#but for a long time i had nothing to say about twilight outside of what my fanfiction had to say about it

[fuckmeyer]

(Jacobsbadwig) with all due respect, when the fuck did you get back! I missed you!

never left, only reincarnated :)

#i missed you too!!!!!! how's the fanfic going???? well i hope :) #it has been a Time #my burnout & mental illness got the better of me. i intended on divorcing myself from fandom & deleting my blog #i wanted to make myself as small as possible so i could spend whatever energy i had on work and drugs #i was afraid my presence was negatively affecting the fandom at best & contributing nothing at worst #it didn't feel like there was any place for me anymore - not because of anything anyone said or did but bc #many posts i made i no longer agreed w/ & bc i was too burnt out to write new theories i figured no one would notice or care i was gone #so i got super drunk and deleted everything #people contacted me about my blog but i was too anxious to reply #bc i didn't want to admit i had made a mistake #i kept the handle in case i ever wanted to post #but for a long time i had nothing to say about twilight outside of what my fanfiction had to say about it #i lurked for a while & at the end of the day i missed the community that came with participating in fandom #really tho - what helped was quitting my crushing job and taking several months to travel around the pacific northwest #(burnout is REAL!!!!!!) #and the admin of the twilight Discord server recognizing my handle & taking the time to talk to me - which was very sweet of them #plus - i am rereading Eclipse for the fanfic rewrite and began to have Thoughts #tbh i've been finding it amazing that anyone ever noticed i left or remembered my handle! im kinda blown away #anyway here's all the information you never asked for LMAO #i am happy to be back in the circle :) #cheers to you #<3

[sleekswosobession]

together forever

hayley raso x fem!reader

request: here

A/N: I got my new goalie gloves today 😜

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

“Come on, the beach will be fun. Aussie beaches are like the best in the world! And it’s summer. Get up.” My girlfriend says.

“Hayley, we’ve been everyday this week.” I sigh sinking into the couch.

“Yeah but we haven’t been there on sunset. Sunsets on the beach are a different kind here.” She ends up giving puppy dog eyes which she knows I can’t say no to. In all our years of dating she still manages to make me crumple.

“Fine, it better be worth it.” Her smile grows wider and she jumps up and down. To which, I can only laugh at.

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go.” I grab my phone and a towel, before following her outside and we begin the walk to the beach.

The walk consists of small talk, Hayley seems slightly nervous but I can’t imagine why. Maybe she doesn’t think I’ll like it? Time can only tell. I place her hand in mine in hopes that whatever she’s worried about will go away when she sees the sunset.

Once we arrive, I place the towel down and immediately gape at the sight in front of me. The sky is lit up in all sorts of warm colours. The sun only a third of the way set as it casts an orange glow around it. Yellow and red fill other parts of the sky, making the whole area look like it’s out of a painting. The water contrasts perfectly against the horizon, where large ships can be seen but barely.

“Haiz.. I don’t know what to say. This is… beautiful. Why wasn’t I shown this earlier?” I look at her, still in awe about our surroundings.

All she does is smile.

“I needed to wait for a special moment. Now sit. Sunset doesn’t last too long. Maybe take a picture? Even though we both know nothing compares to real life.” I nod at her words wondering what the special moment could mean.

I turn my gaze back out to the water, watching some distant surfers riding waves and getting taken out, there’s not many other people though.

“I can feel you staring babe.” I break our peaceful silence.

“I know.” Does it sound weird that I can hear her grin? Confused, I turn to look at her but my mouth drops at what she’s holding. Before I can say anything she starts.

“We’ve been dating for 3 years, which have been the best of my life, no one can make me feel the way you do. I’ve had relationships, but you’re the one that has felt the most right. If I’m not with you, I wonder what you’re doing subconsciously. Which is why I’ve decided I want you to be mine forever. So, Y/N Y/M/N Y/L/N will you make me the happiest woman ever, and marry me?”

Throughout the speech my eyes well up, I can’t believe this is happening. When she finally says the question, there’s only one answer to be said.

“Yes, with every ounce of myself yes!” I cry out, she takes the ring out of the box placing it on the left ring finger.

“How did I get so lucky to have you?” I say before thinking about it.

“I was about to say the exact same thing.” She takes my hand and kisses it. “The best sunset in the world, with the best girl in the world.” I blush uncontrollably, not even trying to hide it.

“Are we going to tell the fans? When they find out they’re gonna go crazy.” I exclaim, it’s only last week her national teammate Ellie got engaged.

“Yes we can if that’s what you want. Now?” I nod smiling. I take the photo, making sure to include the jaw dropping sunset. Hayley’s arms are wrapped around my waist, her head resting on my shoulder kissing my neck softly. While I show the ring in all its glory, she probably went broke.

I take to instagram, including her on the post with the caption ‘I’ve got the best fiancé a girl could have, and you all have another thing to go crazy about.” I hit post laughing with the one I get to call mine, and we sit until twilight. Nothing else needs to exist if I’ve got her.

#woso #woso x reader #woso community #woso fanfics #hayley raso #hayley raso x reader #auswnt #auswnt x reader #real madrid femenino #wlw

[hystericstar]

maybe a headcanon or two for each link + sidon and how they do aftercare? I know it's not explicit but is still nsfw related, right? ;w;

Yeah, in my book it is! Just very soft :)

! MDNI !

𐂅 Twilight princess link 𐂅

9/10 times you’re gonna end up really sore, so he remedies that for you by giving the best massages you’ve ever had

Rough, calloused hands rubbing your back was something you never knew you needed till now

has a whole conversation with you

asking about your day, if you felt okay, etc.

goes into golden retriever mode as if you don’t limp when you walk

“ I couldn’t be happier your day went well darlin’. As for me, just your smile makes me forget anything else even exists.”

༆ Skyward sword link ༆

bath time!!!

Carries you to the bathroom and has you sit in the warm water while he changes the soiled bedsheets

he joins you when he’s done and y’all bathe together

his favorite thing is to brush your hair while humming

your’e always out like a light within minutes

idk why I just feel like he has the voice of an angel

“ Are you comfy enough? Let me know if I pull too hard on your hair, okay? Is there anything in particular you want me to sing for you dove?”

ᘏ Botw/Totk link ᘎ

Cleans you up, leaves, and then comes back with a tray full of munchies

you guys spend like half an hour praising each other

and then another half is just you happily listening to him tell stories of his chaotic adventures

a tickle fight may or may not be involved

“no matter how hard the battle was, it’d do it all again if it meant I’d get to have you look in my direction.”

𝄞 Ocarina of time link 𝄞

Gently holds you and takes a moment to just press his forehead against yours, admiring every aspect of you

starts gently making out with you cause he just loves you so much he physically can’t contain it

he’ll hold you for as long as you let him, face buried in your neck the whole time

holds your hand too cause he’s soft and if you disagree then you’re wrong

“you are my sun, sky, and earth. I am nothing without you.”

➳ Hyrule warriors link ➳

“I want you to breathe in and out for me, kay?”

bro performs a whole wellness check

“ I wasn’t too rough on you, was I?”

”thank you for allowing me the honor to pleasure you m’lady.”

don’t ask me why but I feel like he calls you that

actually it’s cannon Zelda just told me herself

anyways-

gentlemanly but can’t help tease you for that blissed out look in your eye

teaches you stretches to ease any kind of pain and exercises to help you catch your breath

ᖫ The fierce deity ᖭ

Asks you if you enjoyed it

wants to know if you did or didn’t like anything he did in particular

after all, he vowed he would serve you the moment he laid eyes on you

what kind of deity would he be if he couldn’t make his darling little human feel good?

“ I will do everything in my power to grant your every wish. I’d forge you jewelry made of the stars should you say the word.”

🜲 Sidon 🜲

Yk how I said twi would have golden retriever energy after?

yeah, scratch that

he is nothing compared to fish man

immediately sprints outside to get you some fresh zora spring water

don’t worry, he purified it like 5 times so that water is clean

you swear you can almost see the fin on his head wagging-

“are you hungry? Comfortable? Cold?”

eventually, he asks if you want to go for a swim

takes you to a private pond and lets ride on his back, or, if you’d prefer, you lay on his chest while he just floats along.

~《☆♡•°•°♡☆》~

done 😩

it was so fun adding in little text lines for them. Writing lines for characters is so fun istg

thank you for requesting!

#loz x reader #loz x reader smut #link x reader smut #loz link #botw link x reader #botw link x reader smut #botw x reader #sidon x reader smut #hw link x reader smut #tp link x reader smut #tp link x reader #skyward sword link x reader #oot link x reader smut #oot link x reader #prince sidon x reader smut #fierce deity x reader smut #fierce deity x reader

[mochalate]

"no body, no crime" ; f!reader/osamu miya Osamu has heard people say it's not the dark itself that anyone's scared of, it's what could be waiting inside it. He thinks that what all fear boils down to, ultimately — exposure to the unknown. (Osamu has never been afraid of the dark, but now he sees it in your eyes.)

w/c: 1.6k ; fluff angst idk, vibes c/w: involuntary unaliving (you and Osamu are fine, dw), abusive relationship (ditto) a/n: just a little break from the two (TWO!! What was I thinking!) longfics I'm outlining/writing. the banner doesn't match the vibe of the fic tbh, but I just love how it came out lol, look how cute the little skull is

The lightbulb dims and flickers. 

Onigiri Miya’s kitchen is plunged into a strange, incandescent twilight; and Osamu pauses mid-step, despite the heavy stack of freshly washed plates in his arms. 

He’s never been scared of the dark. But there’s something unsettling about the way the space is transformed so easily; how this blurring of the line between light and shadow makes everything that had been familiar not a second ago, seem uncanny. 

Osamu sees you look up from the sink you’re cleaning, the motion made staccato by the flickering bulb. 

“We really need to replace that thing,” you huff, face obscured by the shadows. “It’s creepy.”

You’re silhouetted against the window above the sink; looking out on the narrow, deserted street behind the restaurant— more a glorified alley than not. It’s dark out, past eleven. The glow from the closest streetlight barely reaches.

“Ya don’t need to be scared when I’m here,” Osamu says with a grin, as he moves towards the rack. “Gonna protect you from the ghosts an’ all.”

The bulb stabilises, and now he has a clear view of the way you roll your eyes at him. “Oh, so our restaurant is haunted now?”

The plates clink as Osamu puts them away, louder than usual in the silence. “I’ve got a Bluebeard type operation going on here, ya see. Really think you’re my first girlfriend?”

You laugh as you return your attention to the sink. “Wow, shame you didn’t open with that line on the first date.” The steel wool makes harsh, scraping squeals as you scrub. “Nothing like reminding a girl her date could be a murderer. Makes everything a little more exciting.”

“Noted for my next victim,” he concedes. “And I’ll order a new bulb when we get home. Didn’t think it was makin’ ya that uncomfortable.”

You smile gratefully at him over your shoulder as you turn on the faucet and give the sink a final rinse. “We need some new knives too. Those kids you were training for the part time work really wore out the ones we have now.”

Osamu nods. “You okay to finish up and meet me outside? I’ll start pullin’ down the shutters.”

You agree, just like you always do.

Emi would fit right in with those ghosts that (did not) haunt Onigiri Miya.

You’re sitting with her at the only occupied table. There’s a light rain tonight, and the raindrops pattering against the windows drown out what little conversation he would have been able to hear from the counter.

She’s a wisp of a woman, huddled under a mud-coloured cardigan that blends into the restaurant’s wood panelling. She sits incredibly still. Her long, dark hair hangs loose around a pale and unmemorable face. Barely there. Almost a trick of the light.

Osamu watches as you take her hand, telling her something urgently. She never raises her eyes from her lap. Her shoulders are hunched, but her face is impassive. 

He wonders what she’s thinking.

“Who’s Sadako over there?” Atsumu asks, reaching for another rice ball.

Osamu slaps his hand away. “Are ya paying for any of that? This ain’t a soup kitchen. And lord, yer rude.”

Atsumu withdraws sulkily. “Stingy.” 

It’s easy to tell what Atsumu’s thinking. He says everything that crosses his mind; but even when he doesn’t, it’s written all over his face. Growing up with him, Osamu had to learn that people could lie; and lie well.

That woman looks pitiful, is what Atsumu is thinking right now, glancing over his shoulder with furrowed brows. Is she okay?

“That’s her friend,” Osamu says. “From college. Emi.”

“Yeah? What’s her problem?”

“Shitty boyfriend.”

“I thought you were dating—”

Osamu smacks him upside the head. 

The new light bulbs come in. Osamu replaces the one in the kitchen, but it still flickers. 

He expects you to comment, make a joke about ghosts; but you just keep scrubbing the sink. You haven’t said much at all, today. 

The steel wool screams. Osamu’s worried you’ll cut through your gloves. 

“Hey,” he says, because he’s not sure what else he can say, “Easy.”

You start, as if jerked out of a trance. “Sorry.”

The silence after, where you stand with your head hanging over the sink, too far away for him to touch, is suffocating and cavernous all at once. He’s afraid to say the wrong thing, and having to watch it echo and bounce, amplifying itself into something grotesque.

“Emi will get justice. They’ll find out who did it.”

You turn on him so suddenly, so violently, that he instinctively takes a step back; even though you’re half his size. 

“I know who did it, it was him,” you spit, face venomous and unfamiliar. “If the police would just listen to me and Emi’s sister—”

“He has an alibi,” Osamu reminds you gently. “There’s no proof.”

You blink, and seem to deflate. “Right, no proof. The police can’t do anything.” You chew on your thumbnail as you mumble, speaking more to yourself than to him, the rest of your fingers curled in a fist.

Your anger seems to have evaporated in an instant, quick as the flickering light. You’re you again. At least, that’s what he wants to believe.

He needs to fix that light. It’s making you look damn scary.

Emi’s sister comes by to see you a lot, after they find the body. Osamu’s not sure what you speak to her about. He’s also not sure why he feels like he shouldn’t ask.

It’s been gnawing at him, lately. This feeling of not sure, not knowing. It's always present, always sapping at his strength. It’s the real ghost in Onigiri Miya, only he’s not sure who it’s haunting— him, or you. 

You seem different. He finds himself watching you from a distance, trying to understand what you’re thinking, what you’re feeling. It used to be easy; a language he was fluent in. 

Now, his tongue feels rusty. He can never find the words that feel right.

You don’t speak as much as you did before, either. The silence after closing used to be warm and comfortable, the time he got to spend with you at the end of a bustling day. But now it isn’t calming. It’s tense, as if he’s constantly waiting for something to explosively fill it in.

There’s just you.

“Osamu, what time is it?” you ask, stripping off your gloves. “Could you check my phone? It’s right next to you.”

He looks at you curiously. You usually left it out front with his, charging under the register. Why the change? He can’t bring himself to ask.

“Osamu.” Your voice is stretched taut.

He swallows and hastily taps at your screen. “Ten.” It’s later than he expected.

“Okay.” You take a deep breath. “Is it okay with you if I leave a little early? Emi’s sister invited me to dinner. I forgot to tell you. It’s at eleven. I want to go home and get ready.”

The photographs the detectives showed you at the restaurant last week flash through his mind. He’d wanted to pummel the man for upsetting you that much. “I don’t want you walkin’ alone—”

“I’ll be fine. It’s only ten.”

Osamu notices you don’t wait for him to agree as you gather your things into your purse. 

Emi’s boyfriend is missing. 

Osamu doesn’t tell the police the knives they’re taking away are almost brand new. 

He doesn’t tell them that you took the old ones to the recycling centre two weeks ago.

He tells them you left the restaurant at ten, and that it was eleven thirty when he finished; a little later than usual, but that was to be expected— he didn’t have your help, after all.

He doesn’t tell them it should have been well past midnight.

You don’t say anything at all, merely watching the detective as you wash out the splattered soy stains on a napkin a clumsy customer had been using. The water runs brown.

He can't get Atsumu's words out of his head.

‘Is everything alright between you two?’

Osamu is watching you clean the sink again. He should be mopping the floor tonight, but he finds himself rooted to the spot.

‘Sorry, I don't mean to be nosy.”

You turn on the faucet, washing away the soap with a face that’s far too serious for what you’re doing.

‘She just looks like there’s something on her mind lately.’

Did you? Osamu doesn’t know anymore. When did you start feeling like a stranger?

He doesn’t want it to be like this. “I haven’t seen Emi’s sister around—” he starts.

“We decided to stop seeing each other,” you reply, never turning back. “Too painful. For both of us.”

You never told him that. He tries to convince himself it’s only because he didn’t ask, but he never had to, before. Osamu realises he doesn’t even know the sister’s name. 

The faucet shuts off, but you just stand there, palms resting on the edge of the sink, head hanging over it. Despite everything, his heart wrenches. When he reaches out to touch your shoulder, you don’t tense like he’d been expecting— like he’d been afraid of.

No, you lean into his touch; and he finds the courage to gently pull you back, turn you to face him. You look at him, really look, for the first time in days. Osamu can’t imagine how he could think your face would ever be unfamiliar to him.

The moment is perfect. He could pretend everything is fine now, he thinks. It wouldn’t even be that hard. He doesn’t know why he doesn’t just ask you to meet him outside, while he gets started on the shutters.

He doesn’t know why he says, “Is there something… I should know?” 

Something changes.

Your mouth is a straight line. Neutral. 

Impassive. 

Just like Emi.

The light bulb flickers.

please like/reblog/reply if you enjoyed :) [my other fics]

#osamu miya x reader #miya osamu x reader #osamu x reader #haikyuu x reader #haikyu x reader #my fic

[buckybarnesb-tch]

Finding the Right Mate -Klaus M.

Warning: Smut and mentions of abuse

(VD x Twilight Crossover)

"You're helping me enough Caroline, you don't need to worry. Giving me a place to go for a week away from him is exactly what I need. Thank you for everything you've done the last few days." Caroline had invited me to visit her in Mystic Falls the week before graduation. I was relieved as I was able to get away from my abusive mate for a little while, even if it was only for a week.

"I'm glad you think so Y/n, however I've said it before and I'll say it again, you can move down here and never have to go back to him. Think it over, I'll see you later at home, okay? I'll drive you to the airport tomorrow myself." I nodded, sitting in a booth in the grill while Caroline left to join the graduation committee which worked daily over the break which was the same days as the break in Forks. I knew she was super busy getting everything ready for graduation and I didn't mind, as long as I was here and not in Forks, Washington. The last week with my cousin had been great, a vacation in a sense before I go home tomorrow night and am shackled back to that idiot.

I was currently texting Bella who had been turned 2 months prior by her mate. Edward had both Bella and I believing we were his mates when we moved to Forks and that he would die without us, however when Garrett visited Carlisle he found his mate in Bella immediately, nearly killing Edward for trying to claim her as his own. I no longer believe I am Edward's mate as he doesn't treat me like it, nor does he care for me much at all, I'm just his human punching bag, but unless I can find my real mate I am stuck with pussy boy since he told me about the existence of vampires, he is responsible for me. Carlisle and Esme believe Edward whole heartedly that I am his, and as the leaders of the coven what they say goes, therefore Jasper, Alice, Emmett and Rose can't do anything to help me. I tried to get away from him the first time he hit me which was right after Bella was taken away by Garrett, however Edward told Carlisle I was 'being difficult' and Carlisle agreed that he was in his rights to punish me and teach me as he sees fit to be his "Perfect Mate".

I was sitting in a booth, eating lunch and expecting to be alone for the rest of the day without Caroline when a man approached me with a very happy smile on his face, one that was contagious. "Hello there love, are you new in town? I know I would have remembered seeing you before." This man was the definition of sexy and I wanted nothing more than to jump his bones right then.

"Um, not really, I've just been visiting my cousin Caroline for the last week. I'm Y/n Y/L/n." He took my hand in his delicately.

"Niklaus Mikaelson." He introduced, kissing the back of my hand like in one of those cheesy romantic movies, however he really made it attractive. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Do you want to sit?" I offered to him and he smiled wider, taking the seat across from me. There was something about this man that I immediately took a liking to and I wanted to see more of it. "Niklaus, that's an interesting name. Do people call you Nik?"

"Most people call me Klaus actually, but I would love it if you would call me Nik. Can I buy you a drink?" I nodded, smiling at him, trying to figure out if he was flirting with me or just being friendly.

Nik and I talked for the next 3 hours at that table and I have to admit after a few drinks I was a little tipsy.

"Come on kitten, I'll take you home. I don't think you should be walking by yourself." I nodded, standing and holding onto his arm, squeezing his bicep and giggling.

"You're super muscly." He smiled, placing his arm around my waist and walking me outside where it had gotten dark and I didn't even notice. "I can't figure you out Nik, you're like, impossible."

"What do you mean?" He asked as we walked down towards the residential area.

"I mean I can't tell if you're being nice, or you're flirting with me." We were almost to Caroline's house and I damned her for living so close to the grille as we approached the porch.

"What if I was flirting with you?" He sat us down on the front steps and I sighed at his question.

"I would be flattered, it's been a long time since a guy has been this sweet to me, however I need to tell you that I have a boyfriend back home." I expected him to get upset, but he just smiled, not looking at all shocked.

"I expected that, how could someone have not snatched you up by now? I don't understand though how you have a boyfriend but you just said a guy hasn't been as sweet as me in a long time...does this boyfriend not cherish you as you deserve?" I snorted at that and shook my head.

"Edward is...he's an asshole-"

"Then why are you dating him? If he doesn't treat you right, dump him and find someone who will." I shook my head, trying to find a way to explain this without exposing anything.

"I can't dump him, it's complicated and dangerous-"

"Dangerous...is he threatening you Y/n? Tell me and I'll take care of it for you-"

"Please stop...Nik, I don't want to be the reason you get hurt, please, I'm begging you, let it go?" He paused before nodding.

"Fine, I'll let it go for now, but I won't let you go. Come stay with me for the night? No one will ever know." I smiled at the thought of being with Nik for one night before I'm saddled with Edward for eternity.

"Just tonight, I have to be back tomorrow evening to get my plane." I agreed and the smile that lit up Nik's face was amazing. He lives in a mansion! A god damn mansion! I kept my underwear on and borrowed a shirt from him, pulling it on and seeing the blonde man watching intently as I cover my exposed skin. "See something you like?"

"Oh yes love, I like everything I see when I look at you." I laid down on the bed beside him but facing away, pulling the covers up and he leaned closer to me, his fingers trailing their way up my arm, giving me a chill and leaving me covered in goose bumps. "You are the definition of perfection...I hate that that boy takes you for granted-" He pulled me close so we were both laying on our sides, my back pressed against his chest. "-when he should be worshipping the ground you walk on." His fingers found their way around my thigh and up under the shirt I was wearing, massaging over my pantie line delicately.

"Our relationship is expected to be the other way around." I told him, trying to keep my breathing even but failing miserably as I felt my panties dampen.

"Let me show you what your life could be love." I knew he was asking, he wouldn't do anything unless I gave him permission and he was making that very clear, I could see it in his eyes when I looked back at him.

"I've...I've never-"

"It's okay." He cut me off, letting me know he understood. "Let me show you how a King worships his Queen." I couldn't find it in me to do more than breathe the word 'yes' but that was all he needed. He rolled me onto my back but stayed on my side, spreading my thighs and removing the covers from our bodies, leaving me exposed as he pulled his shirt over my head and tossed my panties somewhere.

"Nik-"

"Shh, just relax Y/n. This is all about you, just feel." Cold is what I felt before feeling his lips on my shoulder. His hand found my lower stomach again before caressing his way down slowly, stopping just before he got to where I needed him. He trailed one finger down my pussy making me gasp at the strange sensation, never having felt it before, not even from myself. "Are you alright with this? You can tell me to stop whenever you want to." I shook my head.

"Please don't stop...it's just I've never been touched like this, not even by myself." His eyes went wide and he looked confused. "I was 14 when I met Edward, he said that touching yourself was wrong and my first orgasm should be his when we get married." I was completely embarrassed and Nik seemed to know that, turning my head to face him.

"Well now your first orgasm is going to belong to me. And second, and third, and however many I can get out of you in one night." He smirked, leaning in and kissing me in a way that Edward never did, there was passion and love behind it and that was the moment I realized, after only a few hours of knowing him, I loved this man, it shouldn't be possible but it is and I refused to question it. He continued kissing me as his hand went back to work, pushing one finger inside of me followed by a second. It was an odd feeling but not necessarily uncomfortable. He worked them in and out of me slowly, his thumb trailing back up my slit and finding a spot that made my hips fly off the bed and made me squeal against his mouth. He pulled back, chuckling at my reaction and moving to kiss my neck, making me moan as he nibbled at my skin. I tried to relax my hips but the more Nik's thumb pressed against my clit the harder it got to relax. The 2 fingers inside of me had turned to 3 at some point and as he curled them upwards I gasped, clutching onto the sheets below me as Nik looked up at me smirking. He curled his fingers again slightly and my body jerked making the man do it again. He gradually sped up and as he sped up so did my breathing. I couldn't explain the feeling inside of me that seemed to be building the faster Nik got until I felt like I couldn't handle it anymore. The tension inside of me felt like it had snapped as my hips jerked up and I slapped my hand over my mouth trying to stop the scream that came from me. Nik's hand continued working as this happened and I could never in a million years explain the feeling in words as anything other than ecstasy, ecstasy that lasted for the next 30 seconds and left me gasping for air when it was over.

"I've been missing out on so much." I spoke, still breathing heavily.

"Yes you have love, this is what your boyfriend should be doing for you every day, and there are plenty of ways to go about it, I don't understand why he doesn't. Do you get him off?" I shook my head.

"Edward has never done more than kiss me, and not even the way you kiss me." Nik smirked and I was beginning to love that look on him.

"How do I kiss you?" I considered the difference for a moment and quickly figured out what it was.

"Like you enjoy it...like touching me and kissing me isn't a chore. I believe anything that has to do with physical contact bores Edward." Nik rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Why are you with this boy?" I giggled at the frustration on his face before grimacing as I moved my body.

"Where's your bathroom? I want to clean myself up a little bit, I'm uncomfortable." His eyes snapped back to mine and the mischievous smile on his face was enough to scare me.

"In that case, you're ready for your second orgasm of the night." My eyes widened and I leaned away from him a little before he grabbed me around the waist.

"Nik! Nik, wait! Let me clean up first! What are you doing?" He had turned me so I was laying sideways on the bed with no pillows behind me, pinning my hips down with his hands and leaning over me. "Will you listen to me?!"

"No." He stated simply, connecting our lips firmly and nearly making me forget why I was fighting him in the first place. "Trust me, I'm not yet done worshipping you." He kissed down my throat and chest, making a quick stop at each of my breasts, licking and nibbling at my nipples, and continuing down my stomach, dipping his tongue in my bellybutton which made me giggle and him look up at me. "I love learning more about your body princess, you're ticklish just about everywhere aren't you?" My eyes widened, knowing he would use that against me in the future, as he went back to his descent. He kissed down to my waist before lifting my legs at the knees and kissing up the inside of my thighs. I was delighting in the feel of his soft lips against my thighs when suddenly his tongue was pressing firmly against my clit. I gasped for air, trying to keep breathing as he worked his tongue against my clit every which way, keeping a constant pressure on me that was driving me insane. I opened my eyes and looked down at him as he pulled back, panting, his fingers stroking me as he locked his eyes on mine. "How's that princess? How does that make you feel?"

"It feels amazing! I never imagined something being able to feel this good, please don't stop?!" I pleaded and he smirked, diving right back in, his tongue getting back to work while his hands found my breasts, pinching my nipples between his fingers. I felt that beautiful tension begin to rise in me like last time and I reached my hand down, tangling my fingers in his short blond locks. "Nik...Oh my god! Niklaus!" I shouted his name as my orgasm tore through me, though Nik didn't slow down at all, in fact he sped up, moving his one hand down and inserting 2 fingers, curling them and thrusting them in and out of me, assaulting a spot in me that was making me see stars. I didn't have a second after one orgasm finished to calm down before another one started and I gasped, screaming and grinding myself onto his mouth as he cleaned me up just like he promised.

When he was finished he crawled back up my body, pulling his clothes off and cuddling me to him, wrapping us in the covers. "Did you enjoy your multiple orgasms?" He was smirking and he knew I had loved it, he also knew I couldn't form a sentence right now if life depended on it. "You're beautiful when you come love, simply beautiful. I want to be able to witness it for the rest of my life." I nodded feeling the tiredness from the alcohol and the exhaustion from his fingers and tongue collide and make me close my eyes already near unconsciousness.

"I wish you could." I mumbled, letting sleep take over me.

"Then why can't I? I'll take care of you, give you whatever you want for the rest of eternity...I'll treat you right...Y/n?"

"No Edward, I'm tired and you're cold. Let me sleep." I mumbled, trying to keep the vampire from pulling the blankets off of me like every other morning when I heard a short chuckle.

"What? You're half asleep aren't you. Y/n, I'm not-"

"Leave me to sleep, if you hit me again I'll yell for Jasper and he'll kick your vampire ass." I growled, shoving the hand from my shoulder.

"Vampire...Y/n, I need you to explain right now." I felt Edwards hand on my waist and pushed it away again, rolling over.

