#books that absolutely ripped my heart out so i m recommending them to people >:) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lunaraen · 5 years

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I figure a number of the people following me probably do because of a shared interest in Minecraft: Story Mode, and I’m absolutely going to take the time to gush and recommend a different series with a similar sense of humor and ability to balance the jokes with emotion. I know some of the people who follow me are also interested in series like Percy Jackson and Trollhunters, and I think The Last Kids on Earth series is on a similar level to them too, in the sense that it deals with stories about awesome and terrifying adventures featuring teenagers who are just doing their best and who haven’t lost their senses of humor. The Last Kids on Earth also has the benefit of, while being presented mainly through text, having many fun illustrations.

TL;DR: The Last Kids on Earth, written by Max Brallier and illustrated by Douglas Holgate, is a delightfully fun book series that twists what you might expect from a post-apocalyptic story with a just as fun Netflix mini-series adaptation, and while only Book One is up on Netflix now, it’s an hour and seven minute long episode. The series seems to be decently stocked in most libraries, including electronically, so if you’re looking for something fun, silly, and with heart to read, I definitely suggest at least checking out book one. If you want something fun, silly, and with heart to watch, and you also happen to have Netflix, I also definitely recommend watching Book One.

(Oh, and are you a total sucker for found families like I am? This series has you covered.)

More details about the first book and examples of the art and writing under the cut!

For starters, the series has a wonderfully fun art style, and the cover for the first book lets that shine. The other books’ covers are all fun too, but I think tumblr would kill this post many times over if I tried to include them all.

[ID: Illustrated cover, four defiant teenagers stand in a mostly circular formation while grey zombie-like figures with glowing yellow eyes surround them from behind. Each teenager is wielding a weapon, some of which are partly concealed and harder to identify. The character centered at the front holds a splintered and sharp baseball bat and is wearing nondescript pouches. The teenager behind him wields a crossbow with a modified soda-bottle-arrow loaded in it. The title reads “The Last Kids on Earth” in stylized green text with a dark blue border, while in smaller less stylized white text it reads “Max Brallier Author of Galactic Hot Dogs” at the top and “Illustrated by Douglas Holgate” at the bottom.]

The main character of the series, who we meet forty two days after the start of the apocalypse in his town and the Possible End of the World as We Know It™, is Jack Sullivan, a 13 year old whose foster family kinda-sorta-entirely ditched him at the first signs of trouble.

[ID: A white, black haired teenager frowning and holding a splintered baseball bat and a hockey stick while one foot rests on top of an unusual spiny reptilian-like monster head. The text above him reads in black “JACK SULLIVAN -The Hero-” while a number of flavor-text text boxes point out and describe different aspects of his apparel. One pointing to his hand reads “Annoying hand-nail I can’t stop picking at”. Another pointing at his bat says “Louisville Slicer™”. Another for his shoe, reading “Worst. Shoes. Ever.”. The hockey stick is labelled “Hockey Stick, for conking zombie heads.” The pouch at his side are described as “Emergency Peanut M&M Pouch”, while the filled water balloons also hanging at his side are labeled as “Grapefruit juice hand grenades- a blast to the eyes blinds almost anything.”]

He’s our narrator, and he copes largely through humor- a skill he needs even before the start of the apocalypse, because he’ll put himself in danger and say things he shouldn’t if it means sticking up for his best friend.

[ID: Text that reads “I felt Quint’s hand on my shirt, trying to stop me, saying ‘Jack, it’s fine...’ But it wasn’t fine. I hate jerks- whether they’re monster jerks or zombie jerks or just regular human jerks.”

Followed by illustration of characters on bus, Jack turned around in his seat and supporting himself with the back of his chair as he asks “Hey, Dirk, why don’t you pick on someone your own size, huh?” Quint, a black teenager, is sitting behind him and is partly obscured, staring at Jack and Dirk. Dirk, a large, tall white teenager with a mullet/mohawk, is a distance away from the characters and in the foreground of the image, and replies, “Find someone my size and I will.”

Text resumes, reading “I shrugged. ‘I’m sure we can find someone your size. Right, Quint?’ Quint looked out the window and closed his eye and started humming to himself, like he wasn’t involved in this. Sonofa... I turned back to Dirk. ‘Maybe a very rotund panda bear? That might be closer to your impressive figure.’ Dirk reached out and grabbed me by the collar. ‘Hey, Watch the jacket,’ I said. ‘It’s a five-time-hand-me-down. Might even be an antique.’ Dirk growled, ‘You think you’re funny?’ ‘I do. But to be fair, I also think people slipping on ice are funny. And guys getting hit in the groin. My sense of humor isn’t exactly sophisticated.’”]

From the start of the book, Jack handles the apocalypse pretty well, spending his time cataloging the monsters he comes across, keeping track of self made video-game like achievements like knocking off zombie hats, and we first find him focused on trying to get in touch with his previously mentioned best friend, Quint Baker.

[ID: Similar to previous flavor-text text box picture of Jack, with a black teenager smiling, wearing a lab coat and cap, holding a pocket watch, and wearing a large backpack with odd looking technology sticking out of it. In black, the text above him reads “QUINT BAKER -The Best Friend-”. A box pointing to his hat reads “Old-man cap.” Another points to his hair, reading “Hair smells like movie theater popcorn butter.” The pocket watch is described as “Pocket watch for looking dorky.” The text pointing at the technology sticking out of the backpack says “Always working on a new gadget or experiment.” The text for the lab coat reads “Wears a lab coat as a jacket for no good reason.” His sneaker is labelled with “Non-athlete’s foot.”]

Actually- to give you an even better idea of the series’ humor, this is pretty much where we start with Jack, followed by him explaining what he’s been doing and how he got here.

[ID: Jack in mid-air, the bat raised above his head and his legs bent to suggest he has leaped forward, above a large multi-eyed spiny monster that has many sharp teeth, two large tusks, and a long drooling tongue. In black, text above the creature reads “Deadly Duel!” In the lower right-hand corner, all-caps white text in a small black box asks “Who will triumph?!”]

(By the by, the “duel” kind of goes the way you think it would.)

[ID: Text reading “Well, basically, he triumphs. The monster’s massive hand snatches me out of midair. I’m a thimble in his gargantuan grasp. I try to grab hold of my baseball bat blade (aka the Louisville Slicer) but the monster’s crushing grip pins my arms to my sides. He pulls me in close to his face. Thick saliva, like slime, oozes down his lips. His eyes scan me over and his gaping nostrils flair as he inhales my scent. I feel like that blonde babe in King Kong. Only I don’t think this beast wants to hug me and love me... He sniffs some more, blowing my hair back as he exhales. I turn my face. His breath, it’s just- wow- my man here needs to floss. I’ve encountered other freaky beasts over the last forty-two days, but none like this. None that examined me: looking me over, smelling me, studying me.”]

Then we get all the fun backstory end of the world stuff.

[ID: White all-caps text at the top reads “Total monster zombie chaos” while below a large multi-armed, spiny, sharp-toothed, furry monster towers over a sea of zombies, flinging one car in the air as another car sits in the background.]

The end of the world monsters include everything from weird unfamiliar creatures like the one above to more familiar weird creatures like the typical zombie below.

[ID: A zombie in ripped clothing, with black text at the top labeling it a “Classic Zombie”. A speech bubble from it in shaky text reads “Mmuhhh...” and various flavor-text text boxes surround it. The speech-bubble is labeled as “Constant, creepy moaning.” The head’s text box reads “Those empty eyes- they’re spooksville.” The mouth is pointed at and its box says “Bite you and you’re one of them. Undead!” One pointing at its back warns “Stink like hot garbage.” The feet are described as “Slow, until they get close- then fast!”]

And for all the wisecracks and jokes about how well he can handle the new apocalyptic world, early on Jack is shown to be more than just a 2-D smart-mouthing teenage protagonist. He’s pretty good at coping, but he’s still 13.

[ID: Illustration above text, showing a walkietalkie shattering as it hits a rock. Black all-caps text reads “Smash!”

Normal text reads “I stared at the walkie on the ground below. I needed to talk to Quint, but -I’m embarrassed to admit- I was too scared to go down there. Too freaked out. Too scared. Too everything. So I curled up on the floor. I pulled a jacket down over me. I put my earphones in to drown out the sounds of chaos outside. And I slept. I slept for days. It got worse. Zombies everywhere. Giant monsters on the horizon. I blacked out the tree house windows and stayed put.”]

Jack doesn’t stay alone for long, though, and the first book follows him and his friends as they help each other not only survive their crazy new world but also live in it, and maybe actually have some fun along the way. While the first book largely focuses on the group coming together, later stories ramp up the scope of adventures and the threats they face while letting the characters’ interactions and care for each other shine. There’s fun development to be had and cool monster-butt to kick.

(This was my first time writing image descriptions- if you think they can be improved, let me know!)

#The Last Kids on Earth #Last Kids on Earth

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commander-rahrah · 5 years

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RESIDENCY (AN OPEN HEART FIC): PART ELEVEN

Pairing: MC (Jordynne Holland) X Ethan Ramsey X Bryce Lahela; MC X Bryce; MC X Ethan

Masterlist: Click Here

Chapter Rating: M (Swearing, Kissing, I don’t know Ethan wants to do her but is stupid, Angst) (I’m terrible at this.)

Word Count: 6800+

Description: Ethan invites Jordynne to join him at the National Medical Symposium in Miami for two days. Two days — him and Jordynne; no hospital, no secret cases, no patients…

Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

Author’s Note: I finally made it. MIAMI. The kissing scene. OK, so I love PB but I hate when they just cut to a black screen after some scenes. Like Ethan stalks out of the room after a mega hot make-out session and they just cut to MC being back in the hospital the next day? Nah nah nah. So I have also written in some scenes to build up to the kiss more and then what happens post-kiss Ethan ripping out MC’s/my heart (: (: (: (: (:

As always, all likes, reblogs, comments, reviews, messages are very very appreciated!! If you would like to be tagged in future updates please reply on here or DM.

Also, the “Ward Ring” is something I do in real life, and it just killed my boyfriend when we started dating. He thought it was super funny and cute. I mean it’s terrible that people feel they need to do that sort of thing to not get hit on but yeah. Anyways, it’s defs something that my MC Jordynne has learned to do.

ALSO, if you would like to fangirl and be super extra about Open Heart, Ethan, Bryce, Choices -- literally anything. I’m here.

Taglist: @drakewalkerfantasy @owleyes374 @professorortegasstudent @mindlessdreaminxo @mayar-mahdy @paisleylovergirl @nicquix @emilymay100 @octobereighth @jenp02cutie-blog @llamasgrl @timmagicktoad @lilyofchoices @msjpuddleduck @mfackenthal

Previous Updates: Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight Part Nine Part Ten

PART ELEVEN

The past few weeks had flown by — filled with late-night research sessions, multiple trips to get Jordynne espresso romano’s from the nearby cafe, shared sandwiches during lunch hours in Naveen’s room. He had never gone through as many bags of coffee beans in his office than he had in those past weeks. Ethan hadn’t even slept on the couch in his office, he was going home to Jenner almost every night. Things were different, things were good for once.

They didn’t spend all their time together — it’s not like every waking moment was spent with her. But that was about to change for the next 48 hours.

Ethan was sitting next to her in first class on their flight headed to the National Medical Symposium in Miami for two days. Two days — him and Jordynne; no hospital, no secret cases, no patients…

“Compliments of the crew, Dr. and Mrs. Ramsey.” A polite flight attendant spoke, placing down two cups of steaming hot coffee with a smile.

Jordynne stirred in her leather seat next to him, looking over to her, “Oh thank you, but I’m not his—“

At the same time, Ethan spoke, “She’s a doctor too, actually.”

“Oh! My apologies, Doctor.” She smiled at Jordynne, “Well if you need anything else let us know.” The flight attendant moved down the aisle, leaving the pair alone again.

“You know she called me your wife right?” Jordynne asked, grabbing onto the cup that he was holding out for her.

“I, uh—“ Ethan stammered, feeling the tops of his ears go red, “She did?”

She gave him a coy smile before taking a sip of the coffee. It wasn’t the best coffee they had ever had — but it was better than the hospital cafeterias. The pair exchanged a look of mild acceptance as they took their sips.

Jordynne returned to her iPad — finishing an article Ethan had recommended to her. The seats in first class were wide enough for her to cross her legs, her elbow on her knee as she hunched forward reading. Her leg was warm-up against his, her long hair brushing up against his arm giving him goosebumps.

He could just watch her reading. The way she chewed her lip as she thought, the way the light from the window made her blonde hair almost look white. He needed a distraction — already, he was only a couple hours into this trip with her. Finding his leather bag on the floor next to him, he dug through it, finding his glasses and his novel The Lives of a Cell. Thumbing through the pages, he tried to find where he last left off and blinked as his eyes adjusted to his glasses. He noticed Jordynne shift beside him, looking up at him.

A sheepish smile spread across her face as he caught her staring. He furrowed his thick brows, “Yes, Rookie?”

“Nothing,” She said, shaking her head, the smile remaining.

His blue eyes squinted at her, putting his book down. He didn’t believe her.

