and makes her way down the dimly lit hallway of the roadside hotel. The worn-out carpeting and faded wallpaper tell a story of countless travelers passing through. The air carries a faint smell of disinfectant and the soft hum of air conditioning units lingers in the background. This is the kind of place where business travelers and budget-conscious individuals seek respite, a far cry from the luxurious five-star housing Kate is accustomed to.

Kate steps in front of room 307, raises her hand, and knocks on the door. The sound echoes through the corridor, and after a moment, she hears shuffling and hurried movements from within.

"I told you I needed some time. I'll check out when I chec…” Yelena's voice trails off abruptly as she swings the door open, her words dying on her lips. Kate's gaze falls upon the two giant suitcases, half-packed and scattered on the bed and floor. Confusion and concern fill Kate's eyes as she takes in the disarray before her.

"What the hell is happening?” Kate asks with a mix of urgency and disbelief.

“Shouldn’t you be on the radio right now?”

"Fuck press. Why haven’t you been answering my calls or texts? And why is Johnson babysitting me now?...I hate Johnson."

Yelena steps away from the door and resumes methodically folding and packing clothes.

"I got fired."

"What?! You're MY security. Who fired you?"

“In case you forgot, you hire a security company who hires me. They aren’t big fans of the whole 'me sleeping with one of their most high-profile clients' situation. Got a call this morning. They're putting me on a plane back to the States in six hours."

Kate’s eyes widen in disbelief and anger.

"Bullshit." Kate grabs her phone from her bag. "Who do I call? Give me your boss’s number. How do I fix this?"

Yelena shakes her head, her voice filled with resignation.

"It's in my contract. We're not supposed to have personal relationships with clients or their staff. I breached it. It's done."

"I don't trust anyone else but you." Kate insists, her voice firm.

"Johnson may be a bit of a prick, but he’s a decorated SEAL. He's the next best thing...I actually suggested him for the job. He can keep you safe, so I'm glad they at least listened to that.”

"No. It's either you or no one."

Yelena's expression softens, her eyes meeting Kate's.

"Kate, don't be ridiculous. You need protection and I'm no longer in a position to provide it. Give Johnson a shot. He might grow on you."

"Did he ever grow on you?"

"No." Yelena's response is swift and straightforward.

"Exactly."

Kate approaches Yelena, resolve etched on her face.

"I need you, babe. YOU. No one else. I don't care how many medals they have or what they are. You're who I want."

Yelena’s expression softens, but a hint of sadness lingers in her eyes.

"Sometimes reality and what we want don't line up."

"Then we make it line up." Kate declares with conviction.

"Kate..."

Unwilling to back down, Kate gazes around the room, taking in the scattered bags and belongings. Her voice trembles with concern as she speaks next.

"Were you going to leave without telling me?"

"You have a hectic day, packed schedule. More important things for you to focus on. I would've texted you before the plane took off.”

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't notice you weren't with me until six hours from now?"

A hint of regret accompanies Yelena's admission.

"No. But I hoped you'd be too busy to come digging. Clearly, I was wrong.”

Irritation builds within Kate as Yelena continues to move around the room, putting the last of her things in the bag.

"Will you stop packing?! You're not going anywhere."

"The company pays for this room. They paid it because I was your Head Of Security. I no longer hold that position, so I have to vacate the premises regardless.”

Kate paces back and forth, her mind racing. Suddenly, an idea flashes across her face, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"What if you were?" Kate asks eagerly.

"What if I were what?" Yelena looks at her with a mix of confusion and caution.

"My head of security again."

"We just went over why that's not possible.”

Kate grows more insistent.

"If the problem is that the company I hired fired you, then I’m firing them and hiring you directly. I'll pay whatever Shield was paying you. Double it if you want. Plus, whatever else you need.”

Yelena shakes her head.

"Kate, don't be insane."

"Why not? Let's cut out the middleman. You'll be fully in charge, making all the decisions. Everything goes through you. Everything."

"I'm not taking your money." Yelena tells her firmly.

"You were already working for me anyway!"

"I was working for them. They assigned me to you. It's not the same."

“But it is! It is the same. Tell me what you need. We'll make it happen.”

“Kate, this isn't a game. You need security. Take Johnson. Let it be."

"M'kay, well, they're fired anyway. So, you either take the job, or I’ll have no security at all.”

"You can't threaten to ignore all protocols every time you don't get your way."

"I just did. I'll drive myself to the venue, open my own car doors, do my own security sweeps..."

Kate plays it up, fully aware that Yelena's patience is wearing thin. She continues to test the boundaries, hoping to elicit a change of heart.

"It's not as simple as me taking the job. I would need people..."

Yelena tries to explain, but Kate interrupts her, speaking over her.

"Hire them. Whatever you need."

"...but I don't have money to pay people..."

"I just told you to name the price. It's taken care of."

"...and even if I did, I would need to have a company to run payroll..."

"I can have my lawyers on it today."

Yelena groans, evidently piqued.