"I'm don't want to be your mate Edward, stop touching me!" I heard a low growling but the hands stopped after that and I continued to sleep.

~~~~

I awoke the next morning feeling great and I had slept straight through the night, something I hadn't done since I found out Edward liked to watch me sleep at night. I stood from the bed, pulling on my underwear and Nik's discarded shirt. I opened the bedroom door to the smell of breakfast cooking. I turned the corner to see Nik putting the box of eggs back into the refrigerator and I tip-toed up behind him only for him to spin around and lift me into the air. "Jerk! You're just like Emmett, no one can sneak up on you can they?" I kissed his cheek and stole a piece of bacon, biting into it.

"No, they can't, but to be fair, I'm the oldest vampire known to man-" I cut him off by choking on my bacon, coughing until he pat my back and I swallowed it completely.

"That wasn't funny Nik." I sat on the barstool and looked at him to see he wasn't laughing. "You're actually being serious?" He nodded once but said nothing else. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Well, it seems only fair, you told me you were mated to a vampire last night." My eyes went wide as I realized.

"I talk in my sleep too often to sleep anywhere but home apparently...Well, I suppose you knowing is better. I was dreading having to tell you 'Hey Nik, I'm in love with you but I can't be with you and I can't tell you why'."

"Right, you can't be with me because you let yourself be mated to someone who is not your mate. That makes it hurt so much less. Now, after 1000 years of searching for you, I still end up completely alone." Okay, now I'm officially confused.

"Let myself...you think I would ever let him do anything to me? He lied to me and my friend Bella the day we met him, told us we were his mates, we were 14 years old, and completely human, how were we supposed to know it wasn't true!? It's not like he can do anything until we're turned anyway, then Bella has to find Garrett, her real mate, he changes her and she leaves me with Edward all alone. He loses his fucking mind, starts beating the crap out of me, Carlisle and Esme won't do anything though cause they think I'm his mate, he tells them I'm 'difficult' and they just let him go on hitting me, like it's completely fine, like he's just molding me into the perfect mate. Jasper and Alice want to help me, Emmett and Rose want to help me but they can't go against Carlisle, he saved them, they owe him. Now I get to go home today after meeting the perfect guy and completely falling in love with him in a matter of hours, to go to a high school graduation tomorrow and then I get to burn for 3 days and spend the rest of my life sparkling like a fucking disco ball all because I moved to the rainiest town in the US and some 100 year old virgin vampire decided to ruin my life!" By the time I had finished ranting I had paced back and forth across the living room 4 times and collapsed against a wall, sobbing and unable to stop.

"They're not vampire's love, you're talking about cold ones. They drink blood but they can hardly be called vampires." I looked at Nik who was now kneeling in front of me. "Cold ones can't mate with humans, they need to change them first-"

"Which is what Edward is going to do to me tomorrow night, he's going to change me and-"

"No."

"No?" I asked, confused.

"No. You're my mate love, I thought you had already been marked by a vampire, in which case we wouldn't be able to be together. See real vampires have a small amount of venom where cold ones have venom instead of blood. Our venom can only be used once and that is to mark our mate. I thought you had been marked by another one of my kind, in which case I wouldn't be able to mark you as mine-"

"But since I haven't been you can and I can be with you?" He nodded and I grinned, launching myself forward and into his arms. "I thought I was going to have to spend the rest of my existence with an idiot who beats me."

Nik held onto me for the next few minutes, just letting me cry. “I would never have let that happen to you, even if I couldn’t mark you.”

"If vampires can only mark their mates how would I have been marked by anyone else?"

"You can mark anyone, in fact it's become a thing to mark the first person a vampire loves and not wait for their mates. I've spent 1000 years waiting for you."

"No pressure." I joked and he smiled.

"None at all, you are perfect, at least you are when you get rid of all the cold one problems, and I plan to very soon. Step one to my plan is to get a ticket on the plane you're getting on tonight." I was confused as he led me to the table and put my plate of breakfast in front of me.

"Why? I don't need to graduate, I can just stay here with you and never go back to see him again."

"You're graduating, and don't worry, we'll come back here afterwards, after I talk with this coven leader about how to identify mates, and after I kill Edward Cullen." I was thrilled with that and Nik and I spent the rest of the day talking, getting to know each other. He explained his family and how he became a vampire, having broken his curse, killed Mikael and freed his family only months ago while I explained Bella and I, the Volturi (who apparently knew my mate very well) and the Cullen's, of which he promised not to hurt the 4 who actually helped me. "I think the animal diet is going to their heads, it's the only think I can think." He told me as we sat on the plane that night. "One thing I can't get out of my head is what you said about Jasper."

"What about him? I don't know all that much about what he did before he and Alice came to find Carlisle, he doesn't go into detail when I'm around. I know that he trained Newborns." Nik's eyes widened and he smiled as I said this.

"Jasper Whitlock. Maria's right hand, I remember him. Maria and I had a few dealings when Katerina was on the run through Mexico a century ago. Good soldier, definitely not a man I want around you though." I could see the worry on his face and resisted asking questions I knew Jasper didn’t want me to know.

"Jasper is different now. He told me stories about what he was like back then, and honestly it doesn't shock me. After so many years of slaughter and carnage, how do you not lose your humanity? He has Alice now and she saved him, feeds on animals so he doesn't feel the emotions of the people he eats, plus Alice is a happy, upbeat fairy like girl, he feeds off of that energy, keeps him from being depressed I suppose. You'll like Jasper as he is now, he's my best friend. I think you'll like Emmett too, he looks tough but he's a big teddy bear. One of them usually stays in or nearby my room when I sleep at night."

"Why?" Nik wondered, looking at me worriedly.

"I have nightmares, I haven't slept all the way through a night since I came to Forks 4 years ago, also I'm scared of Edward."

"In your sleep?"

"When I'm not expecting it..." It took him a moment to figure out what I was talking about.

"You're afraid of him raping you?" I nodded.

"Just because he hasn't doesn't mean he won't. It probably won't happen, I just think it's better to be safe than sorry. Jasper and Emmett just think it's because they keep the nightmares away." He looked at me completely heart broken.

"That's not something you should have to say about someone you live with. You shouldn't be scared of something like that in your own home. I promise you that no man besides me will ever put his hands on you again. You're safe with me, I swear it."

"I know I am, I slept all the way through the night last night. I trust you Nik and I felt safe even when I thought you were completely human." He leaned over the armrest, kissing my forehead and pulling me close, allowing me to nap on his chest until we got to Port Angeles. It was nearly midnight and I was supposed to get a room for the night in the hotel down the street and be picked up by Jasper tomorrow.

I watched Nik get us a hotel room before I stepped up and used Carlisle's card to get my own. "What are you doing?" Nik asked.

"Edward will check the card to make sure of where I'm staying, he will also ask the workers so don't let them see you talking to me." He nodded, taking his bag and walking off to the elevator.

"Friend of yours?" The man behind the desk asked as he came back with my room key and I smiled.

"Not really, we realized we were going to the same hotel at the airport and shared a cab, he's a nice guy I suppose." I shrugged, taking the key and walking off. I got to my room and immediately called Jasper to tell him I was safe.

"Good, I was starting to worry about you a little bit Kid, you didn't call at all today. You always check in with me."

"I know Jazz, I'm sorry. It was just hard saying goodbye to my friends, knowing that it really was goodbye." I hated lying to him but I knew if any of them got wind of Niklaus Mikaelson being my mate Edward and most likely Carlisle and Esme would be gone.

"I understand kid, I really do, but you know you've got us."

"Always Jazz? No matter what happens, right? You're always my brother?" I needed the reassurance, though I believed Jasper would quickly forgive me for what was going to happen tomorrow, all of them would.

"Always Kid, you know that. Edward is on the phone with the man at reception, told him you shared a cab with a man you talked to in the lobby which he is pissed about, and that you're in your room for the night. Edward said to leave you a wakeup call for 4:30 like normal."

"I don't even need to be at the school until noon. Come get me at 11, okay Jasper? I'll shower and get ready here, all I need you to bring is my cap and gown." I really just wanted to sleep in with Nik but I knew Jasper was good for keeping his promise.

"You got it Y/n, I'll see you then. Get some sleep."

"Night cowboy." I hung up the phone and quickly grabbed my bag, leaving the room and getting the elevator to the top floor, because of course Nik would get the penthouse suite when we're only here for a night. I knocked on the door and Nik was answering it a second later, pulling me into his arms. "Well hello to you too, I realize we haven't seen each other in a whole 5 minutes but try to control yourself." I teased and he mock glared.

"I don't like not being right next to you while you're still unmarked, and I also don't like having to wait until tomorrow to-"

"Good news. I talked to Jasper and I got him to pick me up at 11 tomorrow, I don't even need to see Edward before graduation. It'll piss him off but it's not like he can do anything about it until after graduation anyway. I did that all so that you can mark me right here, right now, so you don't have to feel anymore anxiety about it." He grinned, leaning down to connect our lips. "I just want us to start our forever together. Also, I texted Bella, her and Garrett will be there to see me graduate tomorrow, I'm inviting them back to the house afterwards where you will be waiting, heads up, you might have to let Garrett get a hit or 2 in with Edward."

"I suppose I can allow that, the man deserves it after all." Nik walked me into the kitchen where he handed me a long island iced tea like the ones I drank at the grill, making me smile.

"I'm really glad I don't have to give up eating and drinking when I become a vampire. When I called Jazz, Edward was on the phone with the front desk. I told the guy that we shared a cab from the airport and Edward was pissed. God forbid I be dating him and talk to someone else with a penis." Nik snorted.

"I hate to say this in his favor, but you did sleep with said man." I took a sip of my drink, pointing at him.

"True, but I only slept with you, I have yet to actually use your dick. I mean the only person who has gotten any kind of sexual gain from this relationship so far has been me." He shrugged.

"I don't know, I mean I did jack off with you in mind last night, I had to do something, you fell asleep and left me with a major erection." At this point I couldn't hold in the laughter at our conversation anymore and neither could he.

"Well, I think I should remedy my actions, don't you?" His eyes darkened and I grinned, jumping up and running towards the bedroom, being lifted bridal style half way there and thrown on the bed. "Oh my god this bed is amazing." I marveled, loving the silk sheets before hearing a growl and seeing my already half naked hybrid impatiently waiting. "Sorry, it's not every day I stay in a penthouse suite."

"Well you will from now on or maybe the honeymoon suite instead." I considered that, loving the idea as I pulled my shirt and jeans off, kissing Nik who crawled on top of me quickly, ripping off my bra and panties. "I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love your pussy." He laid me back, removing his boxers and spreading my legs. "Are you ready?" I nodded.

"Where do you want to mark me?"

"Here, That way I'll be the only one to ever see it, others can smell it and that's fine but it's supposed to be personal, I think right over your heart is perfect." I agreed with him completely.

"Only if I get to mark you in the same place." He smiled, connecting our lips before pushing straight into me. The stretching hurt but it wasn't too bad and passed fairly quickly, allowing me to let him move. The moment he started moving I knew I was done for, I don't know if it's a sex thing or a mate thing considering this is my first time but I know I'm going to become addicted to this. Nik was very slow in his movements and I couldn't decide if he was trying not to hurt me or if this was somehow just as good for him as it was for me. "Nik?"

He opened his eyes and looked at me shocked, as if he only just realized he wasn't alone and I giggled. "I had been told...but I never believed it. Sex with your mate is supposed to be the pleasure of any other time multiplied by 100. Fucking hell Y/n!" He cursed, lifting one of my legs over his shoulder and moving faster, continuing to curse like crazy. I quickly got frustrated with the fact that I couldn't move at all in this position, dropping my leg and pinning him to my chest, rolling over so I was now on top. I bent my knees at his sides and placed my hands on his chest so I could use it as leverage to move. "I love this position." He told me and I giggled as he watched my tits bouncing up and down as I did.

"Oh god, so close Nik, fuck!" I was practically sobbing at this point, begging any and every deity in existence for release and Nik gave it to me as he took hold of my hips he began thrusting up into me as I dropped down. "Holy Fuck!" I screamed, my orgasm hitting me at the exact moment his did and he dug his fangs into my left breast. "I love you Nik, so fucking much!"

The venom burned slightly once I had come down from my high, though I didn't mind, it just let me know it was working. He stayed attached to me for another 2 minutes before pulling back, his mouth covered in blood and some other clear liquid that I'm assuming is his venom. "I love you too kitten, and I can't wait until I can change you so I won't have to hold back anymore." I looked up at him shocked.

"That was you holding back? Cause if it was change me now, I need to know what you not holding back is like." He smiled, pulling me close to kiss him before laying back against the pillows, pulling me to his chest. "I just want to stay like this forever, can we do that? Naked, in bed, just the 2 of us. Room service and silk sheets. This is perfect, right here, right now."

"It will be even more perfect when you're a vampire too, naked, in bed, just the 2 of us, room service, silk sheets and in Paris." I lifted my head from his chest and grinned.

"Paris, really? You mean it?!" He chuckled, nodding.

"Of course love, anywhere you want to go. I'll propose sometime after you change and we will go on an extended honeymoon, We'll travel everywhere."

"And have sex in every country?" I teased making him laugh but nod. "Can we go to Venice? I've always wanted to go to Venice, and the Caribbean."

"Of course we can. Anywhere you want, I told you yesterday, you deserve to be treasured, I will spend the rest of our existence worshipping the ground that you walk on. You will want for nothing in my presence because I want you, need you, I will spend every minute of every day loving you. The past few years of your life have been shitty, but I promise your future is going to be better." I had tears in my eyes and I felt like I couldn't stop crying as I held onto him.

"That was beautiful Nik, no one has ever said anything like that to me before. I don't think I can really say anything close to that meaningful to you, but I can say that the loneliness you've felt for the last 1000 years is over. You will never be alone again Niklaus, I promise, I will be here for you till the end of eternity." I leaned in, pressing my lips to his, this kiss being different than any we had had so far, it held every promise we had made to each other and every ounce of love in our hearts.

I was awoken the next morning to the sunlight shining in my eyes. I looked at the alarm clock and saw it was 8 in the morning making me realize I should probably just stay up. I sat up from Nik's chest and looked back at him, smiling before smirking as I noticed his erection pressed under the sheet that was over us. I ducked down under the sheet and moved slowly as not to wake him, kneeling between his legs and pressing my tongue against him, licking up his shaft before taking him in my hand. I licked over the head, tasting the precum that oozed out before taking him in between my lips slowly, inch by inch until he hit the back of my throat. When he was all the way in my mouth I swallowed around him, feeling his body jolt and knowing he was now awake before making a gagging sound and easing him back out.

"Y/n?!"

"Who else would it be?" I asked before deep throating him yet again. I bobbed my head up and down a few times before Nik threw the sheet off of me, somehow getting harder as he saw me.

"Fuck Y/n!" I continued bobbing my head up and down, swirling my tongue around his head every now and again until I got it in me to relax my throat and push him all the way back, swallowing and moaning to cause vibrations. "Shit! Shit baby, stop...Y/n, that's enough." I pulled my mouth off just as he started cumming, allowing him to come on my face.

"It would have just been easier to swallow it." I mumbled, feeling it dripping down my naked chest.

"Well, I didn't plan on cumming on your face love."

"Where did you plan on cumming?"

"I didn't, you woke me up with your sexy mouth around my cock."

"Oh yeah." I giggled, sitting up. "I just planned on swallowing it. However I need to get into the shower so I suppose this is okay." I hopped up off of the bed and walked into the bathroom, starting the water and stepping into it, letting the sticky substance wash from my body before stepping completely under the water and wetting my hair. I went to pick up the shampoo I had brought with me but found nothing, when I opened my eyes and looked it was where it was supposed to be. Suddenly there were hands on my head and I felt Nik scrubbing my shampoo in making me smile. "Your hands are magical, I swear."

"So is your mouth love." I giggled at that as Nik rinsed my hair out before grabbing the conditioner. I squeezed shampoo onto my hand and quickly lathered his head up since he only had a little bit of hair, before rinsing it while Nik ran his conditioner covered fingers through my locks. "I love washing your hair for you."

"That's good because I love you washing my hair, it works out." We spent an hour in the shower together washing each other, sharing kisses and innocent touches here and there until we needed to get out. By that time it was a little after 9:30 and I began blow drying my hair and styling it half up and half down with some curls in it. I dressed in a short dark blue dress that came to my mid-thigh and blue heels since it was a special day. We ordered breakfast and ate together, just talking until 11.

"I'll leave a few minutes after you." I shook my head.

"Walk me to Jasper's car, I'm going to tell him now, that way he's not shocked later and can actually calm people down." Nik nodded thoughtfully but ultimately decided I was right. Jasper was pulling up just as we walked out and Nik handed me my bag. "I'll see you later, right?"

"Of course, I'll be watching." He gave me a quick peck on the cheek before leaving me to step into Jasper's mustang.

"Alright darlin'. What's going on?" I put my bag in the back and sighed as he began driving.

"I don't want to lie to you Jazz, you're the closest thing I have to a real brother, but if I tell you, I need you to keep your mouth shut until after graduation. Can you do that?" He nodded, knowing just by feeling how I feel that I was serious and desperate. "That was my mate. He's a traditional."

"Thank god!" Jasper exclaimed and I looked at him strangely. "What? I don't want you to be with Edward forever darlin'. I want more for you and that man put a smile on your face with just a simple kiss to your cheek. I want to meet him though, I'm your big brother, threatening the boyfriend is my job, though I must admit, he looks strangely familiar." I decided not to mention how my mate could snap him in half like a twig, or the fact that he knew Maria and just nodded.

"He's coming to the house after graduation. Don't think about it, I don't need Edward knowing." He nodded.

"Of course darlin', that's a given. Were you with him all night?" I nodded, pulling down the front of my dress to show him my mark. "Well, he's sure a quick fucker isn't he?"

"I met him in Mystic Falls 2 days ago. I didn't know he was a vampire when I went home with him." Jasper rolled his eyes at that.

"You and Bella, the twin danger magnets." I giggled at his joke as we got closer to the high school.

"Bella is coming today by the way."

"Well, I look forward to seeing her and not wanting to drain her dry."

"I'm sure you do." We talked mindlessly about things for the rest of the car ride until we got to the school. People were already being seated on the fields' bleachers when we arrived. I grabbed my cap and gown from the trunk and waved as I saw Bella and Garrett sitting in the front row.

"What did you do?" I jumped as I heard the voice next to me and turned to see Edward behind me. He grabbed ahold of my arm and dragged me into the school, away from everyone else. I knew right away I was in trouble as there was no way Klaus was here yet and Jasper had walked off to find Alice. "Bella is here with that beast on her arm! You are the only one who would do something so stupid as to invite them here!"

"I wanted my best friend to be here for my graduation, I-" I was cut off by being shoved back into the wall behind me, cracking my head against the cement and immediately getting light headed. "Edward, please I-"

"Shut Up!" He shouted, smacking me across the face, making my head snap to the side. "Now I have to put up with watching the girl I love walking around with another man and know that she's given herself to that monster." I opened my mouth to reply and tell the truth about having given myself away too but he spoke first. "The only reason you're still alive is your purity. I won't have anything less than a virgin when I mate with you, which is going to be today. You and I are getting married right after graduation, congratulations Y/n, it's your wedding day." I was completely frozen at this point but I knew I needed to do something soon. I ran down the hallway to my locker and grabbed my makeup bag that I kept here, running back to the bathroom and expertly covering my black and blue nose after cleaning off the blood. Thankfully the back of my head isn't bleeding but I'm definitely going to need Nik's blood when this graduation is over. I tossed the makeup bag into the trash, knowing I wasn't coming back to this place for shit and stumbled out to find my seat. I could see Bella looking at me worriedly along with Garrett and I knew if she could tell something was wrong then where ever Nik was he sure as hell could too. I dizzily sat through all the speeches and somehow got the strength to stand and walk across the stage to get my diploma before falling back into my seat. By the time graduation was over I felt like I was going to die but I pushed myself to get up and make it over to Bella before Edward made it to me.

"Hey Bells, how are you?" She hugged me to her immediately, looking slightly on edge around so many people but quickly got over it.

"I'm great. Happy, finally...how are you?" I smiled.

"About to be a lot better. You're coming over for a while right?" Garrett and she looked at one another. "Trust me, you're not going to want to miss this." They looked confused but I pointed at my head and they immediately understood that I didn't want Edward knowing.

"Yeah, we'll head there now." I smiled, hugging Garrett slightly and feeling a burning coming from my mark making me acknowledge the fact that Nik didn't like me hugging Garrett. I waved before making my way to Jasper's car, only to have my arm grabbed.

"Where are you going love?" I cringed as he called me that, he never called me that.

"Don't call me that Edward." I insisted, making several students look at us. "You know I don't like that nickname...babe." I cringed again. "I'm riding home with Jasper-"

"I told Carlisle to meet us at our field to ordain us, Esme is going to be the witness, get into my car." He growled and I felt scared but it immediately disappeared as my mark began to burn again.

"You can tell Carlisle that if we're getting married it will be at home with our family, where my best friends can be there, and thank you for the offer but I will ride with Jasper. I'll see you at home Edward." I said it all loudly enough that plenty of people heard, therefor he couldn't just drag me to his car and he knew it. I knew there were bruises on my arm as I got into the passenger seat of Jaspers car. Jasper got in not a moment later and looked at me concerned. "What?" I asked and he looked at me like I was an idiot.

"Are you alright? Where is Nik, I thought he would-"

"Home Jasper. Home." He nodded, starting the car and driving off. By the time we got there everyone else was already there and waiting in the living room. I wiped the makeup off in the mirror and heard Jasper growling immediately. "Nik?" I questioned as we got out and I felt calm, comforted, knowing it was okay and I was safe as I walked inside with Jasper.

"There she is, I poured you a drink to celebrate love, careful though, you know how you get with alcohol." I knew he had drugged it, he's done it 100 other times, so this time I decided not to drink it.

"Yes Edward, I do know how I get. Especially 2 days ago over drinks with one of Caroline's friends. He bought me a few drinks and we slept together." I admitted, putting the glass on the table, seeing everyone's shocked faces. "It was amazing, really, even better the next day completely sober." There was an audible silence in the room, the entire family now listening intently as well as Bella and Garrett who were both grinning at me. "I'm sure it'll be just as great later tonight when I'm finally rid of you." He wanted to hurt me, I know he did but he wouldn't dare strike me with Jasper and Emmett around.

"Y/n, I'm hurt that you would do that to me but I'm sure we can talk this out and move passed it-"

"I don't want to move passed it, I don't want to be with you, hell will freeze over before I will marry you, in fact just being in the same room as you makes me physically ill and I think it's time I tell everyone in this room the truth. I don't love Edward, never have, never will. He's been lying to all of you about me just like he lied about Bella."

Everyone in the room snarled besides Carlisle and Esme. "You remember what I told you I would do to you if you ever did this again kid?" Garrett snarled at him.

"Oh, It won't only be Edward getting hurt today, Garrett. Carlisle, Esme, would you like to tell everyone what's been going on in your home?" They looked at me puzzled but I think they both knew there was no escaping this. "Jasper, Emmett, I lied to you both. Every time I told you I was fine, every time I was hurt and I told you I was just clumsy. Edward has been beating me almost daily since the day Bella left." Emmett went to lunge at him but was caught by Rose who seemed to want to hear the rest. Edward tried to go for the door but Jasper and Alice blocked their exit, Rose and Emmett moving to the other so no one could leave while Bella and Garrett moved to my sides so no one could harm me while I continued. "Edward told Carlisle I was 'difficult' so he allowed him to do whatever he had to, to turn me into the perfect obedient mate. Edward was planning to take me away after graduation and force me to marry him, force me to mate with him so there would be no way I could ever leave him, he just didn't know he was a day too late. Emmett, Jazz, every night I begged you to stay with me, not to leave to hunt, to leave me alone in a house with Edward, it wasn't because you kept the nightmares away, it was because I was terrified he would get it into his head one day to force me to mate with him when no one was there to stop him...I was terrified to go to sleep at night, you were the only people in the world who made me feel safe." My mark was practically on fire at this point and I knew Nik was restraining himself from coming in here, wanting me to get it all out while they were still listening. "I want to thank you guys for that, you got me to this point and now I don't have to be scared anymore."

"This doesn't change anything, you still need to be turned and I'll still claim you as my mate when you are. What did this little temper tantrum get you?" Edward laughed.

"Your attention, you all to listen to me for once, just once, before I let my mate kill you." Everyone in the room except Jasper was now confused and looking at me until the front door slammed open. I saw Jasper flinch and I knew he could feel how intense Nik's anger truly was as he walked up the stairs and turned the corner, coming into everyone's view. Carlisle gasped, though he was the only one who seemed to know who Nik really was, Edward gasping as he read Carlisle's mind.

"Do you feel better love? Getting it off your chest must have helped quite a bit." I nodded slowly, careful not to jostle my aching head. Nik took my face into his hands, seeing the bruise, feeling this bump on the back on my head and sighing, letting his fangs grow out and biting into his hand. Rose, Esme, Alice, Bella and Emmett gasped, not knowing there was another kind of vampire in the world though Garrett now looked a lot more on alert, holding Bella behind him, not like he was ready to fight but like he was ready to flee. I took his injured hand into my mouth and drank slowly, letting my injuries heal before everyone's eyes. "For those of you who don't know my name is Niklaus Mikaelson. Most people call me Klaus now a days. I am of the original family, one of the first vampires to walk the earth 1000 years ago." No one spoke, no one moved, everyone was trying to figure out who was in trouble and who wasn't. "The only people I'm here to harm are Edward, Carlisle and Esme, everyone else can calm down." They visually did. "Everyone else was a friend to my mate when she needed it and I thank you all for that, especially Jasper and Emmett. If you ever need anything, I owe you." They nodded. "You however, you're going to die today." Edward had been dragged over to sit beside Carlisle and Esme on the couch. "You I have no real issue with except your gross tolerance of the awful things done to someone you considered your child." He spoke to Esme. "However you did not hurt her yourself, therefore I have no reason to make you suffer." As he finished his sentence her head was rolling across the floor and Carlisle began screaming. "You allowed your son...in fact, encouraged your son to hurt my mate...why? That's all I want to know, why did you sit by and watch her suffer?"

"Edward wanted her, I told him he could have whoever and whatever he wanted when I changed him, that's why he stayed with me at first, then Esme wanted a son, I gave him whatever he wanted so he wouldn't leave and break her heart. What would you do for your mates happiness?" He snarled but Nik laughed.

"Anything, but you see, the difference between us is my mate wouldn't let someone else hurt so that she could have what she wanted. She's a good person, I'm not, but she is. And I will never let anyone hurt her, that is my promise to her." Nik took a little longer with Carlisle, tearing all of his limbs off before finally removing his head. "Now you see, the thing is I don't want to know your reasons, they're probably crazy and deranged but there's one thing I do want, and that's to tell you that you lose." Edward growled loudly and I couldn't keep the smile from my face. "She wins, I win, and do you know what I won?" Nik paused, knowing exactly what was going to piss Edward off the most. "I won that perfect innocence you tried to preserve." Edwards eyes were practically on fire as Nik told him that. "She gave it to me happily, freely." Jasper grabbed Edward as he tried to jump at Nik, though my mate didn't even flinch.

"I'm confused, what did Edward want?" Emmett asked and I rolled my eyes.

"Edward told me about how he was engaged before he got sick as a human, the women cheated on him and gave herself to his friend before their wedding day, the day before their wedding was the day he went into the hospital." I explained. "He was obsessed with having a girl who was completely his, innocent and pure, and it is truly an obsession. I told Nik, I wasn't even allowed to touch myself. The fact that I'm Nik's makes it even harder for Edward I suppose, and makes Nik's ego even larger."

"If that's possible." Bella spoke to me and I laughed, high fiving her.

"I'm right here love." I shrugged. "Garrett, would you like to take some shots before I end him?" Garrett jumped up, fully prepared to give Edward the beating of his life for hurting his mate. "Feeling better love?" I nodded, leaning into Nik contently about to press my lips to his when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. "What is it?"

"Pity it has to go to waste." The archway that had been for the wedding I was supposed to be a part of today was decorated with white flowers and ribbon. "Esme did a nice job, it's pretty."

"Well...I suppose we don't have to let it go to waste..." I looked up at Nik who was smirking down at me, pulling a ring off of his hand and looking to me. "You can pick one you like later...what do you say?" I was stunned at his forwardness but figured I shouldn't be.

"You want to get married, right now?" Nik nodded and I grinned. "Jasper, you got ordained for Garrett and Bella's wedding right?" Jasper looked up from where Garrett was beating Edward with his own foot and nodded.

"Yes, it's good for 10 years, why?" I looked up at Nik, content with how my life had changed in only 2 days.

"What do you say love?"

"I do."

Klaus Mikaelson Masterlist

#tvd klaus #klaus mikaelson #klaus mikealson x reader #klaus mikealson smut #klaus mikaleson imagine #klaus mikaelson x y/n #klaus mikaelson x oc #vampire #hybrid #niklaus mikaelson #niklaus x reader #klaus imagine #klaus x reader #joseph morgan #the vampire diaries #the vampire diares imagine #the originals #the originals imagine #twilight #jasper hale #jasper cullen #edward cullen #carlisle cullen #emmett cullen #esme cullen #cold ones

[thepinklink]

Anybody want some Rescue Ranch AU Time and Malon?

Malon is on the couch reading when she hears the familiar whinny. Her heart clatters to a stop in her chest and she freezes, carefully reigning in her emotions even though she can’t breathe. She’d know that whinny anywhere, but she’s imagined things before. For a full tense minute, there’s nothing, and Malon internally scolds herself for being so foolish in an effort to fight back the disappointment.

That is, until she hears the faint, tell-tale sound of footsteps on the porch, and then a thump on the door. The sound of Malon’s book hitting the floor mingles with Wolfie’s muffled barking as Malon gets up and sprints for the door. Her shoulder throbs as she slams it against the door to break her momentum, simultaneously unlocking it. She swings it open with abandon, considering a second too late that it might be a monster or some dirty scavenger, but none of it matters anyway when she looks outside and Link is standing there.

She knows immediately that something is wrong by the grim, exhausted expression on his face. Coupled, of course, with the fact that he is carrying a disturbingly Hylian-shaped bundle. The couple stand there for a minute, shell-shocked and caught between the urgency to attend to the boy in Time’s arms, and the need to properly greet each other after four years apart.

The urgency wins when Malon meets her husband’s eyes and sees the plea in them, and she steps aside.

“What happened?” She asks.

“I found him lying on a battlefield about six hours northeast of here. It’s been about ten minutes since I checked his pulse, he might already be dead.”

Only ten minutes? Malon knows a person can die in mere seconds, but the way her husband says that makes it ultimately more depressing.

“How badly is he hurt?”

“I think he got caught a bomb blast, his whole left side’s pretty jacked up, and covered in mud.”

“Hot water, alcohol, and towels. Got it.” Malon sprints away, and she sees Twilight running down the stairs to meet them.

“Is that D—“

“Yes, now I need you to get every clean towel on the property!” She cuts her son off, as much as it pains her, with the order and she’s grateful that he trusts her enough to listen without too much hesitation.

It takes a second for the water to heat up, but in that time Malon procures the rubbing alcohol and every towel in the kitchen. She very quickly disinfects the kitchen island, which Time is waiting to place the boy on, and as soon as he does so she washes her hands and begins to help her husband clean the boy up.

Time had been lenient with saying his left side was “pretty jacked up.” The boy’s skin was practically shredded and, as they wash the mud and dried blood away, begins to bleed sluggishly. They pull out countless pieces of shrapnel from it all, and Malon has to force the tears down because she knows he will probably die. He’s undoubtedly lost too much blood, and it’s been hours since he received the wound. She doesn’t know why it hurts so much. She barely knows the boy (and he is a boy, at least to her, at around the same age as her own son) and yet, she knows that if he dies she will take a very long while to get over it.

Time is entirely lost to Malon as she and Time work in tandem, as quickly and gently as possible. It seems they’ve only just begun when Malon looks up and realizes Time is wrapping up the last of the boy’s exposed wounds. She glances around at the carnage that us the kitchen, bloody and muddy towels discarded everywhere and multiple bowls of dirty water and washcloths sitting on whatever free space of counter was available. When she turns back to her husband, whatever words she might have intended to say to him are stolen right off her lips when he wraps his arms around her waist and kisses her. She’s shocked, at first, but quickly returns it, and suddenly she feels like a newlywed again. They break off, eventually, and Malon giggles uncontrollably.

“What took you so long?” She says breathlessly. For one brilliant second, Time smiles brightly at her, eyes bright and playful and looking at her like she’s made of gold. And in the very next second, she watches it all crumble. His smile fades and he closes his eyes, resting his forehead against hers. He leans a lot of his weight on her, and she’s fast to hold him. He doesn’t say anything, but suddenly Malon is terrified. She’d known as soon as the door opened that something was wrong, and she’d assumed it was the injured boy. But in the moment she saw the smile disappear from his face, she realizes it wasn’t the boy at all.

It was Time.

#linked universe #lu time #lu malon #rescue ranch au #plink writes

[furious-rogue-stuff]

Heat Chapter 45: Deserving - Part 2

Here's the next installment! Hope you all enjoy 😊

Pairing: Javier Peña x OFC | Javi x Querida

Disclaimer: Written in 2nd person narrative, you can safely assume our heroine and love/lust interest is a Latina, written by a Latina. Here's my philosophy on my writing, for further context.

Rating: Mature/Explicit 🔞

Word Count: 24,000+

Summary: After a shocking occurrence, everything between you and Javi comes to a head that foists your relationship into a defining moment. Will the truth cause a rift, or strengthen the bond between you?