“I just like your glasses,” She shrugged, her cheeks turning pink.

Ethan hit her with his knee, rolling his eyes. “Read your article, Jordynne.” Bringing his book back up to his face, he used it to hide the small smile spreading across his face.

_______________________________________________________________________

Letting the water run over him, Ethan turned it up a little hotter once more. It was turning his skin red now, from the heat and his incessant scrubbing. He was mad at himself. This was getting complicated now — too complicated.

Declan had figured out his plan too quickly, and now he needed to figure out another approach. And the hotel had booked their room wrong. How he was going to handle sharing a room with Jordynne, he had no idea.

Snapping his eyes open, he heard Jordynne call out to him from the bedroom through the crack he had left in the door so they could still talk.

“Why didn’t you tell me there was a reception?!”

He turned off the water, standing there dripping in the shower for a moment. “Because it was the furthest possible thing from my mind at the time.” He said truthfully. He had been focused on how to play Declan to get the treatment, and not thinking about her.

He heard her let out an exasperated sigh, “But it’s a casino theme! I have to look nice!”

Ethan stepped out of the shower, grabbing onto the white fluffy towel hanging off of the wall and wrapped it around his lower torso. Water still glistening off of him, he stepped towards the mirror — rummaging through his toiletry bag.

Movement caught his eye in the mirror, and he looked up to catch Jordynne’s eyes — staring at him through the reflection and crack in the door. Her eyes raked his naked torso before her face reddened and she turned back around to dig through her suitcase.

Ethan gulped, stepping back out of her line of sight. “Just throw on whatever you brought with you.” Grabbing onto the towel he angrily dried himself off, turning his skin red again. Not until he had stepped back into his briefs and trousers, did he go back towards the mirror where she could see.

She still had her back turned to him, but she was changing now. She was stepping into a dress — shimmying it past her hips. He stared at her naked back — admiring the curve of her waist, how soft her tan skin looked, her blonde hair draped over her shoulder out of the way.

Feeling his stomach tightening in want, he averted his eyes looking down at the marble countertops in the bathroom. Fumbling with the products nervously, Ethan put on some lotion and cologne before tousling his wet hair with a towel. Feeling much more presentable in his trousers now, he stepped back into the room still toying with his hair when he stopped in his tracks.

“Oh,” He sputtered, his blue eyes trailing over Jordynne’s body. She was wearing a silky navy dress, that hugged her curves perfectly. It had a deep V that showed just enough cleavage to make his imagination start running wild, and a simple pendant rested on her collarbone. Her usual wild wavy hair was sleek straight, hanging over one shoulder like a curtain. “You, uh, you found something.”

She put a hand on her hip, popping it out and smirked, “I always come prepared.”

“Lucky for me.” Realizing what he said, he cleared his throat, embarrassed. “I mean, lucky for you. You look… very…appropriate.” He tried to fight the blush creeping on his cheeks.

Letting out a laugh, she turned back to her suitcase, “Appropriate? What did I say about compliments, Ethan?”

He rolled his eyes at her, before padding over to the wardrobe. “Give me a moment to get dressed.” They stood on opposite sides of the room for a moment, both of them finishing getting ready. Ethan was grateful to have some distance between them — even if it was just a bed.

Grabbing onto his suit jacket, he turned around to face her. “There.”

Jordynne’s pink lips spread into a smile as she took him in. They stood for a moment, in front of the large mirror on the wall, standing shoulder to shoulder. Ethan’s breath hitched for a moment — taking in the image of them side by side, dressed to the nines. They looked like a real couple. In another lifetime, in another universe maybe they could be.

He cleared his throat, “I would say we look ready, wouldn’t you?”

“Absolutely.” She grinned, moving her hand to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.

A glimmer caught his eye, and he felt his stomach twist. “What the hell is that, Rookie?” He pointed at the sparkly ring sitting on her left hand.

“Oh!” She let out a laugh, “My ward. It helps keep unwanted attention away at these kinds of things.”

Ethan furrowed his thick brows, “You’re not looking for any attention here? That’s the reason half of these people are here.”

Jordynne shrugged, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. “I have my eyes on someone else anyway.” Grabbing onto the keycard on the entry table, she tucked it into Ethan’s breast pocket and gave it a pat before turning on her heel and heading into the hall.

He watched her leave for a moment, his mind wheeling at who she was keeping an eye on. Gulping, he followed her out into the hall and shut the door.

______________________________________________________________________

Ethan could still feel where the slimy bastard Declan had grabbed onto his shoulder, rubbing in his victory. Vitamin C, hydrocortisone, and thiamine. He repeated it to himself over and over — drilling into his mind.

He was standing alone near the edge of the pool, nursing a glass of scotch. The lights in the pool causing the water to turn bright blue. He stared down into it, watching the ripples.

It was risky what he did. Too risky. Everything was on the line, and he put it all down to how he had read Declan. He had been wrong before, and he wasn’t as observant as he used to be, not as confident either.

He straightened up at the sound of steps approaching him. A waiter came towards him, a polite smile on his face. “Sir, here is the wine that you wanted to try.” He had two glasses in his hand, and he held one out for Ethan to try.

“Oh, thank you,” He grabbed onto the glass, swirling around the red wine before taking a sip. He nodded appreciatively, giving the waiter a nod. “I like it. Good recommendation.”

“Thank you, sir. Should I send up a bottle to your room for you and your wife?”

It was an innocent question, but Ethan felt his stomach twist again. It kept coming up — it was the logical deduction. But it was like a punch to the gut each time. Just another reminder. Ethan found Jordynne — standing on the opposite side of the pool, in a conversation with a couple of guys. His eyebrows furrowed at the sight — her ward wasn’t working as well as she wanted it too.

“Sure, thank you,” Ethan said politely, taking the other glass from the waiter. Maneuvering through the crowd and the edge of the pool, he found his way over to her.

Her eyes lit up as he approached, and she let out a sigh of relief. “Dr. Ramsey, hi!”

“This is for you,” He handed her the wine, which she took gratefully. “Boys,” He nodded sternly at the two guys standing in front of Jordynne.

“Oh, uh Dr. Ramsey! Nice to meet you.” They stammered, looking confused as Ethan wrapped his arm protectively around Jordynne’s shoulders.

“If you’ll excuse us,” He grimaced, pulling her away with him.

“Thank you,” She mouthed to him, before taking a big swig of wine. “I thought they would never leave me alone.”

When they reached a quiet corner alone, he realized he still had his arm wrapped around her and he quickly let go. “Like I said, conference from hell.” He looked around them — more and more of the doctors were starting to get tipsy now — shouting and dancing everywhere. “Want to go somewhere else?”

“Yes, please.” She said through another sip of her wine. The pair walked shoulder to shoulder through the party, leaving through a pool gate and out onto a pathway leading to the beach. The walked in silence, before heading off of the stone path and into the sand.

As their shoes started sinking in the sand, the two let out a laugh. “Maybe not the best idea.” Ethan bent down, balancing his wine glass as he scooped up his shoes that he kicked off.

He let out a chuckle as Jordynne struggled with her shoes, not able to fully bend down in her dress. “This dress isn’t as practical as my scrubs.” She joked.

Putting down his shoes, he bent over and moved the long fabric of her dress aside, revealing her tan legs. His fingers grabbed onto each of her ankles gently as he unbuckled the skinny straps of her heels. He tried to hide his gulp as his fingers brushed her soft skin. Standing up, he grabbed their shoes and tucked them away safely before returning to where Jordynne was waiting for him.

“Thank you,” She said quietly, chewing her lip.

The pair walked in silence for a moment, enjoying the feeling of the soft sand on their feet and the sound of the waves. The sounds of the party was a little more distant now. They paused in front of the water, both of them looking out pensively as the tops of their feet got slightly wet.

Taking a step back, Ethan shrugged off his jacket and placed it on the sand for them to sit on. It wasn’t a very big space, and Jordynne ended up closer than their usual shoulder to shoulder. He took a shaky sip of his wine, as she rested her head on his strong shoulder. This was fine. It was just a long day. Two colleagues, resting. On a beach. With wine.

They sat like that for who knows how long, sitting and listening to the waves. Jordynne’s voice broke the silence.

“Ethan, can I ask you something?” Her voice was soft. She didn’t stir from his shoulder, still resting her head on it — staring out at the water.

“Mhmm,” He agreed, having another sip of his wine.

“Why are you letting me help with Naveen?”

His dark eyebrows furrowed, “What do you mean?”

“I know, I poked my nose into it and stumbled onto it. But that doesn’t mean you wanted me to help. But bringing me to this conference, and with Dolores… I don’t know. There are lots of smart interns.”

“I’ve already told you that you aren’t like the other interns.” He didn’t miss a beat.

“But why? Why do you say that?” She twisted around to face him, “I just… I find it incredibly hard to imagine what you think about me.”

“You want to know what I think of you?” He raised his eyebrow, unsure of how he could answer that question. “You — you are,” He looked at her wide green eyes, gazing at him, waiting. “Very intelligent. And trustworthy. Stubborn as hell.” She let out a laugh at that. “You’re very… patient.”

She scrunched her nose up at him, “Really? You think I’m patient?”

Ethan couldn’t help the warm chuckle that escaped him, “You stick it out with a grumpy old man like me every day. You’d have to be.”

“Hey, you’re not old.” She punched his arm lightly. “Grumpy? Yes.” Taking another sip of her wine, she continued, “I just wonder how I got here, you know? When I thought about my residency… I could have never imagined this.”

“Getting paid to sit on a beach?” He smirked.

“That. And…,” Her eyes glanced down, betraying her for a moment. She looked up at Ethan, chewing her lip nervously, “I just couldn’t have planned any of this happening.”

Ethan’s blue eyes raked her face, trying to read it. He couldn’t get a read on what she was feeling, why she was asking these questions. Before he could say anything else, she went to take another sip of her wine and realized it was empty.

“There’s more in the room.” He offered, gesturing to her empty glass. “They sent up a bottle for us. Anything for Dr. and Mrs. Ramsey apparently.” He said, shaking his head.

A sly smile spread across Jordynne’s face, “It’s Doctor, actually.”

_______________________________________________________________________

The pair sat on the hotel room’s balcony, chairs pulled side by side. The aforementioned bottle of wine sat in between them — half empty by now. Jordynne was still in her dress, but her shoes remained off from their stop at the beach. Her hair was starting to wave from the wind and humidity. Ethan’s jacket was hanging inside, dirty with sand. His bowtie was hanging loose around his neck.

They could hear the crash of waves from the ocean, the moonlight reflecting off of the water’s surface. They were sitting in comfortable silence, admiring the view when Ethan finally spoke up again.

“Naveen always hoped we’d find a way to make the diagnostics team publicly funded… So that no one would need to pay, no matter their insurance or income.”

Jordynne played with her hair nervously, “What will he think of getting Panacea Labs involved?”

He let out a humorless laugh, “He’ll give me the worst chewing out of my life. And I’ll deserve it. I’ve compromised his vision, my ethics…,” Ethan shook his head, “But if he survives this… it’ll all have been worth it.”

Her big green eyes met his, “Do you really believe that?”

“I don’t know. Ten years ago, I was right where you are. A wide-eyed intern, dreaming of what I’d do when I was an attending. I certainly wasn’t dreaming this. But things change. People change.” Ethan stared out to the ocean, watching the waves roll into the sand. “What about you? What kind of doctor do you see yourself being in ten years?”

She chewed on her nail for a moment, “The kind of doctor who could make a difference in patient care.”

He let out a laugh, “More than you do now?”

She shrugged her bare shoulders at him, her voice quiet, “I’m only an intern… I do barely anything now.”

He shook his head in disagreement, “Not true. I’ve seen how hard you work for your patients. Even if they don’t always value it, you do make a difference.”

“But not enough. I helped one uninsured patient receive care, but I can’t find loopholes for everyone.” He watched her chew the inside of her lip, thinking, “The entire system needs to be changed. And I want to be part of it.”

“And I have no doubt you’ll find a way.” He didn’t miss a beat.

She let out a sigh, “It just seems like… the higher I aspire, the more I stand to lose.”

“I — certainly understand that.” Standing up, Ethan moved to the railing, leaning his elbows on it. He clutched his wine glass in both hands, moving his eyes back to the water. “What you saw tonight, that’s not me. I don’t gamble… on anything. I don’t take chances.” Breathing in deep, he continued, “Medicine is an assembly of facts leading to a conclusion. Once you know the rules and understand the diseases you’re working with, the risk should be minimal. Your decisions are informed, and you choose the safest path. But that card game… I’ve never done anything like that before.”

Jordynne got out of her seat, joining him at the railing. She leaned her hip against, facing his side. “I don’t know. It seemed like a pretty well-informed decision to me.”

“Risking Naveen’s treatment on a game? Having to hope I’d judged Declan’s character well enough to risk losing instead of using a winning hand?” He shook his head, his eyebrows furrowing. “There were too many variables. I could have lost everything!”

She grabbed onto his wrist, comforting him, “But you were right. Your risk paid off.”