"In your world, you may be able to snap a finger and make things happen, but things are different for the rest of us. It's not just about money. There are licenses, background checks, insurance, and a million other things involved in running a security company. Stick with Shield. I can talk with Johnson, explain how you like things. Give him time. You'll get used to each other."

"I told you, it's you or no one. Shield is already fired. They're done. They made major changes to my team without consulting me. I don't trust them anymore."

"Your team has changed dozens of times while I've been with you and you've never been consulted. We get assigned to different places for different reasons. It's the way it is."

"Never my head of security!"

"Did they consult you when they brought me in, or did they just introduce us?” Kate has no retort to that because they didn't. Checkmate from Yelena. "Exactly."

"Doesn't matter."

"It does matter! It does!"

"Okay, I guess I'm driving myself around the city today."

Kate grabs her bag and heads for the door, deliberately walking down the hallway at a slow pace, giving Yelena time to react. She hears a loud groan and grumbling from inside the room. Finally, the door flies open, and Yelena pokes her head out.

"Get back in here," Yelena grits through her teeth with exasperation.

Kate smirks briefly before putting on a stoic expression, turning to face Yelena, and walking back into the room.

"Look, having money can be a good thing. You need guys? Poach whoever you want from Shield. Double their salaries. I don't care. We'll figure out payroll and whatever other boring legal things need to happen. My business manager and lawyer will have solutions for you. I just need you to say 'yes'. You're amazing at this. Why wouldn't you be your boss?"

Yelena sighs and sits on the bed, contemplating the offer for a long beat.

"This has never been about your money or what you can or can't do for me."

"Oh my god! Not this again. You've never asked me for a single thing. You won't even let me pay for food if it's only us. I know. I know. You're not using me. I don't feel used. Never have. You're the only person I trust. You're doing it for me, not the other way around."

Yelena ponders for a long beat, considering the implications.

"Whatever this costs...legal fees, your business manager's time, state and federal costs to set up the company, anything...I'll reimburse you."

"You're so annoying." Kate smirks and rolls her eyes.

"I'm not with you for your money or status or...whatever." Yelena assures her.

"I've never doubted that."

"I don't want your team to think I'm taking advantage of you."

"They won't."

"All of a sudden, you'd be bankrolling my life, making a company for me...it's..."

"Their priority is to keep me safe. They can't make money if I'm dead, so it's in their best interest to get behind things that guarantee I stay intact. We all know the best person to make sure that happens is you."

"It looks shady from the outside, Kate. I need you to acknowledge that. People talk and I don't want them thinking I'm trying to exploit you or steal from you."

"It's not like I'm throwing money at you for nothing. I'm paying for a service and your expertise. It's business."

"Business and pleasure shouldn't be mixed. "

"We crossed that bridge a LONG time ago."

"And look at where it got us."

"What? Me being happier than I've ever been, you getting the opportunity to start a company, and us being able to finally sleep in the same bed together...all night...without one of us having to sneak out? Sounds like it got us something good.” Kate counters with a grin.

"You always oversimplify things."

"And you always over complicate them."

Yelena's phone receives a text message, causing her to glance at the screen.

"Sam wants to know if I know where you are. I can't believe you blew your press day. Emily is going to be furious."

"Oh, she was calling me the entire ride here." Kate responds nonchalantly.

"Why would you piss off your publicist? That's almost rule number one of things you should never do."

"I had bigger things to worry about."

Kate approaches Yelena and swings her leg over the blonde’s lap. As Kate straddles Yelena, pressing kisses to her pulse point, Yelena's body responds involuntarily. Her head tilts back, granting Kate greater access to her neck. In the midst of their intimate moment, Yelena's eyes flicker open, and she glances at the clock on the bedside table.

"I can still probably get you to your 11:00 AM on time. You might need to do your makeup in the car so you're camera ready by the time we get to the studio, but I think we can make it."

"You don't even want to celebrate that you're a fancy, super important CEO with her own firm now?”

Yelena chuckles, her lips tantalizingly close to Kate's as she replies.

"I'm none of those things."

Kate's lips ghost over Yelena's teasingly.

"But you are. And since you're the Big Boss now, you probably need practice with disciplining people. A lot of bad employees out there. It'd be irresponsible of me to let you do something like this without knowing you're REALLY ready to take control."

As Kate grinds on Yelena's lap, Yelena's fingers instinctively dig into the younger woman’s thighs, leaving marks.

"Have I ever given you any doubts that I can take control?"

Yelena raises an eyebrow. Kate shrugs like the brat she is, and a playful smirk appears on her face.

"Probably. Can't really remember now. I've got a terrible memory that needs constant refreshing, or I forget things."

"Hmmm...I see."

Yelena's eyes lock with Kate's as they study each other intently. In this close proximity, Yelena can count even the most minuscule flecks in Kate's blue eyes. The intensity and underlying lust she reads in them cause Yelena's facade to crack, revealing a genuine smile.

"What am I supposed to do with you?" Yelena wonders aloud. Just as Kate is about to respond, a mischievous smirk already forming on her face, Yelena interjects. "Not in the dirty way, Kate Bishop. In general."

Kate pouts playfully.