Warnings: Graphic descriptions of sex, including oral (m + f receiving) and unprotected sex. Mentions of raunchy sexual acts, angst, longing, stress, and fertility worries. Descriptions of power play, praise kink, and dirty talk. Allusions to jealousy, animosity, foreboding threats, and emotional distress. Some Worried!Javi, Protective! Javi, Upset!Reader. In the vein of Narcos being a bilingual show, and Javier Peña being fluent, I felt it was apropos to include Spanglish and Spanish throughout.

Heat Masterlist

Previous chapter - Chapter 44: Deserving - Part 1

Chapter 45: Deserving - Part 2

When you finally make it home to Javier later that evening, it's with another handful of groceries you purchased from the colmadito just outside of the gated neighborhood, and a head full of thoughts running rampant with worries that had no suspected foes.

The call kept looping like a record in the proverbial player of your mind, but every time it tried to source a possible explanation, it would draw a blank like a skip in the vinyl, and you'd be back to ruminating – trying to decipher the missing grove. Still, you found yourself feeling uncertain and unmoored to what your options even were, with nothing but a startling experience and the conjecture regarding its cause before you.

Hell, you hadn't even told Javi about the incident, and now? What are you even supposed to say?

Possible foul play is suspected?! Even in your head, it sounded ludicrous and overdramatic. After all, the investigator, the insurance rep, and the assistant manager at the dealership all conceded there was no definitive evidence that the tire was tampered with.

You were on autopilot as you came into the kitchen with the groceries and started putting everything away as your mind kept trying to rationalize the entire thing. The most likely explanation is the simplest, is the mantra that suddenly vies for influence in the swirl of what ifs and worst-case scenarios. You can hear your father's voice echo in your mind.

"Think logically. No point in getting hysterical. Be reasonable, and the answer will become obvious."

Sighing, you finish storing things in the fridge and only then notice that the stove is clear of the pots from earlier. They're actually soaking in the sink, along with the serving tray sitting clean and folded up next to the dish rack. The dinner plate that's wrapped up and placed under the stove lamp is the meal Javier served for you to have once you got home, and the sight of it makes you smile.

While dinner heats up in the microwave, you switch out the laundry loads and set the dry clothes in the basket to be sorted and folded later. You then head down to check on Javi, and find him fast asleep under the comforter while the ambient light from the TV screen casts a dreamy glow in the room. Not wanting to wake him, you tiptoe back out and go eat dinner while you stand in the kitchen. The sounds of the early twilight are filled with the trilling of the coquí and the breeze sifting through the trees and fronds outside.

Javier's house is tucked on the corner of a dead-end street in the northeast quadrant of the urbanizacíon, and behind the cement walls bordering the boundary lines of this corner of the gated neighborhood was a protected strip of land not zoned for construction, so it was often tranquil and quiet, even during the day. You found yourself thinking, This isn't a bad little bungalow at all. Just needs some TLC.

Once you've finished eating, you make quick work of the dishes and then decide to take a shower so you can make it an early night. After all, you're feeling drained, and still have a full workday left to grind through. So, you lock up the house, turn out the lights, and go into bathroom's hall entry.

The eucalyptus stems are still hung from the showerhead, and the hot, steamy water helps diffuse the scent of it soothingly over your senses.

Feeling refreshed and relaxed, you wrap the towel around yourself and shut the light off before opening the bathroom's bedroom door and tiptoeing around to your side of the bed.

The glow of the TV helps you maneuver soundlessly, and as you go, you see that Javier had turned over onto his side in order to cuddle your pillow. Tangled under his arm and over said pillow, is your nighty.

Smiling at the sight, you lean over and try to carefully tug the silky garment loose, but Javi ends up stirring awake.

"Mmph…Celina?" he sleepily mumbles.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," you murmur and sit on your side of the bed, stretching over to caress your hand along the length of his upper arm pacifyingly. "Go back to sleep, babe—"

He yawns like a lion and stubbornly embraces the pillow to his chest, taking the nighty along with it as he rolls onto his back and grumbles groggily, "M'awake now."

You can't help scoff at your luck. "No, doesn't really sound like you are. Now, drift back off, mi cariñito," is your soft coo, as you simultaneously pinch the strap of the nighty that's dangling loose and try to ease it out of his embrace so you can shed your towel and slip it on over your head.

Ever the contrarian, Javi drowsily rolls onto his side again so he can gruffly protest with surly grunts as he reaches out with his right hand and tries to heard you closer, but only comes up short. "Hmph, c'mere," is his raspy whine when he shuffles closer in order to lasso his arm around your waist.

"Ay, Javi, I'm still in a towel and I've been trying to get the nighty out from your clutches without stirring you awake," you irreverently huff as you wriggle away to the edge of the bed so you can go discard the towel and hang it back up in the bathroom. But Javi snags the back of the fluffy material and hauls you back, so you squeal, "Javier!"

His husky chuckle makes it clear that he's just been feigning being drowsy for the last few seconds. "Just come snuggle, preciosa. Nighty's optional," is his sexy drawl as he tows you closer until you're tucked against him.

"Someone is feeling better," you muse saucily before maneuvering around to face him so you can press your palm to his forehead. "Ah, you don't feel as feverish. Good," is your lilting observation before wriggling to get the pillow and nighty out from beneath you so you can shift up on your elbow and smile down at him as you taunt, "But you're still supposed to behave. No te he dado de alta, chavón."

He smirks at your bossy, 'I haven't discharged you,' and surrenders, flopping his arms above his head so that you can shimmy up and grab the nighty before untangling it and pulling it on over your head. With a cheeky tug of your towel, he pulls it loose from your hourglass figure and tosses it in the corner next to the dresser so you can easily scurry under the comforter with him.

"You took more of the medicine?" you ask as you cuddle up against him, smiling when he grunts in the affirmative. "I saw you polished off the rest of the leftovers from lunch. Thanks for setting a plate aside for me."

"You're welcome. Least I could do when you've taken such good care of my ass," he quips, and you snicker and relish how he squeezes you affectionately in his arms.

"Ah, you've taken care of me just as good," you sincerely assure and nuzzle his neck. His skin is warm, and his manly, spicy scent is peeking through the lingering fragrance of the Vicks vaporub.

With a pleased grunt, Javi noses into the top of your hair. At your hearty, albeit tired sigh, he hums before murmuring, "You feeling alright?"

"Yeah. I'm just tired," you mumble as you stifle a yawn. "Last two weeks have been exhausting."

Frowning, Javi is reminded that this is not the first time he's heard that – that you've had a tough time recently. He wants to ask what's been going on, but he feels you begin to relax against him, and frankly, he's still a bit run down himself. So, he kisses you on your temple after snuggling further under the covers with you, figuring he can ask tomorrow.

You're both able to drift off into a deep sleep, so much so that the TV is left on playing the late-night show, but it doesn't stir either of your slumbers.

No, it isn't until early the following morning that you slowly wake to Javier clearing his throat over the sound of the sink running in the bathroom. You can make out the ambient light from the TV screen from just beyond the shelter of the covers, and shiver at the chill in the room. Tiredly, you roll over and peer through heavy lids to see the door is ajar and Javier is at the sink. You can see part of his reflection in the mirror above the sink vanity.

He's dutifully shaving his face, and even though you want to bossily admonish him, you end up yawning and tossing the comforter over your head to get a few more winks of sleep in.

It must be a short while later when you hear him moving around the bedroom, so you shift under the covers in order to peer over and see that indeed, he's in his white skivvies and rifling through the closet for something to wear as he tries to clear his throat quietly.

"Javi, come back to bed," you whine, having peeked at the alarm clock and confirmed it was still much too early still.

Pausing, he glances over at you and sees you cutely curling up under the blanket from the chill in the room, so he snorts and lopes over to toss himself onto the bed before stretching out next to you.

With a kiss to your forehead, he rumbles, "Morning, mi amor."

"Don't 'morning, mi amor,' me. Get back under here," you boss, but with your tousled hair and scrunched pout, your command doesn't have the usual gravitas.

Still, Javi takes pity on you and tucks his legs under the covers before pivoting onto his side and scooting you closer. You happily curl into him and cling to his warm torso with a satisfied sigh.

"Where you going so early?" you mumble, feeling his skin slowly seep his body heat into you.

"The field office. I wanted to get ready early so I could call Kike to get picked up—"

With a snippy hum, you sass, "I haven't declared you completely cured, tough guy—"

He scoffs amusedly, "I feel fine, mandona."

Pouting stubbornly, you shift to take his temperature with your hand at his forehead. "Hmph…we'll see what the thermometer says," you argue, and shuffle up in bed in order to reach it where it sits on his nightstand.

Humoring you, he scoots to sit up and lean backwards into the headboard as you retrieve the thermometer and sidle close before placing it under his tongue. He bounces his brows at you, and you snicker, "Hey, you have proven you cannot be trusted when it comes to your own wellness. I don't want you rushing back to work if you're still sick."

He rolls his eyes, but obeys, waiting the allotted time required for his temperature to register. Satisfied that enough time has lapsed, you take the thermometer and hold it up to the light coming from the bathroom to see the reading.

Javi peers at it himself and smiles broadly. "Ah-hah, see? 98.7. No more fever," is his triumphant drawl before he kisses your cheek and croons, "Now, the only thing getting me hot, is you—"

You blow a raspberry at that and set the thermometer aside. "Alright, beyako. But you still have to drink lots of fluids, ok?" you muse and give him a haughty look before Javi ruggedly pulls you against him and onto his lap so he can shower you with relentless kisses until you crack a smile and giggle at his ticklish moustache.

When he ends up pulling back so he can cough and clear his raspy throat, you hand him the glass of water before going to make him some hot tea.

He's just set out his white dress shirt and dark suit onto the foot of the bed when you come back into the room with a mug filled with tea and a teaspoon of honey.

Drinking a long sip, he savors it while he sits with you on the rumpled covers. "Mmm, thanks."

You kiss his shoulder before chiming, "You're welcome," and settling in to lounge comfortably while the early morning news is playing on the TV.

The serene moment of just being with each other is something you both are leaning into, and are in no rush to leave the bubble of contentment.

He nurses his tea while you languidly caress your hand along his chest whilst you both skim the chyron to see the headlines.

With your head on his shoulder, you try to relax completely, but can't help the needling worry from yesterday begin to creep up.

"I called Kike already. He's picking me up around 8," Javi volunteers as he sets the mug aside on the nightstand, and you snap out of your faraway ruminating to hum in acknowledgement. "You got a busy day?"

Sighing, you wilt against him as you gripe, "Yes, and all I can think about is being back here after work and just lazing into a stupor."

"That sounds good to me," he drawls, before purring, "Can I join you?"

You laugh, "Of course, you dork," and sit up to goofily nuzzle his cheek.

Not to be outdone, Javi starts to rambunctiously fondle your curves, getting nice handfuls of your round ass while he suckles kisses along your neck. That soon gives way to you both fooling around, and the lust that had been dormant in you the last couple of weeks you've been apart sears up in your core. And when Javi's arousal presses against your lower belly before grinding against you, making your pussy throb? It takes everything in you not to become ravenous with need.

You manage to roll him onto his back so you can straddle his lap and kiss a luscious path from his jaw, down his neck, to his chest, all while Javi arches under you and groans – hands pawing to slip under your nighty and grip your hips so he can rut against you.

"Want you," he growls when he tries to sit up and pull you closer, but you shy away. "Querida—"

Sighing as you hold your ground and push him back down so you can resume your path down his torso, you murmur against his chest, "We don't have enough time, Javi—"

"I'll make time," he defies, trying to sit up again, but you nudge him back again.

"I don't want a frantic quickie, babe," you counter before trailing the tip of your tongue down the center of his abs, cause him to gasp and stiffen under you. "I want you in my mouth—"

His groan is starved, but his tone is hard when he grouses, "Come ride my tongue, and you can put it in your mouth, guapita."

How are you supposed to argue with such a salacious compromise?

Javier feels exhilarating urge flare in his apex from how swiftly you tugged his underwear off before yanking your nighty over your head and clambering to go reverse cowgirl so he can pull you down on his face. He slots his mouth to your eager cunt and licks into you just as you wrap your lips around the tip of his throbbing cock.

You both are so fine-tuned to each other's desires – know what turns the other on and how to pluck pleasure at such a viscerally sensual level – that it's intoxicating how quickly you're reaching bliss.

He loves it when you rock against his tongue to prolong your ecstasy, and you can't get enough of how he moans in completion into your quivering center when you hollow out your cheeks and stroke him into spilling his climax in the clutch of your mouth.

Needless to say, Javi is dopily sated as he's finishing getting dressed for work a short while later, just as you come out of the shower. You pause at the doorway and watch him swagger about whilst he pulls on his belt and loops it in the buckle before he starts fiddling with the ends of his green and blue-checkered-pattern tie tucked around his collar. Seeing him so relaxed and content is endearing, and you are struck then with how much you admire him, and how happy it makes you to know he's yours.

The sound of your feet padding over the tiled floor towards him makes that silly palpitation flutter in his chest, just before you encircle your arm around his waist and hug him from behind. He can smell your shower-warmed skin and the clean fragrance of your hair as he leans into you and reaches his hand backwards to cup your towel-clad lower back once your other hand caresses up to squeeze his deltoid affectionately.

"I love you, by the way," you flirtatiously sigh, as if it's a silly reminder you were compelled to voice just now.

Grunting gloatingly, he turns and wraps his arms around you before playfully hoisting you up against him so he can easily pepper soft kisses across your cheeks before purring irreverently, "And I'm madly in love with you, by the way."

You giggle and press your lips to his in a silly way and hum dramatically for him to let you down so you can stand on your tippy toes and grin up at him whilst you busily loop the ends of his tie into a perfect knot for him. At his confident smirk when you bat your lashes up at him, you chime, "Good. Because I just want to spend all weekend with you, to the risk of you getting sick of me."

Javi exhales a gruff scoff before snickering, "That's never gonna happen, corazón. Well, maybe the other way around—"

With a bossy tug to his tie, you purse your lips imperiously at him before cutting in with impish authority, "I haven't gotten sick of you so far, so I doubt I will, galán. So quit talking nonsense—"

"That goes for you too, then, malcriada," he ruggedly interjects and gives your waist a playful squeeze before nuzzling bossy kisses into your cheek, making you laugh brightly until that discordant little sigh flits out of you.

The sound of the SUV Kike drives pulling up to the front of the house has Javi exhaling huffily, so you sigh and cup his face with both hands before crooning, "No pouting, boss man. Go have a great day."

"Fine, I'll try," he grumbles, but his soulful eyes are warm and his smile is easygoing before he leans down and gives you a soft peck on the lips.

After tugging on his socks and black leather boots, he shrugs into his dark blazer, pockets his belongings from the dresser top, and steals one last kiss before rushing out to his ride.

Swooning onto the bed, you dreamily pine over how effervescent and tingly Javier made you feel. It truly eclipses anything else you were stressing or fretting about. So much so, you compartmentalize it all so you can focus on only the good feelings.

Discarding the towel, you hustle up to quickly dry your hair and get dressed for work. Once you're satisfied with your look, you turn everything off in the bedroom, open the windows, make the bed, and sprint out on your kitten heels to grab your purse and keys before heading down to the laundry room and out the marquesina door to get in your car and start the short commute to the Federal building.

While you're striding through the entry to head directly up to your office, Javier is coming off the elevator at the top floor of the building they've leased out to act as the DEA field office.

It's a nondescript building accessible off of a side street from the major avenue, and less than a mile from a principal artery of the nearby expressway. It took a lot of jockeying, but he and Steve were able to make the case to have the field office off of the federal campus, with close access to the main routes. The underground garage was secure, and the DEA agents on-site could make the office building their base of operations for surveillance, wiretaps, and old-fashioned detective work. CI's were met with off-site at another satellite location in the warehouse district that looked out on Puerto Rico Highway 22.

As he walks in his purposeful stride through the bullpen-styled office space, he can feel some of the personnel notice him and quickly find something to busy themselves with while junior agents greet him with varying degrees of enthusiasm. He curtly nods in acknowledgement to each as he goes, intent on getting to the conference room he and Steve have designated the "Case Room" for the time being.

His former partner and current co-SAC was in said room, listening while Segarra and the main senior agents on the case argue about the latest intel, when he glances up and sees Javi making his way over through the narrow sidelight in the corner of the room.

"He has risen," Steve jibes under his breath and relaxes as Javier opens the door and breezes in. "Nice of you to join us, Jav."

Cocking a glib brow at his friend and confidante, Javi goes to sit in the available desk chair someone had rolled in previously, recycling back in it with his arms crossed as he drawls, "Looks like I walked into the middle of a squabble session. What's the latest?"

"Basically, we think we have a solid lead on a distribution hub used by the main gang syndicate in the metro-area, but Segarra here is telling us we can't move on it," Lopez deadpans, but his sharp stare communicates how vexed by the ASAC he really is.

Javier can't help roll his eyes before shifting in his seat, resting one hand on the knee of the leg he just crossed while scrubbing his other palm impatiently across his mouth and idly along his cheek. The scent of cigarette smoke permeates the air stronger than everyone's cologne and the whiff of stale coffee, giving him an instant headache. Followed by a strong craving for nicotine.

"It's good intel, Jav. But we're being told our hands are tied here," Duffy chimes in gruffly as he leans casually in his chair and flicks the ash from his cigarette into his used coffee cup.

The constant static and tension between the agents and Segarra? It was something Javier had no patience for, and that was clearly becoming more palpable the thinner it wore down.

"Sir, that kind of operation would require us to execute it in coordination with the FBI. But Agent Bozzi's office has denied the request," Segarra argues, clearly tired of being the punching bag for the other agents.

"Duffy, you know a bunch of the guys over there. What do they got going on that would be more important than this co-op?" Javi asks the other man sat across from his partner, who was always better at keeping a poker face than Lopez.

"FBI has a lot of fingers in different pies when it comes to investigations down here. I heard they're working on a lot of financial fraud cases – that they staffed up their tax fraud personnel to go through tons of paperwork, but I haven't heard of anything big," is Duffy's reply before he lets loose the exhale of smoke from his cigarette. "I can ask around some more."

"Alright," Javi retorts before glancing over at Steve. "Wanna catch me up?"

"Sure," Steve responds as he gestures 'good luck' to the other men in the room before heading for the door.

Once he and Javier are in their shared office, Javi goes to his desk drawer and retrieves his backup pack of nicotine gum, popping one out of the tray and tossing it brusquely into his mouth.

"You should really try the patch," is Steve's aloof suggestion as he sits in the cushioned couch that's backed against the wall and faces the side of Javi's desk.

"I did, but the damn thing was itchy," Javi gripes as he chews on the gum and rubs the tension between his brows moodily. In a grumble, he adds, "This takes the edge off instantly, at least."

Humming, Steve segues topics with, "Anyway, as well-meaning as Segarra is, he's not endeared himself to the agents at all. Duffy and Lopez are stubborn, for sure, but he just doesn't have the authority to get much done."

"I know…" Javi mutters as he rubs the tension from his temples with his hand before dragging his palm down his face in frustration. "Still. That prick Bozzi shouldn't be shutting shit down like that without talking to one of us—"

"You, more precisely," Steve corrects, shrugging when Javi glowers at him. "Hey, you're the one in charge of coordinated operations with other agencies here. That means you gotta work with the guy," is his laconic retort, to Javi's added chagrin.

He stews about it for a few seconds before remarking dryly, "Besides that, we got plenty of stuff from CBP for these guys to start running down…"

While they continue to hash out the upcoming game plan for all the work happening in the agency and to come, you're deep in an auditing review for all the digital data processes requiring upgrading to the new standards at the other federal satellite sites on the island.

Your team had done a great job compiling the data, so while it was busy work, it really helped you diagnose what the next steps should be for each site, and come up with an automated plan that could be shared out with each specialist in charge of the upgrading.

Just as you're finalizing some notes for your report, your cell phone rings. You answer it and are surprised to hear from Jodalys.

"Hola, I'm not interrupting you with anything?"

"No, I'm just finishing up something at the office. How can I help you?"

"I wanted to let you know about a gala WAPA-TV is organizing. We have several big marketing sponsors, and I know local government officials are going to be in attendance, so I wanted to see if you think the Giving Back program would want to be a sponsor? You'd last mentioned how the Federal office wants to foster a tighter camaraderie with the locals, so I thought this could be a good way to do that?" she pitches enthusiastically.

"Yes, I think that would be something the program manager would definitely agree on! I'll speak with him, so give me the details?" you respond as you grab for your planner and find a blank page to scribble the date, time, etc that Jodalys dictates to you.

After running it by the program manager and his lead, who really likes the prospect, he starts making the arrangements, assuring you it might be just the kind of event even the Chief Executive Director, Mercer, would encourage the federal office workers to attend.

As you're feeling accomplished at the end of the day while you walk out to your car, Javier and Steve are hopping into the SUV with Kike to start the slog home through Friday rush hour.

Thankfully, Kike knows every shortcut and back route in the metro area, so they both settle in for the drive and continue their brainstorming session.

"—Maybe you can have Segarra oversee the rundown of those CBP sources. It'll keep him busy while the guys keep crackin' along with the ops prep," Steve is suggesting to Javi from the front passenger seat.

"…I guess," is Javi's lukewarm mutter, shrugging before propping his elbow on the door panel to rest his cheek in his palm. "Frankly, I'm at my limit of giving a shit right now."

Steve grunts and busies himself with the cuff of his shirt sleeve. "Yeah, I'm there with you. Definitely looking forward to relaxing. Which reminds me: Connie's wanting to spend the next few days just us and the kids, so hope it's ok if we skip dinner this weekend," he drawls coolly and peeks at Javi in the rearview mirror as he adds, "I got a lot of making up to do for being so busy while she's been stuck with Olivia, sick and all."

Nodding, Javi leans back in his seat and crosses his arms as he confides, "Celina said she wants to spend the weekend just lazing around together, so no worries. She's had a hectic couple weeks too."

Humming, Kike remarks conversationally while driving down a particular shortcut, "Yeah, Celina had a stressful time! That car accident, getting sick and all that. She said it couldn't have happened at a worse time with how busy she's been with work—"

Brows shooting up in surprise, Javi shifts forward and asks, "What car accident?"

Keeping his attention on the aggressive drivers ahead, Kike answers, "Oh, early last week. Her car hit a pothole and it messed up the wheel. She had it towed to her dealer. After, she called to see if I could give her a ride to work."

Steve can feel Javi bristling in the backseat, so he turns and shoots his friend a glance. "I take it she didn't mention it?"

Features hardening, Javi tucks his chin against his chest and leans back, but his shoulders are squared with tension, even as he tries to obfuscate, "It must've not been too serious—"

Unaware of the unease the other man is trying to bottle up, Kike beeps the horn at a rude driver before zooming around him, managing to multitask and cut in, "She said the hit was so hard that the tire came off. Luckily she wasn't on the autopista when it happened. The potholes in town are no joke."

"Shit. Was she ok?" Steve asks before Javi silently spirals in the backseat. "Well, she must've been—"

"Oh yes!" Kike assures, navigating the SUV down the intersection with confidence now that the main pockets of traffic have been traversed. "She was mostly worried about how it happened when she was very busy."

Before Javier let's his emotions swirl up, the rational side of him cleaves through with reasonable observations. Well she was busy, and then sick, and you were away so she likely didn't want to make you worry. It must've not been really bad, since her car is already fixed…

"She's clearly fine, Jav. Especially after nursing your overgrown ass back to health," Steve razzes, snapping Javi out of his internal ruminating. "Lord knows she's a saint for putting up with your shit. Even if you are a reformed and sweet-talkin' asshole now."

Giving him a snarky deadpan, Javi drawls, "Damn straight I am, and you better never motherfucking forget it, pendejo."

Kike chuckles at the exchange, always thoroughly amused by the frat-like banter between the two senior agents.

As they traverse the gated neighborhood and the SUV cruises down the street in order to drop off Javi first – prolonging the witty trash-talking session – a short while later, the rookie officer rounds the vehicle into a U-turn on the street in order to pull along the curb up to the blue-and-white bungalow.

"—I'm going to take her out for a nice dinner, as a matter of fact."

"With or without the kids?"

"I'm getting a babysitter—"

"You should, then you should romance her, for once. Try to remind her why she married your ass in the first place—"

"She remembers just fine, bud. What you need to worry about is finally getting your shit together and making Celina your wife already—"

"Sonuvabitch, you're fucking relentless—"

"Because I'm right and you know it—"

"And you know I'm working on it!" Javi scoffs wryly before patting Kike on the shoulder. "Thanks for being there for her. I really appreciate it."

"No thank you needed, sir! Siempre a la órden," Kike exclaims jovially before putting the car in park so Javier can slide over to the door nearest the curb.

"Say 'hi' to Celina for me, puto," Steve cheerfully rasps.

"Give my love to Connie and the girls, hillbilly," Javi counters glibly right back before wishing Kike a good night and exiting the car.

As the SUV drives off to Steve's, Javier strides up the sidewalk towards his driveway, where your car is parked right behind his in the open-air garage. He can't help round the sleek sedan, scanning it to see if there was any remnant of damage from the accident, but finding none under the early evening light. Grunting, he lopes to the garage door entry and let's himself in with his key.

"Is that you, Javi?" you call out from the bedroom.

"Yeah," he calls back before coughing, clearing his throat and absently twirling the keys in his hand while already striding through the laundry room, tugging the knot loose on his necktie as he treks across the living room.

When he comes into his bedroom, he finds you in semi-undress.

You'd just been stripping your blouse when you heard him come in, having fussed with rolling the portable TV out of the way to be tucked into the recessed corner by the window on your side of the bed. And now you were shedding the sateen tank underneath to place it onto the dry-cleaning pile just when Javier walked in, so you were in just your white lace bra, navy blue trousers and kitten heels.

"Hey," you greet as you flounce over and kiss him hello.

He smiles and tows you closer when you attempt to waltz off to the laundry basket sitting on the bed. "When you get home, hm?"

Smirking, you loop your hands around his nape and slink up against him, smelling the cologne on his skin and the sweet smell of the nicotine gum on his breath. "Not long ago. Like ten minutes or so?"

"And you're already doing busy work," he points out amusedly, before nuzzling your jaw.

"No, I just took out the load that was left in the dryer from last night," you reply while trying not to swoon at his lips grazing down your neck. "I-I forgot to take the dry-cleaning to get dropped off, so I was pulling them together—"

"Leave it. We're having a lazy weekend now, remember?" is his honeyed baritone rumble before he kisses a path back up your neck, leaving ticklish goosebumps thanks to his moustache in his wake.

"I do, b-but I just wanted to tidy up before I started dinner," you sigh dreamily as you practically melt in his arms from how he suckles that erogenous pulse point just below your jaw.

"Let's go out for dinner," he suggests in a low baritone that makes your toes curl. "Mmm, we had these great Cuban sandwiches for lunch from a place on the Roosevelt. You in the mood for anything specific?"

You know he's buttering you up with sexy kisses and caresses, so you nudge your temple against his cheek in a playful show of dominance before encircling his waist and leaning into him. "I could go for Cuban, actually. It's been a while since I've had congrí," you purr before pulling away to coquettishly finish stripping out of your work clothes, adding over your shoulder, "I'll put something on and we can go to a place I know."

Grunting in agreement, Javi leers as you slip your heels off before shimmying out of the fitted trousers while he distractedly empties out his pockets and sets his keys on the dresser. He ogles your bare skin while shedding his blazer, fantasizing of all the things he'd love to do to you after stripping you out of your undergarments.

Picking out a pretty yellow gingham dress from the closet, quickly pulling it on and fastening the front buttons, you slip on the closest pair of open toe leather sandals you have before snickering knowingly over your shoulder, "You better hop to it, guapetón."

He snorts and picks up the pace of changing out of his work clothes, smirking when you breeze by him and pat his tush on the way to the bathroom to brush out your hair.

Soon, you're both walking down the driveway to your car, getting in and backing out onto the street. As you drive, he asks you about your day, and you tell him about the proposed gala, unaware he's paying attention to how the vehicle handles to see if he can gauge any issues with it. When you're pulling into the parking lot tucked behind the Cuban cuisine establishment on the corner of the intersection across from the city park a short while later, he's weighing his options whether to just come out and ask you about it.

But then he admonishes himself for worrying to begin with, so he reconsiders asking, for the time being.

After you've parked, Javi rounds to your side to open your door and help you out, which you still find charming and chivalrous. And with his hand to the small of your back, he escorts you around to the front entrance and takes your lead when the hostess greets you and you ask to sit on the outside terrace.

Once seated, Javi admires the pretty hanging flower pots and decorative planters that keep the terrace cozy and cool under the early twilight. Across the way is a grassy lot that looked like was used during the day for a food truck spot, and there were a few stray cats hanging out in the shade of the building.

You strategically sit adjacent Javi instead of across from him so you could lean over and reach him easily for kisses, which he's more than content to shower you with. When your waiter takes your orders and returns shortly with your drinks, you take a nice long sip from yours.

Smirking, Javi croons, "I guess there's no better place to get a Cuba Libre than at an authentic Cuban spot, hm?"

Sighing contentedly, you nod and simper, "That is correct, agente."

He chuckles and sips his own whiskey while reaching under the table to affectionately squeeze your knee. "So, besides helping organize the feds to get in on another ritzy party, how else did the rest of your day go?" is his quipping question.

Scoffing, you sneer goofily, "Hey! I did no such thing. And anyway, it's always good for the locals and the feds to find camaraderie somehow." At his wry grunt and lopsided smirk, you roll your eyes and yield, "And, any excuse for a party is something they tend to jump at here. But at least it was a decent distraction from the busy-work I did most of the day."

Swirling the amber liquid in his glass idly, Javi asks, "That upgrade program you were telling me about?"

"Yeah. All the leads had to do diagnostics of their designated sites. Going through it all to allocate the hours and funding for the upgrading has been a pain," you respond and brush the few stray strands that fluttered up across your cheek from the soft breeze wafting through the terrace. "Eventually, I'll have to make a trip out to St. Thomas to help the team lead there—"

You pause when the waiter returns with your meals, and you both thank him before you place your napkin in your lap and wish Javier a 'Buen Provecho' as you're eagerly taking a bite.

"Buen Provecho," he offers back before digging into his arroz con pollo and carne con papas. "So, you were saying something about a trip?"

"Ah, yes – to St. Thomas. Things have been so hectic I haven't had much time to plan for it," you reply smoothly before eating the tender sliver of pernil with gusto along with your forkful of rice.

"Speaking of hectic, Kike mentioned you had an issue with the car last week?" Javi remarks in a casual tone, knowing not to fish too obviously.

Internally groaning, you realize you should've expected the young officer to mention it to Javier, so you dramatically sigh as you admit, "Yes, I was driving to work after an early appointment in town and I hit the mother of all potholes after an intersection. I had just gotten the car serviced, remember? So it looks like they didn't tighten the bolts or something well enough on one of the tires and it went flying after hitting that pothole."

Javi balks, "Jesus Christ, what kind of a fuck-up was in charge and didn't check to make sure—"

Your hand clasps at his forearm reassuringly as you rush out before he can get worked up, "Mistakes happen. I'm just glad it was fixable and no one got hurt. Don't get all ornery about it, babe."

He huffs out of his nose and scowls, but at your irreverent look and patting of his forearm for him to loosen up, he grunts laconically, "You didn't mention it."

"Javier, you were busy! I didn't want to tell you while you were away. You were stressed out enough, so I didn't want that looming in the back of your mind, making you worry when there wasn't anything you could do anyway," you insist, adding, "And with everything going on this week, it kind of fell off the list of things that were front of mind."

Knowing you had a point, he relents with a nod, "You're right," and continues eating.

You enjoy the validation of being told you're right by your typically stubborn lover, so you smile around your next bite.

"How's the field office coming along?" you ask him after you've sipped your drink.

"It's finally up, and all the field agents are working out of there now. We got Segarra posted there. Steve and me will rotate being there and at our clerical office in the Federal building," he explains before taking another healthy forkful into his mouth.

"Good. And did CBP help you guys with what you needed?" is your next query as you scoop your next bite of congrí up.

"…We got some leads, but I honestly don't know if it'll amount to much. I just have this inkling that no one is really close to cracking things at all. Just treading water," he answers you candidly, giving you a one-shouldered shrug as he adds, "But then I'm used to having a clear target, and that's not how things are here, so far."

You hum at that as you chew. Once you've swallowed, you dab your lips before remarking, "Well, I'm selfishly glad you're not going to be personally in the field anymore, and that you and Steve have a team down here that is capable of all that—"

"I wasn't in the field during the Cali case," he muses, and at your sarcastic stare, he modifies, "Not as much as I'd been on previous cases, anyway."

"Javi, are you trying to forewarn me here that you're going to go on raids and extract informants personally again?" you imperiously deride as you cross your arms and lean back in your chair, gaze sharpening on his expression.

"No, I was just clarifying that I wasn't in the field much during Cali, is all. And I don't plan on being in the field at all this time around," he assures as smoothly as possible, and at your unconvinced stare, he takes your hand and squeezes it. "It's different this time, querida. The way we're structured down here? I have plenty of senior agents who know what they're doing, and all I gotta do is help cut through red tape, schmooze the local government, and coordinate the inter-agency ops, when needed," is his confident reassurance, adding sardonically, "Plus, I'm too old for chasing fuckers across rooftops and down balconies. I'm more than content to oversee the investigation and make decisions over being in the field."