His blue eyes lingered on her fingers wrapped around his wrist, “It did… and I’m beginning to realize,” He hesitated for a moment, thinking about the chocolate bars she had gifted him, still in the wrappers buried in his desk. You know, it’s okay to treat yourself sometimes. He turned his neck to look up at her. She was radiant in the moonlight — her blonde hair glowing, her skin a little flushed from the wine, her dress cutting into a perfect V. “There are some things that are worth any risk.”

They locked eyes for a moment — their pupils flickered back and forth, studying each other’s faces for a moment. Jordynne reached out tentatively, her soft fingers touching his stubbled cheek.

He blinked at her touch, not really believing it was happening, “Jordynne, I…”

She licked her pink lips shiny, “I know.”

Ethan leaned into her touch, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment. It felt good. No, it felt amazing. Just a simple touch, her cool fingers on his hot cheek. It would be so easy, just to reach out and do the same. He felt his heart starting to climb his throat. The pounding was filling his ears, and his face felt hot. For once, don’t be afraid. Just do it.

His blue eyes snapped open, and he looped a strong arm around her waist, pulling her into him. Without thinking anymore, Ethan crashed his lips onto hers. He heard her take a sharp breath in as he kissed her. She tasted like the wine, and spearmint and honey somehow. Her pink lips were softer than he had imagined.

Ethan didn’t have to wait very long for her to kiss him back. Her lips met his immediately, her hands finding purchase on the lapels of his jacket as she somehow pulled him even closer to her. This was happening. It wasn’t in his head. It was intoxicating — the smell of her perfume, her fingers bunched on his clothes, the feeling of her tongue sliding across his teeth.

She broke away for a moment, a ragged breath escaping her, “Dr. Ramsey, you’re —“

“Ethan.” He corrected her, putting his forehead on hers — He couldn’t not be touching her now, not after that.

“Ethan…,” She said breathlessly, “I’ve been wanting this. For a lot longer than I should admit.”

His eyes lit up in the darkness outside, not believing what he had heard. He moved his head back for a moment — meeting her gaze. “So have I.”

Grabbing onto the tip of her chin, Ethan pulled her back in for another kiss — this time tenderly, gently pulling her lips into his. She parted her lips for him, deepening the kiss. His hands traveled down her waist onto her hips, as her fingers twirled in through his thick hair and down the nape of his neck.

Goosebumps traveled down his skin as her fingers skimmed down the skin of his neck, moving down his chest to the buttons of his shirt. She undid them perfect precision, not breaking their kiss as she worked through them.

“Mmm…” She moaned into his mouth as she moved her hand down his bare chest. He felt his heart stutter as she touched him. Ethan matched her movements, his fingertips brushing over her collarbone, over her breasts and down her ribs and waist.

Ethan broke their kiss for a moment, as his hands lingered on the zipper of her dress — his thoughts getting the better of him for a moment. “What if someone sees us?”

“I don’t care.” She breathed, before pinning him against the railing. “Let them see.” She moved his mouth on hers again, and he eagerly wrapped her back into his arms, holding her tightly — not wanting to let her go.

He finished unzipping her dress, feeling her naked back that he had been looking at in the mirror just a few hours before. He relished the way her skin felt on his — she was so soft and warm.

Grabbing onto the fabric of her dress, he slid it up over her hips — grabbing onto her mostly bare backside. He let out the softest moan, looking down at her long legs and the small lacey panties she was wearing. “Jordynne…”

The kisses turned desperate as they looked down at their naked skin — her bare legs and his bare chest. He wanted this for so long, to know what she would feel like, taste like.

Pulling away, he took a shaky breath — catching his breath. He stared down into her big green eyes, his hands still holding her into him.

His mouth hung open in awe and desire — nothing should be this beautiful. But his eyebrows furrowed as his fingers dug into her more — he wanted her, he needed her — but his thoughts were starting to get the best of him. “What are you doing to me?” He growled, swallowing.

“Hopefully something good.” She moved her bare leg in between his, brushing her thigh up against his crotch, making him gulp again.

“Jordynne, I’ve never done anything like this. Ever. This is—“ He stopped talking as she placed a tan hand on his chest again. She traced it over his muscles before stopping over top of his heart. He wondered if she could feel its hammering beat. As if sensing his thoughts, her other hand grabbed onto his fingers — pulling it up to grab her own chest. She placed it underneath her dress, his fingers resting on the plump flesh of her breast. He could feel her heart thundering just like his. Her mouth spread into a smile as he realized how she felt too.

He swallowed, looking up into her eyes again, “You… feel amazing.”

“Wait ‘till you feel the rest of me,” She smirked, moving his hand so that he was cupping her entire breast.

“Christ,” He groaned, cupping her in his hand. He moved his lips to her neck, kissing the tender skin softly and enlisting a moan from Jordynne. It only made him want to do it more. He continued kissing and sucking at her skin, moving down to her collarbone and the top of her chest.

As his teeth grazed her skin, he felt her shiver. His fingers trailed up her arms, and he noticed the goosebumps that had appeared. He hadn’t realized in their passion that the winds of the ocean had picked up.

“Let’s get you inside.” Ethan rubbed her shoulders for warmth, guiding her but Jordynne took his hand and intertwined his fingers with hers instead drawing him back into the hotel room.

The warm lights in the room caused Ethan‘s eyes to adjust, and he found himself blinking back to reality. Jordynne had pulled away from him, swaying her hips until she sat down on the edge of the bed. Her dress was still pushed up a little — revealing her long tan legs. The shoulder straps were coming down now too — her cleavage threatening to pop out of the thin fabric. She looked up at him from the bed, her green eyes inviting him over to her.

He froze — staring at her. She was mesmerizing. She was everything and more than what he has imagined in his dark bedroom in his lonely apartment.

He couldn’t do this.

It wasn’t his risk to take. It was hers. It would be career suicide for her — if someone found out.

“Ethan?” Her soft voice snapped him back. She was still sitting on the bed, her green eyes batting up at him.

“We… can’t.” He forced the words out of his mouth, “We can’t go further. We’ve already crossed a line.”

She sat up a little straighter on the bed, her eyebrows furrowing, “Did… Did I do something wrong?”

He closed his eyes — hating himself. “Of course not, not in the slightest. You…,” His eyes raked over her confused face, “No, I did. I shouldn’t have let this happen. And it can’t happen again.”

Her pink lips frowned, “What? Why not?” She was covering herself with her arms now, hiding her cleavage with one arm while the other pulled her dress back down.

He started rattling off the reasons he had come up with in his head already, “I’m an attending, and you’re an intern. You’re in the running to join my team. I’d be your boss—“

“So?”

He thought to the surprised look on Harper’s face, that gradually turned suspicious when he announced he was bringing Jordynne with him on this trip. She would know, and she was the Chief of Medicine. What would happen — fire the rookie intern who slept with her boss or the world-renowned diagnostician? He knew the answer. He knew Harper.

He ran his fingers through his thick hair, “It’s unethical. And it’s complicated.”

“Ethan…,” She moved off of the bed, starting to move towards him, “No one would have to know.”

“We would know, Jordynne. We would know,” He gulped, “I need to be able to push you to your limits. To help you become the doctor you want to be. The one I know you can be. I can’t do that if I…”

“If you what?” She had closed the distance between them again, her hand reaching out and trying to grab his wrist, but he moved as she reached out.

Ethan shook his head, angry at himself. “I’m sorry. I should have stopped myself before… We should call it a night. You can take the bed, I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Ethan…” Her voice killed him — he could hear the hurt in her voice. “Please don’t do this.”

“I can’t.” He didn’t even turn to look at her before he walked into the other room. Closing the door softly behind him, he pressed his forehead to it. His eyes closed his face wrinkling in pain. Why did he do that? Why did he have to make it so much harder for himself?

And her. He envisioned the look on her face — how confused and hurt she look, her green eyes wide and pink mouth open as she tried to understand.

His body filled with rage and hatred at himself. Whirling around, he looked around the unfamiliar hotel living room. Grabbing onto a couch cushion, he nailed it with his fist.

His stomach twisted, waiting to see if she would try to follow him. But he couldn’t hear anything — just his heart hammering in his ears.

Glancing around the room, he let out a sigh of relief at the bar cart parked near the couch. Grabbing a tumbler, he poured himself a large scotch and downed it. Anything to drown out his thoughts — just to stop thinking.

_______________________________________________________________________

She wasn’t there when he woke up.

The bed was made perfectly — like no one had slept in it. Her suitcase was tucked neatly at the door, waiting for them to check out.

Ethan could smell her in the bathroom — hints of her showering and getting ready still lingering in the room. Orange blossom shampoo, vanilla perfume. It made him miserable.

Letting out a heavy sigh, he showered and got ready before heading downstairs to find coffee. It was the day of lectures and presentations — the worst part of the conference for him. The last thing he wanted to do was to feign interest in other people’s research.

Heading down to the restaurant serving continental breakfast, he poured himself a cup of coffee and took a hearty swig. It was awful. Grimacing, he swallowed the bitter coffee.

Turning around, his heart crept up in his throat as his eyes landed on Jordynne for the first time that morning.

She looked incredible. She was wearing a professional-looking white dress, that hugged her hips and waist. Her blonde hair pulled into a sleek ponytail, simple jewelry on her neck. He noticed she still had her “ward ring” on — it was shining brightly off of her left hand.

A polite smile was forced on her face, as she stood in her heels listening to an older gentleman. She was hugging her cup of coffee to her chest. Ethan knee she probably hated the beverage as much as he did.

“Dr. Ramsey! Well, I’ll be!” The old man croaked, putting out his hand.

“Dr. Lynn,” He shook the doctor’s hand. “Dr. Holland,” he tried his best to keep his face neutral, nodding to her as a greeting.

Her smile faltered before she put the mask back on and returned the nod.

“So, tell me how is Dr. Banerji? Someone told me he retired.”

Ethan froze — his jaw clenched. He hadn’t planned on that — people asking him about Naveen. Nodding his head, he moved his mug in front of his face to hide the lie, “Retired and loving it.”

“I won’t be far behind.” The old man chuckled, before turning his attention back to Jordynne. “But, I was just telling young Dr. Holland here that Edenbrook better hold onto her. I don’t meet many interns like her at conventions like this!”

“I agree, Dr. Lynn.” Ethan swallowed, “She’s an incredible doctor.”

Jordynne’s green eyes flickered to Ethan’s, her lips pursing together.

“Well, if you ever want a change of scenery you should come see us in New York.” Dr. Lynn handed her his card, before shaking her hand.

“Thank you,” she said politely, tucking the card into the notebook under her arm.

The man said goodbye to the pair of them, leaving them alone near the coffee station.

Despite having already downed a cup of coffee, Ethan’s mouth suddenly felt dry. Jordynne was avoiding his eyes now, standing awkwardly.

“I’m—“ he opened his mouth, but she spoke faster.

“I’m going to go find a seat, in the conference hall.” She put down her coffee cup, clutching her notebook to her chest. “See you in there.”

He watched her walk away, strutting easily in her heels, her hips swaying a bit. His dark brows furrowed as he watched one of the doctors hitting on her from the previous night fall into pace with her.

Grinding his molars together, he stood there for a moment, before falling in behind them. He had made it clear — to her and himself. It couldn’t happen again. But his head was still swirling, his stomach tightening with the familiar feeling of want.

He was her silent shadow for the day — letting her take the lead in the majority of conversations when doctors or big pharma executives approached. She was great during the presentations — taking detailed notes, asking insightful questions. She was a natural — much better at all of this than he was.

She even dug into Naveen’s case a little — asking vague questions to other Doctors, seeing how they would investigate. She was also presented with several other business cards — other hospitals who were interested in speaking with her if she ever wanted a ‘change of scenery'.

Ethan knew it was the correct thing to do, to stop it where he had — right? He couldn’t take back kissing her, but at least he didn’t let it go any farther. It was the right thing to do, but it wasn’t easy. Every time he looked at her now his mind didn’t wander — wondering how soft her skin was, or what her lips would feel like. He knew now. God, did he know. And it was killing him. There wasn’t enough scotch in the world to make him forget what it had felt like — holding her to him, his lips on hers, her fingers twined in his hair.

Stop. It.

He thought to himself, curling his fingers into a fist so tight half-moons printed on his skin from his nails.

This is how it had to be. To protect her, and her career. Ethan has perfected misery before — he was certain he could learn to live with it again.

_______________________________________________________________________

Jordynne approached the flight attendant standing at the desk for their gate. Her voice was low for a moment, so he couldn’t hear her at first. Ethan strained his ear, trying to make out what she was saying.

“It doesn’t have to be a first class seat. Any seat really, if I could just —“

“I’m really sorry ma’am. But the flight is sold out, and I can’t change seats anymore.”

A flash of hurt crossed Ethan’s face. Now she didn’t even want to sit next to him?

Standing up, he met her at the desk and grabbed onto her elbow. Politely smiling at the attendant, he pulled Jordynne away with him, standing near the windows that looked out into the tarmac.

She wouldn’t meet his eye.

“Do not make me sit on this plane by myself, Rookie.” Realizing he was still holding onto her elbow, he quickly let go. “Please.” He added, his voice barely a whisper.