"Always ruining my fun."

Yelena chuckles.

"Am I?"

Kate nods, leaning in to press her lips against Yelena's. The electricity in the room grows more charged, the space now filled with desire and unspoken words.

"Show me what you want to do...in the dirty way...first and I'll tell you what to do with me in general after." Kate whispers teasingly.

"You're impossible." Yelena shakes her head, filled with amusement and exasperation.

"I think that means you need to get me under control, no?" Kate challenges, her eyes sparkling.

"I guess it does."

Yelena concedes, leaning forward and pushing Kate's back onto the sliver of open mattress next to her half-packed suitcase.

"Still kind of weak for a CEO." Kate teases some more, poking at Yelena's pride.

A low growl escapes Yelena's throat. Kate is in trouble now, and she knows it. The thought of making it to the 11 AM interview quickly fades from both of their minds.

---

Yelena steps into the sprawling mansion she once called home. It has been weeks since she was last here, ever since she made it clear to Kate that her requests for a divorce were genuine and non-negotiable. The familiar space now feels foreign and strange to her.

"Kate." No answer. "Kate."

Nothing. Yelena calls out a few more times, but there is no response. She moves further into the house, searching for her estranged partner. Eventually, she finds Kate sitting in the office, gazing at the view.

"Kate."

Kate's head turns towards the entrance, their eyes meeting in a moment of silence. Neither of them speaks, but the apprehension hangs heavily in the air. After a brief pause, Yelena shifts her shoulders, a sign of her trepidation and stress.

"You came."

"You didn't really seem to give me a choice...What? What is it? What's so important that you couldn't talk to me about it over the phone?" Yelena asks, her voice tinged with a hint of frustration.

Kate looks at her desk and picks up a document, reading its contents with a furrowed brow.

"'Notice of Termination of Services: Your client is hereby formally notified that, within a maximum period of 30 days, Belova Security will cease to provide its services. We kindly request that you promptly identify and establish contact with an alternative security company to ensure a seamless and efficient transfer of responsibilities.' What the hell is this, Yelena?" Kate's tone is laced with a mix of confusion and frustration.

"Official notice that you should find new security."

"Why would you do that?"

Yelena looks at her, perplexed.

"Are you being serious?"

"You don't need to be involved. I get it if you don't want to be. But I still want to keep using your company for my security."

"That's absurd."

"I don't trust anyone else."

"You just said I wouldn't have to be involved, so what difference does it make."

"It makes a difference to me. I know how you run things and I know that even if it's not you personally overseeing this, your team is still the best. I can simply be another one of your clients. I don't expect special treatment. I don't expect you to deal with the day-to-day stuff. I still want to be on your roster regardless.”

"I'm not going to argue with you, Kate."

"Then don't. Let me do this. It's not some excuse to get you back into my life. I understand that you want nothing to do with me. I respect that. This is purely business."

Yelena pauses for a moment, contemplating the situation. After a long beat, she lets out a sigh. Yelena would never admit it, but she wouldn't trust Kate's security to anyone else either. No one knows her as she does. So even though she will take a step back, it's comforting to know that she’d still be in charge if anything were to happen.

"Strictly business."

"Understood."

"I'll keep Alexei as your lead, then. But I'll make sure they run any significant personnel changes by you first."

"Thank you."

"Yeah."

Yelena starts to leave, her steps heavy with unresolved emotions. Kate hesitates, a mix of concern and regret swirling within her. She wants to say something, to offer some semblance of comfort, even if it may not be enough.

"Yel..." Yelena reluctantly turns, the sound of her nickname sending a shiver down her spine. "Are you okay?"

"Let's keep things professional, Kate."

Kate's heart sinks at the distant tone in Yelena's voice. She desperately wants to bridge the gap between them, to mend what has been broken, but Yelena has made it more than clear that reconciliation is off the table.

"I'm sorry. I truly am." Kate whispers, her voice filled with sincerity.

"You've said that." Her pain lingers right beneath the surface.

"I want you to hear it regardless." Kate continues, her voice tinged with vulnerability.

Yelena offers a slight nod, a subtle acknowledgment of Kate's apology, though the wounds between them remain raw and unresolved. With a somber air, she reaches for her sunglasses, slipping them on to cover her eyes, not just from the scorching hot day, but also to conceal any traces of vulnerability that might surface. It's a defense mechanism, a way to protect herself from further pain. And with that, she turns and walks away, leaving Kate behind.

As the reality of the situation settles upon her, Kate's composure crumbles like fragile glass. Tears stream down her face; each drop a testament to the depth of Kate’s remorse for the pain she has inflicted. With every sob that escapes her lips, the echoes fill the empty space Yelena left behind, reverberating through the void that now exists between them. The sound of her heartbreak intertwines with the emptiness, creating a haunting tune of sorrow and regret. At that moment, Kate is left to confront the magnitude of her actions and the profound loss she feels without Yelena by her side.

#kate x yelena #yelena x kate #kate bishop #yelena belova #bishova #bishlova #kybgau #kybgaup #anonymous #answers

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