Your eyes twinkle in the waning daylight as you tilt your face towards him with a coy smile. "Are you sure?" you find yourself asking, and at Javi's curious look, you give his fingers a squeeze before folding your hands into your lap, wringing them together as you're elaborating, "I've been thinking about it. You always preferred to be out front. Sitting back and relaxing in your position of authority drove you stir-crazy. I—I guess I'm just worried that you won't be able to keep yourself from getting invested. No matter how much you don't plan to or even want to."

His features etch soberly at your words. Leaning forward, he murmurs, "I meant what I said, mi amor. All the chasing – the frantic hunting for pinche asesinos is over for me. I always felt like it would only count if I was the one to nail them, but what you said? About things not going down the way I dictate or believe they should? It stuck with me, for a long time. I realized my priorities were, well, fucked up."

Surprised to hear this, you ask, "What do you mean?"

With a cleansing breath, he utters his answer with unwavering certainty.

"I wanted my life – what I did with it – to matter, and getting justice consumed all my priorities. But it wasn't until I brought it all down and ended up feeling no different – that nothing had changed but me, that I realized I had it all wrong and had lost myself to it. I don't ever want to end up there again."

He finds it liberating when it comes out of his mouth. It was a burden he didn't know he was holding onto until it was said.

"Oh, Javi," you murmur and lean close to brush your hand lovingly over his cheek. His dark, soulful eyes are gentle, and your heart aches as you whisper, "I'm sorry for ever making you doubt yourself—"

Javi gathers your hand in both of his and tells you decisively, "You didn't, cariño. What you said was a wakeup call. You made me doubt what I was doing, and why. Having to sit with that and work through it was something I'd avoided. But once I did, I realized what mattered to me was making a life, and doing the best I can to make it a good one I can be proud of."

Your features blossom into open admiration, making it easy for him to cup your cheek and brush a covetous kiss to your lips before he stares into your eyes and declares, "I want to make a life with you. And that matters to me more than anything else."

The emotion that wells up in your chest at his words steals your breath, making you want to express it the only way you can.

You scootch out of your seat so you can kiss Javier passionately before hugging him tight.

He pulls you to sit on his thigh so he can easily hold you to him, feeling relief and pride radiate through him as you nuzzle his neck. His hand cradles the back of your neck when lean back to gaze lovingly at him, and his heart skips when your eyes shine with devotion at him. Then, as if the world around you came back into focus, you girlishly slink back into your chair when you remember yourself and your surroundings.

With a sweet smile, he winks at your sheepish exhale when another dining group comes onto the terrace to sit at a larger table across from where you're both sat close to the veranda.

There was so much spinning up excitedly in your heart at his words, leaving your thoughts skipping along scenarios you both still needed to discuss and plan for, expectations you had yet to share, and desires unstated between you both. Just as you feel unsettled by thought of, What kind of life will he want to make together? You jolt at the sensation of something butting against your ankle.

You look down and realize one of the cats has come onto the terrace and is begging for food.

Javi watches you smile, then covertly glance around before shredding the rest of the roasted meat on your plate and piling the minced morsels on the floor for it.

"Come, gatito," you whisper to the orange cat, and watch it do just that, eagerly gobbling up the meat before scampering off back to its shady area on the other side of the veranda.

"That reminds me. You didn't get an annoying cat down here. How come?" is Javier's irreverent query as he nurses his drink.

Idly wiping your fingertips on your napkin, you tilt your head drolly at him as you retort, "My landlady didn't allow pets. And I didn't think it would be fair to have a cat, with how much I'd be working and traveling."

He hums, tempted to remark, 'Well when we move in together, it'll be a place we can have an inside-outside cat,' but decides against it. Instead, he muses, "Olivia has been trying to wear Steve down about getting a puppy. She didn't get one for Christmas, and got Isabel as a sister instead."

You laugh, delighted by the anecdote, and fall into banter about your now-comingled group of friends.

After sharing a flan de queso for dessert, Javier pays the tab and escorts you to the parking lot, holding your hand as you cross towards the car. He opens the passenger door for you, and you amusedly hand him your keys when he gets in on the driver's side. As he navigates out to the main intersection en route for home, you fiddle with the radio before setting it on the Magic 97.3 station, and smile as the late 80's single plays.

Snickering, he steers the wheel with one hand while he props the other behind your head rest. "We gotta go out dancing soon. When're you gonna show me the nightlife scene here, eh, dancing queen?" is his playful croon, winking at you when you give him a coquettish smirk.

"Well, that gala sounds like it'll have music and dancing. And if that's not enough, I'm up for dancing anything you want, anywhere," you flirt right back.

Pursing his full lips intriguingly, he drawls, "Square dancing?"

You snort, comically rolling your eyes as you lilt, "Ok, fine, maybe not anything. But salsa, merengue, bachata, cumbia, vallenato—"

"Lambada, perreo," he continues impishly, giving you that teasing, smoldering glance before bouncing his eyebrows suggestively.

You snicker and squeeze his jean-clad thigh, razzing, "Alright, fresco. Whatever one you're up for, I'll gladly be your dance partner."

"Good. But tonight? We're rollin' around the sheets," he cockily declares, grinning when you girlishly laugh.

You're gleeful that he's true to his word once you both get home.

It's actually a breezy night out, so you're happily cranking the bedroom windows all the way open when Javi walks in from locking up. He surprises you when you turn back from slipping off your sandals into the closet and are unfastening the first three buttons of your dress.

Encircling your waist, he holds you close while taking over unbuttoning your dress open for you while rocking you in a slow waltz-like sway. Titillated, you lean into his broad frame and nuzzle his jaw, caressing your hands up his back and smiling into his yearning kiss.

Your soft perfume and warm skin have a shiver skittering through him as you let his hands maneuver the dress off your torso and pool at your feet while his mouth sets a worshipful path along your flushing features and jaw. Sighing wistfully, you bury your fingers in the back of his hair when he trails his lips covetously down the column of your neck while his hands unclasp your bra.

"Mmm, you need to strip too, you know," you dreamily chime when you shed your bra and tug naughtily on the front of his caramel-colored button down before plucking the first few buttons open.

Scoffing ruggedly, he showily kicks his boots off and unbuckles his belt while giving you a molten look. "I'm trying to pace myself," is his husky murmur as he pauses in unzipping his jeans to let you tug his shirt's hem loose and resume unbuttoning it for him.

"No one told you to pace yourself, chulito," you tease in a sultry purr as you push his shirt off of his shoulders and pluck his jeans open before unzipping his fly.

It turns him on the way you sensually stare up at him through your lashes while shoving his jeans down before kissing along his bare chest.

Making short work of kicking them off his legs, Javier whisks you up against him and takes you to bed, where you both peel the clothes left between you off and amorously kiss and caress each other until you're salaciously fooling around.

The ceiling fan undulates the cool air over your heated forms as Javi rolls you under him while you cling to his body and giggle effervescently from his mustachioed kisses to your collar while he fidgets from your ticklish touch along his sides.

You're both content to canoodle and tease each other with nuzzles and caresses while your hips carve into each other, prolonging the delicious foreplay out while making desire stoke swelteringly where his arousal and yours press up.

Rolling to straddle him, you lusciously capture his lips with yours while gliding your palm to grind the underside of his cock along the silken heat of your cunt, relishing his groan and how his grip on your hips becomes possessive.

Breaking the kiss and nudging your nose into his cheek to get his obedience, you alluring whisper, "All I've wanted all day, is to make love with you, hermoso."

The lust in his dark eyes is scintillating as he husks, "Yeah?"

Humming sexily, you kiss him before susurrating against his panting lips, "Yes."

Javier rolls so you're on your back and he can nestle his ramrod erection into your clenching heat after hiking your leg over his hip just as he rocks forward.

You moan and arch up into him, and end up snickering breathlessly when he swears huffily, "Mmph, love, not fucking."

"It's really sexy that you know the difference, bebito," is your cheeky lilt when he clearly is trying to rein in his lascivious libido. At his haughty stare, you simper, "It is!"

Huffing amusedly out of his nose and shaking his head, Javi cracks a lopsided smile before sighing hoarsely, "Luckily for you, I've wanted to love you up all day too," as he shifts so you're both lying on your sides, facing each other while he's still inside you.

Your smile is radiant when he works his hips in that exquisitely ruinous undulation that lights you up with pleasure, leading into the passionate kisses and salacious clutching of your bodies as ecstasy pulses through your center while he groans sweet filth and earns your breathy praise and supplications for more.

And when he seats the pad of his thumb against the hood of your clit and grinds delectable pressure into it while stroking his throbbing cock deep inside your sheath, you cry out a rapturous sound and dig your fingertips into his lats, toes curling in bliss as you reach climax. Javi prolongs it by swirling circles over your pleasure point while thrusting at that angle that has him brushing against the bundle of nerves nestled where you can't reach, relishing your whimpers and mewls as you dissolve under him.

He nudges a gloating kiss into your cheek and keeps nuzzling you impishly when you sigh and smile dazedly at him before petting his brow and cupping the side of his neck lovingly as you wrap your legs around his waist and pull him down to meet your insatiable kiss.

Shifting you both so he's on his back, you take the reins of the lovemaking by grinding down on his cock and clenching your floor muscles around it while showering kisses along his cheeks, brow, jaw and neck. Your hands are braced to his chest, keeping him pinned to lie back and let you untangle the lascivious urge loose from his core as you ride him the way he loves. The sexy sight of you – skin dewy and warm, breasts bouncing from how hard and fast you're fucking yourself on him, features rapt with ecstasy while your gaze remains fixed on his – is the thing of Javi's dreams, and when your mouth falls open on a whine of his name, it's what sears him through with his release.

His gruff moan catches in his chest when you mewl and curl into him, reaching bliss and writhing in the throes of sensational gratification together.

The enchanting glee of being ravished and full hits you like a wave as the post coital haze buzzes through you. It isn't until you've melted back into yourself that you realize Javi has rolled you onto your back and is pulling out of your tingling heat.

Quivering, you whine for him to stay in bed, thinking he's going to go retrieve a washcloth. Instead, Javi hushes you with a possessive kiss that has his tongue marking its territory in your mouth before he maps a salacious path with it down your neck, the valley of your breasts, the line of your stomach and the crest of your sex.

With the flat of his tongue, he gives you gentle aftercare, careful not to lick or nuzzle your tender pussy too eagerly that would overstimulate and hurt you.

"Oh, Javi…" you hiccup airily before shivering from him blowing cool air over your scorching center before he hums and brushes a soft kiss to your womb.

His eyes gleam with contentment when he stares down at you, so you reach for him and lure him to lie on top of you, held in your arms.

Javi feels serenity fill him as your hand brushes over his hair while he rests his head on your chest, content to stay like this with you forever, if it were possible.

You feel him relax in your embrace and let out a sated exhale, the warmth of his breath puffing against your breast seeming to be a tired one, so you don't expect him to mumble in a honeyed purr, "Te quiero, mi amor."

Feeling elated, you continue to run your fingers through his hair soothingly as you whisper, "Te amo con todo mi corazón, Javier."

It's the greatest way to fall asleep – being told you love him with all your heart, while held in your arms.

So much so, Javi sleeps soundly through the night, and would've slept long into the late morning if not for the sound of loud revving of a car engine out on the street in front of the house.

Startling awake, Javi shifts up in bed and finds he's alone. Concerned, he clambers out from the rumpled covers and retrieves a pair of sweatpants from the dresser before hastily yanking them on.

"¿Querida?" he calls out as he peeks into the bathroom and finds it empty before walking out through the hallway door towards the main living space.

As he approaches the laundry room's entry, he realizes the loud car engine is coming from a vehicle idling in front of his driveway, so he goes out to see what's going on – and finds a mint-blue Bronco beach cruiser parked at the curb, with you in the driver's seat.

You beep the horn with a spritely smile before sitting up on your knees in the seat so you can shout, "Ready for a beach day, stud?"

Incredulous, he pads over barefoot down the cement drive to the sidewalk when you shut the engine off and retrieve shopping bags from the backseat. He sees you're wearing a halter top-styled peach cover-up dress and watermelon-colored two-piece bikini underneath it.

"Where'd you get this from?" he asks, holding the car door open for you so you can hop out with the bags.

"I rented it," you declare brightly before handing him the bags. "Now, these are for you, so go inside and change," is your wily command before cupping his cheek and kissing his stupefied expression off his handsome face.

Pinching his waist affectionately, you nudge Javi along back up the driveway and into the house while he peeks into the shopping bags and finds several swim trunks, flip flops, and beach shirts – all of which looked like would fit him perfectly.

"What the—I thought you wanted to spend a lazy weekend in?" Javi chuckles as you both make it into the living room.

"Well, I woke up early, and watched the news while I folded the laundry, and they said it's supposed to be a balmy, sunny day," you retort as you follow him into the bedroom, adding, "So I thought it'd be a good excuse to go for a nice seashore excursion. I can't believe you didn't have any bathing suits!"

He laughs, then coughs before answering, "I probably haven't worn one since swim team in high school, guapita."

"Alright, pick one, put it on, and let's go!" is your wily exclamation as you change your own sandals for white hibiscus-patterned flip flops you pulled from the bag.

A short while later and Javier is locking up the door before following you to the beach cruiser, rounding it to get in on the passenger's side after your climb into the driver's seat.

"—Do we need to stop anywhere?" he's asking as you turn the car on. "Any beach snacks? Towels?"

"Ah, I got a cooler filled up already, and I thought we could stop at kioskos for snacks while on the way," you tell him as you reach into the space behind your seat and pull out the lovely beach tote Javier surprised you with. "And, I got the beach towels and necessities packed in here already. So, ready to head out?" is your spunky query, winking at him.

Sitting in the seat next to you, in the light blue beach shirt and navy swim shorts, Javi smirks proudly at your dazzling smile.

"Fuckin' A, I am, bravita. Lead the way."

It's been such a long time since you both spent the day out together, that you're each appreciating every single moment while on the road, at the kiosko pit stops, and even in the stop-and-go traffic on the beach route off of the highway. The sun is out, the breeze is cool, the radio plays the pop station crisply, and the frituras are delicious as you both cruise down the northeast coast of the island, all while you and Javi laugh and banter about.

The scenery becomes more and more lush, tropical, and rural the further you cruise towards the hidden gem of a beach you're telling Javi about, wind in your hair and excitement filling your eyes as you gush, "We're gonna have a bit of a trek on foot, but I promise it's going to be worth it."

"I trust you. I'm just surprised anything is secret, with tourism being as big as it is here," he remarks good-naturedly.

"Ah, true. But there are so many little nooks along the shoreline and people tend to go to the bigger, well-known beaches across the island. My father loved exploring secluded spots, and when I was little, he'd take us to the hidden beaches he'd found growing up," is your exuberant explanation as you pull off the rural backroad onto a rough-trodden path.

Javi is impressed with your knowledge and navigation skills as you steer the beach cruiser over the terrain until you hit a slight hill that flanks a thicket on one side and more lush trees on the other. Maneuvering the vehicle around so it's already pointing back the way you drove in from, you park and put the brake on before reaching in the backseat for the tote. While you do so, Javi gets out and goes to the trunk to grab the little red cooler.

"Ok, it's gonna be about a 10 minute walk this way," you're telling him after you get out of the car and round it to the lush tree line, smiling when Javi chivalrously takes your hand and helps you step around a mucky spot that's in the path.

"You know, this kind of reminds me of that time, in Cartagena," he rumbles ruggedly while you both walk side-by-side, holding hands through the hidden footpath.

"That was just as naughty as this. Even naughtier, even," you snicker and squeeze his hand goofily.

"Shit, is this illegal?" he laconically grumbles, quickly glancing around to see if there are any 'Do not trespass' signs around, posted somewhere amongst the foliage.

"There's no such thing as illegal access to a beach, silly," you tell him, and Javi is about to point out how that doesn't answer his question, when you quickly add, "It would only be illegal if this was a naval-restricted zone, and it isn't. It's naughty because we're going to have the beach all to ourselves, which feels kinda wrong."

Grunting, he rasps, "We could've gone to a regular beach, you know. I was only teasing about lounging on a secret playa just the two of us—"

"Hey, I promised you a seashore adventure, so quit being a modest suavón," you heckle irreverently and tug him along to follow you down a veer in the path.

He chuckles, and decides to do just that, and soon enough you're both stepping around some tall, thick-leafed, cactus-like bushes between a smattering of palm trees to emerge onto the secluded beach shore that looks out on a crescent-shaped cove of turquoise, rolling waves beyond the warm, tan sands. The breeze is placidly swaying the foliage and the cawing of birds in the sunny sky add to the picturesque ambiance of the water lapping up along the coastline.

"Holy shit," Javi gapes, in awe of the beautiful seaside oasis.

Exuberantly, you tug him by his hand along towards the nice spot on the soft tan sands of beach under a shady canopy of palms, telling him, "Watch your step."

Maneuvering over some fallen palm trunks and husks, you both make quick work of staking a favorable spot.

The beach blanket is a big square Javi pins from flopping in the breeze with the red cooler and your tote at the strategic corners, and once you've both gotten down to your swimsuits and folded your clothes to stay warm in the sunny corner of it, you pull out some towels and Javi unrolls them over the blanket while you rifle through the tote.

As you do so, you coquettishly cajole him into sitting with, "C'mon, we have to wait a while before swimming," smiling when he does so before casually reclining back with his arms propped backwards.

His broad shoulders are relaxed as he stares out at the tropical water, making for a delicious sight as you distractedly retrieve the sunscreen from your tote. This hunk is all mine.

With delight, you dutifully rub sunscreen into his shoulders and back, and intend to put the lotion on your own arms and shoulders when Javi plucks the bottle from your hand and has you crawl over to sit in front of him on the towel that he'd draped down for you.

"You know, I could get used to this," Javi muses as he massages the sunscreen into your back, mindful of the bikini straps in his way. When you hum curiously, he elaborates, "Enjoying the sun and sand, staring out at the waves, lounging around with you. Going on getaways together."

"Is that so?" you singsong as you turn and smile at him over your shoulder. At his cocky smirk, you turn completely around so you can lean forward and purr teasingly, "So my plan to romance you into loving island life is working, hm?"

The way the sun catches in his dark brown eyes have them shining like copper when he grins brilliantly and leans back on his elbows so you have to loom over him sexily. "As if it took any real effort. I really like it here, preciosa," is his debonair murmur as he reaches up to tuck some rogue strands of hair behind your ear. "And, I really like my view right now."

You prop your stance with your arms draping around his shoulders and lean closer so you can kiss him tenderly on the lips, before lilting, "Good. I want this to be a place that feels like home."

The way your eyes shone with dazzling delight while the sun's rays frame you, making him feel punch-drunk, bewitch him for a second, so he's disarmed when you suddenly ruffle his hair daringly before hopping up and running down to the shore while shouting over your shoulder, "Now come catch me if you can, special agent guapito!"

Scoffing comically, Javier scrambles up and runs over the hot sand to go in after you.

The afternoon is filled with you both swimming and splashing each other, goofing around and floating in the shallows while the waves lap warmly at the surface, and canoodling buoyantly while you cling to him as you chat and he treads water for you both.

Once you're each tuckered out by the waves, you'd headed back to the beach blanket, toweled off, and lounged together under the sun, laying over your towel while you let the warm rays dry you. He retrieves beverages from the cooler for you both to enjoy while relaxing on post-swim-tired muscles.

Javi's sipping from the ice-cold can of Medalla while you set your soda aside so you can untie the straps of your bikini top before laying out on your stomach.

Staring at the expanse of naked skin exposed to the hot sun now, Javi asks, "You want me to get your back?"

"No, that's ok. I just want to even out so I don't have tan lines," you reply as you fold your arms down and rest with your head pillowed by your pile of clothes.

He hums, and you feel him shift from the spot he'd been sat, before there's a light tug on the strings of one hip on your bikini bottoms. "You forgot about these tan lines," is his rugged drawl as he unties the other hip's strings.

You giggle before sitting up on your folded arms and sassily chastising, "Only you see those tan lines, fresco. So I wasn't planning on going Blue Lagoon out here—!"

"Never saw it," Javi drolly retorts, earning your comical scoff. He mischievously continues, "You said this is a secluded spot, so…" and deliberately tugs the undone bikini bottom off of you.

Laughing, you reply, "Well, the nearest community from here is over a mile away, and the fisherman don't tend to come this way," and roll sidelong to give him a sultry look as you tease, "You really never saw that movie?"

"No way," he snickers, fanning his fingers along the curve of your buttocks to brush off the sand sticking to your cheeks. At your amused, albeit dubious hum, Javier concedes, "My cousins did, though, and talked about how cheesy it was. And, it just seemed weird to have such a young girl prancing around naked like that in a movie."

"Ah, good point," you chime before going to stretch out onto your back, as if you're not completely nude and under the warm rays of the sun. With your eyes closed, you relax and let out a cleansing sigh.

Despite his coaxing, Javi looks around to make sure no one is peeping from the trees at you before asking, "What's the movie about, again?" and resumes drinking from his beer can as he shuffles towards your sunbathing form.

You're basking in the warm heat of the sun and the tranquil breeze as you sense his form sidle close to you.

"It's about two kids who get shipwrecked on a deserted island in the South Pacific during the Victorian era. They grow up together, hit puberty, and start fooling around—"

He watches your breath hitch when his fingertips cooled by the condensation of the beer can skim teasingly along your lithe belly to brush off some clinging sand grains from your skin. "Ah, ok yeah, I remember Carla joking about that," he remarks smoothly while trailing his touch in lazy circles up your midriff towards your breasts, skimming a path up the valley of your sternum before tracing them along your collarbones. "Don't they start fucking like animals in heat?"

It's taking everything in you to keep your eyes closed and not sit up and pounce on him right now, especially when his touch skims back down to map your left areola before he pinches your nipple. Biting back a gasp, you answer tightly, "Y-Yes, and then she gets pregnant but they don't know what's happening to her because they never got the birds and the bees talk."

With an intrigued hum, Javi admires your naked form, relishing how it looks under a sunny sky. The way your nipples hardened even with the heat of the sun keeping your skin warm and dewy. How your tummy tensed with excitement at his touch. You clench your thighs together now, and it draws his gaze to the chalice of your pelvis and the soft curls at your mound, so he swipes more condensation from his can onto his fingers and guides his cooled digits to trace at the heat between your thighs.

Your eyes open as you stifle a mewl and blush furiously under his handsome stare. "Does it have a happy ending?" is his cool query, while his fingers rub delicious pleasure into your now throbbing clitoris, making your cunt drip with need.

Not trusting your voice, you nod and bite your bottom lip as to not whimper too loudly, one hand gripping the towel underneath you while the other clutches at his elbow.

"Maybe we can find a deserted island and spend all our time fooling around," is his canela-roughened rumble in your ear as his fingers work to get you off.

Arching, your thighs clamp around his hand when you orgasm, hearty cry of, 'Javi!' getting muffled against the back of your palm while Javi watches you ride out the waves of pleasure, feeling content and accomplished.

The tingly bliss that settles in as you lay sated and naked under the sunshine fills you with splendor, making you sigh and stare up dreamily at Javier while he licks his fingers clean of your climax before using the edge of the towel to give you aftercare.

Pleased with himself, Javi was about to pick up his can to finish the beer, when you surprise him by taking it from him, draining it with one long drink, and then setting it aside before nudging him to lean back so you can straddle his hips as you slip your hands down the front of his swim trunks.

His erection is thick and throbbing in your palms, and Javi swears hotly before gripping your waist and hitching gruffly with warning, "Q-Querida, we shouldn't—"

"Shh, lay back and let me make love to you, sweet boy," you purr sensually at him before nuzzling his cheek and capturing his lips with yours.

Savage pride flares up in him at your words, so he obeys and lets you push his swim trunks down to free his rock-hard cock, and keeps his hands on your waist while you plunge yourself down on it with slow undulations that have your sheath squeezing and gripping around his length.

Truthfully, if anyone had come upon you and spied from the tree lines, neither of you would've noticed. Not with how fixated on each other's pleasure you both were.

It feels surreal. Being outside, under a tropical sky, the scent of salt, sunscreen, sweat and the heat of the sun above and the sand beneath the blanket mingled with the cool air from the sea and the sounds of untouched nature mixing with your comingled cries of pleasure. It's all a sensory overload. And the sight of you in your naked glory, rocking up and down on his throbbing arousal, is enthralling. You are intent on giving into the need you feel burning under his skin – in the desperate grip of his hands as they clutch your curves with every buck and roll of your hips over him.

Having this little moment of paradise with each other only stokes the blazing desire to quickly sweep up between you, and you can feel Javi's muscles begin to tense under your palms – see how lustrous and dark his eyes have gone with lust.

So, you mewl, "Dámelo, mi amor," as you start to ride him hard, the way you know drives him wild. "I want it, Javi—"

The world spins when Javi sits up and rolls so you're on your back while he looms over you and seats his thumb over the hood of your clit, grinding the thrumming pleasure point deftly and getting you there with him just as his cock starts to swell inside of you.

Your cry of ecstasy is pitched and airy as you come, walls fluttering around him just as he feels the tether of pleasure snap loose in his center. Rapt with delirious bliss, you watch Javi pull out of your drenched heat and stroke himself off to spill his release over your womb and taut tummy as he groans hoarsely from the dizzying effort of staying propped above you while his senses buzz.

When he curls down to sidle next to you with a husky, "Oh fuck," between panting breaths, you smile and cuddle close. "That…that was fucking hot, querida."

Letting out a pleased grunt, you absently trail your fingertips in the pearly essence he left on your skin, before lulling your head to nose into his neck and tut, "It's a naughty getaway. Of course it'd be hot, chulito."

He snorts at that and kisses on you dotingly before shimmying his trunks back up and using the damp towel he'd dried off with earlier to wipe up his cum, then swiping the terrycloth material between your thighs gingerly. You gorgeously smile up at him from heavy-lidded eyes and blushed features as he tends to you, so he kisses your cheek and whispers tenderly, "Wanna lounge for a bit?"

You nod, close your eyes and sigh whimsically, completely uncaring that you're still in the nude. Javi gives a cautionary glance around before laying on his side in a strategic way that allows his broad frame to keep you blocked from view before he stretches out next to you and rests his head on his folded arm.

Thanks to the sun moving in the sky, you both end up napping in the heat-kissed shade, lulled into relaxation by the sound of the waves and the rustling of the palms from the tropical breeze.

When he wakes a short while later, he ends up appreciatively staring at your placid expression. He wishes he could take a picture, and snickers at the thought of your appalled reaction of being snapped in the nude like this.

Your skin is warm as he drapes a towel over your form, which stirs you awake. And when you stare up at him with a sleepy smile, he leans down and kisses you tenderly on the lips before helping you sit up to cuddle into his side as you get your bearings.

Seeing the sun beginning to wane towards the horizon, you both decide to throw your clothes back on and pack up everything so you can make the trek back along the path to the car while it's still light out. You're both pleasantly tan and content as you walk through the lush greenery, and once you're back at the beach cruiser, Javi stores the cooler in the trunk and helps you climb up into the driver's seat before getting in on the passenger's side.

It feels wonderfully surreal that you got to spend the day with him like this, and the giddy contentment of it flutters up from your tummy as you drive and banter in flirty repartee – with every smile and laugh he lets loose.

After getting back to the metropolitan area, you drive to the rental shop, drop off the beach cruiser and get everything into your sedan before Javi chivalrously offers to drive you both home.

The sunset has already come and gone by the time he's pulling up into his driveway and parking behind his car.

Once you've both exited and tend to the beach items in your care, Javi stretches his back as he remarks, "Shit, I am beat."

"It was all the swimming against the waves," you reply while pulling out the blanket from the beach to shake it loose of any sand over the grassy side lot of the fenced in yard from the inside of the marquesina.

With the cooler in his hand, Javi shuts the trunk and rounds the car to walk up to the interior of the garage as you continue shaking out the towels of sand before following him up once he's unlocked the door.

Smugly, he drawls, "That, and all the sun. Not to mention the hot little number—"

His charming gloat becomes a grunt when you pat his tush for him to quit talking filth so you can take your tired self and mosey into the house.

"I'm going to run everything in the wash, so make sure to drop your trunks in too," you tell him with the blanket bundled in your arm and the beach tote on your shoulder, spritely look in your eyes teasing.

"Alright. I'll do that after I dump the ice out of this," is his baritone rumble as he holds the door open for you.

"Ok. I'll run the shower too once I'm done, if you wanna join?" is your flirty invitation as you prep the washer with everything from the beach day.

"Like you need to ask," he chuckles, pinching your side affectionately before loping down the hall towards the kitchen.

Smiling, you quickly set the machine on its cycle before retrieving your other belongings from the tote and taking it down to the bedroom. Once you've slipped them back into your purse and stored the beach tote on a shelf in the closet, you head to the bathroom to run the shower.

You'd just finished getting the eucalyptus stems down from the shower head to be set aside on the vanity, then started reaching behind yourself to undo the halter drawstring of your dress when you feel Javier come up behind you and caress his touch up your bare back before pulling the fastening loose for you.

His lips graze a teasing path from the back of your shoulder up the slope of your neck as he works the dress down your body to pool at your feet, earning a breathy giggle and for you to take his hands and loop his embrace around your waist.

It's then when he presses flush against you from behind that you feel he's already naked, so you snicker, "Did you strut in the buff through the house?"

"You said to put my swimsuit in the wash, mandona," he purrs puckishly into your ear as he starts herding you towards the shower stall. "C'mon, let's get the saltwater out of our hair."

You merrily oblige your brazen hunk, and soon are under the hot cascade, rinsing the soap and suds from your hair while Javi works his fingers through your waterlogged tresses for you.

"Mmm, your turn," is your blithe sigh as you turn and maneuver around him so he's facing the showerhead. His chuckle is warm as you lather the shampoo into his hair, so you deride, "What's so funny, chavón?"

"I just pictured how silly we probably look right now. With you on your tippy toes, washing my hair for me," is his humored retort, and he makes his point by standing on tiptoe so you have a hard time reaching the crown of his soapy curls.

Scoffing, you playfully swat his bicep and grunt for him to stop being silly. "Pórtate bien, fresco. Or else you're getting a spankin' before bedtime," is your saucy threat.

With an amused snort, he resumes letting you wash his hair, and ends up smirking into the showerhead's spray after you daringly nudge his head into the cascade.

Not to be outdone, Javi shifts carefully around and shakes the excess water logged in his thick hair to splash about, wetting your face and earning a squeal of laughter from you as you try to pinch his sides for him to stop.

"You dork!"

"You missed some suds, baby."

"You're incorrigible!"

"You love it, bravita."

With a haughty huff, you roll your eyes and slick his hair back from his forehead before pouting goofily and conceding, "Dammit, I do."

His laugh fills your chest with joy and makes you wrap your arms around his shoulders so you can kiss his cheek and nuzzle his jaw cutely.

He lets you put conditioner in his hair, but while you slather some into your own, he tries to stifle a yawn as he soaps himself up.

"Alright. My hair's gonna take a while, so you finish up and get the room ready for bed?" you suggest as you dutifully maneuver around again so he can face the cascade.

"Yes, patrona," is his crooning musing as he turns so the water can rain down on the crown of his head before washing down his shoulders and back. "Air on tonight?"

"Yeah," you retort and smile when he slicks the water back from his hair and cups your side so he can lean down and kiss your lips before shimmying by you to open the glass stall door.

"I'll lock up the house too," he remarks as he towels dry before wrapping the fluffy terrycloth around his waist and exiting through the bedroom door of the bathroom.

You're smitten as you luxuriate in the shower for a little longer, and after getting out and combing your hair, you day dream about all the fun spent at the beach with Javi. By the time you're finished blow drying your luscious hair, you are fantasizing about more little getaways with Javi. Driving up to el campo and having a picnic? Would he want to chinchorrear down to the western coast? Oh, maybe we could stay at a bed and breakfast on the beach in the south?

Whimsically thinking of all the possibilities, you hang up your towel and go into the bedroom, expecting to find Javier with a whiskey, lounging in bed while watching the evening news.

Instead, you find him passed out in bed, lying on his back with one arm draped over his stomach – TV remote in hand – and the other jammed behind the pillows his head was propped up against. He didn't even bother with boxers or sleep bottoms, instead looking like he sprawled out on the bed in his birthday suit and tossed the comforter over his lap before exhaustion took a hold of him. The air conditioner's ambient hum and the undulating current of cooled air clearly lulled him to sleep, and you can't help fawn at how peaceful he is in his well-earned slumber, albeit snoring with his mouth open.

You turn off the light of the bathroom before shutting the door and tiptoeing soundlessly to your side of the bed, where he'd left the lamplight on and had a nice glass of water waiting for you.

It makes your heart summersault in your chest. God, I love this man so much.

Slinking into bed with him, you turn off the lamp, gently grab the remote, and shut the TV before pulling the comforter up to cover you both.

With your head resting on his chest, you cuddle into him and melt when he shifts in his sleep so he can wrap his arm around your back and nuzzle the top of your hair. It feels like sheer bliss fills you up, and it's easy for you to relax and fall asleep, heart feeling full and settled.

You both spend Sunday in bed, with meals shared over the covers breaking up the moments of carnal delight underneath the covers.

By the time the work week begins, you're both refreshed, albeit suntanned, when you return to your hectic schedules.

Javier gets razzed by Steve for looking like he spent the weekend 'canoodling under the sun' with you, and he tells you about it while he makes dinner later that night.