She drew her pink lip into her mouth, chewing it, “Okay.” She said quietly.

And she did. Her legs were pulled to her chest this time, leaving no chance of them accidentally touching. She had her neck strained, staring out the oval window at the fluffy white clouds.

He got what she wanted — at least she was sitting next to him. They hadn’t said anything, sitting in silence for the majority of the flight. Ines and Zaid were on the same flight with them this time — sitting a few rows ahead of them, nursing drinks.

Ethan wished it could go back to before. When there was just stolen glances to each other, the little sparks when they would brush hands that electrified his day. He hoped that they could work past it — for her sake, and Naveen’s. He needed to keep mentoring her — this conference proved how good she could be. And he would be helpless without her on Naveen’s case.

He just needed to go back to how he was before — before the shared scotches and wine bottles, before falling asleep on the same couch in the NICU, before stealing her away for “experiments”. No more dinners, or espresso romanos. That’s just what he had to do.

Maybe she would just find someone else. Then it wouldn’t matter. His misery, he could contend with. But hers? It was killing him — her silence, the seemingly permanent furrow in her brow, how she avoided his eye. If she found someone else then maybe their work relationship could stand a chance. He thought to the surgical intern, Lahela. Whatever that was between them, it could grow. Ethan swallowed down the bile that formed in his mouth as he thought of them together — dating, falling in love…

What if she moved? What if she left Edenbrook? She had received enough interest at the conference from several senior Attendings. He felt his heart start to rise in his throat, at the thought of her leaving. Could he do that — drive her away so much that she would move to another hospital?

“Would you move to New York?” He blurted out, unable to stop his panicked thoughts.

She turned her head to him, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “What?”

“Would you take Dr. Lynn’s offer? Leave Edenbrook?” He gulped, “Or anywhere else.”

Her lips twitched, “Boston is my home now. If Edenbrook wants me, that’s where I’ll be.”

He tried to hide his sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing for a moment. But he tensed up again as she spoke again.

“It’s gonna take a lot more than you rejecting me for me to want to move to a different state, Dr. Ramsey.” Her voice was a harsh whisper.

He swallowed, his stomach twisting with guilt, “I didn’t reject you. I — we — we just couldn’t.”

“But the thing is — we were and we can. But you get so wrapped up in that head of yours…” Her voice trailed off, and she starting picking at her nails.

Ethan didn’t know what to say — his mouth opening and closing as he thought.

Jordynne shoulders slumped at his silence, and she returned to looking out the window. But this time she put in headphones. She wouldn’t look at him, listen to him, or touch him — tucked into the corner of the large leather seat, staying as far away from him as she could.

The rest of the flight was brutally quiet. Ethan sat looking forward — straining his neck so straight so he wouldn’t dare glimpse at her. They didn’t make a sound to each other as they got off the plane, or grabbed their bags. They exchanged pleasantries with Ines and Zaid at the exit to the airport, before they walked out into the Boston streets.

It was a gloomy day — the dark clouds overhead threatening to rain at any moment. Ethan fumbled in his bags for his car keys, his suitcase at his side. When he heard the sounds of rolling wheels, he turned to see Jordynne stalking off towards the subway — dragging her suitcase behind.

“Rookie!” Ethan called after her, grabbing the handle of his suitcase and following after her. When he caught up to her, she flashed him a look but kept marching forward. “At least let me drive you home.”

“I have a shift, I’m going to the hospital.”

“Okay. Then let me drive you to the hospital.” He offered.

“No thanks, Dr. Ramsey.” The words were pleasant enough, but her tone wasn’t. She reached the tops of the steps leading down to the subway. Picking up her suitcase awkwardly in her arms, she started down the stairs without a backward glance.

Ethan stood at the top of the stairs, watching her blonde ponytail swing with her movement until she disappeared at the bottom around the corner. Reaching up to his face, he grabbed the bridge of his nose and pinched it.

“Fuck,” He growled to himself, before angrily grabbing his suitcase and stalking off in the opposite direction.

Part Twelve

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irelise · 5 years

Text

the yew tree - 1.1/?

Erik has worked with Sebastian Shaw, mutant revolutionary, ever since Shaw rescued him from human experimentation when he was a boy. He is reluctantly enlisted to assist in Shaw’s newest scheme: seducing the wealthy and enigmatic Lord Xavier and claiming his vast fortune. With Shaw posing as Xavier’s doctor, Erik goes undercover as Xavier’s personal manservant to convince him to fall in love with Shaw.

But Xavier has secrets of his own, and it isn’t long before Erik starts having second thoughts about the whole thing...

(the handmaiden inspired au - no canon knowledge required)

Warnings for this part: referenced past suicide, past child abuse, canon-typical references to human experimentation Rating: M Word count: 4311

“No. Absolutely not. I’m impressed; this is the worst idea you’ve come up with yet.”

They’re in Shaw’s office, facing each other across Shaw’s rich mahogany desk, surrounded by shelves upon shelves of expensive trinkets and rare books that have never once been opened. Behind Shaw stands Emma Frost, bodyguard and enforcer and confidant all in one.

Not a year ago, Erik would have been the one in her position.

Now, Shaw smiles at him indulgently, and Erik’s scowl deepens. “Absolutely not,” Erik repeats. “Are you even listening to yourself? You want to seduce some rich naïve human boy, and you want

to pose as his servant and help you. If it’s money you’re after, there are cleaner ways to go about it.”

Shaw hums. “One point three billion dollars, and more than twice that in assets. You would leave it in the hands of the humans?”

“That’s not the point and you know it.” A familiar anger is bubbling up in Erik. This is only the most recent in a series of arguments between himself and Shaw – yes, Shaw aims for the good of mutantkind, but his methods. He works far too closely with humans for Erik’s tastes. “You’re wasting our time. Our brothers and sisters are out there, and-”

“Do calm down.” Emma cuts in, looking bored. “Your capacity for long-term planning is astonishingly low.”

Smiling, Shaw shakes his head and tuts fondly. “Emma, be kind. Erik only has our best interests at heart. We all have our strengths, and Erik’s does not lie in diplomacy.”

Erik refuses to rise to the barb. “Then you should know there are better people you can use for your inane plan.”

And now Shaw is just watching him, and Erik doesn’t like the shrewd look in his eyes one bit. “I thought you’d have had enough of your current job,” Shaw remarks. “But if that’s not the case…”

Nine months ago, he had been Shaw’s right hand. He had been right in the thick of things, the head of his own elite strike team. He had been a hunter, a spy, as comfortable working alone as he is with others.

It had all changed with the Trask incident. Bolivar Trask was one of the few humans aware of the existence of mutants, and Shaw and Frost had been carefully worming their way into his confidence, ferreting out his secrets: what he knows, who he’s been in contact with, the plans he’s set into motion.

Then Erik had hunted Trask down to one of his facilities. Facilities where he had kept mutant children. His own memories howling in his ears, he had killed Trask in front of his own men, ripping him apart with the metal of his own facility, making an example of him.

You’ve cost us months of work, Shaw had raged. Do you have any idea how much Trask was involved with? Do you know how impossible it’s going to be to track down all his contacts now that he’s dead?

He had children in his labs, you of all people can’t expect me to sit and do nothing!

Erik doesn’t even know where those children are now. Shaw had cut him off right after that, re-assigning him to the middle of nowhere. Erik had been relegated to being little more than a glorified repairman, taking care of their safehouses and maintaining their equipment, kept far away from the action.

But he hasn’t been idle. He had developed a reputation for doing what needs to be done, and even in exile, plenty of Shaw’s mutants have been bringing him news. Erik spends most of his days puzzling over reports. It’s intellectually stimulating work, satisfying in a different way from what he’s used to.

Even so, he’s looking forward to getting back into the field.

“I want you to listen to me carefully, Erik.” Shaw waits for him to nod brusquely before he continues. “You’re one of the most valuable assets I have, but right now, I can’t trust you. You understand that, don’t you? Emma and I are playing the long game. And, yes, right now that means engaging with the humans. Until you prove that you can play nice, you’re nothing but a liability. Understand?”

“Don’t tell me you came up with this whole ridiculous plan just to test me.” Right now, the only thing being tested is Erik’s patience.

Shaw smiles lazily, self-satisfied. “No, that’s just a bonus. The young Lord Xavier’s fortune will put us in a good place, and I can’t imagine someone as sheltered as he is will be hard to charm.”

By now Erik’s frown is a permanent fixture on his face, but he’s grudgingly resigning himself to this mad scheme. “Fine. Seeing as you’re going to waste your time on this with or without me, you might as well tell me the rest of your plan.”

“Wonderful! I knew you would see things my way eventually.” Shaw shuffles some papers around. “I’ve already made arrangements. Lord Xavier is in poor health, and his uncle has hired me to be his personal physician. As for your part – like any man of his station, Lord Xavier has a personal manservant, but his has recently been dismissed due to some scandal. I’ve recommended you as a replacement for the role. Your duties will be to bring him meals, help him dress and bathe, flatter him and make him feel good about himself – nothing you can’t handle. And, of course, you’ll help him fall in love with me.”

Erik snorts. Behind Shaw, Emma’s cold eyes are bright with amusement.

Shaw chuckles. “Yes, yes, I know it’s beneath your dignity, but what’s that you always said? Anything for the cause?”

“This is barely related to the cause,” Erik says caustically.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that just yet.” There’s something very pleased about the way Shaw is smiling, something that goes beyond his usual levels of smugness. “How much do you know about Charles Xavier?”

“What is there to know?” Rich, spoiled nobles, they’re all the same.

Shaw is still shuffling through his papers. “Well, you’re not wrong. He’s pretty enough, but unremarkable. From what Emma has gathered, he was orphaned young and his health has been frail ever since, so his uncle had him shuffled back from school in England to the family estate in Westchester and Xavier hasn’t left since. Xavier came of age around two years back, but his uncle is still looking after him. The uncle is some businessman, not nobility, but he sure enjoys pretending to be one. Holds all these fancy poetry sessions in the Xavier estate and has our Charles read for him and his friends. He’s a widower; Emma tells me he’s planning to marry Charles for his fortune.”

Humans. Erik’s lip curls. “Anything else?”

The rustle of paper stops as Shaw picks out a document, sliding it over to Erik. “That’s the uncle, by the way. Kurt Marko.”

Erik stills. Shaw smiles.

“Associate of the late Bolivar Trask.”

***

The Xavier estate is less a mansion and more a ridiculous castle, suffocating in its wealth and taste. Erik’s skin itches when he looks at the subdued décor. With Shaw, he had learnt to move among the rich and the noble as an equal – even found himself enjoying it, the spiteful satisfaction of fooling these aristocrats into welcoming their own enemy into their midst.

So it seems rather a step backwards to be in a place like this as a servant. Erik smiles wryly to himself as he looks at his new sleeping arrangements. He’s expected to be ready to attend to Xavier at all hours of the day and night, which meant the most logical place for him to sleep is directly across from Xavier’s room. A bell links their rooms together, ready to summon him like a dog at Xavier’s leisure.

Hah. Room. As if a servant is deserving of his own private room even though the estate has more bedrooms than any family could ever use. Erik almost has to admire their dedication to keeping servants as invisible as possible: the door to his room is hidden, indistinguishable from the surrounding wallpaper. The room itself is less a room and more an alcove, just large enough to fit a narrow cot. There is no light.

It’s long past midnight, and the major-domo had just finished showing him the mansion and outlining his duties. He’ll officially begin work tomorrow. Right now, his only duty is to stay in the suffocating claustrophobia of his cot and sleep so he’ll be fresh and ready to serve tomorrow.

It’s harder than it sounds. Erik has slept in any number of uncomfortable places, but something about the low ceiling of the alcove, the flat discomfort of the cot… When he closes his eyes, he can almost feel leather straps tighten around his chest and wrists, strangling. Erik forces the memories from his mind, locking them back in the tight iron box where they belong, and guides himself through breathing in. Out. In.

A cry shatters the silence, jolting him out of an uneasy sleep. Erik curses as he bolts upright and bangs his head against the ceiling. Fumbling in the pitch black, he shoves his door open, already fully awake. That cry had came from Xavier’s room.

Erik doesn’t stop to think about propriety. He slams into Xavier’s room, eyes peeled for danger.

What he finds instead is pale young man sitting in his extravagant bed, staring quietly out the window. The moonlight washes all the colour out of the room, limning Xavier’s curls in silver and casting gentle shadows across his face. When Erik steps closer, he’s caught by the glimmer of blue in Xavier’s eyes.

Even when dishevelled with sleep, wearing nothing but a loose nightrobe, Xavier looks like the masterwork of some melancholy painter.

The moment breaks when Xavier turns to face him. “I’m sorry, did I disturb you?” His voice is soft and accented, obviously upper-class.

Erik is suddenly, awkwardly aware of just how improper it is for a servant to burst into their master’s room without an invitation. Nothing for it now. If he gets tossed out on his ass on the first night here, then Shaw will just have to find himself a new lackey.

“Sorry, sir. I thought I heard a disturbance.”