Once midweek comes around, you're telling Javi about the barbecue plans for Saturday, and he passes it along to Steve the following morning while they're walking back to their office. Since work travel was over for the next few weeks, and everyone was finally recovered from the flu, you, Anita and Connie had agreed that it seemed like the perfect time to all get together and socialize around a grill in a shady backyard, with drinks and delicious dishes.

"That'll be nice. I'll get Connie to make her famous mac n'cheese, and I got my mom's succotash recipe," Steve volunteered to Javier, looking forward to unwinding over good food and drinks with Connie and other adults without chatter about work or reruns of Barney the Dinosaur for a change.

Making it to the end of the busy week, you don't even realize you've put all previous worries and stresses out of your mind completely. Instead, you're looking forward to asking Javi if he got the email invitation to the gala you'd mentioned the week prior.

After you both get home to his place, you go to his bedroom to get out of your work outfit while you eagerly tell him about the details for the ritzy shindig.

"—Oh, I don't use that thing. I have my admin or Segarra review messages and let me know."

"Ugh, really? You have a state-of-the-art laptop, Javier. Don't tell me you're gonna keep dodging using it—"

"Maybe I'd bother with it, after some tutoring from the sexy director who makes it look oh-so-easy to use—"

Exhaling dramatically to keep from laughing while you're unbuttoning your blouse, you prod, "So? Does that mean you weren't informed of the gala's details?"

Rolling up his shirt sleeves before plunking himself down on the bed, he knowingly asks, "You really wanna go to that?"

Pausing in undressing the rest of your work ensemble off, you frown. "You don't want to?"

"Oh, I do. I'm just surprised you want to go together. Making it public and all," is his smartass, albeit goading purr as he reclines on the bed with his hands folded behind his head. "We haven't told Mercer—"

Deciding two can play this instigating game, you scathe smoothly, "We haven't had a chance to, seeing as you're the one that's been busy and traveling."

Javi's lips snap shut into a pout, brows knitting together peevishly, because you are absolutely right.

"And anyway…we don't need his permission or blessing. Telling him would be a courtesy," you state charmingly as you finish stripping out of your fitted slacks, tossing them aside in the hamper with your matching blouse before going to the foot of the bed and crawling over to prowl towards him in only your black bra and panty set. His pout melts into that chiseled expression of want when you loom over him before plucking one of his shirt buttons undone as you chime, "That's if he hasn't heard any rumors already."

Humming, Javi sits up so he can tow you to lounge next to him as he pivots onto his hip.

You smirk coquettishly at him as he possessively caresses his hand along the curve of your derrière before grumbling, "The rumors from before, or are there ones about us being together now?"

"Well, definitely about us being secretly together back at the embassy. I'm actually not very sure if there are rumors about us being together currently," is your frank retort as you toy with undoing the rest of his shirt's buttons.

"I know one asshole who knows about us and doesn't care," Javi grouses in a surly tone, and at your curious hum, he huffs, "That Bozzi guy, the head of the FBI down here?"

Expecting you to tut and chastise him for being unjustifiably jealous, Javi's instead surprised when you scoff and ridicule, "Ugh, he is so insufferable! Is that why he's been laying it on so thick? Some macho bravado thing where he's trying to woo me or something?"

"…Wait. He's tried to flirt with you?" Javier growls, expression etching with aggravation.

You sigh, knowing he's going to get ornery now, but figure it was your own fault for even instigating the conversation. "Yes, but he's been overly friendly since I started working at the federal building," you tell him, seeing his nostrils flare crossly from his exhale as his temper starts to boil, so you quickly redirect, "Wait, how do you know he's onto us and doesn't care?"

Glowering, Javi admits, "That prick was overheard telling Vernon, from the ATF, that you'd caught his eye and he'd be trying to romance you. When Vernon told him you were already spoken for as far as he'd heard, Bozzi told him that there wasn't a ring on your finger so you were fair game…"

At hearing that, instead of being outraged, you burst into laughter. "What?! I'm "fair game"?! What a chauvinist," you heckle humorously and shake your head before noticing Javier's not amused. "Ay, Javi. You're really jealous over that fool?" is your sassy huff before you nudge his shoulder and bossily assure, "Quit being surly and listen! Now that I know he's flirting me up for sport and to be disrespectful of our relationship, I'll put him in his place the next time he tries to fish and banter."

Cracking a smile, Javi gruffly drawls, "It might be safer to just put a ring on your finger, guapita."

Mirthfully, you laugh – obviously not even reading much into the ring suggestion being anything more than repartee, and snicker with effervescent charm, "And miss out on the satisfaction of wiping that cocky smirk from his face?"

"I'd much rather be the one to do that, with my fist," he counters with a rugged baritone that makes a little thrill skitter up your spine, combined by his dark brewed eyes pinning you with a purposeful look. "Anyway…next time I'm in the federal building for the week, we'll go meet with Mercer."

Smiling, you fold your arms along his shoulders and lean into him as you purr, "Ok, gruñón. Sounds like a plan," before kissing him sultrily on the lips.

The next morning is spent running around doing errands before heading to your apartment after spending the whole week at Javier's. You both lug everything up from your carport spot and stop at the lobby so you can pick up any deliveries from your unit's mail slot, then head into the elevator together.

"—We don't have to spend the whole week at my place, babe. I just want to tend to things I neglected," you're telling him after the elevator doors open to your floor and you both exit with everything in hand.

"I'm fine with alternating. Plus with that gala at the end of next week, it'll be easier to go there from here," Javi is assuring as you unlock the door and enter your apartment.

You put the two grocery bags and stack of mail you were carrying onto the kitchen counter. "Yeah, it's going to be at El San Juan Hotel," you tell him as you start to put away the perishable items and leave out the ingredients for the food you'd be making to take over to the barbecue in the afternoon. Rounding the counter, you kick your shoes off next to the stool and pad barefoot over to play the messages left on your answering machine before going back to the kitchen to get the big pitcher you use to water your plants.

Javier dutifully carries the big bag of toiletries he bought at the grocery store so he didn't have to keep living out of his travel bag at your place, and lopes down the hall with it. His duffle is filled with new clothes to leave at your place in hung on his shoulder, and he's carefully carrying the dry-cleaning you picked up on the way over while balancing the shopping bag. He tosses the duffle onto the bed and shifts the bag in one arm as he's hanging the dry-cleaning up in the closet, all while listening to your answering machine play through the messages down the hall.

"—Mija, hope all is well. I should be home in a few weeks, but was hoping to check in and see how you're doing. Give me a call when you can," he hears your father's deep baritone voice echo from the living room, along with your musing sigh as you close the sliding door after watering your plants in order to go into the kitchen cabinet for the pots and pans that you'll need.

"You gonna call him back?" Javi calls out as he carries the bag into the bathroom in order to unpack the toiletries.

"When are you going to call your father, mister?" you razz right back, but he can hear the grin in your voice.

"Maybe tomorrow," Javi answers, smiling at your musing singsong of a hum as he opens the medicine cabinet and places his shaving cream, razor handle and replacement heads in, followed by his aftershave. "Probably call him in the evening, since he'll likely be coming back from Sunday dinner at my aunt's," is his remark as he continues storing his shampoo and soap on the rack in the shower stall, then goes to store his cologne and deodorant on the vanity before opening the small drawer next to the sink counter in order to place the set of clippers he'd bought to trim his moustache with, along with the second hair comb that came in the packaging with the main comb he'd just placed in the cylindrical holder with your hairbrush.

But then his attention pauses on the item that's already in the drawer, making all thoughts skid to a halt.

"That sounds nice. I might wait to call mine, though," you remark out loud after the answering machine starts playing the next message.

While it does so, and you listen to the caller hesitate before hanging up – which triggers you to remember the same thing had happened weeks ago, Javier is picking up the circular plastic case from the drawer before opening it to look at the birth control pill pack within.

His heart skips a beat and adrenaline races through his bloodstream at seeing the month supply of pills was intact, save for a week and two days' worth of pills missing; the plastic confines of which were popped empty. Javi wracks his brain, trying to remember the last time he saw you reach into your purse for your contraceptives, or whenever you'd taken one of the little rounded pills with a glass of water.

Dimly, he realizes that he cannot recall a single time seeing you take the pill since he'd been on the island.

"—Hola, nena. Call me when you get this. Rafa wants our help ring shopping for Naida! Let me know what day works for you. Llámame, bye!" Zoraida's voice chipperly directs from the answering machine, which makes you smile and disregard the message before it, and for you to ignore the telemarketer message that starts to play next while you start to prepare the dishes for the barbecue.

"Oh, I forgot to ask! Do you like your potato salad with mayonnaise, or without it?" you call out as you begin to peel the potatoes while the water pot heats on the burner.

Javier is so gob smacked by the discovery of the birth control case and his fruitless attempt to find a date or label that could answer when you stopped taking the pills that it takes his brain a moment to register your question.

"Uh, without! B-But, whatever you feel like making—"

"Ellis likes his with mayonnaise, so I'll just make two; one with, and one without," you assure as you run the sink tap to rinse the potatoes.

Javi nods vacantly, still staring at the birth control, as if the little, different shades of blue pills will reveal to him the answer. She hasn't been here in over a week, so at the very least…

He gulps, realizing that didn't mean you'd forgotten to take them. After all, you'd always kept the case in your purse. The fact it was in the sink vanity's drawer meant something very different.

"Did you find enough drawer space for your stuff?" your voice calls out from the kitchen, snapping Javier out of his ruminating to hurriedly return the birth control case back to the drawer and shut it soundlessly.

You do hear the sound of his footsteps moving in the back of the hall, as if from one room to another, so you deposit the potatoes in the boiling water before striding down to check on him.

"You need me to move anything?" is your query as you round into the doorway of your bedroom and find Javier sorting through his duffle, with a few items set into stacks on the bed already.

He clears his throat before replying, "No, no I think there's plenty of room still in the drawer."

Briskly walking towards your dresser, you open the top drawer and arrange a few items more neatly so there's more storage space. "Just go ahead and use any of the empty space in these to put your folded stuff, and leave any of your shirts on the chair so I can iron them later," is your jovial instruction as you grab a hair scrunchy and quickly twist your hair up into a bun so it's out of the way while you cook.

Javi grunts in acknowledgement and hurriedly dumps the rest of the items in his duffle onto the bed so he can duck out into the closet to store the bag before you turn and notice how addled he looks. "So what time are we going over?" he asks, weighing his options on whether to confront you about the birth control pills now, or later. Or should he bring it up at all? Should he wait for you to tell him what's going on?

"I figure as soon as the food is ready and I can pack it for the drive over? So, about an hour or so?" you reply as you go to open the windows in your bedroom to have the air flow increase and cool the space. "I just want to stop at Sweet Ann Cakes to pick up a tarta de frutas on the way. Oh! That reminds me, I have to call ahead for it," is your rushed remark as you run to grab the phone from the console in the living room and do just that.

Internally swearing, Javi decides he can't bring it up. Not before the barbecue. If at all today.

So, he stews about how to eventually broach the topic while he stores his clothes in the dresser, and his mind spins up with what ifs.

Maybe she's taking a different medication…Or she just takes it at a time I'm not around?

He gulps as the next thought barrels over them all.

What if she's just afraid to tell me…that because of everything that's happened between us, she's scared to tell me she's pregnant?

Just when he feels like he's going to gnaw a raw spot into the inside of his cheek from absently worrying it between his teeth, he hears your footfalls return from the hall.

"Oh, by the way, here."

Javi turns and is surprised to see a set of keys on a hibiscus-shaped keychain ring you hold up and dangle invitingly for him to take.

"Long overdue, especially since I got your house keys without your permission, technically," is your flirty musing, expression open and expectant for his wry comment.

That warm feeling that itches behind his breastbone has him proudly taking the keys before pulling you into his arms and kissing you amorously.

You kiss him with gusto before leaning back and snickering, "Mmm, quit wooing me! I got food on the stove," and affectionately squeezing his waist before rushing to sprint back down to the kitchen with, "Keep unpacking, guapetón."

He manages to keep his anxious thoughts guarded after that, easily maintaining them while you're busying yourself in the kitchen. Then, whilst he dutifully carries the packed dishes down to the car for you while you rush to finish getting ready, he focuses on feeling proud that you trust him enough to give him the keys to your place. It helps stopping his thoughts from getting preoccupied with the what ifs stampeding through his mind while he drives you to the cute artisanal bakery so you can hurry in and pick up the cake.

"Cooking three dishes should be more than enough for your barbecue contribution, no?" he can't help ask as you unfasten your seatbelt and shoulder your purse.

"It is, but I thought it'd be nice to have something for dessert," you chime lightly before leaning over the center console to kiss his cheek. "Be right back!"

He watches you stride up to the entrance, checking out your denim short-clad ass and the way your hair sways in the wind, black tunic top with red embroidery fluttering with your movements as you go into the shop, and he lets out the breath he didn't know he was holding.

You'd been looking forward to the gathering for weeks, and when you'd come down to the car in the flirty ensemble, wearing one of your favorite tunic tops? Happy and vibrantly chatting away? His stubborn will cemented his decision, so he internally insisted that he keep it all in check.

Fuck's sake. Do not ruin this day, you jackass.

The mantra is on loop in his head once you come back out with the cake, and the entire drive over to the suburban neighborhood Ellis and Anita live at.

It's a quiet suburb within walking distance of many of the parks in the area, and about twenty minutes west of Javier and Steve's gated neighborhood, and as you direct him down the avenue to turn into the main entrance, he wonders to himself if soon you'll both need to go house hunting for a bigger abode.

"There, that's their place. You can park right behind that car. That's Anita's, and I'm sure she's not going to be driving out," you point and tell him, balancing the boxed-up cake on your lap.

Doing as you directed, Javi quickly parks, turns the car off, and helps you retrieve the food from the backseat.

Anita's already opening the door and hustling out to help before you've both finished closing the car doors.

"Hey, guys! Hold on, let us help. Ellis! Come out and help with the food. Oh, is this the arroz con pollo?! I told you not to go through the trouble, Celina—!"

"Ah, stop. It's no trouble at all!" you convivially dismiss as you kiss her hello on the cheek.

"Score! You brought that delicious cake too?!" you hear Ellis cheer affably as he comes over and grabs one of the totes housing the two versions of potato salad before clapping Javier on the shoulder in greeting. "You spoil us."

"Nah, that's all her," Javi chuckles and nods towards you before kissing Anita hello on the cheek and grabbing the boxed cake from you chivalrously so he can carry it in for you.

You can't help check him out as he chats with Ellis and walks towards the entrance, loving how those blue 'fuck me' jeans sculpt to his ass and his long legs, and how the soft yellow button-down shirt clings to his broad shoulders while the sleeves hike up his muscular biceps.

Anita catches your eye and wiggles her brows knowingly at you, so you stifle a giggle and nudge her to walk ahead of you.

Once you're all inside the air-conditioned single-story home, Javier is offered a beer and ushered out to the back patio where the grill is and the adjacent sitting area where Anita's parents are. After you and Anita store the food to stay warm on the stove and put the cake box in the fridge, you go out and join the boys as Javier is politely shaking hands with Anita's folks.

After greeting them as well, you dramatically turn towards your friends. "And where is the cutie?" you inquire and make grabby hands, as if to say, 'I want to see the baby.'

"Oh, come inside. She's down for her nap," Anita cheerily replies and gestures for you and Javi to follow her. "Steve and Connie should be here soon with the kids. Do you think Olivia will like the swing set?"

"I guess we'll find out," Javi drawls irreverently as he puts his beer down on the patio table, cups your lower back and ushers you through the sliding door while you both follow your friend towards the side of the house with the bedrooms.

As you walk by a credenza that's against the wall across from the space between the living room and kitchen, you notice the big flower arrangement you'd let Ellis take for Valentine's was set behind some framed photos among the pretty artisan crafts from Colombia that decorated the table top.

"Wow, those flowers are pretty," you point out, admiring how many of the blooms from the original bouquet were still thriving.

"Aren't they so lovely!? Ellis surprised me with that arrangement for Valentine's Day," she practically swoons, smiling brightly as you expertly feign like it was the first time that you'd seen the lavish bouquet.

Javier realizes that is the arrangement that was sent to you anonymously at the office, and it makes his hackles rise, knowing someone was vying for your affection with such an ostentatious gift. But, before he can comment, he notices one of the picture frames houses a photo of you and another man, stood side-by-side under what looks like the crossing of a church – with the altar in the background, and an adorable looking baby dressed in white cradled in your arms.

"Who's that?" Javi finds himself asking as he points at the tall, dark-haired and blue-eyed attractive man.

Anita squints knowingly over at you while she answers, "Oh, that's Ellis' little brother, Trevor. He and Celina are Delilah's godparents."

"Hmph," Javi hums tactfully before grunting at your wry elbow to his side.

"No te pongas celoso, querido."

"He's got his arm around you, though."

"For the picture, obviously!"

Laughing, Anita assures, "Don't worry, Javi. Trevor was interested, but Celina turned him down—"

"Anita!" you exclaim admonishingly and scoff when she innocently shrugs.

Javi showily puts his arm around your shoulders and puckishly mutters, "See? I'm justified."

"Hush, chavón. You're holding up the tour," is your quippy lilt as you loop your arm around his waist and squeeze with mischievous affection.

Getting to the end of the hall and opening the door quietly, you both follow Anita into the darkened bedroom towards the baby's crib. Javi smiles warmly when you lean down and brush the wispy curls framing her ear, smitten with how your eyes fill with nothing but doting sweetness for the little one. It makes heat bristle in his apex and something fledgling quiver in his chest.

Cautiously exiting the bedroom to not stir the baby, you all walk back to the patio while you and Anita gush about how cute Delilah is.

"—She's finally sleeping better, which is a relief. Ellis wants to take her to Sears and get her pictures done, but I think she's still too small for all that," Anita is telling you both as you walk out to rejoin the others.

"Give it a month or two, and then she should be big enough to pose for a photoshoot!" Ellis insists affably as he hands Javier back his beer before tending to the grill while remarking, "Got about an hour on the drumsticks, but the ribs are almost ready. I got a few steaks we can throw on later, too."

The doorbell chimes from inside the house, so Anita rushes to answer the front door, and returns a few minutes later with the Murphys in tow.

"What, you running on Puerto Rican time now?" Javier can help razz as he sets his beer aside and says hello to Connie before pulling out a patio chair for her.

"Yeah, right. Isabel spilled a whole sippy cup's worth of juice all over herself right as we were getting her in the car seat," Steve laments while the baby in his arm happily tugs on the front of his red polo's collar.

Since he had the baby's carrier in his other hand, Connie was carrying the diaper bag and a tote with all the potluck dishes she'd made, while Olivia carried her latest favorite dolly.

"Aww. Well you made in just in time," you chime as you kiss Steve hello on the cheek and smile at the baby before greeting Connie in the same fashion.

Ellis greets them in turn before Anita helps divest them of the dishes and sets up a spot for the carrier while you and Javi introduce the Murphys to Anita's parents.

"Mami, can I go on the swing?" Olivia asks, big brown eyes pleading as Connie hurriedly tries to brush her hair from her face after placing the heavy diaper bag down on the patio chair for now.

"Have you said hello to everyone first?" is her motherly retort as she pulls her periwinkle blouse's hem down and smoothens out her light wash jean shorts from rolling up her thighs.

Dutifully, Olivia goes up to Javi and waves for him to lean down so she can kiss him on the cheek. "Hi!" and then scampers over to do the same with you before going to the other adults and waving hello. "Can you push me on the swing?" she asks Javi after scampering back towards him from placing her dolly on a patio chair.

"Sure thing," he warmly retorts before gesturing for you to come along as he offers, "I can push you both. As high as you want."

Snickering, you joke, "Only if I get to push you later."

"Fine by me," Javi drawls charismatically.

"Sit and take a load off, you two," Anita insists amiably to the Murphys, setting out the appetizers and refreshments for everyone to enjoy.

"I wish I had a swing set at home."

"I thought you liked going to the park?"

"I do, but I wish I had a swing set and a playhouse. Some of my friends at school have them in their backyard. Do you have a swing where you live, Celina?"

"I don't, so this is fun," you reply to the little girl as you both swing along while Javi pushes you both gently, at the same time.

While you three are at the swing set, you don't realize Connie has pulled Steve's camera out from the diaper bag and silently cajoled him to switch giving her Isabel for it so he can snap a few pictures of you three having fun.

Just as Anita and Ellis are answering questions about where they got the backyard set, the sudden sound of staticky crying filters over from the baby monitor they'd set out on one of the outdoor accent tables by the sliding door. Anita goes inside to check on the baby while Ellis keeps the conversation going.

"—Lucked out today. Just sunny and breezy. Perfect grillin' weather," is his musing, sipping from his beer before asking, "Oh, does Olivia like hot dogs? I have some I can throw on the grill."

"You hungry, Olivia?" Steve shouts over at the precocious girl who is swinging a little higher than he expected. "Take it easy, Jav!"

"What? She asked to go higher," Javier retorts while Olivia lets out a conspiratorial giggle.

"Javi, más suave," you amusedly tut at him, so he chivalrously guides Olivia's swing to slow its momentum a bit, before naughtily pushing you higher. "Javier!"

He laughs and quickly takes hold of your seat to help slow the momentum for you, and you have to try to look rueful instead of exhilarated when you turn and glower at him.

"Que malo eres," you snipe humorously under your breath as you leave the swing and pinch his arm lightly.

Olivia parrots, "Javi es malo."

Grinning, you triumphantly watch Javier pout as he litigates to the little girl, "No soy malo de verdad."

"Um, what's that mean?" she pipes as she hops down from the swing seat.

"He's just saying he's not really bad," you answer for him and lean up to kiss him on the cheek. "But he was being a silly brat."

"Hmph," he grumbles wordlessly and pulls a mock frown, which only makes Olivia laugh. "Alright, let's go have snacks."

The little girl marches over to the patio table to do just that, so you flirtatiously wink at Javi and hold your hand out for him. Smirking, he takes it, and you tow him down to join everyone around the table.

Anita emerges from the house with Delilah held in the crook of her arm while she swishes the bottle of baby formula. "Amá, can you take her for me? I want to make drinks for the girls," she asks of her mother.

"Let her madrina have some face time," you volunteer and go over so Anita can hand you the baby and bottle before you sit in the vacant chair adjacent Connie.

"I'll help you with the drinks," Anita's mother offers while she gestures for Javier to sit in her seat. "Do you want anything stronger than beer, you two?" she asks of him and Steve.

"I'm fine with a beer, thank you," Steve assures, and Javi seconds with a nod before reclaiming his own and drinking from it.

"Ellis, I'll grab the hot dogs from the fridge. You watch the grill," Anita's father remarks as he follows them into the house.

While Olivia enjoys the little cheese and crackers from the snack dish, the adults around her chatter conversationally.

As everyone talks about local events, Javi watches you from across the table while you listen and simultaneously feed Delilah her bottle.

Seeing you hold such a small baby, glancing down at her every so, and smiling? It makes something primal and nurturing bloom in his chest. The back of his neck gets hot when he glances over and realizes Steve's caught him staring at you, so he sits up straighter and drinks a long pull from his beer.

By the time the hot dogs are on the grill and the tray of frozen drinks has come out to the table, you're already burping the baby, gently patting her back while cradling her to your shoulder.

"Oop, 'scuse you," you mumble sweetly to the baby when she lets out a hiccup of a burp and yawns against your shoulder. When Anita sits next to you and slides over the frozen cocktail to you, you reluctantly hand Delilah back. "Dito, she's already sleepy."

"Yeah, but trust me – it won't last for long," Anita sighs as she rocks the baby in her arms. "I made you a daiquiri, but let me know if you'd prefer a margarita—"

"Ah, no way! No tequila drinks for me," you exclaim and shake your head before sipping from the fruity daiquiri.

"Are you allergic to tequila?" Connie asks before thanking Ellis for the plate of hotdogs she begins to dutifully cut into smaller morsels for Olivia.

"No, I don't think so, but the last time I had it, I got so sick, I couldn't get out of bed for almost two days," you explain, grimacing at the mere recall. "I swore to never have tequila again after that."

Cataloguing that in his personal record of knowledge about your likes and dislikes, Javier remarks coolly to the group, "She's a Cuba Libre gal, anyway."

"Hah, remember when the fellas at Mil Group used to call you Miss Cuba Libre?" Ellis chuckles as he rotates some of the drumsticks.

"Actually, that was you and Samson who came up with that," you counter aloofly before realizing you've mentioned the former field operations analyst in Javier's presence.

"What's a Cuba Libre?" Olivia pipes up before eating a piece of hotdog she's just dipped in ketchup.

"It's a tropical drink only for grown-ups," Javier answers as he steals a piece of hotdog from her plate, popping it in his mouth and chewing with gusto while he squints goofily at her.

You internally breathe a sigh of relief at Javi's unruffled demeanor.

Since there aren't enough seats around the patio table, you get up and offer yours to Ellis once the ribs are ready and he's serving them.

"I'm going to pace myself for the barbecue chicken," you tell him as you go sit on the swing.

Javier gets up from his seat, remarking, "And I'm leaving room for the steak," as he goes over to sit on the swing next to you, eyeing you charmingly as he croons, "Still up for pushing me?"

Snickering, you go to stand behind him, and with all your might, you push him by the center of his back to get the momentum forward to swing.

The swing set protests with squeaks the more Javi gains speed, and you can't help deride, "Uh oh, I think you exceed the size limit for this, chulito."

As he swings backwards, he deliberately leans back so he can taunt in a gravelly pitch, "Wouldn't be the first time, preciosa."

You laugh in that scandalized, yet tickled way he loves before swatting his shoulder and hissing conspiratorially, "No seas fresco."

Digging his boot heels into the soft grass, he stops swinging and sits on the seat before guiding you to move around in order to swoop you into sitting across his lap.

Holding you to him, he kisses your cheek, and whispers in your ear, "I'm already doing a lot to control myself, guapita. But you're making it very hard."

The apples of your cheeks heat up at the double entendre, especially when all your friends are not even ten feet away.

You turn your head and angelically smile before pecking him chastely on the lips. "Behave, or else you're getting punished when we get home," is your murmured whisper, seductive tone not matching your serene smile.

You stand and strut back to the table, leaving Javier to pine for you before going to join Ellis and Steve by the beer cooler.

Once the rib appetizer has been partaken in, Ellis gets back to the grill to work on the next round of meat while you go with Connie inside to help retrieve all the side dishes.

Taking the baby so Anita can help hand out plates and cutlery, Ellis holds her in the crook of his arm while Steve and Javi go to the cooler and crack open another round of beers for the men.

The breeze in the shady backyard has dissipated by the time Ellis is planning on throwing on the seasoned cuts of steak to the grill, and just as he's about to ask Anita to take the baby, she's come out with them on a glass bake dish and sets it on the grill's side table.

"Ugh, the bugs are coming out now. Come, let's eat at the table inside," Anita directs, so you all collect the plates and platters to do just that.

"Ah, crap. I forgot to bring back out the barbecue and steak sauce," Ellis grumbles, quickly turning to see everyone but he and Javier have moseyed into the house already. So, without batting an eye, he pivots towards the other man and practically bestows the docile baby at a surprised Javier, who clumsily takes her in a broad-armed cradle as Ellis rushes out, "Here, hold her for a sec while I run in and whip the sauce up for the drumsticks. I'll be right back!"

At being in an unfamiliar hold, Delilah squirms and looks up at Javier, almost questioningly.

"It's ok. I got you," he tells her in a soft, cooing tone to quiet her fussing while he carefully rocks her.

Inside the house, you're just finishing pointing out to everyone which of the casserole dishes is the potato salad with mayonnaise when you hear Steve chuckle as he steps back out through the sliding door, and jokes, "She's looking grumpy there, Jav. Maybe don't hold her like a bomb that's about to go off."

You look in direction of the patio and see Javier holding Delilah while shooting a laconic look at Steve before he adjusts the way his arms are cradled to better hold the baby, nestling her close to his chest.

The sight of him standing broad-shouldered and tall, with the gentle smile on his face as he looks down at the baby when she grabs a little fistful of his yellow shirt? Watching as the nervous tension melts from his posture as he rocks the baby and chats with Steve? It makes a fluttering ache fizzle up in your core before your heart winces at the thought you've tried to bury deep.

He'd make a wonderful father. But you won't be able to do that for him.

The sting of tears threatens to crest up in you, but you take a cleansing breath and distract yourself with cleaning up the kitchen counter while everyone else is busy serving food and settling to sit at the table, chatting away.

Meanwhile, Javier is keeping his attention on the little baby while Steve peppers him with questions.

"—So you're definitely going to that gala together?"

"That's the plan."

"But you haven't disclosed it to Mercer yet."

"Nope."

"Do you plan on doing that before the party?"

"I was planning to the next time it's my turn to be at the building."

"Hm. You ever gonna get around to putting a ring on her finger?"

"…You're lucky I'm holding this baby, and can't swear at you right now."

"I know. That's why I brought it up."

Sighing, Javi glances at his buddy. "I've been thinking about it. But I told you – I've got no clue what to get her. And I feel like I gotta do a few things first before I can make the move," is his honest retort.

"Like what?" Steve asks before drinking his beer.

"Get things on solid ground between us. There's still a lot of making up I gotta do after Colombia…" is his musing, pausing before adding, "I also want to ask permission."

"…From who?" Steve grunts before asking, "Her dad?"

"Yeah. Before, when they weren't on speaking terms still, I had wanted to ask her grandmother for her blessing…but I didn't get a chance to. Now, that they've mended their relationship, I feel like I should go to him and ask," he explains, and at Steve's quirked brows, he grumbles, "It sounded like it was important, within the family. I don't want to cause friction between them, and my track record isn't great—"

"Getting the presumptive father-in-law to like you, you mean?" Steve rasps in a knowing drawl, hand shoved into his pocked while he swigs his beer with the other one.

Delilah yawns and wriggles in his arms, so Javi quips, "Even she's bored of you, Captain Obvious."

Ellis returns with his secret barbecue sauce then, so they drop the topic and strike up convo with the man as he works on the grill.

When the boys come back into the house with the tray piled high with meat a little while later, they find everyone merrily chatting while Isabel sleeps in her carrier and Olivia is wrapped in her coloring book, sat on the stool at the counter.

Anita takes Delilah from Javier and goes to check her diaper before putting her down for a nap while the buffet-style dinner commences. By the time she comes back, she sets the baby monitor on the kitchen counter and joins everyone in food and banter.

Eventually, with the kids preoccupied, the adults talk about current world events, and during coffee and dessert, the conversation turns to 'the trial of the century,' of which you hadn't been paying much attention to.

"—Whole new meaning to 'the Juice is loose,' I say. The guy is totally guilty," Ellis is wisecracking, to Anita's wry chagrin.

"Ay, you and that trial," is her chastising huff before she takes a bite of the delicious cake you brought over. "You all haven't been watching it, right?"

"Only the nightly news recaps, after we put the kids to bed," Connie replies as she sips her coffee.

"It seems like a pretty open and shut case," Steve remarks conversationally as he contemplates having another slice of the scrumptious cake.

"Do you think so?" Anita's father asks Javi, glancing at you too as he remarks, "We've heard a lot of people believe otherwise."

"Honestly, I don't know enough about it. When we get home, we're usually so preoccupied with other things that we usually only have enough energy left to watch local news together," is Javi's loaded, smug comment, to which you scoff and swat his thigh haughtily while he cockily stays reclined in his seat, with his arm along the back of your chair.

Everyone exchanges chuckles before changing the conversation to other topics.

By the end of the early evening, you're all packing up leftovers to take home before exchanging praise over the food shared, and thanking the Roses for hosting the barbecue.

"—Wanna go shopping this week? I don't have a dress I can fit in for the gala," Anita asks you and Connie as the men stow things in the cars.

"Sure. I have a dress in mind for it already, but I was thinking of getting a different pair of shoes for it," you tell them, and after some more chit chat on the way to the front yard, you all make shopping plans for after work later in the week.

Saying goodbye to everyone, you and Javier drive home to your place, warmly chatting about how nice the gathering was, and how you should all make future plans to hang out like that again.

By the time you get to your condo, you and Javi are getting a second wind, so when you walk in, you're tossing your purse on the counter and kicking your strappy leather sandals off, padding barefoot to the sideboard as you chime, "—Ah, it's still early. Want to have drinks on the balcony? It's so nice out."

"Sure," he retorts as he locks the door and slides the keys onto the bartop counter while going to store the leftovers into the fridge. As he does so, he watches you retrieve a bottle of his favorite whiskey and your preferred rum, placing them on the glass table so you can push the vertical blinds aside to open the sliding balcony door and let the cool evening breeze in. With a wry smirk, he irreverently asks, "Want me to make yours, Miss Cuba Libre?"

Biting your bottom lip and coquettishly looking back at him, you drawl coyly, "I was worried that might've annoyed you. I didn't mean to—"

Frowning, Javier walks over and cups his hands at your hips. "Hey, it didn't bother me. I was only teasing, querida," is his earnest insistence. The genuine concern in his eyes makes you pout, so he kisses your lips before taunting, "And I remember a time you swore you didn't like apodos."

Scoffing girlishly, you wrap your arms around his shoulders and kiss him back before grousing, "Yeah, well, you had your own nickname, Mister Guapo Descarado."

Chuckling ruggedly, he squeezes you affectionately before grabbing the bottles of liquor to go make your drinks in the kitchen. As he grabs two glasses from the cupboard, he glances over at you while asking unabashedly, "Who came up with that one?"

Smiling, you slide the screen door open and lean against the frame as you answer, "That was what Marisol and the girls called you. And based on all the gossip I'd heard? It seemed quite fitting."

"Great," he laconically drawls as he walks over with your drinks. "I swear. Half of the rumors were bullshit," is his glib aside, handing you the glass and fighting to keep a straight face, especially when you give him that discerning stare. "They were!"

"Ah-hah," you deadpan waggishly before sipping your drink and taking his hand to lead him out to the balcony so you can both enjoy the breeze and the tropical twilight sky over the bright Condado skyline across the laguna.

It felt nice, looking out at the view, with the whiskey warming his bloodstream, and you lovingly embraced against his side. So much so, that when the intrusive thoughts from earlier stumble up into the forefront of his mind – Shit, she wouldn't have a drink if she knew she was pregnant! – Javier almost vehemently dismisses them.

But then, the vision of you, holding the baby – of how sweet and doting you were with her nestled in your arms – digs loose that anxious pang from earlier.

"Celina…" he begins, and when you turn to stare with open attention up at him, he wavers. "I—I uh…"

Blinking curiously, you set your drink aside on the small, circular, mosaic-tiled patio table tucked in the corner of the balcony where you're standing so you can place your hands reassuringly at his chest as you ask, "What? What's the matter?"

Fuck. Real smooth. Javi grouses at himself before exhaling noisily. Deciding he has to just come out with it, he downs his glass of whiskey before setting aside on the table. Steeling himself, he breathes out through his nose before resting his hands at your waist in order to ground himself.

"Earlier today, while I was putting my stuff away, I went to put something in your vanity drawer," he tells you, and at your expression shuttering in from the mention of the drawer, he continues, "I saw the birth control case. And I looked inside…"

Your heart drops.

Instantly, your eyes begin to well with tears, and Javi is startled by your reaction, so he quickly comforts, "Mi amor, don't get upset. I didn't mean to snoop, but I couldn't help looking. It's alright. We've talked about it, remember? We'll figure it out together—"

Realizing what he's saying – that he thinks the pills were discarded in the drawer because you're secretly pregnant? It hits you hard.

You bite your lip to stop it from quivering before forcing the tears back down and out from the knot in your throat.

"Javier…it's not like that. I—I have been having problems. Since before we got back together. I…I haven't been menstruating, and for the last few months, I've been doing blood work and check-ups. The doctor told me to get off the pill, to see if that was the cause—if being on it had just prolonged a hormonal imbalance or something, but…I haven't been ovulating. It's still too early… it could be a lingering case of amenorrhea, b-but, there's a possibility that I could be…that I could be infertile."

You brace for his reaction, terrified and ashamed. So much so, you can't even hold his gaze when you say the last part.

But then, Javi cups your cheek and tips your face back up to him.

His dark brown eyes are resolute and filled with composure, and his expression chisels into that semblance that so rarely comes over his countenance, save when you're both in bed, in post-coital repose.

"Querida, I'm so sorry you've been dealing with this alone. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" When you hesitate, and your eyes fill up with tears again, he realizes why. "You thought it would change how I feel?"

The tears overflow past your lashes, unbidden, and you nod before stifling a sob into the back of your hand.

"Celina," he husks and hugs you, overcome by your reaction, and holds you tight, nuzzling the top of your hair and trying to regain his composure. As soon as he does, he finds the steady voice he needs to declare, "Nothing will ever make me change the way I feel about you. I love you. I just want us to be together, whatever way possible. Being with you, and making you happy is everything I care about. All we need is each other. To love each other, nothing else."

You sob and melt into his embrace at his words, feeling like you've been delivered by his unwavering love and grace.

"I love you with all my heart, Javi. I j-just want to m-make you happy—to make a life with you. To g-give you love and a life you want, and t-that matters—" you stammer through tears, and Javi derails your cracking admittance by tipping your face up to him.

"I have it. Right here and now. Whatever happens, we have each other. All that matters to me, is what we have," he passionately conveys, voice going hoarse as he proclaims, "I love you. Solo te quiero a ti por toda mi vida. And all I want is to be with you."

He wipes the tears away from your cheeks, his expression open and genuine as you breathlessly smile before hugging him with palpable yearning.

Feeling you tremble, Javi effortlessly picks you up and carries you into the apartment and down the hall to your bedroom.

Wanting to comfort you, he intended to just lay you down and cuddle close, but you're raw with emotion, and longingly kiss him, mewling softly into his mouth. When he claims yours rapaciously while stripping your clothes off, piece by piece, your hands hurriedly unbutton his shirt, tug at his belt buckle, and unfasten his jeans while he kicks his boots off and clambers with you onto the bed.

His warm skin and spicy scent have your senses buzzing, making you needy and wet before he's even bared you completely and settled between your welcoming thighs.

Javier shudders as your hands cling to his back while your teeth graze down his shoulder, making lust and savage desire burn through him and throb beseechingly to be inside you.

With how emotionally raw and hyper-aroused you are, the feeling of his cock notching at your dimpled entrance makes you quiver and whimper, nipples taut and tingling as he suckles hard on one and then the other. His mouth is hot and possessive as he rakes it up to trail dizzying desire through you as it charts possessively up your neck while his cock punches a deep thrust into your molten sheath before stroking all the way out and slamming back in to the hilt.

Your cry of pleasure is devoured by his mouth claiming yours, and the more he fucks into you, the more ravenous and besotted his pace becomes, until it steals his breath and he has to growl your name against your neck.

"Celina—!"

Spun up by the onslaught of sensations and feelings, you cling to him and beg, "Please, Javi. P-Please!"

The tears in your wavering whimper snap him back into control, and he slows his rapaciousness, focusing on taking you apart with the fill of his cock in your fluttering cunt while caressing your flushed features and kissing the tears away.

Voice hoarse with emotion, Javi croons softly, "I got you. Just you and me. Let go, cariño. You don't have to hold onto it. Let me have it. Nothing else matters. It's just you and me. I love you—"

That's when you do, letting go of all the angst, fear, shame, and heartache of possibly losing him. Of losing a life you didn't know you wanted for him – that you were not be able to give to him. To mourn the possibility of a life you'd never known you wanted for yourself.

When you have no more tears, he rests his forehead to yours and lets you get your bearings, focusing on your calming breath and easing trembling.

"Javi."

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

He opens his eyes and stares deeply into your glossy ones, and sees the palpable feeling you just professed shining in them.

You make love to each other, carnally honed into everything you can only say to each other physically.

The throes of pleasure speak volumes for how you feel, and when you both reach bliss together, you're unable to do anything else but curl into each other and kiss before Javi protectively wraps you up in his arms.

His heart beats strong with yours, and everything in him is at peace, knowing there's nothing else that can hurt you. That you love him enough to want to protect him from even the perceived thought that you couldn't give him a life that neither of you even knew you'd wanted until the prospect showed itself looking up at you both, with sweet innocence, earlier that day.

Knowing that you're enough – that Javi wants a life with you, regardless of any obstacles, was a salve to your raw psyche after harboring the fear for so long.

It's just us. Our love is all that matters.

As you both drift to sleep, only serenity and love fill the atmosphere for you, and the tethering feeling that settles between you helps keep hope grounded in your hearts for all that there is still to come.

The turmoil that awaits you both is nothing either of you see coming, however.

  ________________

Spanish-English Glossary:

Colmadito = Grocery shop; similar to a bodega; community foodstuff store

Coquí = Puerto Rican tree frogs; they croak 'coquí', hence their name

Urbanizacíon = Urbanization; housing development

Mi cariñito = My sweet little darling

Preciosa = Gorgeous; precious

No te he dado de alta = I haven't discharged you

Chavón = A man that's pestering you

Mi amor = My love

Mandona = Bossy lady

Beyako = Puerto Rican slang for horny/naughty guy; akin to "horn dog"

Querida/querido = Affectionate term, akin to expressing one's want and desire

Guapita = Sassy/foxy/daring/testy lady

Corazón = Heart; pet name to signify how deeply you love someone

Galán = Handsome gent

Malcriada/malcriado = Brat/spoiled

Marquesina = Open air garage or carport

Autopista = Freeway; highway

Pendejo = Dumbass/Jackass

Siempre a la órden = Always at your service

Puto = Fucking; male whore; slut

Congrí = Cuban dish made of black beans and rice with bacon and fragrant spices

Guapetón = Super handsome, good-looking guy

Buen provecho = Bon apetit

Arroz con pollo = Rice with chicken

Carne con papas = Meat with potatoes

Pernil = Roast pork shoulder

Pinche asesinos = Fucking murderers/killers

Cariño = Darling/sweetheart

Come, gatito = Eat, kitty

Flan de queso = Cheese flan; Latin American dessert

Perreo = Dance style associated with reggaetón; doggystyle, twerking dance

Fresco = a guy who's being 'fresh', or naughty/pervy

Chulo/Chulito = Cute guy; little cutie

Hermosa/hermoso = beautiful (female); beautiful (male)

Bebito = Little baby (male)

Te quiero, mi amor = I love you, my love

Te amo con todo mi corazón = I love you with all my heart

Bravita= Tough girl; feisty girl

Frituras = Fritters; tropical turnovers

Playas = Beaches

Suavón = Smooth talker; Smooth guy

Medalla = Popular beer found in Puerto Rico

Canela = Cinnamon

Dámelo, mi amor = Give it to me, my love

Pórtate bien = Behave

Patrona = Madam; boss lady; mistress

El campo = The countryside

Chinchorrear = Slang for going bar-hopping; a chinchorro is a kiosk or dive bar you go to have a few drinks before moving on to the next establishment

Gruñón = Grumpy man

Nena = Girl

Llámame = Call me

Tarta de frutas = A vanilla cheesecake-like cake covered in tropical fruit slices

Más suave = Gentler; Softer

Que malo eres = You're so bad; You're so mean

Javi es malo = Javi is bad

No soy malo de verdad = I'm not bad for real

Amá = Medellín way of referring to 'Ma' or 'Mamá'

Madrina = Godmother

Dito = Short for 'bendito', which is a phrase conveying hopeful lamentation

No seas fresco = Don't be fresh

Apodos = Nicknames

Guapo Descarado = Handsome Cad

Laguna = Lagoon

Solo te quiero a ti por toda mi vida = I only want you for the rest of my life

Thanks for reading! Please consider leaving a comment and sharing your feedback. I would be eternally grateful. 

#Heat - Narcos fanfic #Javi x Querida #Javier Peña #Javi Peña #Javi Peña fan fiction #Javi Peña fanfiction #Pedro Pascal characters #Narcos #Narcos fan fiction #Javi Peña x Latina OFC #Latina OFC

[let-dawn-break]

Sit with Me - Twilight X Reader Oneshot

Pining 🌲 Fluff 💖 - Inspired by First Time - Hozier

Kneeling down into the tall grass, your hand wavered over their tips as you watched them sway in the breeze that the dusk brought. You loved the light that the sunset brought the most. You knew he did too.

He came back different from his adventure.

You could see the way he had grown. If not for the scars that littered his body that you could see plain as day, then the still exhausted look in his blue eyes when he turned around for a moment and thought no one could recognize it. Or the way his jaw seemed just a little bit more jagged from the fading scars and ache in his heart - the way he had to consciencely unclench it when he remembered that Ordon was just a little safer than the other places he had ventured off to.

He came back a man, after being a boy for such a long time. It broke your heart that his transition had to be so sudden… but there was nothing you could do now - not when he walked down the path from Faron Woods to his treehouse, eyes softening and smile coming to grace his face as soon as he saw you.

It made butterflies kick up into your stomach, and you fought them down, hoping your lopsided smile wouldn’t give too much away. You stood from your crouched position on the floor, dusting your hands on your tunic hurriedly as he came bounding up. "You sure took your sweet time." You sassed him with a growing grin as the leftover boyishness in his eyes bubbled right up. "I thought you were gonna spend the night at the springs."

"And miss this?" There was a certain sweetness to his voice that caused you to roll your eyes, holding back the warmth in your cheeks as he began to climb the outside of his treehouse, helping you up the vines and ladders until the both of you were perched on one of its thick branches.

For the first time since he left on his journey, he was watching the sunset with you again. It's been about a month since he'd returned - and sure, you'd talked plenty, hung out here and there, but ever since you'd come to Ordon, you'd only been watching it with him... Every other day right here. On top of his treehouse, shoulder to shoulder.

When he was gone, when things had gotten chaotic and bleak and lonely... You would climb up here on your own, hoping that you'd be the first to see him from so high up. The first to run to him and welcome him back home. You weren't the first, but you were definitely the on who clung to him the closest when he returned. Everyone in the little village could see that.

After all, you only really love him when you lose him. Luckily for you, he wasn't gone for good. But by the goddesses, you sure felt like one of those days you'd just be devastated with the news that he'd wandered into a dungeon and just... never came out. It really put you into perspective. All the feelings you'd been denying for who knows how long finally bubbled forward. Especially after he'd taken off to save Ilia...

You were so worried that she'd have feelings for him instead - her father seemed to be just fine with having him as a son-in-law... but when you'd jokingly mentioned it to her, she'd very much denied the notion... It looks like after her father had suggested it for so long, she'd been sick and tired of it.

What a lucky streak you'd had.

Now if only you could stop cucco-ing out and just tell him. How many chances did you have so far already since he'd come back? At least once for every single day! And you were still speechless, red faced and cringing at your own rehearsals of your confession.

What a headache.

"Are you ok?" Link placed a hand on your shoulder, and you jolted up - his hand pulling away like you'd zapped him at your near flinch.

"I - uh - yeah!" You waved your hand, hoping to wave away his concern as well. "Just fine! Doing great, hahah..."

He frowned, obviously not believing your horrible lie. "You've been stiff this whole time... What's wrong?" He didn't say it outright, but you could hear the hint of pain in his voice. He thought he did something wrong.

Oh goddesses - "It's - you didn't do anything wrong..." You muttered, groaning as you ran a hand down your face, biting the inside of your cheek as you mustered up your leftover courage. "It's just that - I know you haven't been gone for... that long, but it felt like forever! It felt like I'd be waiting up here for you to come back home for months! I get it, you were saving the world and all that, but... I dunno..." Your gaze drifted to the floor far, far below you. "I just wanted you to come back home safe."

While your fingers were digging into the three bark, jaw tight, and gaze burning holes into the dirt far below, you felt his arm snake around your shoulders and pull you close and into his side. When you looked up to see his face, you saw that there was a small, teary-eyed smile as he held you close.

He laughed, watered down with emotion but still cheerful all the same. "Hah! Sorry I worried you." He said, nuzzling the top of your head with the side of his. "But I made it back safely, didn't I..? I came back to Ordon - to you." He would always come back home to you.

When he pulled away your eyes were wide, lips in a tight line, and blood rushing to your face indefinitely. "Goddesses, I love you." Your mouth blurted it out as soon as you had thought it - and your hands flew up to your mouth to cover it dizzyingly quick. Damn it! So much for all your stupid confession rehearsals.

Both of you stared at each other for a moment, wide eyed and in disbelief at the words that had been spoken. You barely noticed it, but you were holding your breath too, watching his face for any micromovements that would give away his reaction.

And hey, at least if you fell from this height off the tree, you might lose the memory of this utterly embarrassing moment.

"Really?" He finally spoke, breathless and with shock still evident on his face. "S-say it again, I -" He swore he must have been hallucinating or dreaming or - or something. He grabbed you by the shoulders and stared intensely at you, prying your hands away from your mouth with one hand, desperation slowly bubbling into his eyes.

If you mean it, say it again...

Your cheeks were bright red, and swallowing your thick embarrassment, you said it again. "I... I love you." You meant it, but it didn't make your face burn any less, especially not when he pulled your hands away from your face even more and dove in to press his head against your neck, wrapping his arms around your chest in a tight hug.

You could hear a muffled "I love you too," from his spot in the crook of your neck as he speckled kisses along your skin, despite your squirming.

"L-Link!" You scolded him, smacking his back as he continued to pepper your skin with kisses. "Link! Stop it! It tickles!!" You cried out, only for his fingers to twitch along your sides until he made your laugh ring out loud.

Goddesses, you loved him, and you were so lucky to have him back home safe and sound.

#linked universe x reader #linked universe au #linked universe #lu #twilight princess #twilight Princess link #Lu twilight #scriptures of the dawn #legend of zelda

[shinjisdone]

I saw you're doing requests and I do not request often but- Take this if you want?

Yandere! Link (Twilight Princess) (Romantic as I think he's an adult in the game? Sorry if not, been awhile. Platonic works too) with Female! Reader Scenario? (One of my fav games, lol)

Do what you want with it... idk what prompts to ask for :/

If you don't want to do this please tell me! I read the rules and picked something simple :) Take your time! 🐈‍⬛

😳 THE yandere-galore panther taking requests from me? Usually its the other way around haha

Prompts are not a must if you really don't know what you want, though I gotta admit I had to ponder a bit since the request has no specifications. Things are pretty general therefore but I had to add a few things to get creative. This turned out longer since I like to develop Yandereness especially - it's always interesting to see from where the sprout stems from and how it'll grow. Otherwise it feels too forced and sudden to me. Have been following for quite a while, hope you like this!

TW: Yandere behaviour, obsession, long pining, idolization, one-sided feelings, obliviousness, stalking, aggression, blood and killing

Yandere! Twilight Princess! Link Scenario with Female!Reader (Romantic)

All your good deeds turned into sin, it seems.

Or at least some form of karma, but you didn't know enough about that to truly tell. It was just a gut feeling.

You are nothing but a wandering traveller. Knowledge of self-defense goes without saying, especially since the land of Hyrule turned so hostile over time. According to old legend a calamity is soon to approach, which only makes you yearn for serenity even more.

Ordon village sounds so tempting. Small and humble, the entire village feels nothing like the rest of the outside. The people certainly looked at you weird for deciding to stay here for a while - the most exciting thing to happen after all are raging goats!

Thus you were saved from one by a quick-witted, local fellow seemingly grappling with the animal before it calmed down and he offered you his hand. His light brown hair and deep blue eyes were welcoming and you took the offer.

"Thank you."

He said his name was Link.

»»————-　　————-««»»————-　　————-«

The children weren't as relaxed as the adults though. Even as their parents called out for them to help in the shop or with the goats, all four of them would stick close to you, each jumping to your side as they asked questions upon questions about 'the traveler lady!' The rest of Hyrule wasn't something they'd see or even hear from often. It was deemed as exciting to be able to go to the castle town to deliver some milk.

How is the town? Have you ever crossed that big bridge? Were you ever up at that Death Mountain? Can you catch bigger fish in that giant lake? Have you met the knights, soldiers and their princess?

All of these things were also asked by Link.

He bashfully admitted to being a regular country pumpkin as you sat beside each other by the river, fishing. He managed to please the kids with a promise to play as they finally left you alone. Rubbing the back of his neck, he couldn't hide the excitement on his face nor the stammer in his voice as you told him of your stories.

"The most exciting thing I'll ever do in my life is probably deliver that milk. Can't lie, I am lookin' forward to it..." He chuckled sheepishly. Shaking your head, you offered a smile.

"You should go out of the village more often. You're old enough now, I'm sure you'll grow to like everything you'll see and meet."

You smiled at him. It cheered him up, admittedly. You looking at him like that felt special too, perhaps because you weren't from here and encouraged him to go, even if it meant leaving the village and his goat-herding duties behind for a while.

»»————-　　————-««»»————-　　————-«

If only he never left.

Though for whatever reason that thing called it a lucky coincidence, a deal.

He ran back towards the forest, rushing by the familiar lake where the children went missing. It happened too fast and even though they adored him, looked up to him, he could barely realize what was happening before the world went dark and darker and darker.

His heart pounded against his ribcage, the shadow tailing after him in high speed which only made his panic grow more. How could this have happened? Where is everyone and are they still well?

His pants turned and echoed in a yelp - then a growl. He couldn't control it, it sank into his brain as he saw the glimmer of a blade shooting up this close to his face.

Gritting his teeth, his blue eyes shot up big. Frozen in place he looked up as the weapon was slowly withdrawn.

"...You don't have to be scared."

Link did not notice he was shaking.

Quickly he realized it was you, the 'traveler lady', as you kneeled down and took a good look at him. The young man was confused on how you kept calm as your hands gingerly grazed his fur. Your hands went down to his chained paw and a frown graced your face. "You poor thing. No wonder you are so terrified."

Link was hesitant but could not deny your guess.

Eagerly you tried to remove the chain, even if it did not affect him. Adamently working on it you suceeded even if it costed you time and tools...your gentle hands soothed the irritated skin with your own oilments that you carried.

"It's best if you don't go into the village. The children went missing...and the parents are distraught. You better go home to your own family, little one."

You gave one last pet and smiled as you returned to Ordon Village.

»»————-　　————-««»»————-　　————-«

You thought this would be last time you saw the curious wolf. Yet here he is, having trouble as he carried a wooden shield and hauling it through the dark. As the villagers investigated the strange sounds coming from him, you were quick to distract them. Swiftly hiding him behind a house, you ducked him down.

You ask him what he is doing here, take away the shield - which he fights against almost pleadingly - and shush him from the worried parents.

"Everyone's drowning in worry." You pet him up and down, whispering, "...I really hoped I could stay here for a while, get away from all this chaos outside. But even such a sweet village like this one gets attacked...kidnapping kids...and the Link fella is gone, too..." You trail off but try to smile as the wolf whimpers. Inhaling deeply and forcing a grin you drown him in pats and cuddles. "But don't worry...! I promised them to get the children back! I don't know where they are or where to start...but I'll get them back. I swear, Wolfie!" You laughed as you petted him more, which only made the animal grin. He had long sat down and listenend to your words.

Link was unsure if you were even real when he first saw you that night. The twilight blinded him as that Midna thing mockingly told him of the possible fate of his friends. The people, the spirits - they all whimpered as his sight, smell, touch and hearing changed. All that he knew was different and he might never turn back into the real Link.

You, this new and mysterious woman, were the only thing that seemed real to him. The blade you shoved into his snout, the paw you healed and your hands that combed through his fur - all of this were the only things that felt warm and familiar in this twilight. He hoped you'd be fine. If only he could turn back to his real self and help you. He'd feel better if he had you as a companion and not that shadow imp.

»»————-　　————-««»»————-　　————-«

Lake Hylia is grand, Death Mountain steep, and the castle town empty. It's strange to think that he is right here, seeing all the things you saw and encouraged him to. Though the circumstances turned out to be much more meaningful than a simple country pumpkin such as him could have ever imagined.

Midna was right, Hyrule is so close to its doom. All he wanted was to get back to the children and maybe meet you again as you were looking for them too. Though still as a wolf you left for your quest. And now here he is at Kakariko Village. Here to save the kids but to also have to climb Death Mountain first. It's what he as a 'chosen hero' has to do.

Still, he ignored Midna's request as his blue eyes wandered the dry and sandy place. Link found the children quickly and as they pointed to the an opening door, his face lit up. A familiar woman stepped out and he could see you squint your eyes in confusion while he ran up to you. Holding firmly on your arms you were first startled before the young man explained himself.

"Link? Oh, Link! I didn't recognize you, you're so green now!" You pointed out and he couldn't help but laugh. He told you of what happened and what he had to do.

"Are you sure you must? You went missing too, I mean you must be as confused as the kids. You don't have to force yourself if you were hurt as well." There was your concern again, the same one on that night. Even as he assured you, you offered to help but both of you decided that you stay with the children...even if he would have loved to have your company and spend some time together. He was sure you would be of great help and support.

"Well, Death Mountain is hot and dangerous but if you made it so far, you'll be fine. Might as well finally get to see it." You chuckled sheepishly, trying to lift the mood.

»»————-　　————-««»»————-　　————-«

He thought he'd be free from his curse already, the spirit said so. Promised him so but here he is back on all four paws with Midna dying on his back. His pants grew rapid, panicking as the shadow imp almost fell off when he acted to quickly and too carelessly.

What to do? Where to go? Midna is dying...and he is just some animal again! Stuck in this lake, in this desert! The night grows darker and the people more hollow. With a pounding heart he tried to sneak out of the Kakariko's cave first -

"Wolfie...?"

If it weren't for you again.

You knelt down to him as he anxiously turned his snout to his back. Carefully you took Midna, for who you mistook for some kind of baby. As you nervously tried to make sense of the situation, the wolf jumped at you, his eyes wide and bright with his paws on your shoulders as he barked and barked and barked. Please, please, please, do something as you did in Ordon. You have to, you must.

Link is useless like this.

"...Hey," Gingerly you cupped his cheek and wondered how a wolf could be getting misty-eyed. You wiped the fresh tears away. "Wolfie, Wolfie..." Whispering you lean his head against yours and onto your shoulder. You shush him as Midna lays on your lap, caressing his back as he ceased to shake. "You poor thing." Again, you said that again. Adjusting the creature on your lap, you wrapped your arms around the animal and nuzzled his fur. Your lips met his cheek and lingered there as you whispered; "You'll be fine. Everything's gonna be fine again, I promise you."

Link felt like crying again. You were the only one.

»»————-　　————-««»»————-　　————-«

Again, you were the only thing that seemed real as his existance as a wild animal.

Midna was the only one to talk to and her personality and motivation left a lot to be desired. She proved her heart was noble but that wouldn't deter her from her jabs. Link could only show his unrest through growls and yips, which she only brushed off with a roll of her eye and taps to his back to hurry up instead.

Even as he ran through the swamps and forest, the dead castle town and plateus, he could often sniff you from afar. Often you found yourself meeting up with the mysterious wolf and it was delightful after he got better. It was even more delightful for Link.

Whatever happened to the 'baby' was left as an enigma to you.

With a groan Midna would retreat into his shadow, mumbling how much time they are wasting again on his little, favorite human, as the wolf appraoched you with a wagging tail. Small recaps of your own adventures and a round of pats were always included.

You could be focused on a task at hand, fight off against monsters or ride through the meadow but the moment you noticed him you'd turn around and your lovely face would lit up. 'Wolfie!' You'd yell out and Link has grown to love no word more than this one. It felt a bit demeaning at the beginning but that just meant you always liked him from the start, right?

Liked him even while he is stuck in this hideous form. He didn't know how long he'd be stuck in there and if he will ever get his human form back, no matter how much Midna promised him, but at least, at least you were here. This wonderful woman with a smile that could rival the sun.

"You be careul on your way now, okay, Wolfie?" You chuckle as he barked in response, turned in a circle and jumped up on you again. His snout searched for your lips.

»»————-　　————-««»»————-　　————-«

You inhaled deeply. This must be...the third time now, if you aren't mistaken.

Castle town seemed dimmer and more hollow the last time you were here and while it was a firm reminder of how much you wanted to leave in the first place, something more sinister has entered this place recently and you can't shake it off. The town square is brimming with a hopeless crowd but you reckon you always hear a cheerful voice calling out to you. Often you find yourself turning around and seeing the image of a hand waving as green ghosts around and between the merchants. The calls seem to drown between the mumbles and even the bar, the one place still full of superficial but pleasant talks felt suffocating. As if entering the wide space was walking into a pair of arms squeezing you from both sides.

The woman behind the counter often raised her brow when you entered until one day she finally spoke up. Apparently somebody's been looking for their good friend, a beautiful gal and you fit the regular's description perfectly. From head to toe. With a worried tone that you couldn't hide, you told the barkeeper that you travel alone.

»»————-　　————-««»»————-　　————-«

Castle town became too asphyxiating, your gut feeling telling you to escape in a hurry to Kakariko village, to familiar faces. You still owed the Ordon elders the promise of returning their children unharmed, after all.

And so you did, pushing Colin out of the way and losing sight of the world as a monstrous goblin took ahold of you with the last thing you heard being aggressive galloping and your name screamed out.

Eyes shot awake as you tumbled to the ground, rolling away from the Elden bridge, coughing. Your arms were too weak as you shakily tried to sit up - the rest of the world blurry and dipped in twilight as more screams echoed about. Squinting, you turned around to see something akin to a giant boar falling down right after Link pulled his sword out of its abdomen. With a squishing sound the blinding blade was torn out of it, creating a bigger hole in its flesh. The cry was cut short as it fell to the ground and a pool of blood quickly tainted the rest of its body.

You let out a gasp and at the slightest sound, Link's ear twitched and he swiftly turned around, his face immediately morphing from a glare to a grin. Swinging the blood off his weapon, he rushed over to you and putting his sword back. He unwittingly created a small trail of blood after him. His bloodied arms shot out for you, supporting you as he sat you up. The young man started talking and gushing while you stared up at him, helplessly leaning on him while still beside yourself.

"...Link...?" "You're safe now." He instantly countered with a smile that was meant to reassure you. You swore his eyes were cold as he gave the final blow but now they are the softest you've ever seen. "I saw what you did, you saved Colin. That was so...amazing of you but you gave me a heart attack." Finally, you were able to slowly go back to your senses. "What? You weren't there..."

"Didn't you hear me call you?" You blinked and again, asked him what he meant. 'At Castle town', he grinned and said he saw you. You didn't hear him though. And when he arrived at Kakariko also you did not hear him.

"W-What...?" You let out but were shushed as your head was put on his shoulder. Closing his eyes as he combed through your hair and pressed you further into his body. "You'll be fine. Everything's gonna be fine again, I promise you." He shushed you again as you attempted to speak up and just nuzzled you.

It felt good to repay a favor, be the one who saved you this time. It felt just as good, if not a bit different, to have you in his arms, with him being your hero.

Not the other way around. Though he does not mind that.

»»————-　　————-««»»————-　　————-«

Colin's face soured as you explained yourself.

How could he not? A child that you promised to bring home watching you leave for an 'extended period of time' leaving all of Eldin to go to Ranelle. Far, far away.

The little tent you built yourself in the corner of Lake Hylia should be safe and hidden enough. Close enough for fish and far away from monsters. Yet just as you were about to lay down, you heard unusual bickering and turned around, only to once again meet green.

Letting out a yelp, you dropped your weapon in shock only for Link to bring his finger to his lips and shush you. He pointed to himself again and again that he was indeed Link. "What are you doing here?" You manage to let out as you calmed down, "I have to be here." He answered quickly yet you doubted that. "Why are you here? You just left and," He licked his lips, "I was worried about you!" He took a step closer before you could reply.

"It's dangerous to be alone out here. Especially for you, yer..." He couldn't help the grin, "You...you're a beautiful gal and it's best if you aren't alone...say, since we both are here, why don't we stick together? You offered me your help once and I always would have loved to have you with me for a bit..."

"How did you find me?" You took a step back and eyed your weapon on the ground. Link only looked confused. "I...saw you here on the way to the lake. It's easy to spot you." He chuckled sheepishly but you only shook your head and crossed your arms. "...No, thank you. I came here to...relax a bit. The recent events were...frightening."

"I can imagine," Once again his blue eyes softened and he neared you again, putting a hand on your cheek. He missed the way you twitched. "None of this is your responsibilty...yet you choose to help anyway. You're kind...and sweet as honey. That's so amazing of you." Link almost seemed mesmerized as his eyes narrowed. "But you'll have me...I can look out for you, I can protect you-"

"I won't go." You take his hand off your cheek and distance yourself again, finally having the courage to glare at him - in turn, he only looked more confused. "But why? You love Wolfie but when it comes to me, you vanish. Are you shyer around a human than an animal?" He tried to laugh it off even as he saw your face morphing into shock. Quickly you ask him with a stammering voice how he knows that but he seems to ignore it. "I am no different...you saved me a dozens of times! And I," He hesitates but lets it all go as he takes ahold of your shoulders, "I...I think I fancy you and I have been waitin' for so long to at least spend time with you! The only other times we see each other is when you don't understand me, when I'm just some wild beast!"

"But even then you seem like the only one who understood me, the only real one between all these ghosts! So, as payback, at least let me protect you...let me help you. We could be doin' this together."

Link wastes no time to shove you into his chest, into an embrace. He nuzzles your head and his lips met your temple. "I'll defeat the darkness and then we can see the rest of the world together, okay?"

#request #yandere #tloz #yandere tloz #the legend of zelda #yandere the legend of zelda #tloz link #tp link #yandere link #yandere tp link #oh this turned out long #hnggg was very afraid tumblr was gonna tell me STOP #hopefully this was good #i think more specifics are always good

[maple-the-awesome]

While the Night is Young ||

Pairing: Legend x Reader

Words: 2,079

Requested by anonymous: Can I have a sad fic with Legend (LU) reminiscing about dancing with the reader on koholint? he's my fav so he has to suffer 😞 One mildly depressed Legend coming your way because everyone knows the first rule to being in a fandom is enjoying watching your favorite characters suffer go through character development 💜

Zelda Masterlist 💛 Fandom Masterlist

Crowds are never much fun. Who actually likes being sandwiched between sweaty bodies, constantly elbowed, stepped on, or tossed around by obvious idiots who only ever react with a half hearted apologies? It makes such a simple task like walking down the street a total nightmare, although there might be a good exception for it today given that it’s currently the summer solstice festival in this quaint little village the boys have recently stumbled across.

After many long days on the road, most could understand the heroes’ excitement upon seeing the then bare streets lined with wooden stalls and colorful banners overhead. A local explained the situation, promising plenty of fun games and unique carnival foods if the group decided to stay overnight when the festivities would begin. At that point, there was little choice in the matter. Seeing the expressed joy on many of the youngsters’ faces (a great contrast to their original wear earlier), Time just had to give in to their pleas, agreeing that a deserved break could do them some good. 

So, as the sky began to mirror the colors of summer, from bright reds to pinkish purples, the once empty stalls began to open and the streets became filled with residents, many more than what was expected for such a small village. 

Wind and Sky, determined to win their loved ones some adorable stuffed animals, have been taken to blowing all their rupees at different game booths. Four and Warrior, on the other hand, have made a full on competition of this activity, betting who can win the most games by the end of the night. They managed to drag Hyrule into the fun, too, but only because of his utter amazement with everything going on (after all, he’s never seen any festivals quite like this before).

Wild couldn’t show any restraint when teased by so many wonderful smelling foods, in fact he had already snuck away for something called a ‘corn dog’ before Time could even finish laying down the ground rules for how everyone was expected to behave. Fortunately, Twilight has since stayed close to his mentee’s side to prevent any disasters like Wild poisoning himself or setting fire somewhere. He also may or may not have allowed himself to be roped into trying some very questionable and overpriced snacks (but Twilight won’t admit that for the sake of his own dignity).