“Ah, so I did wake you.” Xavier’s head tilts. In the shadow of the moonlight, it’s impossible to read his expression. “I apologize again.”

A spoiled noble apologizing to the help – that catches Erik off-guard. “Better safe than sorry,” he says gruffly. “What happened?”

Xavier’s gaze returns to the window. “An old nightmare,” he says, matter-of-fact, and Erik wonders how someone can be so open about his own weakness. “Look out the window. Do you see that tree?”

The estate is lined with trees, but it’s impossible to miss the one Xavier is talking about: an ancient, massive yew, black in the moonlight, dwarfing the surrounding trees.

“I was nine when my aunt hung herself there. Sometimes I still see her.”

***

Xavier sends him back to bed soon after that, and Erik rises early the next day with only a fitful few hours of sleep. When he reports for duty, Xavier is sitting in his bed again. The collar of his nightgown is open, and Erik catches a glimpse of pale skin and defined collarbones. In daylight, Xavier is handsome in a boyish sort of way, his clear blue eyes serene as he smiles politely at Erik.

“You’re Erik, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” Erik bows, movements perfect and precise. “At your service.”

“Good morning, Erik. Help me get ready for the day, and then we’ll talk.”

Getting ready for the day means helping Xavier shave and then dress. Someone had already picked out Xavier’s clothes for him – crisp white shirt and blue waistcoat, followed by a dark coat on top. Xavier is clearly well-used to this, sitting docile as a painted doll while Erik knots his cravat and straightens his clothes.

Afterwards, Erik brings breakfast on a silver tray. He had expected a decadent meal, but Xavier must prefer to eat light in the mornings; there’s barely enough for one person, and in flagrant breach of protocol Xavier even invites him to share. It’s probably a test. Erik has no patience for it; he takes up the offer without comment, portioning out the food between the two of them.

Surprisingly, Xavier offers him the bigger portion.

“Are you not hungry, sir?”

Xavier’s mouth quirks into a half-smile, drawing Erik’s attention to the indecent red of his lips. “My appetite has always been low. You should help yourself. I imagine you had a long trip yesterday?”

“Yes.” Is Xavier trying to make small talk?

Xavier doesn’t seem to find his clipped responses discouraging. “Now, you seem like someone who appreciates efficiency, so why don’t we get straight to business? How much have you been told about your duties?”

Erik rattles off the list given to him yesterday, and Xavier nods. “Yes. My days are quite regimented, so you’ll have free run of the house for most of the day. Mornings I always spend with my uncle – he expects me to practice my poetry reading every day. Afternoons I have a fitness regimen my uncle expects me to adhere to. However, I’ve recently been given a new personal physician, and I imagine my afternoons will be taken up by that from now on. The evenings are my own; that is the only time I expect you to be at hand. Why don’t you come with me after breakfast? I’ll show you where Dr. Schmidt will be attending to me. Would you fetch me this evening at 5 o’clock, sharp?”

Shaw is right; this Xavier boy seems to live firmly under his uncle’s thumb. “Yes, sir.”

“Excellent.” Xavier smiles again, utterly serene. “I look forward to working with you, Erik.”

***

He is not allowed into Kurt Marko’s wing of the mansion – “My uncle is very particular, I’m afraid,” Xavier had said – so after he sees Xavier to the entrance, Erik leaves to make a start on his assigned duties.

As Xavier’s personal manservant, it is his duty to keep everything in Xavier’s rooms absolutely spotless. There is the bedroom, of course, but Xavier also has a personal study and a bathroom of his own. A quick inspection reveals everything has already been cleaned to a shine; he doubts anyone would notice if he missed a day of cleaning.

Which leaves him plenty of time to sort through Xavier’s personal effects. He starts with the study first: for someone who spends so much time on poetry, Xavier’s collection is surprisingly devoid of poetry books. There are a few works of literature, but for the most part, the books are all scientific in nature. Evolution, to be precise. Mutation. Most of the books are well-thumbed, showing signs of wear and tear – clearly, they aren’t just there for show.

Erik’s breath catches. Had Xavier also worked with Bolivar Trask?

With renewed urgency, Erik scans the study, rifling through drawers and rapidly flicking through sheafs upon sheafs of paper, searching for anything written in Xavier’s own hand. He doesn’t find much – Xavier’s writing only deals with theory, no signs of experimental work present.

Perhaps this is something Marko put him up to. It would fit with the pattern so far. Really, the only surprise here is that Marko hadn’t talked his nephew into marriage yet…

Erik puts everything back into order, heading for the bedroom next. It’s surprisingly devoid of personality. Going from what Shaw had said, Xavier should have spent most of his life in this mansion – so where are all the childhood trinkets? Old toys, photographs, posters, anything?

He’s a little reassured when he hunts down an inconspicuous box inside the closet filled with interestingly shaped rocks, the sort of collection a little boy would have put together. So, Xavier does have a personality buried somewhere in there. The closet doesn’t yield anything else of interest, just rows and rows of neatly-pressed clothing.

Or maybe he spoke too soon. There’s another closet, smaller in size, and when he throws the doors open he finds costumes, of all things, yards of draping white fabric in the Greco-Roman style, intricately-patterned silken robes with a suspiciously feminine cut to them, pelts and furs, and that’s only the top layer. The closet is narrow, but deep. When Erik reaches out with his metal-sense, he can feel delicate jewellery and ornaments tucked away.

What does it all mean? Something to do with those poetry readings, perhaps? Or maybe Xavier has some sort of fetish – locked up in a mansion like this all his life, Xavier must be at least a little mad.

Erik shakes his head, amused, then puts the matter out of his mind and continues his investigation.

Hours later, he has little to show for his efforts, but time is ticking and he’s morbidly curious as to how Shaw’s plan is proceeding. Erik strides rapidly through the servant corridors – he’ll have to spend a few days familiarizing himself with every nook and cranny of the house – emerging by the room Xavier had shown him earlier.

The door is open just a crack. Stealthily, Erik peers in. It appears to be a guestroom hastily converted into a medical facility: it has the same décor as every other room, all understated opulence, but a number of machines have been set up, and Erik can spy newly-installed cabinets that must contain even more tools. Pills, too, and serums and sedatives and who knows what else. The whole thing makes his skin crawl.

Shaw and Xavier are seated at the lone table in the room, a touch closer than strictly appropriate. Their heads are bent together, and Erik can see their mouths moving, although the hushed murmur of their conversation is too quiet for him to make out. It’s difficult to see anything more from this angle; the most Erik can say is that they both look engrossed in the conversation.

Curiosity satisfied, Erik knocks on the door, watching quietly through the crack as the two of them pull apart.

“Is that you, Erik?” Xavier’s accent curls elegantly around his syllables. “Do come in, we were just finishing up.”

Erik opens the door and gives a perfunctory bow, not sparing a glance at Shaw. “Whenever you’re ready, sir.”

“Of course.” Xavier glances at Shaw. “I’ll see you again tomorrow then, Dr. Schmidt? Same time?”

“Yes. Have a good evening, Charles, and do try to relax a bit.”

Erik holds the door open for Xavier. They leave together, Erik walking a respectful step behind Xavier, wracking his brain for something to say. Why Shaw would enlist him to play matchmaker, Erik has no idea; he hasn’t had a single successful relationship in his life.

“You and the doctor seem quite familiar with each other already,” he ends up saying.

If Xavier is offended by a servant speaking out of turn, it doesn’t show. He only hums thoughtfully. “Really? It’s only been our third session together. Still, I quite admire him. Being a doctor takes skill and dedication both.”

Does Shaw even have a valid medical license, or are his papers all forged? Erik pushes the thought to the side. “So you’re enjoying your sessions together?”

“I don’t mind them, which is more than I can say for some of my other doctors. Having to see a doctor daily is never a pleasant thing, I’m afraid, although I do count myself lucky that I have the option to do so.”

Surprisingly self-aware of Xavier. Erik feels a twinge – something, something unidentifiable, knowing the fate that awaits Xavier at the end of all this.

“He seems quite interested in you,” He says instead.

Xavier turns those vivid blue eyes of his on him, open and curious. “You know Dr. Schmidt, don’t you? As I recall, you were hired at his recommendation.”

“Yes. He was responsible for much of my training.” That was the cover story they had agreed on; it isn’t far from the truth.

“Would you say you know him well?”

Erik blinks. “Reasonably so. Why?”

“I do appreciate having someone so informed in my corner, as it were. You really think he’s interested in me?”

Damn. Why did Shaw pick him for this? “Of course. He…” Think, Erik. “He thinks about your case often. He thinks about you often.”

He’s spared having to come up with something more to say by their arrival back in Xavier’s rooms. “Would you like me to draw you a bath before dinner, sir?”

“Yes, thank you, Erik.”

Glad of an escape from the torturous conversation, Erik starts filling up the bathtub with hot water, channelling his frustration at the whole thing into heating up the metal pipes to speed up the process. Slowly, the room fills with steam, lazy silver curls mixing with the scented oils he had poured into the bathwater.

“Bath’s ready,” he calls.

Xavier steps into the room and Erik rises carefully to his feet. This is one of his duties too, he remembers. Helping the young master bath.

He had helped Xavier dress earlier today, but helping him undress now – it’s strangely intimate. Erik has eyes, he’s not blind to Xavier’s boyish handsomeness, and as he peels off all those formal layers he makes note of Xavier’s trim stature. He’s well-formed, lightly-muscled, and he’s been taught to hold himself well, graceful and noble.

Unattainable.

The steam wraps around them both, the heat settling a light flush onto Xavier’s creamy skin. Erik silently helps him into the bath, the water rippling as Xavier sinks in. “Shall I do your hair first?”

“Yes, please.”

Grabbing the shampoo, Erik begins to knead at Xavier’s scalp, working up a proper lather. And, finally, he’s treated to the sight of Xavier demonstrating an emotion other than self-possessed serenity: his head lolls back, pushing into Erik’s touch. When Erik’s nails drag lightly against his scalp, Xavier’s eyelashes tremble against his cheek. A whisper of a sigh drifts through the steam.

“I’ve always had a terribly sensitive scalp,” Xavier remarks without prompting. His eyes are still closed, his body a languid sprawl in the bathtub. “Dr. Schmidt has told you about my migraines, yes?”

“Some. He worries about you.”

“Lovely of him, to be so concerned about a patient.”

Erik stifles a snort – Shaw and lovely should never be in the same sentence together – and continues to massage Xavier’s scalp. He must be doing something right because Xavier sighs again, sinking deeper into the tub. “Lovely,” he repeats, sounding sleepy.

It’s strange. Erik had expected to hate every moment of servicing this undeserving human, but there’s something oddly soothing about taking care of another person like this. He’s gentle and careful as he helps Xavier wash the shampoo out of his hair, before grabbing a bar of soap and a soft sponge to wash the rest of his body. “Sit up a little so I can get your back.”

Obediently, Xavier shuffles up, water rippling down the expanse of his back. There’s a rosy flush to his skin – making the silvery whiteness of scar tissue stand out in sharp relief. Xavier’s back is marked in long, thin stripes. Some of the marks have a terrible artistry to them, precise and even as the lined pages of a notebook, whereas others are a mess of criss-crosses and jagged edges.

Xavier must have sensed Erik’s surprise, because he blinks his eyes open, tilting his head back to look at Erik. “Everything all right?”

Erik hastily picks up the soap again. “Yes, of course. I didn’t expect…”

“It’s all right.” Xavier saves him from his floundering. He closes his eyes again. “There’s nothing wrong with a bit of curiosity; it’s quite healthy, in fact. For your information, those were from my uncle. I don’t remember it so well now, but apparently I was quite the terror as a child, enough that he had to resort to the whip in order to discipline me. I would have hurt myself otherwise.”

How old was Xavier then? Seven? Eight? It doesn’t matter – no guardian should be taking a whip to their charge, regardless of age.

Nobles, he thinks again, derisive. Humans.

Erik smooths the sponge down Xavier’s back, studying the pale map of lines etched there. It looks innocuous now, but past experience makes it easy for Erik to imagine what it must have been like at the time, the splitting skin and the splash of blood, the pain and terror and humiliation.

Erik wonders if he’ll ever understand the way Xavier can be so frank about his weaknesses.

The silence has dragged on for too long. If Erik was in Xavier’s position, he wouldn’t appreciate pity, so he tries for levity instead. “You, a terror?”

“Hard to believe, isn’t it?” Xavier is smiling again.

They fall into a thoughtful silence again, Erik losing himself to the gentle rhythm of soaping and sponging. Xavier’s skin is wonderfully soft and water-sleek under his hands, the underlying muscle adding a pleasant firmness to his form. When Erik moves to wash Xavier’s front, he finds Xavier looking at him, biting at his lower lip. His cheeks are flushed, his hair dark and curling, tousled from the wash. A few stray drops of water trickle slowly down the pale column of his throat.

“You can join me, if you like.” Xavier says quietly. Erik can’t read the look in his eyes. “The water feels absolutely wonderful. Shall I do your back for you?”

“I…” His mouth is dry. “That doesn’t seem very appropriate. My lord.”