As for the Old Man himself, he seems to simply find joy in everyone else’s from afar, although overtime, a few of the boys have managed to get him directly involved in festivities, particularly Wind who insisted Time tries winning Malon an adorable stuffed alien from a shooting game (he succeed on his first attempt followed by many other effortless wins once he got addicted, much to the little sailor’s awe and jealousy).

The only hero to not partake in any aspect of the festival is Legend. Interestingly enough, such a colorful celebration has actually seemed to have the opposite effect on him compared to his brothers, resulting in quite the sour mood shown through his bitter scowl as he stands outside the crowd’s reach.

He curses himself for even bothering to leave the inn earlier, only having done so to shut up Warrior’s claims about him ‘pouting’ as he’s apparently been doing this entire week…Okay, so maybe Legend can internally admit that he hasn’t been exactly ‘overflowing with friendliness’ lately, but he refuses to say it’s because he’s ‘pouting’; that makes him sound childish. He’s not pouting, he’s sulking (big difference) and it has nothing to do with this festival. He just doesn’t care to lose the entire contents of his wallet to rigged games and food poisoning on a buttered stick, that’s all!

If that’s the case, one would think he’d just sneak back to the inn already. No one’s keeping him here on a leash, in fact most of the boys are too busy losing their patience playing ring toss to even notice whether Legend stays or goes. Why continue to stand around being unsociable in the background, grumbling against a wall as others clap and tap their feet to a melody currently played by musicians near the village fountain ahead, especially when it’s making him so grumpy?

“Don’t you just love music? It’s almost too beautiful to be real - at least I think so anyway.”

Legend glances to his side, curling his lip in poorly mocked disgust that earns him the undeserved gift of an angel’s laughter. Even after all these years of developing tough skin, he can’t stand strong against such a sound.

“Oh, don’t be like that! I’ve seen you playing some of those instruments of yours, so you must be a fan. How many do you own? Must be enough to open your own music shop by now,” You tease, your voice somehow becoming the only sound around him despite all those who stand practically shoulder-to-shoulder in front of you both singing and laughing loudly…yet even you pay no attention to them, your eyes locked solely on him as if he’s actually someone special.

“I don’t have that many.”

“Well, as someone who doesn’t even have one, I’d say it’s a lot,” You’ve never bothered with personal space, too used to knowing everyone to wonder why it would be important, thus you’ve always practiced the same beliefs around him, showing no care as you lean against the wall next him, letting your arms brush enough to make him flinch at first before ultimately relaxing.

“Is it because you’re shy? I mean, you have no reason to be since you play wonderfully, but I still get it if you are,” You theorize aloud, still stuck on the same topic Legend wishes you’d change. Surely there’s other things you’d be interested in aside from his personal life. He’s only a simple traveler, after all, although the more he thinks about it, that’s probably what appeals to you so much. He imagines it’s rough being stuck in one place your entire life, never knowing much about what lies beyond the horizon until a strange, stranger washes up at your feet.

“I’m not shy,” He rubs the back of his neck, glancing away from you when he decides eye contact is too bothersome, “I just like my privacy.”

You tilt your head cutely with a hum before gazing back into the crowd (much to his relief). For a long moment, you keep your eyes closed and listen to the music, waiting to break the comfortable silence between you both until the song changes into something slower and more intimate than the previous, “...Do you at least dance in front of others?”

“Dance?” He scoffs.

“Yes, dance! You know, that activity where you move your body to a particular rhyme? The thing Hylians usually do for fun? …Or are you unfamiliar with that word, ‘fun’?”

“I know it.”

“Oh, do you now?” You challenge, leaning forward in an attempt to catch his expression, yet he turns his body away while biting back his smirk which surely mirrors yours; he can hear it in your voice, “Show me then.”

“Show you?” He laughs, “What? You can’t just trust me?”

“Nope,” You pop the ‘p’ then roll your eyes when Legend dramatically grabs his chest and flops his head back against the stone wall (something he does with more force than intended, yet he forgets about the pain quickly).

“I’m hurt! Here I was thinking I’ve moved on from being a hostile in your eyes only for weeks of effort to swirl down the drain -!”

“- You’re not a hostile, just an idiot,” You push yourself off the wall and extend a hand to him, “Regardless, I’m afraid I’ll need a demonstration in order to believe you.”

Legend glances at your hand, biting down his nerves which he prays you don’t notice. It really is a simple request and it’s not like you’d both be alone. Other couples are already dancing, some showing creatively in how wildly they move while others move slowly as if joint as one…It shouldn’t be a big deal to take your hand, but for some reason it is, the thought making his heart race.

“Please, Link?”

Your eyes are pleading and soon he finds himself too weak to ignore them anymore. Reluctantly, he accepts your hand and puts up no further fight as you then eagerly drag him into the crowd. 

Standing amongst all these people, Legend finds himself a bit bashful, wondering if perhaps this is going to be a mistake because surely if anyone notices you together, they’ll mention it later on and he’ll be forced to question exactly what this interaction means, but that’ll have to be a worry for later. Once you find a suitable spot close to the music, you turn around with a bright smile which is plenty to convince him it’s too late to back out; he’s already in too deep.

And so you both dance. Your hands placed upon his shoulders, his delicately holding your hips. You’re clearly no stranger to this art form, moving perfectly in sync with the rhythm while guiding Legend to do the same. He, himself, has danced plenty of times before during his journeys, but with you it feels different. It feels more special and natural with you as his partner. There’s a slowness to the world, one he feels all too often when in your presence yet this time, it’s amplified. He truly hears nothing from the crowd. Even the music is a distant echo completely overshadowed by your beauty as you sparkle under the colored lights above.

Legend normally isn’t one to let others close, often keeping them at arm's length in fear that nothing good will come from making friends, especially friends who he meets during his travels. You shouldn’t be different. He met you only weeks ago and isn’t quite sure how ‘visiting’ will work considering he ended up here by total accident. Despite every rational thought telling him he shouldn’t be getting his hopes up towards you, it’s all ignored when you allow him to twirl you around with ease until you return right back in front of him, the difference being you’re now closer, pressed against his chest instead of being kept at arm's length. 

You’re intoxicating. Like an alcoholic who treasures his last beer bottle, Legend can’t seem to let you go. He can only find himself smiling in a dazed sort of way - dazed by you simply being you as you slip your hands down to his chest and rest your head upon his shoulder. 

“...Can I say something that might sound weird?”

“Everything you say is weird.”

Despite his teasing tone, you move your head off his shoulder to look into his eyes with such a gentle smile that, for a second, he’s convinced he’ll melt, “I’m really happy you washed up on our shore. I…really like having you around.”

“I -...” The words feel trapped in his throat, wanting so desperately to be said as you wait patiently for some kind of response. He knows you won’t mind not getting one since you understand him as being the quiet type anyways, but regardless, “...I like being here with you, too.”

You beam - like a sun rising over the ocean, your eyes lit up and your smile glows. It not only means the world for you to hear that from the man who’s always been so reserved around you, but it’s also important for him to say himself. He really likes you. You’ve quickly become the music in his life - the rhythm he wants to forever move to and melody he wants to forever cherish. He’d be fine if you keep resting your head against him, humming along to the song that’ll forever haunt his mind…That’s how he wishes things had stayed.

In reality, he had remained silent that evening and for all those following, refusing an answer you unfortunately never pushed for. Maybe you already knew, maybe you didn’t, however neither outcome changes his inner desire for you nor the pain he feels every day without you by his side. He’s not sure what hurts the most anymore: the fact that you’re gone or the fact that you never existed to begin with. Now, he’ll never get to hold you again, never get a chance to swallow his fears and just confess his feelings to see how you would’ve reacted. All he gets is this agonizing memory that haunts him anytime he hears festival music similar to that night he spent with you during that summer solstice on Koholint…

#x reader #reader insert #lu legend x reader #legend of zelda x reader #legend of zelda #linked universe x reader #link x reader #linked universe

[breannasfluff]

Don't Touch

Sky hums as he carves, slowly turning the piece of wood in his hands. Wood shavings fall to his lap where he periodically brushes them away. Beneath his knife, a loftwing is emerging. He’s carved plenty of them by now, but the form is soothing. It reminds him of his Zelda.

He runs light fingers over the wood, feeling for sharp edges to round out. A yelp from the firepit shows Warriors yanking his slapped hand away from where Wild’s frying bread in a thick pan.

The newest hero is slowly settling into the group, but he’s still standoffish around some of them. Wild gets along with Hyrule and Legend, with a surprisingly high tolerance for sharp remarks. Twilight and the Champion spin around each other; coming closer and breaking apart for no discernible reason. Even Warriors, Wind, and Time had their small moments with him.

No, he and Four seem to be on the outside still. With Four, it seems more like they just don’t cross paths rather than active avoidance. It shouldn’t matter that Sky is being ignored on purpose or not, but it still causes a low aching throb in his chest. Did he do something to scare Wild away or make him uncomfortable?

The more he reaches out, the more the Champion edges away. Often literally—he shies away from hugs or even a pat on the shoulder. Sky’s seen him flop all over Wolfie, though, so he’s certainly comfortable with animals. Even Hyrule sometimes offers a hug that’s accepted. When Sky offers physical affection, though, it’s almost always rebuffed.

His frown deepening at the mystery, Sky continues carving.

Wind is curled up against his side with the sailcloth tucked around him when he catches Wild staring. In the near darkness his eyes glint, almost like an animal. Then the fire flickers and it disappears. Just a trick of the light. The champion is still across the low burning fire, eyes fixed on Sky.

Dinner is long gone and cleaned and some of the Chain already unrolled their sleeping mats. Wind insisted he wasn’t tired and promptly started dozing against Sky. Offering a smile, the Chosen hero gestures for Wild to join them.

He jerks and his eyes dart away. ‘I’m good,’ he signs, although it’s hard to see in the dim light. Wild’s arms wrap around his middle in an imitation hug and Sky stomps on the urge to go gather him into his arms anyway.

Against his side, Wind starts snoring softly. Wild’s gaze slowly drifts back to them and stays, but Sky says nothing further.

The next time Time asks for people to split into groups for tasks, Sky volunteers to join Wild. Maybe time alone will help the hero relax.

They’re in charge of foraging, a task Wild is well-suited to, and Sky…isn’t. His knowledge of food from the land is lacking in comparison to the others. Wild must think so too, because he keeps shooting Sky sidelong glances as they head into the forest.

“I’d like to learn more about foraging,” Sky offers. “I didn’t grow up around it, but I don’t want to be a hindrance to the group.”

Wild nods at that, hands coming up to sign. ‘Knowing how to find food can be the difference between living and dying in the wild.’

It’s not the sort of peril Sky’s adventure contained, but he doesn’t bring it up. “Could you teach me?”

‘Of course!’ Wild brightens at the prospect.

Maybe he should have tried connecting on their shared interests earlier. Well, it wasn’t shared but—he really should learn. And if that means Sky gets to spend time with Wild, all the better.

He looks around as they walk, letting the greenery sink in around him. “Here’s one!” he leans over to grab a mushroom only to have Wild bat at him without touching.

“Poisonous. It’ll irritate your hands.”

Sky rapidly yanks his hands back and tries to fix it in his mind. “Well, what about this?” He points to something sticking half out of the dirt beneath a log.

Wild glances at it before grinning and nodding. “Sure.”

With barely held delight, Sky pulls up his prize and holds out—a rock. He gives Wild a flat look, but the other is grinning. “Ha, ha, very funny.” The rock might be thrown more than tossed, but no one needs to know.

The champion continues, still chuckling to himself. He ranges back and forth from tree to tree, eyes constantly searching. Sky follows, less actively searching as he still isn’t sure what to look for.

The flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye has him reaching out to grab Wild. “Loo—”

Wild jerks back sharply, spinning around with a pained noise. Sky freezes, hand still outstretched. The chipmunk he was going to point to bounds away.

“Sorry?” Sky offers.

Wild blinks and stares for a long moment, then turns and continues.

“Wild? Did I…do something?” How did he manage to mess this up already?

Instead of answering, the Champion cuts to the side and pauses. ‘Here,’ he signs. ‘Wild garlic.’ He pulls out a small knife and starts cutting a bunch.

Sky drops next to him, but he’s got the Master Sword on his back, not a foraging knife. The slate chirps and Wild hands him another knife, careful to keep his fingers clear of Sky when he takes it. It’s like he’s trying to avoid touching—

He stares at the bunch of garlic in his hand, still halfway through cutting. Memories of their time and situation run by rapidly as he thinks. Wild’s Hyrule is emptier than expected, for all he seemed to enjoy the company of those at the stable when they visited.

How often is he around large groups of people like this to engage in casual physical touch? He’d bet good money there were few instances during his hero journey.

Wild clicks his tongue to catch Sky’s attention, frowning at the inaction. Another puzzle piece slides into place; others in the group would reach out and nudge Sky for attention.

With a smile, Sky shakes his head and keeps cutting the plants. The last thing he needs to do is make the Champion uncomfortable. He’ll find a way to ease him into it.

Read the rest here!

#linked moments #lu sky #lu wild #linked universe #linkeduniverse #platonic touch #touch starved #breannasfluff #my writing #linked universe fanfic

[tai-janai]

Reunite

Path 5: Freedom

(Chapter Select)

Voice of the Hero:

Hey... Woah.

You agree with the Voice's shock as your eyes open and are attacked by your view of the cabin.

Voice of the Hero:

I was gonna comment on our back not hurting anymore, but holy shit.

You stand in a place with many textures. the walls are a mish-mash of materials; wood, stone, brick, metal. The floor has roots, it has tile, it has cobble. When your eyes dart from one place to another, it's like whatever you looked at before had changed. It gives you a headache.

Voice of the Hero:

No, that's... That would be me. The headache. I... I feel weird.

"You sure this is just you? This is hurting my eyes."

Voice of the Hero:

Well, maybe it's the cabin, too. I just... I can feel all the other "me"s, the ones we left behind, way more than I could before.

"Is it bad?"

Voice of the Hero:

No... No. They're all very happy. Some have gone outside the cabin. Some are still there, relaxing and enjoying their company. But it's... incredibly distracting.

You look around, and there is the blade's echo perched on a table made of an undetermined material. One leg of it is curved, one is missing. The echo jumps from place to place every time you blink. As you grab it, it is observed, and remains a still nothingness in your hand.

The cabin is almost annoying. The echo feels light, and there is a pull to put it back on the table. Something in you feels... watched. You glance back at the ever-changing walls. They have windows that show glimpses of a darkening twilight.

"You said the others left the cabin?"

Voice of the Hero:

Well... Yeah. But we can't do that.

"Why not?"

Voice of the Hero:

It's... It's not for... Us. You and me. I... I don't know. Don't you want to save the things trapped here?

You do, but you are overwhelmed by what has happened so far. The thought that it would be easier, maybe even nicer, to just leave crowds your mind.

Voice of the Hero:

... Hey.

You close your eyes, forcing out the mess before you. It is just You.

Voice of the Hero:

I know it's a lot. Last time especially. But they're all so grateful for your effort. They all tell me so. I'm right here with you and them.

The cabin continues to change around you. You feel like you're tugged in various different directions. You clutch the echo tighter. The Voice tries to comfort you from inside your head.

Voice of the Hero:

You're doing great. We all... care about you. I... I can't promise when it'll end, but it will. They'll all be free, and you will be, too.

You open your eyes after a deep breath.

Something made of dust stands in front of you, only a few inches tall.

Voice of the Hero:

What the hell?

Its odd little face breaks into a grin, and it scurries out under the door to the basement. You're in too much shock to have taken in any of its features.

You stumble, dizzy. The moment of serenity is gone in a flash.

Voice of the Hero:

Another small one? And it's already out?

You remind yourself that not everything can be immediately taken at face-value. You gather yourself, and push aside the weirdness of the place you are in.

You open the shifting door, and it makes multiple noises at once. Metal squeaking, wood creaking, a flap of fabric.

The stairs are made of the same material as the table; one you've never seen before. They are smooth and almost cold to the touch, but each step bends with your weight, as if they are hollow.

Voice of the Hero:

Is it okay to say I hate this one the most? Just the uncertainty of it...

You focus on the Voice's words. This set of stairs feels... so long. There are childish giggles from the walls and corners.

You find yourself waking up at the bottom of the stairs. You didn't realize you had fallen asleep, and you don't know how you continued to descend while being unconscious. It is quiet. The basement is nothing but darkness.

Voice of the Hero:

A... Are you alright? It's so dark... I hated that. I think we passed out.

You don't notice it at first, but there is a set of eyes that blends in with the pitch-black. It is only a meter or so away from you.

No, it isn't just one set. There is another.

And another.

Little white pearls are unmoving, staring at you, surrounding you. There are more than you can count.

Voice of the Hero:

Uh... Hey... Everyone. You... wouldn't mind not ripping me apart, would you?

A grinning voice echoing from somewhere else in the room answers the Voice.

Well, now that you say it...

A bunch of the eyes pounce on you. They seem to be made of dust bunnies that form the shape of a person, but they have brightly glittering eyes and shiny little smiles. Some vary in size, but none are more than a foot tall. everything else about them is devoid of feature.

They crawl all over you. Something in you... buzzes. You try to swat them off, but they are just dust; formless, and many.

A shudder rakes through you, and at once, they are off of you.

You look over in the dim light to see the Other apart from you once again. The little things are still on him, but not maliciously. They are inspecting him, rustling through his feathers. One is in his hands, held under what would be its armpits. They are examining each other.

The Hero:

This one didn't hurt, at least.

Suddenly, he is obscured from view by more gray darkness.

"Where did you go?"

Even if he answered, it wouldn't be correct.

You whip your head, and the Being is revealed to you. It seems less like a "creature" than any you have seen so far. It is no bigger nor smaller than yourself. It isn't you, but it has feathers, though they are coated in, or perhaps made of, thick layers of dust. Iridescent ribbons that glow in the dimness adorn it and drape across it. Its face has the same pearls as the dust creatures, but are instead a shimmering black. It wears a wide, impish smile. It has only one horn on one side of its face, making it lopsided. The clasp around its neck seems thicker and heavier than something of that size would need.

I hope you've got something new to show me.

"I know what you're thinking. We haven't met."

Do you really want to say you know what I'm thinking?

Before you can answer it, the darkness crowds in again, and it is gone. You walk to where it was... But you find nothing.

Sure, we can pretend we haven't met. It's been so boring without someone to mess with.

To your side, another ten feet away, it reappears in the same orientation it disappeared in; sitting on the floor in its chains.

I love a good game. And you. Seem. Hilarious.

You rush at it, trying to reach it before it disappears again. You are too late. It is gone, and you only get more disoriented. You mutter to yourself, trying to clear your head.

"Fool me once..."

Oh, you're going to be fooled a lot more than twice, funny guy.

In a flash, there are three of the creature, sitting identically and equidistantly from you at different angles. You whip around, staring down each of them. You can't tell which one is the real one, if any of them at all are fake. Fighting and rushing at it is not the play here.

"We want to help you. To let you out. Don't you want to be free?"

They blink back into the darkness.

I dunno. It never really mattered to me. I'm having fun as I am now. And I'll have fun messing with you for the rest of time.

From the darkness, the Other calls to you.

The Hero:

Where are you?

You turn your head, but his voice bounces and echoes from every direction.

Another thing you've brought down to imprison? He's cute.

You cringe. "He" is a part of "You," and the compliment makes you feel weird.

What, are you attached to him?

You feel presences behind you, and turn around.

Dozens of the little dusty critters are holding the Other hostage, smiling bright smiles and hugging him tightly. He doesn't seem to be in pain, but it sure doesn't seem pleasant. The being is smiling widely from its place on the floor, and shows off the other you like a trophy.

What if I was the jailkeep this time? I lock up you and this shiny fella for as long as time exists? A fun little switcheroo?

"Please, let him go."

Aw, you begging, warden? Did you listen when I begged to die?

You wince. Nobody else has said it outright like that, and you feel the waves guilt that whoever did put them here never experienced. Its malicious grin never fades.

The Hero:

We want to free you. He didn't put you here, I swear on everything.

You weren't even here. How would you know?

The Other gestures to you, flinging away some of the dust creatures effortlessly. Clearly they aren't actually keeping him in place.

The Hero:

I was him! You split me from him! I've been in that consciousness, and the only thing he knows is about cabins!

Kind of rude, but pretty true.

The Other is carried away into the darkness, exclaiming in confusion as the dust creatures do so. A moving, dusty, sandy feeling pushes you towards the Being in chains. Its voice becomes annoyed, almost bored.

The game's no fun if you take it so seriously.

"I don't want to play a game. I want answers. Don't you?"

Answers are nothing. It's been great down here with my dust-devils, but now there's an antagonist. Things just got so much more exciting.

It is gone again. It is worse without the other you. You feel stranded. You need to figure this out, and do it alone.

Your mind races. The Being doesn't want to take you seriously, even though it is in chains and you are wielding a blade.

The echo.

"What if... I slay myself?"

After a beat, the Being's laugh booms through you.

What a card... I don't know, funny guy. I tried it myself, but nothing happened. But you're different. Maybe something will happen to you.

It emerges from the grayness again to watch the show. It grins at you, calling your bluff.

You drop the echo, and it hits the ground with no noise.

Ooh. You sure got me.

Suddenly, you are knocked off your feet by a few of the dust creatures. In a blink, the Being has disappeared and reappeared beside you, and grabs the knife. You sit up, trying to get back to your feet as quickly as possible.

You watch in shocked helplessness as it swiftly raises the blade in two dusty clawed hands. The echo can't even be perceived. Still, the Being buries it into its own heart. You lunge at it to stop it, but you are too late. It slumps, and the chain chimes weakly. Its beady black eyes are now devoid of life, and it no longer smiles.

The Hero:

Wh-What happened? I heard... Are you okay? I- I can't see you.

"He... Stabbed himself."

The other you does not respond. A mourning fills the darkness. Quietly, the dust creatures crawl over the Being's lifeless body, taking it away, and leaving the echo behind.

Why are you grieving.

The distorted voice shocks you. You turn and see the Being again behind you, perfectly fine. It stands, but without the haughty playfulness, it feels like a shadow. Dust particles float around it now that it has actually moved.

Though you are confused, you are more relieved than anything that it is okay.

I just told you I already tried to die. Why would you have cared if I was dead. You may as well have killed me by putting me here.

"I don't want you to die. I want you to be free. I want to find the end of this."

"Freedom." This was my freedom, y'know? It was kind of nice, after a while.

The Hero:

Don't you want real freedom though? Something beyond this?

The Other you has appeared beside you, covered in even more of the dust-things that cling to it. He's even holding one in his arms.

I can't leave. The little guys couldn't.

The Hero:

You haven't tried with me.

It smiles at the Being's surprised response that hints at being impressed. A few of the dust-things giggle.

You actually want to let me out. I'd say you're making amends, but you really weren't the one who put me here, were you?

With an exhale, you shake your head. When silence fills the room, you walk towards the Being.

It disappears into darkness once again.

Sorry. It's just. Always funny.

It is behind you. You sigh as you turn, exhausted but mildly amused, and reach for the large chain around its neck.

The feathers come in to surround it, sending dust flying in every direction. At your side, the creatures that adorn the other you crumble, losing whatever made them alive. The Other seems sad to see them go.

The new one comes to with a look that reads 'Oh, well.'

Of course, it looks like You, like all the others. But this one is lopsided, to say the least. Its feathers are full on one side, and torn on the other. Half of its body is completely covered in scales, the other half only has a few scattered about.

The Contrarian:

Take me to dinner before you ambush me with your feathers like that.

The Hero:

You ripped me out of him, I don't think you can make that joke.

The new one chuckles at the Other as he brushes off the dust left over from the creatures.

The Contrarian:

I don't know if this counts as "new," since I've already been this way.

"You had changed?"

The Contrarian:

Well, yeah. Forever can really change a person. I'd looked like I do now and a lot of different ways, too.

"But you don't know how long?"

The Contrarian:

Uhh, no. Forever. Kind of. Longer than what could be measured by time.

"What happened when you died?"

The new one raises an eyebrow at you, unsure of how to answer. You itch for some semblance of sense. The other you puts a hand on your shoulder.

The Hero:

Are you alright...?

You look into his eyes. He knows what you are looking for, but he silently tells you that you won't find your answers in a place like this, and from a person like that.

The Hero:

Do you think it's time to leave?

You grimace.

"The ones we leave behind. What do they think?"

The Other sighs, but explores its mind to find your answer. The new one watches with curiosity.

The Hero:

They all... Are sad that you leave so soon, but they know it's for a good reason. That's pretty much the same for all of them. I don't want to push them for answers, not now that they're out. They... shouldn't have to worry about anything anymore.

Your heart tugs. You want to spend more time with them, too, but the end is still not in sight. You look at the new one, the defiant one.

The Contrarian:

You said it's "time to leave" like I wasn't coming with you. You know I'm coming with you, right?

The Hero:

He'll be leaving. I'll be here to explore with you. You won't be alone.

The Contrarian:

But You have to go... Save others? Is that what I'm getting?

The two of You nod.

The Contrarian:

Jeez. Well, I hope they're easier to deal with than I was.

The Hero:

Trust me, you have not been the worst thus far.

The Contrarian:

Damn. I should'a tried harder.

You glance over, finding the echo in the grayness. You walk over and pick it up.

"You two will be able to leave, right? He seems to have lost his abilities, will you make it back out?"

The Contrarian:

Huh? Oh, no, it'll be fine. The cabin's gotta be sick of me, I'm sure it'll want me out as soon as possible.

"The cabin? It's 'sick of' you? What-"

The Hero:

Maybe. We don't ask the bothersome one the in-depth questions, yeah?

It stops you, looking into your eyes and taking the echo from you. The new one is grinning.

The Contrarian:

Sigh of content, it is so nice to be called a bother by someone else.

The Hero:

We'll be fine. We'll get our answers, okay? I'm not... going to rush you, but I genuinely think this place is getting to you.

He's probably right. You exhale and relax, letting your eyes close. Then, you brace for the next step.

The knife stings as it pierces your heart. You remain standing for as long as you can. You open your eyes, and the Other is reaching for you with the hand not wrapped around the hilt of the blade.

You don't know what he does next. Everything goes dark.

#stp #stp voices #slay the princess #voice of the hero #hes a little hard to read but i think it works for him #fanfic #stp fanart #stp fanfic

[crazylittlejester]

I saw you say you read alot of Twi fics, so I was wondering if you have any reccomendations? All good if you don't, I just love the blorbo so much and I'm making my way through his tags.

Even if you don't answer this (I don't mind!), have a good day/night! <3

I had soooo many Twi fics open in my tabs and then my phone thought it’d be cute to reenact the burning of the library of Alexandria a few days ago and close all my ao3 tabs, so all I have left are these two that I can find and remember the titles of- (click the titles for the links)

1. Whistling on Deaf Ears by Crimson Ravioli

Summary: A small dog whistle Wild finds at a merchant's stall quickly becomes his favorite tool to tease his mentor with - Twilight’s reactions to it are too funny to pass up on. And no matter the glares he receives, they both know it’s all just in good fun. It's harmless. Until it isn’t.

2. Deserving by Crimson Ravioli

Summary: Rusl hadn't known the wolf was his son when he'd brandished his torch against it. Twilight needs him to know about the scar it left to finally move past what happened that night. A long overdue talk takes place between a father and a son when the Chain find themselves back in Ordon Village. Colin overhears the worst parts of it.

And then I myself have written some fics that center around Twi

1. The Midnight Hours (this one does also focus a lot of Time)

Summary: Time didn’t know what to do, nothing was working, no potion or amount of healing magic Hyrule poured into Twilight was making any difference. Time’s worried that Twilight isn’t going to recover, but he has to push his own worries aside to make sure the others are also alright. (A fic about what happens between Sunset part 14 and Dawn part 1)

2. Dog Days

Summary: After a long battle that left everyone injured and exhausted, Twilight can’t stop worrying over Time. Warriors takes Wolfie for a bath to distract him, and the two of them play around a bit in the water on a hot day. (or Wolfie gets a bath and then some hugs because he earned them)

3. 2 A.M. Shenanigans (this one also has a lot of Wars and Sky)

Summary: Twilight had been resting all day and he was starting to get bored. Problem is, Wild is dead asleep on top of him and he can’t move. Warriors and Sky rescue him from where he’s stuck, and the three of them take time to relax and unwind by running around outside in the dead of night.

I hope you have a good day/night too!!

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #twilight lu #lu twilight #lu fic recs #jes talks #jes ask

[hotcheetohatredwastaken]

Wild's Wolf (Modern AU): Febuwhump Day 15--Who did this to you?

When they escaped the compound in a sprint and piled into Time’s rusted old truck, peeling out of the dimly lit parking lot with a shriek of rubber against concrete, he did the first thing he always did when he got himself into trouble. 

He called Malon.

Time’s knuckles blanched white around the steering wheel as the phone rang all the way through on the first try, as well as the second and the third. On the fourth ring, she finally picked up.

“Link.” Her sleepy voice warbled through the phone’s old speaker. She sounded… pissed. “What’re you doing, calling at two in the morning? Why aren’t you in bed? When did you slip out? Where are you?”

“Sorry dear, a work thing came up—”

“—Who’s talking?” came the frightened bark from the backseat. “Where’s ‘at voice a’coming from? Mr. Time?”

“—do you have someone with you, honey?” Malon asked, sounding fractionally more alert now. There was a shifting on the other side of the line, likely Malon pushing back the covers and rising out of bed. “What’s going on? What in the world did they say?”

“Don’t worry about it, kid, it’s just my wife,” Time said lowly, then raised his voice to be heard over the speaker. “Yes, sweetheart, listen. I’d love to answer all of your questions when I see you. I’ll be home in about thirty minutes.”

Time glanced up into the rear-view mirror. The agency hadn’t given chase, not yet anyways, given the dark, empty highway road stretching out behind them. The wolf boy—Twilight, Time had gathered after their most recent conversations, not just Wolf —cradled Wild in his arms, braced awkwardly against the movements of the car and looking every bit a caged animal as he watched the world speed by outside the car’s dusty windows. Wild himself lay slack and quiet across the backseat, dried blood spilling over his pale face from the gash at his hairline. Time wasn’t sure if he was fully conscious or not—his torn hospital gown made it hard to tell if he was even alive, the way it washed him out. 

Malon said nothing to his dismissal, patiently waiting for some explanation in the crackling silence. “We’re, uh…” Time broke at last as he turned his eyes to the road.  “We’re going to be having some… guests this morning. Would you mind to prepare the guest bedroom? And get out that old med kit you’ve got in the top of the dresser, while you’re at it. And that bag of chocolates in my desk drawer.”

“The med kit? Are you hurt?” Malon’s next words were low, tense. “And just who are the guests you’re bringing home with you?” A heavy sigh. “What have you gotten yourself into now, Fairy Boy? ”

Time winced. “Nothing—nothing bad,” he lied through his teeth as he again checked the rear-view mirror. Still no cars tailing him, yet. Good. But they knew where he lived. His house would be the first place they checked, if they decided to come after him despite his threats to go to the news about their whole secret human experimentation project. “M-m-make sure that the boys stay in bed, Malon, we can explain things to them in the morning. And don’t forget those chocolates.”

“Alright, Link.” A heavy sigh rang out from the other end of the line. “You better know what you’re doing.”

Click!

Time resisted the urge to slam his own forehead against the steering wheel. “Oooooh, she’s gonna be so upset about this,” he said to the empty air. “I’m going to be out in the doghouse for a month.”

“You did not tell me that your wife is a fierce goddess, Mr. Time,” Twilight whispered, wide-eyed. Those long ears of his stood pricked up and alert, nearly completely upright as they swiveled as if to catch her voice again. “That she may use her powerful influence to project her holy presence to our lowly senses, whilst she is absent from this place of being herself? And yet you dare to incur her wrath upon yourself, so much so that she shall transform you into a lowly dog? What offering must we make to appease her fury?”

Aaaaaaand that was their jabber nuts reaching the time limit of their magic. “No, she’s not a goddess, and that’s just a figure of speech.” Time restrained himself from making a joking comment about her in regards to that—he’d just confuse the boy more. He dug into the sack of candies in his front shirt pocket and passed two jabber nuts back, careful to keep one eye on the road. “Take another one of these. See if Wild will eat one as well.” 

Twilight hummed suspiciously, muttering something to himself that Time could no longer parse out without the jabber nut’s magic, but took the chocolate candies from his palm. Time popped another one into his own mouth just as headlights appeared on the horizon behind them. He veered off the nearest exit and turned on the winding road that led through the woods and eventually, to the farm.

“D’you reckon he’ll be alright, sir?” Twilight asked a few quiet minutes later. “He’s lookin real hurt back here. Ain’t woken up once since we hightailed it out of that curs’ed place.”

Time smiled at the sudden difference in the sound of his voice. The jabber nuts were funny in that they not only translated the meaning of a person’s words, but they also conveyed how that person’s words would come across to a native speaker. Not only did that mean tone indicators such as sarcasm—underneath the jabber nut’s magic, Time did not hear that upwards lilt of an interrogative with Twilight’s question, perhaps their language had a specific word that signified such a thing—but it also imbued an accent, when applicable. For Wild, his voice was an unremarkable American English, which meant he likely spoke the most common iteration of their language. For Twilight, the jabber nut’s magic chose to give him a deep, drawling southern accent. Perhaps he had originally been a farmer, or he hailed from a stereotypically less educated corner of their home country, or maybe he was just from a rural area. Time could only guess what the magic had picked up on. The academic, professorly side of him noted it as something to look into more deeply later.

“I’m sure that he’ll be fine, he just needs to sleep off whatever they did to him,” Time said smoothly. But the vicious blow to the Wild’s head and the jerking of his thin body from the electricity's effects after those researchers had shocked him for daring to fight back—it might take a little bit more than a good night’s sleep to heal. “Malon—that’s my wife who you heard talking earlier—will fix him right up, I’m sure of it.”

“So, I reckon I did understand that right, earlier—that’s where you’re taking us? To your wife?” Twilight mumbled as he leaned his arm against the window, watching the world fly by. His hand carded absently through Wild’s bloodied hair. “You said that you’d help me get him back, an’ we’d be free to go. You ain’t never mentioned taking us nowhere other than back home.”