Xavier’s expression doesn’t change. “Of course. It was only a thought. I’m sorry, did I make you uncomfortable?”

Erik can only shake his head mutely.

(next part)

#cherik #xmfc #my writing

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tink-bell · 5 years

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Name:

Jaby/Mom

Characters:

Tink Bell (closed rip), Rita Saluki-Sykes, Duchess LaBlanc, DeSoto Sykes, Adam Best, Soleil (closed rip)

Pick one of your characters and talk about their growth (we recommend choosing an older character, but it’s up to you!) What about their story has surprised you? What are you proud of? How have they changed from their original inception to now?

Tink Bell: These three years have been one hell of a roller coaster for Tink. It seems like just yesterday I was writing my town alcoholic hell-bent on having a good time even though inside she was a mess. When we first saw Tink, she was your typical punk-rock rebel without a cause. Her idea of a good time was a good lay, a bottle of tequila, and whatever drugs she could find. She was an absolute mess. And as the years progressed we saw Tink sort of lose herself. She got lost in the bottle and the drugs and the dark spiral that was her mind. She lost some good friends (Simba) in the process and made some unexpected ones (Copper, I’m talkin’ about you). But like a phoenix she rose from the ashes and repaired herself and those friendships she lost. She got an amazing girlfriend who literally went through hell and back with her (pun intended). And now as the year closes, so does this chapter of Tink’s life. Her life of adventure with Sophie is starting and it’s the ending I always wanted for Tink. Cue girl walking into the sunset with a bag slung over her shoulder ready to take on the world.

Adam Best: My babe I’ve had the second longest, not counting the time I dropped him for personal reasons. He’s also a character that has been through a lot. We’ve seen Adam be the surly young man who only wants to punish himself for all the death and destruction he’d caused. He was grappling with the loss of his parents and the loss of his first serious girlfriend. That’s a lot for a dude. He made mistakes, hurt people he grew to care about. Then he got himself a best friend and then a boyfriend and things were looking up for our dear Adam. Then Jaby had an existential life crisis and all that went to shit. Adam found a journal that said you could get rid of the curse by killing the wolf that killed you and guess what? Adam went to Greece and got his ass kicked. But it was a brand new starting point for me and my boy. It allowed me to delve into Adam’s need for a normal human life and try to figure out a way to reconcile it with the fact he will never have that. I expected Adam to remain very surly when I picked him back up and to an extent he has. But he’s also moved away from that. He’s no longer filled with the same angst. Instead it’s changed and evolved into something so much more. He’s no longer mourning his parents and Jennifer but instead mourning the life he’ll never get to have. It’s something I never expected from him and I’m honestly very excited to see where it takes us.

Pick another character and talk a little about where you WANT them to go. What are your plans for them going into the new year?

DeSoto Sykes: Ugh man, I have so much planned for DeSoto. Lauren and I have actually talked out a lot with these brothers and where we want them to end up. I know he’s going to stay a big presence in Swynlake. I’d love for him to become one of the big kingpins in town. It would be hilarious because that’s what his father was back in New York and it’s what he’s been running from for nearly three years. I want him to grow and realize that having people you care about isn’t necessarily a weakness. Des has a long long way to go and his story is far from over.

Rita Saluki-Sykes: It’s no secret that Rita has become my loudest muse, slowly taking the place of Tink if I’m honest. I’ve only had her for a year or so but she’s already been put through the ringer. Her marriage went from one of necessity to one that was almost over to finally something that resembles what she’s always wanted. Even more so now that she’s got her own little kiddo on the way. I’d like to see Rita settle into that mother role. From what we’ve seen she enjoys the night life, partying and eating up all the attention she can get. But with her little one all that is going to change and she’s going to have to become that mother figure. And she’s going to have to balance care and attention for Ollie with the new baby. It’ll be interesting to see how she juggles being a businesswoman, wife, and mother.

Pick a thread or a plot that you’re proud of and talk about why you loved it.

UHM HELLO INTO THE FOREST. Two years ago I did one of these and said how I wanted Soleil to tap into her powers and channel her rage and this is the result of that. This plot was hands down my favorite plot I’ve ever done. It gave me a chance to break Soleil down to her darkest depths, fueled by the loss of Zero and then the fact KNIGHTS or whatever were hurting things in her forest. It was a slow burn plot and one that took a lot of work from everyone involved and it culminated into the best thing I’ve ever witnessed.

In terms of your own writing, identify 1-3 strengths and talk about why you think it’s one of your strengths.

Voice. I still think voice is something that I have a good grasp on when it comes to my characters. From Rita’s and DeSoto’s New York accents to Duchess’ French lilt and prim and proper upbringing, I think it’s something that shows distinctly in my writing.

Villains. I love my villains, I love devling into their minds and figuring out what makes them tick. And I’m tooting my own horn when I say that I’m pretty damn good at it. From Taka to Oogie (however brief he may have been), I’ve brought some pretty interesting villains to BDRP and I hope to continue to do so. I’ve got a few character ideas at the ready that I am more than eager to bring to life.

In terms of your own writing, identify 1-3 areas of improvement.

Plotting! I am the absolute worst when it comes to coming up and approaching people with plots. And I think a big part of that is because I really love for things to develop organically. I’m not one to nudge my characters into something I’m not sure of. I need to break out of that so that I can actually accomplish some of the things I want to for my characters.

Direction. It’s easy for me to lose direction when writing. A reply will start off as one thing and then before I know it it’s shifted to something else entirely. It makes writing an arduous process and often irritating.

Pick one of your plots, or even just a character, and come up with a list of 3-5 “mentor texts” where you can look for inspiration or research, then write a short (2-4 sentences) why you picked those texts. (For example, if I picked Apollo, reading “Akata Witch,” “Children of Blood and Bone,” “Trials of Apollo” series, and Homer’s Iliad might provide inspiration for different reasons– the former two for Nigerian culture and magic and the latter two for a deeper look at Greek Mythology. No, you don’t have to have read these books– maybe you just want to read them!)

Okay so picking Soleil’s forest takedown these are the things I’d look into:

Batman comics featuring Poison Ivy - Mainly because Poison Ivy is one of the few female baddies that have the same sort of magic that Soleil has. And she’s gone down Soleil’s path of wanting to take over the world with plants. It’d be a way to get inside of angry Soleil’s mind.

BtVS s6ep22 “Grave” - This is actually the episode of Buffy that sparked this desire to have Soleil go down that path of evil. It was a possible ending for Soleil in which she didn’t turn into a tree and feed her magic to Enchantra as a way to make amends. This episode showed the power of true love (even if that love is platonic) and how it can stop evil. And it was something that I had wanted to experiment with in Soleil.

The Master Book of Herbalism - Okay this book would give insight to what Soleil did. How, even before she was the spring sprite, she had a vast knowledge of plants and how to use them.

And now, a wishlist! Jot down a few themes or stories or genres etc that you want to maybe pursue in the upcoming year! (i.e. a good ol’ fashion forbidden romance, maybe you want to dig deep into racial identity etc) This doesn’t have to necessarily be attached to any characters or stories you have now– it’s just meant to help you see for yourself what kind of stories call to your heart.

F O R B I D D E N RO M A N C E- like please guys, you don’t know how badly I want one of these. What’s more drama filled than two people who should not be together at all? C’moooooooooooon Drugs- I have always always been involved in the drug scene in Swynlake. Taka, Lock, Tink, and now Des. I love fucking people up with drugs and exploring those motivations. Coffee shop au type romance/bromance Slow burn, something that starts as nothing and then sooooo slowly turns to something more Friendships Frenemies

OPTIONAL: Why do you RP?

I RP because it’s still my escape. I enjoy it more than I enjoy most things. It gives me an outlet to channel whatever it is I’m feeling and don’t we all need that. Not to mention Mk and Lauryl own my soul at this point and there is no hopes of me ever actually leaving this place.

#bdrptask #it only felt fitting #tink was the first one i did the questionnaire on #she should be closed with it

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racingtoaredlight · 5 years

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The degenerate’s guide to college football TV watch ‘em ups, 2019 season, week 2

Now do you want to read about college football or do you want to listen to your wildest fantasy of Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy theories in a podcast format? If you answered “college football” then click to read more! If you want to listen to an incredible podcast that will feed your absolute worst inclinations towards nihilistic disillusionment then click right here! True Anon is really all I’ve ever wanted in a left-leaning shitfest. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Now for the football. Hell, the CIA is behind this shit, too. The highlight of the week for me is the line on the Bammers game. No way Saban holds up his end of that bargain. Why the fucking hell is there even a line on that shit?

If you’ve read this nonsense before you know the drill. If not, the times are eastern, the schedule is ripped from FBSchedules and the gambling informatics are per Vegas Insider dot com. Degenerate football can alternately mean football that you only pay attention to for purposes of gambling or the low-level, barely FBS, preferably late night types of games that play for stadium crowds in the hundreds and TV audiences in the dozens. It doesn’t have to be college ball, the UFL is my true ideal of football degeneracy. If you gambled on that you are my target audience. Onward and downward we go.

Saturday, September 7

Matchup Time (ET) TV/Mobile

Ohio at Pitt 11:00am ACCN

Wow. What a special game. It’s got a one hour headstart and for what? Goddamn is this trash. Why is ACCN not just an extra ESPN channel? SECN and Longhorn Network are just parts of the ESPN app but ACCNe is just off by itself inaccessible to 90% of the country.

Southern at Memphis 12:00pm WMC-TV / ESPN3

There’s no line on this game so just check on it to see what’s going on with Memphis. They beat their secret rival The Racist South last week but scoring less than 20 is weird for them.

Rutgers at 20 Iowa 12:00pm FS1

This being a conference game is funny. Maryland and Rutgers being in the B1G is funny. And stupid. Mostly stupid. But that’s why it’s funny. Take Iowa even at -19 because it’s Rutgers.

West Virginia at Missouri 12:00pm ESPN2

Speaking of dumb conference stuff, both of these teams belong in the Big 12. That’s the true spirit of college football and it’s completely akilter. Is Mizzourah the good offense out of these two now? Everything is wrong. I wouldn’t touch a 14-point line in either direction here but over 62.5 seems worthwhile.

Vanderbilt at Purdue 12:00pm BTN

These are the same team but one has Rondale Moore. Otherwise there is no difference.

UAB at Akron 12:00pm CBSSN

I don’t like the beloved CBS Sports hosting a MAC team even if they are hosting UAB. Why did the o/u drop from 55 to 46 over the course of the week? That’s odd. I’d have to check with our dear president but I don’t think Ohio is in the path of any hurricanes.

21 Syracuse at Maryland 12:00pm ESPN

From the bottom of my Georgetown-born, VA-burbs raised heart I hate everything about this game. I would love to see Syracuse lose even if it means Maryland winning. The odds have flipped crazily from opening Syracuse -5 to now having Maryland -1.5. Take the turtles.

Army at 7 Michigan 12:00pm FOX

I saw ESPN talking up Army last night so go all in on Michigan to beat the ever-living piss out of the troops. -22.5 is nothing.

Bowling Green at Kansas State 12:00pm FSN

Good lord, no.

Charleston Sou. at South Carolina 12:00pm SECN

This is cancelled, right? If not pound the under.

Cincinnati at 5 Ohio State 12:00pm ABC

Cincinnati sucks but count on Fickell to make an Ohio State University look bad one more time. Bearcats +16, book it.

Kennesaw State at Kent State 12:00pm ESPN3

I think Kennesaw is the Welsh version of the British Kent. I could be wrong about that but who cares?

Old Dominion at Virginia Tech 12:00pm ESPNU

VPISU should be better by now. I’m wrong a lot but it’s possible I was really wrong about Justin Fuente. Betting on ODU sounds like a bad idea but I fully endorse it.

Western Carolina at NC State 12:30pm RSN

There is no reason to bet on a game like this. This is practice.

NIU at 13 Utah 1:00pm Pac-12N

I could be wrong but off the top of my head I don’t think Utah usually covers in the first four weeks of the season. This is a guess you can use in your gambling.

Fordham at Ball State 2:00pm ESPN3

Blocks of Granite for the win. Book it.

USF at Georgia Tech 2:00pm ACCN

By my count Georgia Tech covered last week against Clemson. USF just hung out in a trash can for 60 minutes. Yet the Bulls are favored here. Charlie Strong was once a hot commodity that programs all over the country coveted. Hindsight is absolutely hilarious.

Tennessee Tech at Miami (Ohio) 2:30pm ESPN+

There’s no line but I’m loading up the wagon for the Golden Eagles. This is the big auto mechanics school, right?

Southern Illinois at UMass 3:30pm FloSports / NESNplus

I, uh, guess, uh... Don’t watch this under any circumstances. Pack a cyanide pill if you must.

Southern Miss at Mississippi State 3:30pm ESPNU

This is an appealing bit of misery but there’s no chance I watch it. Miss State -16.5 seems crazy against anybody. I think.

12 Texas A&M at 1 Clemson 3:30pm ABC

This is statistically expected to be Clemson’s toughest game and they’re still favored by 16.5. The money looks to be going towards aTm but I can’t shake the notion that Clemson is going to absolutely maul them from the get go.