Time’s heart ached at the kid’s betrayed, defensive tone. “I did say that. And you will be home, soon, I promise,” he soothed. As if the forest they’d survived in before would be safe anymore, given that people knew about them now. Time shook his head. That was a bridge to cross and a conversation to have another day. “I’m just taking you to my home to make sure that Wild’s okay. You want him to be okay, don’t you?”

Time felt even worse, then, for turning such horribly manipulative phrasing upon the kid in order to gain his compliance. But it worked, and Twilight shrunk into himself with a meek nod.

“Good. We’ll be there in 15 minutes.” Time peered at the both of them in the backseat. Twilight was nearly standing now in order to withstand the jostling movement of the car on the winding country roads. His back was pressed against the car door and legs braced stiltedly against the floorboard, turning him all askew where he tried to keep Wild’s head in his lap despite such a position. Wild’s eyes remained closed. “Sit down and put your seatbelt on, Twilight. It’s dangerous to be unbuckled in a moving car.”

“Put on my what?” Twilight’s icy blue eyes snapped to Time, his ears pinning back in alarm. “Dangerous to be unbelted in a what?”

Ah. The jabber nuts, despite their magic, did not have the power to translate everything, especially when a concept was not shared between respective languages.

“Nevermind,” Time muttered, turning onto another street. “Just stay seated and hope that I don’t crash before we get there.”

Finally, they pulled into the gravel driveway. Battered fence posts ran along either side of the road, penning in the horses and cows that would all be asleep in the big red barns at the backside of the property. The vegetable gardens lay to one side; the white farmhouse loomed on the other side at the top of the hill; the kitchen light flicked on, and if Time squinted, he could spot Malon’s silhouette shadowing the window.

“Listen, boys, we’re here.” Time spoke up. Twilight, previously nodding off, jerked to attention in the backseat. Wild remained still, but Time thought he saw his eyes flicker open at his words. “When we go inside, I want you to go and sit in the living room. I’ll talk to Malon. She’s likely gonna want a pretty good explanation on all of this, and I’d rather it come from me.”

“An’ if she turn you inta dog?” Twilight asked tremulously. Wild made a little confused noise on his lap, and Twilight returned to petting his head, looking very, very stressed about the idea. “What’re we s’posed to do then?”

“She’s not going to turn me into a dog, Twilight,” Time answered tersely. She may kill me, though. He knew better than to voice that thought—the jabber nuts were clearly not doing a good enough job to translate the idea of irony to the poor kid. Time pulled up the car to the garage, parking in front of the closed doors. “Alright, everybody get out.”

Just as Time stepped around the vehicle to release a trapped Twilight from the backseat—he’d forgotten the boy wouldn’t know how to use the latch—the front door to the house opened. Light spilled onto the driveway.

“Link!” Malon’s scolding voice nearly made him cower in its intensity. “Just where have you been? Two in the morning, calling me telling me—”

“Shh, shh, shh, shh!” Time begged, waving his arms. He raised a finger to his lips. “One’s got a head injury, you’re gonna hurt his ears.”

Malon took in a deep, preparatory breath, but right on cue, Twilight unfolded himself out of the car—a mess of lanky limbs and unsteady after the long, unfamiliar ride—and her lecture petered out then and there. He clutched Wild, still so small and shivering, to his chest. “Uh… ‘Lo, Mrs. Malon.” Twilight seemed to attempt to dip into a respectful bow, but the precious cargo in his arms made it difficult to complete the gesture. He ended up bending his head over Wild, the tips of his ears downturned. Always with the ears. Time didn’t remember there being so much body language about them. But it had been decades since he’d last seen them, after all. “Nice t’meet you, ma’am.”

“Oh my god, where did you get two kids?” Malon whispered, her hands over her mouth. “Looks like you picked up a hobo and a psych ward escapee.”

“Like I said, work,” Time said briskly, retrieving and shouldering his professor’s satchel from the passenger’s seat. “Did you eat one of the chocolates already?”

“Of course I did, Link.”

“Then stop insulting the poor boys, because they can understand you, too, and they’ve been through a lot today.”

Malon huffed, crossing her arms as she looked over the two. Twilight stepped forwards, then, and his knees seemed to shake underneath him beneath her gaze, but he stood tall. “I’ve heard lots about you from Mr. Time, kind ma’am. Can… can you help my lil brother, please?”

“I’m afraid I can’t say the same. My husband likes to keep his secrets, it seems.” The look Malon sent Time was deadly. Then, as if on a dime, her voice changed to a soft, motherly coo as she turned her attention to Wild. “Oh, you poor boy, you." She placed a gentle hand over his forehead, brushing his bangs to the side; he gazed back, his eyes open but glassy and unseeing. "Who did this to you?” 

“C’mon inside, dearies, I’ll get you and your little brother all fixed up, and get you something to fill your stomachs too?” She took Wild from Twilight with ease—and Twilight let her, surprisingly enough—then headed for the front door. “And while we’re doing that, my husband and I will talk. That sound alright to you?”

“Yes ma’am!” Twilight followed her readily inside, a skip to his step that Time had never seen from him before. Time trailed far behind, a shadow staying out of Malon’s blazing sight. Oh, he was in so much trouble.

Read this on ao3! Wild’s Wolf - Chapter 4

Or check out the whole series here! HotCheetoHatred's Febuwhump

#linked universe #lu #linkeduniverse #cheetowrites #febuwhump #febuwhump 2024 #whump #febuwhump day 15 #wild linked universe #lu wild #wild lu #Twilight linked universe #lu Twilight #Twilight lu #Time linked universe #time lu #lu time #Malon linked universe #linked universe fanfic #linked universe fanfiction #linked universe au #hurt/comfort #hurt/angst #hurt/aftermath #young Wild #Wild's Wolf #I should probably make that a tag

[afreakingdork]

Crush Too Much - Part 22 - Finale

RotTMNT Donatello x GN!Reader

Warnings: Longing, Angst, Fluff, Embarrassment, Overbearing Siblings, Aged-up Turtles

Synopsis:  So you met a customer three times at work and that made a pretty big impression on you? That’s nothing to necessarily get worked up over, but when you’re all prepared to ask for his number the next time you see him and his brother gets involved instead, you might be in for something more than you bargained for.

FIRST 💜 PREVIOUS

So, saying you were rushed didn’t even begin to cover it. As your feet pummeled the pavement, you dodged twilight pedestrians on your way to the next subway station. This wasn’t exactly how you thought tonight would go, but when was the last time you’d been able to plan for anything when it came to Donatello Hamato. Barely grazing an middle aged woman with too many shopping bags, you skirted the sudden drop in concrete. Glaring down the hole, you watched as a grouched man around your age sized up your rushing figure with discontent.

“Don’t bother, this one’s down too!” He grumbled.

Your bady sank around your racing heart. “You’re kidding?”

A woman several steps below him, leaned into view. “The line’s down actually.”

“What?” The man spun around, pointing his malcontent at her.

She seemed unfazed. “I got a text from my girlfriend. Someone busted the tracks and they’re scrambling to reroute.”

All three of you harmonized a groan. It was one of the things you loved about New York. They departed and you frowned, leaning against the station’s entrance. Pulling out your phone, you brought open your text chain with Donnie. It had only been a single day since you’d confessed your feelings for one another and the walls of text were boiling over. You had to scroll back with several lengthy swipes just to get to the last message you had seen. It was something you sorely needed to bring up. For him, the love was fresh and ready to be outpoured. It wasn’t as if you weren’t excited to reciprocate, but you’d barely been given time to breath, let alone adjust to this new mindset. A little over 24 hours ago you were agonizing over cutting him out of your life entirely. Now you were his ‘darling’ and attempting to be on time for your first date. That is, if you could get there.

Already, Donnie had cancelled picking you up because of some sort of garage door malfunction. It wasn’t that big a deal, the subway should have been an easy alternative. Skimming the wall of text you had yet to read found a slew of apologies and promises to make it up to you. Giddy at his tooth-rottingly sweet assurances, you touched a hand to your chest. If your fluttering heart was any indications, these worries would soon be long forgotten, but until then you were sorely stuck in the adjustment phase. You were more than prepared to spin his excitement in your favor. It was all about framing. You knew him well enough that this was just like him; jumping headfirst and headlong into passion projects was Donnie at his finest. He just needed to be told directly and in person that that kind of dedication aimed at a person could be overwhelming. It was getting to him now that was the biggest problem.

A quick glance at your bank balance found a taxi ride would decimate your budget. Wanting to eat some time in the future and not wanting to keep a presumably overexcited Donnie waiting, you began to run once more. Thankful you hadn’t gone all out dressing up, you grappled with clogged sidewalks until you spied a rental bike. It’s location outside of a bodega said that it was probably still in use, but you snatched it up anyway. You threw a silent apology towards the business’ door as you heaved the thing up onto your shoulder. Running down a few more blocks, you located its kiosk and checked it back in so you could then reserve it yourself. With payment squared away, you hopped on the seat and took off.

Making relatively good time, you ditched the bike at approximately the closest dock to the garden and made up the rest of the distance on foot. Pressing two fingers to your throat, you attempted to will your heartbeat to even out. It came down with your breath and so began a rapid preening process to make yourself presentable once more. Sighing without a mirror, you squared your shoulders and approached the entrance. There were no signs of purple, but glowy neon emanated from the grounds. You found it hard to tear your eyes away from it as you fumbled for your phone. Its screen read you were 17 minutes late and your lips parted with a frustrated whine. Shuffling in place, you quickly threw up your text thread realizing you’d failed to mention the subway debacle. Sighing, you shook your head as you had to filter through about seven new messages. There was something about a phone call so you swiped your status bar to find three missed ones. Your head lolled back as you slammed one with your thumb and used it to ring your overzealous boyfriend.

“Dearest!” His voice waned with minor irritation. “There you are!”

“Donnie!” You mocked the tone back at him. “I forgot to message you!”

“Yes, I had to look up the track delays. You weren’t on board were you?”

“I doubt I’d get this good of reception if I was!” You didn’t mean to be snippy with him, but after your rush to get over here you weren’t particularly in the mood to deal with criticism. “Where are you? I’m here.” Spinning around, you still found no sign of him.

“You’re there…” He not only trailed off, but his voice dropped off as well.

“Where are you?” You pressed again, a sort of annoyed fear jolting in your veins.

“After locating the travel hindrance and taking into account your lack of response, I thought it would be best to go and pick you up...”

“Pick me-?” You began and stopped. “How far did you get?”

“Your apartment.” There was a sheepish quality to his voice.

You pulled your phone away and groaned loudly.

“It was a romantic gesture?” He offered; the tinny sound of rotors followed.

“I just…” You brought the device back and scooted over to a nearby wall to lean. “Ran so far…”

“That excited to see me?” He crooned as wind rushed around his voice.

“I didn’t want to be late.” You shook your head. “That didn’t really work out.”

There was a pause with only a gusty static coming through the line. “I suppose I am also at fault.”

“Maybe.” You teased as your annoyance began to recede. “I even stole a bike.”

“Dating a criminal!” Donnie huffed. “Say it isn’t so!”

“You got me.” Turning, you kept an eye to the sky. “It was one of those rental things. I did take it from someone who was still using it though.”

“I can’t help but feel you are still leaving parts of your story out.”

You chuckled at his knowing tone and regaled him in your journey. By the time you were both up to speed, you spotted his telltale purple lights. You watched as he descended and walked out of the landing as if he wasn’t the embodiment of mankind’s dream to fly. He strolled up to you and you caught his gloved hands on the way. Heat pooled in your finger tips on contact and you swept your gaze up to his face.

“Hi.”

“Greetings.” His voice was honeyed and you all but melted as it hit your ears. You were further liquefied as he leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to your forehead.

Now this part you had no problem with.

“I apologize for the rocky start.”

You shook your head. “It happens. Did you figure out what was up with the garage?”

He turned toward the entrance and offered you his arm. You slotted your hand into his elbow and he lead you to garden with only a minor ticketing stop. “I didn’t have the time, though I suspect there’s a leak.”

“It is the sewers.” You mused, other couples cropping up as you walked a designated path.

“You wound me!” He bumped you as you walked and you leaned into the motion. “That is obviously one of the first precautions taken when setting up a good underground lair.”

“Silly me. It must be my public school education; I missed my lair making class.” 

“That and how to file taxes. When will America learn?” He hummed as lights began to twinkle on the horizon.

You perked up and he quieted. Jaunty music filtered in as the glowing gardens came into view. Your eyes darted around excitedly. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

With only silence as a chaser, you turned to find him staring at you.

“Ravishing.” He seemed to find himself, but the molten look in his eye stayed.

You were caught, but the crowd dictated the necessity to keep moving. With Donnie’s hand atop yours to steady you, he dipped his head down. Your lids drifted shut in anticipation when a large explosion sounded across the garden. You snapped away from each other and looked at a loom of smoke pouring out of the conservatory.

“You’re kidding.” Donnie groaned. Underhand you felt his muscle's tense.

“Maybe… it’s just a heater malfunction?” You offered anxiously. “It’s like a hot house in there, right?”

“Well, yes, but I somehow doubt-”

A burst of flames shot out through a hole in the glass dome.

“It is-!” Donnie threw up an indignant finger at the structure. “-my date night! My night!!” 

A high pitched evil cackling sounded from afar and both of you slumped in response.

“Maybe a different vigilante could handle it? After all these years you can’t be the only ones, right?” You pressed out, the question thin to your ears.

Screams of wayward civilians followed the maniacal laughter.

He gave you a saddened smile. “Regretfully, I am technically always on the clock.” Donnie sighed. “I seem to recall there was a mutant corpse plant here, but I thought he’d moved to a warmer climate years ago.” You slipped your arm free of his and his hand disappeared into his coat.  When it remerged his staff telescoped to full height and purple pixels flickered off of it. You blinked at them wondering if it was a trick of the lights. You’d seen him form objects out of thin air with his ninpo, but nothing like this. “Stay back until I come to get you?”

You nodded dumbly and he took off. The first of the people fleeing from the building finally hit your walkway and you stumbled out of their way. The music cut off in favor of an announcement to take cover. You sighed and teetered off the path and onto the grass. Keeping your eyes to the conservatory, you watched as something round was shot straight through a pane and disappeared into the night sky. You tried to remember if something like that was in Donnie’s repertoire when a different voice seemed to crack through the frenzied crowd.

“It’s over here! Keep that camera rolling!”

Spinning around, you watched as a two man news crew fought against the throng of people. You recognized the field reporter instantly.

“April O’Neil!” You shouted out before you realized what you had done.

Zoning in on her name, April waded through the crowd. “Well, hey there-” She halted and spun around to glare at her camera man. “Dale, cut the dang feed!”

“But y-you just said to keep-”

“I know what I said!” April snapped at him, before turning a sugared smile to you. “Y/N, right?”

“You know who I am?” You wished you could reign in how star struck you were.

“Of course I do!” April slung an arm around your shoulders. “Who would I be if I didn’t run an extensive background check on my little brother’s boo?”

“What?” You swallowed hard.

“Buck up, I didn’t do so hot in geometry either!” She patted your cheek and slipped away, resuming her reporter aura. “What’s the scoop?”

You stared after her feeling tossed around. “The building sort of exploded. Donnie took off a few minutes ago to deal with it.”

“I see…” Excitement flooded her voice before she turned a gritted grin back to you. “Oh…” Her tone dropped heavily with dismay. “Y’alls first date…”

“Yeah…” You mimicked her grimace for a moment before a thought occurred to you. “Wait, you aren’t here to cover whatever's happening?”

“This mess?” She pointed as another round object smashed out of the dome and into the sky. “Nope! We’re here covering all this.” She swung her hand around to the lights. “I’ll just come right out and say it: I accepted the puff piece on the GLOW exhibit opening because I wanted to see how cute y’all were together.”

“I thought there was some deal to not interfere?” Though she was new to you, she exuded such a similar energy to her brothers that you couldn’t help but fold your arms in disappointment.

She remained unfazed. “That was for before y’all got together; statue of limitations.” She gave a punctuated wink.

You stared at her dryly. “I know you rigged the make-up fiasco.”

You watched a tiny crack form in her façade. “Now, now! There’s a fight we should be covering!” She grabbed your shoulders and spun you to face the dome.

“Wait-!”

“Don’t you wanna see Donnie in action!?” She shouted, already propelling you towards the building.

“He said-!”

“He’s a worrywart!” She chirped, speeding into a run and starting to lap your lagging form. “Dale! Camera!”

“Got it!” He shot back, obviously close behind.

“April-!” The conservatory was looming closer by the second.

“Don’t worry! You’re in good hands!” She tossed a wink over her shoulder as she dragged you straight into the building.

As soon as you breeched the dome, you indentified three separate voices and the distinct sounds of a fight. You weakly followed April and Dale as they tucked themselves into a corner.

“Now remember, we scrub turtle footage, but eat up bad guys!” April directed as she got into character.

“Motion blur and shakey cam as necessary!” Dale replied automatically, readying the camera.

Giving them some space, you took several steps to the side and realized there was a break in the greenery. Your little foliage frame was empty until it wasn't. In a split second, two orange forms in garish tights slid in with their backs to you. You got to watch with near front row seat as Donnie spun into frame. Your heart shot up into your throat as he spun his tech-bō  around him with ease. During the skirmish he had sonehow lost his sweater, coat, and accessories. It left him in only his boots and winter pants. His muscles rippled as he whipped the staff around, purple pixels flitting off of it. Knowing you were ogling, your breath further left you as you caught the way his markings glowed a similar color. Awestruck, you leaned in closer.

“Come on, guys!” Donnie huffed, dropping his heroic stance to flop to an annoyed side. “I’ve basically won so can we just call this a night?”

“No way! We didn’t get our first course yet!” One of the orange figures stomped with frustration.

“And you haven’t seen our new regeneration skills!” The other form, flicked out an arm and you got sight of an enormous claw.

“Let it be known I tried reason.” Donnie shrugged and threw his staff out. The purple from him emanated a little brighter as energy swirled along the staff to form an outrageously large huge mallet. “Let’s see just how much you can regenerate!”

You felt like shrinking down. If anyone was to view this fight at this exact instant, they’d definitely peg Donnie as the villain. He reared back and the two mutants readied their claws. You tensed and all other sounds seemed to fall away as Donnie pivoted. The purple hammer came around, but a bright shine of blue light drew your eye away. A portal opened up just to the side of both parties. You watched as, within an instant, Mikey's shell rocketed out of it and collided with his brother who, in turn, was sent flying into the vegetation. Your jaw dropped as Mikey's limbs pipped out and he landed on his feet in a readied stance. 

“Alright, whoever you are!!” Mikey shouted, facing the wrong direction. “We’re gonna wipe you out so fast, Donnie won’t even know what hit him.”

“I’ll know EXACTLY WHO HIT ME!!!” Donnie screeched from somewhere deep in the dome.

“Donnie? Wha-?” Mikey got out before one of the orange forms fired four claws straight into the younger brothers back which sent him flying as well.

Your shoulders dropped at the absurdity. You had watched what you now pegged for crab mutants fire off their hands like they were guns. It was almost as ridiculous as their circus outfits.

Raph and Leo stepped through the portal in near sync.

“For the record, I don’t think blindly throwing Mikey in was the best plan if we’re trying to keep on the DL.” Leo snapped as the portal closed behind him. 

“He wouldn’t stop asking!” Raph sighed, catching a glimpse of the crab mutants. “You guys, seriously?!”

“What is with the reception tonight, geez!” One of the crab mutants rolled his shoulder.

“You happen to be interrupting something very important.” Leo turned and though his tone read amused, there was a burning rage in his eyes that you had yet to see from him.

“We gathered as much.” The other crab mutant raised his claw and fired off a few shots that the two brothers you could see dodged with ease.

“Just pack it up then!” Raph growled. The older brother spun around and instantly locked arms with one of the crab mutants.

The two grappled as Leo skittered a new line of shots from the unencumbered mutant. “Mikey, any day now! Let’s wrap this up!”

“Great covert work!” Donnie appeared out of a bush, dragging Mikey by his shell.

“I told you!” Leo turned on Raph who was still in a grapple.

“Hey, Don….” Raph nervously elongated the greeting. “We… were, uh, hoping to clear this up and not interrupt your date!”

“Next time try to be 11 minutes early.” The purple brother gripped, hoisting Mikey around and onto his feet.

“I feel like I’m getting unfairly blamed for everything!” Mikey pointed out, shrinking down as Donnie loomed from behind him.

“I was about to crush them!” Donnie shouted causing Mikey to hunker down more.

“Date, huh?” A hushed voice ask from your side.

You nearly jumped out of your coat. “W-wha-?!”

“This is a cute place for a first date, I get it.” The crab mutant folded his claws and gave a genial nod.

You rose a shakey hand to point at him, your skin growing paler by the second. His size dwarfed you to an intimidating degree.

“Where ya going after this? Dinner?” He looked at you with an excited gleam in his eye.

You gave a single fearful nod.

“You know I was craving Italian, but I had a bad time the last time I ate it, ya know?” He shook his head. “I ate a few things, but I feel like it was the calzone that did me in. You think I’ll be good if I get it again? Should I avoid calzones? Maybe it was just where we ate?”

“You’re not… going to hurt me?” You finally managed to string some words together.

“Huh?” He seemed utterly taken aback. “No way! We’re not interested in that! We came here to get a nice salad going, but Ben couldn’t stop thinking about this charred caesar he heard of and got us caught!”

“Salad?” You parroted, some color returning to your face. By all accounts, it really seemed like this guy wasn’t going to use you for leverage. You remembered your earlier comment about a heating malfunction and your shoulders drooped further at how ridiculous this all was.

“Duh, the salad is pinnacle to Italian because it offsets all the carbs!” He threw out his arms and gestured around the dome. “But places around town always have the worse lettuce. I’m sick of iceberg! And since it’s winter, the co-op doesn’t have any good alternatives!”

“You’re apart of a co-op?” Your fear was all but forgotten and all that was left was your incredulous husk.

“Uh doy.” He turned to you as if you were the ridiculous one. “The freshest foods and you only have to put in some time to get them? It’s a no brainer.”

“It’s good for the community too.” Leo used one of his blades to peel back the bush you were both standing in front of.

“See, even he gets it!” The crab mutant gestured to the blue hero.

“Hey, Carl.” Leo raised a hand and shifted his hips to one side.

“What do you think about calzones, Leo?” The being you now knew as Carl turned his attention away from you.

“Wouldn’t touch ‘em!” Leo stepped forward and up to you.

“Dang!” Carl probably would have snapped his finger if he had thumbs.

“I have no idea what’s going on.” You told the blue hero weakly.

“Yeah, this is not how we were hoping to preserve the evening…” Leo grimaced and looked over his shoulder. There seemed to be more infighting amongst the brothers than with Ben who only seemed to be stoking the flames. Turning back to you, he gave a lopsided grin. “When you give your big wedding speech about how integral I was to your union, you can leave this part out.”

Carl immediately perked up and started excitedly looking between you two.

“Wedding!?” You screeched, red exploding on your face.

“I thought this was a first date?!” Nearly prancing, Carl gushed.

“It would be, but…” Leo spun his sword around and gestured between the two crab mutants.

“Ooooh!” Carl winked as he seemed to grasp what Leo was getting it. “Ben! Let’s bounce!!”

The alert not only signaled his brother, but all the other brothers not party to what was happening. Donnie immediately spied you and nearly fell over.

“We getting calzones or what?!” Ben turned and started heading towards the conservatory door.

“Leo says no!” Carl called back, shuffling around you to head in the same direction.

“Are you just letting them go!?” Donnie hissed, stomping over.

“They wanted a salad…” You told him, nearly enfeebled.

“What?” Donnie’s head shook with confusion.

“Oh, April!” Leo sang out. He crossed between you and his brother, passing you a glance. He winked as eye contact was exchanged and mouthed what you were sure was a ‘leave now.’ The haunting phrase left you especially confused as he then skipped away.

“’How we spinning this one?’” April responded, knowingly. “I got a few ideas! Dale!! Playback!!!”

Over Donnie shoulder, you noticed as Mikey zeroed in on you. There was no malice there, but something about the look sent a chill down your spine.

“Let’s run.” You snatched Donnie’s hands to telegraph your urgency.

“Run?” Donnie began to turn his head to look.

“No!” You gave a small tug. “I already heard from April! They think the ‘no meddling’ agreement is over since we’re together now!”

You were thankful at how fast Donnie took in this information and processed it. “Tell me where and we’ll go.”

Already in motion, you pulled him as you pointed towards one of the holes in the dome.

“Hey, guys…” Raph called out a warning.

Donnie nodded and in a flash you were both airborne. You held on tightly as you rocketed straight through the opening.

“They’re getting away!” Mikey’s shout was the last thing you heard as the icy night air bit at your cheeks.

“We’re getting away, scoff.” Donnie’s voice grumbled from above you.

You shifted in his arms. “You think they’ll really let those guys get off that easy?”

“The Sando Brothers? They would if we had stuck around.” Donnie huffed, pulling you tighter. “Where is our next destination anyway, darling? Shall we go ahead with dinner?”

Your lip pursed at the nickname. Not only had you not been able to talk to him, but everything about the evening had been a sheer disaster. You shook your head and wondered where it had all gone wrong. It seemed to be so much larger than just a malfunctioning garage. You blinked, clarity washing over you as the cold had. You turned to look up at him and in turn he gave you a patient smile. You softened at it. “Lou, Mike, Tony, Tony's Pizza.”

The tender look disappeared from his face and was swapped with distaste. “Are you-?”

“It has to be there.” You doubled down on your look to make up for the lack of his.

It brought the faintest blush to his cheeks and he adjusted course. “If you’re sure.”

For the most part the flight over was quiet and the city sparkled below you amongst the darkened sky. When you landed, the street outside of Bro’s Pizza was nearly empty. You wobbled as you adjusted to dry land and Donnie looked at the darkened pizzeria’s door with a sneer.

“10:59pm.” He clicked his tongue as he checked his phone. “This place never closes on time!”

“It’s perfect.” You whispered tenderly.

The warmth oozing from your tone immediately caught Donnie’s attention and he turned to approach you. “I’m confused, dear.”

“Enough of that.” You shushed him and shucked off your coat. He watched with tempered curiosity as you slung the fabric around his shoulders. The fabric barely came around his arms.

“I don’t know if I can thank you for this.” He was near laughter.

“We need to start over.”

He froze and looked down at you, stunned. You stared back at him evenly and your hands left his person. Instinctively, he reached up and caught the coat to keep it from falling away.

“I…” He searched your face and you watched fear creep up his.

You wanted to brush it away, but you needed to make sure you had his full attention for this. Anything less and it wouldn’t stick in that overworking mind of his.

“I know tonight was less than ideal, but that doesn’t mean it has to set the tone for our relationship!” Fear gave way for desperation and you took a few steps back as he tried to reach out to you.

“Donnie, listen.” Folding your hands behind your back, you leaned forward to garner his attention. “Take a deep breath.”

He watched you with an anxious gaze, but his chest lifted as he followed the command.

“This is moving too fast. I know we’ve been at this for way too long, but the pet names, the date expectations, Leo joking about our wedding reception…” You trailed off and watched as a similar explosion of red painted Donnie’s cheeks as yours had.

His arms darted out in a set of rapid movements your eye couldn’t keep up with. “I swear to you that I've plotted no such thing at this time!”

“I didn’t think that, but good to know.” You beamed him a smile and it seemed to ease some of his nerves. “So, I think we should start fresh. Obviously we can’t erase all the time we’ve had together, but let’s rethink of our relationship as one just starting out!”

You watched as he churned your words over in his head.

“I’m calling a do-over.”

Realization dawned on him as he looked back to Lou, Mike, Tony, Tony's Pizza’s darkened door and then back to you. He opened his mouth, but you held up your hand to stop him. He gave a nod of understanding and you could see the watery endearment in his gaze.

You could feel your eyes mirror his so you squeezed them shut to precent any happy tears. Building up your courage, your heart raced wildly. As your meter maxed out, you opened your eyes with wide determination. Staring Donnie down, you took a few tentative steps forward and did what you should have done all along.

“Hi. I have a crush on you. Can I have your number and also will you go out with me?”

Donnie lunged forward and scooped you up in a fervor; your coat forgotten on the sidewalk. You both giggled, your cheeks red from the cold.

“Yes. I'd love to.”

THE END

#crushtoomuchfic #rottmnt donnie x reader #rottmnt #rise of the tmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt x reader #donatello hamato #donnie x reader #rise donnie #rise donnie x reader #rottmnt donatello #rottmnt donnie #me #fanfiction #my fanfiction

[angry-trashcan]

Sharing Stories

Part ten to Hair Holds Memories

Warnings: They talk about sex, slight mentions of childhood trauma. Let me know if I missed anything.

1.5K WC

(First) (Read on AO3)

“That’s not yours! For fucks sake, Wind, leave me alone!” Legend pushed the boy off of him and into his own seat.

“But you already had two! I only had one!” Wind argued back.

“That’s not my problem, you should have grabbed one faster!” He bit into the skewer, making a show of it.

“Legend, I got enough for everyone to have two. Give it to him or at least share it.” Sky raised, motioning to Wind. Wind got a smirk on his face.

“Yeah, see? Now share!” Wind jerked the skewer out of Legend’s hand, taking a large bite out of the piece of meat in the middle.

“You little-“

You laughed, watching the interaction from across the fire. The inn had a small sitting area outside. After bringing out a few chairs, there were enough seats for everyone. You were sitting sideways on a small bench with Time. Your back against his side and his arm around your chest to keep you in place. Sky had offered to buy dinner from town so Wild didn’t have to worry about cooking the night before traveling.

“Hey, Wild? You have any stories for us? Yours are always good.” Warriors suggested, leaning back in his chair.

“Nothing you haven’t already heard.” Wild brushed him off with his hand, using a skewer to pick his teeth. “Lynels, guardians, red eyed hands that come out of the ground and grab you. Nothing new.”

“Wait what was that last one?” Hyrule interjected.

“I’ve got one!” Wind shouted, standing in his chair. The group groaned, ready for another dramatic fish story. “It was a dark and stormy night on the ship. The canons were rolling across the deck as lightening flashed across the sky. Even with my wind waker I couldn’t get the storm to clear. Then suddenly-“

“A fish the size of a mountain shot outta the water!” Twilight shouted, jumping from his seat. The group rolled into laughter as Wind got increasingly offended.

“It was a shark actually!” The laughter got harder.

“I was, I don’t know, twelve?” Warriors offered to the group. The fire had long since faded and Time had sent Wind to bed against his will. “Yeah, I’d say twelve when I had my first kiss. Was some girl at my school as a dare.”

The groups heads shifted to Sky sitting next to him. He flushed a bit, coughing into his fist. “I was eighteen. After I saved Zelda we kissed for the first time.” A long aww came across the group before looking to Wild.

He shrugged, “Beats me. Lets say one hundred eighteen. Zelda and I kissed a few times here and there but it was nothing serious.”

“Seventeen. You all know him.” Legend leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.

Silence fell for a moment before it hit you, “Ravio?! Ravio was your first kiss? And y’all are still together?!”

“Sky didn’t get this kind of excitement over him and Sun. What makes this so surprising?” Legend’s voice wavered on annoyed.

You shook your head, laughing to yourself a bit, leaning further into Time. “It’s unlike you.”

“What does that even mean-“

“I was fourteen, she was a fairy.” Hyrule’s ears turned red as he spoke.

“I’d reckon I was ‘bout thirteen, you all met Ilia.” A few nods at Twilight’s words.

Your turn, “I was fourteen, it was a girl I went to school with as well. We dated for a bit but nothing serious.”

Nods as everyone turned their attention to Time, you leaned your head back to look at his face as he spoke. “I have no idea how old I was. Still don’t.” He chuckled lightly, “But it was Malon.” A few more awes traveled around.

“I was around fifteen. It was one of Dot’s friends.” Four spoke up.

“Okay, next question. When did everyone loose their-“ Sky hit the back of Legend’s head.

“What?!” He shouted, grabbing at it.

“No. We aren’t doing that.” Sky shook his head.

“Why? Because you haven’t?!”

“Because it’s not everyone’s business.” Sky hissed back.

“I was sixteen.” You spoke. Everyone’s heads shot to you. You felt Time’s breath catch behind you. “I shouldn’t have so young, but hey. It is what it is.” You shrugged under Time’s hold.

The silence that fell didn’t last. “I was eighteen.” Warriors added. Voices pipped up around the circle, sharing their own ages but nothing more. When it came to Sky he simply passed on the offer of sharing.

The next silence did last.

“Where did you learn how to shoot?” Wild’s voice finally broke the long silence as he poked the basically dead fire.

“I wouldn’t really say I learned. And if I did then I did a piss pour job.” You chuckled a bit, watching him.

“You know basics, though. So, someone taught you.” Wild looked up at you.

“Pup.” Twilight called.

“No, it’s okay. My brother actually taught me.” You spoke up, head lifting from Time’s shoulder.

“You have a brother?” Hyrule questioned.

“I do, he’s actually about Wind’s age. Maybe a year or two younger.”

“How did he teach you if he’s so young?” Wild inquired.

You laughed a bit at the memory. “My village is known for hunting. Children are taught quite young how to do so. How to hold and fire a bow and the proper care of a long knife. But my mother didn’t want that for me, so I never learned.”

“Then why your brother?” Time asked, his voice grumbled against your back as he spoke.

“I guess my mother saw how good of a job she did with me and decided to let him learn the way of the village. The old ways. I had to learn it all on my own, the way of our ancestors and such.”

“Your father didn’t have anything to say about this?” Warriors voice rose.

“I’ve never met the man. I couldn’t even call him a bastard if I wanted to because I simply don’t know. I guess I’m the bastard in the situation.”

Twilight’s breath caught in his throat. “So ya brother had to teach ya how to shoot? Well in that case I feel kinda bad for all tha fuss we made over how bad ya are at it.”

You held back a laugh. “Honestly, the kids not the best shot either. At least when I left, he wasn’t. He’s probably better now. It’s been over a year.” You smiled a bit before it fell.

“What’s your favorite part of your home, Y/N?” Time asked.

You thought for a long moment. “My brother and my grandmother. As reckless as she is and as much as she has a hatred for fae, I do love her dearly. And late spring. The summer there is way too hot, but late spring is when all of the wildflower’s bloom. The honeysuckles grow on my grandma’s fence and magnolia trees line the path between her house and mine. The smell is so sweet. It’s beautiful.”

The men took a moment to take in the information.

Hyrule’s voice was gentle and low as he spoke. “That’s what your magic tastes like. Honeysuckles and magnolia blossoms.”

You sat up from Time’s hold, wide eyed. “What do you mean magic?”

“Everyone has magic in them. Just some of us have more, and some of us are more inclined to use it.” He explained, voice still low.

“That’s what ya smell like, too.” Twilight whispered “Spring air, too.” You looked to him, then around the group as they all nodded in agreement to one of the statements.

“That’s, strangely comforting.” You whispered out. “Thank you.”

(NEXT)

This is just kind of a transition chapter and some lore for Y/N that I haven't been able to put anywhere so I had to find somewhere to put. That's why it is awkward and short.

#LU #linked universe #lu legend #lu twilight #lu legend x reader #lu twilight x reader #lu four #lu four x reader #lu hyrule #lu hyrule x reader #lu time #lu time x reader #lu sky x reader #lu sky #lu warriors #lu warriors x reader #lu wind #lu wild #lu wild x reader #lu headcanons #linked universe headcanons #poly!chain #chain x reader #also known as daddy issues go brrrrr