Central Michigan at 17 Wisconsin 3:30pm BTN

I don’t trust Nick Saban to do what’s right by gambling folk but Wisconsin is different. If they don’t humiliate undermanned opponents that means they are a bad team. -35 is the kind of line you see when the Badgers go for 80+.

Charlotte at Appalachian State 3:30pm ESPN+

You’re on your own with this one.

Eastern Illinois at Indiana 3:30pm BTN

See: Charlotte at Appalachian State.

Grambling State at Louisiana Tech 3:30pm NFLN

Is there a way to make a throwback game between Doug Williams and Terry Bradshaw take place here?

Illinois at UConn 3:30pm CBSSN

Oh, come the fuck on.

25 Nebraska at Colorado 3:30pm FOX

The two Big 8 programs that benefited most from 5th downs are facing off on national TV representing the B1G and Pac-12. That’s horrible. Nebraska being a top 25 team but also being favored by only -4 against this version of Colorado is what is known as a paradox.

Richmond at Boston College 3:30pm ACCNE xtra

No line. What cowardice.

Murray State at 3 Georgia 4:00pm ESPN2

Pound the under.

UTSA at Baylor 4:00pm FSN

Go UTSA. We’re all rooting for you.

Western Illinois at Colorado State 4:00pm ATTSN

Man, this is all trash. Not even the good kind.

New Mexico State at 2 Alabama 4:00pm SECN

The predicted score by way of gambling is Bama 60, NMSU 5. Saban is pulling his starters in the second quarter, though, so put a buck or two on New Mexico State just for the hell of it.

San Diego State at UCLA 4:15pm Pac-12N

This is Pac-12 After Dark/CBS Sports fodder playing in the sunlight. Both teams might explode, literally.

Northern Colorado at 22 Washington State 5:00pm Pac-12WA

Pac-12 Washington? That’s a channel? Washington State lookd good in week 1 so hit the over (63) and see what happens.

ULM at Florida State 5:00pm ACCN

Oh, Willie. Poor, poor Willie. Why, Willie, why? Monroe +22 looks pretty good to me.

Gardner-Webb at East Carolina 6:00pm ESPN3

Yeah, buddy, now we’re into it. If this game happens. I think it’s not happening. But if it does? Man, oh, man. You know what I mean.

Maine at Georgia Southern 6:00pm ESPN+

Why would you think Eagles could beat Black Bears? That’s crazy.

North Carolina A&T at Duke 6:00pm ACCNE xtra

Let’s go A&T, beat the devil.

South Dakota at 4 Oklahoma 7:00pm FS PPV

What lunatics are paying for this? You should feel ashamed.

Jackson State at South Alabama 7:00pm ESPN+

Lots of bodybag games, even at the lower levels. I hate it.

Wyoming at Texas State 7:00pm ESPN+

Kind of beautiful but you’ll probably have to squint to see it.

WKU at FIU 7:00pm ESPN+

Get your shit together, Butch. Now. Stop embarrassing me.

18 UCF at Florida Atlantic 7:00pm CBSSN

Oh, now this - THIS! is what CBS Sports is great for. What a shitty game that I love like a long lost child.

Tennessee State at Middle Tennessee 7:00pm ESPN3

Too Tall U vs. MTSU is cool in a way but it won’t be a fun thing to watch.

North Texas at SMU 7:00pm ESPN3

Spencer is visiting ms621 and my people are expecting a lot of scoring in this one with the lawyers coming out on top. /suggestive eyebrow raises

McNeese at Oklahoma State 7:00pm ESPN+

Chuba Hubbard should get about 8 touches so watch early if you’re watching at all.

Furman at Georgia State 7:00pm ESPN3

Man, this is a long list of boring crap.

Eastern Kentucky at Louisville 7:00pm ACCNE xtra

Other than the 24 fumbles I thought Louisville looked pretty good last week. Not enough to tune in for a minute of this but maybe they can fine tune some of the difficult football activities like “snapping the football” and “holding the football close to your body” or “handing the ball to the running back” against Eastern Kentucky and then when they pop up against Clemson later on it’ll be worth watching.

Coastal Carolina at Kansas 7:00pm ESPN+

Les Magic: Kansas is favored to start the year 2-0. Not by a lot, mind you.

BYU at Tennessee 7:00pm ESPN

Nobody tell Bergie but I’m rooting for the Mormons here. Gotta go for what makes the most people feel the worst about sports.

Tulane at 10 Auburn 7:30pm ESPN2

Is Auburn rising in the polls enough to make me bet against them at home -17 vs. Tulane? It sure is. Auburn is just as chaotic as LSU but not as funny about it.

UT Martin at 11 Florida 7:30pm ESPNU

Fuck the Gators, man.

Western Michigan at 19 Michigan State 7:30pm BTN

Sparty, too.

Arkansas at Mississippi, Oxford 7:30pm SECN

I am on a descent into hell here.

Buffalo at 15 Penn State 7:30pm FOX

If Notre Dame is next I’m hanging up on this post.

Eastern Michigan at Kentucky 7:30pm SECN Alt.

Whew. Hill people that can only intermittently football. That is a huge relief right now.

Liberty at Louisiana 7:30pm ESPN+

Fuck the Falwells, and not in a good way.

6 LSU at 9 Texas 7:30pm ABC

There is one ironclad rule in college football gambling: never bet on an LSU game. Those who fail to heed this rule will never see longterm winnings. Oddsmakers keep pushing the line towards LSU and I agree wholeheartedly that’s where the expectations should reside but would you be even sort of surprised to see LSU blow this entirely and lose? No, you would not. Neither would I.

Nevada at 16 Oregon 7:30pm Pac-12N

Oregon is favored by 24 and my very cursory impression of these two is that Nevada is a straight up better team than the Ducks. Granted, I’m really bad at this, but that +24 looks like easy money.

Stony Brook at Utah State 7:30pm Facebook

Not even a great QB talent is worth going on facebook.

Miami (FL) at North Carolina 8:00pm ACCN

Pound the damn under. Also, ESPN talking heads are all on the UNC to upset train so put whatever money you have set aside for this contest on the Hurricanes.

Prairie View A&M at Houston 8:00pm ESPN3

That one good recruiting class is mostly a memory for Houston at this point but they’ll still be fun to watch once D’Eriq King and Dana Holgorsen get on the same page.

UTEP at Texas Tech 8:00pm FSN

Wasn’t Texas Tech supposed to run the ball more this year? One week in they’re leading the country in passing. Maybe they ran the ball more and it still wasn’t very much.

Tulsa at San Jose State 9:00pm ESPN3

This is the kind of game that should be played in a prison yard.

Arkansas State at UNLV 10:00pm Facebook

This is the kind of game that shouldn’t be played.

California at 14 Washington 10:30pm FS1

I do believe I’m the span of this game away from getting fully on board with UDub rolling the Pac-12 again. The only team with similar talent, as far as I have seen, is USC. But there are a long list of other issues with USC.

Minnesota at Fresno State 10:30pm CBSSN

This is the kind of stupid game I love but I think I’ll be watching Pennywise the Dancing Clown at this point.

23 Stanford at USC 10:30pm ESPN

USC should just fire Clay Helton now, win or lose.

Northern Arizona at Arizona 10:45pm Pac-12N

It would be very Pac-12 of Arizona to lose this game.

Oregon State at Hawaii 11:59pm Spectrum / Facebook

I guess facebook is there to scoop from the most bootlegged team in college football’s illegal audience but I still hate it. Hawaii playing at home two weeks in a row means pound the over even at 77.5. It’s not like Oregon State plays defense, either.

#saturday post #football #college football #watch em ups #degenerate football #gambling #week 2 #2019 season

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florenceisnottrash · 7 years

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Pose for me (M) Kihyun x Reader

Bonjour! When I saw this one pic of Kihyun for their “beautiful” comeback, I knew I had to. Please keep in mind that my first language is french, I’m fluent in english, but don’t be surprise if some sentences sound weird. This is the FIRST time I’m writing something like this so please, bear with me. I still tried my absolute best to give you some quality content so please enjoy! Any feed back is appreciated :)

-Flo

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As someone who’s been passionate about photography all my life, I’ve never thought that I would be able to make a living out of my passion. For the longest time, I was fascinated about how the beauty of the world, stories and memories could be stored in a little box. I was seven years old when I got my first camera from a box of cereal Kellogg’s. To be honest, I remember the pictures being kind of blurry and filled with my little thumbs but, for a seven years old, it was plenty. My mom soon became aware of my interest in photography and for my 10th birthday, she and my dad got me a Kodak DC3200 which was pretty much the Holy Grail for me. After receiving such a gift, I started to take it more seriously by reading books about technics and lightings and taking pictures of everything around me, such as my cat, flowers and people coming by our family house.

And I’m now 20 years old, freshly graduated from college with a diploma in photography and desperately sending out resume to get a dream job in something I’m passionate about.

“Y/N! Come to the kitchen!” Said my mom from downstairs.

“Stop yelling so loudly in the morning, Jesus!”

“It’s 1 o’clock so I can yell all I want! Now come to the kitchen there’s something for you!"

I could barely keep my eyes open when I was fumbling my sheet in search for my phone. My mom was right. It really was 1 in the afternoon! I grabbed the same clothes from yesterday that I left on the floor in a hurry to go back in the warmth of my bed and went downstairs.

“What’s the thing you got from me?” I said while rubbing my eyes and gradually adjusting to the bright sunlight and making my way to the fridge.

“Good afternoon Y/N, this letter just came in and I thought you would want to have a look” Said my mom with a big smile on her face.

“Who is it from?” I asked pouring myself a glass of orange juice.

“I don’t know but…” My mom said playfully.

I raised an eyebrow and looked at her in confusion.

“It’s from Korea.”

It took me a moment to understand was she just said. When I came back to my senses, I dropped my glasses and took the letter from her hand and ran like I never ran before across the house to go to my room and shut the door close with a loud “BOOM”.

“Oh, my god, it’s really happening! After months of sending resumes at different agencies they finallyyy replied!”

My hands were shaking like hell and I couldn’t get my heart to calm down. I ripped slowly the side of the letter and wonder which Korean agencies would reply to someone like me. I kind of decided to send my resume to Korean entertainment agencies just in case they would call me back of send an e-mail or a letter but, I never thought they would actually reply. I’ve been a fan of K-pop for the longest time and I thought it would be a dream to work as a photographer for BigHit to shoot the 7 lovely boys or for JYP to get a glance at how dreamy Got7 look in real life or work for my all-time favourite k-pop group, Monsta X.

I took a deep breath while slowly sliding the letter out of the envelope. After the letter was out, I turned it over and looked at the logo on the top left of the page.

“MOM!” I yelled while running down the stairs as quick as when I got up earlier.

“MOM! It’s from Starship Entertainment.”

“And? What did they say?”

The smile on my face said it all but I still gave the letter to my mom, who was looking dumbfounded, and said, “I’m starting Monday!”

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It’s been now a year since I’ve received the letter from Starship entertainment. I did my best at that time to be ready for my first day. I managed to find myself a plane ticket to Korea and a small apartment quite close to my new workplace and all that in less than 2 weeks! It took a few weeks for my parents to get used to me being at more than 10 000 km away from home but, with me calling every day to reassure them helped a lot for sure.

As for me, it’s been quite of an emotional roller coaster. I had to get accustom to a new culture, new people, new language, new job. However, it’s all in the past, I’m totally in love with my new place and my job and I couldn’t be happier.

This morning, I woke up to my phone ringing loud as a truck in my ears making me wonder why I didn’t turn it off before going to sleep.

“It’s my fist day off in a while, can’t they leave me alone?” I mumbled still half-asleep.

It keeps ringing.

“Give me a break…”

Still ringing.

“I give up” I picked up my phone which was left on the nightstand “Hi, what can I do for you?” I said with my sleepy voice and my eyes still shut.

“Good morning Y/N! I hope I didn’t wake you up. I know it’s your day off today but I think what I’m about to say will interest you.”

It’s uncommon for my boss to call me on my phone, in fact, I think it’s the first time he ever called me on my phone. Usually, it’s his secretary that’s calls me to inform me of anything about job-related stuff. This surprise phone call from my boss got me to sit straight on my bed with my eyes wide open, the exact opposite of 10 seconds ago.

“One of the photographer from our agency suddenly got sick and can’t come to work today. Since you’ve been working as a photographer for the group Boyfriend for a year now and been showing skills exceeding our expectation, we thought about you right away. So, if you are up to, come to work in 2 hours and we will explain the job when you’ll get there.”

I cleared my voice after I took all the information in and said determined: “You can count on me I’ll be there on time, thank you for your consideration!”

I quickly jumped out of bed to get ready for my day. I couldn’t believe the agency thought about me for a replacement and said all those nice things about my work. Although they didn’t specify the job I’ll be doing today, I surely couldn’t deceive them and I absolutely got to do the best I can to make sure they can count on me for future opportunities like this one.

Exactly 2 hours after the phone call, I reach for the entrance of the building of Starship entertainment and with the help of my key card I went inside. As I was waiting for the elevator to take me to the shooting studio on the 5th floor I could feel my heart pounding in my chest and the only reason for this was because I was really excited to hear what my boss will make me do today! I’ve been shooting for Boyfriend for a while as their exclusive photographer, don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy working with the boys as they are sweet and talent but, I still want to try something new for once.

“Are you coming in or not?”

I suddenly came back to my senses, I was so immersed into my though I didn’t realize the doors of the elevator opened and someone already went in.

I raised my eyes to lock them with Kihyun’s, who was looking at me with a mocking smile.

“Ah… hum… yeah!” I said taken aback by the situation.

“looks like someone is still a bit half-asleep this morning” Said Kihyun with a smirk on his face, pressing the 5th button of the panel of the elevator.

I can’t deal with Kihyun. I don’t know what he did to me but, since the first time I locked eyes with him a year ago, on Monsta X’s shooting set, when the staff introduced me to them, I just can’t get him out of my head. Every time I feel like I’m in control of my emotions he comes out of nowhere and makes a mess out of me. When he passes by to come say hi to Boyfriend, I can’t help but to follow his every movement closely and when he looks my way, I avert my eyes quickly and continue to work in hopes he didn’t notice me until he leaves.

He too, looks like he just woke up. His hair was still messy underneath his cap and he was wearing a simple white t-shirt that made his skin look stunning and some black pants with holes on the knees. Even like this, he looked extremely handsome. The way his slender fingers made their way to his front pocket, his shoulder leaning on the elevator’s wall, his tongue licking softly on his perfectly parted lips…Before my heart was beating because of the work that awaits me but now, it’s beating for a completely different reason.

“See you around”.

I came back to my sense and realised I was totally staring at him once again.

“Oh! Yes… have good day!”

When the doors closed, I crouched and took my head in my hands wondering how I could’ve looked so stupid in front of Kihyun. He certainly thinks I’m having a crush on him or even worst, that I’m a crazy fan that took this job only because I could be close to Monsta X. The cringe continued till I reached the floor where I was supposed to meet my boss.

My boss was sitting in front of his computer when I knocked on the glass door. With a single hand gesture, he tells me to come inside with a smile. As I while taking a seat he greeted me with a good morning and a quick apology for making me come on my day off.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s my pleasure to come and help when one of my colleagues is sick. What was the job you were talking about earlier on the phone?”

“So, as you know, we are currently working on Monsta X’ comeback. We are almost finished but there’s still some of the boys that didn’t have their photoshoot yet. Since Min Soo Ri called in sick this morning, we were looking for someone to replace her. I immediately recommended you since the work you do is always impeccable. So, what do you say?”

I couldn’t believe my ears. Me? Working with Monsta X? My boss trusted me enough to let me be part of this photoshoot. This is an incredible opportunity for me to prove that I’m someone who’s hardworking and skilful.

“I’d be happy to take part of this photoshoot! Thank you for your consideration.”

“It’s my pleasure, thanks to you Y/N. The rest of the team should be preparing the set on the 5th floor, they must be waiting for you to start!”

I bowed to my boss and made my way out of the office and suddenly thought about something.

“Sorry to disturb you again Mister but, who will I be working with today?”

He told me to wait a bit as he was looking through his documents and when he got hold of his agenda, he told me what I was anticipating the most since I got the call this morning but I eventually shoved the though in the back of my head every time it came to my mind.

“Today is Thursday so, it’s supposed to be… Kihyun.”

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I was waiting for the elevator to come down when all sort of thoughts came to my mind. How I am supposed to have a photoshoot why Kihyun when I can’t even look at him in the eyes without getting flustered? Even the lenses between us won’t make any difference. And with the way I acted this morning, he must still think I’m a freak with ulterior motives.

I opened the doors of the studio and what I saw was stunning. The concept of this photoshoot had the be related to mirrors because of the abundance of those in the room. With the hints of blue on the walls and the light directed perfectly on the set, it made it look like I was in some sort of dream which would be difficult to come back from. Everyone was ready to start but across the room I could see Kihyun, whose back was facing me, still getting his make-up done.

I went to greet everyone to make sure I was being professional and immediately started to get my equipment in place to be ready to start by the time Kihyun will be done with his touch ups.

After I put up the last pieces of my equipment in front of the set and let out a slight sight. I was genuinely hoping everything was going to unwind neatly. I was here to do a great job, not only for myself and to prove I was capable of any task I was assigned but, I had to do an unblemished job for all the Monbebes out there waiting impatiently for those photos. If something were to happen, I would be feeling responsible for the rest of my life. I did a last check through my stuff to make sure I was perfectly place for the first set of pictures that’ll be taken. The first set was simple yet, breath-taking. A dark blue wall in the back, a chair and a single mirror topped table. It was perfect for Kihyun, simple things put together to make something purely wonderful.

I looked through the lens on last time to ensure the camera was in focus and at the exact same moment what I was seeing through the lens became clearer I saw Kihyun, calmly sitting down on the chair in the centre of the set, beside the mirror-table. My heart clenched a little when I saw how beautifully stunning he was. The red sparkly patterns on his sweater matched perfectly the dark of his deep eyes and the soft pink of his lips. His hair resembled the way it looked this morning but, this time, instead of a bed-head look, it was more of a “bedroom look” which was making Kihyun look extremely sexy.

I moved back from the camera and looked at the stunning view with my own eyes. It was simply mesmerizing. I was wondering how I could convey the feeling I’m getting right here and right now, into photographs. Several people started gathering around Kihyun, indicating how he had to pose, where he had to look and fixing his make-up one last time before I start taking pictures.

I went back behind my lens and waited patiently for them to leave the set. They finally backed off and told me quietly that I could start doing my job. At first, they told Kihyun to simply put his arms on the table, to look turn a bit to his right and to look straight forward. With this pose, it was easy for me to take amazing pictures. His side profile was no joke. The lighting made his skin look flawless and charmingly dewy, and his jawline look sharp as a knife.

The shoot went surprisingly well and was about to come to an end. There was only one last pose to try and hopefully, it’ll come as good as the other pictures. During the break, I looked through the ones I took and I was totally impressed by the work I did. I gained a lot more confidence for the other half of the shoot and I’m sure it’ll show up in those photographs.

As Kihyun did his last pose, I was totally mesmerized. His head was laying softly on the mirror topped table and his hand was placed in front of his peaceful-looking face without covering the whole of it. Some strands of hair were beautifully shielding his forehead. Even with the camera between us, the look in his eyes at that moment were powerful yet soft. For a second, a shiver went down my spine and made its way between my legs, making them squeeze together. I could feel myself getting wetter every time I locked eyes with Kihyun through the lens and the feeling was unbearable. It might just be in my head, but I could feel that, with every shiver that came through my body, the look in his eyes becoming even more alluring and… thirsty.

We wrapped the shoot after about an hour and a half. It not only went well because everyone knew what to do and were adequately prepared but, also because Kihyun showed modelling skills that I never expected to see in him. Everyone, including me, were truly amazed. Before packing, I decided to through the photos again. I couldn’t believe they came out so nicely! As I was lost in thoughts, I didn’t realise that the entirety of the staff was long gone and that I was alone in the studio. I felt really bad about taking my sweet time while others were cleaning up so I started tidying my spot.

“You’re so obvious, Y/N”

I turned over to see someone looking at me a giggling a little, back against the wall.

“… Kihyun? You’re still here?”

“I couldn’t leave without bidding you goodbye, not with the way you were acting during the photoshoot”

My heart was racing like crazy. What was he talking about? Just how does he think I was acting that was “so obvious”?

“What are you…”

“When I went visiting Boyfriend’s set, when we crossed each other in Starship’s building, this morning in the elevator, and just now during the photoshoot.”

As he talked, he was slowly walking in my direction which made me step back till I reach the table with my things spread on top, making a small noise.

“You’re always staring at me with your lustful eyes. You thought I didn’t know?” He was saying that with a mischievous look on his face, which made me extremely self-conscious. “You were so obvious all those times, I’m 100% sure that all the staff knows, and my members.”

He was getting closer and closer, I needed to get out of here, I felt so ashamed and powerless in front of Kihyun. And to add to all this, he was completely right. I did look at him lustfully, I did think about lewd thing just now, during the shoot. Which made me feel even more vulnerable toward him.

“I’m sorry, but I really need to go my boss wants to see the photos of today’s shoot.” I dodge Kihyun and began to make my way to the entrance.

“I am sorry, but you’re not going anywhere Y\N.” He pulled me and pushed me against the wall.

He grew closer to me.

“Before it was easy for me to hold back, but today, seeing you lick your pinkish lips…” His thumb caressed them softly.

“seeing you squeeze your legs tightly together…” A shiver ran down my whole body when his slender, yet muscular tight slowly found its way between my legs.

“But today, I guaranty you that they won’t stay close tightly.”

My lips and his were only centimetres away from each other, and even though I was reluctant at first, the warmth of his body meeting mine, the smoothness of his fingertips brushing my demanding lips… I felt my last will to fight leave the moment his lips crashed onto mine.

Despite myself, I imagine sharing a kiss with Kihyun countless times. So many times. Thinking about it would make my heart go wild and my body ache. But the kiss he gave me wasn’t like I imagined it to be, not at all. It wasn’t sweet and tender like his character, instead it was fierce and playful. The way he teased by kissing my lips, suddenly dodging them only to make them meet mine again was driving crazy.

By the time his right hand cupped my ass and closed the gap between us, my hand was already brushing his hair and I was deeply kissing Kihyun, as if I needed him more than anything at this moment.

“How dare you kiss me like that without warning.”

I lifted my head to lock eyes with him. He wasn’t the only one that likes to play that game. “You should’ve known, since I’m “so obvious”, am I right?”

“… Fuck.”

The teasing game was over for Kihyun the moment I said that. His kisses became thirstier and the motion circles his tight made on your sensitive spot would definitely leave a wet spot on his black pants. The hand that was earlier on my ass was now making its way to my breast, making sure no skin was left untouched. The other hand travelled from my nape to my tight, lifting my skirt to reveal my panties.

The hotness of his fingers on me, dangerously coming close to my core made my heart beat uncontrollable and my breathing was desperately trying to maintain stable.

“…Kihyun”

He then left my lips to look at me, quietly asking for my consent to continue further. Being unable to think straight I took his hand and directed it where I needed it the most. He softly brushed my weatness through my panties and his touched left your knees weak.

“Y/N… Are you always this wet thinking about me?” He shifted his head to kiss my neck. “In the elevator, this morning…” He pushed my panties down with his other hand. “Have you thought about me…” He nibbled my ear and quietly whispered. “fingering you?” As the last word left his lips, one of his finger penetrated me sharply yet, easily due to how dripping wet Kihyun’s dirty talk made me.

I felt my whole body become numb as he motioned his thumb on my clit and pumped his finger, that eventually became two, inside of me. My back was arching every time his fingers hit deeply in me. My moans became louder and uneven. I was struggling to stand and when I stood close to my limit, the weight of my body was pressing against his.

“Kihyun… I’m so close”

“Fuck Y/N you’re so hot but…we’re not finished yet” To my extreme disappointment he withdrew the fingers that were giving me so much pleasure and removed my shirt to have a better exposure of my breast. I did the same with his, and another wave a pleasure stung me down there when I felt his toned chest. The bulge in his pants rubbed my tight urgently as he approaches his lips from mine.

“Kihyun… I need you” I said out of breath, unzipping his pants eagerly. “Kihyun I need you, now.”

“That’s the words I was dying to hear for a long-time Y/N”

His two big hands left my body to pull down his pants and almost instantly, my hand went to caress his manliness, ready to pleasure him like he previously pleasured you.

“Let me take care of you Y/N, since you need me that much.”

Kihyun lifted my leg and made sure my back was properly leaning on the wall before entering me in a single push, making me moan his name louder than before and scratching his bare back with my nails. The feeling of Kihyun was exalting, as if it was making me feel whole. With every thrust he granted me with, my mind became blank and I couldn’t think straight. The hotness of our bodies intertwined blurred my senses and everything became pointless. My mind was solely focused on how good Kihyun made me feel and the thought of him being one with me drew me closer to the edge.

“You’re so goddamn beautiful Y/N”

“Kihyun I’m nearly there, please!”

As if he had read my mind, the speed increased and the friction became intolerable. I clenched onto Kihyun harder and contracted all my muscles as the overwhelming feeling of my release made its way from my core up to my entire body. My sudden tightness lead Kihyun reaching his own climax simultaneously. As we regained our calm, we slid on the floor, Kihyun’s back on the wall and my head resting on his chest, the two of us out of breath.

Without leaving me a chance to talk, he stood up and left me here, sitting alone and naked on the floor. I laughed to myself thinking of how foolish I was thinking he really cared.

I took my clothes spread across the studio’s floor only to find Kihyun coming to me with a worried sight on his beautiful face.

“What are you doing?” He seemed do worried about my body hurting. “Don’t get up just yet. Rest for a bit and I’ll clean you up, alright?”

I haven’t felt this relieved in such a long time. With only a sweet smile and some caring words, Kihyun made my worries disappear.

“Now that I got you Y/N, I won’t let you go.”

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